《Gift and Power: Series 1: Impact (Christian/Romance/Thought-hearing/SciFi)》
Serendipity Ch.1: Prelude
Book 1: Serendipity
Chapter 1:Prelude
May, 2271.
¡°John ¡°, Kate said, ¡°I know you want to do this, but really, is it wise?¡±
¡°I don''t know if I really care if it''s wise. I think I''ve got a debt to repay. You can understand that, surely?¡±
¡°Oh, I understand it, we can probably help, even, but that doesn''t mean I like it,¡± Kate sighed. ¡°I just wish I could think of a good reason to stop you.¡±
Saturday, 14th December, 2261
The missile functioned perfectly, in some ways a real credit to its designers. It entered the enclosed space at just the right angle and speed to penetrate the force field. It filled the air with just the right amount of fuel and detonated with precision just below the middle of the volume, for maximum effect. Destruction was almost perfect. Casualties were 99.9%.
It was a shame that it had not been properly decommissioned after the war it had been invented for never started. It was a shame that no one had bothered to censor the command codes when the archives had been opened and were released for academic study after a hundred years. It was a shame that the military museum hadn''t had better security, and that it had been so easy to put it back into working condition.
Most of all, it was a shame that its target had not been a hardened military bunker, but an ultra modern shopping centre, whose architects have decided that a force field''s running costs over the lifetime of the centre were less than the cost of more normal building techniques. Terrorists were figures from history books. An extinct breed, like highwaymen; they thought. It was Christmas sales time, the centre was packed. There was academic debate whether the forcefield made the death-toll higher or lower. At least the few survivors weren''t trapped under rubble. One of those who''d survived the initial blast died from their massive internal injuries, despite the best medical care available. That left two.
Wednesday, 7th June, 2271.
The director knocked on the door. Hesitatingly. Not like her, really.
¡°She''s coming here isn''t she? The Smith girl,¡± John guessed.
¡°How did you know?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Your face, you hesitated. You''re not sure you should let me be involved at all.¡± On paper (strange archaic expression that) John was the right person to take on the young woman, not a girl now, as a client. He was the most experienced trauma counsellor, now that Kate had moved into her role as the director.
He was someone she should feel comfortable talking to: of compatible religion and also ethnicity if that mattered to anyone. Their ages were perhaps a little too close ¡ª he was only twelve years older, but at twenty she would probably feel that a lifetime. It should be OK.
But... her root trauma, for which she''d been counselled for half her lifetime was also his, it was how he''d ended up working here: the patient joining the staff. They''d both survived the same attack. They''d both lost their families. John was still officially under the director''s care. He was outwardly recovered, or at least patched up as far as medicine allowed. He was fine. He''d not had a single nightmare for over 6 years now. His mourning was an aching sadness, not a sharp pain.
The director had nothing to worry about, he tried to reassure her. But she did worry. Such deep wounds could reopen, or there could be other consequences, too deep an involvement. It was a risk. She''d warned him.
¡°So what are you more worried about, Kate? Me going back to ga-ga land, or the bad press in the remote likelihood that we break from the counsellor-client relationship into another one entirely? She''s safe from me in that respect, you know that. They patched me up a lot with the metal and implants, but I''m never going to be able to consummate another marriage. She needs help and we''re the only centre this side of the planet that has any experience with her problems.¡±
She raised her hands in disgust. ¡°You know perfectly well there''s more to romance than the bedroom, you silly man, but if you insist that you can keep your emotions under control, then OK, you try and help her. And if she doesn''t pick you then I''ll dump some admin work on you and make some space for her in my diary, somehow.¡±
Monday 12th June
John was at his desk, when there was another knock on the door. Not Kate this time. Sarah Smith, average height, dark hair, hazel eyes, not plain but certainly nowhere near being the delight to the eyes that John''s wife had been.
¡°Welcome, please, have a seat, pick anywhere.¡± There was a two seater sofa, an easy-chair and two office chairs in his room. He liked to give people choice. Couples usually chose the sofa. Safety in numbers, he guessed. Others preferred the office chairs. She sat on the sofa, calm, but evidently not sure why she had accepted the invitation. She said as much.
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¡°OK, you invited me, but really, I don''t know why I''m here. I''m wounded and I''m not going to heal. I just cannot be in a crowd without my head exploding. It''s a pain, but I need to get on with life. I''ve tried everything!¡±
¡°Oh, come on. You''re not old enough to have tried everything, and I expect you''re not gullible enough to have either. But you''re here because your name came up on the ''too hard a case for the computers'' list, live close by and my boss thought we could help. So you got invited. What have you tried? Counselling, of course. Drugs?¡±
¡°Illicit? I''m not that stupid. Prescription, they''ve tried all sorts on me. I hope there aren''t long term cross-interactions, or I''ll be a textbook case.¡±
¡°OK, so they''ve tried dosing you on all the usual list. What else did your counsellor programs try?¡±
¡°They thought it was fear of attack, so put me through self-defence classes until I could throw the instructors through windows, they tried slowly introducing people and quickly introducing people and once some ingenious program tried dropping a parachute group into the field I was supposedly having a therapeutic walk in. Of course my head got worse as they approached, I saw them coming, and I ran when they landed.¡±
¡°How many people can you be near at once?¡±
¡°It depends on how tough I''m feeling, or how noisy they are. Twenty is O.K.ish normally, but fifty is very bad news.¡±
¡°In what sort of space? Would you be OK with a hundred people in an arena that seated ten thousand?¡±
¡°I expect so, but I hope you''re not planning any more crazy schemes. The insurance company''s said I''ve hit the limit. It''s only because this place had been recommended to me before and your invitation said ''free assessment interviews'' that I''m here at all. What would sessions cost once I''m assessed? I can''t afford much.¡±
¡°Well, we''re not a commercial organisation all the time. If people want to help pay the bills we don''t object of course, and we do have lots of nice rich clients who need to pay so that they can feel they''re getting real help. But we have other cases too, and your case is so special. I''ve cleared it with the boss, and she''s drawing up a draft contract right now if I''m right. We won''t charge, but we will ask something else. When you decide you''re cured, we''ll ask for your help for a year ¡ª two hours a week, maybe in administration or public relations, maybe even in my seat here. It''ll be up to you.¡±
Her face clouded and she stood, fury restrained, just barely. ¡°You know, I hate being a special case, you can''t imagine how often some group has offered me some kind of special offer so they can get the free publicity. ''Proctor and Welcome care for you, just like they care for little orphan Sarah Smith.'' I hate it, and I will not be a part of it. Goodbye.¡±
Fortunately, John thought, she had to pass him to leave. He stood up, his metal leg ringing noticeably, and he gently barred her way.
¡°Wait. You didn''t realise. I''m sorry, I thought you''d have made the connection. I''m that John Williams. The other survivor. I probably owe you my life, I''m the one who wants to help you, not the publicity people.¡±
Sarah sat down.
¡°I thought it was a coincidence. You''re recovered? You''re working here? Of all places why here? Haven''t you seen enough pain?¡±
¡°Kate, my boss now, she helped me pull the pieces together. Bit by bit. It took a few years. Survivor guilt, you know. It comes back. Why me? Why us? But if you hadn''t screamed, well, there would be no survivor guilt for me. I''d be with my wife in eternity. But I survived, and I talk to others, and they know it''s real what I can tell them about pain fading but not really going away. So the help I got, I try to pass on to help others. That''s me.¡± John shrugged. ¡°What about you? I presume you''ve been studying something, or haven''t they let you be more than a lab rat?¡±
¡°I''ve studied. Remote-learning. It was easier that way. I''ve got a degree in avoiding exam rooms and other crowded places. Mostly physics, some psychology, I couldn''t really avoid that. Some geology ¡ª it makes a good excuse to be in a lonely spot. I was thinking of going to one of the Antarctic stations, until I heard there are thousands down there at peak season. Perhaps astronomy, that''s pretty peaceful, I hear, as long as you avoid the major conferences. It''s not that I want to avoid everyone, it''s just... I don''t do crowded places.¡±
¡°I hate to say it, it sounds too much like I''m recruiting, but we don''t get crowds here. Or reporters.¡±
¡°Oh, bliss. Hardly a month goes by without some reporter deciding that the best thing for their career is to interview the famous bomb victim.¡±
¡°And of course if you claim privacy then you''re a recluse and they try harder. And here I am, the reconstructed man... I''m just so sad that I have to decline interviews due to my profession.¡±
Her hazel eyes glowed with laughter. ¡°I thought you weren''t recruiting! So, assess away, fellow victim. You''ve talked to me, what do you think?¡±
¡°Oh, come on, you didn''t really expect a single 5 minute chat to solve all your woes did you?¡±
¡°Well, no, not really but...¡±
¡°Miss Smith, you''ve been through the normal system, and you''ve proven it isn''t as effective as one might hope. Oh, I''m sure it is fine for the normal problems people face, but computerised therapists aren''t ever going to be better than the academics who stuff them full of their latest theories. And of course the theories are full of if''s and but''s and that''s hard to explain to even the best AI. No, it''ll take time.
¡°This assessment interview wasn''t for me to assess you. Quite the opposite, in fact. You actually have a choice. It''s not me or nothing. My boss has taken the unusual decision to step back into front line practice if you want her to be your counsellor instead of me. Kate''s very good, managed to put me back into working order. It''s going to be your choice. Always your choice. Let me introduce her to you.¡±
¡°Do you think we scared her?¡±
¡°No, I don''t think so, Kate. She''s been through a lot of computerised stupidity, I''m sure she''ll cope with a bit of human foolishness too. I did almost lose her once.¡±
¡°I know. I was listening in. I know, I know, I shouldn''t have. It was unethical and only just legal but I justified it to myself because I care about you, you stupid boy.¡± Kate brushed her grey hair behind her ear, a sure sign of something, but John still hadn''t worked out quite whether it was determination or concern. ¡°Well she''s got that mockery of a contract you wanted me to write up, unspecified hours from one of us in return for a hundred hours'' voluntary work! It''s coming out of your salary, you know.¡±
¡°Hey, that''s the same contract you had me sign!¡±
¡°I know it was. I''m a soft hearted fool too. Oh well, we''ll know when she calls.¡±
Serendipity Ch. 2: Sarah returns
Serendipity: Ch. 2:Sarah returns
Friday 16th June
¡°Welcome once again, Miss Smith, I''m glad you came back.¡±
¡°Call me Sarah, please. I''d be a bit foolish not to have come back, wouldn''t I? Out of interest, what do your accountants say about that contract? It looks like a quick route towards poverty to me.¡± She was relaxed and in a good mood, John was pleased to see.
¡°Well, they''re not particularly impressed, but I think they put the cost down as public relations,¡± he lied smoothly. He and Kate had agreed he could hardly tell her he was paying.
¡°But it''s got a gagging clause! I''m not allowed to tell anyone that you''re taking me on as a client for free!¡±
¡°Well, we can''t upset the other clients, can we!¡±
¡°So, just how much would I be charged if I was a millionairess?¡±
¡°Oh, you know I couldn''t possibly tell you that, Sarah, commercial confidentiality! You couldn''t afford it, but they can. Let''s leave it at that, OK?¡±
¡°Oh, all right. Let''s leave it. Just how is this going to work? Oh, and do I call you Dr. Williams?¡±
¡°You can call me John, please. What I think is that this isn''t going to work without some kind of real trust. That takes time. You can''t turn it on and off like a switch. I think we need to spend time talking together and maybe I make some suggestions which you take seriously. Do you want the sessions to be here always? Sometimes Kate took me to other places and then we''d debrief about what I felt, but doing that leaves the safety recorders here.¡±
¡°Safety recorders? Oh you mean the microphones? They''re to give us a dumb witness to these private sessions, aren''t they?¡±
¡°Yes, mics and cameras. They''re there to make sure that the proper boundaries don''t get crossed. And of course they can help us remember what was said later on, if we want to. The recordings are scrambled on their way to storage using three voice prints: mine, yours, and Kate''s. No one can play them back without two of the registered voices authorising it, and if Kate''s voice is used then she has to register lots of forms at the court stating why. She''s not allowed to just let me listen again because I feel like it.¡±
¡°Wow. I didn''t realise it was that serious.¡±
¡°Well, you know there have been cases, accusations. They came up with this system a while ago and it seems to work.¡±
¡°So, we leave here, the system stays here, and I''m putting myself at your mercy, something like that?¡±
¡°Yes, and I''m putting myself at your mercy too. You could accuse me of all sorts of things and it''d be my word against yours, depending on who was around to witness it.¡±
¡°Wow, just like normal people.¡±
¡°Yes, but it happens, Sarah. It''s happened in the past. This job... it has its risks and there''s an imbalance of power. There have been cases of bad things happening. You know that. Seemingly perfect safety, and then bang.¡±
Quietly. ¡°Yes. I know that. Bang, you''re alone, they''re dead.¡±
¡°I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have said that. Very poor word choice. You lost your family. I lost my wife, our unborn baby, my leg, other bits too. I''m roughly thirty percent artificial you know.¡±
¡°I''d heard once and forgotten. I looked you up after last time. You''re a regular bionic man, aren''t you.¡±
¡°Yes, that''s me, titanium foot firmly in mouth today though. I''m sorry.¡±
¡°This could be hard on both of us couldn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes, you''re right. Kate worries it''ll be too hard. Undo all her years of work.¡±
¡°But you''re taking the risk. Why? Why try and help me?¡±
¡°Because... I think I need to. I feel very strongly that I won''t heal properly unless that little girl who screamed is healed too.¡±
¡°I''m not a little girl any more.¡±
¡°No, you''re a young woman who has a great life before her, if only she could be healed of the incurable.¡±
¡°You know, I think Kate''s right. You''re a nut-case too.¡±
¡°Hey, you can''t say that! You''ve not even talked to me for half an hour!¡±
¡°Ha. I''m perceptive. I can tell a nut-case. You''re one.¡±
¡°So do you want to risk being psychoanalysed by a nut-case, or would you rather trust Kate?¡±
¡°You''ll do. Kate seems like a busy lady.¡±
¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence. Want a cup of something? Tea''s good.¡±
¡°Everything is better after a cup of tea, isn''t that what they say?¡±
¡°Lot of truth in some of those old sayings. Want one?¡±
¡°Yes, please. Milk, no sugar.¡±
John moved to the hot tap, selected boiling and poured it into the teapot. He was quietly optimistic about how that had gone. His deliberate mistake had touched a nerve, but not brought collapse. There seemed to be a lot of strength and self-confidence in Sarah Smith. He was sure there was hope there, she wasn''t giving up, no matter how it had sounded the first day.
While the tea brewed he started on the the cups and asked, ¡°You said last time that you''d tried everything. What sort of things did you try? Can you tell me more?¡±
¡°There were some groups at the university, normally small, so they were OK. The primal scream group was interesting. Let it all out they said, so I did. I freaked them out. Too real, they said. Then there was the meditation guru''s group, he said he wanted to help us find our inner self. After a few sessions it seemed to some of us that the inner us he was after was strictly skin deep.¡±
¡°So you''ve met abuse of position. Did you report him?¡±
¡°We tried, but we didn''t have evidence, just strong suspicions. We couldn''t prove anything to the university.¡±
¡°That''s sad, they should have taken it seriously. When was this? It might be worth alerting the authorities, even an anonymous tip-off to watch him, if you think it''s real.¡±
¡°It was my first year. I''m afraid we''re too late. He absconded with some of his group last summer. Last I heard they''d caught him, but...¡±
He poured the tea and gave her some. ¡°Yeah, they should have paid attention to you, shouldn''t they. Try anything else?¡±
¡°Well, there were the self-realisation groups, where I realised they were all about being selfish, and the self-actualisation groups where I was left with the feeling that what with all the computer psych time I''d had I''d probably actualised around age fifteen, and the me within me was already me. I don''t know, have I got the two groups confused? I can''t remember. It all either seemed so much common sense or so much waffle that I didn''t learn much at all.¡±
¡°And you don''t like waffle?¡±
¡°Oh please, I''m at least part way to being a physicist. Concrete answers and testable theories for me, not waffle. I''m one of those strange people who think there''s such a thing as absolute truth that things can get tested against.¡±
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°OK, OK! I hear you. So was there anything else you tried?¡±
¡°Hmm, yes, I actually tried the whole church thing too. Prayer, paying attention in sermons, the lot.¡±
¡°Oh yes? And did you learn anything there?¡±
¡°Not really. Lots of platitudes about doing good and being nice, but not much real practical content to the sermons. Prayer seemed disappointing too, like the people there weren''t really listening to the words they were saying.¡±
¡°Oh... I wonder... Which church did you go to?¡±
¡°St. Mildred''s. It''s where I went with my parents.¡±
¡°Hmm, I suspected. Things change over the years, and St. Mildred''s lost a lot of good people and a very good minister in the attack. I''ve heard they''re struggling. Would you consider another church? For instance St. Paul''s, or the Gateway Fellowship?¡±
¡°Comparative church analysis? Wow. You know? I didn''t expect this topic at all, here, now. I don''t know, I presupposed everyone here was an atheist. But, urm, don''t both those churches have a reputation of being, urm, rather over-keen? And they''re crowded too, I''m sure. People keep mentioning them, they must be huge.¡±
He laughed to soften his words. ¡°Listen to yourself, Sarah. Welcome to the muddy thinking human race! ''Give me reality,'' she says, ''I believe in a concept of absolute truth.'' But she thinks that it''s more suspect to believe in an ultimate reality whole-heartedly than half-heartedly. Surely, if God is real, then some kind of real commitment to Him makes sense, and if He''s not, then why a halfway commitment to a system built on fallacy? Outright denial makes more
sense than that. The only sensible third option is honest enquiry until you''re
convinced one way or the other.¡±
¡°OK, you''re right, I admit my humanity. But they''re big, aren''t they? Lots of people there?¡±
¡°Sunday morning, maybe a hundred and fifty or so. Evening services are smaller, perhaps forty. And the Gateway have an upstairs balcony thing. Would that help ¡ª extra distance from most people?¡±
¡°Maybe. It sounds pretty close to what I can cope with though.¡±
¡°You know, I''m going to need to understand what you go through when you have one of these attacks, aren''t I? ''My head explodes'' is vivid but...¡±
¡°Not very explicit?¡±
¡°Exactly. Would you be able to explain it to a poor nut case who isn''t very good at mind reading?¡±
¡°But is doing a reasonable job at it, all the same. And you''re trying to stick to recent history, aren''t you? Safer that way?¡±
¡°For both of us, maybe. I take it the programs didn''t?¡±
¡°Not exactly. Tell me about your childhood... That sort of thing.¡± Tears came to her eyes and she quietly added. ¡°I had a happy childhood, then there was a bang... and it wasn''t there any more.¡± And the tears fell like gentle rain. Quietly. Inelegantly. Honestly.
John waited, and thinking of all that ended for him too, on that terrible day, his tears flowed too. There wasn''t anything to say, just to be able to cry was important. Somehow, tears help. Minutes passed, but he wasn''t counting. Sarah needed to know there was no pressure here. It needed to be a safe place for her if her coming was going to be any use to her. As her tears slowed, he poured another cup of tea, and she gratefully accepted it, along with the tissue he offered. ¡°Things look better after a cup of tea, don''t they?¡±
¡°Often they do. Often they do. And tears help sometimes too.¡±
¡°But you were asking about my exploding head, when I side-tracked us.¡±
¡°Yes, please. If you could tell me.¡±
¡°I''m not quite sure. It almost feels like pressure or a terrible noise. If I leave, the pressure goes. If the crowd grows, the pressure becomes pain. If I can''t leave, I don''t know. It''s not happened recently. I think I used to black out, screaming.¡±
¡°So, does it feel like you''re being trapped, or...¡± He wasn''t at all sure he should finish that thought, let alone ask it.
¡°No, not trapped, more like everyone is shouting and I can''t understand them.¡±
¡°Shouting, not at you, but just too noisy for you?¡±
¡°Yes, that''s it. They''re noisy, and I can''t shut them out.¡±
¡°That''s not a normal crisis trauma you''ve got there, Sarah. Anger, panic, fear, those are normal. I guess by your reaction you know that?¡± She nodded. ¡°Another line of enquiry... When did you first get this? Straight afterwards?¡±
¡°No, later. I think they were about to put me into mainstream school, at least
the program was asking me about schools.¡±
¡°So, we''re talking, three or four years afterwards?¡±
¡°Yes. Why?¡±
¡°I''m building a collection of data and then I''ll try and find a hypothesis which fits... You don''t want me to let Schroedinger''s cat out of the bag before I''ve even started, do you?¡±
¡°Oh, all right, you collect your data.¡±
¡°Thank you. Hmm, knowing these programs... They had you visit shops, public places with your guardian?¡±
¡°Yes, smaller ones to start with, then bigger, then small shops at Christmas, then bigger ones each year. I remember really trying to get one program to prescribe a Christmas shopping trip to Hamblehams'' toy department. Hey, I remember, that was the last Christmas before I got the first attack. We went there, and I got to the front of the queue, and there was just one of the dolls I wanted left. I''ve still got it. That crowd was heaving. There must have been three hundred people in that queue.¡±
¡°And no panic attack, no exploding head?¡±
¡°No, nothing, just too many sweaty bodies wrapped up for winter in an over-hot
building. Not a glamorous scent.¡±
A look of confusion crossed her face. ¡°But.... but I was in that enormous crowd, without any problem. How? How come I got worse? Did I have some kind of shock that made me relapse?¡±
¡°I can make inquiries if you authorise me to. It can happen. Or maybe it is a unique late onset post trauma syndrome.¡±
¡°Please do try and find out. I''ll give you full authority. But you don''t sound convinced. What else could it be?¡±
¡°Well, you know Sherlock Holmes'' version of Occam''s razor?¡±
¡°You mean ''once you''ve eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however unlikely, must be the truth?'' But we haven''t eliminated anything yet.¡±
¡°No, but we might, and it looks likely that we''ll have fewer options by the time the searches come back. We need to look at all possible causes, not just the obvious ones. Perhaps you''re here under a false diagnosis. Perhaps you''re doing really well in terms of trauma recovery, and this is something different.¡±
¡°Wow. But if it''s not linked, what is it? What are the other options? You''ve given me lots to think about.¡±
¡°Hey, you''ve done it, not me. I''m just a nut-case with a pair of ears.¡±
¡°So how come no one has suggested this before?¡±
¡°Computers, you know, sometimes get the weighting wrong in their analysis. Perhaps someone declared that you''d suffered so much you might get any symptom, and the computer gave your trauma an excessive weight. But I see someone who''s healed pretty well, so I''m asking different questions.¡±
¡°I feel kind of excited about the next session. Does that mean it''s a good time to break and I talk to Kate?¡±
Half an hour later, John was walking and thinking. He prayed for wisdom. He hadn''t hit the panic button, but... should he have? As he left the path into the park he reviewed the session. They''d been getting on well. Too well for only their second meeting. Sometimes it had almost been like old friends chatting, making fun of each other. That wasn''t normal. The whole thing, now he looked back on it wasn''t normal. He wanted to help her, yes, that at least was normal, but the rest, he''d wanted her to like him too. It was clear in retrospect. Kate had been right. He was too emotionally involved in the case. Normally he hated going through old case notes, but he''d wanted to do it for Sarah. Warning signs missed there, he said to himself.
He knew he shouldn''t counsel her. He was too interested in her case, too close to her suffering. Romance? No, he
didn''t think so. But he couldn''t keep a professional attitude to her either.
That much was clear. He wanted her healing and her friendship too. Her smile and her tears were too important to him. There was just too much shared pain to be professional. That settled, he sat on the bench, and prayed once more: ¡°Father, thank You for saving me once more from pride and disgrace. Be with Kate and Sarah as they talk. Give them wisdom too.
I don''t know what Kate''s going to say when I tell her, except that she warned me. Lord, I can''t honestly be Sarah''s counsellor. Let her find the help she needs. Let her not be hurt by my rejecting her as a client. Lord, you know I don''t want to reject her as a friend. And Lord, you know where she stands before you. If she made a commitment to you as a child, bring her back home to you. If she never took that step, Lord, call her, I pray, call her to trust in your work on the cross. Let her seek forgiveness and a right relationship with you, oh precious Lord. Let her find her home in you, let her find the healing only you can bring.¡±
He sat a few more minutes. Calmer now than he''d been for weeks, he realised. It wasn''t up to him. Time to go and break the news.
Sarah was waiting when he got back to the office, they both spoke at once.
¡°Sarah, you''re still here, good. I''m sorry, I don''t think I should carry on as your counsellor. It''s not you...¡±
¡°Hi John, we''ve been talking and we don''t think you should be my counsellor. It''s not you...¡±
Each looked at the apologetic expression on the other''s face and as they processed what the other had said they smiled and completed their planned words in unison, ¡°... it''s me ¡°, with laughter. Too much laughter for what they''d said; it was the laughter of relieved tensions.
¡°Hey ¡°, protested Kate, ¡°stop reading each other''s minds, you barely know each other! I''m glad you''ve realised you can''t counsel her, John.
I said from the beginning you''re too concerned about this woman to keep the professional distance you should, and it sounds to me like Sarah''s emotionally involved too.
So scram, the pair of you and please work out at your own pace just what the dynamic is between you. Sarah, I''ll see you next week. John, I''ve got Sarah''s authorisation, and since it was your great idea, you can read
lots of exciting accounts of bruised knees and bumped elbows etc. and try to correlate that with the first onset of her symptoms. Good luck. Here''s the data dump. Have a happy weekend. I want the answer on my desk first thing on Monday.¡±
John groaned, then had a thought. ¡°Urm Sarah, do you want to help? It shouldn''t take more than five to six hours.¡±
¡°That long? You''re not using your computer very well, are you? Never heard of filters?¡±
¡°I''ll swap you filters for home-made pizza and as many cups of tea as you like.¡±
¡°OK, you make the pizza and I''ll come up with some filters. Uh. Does pizza make it a date?¡±
¡°More of a working group, I''d have thought. I think you need more creativity for a date. Kate, can we use the office facilities? Neutral territory but no prying eyes?¡±
¡°Ah, I hear some sense at last. Much better than at one of your homes, and you can''t collate this stuff in public. OK. But right now, the two of you go for a walk or something, so I can stop being a matchmaker and get some paying work done.¡±
Serendipity Ch. 3:Prophesy?
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 3:Prophesy?
Friday evening
The second time in only a few hours, John walked to the park. This time though Sarah
was with him.
¡°I''m not looking for romance, for a wife, Sarah, no matter what Kate said about matchmaking just now. I don''t know why I''m so concerned for your healing. I guess it''s partly out of a sense of unfairness at the thought that I''m mostly healed and you''re not, even though you''re the younger one, even though you saved my life. It doesn''t seem fair.¡±
¡°Could you tell me how that happened, how did the scream of a 10 year old save your life?¡±
¡°Sorry, I guess I assumed you knew. I was there in the centre food court, with Sally, my wife, and both sets of parents. It was a celebratory meal. We''d,¡±
tears filled his eyes but he could continue. ¡°We''d just had our first wedding anniversary and seen the scans of our baby. But my mother couldn''t eat gluten, Sally''s father didn''t eat meat, I''m not huge on eggs, and Sally craved pancakes that week, so we''d thought that if we tried the food court we could all get something we wanted. Then, just as we were sitting down, we heard you scream, and looking round you were pointing straight at the rocket arcing down towards us. I tried to get Sally under the table ¡ª it was a big thick metal sheet you know, but somehow she twisted me down so I was under her, rather than me on top like I''d planned. And then it went off. The table took the worst of the blast and then it crashed over. Smashed Sally''s head, pinned my hip. Our parents were killed by the blast.¡±
¡°So you saw me pointing to the missile while it was still outside the dome?¡±
¡°Yes. I learned later that it had to be at just the right speed and angle to get through the forcefield, and was actually going quite slowly as it penetrated.¡±
¡°No more than 5 metres per second, no more than 10 degrees from the normal, or from horizontal. Standard entry spec for a forcefield for a hundred years. Keeps the rain and bullets out, along with the most dangerous storm-blown debris, lets people in, unless they''re really sprinting.¡±
¡°I bow to your superior knowledge. From your physics?¡±
¡°Yes. Special interest, you might say.¡±
¡°Why do you ask about when you were pointing?¡±
¡°It''s an old nightmare I had, that I saw a pretty bird flying around the sky, and then it was a dragon and came to get us. No one ever told me I''d seen the rocket before it entered. It would make sense ¡ª I must have seen the retro-rocket as it slowed for final approach.¡±
¡°And like any sensible child, you screamed when you saw a dragon.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°But your explosive head is dragon free?¡±
¡°Absolutely. Not one. Just noise.¡±
¡°Which the computer counsellors decided was a memory of the blast-wave or the fuel release?¡±
¡°Probably, but neither of those work. The fuel release is quick. The blast-wave even quicker, and there is no continuous roar.¡±
¡°What about the rocket itself?¡±
¡°Ha! I looked that up. Once it''d penetrated the field it fired the nose to clear the way, and then the payload was shot, like a firework mortar out of the airframe. One bang, no wings, rockets or anything else surplus. Less chance that wings would get caught in tangle nets, interior structures, or that sort of thing. No need to burn all that fuel getting the whole lot back up to flight speed, just a couple of quick bangs.¡±
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°So, four bangs, no roar. What about the shouting of the crowd?¡±
¡°You tell me, was there any? I don''t remember any, but my parents wrapped me between them. A living blast protector.¡±
¡°No, I don''t remember any long shouting. Just a few people like me shouting ¡®get down,¡¯ then boom.¡±
¡°So Sally saved your life, not me. What was she like?¡±
¡°Blonde, long shapely legs, stop-the-conversation-gorgeous as they used to say. Witty, great conversationalist, and mid-way through a doctorate. What she saw in me, I realy don''t know. She was the girl next door, a month older than me. Maybe she scared other boys away with her brains, but I got her, much to everyone''s shock.¡±
¡°I bet the other girls hated her, just for existing. If I were looking for romance, which I''m not as far as I can tell, then I''d hate her for such perfection. How can anyone hope to compete against her?¡±
¡°Not that you''re competing, but just by being alive? She''s been dead for ten years. I miss her a lot, but she doesn''t talk back. I spent a long time talking to her grave, but eventually God told me he wasn''t going to give her back to me in this life, and I should get on with being alive.¡±
¡°But she''ll never age in your memory, and so... no one could ever come close to winning your heart.¡±
¡°Sally''s been taken from me, and she''s gone. If my body starts working as originally designed, then, well, ¡®it''s not good for man to live alone¡¯.¡±
¡°What about the other sides of marriage ¡ª I cannot believe I''m having this conversation by the way. You''re almost old enough to be my dad ¡ª companionship, friendship, things like that?¡±
¡°I miss them, but, I guess I''m too traditional or something. I''m not going to ask any woman, no matter how nice, to commit herself to me for life unless by some divine intervention I''m able to consummate the marriage, give her the chance to rear our children, that sort of thing.¡±
¡°Ah, I see. So until you recover or meet a woman who is similarly injured, you''re going to confine yourself to singleness?¡±
¡°Well I must admit, I hadn''t thought of the injured bride idea.¡±
¡°So right now, if someone were really after you, then they should rush off and have drastic surgery?¡±
¡°Ah, no. I don''t think the whole self-mutilation thing appeals, really. I think that''d put me right off them. This conversation is getting really surreal, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Only because you''re being so pig-headed about refusing God''s command!¡± she paused in shock at herself. ¡°Did I say that? Wow!¡±
¡°Urm, yes, you said it. Would you like to elaborate?¡±
¡°Urm. I''m not sure. I''ll try. It just came to my mind. I haven''t been very consistent in my faith since, you know. But I''ve never really given up on the idea of Him. And then there you are, a convinced believer telling me earlier on today that I should get serious with God, and then saying God had told you to get on with your life, that your days of mourning were over, and yet you''re refusing to contemplate love because you don''t think any woman would be satisfied with a relationship that doesn''t include babies! What sort of obedience is that?¡±
¡°I am rebuked. Have you been praying by any chance?¡±
¡°I did say a prayer or two while I was waiting for you. I urm sought forgiveness and prayed that you''d react well when I told you that I wasn''t going to keep you on as counsellor. Why?¡±
¡°Hmm. Snap by the way, oh, I also prayed that God would bring you healing and restore your relationship with him. Sarah, I didn''t tell you that God told me my days of mourning were over. But He did.¡±
¡°So, I am either a good guesser, a mind reader or a prophetess? Which do you pick?¡±
¡°I don''t know, but you''ve got my attention whichever you are. You''re pretty special, I think. I''ve never been rebuked by a prophetess/mind-reader on a first date before.¡±
¡°I thought this wasn''t a date.¡±
¡°Given the subjects covered, what would you call it?¡±
¡°I think I''d call it a good foundation for a future friendship, wherever it goes after that. Maybe we can call it a date in retrospect when we''re both healed?¡±
¡°Also spracht the prophetess?¡±
¡°Eh?¡±
¡°Sorry, bad German. I think it means ¡®Thus spoke¡¯ ¡ª was that prophesy or hope, I wonder? Both of us healed.¡±
¡°I still don''t know why I trust you so much. I''ve never had this sort of conversation with anyone. It''s weird.¡±
¡°So, would it fit the prophetess or mind reader hypothesis?¡±
¡°Pass, but since we''re looking at those ideas, I wonder if my exploding head might fit the mind-reader hypothesis better.¡±
¡°Hmm. But the rebuke was such a shock to us both that I''d put that as a score for prophetess.¡±
¡°John, this is a totally unbelievable conversation.¡±
¡°It is. But, it''s getting late. May I accompany you home? I''ve felt protective towards you since I heard your name weeks ago, and after today...¡±
¡°You''re taking this knight image even more seriously?¡±
¡°I don''t know. But I know I want to know you''re safely home.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 4:Records
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 4:Records
Saturday morning, 17th June
John waited for Sarah outside the office. Normally he just walked in, but since he was waiting he paid more attention than usual. ¡°The Institute for the Human Mind,¡± it proudly pronounced above the doorway. Well, an expensive sounding name went with the expensive grass and expensively manicured gardens ¡ª too ornate to be called flowerbeds ¡ª that led to the expensive glass doorway.
Expensive because the triple glazing hid a high specification forcefield between the sheets, just in case. The whole building was actually a fortress, but that was partly due to the clients that sometimes visited. And of course, since it had been established over two hundred and fifty years before, there had been occasions of unrest in the city.
There were not many human psychological counsellors. It was a niche trade, and commanded niche prices. Computer counselling was cheaper and usually sufficient, but for some people it didn''t work. The institute had begun before AIs came along though, and it had a long history of rich clients and richer benefactors supporting unusual experiments. Some of which might have made it a target for unrest in itself. John wondered if any of those old experiments, probably stored away deep in the cellar, would help Sarah.
True sensitivity to others'' thoughts, or mind reading as it was commonly called, was a very rare phenomenon, if it existed at all. There were plenty of people who had claimed it over the years. Mostly they had been found to be very good face readers, been debunked as frauds or remained untested. He was sure there was something in the cellar somewhere. But even if he could prove to Sarah''s satisfaction that it was a mind-reading phenomenon, then would it help at all? The sense of sight came with eyelids, but there was no way to turn off touch, taste, hearing or smell. All you could do was desensitise yourself. That worked quickly with smell, much to gum-chewers¡¯ annoyance, but it seemed unlikely that it would work for Sarah.
His heart skipped, there she was! ¡®Calm down, man,¡¯ he thought to himself, you''re not in love with her, surely? Hmm, self analysis might be needed.
¡°Hi Sarah! In the interests of honesty, I have to admit that I find I''m very pleased to see you.¡±
¡°Oooh, I''m touched. Nice to see you too.¡±
¡°Sorry, that came out wrong. I''m pleased to see you, Sarah. I just surprised myself at how pleased I am.¡±
¡°You mean that the heart of titanium is melting?¡±
¡°Oh I don''t know! Maybe I''ve been waiting too long, or I''m just falling for your curious mind, or maybe I''m just a nut-case. Or maybe your rebuke might be getting through, and out of all the women I''ve ever known you''re the only one who might compete with my memory of Sally.¡±
¡°That''s quite a complicated compliment, sir knight, I think I''ll keep it on record as a confused non-profession of maybe nascent love. As a matter of fact, I didn''t sleep much last night, and I demand some tea this instant. You promised. And lots of pizza later. Can we go in?¡±
¡°Of course. Sorry. Is it my fault you didn''t sleep, somehow?¡± He opened the door with his pass-code and fingerprint. The computer had already recognised his face.
¡°Ha, the arrogance! He assumes that just because he''s accused me of witchery and sainthood in the same breath and it seems like he''s been in love with me since even before first sight, even though he denies it, that my every sleeping problem might be his fault! Actually, it is your fault. I found my old Bible and re-read John''s gospel. And then Luke''s and Acts. I think I fell asleep in Romans.¡±
¡°So you read for what, 5 hours?¡±
¡°Something like that.¡±
¡°And yet you managed to get here exactly on time, having re-styled your hair, put on different make-up, mascara too, I believe. And possibly freshly ironed your blouse? But you''re not after a husband right now?¡±
¡°You''re not supposed to notice the individual things like that, you''re just supposed to say to yourself she''s looking nicer.¡±
¡°Sorry, you over did it. Or I''m too perceptive this morning. I think you normally have longer for a shower, am I right?¡±
¡°How on earth...?¡±
¡°Soap just behind your attractively shaped left ear, plus of course there¡¯s all the extra time you''ve put into making yourself more attractive.¡±
¡°Whereas you only put on a clean suit, tie and all, wet-shaved instead of electric to judge by the micro-cuts you''ve given yourself, and prepared the biggest pile of pizza crusts and toppings I''ve seen outside a restaurant. But oh no, you''re not looking for romance. Nut-cases aren''t we?¡±
¡°Here''s your tea, milady nut-case. Let''s say that we''re both hoping to make a good impression? And that we''re neither of us fully convinced about what''s happening to us. Is that fair? And Sarah, honestly, I''d have been just as happy to have seen you turn up in jeans and a T-shirt. I do appreciate how much effort you''ve put in this morning, but you don''t need to think I''m going to feel differently about you because of how well presented you are. You''re impressive enough.¡±
¡°OK, you''ve asked for it. After lunch I''m going to go home and get my grubbiest T-shirt and we''ll see how you like me then.¡±
John laughed. ¡°That''s great. Fancy an exploratory trip into the cellars of this place? They must be dusty, and I wouldn''t dream of taking you down there in what you''re wearing now.¡±
¡°What''s down there? Medieval torture equipment for your pet witch?¡±
¡°Why do you say that?¡±
¡°Because that''s what mind-reading is, isn''t it? A sort of witchcraft? An occult practice involving inappropriate spiritual connections?¡±
¡°Not the way I understand the word, no. I''m sorry. Where did you get that idea?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Maybe my parents, or Sunday school. I think it''s an early memory. ¡®Don''t suffer one to live.''¡±
¡°Wow. Sarah, no, I don''t think you''re a witch, not in any sense, let alone that one. I looked up the Hebrew word once. Biblically a witch seems to be a practitioner of some particular sort of magic. At least it gets used in several lists of bad things people shouldn''t do. From what I remember, the word is used about Pharaoh''s and Nebuchadnezzar''s magicians, and that bad king who sacrificed his sons to a pagan god added it to his crimes. But, urm, can you please explore that whole area with Kate? That''s deep stuff which you need to look at together, I think. But I need to answer the question you asked about what was down there. Among other things, there are crazy off-beat experiments produced by the imagination of men with rich backers into all kinds of things to do with the mind. This place has been here for at least two hundred and fifty years. I''m sure there are some experimental setups down there for testing mind-to-mind communication in various forms. It''s never been proven as far as I know, but of course not everyone who claims it gets tested, and not everyone who might have it would claim to. But I file away your thought about torture for future assessment, because there are also things which I''d call torture equipment ¡ª sense deprivation tanks for example. I don''t want you to go near them.¡±
¡°''Tis indeed a creepy place you work in, sir knight. But if these devices do indeed exist to prove my witchery, what then, sirrah ¡ª wouldst thou expose me to foul publicity''s glare? Because I don''t want any more of that, thank you ever so much.¡±
¡°What? No, of course not. I was just thinking that if we could prove it to your satisfaction then it might help you somehow.¡±
¡°You sound like you''re convinced already. That''s not a good starting point for real science.¡±
¡°I know. Sorry. I''m afraid I''m like that sometimes. Let an idea run away with me before it''s fully baked. OK, milady, once more I am rebuked by your wisdom. But speaking of your wisdom... Did you take time to eat breakfast in your enthusiasm to impress?¡±
¡°Uh, no, actually.¡±
¡°That''s good, because my stomach''s reminding me that I didn''t either. What sayest thou, milady, to breaking our fast on pizza? You know, Kate has a lot to answer for for implanting this idea in our minds of me knight, you fair maiden in distress.¡±
¡°Pizza sounds good. But it does feel somehow appropriate, doesn''t it?¡± Sarah struck a dramatic pose, her hands clutched together at her breast. ¡°Thou, sir knight, hast seen my plight from afar and won your way to my side. By your concern for me thou hast overcome my meagre defences, and now while my brave knight stands ready to do culinary battle for my cause, I can but swoon in his strong arms from hunger! ¡°, with which she quite deliberately let herself fall towards him. He staggered a bit but managed to catch her. And held her. ¡°What do you think of my performance?¡±
¡°Oh Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. You''re incredible! I don''t know if you''re always flinging yourself at your boyfriends, or you''re trying to wake up the almost-dead part of me to life, but even though my brain knows what should be happening, even this brings not the slightest stirring.¡± He set her on her feet.
She looked a bit flustered. ¡°I''m sorry, John. I''m not sure why I did that. It just seemed to go with the acting. I''m all mixed up and doing things that are so out of character for me. I don''t know why I''m being so silly around you. I''ve turned into a terrible flirt and I''m embarrassing us both, aren''t I? I''ve never had any boyfriends. Is this what falling in love is like? Doing things for no apparent reason and regretting them almost immediately? I''m sorry. Should I leave?¡±
¡°Sarah, I don''t know quite what''s happening to you, or to me, either. If you''d been drinking, then all would be explained. But I presume you''ve not.¡± Sarah nodded. ¡°Well, may we just put it down to sleep deprivation or the stress of the whole thing? But I don''t want you to leave. Maybe I really should tell you to get some more sleep, but I don''t want to do that, either. I must admit I''ve got lots of feelings towards you that don''t make much sense. Love at first sight is just lust, but at least it makes sense, unlike my mess of feelings towards you. Love before first sight makes less sense. I want to help, and I want you where I can know you''re safe. And you''re obviously on an emotional roller-coaster, so this isn''t time to go making decisions we might regret. How about we try really hard to be sensible people? Agreed?¡±
¡°So, apart from the fact that I''m acting drunk, you like me?¡±
¡°Oh Sarah! If I were well, I expect I''d want to marry you this weekend. But realistically, we don''t know each other well enough to do anything that drastic.¡±
¡°Oooh. He does like me. That''s nice.¡±
¡°Sarah, are you sure you''re not drunk?¡±
¡°Only on happiness and hunger and sleep deprivation, John. And speaking of hunger, this tea''s run out. ¡±
¡°OK, there''s more in the pot. Let''s make pizza. What toppings do you like, and are you hungry enough that you''d like microwaved pizza instead of baked? It''s faster, but I''m sure it''s nowhere near as good.¡±
¡°Let''s do one that way, and another properly.¡±
¡°Sarah?¡± he asked as the pizzas went in the oven and microwave.
¡°Yes John?¡±
¡°Two questions. Will you come to church with me tomorrow? And if so, do you want to be introduced as Sarah Smith, who saved my life in the Clear Sky mall attack, Sarah Smith my maybe-maybe-not-future-fianc¨¦e-depending-on-how-our-weird-emotions-settle-down-in-a-few-years, Sarah Smith who I''m trying to help cure, Sarah Smith my cradle-snatched girlfriend, or just Sarah my friend, and stay as anonymous as possible?¡±
¡°Hmm. The first one definitely not. The second possibly wins on truthfulness, but is giving away a bit much, I think. How about ''Sarah who has problems with crowds but wants to get back to the Lord?'' No chance of sneaking in?¡±
¡°Sounds very good. No, probably not. They made me one of the leadership team last year, sorry. Unless you want to sneak in on your own?¡±
¡°No, I like the idea of going with you. That way I don''t get surrounded by well-meaning welcomers. If there are really going to be 40 plus there, it''ll be hard enough without being crowded.¡±
¡°Pseudo-pizza''s done! Next one will be much better.¡±
¡°I see what you mean.¡± She said, picking up the strange substance. ¡°It''s food
John, but not as we know it.¡±
¡°So, what did you do yesterday, John? Oh I had a date with a girl who ate microwaved psueudo-pizza for breakfast after she''d thrown herself into my arms, and we''d declared our undying confusion to each other.¡±
¡°Don''t make me laugh, I''ll choke. Is this a date?¡±
¡°It wasn''t going to be, but we both prepared as if it were one, didn''t we?¡±
¡°I guess our heads don''t know what our hearts are doing.¡±
¡°Maybe they''ll catch up later on.¡±
¡°So while we''re waiting for the real pizza, what would you do with this pile of data we''ve got in front of us?¡±
¡°Well, we''re looking for significant events that link with the onset of your exploding head, so I''d start by trying to narrow down the time-frame for that, and then start reading the medical records, tag the boring ones and ones that match them, and then look to see if anything lines up at all.¡±
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
¡°No wonder. So you use some pattern matching, and that''s it? How crude! It''d almost be faster to just sort the two lists together.¡±
¡°That was my old method.¡±
¡°You ever took much computer science did you?¡±
¡°No...¡±
¡°So, you have a computer which has enough AI to understand speech and use it like it were a little toy from two centuries or more ago.¡± she shook her head in disappointment. ¡°Oh, John¡±
¡°Once more, I bow to your skills and wisdom.¡±
She took the terminal and started typing and passing her fingers over the display. ¡°OK, first we should set up some scores... First, seriousness of injury, 10 would be hospitalisation, 0 will be everyday cuts and bruises, then we''ll score how it happened, and how long the healing took, just for interest''s sake.¡±
It looked far too much like a work of mage-craft for John to follow, but he watched her and appreciated her skills more and more. ¡°Now for the good bit... We feed the medical reports into the natural language processor and get it to score stuff or us. And then we''ll do a search in the psychological data for terms in the areas of headaches, crowds, anything else?¡±
¡°Is it better to search for lots now, or might it be better to only do a few searches now and widen it?¡±
¡°Well, if your computer''s got the speed...¡±
¡°It was new last year. I seem to remember Kate moaning about it costing more than her year''s salary.¡±
¡°Then either she needs another job or this computer''s very high specification. Wow, it is. It''s back with the medical search already. I''d expected at least a quarter of an hour. OK, urm, lets make it index the data by semantic domains. Then we can get immediate results of whatever we''re looking for. Nice toy this, by the way.¡±
¡°Pizza''s ready.¡±
¡°Oh, this is much better. Why did we waste time on the microwaved one?¡±
¡°Because my favourite priestess of high power computing was faint with hunger.¡±
¡°Oh yes. What do you mean ''priestess''?¡±
¡°Well, you''re the intermediary between myself and this silicon wonder we apparently have here, and you''re most certainly female. You have the hidden knowledge to call forth its wonders by means of the cryptic gestures and incantations, the gorgeous long flowing hair and the beautiful face lit by strange glowing symbols. Clarke''s law in action.¡±
¡°I didn''t realise I''d left you behind so quickly, sorry. I noticed a few compliments scattered in that poetic description. Thank you.¡±
¡°Nothing more than honest appraisal.¡±
¡°Honest biased opinion, it seems to me. I really do appreciate it. I don''t understand it, but if they keep coming then I guess I''m not going to mind your memory of Sally as much as I thought I might.¡±
¡°More pizza?¡±
¡°No, thanks. Hey, this computer''s finished already.¡±
¡°So, what next?¡±
¡°Well, let''s plot a time-line with the different events and key matches on it.¡±
Her fingers flickered once more and the display filled with dots of different colours. ¡°Hmm, and we''ll plot the search words under the line. So headache, crowd, look there they start occurring together. Let''s add noise, and scream, ooh this is a nice system you''ve got.¡±
¡°What are those red dots above, just before it?¡±
¡°Let''s see. Hmm. Bruising to rib cage, I don''t remember... Oh yes, I do, my friend''s big brother tried to tie us to a tree.¡±
¡°Related?¡±
¡°Not at all, let''s make it go away.¡±
¡°Hmm, what''s that just before? Shoulder muscles wrenched by adult male. That sounds suspicious.¡±
¡°It might be. Let''s see.... summary. I thought so. Another friend''s foster father. Wanted to play doctors and nurses. My friend said it was just tickling. Let''s read that. I don''t remember the details, but it was nasty.¡± Sara pulled up the whole document. John read aloud, ¡°On date of ...blah blah here we are, ¡®client reported probable historical abuse of friend and attempted inappropriate touching of self, both by her friend''s carer. Police intervention. Carer accused client of making up stories. Client gave details of where photographic evidence of abuse could be found. Source of information unknown, carer accused client of ¡®spying on me, the little witch¡¯. Client seems more distraught at this than other events. Addendum: carer found guilty on all counts.¡¯¡±
He let our a low whistle, ¡°Well, yes, that would classify as a traumatic event. So here we''ve another time when you''ve said something you couldn''t know, you''re accused of witchcraft, a word you''re still very sensitive to, and the headaches started soon after and have continued to this day. Sarah, you''re a genius, it would have taken me hours to correlate these. You''re going to need to talk to Kate about this, my prophetess.¡±
¡°So, is that it? Finished for the day?¡±
¡°Can we check to see if you''ve been similarly accused?¡±
¡°Yes, that''s easy. Let''s see what we get if we just search for witch and related semantic terms.¡±
¡°A few months earlier, there:¡± John said, reading again, ¡°¡®Client''s guardian reports unusual event when client was uncontrollably crying because of a historical romance, ¡®The lady''s not for burning.¡¯ When client asked by AI for reason, client responded ''I don''t want to be burned.¡¯ Sarah, do you remember it?¡±
¡°It was an old play, all set in one room, I don''t remember that time you''ve got mentioned there, but I remember the play. I watched it a couple of years ago. They were going to burn the lady because they said she was a witch. But she wasn''t, and there was a man who was tired of life and wanted to be hung and claimed he''d killed the man that they said she''d transformed into a dog. Somehow it all got sorted out and the two of them fell in love and they left together through a window.¡±
¡°But your reaction implies that you''d been called a witch before.¡±
¡°Or thought of myself as one.¡±
¡°Anything else?¡±
¡°I don''t see anything. But what does it all mean. Sometimes I say truth I couldn''t know, somehow I grew up thinking that mind-reading was witchery, and was terrified of the accusation. Somehow I cannot stand something to do with crowded places. I don''t get the connection.¡±
¡°But there does seem to be far more connection between the molester calling you a witch and the crowd thing than there is with the missile attack. At least in terms of timing.¡±
¡°I suppose so,¡± Sarah said. ¡°But if I associated being accused of witchcraft with being burned, which seems reasonable having just watched that play, then might that have brought back residual fear of the fireball?¡±
¡°... Which could be triggered by the presence of a crowd,¡± John said. ¡°Are we going in circles?¡±
¡°Maybe. And does any of it explain your odd desire to help me? I''ve heard those rationalisations you gave me, but they didn''t really sound that convincing. Can we come up with a solution that covers everything? That would be the most economical.¡±
¡°Somehow linking the pair of us, you mean? I doubt we''ll find a natural solution to that one.¡±
¡°But supernatural? I don''t know God very well, John, but He could be behind it all, couldn''t He?¡±
¡°He could be. You making prophetic rebukes like yesterday''s or saying things you shouldn''t have any knowledge about, like yesterday or that abuser''s photos, those all have been written about enough times in the church''s history. It''s not the sort of thing we experience regularly at our church, but there have been some centuries where it seems to have been relatively normal in some denominations. Please don''t ask me how that works. But would a spiritual gift lead you to crazy actions?¡±
¡°Throwing myself at you, you mean? I don''t know. Love might do that one, I hear. That does strange things to people''s attitudes and morals.¡±
¡°Like making people think it''s OK to let their body make a promise that their mind hasn''t agreed to? It does. It''s not something you can undo, breaking those sorts of promises, or making them in the wrong order. It wounds the soul. Urm, just so you don''t misunderstand, Sally and I resisted those pressures.¡±
¡°Well done, I''ve seen those pressures at work on some friends. And I like the way you''ve expressed that. Just so you don''t misunderstand, I''m pretty sure I''m falling in love with you, John. Or will be soon.¡±
¡°Sarah, can we try to stay sensible? We''ve not even known each other for a week! OK we''ve had some unusual things happen to us, and some intimate conversations, and well, I like your company a lot, but I''m not all whole and it must be too soon to fall in love, mustn''t it?¡±
¡°You''re trying to protect me from myself, aren''t you? Thank you.¡±
¡°I want whatever is best for you, Sarah.¡±
¡°And if that turns out to be you? Would you let me share your life with only a verbal commitment, not a physical one to accompany it? In the hope that perhaps God might heal you fully, or that should I become desperate for a child of ours and healing still has not come, then failing anything else, modern medicine can probably extract sperm from you uncooperative body? If you keep on wanting my best and my love for you blossoms fully, and remains true for sufficient time to convince you it will not waver, would you permit me to have hope of such a love from you, or would you refuse me even that?¡±
John gathered her into his arms and held her. ¡°I could not, would not, in those circumstances. Sarah, I believe I loved my wife truly, dearly, whole-heartedly, but I was still a young man full of hormones. What I feel for you is different, it has to be. I don''t know my new self enough to know if what I feel is love, or merely compassion, concern and a desire for your best. If that is love, then I have loved you since before I first met you, but then I didn''t know you at all. Now I''ve known you under a week full of excitement and adventure, but marriage is for a lifetime, and I''m sure the excitement fades. I like you, I care for you, I want to know you better. And maybe I''ll be begging you to marry me in the future, or maybe we''re destined to be nothing more than friends. Can we just date like normal people for a while, please? Or rather, like normal people who love their creator?¡±
¡°Yes John, let''s do that. Let''s try and pretend we''re normal, even though we''re not, either of us.¡± She punched him gently.
¡°Ouch!¡± he said.
¡°Sorry, that was supposed to be encouraging. So, what do we do now? It''s got to be too early for more pizza. What more can we extract from the computer?¡±
¡°I think we''ve got the gold: that connection with the accusation, and the unexpected knowledge, and the headaches so soon after.¡± John said.
¡°Well, where there''s gold there''s often copper and tin. Let''s see if there are other reports of accusations or unexpected knowledge. I expect we''ll do better with a full AI scan like we did with the medical records. But the psychological records are more of a challenge both in terms of language and sheer quantity of data. Oh well, let''s go for it. Would you like to let me go?¡±
¡°Oh. Yeah, I suppose I could. It is sort of nice holding you like this,¡± John mused.
¡°And it''s nice to be held. Are you sure your hormones aren''t working?¡±
¡°Not at full strength, certainly, why?¡±
¡°It''s just that you''re still holding me.¡±
¡°Your hair smells nice.¡±
¡°John!¡±
¡°OK, you''re free.¡±
Sarah moved to the console once more, and set up the search. ¡°What is this system for if none of you can use it properly?¡±
¡°Oh, it runs the whole centre security too.¡±
¡°You''re not just talking burglar alarm stuff, are you? You don''t need a system this powerful to open doors.¡±
¡°Urm, no. I think it does external and internal communication monitoring and threat detection, pre-emptive lock-down, internal threat neutralisation by sleep-gas release, and I''m not sure what else.¡±
¡°John, that stuff sounds like military spec! What on earth is this fortress you''ve invited me to?¡±
¡°We have some rich clients, people who could not trust a general access computer system to analyse them for threat of espionage or logic bombs, heads of states sometimes. We''re one of the top centres for mental health and stability on this continent. Fortress is quite a good word. Short of a full scale military assault you''re pretty safe here.¡±
¡°And you''re letting me play around on the main console? Surely you''re breaching security just telling me this stuff, John. I could have dodgy contacts or anything.¡±
¡°Urm. Not really. We had to get you security clearance before we invited you to come. I think they said you''d got enough clearance to play tennis with the royal family, but not play darts until they''ve had an all clear from us about your head. They might have been joking. If they joke. And no, this isn''t the main console. They don''t let me cook pizza near the main console for some reason.¡±
¡°So this console...¡±
¡°Runs at very low priority as a virtual system on the main machine.¡±
¡°John, why? Why go to this much trouble just for me?¡±
¡°Kate is a wonderful lady and I managed to convince her that I needed you healed for my continued mental well being.¡±
¡°But you don''t normally take on charity cases do you?¡±
¡°I''m sorry, I fibbed. I didn''t want to overwhelm you, or scare you away.¡±
¡°And the costs of my treatment? You''re meeting them personally aren''t you?¡±
¡°Pro-rata cut in pay, not commercial rates, I assure you. The overheads on running this place are not small. And since I owe you my life, you are not, and I repeat not, in any way in debt to me over this. Not now, not in the future. Not even if you fall out of love with me, marry someone else and still need another 10 years of talking to Kate. Only I really hope you don''t, because Kate''s due to retire before then. I want to see you better much sooner than that, and for some selfish reason I''m not particularly happy about the idea of you falling out of love with me.¡±
¡°You''re mad, and I love you for it. Thank you, John.¡±
¡°So has our little toy here come up with anything good?¡±
¡°Hmm. We''ve seen that one, and that one, oh that''s new: client said that a teacher had lied about his qualifications. Oh, I remember. He wanted us to call him Dr., but he''d not actually attained the doctorate. We found the evidence for a journalism unit. He wasn''t very happy when it appeared in the school paper. That''s not worth reporting.¡±
¡°But read on ¡ª look, it says client plans to prove this for her journalism unit. So you''d made the accusation before you had the evidence.¡±
¡°Oops. Computer remembers better than me.¡±
¡°So, once more, you''ve got unusual knowledge. When was this?¡±
¡°About 2 years after the first problem with my head.¡±
¡°That makes sense. You''re being more cautious ¡ª not confronting the man yourself, but are seeking external evidence to prove it publicly. Any more?¡±
¡°Client is certain that university resident guru is predatory. I''ve told you about this guy.¡±
¡°Yes. What''s this? ''Assessment: previous experience of predatory offender and historical accounts of predatory guru figures from 20th century may have made her over sensitive. Client had no evidence to support case. Transmitted recommendations of no action against respectable staff member.''¡±
¡°So the computer decided I was crying wolf?¡±
¡°Yes. I can''t believe it did that. I''m legally required to flag this program as suspect. It shouldn¡¯t have made that judgement call. Someone has made a bad mistake in its programming.¡±
¡°Or deliberately decided that there are too many accusations being made. That was a university program, if I remember rightly.¡±
¡°Excuse me, I need to make a call.¡±
¡°That urgent?¡±
¡°It might be, you never know.¡±
He made a call, and Sarah listened to his end of it, once he''d made his way through an interminable maze of A.I. systems asking him to restate whathe was calling about.
¡°Hello, John Williams here. I know it''s Saturday. I''m reviewing some historical data from one of our clients and there''s a record of a psychological counselling program flagging a client''s suspicion about a university staff member as ''no action''. Yes, exactly, him. No, not the computer''s call at all. The program''s I.D. is 6474969. A high level AI or human needs to recheck every accusation that''s been handled by that program. I''ve no idea who trained it, but since the staff member later offended, it''s either incompetence or there''s potential aiding and abetting too. Thank you, and sorry for ruining your weekend. Bye.¡±
¡°John, you''re surprising me again. Do you really have the authority to do that, to get them to do all that work?¡±
¡°Authority no, responsibility to let them know an AI has gone amok or worse, been deliberately misprogrammed, yes. Just a day in the life of an average shrink.¡±
¡°You do that every day?¡±
¡°No, but it''s sadly common. A couple of times a year, maybe. Did our scan come up with anything else?¡±
¡°No, nothing. But while you were calling I asked the computer if it had an inventory of the cellars.¡±
¡°You''re happy to go down?¡± John asked ¡°What did it say?¡±
¡°Look, a map of what''s stored where. And your computer does stock control too ¡ª this map seems to get updated if anything is moved.¡±
¡°And there I was, thinking we''d be wandering around and poking into unlabelled crates.¡±
¡°Well, if Experiment 321b34 doesn''t mean much to you, we might be.¡±
¡°There must be a key,¡± John protested.
¡°I couldn''t find one.¡±
¡°No key then. If my priestess can''t find it, it''s not there... Oh, what about searching the research reports? That''s not ticked.¡±
¡°Hmm, didn''t think of that. Hey presto. 321b34 investigation into effect of eating Stilton cheese on brain function. Someone funded that?¡±
¡°And what''s in the box?¡± John asked, ¡°A very ripe cheese?¡±
¡°Probably some lab notebooks, looking at the size of the box on the map.¡±
¡°Oh, that makes more sense. Not as much fun, though.¡±
Sarah laughed. ¡°So, what do we look for?¡±
¡°Hmm...¡± John mused, ¡°research reports mentioning telepathy, remote viewing, thought sensitivity, truth-saying, thought transference and sooth-saying for starters, or any synonyms. ¡°
¡°OK, one list coming up. And first up: ¡®correct use of playing cards as a tool to determine telepathic quotient¡¯?¡±
¡°Sounds like a possibility. Oh, what about that one?¡± he pointed to an item half way down the display.
¡°Experimental setup for double blind two person thought transfer testing using random words and images. Sounds good, but why does it say double blind?¡±
¡°Hmm. Oh, it varies between the two people as to who is reading who. I¡¯m not quite sure why anyone thought that made it double blind though. I assume it''s all packed away in boxes, if it''s down there.¡±
¡°It''s there, and... oh, it looks like it''s all set up. The map shows chairs next to a desk. Are you sure it''s dusty down there?¡±
¡°We could always look. Before pizza or after?¡±
¡°Both.¡± Sarah said, ¡°Let''s see if it''s really there, give it a try, then we can eat some pizza, try it again and write a report on the effects of pizza on thought transfer efficiency.¡±
He laughed, ¡°Your wish is my command. Let''s take the map with us. It''s a big place down there.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll get a copy.¡±
Serendipity Ch. 5: A Ring in a Red Box
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 5: A Ring in a Red Box
Saturday lunchtime
¡°OK, so it''s plugged in, there wasn''t any smoke, the computer has booted, and it looks like it''s ready. Shall we start, John?¡±
¡°Yes, let''s. Ooh, I see how we hold hands, there''s a hole here between the two sides.¡±
¡°Can we?¡±
¡°Hold hands? Yeah, why not. You press start.¡±
¡°Ooh, pretty pictures.¡±
¡°I''m not giving you clues, but I''m thinking of something.¡±
¡°How nice my delicate hand feels in yours?¡±
¡°Yes, something like that, but something else too. Press a button.¡±
¡°Oh, I got that one, it was the cute kitten!¡±
¡°This one?¡±
¡°Nope, I pressed a tortoise. What was it?¡±
¡°A lettuce.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
¡°And this one?¡±
¡°Are we supposed to talk?¡±
¡°Probably not.¡±
¡°Oh I''ve only got one picture. So you''ve got to guess, I guess.¡±
¡°Yep, and I guess the little girl.¡±
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¡°No, I had a sandcastle. Let''s try without speaking.¡±
¡°Sarah, the pizzas should be ready.¡±
¡°Oh, is that why I''ve chosen food related things for the last five turns?¡±
¡°Maybe. You got 20% accuracy, not bad. I only got 7%, which given that there are ten choices a time, isn''t that great. Shall we walk to pizza, fair lady?¡±
¡°Yes, let''s. But such a small sample''s just not conclusive, not with these statistics. We''re going to need a lot more data to show anything, John. But I''m not sure this test is relevant to me. If I am picking up thoughts, then it''s not pictures. It''s much more like unspoken words. Like yesterday, I believe you that you didn''t say anything about your time for mourning being over, but when I spoke, it was as if I''d heard them. I don''t know if it was from you or God.¡±
¡°So a better test would be the picture shows a ring, and I think ¡®one day I''ll give you a ring¡¯.¡±
¡°And it''s in your bedside table in a red box.¡± Sarah gave a little fearful moan. ¡°Did I really say that?¡±
¡°Yes, you did, and... yes it is, and no, I don''t know where those words came from. They just sort of came to my mind as I stopped talking. Maybe from God, I don''t know. I was so certain that I would give it to you. Maybe it was just word association, giving you a ring, well, that''s the most significant one I have to give. Sally''s wedding ring.¡±
¡°John, I think I''m getting scared. Did I just utter something else prophetic, or hear your thoughts, or hear something that was meant only for you?¡±
¡°It can''t have been meant only for me, God''s not that sloppy. Either it came from me or was for us both. But let''s have that pizza.¡±
¡°And tea, I want everything to feel better.¡±
¡°That is a great suggestion. I''ll start it brewing.¡±
¡°We should pray, John, shouldn''t we?¡±
¡°Yes, you''re right. We should have before we breakfasted, and everything.¡±
¡°But breakfast was in little pieces, starting with bits of cheese we stole from on top, so we didn''t think of it. But now we have a proper meal.¡±
¡°Let''s pray. Thank You, God, for this food, all the food You''ve granted us, for bringing us together, for the rebukes and encouragements You''ve given us. Help us, dear Lord, to understand what''s going on, to hear Your voice and to know what is from You, and what is from gifts You''ve given Sarah. Thank You, Lord, for this confusing start to our relationship, help us to make sense of it eventually, and to honour You and each other every step of the way.¡±
¡°Amen, Lord. Thank You for John, for the amazing way he''s committed himself to helping me. Lord, I also pray for certainty and wisdom for both of us about where we should and shouldn''t go, what we should and shouldn''t try to analyse. Guide us, Lord, we ask.¡±
¡°Amen.¡±
¡°Let''s eat.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 6: Chocolate Cake
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 6:Chocolate Cake
Saturday afternoon
¡°Are you sure you''re happy to gather some more statistics? We don''t need to, if you don''t want to.¡±
¡°No, let''s try. With unspoken sentences?¡±
¡°OK, shall we reset the scores, or continue?¡±
¡°Hmm. New method, new scores I think. Bye bye, inconclusive data.¡±
¡°I see a picture, and so listen hard!¡± And since it was a pair of lips, he didn''t quite say, [Sarah''s lips are prettier].¡±
¡°Thank you so much!¡±
¡°You heard that?¡±
¡°My lips are prettier than that child''s drawing? Yes. Faint praise that it was.¡±
¡°Wow. Next one coming.¡± An aircraft. [They went on holiday by plane.]
¡°Nothing. Unless it''s something to do with the bikini.¡±
¡°Ah. No, aeroplane. I tried to send, ¡°they went on holiday by plane.¡±
¡°My turn...¡± And she thought, [big cat rubs against your leg.]
¡°Your hands feel nice. Does that count?¡±
¡°No.¡±
John saw a diamond ring.
Sarah said, ¡°Blue box, in your bedside cabinet.¡±
¡°It was an engagement ring.¡±
¡°I thought it might be.¡±
A cake. He thought, [chocolate cake is nice.]
¡°Something about being hungry?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll try again.¡± [I''m going to buy Sara some chocolate cake.]
¡°Ooh, nice, when?¡±
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¡°How about this afternoon? Woman does not live by pizza alone. Sarah, the first time I just thought, ¡®chocolate cake is nice¡¯ and you didn''t get it. But when the thought was an intention and involved you, you did. Interesting.¡±
¡°What about the ring?¡±
¡°I guess it was connected to you because it would need to be yours before the wedding ring?¡±
¡°Interesting. Can you try intention without involving me, or anyone I might know?¡±
¡°I''ll try.¡± [I''ll kick that ball.]
¡°Nothing.¡±
[I''ll glorify God.]
¡°Hey, without me, I said.¡±
¡°Oops. what did you get?¡±
¡°I''ll glorify God in our relationship.¡±
¡°I wanted to think, ¡®I''ll glorify God.¡¯ The rest sort of came as an afterthought.¡±
¡°You''ve got a naughty mind, it doesn''t obey instructions.¡±
[I''m going to go home.]
¡°Why, John, whatever''s wrong?¡±
¡°What did you get? I just thought ''I''m going to go home''.¡±
¡°I got ¡®I''m leaving Sarah.¡¯¡±
[I''m staying with my love.]
¡°That¡¯s much more comforting, thank you, John, and thank you for thinking of me as your love too.¡±
¡°Sarah, I wonder if I''m the best person to test this with any more. I can''t think of actions that don''t involve you now, it seems.¡±
¡°Hmm, how about you think of things to do with dogs, cats, paperwork, boring things like that?¡±
¡°OK, I''ll try.¡±
[I''ll finish the paperwork on Monday.]
¡°You''re putting something off so you can be with me, nice.¡±
¡°Aaargh, wrong message again.¡± [I''ll save the cat from the dog.]
¡°Hmm, John the protector, but I''m not sure what.¡±
[I''ll strangle the cat for that.]
¡°Ooh. Vengeful thoughts, target unknown.¡±
¡°I was remembering the time a cat sat on some newly planted flowers.¡±
¡°John, let''s stop, I''m getting a headache.¡±
¡°Fine by me, you can stop listening so hard now, my Sarah.¡±
¡°That was hard. But are we convinced?¡±
¡°Yes. I''m convinced, you''ve got a very rare talent or gift that allows you to pick up intentions and thoughts that directly concern you, at least from me, when we are holding hands. And you can get general impressions when they''re not about you. I''ll unplug this lot and then see about that cake I promised.¡±
[I hope Sarah lets me buy a new dress after the cake, since it''s my fault her blouse is spoiled.]
¡°Thank you, John, I''d like that very much.¡±
¡°Which?¡±
¡°Which cake? You promised me chocolate.¡±
¡°Ah, so something else is proven. That''s nice.¡±
¡°What''s nice? Let me in on the secret John!¡±
¡°I just thought ¡®I hope Sarah will let me buy her a new dress after the cake, since it''s my fault her blouse is ruined,¡¯ and you didn''t hear it. No contact, not trying hard, and at least right now I can make plans without you knowing them.¡±
¡°So I don''t need to live without surprises. That''s nice. But I don''t think the blouse is ruined, John, really.¡±
¡°OK then, just because I want to?¡±
¡°OK, on that basis I might be able to accept it. But it''s only our second date, John, and it wasn''t even supposed to be one.¡±
¡°Today you get pizzas for helping me with the computer, chocolate cake because it''s nice, like you, and a nice new dress so you can wear it to church and dinner afterwards. And lunch beforehand as well, if you like. How''s that?¡±
¡°Ooh, you crafty man. So what is lunch tomorrow?¡±
¡°Not sure. We could go out somewhere, or can I cook for you? It''s ages since I''ve cooked for someone special.¡±
¡°John, if you''re trying to encourage me to love you even more, you''re on the right track.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 7: Equality
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 7:Equality
Sunday 18th June
Sarah didn''t live exactly on John''s normal route home from church, but it was only a short detour. A short detour which he was glad to make, very glad to make. It was rather silly, he thought, that he wanted to see her so soon after spending almost the whole day together. Maybe the healing they''d prayed for was happening. There it was. Sarah''s house.
He''d heard of times when people hardly walked anywhere, even in cities. Funny place, the past. he mused. It seemed Sarah''s home dated from that time ¡ª he could see the tell-tale patch of different coloured brickwork where there''d once been entrance to the extra room some houses back then had specially for their vehicle. Another strange idea for a city. Wo needed their own car? Why not call for one from the pool if you needed one? They came fast enough. The house was suitable for a family, but needed some attention. He guessed it was her family home. Too full of memories to sell, just like his. John rang the doorbell. She answered in the dress from yesterday, her hair arranged elegantly in a style that worked very well with the dress.
¡°You look beautiful! Thanks for letting me get it for you.¡±
¡°You shouldn''t have, you know. If I¡¯d have known how much it would cost I''d have never gone into that shop.¡±
¡°I can afford it, and it looked right on you, and it was just what we were after. Not at all unsuitable for church or a date.¡±
¡°I just hope you''ve got dress buying out of your system for a while. I''m wearing more than I spent on books last year.¡±
¡°Ah, the joys of student finances. Save on food to buy that extra course book. I remember those days. Upkeep on this house can''t have been easy either. I assume this is your family home?¡±
¡°Yes. They tried to get me to sell it, but you know... I just couldn''t.¡±
¡°Too many memories. I know. So what happened? I mean they couldn''t let you stay here alone at age ten, surely? And who looked after you anyway? A relatative?¡±
¡°Yes, an aunt ¡ª Daddy''s sister. I kicked up such a fuss at the thought of selling that she rented out her flat and moved in here.¡±
¡°Are you going to introduce us one day?¡±
¡°Sorry, I can''t. She passed away a few years ago. I was just old enough that they didn''t put me in state care.¡±
¡°I''m sorry.¡±
¡°She was a great lady.¡±
¡°So, did you have lodgers as a student?¡±
¡°Yes, and they understood the house rules about parties, especially after the first time...¡±
¡°You had a bad reaction?¡±
¡°Your landlady screaming ¡®get these people out of here¡¯ while crying in pain does tend to dampen the party spirit.¡±
¡°Wow. You''re brave, I think I would have gone for a long walk and let them have their party.¡±
¡°Well, I considered it, but it was mid-winter.¡±
¡°Which reminds me. You''re really sure you want to come this afternoon? You''re going to be pushing yourself, aren''t you?¡±
¡°I''ll try. If it''s too bad then you can make my apologies afterwards. That''s one reason that I think lunch is better ¡ª I''m not very good company if my head''s aching.¡±
¡°And the other reason?¡±
¡°I guess it''s silly of me, but I miss you when we''re apart.¡±
¡°Interesting phenomenon that... I''ve been missing you too.¡±
¡°Shall we call it love, this strange thing that''s happening to us?¡±
¡°I think other people probably would, but we could try and hide behind another word.¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know if we need to do that. They''ll probably see the silly grins on our faces and guess anyway.¡±
¡°Yes, you''re probably right. A few people said I was looking happy this morning.¡±
¡°What did you say?¡±
¡°Different people got different answers. Pastor''s wife, I guess pastor too by now, knows that I might be in love, and that you don''t do crowded places.¡±
¡°So, we''re officially going out now?¡±
¡°It''s very hard to argue with God, Sarah, and no matter what we say about anything else, my time for mourning is over. And no matter what yesterday started like, it ended like a date, didn''t it?¡±
¡°You mean the way you fed me chocolate cake, showered me with expensive gifts, walked me here arm in arm and gave me a kiss as we parted? Yes, that sounds rather like a date.¡±
¡°So, I didn''t think you''d mind too much. You don''t, do you?¡±
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¡°Of course not, John, I''m very happy that you''ve decided to admit that you love me.¡±
¡°Why do I feel like I''ve just been called a silly boy?¡±
¡°Well, it was only twenty-four hours ago you were proclaiming your confusion, trying to convince me we couldn''t be in love, or couldn''t know for sure, and then by the evening you were treating me like I''m your fianc¨¦e. What changed?¡±
¡°The red box.¡±
¡°But you thought that and we now know I can hear your unspoken thoughts.¡±
¡°When we''re touching, when you''re listening hard. But we weren''t touching. We were walking along the corridor, and I don''t think I thought them, it felt much more like prophesy. I mean, why the red box? If it were me, I''d have thought of the engagement ring, surely.¡±
She laughed. ¡°That, John, is probably the weakest argument you''ve given me yet. What about the crowds thing? I''m not touching them.¡± She frowned as another thought came ¡°John, I, I''m rejoicing in your love, not rejecting it, but I''m scared if it''s built on such a weak foundation. If it turns out I can sometimes read your mind at a distance, will confusion return? Isn''t it safer not to take that red box as prophesy?¡±
¡°OK, I''ll try not to convince myself it was. But I don''t think you''ll convince me that your rebuke in the park for refusing to obey God wasn''t.¡±
¡°Why not, John? We know I''m doing uninhibited things, why couldn''t it have been a gut instinct thought that bubbled up to my lips? John, I don''t think I really want to be a prophetess, or a mind-reader. I just want to have a mind that can cope with crowds and to have you beside me. All I can foresee from mind reading is that I become hurt from thoughts I hear before you suppress them, that unequal mind reading would end up driving us apart. If we could share each others'' thoughts like in some novels I read once, that''d be very romantic and everything, but what about the stray thoughts that would hurt? We don''t speak our every thought for good reasons, John. They need censoring.¡±
John could see she was almost in tears, and could see the truth in her words too. So he held her, and he didn''t know if she was listening and if she heard what he thought, but he tried. [I don''t want you hurt, I too want you healed. We''ll go slowly, and court as long as we both think wise. We''ll build love on normal foundations, as normally as we can.] ¡°Are you getting this?¡±
¡°Mostly love and patience and reassurance that we''ll go slowly. Thank you, John.¡± And she thought, or prayed silently, [John seems such a special man, oh God. Is this mind reading a blessing or a curse? Should I reject it or accept it, Lord? Will it destroy this love between us or nurture it? Oh, if only we had equality, Lord! If I am to hear John''s thoughts, let him hear mine too. Don''t let this strange thing tear us apart, please, God!]
¡°Amen,¡± John said.
¡°Pardon?¡± she answered, shocked.
¡°You were whispering a prayer, I said amen.¡±
¡°What did you hear?¡±
¡°What you said of course, well, not all of it, but you said, ¡®don''t let this strange thing tear us apart, please, God¡¯, and I really wanted to say amen to that.¡±
¡°''Do not be unequally yoked¡¯, isn''t that what scripture says somewhere, John?¡±
¡°Yes. I can''t remember where exactly. Paul, I think. Why do I see a smile in your eyes, my love?¡±
¡°Because I don''t think we''re going to be that unequal, my love. Our God is an awesome God. I don''t think I was whispering.¡±
[Can you hear me, John?]
¡°Your lips stopped moving, but I hear you. How?¡±
¡°Let''s give the credit to God, can we, John? I was praying that I didn''t want to hear your thoughts if you couldn''t hear mine.¡±
John looked at her in amazement. [{Amazement} and God answered.]
[{Awe} yes.]
[And rather than take your gift away...]
[He seems to have given it to both of us.]
[And differently, have you noticed? Not just intentions any more.]
[No. {Fear} What does He want from us, John, that He gifts us so?]
[{Reassurance} Trust, I''m sure, love. Our trust and love and putting Him first whatever happens. Our amazing God is good, we can trust Him.]
[Whatever we face?]
[Yes, whatever we face.]
[{Love}]
[{Love,reassurance,joy}]
[{Hunger}]
¡°You''re hungry.¡±
¡°Oh, you heard that too?¡±
¡°Yes. My love, I think perhaps we shouldn''t hug so closely.¡± [{Love, excitement, resolve} Too tempting.] ¡°It''s nice sharing thoughts, but maybe we should wait to share our every emotion. Can we see what happens if we just hold hands?¡±
¡°Yes, let''s. That was pretty intense. There seems to be some kind of feedback, too.¡±
¡°And since you''re hungry, how about we start walking, rather than standing in your hallway?¡±
¡°Ooh, what a good idea. I''ll just put my shoes on, if you let me have my hand back.¡±
¡°In the interests of scientific discovery...¡± [I think I like thinking to you] ¡°should we do some kind of range check?¡±
[Why not? You can still hear me?]
[Yes.]
[And just linking fingers?]
[Yes.]
[And separated by a bit?]
¡°Nothing.¡±
¡°You try something.¡± Sarah said.
[One two, buckle my shoe, you''ve pretty toes and I''m going to kiss you.]
¡°In public?¡±
¡°How much did you get?¡±
¡°You''re going to kiss me.¡±
¡°So intentions work better.¡±
¡°Seems like it. Let me try something else...¡± [I want that kiss!]
¡°Your wish is my command, my love.¡±
[{Pleasure} Love you, John.]
[{Nice} Love you too, Sarah.]
[Love you lots. {Pleasure, desire}]
[{Pleasure, concern}]
¡°John, I think that perhaps long kisses...¡±
¡°Are also on the not yet list? I agree.¡± He laughed. ¡°Let''s make sure we get married before we add breathing to that list.¡±
¡°John, was that a proposal?¡±
¡°I love you, Sarah, more and more each minute it seems, but no, it wasn''t meant as one. It''s too soon yet.¡±
¡°But you''re expecting to propose one day?¡±
¡°Yes, Sarah, right now I''m expecting that I''ll propose to you one day, but...¡±
¡°No decisions this soon. I know. John, how long was your engagement to Sally?¡±
¡°Well, we''d known each other for a long time, remember.¡±
¡°So, what, 3 months?¡±
¡°Weeks, actually.¡±
¡°And how long had you been going out when you asked her?¡±
[{Embarrassed }]
¡°Hey, I got that and we''re only holding hands. It was your first date, wasn''t it?¡±
¡°She didn''t answer right away though. Said she wanted a month to think about it.¡± [And then said yes the next day.]
[I heard that.]
[Love you.] ¡°We''d been in and out of each others'' homes for years, Sarah. We knew each other really well, it''s almost like we''d been going out for a decade.¡±
¡°Whereas we''ve known each other for under a week, so no matter how we feel...¡±
¡°We need to have time, yes, love. Maybe even some time when we don''t see each other every day.¡±
[Out of sight and out of each others minds?]
[Absence makes the heart grow fonder...]
[Familiarity breeds contempt...]
[Not so far, my love.]
¡°You know, I don''t even know where you live. Is it far?¡±
¡°No, just round the corner there.¡±
¡°Nice area. You could buy that house when you first married? Impressive.¡±
¡°Well, our parents helped a lot, then after the attack, well, Sally was an only child, and the courts decided that her parents had died before her, so she inherited their house from them for a second or so and thus I ended up inheriting both parental homes. I''m not sure what would have happened otherwise, but they seemed to think it was important. I sold her parents'' house to finish paying for this, and I¡¯m renting out my parents'' home. Anyway, welcome to my home, my love.¡±
¡°Very nice.¡±
¡°I''ll just go and finish lunch. It''s mostly prepared, so it shouldn''t take long.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 8: Pain relief
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 8:Pain relief
Sunday afternoon
¡°Thank you for lunch, John. You''re a really good cook.¡±
¡°I like cooking. I used to do most of the cooking while Sally was working on her research. She wanted to have as much done as possible before the little agent of chaos arrived.¡±
¡°So, was this recipe an old favourite, or one you invented specially for me?¡±
¡°Actually, I wanted to do something special, but which I knew worked, and I realized part way through cooking it that it used to be Sally''s favourite dish. I hope you don''t mind. I''m not quite sure what my subconscious was up to there, love.¡±
¡°That''s... urm... complex, isn''t it, John?¡±
¡°I think it might be. I''m sorry.¡± He went to hold her. [You''re someone special and so was Sally, but you''re not her, I do know that.]
[But maybe your subconscious thinks I''m filling her shoes?]
¡°One more reason not to rush. I need to get used to loving someone other than Sally.¡±
¡°I understand, I think, my love.¡±
¡°I''ve got an idea. Why don''t we talk about really normal things until it''s time for church?¡±
¡°Good idea. Food, music, politics, predestination and free will?¡±
¡°For starters, why not? We could make a list of topics and every known controversy and see what we think about them.¡±
Church
¡°Hi, John! Nice to see you. And would this lady be the reason for the smile on your face?¡±
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡°Hi Arwood, let me introduce Sarah. She''s recently come back to the Lord, but can''t cope with crowds right now, so we''ll go and sit upstairs. Sarah, Arwood''s our pastor.¡±
¡°Hello Sarah, welcome. I hope you''ll feel at home here. We''ll try not to overpower you.¡±
¡°Hello Arwood. I hope I''ll be fine, but if I can''t cope...¡±
¡°Feel very free to run away. I won''t take offence. But I do need to invite you both for lunch next week, or I''ll be in trouble.¡±
Sarah felt the pressure or noise, or whatever grow as more people entered, but it was more muted than she''d expected given the size of the congregation. She became sure she would be able to stay. Then, as the musicians started playing the first hymn, the noise faded. In its place was the song, as hearts, minds and voices united in praise of God, and reflected on His glory. And Sarah lifted her voice in praise and worship with tears of joy in her eyes at the beauty and power of what she was taking part in, aware that the risen Lord, enthroned in heaven, was receiving the praise of His people. [Ps 22].
As the chords died away, she reached for John''s hand.
[It was beautiful, John, could you feel it?]
[It is a good hymn, I like it.]
[Wrong answer, love. I guess you didn''t. Poor man, or maybe poor me. Tell you later.] The next hymn was starting.
Once again, the sound of worship filled Sarah''s mind, and praise rang from her lips. During the sermon, Sarah was hardly aware of any ¡®crowd noise¡¯, and it was only afterwards that the noise began to press on her mind again.
¡°John, it''s getting a bit noisier. But I can cope if you need to talk to anyone.¡±
¡°Thanks, I probably should. Do you want to stay here?¡±
¡°I don''t think so, John. Well... I''ll try coming with you and if it''s too bad, I''ll come back.¡±
¡°You''re being brave,¡± John commented and held out his hand to help her up.
[And you''re being gallant, sir knight. Oh, that''s interesting.]
[What?]
[The noise gets a bit more bearable when we hold hands.]
[If we are seen holding hands, you know what my friends down there are going to think?]
¡°Halleluia, when''s the wedding?¡±
¡°Something like that, yes.¡±
¡°Embarrassed?¡±
¡°Just not really the right setting. Let''s not be that overt, love, please. Leave ourselves some privacy, let people learn slowly without shouting it from the pulpit.¡±
¡°There''s an idea! No, seriously, John, I agree actually. But if it gets bad, then I''m grabbing your hand for pain relief, OK?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 9: Employment
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 9:Employment
Monday morning, 19th June
Kate entered the office just after John had put the report on her desk.
¡°Hi John, how was your weekend?¡±
¡°We saw quite a lot of each other. Urm... quick summary is we''re not engaged quite yet, Sarah can hear my unvocalised thoughts, and either I can read hers or she can send to me. If we''re close.¡±
¡°Well, urm, that''s not the reply I expected. And it''s not a very funny joke about the mind-reading. So, what really happened?¡±
¡°We had a voiceless conversation yesterday, does that count?¡±
Kate sat down. ¡°So.... you were serious about the relationship too? Congratulations on that front at least!¡±
¡°Thanks. We''re giving you ten out of ten for your matchmaking.¡±
"And... you don''t mind proving your claim? About the mental powers thing?"
"Not at all."
"And it''s reliable?" Kate asked.
"It has been so far."
¡°Where''s Sarah now? Do you know?¡±
¡°What''s the time? Hmm, I guess she''s getting ready to go to a job interview. She''s only just graduated and she needs something better than the part-time job she''s got now.¡±
¡°Can you call her for me, get her to cancel? We''ll beat their best offer if you''re right. Ha! She can pretty much name her salary.¡±
¡°What? Just like that?¡±
¡°I must have told you to read the institute''s founding documents. Didn''t you ever read them?¡±
¡°I skimmed them, I''m sure.¡±
¡°Paragraph one: ¡®To investigate all aspects of the human mind, to explore its potentials, to discover all its powers, and document them for posterity.''¡±
¡°Yes, I remember that.¡±
¡°But you didn''t read the bit that says that if we find someone who has an as yet undocumented mental ability, we must employ them in whatever capacity they are fit for, encourage them to develop their power for constructive purposes and seek to understand it.¡±
¡°I guess I''d forgotten. Is there money in the budget for that? I''ve heard you bemoaning the balance sheet before now.¡±
¡°That''s the crazy thing, John. That clause has never been invoked, but the founders stipulated that five percent of all income be put into a special account to fund such research. And they put a fairly big amount in to start it off. If you can convince me that researching Sarah''s abilities needs a trip to the moon I could write the cheque without blinking too much.¡±
¡°Wow. I presume I get into trouble for saying that if you want to turn her into a lab rat, even a pampered lab-rat, then I''m not going to ring her at all.¡±
¡°Not a lab-rat John, just a very valued staff member. So what job do I offer her?¡±
¡°Well, she managed to coax the computer into collating the data for that report there in something like twenty minutes flat. The discussion of what we were looking at and its implications took longer of course.¡±
¡°Ooh, computer systems specialist. I like it, often thought we needed one. Call her, please. Tell her you''ve impressed me with her skills, and we need her.¡±
¡°OK, you''re the boss.¡±
¡°Ooh, I can''t wait to tell our bank-manager, I expect they get half their income from using the money in that account.¡±
¡°Hi Sarah, Kate is really really keen that you cancel the interview and come and tame our computers here instead.¡±
"It took me weeks to get this interview, John, I can''t drop them for a part time position at the Institute.¡±
¡°Not part time, full time, permanent contract, probationary term, since there has to be one, is probably about 6 minutes. She said the institute would beat whatever they were offering.¡±
¡°But that''s crazy, John. She can''t do that just because of us or because she knows me, that¡¯s illegal. There must be competition for jobs.¡±
¡°Sarah, there is more to the position, but your existing clearance level and expertise make you the only one qualified. The job is yours for the taking, I''m sure Kate will explain.¡±
¡°What''s the catch?¡±
¡°It''s not a secure line, Sarah.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll come. I''ll strangle you and Kate both if it falls apart.¡±
¡°Not me, please, I''m just the messenger.¡±
¡°OK, I¡¯ll just cancel a few dates then.¡±
¡°No, not that! Strangle me instead!¡±
¡°Silly man. So what do I tell the interviewer? I''ve only just confirmed that I''m going.¡±
¡°Tell them you''ve just had a better offer.¡±
¡°And if they offer me more?¡±
¡°Put them through to Kate and she''ll beat their new offer.¡±
¡°This is crazy, but OK, I¡¯ll come in. Straight away? ¡±
¡°Call the pool, love, get a transport. Kate wants you here yesterday, but I think she''ll settle for as soon as humanly possible.¡±
¡°OK, I''m coming.¡±
¡°So, Kate, tell me, what is this burning issue that means I needed to cancel my job interview?¡±
¡°It''s very easy, Sarah. John forgot that this place was founded to research unusual mental abilities. (He''s a dear boy, but has a mind like a sieve sometimes). John is certain that you''ve got something in that area, and so if I can''t persuade you to take some sort of job here, then I''m out of my job. We don''t want you as some kind of guinea pig, but would hope you''d want to carry on finding out about your gifts. Other than that, John said he thought you''d want to use your computer skills, and I know they''d be useful, but basically you can pick anything from cleaning lady to assistant director, and the job is yours. The position''s been vacant for over two hundred years, so we''re keen to have you fill it.¡±
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
¡°I don''t get it. Why is it so important that I have a job here? I could tell you about what I''ve found out without that.¡±
¡°Oh, it''s all down to the Institute''s founding fathers. I think they were reformed idealist capitalist hippies or something equally popular among the rich back then. I''m pretty sure they were convinced that the world was full of people with mental gifts who were hiding or needed a safe place to develop them. They wanted this place to be a sort of well paid commune where happy intelligent people all worked towards finding out more about how minds work. On the other hand they knew that people don''t make good experimental subjects normally, or not for long. So, their idea was to give you a job you''d be a fool to leave, where your skills are put to good use and you feel happy and valued for your mundane abilities and who you are, and thus let you join in the happy research community. Then you can find out about your abilities and develop them as you like as an interesting and exciting add on to your job. The normal way people find out about the mind is mostly by psychology, analysis, that sort of thing, mixed with brain scanners, and so on, so those are the sorts of skills and tools that pay our bills. But the idea that one day we might meet someone like you, Sarah, well, that''s the reason this Institute was founded. I''m glad you''ve come and really hope you stay.¡±
¡°And you''ll create a post for me out of thin air?¡±
¡°Did I say that? No, we''ll find a niche in the organization that suits you, where your skills are wanted. John tells me you can drive our computer well. Now that''s an area that we''ve often thought it would be good to employ someone, but we could never quite make the numbers add up. It would save time for us if you could help us analyse data like you helped John, but the time saved would probably end up in not-very-well-paying academic research. Interesting, valuable, but not quite worth a systems expert''s salary on the balance sheet.¡±
¡°But with me possibly having some kind of mind power...¡±
¡°Then purely financial questions are nowhere near as important. I don''t want to put you on trial, John''s report is enough, you''ve got evidence enough to satisfy the board here already. But for my curiosity, would you mind seeing if you can demonstrate to me something with John? He said you had a non-verbal chat yesterday.¡±
¡°No, that''s fine, we can try. Yesterday was a shock, so I''ve no idea if we can repeat it. Hmm, just to stretch beyond what we were playing with yesterday, shall I try to call him in here. No promise it''ll work.¡±
¡°Oh, yes, that''d be great.¡±
[John, can you come here, love? Kate wants a demonstration.] There was no sign of him hearing anything.
¡°We''ve found the content makes a difference. So if he doesn''t come, I''ll call again.¡±
¡°The content?¡±
¡°Yes, urm emotions don''t travel far, normal words are better, intentions are stronger still, and urm,¡± she blushed, ¡°the message that got the furthest was when I demanded a kiss.¡±
¡°Oh, demand away, girl, I''ve been in love before.¡±
[John, I need a kiss NOW!]
John knocked on the door and came in, worry on his face. ¡°Is everything all right, Sarah? I''m sorry, Kate, I just heard Sarah...¡±
¡°Go on, John, prove to a sceptic. What did she tell you?¡±
¡°That she needed a kiss. I thought she was upset.¡±
¡°Well, give her one, you silly man, and let''s see what she can tell you while you do.¡±
John lent over and kissed Sarah''s forehead. [It was a test, John, I told her that demanding a kiss yesterday worked best. She said, ¡®Oh, demand away, girl, I''ve been in love before.¡± I love you, but maybe we should stop now.]
[Oh, all right. {love}]
¡°Well, Kate, it was a test, and she told you that demanding a kiss worked well yesterday, and you said, ¡®Oh, demand away, girl, I''ve been in love before.¡¯¡±
¡°That was quite an information filled kiss there, young man. Oh, the joys of youth. I don''t suppose if I wanted a kiss I''d get one?¡±
¡°That would be an interesting test. Is it only that somehow John and I are on the same frequency or something? I''ve got an idea, Kate, you hold John''s hand and think this to him, a bit like a silent prayer, but not to God, of course. And she jotted down on her wrist unit, ¡®I want some tea!''
Kate laughed, ¡°OK Sarah, you''re on. John, give me your hand.¡± [I want some coffee.]
¡°Hmm, I had an impression that you wanted something, I''m not sure what. It might have been coffee, but you don''t like coffee, so I don''t know!¡±
¡°Amazing! Sorry Sarah, I thought it would be a better test than to follow your instructions exactly. How about we try you, Sarah?¡±
¡°Fine by me.¡±
[I want to understand this!]
¡°So do I, Kate, I want to understand this too.¡±
¡°Wow. So, is this contagious, or how did John end up able to hear my thoughts, however imperfectly?¡±
¡°I guess that''s my fault. I was worried that if I could hear John, but he didn''t hear me, then it might destroy what was growing between us. And I prayed that either God would take it from me or give it to John.¡±
¡°Well, since I don''t believe in your God, I either need to put that down as contagious or unexplained. And I wonder how John feels about crowds now.¡±
¡°That''s a thought I hadn¡¯t had! But no, at church you were fine, weren''t you, John?¡±
¡°Yes, no problems at all. I think it''s pretty clear that Sarah''s better at all this than I am, Kate.¡±
¡°I agree. So Sarah, are you going to join our merry crew? Or do I need to make do with Mr. Inferior here?¡±
¡°I''ll join up. If you want to pay me pots of money so I can hold John''s hand, then I''d be a bit silly not to, wouldn''t I?¡±
¡°Sign on the line then, my girl, sign on the line ¡°, pushing over a data-tablet with the contract on it. John saw the figure as Sarah read it. ¡°Oh well, there goes my anticipated role as main bread winner.¡±
¡°I told you we''d beat their best offer, John, and I''ve done some checking, and this is a reasonable salary for a systems expert.¡±
¡°But I''m not an expert, Kate, I just took a few courses!¡±
¡°Then think of it as an encouragement to become one, and stay to be one of our happy family. Just ah, don''t tell the others how much is on that, OK? It''ll only cause unhappiness. Sign it, girl, and I''ll call a staff meeting to introduce you.¡±
¡°If you''re sure the budget can stand it, Kate, I''ll sign.¡±
¡°Oh, have no fear, Sarah, that''s coming out of a special project account that has been collecting for generations.¡±
¡°Oh, so I should ask for more?¡±
¡°Sarah love, don''t get greedy!¡±
¡°Sorry, just joking.¡±
As before, Sarah used her ID-crystal ring to sign the contract, and Kate withdrew the corporate seal from the safe. It was an actual physical stamp, onto which a data crystal had been carefully embedded. John wondered when it had last impressed a piece of paper.
Kate asked her, ¡°Where did you get that ring from, Sarah? It''s a marvellous piece of work. I''m always afraid that someone will steal my purse and I''ll have to go to the trouble of getting a new ID. No one would steal a fashion piece. I presume that''s glass on top of the actual crystal? It''s very cleverly done.¡±
¡°My Dad made it for me. He was a jeweller primarily, but he''d done some electronics too. I guess that''s why I ended up taking sciences. He made me all sorts of pretty things when I was little, and then gave me this for my tenth birthday.¡±
¡°Well, welcome to the institute, Sarah. I''m sure John''ll be happy to have you here, especially as, since you work here now, your previous contract with us becomes void.¡±
¡°Eh?¡± said John. ¡°Why would that make me happy?¡±
¡°I told you he was a scatterbrain, didn''t I, Sarah? He''s forgotten that employees don''t get charged for any psychological help they need.¡±
¡°And therefore he gets all his salary again, but my knight Sir Titanium is too noble to think of such concerns when he gets me into such a well paid job.¡±
¡°Hey, can we leave off the whole knight thing, please?¡±
¡°Sorry, John. It''s just that I was thinking that when daddy gave me this ring he said it was a ring for his princess and I shouldn''t ever take it off, just like my princess... Oh no.¡± And she burst into tears.
John tried to comfort her. [What is it love? What''s wrong?]
¡°I did take it off. My princess tiara. I took it off so Sue could put it on, she begged and begged and begged and I took it off. And then her foster father came in and... you know. Him. And I wasn''t allowed to see Sue again, and she had my tiara. And she sent it in the post and it came all smashed up.¡± And then she plunged back into uncontrollable tears. ¡°John, can you help me understand this?¡± Kate whispered.
¡°Sue''s step father must be the abuser in my report,¡± he said, ¡°And Sarah denounced him to the authorities, and told them where he''d hidden evidence of his crimes. Event one in my report, we thought it was the trigger for her headaches.¡±
¡°But it was all on the day she took off her father''s gift,¡± Kate said, understanding.
¡°Are we right, love? Could this tiara have been some kind of shield or dampener?¡±
¡°I don''t know, but it fits, doesn''t it? It all fits.¡±
¡°What happened to the tiara?¡±
¡°I put it in a box at home. My childhood memories. It should still be there. It wasn''t really a tiara though. It was sort of like a hair comb that went close to my skull. It kept my fringe out of my eyes, so school let me wear it.¡±
¡°Now Sarah, I don''t think you''re up to meeting the staff right now. Could John take you home to get it? I think we''d all be interested to see what your genius of a father made for his princess.¡±
¡°Yes, I want to look at it now too. I haven''t thought of it for years.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 10: Memories and Ethics
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 10:Memories and Ethics
¡°It should be in this cupboard, a big green box, as high as I can reach, but I don''t see it, John.¡±
He got a chair to stand on so he could see better. ¡°OK, love, but there are plenty of things up here, maybe it''s just been pushed to the back.¡±
¡°Maybe. You''ll help me look, John?¡±
¡°Of course, that''s why I''m here.¡±
¡°All these years.... why didn''t I think of it, John?¡±
¡°Maybe because of Sue''s father, maybe because it was too painful a memory, and you just blotted it out?¡±
¡°Maybe. I think I''d like to read if I said anything about it on the data dump.¡±
¡°Yes. I wonder if the AI somehow convinced you it wasn''t important.¡±
¡°You mean: ¡®This was part of your childhood, it is sad to see it go, but all childhood things must eventually go if you are to become fully adult.¡¯¡±
¡°Did they say that often?¡±
¡°I expect so.¡±
¡°So, how big is this box?¡±
¡°It used to fill my lap.¡±
¡°At age ten or age sixteen?¡±
¡°Good question. A very good question.¡±
¡°And it lived on this shelf?¡±
¡°It can''t have done, could it? I could put it up on the shelf on tiptoes.¡±
¡°So why am I standing on this wobbly chair, Sarah?¡±
¡°Because you''re taking the boxes off the wrong shelf, silly,¡± she laughed.
¡°So which shelf?¡±
¡°I guess the one underneath with all my old dolls looking out.¡±
¡°Hey, this one has a funny headpiece.¡±
¡°That''s right, I''d forgotten her! She was a princess too, so Daddy made her a tiara. I think I might have nagged him rather a lot.¡±
¡°Sarah, I''ve got another idea. Might your dad have kept records of what he was doing?¡±
¡°But he would have password protected it, surely.¡±
¡°Maybe, but maybe we can guess a password or two.¡±
¡°Or get your pet military grade computer to have a try?¡±
¡°Hey, your pet computer now, you signed up to feed it and care for it. But look what dolly number five was sitting on: a green box!¡±
¡°It''s shrunk with age.¡±
¡°Ten years is a lot of growing, my love, when you start at ten. Didn''t you have neat writing for a ten year old!¡±
¡°Ooh yes, Princess Sarah''s treasure. I remember. My mum wrote this on when I first went to school.¡±
¡°No wonder the box has shrunk.¡±
¡°Hmm.¡± She took the box to the table. ¡°John, come and hold me as I open it up, please.¡±
¡°Of course, my love.¡± He stood behind her and rested his cheek against hers. [Is this good, my love? {care}]
She took out a medal [{reminiscence} My first prize from school, top of my year in sciences.]
A photo came next. [{loss} Mummy and daddy.]
[{comfort,empathy}]
Under the photo, a velvet bag [{curiosity} Is this it?, no, my rings! I''d forgotten them. Daddy made them. They''re not worth much.]
[They''re beautiful. Are you sure they''re not real stones?]
[Oh, they''re real, but sometimes to get a really excellent stone, Daddy would buy everything from a seller, so they didn''t know which one he was after. He''d get them at a better rate then, or something. Then he''d get the flawed ones cut as well as the good ones, and he''d say they went to the princess for her dowry.]
[So these are ¡°not worth much¡± compared to a ring that''s worth more than a house, say.]
[{shock} And he let me play with them!]
[My Sarah, you might have worn a dress yesterday that was worth more than your last year''s books, but I think what you''re holding in that little bag might be worth more than the entire dress shop''s stock.]
[But I wouldn''t ever sell them.]
[No, but we should at least get them properly insured.]
[Oh. They might be...]
[{curiosity}]
[{embarrassed} John, I know I said I couldn''t afford your fees when I first came, and you''ve been lovely and generous and giving, but...]
[My beloved lady really is a princess?]
[Not quite, but Daddy''s family had been successful jewellers for generations and they knew it wasn''t wise to look rich.]
[But your parents¡¯ estate left a trust fund with a limited income, until you reached some specific age?]
[It covers basic food, so I wasn''t ever going to starve. Otherwise I have to stand on my own feet until I have a real job to the satisfaction of the trustees and hold it for a year, or until I reach thirty years old. The one thing the fund would pay for was insurance for me and the house.]
[Well, my love, you have a proper job now, I think.]
[But it has some very strange aspects and the trustees are paid to be suspicious. They need to be sure that I''ve not somehow used my future wealth to buy myself a job.]
[Both Kate and I can swear under oath, if that''s what it takes, love. I don''t think I even want to know how big the fund is. I love you for being you, and money''s just a distraction.]
[Thank you, John.]
She picked up the next item, an envelope, [This is it.] and she gently emptied the contents onto the table. It was in several pieces, bent and buckled. There had obviously been miniature circuits joining the pieces, and looking like gems to a child''s eyes. Some were still in place, others seemed lost entirely.
¡°I wonder what it did.¡±
¡°Maybe someone can reverse engineer it, but with the pieces missing, unless there''s some pattern, they''d have to guess a lot.¡±
¡°I can see why you thought of it as a tiara. It must have been beautiful. But Sarah, this doesn''t look like a prototype. He knew what he was making. I wonder what happened to the prototypes?¡±
¡°Oh John, why am I being so dense today? Is there another box up there behind the dolls? It''ll be bigger. Spotty, I think.¡±
¡°Yes, here it is. ¡®Sarah''s dressing up box.¡¯¡±
¡°Let''s see, one pretty crown with lots of little shiny dots inside.¡±
¡°Looks like a very beautiful version of an EEG headset.¡±
¡°I think it probably is, the sort of thing a little girl would love to wear all day long even if it wasn''t very comfortable. And ooh, look what''s in the centre here.¡±
¡°Isn''t that a data crystal?¡±
¡°It certainly looks like one. My guess is it recorded my brain activity.¡±
¡°What else is in there?¡±
¡°Pretty hair combs. They just look nice.¡±
¡°But don''t they join the crown here? Look, there are matching holes!¡±
¡°Oh yes, I remember. Daddy asked if my crown ever fell off, and said he could make it stay on better.¡±
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¡°I wonder if they''re anything more than structure.¡±
¡°Well, they look quite like the tiara, but then a hair comb would, wouldn''t it.¡±
Sarah looked again. ¡°Ah pretty pink dress, pretty pink socks, moderately acceptable pink blouse.¡±
¡°You had lots of pink things.¡±
¡°I was a little girl. It goes with the territory.¡±
¡°Always?¡±
¡°Mostly. Depends on age, but I think so.¡±
¡°Interesting, I don''t remember Sally wearing pink.¡±
¡°Well, do you remember what she wore when she was six?¡±
¡°Maybe not.¡±
¡°Ah, here it is.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Possibly that prototype we''re looking for.¡±
¡°A witch''s hat?¡±
¡°Yes. I remember a guessing game. I had to put on the hat and they''d ask me things to see if could guess what they were thinking. Then it would be Mummy''s turn to have the hat.¡±
¡°So maybe your mother...¡±
¡°I remember another game we''d play, before that one. I''d have to try and do something and mummy would guess what I was doing. I guess by picking up intentions.¡±
¡°And could she?¡±
¡°Yes, all the time, but when we swapped, sometimes I could hear what she was doing and sometimes I couldn''t. She said I must try to be quieter. She could be quiet, and she said when she was really quiet she couldn''t hear me and I couldn''t hear her, but I didn''t understand. I guess she was talking about hiding her thoughts from detection and detecting anything.¡±
¡°And a while after that they started the witch''s hat game?¡±
¡°Yes. Oh, I''ve just remembered. Once I asked to play the hat game, after I had the tiara, and Daddy said I had to take off the tiara because you can''t be a witch and a princess at the same time. So it''d make good sense if my thought of mind-reading equals witchcraft stemmed from this game.¡±
¡°Yes, it would.¡±
¡°So, Shall we try the hat?¡±
¡°I''m fairly sure I''m not going out in public with it on John.¡±
¡°True, but if it works...¡±
¡°Then it could be copied, yes, but it seemed my mum didn''t need it to go out in crowds, nor do you for that matter. I can''t help thinking that the hat is a dead end, John.¡±
¡°An artificial help for something you should be able to do yourself, you mean?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Sarah, there are two things here. Your mother used to be able to hide her intentions, but also you used to be able to hear your mother''s intentions without touch. Now if you''re listening you can hear me almost saying them.¡±
¡°My mother would probably say we''re shouting them. ¡±
¡°So we''re not as good as she was, I guess.¡±
¡°Or even as good as I used to be. Out of practice?¡±
¡°Ten years of not doing something is a long time, Sarah, but if we''re holding hands then would you hear me if I didn¡¯t shout?¡±
¡°That''s possible. You mean rather than trying to send thoughts, we practice not sending them?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And you''ll tell me what I''m planning to do, like poke you in the side?¡±
¡°If I can.¡±
¡°John, since you can only hear me thinking at you when we''re holding hands, how does this work?¡±
¡°Not just holding hands, love, kissing was even better, remember.¡±
¡°So much better that we weren''t going to do it.¡±
¡°True. But right now we need some contact for it to work.¡±
[So all I need to do is not tell myself what I''m going to do? Hmm, pick a target... /there/!]
[Heard you.]
[How can we do this, what''s the point?]
John let go of her hand. ¡°Sarah, I think that we need to look at what you remember your mother saying. How does you being quiet stop you from hearing someone? How do you make a radio quiet? You''ve studied physics.¡±
¡°Well, you can turn it off to start with.¡±
¡°Since this is your brain, I really don''t want to do that.¡±
¡°Well, you can do all sorts of things: you can turn down the volume; throw blankets over it or scream loud enough that you can''t hear it; you can change the tuning or desensitise it with a strong signal nearby; you can stop the signal getting there in the first place, either by unplugging the antenna, making a selective notch filter or by making sure the signal doesn''t get to the antenna in the first place. That last one is the Faraday cage. But that''s just a simple radio. There are all sorts of spread-spectrum and duplexing things that you can do as well. But really, John, I don''t believe the mind working like a radio has any chance of being true. If it were, then given the radio experiments that have been done across the years, something would have either picked up the workings of a brain, knocked people unconscious or made them go insane. Motors used to cover practically the whole radio spectrum with noise, and people regularly use radio technology, practically from zero up to light. No one has ever shown any reaction to any of it. Not even me!¡±
¡°OK, I believe you, Sarah, but please, setting all that aside, whatever your mother did stopped both directions. Which one of those things might fit?¡±
¡°John, the human brain isn''t a radio! But OK, a perfect Faraday cage would work, so would detuning the radio, unplugging the antenna, the notch filter if it was good enough, or breaking the radio.
"Anticipating your next question, no, mummy didn''t have a perfect Faraday cage, they''re notoriously hard to get right anyway. Without an axe I don''t know how to unplug the brain from a human body, which I presume is the antenna. And much as I might like to when I''m in a crowd, I don''t really want to break my head open to pull the radio apart. So if my head were a simple radio, then all that''s realistically left is changing the frequency. Now if you can tell me how to do that, I''d be really really appreciative, because I don''t know how and I''ve never known.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, Sarah. I didn''t want to upset you. I''m trying to understand what''s going on in terms of things I vaguely understand, before you tell me the only possible way it would work is neutrinos or something.¡±
Sarah laughed at the thought. ¡°Oh John, I''m sorry, but neutrinos? You really don''t know much physics, do you? Neutrinos! John, you need a swimming pool in a coal mine to detect them. Not a hope in a noisy, messy brain. Sorry, that was funny. Or am I over reacting?¡±
¡°You''ve been under a lot of stress, love.¡±
¡°So that''s a yes then?¡±
He kissed her. [{love,concern,confirmation} Yes.]
¡°I''ve got an idea then. I''m going to sit down here with my memories, and you can try to listen to my thoughts. I''m not going to shout. But if you guess what I want ¡ª no touching now, that''d be cheating, then I''ll give you a surprise.¡±
¡°But you''re the one who can do this Sarah, not me!¡±
¡°I''m the one who''s just realized that I''ve failed to do it properly all my life, John, and I''m feeling pretty raw at the moment.¡±
¡°Can I make you a cup of tea?¡±
¡°Yes, please. I''m sure you can find your way round.¡±
¡°I''ll try.¡±
As John wandered around the house in search of the kitchen, and then round the kitchen in search of tea, he prayed. Sarah was precious to him, and sometimes seemed so strong and wise, but now she was broken and he didn''t know what to do.
As the tea brewed, he tried to explore this strange new gift he''d been given. What was it, could it be focused like eyes, could it stretch out like hands? Was hearing a good metaphor? He shut his eyes and tried slowly turning, to see if he could somehow sense Sarah''s presence or thoughts, but there was nothing he could make sense of, except when he hit his knee on a cupboard. Maybe shutting eyes wasn''t such a good idea. Nothing. He tried to think about how Sarah''s voice or thoughts came to him, but he wasn''t even sure. And then he decided to just not try anything. He leant against the counter top and just relaxed. He wasn''t sure what he relaxed, but he found himself aware of Sarah''s misery. She felt she''d let down everyone. She''d let down her mother by not understanding, she''d let down her father by not keeping the tiara safe, she''d let down John by hiding the trust fund and not knowing how to control her gift or how it worked. She wanted what she couldn''t have ¡ª to wind back the clock, not have prayed that John would hear like her, but instead that her gift would go away, and she could just be normal Sarah, who had normal problems. John reached out towards her, he wasn''t sure what with, and sent her his love and empathy. He was aware that she could feel it. He felt he wanted to wrap her up in a blanket of love so nothing could hurt her any more, and he realised that what she''d meant when she set the challenge was just that, to be wrapped in a blanket like the sad little girl she was remembering. She also wanted her old teddy, which he''d seen on the top shelf, but hadn''t mentioned. He guessed she didn''t know where it was.
He quickly took the tea to her room, reaching up for Mr Snuggles the bear, and presented them both to her at the same time. ¡°If you can hold these my love, I''ll just find a blanket.¡±
¡°John! How? You weren''t even here!¡±
¡°I don''t know, but you give Mr Snuggles here a long hug and I''ll try to do it again while you''re close. Maybe if you see me doing it you''ll learn more than I can tell you. Oh, I don''t think you let anyone down. I have a strong suspicion that your parents just wanted you to have the tiara until you''d grown up a bit, to keep you safe while you learned control, not to block your gifts well into your teens.¡±
And he wrapped the blanket round her and held her. It was a good thing she''d put the tea down.
[{curious} How did you know Mr Snuggles¡¯s name?]
[I guess I picked it up from you, love.]
[And how?]
[Sometimes, we try too hard to do something, and that trying stops us. I tried all sorts of things and then I did this. {relaxed}]
He felt her try very hard to relax, which of course didn''t help, and he hugged her physically and mentally. [Just settle into the blanket, love]. He felt her relax physically, then felt her awe and also felt her come aware that he was observing her. And they spent an unknown amount of time growing used to this new part of their gift. Somehow the emotional feed-back they''d found when they kissed just wasn''t there, maybe simply because their mood was different, maybe because this was something different, or maybe because they were also aware that a third presence, infinitely huge, was with them, loving, teaching and leading their first explorations of this gift. This was far deeper than the mental conversations they¡¯d had before, there could be no deceit here. Rather than a private way of speaking, this was a shared awareness of the other''s thoughts, at a level not even organised enough to be called unspoken. Perhaps it was even a true mingling of minds, at least they both decided that they would withdraw at the same time. Sarah''s despondency and despair had vanished and she found that she wasn''t at all temped to dark thoughts any more. After some time sitting in quiet companionship, John asked, ¡°When shall we marry, my love?¡±
¡°Aren''t you supposed to ask if, rather than when?¡±
¡°But we know we will, don''t we?¡±
¡°Of course, but people will ask me about how you proposed, and saying, ''oh we decided it together when our minds were in communion'' just sounds a little, urm, too far outside normal life, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°OK, I''ll propose formally soon enough, but the more important question is when we marry, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes. I agree. Shall we ask your pastor when he''s free on Sunday?¡±
¡°Do you mean ask him on Sunday or ask him to set the time on that day?¡±
Sarah laughed wholeheartedly. ¡°It was ambiguous, wasn''t it? I think we should probably ask him on Sunday. It might be less of a shock after they''ve seen a certain ring on my finger.¡±
¡°We should probably get back to the office, shouldn''t we?¡±
¡°Yes, I expect so. Shall we take the tiara and witch''s hat?¡±
¡°Yes, let''s. I''m pretty sure you won''t need them now, but they''re bound to be curious.¡±
¡°I do wonder how this thing works.¡±
¡°Well, that''s why the institute has all those interesting toys. They can work out the theory. We can just hold hands.¡±
¡°Through walls if we want to, it seems.¡±
¡°Yes, I wonder how that is possible. Better contact and greater distance at the same time.¡±
¡°Well, it was more like our whole minds were thinking together rather than just a bit of us. But I''m still pretty sure it''s not electromagnetism. Much more like deep prayer, however that works. Appropriate for something where we become more aware of Him, I''m sure.¡±
¡°It''s interesting what He said about Kate, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Her being able to join us there if she''d only believe? Yes. I wonder how long she''ll continue to resist the Gospel.¡±
¡°You know, if we can be aware of other people''s thoughts at that level...¡±
¡°Then we''d know truth from feeble excuses, and all sorts of things like that, and maybe even what arguments would sound convincing, and so we could become great con-artists and poker players and make ourselves rich financially and poor sinners spiritually.¡±
¡°So it''s a good thing that with our salaries from the institute we''ve already got more money than we can use.¡±
¡°And if we misuse this gift then we''ll deserve to have the world''s hatred. But I think we can be careful to use it ethically, don''t you?¡±
¡°Of course, we''re ethical people aren''t we? And our ethical God wouldn''t want us to abuse this spiritual gift. But maybe we should get some others in on the discussion of what does constitute ethical spying on someone''s thought processes.¡±
¡°Good point.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 11: Revelations
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 11:Revelations
Monday, noon
¡°Did you find it?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Yes, it was in several pieces. Not all the electronics were there, but we''ve brought it for curiosity''s sake. We also found an EEG-datalogger in the style of a crown so beautiful that any self-respecting little girl would probably want to wear it as much as possible ¡ª we should show it to Horace so he and Ivan can go green with envy. And last but not least, we found the prototype here.¡±
¡°Interesting symbolism there, John.¡±
¡°Yes, indeed. We also sparked some memories with these. Sara''s mother had the ability too, we''re pretty sure. Then things got a bit stressful for a while but that''s all sorted out and we''re happy to say we''ve found a new mode of using the gift.¡±
¡°But it does have ethical issues, if it works on other people,¡± chipped in Sarah.
¡°Such as?¡±
¡°It''s true mind reading, Kate. Watching thoughts in action. Not just voiceless speaking.¡±
¡°Proof?¡±
¡°You really want it, Kate? Think of something we don''t know and you don''t mind sharing then, and we''ll see if it works on you.¡±
John and Sarah both focussed on Kate and relaxed in that strange way, opening their minds to what Kate was thinking. It worked. Together they witnessed her remembered pain at being dumped by her boyfriend, many years ago. She''d been talking to another boy about religion and her boyfriend had misunderstood the situation. He hadn''t listened to her perfectly innocent explanation and instead had broken off with her.
Sarah spoke. ¡°Oh Kate, that''s so sad. Why didn''t he listen to you? Why just dump you like that?¡±
¡°And those things James said about you, how could he! Just because you were talking to Pete about God!¡±
Kate shook her head in wonder. ¡°You know, I''d almost forgotten Pete''s name. But you weren''t even holding my hands!¡±
¡°We''re not sure of the range, but it worked through the walls at Sarah''s house.¡±
¡°Like you say, ethical issues indeed.¡±
¡°So, have you told the others about Sarah joining us?¡±
¡°No, but I did schedule a meeting for after lunch.¡±
¡°And now everyone''s wondering if the long standing rumours of budget cuts have finally come true?¡±
Kate laughed. ¡°I bet they are at that.¡±
¡°And in the interests of enhancing the relief you plan to start the meeting by mentioning the accountants?¡±
¡°Hey, no peaking!¡±
¡°Not peaking, Kate, I just know you fairly well by now.¡±
¡°So, maybe you and Sarah should go huddle together in your office and write a report on all the things that should be kept for posterity. No, actually, you do that John, Sarah can comment on it later. Sarah, I''d like you to help me get sense from this computer. I think it hates me.¡±
Monday, after lunch
¡°I''m sure that almost all of you are wondering why I''ve called this meeting. It is actually the first time since the institute was founded that any director has called a meeting for this purpose, but that''s exciting, not worrying. Although I have just been talking to our bank manager and the accountants, any rumours about staff losses or cuts in research budgets are just plain wrong.
¡°Now, those of you who have seen John recently might have noticed that he''s been acting a bit odd... The reason for his silly grin is young Sarah here. As far as I know they''re not engaged yet, but really that''s beside the point.
¡°Sarah came to us as a patient from the unsolved cases list. She has, since the age of fifteen or so, experienced extreme discomfort in the presence of more than about 40 or so people. We''re not sure what the underlying reason for this is, but we have been able to identify the immediate cause. It seems that the discomfort arose as a result her first exposure to such a crowd on the loss and breakage of what we might call exhibit A here.¡±
On that cue, Sarah tapped the computer console appropriately, and it displayed the broken remains of the tiara. Kate continued, ¡°This was created by Sarah''s father who told Sarah never to take it off, just before he and Sarah''s mother perished in the Clear Sky shopping centre attack.¡±
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Kate paused for the a murmurs of sympathy among the staff. ¡°It had the form of a hair comb or tiara, and those beads there are circuits. We don''t know its exact function, but it clearly acted as a jammer of some sort, which prevented Sarah from using an ability she apparently shared with her mother, though without full control at the time when her father created this unique device.
Kate continued, ¡°I don''t know how many of you remember these clauses of our founding constitution...¡± Sarah tapped the console for the next slide and after a short pause Kate continued, ¡°Those of you involved in budget preparation will know that the institute has been putting aside 5% of all income for a very very long time in order to fund research into proven cases of unusual mental abilities. I am happy to say that I have seen documentary evidence and witnessed enough first hand that I am able, no, compelled, to employ Sarah under these clauses, and the money can come from that account. She''s going to be the computer systems expert you''ve been crying out for, no cutbacks needed. Those special funds are also accessible for research if you can convince Sarah and me it''s worth the time, effort etc., and she doesn''t object to what you plan. ¡°Ivan, that probably means you don''t get the Van de Graaf generator you''ve been begging me for, but if you and Horrace think you need a kilo or so of some exotic material to make something to investigate her gift, and can convince me it''s reasonable, then as long as it''s not priced in thousands per gram, you can probably order it.
¡°Now, I¡¯d like you all to stand in a queue to shake Sarah''s hand and welcome her here. As you shake her hand, please think, but do not actually say some kind of message to Sarah. And we''ll see if Sarah''s current record of 100% accurate mind reading can be broken, OK? Hope you don''t mind, Sarah?¡±
¡°No, I can try.¡±
¡°Ivan, you get to go first, I know you''re dying to poke your nose into the remains of that device. Sarah, Ivan works on strange things in the electronics lab most of the time.¡±
[Hi, I''m Ivan the not so terrible. If you can really hear me, say ¡®jaberwocky.¡¯]
¡°Hello, Ivan the not so terrible, I heard you, you wanted me to say ''jaberwocky.''¡±
¡°Wow!¡±
¡°Sarah, Ivan''s partner in crime, or at least in inventing strange new EEGs and such like is Horrace. Horrace, Sarah''s brought the crown her father made her when she was little. Spot the scalp contacts and data-crystal? See how pretty it is? Don''t you wish you could make ones that don''t look like something from a horror movie?¡±
[Hello, Sarah, keyword is time-domain-multiplexing.]
¡°Hello, Horrace, you think time domain multiplexing is one word?¡±
¡°Ooh, it''s true!¡±
¡°Janet here works on brain-activity too, but actually has the people skills to be let near paying clients. She''s our medical imaging expert and can probably coax more useful information out of Ivan and Horrace''s devices than they can.¡±
[Hi, Sarah, welcome. ¡®Furious green ideas sing asymptotically.'']
¡°Hello, Janet. You said, ¡®Furious green ideas sing asymptotically.¡¯ I''d love to know how many bits of my brain that triggers.¡±
¡°Maybe we''ll find out one day!¡±
And so it went on. Sarah was introduced to everyone and they were all convinced there was something special about Sarah, though there were a few sceptics who thought that perhaps it was that she could tell from reading expressions or something.
Kate then said, ¡°Now, I''ve got some more interesting news for you: through some process that Sarah labels prayer and I''d prefer to label unexplained, John here seems to have gained much the same abilities as Sarah, so you''ve got two test subjects, not just one. They''ve also just discovered another mode of this thing. In this new mode they seem to be able to access deeper thoughts, not just almost spoken words. In other words we''re into the realms of real mind reading too, along with the associated ethical challenges. For some reason they don''t even need touch for that to work. If anyone wants to be a guinea pig to have what they''re thinking about plucked from their unwilling mind and exposed to us all, then step forwards, otherwise we''ll stop this circus show and you can get back to work.¡±
Ed, a man of about 50 who kept the books, was one of the avowed doubters. He came forwards and said, ¡°Well, maybe you''ll be able to convince me if you can work out what I''m thinking while I do this.¡± And he settled down in lotus position and began to hum a quiet monotone.
John and Sarah both shut their eyes, focussed and relaxed. Ed''s top level thoughts were going in a repetitive cycle, and he seemed to be deliberately trying to put them off, thinking, ¡®Nothing to see, can''t catch me.¡¯ Underneath that was a layer of fear and revulsion at the idea of someone reading his thoughts, and beneath that was a guilty secret. He''d once been church treasurer and had embezzled money from his church to help pay for a holiday for his family. While on holiday he''d felt so guilty and so sure that he would be found out and publicly accused that he''d paid the money back as soon as he could, but the fear and sense of guilt stayed and he eventually left the church and claimed he didn''t believe any more.
John and Sarah let their thoughts refocus and meld for a moment to confer. Then Sarah spoke first: ¡°Ed, I hope you''ll allow me to slightly misquote Jesus of Nazareth: ¡®Arise Ed, your sins are forgiven!¡¯¡±
John spoke next. ¡°Ed, your top level thoughts were going in circles, ¡®Nothing to see, can''t catch me.¡¯ Under that, you were afraid and revolted by the idea that a mind reader might see your thoughts and find out a secret. We''re not going to reveal the secret here. You sinned but you repented, so we can stand on Scripture to tell you that your sin has been atoned for, and your guilt has been forgiven.¡±
Sarah continued, ¡°If you need more convincing we can tell you the gory details later, but we''d really recommend you go back to church, Ed, and stop pretending you don''t belong there.¡±
It was a different Ed who got up. Tears of joy were in his eyes as he hugged John and Sarah. ¡°God bless you both, God bless you both.¡±
There was a somewhat embarrassed silence from the rest of the staff, when Kate said quietly, ¡°That wasn''t quite what I had in mind, Ed.¡±
¡°But it''s what God knew I needed to hear, Kate, it''s what God knew I needed to hear.¡±
Kate flung her hands in the air in disgust, ¡°Am I going to be the only atheist left here surrounded by a group of born again God-botherers?¡±
¡°Oh Kate,¡± Ed replied, you know that it''s atheists and agnostics who bother God far more than believers. He''s not bothered by people believing in Him at all.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 12: The Ring
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 12: The Ring
Monday evening
¡°Sarah, would you do me the honour of letting me cook for you again?¡±
¡°Of course, John, but you must let me cook sometime! Shall we start walking?¡±
¡°OK, you cook tomorrow and I''ll cook tonight. That is uh, assuming you want to spend the evenings together as well as being together at work.¡±
¡°Well, it''s not like we''re sharing an office, John. We hardly saw each other all afternoon after the meeting.¡±
¡°So that''s what, three hours?¡±
¡°Oh, more like two and a half, I guess.¡± Sarah laughed. ¡°And we did see each other at tea-break, didn''t we. So why did I miss you so much?¡±
¡°I think it''s called being in love. Either that or a nasty contagious mental problem. I say contagious because I missed you too.¡±
¡°John, you''ve been married, does it stay like this? It''s almost incapacitating!¡±
¡°It fades, or maybe you become able to cope with separation better. But I''m no expert. I was only married for a year.¡±
Without entering that relaxed/focussed state, or any contact, Sarah couldn''t be certain but she thought she''d just triggered a sadness in John. ¡°I''m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡±
¡°It''s all right, love,¡± and he held her hand and she was aware of memories of joy and excitement she''d triggered, along with the great loss that accompanied them. Precious things that John could, and did treasure.
¡°It would feel wrong to forget those days, no matter the loss. Sally was my beloved wife, but she was taken from me, and now you are entering my heart as she did. I don''t think I''ll confuse the two of you, but I don''t expect that I''ll forget her.¡±
¡°I don''t want you to forget her, as long as you can give me space in your heart too.¡±
¡°She retains a little corner which I expect will be hers for a while still, but my heart is otherwise full of love for you.¡±
¡°You say the nicest things, John. Thank you for letting yourself love me. I''d be very lonely feeling like this if you didn''t love me back.¡±
¡°Sarah, I''ve been meaning to ask you. Do you have any relatives who might know anything, or did your father have any close colleagues he might have worked with on the technology?¡±
¡°Sorry, John, I''m a product of the population decline. No cousins, no relations at all on my father''s side. There might be a second cousin or something equally distant on my mother''s side, but I don''t remember her talking about cousins. And I know she was an only child, and my grandparents were all old when my parents married, and died before I was ten. As for close colleagues, I can''t think of anyone, really. He had some employees who did trading with him or administered other bits of the holding company; but at the shop my dad was the jeweller, the others were just shop keepers.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
¡°Of course! Smith''s jewellers, in the High Street. I didn''t think about it.¡±
¡°You knew it?¡±
¡°I bought Sally''s rings there. Unless he bought in bottom of the range stuff like I was able to afford back then, I guess your father made both the engagement ring and the wedding ring. Which brings me an embarrassing question. Would you want Sally''s engagement ring, or should I get you something that is all yours?¡±
¡°I hadn''t thought about it, John. I don''t know. It was the symbol of your love for her. Would you giving it to me mean that now I have all your love, or would it mean that my hand will always carry her ring, a reminder of your lost love? Would a new ring be a better symbol of our new love?¡±
¡°If it stayed in the house, but not on your finger, then I''m sure it might easily stay Sally''s ring. I don''t think that would be good for our relationship. So if you don''t want it, then I''ll sell it.¡±
¡°Then John, if it''s all right with you, I''ll take a look at it before I decide. If it was really bottom of the range stuff, and if it was my Dad''s work, then there''d have to be some problem with it, like a damaged stone. But sometimes my Dad sold apprentice work in that bracket as long as the workmanship wasn''t too bad. He''d just sell it at a price to recoup the cost of materials really, so the apprentice could say they''d sold some of their work. He even let me try making one once. He said it was good enough to sell, but I expect he just melted it down secretly. I mean, selling someone a nine year old''s first attempt at setting a stone? Surely that''d be the proud father taking things a bit too far, don''t you think?¡±
¡°It could be, but maybe he did sell it. And yes, of course. I don''t want to give you a stone that''d embarrass you.¡± John had a few synapses that were trying to tell him something. Sarah''s story of apprentice-made rings certainly rang a bell, and he did remember there''d been something special about the ring he''d bought Sally. But it couldn''t have been the one Sarah had made, surely. That would be too much of a coincidence. They arrived at the house and John went straight to his room to get the ring in its box. ¡°Here you are, one ring for your evaluation and appraisal.¡±
¡°That''s odd. John, are you sure this is the original box?¡±
¡°Yes, why?¡±
¡°Well, I know my Dad had this system to help him remember rings. Special rings went into boxes like this. Very special ones.¡±
¡°Well, your story about apprentice rings certainly rang a bell, and I remember there being something special about this one. And the timing fits, roughly a year and a month before the attack. Go on, look at it.¡±
¡°I don''t know if I dare, John. It''s too scary, such a coincidence. Describe it to me instead.¡±
¡°I can''t Sarah, if I get it wrong then I''ll mislead you. But I do remember that it was somehow special to the man in the shop. Here, let me.¡± And he lifted the top of the box. ¡°Sarah! Open your eyes, you''re being silly!¡±
¡°It is. John, it is, I remember not quite making these two prongs perfectly symmetrical like I''d wanted them, but Daddy said it looked like it was part of the design.¡±
¡°He was right, it does.¡±
¡°Oh John, how?¡±
¡°Timing my love, timing and the S motif, and your father ¡ª I presume it was him - extolling the virtues of the young lady who''d made this with only a little help, and maybe one day she''d be famous. And that it was really a very good stone for the price, and wouldn''t my intended be happier with this ring than any other that was in my price range. He was right. Sally was thrilled with it.¡±
¡°John, if you''re sure you don''t mind giving me this ring one day, I''d be thrilled to wear it too.¡±
John knelt and said, ¡°Then my beloved Sarah, you would make me the happiest man for miles around if you wore this ring as a token of the strength and purity of our love. Will you marry me?¡±
¡°I will, John.¡±
¡°Then I return this ring to its creator, thanking her for the pleasure it gave Sally, but now knowing it has been your ring all along.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 13: A Challenge
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 13: A Challenge
Monday Evening
¡°John, this is delicious, again. Thank you. I was thinking. I think I''d like to get someone''s input on this gift, on the ethics of it, that sort of thing. Would Arwood be a good person to chat to?¡±
¡°You mean would it scare him so much he can''t think?¡±
¡°That sort of thing, yes.¡±
¡°I don''t think so and I know he''s preached on spiritual gifts some time back. I seem to remember that he emphasized that they shouldn''t be abused, that any prophesy needed checking against Scripture, that sort of thing. So he''s not a total cesessionist.¡±
¡°A what?¡±
¡°Oh, there''s a stream of teaching that says the gifts were only for the early church, before the canon of Scripture was closed. Therefore, anything that looks like a spiritual gift these days must be a fake sent by the evil one to distract the church from the important stuff.¡±
¡°Ooh, I bet that''s caused some division in the past!¡±
¡°Writing off whole denominations as deluded by the devil? Oh, yes! But there have been abuses, there have been churches that got so distracted by the new and exciting that they forgot the old and important.¡±
¡°Of course there have. And I''m sure there are churches where the old and unimportant has become a distraction too.¡±
¡°Of course. But getting back to your question, yes, it''s a great idea.¡±
¡°Shall we talk to him now?¡±
¡°I''ll call him tomorrow, it''s his day of rest today.¡±
¡°I''ve got an idea, John, why don''t we invite him and his wife to dinner tomorrow, then we can hit them with the scary stuff over dessert and give them a few minutes to process it while we tidy away the dishes.¡±
¡°That sounds like a good plan. Your house or mine?¡±
¡°Mine, since I''m cooking, assuming that''s OK?¡±
¡°I''m sure it is. I was just wondering, do we leave the engagement as a surprise?¡±
¡°I think perhaps we should. But they know we''re at least going out, so us cooking together isn''t exactly unheard of.¡±
¡°Certainly not among students.¡±
¡°Which was me not so many weeks ago.¡±
¡°And that reminds me, how tight are your finances, love? It''ll be a few weeks before your first pay-day from the Institute. Are you able to afford this expensive lifestyle I''m dragging you into?¡±
¡°What expensive lifestyle? You''ve fed me the last 3 days. That sounds like cheap living to my student brain. No, John, I''m fine. I did have a job, remember. Not as well paid as now of course, but I''m not marrying you for your money, you know.¡±
¡°Sorry, I just didn''t want you to end up overdrawn because you wanted to impress or something.¡±
¡°You know me better than that, John, surely?¡±
¡°I hoped I did, but just wanted to make sure.¡±
¡°My protective knight looking out for dangers on our road to happiness?¡±
¡°I guess so, love, sorry.¡±
¡°Perhaps I should remind my brave knight that I''ve had quite a few self defence classes over the years, so if he gets any more silly ideas about me lacking in common sense, he might find himself landing on his titanium tail bone.¡±
¡°I said sorry, love.¡±
¡°But it does point out something you''ve said several times, doesn''t it? We don''t know each other very well, really. Otherwise you''d know I''d never do that sort of foolish thing.¡±
¡°So, we''re not getting married at the weekend then?¡± John teased.
¡°No. But not some multi-year engagement either. That''s just silly. I think more like six months.¡±
¡°Six months would put the wedding in the middle of winter.¡±
¡°Rain, snow, mist, mud. I love it.¡±
¡°Not exactly ideal wedding weather.¡±
¡°But the weather doesn''t really matter, does it?¡±
¡°No, it doesn''t, but how about September or October anyway? I think that''d give us enough time at the ridiculously fast rate we''re going. And you''re less likely to freeze in your wedding dress.¡±
¡°Hmm. Wedding dress is a very good reason not to marry this weekend. It''ll probably need adjusting. Actually... a good reason not to be wet either.¡±
¡°Eh?¡±
¡°My mother wore her mother''s wedding dress and kept it for me.¡±
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
¡°Ah. Something your knight shouldn''t be involved in.¡±
¡°You mean you''re happy to explore my mind and my thoughts but you want to steer clear of my clothes cupboard?¡±
¡°Sarah! I''m happy to explore your clothes cupboard if you want me to, but I don''t want to undress you until after we''re married.¡±
¡°Sorry, John, I know, I was just teasing. I want the dress to be a surprise actually.¡±
¡°That could be tricky, couldn''t it? Keeping surprises from each other.¡±
¡°Yes. It could be. Also since I have friends and you have friends, we need to make sure I can cope with the crowd by then.¡±
¡°I thought we had love, or rather God had.¡±
¡°Eh?¡±
¡°When we were exploring the second mode.¡±
¡°I''m floundering, John. I guess the Spirit showed you something he didn''t show me. Is that what you meant about not needing the hat earlier?¡±
¡°Yes, love. I''m sorry, I thought you''d understood. Come, let''s explore our memories together.¡±
They relaxed into each other''s minds. There was John hitting his knee, and relaxing whatever it was he relaxed, and there was Sarah feeling so depressed. She witnessed her own reaction to John''s love. [That was you. I''d wondered.] And had seen him come aware of her desire for old comforts. They skipped to her learning to relax, or whatever it was they did and in wonder remembered the way that the Spirit of God had made His presence felt and how He blessed their relationship and revealed to them that this part of their gift was from Him, and was beyond Sarah''s mother''s abilities. That they could focus it on a single person, or on each other. They relived their surprise at learning that compassionate but obstinate Kate also had the potential to share their ability, but that it was to stay hidden from her until she acknowledged the Lord who''d given it to her. Then the Creator of the universe withdrew from His servants, children, friends. With a final blessing of Peace. And Sarah saw John''s understanding that this was directed to Sarah, and John saw Sarah''s understanding that it had been concerning their future together. And they realised that their main concerns had been addressed by that one word. They should have peace and trust their Maker. [Why do we worry? We''ve got lots of Scripture telling us not to, after all.]
[But we need reminding.]
[Because we don''t trust enough.]
[True.]
[Let''s encourage each other to trust God more. It is important.]
[Amen.]
¡°So will you want to walk me home?¡±
¡°Yes, of course.¡±
¡°Because of worry?¡±
¡°No, because if I walk you home then I get to spend more time with you.¡±
¡°So I should walk you home tomorrow?¡±
¡°Got me! But while we know you''re an expert in self defence, the would-be muggers lurking in the dark don''t, they just see a beautiful young victim.¡±
¡°Or a handsome not quite so young potential victim with the funny metallic sounding step.¡±
¡°Which might make them think about getting a few kilos of servo-driven metal in the crotch if they try anything, exactly. Therefore, in the interests of the innocent muggers who you''d lure into possibly incapacitating folly, it is imperative that I walk you home and not vice-versa.¡±
¡°You, you, chivalrous anachronism you! I love you, don''t change.¡±
¡°Can I have that in writing?¡±
¡°John, out of interest, how fast can you run with that lump of metalwork there?¡±
¡°In a sprint? I can probably hop faster than I can run, if truth be told. My real leg can''t keep up.¡±
¡°But you don''t have full stamina?¡±
¡°I''m not really sure. What''s the normal limiting factor? I''m going to burn more calories, but is the normal limit lactic acid build up or conversion rate of glycerides to sugars?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. But it would be interesting to see who could beat the other in a race, wouldn''t it?¡±
¡°Would it?¡±
¡°Just for reference, just for reference.¡±
¡°So you''d like to challenge a man who is twelve years older than you with a metal leg to a race? Why, Sarah? I expect you''re bound to win.¡±
¡°But in a sprint you could probably beat me?¡±
¡°I think so.¡±
¡°Then I''ll race you to my house, and whoever gets too far ahead waits for the other one.¡±
¡°The point being?¡±
¡°Impulsive behaviour, foolish young fianc¨¦e wants to find out the calibre of the knight whom she''s committed her life to.¡±
¡°And if we break my leg then you''ll call a mechanic?¡±
She sobered immediately ¡°Oh, sorry, John, is there a risk? Let''s not then.¡±
¡°It should be fine, love. We can try it if you want to.¡±
¡°Then can we? Tonight?¡±
¡°Yes, Sarah, we can try it.¡±
John had been wrong. He could indeed run faster than she could, and he hadn''t had the tingle warning that the leg was resorting to battery due to low blood sugar either. He called a halt about half way to Sarah''s home. ¡°Sorry, love, my flesh and blood foot is getting sore. These shoes aren''t meant for running in.¡±
¡°That''s fine, John. I''m glad you can beat me, even at you advanced age.¡±
¡°Now, Sarah, will you tell me what it was about?¡±
¡°I don''t know, John. Thank you for accepting the challenge. Let''s see if you can walk and probe my mind to find out what that was about.¡±
¡°Are you sure I should? It might not be a nice reason.¡±
¡°John, that''s why I want you to look.¡±
¡°I don''t understand, love.¡±
¡°Then come and look at my complex mess of thoughts. See if you can untangle them for me, please. I think there was a wrong motive, but I can''t work it out. I love you, I trust you, so come and look. Please.¡±
¡°Then you watch my thoughts too, my love. And we''ll think about this together.¡±
¡°And we both try not to fall in any holes, trip over anything or walk into trees.¡±
¡°Indeed.¡± And once more, they opened their awareness to the other. Being aware of their surroundings and where they were going and of each other''s thoughts at the same time was trickier than they''d expected. But eventually they got the hang of it. They fairly quickly found that Sarah had an image of love as a young couple running through a wood together, the woman being caught up by the man, and then going on hand in hand. [Sweet image.]
[I''m a romantic fool, you mean? Forcing you to fulfil my fantasy?]
[No, it''s sweet. Not a very demanding criterion for a husband, but sweet.] The question that had stemmed from it was whether John could fill his assigned role. Or did his leg make him unable to? [I''m sorry, John. I know you''re no cripple.]
[But you were worried enough that you wanted to dispel the doubt.]
[Yes, I''m sorry. I see it now. I was worried that it might affect our relationship if you couldn''t fulfill my childish dream.]
[Not so very different to me wanting to walk you home.]
[I guess not, but really, that is more sensible.]
[Sensible means socially accepted worry?]
[I guess we''re trained to worry, aren''t we?]
[Don''t put yourself in danger...]
[Avoid walking down unlit streets...]
[So, how do we help each other trust God in the face of these worries?]
[Recognizing them, maybe.]
[Acknowledging them, weighing them against the risks and benefits.]
[Not letting them rule us.]
[I still want to walk you home.]
[That''s OK. I want you to too. It''s part of courting.]
[Pray?]
[Pray.]
And they sought forgiveness for their worries and fears, then prayed about the coming days and weeks, for wisdom in all things, particularly in working out the ethical implications of their gifts.
John walked home in peace, and didn''t notice the pair of would-be muggers lurking in a dark alley half way to his home. They noticed that he walked with the purposeful, healthy stride of someone who could just possibly cause them trouble. They noticed the metallic note to his stride too. Who got injuries like that at his age? Was he ex-military or police? It would be a serious mistake to tackle someone like that. So they decided there would probably be easier targets along later on.
Serendipity / Ch. 14: Thoughtful Chicken
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 14:Thoughtful Chicken
Tuesday evening, 20th June
¡°Welcome, Arwood, welcome, Hannah. Not too hard to find this place, I hope? Sarah said that after I''d cooked for her three days running, she wanted to cook. She''s just in the kitchen finishing things off, I believe. I''ve been banished.¡±
¡°Too many helpful suggestions?¡±
¡°No, actually she said it was because she wanted it to be a surprise.¡±
¡°While Sarah''s busy, John, you told me that you and Sarah wanted us to come and help you think some things through, and you claimed it was only peripherally about you two going out together. But here you are seemingly spending huge parts of your days together, so I''m pretty sure you two are serious about each other. Therefore, I''m confused. What is so personal you won''t talk about it except face to face, and yet you want Hannah here too, but isn''t to do with your relationship?¡±
Sarah came from the kitchen. ¡°Well, our relationship is going very well, thank you, though we''re a little surprised about some aspects of it. Welcome, Arwood, and Hannah I presume? The food will be finished in a few minutes, it just needs to simmer now.¡±
¡°Yes, hello, Sarah, I''m Hannah. And is that ring on your finger the ring I think it is?¡±
John answered that one. ¡°You''ve seen it before, Hannah, on Sally''s finger. But I don''t know if I told you the story about the proud jeweller whose little girl had made such a lovely ring on her first try. Let me introduce you to his little girl, all grown up now.¡±
¡°Sarah, Mr. Smith''s daughter? You''re the other survivor, the one whose scream saved John''s life?¡±
¡°Oooh, you''re good at this Hannah. Yes, I''m Sarah the survivor.¡±
¡°So you two have known each other for years and have now fallen in love and got engaged?¡±
¡°Not quite, Arwood. We didn''t know each other until just recently; John heard I was still having problems after the attack, pulled some strings and got me along to the Institute.¡±
¡°As soon as I saw her data on the unsolved cases list ¡ª it didn''t actually name her, but female victims of terrorist attacks aren''t exactly common, I was absolutely certain that I needed to help her find healing. Kate ¡ª you''ve met her I think, my boss ¡ª said I was acting as if I was in love with her before first sight.¡±
¡°At first John was going to be my psycho-counsellor, but we quickly decided that it wasn''t going to work. He had incredibly strong protective feelings for me, and for some reason I found it, no let me correct that, I find it impossible not to trust him entirely. It was as though we''d known each other for years, although we''d only just met.¡±
John added, ¡°We did try to stay sane and get to know each other like normal human beings, but then it got even stranger. On Friday Sarah rebuked me for disobeying the Lord, using the exact words God gave me years ago. On Saturday we found that Sarah had had two occasions in her past when she had knowledge about offenders. One led to a conviction and the other time the university ignored her warning and he went on to abduct some students before he was caught.¡±
Sarah continued, ¡°We had two ideas, one that the Lord had given me three prophesies, two of which were during times I''d been pretty far from Him, and the second was that I somehow could hear people''s thoughts. All the while I was falling deeper and deeper in love with John, and he was nobly trying to stay sane and reasonable, pointing out that it was crazy to be in love after meeting twice in five days. ¡°He started wobbling on that front when we both heard God saying that he''d give me Sally''s wedding ring one day. Later on Saturday, we found that I could hear intentions and strong emotions if John held my hand and they concerned me closely enough. Which sort of fits the accusations I''d made. Then I did something I probably shouldn''t have done and prayed silently that my abilities wouldn''t drive us apart, and that John''d be able to hear what I was thinking if I could hear him. John heard my unspoken prayer, and since that point we''ve been given the gift or ability in stronger and equal measure. We are both able to hear almost spoken thoughts if we''re in physical contact with someone, or if someone makes a decision that concerns us.¡±
¡°Well, urm, I take it that you''re giving God the credit for all this.¡±
Arwood floundered. ¡°But you sound like you''re only part way though. Is there more?¡±
¡°Well, the thing I have with crowds isn''t fear as you probably assumed, it''s more that I pick up some kind of noise from the crowd. If there are too many people then it becomes too loud. At church it was a bit like that, but during the worship, oh it was truly beautiful. And during the sermon there were surges when you called for action but it was quiet other times.¡±
John chipped in ¡°My present guess is that somehow Sarah is hearing the mood of the crowd or something like that, and if it''s a big crowd then there are too many different moods. But yesterday, things got even more strange.¡±
¡°Some things triggered memories and I realised that my parents knew about my gifts, and my mother shared them. Then I got upset at John for going off on a tangent and had a bit of a gloomy wallow in my inadequacies. At which point dear John here discovered a deeper, scarier part or mode of the gift the Lord has given us.¡±
John added ¡°If we sort of relax our minds while focussed on someone, then we can tell exactly what they''re thinking. As we started to discover this we had what you might call a shared revelation from the Holy Spirit concerning how we could use this gift, a confirmation that we would marry and a prophesy about what''ll happen to my boss when she stops resisting the Gospel.¡± He took a breath, letting that sink in. ¡°You know the Institute is interested in the weird and wonderful, so Kate called for a volunteer to have their mind read and, well, I don''t know if you know Ed, but he should be back at his church on Sunday after a decade or more away.¡±
¡°We''d really like advice on the ethics of using this gift.¡± Sarah said, ¡°It''s potential dynamite. It could turn into a riot if word gets out in the wrong way. We certainly don''t want to be used as thought police, or to do industrial espionage, but the scary thing is that the capability is there. But helping Ed understand he is truly forgiven, well that was a great privilege and we''d love to be used like that again.¡±
¡°Wow, John. There''s a lot of mind-blowing stuff in there. Can I focus on the easier stuff for now... So, rather than deny your feelings and the promptings of the Spirit, you decided to get engaged?¡±
¡°Yes. I wasn''t at all sure if I should give Sarah this ring, but when it turned out that she made it, well, Sally wore it for a while, but it''s certainly easy to think of it as Sarah''s ring.¡±
¡°I hope we''ve not ruined your appetite. We thought you''d like some time to process all of this and that food might help. I can''t tell you what it is though, Sarah''s not told me.¡±
¡°It''s a surprise. Well, chicken and herbs and spices, that''s supposed to be a secret recipie. But talking of mysterious food, have you tried John''s pseudo pizza?¡± Sarah asked light heartedly.
¡°No, is it good?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°Don''t feed it to your dog, he''ll stop loving you.¡±
¡°It''s not good at all. It was the fastest way of getting some carbohydrates into a young lady who spent half the night reading Scripture and then got up at dawn to make herself prettier, forgetting breakfast on the way.¡±
¡°When was this?¡± Arwood asked.
¡°Friday night, Saturday morning. John had pointed out that my silly attitude to God wasn''t logical, and I wanted to sort things out. So I read a couple of gospels, Acts, and part of Romans before I fell asleep.¡±
¡°John, I don''t know if you realise, but you''ve got a fairly unique fianc¨¦e here. There aren''t many people who have ever read the whole of a gospel through in one sitting, let alone two plus Acts, and part of Romans.¡±
¡°I know, there are lots of impressive things about my Sarah here. You should have heard her emotive speech on ¡®how could you contemplate loving someone who loves you right back for years and yet refuse to marry them just because you''re not in full working order.¡¯ Very convincing, I thought.¡±
¡°And are you convinced that it''d work out OK?¡±
¡°Well, I don''t think it''s ideal, I''d go on to say that it''d be a real potential disaster for most couples, not having that bond. But with this mind-reading thing... In many ways we have a greater intimacy available. We can see what the other''s thinking, and um, the feedback is such that we''ve decided that we mustn''t give each other close hugs or long kisses. Holding hands is probably plenty intimate enough for courting.¡±
¡°I''m happy you two have found each other then. But just a modified standard pastoral warning... What do you have in common? If you met someone else with this gift, and thus John or Sarah wasn''t unique, what would become the uniquely special thing about them?¡±
John, surprised at the question, started rather feebly, ¡°Well, we both like to cook, we both work at the same place now, we''ve had some unique experiences together, we''ve both survived the same terrorist attack, we both like walking, we''re both committed to God, we''re both committed to each other.¡±
Sarah added, ¡°We''ve both got high moral standards, money isn''t a problem, and won''t be even if we both lose our jobs at the Institute.¡± when Arwood raised his eyebrows, she explained, ¡°John''s got income from renting out his parents'' house and owns his outright, I own my house too, so we could rent out two houses. Plus, John here hasn''t exactly been spending his whole salary for the last five years, and assuming I keep the job at the Institute for another 363 days, then the trust fund my parents set up falls into my not very willing hands. John hasn''t asked how much, which I really respect him for, nor have I checked exactly. But I have some idea. At least as long as we''re both employed, I''ll probably have the trustees stay on and use the money to support things I think are good causes. I''m not going to give it all away in one go, that doesn''t strike me as sensible. But I don''t intend to let it change the way we live either.¡±
¡°Sarah, you''re full of surprises!¡± Hannah exclaimed.
¡°You mean you had me pegged as penniless ex-student stunned by the rich benefactor? John almost fell into the same mistake, ¡®till he saw my childhood playthings. Which reminds me. Hannah, John will confirm that I sometimes do impulsive things for no apparent reason. But this isn''t one. I''d like you to have a replacement ring, and I wouldn''t want to wear one of these, but I think you could.¡± And she reached out with the little velvet roll that John had seen the day before which held her rings, and unrolled it in front of Hannah.
¡°Hannah, what ring?¡± Arwood asked.
Hannah, with tears of gratitude in her eyes ignored her husband and asked, ¡°Sarah, what did you hear?¡±
¡°Just as you were coming in and we shook hands you had a very strong thought, ¡®Oh I wish I hadn''t lost my ring, but there''s no way we could replace it.¡¯¡±
¡°Not your mother''s ring?¡± Arwood asked.
¡°Yes, Arwood, my mother''s emerald ring.¡±
¡°How did you lose it?¡± John asked, remembering the ring that was indeed missing from its normal place on her finger. [A beautiful gesture Sarah, I think it looked like this, my love.]
¡°I was silly. I don''t like having jewellery just sitting in a box weeks or months on end. So, I normally wear it at church or when we go visiting. But I forgot to take it off when we went on that ramble a few months ago, and I ended up fishing little Tommy out of that stream I don''t know how many times. I guess it got loose because of the cold water, because it wasn''t there on my finger when I got home. The insurers said it wasn''t covered.¡±
The roll had several emerald rings, and Sarah had quickly picked the ring that was the closest match to John''s memory. ¡°This isn''t the best emerald, Hannah, but this is an emerald, and it''s yours if you want it. I hardly ever wear real jewels, and while these were fun to play with as a little girl, I haven''t worn any of them in years.¡±
¡°Arwood, do you know what my beloved said about these rings when we found them yesterday? She said, ¡®Oh, I used to play with these, they aren''t worth much.''¡±
¡°I also said that they were my dowry, and there was no way I''d sell them, but you chose to ignore that bit.¡±
¡°Sarah, I don''t think I can accept. I''m sorry, but it''s too much. Especially if this is your dowry.¡±
¡°Oh, me and my big mouth! Hannah, I really don''t wear them. My parents raised me not to flaunt our wealth, and I guess it stuck too well. If you really won''t accept it, then please think of it as a loan, OK? If you ever find your ring then I''ll accept it back. And don''t worry about insurance, I¡¯ll just tell the trustees it''s on loan to you and they''ll make sure it''s covered. All risks.¡±
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°Thank you, Sarah, thank you so much. I think that it''ll need adjusting a lot though if you wore them as a child.¡±
¡°Oh, they were always too big for my fingers. Here, let me see. Yes, it needs resizing, but not by much, I think. I''ll get the things out after dessert.¡±
¡°You''ll get the things out? What things?¡± asked John.
¡°You don''t think that Daddy would let me start making rings if I couldn''t do basic stuff like resizing-up, do you?¡±
¡°I''ve no idea, Sarah, no idea what is basic and what isn''t. I''ve never seen anyone making jewellery.¡±
¡°Oh. Sorry. If you''re careful, then it''s pretty easy to stretch a ring with a simple band like this. Making it smaller is much harder ¡ª you need to cut and rejoin, which is a pain when there are stones to take out.¡±
¡°And you''ve kept all your father''s tools?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°Most of them, yes.¡±
¡°And you have the skills too, so why didn''t you look for work as a jeweller or as a jeweller¡¯s assistant?¡±
¡°Oh John, what did you never ask me?¡±
¡°Urm, in context, what your part time job was?¡±
¡°Exactly. But to be successful in that trade you need customers, and customers mean a lot of passers by and a shop and stock.¡±
¡°And those last two need capital, which is locked away in the trust fund. Not to mention the crowded street that needs a mind which can stand crowds outside.¡±
¡°Yes, exactly. Arwood, your plate''s empty. Would you like more?¡±
¡°It''s very tasty, Sarah, but no, thank you. The funny thing is the smell is really familiar, but the taste isn''t. You said it was a secret recipe?¡±
¡°On the recipe card it''s called ''Mama Ng''s secret chicken recipe'', and the footnote says ''no sharing without permission''.¡±
Hannah laughed, ¡°Now we know why it smells familiar to you, Arwood!¡±
¡°Urm, yes. How your mother got hold of Mama''s recipe, though...¡± he shook his head. Then glanced at Hannah. ¡°Could be an interesting evening.¡±
¡°Of course it could. As long as you don''t go staying up writing sermons ''till midnight, and you''d better not. Family members all call Arwood''s mother Mama Ng, Sarah. And this recipe has a bit of a reputation...¡±
¡°Whispered about by the young,¡± Arwood said, ¡°joked about by the married, but rarely actually tasted.¡± Arwood said.
¡°She claims we don''t need it, and she''s forgotten the recipe anyway,¡± Hannah said.
¡°I take it it''s supposed to be an aphrodisiac?¡± John asked.
¡°Yes, indeed. Thoughtful Chicken is what it''s called in the family. And given how you''re sharing your thoughts already ¡ª that''s what it''s supposed to do ¡ª it''s probably totally wasted on you two.¡±
¡°Oh... but for Daddy...¡± Sarah said, blushing deeply.
¡°If it lives up to its reputation, it''s quite possible it would have helped him understand your mother better, yes. Sarah, you''ve just given us a demonstration that you could hear Hannah''s thoughts, but how did you know which ring?¡±
¡°John told me when he reached for my hand. Actually, he sent me a memory. I didn''t know we could do that.¡±
¡°Me neither. I''d assumed you''d need to have a look at what I was thinking.¡±
¡°So these are the two modes you''re talking about?¡±
Sarah answered, ¡°Yes. One is like having ears. In the right circumstances we just can''t avoid hearing, but it''s like listening to someone''s internal commentary, you know, you think ''that''s odd'' but don''t say it, if there''s contact then we''ll hear. The other one is more like pointing a telescope at someone and having a snoop at them.¡±
¡°Or like putting a bug in their office or bedroom,¡± added John, ¡°only none of those is close really, because those only get actions or words, and we can see thoughts.¡±
¡°Yet you''re, urm, climbing into each other''s minds quite a lot?¡±
¡°I wouldn''t say that, no. We''ve done it inadvertently once, when John found out about it. With Ed, we both decided we needed to agree how to respond to what we''d seen. And we''ve looked at memories together, to reconcile our different recollections.¡±
¡°And then I invited Sarah to look at my memory of the ring, but somehow sent it to her instead.¡±
¡°So, even though you two are hopelessly in love and want to know about each other more and more, you''re only using this thing on each other by mutual agreement?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So why do you need input about the ethics of it? You seem to be doing well enough.¡±
¡°Probably because of Ed.¡±
¡°I don''t want to pry, but can you help me understand that better?¡± Arwood asked.
Sarah started the account. ¡°OK, urm... Kate asked if anyone had a memory they didn''t mind sharing, in our little show and tell at the office, and Ed, somewhat sceptical, volunteered. Only he wasn''t trying to think of something particular, he was trying to set up interference. And we could see that, and the fear and revulsion he had that we''d see what was under that, which of course we did. A sin he''d repented of and made right but never felt forgiven for.¡±
John took up the story. ¡°And that feeling of unforgiveness had driven him from the church. But seeing that he''d repented, we were able to tell him he was forgiven.¡±
Sarah pushed her point home. ¡°But what if he''d been hiding something else? Say that he''d, I don''t know, poisoned his wife. And if we did find that out, would we be right to ask him where he''d buried the evidence, for example? If we did then we''d probably see the memory even if he didn''t say.¡±
¡°Actually, Sarah''s told police where evidence was before, with the child molester.¡±
¡°Yes, he must have thought something like, ¡®I''ll go there and destroy my picture collection¡¯ when the police arrived. I''d pressed my panic button when he wanted to play doctors and nurses with me.¡±
¡°He didn''t know you had one?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°I guess not. Mine is well hidden, maybe he thought they''re all big pocket filling things.¡±
¡°They''re not?¡±
¡°No. The electronics are tiny, the rest is batteries for the torch or screamer or whatever else they add on. I guess most people wouldn''t want something tiny.¡±
¡°But your dad put it in a ring for you?¡± guessed John.
¡°Actually, it''s surgically implanted.¡±
¡°Oooh. I imagine that''s not cheap,¡± Hannah said.
¡°No, but I''m glad it was done. It kept the so-called Reverend Williamson¡¯s filthy hands off me.¡±
There was a moment of shocked silence. ¡°Harry Williamson, who used to be the youth pastor at Bakers Street Community?¡±
¡°Yes, didn''t you know about it? Surely it was in the news? I was a friend of their foster daughter.¡±
¡°I knew he vanished from the scene and that there''d been a scandal. His wife said something about him being tempted into sin and that he''d be going away to stay with friends until he''d sorted it out.¡±
¡°Staying with friends is an interesting euphemism for being sent to jail.¡±
¡°Well, that explains why he''s not a youth pastor now. I know he was gone for longer than we expected, but they''re back together now.¡±
¡°How? I don''t understand. I was told that he''d been sent to jail so I didn''t need to be afraid any more.¡±
¡°I really don''t know. Was he found guilty of some lesser offence, maybe?¡±
Sarah was clearly upset. ¡°The word of a hysterical girl not being counted against the respected community member?¡±
¡°I wonder. Should we look at the court record? Did you actually testify?¡± Arwood asked.
¡°They took a statement, but I think my aunt ¡ª my guardian ¡ª didn''t want me to undergo any more stress.¡±
¡°And you''d probably started screaming in crowds.¡± John supplied.
¡°Yes. Probably.¡±
¡°Which we know now is unconnected, but back then...¡±
¡°I was a mentally ill girl with severe traumatic disturbances. His foster daughter ¡ª she''d been with them for years and loved him like a father ¡ª probably defended him to police and said he just tickled her and avoided saying where, and so all they had to go on were the photos he wanted to destroy. For all I know the ones the police got were bath-time pictures of my friend and easily explained away as a total lapse of judgement, but not real evidence of abuse.¡±
Arwood answered, ¡°So now he''s about on the street, either a reformed character after the scare of his life, or a stealthy predator who is currently laying low because the police are checking up on him or who is choosing his victims more carefully.¡±
¡°And should we meet him, then Sarah and I both possibly have the ability to determine which. If we investigate without warning, ask questions that get him to think about the right subject, we almost certainly could, unless he''s able to keep his thoughts away from the subject at every level. But should we?¡±
¡°That''s the sort of question we''re asking you to help us answer,¡± added Sarah. ¡°We''d love to be told a categoric ¡®no, you''re not the police,¡¯ but on the other hand, is it our moral duty to let the police know we exist and let them draft us in on serious cases? Or should we let the Institute publish its peer reviewed research papers and so on, so that the politicians can have their debates and some sort of consensus be reached. Laws made, and so on. The only problem is that the consensus might be, ¡®burn the evil mind-readers.¡¯¡±
John added, ¡°Furthermore, we are certain that this second, prying mode is a spiritual gift. I''m tempted to label it the gift of discernment, but haven''t looked up all the occurrences or the Greek to see if that''s a valid exegesis. If it is a spiritual gift, it should be used for the building up of the church, not just catching villains. Perhaps things like helping Ed, but I suspect that Ed wouldn''t have approached us back then any more than he would have approached his pastor ¡ª he was too terrified of being denounced.¡±
¡°What we could do is wander down the street or the aisles and give people a message that matches their thoughts and resounds in their minds as though it were a message from the Lord. But we won''t try that. It would make disciples based on deception. That would be a terrible misuse of this gift, an approach worthy of the father of lies.¡±
¡°But the woman at the well? Isn''t that what Jesus did?¡± asked Hannah.
¡°Maybe, but neither of us are the second member of the Trinity, nor sinless. We''d make mistakes,¡± Sarah replied.
¡°But there is the possibility that if our gifts become publicised then people will use them to undermine the uniqueness of Christ. I''m just glad we can''t walk on water or do the bread and fish thing.¡±
¡°Enough! Please have mercy on this poor man''s brain, that''s too many questions at once.¡±
¡°Sorry, Arwood.¡±
¡°Let''s deal with the crime-busting thing first. What happens with bugging, electronic interception, things like that?¡±
¡°Court order''s needed first. Praise God for that precedent!¡± John felt incredibly relieved.
¡°But that''s different to this,¡± objected Sarah.
¡°Yes. This is more invasive. We have a long history of the police or the state having the ability to listen to telephone conversations, to listen to what people are saying in private, and not using it. Restricting itself in the interests of privacy, even if it stopped some crime. It has been resisted except in totalitarian states. Therefore we don''t do it to people without their agreement or without a court order.¡±
¡°And since the courts don''t know about us, no court orders. And since we don''t want the publicity or the mob, we don''t go and approach the court saying we can do this? OK John, I agree.¡±
¡°I actually think we''ve made a mistake this evening, Sarah.¡±
¡°I shouldn''t have offered Hannah the ring, should I? I gave away her secret. I''m sorry, Hannah.¡±
¡°No harm done, Sarah. It was, is, a lovely thought.¡±
¡°Just that it shouldn''t have been in front of Arwood, should it? Sorry. With another couple, in another situation, it could have caused trouble.¡±
¡°What shall we do? It''s going to be hard to never respond to things we overhear,¡± John wondered aloud.
¡°Gloves?¡± suggested Hannah, half jokingly.
¡°It might come to that, I suppose.¡± Sarah answered. ¡°I wonder if lace ones would work. Bring back that elegant age.¡±
¡°I''m lost, help!¡± Arwood pleaded. ¡°how did we get onto lace gloves? I''m still trying to think ethical and theological dilemmas.¡±
¡°So are we, dear. It''s just that some of them go away if Sarah revives the old fashion of ladies wearing gloves in public. Maybe not just ladies.¡±
¡°Give it a few days after the Institute publishes its first paper on the subject, leak summaries in the right directions and I can see all the fashion pundits recommending them as a must-have.¡± Sarah enthused.
¡°Evening gloves for the men, I suppose, or maybe leather?¡± Hannah mused.
¡°Hmm, one too old opera house, the other too intimidating. Maybe some kind of sporting wear?¡± John pondered.
¡°Gloves would certainly help you two not intercept thoughts accidentally, and a strict ethic of fully informed consent before you scan someone would solve that issue too, wouldn''t it?¡± Hannah added.
¡°As for how we use it to build up the church... I truly don''t know,¡± Arwood pondered.
¡°Arwood, can I ask you to talk to Kate about this some time? I think it would be good to set up some kind of ethics committee, sworn agreements, that sort of thing.¡±
¡°Yes, I can see that working. Maybe get a lawyer involved too.¡±
¡°That sounds like a very good idea,¡± John agreed.
¡°Quick private chat, please, John.¡± Sarah held out her hand, then whipped it away quickly, ¡°Wow.¡±
¡°Sorry Sarah, I don''t think you''re getting a goodbye kiss tonight,¡± John said.
¡°No.¡±
¡°You both look like you''ve been hit by lightning or something,¡± Hannah said. ¡°What happened?¡±
¡°I really hope it''s the chicken,¡± Sarah said. ¡°And that it wears off. I like holding John''s hand.¡±
¡°We sometimes get a bit of feedback,¡± John said, ¡°Our emotions responding to the others. This was...¡±
¡°Like the volume''s been turned up from one to twelve,¡± Sarah said. ¡°And either my mental ears are still ringing or I''m still feeling John''s feelings.¡±
¡°And I''m still feeling yours, as though we were holding hands lightly. I imagine that we''ll need to avoid each other.¡±
¡°Would you like to do the dishes while I do the ring?¡± she asked, hearing his determination not to let this feedback distort their love for one another into
something impure.
¡°I''m going to try the other mode, if that''s OK.¡± John said, ¡°We don''t get feedback then, do we?¡±
¡°You mean focussing on me?¡± Sarah asked, ¡°Urm, if you think that''s wise.¡±
¡°See every temptation the feedback''s given you? Probably not wise, is it? I''ll try focussing on something else.¡±
He tried focussing on the ground, but there was nothing there, and the sky, which didn''t work either, nor did focussing this mode on a Bible passage. He rejected the idea of focussing on God, quite sure that it would be wrong to try to read the mind of his creator. He tried focussing on love, and found Sarah, struggling with the near-feedback. He tried focussing on joy and with growing frustration found Sarah again; although at least the frustration dampened down the growing feedback. He focussed on peace and found it. Just how you direct your mind''s eye towards an abstract noun, he really wasn''t sure. But there it was. An almost tangible peace and tranquility, washing away his frustrations and worries ¡ª such as a child might find in a parent''s embrace. He found he could focus on it fully and have no awareness of the physical world, and it needed no effort to stay there. He let himself drift there passively for a moment, and then withdrew, strengthened. As he did, he felt sure in his heart that he didn''t need to go so deep to draw on this strong peace, but that it would be there for him.
He opened his eyes and found is view of the room had changed dramatically. He seemed to be lying on the floor, Sarah''s face and hair filled his vision and could feel her ''s hair tickling his nose. He also felt Sarah''s concern. He smiled reassuringly at her.
¡°John? What happened? You just collapsed!¡±
¡°I''m fine; though I guess I shouldn''t have focussed on it so hard. Peace God said, and we didn''t understand nearly well enough. But, urm, I guess you should sit down first.¡±
¡°Could you explain a bit better, John?¡± Arwood asked.
¡°I think I''ve just been in contact with the peace of God.¡±
¡°His peace He gave to us,¡± Sarah said, as she understood, ¡°And judging by the glimpses I''m catching from him, it is better than all understanding, and guards our hearts and minds, so we need not worry.¡±
Standing up, John said, ¡°He told us ¡®peace,¡¯ and we understood it in the sense of ''don''t worry,'' But that''s not the real meaning; I''m sure this is it.¡±
Sarah nodded, wobbling a little, as she tasted a little peace herself ¡°It''s even sillier than that, because John had had the feeling that my problems with crowds were over, but we''d forgotten that. I''m pretty sure that with this to hang on to, I don''t need to worry too much about crowds any more.¡± Laughing, she added, ¡°Failing anything else, I can have a total rest in it like John did, and he can be the gentleman and catch me as I swoon.¡± At which point, she did; he caught her, just.
¡°Sarah seems to be quite impulsive.¡± Hannah said, as John carried her to the sofa.
¡°Urm, yes.¡± John agreed. ¡°Captivating, too.¡±
¡°If you tell anyone you''re not enjoying being her captive, I''ll call you a liar,¡± Arwood said. ¡°You''re wrapped wound her little finger, aren''t you?¡±
¡°It''s such a nice finger,¡± John replied with a grin.
Relaxed, and aware of the physical world once more, Sarah asked, ¡°So, on that subject, shall we go and measure that finger of yours, Hannah?¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 15: Teresa and the Ethical Statement
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 15:Teresa and the Ethical Statement
Wednesday, 21st June
The next day they talked to Kate about the idea of an ethics committee. She''d been thinking along similar lines, and called the Institute¡¯s legal advisor. John called Arwood. Surprisingly, everyone was free that afternoon. They''d sent Teresa, the legal advisor, an early draft of the document that they thought they should send to clients, and managed to convince her it wasn''t some kind of practical joke. When she arrived, she was wearing thin leather gloves, as was John. Sarah had found some elegant silk gloves in a fancy dress shop. John thought they went very well with her dress, but admitted he was just possibly biassed.
Teresa listened to their account of Monday''s meeting and agreed to recite a poem to herself while touching fingers with Sarah. But for the second mode, she wasn''t sure.
Sarah warned her, ¡°We had someone volunteer on Monday who thought he would try to confuse us so we wouldn''t find out something. But that meant he was worrying about the very thing. What he thought was camouflage was about as opaque as that window there, so it didn''t work. Do please make sure that you only think about a memory you don''t mind sharing, Teresa, we don''t want to learn secrets or breach confidentiality. Perhaps a childhood memory, something nice and safe.¡±
Kate added, ¡°And of course if there is some accidental leak, John is bound by his professional non-disclosure rules, and Sarah''s signed them even though she''s not a professional psych-counsellor. But if you don''t want to risk it, there are a couple of us here who can give sworn statements if you like.¡±
¡°So you''re saying that you could be reaching into my mind right now, rifling through my memories, and I wouldn''t know?¡±
¡°Well, their eyes glaze over or they shut them when they''re looking, and no, they can''t read your memories unless you think of them. But they''ve asked us to formulate an ethical policy which includes a strong privacy element. They won''t look unless you ask,¡± Kate said.
¡°Even so, I don''t think I''m prepared to accept that level of intrusion.¡±
¡°But you do accept that it''s possible? That we''re not wasting your time?¡± John asked.
¡°Well, since I''m pretty sure that you''re going to lose clients if you put out that document, so I''m convinced you''re convinced or crazy. I don''t think you look crazy.¡±
Kate asked, ¡°So, do you think we should try and hide this from our clients? We felt disclosure was more appropriate.¡±
¡°No, hiding this would open you up to all kinds of entrapment or breach of faith lawsuits. As I see it, you need to do several things. First, disclosure, in a way that''s less technical than what you sent me. Second, a cast-iron ethical code with stringent penalties for breaching it. That should reassure some clients. Thirdly, offer your clients several options regarding how to proceed. For the ones who aren''t reassured, you could offer them, I don''t know, a change of counsellor if they want one, perhaps even a separate facility where you guarantee that there are no mind-readers. And of course offer them a no-fault termination of contract.¡±
Kate winced. ¡°That''ll have the accountants screaming, but yes, some people will want out, and we don''t want long expensive court cases.¡±
¡°You''re going to lose them even if you don''t let them go easily, and this way you''ll be reassuring people about your integrity, I think,¡± Arwood commented.
¡°I wish we knew more about how it worked. If we could invent some kind of jammer, then it''d probably do a roaring trade,¡± John mused.
¡°If people trusted the testing of it. If the institute invented it then there''d be no independent test,¡± Teresa pointed out.
¡°True. But irrelevant to the real discussion we''re supposed to be having,¡± Kate reminded them. ¡°Ethics first, or disclosure statement?¡±
¡°I vote for ethics, if that''s OK. I don''t know if you need me for the disclosure bit,¡± said Arwood. Everyone agreed.
¡°So item 1, No disclosure of what you find out or No scan without consent?¡±
¡°I think no disclosure. There might be uses for scan without consent which don''t need disclosure. I don''t know what, but maybe locating missing people,¡±
John volunteered.
¡°Is that possible?¡± asked Kate.
¡°I don''t know, but I wasn''t in line of sight with Sarah the first time I read her thoughts,¡± John answered.
¡°Let''s not think of everything that might be possible, guys, that way lies madness. How about stating principles you''ll uphold rather than actions,¡± Arwood said.
¡°Sanctity of the freedom of thought?¡± suggested Sarah.
¡°Second only to sanctity of life?¡± asked Teresa.
¡°I''m not sure it is,¡± responded John. ¡°Look how many wars have been fought for different freedoms. The freedom of thought is probably the most important freedom there is.¡±
¡°But if you knew someone had been about to launch that missile...¡± prompted Kate.
¡°So more like second only to the immediate prevention of heinous crimes. Would you agree?¡± suggested Teresa.
¡°I think I''m happy about that. But what about a self-defence clause?¡± asked John, thinking of when Sarah had escaped molestation through her gift.
¡°Hold on, guys,¡± Arwood interjected, ¡°I don''t know. Either people can plan crimes in freedom, or they can''t. And while you can''t allow yourselves to become thought police, neither do I think you would stand by and let someone commit a crime if you know they''re about to commit it. John, Sarah, I don''t think you''d be able to stand by and let someone get mugged or robbed, but those don''t count as heinous crimes in most peoples'' books. You can''t stand by and bury your heads in some na?ve idealistic document, your consciences won''t let you. I think you need to temper that idealism with reality.¡±
John realised that Arwood was 100% correct. ¡°You''re right of course, Arwood. So, do we temper it by saying we will not deliberately seek to violate that principle, but that should we become aware of what, a strong intention to commit any crime? Then we will act as responsible citizens should.¡±
¡°Teresa, how would that sit with you?¡± asked Kate.
¡°It sounds good, you should probably put something in about becoming aware of past crimes too.¡±
¡°Should that be unpunished crimes?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Probably, but you''re hardly going to ask, now are you?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°Do we put in some sort of clause about the seriousness of the crime? I mean, at the moment you''re probably reporting a ninety year old for walking out of a sweetshop without paying when he was 12.¡±
¡°That''s where the responsible citizen bit comes in. Wasting police time isn''t responsible.¡±
Line by line, clause by clause, they worked at the document that they hoped would keep Sarah and John on the right side of public opinion and the law. Then came questions of penalties and enforcement.
Kate summarised the problem. ¡°Let''s assume someone makes an accusation. Within the current context, I wonder what we can do. One option is to leave it to the normal courts, but this document has little legal standing at the moment. If there were a large thought-reader community all with the same gifts, it would, I presume be possible to establish guilt in a quasi-judicial system relatively easily. But the entire community we know of are engaged to be married and we''re presumably not going to ask them to testify against each other. What do we do?¡±
Arwood took up the tale. ¡°Firstly, let''s assume we become aware of someone else using their abilities to defraud people. Then what? We denounce them to the police, who they maybe run rings around because they can see through the interviewing strategy?¡±
Teresa answered, ¡°Nothing else we can do, unless you want mobs, vigilantes and lynching.¡±
Kate spoke, ¡°But if this was written into law, then it''d have teeth. And then you two would be called on to be expert witnesses or something, and it would end up as their word against yours and a battle of wills. Can you imagine what it would be like to have Sarah as your enemy, John?¡±
¡°I know that you would probably prefer me not to say this Kate, and I don''t know about your sensitivities Teresa, sorry if this causes offence. But Arwood, you''ve forgotten the source of this gift. Kate, Teresa, this second mode of the gift isn''t something we were born with, it isn''t something we developed from years of mental exercise. God gave it to us. I think we can safely assume that God isn''t going to give it to crooks. We don''t need to worry about what happens if we meet evil mind readers with this second mode. Or, if we do somehow meet them then I think the battle will not be fought out in court, but through prayer. I don''t think we need to dream up horror scenarios. The Lord God Almighty is more than able to take this gift away from us or anyone else.¡±
¡°Hallelujah!¡± Arwood said.
¡°Amen!¡± Sarah agreed.
¡°I just pray you''re right, John,¡± Kate said.
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Three faces turned towards her in shock.
¡°What? It''s just an expression!¡± Kate protested. ¡°I didn''t mean anything by it. Actually, Sarah, I want to talk to you later.¡±
Surprised, Sarah said ¡°Uh, OK, we can talk.¡±
Teresa had been convinced long ago not to mix work with personal stuff, so wasn''t at all comfortable talking about faith with colleagues. But she was somewhat relieved to think that the scariest side of this might only be open to trustworthy people. She asked, ¡°So, where does that leave the enforcement clauses?¡±
Arwood suggested, ¡°How about them offering some sort of bond or security, I don''t know, a reasonable chunk of their personal wealth, say ten percent, or a year''s salary, to be forfeited if they are found to have breached the ethics code. Plus termination of employment from the Institute.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± said Sarah. ¡°That''d make people think, I''m sure. But yes, if that''s what it''ll take. And I think the chunk should be scary, not just ten percent. Say half, plus the year''s salary.¡±
¡°Ouch!¡± John commented.
¡°Maybe, but industrial espionage can pay very well,¡± Teresa pointed out.
¡°And if we add to the forfeiture any proceeds from the breach of the code?¡± suggested Kate.
¡°And how does it get enforced?¡± asked John.
¡°Through the courts,¡± Kate replied, ¡°but how does guilt get established?¡±
¡°Well, if it''s for financial reward, that could be shown,¡± Teresa said.
¡°But just because someone with a grudge puts money into your account, that doesn''t prove they paid you to commit espionage. And I can imagine plenty of people deciding they wanted to get rid of mind-readers enough to engineer evidence for something like that,¡± John said.
¡°You can instruct your bank to reject unexpected large sums or to put it into an escrow account if you''re worried about that,¡± Teresa said ¡°It''s done by some consultants to avoid similar allegations.¡±
¡°So if someone tried to entrap us, then the bank would have records that showed we never got it? I like it. In that case, I''ve no objection to it,¡± said Sarah.
¡°So, Teresa, with this ethics document in front of you, would you feel more comfortable with these good people demonstrating their gifts, once they''ve signed it? Or would you like to take it on trust?¡± Arwood asked.
¡°Well, the document isn''t signed, and actually I think it''d be very good to let some colleagues look at it first, maybe a judge too, but yes. The fact you''re willing to put in such stringent clauses makes me pretty sure you''re not planning to do anything unethical. And yes, it would probably help me convince people that this isn''t a practical joke if I can say that you proved it on me.¡±
¡°Does that mean you don''t want to wait until we''ve signed?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°No, I''ll think of something suitable and you see how quickly you can come back with the answer.¡±
¡°OK, I''ve never tried a speed test before, but yes, let''s, it''s a good idea,¡±
Sarah said. ¡°Nod when you''re ready.¡±
Teresa started to think of a nice sunny day, playing on the beach as a child. She nodded, and saw Sarah''s eyes seem to lose focus momentarily. Then Sarah said, ¡°Sandcastles, on a beach, I''m not sure where, but you were cold. And having such a lovely time you didn''t want to stop.¡±
¡°That''s amazing, Sarah! You got that in what, a second?¡±
¡°Something like that, yes. It''s a bit like suddenly opening your eyes, it takes a while to focus. I probably could have got just the seaside bit sooner actually, but didn''t think of stopping without focussing fully.¡±
¡°And you can keep it up a long time?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. To spend too long in another person''s mind, it gets a bit confusing. Plus, it''s really hard to avoid bumping into things if you try moving, or to notice what''s going on around you. The most we''ve managed was what, a quarter of a kilometre without leaving the path and walking into a tree?¡±
¡°I think that was only because there were no trees there,¡± John corrected.
¡°But sitting still, you could keep it up for a few minutes?¡±
¡°I''ve done it with John for that long, or rather, we''ve done it together to sort through a memory. But... actually that''s fairly different. Because we''re both able to do it, it''s more a like a faster way of talking things over. I think the longest I''ve observed someone''s thoughts was Ed, and that was what, five seconds, Kate?¡±
¡°I''d say so, yes.¡±
¡°And actually Sarah and I spent more than half of that time in discussion, this thinking together thing. It was probably only two seconds.¡±
¡°I don''t think I could watch someone''s thoughts for very much longer, really,¡± concluded Sarah.
¡°I''d agree. I think there''s too much coming if it''s not interactive. Interactive slows things down, and you can help the other understand things. Why are you asking?¡±
¡°Well, if I tell a judge that I''ve met people who can see thoughts, then he''d want to know if you could watch someone''s thoughts and say when they were lying. And if you could, then shouldn''t you be doing it, rather than coming up with ethical statements saying you won''t.¡±
¡°We thought about this last night, and were pretty happy to remember that bugging or phone interception doesn''t happen without a court order, and that it certainly wouldn''t be allowed to bug the conversation between a lawyer and his client.¡±
¡°You''re right. And this would be more invasive than even that. OK, I agree, but would you be willing, just for a test, to see if you can catch me in a lie?¡±
¡°If you want us to, I guess we can try. So you want John or me to watch your mind for as long as we can, and see if we can catch you out?¡±
¡°Can I suggest that I watch Sarah, while she''s watching you? Just in case it gets too much for her?¡±
¡°OK by me. I''d prefer it was her anyway.¡±
¡°Arwood, do you want to stay, or did you need to rush off?¡± Kate asked.
¡°You''re welcome to stay, but if you need to go, it seems we''ve left ethics and moved into experimentation.¡±
¡°Oh, I can stay a while longer, and this could be an interesting few minutes. Teresa, you do realise that you''re likely to have some stray thoughts if you keep up a monologue for a few minutes, don''t you?¡±
¡°Yes. I guess that''s why I''d prefer Sarah to read me.¡±
¡°I could get it second hand if I''m monitoring Sarah,¡± John reminded her.
¡°But I think you''re going to be more concerned with her well-being than my thoughts, aren''t you?¡± Teresa countered.
Sarah laughed. ¡°See John, everyone who meets us can see you''re my knight in titanium armour!¡±
¡°I think I''m missing something here, but yes, he does rather exude protectiveness, doesn''t he? Shall we start? Can someone time this?¡±
Teresa started a short history of herself, who her parents were and where she''d lived, gone to school and how she''d become interested in law. Sarah watched, and after 10 seconds it was clear that she was struggling. John called a halt after 15 seconds. Sarah was exhausted, and John poured her a cup of tea.
¡°There was something wrong right from the start, but I couldn''t work out what it was to start with. You knew what you were saying. You''d said it before, and your thoughts were confirming that you''d said things right, and you were happy that you were getting it right, but I realised it was a script. It wasn''t that you were telling the truth, it was just that you were remembering it right. You''d said it before. The first time, oh... Can I tell them?¡± Sarah stopped herself.
Teresa was a little embarrassed, but said it was OK and Sarah continued,
¡°The first time was at a kind of charity beauty pageant, when you were a student. You came second, possibly because of the privileged upbringing you''d invented. What you said about your parents was um... embellished, and the school that you mentioned was the one you would have wanted to go to, but only visited once. The park you said your house was in was actually publicly owned, while you gave the impression that it was your family''s own. Teresa, I caught quite a lot of shame from you. You don''t need to be ashamed of where you grew up or your parents¡¯ jobs. They worked hard and so have you.¡±
Teresa went bright red at this. ¡°Actually, that''s not the source of shame. The real shame was getting my first job because of that stupid pageant.¡±
¡°Oh. But you did let your employer know?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Yes, actually they were from the area so knew it was a pack of lies, but they said that if I could be so convincing under those conditions then they knew I''d be able to stand the pressure in court.¡±
¡°So your dad wasn''t an artist specialising in murals who''s had work on show in several big art galleries?¡± John asked.
Teresa admitted, ¡°He''s actually a painter and decorator. He helped paint the walls of some of the museums.¡±
¡°Cunning, close enough to the truth, but quite a big fib too. I''d be interested to see if you''d pass a lie detector test with it,¡± Kate wondered.
¡°I have, actually. Well sort of. The conclusion was that there was some uncertainty about how truthful it was, but nothing was conclusively a lie. But Sarah, how are you? For me it was a bit of fun, but it looked tough for you.¡±
¡°It was tough. Exhausting actually. A cross between trying to read something that''s going past too fast and swimming in a fast moving river. I think if John hadn''t stopped us I''d have pulled away.¡±
¡°I''m not so sure, Sarah. I''m glad I stopped you when I did. You seemed to be on the verge of exhaustion and yet you wanted to stay longer. You probably should have pulled out earlier, but I think you were on the edge of losing awareness, love. And that was scary to see.¡± John reached for her hand and thought to her [I saw this, love.] As before, Sarah received a little memory burst from John. He was right. It was scary.
[Explore together?] She asked and after he''d checked how she was, he agreed. She focussed on John and together they explored what had happened from their combined memories. As she''d became more and more tired, it had become harder to concentrate on Teresa''s thoughts, and in order to compensate, she had focussed her awareness more and more on Teresa and less on her surroundings, less on her state of health. Because John was not looking in such detail, hadn''t been so much concerned with Sarah''s exact thoughts as with how she was reacting, the amount of information he''d had to process in one go had been closer to what they were doing now. His role had been much less demanding. They dropped back to normal.
¡°Out of interest, how long were we out just now?¡± John asked.
¡°Urm, about 30 seconds. We were starting to worry.¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Sarah said. ¡°We wanted to check up on our memories of what had happened before they faded.¡±
¡°And have you?¡± asked Kate.
John answered, ¡°Yes, we have. Firstly, I think it''d be entirely reasonable to say that what we''ve just been doing ¡ª and what Sarah once called communing ¡ª an entirely different mode to what what Sarah was trying with Teresa.¡±
¡°How? Can you explain? I thought they were both reading thoughts?¡±
¡°I think I can,¡± Sarah said. ¡°What I was just trying to do was record and analyse every thought that Teresa was having, to see if I could catch her in a lie. A bit like a computer trying to decipher and analyse what a vehicle on the road is doing by watching the way energy is flowing, angle of wheels, and so on. It''s possible, but hard to do. Actually I''m amazed it''s possible at all. Whereas, when I''m doing this thinking together type of thing with John, the analogy would be that the computer asks for a route plan from the vehicle and the vehicle hands it over, along with information about traffic around it and so on. Or like two processors working in parallel. They can ask the other for data and hand over what they''ve found out, that sort of thing. They don''t need to analyse the activity of the other, because they''re cooperating. In yet another analogy I guess it''s like a couple dancing together when they both know what the dance is, versus someone trying to keep up in a complex dance by watching everyone on the dance floor at the same time.¡±
¡°And Sarah was trying so hard to keep up with Teresa''s thoughts that she''d lost her sense of proportion and was pushing herself towards a blackout,¡± John concluded.
¡°That''s a pretty scary assessment, Sarah. But why was it so much harder than the spot check on what I was thinking?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I guess a series of spot checks might have been as useful at that, except that some of those thoughts I picked up were only there for a very little while.¡±
¡°So rather than a single flash photo you were trying to get a high speed film of my mind?¡±
¡°Maybe.¡±
¡°Well, it doesn''t matter really. I think I can tell any judges who ask, that right now, yes you can beat a lie detector, but only by pushing your brain so hard that you pass out after 15 seconds. That''s not particularly useful for a court room, you know.¡±
¡°No, sorry.¡±
Arwood responded , ¡°Don''t be silly, girl, you didn''t want to be thought police in the first place! All you''ve done is demonstrate that if you try it then you''re almost unconscious after 15 seconds. That should probably go into your disclosure document.¡±
¡°Yes, I think it probably should, after some testing to see if it''s really energy usage or something else causing the exhaustion.¡±
¡°I don''t know what causes it, but I do know that I seem to be getting a splitting headache now. Excuse me.¡± Sarah stood up, took a step towards the door and collapsed.
¡°Sarah!¡± John jumped forwards and caught her.
¡°Take her to Janet to check for bleeding or any other physical trauma, John. And Arwood, help him, please,¡± Kate ordered. ¡°I''ll call ahead.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 17: Cooling down
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 17:Cooling down
John knocked on Kate''s door. Arwood opened it. ¡°What''s the news?¡±
¡°Sarah''s awake, all seems OK, but Janet wants her to not move and yet to be cooler, Kate. I''d rather not be the one who takes her dress off.¡±
¡°Why-ever not? You''re engaged, aren''t you?¡± asked Teresa, who John hadn''t seen until then.
¡°Engaged isn''t married in our book, plus we don''t want Sarah to use her gifts until we''re sure she''s OK. And if we get too close then we get a sort of telempathic feedback.¡±
¡°Oh. Sorry.¡±
¡°Fine, John, I''ll go,¡± Kate said, getting up. ¡°just as long as I can tease you about this later.¡±
¡°Nothing I can say will stop your teasing, Kate, so I might as well give you more ammunition. Also, could you stay with her? I''ve got a client coming soon.¡±
¡°OK. You''d better get them to talk with Teresa about the whole disclosure and ethics thing first, since she''s here.¡±
Kate eventually managed to help Sarah out of the dress, not an easy task since Janet had restated her concern about keeping Sarah''s head still, and she also rearranged her slip so that it wasn''t all crooked. ¡°It''s a good thing John wasn''t doing this, even his mighty will power might have succumbed to temptation.¡±
¡°I''m not sure if his will power is so great, Kate. I think he''s just got a proper respect for the forces of biology and avoids getting too close to them before what we both know is the right time. I''ve seen those forces at work in my friends. They were so sure they could handle them that they got close to the edge, and several of them ended up regretting it. John stays away from the edge, and I respect him for it. I''d like to be that sensible, but I find myself flinging temptation at him because I feel so safe with him. It''s not sensible, it''s not wise and it''s not kind. Actually, I feel that I''m demeaning both of us by it.¡±
¡°But isn''t it that you''re testing your intuition? Seeing if he''s really as safe as you feel he is?¡±
¡°Maybe. But he''s not God, he''s not perfect. Why do I treat him like he is?¡±
¡°Like he''s God, or like he''s perfect?¡±
¡°Like he''s perfect. But I know he''s not. He can be really infuriating sometimes.¡±
¡°But still he''s your Mr. Right.¡±
¡°Oh yes, even when he''s running away with an idea that''s full of wrong, he''s still Mr. Right.¡±
¡°You know, maybe that''s what made me think of when I lost James. He was my Mr. Right.¡±
¡°But those things he said about you! He can''t have really been your Mr. Right, that doesn''t fit.¡±
¡°It does in context. Really, they were pretty well aimed in fact.¡±
¡°How on earth were you being treacherous? I won''t quote the rest.¡±
¡°Oh, you remember that sound-bite? Well, you see, James, Pete and I used to be the committee of the atheist society at the university. Then Pete started to really enjoy debating with the Christian union president. Who just happened to be quite a pretty girl, as well as knowing enough to run circles round his increasingly feeble arguments. I''m not sure if it was the prospect of romance that made him waver or if he really found her convincing. But anyway, he became a Christian but was still on the committee. He thought it was an excellent opportunity to share his new faith, I guess. So the rest of us decided that we''d only talk to him about committee stuff, but we''d shun him otherwise. Then, I guess I was curious and I wanted to know what had convinced him, so I asked him.¡±
¡°So James caught you breaking faith with the cause, talking with his arch nemesis? And that''s why he dumped you?¡±
¡°Sounds rather a silly reason to ruin both our lives, doesn''t it? Especially when you add that part of my reason for rejecting God so long was to prove to myself that I wasn''t a traitor. I worked that out the other night, after dredging up that memory.¡±
¡°Oh, Kate. I think you need a hug and I''m not allowed to move. So, that''s what you wanted to talk to me about?¡±
¡°Sort of. If I was only holding onto disbelief because of pig-headed stubbornness, where does that leave me?¡±
¡°I think only you can answer that one, Kate. But John did point out to me, oh ages and ages ago, it must have been last Friday, there are only really three logical positions you can take regarding God.¡±
¡°I think I know what you''re going to say, but go on.¡±
¡°Rejection of God, which ends up as atheism once you''ve rejected all of them, honest enquiry, or accepting Him on His own terms.¡±
¡°You''re going to upset some agnostics if you say that too often.¡±
¡°But agnosticism is either honest enquiry or it''s a cop-out for people who don''t want to commit themselves one way or another, at least as far as the Judeo-Christian God is concerned. Saying that we can''t know about God is all very well if you''re discussing a deist first cause who then goes and hides, but the God of the Bible is very much into self-revelation. The so called convinced agnostic is either ignoring that aspect, which is pulling the wool over their own eyes, or rejecting that concept of God.¡±
¡°You don''t need to convince me, Sarah. I''m not going to turn into an agnostic. But am I really going to turn into a smug ¡®I''ve got it all worked out¡¯ Christian?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I hope you''re not. I mean, I haven''t got it all worked out. I''m pretty sure John and Arwood haven''t either. I''ve always thought that people who think they''d got it all worked out had a small idea of what ¡®all¡¯ is.¡±
¡°So what have you committed yourself to, Sarah, what ideas make you leap up and down for joy or give you a sense of peace, what makes you glad about your faith? Why should a stubborn old atheist like me, now maybe considering honest enquiry, consider your religion before, say, Buddhism? What''s so special about your idea of God?¡±
¡°I don''t know how to answer that, Kate. Some of those questions seem off-course, and as for the other religions, I can''t say I''ve really studied the hundreds of different belief systems out there. I can give you a Sunday school answer, but I haven''t checked it out in great detail.¡±
¡°Go on. I never went to Sunday school, so what''s childish to you might be insightful wisdom for me.¡±
¡°Why ask me, not John or Arwood?¡±
¡°Well, for starters I''ve grown too used to metaphorically sticking my fingers in my ears saying, ''Nyer nyer, I''m not listening'' to John over the years, plus he''s probably scaring a client away right now about the whole mindreading thing. I really should have cancelled that appointment like the ones earlier in the day, but I was hoping we''d get it all sorted out on time. Arwood''s probably left, and that leaves me making sure you don''t move, cook, freeze, or go roaming with that wonderful mind of yours.¡±
¡°And, why else?¡±
¡°You sure you''re not mind reading me, girl?¡±
¡°Fairly. I just say why else because you said you wanted to talk to me with Arwood and John right there in the room.¡±
¡°Because from what you''ve said, you''ve only just started taking it seriously. It''s all relatively new to you, you''re thinking on the spot, not giving answers you''ve given a hundred times before. I value that, I guess. Or maybe just because it''s less embarrassing a climb down.¡±
¡°OK, Kate, I''ll try and answer. Um, most religions, as far as I know, are about human efforts. Either to make the world safer, if you look at the whole bribing-the-sea-gods-to-let-you-have-safe-passage thing, or to reach some kind of better mental outlook, or to make sure you earn enough good marks so you don''t fail the final exam.¡±
¡°Yes, that sounds like all the ones I''ve heard of.¡±
¡°Then I guess you really weren''t listening to John. Because Christianity is different.¡±
¡°OK, I must admit I''ve heard people say that Jesus saves people, but then they go on about avoiding sin just like the other religions. Jesus saves, Allah is merciful, and so on.¡±
¡°But as far as I understand it, a Moslem has to do an awful lot of good deeds before they stand much hope of reaching Allah''s standard, and I don''t even know if they know what the standard is.¡±
¡°Whereas you Christians do?¡±
¡°Yes. It''s perfection. An average of 100%.¡±
¡°With rounding you mean, so 99.5% and above?¡±
¡°No, I don''t, sorry. If you want to earn your ticket to heaven you need an entirely spotless life. And no pride either, which would be the killer for most people if they managed it.¡±
¡°I''ve heard of having standards, but isn''t that crazy? Your heaven is going to be empty, girl. I know your John''s not a bad guy, but even you admit he''s got faults.¡±
¡°Yes, he''s got faults, I''ve got faults. In a bit of the Bible I read on Saturday it said something like ¡®no one is good enough for God''s glory¡¯ That''s why we get so excited about Jesus. God died in our place so he wouldn''t need to punish us.¡±
¡°But that doesn''t make much sense, Sarah. If God sets the standard, why does He need to work round it? Why not lower the standard?¡±
¡°I think it''s about consistency. The Christian God is consistent, and He is ruler of the entire universe. He doesn''t go around saying, ¡®Oh, let''s set gravity at half strength today.¡¯ Otherwise we''d be in a really scary place. He isn''t like that, and He deserves honour and respect. When we disobey Him, mistreat each other, think we''re more important than He is, it''s like spitting in His face and telling Him to get lost, to get out of our lives. He can''t do that without banishing us. He doesn''t change the rules, but He does love us, the Bible makes that clear. And, well, you try to explain what''s gone on in John''s life and mine without involving God.¡±
¡°That last one is an interesting argument. But let''s stick to God being consistent. How is it consistent to say you love people and let people get murdered? I always thought that was a good argument when I was a student.¡±
¡°And you''ve not heard a single good answer in all your decades since, but want me to come up with one?¡±
¡°Actually, I''ve heard the of the free-will argument, but why? Why allow freedom of will which can cause so much pain if you still want worshippers who leap to your every whim?¡±
¡°I don''t think God is that narcissistic, Kate. I don''t think He wants us to leap to meet His desires. He wants us to express our own love for Him, in our individual ways, because that''s how we can be our best selves. Think of a Jazz band or better a whole orchestra, playing together for the sheer joy of it and also because of their love of you, because they want to make beautiful music just for you. Would you rather that, or a bunch of robots playing perfectly but without any feelings? Or you yourself, Kate: would you give up your ability to have made mistakes and learn from them? I believe that in heaven we won''t be free from the ability to sin, but that we''ll finally be free from the desire to sin. That after a lifetime resisting it we''ll finally be released from that pressure to ruin our lives, or say things that hurt the ones we care for. I''m not long into this third decade of my life, but I know I''m really looking forward to it already.¡±
¡°Thank you, Sarah. I need to think about things more, I think. But I understand better now how you managed to get John to come out of his mental monastery. You can be pretty convincing when you want to be. I like what you said about the orchestra.¡±
¡°I did have a bit of help there. I can''t claim that thought for an original composition.¡±
¡°Oh, you''d read it somewhere?¡±
¡°Actually I had a little glimpse of it at church on Sunday. During the hymns, my crowd noise was transformed into a united song of hearts and minds and voices praising God. It was the most beautiful thing I''ve ever ever experienced. If you''d mentioned my crowd noise pain, then I''d have said that my years of it was worth less than a minute of that joy. And I didn''t just get one minute. Each hymn was different, each verse was different. Each was beautiful ¡ª flawed but beautiful, just a taste, Kate, just a tiny taste of heaven. Enough to reassure me that it''s all worth it. No matter if it costs me my family again, my health, my love for John, then still I will serve my God, for there is nothing the world can offer me that is better than Him.¡±
¡°And for the rest of us mere mortals, what do we get to reassure us of that reality? How can an ordinary man or woman who doesn''t have your direct line to heaven find that sort of religious experience, that sort of reassurance?¡±
¡°There''s some old old hymns I remember singing when I was little, Kate. They were hundreds of years old, but they speak of a normal Christians experience of God. A line from one was, ¡®What a friend we have in Jesus, all our griefs and toils to bear.¡¯ Then there was something else about worry, then ¡®take it to the Lord in prayer.¡¯ And there''s another one, ¡®Trust and obey, for there''s no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey.¡¯ And another one which I needed help to understand, about being trapped in a prison of sin and then God calling them and I remember the next bit: ¡®my chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth and followed thee.¡¯ That''s the sort of thing that long lasting Christian poets write about, Kate. I guess it resonates with normal Christian experience. I know it felt a bit like that when I prayed on Friday night.¡±
¡°Can I ask you about that? If your God is so great to be with, what happened between you being little and at church and you being challenged by John for what, half-hearted faith?¡±
¡°More like a critical attitude towards people who took their faith seriously. John pointed out that it wasn''t exactly clear thinking to believe in an almighty God but not take Him seriously. It was like a light going on in my head.¡±
¡°So you woke, went forth and followed?¡±
¡°Actually, John walked me home, I told God I''d been a stupid girl and could I come home please, and read rather a lot of the Bible. Certainly enough to know that God was happy I''d stopped being so silly. As for what happened in the middle, well I wasn''t exactly pleased with God for letting me be left here without my parents. And then there was an idiot of a preacher during my first week at university, who convinced me that I didn''t want to go near the Christian union.¡±
¡°What did he say?¡±
¡°He was outside the library, where I''d gone for some quiet. I didn''t quite hear all of it, but I heard enough. He was sure that no real Christians had died during the Clear Sky shopping centre attack, because a. it was God''s judgement on that temple to money, b. it was on Sunday, so good Christians would have been at church. (Which was just plain wrong, it was Friday.) And c. that if there had been Christians there then God''s Spirit would have warned them to flee the coming attack. At that point I asked the librarian to get his loudspeaker turned off, because he was disturbing the peace of the library and insulting my parents¡¯ memory. I''m not sure which argument won, but he went quiet fairly quickly.¡±
¡°Knowing university librarians, it was probably the former. So, what would you do now?¡±
¡°If I heard someone preaching that again?¡± Sarah laughed. ¡°I''d send good Sir John into battle for me, of course, that''s what knights are for, isn''t it? Actually, I think I''d probably get up on stage and try to correct him before he did any more damage.¡±
¡°And if he didn''t give you the microphone?¡±
¡°I''d probably start by telling him and everyone in earshot that he was teaching falsehood and was distorting the gospel of grace, that suffering was part of the normal Christian life, things like that. And if he tried to physically move me, well, I did learn rather a lot of judo in my self defence classes.¡±
Janet stuck her head round the door and said, ¡°I''m going to run another scan on you soon, Sarah. Are you still feeling hot?¡±
¡°No, pretty chilly actually.¡±
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
¡°As long as you''re not freezing, I''d prefer it that way for now. Can you stand it?¡±
¡°I''m not sure about standing, I mean you''re not letting me move, are you?¡±
¡°Only because you tried to boil your own brain. Any pain now?¡±
¡°I''d classify it as a the sort of headache which I''m able to ignore in good company. So as long as Kate keeps talking to me, then I''m OK.¡±
¡°I''m glad to see you''re in a good mood. What have you two been talking about?¡±
Sarah flicked her eyes towards Kate, not wanting to reveal the subject if Kate wasn''t happy to talk about it. Kate answered, ¡°It''s my fault, Janet. I''ve finally admitted that I might have an immortal soul, and Sarah here has been trying to save it. No, that''s not fair really, I''ve been interrogating her about her faith and she''s been answering very well.¡±
¡°Kate the hard-shelled atheist is beginning to crack? Can I join in the conversation while I check Sarah again?¡±
And so it was that when John arrived, he found the three of them deep in discussion about the doctrine of the Trinity. Sarah was still lying on her back on the bed, but she now had a pillow under her head. The slip she wore covered her well enough, but he realised that he was seeing more of her than he had before. ¡°Hello, beautiful, what''s the news, except that Kate here is letting strange new thoughts into her mind?¡±
¡°Isn''t he nice?¡± Sarah asked Kate. ¡°He freely admits that Sally was the most gorgeous creature ever to have graced the planet but he still drops little tokens of encouragement to me like that.¡±
¡°I think you''ve won him all right, Sarah. Enjoy your victory knowing that he''s never even noticed another woman in the past decade,¡± Janet sighed theatrically, then added, ¡°Now you''re here, John, I''d really like to do some confirmation tests. But since Sarah shouldn''t be the subject, I was wondering if you would be willing to be tested for how much oxygen or energy or both your brain uses, and where, when you start using this gift. Would that be OK?¡±
¡°Yes, sure, um what sort of things would you like me to do? And do I need to wear one of Horrace''s horror masks?¡±
¡°Yes, afraid so. The full franken-helmet. I''d like to test you at rest, then answering some questions that should trigger different bits of your brain, and then I''d like you to use your gifts in its different modes, so we''ll get someone to think at you. And then we''ll find some innocent victim for you to scan, I guess only for a second or two to be on the safe side. Sarah would be OK if she doesn''t reciprocate. Then if that all looks good, I''d like you to get a few seconds of data with you and Sarah communing or thinking together or whatever it is, so I can see what the different levels are.¡±
¡°OK, that sounds like a fairly comprehensive test. Sarah, Kate, any thoughts?¡±
asked John.
¡°Let''s get data for the peace mode too,¡± suggested Sarah.
¡°What''s that one?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Oops, didn''t we tell you? Last night we found we can concentrate on peace, which seems to turn off our gift. We were thinking it might protect Sarah from the crowd thing.¡±
¡°Then that''s an interesting one, a very interesting one indeed,¡± said Janet, as she got Horrace''s most complicated contraption ready. It was a prototype helmet that combined far more functions than the traditional EEG helmet could be used for. It would let them measure just about everything that happened in John''s brain simultaneously. It wasn''t pretty or light though, and the mass of cables attaching it to the support systems would have made it an ideal prop in an early science fiction film. It couldn''t actually be worn at all, but was raised up and down by a small crane. John felt himself edging away slightly. ¡°Isn''t that the one they used to cook the turkey last Christmas?¡±
¡°Well, yes, but I did make them clean it very very well afterwards.¡±
John wasn''t reassured. ¡°And now you want me to put my head into it?¡±
¡°John, the only way they got the turkey to cook was by bypassing all the relevant protection circuits and putting in a massive radio frequency amplifier. It was part of a testing setup to make sure that the RF didn''t get to the electrodes.¡±
John was still slightly baffled, but thought he''d picked up the key point. ¡°So it can''t cook turkeys now?¡±
¡°No, John,¡± Janet said, feeling a bit like when she babysat her five year old nephew, ¡°they took away the turkey cooking bits.¡±
Sarah picked up on the tone of voice and laughed. ¡°Isn''t he adorable? One day we''ll let him play with our grown up toys, but maybe not just yet. So Janet, it''s a combined NMRI scanner and EEG headset? I thought that it had been proven they weren''t compatible. How did they solve the eddy currents from the field coils? And the headset itself holds the main magnet? How did they manage to get a uniform field?¡±
Before Janet could answer, John asked, ¡°Did you understand any of that, Kate? I think I''ve just been insulted and blinded by science in one sentence.¡±
Kate grinned, ¡°Yes, John, that''s right. It''s possibly called bonding. Now please trust the nice clever scientists and put the turkey cooker on, will you?¡±
¡°Yes John, please get on with it. I''d really like to be able to move soon, and these tests should happen first,¡± Sarah added.
¡°OK, love. Sorry for being so dense. It''s just that that turkey cooked really quickly.¡±
¡°John!¡± all three warned in unison.
It took a few minutes to get the headset properly adjusted to John''s head. Then the various sensors, magnetic fields and blood flow detectors were brought on line. Slowly the first set of resting data was collected. Given John''s apparent state of mind, Sarah suggested that before Janet started on the questions it might be a good idea for him to try focussing on peace first. Janet agreed it was worth a try. ¡°OK John, I hope you''re ready. I''d like you to find some peace if you can.¡±
John tried to relax whatever he relaxed, and direct his mind''s eye to peace. He agreed that he needed it. He''d had a stressful day, and it was going to stay stressful unless he could calm down. He hadn''t relaxed yet. ¡°This is silly, sorry, I guess I''m a bit too stressed to think of peace right now.¡±
¡°Oh John,¡± Sarah chided him, ¡°I''ve just been quoting ¡®Take it to the Lord in prayer¡¯ to Kate. How about praying?¡±
¡°Good idea,¡± and John thought about that song and in his heart he took all his worries and concerns to His Lord. He soon found that it really wasn''t so hard to relax. Focussing on peace, he once again felt the reassurance that all would work out for good, and he knew that healing peace was restoring his mind to how it should be. He dropped back to normal much restored.
¡°Hi John, interesting traces there,¡± Janet reported. ¡°Can you answer some questions now?¡±
¡°Sure, that''s why we''re here.¡±
¡°OK, Kate, would you mind being assistant and ask John these questions while I watch what''s happening?¡± And she brought up a list of questions on the display. And so John was asked questions that focused on his memory, analytical skills, spatial awareness and so on. Eventually Janet let him rest. For a while. Then it was time for some uses of his gifts.
¡°Kate, can you please think something boring at John.¡±
¡°Boring, you say?¡±
¡°Yes, I don''t want to get some kind of emotional or intellectual response which hides what we''re looking for.¡±
¡°OK, here comes stuff you know, John.¡±
[One plus one is two, two plus two is four, Australia is a big country, Antarctica is cold.]
John repeated it back.
¡°Excellent. Now, was there anything about that that might have triggered some emotions John?¡±
¡°Well, Sarah once talked about considering going to work in Antarctica, and I presume she''s cold now too.¡±
¡°OK John, that would explain that spike then. I''ve got a baseline for you racking your brain for fiendishly tricky questions, we''ll call the first rest time being stressed, but this last period has been much more like normal resting. Your peaceful mode was interesting because your brain practically turned most of itself off. Except I can''t call it sleep as you still showed patterns of conscious thought, also there was more bloodflow than normal. When you listened to Kate I couldn''t see much difference to normal listening. Now, can I ask Sarah to think of something not too exciting for John to read?¡±
¡°OK, I''m ready, I think.¡±
John focussed on Sarah. She was trying to think of a neutral scene, but her arms and legs were getting numb and she wasn''t at all comfortable.
¡°If you want emotion free then can we give Sarah a blanket please, and um, if she can''t take a little walk then she needs a bed-pan soon.¡±
¡°John! That''s my call, not yours!¡± Sarah said indignantly.
¡°Sorry, but it''s true, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes, now shut up about it or I''ll thump you.¡±
Janet joined in, ¡°John, you just can''t say things like that! As punishment, you get your eye holes closed and I''m going to play white noise at you for a while.¡±
True to her word, John''s ears were filled with noise that while not painful, certainly stopped him hearing anything else, and through the holes he''d been able to see out of until now he saw Janet''s hand reaching towards him and then darkness.
¡°Shall we let him out now?¡± Janet asked, once necessity had been dealt with. Sarah grinned, ¡°Well, he''s been there a while, so he might have learned his lesson, and I guess you''ve got lots of lovely resting data now.¡±
Janet turned off the noise. Kate said, ¡°OK, John, if you promise to be good then we''ll let you see again too. But you mind what you say from now on.¡±
¡°Yes mum, I''ll be good, promise,¡± said John in his best approximation to a little boy''s voice.
¡°Does that count as being good?¡± asked Sarah.
¡°Let''s get on with it, shall we? I want to see what you did to yourself, Sarah.¡± John responded. ¡°OK, then we''ll leave you eye flaps shut. We''ll get less stray signals if that''s all right with you. You shut your eyes anyway, don''t you?¡±
¡°Yes, OK, you can leave me in darkness a bit longer. Sarah, are you ready? Something boring I guess.¡±
¡°Ready.¡±
Sarah was thinking of a time when she''d been climbing up a hill somewhere, on a misty day. It was a long way to the top, and she remembered being disappointed that it was still misty when she got there. She''d hoped it would be clear.
¡°Lot of effort for no view, love,¡± he said. ¡°I hope you got something that time Janet.¡±
¡°Oh, yes. Increased bloodflow and big spikes in brain activity. John, did you have any emotional response?¡±
¡°A bit of compassion or pity. Sarah climbed up a hill in search of sunlight and a good view and all she found was fog. Speeking of which, can I look out now, please?¡±
¡°Yes, sure. Hmm, looking at the dip in oxygenation levels you were doing a lot of metabolism there.¡±
¡°So, next test?¡±
¡°How about you try to do what Sarah was doing, but not for long. Maybe 5 seconds?¡±
¡°So who tries to lie to me?¡±
¡°I''ll do it, John,¡± Sarah said.
¡°OK love, you start talking, I''ll start peeking.¡±
¡°My name is Sarah Jemimah Smith, I''m 32 years old, my favourite colour is purple.¡±
And so on for five seconds. John found it easy to see her untruths. ¡°What a load of lies! Jemimah was your favourite doll when you were little. You don''t like the colour purple because you had to eat purple cabbage once and you hated it. I''ll have to remember that.¡±
Janet was looking in amazement at the data coming off her display. John found he wanted more air around his head. ¡°Janet, it''s getting hot in here, can I come out for a bit?¡±
She quickly got to her feet and released the latches and lifted the helmet on its crane. ¡°OK John, I want you drinking lots of cold fluids right now, and if you don''t mind, please take off your shirt.¡±
¡°Well, OK, if you insist.¡±
¡°No talking, cold drink and bare skin please.¡±
¡°Hey, my leg''s buzzing me.¡±
¡°Low blood sugar alarm?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Right! On the bed next to Sarah''s one, please.¡±
¡°Um OK, that scary?¡±
¡°Possibly. Don''t try that again, OK?¡±
¡°Now let''s give you a quick scan on this machine,¡± and she expertly put the coils around his head, moved Sarah''s bed to one side and slid his bed into the scanner.
¡°Hmm, blood vessels wide open. No inflamation yet. Oh! John, go into into peace mode, please, and try and stay there a while.¡± John wasn''t sure how long ¡®a while¡¯ was, but then he didn''t have much concept of time while he was focussed on peace anyway. He focussed on peace and found it. Unlike before, as well as the sense of peace, he was aware of a sense of uncomfortable warmth, and that the cool peace was enveloping it and taking it away. When he''d seen the last bit of it go, he dropped back to normal.
¡°Hi John, welcome back.¡± Sarah was there, dressed once more, the others had disappeared.
¡°You''re up! How long was I gone for?¡±
¡°About half an hour. Janet did some maths and decided I didn''t need to freeze any more, and my brain was back to the right shape too. John, if what Janet found is right, that is one scary use of our gift.¡±
¡°Go on, I''m listening.¡±
¡°Your leg buzzer goes off to tell you your blood sugar''s dropped, yes?¡±
¡°Yes, it does if I do something silly like running up a hill.¡±
¡°John, according to some things Janet knows and other things we checked, a human doing something silly like running up a hill does about 750W of real work, while using somewere like five times that amount of energy to do it. But you can''t keep it up. You normally use a hundred watts staying alive, and your brain usually uses about twenty watts of that. I don''t know why your leg buzzer went off. You weren''t using as much as you would going up a hill. But from what Janet saw, the energy use in your brain was something like 200 watts, ten times normal. She''s not sure exactly, because it was too much for the instruments.¡±
¡°So we did fry our brains?¡±
¡°I got close, John. We got close. 200 Watts into the active bit of our brains ¡ª about ten percent ¡ª for fifteen seconds, well it would raise the temperature of that much water by five degrees. If you have five degrees of fever then you''re either very very sick or dead. Even your five seconds was like heating part of your brain to fever temperature.¡±
¡°So, how are we having this conversation?¡± John asked
¡°Because the heat didn''t just stay where it was. Fortunately our brains aren''t in separate bits. The bits that got hot are connected to the rest of the brain, so we get some protection. Plus the blood that goes around the brain would move some of the heat away. So, I''ve got an idea. Let''s not do this again.¡±
¡°But the normal, short scans?¡± John asked.
¡°They''re only a second or two, John. Perfectly safe as long as we don''t do them often.¡±
¡°Often meaning more than once a minute or once an hour?¡±
¡°I think anything less often than once every couple of minutes should be fine, John.¡±
¡°But we now have some results that say we can''t be thought police.¡±
¡°Yes. Oh, Kate said you had a client? Did they run away at disclosure?¡±
¡°Not quite, but they did moan about needing time to process this and why had we let them come out only to present them with this scary stuff. You know Kate''s stand on not saying who has the gift? Well it sort of helped the client. I was able to say that it was two out of our staff of twenty, except one of them had just almost passed out from trying to use their ability for a whole 15 seconds and was recovering still. And they''d both agreed to be bound by the ethics policy, and no one would be read without full informed consent. No, I wasn''t at liberty to say who, but that didn''t make any difference, since they weren''t in any position to give informed consent yet, were they? And in the end they were happy to have their session.¡±
¡°Wow, that''s great.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Yes, and you know what else is great?¡±
¡°No, you tell me.¡±
¡°Firstly, that you''re OK, since that''s rather important. The second is that I love you very very much. The third is that while I was focussing on peace I felt aware of a nasty hot spot but the peace was taking it away. I waited until it had gone and then came back.¡±
¡°And you didn''t hear us discussing how long you should have to recover?¡±
¡°No, why?¡±
¡°Because we did some guesses about heat flows and things like that and came up with the thought that half an hour of peace-rest should be plenty.¡±
¡°Interesting. Congratulations on guessing right.¡±
¡°Congratulations on finding a diagnostic mode for overheat that actually makes
the gift a tiny bit safer to use maybe.¡±
¡°But it does rather make me wonder, Sarah. What is this gift for? Why does anyone need it? How does it serve the Church?¡±
¡°Not our business to worry about those, really, John. It''s up to us to learn how to use it safely and ethically and not be afraid to obey God.¡±
¡°Urm Sarah, that reminds me. I was frantic with worry about you and so while you were out I was checking on you every minute or so. I guess technically I was breaching the ethics statement.¡±
¡°Good job we''ve not signed it. I was checking on you a few times too. We''ve never been in peace mode that long, and I was getting worried.¡±
¡°So we were both technically naughty, and morally justified. Let''s sort the technicality out. You have my permission to scan me any time you are worried about me, my love.¡±
¡°And you have mine, my beloved.¡±
¡°So do we need to modify the ethics statement?¡±
¡°I think so. We''re not going to consult a lawyer about how we use this gift, John, not in a crisis situation. If we think there is some reason for concern, we''re going to use it, ethics rules or not.¡±
¡°We probably need a crisis or emergency clause in there. So, shall we go and tell Kate that we''ve got to work on it some more?¡±
¡°Yes, I think so, but not now. Let her have the evening to think on other things, John. She''s got a lot of thinking to do.¡±
¡°I heard you talking about the Trinity. Not a usual topic of interest for Kate.¡±
¡°You know, she''s been rejecting Christ all these years without any concept of what salvation means, John?¡±
¡°But I''ve tried to explain it to her, numerous times.¡±
¡°But she didn''t have ears to hear, John. She herself said she tuned out as soon as you started talking about God. Though she didn''t quite use those words.¡±
¡°Praise God she''s listening now!¡±
¡°Amen,¡± said Kate from the doorway.
¡°Uh, hi Kate,¡± said John, nor quite knowing what to do when your boss has just overheard you talking about her.
¡°Hi Kate, I was just telling John here you''d admitted tuning him out for years. Can I tell him what your exact words were? They were so expressive.¡±
¡°I''ll tell him myself. I''m afraid John that for the past I don''t know how many years, whenever you or anyone else started talking about God I stuck my metaphorical fingers in my ears and said, ¡®Nyaah nyah, I can''t hear you.¡¯ Sorry, rude of me, and not incredibly clever.¡±
¡°I forgive you, Kate, as long as you don''t do it to Sarah here.¡±
¡°Hmm, but according to Sarah, it''s not just your forgiveness that I really need, is it?¡± Kate countered.
¡°Well no, but the good thing about God is that He makes promises and keeps them.¡±
¡°You know, I remember why I always found it so hard to debate with you Christians.¡±
¡°Why?¡± they both asked.
¡°Because of your incredibly annoying habit of talking about your concept of Divinity as though He existed and you knew Him like you knew Bob across the road.¡±
¡°Who''s Bob?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°What''s he like? I''ve never met him.¡±
¡°He doesn''t exist! He''s a metaphor, a theoretical construct useful in this conversation!¡± said an exasperated Kate.
¡°Oh well then, I know God a lot better than I know Bob across the road. How can you know a theoretical construct, John? I''ve never met one.¡±
John felt he needed to give Kate a little nudge towards understanding. ¡°Kate, before you pull out your hair in frustration, please do listen to what Sarah''s just said, and realise that she''s only partly teasing you.¡±
¡°Eh? Err. Hold on a moment,¡± Kate struggled.
John held on ¡ª to Sarah''s hand. [This isn''t what she meant, John.]
[I know, but I like holding your hand.]
[Silly man. I like holding your hand too.]
¡°Hey, no secret planning,¡± Kate protested.
¡°Sorry, but we weren''t planning, honest,¡± John said, turning red.
¡°Then what was this sneaky holding hands thing then, not to mention the blush reaction?¡± Kate demanded.
¡°Well, you said ''hold on,'' and it reminded me it had been ages since I''d held Sarah''s hand.¡±
¡°I did tell him it wasn''t what you meant, but we were just agreeing that holding hands was nice.¡±
¡°Oh, so the blush was at ill-timed kanoodling?¡±
¡°Yes, Kate,¡± they admitted, still holding hands.
¡°Oh, there''s nothing so crazy as being in love. Unless it''s the spin on the ball you just sent me, Sarah. You''re claiming that the reason that you speak about God as though you''ve met Him is that you have. And therefore no argument from my atheist history is going do shake you in that. Is that right?¡±
Sarah answered, ¡°Not right now, no. If you''d been very convincing two weeks ago, you might have managed to get me to admit that I was just hanging on to belief in God because it was from my parents or something like that. But I think I would have known I was agreeing to a lie because it was easiest the thing to do, and I wouldn''t have been happy.¡±
¡°So you two are sitting there in the sure and certain knowledge that atheists are wrong, whereas the atheists are sitting in their huddles convinced that you''re sharing a delusion. And where am I?¡±
¡°I don''t know, Kate. Was that a metaphorical question or was that a request to help you know your own mind?¡± Sarah asked.
[Is this what our gift is for, John?]
[Pass.]
¡°Hmm. If I ask you to scan me, and you tell me what I''m thinking, which I then use that to base a decision on, then that whole process has got all sorts of potential uncertainties built in, doesn''t it?¡±
John answered, ¡°Yes. It does. I don''t think it would help you long term. But if we read you, and then you told us what you thought you were thinking, we could just answer yes-no questions about it. Would that be different?¡±
¡°So you''d be able to say, yes, I have geniune doubts about atheism, which we know, and that I haven''t decided to follow your God yet, which we know. I don''t see it helping.¡±
¡°Except this exercise has let you put a yet into your last statement. Which I find encouraging.¡±
¡°Oh, be encouraged. I''m almost convinced. But something''s holding me back. I''m probably so embarrassed about it that I''m hiding it from myself. I don''t know what it is for the life of me.¡±
¡°So, you could spend a few weeks of psychoanalysis trying to ferret it out. Or we could have a quick peek, and tell you what that slippery thought is,¡± Sarah said.
¡°But we''d try ever so hard not to use anything we learned to influence how we talked to you about our faith. Though it might be hard,¡± John said.
¡°Actually, Kate,¡± Sarah said, ¡°I''ve got an idea you might want to think about before you decide. John, put your shirt on and go for a little walk, will you. I want to have a woman to woman talk with Kate here.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m allowed up? Why didn''t you say?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Call it revenge for earlier, and if you don''t leave I''m going to get cross.¡±
¡°OK, I''m leaving!¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 18: Sarah and Kates Chat
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 18:Sarah and Kate''s Chat
Wednesday
¡°So, Sarah, what''s this idea and why did you want John to go?¡±
¡°Please shoot me down in flames if I''m wrong, Kate, but I had an idea and it made a few things click. I remember hearing in psych class that a counsellor would sometimes find they couldn''t help someone get over something they hadn''t dealt with in their own life. That was one of the reasons you weren''t sure you should put me with John, yes?¡±
¡°Teach granny to suck eggs, yes, go on, that''s right.¡±
¡°So, when I talked to John about letting someone else into his life, I got the ¡®Oh, I''m not complete¡¯ sob story, but then I pressed him a bit, and he crumpled really easily. It was so odd. But I was wondering, Kate. Have you let anyone into your life since Mr. Right dumped you? Could staying faithful to him be the root of this confusion you''re feeling now?¡±
Kate''s expression showed incredulity and denial. ¡°It was thirty years ago, Sarah!¡±
¡°And? Have you moved on in life, or are you still hoping you''ll run into him again?¡±
Kate sat down. ¡°Still hoping? Not really, he''s probably married with grand-kids on the way. You know, it was the last day of term when he dumped me? The next year he didn''t turn up. Someone said he''d changed universities. He changed his net ID. He never wrote. Gone.¡±
¡°But do you miss him, Kate? Even after these years?¡± Sarah asked gently.
¡°Oh yes. I still miss him, but I''ve moved, he''s moved, I''ve no idea where he is,¡± Kate said.
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¡°Oh, Kate. Oh stubborn, big hearted Kate,¡± Sarah said, filled with compassion.
¡°You''re probably right, you know. I''ve almost certainly been stubbornly refusing to listen to God-talk for decades because I want James back.¡±
¡°I wonder where he is. You could try and contact him, you know.¡±
¡°Dear James, I don''t know if you remember me, but you dumped me thirty years ago. Just wondering if you''d consider changing your mind now you''ve had time to reconsider.¡±
¡°Hmm, maybe not.¡±
¡°''Dear James, I''m finally over you, I think. Thanks so much for the ruined life.'' How about that one?¡±
¡°No, Kate. I don''t think so. And is your life ruined?¡±
¡°Not really, except for dreams of children.¡±
¡°Which John and your other young ones here sort of fill?¡±
¡°Maybe. Not the same though.¡±
¡°Of course not.¡±
They sat for a while, thinking their own thoughts, then Kate broke the silence, ¡°Well, I guess I''d better make an appointment to meet with your God on Sunday, hadn''t I?¡±
¡°Well, you''re welcome to come along to church if that''s what you mean, but if you''re talking of prayer, that can happen any time.¡±
¡°I''ll just start with church, if that''s OK.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°I wonder where John is.¡±
¡°Well, I could see if this gift works like a location finder as John thought it would.¡±
¡°Hmm, that''s not in your ethics statement, you know.¡±
¡°I know. We were just debating asking you about that when you came in.¡±
¡°Oh, what about, and why the debate?¡±
¡°Well, I didn''t really want to give you anything else to think about tonight.¡±
¡°But?¡±
¡°We think we need some kind of an emergency clause in there. While I was unconscious John was scanning me to see how I was, and passing it on to Janet. I think that''s entirely reasonable, but there was no informed consent. There couldn''t be.¡±
¡°I see what you mean. If you think your gift will help someone sick or injured then you want to be able to use it.¡±
¡°But it opens up a whole grey area about how we decide if the intrusion is warranted and justifiable.¡±
¡°I trust you''ve given each other consent?¡±
¡°''Whenever I''m worried,¡¯ yes.¡±
¡°So, are you worried about John?¡±
¡°Not really. Just wondering.¡±
¡°Drat. It would have been a good excuse to try and locate him.¡±
¡°I think I''ll go look for him instead.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 19: The Cake
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 19:The Cake
Wednesday
Sarah knocked at Kate''s door. ¡°Kate, I can''t find John. He''s not in his office, or anywhere else I can think of, and the computer''s not cooperating. I tried mentally shouting for him and got no response.¡±
¡°And you''ve called his wrist unit?¡±
¡°He took it off for the experiment. Didn''t put it back on when I threw him out.¡±
¡°Asked your friendly computer?¡±
¡°Yes. It seems to trace him using his wrist unit, which is sloppy programming, I must say.¡±
¡°Hmm, so the face recognition is only functional at entry and exit?¡±
¡°Or if someone enters without a wrist unit, I guess. It doesn''t seem to check to see if they take it off. It does report that some unspecified people left the building at a time that might have been John, but it won''t give me evidence that any of them was actually him.¡±
¡°And any more unknown people in the building?¡±
¡°It won''t tell me.¡±
¡°I thought you had been given full access.¡±
¡°So did I.¡±
¡°But it''s not telling you things?¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°You must be able to look at the security cameras¡¯ pictures?¡±
¡°I did before, but something''s changed. It says ¡°access denied.¡±
¡°Odd. Let me see what it tells me.¡± Kate tried to access the pictures.
¡°Security override, access denied,¡± she read. ¡°That''s weird, never had that. Any ideas what it means?¡±
¡°Urm, no. I haven''t had time to get to grips with all the security stuff on this system. I haven''t found any manuals or anything, so I''ve been exploring myself, but that''s slow. How about asking it what it thinks the security status is.¡±
¡°What! Listen to this! Security override level 6, intrusion attempt, impersonation attempt, threat detected to staff member, local lockout.¡±
¡°Urm, Kate, this sounds scary. Someone threatened a staff member, John is missing, I don''t know what local lockout means, do you?¡±
¡°Urm, no. Ivan or Horrace might. Or Janet for that matter. Let''s call Janet first, she''s not as likely to be in the middle of some tangle of wires.¡±
Kate tried calling Janet and failed. Tried Ivan and failed. Tried Horrace. Found him, sort of. He was indeed in a tangle of wires. ¡°I''ll wreck everything on this experiment if I move, Kate, I''m sorry. Can''t Ivan help?¡±
¡°I can''t contact Ivan, or Janet, John''s missing and the computer''s saying things like intrusion attempt, staff threatened and local lockout, whatever that means.¡±
¡°Well, the last one means it won''t let anything it considers sensitive near you for some reason. Anyone else there?¡±
¡°Sarah''s here, no-one else.¡±
¡°And it said intrusion attempt, and what else?¡±
¡°Intrusion attempt, impersonation attempt, threat detected to staff member.¡±
¡°What security level?¡±
¡°Six.¡±
¡°Something''s scared it, Kate, that''s a pretty high alert.¡±
¡°And three people are missing.¡±
¡°Yes, but if it had been a clear kidnapping attempt or something like that it would have gone up to level ten and started gassing people.¡±
¡°And if some security service types came and said something like ''We need to talk to you outside, sir''?¡±
¡°Well, we''d have them on camera, at least.¡±
¡°Camera is off limits for me.¡±
¡°That makes me think it''s worried about you or Sarah, or some stranger is wandering around near you.¡±
¡°In my office?¡±
¡°Or listening in somehow?¡±
¡°So either the computer has got scared of me or Sarah, and three staff are missing at the same time without letting anyone know, or some scary type people have issued veiled threats and abducted them, bugging my office as they passed by?¡±
¡°Urm, yes, something like that. I''ll get this lot sorted and call you back as soon as I can get to my terminal, Kate, OK?¡±
¡°But which one is more likely?¡± Kate asked the dead connection, her frustration evident.
Sarah thought of something. ¡°Kate, John''s client this afternoon wasn''t scared off. Does that have any bearing on anything?¡±
¡°Urm, possibly, minor government official.¡±
¡°I''m definitely worried enough to try looking for John now, Kate.¡±
¡°Go for it dear, but no more than a few seconds, please. I don''t want you pushing yourself without Janet around to sort you out again.¡±
Sarah tried focussing on John. It was very fuzzy. She got a sense of him being in motion, and a rough direction, but didn''t pick up any strong emotions from him.
¡°Good news, bad news, which one first?¡±
¡°Good please, I''m worn out.¡±
¡°I could sense him, just, and I got a direction too. He''s over that way somewhere. He''s moving, and I couldn''t sense any strong emotions.¡±
¡°And the bad news?¡±
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¡°I certainly wasn''t reading thoughts in detail. I''ve no idea if I didn''t sense emotions because everything''s fine or because I can''t at this distance. And I don''t know what this distance is.¡±
¡°So he could be tens of miles away, or just round the corner?¡±
¡°Exactly. Now I''m just going to tune into peace for a while. John found it works as an overheat diagnostic.¡±
¡°OK Sarah, but please don''t leave me for long.¡±
Sarah focussed on peace. She needed it. While there, she prayed for John, regretting not having done so earlier, and then not having any sense of the heat that John had spoken of she dropped back to normal.
¡°Kate, while we wait for Horrace to get some sense out of the computer, can I suggest we pray?¡±
¡°You''re welcome to, Sarah. Please pray for me too. I could do with some peace of mind right now and can''t see another way of getting it. If your God is really in the self revelation business then maybe he''ll even answer your prayer for me.¡±
Sarah prayed, ¡°Almighty God, thank you for your promises and your Word, thank you that we can ask you for John, Janet and Ivan to return to us safely and know that you hear. I pray for Kate, that she might know the true peace that comes from trusting you. Help her to find peace now, and to turn to you wholeheartedly. Call her clearly, I beg you, dear Lord, to repent and acknowledge your lordship. Grant her peace, oh Lord, and heal her hurting heart.¡±
To Sarah''s surprise, Kate also prayed, ¡°God, I''ve denied your existence for years and I don''t know if you exist. If you do, then let us be laughing about this in five minutes'' time. Please, God, I''m scared and worn out and I want to know for sure.¡±
¡°Er, Kate, you know what you''ve just done?¡±
¡°What, challenged God to prove He''s real? Is that allowed?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. May the Lord answer your prayer whether it''s allowed or not!¡±
At that moment two things happened. Horrace called and there was a knock on the door. Sarah leapt to open it and immediately hugged John, who had knocked. Janet and Ivan were behind him, cowering out of sight and carrying a large cake box between them.
Horrace reported, ¡°Kate, the computer doesn''t believe Sarah is who she claims to be. Something about a collapse and a gap in image data, plus an unknown wearer using your wrist unit, Sarah. And after that it has a record of her threatening John, which it considered not an appropriate thing for an engaged couple. And then this maybe-impostor tried to locate John, which it considered linked to the threat, and also to access secure systems. Does that all make sense?¡±
Sarah relaxed her grip on confused John''s body and asked, ¡°How do we tell it to calm down, Horrace?¡±
¡°Oh, that''s easy, verify yourself to your wrist unit, then it''ll stop broadcasting, ¡®I''m Sarah''s unit but I don''t have proof she''s wearing me.¡¯ I thought everyone knew that bit of their spec. There was a big debate about it 15 years ago. It''s supposed to be an anti-theft feature.¡±
¡°Big debate when I was five. Never heard about it.¡±
¡°Ah, good point.¡±
¡°Thank you, Horrace.¡±
¡°Horrace!¡± shouted Ivan from the doorway. ¡°Come to Kate''s office and call the others, will you.¡±
¡°OK, Ivan.¡±
Kate stood up and asked, ¡°John, where have you been? The computer got in a tizzy about threats to staff members, you, Ivan and Janet were missing, Sarah and I were starting to think you''d been kidnapped or arrested for mindreading state secrets or something.¡±
¡°Wait a minute and you''ll find out, Kate, but what''s this about threats to staff members?¡±
¡°The paranoid and foolish computer decided that I might possibly have been a body double or something,¡± Sarah said.
¡°And then,¡± Kate added, ¡°she quite rightly offered to thump you in fair return for saying things you shouldn''t about her needing some nursing care, but it decided that that wasn''t the sort of thing fianc¨¦es say and thus she was indeed a body double, and not only that, but a potentially dangerous body double at that.¡±
Sarah continued, ¡°And of course dangerous body doubles aren''t allowed to look at sensitive data like who left the building or how. So all it told us was that there had been a breach of security, threats made to staff, and that this room wasn''t secure. Since you''d been talking to a client, we were having visions of you three being bundled into the back of a van on the way to some kind of secret interrogation facility.¡±
¡°All because you didn''t think to leave a note to Sarah or me telling us you''d be back in a while.¡±
¡°But I did, I left Sarah a note on the computer...¡±
¡°Which didn''t deliver it because I was a dangerous body double.¡±
¡°Sarah, can you try to talk some sense into that computer, please. How did it think you''d turned into a double?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Well, Horrace did say interrupted video log. It will have been programmed for ethical surveillance and it will turn off its cameras in certain circumstances,¡± Sarah offered.
¡°Such as you having your dress removed?¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°And I did open the window too. My goodness, what a paranoid computer it is!¡±
Kate laughed.
Sarah looked at her wrist. ¡°On the subject of ¡®your goodness,'' Kate, which I''m sure you know is just a euphemism for the Divine Being, It''s now four minutes and thirty seconds since you made a certain challenge.¡±
Kate went white. ¡°I need to sit down.¡±
Sarah was still holding John''s hand. [What challenge?] John asked, puzzled.
[This one {memory} and no teasing!]
[I agree, she needs thinking time, love.]
¡°Will someone tell me why the entire staff are slowly filling my office?¡±
Kate asked.
Ivan cleared his throat, ¡°Ladies, gentlemen and assorted riff-raff who refuse either of those appellations, please lend me your ears.¡± Then, in a foreign accent, ¡°I vont to start a collection. No sorry, wrong speech. I want you that are able to, to cast your minds back twenty-five years. Those who can''t can have a sweetie later if they''re good.¡±
Sarah asked, [Is he always like this?]
[When he''s in a good mood.]
¡°Now I know that exact dates are not some people''s strong points but the computer remembers all. And we have someone very important to us all here who actually started work here twenty-five years ago today, and in celebration of those long years of dedication and service, we present you this cake. Happy anniversary, Kate! May you have many more years as matriarch of our happy family.¡±
¡°Hah! The computer remembers all, does it? Well I remember that I actually started a day earlier than my first contract says, because somehow everyone was so busy, they forgot to ask me to sign it.¡±
¡°And she believes we based it on the contract date, but no, we are not a day late. She clearly hasn''t seen the cake yet, folks! Ladies, gentlemen and riff-raff, I give you Kate''s ID photo from her first day at work!¡± and with a flourish he removed the lid from the cake box and there, in a masterpiece of 3-D sculpture, was a life-size image of young Kate''s head and shoulders on her first day at the Institute. Her features had been painted on accurately and her long hair was made of stranded sugar. It was very lifelike.
¡°Oooh, you fiend! How did you get access to that picture?¡±
¡°It was just sitting there in the records, Kate, no special tricks required.¡±
¡°And now you want me to cut up my young self?¡±
¡°Well, if you don''t, then you don''t see what''s inside.¡±
¡°Not a marshmallow brain again I hope, Ivan.¡±
¡°No, Kate. Not even any fake blood this time.¡±
¡°And this is why the three of you vanished and caused untold anguish?¡±
¡°Er... yes, Kate.¡±
¡°Thank you. It''s a wonderful gift. But if I remember that photo, I didn''t actually have my hair like that in it, nor was that necklace showing. But that''s my necklace. What gives? Did you give him more photos, or John, Sarah have you been spying on me?¡±
John answered, ¡°No spying, Kate, just a big coincidence. The man in the shop recognized your picture. Said he had some pictures of you from university and asked if it was OK if he used them too. Oh, he sent you a note.¡±
¡°How would he remember me? That''s crazy. I only remember a few people from back then.¡±
¡°Then read the note, Kate. Or do you want to cut the cake first? And read it in private?¡±
¡°Just tell me his name, John, and I''ll see if I remember him.¡±
¡°You do Kate, Pete made your cake.¡±
¡°Pete! He was going to be an artist. Very artistic cake, but not what he was planning. Do I really have to cut myself in effigy?¡± Kate was still staring at her image in royal icing.
¡°Pete said that the outside is self-supporting and will last if you want to keep it. There''s actually a join where the hair meets the face. So no, if you don''t want to, you can remove the hair and we can scoop out the cake if we''re careful.¡±
¡°Let''s try. I''ve never seen such artistry. What a waste to eat it. And he churns these out by the dozen a week?¡±
¡°Actually, Kate,¡± Janet answered, ¡°he turns out normal ones by the dozen a day. He''s got a clever little robot that does the painting, and he just picks from some standard face shapes to get a reasonable match. I''ve seen his machine working before. The result is recognisable, but not this good. We went in last week to find out how long it took, and he said we could have had it the same day if we''d wanted one of those, but he begged us to let him do a better one for you, for old times'' sake. There was time, so we said OK. We didn''t know it''d be this good.¡±
¡°Right! Ivan, Horrace, you''re the experts at micro manipulation. I want you to very very carefully open this cake along the joins, and if you break it, you''re in trouble. I''m going to sit down and read my letter.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 20: Petes Letter
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 20: Pete''s Letter
¡°Dear Kate,
I really hope you enjoyed the cake. I was stunned when I saw your photo. I didn''t even know you lived here. I moved into town a couple of years ago, after deciding to branch into the cake-faces business. Somehow cakes sell better than fine art, so this is as close as I''ve got to my artistic dreams. It''s a small world, isn''t it? I met James and his wife and daughter at a wedding exhibition earlier this summer. Their daughter is engaged and going to be a Christian missionary apparently. James wasn''t that pleased, but said, ¡®it''s her life, if she wants to follow a delusion, that''s her stupidity.¡¯ So at least he hasn''t cast her out of his life, but I guess he''s not changed his attitude to God. What about you? I''m still pottering on in my faith, but do miss all our old debates. No, that''s not entirely true. I seem to remember leaving some of them feeling like you''d ripped me to pieces. But I do have fond memories of our student days which is why I begged them to let me do proper justice to you. Please accept it as an honest token of past friendship. I would really like to meet you again so that our friendship could be renewed, or at least so we can swap stories for a while. Yours as always, Pete.¡±
Kate looked up at the ceiling and thought of Pete. Steady and meticulous and not one to leap to his feet in fiery passion like James had done so often. That poor daughter, to have James for a father. Come to to think of it, poor wife to mediate between James and daughter. He''d surely be difficult to live with if you didn''t agree with him. It had never been the other way round, she remembered; James didn''t change his mind to agree with other people, they had to change theirs first.
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Then she realized what she was thinking. This was the first time she''d thought critically about James. She realised that for almost all of her adult life she''d been worshipping at the feet of a rather manipulative, domineering man, and that actually he wasn''t the Mr. Right she''d always thought of him as. That had come from him, and she''d swallowed it. Hadn''t she been a foolish woman. What a blessing that he''d dumped her.
[Oh God, why have I been so foolish?] she prayed. Sarah, who was standing close by with a piece of delicious looking cake looked at her, surprised at overhearing what sounded like a prayer and a cry for help. ¡°Kate, here''s your portion of cake, but are you OK?¡±
Kate held Sarah''s hand and thought at her, [Do you think they''d miss us if we went somewhere quieter? I want to talk and you know more about this than most people.]
¡°I don''t think they''d mind,¡± she answered. ¡°John can reassure them.¡±
They slipped towards the door and Sarah touched John''s hand long enough to say [Kate needs to talk. Don''t let anyone follow, please.]
Serendipity / Ch. 21: Important Chat
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 21:Important Chat
Wednesday afternoon
They went to John''s office, it being close and sound proof.
¡°I''m supposed to be your counsellor, Sarah. Why does it seem like it''s more the other way round now?¡±
¡°Urm, because we''re friends and you need someone to talk to?¡±
¡°And you''ve got your head screwed on much better than we thought you had a while back.¡±
¡°How can I help, Kate?¡±
¡°Read this, and give me your impression of the man I was calling my Mr. Right not many hours ago.¡±
¡°You''ve changed your mind?¡± She read the note and murmured, ¡°The poor girl.¡±
¡°What''s wrong with the picture, Sarah?¡±
¡°It should be her and her fianc¨¦, not her and her parents, even if they''re paying for it. She''s making a public stand against him, but he''s still fighting her and she''s losing some battles. Or maybe doesn''t realise she is.¡±
¡°Sarah, my thoughts were also, that poor wife, trying to reconcile the two. Assuming she is. She might not be. I''ve just realised that my idea of him being Mr. Right wasn''t my idea but his.¡±
¡°Oh, Kate, no wonder you wanted to talk. It sounds like you''re well and truly over him. I''m glad for you. Are you going to answer Pete?¡±
¡°Answer him? I''m planning to give him a big sloppy kiss for saving me from a horrible fate!¡±
¡°You''re not over-reacting, are you, Kate? Not on the emotional rebound?¡±
¡°I don''t know. But hey, you can get memories from John, can''t you?¡±
¡°Yes, you''re thinking of trying to send me one?¡±
¡°Yes, and if that doesn''t work, then have a peek, please.¡±
¡°If you say so, Kate,¡± and she held out her hand.
[This is how I remember typical Pete. {memory}]
¡°Got it. Nice bloke, steady.¡±
[This is James. {memory}]
¡°Ooh, what charisma, fire and conviction. He took you in, didn''t he?¡±
¡°Yes. He got me, hook line and sinker.¡±
¡°But you showed some independent thought talking to Pete, he didn''t turn you into a complete worshipper.¡±
¡°Only when he dumped me. Sarah, I want to help his daughter.¡±
¡°You mean financially or emotionally?¡±
¡°Emotionally. I think she''s bound to have scars from having him as a father. I wonder if I can find out where she is somehow.¡±
¡°Kate, I think you''re leaping to conclusions here. She might be fine. She might have had help already. And how would you approach her?¡±
¡°You''re right. You''re right. I think I want to contact her still.¡±
¡°OK, just try to be gentle. She should want to honour her father and mother, which is going to be tricky for her.¡±
¡°Which reminds me, Sarah. God''s proven that he''s real. What next?¡±
¡°Only a few days ago you''d have said it was just coincidence, Kate. Don''t make lifelong commitments based on coincidence.¡±
¡°Oh don''t be silly, Sarah. You don''t need to play devil''s advocate. We both know God answered the challenge. It wasn''t just John coming through the door but Horrace''s explanation that needed to happen just then too. So. What do I do?¡±
¡°You need to decide if you want Him to be your God on His terms, on your terms or not at all. I don''t recommend the last two of course.¡±
¡°What would making Him my God on my terms mean?¡±
¡°Well, you make yourself an image of what God is like, or maybe join with others who''ve already decided, and then worship that. Of course God might not be happy, but you could carry on in your deluded way and try and convince Him that you were right and He was wrong on judgement day. I''d call that a bit of a poor gamble, but lots of people seem to choose it.¡±
¡°And what are God''s terms exactly?¡±
¡°Well, I could tell you, but then I might be making you join one of those groups who''ve decided already, no matter what God has said.¡±
¡°So you''re saying that you''re keeping it a secret, or that I need to wait for God to tell me?¡±
¡°No, sorry Kate, I''m just trying to warn you that you won''t get very far if you try to argue, ¡®but Sarah told me dot dot dot.¡¯ God has given us three ways we can know Him. Through nature, through His interaction with people through the years as recorded in the Bible, and ultimately through Jesus. Part of the revelation through Jesus is there in the four sections of the Bible, people call them books, called the Gospels, part of it is there in the other books of the New Testament which follow them. Those books are mostly in the form of letters addressing particular problems the early church faced, and of course there''s the book of Revelation, which is written in a sort of code.¡±
¡°A sort of code? What, you mean it''s encrypted?¡±
¡°Not really, but it''s full of weird symbolism and there are lots of discussions about whether the things it talks about will happen literally or not. Whichever way you take it, it''s there to encourage people who possibly would face death that God was going to win in the end, so they shouldn''t give up. Oh, I forgot to say there are also people who say the teaching of the church is another way that God reveals himself and yet others who say that fresh revelations from the Holy Spirit are another. But the Bible tells us we need to test both of those against Scripture, which makes sense on the basis that God doesn''t change.¡±
¡°So, what does the Bible say I need to do, Sarah? This is getting too theoretical.¡±
¡°Do you remember what I prayed you''d do just before you challenged God?¡±
¡°It basically came down to that I''d admit I''ve been wrong, trust Jesus, and let Him be in charge, didn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes, Kate. Those are His terms. Jesus died to save you, not to make you jump through hoops.¡±
¡°That''s too easy!¡±
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¡°Too easy for God the Son to die for you, or too easy for you to trust God? I don''t think either are easy, Kate, or at least keeping on trusting God when you''re busy with life can be hard.¡±
¡°So that''s why you kept beating round the bush, because it''s easy to understand, and hard to do?¡±
¡°And because who you trust is very very important.¡±
¡°Don''t remind me. I trusted in James and look where it got me!¡±
¡°Well, you''re close to the right place. Just that little step of telling God something on the lines of ''sorry, You win, I''ve mucked up my life with me in charge, You be in charge, please.''¡±
¡°I think I''m ready for that step.¡±
¡°I think the words are better if they come from you, Kate, but I can give you the Sunday school version if you like.¡±
¡°Lot of wisdom in that Sunday school. You tell me what you learned there, and I''ll improvise after that.¡±
So Sarah repeated the prayer she''d learned to Kate, who then prayed her own version of it:
¡°God, You''ve proved You''re there, and I''ve proved that I shouldn''t be trusted with this life. I know I''ve broken Your rules and rejected You for a long long time. Forgive me, please, I want to turn my back on that way of life and follow You. Thank You that You''ve paid the cost of this already and there''s nothing I can do to earn Your love. Come and be my friend and my king, come into my life teach me what You are like and let me be like I should be. Let me know Your peace and love like Sarah does, I pray.¡±
¡°Welcome to the family, Kate!¡± Sarah said and gave her a hug. [Should I call John? He''d be so happy.] Sarah wondered to herself.
¡°Sure,¡± said Kate, ¡°share the happiness, Sarah. I don''t feel very different, but it''s nice to have made the decision.¡±
¡°That''s funny,¡± Sarah laughed, ¡°you get given the ability to read my thoughts but don''t feel different.¡±
[John, I want you!] Sarah mentally shouted.
¡°Don''t look at me so shocked, Kate, you asked for it, after all.¡±
¡°But...¡±
¡°I still don''t know what use this Gift is apart from party tricks, so I don''t know why you wanted it, but God answered your prayer.¡±
John opened the door quietly, and Kate didn''t notice.
¡°But I wasn''t asking for your gift, Sarah!¡±
¡°No, but you did ask to know God''s peace like I do.¡±
¡°And Sarah knows God''s peace through her gift, Kate.¡± John said gently. ¡°Welcome to the family, Kate, welcome to the family of God. The Bible tells us He has adopted you as His child and crowned you with love and compassion. He''s separated you from your sins as far as the East is from the West and given you an inheritance that can never spoil or fade. Nothing can ever separate you from His love, neither angels, demons or the future. He''s made you His and sealed you with the Holy Spirit.¡±
Then, taking Sarah''s hand and Kate''s he thought, [Kate, let us show you the peace you asked for. You do this {image}.]
John and Sarah focused on peace together, and Kate joined them.
She became aware of them and thought, [this is amazing, real peace!]
[The peace of God, which is better/greater than understanding.]
And as John and Sarah had before, they felt the infinite unhiding Himself and an overwhelming sense of love and joy lifted them like a flood.
[Welcome, my daughter, my children. Know you are loved.] Then the tide lifted them higher still and then lowered them down and they found themselves back in the mundane world, filled with the knowledge that their Lord was with them forever.
¡°Just in case you''re wondering, Kate,¡± John clarified, ¡°the peace is there whenever you need it. The visitation isn''t the sort of thing you should expect.¡±
¡°I''m not that silly, John. If that happened every time, you''d be so blissed out that you''d not be going to meet my old friend Pete and bring me back ridiculously detailed sculptures of my youth.¡±
¡°So, are you going to answer his note, Kate?¡± John asked.
¡°Answer it? No. I''m going to kidnap you two and make you take me there.¡±
¡°Kate, be careful,¡± warned Sarah, ¡°the computer might get even more worried if you go using words like kidnap.¡±
¡°You have reset you wrist unit, haven''t you?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Oops.¡±
¡°Perhaps you should now,¡± John spoke up, just in case. ¡°Computer, I have verified that this woman is indeed my fianc¨¦e Sarah Smith. I am in no danger. I contravened communications ethics earlier and Sarah warned me not to offend again, in an appropriate manner. No genuine threat was made to my safety. Kate''s recent use of the word kidnap was not a serious threat, but an expression of her strong desire that we put any plans aside and accompany her. Acknowledge and report status.¡±
¡°Acknowledged. Phraseology added to lexicon. Ethical database updated. Security status alert zero. Fire alert status 7,¡± came from the speakers.
¡°Expand on fire alert,¡± instructed John.
¡°Unconstrained heating apparatus on floor, electronics lab. Minor scorching of floor in progress.¡±
Kate stuck her head out of the door and yelled, ¡°Horrace, Ivan, there''s something burning holes in your lab floor again! Go sort it out, please.¡±
¡°Kate,¡± Sarah asked, ¡°did you know the computer could be corrected or interrogated like that?¡±
¡°No. John, how did you find it out?¡±
¡°I thought everyone knew.¡± He hesitated. ¡°I, er saw one of the installation guys doing it, and asked about it.¡±
¡°My guess is Horrace doesn''t know either, or he could have queried it from his mess of wires,¡± Sarah said. ¡°I''ve got an idea. How about I spend a solid week or so finding out about this machine we''ve got and tell everyone what they can do with it. Or even better, Kate, could you find out why on earth there''s no manuals anywhere for it?¡±
¡°Oops,¡± John said, and two pairs of eyes looked at him.
¡°Expand on ¡®Oops¡¯ please, John,¡± Kate growled.
¡°The installation guy said, ¡®It''s all in the manual,¡¯ and I asked, ¡®What manual?¡¯ and he said, ¡®It''s on the computer. Just ask it to display manual.¡¯ But if you didn''t know that, I¡¯m not sure you''d find it.¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°He said that because it was a secure system it wouldn''t list stuff under the system directory.¡±
¡°I knew that,¡± said Sarah. ¡°As administrator I can get past that if I need to, but I''ve never needed to yet. You''re saying the geniuses that programmed it put the manual in there, aren''t you.¡±
¡°I think he said that, yes, along with other documents.¡±
¡°OK. Kate, I think what I need to do is tie my beloved here to a suitable piece of furniture and sort through his every memory of this installer guy''s informal explanations, then just for fun I''ll leave him there. John, you do know what a frustrating time I''ve been having trying to find out about this computer? I''ve found all the instructions for the stuff my computer at home can do but nothing, nothing at all about anything cleverer.¡±
¡°Sorry, love. You seemed to know how to use it, it never occurred to me there might be something specific to this one.¡±
¡°I''ll forgive you, just let me roam your memories for a while sometime.¡±
¡°Wouldn''t that fry your brains, Sarah?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Not if John cooperates, no. We can sort of meld our minds and remember things together if we cooperate. We should do it plugged into Janet''s machine, she wanted to test us in that mode anyway. But should we get back to the others?¡±
¡°Yes, I want to see what they''ve done to my sculpture.¡±
¡°Would you like to tell Ed, or shall we just shock him by you opening the next staff meeting with a prayer?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. Let''s see how it goes.¡±
¡°Kate,¡± Ed noticed, ¡°you''re looking a lot less stressed and more at peace. Have you had a good chat with Sarah?¡±
¡°Yes, Ed, a very good chat. Not just with her though. Someone more important.¡±
¡°More important?¡± Ed was puzzled.
¡°Infinitely so, Ed,¡± Kate grinned. ¡°One of those life changing eternally significant chats.¡± She gave him a quick hug and span away leaving him doing a very good impression of a goldfish. Janet saw Kate''s out of character actions and made her way towards her. ¡°Kate, what''s got into you? You''re acting like you''re in love or something. What gives? Your face is so radiant you''re almost glowing, you''re prancing about like you''ve lost about thirty years in the last half an hour. What on earth was that note, a marriage proposal?¡±
¡°No, but you could say the note''s responsible. Maybe I should just make an announcement. Why not?¡±
And with that she stood on a chair. ¡°Friends, as you know we''ve got an office policy of being very open with each other. It makes sense given that we deal with some very sick and disturbed people, and having a shoulder to cry on often helps. You know that. You might not know that that policy didn''t start with me, it''s always been part of the Institute. Well, in the spirit of openness, and since it''s bound to come out sooner or later, I want to share with you a bit of my life. Then you can all go home because I notice it''s about that time anyway.
¡°As you know, I''ve been a stubborn atheist for all my life. Some insightful comments from young Sarah here earlier this afternoon have made me realise that I was rejecting God not so much out of conviction but out of loyalty to a man that I knew at college. Then a certain three staff members vanished from the building, the computer locked us out and I, I got scared for three of my adopted kids. Out of worry I foolishly challenged God to get me laughing about it in five minutes. He got me laughing in four and a half. To make a complicated story shorter, I realised the guy who''d influenced me for so long was a nasty piece of work and trusting God seemed a much better alternative. I asked Him to give me peace like Sarah here has, and He gave it, complete with the way she gets it. Sorry guys, there are three mind reading Christians on staff now.¡±
¡°Halleluia!¡± called Ed.
¡°What is this?¡± Will, one of the other psycho-counsellors asked. ¡°Some kind of revival? First Ed, then Kate of all the unlikely converts. I thought revivals were supposed to start in churches!¡±
¡°Just with prayer, Will,¡± John answered. ¡°Just with prayer.¡±
¡°OK folks, home time. I want to go and meet the artist who made my cake. Come on, John, lead the way. Sarah, I presume you want to stay near your intended?¡±
¡°I''m coming Kate, don''t worry.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 22: Pete
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 22:Pete
Wednesday evening
¡°There''s Pete''s shop, Kate. You know you could have called him, arranged a meeting, that sort of thing? He might not be here any more, I don''t remember his opening hours.¡±
¡°If he''s gone home then I''ll call him, John, have no fear. But you do know I want you two along as witnesses that I''m not crazy, don''t you? I think I''m going to need to tell him about the Gift.¡±
¡°Kate, really, so soon?¡± asked Sarah ¡°You haven''t met him in thirty years.¡±
¡°I''ll let you two judge. OK if I invite us all out for a meal?¡±
¡°Urm, fine, what I''d planned to cook won''t spoil. But you''ll not want us along the whole time, surely. Also, we''re due at a Bible study at 8.¡±
¡°I''d like you to be there, at least for the meal. I''m not used to being this new me yet.¡±
¡°OK, Kate, we''ll stay as long as you want us to.¡±
They arrived at the shop, which was still open. John opened the door. Pete was up a step ladder arranging some of his display at the back of the shop and called that he''d be there soon. ¡°It''s OK, Pete, no rush, we''ve just brought someone who wants to meet you.¡±
Pete almost fell off his ladder in his haste. ¡°Oh Kate, you came, you came!¡±
¡°Hi, Pete, beautiful cake!¡± They embraced, and Kate couldn''t help hearing Pete singing in his heart [Kate came! Kate came!]
¡°It''s nice to see you, Kate, so nice. How are you? What are you doing tonight? Can we talk?¡±
¡°I''m fine, Pete, more than fine. What I''m doing tonight is buying a meal for one old friend, one new friend and one friend I''ve not seen in decades. Then I''m trying to decide if I want to keep reminiscing with my friend Pete, or get this pair of youngsters to invite me to their Bible study.¡±
¡°Of course you''re welcome, Kate,¡± John said, ¡°I was going to suggest it, but you were so keen on meeting Pete I thought that you could always come next week.¡±
¡°I''ve just become a Christian, Pete,¡± Kate explained, ¡°so I''m new to all this.¡±
¡°You have? Oh Kate, that''s wonderful. Since meeting James, I''ve been praying that God would send someone to tell you the Gospel if you hadn''t turned to Him yet.¡±
¡°That''d be Sarah here. John has been trying to get through to me for years, but I didn''t listen.¡±
¡°Thank you then, Sarah, for being the answer to my prayers, and thank you, John for delivering my note. Oh Kate! It''s so wonderful to see you!¡±
¡°And to see you, Pete. Shall we try and find some food? I think I know just the place. This way. And Pete, John, Sarah, this is my idea, so I''m paying for the lot of you. No sneaky trying to choose the cheapest thing on the menu either.¡±
¡°Was she always this determined, Pete?¡± John asked.
¡°Oh yes, always determined, always got her way, too, at least where I was concerned.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Well, I had quite a crush on her, you see, so I couldn''t refuse her anything.¡±
¡°You never said a word, Pete!¡± Kate said in shock.
¡°Well, you were so centred on James, it seemed hopeless. You do know that I initially started spending so much time with Catherine in an effort to make you jealous?¡±
¡°No, never! You did? Oh Pete, that didn''t work out as planned then, did it?¡±
¡°Not exactly. If I remember rightly, you and James became an official item soon after I started spending so much time with her.¡±
¡°You know why?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Because, you silly man, I''d been trying to decide which of you two was the better prospect, then you removed yourself from the list, and that just left James.¡±
Pete took Kate''s hand and said, ¡°Kate, I''m a foolish old bachelor who used to be a foolish young man. So, like always, you can tell me to get lost. But when I was a foolish young man I didn''t say what I felt, and I''m not going to let myself make the same mistake again. Kate, I''m sure we need to get to know each other again, but I think it''s very likely that how I used to feel about you will only be greater and stronger after these years of waiting. So if there''s no one else in your life, then I''d like to apply to fill the vacancy.¡± And because he was holding her hand , Kate was able to hear what he wasn''t saying. [I''ve loved you for years, Kate, why didn''t I ask you out back then? Oh, I hope she''s not married. No ring, but that''s no proof, I could be making a real fool of myself, but I don''t want to miss another chance.]
¡°Pete, thirty years is a long long time, and I''m certain I''ve changed in some ways you won''t expect. You''ve probably changed too, come to think of it. But James isn''t on my list of prospects any more, and no one else ever has been. I''ll be happy to consider your application, just as long as you don''t rush me. Now, onto more immediate concerns. I''ve been wanting an excuse to eat at this restaurant for ages, and I can''t think of a better excuse than everything that''s happened today. I mean, it''s not every day you find a Saviour and a suitor within three hours, is it? Hear that Pete? Let me calm down a bit first.¡±
¡°Three hours? No wonder you''re glowing. And there I was hoping it was all for me.¡±
¡°Pete, wait a bit before you get too excited, I might be able to scare you off yet.¡± Pete realised that Kate sounded serious. They went in. It was a pleasantly decorated restaurant, and they were able to choose a secluded bay where they could talk without fear of being overheard. The fact that they were almost the only clients helped too.
¡°You really think that I''m going to be scared off, Kate, after all these years? What is it? Hideous debt, no not at these prices. Incurable disease? You''re not dying, are you, Kate?¡±
¡°No faster than most people my age. But, oh, how do I explain this?¡± Kate thought, [One of you, help!]
¡°Pete,¡± John said, ¡°it is related, but you won''t see the link immediately. What''s your denomination?¡±
¡°You''re right, I don''t see the link. Urm, no strong denominational ties, I guess you could call my present church a free church with strong emphasis on teaching and a slight charismatic hopefulness. Why?¡±
¡°Well, if you''d been a cessationist then I''m pretty sure that you''d have had problems with the fact that Kate got what we think is a very rare spiritual gift when she turned to Christ this afternoon.¡±
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
¡°Hmm, well, I''m certainly not going to say God can''t give gifts to people. I''m not sure how many in our church actually have been given the gift of tongues, for instance, but you''re talking about something weirder than that?¡±
¡°Yes. We''re not sure if it''s been documented in Church history, unless it''s the gift of discernment.¡±
¡°I''ve been taught that that''s recognizing demonic influences.¡±
¡°Well, not that interpretation then. But in some ways more likely to upset people. We''ve been thinking about how to use it ethically for a few days.¡±
¡°But you said Kate only received it today.¡±
¡°Yes, but you see, Sarah and I have it too. Sarah''s had some sort of limited abilities in that direction for years, but we''ve only just worked out what was happening to her.¡±
¡°I had strange symptoms,¡± clarified Sarah. ¡°I got a terrible migraine like headache in a crowd, and no one could work out what was up with me.¡±
¡°Pete,¡± Kate said, ¡°please, while we''re working on this, we''d prefer you not to pass on what we say, and certainly not name names.¡±
The waiter arrived and they ordered their food and drinks.
After the waiter left, Pete said, ¡°Spiritual gifts shouldn''t give you a headache, that sounds really wrong.¡±
¡°No, sorry,¡± clarified John. ¡°We think Sarah has and her mother before her had a rare human ability, often talked or written about and never scientifically proven. The Institute where we work was set up to investigate such things and Sarah is our first confirmed case. But the spiritual gift ¡ª or at least the Spirit confirmed to us that it was a gift from Him ¡ª takes it to a whole extra level.¡±
¡°If you take Kate''s hand and think but don''t quite say something, she''ll hear it as though you had said it aloud.¡±
Pete''s jaw dropped. ¡°Thought transfer! Wow!¡±
¡°Or say, you decide something that affects her, when you''re standing nearby, then she''ll hear that too. That''s the human element, we believe.¡±
Pete''s mind was racing, dredging up old memories from his college days. ¡°There could be an evolutionary advantage there, say in a fight. I''d never heard of that, but it makes sense.¡± he mumbled.
John continued, ¡°The part of the gift that the Spirit tells us if from Him boosts that human ability. It enables us to become aware of certain things. For example true peace, the transcendent peace of God, or exactly what you''re thinking at a moment in time. There are limits. If we concentrate on someone''s changing thoughts rather than just looking at a snapshot, then it''s too much for our brains to cope with. Our medic tells us it could be fatal. We''re not sure what the range is yet, either. It certainly doesn''t seem to be a multiple mile thing, at least so far.¡±
¡°That''s why I thought you might run away, Pete. I can''t help overhearing what you almost say if we''re touching. But I won''t look at your thoughts unless you ask me to. Nor will I make them public. I''m used to confidentiality as a fully qualified shrink. But this thing is scary for us, and I''m sure it would be scary for the public. I''m not a witch, I don''t want to be burnt at the stake, or to lose you this soon after we''ve met. I''m just an ex-atheist who trusted my life to Christ and for some reason He chose to give me this gift or ability.¡±
¡°And you could have a look at what I''m thinking now?¡± Pete asked.
¡°I could. I''d rather you just told me though. I expect there''s some horror and shock and all sorts of nasty stuff floating around in your mind right now that you wouldn''t want to claim as your own. I don''t want to see it. If you decide to spear me with that steak knife then I''ll probably hear it, but if you decide to run, I probably won''t. Sorry for springing this on you, but I thought you should know, given what you said earlier. And what you thought ¡ª I couldn''t help but overhear it when you took my hand, Pete. I guess I need to get some gloves like Sarah''s. But right now, I do want to know how you''re taking this.¡±
¡°Then have a look, Kate, have a look.¡±
¡°You really want me to?¡±
¡°Yes, Kate, I do.¡±
Kate relaxed and focussed on Pete. He did truly want her to look, he wasn''t very sure why. He''d been fascinated with the idea of mind-reading before he''d become a Christian but hadn''t felt comfortable talking about it after. He felt incredibly grateful for the trust she''d shown, they''d all shown. And the fact that she''d said she didn''t want to lose him was singing happily through his mind at every level, as he looked forward to buying dozens of roses her.
¡°Dozens of roses?¡± Kate smiled at him. ¡°You silly old romantic, you.¡±
¡°I don''t like the thought of secrets between us, Kate. Thank you for sharing yours with me. But John, how did you receive the gift?¡±
¡°My fault,¡± admitted Sarah. ¡°I was falling in love with John when we discovered what was up with me, and I was terrified that it would drive us apart. I prayed that God wouldn''t let that happen. I didn''t think that God would answer like this though.¡±
¡°We don''t know what God''s planning, Pete,¡± John added. ¡°But he''s now got three of us with this gift working in an institute that was set up to investigate mental phenomena two centuries ago. The Institute has never discovered anyone with anything provable, but here we are. Three of us in a week.¡±
¡°And what will you do now?¡± Pete asked.
¡°Document, research, explore, work out some kind of ethical framework,¡± Kate listed, ¡°publish experimental results and probably some kind of popular level descriptions too. We''ll need to call for independent verification so we''re taken more seriously, maybe push the government for some sort of legal framework so that people can rest easier in their beds. Perhaps even at an international level. Just as long as we don''t end up with compulsory registration and the potential for witch-hunts.¡±
The waiter came out bringing the plates. It looked good and once it had all arrived and they began to eat they agreed it was as tasty as it looked.
¡°Have you thought of getting someone to take on the public relations side of things?¡± Pete asked. ¡°Press conferences, that sort of thing? There could be a lot of misinformation out there to counter.¡±
¡°Oh no. You''re right. It could turn into a full time job, couldn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes, it could. You''re going to need someone who can do political lobbying too, probably. Shake hands, meet and greet, report, presentations, that sort of thing. Increased security too, probably.¡±
¡°I hope that''s already taken care of at least,¡± Kate said.
¡°Really? How come?¡±
¡°The Institute has some significant clients. We''ve had to keep systems up to date to keep their security forces happy.¡±
¡°Wow.¡± Pete let that bit of information sink in. Individuals don''t have a security force, states do. ¡°Maybe you don''t need the political lobbying then. Just talk nicely to your clients.¡±
¡°But you''re right really. We need someone to pitch the tone of our disclosure document properly.¡±
Pete said, ¡°I bet a cartoon captioned, ¡®Ooh, listen to what he''s thinking¡¯ would be quite low down the list of possible approaches.¡±
¡°Yes. More like, ¡®You''ve trusted us with your innermost secrets for years. Our standards haven''t changed.¡¯¡±
¡°That would be a nice reassuring one, I can see that working. Maximise the limitations of this gift, the ethical character of the individuals concerned, their deep commitment to ethical use.¡±
¡°Pete, you''re talking like you know this field.¡±
¡°Well, I needed to do something to pay the bills, Kate.¡±
¡°I thought you were going to be a great artist?¡±
¡°Another dream that needed a few decades'' postponement. The cakes are my first successful artistic venture, and although I love to do things like the cake I did of you, it wouldn''t pay the bills even if I could charge ten times the normal price.¡±
¡°Oh Pete, I''m sorry. Tell you what, I couldn''t bear to destroy your labour. Put it in the shop window as a demonstration of what you can do.¡±
¡°And show my normal customers they''re getting third rate stuff?¡±
¡°No, show the ultra rich they can get better. Call it your hand-crafted limited edition range or something like that.¡±
¡°I''d have to. It took so much time that I wouldn''t be able to make more than a couple of them a month without closing my shop. It did feel great though, like I was producing real art. Thank you for keeping it.¡±
¡°Sorry for butting in, but why don''t you employ a student to help with the boring stuff?¡± Sarah suggested. ¡°Then you can concentrate on the real artistry yourself. And do a bit of freelance PR work for us if you need extra cash.¡±
¡°Are you serious? It might work. Would your director need much convincing to hire a PR consultant?¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t expect so,¡± John answered. ¡°What do you think, Kate? A dozen red roses?¡±
¡°Don''t be silly, John,¡± Kate replied, ¡°that would be a bribe, I''d get into all sorts of trouble. I''ll have to settle for his adoration instead. We would need to get you clearance first. You don''t have any dodgy contacts, do you?¡±
¡°No, no one dodgy as far as I know. You''re the director? They just said you were one of their longest serving colleagues.¡±
¡°Ah, that''s my lovely sneaky kids!¡± Kate grinned.
¡°Kids? I thought...¡± Pete hesitated.
¡°Oh, only metaphorically,¡± she clarified. ¡°We''re a fairly close-knit bunch of misfits and some of them still need their nose wiping sometimes. They call me their matriarch and I call them my kids when they''re particularly adorable or sneaky.¡±
¡°Or totally lacking in forethought,¡± John added.
¡°Yes, that one too.¡±
¡°Thank you for the meal, Kate. It was delicious,¡± John said. ¡°But I think we''re not going to have time for dessert. Our small-group are meeting at my house tonight, so I''d better not be late.¡±
¡°Oh well, I don''t need the calories anyway. Pete, have you got somewhere you''ve got to be, or do you want to come along too?¡±
¡°Well, if you don''t mind a spy from another church, John?¡±
¡°We have the same Master, share one Spirit, and there is only one Church universal, Pete. Be welcome.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 23: Predestination
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 23:Predestination
Wednesday evening
John introduced Sarah to the group''s members as they arrived. There were some familiar faces from Sunday, but perhaps two thirds of the fifteen who arrived after Arwood and Hannah were new. Since on Sunday Sarah had been John''s friend (or totally unknown) and now, barely three days later, she was his fianc¨¦e, there were inevitably surprise and questions along with the congratulations. Why had he said nothing about her last week? Barely met each other to be engaged in under a week? What were they thinking?
Once everyone had arrived, John told the simplified version of the tale he''d been delaying until then: ¡°Well, to start with, God seems to have been doing something in my heart for the past month. Kate here declared it to be love before first sight. I don''t know what else to describe it as. Sarah here''s scream is all that warned me to try and get Sally under the table during the attack. I felt I owed her a debt, but it was far more than that. I was sure that my long term happiness depended on her being well. Then when we met, she found herself acting out of character. It was like we''d known each other for years, we just clicked, when we''d only just met. People have used the phrase ''a match made in heaven,'' but it felt much too crazy. I still didn''t want to let myself admit that what I felt might be love. And then the Lord led Sarah to rebuke me using words He''d used about letting go of Sally. That got my attention. And then of course there was the bit about the wedding ring.¡± He glanced at Sarah who took over the narration.
¡°We were about to do a test at the Institute, and as an example John said ¡®suppose I said, ''I''ll give you a ring.¡¯ And I heard my lips saying what colour box it was in and where John kept it.¡±
¡°It was Sally''s wedding ring,¡± supplied John. ¡°That sort of prompting does tend to focus the mind. Oh, did I ever tell any of you about the engagement ring I got Sally, that the jeweller had been so proud his daughter had been able to make?¡±
¡°That was a long time ago, John, but it rings a bell,¡± offered Margaret.
¡°Then let me introduce the creator of that ring. I''d almost forgotten myself, and then Sarah was telling me about how sometimes her dad had sold apprentice work cheaply, and then told me about her making a ring, and her dad saying it was very good and that he''d sell it.¡±
¡°I didn''t really believe Dad when he told me that he had, but here''s the evidence. This is the ring I made.¡±
¡°It sounds like God has something in mind for you two,¡± Margaret offered.
¡°It does seem like the Lord of history has been working hard to bring them together.¡± Arwood agreed.
¡°Working hard, or just being more obvious than usual?¡± asked Hannah.
¡°I don''t know which,¡± Kate said, ¡°but I do know Sarah here helped me put my trust in Jesus this afternoon after years of John''s words being like so much water off a duck''s back, and that this evening another coincidence introduced me to Pete here, who I stopped talking to after he became a Christian back in college. In case you missed the introductions, I''m Kate, I''ve been John''s boss for the last six years or so, and he''s not allowed to tell you that if you know where he works.¡±
John added, ¡°and Pete''s decided to abandon West Grove Church this evening so he can spy on us instead. Though I suspect it''s more to do with Kate''s coming here.¡±
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After everyone had been introduced again, Arwood spoke: ¡°To all these coincidences, I''d like to point out another. Anyone apart from John here remember the topic we''re due to discuss tonight?¡±
Margaret''s eyes twinkled as she said, ¡°I don''t remember but I bet it''s predestination!¡±
¡°It almost has to be, doesn''t it?¡± asked Sarah.
¡°How long ago did we first plan this, Arwood?¡± John asked.
¡°Well, it was on last year''s list, but it got pushed later and later by different things that came up. Then there were the Advent series and Easter series. And then it had been due to be last week, but we had so much to talk about a fortnight ago that we all decided to have another week on the fruit of the Spirit. So, there we are. It''s just a coincidence resulting from the umpteen separate exercises of our free will.¡±
¡°Which decisions God predestined according to His great mercy,¡± Hannah supplemented.
A pained expression passed over Arwood''s face. ¡°Yes, darling, that''s the topic, but let''s wait until we''ve looked up some passages, can we?¡± he begged. ¡°Margaret, will you open in prayer, please?¡±
After the meeting was over, John asked, ¡°Well, Sarah, Kate, Pete, did you enjoy our happy little debate?¡±
¡°I wish you''d have come to a conclusion as to which one is true,¡± Kate moaned. ¡°Everything Arwood said sounded right, and everything Hannah said sounded right too, but they were disagreeing. And while I''m generally in favour of neutral chairing of debates, this one was really confusing.¡±
¡°Why can''t they both be right, Kate?¡± asked Pete. ¡°It''s illogical, that''s why!¡±
¡°But you became a Christian of your own free will, didn''t you?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And your asking to know God''s peace like I do? Who forced you to do that?¡±
¡°No one,¡± Kate replied. ¡°It was my own silly thoughtless tongue which landed me in I don''t know what trouble.¡±
¡°Well, there you are then. They''re both true,¡± Sarah concluded happily.
¡°I''m missing something here, I think. Why does my exercise of free will mean they''re both true?¡±
¡°Didn''t you notice a total lack of surprise about your gift on either of our faces, Kate?¡± John asked.
¡°Come to think of it, you weren''t surprised, were you? Own up, why not? Had you been praying that I''d get your gift too?¡±
¡°No, Kate. It''s just that when we discovered our gift way back on Monday, God told us that you''d join us in having it when you became a Christian. We didn''t know when that''d be of course, but we did know you were destined to get the gift.¡±
¡°And you didn''t tell me? Why not? Because you thought it might have scared me away or seemed like a bribe?¡±
¡°Neither,¡± John replied. ¡°Just that God told us not to. It seems like God wanted you here, Kate, of your own free will, with your predestined gift.¡±
¡°But they can''t both be right, surely.¡±
¡°Kate, have you heard of the grandfather paradox in time travel?¡± Pete asked.
¡°I''m sure I have. Something about going back and killing your grandfather?¡±
¡°Yes, before he met your grandmother. It was supposed to prove that time travel can''t happen. There are a few different solutions. One suggests you start a new universe if you do anything at all in history. I think that one is a bit of a cop-out myself. Another suggests that you utterly fail to do it, possibly fatally to you. A third suggests that it was your abysmal failure to kill him that causes him to meet your gran. I like that one.¡±
¡°What does this have to do with predestination? I don''t understand.¡±
¡°If there is a single line of history then your actions might seem to you to be arising from free will, but still they can be entirely fixed and predestined. Look at the last one. If your actions are what cause your grandparents to meet, then on the one hand you''re predestined to do it, but it all stems from free will. God has never said that He won''t interfere in history. Quite the opposite, in fact. Because He is outside of time and can see what is to happen, He is able to give prophesies to us too. He can make sure the circumstances exist that lead you to a certain decision at the right time, but it is still your decision. He does not force you. But He is God, even if most of the time His miracles are limited to keeping the earth turning and the stars in their places. He can equally act sovereignly, for example, to ensure these guys put this discussion off by a week. And if you still don''t get it, take a peek and do it the easy way.¡±
He saw her eyes glaze over and return to normal. ¡°Thank you, Pete. I don''t think I fully understand. But I think my concept of God just got bigger.¡±
¡°Well, that''s never a bad thing,¡± John said with a smile.
Serendipity / Ch. 24: Karen
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 24: Karen
Friday 14th July, 2271
Kate looked up from her work. She hated this sort of administrative form filling with a passion, especially on Friday, but that hadn''t been what had distracted her. She listened with her mind. Had someone called? Was it another of the threesome? Some called them the holy trinity, which they objected to forcefully, others the three musketeers, which at least wasn''t blasphemous, but hardly fitted.
In the last weeks, they had become more adept in using their gift. They''d found how to read people''s surface thoughts without touch but without the full invasion of privacy that they''d found initially, or without such a high risk to their own health. They''d also found that by this mode they could talk to each other at a distance of up to a few kilometres, perhaps more. If they focussed just right they could also check if someone was OK without reading any thoughts. They''d also learned how to give better directed mind-shouts ¡ª they could call either to just one of the others seemingly wherever they were, or what seemed like it might be to people in a certain area. That was difficult to prove with just the three of them, of course. Kate called Sarah and John. Had they heard anything?
No, they''d been working with Horrace on his latest attempt at replicating Sarah''s old tiara. So far without success, it seemed.
She reached out and felt for Pete''s mind. He''d been true to his word about no secrets and had declared that he''d allow Kate to read his mind any time she liked, as long as it wasn''t just being nosy. He was at work in the cakeshop. All seemed at peace there. No alternative. [Sarah, help me look at a memory, please!] she called.
Sarah had turned out to be the most adept at this, dredging up things from a memory that Kate or John couldn''t work out themselves. Sarah came and together they sorted through what Kate remembered. It was tricky, but eventually they found it. Kate had indeed heard something. A cry for help.
[John, come please, it was a cry for help.] Sarah called. If Sarah had proven the best at sorting memories, then John had better control over his ¡®ears,¡¯ and they''d found that listening together was best by far.
¡°John,¡± Kate started, ¡°it seems that I heard a very faint cry for help, source unknown. Let''s first go down the staff list, narrow focus, just check they''re all OK.¡±
That didn''t take long, and they didn''t find anything either. ¡°Next, we''ll go through the people we''ve talked to about this, disclosure list, clients too. Not Pete, he''s fine.¡±
[OK, Kate. (you got another rose today, I see) One of you ladies can multi-task and tell me who to look for, and I''ll do the focussing.]
[Arwood.]
[OK.]
[Hannah.]
[OK.]
[Teresa.]
[OK.]
And so it went on, down through the list of people that were most likely to think of mentally shouting for help. Then there were people that they knew had been informed ¡ª the judge Teresa had talked to and government officials and senior officers in various police and armed forces. The list ran into hundreds, but within five minutes they''d checked and found no sense of danger from anyone, although they had felt some frustration from a set of government officials who they guessed were in the same meeting. With extreme caution they checked on the well-being of heads of states and security forces. Nothing. Since the paper they were preparing was still only half finished, they weren''t known generally. It was obviously a call from someone who had no knowledge of them. They prayed for wisdom and just listened. There it was once more. Very much clearer now they were all listening together.
[O God, help me please. Send someone to get me out. Help! I don''t want to die, God. My throat hurts from screaming, God. Let someone hear me, please.] A woman''s mind-voice. They heard the cry, but this wasn''t something they''d done before. How did you focus on a voice? Was it possible? They prayed and they tried. They couldn''t focus on ¡®that voice,¡¯ it didn''t work. [What if we call her ¡®Damsel (in distress)?''], suggested Sarah. They tried. For some reason with a name it worked. They found her, sort of. She had gone exploring in an old railway tunnel. She''d got lost, panicked and stepped into a hole, had possibly broken her leg. She couldn''t walk on it anyway. She''d left her wrist unit at home along with her panic button. But which tunnel? Unless she thought of it just while they looked, there was no way they''d find out. There were miles of tunnels.
[I''ve got an idea. What if we try to mind-shout her, get her to think it to us?]
[She''d never hear, surely?]
[There''s always the chance she has the gift, isn''t there? Her cry came to us. That''s pretty unusual.]
[It can''t hurt.]
[Kate, you''re probably the right one to lead this.]
[OK, let''s try. John, you listen to surface thoughts. Sarah, I''d like you to scan as deep as you can at this distance, once I stop thinking to her.]
Kate thought at ¡®Damsel¡¯ as loudly as she could.
[Hello, we heard you, where are you?]
John heard her thoughts, disbelief. How could someone be that close and not know? It didn''t make sense! Why whisper? Why was there no echo?
Sarah got no position, just the confusion, pain, the regret about leaving things at home, about exploring these tunnels at all. John heard, [Why hadn''t she told anyone? What a stupid adventure! Go exploring and die!]
[We don''t want you to die, silly], Sarah mind-shouted at her, [just tell us where you went in.]
[Who? How? What are you?]
[You prayed to be heard. God''s given the three of us the ability to hear thoughts. We heard. We''re just people. I''m Sarah.]
[I''m delirious, aren''t I? Does that mean I''m going to die soon?]
[Not if you''ll tell us where to send the rescue team to, dear,] Kate said. [By the way, I''m Kate, what''s your name?]
[I''ve never had delusions before. It''s not like I imagined.]
[We''re not delusions, we''re people sitting in the director''s office at the Institute for the Human Mind, talking to someone who''s hurt her leg, but won''t tell us where she is. It''s pretty hard what we''re doing. Please tell us soon, I don''t think we can do it much longer.]
[OK, delusion, I''m Karen, I got in through a tunnel near West Street.]
[OK, Karen. If we can''t convince the police then it might be the army. I don''t know how long it''ll take. We''ll be back in touch when we can.]
[Bye, delusion Kate, bye, delusion Sarah.]
[John, you seem tired. Focus on peace, please.] John did, and found the disturbing sense of heat was there, not much, but some.
[Some heat, love] he told Sarah. [Check yourself too, and Kate.]
They checked, and seemed to be OK. Kate called the police station. They weren''t prepared to waste valuable police time going on a wild goose chase down the tunnels just because of an anonymous tip off about a student going down and not come up yet. Where did she get that information from?
¡°You wouldn''t believe me.¡±
¡°Try me, madam.¡±
¡°God let some colleagues of mine hear her praying. She''s probably got a broken leg, and she went in by the tunnel near West Street.¡±
¡°Wasting police time is a criminal act, madam. Goodbye.¡±
¡°He didn''t believe me,¡± Kate told Sarah.
¡°Any clients with the right connections?¡±
¡°Well, there''s someone in the accounts department in the right ministry, but I think the local army base commander''s a better bet. I''ll call him.¡±
¡°Good afternoon, Colonel, Kate here from IHM. Yes. You''ve read our disclosure statement? Yes, sir, that''s right, we''re serious, and we''re as committed to security as ever. But right now I''m actually calling about something else. Our mind-reading team here heard someone calling for help, young woman broke her leg somewhere in the railway tunnels. Left her wrist unit at home of course. Is there any chance some of your lads need some underground search and rescue practice? Thank you, sir, thank you very much. Yes, I''ll talk to our team and get you any more information from her that we can.¡±
¡°He''d like to know which way she started going. The sniffer dogs have a better chance of picking her up that way.¡±
They joined minds again. [Karen, how are you?]
[Hi, delusion Kate. Not too much to drink any more. I''m pretty sure my leg is broken. I can''t walk on it and it''s swelling.]
[OK, the colonel at the barracks is going to stir up some troops to come and find you. But he''d like to know, did you turn left or right at the first junction?]
[I don''t remember, I got all turned around.]
[OK, Karen. Sarah, can you try?]
[Karen, if it''s OK with you, I''d like to try and read your memory of when you entered the tunnel. I know I could do it if you were here, but I''m not sure I can do it at such a distance. Can I try?]
[OK, yes, you can try.]
[OK. Please think of going into the tunnel now.]
Sarah looked, supported by the others, and saw the confusion which overlaid the original memory. Karen had planned to go left at each turning but she''d actually gone right at that first one because she''d been looking at the map she had and hadn''t seen the split. She''d found it on the way back though, a tunnel where there should have been a solid wall. That had thrown her into a panic and thinking this wasn''t the way she''d entered she''d tried running back to find where she''d missed her turning, and then she''d fallen.
[Sarah, focus on peace now, love.]
[You got all that?]
[Yes, you cool down now, that wasn''t a short check.]
Sarah focussed on peace, and found John was right. She''d been pushing herself hard to get everything from that link that she could, and needed to rest.
[Karen,] Kate sent, [Sarah''s worn herself out and is having a rest, but we''ve got a good idea where you are now.]
[OK, delusion Kate, I guess I''ll see if you''re real soon then.]
[I''ll just talk to the colonel.]
[Take care, Karen] John added.
[Who was that?]
[I''m John, Sarah''s my fianc¨¦e.]
[Now I know I''m delirious. John at church has a fianc¨¦e called Sarah.]
[Oh, you''re at Gateway? Talk to Arwood if you don''t believe us, but please don''t tell anyone else our names. The soldiers don''t know them. We''re just the team from IHM to them. It''s safer for us that way. I need to rest now, Karen.]
[Bye, delusions!]
[See you at church!]
Kate finished her call.
¡°She knows us, Kate, from church. I think we should either go and meet her when they get her out or ask Arwood to meet her. I asked her not to name names, but I don''t know. If the guys actually carrying her out start asking questions...¡±
¡°She''s going to find it hard not to name names, yes.¡± Kate thought a bit. ¡°OK, lets ask Arwood or Hannah to be there, and also Teresa.¡±
¡°That''s a good idea. And Kate, if Karen does have some abilities in this direction, should we be employing her?¡±
¡°We can''t employ everyone we rescue, John, and going into those tunnels without any tech or telling someone isn''t the most level headed thing to do.¡±
¡°No, but if she does have even the partial gift, then we''d have someone else to help with the experiments.¡±
¡°OK, John. Let''s talk to Arwood and Teresa first.¡±
[Karen, how are you?]
[Hi, Kate, do I really hear people coming?]
[I expect so, Karen. I told the colonel where to look for you. But Karen, this thing we''re doing is new and scary. And people in the army know that some people here have the gift, we''ve told them that much, but we don''t want to be dissected. We''re pretty sure it''s a spiritual gift. At least, I only got it when I turned to Christ. Please feel free to natter incessantly to your rescuers, but do try hard not to name us, OK dear?]
[Urm OK, Kate, I''ll try.]
[We''ve asked Arwood to be around for moral support when you come out, and also Teresa, our legal advisor, in case they try anything underhand to get you to name names. Oh, what''s your job by the way?]
[Thanks. This isn''t seeming real right now, Kate. My job? I''ve just finished my first week as a cleaner at the new mall. I''m still a student and that''s all I could get this summer.]
[Well, it looks like you''ve got a rare ability, Karen. And a big streak of stupidity for going down there unprepared. I can''t promise anything yet without a lot more discussion, but if you''ve got enough excuses for this and manage to hold your tongue, then we''ll probably want to find you a better summer job than cleaning floors.]
[So I break my leg and get a better job offer in return? This can''t be real!]
[So, how long have you been able to hear other people''s thoughts?]
[I can''t!]
[Then how come we''re talking, dear?]
[See, that proves it, I''m having delusions, and the lights I can see are just figments of my imagination. Help, I''m here!]
[Talk to you later, girl. Do try not to name names, please. Oh, and if you hear them thinking, then it''s probably best if you don''t let on. Skin contact usually does it. They might drop you or decide you need dissecting!] Karen shouted once more and then heard a returning shout. The army, or at least a squad of four soldiers came round the corner following a dog.
¡°You all right, luv? Hop onto the stretcher, will you? I know you''re supposed to have a broken leg like the colonel said, but it''s a lot easier if you get on yourself.¡±
¡°I can''t, I think my leg''s broken.¡±
¡°Oh, come on, luv, I know it''s a training exercise,¡± he said.
¡°''Ere, Burt,¡± said the second soldier, who''d actually been looking at her legs, (for the wrong reasons, Karen suspected) ¡°either she''s a very good make up artist or she''s got a broken leg. Look at that swelling there, looks just like Jimbo''s arm did when he fell off the net last month.¡±
¡°Oh great!¡± Burt said and then swore some more.
¡°Sorry, luv, we was so certain this was a training exercise with one of our guys pretending to be a victim that we''ve only got the light stretcher with us. Henry here had the brilliant idea that if we left the splints and med kit half way back down the tunnel, we could bandage the so-called victim up there and it''d save us lugging everything here and back. Then we''d help his memory that it all went according to the book by buying him a few rounds in thanks.¡±
¡°So how do you get me to the splints?¡±
¡°No can do, luv, can''t risk it. Someone''s got to go back and get them.¡±
¡°And if we do that,¡± the man who Burt had pointed to as Henry said, ¡°we''re going to have to put ourselves on report, ¡®cause we''ve got trackers on us, in case we get lost.¡±
¡°Is it really that dangerous?¡± Karen asked, not wanting to get these men in trouble.
¡°Depends on the break, luv. It should be splinted.¡±
¡°Could try a boyscout splint, if the lady''s willing,¡± said Henry.
¡°What''s that?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Improvised splint. We find a couple of bits of wood, and tie them on with our neck scarves, only we don''t have any, or bits of wood.¡±
¡°Well there''s that thing in the hole I tripped over, Karen pointed at the obstacle, some kind of wooden stick like a broom handle.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°Hey, that''s just the ticket. You sure we can try this, luv?¡±
¡°I want to see the sky, Burt, I''m fed up with hurting and sitting here in this tunnel. I''ve been here hours. I''m Karen, by the way. Get me out of here, please.¡±
¡°I''m Arnold,¡± the second soldier said and made the rest of the introductions. ¡°Just scream if it hurts too much, Karen. And we can do it the proper way.¡± He used his belt to strap her leg to the wood. As he did it Karen heard his thoughts. It was a good thing Kate had warned her about it. [Stupid Harry for wanting to leave the rescue kit back there. Stupid Burt for agreeing. Karen is a real sport, nice legs too. Silly place to be wandering alone, she could get hurt. Duh, had got hurt.]
She almost laughed at his mental monologue but it turned into a hiss of pain as he tightened the belt.
¡°Sorry, Karen. We don''t want your break getting worse. One more pull, I''m afraid.¡±
¡°Ow!¡± said Karen weakly as he pulled again. [How are you, Karen? I heard you thinking ''Ow'' just now.] Kate''s voice came to her.
[Do you hear me?] Karen thought, not using her voice for the first time.
[Yes, I hear you.]
[Thanks for sending the army. These guys are not going to quiz me, I think. They''re too concerned about getting caught leaving half their equipment back down the tunnel.]
[What?]
[They thought it would be a training exercise and left some stuff behind. They were going to buy the fake victim''s silence with a few drinks, I think.]
[That''s not good. But they''ve splinted your leg properly, I hope.]
[I didn''t want to make trouble, so I let them improvise a splint.]
[Well, it''s your leg. Take care, Karen.]
[Bye, Kate. Oh, I heard Arnold''s thoughts when he touched my leg.]
[First name terms and he''s already pawing at your leg? Be careful there, Karen!]
[Kate! When he was splinting my leg, not stroking it.]
[Just teasing, dear.]
[But come to think of it, he''s angry at the others for being so lazy, and he''s not swearing like the others either, so maybe he''s a Christian.]
[Even if he is, Karen, there are plenty of them in the church, I think. That doesn''t quite qualify him as your one true knight in shining armour, dear, and this ability you''ve now got could ruin a perfectly feasible relationship, I''m afraid.]
[How?]
[Never heard the expression ¡®witch hunt,¡¯ my dear? There are many many people who find the idea of someone poking around in their innermost thoughts a mite scary.]
¡°Karen, Karen, are you OK?¡± Arnold was looking concerned.
¡°Yes, I think so.¡±
¡°Just you seemed to be staring into space. I wondered if you were passing out on us.¡±
¡°Um, no, I don''t think so. It just hurts lots. I''m not looking forward to you putting me on that stretcher.¡±
¡°If it''s any comfort, we aren''t either.¡±
¡°What''s the plan?¡±
¡°Bert and Henry lift a knee each,¡± said the dog handler. ¡°I lift your shoulders, and Saint Arnold here gets to arrange your legs into the right position, the lucky boy. And the dog stays still, don''t you, my clever boy?¡± He scratched the dog behind his ears. Karen wasn''t sure if Arnold had said his name was Matt or Mutt. It had sounded like Mutt, but that wasn''t his real name surely.
¡°Saint Arnold?¡±
¡°They call me that. I''m a Christian.¡±
¡°Me too, but also a stupid fool for coming in here to explore,¡± Kate admitted.
¡°You said it, babe, a total idiot,¡± Burt agreed, insultingly. ¡°Lift on three, lads, one, two, three!¡±
They lifted her and Arnold tried to arrange her leg carefully. She overheard his thoughts, even while she was moaning in pain.
[Burt didn''t need to insult Karen like that. OK, she was an idiot, but you don''t need to grind her face in it. Especially since she''s trying to keep us out of trouble. Wish we''d met under better circumstances.]
¡°Which church do you go to?¡± he asked.
¡°Gateway,¡± she gasped through the pain. Talk about bad timing!
¡°Oh yeah, I know it.¡±
[Full of wishy washy ¡®born again¡¯ types with no real moral backbone. Wouldn''t go there if you paid me. Well, that explains the trespassing. Didn''t think the rules applied to her.]
Karen whimpered in pain. Emotional as well as physical. And she realised that Kate had been right. Hearing that dismissive unspoken thought had broken reality onto her too painfully. Even if he did decide to pursue a relationship, she wasn''t going to be swept off her feet like she would have been a few minutes earlier. He''d rejected her church family, the people she worshipped with. She wasn''t sure what sort of Christian he was, but he wasn''t her sort.
[Kate, you were right, but I wish you weren''t] she mentally shouted. [Hey, you''re getting better at this, Karen. I heard you without even listening that time.]
[Eh?]
[Before, I was focussing my attention on you, like trying to pick up a whisper in a noisy room. Very hard it was too. But you''re doing it right now, girl. We only learnt that trick just over a week or so ago. But what was I right about, Arnold?]
[Yes. He was so kind, and the others were calling him a Saint, and it seemed like we were getting on well, and then he asked which church I went to and it was horrible. He was so dismissive in his thoughts, ¡®That explains the trespass.¡¯ It hurt so much. But I don''t even know why I''m telling you this. I''m sorry.] [Not many other people you could turn to, dear, but it''s OK. When I''m not shuffling paperwork, my job''s a psycho-counsellor after all.]
[You are? But... I thought computers did that these days.]
[Mostly they do. I mostly deal with ¡ª or rather because I''ve been given this job full of horrible forms ¡ª I dealt with hard cases and rich types who wouldn''t trust a computer.] [Ha, I shouldn''t have trusted a computer.]
[What?]
[Confront my fears, it said. That''s what got me into this horrible tunnel in the first place.]
[I think we need to talk about this later, Karen.]
[OK. I''ll stop pretending to have passed out. It really hurts now we''re moving.]
[I''m not sure if this''ll work at this distance, but you might like to try relaxing something you don''t know you have and focussing on peace. Like this. {fuzzy}]
[I got something fuzzy.]
[Hmm, well, try relaxing into a warm fuzzy mental blanket and think of peace. If it works, it might help with a lot of things. It''s the most wonderful part of the gift. Lord, help her learn to use the gift You''ve given her, I pray.]
Karen tried to follow Kate''s instructions, but her leg hurt so, and so did her heart from the mental bruising. Relaxing wasn''t available to her right now. [Kate, I can''t do it.]
[Sarah, John, can you help Karen know peace from her pain? She''s just been mind shouting me like she''s been doing it for a fortnight.]
[Karen,] John thought, [first repent of any outstanding sins. You know from Scripture that Jesus¡¯ blood is able to cleanse you from each and every one. And then imagine you''re being wrapped in the loving arms of God, that He wants to comfort you and reassure you that you''re His child. You know this is true from Scripture, and think of the peace of God that is better than understanding. This is a part of the gift which we three have and believe you have also. His peace He left with us, may His grace and peace dwell in you richly. I pray that you, who are a woman of God and servant of the Most High, a co-heir with Christ, might receive the blessing of this gift from your heavenly Father.]
Karen realised that John''s first instruction had been so right, she needed to repent of ignoring Kate''s wise warning and of her foolish joy that Arnold has thought her legs were attractive. That''s not what should have made her attractive. And while she was paying in pain for her stupidity, she knew that God had forgiven her when she''d repented earlier. She asked the Father''s forgiveness, and thought of John''s words, relaxed into the truth of them, of God''s great love even for her. And she thought about that peace, and realised that she could indeed sense it, that peace that was so deep it could swallow any silly worries whole. And such a strong peace that it would give strength to the weakest heart. Even the throbbing pain in her leg was reduced in the light of that mightier peace. Here, she realised, was a part of the miracle of martyrs refusing to surrender their faith, and even sing hymns while being burned or stoned. There was a great purpose to this peace, and she felt humbled that she could have a taste of it. Her petty concerns were not worthy of bringing here, but she knew that even so, she wouldn''t be refused. She returned to the mundane pain filled world, with an inner strength she''d never known before. They were still making their way down the tunnel. And somehow she knew that she must challenge Arnold''s graceless faith. Just how, she didn''t know.
¡°Are you all right? You seem to have been unconscious,¡± he asked her, ever courteous, as was his stern duty, he felt. ¡°I don''t think I was unconscious, so much as conscious of other things.¡±
¡°Too much pain to bear?¡± he guessed.
¡°I started going in that selfish direction, and then repented of my sin and became aware of just how trivial our pain is.¡±
¡°Eh?¡± Burt hadn''t heard of anyone calling a broken leg trivial before. Agony yes, but trivial?
¡°Well just think, Jesus, the sinless Son of God, took on our sins and wasn''t just tortured to death but also experienced separation from God the Father. The eternal Trinity broken so we could be saved. Just think of that pain. Jesus sweat blood just thinking about it, but still he still went through with it. Jesus thought that pain was worth it so that we could be saved. And that we could be forgiven for stupid things like me listening to a computer psych program which told me to go down a tunnel to conquer my fear of the dark. And for more significant sins like years of refusing to accept God''s existence or forgiveness, expecting God to accept us because we''d worshipped duty instead of loving him, insulting Christ by thinking we could earn our salvation, or spitting in his face and telling him to get lost every day of our lives. ¡°If we had our heads screwed on right then we''d be willing to have a leg cut off with a blunt spoon if that would let us earn eternal forgiveness, but often people are so wrong-headed that they would rather ignore forgiveness than accept the humiliation of admitting that we got it wrong. So, human pain is considered by lots of people trivial compared to humiliation, but pain and humiliation is really entirely trivial compared to salvation.¡±
¡°What drug are you on, lady?¡± Mutt asked. ¡°And can I have some?¡±
Burt said, ¡°It''s the endorphins, body''s painkillers, like heroin, they say.¡±
¡°Not drugs, you heathen!¡± Henry said. ¡°This little lady''s your genuine article Christian. Bet you if we slapped one cheek she''d offer us the other one. Here she is, must be in agony, and she couldn''t care two hoots if we dropped her, just as long as we got right with God. Sorry, Arnold, I ain''t going to call you Saint any more. I know you try but I think we''ve got the genuine article here.¡±
¡°I''ve been rebuked,¡± Arnold said, ¡°and I''m going to hold my tongue. But if you drop her, then I''m gong to carry this lady out if it''s the last thing I do.¡±
¡°Better response might be to do what she said, Arnold. I know I''m going to, just as soon as I get home,¡± Henry declared.
¡°What do you mean, do what she says?¡± Arnold asked.
¡°Admit yer wrong, numbskull, let Jesus into your heart, like my kiddies sing when they come home from Sunday school.¡±
¡°Is that why you''re waiting ¡®till you get home, Henry? To talk to your kids?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Naah, I''m silly romantic, me, I want to let my wife tell me what to pray.¡±
¡°Yez a great burke then, Henry!¡± Burt said. ¡°She''s going to be right pleased if we tell her what you said after you''ve had a tree fall on yer half way home, ain''t she? Call ¡®er when we get little lassie here out, or even better when we stop to put the right splint on her. That way I can say we had to stop for you to make peace with yer maker.¡±
¡°I won''t lie about why we stopped, but if they don''t ask, I won''t tell,¡± Henry said.
¡°I might have to tell,¡± Arnold said. ¡°My duty to tell the medics sometime.¡±
¡°Well, just do it in private then,¡± said Burt, ¡°not with the CO in earshot.¡±
¡°I''ll try, Burt, but if the CO stays in earshot, I still need to tell them.¡±
¡°Does it matter?¡± Karen asked.
¡°We appreciate it, Karen, but it might matter, yes.¡±
¡°I think my leg''s going numb,¡± Karen said.
¡°I need to check her, guys,¡± Arnold said, ¡°I might have got the belt too tight.¡±
¡°Down we go then!¡±
Arnold checked, and his guess had been right. He needed to loosen the belts.
¡°This''ll hurt, Karen, I''m sorry.¡±
¡°Do it,¡± she said and sought peace. Even there the shot of pain was significant, but the peace let her endure it. She returned reciting Psalm 23 under her breath. But she hadn''t realised that he needed to loosen both ends. The second end hurt a lot. It was all very well to call pain trivial from the insulation of wallowing in the peace of God, but in this world of pain she felt its full bite. She also knew the truth of her earlier thoughts. God''s peace reached out to her and carried her through. His rod and staff comforted her. Tears ran down her face, but she was able to hold back the scream. ¡°Ow...,¡± she said weakly. ¡°That hurt, and still hurts. What happened?¡±
¡°It''s a risk with an improvised splint, Karen. I needed to tie it tight, but I overdid it and cut your circulation. I''m sorry.¡±
¡°Not your fault, Arnold.¡±
¡°Then whose? I''m the only one with any medical training, and I let myself give in to Henry''s scheme. By rights you should have pain killers and anti-inflammatories in your system by now, but no, they stayed behind. And I''m the one who tied a tourniquet instead of a splint and almost made you lose a leg!¡±
¡°OK, if you really want the credit then we''ll admit it was your fault, but I forgive you, so let''s go find that proper splint and those drugs. Please?¡±
¡°OK, let''s go.¡±
A few minutes later they found the med-kit. More pain for Karen, but the proper splint was more comfortable. She accepted the anti-inflammatories, but decided against the pain killers. She had never liked drugs that might affect her thoughts.
Henry was true to his word and called his wife. Karen heard him say that he''d seen a Christian woman suffering and heard her talking about it, and he wanted to be that strong. That he was sorry for calling her weak. Karen felt guilty for eavesdropping and called Kate instead. [Hi, Kate!]
[You seem happier. How are you?]
[Very very humbled. High on God''s peace, I gave a little speech about how pain isn''t that significant really compared to humiliation and what Christ paid for our salvation. Henry''s just phoning home to pray the prayer with his wife.]
[Praise God! And Arnold?]
[Still going on about duty, responsibility, and so on, but he said something about being rebuked too.]
[Well, not to worry. There''s time yet for him, I expect.]
[I hope so.]
[Still thinking romantic thoughts?]
[No, not at all actually, just don''t want any of them to perish. And since he''s the one known as a Christian, well, you know...]
[He could be putting people off if it''s just a moral code?]
[Yes, exactly. Oops, I''d better start paying attention round here.]
[Chat to you later, Karen.]
¡°Thanks Karen, from me and my wife,¡± Harry was saying.
¡°Thank you, Harry. I um heard what you said about me. I don''t know if it''s true, but it was flattering.¡±
¡°All right, you lot, let''s have a vote. Who agrees with me that Karen here is as strong as anyone on our base? No, I''m not thinking physically, you numbskulls.¡±
¡°She''s certainly as crazy,¡± offered Mutt. ¡°I mean, refusing pain meds? Yeah, OK, she''s toughing it out well, really well.¡±
¡°Yeah, she''s a hardcase,¡± agreed Burt.
¡°Arnold, come on man, out with it.¡±
¡°She''s weak. She''s got herself into a stupid position by taking bad advice, coming down here unprepared. She''d got no backup plan, I wouldn''t be at all surprised if she didn''t even let anyone know she was coming down here. She doesn''t even have her wrist unit on. Total lack of moral fibre and basic common sense. She needs a child minder.¡±
Karen wasn''t particularly surprised. ¡°Now that''s the sort of evaluation that I''d give of myself. I''m not sure about the child minder bit though. So, someone explain the difference between Mr. Perfect here''s version of Christianity and mine?¡±
Burt replied, ¡°Oh you ain''t perfect, Missy, but it looks to me like you''ve got peace with your God about it, and He''s giving you a lot of balls, pardon the expression, to talk to a bunch of squaddies about it.¡±
Henry added, ¡°Of course Arnold ain''t perfect either, but he thinks he needs to be. You rely on God''s forgiveness, just like my missus. Hey, I do too now, that''s great!¡±
¡°When I was out of things earlier, just before my little speech, I was thinking about God''s peace, His forgiveness. I think of it as an enormous lake, big as an ocean, and a single drop is able to make us right with God. I think Arnold might say it''s like this very rare ointment, which you can apply once and it''s gone. Am I right, Arnold?¡±
¡°God might decide to forgive my sins if I''m worthy,¡± Arnold intoned. ¡°Ye great numbskull, Arnold,¡± exploded Henry. ¡°Stop insulting God by thinking you can earn what He freely offers. Ain''t you ever sung Amazing Grace? Listen to the words, man. You know what grace means? An undeserved gift.¡±
¡°I will not dishonour my God by replying in kind, Henry,¡± Arnold said formally, ¡°nor will I subscribe to a gospel of cheap grace that means I can break God''s laws whenever I want to.¡±
¡°I respect you for your stand against sin, Arnold. I wish I had your moral fibre, so I didn''t keep on offending the God whom I love,¡± Karen said. ¡°But I don''t want you to forget that when Jesus said that there was more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner that repented than however many it was that didn''t need to, He was speaking with irony. All have fallen short. But the costly, costly grace that Christ bought with His blood is offered freely to all who repent.¡±
¡°All right, luv, leave off the religion for a bit, will you? Mutt an me are going to get enough of it from Henry here I expect. You go converting our saint here and we''ll ¡®ave to get ourselves kicked out of the army to escape the God talk.¡±
¡°Or you could always turn to God too.¡± Karen pointed out.
¡°Oh, leave off, luv, OK? I''ll think about it.¡±
¡°What I want to know,¡± chipped in Mutt, ¡°is how come we came to get you in the first place. You''ve got no electronics at all, have you?¡±
¡°Well,¡± prevaricated Karen, ¡°I''ve got my light, that counts as electronic, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°All right, smarty. So what did you do? Make sparks in Morse code?¡±
¡°Can you do that?¡± Karen asked. ¡°I never learnt Morse.¡±
¡°I''ve ¡®erd of it being done,¡± Burt said. ¡°Not sure it''d work down here though, anyway. But you didn''t even try?¡±
¡°No, I''m not that resourceful.¡±
¡°So why in heaven are we talking to you and carrying you out?¡± asked Arnold. ¡°By rights you should have tried crawling out or starved to death.¡±
¡°I know. I didn''t know which way was out though, that''s why I fell ¡ª panic. So I was pretty sure I was going to starve. Or die of thirst. It concentrates the mind on important things, imminent death.¡±
¡°I can believe it,¡± Henry agreed. ¡°But how did you get word out?¡±
¡°I prayed. I screamed for help, and then I prayed again when my voice ran out. I prayed that someone would hear me, that somehow I''d be rescued. And here you are. You guys are the eventual answer to my prayers.¡±
¡°Hey,¡± Mutt objected, ¡°I know the colonel thinks he''s important, but you''re not telling me that the big fella''s got him listening in on the prayer line, are you?¡±
¡°No, not exactly. But from what they said there are a few people here in the city to whom God''s recently given the gift of hearing thoughts. They were a bit surprised to hear my cry for help, it''s never happened before. But somehow they know your colonel and rather than laughing ¡®till he was sick he sent you lovely guys.¡±
¡°So that''s what he meant about checking some dubious signals intel,¡± Burt muttered.
¡°Oh come on, Burt,¡± Mutt objected, ¡°you don''t believe this cock and bull story! It''s got to be a set up. The girl''s a bloody good actress, and there was some kind of evaluation team just round the corner to see how we did.¡±
¡°Actress willing to break her leg? I don''t think so,¡± Henry replied.
¡°So it''s not a real break! Very good make-up like Arnold said.¡±
¡°Funny make-up that. The swelling has gone down since I gave her the jab,¡±
Arnold offered, but Karen saw he was looking at her in horror.
She was fairly sure she didn''t want to know what he was thinking. It probably involved whether his duty was to rescue her or not allow her to live.
¡°So, these mind readers, where''s their coven?¡± he eventually asked.
¡°Coven, Arnold?¡± Henry asked. ¡°Didn''t you hear the lady? God given gift. Mighty handy one, if you ask me.¡±
¡°What, being able to poke and pry into people''s private thoughts? That''s no gift of God. That''s witchcraft,¡± Arnold retorted.
¡°So when Daniel told that king about his dream, that was witchcraft, was it?¡±
Henry asked. Karen was glad to have Henry on her side, and Burt for that matter.
¡°Oi, shut it, the lot of you! We can have the theological debate later. Let''s just get Karen out of here. If it''s a test, Mutt, then we''ve lost a lot of marks following lazy Henry''s scheme. But if you get into a fight over it then we''re going to lose even more. Not much further, luv,¡± he told Karen.
[Kate!] Karen called.
[Yes dear, everything OK?]
[They got curious how come I got word out. I had to answer, but gave no names, not even IHM, but just so you know, Arnold''s thinking this is witchcraft, Mutt thinks it''s all a set-up. But Burt has got them to stop talking right now.]
[OK dear, keep me informed, I''ll warn Teresa and Arwood.]
A few minutes of strained silence later they were out. Karen wasn''t sure who''d arranged it but there was an ambulance waiting. She was happy to see it was civilian. The men put her on the trolley and the ambulance crew started to check her leg and strap her in. She saw that Arwood was there too, talking to a woman she didn''t recognize. But Arnold did. ¡°Teresa, what are you doing here?¡±
¡°Representing my clients, Arnold.¡±
¡°What, these accursed mind-readers? Surely they''ve not taken you in?¡±
¡°They are one of my most valuable clients, Arnold, and no, I don''t think they''re accursed or witches. They seem like stable, rational minded people who want to use their gift ethically. And from what I''ve seen, they''re all committed Christians with a very strong faith.¡±
¡°I''m sorry these devil-spawn witches have managed to blind you to their evil ways, sister. I thought you were cleverer than that but I see now that you''re a gullible fool.¡± He turned his back on her and found himself looking at Arwood''s chest. Arwood was a big man and could be impressive when he wanted to be, like now.
¡°Young man, I don''t know who you think you are to go about damning people you''ve never met based on your ignorant prejudices. But I say to you that you have just disgraced your sister in public and should apologise at once.¡±
The colonel had also heard the exchange and had made his way over too. ¡°I find it incredible that anyone wearing that uniform could hold such an utter contempt for what you''ve been told by people you should respect. You disgrace the uniform you wear. You are confined to barracks, sergeant, pending an evaluation of your mental stability.¡±
¡°Terribly sorry, ma¡¯am,¡± he addressed Teresa. ¡°I wasn''t aware of his extreme prejudice, or he wouldn''t have been on the squad.¡±
¡°Nor was I, colonel, and I''m his big sister.¡±
Karen felt she should speak in his defence. ¡°I think he''s been under a lot of pressure since they found me, sir. He blamed himself for something that wasn''t his decision. Also we''ve been having a theological discussion where one of his squad members ended up turning to Christ, and rejected the sergeant''s form of religion.¡±
¡°I see. And you''re not going to tell me what he blamed himself for?¡±
¡°I don''t believe I have a duty to, sir. I do not have any complaint against my rescuers, quite the opposite. I only mentioned it to indicate the unusual stresses he has been under.¡±
¡°Soldiers are supposed to function under stress, young lady. But I can see that this might have been stress in an area he hasn''t been trained in. Very well, we''ll take that into account. Good day to you, and I trust you won''t explore any more tunnels, young lady.¡±
¡°No, sir,¡± she said humbly, and he left. ¡°Thank you for speaking up for Arnold, Karen. Kate''s told you about me, I presume?¡±
¡°That you''re the Institute¡¯s legal advisor? Yes.¡±
¡°Now, having seen my little brother''s reaction, I presume you''re not going to spread it about too much how you got rescued?¡±
¡°Um, no, I''m not. I''m just glad he didn''t realise about me.¡±
At that point the ambulance crew said it was time to move. Arwood prayed a quick prayer and the doors were shut.
¡°Excuse me,¡± Karen said to the medic riding with her, ¡°the soldier who went a bit bonkers back there ¡ª he thought you should know that they did an improvised splint on my leg first. I don''t know if it makes a difference.¡±
¡°Thanks, it might, but it looks like they did a good job on you. What pain meds did they give you?¡±
¡°Urm, none, I didn''t want any. They gave me some anti-inflammatories. I''m afraid I don''t remember which.¡±
¡°You should be in agony, you know. I wonder if they mixed up the vials.¡±
¡°I suppose they might have. I don''t know. It hasn''t hurt much since the second splint went on. It really hurt a lot when they loosened the first splint.¡±
¡°Leg was going numb?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°OK, well, we''ll have a good look then. There shouldn''t be any worries.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 25: Ivan Is Undone
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 25:Ivan Is Undone
Friday afternoon
[Karen, how are you?]
[Hi Kate, they''re a bit confused about why I''m not screaming, but I feel fine.]
[That''s good. So no one asked any questions at all?]
[No. Arnold went a bit loopy, declaring mind readers to all be devil worshippers. So I guess they didn''t want to make it look like they were starting a witch-hunt.]
[Oh, so no romance there then?]
[Ah no, Kate. You were right. Plenty of sane eligible men in church.]
[Sorry for going on about it, dear, just that I spent more than half my life pining after a Mr. Right who was a nasty piece of work really. Wouldn''t want you to be wrapped up with someone like that.]
[I do feel sorry for Teresa though.]
[How come?]
[Oh, sorry. Arnold''s her little brother. She took the full brunt of his attack.]
[Poor woman.]
[Yes.]
[Do you have any relatives we could contact for you? Anyone who should know you''re in hospital?]
[No one close. My parents work abroad. But, oh. My wrist unit. If I''m here for days without answering, they might worry.]
[Should we just send them a message?]
[Yes, please.]
[OK, you dictate it, and I''ll send it.]
[Thanks, Kate. Or actually, should I ask the hospital to, it''s going to take less explaining?]
[You''re probably right. OK, we''ll leave that. Now, can you tell me what you''re studying, so I can work out what to put you down as on this clearance form? And then when you''ve done that I''d like to know just what you were doing down that tunnel!]
[Urm, I''ve mainly been studying geology, Kate.]
[Ooh, that''s going to be tricky. Any sub-fields or other subjects that you could develop a passion for, a little closer to our work here?]
[I''m not sure. What do you do?]
Kate ran through the different fields they traditionally worked in. Counselling, mental stability assessments, brain function study, medical imaging (of brains). Then there was the support side, book-keeping, PR, writing reports. Sarah was their computer person.
[I''m stumped, Kate. None of that sounds like me. I''m sorry.]
[Oh well, failing anything else there''s cleaning.]
[With a broken leg? I''m not sure it''s possible.]
[There''s always helping in the garden, I guess.]
[I love gardening, but with a broken leg? I don''t know, Kate. I mean the only thing I have in common with you is this gift. I''d love to be able to dig into it and find out how it works, but if I need a cover story, I don''t know. I''ve done some courses in theology and in ethics, but I want to find things out, Kate. I don''t mind getting my hands dirty or messing about with equipment, but I''m not an expert in anything you work with.]
[What sort of equipment, are we talking excavators or electronics?]
[Oh, electronics, signal processing, that sort of thing.]
[Oh, Karen, I''m sorry, I guess I didn''t say. The brain function study and imaging. It''s not just a machine we plug people into. It''s cutting edge research. Holes in the lab floor from dropped soldering irons, strange bubbling vats of liquid nitrogen or something. And lots and lots of signals to process.]
[Hey, that sounds fun!]
[Why don''t I send Ivan and Horrace to chat to you. Hmm, I''d better send Janet too, to keep them in line.]
[Keep them in line?]
[Well, if you think the hospital would like their equipment taken apart from curiosity we could leave Janet out of it...]
[They sound like fun people, but let''s keep Janet.]
[They don''t have great social skills, but Ivan''s not bad at macabre jokes. He and Janet might be drifting towards romance, by the way, and Horrace is roughly my age.]
[That doesn''t help me much, Kate, since we''ve never met.]
[Sorry. Put it down to impending senility. I''ve been working here for 25 years dear, after getting my doctorate.]
[Ah. Kate, why do you keep going on about romance? I mean, it seems like every time we talk about men the topic crops up. I''m not a desperate old maid yet.]
[I''m sorry, Karen. I''m not desperate either. It''s just that I recently met an old friend from my college days, who''s declared his intent to woo me. So I''ve got romance on the brain and I''m remembering how it was to be young.]
[Ooh, that''s sweet. Do I get the full story some time?]
[If you like, but sorry if I keep going on about it. It wouldn''t have ended well back when we were young anyway, but now we''re both Christians, well, we''ll see. But have you any idea how long they¡¯re keeping you in?]
[I don''t know. They''ve x-ray''d me, but no one''s told me what the results say, or said what they need to do yet.]
[So have they put you in a ward yet, or are you still being pushed from one place to another?]
[Oh, I''m sort of parked near the x-ray machine. All they''ve said so far was ¡°That''s odd. ¡°]
[Be a patient patient, Karen, I''d better go round up the interview committee.]
[I''ll let you know what happens.]
[Thanks.]
¡°Hello, Karen, can you tell me how you got this injury?¡± the doctor asked.
¡°I was advised by a stupid psych-counsellor program that I should go exploring down a tunnel in order to conquer my fear of dark places. I got lost, panicked and fell.¡±
¡°And this was this morning sometime?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And I understand that an army search and rescue team found you, splinted your leg and brought you out?¡±
¡°Yes. Urm, I don''t want them to get in trouble, but they were sure it was an exercise, so they left the med-kit about half-way. They improvised a splint from some pieces of wood and some belts for the first part. Then at the med-kit they gave me a dose of what they said was anti-inflammatories and switched splints.¡±
¡°OK, and did you have any loss of feeling with the improvised splint?¡±
¡°Yes. Then they released the belts a bit and it really really hurt. But then the pain faded when they put the other splint on.¡±
¡°And can you feel this?¡± he poked her toe with a probe.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And this?¡± A different probe, a different toe.
¡°That''s cold.¡±
¡°And this?¡±
¡°Hot.¡±
¡°And this?¡± he touched her big toe.
¡°Aaagh!¡±
¡°Sorry. I prodded a bit hard for that one. OK, Karen, you''ve got a broken fibula ¡ª that''s the one which doesn''t carry your weight, about which you should be very happy ¡ª and a partly broken big toe too. Normally we''d need to pull your fibula back into place, but it seems to have already happened. I guess it was when they swapped splints on you or adjusted the first splint. So we''re going to put your leg in a cast and once that''s set we''ll lend you a pair of crutches and send you home.¡±
¡°That''s great. I was expecting a week''s stay or something.¡±
¡°So was I, to be honest, but you''re one lucky lady. You should be out of here by about six pm. No putting weight on that leg for quite a while though. We''ll arrange some check-ups, but I expect you''re going to be in plaster for around a month.¡±
¡°Thank you, Doctor.¡±
[Kate! They want to let me out at about six tonight.]
[That''s great. We''d like to meet you in person, so how about we pick you up from the hospital and get John to make pizzas?]
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
[John''s pizza is famous in the church, it sounds great!]
[OK, I''ll arrange things.]
[John, Sarah, is pizza tonight OK? I''ve just promised Karen. No pressure at all, you understand!]
[That''s fine, Kate. Where?]
[I think here, that way we can let her drool over Ivan''s lab. I think he''s about to get a partner in tinkering, at least ¡®till term starts.]
[He''ll be happy.]
[We''ll need to get her clearance of course, but hopefully it won''t take too long.]
Friday 5:30pm
John and Sarah met Karen as she came out of the hospital on crutches. He recognized her as one of the students he hadn''t talked to much. She''d only ever been in the mornings, so hadn''t really met Sarah yet ¡ª she escaped the crowd by leaving as the last hymn finished.
¡°Hi, Karen, I don''t think we''ve ever met properly. It''s good to put a face to the voice.¡±
¡°Hi, Sarah. Thank you, I owe you guys my life.¡±
¡°That seems to be catching,¡± John said. ¡°I owe Sarah my life too.¡±
¡°And I owe John my sanity, so we''re even. Can we move, John, it''s noisy.¡±
¡°Of course, love. You find peace, I''ll guide you.¡± And so, looking like the happy couple they were, John held Sarah''s waist and she put her head on his shoulder. If someone had observed closely they''d have noticed that Sarah''s eyes were not focussed, and that John''s hold on her was more guiding than romantic. Karen noticed and asked, ¡°Is Sarah all right?¡±
¡°Yes, just it''s better if she avoids crowds. This is near her limit.¡±
¡°I''ve never seen her after church. Is this why?¡±
¡°Yes, I''ll explain later. Here''s the right transport.¡±
It was a special one, with seats that rotated to the door, so it was easy for Karen to get in. John gave the computer the address, and Sarah returned, refreshed and rested from her time knowing peace.
[We don''t usually speak about the gifts where we might be overheard, Karen, transports included,] John thought. [It''s safer. Also it''s less obvious if we don''t sit in silence.] ¡°How''s your leg feeling?¡±
[That makes sense,] Karen replied. ¡°It aches, and itches under the cast. I was warned about that. It also feels warm. I guess that''s the chemistry happening.¡±
¡°Exothermic reaction?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°That makes sense, I suppose.¡±
¡°Yes. No one warned me, but yes, it makes sense.¡±
¡°If you both say so. I''m not a physical scientist,¡± John conceded.
¡°So they just checked you over and encased you in, what is it, nano-tube cloth?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Yes, I thought it would be fibreglass or kevlar but those are old fashioned and too heavy, apparently.¡±
¡°Wow. And to think they used to use gypsum. That must have been really heavy!¡± John remarked.
¡°Yes, but I''m sure it was easier. They had to do something like eight processes to get this to bond. We did some gypsum art-work at school and it was just a case of get it wet and slap it on.¡±
¡°Oh well. Such is progress,¡± Sarah sighed.
¡°I''m thankful for some of it,¡± John said, tapping his leg. ¡°This was only just off the prototype bench.¡±
¡°I''ve just realised, you two are both famous, aren''t you.¡±
¡°Oh don''t, please,¡± Sarah said.
[Last thing we want is for hoards of press to turn up at our wedding,] John added.
[Follow the happy couple on their honeymoon with twenty-four hour pictures from our exclusive spy helicopter,] came Sarah''s sarcastic thought.
[They wouldn''t, surely?]
[I''m not certain,] John thought, [but they''ve been pretty intrusive in the past. That''s another reason for not publishing yet before the wedding, isn''t it, love? The press are bound to put the Institute under siege.]
[Hmm. But I do wonder if we should postpone the wedding, John. Without a working tiara, or equivalent, I''m not going to be able to function. We''re making progress, but it seems so slow!]
[Oh love, please, we''ve been through this before. And we should be talking too.] ¡°Karen, tell us about yourself. What are your hopes and dreams?¡±
¡°Hopes and dreams all came to an end down that tunnel, I think. I''d roughly got my life worked out, I thought, but then facing death, they seemed so trivial. I think I''m going to rip those plans up and start again.¡±
¡°So what were they?¡± [Can''t have all been silly, surely? Or does the gift change things so much?]
¡°Well, firstly I was gong to finally conquer my fear of dark places. That''s what the tunnel was about. Then I was going to join the pot-holing society. I wanted to see geology in action, you know. But it was just so silly. You can see geology in action above ground just as easily. Then, please don''t tell Kate, I planned to find a husband in the next three years and have babies. I don''t know how many. I also stupidly imagined that my husband would be strong and caring and morally upright and love to play with the kids and that we''d go camping together and find all sorts of strange new geology together. But really, can you imagine taking kids on a field expedition? Or writing up papers with kids demanding attention? It was just all silly dreams.¡±
¡°Why ''don''t tell Kate''? Is she match-making again?¡±
¡°Not so much match-making but warning me off unsuitable men as though I was going to fling myself at any who pass.¡±
¡°Ah. That''s at least different to what she did with us, isn''t it, love?¡±
¡°Just slightly. How did it go? ¡®You''re doomed, doomed, I tell you, to fall in love.¡¯ I think she''d say predestined now, of course.¡±
¡°Well, I''m pretty happy about this doom, what about you, love?¡± and he enfolded her in his arms. [{love}]
¡°Hmm.¡± [{love}] ¡°Just don''t get too silly now, John. You''re going to embarrass Karen.¡± [Not to mention start feedback.]
[Feedback?] thought Karen.
John unwrapped his arms from Sarah.
¡°Sorry, Karen.¡± [Side effect of sharing the gift and being in love,] he thought. [If we get too close, we respond to the other''s feelings and the feelings get stronger. Just a variation on normal limits to intimacy before the wedding.]
¡°So, you think that if Kate knew you''d been dreaming of babies...¡± Sarah started.
¡°Then she''d be even more the watchful chaperone, yes.¡± Karen said.
[So why do you want to postpone our wedding?] John asked Sarah silently.
[Fear, I guess.]
[Let''s seek peace over it then, my love.]
They took Sarah''s fears to the ocean of peace, and let the gentle waters wash it away.
They became aware that Karen had also joined them.
[Welcome, Karen.] Sarah said. [There is no better place to unload your fears and worries, and also there is healing here if you over-tax your mind.]
[I know the first, but overtaxing your mind?]
[We can talk of it later,] John thought. [Just heal for a while, Karen, we''ll watch for when we arrive.]
John and Sarah returned to the mundane world in time to see that they were almost there. They¡¯d come faster than they''d expected.
[Karen, we''re here already, sorry.]
They helped her out of the transport and she looked at the building and the gardens in front. ¡°Ooh, nice place you work at.¡±
¡°Just our little office. Lots of history to it if you''re into that sort of thing. The Institute''s been going about two centuries. Come on in.¡±
¡°Hey, familiar security system, just like we had where I used to live,¡± Karen said, then went red.
¡°Really?¡± John exclaimed ¡°Sounds like you''ve got some history to share with us too then.¡±
¡°Urm, maybe. Shouldn''t have said that. Security blunder.¡±
¡°It''s probably OK, Karen. I suspect we''ve got clearance, but you get us checked on and we''ll get you checked on, and then we can see if we can talk to each other.¡±
Karen laughed, ¡°OK, it''s a deal!¡±
¡°Come and meet Kate and the others, and we''ll start on the pizzas.¡±
Ivan came along the corridor just then. ¡°Hello, you''re Karen?¡± he held out his hand and when she shook it he thought in a tone fit for the mad scientist in a horror movie, [Do you want to see my lair, little pretty?]
Karen dropped his hand in shock, and he said, ¡°Oops, sorry. That was meant to be a joke.¡±
¡°Ivan, what did you do to her?¡± demanded Sarah.
¡°I just offered to show her the lab.¡±
¡°In your mad scientist voice, perchance?¡± asked John.
¡°Guilty.¡±
Sarah thought to Karen, [Sorry, Karen, we should have warned you. He''s really perfectly safe to be around.]
[Are you sure? There was a lot of leer in that offer.]
¡°Ivan, if you''ve frightened Karen off, then Kate''s going to eat you for breakfast,¡± Sarah warned. ¡°Now apologise properly.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, Karen. I''ve been practising that voice for years. I didn''t mean anything by it. Really. You can scan me if you like.¡±
¡°Um, I don''t know how.¡±
[Like this, Karen, {image} focus on him rather than on peace, but never spend long looking ¡ª you can overheat your brain. I almost killed myself by watching Teresa for fifteen seconds before we worked that out.]
Karen relaxed and focussed on Ivan. He was indeed full of remorse. His failed attempt at humour had been an attempt to make her feel at home, nothing more. He wasn''t at all attracted to her, he had his sights firmly set on Janet, but that was supposed to be a secret.
¡°OK, Ivan, I''ll forgive you. Your secret''s safe too.¡±
Ivan held his head dramatically in his hands and proclaimed in a loud voice, ¡°Oh no, she saw! I am undone, undone, I am discovered!¡±
Janet stuck her head round her door.
¡°Ivan, what''s got into you? You''re acting even weirder than normal! Oh hi, you''re Karen? I''m Janet.¡±
¡°Yes, I''m, Karen. Ivan here welcomed me with the scariest thought I''ve heard yet, and in apology he told me to scan him.¡±
¡°I am undone, my secret love is known!¡± Ivan repeated. It was his coping mechanism, to turn deeply personal feelings into what others could think of as a joke.
¡°I guess Karen saw more than Ivan wanted her to, Janet,¡± Sarah said meaningfully.
¡°Ivan. Come here, I want to talk to you,¡± Janet said softly.
¡°I ... I might not be undone?¡± Ivan asked with amazement.
¡°Let''s go and find Kate,¡± John said. [Ivan''s been really obvious about how he feels for Janet for weeks, Karen, but we guess she wanted him to actually come out and say it.]
[So that bit of ham acting was his way of doing it?]
[That was pure Ivan, yes.]
[Odd people you have round here. I might fit in.]
[Ivan''s a real genius at electronics, a born clown, but rather lacking in people skills.]
[I noticed.] They entered the meeting room.
¡°Karen, welcome! I thought Ivan would give you a tour of the labs first,¡± Kate greeted her.
¡°Urm, yes, he sort of offered.¡±
¡°And being Ivan, he did it in horror film style which was a bit too much for Karen''s nerves,¡± Sarah expanded. ¡°In apology he let Karen scan him.¡±
¡°But he wasn''t just thinking of Karen by then, so after some pure Ivan melodrama, he and Janet are having a little chat.¡±
¡°Oh at last! I hope they don''t end up breaking up though, imagine Ivan with a broken heart!¡±
¡°I think they know each other pretty well, Kate. There shouldn''t be too many surprises.¡±
¡°True. Sorry, Karen, all this isn''t exactly relevant for you, is it?¡±
¡°Well, it is if I''m going to be working with Ivan. Who was the other man you mentioned?¡±
¡°Horrace. Yes, let''s go and find him. John and Sarah, you don''t need us for the pizzas, do you?¡±
¡°No, but if you could get some requests for the toppings, that''d be great.¡±
¡°Well, you know what I like. Karen?¡±
¡°Urm, what''s on offer?¡±
Sarah checked the tubs they''d brought. ¡°Today''s menu includes ham, pineapple, salami, anchovies, capers, olives, onion, garlic, urm spicy chicken? ¡ª John where did you get this? It looks like the remains of the thoughtful chicken.¡±
¡°Oops. It might be. I found it in the freezer.¡±
¡°Well we''ll keep that for the marrieds then. Kate, Karen, keep well clear of it.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Karen asked, intrigued.
¡°It amplifies empathy. You''ll end up feeling everyone''s emotions.¡±
¡°Arwood''s mum gave my mum the recipe. We haven''t asked why but I guess it was so Dad could have a taste of the gift.¡±
¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be finding out how it works?¡± Kate asked.
¡°I don''t think most people would be willing test subjects, Kate.¡± John replied, somewhat embarrassed. ¡°The time it''s reputed to work isn''t one most
couples would want to be wired into a machine or observed.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Karen blushed too.
¡°And this came from Arwood''s mother?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Yes, Mama Ng, as everyone in the family calls her, apparently.¡±
¡°That name rings a bell,¡± Kate said. ¡°That name certainly rings a bell. I read it somewhere.¡±
¡°If it was a recipe, watch out!¡± laughed Sarah.
¡°No, I think it was one of those unconfirmed reports.¡±
¡°Subject refused testing?¡± John clarified.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I''m lost,¡± Karen and Sarah both said at once.
¡°We sometimes run adverts, or used to. ¡®Have you or do you know someone who has exceptional mental abilities?¡¯ that sort of thing,¡± John said. ¡°And then we''d get deluged with hoax claims, circus tricksters and con artists who didn''t stand up to ten seconds of scrutiny,¡± Kate continued. ¡°It was such a distraction that I decided we''d only do it once a decade. But sometimes we''d also get respectful letters telling about someone who just might have been for real, but of course wouldn''t be seen dead flaunting their ability.¡±
¡°And then someone would go on a wild goose chase trying to make contact and failing,¡± John said. ¡°I did it a few times, I remember, the person was never in, or they wouldn''t open the door.¡±
¡°Like they knew who was knocking?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Yes,¡± John answered.
¡°So, who do we send to talk to Mama Ng?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Maybe Sarah and I should, through Arwood or Hannah.¡±
¡°Yes, she''s not going to slam the door in their faces is she?¡± Kate surmised.
¡°Oh, I don''t know, she''s quite the traditional matriarch,¡± John said. ¡°I remember her saying once that she won''t go to Sunday church because it''s too full of noisy people. But she doesn''t get out now anyway.¡± He realised what he''d just said. ¡°Oh no! Sarah, do you think...?¡±
¡°I think I definitely need to go visiting. John, you go call Arwood, I''ll start on the pizzas, OK?¡±
¡°Sounds like a good plan,¡± Kate agreed, ¡°and I''ll take Karen to find Horrace in the lab.¡±
Serendipity / Ch. 26: Mama Ng
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 26:Mama Ng
Saturday, 15th July
¡°Thanks, Arwood. We thought she might refuse to talk to us otherwise,¡± Sarah said as they approached the house.
[Then you''re as silly a chit of a girl as I never laid eyes on. Come on in, along with young John there. Arwood can come too if he really wants to. Tell him the drains in the kitchen are blocked again.]
Sarah laughed, and John and Arwood looked at her in surprise.
¡°Your mother says the drains in the kitchen are blocked and I''m the silliest chit of a girl she''s never laid eyes on for thinking she wouldn''t talk to us.¡±
¡°Sounds like my Mama. I''ll go and play plumber then,¡± Arwood said, resigned to his fate. ¡°Mama will be in the front room.¡±
¡°He''s a good boy, my Arwood,¡± came a strong but elderly voice. ¡°Knows when to keep his nose out of other people''s business.¡±
¡°Thank you, Mama, I won''t eavesdrop.¡±
¡°Sorry lad, you couldn''t if you wanted to. I''m going to be thinking at this pair, not jabbering. Thinking don''t tire a body so.¡±
¡°Mama, you could jabber from dawn till dusk, without a break. I''ve heard you.¡±
¡°But it tires me, boy. Thinking now, I can do that from dawn to dawn no problem.¡±
[So, you''re Maggie''s little girl. I see that in you. So you got your ability honestly enough. But what about your tin man here? You didn''t have no gift nor power when we last met, John. What happened?]
[My fault, I prayed. Um, I need to back up some. From about age fifteen I got terrible headaches in crowds. We''ve since realised that was when the tiara my Dad made got smashed. Did you know about that?]
[I did, girl, but it wasn''t to be a long term measure, just ¡®till you grew in your power.]
[Well, when my parents died, my aunt raised me and she didn''t know a thing about it.]
[Oh lass, she knew. I told her, but she wouldn''t listen. ]
[Oh.]
[Carry on, girl, what''s done is done.]
[Well, the computers didn''t know what was wrong with me, but thought it was some kind of trauma from the attack. But I was OK as long as I didn''t go into crowds. And then, well, John, you carry on.]
John explained about the way he''d seen her details on the list, and how they''d met. How she''d felt so safe with him and how he''d felt so protective of her, how she''d rebuked him, and then how they''d proven that she could hear his intentions and the prophesy of the ring. Of how he eventually admitted his love for her.
[And then I got scared. I didn''t want this thing to tear us apart, as I thought it might if I was to hear his thoughts without him hearing mine. I was terrified that the things John was thinking were from God might be from this gift, and that that was an unreliable basis to build a marriage on. I prayed that if I had to hear his thoughts then he should hear mine too.]
[And the last line of her unspoken prayer was, ¡®don''t let this thing drive us apart.¡¯ And I heard and said ¡®Amen.¡¯ For some reason that surprised her.]
[God does like surprises, doesn''t He! And since then you''ve found each other''s thoughts and the peace. I can see that in you. Good start.]
[I have a question, Mama Ng. How much could my mother do? It''s just that when we found each other''s thoughts, the Spirit joined us and said this was beyond her, but some of what she could do seems beyond us.]
[Oh well, your ma, she had the power, but not the gift. They''re different, see.]
[We''d thought it was something like that,] Sarah thought, [but we don''t know how.]
[Your ma was good as can be in using the power. She''d be able to tell intentions towards herself or those close to her. She''d know thoughts at touch, listen quietly and could hide too. Hide her intentions, her thoughts. That''s right handy, if you meet someone else with the power. Not everyone with the power''s a child of God, you know.]
[We thought that might be the case, but we weren''t sure.]
[But that''s as far as it went for her. She prayed for the gift, but the Lord said no. I don''t know why.]
[And the crowd thing? Is that part of the gift or the power?]
[Ha, I call it the pain myself. Except in worship of course.] Her eyes lit at the memory. [It''s part of the power, dear, and your ma didn''t have it, but she knew about it. I think her grandma had it, and she knew you had it too.]
[And Dad made the tiara to turn it off somehow. But it got smashed.]
[Not to turn it off. dear. That horrible thing rang bells in your little brain so loud that you didn''t hear the power or the pain. It made you numb, girl. Don''t try to go back there, it''ll be like plucking your eyes out just because you don''t want to shut them.]
[Oh. But I don''t know how to shut my eyes, Mama Ng! The peace is great, but I can''t walk around high on that all day. What do I do about the pain? Can you teach me?] John could hear the desperation in her mind and reached for her hand.
[That''s one way, what your man is doing there. But there''s better. Reach out and wrap her in your love, John, put a blanket round her to keep the pain away.]
John tried reaching out to Sarah like he had the first day, like he''d almost forgotten about. [Like this?]
[That''s good. You''ll get better, but that''s good. See how you can leave her protected while you pay attention to the outside world?]
John tried, and realised he was able to. [Now there you''re loving and protecting her like a good man should protect his wife, and I''ve never ever heard of a man with the pain, so maybe that''s the way the good Lord intended it. I know you''re not officially married yet, but you are as committed to each other in your souls as you''ll ever be, and if you think a moment you''ll know it too.]
They realised this also was true. All thought of postponing their wedding vanished.
[Much better.] Quite what she was commenting on they weren''t sure. But they didn''t mind either. [Now you''re learning to use the gift to block the pain, and its good. Seeking peace is great too, as I''m sure you know. You seek peace and there''s nothing that''ll harm your mind, not even demons going to get you there. There aren''t many around, but you remember it, just in case. Of course, you seek peace and you can''t really do much else at all. So you''ll need to learn to hide too, I''m sure.]
[Yes, My mother tried to teach me, but I couldn''t understand what she meant.]
[And you at what, six or seven? Of course you couldn''t. She was trying to push you too hard, but she had her reasons.]
[What reasons?]
[Oh, I''ll tell you soon enough, don''t worry. Now, one way of hiding is like this. There''s other ways that are faster, but this way is easiest to get. Listen first, then do. You think of your most terribly embarrassing moment, like when you wet your bed when you were a teenager, that sort of thing, and you imagine how you probably wanted the ground to swallow you so no one could ever know you existed. And then you ever so quietly make yourself sink down into the ground and you''re not there any more. Sarah, your turn first.]
Sarah remembered her embarrassment and sank into the earth. It felt strange. She was quiet and the world was quiet. She touched John and thought, [do you hear me,] but he didn''t respond.
¡°Try thinking something to her, John,¡± said Mama. Nothing. ¡°You decide to do something to him now, Sarah.¡±
She thought and decided to tickle him. For the first time in weeks she caught him unawares.
¡°This is strange. How do I get back to normal?¡±
¡°Oh, that''s easy, you just come up from the ground, Sarah.¡±
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She tried, and struggled. It seemed the ground didn''t want to let her go.
¡°It feels like I''m stuck in mud, Mama. I don''t know how to get out.¡± She heard the worry in her own voice.
¡°OK dear, don''t panic. It happens sometimes. Imagine you''re in a bubble and just float to the top.¡± Sarah imagined a bubble and rose, ever so slowly. She was out.
[That was a bit scary, Mama.]
[I expect so dear. Don''t try it for too long. About half an hour at most. Another way out is seeking peace, but I wanted to show you this way so you''d be able to help people with the power but not the gift.]
[Does it stop the pain, Mama?] John asked.
[Yes, lad, but no better than your care does, and it carries a cost. The longer you do it, the harder it is to get out. In some ways it''s like that tiara. Sarah''s worn that tiara for so long I was pretty sure she''d get a bit stuck.]
[And if someone gets really stuck?]
[Unless they get out sometime, somehow, then they end up in the mud for life, dear. Their thoughts stay hidden for a few days, and then they''re just normal people.]
[And if they have the gift?]
[Then they can probably get out by seeking peace, I''m not sure. My Ma never had the gift, but she lost the power, that''s how I know.]
[That''s sad.] John thought.
[She lost dad, see. He died, and she hurt so much, I think she thought it would hurt less. I''m not sure it did, and I know it meant we couldn''t help her so well.]
[Should John try and hide now?]
[Yes, John, you try to sink into the mud.]
John thought of when he''d most wanted to vanish, after breaking his mother''s favourite vase, and tried to sink. His awareness of Sarah''s companionship disappeared, and it felt lonely. ¡°It feels lonely down here,¡± he said.
¡°OK, now do something to one of us.¡±
He thought. The obvious thing was to tickle Sarah or kiss her, but he decided against it and kissed Mama Ng instead.
¡°You naughty boy!¡± she said, but he thought he''d pleased her too. He floated out of the mud and thought, [Did I surprise you, Mama?]
[Of course not, I know what naughty boys are like! But I didn''t hear your intention either.]
[Why is this useful, Mama? What might the bad guys do?]
[Well, say they''ve been eating thoughtful chicken.]
[Ooh, then they don''t need touch to read you,] Sarah said.
[And they can think fear at you too, dear, and enjoy your pain. They can think horror at you, and they can get even nastier. They appear to be charismatic leaders and develop followings because they know what makes people tick, what people want. And I''m sorry to say, Sarah, that your mama''s cousin was a right nasty piece of work.]
[What can be done against people like that, Mama?] Sarah asked.
[Well now, the law don''t know nothing about their power, but they''re usually criminals too, so some end up behind bars. Mostly all you can do is pray, child. Pray their power will be taken from them. That''s what we did with your mama''s cousin in the end. Three of us joined hands round the man in the queue at his local take away and prayed that God would strip him of his corrupt power in the name of Jesus. Couldn''t have done that without hiding.]
[What did the other customers think?]
[Well, he went out of there screaming blue murder, and we told people that he was a corrupt politician, which happened to be true too. I guess they thought we meant political power, I seem to remember we got a round of applause.] [Mama, could you tell all this to Kate and Karen too, they''re even newer to the gift than us.]
[I could if they come fast, lad. But I think you''d better do it.]
[Mama?]
[Call Arwood, dear, I knew this was coming. The Good Lord told me I''d pass on what I knew before I went home, and I don''t think He meant by long.]
Sarah ran to fetch Arwood.
[Mama, are there others you know with the gift?]
[Just you four around here. Arwood''s daughter May''s got the power. She''s a good girl, maybe she''ll receive the gift when she grows.]
¡°Arwood boy, give your Mama a kiss, lad, I think I''m maybe going home at long last. I do feel a bit tired.¡±
¡°Mama!¡±
¡°Now don''t you cry too much, boy, you know I said a while ago that I''d got a job to do and now I think I''ve done it. So if I go, don''t you go resuscitating me or anything silly like that. You know I''m going to a better place. Go call the clan, lad, I''ll try and stay till they''re all here. John, Sarah, you''re in the clan too now, do stay.¡± [Oh, and give Hannah the recipe. I''d have given it to her years ago but couldn''t remember it all. You don''t need to tell her that though.]
[OK Mama, we will. You rest,] John reassured her.
[Ha, I''m going to the biggest party in eternity, and he says rest!]
[I think he means save your strength for the clan, Mama, don''t you go running off to the party without saying goodbye.]
[Oh, all right. I''ll enjoy some peace for a while then.]
¡°She''s resting, Arwood.¡± John told her anxious son. "Do you want me to help call people?"
¡°No, John, it''s done. She made me set up a messaging system a few weeks ago. Said eighty years was plenty. I triggered the warning when you called me and I''ve just confirmed it. Everyone should have heard by now. I''ll just call Hannah and check it worked.¡±
Hannah was already on her way with their children, as were other family members. Arwood was the youngest of her five sons, but all had stayed within an hour''s travel of Mama. That was the way she''d wanted it and they weren''t going to upset her that badly by disobeying. Edwin, Arwood''s eldest brother, lived the furthest away, and was now finding out how expensive it was to buy hypersonic transfer tickets for his family at no notice, but there was no question of them not coming. Of the entire clan, only Matthew, brother number four, wouldn''t make it. He was just having his appendix taken out in hospital when Arwood made the call. As the clan members came, Sarah felt the pressure on her mind building and reached for John''s hand. He understood her need and she felt the pressure disappear as he wrapped his love protectively around her. Along with that pressure the remaining fears about their wedding day disappeared.
An hour after the alert had gone out, almost to the second, Mama Ng opened her eyes and looked around. ¡°Matthew''s in hospital, Mama,¡± his wife reported. ¡°He''s OK, but they had to take out his appendix.¡±
¡°Poor lad, not his fault he can''t be here. You give him a kiss from me, girl. And some thoughtful chicken when he''s well.¡± There were chuckles around the room along with questions from the younger generation, met with ¡°you''re too young to know.¡±
¡°Hannah, Sarah''s promised to give you the recipe, and you others might want to check that recipe too. I''ve a feeling I was forgetting things at the end, but Sarah''s mama got it written down.¡±
Arwood volunteered, ¡°And since Sarah made some for us innocently, I know that the recipe works as reported.¡± More laughter.
¡°May dear, you need to go hold hands with John and Sarah sometime. Now if you like.¡±
Arwood''s sixteen year old daughter did as instructed. It seemed like Mama was giving words of wisdom and comfort to each one of her relatives.
[Hello, May,] John thought. [Mama''s told us some things you might need to know some time.]
[Hi, John, hi, Sarah. I''ve never talked like this to any grownup but Mama.]
[That''s OK,] thought Sarah. [You know you can talk to us too, and on Sunday we''ll introduce you to Kate and Karen who you can talk to this way too.]
[No boys?]
[Not yet. You and Karen might like to pray for some though. She''s twenty and wants a boyfriend too, well, a husband really.]
[Twenty''s old to still have no boyfriend. How old are you?]
[I''m twenty-one and I only met John just over a month ago. He''s my first boyfriend, so you don''t need to worry.]
[I''m not worried, but what''s wrong with you that you couldn''t find one for so long?]
[I''ve got high standards. I didn''t just want one who could walk and chew gum at the same time. I wanted a Christian man I could respect.]
[There''s plenty of them in church. What''s so special about John?]
[He can beat me in a sprint and I run FAST. And he''s got brains too.]
[Hey, that''s pretty cool. I like those standards. Brains and speed.]
[Don''t forget Christian too!]
[Oh yeah. Dad''d skin me if I went out with a non-believer.]
[God wouldn''t be happy either, and he''s got a bigger stick than your Dad.]
[But He never uses it.]
[Mama Ng was just telling us about when he took the power away from someone, girl. He uses his stick all right.]
[{shock} Took the power away! I''m gonna be good!]
[Then listen to Mama, she''s dying, you know.]
[I know. {sadness} That''s why I wanted to talk about boys, so I wouldn''t have to think about it. I don''t want Mama to die, she¡¯s cool.]
[{comfort}]
John had been half listening to Mama, and half listening to this strange conversation and decided that Sarah probably had a gift he didn''t for talking to teenage girls. But then at his age they''d probably class him as a pensioner or even a parent, and thus not fit to listen to.
Mama was still going strong when he heard May ask, [So, with John''s metal leg, how are you going to have babies?]
He thought only for Sarah, [Sarah, should I remind her I''m still listening, or drop hands?]
[Neither, John, just chip in if I get the facts of life wrong, or better still, you answer the girl.]
[!]
[May, do you want John to answer, or me? I mean, I''m a virgin like I hope you are, but John''s a widower.]
[Ooh. John, please. Maybe we''ll both learn something.]
[Yes, May, but I''m marrying John in a month, whereas you''re only asking to show off to your friends or to be nosy. Which one is it?]
[Bit of both, I suppose. Sorry.]
[If you have real questions you can ask, May,] John thought. [But only real questions please that your parents wouldn''t mind you knowing the answer to.]
[OK, I know this is probably too nosy, but, urm, I''d heard that John had lost his bits.]
[Well, May,] John replied, [you''d heard wrong. My bits are all there and the doctors say they should all work properly. And even if they don''t, May, Sarah and I share the power and the gift, so I expect we can do all sorts of other nice things to each other when we''re married.]
[Want to bet her next question is ¡®such as?¡¯ Mine too, actually,] asked Sarah privately.
[You''ve got a wicked mind, girl!] came Mama Ng''s thought. [Keep it up! Thank you for talking to May, she needed it.]
¡°Now I think I''ve said something to everyone here except John and Sarah. I wanted them to be here because you should think of them as being in the clan now. I''ve told them a lot of what I know, and they''re wise people who the Lord''s got His hand on good and strong. Some of you know ¡®bout my power and gift, they''ve both got them. So if there''s things you''d come to me for, you can ask them. And now I''m going to give them a present they won''t want or expect, or even understand for a while, but tough, that''s the way it is. Come here you two. And hold each other''s hands and mine. What I received from my Man and his Gran and her Dada and his Mama and her Gramp I pass on to you. Don''t you dare leave it as late as I have to pass it on.¡± [Here you are, catch this and don''t drop it. My legacy to you. Hope you don''t need it. Some of it''s scary stuff. {memory-upon-memory-upon-memory-upon-memory-upon-memory}]
¡°Someone give them chairs, they''re going to fall over, else.¡±
[Don''t even think of trying to process that lot now, it''ll probably kill you. Seek peace for a while till the heat goes. Sorry to do this to you, but I didn''t have a child nor grandchild with the gift to pass it onto. This is too valuable to lose just because of bloodlines. I''ll be gone when you wake up. Have my blessings, children.]
They focused on peace and saw she was, as usual, entirely right. The heat was there for both of them, as strong as they''d ever sensed it. How Mama had been able to do it they didn''t know, but this wasn''t the time or place to worry. So, together in the cooling flood of peace they waited until the heat left. As the last vestiges of heat disappeared, together they became aware of the great joyful assembly that had been awaiting its latest member, who even now was being welcomed by her Lord and King. Mama Ng had gone home.
Serendipity / Ch. 27: Kates Decision
Book 1: Serendipity / Ch. 27: Kate''s Decision
Saturday afternoon
¡°John, are we doing the right thing?¡± Sarah asked. They were walking hand in hand through the countryside after Mama Ng had left for her eternal home. It was a sunny lazy afternoon and there was a skylark singing high above them. ¡°What, getting married?¡±
¡°No, silly! I mean publishing. There have been generations of people with the power and the gift who have consistently refused publicity, consistently refused to prove themselves to science. What''s so special about us or our time that that we can throw away their approach. We know we risk witch-hunts, not just us, but future generations too. Do we have the right to expose people to this?¡±
¡°I see your point love, but what alternatives do we have? We certainly couldn''t keep working at the Institute.¡±
¡°Well, I could make jewellery, you could probably be an excellent pastor, John. Karen could continue in her geology, and Kate, urm, I''m not sure what Kate could do.¡±
¡°Perhaps we could ask her. But Sarah, God has brought us together around the Institute. There must be some reason for that. He could just as easily have let us meet and introduced us to each other and to Mama Ng some other way. She knew your mother, she tried to contact you once, she could have tried again. You hadn''t moved, after all.¡±
¡°And actually, Mama Ng gave us away, didn''t she?¡± Sarah realised. ¡°Us and May. Told us verbally to hold hands, told people about us sharing her gift. Didn''t tell anyone to keep quiet about it either.¡±
¡°Well, I expect they won''t talk. We''re in the clan now.¡±
¡°Yes. What does that actually mean?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. I used to think it meant jumping to obey when Mama spoke. I guess we should ask Arwood.¡±
¡°Maybe it''s just time for the world to know for sure.¡±
¡°Maybe, love. You know, we''re going to have to revise that paper again, don''t you?¡±
¡°What, talk about the power and the gift?¡± That''s just another way of talking about the different modes, surely. Easier to remember of course.¡±
¡°I was more thinking about the chicken, love.¡±
¡°Let''s talk to the clan about that,¡± Sarah suggested. ¡°I wonder how well the recipe is known.¡±
¡°You mean partial disclosure?¡±
¡°I mean let''s not give the bad guys an extra weapon. We describe the abilities of the human mind possessing the power of thought reception, without mentioning that if you add a complicated mixture of herbs and spices then it gets better at it.¡±
¡°Ooh, sounds like a journal title.¡±
¡°Hmm, which journal? Nature? Mind? Maybe something short in Nature Letters?¡±
¡°Wow, you''re aiming high, love. But perhaps you''re right. We can''t put it all into a single paper, can we. That''s where we''ve been going wrong. A brief report say on the power, with I don''t know, the effects of different separating materials.¡±
¡°Lace, leather and silk included?¡± Sara said, thinking of gloves.
¡°I''m not sure. Maybe just different thickness?¡±
¡°Maybe resistances and impedances. Boring basic research, yes. I wonder if young May wants a summer job.¡±
¡°We can ask her. Uh, better ask Arwood and Hannah first. And how do we test it?¡±
¡°What about random numbers?¡±
¡°Too boring, errors will creep in.¡±
¡°Random words then?¡±
¡°Random words. Yes. We can use that old setup from the cellar, I expect, that was supposed to do words too on the right setting.¡±
¡°And what about intentions?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Hey, what about that old hand slapping game? You know, pull your hand away before it gets hit. Lose points if you pull away without cause. With a blindfold.¡±
¡°Ouch. Yes, that might work.¡±
¡°Shall we try it? Just for fun?¡±
Stolen novel; please report.
¡°Why not?¡±
They tried playing for a while. It was fairly conclusive. Neither of them pulled away at the wrong time. Neither landed a hit.
Then John had an idea and hid himself.
¡°Ow! How did you do that? I didn''t hear a thing.¡±
¡°Sorry, I cheated ¡ª I hid.¡±
¡°Oooh, sneaky. I don''t know how that game works at a distance though. I guess we''ll have to come up with a variation. But my hand hurts now.¡±
Still hidden, he took her hand and kissed it. ¡°Hmm, that''s more like it. Now come out of the mud and kiss me properly.¡±
They kissed briefly, to avoid the feedback. Then by mutual agreement they sat on the bank, joined together in thought.
[Should we look at Mama''s legacy now, love?]
[I think we should. I don''t want any nasty surprises leaking out when I''m asleep. From what Mama said there might be nightmare stuff in there.]
Together they examined the strange bequest of Mama Ng. It stretched back even more generations than she''d said. Little nuggets of experience and advice from hundreds of years of resisting the evils that are at work in the world, human and occasionally spiritual. Ways that the power could be abused, ways to recognize and counter those abuses. There were also memories of true witch hunts, of sensing the growing mood of the population and leaving before things came to a boil. Leaving everything behind and setting up anew, in a new town or even new country.
There were also memories of meeting others with the gift, scattered across the world, and sharing news and advice across continents. And running through it all was the confidence and strength that came from knowing God was with them.
[Across continents! That far? ] Sarah was amazed at that.
[We''ve more to learn I guess, love.]
[No surprise there.]
[There was some nasty stuff in there, but nothing too terrible with God on our side.]
[Of course not.]
[But we do need to be alert.]
[Yes. No wonder no one answered the adverts.]
[Ungifted people, looking for anyone with the power, not caring if they used it for good or bad? What a silly idea. The bad wouldn''t want their methods to be exposed, and the good wouldn''t want their families put at risk by some careless person.]
[So where does it leave us?]
[I think we still write up. But maybe we call for other opinions too first. Mama Ng didn''t think there were more, but she didn''t seem to know about Karen and Kate either.
We name no names, we alert people to the risk. I''m amazed what a polarizing thing the power seems to be. There don''t seem to be any who are just normal mixed up people.]
[It''s either something that tempts people to evil or draws them to God, I guess. Or maybe people in the middle don''t show up in these memories.]
[That''s possible.]
[Those memories of finding others. Shall we look in more detail?]
[Yes, but let''s check the peace first.]
They checked, and rested a while. It seemed that accessing these compressed memories was hard on the brain.]
[Before we do, let''s fill Kate and Karen in, shall we?]
[I guess we should.]
[Kate! Karen!] they called. Karen responded at once, but Kate took a little longer, and they started to worry. [Sorry for the delay. Busy here.]
[Everything OK?]
[Wonderful!]
[?]
[Just decided to give in to Pete and say yes.]
[Congratulations!]
[Engagement party, my place this evening. Invite the family please!]
[OK, we''ll share later.]
[Mama Ng talked? That''s great. Just let me put Pete out of his misery.]
¡°Sorry Pete, I got shouted at,¡± Kate told Pete who was still down on one knee.
¡°Everything all right?¡±
¡°Yes, Pete. Yes and yes. Now get up before your knee locks up again!¡±
Pete tried to interpret those yeses as he struggled to his feet. Did he dare to hope? ¡°Do you mean yes, everything''s very much all right, or...?¡±
¡°I mean, Pete, yes to your first question about having had enough time to decide, yes I will marry you, and yes everything is very much all right. Now I believe it is traditional at this moment for you to kiss my hand, or put a ring on it, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Oh Kate! Oh my Kate!¡± He kissed her hand and then embraced her. ¡°I don''t have the ring yet, I''m sorry. I''ll just call the jeweller I commissioned it from if that''s OK.¡±
¡°Oooh, you''ve been taking my response as a foregone conclusion and splashing out on a commissioned ring? I didn''t know the cake business was that successful, Pete.¡±
¡°Actually, not that splashing out, my dearest.¡±
¡°Do I need to pull your fingernails out or invade your mind, or will you tell me what you''ve been up to, Pete?¡±
Just then Pete''s wrist unit indicated a call.
¡°She did? Yes she did! It is? Oh great! Oh? Thanks, that''d be perfect! Bye, see you this evening.¡±
¡°Oh that''s a relief!¡± he said to the world in general. And gave Kate another kiss. ¡°Pete, right now I really wish I wasn''t wearing these gloves! I hope you''re not planning something this evening.¡±
¡°An engagement party at your house my dearest.¡±
¡°Who was that then? No, don''t tell me, I''m going to work it out. You commissioned a ring and were all worried and now you''re not worried and know about the party. It was Sarah, wasn''t it? Sarah made the ring, and it''s finished and she''s bringing it to the party?¡±
¡°Exactly, except it was John. And Sarah didn''t trust herself to make it but she did design it for you and got her old employer to actually make it.¡±
¡°I see, so I''m surrounded by sneaky people doing things behind my back, am I?¡±
¡°You''re surrounded by people who love you, Kate.¡±
¡°It was actually John''s idea,¡± Sarah confessed. ¡°And when we talked about it with Maria ¡ª my old employer ¡ª she was so taken with the it that we''ve signed a contract on it. I''ve registered a patent on it and Maria has an exclusive licence for it for here in the city, and some orders are coming in. So this ring isn''t unique any more, I''m afraid. But in thanks Pete''s only being charged for materials.¡±
¡°You still haven''t told me what''s special about it, dear, except that it''s beautiful.¡±
¡°Oh, sorry. Urm, remember how impressed you were about how my ring has my I.D?¡±
¡°Yes. You''ve put an I.D. crystal under the diamond?¡±
¡°Actually we''ve made the diamond itself to be the I.D. crystal. I mean, data crystals are usually based on a sliver of artificial diamond anyway. And just in case, there''s a panic button in there too. Press on the stone for two seconds, release for two seconds and press for two more. We can change the code if you want.¡±
¡°So, I''m not going to lose my I.D ever again. Thank you, Sarah and John. And thank you most of all, Pete.¡±
¡°Thank you, Kate, for agreeing to make me a very happy man.¡±
Book 2: Community / Ch. 1: Maria
Book 2: Community
Book 2: Community / Ch. 1:Maria
Monday Morning, 17th July
¡°... So, that''s what we learned from Mama Ng,¡± concluded Sarah.
¡°And Karen knows?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Yes, Kate, we told her on Saturday. Did her clearance really come through that quickly?¡± John asked.
¡°Urm, yes. When I sent through the form, they immediately sent it back with ¡®approved¡¯ all over it. They also sent back a short biography of her. Not for dissemination outside the Institute.¡±
She showed them the file.
¡°Ooh, ¡®my parents work abroad¡¯ indeed, no wonder she recognised the security system. Ambassadors'' daughters ought to be aware of such things.¡±
¡°So she''s allowed to work here?¡±
¡°Yes, except... They''re not sure that she''s allowed to be spotted by some of our foreign clients. So they''ve specified that she stay in the lab as much as possible, and not hang about in corridors when there''s any chance that representatives of certain foreign powers are around. That''s where she is now.¡±
¡°But she was allowed to go to the university without restriction? Not to mention get lost down a tunnel.¡±
¡°Well, high level dignitaries don''t normally roam university campuses, so that was considered safe. But as for the tunnel, that''s a very interesting thing. She shouldn''t have been using that program at all. It''s entirely probable the program was compromised, giving life-threatening suggestions like that. She should have been directed to us in the first place, with her security status. So, right now our security friends are taking a very great interest in whoever''s been fiddling with the university''s medical AI. They think the whole set-up could have been some sort of an assassination or kidnap attempt. You know the map she had came from the computer too? Complete with a suggested route?¡±
¡°No! That''s scary. But she didn''t take it?¡±
¡°No, she at least had that much innate paranoia.¡±
¡°So, apart from retrospectively scaring her parents, and I presume having had the benefit of a long lecture from them and from security, how is she doing? And has she told her parents about her gift?¡±
¡°Yes, she''s told them. We''re going to have a visit from mum later this afternoon.¡±
¡°Oooh. So is she ¡®Your excellency,¡¯ ¡®Maam,¡¯ or ¡®Your ladyship''?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Mummy!¡± Karen called and hobbled to the official transport on her crutches, embracing her mother as soon as she got out. She forgot about the crutches and they hit the door with some force. ¡°Oops! I didn''t I dent it, did I? Probably not since I''m sure it''s armoured. Come on inside, Mummy, do you like the flowerbeds? I know you''ll like the front door, it''s just like at home. Actually I think the same architect built this whole place. It''s from the same era anyway. The labs where I''m starting to work are that way, I''ll introduce you to Ivan later. He''s a real live mad scientist. Well, not mad actually, that''s just an act he puts on, complete with the fake vats of bubbling stuff. Quite convincing, but he''s just shy really. It''s a very well equipped lab of course and they''re working on stuff that people used to say couldn''t be done. It''s great fun. But anyway, let me introduce you to the people who heard me crying for help. This is Kate Burnett, director here, John Williams, psycho-counsellor, and Sarah Smith (soon to be Williams) who''s the computer systems expert and the first confirmed mind-reader the Institute¡¯s ever found. John was number two because Sarah prayed that it wouldn''t drive them apart. Kate became number three when she became a Christian, and I''m number four.¡±
¡°Hello. Thank you so much for rescuing my daughter. Please do call me Maria, you don''t mind first name terms?¡±
¡°No, no, we''re not formal here except when people want it,¡± Kate said.
¡°Karen, I''m very very pleased to see you''re OK, but I''m sure you could have let me get a word in edgewise somewhere since I got out of the car?¡±
¡°Sorry, mummy. Did you have a nice flight?¡±
¡°Which part of this do you think helped that most, dear? Hearing that you''d almost got yourself assassinated, kidnapped, or starved to death down an abandoned tunnel, or that somehow you''d become a figure from legend or horror movies?¡±
¡°I''m sorry, Mummy. I was stupid to listen to the university AI. I should have checked up on what it said better. And as for that computer counsellor...¡±
¡°What did it say, dear? I must say I''m confused why you were talking to a computer counsellor at all.¡±
¡°The medical computer said that the last human psycho-counsellor had retired last year, and that all new cases with my clearance codes were being routed into a special high security A.I. I was surprised, so I looked up human psycho-counsellors on my wrist unit and it confirmed the story about retirement. I should have realised that the query would end up at the same database. I should have checked from outside the campus, or spoken with someone from security, but I don''t know, it just sounded so plausible.¡±
¡°If the medical A.I. was reporting correctly,¡± Sarah said ¡°and I must say it''s a lot easier to poison a database like that than it is to corrupt a running A.I., then it might not have been specifically targeted at Karen. But you''ve passed this on to security?¡±
¡°Yes, it was them who pointed out my wrist unit would look for the nearest database.¡±
¡°Can''t they be made to only query trusted sources?¡± John asked.
¡°Yes, but how does Karen query university information if the university''s not a trusted source?¡±
¡°Ouch,¡± John said.
¡°You can do it,¡± Maria said. ¡°You tell it to query things in a specific order, most trusted first, rather than closest first, but it means you end up querying official servers for details of your friend''s party. They get annoyed about that sort of thing. So I have two units, one set up for closest first, the other set up for secure queries.¡±
¡°There must be a better way. A wrist unit''s not the most configurable thing in the world, but surely there are some which can flip between two settings?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I''ve never heard of one,¡± Maria declared.
¡°If they really don''t exist then I''m going to work with a jeweller friend of mine to make one. It can''t be hard, the design is so standardised, and it''s hardly fusion science to choose between configuration sets. Much easier than Kate''s ring for example.¡±
¡°Kate''s ring?¡±
¡°I got engaged on Saturday. My fianc¨¦ asked Sarah about rings ¡ª jewellery¡¯s in her blood ¡ª and she designed this.¡±
¡°It''s beautiful, and congratulations, but...¡±
¡°It includes a panic button just in case, and we persuaded a local data-crystal manufacturer to try their processes on gem diamonds rather than the artificial diamond sliver that makes a normal I.D. crystal. OK it''s ridiculous to use a real gem in terms of data storage, but as a wearable I.D, it makes just as much sense as my ring here, and is much more fitting for an engagement ring.¡±
Maria made a connection. ¡°I should have realised. Sarah Smith as in Maggie and Joshua?¡± Sarah nodded. ¡°I''m so sorry you lost your parents in the mall attack. I knew them. Your father made my I.D ring here. Snap.¡±
¡°I thought you looked familiar. You and mummy were friends.¡±
¡°Distant relations actually. Your mother was my second cousin. I never could remember your father''s surname, I''m sorry.¡±
Another memory stirred, and Sarah realised where her idea for gloves had come from. ¡°And you wore gloves then too, I remember, I always thought they were very elegant. Maria, did you know Mama Ng?¡±
¡°You know her? You said ¡®did''?¡±
¡°I''m afraid she died on Saturday.¡±
¡°She was a very great lady, I''d been hoping...¡±
¡°That now your daughter has the power and the gift, Mama could help her learn?¡±
¡°Yes. Karen was already a target, but now? I don''t have the power, but I know of it. My brother, you realise, is the black sheep of the family. If he finds out about her having the power, she''s in even more risk.¡±
¡°But he''s been stripped of his power, Mama told us.¡±
¡°Making him twice as malicious.¡±
¡°Mummy, you''ve never even mentioned having a brother!¡±
¡°I wish I didn''t have one, Karen. He''s an evil man. Thank God that he didn''t find you. Thank God that his power is gone. He''s been out of prison for barely six months and even with your false surname at the university, he''s found you. Either he''s managed to pervert every university in the country, or somehow he guessed you''d come here, or we''ve got a mole. But once you accessed his trap ¡ª I''m sure it was his by the way ¡ª he''ll have found you.¡±
¡°Mummy, you''re scaring me.¡±
¡°Good. Scared is safer. I presume the program you were tricked into talking to wanted your I.D.¡±
¡°Yes, Mummy. And an iris scan.¡±
¡°OK, the guys from security will have flagged it as probably stolen, but let''s make it definite. Then they will check whoever tries to use it, not just monitor activity on it. Of course if that system was hacked enough to steal your biometrics too, that''s going to be unpleasant. Oh, let''s hope it hasn''t happened.¡±
She tapped a code on her wrist unit. An alert was flashing.
She looked at Kate. ¡°You must have a secure computer system. Is it up to embassy standard, like the entrance way? Security thinks someone''s used Karen¡¯s I.D. It''d be much easier to check on a proper display.¡±
¡°Yes, the computer''s got that spec, maybe better actually, at least that''s what the salesman said.¡±
¡°Wonderful. Then can you give me limited command access please? You''ll need to confirm what I instruct it to do.¡±
[Is this safe, Sarah?] Kate asked.
[Yes, nothing she does goes anywhere without our say-so.]
¡°Sarah, please,¡± Kate requested.
¡°Voice too, or just keyboard, Maria?¡±
¡°Oh, voice if you have it, please, but I''ll need a display. Is there one?¡± She looked around for one.
Sarah smiled. ¡°Computer, inner wall display active. Full mirror windows, room lights to compensate. Authorise visitor in this room to limited command access, display, voice and keyboard.¡±
The wood panelling rolled aside to reveal the enormous display Sarah had seen on her second visit.
¡°Computer,¡± Maria commanded, ¡°report status.¡±
¡°Security status alert level four. Possible threat to staff member identified. Fire alert status one.¡±
¡°Computer, full expand on security alert,¡± said Sarah, ¡°expand on fire alert.¡±
¡°Security alert status four: Possible threat to staff member Karen. Threat type: uncertain, unconfirmed.
Threat source: uncertain.
Threat motive: uncertain.
Basis: recent conversation in this room.¡±
Maria raised her eyebrows in appreciation.
She hadn''t met a computer that would decide there might be a threat based on a half understood conversation.
¡°Fire alert status one: staff member Horrace using soldering iron.¡±
Kate laughed and explained to Maria, ¡°Horrace has a bad habit of leaving the soldering iron in silly places. I guess the computer thinks he''s a fire risk even when he''s holding it.¡±
¡°Clever A.I. OK, let''s at least let the computer know some certainties, then I''ll feel happier,¡± Maria said, then commanded,
¡°Computer classify primary threat motive to staff member Karen as long standing family feud. Classify primary threat source to staff member Karen as Roland Underwood alias Rodger Upton alias Roland Uppington-Smythe, other aliases unknown. Released from prison approximately six months ago. Relationship to staff member Karen: uncle. Relation to myself: brother. Staff member Karen is my daughter. Confirm.¡±
¡°Request authorisation,¡± the computer asked.
¡°I authorise,¡± Sarah confirmed.
¡°Security alert status five. Confirmed threat to staff member Karen. Roland Underwood barred access to facility. Known associates of Roland Underwood barred access to facility. Press reports accessed. Ten percent facial recognition false negative match. One percent facial recognition false positive match. Query existence of authorisation to access prisoner release records.¡±
¡°Clever computer,¡± murmured Maria. ¡°Computer: authorisation available using my I.D. Ambassadorial code 43685.¡±
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
¡°Query: staff member Karen''s status is ambassadorial dependent?¡±
¡°Correct,¡± Maria answered.
¡°Adding secondary threat list from central database. Alert! Alert! Match on certain facility clients. None present in facility at present. Query action on presence.¡±
¡°Warn staff member Karen. Deny co-occupancy of corridors. Deny co-occupancy of rooms. Deny matching clients sight of staff member Karen. Override restrictions at risk to health of staff member Karen. Override restrictions at risk to life of matching clients. Confirm.¡±
¡°Request authorisation,¡± the computer asked.
[I see her concerns, and it''s probably embassy normal,] Kate thought to Sarah, [but can''t we at least get Karen out of the way if there''s a client at risk, or due to leave? If they suddenly get locked in, they''re going to get curious.]
[Sure, I''ve seen that option.] Sarah replied.
¡°Amendment. Deny matching clients all awareness of staff member Karen. Predict client movement. Warn staff member Karen of potential crossing point or intercept. Indicate best estimate of safe route for staff member Karen. Preference: no alteration in access to be perceived by matching clients. Confirm.¡±
¡°Matching clients will not see staff member Karen. Staff member Karen will be guided away from matching clients. If staff member Karen complies, matching client will not notice heightened security. If staff member Karen does not comply, matching clients will find doors blocked unexpectedly. Query: alert staff member Karen in case of risk to health of client?¡±
¡°Correct.¡±
¡°Security parameters updated.¡±
¡°I like it, good modification, Sarah,¡± Maria said. ¡°Now that we''ve done that, let''s check my message.¡±
¡°Computer, access security log on my wrist unit. Display most recent alert.¡±
¡°Request authorisation,¡± the computer asked.
¡°Permanent authorisation granted for visitor to access her wrist unit or other off-site data under own authorisation via facility computer.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Thank you, Sarah,¡± Maria said.
Her wrist unit asked for confirmation and once Maria had authorised the computer''s request, the computer showed a list of events since Karen had spoken to the rogue program.
¡°So Karen, which of these do you recognise?¡± Maria asked.
¡°Well, yes, I went to the bookshop, bought that light and that food. Then I went home. So that''s Thursday. On Friday there''s nothing, except exit and entry which makes sense. I walked to the tunnel, got lost, got rescued, got this beautiful piece of fashionable leg wear. After that John and Sarah met me, fed me wonderful pizza, you definitly should accept it if you get the chance, Mummy. Then, on Saturday I talked to security an awful lot. Those are my statements yes, and then Sarah took me to Kate''s house for the engagement party. Sunday looks good too, out to church, back home. Hey, what''s this? I didn''t go back home this morning!
¡°Computer, access my home security cameras. Playback 45 seconds before 10.18 entry.¡±
They saw a person approaching the house, glancing around to make sure he wasn''t observed and getting a black object from his pocket. They guessed it was a man. His face was concealed with a hood. He presented one part of the box to the I.D scanner, the other to the retina scanner. It shouldn''t have worked, but it clearly did. The door opened to him.
¡°Computer, switch view to camera two. Display all cameras with view of intruder.¡±
¡°Query: alert police?¡±
¡°Negative,¡± jumped in Maria before Karen could speak. ¡°Alert ambassadorial security section. Flag as case Karen-university. Flag as suspected threat to life. Flag as I.D. theft confirmed. Flag as biometric theft. Attach address and access codes to house security system. Confirm.¡±
¡°Request authorisation,¡± was the computer''s predictable response.
¡°Authorised,¡± Karen confirmed. ¡°Computer, pause playback. Mummy, this means I can''t do anything, doesn''t it? I''m going to need a new I.D. I''m going to need to get my iris scan altered. He might have even got my fingerprints by now.¡±
¡°Yes, dear, he probably has, at least if they don''t catch him soon. If they don''t, then I''m afraid all you''re going to have to identify you soon is your friends, family and DNA.¡±
¡°And since not many shops, or even banks for that matter are going to have DNA scanners, I''m going to need to drop back to pass-phrase entry.¡±
¡°If places will accept one without an accredited guarantor.¡±
¡°And any contacts I have are at risk too, if he''s got into the house computer?¡±
¡°Of course, dear, but you had a pass-phrase on that, surely?¡±
¡°Yes. Let''s hope he can''t crack it.¡± Karen sounded depressed.
¡°Let''s watch what he does, dear. That''ll help us know if that''s a risk.¡±
¡°Computer, resume playback.¡±
He nosed around the house. In some ways they found it amazing. He''d been watchful outside, but clearly had no concern about interior cameras.
¡°We''ve still not seen his face, but that can''t be my brother. He''s acting like he clearly hasn''t had a thought of cameras.¡±
¡°So what''s he doing? He''s just taken a picture of my timetable, he''s looking at my maps now. And that''s the box the university gave us to keep course notes. I use it for my old coin collection. Oh, he''s cross about that!¡±
¡°I think he''s been sent to find out what you''re studying, Karen.¡±
¡°There''s something familiar about him, you know. If I didn''t know better I''d say that was Arnold,¡±
¡°Arnold?¡±
¡°He''s one of the soldiers who carried me out of the tunnel. Very moral guy, calls himself a Christian but doesn''t like the word grace. Oh, and he''s convinced that mind readers are the spawn of Satan.¡±
¡°Then he needs to be on the known risks list too, doesn''t he?¡±
¡°Yes, he does,¡± admitted Sarah. ¡°Well, he is, but the computer hasn''t been able to find a picture of him.¡±
¡°He''s a soldier, you say?¡±
¡°Yes, a sergeant at the local barracks,¡± Karen answered. ¡°The last I heard, he was confined to quarters pending psychological evaluation. He rather exploded at Teresa for representing the Institute, and his C.O. overheard. Sorry, she''s his sister.¡± she added.
¡°You''re going to need to tell me more about this, Karen,¡± Maria sighed. ¡°Computer, update any missing data in known threat list using ambassadorial dependant security code.¡±
¡°Automatic processing in progress. Query, downgrade to manual?¡±
¡°Negative,¡± said Sarah.
¡°What did that mean?¡± Kate asked. ¡°I''ve been able to follow until now, but...¡±
¡°It means that your computer is more advanced than I expected, Kate,¡± Maria said. ¡°We''ve told it about Karen''s status, and it''s been clever enough to realise that defending an ambassadorial dependant gives it access to more databases than it did before. When I told it how to do it''s job, it threatened to sulk, well, asked if it had overstepped the mark actually.¡±
¡°Alert! Alert!¡± announced the computer. ¡°Known threat person detected in staff member Karen''s house.¡±
¡°Display.¡±
The security video they''d been watching skipped forward several minutes. The intruder was looking up towards the hidden camera. Karen''s suspicion was right. It was indeed Arnold.
Beside the video came information that the computer had obviously just retrieved from the base''s computer. His I.D. photo, age and so on, current status as confined to barracks but flagged as AWOL, unstable, possibly dangerous.¡±
¡°Oops,¡± Maria said. ¡°Someone is in trouble. Someone may think they''re in trouble now, but they don''t know nothing yet.¡±
¡°Computer, resume play, twice times normal speed until present or intruder leaves,¡± Karen commanded.
They watched him continue to search the house, taking his time to look at every folder and box he could find. Then, after watching him do this for about five minutes they saw him look up as though startled. He picked up a chair, threw it at a window and dived through what he expected to be a hole. His head hit the rebounding chair and then the window. He sunk to the ground, stunned momentarily. Smartly dressed men entered the room and approached him. Arnold seemed to leap up, throwing the remnants of the chair at them, and got past them before they could stun him.
The camera view switched to see him fleeing the house. The picture went black.
¡°Idiots!¡± Maria cursed the men from security. ¡°OK, so he''s military and they were expecting a common thief, but really! They didn''t even have their stunners out!¡±
¡°When did he escape?¡± John asked. ¡°We should warn Teresa.¡±
¡°Urm, five minutes ago. He could have gone anywhere,¡± Sarah said.
¡°Computer, has identity of intruder been sent to security forces?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Affirmative.¡±
¡°John,¡± Kate decided, ¡°good idea, at least warn Teresa. If she''s not secure where she is now, tell her to come here.¡±
John did that and was just suggesting she call a transport when Maria grabbed his wrist and said, ¡°No, wait, give me the address. I''ll send someone from security to get you. I want to talk anyway.¡±
¡°If they don''t mind, I''d feel safer,¡± Teresa replied.
¡°Don''t mind?¡± Maria laughed. ¡°They can mind if they want to, but it''s not going to do them much good. Talk to you soon.¡±
She pressed some buttons on her own wrist unit.
¡°Yes, that''s right, I''ve been doing your job for you. Who trained those incompetents? No, don''t answer that, I''d have to reprimand them. Instead send someone to this address and collect a young woman named Teresa. Done that? Faster man, she''s at risk. Her connection to my daughter has seriously upset her brother, who those two muppets have just let go. But I''m sure we''ll trace the university thing back to my brother. Yes, that''s right. Time off for good behaviour if you can believe that. No, of course I don''t. No idea what the connection is, except that where my brother tries to be the embodiment of evil, Arnold thinks that¡¯s what all mind-readers are like. Exactly. Oh, by the way, find out what the specification is for the A.I. they''ve got here at the Institute, and get the embassy spec. updated to include it. I don''t care, maybe we can do a deal. It''s making connections I didn''t expect. When I gave it my embassy authorisation to it, it asked if Karen classed as an embassy dependant and updated its threat tables all by itself. And it''s going to warn her how to lay low so that certain clients don''t even notice there''s extra protocols in place. Yes. Nor did I. So find the programmer and employ them, man. They should be working for us, at least part time. Oh, also tell procurement to contact my second cousin once removed, name of Sarah here. Just designed an engagement ring where the stone is a data-crystal. No, IS, not hides, I''ve had one of those for years. Gem diamond which is a data-crystal, I don''t know the capacity, I''ll ask. She''s got other good ideas too.¡±
[Karen,] Sarah asked a few seconds into the one sided conversation, [do I get the impression your mother''s rather an important person?]
[No one''s more important than Mummy, Sarah, every little girl knows that.]
[Yes, but it doesn''t often turn out to be true.]
[There is that.]
[You''re not going to answer, are you?]
[It''s better if you don''t know.]
[No wonder she wears gloves!]
[And one of my pet projects is going to be the electronics to protect what''s in Mummy''s head, and if you could make it look nice then I''d very much appreciate it.]
[She needs to know about thoughtful chicken.]
[I mentioned it. She wants to talk to you about it.]
[How much did you say?]
[Just that it makes the power more powerful. For some reason I was embarrassed about the other.]
[I''ll tell her. I wonder if she knows trustworthy people with the power to test it with.]
[Maybe. Oh, Sarah, what am I going to do?]
[What, about your I.D. and everything?]
[Not that, that''s just annoying hassle. But how am I going to find a husband now that I can see how selfish they''re really being and just saying things they think I want to hear and everything like that?]
[But you''ll also know the real love behind what sound like empty platitudes too, so I think it balances out. Um, maybe it''ll help if I tell you this. John thinks he''s put away all his photos of his first wife, but I found this one on top of a cupboard {memory}. She was really smart too and she died protecting him.]
[Ouch. She''s amazing. How can you compete?]
[I don''t need to, Karen. If he saw someone like her today, he''d think ¡®Fairly attractive, but not as beautiful as my Sarah.¡¯ I know, I''ve witnessed it. Beauty is in the mind of the beholder, and the concept of beauty in a man in love is far more flexible than I''d ever imagined possible.]
[Wow.]
[But as for the rest, cousin, take it to the Lord in prayer!]
[I''ve never known I had a cousin before, it''s nice.]
[Chat time over, girls!] came Kate''s thought. [Sarah, Maria''s just asked if you
have any spare I.D. diamonds. But I guess you didn''t hear.]
¡°Urm, I''ve got a couple. They''re not as good as Kate''s stone.¡±
¡°Good as in data or good as in expert jeweller¡¯s opinion?¡±
¡°Oh, jeweller¡¯s opinion. Did you say what for, I''m afraid my thoughts were elsewhere.¡±
¡°A lovely phrase which is probably true in your case. Where were they?¡±
¡°We were gossiping, Mummy,¡± Karen admitted.
¡°No we weren''t! Gossip is about other people, Karen. This was talking amongst ourselves so we wouldn''t eaves-drop on your mother''s conversation,¡± Sarah said primly.
[Catch! {memory}] thought John.
¡°Oh thanks, John. Yes, I can let you have a sample. The capacity is only about a gigabyte per carat on a gem diamond. I do have some failures where they tried putting more on and it ruined the clarity of the stone.¡±
¡°Not so bad, not so bad. That''s still an awful lot of text.¡±
¡°A few hundred Bibles, yes.¡±
¡°And the ones with ruined clarity? Just how bad were they and how much data?¡±
¡°Ugh, no real jeweller would ever use them. OK, we got a hundred times the data onto them, and I suppose maybe if you wanted it to look like you knew nothing about diamonds except that they were all sparkly and could scratch glass, you could get away with wearing them.¡±
¡°Sarah love, maybe you should let someone with an untrained eye look at them,¡± John suggested.
¡°But they''re horrible, John. Hardly better than industrial diamonds now. They should be clear and beautiful but they''re almost as horrible as the so-called diamonds they sell on the net.¡±
John smiled fondly at Sarah. ¡°I rest my case. Sarah is a passionate believer in quality.¡±
¡°Whereas the average person can hardly tell diamond from zirconia,¡± supplied Kate.
¡°Oh Kate, how could you even mention it! That''s horrible stuff!¡±
¡°So, you took a high quality diamond, what about a third of a carat? Made it able to store thirty gigabytes, and did what, halved its value as a gem?¡± Maria asked.
¡°Worse, I''m afraid, we probably quartered it. A very sad and expensive mistake.¡±
¡°But a woman who had it sitting in her ring could have literally on hand a vast amount of data that she could access using nothing more than a wrist unit?¡±
¡°Yes, but you can do the same with costume jewellery like our rings, or I don''t know, hide a crystal in a shoe. Why would you ruin a diamond for that?¡±
¡°But at some functions and situations, you''d look vastly out of place with costume jewellery on. I have to put my ring in my husband''s pocket. And while I''ve had to leave my shoes behind sometimes and run away barefoot, I never take off my engagement ring.¡±
¡°Oh, I see.¡±
¡°I don''t remembering you ever telling me about running away from somewhere barefoot, Mummy.¡±
¡°Well, no I wouldn''t have, would I. It was before I married your father. We had some interesting times back then, and we did a lot of running away too.¡±
¡°Oh. One of those times where the night suddenly got brighter?¡±
¡°Yes dear. Now don''t give away secrets or pry.¡±
¡°Hey, I could, couldn''t I!¡±
¡°Not and work with us, Karen,¡± Kate warned. ¡°You''ve agreed to that ethical code.¡±
¡°She wouldn''t, Kate, any more than you would,¡± Maria said. ¡°God doesn''t make mistakes like that. But back onto our reason for being here, I do wonder who on earth would be a mutual contact between my brother and Arnold.¡±
¡°It would have to be someone Arnold respected, religiously, I mean,¡± Karen said. ¡°His attitude to mind reading was real work-of-the-devil stuff.¡±
¡°Most likely place my brother would meet a new colleague in evil is prison.¡±
¡°I wonder if the A.I. can come up with anything,¡± Sarah mused. ¡°Computer, query religious affiliations of Arnold, generate set of potential contacts, cross-match known contacts of Roland Underwood and fellow inmates during his most recent imprisonment.¡±
¡°Working,¡± responded the computer.
¡°Alert! Alert! Security status eight. Banned person approaching facility.¡±
¡°What!¡± Maria leapt to her feet and tried to peer through the window. ¡°Display approach. Highlight location of banned person.¡±
The display showed the views from the different outward facing cameras. A figure had left a vehicle in front of the building and was approaching. They couldn''t see who it was.
¡°Identify and zoom in on banned person.¡±
¡°Banned person highlighted in yellow,¡± the computer reported the obvious and zoomed in. It seemed to be a woman but the highlighting made it impossible to recognise her.
¡°Remove highlighting. Report link and name of banned person.¡±
The yellow glare vanished. A face they recognised filled the monitor, looking worried. Teresa!
¡°Banned person is sister to banned person Arnold, presumed associate of banned person Roland Underwood. Potential contact and associate of Roland Underwood.¡±
¡°Cancel alert,¡± commanded Kate. ¡°Admit Teresa to facility.¡±
¡°Conflict of instructions. Cannot comply.¡±
¡°Status update. Known conflict between Teresa and Arnold. Arnold is potential threat to Teresa. Roland is potential threat to Teresa. Admit Teresa to lobby area. Affirm that records state Teresa is contract staff member. Defend Teresa from threats as contract staff member. Specify basis of association between Teresa and Roland Underwood,¡± Sara commanded. ¡°Confirm, Teresa is contract staff member. Teresa recorded as frequent visitor to prison during imprisonment of Roland Underwood. Motivation unknown. Role unknown. Purpose of visits unknown. Data incomplete, processing. Protection of ambassadorial dependant staff member Karen overrides protection of contract staff member Teresa. Access beyond lobby denied. Access to lobby granted.¡±
¡°Well, that''s something. I''ll go talk to poor Teresa in the lobby,¡± sighed Kate.
¡°Computer,¡± Sarah tried again, ¡°contract staff member Teresa is freelance legal advisor. Query visit frequency of legal advisor Teresa to prison after release of threat Roland Underwood. Correlate and report status.¡±
¡°Prior to release, visits average one point two three per week. Standard deviation zero point six four. Post release average one point two three per week. Correlation low. Null hypothesis confirmed. Motive of giving legal advice sufficient motive for prison visits. No association. Security alert cancelled. Security alert status five. Fire alert status three.¡±
[Kate, crisis over.] Sarah thought with relief, then said, ¡°Expand fire alert status.¡±
¡°Staff member Horrace left soldering iron on chair.¡±
¡°Classify as minor risk to health,¡± Sarah instructed. ¡°Schedule sub-program ¡®nanny¡¯ at lowest priority. Temporarily unschedule if resources low.¡±
¡°Acknowledged.¡±
¡°Well, I warned him.¡±
¡°What did you warn him of?¡± Maria asked.
¡°That if I ever caught him using furniture as a soldering iron stand again, the computer would start nagging him.¡±
¡°Kate agreed?¡± John asked.
¡°Agreed? She recorded some of the warnings! I really liked, ¡®Don''t do that, Horrace, or I''ll shuffle your screwdrivers.¡¯¡±
¡°Oooh, what a cruel threat! He''d be devastated!¡± Karen was in tears of laughter.
¡°What''s so funny, dear?¡± Maria asked, bemused.
¡°Horrace might be absent minded about soldering irons, but he has the most organised toolbox I''ve ever seen. Every tool in the exact spot. He''s got every sort of screwdriver you can imagine in there, anti-magnetic, non-conducting, high voltage, you name it, there''s hundreds, and he knows where each one''s place is so well he normally gets them out without looking. It''d be like reorganising a touch typist''s keyboard.¡±
¡°OK, yes, good threat then,¡± Maria conceded.
Community / Ch. 2: Ethical Decisions
Book 2: Community / Ch. 2:Ethical Decisions
IHM 17th July
Soon after the discussion of the dire threats were issued to Horace''s toolbox, Kate came in with Teresa and the computer reported that its processing had finished.
¡°I''m really not sure I can tell you more, Teresa,¡± Kate was saying. ¡°I''ll leave that decision up to Karen''s mother here. Have a seat. Maria, I''ve told Teresa the computer got in a panic because she was Arnold''s sister and because she''d been visiting the prison recently. She tells me it''s not to see a client but to help in her church''s ministry. I didn''t even know you went to church, Teresa.¡±
¡°Well, to be honest, I don''t very often, but the outreach team are my friends, and I go along to help in case they need a hand. Mostly we just run a little library, but sometimes the prisoners want to know about their rights or they need help understanding legal documents they''ve been sent. That''s usually divorce papers, loan foreclosures, sad stuff like that.¡±
¡°OK, so it was all generic legal stuff they could have asked almost anyone?¡±
Maria asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So you''re not under client confidentiality rules about anything that went on there?¡± Maria pressed more.
¡°Urm, no. Why?¡±
¡°Because being a prison, there are very bad people there, as well as stupid people who didn''t think about other options, or people who have problems avoiding temptation. I''m sure you understand the difference.¡±
¡°Yes, I think so. We didn''t talk to people from maximum security, if that''s what you''re getting at.¡±
¡°Actually, not really. I find the people in maximum security normally fit into the second and third categories. I''m more thinking about, say, politicians who gain power by extortion and bribery, misdirect public funds to their own accounts, have links to international organised crime, might at any particular time be involved in anything from kidnapping and murder to drug smuggling and extortion rackets. All while smiling pleasantly and offering you a charming little aperitif from a crystal decanter. That''s who I''d put into the first category. And if you can''t see the rotting scum through the veneer of civilization then you probably shouldn''t be near a prison, because that''s where we try to keep people like that.¡±
¡°Roland Underwood,¡± Teresa said with remembered fear in her voice. ¡°There was something revolting about him. I wouldn''t go near him after my first visit. One of the other ladies said that he was a reformed character and had helped her understand the prison system ever so much better. But I didn''t see reform. I saw calculation and manipulation. I felt a bit foolish, the others seemed so taken with him, but I refused to have anything to do with him.¡±
¡°I am very very glad you said that, Teresa. If you could, please tell Sarah the names of those ladies. I''d like to add them to a list of potential associates of his. Anyone who''s a friend of my brother isn''t someone I want near Karen.¡±
¡°Your brother?¡±
¡°Yes, my nasty little brother. I understand your little brother thinks all mind readers are evil incarnate?¡±
¡°Yes, urm, I don''t know where he got the idea from.¡±
¡°He probably heard a partial biography of my brother. He used to be a mind reader until some people managed to strip him of his powers through prayer. Didn''t stop him being a nasty piece of work of course, just removed some of his options for blackmail, torture and the like.¡±
¡°Oh. You''re serious about those crimes?¡±
¡°Relatively. Very little has come to trial because he''s had too much practice evading justice. I know he tried to torture me once, when he was seven. I don''t just mean hair pulling. I mean that one night when my parents were out and I was asleep, he locked the babysitter outside the house, tied me to the bed and tried to put red hot needles under my fingernails.¡±
¡°But why?¡±
¡°Because as I fell asleep I decided I was going to tell my mother what had happened to the cat that evening, and he''d heard my decision.¡±
¡°Wow,¡± Teresa said. ¡°And he''s been after you ever since?¡±
¡°Not exactly. He learnt to be more subtle unless he thought he was safe. But I''ve certainly been avoiding him as much as I can. Mostly he persuades others to do his dirty work through deception, misdirection, bribery and blackmail. But somehow he corrupted the university database or A.I., pointed Karen at a trap, duplicated her I.D. which should be very hard, recorded her iris scan well enough to fool the supposedly fool proof unit fitted to her house, and packaged the I.D. and iris scan in a neat little box for your brother to use to get in and snoop around.¡±
Karen added, ¡°But we didn''t suspect Arnold and Roland were going to have common contacts. But maybe your friends connected the two.¡±
¡°Any one of those ladies could have told Arnold something, he''s at church every service he can get to. But they''re not going to convince him to take up breaking and entering, nor do I really believe they''d willingly courier equipment for it.¡±
¡°Unless he convinced them it was perfectly innocent. It doesn''t seem very likely, I agree. It''s much more likely he used a real partner in crime, or met Ronald directly,¡± Maria concluded. ¡°Shall we see what the computer''s come up with?¡±
¡°Computer, display cross matches,¡± Sarah commanded.
¡°Are these ladies here your friends?¡±
¡°Yes, and Mr Williamson here is why the whole idea of visiting came about. He used to be our youth pastor. Arnold really respected him, you know. It was so unjust him being imprisoned for some holiday photos, just because some horrid little girl made a vile accusation against him.¡±
[Calm, Sarah, seek peace if you need to, let Kate and me handle this, love. Karen, I know you know nothing. Let''s play dumb, Kate, and see what she thinks she knows.]
¡°What exactly were the charges against him, Teresa? I remember there was some sort of scandal. It was what, five years ago?¡± John asked.
Kate added, ¡°Did you look into the case? Miscarriage of justice is a pretty serious charge, I''d have thought.¡±
¡°Oops. And me an officer of the court too. Sorry. Very lax of me, especially in these circumstances. I''ve just said unjust in the sense that his wife used it, not in any legal sense. I''m afraid I didn''t look into the case at all, I think I''ve just quoted her verbatim actually. Why would I do that, I wonder?¡±
¡°Hear something enough times and it sounds like truth, I guess,¡± John offered.
¡°So,¡± Maria asked, ¡°do you know anything, except that there was a scandal, he was jailed, he stopped being a youth pastor and Arnold looked up to him?¡±
¡°From my memory and this is only hearsay, I wasn''t actually here at the time. He was playing with their foster daughter and a friend of hers when the friend hit her panic button. Their step daughter said her friend had misunderstood the game and it was all a big mistake. Then, the way I was told it was that since the police had been called, they looked around for incriminating evidence and arrested him because of some holiday pictures of their foster daughter. But that doesn''t sound reasonable. Did the police really check every photo the family had and then arrest him? They''d need a warrant to search unless there was some kind of a tip off.¡±
¡°Let''s call up the case,¡± Maria suggested. ¡°If there was any basis for the original accusations, that would make him an ideal victim for my brother to blackmail.¡±
¡°Computer,¡± Sarah commanded, ¡°display all available records relating to conviction of Mr. Harry Williamson.¡± [Why don''t you want me to say anything, John?]
[I''m getting snatches of her emotions and self talk. It took me a while, but I''ve just worked out a mechanism. You know that in here I always sit with my feet up on the metal frame. My guess is she''s fidgeting and her leg or foot is touching the table leg sometimes. If I move she''ll suspect something''s wrong. Anyway, Teresa still doesn''t want to believe any of her friends or her friend''s husband is involved in this, and if we tell her you''re linked to this too soon, she''ll go into denial. She''s already seriously on the defensive.]
[John, is it ethical to stay there once you''ve worked out how to avoid it?] Sarah asked.
[I can''t avoid hearing her unless I move, which would be too obvious. Kate?]
[Borderline. Go look out of the window, John, or point at something on the display ASAP, then sit like you should, not like a slob.]
[It''s not sitting like a slob, it''s sitting in a relaxed and welcoming manner!] John replied.
[Relaxed and welcoming slob, move!]
John saw something to point at on the display and obeyed. ¡°Teresa, could you imagine holiday snaps fitting this description of the evidence? Numerous costumes, clearly taken in a home studio?¡±
¡°To me, it sounds like she was getting ready for a beauty pageant, not playing in the sand like I imagined,¡± Teresa admitted. ¡°Oh no. Look there, John, that''s not right, surely! If that was right, how could his wife defend him so?¡±
¡°People can be funny, Teresa. She might have blamed their foster daughter, for example, thinking she egged him on or something. But no, Teresa, no decent man would take such photos of any girl, let alone someone he thought of as a daughter. What happened to her by the way?¡± John asked.
¡°Urm, I''m not sure. I guess she was moved to another carer. No, I remember. According to my friend anyway, she pleaded and pleaded to stay, and they decided that since she''d be an adult by the time he was out, they wouldn''t interrupt her education. Then a couple of years ago she had an accident. It was soon after her foster father was released, but surely he wasn''t involved! She just fell off her bike and broke her neck.¡±
Stolen story; please report.
¡°That''s happened to several people who pose a risk to my brother,¡± Maria said.
¡°Oh no!¡± Sarah burst out, unable to bear it any more. ¡°Sue, did he get you killed as well as abuse you? Oh my friend, why did you ever defend him? Why? I''m sorry, I can''t keep up the pretence. Sue was one of my best friends, Teresa, we''d met when we were both little, six or seven. She loved Harry like a father, but then, when she started to develop he started wanting to take funny photos ¡ª those were her words. I didn''t know what exactly, but I told her it wasn''t right if he didn''t want to show them ho his wife. She said it was so she could be a film star when she was big. And then we went on holiday then they went on holiday and there was something haunting her when we next met. We played for a bit together. I lent her my tiara which I never took off, to try and cheer her up. And then he came and said it was time to play doctors and nurses. Sue said it was just tickling but I understood where from her mind, so I pressed my panic button. I yelled at him to stop abusing Sue. He grabbed my shoulder and held me to the door, asked what did I know about anything, it was just tickling. I said yes, I knew where, and I knew about the photos he''d been taking too. Then the police arrived and he said his piece about me misunderstanding the game, it was just a tickling game, and Sue defended him. Then he said, could he possibly go to the bathroom and I heard him think, ¡®I''ll fix the little tattle-tale orphan somehow, but I''ll destroy those pictures first.¡¯ And I told the police he was only going to the bathroom to destroy evidence, pictures of Sue.¡± She buried her face in John''s shoulder as she wept quietly for her old friend.
¡°Sarah''s tiara was something her father made, it numbed her gift,¡± John explained. ¡°Sarah told me briefly about this event when we were first discovering her gift. Harry called her a little witch as he was being taken away.¡±
¡°But I don''t understand,¡± Teresa asked, ¡°why wasn''t Sarah called to give evidence that he''d tried to touch her?¡±
¡°Firstly, because I was able to say what he''d wanted to do, but he hadn''t actually done anything at that point, except name the game. Sue claimed it was her name for a tickling game, and I''d over reacted. If I''d been collecting evidence I guess I should have let him start undressing me or something. I didn''t. I knew what he wanted and wasn''t having his filthy hands near me. But I couldn''t say anything that he''d actually done to me. I wasn''t really much use as a witness. And then secondly, I''d also developed this strange mental instability in crowded places. With Sue defending him and no reliable evidence, I guess they only charged him with the pictures.¡±
Maria summarised: ¡°And so he gets imprisoned with my brother, blaming the little witch who knew too much. My brother knew how she could know too much and would guess there were more than photos. But back home everyone believed his side of things because his wife was in denial and stood by him.¡±
¡°And your charming brother helps them believe she''s right and explains the evidence away to my friends. And Harry, once released, explained to Arnold how the evil witch had had him thrown in jail purely to destroy his work, or something like that,¡± Teresa concluded. ¡°Urm, one question, this report clearly isn''t the public record, it''s too detailed. How are we seeing it?¡±
¡°I gave this computer access to the relevant databases,¡± Maria said, without elaborating further. Teresa accepted that. After all, if Karen''s mother could order internal security forces around, almost anything else made sense too. ¡°Computer, forward details of Harry Williamson and links to Arnold and Roland to security. Flag as before, also append staff member Sarah''s description of the basis for her accusation against him.¡±
¡°Unable to comply. Underspecified attachment.¡±
¡°Well at least it has some limitations,¡± muttered Maria. ¡°Computer, attachment is vocal recording from this room. Start with ''Sue was one of my best friends.'' End-point is my command to forward data.¡±
¡°Authorisation required to access recording. All speakers please state agreement if acceptable.¡±
¡°Authorised,¡± they all agreed in turn.
¡°Authorisation required to complete command.¡±
¡°Authorised.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Query: append contract staff member Teresa''s statement regarding attitude of Arnold to Harry Williamson?¡±
¡°Affirmative,¡± stated Sarah.
¡°I authorise recording access,¡± added Teresa, pre-empting the computer''s predictable question.
¡°Information sent.¡±
¡°Why didn''t I think of doing that?¡± asked Maria.
¡°Does that solve everything?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Not really dear. All we''ve done is come up with a possible motive and opportunity.¡±
Kate agreed, ¡°Harry could end up not being involved in this part at all, but we''ve got a nice neat theory.¡±
¡°But why would Arnold go and break into Karen''s flat?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°I expect he was collecting information, anything Roland could use later. My brother would want that.¡±
¡°Sorry, I still don''t understand. He''s got high morals, why would he agree? How would Harry or anyone convince him to take up robbery?¡±
¡°Not robbery, Teresa. Intelligence gathering,¡± Karen said. ¡°He didn''t break down any doors or smash anything, just bypassed security, and the only thing he took was photos. On Friday he thought I was a morally weak Christian who presumed too much on God''s grace, a totally stupid little girl who needed a baby-sitter. By now, after he''s talked to my uncle, he knows I must be able to read minds to have heard anything from my rescuers. Therefore, instead of an object of derision, I''m now an enemy of all that is good and noble, a servant of the devil. Maybe a poor example of one of course.¡±
¡°And as an ''enemy of everything that''s right'', you¡¯re best avoided unless he''s actually planning violence, but you''re certainly a legitimate target for any espionage activities,¡± Maria agreed.
¡°But what would your brother actually be planning, Mummy? He''s gone to a lot of effort to get my I.D. and everything, but as far as I can see, all he''s done now is alert us to that fact by sending Arnold to use it.¡±
¡°Well, if he wasn''t convinced that he''s got you and not some other Karen, then I guess our response of sending security has proven you''re you. If I were him then I''d have had someone watching Arnold to see if he got away with it. That on its own might be enough to suit him. If Arnold had actually found out what courses you''re doing and your timetable, then he''d be able to have a good idea where you are any time he wanted to kidnap you, if that''s his plan. Plus he knows where you live. Sorry, dear, you''re a sitting target now, unless you change everything about yourself. Or we catch him good and proper. I''m really sorry, Teresa, but your brother is probably due to have a fatal accident right now, unless we catch him first or he hands himself in.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°Because he''s almost been caught. It''s only a matter of time before he is. And when he''s caught then he might talk. Even if he hadn''t been caught, he knows too much. My brother doesn''t take those sorts of risks. That was another reason I wanted to get you here. If he doesn''t talk to you, then you''re safer. One less fatality.¡±
¡°Mummy,¡± Karen decided, ¡°can I scan you, please? I love you and I trust you but I also know you can tell the cold hard truth and mislead people with equal ability. Are you serious about Arnold having probably served his purpose as far as uncle''s concerned? If so, then I''m willing to help find him if Teresa wants me to.¡±
Maria was surprised. She hadn''t expected her assessment to do more than prepare Teresa for the worst. The last thing she''d expected was that her daughter would get involved like this. Perhaps Kate or one of the others might eventually, but that ethics statement Kate had forwarded to security had made her think that there wouldn''t be any help. As for the request to scan her to test her veracity. Ouch.
¡°Tell me more about being scanned. What do you see, what might you see?¡±
¡°Um,¡± Karen floundered, ¡°at this distance, whatever you''re thinking about. I''ve only done it once. Perhaps one of the others could explain?¡±
John chose to answer with an example. ¡°In our first public test, one of the staff here agreed to be scanned. He didn''t believe really it was possible, or he wouldn''t have. But he did. We saw everything he was thinking about. At the top layer he was thinking ¡°nothing to see, you can''t catch me.¡± From what I understand that''s all your brother would have got. Under that was fear and revulsion that someone might read his thoughts. Under that was the reason for the fear: he had done something wrong. Associated with that were how he''d reacted, how it had played out, what had happened, how he felt about what he''d done. Based on all that we were able to point out to him that the Bible said he''d been forgiven, never mind what he felt like, and he should stop pretending he didn''t believe in God and should go back to church where he belonged. Not often as complex as that of course, but people can be.¡±
¡°And that was what, a minute of thought?¡±
¡°A minute?¡± Sarah replied in shock. ¡°No, we''d be dead. Tests so far indicate that our brains light up like Christmas trees and use about thirty times more power than normal when we scan someone. I tried scanning Teresa here for fifteen seconds and passed out. I probably would have died if I hadn''t got lots of emergency care just down the corridor from Janet. Scanning that man took about a second to a second and a half.¡±
¡°So if Karen scans me and my mind wanders, or I''m still thinking about reasons I shouldn''t let her scan me?¡±
¡°Then I guess I''d see them and understand them, Mummy.¡±
¡°In that case I think I need to decline your offer, dear. Too many secrets in my skull.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°Why do you need to know your mother''s telling the truth, Karen?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°You helped write the ethics rules, Teresa!¡± John said ¡°This thing is too powerful. If we just go around probing people because it sounded like a good idea, then we''d be only just short of the thought police and evil thought stealers that Arnold thinks we are.¡±
¡°So you''d risk my brother''s life to uphold a principle?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°People have gone to war for freedom, Teresa,¡± Karen replied. ¡°This thing abused is the end of freedom. We''re not going to let ourselves be manipulated into misusing it, even for good purposes. And I''m afraid I know my Mummy. If she''d felt there was no risk to Arnold but really wanted him caught, say to protect me, then she''d have no qualms about telling a tall tail about it.¡±
¡°What about a sworn statement before a lawyer, say for example, me?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°You mean would my Mummy perjure herself to protect me or to catch her brother? I don''t know. Mummy?¡±
¡°Of course I would, you should know that, Karen. I wouldn''t feel very happy about it, but I''d do it.¡±
¡°Then I''ve a suggestion,¡± said Kate. ¡°You know how the power works, Maria, surface thoughts, emotions, intentions, but no deeper. We could just use that on you while you swore an oath. Or you could admit it was pure speculation and we could do it the other way.¡±
¡°The other way?¡± Maria hadn''t thought there was any other way.
¡°We consider this to be equivalent to bugging someone,¡± Kate explained. ¡°You could give us a court order to bug Arnold''s brain one second every few minutes, or your brother''s for that matter, preferably from a panel of judges very well informed on the civil liberties can of worms they''re opening up. If you do that then we''re rather bound to comply as best we can, aren''t we?¡±
Karen added, ¡°Given the real and immediate risk to his own life that you''ve described, and the fact that his sister is here able to represent his best interests, I''m willing to waive the court order in Arnold''s case. Assuming you can convince me it wasn''t all a big porkie, Mummy.¡±
¡°You know, Karen, I''m surprised at you,¡± Maria said. ¡°That''s a very distrustful attitude you''ve developed there. Well done, keep it up. I''ll let you hold my hand while I swear an oath, dear. Will that convince you?¡±
¡°Yes, Mummy, that''ll convince me.¡±
Teresa prepared the statement and Maria swore it, with Karen holding her other hand. Karen didn''t hear anything at all suspicious.
¡°Would you like me to swear that I''m the reincarnation of Mickey Mouse as well, as a test?¡±
¡°No, but if you want to swear you didn''t remember it was my birthday on the day you visited me last year, that might be an interesting comparison.¡±
¡°I didn''t.¡±
¡°So, make a sworn statement to that effect too.¡±
¡°OK, I don''t know what we''re proving though.¡±
¡°Let''s find out, shall we?¡±
¡°Teresa, could you please prepare another statement: I didn''t know it was Karen''s birthday when I came to meet her last year?¡±
¡°Fine.¡±
Maria swore the statement. Karen heard [When I came, I didn''t know. Glad I could word it like that. I''d remembered when I arrived, of course. Saw what the date was on the arrivals display.]
¡°Thank you, Mummy,¡± Karen said and kissed her.
¡°What did that prove dear?¡±
¡°That you don''t perjure yourself easily. You were very very relieved about that wording. Teresa, I''m satisfied my mother''s statement was truthful as far as she knows. Would you please formally request me to find your brother, given the imminent danger to his life my mother has described.¡±
¡°Yes, Karen, please try to find him. I''d much rather he was arrested than dead.¡±
Karen focussed loosely on Arnold. Was he OK?
¡°He''s alive, he''s running, not panicking.¡±
¡°Arnold likes to run. He says he can think most clearly when he runs,¡± Teresa said.
Community / Ch. 3: Trouble for Arnold and Priscilla
Book 2: Community / Ch. 3: Trouble for Arnold and Priscilla
Monday mid-morning
Running was good. Arnold felt alive when he was running. That''s what had got him into the army in the first place. The recruiting officer had said they did plenty of running in the army. It was true too. Not quite as much running as Arnold would have liked, but he did like the discipline in the army too. So why had he disobeyed? What was he doing going AWOL? Well, that was obvious, he''d broken into a house. Karen''s house, a witch''s house, full of evil plots and schemes, find the evidence, Harry had said. Find what they''re planning, see what she does in her spare time, what she studies, what interests her. Looked like what interested her was geology, science and ethical studies. That didn''t sound like the witch Harry had said she was. Sounded like a normal sort of student from what little Arnold had seen when Teresa had been one. Had Harry been wrong? Harry had also said the house was unguarded, just a normal house. Harry had been wrong about that, that''s for sure. Normal houses don''t have glass you can bounce off. They don''t have people in smart suits holding stunners coming in either. They didn''t look like police. Internal security? Should he have just let himself be taken? He''d been in the wrong and been caught. Geneva convention? No, it didn''t apply. Not to spies out of uniform. Not that he was in enemy territory in wartime either. He''d been in a suburb of his home town. How had Harry made him think this was justifiable at all? Stupid gullible Arnold. Just as gullible as Karen. Oh yes, that was how, she was a witch so everything was justified. What sort of morality was that, Arnold?
Those men, they could have been anyone. Private security guards, organised crime. Ha, where had Harry got that device? Couldn''t have been legitimate. Why didn''t I go for a good long run before doing this? Oh yes, confined to quarters for yelling at Teresa. He''d earned that. And the telling off from the big man. He''d dishonoured his uniform and so couldn''t run and couldn''t think. And Karen had tried to defend him. Then Harry came for one of their little chats. He''d told him what had happened, rescuing a stupid girl who''d gone into the tunnels and been heard praying by so called mind-reading Christians. Contradiction in terms. And how had she heard their response? Normal people didn''t hear mind-readers. That was backwards, she must be one of them. But now, thinking for once, one of what? A witch or a mind-reading Christian? No way God would let a prayer from one of his people be an instrument to turn them to evil, surely! That didn''t make sense. Had she prayed to the devil to be rescued? Very godly sounding little sermon she gave about the cost of the cross. So was she really a witch? Hard to tell. Didn''t sound like one on Friday. Defending him to his C.O., imagine that! The devil masquerading as an angel, Harry had said. But Henry had turned to Christ through that girl Harry was calling a devil worshipper.
So where did that leave him? Running from security or the maffia, and the military police by now probably. Stupid Arnold, should have said I need to think about it. But no, it had to be now, Harry said. A strike for the forces of goodness. So where had the forces of goodness got that device? So. Harry gets a device from presumed criminals, Arnold goes AWOL and breaks into a house. People with stunners come and try to stop him. Don''t kill him, come and see if he''s all right after charging the window. Pathetic from an operational perspective, they''re surely going to be in trouble. Probably not criminals then, criminals wouldn''t bother with stunners unless they wanted you to talk. Mind readers didn''t need that. Killers might, but surely not inept men with stunners. So those guys were probably security, out to catch a thief and caught Arnold. Wonder why they were interested in Karen.
A car shrieked round the corner. Not a computer driven transport. Either ancient or military. Human driver in a hurry. No military markings. Duck this way into the woods. Evasion. Good thick cover here. Who was in it? They looked serious trouble too. Guns were out, not stunners. Oh Arnold, you idiot, that''s Maffia style. Where are you, anyway? Oh clever feet, very clever. Running my normal route, I''m almost at the base. Ten minutes maybe. Unknown people with guns after me, unknown people with stunners after me. At least in a court marshal it''ll be people with military law after me. Know where you are with military law. Big trouble but alive. Maybe they''ll let me run in prison, it''s better than dead. Best option is get back to barracks. Which way? That way. The fence, gateway that way. Friends with guns, but near the road. Oh well, can''t be helped. Pull this stupid disguise off here, stop looking like a thief, look like a squaddie out for a run instead. AWOL squaddie running for home! Me, AWOL! They''ll have a laugh at that. Pursuit still coming. Stay out of sight of the fence and they might get caught too, that''d be good. I''ll have to duck, dive, then a sprint finish maybe yelling, ¡®Enemy pursuing, cover me!¡¯ dive behind the sandbags. Military police are lovely friendly chaps compared to the Maffia.
Hey, lots of activity. Were they expecting him? Flicker of movement to the left, had someone had a tip off? Maybe they''d heard that car or a camera had spotted him and his pursuers. Maybe he''d be OK after all. Flicker to the right too. Good to see.
¡°Halt, sergeant!¡± Hands up. Friendly M.P.''s all round in full body armour. Gunfire behind him. Enemy engaged, I''m safe. I wonder how.
Karen hadn''t caught all of it. She''d been dropping in and out, reporting to the others what was happening. Then Sarah had said she''d link minds and relay, so Karen had got all the last bit. Maria had been relaying to someone, probably base command for the last bit, from what Arnold had witnessed.
[Karen, focus on peace now.] Sarah advised. [If there''s heat, wait for it to go.]
There was heat. [Is this a scary amount of heat {image}?]
[Slightly, but not deadly, Karen, rest easy.]
¡°I''ve told Karen to rest a while, Maria. She''s been working hard, but she should be fine in ten minutes or so.¡±
¡°You said more than a few seconds could be deadly. I realise this must be different, but I was getting worried.¡±
¡°Oh, yes,¡± Sarah responded, ¡°very different. Karen was only reading his surface thoughts. It takes some concentration, but it''s nothing like the deep scan we can do of someone nearby. Much less information to process. I guess one way of describing what we can do is getting a script, like she''s been doing just now, or take stills from the film, or get the full cinema experience. That last one is really risky. Oh, it''s kind of fiddly, but we can also check up on someone without listening to their thoughts. I think that''s what Karen tried to do at the beginning, but missed and got some idea of what he was doing as well.¡±
¡°But as long as you don''t miss, you could do a health check on someone, and you wouldn''t consider it mind-reading?¡±
¡°Yes. That''s right.¡±
¡°So, next question,¡± Maria asked, ¡°how do you pick up one person out of millions? That doesn''t sound possible.¡±
¡°We''re not sure. Except we know this is a spiritual gift. We guess that somehow God enables us to connect to the person, or he''s given us access to some kind of spiritual version of the network.¡±
¡°So all you need is a name?¡±
¡°We didn''t even have a name for Karen, just her voice. We tried to focus on ¡®that voice¡¯ but that didn''t work, so we tried calling her ¡®Damsel in distress¡¯ and that was enough of a name to do it.¡±
Stolen novel; please report.
¡°So if you named the two people who were chasing Arnold as Gunman1 and Gunman2, it might work?¡±
¡°Urm, it might. You want us to check on the health of the would-be assassins?¡±
John asked. ¡°I don''t know if I care about them enough to bother. I''m sure the army guys have caught them by now.¡±
¡°Just think of it as a test, please, John,¡± Maria asked.
¡°OK, I''ll try it,¡± he sighed. He tried checking on Gunman 1''s health ¡ª nothing. Gunman driver ¡ª nothing. He had an idea. Karen''s uncle ¡ª nothing, Karen¡¯s evil uncle ¡ª nothing, Karen''s uncle Roland ¡ª healthy, impatient.
Call the man driving that car Norbert, John decided. Norbert''s health ¡ª worried. ¡°Names are important. I guess it affects how we think of someone. I got nothing for Gunman 1, Gunman driver, Karen''s uncle, Karen''s evil uncle. I got results for Karen''s uncle Roland, and Norbert.¡±
¡°Who''s Norbert?¡±
¡°I decided the man driving the car was called Norbert. Norbert''s worried and uncle Roland is impatient.¡±
¡°Interesting. And if I told you there was someone called Priscilla Robertson who I know, could you tell me how she is? I haven''t heard from her in a while and I was expecting to.¡±
¡°Urm, OK. I''ll try.¡±
John tried, not really believing it would work. So he was rather surprised when it did. ¡°She''s alive. Hurt, I think. Cold. She''s hurt and cold.¡±
¡°Where is she? Can you tell me?¡±
¡°Not unless I scan her and she happens to think I''m at such and such a place. Are you expecting her to be in danger, or has she just stubbed her toe after going out in the rain without her coat? I can''t tell.¡±
¡°She should have been meeting me at the airport when I arrived. So yes, considering her job, I¡¯m concerned for her health.¡±
[Sarah, Kate, can I scan her on that basis?]
[Another sworn statement?] Sarah suggested.
[Yes. On that basis, I think.] Kate agreed. [Karen, could you hold your mum''s hand please. Someone called Priscilla Robertson is in trouble, maybe.] ¡°Mummy, where have you been sending Priscilla to now?¡±
¡°I haven''t. She should have met me at the airport, but she never turned up. Still hasn''t checked in. Another statement?¡±
¡°Yes please,¡± John said.
After those formalities were completed, John listened to Priscilla''s surface thoughts, with Sarah relaying to the others. She was in a lot of pain. [Stupid stupid stupid. Didn''t think. Use the eye hole next time, stupid. Idiot way to end up. Maria will laugh herself silly. My own freezer. Stupid place to die. Bundled up like a turkey. Good strong knots these. Can''t even reach my panic button. Fingers stopped working a long time ago anyway.]
[Help''s on the way, John. Please keep listening.] Sarah thought to him.
[Thanks for letting me know, love.]
He thought of something. [Sarah, could Maria get the house to turn off the freezer?] John tried shouting to her that help was coming, but she didn''t hear. Then he realised he could pray while he was listening, so he prayed for her life and her soul too.
[It''s cold in here and I don''t want to die. I''m too young! Not too stupid of course. Oh God, get me out of here, please, don''t let me freeze to death! What''s changed? It''s got quieter. Compressor turned off. Does that mean the power''s got too low, or they wanted to let me freeze slowly, I wonder. Everything hurts, God! Are you there? I didn''t use to want to believe in you, God. I''ll believe in you if you get me out of this. Maybe I believe in you now. Thank you for turning off the compressor, God. Or was it just coincidence? Doesn''t matter. God, I''m sorry. Forgive me. Forgive me for making fun of Karen''s faith. Oh God, this is so embarrassing. ¡®Secret agent found dead in freezer bound like turkey. Fowl play suspected.'' Who was that man anyway? How did he find me? What did he mean, try to send Maria a message for him? How can I get a message to Maria if I''m dead? And why booby-trap the freezer anyway? I''m sure that''s what they were doing. Some kind of sick joke? Insurance in case I got found? Make sure I can tell them the message but not identify him? That doesn''t make sense. My mouth is gagged. It doesn''t make sense, God, and I''m supposed to be good at riddles! Please get me out of here God! I want to be alive and I want to follow you. Let someone rescue me, please! Don''t let them get blown up trying! And what a stupid message. ''Don''t let them spill the beans.'' Let who spill what beans? Where? Why give me a message I can''t deliver without getting out of here which I can''t do and live? I''m so cold, God. Am I dying? Is that why I''m hearing things? Someone''s here? Don''t let them blow us up, God. What does he mean someone''s listening to my thoughts? Why is he asking me which end my head is? Oh, that''s nice of him, he doesn''t want to drill into my skull. How did he know I''m here? Hey, that''s Karen''s voice. She''s saying what I just thought. Hi Karen, are you dead too? I''m hallucinating! No, he''s tapping at my feet end. Why were you almost dead? You what? I didn''t hear that, you broke your egg? Your leg, oh. And God heard your prayer and you got rescued? I can''t hear you, Karen it sounds someone''s drilling into my freezer. This is so bizarre. I must be hallucinating. Never had such real hallucinations though.]
The drilling stopped, and warm air entered the freezer. Now some kind of cutting tool was being used. ¡°Hello, Priscilla, we''ll soon have you out. Lovely booby trap by the way, thanks for the warning or we''d have both been blown to pieces at the same time. How did you get into this mess?¡±
¡°Mmm-Mmm-MM-MM Mmm-mm-mmm!¡± [This is too weird. Who is that?] ¡°She tried to say, ''This is too weird. Who is that?¡¯ Tell her she doesn''t need to try and talk, Bob.¡±
¡°Did you hear that, Priscilla? Karen''s on my wrist unit and says you don''t need to talk. Here, have a nice chat while I cut you out.¡± And he put his wrist unit into the hole he''d drilled.
[So how can you hear me, Karen?]
¡°She asked how I can hear her, Bob. Actually John''s concentrating on listening to your thoughts, and I''m sort of listening in on the line. It''s easier that way on both of us. It leaves more of my brain free so I can do the talking, and John doesn''t get so tired. John''s one of the people who heard me when I was screaming for help down in the tunnel. How''s Bob doing?¡±
[My freezer''s never going to be the same. I think he''s about half way done cutting the end off.]
¡°The end? Oh yes, you''ve got one of those new chest freezers, haven''t you? Are they really more efficient? Sorry, wrong time to ask. How are you really?¡± [I''m alive, my friends are here, no one''s actively trying to kill me. My extremities are possibly gone, and I promised your God I''d follow Him if He got me out of this alive.]
¡°Yes, I heard. Your God too now.¡±
[Going to need a nice long chat about that sometime. Very soon. What does He want me to do?]
¡°Do you mean in the generic, or the right now?¡±
[Right now.]
¡°I heard you say sorry, I heard you say you wanted to follow Him. Trust Him, thank Him for saving you from death and for saving you from sin, which is the much much bigger one, really. Urm, do you remember me telling you about the biggest commandment?¡±
[Something about loving Him lots.]
¡°Yes, with all your heart, strength and mind. Good basis for your life. That and loving others like you love yourself.¡±
[Sounds tricky. I''m not going to be good at that, Karen.]
¡°None of us are, but we keep trying. And it stops us getting proud. Not much point being proud in front of real perfection.¡±
[Ooh, Bob''s got the end off. How''s he planning to get me out? I''m still a lump of ice.]
¡°I don''t know. Bob, how are you going to get her out?¡±
¡°Like this!¡±
[He''s got some kind of crazy fork lift thing. Ow, I''m glued down.]
¡°Bob, I''m going to speak for her. She''s glued down.¡±
¡°OK, Priscilla, we''ll unstick you. These forks have warm air jets see? I don''t know who came up with it, but it''s been in the stores for years, labled ice rescue kit.¡±
[Oooh warmth. Nice. But you need to warm my core first, you know that? Extremities really slowly.]
¡°I''ve done Arctic rescue before, Pris, I know. What time did they put you in there?¡±
[I was just leaving to meet Maria, about 8 A.M.]
Bob did some quick guesses about frost-bite, given she was only wearing a summer dress. ¡°Oh. Sorry.¡±
The arms were slowly working their way in underneath her, leaving an insulating blanket where they''d passed. Eventually they''d be able to simply slide her half-frozen form out. [I''m alive, Bob, even if I won''t have fingers and things for a while.]
¡°Well, let''s get you out of there.¡±
¡°Ambulance standing by,¡± Karen passed on.
¡°OK, Priscilla, out you come. I''ll try and remove the gag, but if it''s stuck I''m not going to hurt you more.¡± He carefully cut the gag. The gag seemed to have stopped her lips from freezing, and she was able to move her jaw. ¡®Thanks Bob.¡¯
The ambulance crew took her away, leaving the booby trap to Bob and the bomb squad. They in turn told Bob he wasn''t really needed, and they''d much rather he let them take over. Defusing it took the rest of the day and made rather a mess of her kitchen, but it didn''t seem likely she''d live here again any time soon, anyway.
Community / Ch. 4: Its not paranoia if...
Book 2: Community / Ch. 4: It''s not paranoia if...
Monday Noon
¡°Thank you, John. Priscilla is almost family. It would have been very bad to loose her. But it was an interesting message, I''m guessing from my brother. We''ll have to get Priscilla to check the pictures, but she should have recognised him if it was actually him in person.¡±
¡°But what does ¡®don''t let them spill the beans¡¯ mean, Mummy? I guess it''s an expression, but meaning what? Make a terrible mess?¡±
¡°You don''t know it?¡± Kate was amazed. ¡°Sarah, what about you?¡±
¡°Vaguely rings a bell. I guess it''s dropped out of use.¡±
¡°John, you know it?¡±
¡°Yes, Kate, it means let the cat out of the bag.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Sarah said. ¡°It''s talking about us? Writing up? But why? He''s lost his gift. Why would he want it kept secret?¡±
¡°I don''t know,¡± Maria answered. ¡°But I don''t like the way he''s been able to trace Priscilla, find her home and link her to me. That speaks of inside information, somehow. That scares me. Actually, the less scary option would be that he''s got a partner in crime with the power. Otherwise I''ve got someone in the organisation who is passing out sensitive data, or someone''s broken into a database which isn''t even supposed to be net-connected.¡±
¡°Mummy, that''s scary all right, but there''s another option. I don''t know if it''s more or less scary though.¡±
¡°What''s that?¡±
¡°That he''s got my picture from my I.D. and somehow has gained access to security camera pictures linking me to Pris, say when we went shopping together a fortnight ago. Then he found her via that picture. We know the police systems can do that. It''d just need the right corrupted officer. And on that basis, I''m going to run a quick check on people I''ve spent significant time with recently, unless you think I''m wrong.¡±
¡°Yes, it would certainly be worth a check.¡±
Karen checked her university friends and people she''d spent more than an hour with, including everyone in the rescue team from the barracks. All seemed to be OK, except two. Arnold who was getting worried about something, and George, who was sure everyone was out to get him. George was generally believed to be the most paranoid person in the Christian union, so Karen thought she''d check Arnold first. Arnold hadn''t really worried even when he was being chased by armed men, so the level of worry seemed out of place somehow. She decided that it was sufficient motive to give his mind a quick peak, and was glad she had. ¡°Mummy, have you sent anyone to interview Arnold?¡±
¡°What? No. I thought you were checking on friends?¡±
¡°I checked the rescue party too. Arnold''s being interviewed by some people who claim to be Security but are asking the sort of questions he was sent to my house to answer, not who sent him and so on. He''s sure they''re not security, and is refusing to answer.¡±
¡°Good for him. I''ll just have a little chat with the good colonel.¡±
¡°Thanks, Mummy, I''ll just check on George.¡±
¡°George the paranoid?¡±
¡°Yes. He is feeling paranoid but self-satisfied. I thought that was fine, but just realised that if he''s feeling like he was being proved right then that''s very worrying indeed.¡±
Karen didn''t wait for an answer but checked on George. He was in trouble.
[Someone relay please, trouble! {address}] she called, and felt Kate joining with her.
[Good job I used the eye hole. Can''t be too careful, and I was right. Very good job the extra locks are still holding. Panic button number one was just in the right place too. Shame there was someone watching the back of the block. Hope the police get here quickly. And that they''re not fooled by the fake security I.D.''s. Wrong colour scheme, slightly wrong font. I wonder who they are. They''re making a mess out of my door. Good job it''s not the original. So, contingency planning... who to call? Karen knows people, picked that up from her mind. Didn''t mean to pry, lots of explaining to do. Wonder if she''ll believe me if I get out of here. Call her, man, she''s not scary.]
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
[George, can you hear me? I''m scarier than I was last week, for bad guys anyway.]
[Karen? You''re thinking at me? How? You''re not touching something I''m touching, surely?]
[Recent gift from God. Scary people around doing things to my friends, I thought I should check up on everyone. My contacts are aware and pulling strings.]
[Your mum says five minutes,] Kate passed on.
[Expect the knocking to stop in about five minutes. Real Security, unless the police beat them to it.]
[Door probably won''t last that long, Karen.]
[How about if you ran for it?]
[Someone watching from the building opposite. I guess I''d have half a minute''s lead if I bail out quickly.]
[Urm, with that rapid descent thing you got fitted? It''s scary.]
[Karen, OK, the sack of potatoes smashed when we tested it, but that''s different. The principle is fully sound.]
[So was my leg until I broke it. You can''t run on a broken leg, George. Save the bailout for when the door''s two hits from failing, they might arrive on time. Don''t suppose you got a photo of your impostors did you?]
[No photo of them. Why two hits?]
[Contingency, in case it goes after one.]
[Good thinking. Of course I have no idea how long the door''s going to hold.]
[But your bailout thing is ready? No safety catches to undo or anything?]
[Yes, it''s ready. No point having a quick exit if it takes a long time to get it ready. I''ve been preparing for today a long time, you know. It''s almost a relief it''s come.]
[You mean you knew it was going to happen?]
[Yes. I got given a prophesy. Actually...{joy} Well, I''ll tell you later, Karen.]
[I just caught something about me in that silence, George.]
[Yes. Urm, Karen, I do like you a lot by the way, an awful lot, but to be precise the prophesy was that I''d be talking to my future wife while I was running for my life from impostors. It makes much more sense now, and I''m really glad it''s you.]
[Oh. Urm. Kate, did you relay that?]
[Who''s Kate?]
[My friend and employer. She''s reading me and telling everyone in the room, including my mum, what you''re saying. Well, Kate?]
[Yes, sorry. You mother''s coping very well with the news. When''s the wedding?]
[Kate! Did you hear her, George?]
[Yes. Not really time to talk about it now, I think the door''s going.]
[Hi, George, Kate again. Message from security: friendly vehicle approaching on Cross street, from the city centre. Standard police markings, but armoured. Two guys from security on board armed with stunners are going to jump out and try to catch your pursuers. You jump in, lie flat. Car brings you to Karen so you can have a nice long chat.]
[OK. Karen, I''m bailing out. Hope this works, or I''m going to be in a fracture unit for a while. Aaaaaaaaa. Down, running. It worked! Police car? I don''t see it.]
[My info says it''s on Cross Street, parked opposite your house. You are at 56, aren''t you?]
[Karen, I''ve never been at 56, it''s 156. I keep telling you that.]
[Oh no! I''m sorry! Me and my lousy memory.]
[Running towards 56 then. Good job I was going that way anyway. Oh, pursuit are coming down my rope. Poor things.] [Why poor things?]
[Feature of the system. When it''s used it waits a bit then tries to rewind. If it can''t then it''ll release the rope. Let''s you decide to let it go back or take it with you if that''s what you want.]
[OK. Car is coming towards you, guys are informed they may need to stun or anaesthetise pursuit, depending.]
[I see the car. I''ll try to stop it like I''m a normal victim. Hope this is the right car, three in plain clothes inside.]
[They''ll call you George if it is.] ¡°Help, there''s people with fake Security badges chasing me!¡± Two men got out, in the sort of immaculate ¡®plain clothes¡¯ that you could have described as Security''s uniform, except that while they were equally smart they were were never uniform in style.
¡°In you get, George! That them on the rope?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°We''ll get them.¡± George threw himself onto the floor as instructed, and they sprinted towards the impostors, getting their stunners ready.
[George, it looks like you''re safe. I''m going to have a rest now so we can talk later. I''m probably getting tired, all this concentrating.]
[OK, Karen. Talk to you soon.]
George addressed the driver, ¡°There was another on the roof opposite. I got a picture of him with my wrist unit.¡±
¡°Oh great. Upload it to the car''s computer, will you?¡±
¡°No problem. There you are. Not great quality though.¡±
The driver whistled as the computer identified the man in the picture. ¡°You''re certain he was involved? And you''re prepared to stand up in court and describe his behaviour?¡±
¡°Yes, absolutely. He was standing there, sort of hiding behind that balustrade, like you see him. I took the photo through a crack in the curtains. Then, when I made a more obvious show of looking out, he immediately ducked down and hid far better and I could see some kind of periscope. I''ll upload a picture of that too. Here it is. And I heard the hammering stop for a bit, and one of the impostors took a call.¡±
¡°What did they say? Did you hear?¡±
¡°Yes, they weren''t being careful. They said, ¡®Yes boss, we''ll make sure he dies nice and slowly.¡¯ Then they said, ¡®Yes boss, you told us before, just like the girl, just like the girl. Tell her mum she mustn''t let them spill the beans, or the cat will have more companions, like ten years ago.¡¯ I don''t know what that all meant though.¡±
¡°I''ll just jot it all into the computer, then HQ can try and figure it out.¡±
¡°Is that where we''re going to now, your headquarters?¡±
¡°Not exactly, but I''ll tell you something. Where we''re going is making headquarters feel a bit out of the loop today.¡±
Community / Ch. 5: Georges Family
Book 2: Community / Ch. 5: George''s Family
Monday lunchtime
Karen focussed on peace. She needed to cool down for the second time in one day. She also needed to think. As she contemplated the vast overwhelming peace, she considered George. Once you got past his so-called ¡®paranoia,¡¯ he was a nice person and they got on OK.
In the culture here, giving friends hugs was normal. Karen herself had had to learn it, since she wasn''t that used to so much contact, and while it was a bit awkward feeling, she''d got used to it. But George''d been born here, so his avoidance of physical contact stood out as weird, and she''d considered him a bit aloof and over-formal. And of course, it was difficult to get over that attitude that said everything needed to be verified and triple checked, just in case. With those two factors, she''d certainly never considered him romantically. Of course, now that she had the power, she''d probably be joining him in avoiding contact, and since she''d almost died because of not taking enough precautions and his had been fuelled by the prophesy, maybe they''d be able to meet somewhere in the middle. In which case? He wasn''t such a bad prospect, she decided. Here, surrounded by the peace, she wasn''t going to be worried about the idea anyway. Sarah''s concern about the inequality of gifting wasn''t going to apply as strongly at least, but perhaps she''d pray that he would receive the gift too. It occurred to her then that maybe he did have it, just without knowing it. It depended on how much he knew and had tried. The heat was receding, but she waited until it had fully gone before leaving this wonderful place, ready for whatever the world would throw at her next.
What it threw at her was George, giving her a totally uncharacteristic hug. He didn''t quite knock her off her chair, but almost.
[Karen, thank you, thank you, thank you for checking up on me. Thank you that we can share our thoughts, I know I like you a lot, but we need to talk, I think.]
[That''s OK, George. I checked up on everyone I know. There''s someone scary out there. And yes, I agree. We need to talk, but let me introduce everyone first.]
Once introductions were complete, Maria (who''d been introduced simply as ¡®My Mummy, who you can call Maria'') asked, ¡®So young man, we''ll talk about prophesies later on, but first, could you tell everyone what you told the driver?¡¯
¡°Urm, I guess so. Won''t he report it to the proper authorities, anyway?¡±
Karen laughed. ¡°George, how do you think Mummy knows you told the driver anything? Oh Mummy, have they got Arnold''s interrogators?¡±
¡°Yes, Karen. Safely under guard, and their clearly fake badges are causing some embarrassment at that base I can tell you.¡±
¡°Wrong font?¡± George asked.
¡°Exactly. We chose a specific one and it seems that whoever''s been making those forgeries just used whatever they had which was closest.¡±
¡°And to think ¡®Times New Roman¡¯ used to be ubiquitous,¡± George commented, raising an eyebrow from Maria.
¡°You''re someone who notices details, I see. I like that in people, George. It avoids problems, so tell us the details. Here are your pictures,¡± and she tapped her unit and the computer displayed the picture.
¡°Well, this man, he was on the roof opposite. I''d noticed him before the fake agents knocked. He''d been pretending to be doing some maintenance, but not doing anything really. Then, after they''d started to attack the door and I''d hit one of my panic buttons, I saw he was sort of hiding behind the balustrade there. I took this photo through the curtains. Then I made a show of looking around for observers, and he ducked down and used this little periscope thing to watch me. I saw him raise his hand like someone calling on a wrist unit, then the hammering stopped and the guys outside talked to him. Urm, I told the driver they weren''t being careful. They weren''t, but they possibly thought they were. They were leaning on the hinges and they''d knocked the paint off. So there was electrical contact and I heard their thoughts, not their voices. They said ¡®Yes, boss, we''ll make sure he dies nice and slowly.¡¯ Then they said, ¡®Yes boss, you told us before, just like the girl, just like the girl. Tell her mum she mustn''t let them spill the beans, or the cat will have more companions, like ten years ago.¡¯ Then they hammered some more. Who''s the girl?¡±
Ten years ago meant one thing to Sarah and John, who went white and held onto each other. Kate took on a determined expression and asked, ¡°What happened to the cat, Maria?¡±
¡°When he was a kid, he put the neighbour''s cat in a box with some explosive, I don''t know where he got that from, and detonated it.¡±
¡°I suspected something like that. And what upset him ten years ago?¡±
¡°I don''t know. The Clear Sky mall attack might have been unrelated to him, though we''ll have to check of course. He might just be trying to scare us. But he''s just got himself to be the first person put on the terrorist threat list for half a century, and his arrested accomplices will face terrorism-related charges, I think. Ronald''s not going to be able to move very far without being surrounded by police, or finding his transport is delivering him to jail of course.¡±
George asked Maria, ¡°You know that man?¡±
¡°Yes, George, and I''m quite surprised to see you got him on camera. He must be running out of trusted underlings or something. That''s my little brother, and you''ve never seen a nastier piece of humanity.¡±
¡°And the bit about the beans? I didn''t understand that.¡±
¡°Old equivalent of ¡®spill the soup,¡¯ George,¡± Karen enlightened him. ¡°The Institute here is planning to go public with scientific papers on mind reading.¡±
¡°We''ve already told our clients, but we don''t know how he found that out.¡± Kate added.
¡°Oh. But why would he not want that known about?¡±
¡°He used to be one, but otherwise I don''t know.¡± Maria said.
¡°Used to be one? People can lose their power? I didn''t know that. How?¡±
¡°All things are possible to God,¡± John replied. ¡°Three people held hands round him and prayed for him to be stripped of his corrupt power.¡±
¡°But he''d have felt their intention, surely?¡±
¡°They knew how to hide their thoughts,¡± Sarah said.
¡°I think I need a long talk with you too. My great grandma died when I was still young, and about all she said was to make sure I used it for good, and not let people know I had it. She''s the one that gave me the prophesy too. Well, she wrote it down to be given to me on my fourteenth birthday.¡±
¡°That''s fine, George, I think we''ve got time.¡±
¡°So, Maria,¡± John summarised, ¡°scores for today are a wounded Pris and a scared George on the negative side, and on the plus side we''ve caught Arnold, the two hit men who were after Arnold, the two fake agents who went to interview Arnold, and the two others leaving George''s flat. That leaves Roland, Harry, and possibly the driver at large if he wasn''t one of the others. Is that right?¡±
¡°Yes. The two climbing down George''s rope almost got to the bottom before they were dropped, so they have bruising but no breakages. They didn''t put up much of a struggle though.¡±
¡°And the four detained at the barracks?¡±
¡°They''re in separate cells, and from what I understand, they might be told that since two of them opened fire against soldiers of the crown, they could be charged with all sorts of exciting things including treason.¡±
Teresa responded, ¡°Firing on soldiers isn''t quite the same as taking up arms against the crown, and its certainly not seeking to affect the succession.¡±
¡°I know that and you know that, but don''t tell them that, please,¡± Maria explained. ¡°We''d prefer they talked quickly, after all.¡±
¡°Oh, I see.¡±
¡°In fact, I''ll just make some calls. I think we might have enough to call all his known associates in for a little chat. Kate, is there somewhere I could use that''s a little less public?¡±
¡°Yes, of course. Should Karen check her friends again?¡±
¡°Yes, do, Karen. It can''t hurt."
Once more, Karen checked the health of her friends and people that she''d spent time with. ¡°Praise God! Everyone seems to be OK this time round.¡±
¡°That''s how you found I was in trouble?¡± George looked in awe at Karen, then wistful. ¡°Can someone explain to me how?¡±
John and Sarah explained the basics: that there seemed to be two distinct aspects ¡ª the power and the gift, and what they''d learned about the dangers inherent in hiding too long, but when it was useful, and how it could protect against someone like uncle Roland. They taught George how to do it, and what to do if he became stuck. ¡°Thank you. Now, I have to ask. How do I know if I have the gift as well?¡±
¡°We don''t know any way of testing it except trying,¡± John said. ¡°But Mama Ng seemed able to see it in people. She didn''t tell us how.¡±
¡°George?¡± Karen asked. ¡°I have a question to ask you. Firstly, would you mind if I scanned you? Secondly, do you actually want the gift? If so, why? Might it be envy? Do you understand the terrible risk and temptation you''re asking about?¡±
¡°I''m sorry, I''m not sure I understand the risk or temptation aspects. I guess I want it because I''ve seen the good it can do, and if I have it then I could do that too. Is that envy? And why do you want to scan me?¡±
¡°I want to scan you because without even the slightest bit of discussion about it, you''ve publicly declared me to be your future wife. I''ll forgive you the public bit, since you didn''t know it was a public line, but I''d really like to get into your skull and find out how you feel about this right now. And I could do it and you wouldn''t notice a thing and I want to, so it''s taking a lot of self control not to. And that''s just a small part of the temptation this gift brings. Talk to John about how many extra limits he and Sarah have to put on themselves because of the feedback they suffer if they get too close to each other this side of their wedding. Think about how addictive it could be to plunge yourself into someone''s brain and follow their every thought and knowing that you could, but if you do it for too long then it''ll kill you. Do you want those temptations, George?¡±
¡°No, Karen, I don''t. And I''m really sorry for telling you about that prophesy. I should have kept it a secret, or at least made sure it was private. And yes, you can scan me, Karen. I think I know how I feel.¡±
¡°Karen,¡± Sarah said, ¡°I''m not sure it''s wise. Like you say, it''s a great temptation, but that doesn''t make it a great idea.¡±
¡°Actually, Sarah, I disagree,¡± George said. ¡°The prophesy didn''t say when we''d marry, just that we would. Maybe Karen having a look will help her decide if that should be in months or decades.¡±
¡°You could still give yourselves time to get used to the idea,¡± Sarah reminded them.
¡°Come and look, Karen, I don''t mind,¡± George said.
Karen looked. George''s life and thinking had been dominated by the prophesy ever since he''d been handed it. Preparing to run had been part of it, but he''d also refused to act on his emotions about girls he knew because of it. If he was to know his future wife because she''d be talking to him as he ran, then what was the merit in dating? It would only lead to heartbreak. He hadn''t wanted to hurt anyone that way. Especially not Karen. But he''d been really really struggling with his decision in her case. He didn''t want her to be hurt, he certainly didn''t want to hurt her. He didn''t want to let her get away either. She was special. Then, realising she was going to talk to him during his escape, it was hard not to gabble everything. He''d resisted a bit, then she''d asked why he''d thought about her and he couldn''t hold it back. He was thinking about her now, how beautiful she was, how the light fell on her hair...
[Karen, break off. You''re looking too long!] Sarah''s voice, full of concern. [Focus on peace, silly.]
Karen, chastened, obeyed and saw how great a heat had built up. She sensed Sarah''s presence. [Found something fascinating, I take it?]
[Urm, yes. He''s been fighting against his feelings for me a long time. I had no idea.]
[Ah. And he was fighting because of the prophesy?]
[Yes.]
[You were looking for about five seconds, Karen. You should limit yourself to one or two, you know. You could have got most of what you saw in that time, and then savoured it in safety.]
[Sorry.]
[No great harm done, but be careful. I expect George is more than a bit worried. I''ll tell him what happened in general terms.] She checked George''s health, as well as his face. Sure enough, he was concerned. ¡°George, you know Karen was speaking of temptation?¡±
¡°Yes, is she OK? Has she hurt herself, she''s gone all limp!¡±
¡°She''s fine, she just got rather too fascinated by what she was seeing, and I told her to rest. She turned what should have been a quick glance into a trip to the movies, I think.¡±
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
¡°A dangerous movie, from what she''s said. And you''re sure she''s OK?¡±
Thinking about what she''d seen when she checked his health, Sarah thought she''d recognized something in him.
¡°Yes, George, I''m sure. And if you can''t take my word for it then you might be able to find reassurance if you think of peace while you do this {image}.¡±
[I''ll try.]
George thought of peace, and tried to do what Sarah had shown him. He wasn''t sure what he was relaxing but he managed to do it, and found his awareness filled by the same deep peace that the others had found before him. A peace that washed away his fears and strengthened his resolve. A confident peace that was as beyond understanding as its source. He became aware of another, contemplating the peace also. [Karen?]
[George! You have the gift!]
[This is part of the gift? Sarah didn''t say. I was concerned about you and Sarah said to try this.]
[Here is where we find healing and peace and strength in the Lord. Here, He washes away our concerns. Here, we can rest in mental safety and cool down our brains if we fry them like I just did. Sorry, I was foolish.]
[What happened?]
[{embarrassed} I liked what I saw and wanted to see more, stupid vain thing that I am.]
[I never thought you were vain.]
[Shows how little you know me then, and how vain I am for liking compliments from someone who hardly knows me!]
[I do like the idea of getting to know you much better, Karen.]
[Same to you, George. We''ve got time.]
[Yes. No need to decide on things yet.]
[Except one thing, George.]
[What''s that?]
[That we''ll be careful with this gift, and we''ll help each other, hold each other to account, I mean.]
[Yes. That''s a good decision.]
[This is too holy a place to talk much, I think. Let''s meditate on the greatness of God for a bit.]
After a while, when she judged that the heat was mostly gone, Karen suggested they withdraw to the mundane world. They found themselves alone.
[Another question, George. I think it''s a bit too soon to talk of engagement. Is that OK?]
[I''ll give you time, Karen, I care for you too much to rush you.]
[Anyway, you''ll need to save up for a ring.]
[Urm, not so, actually.]
[Oh?]
[My great gran again, I''m afraid.]
[Left you hers?]
[Yes, said I might need one before I started earning much.]
[Oh.]
[But there''s no rush, it''s not that she said I would.]
[True.]
[So, Karen, will you allow me the privilege of spending lots of time with you, getting to know you better?]
[Of course, George, that''d be lovely, as long as you don''t mind going on dates with my leg in a cast.]
[How did that happen, by the way?]
[Long story. Short version is I got suckered into talking to an A.I. hacked by my evil uncle, which convinced me into going down into the railway tunnels. I''d checked up on the A.I. using my wrist unit, which of course showed me the same hacked data as I had from the med computer. I got lost in the tunnels, panicked and broke my leg. Screamed for help, asking God that someone would hear me. Kate heard and sent help. That''s how God gave me the gift.]
[Wow. And this was very recently?]
[Friday.]
[And somehow that triggered the attack on me?]
[This morning they put my friend Priscilla into a booby trapped freezer, they set Arnold (Teresa''s brother) up to break into my house, telling him I was a witch, then tried to kill him, then they started after you.]
[Wow. Busy day. Is Priscilla OK?]
[Severe frostbite. They''re probably going to have to grow her some new fingers, but she''s alive.]
[Ouch.]
[It''s been a stressful morning.]
[And no lunch yet either.]
[No. I wonder if John and Sarah are making us some more pizza. I also wonder when we''ll be able to leave here. You know this place is a very secure facility, don''t you?]
[I spotted some security cameras.]
[What about the forcefield glass?]
[No! And you work here? Nice to know you''re safe. I thought you were going to be a cleaner?]
[First day here today. Couldn''t keep the cleaning job with crutches, and Kate offered me a job doing research here. Fascinating people. What about your summer job?]
[It fell apart at the last minute. Turned out not to be quite the job they''d advertised.]
[How so? It sounded just like you. ¡®Advising people on their security preparedness,¡¯ wasn''t it?]
[Well yes, but it turned out to be a marketing scheme for inferior quality security doors. When I found out that I was supposed to tell people that they couldn''t get better for the price, well, I just couldn''t do it. Oh, it was technically true, but I knew the competition was a far superior product, and the price difference was less than you''d pay for a can of drink.]
[And let me guess, sales commission was most of the pay?]
[Most? It was all sales commission except that they provided meals if you were at the office at just the right time.]
[Urm, I thought there were laws against that sort of thing.]
[I''m not sure it''s law or just standard practice. Unless it''s actual law then I don''t think they cared. I asked them how they felt about selling substandard products at more than twice the reasonable price. They just laughed.]
¡°Not the sort of people you want to work with then. Oh, have a look at the code of ethics they''ve put together for using this gift. Any thoughts?¡±
Karen brought up the code on the computer screen.
¡°That''s quite a harsh penalty clause. You''ve agreed to it?¡±
¡°Yes, I have. I''ve also come close to breaching it, checking up on you and other friends. I think we need to expand the section about what constitutes immediate threat to life, and add something about being able to check to see if someone is actually in danger if we have reason to suspect they might be.¡±
¡°Yes, you''re probably right. But I''m a little surprised. Why is there nothing about proactive investigation of crimes in this? Surely that''s security''s job.¡±
¡°Exactly. Oh, you think this place is part of security?¡±
¡°It isn''t?¡±
¡°No, it isn¡¯t. It''s an independent centre of excellence specializing in all things to do with the mind. Brain scanner research to psycho-counselling, and now, after two hundred years of pointless advertisements looking for the power, or anything else unusual, the organization has four members of staff with the gift.¡±
¡°So why the high tech defensive stuff?¡±
¡°Because they have clients who might need it. Say you''re a head of state who needs a brain scan, or a general who needs someone to talk things through with, or even some high official''s daughter who gets afraid in the dark, this is the right place to bring your problems to. All the staff are security cleared up to an impressively high level.¡±
¡°Oh. What does security clearance involve?¡±
¡°Fairly involved form filling, then someone checks into your history and makes sure you''re reliable, have no links to criminals and so on. You''ll see soon enough, I''m afraid.¡±
¡°Why will I see?¡±
¡°Urm, I''m afraid Mummy will insist.¡±
¡°Because she works with security, I need to be checked out?¡±
¡°Not quite, George. But I won''t tell you why else until you''re cleared. And George, if you''re tempted to scan me about this, don''t. You break that ethics code over this and you don''t see me again for a decade at least.¡±
¡°Karen! Your mum can''t stop us from seeing each other, you''re an adult.¡±
¡°Not Mummy, George. Me. You had a prophesy to worry about, and you did very well. I''ve got my uncle and other threats too, and my laxness almost killed me on Friday. My I.D.''s been duplicated and I need to get my iris scan altered. I intend to learn my lesson.¡±
¡°But Karen!¡± she heard the pain in his voice. ¡°I''m not sure I''m going to meet your clearance criteria. Then what?¡±
¡°Why ever not?¡±
¡°Just have a look, Karen, it''ll be faster. Just don''t watch for long, eh?¡±
Karen looked, keeping it to a quick glance this time. George''s top level thoughts were his nascent love for Karen surrounded by hurt and confusion and fear. Why was Karen doing this? Would he pass this security check? Was his past going to destroy his future? What about the prophecy? Beneath, Karen could see the parts of his past that most worried him: he''d been born into a family of criminals. His father had been in and out of jail almost all his life. His mother had used his pram to hide stolen goods. She''d been finally caught and been jailed when he was three years old, at which point his great grandmother had been given permanent custody. She, the lone Christian in the family, had cared for him as long as she lived, and taught him the difference between right and wrong. She''d also seen his power and had warned him to only use it for good. After she''d passed away when he was 10, George had been passed from family member to family member, and then he''d been put into foster care, just before his fourteenth birthday. The foster care had been wonderful, but Karen saw in that brief glimpse that those previous three years had been terrible. He''d had a reputation of being lucky, so they''d wanted to take him as a watchman when they were breaking into parked goods vehicles, and as a courier on other crimes. She saw that the explanation for his ¡®luck¡¯ was that his power had let him avoid many of the punches and slaps others had aimed at him. Karen saw that he''d hated doing it, but that he''d seen no alternative than to obey.
¡°You had a tough childhood,¡± she said. ¡°You became a Christian in foster care?¡±
¡°Yes, Mum and Dad are great.¡±
¡°So, George, why do you think you won''t pass? You''re not still smuggling stuff for that gang, surely?¡±
¡°Of course not! But Karen, I''m still in contact with some cousins. I don''t think they''re involved in anything, the whole gang of us were taken into care at the same time, you know. But not all of them ended up with foster parents like mine, and with that upbringing... I don''t know, there''s not much that would surprise me.¡±
¡°OK, George. About the check: they''re going to find all this out and more. If you hide stuff, they''re going to think you''re still involved, so answer all questions fully. Clearance will take a long time with such a history. But I think you should be able to pass if you''ve been true to the Lord. Let''s talk to Mummy, OK? She''ll want to quiz you anyway, I''m sure.¡±
¡°Karen, what do you think? Do you want me to pass this? Why do I need to?¡±
¡°George, I don''t know what I''d do if you don''t pass. I want you to. I really do. You need to pass because if you don''t then I''d need to choose between you and my family and my past. If you don''t pass then I can''t tell you about things that make me who I am.¡±
¡°Then let''s talk to your mother.¡±
[Kate, is Mummy still busy?]
[Hi, Karen, no, she''s just watching the pizzas.]
[Oooh great. Where?]
[Small conference room.]
[OK, I''ll go and find her.]
[Careful, there are watch-list clients about.]
[OK. I''ll talk to the computer.]
¡°Computer, I intend to go to the small conference room. Is the route clear?¡±
¡°35 percent risk of intersect. Please delay approximately 1 minute.¡±
¡°Advise when 1 percent risk or below,¡± Karen instructed.
¡°What was that about?¡± George asked.
¡°There are clients in this building who shouldn''t know I''m here, George. Best if they don''t see me.¡±
¡°Karen, who are you?¡±
¡°I''m just me. Get clearance and I can tell you more. It''s not paranoia if the risk is real.¡±
¡°No wonder you seemed special. You are!¡±
¡°Naahh, I''m not special, I just need to be careful.¡±
¡°So how come you could go about freely at university?¡±
¡°I wasn''t quite mixing in the same circles as they get here, George.¡±
¡°Oh, you mean I''m beneath you?¡± George asked, half serious.
¡°George, you know class distinctions haven''t mattered for more than a century. We serve the same God, and there is neither barbarian nor Greek. But I didn''t notice any foreign dignitaries in my lectures. Did you have any?¡±
¡°Sorry, Karen. I''m just over sensitive, I guess.¡±
¡°It''s OK, George, let''s just blame it on a tiring day.¡±
¡°Intercept probability now below 1 percent,¡± the computer announced.
¡°Coming, George?¡± Karen asked, and led the way.
Karen briefly explained George''s fears to Maria. ¡°I trust him, Mummy, it''s just the question of am I allowed to, will I be allowed to?¡±
¡°Karen, don''t you think I might just have thought of this before you?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°George, I''m afraid my daughter has a na?ve attitude to her own safety. If you were in my position, which of course I can''t tell you, but assuming that a threat to my only child here would potentially put national security at risk, and that gaining authorisation for pretty much anything legal is not a problem, what would you do?¡±
¡°Urm, given unlimited access, I''d probably make sure that the people she was hanging round with at university were safe, and when you found that one of them was connected to a group of undesirables like my birth family then you''d check up on that person very thoroughly indeed, possibly even planting the three bugs I''ve found in my flat.¡±
¡°And the four you didn''t.¡±
¡°Well, the little note on one that said, ¡®If found, please return to Internal Security Service¡¯ did go a long way to reduce my fears. I''d thought it might have something to do with my having had high security doors fitted and the emergency bailout device.¡±
¡°Well, yes, that sort of thing does trigger more attention than the typical student would get. The multiple panic alarms helped convince the team that it was more that you were a cautious person than actively planning anything. I must say that Karen''s rotten memory for addresses caused some confusion, since number 56 doesn''t have an apartment 17.¡±
Karen was looking in horror at her mother. ¡°Mummy, I thought you said that I was going to have to look after myself now!¡±
¡°Yes, you are, you have been, but since when does that mean I don''t want to make sure you''re actually doing it?¡±
¡°So, does George have clearance?¡±
¡°Not yet, but if he''d fill in the forms straight after lunch then as long as what he admits to is what we know about, it shouldn''t take very long at all. It might take ¡®till tea-time if I need to grill him.¡±
Karen gave her a hug and said, ¡°Thank you, Mummy, I love you.¡±
¡°George, why do you think you want to marry my daughter?¡± Maria asked.
¡°I''ve spent enough time near her in the last two years to realise that she''s a very special person. I haven''t dated anyone or let myself fall in love with anyone because of that prophesy, but I''ve been struggling to keep my emotions under control around Karen for this last term. To be honest, I''ve probably been in love with her that long if not longer, just refusing to let myself acknowledge it.¡±
¡°And what are your prospects, young man? Are you going to be able to keep a roof above her head and food in front of her? What job are you heading towards? You know her dream of spending her life studying geology? That doesn''t pay well, I assure you.¡±
¡°Um, I''ve been taking computer systems courses, A.I. design, that sort of thing. I''ve done some work in the past, I get some licensing royalties ¡ª that''s how I was able to afford the security modifications for my flat.¡±
¡°A.I. design is a pretty broad field. Specify."
¡°Urm, I''ve earnt most for some work on connection making algorithms, helping the computer to make inferences more efficiently.¡±
¡°That''s interesting. Very interesting. It would be too much of a coincidence, but could we find out if your algorithm has been helping this computer come up with connections I didn''t expect.¡±
¡°Urm, it''s possible. Karen, could you ask it to check the algorithm list for author tag ¡®MrCareful''?¡±
¡°Computer, list algorithms with author tag MrCareful.¡±
[Mr. Careful?]
[Not paranoia if the risk is real!]
The computer displayed several algorithms, one of which surprised George.
¡°What''s that doing there? Who installed this system, Karen?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Which one? Why?¡±
¡°That last one on the list. I wrote it last summer. When I offered it to my existing customers they first tried to haggle down the price to peanuts and then said they weren''t interested after all.¡±
¡°Teresa''s the Institute''s legal expert, George, you might like to talk to her,¡± Karen offered.
¡°Yes, I think I might. If they''ve been deploying my code without permission then they owe me quite a lot of money. I wonder how much it''ll cost to make them pay up.¡±
¡°I''ve got another idea, George,¡± Maria said. ¡°How about you sell say a fifty percent share in the rights to someone for a suitable fee, for instance to Security, who I can assure you are interested, and then we could just happen to notice that someone has been using our property without permission, which I expect they''ll be very very sorry about really quickly, and give us a very good deal on our next few purchases. Karen witnessed me saying that we should be employing whoever wrote this A.I. So, subject to clearance, you might like to consider coming to work for us part time at least.¡±
¡°But I can''t claim to have written the whole A.I.!¡±
¡°No, but I think you''ve written the bits which interested me in the first place.¡±
¡°Thank you, Maria. I think I''d like that, subject to clearance and discussions with my financial advisor of course.¡±
[That''s you, Karen.]
[Me? Why me?]
[How much can I ask for? I don''t want to price myself out of the market, but I think I asked too little for my earlier code.]
[Let''s ask Kate, I don''t know what original code is worth, or programming pay-scales, either.]
[Good idea.]
¡°From the expression of surprise on my daughter''s face just now, you''ve just suggested she be your financial advisor. Personally I''d recommend my husband instead. He''s not with Security any more, is a pretty good negotiator and has a more than passing familiarity with computer programming.¡±
Karen burst out laughing at that last bit.
[Insider joke?] George asked.
[Absolutely insider. I wonder how high you''ll get clearance.]
¡°Mummy, how does this work? Will I need to keep secrets from George forever, and if so, how, given he can read my mind?¡±
¡°Wait until he''s family before you share family things, Karen. If something leaks, well, it leaks and goes no further. If you didn''t trust him to be ethical about his gift, then you''d not be considering marriage to him, would you?¡±
¡°Of course not, Mummy, and of course, he''s got to have clearance from God to have the gift anyway, hasn''t he?¡±
¡°I hadn''t thought of phrasing it like that, Karen,¡± Maria said, ¡°but His ways are not ours.¡±
¡°You mean our standards are higher?¡± Karen asked.
¡°No, we just need more paperwork.¡±
¡°Ah. Those pizzas smell good.¡±
¡°I think they''re ready, too.¡±
¡°I''ll call the others.¡±
[Pizza is ready!]
Community / Ch. 6: Confusion
Book 2: Community / Ch. 6:Confusion
IHM
¡°Karen was right, excellent pizza, thank you,¡± Maria said.
¡°The trick is to only serve it to hungry people,¡± John replied with a smile. ¡°That way the reputation stays good even if the quality drops.¡±
¡°It was rather a late lunch,¡± Maria replied, ¡°I''ll give you that.¡± At that moment, her wrist unit signalled her discretely, and she answered.
¡°Hello, you have? Excellent. Oh, they did, did they? That''s very good. Really? And the other accomplice, Williamson? Oh, did she? Well, that''s not what I''d have expected, good for her. Thank you, enjoy the paperwork!¡±
¡°George, your attackers have confessed all, and confirmed what you overheard, and it seems that my brother himself gave Priscilla the message. She didn''t recognize him at the time, I guess it''d been too long since she saw a photo of him. My brother has been caught, and Mrs. Williamson locked her husband in the bedroom and called the police because she''d found a crystal of indecent pictures when she was cleaning this morning. So he''s been under arrest since about the time Arnold was breaking into Karen''s house.¡±
¡°What does that mean about the threats Roland issued?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I''m not at all sure. The police computers will be using up any spare microseconds they have tracking his past movements on video logs, and generating a list of people he''s been seen with. Unless he speaks, that and his communications records are the only thing we''re going to have to go on. Of course everywhere is going to be at high alert until we find out how serious he was.¡±
¡°And should we delay publication?¡± asked John.
¡°How near are you to being ready?¡± Maria asked.
¡°Not very,¡± Sarah replied. ¡°We''ve realised that we need to do some basic research, as well as exploring the limits of what''s possible. In fact, I wonder if what we should be focussing on is the human power, rather than the spiritual gift. I mean, there are theological issues and all sorts of other things involved in the gift. Perhaps a sentence saying something like ¡®Certain subjects who are committed Christians also report extra abilities,¡¯ and leave it at that.¡±
¡°I think we''d want to express it so that it can''t be understood as saying that all Christians have the gift,¡± Karen suggested. ¡°In fact, we only know one person who currently has the power but not the gift,¡± John noted. ¡°I''m not at all sure why this is. From what Mama Ng told us, there aren''t usually five people around with the gift, and let''s face it, only Sarah and George were born with the power.
Karen presumably has it in her genetics, and God allowed her to use it at that time of crisis, but how Kate and I ended up with it seems like pure divine intervention.¡±
¡°But I thank God that He gave you the gift, else you''d not have been able to rescue my daughter, Kate, nor find Priscilla, John. Which reminds me. Would it be acceptable if we asked you to help find other people in a similar way? I''d be more than happy to call it a consultant role any pay accordingly.¡±
¡°I wouldn''t want the money,¡± Sarah said. ¡°I''m not at all happy with the idea of being paid to use a spiritual gift.¡±
¡°It does get rather close to simony, doesn''t it?¡± John added.
¡°Simony?¡± Kate asked ¡°What''s that?¡±
¡°The sin of seeking to buy spiritual gifts, I think, or possibly offering to sell them,¡± John answered.
¡°But if we end up answering mercy calls all the time, how do we earn our bread and butter?¡± Kate asked. ¡°OK. There were personal factors, but while I agree it was well worth finding Arnold, I expect Maria''s colleagues could find criminals in danger from their associates every week, and if we''re adding runaway kids too, we could be inundated.¡±
¡°Well, we could accept donations to support it, Kate. That avoids it being a bought service,¡± John suggested. ¡°But I think that while runaway kids are obviously in some danger, we can''t just read their minds and round them all up on that basis. That would be thought-police stuff.¡±
¡°I don''t expect we''ll inundate you, Kate,¡± Maria responded. ¡°There aren''t that many agents that get tied up like Pris did. But perhaps if you were able to do a quick health check on missing kids, then it might reassure their parents.¡±
¡°Do we know the range of this health check?¡± Karen asked.
¡°No research yet, Karen,¡± Sarah said.
¡°Then why don''t you check on your father, Karen?¡± Maria suggested. ¡°It''ll give you a range check, and if he''s frustrated then he''s probably filling forms or sitting in a boring meeting and would welcome you giving him a call.¡±
¡°I like that idea,¡± Karen laughed, and focused on her father''s health. He was hungry, but there was no sign of frustration. ¡°He''s not feeling frustrated, Mummy. That means we''ve got a ridiculous range, people, Daddy''s a very long way away,¡± Karen reported.
¡°So how did I get the right Priscilla?¡± John asked.
¡°Let''s leave God some mysteries, John,¡± Sarah answered. ¡°You knew which Priscilla it was, it was Maria¡¯s friend Priscilla.¡±
¡°And the Spirit who knows all hearts played switchboard operator?¡± asked John.
¡°I don''t like that analogy, Sarah.¡±
¡°So maybe He''s delegated that role to angels?¡± George suggested.
¡°I hope not,¡± Karen responded. ¡°I''d hate to think that every time I check up on someone there''s some angel leaping to make the connection.¡±
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
¡°Would you prefer that your gift were nothing more than a human ability?¡± Maria asked.
¡°The Spirit told us otherwise, Maria, when we first found we had it,¡± Sarah replied. ¡°I would prefer to think that in granting us this gift, any spiritual gift, somehow God is lending a little of His nature to humans, or even restoring to them something lost in the fall. This is surely more reasonable than the idea that God would relegate Himself to be a switchboard operator. But however it works, whether it''s angels rushing to accommodate our whims or if the gift is some way in which God has changed us, the gift should be used in a God-honouring way. I wouldn''t turn away a desperate parent looking for a lost child any more than I''d have told Karen not to check on her friends, but I might well turn away a cynical police officer who just wanted a way of getting their job done more easily.¡±
¡°And me using it to check if I should call my father now or not was just a bit too flippant?¡± Karen asked.
¡°I''m not sure,¡± Kate replied. ¡°I don''t think checking on loved ones is ever really going to be off limits.¡±
¡°Not entirely sure you''re right there, Kate,¡± John corrected. ¡°It could become an obsession or something, but yes, checking on someone because of love and concern seems entirely reasonable.¡±
¡°And does this, together with the principal of mental privacy, give us enough of a framework for how you''re going to use the gift?¡± asked Teresa, who''d been quiet until now.
¡°I think so. It describes how we used it this morning, doesn''t it?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Yes, I think so. All except for John checking on Karen''s uncle Roland and Norbert the driver. I think those were probably neither,¡± Teresa replied.
¡°Yes, I agree,¡± John said glumly. ¡°I think that was the least appropriate use of the gift yet.¡±
¡°We hadn''t really considered this aspect of it, John,¡± Sarah said.
¡°No, but I should have.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, John,¡± Maria apologized, ¡°I''m the one who asked you to. I should have just asked you to check on Priscilla right away.¡±
¡°It was my decision, Maria. And it was a poor one in retrospect. Excuse me.¡±
And with that he got up and left the room, heading for his office.
[John, what''s wrong?] Sarah asked.
[Me,] was all the reply he gave.
¡°I think I''d better go and talk with him, if that''s OK,¡± she said. Kate and the others encouraged her to follow.
¡°John. Talk to me. What''s wrong?¡± Sarah asked once she''d shut the door.
¡°I''m wrong. I''m supposed to be the spiritually mature one but Teresa of all people shows more awareness of me misusing this gift than I''ve shown. And how many other ways have I, have we, abused this gift? I used it unethically on Teresa, and what about the way we''ve been in and out of each other''s minds? Isn''t that an intimacy we should be saving until we''re married?¡±
¡°John! Be sensible!¡±
¡°I''m trying to be! I''m trying to work out how many sins I''ve committed since I first met you. Sarah, I love you but I think we''ve maybe overstepped the mark so often that our consciences are burnt to a crisp. I wonder what evidence we have that the gift wouldn''t be abused. We seem to have abused it enough times.¡±
Sarah decided that she had two options: she could try using words to persuade John that he was wrong, but she was fairly sure he wouldn''t listen; or she could use the gift he was concerned that they''d been misusing. She was sure that somehow there was a lie sitting in his thoughts, like there had been in Mick''s XXXXX''s. This wasn''t the John she knew. She chose the a third option first, and rather than answer, she prayed, ¡°Father God, you are our sovereign, our master and our king. Guide us in repentance and faith, guide us to know truth from lie, and false accusation by the enemy from conviction by Your Spirit. Forgive us our sins, dear Lord, and lead us to walk in Your paths. Amen.¡±
Then, while John was still saying amen, she quickly read his mind. She had his permission, since she was truly worried about him. There was something wrong in his thinking which was tearing him apart. She saw it.
¡°John, if you remember, the Spirit joined us when we first joined our thoughts. He told us things, and we decided not to worry. Do you remember that, my love?¡±
She didn''t usually call him that, it was his term for her, but she''d realised that it was more than that. It was an affirmation of his love for her and by always calling him by his name, however much emotion she felt, she hadn''t been proclaiming what she felt so clearly. As a result, he wasn''t as sure as he should have been about her love for him. That, she''d seen, was part of the problem.
¡°Yes, love, I remember.¡±
¡°Don''t you think He would have said wait with this until you''re married, if it were sin? And didn''t Mama Ng congratulate us on finding each other''s thoughts?¡±
¡°Yes, love.¡±
She took his hands and thought at him,
[Then why, my silly beloved John, won''t you think with me about those silly condemnatory thoughts that are going round your skull? What''s all this about then? {image}]
[You scanned me?]
[Yes, John. You told me I could any time I was worried. And I was worried and so are the others. So think with me, John, please, or at least listen to me.]
[I''ll listen to you, Sarah, and maybe you''ll convince me to join minds. But I think it''ll be the last time we do until the wedding. That''s not such a long time, assuming you still want me.]
[Silly man. Do I need to kiss you to convince you how much I want you, beloved?]
[You don''t normally do endearments, what''s up?]
[I spotted that you need them. I''m sorry, I should have realised. I think I might settle on beloved, if it is seemly to you, Sir Knight.]
[I thought, milady, we were not going to pursue this metaphor further?]
[But my beloved knight is caught in distress and vile bondage, and thus it is fitting that his damsel rescue him, is it not? {love}]
[What do you mean, vile bondage?]
[Come, my beloved, join your mind with mine, I will not knowingly lead you to temptation, and it''s so much easier to show you mind to mind.]
John relented and they relaxed into each other''s thoughts. Sarah pointed out that the guilt which was looming so large in John''s thoughts was actually based on wounded pride. Of all the stupid things to become proud of, he''d become proud of his maturity in the faith, and had not only seen this as his role in their little group of mind readers but also something important in their relationship. Together they followed this thought in his mind. It seemed he''d come to see his maturity as the only thing he felt he could really offer Sarah, other than his devotion to her. How could she love him now that he''d proven himself flawed? He wasn''t unique in having the gift. What did she see in him if he wasn''t the holy man he wanted to be? No wonder she wasn''t using endearments to him. It was so crazy of her to marry him in so many ways.
[John, you''re nuts, you know?] Sarah said in loving frustration.
[Pardon?]
[What on earth made you think I was in love with a wise sage?]
[{confusion}]
[Idiot.]
[{hurt}]
[My beloved idiot of a knight has fallen into vile bondage to a lie, and I must needs prove to him that my love is not based upon such transitory things as his greater maturity and wisdom, endearing though they be, but upon his other transient capacities. Such as his being able to beat me in a race, and catch me were I to swoon into his strong arms.]
[Don''t!]
[''Till the arrival of the time I am my beloved''s in the sight of the law and our Lord I shall strive mightily against the temptation, but you''d better be ready to catch me when we''re in private.]
[I''m looking forward to it. {love}]
[{love} Me too. So, are you feeling saner now, my beloved? If so, spend some time with the Lord. If not, then I''m going to have to throw you to the ground and jump up and down on you in frustration. I love you because you''re you, John, and don''t you dare think anything else. And we both know you need to repent of believing that stupid lie, and the pride and everything, so get on with it, please beloved!]
[I will, love, I will.]
Sarah withdrew and left John to pray.
Community / Ch. 7: Obligations
Book 2: Community / Ch. 7: Obligations
Sarah returned to the meeting room.
¡°Everything OK?¡± asked Kate
¡°I think so. He just tripped over a silly idea he''d been running away with.¡±
¡°Ah. And you think you solved it with your usual tact and gentleness?¡± she managed with a straight face.
¡°You think I offered to mash him into the ground if he ever dared to think such a silly thing again? Of course!¡±
¡°Do you have a little brother?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°No, why?¡±
¡°You seem to have a good grasp of practical psychology as applicable to the male of the species.¡±
¡°Hey!¡± George objected, looking up from the security forms he was answering, ¡°Do I get a vote here? Why does Sarah need to threaten to hurt John in order to help him?¡±
¡°You tell me, George,¡± Karen asked. ¡°How better can Sarah get his attention?¡±
¡°Urm. She could try reason, or threaten not to kiss him.¡±
¡°Faulty reasoning was his problem. No kisses sometimes works, but then I suffer too and in this case that wasn''t appropriate. Threatening to throw him on the floor and jump up and down on him seemed much more likely to work. He knows I could probably do the first bit, the second just adds spice.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Karen asked in amazement.
¡°I''m not black belt. Quite.¡±
¡°George,¡± Kate explained, ¡°the aim is not to hurt anyone, merely to make him aware how seriously Sarah takes it. From Sarah''s reaction, I''d guess he offered to call off the wedding, again.¡±
¡°Did you peek, Kate?¡± John asked, coming in.
¡°No! I''m just getting used to Sarah''s threat scale.¡±
¡°It''s not a good idea to threaten my hope of married bliss,¡± Sarah said, grabbing John''s hand, and holding it possessively as he entered. [Conversation about why I''d threaten you, beloved. Nothing about what I found, except you''d tripped over a silly idea. George is worried about the violence and thinks reason might have worked.]
¡°George, don''t worry. Sarah''s just protecting me from myself. She''s good at it. I get unreasonable sometimes, and then she needs to use a bit of reinforcement to get the message across.¡±
¡°OK, urm, it''s just that I''ve lived in a violent home, and I don''t like it one bit, not even threats.¡±
[I''ll remember that, George,] Karen reassured him.
[Thanks, Karen. {love}]
¡°Maria?¡± George asked. ¡°Changing the subject, what do Karen and I do about our homes? I mean once my front door is replaced and Karen¡®s changed her I.D. Do we assume we''re safe now, or do we need to move house?¡±
¡°Karen will need to move. No question there. You should think of it too, I guess. My brother might be in jail, but he could still arrange a kidnapping attempt or some other attack. If you''re willing to be a witness against him, then certainly.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m willing.¡±
¡°I''ve got a spare room Karen could have,¡± Sarah offered, ¡°and I was wondering what to do with my house once we''re married.¡±
¡°I thought we''d be living there?¡± John said, confused.
¡°OK, so we''ve obviously got to have a conversation or three about that,¡± Sarah laughed, ¡°but between us we''re going to have a spare house in about three weeks. Right now, mine looks much more like a student house and I''m sure it has far better security.¡±
¡°Has the system been upgraded?¡± Maria asked.
¡°I don''t think so.¡±
¡°Oh well, top of the line just over a decade ago is still very very good. I helped specify it,¡± she explained.
¡°I hadn''t noticed anything special about your security system, Sarah,¡± John said.
¡°Clever, isn''t it? Very discrete,¡± she agreed.
¡°So, urm, what''s special about it?¡± John asked curiously.
¡°Well, it doesn''t do sleep gas,¡± Sarah started, but was interrupted.
¡°Actually...¡± Maria corrected, ¡°if there''s a break-in or a known criminal crops up on the cameras then it''ll trigger an alert at police HQ and offer them the option of releasing gas. So while it doesn''t do autonomous release of sleep gas, it has the next best thing.¡±
¡°Wow,¡± Karen said, ¡°that''s far higher specification security than my old place, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes, dear. You don''t keep as many diamonds in your cupboards as Sarah''s daddy did.¡±
¡°He let me look at them sometimes,¡± Sarah reminisced. ¡°They were so pretty.¡±
George''s eyes had been growing bigger and bigger as he listened to this conversation.
¡°Your house looks like a student house but has a top flight security system and your father used to let you look at his diamond collection? I don''t understand. What happened?¡±
¡°The Clear Sky mall attack happened. John and I are the survivors. I lost my parents, he lost his and his wife and unborn child.¡±
¡°I''m sorry. I didn''t realise. So you''re no strangers to what the press are going to do when you publish.¡±
¡°No. We''re not.¡±
¡°So just what are you thinking will happen to security round here when you publish? There are going to be cameras watching this place for a month, no one is going to be able to come in or go out without being photographed. Karen''s face is going to be plastered all over the web as working here.¡±
¡°No, it isn''t,¡± Kate said. ¡°This is a strange organization, George. It''s got rich and powerful clients and contracts with quite a few of the major countries of the world. A century ago, when computers were beginning to take over counselling, the dangers of what happened to Karen were already apparent and the UN decided they''d need to have places like this, independent from any government interference. There was unanimous agreement that press intrusion would be detrimental to the function of it. If you look up the relevant resolution there is a total ban on any reporting of comings and goings here and a score of other places around the world like it. Every state in the world has passed that into law. Of course the media will be at our gates wanting interviews, but if they show a picture of anyone coming or going, or mention names of staff or clients, they get in deep deep trouble.¡±
¡°You think that''s going to stop them?¡±
¡°I think that a little chat with the UN security guys at the front gates might make them think seriously about it.¡±
¡°What front gates? What UN security guys?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°The gates that protect the flower beds of course!¡±
¡°But there aren''t any!¡± Karen protested.
¡°Well, they''re not normally above ground, no. But they''re there, and we''ll be raising them when we publish, I assure you. But normally, it''s much nicer not to live in a fortress. Speaking of which, there are a few rooms in the cellars that can be used as bedrooms, if Maria thinks Karen, or George for that matter, would be best hidden away here for a few days.¡±
¡°And the UN security officers?¡± George asked.
¡°I don''t honestly know. Maria, I know that I have a number to call if it looks like the privacy of the centre is going to be threatened. Do you know what happens if I call it?¡±
¡°Yes, I do, Kate. George, have you finished your forms yet?¡±
¡°Just finished.¡±
¡°Good. Then I''ll answer more fully when George''s forms have been processed.¡±
¡°But I don''t have clearance, do I?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°Yes, you do. Not to the level George wants so he can share his life with Karen of course, but yes, Teresa, you''ve got basic clearance.¡±
¡°We needed to get it before you started working for us,¡± Kate explained.
¡°Didn''t anyone think of telling me?¡±
¡°Sorry it must have slipped my mind, why?¡±
¡°Because firstly I''ve put it at risk with that prison visiting, and secondly I''ve been thinking of taking on an extra client who said that I''d need security clearance to go onto their site, as though it was a big thing.¡±
¡°Here in Restoration?¡± Maria asked.
¡°Just outside the city. Urm, I''m not sure I''m allowed to name them.¡±
¡°Is it this organization?¡± Maria showed Teresa a name from her wrist pad.
¡°Yes.¡±
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
¡°Tell them you''re cleared to level 3 beta, and tell me afterwards how much they beg and grovel to have you work for them.¡±
¡°Is three beta high?¡±
¡°Not really, but the chairman of their board in only cleared to level 4 beta, mostly their workers only get cleared to level 5 gamma, which means they''re officially allowed know that Karen''s parents are government employees, which I hope you''ve gathered by now.¡±
¡°May we know what levels we''re cleared to?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°If you like. John, Sarah, like most of the staff, you''re 2 beta, Kate is 2 alpha. Karen is officially 1 gamma and that''s what George is applying for. Karen of course has also picked up some things she shouldn''t know officially which she will use extreme digression about sharing.¡±
¡°And how do we know what we''re allowed to share with who?¡± John asked.
¡°Don''t share anything, and you''re safe. Ask Karen if in doubt.¡±
¡°And does Security have an opinion on us going public about the power and the gift?¡± asked Sarah.
¡°I know I do. Go for it about the power, full disclosure, but name no names. Hold back a while about the gift. Taking some of the power from abusers of it can''t be a bad thing. As was mentioned earlier, there are theological issues about the gift. Officially, I think Security would like several years'' notice before you call that number, Kate. But you do have the right to use it.¡± She glanced at her wrist unit. ¡°You see, Kate, when you call that number, Internal Security has an obligation under the UN resolution to send you officers wearing the UN uniform and obedient to UN chain of command. That means cases dropped, leads not followed up on, people at risk, until UN chain of command decides the risk is over. You ringing that number today would be just what every criminal organization would love. Officers from Security out in plain sight acting like policemen. It''s a crazy provision really.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m sorry,¡± Kate responded. ¡°I didn''t realise it would be so disruptive. I guess I imagined that there was a barracks full of bored UN agents somewhere.¡±
¡°I wonder what would happen if we remind the press that we''re off limits in the press release about the mind-reading,¡± John wondered.
¡°Headlines like ¡®Secretive organization steals other people''s secrets,¡¯ followed by a campaign, ¡®Sign up to our campaign to repeal obsolete UN resolution,¡¯¡± George replied.
¡°I presume Nature or whatever journal we end up publishing in don''t let people publish anonymously?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Not normally. I think it''s been done occasionally, but not just to avoid press attention,¡± Kate answered.
¡°I''ve got an idea. How about we get others involved, spread the heat, or even not be involved in publishing ourselves.¡±
¡°I don''t think that''ll work, really. Sooner or later someone is going to say something.¡±
¡°So,¡± Kate summarised, ¡°we could not publish. We could release it through government channels and get it branded as propaganda. We could publish it as the final act of the Institute, so that there isn''t anyone to interview any more. Or we could do our own part to bring anarchy to our country. We could hire our own security guards which would probably bankrupt us fairly soon. Or we could give sufficient warning to the government of what we''re about to do so that they double the size of internal security. Any other alternatives?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Teresa answered, ¡°you could set up an alternative organisation to research and publish the results, which wouldn''t be under the UN ban, you could do a collaborative paper with the Lunar University or something equally inaccessible and second your people there, or you could sign some kind of exclusive deal with one particular media organization and get them to warn the others off.¡±
¡°How does that one work?¡± Karen asked.
¡°I guess you''d get some kind of respected broadcaster sufficient clearance to work here,¡± Teresa expanded, ¡°explain to them and all their bosses the reporting restrictions, but let them see and report on all the great work you''re involved in. Then gradually let them in on the big secret. Maybe even let them dramatise your work as a docudrama. Then let them protect their story as they know best. I mean, you''ve had enough going on in the last month to provide a few interesting story lines, and there must be a few journalists who are itching with interest about what happens in these walls.¡±
¡°So you mean give the media something they want in exchange for keeping security tight? Would that really work?¡±
¡°It might,¡± Maria replied. ¡°There have been times when the big media corporations attached journalists to squads of soldiers in wartime. It sometimes worked, though anyone assigned to work here wouldn''t be under fire.¡±
¡°Until someone like your brother decided they knew too much of course.¡±
¡°Yes. So there is a risk to them, I agree,¡± Maria conceded.
¡°Would the exclusive deal be a necessary part of it?¡± John asked.
¡°I expect so,¡± Kate replied. ¡°But how about we ask Pete? I mean, this public relations stuff is his territory really.¡±
¡°Pete is your PR baker fianc¨¦?¡± Maria asked.
¡°Yes, that''s him.¡±
¡°What in the Solar System is a public relations baker?¡± George asked, totally confused.
¡°He used to be in public relations, but he''d much rather be an artist. He makes portrait-cakes, edible sculptures. The mass-market ones are OK, but his hand crafted ones are really lifelike.¡±
¡°Oh, I think I''ve seen one of his mass market ones. Weird concept, to eat someone''s head.¡±
¡°I''ve heard rumours that some politicians are considering getting him to do their opponents,¡± Maria said, ¡°but that was just gossip.¡±
¡°Not just gossip, Maria,¡± Kate said, pleased to have information that Maria didn''t.
¡°Ooh, they placed the order?¡±
¡°Interestingly enough, he''s working on two for this year''s conference season, with different delivery dates. I''m not sure I should reveal further details.¡±
¡°The cut and thrust of politics, eh?¡± Maria said. ¡°Something like that, yes.¡± Kate admitted. Maria read a note on her wrist unit. ¡°Well, on that fun note, I''m going to have to leave you,¡± she said. ¡°Sarah, if Karen could stay with you, at least for a while, that''d be excellent. George, you''re cleared, be a good lad and teach my daughter to look after herself better, and do talk to my husband, about everything. Karen knows how to call him securely. Karen, make sure you introduce George to your security detail, I''m not leaving you without protection for at least a month after this. The guys will know where George will stay. George, you''re going to have to be in the witness protection scheme until the trial, hope you enjoy it, it''s hideously expensive. Think of it as a holiday where the hotel rooms have no windows. I''ll be in touch.¡±
¡°Good bye, Mummy,¡± Karen said, who was used to such exits, and gave her mother a hug, then Maria left. George''s mouth was still failing to get into gear as the door closed behind her. ¡°Oh,¡± he finally managed. ¡°I suppose that takes care of my accommodation, but what about my things? Can I go and collect them?¡±
¡°Probably not, George,¡± Kate said. ¡°Security will empty your flat for you,¡± Karen said. ¡°They''ll let you have what you really need, but only the minimum of stuff. I''m afraid we''re not going to see each other until the trial, George, unless Mummy decides that one of the safe houses can be here.¡±
¡°And when will the trial be?¡±
¡°Who knows? Priscilla will need to be well enough to give evidence, at least.¡±
¡°I attended most of my lectures by telepresence,¡± Sarah said. ¡°I guess you''ll have to do all of them that way.¡±
¡°I hate that. It''s worse than sitting in the front row of a lecture, everyone looks through you.¡±
¡°Looks through you?¡± Kate was confused. ¡°I thought your face just got put up on a display?¡±
¡°They''ve improved the system now, Kate,¡± Sarah explained. ¡°They''ve made it so you can turn your so-called ¡®head¡¯ to make the camera look towards people wherever they¡¯re speaking from, and your face is projected onto a semi-transparent screen. That''s so you don''t block the view of people behind you, but George is right, people do tend to look through your image at whatever''s happening behind you. It''s a bit unnerving, but I got used to it.¡±
¡°I guess I''ll have to, too,¡± George said, resigned to his fate.
¡°John,¡± Kate suggested ¡°George needs to learn about using the gift. Can you take him and fill him in on everything that we know so far, please.¡±
¡°Sure, come on, George. I''ll explain it in my office. I think maybe the ladies want to chat without us.¡±
After they''d left, Sarah asked, ¡°Kate, what is it?¡±
¡°A silly thought. Tell me if I''m wrong here. Karen, your mother''s never mentioned your uncle, am I right?¡±
¡°Yes, that''s right.¡±
¡°And then she describes him to us as a very nasty person. And Teresa, you''ve met him, is that right?¡±
¡°Yes, well, I''ve met someone who was in prison under the same name.¡±
¡°Computer, display pictures taken by visitor George''s wrist unit. Teresa, you went quiet when these pictures came up. Can I ask why. Is this the man you met in prison?¡±
¡°You mean could Maria have been pinning the blame on the wrong man? No, that''s him all right.¡±
¡°I''m glad I was wrong, it was just a nasty suspicion, and that you might not want to cause a confrontation.¡±
¡°No, I''ve just been deep in thought. Seeing him coordinating an attack, telling people to kill George, just because he was linked to Karen. That seems so, I don''t know, unmotivated, pointless violence, and it doesn''t seem in character with how Maria described him. You know, the arch manipulator. It seems more like he was trying to get himself caught.¡±
¡°Yes. Why would he be so personally involved? Did he think he was so safe?¡± Karen wondered aloud.
¡°Or was there someone pushing him somehow? Making him make mistakes?¡± Sarah suggested.
¡°It almost seems like everything changed partway through this morning. He had been intending to find out everything about Karen, about where she lived and what she studied, then suddenly it was torturing Karen''s friends and sending coded messages that would only be fully understood by Maria. It''s as if something scared him enormously.¡±
¡°Sarah, can you persuade the computer to come up with a time-line, or shall we just sketch one?¡±
¡°I''ll make one,¡± Sarah volunteered. ¡°What am I plotting?¡±
¡°Events, any links. Attack on George, attack on Priscilla, Arnold''s event line, attack on him. When did Harry get his instructions, Maria''s plane landing, anything else you can think of.¡±
Sarah''s fingers flew over the console. ¡°OK, here we are. Karen, did you walk here?¡±
¡°Yes, I walked.¡±
¡°The log shows you arrived at 8.30, so you left home at about 8.00?¡±
¡°Yes, didn''t the I.D. log give an exact time?¡±
¡°Oh, of course. Didn''t think of that.¡± She pulled the exact time from the log, and adjusted the marker.
¡°OK, so one thing is clear,¡± Kate decided. ¡°There''s no way that Karen coming here triggered the attack on Priscilla. That''s one thing I''d been afraid of.¡±
¡°You thought I might have been followed?¡± Karen asked, surprised.
¡°Why not?¡± Kate asked ¡°Your address must have been known to send Arnold to find your house. If he''s trying to find out about you, why not follow you?¡±
¡°Let''s access the recordings and find out,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Computer, access external camera recordings. Back trace from entry of staff member Karen this morning to find first approach of her on any camera. Play that recording panel three, play time-synchronised recordings showing overlapping or adjoining views on other panels. Stop playback 2 minutes after staff member Karen leaves frame. Repeat for other cameras in sequence. Playback speed three times normal.¡±
The computer started playing the first recording, from a remote camera perhaps a kilometre from the Institute.
¡°How do we have access to a camera there?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°That''s at a private home, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Kate acknowledged, ¡°but the security review a few years ago decided we couldn''t adequately protect our clients without remote cameras. So, we found some not-quite neighbours who didn''t mind us putting our cameras on their homes in exchange for a suitable rental.¡±
The recording showed Karen, just about visible, approaching down the road, comically fast because of the playback speed. There was some road and foot traffic, but no vehicles were behaving oddly. The pedestrians seemed to be moving at different speeds, either hurrying past, overtaking Karen or going slower as they walked with children. Only one person seemed to be moving at the same speed as Karen, along roughly the same path, about three hundred metres behind her. Sarah was about to tell the computer to circle him on other recordings, and then, as he moved nearer, they saw it was actually Ivan. No one in this first camera had seemed to follow her. To be doubly sure, Sarah instructed the computer to tag everyone that had been left behind in red and those who had hurried past her in blue, in case they were moving irregularly. The exercise continued, and they concluded that only Ivan had potentially been following her, but since his home was in that direction, and he''d arrived just after Karen, that was hardly suspicious.
¡°I''m a bit amazed, really,¡± Kate said. ¡°No sign of anyone following you, Karen. Why not? I don''t suppose there was a helicopter or a drone flying around following you?¡±
¡°No,¡± Karen shivered. ¡°I''ve had that happen. It was scary, I''m very aware of that sort of thing. Either he already knew I''m going to work here, or he thought I wouldn''t find out about Arnold and there was plenty of time. But that makes no sense given that the attacks were aimed at my friends.¡±
¡°Was he maybe testing us, do you think?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°You mean that if we''d heard Karen, could we hear others too?¡± Theresa asked. ¡°Then why just pick on Karen''s friends?¡±
¡°A horrible thought. What if he didn''t?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°You mean he might have ordered more gangs out to put people in life threatening positions, to see if there was something special about Karen?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°Wouldn''t that fit his character?¡± Sarah replied.
¡°Then why get personally involved in both Pris and George?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Because they had a link to you and through you to your mother, perhaps?¡±
¡°This is terrible. How do we check?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Let''s call John and George back in,¡± Sarah suggested.
¡°Yes. Let''s,¡± Karen agreed.
[John, we''ve been brainstorming and had a nasty thought, please come. What if he was testing us with Priscilla and George, and is torturing others to death too?] Sarah pleaded.
[Coming,] came John''s reply.
Community / Ch. 8: A Very Busy Half Hour
Book 2: Community / Ch. 8:A Very Busy Half Hour
Monday afternoon
¡°Sarah said you''d had a scary thought ¡ª what if it''s not just Karen''s friends that were the targets?¡±
¡°Exactly,¡± Teresa said.
¡°We''ve been checking Karen''s friends,¡± Sarah said, ¡°we found two were targets and decided that Karen''s friends were targets. But that''s bad logic, isn''t it? All he knew for sure was that Karen got rescued by mind-readers. A power beyond what he''d had. What if he wanted to know just how wide our power was? Then you''d include some people Karen knows, and some she didn''t. If none survive, then Karen''s rescue was a fluke, if only Karen''s friends survive, then the protection is limited somehow, and if all survive then he might as well become a reformed character, at least as far as kidnapping and long term torture is concerned.¡±
¡°Callous, logical, meticulous even, and lacking in any respect for human life, much like we think he is,¡± Teresa concluded.
¡°I think we need to pray for guidance here,¡± John said. ¡°We can go through our list of clients, or could even get the computer to bring up a list of everyone in the city, but that ignores the rest of the country. If he''s got contacts, then he could be checking our range too, for all we know.¡±
¡°Oh Lord, forbid it,¡± Teresa prayed, her most earnest prayer ever.
John prayed, ¡°Father God, we know you are the God who rescues people. You sent Moses to rescue Your people and lead them into the promised Land, You led Rahab to protect the spies, You sent the judges to rescue Your people from evil oppressors, You sent Your Son to rescue us from bondage to sin and to break the power of the evil one. If we are right, Lord, there could be tens or hundreds suffering because of that evil man. Help us to find anyone Karen''s uncle might have caused to be left like Priscilla, or whatever he intended for George. Lead us to those he is making suffer, dear Lord, we pray.¡±
¡°Yes, Lord,¡± Karen continued, ¡°don''t let that evil man cause more pain, let his plans be thwarted, whatever they may be. Send us help if there is anyone else to help us, show us how to use this gift You''ve given us for Your purposes and Your glory, dear Master, we pray.¡±
¡°Amen,¡± they all agreed.
¡°Let''s start with our clients list, we can at least check if a few people are OK,¡± Kate suggested.
[Why do it that way, don''t you know anything?] they heard a voice, male, that they didn''t recognise.
[We know we''ve just prayed for help, I''m John by the way.] John replied, not sure who he was talking to.
[Well, I guess that''s why the Good Lord''s woken me in the middle of the night, John. I''m Enoch. You got some kind of natural disaster over there?]
[Human, we suspect. Roland Underwood, my evil uncle. He knows I got rescued from his trap by thought-readers. He had one of my friends left tied up in her freezer. He wanted to make sure another friend of mine, George, died really slowly, though we''re not sure how. He gave them a scary threat to pass on, but we''ve just realised that he could have been testing how the gift worked as well.]
[And Mama Ng''s just gone home to be with her Lord.]
[You knew her?] Sarah asked. [She told us some things and gave us some memories, but it didn''t cover anything like this.]
[Ha, so you''ve had the basic-level introduction and then she dumped the scary stuff on you, but left you to puzzle out the, intermediate and advanced use on your own? She did so like to be mysterious. Good job she told me about you four. But it''s not four, is it?]
[George here knew he had the power, but we found this afternoon that he has the gift too.]
[Five with the gift sitting in one office! Glory be on high! Whatever the Lord''s planning it''s going to be interesting for you guys, but you think there might be people suffering because of some scheme of this Roland Underwood?]
[Yes. It would seem in character. It''s been hard to prosecute him because people have mysterious accidents before they can give statements to the police. If he cares so little for life, then why torture just two if you could get far better data with ten or fifty? Or if you''ve also commissioned someone to blow up a few shopping centres or something.]
[Seems plausible. OK, first, you find peace, then from there ¡ª only ever do it from there ¡ª pray for the Almighty''s protection. Four praying constantly wouldn''t hurt none either, and then one of you, with Roland in your mind, let yourself focus on Evil just for a tiny fraction of a second. You''re not going to like what you see, and you''re going to be burning hot for a while, because there''s a lot of Evil in the world.]
[Thanks, Enoch. Will we know where the victims are or what their name is? We know we can check on people by name, but then all we can do right now is wait for them to think about where they are.]
[Oh John! You do have a lot to learn, don''t you? You can do the skin of people, but you''ve never tried focusing on the skin of a place?]
[Skin of people ¡ª is that what we do when we check on someone''s health? I guess we''re aiming at their skin.]
[Yes, that''s right. If you focus on the feet of the person then that gives you the place they''re in, even if they are lying down and were carried there. Focusing on the skin of a place, you''ll be aware of who''s there.]
[When you say we''ll be aware of the place, how do you mean?] Sarah asked.
[Try it on me, girl, doing is knowing.]
Sarah focussed on Enoch''s feet, and much as when she focussed on peace, there was a strong visual component as well as knowledge component. She was aware of a room, with a man, Enoch, sitting up in bed and beside him, still asleep, there was Enoch''s wife. She couldn''t see details. The scene receded from her and the room was in a house, and the house was the fourth from the end of the road, and the road was there in the town, she could have given it a name with a map. And the town was there between the mountains and the sea, again, with the right map, she could have named it, and the island was big and beautiful, and far far away, it was there on the globe. Sarah focussed on peace. She''d been looking for a few seconds, but there was no heat, and she returned to mundane. [Greet your wife from us, Enoch, when she wakes. Thank you for your help,] Sarah thought.
[Oh, you spotted Rose, did you? Most people can''t. Do you have the pain too?]
[Yes.]
[They seem to go together. I''ll talk to you sometime when I shouldn''t be asleep, if that''s OK. Go carefully when you look for the workings of evil. You''ll see horrors, and they might see you, which is why you need to do it with the protection of His peace. God bless your efforts.] Teresa saw their eyes open and focus. ¡°Have I just witnessed a long silent prayer, a conversation between mind readers, or a miraculous answer to prayer?¡±
¡°A bit of both of the last two, Teresa,¡± Kate answered. ¡°God woke up someone on the other side of the planet so he could answer our questions. It''s not going to be easy, but he told us how we can check up on the evil schemes of Roland.¡±
¡°I''ll do the first bit,¡± John volunteered, ¡°and if what he said about the pain is right, Sarah should be the one who locates any victims.¡±
¡°Whatever''s your motive for saying that Sarah should suffer, John?¡±
¡°Not that I should suffer, Teresa. It''s just that the part of my mind-reading ability which causes me pain in crowds, it''s called the pain, actually comes in useful here. Enoch told us how to find where someone is, and because of my having the pain, I should be aware of others near them when I do.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°But what John''s going to do, that sounds scary. He''s going to look for the workings of evil, and from what Enoch said, the workers of evil could find his mind in return.¡±
¡°Which is why I''ll be doing it surrounded by my brother and sisters in Christ, who''ll be praying for me, and I''ll do it from the mental place about which Mama Ng said that nothing could harm us there.¡±
¡°Teresa, will you join us in praying?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I''m not sure. I''m not sure I''m on the same terms with God that you are. But I think I''d like to be.¡±
¡°Be careful what you ask for, Teresa, you might be given it,¡± Kate warned.
¡°I don''t want your gifts, if that''s what you mean.¡±
¡°I didn''t think you did. That''s why I said be careful.¡±
¡°I don''t think you''re due for a heart attack, Teresa, but if you want to talk to one of us while the others pray, that''d be fine,¡± John said.
¡°Heart attack? Oh, you mean it''s not urgent?¡±
¡°I mean I don''t know if it''s urgent, Teresa. I know there could be people for whom every minute is critical, and I''ve been warned that I''m possibly about to stir up the forces of evil. I don''t know how dangerous that is and I''d rather I knew you were safely under God''s protection, that everyone here at the Institute was. We''re going to pray for a bit along those lines, that everyone here will be kept safe, before I follow Enoch''s instructions, but real spiritual safety comes from being committed wholeheartedly to God. But I''m not going to pressure you into the most important commitment of your life and say that you need to decide now. So, if you''d like to borrow my office and talk about things to one of us, that''s important enough a reason to borrow someone from our prayer time.¡±
¡°I understand. Thank you. Sarah, could we talk? I know John said he wanted you to help later on, but I don''t think I''ll keep you long.¡±
¡°Umm, sure, let''s leave them to pray.¡±
¡°Why me, can I ask?¡±
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¡°Because Kate can be too intense, and she''s my employer, and I don''t know Karen as well as I know you, and I think you spent a long time away from God, didn''t you?¡±
¡°Urm, yes, a few years anyway. Then I sort of drifted around the edges of church, and listened too much to people who thought they knew it all or who made fun of people who had a strong commitment to God.¡±
¡°I guess I''m closer to that last group. I went to Sunday school, I''m fairly sure God''s there, but I''m certainly not a committed believer. I''ve always been comfortable where I was. But today I started off thinking that Maria was misusing the word evil to describe her brother. Now I''m sure she wasn''t. And I''ve seen how Karen heard Arnold''s hate speech, against her too if only he''d known, and yet she defended him to his Commanding Officer. I''m Arnold''s sister and I can''t really forgive him for the hate he aimed at you, but you guys don''t seem to count it against him at all. And Karen checked up on him, even though he shouldn''t be a friend after that break-in. That much forgiveness can only be from God, I''m convinced. And the level of evil scares me. I want to be on the right side of God.¡±
¡°Did your Sunday school teach you a prayer to pray?¡±
¡°Oh, probably. I probably even joined in when I was six. But I certainly haven''t honoured it since.¡±
¡°Well, maybe God still takes it seriously, even if you haven''t. In exchange for your repentance He offers total forgiveness. Just pray and mean it, Teresa, you can even use the prayer of general confession if you like. Tell God you''re sorry for your attitudes and sinful actions and sinful inactions. Ask Him to be your Saviour, Lord and King and to take away your sins.¡±
Teresa prayed, and as she did, Sarah prayed for her, and for John to be safe and successful, and for those they thought might need saving.
Opening her eyes she saw Teresa''s face full of new found joy. ¡°God is good, Sarah. I don''t feel dirty any more. God is so good!¡± And then she burst into tears that Sarah sensed were a sign of healing of a deep deep hurt. Sarah embraced her, knowing instinctively that Teresa needed to be held, without thinking of what the contact would bring. As she heard Teresa''s thoughts she pulled away. But Teresa held her. After a while she released her. ¡°I''m not dirty now, Sarah. God has taken my shame and my guilt.¡±
¡°Total forgiveness, Teresa.¡±
¡°God is so good!¡±
¡°Well, of course He is!¡±
¡°I didn''t used to think that. I used to think He was a spoil-sport. But my sport left me dirty. And God made me feel clean again.¡±
¡°''Wash me and I''ll be white as snow,¡¯ says the Psalm,¡± Sarah quoted.
¡°Can we join the others?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°I expect so, but I don''t want to disturb them if they''re at a critical point.¡±
Sarah focussed on John''s health ¡ª his skin, she guessed. He was tired, just starting to rest. ¡°John''s finished, we can go in.¡±
They entered the meeting room. Sarah saw that John was sweating. ¡°Kate, how''s John?¡±
¡°He said he was hot.¡±
¡°George, help me take his shirt off him, please. It''ll help his brain cool faster.¡±
Sarah focussed on peace and merged her thoughts with John''s. [Show me the heat, John.]
[It''s hot, love.] He showed her.
[John, have you ever seen it that bad?]
[Just the once, the first time.]
[Oh John! How long did you look?]
[Hardly any time, I think. There was so much to take in though! So many plots and schemes.]
[OK, beloved, I''m afraid you''re going to be in Janet''s care for a while. Once we''ve got you on the monitor, we''ll slowly have a look at what you found. Don''t you dare surface!]
[OK, love.]
Sarah withdrew and said, ¡°Kate, I''d like him hooked up to Janet''s monitors, just in case. It''s the worst we''ve seen since the first time we plugged him in.¡±
¡°Janet''s got a client with her right now, Sarah.¡±
¡°Oh, can we at least warn her then? If he goes unconscious...¡±
¡°Of course. You pull his shoes off too, I''ll send her a warning.¡±
¡°Would a wet flannel on the forehead help?¡± asked Karen.
¡°Excellent idea,¡± Kate agreed.
George was worried. ¡°Do you understand what''s happened, Teresa? Karen said something about overheating your brain, but I didn''t think they meant literally!¡±
¡°Sarah tried a fifteen second long scan on me three weeks ago. A few minutes later she passed out from a swollen brain. Some kind of inflammation response.¡±
¡°So they''re trying to cool him?¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°Karen,¡± Kate called from the computer, ¡°Janet''s acknowledged and says, ¡®Karen/Ivan: Portable scanner?¡¯ does that make sense to you?¡±
¡°Of course. She was showing me the portable scanner earlier, it''s in the lab. I think Ivan''s a better bet than me. I can drive it but not interpret anything. Shall I bring it here, or all take John to the lab?¡±
¡°I''ll call Ivan, he can bring it, I''m sure,¡± Kate replied.
¡°I''ll start working on what John found out,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Karen, if I come up with any victims, can you relay them to someone appropriate?¡±
¡°Of course, I''ve forewarned Mummy.¡±
¡°I''ll be praying for you,¡± Teresa said.
Sarah merged thoughts with John once more. [Beloved, it''s going to be Ivan checking up on you, apparently. Janet''s with a client. Let''s look at this memory, OK?]
[Of course, love. I hope I didn''t get it wrong.]
[Me too. Show me, slowly please. You stay passive and cool down.]
John slowly brought his memory to mind. There was Roland, at the centre of a network of blood red threads of different thicknesses and intensities. Looking at them in turn they saw that the thickest lines were the different plans and relationships he had been involved in the longest, the most frequently, links to drug dealing and prostitution rings, to blackmail and so on. The brightest seemed to be the most recent. Looking at one particularly bright one they found his plans and crimes against Priscilla. Beside it, almost parallel, was George''s planned fate. Not as bold, since he hadn''t been quite as involved, and nor had the plan been accomplished. Both connected to a knot, a corrupt administrator at the police computer centre, with a strand linked to the thread of bribery and blackmail. A little distance away, parallel, but not connected to the corrupt administrator node, they found what they''d dreaded. Five other victims, chosen by him, and thinner still, orders to the gangs of thugs to pick some other victims, with different tortures to be applied. Thirteen lines in all, beyond Pris and George. [Thirteen lives to be ruined.]
[Love, do the thinnest first. They might be no more than plans still.]
[Yes, I agree. I''ll check this girl first. Rape and live burial. Yuck.]
[God be with you, Sarah.]
Sarah checked on the girl. They''d been right. She was still fine, but checking where she was, Sarah found she was alone, in a quiet part of the park. As the image pulled back, she found the gang. They''d seen her from a hill top.
[George, I need help. Karen! Five gangs, thirteen targets. Number one not yet a victim. {details} She''s in the park near here, alone. They''ve seen her and are discussing who rapes her first, then they''ll bury her alive. Get Security to contact her and tell her to get in a crowded place, a gang of rapists is
approaching from the hill. Anonymous tip off, that sort of thing.]
George checked the next one. A boy who was going to be hung up by hooks. He hadn''t been caught yet, but he was running. In thirty seconds he''d go past the Institute''s front doorway. [Kate, there''s a boy about to run past the Institute in terror. Let him into the lobby, and get his pursuers gassed or something! They''re planning to hang him with meat hooks.]
Kate quickly went to the front door, then acted as though she was leaving. She saw the teenage boy fleeing four thugs a little older than him. She was just on time. ¡°In here!¡± She yelled at him. Seeing some sanctuary, he needed no second invitation and sprinted across the flower beds towards the front door. As he trampled their blooms she gave an instruction she''d never really expected to give. ¡°Computer, security alert ten. Defend approaching boy against pursuers: immediate threat to life.¡±
The gang members were surprised to see anyone intervene. Normally people looked the other way. That was what they expected, but they didn''t mind. An extra victim or two and a bit of arson was no problem, and it would serve as an object lesson to other busy-bodies.
The boy entered the lobby, and the door slammed shut behind him. ¡°Where to now?¡± he panted, ¡°glass won''t hold them.¡±
¡°Don''t worry,¡± Kate said, ¡°it''s bullet proof. You OK?¡± The front three attackers, expecting to burst through the glass, hit it at top speed, side on and holding spikes at their hips. If it had been normal toughened glass, the spikes would have shattered it and they''d be through with hardly any resistance. Security glass would have failed under the combined assault. They knew that and expected the impact of hitting its yielding surface, followed by access to their two victims. They weren''t expecting forcefield glass. It didn''t bend, or yield. They splatted against it and were temporarily stunned. ¡°Yeah! Thanks, lady. Nice windows you''ve got here.¡±
¡°Pretty view sometimes.¡± She indicated the tangle of gang members'' bodies. ¡°What got the gangs chasing you in broad daylight?¡±
¡°I don''t know. One of them yelled, ¡®There he is,¡¯ and I ran. Actually, urm, I''ve seen him before. I''d been chatting to a girl and he said to get away from his sister, but that was weeks ago. And she¡¯s not in the gang! She didn''t even recognise him to start with. She''s been in foster care.¡±
¡°And you''ve been going out with a gang member''s sister? Are you nuts?¡±
¡°But she''s not one of them!¡±
¡°Oh well. I wonder what they''re going to do now.¡±
¡°I don''t suppose we could call the police, could we?¡±
¡°The computer''s done that. Let''s make sure they don''t get away, shall we? Computer, raise perimeter security barrier.¡±
Disturbing a few flowers as it rose, a grey metal barrier rose quickly from the ground. It was four metres high when it stopped. ¡°Wow! What is this place?¡± the boy exclaimed.
¡°The Institute for the Human Mind, Didn''t you see the sign?¡±
¡°No, I was busy running. They''ve not even noticed the barrier yet! What''s he got in his hand?¡±
¡°Looks like a glass cutter to me. They really want you, don''t they?¡±
¡°You too, now, you know that. No witnesses.¡±
¡°I''m not scared,¡± Kate said, and realised it was true.
¡°Why not? He''s going to cut the glass.¡±
¡°If he manages then I''m going to have a few stern words with the supplier.¡±
¡°If he does then we''re dead.¡±
¡°Naah. He won''t get past the forcefield.¡±
¡°Forcefield glass? I''ve got forcefield glass protecting me? Wow!¡±
¡°Look, guns. Sometime they''re going to start shooting, I expect. Silly boys.¡±
¡°Don''t bullets bounce off forcefield glass?¡±
¡°Yes. I expect the police surgeons will be able to patch them up, but it won''t be pretty. And it''ll make a mess of my pathway. Can''t have that!¡±
¡°Not much we can do.¡±
¡°Computer. Firearm discharge would represent definite risk to health of attackers, probable risk to life of attackers, possible risk to life or health of passers by. Attackers are about to try to force entry to facility.¡±
¡°Acknowledged. Firearm discharge will not be permitted.¡±
¡°What''s it going to do?¡±
¡°Watch.¡±
They heard through the window. ¡°Alert, alert! This is a secure neutral facility under United Nations resolution 56747. The use of firearms is strictly prohibited. Forced entry is strictly prohibited. Any reporting concerning personnel or clients is strictly prohibited. You must not attempt to discharge firearms, you must not attempt to force entry. You are under arrest. This secure facility will not permit your departure. Please remain calm and await police. Do not attempt to depart. Prohibited actions will be met with less-lethal force.¡± Inevitably, the gang members didn''t comply. One aimed a gun at the boy and was immediately hit in the face by a jet of what looked like steam, but was actually sleep-gas. He went down immediately.
The one with the glass cutter ran and suffered the same fate. The other two, seeing the fate of their colleagues, started arguing. That hadn''t been prohibited, at least. Eventually the police arrived, took statements and bundled their four captives away.
Sarah meanwhile had checked the next victim. A third team of attackers. Their last target was going to be a young woman, to be gagged, tied up and have her legs broken, then left to die in the tunnel system Karen had been rescued from. She was still OK too. The gang were watching the party she was at from a van. Another warning, don''t leave the house, stay with friends, keep your panic button ready. That gang''s previous target was tied in a freezer, like Priscilla. Was there a booby trap? George checked on the fourth gang''s last target. It was to have been a teenage girl, to be handcuffed under a pier below the high tide line. She was hiding from the men who were after her, he couldn''t sense where the gang was. George passed on her location to Karen, who passed it on to her mother. Gang five''s first target was hanging by his wrists in a disused warehouse, beaten, but still conscious. Their last had pressed her panic button and the police had arrived just as she was being kicked and beaten. Sarah knew this was only the first part of what had been planned for her, and was relieved. Why did people still think panic buttons were only for young people?
With heavy hearts she and George passed on the list of other victims and their locations to Karen. All were still alive, but beaten and wounded.
Sarah also passed to Maria the name of the corrupt computer centre worker. Security would have to prove the case of course, but it wouldn''t be hard to prove that he''d requested the searches that led to Priscilla being attacked and George''s near brush with death. All five gangs would be caught eventually, Maria was sure.
It had taken less than half an hour, but emotionally they were drained. Karen, George and Sarah sought peace over what they''d seen and witnessed, and to make sure there was no heat. There wasn''t, but there was tiredness and distress. They needed the healing that came from bathing in that strong peace.
John''s brain, Karen was able to relay, seemed to be recovering well, though he might have a headache. Ivan didn''t see any swelling. It seemed their day was going to have a peaceful end.
Community / Ch. 9: What is it with Karen and Tunnels?
Book 2: Community / Ch. 9: What is it with Karen and Tunnels?
3:30pm, Monday 17th July
Having provided prayer support all through the rescue work, Teresa said she had to see another client, but promised Sarah she''d be in touch. Kate had declared that they needed to debrief, to talk over what they''d learnt that day. ¡°I really don''t want to do that again in a hurry,¡± John said, ¡°and from what Enoch said I think there''s some other way of looking for victims.¡±
¡°I expect so,¡± Sarah agreed. ¡°But if it were only victims, then we''d not have been able to pre-emptively rescue anyone.¡±
¡°True.¡±
¡°What did Enoch mean about the Evil seeing us?¡± Karen asked. ¡°Did you sense anything like that?¡±
¡°I''m not certain, but maybe.¡±
¡°Can we look, John?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Urm, OK. It''s a shame Teresa''s not here. I wonder about how close what we''ve just done is to the thought police stuff that we want to avoid.¡±
¡°So you mean that we shouldn''t examine it in too much detail?¡±
¡°I don''t think we can, actually. Come and look, Sarah, you''re most used to the oddities of my mind.¡±
Sarah merged her thoughts with John''s and looked at his memory of what he''d seen. It had become very much blurred, except where they''d focussed, and even then, the detail wasn''t there. He showed her what he''d thought might be encouraging the evil of Roland, but again, there wasn''t any detail there at all.
¡°John''s right. His memory''s become very cloudy. I think that''s good really. Otherwise with all that horrible stuff in his mind, he''d be having nightmares. The peace washed the poison away. Praise God.¡±
¡°Amen!¡± agreed John. ¡°I''m really glad I don''t have to carry that around in my head.¡±
¡°Has everyone tried the locating people thing?¡± Sarah asked. It turned out that only she and George had. ¡°OK, pick someone who won''t mind and look at their feet.¡±
Kate knew Pete wouldn''t mind, so looked at his feet. There he was, at his workshop, crafting a head, she guessed, and then the view receded and she saw the workshop attached to the house, and the house in the street, and the street in the city.
Karen checked on her father. Of course he was asleep given the time difference, but she saw him in the room, in their home, on that floor, just as she knew, but she saw something in the house she didn''t recognise. A room almost connected to the cellar. How odd. As her view receded further, she saw it wasn''t a room, but a tunnel. And she knew she needed to contact her mother.
¡°Excuse me, I need to make a call. Can I borrow your office, John?¡±
¡°Of course!¡±
Closing the door to the office (not an easy manoeuvre with her hands full of crutches), Karen commanded, ¡°Computer, privacy,¡± and called he mother.
¡°Mummy, something worrying. Can you talk?¡±
¡°Yes, Karen, not more attacks?¡±
¡°No, not yet anyway. But there''s a tunnel almost reaching to the cellars at home.¡±
¡°You''re sure?¡±
¡°Well, I''ve just been following up on the new bit of this gift, and I checked where Daddy was, at home asleep in bed of course. But when we do that we can see where the person is in the room, and then where the room is in the house and so on. That''s how I found it. At first I thought it was a room under the reception room, but then as the view pulled back further I saw there was a tunnel. I don''t know if it''s been there for a hundred years or if someone''s been digging it recently.¡±
¡°I don''t know about one, but there''s been roadworks outside, day and night for weeks. Can you see if there''s anyone in there?¡±
¡°I''ll have a try, Mummy. Hold on a sec.¡±
¡°I''m holding. I''m also preparing an evacuation order I hope I don''t need to send.¡±
Karen focussed on the skin of that tunnel. There was someone there. A young man, with a pneumatic drill. He''d drill a bit then stop, drill a bit, then stop. It was just like the pattern of someone drilling a hole in the road. She''d seen enough.
¡°He''s drilling, Mummy, in time with the road drills, I''d guess.¡±
¡°Thank you, Karen. I''ve got to wake everyone up. Which way does the tunnel go, can you tell?¡±
¡°Across the road, I think to the old cinema. Shall I check?¡±
¡°It''s not as urgent as waking up everyone, but yes please. Send me a message, if you can.¡±
Karen checked on the man''s feet. He was in the tunnel, and it went from there where he''d been drilling under the road to there, the cellar of the house left of the old cinema, and then to there into the basement of the old cinema, which seemed to be being filled with rubble.
Karen sketched what she''d seen, and sent it to her mother. Then, after focussing on peace for a while to restore her calm, she returned to the meeting room.
¡°Is everything all right?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I think it will be now, thank you.¡±
¡°Trouble?¡± George asked.
[It''s sensitive, George. Probably a planned attack on home. Don''t spread it.]
George''s reaction was to gather her into his arms, which surprised her, but on the other hand it felt like it was a good place to be. [Thank you, George. I could get used to this.]
[Me too, but I think we''ll attract attention if we do it much more.]
[You started it!]
[{love}]
¡°Time to put her down, George!¡± John said. ¡°You two are starting to broadcast.¡±
¡°Oops,¡± Karen said, and broke away, embarrassed.
¡°Ahh, the joys of young love!¡± Kate said, smiling. ¡°But was it necessary?¡±
¡°I think it was, Kate,¡± George said. ¡°Karen found something else disturbing.¡±
¡°Linked back to Roland?¡±
¡°I seriously hope not,¡± Karen said.
¡°Can we help?¡± Kate asked.
¡°I think it''s under control now. Not much more to do, unless I get called on. I might need your help, Sarah, I don''t know. But it''s safer, for you too, if you don''t know for the moment.¡±
¡°Thank you, Karen,¡± John said.
¡°What for?¡± she asked, confused.
¡°For balancing risks for us. It''s not an easy task, I''m sure.¡±
¡°Well, I had a bit of practice looking at the skin of a place and the feet of a person. Was there more? I don''t remember.¡±
¡°Not apart from looking at the evil. Don''t practice that. But I wonder...¡± John thought aloud, ¡°what happens if we look at the skin of a city, rather than a room.¡±
¡°I''d guess overheat,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Too much information.¡±
¡°That sounds too plausible,¡± John agreed. ¡°I''m not going to try without asking expert advice. It''s nice to know we''ve got an expert now, at least.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Karen agreed. ¡°Sarah, you saw where Enoch was. Any guess of the time difference?¡±
¡°Close to twelve hours. Shall I look it up?¡±
¡°It''s not that important, but at least we know we''re not going to hold long conferences with him.¡±
¡°Probably not.¡±
¡°So, what''s the plan for the rest of the day?¡± John asked.
¡°Rest, I think,¡± Kate answered. ¡°Rest and pray for each and every person affected by today, and that includes each other and the victims, and the loved ones of the victims. I don''t know if I''m planning on praying for Roland and his henchmen.¡±
¡°We should. Different prayers though,¡± John replied.
¡°You don''t happen to mean, ¡®may they die a long painful death, and burn in hell forever,¡¯ do you?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Kate, are you serious?¡± George was shocked.
¡°Only half way. I know, we should love our enemies, but...¡±
¡°But if not for the grace of God, we might have followed exactly their path through life, Kate,¡± John said firmly. ¡°We''ve all sinned, Kate, and little sins lead to bigger ones. Let''s pray that all those concerned are brought to justice and wholeheartedly repent of their sins.¡±
¡°OK. You''re right I guess. I''ll try not to be so vindictive.¡±
¡°We''ll pray for you in that too, Kate,¡± Karen said gently. ¡°I''d suggest that you take some time focussed on peace. You were giving interviews to the police when we did it afterwards, and I think it shows.¡±
¡°You''re right. I guess I am hurting for those victims. Or just outraged. You know what Tim, that boy they were chasing, had done to get on their hit list? He''d just been been chatting to a girl who was one of the gang member''s sister, but she''d been in care six years and didn''t even recognise the gang member! For that they tried to kill him! But OK, I''ll seek peace.¡±
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Karen looked at George. [Is it possible, George? Could it be one of your cousins?]
[I guess it''s possible. I mean, I was taken into care 6 years ago. One of my girl cousins was ten, and she had an older brother. It''s possible. Can you call up a picture to my wrist unit?]
[Sarah probably can. I''ll ask.] Changing her focus to only Sarah, she thought, [Sarah, could you quietly send George''s wrist-unit a picture of the gang as they came towards the Institute?]
[Sure. Urm, it''s easier if it''s on yours, OK?]
[Fine!]
[Can I ask why?]
[I''ll let him decide what he shares, OK?]
[Uh, fine.]
Sarah peered at the console and tapped some commands. [You should have it now.]
[Thanks.] Directing her thoughts back to George, Karen thought, [On my wrist unit now, George, I''ll send it on to you. Is it who you thought it might be?] [Yes. It is. He was one of the worst. He''s one of my cousins I''m not in contact with. I really hope May''s not getting drawn into that life.] [Pretty name.]
[Pretty girl too, not surprising boys want to chat to her.]
[Is she a Christian?]
[Church-goer I think, beyond that I''m not sure.]
[Let''s talk to her. Chatting on the street to strange boys isn''t very wise.]
[Thank you, Karen, that''s a good idea. Any thoughts on how we talk to her? I mean I occasionally pass on jokes and things, but that''s about it as far as contact goes.]
[And it''s months too soon to invite her to an engagement party.]
[Thank you for even thinking of that, Karen.]
[We could just engineer a ¡®chance meeting.'']
[What, while out on a date together?]
[I presume you''re planning to take me on dates?]
[Of course! Just, I thought I was going to stay in a safe house for the next few months.]
[Oh bother. I''d totally forgotten. That ruins that idea, doesn''t it. We''ll just have to call her.]
[What? On what motive?]
[Partial truth. You were here, we just heard, and checked. You''re concerned. How did she meet him, has she seen her brother since he chased him off the first time?]
[You sure I should?]
[Add in that you''ve just escaped from a similar fate, if you like.]
[Yes, I think I will.]
[Did you ever tell her about the prophesy?]
[Urm. I might have. I''ve told her part of it anyway.]
[Then tell her that came true, George. Might be worth saying you''re going to be at a safe house. Oh. Can we tell Sarah at least some of your history? The computer might think you''re in league with your cousin and thus uncle Roland.]
[Urm. OK. Yes. You can. I can, even. Now.]
He opened his eyes and saw that Sarah was looking quizzically between him and the photo. Kate was still meditating on the peace of the Lord.
¡°Everything OK, George?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°We''ve just been discussing how to warn cousin May to stay well away from her brother.¡±
¡°That''s him in the picture?¡±
¡°Yes. Did you spot the family resemblance?¡±
¡°I wasn''t sure.¡±
¡°I think we''d better tell the computer about George''s family links before it declares him an associate, like it did with Teresa,¡± Karen said.
¡°Yes. That would be embarrassing, wouldn''t it? Let''s see what it thinks about him so far. Computer: classify status of visitor George.¡±
¡°Visitor George analysis, 75% probability: prospective husband staff member Karen. Official security cleared to level one gamma. Biologically but not socially related to criminal gang, not involved in any criminal activity.¡±
¡°Computer: analysis confirmed,¡± Karen said. ¡°Sorry George, I forgot to tell it not to listen when you were talking to Mummy.¡±
¡°Oh well. I knew it could listen to it too, I didn''t think it would analyse the conversation that well though. Well, lets see what it does when we tell it who they worked for.¡±
¡°Computer, add people displayed to list of known criminal associates of Roland Underwood, also add known criminal associates of people displayed to list,¡± Karen said. ¡°What''s May''s surname, George?¡±
¡°Kray.¡±
¡°Computer, classify status of May Kray: cousin to visitor George.¡±
¡°May Kray, biological link to associates of Roland Underwood. Biological link to trusted visitor George. Accessing databases to determine links. Query, visitor George has additional data available?¡±
¡°Urm, I don''t know. I don''t believe she has been involved in criminal activity in last six years. I believe she has rejected criminal lifestyle of birth family. I suspect her brother would like to involve her in criminal activity. I suspect he would attempt extortion, threats and blackmail.¡±
¡°Acknowledged. May Kray listed as potential blackmail victim. Link to ambassadorial dependant Karen suggests analysis of communication records. Query: authorisation available?¡±
¡°Not available,¡± Karen said.¡± Forward analysis to Security, flag my I.D., flag precautionary. May Kray has no present knowledge of link between me and visitor George.¡±
¡°Who''s May Kray?¡± Kate asked. She''d returned.
¡°My sixteen year old cousin. We''re wondering how to warn her not to do any more chatting to strange boys on the street or to go anywhere near her brother or his gang.¡±
Kate hung her head, getting the point immediately. ¡°I''m sorry, George. I was wrong. I shouldn''t have said that.¡±
¡°You were distressed and possibly under attack too,¡± John said. ¡°We were warned about stirring up evil, after all.¡±
¡°Why not just call her?¡±
¡°I don''t normally do that, Kate, it might worry her.¡±
¡°Given what''s been going on, isn''t that a good thing?¡±
¡°I guess so. OK, I''ll call.¡±
¡°Come on, use my office. I think I want to talk to her. Karen, you come too if you like, but it''s probably best if you don''t get mentioned yet, at least by name.¡±
¡°In case word gets back to Underwood? You''re right. I''ll stay out of the picture. Oh no! Kate, any link between George and the Institute is going to be enough, isn''t it? George, my friend, gets rescued by mind-readers, then is known to be at the Institute, that''s a bit of a give away, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Well, George''s rescue could have been just his preparedness. Priscilla¡¯s couldn''t have been anything but us. But even Tim''s rescue, combined with the founding purposes of the Institute would probably be enough to draw attention here.¡±
¡°Especially when we publish, or if the disclosure document we put out gets into his hands. Or the hands of the press, of course,¡± Kate said. ¡°I don''t think you''ll be using the front door for very long, Karen.¡±
¡°There''s a back door?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Yes, there is. I expect it''s not been cleaned for a decade or so, but it''s there.¡±
¡°Really?¡± John asked. ¡°I didn''t know about it either.¡±
¡°How remiss of you, John. You should know about it at least. Haven''t you looked at the evacuation map?¡±
¡°I have,¡± Sarah said, ¡°and I haven''t seen it.¡±
¡°It must be there! Computer, display evacuation map,¡± Kate ordered. Looking at where she knew the tunnel was, she saw a cupboard marked cleaning supplies, but no exit.
¡°How odd. Computer, display previous revision.¡± Still no tunnel. ¡°And next previous edition.¡± Nothing.
¡°This is silly. Computer, display most recent revision of the evacuation plan or other building plan which shows rear exit tunnel.¡±
¡°Processing,¡± the computer replied.
¡°You''re sure you didn''t dream it, Kate?¡±
¡°I''ve swept the thing! I needed a dust mask but I got it clean in the end. That was when I was new here, of course.¡±
The computer displayed a plan in two parts. On the left, labelled ¡®public,¡¯ was the plan they all knew. On the right, labelled ¡®security cleared staff only¡¯ was another version, which listed room occupants, a number beside each door, and, from the cleaning cupboard, a corridor, labelled ¡®tunnel to back door.¡¯ They were dated from twelve years earlier.
¡°Oh dear,¡± Kate said. ¡°It looks like someone decided that we didn''t need two versions when the locks were changed.¡±
¡°Locks?¡±
¡°There used to be mechanical number pads on each door, to let you into a room in case of a power-cut. They only worked when there was no power, but then a new system was installed with the new on-site generator, so the mechanical locks were taken out. Someone obviously decided we didn''t need two maps.¡±
¡°I didn''t know we had an on-site generator either,¡± Sarah said.
¡°Me neither,¡± John added.
¡°Oh dear. Well, Sarah and John, you start praying for the victims please, George and I are going to call May, Karen you can come or pray as you like.¡±
¡°I''ll come then,¡± Karen said. I¡®ll keep out of sight but I want to hear what May says at least.¡±
¡°OK, let''s go to my office.¡±
¡°Hi, May, it''s George. You alone?¡±
¡°George, you never call! Yes, alone and angry.¡±
¡°What''s up?¡±
¡°Should have been on a date this afternoon. He didn''t turn up.¡±
¡°Aren''t you a bit young to be dating?¡±
¡°Hey, I''m sixteen. Aren''t you a bit old to have never dated anyone? Oh yeah. I remember, that prophecy. But really, George, can''t you just go on dates just for the fun of it?¡±
¡°Not really. By the time you''re my age it''s normally more serious. But May, have you any idea where Bill lives these days?¡±
¡°Bill? Never! He''s dangerous, George! Don''t go near him. Why do you want to meet him?¡±
¡°I don''t, May. Just wondered.¡±
¡°Why, George? He''s psycho. He saw me the other week, with a friend. I didn''t even recognise him, but he''s just as scary as ever. We ran for it.¡±
¡°You were near his place?¡±
¡°How do I know? What''s going on, George?¡±
¡°Sorry, May. Just needed to check. I ran for my life this morning. And if your date was called Tim, he did the same this afternoon.¡±
¡°Tim''s in trouble? Is he OK? You''ve spoken to him?¡± A small hesitation, tinged with sadness, ¡°And is she very pretty?¡±
¡°Tim''s OK. A friend offered him safe-haven from Bill. He''s just formally giving a statement to the police I expect. Is who very pretty?¡±
¡°Your friend. Tim''s future wife.¡±
¡°May, just because you run for your life it doesn''t mean you get rescued by your future wife. You decide, I''ll put her on. Kate, you wanted a word with May.¡±
¡°Hi, May. I think Tim''s a bit young for me.¡±
¡°Oh. I think so too. Hello, you''re Kate? You saved Tim?¡±
¡°Well, I opened the door to a lad called Tim who was running from a gang led by someone George says is your brother. But I do wonder, what were you doing chatting to strange boys and wandering around a gang area.¡±
¡°I didn''t, we weren''t. At least I didn''t think we were. Tim isn''t strange, he''s been coming to church for years. And surely the High Street isn''t a gang area!¡±
¡°So, Tim fibbed a little when he told me that the first time he saw your brother, I quote: ''I''d been chatting to a girl I''d just met and he said to get away from his sister.¡¯¡±
¡°Well, we''d just met in the High Street, and chatted, and then ran from Bill. But I''d met him at church before.¡±
¡°I see. So Bill chasing you got you talking and then Tim asked you out?¡±
¡°Sort of. Why are you asking all this?¡±
¡°Because I want to decide how sensible you are, young woman. And taking up with someone because you''ve run away from danger together makes a good movie plot, but it''s no basis for a life-changing decision.¡±
¡°Unless you''re George of course. He gets to run away from mortal peril with his future wife.¡±
George intervened, ¡°No I didn''t, May. While I ran, she was sitting in an office passing information to and from someone from Security.¡±
¡°Oh. That''s easier on the wardrobe. Well, Tim''s nice, he''s clever, probably going to end up in a good job, and he''s got a real faith in God. I knew all that before we chatted. I''m going to marry him.¡±
¡°You''re only sixteen, May!¡± Kate said.
¡°I know, I know. I''m too young. I need to finish school, go to university, blah blah.¡±
¡°Your foster mum been telling you that? Wise words. Listen to them!¡± George said.
¡°Not her. Tim.¡±
¡°He''s got a brain then, that''s good. So why did he ask you out? Didn''t want someone else to get you?¡±
¡°Eh? No! I asked him out. And I''m going to do all that getting older stuff. Then I''m going to marry him. That''s what I told him after he gave me the ¡®we''re too young to decide that¡¯ speech.¡±
¡°You don''t think you might possibly have scared him off?¡± Kate asked.
¡°I hope not. It''s nice to know he''s got a good excuse for not turning up for our date. What''s she like, George, your future wife?¡±
¡°She''s special, May. I''m trying to let her get used to the idea slowly, so she doesn''t get scared away for the next decade or two, but if she does then I''ll wait.¡±
¡°That''s good. Tim''s special too. So I''m going to keep him.¡±
¡°Bye, May.¡±
¡°Bye, George, Kate.¡±
George disconnected. ¡°So, Kate, any ideas?¡±
¡°Well, we could try and help Tim escape May. Maybe Enoch knows somewhere on some far off island he could hide. Or we could just throw our hands up in despair at the younger generation.¡±
¡°I think the latter would be safer. She seems pretty determined.¡±
¡°That''s one word for it. I don''t think she''s a security risk though.¡±
¡°As long as you don''t keep her from Tim,¡± Karen added with a laugh.
¡°Yes. Let''s go join the others. It''s nice to know May doesn''t need rescuing.¡±
¡°You know, it''s almost a shame there aren''t any stable republics any more. I could imagine her as a president.¡±
¡°Oh come on, Kate,¡± Karen rebuked her. ¡°Republics are inherently unstable. If you want stability then you need constitutional monarchy, with the training from birth in the whole duty ethic. You can''t give that sort of power to someone who wants it! The Romans demonstrated that and the twentieth and twenty-first centuries proved it again, surely. I mean, just look at how much money and effort went into presidential electioneering. Countries were ruined because of promises people made to get power, government policies kept changing every few years, there was no long term stability, and difficult decisions didn''t get made because they might be unpopular, whereas stupid decisions got made because they were popular. Look at the damage that did to the environment. Or the Jerusalem and Mecca craters, for that matter, those retaliation systems won a few votes too, I understand. Make sure power goes to people who''ll use it lightly!¡±
¡°OK, you''re right,¡± Kate conceded. ¡°But I think I''ll keep an eye on her over the next year or two. If her decision making is really as clear as it just sounded then she could have the potential to run some ministry, and I might nominate her with that in mind.¡±
¡°If you''re right, I might second her. I''m not sure she''d thank us, though. Hmm. She wasn''t that fazed by running away from trouble was she?¡± Karen asked, thoughtful.
¡°She''s been doing that most of her life, Karen. Let''s just let her grow up a bit, can we, before we sign her up to a life of public service,¡± George pleaded.
¡°Of course, George. Let''s go rejoin the others,¡± Karen said, then added, [But I will try and befriend her, and she will meet my good friend Priscilla.]
[Do I dare ask what Priscilla does?]
[I know she thinks of herself as a secret agent, but I think her job title''s more like ''courier''. She''s a good runner too.]
Community / Ch. 10: The Back Exit
Book 2: Community / Ch. 10: The Back Exit
Monday, 4:00 pm
After they''d finished praying for the victims, Karen went to the lobby to talk to Dirk and Eliza, who were assigned as her security detail. It hadn''t been the most interesting afternoon for them, once Tim had left. While that had been happening they''d stood out of sight, ready to intervene if necessary, but they''d realised that the Institute''s defences were well able to withstand the gang members'' attention. They hadn''t known about the Institute''s exit tunnel, which probably meant that Karen''s mother didn''t either, so they were keen to join the tour. It would be something interesting to put into their report. It also meant that the facility made a very acceptable safe house, if the Institute were willing to have people living here. It seemed that the security architect had known their business all those years ago.
Kate led the tour to the cleaning supplies cupboard, which was beside the stairs leading to the cellars. She mysteriously lifted a large old tin of floor wax from a shelf. There weren''t any wooden floors in the Institute, so John had occasionally wondered why it was there. She set it roughly in the middle of the floor and stood on it. ¡°In case you''ve wondered what this tin is for, it''s because the guy who installed the door handle in here was taller than I am.¡±
She reached up, above the doorway she''d just entered by, and pulled on the light fitting. It moved, and the shelves behind her rotated into a recess in the wall. In front of her there was a staircase which led down. And John realised that they were the other half of the cellar stairs. That''s why the cellar staircase was narrow; it had been built the same width as the stairs to the upper floors, but had been divided in two.
Where the cellar stairs turned left, these stairs had a short landing then kept going, straight and unlit. From the landing there was a heavy door to the right.
¡°This is the door to the generator room,¡± Kate said, stopping beside the door. ¡°The room itself is under the flower beds. There used to be a big diesel generator in there, but it''s been removed and there''s now a small automated fusion plant in there. We do still use some grid power, but the computer and security systems run off this. It keeps the electricity bills down.¡±
¡°So why do you use grid power?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°Because it raises less suspicion,¡± Kate said. ¡°Rather than have people wonder how we keep the lights on when there''s a power-cut, we let grid power provide all but emergency lighting, and we use our own generator to power the computer, forcefields and everything else which is power-hungry.¡±
¡°But why, what''s wrong with people wondering how you keep the lights on?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Because to our neighbours we''d much rather stay a slightly strange research organization with high power clients than a scary fortress with a 10 megawatt fusion reactor.¡±
¡°Ten megawatts?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°Why on earth do we need ten megawatts of generating capacity? That''s more than the entire block needs, surely.¡±
¡°Embarrassing mistake on the part of my predecessor. Do you know what the difference is between the installation costs of a one megawatt and a ten megawatt reactor?¡±
¡°I''m guessing that it''s not ten times,¡± John said.
¡°No. It''s about ten percent. So he, not thinking anything about cooling, decided to get the bigger reactor, thought it was future proofing. Of course, even a megawatt would be too big, but that was the smallest reactor they did at the time. We did tell the power company about the little mistake, and told them that if they could work out where to put a cooling tower and some more generators they could use our reactor. They laughed. Too little for them to be interested, much too much for us to use.¡±
¡°So do you have ten megawatts of generators in there too?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°No only about half a megawatt, actually.¡±
¡°So, you''ve got a spare nine megawatts of heat available and nothing to do with it?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°About that, yes. We do sell the heat to the city in winter, to help de-ice the roads round here, and you won''t find me moaning about heating bills.¡±
¡°So using that road heating pipework we could dump those megawatts occasionally, just not continually unless it''s winter?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I suppose so. Why?¡±
¡°I was just thinking that if things got bad then our neighbours might like to be inside a fortress. A forcefield only needs relatively little power to sustain it, but with nine megawatts of generators to set one up you could put up quite a big one.¡±
¡°Hmm. That''s interesting. I''ll file that away for when law and order starts collapsing.¡±
¡°I was more thinking for when the press hoards descend on us.¡±
¡°What, lock them away with a forcefield?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Sorry, it''s a silly idea,¡± Sarah admitted.
¡°Actually, it has potential,¡± Dirk said. ¡°It would keep drone cameras away too.¡±
¡°Sarah, you''ve studied forcefields,¡± John asked. ¡°Could you set up a field which didn''t keep out the wind, rain, and birds, but did stop drones, missiles and the like?¡±
¡°Urm, not personally, but it''s probably possible, yes. Things with propellers don''t like forcefields: the propeller tips always go too fast and get ripped off. I''m not sure what would happen to things with fast wing beats. It might stop flying insects too.¡±
¡°Hmm. Some I could do without, but stopping pollinators wouldn''t be appreciated,¡± Kate agreed. ¡°Anyway, shall we continue? Computer, tunnel lights on.¡±
The lights came on, and they saw that the stairs went down quite a bit further and turned right. There was a click behind them as the shelves fitted back into place. ¡°The lights going on closes the entrance by the way. The tunnel doesn''t go under the generator room, don''t worry, it''s outside the room''s footprint,¡± Kate said.
¡°So it goes across the road?¡± John asked.
¡°Come along, you''ll see,¡± was all Kate would say.
They walked along the tunnel. Kate had been right, it was dusty. ¡°You probably won''t notice it unless we stop, but there''s a gentle breeze going along the tunnel from behind us. It''s part of the cellar ventilation system. It brings some dust, but it stops the air from getting stale down here.¡±
They continued down the tunnel and round a few turns. Karen wasn''t sure if it was a kilometre or two, but her hands were getting sore from her crutches. Then they found a long flight of steps up. At the top of the stairs, there was a short flat section and then a very normal looking elevator door, except that there was a large red handle beside it. Also there was a display which flickered to life as they approached, showing the view from a camera on the outside, not a normal feature for a lift door.
Kate pressed the elevator call button, and when it arrived she ushered them in and pressed the button for the ground floor. The doors behind them closed and without them going up or down the ones in front of them opened. Stepping into the daylight on the other side, they found themselves beside the staff entrance to one of the oldest shops in the city. The door they''d come from was labelled ¡®Staff elevator I, access to all floors (according to authorisation). Permitted staff only.¡¯ There was an I.D. and biometric scanner beside the door instead of a call button.
As though conducting a staff orientation, which of course she was, Kate said, ¡°This lift will take you to the offices you''re permitted to access. If you''re in a mixed group then the lift will let the lowest level staff off first, but really, it''s best to only share it with people going to your floor. You need to use this lift, but other people might be able to use another lift, so don''t be afraid to ask them if they really need this one if you find yourselves waiting in a mixed group. Let''s go back in now.¡±
Kate called the lift with her I.D. and fingerprint, and they went in. The outside doors closed, but the computer, not having George, Dirk and Eliza on file as staff did not open the tunnel doors.
¡°If it''s just IHM staff members, the computer will open the other doors automatically, though you can ask for another floor. If there are people who work in other parts of the building, they''ll be let off first. If you''ve got other people with you, for instance Karen with your security detail, you''re going to need to tell the computer to let them in. If the computer thinks you''re under duress, it''ll probably squirt sleep gas at them. If you want it to gas someone in the lift and it hasn''t done it yet, there''s a key word that I won''t use for obvious reasons. Karen, tell the computer who to let in.¡±
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°Computer, grant entry to visitors George, Dirk and Eliza.¡±
The inside doors opened. Once they were out of the lift, Kate told them, ¡°The duress code is ¡®basement¡¯. If you tell the computer to take you to the basement level, it''ll try to gas all the non-staff members in the lift. If you want to just gas a subset of the people, then you can tell the computer to admit those people to the basement. Unless you tell it otherwise, the lift will then take you to the floor where building security are. Hopefully the computer will be able to explain to them why there are unconscious bodies in the lift with you.¡±
¡°Sleep gas release in a lift could well hit everyone in it,¡± Dirk commented.
¡°Yes. That''s why it goes to building security. They can put the bad guys in cells and dose the good guys with antidote.¡±
¡°Assuming they''ve not been corrupted,¡± Eliza said.
¡°Fair enough. But if you''re conscious, you can tell it to admit you to the facility or go to any floor, or even open the outside door again. After which, building security would get a delivery of a lift full of unconscious baddies.¡±
¡°So what happens if we ask someone to leave us the lift and they say they''re a director, or board member and won''t let you have it alone?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Well, you can take a ride up to their floor with them, and then it''ll let them out first and burst their bubble about who''s the most important.¡±
¡°And if they ask what is happening?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°Then if they get abusive tell them that they don''t need to give you their name, as the computer has it already, and Karen can tell them that you''re using the owner''s lounge at the express invitation of the majority shareholder.¡±
¡°The Institute is majority shareholder?¡±
¡°Yes. The tunnel is original, the shop''s owner was one of the founders of the Institute. He was also stinking rich and paranoid about assassination attempts. He had it dug so that he wouldn''t have to step outside to visit the Institute, then decided that he would leave the Institute most of his shares in his will, with the stipulations that we may not sell them, allow them to be diluted, or allow any relocation of the store. And don''t the other shareholders hate us for that! We generally abstain at shareholder meetings, but have to veto the things our founder didn''t like. Of course, since we want to keep the tunnel functioning, the will is a good excuse for us to vote that way.¡±
¡°Surely it''s known about?¡±
¡°Oh, I''m sure there are rumours, but since our computer runs the security for the shop, it isn''t really hard to make sure that no one knows anything for sure.¡±
¡°But it''s known that there was a tunnel?¡±
¡°Unconfirmed rumour, even less confirmed than the owner''s lounge, which we use to interview prospective board members, but that too is only accessible by this lift.¡±
¡°So who cleans the owner''s lounge?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Most junior staff member of the Institute, according to long standing tradition. Don''t worry, Karen. It''s fairly small, and not that ornate. It is all real wood though. Since we''re here, why don''t I show you?¡±
¡°Is it secure?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°It''s on the top floor of this building. Windows are double layer semi-mirrored security glass, each layer should be bullet proof, but probably not proof against high calibre weapons. Access only by this lift, or a door to the roof. The roof has a helicopter pad. Doors to that are original ¡ª described as bomb proof by a security assessment about ten years ago.¡±
¡°That''ll do,¡± Eliza answered.
¡°Shall we go up?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Yes, let me see my cleaning task, please,¡± Karen answered and pressed the call button.
¡°Before we go anywhere,¡± Eliza asked, ¡°what does the red handle do?¡±
¡°Emergency exit. It''s for getting out when there''s been a total power failure. It locks the lift for a minute just in case, and unlocks both inner and outer doors. There''s some kind of ladder type arrangement to let you get across the lift shaft.¡±
¡°Someone has tried to think of everything, I see,¡± Dirk said approvingly. ¡°What happens to mere mortals like senior managers in case of a fire in the shop?¡±
¡°Oh, there''s another exit to the roof.¡±
¡°OK. So, in the event of a power cut we could get down from the lounge going that way?¡± Karen asked as they entered the lift.
¡°This lift is considered vital equipment, it''s powered by our generator,¡± Kate answered. ¡°Ahh. That''s nice.¡±
¡°Kate, is there any reason that I don''t know any of this stuff? Did I fail to read it in my briefing document or something?¡± John asked.
¡°Urm, no John, sorry. It''s never been in the manual. I should have told you, but I kept forgetting. I don''t actually remember if I told anyone after Ivan, and he couldn''t really pay attention once I''d mentioned the generator. He really really wanted to find a use for it. I suspect that involved large sparks though.¡±
¡°Wow. Hasn''t there been any changes on the board or anything since then?¡± John asked.
¡°Well, they come round every five years or so. Teresa was technically the most junior staff member at the time of the last interview, so I brought her up by the lift. She didn''t need to know about the tunnel.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°I really should write it all down sometime,¡± Kate sighed as they arrived.
¡°How about you just get the computer to prepare a draft based on what you''ve just been telling us?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Can it do that?¡±
¡°It''ll probably need some human editing, but it should be able to make a reasonable first draft.¡±
¡°That had never occurred to me. Show me how sometime, OK?¡±
¡°Of course. You do it like this: Computer, low priority task: generate document from Kate''s statements about tunnel, lift and owner''s lounge since we entered the tunnel. Document style: history of Institute. Classify document as for permanent staff only, status: first draft. Deliver to Kate for editing.¡±
¡°Query: include additional references and dates where appropriate?¡±
¡°Confirmed.¡±
¡°That''s it?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Apart from your editing,¡± Sarah confirmed.
They entered the lounge. It wasn''t exactly opulent, but its d¨¦cor spoke of quality, tradition, and great wealth. There was some dust, but not as much as Karen had expected.
¡°I can see why you might want to interview people here,¡± Dirk said.
¡°Nice place,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Old money at home and comfortable. I wonder you don''t use it more often.¡±
¡°Yes, I can imagine it as being a good place for meetings where you wanted to impress people,¡± Karen said.
¡°Well, the security isn''t as strong as at the Institute, and we don''t really want to advertise the fact that the Institute is linked to this place too much.¡±
¡°Kate, I suggest you bring Pete here, and listen to what he says as PR guy,¡±
Sarah said. ¡°The links between the shop and the Institute are there for anyone to find out, and I expect that if someone put a query on the net it would tell them all about that tunnel.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Kate asked, shocked.
Dirk asked, ¡°Is there a terminal here? It would be good to know.¡±
Kate touched a hidden button on one of the desks, and a terminal appeared.
¡°Query away, please, Sarah.¡±
¡°OK. First query: tunnel IHM. Oooh look, there we are. ''The costs of paranoia... One mile tunnel to be dug across city to new Institute.''¡±
¡°Anything more recent?¡±
¡°Oh yes. A few years later. ¡®Eccentric pours more millions down private drainpipe.¡¯ Oh, he ended up buying houses all along the route, so that he had the land rights. And the next one: ¡®Riches to rags: How to spend the family fortune.¡¯ Few years later, ¡®Eccentric digger sells stock to avoid bankruptcy.¡¯ ¡®Dig he do it? Curiosity surrounds dig project.¡¯ A summary: he gave a chunk of his money to start the Institute, he bought a lot of property, eventually got permission to build the tunnel. Five years later they know he caused a slump in the property market by selling long bargain rate leases on all the houses he''d bought, but he kept the land. He got sued by some neighbours for damage to their property value, spent more money fighting and then settling those, and had to sell a large chunk of the shop to pay that off, and then he retired from public life and died of a heart attack some time later. His car used to visit the Institute but some people claimed it wasn''t him that was going in and out, so no one knew if he succeeded in digging his tunnel or not.¡±
¡°What happened to the land?¡± Kate asked.
¡°It was left to the Institute, along with the shares in the shop, it says here,¡± Sarah reported.
¡°Interesting,¡± Kate said. ¡°I wasn''t ever told that. I wonder when those leases are up for renewal.¡±
¡°Hmm, that''d be a rather important question for Teresa to look into,¡± John said.
¡°Oh, look, here''s a map showing the houses he bought.¡±
¡°Fascinating. It looks like there were going to be two tunnels.¡±
¡°Unless he decided to keep people guessing,¡± Dirk suggested.
¡°Well it''s not hard to find out if there''s a concrete tunnel secretly hiding under your garden, surely?¡± Kate asked.
¡°We were what, six or eight metres below ground? That''s a pretty deep hole to dig from curiosity, Kate,¡± John said. ¡°And I bet there''s a clause in the lease conditions that says you agree not to dig a well or other hole more than so many metres down,¡± Dirk agreed.
¡°Anything more recent?¡±
¡°Twenty years ago. ¡®UN embargo on reporting about Institute foils tunnel hunt. School archaeology project halted by lawyers.¡¯ A school child wanted to find out if the tunnel rumour was real, but the Institute lawyers ¡®told the court that while disclosing the existence or non-existence of the tunnel would be interesting to local historians, it would also breach the UN resolution prohibiting discussion of the clients or of access to the Institution.¡¯ Looks like the judge agreed. Isn''t that a bit heavy handed?¡±
¡°I remember it now. He''d heard about the rumours and wanted to do a project on the tunnels. Wrote and asked if he could see them. But when a school report is complete then the school can put it on the net, and it becomes journalism. Can''t allow that. He knows the truth now of course.¡±
¡°He does? How?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Doesn''t it mention his name? It was Ivan. After the court case we told him that while he couldn''t write about the tunnels, he could write about the research we were doing, as long as he didn''t name names or anything like that. He came, saw the labs, and was hooked.¡±
¡°Speaking of the labs,¡± Karen said ¡°I''ve just spent my first day of being a research assistant well away from them. I hope tomorrow is a little more normal.¡±
¡°You mean you don''t want to spend a few happy hours cleaning this room?¡± Kate asked. ¡°It doesn''t actually need much, does it? Don''t worry, Karen, we''re not planning to use it very soon. Shall we go back to the Institute?¡±
¡°Yes, let''s,¡± John said, ¡°but you bring Pete here one day soon, Kate, OK?¡±
¡°Who''s in charge round here?¡± Kate responded. John wasn''t sure if the bite in it was pretence or not.
¡°God is, of course,¡± Sarah answered, with a grin. ¡°But seriously, if this place is available, then for some things it beats the Institute¡¯s conference room or hiring somewhere, doesn''t it? Would we need to get agreement from the other shareholders to use it?¡±
¡°To that last, not really, we''ve got the majority vote, after all, and we have let other shareholders use it before. Of course it would be polite to ask if they had any objections. I''m just not sure we should get people thinking about the tunnel again. But all right, I''ll bring Pete up to have a look.¡±
Community / Ch. 11: Blisters
Book 2: Community / Ch. 11: Blisters
Monday, 4:30pm
On the way back to the Institute, Kate declared that it was too late to work, considering everything that had happened that day. No one voiced any objections.
It had indeed been an emotional day, but George wasn''t looking forward to the final part of it. He''d have to bid Karen farewell, possibly for months. Gritting his teeth, he asked the question he''d been dreading the answer to. ¡°Dirk, Maria said that you''d be informed about a safe-house for me. What will happen?¡±
¡°Oh, yes, sorry, I''ll need to check something first. Kate, can I have a word in private when convenient?¡±
¡°Of course, we''ll use my office when we get back.¡±
¡°Thanks, Kate.¡± Dirk then continued, ¡°Basically we find you somewhere to live where you are very very safe until the trial, and then after the trial, we work out your options for the future. Some people want to get back to their old lives, never mind the risks, others will want to go the whole hog and have new faces, identities and the rest.¡±
George asked [Is that good news, Karen, him talking to Kate? I''m really not looking forward to saying goodbye for months.]
[Possibly. You heard Kate offer the cellar rooms. And even if we do have to stay apart, we can still think at each other. Trust and obey, George, there''s no point in worrying. Not even about my hands getting blisters.]
[Karen, you should have said!]
¡°Come on, Karen, lean on me. Give your hands a rest. Someone carry Karen''s crutches please, they''re giving her blisters!¡± And so it was that George started out trying to help Karen walk, and when that didn''t work very well, and despite Karen''s protests, he gave her a piggy-back ride back to the Institute. [Sarah, wouldn''t that trigger feedback between us?] John asked.
[Well, Karen''s not as certain about George as I am about you, plus she''s pretty embarrassed about the whole thing, judging by her protests. Whereas George is full of protective feelings and needs to learn that that doesn''t just mean physical protection. They''re both broadcasting. I guess that''s tiredness.] [I expect that right now she''d rather use the crutches, given her protests.]
[Yes. Should we warn him?]
[No, Sarah. I think they need to work this out together. Karen''s either going to have hurt pride or hurt hands. George obviously thinks the pride will heal faster, and he''s not exactly choosing the easiest way out, is he?]
[So would you carry me?]
[If I thought you''d let me and you had a similar need. If Karen''s pride makes her hands blister so she can''t use her crutches, then she''s going to be a lot more dependant than she obviously wants to be.]
[So you think this is sacrificial love from George, not just showing off?]
[Don''t you?]
[Maybe. Should I tell Karen?]
[No, Sarah, not unless she brings up the subject. Let them work it out. I think it could be important to them.]
[You mean this is a bit like you racing me?]
[Maybe. Or like you throwing yourself into my arms, milady?]
[Hmm.]
¡°Thanks for seeing us, Kate,¡± Eliza opened. ¡°Maria asks if you were serious about George using a cellar room. If you were, what preparations need to be made, what about cooking, washing, laundry etc, how long could you put him up, and would you be willing to accept this figure here as rent. It''s not what the security here is worth, I know. It''s just that no one ever expected someone in the scheme to be offered such high security lodging, so the protection scheme''s rental scale doesn''t go up any higher.¡±
Kate''s eyes widened slightly at the figure Eliza had written down. ¡°Yes, I was serious. There''s kitchen and laundry facilities down there ¡ª it was set up to be staff accommodation in case war broke out last century. We''ve not got the food stocks down there any more, of course.¡±
¡°So is the kitchen equipment from the last century?¡±
¡°Oh no, we''ve modernised it a few times. Sometimes staff working late on projects or papers will use it. Just for clarification, you''re really able to offer that much per month?¡±
¡°No, no, it''s per week of course.¡±
¡°That''s plain silly, you know. It''s far too much.¡±
¡°Well, your security system here saves an awful lot of agent hours,¡± Dirk explained. ¡°Basically it means we only need to check every so often that he''s not missing freedom so much that he''s growing doubts about testifying. Otherwise it would mean twenty four hours a day, times two agents.¡±
¡°Plus,¡± added Eliza, ¡°that little exercise in weight lifting suggests that he''d much rather be around here than anywhere else.¡±
¡°Weight lifting?¡± Kate asked. ¡°Oh, you mean carrying Karen?¡±
¡°It might have started out as fun,¡± Dirk offered, ¡°but by the look of him at the end it didn''t end up that way.¡±
¡°So, what''s the gossip?¡± Eliza asked. ¡°He''s obviously smitten, and the boss said something about him, but she was a bit cryptic. Are they engaged, just going out, or is that just his hope?¡±
¡°Oh, come on!¡± Kate exclaimed. ¡°I''m a trained psycho-counsellor. You don''t think you can wheedle information about other people out of me, do you?¡±
¡°Oh. Sorry, didn''t think,¡± Eliza admitted, blushing.
¡°In your line of work?¡± Kate asked, one eyebrow raised in disbelief.
¡°I think what young Eliza here meant to say is she didn''t think she''d get caught out.¡±
Eliza blushed deeper.
¡°Anyway, in answer to your question, he can move in tonight if you want him to, and as long as I don''t have to do his shopping he can stay as long as he doesn''t make himself a nuisance. What does a typical safe house occupant do to fill their time? I mean, it''s a while before term starts again.¡±
¡°Apart from slowly going mad from boredom, you mean? We were actually hoping he''d sign up to do some programming work for us. Not on the computer here, of course, but if he could use a terminal here to access something more suitable for development work, that''d be great.¡±
¡°Sounds plausible. I presume we''re not talking about first thing tomorrow morning? I''d need to talk through things with our computer people.¡±
¡°No, no problem there,¡± Eliza said. ¡°As I understand it he''s only had general discussions about working for us, it''ll probably be a few days at least before anything''s signed.¡±
¡°That sounds like it should be possible.¡±
¡°We''ll go and offer him his choices then, if that''s OK,¡± Dirk said.
¡°Go on, see how happy it makes him. I''ll be along in a few minutes to show you the room. No, actually, I''ll get Sarah to do it.¡±
5pm
¡°Really?¡± George almost sang. ¡°That''s great. What happens about my clothes and things, will they be brought here tonight?¡±
¡°Well, for now your old flat is a crime scene anyway, and since the bad guys were out to cause you pain and suffering for no known reason, everything will eventually be tested for poisons, biological threats and the like. You''ll eventually get your own stuff back, but it''ll take a while, probably a few weeks. But tonight you get to have a new toothbrush and pair of pyjamas care of His Majesty''s government. If you have any medicines, let us know, and if there''s anything of real sentimental value we can get it rushed through quickly.¡±
¡°Oh. Urm that makes sense. No, no medicines, nothing like that really. Urm. I''ll just have a sit down, if that''s OK.¡±
¡°It''s pretty devastating, I know,¡± Eliza said.
¡°Urm. Yes. It is.¡± George agreed and called to Karen [Karen, are you free?]
[Yes, George, just hanging around Sarah, waiting for her to finish something. You sound really upset.] Karen''s compassion overcame her anger at the way he''d carried her down the tunnel. [Are you OK? Have they said you can''t stay?]
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
[No, I can stay, and that''s great, it''s just the rest of it has just hit me. My things being checked for poison, strangers rummaging through them, that sort of thing.]
[Oh. That sinking feeling that your private things will be handled by strangers and you''re not going home again? It''s nasty, isn''t it?]
[Yes. Oh, of course, you''re facing it too, aren''t you?]
[Except we know what Arnold did because my home was stuffed full of cameras. So my things don''t need testing, just packing up and moving somewhere.]
[But you need your retinal scan altered too. How do they do that?]
[Do some precision micro damage, from what I understand.]
[Ouch.]
[Yes, that''s what they say. Not looking forward to it.]
[Do you need to go to a hospital? How does that all work?]
[According to Eliza, there''s this device the size of a small suitcase which does it all. They''re bringing it tomorrow.]
[Do you want me there?]
At that question, the sense of closeness Karen had been feeling was gone, as the anger from earlier came to the boil again.
[What for? {anger} You think I need nursemaiding?]
[No, Karen. {Surprise} I thought it might help.]
[Oh, like embarrassing me by your macho display helped you show off earlier?]
[{incredulity} I''m not macho, Karen! {hurt} You know that, surely? I didn''t want you to blister your hands, so you wouldn''t be able to use your crutches!]
Karen realised that might have been the truth, but she was still angry, and she wasn''t willing to accept it right then.
[Really? Then maybe I''ll talk to you again.]
[Sorry, Karen.]
¡°Aaagh, what''s going on in his brain?¡± Karen murmured, half to herself, half to Sarah, who looked up from her console.
¡°Something wrong?¡±
¡°George can be so infuriating. Sometimes we get on OK, but then he goes and does stupid things, like showing off that he could carry me along the tunnel. And just now he practically offered to hold my hand when my retinas get re-patterned! As though I''m a little child or something.¡±
¡°Ahh. You wouldn''t try and hit me with your crutches if I said that was sweet, would you?¡±
¡°You''re the violent one, not me. But sweet? Sweet? It''s so patronizing!¡±
¡°That depends on your point of view, Karen. For the record, I think he''s probably overjoyed to have his prophesy turn out to be the woman of his dreams and he doesn''t want anything to hurt you. If I were about to have my eyes damaged then I think John would want to be there, just in case the machine went wrong or something.¡±
¡°You mean he''s right, I''m wrong?¡±
¡°No, I mean he''s acting like you mean everything in the world to him.¡±
¡°And it''s really annoying!¡±
¡°Then tell him.¡±
¡°Urm. I did, sort of.¡±
¡°You told him that he''d been showing off in the tunnel? Did you let him say what he''d thought he''d been doing?¡±
¡°He said he''d been trying to save my hands.¡±
¡°Well, he announced that, didn''t he?¡±
¡°He did?¡± Karen was surprised, she''d forgotten that.
¡°When he first asked someone to hold your crutches. You''d told him you were getting blisters, I presume?¡±
¡°Yes, I...¡± Karen''s anger drained away as she realised something. ¡°I should be thanking him, shouldn''t I?¡±
¡°Either that or apologising for misleading him. Which one depends on how much your hands were really at risk.¡±
¡°But he didn''t put me down when I told him to!¡±
¡°Karen, you''re an intelligent woman. You tell me what was going on there, dispassionately.¡±
Karen thought for a minute or so before answering.
¡°He''d decided I needed carrying, and was ignoring my protests. He put himself to a lot of trouble, and did it because he thought I needed it. I was reacting from my embarrassment, injured pride, and he put what he understood my needs were ahead of my desires, and his, I presume. I know he was getting very tired towards the end. And he put up with the abuse I was aiming at him, and carried on. There''s a word for that, isn''t there?¡±
¡°Yes, Karen.¡±
¡°So he''s said he loves me and he acts out of love, and I get annoyed and frustrated at him and throw it back in his face. Ouch.¡±
¡°But he still offered to hold your hand.¡±
¡°And I rejected that too. Aren''t I such a nice person. I need to say a very big sorry to him.¡±
¡°Better make it quick. He''s probably feeling pretty wretched right now. By the way, Kate wants me to show him the cellar rooms. Do you want the guided tour too?¡±
¡°Yes, please. As long as it''s not going to be far. My hands are pretty sore.¡±
¡°So those protests?¡±
¡°Embarrassment, nothing more. I did need carrying, but just didn''t want to admit it. Can I fetch George? I think I know how to apologize.¡±
¡°Nothing too shocking, I hope.¡±
¡°I''ll tell him to scan me.¡±
¡°Just don''t let him boil his brain!¡±
¡°I won''t.¡±
Karen aimed a thought at George: [Hi. I''m really really sorry. I''ve been horrible to you and you didn''t deserve it at all. Where are you?]
[The small meeting room. Dirk and Eliza are here.]
[I''m going to come and find you, I''ll tell you all Sarah''s going to give us a guided tour of the cellars so follow me, and when I do, you are going to scan me.]
[Why, Karen?]
[So at least one of us knows what''s been going on in my brain. I''m really sorry. You need to thank Sarah, by the way. She helped me stop being angry long enough to see how loving you''d been. Thank you, George. I did need carrying, you know.]
[But you didn''t want to be carried.]
[That was embarrassment. You knew better, thank you. I''m just not used to being looked after that well, George.]
[You looked after me this morning.]
[That''s different. You welcomed my help.]
[Of course. I was in trouble.]
[So was I. Now I''m almost there. Let me say my piece, then give me a second or two to turn my mind to the right subject, then you scan me, OK?]
[Yes, Karen, if you say so. I do love you, you know.]
[Yes, I''ve seen that. Your turn soon.]
Karen knocked at the door. ¡°Sarah''s just finishing something, then she''ll give us the tour of the cellars, or at least the living space. I understand there''s more space below ground than there is above. If you''d like to come this way?¡± She held on to the open door, resting pelican like on her good leg, coincidentally saving her almost-blisters, and thought of George and his care for her and how badly she''d treated him in the last hour.
George focussed on her, and did this new relaxing whatever it was. Opening his mind to stuff it couldn''t cope with too much of, he guessed.
He only looked for a second, but he realised that he''d have to think about it for a while. Karen saw his eyes lose focus for a bit, then seek her face, and was relieved to see he''d learned the timing lesson well.
He''d seen what a complicated tangle of thoughts Karen had about him. She was truly sorry for the way she''d almost rejected him outright, for the way that she''d failed to understand his motivation for carrying her along the tunnel at the time, and how she''d conquered her anger, only to have his offer to be with her when her retina-print was altered bring it back even stronger. He also
saw how she was struggling to move him from the mental category of weird friend to an almost fianc¨¦, and how some of her reactions had been because of that. Her emotions hadn''t expected loving actions from him, so they couldn''t make sense of what he did. But she did like him, and she was flattered by the way he found her beautiful, which was why she''d looked at his mind too long earlier. She was open to the idea of loving him, one reason for that was that he was the only prospect she had of fulfilling her dream to find a husband at university. There were other reasons too, like sharing the gift. Some of them surprised him. He''d never thought of himself as handsome, and he was equally surprised that no one else even remotely suitable had even asked her out. Of course George had skipped that particular stage, which irked her.
¡°Coming, George?¡± Karen asked, and he realised he''d been deep in thought and hadn''t moved yet. ¡°Sorry. I was day-dreaming.¡± It seemed the best description of what he''d been doing. ¡°Pleasant dreams?¡± Karen asked, as they made their way to where Sarah would meet them. She was curious about what he''d found in her skull alongside her remorse. ¡°Hmm,¡± he said, non-committally, but thought at her, [How do I respond to that in this company, Karen? What do they know?]
[Nothing, as far as I know. Also, Kate warned me Eliza was fishing for gossip about you and me.]
[What did she say?]
[That they should know better! So what didn''t I expect you to find out?]
[Urm, no previous boyfriends, but you wanted to find a husband before leaving uni. And you''ve found out about my old favourite pastime of gazing at your beautiful hair.]
[Old? Something wrong with my hair now?]
[Well, no, but I think I prefer holding your hand, not to mention hugging you.]
[Ah, my poor hair, supplanted and rejected in favour of mere sensual pleasure.]
[I thought sight counted as sensual too.]
[That reminds me, sometime we''ll need to agree about self-restraint and limits, won''t we?]
[Yes. Not now though.] They''d arrived.
¡°As you see,¡± Sarah said, ¡°the cellars have a lot of old experimental equipment stored away in them. Someday we''ll need to clear things out, but not for a while. There are still some empty shelves over that way. The computer knows what''s down here, where it should be, and also where it actually is. Karen, if you can''t work out the system, then ask.¡±
¡°What sort of experiments?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°Anything to do with the human mind, perception, things like that. The oddest one I''ve seen so far was a setup to determine whether there really was a link between eating lots of carrots and night vision. Sponsored by a carrot producer.¡±
¡°But that''s an old wives¡¯ tale, isn''t it?¡± George asked.
¡°There did seem to be a correlation actually. The problem is that it was very small, but the sponsor was happy with the result.¡±
¡°Surely that wasn''t in the computer?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Oh yes, every experiment is there, linked to funding requests and letters and everything. It''s all documented. And I know why, too. I got curious about a little program that gets run every week. It''s got a history going back when the Institute was founded. Basically it checks to make sure your documentation is up to date and sends you reminders if they''re not. Four reminders in a row, and it sends the director a note to say you''re not fulfilling your contract, and if you don''t give a suitable reason, after a couple more sterner reminders it automatically starts holding back significant chunks of your pay.¡±
¡°Ouch. And my contract says that? I don''t remember seeing anything like that.¡±
¡°I checked,¡± Sarah said. ¡°My contract says something like subject to the laws of the country and the regulations of the Institute.¡±
¡°And the regulations say that we document our work or face the penalty?¡±
¡°Exactly. You signed it, I signed it. So, don''t forget to do those documents.¡±
¡°It makes sense,¡± George said.
¡°Oh, yes, it makes sense. It might even be or have been common practice. Just it was a bit of a surprise.¡±
¡°Only if you didn''t read all the annexes to your contract,¡± Dirk said.
¡°That''s true,¡± Karen agreed. ¡°Read and understand it all before you sign. I assume you would, George?¡±
¡°Probably,¡± George said. ¡°Wouldn''t most people?¡±
¡°See, there are at least two people in the world it wouldn''t surprise,¡± Eliza said.
¡°What, you too?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°No, I was presuming you would!¡±
¡°I admit I tried, but got lost in the first paragraph of mine.¡± Dirk admitted.
¡°Ah. George, on our biassed sample, it looks like you''re in the minority,¡±
Eliza said.
¡°Oh. You didn''t know what you agreed to!¡± George was shocked.
¡°I must admit I got Daddy to check it over for me,¡± Karen said. ¡°He is good at spotting dangerous wording.¡±
¡°That encourages me quite a lot, Karen,¡± George said.
¡°And I trusted the fact that John was working under the same contract, rules, etcetera,¡± Sarah added.
¡°So, Eliza, do you have any case to plead?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Urm, laziness?¡± Eliza admitted.
¡°Not knowing what you''re agreeing to costs you your first born child, according to some fairy tales,¡± remarked George.
¡°The good news is trading in humans isn''t legal here,¡± Karen chipped in, ¡°so they might let you off that one.¡±
¡°Gee, thanks, Karen,¡± Eliza responded. ¡°Sarah, can we continue the tour? This conversation is getting uncomfortable.¡±
Community / Ch. 12: Getting the Message
Book 2: Community / Ch. 12:Getting the Message
Monday, 8 pm
George was alone. The others had left, he''d raided the tins and other supplies that Sarah had pointed out to him, drawn up a list of groceries to be ordered by Security on his behalf, and washed up. It wasn''t time for him to fall asleep yet, but he didn''t want to watch or read anything. What he really wanted to do was buy Karen some flowers, but he''d been warned against using his I.D. on the net for a while. He wanted to give her some kind of gift. What could he give her? There wasn''t any paper or card down here so he couldn''t do a drawing even if he had the equipment. He supposed he could try poetry, but there was the problem that he wasn''t good at poetry. It wasn''t time for sleep, but he decided that that was the best thing to do. Maybe he''d miraculously dream of a poem.
He didn''t. But at about midnight he woke up with a memory of a game he''d played with his great-grandmother: ¡°Make me a picture of a bus,¡± he''d say, and she''d imagine a bus and pass the memory of it to him, then she''d laugh in delight as he sent it back having added waving people or wings flapping as it flew into the clouds. Yes, he could paint a mind picture for her. A fitting love-gift, he felt, for his much loved mind reader. Now, a flower, or a bird? Both? Maybe sleeping first was the best idea.
Monday 5.55 pm.
Sarah hadn''t been sure if Dirk and Eliza needed to stay on guard all night, or quite what would happen when they reached her house. No one had asked about extra rooms, though she had one. She was about to ask but then Dirk explained that there would be a surveillance van parked along the street.
¡°Do you have a camera covering the back of the house?¡±
¡°Yes, several views actually.¡±
¡°Great, could you authorise the van''s computer to access those? In fact to any outside cameras, if that''s OK.¡±
¡°Yes, I can do that. The house system''s pretty good. Do you want it to just start streaming when there''s someone in the frame?¡±
¡°My mother helped specify the system, Dirk. It was top of the line fifteen years ago,¡± Karen said, in response to his surprise.
¡°Well, in that case, that''d be great. If you could set it so your computer sends the van pictures once every five seconds or so, just so we know the house system is still functioning, and a full stream in case of anyone approaching or being where they shouldn''t be, that''d be excellent.¡±
¡°And you''re going to be in the van?¡±
¡°Yes, I''ll be on standby the first half of the night, then I go off duty and Eliza gets the wake up buzzes if anyone does anything which triggers the van''s suspicious computer.¡±
¡°And we hope that all we get is a good night''s sleep and rumpled clothes,¡± Eliza said. ¡°But if we could use your shower in the morning, that''d be a definite bonus.¡±
¡°Sure. Breakfast too? Say at seven-thirty? Only cereal, toast and marmalade, I''m afraid.¡±
¡°Now that''s what I like about this sort of work! Civilized meals, showers! Luxury! See Dirk?¡±
¡°Yes, but it''s not as exciting as criminal watching.¡±
¡°Adrenaline junkie!¡± Eliza accused.
¡°This sounds like a long running debate,¡± observed Karen.
¡°Yes. Dirk gets bored easily.¡±
¡°And Eliza doesn''t like getting her fingernails dirty.¡±
¡°You''re not calling me a wimp, are you?¡± Eliza asked, with a dangerous tone in her voice.
¡°Of course not.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Eliza said.
¡°Are you two married or something?¡± Sarah asked.
They both burst out laughing, then Eliza looked at her watch. ¡°I win. Dirk, pay up!¡±
¡°Oh, all right. But I swear you engineered that.¡± Then he explained, ¡°Eliza''s my little sister. We get accused of being married so often it''s become a standing bet. I win if it''s after 6 pm on the first evening, Eliza wins if it''s before.¡±
¡°Ah, all is explained.¡±
¡°Now, Sarah,¡± Dirk said, ¡°I''m sure your house is secure, but I need to check it. Karen, please stay in the hall with Eliza. Can you let me in, please?¡±
¡°Sure. With or without the duress code?¡±
¡°Nice one, Sarah,¡± Eliza sniggered.
¡°Without, please!¡± Dirk said.
¡°Come on in then!¡± she said with a smile for the camera and opened the door.
[Karen, I''ll set it up for you too. The duress code is that you fumble your key at the lock and drop it. That will call police at once if there is anyone the computer doesn''t recognise as a friend with you. There''s two no-duress codes ¡ª smile as you''re letting someone in, or offer them a cup of tea once you¡¯re inside.]
[Clever. What happens if you do none of those things?]
[If they''re not a friend, then the computer watches you and whoever you came in with very suspiciously indeed, trying to work out if there''s a threat.]
[Ah.]
¡°Eliza, while we''re waiting for Dirk to check for assassins in the ceiling, or whatever he''s doing, would you like a cup of tea?¡±
¡°Yes, please!¡±
¡°Me too!¡± Karen added.
Sarah went to the kitchen and thumbed the contact on the display. She did want to check up on Dirk. Making tea was a good excuse to get to the kitchen. Having quickly selected the option of watching visitors she turned on the tap to fill the kettle. Dirk was waving what she guessed was a bug detector over the walls of the room. It flashed a light as it went over a place on the wall where she knew there was one of her hidden cameras. He peered closely at it and made a note of it on his wrist unit. This wasn''t something she expected to see happen. Why did he need to make a record of her security system''s cameras?
[Karen, can you ask Eliza what Dirk should be doing? Pretend it''s just from curiosity.]
[OK, what''s he doing?]
[Noting down where the cameras are in the living room, right now.]
[Odd, I agree. I''ll ask Eliza, you send a message to my mother, if you can, please.]
[Will do.]
Sarah quickly typed, ¡°Just checking, just arrived at my house. Should Dirk be making notes on position of hidden security cameras in my house?¡± and flagged it urgent.
¡°What is Dirk actually doing?¡± Karen asked. ¡°I presume he''s not actually looking behind curtains for assassins.¡±
¡°No, he''s checking that the security system is functioning OK.¡±
¡°All functions? I heard Mummy mention that it can do sleep gas release.¡±
¡°Ah. Maybe not that one.¡±
¡°Won''t it take a while?¡±
¡°Not really. He''s just pretending to write down camera positions. The computer should spot that as suspicious.¡±
¡°Ah. So he is offering himself as a guinea-pig for the sleep gas treatment?¡±
¡°I hope not. It makes him very grumpy when he gets gassed.¡±
Karen called mentally, [Sarah, she says he''s doing something the computer should find suspicious. Checking the computer''s on its toes.]
[Ah. Then maybe I shouldn''t be watching. I''ll just tell the computer to pretend I''m not.]
It was a little complex, but she managed it. She entered the control mode and saw that the computer was growing concerned about Dirk''s actions, then she retroactively informed the computer that her terminal wasn''t being watched by Sarah the home owner, but by Sarah the system manager. Sarah the home owner watching the video reassured the computer a little. Sarah the system manager didn''t. The computer''s concern turned to alarm, and she saw the call being triggered to the police station. The duty constable was suspicious too. A police car was dispatched, with two uniformed officers. Normal people didn''t go around writing down camera locations when they visited a house. The constable queried the house computer. Where was the house owner or tenant?
The computer answered: Owner entered house. Owner entered kitchen. Person in kitchen is not Owner.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
The duty officer almost jumped to the wrong conclusion, that having been forced to admit someone, she''d made her escape. He almost hit the gas release button. It wasn''t often he got to do that, and it would have made his day. Instead, he had a thought and queried the computer. Identify occupants of kitchen and their activity. The computer told him. System administrator, monitoring cameras. Drat. She hadn''t left the building. So why had she made herself system administrator? Because she wondered what he was up to, maybe? And she knew that the computer would reduce its threat level if the owner was watching the monitor and didn''t trigger any warning? So what was this? Was she unsure and wanted the computer to make the decision or was it a systems check without prior notification? If it was the latter then that''d be wasting police time, of course. It wasn''t quite as good as gassing someone, but it scored something. Then the main computer finally came back with who was doing the probing. Someone named Dirk, other details withheld. Internal Security. Oh great. Well, it could still be suspicious. The uniformed guys could still collect some statements at least.
There was a call from his chief, passing on a message. He hadn''t seen anything happen, because it didn''t. The computer flickered up a message: connection reset. Re-establish connection, he automatically typed. The computer responded: What connection? No records of anything happening tonight. His boss repeated himself: ¡°I know you guys on the duty desk keep score, but this is official. Nothing happened tonight. You didn''t get a security alert from a house computer, you didn''t almost get to gas someone from Security, and as long as it stays that way you''re not going to get in trouble with everyone from the interior minister down. Understand me? Recall the car, tell them they''ve just had a response time test, and I want them come and have a cup of coffee and a doughnut when they''re back to discuss it with me. It was all an exercise.¡±
¡°Yes, sir. Do I get a doughnut too?¡±
¡°I thought you were on a diet?¡±
¡°I thought maybe since nothing happened, the doughnut could vanish after the fact, just like the logs.¡±
¡°I like that logic. Meet the car and bring them up. Don''t let them talk to anyone.¡±
¡°Yes, sir. Will do, sir.¡±
He made the call and met the car. The uniformed officers were somewhat confused. They all had a doughnut, even the chief. Who emphasised that nothing had happened, just a new pilot response test, and got them to read the bit in the official secrets legislation about what might happen to people who mistakenly claimed that something had happened when it hadn''t. Doughnuts were much nicer, they agreed. Especially ones that hadn''t officially happened.
Maria called Sarah after her little chat with the police chief.
¡°Sorry Sarah, Dirk should have let you know what was going on, at least. Yes, he should have been doing that ¡ª tell him to show you what he actually wrote down, in case you''re still worried. We''ve confirmed the system still works, and I''ve just had a nice little chat with the police chief. The police shouldn''t be on their way any more, but they were. Oh, you can tell Dirk that he almost got gassed because he didn''t tell you what he was doing. I presume that''s why you were watching him as system admin?¡±
¡°Yes. Well, actually I started as me, then Eliza told Karen he was checking the responsiveness of the computer, and I realised that me spying on him would limit it.¡±
¡°Yes, I never did understand that bit of logic. Surely if you''re watching it''s because you''re worried about what he''s doing.¡±
¡°But then I could have informed the computer of that.¡±
¡°If you''d thought of it, and not been paralysed with shock or fear. Yes.¡±
¡°I get your point. Thanks for letting me know what was going on.¡±
Tuesday Morning
The light streamed through the part-mirrored glass onto George, who was waiting in the meeting room. It gave him a view of the road, and therefore the approach of his beloved. It was a beautiful sunny day, and if Karen hadn''t been about to arrive, George would have been having more second thoughts about being in this programme. Was her uncle really so dangerous? Oh, he realised, yes, he was. And his brain obviously hadn''t been thinking clearly when that thought came to mind. How could he doubt that that man needed locking up or something more permanent?
He knew that there were very good reasons for it not happening, but if one of them were able to give evidence in court about all they''d seen the previous day, well... the death penalty was still available, despite the continued arguments surrounding it. Perhaps if enough conventional witnesses gave evidence, there would be grounds enough to use it in his case. He certainly didn''t seem interested in rejecting his life of crime.
A transport stopped outside. No one got out immediately. He assumed that inside someone was checking with the computer whether it was safe for Karen to leave the vehicle.
A minute or so later they got out ¡ª Dirk, Eliza, Sarah, and most importantly, Karen.
Like George, she was wearing the same as yesterday. Fresh clothes not counting for so much compared with staying safe. But there had been a change - she''d arranged her hair differently, and George realised that either it was a coincidence or she must have picked up his favourite style along with the fact that he enjoyed looking at it. He was overjoyed to think that she might have done it for him. He hoped she liked his gift for her. He''d ended up waking early, unsure if he''d be able to make such an image still. He needn''t have worried, but he had spent almost an hour tweaking and perfecting it. Really a few minutes would have been enough, but he''d done everything else he could think of doing in the little basement flat. Plus of course it was for Karen. He was slowly finding that attaching a label of ¡®for Karen¡¯ to almost any task made it something he wanted to do. It was probably love.
Dirk and Eliza walked either side of Karen to the inner door of the lobby, greeted George, then to his surprise, said goodbye and left as soon as the doors had closed behind her.
¡°They''re not staying?¡±
¡°Nope, we pointed out to Mummy that Sarah''s friend the computer can protect me better here than they can, so they can go and do something more useful than trying to work out what our relationship is.¡±
¡°Well, that''s a relief. I was wondering how I''d give you something I''ve made for you if they were hanging around.¡±
¡°Oh? You''ve got me a present? How, where from? What is it? No, don''t tell me, I love surprises. But you can''t have bought it surely, and you didn''t bring anything with you, so how have you got a present for me?¡± George could see different emotions ¡ª concern, excitement, curiosity making their way across her face. It was fascinating. Or at least he was fascinated.
¡°Well, how about I give it to you, and then you can ask the relevant questions?¡± he asked, teasing a little.
¡°Oh yes, please, they can''t see in even if they looked, so you can bring it out now, whatever it is. I''m so excited, this is silly. Why am I acting like a ten year old, Sarah?¡±
Sarah laughed, ¡°Maybe your emotions are beginning to catch up with George''s hopes. George, do you want me to leave so you can give it to her in private?¡±
¡°Oh it''ll be private enough, if you''re here or not.¡± Then turning to Karen he asked formally, ¡°Karen, will you allow me to hold your hands, so I can give you the gift I have for you?¡±
¡°Sure, George. Do I need to shut my eyes?¡±
George took her hands, well, wrists, since she was holding her crutches still. He could feel her excitement. [Not necessary, but it might help. Karen, my love, I made this {thought-picture} for you.]
It was beyond Karen''s experience of the power to expect such a gift, that much was clear to George, but on the other hand, he didn''t expect her reaction either. Her face lit with delight and the next thing he knew she''d dropped her crutches and was clinging to him instead, with her head buried in his shoulder. [Oh George, thank you, it''s so beautiful, I can feel the love you filled it with, and the detail and everything! Oh George, thank you! I know I''m going to love you!]
¡°Well, that''s some reaction!¡± Sarah observed, ¡°What did he do to you, Karen? Slip you a love potion?¡±
¡°Not quite, Sarah. Did you know George paints? He''s just painted me a picture from pure loving thoughts, it''s really hard to explain. A flower which turns out to be a bird of paradise flying up to heaven. George, it''s so beautiful, can I show Sarah?¡±
¡°Uh, I guess so. I made it for you, but yes, you can show Sarah.¡±
¡°Thank you. Next question. How? I''d love to be able to look at it again, but my visual memory is rubbish.¡±
¡°You can''t remember it?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°If I ever had to do a photo-fit of my father, I''d get stuck just after saying he had two ears, two eyes and one nose.¡±
¡°Hair?¡± George asked, fascinated.
¡°Urm, yes, not black, not fair, sort of brownish I guess. Urm, don''t ask me eye colour, please.¡±
¡°You don''t know?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Do I need to?¡±
¡°But you''d recognise it if there was an impostor?¡±
¡°Oh yes, I''m sure I would.¡±
¡°But you can''t bring your mental image to mind?¡±
¡°I guess not.¡±
¡°Let me try something,¡± George said. [Spot the difference! {thought-picture} And try to send it back to me.]
¡°Oh, thank you, George, oh, that was different. The bird''s tail went the other way. Urm, I''ll try sending it back.¡± [{vague thought picture}]
¡°Oh Karen! I could just about tell it was a picture. I wonder if it''s a learned skill. Maybe all you need is practice.¡±
¡°Maybe. Since I obviously can''t show Sarah, could you?¡±
¡°It''s OK if you don''t want to, George. But I think John and I might want to talk to you about how you package up that picture. We got given a memory dump, and we''ll need to pass it on sometime.¡±
¡°Mama Ng''s legacy?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Sarah replied. ¡°Somehow she packaged that up very tightly indeed ¡ª so tightly we almost got our brains cooked just receiving it. Which makes me wonder ¡ª any heat from what George sent you?¡±
Karen checked. ¡°No, nothing.¡±
¡°That makes sense, I think.¡± George said ¡°My great-grandmother only had the power, I''m sure, and I learnt it from her.¡±
¡°But what Mama said about the evil ones being able to fill your mind with horrors makes sense, doesn''t it,¡± Karen said. ¡°I couldn''t have stopped George from sending me that image, once he took my hand.¡±
¡°Or touched you anywhere, or even touched something you were touching. Which reminds me. George?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I''ve not talked to Kate about this.¡± Sarah started ¡°But would you be willing to help with the dull, boring experiments we''re coming up with?¡±
¡°Urm, sure. I think the biggest danger for my stay here is absolute boredom, as long as yesterday is the one-off I hope it was. Compared to absolute idleness, anything sounds fun.¡±
¡°Great. I''ll talk to Kate. I think we should plan to publish something soon, whatever it does to my wedding plans.¡±
¡°Why do you say that?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Because of yesterday.¡± Sarah said, ¡°If we''d already published, there are people in hospital today, almost killed, who probably wouldn''t have been.¡±
¡°But I don''t see the link. If you''d published about the power, then how would that have stopped my uncle from trying to find out about the gift?¡±
¡°Your uncle was also telling us not to publish, wasn''t he?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Oh, you mean he couldn''t have told you not to if you had already? But what about his threats?¡± George asked.
¡°I''m sure Karen''s mother is taking them seriously.¡±
¡°I''m sure she is, but there are other things Mummy needs to take seriously too.¡± A look of worry crossed her face. ¡°Which reminds me. I need to just go somewhere and check on something.¡±
¡°That''s fine. Want to use John''s office? He won''t be in for a while.¡± She turned to George with a smile. ¡°For some reason, Karen was keen to arrive early today.¡±
¡°Sarah, stop giving away secrets. Thanks for John''s office.¡± Karen started hesitantly in that direction. ¡°He won''t mind?¡±
¡°No,¡± Sarah said. She didn''t see the need to mention that it had been his suggestion when she''d told him they''d be in early. ¡°I''m glad you came early, Karen, it gets lonely round here.¡±
¡°You could have called, George!¡±
¡°I didn''t want to overstep the mark, Karen.¡±
[Oh George! Don''t be silly. Whatever else you are to me, you''re my friend. You know I like to talk.]
[I''m not used to all this, Karen, and I upset you yesterday, I''m sorry.]
[George! You''re forgiven. I''m sorry, I was just misinterpreting everything. Now, let me check up on home and then we can talk, OK?]
[Of course. I love you, Karen.]
[I know, George, but I also like you saying it.]
Now in the peace of the office Karen focussed on the skin of the tunnel. There were people in it. She recognised some of them: soldiers from the embassy''s small guard. No more digging there, it seemed. Then she focussed on her father''s feet. There he was, in a meeting room, not at home, but another building there, she didn''t recognise it. It was in that road there, oh, she understood, he was talking to the national government. All seemed well. She also checked her mother''s skin, and then other friends, all seemed well there too. She breathed a sigh of relief.
Community / Ch. 13: Lend Me Your Ears!
Book 2: Community / Ch. 13: Lend Me Your Ears!
Tuesday 18th July 8:45 am
[Hello, Sarah, is now a good time to talk to you guys?]
[Hello, Enoch! Not too bad. Three of us here so far, the working day hasn''t quite started here. John will be here soon, and Kate usually turns up around now.]
[Sorry I couldn''t talk this morning, that''s last night for you, I woke up late and had to rush.]
[That''s OK. So there''s what, a twelve hour time difference?]
[Eleven actually. I looked it up.]
[I''m still amazed. A few weeks ago I couldn''t get anything from John if he was more than a few hundred metres away.]
[Well, you try again and you''d get the same results, if you were aiming right at his deepest thoughts.]
[Oh, yes, you''re right of course, just now I know not to.]
[Exactly. But those things I told you yesterday, they helped?]
[Yes. We were able to save a few people before anything happened to them at all, and several who were being chased, plus locate the other victims. It really helps that we have a contact in Security now.]
[Nasty place you''re living in. Much more peaceful round here.]
[Not normally nasty, but it seems like he''d decided to try and stretch us.]
[Find out where you broke?]
[Exactly.] Sarah agreed.
[I tried looking up where you are on the net, but the maps I could find just showed a building with no name or any details. Are you at some kind of government facility?]
[Not really. Here''s Kate, I''ll get her to explain.]
¡°Kate! Enoch''s able to chat, can you fill him in on this place? He can''t get any details from maps.¡±
[Hi, Enoch! Try looking up ¡°Institute for the Human Mind ¡°, and then see if you can work out what God''s doing. Two hundred years of failed hunting for any unusual mental powers, and now four staff members with the gift, plus George who we''re letting live here for a while, so he can stay out of harm''s way.]
[I''m looking you up now. Interesting work you do there. ¡®UN resolution protected,¡¯ what''s that about?]
[Well, I''m not sure what the list you''re reading includes, but among other things we do psych-counselling, evaluations, that sort of thing, for high status clients ¡ª people who can''t risk using a computer psych service. The UN saw those risks too and passed a unanimous resolution that there''d be some places like us that government officials could go to, and that in the interests of everyone''s safety the media had no business reporting on who was coming here or who worked here. So we were written into the original resolution, and you''re in serious trouble if you say we work here to anyone.]
[So you''re an officially neutral, well respected organisation with all sorts of links to high places?]
[Yes, sir, that''s us. Oh, and our clients have known for almost a month now that we''ve got some mind-readers on staff researching this strange new thing, but that they''ve all signed a strict ethical code so all their secrets are safe, but they might want to wear gloves anyway.]
[And you''ve still got clients?]
[Amazingly enough, not one has run away screaming, though there were some ¡®this is a joke, isn''t it?¡¯ type comments, to which we pointed out that we are a commercial organisation and we do want to keep our jobs.]
[So were those attacks yesterday linked to your disclosure, do you think?]
[No, not really. Karen''s uncle used to have the power and set out to use it to get other forms of power too. He eventually got stripped of the power and was thrown in prison, but he''s out now. He managed to find Karen, lure her into some abandoned tunnels, and we guess he was planning to use her against his sister. Karen broke her leg and pleaded with God that someone would hear her. I did, but not with my ears.]
Karen had joined them by then and briefly summarised how her uncle had heard about her rescue.
[And in response to Kate thwarting his plans, he decided to see what the limits of the gift are?]
[We think so. He also gave my friends a coded message for my mother ¡ª his big sister. Decoded, it says that he''s going to commit some kind of bomb attack if we tell people about the power.]
[You''re serious about letting the secret out then?]
[You tell us. Could you think of another reason that God''s brought the five of us to the Institute?]
[Not right now, but give me a few days and I might. It''s a bit scary, you know? There has been a lot of hatred aimed at mind readers in the past.]
[I know,] Sarah said. [Mama Ng passed on a few centuries'' worth of memories. What''s the situation like where you are? Or anywhere else you have contacts, for that mater? We don''t want to cause any riots or anything, but it just seems such a terrible thing that there are evil mind-readers out there who have a free hand because no one even knows about wearing gloves.]
[I''ll ask around. Rose, did you hear any of that?]
[I surely did. Hello, distant friends!]
[Hello, Rose. I''m George. Enoch hadn''t told us you were gifted too. In fact he''s been asking all the questions and hasn''t told us anything.] [Isn''t that just like him? I''d better make the introductions. We''re in our fifties, Enoch is a policeman ¡ª community liaison officer right now, and I''m his long-suffering loving wife slaving all day to make a meal that he doesn¡¯t even notice, he''s so tired. No, actually that was my great-great-grandmother. I work at the police station too. Making tea...]
[Solving crimes, single-handedly catching international jewel thieves...] interjected Enoch.
[That was just once and you know it, Enoch!]
[You''re the only one in the department who''s done it, so I''m allowed to be proud of you, Rose!]
[Oh all right. I''m an analyst. Mostly I read reports, correlate data and send my conclusions to the fit young people who can do the chasing.] [And my humble wife worked out that the most likely target was either going to be a daring attack on a major jewellery centre near the harbour or a nice polite distraction robbery at our neighbour''s little shop. The department laughed at the second and diverted lots of officers to guard the harbour area. Rose was off duty so went and had a cup of tea and a chat with the neighbour. She arrested them for previous crimes as soon as they came into the shop.]
[They were so shocked that they didn''t even struggle,] Rose added.
[Congratulations! So do you make use of the gift or power in your work, and if so, what do others know about it?]
[No, we don''t use the gift, or rather we only use it rarely. We''ve used it to help find missing children, that sort of thing. The parents would talk to Rose anyway so that she can build a profile on the kid, and usually that''s enough. There have been times when Rose has guided the computer a little.]
[So you''re letting Rose''s computer skills take the credit?]
[Yes, we felt that was best. Unfortunately Rose now has such a good track record that it''s attracting attention. I hope no one notices, but her results get worse the less risk there is to the child.]
[Ah. You mean you throw in some wild goose chases?]
[Yes. Also I''ve made it clear that I''m going to pray before doing a missing person search. I normally pray for the kid''s safety and wisdom in doing the computer search. They don''t know that by that I mean that the Lord will help me hide the gift He''s given me.]
[Hi, Rose, Enoch, John here. We''re ninety-five percent certain that we should publish about the power, but not at all sure what, if anything, to say about the gift. Would you prefer to be able to be open, at least with other believers?]
[Oh wow, you do want to turn the world upside down, don''t you?] Rose observed.
[I think we should talk to everyone else first, have an international prayer meeting and discussion about it.]
[We thought there would be others, but we have no idea how to find them,] Sarah thought.
[Ooh, lesson time! That''s Enoch''s department,] Rose thought. [I''ll concentrate on making supper if it''s OK with you. And try to think about that question from John.]
[Bye, Rose.]
[Oh, I''m not going anywhere, just I won''t be listening much.]
Enoch proceeded to tell them how, once wakened by the Lord, he''d focussed on the people he knew or knew about, since he''d known about them from Mama Ng. But that he could equally have focussed on the skin of the country and found them.
Contrary to Sarah''s expectation, looking at the skin of a larger area wouldn''t fry their brain. [You''ll see the sort of person you''re looking for. If you think of gifted people and look at the skin of a country, then you''ll know who''s there. God normally gives the gift to a couple of people per region of the globe in each generation. So five of you there, well, you''re unusual. Or, you can look for people who are trapped, and focus on the skin of a city or a county, which is good if there''s been a bad earthquake or a flood, for instance.]
[So if there are only a couple per region, how is it that you and Rose are both gifted?] Karen wondered.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
[Ah well, I was young, gifted and lonely, and so was Rose, so we got chatting, and eventually decided that we''d go to the same place on holiday, and we''d then be able tell people about meeting a wonderful person. Then she did the whole immigration thing to marry me.]
[''Only a thought apart¡¯ not really being close enough. I understand.] John smiled at Sarah.
Kate was more practical. [When you say region, that''s bigger than most European countries and smaller than a continent?]
[Yes. Before you five turned up, there were about fifty people with the gift.]
[Next question. How many languages do you speak, or how are we going to ask everyone?]
[Ah well, that one''s an interesting question. Somehow this gift cuts across Babel.]
[You mean language barriers don''t matter, that it''ll sound like everyone''s speaking English?]
[No, I mean that although you''ll hear what words they''re saying, you''ll understand them.]
[Fascinating,] George thought. [Is that true for the power too?]
[I don''t know. Maybe.]
[Another experiment to do, Kate,] Sarah commented.
[Do you know how common the power is, Enoch? About all we know is that it seems to run in families, albeit sporadically.]
[Yes, seems so. Both Rose and I had a grandmother with it, and a couple of cousins. I guess if you really needed to know, you could check, but neither of us are keen on treating this gift lightly.]
[Yes. We''ve had similar thoughts,] agreed John. [That''s one of the reasons we''re wary of publishing anything about the gift.]
[I think you''re wise in that, young man,] Rose chipped in. [How can someone do experiments on a spiritual gift?]
[Oh, I''m sure people have. In some ways we were willing parties to one yesterday,] Kate thought. [But we were willing parties to it only because not acting would have been a greater evil.]
[Which reminds me, Enoch,] Sarah thought. [We have this scary set of memories from Mama Ng, but it had nothing like what happened yesterday. Is that because yesterday was too normal, or should we be adding to the store? And if so, how?]
[Ah, now that''s something I can''t help with,] Enoch admitted. [I knew about Mama''s legacy. She tried to convince us to pay her a visit so she could pass it on, but we just didn''t have the cash for the travel. And I never did understand what she said about how those memories were tied together.] [That''s an interesting phrase,] Sarah pondered. [Is that what Mama said about them?]
[Rose? Do you remember what Mama said exactly?]
[No, I was sick, remember? You tried to ask me but I just wanted to go back to sleep.]
[Maybe you should look at my memory later then. It would be good for these guys to add that memory.]
[And I do like the idea of meeting in person so this isn''t just in our two heads. Maybe we can work out the funding issue. What do you think, Kate?]
[Have a conference, you mean?]
[Investigate and document the experiences of lots of gifted mind-readers, even if it stays in the Institute''s vaults,] John suggested.
[Ooh, you sneaky man. You know I can''t refuse to do that.]
[What''s this?] Rose asked.
[The Institute''s prime directive, if you like, laid down two centuries ago, is to investigate and document mental abilities. And a big pot of money has been accumulating since then to fund it. Of course fifty people''s travel expenses would make a dent in it, but not a very big one if truth be told. Fancy an expenses-paid trip to this part of the world at a mutually convenient time?]
[Interesting question. When were you thinking of?]
[Oh it''ll take a year or more to organise, I''m sure. That''s assuming this is the right place to hold it. We''ve got security and privacy for meetings here, and I guess we''d all fit in the large meeting room if we move the tables out, but we don''t have enough accommodation. Maybe we should meet somewhere else.]
[Maybe. It probably depends on who can make it. I expect some won''t be able to, what with family issues, health and so on,] John thought. [If there are only thirty or so of us, we''d be comfortable enough.]
[There might be visa issues too, I expect,] chipped in George.
[I expect those could be solved, but yes, family and health issues are more likely. Plus plain simple fear. Reporting may not be officially permitted, but having a publicly acceptable cover story wouldn''t be such a bad thing,] John thought.
[Unless we linked it to some major sporting event or something, like the Olympics,] suggested Rose.
[I doubt the Olympic games will be coming here any time soon. Oh, you mean have our meeting at the same place as them? I think the accountants would need some convincing about that. Not to mention the tax inspectors,] Kate thought.
[Oh well, more thought needed, no rush,] Sarah said. [But what about publishing? So far we''ve let theh clients know. What about the general public? Can you introduce us to anyone that''s awake so we can ask everyone''s opinion? How much real fear of discovery is there out there, and how much have the centuries of mind-readers in fiction made mind-reading something less scary?]
[That''s a good question,] Enoch thought. [Yes, I''ll introduce you of course, but we''re all servants of the same Lord, no need to be too formal.]
It turned out that just over half the gifted were awake and free to talk. Rather than one by one, as Sarah had expected, Enoch called them all at once, and the introductions were made en-mass. Some were mid-conversation in the physical world, and dropped out quickly. Then it turned out that Enoch hadn''t actually remembered everyone, and there was a second round of introductions.
And then John asked the first question ¡ª was there anyone familiar with the technique for tying the memories that Mama Ng had used for her legacy. Several were, and they agreed to chat with their nearest gifted ¡®neighbour¡¯ about it at a convenient time. Then Kate spoke about the Institute and how they''d felt compelled to disclose that they had at last found someone able to read minds. What did everyone think about telling the public about the power? Surprise was the initial response of course, and fear of witch-hunts. But, reassured by the news that none of the Institute''s clients had been scared, they agreed to consider it. All agreed that there had been a lot of books with mind-readers in them, some as heroes, some villains. No one knew of any serious theological consideration of the issue, except the ones that either concluded that the witch-hunts of the past were a reaction against genuine evil or that they were all a case of vindictive lies being believed by the gullible. They''d think about it. It would certainly be convenient if people avoided touch. One of their number, a catholic monk who rejoiced in pointing out that it wasn''t just protestants who could claim a living faith, promised he would talk to his abbot, who knew about his gift. Others said they''d discuss the issue with people they trusted. Karen issued a word of warning, based on her experience with Ivan. Disclosure brought the possibility of discovery if normal people thought surprising thoughts as they touched skin. It was more of a problem in hot climates, or where gloves would never be worn.
Thinking about hot climates, Sarah had a thought. [We know metal transfers thoughts. What about water? Has anyone been swimming in the sea? Did you find you picked up thoughts that way?]
¡®Not that we''ve noticed,¡¯ was the consensus. Maybe water was too conductive and earthed the signal? [Yet another experimental series, oh joy,] Sarah concluded.
Karen responded, partly in jest, [And then the question arises whether we can communicate with dolphins, apes, and so on. Has anyone tried that?]
There was a long silence followed by a lot of denials, and no few mental voices raised in concern that that might be using something holy for base motives.
[Sorry, that wasn''t my intention. But I expect some ten year old will ask it if word gets out about bypassing the language barrier. Urm, I''m not clear on something, and it seems important. Is it the gift or the power that enables that?]
[It''s the gift,] confirmed someone, Karen couldn''t remember who. [The power lets you understand physical intentions, the emotional tone, that sort of thing, but real communication is only through the gift.]
[But with emotional contact, someone with the power might be better at training animals, more aware of their moods. I''m sorry for going on about this, but while I''m new to the gift and the power, I know that when I was young I often felt that I was more aware of the guard-dogs¡¯ moods than even their trainers. I was wondering if it was just childhood fantasy or something real.]
[Were you touching them?] came the obvious question, to which Karen had to admit defeat: she couldn''t remember.
The conversation moved on, and Kate suggested the conference idea. One motive would be to share Mama Ng''s legacy. If it were useful to some, surely it was useful to all. Others had their own versions. But yes, it was agreed, pooling knowledge, memories and approaches would be a good thing. But was a conference needed? [Why not just one or two people travelling at a time, maybe each of us should meet a neighbour or two, pass on what we''ve received?]
[It would take longer, but yes, it''d work,] confirmed Sarah. [Several short trips instead of one long one.]
[Less jet lag.]
[But meeting together to worship is a good thing.]
[There would be risks if we all met. All of us fragile eggs in one basket.]
[Let''s think on this too.]
[Agreed,] Kate said.
[May God bless all our thinking and grant us unity.]
[Amen! We''ll talk again another day.] And by mutual agreement, the international conference ended.
[Thank you, Enoch, for arranging that. I have a question though,] John thought. [How is it that people were entering and leaving that discussion? Was that you doing something, or them?]
[Ah, you''ve not met that mode then?] Enoch asked.
[We can talk to people in an area, or to individuals. But how did what we were just part of work?]
[Where were you listening?] Enoch asked, in teaching mode once more.
[Urm, I don''t know,] John admitted.
[Here, I think. Are you telling us we can listen elsewhere?] Sarah said.
[Exactly! In fact I''m sure you have already.] [Well, when we were first listening to Karen and George''s thoughts, when we were rescuing them. But that''s different.] [Yes, slightly. But look, when you''re talking to me you''re sending to my home, and I don''t know if you''ve realised it but you''re also letting your thoughts leak to others in the room. I can''t avoid hearing, nor can any of you. But when we were talking to the whole crowd, well, you could say they lent us their ears. They sent their thoughts to your room, and they listened to the thoughts that were there too, including the ones sent from elsewhere.]
[Well, that explains it,] George acknowledged. [But how?]
[And since this isn''t radio or sound, as far as I can work out, what is it that they are listening to?] Sarah asked. [I''ve no idea, Sarah. All I know is that it''s a gift from our Lord, and it works. Maybe we''ve been given angel''s tongues and ears,] Enoch replied.
[It''s obviously related to the power but different,] George thought. [Maybe if we can find out what goes through metal doors and pipes but not through gloves, then we''ll be on the way to finding out.]
[Why are you so hooked on finding out about this, Sarah?]
[I guess from my physics training,] Sarah admitted.
Karen added [And I want to be able to give my mother better protection than a pair of gloves ¡ª some sort of thought screen that would help her sleep at night.]
[Help her sleep? She has the power?]
[No, but her little brother did. She told us yesterday what he was like.]
[Sarah said you had a contact in Security now. Is that your mother?]
[Enoch,] Sarah interrupted. [I was wrong to let that thought escape, and it was incorrect anyway. The Institute has had contacts with several security agencies for a long time. Now, please don''t dig.]
Kate added, [I expect that Sarah meant we didn''t know who to call when we heard Karen''s cry for help. Now we do, but you''d need clearance from our government before we could tell you who that was.]
[OK, I understand. Don''t tell, don''t ask. But your mother knows you''ve got the gift?]
[Yes. She''s known about them both for a long time, from talking to Sarah''s mother, who at least mentioned Mama Ng to her.]
[How did Sarah''s mother get involved? I''m getting lost here.] Enoch said.
[They were cousins. My mother had the power, but my parents died before she could teach me much. My dad made me some kind of suppressor to protect me from my evil distant cousin.] [And then, because no one knew what was going on, when that suppressor was broken and Sarah started suffering from the pain, they decided it was some kind of anxiety attack, and eventually she came to the Institute and then God started doing strange things in our lives.]
Enoch summarised, [So Sarah and George were born with the power, Karen has the genetic link at least, but what about John and Kate? Anyone in your family trees?]
[Not that we know of. Pure divine intervention as far as we know.]
[Oh well. I''ll let you start work.]
[Aren''t you going to tell us how to send our ears somewhere else?] George asked.
[Oh. It''s not hard. If you can''t work it out by tomorrow I''ll tell you then.]
[OK Enoch, the students will try and solve the exercise for hours, and then Clever Professor Enoch can rub our noses in how easy it all is,] Kate said, in a tone dripping with mock humility.
[You deserved that, Enoch!] Rose observed. [They''ve got work to do over there, you know.]
[If they don''t have time, I''ll tell them tomorrow, but I think they''ll be able to work it out, and in their curious explorations they might find out other things we don''t know.]
[Oh, all right. But you''re going to suffer, you know,] Rose said.
[Oh?]
[Well, they''re going to need somewhere they can eavesdrop on, aren''t they?]
[So?]
[So you''re going to invite them to listen in to us discussing your plans to redecorate the house and replant the garden. And no changing the subject to any more immediate plans you might have until they let us know they''ve got it.]
[No! Such cruelty!]
[Well, you could always just give us the answer, but I don''t think I have much else to do,] George said. [So I''ll start working on it soonish.]
[You can at least enjoy your meal in peace!] Kate said. [I think I''m going to keep them all busy for an hour, at least.]
[Thanks, Kate,] Enoch said.
Community / Ch. 14: The Legacy
Book 2: Community / Ch. 14: The Legacy
Tuesday 9:00 am
¡°So what have you got planned for us, Kate?¡± John asked.
¡°Well, there''s one or two documents to be written, I think.¡±
Groans filled the room. ¡°But I think, John, I''d like you and Sarah to work on what went on yesterday. Not for publication, but as an internal record, OK? Major emphasis on the risk levels. We''ll get Ivan to come up with a short description of what he found happened to John''s brain. But also note down how you got that image. You never know, someone might need it in a century.¡±
Sarah had an idea. ¡°Before we start, another thing I think we should do is try to pass on Mama Ng''s legacy. We don''t know how to add to it, but I think if we put our heads together, John and I can pass it on.¡±
¡°That''s a good idea,¡± Kate agreed. ¡°Who gets it first, or do we all receive at once?¡±
¡°For safety''s sake let''s only do one person receiving it at a time,¡± John suggested. ¡°That way at least some of us aren''t out of action in case of some kind of emergency.¡±
¡°Oh Lord, let there not be any of those today!¡± prayed Karen.
¡°Amen!¡±
Kate asked, ¡°George, are you happy to be involved?¡± He nodded. ¡°Great, then I''d like you and Karen to work on an experimental set-up to test thoughts going along bits of metal. What allows them, what blocks them and so on. Since we don''t know much yet, the first thing to do would be to see what you can both touch without any thoughts passing. It''d be embarrassing to build something then find the support conducts thoughts.¡±
¡°Yes, wouldn''t it,¡± Karen laughed.
¡°If they find any new candidates, it would be interesting to try just a paper-thin sheet of whatever it is, as though it was a glove,¡± Sarah suggested.
¡°OK, I''m sure Horrace and Ivan have a nice pile of materials at hand. Grab a corner of the lab and see what you can find out. Write notes of course.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± agreed Karen.
¡°So that leaves me getting my brains fried, doesn''t it?¡± Kate said. ¡°I''d feel happier if we prayed first, you know.¡±
In the end, they decided not just to pray, but to get Janet to hook them into the brain scanners. John had the prototype helmet on once more, which had been altered slightly so that he could lie back, in what looked suspiciously like a second hand dentist''s chair. Kate was in the smaller scanner. Sarah would be watching over both.
John and Sarah put their minds together and thought back to when they''d received that parcel of memories from Mama Ng. They were surprised to see it sitting in each other''s minds, clear and sharp like an enormous multifaceted gem. Somehow it was still there, unaltered, even though their memories of the events surrounding it were growing hazy already. Not wanting to risk opening it, they didn''t gaze at it for long. ¡°Kate, are you ready?¡± John asked. ¡°It''s sitting here in our memories, a great big crystal of a thing.¡±
¡°It looks as unchanging as granite so I don''t think we need to worry about it degrading,¡± Sarah added. ¡°Do you want to do this now, or wait until we''ve found out how to add to it?¡±
¡°Give it to me, we''ve gone to all this trouble to get hooked up to these things. That way there''s a spare copy of the original if you two don''t get the adding right. Ready, Janet?¡±
¡°Yes, I''m ready. No, I''m not. I''m going to get Ivan to watch over the other console. Hang on a minute.¡±
¡°I''m not going anywhere,¡± John said from inside the franken-helmet.
¡°I wonder what we''re about to learn from these machines,¡± Kate asked.
¡°Probably how many kilowatts we use sending and receiving this massive thing.¡±
¡°And which parts of the brain it affects.¡±
¡°Ah, so we find out where the pathways for sending and receiving are, maybe. That''d be interesting.¡±
¡°Ah, new specimens for my toys!¡± Ivan announced with mad-scientist glee.
¡°Ivan, sometimes I wonder if you''re pretending to be a mad scientist a bit too much,¡± Kate said.
¡°Who said anything about pretending?¡± Sarah asked with a grin.
¡°Hey, I''m sane!¡± protested Ivan, then added in a stage whisper, ¡°I have to be sane, or they''ll take away my toys.¡±
¡°What about proving its not an addiction, Ivan,¡± Janet said. ¡°No mad scientist for a week. Or any other persona either for that matter.¡±
¡°Not even stage magician? With my beautiful assistant?¡± he said, beaming at Janet.
¡°You''re assisting me, Ivan.¡±
¡°Oh yeah. OK. I''ll try for a week. But I might get withdrawal symptoms.¡±
¡°If you do then we can always schedule some time to talk about it,¡± Kate threatened, teasingly.
¡°And if you succeed then I just might let you meet my protective brother, and the rest of the family too,¡± Janet said.
¡°Seriously?¡± Ivan was surprised. She''d told him about her brother''s habit of grilling her friends, and how she suspected his intimidating attitude had made some friends decide they weren''t interested in pursuing a relationship. ¡°Well, it depends how well you do, but I think if you''ve got the will-power to not hide behind your mad scientist mask and just be Ivan, then you''re going to find my brother a pushover.¡±
¡°Oh. You mean you think I''m going to fail?¡± he asked, his excitement sliding towards depression.
¡°No,¡± Janet said, ¡°I think you''re going to realise you can function without any masks, Ivan.¡±
Kate added, ¡°Ivan, we''ve talked about this, remember? Janet''s on the right track, but can we talk about this another time? I expect John wants to get out of his iron mask.¡±
¡°Kate, there''s no iron in that mask, it would affect the field,¡± Ivan corrected.
¡°I know, I know, but can we start? What with Sarah suggesting we should call it off, John worried about us boiling our brains and you two getting distracted about the idea of impending romantic bliss, I''m getting nervous. Let''s just do it, can we?¡±
¡°How about you pray or do that meditation thing first?¡± Ivan suggested.
¡°Thank you, Ivan,¡± Sarah said, ¡°good thought.¡±
¡°Both, I suggest,¡± John offered.
¡°OK, we''ll pray, then calm down a bit, then Sarah can give the countdown and John can start the transfer on zero.¡±
¡°You''re the boss,¡± John said.
¡°So you pray for us all, John.¡±
¡°Father God, we don''t know how risky this is, but we don''t want these valuable memories to be lost. We think it is good to share them. Protect us from our folly if that''s what this is, and lead us to all wisdom. We commit ourselves to Your hands and ask that You guide Ivan and Janet in all they do. Yours is the glory, the power and honour, Lord. Amen.¡±
¡°Amen. Let''s spend some time in peace now, people,¡± Kate ordered.
Their brain patterns changed, and Ivan and Janet speculated on what was going on in their minds. Then, strangely, they saw a matching pattern imposed on both sets of monitors. Kate and John''s patterns weren''t identical but there was some greater pattern they seemed to be fitting in with. It certainly wasn''t normal, it didn''t even fit what they''d seen when Sarah and John had been ¡®thinking together¡¯ on something, or any other thought pattern they''d seen during their tests. There was something decidedly unusual about it. It wasn''t radio interference, the equipment was shielded against that, and it wouldn''t look like that anyway, but Ivan still checked. Nothing. Ivan was about to check to see if there was some wiring fault that might explain it, when the strange signal ended. It didn''t just turn off, like an intermittent fault would, it was more of a diminishing, a fading away until it was too small to notice. But Ivan pointed out now he knew what was looking for, it was still present though much reduced. Then it stopped. Quite simply it hadn''t seemed like anything that Ivan could explain. Not wanting to give any suggestions to their semi-conscious colleagues, Janet wrote a note to him, ¡°What''s the betting they wake up and say they''ve just been talking to their God?¡±
¡°Scary thought,¡± he wrote back. ¡°And if they do? Do we tell them we saw it happen?¡±
¡°What, give them ammunition to challenge our comfortable world-view?¡± Janet asked, thinking that her world-view wasn''t actually as comfortable as it had been. There seemed to be a lot of things happening that didn''t really fit into it.
¡°If only I could discover a wiring fault,¡± Ivan wrote back.
They saw their colleagues'' brains returning to alertness, then Sarah opened her eyes and asked, ¡°How long were we out of things?¡±
¡°About quarter of an hour. Why?¡±
¡°It seemed like longer, or shorter. We couldn''t decide. Sometimes happens that way when God comes to chat.¡± Her face seemed to be glowing, Janet noticed.
¡°He''s, urm, given us a couple of messages to pass on, Ivan, Janet. I don''t know if they make sense to you,¡± John said. ¡°One is that a good scientist knows that discarding a false hypothesis is easier than inventing a wiring fault.¡±
Kate spoke next, ¡°The other is that truth is more comfortable than fiction. Do they make any sense to you at all?¡±
¡°There was no sign of any scanning activity, was there?¡± Janet asked Ivan.
¡°No, but we didn''t have Sarah hooked up, did we?¡± he pointed out.
¡°But I''m not sure they''d attribute to their God something they''d made up, would they?¡±
¡°Doesn''t seem likely, and there was that signal.¡±
¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Kate asked, perplexed.
¡°I think we''re talking about the authenticity of truth claims and the power of external corroborating evidence to overcome a natural resistance to any change in world-view,¡± Ivan said. Then pulled a face. ¡°Or since I''m not allowed to hide behind any masks, we saw something inexplicable on the monitors, and my true love here came up with an uncomfortable explanation about what we were seeing, and now you''ve confirmed it. Not to mention scuppered any hope I had about explaining it away to myself and Janet as a wiring problem.¡±
¡°And I hadn''t done more than hint to Ivan that I was getting uncomfortable trying to fit some of the recent events into my world-view,¡± Janet added.
¡°Ah. So that''s why there was the third message!¡± Sarah exclaimed.
¡°Third message? What was that?¡± Ivan asked, curious.
¡°It was for us,¡± John said, ¡°we think so, anyway. We mustn''t worry so much, and we could finish playing with our toys if we wanted to. But then we should get on with the important things. We were rather wondering what He meant, but...¡±
¡°You should get us to sign away our immortal souls while we''re still in shock at the thought we might have them?¡± suggested Janet, somewhat bitterly.
¡°Not at all,¡± Sarah said. ¡°But I expect you''ve got the odd question or two, not to mention gaps in your knowledge and incorrect preconceptions.¡±
¡°In other words, friends,¡± Kate said, ¡°let''s either get us out of this equipment or get this over with. Then if you like, you can have the rest of the day off to pick our brains and talk things over. I don''t imagine you''ll be able to concentrate on much else anyway.¡±
¡°Urm, thanks, Kate,¡± Janet said. ¡°Sorry for the negative way I just said that.¡±
¡°No problem, Janet. So, do we finish this?¡±
¡°Yes, let''s,¡± John said. ¡°I don''t really like getting into this thing, you know.¡±
¡°OK, I''m ready,¡± Ivan said.
¡°Me too!¡± agreed Janet, turning back to her monitor.
Sarah, trying to stand watch over John and Kate with mental as well as physical eyes, joined her mind lightly with both of them. It was a little trickier linking with Kate than joining with John had become and also she had to be careful to not link too deeply with either of them. She opened her awareness to their surface thoughts and a little deeper, but not too deep. She didn''t want to see every thought and injure herself, after all. For Ivan and Janet''s benefit she spoke aloud, ¡°Three, two, one, go!¡±
She saw John mentally put a kind of cage around the memory, and then he ¡°pushed¡± it to the forefront of his mind. Kate''s mind was listening and started to receive the memory. Sarah''s physical eyes saw John grimace in the effort that it took to hold the memory there and was amazed that Mama had been able to do such ¡°heavy lifting.¡± Or perhaps there was a better way. But in Kate''s mind she saw how overwhelming it was. She cut the link, as she realised that she was making more work for Kate''s mind, which she certainly didn''t want to do. Instead, she gave herself a few brief peeks, purely from her own gift. Kate''s mind was coping better now that she wasn''t having to do whatever self-analysis was needed for the mental link to work, but Sarah could see she was tiring. Then the transfer was finished. [Seek peace now, Kate! Whatever you do, don''t try to look inside it.]
¡°Finished!¡± she said aloud. ¡°I''ve told Kate to cool off.¡±
It hadn''t been quite as complex as a full scan, because the memory package had been there at the front of John''s mind, and tightly defined. But there had been a lot of detail for Kate to take in. ¡°Interesting!¡± Ivan said. ¡°First results are in for John. Lots of memory related stuff, and odd fluctuations in your motor cortex.¡±
¡°And for Kate?¡± Sarah asked.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
¡°I''d say it was mostly what I''d expect for a startling new visual memory, but far higher activity than I''ve seen there before. An enormous level of processing. There was some other stuff happening early on, but that seemed to die down after a while.¡±
¡°That''s interesting. I started off linked with her, but I thought it looked like she was struggling to cope with that, so I broke off and watched her the hard way. Speaking of which, I''d better see if I need to cool down for a while myself.¡±
John was concerned. He understood why Sarah had to break off the link, but he wasn''t sure she should have continued monitoring. But he should probably rest too.
¡°Janet, Ivan, do you need me alert to get this contraption off my head?¡± he asked. ¡°I feel fine, but I thought I should check too.¡±
¡°Oh, sorry, John,¡± Ivan said, ¡°I was distracted by the data.¡± He released the straps, raised the helmet from John''s head, and then carefully swung the crane to lower the helmet into its resting place.
John focussed on peace. The waters of that peaceful ocean tugged at his worries for Sarah and he let them go. He could sense her presence, as well as Kate''s, and he was aware of that familiar, uncomfortable heat. There wasn''t much for him, but unusually he could sense that it was strong in Kate. [Kate, how are you feeling?]
[Not very comfortable. Sarah said she could feel the heat coming off me, you too?]
[Yes. I''m mostly OK, so I''ll get Janet to cool you down.] John said.
[Thanks, John.] Sarah said [Kate ordered me to stay and cool down myself ¡ª I am pretty hot, but nowhere as bad as Kate is ¡ª and I was having moral dilemmas about disobeying my boss as opposed to helping her recover.]
[Kate, why?] John asked.
[I didn''t want to be stripped and watered in front of you and Ivan,] Kate said, rebelliously. [So you''d rather boil? I''ll leave the room.]
[Thanks, John.]
He returned to the normal world and found a concerned Janet checking Kate''s temperature.
¡°She''s really hot, Janet. Worse than we''ve seen. The only reason Sarah didn''t come straight back to tell us is that Kate ordered her to cool down herself. I think she needs the full wet-cloth treatment and maybe even some anti-inflammatories as a precaution, but she didn''t want you to do that to her in front of us.¡±
¡°I thought you said your God told you it was safe!¡± Ivan said, as Janet started sponging down her face and neck. ¡°No, I don''t think He said safe, just that there wasn''t any point in worrying.
That''s not quite the same, you know. But I don''t know how Kate got so hot, unless it was because of Sarah''s watching. Unless.. No, surely not...¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Well, I know Sarah warned her not to try and look inside the bundle... But, well, you know Kate.¡±
¡°Yes, we know Kate. She might have decided she knew better,¡± Ivan said. ¡°And that maybe a quick peak wouldn''t hurt. There was another major spike in activity just as Sarah said it was all finished,¡± Janet confirmed.
¡°Oh, Kate!¡± John exclaimed. ¡°Well, give her an ice pack or something. I think she''s tried to cook her brain. I hope she recovers.¡±
¡°I''ll give her a dose of anti-inflammatories,¡± Janet decided, ¡°Then let''s at least respect her wishes and you boys get out before I pour cold water all over her. And John, tell her she''s been a very very silly woman.¡±
¡°I''ll let you know if there¡¯s a reply.¡± John went to his office. As he focussed on peace, he muttered a prayer.
¡°Father God, I don''t know how foolish Kate has been, but heal her, I pray, if she has injured herself.¡±
He was aware of Sarah''s presence first, and she told him privately, [John, she''s told me what happened. She looked at the bundle, and I''m concerned.]
[We worked that out in the lab. There was a spike as you told Janet it was done. We shouldn''t worry, especially not here. Have peace.] Addressing Kate, he passed on his message.
[Hello, Kate. Janet says you''re a very very foolish woman.]
[She''s right. But I''d like to think I''ll live, otherwise I''d deprive her of the chance to tell me that face to face.]
[What were you thinking of, Kate?] Sarah asked.
[I wanted to make sure that it had arrived safely.]
[And was that so important that it was worth the risk?] John asked, incredulous.
[Maybe not. No, of course it wasn''t. I just didn''t realise how hard opening it would be.]
[I did warn you, Kate!] Sarah protested.
[I know. Sorry.]
[Kate, I''d say that this, plus telling Sarah not to tell Janet immediately that you were in trouble makes two errors of judgement in quick succession. What''s wrong?]
[I don''t know. Stupid pride I guess. No. I can''t lie. It''s Pete plus stupid pride.]
[Pete? Why?]
[The owner''s lounge. He agrees with you, and I really really wanted him to agree with me. We ended up having a row. I guess I don''t like being told what to do, and what with Pete disagreeing with me, I guess I just rebelled. Sorry, you''ve every right to be upset with me.]
[We''re concerned about you, Kate, not upset. How are you really?] John asked.
[Hot. And I don''t want to feel how badly my head hurts away from the peace.]
[I''ll tell Janet,] John thought quickly.
[Thanks, John. And tell Pete I''m sorry, will you? Now, just in case.]
[OK, Kate.]
After passing on the news about Kate''s pain he called Pete. ¡°Hi, Pete, it''s John. Urm, I''m not quite sure how to say this. Kate''s made a mistake, over-using her gift. She''s, um alive, but in a lot of pain. She''s just asked me to tell you she''s sorry. I''m not sure if she means for what just happened, or something else. She did say you''d had an argument last night.¡±
¡°But she''ll be OK?¡±
¡°We don''t know, Pete, we''re in uncharted territory. Sarah passed out once from over using her gift, but we think Kate''s done more than that. Janet''s given her an anti-inflammatory, but we just don''t know. If her brain swells anyway, well, that''d be bad, and I don''t know how much you can heat braincells without permanent damage.¡±
¡°I''ll come right over. You can talk to her, she''s not unconscious?¡± John could hear him shutting off the tools of his artistry.
¡°Mind to mind. She''s staying in the peace right now.¡±
¡°Sounds sensible. Tell her I''m sorry too and I forgive her, will you, and that I''ll be praying.¡±
¡°See you soon!¡±
[Kate! Pete¡¯s coming, he''s sorry, he forgives you, and he''ll be praying.]
[That''s a good idea,] thought Sarah.
[Father God, heal our sister Kate, please. Don''t let her unthinking pride harm her,] Sarah prayed fervently.
[Father, I have sinned,] prayed Kate. [Save me I pray from this pain. Don''t let Pete''s heart be broken, don''t let my foolish stupidity separate us before we even marry. Help us to honour you in thought and word and deed, to understand each other better, and to be united in love.] Then the wordless worry that had been preying on her mind finally found the words to express itself: [Oh Father, it would be so much easier if he could know my thoughts, or I couldn''t know his! How can I have closer contact with my colleagues and friends than my future husband, Lord?]
[Kate,] John thought gently, [remember what the Lord said? We mustn''t worry so much. We thought it was about the transfer, but maybe it wasn''t. Let the peace of the Lord take your worries. We''ll leave you to pray this through.] Kate realised that John was right. She''d been holding on to those worries earlier, and in fact she still held them. She''d really let her temper fly with Pete, and had said things she wished she never had. Only the fact that her engagement ring was also her I.D. had stopped her flinging it at him, so furious had she been by the end. She regretted it now of course, but she''d really wanted to hurt him, and she was sure she''d done so. She really hoped she''d live long enough to let him know how much she regretted that desire.
But here surrounded by the strong love-filled peace of God, there was no place for worry. She realised that she''d sinned against the gift of access to this place by holding on to those worries here, and rejoiced as she felt that sin washed away by the gracious tide as soon as she realised it and confessed. Then, with the clarity of thought that came with that forgiveness, she realised how self-centred she''d been, for while she''d worried about the pain she''d caused him, that had been because of a worry that she might lose him.
Shock stopped her thoughts for a moment. Even what she''d thought were good thoughts had their roots in selfishness. She turned her thoughts to God, and once more she offered herself to her maker, feeling like a toddler fallen into thick mud. [Lord, thank you for the gift of forgiveness. I need far more than I thought. I''m so sinful, God! Please, make me clean.] Once, when she was young and paddling on the beach on a hot day on holiday, a freak wave had come from apparently nowhere and drenched her from head to toe. She''d felt shocked and refreshed and amazed all at once. She didn''t see what enveloped her now coming either, but it poured round and through her, cool and powerful and refreshing. Washing her clean and taking the heat away in one go.
She was clean and she was healed and she was restored. It was time to leave, she knew. It was too easy to abuse the wonderful gift of this place. To just treat it as a cooling place for overheated minds was like thinking of a hospital as somewhere to get out of the rain. This was a place where falsehood was exposed and concerns washed away, where the clamours of the world and the body were silenced and faith was strengthened. Yes, all that and more. A place for the healing of souls. Hers had been healed and now it was time to try to help heal the wounds she''d caused to Pete''s soul. She closed her eyes to the peace and opened them to the mundane world, with all its noises, petty concerns, aches and pains. Pete was there, looking worried. ¡°Pete!¡± She smiled at her fianc¨¦, ¡°Sorry for last night.¡±
¡°Shouldn''t you be resting still, Kate? Not that I''m not pleased to be able to talk to you, but I don''t want stop you recovering. You are recovering, aren''t you?¡± She heard the worry in his voice.
¡°God is gracious, Pete. It looks like you''re going to have the chance to put up with my selfishness a bit longer. I''m fine. A bit weak maybe, but fine. How are you? I''m sorry for worrying you.¡±
¡°Shouldn''t you still be resting, Kate?¡±
She had an idea. Maybe it would stop his worrying. Sitting up she grabbed his head with both hands and kissed him. ¡°Pete, I''m fine.¡± Kiss. ¡°God poured a bath full of water on my brain.¡± Kiss. ¡°Or that''s what it felt like.¡± Kiss. ¡°I''m fine!¡± Kiss. ¡°Though maybe a bit more feeble than normal,¡± she admitted, lying back down.
¡°You''re not fine, Kate, you''re beautiful, and I love you too, but you''re acting strangely.¡±
¡°I am not acting strangely, Pete. I''m trying hard to reassure my man that I''m OK, that I love him and that I''m really really sorry for last night, all at the same time. Now do be a gentleman and call Janet in. I need her help for a bit.¡±
Somewhat confused but relieved, Pete knocked on Janet''s door. ¡°Janet, I think Kate said she''s been miraculously healed. She claims to be fine but she seems a little unstable in the physical sense.¡± Then more quietly he added, ¡°Maybe other senses too.¡±
¡°I heard that, Pete!¡± Kate called, with a laugh. ¡°I''m fine!¡±
¡°But she''s giving orders which must be a good sign. She''d like you to go and help her with something.¡±
¡°That''s a relief,¡± Janet said and went to see what Kate wanted.
¡°Hi, Ivan, I didn''t see you there,¡± Pete said, as Janet left.
Ivan looked up from what he was reading. ¡°Hi, Pete. Good to hear that Kate''s well. It wouldn''t have made much sense otherwise.¡±
¡°You''ve lost me. What wouldn''t have made sense?¡±
¡°Oh, the strange signals, messages, all that confusing stuff earlier.¡±
¡°Urm. Still lost.¡±
¡°Oh sorry. I''ll explain.¡± And he did. ¡°So, there you have it, your God dropped by to have a chat, we witnessed it, Occam¡¯s razor cuts throat of atheistic fudging. Then Kate tries to boil her brains and where does that put the ¡®Don''t worry so much¡¯ message?¡±
¡°So you were worrying that God got it wrong with the don''t worry message?¡±
¡°Well, it doesn''t exactly build confidence, does it?¡±
¡°I can see your point. But maybe the message was for all of you. There''s been a lot of worry here, about all sorts of things ¡ª Kate''s been worried silly about going public and extra threats, worried about giving away secrets. Worried about bad publicity, witch-hunts, attacks, bomb threats.¡±
¡°All very natural, don''t you think?¡± Ivan asked.
¡°All totally pointless and showing a remarkable lack of trust in our creator,¡±
Kate said, as she and Janet came in.
¡°No sign of any swelling or anything,¡± Janet said. ¡°Kate obviously needs to eat more regularly, but otherwise I''d give her a perfect bill of health.¡±
¡°Told you I was fine, Pete,¡± Kate smiled. ¡°But I do want to bring our wedding date forward.¡±
¡°Really? I thought you wanted us to have time to get used to ¡ª what was the phrase? ¡ª ¡®the idea of a shared life after so many years of singleness''?¡±
¡°Yes. Silly, wasn''t I?¡±
¡°Urm...¡±
¡°You''re allowed to agree with me, Pete. You''re even allowed to disagree. And I hope I''m allowed to change my mind.¡±
¡°OK, Kate, yes, I think you were over cautious.¡±
¡°Good. I wonder, how about making it a double wedding. No, that''s not fair on John and Sarah.¡±
¡°What''s not fair on us?¡± John asked, coming down the corridor. ¡°We''ve finished the report, at least a first draft.¡±
¡°Well done! I was just thinking that a long engagement is a waste of time.¡±
¡°Kate!¡± Pete pleaded, ¡°Please don''t go from one extreme to the other. Give us time to decide who to invite, please!¡±
¡°Oh, all right. Is everything coming together for your big day, Sarah?¡±
¡°I think so. To be honest I''d really love to escape the whole wedding lists and reception planning and all that stuff and just elope.¡±
¡°Ah, but then you''ll upset people who want to be part of your day,¡± Janet said. ¡°And they''ll spill expensive food on their expensive clothes and they''ll remember far more than I do because I''ll be so busy.¡±
¡°Yes, that sounds about right,¡± John said.
¡°But by the end of it all we''ll have some photographs to remind us, and each other to cherish.¡±
¡°Which is what it''s all about, really, isn''t it?¡±
¡°It is a lot of hassle to go through to get some photos though,¡± teased John.
¡°So, shall we elope then?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Naah, think of the waste. We''ve already done most of it now.¡±
¡°Oh well.¡±
¡°Sorry to ask this Sarah,¡± Kate interrupted, ¡°do you think you could pass on any advice some time?¡±
¡°What, other than run away and marry him in private, without the guest lists and everything?¡±
¡°Well, a little less drastic than that, yes.¡±
¡°Yes, Kate, I''d be happy to.¡±
¡°Great, you and metal man here can come for a meal and I''ll pick your brains, how''s that?¡±
¡°Would Thursday be OK?¡± Sarah answered.
¡°Oh, I was hoping tonight. But if you''re busy...¡±
¡°The meat for tonight is already marinating.¡±
¡°Ah. OK.¡± Sarah could hear the disappointment.
¡°Would a lunchtime chat work instead, Kate? If so, pick a day.¡±
¡°It''s a deal. Pete, do you want to be in on the conversation where we seal your doom?¡±
¡°I rather think I should, don''t you?¡± he replied.
¡°Well, it saves discussion later.¡±
¡°Don''t I get a say in when we marry, love?¡± Pete wondered, fairly sure what response he''d get. He was almost right.
¡°Of course, Pete. I was just assuming you''re standing by what you said a while ago about wanting to marry sooner rather than later.¡±
¡°Kate! I said that in the context of you proposing to wait a couple of years, and you''re now thinking I won''t have thoughts about days verses weeks?¡±
¡°Sorry, Pete. John, Sarah, If Ivan and Janet don''t need you, can you try to solve Enoch''s challenge? I''m going to chat to Pete for a bit. Come on, Pete, let''s go to my office.¡±
¡°It''s OK, Kate. I can cope with changes of plan, really. Just do give people time to actually get the invitations, please.¡±
¡°Oh Pete! Don''t worry!¡±
¡°I''m not worried, just, this is a bit of a new you, Kate.¡±
¡°Pete, it feels like God washed a lot of junk out of me. I don''t want to be hyper-careful, that''s what long engagements are for ¡ª to make certain the two people know and trust each other. But I know you, Pete, and I trust you. There''s no reason except fear of change to be hyper-careful.¡±
¡°It wasn''t hyper-careful that got me here this morning, Kate.¡±
¡°No, that was about sinful pride and rebellion.¡±
¡°Ah. And this?¡±
¡°This is about love and repentance, Pete. I got angry last night because of fear and pride and rebellion. I didn''t want your honest answer. I wanted you to tell me these youngsters were wrong and I was right to be afraid. I almost wrecked our relationship because of wounded pride, and then this morning I almost died because I was fed up with Sarah being right, so I wanted to prove her wrong. Does that make sense?¡±
¡°Yes, I think it does. So that''s why you''re asking her advice now?¡±
¡°Urm. Maybe. I hadn''t thought of that. It just seemed sensible. But Pete, God''s given me a new chance. I want to take it and not lose it. Not lose you, either. I want you in my life, Pete, and I want unbreakable vows to bind us together. And since I''m greedy and selfish, I want those things soon.¡±
Pete didn''t need much thought for his answer. He embraced her, and pausing only to say, ¡°I must be selfish too,¡± he kissed her.
Of course the contact meant she was only too aware of his thoughts, which were at that moment parallel to her own. Except that reminded her: [Oh, Father God! Can our marriage work with us being unequal?]
¡°What''s wrong, Kate?¡± Pete asked, noticing her tense up.
¡°I don''t want to worry, but I do. This mind-reading thing. I don''t want it to come between us, Pete. But it means that in some ways I''m, I''m closer to the others than I can be to you.¡±
¡°And you''re afraid that you''ll become frustrated with me that I can''t understand you as well as they can?¡±
¡°Yes. And that you''ll feel excluded.¡±
¡°And so you''re really tempted to pray the gift into me like Sarah did to John?¡±
¡°Yes¡±
¡°But?¡±
¡°You said that you didn''t want me to, and Sarah''s prayer wasn''t planned, or even intentional.¡±
¡°But nevertheless God answered it.¡±
¡°As He did mine, which was even less intentional.¡±
¡°But you''d been prophesied about.¡±
¡°Yes. No one told me that though.¡±
¡°But you worry, even though you''ve been told not to?¡±
¡°Yes. And I worry that if you change your mind and I do pray for you to receive the gift, the answer might be no, and that might disappoint us both and it''d be worse than it is now!¡±
¡°Kate. I think you''re forgetting to trust God. He says not to worry. All it does is get you into a mess. So I''m going to pray for you, my love. OK?¡±
¡°Please. For all my years as a psycho-counsellor, I''m really not that sane at the moment, am I?¡±
Pete didn''t respond to that last comment, but prayed: ¡°Father God. You know Kate''s worries. Help her to trust You. Help her to know that all is in Your hands, and she has no need to worry about these things, because Your plans are perfect. Help her to plan wisely and trust fully. Enable us both to serve You as faithful servants. May Your will be done in our lives, wherever Your will takes us.¡±
¡°Amen. Thank you, Pete. Before I go and tell Janet and Ivan that they can quiz me if they like, can I just ask? Wedding dates... What DO you think?¡±
¡°Urm, I think that if Sarah''s expert advice says we can organise everything in a fortnight, which I honestly doubt, then you''d make me a very happy man if you agreed to share my life then. Much sooner than that and I don''t think I''d have time to arrange a honeymoon.¡±
¡°I was wondering about that. Do you think we can go on one? There''s so much happening!¡±
¡°I think we need to, love. Better if we go before you publish, surely.¡±
¡°Yes. You''re right there, which reminds me. We should come up with some kind of timetable to publication.¡±
¡°Yes. Are you OK with the idea of letting a journalist in now?¡±
¡°Yes. I think so. Please make those calls.¡±
¡°OK, Kate. You''re the boss. Any particular reporter or organisation I should call first?¡±
¡°I''ll leave it to your discretion.¡±
¡°OK, how about we just invite the big five news/media conglomerates?¡±
¡°Maybe. I was wondering if it might actually suit a local organisation too.¡±
¡°And they''d be permitted to arrange any redistribution contracts they liked? Oh, they''d love it, I''m sure. But it would have to be a group with a major backer. Let me think a bit more.¡±
¡°OK, love. I''ll get on to Security straight away to see if they''re really happy with the idea.¡±
Sending the message to Security didn''t take long, but she was annoyed to see she had some other messages that wanted urgent replies. But they weren''t as important as being available to Ivan and Janet.
Community / Ch. 15: Dont Worry
Book 2: Community / Ch. 15: Don''t Worry
Tuesday 11 am
John knocked on Janet''s office door. She and Ivan were deep in conversation. ¡°Hi, John, Sarah. We''re coming up with a whole heap of questions. But neither of us is sure they''re the most important ones, or very relevant.¡±
¡°Well, Kate''s said we''re at your disposal. So fire away,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Or perhaps it would help if we gave you a quick run-down on what we think is the basic framework we''re discussing, then you can decide if you want to revise your list?¡±
¡°Sounds like a good idea,¡± Ivan said. Janet nodded her agreement, then said, ¡°You know, this is a conversation I never thought I''d have. My parents told me that God was just a story that people told their kids to make them behave, like father Christmas, only nastier. But it feels like I am saying, ¡®Oh, it looks like Father Christmas is real, what do I need to do so he doesn''t clobber me with his big stick?¡¯ It''s so unreal. And scary.¡±
¡°Oh, Janet,¡± John said, ¡°I never realised you had such a negative view of God.¡±
¡°It''s not like that?¡±
¡°No. Janet. Not at all.¡±
¡°But Kate almost died. That''s a big stick.¡±
John tried to explain. ¡°Kate, well she''ll tell you why, I''m sure, decided she knew better when Sarah told her to rest. So, rather than resting her over-heated brain she made it work incredibly hard again. God used that crisis to deal with some major issues that needed sorting out, then took the combined heat away faster than the original heat would have dissipated. Would God be at fault if you lit a fire in your house and could have died, but before God put it out without it even damaging the carpet, he used the smoke to kill some termites you didn''t realise were there?¡±
¡°That''s a complicated analogy, but no. If you put it like that, he rescued her, didn''t he?¡±
¡°Yes. That''s what God''s like, Janet,¡± Sarah said.
¡°So he''s not scary?¡±
¡°It depends on what you mean,¡± Sarah replied. ¡°He''s the King of the universe, and right now you''re part of the rebellion. That''s not what you might call a sustainable position. So he calls this conversation important. Far more important than any jobs us humans might give each other, or plans we might have.¡±
Ivan responded, ¡°That''s why Kate''s giving us today to talk about it? You''ve got your orders and you''ve got to do your duty?¡±
¡°But it''s not just duty, Ivan,¡± John said. ¡°Kate and Pete and Ed would all be overjoyed to be here too. It''s just that we don''t want to overwhelm you. We love God and we''re happy to talk about Him, just, you know, people don''t like it if we do it all the time. Say the word and we''ll call the others, or if you like, we can rotate, or whatever you''d prefer.¡±
¡°Ah. I see. Sarah said you could give us a framework?¡± Ivan asked.
¡°Sarah, did you have something particular in mind?¡±
¡°I was thinking of the wordless book they talked about on Sunday.¡±
¡°Oh, OK, you go ahead then. I get the colours confused,¡± John admitted.
¡°Wordless book? Is this some kind of mystical thing?¡± Ivan asked.
¡°No, it''s just an old old memory aid," John said, "from when all books were paper. It had different coloured pages to remind people of the message. My memory isn''t up to remembering what the colours stand for though.¡±
¡°Oh, John! Ivan, Janet, do you want the visual aid, or shall I just tell you? The visual aid is intended to help kids who can''t read yet remember it,¡± she glanced pointedly at her fianc¨¦.
¡°I think we can do without the visual aid then. Maybe John needs it though?¡± laughed Janet. Laughter helped.
Sarah explained the scandalously simple basics of the Christian message, with pointed comments to John about the colours that kept the tone light. It was a real pleasure to talk about God''s character, his love, patience and forgiveness. But without the scheme she would have found it very hard to tell her friends their destiny if they didn''t accept the gospel, and if people don''t understand the bad news about where they are, then the good news is robbed of so much of its power.
¡°So there you have it. That''s the basic message.¡±
Just then Kate stuck her head round the doorway. ¡°Please do tell me if you want me, friends, but it seems I''ve got to answer some messages from the accountants.¡±
¡°Thanks, Kate,¡± Ivan answered. ¡°I think Sarah and John are doing OK. I''ll probably have some questions for you later though.¡±
¡°Me too, but go keep the accountants happy, Kate,¡± Janet added, then turning to Sarah she said, ¡°It''s too easy. Surely there''s more to it than that! What about all the rules and candles and strange words?¡±
John replied, ¡°Well, there are some churches that use candles still, but they''re more of a traditional memory-aid than a necessary part of anything. Strange words are either jargon or just phrases which used to be in normal speech centuries ago but the language has changed. And as for the rules, well different people have different attitudes to rules.¡±
¡°Some people think you need rules to avoid making dangerous mistakes,¡± Sarah said. ¡°I know when I was little there were rules against touching wires. But then they got refined, and now I''m allowed to touch wires, but I''m not so silly that I''d put a power lead into my mouth any more.¡±
¡°So,¡± John continued, ¡°the adult set of rules is, ¡®Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your strength,¡¯ and also, ¡®love your neighbour as yourself.¡¯ But you could say the second one comes from the first, because you can''t really love God without caring for people he cares about.¡±
¡°So what''s the Bible for, and churches, if God changes you, and saves you, and the only rule is love God?¡±
¡°Because we''re still fighting against rebellious habits and temptations. The human race as a whole are against God, so it''s good to encourage each other and to remind ourselves of what God is like. The Bible tells us that, in different ways. That''s why we read it, so that we understand God''s character and plans better.¡±
¡°You know, that''s really really different to how I understood religion,¡± Ivan said in a confused tone. ¡°I thought it was all about earning favour from the gods, or making sure that your good deeds outweigh your bad ones.¡±
¡°Well, Ivan, most Christians I know don''t like using the word religion about our faith.¡± John said, ¡°You don''t find it in the Bible very often either. It''s there, just not the main description. We often see religion as being a way that people try to put their concept of God into a box to make Him more like us, to reduce His standards and let us be part-time followers, and we don''t want to take that direction.¡±
¡°So this world religion you follow isn''t one?¡±
¡°Oh, it''s got religious aspects. But we don''t want to follow a set of rules or a system of philosophies. We want to follow the one true God.¡±
¡°That''s quite an exclusive claim,¡± Janet said. ¡°You''re right and everyone else is wrong?¡±
¡°Well, if there are things that religions agree about there are also things that are fundamentally different between them. So if one is right then lots have to be wrong,¡± John pointed out, logically.
¡°And you''re saying that you''ve got the exclusive truth?¡± Janet asked.
Sarah spoke, although she didn''t know where the words came from, except from her heart. A desperate plea to her friend who seemed to be throwing away a vital chance. ¡°No, Janet. We''re saying that God has spoken into our lives, rescued us from belief systems and half-hearted self-centred thinking. This isn''t about comparing man-made systems, Janet. Either God is real or He isn''t. If He''s real, then any human invented system needs to be compared to Him, and it''ll fall short. The only way that we can know the Unknowable One is if God makes Himself known in history. That''s what the Bible is full of. God speaking into history, and lives changing, the world changing as a result. But in most individuals¡¯ lives He doesn''t do it very often, if at all. You and Ivan have been given the rarest thing on this planet ¡ª re-playable evidence of the supernatural at work. More than that, this gift we''re using, seeing in action, is supernatural, but it''s becoming so normal you''re getting used to it. Oh, I expect that we''ll find a mechanism for the power, some kind of sympathetic resonance or something. But for the gift? Never! How can it be possible for me to know what an individual is thinking half way across the planet, along with unthought of information like who they are, what the layout is of the place they''re in? There''s no physical process I can think of that could transmit that data this far even. Yes, we''re learning different aspects of the Gift, but It''s not a learned skill in the normal sense of the term, I assure you; it''s more like learning where to find the right book in a library. How is it possible for any of this stuff to work without divine intervention? The signal you saw migh be explained away, and if you want to, you can do that. You can refuse the opportunity God has given you. He won''t force you to follow. But please, please, don''t go getting distracted with philosophically obscure excuses to put off the decision until you can''t remember what the fuss was about. Make a real choice while you can, before your memories get fuzzy and other things seem to be more important. They''re not.¡±
Sarah''s eyes were full of tears, but her face had seemed alight as she spoke. John was sure that such a heart-plea, or prophetic message, he wasn''t sure which, would have taken its toll on Sarah. But also that the toll was worth it.
Gently he said, ¡°Sometimes my belov¨¨d Sarah opens her mouth and out comes the blunt truth in a powerful way. Like now, though not normally so long. The words might be hers, but I''ve never seriously doubted where the message comes from. I honestly think you have enough knowledge, enough understanding, to decide what you want to do. And I recommend that you think a little individually about it. Sarah''s words were powerful but we don''t want you to feel pressured.¡±
Sarah shook her head and said in an emotionally exhausted voice, ¡°Don''t you dare feel pressured. It''s too important a decision.¡±
John continued, ¡°If you want to talk further, we can do that, or you can talk to the others if you prefer. Or if you decide you want to follow God, we''d be very happy to tell you how.¡±
Janet said directly to Sarah, ¡°I don''t know where those silly questions came from, Sarah. Thank you for getting me back on the right track. I want to know your God.¡±
Ivan reached for Janet¡¯s hand. ¡°I can''t deny that we''ve witnessed the supernatural. I didn''t want to say earlier, so that Janet could decide for herself, but I''ve decided. I want to be on God''s side.¡±
¡°I don''t know, what do we do? Is it normally a private thing?¡± Janet asked.
¡°I''m guessing we don''t need many candles,¡± Ivan said.
¡°No, no candles needed. It''s usually something fairly private. I mean really it''s between you and God,¡± John said, then paused for a bit of thought. ¡°There''s no need for it to be private though. It''s simply a prayer where you ask God to forgive your sins and you commit yourself to Him. There are several standard versions of course.¡±
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
¡°I think I''d like lots of witnesses,¡± Janet said. ¡°It''s going to be much easier to tell my family here at the Institute than my family back home. Somehow I think it''ll be easier telling them if everyone here sees me commit myself to God.¡±
¡°It''s unusual,¡± John said, ¡°but I''m sure Kate could call a staff meeting if you really want her to. Ivan?¡±
¡°Urm. I think I''ll go with just you three,¡± Ivan said. ¡°Can you tell me what to say?¡±
So with great joy John and Sarah led Ivan through the prayer where he put God on the throne of his life.
Ivan asked Janet, ¡°It''s pretty overwhelming, Jan love. Are you sure you want to pray in front of everyone?¡±
¡°Yes. I''m sure. I don''t really know why, but I''m sure. Urm, can you help explain to everyone, Ivan?¡±
¡°Of course, love.¡±
John called Kate, and Kate discussed with Janet when the meeting should be; Will was with a client, so it was arranged for in an hour''s time ¡ª just before lunch.
Kate said that John and Sarah shouldn''t keep Enoch waiting much longer, so they went to John''s office. He held the door open for her and as she passed he gave Sarah a quick kiss.
¡°You like surprising me, don''t you?¡± she said. ¡°You hid again to do it, I presume.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°I suppose I should practice more too,¡± she said with a sparkle in her eyes. [Surprising you will be fun on the honeymoon.]
¡°I heard that, love. Just remember not to hide for long, and don''t get badly stuck.¡±
¡°I don''t want to get stuck at all! It''s scary. And as for hearing me, you were meant to. I love you so much, John! It''s only two weeks, but you were right about powerful forces.¡±
John could feel that feedback was near, and he had a sense that Sarah was getting swept along with it. ¡°Yes, my love. So perhaps we should plunge on with work rather than think about our honeymoon. Or perhaps we should think about all those fun last minute arrangements we need to make.¡±
Sarah groaned, and the feeling of approaching feedback died away. ¡°You do know how to spoil the mood, don''t you?¡±
¡°I love you too much to let ¡®the mood¡¯ take control of you, Sarah. I do have the advantage that I''ve been through this before.¡±
¡°And that was when you were a hormone-filled lusty lad, I know.¡±
¡°Love can beat lust, Sarah. Emotions are real and powerful, and sexual desire is one of the most powerful of the lot, and it''s normal that we feel it for each other. It''s part of marriage, after all. But I don''t ever want to treat you as a thing. That''s what lust does, in my book.¡±
¡°I know, John, I know. But feedback isn''t lust, is it?¡±
¡°I''m not sure what it is, beloved, but it does affect our thoughts and emotions and heart rates.¡±
¡°And probably hormones too. And we agreed it seemed dangerous. It''s nice, dangerously nice to be filled with that sense of loving and being loved. I''m sorry for playing with it. Let''s keep it for after the wedding.¡±
¡°Only another eleven days. Feedback-less kiss of agreement? And then work?¡±
¡°Yes. I''ll hide this time.¡±
Sarah hid her mind and they kissed briefly, chastely, but full of love. Sarah did get stuck briefly, and John felt her brief panic. But then she was free. [Merge, Sarah love?]
[Merge. Nasty horrible sticky mud.]
[You''re getting better at freeing yourself.]
[So how do we do this?] Sarah asked.
[Enoch said it was ¡®almost like when we were rescuing George and Karen.¡¯ Then we were focussed on the their skins, as Enoch puts it.]
[And it must be something like focussing on the skin of a room, but different since that tells us who''s there,] Sarah added.
[So, shall we try deeper than a room''s skin?]
[But that''s not very like like Karen or George''s skin, is it?]
[So, should we focus on Enoch''s ears then or something like that?]
[Yes, that sounds like a good start. You do it, John, and I''ll observe if that''s OK, you''re better at trying new stuff.]
[OK, here goes.] John focussed his thoughts on Enoch''s ears and relaxed whatever it was he relaxed.
[So, that''s the garden sorted. But I don''t have any plans to redecorate the house, Rose. What were you talking about?]
[Don''t you think you should have? I mean, it''s been almost twenty years since it was last done properly. The colour schemes are out of fashion, and have been for a decade.]
[So, if we wait another few years then we''ll be at the leading edge of fashion again. I really really don''t understand the logic of getting hard-wearing easy-clean paint that has a no quibble guarantee for thirty years, if fashion dictates you change it after ten.]
[Enoch, I don''t think you''re going to win, but keep trying!] John sent.
[Hi, John, you''ve worked it out?]
[Yes. First try actually.]
[Oh, well done you!]
[Well, you gave us too much of a clue when you said it was like when we were helping rescue George and Karen. Have a good evening, you two.]
[Thanks, everything OK over there?]
[Yes, it all worked for good eventually! Sorry to keep you waiting, we had a crisis when Kate tried to boil her brain. But God is good. He healed her and called two other staff members to faith.]
[Praise the Lord!] Enoch and Rose said together. [What did she do?]
[We thought we should pass on Mama Ng''s legacy,] Sarah thought. [She took a peek at it straight after she got it.]
[Of all the crazy...] Enoch started.
[She was a bit fed up with being told what to do by people less than half her age,] Sarah explained.
[Almost a bit fed up with life by the sound of it,] Rose said. [She''s OK?]
[Healed, repentant and even asking for advice,] John reported.
[Some lessons we need to learn the hard way,] said Rose, obviously thinking of something specific.
[Praise God for second, third and fourth chances,] Enoch said. [Speaking of which. We''ve been talking, Rose and I. We don''t think that living in fear of discovery is what the Lord had in mind when he gave this gift to his church. We shouldn''t worry, that''s a very scriptural principle. There''s nothing that says don''t let people know, and lots about not hiding gifts. I''ve chatted to the others and they agree. It''s time for what was whispered in secret to be shouted from rooftops.]
[God told us not to worry too. Thanks for the confirmation. We''ll pass it on to Kate.]
[Urm, Rose, can I ask you something? Totally different subject,] Sarah asked.
[Yes, sure!] Rose said.
[We find that we get this sort of emotional feedback between us if we''re not really careful about not holding hands too long. Apart from the moral risk this side of the wedding, is it dangerous?]
[You mean, is it going to boil your brains on your wedding night? No, don''t worry. You don''t get it when you link minds, do you?]
[No, not then.]
[So you can keep under control that way, or take turns hiding during your vows. All it means is you''re going to have a fun time on your honeymoon, Sarah. Just make sure you''ve got privacy and that you''re married before you let it fully loose.]
[Thanks, Rose.]
[Ah, the joys of young love!] Enoch said. [Almost as enjoyable as mature love, don''t you think, Rose?]
[Almost. But don''t think that we''re done discussing the house, Enoch.]
[We''ll leave you to continue your discussions in private,] John said, [and thanks!]
[You''re welcome!]
John and Sarah withdrew, and, careful not to trigger feedback, they went to report their success.
Pete had gone back to his work after his discussion with Kate. When she let him know what was going to happen at the staff meeting, he was in two minds about whether he would turn round to come back for it, or do a little work before the lunchtime discussion. In the end he decided he would go to the meeting. If Janet wanted lots of witnesses, then he could be there too. It was an unusual way of witnessing to Christ, but to him it sounded like something God had laid on her heart.
Kate told the staff members, ¡°Hi, thanks for coming. This is probably the most unusual staff meeting you''ve ever been to. To start with, I''m not going to say much. Janet wanted you all here, and Ivan''s going to set the scene.¡±
¡°Friends, I''ve been challenged not to slip into any characters for a WHOLE
week.¡± Laughter. ¡°Hard though it will be, it''s possibly not going to be as hard as I thought. This morning, Janet and I saw something on the EEGs which I couldn''t explain. John, Sarah and Kate were in their strange trance thing, and either the laws of physics had been turned off and a signal from outside the lab was getting into Horrace''s custom built interference free cables, or both EEGs suffered a fault which caused a simultaneous, synchronised pattern to alter both John and Kate''s EEG traces. That''s not rational either. My Janet wrote down the most likely explanation we could think of: that their God, now my God too, had dropped in for a chat. We know what mind-reading looks like on the EEGs. They weren''t reading anyone¡¯s minds. Them responding to God was the best answer, so when they confirmed Janet''s guess, I couldn''t do anything except listen to what John and Sarah said about him. I thought I knew what they believed before. I was wrong. I didn''t. So I asked that they tell me how to defect from the losing side. Like almost everybody else they know who''s made that decision, I just had a friend or three beside me when I prayed that God would accept me.¡±
¡°I don''t know why,¡± Janet said. ¡°Maybe its God''s desire. You know I''m not normally an exhibitionist. But I feel I need to commit my life to Him in public. You''re my witnesses, thanks for coming.¡± Saying this, she bowed her head and prayed, ¡°God, I understand now that You made me and You love me, that You deserve my worship and love, but I''ve ignored You and despised people who believe in You. Now I know that You''re real, that what I''ve always believed is so wrong: that when I was told You were a lie, that wasn''t the truth; that when I was told You were always angry, that wasn''t the truth either. Thank You for teaching me the truth. I deserve Your anger for what I''ve done but You want to forgive me. Thank You for Your love for me, which I don''t deserve and Your forgiveness which I couldn''t earn. Thank You for Jesus who died so He could take my sins and make me clean. Take them now, Lord, I pray. Make me who You want me to be. Be my God, my master, my heavenly Father and my friend. Thank You.¡±
Ed was nearest her, and as she turned to sit, he said simply, ¡°Thank you for sharing that, sister. Welcome to the family of God.¡± He gave her a hug. That simple gesture, those words of welcome, were so different she was sure to what her natural family would say, that she felt like crying.
Then Horrace, who she knew had climbed mountains in his youth, said, ¡°Janet, that''s probably the bravest thing I''ve ever seen anyone do. I''m honoured to be your colleague and I hope friend.¡± She couldn''t stop the tears then, though somehow she managed to get out a thank you. And then Ivan was there, and she buried her face in his shoulder, and tears of joy mixed with fear soaked his shirt.
¡°God is good, Janet, and I think He gave you the strength to do this,¡± he reassured her then asked, ¡°Are these tears about your family? Would you let me be with you when you tell them?¡±
¡°Janet,¡± Kate said, ¡°God is with you now, and forever more. I know you''ve heard it before, but you don''t need to worry.¡±
Janet smiled at the thought of where that phrase had taken her. ¡°No, we mustn''t, must we.¡±
¡°You know,¡± Ed said, ¡°I read that in my Bible this morning, and I was going to tell you, Kate, but I completely forgot. I''m sorry.¡±
¡°Thanks, Ed. I think we all need lots of reminders about that one.¡±
It didn''t take long for Pete to draw up his short-list after lunch. It was very short. There were only two local news services, and research quickly showed that neither had much influence or readership beyond the city. But there was a locally based national news channel with a good reputation, which had just been bought up by a multinational. The parent organisation obviously had the resources to keep other organisations away from an exclusive deal, and according to his contacts it wasn''t just the reporters who were looking anxiously for some evidence that their future wasn''t just going to be another sub-office producing ¡°fluffy kitten stories¡± and repeating stories from other channels. The editorial staff were also hoping to pile up all the reasons they could to show their new bosses that their standards and journalistic talent should survive the take-over. Pete was pretty sure they''d be overjoyed at the chance the Institute was about to drop in their lap, and explained all this to Kate that afternoon.
Kate agreed, and yes, using the owner''s lounge was fully appropriate in the circumstances. There was enough local mystery about it that it''d maybe get them the sort of hearing they might not get otherwise. ¡°We''ll need Teresa to draw up a non-disclosure agreement. Then you try to get the editor in chief to a meeting to discuss ¡®a unique opportunity for a series of exclusive reports¡¯ or whatever that phrase was you talked about. Should you or Teresa send it, or should it come from the Institute?¡±
¡°I''ll send it. Or rather, my old PR company will. That''s the best way. I''m glad I didn''t sever relations with them entirely. It''ll reassure the editor that we understand those words.¡±
¡°I still don''t understand what''s special about them.¡±
¡°The two bits, ¡®unique opportunity¡¯ and ¡®exclusive report¡¯ were over used and totally devalued a century ago. Back then they''d be applied to everything so they meant nothing. They became a standing joke, and fell out of use. But they were useful phrases, and eventually the international body that represents press relations organisations managed to get them a legal meaning in a news context. Now, if we used either of them falsely then we''d be liable to a big fine for misuse, but the letter would be unlikely to get rejected by a sub-editor. To use both, well, the fine would put most companies out of business if it weren''t a genuine offer. The offer should get the sub-editor''s personal attention, and he''ll probably come himself.¡±
¡°Ah. I see. And your old colleagues won''t mind you potentially putting them out of business?¡±
¡°No. I''ve told them what the offer was, and that it''s genuine. They agreed that it was appropriate. Also there''s a little form for you to sign that says the Institute stands behind the offer and you understand the penalties if the offer isn''t genuine. Here it is.¡±
¡°Oh, so it''s just my neck on the line, not theirs?¡± Kate asked with a grin, ¡°That¡¯s better. Well done.¡±
¡°And Security have given it their OK? That''s rather important.¡±
¡°Yes. Subject to the journalist getting clearance, all is signed, stamped and approved.¡±
¡°That was fast.¡±
¡°Yes. We seem to be getting extra special treatment now. The other gifted agree too, by the way, it''s time to tell the world.¡±
On the way to her home for more wedding planning that evening, Sarah and John linked their thoughts once more.
[It was a good idea to ask Rose, love.]
[You didn''t mind?]
[No, not at all.]
[Eleven days. Just eleven days.]
[May they not be as eventful as the last few!] John prayed.
[Amen!]
[Oh, Sarah, when you were talking to Enoch, I heard a sort of echo. Did you when I was speaking?]
[Yes. It makes sense. You hear me here and there.] [Shouldn''t it have been longer?]
[I don''t know. The earth isn''t really that big compared to the speed of light.]
[So we could try and measure the speed of thought?]
[I guess so, John. I guess so. But I''d guess it''s going to be the speed of light.]
[Oh. That''s not so fascinating is it?]
[It''s a fundamental property of God''s universe, John. But you''re right. I''ll try and work it out. It would be interesting to see if our thoughts go round the earth or through it.]
Community / Ch. 16: Discoveries
Book 2: Community / Ch. 16:Discoveries
Monday morning, 24th July.
Karen and George worked their way through the wide selection of metals, plastics, composites and fabrics in the laboratory store. If there was a pattern, they weren''t quite sure what it was at the end of their first day. Iron worked to transmit thoughts, as a pipe, sheet or wire. Copper, which is a far better conductor, didn''t work as a wire, but did, just, as pipe, and was perfect as a sheet between their hands. Wood and plastics didn''t transmit thoughts except some specific ones. Some composites worked, others didn''t. Fabrics seemed to be universally effective at blocking thoughts when dry. But even soaking wet sponge blocked it though some other fabrics didn''t when slightly damp.
¡°I think I''m seeing a pattern, George,¡± Karen said, near lunchtime.
¡°You are? Great. Make a prediction. I''ve just realised we didn''t do aluminium, so it''s next.¡±
¡°Like copper, unless it''s too oxidised.¡±
¡°Ah. Well, we have available an anodised aluminium sheet, cooking foil, and thin aluminium wire.¡±
¡°I''d predict probably yes for the cooking foil between our hands, not for foil on a piece of foam. If it works for hands then it''ll work if we put it on top of a sheet of wood. Anodised shouldn''t work unless we make electrical contact somehow, say by holding the wire too.¡±
¡°Wow. That''s some prediction. If you''ll accept kisses then I''ll give you two if you''re right.¡±
¡°Why two?¡± she asked curiously.
¡°Because I want to kiss you if you''re wrong too.¡±
¡°Ah. Cunning. In the circumstances, I might accept your generous offer.¡±
¡°Then let''s test them.¡±
Karen got two kisses.
¡°Hey, this is a lab, not a love-nest!¡± Ivan called from the doorway. ¡°Was that a celebration, or just getting distracted?¡±
¡°Celebration,¡± George said red faced. ¡°Karen made correct predictions.¡±
¡°Oh ho! Write it down quickly and we''ll tell the others.¡±
¡°Oh, staff meeting? I must have forgotten.¡±
¡°Yes. And you couldn''t have forgotten, Kate''s just called it. George is honorary staff too.¡±
¡°Is this an honour, or a duty?¡±
¡°Oh, an honour, I believe.¡±
¡°OK, family, I''ve decided to call this meeting because I wanted to tell you all something I''ve just been told, and there are a few other announcements too. Firstly, most of you''ve heard that we were involved in breaking a major crime spree last week. The news I''ve just had is that the culprit has shockingly enough confessed quite a lot and pleaded guilty. This is so unusual at this stage that investigations are continuing to try and find out why, not to mention to gather evidence on several other counts.
¡°Secondly, Pete and I have set a date for our wedding, and you''re all invited.¡± She paused for the cheers to die away. ¡°To avoid a conflict of dates, we''ll be getting married in under four weeks¡¯ time, or in other words just after Sarah and John get back from their honeymoon. John, several people have pointed out that you''ve been acting as assistant director for a while, so when you come back that''ll be your title. Probably your first duty will be to take charge of this little crowd while I''m away. And you''d better have a very good reason indeed to call me.¡±
¡°Urm, thank you, Kate. This is a surprise. Are you sure about the promotion though? I know there are others with far more seniority than me.¡±
¡°Yes, I know. Sorry to them. But they''re all doing really important jobs where they are. Don''t worry, the promotion doesn''t come with a raise, just more work.¡±
John groaned dramatically and everyone laughed, even those who''d just been passed over for the job title. ¡°Thirdly, round about the time I get back, we expect that we''ll be playing host to a reporter who''s going to be attached to the Institute for quite some time. I presume they''ll be coming and going rather than staying full time. They''ll be Security cleared, and roughly speaking will have permission to report about all the fun stuff we get up to, so long as it''s published data and doesn''t identify anyone. Details to be announced as soon as we know more. But basically the intention is to let the press in now, in a controlled manner, so that when we go public about the mind reading we don''t get an angry mob storming the gates.¡±
¡°We''ll probably still get reporters sitting at the gates,¡± Horrace said.
¡°Yes, and we''ll probably have the security barriers up with copies of the UN declaration all over them, in big print. Meanwhile our friendly reporter will be giving reports with nice pictures of the flowerbeds, taken sometime when there''s no one around, and explaining why the UN restrictions were put in place to begin with. Karen, could we use part of your story to show the risks of A.I.''s?¡±
¡°Um, yes, sure. Should I work on a suitable version of it?¡±
¡°Oh, yes please. Any other questions?¡±
¡°What will the clients think? Won''t they see it as a reduction in security?¡± asked Will.
¡°I hope not. That''s one of the reasons that we''re not wanting it to happen very quickly ¡ª we''ll give everyone a few days to review the idea and rationale and then a couple of weeks to check out the reporter. If there are objections, we can make sure that the reporter doesn''t meet the individuals concerned.¡±
¡°I have a question,¡± George said. ¡°Just how much do we need to tell this reporter? Is everyone going to stay almost incognito in front of them, or assuming I''m still here, would I tell him or her that I''m a mind-reader helping the Institute and using it as a safe house at the same time? That last bit seems too much information. Likewise, I assume that no one mentions Karen''s status, but the reporter will surely notice the guys from Security unless we get a blind reporter.¡±
¡°Or one who leaves earlier than the rest of us do,¡± Karen suggested.
¡°Good question, George, good suggestion, Karen, but of course it doesn''t prevent them waiting to see how we travel.¡±
¡°No. Maybe some level of limited disclosure is reasonable?¡±
¡°I wonder,¡± Karen began ¡°we''re going to try to get a serious, respected, experienced, recognisable reporter, aren''t we?¡±
¡°That''d be ideal, yes.¡±
¡°Then as far as John and I are concerned, probably Sarah too, the point is almost certainly moot anyway.¡±
¡°Eh?¡± George said.
¡°I''ve met an awful lot of that sort of reporter. They''re where they are, at the pinnacle of their profession, because they''re good. Very good. Because they remember names, faces, incidents. John Williams with a metal leg, easy. Sarah Smith, slightly trickier, until someone mentions that you lost your parents, or how you came here. Me, they''re probably going to remember me from some official reception or something. That''s probably about fifty of the top hundred reporters. Ten or fifteen of them played tiddlywinks or hide and seek with me when I was little, and Daddy was in some big meeting they''d come to report on. If we get into single figures they read me stories in some airport in exchange for a one on one interview.¡±
¡°So, maybe it''s a question of handing them all the info on a plate or letting them play detective and finding it out anyway?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Yes, that''s about right,¡± replied Karen.
¡°We''ll probably get advice on that anyway,¡± John guessed.
¡°I expect so,¡± Kate replied.
¡°Is there anything else, Kate?¡± Ivan asked. ¡°If not, I''m curious about what Karen and George have found out.¡±
¡°You''ve got results?¡± Kate asked, ¡°That''s great! Come on, share them!¡±
¡°Very very provisional, but we found that it''s not just one factor. Thoughts don''t go down a piece of soft wire, and they don''t go down every rigid structure, by any stretch of the imagination. But if you have both an electrical connection plus something that''s rigid enough to transmit sound, it seems to work.¡±
¡°Karen predicted that foil on top of a piece of wood would transmit, but foil on top of a piece of sponge wouldn''t. She was right.¡±
¡°That''s fascinating. I wonder what''s happening there!¡± Sarah exclaimed.
Karen then added, ¡°Of course, one prediction could be a fluke, and it could be something even weirder, or it might be that something we were doing differently between samples contaminated the data. But we just couldn''t get any thoughts through a piece of sponge, wet or dry.¡±
¡°It''s certainly going to make building test equipment interesting,¡± Ivan observed. ¡°Sponge isn''t exactly the ideal precision building material.¡±
¡°But it might work as part of whatever we use to clamp the sample,¡± Horrace said.
¡°True,¡± Ivan admitted.
¡°Well, complete your tests, youngsters, it''s all good science.¡±
¡°We hope. I''m having doubts,¡± Karen said.
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because if it''s right, then we''re going to need a whole new mechanism for the intention thing, and that makes so little sense.¡±
¡°Then what else could it be?¡±
¡°I don''t know, but I want to re-run some of those tests, George. I think we were further apart for some tests than we were for others.¡±
¡°Of course we were. Oh.¡±
John suggested, ¡°You could look at the camera records, if that''d be faster than retesting everything.¡±
¡°Or get the computer to, maybe,¡± Sarah added.
¡°Sounds much easier,¡± George agreed.
¡°So, if we add a column to our table for distance between our heads during the test, Karen, Ivan?¡±
¡°Good start. Can the computer recognise when you did the test?¡± Ivan said.
¡°Just before we reported the result, I''d assume,¡± George said.
¡°Worth a try,¡± Karen agreed.
¡°OK, people, anything else to report?¡±
¡°I did a double batch of pizza bases on Friday,¡± John said, ¡°and if someone could put the unused half in a freezer, that''d really help. We''re running out of space.¡±
¡°So you two are really doing the catering for your own wedding?¡± Janet asked, amazed. ¡°I thought it was a joke.¡±
¡°It''s a family tradition,¡± Sarah said.
¡°And it saves a fortune too,¡± John added.
¡°But surely, the extra stress!¡± Will exclaimed. ¡°You''re just setting yourselves up for a fight.¡±
¡°If our tempers can''t stand a little stress before the marriage, Will, then we can practice forgiveness,¡± Sarah said, philosophically. ¡°And if we can''t forgive each other, maybe we''re not as ready for marriage as we think we are, and that''s better discovered before the wedding, don''t you think?¡±
¡°Wow,¡± Will commented.
¡°So if I''m covered in bruises on Saturday, then you''ll know the stress got too much for my beloved and she finally carried out her threats to trample me into the ground.¡±
¡°John! I wouldn''t do that! You know that.¡±
¡°Yes, it would ruin the wedding pictures, wouldn''t it?¡± he teased, with a grin.
¡°I think, Sarah,¡± commented George, ¡°that you''re discovering that you should only threaten what you would not mind doing in the cool light of day.¡±
¡°Especially if there''s a reporter around to witness it,¡± added Karen.
¡°OK, I understand. Less violent threats. Better, no violent threats. But that is going to be hard.¡±
¡°Changing bad habits always is, Sarah,¡± Kate offered. ¡°But it''s not like you''re in it alone.¡±
It was lunchtime, and they were walking in the park. Something was obviously nagging at Sarah''s mind. ¡°John. Could you listen to this?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°Is this like the echo you heard? You know when we sent our ears to Enoch?¡±
And she got her wrist-unit to play her saying some test sentences.
¡°I think the echo wasn''t that long after the sound, Sarah.¡±
¡°That''s what I think as well. It''s odd.¡±
¡°How so?¡±
¡°Well, assuming that I''ve got my basic maths right, this is how long light would take to go right through the middle of the earth to Enoch''s home and back again.¡±
¡°But does it need to go both ways? What''s it sound like if it''s just one way?¡±
¡°It''s got to go both ways though!¡±
¡°What does it sound like, Sarah?¡±
¡°Oh, all right, like this,¡± and she played the sound with half the echo time.
¡°Better, but still slightly too long, I think.¡±
¡°Hmm, I agree.¡±
¡°So?¡±
¡°So if our perceptions of how long the echo is are right, and if the mechanism doesn''t introduce extra delays somehow, then the gift is certainly beyond anything physics can study.¡±
¡°Urm, could you explain?¡±
¡°Did you hear the echo a bit like this?¡± and she played the recording again, with the echo exactly right.
¡°Just right! Well done. Where does that get us?¡±
¡°Roughly from here to the middle of the earth.¡±
¡°So thought moves four times faster than light?¡±
¡°Maybe. Or maybe the echo isn''t from you hearing me directly and over there too.¡±
¡°But if it is?¡±
¡°Then either thought is going through hyperspace or some other thing from science fiction, or causality is broken and we''re in trouble.¡±
¡°Causality?¡±
¡°Any event that causes another event is seen to occur before the event that it causes by every observer.¡±
¡°Basic physics?¡±
¡°It''s a basic assumption for some things. It might even be philosophy, I''m not sure. Where you are looking from shouldn''t change which one happens first if there''s cause and effect.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°But if thought really beats light, then in theory you could turn on a laser pointed at Mars because you see through the gift that someone on Mars has turned on their laser. But to someone on Earth it would look like your laser turned on first.¡±
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°And that''s a problem?¡±
¡°People will say that you couldn''t have done that. Either you did it first, it was independent, or there was some other timing signal.¡±
¡°Urm. I still don''t get why anyone will be in trouble.¡±
¡°Nor am I, if you don''t mind being considered a liar. If sequence and cause and effect isn''t a problem. It''s not quite as much a mess as time travel would bring, of course.¡±
¡°I think I understand, almost. But you said there was an alternative. Hyperspace or something? How would that work?¡±
¡°Well, it''s possible that if our universe is all warped in another dimension and that if you can escape the universe and go through that other space, then you can get round annoying things like the speed of light, and get the space hero home in time to marry his girlfriend. Or space heroine back to marry her boyfriend, of course. But somehow that''s rarer in books.¡±
¡°That sounded like there were a lot of ''if''s in there.¡±
¡°Oh, there are. More than I said.¡±
¡°But wasn''t there something about time being different, so if he goes fast enough he gets home quicker?¡±
¡°Yes, if he goes off of his fifty light-year trip fast enough, then for him it can be all in a day''s work. Unfortunately his girlfriend isn''t as young as she used to be ¡ª by about fifty years.¡±
¡°Ah. So I''d better take you with me, my beloved?¡±
¡°Or not go gallivanting around at nearly the speed of light, yes.¡±
¡°So where does this leave us?¡±
¡°Refusing to worry and enjoying a walk on a lovely summer''s day?¡±
¡°That sounds right. And don''t forget that a day is like a thousand years for God.¡±
¡°And a thousand years like a day. I know, God is outside time.¡±
¡°So, Sarah my love, is there really any reason that a spiritual gift should obey known physics?¡±
¡°I guess not.¡±
Karen and George, not permitted to enjoy walks together, were eating in George''s flat. The convenient thing about using the power while eating was that they could chew and talk at the same time, just by touching.
[George?]
[Yes, Karen?]
[Happy anniversary!]
[Of what?] George tried to work out what had happened a year ago.
[It was about this time of day a week ago that you told everyone including my mother that you would marry me.]
[Karen, anniversaries are usually years, not days! It''s in the word.]
[They don''t need to be, though. Meanings change.]
[Thank you, Karen. I owe you my life.]
[Thank you, George. I owe you my hands.]
[Hardly compares.]
[I know. All I did was check on you then pass on some information. But you carried me most of the way back down the tunnel, ignoring protesting muscles and exhaustion, not to mention my stupid protests. Thank you, George, for that self-sacrificial love.]
[It came naturally, Karen. I''d been fighting against being in love with you so long, because of the prophesy. It was so wonderful that you were the woman of the prophesy as well as the girl I thought about almost all day and night.]
[And there I was thinking you were stand-offish and formal, never even shaking hands when everyone else was all for ¡®greeting one another with a holy kiss''.]
[I did get some of those ¡®holy kisses,¡¯ Karen. Some weren''t so very holy, unfortunately.]
[Oh? Do I have rivals?] Karen was surprised at the strong jealousy that thought stirred in her.
[Not from my point of view, Karen. Oh it was nothing very serious, but there were some who seemed to be keeping score of how many kisses they could get, and others who I think saw it as a challenge to see if they could sneak up on me unawares.]
[How did they manage?]
[Normally by working in pairs. Around Christmas Sandra cornered me ¡ª literally ¡ª and declared that if I didn''t let her give me a kiss then I was no Christian. Her thoughts were full of victory when she kissed me. Possibly from a bet, I''m not sure.]
[That''s terrible!]
[Moderately. It could have been worse.]
[I''m sure.]
[You''ll find out, Karen, I expect, that people think of all sorts of things when they are just going about their daily lives. And when they''re upset or on an emotional high they talk to themselves, and well, you can''t avoid hearing sometimes.]
[Which one was it for me?]
[Pardon?]
[When you learnt that I had contacts? I heard you thinking that when I first tuned into you.]
[Oh. {shame}]
[Come on, George, out with it! It wasn''t so accidental, was it?]
[I don''t know, Karen, I don''t know, but probably not. Maybe it was just I paid more attention to what I heard from you. But you know, there were things like you helping me move tables before and after meetings. I''d start moving one on my own and someone would help. You helped me more often than anyone else, I think.]
[You are a good person to do it with, I never got bruised shins when I moved tables with you.]
[Now you know why. The tables had metal rims round them, so I heard you thinking `oh, watch that step'', so I could stop when you did.]
[Ah. So I sought you out for my shin''s sake, then you enjoyed listening in?]
[And sneaking glances at your expressions and your beautiful hair, yes, and yes, I listened in so that I wouldn''t accidentally hurt the one I loved.]
[So that''s when you heard?]
[I think so. No, actually, it was in connection to the bailout device, I think. I remember you thinking ¡®maybe Pris should have one of these, no, in her job she''d need something portable.¡¯ I didn''t know who Pris was then but I guessed her job was with Security, or undercover police work. How is she?]
[Recovering slowly. Thank God for regrowth medicine.]
[Yes, but I was actually thinking of emotionally, spiritually.]
[The whole thing is really hard on her. About all she can do is listen and think. Even reading''s hard. They don''t even want her talking much because of her nose. Plus she''s bored.]
[Can''t your mother find her anything to do? Analysis or something?]
[{surprise} Pris? Analysis? Well it''s not normally her thing, but maybe it''d be better than boredom.]
[Anything''s better than boredom. And get her one of those eye motion controls for her unit, then she doesn''t even need to give voice commands.]
[That''s an excellent idea, George. Your reward is this,] and she leant across and kissed him.
[Karen? What do you feel towards me? I mean, we''re giving each other kisses on special events, we''re spending a lot of time together, eating meals together holding hands, and you know how I feel for you. But the closest thing you''ve said about how you feel was back on Tuesday when you said ¡®I know I will love you.¡¯]
[Ah, but you''d caught me all unawares with that beautiful gift then.]
[So that''s the only time you''ll tell me how you feel, when I give you a nice surprise?]
[No, George, not at all. But the truth is, I don''t know. I like you, we get on well, and if it''s an encouragement, I felt really really jealous at the thought of having competition just now. So I guess you could safely say that I don''t want anyone else to get you, which I guess means I appreciate and want your love. But... am I in love with you? I don''t know. Does my heart speed up when you''re near? A little. Do I want your arms around me? Sometimes. Do I cherish a hope that there might be another time when you carry me a mile or more? Yes and no. It was embarrassing for me and hard work for you. But I like knowing that you can, and that if you decide it''s necessary you will.]
[So in short, we''re growing closer, and you''re not really sure you can call it love yet, but you don''t object?]
[I don''t object at all, George.] Then, not really knowing why until she''d done it, she hid her thoughts. George noticed that and looked at her quizzically. She smiled at him, not wanting to worry him. Then using the table to steady herself, rather than the crutches, she stood, then she twisted on her good leg, wrapping his arm round her waist as she sat back down beside him and she lent her head against him. Unhiding her thoughts she asked, [Did I surprise you, George?]
[Yes. Urm. Very much so.]
[You see, George, now is one of those times I want your arm around me.]
[I guessed that much, but you could have just asked.]
[Wasn''t it more fun this way?]
[I suppose so, but it was a bit worrying when you went away like that.]
[George, if I do that, then it''s because I want to surprise you. If I''m cross I''ll let you know, don''t worry.]
[I''ll try to remember that.]
[Should I practice surprising you then?]
[If you like. But why, Karen? Why do you want to sit like this?]
[Don''t you want to?]
[Oh, Karen, I''d like to hold you this close and closer all day long. I''d like to feel your pulse and breathe the scent of your hair, and I can''t wait until we''re engaged and then we can get married and can do those things and more all day and all night.]
[But?]
[I don''t want to rush you. You told me not to, remember? For very good reasons. I''m happy to have what I have of you and don''t want to to make you uncomfortable around me or frighten you away. But what made you decide to do this?]
[I guess I''m seeing what different aspects of closeness are like, George. I thought I might like this. I do. Does you not rushing me mean I have to initiate every closeness, every step nearer to each other?]
[I don''t think so, Karen, but what if I''d suggested we sat like this some days ago... Or even this morning?]
[I might have felt pushed, I don''t know.]
[So, how do I know when you want to behave like we''re a courting couple, and when you want us to stay friends? Are you going to feel like sitting like this is normal tomorrow, or might it be too close?]
[No! I hope not. Maybe. I''m sorry, George. I guess there''s no way you can know unless you look in my thoughts and can see better than I can what my messy emotional state is.]
[So, in the interests of not getting too intimate for your comfort, I read your mind? There must be an analogy to that. I can''t think what it might be though. Brain surgery to see if you''ve got a headache? Whatever it is, it''s a crazy idea, my love.]
[Really? You''ve read my mind before.]
[Yes. Looking back on it, it was too intimate. Like, I don''t know, you''d asked me to look while you were changing.]
[Really?]
[Yes.]
[But you''ve linked minds when we were rescuing people. Is that so different?]
[Yes, but that was for important stuff. And not with you. I''m not sure why that makes a difference.]
[Well, George, I think we''ve got two problems, then, not one.]
[How do you mean?]
[I''m OK with mental intimacy up to a certain extent anyway, and you''re not, but you''re OK with physical intimacy, I presume up to a certain extent, but I''m not.]
[I''ve spent most of my life trying to avoid reading peoples'' thoughts, Karen.]
[And I''ve spent most of my life in formal situations, where my parents hardly held hands in public, and anyone except them kissing me would have sparked a diplomatic crisis. But now, George, you''re holding me in an embrace that I''d only allow you to hold me in. But given our status as considering engagement, it is not at all culturally inappropriate, here at least. Plus it''s nice. So...]
[Let me guess, you want me to ask myself why it''s OK for me to link minds with John, Kate or Sarah, but not with you.]
[Yes.]
[Because I love you so much. You''re my greatest temptation. You know that, surely, from when you scanned me. And we need to set limits.]
[Ah. I think I see. So, let''s link minds and decide on limits together? But for only a shallow linking of minds, and before we link minds, we set temporary limits?]
[OK, my precious one. We don''t explore each other''s memories? We don''t explore emotions?]
[And we don''t explore why you calling me your precious one did strange things to my spine.]
[It did?]
[Yes.]
[Should I avoid doing it again?]
[For the moment. Later, urm, that depends.]
[On what?]
[Tell you later. Limits first.]
[Merge?]
[Yes, George.]
[We''re both making adjustments, aren''t we.]
[Both getting closer together.]
[It''s odd, we''re still talking, but...]
[There''s better communication. Do you understand why I wanted to talk limits like this?]
[No misunderstandings. Do you see why I wanted to avoid this with you?]
[Not really. But we''re not exploring emotions or memories right now, and that one''s both, almost!] Karen thought.
[So, limits.]
[Touching, that''s an easy one, I hope.]
[Skin is off limits unless it''s public?] George suggested.
[Public skin, there''s a strange concept, but yes, certainly. By that you mean hands, face and lower arms are OK?]
[And feet, lower legs, upper arms?]
[Legs and feet feel riskier than upper arms to me. Lets put them off limits for romance, but OK for, I don''t know, putting a plaster on a blister or something.]
[OK. And otherwise, clothes set the limit?]
[Except for ball gowns. {image}]
[{shock} You wore that in public? Hey, I got that image from you.]
[You did! Interesting. Of course the gown made a big impression on me.]
[And every male in the hall?]
[Urm, I was modestly dressed. You know my visual memory''s no good. I''m probably misremembering.]
[I hope so. Do I dare ask what other ladies were wearing? Don''t answer ¡ª memories are out of bounds.]
[But I want to see if I remember the picture you gave me!]
[No memories, especially emotional ones. Until we''ve set the limits.]
[Cruel man. Next limit: kissing.]
[Not the same as touching?] George asked.
[No!]
[Then could you be specific?]
[Face, lips, hands, lower arms are OK, and urm, no tongues.]
[Fine by me. Let''s not swap germs until we''re married. What about your neck, or shoulders?]
[Let''s put them in a maybe category. What about yours?]
[I don''t know if they''re particularly sensitive.]
[Or erotic?] Karen asked.
[You''d have to tell me that.]
[Urmmmm... pass, so let''s put them in maybe too.]
[Next limit. Topics of conversation,] George suggested.
[Oooh. Hadn''t thought of that one.]
[I urm, understand that marriage preparation needs full and frank discussions.]
[So not so much a limit as a not yet?]
[Sounds a good idea. Lots of topics to not discuss now, none to be left on the list, what a month before the wedding?]
[We''ll need certain decisions before then, George.]
[OK, but let''s not talk about things until it''s more appropriate, OK?]
[Agreed.]
[Next one?] George asked.
[The gift?]
[The big topic indeed. But first the power. You mentioned feedback, last week, and it seems relevant. What is it?]
[I''ll ask Sarah more soon. But I know they can''t sit like this now, can''t even hold hands for long, unless one of them hides.]
[Why not? What happens?] George asked, confused.
[Sarah feels John''s love for her, responds with greater love, he responds to her, and so on.]
[So their emotions get linked and both are ready for the wedding?]
[Yes. Very by the sound of it. But George, they''ve had it happening almost since they met!]
[I guess John wouldn''t be able to carry Sarah down that tunnel then. It hadn''t occurred to me that a long engagement could cause a problem. But I guess it could, couldn''t it?]
[They probably couldn''t do the experiments we''re doing either. But you''re right, either we get engaged before we''re as emotionally entangled as they are, and manage to stay relatively cool towards each other until the last few months, or we plan for a short engagement. But that''d be awkward for my parents.]
[I''d actually assumed that we would at least finish university before we got married, Karen.]
[Then should I avoid falling in love with you? I don''t think I can do that, George.]
[Let''s unmerge, Karen.] She heard worry in his thoughts.
¡°What is it, George?¡±
¡°It was a scary thought. What if the feedback comes from merging thoughts?¡±
¡°So by discussing it there we were inviting it?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I think Sarah said that they''d had it for a while before they found how to link their minds. Something else I need to ask her.¡±
¡°Can we not link minds until you have asked her please, precious.¡±
¡°You did it again, George.¡±
¡°I''m sorry. What''s the problem with me calling you that, Karen?¡±
¡°I like it too much. Urm, George, I think there''s a memory there, and I want to find out. I know you want to avoid linking, but please? To find that memory?¡±
¡°Let''s discuss using the gift first then. Or shall we finish with the power?¡±
¡°Limit for the power: we don''t play with feedback.¡±
¡°Agreed. Feedback sounds to me like something for our honeymoon, not before.¡±
¡°Agreed. No playing with feedback until after our wedding. If it happens, we adjust so it doesn''t.¡±
¡°Yes. What about the gift?¡±
¡°Concern about physical and moral safety are reasons to use it on each other.¡±
¡°Moral? You mean if one of us thinks the other is falling into sin?¡±
¡°Yes, but not just the obvious. You know how John got all tied in a knot last week? Sarah said she scanned him, saw the problem and was able to pull him back to his right senses before it got too bad. She used the gift from concern for his state of mind. I want you to know that I want you to feel free to do that.¡±
¡°Yes. Agreed. You can do that too. Shall we call it physical, moral and psychological safety? I mean, not every crazy thought is sin, is it?¡±
¡°Oh, probably. It''s either going to come back to pride or lack of trust or something like that. But yes, George, of course. Perhaps we should just say, ¡°if we''re reasonably concerned about the other one?¡±
¡°OK, so if I''m concerned that you''re not eating enough, say. Would that be a good reason?¡±
¡°If you think it is from a mental problem, yes. In my right mind I''d see that as some kind of sin. Maybe a worshipping of body form, or something.¡±
[I like your body form.]
[George!]
[Sorry. Slipped out. True though. You''re beautiful.]
[So, if I''m concerned about your sanity as regarding my beauty?]
[Then I don''t think you should scan me. It might feed your pride. And your telling me about that ball gown might not help me keep my thoughts pure.]
[George, you know my visual memory isn''t great. You''ll see what it''s really like.]
[So do you still have it?]
[Yes. And there was a reason that I thought of it, George. I''m going to wear it again.]
[Urm. Before our wedding?]
[Yes. According to the doctor I''m certainly going to be out of this cast by the time of an annual fund-raising ball my parents help organise. It''ll be expected that I go, and either I take you or I''m going to be at the mercy of the rich young heathens.]
[You want me to stand by you protectively, or actually dance?]
[Dance. And if you''d given me that ring by then, well, there''d be fewer questions about why I wasn''t dancing with anyone else.]
[Karen, you''re serious?]
[About the ring or dancing? Both.]
[But Karen! I can''t dance!]
[Would you be willing to learn?]
[Of course!]
[Then that''s all right.]
[Karen, can you teach me with crutches?]
[Probably not. But we''ll solve that one somehow.]
[Karen, but what about the ring? Are you seriously saying you''d like me to propose before then?]
[It''d solve some problems.]
[But would you feel ready to accept that soon?]
[I think I will be, George. Another limit on the gift, George. Please?]
[What?]
[We don''t use it frivolously, but nor do we refuse to use it to help each other.]
[You want me to scan you?]
[Or link minds. I want to explore that memory, and I can''t do that on my own. Also I want to know how I think about you, and I can''t do that alone either.]
[Oh, Karen. I love you, but must you force this?]
[I think I must. If you''re going to hesitate to use the gift now, when I''m asking you to, what about when you need to check on me because I''m acting oddly?]
[I don''t know, Karen. I don''t know why I feel I shouldn''t use it.]
Karen reached a conclusion. George was hung up about something, and it was hurting them both. [George, then let''s leave me to one side. I''m concerned about you. Scan or merge?]
[I don''t know, Karen. What''s concerning you? You''re the one who showed me the ethics statement and talked about breach of mental privacy. Shouldn''t I grant you that privacy?]
[George, is this about you or me?]
[I don''t want to be a ¡®peeping Tom,¡¯ Karen. {distress}]
[I don''t understand, George. {compassion}]
¡°Oh, scan me, Karen,¡± he said aloud. She did. She saw that there was a lot of shame in him. She saw the source, his worry, his struggles. She stopped looking and analysed. He had such a good memory, and he was remembering a lot about her. What she said, how she said it, her expressions, her clothes, her skin. How sometimes there was more skin visible than there should have been. It wasn''t quite lust, she saw, but it was certainly difficult for him to keep his God-given desires under control. He had grown afraid of seeing her thoughts too, as if that would be like stripping her bare, feeding the thing he was fighting against. Her exaggerated memory of the ball-gown hadn''t helped, she was sure. She knew there had been a picture taken at that ball, and published somewhere. She''d find it and correct the exaggeration. [George,] she thought, [I''m sorry.]
[What for?]
[Wrong memory of the ball gown, this top, I''ve not been helping, have I?]
[You saw then. I''m sorry.]
[I don''t know what you have to be sorry for, George. You''re fighting it. You''re not pawing at me or deliberately looking at what you can''t have yet. You''re winning, but there are two things I want you to do.]
[Yes?]
[Actually three. One, I''d like you to repent of thinking that being attracted to me is sin. That''s just silly. You''re supposed to be attracted to the woman you love. It''s actually incredibly flattering. Second, you need to realise that if you look in my brain for a year you''re not going to find a picture of me standing unclothed in front of a mirror. I''m not that vain.]
[And three?]
[I want you to kiss me and as you do to give me a little scan.]
[Why while we kiss?]
[Seems appropriate for what I hope you''ll find.]
[You''ve decided you do love me?] She heard the hope in his voice.
[I refuse to say and if you don''t give me my kiss then I''m going to be cross.]
[I love you, my precious Karen,] George said as he kissed her and scanned her as she''d requested.
She''d been right, of course. No pictures to fuel his desire. He did see that her thoughts about him had crystallised into love, and that their conversation about limits had been a key part, but other things too, like realising she''d made it difficult for him. She was sure that her memory of the gown had become exaggerated and she wanted to correct it with a picture. And as she''d heard him call her her precious, it had triggered an old old memory.
[Karen, love, I''ve found your love and the memory.]
[You have? Sneaky man for triggering it.]
[Merge, so I can show you?]
[Yes, my love.]
[See there, that memory? You were talking to your Daddy.]
[Yes! Of course! He said I would always be his precious little girl, but one day I''d fall in love and then I''d be that man''s precious wife too, just like Mummy became his precious.]
Having looked at the memory, they separated their minds.
¡°A special moment?¡±
¡°I liked the idea of being precious and treasured. I still do, so you''re in luck, me too, in fact.¡±
¡°Do I guess why?¡±
¡°You''re not going to need to wait until I''m fifty, and I''ve met the man I''m going to marry before leaving university.¡±
¡°That''s ambiguous, you know. Did you want to marry before we leave, or just meet me?¡±
¡°Urm. The original plan was just meet, fall in love with, maybe get engaged to. Let''s see how long we can date without feedback, shall we? Feedback sounds like a pain.¡±
¡°Starting married life on campus doesn''t sound that easy either,¡± George pointed out.
¡°It''s generally frowned upon, I believe. But maybe not as hard as not marrying and staying pure.¡±
Community / Ch. 17: Unexpected Invitations
Book 2: Community / Ch. 17: Unexpected Invitations
Monday 24th July
At exactly 9 am a bemused man presented his I.D. to a guard at the lift door, as he''d been instructed. The guard ushered him into the lift and without further instruction took him up up up into the shopping complex. The visitor stepped into the room and looked around at the furnishings. The guard left, job done.
¡°Thanks for coming to the meet us, Mr. Campbell,¡± Teresa welcomed him . ¡°I''m sure your research staff have given you a guess of who our client is. I''m Teresa, the client''s legal advisor, Pete here is in public relations.¡±
¡°Albert, please. My son used to work in this store. He said that the owners'' lounge was a myth. How could I refuse to visit a mythical location on my doorstep? Especially if the offer is genuine. Yes, I''ve read the a list of shareholders. I must say that if you''re representing the majority holder then I''m not going to faint, quite. But I''m going to be listening very carefully to what you say, and then our legal department are going to get scared.¡±
¡°Yes, we both represent the Institute.¡±
¡°Then how come you''re talking to me at all? The Institute is more publicity shy than a nunnery, and I''m editor in chief for a respectable news organisation. This isn''t some complex whistle blowing thing, is it?¡±
¡°No, not at all,¡± Pete reassured him. ¡°I won''t claim it''s not complex, but we''re here with the approval of the Institute''s director, and what we''re going to propose has prior approval from Internal Security too.¡±
¡°We can give you documents to verify that for your legal department,¡± Teresa added.
¡°I''m relieved, but confused too. Reporting about the Institute is illegal, isn''t it?¡±
¡°As I presume you know, the Institute has to protect its clients, and therefore it has to be secretive about who works there, who visits, and so on. That sort of reporting is illegal. However...¡±
¡°Yes, go on.¡±
¡°There are other aspects to its work that are ground-breaking and not subject to the same reporting restrictions, and even the secret work done is not secret in itself, only the people involved and of course the topics discussed in counselling. Now, this is strictly off record and your ears only, but recently there was an incident where someone who should have been directed to the Institute was convinced by an A.I. with a deliberately corrupted database that the last human psycho-counsellor had retired.¡±
¡°Ouch. So the Institute would like to raise its public profile? Why not just place adverts?¡±
¡°We were thinking something more in depth than that. More along the lines of giving a journalist regular access, on the condition that they don''t actually break any laws by naming names or writing about things they shouldn''t.¡±
¡°Full journalistic freedom, within the legal limits? Full access to staff for interviews? Fly on the wall in research discussions?¡±
Teresa started to answer, ¡°There''d need to be careful editing to avoid accidentally disclosing enough biographical details to identify anyone, of course.¡±
Pete added, ¡°A few areas of research aren''t yet in the public domain, but they will be within the year, we anticipate. We''d insist on a blackout until any relevant journal article is published, since publication of science through the regular media is a big no-no. But retrospective accounts after then would be something my client would find perfectly acceptable, encourage even. And of course your reporter would have had plenty of time to work out how to present the work, its implications, and so on, where other channels would be limited to what non-experts could make up without much notice.¡±
Teresa jumped back in, ¡°The journalist would need security clearance of course, and there are risks, you realise.¡±
¡°You mean risks to the journalist?¡±
¡°Yes. There are criminal elements who would want to know who visits the Institute when, and so on. There would be potential for an attack on the journalist or their family, unless the journalist remained anonymous, of course. Also, there will probably be some controversy over some of the ground-breaking research when it is published.¡±
¡°What? You''re suggesting that you''d let a journalist witness some unethical research and then when you go public with the results they''d have the right to publish about how it was carried out?¡±
¡°Not unethical, though quite controversial we expect. But yes, basically you''ve got the idea. You could stick to serious reporting if you like, but we expect that there''d be interest in a docudrama reconstruction, and of course your reporter would be the best placed person to advise on that. Of course we''d want there to be an accurate representation without the chance of identification. Which is rather a difficult path to tread.¡±
¡°I''m struggling to imagine what would constitute controversial ethical research. But other than that, you''re offering exclusive in-depth insight into one of the most secret places on the planet? Why us?¡±
Pete listed the reasons: ¡°With your recent take over, you''ve now got the muscle to protect an exclusive deal. Editorial integrity, good journalistic tradition, public trust, not to mention the local interest angle and pre-existing background knowledge. We do have other options of course, but we''d consider your organisation to be the best choice.¡±
¡°Well, I''m interested, of course. But to commit a science reporter to such a project ¡ª we only have the two right now and they both have busy schedules, not to mention young children. I don''t know, it''s a bit outside their profile. I''d really like to accept, but...¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t think it necessarily needs to be a science reporter,¡± Teresa offered. ¡°There could be legislative changes as a result of publication, so perhaps a legal reporter?¡±
Pete had other ideas. ¡°Actually, there are so many angles on this, science, legal, crime, religious affairs even. I was actually thinking that it should be a familiar face. An established, respected mainstream journalist. Maybe even a news anchor.¡±
¡°Oh, you don''t want much, do you? You''re either na?ve, or you''re offering me something world-changing. Will you be letting me in on the big secret, so I can make the judgement as to which? And what on earth is the religious affairs angle on this? They¡¯ve managed to create artificial life?¡±
¡°No, not artificial life. There are more Christians working on this project than normal though.¡± Pete laughed, ¡°There was only one on the whole staff a few months ago.¡±
¡°Some kind of religious take over at the Institute?¡±
¡°No, I don''t think anyone would say that,¡± Teresa said. ¡°Mostly it''s that God''s been working there along side the research project, and certain events have helped concentrate the mind. I was really impressed by the compassion and integrity of the researchers.¡±
¡°I''ll take your word for it. And the big secret?¡±
¡°What we can do, Albert, is give you a non-disclosure agreement,¡± Teresa said. ¡°You can sign it now or get it checked by your legal advisor. I warn you that it has very strict penalty clauses, so you might want that advice. When you''ve signed, then we''ll give you a disclosure document we prepared for our clients, describing the controversial research that the Institute is carrying out, a very top secret list of clients you can contact easily to verify that they have received the same information, and if you desire it then the research team can prove what is described in the disclosure.¡±
¡°And if I decline?¡±
¡°Then you have to decide whether to proceed without that information. The reporter would have to sign a similar document anyway, and we presume that it would make their reporting far easier if they had an editor who knew the whole story.¡±
¡°Oh, let me read it.¡±
Teresa handed Albert the data-crystal which held the document, and Pete made them all a cup of tea.
¡°You''re joking!¡± Albert exclaimed, reaching the penalty clause. ¡°Half my personal wealth if I break the agreement?¡±
¡°It is reciprocal. There is a similar non-disclosure agreement for all the relevant members of the project, with a very similar clause.¡±
¡°Do you have any idea how much you''re talking about, young lady?¡±
¡°Not exactly, no. But I have been authorised to tell you that one of the first staff members who signed the equivalent form will soon receive approximately this much, left in trust.¡± She showed him the certificate from Sarah''s trustees, with all names blanked out of course.
Albert¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°That''s quite an inheritance.¡±
¡°And quite a guarantee that the person involved will not disclose anything that is learned from clients. Of course your agreement is time limited. Once the papers are written then you''ll be free to comment on what you learn, within the limits of the law, of course. Project members'' agreements are not time limited.¡±
¡°And the full text of that agreement, can I read it?¡±
¡°It forms part of the disclosure document sent to our clients.¡±
¡°Well, I know how to keep secrets, I''ll sign,¡± and he did.
¡°Thank you, Albert.¡± Teresa handed him another crystal. He started to read it.
¡°Mind reading? The Institute are investigating mind readers? It''s nothing but a fairground trick, surely!¡±
¡°No, Albert. We''re not talking about ¡®you''re thinking of a relative¡¯ sideshow stuff. You think something while touching them and they hear it as clearly as you hear me now. And just as unavoidable as physical hearing,¡± Teresa said.
¡°It also works through metalwork. Or if you are close to them, and decide something that affects them, they''d hear that decision,¡± Pete said.
¡°So there are civil liberty implications if it were used in law enforcement, I can see that.¡±
¡°And if someone without morals has it, they find the world is full of opportunities for espionage, fraud, theft, blackmail, extortion and so on. You can imagine what uses it might be put to, I''m sure.¡±
¡°Yes, I see that. I see. And the risks you spoke of earlier ¡ª by publishing this, we''d possibly be exposing some criminal''s modus operandi. And they could be powerful figures in the underworld.¡±
¡°Yes. I''d suggest you don''t put anyone on the story who has a young family.¡±
¡°Assuming I can convince the new owners to sign on the line.¡±
¡°I''d start near the top if I was you. Have you looked at that list of names?¡±
¡°Not yet.¡± He glanced at the file. ¡°Oh, I see what you mean. So these people know about the offer already?¡±
¡°No, but I''m sure they''ll quickly work out what a story the offer includes when you talk to them about it.¡±
¡°But I still don''t really get why you want to explain your work. Why not just publish?¡±
¡°We were thinking about phrases like ¡®media circus¡¯ and ¡®feeding frenzy¡¯ when this reaches the public''s attention. Especially if you add the term ¡®witch hunt.¡¯¡±
¡°Ah. Yes. I see. So if you''ve got a journalist on site already, then the press''s innate desire for ¡®more more more information¡¯ when doors are closed against them becomes a different but nevertheless strong desire to break an exclusive deal. Which normally involves more lawyers, less long lenses, and of course would give them two targets instead of just one. Very sensible.¡± He paused for a little thinking time. ¡°And if someone talks of witchcraft, then our reporter can laugh it away saying, ¡®the so called coven of witches are very short on flickering candles but they have been trying to convert me to Christ.¡¯ Yes, I understand. You get the sort of good publicity that money can''t buy, we get the scoop of the century, if not millennium. Both of us win. I will try very very hard to get this agreed to. Thank you for asking for this discussion. Urm. The thing about gloves. It works? It''s that simple?¡±
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
Teresa answered, pulling out her lace evening gloves. ¡°Dry fabric seems to work well. Even flimsy things like these. I don''t think it counts as insider trading to suggest that glove manufacturers are in for a good year.¡±
¡°Such an elegant solution! I presume that a note to our fashion editor that evening gloves seem to be becoming all day accessories wouldn''t constitute disclosure?¡±
¡°Not at all. You could even say that you''ve heard someone recommending them saying they stop the weather from drying out your skin, and avoid various other problems.¡±
¡°Thank you. I must get some for my wife.¡±
¡°And for yourself?¡± Pete asked, getting out his cycling gloves. ¡°These might not be quite so elegant, but they work just as well, and I''m sure they''ve saved me the odd grazed knuckle when I accidentally walk too close to a wall.¡±
¡°I do believe you''re right, Pete. And they''re becoming more popular too?¡±
¡°Oh, yes, I''ve got several friends at church who wouldn''t go anywhere without some sort of gloves on. I''m sure it''s a new fashion. You''ll see a growing number of industry leaders and politicians wearing gloves when they''re out and about, I believe, though some prefer smart leather.¡±
¡°Kate, I''d be very surprised if we need to contact anyone else,¡± Pete reported. ¡°The only question in my mind is how soon we get the answer. If I were a betting man I''d say about 5 o''clock, taking time zones into account.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Kate was surprised.
¡°You don''t get to be editor in chief by being slow at decision making.¡±
Pete was wrong. He got the call at half past three.
¡°You''ve made quite a lot of people very happy, Pete. Thank you. Offer accepted. The director agrees with me, best guy for the assignment is Bob McDaniel.¡±
¡°Mr. Respected himself, thank you indeed. Hopefully Security don''t have any quibbles.¡±
¡°Don''t see why they should. I mean, they let him do that series on the royal family.¡±
¡°True.¡±
¡°Actually, Bob is overjoyed to get this assignment. He''s due to retire pretty soon, and had been really worried about having to end his career on minor stories. I mean, there''s still conflicts going on and the like, but he''s not really fit enough to be chasing over hilltops any more.¡±
¡°I''ll pass on the good news, and the Institute will forward his name to Security, Albert. Thanks.¡±
¡°Kate, you know that we were hoping to get a known, respected journalist? How does Robert McDaniel strike you?¡±
¡°You are joking, aren''t you? Robert ¡®My month with the royal family¡¯ McDaniel? Not someone else by the same name?¡±
¡°The man himself.¡±
¡°Well. Hmm. I wonder what Karen will say. I''ll just ask.¡±
[Karen? Reporter looks like it''ll be Robert McDaniel. Does he know you?]
[Yes. Certainly. Always greets me by name, with no memory searching. Used to be a good storyteller too. Shame there are no kids around.]
[Well, I suppose we could still draft young May Ngbila, but at her age she''s probably past stories. Do you want to break the news to your mother, or shall I just fill in the form?]
[You fill in the form, Kate. I''ll tell Mummy.]
Karen called her mother right away. ¡°Hello, Mummy, can you talk? Not urgent, but it''s work related.¡±
¡°Hello, Karen, yes, OK. What is it?¡±
¡°Mummy, Kate''s filling in the forms right now, but we''ve just heard who the reporter they want to assign is ¡ª Robert McDaniel. Is that good news, bad news or do we need to rethink everything?¡±
¡°Very good news for the Institute, Karen. And not much of a problem. I''m surprised, but really you couldn''t get a better reporter. You know he''s a Christian?¡±
¡°No, I didn''t, not for certain.¡±
¡°Well, he doesn''t make a big thing of it in his reports, but yes.¡±
¡°Can I pass it on, or is it something we should let him tell us?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. See what you can find out about him on the net. If you don''t see anything there, then you''d only have known from me, I expect.¡±
¡°You my Mummy, or you in your job?¡±
¡°Job, dear, so don''t give away secrets if it is one.¡±
¡°OK. So, should I prepare a briefing for him on everyone? Or would that spoil his fun?¡±
¡°Oh, I''d recommend that you prepare a briefing. Include what the people there know about you, since he probably knows more. Put the others¡¯ in an envelope so he has the choice.¡±
¡°Thanks, Mummy. One other thought. What about the gift? We weren''t sure if we should write about it, and I know you suggested leaving it for a while. But it''s going to be hard going to keep it a secret.¡±
¡°Yes, he''ll notice there''s more than you''re telling him.¡±
¡°I wonder what the others would think if we did a paper aimed at a theological journal about the gift, rather than a scientific one.¡±
¡°Sounds more appropriate, dear. Very different attitudes to mentioning God to start with.¡±
¡°And if we''re aiming at publication then we can tell him, and he''ll be bound to not pass it on.¡±
¡°You discuss it, dear. How are you and George getting on?¡±
¡°OK, Mummy. Very well in fact. I''m definitely not intending to tell him to get lost for a decade.¡±
¡°He seemed a pleasant young man. You could obviously do far far worse. Have you two made any plans for the wedding or engagement that I should know about?¡±
¡°Nothing concrete. But I don''t fancy dancing with all the dirty minded young brats at the autumn ball this year. I was thinking that if we''re engaged then no one would really mind me being his exclusive dance partner.¡±
¡°Well, yes, that''s one option. But you should probably just opt out of the dancing all together. I mean, just because you''re out of the cast doesn''t mean you can dance straight away! Maybe even you coming should depend on the trial too.¡±
¡°Any idea when it''ll be?¡±
¡°Not yet. Too many open questions. And Pris won''t be able to testify easily until after the ball. But she could give video testimony, and well, seeing her with no fingers would probably help the jury appreciate his crimes.¡±
¡°But will there be a trial? Kate said he''d admitted everything.¡±
¡°Almost everything. And possibly some things he''s not guilty of. It''s either a cunning plan, or he''s lost his marbles.¡±
¡°Or maybe he was being pushed, or even threatened by someone else?¡±
¡°Was that your idea?¡±
¡°No. Sarah''s. It seemed a bit like he was making too many mistakes from the description you''d given, like he was improvising too much.¡±
¡°Yes. Roland doesn''t improvise well. He''s a long range planner.¡±
¡°Why didn''t you tell me about him, Mummy?¡±
¡°We thought he''d be in jail a long time, then he was released earlier than anyone expected ¡ª we''re trying to find out who actually authorized that ¡ª and I couldn''t really get away. I certainly wasn''t going to tell you about him except face to face. I''m sorry. It was bad planning, and look at where it''s got you.¡±
¡°It''s OK, Mummy. It''s worked out for the best, I think. If I''d known, maybe I wouldn''t have been so silly, wouldn''t have got this gift, or fallen in love with George.¡±
¡°And those two are pluses?¡±
¡°I think so, Mummy. If I didn''t have the gift, I wouldn''t have found the tunnel, after all. What''s happening there, by the way?¡±
¡°Well, family claims we''ve got the wrong guy of course, he''s not saying anything, the local authorities want to use torture or truth drugs on him, of course, but we''re really hoping it won''t come to that.¡±
¡°Oh no. I''d forgotten they''d consider that.¡±
¡°Do you want to chat that over with your ethics committee?¡±
¡°What, me interview him and get him to think about the answer?¡±
¡°Or George.¡±
¡°It wouldn''t be admissible in court, surely.¡±
¡°Nor would the other, and he''d still be able to walk afterwards. But he wouldn''t even need to know.¡±
¡°I don''t know, Mummy. It sounds like a lesser of two evils argument to me. I don''t want to use this gift for any evil. But if you want me to give it serious consideration, then I''m going to have to discuss it all with Enoch.¡±
¡°Enoch? The guy who helped you limit Roland''s torture spree?¡±
¡°Yes. He''s a policeman, had the gift a long time, he must have faced dilemmas like this. But I''d have to let him know that we live in the embassy compound, at least. He''s guessed that maybe you worked at Security, which Kate neither confirmed nor denied and told him not to ask such things.¡±
¡°Can you get me his full name, rank, address and so on?¡±
¡°I guess so. Do I tell him why?¡±
¡°So you can get him basic clearance to help you with a dilemma.¡±
¡°OK, Mummy. If you really want me to. Now I''d better get back to work.¡±
¡°Me too. I wonder if you and George should visit home even if you don''t talk to the tunneller. You could introduce George to Daddy. Oh, do make sure you give your father and me at least a couple of months'' notice before the wedding, OK?¡±
¡°Mummy! We''re actually planning to wait until after the end of university.¡±
¡°Just thinking ahead! Personally, I don''t expect you''ll want to wait that long, dear. Now do take care.¡±
¡°I love you too, Mummy.¡±
She looked at the clock. If Enoch was already awake then it''d be a miracle, and she didn''t think her mother''s suggestion was that urgent. She talked to George instead.
[George love?]
[Yes precious?]
[{love} Don''t do that, George!]
[Sorry. {grin}]
[No, you''re not, but you''re going to trigger feedback one of these days, and then where would we be?]
[Not holding hands any more. Sorry.]
[So you should be. You''ve heard about the reporter?]
[Kate said. You know him?]
[He knows me. But George, When I told Mummy, she gave me an ethical dilemma in exchange. Among other tidbits of advice.]
[So, more experiments while we talk about it?]
[Yes please, if that''s OK.]
[Of course it is!]
The checks the previous week had shown that there was possibly some kind of magnetic link as well, which possibly explained the intention effect. Iron of course transmitted that well. Ivan had been trying to set up coils and magnetometers to measure what they were transmitting, but it needed data.
All they needed to do was sit with their heads not moving, and think at each other. The not moving bit was hardest.
[So, tell me about your dilemma, love.]
[You know the guy I caught in the tunnel?]
[Yes, they caught him, didn''t they?]
[Yes, he''s in local custody, his family are claiming he''s innocent, not even just digging where he was told, but totally the wrong guy. He''s not saying anything, and the local authorities really want him to talk, name his employer, who else he was working with, something, so they can put an end to the diplomatic embarrassment without it turning into a crisis.]
[And you mother suggested you scan him? That''s outrageous!]
[So is torture, George.]
[Your mother would suggest he be tortured?] George was shocked.
[No! George, how could you? The authorities there have though. They probably would have used it already if there hadn''t been pressure from my father. Mummy didn''t say, but I expect the embassy staff are keeping a close eye on him, just so he doesn''t ¡®accidentally hurt himself.¡¯]
[Oh. Sorry, love.]
[So, we have an opportunity to solve a diplomatic crisis without anyone being hurt. By the use of the power if he cooperates, or the gift if he doesn''t.]
[If he cooperates?]
[Well, he probably doesn''t want to be tortured, but I expect he''s taken vows or invoked curses that he wouldn''t speak. It''s fairly standard there.]
[So maybe thinking doesn''t count as oath breaking, and he''d be willing to answer?]
[Exactly.]
[But he''d have to be brought here.]
[No. We''d have to go there. Mummy''s invited you anyway so that you can meet my Daddy in person.]
[Urm, that''s not going to be an easy journey if I''m stuck in this building. Or cheap.]
[I expect she''ll suggest we fly with her, George. She''s going home soon, I''m sure.]
[So I''d go from hiding in a safe house to catching a plane at a busy airport? Doesn''t seem quite normal to me, Karen.]
[Government jet, silly. Probably military transport actually. Don''t think comfort, think noise and security.]
[Ah. So not a busy airport?]
[Not in the terms you''re thinking of, no.]
[And I''d see where you grew up?]
[One of the places, yes. Actually, possibly bits of all of them, depending what route we take.]
[So if we agree, then the government pays for us to go and read this terrorist''s mind, I meet your father and see your old haunts?]
[And if we don''t agree then Mummy and Daddy pay instead. It''s not a bribe, George, but it would solve a problem.]
[OK. So we''d just need to decide on the ethics of it all.]
[Yes. I''m going to ask Enoch''s advice if Mummy can get him enough clearance to be told about it.]
[Good idea. If it goes ahead, how would it work? Through an interpreter?]
[I expect it''d be better if I asked directly. I speak the language.]
[But if he recognises you?]
[I''d probably be veiled. It''d fit the role I''m thinking of adopting.]
[Oh?]
[Something along the lines of ¡°I am a servant of the most high God, the God of Abraham who destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, the God of Moses who killed the first born of Egypt when Pharaoh was stubborn, whose Holy name is forever honoured and who judges the living and the dead. He knows all things and nothing is impossible for Him. Through the gift of truth He has given me I can know your thoughts and if you lie. ¡°]
[Wow. And it''s true, isn''t it? Every single word.]
[Of course. You could say the same thing. We could say more, claim more, but I think that sort of thing which would get looks of incredulity if you said it here, would get their attention there. We''d probably get a tribal elder or someone of similar stature to confirm that he broke no vow of silence. Maybe his wife too.]
[And if he''s an atheist? And why his wife?]
[Then he''d probably have spoken already, and if he''s speaking to strange young women, why not? Actually, it''d help if he had thoughts about going home, I''m sure.]
[You think we should do this, don''t you?]
[Yes, if he''s willing. If he''s not then it gets more complicated.]
[Much. It''d be good to hear what Enoch says.]
[Yes.]
[Enoch, it''s Karen. Can you help with an ethical dilemma?]
[You guys are full of them, aren''t you?]
[This one''s pretty messy. So, I could ask you in very general terms, or if you''re happy about it then I can pass on your name, rank, serial number, address, etc. to Security here, and then they''d tell me if I can tell you all the details.]
[Wow. That''s some dilemma! How on earth would your security guys decide if I''m a safe person to tell?]
[Oh, they''d probably ask their counterparts, maybe through the embassy, add that to the Godly clearance you''ve already got and then they''ll say go ahead.]
[They''d know about my gift?]
[Our contact in Security, who knows about our gifts and already heard us using the name Enoch referring to our teacher, would know your details. But the fact that you''re gifted wouldn''t be passed around. You said you were in schools liaison?]
[Yes.]
[Then we could ask that the request be worded as though you were someone an ambassador''s kid wanted to ask some questions, and were you a safe person for them to reveal family details to.]
[You seem to know the process quite well, Karen. But, yes, OK on those terms.]
[I''ve been well briefed. Stop guessing until you''re cleared, please, Enoch.]
[So if they ask me what ambassador''s kid I''ve been giving my details to, then what do I say?]
[Say that the kid got your name from a friend and you''d been approached to help with an ethics paper.]
[OK kid, here are my details...] Karen wrote them down.
[Thank you, Enoch]
[Are you going to tell me anything or do I wait?]
[It involves a current investigation you know nothing about. Using the power or the gift if the arrested underling has taken a vow of silence. Don''t leap to conclusions until you know more.]
[But the underling isn''t happy about their vow now?]
[That sort of thing. It''s more complex.]
[Get me that clearance then.]
Community / Ch. 18: The Day before the Wedding
Book 2: Community / Ch. 18: The Day before the Wedding
Friday, 28th July
It took until Friday for Enoch''s clearance to come through. It actually arrived mid afternoon, by which time of course Enoch was asleep. Karen and George had established an almost normal routine by then. In the morning George would work on his programming and Karen would help Ivan with whatever needed doing in the lab.
Then she and George would eat together, then let Ivan use them as guinea-pigs in his experiments on the power. Normally they''d eat down in his kitchen but of course today was Friday, also known as pizza day. As the pizzas came out of the oven, Karen realised that George still hadn''t arrived. She''d been talking to Sarah about last minute wedding related things she could help with. There really wasn''t much left to do, but it seemed Sarah needed to talk. George was normally so punctual that Karen checked on his skin to see if he was OK.
He seemed to be frustrated. ¡°Sarah, George is late, and I guess there''s something going wrong with his program. If it''s OK, I''ll go and drag him away in person.¡±
She went to what was becoming known as George''s lair. Karen couldn''t remember who had named the computer terminal the dragon, but someone had said that George was fighting the dragon, and the name had stuck. George was fighting valiantly, but there was a problem in one line of code, and he just couldn''t see it. He heard the door open and saw his favourite person in the whole world looking at him curiously.
¡°George, are you OK?¡±
¡°There''s something wrong with this line of code. Or with the compiler, which I''m beginning to think.¡±
¡°Oh, what happens?¡±
¡°The subroutine gets called, does its stuff perfectly, but by the time the answer it gives gets to the variable it''s changed beyond recognition. Either I''ve got a typing error in there which I can''t see, or something''s seriously confused.¡±
¡°And you''ve been staring at it all morning, ignoring your basic needs for fresh air, company, pizza and kisses?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So come away, give me a kiss and we''ll let time do its work on the problem. Maybe you just need fresh eyes to see it.¡±
¡°Yes, could you look? I think I''m going blind.¡±
¡°George love, I don''t even know what backwards quotation marks do in this language, how can I understand the line?¡±
¡°What do backwards quotes have to do with anything?¡± George was tired, she could tell.
¡°George! I want my kiss, now, here!¡±
¡°But I don''t understand.¡±
¡°I know. You''ve been staring at that screen too long. Now come on. Please, George love?¡±
He didn''t move, but kept on staring at the screen.
¡°Desperate times need desperate measures. Catch me, George!¡± And she dropped her crutches and sat herself in his lap. He did catch her, she was happy to observe. ¡°Now, George, first a kiss, please.¡±
He complied. He didn''t really have much choice. He could hardly see the screen past her hair in his face. ¡°Do you appreciate my distraction therapy, George? Did it work?¡±
¡°Yes, Karen, I am now totally distracted form the problem I''ve been trying to solve.¡±
¡°Good, because it was getting so important, you''ve been neglecting yourself and ignoring me.¡±
¡°I can''t ignore you now, Karen. You''re beautiful, your hair feels lovely on my face, and I love you very very much.¡±
¡°Good, so will you walk with me up to lunch, or shall I bring you pizza here? I''ll have to hold it in my teeth of course.¡±
¡°No, Karen, I''ll come. Just what did you mean about backward quotes?¡±
Karen sighed, adjusted her hair so that George could see past it and with one arm round his shoulders and her face close to his she pointed with her other hand. [This is silly, George, have you been getting enough sleep?] she thought at him, then said, ¡°Look, George, backward quote there, and another one there.¡±
He pressed his forehead to her cheek. [{love} Oh, how could I have missed that? Thank you, Karen. You''re wonderful and beautiful and I love you so much.]
[{love} I love you too, George.]
[{Love}]
[{Love} What''s happening? {curiosity}]
[{LOVE} feedback? {worry}]
Their surge of concern and worry broke the emotional link that had been building between them, but they both untangled themselves quickly.
[George? That was feedback, wasn''t it? ]
[I think it must have been. Not very strong. Fortunately.]
[But me sitting on your lap might not have been the wisest thing. I''m sorry, George.]
[It was very nice, Karen. OK, maybe I enjoyed it a bit too much. But combined with you solving that bug. I guess the two together. Maybe combined with hunger? I don''t know.]
[I liked the closeness too, George. Let''s go eat though before they eat all the pizzas.]
[Yes. And then sometime we should think about our plans.] As they went along the corridor, George said, ¡°I''m glad Kate didn''t object to us going to visit your family and the prisoner.¡±
¡°Me too. But what made you think of that now?¡±
¡°I really want to talk face to face with your father, Karen.¡±
The implication was clear to Karen and the realisation that George would actually follow that ancient tradition and ask for her hand caused such a welling up of love in her that she just had to kiss him on the lips. Feedback started almost as soon as their lips met. [Sorry, George. I just felt so much love I just had to kiss you.]
[Nothing quite like love filled, love inspired kisses on the lips to generate feedback. So maybe we can kiss normally without feedback, just not out of love?]
[Or remember to hide our thoughts.]
[Tricky in the heat of the moment.]
[Or keep our emotions under control, my love.]
[Too late there, precious.]
[{love} Stop flirting with feedback, George! You know what that word does to me.]
[Not in great detail, Karen.]
[Sometime we''re not so high on each other, I''ll tell you then. Failing that, after our wedding. Please only use it if I''m depressed or something. It''s certainly a dangerous word now.]
[I''m sorry, Karen.]
There was some pizza left.
Karen called Enoch in a moment of calm that hectic evening.
[Enoch, I''m happy to say that you''re cleared. Someone sensibly added Rose to the reply, so you can share with her too.]
[That''s great, Karen, so tell us about this kid at the embassy.]
[Oh, I''m not interesting.]
[I knew it!]
[Yes, I''m useless at not giving the game away, aren''t I?]
[And your mother works for your Security services?]
[Yes, that''s one way of putting it. I''m not allowed to say exactly what her role is, but she holds an important position. My father is now our ambassador in a certain country where a variant of Mohammed is a very common name. I don''t need to tell you more than that, and of course you can find it out, but won''t, I''m sure. When I was learning to check on people''s feet and the skin of rooms, I looked at Daddy''s feet and I found a tunnel had been dug under the embassy. We don''t know if it was a break-in attempt or they were going to fill it with explosives. But the national government is highly embarrassed and want results quickly. Our government don''t want the guy I caught digging it tortured, especially since he probably doesn''t know much and will almost certainly be under a vow of silence anyway.]
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
[You''re right, it''s complicated. You think he''d keep his vow?]
[Probably. One of the commonest forms, excuse the language, is ¡°may my penis fall off and my children die if this matter passes my lips or if I write about it. ¡°]
[Charming. And he''d believe in the power of that curse?]
[Lots of neighbour of a friend of a friend stories tell him it works.]
[So, either he speaks and risks his children''s lives, he thinks, or agrees to be read and thinks the names and he gets off with a few months in jail?]
[Yes, or we don''t go, the local authorities accidentally plug him into the electric supply or something, and he''s released hardly able to lift his own body off the ground, let alone work, and with his honour in tatters, because no one will believe he didn''t talk before they released him, no matter what anyone says.]
[It sounds like it should be an easy choice then.] Enoch said.
[Yes, unless he used a different vow, or is a man of great honour who would rather die than share his knowledge willingly. We have the ability to pull it from his brain. But should we?]
[Ooh. Thanks for getting Rose in on this. I''m going to need her brains.]
[I did think of an extra complication. What if we got his wife and maybe his father or tribal leader involved and they decided that his keeping it hidden was wrong. Would that permit us to ignore his wishes?]
[The guy''s the family breadwinner?]
[Almost certainly. Concerned family members are saying, let my Daddy/husband/brother go, all he did was go down a hole.]
[How was he digging? Pickaxe?]
[No, he had a pneumatic drill which had been modified to only work at the same time as the ones being used for road repairs up on the surface.]
[So no one noticed. Clever, but unlikely to be his own work if he''s digging holes for a living.]
[Exactly, and it''s pretty clear that others were involved in the digging. There were two wheelbarrows down there.]
[But he''s the only one caught.]
[Exactly.]
[So he''s taking the fall for the boss, and maybe friends and family members who were doing the digging.]
[Probably family.]
[And will the authorities accept his testimony if it''s given by a mind-reader?]
[At least as good as an anonymous tip-off, but yes, I think they will. There are cultural stories which seem to match the power.]
[So you can find out who the boss is and then they can get down to torturing the right guy at least.]
[Enoch!]
[Well, won''t they?] Rose asked.
[I hope not. The reason for going is to avoid torture!]
[So how do you prevent it?]
[I''ll discuss that with my mother.]
[I think it''s an important point if that''s your motive.]
[Have you ever scanned someone in trying to solve a case, Enoch?]
[I''ve been tempted to, but no. Not to establish guilt.]
[But to establish innocence?] Karen pressed.
[Yes, I did. Once. But once I had, then what?]
[You can''t just tell your colleagues, ¡®I know we''ve spent weeks on his trail but I''m sure he''s not the right one after all.¡¯] Rose said. [You need other evidence, or you need no evidence that points to him.]
[Or in the end you need to get yourself reassigned, like I did, to avoid being party to a miscarriage of justice,] Enoch said.
[So that''s why you''re schools liaison?]
[Sort of. I spent five years as desk sergeant. Then they caught the right guy and decided I had been the star of the whole mucky mess, rather than the slime-ball who wanted the criminal let go, which is what I''d been for all those years.]
[Oh, Enoch!] Karen thought. [That''s terrible!]
[Not very nice, no.]
[So you talk to the kids about ethics too?]
[Yes. I try to calm down their blood-lust a little. Vindictive bunch, your typical class of twelve year olds.]
[That''s an important job, Enoch. Very important.]
[Thank you. Now, how are the wedding plans going?]
[Well, you know they had this great idea to cater for the wedding themselves? Now if I''d been going to do that the guests would have got soup, stew and rice, or maybe boiled potatoes. But no, Sarah wanted to show off her cooking skills. I guess it''s part of the tradition too. After the second batch of dainty little pastry things started to smoke, she decided to have a rest and wash her hair, again.]
[It wasn''t John''s fault that they burned, was it?]
[No, praise God. He''s working away on producing them, Sarah was cooking them and something else at the same time. She forgot to set the timer.]
[Ah. High stress levels over there then?]
[Actually, not other than that disaster. John just said, ¡®We''ve plenty more ingredients¡¯ and set about making another batch.]
[Sounds like Sarah needs a cup of tea or three,] Rose said.
[You''re probably right. She hasn''t had one for ages, actually. I''ll go make one.]
¡°John, I''ve made tea. Rose suggested it, actually. Do you want to take it to Sarah, and I''ll take over the mixing for a while? Or shall I take it?¡±
¡°Urm. If you could do the mixing, that''d be great. Thanks.¡±
John knocked at the bathroom door. ¡°Sarah, Rose sends you this via Karen.¡±
A bedraggled Sarah opened the door. She''d obviously been crying as well as washing her hair in the sink. Now her hair was dripping all over her pale blue T-shirt and her face. John thought in other words, she looked vulnerable and gorgeous. John put the cup on the table and embraced her. She sobbed harder.
¡°Oh Sarah, my love, what is it?¡±
¡°I can''t do it all on time, and I''m going to ruin everything. And I''m a rubbish cook and look terrible and how can you love me? And look, you''re hugging me and there isn''t any feedback. It''s going to be a disaster.¡±
¡°Oh, Sarah! Firstly, you look very very beautiful and fragile and I want to wrap you up and protect you. Secondly, there''s no feedback because you''re so sad and stressed and thinking you''re a disaster, not to mention the fact that I''m hiding. Thirdly, you''re an excellent cook, and I think we can rescue at least half that last batch. Fourthly, tomorrow morning you''re going to be rested and beautiful and radiant beside me, I''m absolutely sure. And if I''m really lucky you might swoon when we''re alone and I''ll catch you and we''ll see what feedback makes happen then, shall we? Fifthly, I don''t see how you can possibly ruin everything because if you remember we have enough food to feed an army already, and we''re cooking here because as well as you having an industrial sized oven, there was no more physical space to put food in my home unless I sleep on the couch here, which wouldn''t be very fitting.¡±
¡°Urm, no it wouldn''t, would it,¡± she said with a giggle. ¡°I''m getting things out of perspective you mean?¡±
¡°Have some tea. It''s a great perspective restorer.¡±
Sarah had a sip, ¡°Mmm this is good,¡± and John saw her start to relax. ¡°So you don''t think we need eight batches of them?¡±
¡°Sarah. You''re the one who''s good with numbers. How many guests?¡±
¡°Sixty.¡±
¡°And how many pastries per batch?¡±
¡°Thirty.¡±
¡°And if you were really hungry, how many could you eat?¡±
¡°Five, maybe six.¡±
¡°So if all sixty people were really hungry and didn''t eat any of the other mountain of delicious food we''ve made for them, how many pastries would we need?¡±
¡°Three hundred to three hundred and sixty.¡±
¡°And eight batches is how many?¡±
¡°Two hundred and forty. Oh no, we need ten batches!¡±
¡°Sarah! What are we going to do with the leftover food mountain in my house if we fill them up on pastries?¡±
¡°But...¡±
¡°Yes, beloved?¡±
¡°I''m sorry. I''m ruining everything,¡± more tears started to flow.
¡°Sarah, we''ve got four and a half batches done. (You drink that tea, love, you need it.) We''ve also got mixture ready for another two batches. I want you to dry your tears and try one of the burnt ones. They''re a bit crunchy but not too bad. Very tasty in fact. When did you wake up this morning?¡±
¡°Four o''clock,¡± Sarah admitted in a small voice.
¡°Right, my love, in that case, I''m not suggesting, I''m insisting for the sake of our wedding tomorrow. You eat something, and drink something else, and then to bed with you, my tired bride. I''ll finish the pastries, or we could just put the mixture in the freezer for another time. Two pastries per head should be plenty.¡± And he picked her unresisting form up, kissed her eyes, carried her to the kitchen and put her in a chair. ¡°Karen, is there more tea? Or maybe hot chocolate would be better?¡± John asked. ¡°Sarah''s been up since four this morning and she''s exhausted.¡±
¡°I''m only letting him treat me like this because he''s right,¡± Sarah said rebelliously.
¡°How did you carry her without feedback, John?¡± Karen asked.
¡°I hid. Oops, time to unhide.¡±
John tried to unhide and found himself stuck, in the thick sticky mud. ¡°Sarah! I''m stuck!¡±
The note of panic in his voice helped her become instantly alert. ¡°Shiny ball, John, think yourself in a shiny ball, made of teflon, and the mud tries to stick but it can''t stick because your ball is light and non-stick and it floats on the mud and it''s going to lift you out of the mud and back to me.¡±
Her talking helped him make the ball and as she gave him more and more instructions it rose faster and faster from the mud. He was out.
¡°That was scary,¡± he said.
[Horrible stuff, that mud,] agreed Sarah.
[But John never gets stuck,] Karen said confused.
[But he was hiding a long time then, much longer than normal,] Sarah replied.
[Thank you, thank you, Sarah. I panicked and couldn''t remember how to get out. {love, relief} I wonder if feedback is really so bad,] John added. [I''d hate to have to interrupt the wedding service for that sort of thing.]
[Sarah,] Karen thought, [feedback needs touch, doesn¡¯t it?]
[Yes.]
[So apart from when you''re giving each other rings, all the time that you''re there at the altar holding hands you could be wearing gloves!]
[Oh, no!] Sarah said [Why didn''t I think of that!]
[You''ve got used to taking them off, I guess.]
[No, you don''t understand. My white gloves, not the black ones but my white ones, they were with the wedding dress. They match it perfectly! So we don''t need to hide, John, we don''t need to try to pay attention to the sermon with our minds linked. I just need to wear the gloves that are part of the wedding dress!]
Sarah was so happy that she gave Karen a kiss. [Thank you, Karen, you''re wonderful!] [Thank you, Karen,] John thought. [But I hope you don''t want a kiss from me. Sarah''s got prior claim to all of them.]
[That''s fine, John. George seems to have a good supply of them for me,] Karen said blushing slightly.
[How are you two getting on?] John asked.
[Very well. Actually, a little too well for our plans.] [Oh?] Sarah said.
[Yes. We had hoped that we''d only marry in about a years time. But we suffered our first taste of feedback at lunchtime today. So I guess no more cosy snuggles until then, and well, maybe other timings should be explored too.]
[A whole year of avoiding feedback? You''d go nuts!] Sarah said, with feeling. [You know for certain that you love him and he loves you, and it''s not just selfish emotions, it''s decisions to put each other first. Why delay? But don''t you dare try to cater for your wedding guests. John had an excellent idea earlier. Let''s put the rest of the mixture in the freezer. It''ll keep. I need to sleep.]
John risked a little burst of feedback and kissed Sarah. [Sleep well, my love.]
[You too, my beloved.]
[I think I''ll call a transport. I could do with the sleep too.]
He started to clear up the cooking utensils, but Karen chased him away. ¡°Go get some sleep, John. You too, Sarah. I''ll clear up.¡±
Community / Ch. 19: Wedding Day
Book 2: Community / Ch. 19:Wedding Day
Saturday, 29th July
John waited near the altar. He still had very little idea what Sarah''s wedding dress would be like. It had been her mother''s and her grandmother''s before that, maybe even more generations than that. And it had white gloves. Well, those things limited the colour at least. It was very unlikely to be purple or orange for instance, which seemed to be this year''s fashionable colours. He wasn''t sure quite why anyone would want to buy a wedding dress that couldn''t be passed on to the next generation because the colour might be wrong. White was a good symbol for purity, entirely appropriate for Sarah. He supposed that might be why it wasn''t as usual as it had been in the general public. But why would anyone want a church wedding who wasn''t at least pure in the sight of God, even if they hadn''t come to faith when young?
He presumed also that as a heirloom dress with lacy gloves, there would be lace and ribbons too, a modest neck-line and maybe a train. Unless it was really old. He knew there was a time when lace and ribbons and trains had been considered so over ornamented they''d not even been used on wedding dresses. He tried to remember who''d told him that. His grandmother? Could have been. Neck-lines seemed to vary too.
He wished Sarah hadn¡¯t forbidden him to check on her with the gift. Where was she? He knew it was expected for the bride to keep the groom waiting, and that it was still early actually, but he was getting nervous anyway.
At that moment, Sarah was still talking to Karen, who''d been stunned to be nominated chief bridesmaid.
¡°But the others have known you for years, Sarah!¡± she''d protested.
¡°But you''re my new-found cousin, my sister in the gift, and lets face it, if I chose one of them I''d be hurting the other one.¡±
¡°I won''t be much help on these crutches, Sarah.¡±
¡°I don''t need much help. I just need someone who can open doors, look beautiful and stop the other two from falling out. You''d just have to walk.¡±
¡°Hobble,¡± Karen had interjected.
¡°All right, hobble beside me, offer emotional support and pass on instructions. But they''d actually be helping with the train. Please say yes.¡± That had been two weeks earlier. Karen had discovered since about the emotional support. Sarah got nervous when she was under stress.
¡°You know, I hope John doesn''t think this is too revealing. I don''t want him to think I''m exhibiting myself.¡±
¡°It''ll be fine, Sarah. It''s a little lower cut than usual for a wedding dress these days, but not compared to other dresses. You look stunning, the dress is beautiful, and anyway, you don''t want him to notice anyone but you, do you? You''re supposed to be the centre of attention.¡±
¡°Oh, I''ll be that all right.¡±
¡°Of course you will. You''re the bride. Now don''t worry. You look like a princess. The dress is obviously an antique heirloom, no one expects an antique dress to look like a modern one. How old did you say it was? It''s so beautiful! And that train! Wow.¡±
¡°It''s about a hundred and eighty years old I think.¡±
¡°And you''re only going to have the chance to wear it once. If you''re really worried you could still put that veil on, or the shawl.¡±
¡°What I really want is some motherly advice I think. I''m going to call Hannah.¡±
¡°Great idea. If she''s not at the church yet. You know John''s probably there already wondering where you are. It''s five minutes to the official start time.¡±
¡°I''ll be quick. No, actually, can you do it? I might get someone else.¡±
¡°Of course, Sarah.¡±
Karen called Arwood and Hannah''s house, and then when that didn''t get answered she called her wrist unit.
¡°Hi, Karen, is there a problem?¡±
¡°Our nervous bride is suddenly worrying about her neckline. Should she wear her gorgeous dress with pride, hide behind a veil, so that John''s eyes only pop out part way through the service rather than at the beginning, or hide everything with a shawl?¡±
¡°OK, I''ll just escape to somewhere a little more private, then you can point your camera at Sarah.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
¡°OK, show me Sarah''s glory.¡±
Karen pointed her wrist unit at Sarah. ¡°Oh, you''re beautiful, girl. Nothing to worry about. My dress was far more revealing than that.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Sarah was more than a little surprised. Hannah always dressed so modestly.
¡°Yes, girl, You''ve got no problem dancing in that, have you? I would have done.¡±
¡°I''m shocked, Hannah!¡±
¡°Arwood claims he can''t remember a word of the sermon. I can''t imagine what he was thinking about. Come on, girl, don''t spoil the look of the dress. John''s been looking for you at least ten minutes now. If you don''t get a move on, he''ll start to panic.¡±
John heard a commotion at the back of the church and turned to look down the aisle once more.
His heart jumped with joy at seeing Sarah coming. It was an old dress. No lace at all, except on her gloves. She was accompanied by three bridesmaids. Karen, who had obviously decided she could go on one crutch for the short distance up the aisle, was beside her, carrying the flowers so that Sarah''s hands could hitch up her skirts enough that she could walk up the steps. Two other bridesmaids were carrying her train, which was of pure white satin silk like the dress, but seemed to have a slight irridescent sheen about it. The dress had a tight bodice with almost transparent straps. John decided he''d better call it decent. The skirt of the dress was full, deeply pleated and made John think of waterfalls for some reason. There was no lace, no ribbons, no pearls, but there was a faint swirling embroidery pattern around her waist. Celtic looking he decided. He wasn''t sure, but it could have been gold thread. She had her engagement ring on her finger of course, and delicate dangling earrings which sparkled in the sunlight. John was sure they had diamonds in them. Her hair was loose except for a silver tiara, which as she approached, John saw was also set with gems. He''d been right, she was beautiful and radiant and his heart felt like it would explode with joy.
[Smile any more, John, and your face will hurt for a week,] she thought at him.
[You''re beautiful, and your dress! Its fit for a princess, my princess!]
[Tell you the story later. While you''re taking it off me.]
[What are you trying to do? See if feedback can work through gloves?]
[It can''t!]
[It did with thoughtful chicken. Now pay attention, Arwood''s speaking!]
[Hannah tells me her wedding dress distracted him so much he didn''t hear a word of the sermon.]
John decided that the best way to avoid Sarah trying to make him laugh or blush was not to answer. She was radiant and lovely, and the dress was beautiful. But if she''d been in an old T-shirt and mucky jeans it wouldn''t have mattered to him. The marriage was the important thing, and when they got to the ¡®I do''s and exchanged rings, he was sure that they were the happiest two people in the city.
For the rings, Sarah had removed her gloves and John hid his thoughts so they could concentrate. Then, once Arwood declared that they were man and wife, he unhid. He did get slightly stuck but freed himself quickly after his practice the previous night. They kissed. Of course feedback came, but for the brief time of the kiss it was tolerable. They belonged to each other now, so what had been a temptation towards behaviour that would dishonour God was now different. It was a promise of greater intimacies to follow. Getting caught up in it wasn''t such a problem now, except that they were in public. They broke the kiss, becoming aware of the applause and cheers that were surrounding them.
[That was quite a kiss, guys,] Karen thought to them. [I didn''t time it but it was at least fifteen seconds, if not half a minute. Caught up by feedback?]
[Yes,] Sarah replied, [only felt like a couple of seconds.]
[Ah. Maybe you should merge thoughts next time, just so the world doesn''t end before you notice the need to breathe. We wouldn''t want the photographer to have to throw a bucket of cold water over you, would we?]
[You''re enjoying this, aren''t you?] John accused.
[Of course we are,] George said. [We''re here to share in your big day and witness the beginning of your life together. We''ve just witnessed the power of your feelings for each other, which I''m sure is a great reassurance to the old ladies I heard earlier saying, ¡®I don''t know what they feel for each other really, there''s such a difference in age, and I''ve hardly ever even seen them holding hands after church.'']
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
[Did you hear Arwood say something half way through?] Karen asked, curiously.
[No, what did he say?] John asked.
[That he wondered if perhaps we should all slip off to the reception while you''re busy.]
[Time for a hymn first,] John said. [Great is thy faithfulness indeed, Lord,] he added in prayer.
Arwood signalled for silence and announced the final hymn and John turned round and added. ¡°We chose this hymn not just because it is appropriate for every occasion, not just because it is has a nice tune, not just because it is an affirmation of great spiritual truths, not just because it speaks of the unchanging reliability of the Lord, but also because it is true. If you do not know God''s strength for today or the bright hope for a future eternity that will be a long way from boring, then talk to Arwood or one of the other church elders. Sarah and I would be happy to talk too, except we''re going to be rather busy the rest of today and unavailable for the next fortnight.¡± Once more joyous laughter broke out, and Arwood had to wait for it to die down.
¡°In case some of our visitors don''t know who the elders are ¡ª that''s a church term for people in the leadership team, in case you''re confused ¡ª can you stand up, please? And so there are some younger faces with wise hearts available to talk to too, I''d like Karen, Samantha and Tony to stand too.¡± This had been discussed beforehand, and while George was there, it didn''t make much sense for him to go from hiding in the safe house then standing up in church offering to talk to strangers. Dirk and Eliza weren''t that happy about Karen offering to be named either, but she''d insisted. After all, she was highly visible anyway as a bridesmaid.
After the hymn was sung and they''d gone through the precision manoeuvres that were needed for Sarah''s train to be turned around, it was time for the photographs. The first photo was the most complex, with John and Sarah in the middle of the steps and the train circling them. Now John understood why Sarah had organised a squad of church members to spend a lot of time cleaning every inch of the stone stairs outside the church, and then to vacuum clean them when all the guests had entered. The train was beautiful, and it was surely easier to clean steps than all that fabric.
Sarah noticed John''s growing agitation as he saw how long arranging every fold seemed to be taking.
¡°John, it''s a traditional pose, don''t worry,¡± she whispered to him.
¡°How do we do the other poses without getting the train dirty?¡±
¡°Fear not. It''s almost time for it to go away.¡±
¡°Oh, it comes off?¡±
¡°Your first husbandly act will be to discretely undo the fastenings at my waist while the girls roll up the train.¡± [Like this. {image}]
¡°Discrete. Those little buttons hold the whole weight of the train?¡±
¡°Not directly. They hold cords that hold the train in place.¡±
¡°Clever!¡±
¡°As long as the cords don''t get stuck, yes.¡±
¡°You''re just teasing, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Only slightly. Apparently it happened to my grandma.¡±
¡°What happened then?¡±
¡°Her husband picked her up and shook her. But maybe grandma was teasing.¡±
¡°Probably.¡±
¡°Maybe he crawled under her skirt to sort it out instead.¡±
¡°It''s very nice to see you in such a good mood, Sarah,¡± John laughed. ¡°So how should I be standing in this pose, milady?¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know, how about you gaze into my eyes in delectation of their beauty and the wicked thoughts that are bubbling behind them?¡±
¡°That''s easy to do. And how wicked are your thoughts?¡±
¡°That maybe we pretend the train is stuck.¡±
John sighed, ¡°Maybe we play that game later, love. I expect your bridesmaids would carry it, Sarah. Especially if they thought the alternative might be embarrassing to you in a few years'' time.¡±
[Yes, we would,] Karen thought. [Your whispers are carrying at least this far, Sarah, so don''t scandalise the on-lookers.]
[Oh, all right.]
[If the photographer wants many more ¡°final adjustments,¡± I''m going to scream,] Karen commented. [How many photos are there going to be? Sarah?]
[I can''t actually remember. Sorry.]
Eventually the photographer decided all was perfect and took about fifty photos just in case someone blinked.
Then it was time to carefully fold the train.
John unhooked the silk chords from the buttons and the ends disappeared into the waist band of the dress. There was a silken rustle as the folding finished and Sarah was left with a dress which now only stretched behind her about a metre, rather than five.
Thankfully, the rest of the photographs didn''t take nearly as long to arrange.
The lunch itself was an informal buffet affair. Sarah and John hadn''t felt the need to assign tables or to employ waiting staff. One half of the large church function room had been cordoned off to be a dance area and cleaned meticulously. The food was on tables in the centre of the other part of the room, and while there were seats around the walls, most people ate standing up. Nothing they''d cooked needed cutlery, after all. The practicalities of the dress, even without its train, meant that it was far better if Sarah stayed in one spot, near the dance area, and John took pleasure in bringing her plateful after plateful of food. Of course, there was far too much. But that had actually been part of the plan. Sarah and John would be taking some of it with them as food for the first few days of their life together, and the rest was their contribution to a church lunch the next day.
Offering her a small plate of chocolate filled coconut balls, John asked, ¡°Has it gone well, milady?¡±
¡°Of course, don''t you think so?¡±
¡°Of course it has. But I do believe the time has come for me to dance you round that spotless floor a few times and then sweep you off your feet to prepare for our departure.¡±
¡°I''ll just eat another few of these, they''ve turned out very well.¡±
¡°The whole plate is for you, my love. We made hundreds, remember?¡±
¡°And you''re going to insist on carrying me?¡±
¡°It''s that or we wash the floor over there first. Putting the drinks near that door wasn''t the best idea if you didn''t want to be carried.¡±
¡°Ah, but I could walk part of the way there.¡±
¡°No, my love, you couldn''t, because that would still risk getting the dress dirty.¡±
¡°You''re just going to enjoy yourself, no matter what I say, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Don''t tell me you won''t enjoy it too?¡±
¡°Of course I will.¡±
¡°Then shall we ask Karen to help you with the dress when the time comes?¡±
¡°Not on the other side of those doors, no.¡±
¡°Of course not. I meant make sure the skirts don''t drag.¡±
¡°Good idea, already thought of. You do your speech, we dance the first waltz and then she''ll be here to assist as you carry me away.¡±
[And try to work out how to release you from your dress. There''s no zip!]
[Certainly not. Shall I tell you? It would save time you know.]
[But just think of the fun we can have while I''m exploring it.]
[But we''ve learnt that feedback robs us of time. We don''t want to be too long.]
[Yes, love. Robs us of time and removes earlier doubts about how much of me you should expect to be functioning tonight.]
[Praise God! {humour} He has been saying don''t worry, hasn''t He?]
[Let''s not worry, And I know you''re excited, but past experience says we should to give ourselves plenty of time, and not be in too much of a hurry.]
[I will trust you in this, my husband,] Sarah said formally. [But maybe we should try and leave earlier than strictly necessary?]
[Yes, my love, {joy} my wife! We can certainly do that, or we can make the most of the party, stay ¡®till everyone else is gone, and spend the night at our house and sleep late tomorrow morning.]
[I do want to get to those mountains you''ve promised me, John.]
[Well, yes, but it''s not really that far. We don''t need to start THAT journey tonight. We''ll see them tomorrow even if we don''t leave until after lunch.] [So we could build some important memories in our own bed rather than an anonymous hotel room? Why didn''t we think of this earlier?]
[We were too busy avoiding the subject, my love, for fear of feedback.]
[So give your speech, then we can dance and see what feedback that brings, shall we? {grin} I love you, John.]
[I love you too, Sarah.]
¡°FRIENDS!¡± he called with a loud voice. ¡°The time has come for us to demonstrate that Sarah''s beauty, grace and elegant attire can''t make up for the fact I''m not that good at dancing. Then I''ll steal my beautiful bride away from your midst, and we''ll find her something that''s just a little more appropriate for more than one couple on the dance floor. Of course it might take me a while to help her out of the dress because she''s not telling me how and I can''t see any fasteners on it at all. So I hope you''ll have a lovely time eating, drinking and dancing while we''re away, we do plan on dancing more than once today, honest.¡±
¡°Is that it?¡± Sarah asked as the laughter and cheers died down.
¡°No, of course not.¡± John replied, and then spoke again. ¡°Sarah thinks I should give the rest of my speech too. I know some of you have heard how God brought us together, and there are some who haven''t. I won''t bore you with all the details, but you know that we both lost loved ones in the Clear Sky shopping centre attack. I hadn''t ever expected to fall in love again, and Sarah''s friends are probably amazed that she can be in such a large crowd without screaming. The short explanation is that God has brought us together, helped us to heal together and over and over again surprised us with new depths of his grace and mercy. Thank you for celebrating with us the love that He''s given us for each other and for witnessing the holy vows that we have made in His presence.¡± then turning to Sarah he continued, ¡°Sarah, my beloved bride, shall we dance in honour of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the love He has given us?¡±
¡°Of course, my husband!¡±
Someone, probably Karen, started the music.
Despite what he said, John was a perfectly acceptable dance partner, Sarah knew, and they''d been practising this waltz ever since they''d decided to do it. If anything, she was the worse dancer, but no one could see what her feet were doing under her dress.
[I liked your speech, John. Of course the reason I''m not telling you how to open it is because you told me not to.]
[I know. I also know I''m going to trip over your gorgeous dress and my own feet if I don''t concentrate.]
[George?] Karen called. [Are you watching?]
[As though your happiness depended on it, Karen. It looks complicated.]
[Hold on, I''ll try a diagram. {image} Did you get that?]
[Yes, Karen! You''re getting better. That''s where his feet should go?]
[Yes.]
[I think I can see. Was that a mistake?]
[No, well maybe, but he turned Sarah, see? That''s allowed.]
[Yes. How are they doing it without feedback?]
[Merged thoughts?]
[Oh, no contact, look! No need for feedback. Gloves save the day again.]
[Good job her dress has a high enough back though. Modern fashions often don''t.]
[Does your ball gown?]
[We''ll have to check when we visit next week.]
[I''m glad Kate doesn''t object to you going. And if it doesn''t?]
[Then I''ll have it modified. If nothing else, a skin-tone insert would do it.]
[Or a contrasting colour? It might look good.]
[You''re thinking of becoming a dress designer too?]
[If so, then only, or at least primarily for you, my love.]
[George, what do you think of Sarah''s dress?]
[She looks radiant in it. It''s certainly impressive. Is it very old? The style looks it, but is it a modern copy?]
[No, original, a hundred and eighty years or so.]
[It must be worth a fortune.]
[Yes, but what do you think of the dress itself? Pretty, ugly, glamorous, over the top, too outrageous for this century? Tell me.]
[I think it''s probably the most beautiful wedding dress I''ve ever seen, not that that says much of course. But yes, it far outshines anything I''ve seen in window displays or anything like that.]
[Good. I''m glad.]
[She''s going to lend it to you?]
[Sort of.]
[Why sort of?]
[It''s got strict conditions on it. Sarah really only holds it in trust. All the daughters of the sons or daughters and so on of the original owner have equal right to wear it as long as it''s in the family, and it can''t be sold or given away.]
[And Sarah knows this?]
[Oh yes, she told me.]
[So, you get to look like a princess on your wedding day, and if she has no daughter and we do we''d eventually need to find somewhere to keep it safe?]
[Yes. I''m not aware of any other relatives who can claim it.]
[I''d better come up with some really good programming ideas then, I expect that it needs more than just a box in the cupboard.]
[It has a special box, but yes, it''ll need a big cupboard.]
[So, who owned it originally? Was she a princess?]
[Sarah hasn''t told me yet.] Karen replied.
Community / Ch. 20: International Rescue
Book 2: Community / Ch. 20:International Rescue
Monday, 7th August, early morning
Karen had been right. It was a military transport. George was glad they weren''t in the back with the soldiers on the benches but actually had some padding on their seats. Being ahead of the engines probably helped with the noise levels a bit too.
Karen was talking to her mother. ¡°Didn''t you want to wear the dress, Mummy?¡±
¡°Sarah''s told you the history, all of it?¡±
¡°Yes, she passed me the document as she left, in case it''d make me change my mind. But...¡±
¡°It was a bit too high profile dear. We just had a few guests and I wore my prettiest white dress, but it wasn''t a wedding dress. That dress, well it''s high profile even without the history. In our line of work we didn''t want to attract attention, did we? ¡±
¡°I guess not, no. But if you could have worn it, would you?¡±
¡°Oh yes. It''s a gorgeous dress, and... How much have you told George? I don''t want to spoil secrets.¡±
¡°I''m rotten at secrets, Mummy, you know that.¡±
¡°You can''t be, not with that gift of yours, Karen.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll rephrase that. I''m rotten about secrets I''m going to tell people about soon. George knows about the dress''s history. Not about its design.¡±
¡°That sounds more like you. You always were impatient to talk. So, yes, the dress has its background history, and its unusual design reflects that, but it was a genuine wedding dress for a genuine love-inspired wedding and a lifelong marriage at that. You know that their marriage was part of the reason that the people chose a return to monarchy? They''d shown the world that high profile didn''t need to mean corruption and scandal. I studied it at university. Real social change stuff. Sarah''s mother hadn''t known much about it at all.¡±
¡°So it was your writing on the note with the dress? I thought it looked familiar!¡±
¡°Oh, so that''s how Sarah found out, from my old notes?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I''m a bit confused,¡± George admitted. ¡°I''ve never seen the film. What was the background? I think I remember learning that she married a millionaire who''d thought he was marrying into royalty, and then somehow he lost his fortune and she was instrumental in getting it back, but I don''t remember any details at all.¡±
¡°Mummy? You''re the expert.¡±
¡°If you''ve read my notes, Karen, you''re the expert now. I''ve forgotten most of it.¡±
¡°OK, well, her mother was a bit of an exotic dancer and a bit of a con-artist, and managed to persuade a very rich old man that she was his long lost brother''s child. Why they didn''t do genetic tests I don''t remember.¡±
¡°They did, basic ones, but she bribed the laboratory assistant to mix up the samples somehow. So her supposed DNA showed a partial match when it shouldn''t have,¡± Maria supplied.
¡°So, therefore as his brother''s supposed heir she got named in the old man''s will, and when he died she married her long term associate. They then moved here. Her husband got killed by some muggers, but she claimed to her friends that it was because he had been heir to the throne of somewhere or other, in hiding, and that her one year old daughter was a princess. Mother bought her the excellent education she''d always wanted and the so called ¡®Princess Sarah¡¯ got treated as one by everyone. Met a millionaire, fell in love, married him, and then got told her life had been a pack of lies when they got back from the honeymoon. The film makes it sound like she only told him after a few months, but I think she only waited a while to get things straight in her own mind. Anyway, her husband stood by her. Husband''s business venture then went badly wrong, and while they weren''t totally penniless, they sold pretty much everything but the dress, which her mother had designed. She stood by him and wrote the best-selling book of her own story, made lots of money and put her husband''s business back on its feet, and they lived happily in the full glare of publicity until they died, telling people about public duty and civic responsibility.¡±
¡°And their youngest son, having grown up in such a home, married a real princess and got elected as the first king of the restored monarchy soon afterwards, which of course is how a city got re-named Restoration.¡± Maria added.
¡°So you''re related to the royal family?¡± George asked.
¡°His only sister is about six generations back, yes. It doesn''t really count for much, George, but it is something people can be funny about sometimes. Hence, we don''t share the story of the dress around,¡± Maria warned.
¡°Thank you for telling me, all the same.¡±
¡°You''re welcome, George. Mummy, another issue entirely. If I do scan Ahmed.¡±
¡°Who''s Ahmed?¡± Maria asked.
¡°Oh, my mistake. What''s the guy from the tunnel called? I''ve been thinking of him as Ahmed for some reason.¡±
¡°He''s called Yosuf, Karen. But if I remember correctly, he has a brother called Ahmed.¡±
¡°OK, so if I get the name of Yosuf''s employer, what happens? Does that guy then get arrested and face torture too? I''m going to be hesitant to tell anyone''s name if it''ll get them tortured.¡±
¡°I understand that, Karen. I''ve not discussed this with the local authorities at all, obviously. But they''re going to have to let him go if we don''t press charges. We''ve said we''d rather that happen than let him be tortured. They replied that in that case their investigation ends, but we''d be permitted to see what we can find without a suspect to interview. They thought it was funny.¡±
¡°I was thinking about having a tribal leader there as witness that he didn''t break any vows, and his wife to help him think thoughts of freedom, or to give him a motive to let me scan him. Would that be possible?¡±
¡°I''m sure, Karen. You''d go veiled?¡±
¡°Of course. And I''d talk to the wife first. Do you know which vow of silence he took? I presume he took one. I''d tell the wife that I''m a truth-sayer. And prove it if necessary.¡±
¡°I guess that it''s true, isn''t it? I don''t know about the vow.¡±
¡°I''m more than that, Mummy. Uncle Roland''s power would have classed him being a truth-sayer.¡±
¡°That''s true. Everyone educated says they''re a myth, but that''s wrong, isn''t it? Just arrogance on the part of educators claiming that there''s no such thing. So, you''d speak to the wife, ask about the vow and tell her of your gift? Would she like her husband back?¡±
¡°Yes, that sort of thing.¡±
¡°And there''s always the chance she says, ¡®no, because he beats me¡¯.¡±
¡°Not a big one though. But maybe we can get him to take a vow not to beat her.¡±
¡°OK. And the security guys?¡±
¡°Outside the room. I guess we''ll brief them about what''s going to happen. For decency''s sake, George with me as befits my betrothed, and a male relative with her.¡±
¡°Your betrothed? Is there something you''ve not told me, Karen?¡±
¡°No, Mummy, but George does want to talk with Daddy, and I''m presuming it''ll take a day or two to set all this up.¡±
This news, though not unexpected, brought tears to Maria''s eyes. ¡°Oh my little girl! You''ve gone and grown up, haven''t you!¡±
¡°Yes, Mummy, I think I have, anyway.¡±
Conversation lapsed for a while, then Maria received a message on her wrist unit, looked annoyed and sent back a short message. When she''d finished, George asked, ¡°So the local government have actually given our forces permission to investigate? That''s caused wars before, hasn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes, but they don''t think we''ll get anywhere. They have said they''ll attach someone to us if we do want to interview anyone, so it''s not like we''ve got carte-blanche.¡±
¡°Have they said who?¡±
¡°Yes, they just have. And it presents us with a slight problem.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°They''ve assigned the president''s nephew. Not only is he not much of a policeman, according to reports, but he''s also someone who would probably recognise Karen, even behind a veil. The one advantage is he''s probably had your disclosure document on his desk.¡±
¡°Oh. And he''d be involved right from the start?¡± Karen asked. ¡°I don''t like him. There was something distinctly suspect about him.¡±
¡°When was this?¡±
¡°There was that banquet we got invited to last time I was home, remember? I got sat next to him and he was asking where I''d been, what I''d been studying, how many people lived in my house with me, not exactly personal stuff, but certainly if I''d answered all his questions it''d have sensitive information security-wise. It was odd. I had to tell him he was asking questions I couldn''t answer several times.¡±
¡°Did you tell me at the time, dear?¡±
¡°I think so. I seem to remember you suggesting that I start firing questions at him in reply if he tried it again.¡±
¡°Oh yes, I remember.¡±
¡°But Mummy, I wonder, might it be possible that he has the power? In retrospect those questions he was asking seem like they could have been aimed at making me think of the answer.¡±
¡°I don''t know how you''d tell, dear, until he gave it away. But it might fit some of the rumours I''ve heard about him. Similar to ones that were around Roland, now I think about it.¡±
¡°That''s scary. They don''t know each other, do they?¡± enquired George.
¡°I''ll check,¡± Maria replied.
¡°And Mummy, it might be good to find out if he''s been near our suspect or his family yet. I''m sure that he''ll try to, if he does have the power and he thinks it''ll be to his advantage.¡±
¡°Yes. You''re right.¡±
¡°George, you and I''d better put our heads together,¡± Karen declared.
[Any ideas, George? How can we find out if he has the power?]
[Well, Enoch said that we could look for people who were trapped by looking at the skin of a city. We could look for people with the power wherever he is and see if it''s him.]
[So, we think we could. Should we?]
[Let''s spend some time in prayer.]
As they prayed, George lifted their concerns to God. They didn''t want to abuse their gift, but nor did they want to start working with an evil man with the power. They also prayed for Yosuf and Ahmed and their family, who had been caught up in evil plans, but they were both sure were not the planners. George''s thoughts on the matter became clear.
[You''re suspicious, your mother is suspicious. I don''t want to take risks. We should know the truth.]
[Well then, let us find his feet.] Karen focussed on Ibrahim, the president''s nephew.
She found him in what she recognised as the presidential palace. It seemed big enough to just scan that for people with the power. George volunteered to do that. Not quite sure why, he first focussed on the peace. For some reason it seemed the right thing to do, maybe the similarity with checking on Roland. Thinking of people with the power, he focussed very briefly on the skin of the palace. He was unsure how long he should look. He saw two spots of light before he broke off. There was no heat. He looked a bit longer. One in the upper part of the building. A young woman, he saw she was cleaning. The other, in the same part of the building as Ibrahim. A man, younger than Ibrahim, perhaps thirty, fit looking. George withdrew. No heat. He returned to the mundane world, relieved. It didn''t seem to be very heat inducing.]
[Karen. Do you know this man? {image}]
[That''s not him. Oh, I think I recognise him though! Look at the skin of that room, please! And merge, so I get it too.]
Together they looked at the skin of the place. There was the younger man standing guard at the door, and sitting at the desk was Ibrahim.
[I was right,] Karen said. [That man with the power is his bodyguard.]
¡°Mummy. It''s not the nephew with the power, it''s his bodyguard.¡±
¡°Oh, how very handy. He doesn''t even need to touch any victims himself.¡±
¡°Would the bodyguard be with him during the investigation?¡±
¡°I think that perhaps we could ask very firmly indeed that since we will be doing this investigation in a low key manner, no big scary bodyguards be involved, and if the observer feels that this is not acceptable then perhaps a lower ranking officer with no need of a bodyguard should be assigned instead.¡±
¡°So was the bodyguard near enough to you to read you during that banquet, Karen?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. Possibly. He did seem to be coming and going a lot. Shall we see what''s in my memory?¡±
¡°If you''re sure.¡±
¡°You can do that? Hunt through each other''s memories?¡±
¡°Yes. Somehow doing it together helps a lot.¡±
¡°But you couldn''t do it to someone else?¡±
¡°No, we need to cooperate. As near as we can work out, my brain will be dishing up the memories, and George''s will be helping it to find them somehow. I guess this gift lets us get past the normal thing where you know you know something but need to think about something else before it comes to you.¡±
¡°Very handy indeed.¡±
¡°It can be. We''ll possibly need to rest a while afterwards.¡±
¡°You mean you''re going to be heating your brains?¡±
¡°The gift gives us access to lots of data, Mummy. Processing it needs lots of brain-cells working really hard. And that comes at a price.¡±
¡°I understand, I don''t like it, but I understand. Just don''t over do it dear, you don''t have brain scanners down the corridor here.¡±
¡°We''ll take care.¡± Karen reassured her.
¡°You''d better.¡±
They shut their eyes and their minds reached out to each other. Their thoughts were still individual, but they shared them. It was as though rather than being separate pools of water they''d opened a deep channel between them, so that a ripple in the right direction could pass from one to the other almost unhindered.
[Come, my belov¨¨d George, let''s see what we can see.]
[Are you trying to trigger feedback, my love? It shouldn''t work here.]
[No, I''m not, why do you think I am?]
[Maybe ¡®my belov¨¨d¡¯ is somewhere towards being to me what ¡®precious¡¯ is to you.]
[Oh dear. Come then, my George, swim in my thoughts!]
[Maybe it''s just when you say ¡®my¡¯ about me.]
[Oh George! Should we just take Sarah''s advice?]
[What, elope? How about we get your father''s permission first?]
[OK. Does it count as eloping if we do that? I thought the whole point was marrying without permission?]
[Oh well, let''s not be conventional, we could elope after we have permission.]
[{love} Sounds like a good idea.]
[And just to be really unconventional, let''s tell people when and where we''ll be getting married when we do elope. That way your parents can be there too.]
[Isn''t this getting a bit close to a normal marriage, George?]
[No, it''s a really unconventional elopement, Karen.]
[OK. So wedding dress? Invitees? Food?]
[How about we ask people to bring some food? You know, like at a CU lunch?]
[Pot-luck lunch? Why not! Honeymoon?]
[Certainly. Urm. Wedding preparation classes?]
[Yes. They''re very useful according to Sarah.]
[Oh no! I''ve just thought of a big problem.]
[University term starts in under two months?]
[The trial. Can''t elope and stay in a safe house.]
[Or be on crutches, not with that dress.]
[Then let''s go swimming in your memories, my beloved.]
Karen brought the memory to the front of her mind and they explored it. It was good that emotions were muted. Karen was finding it hard to be detached, witnessing again the way that Ibrahim leered towards her and launched probing questions at her, mostly just as she''d just put some food in her mouth. George was tending towards anger. A side of him Karen hadn''t seen before. [Let''s seek peace, George! I''ve remembered enough!]
They felt the deep waters of the peace wash over them and take the edge of the memories away. There was some heat, but it wasn''t bad. However, the memory had affected them deeply, and they both sensed the need to heal before they talked. [Karen? Memories change with time, don''t they?] George thought.
[Yes. They can fade. Or become exaggerated, like my ball-gown.]
[I hope that one has too.]
[Thank you, George. Good thought. It can''t have been that bad, surely?]
[I doubt it. Let''s see if we can spot exaggerations. Could he really have been peering down the front of your dress all the time?]
[Probably not. Major breach of diplomatic etiquette to peer down the front of ambassador''s daughter''s dress. I''d have left.]
[So, you probably caught him looking a couple of times, but not all the time?]
[Agreed.]
[Now, what about the questions while you were eating. Is that real, or just rude?]
[It''s incredibly rude, he must have done it at least once, but I expect it was twice. Once should been deeply embarrassing to him. I''d guess it wasn''t, or if it was I saw no evidence of him being embarrassed.]
[OK, and his bodyguard kept pouring him drinks?]
[I guess so. It''s odd, normally the waiters would. It''s not anything offensive, just odd.] [And according to your memories the questions coincided with him being there.]
[Yes.]
[So, for whatever reason, he wants to find out where you live. You also felt like he was after your body. His questions paid no attention to your mouth, only to the closeness of the guy who we now know is a mind reader. Could he have been reading you?]
[The servants were barefoot. Probably him too.]
[And the chairs, was that really metal?]
[Gilded wood.]
[Wood plus electrical contact if he touched your chair with his toes, plus proximity?]
[Yes. He could have, couldn''t he? This is scary, George.]
The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
[Not as scary as the thought that he might meet you again.]
[Not if I can help it.]
[My feelings exactly.] ¡°Maria, we''ve reviewed Karen''s memory. It''s been exaggerated over time, but we''ve tried to account for that. Have you anything to tell us, or shall we report?¡±
¡°Only that we''ve found out how my brother got out of jail earlier than expected.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°A large sum of money ended up in the bank account of the fianc¨¦e of a junior civil servant at the parole board. He marked the parole request as approved for immediate release on good behaviour grounds, rather than pass it to the board for consideration. The money paid for a nice house for the young couple to move into, plus their honeymoon.¡±
¡°What happens to them now?¡± George asked.
¡°Well, assuming they get found guilty, the maximum penalty would be: the house gets confiscated as a proceed of crime, he loses his public servant status and pension rights, and they both spend some time in jail. After that, neither of them ever work in a position of public trust again.¡±
¡°Wow. I knew penalties for corruption were tough, but, wow.¡±
¡°Oh, it''s not just corruption, it also counts as interfering with the proper course of justice, and oath-breaking.¡±
¡°Oh. Surely they knew the risks?¡±
¡°I guess they really wanted that house, lied when they took their oaths, and thought they''d been too clever to be caught.¡±
¡°Oath-breaking? What oaths?¡± George queried.
¡°''Service to the people and crown of this country shall guide my every decision. Nothing I do in my service will be motivated by my personal benefit, or the benefit of my friends and family except as part of society as a whole. To this end I stake my life, my wealth and my future,''¡± Maria quoted.
¡°I must have learned about that at school, but I really don''t remember.¡± George said.
¡°You should have, certainly.¡±
¡°So a civil servant really has committed themselves to serve.¡±
¡°Yes, and the sad thing in the parole guy''s case is that in exchange for devotion to public duty, the servant has the right to be properly clothed and housed. If he''d gone through the right channels and said ¡®my flat isn''t really big enough for a married couple¡¯ then they should have been offered two or three others to choose from. Something went badly wrong over there.¡±
¡°Is that something for your department too, Mummy?¡±
¡°No, but I''ll be chatting to my counterpart. I wonder if someone''s been messing with school civics education again, since George doesn''t remember learning about the oath and this guy didn''t even know about his rights. If so, then this could just be the tip of the ice-berg, and a generation will need educating.¡±
¡°Mummy,¡± Karen thought, ¡°don''t get worried by a sample of two. Check with the bored soldiers in the back of the plane too.¡±
¡°Good idea. They''re going to be assigned to the embassy guard anyway.¡±
¡°Maybe George was sick or something when it was covered,¡± Karen continued.
¡°When it was covered? Are you saying that even you only covered this stuff once?¡±
¡°Should it have been more?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Every year, dear, every year, civics week.¡±
¡°Oh, we had that, there were trips to all sorts of places. Not many classes though,¡± George said.
¡°Oh dear. I think I see what''s happened,¡± Maria sighed. ¡°It was what I thought was my brother''s one good idea as a member of parliament. I see I was taken in too.¡±
¡°What was it, Mummy?¡±
¡°Well, few teachers like teaching civics, or students learning it, so when, oh, 15 years ago, Roland proposed that visits to civic institutions be considered part of civics, it was passed overwhelmingly.¡±
¡°And now civics is equated with fun visits to places and we''re starting to see the results,¡± George summarised.
¡°And either we keep going in this direction and society is back with everyone thinking that the civil service is just a job, like it was under the presidents, or some unpopular classes go back in the timetable.¡±
¡°I''d vote for the classes, myself,¡± Karen replied. ¡°All those trips got boring too.¡±
¡°I''ll go and confirm it with the squad in the back.¡±
¡°See if they know their rights too, and duties,¡± suggested Karen.
¡°A quiz, left side vs. right?¡± George suggested.
¡°Good idea. I''ll talk to their C.O.¡±
¡°Mummy, if they''re going to be on duty guarding me, I think it would make sense if we told them of my gift.¡±
¡°You''re sure?¡±
¡°Yes, Mummy.¡±
¡°Right, boys and girls, you thought you were going to have a nice boring flight, doing nothing but counting each others'' zits and watching the clouds go by, didn''t you?¡± their C.O. said, in a jovial tone.
¡°No, sir! ¡®enry''s got a pack of cards, sir!¡± said a happy voice at the back.
¡°Sorry, Henry, we''ve got a special guest or three on board today, and not only that but they''ve come up with an idea to entertain you and see if the country''s really going to the dogs or not. Cards away, lad.¡±
¡°Can''t be going to the dogs, sir, at least, round our way, they sold up to the rats,¡± said the same joker as before.
Once the laughter had died down, the officer saluted Maria. ¡°All yours, maam.¡±
¡°Thank you, captain, I''ll try and get them back to you in one piece. Right you lot, you''ve been briefed. I know you''ve all been studying your notes really carefully because there''s not exactly an in-flight cinema here, and you''re going into an unstable nation. No calling out, hands up if you know the answer. Who am I?¡±
Almost everyone put their hands up. She picked on a woman roughly Karen''s age, who didn''t. ¡°Your colleagues think they know. That''s too easy. See if you can guess.¡±
¡°You''re dressed like a civilian, maam, but you''re on this flight, so I''d guess civil service, or maybe Security.¡±
¡°Good answer. You, next to her. What do the notes say?¡±
¡°You''re the ambassador¡¯s wife, maam.¡±
¡°Next, so why aren''t I on a pretty little jet with a poodle?¡±
¡°Because you''re not just the ambassadors wife, you''re in civil service or Security too, maam?¡±
¡°Getting there. So, is there such a person as an ambassador''s wife who isn''t in the civil service?¡±
¡°Urm, don''t think so, maam,¡± he answered red faced.
¡°Want to revise your answer then, lad?¡±
¡°You''re Security too, maam?¡±
¡°That''s right. So everyone, hands up. Why wouldn''t I travel on a private jet?¡±
The woman who''d guessed first was almost the only one to put her hand up. ¡°So we can keep you safe, Maam! You''re travelling in your Security role and it''d be dangerous for you to travel by regular airline. None of our ambassadors use private jets, maam.¡±
¡°Did you learn that in school? And what''s your name?¡±
¡°No, maam, from my Dad, maam. Jane, maam.¡±
¡°Your Dad has just won you a prize, Jane. I''ll have to work out what with your captain, but failing anything else, you''ll at least get an invitation to a banquet. Food''s good, company''s boring. Did anyone learn at school that our ambassadors don''t use private jets?¡±
No one except the captain had. ¡°You see what I mean, captain?¡±
¡°Yes, maam.¡±
¡°So, left hand bench vs right hand bench. Quiz time on what you should have learned in civics class. You may confer.
Question one. A civil servant is getting married, the lucky boy. He''s been renting half a flat since before he joined the service and can''t afford anything bigger. His fianc¨¦e is looking for a job but hasn''t found one yet. What does he do?¡±
Jane was looking puzzled, ¡°Why''s he renting still, maam?¡±
¡°Your dad again, Jane?¡±
She nodded. ¡°Yes, maam.¡±
¡°Your side has just lost you. Come up here and keep score.¡±
¡°Yes, maam!¡±
¡°So, one point to the side who knows why Jane is up here, another point if you can guess why she asked her question, and a third if you also know the answer to my question. You''re answering all three questions at once, and if you get any of them wrong then the other side gets a point, so discuss it.¡±
There was lots of whispering. Eventually a hand went up, Henry''s friend.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Because we should know this, and the country''s actually going to the dogs except for people like Jane. We''re guessing that she asked because he should have had housing provided like we do, and if that''s right then he could have applied for married quarters.¡±
¡°Well done. Three points. Next question. If his fianc¨¦e got a job in a bank, she''d earn twenty five percent more than he does now, and thirty percent more than she would at starting salary if she joined the service. But she should still consider joining up. Why? Do you know, Jane?¡±
Jane nodded, with a grin.
A hand went up, hesitantly, on the other side of the plane. ¡°Because if she doesn''t need housing she gets a raise?¡±
¡°Half a point,¡± Maria decided. ¡°Exact conditions and amount of raise please. What? No one? Captain?¡±
¡°I''m guessing it''s the same as military rules. Married staff get housing plus full pay for the higher paid staff member, plus double the lower paid spouse''s pay, as that is the maximum nominal value of the housing entitlement.¡±
¡°Well done, captain. Exactly right.¡±
¡°Maam, may I ask something?¡± Jane queried.
¡°Of course, Jane.¡±
¡°My dad couldn''t remember, and I never looked it up. If someone in the military married a civil servant, would the same apply?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°''Scuse me, sir?¡± Henry asked from the back, while, noticed Maria, he was holding the hand of a pretty young woman soldier.
¡°Yes, Henry?¡± grinned the captain. ¡°Are you two thinking of making a marriage request, finally?¡±
¡°Is it even possible on active duty, sir? I mean, sir, we''d been hoping to save up our pay for the wedding, but...¡±
¡°At the discretion of the local representative of the crown, following discussion with the base commander, one of you may be put onto reserve service, with appropriate loss of active service pay, in which case marriage is permitted in any field of duty,¡± he quoted from memory. That loss of pay would mostly cancel out the advantage of marrying, and Henry''s face fell. If they wanted a big wedding then they''d need to wait. But from the previous years, Maria remembered there was a codicil and checked it quickly. ¡°May I read a codicil to that, captain?¡±
¡°Of course, maam.¡±
¡°I quote: ¡®When the active duty is not a war zone, and the representative of the crown and base commander consider that war or significant combat is unlikely, then the removal of one spouse from active duty is not required.¡¯ And I''d like to add that unless something''s changed very recently, that should apply. I''d also like to add that a wedding need not be a lavish expensive thing, mine certainly wasn''t. So, if it''s only the cost that''s holding you back from married bliss, then maybe you should think about priorities. Oh, and it just so happens that I know where there''s a pleasant ballroom freely available to assigned military personnel for such occasions.¡±
¡°Thank you, maam, thank you very much, maam,¡± Henry said grinning.
¡°Yes, thank you very much, maam,¡± said his fianc¨¦e.
¡°I''m going to call you children because you''re no older than my little girl up front, and you should have learned this stuff years ago. Children, these are not gifts from me. You have taken an oath of service to the crown, and these are part of the duty that the crown has to you as its servants. You have sworn your oaths to uphold the crown, I have sworn a very similar oath, only without a time limit or quite so many press-ups involved. The crown takes duty very seriously. Your duty, my duty and the crown''s duty are all intertwined. If a monarch even should fail in their duty to the country then they would be punished severely, so would you or I, but in return for that duty, that service, the crown (or the country if you prefer) has reciprocal duties. You need to eat, so your country feeds you. You cannot serve if you can''t provide for your loved ones, so your country pays you. We''re not doing a job, we''re servants of our nation. We''re not contractors, free to swap jobs every few months. We''re servants and we go where we''re sent. But we can''t serve if we have no homes or our minds are full of worries. So your country houses you and if you''ve got problems we help solve them. You give a lot to your country, but your country offers a lot to you in exchange. I know it''s a big decision to sign away your life like this, but you''ve made it, I''ve made it, and now we''re part of the family that keep our nation great. I don''t know what your family was like back home, but in this family we look after each other.¡±
Karen and George, who''d heard and come back to hear better, started clapping and the soldiers with rapt expressions joined in.
¡°You should be in recruitment, Mummy!¡± Karen shouted.
¡°Then who''d do my job, eh?¡± Maria asked, a little embarrassed.
¡°Pass.¡±
¡°Shall I introduce you, dear? And what you''re going to be doing?¡±
¡°You do the who and why, I''ll do the what, OK?¡±
¡°OK, dear. Now, soldiers, you do know about official secrets, don''t you?¡±
They all nodded. ¡°I''ve got high enough clearance to share some with you. But I''ll remind you that what I say will not be passed on to anyone by you. Your commanding officer may ask, and do you know what to say? Henry?¡±
¡°I need to say, ¡®Sorry, sir, I''ve been told it is an official secret and I must not divulge it, not even to you.¡¯¡±
¡°Well done, Henry. Now, Jane, suppose my husband the ambassador asked you, ¡®So how much did my wife actually tell you?¡¯ What would you say to him?¡±
¡°She told me I''d be invited to a banquet, sir, but beyond that I''m afraid I''m not permitted to tell you without her authorisation.¡±
¡°At which point he might say, ¡®We''re married, for goodness'' sake, she doesn''t keep any secrets from me!¡¯¡±
¡°I''d laugh and say, ¡®Surely, sir, a woman must keep some secrets even from her husband?¡¯¡±
¡°Very nicely done, good use of humour. As it happens, you are authorised to talk to my husband in this matter, since it is a secret that has become official mostly because of my daughter''s involvement. In the next week or so, we hope that we can arrange it that my daughter will interview a number of local people. You''re going to be on escort duty, and you''ll hear her saying some strange things. I presume you''ve all had basic instruction in the local language, culture and legal system''s peculiarities?¡±
¡°Yes, maam!¡±
¡°Good. A few weeks ago, we found someone digging us an extra cellar at the embassy. Wasn''t that nice of them? They''d tunnelled under the road and were just making an extra room under the reception room when we found them. We don''t know who they were working for or who gave them the specially modified drill they were using. All we know is that we caught one of them them red handed, and we''d really like to know who employed them, why, and so on. So would the local government of course, since while the idea of blowing up our embassy might appeal to certain lunatic elements, it would really hurt trade, not to mention their international standing. The local government are keen to use torture, since that way they get an answer, or at least a scapegoat. We''d rather drop charges against the guy than resort to torture, because we''re not living in the dark ages or the barbaric world that was so popular in films before people realised what it was doing to their society. By the way, if you do find yourself wanting to torture anyone, we''ll put you on medical leave and Karen knows some good people to talk it through with until you''re better.
¡°So, there''s a bit of a diplomatic stand off, the guy''s in prison awaiting torture and his friends and family are saying let him go. We expect he''s taken a vow of silence. This is Karen, my daughter, and she''s going to tell you the part of the secret that''s about as old as time, and why she thinks she can help.¡±
Karen stepped forward. ¡°First, let me tell you that I expect you''re not going to believe me. Then I''ll prove what I say, and then, say, tomorrow you''re not going to believe it, and if you like I''ll prove it to you again. That''s O.K. I didn''t believe it either. We don''t know, but we expect the digger took a vow of silence that says his employer''s name won''t pass his lips and he won''t write it down either. That''s the problem, now the solution is the bit you won''t believe.
¡°A few days before the guy was found in the tunnel, I was down a tunnel myself, with a broken leg, no communication device or anything, and no prospect of rescue. I''d been sent down there by an A.I. with a maliciously corrupted database. It claimed it would cure me of being afraid of the dark. I''m not quite sure how I didn''t get kidnapped, we presume that was the plan, but anyway I panicked, got lost and fell. By all rights I ought to be dead. I''m a Christian, though I certainly wasn''t being sensible or saintly or I wouldn''t have gone past ¡®no trespassing¡¯ signs or left my wrist unit at home. So, being in pain and realising what a stupid fool I''d been, I prayed for help, prayed someone would hear my cries for help. Someone did, a nice lady of fiftyish half the city away. She and some friends of hers managed to get a rescue party organised for me, and then told me about the new ability God had given me.¡±
¡°You can shout really loudly?¡± suggested Henry''s neighbour.
¡°Half a city away? From underground?¡± Maria asked ¡°Try harder!¡±
¡°They''re not going to guess, Mummy. My friend heard my screams with her mind. She, and now I, can hear thoughts.¡±
¡°Surely that''s too far...¡± Henry started to say then he turned bright red and shut his mouth tightly.
[We''ll need to talk, Henry.] Karen thought to him, and focussed on his surface thoughts. His eyes opened wide in surprise.
[{shock} How? There''s no contact between us.]
[The same way I got rescued, the same way I found the tunnel under the embassy. God''s given me an extra gift, not just the human ability that you know.]
[Hi, Henry, I''m George. Karen and I share the gift. Does your fianc¨¦e know?]
[We share it.]
[Congratulations on finding each other!]
¡°I don''t know how common the power of hearing thoughts and intentions is, but there will be a paper submitted to the science journal Nature about it in a few months'' time. When you hear people gasping in shock at the thought of mind-readers then you can say you''ve met a couple and they weren''t that scary. George here''s another, just in case you''re wondering. For almost all thought-hearers, physical touch ¡ª skin to skin, or skin-metal-skin ¡ª is required, which wouldn''t have been enough to get me rescued. God gave me the scary version, which as far as we can find out is beyond scientific explanation.
¡°If I wanted to, I could read every thought going round your brain at a given moment. To do that my brain needs to shift into overdrive, which is part of the gift and dangerous. If I did it for more than a couple of seconds my brain would overheat and I''d be risking death. I''m not that interested in demonstrating that part of the gift God''s given me, sorry. I''ve also signed up to an ethical code that says I''ll honour people''s mental privacy. I won''t go nosing around in people''s thoughts without permission, I won''t share what I learn, even accidentally, without permission. There''s two get-out clauses: if by what I learn I can stop a crime, I will, and if someone''s in danger, then I don''t need to get them to sign a release form before I pass on relevant information that''ll save them. Any questions so far?¡±
¡°Assuming that this isn''t a complicated security test or something, how does your ability help the guy on torture row if you won''t divulge what you learn? That risk clause?¡±
¡°I''m hoping that he''ll agree, I''m hoping his family members will give me permission to save him.¡±
¡°But if you don''t then the locals will let him go?¡±
¡°I personally expect that unless he cooperates, on the way to being released he''ll ¡®accidentally trip,¡¯ getting several very improbable bones broken in the process. Or a family member might go missing.¡±
¡°They''d do that?¡± Jane was shocked.
Maria responded, ¡°The accusations have been made, the rumours abound. If we observed it happening in this case, something we''re involved in, we''d report it to the UN human rights committee and probably end up cutting off diplomatic ties, just like if they torture him.¡±
¡°How are you going to convince us without breaking your ethics code?¡± asked another soldier.
¡°I''m going to come along and offer to shake your hand. If you shake my hand and think something to me, I''ll tell you what you said. You sit on your hands, I don''t read your mind. As I''ve said, most mind readers would need that touch. There are bad guy mind readers out there, so you might think about wearing gloves.¡±
¡°But if you were a bad guy mind reader, that wouldn''t help much, would it?¡±
George spoke up, ¡°The only people we''ve found with this God-given gift are committed Christians with high ethics. (Karen has good ethics too, when she''s not just been conned by a rogue A.I.). The basic ability, we call it the power, is genetic, though it sometimes skips generations. I grew up with the power then God gave me the gift too.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Henry asked.
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Why all this? Why tell us this? Why disclose a secret that''s been kept for a thousand years or more? Why tell the world now? Why did God give you the divine knowledge version? Why all sorts of things!¡± Henry expanded.
¡°We are aware of people with the power using it for evil. We are aware that if we tell people about this then their power over people will be limited. We believe that God has put us where He did in order for us to break the silence. We do not believe there will be witch hunts. The power is so easily blocked, after all,¡± Karen answered.
¡°And who is this we? You two and the lady who saved you?¡± asked his fianc¨¦e.
¡°No, the roughly fifty of us who have the gift, scattered around the world. The ones who are not limited by touch. The ones who will in some ways best fit the fears of of the fearful.¡±
¡°OK, convince us,¡± said Henry''s neighbour, who Karen worked out was probably the unofficial spokesman for the group.
¡°Are you volunteering to go first?¡± asked their captain.
¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Then he looked at Karen. ¡°So I just think something?¡±
¡°Yes, reciting a line from a poem, a song, a book to yourself is probably best.¡±
¡°OK. I can do that.¡±
Karen shook his hand and heard, [Bouncing is what tiggers do best.]
¡°Oooh, a classicist! ¡®Bouncing is what tiggers do best.¡¯¡±
Henry was next. Karen responded, ¡°Henry asked, ¡®What if they don''t suffer witches to live?¡¯ In answer to that, who can find the mind-reader? Even if there was a machine that could test people, a mind reader can choose to turn off their abilities for a while. It''s a good defence against a bad-guy mind-reader.¡±
Henry''s fianc¨¦e was next. [Hi, I''m Sam, can you tell me how to do that? Oh, don''t report that please!]
¡°Hi, Sam, in answer to your question, of course!¡±
¡°You didn''t say what Sam asked!¡± Jane pointed out.
¡°She didn''t want me to.¡±
¡°So what were you answering?¡±
¡°Her question, of course. Now leave Sam some mental privacy, Jane!¡± chided the captain.
Karen thought they looked about the same size and said,
[Sam, if she badgers you about it, say you were asking if you could borrow a dress for your wedding. You may, if any fit you, and it''d be a good cover story!]
[Thanks, Karen!]
Karen answered their questions, repeated their messages, and confirmed her power to everyone until she came to the soldier next to Jane.
¡°You''ve claimed you don''t need touch. You can prove that on me.¡±
¡°I would prefer not to. I don''t see the reason to, other than to satisfy your curiosity,¡± Karen replied.
¡°Are you afraid to?¡± he challenged. ¡°Afraid that you might boil your brains?¡±
¡°No,¡± Karen replied with quiet dignity. ¡°I see simply no motive to treat a spiritual gift as if it were a party trick.¡±
¡°So if I don''t believe you can, then you won''t prove it to me?¡±
¡°No. I think you''ve lost sight of the purpose of this. I''ve shared this secret with you so that you are not dismayed or distracted when I talk about my gift to the suspect and his family. The intention is to avoid the surprise reducing your operational effectiveness. You may be sceptical if you wish, but you will not be surprised by my telling people. Thus you will be fully able to respond if there is some cause for you to.¡±
¡°Yes, maam, apologies, maam.¡±
¡°Accepted. Do you wish to feel what having your mind read is like?¡±
¡°Yes, maam.¡±
Karen shook his hand and reported, ¡°You were thinking that I had soft hands but you couldn''t feel anything else. That is correct. You cannot feel anything. You get no clue that someone is paying attention to your thoughts, any more than you''d know if there was a hidden microphone picking up your speech. If you happen to think about something and hold a piece of metal ¡ª iron works best, but even a piece of wet wood can do it sometimes, then a thought reader also in contact with it will have no real option but to hear your top thoughts ¡ª your self-talk, if you like, or the mental images you''re thinking about. It''s not that they''re prying, but that even if you don''t know it you''re broadcasting. I, on the other hand can pry. I can decide to listen to someone as though I''m touching their skin, or shallower, where it''s like looking at someone''s face and judging their mood, or I can go a lot deeper. I just need a good reason to.¡±
¡°What are the range limits of this, Maam?¡± Sam asked.
¡°For surface thoughts, anywhere on the planet. I''ve never had reason to check further.¡±
The captain was shocked, ¡°So you could eavesdrop on anyone in the world, just with a thought? That''d be so valuable!¡±
¡°This is a spiritual gift, captain, something that God has seen fit to entrust us with. We will not use it to help one side or another win military advantage, or to ensure a promise is being kept. However, if there is someone you honestly believe to be lost and injured then we will check on their well being.¡±
¡°Please, Maam, I heard yesterday, my big brother''s missing in action,¡± one of the soldiers said.
¡°George, could you take this soldier and the captain forwards?¡± Maria asked.
¡°Of course,¡± George said, and lead the way. He dreaded the thought of telling the young man his brother was dead and prayed that he wouldn''t have to. Once they''d gone forwards he asked ¡°What''s his name?¡±
¡°Bill, Sir, Bill Hodges.¡±
George focussed on Bill Hodges¡¯s skin. He got a sort of blankness. Was he unconscious? He focussed on his feet. He was, in a bed there, in a hut there beside the river there on that island there in that part of the world there.
¡°He''s alive, unconscious though, in a bed in a hut. I expect I can find it on a map, Captain. I''ll just check to see if I can find out more.¡±
He focussed on the skin of the hut. There was Bill, in bed, and another man, sitting up in bed, a woman beside Bill, Sister Agatha, taking his pulse. A medical outpost. He focussed on her skin. She was concerned, praying that somehow she''d be able to get a message to someone downriver. No power after the floods of course, and there was no net out here after the rebels had blown up the tower. This man needed a proper hospital. If only she had a generator that worked for the radio. George decided he''d witnessed enough.
¡°He''s being looked after by a nurse at some kind of bush clinic. She was hoping that she''d be able to send a message down river with someone, and thinking that the generator for the radio''s packed up and there''s no network after the tower was blown up by rebels. She thought that he needs a proper hospital.¡±
¡°You got all that from her mind?¡± the captain asked, amazed.
¡°She ¡®just happened¡¯ to be praying.¡±
¡°OK, soldier? Looks like your brother''s in the best care available where he is, but we''ll obviously need to get a message to his unit.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir!¡±
¡°Next question is how we''d convince his base to believe us.¡±
¡°I''d ask Maria, sir, I have a feeling that she might know how to handle it.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s easy!¡± Maria smiled once she''d been asked. ¡°I''ll just forward the information as though it came from a field operative. No generator, you say? I think that''d be appropriate thanks.¡±
The young man who''d tried to take the message downstream came back saddened. This tributary was OK, but after the recent rains there''d been so much extra water in the main channel that his canoe had been over-turned twice in the first hundred metres. Maybe tomorrow he''d be able to take the message. Sister Agatha was just telling him to try please, when the helicopter came over the hill. It settled down and two soldiers in UN uniforms got out. With a lot of straining, they got a box out of the helicopter too. ¡°I hope we''re in the right place. You''re Sister Agatha?¡±
The stunned nun said that yes, she was.
¡°We got a message that you needed a new generator and were looking after an injured soldier.¡±
¡°That''s true, both those things are true. Bill Hodges his tags say, some people found him in the river and brought him to me. He''s drifting in and out of consciousness, which is better than he was. But glory be to God! My messenger has just come back saying he couldn''t get down the river!¡±
¡°Well, I don''t know how we''re here then. But if you''ve got Bill Hodges and are called Sister Agatha, and need this generator, then someone heard about you.¡±
¡°It''s a miracle!¡±
¡°I don''t know about that. We got a little message from the tight lipped people in our Security service that Bill was here and you could do with a generator and a decent comms set-up. So we''ll leave you this box, and be on our way with Bill. We''ll just get the stretcher then if you''ll lead the way, Maam?¡±
¡°Of course, of course.¡±
As the helicopter flew away with her semi-conscious patient, Sister Agatha looked at the crate. There was a computer typed note attached to it. She read, ¡°Dear Sister Agatha, in a few months there''ll be a paper in a science journal that causes a big sensation, and another in a theological journal from the same authors. Then you will understand how. But the Glory is always God''s. Your friend in Christ, M. P.S. I hope you can make the radio work. They tell me it''s very easy, but then they like things with wires all over the place.¡±
She looked in the box. There was a generator, not so different from the old one she''d had. Then there was a grey tube, which had clamps that she guessed went on a pole, a small satellite dish, a big metal box, and praise be to God what looked like an instruction book. It was entitled ¡°Installing the Self-configuring Remote Location Network Node Model 35G.¡± It didn''t look much like a radio. But if network node meant that her wrist unit could connect to the net, then she was going to be a very happy woman indeed. Among other things she wanted to share the news of the miracle with the others in her order.
M.''s suspicion was right. Very easy was a relative term, but her other patient was an electrician, so he helped her get it going. He was delighted. His wrist unit could access the net too. He thought that perhaps the local villagers would be very happy to provide sister Agatha with fuel to keep the generator running several hours a day if she didn''t mind them sharing her wonderful box. Of course she didn''t.
The efficient little generator didn''t need much fuel to keep the wonderful box going, they found. So Sister Agatha was able to stay in much better contact with friends and family than she had been for years. It was a wonderful gift.
Community / Ch. 21: Truthsayer
Book 2: Community / Ch. 21:Truth-sayer
Monday, early afternoon
Just before the plane landed, it occurred to George that they should try to pass on Mama''s Ng''s legacy if there was another gifted person near, not to mention that if there was someone local they really should talk to them about Karen''s idea of how to proceed. Since during their conference prayer meeting where they''d been introduced to each other no one had said where exactly they were, Karen decided that she''d search. Thinking of people with the gift, she focussed on the skin of the region, and saw two bright spots, close together. As she adjusted to see in more detail she saw that one seemed to be moving, fairly fast, and intrigued, she looked at it in more detail. One spark resolved into two. High up. Oh of course! George and Karen on a plane.
She switched to peace. Had that wild goose chase been too much? There was a little heat, but hardly any. She focussed on where the other spot had been, and then on the skin of the room. It was Hagar. She''d been in conversation with someone when Enoch did the introductions, so she''d stayed to take part
in that conference, but she wasn''t talking to anyone now.
[Hagar, hello, I''m Karen,] Karen thought.
[From long away? Yes, I know. Hello! Can I help?] Not in English, of course, but Karen understood, not only because it was her second language, but also by the gift.
[Greetings and apologies, Hagar, and peace to you and your family,] Karen said, modifying the formal greeting of the country she''d mostly grown up in. [I am coming, almost landing, and have only just thought to talk to you. I didn''t know you were in this city.]
[You come here? You speak our language! How, why?]
[Two reasons, three now, I think. My parents live-work here, I come with my mother, and he-who-will-ask-for-me, George, comes to speak to my father.]
[That is a good reason! I am happy for you!]
[There is a sadder reason. I found a man called Ahmed digging under my home. He escaped, but his brother was caught in the tunnel.]
[You found Ahmed''s tunnel! You live at the embassy?]
[You know about it?]
[Yes, Karen. It is a thing of shame. My Yosuf went again and again to tell him it is not right. No matter how much gold was buried there.]
[I am sorry, Hagar, you say that Yosuf was not even helping to move the earth?]
[Yosuf move earth? No, he has a bad back. But he is a good husband. He drives a digger for road building. Every day he tried to tell Ahmed to stop. Then soldiers came and did not listen. No one will listen.]
[Now they will. I am sure. I am sorry for my part, Hagar. I did not check what you knew, I did not tell my parents the name I knew, Ahmed. I did not check to see they had the right man. And when I heard the name Yosuf, I thought, ah, an accomplice. I will tell my parents this.]
[The ambassador tries to stop torture, I know, but can your parents talk to the ambassador? Will they be believed?]
[My father is the ambassador, Hagar. I am so used to not saying the whole truth, I do not say it when I should. I am sorry, my friend. I will talk to my mother now. Your Yosuf is a Christian?]
[Yes yes, he is pastor now of our little flock. Only Ahmed still refuses God.]
[I will talk to my mother and my father, Hagar. May I tell you your name? And your connection to Yosuf?]
[Of course!]
¡°Mummy. I''ve been an idiot, and someone really should have listened to Yosuf''s family. I''ve just been talking to our counterpart here. She''s called Hagar, she is Yosuf¡¯s wife and Yosuf is a pastor with a bad back. He drives a digger on the road project. I should have told you that it was a young man called Ahmed that I''d seen digging. Yosuf¡¯s younger brother, not a believer. Hagar thinks Ahmed was looking for buried gold, Yosuf went every day to try to persuade him to stop.¡±
¡°So either Yosuf¡¯s been lying to his wife, which ¡ª given her power ¡ª is a silly thing to do, or they''ve got entirely the wrong brother.¡±
¡°Yes, Mummy. About the only good news is I won''t need to convince his wife of my abilities.¡±
¡°No. But you still might need to convince Ahmed. Plus his family if he has one.¡±
¡°True. I didn''t ask Hagar who knew about her gift.¡±
¡°OK, I''m not sure what we can do, but I''ll get the family statements to look at. If he has a really bad back, then it''d be pretty clear that he wasn''t using the drill or wheel-barrows.¡±
¡°Thank you, Mummy. I''ll ask Hagar about his back.¡±
¡°Yes, see if she has any medical records, or if she can get them.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
By the time they''d landed, it was arranged, at least partially. Hagar would, as she had several times before, visit the embassy. This time she would be apologised to on behalf of the guard who''d turned her away each time before. That guard was in remedial language classes until he could hear the difference between pastor (carer of people as one watches sheep) and shepherd (watcher of sheep). She would give the ambassador the medical records to copy, and meet his family. As was only fitting, she would go with her father-in-law and brother-in-law, as she always did.
¡°Why do we go again? The guard said we must not come back,¡± Ahmed asked.
¡°It is your dishonourable tunnel that put my husband in jail, and you can ask that? May God have mercy on your soul! I am sure the same guard will not be on duty. My friend tells me they change at their lunch time. We''ve always been in the mornings. Let us go and try. If we do not try then you leave my husband for torture. He is a principled man, but he is not strong, and he has me and my son to support. He will tell that the tunnel is yours. You cannot think he will not.¡±
¡°Very well, Hagar, we go again and again, until the guard shoots you.¡±
¡°The guard will not shoot me,¡± Hagar said. ¡°I know this.¡±
The guard saw her approaching. She said her opening piece, as she had said before. As Ahmed expected her to. The guard, a woman, Hagar saw under the uniform with surprise, smiled and tried to speak slowly and clearly. ¡°You are the wife of Pastor Yosuf? We very sorry. Other guard not know good your language. He think you say Yosuf is shepherd. Other guard now go baby school learn better speak. Ambassador will speech to you. He very sorry. Come in all you. Please. This way.¡±
¡°You are new?¡± Hagar asked politely, as they walked towards the residence.
¡°Yes. Come I with plane today. Wife of ambassador on plane also, say many angry words about old guard. I sorry I no speak good, I try learn better.¡±
¡°You have a good attitude,¡± Hagar''s father-in-law said. ¡°Good attitude is more important than good grammar.¡±
¡°I thank you, respected sir.¡±
Ahmed was silent. He had not expected to get such a welcome.
¡°I welcome you to my home. May you be refreshed by its shade and may your souls on leaving be more peaceful than on coming,¡± the ambassador greeted them. It was not quite the traditional welcome, but it was well said. Very well said, Hagar felt, and fluent too.
¡°I have listened to what you said when you came. I am sorry that the guard you spoke with that time was too proud to ask when he did hot understand. I read what he wrote you said, but he did not write the truth. My wife also read what he wrote and listened to what you said. Your husband has a bad back?¡±
¡°Yes. He can drive a digger, but cannot use a drill or a wheel barrow without great pain or injury. He is a good man, a Christian, a pastor, he would not do such a thing.¡±
¡°Is there evidence of his back trouble?¡±
¡°Yes, yes, I have it here.¡±
¡°Thank you. I will send a copy to doctors in my home country, and they will tell me if they agree with your doctor. May we know also the name of your doctor, in case they need to ask something?¡±
Hagar nodded, and wrote the doctor''s name and where his office was for him, while an assistant put the papers through the scanner. At this signal a man came with drinks and refreshments. As they were finishing, a message came for Karen''s father. The medical A.I. and doctors at home agreed, Yosuf wasn''t in a fit state to do any digging. He asked Hagar, ¡°This respected elder is your father-in-law?¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
¡°And the younger man your brother?¡±
¡°No sir, he is Yosuf''s brother, Ahmed.¡±
¡°Sirs, I have a problem. There is an honest man in jail who was found in a hole that was being dug under my house. I have the tool that was used to drill the hole, which is not an ordinary drill, but one which only works when other drills are working. It was a very clever drill. We did not know it was being used. We believe it was used for weeks without anyone living here noticing it, because it worked at the same time as the drills in the street. We do not think the man who was digging changed the drill to do this. We think someone told him to dig and gave him the drill. But I do not know who this bad man was. I think that he wanted to fill the hole with explosive. But perhaps that is not what he told the man who was digging.
When a good man goes to a place of dishonour, there is a reason. Usually this reason is to persuade a friend or a relative not to do such a dishonourable thing. I am a man of honour, torture is not an honourable thing and I do not wish to see anyone tortured. Not even the man who was digging the hole. But I do want to know who told him to dig it. Do you understand my problem?¡±
Yosuf''s father understood the problem. He understood very well what the ambassador knew and was not saying. Was Yosuf still to be a pawn? The man claimed honour, so surely not.
¡°Yes, honoured sir, I understand your problem. What is it that you intend to do, what of Yosuf?¡±
¡°I will do all that I can to have Yosuf released. I think that it will not be hard with the evidence you have given me. My doctors have seen his X-ray and the notes of his doctor. They tell me that Yosuf should have an operation for his back, and that even using the digger is injuring him more. My guard has caused me and the country I serve dishonour in the way that he treated you. I hope that my country''s debt of honour to you can be cleared by us making sure that Yosuf has this operation. I know that such an operation costs little compared to such a stain on honour, but I ask humbly that you do not refuse to consider the offer.¡±
¡°I see you are indeed a man of honour, and I thank you for your offer. On behalf of my son and his wife I thank you and accept this gift that you offer. I am deeply sorry that the fool who dug the hole was also foolish enough to take a vow of silence in this matter.¡±
¡°Such a vow is a difficult thing. I think I should now introduce you to my daughter.¡± He nodded to the guard, who opened the door. Karen entered, as serenely as was possible on crutches, with an unusual veil covering her face. It had been Karen''s idea, but Hagar confirmed it would be recognised, and be more powerful than just words. She also gave some advice about the rest of her clothes. Only Yosuf knew about Hagar¡¯s gift.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Yosuf''s father did a double take at her costume and made a sign of respect and then one of warding. Ahmed was simply shocked that anyone would wear such a thing in this context. ¡°You do not do well to mock our traditions,¡± he growled.
¡°And if I do not mock, but honour them?¡±
¡°Then you claim an absurdity!¡±
¡°You say that there are no truth-speakers now?¡±
¡°No, I claim that a foreign ambassador''s pampered daughter should not wear the clothes of a truth-sayer! You are not one. You cannot be one. Your country does not have truth-sayers!¡±
¡°But if I have the powers of a truth-sayer, and am called on to use those powers in this country, is it not right that I declare what I am?¡±
¡°So you claim the powers of a truth-sayer?¡±
¡°No. I claim power beyond any village truth-sayer. A truth-sayer can only know the thoughts that you almost say, and only when he or she touches you. Is this not true, respected elder?¡±
¡°This is true, honoured one,¡± Yosuf''s father answered.
¡°I serve the one true living God, who is slow to anger and abounding in love, who knows all truth and from whom no secrets are hidden, who searches men''s hearts and who will judge the living and the dead. To those who repent in this life He gives the gift of eternal life but those who do not believe, they stand condemned already. I tell you that He has given me the gift of knowing in small part what He knows fully. I do not threaten, I tell you so you may know. He has given me the power to reach into people''s minds and know their every thought. He has given me the power to look into secret places and see what is done there. I am the one who saw you digging in the tunnel, Ahmed, with your clever drill. I could reach into your mind and take the answer to who gave it to you, but I will not, not unless you our your father ask it of me. It would not honour my God if I were to steal your thoughts from you.¡±
¡°Will you prove you have such power?¡± asked Yosuf''s father.
¡°You ask if I will read your thoughts, respected elder?¡±
¡°I do not believe you could read the deepest thoughts without also having the choice to just read the shallow thoughts, as a truth-sayer can. Is this true, honoured one?¡±
¡°This is true, respected elder.¡±
¡°Then tell me what I think at the surface of my mind.¡±
Karen focussed on his surface thoughts and repeated what he thought: ¡°Respected elder, you thought, ¡®Has God really sent this girl to save my honour from my foolish son?¡¯¡±
¡°Yes, that was my thought. I see the answer is yes. Praise be to God. Ahmed, will you ask her to read your thoughts or must I add further shame to your name?¡±
Ahmed felt his father''s shame at even having to ask this, and wanted to show respect. ¡°Respected and honourable father, I seek wisdom. Does my vow of silence permit me to ask this of her?¡±
¡°I wish you would seek it more, my son. You do not speak or write or signal the matter of your foolish vow. All you do in asking is allowing her to honour her God and mine. You cannot in truth stop her from doing this.¡±
¡°Then I ask you to read my thoughts.¡±
¡°Ahmed, I ask then that your thoughts be of who gave you the drill and told you where to dig.¡±
Karen focussed on Ahmed and looked at his thoughts formed and unformed. She withdrew and said, ¡°Ahmed was given the drill by Hamed, the body guard of Ibrahim, the nephew of the president. Hamed said that there was a safe in the floor of this room, with gold in it. That his master had learned this from his friend in my country. Hamed even told you the name of this man, Roland Underwood, so you could find out about him. You did, you found he was a corrupt politician. Hamed came each day and told you where to dig next. He gave you the same amount of money you would have earned if you had been working on the road, and promised to give you a tenth of the gold from the safe. But he told you to dig in places that made no sense, if it was just looking for a safe. Hamed had a tape measure and a drawing. You saw what was on it, and it spoke of space for boxes, nothing about a safe. Sometimes Hamed would take pictures. This is what I saw in your mind, Ahmed. Have I spoken truth?¡±
¡°You have spoken truth, honoured one.¡±
¡°Honour is restored to your family, respected elder, now that these shameful things are known,¡± declared Karen''s father.
[Hagar, Hamed has the powers of a truthsayer. Is this known?]
[No! Please tell my father-in-law, if you can.]
¡°Respected elder, I give you warning. The powers that God gave me are new to me. I broke my leg before He gave them to me. Before that time I met the master of Hamed at a banquet, and both were acting strangely. Hamed was coming close to serve wine, which is not the task of a bodyguard. His master asked questions even as I chewed on my food, and he did not await an answer. I now know the reason for this.¡±
¡°You say that Hamed the bodyguard has the power of a truth-sayer?¡±
¡°Yes, respected elder. I suspected and I checked by the gift that God the gracious has given to me. It is true.¡±
¡°I thank you indeed for this warning, honoured one. And his master knows?¡±
¡°I do not know for certain, respected elder. But it would explain much. I do not think it would honour God if I were to trespass on his mind to find out. I am sure he will not give me permission to look.¡±
¡°Honoured one, I thank you. You have warned me and so protected my family. You have removed shame from my family. You have also convinced me that my son was right and I was wrong. I thought that truth-sayers were all servants of spirits, that is how they explained it to me when I was a child. When I came to know the Saviour God, I kept my belief and would not agree with my son that there could be a truth-sayer who claimed the name of Christ. I thank you that you have taught me this also.¡±
¡°Respected and honoured father of my husband, I am overjoyed to hear your words,¡± Hagar said, simply.
¡°You rejoice because now there is one less reason for conflict in our home, faithful daughter-in-law?¡±
¡°That too, honoured father. But today is not a day for secrets to be kept. I have prayed daily for this change in your heart, that the gift I share with my sister here might be used as it should. From respect of your opinion I have not used my gift to read thoughts since I have lived in your house, but it has been hard when I saw the need.¡±
¡°Faithful daughter-in-law, you have respected the fearful thoughts of an old man too greatly. Use the gift you have. Do I understand that you have the same gift? You are not limited by touch?¡±
¡°Yes, honoured father. That is the truth. My sister did not say, but part of the reason I spoke is this. Part of the gift is to know where people are if I choose. With your permission I would find the disappeared ones that still live and tell the honourable ambassador. Perhaps this will help against the dishonourable Hamed, for rumours I''ve heard say he is involved.¡±
¡°I give permission, faithful daughter-in-law. Such a good deed must be done, if it can truly save people.¡±
¡°Father, what would actually be needed to reunite these families?¡± Karen asked.
¡°If you can find their relatives and persuade them to give formal complaint, and we give that information to UN human rights officers, and if the evidence is enough to convince them, then a warrant to search for them and for their recovery can be issued. Then, if you can find the disappeared themselves, the soldiers will know where to search. This would save many, though some may be killed by their guards so they do not talk.
¡°It would be better if the president were to give orders as well as the UN, then the guards would not fight as hard. But though I think he is an honourable man himself, he is old and trusts others much. They tell him they have checked the rumours and they are false.¡±
¡°But we do not know for sure that he is honourable in this, father.¡±
¡°No, we do not. But I see two truth-sayers in front of me, and you tell me there is a third one here in my house?¡±
¡°That is true, my father. He-who-will-ask-for-me also has our gift.¡±
¡°Call him not that precious daughter, for it is not true. He has asked and I have consented.¡±
¡°Oh Daddy!¡± Karen ignored decorum and went to her father as fast as she could, to embrace him. ¡°Thank you, thank you! Oops.¡± Fortunately the crutches didn''t damage him or the furniture.
¡°You share a precious moment with us, respected and honourable sir.¡±
¡°If you will allow me, my honoured guest, you will share one with me also. I have need to speak to your son, and it would be a pleasure for me to witness his release. Regarding Ahmed, it would be safer I think for him to not remain in the city. I wonder if perhaps you have a brother or cousin living far away?¡±
¡°This is wisdom. Ahmed, you must go. Tell no one you leave, pack clothes and go to your aunt, my sister. A man who can dig so great a tunnel can surely dig a field, and she needs help with the farm. Tell her I said you must stay and help until you have a wife and sons to your name. This city with its temptations is not good for your soul.¡±
¡°Father,¡± Karen spoke up, ¡°there may come a day when this man must stand up in court and acknowledge what I saw. It would not be good for him to be caught by Ibrahim or his men before even leaving the city.¡±
¡°This is true, my daughter. Ahmed, you have the choice. Would you risk to travel by bus or train to your relatives alone, or would you rather go with guards from this embassy?¡±
¡°I try to steal your gold and my employer probably wanted to destroy you, but you offer me protection? I do not understand.¡±
¡°Then think of the kindness of your brother Yosuf¡¯s God. I am sure he has spoken to you of this.¡±
¡°I thank you then, honoured sir, I accept your gracious offer.¡±
¡°You begin to show wisdom, my son. Think long and hard, and listen also to your aunt.¡±
Confronted with the pile of medical evidence that Yosuf couldn''t have moved more than a wheelbarrow of the soil and rock without collapsing, and the personal petitioning of the ambassador to obtain his release, it didn''t take long for the chief of police to agree they had the wrong man.
¡°But what of the true criminal? He must tell us who the true digger was!¡±
¡°We do not need him to. The hand of God has made us fortunate, the true digger visited our embassy with his father, and was surprised to meet a truth-sayer. He kept his vow of silence, but could not keep his secrets hidden. He was no more than a foolish young man, greedy for money and careless of honour. His father now disciplines his son, as is fitting.¡±
¡°You interviewed him without our agent? How can you have done such a thing? This is a breach of sovereignty!¡±
¡°Not so. We can of course interview people who come to our embassy. No one forced him to come. While he was there his father persuaded him that he had been dishonourable. The truth-sayer was there coincidentally and was able to restore the honour of the family. All was done with honour, there was no need for an observer.¡±
¡°But the employer? What of the employer, you know who the employer is?¡±
¡°Yes. I know who employed him, but I want to know who gave that man his orders.¡±
¡°You must cooperate, you must tell us!¡±
¡°I think you will find that you do not give orders to representatives of other nations, respected officer. It is even possible from what I have learned that this man is a criminal from my country, seeking to discredit your honourable nation, I do not know. I will not accuse until I am more sure. Now I am sure you will release the innocent man to his wife and father who wait outside, and that I do not need to speak to your president on this matter.¡±
Knowing that he had no reason except pique to keep his prisoner, and not wanting to displease his president ¡ª he certainly didn''t want to look for a new job ¡ª he signed the release papers. Really, there was no reason to keep the man.
Yosuf was confused, ¡°I have prayed for this daily, but I still do not understand, my father, my beloved. How is it that the ambassador guarantees my release? Has Ahmed been taken in exchange? Where is he?¡±
¡°The ambassador is a man of great honour, my son. Ahmed is sitting in the bus to your aunt''s house, beside two soldiers from the embassy. They are not in uniform, of course, but they are big men, very big men, and they have letters from the ambassador saying that they can visit the country with their new friend, so they can learn our language and customs better. I do not think that there will be trouble for them or Ahmed, even if somehow his old employer finds out about your release.¡±
¡°I check on him regularly, husband, he is fine. Much has happened today. The ambassador''s daughter shares my gift, she found the tunnel from her home country, and then told the truth of the tunnel from Ahmed''s mind.¡±
¡°And I repent that I argued that such a power was not compatible with the faith, my son. That girl showed me clearly that it is, as I am sure that your Hagar could, had I not been so obstinate.¡±
¡°And now, my husband, will you allow me to reassure myself? How are you?¡±
¡°I am well, my wife. I did not know they would do this, but the ambassador''s people watched over me ever so carefully. They said that the whole country would suffer if I did. I do not understand why.¡±
¡°I asked my sister in gift. It is the law of their country that none may be tortured. You were found by their guards, and so it became their fault if you were given to another and they tortured you. They know the law is different here, and so they had the agreement that you would not be tortured and they could make sure of this. The ambassador is a good man. He wishes to talk with you. If you are truly well, then I burn with curiosity to know what about.¡±
That night Yosuf spoke about his conversation with the ambassador.
¡°Yes, my wife. This was truly his request. He asks that I consider you working as truth-sayer to the embassy, an hour or two each day. He knows from his daughter the difference between the gift and the power. He says he would not, could not offer to pay you to use your spiritual gift. But there are many who come, perhaps asking for a visa to enter their country. Some tell the truth, others lie, and it is hard to know one from the other. But if a truth-sayer were there, people might not lie so easily.¡±
¡°But people can lie in what they think, just as with their mouth. It is a myth that the truth-sayer can always tell a lie.¡±
¡°He knows. But with the trick of iron, you could listen as they decide to lie, he said. He would ask only that you attend the interviews in traditional dress, touch the table, and help the interviewer know if their thoughts deny what their tongue says.¡±
¡°And that would be my only task?¡±
¡°That would be your paid task, my beloved. But he says you have set yourself other tasks, where it would be useful for you to be visiting the embassy each day. He did not tell me what these were.¡±
¡°Ah, I understand now. He gives me reason to visit. I expressed a desire to use my gift to help find the missing ones, my husband. It will not take so very long, I think, perhaps I would visit two times. But if I work there, then none would think I had other reasons to visit also.¡±
¡°So he offers you a reason to be there each day and income for our family, so that there is no suspicion about a couple of visits? Where is the sense in this?¡±
¡°He also offers you surgery for your back. He has not said, but I think he knows you will find it hard to work for some time afterwards. He does not want his gift of health to you to lead to hardship. Also there is great love between father and daughter and he knows she and I are sisters in the gift.¡±
¡°And as she would not want you to go through hardship, nor does he? You have seen this in him?¡±
¡°I did not need to use my gift, husband. It was very clear. She is his only child and he would refuse her very little.¡±
¡°He said another strange thing, as we parted.¡±
¡°Yes, my husband? Must I read your mind to find out?¡±
¡°He said that he puts no pressure on us, but if we decided quickly he would be happy, so he could arrange the seats.¡±
¡°Yes. This is strange. I agree. Shall I ask Karen what he meant?¡±
¡°I do not think it matters greatly, but when you talk to her next, yes, please do.¡±
Community / Ch. 22: Planning for Saturday
Book 2: Community / Ch. 22:Planning for Saturday
Wednesday, August 9th
¡°Have you heard from Hagar, Karen?¡± Her father greeted her from the breakfast table.
¡°About the job offer? That was very good of you, Daddy!¡±
¡°Good? It was an opportunity too good to pass up on! But yes, any answer, or guesses what the answer will be?¡±
¡°Is there a problem?¡±
Her father rubbed his face, a sign that Karen recognised. He needed more data for a decision, and he hated that. ¡°Not really, I suppose. It''s just if she''s on staff then she and Yosuf come to the banquet, if she''s not, they don''t, and that affects the seating arrangements and who we invite.¡±
¡°What banquet?¡± Karen asked, curiously.
¡°Oops!¡± Maria said from the door, ¡°James, have you been making decisions without consulting the people involved again?¡±
¡°Only slightly.¡± He gave Karen a guilty grin. ¡°Sorry, Karen.¡±
¡°Come on, Daddy, own up. What''ve you done already, what can''t be cancelled even if I kick and scream at you, and what important facts have you forgotten, other than these crutches and the fact that George is in hiding?¡±
¡°I remembered your crutches. You reminded me of them quite well yesterday when you almost took the vase off the table and my head from my shoulders.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°And I haven''t actually sent the invitations out yet.¡±
¡°That''s a relief,¡± Maria commented. ¡°James, we both love you dearly, and I''m very glad you can be so decisive. But not in this sort of thing, please? You didn''t need to have it all organised before breakfast.¡±
¡°I didn''t manage to, fortunately it seems. OK, love. I''ll see if I can cancel the food,¡± and he got up quickly and strode towards the door to his office.
¡°Wait a moment, Daddy!¡± Karen managed to call before he left. ¡°Discussion first, please?¡±
¡°I thought...¡±
¡°That''s nice dear, normally you do the deciding first then make up the reasons later,¡± Maria observed as she sat down.
¡°Now come and sit still for a bit, and we''ll talk it all through.¡±
¡°Urm, am I interrupting something?¡± George asked hesitantly. ¡°I can come back later.¡±
¡°It''s OK, George! The girls are just ganging up on me again. I just need to repent in dust and ashes, let them have their fun at my expense and then the world can start turning again.¡±
¡°No, James, we''re just happy that you''re your own predictable self.¡±
¡°George, my beloved Daddy, thinking like the ambassador he is, decided that his daughter''s engagement warranted a banquet. That might sound extravagant but actually given the size of the staff here anyway is a bit like John and Sarah deciding to cook pizza for everyone at the Institute twice in one week. But for a real banquet there need to be invitations, somewhat special food and so on, and guests.¡±
¡°Which is the bit where things get tricky, since presumably you''ll want George there, James?¡±
¡°Urm, it''d be a bit odd without him.¡±
¡°I don''t think that him being guest of honour exactly fits with him keeping a low profile, as in witness protection, does it, dear?¡±
¡°No, not really. Sorry. Forgot that significant detail. Not to mention that the default guest list now includes a known associate of cousin Roland.¡±
¡°Now, Daddy, quick question. What''s the check-list look like?¡±
¡°Here, precious,¡± and he handed her a piece of paper. George was surprised to see real paper being used. Oh, it was still used for all sorts of things, but for keeping a list on? He asked Karen, [Real paper? Why?]
[Normal practice. Can''t hack into it. Especially with Daddy''s writing. Easy to destroy, too: add flame and it''s gone. Plus not everyone has a wrist unit here.]
[Oh. Makes sense.]
She finished reading through the list. ¡°OK, Mummy, Daddy, here''s my suggestion. First off, we invite the people I grew up around. Retired staff, long term friends, people whose lap I crawled into. But not the high profile people you''d normally invite with their bodyguards and so on. Total guess thirty people on that list. Then it looks we''ve got enough meals for present staff and the soldiers too. So either we get the soldiers along to the banquet or they can stay in their own mess hall if that''s no good for some reason, then their cooks can have a day off, and the soldiers get to eat the miniature portions you get at a banquet these days and appreciate the food their cooks normally provide. How about that?¡±
¡°Not bad, dear,¡± said Maria, ¡°not bad at all. We''ll have to save some food for the lads and lasses on duty, unless we make it some sort of prize to come.¡±
¡°Rights and duties mark two? That reminds me, have Henry and Sam ¡ª I guess Samantha ¡ª applied to marry yet, Daddy?¡±
¡°Oh, you had a hand in that, did you? Apparently they went straight off the plane to the base commander''s office.¡±
¡°Not me, Mummy. She pointed out how silly it was to save for ages and then spend it all on a big wedding, when if they married they could be getting extra pay and enjoying each other''s snoring.¡±
¡°I don''t quite remember putting it like that, dear.¡±
¡°I know, Mummy, but it''s a bit safer if we don''t think other things they could be enjoying. Sorry, George.¡±
¡°Oh well. We can always elope if the feedback gets too bad,¡± George said.
¡°Feedback? And what''s this about eloping?¡± James asked.
¡°Almost an occupational hazard,¡± Karen said.
¡°Depends on the occupation!¡± George said, blushing.
¡°Should we change the subject?¡± Karen giggled and blushed too.
¡°I don''t think so, not without an explanation, my daughter,¡± Maria said sternly.
¡°Sorry, it''s not funny, really it''s not,¡± George said. ¡°When we touch, or both touch the same piece of iron, our emotions get transmitted as well as our thoughts. The closer we are the better that emotional contact is.¡±
Karen continued: ¡°We see it as a moral hazard this side of the wedding. As we grow deeper in love, our emotional reactions to each others¡¯ feelings get stronger. George loves me, I love George and when I sense his love for me my reaction is to love him more right back, then he senses my love, which makes him love me more in response, and the emotions grow stronger until we break apart or, urm, get overwhelmed, I guess.¡±
¡°By their wedding day, John and Sarah couldn''t hold hands for more than a second, let alone kiss.¡±
¡°So what happened in the wedding?¡± James asked.
¡°Well, Sarah had gloves on, or it would have been really tough, but when the pastor told them to kiss, well there were more than a couple whistles but they didn''t care a bit,¡± George said.
¡°Longest, most passionate kiss I''ve ever seen in church.¡± Karen added. ¡°Apparently it only seemed like a few seconds to them, they were so blissed out on each other.¡±
¡°And that ¡®moral hazard¡¯ awaits you two, does it?¡± James asked, concerned. ¡°If it weren''t for the trial and Karen''s leg in plaster, we''d probably be thinking of marriage before the start of term. Just because we''re certain about how we feel and don''t want to play with temptation,¡± George said simply.
¡°We don''t know if the proximity to the wedding day makes it stronger, or if it''s more to do with how long we''ve been in love. Maybe just how much we love each other.¡±
¡°So, do you need to have more arguments?¡± Maria asked.
¡°Probably not. Given that argument followed by reconciliation is supposed to help the average romance,¡± Karen replied.
¡°And Karen would probably count deliberately triggering an argument to stop feedback as a self-sacrificial loving act,¡± George added, with a smile at his beloved.
¡°But really, it''s not so bad. People have been coping with hormones for millennia, after all,¡± Karen said.
¡°Or not, depending,¡± Maria said.
¡°In some ways I think this might actually keep us safer,¡± George said. ¡°We can''t spend hours holding hands or give long hugs to each other without triggering this alarm clock called feedback. If we''re going to avoid that, then avoiding the other is easy.¡±
¡°I see what you mean,¡± James said. ¡°You''ve got such an obvious precipice that it''s not the temptation that a gentle but slippery slope is?¡±
¡°Yes, Daddy,¡± Karen agreed. ¡°Exactly. The problem is that the precipice encroaches and encroaches as time goes on, or as the wedding day approaches. So waiting for graduation doesn''t sound sensible.¡±
¡°Nor is marrying while a student, really,¡± James said. ¡°Finals are stressful enough without adding the stresses you get from getting used to sharing your lives together.¡±
¡°But maybe in your case, with you able to share thoughts, those stresses won''t be as great, and the stresses of being apart are pretty massive too, if you remember, James. Let''s hope all will be resolved in time for a Christmas wedding,¡± Maria suggested. ¡°Though quite how you wear that dress in winter, Karen, I''ve no idea.¡±
¡°No outside photos?¡± suggested George.
¡°Fly the guests here?¡± James offered. ¡°After all, there''s that tradition of it being at the bride''s home.¡±
¡°Ouch. That would cut down on the number of guests, wouldn''t it.¡±
¡°Not as much as eloping would. What was that about?¡±
¡°That''s Sarah''s suggestion to escape organising the reception. We were thinking that if we ran off to get married we''d at least tell people where we''d be running to and when. But that maybe we''d just tell everyone to bring some food to share and avoid that side of it.¡±
¡°That sounds eminently sensible for a couple of students, but not so great for an ambassador''s daughter. So it depends what you want to be,¡± James thought aloud. ¡°Which reminds me. Different topic entirely, have you given any thoughts to your eventual career paths?¡±
¡°You mean, am I still thinking of geology, Daddy? Not really. It was a pretty dream, but not exactly sensible. Actually we were doing some thinking after Mummy''s impromptu speech on the plane. Maybe the best place for us both is somewhere in the civil service, not that that narrows things down very much.¡±
¡°Well, that''s a change of direction! And I can''t say I''m not pleased that you''re considering it. You''d certainly have job security and I think that even your normal abilities would be assets to the service. Maria, what do you think?¡±
¡°George has done some good work already and from what I''ve seen so far he''d do well in or out of service. Out you''d have more freedom of what you did and where you lived, but probably not that much more. In the service you''d equally have the opportunity to switch from one branch to another. Karen, see if you can guess where I think you''d fit well, my dear.¡±
¡°Analysis, Mummy, pulling facts together. Seeing patterns.¡±
¡°Yes, you''re pretty good at that. I was also thinking you''re good with people too. And numbers. So don''t just think analysis, dear. It''s a good start, but I think you''ve got the potential to move beyond that.¡±
¡°What are you saying, Mummy?¡±
¡°I''m saying that if you''re serious about serving your country, dear, and if I''m not being biased by an extreme case of motherly pride, then I''d say you''ve probably got the potential to take over my job when I retire, or run another department. Not immediately of course, but eventually.¡±
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
¡°Mummy, if I were to take over your job, then there''d be accusations of nepotism.¡±
¡°Oh, all right then!¡± Maria laughed. ¡°Take over your father''s, no one would worry about a bit of nepotism here!¡±
¡°Daddy, in your professional opinion, what would the political classes here think of a woman ambassador who was a truth-sayer?¡±
¡°I think they''d run for the hills, precious, run for the hills and from there they''d declare war, so that they could kick you out.¡±
¡°So maybe that wouldn''t work,¡± Maria sighed.
¡°Oh, I don''t know. It might. We''d have to ask their majesties what they thought of empire building. I mean, just because the politicians have declared war on their biggest trading partner, there''s no reason the people would obey.¡±
[George, don''t look shocked. It''s been a running joke for centuries. Said in almost every embassy. ''All we need to do is scare off their corrupt politicians decadent rulers etc. and the people would be happy to have us rule instead.'' Page one of the guide for new ambassadors says, ¡®Do not give us an empire ¡ª it''s hard enough to run one country well, thank you.'']
[Oh. Thanks, Karen, almost reacted badly there. Extreme ignorance again, what does an ambassador do?]
[Other than throw banquets, you mean?]
[Yes.]
¡°Daddy, George seeks enlightenment. Can you make him wish he''d never asked what an ambassador does while I grab Mummy for a few minutes?¡±
¡°What, he doesn''t believe we''re plotting a coup?¡±
¡°Oh, he did, but I persuaded him otherwise. You can finish the rest of the brainwashing.¡±
¡°Well, George, it''s like this...¡± Karen heard as she and her mother left hastily.
¡°That was cruel, Karen.¡±
¡°Oh, I think Daddy will forgive me running out on him like that.¡±
¡°And George?¡±
¡°He wanted to know!¡±
¡°Maybe he wanted to know from you, dear.¡±
¡°Yes, Mummy, but you know how Daddy loves telling it. If I tell George he''ll get the information but not the passion. I heard it so many times as a teenager that I could probably still recite it, but I''d be saying it flat.¡±
¡°OK, dear. The worst it can do if it goes wrong is limit your feedback for a bit, I suppose.¡±
¡°I suppose it might if George gets all enthusiastic and wants to talk about it more.¡±
¡°Karen, are you serious?¡±
¡°Not really, Mummy. No, not at all really. But that''s not what I wanted to talk to you about. What''s going on with uncle Roland? How is he managing to bribe his way out of prison, when all his assets were confiscated? How is he in contact with nephew what''s his name, and who''s in charge do you think?¡±
¡°Karen, in what role are you asking this? As interested observer, victim, one victim''s friend and another victim''s fianc¨¦e, truth-sayer curious to know more? Potential analyst in my department?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. But thinking of Pris, how''s she doing?¡±
¡°Very glad to have the eye motion control, I can tell you. I''m glad George thought of that. As for her working on analysis, well, she''s trying, and she''s improving.¡±
¡°I''m glad. And uncle Roland?¡±
¡°I tend to agree with whoever it was that thought he was being pushed.¡±
¡°And the whole spill the beans thing makes a lot of sense if he was in contact with nephew, who would have got the disclosure document.¡±
¡°Yes. And what about your kidnap attempt? Give me a guess.¡±
¡°My guess, based on insufficient data. Evil nephew Ibrahim ¡ª it is Ibrahim, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes, dear.¡±
¡°Evil Ibrahim somehow learns that he''s got a kindred spirit in uncle Roland. Lusts after me, decides that if evil uncle Roland can capture me then that''d be great, bribes the probation board guy so he gets out of jail quickly and then after all the careful planning he fails to collect me, I don''t know why, maybe because I didn''t follow the map from the A.I., or maybe his plane gets delayed or something. Then Roland hears about me getting rescued. That is beyond his understanding of the power so he needs to do a quick experiment, hence Pris. Meanwhile evil Ibrahim has been building some kind of extra cellar for us. The crazy melodrama version is that he planned to fill it with explosives so that he could use it to force me to marry him, but I don''t really think so. I wonder if the plan was to make it look like we had a hidden cellar and escape tunnel filled with incriminating evidence they could suddenly ¡®discover.¡¯ In any case Ibrahim has a cellar that Roland knows about and having sent out the gangs to cause chaos he sets out to cause some himself too. He gives Pris a message that can only get found by someone with the gift, and plans to do the same with George, and he''s getting sloppy and the message is designed to get your 100% attention. I don''t know why. Maybe it''s his version of suicide, or it''s a distraction from something else. I really don''t understand why he or Ibrahim would worry about people being told about the power when the culture here has truth-sayers.¡±
¡°But did you take them seriously? Or were they a quaint cultural myth?¡±
¡°Good point. A very good point. So actually, Daddy''s jumping the gun by employing one, isn''t he?¡±
¡°Ooh, that''s true, he should wait for publication, really, but never mind. He''s had the disclosure document.¡±
¡°So, somehow Ibrahim is after something that disbelief about truth-sayers or mind-readers will play an important part of. Let''s assume it''s power, that he wants the presidency. How would the outside world not believing about truth-sayers help him get it?¡±
¡°Why just the outside world?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°The president himself was educated back home. Maybe he doesn''t believe in truth-sayers.¡±
¡°And therefore is vulnerable to manipulation too? But surely he''d have been told of the disclosure document?¡±
¡°You check with Kate who got it, dear. I expect it was Ibrahim, as he''s the president''s security advisor too now.¡±
¡°He is? I thought he was just an over-promoted policeman.¡±
¡°Yes, he was, but you know the system here, Karen.¡±
¡°Keep it in the family, yes. So, based on this, do we need to ask the president about truth-sayers?¡±
¡°Among other things. Yes, it would be promoting the public good. He''s getting old, and young Ibrahim is pretty high on the list of successors.¡±
¡°I still don''t understand how there can be such a thing as a hereditary presidency. Isn''t that just a monarchy?¡±
¡°Well, it would be, except the country is still officially a republic. And there are still elections every ten years.¡±
¡°Mummy, I don''t think people would really call them free and fair though, do you? ¡®Dear name, living at your address, you do support the current president, don''t you?¡¯ doesn''t really encourage dissent, does it?¡±
¡°Of course not. But over the decades the president has been reducing his powers to the extent that he''s more of a constitutional monarch anyway. It''s a pretty good approach I think.¡±
¡°I wonder what Ibrahim will do if he gains power.¡±
¡°Oh, almost certainly whatever he wants. That''s the problem with a weak legal system and a poor constitution. Not to mention heirs being chosen because of their power-base rather than their dedication to service.¡±
¡°So while we don''t stage a coup, letting the president find out about the rotten apple would be a good thing.¡±
¡°Of course, dear. We represent the view of our country, and our country can''t stand by and let corruption go unchallenged.¡±
¡°So, if I remember correctly, I caused some diplomatic embarrassment by climbing onto his lap and asking him to sing me a song when I was three or four.¡±
¡°And told him that his beard tickled, and didn''t he think it''d be better if he shaved it off. Yes.¡±
¡°So does he get invited to the banquet as an old friend?¡±
¡°I think perhaps it would be a good thing, but ask your father too.¡±
¡°Mr ambassador, you asked to discuss a personal matter. I trust everything is all right? Or are you finally deciding to accept our offer of citizenship?¡±
¡°Yes, Mr. President, everything is all right. But you will I''m sure remember my daughter climbing on your lap and asking you why you didn''t shave off your beard?¡±
¡°Yes, my friend. She has turned into a beautiful young lady. I am surprised that she does not have an army of suitors around her, but your ways are not ours.¡±
¡°No, they are not, my friend, but she has chosen one nonetheless. He has asked my permission to marry her. Who am I that I should deny my only daughter her choice, since he is a good man who will be able to care for her well?
So it is on this matter I come. We will not have a formal banquet with many important people to celebrate, instead she asks that we invite people she grew up with, friends who she has known for many years, who read her stories when she was little or sang to her. My friend, she remembered you in this category, and asks if you would like to come, not as president, but as a friend.¡±
¡°That is truly a happy event for you and I am very happy for you. When is the celebration? Soon, I expect?¡±
¡°Yes, she must be back at her job soon, the start of next week even. So I was thinking we would celebrate on Saturday evening.¡±
¡°I think that Saturday evening I am free, but I will make sure. I thank you for this invitation. My bodyguard may come?¡±
¡°Of course, my friend. We do not put you in danger. But if I may, my friend, I think I will also share with you, there, some things that are not for others¡¯ ears.¡±
¡°My ears are yours, my friend. These things cannot be said now?¡±
¡°No, my friend, some are not yet sure, and I would not wish to share unverified rumour.¡±
¡°Speaking of unverified rumour, you asked for the release of the prisoner, I hear.¡±
¡°Yes, my friend. It is most unfortunate, the man had no guilt but his honour. If that man we found had tried to dig or to move earth then the doctors say he would very soon be paralysed, his back is so bad. It is impossible that he dug. He would not name the person he was talking to from honour, but clearly the digger was another. His wife tried to tell this to a guard at the embassy, almost every day, but the guard from pride did not admit that he did not understand. It is my shame that I only checked what she was saying yesterday. The real digger we also interviewed. He knew who had hired him, but had started to realise he had been tricked. They told him he was digging for gold, but there was none to be found.¡±
¡°I am surprised that he came forward.¡±
¡°Our cultures are very different, my friend, but it seems we from the west can learn from yours. I was surprised recently to meet a truth-sayer of great power and integrity. She was at the embassy when the digger came with his father. His father told the digger that he should allow the truth-sayer to read his thoughts.¡±
¡°Truth-sayers are a myth, my friend, a superstitious myth.¡±
¡°So I believed also once, but now I believe otherwise. Did you not receive the letter from the Institute for the Human Mind six weeks or so ago?¡±
¡°No, I do not recall one. What did it say?¡±
¡°That after centuries of looking they have found someone with the ability to read thoughts, and they were researching the person''s abilities.¡±
¡°And they agree with the truth-sayer stories?¡±
¡°The letter said little except that gloves prevent it. But this I now know: they cannot really tell truth, but instead hear a person''s almost-spoken thoughts. To do this they must have touch, or touch through iron, though other metal will work, even foil on a hard surface like wood. Like with hearing, they cannot stop this if they touch someone. And even without touch, it is hard to surprise them, for a decision is like a shout.¡±
¡°You have asked further then?¡±
¡°My friend, I spoke to the truth-sayer I spoke of earlier, but also to my wife. She had not said anything for fear of ridicule, but her brother who causes so much trouble, he also had this power as they grew up. She also spoke to the Institute when she was there last week. You have always seen her wearing gloves. This is the reason.¡±
¡°Ah, the power of ridicule. So she knew the stories rang true, but when everyone says they are superstition, she stayed silent?¡±
¡°Yes, my friend.¡±
¡°And I myself ridiculed the daughter of my friend, when she told me that she had some ability as a truth-sayer. She is a trustworthy girl to whom I have given a job after her father died. She cleans here. Will you stay? I would seek your advice in how to test her.¡±
¡°It is no difficult thing. But if it is your wish, of course.¡±
The girl came in with trepidation. James guessed she was about Karen''s age, but while she was quite pretty she looked like she had been tired and insecure for a long time. Now, she was outright terrified. It was not in her experience to be summoned by the president, for all that he had offered her the job when her father died.
The president spoke kindly to her. ¡°You need not fear, daughter of my friend. You have done no wrong, though perhaps I have wronged you. When I asked what you could do you said you could cook and clean and thought you could become a truth-sayer. Am I right?¡±
¡°Yes, honoured President. That is what I believe.¡±
¡°And I did not believe you.¡±
¡°No, honoured President, you did not believe that truth-sayers were more than tricksters.¡±
¡°But you do not agree with me? Answer honestly.¡±
¡°I have had no training. I know no ritual or incantation, but if there is touch, I hear what is not said.¡± There was a little defiance in her final statement, as if daring the world to deny her this to her face.
¡°My honoured friend tells me what I would not believe before, that such a thing is possible. So I ask that you bury my last doubts.¡±
¡°Friend of my father, this I will seek to do if you wish it. Though how, I do not know.¡±
The president looked at James. ¡°I suggest, Mr. President, that you think of something that you do not mind her knowing, perhaps a song or a poem. Perhaps you could shake the hand of this unmarried-one who is daughter of a friend to you, and she will tell you what you thought.¡±
¡°This is a good plan. Do you agree, daughter of my friend?¡±
¡°Yes, I agree. You are friend of my father, there is no impropriety.¡±
The president thought for a moment and then extended his hand and took hers.
¡°You do not trick me? You mean it? Friend of my father, are you truly serious? You provide me with such a dowry?¡±
¡°You are the only daughter of my good friend. I know he planned for you to have a good dowry, but the hospitals and doctors took what he had saved for you. You are an honest worker and trustworthy. You deserve a dowry, and a thousand is not really so much.¡±
¡°It is more than my father had saved, friend of my father.¡±
¡°But he should have had more years to work. I am sorry I did not think of it before. Choose your suitor wisely.¡±
¡°I know who I would choose, friend of my father, but his parents would not let him marry a girl with no dowry.¡±
¡°I also offer you a new job, daughter of my friend. You shall be truth-sayer to me, if you are willing.¡±
¡°But I know no ritual or incantation!¡±
¡°Ritual and incantation are of no help except to scare the ignorant. You can tell me what my relatives think as they come with plans to try to increase their power, this is enough.¡±
¡°I thank you, honoured President. I should tell you that I have heard the thoughts of one such, while I worked.¡±
¡°Tell me, daughter of my friend, if you think there is ill will.¡±
¡°Friend of my father, there was great disrespect. One told me that he was too busy to leave his room but wanted me to clean anyway. Then as I cleaned, he watched me and made a decision about me, and I heard it. He thought ¡®the ¡ª term of disrespect I do not repeat ¡ª protects this one, but when he dies and I rule, then I shall rape this one also.¡¯ I asked her who assigns tasks, and I do not clean in or near his rooms now.¡±
¡°I am glad that you have told me. Will you tell me his name?¡±
¡°My friend,¡± James spoke before she could answer, ¡°before she speaks, I will write a name of one who has not controlled his eyes near my daughter. Perhaps it is the same man.¡±
¡°You do not fear her reading your thoughts and speaking what you write?¡±
¡°It is the liar who is easily caught, my friend. We can ask her who assigns tasks where this honourable daughter of your friend asked to avoid.¡±
¡°This is true, my friend. Then write who gazes without honour and we shall see if it is he who makes vile plans.¡±
Once Karen''s father had written the name, she spoke. ¡°It was Ibrahim, your nephew, honourable friend of my father.¡±
¡°That is he whose name I have written.¡±
¡°It is curious, my friend, that it would have been his task to tell me of the letter from your country also. I wonder what else he hides from me.¡±
¡°Honourable friend of my father, his bodyguard is rumoured as having the power of a truth-sayer among the staff. She who assigns tasks has warned me of this.¡±
¡°And perhaps this is the reason his bodyguard is with him so much, and he tells his bodyguard to act as a servant. It is not good. I think, my friend, that I must deal with this nephew of mine, before he decides he will not wait any more. I thank you for all you have said and for the invitation. Would it offend if I brought this one with me as well as my bodyguard? If she could talk to your truth-sayer, I think it would help her confidence, and I wish her to stay safe also.¡±
¡°It will not cause offence, my friend, and I will try to see to it that she sits beside the truth-sayer I wish to employ. I await her husband''s permission, but I hope that he will agree.¡±
¡°The one you spoke of earlier?¡±
¡°Actually no, the one I spoke of earlier was only visiting. But I learned that the faithful wife of the wrongly imprisoned man is also a truth-sayer.¡±
¡°Hagar? You speak of Yosuf''s wife, Hagar?¡±
¡°You know her?¡±
¡°Yes, honourable sir, yes. She is a friend of mine. I did not know she was a truth-sayer, though.¡±
¡°Her father-in-law thought that truth-saying was from evil spirits, and she did not want to offend him. Now he knows better and told her she must use her gift for good.¡±
¡°That is good news. I must speak to her!¡±
Community / Ch. 23: Deborah
Book 2: Community / Ch. 23: Deborah
Thursday 10th August
The days before the engagement party went quickly. Through the gift, Hagar located the people who had disappeared. Rumours spoke as though it was hundreds, but they found that there were eleven people still alive who had actually been taken. Eventually, after it was all over, they found the pattern. They were distant relatives of people who worked for Ibrahim and had displeased him, held as hostages against further offences. The threat had been that they would be killed and replaced with a closer relative if the worker spoke up, or if they displeased him again. They were held in several prisons, kept away from the other prisoners, under false names, with fabricated charges listed against them. It was Ibrahim''s personal reign of terror.
While Hagar and Karen located the families, George was checking on where people who would report to Ibrahim or Hamed were. It seemed that Ibrahim had a hundred or so people working for him ¡ª from household servants to thugs, smugglers, racketeers and drug-dealers, but also people he had bribed or blackmailed into working for him.
For the difficult task of talking to the hostages¡¯ scared and frightened relatives, Hagar and Karen developed a pattern, with the reluctant agreement of Karen''s father. Karen and Hagar would go together in an embassy vehicle, until they were near their destination. Hagar would be wearing the formal veil and sash of a truth-sayer, and Karen would be normally veiled. Two truth-sayers together in full regalia would attract far too much attention, even one would be unusual as the distinctive clothes were only normally worn when they were acting formally, in a village setting. The vehicle, along with the guards who''d accompany them would stay out of sight as much as possible so as not to scare anyone. Together they''d approach a woman of the house. Hagar would say that she knew of the family''s trouble and give the all-important news that the loved one lived. She''d tell of the honourable ambassador at the embassy, who had secured the release of her husband. Karen would say that she was his daughter and what needed to happen for a UN warrant to be made for the arrest of their captors and the release of the captive. A declaration would have to be made at the embassy.
First, before Karen and Hagar left, George made sure that none of the active workers were among those that they were planning to visit. One family was on both lists. It was a hard decision, but they decided that the risks to them were high, and like the relatives of those who did not make a formal statement at this stage, the hostage would almost certainly be released anyway, assuming they could get enough evidence to obtain the warrant.
Karen had raided her old box of toys and had found her collection of plastic coins. Though valueless in themselves, they would serve as a recognition token at the embassy gates. She gave one to each woman they talked to, encouraging them to go, but leaving the decision to them and their families. There was a risk, obviously, if they were being watched and someone spotted a pattern.
George would have liked to be there with Karen of course, but he couldn''t. So he kept a distant eye on them and Ibrahim''s spies, making sure that they were not about to talk to someone who was under observation. Twice he had to tell them to change who they would visit next.
Planning this and introducing Hagar to the embassy staff ¡ª she and Yosuf had agreed to her taking the job ¡ª had filled what was left of Wednesday.
Visiting the families took all Thursday. Although it wasn''t exactly part of Hagar''s duties, Karen''s father insisted that it counted as work. His argument had been that since she was going with Karen and they were using embassy vehicles and having guards watching over them, not to mention inviting people to come to the embassy, then it had to count as embassy work. Therefore he needed to pay her, and therefore since it was paid work outside her normal work environment, and there were several additional elements of risk to what they were doing, she had to be paid a bonus. Hagar wasn''t convinced but couldn''t persuade him otherwise. Yosuf hadn''t expected her to be paid at all, so when she silently handed him her wages for the day he was surprised.
¡°You asked for an advance? I know money is tight, but I do not think you needed to.¡± Then he saw the denomination of the notes in the envelope. ¡°How many months'' advance does he pay you for? This is too much! How can we repay this if you become sick?¡±
¡°We do not need to repay it, because it is not an advance, my husband. We did not discuss my pay before, but he tells me that for my work he must pay one of these notes each hour. It is shocking, I know, but he says it is only right. I am not working as a servant but as an expert, and such is the pay for an expert. I told him that today was not work, but he dismissed my arguments. I was with his daughter, travelling with guards as we decided yesterday, and we were telling people about how they should visit the embassy to seek justice. This is part of the embassy''s role, so I was working.¡±
¡°But you were not gone for so many hours, my beloved!¡±
¡°No, but the ambassador was certain and showed me in the contract. Extra pay if I do not work in my normal place of work. Extra pay if there is danger. I am sorry. It does not feel right that I earn so much more than my husband, but we have signed, it cannot be changed. Normally I will not earn so much, I am sure.¡±
¡°You have a generous employer, my wife, who I think hides his great generosity in contracts and sub-clauses.¡±
¡°I asked Karen about this. She was surprised also. She says my normal pay is less than a cleaner would get in their home country, and that I could ask for more! Our money is not worth much, it seems. This is why imported things are so expensive.¡±
¡°But the exchange rates are changing. Things are becoming cheaper.¡±
¡°Yes, my husband. The wise policies of our president help in this, Karen says.¡±
¡°You remind me, my father says you had a visitor. A woman he has seen at church, she works for the president.¡±
¡°Might it be Deborah? I think she cleans there. Is she in trouble?¡±
¡°No, but she said she had been given a new job and thought she should talk to you about it.¡±
¡°Oh? Shall I go and visit her?¡±
¡°I think my wife I would prefer that you call her here. I am a greedy man who has seen too little of his wife in the last month.¡±
¡°She has a wrist unit? You wish me to use yours?¡±
¡°No, my beloved wife, but you have your gift and she has a new job as truth-sayer to the president.¡±
¡°Truth-sayer to the president! How does she go from cleaner to truth-sayer?¡±
¡°That is the other reason to invite her here. You can ask her and you do not need to tell me afterwards.¡±
¡°I shall see if I need to call her, my husband. It would be hard for her to understand what is happening. I am certain she does not have the gift.¡±
¡°Perhaps that is as well. It is less temptation for the president.¡±
¡°Yes. I must talk to her.¡±
Hagar checked Deborah''s feet, ah, there she was, coming towards their home. She did not need to call to her. ¡°Husband, I have not called her. She comes this way anyway. I will go and greet her.¡±
¡°Very well, be safe, my beloved wife.¡±
¡°Stay safe, my beloved husband. Rest your back, I shall not be long and want you able to move tonight.¡±
¡°Hagar! I am so glad to see you, you are going somewhere? I hoped to find you at home!¡±
¡°Deborah! It is good to meet you. No, I hoped you were coming, but wanted to meet you. Come, come! You have a new job? Have you heard I have one also, at an embassy?¡±
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
¡°Yes. I met your employer, the ambassador. In some ways it is because of him I have this new job. And also, the president says I shall have a dowry!¡±
¡°He does? That is wonderful! You have told your chosen?¡±
¡°Yes, I have told him. But now he must talk to the president to ask for me, and I think he is very very nervous.¡±
¡°I am not surprised. You will introduce him, I presume?¡±
¡°Of course, but how and when? One does not just knock on the president''s door!¡±
¡°Perhaps my husband will have an idea. If not, you could get your chosen to write a letter.¡±
¡°That is a good idea. It is not likely he will be scared of a pen!¡±
They arrived at Hagar''s home and Hagar called out, ¡°Yosuf, if you want to listen to the gossip, come to the kitchen!¡±
¡°It''s not gossip, Hagar, it would only be gossip if we were talking about someone who isn''t here! Welcome, Deborah! My father said you have a new job. Congratulations!¡±
¡°And she was just telling me that the honourable president is standing as friend of her father, and will provide a dowry.¡±
¡°That is very good news. I do not understand why the parents of your chosen make this foolish demand.¡±
¡°It is very easy, Yosuf. They are proud and wish to boast to their neighbours how important their daughter-in-law is. The happiness of the marriage is of little importance to them.¡±
¡°Now they can boast, I am sure!¡± Hagar said. ¡°But how did you become truth-sayer for the president?¡±
¡°You know that my father was a friend of the president, when he was young?¡±
¡°Yes, you told me. I do not know the story of that, but I am sure you can tell me.¡±
¡°Oh, that is not difficult, my father was a neighbour to the president. They played together even though there was the age difference, and the friendship remained, even through the troubles. When my father died I was only fifteen, and my mother already dead, you know. The president found me a job at the palace, so I would not be hungry. He had asked me then what I could do, and I told him that I could cook and clean, but that I thought I had the ability to be a truth-sayer. He made fun of me then, saying they were only a myth or tricksters.¡±
¡°Ah, I see, and then the ambassador came, spoke of truth-sayers as having real ability, not just tricks, and the honourable president remembered what you had said?¡±
¡°Yes. I presume so. And to test my power, the president thought of giving me a dowry.¡±
¡°Precious proof with a precious gift.¡±
¡°Yes. But Hagar, in the stories it speaks of incantation and ritual. I do not want to call any spirits, and I know no ritual either. The president is kind and says they are not important, but I have a job and I do not know how to do it! I feel I am a fraud!¡±
¡°Deborah, first, wear the veil. You know what it looks like. They have no need to see your face, in fact it is better if they don''t. Earlier this week I witnessed a Christian truth-sayer at work. She invoked no spirits but the words she spoke held power, truth and conviction. I want you to tell me who you are.¡±
¡°I am Deborah,¡± she answered confused.
¡°No! Tell me what authority you serve.¡±
¡°I serve the president, Hagar, you know this.¡±
¡°Deborah, think bigger. If the president told you to leave your home and go to a far country, would you go?¡±
¡°Urm, maybe.¡±
¡°And if he told you that a man you loved was not for you, would you submit?¡±
¡°Probably not, unless there was a good reason, like he was only pretending to be a Christian.¡±
¡°And if the president told you to worship him?¡±
¡°No! I worship God!¡± she answered shocked.
¡°So, who do you serve, Deborah?¡± Hagar saw the penny drop, and continued. ¡°What is He like? What power does He have? Who are you? Why should they fear your power, who gave it to you?¡±
¡°I serve the living God! He sets the stars in their places and determines the reign of rulers, He judges the living and the dead and will raise the righteous to life but cast the guilty into hell. He has given me the power to hear the thoughts you whisper in your mind and He has given me a voice that can shout them from the rooftops if you lie to me.¡±
¡°I think you have the core of a ritual. If you wish an incantation, then pray that the Spirit of Truth will guide you into all truth and convict the guilty of their sins.¡±
¡°Thank you, Hagar! Thank you. Is that roughly what you say as well?¡±
¡°If someone happened to challenge me, I would probably say something similar. But Deborah, you are untrained, I think. Do you know how to hide your mind and why you might need to?¡±
¡°No, Hagar. Why?¡±
¡°You know Hamed, the bodyguard of Ibrahim?¡±
¡°Yes, the ambassador and president spoke of him. He is a truth-sayer also.¡±
¡°No, Deborah. He has the same power, but uses it for evil. Call him a thought-stealer if you want to, but I would not call him a truth-sayer. Be on your guard against him.¡± As she''d been talking, she''d pretended to busy herself about the kitchen, but had positioned herself within reach of Deborah. She mentally put together a picture of Deborah riding on a horse on a sunny day, and sent it to her as she touched her. [Imagine what images that evil man, who is used to torture, might make for you. Pray he does not have this skill.]
Deborah was surprised to see the image, and her joy at the gift turned to horror as she realised she couldn''t have avoided seeing it. ¡°How can I defend against it?¡±
¡°There is only one way for you now. You must turn off your power, hide your thoughts. But you must realise this: if you turn if off for long, you may not be able to turn it on again. Some have had to choose between sanity and the power. But you have an advantage over them.¡±
¡°What is that?¡±
¡°You are a servant of the living God. He can give you his peace if he chooses. It is a part of a spiritual gift. I have that gift, and it is a great temptation to misuse it. If God gives it to you then you should not tell the president what you can do by it. He is an honourable man, but he is not a servant of Christ. But if you are caught by Hamed, then I pray God will give you the gift, that you will know the protective power of God''s peace.¡±
¡°What is this gift Hagar? How is it a temptation?¡±
¡°God has chosen to let me know, Deborah. I can know every thought in your mind. Not just the surface thoughts, but also the deep unformed ones and the memories related to them. I do not need touch for this. I do not even need to see you. If you are within a few hundred steps, that is close enough. If I want to just know your surface thoughts, you can be anywhere, at least anywhere on the planet. None of us has had reason to try across space. This is a spiritual gift, not a play-thing. I can know where you are, who is with you, what you are doing. Not just you, any person. That is not all, but it is enough for you to understand. Some of these things, they are dangerous to me. If I followed your train of thought at every level for half a minute I would truly know if you told truth or lied, but I would die soon after. My brain would have cooked itself. We are not gods that we can cope with such knowledge.¡±
¡°But when you met me in the street. It was no accident?¡± Deborah asked.
¡°No. I knew we needed to talk. If there had been need, I could talk to you wherever you are. But once I knew where you were, it was an easy thing to meet you in person. The gift is not a plaything, and not even my husband can command its use.¡± She gave a pointed glance at Yosuf.
¡°I tried, Deborah, for selfish reasons. I asked her to call to you, but my beloved wife met you in person. That was the right choice. Deborah, do you know the trick of iron?¡±
¡°You mean a smith''s art?¡±
¡°No. You do not need to touch the person you listen to. You know this?¡±
¡°I have heard decisions.¡±
¡°Ah, then you do not know.¡±
They explained, and then demonstrated. Hagar also showed her how to hide her thoughts, and how to think of the ball to release herself from the mud.
¡°Pastor Yosuf, Scripture tells us to desire the greater gifts, should I not desire the gift Hagar has?¡±
¡°Do you desire it for the power, the temptation, or for some perceived glory? Or do you desire it because you see how it can be used to help others? I tell you it is not a gift to be shouted of in public.¡± Yosuf warned in answer.
¡°Deborah, sometimes I have prayed that the gift would be taken from me, so great has the temptation been to misuse it. If you knew that tomorrow you would talk to a non-Christian about the faith and you could look through their diary or place a bug in their room so you could know their thoughts, their sins, their hopes for the future, would you?¡±
¡°It would be wrong! No, I would not do such a thing. It might help to convince them, but no, not even for this motive.¡±
¡°And if someone were sad but did not want to speak, would you touch the metal table they rested on to know their thoughts?¡±
¡°Only if they allowed. It would not be right otherwise.¡±
¡°But you see the temptation? You could help them.¡±
¡°Yes, Hagar I begin to see the temptation. I do. May I ask? How do you not read the thoughts of your husband?¡±
¡°My husband knows of my power and my gift. He has told me to use the gift on him if I worry, because worry is never useful. And knowing his thoughts?¡± She smiled at her husband. ¡°This helps me be a good wife to him and helps him to appreciate me.¡±
¡°Your chosen knows of your power?¡± Yosuf asked, changing the subject to slightly safer territory.
¡°Yes, he does. It is something difficult for him to understand, for he is a scientist, but he knows.¡±
¡°Ah, he finds it hard to believe in something which seems a human ability but with no explanation?¡± Yosuf asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°There is an explanation,¡± Hagar supplied. ¡°But they are still working on the paper.¡±
¡°Who? What paper?¡± Yosuf asked.
¡°I know some people, through my gift. They work on a paper for a scientific journal.¡±
¡°There is an explanation for our gift?¡± Deborah asked.
¡°For what we call the power, yes. Not for the gift of God. But both are real. They begin measurements. It is not that you make someone tell you things, Deborah, but that everyone talks all the time, and you can hear them. I expect that in a few decades there will be a clever box to do our jobs, but we can hope that it costs so much to make that it is still cheaper to hire us.¡±
¡°I do not know if I like that thought, Hagar,¡± Deborah stated.
¡°Nor do I. But there it is. If it can be explained then it can be studied. Maybe it will always be too complicated for a machine.¡±
¡°They said that about many things.¡±
¡°Yes. But about some of them they were right.¡±
¡°Praise God.¡±
¡°Amen.¡±
Community / Ch. 24: Coins
Book 2: Community / Ch. 24:Coins
Thursday 10th August
There was hardly ever a real queue of people at the embassy gates, but of course it usually took a while to get beyond them. Normal procedure was that the guards question the visitors first and call for a translator if needed, before giving them the information they wanted or allowing them to enter or not. If they were permitted to enter, then one of the two soldiers on guard would put through a call for someone else to escort the visitor to a waiting room. That was normal procedure.
The guards were all briefed on Thursday morning that, on the off chance that they should be presented with a plastic coin in the next few days, they should personally and immediately escort the visitor or visitors to an interview room and one of their colleagues would inform Maria.
¡°Colleagues plural?¡±
¡°Yes. Three on guard duty for a while. Eyes sharp for anyone spying on who''s coming and going. Call for backup if multiple coins come at the same time. If that happens, put them in separate interview rooms. Ten or eleven coins are going out today, hopefully we don''t get them all back at the same time.¡±
Jane got offered the first coin, late on the Thursday afternoon. A young man, hardly an adult, came up very nervously, eyeing the gun on her shoulder. ¡°My mother said I must come, about my brother, and show this.¡±
¡°Welcome, sir, this way, please.¡±
Hearing her voice, he looked at her face, not just her weaponry. ¡°You are a woman!¡±
¡°I know!¡± she laughed, used by now to the attitude that expected women to stay at home while the men fought.
¡°You have a pretty laugh.¡±
¡°And a big gun.¡±
¡°Yes, I saw that.¡±
¡°I saw you seeing. That is why I said it.¡±
¡°You have killed many men?¡±
¡°No. But I am a good shot. If I needed to, I could.¡±
¡°My father tells me he killed someone in the troubles. It made him very sick. I do not like guns.¡±
¡°Then you are sensible. Guns should be respected, not played with.¡±
¡°But you have one, and you would use it if you had to.¡±
¡°It is my duty. I keep people safe.¡±
¡°The soldiers in the troubles did not keep people safe.¡±
¡°Some of them did ¡ª the ones who obeyed their duty to your people rather than their orders.¡±
¡°You are right. A few of them did.¡±
Maria was waiting. ¡°Maam, this young man has come concerning his brother. He had this toy coin. This honourable lady is wife of the ambassador. I protect her.¡±
¡°Thank you, Jane. I saw you talking. About duty?¡±
¡°Yes, maam.¡±
¡°Young man, your brother has been stolen from you? Disappeared?¡±
¡°Yes, honourable lady. A truth-sayer brought the coin and said someone should come and tell about him. We did not think anyone would listen. The police do not listen. Why do you?¡±
¡°Because of duty. My husband and I have a duty to uphold the law of the world. If your police will do nothing, then the soldiers of the United Nations must. My husband is not here, and deals with other issues, or he would listen. I hope you are not offended if I listen in his place.¡±
¡°No, honourable lady. I will speak of my brother to you.¡±
¡°I will listen, and the microphones in the ceiling will listen. And maybe I will ask you questions. And then what you say will go to a judge at the United Nations, and he will decide, I expect, that whoever has taken your brother has committed a great crime. And then, normally, the soldiers of many countries would look in all of the prisons and hospitals and police stations to search for your brother. And that would take quite a long time.¡±
¡°Then there is little hope? Those who took him can just move him?¡±
¡°You heard me say ¡®normally''?¡±
¡°Yes. Is there something different? The truth-sayer?¡±
¡°Yes. The truth-sayer. She has a rare gift from her God who is also my God. The soldiers do not need to search, unless they think they must pretend they have not been told exactly where he is.¡±
¡°God knows all things. He has revealed this to her in a dream?¡±
¡°No, young man. I said she has this gift. God in his generosity and wisdom has trusted her with the gift of knowing many secrets if she chooses. But of course she does not choose for any reason.¡±
¡°We can pay a little, all we have is not much but...¡±
¡°Hold your tongue you, foolish boy! Do you insult the one who helps you? To think she seeks your money? She is not a rich woman to scorn your money, but she would never defile her gift by accepting payment for using it! God who gives life to the dead and forgiveness to the sinner that repents has not given her this gift to make her rich! No! God has given her this gift to limit the power of evil. God gives you the strength to earn your pay, do not insult Him by seeking to bribe His servants!¡±
¡°I have offended. I am sorry. I misunderstood. She will not abuse this gift for any reason. I understand now. I thought you were saying she would not use her gift without motivation, without encouragement.¡±
¡°I am sorry, I must select my words more carefully. She will tell the soldiers where your brother is when the time comes. Give the glory to God. Speak of your brother, young man.¡±
¡°I will speak.¡±
Another coin was brought on Thursday evening by the wife of a victim. Normally the embassy was not open to visitors that late, but Karen realised that she hadn''t said. She apologised when Maria returned. ¡°Sorry, Mummy. I forgot to set a time limit.¡±
¡°Well, if any come after eleven you can deal with them, dear. If it''s a man, I''m sure George can hover protectively.¡±
¡°Of course I can, Maria. And it''s not like many people could surprise either of us.¡±
¡°But some could?¡± Karen''s father asked, surprised.
¡°I expect, but have never tested it, that someone who was reacting purely on instinct, without thought or decision, could. George, any comments?¡±
¡°Yes. That sounds right. Or someone who''s uncontrolled, say because of drugs or drink, and acts without decision or planning. We don''t have foreknowledge, thank God!¡±
¡°So a drunkard who can''t control their movements, or someone reaching out as they trip, say, might pose an accidental risk. But otherwise?¡± asked Maria.
¡°Otherwise we''d be in the realm of the scary ¡ª a mind-reader hiding their thoughts or maybe someone demon possessed, I''ve no idea about them,¡± Karen pondered aloud.
¡°But you could know about them?¡± asked her father.
¡°If we thought to check, certainly. Otherwise, I don''t know,¡± George replied.
¡°I''ll just ask Hagar,¡± Karen decided.
[Hagar, can I ask something?]
[Yes, my sister, what is it?]
[My father asks me, if there was someone demon possessed approaching. Do you know if the gift would show us somehow, or would we need to remember and check?]
[From my experience I do not know. Not for certain. There was a man, a strange man, in the village where I grew up, who people eventually said was demon possessed and drove him from the village. I know I did not feel comfortable near him, long before that happened. But I was very new to my gift. I just prayed each time he came past.]
[Ah. Thank you, Hagar. May I ask? How did you receive your gift?]
[My great grandmother had the gift. She knew I had the power of course, and as she was nearing death she prayed that I might receive it.]
[So it was not as unexpected as mine.]
[Oh, I didn''t know she would do this. She just told me to thank God for what He''d given me.]
[Ah. I imagine it was a shock.]
[Yes, I was cross with her for a while, but should she have asked? I think not, it is not a good gift to desire, really. I''m not sure I should have told Deborah.]
[Deborah?]
[A woman at church who has the power. She has been made truth-sayer to the president. So she will probably meet Hamed.]
[You told her how to hide her thoughts?]
[Yes. But if he traps her body for long, knowing the peace could be all that saves her mind.]
[Let us pray that does not happen!]
[Yes.]
Karen opened her eyes after they''d prayed. ¡°That took longer than I''d expected,¡± Maria said. ¡°Is everything all right?¡±
¡°Yes. She''d met someone she didn''t feel easy around, when she was a late teen. But it didn''t occur to her to use her gift on him. So she doesn''t know if we''d know anyone possessed or not. And urm, then we got talking. And then we prayed for Deborah.¡±
¡°Who''s she?¡± Maria asked.
¡°The president''s new truth-sayer.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s her name? I didn''t catch it when the president called for her. I said he could bring her to the party so she could talk to Hagar.¡±
¡°She goes to their church, Daddy. She''s been talking to her already. But that''s OK. It probably keeps her safe if her location isn''t predictable before Ibrahim and Hamed are dealt with.¡±
¡°That was the president''s thought also, I think. He seems to be looking after her somewhat.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Karen asked.
¡°He made sure she got her cleaning job after her father died and he said that he''ll provide a dowry for her,¡± James expanded.
¡°That''s good of him. Is she some kind of relative then?¡±
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°''Friend of my father¡¯ seemed to be the relationship from her point of view. And reciprocally, actually, he called her daughter of his friend.¡±
¡°That makes sense then. He''d be honour-bound to act in loco parentis,¡± Karen affirmed.
¡°Oh, of course!¡± James said, burying his head in his hands. ¡°I must be tired or something. I was just thinking of the words, not the phrase.¡±
¡°I''m lost. How does being her father''s friend count for much?¡± George queried.
¡°It can be a general term, but in this context it''s sort of a bit like him being best man and godparent all wrapped into one.¡±
¡°Oh, I see. I think.¡±
¡°Once her father died, depending on how he chose to honour it, the president could have taken her into his family, almost adopted her. My guess is if he''d been married then he would have,¡± Maria added.
¡°Do you know why he didn''t ever marry, Mummy? I''ve always wondered.¡±
¡°He almost did, but she was killed during the successional conflicts ¡ª what they call the troubles, George,¡± Maria said. ¡°It was part of what assured his success really. Clear case of a botched assassination aimed at him. Everyone knew who it was who''d ordered it, and a lot of support switched from that man to the current president. Good thing too.¡±
¡°Might they not re-erupt when the president dies?¡±
¡°Hopefully not. The president is wiser than his uncle was in that respect. There will be elections when he dies, of course, but he plans to name an heir.¡±
Friday, 11th August
The new day brought with it more coins. Seven in all, with a surge after Friday prayers. Statements were taken and a dossier prepared, with all nine cases that had been reported. There were so many similarities that it was clearly the same group doing the snatches. All the disappeared had been snatched as they were entering or leaving home. All kidnaps had involved a van which looked like a police vehicle but without markings, though one witness said they thought they''d seen where the markings had been painted over.
The snatch had happened in the same way also. The van had drawn up, the victim overpowered and a cloth held to their nose, presumably some kind of anaesthetic, while other occupants of the van had been holding guns pointed at any witnesses. Then the victim had been bundled into the van. No one had received a ransom note.
They were about to send the completed dossier to the Human Rights Office when there was a call from the gate guard.
¡°Maam, we''ve got a distraught young lady here. Says she had a coin to bring but she lost it.¡±
¡°Bring her in. Karen, could you talk to this one?¡±
¡°Of course, Mummy.¡±
¡°I am so sorry. You gave me the coin. It was you, wasn''t it?¡± Karen nodded. ¡°But my son took it and played with it. He is only two, such a naughty boy, he played with it and I cannot find where he put it. I am so sorry.¡±
¡°The coin has no value, it was just so the guards on the gate would let you in quickly. Would your son like some more to play with? They were my toys but I do not play with them now.¡±
¡°But you have kept them so long, they have value to you!¡±
Karen laughed. ¡°No, truly, they have no value. It is only that I did not want to sort through my toys when I stopped playing with them. Some have value to me, these do not. But I thought of them when we wanted something to give you and the others, something that could be given and shown to guards but would not give a clue to someone else. I thought of them and I found them. And I found other toys that have no value to me. Perhaps your son would like some of them also.¡±
¡°But soon you will have children, surely?¡±
¡°Perhaps, but I am not yet married even. You do not have so many toys for your son I think, and my betrothed is clever with his hands. I think he will want to make toys for our children.¡±
¡°No, I do not have many toys, you are right. And with my husband stolen from me...¡± She wiped away the tears she was so used to crying. ¡°But he lives? You know for sure? How?¡±
¡°We know for sure. The truth-sayer knows where he is held also and when the United Nations sends soldiers, they will not need to search blindly. But first let me know how your husband was taken, so the soldiers may be sent.¡±
The woman told of her husband''s abduction. It was just like the others, except she was able to give a description of one of the attackers, the one who seemed to be in charge. The description sounded suspiciously familiar to Karen. ¡°The man you describe sounds like a man known to me as a certain man''s bodyguard. Can I get a picture of the man I am thinking of to show you?¡±
¡°Yes, of course. I wait here?¡±
¡°Yes, please, I won''t be long.¡±
Karen stepped out of the room and addressed the guard who waited outside, as was normal when an interview was in progress. ¡°I''m just leaving for a minute or two. If she needs to leave that''s fine, escort her off site, but I really hope she can identify someone. I''m just going to get the picture.¡±
Then she tapped her wrist unit. ¡°Computer, produce hard copy of suspect Hamed, face and profile.¡±
¡°Acknowledged, processing.¡±
¡°I didn''t know the computer could do that, maam!¡±
¡°Oh well, you need to reread your orientation materials then. There should be something on it under ¡®general purpose facilities.¡¯ I know, because I had to update it last summer.¡±
¡°Wasn''t that the section on washing machines and the like, maam?¡±
¡°That''s the one. Washing machines, sports facilities, access to the swimming pool, local and off-site communications, voice control of the computer, video library, and so on.¡±
¡°Video library?¡±
¡°Yes. Don''t tell me the others are still claiming they rent videos in town.¡±
¡°They don''t?¡±
¡°Of course not. No need.¡±
¡°So the contributions we''ve all been making?¡±
¡°Oh, I''m sure they spent them in town. It really does pay to read your briefing docs very carefully, Bill. Every line, every word.¡±
¡°So it seems, maam.¡±
¡°I''ll just get my printout.¡±
Karen entered the room with several pictures, Hamed and others who were possible matches to the description given. After explaining what would happen, Karen gave the computer instructions in English, as always. It could have understood them in the national language of course, but she''d grown up speaking to it in English, and that''s a hard habit to break. ¡°Computer, video record. Additional evidence.¡± Then, in the national language, she spoke to the woman, ¡°Respected lady, the computer is now recording pictures as well as sound. This is why I suggested you should veil yourself. For the judges who will get this evidence, is one of these the man you described to me?¡±
¡°Yes! That is him,¡± she pointed at Hamed.
¡°Thank you. I will tell the computer what to do. Computer, highlight selected photo, zoom to original of printout. Append full known data concerning biography and employment of identified suspect. Append summary record of biography and employment of identified suspect''s employer. Add to record if not present that suspect possesses ability to hear thoughts, reference IHM disclosure document. Add to record if not present that employer has exhibited actions suggesting that he is aware of this ability. End of evidence, add to dossier on human rights abuses. Notify ambassador for pre-dispatch approval.¡±
¡°I understood some of that. This man hears thoughts? He is a truth-sayer?¡±
¡°My truth-sayer friend calls him a thought-stealer.¡±
¡°May God defend us! Truly?¡±
¡°I am sorry. I know the tales of truth-sayers, but I had not heard of a thought-stealer. Can you tell me?¡±
¡°A thought-stealer does not ask, ever. He usually hides his power except to gain fear, he uses his power to take the thoughts of the unwary and the innocent, and of those he has trapped, perhaps torturing them. It is not a story to entertain a child.¡±
¡°I understand. I do not know everything about that man, but to me this sounds like a reasonable description.¡±
¡°Then this evil man has my husband! But how does your friend know? She did not hear from him, surely? She would be in great danger. And the one who she heard from is in danger, and any she talked to, like me! Oh, my poor son!¡±
¡°No, it is all right.¡± Karen decided the woman needed to know about the gift if she was not to worry more. ¡°You know that normally a truth-sayer can only know thoughts from people close?¡±
¡°Yes, I know this. But you said normally?¡±
¡°Yes. My friend the truth-sayer, she has a great and powerful gift from God. God who knows all and yet forgives the repentant sinner, has allowed her to know in part what He knows in full. She can find people who are lost and know thoughts of an individual on the other side of the world. It is such a powerful gift that she is sure she will be judged severely if she abused it or used it for gain. But surely it would be a sin to not find people who are stolen.¡±
¡°Praise be to God that He sends this prophetess among us! To which mosque does she go, may I ask?¡±
¡°No, respected lady. I will tell you a truth you may not accept. But even if you reject this truth, we will seek to free your husband. Anything else would be sin, and we do not wish to dishonour God. She does not go to a mosque, nor do any who have this gift. She goes to a church.¡±
¡°A Christian?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°But she will seek to rescue my husband? My husband who trains to be an imam?¡±
¡°Yes. She is a true Christian, not just one who claims faith but disobeys the laws of God. I do not know what you believe we believe, but we follow the Jesus who said ¡®I am the way the truth and the life,¡¯ and the One about whom God spoke from heaven in a loud voice saying ¡®listen to Him!¡¯, about Him the Holy Gospel says He died on the cross though He was free from sin and God raised Him to life on the third day and seated Him at His right hand. The Holy Gospel also says that He will return in glory to judge the living and the dead and that there is no other name by which people may be saved. God has saved us from captivity to sin, how can we not seek to save others from unjust captivity? God has given freely, so must we.¡±
¡°Your generosity shows you truly believe. I thank you. I cannot answer more about your faith, but perhaps I have been told things that are not true. I must think and learn more. I thank you that you show this care to one who is not of your religion, not of your family, not of your race. Such a good deed will surely earn you a place in heaven.¡±
Karen shook her head in sadness, ¡°Oh, respected lady, you do not understand my faith. When Jesus, the sinless one, died, He took my sins on himself, the sins of all who trust in His name. The Holy Gospel says about Jesus, ¡®Whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.¡¯ I can no more earn my place in heaven than a baby can earn its place in its mother''s womb. I can demonstrate my thanks and praise in my life, I seek to please God, but God''s promise is that I am saved from hell if I submit to this humiliation and admit that I cannot meet God''s perfect standards.¡±
¡°Your faith is strange, but I see it gives you great confidence.¡±
¡°Not in myself, but in God, my saviour. Come, choose some toys for your son.¡±
Saturday, 12th August
For once, the time difference was useful. By Saturday morning the human rights court had determined that there had clearly been breaches of international law. Hamed was to be arrested and charged either by local or UN forces. Given his position, Ibrahim should be arrested by UN forces on suspicion of involvement. UN forces should look for and release the named individuals and any others held with them. Their captors should be arrested. Should they be held in part of a legitimate correctional facility where human rights were being respected, then specific charges should be established before the guards were arrested. State internal support in terms of troops etc. would be appreciated, but state sovereignty was suspended in this matter, under the relevant resolutions and powers.
The court order had been made and co-signed by the judicial representatives of the countries presently on the security council. It had been decided and now it was James¡¯s job to tell the other ambassadors whose embassies had forces in the country or nearby. It would probably take a few days for the forces to gather. Unless of course the president agreed. It would be far better if he did. The destabilising effect of having to force their way past confused (or worse, hostile) soldiers was not something to be relished. But was it wise to alert the president? If he was involved, then it was obvious that they couldn''t involve him. This was a crucial question.
After forwarding a copy of the ruling to all the other embassies and back home of course,
James called his counterparts. He hoped they weren''t busy, but there was a UN judicial action to arrange. He was sorry to wreck any plans, could they come for a strategy planning meeting at eleven? Bring their military attach¨¦ or equivalent too.
He also called Karen to his office.
¡°Precious, your friend Hagar has her wish. Though she may not quite have known what it would involve. How much about the troubles do you remember?¡±
¡°Urm, quite a bit. The old president died, his three possible heirs were all trying to get advantage over each other, lots of gun battles, explosions at night that you and Mummy had a habbit of running away from, just before they happened, I''m happy to say.¡±
¡°You make it sound like we caused all of them.¡±
¡°OK, that you escaped from in the nick of time.¡±
¡°Thank you, precious, better, I suppose. There was only one explosion we caused though. Self destruct of our field station.¡±
¡°Yes, I know, but you did convince others that they needed to stop the other guy''s soldiers getting to computer records, and that often needed some explosive, I believe.¡±
¡°Very time-efficient way of wiping data crystals, your typical high explosive. The shock-wave totally scrambles the data, as well as delaminating the connections most of the time. And if there''s a fire afterwards, so much the better.¡±
¡°So, you were helping the now-president when he was suffering military defeat after military defeat. I don''t remember why though.¡±
¡°Because of a piece of paper rather like that one that''s in front of you. His cousin had been accused of political assassination, the UN arrest warrant had been issued, and the troops were being assembled, but during the delay in assembling the troops, he doubled the forces under his control by hiring mercenaries and almost succeeded in annihilating all the opposition. After the assassination of the president''s fianc¨¦e, he had the majority of popular support, but his cousin had more soldiers, plus all the mercenaries.¡±
¡°So that period was caused by the UN warrant?¡±
¡°He knew he''d be found guilty, but if he was the uncontested ruler then he would have been immune from prosecution. Of course, the immunity clause has been voted out now. I''m not quite sure how they managed to convince everyone.¡±
¡°So Daddy, what''s the motive for this history lesson? Just reminding me how dangerous it is to do what we''ve just done?¡±
¡°Partly. But also a question for you to consider.¡±
¡°Go on.¡±
¡°If the president is a good guy, as I believe; if he knows nothing about any of what''s been going on, then telling him lets him issue a few orders, the local army swarms all over nephew Ibrahim and his henchmen before they can do anything, and all our soldiers need to do is formally arrest them and coordinate the search of the relevant prisons. Hopefully not a single shot fired.¡±
¡°Otherwise it''s some kind of multinational invasion triggering chaos, and
possibly plunging the country back into civil war?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And so you want me to scan him.¡±
¡°Well... you, Hagar or George.¡±
¡°And if you''d never heard of mind-readers, Daddy, what would you have done?¡±
¡°Discussed it with the other ambassadors and gone by gut instinct.¡±
¡°That sounds like a good plan. Why don''t you do that, Daddy? Unless you can get him to consent, of course. If you like though, one of us could give a demonstration of truth-sayer capability to the other ambassadors. I presume you''re inviting them here? We might as well do our bit for the glove trade here.¡±
¡°Thank you, Karen.¡±
¡°What for?¡±
¡°Convincing me that my little girl has grown up.¡±
¡°Oh, what did that? Me not quite telling you to sort out your own problems?¡±
she smiled cheekily.
¡°That and the glove trade comment. You''re keeping hold of the bigger picture.¡±
¡°I need to, Daddy. My introduction to this gift was a growing experience. I presume Mummy''s told you all about it?¡±
¡°From her side, yes. Scary lot of evil you were dealing with there.¡±
¡°I was actually thinking about my ¡®I could very easily die here¡¯ experience. But yes, that rampage by proxy was nasty too.¡±
Community / Ch. 25: The Missing Coin
Book 2: Community / Ch. 25:The Missing Coin
Saturday 12th August
At eleven thirty A.M. the gate guards called Maria. ¡°There''s a young man here with another coin, maam. But we thought we''d seen them all.¡±
¡°Interesting. Ten coins were given out, ten people have come forward, one who''d lost their coin. Does he match the profile of the others?¡±
¡°Well, he seems nervous enough, but if he''s trying it on then he should be, shouldn''t he?¡±
¡°Well, let''s give him a chance to explain himself. Escort him to room six.¡±
¡°Yes, maam. Room six it is.¡±
Room six was within the embassy compound, but wasn''t a normal interview room. It was at the far end of a single story wing of the embassy, and the careful observer would have noticed it had been made with very thick walls and a light roof. In other words, it was designed so if there was an explosion inside then there wouldn''t be much damage outside. The embassy had once been an army base, and room six had been the ammunition store. When the site had been leased as the embassy, they''d decided that it should be used as a secure interview room, for when a visitor seemed suspicious for some reason. Suicide bombers were incredibly rare these days, but not totally unknown or forgotten. The room had additional scanners fitted, and the visitor would be fully checked before the interviewer, in this case Maria, entered.
The discrete green light by the door handle signalled the all-clear. The young man had no weapons or explosives on him. ¡°Good morning. My husband the ambassador is busy, but if you are not offended, I will listen in his name. How can I help you?¡±
¡°Urm, my sister, she has gone.¡±
¡°You do not know where?¡±
¡°No. She has vanished.¡±
¡°I''m very sorry to hear that. Can you tell me how it happened?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I don''t know anything at all, really. All I know is my father called me. He told me that I must bring the coin and tell you that my sister had disappeared. She has been missing for weeks. Father has not said anything, but I think he knows something. Our second cousin disappeared six months ago, and his body was found just after my sister vanished. I am really scared for my sister.¡±
¡°Can I ask you where you got that coin?¡±
¡°My father brought it home from work two evenings ago. He said that a little boy had given it to him. That it might bring us luck.¡±
¡°OK, young man. Can you write down your sister''s full name, just here?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°Thank you. Now, I''m going to have to talk to someone. If you want to leave, you may, but I will want to speak to you again.¡±
¡°But you can help?¡±
¡°I think we can help.¡±
¡°Thank you, thank you for listening. The police did nothing. They said there was nothing they could do, and didn''t want to listen even.¡±
¡°Part of my job is to help your countrymen decide that my country is a friend to yours. If I can help, then I will. I''ll probably be about five or ten minutes.¡±
¡°Thank you, honoured lady.¡±
¡°George, I''ve got a young man who says that his sister was stolen. Here''s her name. Do you know anything about her?¡±
¡°Urm, I can''t read this, sorry.¡±
¡°Oh, of course. Sorry.¡± Taking the paper back she pronounced the name. ¡°Does that tie in with anything?¡±
¡°She''s one of the disappeared all right. She had a relative who worked for Ibrahim, I didn¡¯t check what relation. We thought it would be too big a risk to contact the family. But a relative came anyway?¡±
¡°Says his father brought home a ¡®lucky coin¡¯ given to him by a little boy two evenings ago. And that today his dad said to bring the coin here and tell about his missing sister.¡±
¡°So somehow his dad found out about the coins and is either trying to get his daughter released by disclosing the plan or is trying to get his daughter rescued. And it probably all depends on how he found out about the coin.¡±
¡°That was what I was just thinking.¡±
¡°I''m pretty sure that he didn''t see the coin being given, we were being very careful. So I wonder how he found out about it.¡±
¡°Or how he found out to bring it here.¡±
¡°Maybe they trailed the woman?¡±
¡°Possibly. The guards should have been alert for that, but I wonder if they missed something.¡± Maria pondered.
¡°I presume there are video records?¡±
¡°Oh yes, lots. I''ll get someone checking, but would you mind going and asking Hagar to join me in room 6? I know she''s demonstrating to the other ambassadors that truth-sayers are not a myth, but I think I need one of you, and so far we''ve kept you and Karen under wraps. I think that¡¯s best.¡±
¡°I agree. Urm, I''m not sure how good Hagar''s English is. I''ll ask Karen to ask her, OK?¡± George asked, embarrassed.
¡°Sorry, of course. Consider it a compliment, George. I guess I''m already counting you as belonging to the family, and we all learnt to speak the language a long time ago. Karen''s been teaching you?¡±
¡°Yes, but I haven''t got much past understanding ¡®hold the red ball above your head.¡¯¡±
¡°That''s pretty good, you know!¡±
¡°Well, Karen did try to share some memories of language lessons with me, so I''m not too bad recognising words for concrete objects, colours and numbers. But the grammar and politeness forms are beyond me, and as for speaking, I''ll need a lot of practice.¡±
¡°But your gift does help?¡±
¡°Yes, I mean, if I just called Hagar using the gift it''d be no trouble, but speaking still needs me to train muscles. If there''s no need to use the gift, I''ll leave the talking to Karen.¡±
Maria laughed. ¡°Oh yes, Karen''s good at talking. Well, I''ll go back and talk to our young man. George, before I go and tell the young man his sister is alive, can you check for me that she is?¡±
¡°Yes. Of course.¡±
George checked on the feet of the girl. She was alive, and there in the cell, which was there in the prison, which was there in the city. The same place she''d been before.
¡°She''s alive, in the same prison she was before.¡±
¡°We will try and help your sister, but you present me with a problem, young man.¡±
¡°I should not have the coin?¡±
¡°You should not have the coin and you should not know where to bring it.¡±
¡°My father told me where to bring it.¡±
¡°But how did your father know?¡±
¡°I do not know.¡±
¡°Can you tell me what you do know? You see, those coins went to people that a truth-sayer knew had had family members stolen. Your sister lives. She was one of the people the truth-sayer found out about. Can you guess why your family did not get a coin?¡±
¡°It is because of father''s job, isn''t it? Someone knew about father''s job. I heard my parents argue about it. He is not a bad man! My father is not a bad man. It was the only job he could get after his accident.¡±
¡°Will you tell me about his job and his accident?¡±
¡°I may not tell. I do not know what you have heard from who or who you will tell. I cannot give advantage to our enemies.¡±
¡°I thought that the ones holding your sister were your enemies.¡±
There was a knock at the door. Maria opened it for Hagar to enter. She was in her formal truth-sayer garb. She handed a series of photographs to Maria. ¡°You wanted these, honoured lady?¡±
¡°Thank you, yes.¡± She flipped through them. There was a man who seemed to be following someone carefully. Not the young man who was facing her, nor his father unless her guesses about ages were very wrong, but there seemed to be a resemblance. ¡°Young man who speaks about fear of enemies, yet brings a token given to another and knows what he was not told, this honoured one wears the garb of a truth-sayer. She is one of integrity and great power. Do you wish her to prove her power?¡±
The young man turned and bowed, an appropriate sign of respect. Then he lashed out with his hand to strike Hagar on the face. Somewhat to his surprise he didn''t connect with her at all.
His surprise was even greater when he found himself being dropped to the ground by Maria. His silent response hadn''t seemed right to her and (as she liked to misquote Gilbert and Sullivan''s lines) staying close to a desk and never going to sea would have never made her ruler of the Queen''s Security. Of course she wasn''t actually in charge of all of Security, she''d always point out, ¡®just the interesting bits.¡¯ Turning his lunge into a throw and pin hadn''t even taken much thought. Training took over.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
The guards who''d been outside the door took over Maria''s grip and handcuffed him. ¡°Young man. You have just tried to attack a member of my staff. That is not a good way to secure my help in releasing your sister if that is truly why you''re here. You''ve also broken quite a few laws.¡±
¡°If I could have hit her, she would not have been a truth-sayer.¡±
¡°Not true,¡± Hagar said. ¡°If I had an injury and couldn''t have reacted, you would have hit me. Thank you, respected lady, for your help. He decided to test me in a very direct way. He either knows a truth-sayer well or perhaps has the power himself. Unless he gives me permission I will not touch him to find out which, of course. Or maybe not even then. Someone who tries such a test might not be content with a single attack.¡±
¡°My friend, this foolish boy that attacked you had a coin that he should not have had. He knows where to bring it, though none told him. He brings the name of one we know is held and claims her as his sister, but gives no evidence of this. Perhaps he is a thought-stealer spy, working for the one who holds the stolen.¡±
¡°I am no thought-stealer!¡±
¡°Will you permit me to know this for certain?¡± Hagar asked.
¡°How can you know for certain? All I have to do is think lies. Try if you dare, timid one who fears attack.¡±
Maria''s eyes met Hagar''s, with a question in her mind. Given his consent and his attitude, Hagar didn''t need to think very hard about whether to use her gift. She gave a little nod. She would scan this young man.
Maria launched a barrage of questions at him. ¡°You''re no thought-stealer, but you are a spy? Who for? And the thought-stealer is your brother? Or your cousin? What does your employer know so far? And who really got the coin? You or this one here?¡± Maria fanned the photos out on the desk in front of him.
He kept his silence, challenging Hagar with his eyes, obviously expecting her to touch the table. She didn''t need to of course. She wasn''t very surprised what she found on the top layer of his mind and took a second to take in his thoughts then withdrew. He had prepared what he obviously thought would be an overwhelmingly frightening image for her. He''d obviously been watching late night horror movies, like Hagar''s older brother had when she was too young to find such things scary. Hagar recognised the image from a poster he''d owned, he''d embellished it a bit and some of the details were wrong. He had the power, but he thought his employer didn''t know. He''d been careful to hide his thoughts when near Hamed. He was just a minor pawn, a low grade spy. Several times he''d failed to notice some things he should have, which had first resulted in his cousin being taken hostage, and then his sister being taken. She''d seen how his coming had been an attempt to win favour with Ibrahim, his employer, but that he hadn''t told him anything about it. His younger brother who had been in the photographs had just been told to watch and follow the woman. He didn''t know more of the plan. Ahmed, for that was his name, had been set the task of watching the different families, and had seen the boy playing with the coin. He''d been curious and had gone over to investigate. The little boy had been saying, ¡°Pretty pretty daddy coin. Lovely daddy coin.¡± Ahmed had deliberately knocked into the boy so he fell over, but pretended it was an accident and as he picked the boy up he''d also pocketed the plastic coin that the boy had dropped. Then he''d pretended to help the boy look for the coin for a while. And he''d set his brother to watch the mother. Hagar first spoke to Ahmed. ¡°Ahmed, you are a thief and a spy. Your employer is Ibrahim the nephew of the honoured president, and I expect he will think that you have failed him yet again for not reporting what you knew immediately. Be glad that we will try to rescue your sister anyway. Oh, and I thought the tentacles should have been yellow, not green.¡± His mouth dropped in shock. She knew his name, his employer. His trap hadn''t fazed her at all and he''d seen no contact nor heard any thought from her. This was impossible!
Then to Maria she said, ¡°Honoured lady, this foolish young man''s sloppiness in his dishonourable job has cost the life of his cousin and now he has put his sister''s life in greater danger. His father is injured, I do not know how, and he took this job because it seemed like easy money. I think he starts to see now how costly a mistake that was. He has not totally sold his soul to the evil Ibrahim: he has the power, but has kept this fact from his employer, also his motivation for spying on us was to secure the release of his sister who he does care for. He seeks to obtain her release by exposing our plans. Perhaps he needs time to repent of his sins against his family and against God. Certainly if you release him then he will run to his employer and tell what he has learned. For he has such little wisdom.
¡°That would probably lead to his torture at the hands of Hamed, so that Ibrahim can be sure that there are no more secrets in his stupid skull. And yes, he failed his master by not reporting what he suspected. Do you still not realise what an evil man your employer is?¡±
¡°I am not so foolish as that! But how? How did you find all that?¡±
¡°And do you think we will tell you, so you can tell your employer before you are tortured and your sister and the other stolen are killed?¡± Maria asked.
¡°No, I think you will gloat and tell me things that would save my sister and then not release me for years, by which time Ibrahim will have decided I have run away or killed myself, and so he will kill my sister! I must serve well for two years before they release her.¡±
¡°Have you ever heard of an embassy holding prisoners, young man? We cannot. You have been restrained so that you cause no harm to yourself or others. And also to give you time to think. We have no power to hold you against your will. If you ask us to then we might allow you to stay. Otherwise we will either have to hand you over to the local police or let you go. Can you guess who has made himself the police officer in charge of relations with this embassy?¡±
¡°My employer? Mr. Ibrahim?¡±
¡°Well done. How long will your sister live if we give you to him and he decides you''re a failure?¡±
¡°They will rape her first, he has said, not just kill her.¡±
¡°Oh, well, she will live at least that long then. I am sure that is a comfort to you.¡±
¡°No! Why do you say such things! I love my sister!¡±
¡°No. You love life more, you love your comfort more. You love money more. Otherwise you would not have started working for him.¡±
¡°I had no other choice!¡± he appealed to Hagar.
¡°You had plenty of choices. But you did not take them. Do not lie to me. You could have studied, you could have worked harder, you could have joined the army, you could have used your power and become a truth-sayer. You could have found work on a farm or digging roads. But you chose crime instead, and crime brought you to this, and now you think further crime will get you out! Is that what you call wisdom?¡±
¡°Crime brought me this far. You are right. But from here, where is the escape? Not for me, but for my sister?¡±
Maria answered, ¡°There is only one hope for your sister. Ibrahim must be arrested, his organization destroyed, the stolen rescued.¡±
¡°Who can do that? He has them too well hidden. How can they be rescued when they cannot be found?¡±
¡°They are found,¡± Hagar said simply.
¡°You know this? You know where they are?¡±
¡°You who hope for mercy from murderers, say first what you will do. Will you trust in us, or will you trust in your own ideas?¡±
¡°I know not. You have caught me so easily. I do not understand so much. How did a truth-sayer read thoughts I didn''t think about? How did an ambassador''s wife pin me to the ground without me hearing any decision? In fact, why have I heard no decisions from either of you? What are you? Are you demons who have come to taunt me even before I reach hell? Or angels who will rescue me from this mess? Demons or angels, that''s the question!¡±
¡°Well, I''ll answer some of you questions, young confused one. This ¡®ambassador''s wife¡¯ has been practising moves like the one which put you on the ground for longer than you''ve been alive. No decision needed. Practically no thought, in fact!¡±
¡°And I am not just a hearer of thoughts. God has given me a gift of seeing deeper than you can when I choose. My grandmother prayed that I receive her gift, and what she asked was granted to her. Give God the glory when your sister is released. It will be by His mercy and grace. Do not call us angels, for we are flesh and blood. Would you accept the answer that we are Christians instead?¡±
¡°I still do not understand. What do you mean, trust you?¡±
¡°It is very simple. This evening, I think, Ibrahim and Hamed will be arrested, unless they are warned. If not this evening, then tomorrow. There! I too am foolish. I trust you with knowledge that puts all we have worked for at risk, and all the stolen too. If he hears, I believe they will all be killed. Will you trust us to release them all instead? If you do not trust us then perhaps you could warn him and take what you know to him. Perhaps he will grant you your sister in exchange, perhaps not. Or perhaps he will blame you for failing him again. I ask that you ask to stay here, safe from Hamed.¡±
¡°Lady, let me think!¡±
¡°You may think. Call for the guard when you decide. If you decide to give evidence against Ibrahim and the rest of the gang, we will arrange it that you can give testimony safely. If you do not wish to do that but wish to stay safe here until he is arrested, then we will allow you to do that. If you wish to make a formal declaration that your sister has been stolen from you, and about your cousin, you may do so. Otherwise you will be charged with entering the embassy under false pretences and attempting to assault a staff member. We will have to hand you over to the local police, and that could put you straight into Ibrahim''s hands. I hope you will not choose that path.¡±
¡°So I cooperate or get handed to the police?¡±
¡°That is what happens to spies. Or worse. Sometimes much much worse. Consider well.¡±
Maria ushered Hagar to the family room, where Karen and George were waiting.
[How did it go?] George asked. [Had he been sent as a spy?]
[Yes and no. He was trying to find out what we were doing, so he could tell his employer, but he wasn''t sent. He hadn''t even passed on what he knew. Here is what we found out {memory}.]
¡°We thank you, Hagar,¡± Karen said. ¡°Respected mother, I presume Hagar will get danger pay for the assault?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°No! It is too much! How can I earn in a day more than my husband does in a week?¡±
¡°Hagar, this is your contract. We do not break the rules, nor even exaggerate them, but perhaps we remember them with you when we would need reminding for others. That and that only. We know that your family will lose income while Yosuf is in hospital and recovering. But you were in danger, not great danger, but it was present. You would have been in greater danger had you not used your gift. I needed to know what that boy thought, so had you not used your gift I would have asked you to hear his thoughts as a normal thought reader. And he would have tried to attack your mind. But I have a question for your husband from my husband, which you have just reminded me about. There are times, and I think that young man is a good example, that a visitor or a staff member needs someone to talk to about spiritual things, important decisions. Would Yosuf be willing to be that someone? We have a word for such ¡ª chaplain ¡ª but I do not know how to say it in your language.¡±
¡°And let me guess, there is money involved and no heavy lifting?¡±
¡°You said yourself, Hagar, that it is not good that you earn so much more than your husband,¡± Karen said with a smile. ¡°And I have it from a very good source that it is not good for anyone''s marriage for a man to stay at home all day with nothing to do.¡±
¡°These are good and true words. Who is your good source?¡±
¡°They are the words of my husband, after his back was hurt. He needed something to keep himself busy, to make him feel useful,¡± Maria admitted.
¡°Ah. What did he do?¡±
¡°He wrote some programs for the computer which are now used in every embassy of our country. But that is not the important thing. The important thing is that at the end of each week he felt he had done useful work and had provided for his family.¡±
¡°Thank you. You are right, this is an important thing for most men, my Yosuf included. I will try to convince him.¡±
¡°But back to today, I thank you Hagar for what you learned,¡± Maria said. ¡°Now we know a lot more, I think, about the stolen ones.¡±
¡°At least that that boy''s relatives were taken to be hostages. Yes. A very simple way to encourage obedience and fear, if not loyalty,¡± Hagar affirmed. ¡°And perhaps we will find the others are similarly hostages to others'' obedience?¡± Karen suggested.
¡°Yes. It is possible. It gives a motive, I think. I had been wondering why Ibrahim would take prisoners,¡± Maria agreed.
¡°I must leave now, I think,¡± Hagar said.
¡°You will come tonight?¡± asked Karen.
¡°My employer tells me I must, and bring my husband too. How can I not come?¡±
¡°Very easily if you have important business elsewhere,¡± Maria stated firmly.
¡°But, on the other hand my husband would like you to be there, otherwise he will have to rearrange who is sitting where. I''m not sure why he thinks it must be him, but he will not let anyone else do it.¡±
¡°Far be it from me to cause such distress! We will come.¡±
After Hagar left, Karen said sheepishly ¡°I know why Daddy won''t let anyone else do it, Mummy. So do you, if you think about what happened last time he let me help.¡±
¡°Oh! Yes. That was embarrassing, wasn''t it? But you didn''t know their countries had just declared war on each other. You were only six, for goodness'' sake.¡±
¡°What happened?¡± George asked, curiously.
¡°I decided that I''d arrange the ambassadors by geography, so that everyone was next to their neighbours.¡±
¡°Ah. Neighbours don''t necessarily make friends, do they?¡±
¡°No. I didn''t know that then though. But I''m pretty sure Daddy''s not let anyone else do a seating plan since.¡±
Community / Ch. 26: Engagement Party
Book 2: Community / Ch. 26:Engagement Party
Saturday, 12th August, early evening
¡°Most honoured friend, welcome.¡±
¡°It is so pleasant to be here without my title! I hadn''t realised how much care that title brings with it. To be here just as a friend is a welcome relief! But I think from your expression you need my title. Am I right?¡±
¡°It is true, and although it is far from my desire to ruin your evening, there
is a thing that we should discuss. A most serious thing, my friend.¡±
¡°Does it have anything to do with the mass of activity among the embassies of
what I believe you call the stable nations?¡±
¡°Your informants have been earning their pay, my friend.¡±
¡°Hardly informants. I mean, a five year old could tell me you''ve been having a lot of visitors in big cars. So, I presume you''re plotting something with the other embassies.¡±
¡°Urm, that''s one way of putting it.¡±
¡°So, since I haven''t seen such a flurry of activity since the UN decided to invade during the troubles, I''ll tell you a state secret: I have just signed an order for the arrest of my nephew Ibrahim on suspicion of treason. Would that alter your plans at all?¡±
¡°Slightly. I''ve managed to get the other ambassadors to agree that I show you this little document.¡±
The president didn''t have his glasses on to read it clearly, but he quickly took in the layout of the page, the way it was points and sub-points and decided it must be a legal decision. Then he glanced at the letterhead, a seal he recognised instantly.
¡°I think I need my glasses on.¡±
¡°Your nephew has not been a good man, my friend.¡±
¡°And he stirred up this much response?¡±
¡°Eleven people held without charge, without communications, kidnapped by the bodyguard of a government official using a police vehicle, albeit with the markings painted over? Yes, my friend. Especially when said government official seems to have every intention in following his father''s way of taking your place.¡±
¡°Thank you for sharing this. You''d like an executive order telling everyone to cooperate, I presume?¡±
¡°And perhaps a few trusted army officers. We don''t really want it to seem like we''re invading.¡±
¡°You''ll have them. It just so happens that I brought what I need with me. Let''s get this done quickly, then we can enjoy the happy event. I presume there''s more that you don''t need to tell me?¡±
¡°Yes, but you know how these things are.¡±
¡°I know. I''ll just go put on my hat. May I borrow an office?¡±
¡°Of course, this way. Your hat?¡±
¡°Supreme commander in chief of the armed forces. The military do like impressive hats. I don''t know why. My body guard has it in his briefcase there, along with some other things.¡±
¡°Ah, I see. Here you are, the chair isn''t very comfortable, but the walls and doors are soundproof.¡±
¡°Thank you. Oh, could you get someone to track down my truth-sayer? She''s gone off in a huddle with yours, I think.¡±
¡°Yes, of course, my friend, I''ll probably go and find her myself. I expect all the staff are busy with the preparations.¡±
¡°I''ll wait here for her. She''s a very reliable girl, you know. Very reliable. Head screwed on right.¡±
¡°And her father was a good friend?¡±
¡°The very best. The very best. He didn''t want to be any more than he was, or I''d have made him my chief advisor. A very good friend. It was sad to lose him. But his daughter learned from him well.¡±
¡°Ah, that is good.¡±
¡°Yes. Very good indeed. Now I must put my hat on, sign some papers and make some calls. Then I''ll be able to enjoy being a normal person again.¡±
¡°I will leave you in peace then, my friend.¡±
After looking around for a while, James ended up calling Karen by wrist unit to ask her where he might find Deborah and Hagar. ¡°I even asked the computer but it said it had no data. How can the computer not know where they are?¡±
¡°Urm. My fault I guess, Daddy. I told them they could use the family room so they wouldn''t be in anyone''s way, and then told it to give them absolute privacy, so they could talk freely.¡±
¡°Karen! Absolute privacy is for discussions involving spies and state secrets! It won''t remember they''ve even been here!¡±
¡°Oh no! I''m sorry. I should have said complete privacy, shouldn''t I?¡±
¡°No, that''s for bedrooms. You should have said ¡®total.¡¯ That turns off the video and audio links but doesn''t disable the location detection.¡±
¡°I always get them confused. Who thought up these names? I mean, they''re synonymous to most people!¡±
¡°I did. Now since the computer won''t even let me in there with that level, you go and downgrade their security and ask Deborah to find the president. He''s in interview room one.¡±
¡°OK, Daddy. Sorry.¡±
¡°Deborah, daughter of my friend, I will have a question for you.¡±
¡°I will try to answer, friend of my father.¡±
¡°My friend, your father, sometimes gave me advice. You know this?¡±
¡°No! He never said.¡±
¡°That is like him. But he told you about decision making, I am sure.¡±
¡°Yes, it was a game we often played. He would think of a complicated situation and I would have to decide one way or another, and then explain my reasons to him.¡±
¡°I have a complicated situation. Is your chosen one finished with his letter?¡±
¡°I think that he re-writes it a hundred times an evening. He does not want there to be a single mistake.¡±
¡°Have you told him it must be perfect?¡±
¡°No, I have told him even that it is not wise to seek such perfection, but his mother insists. That worries me.¡±
¡°That his mother has such a hold on him?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Tell him that I must have that letter tonight, or the answer will be no. No, better yet, do not tell him the deadline is mine. If your wisdom is not more important to him than his mother''s pride, then he is not the one for you. Use this.¡± He tossed her a handset.
¡°How can I issue such an ultimatum?¡±
¡°You should have earlier. Your worry was right, daughter of my friend. Now, call him!¡±
¡°You are testing me, honoured friend of my father?¡±
¡°Of course! You and him both. Are you prepared to make enemies for what you know is right? It is such an important test!¡±
¡°I will seek to obey.¡±
¡°Only seek it if you want him, little one, if you are convinced. Is he a good man, a truly good man? Will he care for you all your life? Even if all his family turn against you? Is he that brave in his love for you?¡±
¡°I will make the call. He should bring the letter here?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
She rang the number, hoping he would answer. He did.
¡°Hello, this is Deborah. No, it is not my phone. I''m not surprised the number is not listed. I have a question for you: do you love me most or your mother? No. I am serious. Would you go against her for me? She has kept us apart for so long now! First the dowry, now this letter! What will be next? So, if you cannot bring me the letter now then don''t write it. No. There will be no point. I will not give it to the friend of my father tomorrow. I will give it tonight, in about half an hour''s time, or not at all. I do not mind what your mother thinks. It is plain that she does not like me. She will reject every copy you write for a month or more and then say it is too late in the year for a marriage. Don''t you see? I''m glad you''ve been worrying too. So, she has forced me to do this, you see, not me. I love you, but you must choose. I am worried and need this proof that you can decide for me. Will you be able leave your father and mother and be joined to me, as Scripture says? Or will every decision in our lives be hers? No, I expect you won''t be able to get into the embassy to give it to me. You''ll have to give it to the guard, convince them it is urgent. Do hurry, my chosen.¡±
She ended the call. Tears were running down her cheeks, although somehow her voice had held steady. ¡°Friend of my father! That was so hard!¡±
¡°But you did so very well, daughter of my friend. You have great strength, you know. Thank you for showing it to me. And you have courage to say things that might offend. That is important and so I will trust you to answer wisely without fear of you holding back for fear of offence. You must not.
And so, I have a question. I have three relatives. One has proven such a bad man that soon I must sign his death sentence, or there will be war in a few years. That is a sad decision, but necessary. The second is lacking in the skills of power and would be easily swayed by bad advice, and that would not be good for our country. The third is a distant relation, who from what I have seen can make hard decisions like you have just done, and carry them out
exceedingly well, and who can face danger without panic. This relation has not once sought to make use of our relationship for selfish purposes. An ideal heir in almost every way, but she is a woman. Do you think our country could accept such a one as president?¡±
¡°You are speaking truth? I can guess about the first two, but who is this third? Do I know her?¡±
¡°Do not seek to guess, you are only likely to be wrong and might let your like or dislikes affect your answer. Answer the question. War, corruption or a woman president?¡±
¡°But what if the people vote against your choice? Is that not also war or corruption? There would be angry talk in the mosques, I think. If your plan is to succeed then I think you must name your heir soon. Let there be the angry shouting, but remain steadfast, pension off the other relative so he does not mind losing power. Adjust the constitution, so that the head of state becomes more policy setter, less executive. Abolish elections even and restore a monarchy. Perhaps phrase this last as rejecting the last vestiges of 20th and 21st century colonialism in favour of our proud traditions. Stop people wanting the position by enacting a constitution that says the head of state may not be rich or become rich, so that the leader becomes a servant of the people. Enact strict and harsh penalties against all corruption. Friend of my father, all men in this nation of ours honour and respect you. You could do this if you choose.¡±
¡°You have answered very well, niece of my chosen. Do not look so surprised. You know your father and I were friends, and you know his elder sister was killed during the troubles, I am sure.¡±
¡°Yes, but he never said...¡±
¡°Now you know. My chosen was your father''s sister, and you have her strength. And oh what a mind you have! I have considered this problem for days, and you have come up with better ideas, further reaching ideas than I did, in just a few minutes. Shame that you should have been cleaning rooms for so long! You have indeed helped me in my decision and I present you with this old document. I think you will see why I insisted that your chosen make his mind up before I gave it to you.¡±
¡°Honourable friend of my father and chosen of my aunt. Do I read this correctly? Your uncle adopted my father? You were cousins?¡±
¡°Yes, daughter of my adopted cousin. At the time it was necessary and I know he considered it a legal fiction. He asked that I not tell anyone. You were not told for your safety, I have kept you where you were safe and fed, but not exposed to the risk that killed your aunt. But now it is a convenient fact. Some have wondered why, after your father''s death, you were not adopted into my family. But you see, you could not be. You were born into it.¡±
¡°Then the distant relative was me? You would put a Christian woman truth-sayer as president of this republic?¡±
¡°Such things have happened. No, I lie, I''m sure there''s never been a Christian woman truth-sayer president. But anyway, I think I like the idea of you as queen better,¡± he laughed. ¡°I will enjoy listening to the screams of corrupt politicians. A truth-sayer who honestly hates corruption, with the power to act against it! What a merry game it will be!¡±
¡°Friend of my father, there will be rebellion and strife!¡±
¡°But we will fight them for all the right reasons, my young cousin. For all the right reasons. Come, let us give the ambassador a surprise. He is a friend to our country, and I''m sure he will be interested in your plans for the future. And I love seeing him surprised.¡±
Deborah spotted the ambassador first. He was needlessly checking that all the seats were properly arranged. By prior arrangement the president and Deborah had arrived half an hour early. Now other guests had started to arrive, but the ambassador was looking concerned.
¡°Is there a problem, my friend?¡±
¡°An old family friend has just called. He was due to come, but he has a pain that his doctor said might be his appendix, or wind. He always was worried about his health, so he suspects the first and I suspect the second. But he''s rushing to the hospital, and I have an empty seat.¡±
¡°Then I have a perfect opportunity to solve your problem and surprise you in one sentence, my friend. The chosen of my cousin here comes to deliver a letter for me, asking for her hand. If he is allowed to deliver it in person, then he could sit with her and enjoy seeing the look on your face.¡±
¡°Your cousin?!¡±
¡°It was necessary during the troubles, for my friend and I to adopt one another as cousins. The daughter of my friend is daughter of my cousin. I have kept the relationship secret at the request of her father and for her protection, but the time has come to tell her. I intend to name her my heir.¡±
¡°Allow me to congratulate you, honoured lady. A momentous day for you! I will give instructions that your chosen be welcomed in.¡± James tapped out a series of instructions on his wrist unit.
¡°My elder cousin likes to spring surprises on me. I would wonder what comes next, except he has already suggested that the constitution be rewritten.¡±
¡°There is no bar on a woman president, is there?¡±
¡°No, my friend, not even on a Christian or a truth-sayer either, but there are all these inconvenient elections. I think that our people are ready to... what was that phrase you came up with, Deborah?¡±
¡°Reject the last vestiges of twentieth and twenty-first century cultural imperialism and return to our proud traditional pattern of broadly dynastic rule. Of course we would not want an absolute monarchy, for that brings nothing but corruption and power seeking. I suggested that a servant-monarch is a better model.¡±
¡°So that the last thing the rich and powerful want is to be named monarch?¡±
¡°Yes. Exactly.¡±
¡°My friend, you will set the politicians screaming, but I hope you can succeed.¡±
Karen came over at this moment. ¡°Honoured friend of our family, I greet you on this joyful occasion.¡±
¡°I greet you and introduce to you the daughter of my adopted cousin, Deborah.¡±
¡°I greet you also, Deborah, welcome. There is a confused man at the gates, who the guards invite in, but he says he is only here to deliver an urgent letter to you.¡±
James chipped in, ¡°He''s on the invitation list as of five minutes ago. Please tell him that the president requests his presence, and a place beside Deborah waits for him.¡±
¡°May I go and drag him in, friend of my father?¡± Deborah asked.
¡°I think you had better. I want to question him. But perhaps you should not tell him this.¡±
¡°He faces many changes.¡±
¡°No more than you.¡±
¡°Ah, but for me it seems like a dream I will wake from one day. For him, it is more of a nightmare at the moment, I think.¡±
¡°Go and reassure him. You may tell him that I forced you to demand the letter, if you think it is necessary.¡±
¡°I thank you for the freedom. I will go.¡±
¡°Come this way,¡± Karen said, ¡°it is shorter. We don''t want him running away, do we?¡±
¡°Not through the kitchens, please, Karen,¡± James said.
¡°Daddy! It''s been years since I was last caught using the kitchen as a short-cut.¡±
¡°Did you notice the phrasing of that denial, my friend?¡± the president asked.
¡°Yes, I did. I suspect she said it that way just for effect. She enjoys doing
such things.¡±
As they walked through the compound to the gate, Karen asked: ¡°Deborah, I wanted to talk to you, now more than ever. I''m amazed how calmly you''re reacting to the president''s declaration. You didn''t cheat, did you?¡±
¡°Cheat? Oh, you mean listen to his thoughts?¡±
¡°Yes. I know it''s impossible to avoid hearing decisions...¡±
¡°The president knows I can hear decisions. He makes them when I am not near. But I''d begun to suspect something. When I told she-who-assigns-tasks of my promotion, she said she wasn''t surprised, since he often asked after me. And in the past week, sometimes he spoke using close terms. It was a bit unnerving. I was beginning to wonder if he wanted me as wife or as adopted daughter. So this, this pre-existing cousinhood is a relief. I''m still not sure how serious he was about naming me heir. That''s scary. Dangerous and scary. But you speak of hearing decisions as one who knows what it''s like. You do know?¡±
¡°I know.¡±
They arrived to find that Henry and Samantha were practising their language with a young man, who was clutching a letter, and who in turn was practising his English.
¡°Adam, my chosen! You came, but you didn''t come in.¡±
¡°Deborah, your dress is beautiful, how could you afford it? I came. My mother was not at home, so there are no wounds yet, though there will be, I am sure. I brought the letter. The guards would not accept it, but said I could give it to you myself. I could not come in, I am not dressed for a formal event. I do not understand what is happening, my beloved! Why this deadline, do you want to force conflict? I do not think my mother dislikes you.¡±
¡°I know you do not, Adam. But your mother loves perfection too much, I think. Perhaps that is why the issue must be forced. Only God is perfect, but lots of people are happily married. Now, I think your clothes are acceptable. This is Karen, the ambassador''s daughter. This is her banquet to celebrate her betrothal. Karen, are his clothes acceptable?¡±
¡°They are fine. But if conflict were avoided by not giving the letter, perhaps you do not need to.¡±
¡°That is an excellent idea! Come, Adam, you can ask the friend of my father yourself! And you may tell your mother that you had to come to the banquet because there was an empty seat and he suggested to his friend the ambassador that you fill it.¡±
¡°I don''t understand. Am I here to deliver the letter or to attend the banquet?¡±
¡°Adam, you like details, I know this, and love you for it. But look also at the bigger picture too. You are here to show that I am more important to you than your mother. I thank you so much that you have done this. It was necessary. Not just to me, but also to the friend of my father. Then, knowing that you were coming, he suggested that you attend the banquet, but your mother does not need to know that you were already coming. I have not declared war on your mother, Adam.¡±
¡°The president knew I was coming? He told you to demand the letter?¡±
¡°Yes Adam, yes to both. He made me use his phone and told me that I must make that call or he would reject you. But I had to make it seem to come from me. The worry I spoke of was mine, but he said he would not accept your letter tomorrow. ¡±
¡°Oh my beloved! Why would he do such a thing?¡±
¡°Because it was important that your priorities be clear, my chosen. You will see why soon, I expect.¡±
¡°He is not giving you an even bigger dowry, is he?¡±
¡°No, Adam, not quite. Now, will you come, or will the ambassador be embarrassed by an empty seat?¡±
Karen jumped in, ¡°Honoured guest, I beg you, do not cause my father this embarrassment! He would truly hate it!¡±
¡°I will come and summon my courage to ask the president for you, my beloved.¡±
¡°I have come to see, my Adam, that he does not like to be president all the time. Address him as my guardian, that is sufficient, and it is enough. It is not on a matter of state that you wish to gain his permission, after all.¡±
[But tomorrow it might be?] Karen asked, touching Deborah''s arm as she guided her towards the formal entrance.
[So I fear.] [Better sorted tonight then.] Letting go, Karen sent to her without touch. [Deborah, I want you to know, but it is better if others do not, that I share Hagar''s gift.]
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Deborah''s eyes showed surprise, but she managed to limit her reaction to that. Karen continued, [If the president is serious, and I think he is, then I think you will need friends, and I offer my friendship. We serve the same Saviour, after all. My parents also.]
¡°Thank you, Karen. It is a generous offer.¡±
¡°Did I miss something?¡± Adam asked, confused.
¡°You missed Karen touching my skin, Adam. She thought an offer of friendship to me.¡±
¡°You are so familiar with truth-sayer ways you can do that without being noticed, even while walking with crutches?¡±
¡°Yes, Adam, I''ve had some practice. My betrothed and I both have.¡±
¡°Your betrothed also?¡± Deborah asked.
¡°Yes. It makes translating for him much easier.¡±
¡°Am I surrounded by truth-sayers?¡±
¡°Well, I''m not sure four in a city counts as surrounded, Adam,¡± Deborah said, calmingly.
¡°Actually... No, it''s OK.¡± Karen started, and then decided she didn''t need to raise the issue of thought-stealers, or of people who didn''t declare themselves thought-readers, like George had been and Sam and Henry still were. Quite where Ahmed was in the spectrum, she wasn''t sure, except she prayed for his redemption.
¡°You''re not going to say that you know any more, are you?¡± Adam asked. ¡°I mean, the legends speak of less than one in a thousand, but this city has close to a million inhabitants, so there could be.¡±
¡°Really? I hadn''t heard that number. One in a thousand would be more common than I was thinking,¡± Karen said, surprised. ¡°Of course I know more than my fair share, but I''ve presumed that''s just God at work or something.¡±
¡°''Just God at work''? What do you mean?¡± Deborah asked.
¡°I''ve had this ability about three hours longer than I''ve had these crutches, and two hours less than I''ve had a broken leg. I wasn''t born with it, I gained it by grace.¡±
¡°God gave you the power to hear thoughts?¡±
¡°Yes. I''d been stupid several times, one after another. I was trapped, lost in a dark tunnel and no one knew where I was. For some reason God chose to let me be found by a truth-sayer with special gifts rather than become a corpse, but for me to hear her so she could ask me questions meant that I was given the ability to hear her thoughts.¡±
¡°But there was no touch. How could you hear?¡± Adam asked. He''d obviously been doing his research.
¡°Hagar and some others, I don''t know how many, have a gift of God, beloved. They can reach across the world and hear as though they were touching.¡±
¡°About fifty,¡± Karen supplied. ¡°I was told that there are about fifty in the world with this spiritual gift.¡±
¡°That''s not very many. Why aren''t they famous?¡± Adam asked.
¡°God''s gifts are not for fame, Adam!¡± Deborah said, shocked.
¡°Sorry, wrong question,¡± Adam apologised, embarrassed. ¡°Adam, have you been a Christian long?¡± Karen asked.
¡°No, not long, only since just before I met Deborah, actually. My parents are pretty much atheists, though they''d claim to be Moslem to fit in with the crowd. I was studying electronics and was interested in philosophy and started asking questions. Some faiths don''t like questions. I really liked the answer that a Christian gave me.¡±
¡°Oh? What was the question?¡±
¡°Oh, I was very full of them, but eventually he said, ¡®Look, if you really want to know these things, ask God. He can explain them much better than me.¡¯ Just that matter of fact assumption that God was real, could be approached with questions, would answer them even. That was stunning. Here was someone who sounded so sure their God was real.¡±
¡°Oh yes, there''s no question of that. He''s real.¡±
¡°So after that, I''ve been trying to be a Christian. I wish it were easier to lie though.¡±
Deborah stopped walking and held Adam''s hands. ¡°Adam, my chosen, what do you mean?¡±
¡°That I''ve been trying to join in with Christian worship and trying to obey, and trying to speak as though God was real. But it feels wrong to lie about God.¡±
¡°Adam, why do you think you need to lie about God?¡±
¡°Well, like Pastor Yosuf said on that Sunday when we met, and several times since. ¡®Make it up as you go along.¡¯ That''s lying, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Adam, have you been asleep or totally distracted by something else?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°I know what Pastor Yosuf said. It''s one of his favourite sayings: ¡®Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, read God''s word, obey it, and then you can make the rest up as you go along.¡¯ That is not the same as make up the whole thing, no, that''s called using your God-given mind to apply what you know in situations the Bible doesn''t cover!¡± She heard his thoughts in a jumble as he was trying to fit what she''d said into a philosophical framework. ¡°Adam. When you came to church, that first week, you said that you''d been led to Christ by someone at university and they''d told you our church was nearest to your home.¡±
¡°Yes, that''s probably right.¡±
¡°Who was it?¡±
She heard his thoughts name a name which sounded foreign. ¡°They were visitors. Why do you want to know?¡±
¡°Because I think there was some miscommunication, oh, man who I love.¡±
Karen decided it was time to announce a delay.
[George! Please tell one of my parents there¡¯s a little crisis here. Nothing dangerous yet, but it seems Deborah''s intended has a very very mixed up idea about the faith. She''s being patient, but right now I think she shouldn''t be able to accept a proposal.]
¡°They didn''t speak our language very well. They mangled the grammar. I said what I thought they''d told me to say.¡±
Once more, Deborah heard the thoughts behind those words, [What else might ¡®owns is introduced to Christ¡¯ mean?]
¡°Adam, beloved, I think Karen might be able to interpret what he actually wanted to say to you. I''m very very sorry we haven''t had this conversation before now,¡± and then she dropped his hands and burst into tears, as she turned to Karen for comfort.
Just at that moment, George let her know the reply: [All OK. Food can wait, visitors all enjoying snacks and drinks plus renewing old acquaintances.]
Holding her new sobbing friend, Karen said, ¡°It''s perfectly all right, Deborah. This is much more important.¡± [I''ve told George of the delay. I''ll take over for a bit, shall I?]
[Yes, I can''t cope! How can I have been in love with him for so long without even knowing he''s not a believer? I can''t marry him, but I love him so much!]
Speaking over Deborah''s heaving shoulder, Karen asked, ¡°Can you please try to remember exactly what he said, Adam?¡±
¡°I guess the important bit is ¡®Owns is introduced to Christ,¡¯¡± he said.
¡°Oh, that doesn''t make much sense, does it? But you''re learning English?
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Do you know the expression, ¡®has to be''?¡±
¡°Yes, it means ¡®must.¡¯¡±
¡°And what might you get if your friend translated that expression word for word into this language?¡±
¡°Oh. He said I must be introduced, and I understood it as I was introduced?¡±
¡°Yes, I think so, Adam. And as you can see, Deborah''s a bit stressed at the moment. Can I ask, do you know what sin is? I''m just trying to find out what you do understand.¡±
¡°Breaking God''s law.¡±
¡°Good answer. Can you tell me about the cross?¡±
¡°''Jesus died and took my sins, so I can live, the spotless for the sinner.¡¯ That''s what the song says, but I don''t understand how! I wish it were true, but it feels like a lie when I sing it.¡±
¡°Thank you, Adam.¡± [Deborah, he wants to believe. Would you like to take over at this point?]
[Shouldn''t we call pastor Yosuf?]
[No need, Deborah. You can lead him to our Saviour.]
Brushing away her tears, Deborah said, ¡°It''s very simple, Adam. So simple that we thought... Never mind. What needs to happen before we can become man and wife, Adam?¡±
¡°A vow? Do I need to take a vow?¡±
¡°No, Adam, I mean before that.¡±
¡°I need to ask your guardian, then I need to ask you, but I hope I know what you''ll say!¡±
¡°But even so, that asking is important, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Of course! But so is the vow.¡±
¡°You see, Adam, you''ve missed a stage in your relationship with God. Do not wonder that it feels wrong. It is. It''s like being half way through the wedding reception without having had the wedding.¡±
¡°Oh Deborah! What do I need to do? I want to know God!¡±
¡°You need to confess your sins, ask Jesus to take them from you, ask him to be your Saviour and Master, to give you new, everlasting life, and the Holy Spirit in your heart to guide you. And we know the answer He will give, but you still need to ask, Adam.¡±
¡°It is so simple?¡±
¡°And so life-changing,¡± Deborah agreed.
¡°Actually, I wonder if we''ve got it round the wrong way?¡± Karen asked .
¡°Scripture speaks of Christ as the groom and the church as the bride. He asks us to turn to Him in faith and obedience, He offers us His love. He offers to take our sins. The question is do we accept what He offers and freely submit ourselves to Him in return. Salvation comes from the Lord, and He offers it as a love-gift.¡±
Crouching down, with his head in his hands, Adam prayed, ¡°I accept! Oh God, I accept Your offer, I want You to be my God and I to be one of Your people. I want to know You and love You and obey You, just like Karen and Deborah do. Make me Yours, God, I pray! Take my sin, my hateful lies and make me Yours.¡±
Tears of joy ran down his cheeks and Deborah''s also. She told him, ¡°Now, my chosen suitor, I see why there has been this delay. God didn''t want me to be yoked to an unbeliever even unknowing. And I praise Him for your mother''s hardness of heart. And now that you''ve prayed that prayer there is nothing except my guardian''s permission to stop me accepting you as my husband.¡±
¡°Then let us go, my beloved, because I feel that I am so full of love for God that nothing is fearful now.¡±
¡°That is good, my chosen. That is very good. I have too many fears.¡±
¡°Of what, Deborah? What makes you afraid?¡± Adam asked, concerned.
¡°Just now I was afraid for our love, for our future, now I only fear for our country. But my motives for that are probably a state secret.¡±
¡°Ah, my chosen, you know too many things.¡±
¡°There are only three solutions to that,¡± Karen offered. ¡°A different job, which would upset your guardian, I think. Be unthinking, which would upset God, I''m pretty sure. It certainly got me into this cast. Or thirdly, trust and obey.¡±
¡°I think I''ll try that one,¡± Deborah decided, and they entered the dining room. George was waiting in his formal suit. Karen was wearing her ball-gown but with a bright blue silk shawl over her shoulders and fastened with a broach. She''d forgotten the shawl when George had seen the dress in her memory, and her memory had indeed exaggerated the neckline. She decided that it was worth remembering, even when she was able to bring things to mind, that her memory was pretty bad on details.
As soon as George and Karen met, James gave the signal and the serving staff ushered everyone to their tables. Of course, while the president wasn''t here officially, they could hardly have seated him in the ranks of staff and former staff. It would have been too embarrassing for the staff, even if not for the president. Thus he was seated at the head table, the other side of Karen''s mother to her father. Karen and George made the rest of the family group, and next to George was Jane, feeling amazed at the company she was keeping. Since Deborah knew so few people here, James had seated her on the same table as Hagar and Yosuf. Adam was on the same table, and it had been an easy switch to put him and Deborah next to each other.
¡°Pastor Yosuf, I''m afraid that I have been mistaken these past two years about some very important things. I''m happy to say that Deborah and Karen have helped me understand that, and taught me to put it right. Now I understand what the songs we sing are about.¡±
¡°I had wondered, Adam. You look like you''ve had a great weight lifted from your shoulders. I am only sorry that I hadn''t realised.¡±
¡°Well, I misunderstood the message I was told to tell you, believed a lie, and wanting to conform I have been deceitful about where I was spiritually. Could I spend some time talking with you? I don''t want to believe any more lies.¡±
¡°Of course. If you remember, I did suggest we go through some studies when you first came.¡±
¡°Yes, and I foolishly let exam pressure keep me from them. I''d like to do them before I marry Deborah, if that''s possible. I think she''d appreciate that.¡±
¡°Yes, I really would. Thank you, Adam, it''s a good idea.¡±
¡°I think I would also recommend a series of studies related to marriage. Mostly just to discuss things so that you''ve talked through different issues.¡±
¡°That sounds good,¡± Deborah agreed. ¡°I think we''re going to need a lot of discussing on some issues.¡±
¡°But you haven''t asked for Deborah yet, have you?¡± Hagar asked.
¡°No. I think I must wait until after the meal now.¡±
Hagar quickly confirmed with Karen. [Karen, when would be a good time for Adam to ask for Deborah?]
[I''ll just ask Daddy... He says now! Food will be a few minutes, they''re still bringing the drinks.]
¡°Deborah, Adam, do not wait. Karen says.¡±
Surprised, Adam looked at Karen and saw she was discretely gesturing them to approach.
[Come, Deborah,] Karen urged her. [The friend of your father awaits.]
¡°Come, my chosen. Let us not wait for a private moment, I fear those times do not exist any more.¡±
Adam wondered what she meant, but urged from all sides, he got to his feet and moved Deborah''s chair for her. He was sure that he was going to be the centre of attention, but the prize was worth it.
As was fitting, he walked a metre or so behind Deborah as she walked to the centre of the room. There, in the silence that quickly spread, she spoke the traditional words, in a clear, loud voice. ¡°Friend of my father, there is one here that I have spoken of to you. May he approach to ask a great request of you?¡±
He gave the traditional reply: ¡°Does he approach with your consent, daughter of my friend?¡±
¡°He does, friend of my father. You know my desire in this matter.¡±
¡°Then he may approach, and I shall see if he is worthy.¡±
Deborah bowed and returned to her seat. Adam, on the other hand, approached the head table. He''d been surprised that Deborah had been quite so traditional about it, but he thought he understood. It made his request easier, for he should stick to the traditional form, and also it would have been inappropriate to be more informal in this setting. Deborah, for her part, thought of these also, but she had also decided that given the pressure that might come upon them as soon as the president announced his decision, it was best if their betrothal was public right from the start. That had been the most important factor for her.
¡°You may ask, young man, what is on your mind,¡± the president asked in a quiet voice, and the conversations around the room resumed their previous level.
Together this meant that Adam could happily ignore the people around him. This was not a public address.
¡°Honourable guardian of the maiden Deborah, I ask for your permission to take her as my wife. I have a respectable job, no debts and an income which will provide for her needs.¡± The next sentence he added from himself. ¡°I do not desire her for her dowry, nor to advance my position, but only for herself, for she is precious to me. However, my parents have said that there should be a dowry, so from respect for them I request her dowry also.¡± And then he added another bit of his own invention. ¡°But I do not request it for myself, but for Deborah, to be treasured and passed on to her daughters or used as she alone feels fit.¡±
¡°And if I refused the dowry, would you renege on your desire for Deborah?¡±
¡°No, respected elder, I would not.¡±
¡°Good. Tell me of your work.¡± So Adam explained about his position at the university and his research in portable forcefields.
¡°That is interesting indeed. I wish you success. And you have no objection to Deborah working?¡±
¡°I see that her work is demanding but important. I would like to help support her in it. I have no objection.¡±
¡°And if her job becomes more demanding and even more important, will you ask her to stop, or will you take time from your work to help her bear the load of hers?¡±
¡°I do not think I am a proud man, respected elder. If that is necessary, I would do it. And if both of us working demands that we employ help with cleaning the house, then so be it.¡±
¡°You have answered very well. Take her as your betrothed with my blessing. Your parents have kept you from asking too long, so it is fitting that you marry her as soon as all can be arranged. I have told her there would be a dowry of one thousand.¡±
¡°She told me this, honoured one.¡±
¡°But she did not tell you a thousand what, I think?¡±
¡°I presumed it was in our currency, honoured one.¡±
¡°So did she. She will be embarrassed to learn that she should pay more attention to details. She shall have a dowry of a thousand hectares. I am glad that you say it shall be hers, for it was my mother''s dowry, but she had no daughters.¡±
¡°I, I am stunned, respected elder.¡±
¡°That is appropriate, as is her dowry. Her father was cousin to me by adoption. I told her this tonight. There should be no secrets between you, tell her I said this. Give her all the support she needs, apply your training to her protection and care for her more than your own life. Then you will be a good husband to her. What I have told you, you may tell your parents. What Deborah tells you, you must not. Now go to your betrothed, young Adam, and greet your parents from me.¡±
¡°I will, honoured sir.¡±
Somewhat overcome, he went back to his seat. He''d fallen in love with a pretty girl who cleaned rooms at the palace. Now he found that she was the president''s relative!
The serving staff reacted to the end of this conversation and brought in the meal. ¡°His cousin?¡± he whispered to her as he sat down.
¡°Yes, Adam. I think this is part of why he demanded you ask tonight.¡±
¡°He said there should be no secrets between us, but not to tell my parents what you tell me.¡±
¡°I am relieved. So he gives his blessing?¡±
¡°Yes, and he says we should marry as soon as all can be arranged. Oh, and your dowry, it shall remain yours alone, you may keep it for our daughters if that is your desire. I will not control it.¡±
¡°This is his condition?¡±
¡°No, mine. Thus I decided long ago, to show my disapproval for my parents'' delays.¡±
¡°But it was from God, Adam, I am sure.¡±
¡°Still, they do not know or acknowledge Him or His authority. God used their pride for His purposes, but the responsibility is theirs, still. Am I not right?¡±
¡°You are right. But if it is mine to spend, I will spend it for us.¡±
¡°It will be hard to spend, my beloved. It is not money.¡±
¡°Not money? Then what is it?¡±
¡°Hectares, my beloved, hectares. It was his mother''s dowry, and he gives it to you as yours. A thousand hectares. You must ask the president for more details, I suppose.¡±
Deborah turned towards the other end of the table. ¡°Yosuf, I know nothing of farming. Is a thousand hectares a large farm?¡±
¡°Not the largest, but it is big enough. It depends what you farm, and where. Why do you ask?¡±
¡°The friend of my father has surprised me. Again. I thought my dowry would be money, but he gives me a thousand hectares.¡±
¡°From his own estates?¡± asked an elderly man across the table. ¡°A magnificent dowry!¡±
¡°He said they were his mother''s dowry, but he had no sisters.¡±
¡°Ah, that land! Magnificent! Magnificent!¡±
¡°You know it? I know nothing about his lands.¡±
¡°I grew up near them. They are the best land in the country, and his mother''s dowry is the best part of it. But surely, he would not give such a precious gift to a friend''s daughter!¡±
¡°Until today, all I knew is that he and my father were neighbours in childhood and that my father''s sister died in the troubles. I can say no more, but perhaps for those who know, this is sufficient information.¡±
¡°Neighbours?¡± he looked at her more closely, in surprise. ¡°Ah! A most fitting gift. Most fitting. You do have have his look about you, and of your mother of course. A most fitting gift. My congratulations on your betrothal. Did you know who you sought to marry, young man?¡±
¡°I know her father''s name, respected elder, but I was not a diligent student of history. I only knew that she has captured my heart and that my parents consider her a penniless orphan with nothing to offer but her looks. But it was her mind and her spirit that I fell in love with.¡±
¡°Ah, that is how it should be. Your parents will be entirely filled with chagrin, I think, when you tell them.¡±
¡°If my betrothed can bear the situation, I am most tempted to not tell them. Is that wise, respected elder, or only childish?¡±
¡°An interesting question! Perhaps both! Do they know you asked tonight?¡±
¡°No, they do not. I was called here unexpectedly. They know the honourable president gives her a dowry.¡±
¡°Then it would be wise to tell them you were called here and you asked and that the president agreed. And see how they take this glad news. As for the rest, I think it would be best to allow them to show affection before the truth is revealed. Else there will forever be suspicion.¡±
¡°I thank you for your wise advice, respected elder,¡± Deborah said.
¡°It is nothing, young one. Your father was a great man. A very great man.¡±
¡°You knew him?¡±
¡°Oh, everyone in politics knew your father, child, either as friend or enemy. I wasn''t exactly in politics myself, of course, but as head of staff here I knew everyone. Such a shame your father retired from politics. But your mother''s death broke his heart, I''m sure you know.¡±
¡°Yes, I know. But he was a wonderful father to me. It was only recently that I realized he had a role other than my daddy, and that other people might know him.¡±
¡°Do your parents know even his name, young man?¡±
¡°I think they have shown great disinterest in my chosen, respected elder. Her Christian faith is not a good thing in their eyes. For all that they are atheists, they would prefer that I marry a Moslem girl, but that would not be right, as I share her faith.¡±
¡°Ah, yes. That would cause some friction. And now I realise why the ambassador puts us here together. All the Christians on one table. It keeps the meal more peaceful.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± agreed Yosuf. ¡°There is a time for everything and everything has its time. Speaking of which, Hagar, what was the ambassador''s wife talking to you about just before we sat down?¡±
¡°She was reminding me to talk to you about something, my husband.¡±
¡°Ah, that thing which I didn''t have time to listen to earlier?¡±
¡°Yes, my husband.¡±
¡°Could you tell me now, in the company of these good people, and between mouthfuls of this excellent meal?¡±
¡°I suppose I could, my husband. In their language there is a word ¡®chaplain.¡¯ Do you know it?¡±
¡°I have heard it before. Someone''s name, perhaps?¡±
¡°I think it is a little like a pastor for a workplace, but maybe without the need to preach sermons. She described it to me as someone who would be able to offer advice and guidance, to help people think about particular problems they might have. I do not understand why they cannot simply talk to their pastor at home.¡±
¡°Perhaps if the issue is complex and would be known already to this workplace pastor.¡± Suggested the elderly man. ¡°I know there have been times that my pastor didn''t really understand what the issue was. The ambassador seeks such a one?¡±
Hagar nodded. ¡°And since I work here and it is known very well that my Yosuf has a bad back and construction work is not helping it, he thought to offer it to you.¡±
¡°Ah. And the honourable lady believed that you could be more convincing than a direct approach?¡±
¡°I think it was simply convenience. But yes, of course I can be more convincing!¡±
¡°What am I to do, respected sir, when my wife''s over-generous employer seeks to employ me too, no doubt at similarly corrupting rates of pay as they lavish on her? And he does it in such a sly and underhand way that it will cause distress to the light of my life were I to refuse?¡±
¡°The ambassador is a good man, young Yosuf. If I were you, I would ask him more about this job and then accept it. You do not want to cause trouble at home, and such a little pride does not compensate for much back pain.¡±
After the first course was tidied away, James gave his speech, saying that he noticed that he''d sent his daughter to get an education and she''d come home with a broken leg, crutches, and George. He was certain that George would be with her far longer than the crutches that she was so dangerous with and that God would continue to use them for His glory. As the polite applause died down, the president stood up and reminisced about Karen''s telling him to cut off his beard.
Then he changed the subject, ¡°I know this is Karen''s evening, but she has a big heart and will not mind, I think if I distract you a little. As you might have noticed, there is another newly betrothed couple here. The daughter of my very good friend and her betrothed are also swimming through the intoxicating sea of love, but their minds seem to be functioning still. At her father''s request, I have not told her until today of all that connects us. Her betrothed sought her hand for the right reasons, not because he sought power or position. He fell in love with young Deborah when she was a mere cleaning girl, but I have tested her power and wisdom, and I know she is also a truth-sayer and that her pretty head contains a mind as sharp as her father''s. So it is that I make known to you, who are here for friendship and not matters of state that this wise young woman is daughter of the wisest of men, the renowned Daniel Asaf, who I persuaded my dying uncle to adopt so that there would be less money going to my foolish brother''s costly war. Daniel accepted the uncertainty this caused in my brother''s camp, but after the end of the troubles he said the adoption was a legal fiction forced by that necessity and so he had no right to keep the money. I do not know if he regretted that decision, but I could not persuade him to even accept help for his own hospital bills. Nevertheless, I tell you that in the eyes of the law, young Deborah is daughter to my cousin, and I acknowledge her as my relative.¡± With this he sat down.
There was a hum of whispered conversation at this announcement. No doubt there would be someone who''d put it on the network and soon the whole country would be talking about the story.
¡°Deborah, will you allow me to present you to my parents this evening?¡± Adam asked. ¡°Otherwise they may hear of the president''s acknowledgement from someone.¡±
¡°I expect it''ll be late, my betrothed, and I would not cross the city in this dress.¡±
¡°Where did you get it?¡±
¡°It was my mother''s. Father kept it for me.¡±
¡°It is beautiful, and so are you, my beloved.¡±
¡°But you are right about your parents. I wonder, might they come to meet us as we leave the embassy, if you called them?¡±
¡°I think they might. They would like to boast of their son being invited to a banquet, I am sure.¡±
¡°And you must apologise to your mother for not being at home for the meal.¡±
¡°Yes. You are right. I must. I''ll go and do it now.¡±
¡°Respected father, I have news. Could you call mother to the phone?¡±
¡°She is not happy with you, Adam. You left a note saying you had been called away, but no explanation.¡±
¡°Yes father, I know. I am sorry. I was called to fill a seat at an important meal.¡±
¡°Called to fill a seat? Someone at work?¡±
¡°No, respected father, I am at an embassy. The ambassador was embarrassed that a guest had cancelled because of a medical emergency, leaving an empty seat, and his friend the honourable president suggested me so he could speak to me about the daughter of his friend. I asked for her and am betrothed.¡±
¡°The president asked that you be invited to a formal banquet?¡±
¡°It was not a very formal one, mother. It was to celebrate the betrothal of the ambassador''s daughter, and even the honourable president is here as a friend of the family.¡±
¡°And you are a friend of the family too? What narcotic have you consumed, my son?¡±
¡°Mother, father, I speak truth! I am at the big embassy on Revolution Square. If you do not believe me you can come to meet me as I leave. You could greet my betrothed also. I thought to bring her home so she could greet you, but it would not be safe for her to travel so late, I think.¡±
¡°You really have chosen to waste your life with that penniless cleaning girl? What was so wrong with the baker''s daughter?¡±
¡°Mother! Deborah is no longer a cleaner at the palace, nor she is penniless. She has a dowry of a thousand from the president himself, for she is daughter to his friend, and she has a most honourable job, truth-sayer to the president.¡±
¡°Oh very well, we will come and meet this girl who has bewitched you. You can use some of her dowry to buy your mother a nice dress.¡±
¡°No, father! The dowry stays her possession. I shall not touch it. This I vowed to the honourable president.¡±
¡°Such a vow cannot be enforced,¡± his mother stated. ¡°We shall get the imam to annul it.¡±
¡°Nevertheless, I shall not touch her dowry, mother. You also may apply to a witchdoctor from Africa and a shaman from South America too, and a radiation suit-clad bishop from Jerusalem if you desire, but I will not break my vow.¡±
His mother became furious. ¡°You are a stupid, stubborn young man. You ruin your chances with one below you. We have tried to guide you to wisdom, but you have refused to listen. You have rejected wisdom and the faith to which you owe allegiance. We have tried to steer you in the right direction but have failed, you dishonour us with your stubborn attitude, your persistent pursuit of an infidel witch. Do not return to us if you pursue this course. You have no place with us!¡±
¡°You are an atheist, but cast me out because I am a Christian?¡±
¡°We may be lax, but we are Moslem! There was hope for you before you did this. You have sealed your fate! You are outcast and apostate!¡±
¡°My atheist father calls me apostate because I worship God in truth? My mother casts me out because I refuse to break my vow in order to buy her a dress she could afford herself? I will sleep at a friend''s house tonight. If you are still of the same mind tomorrow I will send a friend to collect the possessions I bought with my own earnings.¡±
¡°Ha, you may sleep at that slut''s hovel all you like. You will find your possessions in the waste.¡±
¡°Do not damage them, mother, or you will answer to the law. Out of respect, I will not answer your other vile words, nor repeat them.¡± He ended the call.
Ashen faced he returned to the table.
Yosuf saw him first. ¡°Adam! What is wrong?¡±
¡°My parents became angry over the dowry. I am cast out.¡±
¡°Over the dowry?¡±
¡°I declared to the president that I would not touch it, but my mother wanted me to spend part of it on a dress for her. It must have been the final straw, I guess, that they would not benefit immediately in a material way from our relationship. They said hateful things. My atheist father called me apostate.¡±
¡°I''m as shocked as you, Adam. You will stay with us?¡±
¡°If I may.¡±
¡°Oh Adam, I am so sorry!¡± Deborah cried.
¡°Do not be, beloved. They have convinced me that they truly hate you and our faith. They said you are beneath them and I should annul our betrothal and marry the baker''s daughter instead. I choose you and our God.¡±
¡°It is their right to cast you out,¡± the old man said, ¡°but they must allow you to take your possessions.¡±
¡°Yes, I know. I will have to ask someone from work to collect them.¡±
¡°Wait on this, my betrothed. Allow me to speak to the friend of my father. I have an idea.¡±
¡°Will you tell me what it is?¡±
¡°Not yet.¡±
Once again, Deborah left her place and approached the president. This time she spoke quietly.
¡°Friend of my father, my betrothed has just rung his parents to tell them of the happy news. But the parents of my betrothed have cast him out on account of me, rather than rejoice. They consider me beneath them and have told him that he should marry the baker''s daughter instead, even though they know you are friend to my father.¡±
¡°An insulting response to such happy news, my cousin. They have insulted my honour as well as yours.¡±
¡°Respected relative, someone must collect his possessions. I ask that I go, so that they do not mislead the one my betrothed might send and claim what he has worked for. But I think there might be some danger.¡±
¡°In this life there is always danger, but you ask for a guard? You shall have it. And a vehicle. What he owns is bulky?¡±
¡°He has bought some furniture, my cousin. I will have to ask him what was a gift for them and what he considers his own.¡±
¡°You shall have six soldiers and a truck for the removal, my cousin. But shall I come myself to talk to them and seek reconciliation?¡±
¡°His father is an atheist but names him apostate. I do not know if reconciliation is possible.¡±
¡°I will come. Perhaps the hateful words were spoken in haste.¡±
¡°I thank you, my elder cousin. You grant far far more than I sought.¡±
¡°That is as it should be, little cousin. Now return to your place and comfort your betrothed.¡±
Deborah curtsied low and returned to Adam.
¡°All is settled, betrothed. But you must tell me what of the furniture is yours and what was given as a gift to your parents. My honourable cousin will first seek reconciliation.¡±
¡°I think there can be none. But I thank him. That was your idea?¡±
¡°No, his. I sought a guard, in case they became violent, he gave me six soldiers and a van.¡±
¡°You do not need to go, Deborah.¡±
¡°Who better to claim what will be ours? But tell me what I must collect.¡±
Community / Ch. 27: Removals
Book 2: Community / Ch. 27:Removals
Saturday evening
The ambassadors, with their military attaches had decided that the easiest way to avoid chain of command issues was that each of the four countries that had sufficiently strong forces at their embassies to be easily involved in implementing the rescue was to have a separate target. That worked out quite well, as there were four prisons being used by Ibrahim. The only question was where the rescued prisoners would be taken.
In the end, the French embassy was chosen. They did not have such a large force that they could contribute to the rescue, but they proudly offered to provide unmatched catering. The rescued prisoners would be reunited with their families, fed exquisite food, checked over medically and asked about their captors. Hagar would invite the families.
The whole operation would happen that evening, as soon as the local forces roused by the president could arrive at the respective embassies. It might not be quite as convenient for the families, but there didn''t seem to be any need to wait.
All of these other plans meant that Karen''s reception ended sooner than Deborah had expected. There would be another hour of light at least.
¡°Come, Deborah. Tonight is a night for righting wrongs. Let us confront your enemies.¡±
¡°In this dress?¡±
¡°What is wrong with your mother''s dress? You surely do not expect to move furniture yourself, when there will be six strong soldiers around?¡±
¡°But the van...?¡±
¡°You do not sit in the van, child. You ride in my official car, as is fitting. All the arrangements are made. Come!¡±
¡°You surprise me once more, my elder cousin.¡±
¡°Such is the nature of rule, Deborah. Surprise brings joy to friends and terror to enemies.¡±
¡°I do not count Adam''s parents as enemies.¡±
¡°You should. They have declared war on your happiness. It does not mean they cannot be turned, but they are not friends.¡±
¡°No. They are not friends.¡±
The large, almost silent presidential car pulled to a halt outside the house. It was a reasonably prosperous neighbourhood, with each house having its own garden and flower beds, even if the houses were not more than a few small rooms. The pride was obvious. The soldiers ran to either side of the door, surprisingly quiet. Deborah knocked on the door and stood back. The president was to one side. Not exactly hiding, but when the door opened he would not be immediately visible. That was the way Deborah had wanted it. Bravery or foolishness? The next few moments would show.
Adam''s father opened the door.
¡°You! You came here, you enchantress! How dare you!¡±
¡°You have banished your son, my betrothed, but not me. I ask that you reconsider. But if you will not, then I have come for the possessions that the law says he may take.¡±
¡°How dare you come in that stolen dress and flaunt yourself here! You should be ashamed, you pauper slut! May you and the son you''ve stolen from me die before the week is out! You might have won my foolish son''s desire, but you shall never enter this place again.¡±
¡°The dress was my mother''s.¡±
¡°No doubt your good-for-nothing father stole it for her then!¡±
At this, the president stepped forward.
¡°Do you have any idea who stands before you, you ignorant man?¡± In shock Adam''s father stuttered, ¡°Most honourable sir, you are my president!¡±
¡°Not me, brainless one, I mean the daughter of my friend, who I have watched over as my daughter since her father died! The virgin you have insulted is daughter to the wisest man to have lived in our country for many decades! You are not fit to grovel before her, you insolent ball of slime! She is daughter to the great Daniel Asaf, who brought the troubles to an end by his wisdom and probably saved you from dying in the years of conflict he prevented! And yet you insult her and her father! You who thinks the baker''s daughter a better match for your son! She has been in your house, but you did not ask who she was? Your son tells of her perspicacity of thought, but you make no inquiry? The man who returned the inheritance of twenty million that he had from my uncle to my family, because he felt he had no true claim to it though it was his by law, you name a thief! You should grovel on the floor before the betrothed of your son, that she may use you as a doormat! She will not, because for some reason she seeks harmony of relationship with you. Personally I would order your house bulldozed for the insults you have offered my cousin. But I know she does not wish this either. She is too forgiving. It is not wise, but it is Christian, so I do not fault her in it. Now you know who she is, worm! What do you say? Will your face glow with pride at the modest flower of our nation who graces your home? Or will you continue in your grubby little insanity and leave yourself childless?¡±
¡°I did not know!¡±
¡°You did not seek to find out,¡± Deborah said coolly. ¡°It is not wise to boast of one''s relatives. It opens one to other temptations. But I have always known my father''s name and that he was a politician and a friend of the honourable president. But you have never asked. Adam knew, but you did not ask him either. It would not have been seemly for him to tell what you did not want to learn, so he kept silent, eagerly waiting for the day when you would ask. But you did not.
¡°So, do I take his things, never to set foot here again? Or do you wish to see the wise son you have fathered marry, and eventually dangle your grandchildren on your knee? Will you retract the curses that you spoke against us, before the God of Abraham whom we serve curses you because of them? From love for your son I pray that God forgives you those words.¡±
Adam''s mother stepped forward, her eyes wild. ¡°I see through your poisonous words, you temptress. You are trying to ingratiate yourself back in my house, but it will never happen! Never! You must die!¡± And with this she flung herself towards Deborah with a large kitchen knife in her hand.
The soldier on her left quickly wrestled her to the ground, but amazingly she threw him off, and uttering more curses went for Deborah again. Four soldiers piled into her, one receiving a nasty cut from the knife she was waving before he managed to disarm her. She continued screaming curses against Deborah and Adam. Then she widened her targets to include her husband, the president and also Jesus.
¡°She must be demon possessed!¡± said one of the soldiers, the one she had thrown off the first time, who was now struggling to hold down one hand.
Deborah realised that this was quite possibly true. ¡°Father, protect us!¡± she prayed earnestly, then she commanded, ¡°Demon, in the name of the one true God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I command you to leave and never return!¡±
A terrible guttural screech came from Adam''s mother''s mouth, seemingly without end.
Deborah shouted once more in words that seemed to come to her, ¡°In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth to which all creation must bow, leave this woman and this earth, never to return. Begone!¡±
Then there was silence. Deborah quietly prayed her thanks to God, shaking with the adrenaline that had filled her. After a while, a gentle sobbing could be heard, then, between sobs, Adam''s mother said, ¡°Thank you, Deborah, thank you! Blessed be the one by whose name you healed me. How did I hate you so much? Thank you, young men for restraining me.¡±
¡°Yes, thank you, soldiers, I don''t think she is dangerous now,¡± Deborah said. ¡°See to your wounds.¡±
Seeing the wound she had inflicted, Adam''s mother was shocked. ¡°Oh no! I did that also? An ambulance must be called! I have bandages! Oh husband, how did I hate so much? Were you also under the influence of an evil spirit that you would go along with the evil I spoke in the last months?¡±
¡°I think I just listened to your hate, my wife. We must speak more of this, Deborah. I retract all I said against you and Adam. Of course I do. I ask forgiveness.¡±
¡°Hatred is a terrible thing, and it often comes from wounded pride. I know Adam''s Bible is in the house. Honoured parents of my betrothed, I beg you, read the gospels so you may understand by whose name the demon was cast out. Shall I ask Adam to return home?¡±
¡°Of course, and you are welcome here, betrothed of my son! How could you not be? This house is your house, may it give you shade in the day and protection at night. May you never know tears without comfort or fear within its walls. May you find shelter in the arms of my son all the days of your life, may God give you joy in your children and peace as you allow us to care for them.¡± Then having said the traditional blessing, he turned to the president. ¡°I humbly thank you, most honourable president, that you stooped to rebuke a worm such as I. Your words have restored my family to wholeness and I shall indeed treasure this flower of our nation. I offer no excuse for my insults, for they are inexcusable, but I beg your forgiveness.¡±
¡°As long as you stand by your word to honour and cherish my relative, we have no argument. I must leave. Deborah, shall I take you home?¡±
¡°I think it is best. Honoured parents of my betrothed, I must leave. There will be more time for discussion tomorrow and the coming days.¡±
¡°Go in peace, return in peace. Apologise to our son, I beg you. We have hurt him greatly.¡±
Deborah bowed her head in acknowledgement.
As they headed to the car, Deborah asked, ¡°I saw a handset in the car. Might I use it to tell my betrothed he should return home?¡±
¡°Of course. You must get a wrist unit, Deborah, I may need to contact you.¡±
¡°Yes, I have thought of this. But there seem to be such a confusing array of options!¡±
¡°The options are for the proud. Just get one you like the look of and can read the text on. And the most basic connection is all you will need.¡±
¡°But then it is not so expensive to get one! I thought there was a problem with the basic models or that basic connection was insufficient!¡±
¡°No. Ask your friend Hagar to ask at the embassy. I am sure they will give the same advice. Or look at the films and television ¡ª everyone there has one who can read. It need not be a status symbol more than a pair of shoes is. Yes, you can spend a month''s salary on a pair of shoes, but there is no need to.¡±
¡°Ah, I see. And it is only because we have not bought shoes, and have no idea what a reasonable shoe costs that we are put off by the exorbitant prices we see in the adverts for the brands most fashionable in other countries?¡±
¡°Yes, exactly.¡±
¡°Adam, go home. Your father apologises for listening to the hate that came from your mother''s mouth. Your mother was not the one speaking that hatred.¡±
¡°What do you mean, beloved?¡±
¡°I have this evening seen a woman throw a soldier off her as though he was a child, then scream curses upon you, me and Christ.¡±
¡°My mother was possessed? You cast it out?¡±
¡°I did, Adam. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. I think I must go there to talk to Hagar and pastor Yosuf.¡±
¡°Hagar is not here, she stayed on at the embassy. Here, talk to Yosuf.¡±
¡°Deborah, did I hear right? You had to face a possessed woman? Adam''s mother?¡±
¡°Yes, pastor. She came at me with a knife, threw off the first soldier like a man could a child, and then four soldiers struggled to hold her down. She''d been cursing me and then began cursing Adam too and Christ. I was shocked and then one of the soldiers said she had a demon, and I knew it was true. I commanded the demon to leave in the name of the Holy Trinity, and it wailed, and then again in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth to leave and never to return. After it had gone she praised the one by whose name she had been saved. I begged them to read the gospels. They welcomed me. Urm, I think the president convinced Adam''s father that I was worth my weight in gold. Could you go with Adam?¡±
¡°Yes, Deborah, I shall. And you''re worth more than that. Think of the price Christ paid for you. But Deborah, you are at risk. The forces of evil will try to attack you after this, I am sure. Can you stay with a friend, another Christian? With Hagar gone it cannot be here.¡±
¡°I don''t know. So many from church are in small homes, without a guest room.¡±
Adam''s voice came on the line. ¡°You have a new friend with a large home, Deborah. Karen!¡±
¡°But I cannot ask to stay at the embassy!¡±
¡°Of course you can, my cousin. I am sorry to have eavesdropped, but if you need a safe place amongst Christians, there is no better place I can think of. I will call my friend. And I would like to talk to him about what I witnessed too. It takes a lot to shock me, but when she threw the soldier off... well.. thank you for banishing it!¡±
¡°I will not say it was a pleasure, but I am very pleased it obeyed without arguing further.¡±
¡°Your words might give me nightmares, my cousin.¡±
¡°I will pray they do not, elder cousin. I think I will do a lot of praying this night.¡±
¡°You have a powerful faith.¡±
¡°No, cousin. I have a powerful God. If my faith were strong I would not still be shaking.¡±
¡°We could pretend it is the cool evening.¡±
¡°Why lie? We have witnessed a possessed woman coming towards us wielding a big knife. Throwing a soldier like a toy. That is scary. I wonder how your soldiers will handle it.¡±
¡°They will talk to one another and to their imam, I think.¡±
¡°And report to him how the demon was cast out?¡±
¡°Probably. It might make him think.¡±
¡°I begin to be controversial already.¡±
¡°Of course they might just get drunk.¡±
¡°That is not permitted, surely!¡±
¡°If they choose that way of dealing with it, then I will instruct their officer to be lenient. But I will not tell them this beforehand.¡±
¡°You are a wise and merciful ruler, elder cousin.¡±
¡°I am sorry to impose myself on you like this, Karen.¡±
¡°Nonsense, Deborah, I offered friendship and I meant friendship. Pastor Yosuf was right. You could face more attacks physically or spiritually or both, and there are also the emotional reactions to what happened. You need to be among God''s people. Urm, if it''s OK, I''m just going to call on a friend or two for advice.¡±
¡°By your gift?¡±
¡°Yes. You don''t mind?¡±
¡°Of course not.¡±
Karen considered if she should call Kate or John. Kate had more experience in counselling, but John was a church elder. Or should she contact one of the others? She decided to call John first of all and checked his feet. He was awake and not in bed, which had been her other concern. He was climbing up a hillside. [John, sorry to interrupt your climb, but I need some advice.]
[And I want a rest from walking anyway, so what''s the problem?]
[New friend, my age, with the power, has just got betrothed. Her future mother-in-law reacted badly and it turned out that she was possessed. All the characteristic signs ¡ª unnatural strength and cursing Christ. My friend expelled it in the name of the Lord and now she''s got the shakes. Any advice how to help her deal with it, other than pray, and get her to talk about it?]
[Well, tell her it''s normal to have the shakes after anything that traumatic, but otherwise pray with her and let her talk. Talk about what you went through too, it''s not quite the same, but it might help her feel normal.]
[And I didn''t really get the shakes because I was too blissed out on my first dose of the peace.]
[I''m not sure, but maybe you could share a little of the peace with her.]
[Mind to mind, you mean?]
[Yes.]
[I''ll try.]
¡°Sorry. Did you hear any of that?¡±
¡°No. Should I have?¡±
¡°Probably not. It''s just that I know I can hear others when they shout across the world, but I wasn''t sure if that''s because they include me in the shout, or if it comes as part of my gift, or if it''s part of the normal truth-sayer ability.¡±
¡°Oh. So you could have chosen to include me, but didn''t?¡±
¡°Probably. But I was thinking to him in English, so I didn''t think to. Do you speak our language?¡±
¡°Only a little, and only if you speak slowly, so I probably wouldn''t have understood anyway.¡±
¡°Sometime we could try, but there are more important things to talk of.¡±
¡°Like why is my faith so weak that I am still shaking in fear, when it was strong enough to drive out the demon?¡±
¡°I don''t think shaking is a lack of faith. You had a big surprise, no sorry, that''s the wrong word. What''s the word for a nasty surprise?¡±
¡°A shock?¡±
¡°Thank you, you''ve had a big shock, your body makes a lot of something we call adrenaline then. Shaking is just your body wondering what to do with all the adrenaline.¡±
¡°I know that, but why do I fear still?¡±
¡°Because you are a sensible woman?¡±
That wasn''t the reaction Deborah had expected. ¡°Pardon? Did you mean that word?¡±
¡°I think so. Pastor Yosuf told you to find somewhere safe, yes?¡±
¡°Yes. He said that I might be attacked.¡±
¡°So, you''re in danger, and it is sensible to fear when you''re in danger. It''s not sensible to let the fear paralyse you, but it''s not sensible either to keep walking in the middle of the street when there are bullets flying.¡±
¡°So you think there are bullets flying?¡±
¡°Yes, spiritual ones, so we should pray.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
There had not been any bullets flying as Hagar approached the last house on her list. It was where Ahmed had got the stolen coin from. So far, five whole families had gone straight to the embassy with the bus that had been hired, two had decided they''d take their own vehicle, and the others had decided that part of the family would use the bus and the rest would make their own way. Hagar presumed that was from understandable fear.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
She knocked at the door and the little boy opened it. He''d been crying.
¡°Hello, is your mummy here?¡±
¡°Mummy gone.¡± He was close to tears again.
¡°Oh? Has she gone shopping?¡±
¡°Gone bad men.¡± The tears came once more.
She focussed on the child''s thoughts and saw that this little boy had seen his mother being taken by Hamed, Ahmed''s brother, and others. ¡°Oh you poor little one!¡± She bundled him into her arms and as she comforted him she sent to Karen.
[Karen, Ahmed''s brother and Hamed have kidnapped Yasmin ¡ª the one Ahmed stole the coin from. Please tell whoever.]
[OK, have you got enough soldiers with you?]
[Not really. At least, I''ve got four here, a bus-load of relatives and the little boy. There were six of them.]
[OK, I''ll get in touch with one of the rescue teams.] ¡°Sorry, Deborah, there''s an emergency.¡±
[George, get a message to Mummy. Wife of one of the rescued has been taken. Hamed not in prison. I thought they''d got him already! More details to follow. And locate the soldiers so we can work out which ones to divert.] Karen focussed on Yasmin''s feet. She was there in that van there, moving on that road there. [They''re taking her North, out of the capital.]
[That''s towards where her husband was kept. Henry and Sam are in that group, they''re pretty close to the city. Are they going to pass each other?]
[I''ll tell them, maybe they can intercept.]
[It''ll blow their cover.]
[Depends how they handle it.] Karen focussed on Henry''s surface thoughts. Idle chit-chat. [Henry, it''s Karen. Sorry to do this to you, but we''ve got a situation.]
[I''m listening, maam.]
[There''s a white van, police style, markings painted out. I''m not sure exactly where it is relative to you, but it''s on your road, north-bound. On-board is wife of one of your rescued guys, plus six bad guys, armed.]
[So somehow you''d like me to convince everyone to watch out for it?]
[Or something like that, yes. There will be orders. But you might have passed it by then. At least if your van was stopped then you''d not have to retrace your steps.] [Oh that one''s pretty easy. Less embarrassing than admitting I''m hearing voices. Tell Sam what''s up too, please, she''s driver. Tell her I''ll get the van stopped if she can keep her eyes peeled. Oh, and please square it with the captain, or I''ll get a de-merit.]
[Thank you.]
[Sam, Karen here. Look out for a white van, oncoming. Bad-guys and one victim, wife to one of your men. Henry''s about to get the van stopped at my request. Orders on their way but they''ll take longer. OK?]
[Fine! He''s just moaning that he''s going to mess himself if we don''t stop.]
[OK, I had wondered how he''d do it.]
Amid boos and jeers, Henry went behind some bushes. To wait. George called, [Karen, your mother''s told the base commander. Orders should be on the way as soon as he gets to a radio.] Karen checked where Yasmin and the soldiers were. Very close. [Almost with you, Sam, Henry.]
Henry stood up, pretended to fiddle with his trousers and spotted the driver. It was Hamed who they''d all been issued pictures of. Rejoicing he jumped back into the armoured personnel carrier. ¡°Sir, enemy Hamed driving that white van that just passed! I had a clear view!¡±
¡°I saw him too, sir, but wasn''t sure. But that van matches the capture van,¡± shouted Sam, from the driver''s position.
An armoured personnel carrier does not usually travel at high speed. Normally they are in a convoy and it burns a lot of fuel to get one up to top speed. Regulations therefore state a maximum speed for normal operations. Likewise, if it had been moving south, it would have taken a certain amount of time to turn it round. But Sam, forewarned, had stopped and reversed off the road into a track. The captain gave the word she''d been waiting for. ¡°Pursuit!¡±
She flipped a recessed thumb switch and gently pressed her foot on the accelerator. Gently, because even then there was a massive cloud of debris ripped from the track, and their APC was close to rolling over as she made the gentle, ever so gentle curve which took them across the road and joining the traffic from the far side of the other carriageway, via someone''s front garden. That manoeuvre had saved them rolling over and enabled them to be at normal traffic speed when they joined the flow of vehicles. Once on the road, she pressed the pedal a tiny bit harder and shot into the fast lane. Then she put on the strobe lights and klaxon. She didn''t really want to squash anyone''s car. It might scratch the paintwork. The engine and klaxon were both screaming nicely and the other vehicles were getting the message as something like twenty tons of military hardware approached them with strobe lights lighting up the countryside for miles around. Now that the cars had scattered in panic, the road ahead was clear and she accelerated to significantly past the civilian speed limit. She''d have been happier to go faster, to really try out the apparently lumbering beast which at the press of the button had suddenly been given a power to weight ratio that would make most sports cars'' owners envious. But there was a bend up ahead and she couldn''t go flat out round a corner. She had to slow down even.
In the seat beside her, also enjoying the change of pace, the captain readied the APC''s targeting systems and was just about to call in their status when the radio crackled to life. ¡°White capture van seen heading north on your road. One hostage on board, six armed kidnappers. Halt van and rescue hostage. Hostage is Yasmin, wife of released prisoner Abdul.¡±
¡°Acknowledged, van observed, in pursuit. Abdul, did you hear?¡±
¡°We chase Hamed and he has my Yasmin?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°They will kill her, surely.¡±
¡°We think not. They will hope to use her as a hostage. We will disable their engine and then spray them with sleep-gas.¡±
¡°Then they will crash!¡±
¡°We cannot let them have time to show they have your wife as hostage. We will stop their vehicle with this one. It may be bumpy. Everyone make sure their seatbelt is tight.¡±
¡°I do not understand. How will you stop their vehicle with this one?¡±
¡°We will go in front and slow down, so they hit us.¡±
¡°But if the driver swerves?¡±
¡°Please, you do not need to worry. Our driver has practised this. It is the safest way we know, on an open road like this. Your wife has no problems with her heart, her breathing? Sleep gas will not hurt her?¡±
¡°Not that I know of.¡±
¡°Good.¡±
¡°Sir, target in sight, I''m slowing for the corner and to intercept.¡±
¡°OK, Sam, let''s stop them. See that section of wall, half a kilometre ahead?¡±
¡°Yes, sir, it should work, that''s where I''m planning the intercept to be.¡±
Sam was a good driver and all the captain really had to do was press the right triggers at the right time. Right on schedule, he saw the wall loom on the other side of the van, just as they were beside it. Hopefully, it looked to all the observers in the van as though they had no intention to stop. They were considerably faster than them, after all. The captain triggered the targeted electro-magnetic pulse generator which would kill their engine, and also the sleep-gas harpoon. The harpoon went through the driver''s door just where he''d been aiming and filled the cabin with the gas which would put them to sleep in under a second.
Now it was time to bring the van to a safe halt. Sam turned their difference in speed into orange-red heat in the brake disks, and sandwiched the van between the APC and the wall. The van couldn''t swerve now. Sparks flew, but that was all just extra speed reduction. One of the APC''s rear tyres blew out under the abuse, but as Sam''s driving instructor had commented once, there were still another three on the axle, and another axle-full just in case. She carefully balanced the forces and kept a steady reduction in both vehicles¡¯ speed.
Traffic behind them swerved, with the automatic collision avoidance systems taking over. In previous centuries there probably would have been accidents. Now there was shock and maybe some changes of clothes needed, along with a rapidly forming queue of traffic as drivers stopped rather than go past.
The concrete wall and the APC bore some scratches, and unsurprisingly the van probably wasn''t going to be repairable, but both vehicles had stopped. The troops jumped out of the APC and deployed around the van. There was a slim chance after all that someone had managed to hold their breath against the sleep gas before it had dispersed.
Burt was self-appointed point man. Added risk meant extra leave. Going into a small vehicle where there were six gassed but armed hostile occupants and a hostage was probably good for an extra day''s leave, and he wanted that extra day. He dragged the battered van door open, went in and systematically threw out all the weapons he found. The victim was easy to identify, not only was she the only woman, but she''d been bound and gagged and tied into one of the seats. He handcuffed the other occupants and cut her ties and then, since her husband was there, decided that it was better not to try and manhandle her sleeping form himself. He shouted, ¡°Kidnappers handcuffed and disarmed, sir! Would Abdul like to help his wife out, or shall one of the girls do it?¡±
¡°Good idea, Burt. Abdul, we will administer the antidote to the gas, but your wife will find it hard to walk to start with. Would you like to help her out? Otherwise one of the woman soldiers can help.¡±
¡°I will help my wife stand. I am not as strong as I was, but this I wish to do.¡±
¡°Then please go to the van. Burt, antidote!¡±
¡°Yes, sir!¡±
Sleep-gas itself had multiple components. A fast action paralysing agent which targeted the voluntary nervous system without impairing breathing or heartbeat and a slower action anaesthetic which degraded quickly once released in the air so that the risk of overdose was reduced. The antidote, which would counteract both parts, was a measured squirt of another compound, which mopped up the anaesthetic and counteracted the paralysis. Depending on how far the person was from the gas release, and their physiology, it was possible that recovery from the paralysis would take up to half a minute longer than from the anaesthetic. The panic that induced could cause problems in people with heart conditions.
Bert spoke to Abdul, ¡°I ask, please, respected sir, that once you reach your wife, you reassure her. She may be awake but unable to move or even blink for up to half a minute. It is from the gas.¡±
¡°I shall,¡± Abdul promised and as soon as he got to her he started repeating, ¡°Yasmin, my princess, you have breathed the gas of sleep, you are rescued, as I, but the gas can take a while to wear off.¡± Eventually she opened her eyes. She searched his face.
¡°You are truly here, my husband? It was not a dream? You are so thin!¡±
¡°I am here, my wife, and I am free. Can you move?¡±
¡°I will try.¡± She tried to struggle to her feet, and sank back down. ¡°I will need help, my husband.¡±
¡°You will have your strength in about half an hour,¡± Burt told her.
Outside the van they saw that some of the soldiers were replacing the shredded tyre, another was directing traffic around them, and the captain was showing a policeman the UN warrant and the president''s executive order. ¡°None of this permits you to cause an accident on this road! You are only instructed to free the people you have freed and arrest people that we have in custody already!¡±
¡°Then who was driving this van, sir?¡±
¡°It cannot be him, the president ordered his arrest and he was imprisoned yesterday!¡±
¡°I wonder who is in prison then, since this man matches his description and is driving a vehicle that was used in kidnapping these men.¡±
¡°Respected officer, that is the man who kidnapped me, who kidnapped my wife and had her on board also. I am very glad that these soldiers did not give the kidnappers a chance to shoot her,¡± Abdul confirmed.
Faced with this, the policeman returned to his vehicle and had a heated conversation with his commander. He eventually returned, red faced. ¡°A judge signed a release order for Hamed and Ibrahim, stating that the evidence against them was obviously fabricated. You have the right kidnapper.¡±
¡°So where is his master?¡±
¡°I do not know.¡±
¡°Captain, may I have a word?¡± It was Sam, who Karen had been keeping in touch with.
¡°Sir, firstly, there''s a reason that Henry and I saw the van. We knew it was coming. Karen told us.¡±
¡°Oh yes? And Henry''s gut problems were a fabrication to put us in the right place to spot it?¡±
¡°Yes, sir. We didn''t really want to break the secret. We can''t do what she does, but we do hear thoughts if there''s contact. It''s enough to make people nervous.¡±
¡°I understand that,¡± he said.
¡°Anyway, sir, Karen tells me that Ibrahim is heading North too, hiding in the back of a police van. She guesses the driver is going to try and convince the officer here that he''s been sent to pick up the prisoners.¡±
¡°Ah?¡±
¡°Ibrahim''s probably going to try and flee the country. They wanted to know about our plans, that''s why they took Yasmin, but I guess word has got out now.¡±
¡°So why take her to the prison?¡±
¡°Coincidence, we think. Karen said that Ibrahim has estates up here.¡±
¡°Ah. But she doesn''t know about the van stopping for sure?¡±
¡°No. She obviously decided that wasn''t a warranted intrusion. It might just go past as though doing a prisoner transfer.¡±
¡°Cough twice if she tells you it''s near.¡±
¡°Yes-sir!¡± The captain went to talk to the police officer again.
[Karen, were you following his side as well as mine?]
[Only indirectly. I don''t like eavesdropping.]
[You''re doing it to me, though.]
[I know. Sorry, it''s the only way, since you can''t shout to me. Well, I could go shallower and just pick up your mood and not thoughts. Should I do that?]
[No, as long as I know you''re listening in, it''s OK. So, if Ibrahim''s van gets close, let me know, and I''ll cough to warn the captain. But you can choose how deep you hear? That''s handy.]
[Only at a distance. I can''t just hear the emotions of someone I''m touching any more than you.]
[Oh well.]
[I''d better check on Ibrahim... OK, he''s still in the van, but it''s turned off on a side road about three kilometres south of you. Avoiding your little traffic jam, I''d guess.]
[OK, well, keep me posted. I guess we''ll have to leave him for local police.]
[Nope, he''s not to be trusted to them in case what just happened happens again, mum says.]
[Oh wonderful. So I''ll go talk to my captain again.]
[Please. I really don''t understand why there''s no way that someone in the embassy can''t get patched through to the base radio room.]
[They said it was mice. The radio room is full of mouse holes anyway, so while military spec stuff is fine, a normal computer link gets chewed up too easily. And they don''t want to use a wireless network of course.] [Too prone to eavesdropping, I know. Why not just put a metal pipe in for the wires? That''d be mouse-proof, surely?]
[I don''t know. Suggest it.]
[I will. First though, you''d better get moving.]
[I''ll try.]
Sam managed to catch the captain''s eye, and tapped her headset. He came over.
¡°Something on the radio?¡±
¡°Not the one Marconi knew about, no. Karen says Ibrahim has switched to a side road, avoiding the traffic and/or us. This road here, from her description.¡± She pointed at the map.
¡°OK, we''d better move out. No chance of her arranging some more orders, is there?¡±
¡°I''ll ask.¡± [Any chance of some orders to obey here, Karen?]
[Mummy''s calling the base commander as we speak. Resorting to calling his wrist unit, which really annoys her.]
[I can imagine.]
¡°Orders should be coming soon, sir!¡± Right on schedule the orders came through. They should leave the prisoners except Hamed in the hands of the local police and intercept Ibrahim, travelling in a police van. ¡°No unique description of the van''s markings was given.¡±
¡°We''ll have to do this one the hard way, sir. Stop every van just to make sure.¡±
¡°OK, let''s go then.¡± Heading back to the officer, he said. ¡°I have my orders, sir. According to a witness Ibrahim is heading North in the back of a police van. He must be taken as prisoner to face trial for his crimes. I must take Hamed with me, in case there are other judges he has corrupted. We assume these others are not as influential, and leave them with you. These are our orders under the international court decision.¡± Then he ordered, ¡°Henry, Burt, get Hamed into the APC, no antidote.¡±
Eventually the sleep gas would start to wear off, at which point they''d have a cross thought-stealer on board. To mitigate against this they put a plastic sheet between him and any metalwork. The APC wasn''t configured for transporting prisoners, but there were plenty of straps for tying down equipment, and they used some of these to attach him firmly to one of the seats. He wasn''t going to go anywhere. On the other hand, it would be a relief when they could put him into the police van. The rescued kidnappees were not at all pleased to be sharing a vehicle with him again, and quite a few spat at him as he was dragged in. No one bothered rebuking them.
They left the other bound, unconscious prisoners in the charge of the police officer.
[Karen, are you there?] Sam thought and heard nothing in reply. It was odd, she realised, not knowing if Karen could hear her or not.
[Oh, did you call?] She heard Karen''s thoughts once more.
[Yes. I was just thinking that it would be good if this thing had some kind of ¡®I''m listening¡¯ signal.]
[I could think ¡®ping¡¯ at you every so often and listen to what you''re thinking for a few seconds. I can''t concentrate on what''s happening here and there at the same time. Ah, I''ve got a better idea actually, if you don''t mind. Can I get George to talk to you instead? ]
[Sure. Sorry, I didn''t realise you were busy.]
[Just trying to do some psych-counselling for someone who''s had to deal with a traumatic event. Nothing to do with what you''re up to, just coincidence.]
[Oh! You''d better concentrate on your patient.]
[Thanks. I''ll get George to shout to you.]
[Thanks. It''d be good to know if we miss Ibrahim.]
[George, can you give an ear to Sam? Give her hints towards locating Ibrahim''s van.]
[Only hints?]
[Yes, all their orders said was police van North-bound. No identifying marks.]
[So it''s stop and search every police van?]
[Yes.]
[And has anyone thought to ask the police where their vans are, and tell the drivers to comply?]
[Pass. But you''re the one who can contact everyone now, I''m going to give Deborah the attention she needs.]
¡°Sorry, Deborah. George is now dealing with that ongoing crisis, so you have my full attention now.¡±
¡°Was it something you can tell me about?¡±
¡°Has Hagar told you of her plans?¡±
¡°Hagar''s plans? I presume you don''t mean about Yosuf''s back.¡±
¡°No, I don''t. So I''d rather not break confidence without her permission.¡±
¡°She was not at home tonight.¡±
¡°That''s right, she wasn''t. Now Deborah, you were telling me about what happened.¡±
¡°I know. And now I am filled with curiosity and a desire to know more, and the temptation to use my power on you is quite strong.¡±
¡°Is this a temptation you often feel, to get inside someone''s head to find out things they won''t tell you?¡±
¡°Not really. I guess it is something the president is asking me to do, but I haven''t yet done it.¡±
¡°I am glad.¡±
¡°It''s not a good thing, is it? But why shouldn''t I, really?¡±
¡°It is quite close to acting as a thought-stealer,¡± Karen said, thoughtfully.
Deborah sat back, as if slapped. ¡°And stealing is sin.¡±
¡°Yes. I think stealing thoughts is sin. But there is a dilemma for me concerning it.¡±
¡°For you?¡±
[Yes. I can send my thoughts to you like this. But since you cannot send back to me, how can I know your answer without getting close to thought stealing?]
¡°So it is not black and white. You cannot know if the person you wish to talk to accepts your listening to their answer, unless you listen. Are you intending to distract me?¡±
¡°Not really, but it does give your mind something less perilous to think about than temptation, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°It does. Thank you.¡±
¡°Do you want to talk about my ethical dilemma, your temptation, what happened this evening, or your reactions to it?¡±
¡°I think part of my reaction is that I want to talk, or maybe it is that the idea of sleep is scary right now, so... all of them?¡±
¡°Deborah, my friend, I always like to talk!¡±
[Sam, George here. Karen asked me to take over. I''ve just had a word with Maria: your nav system should be getting access to current police van locations and histories. When it does, then if it looks like you''ve missed him I''ll let you know. But you can hardly ignore your orders and skip some without motive.]
[But he''s still going North?]
[He is, still on a minor road though.]
[So all we need to do is check all of the vans which are suspicious. Shouldn''t take more than a week.]
[Don''t forget you''ve still got four passengers to deliver to their families, so think smart. I expect you''ll be able to work out which one it is without me getting close to overstepping the mark. The lack of a victim on board makes a difference.]
[Fair enough. Radio confirms that we should be getting a location list. OK! We have a target list, and we''re about four kilometres south from our nearest one. There''s quite a lot of vans up here.]
¡°Captain, nearest van is four kilometres North, and it came straight from the city. Should we intercept?¡±
¡°Go for it. Engage pursuit mode.¡±
¡°Hold on to your hats, people!¡± Sam yelled to the passengers, flipped the thumb switch and, since there was a lovely straight flat road in front of them, she pressed the pedal all the way to the floor. The engine note went through one octave and another, and got to tones that even a soprano would wince at, and then hung there, drinking up the fuel almost as fast as a thirsty camel would water. It was a good thing that liquid fuel was cheap to produce now that fusion reactors provided the raw energy. The range of the APC, travelling at this speed, was about a tenth of normal speeds, but it was useful. With the strobes working to clear the traffic, it only took a couple of minutes to intercept the police van.
This time they brought the van to a halt a little more politely. The captain had no desire to destroy every van they searched. Instead, Sam, shedding speed, simply drove alongside the van and the captain respectfully asked the driver to pull over for a search, in accordance with the UN arrest mandate and the presidential order. It was, admittedly, hard to be respectful to someone only two metres away over a loudspeaker system designed to be heard by people on the other side of a riot, but the captain tried to speak quietly, at least. Ears ringing, the driver of the police van complied quickly.
¡°A thousand apologies for the volume,¡± the captain said after the check had revealed nothing, ¡°but that was the quietest I could set it to.¡±
¡°May I respectfully suggest the designers be reprimanded?¡±
¡°I shall take note of your comment in my report, without attribution, of course.¡±
¡°So Ibrahim''s got out of jail?¡±
¡°Yes, a judge said there was no evidence and ordered his release. We understand that there were some irregularities in that. For instance the decision wasn''t actually made after a hearing in court.¡±
¡°I wonder where the judge is now. On his way to a new home on the moon?¡±
¡°No, that would be foolish. Your president has friends there.¡±
¡°A good point, a very good point.¡±
¡°Thank you for your cooperation, officer, now I must go.¡±
¡°May the God of heaven help you find him!¡±
¡°May it be so!¡±
As they drove off, the captain shut the hatch to the back of the APC and asked Samantha, ¡°So, Sam, will she?¡±
¡°Pardon, sir?¡±
¡°The good officer back there prayed that God would help us find him. I was wondering if she would.¡±
¡°I don''t think George would like to be called God sir, nor a she.¡±
¡°Oh, they''ve traded places?¡±
¡°George is the one talking to me now, yes, sir.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°Given our orders and the different circumstances, he says he can''t just direct us to him. We need to come up with our own plan. Or rather, you do, sir.¡±
¡°So, we''re not getting it handed to us on a plate this time?¡±
¡°Exactly, sir, but he''s either heading to his estates or out of the country. And George says he will say if he gets away from us.¡±
¡°Right. So I just need to look at the behaviour of these targets and see what they''re up to. Ignore ones on short trips, ones not coming from the capital, and so on, and come up with a target list.¡± He studied the tracks from the police department as Sam continued to drive North.
¡°Next target selected Sam, it''s been on a parallel road and is just coming up behind us. Looks like a good one to check to me. When we''re in a clearish bit of landscape, please, pull over and we''ll make a traffic jam again.¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
For once, there was no torturing of rubber or racing of the engine. As the captain went back to give orders to the soldiers, Samantha looked for a good place to stop.
She found one ¡ª newly harvested grain fields stretching almost to the horizons on both sides of the road, with a barrier between the northbound and southbound lanes. Nowhere to hide, even in the growing darkness. The APC''s lights showed that there were even some nice big rocks beside the road, suitable for improvised traffic cones.
The soldiers deployed quickly. The APC blocked part of the road and they rolled some of the rocks towards the other side of the road, making a chicane and narrowing the lane further. They stood, guns ready, but waving the traffic through. The traffic was able to pass at about 50 kilometres per hour, the drivers somewhat confused, but very willing to continue their journey uninvolved in whatever was happening. Eventually, the police van was sighted.
¡°Right! Everyone start paying more attention,¡± commanded the captain.
¡°It might be polite or it might get exciting. Move those rocks in a bit to make the vehicles slow down more.¡±
The driver of the police van wasn''t willing to slow down more and put on his flashing lights and siren. The private vehicles in front of it pulled off the road to give it space and it accelerated. Sam had half expected it though, and was ready when the captain ordered, ¡°Block its path, Sam!¡±
It wasn''t hard. The APC was long enough to block the road with ease. All Sam needed to do was close the gap she''d left.
Seeing its road ahead closed, the van swerved off the road, trying to pass behind the APC. It managed that, but the driver clearly hadn''t noticed where the half-metre diameter rocks in the road had come from. The right front wheel hit one that they hadn''t moved, full on. The steering arm shattered and the van spun half a turn. The soldiers ran towards it, guns at the ready. It was quite clear to them all that this was not going to be a polite encounter.
In a voice that had once caused terror across the parade ground, the captain called out, ¡°You will exit the vehicle with your hands up! You are under arrest under the authority of the United Nations Council for Human Rights and the direct order of your president!¡±
¡°Sir, the van''s in range of the rear sleep gas turret,¡± Sam called over the radio.
¡°Thank you, Sam. Trigger on my command.¡±
¡°If you carry a weapon, you will be shot. You will come out now, with your hands up! If you do not then sleep gas will be used. You will come out from the van now!¡± There was some movement in the van but no doors were opened. ¡°Sam, now.¡±
The sleep gas harpoon fired, a mere half a second before the rear door of the van flew open and an unarmed man jumped out and started to run. They recognised the man as Ibrahim. He managed two steps before the cloud of gas that followed him from the van knocked him out.
¡°All right then, let''s tie him and his driver down in the back with their friend,¡± commanded the captain. ¡°Be quick about it, we''ve got some people to take to a dinner, then we''ll put the prisoners somewhere suitable.¡±
¡°Where is suitable, sir? It''s not like any of the embassies can run a prison.¡±
¡°Ibrahim and Hamed go on a flight to the international courts, the driver goes to a local prison.¡±
¡°Oh, of course.¡±
The sky was completely dark when they arrived, but the joy in the family members'' faces shone through it. All the troops agreed, it had been a good evening''s work. Especially since they were invited to the meal as well.
Community / Ch. 28: Travelling
Book 2: Community / Ch. 28:Travelling
Monday Aug 14th
The engine note changed as the military transport reached cruising altitude and levelled out. There wasn''t a direct flight this time, which suited Karen and George quite well, as they''d be able to see where Karen had been at school. The plane, three quarters full of cargo, was also carrying twelve guards, someone Karen recognised as a field agent for Security and the two prisoners: Hamed and Ibrahim. They were in a separate section, out of sight. Maria had made sure of that, otherwise George and Karen couldn''t have travelled on the same plane as the prisoners.
The guards, who''d been flown in from an outlying posting to collect the prisoners, had just witnessed something that they''d probably be talking about for a few years to come, and were telling everyone what had happened ¡ª in this case everyone meant each other, the field agent, Karen, George and the plane''s load-master, who was sitting in for the company.
¡°So there we were, taking delivery of those two in the back, when up drives this enormous vehicle, far more impressive than the ambassador''s, truth be told, and out gets someone. I think it might have been the president himself!¡±
¡°Only seen him on the banknotes myself, before now, but I''m sure it was him.¡±
¡°And he tells Ibrahim there that whatever the human rights court says, since he''s also been plotting to overthrow the president, if he dares show his ugly face back there again then he''ll be brought up for treason. I guess he meant taken to court.¡±
¡°Nah, you misheard,¡± corrected his colleague. ¡°He said lifted up. By the neck, you know!¡± and he mimed graphically.
¡°Oh! That makes more sense!¡±
¡°And he, brave but not too clever if you ask me, replied that he''d really regret having to depose the president or his feeble-minded cousin when the time came.¡±
¡°But what the president said to that, I don''t think I could have heard it right. I heard, ¡®She''s bright enough to run rings round you.¡¯ I''m sure that he used the female form, but that makes no sense.¡±
¡°Must make sense, unless he misspoke. I heard the same thing. But anyway then this woman dressed up like one of their folk-tale witches, I didn''t see her get out of the car, but she must have done, unless she appeared out of nowhere, whispers something to the president and he tells her to go ahead.¡±
¡°Then two more get out of the car, but I''m sure one was a bloke, for all that he was wearing a veil.¡±
¡°Course he was a bloke, women don''t wear jeans there!¡±
¡°And then they join hands round the sidekick there and have what sounds like a Christian prayer meeting. But I thought they were all Moslems here.¡±
¡°Sizeable Christian minority,¡± commented the Security agent.
¡°But why would Christians be dressed up as fancy dress witches, and what on earth did they do to the prisoner? Inject him with something? They stood round him and then he screamed like a stuck pig!¡±
¡°No, they didn''t touch him. They just prayed, I was with him and heard it.¡±
¡°So come on, out with it, what did they pray?¡±
¡°They just prayed ¡®Father God, this man only uses his strength for evil. Take it from him that he might repent.¡¯ And then he screamed.¡±
¡°Odd sort of prayer and an even odder sort of reaction.¡±
Ibrahim spoke up from his box in the back. He spoke cultured English and his tone was dripping scorn. ¡°You ignorant fools. You get the facts wrong, you pretend to speak our language but clearly don''t, and you understand nothing! Now be silent in the presence of your superiors and say nothing of what you do not comprehend!¡±
A fourth guard, a sergeant by his stripes, who''d been silent until now said, ¡°The prisoner has a point, guys, but I don''t know who he thinks are our superiors. I''d be really disappointed if he classed himself in that category, given what he''s charged with. But you have missed the odd crucial fact or three. Those costumes weren''t fancy dress, they were the formal dress of truth-sayers, and I''d say their prayer makes it pretty clear that they''ve just found sleeping ugly back there guilty of being a thought-stealer. Three of them convinced of that could have passed a death sentence, but I guess they pulled his teeth instead.¡±
¡°Pulled his teeth?¡±
¡°Stripped him of his power.¡±
¡°You don''t believe in that mystical stuff, do you?¡±
¡°What, thought reading? Or God?¡±
¡°Either. Both!¡±
¡°Oh, God''s real enough. Bit surprising to see such a clear and rapid answer to prayer, but there you are, you can hardly argue it''s not a miracle when it happens so fast, can you? As for the mind reading, there''s so many stories about it here that a sceptical anthropologist I know came out here a few years back and eventually found a truth-sayer to talk to. He wanted to try and find out if it was trickery or hypnosis or what. Came back utterly convinced. No one ever accepted the paper he wrote for publication, of course, until he''d rephrased it so that it was all about the beliefs of the people rather than the truth of the claims.¡±
¡°Wow. You''re saying it''s real? That''s weird. Any advice from your friend if you don''t want someone poking about in your skull?¡±
¡°Avoid touch. They need to touch you.¡±
Karen and George looked at each other.
[Only half right, should we tell more?] Karen asked.
[No harm, may be important. Shall I?]
[No, I will.] Karen decided.
¡°Sergeant, couldn''t help overhearing. Your friend only got it half right. It works through metal too.¡±
¡°Oh? Who told you that?¡±
¡°A truth-sayer I met. I didn''t want you to think you were safe from a thought-stealer when you weren''t.¡±
¡°So what''s the difference between a thought-stealer and a truth-sayer, can you make sense of that for me?¡±
¡°It''s a bit like the difference between a soldier and a terrorist. Soldier wears a uniform, carries his weapon in plain sight. Truth-sayers don''t make it a secret what they can do, and when they''re... off-duty if you like ... they''d try to avoid hearing people''s thoughts. Thought-stealers would go out of their way to listen in, pretend they''re normal, and use your ignorance to their advantage.¡±
¡°Avoid hearing? You make it sound like they can''t turn it on or off,¡± the sergeant observed.
¡°Can you turn off your ears, sergeant? I can''t. My information says it is like that.¡±
¡°That could be awkward.¡±
¡°That''s why they like to wear gloves, and suggest others do too. Less embarrassment all round, and less leaks to thought-stealers.¡±
¡°I see you two are wearing them. That''s why?¡±
¡°Yes. That''s why,¡± George agreed.
The conversation moved from what sort of gloves the soldiers might wear to sports and Karen found herself becoming dozy. She''d lost a lot of sleep and now she had time to catch up some, maybe. Closing her eyes she began to doze.
George saw Karen close her eyes and then relax. It was, he realised, the first time he''d seen his beloved asleep, although of course he''d seen her when she''d been semi-unconscious or however it was appropriate to describe someone whose mind was inhabiting the peace. She was so beautiful and seemed so vulnerable, his heart felt like it would burst with joy to think they were engaged now. Watching over her, he prayed through the things they''d been involved in in the last week.
The plane continued on its journey, Karen shifted in her sleep and rested her head on George''s shoulder. If she''d been awake, feedback would have been almost certain. But she wasn''t. George became aware of flickers of thought, too fast to understand without using the gift and he realised that these were the accelerated thoughts of dreaming. Thoughts that could make a dream which seemed an hour long, actually short enough in time to explain the ringing of an alarm clock.
Karen awoke. She realised that the feelings of being cherished were not just the dream and that her pillow was actually George. It was a nice feeling, but she felt the feedback coming. She sat up.
[I had some very nice dreams about being all loved and cherished.]
[So the power works when we''re asleep too. Not very surprising, since ears keep processing too. Please notice the change of subject and avoid returning to how much I love you.]
[{LOVE} Sorry. Urm. Good idea. That week didn''t quite end up as the week we expected, did it, George?]
[No, but important things got done.]
[Oh yes. Important things. Lives saved, torture avoided, justice restored, evil-doers jailed, I have a very significant ring on my finger, and young Ahmed is having regular chats with Pastor Yosuf about turning his life around.]
[And hopefully Yosuf''s brother Ahmed is talking to his aunt about similar things. Did your mother say anything more about what happened when your uncle heard about Ibrahim''s arrest in the news? All I heard was that he wanted to give evidence against him.]
[Yes. Apparently he said that Ibrahim had been blackmailing him. Which I find a bit surprising.]
[Why surprising? We thought he was being pushed.]
[Pushed, yes, but blackmail? As far as I can work out, the main hold Ibrahim should have had over him would be that he got him out of jail early and could reveal some of my uncle''s crimes, but I''d have thought that would be reciprocal. It doesn''t sound like a possibility for blackmail, more like a partnership. It can''t be blackmail if Ibrahim was funding him either. It would only be blackmail if it involved a threat of revealing something, or maybe of violence against him or a loved one. So I just don''t see it.]
[Maybe he''s discovered his tender side and finally has someone to protect.]
[That doesn''t sound very like him from Mummy''s description.]
[Well, maybe she doesn''t know everything.]
[Heresy! {smile} How can you think that Mummy not know something!]
[Well, she didn''t know about me having the power, but then I kept that a
good secret. But she could have known about Debora''s connection to the president, but if she knew anything about her she was hiding it very well.]
[OK, Mummy doesn''t know everything. But still. Blackmail? I don''t get it. And to what purpose from Ibrahim''s end? Influence over his crime network? It doesn''t make much sense to me.]
The plane made another turn and the engines settled to idle. The pilot announced they were on final approach and to buckle up for a bumpy landing.
¡°Turbulence?¡± George asked the load master, turning pale at the thought.
¡°No, worse. Dirt runway.¡±
¡°But I thought bad turbulence could rattle us like peas in a pod?¡±
¡°Yes, but a bad runway could rip off the landing gear, then where would we be, eh? Scattered in pieces all over the place. Sorry, I''ve got to earn my pay and check the cargo again, just in case.¡±
¡°Maybe we should all pray for a safe landing,¡± George said, white faced.
Karen looked in amazement at him. ¡°It''s not that scary! Just a routine dirt runway landing.¡±
¡°Easy for you to say.¡±
[This is only my second time mysteriously defying gravity without any visible means of support, in an overly complicated box, and I didn''t know anyone still landed on dirt anywhere, let alone a plane this big.¡±
[I should have worked out that you''re not used to flying, George, sorry. The risk of an accident is minimal. {reassurance} I''ll join you in prayer, but you don''t need to panic.]
[Sorry, Karen. I guess it''s just that we''re from such different worlds. {distress} Is ¡®us¡¯ really going to work?]
[{calm, trust} We share one God, one Redeemer, one Spirit and one gift, George. And love can cross greater barriers than there are between us. Let''s pray about these things too.]
The landing was smooth, and while the taxi to the parking area was more bumpy than most people would find comfortable if they happened to be holding a bowl of hot soup, it wasn''t at all bad. No one would dream of serving hot soup here in any case. Karen had warned George about the air temperature, and he found she was right. It honestly felt like they were in an oven when they left the plane, and he was amazed that his lungs didn''t dry out and crumble to dust.
Fortunately a jeep was there to meet them as soon as they reached the foot of the stairs. George felt he needed a drink as he got in. He''d wondered at Karen''s insistence that he wear a canteen. Now he understood. In this heat, it was just necessary to carry extra water.
¡°You''re with witnesses protection?¡± asked the driver, a middle aged woman who looked hot, out of place and flustered. She showed her Security ID and George automatically checked it. It looked genuine but was slightly unusual. Her picture was on it, but there was no name, just a number. His study of security passes had included the type. Issued for when the holder was potentially at risk if their name was widely known: either because of a family connection, for undercover agents who might be using a false name, or for very senior staff.
[Interesting pass,] he commented to Karen.
[I''m pretty sure I''ve never seen her. And this posting isn''t exactly high on the ladder.]
¡°Don''t ask me how your itinerary got this messed up, just tell me you''re not staying long.¡±
¡°There''s a problem with our itinerary? Four hours doesn''t count as a long time, surely?¡±
¡°Good answer. Keep your heads down, please.¡±
¡°Local unrest? I hadn''t heard.¡± Karen was concerned, that could ruin their plans for sight-seeing.
¡°Normal levels, but perimeter security isn''t as tight as usual.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± They arrived at the security office. Blessedly, it was now supplied with electrical power and a small air conditioning unit. It wasn''t powerful enough to drop the temperature by more than ten degrees, but even that felt wonderful.
¡°Nice air-con,¡± Karen observed when they were inside. ¡°How long has it been here? I don''t remember it.¡±
¡°I''m not sure. I''ve only been here a week, now there''s these security problems, you''re here with a messed up itinerary, and the guy who''s supposed to be showing me the ropes is having dental surgery. I wonder what else will go wrong.¡±
¡°Security problems are due to the UN arrest warrant?¡±
¡°You know about that? Yes. Not as many eyes around here as usual. They all went off by plane when the warrant was issued, just in case, and from what I hear they''re all on their way back now. But they''re not here. Which adds to the problem of your itinerary.¡± Peering at the computer, she added. ¡°I hope there''s an answer here for me. It''s crazy!¡±
¡°What''s the problem? That there''s nowhere better for us to wait? We were hoping to see some of the town, actually.¡±
¡°You''ll see more of it than you planned, I think. Your itinerary doesn''t mention sight-seeing. In fact it says quite clearly that you''re to remain here until you can board your plane. But that''s a contradiction because the flight home doesn''t leave from here, it''s using the civilian airport for the next three weeks. Somehow you''re going to have to cross the city without the driver and escort that I''m supposed to provide under the witness protection rules. You''ll get lost and I''ll face charges of failing to protect you. I suppose I could desert my post here and face that charge instead, but all I could do is be your driver. I''m a total write-off as a bodyguard. The book says there should be a couple of soldiers I can call on, but the only soldiers around not on critical guard duty or prisoner escort are enjoying a sleep break after double duty. I got my ear chewed off good and proper from the C.O. for even asking. So, I can''t do what I''m supposed to do, you''re going to get lost and mugged or something and the weather is probably going to get even hotter tonight. Or you could stay in this office for three weeks and obey most of your itinerary except the departure date.¡± She looked back to the screen. ¡°Oh what an amazing response! Really helpful, thanks whoever sent that. You know what the reply was? One word! ¡®Improvise.¡¯¡±
¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Karen laughed. ¡°We won''t get lost, I know my way around.¡±
¡°You''ve been here before? Oh yes, you said you didn''t remember the air-con.¡±
¡°I was at school here for four years, once my parents decided I wasn''t going to
die from homesickness or boredom away from embassy life.¡±
¡°So your name''s not a coincidence? You are Karen, Maria''s daughter? I had an initial and surname, but I thought it couldn''t be you.¡±
¡°Yes, that''s me, but I''m afraid I don''t recognize you either.¡±
¡°I''ve finally taken up your mother''s offer to come and see what life is like in her side of the work. I''m Tasha.¡±
¡°Finally a face to put to a name! It''s nice to meet you at last. But you got put here?¡± Karen asked, incredulous, ¡°You must have really upset Mummy! Tasha, this is George, my fianc¨¦. He has my clearance level. George, Tasha is Mummy''s opposite number in another branch of Security. Mummy always moans that Tasha has a nasty habit of filling in critical little gaps in Mummy''s field reports.¡±
¡°Congratulations on the engagement! I''d missed that detail. I get details all the time, just can''t fit them together to anything useful without the big picture from the field report. And as for being here, it was my idea. I thought I''d see what it''s like at three different levels, and well, this place seemed like a good introduction. I thought it was going OK until today.¡±
¡°But you''re shadowing someone, and they just happened to have a dentist appointment today?¡± Karen asked, suspiciously.
¡°Yes. Should I be suspicious?¡±
¡°What do you think, Tasha?¡±
¡°I think they want me to improvise. I hate improvising and they know that. So either they''re being nasty, or they''re trying to give me a situation where I''m forced to overcome my irrational hatred, for my own betterment, or it is just a genuine coincidence. I also think that if he comes back without having had any dental work, I''m going to make him wish he had, without anaesthetic.¡±
¡°That sounds fair to me. And the improvising?¡±
¡°Nothing much happening here, so I''m going to see you to the airport myself. Jeep or taxi?¡±
Karen cringed. ¡°Eek. I''d rather arrive unscathed, so urm... neither?¡±
¡°Could you expand on that?¡±
¡°Well, a woman driving anything is an invitation for hassle from every passing male. Driving a jeep without an armed guard, well,¡± she ticked them off on her fingers, ¡°a policeman won''t believe you have it legitimately, a militant would think you''re an easy target for kidnap or just as a strike for the cause, a professional crook would think about what he''d get for the jeep and how easily he could overpower you for the keys, and the local bully boys would love to have a gen-U-ine military vehicle to pose around in. Not that there are many militants or bully boys around, but you can''t be too careful.¡±
¡°OK, jeep is too vulnerable and attractive to bad guys. What about a taxi?¡±
Karen acted one end of a phone call, using what she thought of as her really-dumb teenager voice. ¡°Hello, I''ve got diplomatic or military connections but just no sense of self preservation. Could some stranger pick me up and take me to be a hostage, please? I hear the food is very authentic.¡± Changing to more serious tones, she said, ¡°Standard procedure, Tasha, you never, ever, take a taxi from a military base in an unstable country. Or name one as your destination. Also, on the street, never take the first or second taxi you see, they could have been trailing you. The risk is too high.¡±
¡°Urm. And they left me in charge?¡±
¡°I think they assumed I''d have this conversation with you if you suggested anything so silly.¡±
¡°So how do you plan to get to the other airport?¡±
¡°Easy, it''s just like getting to the school dorms, which are practically next door. When the perimeter guards give the all clear, we slip out of the side gate, across the road and into the alley. Then half way down the alley, we go into the side door of the shopping centre, which is not well known, but perfectly permissible, in case you''re wondering. We then mix with shoppers for a bit, and maybe even buy something. Then we catch the bus from the shopping centre to the main bus station, then like lots of other people we wander around looking at what the little traders have for sale there and then catch the airport bus. Easy, eh?¡±
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
¡°It''s all rather exposed.¡±
¡°Exposed to non-curious people. Not standing out like a sore thumb, not putting ourselves into the hands of someone who might owe the militants a favour.¡±
¡°I must say that it sounds far safer than the jeep or taxi,¡± George offered.
¡°Oh, all right. And what about if you get mugged?¡±
¡°Oh, I had my share of self defence classes, and I can scream pretty well in the local dialect,¡± Karen said.
¡°And though I don''t like having a knife pointed at me, well, I had a rough childhood. Either I''ll end up as the one holding the knife, or no one will be, if anyone threatens me or Karen.¡± This he said with such quiet confidence that Karen was surprised and Tasha didn''t dare to challenge it.
Tasha played her last card, ¡°But how do you fit into the crowd? You''re not dressed in local fashion.¡±
Karen laughed, ¡°Oh, fitting in is easy, we just need to get changed. Which way to your bathroom?¡±
¡°And what about me?¡± Tasha asked.
¡°What about you? You can''t leave your post.¡± Karen felt a horror creeping over her. Surely she wasn''t going to be expected to babysit Tasha? At least with George she could tell him mind-to-mind what to say if he was asked something.
¡°I''ve been instructed to improvise, so I think I''ll improvise that I go with you to the airport. OK, I might not be able to help much, but at least I can witness this route of yours. No one has mentioned it to me and I''m curious.¡±
¡°And how will you get back? Do you speak the local language at all?¡± Karen asked.
¡°A few words. But actually I plan to tell my trainer where I am and ask that he accompany me back here. Failing that, I''ll catch an airport taxi to the shopping centre here. I think I can manage that. Or are you going to tell me that''s dangerous too?¡±
¡°Any taxi is dangerous, but no, it''s not nearly as risky as calling one to pick you up from here. You really want to come?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Do you have suitable clothes?¡± Karen asked, looking at the beautifully embroidered and immaculately tailored outfit that Tasha was wearing.
¡°What are these, then?¡±
¡°Roughly speaking, suitable for a bank-manager or very successful business woman. We''re aiming more for ordinary office slave.¡±
¡°Oh. Great. So, no one in these would be on a bus?¡±
¡°Not really. Not unless you were a politician wanting to gather support by mixing with the masses. You''d stick out like a sore thumb, I''m afraid.¡±
¡°And if I went with you then you wouldn''t be as able to blend in, even if I had the right clothes?¡±
Karen nodded, relieved at this display of wisdom. ¡°Correct. Sorry.¡±
¡°Oh all right, I''ll stay here. I can analyse the signals your face has been sending easily enough, Karen. Have a safe trip. The bathroom is through that door.¡± Karen went to change first.
While waiting, George asked, ¡°You said you ah, picked up lots of details? I don''t suppose you know any more links between Roland Underwood and either of the prisoners than we do, do you?¡±
Tasha looked at him seriously, ¡°Depends what you know, young man. And why you want to know.¡±
¡°We''ve been trying to make sense out of a number of things, like why Roland Underwood was trying to kill me, why he had someone break into Karen''s house, why he lured Karen into the tunnels, why, having lured her there was she not actually kidnapped, why Hamed arranged for Underwood to be released early from prison. Why Underwood is now claiming Hamed has been blackmailing him. What Hamed was planning to do with the hole under the embassy, was that really what Roland was referring to when he told the thugs that were due to torture me to death that I should tell Maria that more people would be facing an end like their neighbour''s cat when he was little. If so, what does that hole have to do with the results we''re going to publish from the Institute?¡±
¡°Urm. I didn''t get all those references,¡± Tasha said. ¡°What was that about Roland''s neighbour''s cat?¡±
Karen had returned partly through George''s list. ¡°It''s not important. What I find unbelievable is that he goes to such great and complex pains to get me into the tunnels then there''s no one there to grab me. Also that he lets himself get seen when George is attacked, and thirdly that he claims he''s being blackmailed. It''s not like he has any loved ones to protect. What''s got into him? It almost seems like he''s just going through the motions of being an arch villain without his heart being in it.¡±
¡°What about his daughter?¡± Tasha asked.
¡°What daughter?¡±
¡°He has a daughter. I must have passed that on to your mother, didn''t she tell you?¡±
¡°I don''t believe she knew, she seemed as puzzled as I about the blackmail thing.¡±
¡°Couldn''t we contact her?¡± George suggested.
¡°Of course,¡± Tasha replied, and tapped a few times on the computer terminal.
¡°Maria, the youngsters have been dredging my memory for details about the things they''ve been involved in...¡±
¡°Oh yes, which ones?¡±
¡°Nothing recent, Mummy, except about that word blackmail.¡±
¡°Very puzzling word, I agree.¡±
¡°Tasha''s got an important detail for you.¡±
¡°Oh yes? I''m all ears.¡±
¡°They thought that Roland hadn''t got any loved ones to protect. But he has a daughter. You knew that, didn''t you, Maria? I must have told you.¡±
¡°No, or we''d have been watching her. When did you find out?¡±
¡°Years ago. I''ve been getting his correspondence checked for years and he sometimes writes to her. Nothing interesting, except that he seems to be trying to convince her that he''s being persecuted for his political views, and he''s innocent of everything.¡±
¡°Really? And she believes him?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. Last impression I had was that she''s a bit suspicious that he''s done something but is prepared to believe part of it.¡±
¡°So she''s how old?¡±
¡°Oh, about Karen''s age, I''d guess. I really thought you knew this, Maria.¡±
¡°I didn''t. So, he''s got someone to protect, who he''s trying to keep away from his crimes. Very interesting. I wonder where she is now. That gives a few opportunities for blackmail, I''d say. I don''t suppose you know who the mother is?¡± Maria asked.
¡°I have the feeling it was a brief liaison. Probably connected to his political activities. I''ll have to check, but I think there was some kind of ¡®I never knew she became pregnant¡¯ plea.¡±
¡°Human nature doesn''t change much, does it? I expect absentee fathers were saying that sort of thing when agriculture was first invented,¡± Karen observed.
¡°Probably,¡± Tasha agreed.
[Might she be in danger, Karen? I don''t think we should only check up on our friends.]
[Love our enemies, you mean? I agree.]
¡°Mummy. No favouritism. See if he''ll sign a Pris-type statement, and someone from the Institute will check on her, I''m sure.¡±
¡°Good thought, Karen. Tasha, what''s her name?¡±
¡°I think it''s Liz. Yes, I''m pretty sure.¡±
¡°Could you check? It really spoils the interview if an agent says, ¡®So, is Liz actually in danger?¡¯ and that turns out to have been the name of his pet goldfish who''s been dead these last five years.¡±
¡°Of course, Maria. All I need to do is sort through a few gigabytes of data half way across the planet, without shorting out this terminal with the sweat dripping off my fingers. Give me a few seconds, OK?¡±
¡°Of course, Tasha. While you''re talking to your database, could you ask it about any travel plans by Ibrahim or Hamed around when Karen went down her tunnel?¡±
Karen supplied the date.
¡°Of course.¡±
[Karen, I''ve just checked where she is. I''d be surprised if Liz isn''t in danger, unless she''s there willingly. She''s in Ibrahim¡¯s country house.]
[Ouch.]
[I know you''ve been avoiding telling Tasha things, but...]
[Yes. I''m not really sure why, but I don''t think she needs to know. But I''ve got an idea.]
¡°Mummy, second thoughts. We can guess roughly what Ibrahim''s done if Roland''s disappointed him. Rather than the Institute, I think it''s more in the department of someone that end.¡±
¡°And George, do you think so too?¡±
¡°Yes, Maria, I think this is almost certainly in her region of expertise and experience, far more than the Institute''s.¡±
¡°Why do I think that you three are sending coded messages?¡±
Maria laughed, ¡°Oh, that''s easy, Tasha. It''s your job to notice such things.¡±
¡°And just who is this woman you''re not naming? Am I allowed to know that?¡±
¡°Someone who''s been very helpful recently, Tasha.¡±
¡°And she has some kind of ability that isn''t covered by the Institute''s disclosure statement, is that it? Oh come on, people, we''re on the same side! Why keep secrets from me?¡±
¡°Are we on the same side, Tasha? You and I don''t see eye to eye on everything, and you might not like the truth.¡±
¡°The only things we disagree about is what''s interesting and religion, Maria. You''ve not got some religious crackpot on call who claims to be able to whistle up a miracle, have you?¡±
¡°I don''t think your suggesting that we''d listen to a religious crackpot demonstrates a very balanced outlook, Tasha. Let''s instead say that this woman was instrumental in locating the missing persons who trigged the UN arrest warrant. It''s because of her that the missing soldiers you keep complaining about are on their way home today, and not in three months.¡±
¡°But you''re going to tell me that her abilities have nothing to do with what Karen''s new employer is about to publish?¡±
¡°Oh, they''re going to be discussed in one of the papers,¡± Karen assured her. ¡°But there''s really no need at all for you to know who has the gifts described.¡±
¡°So, will you at least tell me about these telepathic powers or whatever they are?¡±
¡°Mummy?¡±
¡°Oh, go ahead. Tasha thinks she''s an incurable atheist. If she wants her worldview challenged, go ahead and tell her. Just don''t miss your flight.¡±
¡°Tasha. You really want to know?¡±
¡°Yes, I think I do. Tell me about what thought readers can really do. I read a pre-publication paper by an anthropologist. It seemed a little far fetched, but it seems to chime with what the Institute document says.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll tell you. Please consider this as a security briefing, your ears only. There are two related things. One we call the power. It''s surprising, but all relatively explicable. Eventually there will probably be electronic interfaces based on it. From what we''ve heard, the anthropologist got it mostly right, but didn''t know that metal transfers thoughts pretty well. Avoid skin to skin contact or skin-metal-skin, and don''t make decisions within a few metres of a thought-hearer and your thoughts are yours alone.¡±
¡°And the second type?¡±
¡°A small number of people ¡ª all committed Christians, I might add ¡ª have been given a scary version. Some might call it restricted access to supernatural knowledge. Able to know where a person is and what they''re thinking, anywhere on the planet. In closer range ¡ª around a hundred metres, I think ¡ª they can see every conscious and unconscious thought in your mind. If they have a good reason to, they can locate people by category - say people trapped after an earthquake, or the people in a particular place. There is a price to pay for this ¡ª a risk of boiling their brains if they look too long or if they look for too much detail. Each and everyone who has this gift considers it a holy thing ¡ª not to be abused or used for trivial purposes.¡±
¡°I''ll ignore the religion link, thank you, but you mean someone with this ability could strip every state secret from my mind from the other side of the world, but just won''t?¡±
¡°You can ignore religion if you like, impressive buildings and so on, it is just man-made stuff anyway. But you''re going to have to believe us that this is entirely supernatural and that the God who saves sinners has decided to give it to some of the people He''s rescued. And as for stripping every thought from your mind, not quite. From the other side of the world they''d only get surface thoughts and emotions, not the motivations and related stuff they could get from next door,¡± George clarified.
¡°They''d make excellent spies!¡±
Maria answered that one. ¡°No, they make terrible spies. They''d have an ethical debate about practically everything you ask them to find out, and sometimes they demand you prove your motivations by submitting to having your thoughts read. They''re too ethical by half for that job.¡±
¡°Ethical has limits. Could but won''t? What about a court order?¡±
¡°Tasha, if you try to force them to use a supernatural gift which they''re quite sure was granted to them by the supreme ruler of the universe, don''t you think that they''ll consider ignoring you rather than Him?¡±
¡°They have another ability,¡± Karen said, thoughtfully. ¡°They can enter a sort of self-induced coma-cum-meditation state. It''s useful for a number of things, and I hadn''t thought of it until now, but I expect it''s also very good defence against torture.¡±
¡°Who''s talking about torture?¡± Tasha asked, surprised.
¡°You were, almost, Tasha,¡± Karen said, calmly. ¡°Court orders to try to force someone to use a gift of God against their ethical best judgement? Sorry, you''re heading to prisoners of conscience, emotional blackmail and psychological or physical torture with that line of thought.¡±
¡°Urm. OK, I''ll back off. But it was one of these people who found you, Karen?¡±
¡°Yes, and another who responded to the rumours of people vanishing and found
the people Ibrahim had stolen from their families.¡±
¡°And who found the hole being dug under the embassy? What were they doing looking? How does poking their nose into government buildings fit with this ethical stance?¡± Tasha asked.
¡°A third one, Tasha, with a good reason to be looking. Now I think it''s time Karen and George left there, don''t you?¡±
¡°Oh, all right, I''ll stop prying. But Karen, you work there now, is that right?¡±
she said, still prying.
¡°Yes, my summer job fell through when I broke my leg, and the Institute had been thinking of finding someone to help in their experiments, so when I fell into their laps, as it were, they offered me the job.¡±
¡°What sort of experiments? To do with this telepathy stuff?¡±
¡°Oh, I''m chief dial watcher, note taker and part time experimental subject so the geniuses can spend more time inventing. Did you know they''ve got prototype brain scanners there that were thought to be theoretically impossible only a decade ago?¡± Karen enthused. ¡°The guys found a loophole in the theory and showed it worked. But really, we should leave pretty soon.¡±
[Tricky question well avoided, my beloved,] George thought to her.
[Thank you, but let''s avoid feedback, please!] ¡°By the way, George, you''re either going to be my brother or my husband if anyone asks.¡±
¡°So, which one?¡±
¡°I thought I''d let you decide.¡±
¡°Implications?¡±
¡°If you''re my brother then you don''t actually try to kill anyone who dares to make suggestive remarks or touches me, just look like you would. If you''re my husband, then it would be very odd if the crowd doesn''t need to intervene to stop you killing the perpetrator.¡±
¡°I see. Other implications?¡±
¡°If you''re my husband then I follow you more closely, I cover my hair, and you do all the talking.¡±
¡°So what''s the problem with me being your brother?¡±
¡°You care for her too much, George. It''s obvious that you can''t keep your eyes off her for long,¡± Tasha said. George blushed.
¡°And will there be any place we need to talk?¡±
¡°Just on the bus.¡±
¡°What if he were deaf-mute? It''s been done before,¡± Maria asked.
¡°Great plan! George, don''t say a thing, not even to me. Eye signals, hand signals and so on only, and try really hard not to react to sounds.¡±
George nodded.
¡°So he''s to pretend to be your deaf-mute husband?¡± Tasha asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And if someone knows anything about deafness treatments and asks why he hasn''t had implants?¡±
¡°Thank you Tasha. I think I can cope with that,¡± George said.
¡°Oh? How?¡±
¡°I aaaa neeuoo iiimpaants. Thhpeeeking ith haad. Only in the local language, of course. I think Karen can teach me enough for that. Implants are wonderful, but they don''t come with instant set of motor skills.¡±
¡°Excellent answer, George!¡± Karen said, briefly kissing him and while he was stuttering in surprised embarrassment, she thrust a bundle of clothes at him and commanded, ¡°Now, get changed, we need to leave!¡±
[You surprised me with that! You hid?]
[Sneaky, aren''t I?]
¡°Tasha, we do need to leave. We dare not run. We''re trying to keep a low profile, after all.¡±
¡°OK, You leave. But I''d love to pick your brains more.¡±
¡°I know. But the Institute is aiming for full disclosure of abilities, while preserving anonymity. I''m sure you can understand why.¡±
¡°So why does Maria know names and I don''t?¡±
¡°Because, Tasha, it was my daughter that got rescued and I went to talk to her rescuers. And I was there when what turned out to be Roland Underwood''s plans were uncovered, so I saw more of this gift in action. Then it was our embassy that was approached to organise the warrant, because I already knew about the gift. I expect that if I hadn''t gone to see my daughter and her rescuers then I''d be almost as much in the dark as you.¡±
¡°So, at root, you had a need to know, and I haven''t proved mine yet?¡±
¡°You have one?¡± Karen asked.
¡°I... I think so,¡± Tasha said, in a depressed voice, hanging her head.
¡°Can you explain it, Tasha?¡± Maria asked. ¡°Karen''s a gatekeeper if you have a need to know or need to meet.¡±
¡°I''m not sure I can explain it, but I think one of your friends would be able to explain it to me.¡±
¡°Explain what, Tasha?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Maria, I''m going to disconnect, OK?¡±
¡°Fine. Just don''t keep Karen there too long. By my reckoning, they need to leave in ten minutes at the latest. Have a nice short chat.¡±
¡°Bye, Mummy!¡±
Tasha closed the call and looked at Karen, who looked quizzically at the older woman. ¡°I wasn''t just flustered by your schedule. I don''t know why I chose to come here, it was a spur of the moment decision which I just felt I had to make, but it''s been nagging at me. Why am I here in this crazy place doing things I detest? I had no idea I''d meet you. Then last night I had a dream where I was certain that I''d find out today why I came here. It made no sense. Maria''s account of your rescue read like some kind of religious tract, but was also verifiable if I could meet you, and now you''re here, telling me roughly the same story about Christians getting superpowers. It''s not much of a need to know, I know, but I''d like some confirmation of this story of modern day miracles. Because if they happen today then maybe I can''t dismiss the ones I heard about in Sunday school.¡±
¡°And do you want to?¡± Karen asked, praying for a breakthrough.
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Do you want to keep on dismissing what you were told then? Or would you rather be faced with even more evidence of the reality of God? I mean, if you''re looking for excuses, you could probably explain away any miracle, but if you''re looking for evidence to base a step of faith on, there''s plenty if only you accept it. I don''t really see a need here at all, Tasha. Weigh the evidence.¡±
¡°I can''t. There are some other things, difficult things in here, Karen,¡± she said, tapping her head. Please don''t tell your mother, but I''ve been fighting this for years. My eyes see the evidence but I can''t bring myself to accept it. I have some kind of mental block. I''ve tried discussing this stuff with people over the years, but it didn''t help.¡±
¡°But you think having a thought-reader look at what''s going on will help you?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And you''d be willing to let someone look at your thoughts?¡±
¡°Yes! Anyone who¡¯s not going to breach security is welcome! I recognize that I''m not thinking clearly on this one issue, and I need to think clearly. I hate woolly thinking, and this is important.¡± Karen decided that that counted as informed consent and sufficient motivation. It also explained why Tasha had been so curious about who had the gift. She needed help.
¡°So why aren''t you thinking clearly about God, Tasha? What''s behind your thoughts stopping you from accepting the evidence?¡± Focusing on the woman in front of her, Karen relaxed in that specific way and saw the thoughts her questions had triggered.
¡°I really don''t know, Karen, I really don''t.¡±
¡°I do. Tasha, I''m one of those with the gift. It was part of God rescuing me from the tunnel. God could have just given me the power, and I would have heard my rescuers, but, for His own purposes he chose to give me the gift too. I had a look at your thoughts. Your concept of God is just so wrong. He''s not like that. I wouldn''t trust a God like that either. And in case you''re wondering, I was the one who saw the hole being dug under our home.¡±
¡°You? You saw that hole? How?¡±
¡°I was checking on where Daddy was. Your image of God: a feeble man speaking ineffective platitudes, is that from your father? I didn''t want to dig too deeply.¡±
¡°But you could have seen that?¡±
¡°Almost certainly, but, well, the way I scanned you was a bit underhand, though you''d given general consent, so I only had the briefest look. You were repelled by the idea of trusting such a feeble figure.¡±
Tasha thought back a bit. ¡°Yes I did give consent, didn''t I. Not my father though, I think it was my first headmaster. I once heard one of the teachers talking about him, saying he thought God was in his office having a cry about the frailty of humanity.¡±
¡°Hmm. Not very complementary, either to the headmaster or to the Creator and Sustainer of the entire cosmos. If you manage to compare Him to anyone then, well, it''s a worse fallacy than saying that the ocean is like a drop of water only bigger. And comparing Him to any human, let alone a weak one? It''s a travesty.¡±
¡°But isn''t that what you do? Say Jesus was like God?¡±
¡°No, Tasha, not really. Jesus said, ¡®if you''ve seen Me, you''ve seen the Father¡¯ and ¡®I and the Father are one¡¯ and all sorts of other claims to make it clear that He was either mad or bad or the creator God himself becoming one of His creatures. And not just God seeming to have a body, or wearing a disposable body in the sense of a puppet, as though He wasn''t affected by what happened to His body. It''s one of the most incomprehensible parts of theology, because our minds aren''t big enough to understand the nature of God. It''s not that Jesus was like God, it''s that Jesus is God. Now I see that George is ready, and really really we have to go.¡±
¡°Thank you, Karen. I''ve obviously got to learn some more if I''m going to have a better mental image of God. Have a good trip.¡±
¡°Tasha, any mental image you form of God is going to be too small, too limited. By all means learn more about Him, but learn to trust Him without an image if you can. George, as we go let''s practice what you''re going to say if you do have to speak.¡± George nodded, getting into his role. The sun beat at them like a hammer as they left the office, but their motion and loose clothes helped. They didn''t want to hurry, and like every other sane person, they walked in shade as much as possible.
Their trip to and through the shopping centre was exactly as planned, and although they had to wait a while for the next bus they reached the main bus station without incident. As their bus was turning the last corner, however, Karen saw the airport bus leave. They just about had time to wait for the next one, but it would be close. [George, see that bus with the planes all over it?]
[That one that''s leaving? Ours?]
[I''d hoped it would be. Next one should be in half an hour.]
[Journey time?]
[Ten minutes.]
[Walking time?]
[About an hour, through rough neighbourhoods. Best not to consider that.]
[Ah. And we have about an hour before they don''t let us on any more?]
[Yes, roughly speaking.]
[We''d better do some shopping then. If it''s really late, then we can take a taxi. That should be safe enough, shouldn''t it, from here?]
[Probably, but if we do then you do the talking.]
[Me? I''m supposed to be a deaf-mute!]
[Too conspicuous, too tempting for the driver ¡ª he''ll think he can take advantage.]
[And nowhere to practice what to say.]
[No, nowhere.]
[So, to stay safe we miss our flight?]
[No. To stay safe we stay inconspicuous. If the bus is late then I discretely notify Tasha and Tasha gets to invoke certain powers.]
[Such as?]
[Well, while she screams murder at whoever transferred away the guards that should have been at her disposal she could tell the CO that he''s on escort duty to get us to the plane on time, or she could tell flight operations that their precious schedule comes second to witness protection. The only problem with the latter of those is that she then gets to explain why we spent so long at her office.]
[I see. And when do we tell her she needs to do this?] [I''ll let her know the situation now.]
She typed the short message on her wrist unit: ¡®Caught 1st bus to main bus station, just arriving, saw airport bus vanish as we pulled in. Next due in half hour. Twenty minutes slack if next bus on time. Contingency options include drafting CO as driver if no troops, else delay flight. We are praying, God is in charge. Will keep you informed.¡¯
[What do you think?]
[I think she might want to pray.]
[I hope she will. Now let''s do what we promised to do while we wait to get off this bus.] She pressed send.
Tasha looked at the message from Karen. So, no panic yet, but timing was close. Delaying the flight would potentially have more implications, but it might only be a minute or two, which could easily be made up. If their bus broke down, then Karen''s suggestion of drafting the base''s commanding officer was going to look more sensible. But certainly neither of them would make her any friends, especially when it came out that she''d delayed them in the first place. She checked what reliability records of the local buses she could find. One breakdown per day on average, and that was their boast. Not very reliable then.
And was there a message to her in mentioning God? Of course there was. Karen was pointing out again that her image of God wasn''t big enough. Ha, God had probably set this up in the first place to make her pray too. Her mind experienced a sort of juddering shock. Had she, professed atheist, just decided that God was out to get her. Oh, bite the bullet, Tasha! She thought to herself, ¡°God, if You''re there, get those two to their plane, please. I think I''m going to talk to Maria about You.¡± She typed a familiar code into her computer once again.
¡°Maria, urgent, partly personal. Can you talk freely?¡±
¡°Yes, Tasha.¡±
¡°OK, let''s do the urgent bit first. How likely is Karen''s airport bus to be late or to break down? All I could find is overall stats for the company, proudly claiming they were down to only one breakdown per day.¡±
¡°They''re going to be on the last possible bus? It''s their prize route, I''d say they''ll be using the best vehicle available. It''s not likely to break down.¡±
¡°That''s a relief.¡±
¡°You kept them talking?¡±
¡°Not very long, but they just missed the airport bus. From the timing sheet I''d guess they had a long wait for their bus to the terminal. Urm. This is hard. Karen decided I needed my head examined and saw why I''ve been so anti-God.¡±
¡°So she decided you had a need to know?¡±
¡°Yes. She''s a sneaky one, your daughter. Got me to say I''d be happy to be scanned by anyone trustworthy and then had a look while I was pondering a question.¡±
¡°And she probably checked it wasn''t just a ploy to get information either.¡±
¡°I''d hope so, from a security point of view. Apparently my concept of God hasn''t been very good. Explains a lot about our talks about religion, if I''ve been rejecting a God you don''t believe in either, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°Just slightly. So why this soul-to-soul, Tasha? What''s up?¡±
¡°I found myself thinking that God probably organised this whole day, including Karen missing her bus, to get me to pray to Him.¡±
¡°That''s a radical thought for an atheist.¡±
¡°Yes, that was my thought. Very radical.¡±
¡°So did you pray?¡¯
¡°Yes, I told Him that if He existed and had organised this mess, He could probably sort it out. And then I called you. Would your concept of God include Him doing that sort of thing? Karen''s message said God was in charge, but would He be able to arrange things like that?¡±
¡°Oh yes. Nothing is too hard for God. He probably got you to choose to go to that oven in the first place, so you could talk to Karen.¡±
¡°I mentioned to Karen that I didn''t know why I''d come here. Are you sure you don''t have this place bugged?¡±
¡°Tasha, what a thing to ask! Of course I do. But they''re turned to automatic most of the time. It wouldn''t keep recordings when you''re having a heart to heart with my daughter. The computer''s got pretty good privacy awareness, and her calling it a security briefing would have turned it off too. But yes. God is quite capable of reminding you of things at a critical time, or letting reports just happen to be at the top of the pile so that you get a nudge in the right direction. He won''t force you to accept Him but He likes giving people second and third chances.¡±
¡°You mean He cheats?¡±
¡°Cheats?¡±
¡°He says we have free will, but stacks the deck?¡±
¡°Tasha, this isn''t a game. This is about us as born on the side of rebels and God offering us the chance to change sides.¡±
¡°I''ve heard that metaphor before. But still, either we''ve got a choice or we haven''t.¡±
¡°Tasha, for all that we''ve argued before, I really don''t want you to be on the wrong side when the time comes. It''s not really a metaphor, it''s a vast simplification. You have got a choice to make, you either let Him rescue you from your present rebellion with its associated eternal destiny or you refuse His offer. He won''t be patient with humanity forever. As for free will, well, we don''t really have much: we can''t choose to breathe under water, or fly by waving our arms; we can''t choose to be free from sin without His help, we can''t choose to know God unless He makes Himself known to us; we can''t come close to Him unless we''re invited. He could make you His robot, but He won''t. Unlike us, He can do whatever He chooses ¡ª it''s not a question of can''t, but of won''t.¡±
¡°I think I''m getting it. I''ve also got a message from Karen. ¡®Schedule revised today, airport buses now every fifteen minutes.¡¯¡±
¡°Would you call that a problem resolved and a prayer answered?¡±
¡°Your God is definitely cheating.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m sure you could explain it all away, Tasha.¡±
¡°I probably could if I wanted to, Maria. But I don''t think I do. That would be a bit disrespectful after all He''s done to get me here.¡±
And there was great rejoicing in heaven as they continued their conversation and Tasha prayed a prayer of repentance and commitment, taking the first step of her new walk with God.
Community / Ch. 29 :Missing Person
Book 2: Community / Ch. 29:Missing Person
Monday, 14th August
Hagar looked at the note from Maria again. ¡°If you have a spare moment, please could you talk to Karen about a girl called Liz? They hinted that she was in trouble, but couldn''t talk freely.¡±
Well, she had a moment now. [Karen, what''s this about someone called Liz?]
[Apparently my evil uncle has a daughter. Since my uncle claimed he was being blackmailed, George checked on her. She was in Ibrahim''s country house.]
[Another stolen one?]
[Maybe, we don''t know, but it''s possible. Maybe she''s just visiting, but according to Tasha, the woman who did know about her, her father''s been pretending to her that he''s an innocent man. I can''t imagine that he''d introduce her to a crook like Ibrahim.]
[So what shall I do?]
[I guess tell my mother what I''ve told you, please. Do you think we could check to see if she''s there willingly?]
[You mean look to see if there are captives in his house?]
[I guess I do. The problem is I''m not very sure where his house is. George found her and recognized it somehow.]
[I''ll do it, Karen. I know where it is.]
[You don''t mind?]
[No.]
[Thank you. Oh, about her name. It was a bit of a guess. Tasha thought it was Liz, but that could be short for several names, and I''m not sure she''s had time to check yet.]
[That''s OK. I''ll tell you and your mother what I find out.]
[Thank you, Hagar.]
[Just don''t let your mother pay me for this.]
[Make her promise before you tell her.]
[Ahh, the shrewd voice of experience! I will!]
Hagar looked for prisoners at Ibrahim''s house. She found none. She looked for foreign guests. She found none. She checked where Liz was. She wasn''t at Ibrahim''s house. She was driving away, quickly. She checked on Liz''s skin. {Fear of capture. Prayer. Determination. Hope.} She checked for pursuers. There were two men on motorbikes, just leaving in opposite directions. At least they didn''t know which way Liz had gone. Maria had given Hagar a special code just in case of an emergency. This seemed to fit the bill. She used it. ¡°Hello, my friend, can it wait twenty minutes?¡±
¡°It depends. I don''t think so.¡±
¡°OK. You talk, I''m with someone and can''t answer.¡±
¡°I''ve just checked on Liz. George found her at Ibrahim''s house. I was going to see if she was being held prisoner there, or if she was a guest. She''s escaped, driving a car, I''d guess ten minutes ago. There''s two men on motorcycles just leaving, looking for her. One is going in totally the wrong direction, the other is on her trail.¡±
¡°Yes, that is an interesting development. Could you please tell your friend who came to Karen''s party? Perhaps her cousin can help you with that.¡±
¡°I should talk to Deborah and ask for the president''s help? He knows nothing of my gifts.¡±
¡°You might be surprised. I''ll be in contact with him about arrangements soon. Bye now.¡±
Hagar thought to Deborah. [Deborah, it is Hagar. Do you have a wrist unit yet?]
[Hagar! Yes, yes, I do, five minutes ago I bought one.]
[Ah, so you are not at the palace now?]
[Not yet. I am returning.]
[Then it might work. It would not be unusual to use your unit and tell your friends, I think. I need to talk to you in a relatively normal manner.]
[Oh, yes, I can do that. What''s your number?]
Hagar gave it and Deborah duly dialled it.
¡°Hello Hagar! This is my new wrist unit. Yours will remember my number?¡±
¡°Yes, but I must talk to you. My employer ¡ª well, possibly his wife ¡ª will soon talk to yours, but is in some kind of meeting. If you could warn him, it might help. I contact you at her request.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°It is complicated, but there is a woman from their country, she has been held prisoner at Ibrahim''s house and is just now escaping. I know this by my gift.¡±
¡°She was not found the other night?¡±
¡°I was looking for the disappeared ones of whom there were so many rumours. I think she was a more normal hostage. It never occurred to me to look for any other people Ibrahim held prisoner.¡±
¡°But she has escaped?¡±
¡°Yes. And if Ibrahim had told her that he was in charge of half the police, who would she run to?¡±
¡°No one. She would try to avoid them too.¡±
¡°There is one man chasing her by motorbike. She has taken a car from the house.¡±
¡°So he could accuse her of theft, and she has every reason to avoid the police, and no knowledge of the language to ask for help. Poor woman.¡±
¡°Yes. I do not know if the car has a navigation computer, or perhaps she even got hold of her own wrist unit, but she is coming this way, to the city. But I expect she does not drive well.¡±
¡°But here she will hope to avoid police and find someone she can talk to.¡±
¡°I do not know, but I think that if she found some soldiers from home in UN uniform, this would make her very happy. But I expect they could not be deployed without the president''s permission.¡±
¡°And the man on the motorbike should be arrested.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And somehow I must tell the president this and gain his permission, without telling him of your gift?¡±
¡°If you must, then you must. You could tell him that the information comes from the one who told about the stolen ones.¡±
¡°And did I hear you right, that it was not an informant but it was you, my friend?¡±
¡°Yes. Didn''t you know?¡±
¡°No. Karen talked of her gift and she said you had plans and I knew you were not at home that night, but I did not make the connection. You have a powerful gift.¡±
¡°A dangerous temptation.¡±
¡°Yes. I see that. Hagar, could you know if she has her wrist unit, if there is some way to contact her?¡±
¡°Yes, but how to find her number?¡±
¡°Surely she has been declared missing?¡±
¡°I think she will not have been. I suspect her father was avoiding the police, but I will ask my employer.¡±
¡°I am almost at the palace. I will speak to the president.¡±
¡°On behalf of my employer, I thank you.¡±
¡°My friend, I think you have been warned of what I wish to ask. We have a citizen from our country, who has escaped from being Ibrahim''s hostage, and has every reason to avoid the police, I believe. Could we deploy soldiers to meet and protect her?¡±
¡°I have indeed heard. It is a shame that your informant could not tell her where to go and how to get there. And I am surprised at the accuracy of their information in some aspects, but not in others.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Knowing which way the woman is driving and where motorcycles were going, but no description of her or the riders? Not knowing if the woman had any means of communication or navigation with her? I take it your informant is not a member of staff at Ibrahim''s house then?¡±
¡°No. We have no spies there, my friend.¡±
¡°So, I can happily arrest everyone there without causing embarrassment. That is good. I do not like it when my country is used to hold hostages. A unit of my soldiers is going to Ibrahim''s house now. Somehow I hope there will be resistance. By all means send some soldiers to meet her. But how do you get such accurate but patchy knowledge? It is too selective.¡±
¡°Just enough to accomplish the goals?¡±
¡°Yes. Someone knows more than they should, and less than is reasonable. Or knows much and tells little.¡±
¡°I think they can find out much, but concentrate on the most relevant.¡±
¡°Like where the van is which carries Ibrahim?¡±
¡°Yes, my friend.¡±
¡°It sounds like your stories of magic and witchcraft.¡±
¡°Yes, it does. But I assure you I would not consult with such. Though of course a truth-sayer is not a witch, despite what some might claim.¡±
¡°You say that a truth-sayer has told you this? The knowledge is too much for a truth-sayer.¡±
¡°I believe that what you say is true. But I think you should ask Deborah about this, if she can be called on.¡±
¡°She is here. Deborah, what is it that my friend will not tell me?¡±
¡°There are truth-sayers who can know more. They have a gift from God, and are not so limited as I.¡± Deborah said, simply.
¡°Not so limited? In what way are they not limited?¡± the president persisted.
¡°Honoured cousin and friend of my father, I think that I know more than I can say without permission. I think I can share that they do not need touch, and can truly know truth from lie. Also they can find people.¡±
¡°You know such a truth-sayer who can search out the lost?¡±
¡°I do. One has spoken to my mind and heard my thoughts as though I was touching them, when they were far from me.¡± She dropped her head and prayed silently, [Father God, what more can I say? I do not want to expose what should be hidden, nor to hide what should be shared.]
¡°And such a one helped you to find the disappeared ones, is that not true, my friend?¡±
¡°I think that what happened would be hard to explain without such aid,¡± Karen''s father acknowledged.
[Deborah, Is there a problem?] It was Karen.
[Karen, you heard my prayer?]
[No, but for some reason I thought I should check on you and felt your distress.]
[Can you read my memory from where you are? {memory}]
[Ah, yes. It seems God has answered your prayer. You may share that one listens to your thoughts now, if that is your desire.]
¡°Honoured cousin. I prayed that I would know what I can share and what I should hide. God answered my prayer, in that one I know and trust now listens to my thoughts. If you would know more, perhaps they will answer.¡±
¡°And this miraculous person is near?¡±
[Let''s just say, more than a week''s journey by camel.] Karen said, then added, [I think.] Deborah smiled, ¡°The answer is ¡®more than a week''s journey by camel, I think,¡¯ my cousin.¡±
¡°Ah. Depending on the camel, this could be a long way. But you know this person?¡±
¡°Yes. They have talked to me face to face, but now are not here.¡±
¡°And you do not want to tell me enough to identify them?¡±
[Tell him that I do not believe he would want to see me in danger. But if he needs to know then I think the added danger is small.] Deborah tried to work out how to say this without giving away whether Karen was male or female. [Oh, let him know I''m female, Deborah. It''s still half the population of the world.]
¡°The answer is that she does not believe you would want to cause her danger, but if you need to know then she thinks the danger is small.¡±
¡°I know her?¡±
[Does he insist on knowing?]
¡°Honoured cousin, do you insist on knowing whose voice I hear?¡±
¡°No, Deborah. I do not think I need to know. I was just surprised. Perhaps I know of her rather then know her.¡±
[It''s going to nag at him, isn''t it?]
[Probably.]
[Oh well. You have my permission to tell him sometime.]
¡°May I ask instead, how much she knows?¡±
[I can count to a hundred in six languages {smile}.]
¡°I think you need to ask a more specific question, honoured cousin. She says she can count to a hundred in six languages.¡±
¡°Does she know how many soldiers are in my palace?¡±
[I can check if he wants to know, but if it''s more than a hundred I''ll lose count. Otherwise I could pick the number from his head if he thinks about it.]
¡°She says she can check if you wish to know, but she might lose count if it''s more than a hundred. Alternatively she could listen to your thoughts and get the number from there.¡±
¡°Ah! Interesting. And can she tell me what my young friend the president of Egypt is doing?¡±
[I could, but I''d rather not spy on people. I''ll look no more than I need to to see how he is feeling.]
¡°She does not like to spy on people, and will look no more than to see how he is feeling.¡±
[Oh. {embarrassment}. He''s very much in love with his wife.] Karen thought.
Deborah blushed as she imagined Karen was doing also. The president looked at her curiously. ¡°You are embarrassed? Ah. His marriage was last week, was it not?¡±
¡°Yes, my cousin, so I read. He is currently in love with his wife. I do not
suggest you call him to check.¡± she thought, [Sorry, Karen, I forgot.] [Me too.]
¡°I owe both an apology. I should have thought of that. I understand that you must look, and then you know. One last question if I may. Can you know what someone intends, or who would intend to do something?¡±
[I''m not sure I would want to. People might intend to do something in the heat of the moment, then later on disown that thought. Freedom of thought shouldn''t be tampered with.]
¡°She says that intentions are not constant, and freedom of thought shouldn''t be tampered with. She would prefer not to look.¡±
¡°But the woman who is in trouble, she can know her intentions? Know where she is going?¡±
[Yes and no. I can know people in an area who match a criteria, like people
trying to catch her. I can know her thoughts as she thinks them, that''s easy. I
suppose I could check different criteria and see which one she matches... but I can''t think why I would want to do it that way ever. No, don''t mention that, it''s too confusing, just stick to knowing thoughts as they happen.]
¡°Unthought intentions, what I call ¡®the hidden because¡¯, are hard to discern, my honourable cousin. Just as I can sense thoughts as they occur, when I touch someone, she can sense them from afar, and probably deeper than I. But she cannot know the hidden reasons.¡±
[Depends how close I am, Deborah. If you were in the same room as me, I could know motives you don''t even know you have. But only if you asked me to look.]
¡°Ah, I am sorry, I over-generalised. She says that if she and I were in the same room, and I asked her to look, then she could know even motives that were unknown to me.¡±
¡°And if I wish to know who this woman is?¡±
¡°Then, friend of my father, I myself would ask you to tell me why.¡±
¡°Then we are at an impasse, for my motivation is hidden from me and
only one such as she can find out why I want to know.¡± Then after a pause he added, ¡°It would be nice to know why.¡±
[I don''t know if it''s a good idea, but I''m willing to have a look if he''s serious. We''re probably too far apart, but I have an idea how it might work.]
¡°Honoured cousin, if you genuinely want to know why, then she says she can try to see what your hidden thoughts are. She says she has an idea which might work.¡±
¡°Normally she would need to be in the same room, but she has an idea of how she might read my deep thoughts from so far away?¡±
[To know every thought, I''d need to be within about a hundred metres, I think. Never really been tested. Surface thoughts are worldwide, possibly further. As for what he''s wondering, I don''t know how deep those thoughts are. Probably somewhere in between, so maybe. I''ll try first on my own. My silly thought is that at the moment I think I can link my mind pretty closely with yours, Deborah, and I wonder if us somehow combining efforts might work the impossible. Urm. I hope it won''t be dangerous to you.]
[Danger?] Deborah, interested in the idea of linking minds, hadn''t thought of that.
[When I look deeply at someone it takes a lot of brain-work to understand what I''m seeing. If I over-exert myself: look too deeply, or too long, then I can overheat my brain. If it were possible somehow for you to channel that information to me, then I don''t know what would happen to you. So, thinking about it, I think it''s not worth the risk to you, plus I''m not sure it would help either. I need to talk to the others about my idea.]
¡°My cousin, she says that the limit for knowing every thought at every level is something like a hundred metres, but that she can know surface thoughts anywhere. She guesses that your motivations are not surface, but not very deep either. She will not try out her other idea, she thinks it could be too dangerous.¡±
¡°Too dangerous to her?¡±
¡°No. She understands the risks to herself. But her idea involved me and she did not know how much risk I would be in.¡±
¡°No, you must not be risked. If she is willing, I am willing that she try to see why I want to know who she is.¡±
Karen focussed on the president himself. As expected she got nothing, it was too far. Quite why distance mattered for this gift of God was something she sometimes wondered about. Rather than aiming at his inmost being, she tried to think what might be half-way between his skin and his soul. Maybe his heart?
Worth a go. She focussed, and she saw. Oh. It was obvious. His treasured cousin/surrogate-daughter, the hope of his nation if only the nation knew it, was consorting with people of strange powers. Were they trustworthy? Whose best interests would they seek? Was Deborah in danger from this?
[Deborah, please relay this exactly: ¡®Your motives are good and your curiosity is wise...]
¡°Friend of my father. She asks that I tell you this: ¡®Your motives are good and your curiosity is wise.¡±
[''...Your beard is safe from me, as is your hope.'']
[That makes no sense!]
[It will to him, Deborah. Now don''t argue. I''m not going to tell you what I saw.]
¡°''Your beard is safe from me, as is your hope.¡¯ She tells me that she''s not going to tell me what else she saw.¡±
¡°Ah, then she is wise, most wise. Thank your friend Karen for me, and wish her a safe flight.¡±
¡°She heard, but I don''t understand. How did you know it was her?¡±
¡°Ah, Deborah. She was once a little girl who climbed into my lap demanding a song, and then told me that my beard was funny and I should cut it off.¡±
Deborah was shocked. ¡°Had she no sense of propriety?¡±
¡°At age four? No. She didn''t. But she''s learned some now.¡±
George had been dozing, but as Karen returned her concentration to the present, she saw that he''d woken up. [Did you hear my silly idea, George?]
[No, I''ve been asleep. Were you talking to someone?]
[Deborah. Daddy put her on the spot to explain about the gift to the president and she didn''t know what to say.]
[That wasn''t very nice of him.]
[I think he''d decided that the president needed to know if he didn''t already, and I''m not really sure he''d know what to say and what not to either.]
[Ah. So handing over to Deborah was a good way of getting you into the loop?]
[Well, it would have been if he''d sent me a message, but he didn''t. Instead Deborah prayed and I had this feeling I should check on her.]
[Ah.]
[It worked out well, I think. The president was worried about who Deborah might be mentally consorting with, and once he knew it was me, he was reassured. I think it was also reassuring for him that I didn''t gabble to Deborah all he feels about her. She''s basically a surrogate daughter in his mind, and he''s quite sure that she''s going to be the best ruler that the country will have in its history.]
[And is she?]
[I hope so, but it''ll be very difficult for some people to accept her.]
[Unrest difficult?]
[Possibly. It''ll help that she''ll be married, I expect. Those who want to think of her as merely a figurehead for her husband''s policy can do so. But her being a Christian is not going to win favours from the traditionalist Moslem elements. There are two other claimants, after all.]
[Such as Ibrahim? But there''s another?]
[Yes. He''s not exactly well blessed in the intellectual department.] [So she''s certainly the best candidate.]
[Oh yes. If you need to pick a relative, she''s the best. Of course constitutionally they don''t have to choose a relative here, but it''s so expected that it''s almost unthinkable to consider anyone else. I wonder if Deborah will suggest it.]
[As a uniting factor?]
[Yes. I might even suggest it to her.]
[One last ¡®free and fair¡¯ election?]
[Maybe.]
[Could be tricky.]
[That''s why we gave up on it. You don''t get really free and fair elections once opinionated mass media is involved in the election campaign. Opinions can be formed by the tone things are presented in, little words here and there can convey a sense of disapproval in the most apparently neutral article. Then there''s the question of selective reporting and reinforcing stereotypes, before you even get to outright distortions, bribes and the like.]
[So how would you do it?]
[I think I''d try to find someone who is perfectly happy in their present job, in the public eye, who''s recognised as wise and able with a strong sense of civic duty. Give them a civic award and then tell the poor guy that their name is on the ballot paper.]
[Isn''t that how we got our monarchy restored?]
[Yes. It seems to have worked.]
[And how does this help get Deborah to power?]
[Well, maybe it gets her out of power, which might suit her quite well. It gives people a far better alternative avenue to express dissatisfaction than by supporting one of the unsuitable relations. But also, she suggests it and champions the process, thus demonstrating her love for her country. People see she''s not scared of risks or confrontation. And of course the president is glowing with pride at her intelligence, humility, sense of duty, etc.]
[Go on then, suggest it to her.]
[I will. Are you going to listen in?]
[Yes. I wonder if we can do the sending our ears thing, rather than listening to her every thought. Make sure she''s not drinking anything before you tell her about the idea though.]
[Deborah, are you able to talk? I''d also like to try something.]
[Yes. What''s your experiment?]
Karen explained about her and George being able to listen to thoughts sent to a space, and wondered if Deborah would be able to ¡°send¡± or offer thoughts in much the same way that thought images or memories could be sent. It did work, partially. Deborah could think ¡®loudly¡¯ and listen, easily enough, but sending thoughts seemed to take far more concentration. [I don''t think it''s worth it. If you can both listen to my unspoken words, I''d much rather save my mental energy for this whole pile of reports I have to read {image} ¡ª part of my training for the job my cousin has chosen for me.
[Interesting! George and I were just thinking about how you''d be able to keep that job.]
[On the assumption that getting it is just a case of him signing a decree, then there''s always the chance of people saying it''s a violation of tradition or something, and that could give rise to problems,] George added.
[Problems? I think that it''ll be the Troubles all over again if I take over before people get used to the idea,] Deborah admitted. [I know I''m a far better person for the job than anyone else in the family, but still...]
[I had an idea. Feel free to ignore it if it won''t work.] She outlined her idea and where it had come from.
[So, rather than start with a declaration of monarchy, we start with elections and tell people that they''ll be choosing someone to be monarch?] Deborah asked.
[Yes. But not the type of elections where it ends up a case of buying the votes with enough advertising. The election should be between two people who''d do the job well. You and someone else you''d be happy to see as monarch instead of you.]
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[To be honest, I''m not sure I want the job. I do think I could do it well, but until the president declared me his heir, my highest ambition was marriage, motherhood and raising my children well.]
[That''s an excellent qualification in my book,] George said. [Try to find someone else who''s equally happy to see it as a duty to be done.]
[I had the feeling you might say that.]
[Deborah,] George added, [I''m not familiar with your culture, but is bribery and corruption of officials a problem?]
[A problem? It''s a problem for the poor or the honest. The poor because they cannot bribe and the honest because they will not.]
[So would those who see taking and receiving bribes as part of life respect those who did not?]
[I''m not the best one to ask, George. I''ve never knowingly bribed anyone or been offered a bribe. I''ve paid for things an amount which on reflection seemed too much, or there were times when I did not get a receipt. I think those who give bribes see paying them as a necessary evil. Why do you ask?]
[I was wondering if the question of attitude to bribery should be part of the selection.]
[Ah. Yes, that and a number of other issues.]
Karen asked a critical question. [How many people do you think might fit the role, Deborah? How many well known, uncorrupt, duty-minded people who are young enough to take part do you think there are? Are we asking the impossible?]
[I seriously hope not, Karen. I don''t really know. None spring to mind. Urm. Could you find out?]
[By the gift, you mean?]
[Yes.]
[I think we have reasonable cause, Karen,] George said. [We cannot ask Deborah to risk putting her country into the hands of someone who would turn into as much a disaster as Ibrahim would have been.]
[OK. How about you come up with a list of qualifications, Deborah? Then I''ll look to see if the list is one or a few hundred.]
[And if the answer is only a few, then what do we do? Hope that someone nominates them and the committee considers them carefully?] George asked.
[I don''t really have a problem with nominating them myself, but yes, thank you, there should be some kind of transparent process once the short list has been chosen. I like the idea. I really do like the idea. As you say, it would move the whole discussion a long way from my respected cousin''s unrespectable relatives.]
[Which reminds me, Deborah.]
[Yes, Karen?]
[When you and your cousin are rewriting the constitution, make sure that you get the qualities of your successors listed and specified. Not strict succession of the eldest child, but succession of the eldest worthy child, and if, heaven forbid, there not be worthy children, then a worthy relative, and if no worthy relative then a worthy someone else, chosen from people who are
well known, uncorrupt, duty-minded and young enough to take part, like we are hoping to choose in the first round.]
[This is your country''s system? I hadn''t realised.]
[Almost. A mistake was made. Fortunately it has never been tested.]
[What is the mistake?]
[No method was included to select who should be chosen if there are no worthy relatives.]
[But there are plenty of relatives, surely?]
[Not so many. In our country it is not very normal to have more than two children, and many couples have just a single child. The royal family have often had three, but then as most of their children have just one child, there are not so many relatives. I suppose actually I might count as one, but please don''t tell anyone.]
[You are a relative of your royal family?]
[About seven generations back in my family tree you''ll find the only sister of the first king of our monarchy. So, technically a relative, but not really.]
[So your mother''s position was not through connections?]
[Oh, not through connections at all. She is just very good at her job.]
[That is good. I think in your country nepotism is not good, is that right?]
[Yes. That is right,] Karen agreed.
[But here, if I do badly, it reflects badly on my cousin, so I must do well.]
[I understand. Our cultures are different. There the family is more important and few would want to bring shame to their elders. But this did not stop Ibrahim.]
[That is true. But because of the great shame he has caused my cousin, he will be most severely punished, if he is foolish enough to return. And now I think I must read my reports.]
Eliza (who much to her annoyance was still getting called Liz by her father) looked between what she hoped was the remaining distance indicator on the dashboard and the distance that the navigation computer said. It was probably the distance anyway. It looked like she should make it to someone she could actually speak to
in order to ask for help. Oh, Lord, let me find someone to ask for help, please.
She was so glad that the on-board nav computer had nice pictorial buttons, that the embassy was marked on the map with a flag, and the numbers were in a script she could read. She certainly couldn''t read the writing. It was just all too foreign.
Pursuit would probably follow her sometime, but she wasn''t sure when the fact that she was missing would be noticed. She hoped she''d timed it well. At least, she thought, she''d learned how to drive. At least the keys had been so nicely labelled. She hoped that if some goons did follow her then it''d be on the motor-bikes. There probably wasn''t space on those sport bikes for more than one. It had looked like the other car was out of action, but there might have been another vehicle somewhere. Just her luck there''d be some sort of van with another kidnap squad on board. Hopefully not. One guy on a bike might be able to stop her if he had a gun, but at least there was some traffic on this road ¡ª if they tried to drag her out of the car there''d be witnesses. And on the other hand she''d seen the old statistics for road accidents. Someone on a bike in collision with a car? She had a big heavy weapon to hit the goon with if she needed one. Listen to your thoughts, Eliza! You''re supposed to be a civilised student of modern history, not a bloodthirsty movie star. Maybe it comes of reading too many books. Oh well. Bloodthirsty movie stars seemed more suited to this world of kidnapping, corrupt police forces and entirely believable threats. So, she had a weapon of sorts, she had fuel, she had a direction to go in. What''s that? There was some kind of convoy half blocking the road.
Oh. Military manoeuvres or something. That fitted. This country figured quite a lot in her studies. Of course that was years ago. Hey! Blue helmets ¡ª UN soldiers, surely they were a safe bet. And her country''s flag! She was safe!
She screeched the car to a halt and ran to the nearest soldier.
¡°Help! I was kidnapped, I''ve just escaped! You''ve got to help me!¡±
¡°Of course we will. Captain! Young lady here in distress!¡±
¡°Yes, miss, can we help?¡±
¡°I was kidnapped, held hostage, but something happened. The boss had been due but he didn''t turn up like they expected, and they got sloppy. I stole this car and escaped.¡±
¡°I don''t suppose the boss was called Ibrahim, was he?¡±
¡°I heard the name Hamid, but I''m not sure, that might have been his side-kick. The boss said he was chief of police.¡±
¡°Did he now? Well, he''s given himself a promotion. Hamid''s his side-kick, body guard and general henchman. And, I''m happy to say we helped ship them both out of the country just this morning. Quite literally in chains. They''ve got an appointment with the UN court for all sorts of crimes.¡±
¡°That''s a relief. That''s a great relief,¡± and with the relief came tears.
¡°Samantha, your department, I think. Burt, get that car off the road, please,¡±
the captain ordered, ¡°I''m going to call home.¡±
¡°Hi, I''m Samantha. What''s your name?¡±
¡°Eliza. Eliza Underwood.¡± Eliza managed to control the tears.
¡°Did I hear you were kidnapped?¡±
¡°Yes. My father''s, urm, a politician, back home. I don''t know if there was a ransom demand or what.¡±
¡°That doesn''t matter. Are you hurt?¡±
¡°No, no, they didn''t hurt me. Not even... you know, but they did threaten.¡±
¡°I''m glad nothing happened. That would have made recovery harder. We''ll take you to the embassy and get a message to your parents. They must be really worried.¡±
¡°Mum died. A few years ago. I''ve lived alone, mostly.¡±
¡°Not with your father?¡±
¡°We''re not close. He writes sometimes, and he set up a fund for my education. My parents never lived together.¡±
¡°I''m sorry. It must have been hard.¡±
¡°To be honest, I''m not even sure I was more than a one night stand. Why did I say that?¡±
¡°Put it down to the stress. You''ve been under a lot of stress. You think you gave them the slip totally?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. There was another car, but it was in pieces, and some motorbikes. I don''t know if there was another garage somewhere else. It was a big farm thing.¡±
¡°How did they get you?¡±
¡°I was stupid. I got this message from my dad. I guess it was a fake. He''d arranged a surprise father and daughter holiday, so we could get to know each other better. Plane tickes to here, first class, would you believe! He was here already and either he''d meet me at the airport or send someone. The guy that met me even had my name wrong, like dad does. I had a lovely luxurious flight and didn''t suspect a thing.¡±
¡°Very clever. But the tickets were in your full name?¡±
¡°Yes. I don''t know how they did it. Surely dad wouldn''t have arranged to have me kidnapped? Did they read his mind or something?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I suppose it''s possible.¡±
¡°Urm, that wasn''t supposed to be taken as a real suggestion.¡±
¡°That''s OK, I''m sure your dad didn''t arrange your kidnap. Ibrahim kidnapped lots of people. It''s his style.¡±
¡°But the mind-reading? You took that as a real possibility, didn''t you?¡±
¡°There are people here they call truth-sayers, Eliza. They can read
thoughts that don''t make it past your lips, and are part of the village legal system. There are also people called thought-stealers, who have the same power but use it for evil. Hamid used to be one such.¡±
¡°Used to be? He''s dead?¡±
¡°No, but according to someone I know, he got stripped of his power before he went to court.¡±
¡°How on earth did someone do that to him?¡± Sam could hear the shock in her voice and her suspicions increased.
¡°Prayer, apparently.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°You''re more accepting of this stuff than most people. Maybe it''s the shock. Oh, captain says we''re moving. I''m driving. Do you want to be up front with me or in the back with the boys?¡±
¡°Urm, up the front, thank you.¡±
¡°It''s a bit of a step. Let me help you.¡± And, grabbing for Eliza''s arm she missed. Eliza had moved her arm just on time to avoid the contact.
¡°Sorry, I don''t like being grabbed at.¡±
¡°My apologies. Good reactions there, did it help in your escape? Personally I feel the whole thought-stealer / truth-sayer thing a bit black and white. What about people who just try to avoid hearing thoughts if they can?¡±
Eliza looked at her in surprise, and down at the hand which Samantha held out, with her glove off.
Gingerly, she accepted the invitation and the helping hand into the van. [You hear me?]
[Hello, Eliza. Yes, I hear you.]
[I''ve never met another thought-hearer.]
[I''m one, Henry, my fianc¨¦, in the back is too. If you meet Hagar at the embassy, she''s another.]
[So it''s just treated normally here? Nothing special?]
[Oh, I''m not sure I''d say nothing special ¡ª please don''t tell the rest of this van-load about me and Henry, they don''t know. Except the captain. He knows.]
¡°I''m a bit in shock I think,¡± Eliza said, dropping hands now she was in the seat.
¡°That''s normal. It''s a full five point harness. Not very comfortable but it''ll
keep you safe if things get exciting, not that they should. I''m sure that the
ambassador''s wife will debrief you. She''s got her head screwed on right, seen a
lot, nice lady. She''s pointed out to Henry and me that as assigned staff we can use the embassy ballroom when we get married. For free! Imagine that! Do you know what it would cost to hire a place like that? A fortune! It''s got crystal chandeliers, the lot! And she tells us we can use it for free!¡±
¡°Well, isn''t that in the rules or something?¡±
¡°Yes, but she didn''t need to volunteer the information, did she? I imagine some people would want to keep that a secret.¡±
¡°I see what you mean.¡±
¡°And her daughter''s given me a guided tour of her wardrobe, so I''m going to borrow one of her dresses once I decide which. They''re really beautiful. It''s looking like it''ll be the cheapest wedding ever, and we thought we''d need to save up for years. Sorry. Just a bit excited.¡±
¡°Is it soon?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Next week.¡±
¡°No wonder you''re excited. What about the food?¡±
¡°Well, our parents are coming out on a military transport for practically nothing, and we need to pay for their food, but otherwise the ambassador¡¯s wife spoke to the base commander and between them they decided that they''d need to feed everyone else anyway so it''s all on the house. Cook''s ecstatic, apparently; he loves doing fancy food.¡±
¡°It sounds like you''ve got a good place here.¡±
¡°Yes. A good place and very good people in charge. As I said, talk to the ambassador''s wife. You can trust her, and she''s been around. You don''t need to be afraid of shocking her, you won''t.¡±
Eliza understood what Sam was saying. The ambassador''s wife knew about truth-sayers, presumably about Sam as well, and was a safe person to tell. It would help her explain her escape.
¡°Hello. Welcome. First let us spend some time talking if that''s OK, then I''ll give you the guided tour. I''ve had a brief report from the captain, and he said he''d heard you say your name was Eliza Underwood. Is that right? I''m Maria.¡±
¡°Yes. My father...¡±
¡°Roland Underwood, I know,¡± Maria sighed.
¡°Urm, did I hear some history there? I know he''s not got the best record.¡±
¡°Eliza, I''d like to concentrate on your kidnap for the moment, if that''s OK. But I want to tell you that you should feel very welcome here. You are not causing a problem, you are not causing any special disruption, we do want to see you fully healed from your experiences. We''ll arrange travel documents and all the rest. Don''t worry about anything. If you want her to, we can have Samantha sleep in the next door room to yours. I''m sure she won''t mind the change. If you wake screaming in the night, that''s fine, that''s... expected almost.¡±
¡°You''ve dealt with other kidnap victims?¡±
¡°Quite a long time ago, but yes. Every one is different of course, but there are patterns. Shock, disbelief, and the rest.¡±
¡°Samantha said you couldn''t be shocked.¡±
¡°Well, I''m not sure about that, but I''ve seen and heard a lot of strange things.¡±
¡°So you won''t be surprised when I tell you that the worst thing is I heard my captors'' thoughts just before they grabbed me, but I couldn''t escape them.¡±
Maria thought a little before answering.
¡°You expected your power would keep you safe, but you had got into such a vulnerable position that you couldn''t react?¡±
¡°Yes. I walked into a deep trap.¡± She told of the fake message from her dad and how she''d been totally unsuspecting.
¡°When was this? When did they capture you?¡±
Eliza gave the date. ¡°The ticket arrived the day before.¡±
¡°That fits. I''m sorry to say that fits very well.¡±
¡°I''d like to know what it fits. You''ve decided to tell me something. But you''re reluctant.¡±
¡°Oh, Eliza! You are so right about that. You know my hesitating decisions, I keep trying not to make them, but I fail. I''m very reluctant to tell you, and the reason is that I''m not at all convinced that it''ll help you.¡±
¡°It concerns my father? Please. Tell me. I think one more shock won''t make much difference.¡±
¡°Yes, it involves your father. My brother.¡±
Eliza was silent for quite a long time. ¡°OK, that one might make a difference. I didn''t know he had siblings. He didn''t write about his past much, not at all, in fact. We hardly ever met face to face, you know. That was part of me being so keen to come on this all expenses paid tour of a strange wonderful land. I should have seen the trap coming.¡±
¡°Do you guess why you didn''t meet face to face?¡±
¡°Because he guessed something about my ability, you mean? And he was hiding something? I don''t think he knew. And how would he know what I could do?¡±
¡°I think he probably was hiding a great deal. What image do you have of your father, Eliza? Do you really want me to talk about him, or do you want me to change the subject back to what we should be talking about and debrief you properly?¡±
¡°My father is, was a politician who was found guilty of abuse of power, corruption, extortion. He tries to convince me that it was all a plot against him, but I''m not convinced. Our legal system isn''t that broken, I hope. But I''ve wanted to get to know him because he''s my dad. I don''t have any other family alive, or I didn''t know I had. I want some roots.¡±
¡°I''m your aunt. I can see the family resemblance ¡ª I''ll show you some old photos sometime. I have a daughter, Karen, who''s at university. And your father knows very well what the limitations and capabilities are of your power. He had it, until just before his arrest when some very very brave people stood round him and prayed that it would be stripped from him.¡±
¡°Like Hamid the thought-stealer? Sam told me about that.¡±
¡°Yes. Like Hamid.¡±
¡°Dad was a thought-stealer?¡±
¡°I didn''t know the term until recently, but I''m sorry to say that it matches his previous use of his talent, yes.¡±
¡°But from what I know of him, he was not a henchman or someone''s side-kick.¡±
¡°No. He wasn''t. Isn''t.¡±
¡°You don''t mind if I have a cry, do you?¡±
¡°Not at all. I''m sorry, I knew I shouldn''t have told you.¡±
¡°It''s OK. It''s really OK. I''m a history student, modern history. I know how to research things. I read something once, a journalist''s unpublished draft report after dad''s trial, which said that anonymous sources said that a large proportion of the allegations against him could not be brought to trial because the witnesses were unwilling to testify or had suffered fatal accidents. It was marked for removal in the final copy.¡±
¡°Where did you find that?¡± Maria asked, surprised.
¡°In the archive of the journalist''s work, after he met a fatal accident. I''d thought, you know, it could just be a macabre coincidence. Dad had him killed too, didn''t he?¡±
¡°Oh, Eliza. It would fit, I''m sorry.¡±
¡°And me? Would he have me killed too?¡±
¡°No. I don''t think so. He is in prison at the moment. Not quite solitary, but not in the general population, and very closely monitored. He does read the news. When he heard about Ibrahim''s arrest he claimed that Ibrahim had been blackmailing him, but would say no more.¡±
¡°You said it all fitted together? What?¡±
¡°The timing, the method. Ibrahim has a method of dealing with people who upset him. He kidnaps a distant relative and threatens to kill them if they don''t behave well, then if the person fails again, he kills the hostage and chooses a closer relative. In your case he seems to have jumped to the close one straight away. Ibrahim paid a large bribe that got your father out of jail early. The next thing we know that happened was that your father managed to alter some databases and install a corrupt AI that caught my daughter in a web of lies. It should have ended up with her being kidnapped, but something obviously went wrong for the bad guys, praise God. Instead she got lost in the tunnels she''d been directed to, broke her leg and got rescued. We believe the kidnapping was Ibrahim''s command. That was the Friday. On Saturday you get the message, and on Monday when you''re safely in the hands of your kidnappers, my brother seems to have three plans in progress at total cross purposes. The first was his normal careful self, finding out via a disposable underling about Karen''s life, interests, and so on. The other two seem very hastily arranged. We managed to stop too much harm from any of them, but one of the hasty ones was so sloppy that your dad was actually seen there supervising in person. He''s never been that clumsy before. My tentative analysis is that your dad was worried sick about you, Eliza, so worried that he acted almost totally out of character, and also that the plans he was carrying out were not all of his own devising.¡±
¡°So, dad is a master criminal and multiple murderer, but he has some protective feelings towards me. I suppose that makes me feel slightly better. At least he didn''t arrange my kidnapping.¡±
¡°No. I''m quite sure he didn''t. Normally, we''d arrange for a call to the kidnap victim''s relatives. Would you like to make that call?¡±
¡°I think I would. Perhaps it''ll make him talk more freely.¡±
¡°It''ll take a few minutes, I don''t think they normally let him near any outgoing communication equipment.¡±
¡°Sounds sensible. I think I''m going to need to have a long cry about this, and a long talk to some psych-programs.¡±
¡°I have a better idea. Talk to psych-people instead. You need trauma counselling, and I wouldn''t be surprised if you have something like survivor guilt too.¡±
¡°You mean why does he care about my life when he cares so little for others''?¡±
¡°Yes. I think you''re going to need a lot of help and I think this is beyond what a computer can help with.¡±
¡°But there are hardly any human counsellors now, are there?¡±
¡°I know some. Where do you live?¡±
Eliza told her.
¡°Well, that''s not very close, but I expect something can be worked out. I''ll make a few calls while you''re talking to your dad.¡±
¡°I''d prefer you were here.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes. Let''s let him know that he needn''t lie to me any more.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll arrange the call, then while we give them time to move him,
can we talk about what happened to you?¡±
¡°Yes. That''s fine.¡±
Maria tapped a code on her wrist unit. ¡°Hi, in my consular role, I need to make a private full video call to Roland Underwood. Family reasons. Stop spluttering. Yes, I know roughly what it entails, four or five prison officers get to go on a tour of the prison with him instead of playing cards. It''ll be good for their waistlines. Now, as I said, this is a private consular call for family reasons. Once he''s in the video suite, the officers are to remain outside, not to listen at the door and so on, notify me on my wrist unit. To be more precise, but you don''t pass this on to the prison authorities, there is a close relative of his here who needs to talk to him and vice-versa. No, it''s not me! No, I didn''t either until earlier today, now please can I talk to her?¡±
¡°Not the sort of thing they expected to hear?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Well, it''s not exactly a normal request. I guess I should warn you. Your dad urm... sent some coded warnings... intended for me that got him put onto the terrorist list. He''s in maximum security.¡±
¡°And these warnings weren''t by normal means? You decided to hide something.¡±
¡°Eliza, you''ve got enough to worry about. Please don''t press me. But I will have to ask him if they''re still valid. So, please, tell me about your kidnap if there''s anything more to say, your imprisonment, your escape, and so on.¡±
¡°OK. Urm I''ve told you about the tickets ¡ª in my full name. Then the guy who met me had my name down as Liz, just like dad calls me. I hate to be called Liz, but it just said ¡®dad¡¯ all over it. I can only think that they got that from his mind or his correspondence. But how?¡±
¡°We think Hamid was supposed to pick up Karen, my daughter. He probably would have met your dad then, and he was a thought-stealer after all.¡±
¡°Yes. I heard that. So he asks a leading question and they find out about me.¡±
¡°That, plus Underwood isn''t exactly a common name, so it''d be easy to find you.¡±
¡°I should change my name. Mum thought it would do me good to give me his name when I was born. Him the big important politician, you know. She was his secretary for a while.¡±
¡°That''s for you to decide, Eliza, but I''ve never been ashamed of the family name. Have you looked at the family history at all?¡±
¡°Not really. I was planning to, but there was so much about dad that I got distracted.¡±
¡°I''ll show you a copy of the family tree some time. Oh, I should have asked, do you have any loved ones or friends that we should inform, or you''d like to call?¡±
¡°No. Not really. A few people at church who I told I was coming here, but no boyfriends. It made me a bit of a loaner, this ability to know exactly what boys were thinking of.¡±
¡°Yes. I imagine. There are some good ones around, but I expect in the privacy of their minds, with all those hormones... not as many resist temptations as you''d hope. I err, don''t suppose you know, but there''s a rather special wedding dress you''re entitled to wear if you ever find a suitable man.¡±
¡°A special wedding dress?¡±
¡°Do you know the family link to ¡®Princess Sarah''? You''re a descendant on your father''s side.¡±
¡°You''re joking! That dress? It still exists?¡±
¡°Oh yes. It''s a bit flamboyant, but Karen''s planning to wear it at her wedding. As an Underwood girl you''re fully entitled to wear it.¡±
¡°You''re telling me this to try and make me feel like I''m not a piece of scum, aren''t you? It''s working.¡±
¡°Of course you''re not a piece of scum, Eliza.¡±
¡°No? The bastard product of a one night stand between a corrupt politician cum terrorist and his secretary?¡±
¡°We agree that your father''s not a nice person, Eliza, and not being a nice person, he didn''t marry your mother. It''s probably for the best that he didn''t really. But you''re not following in his footsteps. There''re some maggots in our history, but there''s real gold too.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
There was a discrete chirp from Maria''s wrist unit. ¡°Oh, we''re getting distracted in every direction, aren''t we. OK, let''s talk to your dad.¡± Having said this, Maria pressed a button on the wall. A screen descended from the ceiling and a face was visible. The family resemblance was clear.
¡°Hello, Roland.¡±
¡°Maria? You hate my guts, what are you calling about?¡± The aggression was clear.
¡°I don''t hate your guts, Roland, I hate what you used to do to me and what you''ve done with your life. There''s a difference. I''m calling because I have someone here you might want to talk to.¡±
¡°Hi, dad,¡± Eliza said.
¡°Liz! You''re safe? I was so worried! Are you OK? How did you get free? He said they''d kill you.¡±
¡°They''d heard about Ibrahim''s capture and I snuck out while they were trying to decide what to do. Stole a car and headed to the city here. On my way in I found a squad of soldiers.¡±
¡°Ha! So my big sister''s group of vigilante witches didn''t manage to find you then? How come they managed with all my test cases?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Eliza doesn''t know anything about how you sent me those warnings or threats, Roland. Do you want me to inform her? But actually, yes they did, that''s why the soldiers were waiting there for her.¡±
¡°What''s this all about?¡± Eliza said, still confused.
¡°Me and my big mouth,¡± Roland said, chagrined. ¡°Why not, sis? Why not expose my every crime and ruin the one good relationship I have?¡±
¡°Because I had no need to, Roland. As I said, I don''t hate you, or your daughter. But I need to know. Those warnings. Were they about your plans or
Ibrahim''s?¡±
¡°What? You think I''d give you any clue about my plans? I don''t have plans now, Sis. You and your friends have seen to that. I had to carry out his instructions, or he''d have killed my little Liz. But I could do it my way.¡±
¡°So are you claiming responsibility for just the message, or the way it was delivered?¡±
¡°The message. What do you think I am, a monster? I never tortured anyone!¡±
¡°You practised on me, Roland. I can show Eliza the scars if she wants proof.¡±
¡°OK. I practised on you before I was out of high school and still struggling to find my role in life. I''m sorry for that, Sis. I''ve not tortured anyone since. Not except under Ibrahim''s orders.¡±
¡°''Just obeying orders.¡¯ I seem to remember that''s not acceptable in most courts these days, but OK, I''ll cross torturer off your list of hobbies. So, with Ibrahim''s hole under the embassy discovered, and him in jail, are there any other surprises coming if they publish?¡±
¡°Just what sort of drug are your people on? You must be burning them out left right and centre.¡±
¡°No drugs, Roland. Straight case of divine intervention. Any chance of answering the question?¡±
¡°Please, dad. Tell what you know,¡± Eliza pleaded.
¡°OK, I''ll tell for you, little one. Just don''t let them turn you into one of their zombies, Liz, please. You deserve better than that. I''m going to tell all I know, Liz, and then my sister will try and convince you that I''m all wrong, I''m sure. But I can''t keep you out of her power, just warn you.¡±
¡°I''ll only tell her you''re wrong if you are, Roland.¡±
¡°Ha! You know she works with Security, Liz?¡±
¡°It makes sense, Dad. Please call me Eliza though. I''ve never thought of myself as a Liz.¡±
¡°Well, you see, she went off to join them in a great big huff when I was little, afraid of my advanced mental abilities and my scientific investigations, and ever since she has been working to thwart my plans for restoring this country to its greatness.¡±
¡°That''s an interesting way of phrasing it, Roland. I thought you were just trying to take over the government through bribery and corruption.¡±
¡°How else could I lead it to greatness, if I wasn''t in charge? The means were justified by the ends. And who better to lead than a superhuman who could read thoughts? Anyway, Liz, her first plan was to hire some witches to enact a heathen ritual around me and strip me of my powers. I don''t know how they did it, but once I''d been rendered a mere normal person I had to have extra colleagues. My plans were still valid, after all. I found young Ibrahim and recognised an almost kindred spirit. He wanted to restore the fortunes of his country, I wanted to restore the fortunes of mine.
And the curious thing is that he knew that some foolish scientists have found out about the power I had, and actually want to publish about their discoveries, as though they have no use for our great powers other than as a scientific curiosity. I know you have them ¡ª I tested you when you were young. We are a new breed, Liz, destined for great things. But making our existence known is dangerous. It could so easily lead to a witch-hunt in our country, or all over the world even. So, you''re in danger if it happens, Liz, and making them known would seriously hurt the ambitions of my friend Ibrahim.
Somehow he knew Karen, and to seal the deal regarding our cooperation he proposed a dynastic marriage. I thought it a little medieval, but why not?
I arranged for her to meet him and somehow he missed his flight. I mean, what''s the point in that? I go to all that trouble to get her somewhere that he can rescue her from and then he misses the appointment by six hours. Of course by then another or the same coven of interfering witches had found her. But we couldn''t find out how. It was obviously some relation of my own superior mental powers, but they must have been taking a powerful narcotic as well. I had done some experimentation along that line, so I knew it was theoretically possible to increase the sensitivity of the mind, but the hangover was so terrible that I quickly stopped. But, they have government sponsorship and obviously took terrible risks or life-threatening experiments to find out the right doses.
And then one of our team members told us it was indeed the very same witches who planned to publish about their powers that had rescued Karen. So I sought to find out more about this coven of witches from Karen''s apartment and again those plans were thwarted, I presume by the witches.
Ibrahim then came up with his rather cruel plan to either exhaust the witches or at least find the limits of their power. I had no wish to be part of it but with my beloved daughter at risk I had no choice.
He was in fact so distressed that these very same witches who had spoiled his plans for wedded bliss also wished to publicise their power and ruin his plans that he said he would blow up our embassy in his capital if they published. I think he thought that I could use my influence to stop publication. But I have little now, and under this oppressive, empire-building government, his action would surely have led to war, so as peace-maker I warned the authorities here via my sister. I have no desire to see our brave soldiers and civil servants killed. My personal adversary at the embassy there was in no way part of my decision, of course, but I used her, knowing that the message would be understood by her but not by Ibrahim, and so my beloved daughter would be safe.¡±
¡°Dad, that''s a fascinating account,¡± Eliza said, personally deciding that her father was surely mentally ill.
¡°Roland, I didn''t understand, you should have explained this earlier,¡± Maria said. ¡°I''ll tell the authorities your intentions for your message of course, and I''m sure that your efforts as peace maker will be taken into account. Clearly you yourself are not the terrorist I''d believed you to be from my misunderstanding of your message.¡±
¡°I thank you, sister. Perhaps you do not hate me as I believed.¡±
¡°No, Roland. I''m just very sorry. I didn''t realise that I was misunderstanding you so much. Now I think I must cut the call.¡±
¡°Goodbye, sister, beloved daughter.¡±
Maria cut the call and sighed a long sad sigh.
¡°He''s lost it, hasn''t he?¡± Eliza said. ¡°Totally lost his marbles?¡±
¡°Just rather. He used to be such a cold, calculating monomaniac. But I think you''re right. Either this is an ultra sly plan to get him early release or he''s totally lost touch with reality. I wonder if being stripped of his power did it to him, or realising that he wasn''t so unique as he thought he was, or realising that his superior mental abilities were nothing compared to the good guys.¡±
¡°I take it I shouldn''t ask about his scientific experiments?¡±
¡°Ah, no. I don''t think so.¡±
¡°Then the other question I have is about my meeting the soldiers. Was that just bluff, that they were there to meet me?¡±
¡°No, Eliza. Not a bluff. Certain people have a gift from God. If they decide it is important to find out where someone is or how they are feeling or what they''re thinking, they can. That''s roughly speaking how they foiled your father''s plans.¡±
¡°So his description of them as a coven taking drugs...¡±
¡°Is a very long way from what they do. I have a question for you.
Would you want to be queen, really? OK, you''d get the pretty dresses, but you''d also have those long speeches, you''d have to keep going with a blistering headache, even when you want to lie down and just read a book or something? With everything you say and do potentially recorded and broadcast?¡±
¡°Urm, no. I wouldn''t.¡±
¡°The spiritual gift they have, I think it''s a bit like that. It''s a heavy responsibility on them. They can know what you''re thinking right now, what I''m thinking. They can know why you''re thinking it and what your motives are and what lies behind it. And they have to make the decision about whether they should find out or not.¡±
¡°What, you mean it''s not like they pray and sometimes the answer is no?¡±
¡°From what I understand it''s much more like, here are the keys, don''t crash the car.¡±
¡°Urm. Wow. And crashing the car?¡±
¡°Your dad did get close when he talked about burning people out. They have access to almost infinite knowledge, but it takes work for their brains to process it and there''s nothing special about the thermodynamics of their brains. They do too much, they risk frying their brains.¡±
¡°Treasures in jars of clay.¡±
¡°Yes. A few of God''s special treasures.¡±
¡°Will I ever meet any who''ve had a hand in rescuing me? I''d like to say thanks.¡±
¡°It''s probable, but I''ll pass on the thanks anyway. I''d rather not name names. Let them make themselves known if they think it wise.¡±
¡°I understand.¡±
¡°We didn''t actually know you existed until earlier this afternoon. A colleague of mine doesn''t pass on as much as she should. We were really puzzling about why he''d used the word blackmail when she came up with the little gem that he had a daughter he called Liz. They found you immediately, just before you''d escaped, but it took a while to get permission for the soldiers to leave base. It''s not our country after all.¡±
¡°At some points there in captivity, I rather doubted God, but well, it rather sounds like He was working on getting me rescued.¡±
¡°Yes. You do realise that you were almost completely out of fuel, don''t you?¡±
¡°I thought it was showing me I had enough to get all the way here?¡±
¡°No. Very few cars show how much further you can go here. It might have shown how much fuel you''d got left, but that wouldn''t have looked much like a distance. What I guess you thought was the distance remaining was almost certainly the number of minutes until the next time of prayer. They all have that available, so people know when it''s time to look for somewhere to stop.
¡°Oh. I thought I had fuel to spare. I''d have panicked if I''d run out. It would have been devastating.¡±
¡°That reminds me. Your dad''s informant was right about something else.¡±
¡°Oh, about the people who rescued Karen?¡±
¡°Yes. I''m recommending, very very strongly recommending, that you talk to the trauma counsellors at the Institute for the Human Mind. Therefore as a prospective client (albeit with the government footing the bill), I''d better tell you that some of the people there are working on a publication about the power you have, and Karen was rescued by some people who work there.¡±
¡°So you''re suggesting that I get my head examined from the inside as well as the outside?¡±
¡°No. I''m suggesting that you talk to some very nice Christians I know, to whom you can tell your whole story without needing to edit it at all.¡±
¡°And they helped ruin his plans too?¡±
¡°Yes. They did.¡±
¡°And they won''t object to helping me?¡±
¡°Why on earth should they? You''re as much a victim of Ibrahim''s plans as any of the others they rescued.¡±
¡°Then... OK... I think I would like to talk to them.¡±
¡°Not just once, Eliza.¡±
¡°I suspected as much.¡±
¡°You said you were a student? Which year?¡±
¡°I''m half-way through a two-year masters, about to start the research phase.¡±
¡°Then... I expect the university can be persuaded that you don''t need to be there quite at the normal time.¡±
¡°What, spend my days moping around my flat with nothing to do?¡±
¡°Actually, I was more thinking being part of some modern history. There''s going to be a major international trial. Presumed heir to the presidency here accused of multiple kidnappings? I assure you he''ll be raiding his piggy bank for the best lawyers money can buy. The prosecution needs all the witnesses it can get. And a victim of an international kidnapping scheme would be so much the better.¡±
¡°Ah. So where would I need to be for this to happen?¡±
¡°UN supreme court is still at the Hague despite all the fuss, there are outposts in New York, Sidney, Cairo, Delhi. I assume the trial will be at the Hague, but they might move it. Of course as a victim you wouldn''t be able to watch the proceedings.¡±
¡°Ah. So I''d need to sit around and wait, roughly speaking incommunicado, until I get called in to testify. What fun.¡±
¡°Or you could give your testimony by written or video statement in front of
a court representative. But then of course the cross examination or clarification is a bit harder.¡±
¡°But you''re thinking of something cleverer, I assume.¡±
¡°Well, honestly, you''re at risk, Eliza. The bad guys know where you live and they know you know who they are. So, witness protection and so forth. It''s not possible for you to go there right at the moment,
but I do know where there''s a nice secure place for you to stay, if they don''t mind having you.¡±
¡°Come on, Maria. Out with it.¡±
¡°I can''t be very specific, but the Institute has a very secure site, which has been used before as a safe house. It might be possible for you to stay there, eventually.¡±
¡°So there''s somewhere I can stay, be safe and talk through my issues until the trial? That''s great. But speaking of trials, I presume my father will have one too.¡±
¡°Yes. For all his claims of duress, he gave some very clear instructions. But,
having just talked to him, while I don''t doubt his continued danger to society, I also believe he needs psychological assessment. If the psychologist is convinced he''s as out of touch with reality as he seemed to us, then it might not be a long complex trial so much as a quick commitment to a very secure hospital.¡±
¡°I wonder what unhinged his mind so much. He didn''t seem this crazy when I talked to him last time.¡±
¡°Your dad used to have a very simple outlook on life, Eliza. He had a power no one else except you had, therefore he and presumably you after him should be able to reign supreme over everyone. Also, other people didn''t matter since they were normal and he was a superman, therefore if they got in his way he swatted them like bugs. That underlying idea has been really shattered recently. The way that the gifted were able to cope with what he calls Ibrahim''s plans so efficiently, well they obviously have greater power than he ever had. He''s patched his worldview up by talking about witches, drug abuse and the like, but I think there are so many holes in his argumentation that his sanity has leaked out.¡±
¡°And also it''s not only us that has that power. He must realise that it was used against him.¡±
¡°I expect so. And of course, that hammered home to him how foolish his dream of world domination really was. Reality just isn''t a nice place for him to be right now.¡±
¡°I have very mixed feelings about my dad at the moment. I pity him, I loathe his attitude to people, and I don''t want to speculate what it is you might be hiding from me.¡±
¡°You don''t speculate and I''ll try hard not to think about it. Now, can you tell me about your imprisonment. Names you heard, conditions, details of the place, how many people saw you and were involved in holding you captive, things like that?¡±
¡°Yes, OK. Here goes.¡± And finally Maria got to hear all the details.
Disclosure / Ch. 1: Familiar Faces
Book 3: Disclosure
Book 3: Disclosure / Ch. 1:Familiar Faces
Friday, 18th August
Intrepid reporter, foreign correspondent for Nation Wide News, household name and interviewer of the famous, Robert (Bob) McDaniel hesitated. Did he really want this assignment? He knew it was going to be his last. He could have just retired early, with his health as it was. Too much excitement in his early life, said his doctor. Albert, his editor, had been his convincing self. What better way to go out than with such a scoop?
So the problem was, what? Too dramatic? Too crazy? No. Be honest, Bob, It was too scary.
Albert had been convinced. But no one had actually made him walk into the lion''s den, had they? A reporter, knowingly entering a place where people could know what he was thinking? What he wasn''t saying? Who his sources were? That was scary. So, there in front of the Institute''s entrance he stood, hesitating.
A young woman came out, smiling. With crutches. He recognized her, knew he knew her, but the context just didn''t match. She should be somewhere else. What was her name?
¡°Hello, Mr. McDaniel. I saw you out here admiring the view and thought I''d come and welcome you in. Bit of a fortress, isn''t it?¡±
¡°It is. And I know I know you, but you''re not in the right context, so no name. Very embarrassing.¡±
She laughed. ¡°I''m sure you say that to all the girls. Sorry, I know the feeling and I''m not at all insulted. Do you want me to give the game away, drop you some hints, or let you work out who I am all on your own?¡±
Bob considered her easy, teasing manner. She obviously considered him a trusted acquaintance. ¡°I''m going to kick myself if I don''t, aren''t I? We''ve met a lot of times before.¡±
¡°Oh yes. Lots. So, can I give you just one clue, uncle Bob?¡± The uncle Bob and the wheedling tone did it of course. ¡®Just one story, uncle Bob?¡¯ was a line he''d heard at many airports. ¡°Karen! What are you doing here? Not asking for another story, I hope.¡±
¡°Actually, I''ve been writing briefings for you about the staff here. Who''s who, what they''re famous for, if anything, what they do here, brief history. Basically all the stuff you''re not allowed to publish. Actually, I put the fame stuff in a separate envelope, so you can have fun working it out if you want to.¡±
¡°So you''re here, presumably your mother knows, and she''s not worried about security leaks?¡±
¡°The Institute''s always been a place where secrets were safe, Bob. We''re not going to snoop. Can we go in? I''d rather not say more out here in public.¡±
¡°You said ''we''?¡±
¡°Yes. I said we. Gloves -¡± raising her hands into view so he could see them ¡°are the most wonderful invention and avoid most accidental overhearing.¡±
¡°Your mother''s always worn them. Do you mean to say...?¡±
¡°No. Mother can''t. I couldn''t until God decided to give me the gift. But she knew someone who could. Can we go in? Really I shouldn''t be out here this long. Someone might see me.¡± She started edging back to the Institute.
¡°Oh, of course.¡± Then he whispered, ¡°Kidnap risk?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Once they were inside she added, ¡°It was a botched kidnapping attempt that got me this leg ¡ª in plaster until the day before yesterday. Come to the small conference room, I might as well tell you about it now. Unless you want to meet everyone first?¡±
¡°No, by all means. I presume it''s relevant to more than your crutches?¡±
¡°Oh yes. I think you might have been told about someone who was convinced by an A.I. that the last human counsellor had retired?¡±
¡°My editor let it slip. He was embarrassed because he''d been told he shouldn''t have told anyone.¡±
¡°It''s OK. You were always going to get the whole story. It was me. A very careful editing of all the databases at the university. Anywhere you looked, not a reference to a living counsellor. Biographies altered, convincing articles bemoaning the fact, you name it.¡±
¡°That''s a lot of work.¡±
¡°Well, I''m sure that some of it was automatic, but yes. A lot of work. So when I told my medical program that I was fed up with being nervous in the dark, I got lured into talking to a rogue A.I. I checked up on the details, but of course my wrist unit checked the same databases. After all, they''re supposed to be the same everywhere. And so I was surprised, but all the evidence pointed in the same direction.¡±
¡°What happened?¡±
¡°It sent me exploring down a disused rail tunnel, giving me a map of the tunnels and marking the safe paths to take. It said that this was perfectly safe, and if I could summon up my courage to do this, then I''d be well on my way to recovery. All very reasonable sounding.¡±
¡°So you went down, followed the paths, ran from your attackers and broke your leg? Or did they drop you?¡±
¡°Nope. I just got lost. I''ve got a pretty bad sense of direction. I forgot which way up I''d been holding the map, missed a turning, got lost, panicked, ran, tripped and broke my leg. Apparently the people who should have picked me up got their timing wrong and totally missed me. Oh, I didn''t say, the A.I. had also told me to leave my wrist unit at home and I didn''t even have my panic button with me, can you believe it?¡±
¡°Ouch.¡±
¡°So, reality dawned. I was due to die of thirst in a few days, if the shock of the broken bone didn''t get me first. No way my voice could carry far enough, no way to send a signal. So I prayed, and begged God for forgiveness and that somehow he''d let someone hear my cries for help.¡±
¡°Did I time my entrance right?¡± Kate said from the door. ¡°I''m Kate, director here, and God in his mercy had just given me a strange new ability. I heard Karen''s cry and we managed to get some soldiers sent to rescue her.¡±
¡°This doesn''t sound much like the description of thought-reading I had from my editor. I thought that needed touch.¡±
¡°Well spotted. Karen, I and a few others have been given what we call ¡®the gift.¡¯ The normal version we call ¡®the power.¡¯ The power is genetic, and a useful trick if you have it. The gift is something God gives to people, and it''s a scary responsibility.¡±
¡°So, you''ve got the gift but you''re writing up about the power? I don''t understand.¡±
¡°If someone has the gift, they have the power also. We''ll be submitting a paper or two to Nature about the power. The one about the gift goes to a theological journal, we guess, but we''ve not quite decided which one yet.¡±
¡°And you''re telling me this now, because...?¡±
¡°Because we felt it best to tell you straight, not to hide things from you. We thought we might need to hide the gift from you, only talk about the power, but everyone agreed that it was time to let the church know about this spiritual gift.¡±
¡°Everyone being precisely who?¡±
¡°Everyone with the gift around the world ¡ª about fifty people.¡±
¡°So there are fifty people with the gift, but two, three here with it? I''m guessing three because you said we.¡±
¡°Actually five in the building with it now. We did have another reason for asking that you come today, and for laying this all out before you ¡ª we thought it would be good to do this before I vanish for a fortnight.¡± Kate smiled in anticipation.
For some reason it reminded Karen of the Cheshire cat. ¡°The reason for Kate vanishing until all you can see is her smile is that she''s getting married tomorrow morning.¡± Karen specified.
¡°Congratulations! Who''s the happy groom?¡±
¡°An old friend from my university days. I just happened to meet him about two hours after turning to Christ and getting the gift into the bargain. God''s timing, I guess.¡±
¡®Wow. And I can''t write any of this stuff?¡±
¡°If you anonomise it sufficiently, it should be fine.¡± Kate reassured him.
¡°So, you''re convinced that the gift is a spiritual gift, but the power is genetic?¡±
¡°Yes, and people with the gift have the power too. Except I''ve got no genetic reason I know of to have the power, so I guess God tweaked something,¡± Kate clarified.
¡°We''re getting close to knowing the way that the power works ¡ª a combination of sensory triggers which the brain can somehow interpret into anticipated
actions, words and images. The gift seems to be rather beyond science, as you might expect.¡±
¡°Beyond science?¡±
¡°Well, if you can find a scientific method to locate an individual on the other side of the world, down to where they are in the room, where the room is in the house, and so on, just by knowing their name, I''m sure Security would be interested,¡± Karen said. ¡°From a scientific perspective, we can access an unreasonable quantity of knowledge in far too much detail. If we were picking up something physical from the person, then there''d be such a mess from the other billions in the way that we shouldn''t get a signal. But we can, through the grace of God.¡±
¡°Thank you for that explanation. I must say, you''re very open about your relationship with God. Urm, I never have been.¡±
¡°I didn''t find anything about your faith on the net, except your baptism record and which church you were a member of from twelve years ago,¡± Karen said.
¡°No. I''m surprised you actually found that much. In this job, I don''t know, there''s an unwritten rule that you don''t ask or tell. I''ve never felt I must say anything in public, but I''ve never been entirely happy hiding my faith either.¡±
¡°Perhaps,¡± Kate suggested gently, ¡°if this series of reports is to be your last, if you dropped the odd ¡®as a Christian, I see...¡¯ before you gave an assessment of the impact of what you''ve witnessed, it wouldn''t hurt your career much, and might help us not get labeled as devil worshippers.¡±
¡°I''ll think about it. I presume you knew about my faith from your gift?¡±
¡°No,¡± Kate said. ¡°We wouldn''t have seen sufficient justification to pry like that. But we were curious. So I set Karen the job and eventually she came up with those details.¡±
¡°I must admit that I was sure there was something to find, so I kept looking. Mummy knows lots of secrets.¡±
¡°Ah. The more human sort of prying being more acceptable?¡±
¡°Mummy knows about the gift. I asked her advice about telling you, not knowing if you were going to be scared off if we told you, or reassured by the source. We can''t talk about the gift without talking about the Giver. She told me you believed.¡±
¡°And all fifty of you are committed Christians as the world understands the phrase?¡±
¡°I''m not sure about the world, but as the evangelical churches use the phrase, yes. Though there are elements who might be somewhat upset if they heard that one of our number is a catholic monk.¡±
¡°I''ve met genuine faith in that tradition too, but yes, I know what you mean. Some churches would prefer to risk the unity of the faith rather than accept differences. Out of interest, how do you cope with the language barrier? Surely knowledge of English can''t be a criteria.¡±
¡°Oh, absolutely not. But the gift is beyond language too. We hear what they say and the meaning drops into our skulls too.¡±
¡°And the power?¡±
¡°Purely human, I''m afraid. Even if the whole earth had the power, language learning would still be needed.¡±
¡°I''m sure that the language teachers of the world will breathe a sigh of relief.¡±
Kate laughed. ¡°Or moan that every year they need to teach yet another bunch of kids who think there''s nothing worse than learning languages.¡±
¡°I enjoy learning languages!¡± protested Karen.
¡°Well, you did grow up knowing that the whole world doesn''t speak English, didn''t you?¡± Bob said.
¡°True. Would you like time to read the blurbs I''ve written, catch your breath and process everything we''ve told you, or just come and meet the happy crowd?¡±
¡°I think I''m going to have time later to read and process it all, so by all means, let''s do the introductions.¡±
¡°Oh, let me give you your I.D.¡± Kate said. ¡°The computer will want to see it when you come in next time.¡±
¡°I don''t need to pose for a photo then?¡±
¡°You did that while Karen came out to meet you. This is a pretty secure facility.¡±
¡°Big glass windows though,¡± Bob pointed out.
¡°Forcefield glass,¡± corrected Kate.
¡°Oh!¡±
¡°And the computer system beats embassy standard,¡± Karen added heading for the door.
¡°Alert! Staff member Karen, delay 30 seconds to avoid intercept,¡± announced the computer, quietly, but right on cue.
¡°See what I mean?¡± Karen said, with a smile.
¡°What was that about?¡± Bob asked.
¡°There''s a client on the loose who shouldn''t see me here. If it can, the computer warns me out of the corridors when they''re coming, or keeps them out of the corridors if it can''t get me to move.¡±
¡°So you can be in the same building but never meet? Clever.¡±
¡°Very.¡±
¡°And this client? Presumably they know about me?¡±
¡°They know about you, and this particular one would probably remember you and be very happy to swap stories of old times with you. Just don''t mention me, OK? There''s not really much risk, but they have no need at all to know I''m working here.¡±
¡°Someone I''ve interviewed then?¡±
Kate told him the client''s name.
¡°Ah. Yes. I understand. Not exactly who your parents would want you sitting down for a chat with.¡±
¡°I can be polite if I have to, but since this isn''t some kind of diplomatic function where I''d be expected to turn up, it really is best that he not see me.¡±
¡°What a complicated life you have to lead, young lady.¡±
Karen just smiled sweetly in return.
¡°Intercept risk now below one percent. Client has departed.¡±
¡°Excellent,¡± Kate said. ¡°Let''s go meet everyone.¡±
¡°Everyone, let me introduce Bob McDaniel. I''ve known him since I was about five, but please don''t ask him for stories about me. He''s agreed to be our tame reporter, but as you know that''s a bit like saying a tame lion. So Ivan, please keep the skeletons inside the cupboard.¡±
¡°But zey vant to get out, Karen! Can''t you hear zem scratching at the doors?¡± he said with his mad scientist laugh then he turned pale and turned to Janet. ¡°She asked me to do that, Janet. I forgot to check it was OK, just this once.¡±
¡°It''s OK, Ivan,¡± Karen said, ¡°I''d checked it was OK with Janet before asking if you''d mind. Bob, Ivan ¡ª as you''ve just witnessed ¡ª is an excellent character actor if horror is your genre, but he''s also supposed to not be acting any parts for the time being, which is difficult for him. Next to Ivan, you see Janet. As far as I know they''re not officially engaged yet. Beside Janet is George, my fianc¨¦, and next to George you see our newly-weds Sarah and John Williams.¡±
¡°What is this? Is the whole staff on the way to matrimony?¡± Bob asked.
¡°No, Bob,¡± John replied, shaking Bob''s hand, ¡°only the eight of us as far as I know.¡±
¡°John will be acting director until I''m back,¡± Kate said, taking over the introductions. ¡°Beside John is Ed, our book-keeper, and then there''s Horrace who works with Ivan in designing and making interesting toys for Janet to use on patients. Janet is our world class medical imaging expert, with speciality in brain trauma.¡± So the introductions went on round the room.
¡°Karen didn''t say, but she''s only here for the summer, and George isn''t here, officially. Or rather I should say that if anyone should in any way let on that he''s here then they are officially in great big trouble with the nice people from witness protection.¡±
¡°Ah. I understand.¡±
¡°I would like to add,¡± George said, ¡°that I''ve found the people at witness protection to be very nice indeed, particularly the way they''ve allowed me to spend my time until the trial near Karen here. I''m also thankful that I''m not locked up somewhere with nothing to do but am able to do useful work here.¡±
¡°What is your work?¡± Bob asked.
[We''ve told him about the gift and the power, George,] Karen thought.
¡°I''m a test subject. We''re discovering the limits of the power.¡±
¡°George is a little unique in our group, having actually grown up with the power,¡± Sarah specified. ¡°I should have done, but before my parents died my father made a kind of suppressor which blotted out the signal. I wore it too long and it took a lot of analysis before I ended up here.¡±
¡°Sarah was our first confirmed case of anyone with unusual mental powers,¡±
Kate added. ¡°The Institute had only been looking for about two centuries. She''s also rather unique in that she''s the only person we know who can sense the attitude of a crowd.¡±
¡°So why did it take two hundred years for anyone to turn up? I''ve seen the adverts you used to run.¡±
¡°There are basically two types of people with the power, Bob. Good guys and bad guys. There aren''t many in the middle. It''s a polarising thing,¡±
George explained. ¡°Good guys try to pretend they don''t have it, except maybe with family members, and try to avoid physical contact with people which would make them overhear thoughts. They tend to be loaners, suspicious of people, because if they have a relative with the power then they''ve been warned not to let anyone find out, and even if they haven''t then they''ve heard the expression witch-hunt. They''ve also heard the self-talk of the people around them and know what a nasty bunch of sinners people really are. They''re under no illusions about people being good deep down inside, and tend to seek out churches where they at least meet people who acknowledge their need of help. A bad guy is usually a criminal, often psychopathic. They use their power to gain money, power, influence. They can tell people what they want to hear and so are often very persuasive. And they can gain plenty of evidence for blackmail.
¡°Good guys who''ve met older good guys with the power will almost certainly have been warned of bad guys. When two thought hearers are touching, they can send pictures to each other. It can be a sort of game or art or a gift.
A bad guy might use that ability to send horrific images. A good guy can allegedly have their mind so filled with horrors that it would send them mad. I''m not sure if that''s exaggeration, but it could certainly be a form of torture. So, an advert to the bad-guys would look like an attempt to take their edge away, and the good-guys won''t want to risk meeting a bad-guy there by chance. Actually, I wouldn''t be surprised if some bad-guys had turned up, not actually disclosed what they learned, and instead used it as a way of getting secrets, passwords, addresses and so on that they could use or sell to their underworld contacts.¡±
¡°Wow. Thanks for that insight, George,¡± Bob said. ¡°So what are the good guys going to do when you go public?¡±
¡°Hide as best they can and wait for the witch-hunts to start, I''d think.¡±
¡°And the bad guys are going to be annoyed.¡±
¡°Oh yes, I''m pretty sure we''ll need to have the security gates up for a while. But it''s that or stand idly by while the criminal minority continue to abuse their power,¡± Kate said with quiet determination. ¡°We do have a fortress here. We have blast gates, force fields, our own generator. The building was designed to withstand a riot if necessary, and it''s been upgraded to protect our clients from assassination attempts. What protects them will protect the staff also. The UN embargo on reporting comings and goings doesn''t stop a spy from identifying individuals, but on the other hand, the computer systems designed to defend against an assassin also protect against a spy. As a secure facility, the computer has lens detectors and autonomous sleep gas release systems and will not permit a staff member or
client to be attacked.¡±
¡°How much of this is publishable knowledge?¡±
¡°Karen?¡±
¡°I don''t think it''s wise to spell it out in any detail, but in the context of something about the UN restrictions and the potential risk to clients it would be perfectly reasonable to talk in general about clients being safe inside from assassination attempts.¡±
¡°Once the court case is over, you could report about an incident recently when a youth was being chased by gang members and found refuge here,¡± Kate said. ¡°Some of the video footage makes for good watching if you have a vindictive streak, like I do. I particularly like the bit when some of the gang members throw themselves full tilt against the forcefield glass and sort of do a cartoon-style splat against it. Comings and goings of armed thugs is not covered under the reporting ban.¡±
¡°I''d like to see that footage. Purely to judge its usefulness for inclusion in a report, of course.¡±
¡°How about we set up a lunchtime showing again?¡± Horrace suggested ¡°It''s been at least a week since the last one, and it is so full of comic moments.¡±
¡°Children, if you''re not careful, the nice reporter will record your cheers and include them in the report as a soundtrack,¡± Kate warned.
¡°I wonder the manufacturers haven''t asked for permission to use it in their adverts,¡± Ivan mused.
¡°It''s still covered by rules of evidence, people,¡± Kate said. ¡°But I have suggested to the sales manager that if he''d like to see his product in action from multiple angles, he attend the relevant trial. He said he''d try.¡±
¡°Would there need to be permission from the perpetrators to broadcast their downfall?¡± Ed asked.
¡°If it''s unclassified evidence used in court, showing no injury to victims, then as long as their faces are obscured then it''s fair game,¡± Bob said.
¡°It''d need to be edited to avoid identifying you, Kate. But I do love your calm commentary to the boy,¡± Janet said.
¡°I don''t think the commentary should go out though,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Or a soundtrack of cheers. We don''t really want to come across as a bunch of immature school kids, surely. We''re a respectable academic research and counselling organisation, after all.¡±
¡°Ohh, Mum, do we have to?¡± asked someone in the back, Sarah didn''t see who.
¡°Welcome to the family, Bob,¡± Kate said, ¡°you see us as we are. There are more higher degrees in this room than people, but if we exclude the notable exceptions like Janet and the five we were talking about earlier, then the average level of social maturity hovers somewhere below that of a teenage boy.¡±
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Ed chipped in, ¡°Did you hear that, boys and girls? Mum thinks we''re improving!¡±
¡°It''s the same in any close-knit group who''ve been through a lot together, Kate. Don''t be too worried.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m not worried. I just make sure that Horrace and Ivan don''t get anywhere near the clients,¡± Kate said.
¡°On that note, Bob, would you like to retire to the office we''ve set aside for you, or would you like Horrace and Ivan to show you their collection of interesting prototype brain scanners?¡± Karen offered.
¡°And in case you''ve forgotten, it''s Friday, so pizzas at twelve thirty, everyone, in honour of our special guest and it being Friday,¡± Sarah announced as the meeting broke up.
¡°Am I missing something? What was that about pizzas?¡± Bob asked Karen in his office on the top floor.
¡°It''s become a bit of a tradition. Friday is pizza for lunch day. They''re very good.¡±
¡°Oh. I''d wondered what people do for lunch. No caf¨¦s near-by?¡±
¡°Other days people usually bring a packed lunch. Certain people have been known to eat while working in the lab, but that''s frowned upon, crumbs not helping delicate circuitry to function well. If you want to escape the mad-house then I understand there''s a caf¨¦ about ten minutes'' walk away, or it''s easy enough to call up a transport from the pool.¡±
¡°What do you do?¡±
¡°I''ll be eating pizzas with the crowd, but normally I eat with George in his flat downstairs.¡±
¡°Ah. Meal and romantic conversation for two?¡±
¡°Not exactly. We try to avoid romantic topics, really. It''s easier.¡±
¡°I''m now totally confused. You''re engaged, looking forward to a life-long marriage, but you avoid romance?¡±
¡°I don''t know if it''s only couples with the gift, or if it affects people with the power too. Probably the latter. There''s an emotional component. He feels what I feel and vice-versa. Now, just suppose that I love him and love that he loves me. And vice-versa. Put those two together and what do you think you might get?¡±
¡°Urm, a lot of love?¡±
¡°Emotional feedback, strong enough to blot out all thought. At John and Sarah''s wedding, when they kissed, well, we didn''t quite need buckets of water but the pastor made some jokes about us all going off to enjoy the reception and seeing if they were still there after the food was eaten. They didn''t hear a word, or notice any significant time go past.¡±
¡°That''s quite an expression of love and delight in each other.¡±
¡°Yes. Or in other words, quite a moral hazard until our wedding day.¡±
¡°All is explained. Basically romantic talk is about expressing love, but you two don''t need to express your love to each other. You know it and experience it whenever you''re near.¡±
¡°Yes. Nicely put.¡±
¡°Thank you, Karen, for being so open about this. I don''t know how much is going to get into what I write, what I report on, but you''ve all made me so welcome. I''m glad I didn''t bottle out.¡±
¡°You were thinking of it?¡±
¡°Oh yes. A reporter with sources to hide going to visit a place full of thought readers? Crazy idea.¡±
¡°Is that why you''ve not asked for a demonstration? Normally it''s the first thing people ask for when we tell them.¡±
¡°Didn''t I get one when Kate came in?¡±
¡°I don''t think so. I think it''s much more likely she was just waiting outside the door. I hadn''t shut it after all.¡±
¡°Oh. Perhaps I would then. How do you normally demonstrate?¡±
¡°You think of how a song goes, or recite a poem to yourself, or mull over a question in the front of your brain. I take my gloves off and the touch of a finger is sufficient. Or we can both touch the same lump of metal. Same effect.¡±
¡°And I feel someone tickling my thoughts or what?¡±
¡°No. You feel absolutely nothing. You''re broadcasting, I just happen to have a receiver.¡±
¡°So your technical description could make it possible to build a device to read thoughts?¡±
¡°Potentially, yes. Interesting medical applications, horrible civil liberty implications.¡±
¡°And the same device would do both. That''s a horrible thought.¡±
¡°Yes. But actually, since you can easily recite nonsense or lies in your head, it''s not so very much worse than being able to bug a bedroom, say.¡±
¡°Until every lift and bus and pavement has thought scanners.¡±
¡°At which point everyone becomes duplicitous by nature or the glove industry becomes a national treasure.¡±
¡°Praise be to God for gloves!¡±
¡°Yes. The thing that concerns me is Sarah''s version of it. No contact necessary and she can pick up the feeling of a crowd. That suggests there''s something which people transmit which doesn''t need contact.
Normally her version of it''s hard on her actually. Manifests as a bad headache. If one is the power and the other is the gift, then Sarah has the pain. On the other hand, she says that whole-hearted public worship is the most beautiful thing she could imagine.¡±
¡°Interesting. Would you also demonstrate the gift to me?¡±
¡°That''s a tricky one. I can. But it''s not a toy. I recently demonstrated it in a way I thought was safe and immediately regretted it. I didn''t think and invaded someone''s privacy even by looking at only the most superficial level. I''d rather not without due cause.¡±
¡°But if I can give you due cause? Say I thought that there was someone in trouble?¡±
¡°Then if you''ll submit to me checking the truth of what you tell me, then I can find someone anywhere on the planet, tell what they''re thinking and feeling. Equally, I can find people by category so if you needed to know if someone is a prisoner I could find where they were and then see if there were prisoners there as a second step.¡±
¡°Even if that means exposing my contacts. OK, right. There''s someone I know, name of Eliza. Unfortunate background; her mother is dead and her father has recently been arrested, again. But, she told some friends of mine a while ago that her father had invited her to a foreign country for a holiday together, and they''ve just told me they havn''t seen her since. But if her father''s been getting himself arrested, then he can''t be with Eliza, so who invited Eliza to the foreign country? It''s not very much to go on, but I''m suspicious.¡±
¡°Bob, is her father by any chance Roland Underwood?¡±
¡°Yes. How...?¡±
¡°Eliza was kidnapped, but is now rescued and fine. Mummy didn''t know she existed until last Saturday. Roland had been claiming he was being blackmailed so we instantly checked. She actually managed to escape before she could be rescued, but some UN soldiers still went out to meet her. Good job too, she was almost out of fuel.¡±
¡°So if I''d known about your gift and asked you about this a week ago...¡±
¡°You''d have had a job. I was visiting home.¡±
¡°So much for my demonstration.¡±
¡°It would have been a good one. A very due cause. I''m sure you reporters have a rumour network. I''ll check with the others but I don''t think we''d object to the occasional, ¡®So and so seems to have vanished suspiciously, have they been kidnapped?¡¯ query. Not every missing person report, please, but cases where there is reasonable suspicion of foul play. From my point of view, that''s one of the reasons for going public. We have this God-given gift, but so often we''re afraid of using it because we''ll be found out, or people who need help aren''t asking for it because they have no idea help is possible. We don''t want to put the police out of a job, but you know, this gift could save a lot of people pain.¡±
¡°Have you thought of looking for kidnapped people as a category?¡±
¡°Very obvious question that hasn''t ever occurred to me, despite recent events. Excuse me if I tune out for a bit.¡± Bob saw her eyes glaze over.
Karen decided to ask everyone.
[Everyone, I have a question. Has anyone ever looked for kidnapped people as a category? Across a country, say? Once we go public, or for those of us who are already known to the authorities, is there any reason not to?]
The answers came in. In some countries the numbers would be overwhelming. Hagar of course could report what she''d done. It was the closest, but slightly more specific. There was discussion. If done regularly, then criminals would change tactics to something worse maybe. Police forces could become lazy and the gifted take their place. An everyday miracle is taken for granted. But yes, it would be possible in most places, and opinion seemed to be in favour of it as a demonstration when the paper on the gift went public. Enoch pointed out the implications for police forces. It could prove very difficult in countries where there were lots of victims. But yes. It was worth a try.
[Thank you, my brothers and sisters. Do you know we have a trusted reporter here? He will not name names or reveal identities, but we are explaining to him about the power and the gift. He will be reporting about them when we publish. May I tell him about this discussion? It was his idea to look for kidnapped people as a category.]
The consensus was yes. [We are not a secret society in any sense. We are merely people who want to help without getting lynched. Tell him that also, if you wish.]
¡°Bob, I have an answer for you,¡± Karen said, returning her focus to the room.
¡°You were gone about three minutes.¡±
¡°Is that all? I''d expected ten at least, given everything we talked about.¡±
¡°We?¡±
¡°Everyone gifted, awake and distractable.¡±
¡°Big discussion then.¡±
¡°Fairly. Twenty or so. Net result of the discussion: Something similar happened back home, as you probably have worked out, but that was more specific. No other people have such a good link with the authorities as exists here and there, but once we go public, then maybe through IHM as clearing house or through direct contact, then they''re all willing to try, as a demonstration to the authorities. In some countries there''re going to be so many that the police won''t be able to respond, but in most places it should be possible.¡±
¡°And you''re going to wait until then?¡±
Karen checked how Kate was getting on.
¡°There is a problem. If we foil every kidnap at three o''clock on Fridays, then that becomes a deadline when the criminals will kill. If we solve every kidnap as it happens, then the criminals will find another way of getting their money, police forces will become lazy and wait for the regular miracle. They''ll take it for granted. But on the other hand, if we could help but don''t, that''s not right either. But in answer to your question, no, we''re not going to wait. Kate''s on the phone right now to Security.¡±
That set him back. ¡°So quick?¡±
¡°Wouldn''t you, if you found out that there were three kidnapping victims in the country and you knew where they were? A modified quote from a friend of mine: We''re not thought police, we''re not a secret society, we''re just people who want to help without getting lynched. In this case help means to assist setting a few captives free.¡±
¡°But you don''t think you''ll put the police out of a job, or make them lazy?¡±
¡°We could be thought police, in which case we''d be assassination targets for a whole wide section of the underworld, not to mention everyone who wants to live in freedom. We''d end up living in worse fear of discovery than we do now. So, we''re not going to do the police out of a job. I don''t believe that this is why we''ve been given the gift. We should be available to people as a last resort, for emergencies, for finding people trapped after an earthquake. We are going to exercise our judgement in how we help and when. We''re not going to hide away or avoid every risk. In the last ten days I''ve told something like twenty-five people about my gift. I decided it was necessary. I have no control over who they tell, but I trust them not to.¡±
¡°And if that trust is misplaced? If they tell people that the ambassador''s daughter has the gift?¡±
¡°Then I could take up permanent residence in a safe house, which I''d absolutely hate, or become a public face for the gifted and we can see how long it is before I''m assassinated. I''m sort of used to that risk anyway, with my upbringing.¡±
From the doorway, George corrected her, ¡°Martyred, Karen. If we''re killed for an expression of our faith, which the gift surely is, then I''m pretty sure the term is martyrdom.¡±
¡°Oooh, sign me up. That''s so much more worthy,¡± Karen said, smiling.
¡°I don''t really think it''s a joke, Karen. On the other hand, if you''re going to be standing up in public as a target, then I''ll be right there with you. It wouldn''t be right otherwise.¡±
¡°Thank you, George. Was there any reason you came up except to affirm that you want to be joined with me in death as well as life?¡± [{love}]
¡°A request from Kate, if you''re finished with her, Bob?¡±
¡°I think I''ve got to write some notes and read Karen''s briefing before pizza time. So yes, thank you, Karen.¡±
¡°Kate says Security has brought us a new client and would you show her around, please.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m now designated tour guide?¡±
¡°I think you''ll want to talk to her, Karen. Her name is Eliza Underwood.¡±
Karen sprang up and rushed to the door, but crashed in a heap on the floor as she tangled her crutches. ¡°Owww. I hate these crutches!¡±
¡°More haste less speed, beloved,¡± George chided, helping her up. ¡°Just don''t damage your leg, it''s only been out of plaster two days! I want you to heal. She can wait a few more seconds. You know what the doctor said, take it easy and gradually increase the force you put on it. I don''t think sprinting is what he had in mind.¡±
¡°Give me that crutch, George. Let''s go and welcome her.¡±
Karen knocked on the small meeting room door and went in. ¡°Hello. Eliza?¡±
¡°Hello.¡± Slightly shy. ¡°You must be Karen, I heard about your leg. Your mother sends her love.¡±
¡°I''m very glad to meet you, Eliza. It''s not every day you meet a cousin. Another relative is here too ¡ª Sarah''s our third cousin, I''ll introduce you.¡±
¡°Oh! I hadn''t heard about that. Urm, your mother said that I should talk freely here... so let''s get it into the open. I have what she called the power.¡±
[Then we''ll need to make sure you know all about that too.] Karen sent her.
Eliza''s eyes went wide.
¡°I have the gift. God gave it to me so I could call for help when I broke my leg. If only we''d thought you might have the power, we could have talked to you during your escape. Oh well. Oh, other people around to say hello to, if you want, include Bob McDaniel who''s going to be doing some reporting about the Institute. He was just now asking me to check if you''d maybe been kidnapped.¡±
¡°A bit late.¡±
¡°Yes, but he didn''t know about the gift until an hour or so ago.¡±
¡°And his first thought was of me? I hardly know him.¡±
¡°How did you meet?¡±
¡°I went to a church, soon after my mum''s funeral. I wandered in, he was on the door greeting people. You know, hello, welcome, is it your first time, what''s your name. I told him mine and he did a double take and then said he was sorry to hear of my mother''s death, and he hoped I felt very welcome. And he meant it. That was the first time I''d been made to feel welcome as the first reaction to hearing my name. You know, by someone who knew who Dad is. I''m a bit of a mess where the whole family thing is concerned.¡±
¡°I can imagine. Mummy told me you study modern history? My fianc¨¦ George has some notorious relatives too. His full name''s George Kray.¡±
¡°Uh. Wow, as in the one-family crime wave?¡±
¡°Yes. Some of his cousins are still at large and on the wrong side of the law. But not all. If his young cousin May keeps on at the rate she''s going, I''m seriously considering nominating her for a post in government.¡±
¡°And would I be right in thinking that coming from you, that''d be very seriously considered?¡±
¡°Not as seriously as from Mummy, but probably more than if it came from most people, yes. One of the burdens of a high security clearance, I suppose.¡±
¡°Burdens?¡±
¡°I can''t just say, ¡®I think she''d do well,¡¯ without people automatically assuming that I''ve put her through rigorous tests or something.¡±
¡°Or investigated the inner workings of her mind?¡±
¡°Oh don''t please! I hadn''t thought of that aspect.¡±
¡°What''s it like?¡±
¡°Urm, what?¡±
¡°Knowing that you could peer into someone''s head and know everything that makes them tick, or stretch your mind across the world and solve every crime.¡±
¡°It''s not quite like that, Eliza. Take your power. Back home they''d call you a truth-sayer.¡±
¡°Yes, I''d heard. Fortunately they didn''t know about it when I was kidnapped, or I''d never have known where they put the car keys.¡±
¡°But you wouldn''t deliberatly listen to people next to you on a bus, would you?¡±
¡°No! That''d be invading their privacy.¡±
¡°And as a truth-sayer can you actually tell when someone¡¯s lying to you?¡±
¡°It depends. No, not really, not unless they think something like, ¡®I hope she''ll believe that.¡¯¡±
¡°I can hear or see those sorts of thoughts, without contact, anywhere in the world. I can also see the thoughts that lie behind them like ¡®She''s really precious to me and I don''t want to upset her.¡¯ I''m not sure of the range for those, but it''s certainly further than a few hundred miles. If I''m close ¡ª a hundred metres or so ¡ª I can choose to see the thoughts that lie behind them, all the way down to, oh I don''t know, what they believe God is like. And the other thoughts that are bouncing around in their head, like ¡®I wonder what''s for lunch today.¡¯ But if they''re not thinking about what they want to say to their mother then I can''t see it. And as for solving crimes, I don''t think I can find things or animals, only people. And I won''t solve every crime. We''re not thought police. I won''t invade someone''s thoughts except if they ask me, or they''re in need of help. Though there''s one exception to that.¡±
¡°What''s that?¡±
¡°I can send to people with the power, but the inverse isn''t true. If I''m going to have a mind to mind conversation with you across the world then I''m going to need to listen to your thoughts to know what you''re thinking back at me. And how can you tell me it''s OK to talk and for me listen in if I don''t listen to your thoughts?¡±
¡°That makes sense. A bit intrusive, but yes, it''s reasonable. But all this knowledge, it''s all just available to you at will?¡±
¡°Yes. I don''t need to ask God for the information, just reach out for it. So it''s a terrible temptation to abuse it, to know that I have this ability fully at my command. I guess that what God gives He can take away, but God seems to have simply given us the keys to knowledge of good and evil. It''s scary and demanding and it can kill us, but it comes with access to a place we call ¡®the peace,¡¯ which helps.¡±
¡°What''s the peace like?¡±
¡°I''m not very good at this, but... would you like me to show you?¡±
¡°Show me?¡±
¡°Two people with the power can send and receive thought pictures to each other. Now, my visual memory is rubbish, but I''m getting better... No, forget it, I''ll get George to show you instead, he''s much better at this. Unless you''d prefer it to be Sarah. I want to introduce you to her anyway.¡±
¡°Urm... have you just given away the names of two other people who have the gift?¡±
¡°Yes. Is that a problem?¡±
¡°I rather thought you were staying low profile, keeping your heads down in the face of potential attack, say from people like my dad, and you''re giving
out names as though they were on the church cleaning rota.¡±
¡°Eliza, you''re not going to keep this up, are you?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°This attitude that says you''re not trustworthy.¡±
¡°Why should I be worthy of trust, Karen?¡±
¡°Because you are.¡±
¡°That''s not very good logic, Karen.¡±
¡°Oh, all right! I''m going to call an expert.¡± [Sarah! Can you come and meet another third cousin, please? Eliza, Roland''s daughter. She''s pointing out that I''m being unreasonably trusting. I think you''re the expert in this area.]
[You feel she''s completely trustworthy?]
[I''m sure she is.]
[Interesting! I''ll bring John. She''s here for counselling anyway, she might as well meet him.]
[I have another gut feeling, Sarah... Take a look, please.]
[OK, Karen. I''ll check you out.]
Sarah focussed on Karen for a few seconds. She was right. There was a totally baseless trust of Eliza in her thoughts, just sort of sitting like a ball put in the middle of a garden. It wasn''t built on other things, it just was. Karen had other thoughts surrounding it. How had it got there? Who had put it there? Was it from God, or herself? If it was from God, then was there a reason for it? And there were other thoughts. Another strong one was that Eliza could do with a dose of the peace. That was also sitting there enormously in her mind, only loosely connected to what Karen knew about her. [John, Kate, George. Please can you meet us in the small meeting room? Karen has an interesting mental landscape and I''m developing a theory about it. You don''t want to miss this, if I''m right.]
[Don''t you dare do anything before I''m there {smile}!] Kate ordered.
[Hello, Eliza,] Sarah thought to her, sending to the others too. [I''m Sarah. Just so you know, I''ve just checked on Karen''s mental state. She''s got a totally baseless trust of you, sitting in the middle of her brain. And when I say baseless, I mean it''s not built on you being a relative or anything. It''s just there. What I''d like you to do while I and the others come to the room is to think and pray a little about who could have put that thought there, and why. Don''t bother answering me, I''m not listening to your thoughts.]
Eliza was a little shaken at this news and covered her head with her hands.
¡°I heard what Sarah said too,¡± Karen said. ¡°It sounds like good advice. I''m going to tune out for a bit, OK?¡±
And as Eliza prayed, Karen sought peace and rested for a little. And as the weariness of her body and the pain of her bruised knee washed away, she was even more certain. Eliza with her broken self-image and wounds from the kidnapping needed the peace. Not just to know what it looked like, for that was a worthless imitation. And she prayed there that Eliza might know it truly.
Eliza was getting worried. ¡°What''s happened to Karen? She said she was going to tune out for a bit, then when I looked up from praying she was just slumped there and I can''t seem to wake her!¡±
¡°She''s fine, Eliza. I''m George by the way, welcome! Did she tell you about the peace?¡±
¡°Yes. Her mind is there?¡±
¡°Yes. Medically it''s a strange state. Partial coma, but parts of the brain still working fine. As to what it''s like... it''s like having the peace of God which is better than understanding wash right over you.¡±
¡°The peace which guards your hearts and minds?¡±
¡°That''s the one.¡±
¡°I think I might be jealous. I''d love to experience that sort of peace. Right now my mind is in a bit of a turmoil. No, I''ll rephrase that. Since I''ve been rescued my mind has been in a massive turmoil.¡±
¡°That''s perfectly normal. You''ve been through a lot,¡± Kate said, coming in, followed by Sarah and John.
¡°You''ve met me, so you can guess this is Sarah. John is the man with the titanium leg. Since I''m going to run away to married bliss tomorrow, I''m afraid that you''ll have to do with John, at least until I''m back.¡±
¡°Thank you for the superlative recommendation, Kate,¡± John said with a smile.
¡°So, Sarah, would you like to tell us what''s going round Karen''s mind, since she''s decided to opt out for the moment?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Well, I''d guess that she''s enjoying the peace right now, Kate, but it''s really very simple. Karen trusts Eliza completely. Eliza, could you tell us what you think about that?¡±
¡°It''s just so totally crazy. My dad almost got her kidnapped into a forced marriage, by the sounds of it organised a torture spree across this city, and probably would still be causing chaos if he hadn''t got lazy.¡±
¡°That''s your dad, Eliza, not you,¡± Kate said, gently.
¡°OK, so what about me? The first day I was held captive, I prayed, asking that God would get me out of there before anything bad happened to me. The third day I prayed that even if I wasn''t going to get out of there without a beating, then at least Ibrahim wouldn''t rape me (he''d threatened to). The seventh day I prayed that I''d at least stay sane even if I did get raped. The fourteenth day I prayed that I wouldn''t kill myself if I lost my sanity. The twenty-first day I prayed that whatever happened, I''d stay faithful. The twenty-sixth day I told God that if He''d help me to, then I''d serve Him heart, body, mind and soul. The twenty-eighth day they had an enormous argument about what to do now that Ibrahim was a prisoner and I got out of there through using my power against them and stealing a car, and as I was driving away I comforted myself with the thought that even if one of them did catch up with me on a motorbike I was driving a big heavy car and could probably crush him against a barrier or something and still make it to the city. How is that serving the Lord with all my heart, body, mind and soul? I''m just as much a self-serving piece of scum as my father. I''m just an untrustworthy, deceitful failure as a Christian and totally unworthy of any help at all, and here you are all gathered round me as though I was going to sprout wings and fly or something.¡± Tears were running down her face by now and Kate wrapped her in her arms.
George asked, ¡°Eliza, didn''t you have classes in situational ethics? Self-defence?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°If you''re illegally held prisoner, no one would condemn you of theft for using a car you found there to get out. What else could you do? And as for planning to mash someone out to kill you, that seems pretty reasonable to me too. You woudn''t have reversed over them once they''d fallen off their bike, would you?¡± Eliza shook her head.
¡°I have another question, Eliza,¡± Karen said. ¡°How did you know about the keys?¡±
¡°While one of them was retying the knots ¡ª they did that every day ¡ª I heard him think, ¡®Oh bother, the car keys are still in my pocket, I must put them back on the hook in the hall.¡¯ But somehow, he didn''t tie my knots properly, and when they were having their argument I managed to slip my hands out.¡±
¡°And he thought that in English?¡±
¡°Urm, he must have. No, I remember thinking it was odd I understood him.¡±
¡°Did he say something like this?¡± and she said a sentence in Deborah''s native language.
¡°Well, it''s probably the same language. But I didn''t understand a word.¡±
¡°Eliza, could we hold hands while I think it to you?¡± she asked, and holding Eliza''s hand she thought, once again in her second language, [My cousin, you have the gift.]
¡°What do you mean I have the gift?¡± Eliza asked, shocked, ¡°And how did I understand you? You thought the same thing didn''t you?¡±
¡°You sprouted wings a while ago, Eliza,¡± Sarah said. ¡°It''s just that none of us realised it. Only the gift would let you understand thought in a language you don''t know. Of course you¡¯re trustworthy. God doesn''t make mistakes and the gift you''ve been entrusted with is not for those that cannot withstand temptation.¡±
[Now, my cousin, my sister of gifting, think of peace and relax like {this}, and let the healing peace of God wash away your doubt.]
Eliza tried to do what Sarah had said. She knew she hadn''t done it right, and tried again and again. [Like this,] she felt a massive presence guide her, and knew she would be able to do it again whenever she chose.
[Welcome, my daughter, do not hold onto your doubts, for you are worthy of trust,] came the gentle, healing thought of that massive presence, bigger than the universe and more caring than any mother. And then He who is, the living one, withdrew.
Eliza realized that here her doubts were somehow separate from her, and obediently she let them go. The current of the peace snatched them away and banished them further than East is from West.
Bob, having skimmed the basic reports and decided to leave the envelope for later, had decided to go down to talk to Eliza if the door wasn''t closed. It wasn''t but the sight that met him wasn''t what he''d expected at all.
Six people, round the table, all looking like they''d been hit by sleep-gas, except that there wasn''t even a sign of worry, nor was there the residual lemon smell that sleep-gas left.
John was closest to the door, and he checked him for a pulse. There, not particularly weak. He was just deciding that he needed to fetch Janet when Karen looked up.
¡°Hi Bob.¡± She didn''t sound stressed or anything. If anything he''d have said that she was entirely un-stressed. ¡°In case you''re wondering this is what we look like when we''re having what you might call a mental vacation to a better place.¡±
¡°A better place? You mean heaven?¡±
¡°Not as Scripture describes it, no. More a rest area for tired and stressed brains, where we cool down faster and are very aware of the peace of God.¡±
¡°So it''s more like a meditative trance?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. Could you have a conversation while in a trance?¡±
¡°Urm, not from what I understand about it.¡±
¡°Not one of those either then.¡±
¡°So you''re fully conscious?¡±
¡°Fully conscious, but according to Janet the bits of our brains dealing with voluntary motor control and the senses are pretty close to turned off. Kate tells us that there''s still a tiny bit of pain response, oh and if we''ve been overdoing it we can feel the heat in our brains. As I say, a very good place to rest. Or, as occurred to me last week, a good place to wait if someone is torturing you.
If Eliza wakes up a bit blissed out, then that''s only because your first exposure is always pretty gob-smacking, let alone when the Almighty drops in for a few words.¡±
¡°God spoke to her?¡±
¡°Yes. Reassured her that she really is a trustworthy person.¡±
¡°I knew that.¡±
¡°But she doubted. Not the best attitude to have when you have the gift.¡±
¡°You prayed that she''d receive the Gift? Isn''t that going to be a bit hard on her?¡±
¡°Not guilty, your honour,¡± Karen said, with a relaxed smile. ¡°She''s had it a week at least, that''s how she was able to escape, only she didn''t realise it.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
[Karen?] It was Enoch''s voice.
[Hi, Enoch. Trouble?]
[Not here. I had a feeling I should look in on you all.]
[Ah. You should probably visit the peace instead. Say hi to Eliza.]
[Eliza?]
[Had the power all her life but newly gifted. She''s been through a hard time, received the gift about a week ago but didn''t know it. We pointed out to her that the only way to understand the thoughts of someone whose language you don''t understand is by the gift. She needed the peace so we showed her how to reach it.]
[I''ll introduce myself.]
[Do.]
¡°Your eyes glazed over. Talking to someone?¡±
¡°Yes, only about eleven time zones away. He got told to check in. I told him to go introduce himself to Eliza. He''s a pretty good teacher.¡±
[Don''t tell him that, he''ll get all proud.]
[Hi Rose, have you met Eliza yet?]
[Yes. Enoch wouldn''t believe me when I said you were all in the peace.]
[I was told to leave. Mr. McDaniel here was getting worried.]
[Oh. I''ll leave you chatting then. Pass on my appreciation for the bit on your royal family. Very good reporting.]
Karen''s eyes regained focus once more and seemed to sparkle.
¡°That was his wife. She asked me to pass on her appreciation for your very good reporting on the royal family.¡±
¡°Are you going to have more of these interruptions?¡±
¡°I have no idea. They were told to point their minds this way. I don''t know quite why.¡±
¡°I do,¡± George said. ¡°Eliza and Enoch are just comparing family trees. It looks like they''re related on her mother''s side.¡±
¡°I don''t think I even know Enoch''s surname. Oh, yes I do. So he said his surname and it matched?¡±
¡°A bit more complex, but yes. She''s researched her mother''s family tree and
when she heard Enoch''s surname, she asked, ¡®I don''t suppose you''re a relative of so and so¡¯.¡±
¡°And all the time she''s healing?¡± Karen asked.
¡°I''m sure she is,¡± John said, ¡°but I need some help with the pizzas. Could you come?¡±
¡°Of course!¡± Karen and George answered in unison.
¡°John, I couldn''t help noticing your leg. With your name and a metal leg...¡±
¡°I did warn you, John!¡± Karen laughed. ¡°Let''s see how long it is before he''s on to Sarah, shall we?¡±
¡°Just don''t ask her, OK, Bob? Sarah''s slightly allergic to reporters and might scream at you. She''s got a really effective scream.¡± Something about the way John talked about her scream triggered a memory in Bob''s mind and he looked at Sarah again. Click. ¡°I''m guessing your wife was something like ten or eleven during the Clear Sky attack. Losing both her parents at that age must have been terrible, and I can imagine that reporters hounding her didn''t help. I won''t ask her.¡±
¡°Thank you, Bob,¡± John answered, just as Sarah opened her eyes.
¡°What are we thanking Bob for, John?¡±
¡°Not being too much of a reporter.¡±
¡°Ah. Karen was right then?¡±
¡°I was. Sorry.¡±
¡°Well, he''s not able to report on us, is he?¡±
¡°Not in the context of working here, no...¡± Bob replied, with a little twinkle in his eye this time.
Sarah noticed it. ¡°That sense of humour could get you in trouble, Bob.¡±
¡°Sarah, if Bob will be very good, then I wonder if you''d like to tell him about your interesting experiments outside the Institute,¡± Karen suggested. ¡°I think your diamonds are the sort of thing that some of his fellow journalists would be interested in.¡±
¡°I suppose you could be right. If he''s good.¡±
¡°You''re being deliberately cruel, aren''t you? Dropping hints at a story and not giving me any details about it?¡±
Karen and Sarah both laughed. ¡°Who, us?¡±
¡°Please! Have mercy! At least tell me what story I''m not getting yet.¡±
¡°Oh, all right,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Headline is ''Up to one gigabyte of data per carat on say, an engagement ring''.¡±
¡°Or a lot more if you don''t mind turning your beautiful gem diamond into something that would make Sarah cry,¡± Karen added.
¡°But it would still sparkle and cut class?¡± Bob asked.
¡°Wretched, wretched man! Destroyer of beauty! Vandal! Murderer!¡± Sarah said, almost convincingly.
¡°Calm down, beloved, he didn''t mean it. Say you didn''t mean it, Bob, and don''t mention the Z word, or I can''t answer for your safety.¡±
¡°I didn''t mean it. Honest! But joking aside, you can turn an engagement ring into a data-crystal? I''m sure that there are people who''d be fascinated at the possibilities. I presume Security know about this, Karen?¡±
¡°I can neither confirm nor deny,¡± Karen said primly.
¡°That''s all right then. Yes, there is a sort of insiders-only journal, yes, there would be interest, and yes, an interview with the designer would be very much appreciated unless you just want to be crassly commercial and advertise.¡±
¡°I don''t want to advertise. Production runs are small, and a very large part of the point is that people don''t expect them.¡±
¡°Indeed. Perhaps an article which doesn''t actually talk about them would be better.¡±
¡°Interesting idea. There''s Kate''s ring of course too. Panic button and I.D.¡±
¡°In an engagement ring?¡± Bob was amazed.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°That''s astounding. Can I make notes?¡±
¡°No, I''m not telling you any of this unless we get the pizzas ready on time.¡±
¡°Yes, maam!¡±
Bob agreed with Karen. The pizzas were good. Very good. Like the company. He decided that early retirement didn''t seem nearly as attractive as it had earlier that morning.
Disclosure / Ch. 2: Bobs First Report
Book 3: Disclosure / Ch. 2:Bob''s First Report
Monday, August 28th, 9am
As you approach the Institute for the Human Mind, you see a grand entrance, fit for royalty. Where a modern building might have a few well-defined bushes or perhaps some lights subtly marking the edge of a path, all suitable for automatic sweepers to do their tasks efficiently, the Institute has beautifully manicured gardens which seem to speak of care, reliability, solidity and civic pride.
It feels like stepping back in time to an earlier age. Indeed it was founded in an earlier age, before the restoration of our monarchy, and while there have been changes, the gardens have always been there.
There was, admittedly, a brief period when essential maintenance work a decade or so ago meant that they were moved aside. Not dug up and replanted, you must understand, but the sections of the garden were actually raised on hydraulic jacks and moved to one side to enable access below them. This would have been impossible, had it not been for the foresight and attention to detail of the original architects, who designed in jacking points for the slabs on which the garden sits, just in case. They designed the building to last, and the Institute has lasted. It has survived the ravages of the years of chaos, it has survived the turmoil during the change of the constitution, it has survived riots, bombs and assassination attempts. The Institute has continued, following the
pattern set by its founders all those years ago. Universities have grown and withered and closed down or disappeared in mergers, but the Institute remained and still continues its work today, helping to unravel the secrets of one of the most incomprehensible parts of all creation, the human mind. Such an institute, such an institution, must attract attention, but in the long history of the Institute, few reporters have passed its doors. It is therefore, I feel, an immense privilege for me that I have been granted permission to be here, to spend time among the people that work here, and to report about their work. There are reporting restrictions. Not set by the Institute, but by the United Nations in plenary session. One of the rare occurrences where total unanimity was reached. One of the vanishingly small occurrences where every country of the world has enshrined the UN decision into law. I must not report any specific details about the clients or the staff. I must not say anything that might identify people who work or visit here, where they come from or where they live. In short, I must not make it any more dangerous than it is already for the people for whom this place is work, clinic or assessment centre to come here. Perhaps the next person due through these doors after me is a child with an injured skull, or perhaps it is a businessman or head of state. I must not tell. I am informed that there have been times when senior generals from opposing sides in a war have been treated here at the same time. I don''t know if they met, but the UN declaration is clear, our law is clear. This is neutral ground. Everyone here is protected, whether they work here or as they come or go. This is a place of safety where personal secrets can be uttered in the sure knowledge that they will not be repeated. This is a place of safety where damaged heads can be repaired and damaged minds helped to heal. I would not desire to interfere with that noble purpose in any way. But that is only one aspect of the Institute. In my coming reports I will be able to share some of the work that the experts, geniuses and dogged researchers who labour here are carrying out, talk about results that might surprise my listeners, challenge long held beliefs, or even cause new laws to be written. Devices that were, until only recently, thought to be theoretically impossible have been designed and built. Studies are being readied for journals which will clearly lay out incontrovertible evidence that will challenge established wisdom, and the world will listen and be changed. The Institute, however, shows every sign of continuing for another fifty, hundred or two hundred years. And so I invite you to come with me, where cameras do not come and reporters do not report. I invite you to come with me, into the Institute.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
¡°What do you think?¡± Bob asked Kate.
¡°Oooh, can I work there, please? It sounds like a fascinating place.¡±
¡°Silly, you do.¡±
¡°Hey, who are you calling silly?¡±
¡°I''m calling silly the newly-wed young woman I can see who''s wearing a body which is much too mature for her real age.¡±
¡°Oh, flattery! Did you hear that, Pete? Learn!¡±
¡°I heard it, Kate my love. I don''t need to flatter you, you can just look inside my skull and know how much I adore you. I''m not actually sure it was flattery though. If you turn it round then he''s calling you emotionally immature or old and decrepit.¡±
¡°Oooh, you beast. I''ll get you for that.¡±
¡°Later, love. Later.¡±
¡°OK, Pete, you''re on. Bob, I think it''ll do very very well. It certainly makes me want to watch the next report. And you''ll be broadcasting them at mid-day?¡±
¡°Just after the lunchtime news slot on Mondays and Thursdays, with an evening repeat, yes. Albert didn''t want there to be too much of a delay between the journal publications arriving first thing in the morning and my reports going out.¡±
Disclosure / Ch. 3: Bobs Tenth Report
Book 3: Disclosure / Ch. 3: Bob''s Tenth Report
Wednesday, September 27th, afternoon
I report today on a momentous event that I knew was coming. How could I not know, having been reporting from the Institute all these weeks?
I hope you will understand by now, having heard my earlier reports, about the care and attention to detail that the researchers of the Institute have put into the article that has come out in Nature today.
The researchers have checked and double checked their answers and demonstrated them to many independent scientists. This is not a repeat of the unfortunate cases of the past, where data was published that was later found not to be reproducible. The editors of Nature have no desire to be victims of a hoax or to publish unreliable results. They''ve been double checking and triple checking everything.
There have been some people who have wondered that I have sometimes been wearing gloves in my reports. Now you see the answer. It is normal here at the Institute to wear gloves, as I expect that it will be more common in the world as a whole. I have no wish to impose my wandering thoughts on those here who can hear them, and they can no more turn off their ability than I can turn off my ears. Gloves protect against accidental contact, and so avoid me accidentally informing the woman I''m interviewing that I really don''t think that new dress suits her. It is no accident either that you might have observed gloves being worn by various figures in government, media or business. When evidence was first found of this potential in some people, the Institute immediately began to study it. But it was also under a moral obligation to warn its clients and suggested that gloves seemed to work. Every study since had confirmed this, except for very thin gloves on wet hands. Once the warning was out, inevitably, human nature took its course and rumours have spread. Now, the truth behind the rumours is available to all.
There are people who have a limited ability to hear the top level, almost spoken thoughts of others. It was described to me quite simply: everyone broadcasts, a few people can receive. I''m not one of those who can receive, but I''ve been a willing guinea-pig on occasions. I can do this, Me, a reporter with sources I have to hide, because of the nature of the ability and the very strict ethical rules that the researchers here work to. They came up with a legally enforceable contract that says spreading what they learn by their abilities will cost them at the very least their jobs and half their personal wealth. By the nature of their ability ¡ª or rather by the nature of my thought transmission, they can only hear the things I''m saying to myself. So it would have been very unlikely that my mind wander so far during the tests we were doing that I give away secrets. But even if it had, the Institute''s been a safe place for secrets for a long time.
In some countries, what the Institute publishes today will be greeted with utter disbelief, in others there will be surprise it was worth publishing. Has anyone published a paper reporting that some people actually lose their hair when they get older?
I repeat again, I''ve talked to people who thought this was common knowledge. Why has the West been so wilfully ignorant? And it is wilful. Journals have refused to publish articles describing this ability before. For some reason our culture has refused to accept reality and today the Institute has given us evidence to show us that our disbelief was wrong.
Thought-hearing seems to be a rare genetic ability, and was surely a useful skill in the days of primitive hunters, passing messages to one another in silence. Now, to those who have this ability, the overwhelming opinion I''ve met is that it is a complete pain. For those who have it, it makes a mockery of the social conventions of saying, ¡°How are you, oh, I''m fine¡± as you shake hands, because the speaker who said they were fine then mentally ticks a list of every ache and pain. So the thought hearer wishes we''d all wear gloves, and that we''d keep them on when greeting each other. Really, they don''t want to hear about your haemorrhoids. Or consider the poor teenage thought-hearer, out for a first date, as the boy opposite holds her hand and thinks loudly about all the faults she has while saying how her eyes are so beautiful. That date might have gone a lot better if gloves had been worn.
But of course there are also crooks in any population of humans. Not many, but a few. And a thought hearing crook is going to hear ample information to further their career in blackmail, information theft and corruption if we don''t wear gloves, or more precisely avoid any sort of skin to skin contact, or skin to metal to skin contact.
Now, I''d like to reassure you all that the glove making industry has been warned about the likely surge in demand, and major clothing stores similarly. There shouldn''t be a shortage, and if you decide that on balance you need gloves before you leave home this morning then the winter gloves granny knitted for you all those years ago are just as good at preventing your thoughts leaking as anything available from the shops, although perhaps a little less fashionable.
Speaking of which, you might have seen fashion magazines suggesting gloves for the past few months also. I don''t know that this was because of direct contact from the Institute, but rumours have been spreading among the fashionable, as I said, and I''m sure the psychologists of the Institute know that some deliberate rumour spreading can help to prevent panic when the truth comes out.
Now about those rumours I''ve heard. The old favourite, the hat lined with tin foil, does not work. Plate-mail armour has not been tested yet, but I can''t see it being preferable to a simple pair of gloves. Actually, since metal conducts thoughts quite well, I expect that the only reason it might work would be the padding worn underneath.
Other forms of metallic undergarment are similarly ineffective. This isn''t radio. Our bodies seem to vibrate slightly as we think, not with the actual sounds we''d like to say, but with a representation of them. The mind of a sensitive person can, does, interpret this vibration through their sense of touch and feeds it into the same place our ears connect to. The vibration is very small, and the signal is confused by the minute electrical noises around us. Touching gets rid of that interference and also helps the reception of the vibration. Clothing blocks both the vibration and the electrical connection.
Some of you might wonder about what happens in a swimming pool, for there there is electrical contact and water transmits sound well. It seems though that it doesn''t transmit thoughts very well, or rather it transmits the vibrations so well, so fast, that the signal your brain normally picks up on isn''t there. Unless you''re very close indeed. An engaged couple at the Institute volunteered to test just how close they needed to be to pick up each others'' thoughts in the pool. The result was that they didn''t hear anything until they were practically in a close embrace. They claim that for decency''s sake they abandoned the experiment having made this discovery, and carried on to enjoy their swim together.
Well, they would, wouldn''t they. Since of course this experiment wasn''t carried out under strict laboratory conditions, you''ll have to make do with this anecdotal evidence. But I hope that you can be reassured, and I''m sure you''ll all join me in wishing them every blessing on their upcoming wedding.
¡°You cannot transmit that, Bob!¡± Karen said, outraged. ¡°It''s half lies anyway.¡±
¡°I have to agree, Bob,¡± Kate said. ¡°I know there''s such a thing as poetic license, but no. Too much innuendo, too much fabrication, and since you say that it''s an engaged couple, that uniquely identifies Karen and George among the staff.¡±
¡°What about Ivan and Janet?¡± Bob asked.
¡°They''re not official yet.¡±
¡°But it''s so much better than saying that they got into a tank in the cellar but the harnesses they were in to keep it all scientific didn''t let them get closer than five millimetres,¡± Bob said.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡°I''m sure it is. But still, you''re embarrassing them.¡±
¡°Personally, I''d find the experimental set-up an embarrassment,¡± Bob replied.
Karen blushed. ¡°It was. How come John and Sarah weren''t in it? I thought his leg was waterproof and she came up with the harness idea.¡±
¡°He''s waterproof up to a point, but was worried that the straps might open the maintenance slot,¡± Sarah said. ¡°And I couldn''t convince him it''d be fun.¡±
¡°It wasn''t. The thermostat on that tank must be dodgy because we were freezing by the end.¡±
¡°Oh. Sorry. That was my mistake,¡± admitted Kate. ¡°I didn''t know there was cooling circuits there too, and I turned it down.¡±
¡°Kate! We said it was getting cold, didn''t you hear? It was hardly above room temperature by the end!¡±
¡°So, if Kate stays away from the thermostat and we adjust the harnesses so you can get closer...¡± started Sarah.
¡°No! I refuse to get back in that torture chamber until you turn it into a civilized jacuzzi, without a scary big lid threatening to fall on us all the time, and without a thermostat which can be set to freeze or boil!¡±
¡°Don''t exaggerate, Karen,¡± Kate said. ¡°The sense deprivation tank doesn''t go below ten or above fifty.¡±
¡°Bob, do you know what are the limitations of long term human survival in water?¡±
¡°I''m not sure, but I''d prefer it closer to body temperature if I were getting in.¡±
¡°Can we get back to the subject? Whatever are we going to do with Bob''s message to the world?¡±
¡°Tests have shown that even with a piece of metal joining them, there is no thought transfer between two people in a swimming pool, until they are less than five millimetres apart,¡± Sarah intoned in her best dispassionate voice. ¡°No, that sounds like it would work at five millimetres, and we don''t even know that. I mean, the tight net was made for a good scientific study, but unless we actually describe it all then it''s hardly broadcastable. Bob''s attempt is actually better from that point of view.¡±
¡°Bob, if you cut out the bit about us being engaged, and all the stuff about going off for a romantic swim, what does it sound like?¡±
¡°A couple at the Institute volunteered to test just how close they needed to be to pick up each others'' thoughts in the pool. The result was that they didn''t hear anything until they were practically in a close embrace. They claim that for decency''s sake they abandoned the experiment having made this discovery.¡±
¡°That sounds mostly OK to me,¡± Karen said. ¡°We''re not identified ¡ª plenty of couples here, and we were practically in a close embrace, but can we make it ¡®even when¡¯ instead of ¡®until''?¡±
¡°I guess so. You didn''t hear or feel a thing?¡±
¡°I only felt a growing sense of numbness.¡±
¡°That could be a factor, actually,¡± Sarah said. ¡°All right, children, if Karen and George won''t do it, then I''m not going to do anything as undignified as squeezing into that tank, but I''ll lure Pete into the town pool and see what we can prove, OK?¡±
¡°Oh, it''s OK. As long as it''s a quick check and the water''s nice and warm I''ll try again. Just no innuendo or romantic swim, OK? And don''t say it wasn''t scientific conditions, because I don''t think there''s any other reason that''d get me into that contraption.¡±
¡°What did George think of it?¡±
¡°I''m going to have to be convincing,¡± Karen admitted.
[George love?]
[Yes?]
[They think that because the water was so cold it might have affected the results. Kate turned the temperature down, didn''t realise there was a heat pump, apparently.]
[She didn''t see the big dial reading heat pump output temperature?]
[Apparently not.]
[So I need to get within millimetres of your beautiful body in a tight fitting swimsuit again?]
[Yes, George. If you think you can.]
[It''s not that I can''t do it, Karen, you know that. It''s a question of can I do it and keep my thoughts under control.]
[George, your love for me is more powerful than lust. You know that, I know that. And if you need to be reminded of that in the middle of the night sometime, then by all means wake me up to talk and we''ll pray together.]
[Thank you, Karen.]
[You know that it''s entirely appropriate that we desire each other, just as it''s appropriate that we demonstrate our love by helping each other withstand it.]
[I know. So why do we have an engagement longer than a week?]
[To give us a chance to tell people, of course, and because it''s custom.]
[Silly custom. We''ve told people, haven''t we? It''s not like we''re going to discover anything about each other that will stop the marriage.]
[Plus I can''t wear the dress while I still have these crutches, George. And I do want to wear the dress. And for you to do your witness bit.]
[I love you, Karen.]
[I love you too, George. So, back into the tank?]
[You get in first, please.]
[Of course, I wouldn''t want to tempt you beyond reason, George.]
[It sounded like there was some idea of temptation within reason there, Karen.]
[Not really. Just, I was thinking that it''s been a long time since we hugged, and I like your hugs, George. If water really stops feedback...]
[You''d like to just try hugging and see if we can?]
[Yes. Is that bad?]
[Well, being half naked and risking triggering feedback doesn''t sound like the most sensible idea, my love. But if we trigger it we can always hide, as long as we don''t totally lose our heads, you know, like John and Sarah did.]
[I did ask Sarah about it. They were married, pretty sure that they''d be alert enough not to strip off there and then in front of the whole church, and so they enjoyed it for what they thought was a second or two.]
[Hmm. Whereas we''re considering being relatively private, already pretty much
stripped off, and seeing if we can enjoy a hug without feedback?] George asked, suspiciously.
[Yes, urm, totally different. Perhaps it is a bit too much like playing with temptation.]
[I think so, Karen. Let''s do some fully clothed hugging while hidden some time, and avoid the possibility of massive feedback. You know how proximity and degree of contact makes it worse.]
[It could be totally unstoppable with that much available skin, you mean?]
[I think the best way to test that is wait until we''re married, Karen, don''t you?]
[You''re on. Sometime in total privacy. Just in case we need to help the feedback along.]
[Karen!]
[George, we''re going to be married soon. We need to talk about these things.]
[I know. Just not immediately before I get the chance to caress bits of you
I mustn''t.]
[Sorry. I''m not exactly helping you resist, am I, putting all this temptation your way.]
[I wonder if I should talk to John.]
[It sounds like a very very good idea. Did you hear about his first wife at all?]
[Only that she was killed in Clear Sky mall attack, like Sarah''s parents.]
[Sarah found a picture of her once, found it impossible to imagine how he even noticed her.]
[Sarah''s not bad looking, Karen! Nothing compared to you, of course.]
[Beauty''s in the eye of the beholder. I expect John would say the same about me. But his first wife''s appearance was up in the glamour model, film star levels.]
[I never thought glamour models looked that special, but OK, I get your point. Partly. Where are you going with this?]
[He was about your age, marrying someone the world (George Kray excepted) would consider a woman of exquisite beauty, who also happened to have great social skills and a brain capable of a PhD. I expect he can give some advice in handling temptation.]
[You''re trying to convince me that I''ve got an easier challenge?]
[No, George. Just that his hormone levels were almost certainly as high as yours.]
[I think you should talk to Sarah more too. Your hormones seem fairly excitable too.]
[Let''s just think about that delightful contraption instead of anything else. That is not romantic, is it?]
[No.]
¡°So, final version is as before until the challenged bit and it now continues like this.
¡°To address this issue, a couple at the Institute volunteered yesterday afternoon to settle the question once and for all of just how close they needed to be to pick up each others'' thoughts when in the pool. The result was that they didn''t hear anything even when they were practically in a close embrace. They claim that for decency''s sake they abandoned the experiment having made this discovery.
Actually, to be fair and honest, and to show you the lengths to which they''re willing to go in the interests of science, I will describe the apparatus which they subjected themselves to at great amusement to the rest of us and embarrassment to themselves. They were each tied, upright, to a separate piece of nylon fence material held taught in a frame. This was to make sure that the separation between them could be measured with reasonable accuracy.
Then, their respective frames were moved progressively closer together in the water. We tried to hold their heads above water and succeeded most of the time. I might add that they were back to back to keep them in the dark about how close they were and for anatomical reasons I don''t need to go into. When they were within three millimetres of each other, in other words when the two pieces of nylon were touching, they still couldn''t hear each others'' thoughts. They tried holding a metal pipe, which would transmit their thoughts more than a metre above water, and the result was the same.
Only when we cut holes in the net and allowed them to hold both hands and touch feet did they report that they could just about hear each other, but it was very hard. In case anyone''s wondering if the nylon had anything to do with it, the answer is no.
I don''t need to tell you that you''d certainly notice someone that close to you in a real situation. It therefore seems that one of the best places to be in order to keep your thoughts to yourself is in a swimming pool. This is Bob McDaniel, reporting to you from inside the Institute.¡±
Disclosure / Ch. 4: Security Concerns
Book 3: Disclosure / Ch. 4:Security Concerns
Thursday, 28th September, 3pm
¡°So, Bob''s report has already been watched by a large proportion of the population, and even more will watch it tonight.
Nature has distributed its copies, news reports are filled with the shocking revelation, people all over the place know about the Institute but would-be protesters don''t know how to get here? And that¡¯s because there are hardly any maps on the net showing our true location and there are some fakes?¡± Ed asked. It was a special staff meeting, and Kate had just given a status report.
¡°Yes,¡± Kate confirmed. ¡°The fake map fixes were Ivan''s idea, but Security approved and got them out there. People who live near here know where we are, of course, and someone was bound to put something on the net if there was nothing. So there are now about thirty different sites marked on the different map services as being here. According to them, we''re at such places as the city water treatment works, in the middle of the park or the river, and my personal favourite, the monkey house at the old city zoo. There seem to be copycat actions from other people too. Someone''s given directions to find us: ''From Atlantis, take the dragon two stops towards Shangri-la.'' The real location or valid directions of course are covered by the reporting restrictions. Security have checked that all the providers give the relevant warning if people try to put anything new about the IHM on the net, so no one can say they weren''t warned. There haven''t been any infractions so far. So everyone¡¯s hoping that all this means that I don''t need to call up ¡®UN¡¯ forces.¡±
¡°What happens about transports?¡± Horrace asked. ¡°I''ve had them
bring me here by name. Couldn''t
any would-be protesters use them to get here?¡±
¡°They have an accurate address, of course. But if someone not on Security''s list asks to come here then they''ll get asked if they want to be patched through to us for approval.¡±
¡°Ah. So if they want to come and look at your famous gardens...?¡± Bob asked.
¡°Then we tell them that unfortunately the security barrier is up at the moment, but that they can come for the guided tour at 6pm if they wish.¡±
¡°Who''s doing the guided tours?¡±
¡°We''ve got the local school involved. That was Pete''s idea. The gardening team poured knowledge, wisdom and the odd joke into the kids¡¯ receptive ears and they lapped it up. Some of the kids are really interested in helping out in the gardens regularly, especially since I mentioned that they''d get paid for their work.¡±
¡°That''s great. And what does Fred think of all this extra help?¡±
¡°I think his exact words were, ¡®They''ll last as long as a flash in the pan, they''ll never last, and probably fertilise the weeds and dig up the flowers. Be good to get some young blood involved of course. I''ll try and teach them a thing or two, make sure they don''t mix up the fertiliser with the coffee.¡¯ So I think we''ll call that overwhelming enthusiasm from him.¡±
Fred, the head gardener and only full time member of the gardening team had a bit of a reputation as a grumpy old man, which he worked hard to maintain. It was hard work for him, since he was really very enthusiastic about his work and wasn''t that old either.
¡°So, as far as any protesting mobs go, it''s most likely to start out as a parade starting from a big meeting somewhere with a guide or be locally organised by word of mouth?¡±
¡°We expect so. Of course word of mouth just means someone telling their friends, ¡®I''ve just found something interesting,¡¯ and attaching their location. But the computer is on higher than normal alert for unusual outside activity and the barriers are up during normal work hours. Karen is going to tell us all about making it safer for us to go home now.¡±
¡°You''ve probably heard at least some of this all before, but please don''t turn off. We''re more exposed now, and because of the extra publicity threat levels are going to be higher for a while. We know there are bad guys around, some of them have the power, others have contacts, employees or employers with it. We''ve just upset them. They might try something crude like a direct attack on anyone working here, or they could try something a little more creative, like grabbing someone and finding out who they should really be upset with. Now, those of us most involved in the publication are happy to say that this was all because of God. He got us here, all at the same time, He gave us the gift, and so on. So if someone asks me whose bright idea it was to spoil their game, I''ll tell them it was God. Some people might react badly to that, so our plan is to make sure they don''t get me or you. I hope you''ve all got panic buttons, and that you don''t leave them behind, ever. Over to Sarah for a bit.¡±
¡°Just in case you think a panic button is a big and clumsy thing with a siren or torch or both attached, they''re not. The big clumsy aspect is to make them easier for mum to notice when her kids left it somewhere. In fact they''re tiny. Mine was surgically implanted when I was a child, Kate''s ring has one in it, and I''ve brought one along here, in this little bag. Here''s a magnifying glass to go with it, please pass it round carefully, it is live and we don''t want to call out the police, do we? The circuit is in the little black bead, the big grey bit is the switch, and the silver cylinder is a ten year battery. As you see, it''s not exactly big and it can theoretically be built into practically anything. The biggest problem is finding the trigger when you''re in a panic and not triggering it by accident. That''s the other reason for the big plastic shell. Ladies, if you want a ring with one behind the stone, I''ll give you the address of a jeweller who''ll give you a discount if you say I sent you. Men, I''m guessing that you don''t want a ring with a stone in it, but my jeweller friend also does cuff-links and pens. You can also find plenty of suppliers on the Net for other things like umbrellas or wrist units with them built in. These are all going to cost more than the plastic things that are mass produced, of course. Kate has authorised me to get a pile of the plastic sort for use until you get your own, assuming you want to, or in case you leave yours at home. Until further notice it''s going to be policy that you don''t leave here without one. The computer will check you''ve got one as you leave, and moan if you haven''t. Any questions?¡± There weren''t any. ¡°So, back to Karen, who''ll tell you how to avoid needing to use your button, we hope.¡±
¡°Obviously, we don''t want to be grabbed or shot as we leave here, and the simplest way of doing that is to not go out just as the bad guys go past in a van. In fact that''s so simple that you can''t. The computer won''t open the gate for you if there''s a risk of that. That''s to say an approaching or waiting vehicle or pedestrian, with the exception of an empty transport from the pool. So, the next risk is that someone sees you leave and follows you. If you''re walking, that could lead to you being attacked anywhere on your journey, or them following you home. If you leave by transport, then of course they can''t get you en-route as easily, but they can follow you wherever you''re going. So, go somewhere crowded, mix with the crowd and then leave after a random time. Also, don''t follow a pattern. A pattern will let them plan where to attack at their leisure, and for obvious reasons you don''t want them to find your home.
So, I don''t recommend walking near the Institute. I do recommend thinking of three or four places you wouldn''t mind going to on your way home, where you can quickly disappear in the crowd. Ten would be better, and vary them. Don''t let them all be in walking distance of your home. It''s probably best to have them centred on somewhere else, with your home outside of the circle.
If you can, change your clothing in some way between when you go into the crowded area and when you go out. If you go in with a red cap on, then go out with a blue one, and so on. Hope they don''t have a video feed to a decent person tracking computer, because those things can recognise you by the way you walk and move, no matter what you''re wearing.¡±
¡°Are they common?¡±
¡°Most above-average licensed private detectives would have one. Police of course could deploy one, but not every officer would have one. Security too of course. But they''re not exactly available on every street market. License holders only, officially, not much of a black market trade, and instant arrest without possibility of bail if you''re found with one without a licence.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Bob asked, ¡°I mean, there are civil liberties issues, but surely, that doesn''t match with the no bail, that''s usually for... Oh. I know why there''s no bail. Sorry. Question withdrawn.¡±
Janet spoke up. ¡°Could one of you enlighten us about why Bob withdrew his question?¡±
¡°Because there''s one select bunch of criminals who might want to follow one person in a crowd from a distance, most days they''re working Janet. Assassins. Unlicensed possession of a portable person tracker is taken as prima-facie evidence that they have a gun, it''s just hidden better.¡±
¡°So that''s the scariest possibility, I presume. That, by publishing we become a target for an assassin?¡± Horrace asked.
¡°Oh no, I''m sure there are plenty of scarier possibilities. But if you guys follow this advice and use the panic button you''re carrying if something bad happens, then the chances of them happening are minuscule, they''re not worth worrying about.¡±
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°Could you give a for-instance?¡± Horace asked.
¡°I''m not sure it''s wise,¡± Sarah said. ¡°I grew up with a similar risk, I know that thinking of the for-instances can cause sleepless nights. I mean, we didn''t flaunt our wealth, but there was always the risk that some bad guys might find out.¡±
Bob looked a bit puzzled. ¡°Sarah, I''m not planning on reporting on this at all, but... implanted panic buttons, you growing up aware of kidnap risks, that sounds like multi-millionaire levels of wealth. I know your dad ran a successful jewellers shop, but were you really up there among the mega-rich?¡±
¡°Daddy''s income mainly came from trading gems, Bob. The jewellery business was real of course, but it didn''t bring in as much.¡±
¡°Do I take that as a yes?¡± Bob asked, still puzzled.
Sarah smiled enigmatically, ¡°You can take it how you like, Bob. I''ve grown up hardly ever wearing any real gems in case that was flaunting my wealth, so I''m certainly not going to tell you a number.¡±
John smiled at his bride. ¡°Actually, Sarah, why don''t we confuse him some more and call up our bank balance.¡±
¡°John, don''t be mean! Bob, it''s in trust for the moment, I can''t access my inheritance, so just think of me as an ex-student in her first full-time job who''s deliriously happy now that she''s married and has enough money to actually buy furniture.¡±
¡°And you''re not going to tell me how much your inheritance is? Not even, ''yes we were in the top hundred richest''?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°You''ve married a very sensible woman, John,¡± Bob declared.
¡°I know, but thank you.¡±
¡°Back to your question, Horrace,¡± Karen said. ¡°I could, but as Sarah says, that''s bad sleep territory, and I''d rather not say in front of everyone.¡±
¡°Thank you, Karen,¡± Janet offered. ¡°I don''t want to hear horror stories.¡±
¡°Also, everyone, please remember we do have the back exit. If there''s a crowd outside then we can use that,¡± Kate added.
¡°Not to mention the cellar flat. I mean, twenty would be a bit of a push I think, but there is another bed in my room, the other bedroom has two beds too, and there are two sofas. So potentially we''ve got sleeping space for six downstairs.¡±
Kate laughed. ¡°We''ve got beds for all of us if we need them, George, thanks for reminding me. I guess we''d need to ask the computer where, but there are about twenty-five unused mattresses down in the store somewhere. The previous director was always one for a bargain. The shop was closing down and because he emptied their stock they could close down early. He got a very major discount.¡±
¡°So in a siege situation, we have beds, we have heat, power, water. Food?¡±
¡°About a months¡¯ worth of tinned meat, vegetables and vacuum packed rice and pasta,¡± reported Sarah. ¡°Kate told us the supplies had been used up, but they either got replenished or were just moved. The computer told me where to look and there they were.¡±
¡°What''s the shelf life of that stuff?¡±
¡°I had a check. We need to eat it in the next hundred and fifty years or they won''t guarantee it tastes as good as it did the day they packed it.¡±
¡°That doesn''t guarantee much anyway, does it? I mean, if it tastes bad then they can say it tasted terrible then too, they''re covered,¡± Ivan pointed out.
¡°If the company even still exists,¡± Janet added.
¡°But it shouldn''t poison us, anyway,¡± John said, ¡°so we can withstand a month''s siege if we want to.¡±
Ed asked, ¡°Isn''t the question, really, how likely are we to be targets? If the answer is very, then rather than trying to not get followed home, shouldn''t we be setting up more flats in the cellar, considering ourselves under siege anyway? Moving our families here too? Or taking a leave of absence until it all calms down?¡±
Kate answered first. ¡°Ed, everyone, if I really thought we''d be facing assassination attempts, I''d shut the Institute down in an instant. Karen?¡±
¡°Internal Security estimates the probability of some kind of public demonstration at sixty-five percent. Risk that there''s a demonstration turns nasty ¡ª throwing rocks and such like ¡ª is five prevent now that all the described measures have been taken. Risk of criminal elements deciding to let us know they''re unhappy is two percent ¡ª that would include graffiti on the walls, nasty letters, that sort of thing. Risk of kidnap for ransom or information is at about one per thousand. Assassination of a staff member is one roughly per hundred thousand. Bob, would you like to comment on the likelihood of one of your fellow reporters trying for an exclusive interview, if they could just follow one of us straight home?¡±
¡°About ninety-five percent that someone would try it. But with the getting lost in a crowd thing, I''d guess that drops to about five percent.¡±
¡°That reminds me, Karen, I should warn you now you''re living there alone, you can expect roughly one reporter a month camped on my doorstep hoping for an interview with me. At least that''s what I used to get.¡± said Sarah.
¡°That''ll make Dirk happy. He''s said that he loves telling reporters to hand over their recordings.¡±
¡°Sorry, Karen, who''s Dirk?¡± Bob asked, confused again.
¡°One half of my security detail. Having had a kidnapping attempt and someone bypassing my house''s biometric entry system, it was felt that I might need some extra protection for a while.¡±
¡°Oh. And it wouldn''t be good if you were recorded at Sarah''s house, would it? But what about if it was a live feed?¡±
¡°I thought they were banned under privacy laws?¡±
¡°Not for sporting events or official speeches. It shouldn''t apply, but the technology is there. I''ve heard of people desperate for a career-making interview using it.¡±
¡°Thanks for the warning. I''ll try and get some sort of warning notice put up about no video broadcasting or recording.¡±
¡°And I''ll change the house security system settings, Karen. It has some relevant settings I can turn on.¡±
¡°But you didn''t have them on? Why not if they repel journalists?¡±
¡°Well, it can''t tell the difference between a reporter taking pictures and a friend or friend of a lodger taking pictures. So it''s a bit all or nothing. But I presume you''re not going to be throwing any parties in the next few weeks, so I can turn it on.¡±
¡°It doesn''t object to someone just wearing their wrist unit though?¡± George asked.
¡°No. I don''t think so. Bob, could anyone try to use a wrist unit for recording an interview without visibly aiming it?¡±
¡°I think it''d be fairly obvious. A hidden camera in a bag is more likely if they want to play at undercover reporter. But an undercover interview doesn''t make much sense to me. What anti-camera defence does it have, a strobe?¡±
¡°Yes. Audio warning, strobe, and if they persist it has a dazzle laser. The system here goes one better of course.¡±
¡°Better than a dazzle laser? I thought that was top of the range,¡± Bob sounded surprised.
¡°Ah well, this system is almost full military spec,¡± Sarah said. ¡°If dazzling doesn''t stop them, say because they''ve got a filter or something, then after a suitable warning it starts shifting the frequency around and if they''re really persistent then it''ll add some high power pulses in there too. Not many cameras like having high power laser pulses fired at them. Or eyes for that matter, hence the warning.¡±
¡°Ouch. I didn''t know about that one,¡± Bob admitted.
¡°It''s supposed to be pretty effective against camera drones too,¡± Kate added. ¡°Those functions are only active when some kind of known external risk factor is present, we don''t want to accidentally blind someone taking family photos which include the Institute, after all. But they''ll be enabled when anyone leaves the building today.¡±
¡°So actually the professional assassin pointing their camera at one of us on the way to a waiting transport is likely to get their camera fried?¡±
¡°Unless they''re a very long way off, yes.¡±
¡°The Institute has a lens detector?¡±
¡°Of course, Bob. Several. Those are active all the time. Can''t have clients being assassinated, can we?¡± Sarah answered.
¡°All that money on security systems starts to look sensible, doesn''t it?¡±
Kate observed to the staff in general.
¡°Have I ever said how much I appreciate working here?¡± Ed asked. ¡°Sorry for the almost-hysteria earlier.¡±
¡°That''s fine Ed,¡± Kate reassured him. ¡°The reason for this meeting is to make sure we''ve thought of everything, and hopefully to reassure everyone that we''re as prepared as humanly possible.¡±
Horrace raised a hand. ¡°I know there are ethical considerations, but have our friends with unusual abilities tried finding out how big the risk is?¡±
¡°John,¡± Kate asked, ¡°could you answer that one?¡±
¡°It''s difficult. Yes, we can find people by category, but what category? If we look for, say, kidnappers targeting someone here, and not assassins, or arsonists, then we could say there''s no risk when there are risks we didn''t think of. Plus of course the person might not have been offered the job yet, and then you''re into the realms of telling the future, with issues of predestination and free will. I don''t know if that''s outside the scope of our gift, but we don''t really want to push in that direction. There are the ethical considerations, as you mentioned, the whole issue of not using this gift for unworthy purposes, not abusing it, and so on. So what we came up with was that we''d find out how many people there were in this city who used the power for crime. We found six. Then we found out how many people there were in this city who used the power for crime and could order someone''s death. Bear in mind that that could be via influence over one of the gangs or via a huge amount of money to a hit-man. We found none, but we do know of someone else who used to be in that category but is now in prison. So, locally there may be six people quite upset at us, and maybe there''s one power-abusing crime lord per city this size, or maybe it is just that we dealt with the only one in our country.¡±
¡°He was under the impression that he had a unique power. But maybe he just didn''t get out much,¡± Karen added.
¡°Thank you, John, Karen. So there''s a risk, but it''s not like every gang member is going to be out to get us,¡± Horrace concluded.
¡°I don''t think so. We don''t know what those six are capable of, but sending out assassins is out of their league, at least.¡±
¡°But you''ve not checked nationally or internationally.¡±
¡°No. We haven''t. That was actually a deliberate decision. We felt we had sufficient information. We guess that some criminals with the power are going to be upset. We know that at the time we checked no one in this city was both likely to be upset and able to order an assassination. We know that internationally there were two with that combination, and feel it would be foolish to assume they are the only two. We''ve heard what we can do to reduce the threat, but don''t think it would help to know exact numbers,¡±
John concluded.
Karen added her thoughts next. ¡°I''d like to add that I''ve grown up knowing there were bad guys who might like to kidnap or kill me. Not because of what I''ve done, but because of my parents. I also know that there are plenty of other risks that I don''t let stop me living a relatively normal live. We live with risks. We don''t avoid all contact with people, even though they''ve still not got a vaccine against the cold. We vaccinate children even though we know there is a small risk of the vaccine causing a reaction. We ride in vehicles even though mechanical failure still happens. People did it even in the years of chaos where a higher percentage of people died from vehicle accidents than any other cause. So, each of us needs to decide if the risks are small enough that we can continue with our way of life, or if we need to change our work-place or other parts of our lives. Personally, I''m perfectly happy with these risk levels, but then they''re much lower than my normal life.¡±
¡°Thank you, Karen. As you say, you''re used to those levels and higher. If anyone finds the risks too scary and wants to take a leave of absence (unpaid, of course) then we''ll try and cope without you. I really don''t want to have to interview anyone at the moment though, so please don''t actually resign,¡± Kate said.
Since most people knew how much Kate hated interviewing people for staff positions, this was greeted with laughter. No one wanted to take any unpaid leave.
Disclosure / Ch. 5: Bobs Twelfth Report
Book 3: Disclosure / Ch. 5:Bob''s Twelfth Report
Wednesday, 4th October, afternoon
I''ve never spoken openly about my faith in my reports. It''s not really something that we reporters do, if we''re working in the mainstream press. And I''ve asked people that know me not to put anything about me on the net either. But today I''m going to break all convention. There is a reason for this. First I will tell of my faith, and then I tell you why I feel it is necessary to break the convention. I am a Christian, and an occasional preacher in my church. I came to faith in Jesus as a teenager and was baptised before going to university. Even on assignment, no, let me correct that, especially on assignment and even when nothing exciting is happening at home, I spend time reading Scripture and praying daily. I face physical, emotional and moral dangers quite often and I am able to do this because of Christ who gives me strength. He is the foundation of my faith and the guarantee of my hope of eternity. So why do I say these things? To say things that many might not want to know? I say this mainly in order to correct an error. A very serious error that is being made by preachers who share my faith in Christ. Therefore, while today''s report contains things which I have learned during my visit here, things which might astonish even more people than any earlier reports, it is mainly directed to my Christian viewers. I apologise to those to whom Christian terminology is another language, and I will seek to explain at least some of my terms and use less jargon than I would in church.
There have been some rumours that the way the thought-hearers were able to hear was through occult means, accusations that they are witches or devil worshippers. Yesterday these rumours were repeated in the Christian press without any checking and many preachers have believed these accusations as though they were fact. They have been encouraging their congregations to pray against any thought-hearers who might be in their communities as though they were acting as agents of the evil one.
The fact of the paper published in Nature, the descriptions given of the mechanisms by which this works and steps that can be taken to protect your thoughts should have shown that what has been published and discussed in these reports is nothing more than a combination of physics and our marvellously created bodies. Yet the accusations and fear-mongering persist.
I see this as nothing less than a Spiritual attack against the committed Christians here at the Institute who have worked so tirelessly to proclaim from the rooftops what was before whispered in darkness. Not all the workers here at the Institute are Christians, but a far higher proportion are than in most workplaces. Not all of the Christians are thought-hearers, but all of the thought-hearers that God has gathered here are Christians, with a faith in God as real and more proven than mine. Their consistent witness has been the cause of four conversions here in the last few months.
Thus with these accusations against the thought-hearers as workers of evil, you accuse those who are inspired to their work by their faith in the living God. The related accusations against my credibility as an honest witness are personally wounding. It is offensive to me that the name of Christ be denigrated so, and so as a servant of God and minister of His Word I call on those who have passed on rumours as fact to repent of the sin of gossip, and I call on my fellow ministers to withdraw your accusations, for they have no grounding in fact. Further, I warn you of harm done to your ministries, and to members of your congregations by such rash words, for proportionally it seems that there are more thought-hearers who are in churches than not.
But there is another point that means that by these hateful accusations the glory of God is undermined, the unity of the Church is harmed, and should they continue then I would go so far as saying that the Spirit blasphemed against.
I don''t know if you''ve realised this, but every single human ability, every single human power is shown through Scripture to be trivial compared to God''s power. Human abilities are more common, of course, but are but faint echos of what God has done through His servants.
A hovering helicopter can make the sea below it flat for a while, an impressive feat, but Moses touched the sea with his rod and the Israelites crossed on dry ground. We have lifeboats to rescue sailors at risk of drowning. A good achievement but, compare it with Jesus speaking and the storm being stilled or Jonah being rescued by the great fish as he sank to the bottom. The strongest man can lift several times his own weight. Trivial! Samson took the city gates for a walk. Medical wonders abound but several times Scripture records restoration of life to the dead. I don''t really have time to list more, but they are there. My questions to you, which I will soon answer, are: If we assign this power to the enemies of God, where is the power of the church over it? If we say it is a human ability, where is the answer from God?
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
When I accepted this assignment, I signed a contract that I would not disclose the content of any article before it was published. There was another paper due to be published but for technical reasons the journal has not yet appeared. I have been given permission to report about the contents of that paper. It was not a scientific paper, but a theological one.
The first point in it is that this human ability can be, and indeed has been, used for evil, but that there is no force of evil that can stand against the power of God. There have been at least two occasions within the last decade when this was demonstrated. Twice, a criminal thought-hearer, who used their ability to extort, corrupt and kidnap, was stripped of their ability. How? By three believers surrounding them and praying with total assurance that God could do this, and that it was His will in that situation. Once this happened in the middle of the crowd at a takeaway food store, once on the runway of a military airbase, as a prisoner was being taken to the UN court. There may have been other occurrences. Perhaps it has happened with other than three praying, I don''t know. Be warned, you who have this ability and are tempted to use it for crime. Just because you have this from childhood does not mean you will keep it all your lives.
The second, longer point in the article is to explore what seems to be God''s response to this, until now, secret human ability. We know that God has given gifts to His church. We know many of them: pastor, teacher, administrator, theologian and evangelist. In each case, the gift is given and the use is entrusted to the one gifted. In each case the use brings temptations. The pastor is tempted to abuse his power, the teacher is tempted to teach his opinions and not Scripture. Even evangelistic or healing gifts can become a route to wealth and fame rather than God''s glory. Some gifts are rarer: we know the apostles healed, and only a few claim this gift today, and these are not universally accepted by the church.
So, what is today''s surprise news? I am informed that in accordance with His divine will, God has given certain of His people scattered across this world a spiritual gift which makes this human ability of thought-hearing look trivial. They do not need to touch to hear thoughts, and can listen to an individual''s top level thoughts on the other side of the world; close to they can reach deeper.
I am sure that this will be a controversial topic in interfaith discussion, but my information is that only those who have committed their lives to Christ and trust him for their salvation have this gift, and this has always been the case as far back as anyone has heard about. I have also been told that the number of people with this gift has always been about fifty, but for this broadcast I asked them to tell me the exact number, and I find it significant.
Today, the number among us with this powerful gift is fifty-six people. Seven sevens plus seven. Fifty-six people scattered across every continent of the world (though I''m not sure Antarctica is represented), who could probably know every state secret if they wanted to. But of course, they don''t. They''re servants of the living God and they have more important things to do, more God-honouring things to do: finding the lost, helping the helpless and yes, occasionally helping the police free the captives. I will not, of course, reveal who they are, I will not say if any of them work at the Institute or if they merely came as visitors or as clients, but I''ve met a few of them, and talked to officials who confirm their gift.
It is real and awe inspiring. Should there be an earthquake or other disaster, listen to them. They can tell you exactly where the live victims lie trapped, down to their position relative to the furniture in the room. I will not reveal more of what this gift enables them to do, nor will I reveal what help they''ve given to the police worldwide today, but I can tell you that the world will be a better place tomorrow because of it. Not for everyone, of course, but for some. And of course, it will be worse for some of the worst criminals. But they will not act as thought police, finding every criminal, although they probably could. But they would see that as a violation of free will, an abuse of their gift.
They will not solve every crime, or even every crime of a particular type. We know human nature, the thief who cannot steal without being caught will probably turn to some other crime instead. But these fifty-six will sometimes give information which will help the authorities and the information will be found to be entirely precise. Some people know what it is like to be found when all hope is lost, to just happen to be met by a policeman when you need one urgently. There will be more such events, as the authorities accept the reliability of these tip-offs, and are able to act speedily. Their ethical position is that their gift should never be used more lightly than bugging someone, but if someone is in danger they will not demand a court order. Nor will they necessarily act on every court order. They are responsible to God, the ruler of heaven and earth for the use of their gift, and while they seek guidance from our human courts, they will not bow to them if that would seem to be against the will of God.
So I ask that you pray for these people, not against them. They need wisdom in how they make use of this spiritual gift which God has given them, without denying us the freedom of thought that we take for granted.
This is Bob McDaniel, reporting to you from inside the Institute.
Disclosure / Ch. 6: The Price
Book 3: Disclosure / Ch. 6:The Price
Wednesday 5pm
¡°Well Bob, that report would cause quite a stir if I let it through unedited.¡±
¡°We were promised controversy, Albert.¡±
¡°So, you''ve known about these Christian super thought-hearers a while?¡±
¡°Oh yes, since my first day there.¡±
¡°And you couldn''t have even dropped a hint?¡±
¡°Would it have mattered?¡±
¡°I suppose not. They can''t see the future, I suppose?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°And any more revelations coming after this one?¡±
¡°Not that I''m aware of.¡±
¡°So this could be it? Your last report?¡±
¡°If that''s what it takes to get it broadcast unaltered, Albert. And let''s face it, not much that can top that report, is there?¡±
¡°Not really.¡±
¡°So, I wouldn''t mind going out on that broadcast. If that''s what it takes.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m not asking for your head, Bob. You''ve broken the unwritten rule and you''ve done it good and proper, and normally that''d need a sacrifice. But actually, I think you make the whole thing a lot less scary for the rest of us, with all that talk of the loony preachers likely to cause division in your church. I mean, we know they''re loony, but you didn''t threaten civil disorder, or anything that''s scary for most of us.¡±
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
¡°I did say some very serious things, Albert.¡±
¡°Yes, but to most of the audience the charge of blasphemy means there might be some shouting, but not many heads cracked open these days.¡±
¡°So, you don''t want me to hang up my note book quite yet?¡±
¡°I want more, Bob. You''ve obviously got the inside track with these... what did you call them?¡±
¡°They call what they have ¡®the gift,¡¯ Albert.¡±
¡°OK, so you know about the gift, you know people with the gift, they talk to you, and you''re familiar with all this stuff. There have been rumours of supernatural tip-offs in some high profile criminal cases recently. I''d like you to tell how those cases were solved. Were their ethical limits applied or not. That sort of thing.¡±
¡°I''ll need to protect my sources, Albert.¡±
¡°I know, I know. But surely, you can talk more about this gift?¡±
¡°I''m sure I could, in the right context.¡±
¡°Good. Right. You want this to go out as is?¡± Bob nodded. ¡°Then my price is this. You stay on. You put off your plans for retirement and stay around at least another year. You do more reports from inside the Institute, but you also widen your topics. You talk about every area this might have social and legal implications, you interview lawmakers, you host legal discussions, religious discussions, you visit this place where mind-reading is so normal. Basically you become our special reporter on all things thought-hearer related, and by the end of this you might know names, but our viewers know the rest of what''s in your skull.¡±
¡°That''s quite an interesting challenge, Albert. I accept, subject to medical advice, of course. I might need to delegate the roving reporter bit to someone else.¡±
¡°Of course. I don''t want to kill you, Bob, but I don''t want to loose you to retirement either.¡±
¡°So, he wants more? That''s his price?¡± Kate checked, not really believing her ears.
¡°The insatiable appetite of the media,¡± Bob confirmed.
¡°Well, Bob,¡± Kate said, ¡°I don''t think that contract said anything about a time limit, and you''re very welcome to stay until you''re a hundred and fifty if you like.¡±
¡°Ah, I don''t think my internal organs will keep working that long, Kate, but thanks for the offer.¡±
¡°Well, as long as you want to stay then.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
Disclosure / Ch. 7: Lens
Book 3: Disclosure / Ch. 7:Lens
Thursday, October 5th, 8am
The observer walked slowly through the woods behind the Institute. He''d looked at the maps, done the geometry, and confirmed the general plausibility by walking past the Institute and looking in the right direction. He should be able to see the last bit of the Institute''s pathway from up one of these trees. He''d seen one with a broken branch which looked a perfect candidate. He wasn''t going to break any laws. He just needed to photograph someone who arrived at the Institute in the morning and left in the evening. That would be enough for his boss. Clients didn''t stay that long normally. One staff member, confirmed by two pictures. Easy.
He found and climbed the tree and set up his portable birdwatching hide. He was just taking pictures of the birds. Nothing wrong with that. You needed a long lens to do that and a hide. He strapped the camera mount to the tree. Nice and stable, there shouldn''t be any blur in his pictures.
He checked the view by eye. It looked good. Removing the lens cap, he adjusted the camera.
No matter how well a lens is coated with anti-reflection layers, there''s always something reflected back. Take a little flash of light, combine it with high quality optics, a sequence of overly detailed camera images and some clever software, hey presto a map of partially reflecting surfaces. There would be noise of course. Water droplets, the eyes of animals and birds. More software looked at the pictures and removed the explainable clutter. A candidate. Input from another camera confirmed the result. A laser interferometer pulsed a few times, measuring the shape of the surface. Axially symmetric, a smooth section of a sphere. Reconfirm the whole process. All in all, it took a couple of seconds.
¡°Alert!" the message came up to Sarah''s screen. "Optical apparatus detected. Countermeasures active at level one.¡±
A light fired in his direction. Flash. That wasn''t good. Flash. Was it just coincidence? Flash flash flash. It became a strobe. Surely he couldn''t have been spotted so soon?
He blocked the lens with his hand. The strobe stopped after two seconds.
Not good at all. He put the lens cap back on and thought. Automatic system, fairly clearly. He''d be able to ignore the flashes if he used manual settings. But it had spotted his camera quickly. That meant that it was a pretty capable system, with a dazzle laser, almost certainly. He might be able to get a shot if he was really quick. He''d have to use his unaided eyes and then uncover the lens and take the shot very quickly. It wasn''t going to work. Maybe he''d do better to try and hang around the entrance, with no camera. He dismounted the camera and collapsed the hide. Glancing at the Institute once more, he climbed down the tree.
¡°It''s got his face too,¡± Sarah said to Kate. ¡°Shall I forward it to Security? Oh, I recognise him. Computer agrees. He''s a reporter.¡±
¡°He''s tried to interview you?¡±
¡°Yes. Several times, about every six months, I think.¡±
¡°Persistent guy?¡±
¡°Yes. Polite about it, but persistent.¡±
¡°I''ll set Security on him, shall I?¡±
¡°I''ve got an idea. Rather than Security, why don''t we get Teresa to call him?¡±
¡°Teresa?¡±
¡°She could point out to him that if he''s trying for an interview then this is a very stupid way of doing it, and we can''t give him one anyway as it would mean breaking the exclusive deal.¡±
¡°You mean she should try to reason with him?¡±
¡°I was more thinking, offer to hand him over to Bob''s boss and associated lawyers.¡±
¡°Oooh. Nasty. Let''s see if it works.¡±
9:00am
¡°Hello, am I speaking to Mr. Tony Randle, freelance journalist?¡± A voice only call, number withheld. A woman, pleasant sounding he decided.
¡°Yes, that''s me.¡±
¡°You''ve just been pointing a lens at the Institute for the Human Mind with an objective diameter of about two hundred millimetres. I''m calling as the Institute''s legal representative to ask you not to do that.¡±
¡°I was bird watching, I accidentally pointed the lens towards the Institute.¡±
¡°I don''t think so, Mr. Randle. The Institute does have to have a sophisticated security system, you know. You triggered the lens detector and strobe system, then packed up your kit and left. The computer played back its recordings and found you''d been up that tree for about five minutes before that, mostly trying to set up a hide, as though that would protect from the lens detector! Earlier on you''d walked past the Institute, looking towards the tree you later climbed. You knew that tree had a partial view of the main entrance of the Institute, and you could record people coming and going. My client would like to know why, Mr. Randle, and asked me to ask you politely not to point lenses at the Institute again.¡±
¡°Nothing I did was illegal.¡±
¡°You don''t need to instruct me about legalities, Mr. Randle. Since reporting about comings and goings from the Institute is a crime, and you are a reporter, we could leave it up to a jury to decide if you were interrupted preparing to commit a crime. Alternatively we could hand over the evidence to Internal Security ¡ª you understand it is they, not the regular police who''d handle the case. Or you could answer my question.¡±
¡°Maam, are you attempting to blackmail me?¡±
Teresa laughed. ¡°No, Mr. Randle, I''m trying to find out what on earth you thought you were doing. My client wonders if you might have been trying to work out who was a client and who staff so you could try and interview someone who works here.¡±
¡°How did you know?¡±
¡°It was a guess, Mr. Randle. You have a reputation for persistence beyond the realm of the average reporter, and it seemed to fit. I would like to point out that there''s an exclusive agreement with NWN, so even if you did identify a staff member they couldn''t talk to you. Also, if you planned to show the pictures you took to anyone other than your subject, then that''s technically reporting.¡±
¡°Oh. Thank you, that''s embarrassing. I''d not thought of that. I''m in your debt.¡±
¡°You were going to?¡±
¡°Urm. I don''t think I should answer that, should I?¡±
Teresa laughed again. She had a nice laugh, Tony decided.
¡°So, could I interview you?¡± he asked, full of hope.
¡°Me?¡±
¡°You''re not staff, I''d guess, if the Institute is your client. I expect you could answer some questions without breaching client confidentiality. You''ve knowingly worked near to mind-readers, and I need to to have some sort of significant interview sometime if I''m ever to get a permanent post.¡±
¡°I see the benefits to you. What about the benefit to me?¡±
¡°My undying gratitude? Dinner? A professional studio portrait photograph of yourself, your loved one and/or your children? You gain the glow of another good deed done for having helped someone in desperate need of a career boost? All of the above? I''d let you check whatever I write. Please?¡±
¡°Well, I''ve got no loved-one or children so you can scratch those off your list, but maybe. I''ll discuss this with my client.¡±
¡°Thank you, maam. Thank you so much!¡±
¡°I''ll be in touch, Mr. Randle.¡±
¡°Kate, I''m not sure if that went well.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°He sounds so desperate for an interview, and asked me if I''d give him one. Offered me dinner and professional studio photograph in exchange.¡±
¡°I''ve been looking him up. Genuine bona-fide freelance journalist and photographer. His name rang a bell, he was actually one of the wedding photographers we were thinking of using.¡±
¡°So, can I tell him anything? I don''t want to break confidentiality, but he seemed so desperate. And genuinely chagrined at the thought that he''d got close to illegality.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°He said, ¡®Oh, thank you,¡¯ when I pointed out to him that showing anyone a photo of someone leaving was reporting it.¡±
¡°So, at least he doesn''t seem to want to break the law.¡±
¡°No. So, do I talk to him? And what can I say?¡±
¡°Well, I guess he wants a ¡®my first experience with thought-readers¡¯ story. We''re not making a secret of Sarah overheating her brain, Bob''s planning to mention it some time, but you''d better make it clear to him that you''re not saying Sarah is staff or not.¡±
¡°There''s a problem with that, Kate,¡± John said from the doorway. ¡°Sorry, just passing and my ears pricked up at the sound of Sarah''s name.¡±
¡°Oh? What''s the problem?¡±
¡°You said it yourself, way back when you signed her on. If she weren''t staff, then you''d be out of a job. Who''s the ¡®him''?¡±
¡°I might have exaggerated a little. ¡®Him¡¯ is the wedding-photographer-cum-journalist that Sarah''s pet found pointing lenses at us.¡±
¡°Oh. OK, so maybe you exaggerated. But it is the Institute''s prime reason to exist. Therefore if he''s done his homework then he ought to know you''d try hard.¡±
¡°OK. So, does Teresa keep in line with what Bob says, or do we let this guy know more than Bob is saying?¡±
¡°When does Bob''s lunchtime report go out?¡±
¡°One thirty.¡±
¡°So, Teresa certainly doesn''t talk before then, else this guy gets trusted with unbroadcast material, breaking the exclusive reporting agreement.¡±
¡°So, should I just tell him no?¡±
¡°I really don''t know. Let''s call Bob in on this.¡±
¡°So there''s the story, Bob. Any thoughts, advice?¡±
Bob ran his hand through his thinning hair.
¡°He''s free-lance and wants his big break?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°But seemed repentant when told that he''d almost broken the law?¡±
¡°That was my impression, yes. Thanked me for pointing it out, carefully avoided admitting anything, but my impression was that he seemed more worried about that than when I''d mentioned Security to him.¡±
¡°So here he is with the story of a lifetime in front of him, and he''s backing away from it?¡±
¡°I don''t know about backing away, but I have the impression that he dropped his plan A and plan B like hot potatoes, and asked me for an interview instead. Pointing out that since I''d described the Institute as my client, I can''t be a full-time employee, and therefore not fully covered by the exclusive reporting contract with your boss.¡±
¡°OK. Right, here''s my viewpoint. Firstly, I really like to hear about a reporter faced with this temptation backing away. Big stories don''t land in your lap every month, or even every year, and yet the major agencies demand them before they''ll take someone on. I guess it''s a reporter''s initiation rite or something. That backing down either means he''s not ready for it, or he''s got ethics. Your guess, Teresa?¡±
¡°Ethics,¡± Teresa said, decisively.
¡°And what does he know about you?¡±
¡°Not much. That I''m the legal advisor for the Institute and that I''m single with no children.¡±
¡°How did he get that?¡±
¡°Offered me studio photos of myself, loved one and children, along with dinner, if I agreed to an interview. Oh, and his undying gratitude. I''m struggling to put a value on that one though.¡±
¡°And you want to accept because of those inducements?¡±
¡°No. Because he said please, as though his very future depended on me.¡±
¡°It probably does. Ethical big stories don''t come along very often. Talk to him, Teresa. See what else he''s managed to dig up on you. Discuss with him the fact that you think the contract does apply to you and ask to see the copy before it''s published.¡±
¡°Oh, he''s offered that already.¡±
¡°Right. Then let me call him. I don''t actually remember his name. Did you say?¡±
¡°Tony Randle.¡±
¡°No wonder!¡± Bob smiled.
¡°You know him?¡±
¡°Well, assuming there''s not that many Randles around, his dad, no I suppose grandfather, taught me the ethics of this trade. I certainly want to talk to him. But first I''m going to call Albert.¡±
10:45am
¡°Albert, are you free?¡±
¡°As free as I''ll be until retirement, Bob. Why?¡±
¡°Old old favour to call in, I think.¡±
¡°Oh? I don''t remember any.¡±
¡°Bob Randle.¡±
¡°That''s not old, that''s prehistoric! What brings that name to mind?¡±
¡°A young, well, mid-thirty''s I think, freelance reporter has just triggered the Institute''s lens detector. When Teresa, their legal advisor, pointed out to him that he''d never be able to show them to anyone without breaking the law, he dropped that idea like it was a ticking bomb and thanked her for telling him. His plan had been to work out who was staff, we think. I get the idea that if he''d actually taken any photos he''d have chewed up the data-crystal himself. But he convinced Teresa that she''d like to give him his one big chance interview. He''s called Tony Randle. I''ve checked. Grandson.¡±
¡°So, he planned to take some photos, approach the person concerned and ask for an interview?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. It could have been someone else''s idea. If he''d actually done it he''d have recognized some people, I''m sure.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°I''m not allowed to tell you who works here, Albert.¡±
¡°No. You''re not.¡±
¡°So, what I was thinking was if young Mr. Randle comes good in his interview, should we give him the chance his Granddad gave us? It''d certainly save Teresa some anguish about what she can tell him or not.¡±
¡°You mean she wants to tell him things you''ve not told the world yet?¡±
¡°Her first introduction to the gift being used almost killed the woman who was reading her thoughts. Their brain kicks into overdrive to interpret what they''re getting but overdrive means lots of brain-work. She over-did it, almost cooked her neurons. Teresa''s story is the best way to describe the risk, and I was going to interview her about it one day, but it''s not actually in either paper, from what I remember.¡±
¡°So it''s a marginal case as far as the exclusive reporting goes. She''d be talking about something which the Institute is happy to see go out. Young Tony should see it as a real scoop. And you think he should bring it to us?¡±
¡°That''s right.¡±
¡°And he learned well from his Granddad, you think?¡±
¡°I''ve not talked to him yet, but I''ve seen signs of it in what Teresa says.¡±
¡°Then point him to me, Bob. We owe the old man far more than that. If it''s a good scoop and if he can get it down well, we''ll let him in the door.¡±
11am
¡°Tony Randle?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Bob McDaniel here.¡±
¡°Let me guess, the pleasant sounding legal advisor asked her client and her client asked you, and you''re going to tell me not to step into your exclusive deal?¡± The disappointment was clear.
¡°Not quite, happier news than that. But first, the stunt with the camera. Your idea?¡±
¡°No. I''m currently wondering how to express my displeasure to the editor who suggested it. Dumb of me not to realise that telling him counted as reporting.¡±
¡°Well, it''s an edge case, but technically true, and with Security as uppity as they are you''d have been swinging high. Anyway, the pleasant young woman asked her pleasant employer, and we decided that it probably doesn''t get covered in the contract. Your scoop. I was thinking of interviewing her one day but you asked first.¡±
¡°You''re joking!¡±
¡°Not about such things, no. One strong suggestion though. I don''t know who you were going to offer your scoop to, but I''d recommend my boss, Albert Campbell. Take it to him in person. I''ve talked to him, and he''s going to be expecting you.''¡¯
¡°But... why? Why do I get special treatment?¡±
¡°Because everyone deserves a first big story, you''ve hooked a big one, even if you don''t know it yet, and NWN doesn''t want competition. Research well, ask the right questions, about things she can tell you about, write it up well, and there''s a post for you.¡±
¡°Urm. Thank you. I don''t know what I''ve done to deserve it.¡±
¡°You''ve done nothing yet, lad, write it up well or Albert''ll show you the door quick as you can blink. But Albert and I owe your Granddad a favour, so you get to talk to Albert straight away rather than go through the hoops. Is Bob still alive? It''s been years since I''ve been in contact with him.¡±
¡°Yes, he''s getting on of course, but he''s still full of good advice.¡±
¡°Well, that''s good to hear. You listen to him well, that''s my advice to you. Tell him I said ''Hi'' next time you talk to him.¡±
12:30
¡°Hello, Tony.¡± A video call this time. It was nice to see her as well as hear her. It confirmed his research.
¡°Hello, thank you for calling with video, it''s nice to see your face. Bob McDaniel told me that I should do my research well. Which I always try to do anyway, but I did happen to find the name Teresa Riley on some legal documents connected with the Institute, and some old pictures. Would that still be your name?¡±
¡°It would. So now you know all about me?¡±
¡°I''m sure I don''t know everything, or I''d hardly be looking forward to interviewing you. You''ve not changed your mind?¡±
¡°No, no, I''ll let you feed me dinner. Do you plan to feed me and then quiz me, or feed me while you quiz me?¡±
¡°I think, if you don''t mind, I''d like to take you to a nice restaurant I know, and then interview you afterwards.¡±
¡°You''re not worried that I might eat and run, or that I''ll be a dead loss as an interviewee?¡±
¡°I don''t think you''d eat and run, and Bob''s given me the odd hint that if you''re a dead loss as an interviewee then I''m no reporter.¡±
¡°So, which restaurant? And when?¡±
7pm
¡°Teresa! I hope you won''t be offended if I say you look stunning.¡±
¡°I''ll only take it as a compliment. But I could hardly come here in my gardening clothes, could I?¡±
¡°Ah, no. I''d have been out of place in my tree-climbing outfit too.¡±
¡°So, does journalism pay better than I thought? Or is it the wedding photography work?¡±
¡°Urm, more a case of wanting to say a big thank you, but before you get too shocked by the prices, I''d like to quietly point out that the chef is my big brother and I get a discount.¡±
¡°Ah. Convenient! And you bring your wife or girlfriend here often?¡±
¡°No. I don''t have one. And I hope that he doesn''t assume... Oh no. I''m sorry.¡±
¡°You think he might think I''m your girlfriend?¡±
¡°Urm, yes. I think so. I asked if there might be a secluded table for two, and then I arrive with a beautiful woman...¡±
¡°Oh well, you can set him right, can''t you?¡±
¡°Yes. I hope it doesn''t get embarrassing for you though.¡±
¡°I don''t embarrass that easily, Tony. But I am curious which photos you found of me.¡±
¡°They were quite old, I guess from your student days, and no, I won''t be showing them to my brother.¡±
¡°Oh no, not that beauty pageant!¡±
¡°Indeed.¡±
¡°OK. Perhaps I can get embarrassed. It was a charity event, you know.¡±
¡°Yes, I saw that.¡±
Just then the waiter arrived and they placed their orders.
¡°So, now you know my most public embarrassment. What''s yours?¡±
¡°Tree climbing?¡±
¡°That''s not public.¡±
¡°I thought it might make a good introduction to my report.¡±
¡°How?¡±
¡°A reporter will sometimes go to extreme lengths...¡±
¡°No. Don''t do it. This isn''t your memoirs, this is your masterpiece ¡ª in the original sense.¡¯
¡°Original sense?¡±
¡°You''ve served your apprenticeship and now you have just one chance to convince a critical judge that you have the skills to be a master craftsman. So, don''t do something about yourself, write about what I tell you and what you''ve discovered, other than too much of my bare flesh on display.¡±
¡°What will you tell me?¡±
She stood and addressed a nearby pot-plant (with a slightly quieter tone than her normal courtroom voice): ¡°Milord, the witness feels that under the generally accepted conventions she can only answer questions put, and that it is up to the examining reporter to direct the interview.¡±
Motioning to her to sit, Tony said, laughing, ¡°Shhh, you''re attracting attention.¡±
¡°Well, isn''t the crack reporter supposed to wheedle the truth out of the reticent witness?¡±
¡°In the interview, yes. This is just dinner.¡±
¡°So then, tell me about your greatest public embarrassment.¡±
¡°Well, I was in a restaurant with a beautiful young lady and just when I spotted an elder from my church coming in, she stood up and addressed a pot-plant.¡±
¡°Well maybe you should introduce us sometime. But maybe, sir, you should answer the question... By the way, which church?¡±
¡°Cromwell Street Evangelical.¡±
¡°Greatest public embarrassment before today?¡±
¡°Ahh, I was taking a two hour long chemistry practical exam, and I''d arrived just on time, but needed the toilet. There was this experiment which involved putting an exact quantity of one solution into another one, drip by drip. Thirty-five sets of equipment going drip drip drip. I tried to resist as long as I could, but all those water sounds...¡±
¡°But you were let out from the experiment?¡±
¡°Yes, but I had to wait in front of everyone, jiggling up and down, while someone was called to accompany me to the facilities.¡±
¡°OK, that''s embarrassing, you poor kid. So, next question. What made you go up that tree?¡±
¡°I was just submitting a report to an editor when Robert McDaniel made his report about thought hearing, and the editor said, ¡®Tony, you''ve got that birdwatching camera!¡¯ Then he suggested that if I could get a photo of someone arriving in the morning and leaving in the evening, then even if they wouldn''t talk to me immediately, maybe I''d be able to pester them into an interview. And it''d be worth a job if I ever got an interview with someone from the Institute. Thank you for reminding me it was reporting on the institute to show just one person. I knew that, but somehow he convinced me it wasn''t.¡±
¡°So, do you think that he was after that photo for his own purposes? Presumably he wasn''t going to publish it?¡±
¡°He said that he''d mask out the face if he used it.¡±
¡°Tony, I''m an officer of the court. Do you know what that means?¡±
¡°Urm, I should have kept my mouth shut?¡±
¡°It means that I have to report a crime if I hear of one. It sounds to me that your editor commissioned you to supply him with a picture of a worker at the Institute. That''s not allowed.¡±
¡°I... Maybe.¡±
¡°So, what I''d like you to do, if you don''t mind, is report this yourself. If you do mind, then I''ll have to report it.¡±
¡°Urm. I might never work again.¡±
¡°I don''t think that''s the case. What I expect is that Security will interview you, and then the editor will be investigated and maybe warned not to do it again, assuming it''s a first offence. Would you like to tell me his name so that I can write it down and then maybe Security don''t even need to interview you?¡±
¡°Is this all some kind of investigation? The beautiful agent-provocateuse persuades the reporter to grass up the guy who sent him up the tree, leaving his career in tatters?¡± He felt he could see his life''s ambition crumbling to dust in front of him.
¡°Thank you for the compliment, but no, this is all about you, interested reporter, buying me, Teresa, a meal in exchange for what we both hope is a career-making interview. However, you did something silly, and your editor did something illegal. So in order that we both have clean consciences before God, I''ve told you what I must do. And as a personal favour I''m giving you a chance to swear a statement before me that will mean that you will probably never need to talk to Security.¡±
He hadn''t processed all that she said, but grasped at a straw, ¡°As a favour?¡±
¡°You don''t want to see what I have to charge my clients, Tony. You''re giving me what I expect will be an excellent meal, and I''m not charging for any legal advice offered.¡±
Maybe she wasn''t out to destroy him then. ¡°Oh, urm. You mentioned God. You''re a believer?¡±
¡°Yes. I grew up around the edges of a Sunday school, then went far away from God for a decade or so. Vaguely involved in a church for the past few years, saw some surprising things at work and was one of the conversions that Bob mentioned in today''s broadcast. Did you see it?¡±
¡°Yes. Urm, quite a surprising turn.¡±
¡°God''s in charge. I guess it''s time for secrets to be shouted from rooftops.¡±
¡°So it''s real? There is someone at the Institute who could read my every thought?¡±
¡°Yes, it''s real. I''m not going to say if they''re at the Institute though.¡±
¡°But you''ve met one?¡±
¡°Uh, yes.¡±
¡°You hesitated. More than one?¡±
¡°You''re too good. I need to be more careful.¡±
¡°I don''t suppose they did more than tell of their ability. Or did they prove it somehow?¡±
¡°They did, but I thought we''d have the interview later?¡±
¡°Yes, we will, but you mean to tell me that you were an eyewitness when this gift was being demonstrated? That you can tell me about what you saw without breaching client confidentiality?¡± After his near despair earlier, Tony was getting excited. The food arrived.
¡°If that''s all you''re interested in. But later, OK?¡±
¡°''If that''s all?¡¯ Bob said he''d planned to interview you...¡±
¡°Tony, later! OK? It''s not very public, but there are ears around. I''ve nothing planned so you can interview me all evening if you like, but let''s not let this food get cold. It looks good.¡±
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°What for? Reminding you not to upset your brother?¡±
¡°No, for setting aside your whole evening for me.¡±
¡°Well, I''m having a moderately pleasant evening so far. Very pleasant except when you were thinking I was out to wreck your life. I''m not, honestly, I''m not.¡±
¡°I can see that now. Sorry. Life''s been stressful recently.¡±
¡°Since climbing that tree?¡±
¡°Well, that didn''t help. But I''m not getting the wedding photo business I was hoping for, even though I''ve not changed my prices.¡±
¡°So, someone''s undercutting you?¡±
¡°Either that or there''s an extra couple of photographers moved into the area that I don''t know about. Or fashions have changed and I didn''t know. I guess I need to have an opinion poll done.¡±
¡°I''ve had a few friends get married recently. Would you like me to ask them?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
¡°Oh, I know why one wouldn''t have asked you. She''s allergic to reporters.¡±
¡°Oh. Urm, not much I can do about that, is there?¡±
¡°Not really. You can''t expect someone who''s avoiding you in one area of life to ask you to take her wedding photos, can you?¡±
¡°I suppose not. But you make it sound like it''s me personally, not just all reporters.¡±
¡°I think she described you as one of the most persistent, but always polite.¡±
¡°Oh. So she knew you were coming to talk to me?¡±
¡°I actually asked before deciding if I''d give you the interview. Seeing as she''d refused interviews with so many of your profession, I thought she might recognize your name or face.¡±
Tony wasn''t sure how to take this. ¡°Urm... so you''re here because I go back and ask again if someone says no to an interview?¡±
¡°No, because you''re always polite about the six monthly refusals.¡±
¡°Six monthly? You mean I''ve been asking this friend of yours for an interview every six months?¡±
¡°I think that''s what she said.¡±
¡°For years?¡±
¡°That was my impression.¡±
¡°Then I can only think your friend is called Sarah.¡±
¡°She is, but she''s moved house and is not called Smith any more.¡±
¡°And you''re not going to tell me more.¡±
¡°Of course not.¡±
¡°Please send her my best wishes for a happy marriage.¡±
¡°I think it''ll be happier if there are no interview requests in it. She said that hardly a fortnight went by without some reporter wanting to interview her.¡±
¡°Oh. I suppose it is rather selfish of us to keep on at her. But she lived just round the corner from me, and well...¡±
¡°You needed your big scoop. Yes. I know.¡±
¡°And now you''ve entered my life as an angel from on high and you''re going to rescue me from obscurity.¡±
¡°Very poetic, but I thought that all I was going to do was tell you some things and then you were going to write it up, let me check it and then try to use it as a bargaining chip to win you a job?¡±
¡°Ah, but somehow Bob McDaniel has decided that he owes my grandfather a favour and therefore I get to offer it straight to the editor-in-chief at NWN.¡±
¡°Ah, well, you can''t blame that on me. You can give glory to God if you like. I didn''t even know about it...¡± Teresa thought back and her voice trailed off.
¡°I think that sounds a very good idea.¡± Tony agreed.
¡°...I mean, all I did was tell Bob the impression you gave me in our first conversation, and what Sarah had said about you, and then tell him your name,¡± she finished weakly.
¡°So, I can thank you, can''t I?¡± There seemed to be a question in his tone, which she felt had more to do with emotions and the future than what he''d been saying.
She looked at him, appraisingly. He liked her looks, she was sure, which wasn''t saying much, she''d met plenty of males with that opinion. But on the other hand, he wasn''t bad company so far at least, he was slightly older than her, which was about right in her view. He was a Christian, which was a requirement. ¡°Maybe,¡± she decided.
¡°I''m not sure I understand why you said ¡®Maybe¡¯ in that tone just now, Teresa.¡±
Teresa realised that maybe he didn''t know what his body language was saying. ¡°Just thinking aloud.¡±
¡°Penny for your thoughts?¡±
¡°Oh, I think they''re probably worth more than that,¡± she smiled her dazzling smile again.
¡°Oh, how much?¡±
¡°I''ll let you know.¡±
¡°You know, my granddad is full of good advice, but sometimes he jokes too. Something he said once comes to mind.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°He said that when a beautiful woman starts being enigmatic, it''s time to run away.¡±
¡°Oh. So you''re determined to believe that I''m beautiful, therefore you''re going to run away before you interview me? Just because I was thinking of something and spoke aloud, and would rather not say what it was I was thinking about?¡±
¡°Ah, no. Not on your life. I''m just wondering if I should or not.¡±
¡°Oh. Well, my misspoken word might be appropriate then, mightn''t it?¡±
¡°You mean ¡®maybe?¡¯ why should I run away? You''re my ticket to a full time post as a reporter.¡±
¡°Ah, but will you survive in the cut and thrust of office politics? Being the new boy at the office, the one who reports on all the boring stuff that no-one wants to do? No more freedom, no control? Will you hate it after the first three days? And if so, will you blame me for getting you into it?¡±
¡°And if I did, would you care?¡±
¡°I''m really tempted to answer ¡®maybe.¡¯ But that wouldn''t be true. Of course I''d care if you found that your dream job turned into a nightmare.¡±
¡°Ah, but that''s not what I asked, is it?¡±
¡°You want to know if I''d care if you blamed me for ruining your life? Do I come across so heartless?¡±
¡°No, that''s not what I mean, Teresa. I guess I''m asking, would you ever know, not would you care.¡±
¡°So, you wonder if I''m going to vanish from sight as fast as I can, hide behind anonymous companies and ignore your persistent calls for more interviews?¡±
¡°Maybe I should have run,¡± he told the ceiling, and took a deep breath. ¡°I wasn''t thinking about more interviews so much as more dinners.¡±
¡°Ah.¡± She thought a little before answering. ¡°Now that line of thought, Mr. Randle, is only going to give ammunition to rumours and a certain amount of big brotherly teasing, and I think it is best discussed after we''ve finished the interview, but... maybe.¡±
¡°Maybe you''d be open to more dinners?¡±
¡°Maybe. But Tony, if you fill your head with ideas like this, you''re not going to concentrate on the interview, nor am I, for that matter, and therefore you''re not going to write as much as you should, and therefore you''re not going to get the job that I''m giving you this interview for, and that would be a big waste, wouldn''t it? So please file it away as a topic to be discussed later. Keep your mind on the important things.¡±
¡°I''d like to point out that you probably mean urgent as opposed to important.¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know. Maybe it''s important to me that you get that job, and you not getting it would turn that ¡®maybe¡¯ into a ¡®no.¡¯ Have you considered that?¡±
¡°I have now. That''s a sobering thought. Thank you, Teresa. How do you know how to wrap me round your finger so well?¡±
¡°I have a little brother. I''ve seen the male one track mind in action.¡±
¡°Ah. We''re not all unable to walk and chew gum at the same time.¡±
¡°No, but I don''t think you''ll be able to think about the interview unless we change the topic of conversation. So, you have a big brother, any other relatives I should know about?¡±
¡°A little sister. Divorced, sadly.¡±
¡°Joint decision?¡±
¡°No. Hers. They married young, he lost his job and he couldn''t cope. She couldn''t cope with him not coping. Too many arguments, not enough reconciliation.¡±
¡°That''s sad. Any kids?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°And your big brother?¡±
¡°Happily married, no kids yet. And you said you''ve got a brother? What does he do?¡±
¡°Currently in the forces, but for how much longer I don''t know. He got urm... confused... by someone he respected, went AWOL and broke into someone''s house.¡±
¡°Confused? You don''t mean that euphemistically.¡±
¡°I''m not sure. He went a bit mentally unstable. He came round when he was running away from the gunmen who''d been sent by his ¡®friend,¡¯ but before that, he denounced me as being a gullible fool tricked into believing the devil''s lies.¡±
¡°What on earth for?¡±
¡°Working for the Institute. At the time he thought that all mind-reading was a work of witchcraft, and there I was, representing the Institute.¡±
¡°Hold on, when was this then?¡±
¡°A couple of months ago. I''m not sure how much I can say about it though, it''s probably an official secret. I''d have to ask.¡±
¡°Oh. Do you know many official secrets then?¡±
¡°Quite a few, probably. One of my clients was really really impressed when I told them my clearance level. Apparently it means that I''m trusted to read anything the government should happen to send their way, unlike the managing director.¡±
¡°What does he do then?¡±
¡°Passes the message to the chairman of the board, who eventually gets round to either telling him it''s not relevant or editing it down so it''s a case of jump through these hoops and don''t ask why.¡±
¡°But you could read it?¡±
¡°Yes. But I can''t go giving orders to the managing director, can I? I can just tell him that if he doesn''t want to go to jail, he needs to make sure he doesn''t break the official secrets laws.¡±
¡°I don''t want you to get in trouble.¡±
¡°That''s why I''m not telling you any more about what my little brother was doing.¡±
¡°So, if I happened to be a mind reader, would that influence your maybe?¡±
¡°It might, if you couldn''t get clearance. I''m not at all sure what the whole clearance thing does to relationships. Probably not much more than you protecting your sources and me not breaking client confidentiality and so on. But are you a mind reader?¡±
¡°No, not as far as I know.¡±
¡°You''d know. You can''t turn off ears, and it connects to the same part of the brain.¡±
¡°I wonder if you can turn off eyes actually. All we do is cover them up so they stop sending signals. That doesn''t turn them off.¡±
¡°Good point. A bit obscure for your typical news article though.¡±
¡°Yes. Would you like dessert?¡±
¡°After that meal? Not straight away, anyway. Where are you planning for the interview to be? Here?¡±
¡°It''s up to you. We can use my office / studio if you prefer, it''s just down the road and more private. On the other hand... it''s more private.¡±
¡°You mean, do I want to stay somewhere where I can scream for help, or where I don''t get overheard?¡±
¡°Yes, I guess so.¡±
¡°I don''t think you''re planning any foul deeds, are you, Tony?¡±
¡°No. But then I''d say that, wouldn''t I?¡±
¡°Yes. But if I go missing, you''re suspect number one, so I think I''m safe. Let''s use your office.¡±
¡°So, is it OK if I record this? I can write short-hand, but not as fast as I''d like.¡±
¡°I didn''t know anyone used it these days. Record away. But just for your research, not for broadcast. And, urm, I think I''d be happier if it was audio only.¡±
¡°Of course. Am I allowed to know the reason?¡±
Teresa hesitated a second or two. ¡°I hope that recorder''s off, Tony.¡±
¡°Yes. No recordings, no notebook, no reporting.¡±
¡°I''ve had boyfriends. I know they weren''t Christians and you are, but...¡± she shuddered ¡°... I don''t want my picture to be used like that again. Ever.¡±
¡°Oh. You mean...¡±
¡°I mean that I once came home unexpectedly and found my boyfriend was masturbating over a video of me he''d secretly filmed. I realised then that our whole relationship had really been based on nothing but his lust, and all my previous ones too, really. I threw him out and broke off the relationship there and then. I threw out his trousers and underwear eventually too, when I could find a stick to hold them with. I eventually let him in to get the rest of his stuff, but I burnt the crystal he''d been watching.¡±
Tony was caught by surprise. He knew she''d not been a Christian until recently, but he hadn''t expected to hear anything about her previous life, certainly not this side of the interview. His thoughts stumbled.
¡°Sorry. I... urm... sorry.¡±
¡°I felt very very dirty for the next few years. It was only when I came to Christ that I realised that I''d still been feeling dirty, just I somehow got used to it. I''m sorry, you didn''t expect to learn that, did you?¡±
¡°It can''t have been pleasant.¡±
¡°It''s why I''ve not even considered romance for the last five years. I''m soiled goods, I know, Tony, physically and emotionally. I wanted you to realise that, before you consider any more dinners together. And, urm, it''s probably best if you keep away from the whole praising my beauty thing, please, it does nothing except stir up bad memories.¡±
¡°Teresa, Christ has washed away your sins, and made you clean. You surprised me, telling me like that, but I could have guessed you...¡± he blushed.
¡°You probably could have guessed that I''d thrown away my virginity a long time ago. But I''m shoving that fact down your throat. Sorry if I''m embarrassing you, I just thought you should know. I like feeling clean, it''s a wonderful new experience, but the memories of my stupidity are still there. I''m not interested in repeating them. And if knowing that pours cold water on your sex drive, then so much the better as far as the interview is concerned.¡±
¡°Teresa, I''m going to try and concentrate on the interview but I think I''m at least three quarters in love with you already. I liked your voice the first time I heard you and I like your quick mind and your insight and the way you laugh. And yes, you are a very beautiful woman but I''ll try not to say it. Thank you for trusting me with that. I don''t know how I''ve deserved it. I''ve never even kissed the girls I''ve been on dates with beyond a quick peck on the cheek, things just never seemed to work out. So... talking about ¡®maybe¡¯ is the closest I''ve ever got to serious emotional involvement.¡±
¡°So, have I just ruined any hope you have of concentrating?¡±
¡°I hope not.¡±
¡°Then maybe we should turn on that recorder.¡±
¡°Can we pray first?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°Father God, if it''s Your will that I get this job that I''ve been hoping for, then help me to ask the right questions and to write what I learn well. Thank You for letting me meet Teresa, help her in her new walk with You I pray, and help us to know our thoughts about each other. Amen.¡±
¡°Amen.¡±
¡°Can you tell me when you first heard about all this mind-reading stuff?¡±
¡°Oh, yes. Mid-June I think, shall I look it up?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
Teresa checked her diary. There it was.
¡°On Wednesday the 21st of June I got a rough draft, very rough, of a document that the Institute thought it should send to its clients, and I went to talk to them that afternoon. They''d found out about the thought-readers'' abilities two days earlier. It seems like ages ago!¡±
¡°And that was when they demonstrated thought-reading to you?¡±
¡°Yes. I thought of a poem and touched fingers with the thought-hearer. They repeated it word perfectly, including my mistakes.¡±
¡°So you were convinced?¡±
¡°Wouldn''t you be?¡±
¡°Yes. I suppose so. And was that when they demonstrated the spiritual gift too?¡±
¡°Yes. They weren''t sure how to use it, but they''d seen enough to make them feel that they had to be very careful and warn people about it.¡±
¡°So that triggered your presence and the document they wanted to send?¡±
¡°Yes. In an earlier demonstration someone had been trying to hide his thoughts from them, but it had been as effective as hiding behind a sheet of clear glass.¡±
¡°Ah. But there''s a difference between the two? One is like hearing ¡ª totally unavoidable, but the other isn''t?¡±
¡°No. I think the other one is a little like picking up a stone and looking under it. No, that''s not a good analogy. Perhaps like choosing a vid channel by name?¡±
¡°So they decide, ¡®I''ll look at what Teresa''s thinking,¡¯ and they do?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And you felt nothing?¡±
¡°No. I noticed their eyes sort of stare into space, but that was it.¡±
¡°And you, with your head full of confidential details, were happy to let them have a look to demonstrate this?¡±
¡°No, not at the beginning. But they described it very clearly, and then they came up with those clauses. Well, it was obvious that they weren''t planning on writing a ¡®what if we do something wrong¡¯ statement but one which guaranteed that they wouldn''t.¡±
¡°Those clauses?¡±
¡°I think the document''s been released, but it basically said that if they pass on what they learned without permission, they''d forfeit their jobs, any income they might receive from passing on the information, and half their personal wealth. Also that they''d only use the gift on people with permission.¡±
¡°That''s quite a penalty.¡±
¡°Yes. In the final version there are some get out clauses like if they find out about a crime then they''ll act like any reasonable citizen would, and that if they suspect someone''s at risk they can use their gift to help rescue them. But otherwise, it''s pretty much unmodified.¡±
¡°And they bound themselves to this?¡±
¡°Yes. Willingly.¡±
¡°So that reassured you and they proved their gift to you?¡±
¡°Yes. I told a well rehearsed fabric of lies about my childhood, and they listened in.¡±
¡°So, in effect you were seeing if they''d actually be able to act as lie detectors?¡±
¡°Yes. They can''t.¡±
¡°Oh, it didn''t work?¡±
¡°They saw straight through the lies, told me the real version, and then about five minutes later lost consciousness. That was after fifteen seconds, I think it was, of looking.¡±
¡°Lost consciousness? You mean passed out from tiredness?¡±
¡°No. I mean their brain had started to become inflamed, and if there hadn''t been medical staff on hand, it''s quite likely they would have died.¡±
¡°What? Why? How?¡±
¡°It''s a risk of what the gift allows them to do. They''d pushed themselves way to far. Later tests showed that their brain uses something like thirty times the normal amount of energy to read someone''s thoughts like that. There''s too much information to process. Their minds can cope for a bit, but... thermodynamics kicks in. You can''t burn that much energy without getting hot, and it was only a small part of their brain doing it.¡±
¡°So used like they tried with you, an extended look at how someone''s thinking, is a sort of suicide?¡±
¡°Yes. Very painful too, from what I''m told.¡±
¡°Why didn''t they know this? I''m a bit confused about that. They had this gift, they talked to the Institute and found that it is lethal. But this is a gift of God and there are another fifty-five people around the world with it too? Why didn''t one of them tell them how to use it properly?¡±
¡°They were too new to it, Tony. They didn''t know. God didn''t wake anyone up and tell them to give them the introductory course on using their gift, and it sure didn''t come with an instruction manual.¡±
¡°God didn''t tell them anything, just gave them the gift?¡±
¡°He''s been revealing things, but He''s letting them make their own decisions in how they use the gift He''s given. They know the others with the gift now too, of course, and tend to consult quite a lot.¡±
¡°And how did they find out about having the gift then?¡±
¡°From what I understand, slowly.¡±
¡°Slowly?¡±
¡°Step by step, surprise after surprise. I''m not sure I can answer that better without breaking confidences. Sorry.¡±
¡°So it wasn''t a case of waking up one day and suddenly having an extra arm?¡±
¡°Not nearly so obvious, no. I understand that it''s not uncommon to not know you have been given it until something unusual happens.¡±
¡°Then half the people at church could have it and not know?¡±
¡°As far as I know, it''s only given in conjunction with the normal thought-hearing power.¡±
¡°Ah. So not half. Can you elaborate on ''something unusual''?¡±
¡°Well, for instance from what I understand, the gift comes with understanding ¡ª language is no barrier when you''re hearing thoughts, if you have the gift.¡±
¡°So if someone hears a thought in another language and understands it, they have the gift?¡±
¡°Unless they speak the language already.¡±
¡°Any other for instances?¡±
¡°I know of some, but...¡±
¡°Too specific?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Bob spoke of them being able to think to others around the world.¡±
¡°Yes. One of the first others to contact them was apparently eleven time zones away.¡±
¡°That''s fairly impressive. I also find it impressive that you''re able to speak in the third person plural all the time. I''m sure I''d have dropped a he or she in there sometime. I do notice that you were slightly more hesitant when talking about the one who''d overheated their brain. Might there be a reason for that?¡±
¡°Maybe I''m getting better with practice?¡±
¡°Maybe. That word again. You''re not giving very much away, are you?¡± He said with a smile.
¡°I thought I''d told you quite a lot of interesting things.¡±
¡°Oh you have, but I''m after more.¡±
¡°Oh well. Maybe you should have done more research on the Institute and less about me?¡±
¡°I admit my bias. People are more interesting. But that was a hint, wasn''t it? There''s something about the Institute that might answer my questions.¡±
¡°I''m not going to do your research for you, Tony, that wouldn''t be right. I''m speaking from an insider position and things that seem obvious to me might not be to you.¡±
¡°All I found was the UN declaration and the founding documents.¡±
¡°No hints coming from me. None at all. Did they make interesting reading?¡±
¡°The UN declaration was boring. I really liked the founding document, all those high and mighty aims. Hey, that''s it, isn''t it? The main reason for the founding of the Institute?¡±
¡°Don''t let me interrupt your thoughts.¡± She wasn''t sure why, but she fluttered her eyelids at him. He spluttered.
¡°What was that then? Sabotage?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. Sorry.¡±
¡°You should be. Where were my thoughts.¡± He realised that his eyes had drifted to look at her legs. Nice legs. He looked up at the ceiling and shut them. ¡°Urm, not there, sorry. The founding document... the primary aim of the the Institute... investigate all aspects of the human mind, explore its potentials, discover all its powers and document them for posterity.¡± He looked at her again ¡°That''s in the first paragraph. The Institute was set up to look for things like thought-hearing and the gift!¡±
¡°Yes, that''s true. Good memory you''ve got there. And does that answer your unstated question then?¡±
¡°No. But there was something else relevant. I know there was.¡±
¡°Well, I can hang around until about midnight, if you need me to.¡±
¡°Teresa, you''re playing with me, aren''t you?¡±
¡°No, I''m fascinated at the ability of your mind to remember things like this.¡±
¡°But there''s something in that document that I need to think of, isn''t there?¡±
¡°Oh, I''m sure there is lots of interesting stuff in there if you were going to report on the Institute. But you''re not going to comment on the comings and goings of anyone, are you?¡±
¡°Can I at least mention you?¡±
¡°By my relationship, please, not name.¡±
¡°But the Institute almost has to have one of these gifted people on staff, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°So they can be investigated. There was a fund, I remember now. A certain portion of money put into a fund to enable the subject to be employed.¡±
¡°Oh? I''ve not read the document very recently. It rings a bell though.¡±
¡°And the failure of the director to persuade someone with an undocumented mental ability to join the team would mean they''d have failed to perform their primary duty to the Institute, and would have to reapply to the board if they wanted to keep their job....¡±
¡°What a draconian clause. I wonder if it could be enforced in an employment tribunal,¡± she commented, just giving a tiny hint, she admitted to herself.
Tony grabbed it. ¡°As legal advisor, I understand that you cannot comment specifically on your client''s legal affairs, but could you tell me if you think that such a clause could be enforced, legally?¡±
¡°It would be a difficult case to fight on both sides, and would probably be very messy.¡±
¡°Messy?¡±
¡°Accusations of unfair dismissal of the director of such a prestigious and news-shy Institution? It''d be sure to attract a lot of press attention.¡±
¡°Thank you, Teresa! May I quote you verbatim on that one?¡±
¡°If you want to, but don''t stop too soon.¡±
¡°Urm... Teresa, how long would such a case take to come to court, or at least the attention of the press?¡±
¡°Quite quickly these days. I''d expect the press to learn of it within a matter of hours from the first filings. The case itself would start within a few days, there''s not much of a backlog.¡±
¡°And the case would almost certainly be contested, you think?¡±
¡°Unless the director was unhappy in her job.¡±
¡°Urm, let me see, I know I got her name from a company financial report somewhere... He flipped through some pages of notes. ¡°I think it was Karen, or Kate... Kate Burnett! There she is. How is it that she''s allowed to be named on a company report, Teresa?¡±
¡°She isn''t. Can you tell me where you got that?¡±
¡°Yes, of course. Urm... company accounts filed last year.¡±
¡°I think I need to make a call. May I?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°Hi, Kate. Yes thank you, I''m having fun, yes, a charming man, but he''s found something he shouldn''t have done. Your full name was on the company accounts that were filed last year, so we''re pausing to let you know. Yes. Good thing you''ve changed it. Oh, did he? Well, if he asks, can I confirm it? And he was wondering about that too, others doing that as well. I can tell him that? Yes, we''re getting on very well. Yes, he''s a Christian, and he''s being very polite about trying not to look like he''s listening to everything I say to you. Yes, I''ll introduce you if that happens. Of course he won''t. Kate! It''s too early for that. OK, bye!¡±
¡°I''m remembering, I can''t think what could have reminded me, that I quoted a certain Kate Burnett for wedding photos.¡±
Teresa laughed. ¡°You''re too good at making connections, Tony. I should have left the room.¡±
¡°So... I had been planning to ask if Kate Burnett was still director, but as you pointed out, she''s not allowed to be named. And I suspect that she''s not called Kate Burnett any more. Am I right?¡±
¡°You are right. And she told me why she didn''t accept your quotation too. Would you like to know?¡± She asked uncertainly.
He heard the uncertainty in her voice, so rather than an immediate yes, he asked, ¡°Is it going to be very painful?¡±
¡°I''m not sure.¡±
¡°Go on.¡±
¡°It wasn''t the price. It was the package.¡±
¡°The package?¡±
¡°She said that it seemed like you offered a fixed package, which didn''t suit them, so they went for another, more expensive one instead, which seemed to offer more flexibility.¡±
¡°What! That''s crazy! I''ve always been flexible.¡±
¡°I wonder what she saw then that made her think that.¡±
¡°So do I. I don''t actually send out the quotations myself, I used to send an individual message but now it goes through a semi-automatic system. I lost an order by getting the bride''s name wrong once so I switched. But actually, I started using that about the time that orders started dropping off. I wonder what''s gone wrong.¡±
¡°More research needed?¡±
¡°Indeed. So, back to the matter in hand, I hope Kate had a lovely wedding. I wonder what gets me introduced and what it''s much too early for.¡±
¡°Kate likes to tease, not to mention match-make. She asked if we''d set a wedding date.¡±
¡°Yes. I see. I add my righteous indignation as well. So the introduction happens if ¡®maybe¡¯ turns to ¡®yes''?¡±
¡°Actually it was if ¡®we become serious¡¯.¡±
¡°Do we have to become serious? I like your laugh.¡±
¡°You''ve said that before. Have we moved beyond the interview?¡±
¡°I think I do have some more questions. But the most important one I want to ask is would you be willing to meet without the pretext of an interview, just because we seem to enjoy each other''s company?¡±
¡°Yes, Tony. I think on that basis: no strings attached, no promises I can''t make yet, I''d like that. I think I''d like that quite a lot.¡±
¡°Thank you, Teresa. Now as my heart overflows with happiness, can I ask you some more questions?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± she smiled.
¡°You mentioned God waking someone up in the middle of the night, and that the first contact with one of the others was from eleven time zones away. Can you tell me any more about that event?¡±
¡°I think I can. Yes. It was on the 17th of July.¡±
¡°The day the gangs ran mad?¡±
¡°Yes. That day. First day of my new life.¡±
¡°And there''s a connection between all those things?¡±
¡°There is, I''m going to have to be careful though, since while some of what happened isn''t sensitive, other stuff is.¡±
¡°Can I ask what you were doing at the Institute? Is that safe?¡±
¡°Actually... I was hiding.¡±
¡°Hiding? Who from?¡±
¡°My brother, or rather the gun-men who were after him. I got a message from Security to get to a place of safety and they suggested the Institute. Actually they took me there.¡±
¡°So Security thought you were at risk?¡±
¡°Yes. They had suspicions, proved correct, about who had set my brother his task, they knew his likely reaction too: it would be gun-men, and no witnesses.¡±
¡°So if your brother had sought sanctuary with you then you''d have been at risk?¡±
¡°Yes. It was odd hearing what was going through his mind.¡±
¡°What? You heard his thoughts yourself?¡±
¡°Not directly. Back then they didn''t know how to use the gift to tell where someone was, all they could do was listen to someone''s thoughts from afar and hope that gave them a clue where the person was. The person from Security convinced them there was a real threat to my brother so they tuned in, and for some of it it was like hearing a running translation of his thoughts. As he was running. And because they listened in, my brother still lives.¡±
¡°They were able to get help to him?¡±
¡°Yes. Bad guys all captured.¡±
¡°And somehow that prompted your decision?¡±
¡°Not in itself, but... partly. They had no reason to protect him, humanly. Several reasons not to.¡±
¡°Like his denunciation of you? This was after that?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And the house he broke into was someone''s at the Institute?¡±
¡°I can''t answer that.¡±
¡°And Security was involved in discovering that break-in?¡±
¡°I can''t answer that Tony. Forget about the house, please.¡±
¡°OK. House is off limits. But even though he was your brother, you felt they had plenty of motive to let him hang on his own rope?¡±
¡°Yes. Actually, I skipped over a bit, I think. No, it was later on. I''m a bit confused what happened when, but later at some point, they checked on him, just to make sure he was OK. I mean, OK, rescuing him when he''s in danger, but actually checking that he''s OK? That was the extra mile that really made me think.¡±
¡°And the gangs?¡±
¡°That prompted the international call, yes.¡±
¡°What, God interrupted someone''s sleep to tell them to contact the gifted people here?¡±
She spotted that he''d thrown a plural into the question. ¡°You sneaky man! He told them to contact the gifted person or people here, yes. The gangs were organised, they''d been given targets. Some were more specific than others.¡±
¡°And the international caller told them how to find people being chased by the gangs?¡±
¡°That too, later on, but he told them how to find where people were, and also who was in a certain place. He also told them how to look at the evil that the organiser had set in motion, was connected to. That was the crunch.¡±
¡°How so?¡±
¡°When you peer deeply at evil, it might peer back. When you disclose it and threaten its plans, it might strike back. The plans were demonic in the secular sense, but they weren''t sure if they were in the spiritual sense too. They knew I had some sort of faith, but it wasn''t very live, and pointed out that being on good terms with God was safer. I agreed. It was a lot better than ¡®I might have made a commitment when I was little but I didn''t keep to it, and I know I''m not right with him.¡¯ And so I went off in a huddle with one of the Christians at the Institute and then God made me clean!¡±
Tony could see the radiant joy in her face and decided two things. Firstly that he''d do a lot of praying to sort out his relationship with God, which had grown fairly stale recently, and secondly, since he loved her so much already, he was going to put her needs above his. He prayed a silent commitment to these things.
¡°Tony?¡± She was looking at him curiously.
¡°Sorry, I just felt that I needed to promise God some things.¡±
¡°Something private?¡±
¡°Just seeing your joy in God... I''ve not been as close to God as I should have been recently. Worried about wedding photography and journalism, I think. Stupid time to drift away from God, in retrospect. I resolved to pray and study my Bible more regularly.¡±
¡°And the other thing?¡±
¡°I''m not sure I should say,¡± he said, hesitantly.
¡°It''s about me then? I think I would like to know.¡±
¡°I want what''s best for you, Teresa, with all my heart. Even if that doesn''t include me.¡±
¡°That''s not a chat-up line I''ve had addressed to me before. I take it you''d like my future to include you?¡±
¡°I would, but not if it''s going to hurt you. I think you''ve got enough scars already.¡±
¡°So, you think you''d be wonderfully happy if we started going out, but you''re prepared to accept that it might not be good for me, and so you''re willing to forego your happiness for my benefit?¡±
¡°Perhaps a better way of putting it is that seeing the God-inspired joy on your face made me realise just how much I don''t want to do anything that might take that from you. I don''t want to rush you if you need us to go slowly, I don''t want to go slowly if that causes you pain. I don''t want to hang around if that holds you back in your walk with God.¡±
¡°Tony, you hardly know me. That almost sounds like you''re gearing up to a proposal.¡±
¡°Maybe tonight would be too soon.¡±
Teresa laughed, then stopped herself. ¡°That was a joke, right?¡±
¡°Not sure. See, I told you I shouldn¡¯t have said.¡±
¡°Right, then let''s get back on track. Any more questions for this interrupted interview?¡±
¡°Yes. You talked about them looking at someone¡¯s evil? That''s different to looking inside their skulls, I presume.¡±
¡°Yes. Far more dangerous too, apparently. He looked for about half a second and needed to rest.¡±
¡°You just dropped a pronoun.¡±
¡°You noticed! Good. I''m going to take unfair advantage of your declaration of love, in the full knowledge that if you write too much then I get in trouble. It''s complex enough, so I thought I''d let you work out how much of this is publishable, or should be publishable, and how much is not. Actually, it could be verging on sub-judice anyway. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t tell you anything.¡±
¡°Surely if you don''t tell me details, then it should be OK?¡±
¡°Possibly... It depends on whether people can identify a witness in court from what you say that I tell you that they saw. Of course them being a witness depends on whether the government decides to pass a law that says evidence from thought-hearers should be admissible in court. But if you publish that a thought-hearer learnt of orders given in an identifiable specific case, you''re in trouble, or even if you publish without the case being identifiable and then a thought-hearer testifies about that, then people might think: ¡®Oh yes, I heard about this really nasty person who did that, this must be him,¡¯ you''re in trouble too. By trouble I mean that you''re in prison for a while and unable to look after my best interests, and then where would I be?¡±
¡°I hope you''d be surrounded by supportive friends, but thank you for the thought.¡±
¡°So, should I tell you?¡±
¡°Yes, please. I can always put big brackets round it with ''is this sub-judice?'' above it. Suggest they cut it out of the final version.¡±
¡°Yes. And you''re going to let me make corrections, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Yes, please. Another excuse for a meal.¡±
¡°You don''t need excuses, remember? I''ve told you that we can spend time together. Though perhaps you''ll wear your brother''s generosity out if you eat there too often and keep the paying customers out of there.¡±
¡°That''s true. And it''ll reinforce opinions about us being an item.¡±
¡°Would you object to that?¡± Teresa asked with a raised eyebrow.
¡°Not if you don''t. So, would you like to tell me too much information?¡±
¡°OK. I won''t tell you who, or how often it happens, but I''ll tell you that there was more than one gifted person in the Institute that day.¡±
¡°Oooh, finally! Can I ask you how many gifted people were there?¡±
¡°You can ask. I will try not to answer.¡±
¡°Why is the number a secret?¡±
¡°If some bad guy found out that a certain number of people with the gift worked at the Institute, instead of one in I''m not sure how many million, they''d be looking at one, two or ten out of a staff of twenty. Can you imagine the lengths they might go to to try and get rid of them?¡±
¡°Not really.¡±
¡°There have been other thefts of military hardware than the one that was used for the Clear Sky shopping centre attack. There would be lots of dead bodies, I think.¡±
¡°Ouch. You''re serious?¡±
¡°There are people out there who don''t like the idea of publication, we know that.¡±
¡°There have been threats?¡±
¡°Threats and actions.¡±
¡°But you can''t elaborate?¡±
¡°I can''t. You can take your pick of official secret or sub-judice.¡±
¡°You mean both? That there have been two attacks?¡±
¡°No comment. I actually meant that you could explain it to yourself as one of them. Tony, legal advice: if I say something is an official secret or might be, that means drop it faster than a hot coal. Don''t mess with those laws, ever, please.¡±
¡°You''re serious?¡±
¡°Very. I know things that you mustn''t be interested in. If you pestered me about them then I''d need to report you. Not telling you about how many thought readers work at the Institute is a sensible precaution. If you don''t know, you can''t leak it by accident. Other things are client confidentiality. If I break that, then I lose my clients, possibly even my status as legal advisor. If I break the official secrets laws, then going to prison would be the least of the trouble I might expect. Letting on about some of the things I know might get me a long stay ticket to a high security prison, or possibly a government think tank if I''m lucky.¡±
¡°They can do that?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Sorry. I didn''t know our laws were that harsh.¡±
¡°They''re not really harsh. If you prove that you can''t be trusted to keep the secrets that keep people safe, then you can''t be allowed to mix with people who don''t know those secrets or you can only mix with people who can''t do anything about them if they knew. They give people in the think tanks access to news, a useful job to do and so on, but they can''t let them communicate freely with the outside world until the secrets they know aren''t relevant or aren''t secret.¡±
¡°OK. If you mention those words then I''ll drop it. I don''t want that happening to you.¡±
¡°Thank you, Tony. Me neither.¡±
¡°But you were saying what you could about using the gift to track someone''s evil. Isn''t that sort of thing covered by the ethical regulations?¡±
¡°Not really. They''re not looking at the person''s mind, after all.¡±
¡°No? Then what?¡±
¡°My personal guess is they saw a sketch-map of the person''s worst sins, with annotations.¡±
¡°That sounds like a lot of information to process.¡±
¡°Yes. Five or ten times more than a deep scan of a person. They described it in terms of threads of different colours, intensities and thicknesses joining nodes together.¡±
¡°It sounds complicated.¡±
¡°Yes. But they were able to understand it, somehow. Orders given to such and such a gang to find a girl, rape and bury her alive, hang a certain person up by meat hooks in a disused warehouse, find someone and break their legs and leave them in a tunnel.¡±
¡°You''re not making that up, are you? I could hear the horror in your voice.¡±
¡°No. I''m not. But it''s almost certainly sub judice.¡±
¡°I expect so. But those crimes, those orders... torturing people to death, just randomly like that and hiding them? On one hand they seem like they''re designed to shock but not to be discovered. What was it, an attempt to prove to the gangs that they''re invincible?¡±
¡°I think they think that anyway.¡±
¡°You''re sort of avoiding the question.¡±
¡°You do notice little things like that, don''t you? Are you always like that? I mean, do you notice everything all the time, or can you turn it on and off?¡±
¡°I guess the latter. Nice diversion by the way. I guess I''m very focussed on what you''re saying and how you''re reacting right now.¡±
¡°I''m glad you can turn it off, it might get too much. I wonder why you should be so focussed on me now. Could it be hormones, do you think?¡±
¡°Teresa, do you want to end the interview? Just say if you do.¡±
¡°Sorry, I was experimenting on whether you''d get the hint that I didn''t think it was a good subject to explore.¡±
¡°I guess I don''t know you well enough to pick up on what you''re trying to hint. Sorry. But I''m confused about something. You said that the man with the gift saw all this evil, and then had to rest? His brain was overheated?¡±
¡°Yes. What are you confused about?¡±
¡°How did the people get rescued? He talked about what he''d seen?¡±
¡°No, faster than that. Two of them together can do something they call linking minds. Apparently it really helps to have two minds looking at a set of memories, and it''s not heat-inducing at all. He provided the memory of what he''d seen and who the target was, and she found out where the targets were.¡±
¡°I did wonder how Security had been able get hold of the information. I mean, the tip off that that girl got: ¡®there''s a gang across the valley from you who are planning to rape you.¡¯ It sounded like either the gang must have been very lax about where they discussed their plans, or there was an informant among them.¡±
¡°Now you know.¡±
¡°Should I tell the world?¡±
¡°Thank you for asking. I don''t know. As I say, it''s probably sub judice, but if it''s not, does it help you at all?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. You''ve said so much. I''m not really sure how to put it together.¡±
¡°So, you think you''ve got enough for your report?¡±
¡°Is there more I should be asking?¡±
¡°I suppose if you think of anything you can always call me.¡±
¡°I can''t, you know. You''ve always called me ¡®caller withheld¡¯.¡±
¡°That''s not very satisfactory if we''re going to be talking a lot, is it?¡±
¡°So could I ask for your number? Did you do that deliberately?¡±
¡°Of course you can have my number. Did I do what deliberately?¡±
¡°Telling me to call you just now when I don''t know your number?¡±
¡°No. I''d just forgotten that you hadn''t asked. Honestly.¡±
¡°What was your lie? I meant to ask earlier but forgot.¡±
¡°My lie?¡±
¡°That you used to prove the gift. Do you remember it?¡±
¡°Yes. You want to hear it?¡±
¡°Yes please.¡±
¡°My name is Teresa Mary Riley. My father is an artist specialising in murals who''s had work on show in several big art galleries, my mother is an exhibition arranger. When I was a child I went to St. Mildred¡¯s School for the Gifted, and I then went on to study law. My parents live in The Manor, next to Manor Park, which we open to the public most days of the year. You''ve probably heard of its exceptional arboretum, which contains almost every tree native to this country. And so on and so on.¡±
¡°I''ve been to Manor Park arboretum. It does have that many trees, but I don''t remember a manor house near it. Oh sneaky! The Manor is a road of smallish houses. So I doubt your parents actually own the park. Do they?¡±
¡°No. My Mum works part time in a florist''s, my Dad is a painter and decorator who has helped paint the walls of several big art galleries. I did go to that school, but only one day. The whole thing is a fabrication.¡±
¡°And is your name Teresa Mary Riley?¡±
¡°Teresa Riley, no middle name.¡±
¡°But the strange thing is, I''ve heard or read some of that before. Oh! The pageant!¡±
¡°They actually published that pack of lies?¡±
¡°How would they know?¡±
¡°Doing some basic research?¡±
¡°Why did you do it? Lie at the pageant?¡±
¡°Because of the pompous organiser, who was certain there would be royalty there or something and so we shouldn''t hide our claims to fame. Even had a special section in the application form. I didn''t have any, so I um, embellished reality slightly.¡±
¡°Yes. Weren''t you caught out by anyone?¡±
¡°Yes. It actually got me my first job.¡±
¡°Really? How?¡±
¡°They were from the area so they knew it was a pack of lies, but they said that if I could be so convincing under those conditions then they knew I''d be able to stand the pressure in court. They actually had me repeat it while hooked up to a lie detector. It didn''t catch me, I''d rehearsed it so well. Do you have any claims to fame?¡±
¡°Not really. I almost got arrested for breaking a UN publication ban.¡±
¡°Yes. Would you like to make a sworn statement to me about that? I was serious.¡±
¡°If I voluntarily go forward for interview, do I get to have a lawyer with me?¡±
¡°I appoint myself if you''ll let me. Special discount rates.¡±
¡°Might there be a conflict of interest there?¡±
¡°I don''t think so.¡±
¡°So what do you recommend? The statement or the interview?¡±
¡°Statement and offer interview?¡±
¡°That sounds like a very reasonable idea.¡±
¡°Let''s work on your statement then.¡±
Disclosure / Ch. 8: Tonys Report: The Dangerous Gift
Book 3: Disclosure / Ch. 8:Tony''s Report: The Dangerous Gift
Friday, 7 pm
A lot of speculation has been going on following the revelations from the Institute for the Human Mind. There are some things that Bob McDaniel has not told us yet, some things he cannot, of course, given the reporting restrictions that surround the Institute. And maybe some things that he doesn''t know. Of course the long term access that he has been given brings with it the problem that he knows too much, and some of what has become so common place to him is not known to us.
I have been able to secure an exclusive interview with someone who, while not a permanent member of staff at the Institute, is called in to offer advice from time to time, and I asked her about how she had learned of these strange, previously undocumented abilities. When she first heard of them, the Institute''s ethical commitment, which could become the basis for a new law, was in an early first draft. There had been no contact with the other gifted around the world, and they had not yet discovered the dangers of using their gift. But those dangers exist and those dangers are real and deadly. There has been some uninformed discussion that the gifted should serve as infallible lie detectors, some even suggesting they be forcibly drafted into public service to the courts. That would be a violation of their rights of course, and also it will not work.
In some ways it is true that they have that ability. They apparently have no problem seeing past even well rehearsed lies which would fool a lie detector. My informant was part of an experiment in this regard. She told an extended lie about her background which she''d told several times before, including to a lie detector, which I might add failed to spot the untruths. The gifted person watched her mind as she told it, saw right through the tissue of lies, saw also where and when and why she''d come up with it.
But it was very hard work, and after fifteen seconds they had to stop from mental exhaustion. About five minutes later this person collapsed.
They didn''t collapse from exhaustion, or any previous medical problems. They collapsed because while this gift gives supernatural access to vast quantities of information, it doesn''t change the laws of thermodynamics. The gift enables the person to see amazing details, to take in vast amounts of knowledge. But that takes work. About as much work as sprinting up a hill in a panic. And your brain isn''t designed to use that much energy.
We''ve all seen cartoons where smoke comes from someone''s ears when they think too hard. That''s not true. What is true is that if you''re firing your neurons fast enough to use the gift, then your brain is getting warmer than normal. And if you use it too long, it gets dangerously hot. And if you heat it too much then the brain starts to get inflamed. And any medic will tell you that if you start to get inflammation of the brain tissue then you''re in trouble, big trouble, because the brain can''t grow, it''s packed inside your skull. This experiment didn''t end in the death of that gifted individual, but it could have if there hadn''t been the medical facilities that there are at the Institute.
This is a gift that can kill the user, and that makes sense. The human body uses about seventy-five Watts at rest, and the brain uses about twenty of those. Working at their limit, a sportsman can use something like ten times that, but their brain still uses its twenty or so. If you''re doing a lot of brain work then maybe your brain uses more than twenty watts, but it doesn''t use hundreds of watts in a sustained manner. This gift somehow pushes their brain into overdrive and it does use hundreds of Watts. It needs to when they''re looking so deeply at someone''s thoughts, so they can interpret what''s happening. But that much brain work means heat, and heating braincells until they''re almost cooked isn''t a very a good thing if you want to keep on using your brain.
So, can someone with this gift tell if someone is lying? Yes, at a point in time. But could they do that, explore that deeply in someone''s mind, for hours on end? Absolutely not. Bob has said that they will not abuse this gift. It''s not just that they have high ethical standards and value the free will that the Judeo-Christian belief system tells us we have, but it''s also that they can''t use it in the way that some people are suggesting.
As I wrote earlier, at the time of my informant''s meeting them, there had been no contact with others with this gift. I cannot go into details about the context, because it is sub judice, but the other surprising revelation happened at a time when many people were in need of rescue. An individual had given orders, instructions that ¡ª had they been carried out ¡ª would have caused much suffering and death. Internal Security had become aware of part of those plans which happened to relate to my informant. They suggested she get to a place of safety, and let''s face it, there are few places she could go that are safer than the Institute. So she was there and witnessed what happened at the Institute on that day.
She tells me that someone on the other side of the world woke up with a strong urge to tell them of an aspect of this gift that was unknown to them. This is an aspect that is only ever used with great care and trepidation. I''ve told you of the risks to them of staring too long at the mind of a person. In this part of the gift they look at something else, and the risks are higher, the information greater. They looked at what my informant described as an annotated sketch-map of the person''s sins, and looking at that heated their brain five or ten times faster than looking at a human mind.
Further, they were warned it might bring other risks too. As they looked at the workings of evil, there existed the possibility of evil looking back. Of course I cannot confirm if this is true, but they took the warning seriously, and if we give any credence to the source of their gift, then we should accept that they are probably more likely to recognise spiritual realities than most of us, I think. Through this use of the gift, the horrific plan did not come to fruition. Deaths and suffering were avoided. But the risks of using the gift are high too. A mistake, accidentally looking too long, could cause their death. They have a powerful gift, which obviously needs to be used with care to avoid the destruction of civil liberties that have been assumed for generations, but their use of it is not for personal glory or gain, nor is it without risk. Let us give them respect, privacy and breathing space, for we will probably need them again in the future.
¡°What do you think, Teresa?¡± They were looking at the screen in his office.
¡°You''ve left out quite a lot. I think you''re selling yourself short. There''s none of your research in there. They''ll be looking for that and it looks like all you''ve done is listen to me well.¡±
¡°About the the Institute''s founding documents, and your quote about the director?¡±
¡°Yes, I know it''s something that they''d prefer didn''t come out, but someone is going to read them and put two and two together. It might as well be you. Also, at least one set of bad guys knows of the link.¡±
¡°You didn''t say that. I know, I know. I didn''t ask.¡±
¡°Actually, if you''d asked I''d have probably said it was an official secret.¡±
¡°Then what are you doing telling me now?¡±
¡°I made some enquiries.¡± She handed him a data-crystal.
¡°What''s on here?¡±
¡°Go on, read it. There''s just the one file on there.¡±
¡°It''s a letter? Dear Teresa, thank you for the statement. It is not the editor''s first offence but he''s been doing pretty well since he was last warned. It is not that uncommon for editors to do things that put reporters on the wrong side of the law in the interests of publication. We will of course be checking his movements and contacts carefully given the situation. Your friend reacted entirely correctly. As you asked, we''ve checked up on him and have no concerns about you discussing those topics with him. In matters you consider relevant and appropriate, you may consider him to have your clearance level. Officially his level is three beta. You decide what he should know of what you know. Make him aware that if he shares what you''ve told him with anyone not at the Institute, the relevant penalties apply. Bob is cleared to three alpha, if they do end up working together, so he can talk freely to him.
You may show him this letter. Hope to see you sometime soon, maybe I''ll meet him in December? M.¡±
¡°Who''s M.? Dare I ask?¡±
¡°She made a call and I was picked up by two agents from Security. I''d said that a lift would be great if they didn''t mind, she laughed and said, ¡®they can mind if they want to but it''s not going to do them much good.¡±
¡°Ah. She speaks and people jump?¡±
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°Yes. I don''t know how high she is, it''s probably best not to ask.¡±
¡°But as long as I don''t pass things on, you can tell me pretty much what you decide to?¡±
¡°She says so.¡±
¡°And by the sound of it, Bob could too?¡±
¡°Yes, it looks that way.¡±
¡°So I guess beta means I can hear second hand from an alpha. Do you know what the number means?¡±
¡°I''m not sure, I guess it''s level of details, that sort of thing. She did give an example of what it would mean if someone were cleared to level 5 gamma... they''d be allowed to know that her daughter''s parents are government employees, I guess assuming they knew her daughter. When her daughter first came she wasn''t sure what clearance or none the people there had, and she apparently said, ¡®my parents work abroad,¡¯ which is true, but not exactly the whole truth.¡±
¡°She''s got a daughter at the Institute?¡±
¡°Yes. It''s technically just a summer job, but she really seems part of the family.¡±
¡°Family?¡±
¡°The Institute''s staff consider themselves to be sort of a family. I''m on the edges, but there''s certainly the unquestioning care for each other there.¡±
¡°Nice working environment. But you think I should put that bit in about them having a gifted worker?¡±
¡°Yes I do. So does she actually. Urm, I hope you don''t mind, I told her about your declaration of intent last night.¡±
¡°I meant it.¡±
¡°So, assuming we keep on getting on well, you''re almost family too.¡±
¡°And I get to be let in on some of the family secrets? Like who has the gift?¡±
¡°Yes. Just don''t ask her for an interview, she''s allergic to that question.¡±
¡°Allergic? Like Sarah Smith?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Teresa smiled broadly, and Tony began to wonder.
¡°Teresa, how many people do you know who are allergic to interviews?¡±
¡°Just the one, Tony. Just the one.¡±
¡°Sarah Smith has the gift?¡±
¡°Yes. Though she''s not Smith any more of course. You may know, but you may not pass it on.¡±
¡°And she gave me a good reference, and that ended up with us here?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Please pass on my thanks to her.¡±
¡°I will. So, business! What are you going to put in about the Institute employing Sarah, and where does it go?¡±
¡°I think it goes near the top. As to what it should say, I wrote it and then took it out. I''ll just recover that version... Here it is:
''The institute''s founding document makes fascinating reading. The first and foremost goal of the Institute is to find and document abilities like thought-hearing and the gift. The founding document also lays down that a person with an undocumented ability should be employed by the Institute in some normal job, whatever they feel they can do, with plenty of time given to them to explore their gift. In fact, if any director should fail to persuade them to join the Institute, then the founding document says they''ve failed in their job and should go get a new one. I have it on good authority that if the director decided to claim unfair dismissal, it would be a difficult case to fight, on both sides. Such a case would have attracted press attention, but there''s been none.
So anyone can conclude that either a) the director didn''t like their job and went without a fuss, b) the thought-hearer was already on staff, or c)
following the discovery of the Institute''s first confirmed case of a thought-hearer, the director succeeded in employing them. My enquiries show that there''s been no change of director at the Institute. Perhaps the case would be the same for the gift, if it''s not in the same person. I say perhaps, because it would be harder still to pursue the case for unfair dismissal, since the gift ¡ª while being a mental ability in some respects ¡ª also seems to have elements that cannot be explained by science.'' ¡±
¡°Not bad, but rather than ¡®I have it on good authority,¡¯ why not, ¡®a legal expert tells me''?¡±
¡°Thank you, change made.¡±
¡°I think you should link it to when my demonstration was too.¡±
¡°I thought you weren''t going to give things away?¡±
¡°You might notice that I''ve had you security checked and been telling my friends about you.¡±
¡°Yes. But I''m ignorant. What does that mean about our relationship?¡±
¡°That we''re officially exploring what we feel about each other and seriously thinking about the future. The way relationships have been going at the Institute recently, we wouldn''t surprise people there if we announced our wedding date by the end of the week. Not that we will, I expect.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Well, there have been a few romances. One of them is going at normal pace, but otherwise we''ve got two marriages and one engagement. None were on the cards at the start of June. Of course... we don''t have the advantages they do. Or the challenges.¡±
¡°Advantages?¡±
¡°Oh never mind, I was just thinking aloud. I expect we''ll be going at much more the normal speed, Tony. For starters I want to know what your employment prospects are.¡±
¡°Oh? You''re not planning to keep a roof over my head then? You must earn far more than I do.¡±
¡°It''s hard to work much if you''re looking after babies, Tony. And assuming we marry, then I want some, and I''m not planning to bring children into the world and leave them with some stranger. Just so you know. So, get a good job, please.¡±
¡°Gulp. I''d not thought that far ahead. You''d not like to keep on working and then I look after the children?¡±
¡°It''s a possibility. We''ll need to talk about it.¡±
¡°Can I put the timing in too?¡±
¡°Timing?¡±
¡°About it being so early in the discovery process.¡±
¡°I thought you had?¡±
¡°Sorry, I mean this being two days after they''d discovered the thought-reader.¡±
¡°Oh, I said that, didn''t I? Yes, I guess so.¡±
¡°So, first paragraph unchanged, next paragraph as reinstated and modified, The the third paragraph would be: ''I have been able to secure an exclusive interview with someone who, while not a permanent member of staff at the Institute, is called in to offer advice from time to time. I, of course, asked her about how she had learned of these strange, previously undocumented abilities. Interestingly, she tells me that she was asked to help draft the ethics document. Her first meeting with a thought-hearer was with someone with the gift, and it was within a few days of the initial discovery of a thought-hearer at the Institute. So it seems reasonable to assume that the thought-reader employed by the Institute and the though-hearer with the gift are one and the same person. After all, the discovery is one that the Institute has been waiting for for two centuries, so it doesn''t seem reasonable that two thought-hearers should turn up in such a short time.¡±
Teresa burst into whole-hearted laughter.
¡°What''s wrong?¡±
¡°Sorry, nothing. I guess it''s God''s sense of humour.¡±
¡°You did say that there was a man as well. They came together?¡±
¡°No. No, but you know Sarah''s married. Guess.¡±
¡°She found a gifted man and brought him along too?¡±
¡°Yes, that would seem reasonable, wouldn''t it? Very logical. Try again.¡±
¡°She''d already been in love with someone and he persuaded her to try out for the Institute job on the basis of her ability to hear thoughts. And somehow they both got the gift?¡±
¡°Closer. She came to the Institute, I think it was the previous Friday, totally oblivious of her ability because it had been electronically numbed when she was young. She and the man who should have been her counsellor started acting like they were in love from the moment they met, if not before, and as their love grew her thought-hearing power grew too. Then she prayed and they both ended up with the gift.¡±
¡°So the Institute has two staff members with the gift now?¡±
¡°Tony, don''t tell anyone, it''s an official secret, but there are currently five gifted people at the Institute full time and one person who''s going to be visiting regularly.¡±
¡°Five permanent staff?¡±
¡°No, three permanent staff, one student just finishing her summer job, and her fianc¨¦ who''s been placed there by witness protection.¡±
¡°The student is M.''s daughter?¡±
¡°Indeed.¡±
¡°No wonder Security are twitchy! But you''re telling me too much, surely.¡±
¡°You''ve got clearance, and I trust you.¡±
¡°You do, don''t you. I''m flattered, but is that wise?¡±
¡°I wondered about that, and asked Sarah to have a look in my skull.¡±
¡°And she did? What did she see?¡±
¡°That someone has been interfering again, and our guess is that it''s not the enemy.¡±
¡°You''re serious? You''re saying that you think God has altered your thoughts?¡±
¡°In the middle of my thoughts about you there''s this thought that you are trustworthy. It''s there along with the hopes and fears and memories of how you reacted to me yesterday, your surprise and generous absolution of my sordid history, my uncertainties about whether you''re really going to stay serious about me and whether I''m really serious about you, and whether we''ll get along long term. But it doesn''t stem from any of them. It affects them of course, but in itself, it''s not grown from anything else. It just happens to exist there. It''s not intuition, that''s different. This is just there, ex-nihilo.¡±
¡°And that formed part of your decision making to ask for me to be cleared?¡±
¡°Yes. And part of the application too.¡±
¡°Really? There''s space for that sort of thing on the form?¡±
¡°Please list any additional evidence in support of the subject''s trustworthiness.¡±
¡°And you put ¡®God says he''s trustworthy?¡¯¡± Tony asked incredulously.
¡°Not quite. Sarah appended a statement saying, ¡®I scanned applicant''s thoughts and found a supernaturally supplied thought that the subject is trustworthy. John checked Tony''s sin and found him white as snow. We thus conclude that the interference is not demonic.¡¯¡±
¡°What! He took that risk? Why?¡±
¡°It''s a love thing, Tony. They care for me, Sarah led me to Christ and has seen the mental wounds I''ve got, and doesn¡¯t want me hurt. They''ve seen ideas planted like that from the evil one as well as from God. You know, you might have been a good actor. I hope you don''t mind them checking up on you like that.¡±
¡°No, not at all. But urm, where does that leave us?¡±
¡°It leaves me not feeling too nervous about taking a risk and doing this,¡± and she reached across and took his hands and put them either side of her face. Her skin was warm and soft under his fingers and felt wonderful. ¡°I think I want to be kissed, Tony. Is that acceptable to you?¡±
¡°I wouldn''t want to hurt you by refusing,¡± he said, looking in fascination at the face of the woman he loved.
¡°Good.¡±
After a while he added, ¡°Your eyes are beautiful too.¡±
¡°I''m glad you think so. Do I get my kiss sometime soon?¡± Her eyes seemed to be dancing in good humour.
¡°I''ve told you that I''ve never had a girlfriend before?¡± He asked.
¡°Yes, Tony. Are you nervous?¡±
¡°No, just... I wanted to savour the feeling of your skin under my fingers and the look of your eyes and everything else. I love you, Teresa.¡± And he kissed her.
It wasn''t the most professional kiss that Teresa had ever received. He didn''t quite know what to do with his nose, but she was glad of that. It spoke of his innocence and that was a virtue she cherished now. His kiss was wholehearted, tender and chaste. She buried her head in his shoulder and held him. It was nice to be loved. Did she really love him? She wasn''t sure, but she trusted him, which was a better foundation, she felt.
Disclosure / Ch. 9: The problem of leases
Book 3: Disclosure / Ch. 9:The problem of leases
Monday, Oct 16th
Teresa rang Kate''s number. ¡°Kate, it''s taken weeks, but I''ve finally got all the results back for that property search. I know you said lowest priority, but I really didn''t expect the archive search would take this long, sorry.¡±
¡°Property search? Oh, those leases the institute inherited?¡±
¡°Yes. Apparently lowest priority search means opportunistic piggy-backing on someone else''s archive requests. No wonder the cost dropped so much.¡±
¡°Someone else''s archive request? I''m confused. Surely we''re not talking of paper storage are we?¡±
¡°Not quite that ancient. Well, actually it looks like they had paper originals and then scanned them. But really ancient stuff they still store offline. It saves power and means the data-crystals last longer, apparently. Your leases date back far enough that the crystals are only put on line every six months unless someone pays for faster processing.¡±
¡°''Our leases''? You''re telling me they''re still owned by us?¡±
¡°Yes, Kate. And I''m not quite sure why, but they almost all have different renewal periods.¡±
¡°Trying to avoid glutting the market, or something?¡±
¡°Maybe. But the important thing is, they''re valid, still running, and you know about them. Presumably the house owners do too, but I''m not very convinced.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°It was during the age of chaos, Kate. Record checks were a bit patchy then, and it''s easy to imagine that at least some houses were sold without proper checks.¡±
¡°But there should be copies of the lease in people''s deeds?¡±
¡°Yes. There were some requests to buy off the freeholds around a hundred years ago, I guess it was fashionable, but the institute wasn''t interested for any price, of course.¡±
¡°But people might want to now?¡±
¡°Certainly, but now the renewal date is so close on some of them that unless you want me to immediately contact the tennant/owners then it''ll be hard to arrange a sale before the lease is up for renewal. If you''re not willing to sell then you''ll need to decide on the right price. But either way, it''s going to be close.¡±
¡°How close? You haven''t said Teresa.¡±
¡°Oh, sorry. The first one is up for renewal in December after that it''s roughly one per month. You know there are more than a hundred of them?¡±
¡°Wow. I had no idea, Teresa, we just found out that the institute owned them from reading an old publication. What would the renewal price be?¡±
¡°It depends, Kate. If you want to stand on your rights as land owner, something like half the value of the land would be reasonable for one-off payment on a long lease with a ''peppercorn rent'', like they should be paying now. I presume they''re not paying up, if you know nothing about it. Otherwise, you could charge a more normal rental. On this subject, the original sums charged look like they were bargain level. I don''t know why they were so low.¡±
¡°From what we read, bad legal advice. But what''s a peppercorn rent?¡±
¡°Annual rent of something insignificant, in your case, it''s some bedding plants, I believe. What was the bad advice?¡±
¡°The formerly rich guy was running out of cash and decided to sell them quickly, so he sold them dirt cheap. He then got sued for crashing the property market.¡±
¡°OK, so it wasn''t gifts to friends or family, it was just foolish. We don''t need to repeat that, but....¡±
¡°People might expect us to?¡±
¡°Leasehold law is really old, Kate. Even feudal, in parts. You can still lease land for half of the crops produced on it if you like, or one sheep per month, or in your case a dozen geraniums or equivalent every year. But I''m not really an expert in it. I''ll consult with my colleagues to see if there''s anything to watch out for.¡±
¡°OK, presume that we don''t want to sell. Was there something about no digging?¡±
¡°Yes: no wells, or boreholes, no constructions over three stories or eleven metres tall, no excavation deeper than three metres.¡±
¡°I think we want those still.¡±
¡°The tunnels are real then? I saw they were in a line and looked it up.¡±
¡°I think I''d like to talk to you about that face to face, Teresa.¡±
¡°Of course, Kate.¡±
¡°What would a typical rent be if we wanted a normal rent?¡±
¡°Well, some of them are prime properties, Kate. I''ll make enquiries, but for those, it should be lots. And if the current tennants aren''t expecting anything, then it''s going to come as a nasty shock to them. Let''s be realistic, Kate, for the past hundred and seventy five plus years they''ve had a lease which cost them practically no rent. They may think they''ve got freehold. If you suddenly demand commercial rates then we''ll be fought tooth and nail, sudden claims of that much would mean the end for some business, I expect.¡±
¡°And if we don''t demand commercial rates then we''re undercutting the market and damaging our neighbours property values again?¡±
¡°Yes, I expect so.¡±
¡°I''ll let you talk to your colleagues, and then could you come and talk about options some time in the next few days? ¡±
¡°Of course Kate. Shall we say at ten on Thursday morning?¡±
¡°That sounds good.¡±
¡°See you then, then.¡±
¡°Sarah, can you find anything in your pet''s memory about those leases?¡±
¡°I''ll have a look. Why, wasn''t Teresa going to look them up?¡±
¡°She says they''re still valid from what she''s found, but I was wondering if someone had left any notes or letters about them. Teresa''s coming on Thursday morning, but she''s getting advice, so if you find anything it''d be good to forward it to her¡±
¡°OK. I''ll look into it.¡±
Thursday 19th Oct, 10am
¡°Hi Teresa, no trouble getting in, I hope?¡±
¡°You mean past the angry crowds waving agricultural implements? No, just one old woman wondering how the metalwork gets put up so quickly, since it wasn''t there when she left home this morning, and she''s never seen the lorry delivering it and taking it down.¡±
¡°Did you enlighten her?¡±
¡°Yes. I hope that''s no breach of security.¡±
¡°I don''t think so. How did she react.¡±
¡°I think it was ''Oh yes, that explains it. But how do they put the flowers back?'' Or something along those lines.¡±
¡°Ah, clearly a most dangerous spy then.¡± Kate surmised.
¡°She might have been joking, Kate. We could easily discover that she helped install the things in her youth.¡± Sarah suggested.
¡°Thanks for those letters, Sarah. They''re really useful. None of the tenants should be surprised that they are tenants. You''ve seen them, Kate?¡±
¡°Yes. I wish someone had told me that the computer was sending them every five years.¡±
It had been set up as an automatic system. The letter politely requested that they remember to pay their rent of one dozen annual bedding plants, to be delivered to the head gardener on the first day of spring each year. It also reminded the tenants of the other conditions of the lease. Furthermore, it added that the institute currently had no plans to increase the rent to longstanding tenants when their lease came up for renewal. Kate added ¡°I think it would be good to honour them, but do they tie our hands at all for everyone?¡±
¡°Not really. And you can change policy if you like.¡±
¡°I think I''d like to keep it. It''d look bad to send out reassuring letters for a hundred and sixty five years and then say, nope, we''ve changed our mind, give us lots of money. Could you check how many current tenants are ''longstanding'', according to the letter, Teresa?¡±
¡°Of course. And what about the others?¡±
Kate looked at the list of current tenants Teresa had provided ¡°I can''t believe that all of these in-fashion-now shops have been there thirty or more years. They don''t normally last that long. In fact, I don''t remember any of these being around when I was a student.¡±
¡°No, it doesn''t seem likely. For them, I think you could easily start charging commercial rates. Their accountants must love the idea of twelve bedding plants per year for rent. They''re paying up?¡±
¡°Yes, almost all of them, I checked. What about the small businesses?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Tricky. I think we should negotiate, and make the period shorter. Fifty years your note said?¡±
¡°Yes. That was the advice from my colleague. With regular reviews of the rental amount. Also, we can tie the lease to the company or individual, so if they sell up then the ground rent needs re-negotiating.¡±
¡°Wouldn''t that make selling harder?¡±
¡°Of course. Any lease on the ground should make it harder to sell. But on the other hand, I''d assume you don''t want to make it preferable for the big name to buy out the local business next door to get the lower rent.¡±
¡°No, We don''t, you''re right.¡± Kate agreed.
¡°So really, I can''t understand why no one has been knocking at your door for a renegotiation of the lease period. And what do you want to do about that four story restaurant they''re building here?¡± Teresa tapped the map in front of them.
¡°They''re on track to break the lease conditions. What can we do?¡±
¡°If they build higher, or dig deeper, you can reclaim the land. They possibly have the right to the buildings, but if they want them then they''d need to take them off your land.¡±
¡°But it''s not automatic?¡± Kate queried.
¡°No. You''d need to go to court to evict them. Either they''re ignoring advice or someone didn''t check the land deeds carefully, I don''t know who, but I''m glad to say it wasn''t a colleague of mine. It''d be an expensive case of professional misconduct.¡±
¡°What are the other options?¡± Sarah asked.
Teresa ticked them off on her fingers: ¡°I tell them they''re not going to put the fourth story on, they renegotiate the lease, or buy the freehold. Not acting might be interpreted as waiving those conditions on everyone''s lease. So, is there a tunnel under there, Kate? Pulling down their building is not going to make friends.¡±
¡°I don''t actually know. Sarah, I should have asked ages ago, can you check your pet? Teresa, there might be a tunnel on this branch¡± she indicated on the map ¡°but we don''t yet know how to get into it if there is. But we certainly don''t want people building enormous things on the other branch. There is one there, getting quite a lot of use at the moment.¡±
¡°Oh. So, no selling the land freehold, and no turning a blind eye?¡± Teresa asked. Kate nodded. ¡°So Kate, do you want me to start with a gentle reminder, or threats?¡±
¡°Oh, a gentle reminder and if they don''t respond, say, after twenty-four hours, then you can start making them wish they had.¡±
¡°OK.¡± Teresa grinned in anticipation. She did enjoy court work. It wasn''t every day she got to rip someone''s expansion plans to shreds, but there was no defense for ignoring that lease.
¡°Sarah, have you found anything on the tunnels in your pet?¡± Kate asked, hopefully. ¡°Yes Kate, it seems there is. We really should have looked earlier. I think we''ve got the entire history, engineering plans, everything.¡±
¡°Wow. So, is there another tunnel?¡±
¡°Yes, there is. I think. Look here.¡±
She pulled the site plan she''d been looking at onto the main display. ¡°It comes up in the courtyard. That''s near the green house, isn''t it?¡±
Kate looked and laughed. ¡°No wonder we don''t know about it. That''s where the compost heap is, Sarah.¡±
¡°Oh. Lovely. I wonder if the tunnel''s usable.¡±
¡°So do I. Does it go to the same destination?¡±
¡°No, Kate. I''m not sure where it goes. It seems to stop short. Did he have a house in that area?¡±
¡°Not that I know of. So, something might exist Teresa, we''re not sure where it goes or why, and we''d presumably need to get an engineer to see if its safe, I guess.¡±
¡°And it could be filled with two centuries of mouldy leaves, or worse, if it does exist.¡± Teresa added.
¡°But we certainly don''t want anyone collapsing it, if its real. Assuming it goes somewhere it would be nice to have a second emergency exit.¡± Kate added.
¡°So, why don''t you two just use your gift and think up the answer?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°Because we''re not in a rush, and we don''t want to use this gift if we can find out in more normal ways, Teresa. Let''s allow someone to do some exploring.¡± Kate replied.
¡°Thank you, Kate. Good reasoning. Sarah''s thought earlier makes me wonder, though. Might retired staff know anything? I presume that some people stop working here because of getting old rather than dying.¡±
¡°Now that''s a very good idea, Teresa. I hadn''t thought of that. Some even stop for family reasons.¡± Kate answered ¡°That could be our better bet actually. The men generally can''t seem to persuade themselves to leave until they''re at death''s door. But there are a few ladies I know who might love to come in for a natter about old times. I''ll have to check their security status.¡±
¡°Or invite them to the owners'' lounge?¡± Sarah suggested.
¡°A lovely idea, Sarah, but I think I''ll do both. Meet the staff in the lounge, then a trip round the institute for those that want to. I''m sure Mable will want to see what Horrace is getting up to now.¡±
¡°His old boss?¡±
¡°Yes. She apparently used to call him her trainee replacement.¡±
¡°She must be getting on a bit then.¡± Sarah said after a few quick sums.
¡°Oh, she''s not a hundred yet, Sarah. It might have been her that you talked to coming in today, Teresa. She did always have a wicked sense of humour and lives quite close.¡±
¡°And I''m sure with the recent publicity, ex-staff members are keen to meet the first confirmed case.¡± Teresa added.
¡°Speaking of publicity, how are you and Tony getting on?¡± Kate asked.
¡°O.K. but...¡± Teresa didn''t finish her answer.
¡°But?¡± Prompted Kate.
¡°But I''m still not sure. He''s nice, he''s trustworthy, I like him well enough, he''s head over heals in love with me, but I''m just not sure we''ve got enough in common, and I''m not sure if I''m pleased we''re going out because I want us to or because he does so much.¡±
¡°That''s not really a very happy place to be. Sorry to hear that.¡± Kate said. ¡°I''ll be praying for you; for both of you.¡±
¡°I don''t want to give up on him yet, it''s only been a fortnight, and he''s nice to be with. Plus, it''s going to be really hard on him if I ever do dump him, I can see that, and I don''t want to hurt him like that. But, it''s just, I keep wondering if it''ll really work, and I wonder my feelings for him are genuine or a reflection of his for me.¡±
¡°It sounds like you need to do some other things together.¡± Sarah offered ¡°You''ve talked quite a lot, I think, but what have you done together except eat?¡±
¡°Maybe that''s it. We either talk together or eat together. He''s busy with the wedding photography on Saturdays, I''m busy mid-week, plus several evenings, we haven''t had many chances to spend more than a couple of hours together.¡±
¡°So, why don''t you go with him to weddings on Saturdays, or spend Sunday together, and go a long walk after Church? or go bird-watching so he can find some legitimate targets for his long lens.¡± Sarah suggested.
¡°I know nothing about bird-watching, Sarah.¡±
¡°Then perhaps you should give it a try. See if he can get you enthusiastic about it. And then see what he thinks about your hobbies.¡± Kate chipped in.
¡°Worth a try, I suppose. I''ve no idea if he''s ever been caving though.¡±
¡°You''re a caver? I never knew!¡± Kate asked.
¡°Well, I can''t go very often. Not many caves to explore nearby.¡±
Sarah thought to Kate [except under the compost heap.]
¡°But you''ve got all the stuff? And you like exploring dank, dark, dangerous places underground?¡± Kate probed further.
¡°Urm, yes. Why so interested, Kate? No, you''re not about to suggest you''d let me explore your lost tunnel are you? You said it''d need an engineer.¡±
¡°Not alone, no.¡± said Kate the matchmaker. ¡°But I''m sure you can recognise a dangerous crack in the roof, Teresa. I don''t expect there will be as much squeezing through narrow places as you''re used to, and there won''t be much geology, I expect.¡±
¡°I wouldn''t go alone, Kate. Have no fear. It''s risky going as a pair, even. I don''t suppose anyone else would be interested in joining in?¡±
¡°Well, I did a bit of underground research. You don''t get so many crowds underground. ¡± Sarah admitted. ¡°If you need another couple then I''m sure I can persuade John.¡±
¡°Threats?¡±
¡°No, I''ll just tell him he''s going to have a chance to meet Tony.¡±
¡°You can meet him any time, Sarah. I''m sure he''s keen to meet you both.¡±
¡°Yes. Well. As long as it''s understood this isn''t an interview, so much as a double date, then I''m fine. When are we going, and from where can we borrow hard hats and so on?¡±
¡°I''ll check if Tony''s up for it first, I don''t even know that he''s not afraid of being underground.¡±
¡°Then, on that note, Teresa, we''ll let you go and spread fear and despondency amongst that restaurant''s management structure, I''ll sort out a staff reunion and we''ll see where that gets us. Let us know what Tony thinks. I think I''d actually like to hear what the ex-staff say about it before anyone goes down that other tunnel, by the way. I think I''ll get John to draft a letter to each of our different categories of tenant, then we''ll let you put in the legalese, Teresa.¡±
¡°Sounds good to me.¡±
¡°So John, there you have it. One letter to each category. Individuals get a twenty year lease, subject the same rent and conditions as before, or if they want longer one we can increase their lease length in return for a lump sum or rent. Long term established commercial properties get fifty years, and they keep their current rate for the next ten years, becoming commercial rate if they sell up, and warn them it''ll progressively head towards commercial rates after that. Multinationals get a fifty year lease at commercial rates, unless they''re long term tenants in which case they can double their rent to twenty four bedding plants, same increase as before. Does that cover everyone?¡±
¡°What about recent, non-multinational commercial?¡±
¡°Let them know what the commercial rent would be, aren''t they glad for the last X years of peppercorn rents they''ve been paying, and invite them to discuss what their rent should be. If they do come, I want to see their last few years registered accounts, to know how many staff they have, and so on. I do not want to have our people here worried about job cuts if our tenants are rolling in cash because of our generosity, but nor do I want to put anyone out of business.¡±
¡°Got it. Caring, but not na?ve.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And I guess we invite them here, not the owners''s lounge?¡±
¡°Oh here! No question. That place reaks of old money. Small conference room. Functional, but with budget furniture.¡±
¡°I take it we don''t show off the interesting things in the lab, either.¡±
¡°No, John. Nor do we let Ivan or Horrace near them.¡±
¡°Kate, there are some things I don''t need telling!¡±
Thursday evening
¡°Tony, are you busy again on Saturday?¡±
¡°Yes, sorry. Three weddings.¡±
¡°Well, it keeps the cash coming in. A friend of mine suggested that weddings are public events and you might just like an assistant. I''ll be on my very best behaivior, honest!¡±
¡°I don''t think I''ve ever seen you behaving badly. Of course I''d love you to be there. There''s always boring times and then things to carry around, if you don''t mind. It''d be good if you could help arrange people too.¡±
¡°Good. And then afterwards you can try and demonstrate the delights of birdwatching or another hobby of your choosing.¡±
¡°Urm, OK. I didn''t think you liked it.¡±
¡°I don''t know if I like it, I''ve never done it. Have you ever been caving?¡±
¡°You mean, in a dark wet cave with lights on your head? No. Why?¡±
¡°Because you might get the opportunity to try it out in return. Tony,
I''m trying to work out if we can develop common hobbies. Things we both enjoy, at least a little, for the sake of the other. Otherwise, I don''t know we''re going to last.¡±
¡°Thank you, Teresa. You''re wise.¡±
¡°Just my and other people''s experience, Tony.¡±
¡°So the theory goes that we need to find things we enjoy doing together?¡±
¡°Yes. Tony, don''t you think that''s important?¡±
¡°Sounds sensible. What have you enjoyed doing this week?¡±
¡°At work, or out of work? At work I issued a nicely worded declaration of war today, does that count?¡±
¡°I presume you mean that metaphorically?¡±
¡°Sort of. I told a restaurant chain that although they had planning permission to build their restaurant twice as high as it had been, they''d forgotten the little step of asking their landlord.¡±
¡°How on earth did they do that?¡± Tony was surprised.
¡°Quite possibly didn''t know they had one. Peppercorn rent hadn''t been paid for a while before they bought the building, and they''ve not been paying it. But that doesn''t mean the land is theirs, or that they can ignore other terms in the lease.¡±
¡°Oops. So their lawyer probably didn''t do their job properly?¡±
¡°Exactly. Fortunately it doesn''t look like I''m going to ruin his career, just his peace of mind in retirement.¡±
¡°Oh. So you know who it was?¡±
¡°Not by name, I got a reply back saying they were shocked to hear that, and that their legal advisor would contact me soon, but the one who''d done the purchase had retired.¡±
¡°So, what happens now?¡±
¡°They either decide to move, leaving my client with a building site, or they put the roof on instead of a fourth floor. ¡±
¡°Can''t they renegotiate that part of the lease for a large chunk of money?¡±
¡°Not really. Apparently it''s not good to have a high building above a possibly-there tunnel.¡±
¡°A possibly-there tunnel? The institute?¡±
¡°Yes. Covered under reporting ban though.¡±
¡°And that''s where we might go for a date, finding out if the tunnel exists?¡±
¡°There you go again, leaping to conclusions. Yes.¡±
¡°So it''s not so much squeezing through interesting geology in the bowels of the earth as looking to see if a tunnel has got a cracked roof or not?¡±
¡°Not to mention where it goes, if anywhere. There shouldn''t be too many places where we go crawling on our stomachs, unfortunately, but roughly speaking, that would be the plan. Not this week though.¡±
¡°I wonder if my grandad knows anything.¡±
¡°Worth asking. Kate''s going to ask the institute''s ex-staff. Oh, we won''t be going alone, by the way, it would be too risky.¡±
¡°I imagine wrist units won''t connect down there.¡±
¡°Probably not, they don''t usually. But you''re not scared of the idea?¡±
¡°No. Should I be?¡±
¡°I think it''ll be moderatly fun. Not as much fun as a real cave of course.¡±
¡°Teresa, I really can''t imagine you getting mud in your hair and calling it fun.¡±
¡°Ah well, that proves how little you know me then doesn''t it?¡±
¡°I guess so. So you don''t mind the idea of wandering through a muddy forest trying to get closer to a bird you can hear but not see? I thought you were always so well presented that you''d never risk your manicure. That''s why I never suggested it, you seemed too refined to go getting muddy.¡±
¡°Tony Randle! Can I tell you that you''re a first class idiot?¡±
¡°Urm. Yes. Can I know why?¡±
¡°Because, by shutting me off from the non-work parts of your life and not asking about mine, you''ve made me think we have very little in common. This -¡± she indicated her immaculate outfit ¡°- this is just work clothes, because you met me from work, remember? Posh restaurants demand posh clothes, and it shows respect if you''re smart at church. None of that is my leisure wear, but you assume I''d never get my hands dirty!¡±
¡°I''m sorry. Teresa. So, can we do something in leisure wear after work tomorrow?¡±
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
¡°Yes. Let''s go for a walk, and have a picnic in the woods you were up that tree in. Bring good walking shoes, and something to drink and I''ll plan the rest. OK?¡±
¡°It''s a deal. Now, there always seems to have been a reason it didn''t happen before, but.... may I walk you home, Teresa?¡±
¡°You may, Tony. In fact, I''d like you to.¡±
9 am, Friday 20th Oct
Teresa was in the middle of a phonecall. ¡°Yes, I understand that your position is that it was an honest mistake, but there was nevertheless negligence. And wilfull negligence at that. A letter was sent to your client within about a month of them taking possession of the property, stating the terms and remaining duration of the lease. I''m sorry that your predecessor didn''t leave any record, but the fact is that it was sent, it was received. The administrators of the company bear the responsibility under law for what has happened. I''m under instructions to uphold the conditions of the lease, or if they are breached any further to begin proceedings to evict.¡±
¡°I''m sure that your client is open to negotiation on renewal and terms, surely a new agreement could be reached which doesn''t include such crazy conditions, you must appreciate the investment my client has made in this project.¡±
¡°Yes, we''re aware of the investment, and presumably your client is not planning on abandoning the improvements they have made in the site. As for the ridiculous provisions, yes the flowers will not appear in any new contract, you may assure your client that my client will be seeking a more reasonable rent for the site. The limitation on building works will remain, to avoid damage to the original investment and development of the site.¡± Teresa was having fun.
¡°I''m sorry, what original investment in the site? I wasn''t calling the flowers crazy, but the development restrictions.¡±
¡°It is public knowledge. The previous owner, who left the Institute the property as a legacy, envisaged an extensive network of tunnels. With the United Nations reporting restrictions in place, of course you will understand that it is now impossible for me to comment on whether the tunnels are in use or not. However those ''crazy restrictions'' as you call them were put in place by the engineers involved in that project. It would be most foolhardy to ignore them. They are non-negotiable, and should our surveyors find that your client has ignored them then we will immediately begin repossession proceedings to prevent destruction of property. You should perhaps remind your client that they have failed to pay the rent specified in the lease and we are therefore at liberty to terminate their possession of the site at will. Given the nature of the stipulated rent, payment at this time of the year would hardly be appropriate.¡±
There was a spluttering at the other end of the connection, so Teresa tried to be helpful ¡°In your position I expect I would strongly recommend your client immediately ceases excavation work, I believe they are very close to breaching the non-negotiable provisions, and that they amend their plans such that the structure does not exceed the maximum height or number of floors.¡±
¡°They''ll have kittens if I tell them that.¡± said the man on the other end of the line. Teresa smiled to herself, glad it wasn''t a video call.
¡°But they''ll keep the site. In the circumstances, I am sure that my client will consider your clients speed to react to this unfortunate situation when setting the level of rent under the next lease, and so a speedy reaction might avoid full market rates.¡±
¡°Can I quote you on that?¡±
¡°You''re not recording? I had assumed that you were.¡±
Technically, legally, he should have asked if he was. So Teresa had just handed him a length of rope to hang himself with. She wondered if he would accept it.
¡°I''m not in the habit of recording calls without prior consent.¡± so, he wasn''t that na?ve, Teresa decided. That was too bad. Probably no courtcase then.
She decided it was time to end the call. ¡°I don''t know there''s any more to discuss, so I''ll leave you to discuss things with your client. But do get in touch if there are more queries.¡±
¡°Thankyou. I think you''ve made the Institute''s position very clear. Goodbye.¡±
¡°Goodbye.¡± Teresa noted down what she''d told them and the time, and went to make herself a cup of tea. Quite a good conversation really.
In the restaurant chain''s office, the mood was a little different.
¡°She didn''t move a micron did she.¡± commented James, the manager, who''d been listening in.
¡°Well, you could count not getting charged full commercial rates next year as a little bit of motion. But whatever you decide, James, call the site now and make sure they don''t start that borehole drill.¡±
¡°She didn''t say anything about that.¡± protested James.
¡°She didn''t need to. Look James, they''ve got us over a barrel right from the start, you really shouldn''t have ignored Henry''s advice on this, you know. She was careful, but she got as close as she could to telling us that the institute''s got an exit tunnel under the site. They''ve got good justification for those rules and I really doubt you''ll find an engineer who''ll tell you it''s safe to ignore them. You heard her, those rules were laid down by the guys that built it. You''ve lost the top floor. If you go drilling through their escape tunnel, then you''re going to lose the whole site. No compensation, nothing. You keep digging the cellar, you lose the site. You build too high, you lose the site. You be a good boy for once, and they''ll let you open ahead of schedule and pay them a discounted rent. The law''s on her side, the only question is whether you accept her warning and keep the site, break those terms and lose it, or get fined for damages too.¡±
James shook his head in disbelief ¡°I''m not paying you to give in like this. Fight her, can''t you?¡±
¡°I''ll fight if you want, but you''ve lost. And if you don''t stop excavation and drilling and something gets broken, then I''m going to have to tell the court that knowing the landlord had underground structures you did not inform the construction workers and allowed them to damage them. As your legal advisor, my warning to you is that the court might then decide you are personally liable for the repair bill and an unfit manager, and the shareholders will probably hold you responsible for this whole fiasco. They could sue you for the cost of the site, not to mention that they''ll maybe notice you used company money to buy the site from yourself at freehold prices, when with only four years of lease left the true value of the site was peanuts. James, you can''t win. The only question is how much you lose by.¡±
¡°Fine! I''ll call the site manager. You stay and listen in as a witness.¡±
¡°Anything you say, James.¡± the lawyer said, ¡°anything you say. Just don''t forget to pay me. I''m going to be asking for cash as usual, and you won''t mind me asking you to settle up weekly instead of monthly I''m sure, just while there''s so much uncertainty in the air.¡±
James didn''t reply. It was safer that way. This lawyer knew too much to alienate with angry words.
Tuesday, 24th October, 9am
¡°How was the little reunion, Kate?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°Lots of fun sharing old memories, Sarah amazed them all, and the conclusion about that second tunnel is no-one knew where it went, but Mabel knew it existed.¡±
¡°Oh. Did she say how she knew?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°Told about it when she joined up. Apparently it went something like ''Oh, there''s another tunnel starting under the compost heap. No good to anyone now.¡±
¡°I looked at an old map last night, Kate. I think I''ve got the answer.¡± Sarah offered.
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°What happened about a hundred years ago that changed the way people move around the city?¡±
¡°Urm, a hundred years ago? Start of the population decline?¡± Kate guessed.
¡°No, want another guess?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Pool transport?¡± Teresa offered.
¡°Exactly. People don''t need to go to a certain place to wait ten minutes catch a train or bus to get around the city. Waiting time is reduced, so even at busy places instead of a massive surge of people every fifteen minutes you get a constant stream. But, when our tunnel was built, there were still underground railways to the central railway hubs and all the rest. Our second tunnel stops just beside one of those, according to the plans.¡±
¡°Of course! That makes good sense. If he were travelling far, he''d be able to get to the station in safety, get lost in the crowd, and then on to an airport or whatever.¡± Kate agreed.
¡°The computer has the plans for a third tunnel too, between the rail terminus and the store, and of course we''ve got leases there too. I don''t have any records about it being built though.¡± Sarah added.
¡°So, there probably is a tunnel, and it probably goes to the underground rail network, and while it hasn''t been used for a hundred years it would be useful for you to know it exists?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°Yes.¡± Kate agreed. ¡°For instance, if it''s at all usable then it would be an alternative route for Karen''s security detail to know about. And also, it should be incorporated into the security system.¡±
¡°I thought Karen would stop working here once term restarted.¡± Teresa said, confused.
¡°Well, yes, so did she.¡± Kate answered ¡°But there are still experiments she''s happy to take part in, George is still here until next week''s trial, and she''s happy to have the extra book money. So, she''s here most evenings anyway and we''ve convinced her to do an hour''s work for us when she comes.¡±
¡°I wonder if she should be involved in the exploration.¡± Sarah thought aloud.
¡°I don''t know... We don''t want her breaking her leg again.¡± Teresa said.
¡°No, but she''s got extra reasons to fear the dark now. You''re right Sarah, it might be good to give her some exposure to a dark tunnel which doesn''t end up with pain and suffering. I''ll ask her, George too.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll borrow enough gear for six of us.¡± Teresa said, then added ¡°But if there are any more people wanting to come then that''s going to be a separate group, OK?¡±
¡°That''s fine Teresa. You''re the expert. When were you thinking of going?¡±
¡°I''m free tonight, Tony is too, otherwise it''ll be Friday, I think. Sarah?¡±
¡°We''re free tonight too. But not on Friday.¡±
¡°I''ll try and convince George.¡± Kate decided. ¡°There''s no point talking to Karen if he''s not convinced.¡±
Tuesday 6.30pm.
Karen arrived, dropped off by Dirk and Eliza, and held George''s hand. [OK, George, what''s the surprise that needs me to bring gardening clothes, and why are Sarah and John still here? And what''s Teresa doing here in that outfit, other than looking really relaxed and happy... And maybe excited? I don''t think I''ve seen her excited before or this relaxed. I presume that man''s Tony?] [Yes that''s him. Teresa''s relaxed because apparently she doesn''t like dressing up lawyer fashion and making sure she stays spotless all the time, I guess the strain shows. And she''s happy and somewhat excited because the evening''s entertainment is her favourite pastime.]
[And looking at what she''s wearing, I''m guessing it''s not actual gardening, is it? I mean, those knee and elbow protectors look like serious bit of metalwork and that yellow''s really bright.]
[It is, isn''t it? You should have seen Tony''s eyes when he got here and saw her in it. No. Not gardening, but the first step is to move the compost heap. Karen, there''s no pressure on you, but Kate thought it might help your long term healing. If you want us to stay here we can, but we''re invited too. They''re going to go exploring the second tunnel.]
[Another tunnel? Where does it go?]
[Some guesses, no one''s sure. No one knows if it''s still usable or caved in or what. Sarah thinks it links to an underground portion of an old rail terminus.]
[And from there to where I broke my leg?]
[Possibly. Yes.]
[And as a disused tunnel, there may or may not be lights?]
[I think Teresa would be very very disappointed if there were. She''s got lights for us all.]
[And I wouldn''t be alone, and I wouldn''t be lost. And it would be good to have a nice memory of a dark tunnel?]
[Exactly. And you might have noticed that we''re all couples. Kate said the idea came up partly for Tony and Teresa''s sake. She wasn''t sure they really had much in common, so this is a way of introducing him to her hobby.]
[And let them focus on each other?]
[Without being too obvious about it, yes.}
[I''m sure we can do that.]
[You''re coming?]
[Yes, of course George. It''s not exactly a walk in the park, but I like walking with you.]
[Heads up, guys,] Sarah sent [Tony''s coming to say hello.]
Karen looked round. ¡°Hello, I''m Karen, you must be Tony. How''s life as a full time reporter?¡±
¡°Not as bad as it might be, but ... Teresa was right. I''m junior boy in the office, and I get the jobs no one else wants. Except... I''d like to talk to you some time about a trip they want me to make. Bob has nominated me as his deputy when it comes to reporting about the power in far flung places. His Doctor has warned him to avoid long flights.¡±
¡°Yes he warned me you''d like to chat sometime. Did you have any particular questions?¡±
¡°Well, there''s the issue of how I meet a... what was the term.. Truthspeaker?¡±
¡°Truth-sayer.¡± Karen corrected.
¡°Thank you. I presume you can''t just look them up in the phone-book.¡±
¡°Urm, I''m not sure. You might be able to. Probably more so now that the president has one with him publicly. There was a period when educated people there treated it as a myth, but the country people knew better. Now, well our little paper has proven that the villagers were right and I dare say there are a few advertising their services in the towns too. In the villages, well, people know how to get hold of one when necessary.¡±
¡°That''s interesting. Am I going to be able to find one who speaks English?¡±
¡°Trickier. You might need to use an interpreter. But can we step back a bit? What are you looking for, really? What can you learn there that you couldn''t here?¡±
¡°I guess.. questions like what attitudes people show to them, those sorts of things.¡±
¡°So you want to interview several, young, old, and so on?¡±
¡°Yes. And some members of the general public too.¡±
¡°That''s quite a list. If you want them all to speak good English, then you''re really going to restrict yourself to the university-educated. So, I''d recommend an interpreter. Would you be interested in interviewing any particular people otherwise?¡±
¡°Well, I''d read that the President''s just nominated his truth-sayer as his successor, so it''d be wonderful if I could interview her. But I''d expect that''s out of the question.¡±
¡°It doesn''t hurt to ask. Do you know much about the culture there?¡±
¡°Not really. But I know that it helps to know people there, far more than here. I don''t suppose you know someone who knows her do you?¡±
Karen smiled. ¡°Correct question at last, Tony. I can''t help much with the rest of your wish list, but I just happen to have spent the best part of a night chatting and praying with Deborah a few weeks ago. So yes, I can ask her if she''d be able to talk.¡±
¡°You were praying with her? She''s a Christian?¡±
¡°Yes. And no, I won''t tell you why we were praying late into the night. She might choose to, but, if she does, you should not publish my name, position or anything about my family OK? You may describe me in a publication as ''a young woman from our country'' and if you need to specify a location it was a spare room at my home. Got it?¡±
¡°Urm yes. I think so.¡±
¡°Sorry to be so official secrets about this, but she''s going to have enough problems with some elements of the population there for being a woman, a Christian and a truth-sayer. If you say she was up late praying at our embassy with the ambassadors daughter, then that gives them all the more reason to attack her, as ¡ª I don''t know ¡ª a tool of the imperialists or something, but it wasn''t like that at all. She just needed a friend to pray with and somewhere safe to stay for a while, and other friends weren''t around at the time. OK?¡±
¡°Her life was in danger?¡±
¡°I can''t tell you more without asking her permission, Tony.¡±
¡°I understand. Thank you. But you think she''ll talk to me?¡±
¡°Her betrothed speaks English. I expect he''ll translate for you. It wouldn''t be proper for her to talk to you without someone there with her. Remember that by the way. Don''t seek to talk to any woman under about eighty alone. Always stay in public and in sight of someone, or make her have a male relative with her. Otherwise you''re heading to a shotgun wedding if she''s not married, or a shallow grave if she is. Neither of those would make Teresa happy, I think.¡±
¡°What wouldn''t make me happy, Karen?¡±
¡°Tony was just telling me that he''s maybe going to interview people where I grew up. I''m just telling him how interviewing an unmarried woman in private could turn into a shotgun wedding by nightfall.¡±
¡°I''m not that happy at the idea of him abandoning me for a fortnight, Karen, please don''t give me nightmares.¡±
¡°I warned him to keep him safe for you, Teresa. Should we go and move some compost?¡±
¡°You''re coming?¡±
¡°Of course. I think your outfit''s bright enough that even if every light fails then we''ll still see.¡±
¡°Nice thought, but unfortunately untrue.¡±
¡°George was saying that you''d be really disappointed if there were working light fixtures down there.¡±
¡°I''d look a bit silly in my caving gear if there were, wouldn''t I?¡±
¡°Perhaps well prepared is a better description. Shall we go?¡±
¡°Yes, let''s. I hope someone has the tool-shed keys. Sarah, was that going to be your job, or John''s?¡±
¡°John''s, but I reminded him just on time, so I want at least half the credit.¡±
¡°I''d hang my head in shame.¡± John said, ¡°Except I''d actually got them already, and what I went to get was this for my beloved wife.¡± and reaching down behind his chair, he brought out a bunch of flowers, ¡°Happy anniversary, Sarah.¡±
Sarah thought back in time. ¡°Of what?¡±
¡°Pseudo pizza, red box and blue box, four months today.¡±
¡°And happy anniversary, Karen.¡± George said, bringing out another bunch of flowers. ¡°Three months since you rescued me.¡±
Accepting the flowers, Karen reached into her bag for a box, which she presented to George. ¡°Happy anniversary, George! And thank you for remembering. You can share my flowers if I can share your chocolates.¡±
Both gifted couples kissed briefly, with their thoughts hidden to avoid feedback. ¡°Teresa, should I take the chocolates down into the tunnel as emergency rations?¡± George asked.
¡°Only if you share them, otherwise we''ll have to eat your leg. No, actually, I''ve got emergency food, water, and medical stuff in my bag there, just in case. So it''s probably best if you keep your hands free. You don''t want to have to carry stuff if there''s any tight spots to get through.¡±
¡°OK. So, lets leave all the gifts here until we''re back.¡± John suggested.
Once they''d cleared the compost heap, which didn''t really take that long, they clustered round the area they''d cleared.
Teresa was the first to speak. ¡°Urm, I don''t suppose anyone knows exactly how we should open it, do you? It looks like just another concrete slab to me.¡±
¡°This can''t be right.¡± Sarah said. ¡°There must be some kind of release or something, even if it''s well camouflaged.¡±
¡°I don''t suppose the blocks could be new, could they?¡± John asked.
¡°This could be my shortest caving trip ever.¡± Teresa offered.
¡°I''ll just ask Kate.¡± Karen offered, and rang her wrist unit. ¡°Kate, we''ve just cleared the compost and found a concrete slab just like the rest of the concrete slabs in this part of the site. It hasn''t been covered over in the last century has it?¡±
¡°I don''t think so. Urm, look for something like the light-fitting in the cupboard. That''s all I can suggest.¡±
¡°Thanks. Kate, bye¡± She ended the call and asked ¡°Anything like the broom-cupboard release anywhere?¡±
¡°What about that light there?¡± Sarah asked, pointing at one just beside where the heap had been. It was too high for most people to reach.
¡°Give me a lift up please George.¡± Karen said, and with his help gave the fitting a tug. It moved a bit.
¡°How about if no one stood on it?¡± suggested Sarah, noticing that George had one foot on the suspected entrance and Tony was on it too.
¡°Oops. Sorry.¡±
Karen tried again, and this time it moved more freely, and the block moved, a little. Then the block and the fitting stuck.
¡°I wonder if there''s some grot in the workings.¡± Sarah suggested. ¡°What did it feel like, Karen?¡±
¡°Like it had a lot of inertia, and I guess it''s counter balanced. There''s no leverage though. I get the feeling that a matchstick could stop me from moving it.¡±
¡°There was a pressure washer in the toolshed.¡± John said. ¡°Shall we try giving it a good clean around the edges?¡±
¡°Yes, let''s¡± Sarah agreed ¡°It must be waterproof after all.¡±
It didn''t take very long, and Teresa enthusiastically brushed the grot out of the way.
¡°Teresa, you''re getting soaked!¡± Tony warned her.
She laughed, ¡°It''s not proper caving if you''re not a bit damp, Tony. Karen''s threatened me with lamps. For all I know, there could be carpet down there too. Let me have some fun, can''t you?¡±
¡°Of course, love. I just didn''t realise you liked getting dirty so much.¡±
¡°Well, now you do.¡± Turning to Karen, she reported ¡°I can''t see anything else to clean out Karen, do you want to try again, or shall we see if Tony can lift me?¡±
¡°I''m happy either way.¡± she responded. ¡°Tony, any history of a bad back?¡±
¡°No, if you don''t mind Teresa?¡±
¡°I suggested it, remember? You could squat against the wall and I''ll tread on your knees if you like, then your back stays out of it.¡±
¡°I think I''d prefer to lift you.¡±
¡°Then we''ll do it like this.¡± And she explained how he should hold her and lift her up. ¡°Is that from caving?¡±
¡°No, from dancing.¡±
¡°Interesting dance.¡±
¡°My wild youth. hopefully with that lift you should be able to get me nice and high and hold me a while. I''m not sure I need to be that high, of course, so we can go back to the living step ladder if you prefer. That one is one I learned when caving.¡±
¡°Let''s try.¡±
Teresa jumped, Tony lifted, and Teresa went up. Higher than George had lifted Karen.
She pulled on the light fitting and as it went down the slab pivoted up until it was at forty-five degrees. There were steps down, and no carpet. A bucket at the bottom of the stairs held an old fashioned metal battery operated light, sticking out of the water which reached to the brim.
¡°I don''t think the doorway''s waterproof, Sarah.¡± Teresa said, as Tony let her down. ¡°And I don''t think that the supplied lighting equipment is going to work very well either.¡±
¡°Well, there''s a drain, so that''s almost as good as waterproof.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Putting that bucket there wasn''t the best idea though. Look, a miniature stalactite right above it.¡± Teresa said with a grin. She''d seen the tell-tale signs in the mud on the floor that at least sometimes the drain hadn''t coped with the rainfall. It looked like she was going to do something pretty close to real caving. She looked up. The sky was clear, and she knew the forecast had said no rain. ¡°OK friends, shall we boldly go where no one has been for something like a hundred years? If so, then you guys put the tools away and I''ll get my bag.¡±
It was an old old safety measure, but that didn''t make it any less important. Taking a white piece of board from her bag she wrote on it with a wax marker, the date, time, six people descended here, not returned. She also wrote Kate''s number on it, and called her. ¡°Kate, just so you know, we''re about to go down, there''s signs that at least sometimes water gets in at the doorway, and I''m not sure how the door opens from the inside. From the outside there''s a light fitting you need to pull. You''ll need a step ladder to go up, or a hook to pull it with. A hoe ought to do, but it was more fun getting Tony to lift me. The block lifts so make sure you''re not on it. Does that all make sense?¡±
¡°Yes, and don''t forget you''ve got four people with you who can call me for help, if need be.¡±
¡°I know Kate. But I''m just telling you this in case they can''t. I''ve got a bad air detector and all the rest, but accidents still happen, and it doesn''t hurt to be prepared, does it? If you do happen to get a lot of rain, then please do let us know. I don''t have scuba stuff.¡±
¡°You think the tunnel might flood?¡±
¡°I don''t know Kate. There''s a floor drain, but there is also sighs of water going into the tunnel. For all I know there could be a blockage and all the rain-water from the institute''s roof, or even the whole street, could come gushing up through that drain. Just because it was OK when it was built, It doesn''t mean it is now. Something might have changed. Oh, I''ll also leave a compressed air horn by the entrance. It should penetrate quite a way down the tunnel if someone needs to warn us of a problem.¡±
¡°You''ve tried to think of everything, haven''t you? Thank you.¡±
¡°I''m treating it like a real caving trip, Kate. Those water marks make it look real enough to me.¡±
¡°OK, have a lovely time Teresa,¡±
¡°I expect to, Kate. I expect to. Bye.¡±
Turning to her friends as she ended the call, Teresa said ¡°Did you hear that? We don''t take chances with rain and caves. I''d rather fly a kite near a thunderstorm than be down in a cave when it''s raining. Everyone strap on a helmet, in a real cave I''d say that you will hit your head at least once, down here I don''t know, but it''s got your light on it so don''t take it off anyway.¡±
She explained how to adjust the helmets, and other safety rules. ¡°And the most important rule of all is: make sure you can find your way out. So we have a nice visible thread to follow, and we have chalk to mark walls. Since we think we''re in a corridor, we''ll just tie the string here and let it pay out behind us. Otherwise we''d be marking the walls every so often so we could retrace our steps without the thread. Oh, and enjoy yourselves, it''s an adventure. If anyone finds something interesting, tell me, I''ve got a camera in my helmet. Any questions?¡±
¡°Who leads?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Tony and me, then Karen and George, then you and John, since you''ve done this sort of thing before and Karen maybe has reasons to get nervous.¡±
¡°I don''t think I will panic with all these precautions, but yes, the dark can get worrying, thank you. Should we be making a map?¡±
¡°Oh, thanks, I forgot to turn it on.¡± She fiddled with a little box clipped to her belt. ¡°Miniature inertial tracker. It won''t be incredibly accurate, but it sure beats estimating.¡±
¡°How accurate is it?¡± Sarah asked, curious.
¡°About a metre in a kilometre for normal walking, more like one metre in fifty if I end up inching along on my elbows.¡±
¡°Sounds a wonderful tool.¡± Karen said. ¡°Could it give directions out if we got lost?¡±
¡°Not on its own, but you can get a track from it on a wrist-unit. But I wouldn''t trust it not to take me down a wrong turning. The thread and marks are much more reliable in that respect and don''t flatten their batteries in six hours.¡±
¡°Good point.¡±
¡°Now one question I need to ask before we leave... Since bushes are going to be rare down there, has everyone used the little boy''s or girls'' room?¡±
Red faced, George said ¡°oops¡± and headed in the appropriate direction. Karen decided she''d go too.
Teresa wasn''t surprised. In fact it was often her sneaking off with a red face. There was always so much to do and check that mundane things slipped the mind. Eventually everyone and everything was ready. Down they went. As caving trips went, this one scored about zero out of ten for difficulty, Teresa was just deciding. It had been mostly level after the second lot of steps, just a gentle slope down really, and almost perfectly straight. Then they reached a bend, where the tunnel actually bent down as well as round. After the corner there was a slope down, quite a bit steeper. She couldn''t see anything in the distance because of another corner, but she thought she heard something that sounded like water dripping. She stopped and motioned for silence. There it was again. Plink. ¡°OK, people, did you hear that?¡±
¡°Water?¡± asked John.
¡°Yes. It could just be a puddle, but I''ve been seeing water trails on the floor. That wouldn''t worry me, much, but I''ve just heard a drip from above. Therefore, I''m going to check my map. You may think up reasons while I do.¡±
¡°It could be a leak from a drain, or a pond or something.¡± Sarah guessed.
¡°Or some kind of old river that someone built over ages ago.¡± suggested Karen.
¡°But it means some kind of crack in the tunnel, surely.¡± John said.
¡°Is there a hint in what this tunnel is doing?¡± asked Tony.
¡°Yes¡± muttered Teresa, still looking at her wrist unit. ¡°Sarah, You''ve looked at the plans. What''s this deviation for? My guess is they were aiming to go under something but missed.¡±
¡°Urm. Hold on, I put a copy of everything on my wrist unit.¡±
¡°Good thinking. We''re about fifteen hundred metres from the institute, by the way.¡±
¡°Here it is. Hazard thirty five. I''ve got the excavation log here too. Four metre diameter rail tunnel crossing ideal path, officially at ten metres below ground. Path deepened to avoid intersect. Located concrete at fifteen metres depth. Back-filled and descended four metres, off course, to edge of property. No sign of concrete on resuming course.¡±
¡°So they guessed that it was the rail tunnel and went under it?¡±
¡°I guess so. But Karen''s right too. There is an underground stream marked on my map. I was confused because the rail is marked following the same path here.¡±
¡°So we''re about to go under a stream, with a leaky roof above us? Is that a problem? ¡°Tony asked.
¡°Probably not, but the water might be interestingly deep. Let''s go and see. Anyone sees any cracks in the wall, tell me, please.¡±
¡°How deep is interesting?¡± John asked.
¡°Oh, your leg?¡± Teresa asked
¡°All the electronics are supposed to be waterproof, but I''ve never actually had it in anything deeper than a bath. I''m going to get nervous much beyond knee high.¡±
¡°Well, I''m dressed for it, so I''ll go first whatever, and we''ve got ropes, so if we can''t see the bottom really clearly, or there''s any flow at all, we''ll use those. Just in case.¡±
¡°Are you worried, Teresa?¡± Tony asked
¡°No, excited. But I trust natural rock better than concrete. Especially concrete which has a stream of unknown proportions above it and is dripping. I wonder how much of the stream''s concrete they chewed off when they ran into it.¡±
¡°I don''t really want to find out from down here Teresa.¡± Karen said, starting to feel nervous.
¡°Sorry, Karen. Lets go and see how big this puddle is.¡± They went down the slope and round the corner. Their lights played on the surface of the water, which stretched off into the distance. Overhead were rows of small stalactites, each with its drip of water.
They seemed to be where the concrete blocks joined. There were no signs of any cracks in the walls or ceilings. The water itself started very shallow, of course ¡°Well, here goes! I hope you don''t mind wet feet, everyone.¡±
George looked at Karen''s footwear. Canvas shoes, suitable for weeding on a dry day. ¡°Karen, those shoes would get ruined... you know I can carry you.¡±
¡°Yes, George.¡± she said, then switched to thought for better privacy.
[You''re not worried about feedback?]
[As long as we don''t touch...]
¡°I don''t really want these shoes ruined, but I was thinking I''d go barefoot.¡±
¡°There could be sharp stones and things. Not wise.¡± [I''ll carry you, my love.] George answered in thought and word.
[Thank you, George.]
Tony noticed the way their conversation had quiet gaps in it. It was obvious they were thinking together, which was only reasonable, he supposed, since he knew they could. But it did remind him that he and Teresa were among a select group.
¡°Is it deliberate that there are four people with the gift down here?¡±
¡°Urm, not really Tony. It''s deliberate that there are in pairs, it was Teresa''s limit on more than two and not more than six, else Ivan and Janet would be here too. I think Kate decided that adventure was better served second hand.¡±
¡°OK. Well, thanks for including me. I''d love to be able to do a write up about this journey.¡±
¡°Keep it as a story for your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.¡± Karen suggested.
¡°OK. I thought as much.¡±
¡°That reminds me, Teresa, how''s Arnold doing?¡±
¡°I don''t really know. They''re keeping him under pretty close guard. I do understand that they''re letting him run every day, which almost certainly helps.¡±
¡°Yes. It would. Shame they didn''t before he went AWOL.¡±
¡°Yes. Oh, he said that Henry had been talking to him, and you''d be pleased to know that Burt and Mutt had obviously been paying close attention to what you and Henry''d said, too.¡±
¡°Praise God!¡± Karen said, echoed by George, Sarah and John.
¡°Am I allowed to know what that''s about?¡± Tony asked.
¡°I feel a bit of a fraud, but I talked to them about pain, suffering and what was really important while they were rescuing me. Henry turned to Christ there in the tunnel, I guess I just confirmed what his wife and children had said. It sounds like the other two are listening to the gospel too, maybe even obeying it.¡±
¡°Oh!¡± Teresa said ¡°I didn''t realise that''s what he was talking about. That''s wonderful.¡±
¡°Why do you feel like a fraud, Karen?¡± Tony asked.
¡°Because while being carried along with a broken leg bone I told them how trivial pain was compared to Christ''s suffering, but I was high on the peace at the time.¡±
¡°Urm, is ''the peace'' some kind of drug?¡± Tony asked.
¡°Sorry, no. Much, much better than that.¡± Karen smiled in memory.
John felt Tony needed a far better answer than that. ¡°It''s part of the gift, Tony. We can focus our thoughts on the peace of God, and when we focus fully on it then it''s almost like we are in a real place, but the rules are different. I guess it''s a place where what you probably think of as Christian metaphors take on a semi-physical form, and you realise the truth of them. You can feel the burden of worries you''re carrying and let them go, and the current washes them away. Pain is numbed, tears are wiped away. I was once taught that God''s strong peace is the reason that the early martyrs endured burning with a hymn. Now, having had this taste of it, I''m convinced of it. Understandably, someone''s first experience of it can be overwhelming. But, Karen, just because your mind was so aware of those spiritual realities, it doesn''t make you a fraud. The truth has always been there in Scripture, after all. You didn''t lie.¡±
¡°No, I didn''t lie, but it wasn''t my usual experience of the Christian walk either, I guess that''s what I meant.¡±
¡°When Daniel''s friends were in the furnace, that wasn''t most people''s normal Christian walk either.¡± Tony responded. ¡°But that doesn''t alter the reality of what God did for them. God revealed to you a spiritual reality, and you told them something you learned through that. That sounds like a valid testimony to me. And even if you didn''t tell them the source, I''m pretty sure they guessed that you''d just had some kind of religious experience.¡±
¡°Their first guess was drugs or endorphins actually, but yes, I guess so. Have you talked to Arnold about your renewed faith Teresa?¡± Karen asked, moving the conversation away from herself .
¡°Urm, it hasn''t ever seemed to be the right time. I only get a few minutes of visiting time per visit. But I do want to, and soon. And about Tony too.¡±
¡°I don''t suppose they''d let me interview him about rescuing you, would they?¡±
Karen could answer that one ¡°I''m an official secret, Tony. Well, my location on the planet and what I''m studying are. I''ve featured in various official photographs with my parents, that sort of thing, but never anywhere near where I''m lodging. Sorry. Kidnap and assassination risks.¡±
¡°Oh. I understand.¡±
¡°So, rather than standing around telling Tony things he can''t publish, shall we get our toes wet?¡± Teresa asked, ¡°Or shall we try and come back with some kind of a pump and big water-tank or several kilometres of hose?¡±
¡°I think we''ll get our feet wet¡± Tony said. And they did. Teresa strode into the shallow water and thus became the one who found out how slippery the mud under the water was. ¡°Ow! No steel plates there.¡± she said as Tony helped her up.
¡°Are you OK?¡±
¡°Hurt pride and a sore tail bone. Let that be a lesson to you. Don''t rush, the ground is slippery. So go carefully George if you''re really going to carry Karen.¡±
¡°I will, Teresa.¡±
[Karen, George, I don''t know if we''ve ever told you.] Sarah said [You can pull back and focus lightly on the Peace. It takes a bit of concentration, but if you do then you don''t need to turn off fully from the physical world. And it blocks the Pain, probably feedback too. Also if one of you watches the other''s thoughts, then feedback doesn''t happen either. Lessons from the thoughtful chicken incident, before we met you.]
[Thanks Sarah, I don''t think I''ll be touching George.] Karen said.
[You might find you don''t need touch with that much contact. It probably depends on how you''re feeling. Better to be safe in the Peace than George needing to drop you.] warned John.
Karen tried focussing lightly on the peace, didn''t manage to do it lightly enough and almost fell over. George automatically grabbed her bare hand. There was a bit of feedback when she let go of the peace, so George hid.
¡°Thanks, George.¡± Karen said. ¡°Shall we see if you can carry me?¡±
¡°Yes, Karen. Up you go!¡±
Karen focussed on peace, just lightly. John was right it was harder. She whispered ¡°OK George, I''m slightly out of things for a bit. Out of the mud for you, and into the water.¡±
[We got feedback for a bit then John, just me steadying her. Just how much worse does it get?] George asked John as they followed Teresa into the water.
[I don''t really know how to measure it, but there''d naturally be an emotional reaction in both of you when you stop her from falling. By about two weeks before the wedding we certainly couldn''t have done the experiments you''ve done. By the day itself, well, hormones being what they are, every accidental touch wants to turn into a caress. That''s just a mixture of excitement and biochemistry. You can imagine that feedback works similarly.]
[And now? I see you two holding hands now and again.]
[Yes. Now, feedback from hand contact isn''t quite as strong, or maybe we''re just used to getting the full scale version.]
[Oh.] George was glad of the darkness as he felt a blush rising.
[Not like that.] John noticed or guessed. [We''d actually almost been there with the thoughtful chicken. It''s a bit like thinking together, but more emotional ¡ª feeling together I guess. Full emotional synchronisation, I guess. It''s very intimate, but not quite what we expected.]
[So, our impression that unrestrained feedback leads to stripping each others clothes off and leaping into bed is wrong?]
[Urm, not very. But it encourages patience once you''re there.] [Thank you for sharing that, John.] George thought. Just then, Teresa called a halt. She''d seen what looked like some water movement, and pointed it out. The tell-tale ripples at the side of the water, and the way that the silt they''d stirred up was slowly moving ahead of them.
¡°Maybe I''m just being overly cautious, given how shallow the water is here and the fact this tunnel is man-made, but in caves you can get sudden pools, or even sink holes where the water''s rushing down a tube but you can''t see much unusual on the surface, but the suction can pull you in. That... that wouldn''t be nice. So, we''re going to rope together. Sorry for the wasted effort George, sorry for your shoes Karen, but that means you''re going to need to walk.¡±
¡°Oh well. I can try washing these shoes when I get home, and they weren''t very expensive.¡±
¡°If you need to replace them, put the claim in to Kate, Karen.¡± John said. ¡°She thought it''d be better to not let you have a long time to worry.¡±
¡°She was right, I think.¡± Karen affirmed. ¡°Put me down George. It''s not like I can''t walk now.¡±
Once they''d roped themselves together, They proceeded on for another hundred metres, and then stopped in shock. Instead of the smooth surface of the tunnel roof and walls they were used to seeing, there was ragged hole in the roof, about a third of the way from one wall. It was roughly circular and about thirty centimetres diameter. Underneath it, there was another hole, with debris lying around ¡ª broken concrete and twisted reinforcing steel.
The water in the tunnel was swirling down the hole in the floor and they could see on the walls that the level of water had been higher once. As they looked, something like grey porridge dripped down from the hole in the ceiling. ¡°Fresh cement.¡± George said. ¡°Someone''s drilled through the tunnel and is now trying to hide what they''ve done by cementing over the top.¡±
¡°I agree.¡± Teresa said. She checked where they were, according to her inertial navigation device, and tried her wrist unit. There was no signal. ¡°Could one of you please tell Kate what we''ve found. I''ll take photos but I think we need an engineer down here quickly, get whatever he needs for a report before this cement sets. We''re under the restaurant, tell her.¡±
¡°Of course!¡± Sarah said.
[Kate, we''re under the restaurant. There''s a hole in the roof and in the floor, and there''s fresh cement dripping from above. Teresa would like an engineer down here to inspect, assess, etc, before the cement dries.]
[Urm, does she know one?]
[Not sure.] ¡°Teresa, Kate asks if you know one?¡±
¡°Not personally but if Kate doesn''t then get her to call my partner, and ask who to call for an urgent damage assessment of a tunnel. Also I''d like to get the perpetrators of this mess questioned under oath.¡±
¡°We''re considering this as an emergency exit for the institute, aren''t we?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Yes.¡± Sarah agreed.
¡°Then tell her to ring Security, and explain the situation.¡±
Disclosure / Ch. 10: Consequences
Book 3: Disclosure / Ch. 10:Consequences.
11pm. Tuesday 24th October
James Woodson was angry. Very angry. ¡°I''m a company director, I have connections! I have rights! I demand to know why I''m being held prisoner, I demand to know by what authority you''ve brought us here, and I demand to see my lawyer!¡±
¡°I''m sorry sir, most of your demands cannot be met. I can tell you that you''re being held on suspicion of organising an attack on the United Nations designated secure facility. This comes under anti-terrorism legislation which prohibits any direct contact with established contacts. You may not contact your lawyer. A legal representative will be assigned to you once we have identified someone with whom you have had no prior contact. As a company director this might take a while.¡±
¡°I was just visiting a building site!¡±
¡°Yes sir. We know sir. That was the origin of the attack.¡±
¡°Is this some kind of joke? You can''t just hold me here incommunicado! My wife will think I''ve been kidnapped.¡±
¡°Your wife has been contacted. She has been told that you were a present at the scene of a crime and are presently helping with enquiries. Now sir, once again. If you could answer my questions, please. I would very much like to finish this initial assessment tonight.¡±
¡°Then I demand to see my lawyer! I will not talk until I have my lawyer present!¡±
¡°Interview terminated at prisoners request. Recording off. Goodnight sir. Perhaps a lawyer will be appointed to you by tomorrow lunchtime.¡±
¡°You cannot do this to me! I have places to be, important business meetings!¡±
¡°Recording on! Then, sir, you need to cooperate. This is an investigation under anti-terrorism laws, as I''ve said. We not only can but will detain you as long as you do not answer our questions. Will you answer questions without your lawyer present?¡±
¡°Oh, all right! I did nothing to deserve this treatment!¡±
¡°Then tell me what you did do, sir? Why was one of the company directors on a building site, after hours, supervising a skeleton crew pouring concrete?¡±
¡°I acted to save my company''s investment and to protect shareholders value.¡±
¡°That probably sounds excellent in a board meeting, but it sounds like you''re saying that everything was at risk and you were taking charge of a cover-up to me.¡±
¡°It''s all because of those ridiculous lease conditions! I had no choice.¡±
¡°I expect you did sir, but would you like to explain that to me. How did you have no choice but to attack the protected site?¡±
¡°I didn''t attack the site! It''s very simple. Building regulations say that rain water must be used for flushing toilets, unless there''s been a month without any rain. Annual rainfall on the whole site should give us enough water for three hundred people. We''d planned for that, but now we can only have three floors we''re only expanding to two hundred and fifty seats. So we''ve plenty of rainfall, a surplus, even. But we need to store a lot of water, and the lease conditions stop us from doing it. A third of a flush per customer per hour, because we''re an up-market chain and people don''t use us as a public lavatory. Four hours of peak trade, four litres per flush. That means each day, one point three cubic metres of water. I''d planned on digging tanks eight metres deep, Six day''s supply each square metre, a month''s supply in five square metres. Peak season rush means I need double, and what is the chances that the tanks are full before a month of no rain? So double it again. Twenty square metres of tanks, eight meters deep. Of course the tanks need to be a safe distance from the building, but I can do that, it''s in the plans. But the lease conditions say I can''t dig deeper than three metres for my storage tanks. I loose a metre of that for drainage and concrete, so I now need eighty square metres of tanks, away from the building. Can''t be done, the building would need to move, and it''s almost built already. I can fit twenty-five on site. It really hurts but the inspectors let me do it. I''ve got enough for a month, if the tanks are full, and they tell me that''s OK, but that if they run dry then the restaurant closes. So, I need a fallback, a secret little borehole that can top up the tanks if they get really low. How was I to know they''d put their stupid tunnel right where I started to drill?¡±
¡°So, you''re admitting that you broke the conditions on the site-lease, commissioned an illegal borehole, when you were aware that the protected site had a tunnel under the plot you were leasing, but you deny that this was an attack on the site?¡±
¡°Yes! I didn''t want to damage the tunnel! I told them, if it hits anything, then stop and we''ll try somewhere else. But the stupid operator claims he didn''t know he was hitting concrete until he saw chunks of it coming up.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir, that helps me understand what was happening.¡± The anonymous agent said, always respectful. ¡°I don''t have any more questions for the moment.¡±
¡°So, I can go home now?¡± James asked, thinking about taking a long holiday somewhere that the shareholders'' lawyers couldn''t get at his money.
¡°I wouldn''t think so, sir. We need to confirm your account, and then if everything checks out then we''ll probably call in the regular police to arrest you for criminal damage, endangering public safety, attempted theft of a scarce natural resource, depriving your employer of property and probably a few more things too. We will of course be freezing your assets.¡±
10am, Wednesday 25th October
¡°Kate, have you read Tony''s piece in the news?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°No? Anything interesting in it?¡±
¡°A little detail you probably don''t know. Sit down before you read it.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°A familiar name for you.¡±
¡°Businessman charged over tunnel damage.¡± Kate read. ¡°Is that the one?¡±
¡°Yes. Second paragraph.¡± Sarah prompted her.
¡°James Woodson! It was James that broke our tunnel?¡±
¡°It sounds like he wasn''t much interested in listening to others.¡±
¡°He never was. Well, that''s an interesting connection isn''t it?¡±
¡°But how is it that Tony was able to report about the tunnel?¡±
¡°It had to come out in the court case that they''d dug into it, and that it was usable.¡±
¡°OK, and he did say that he was there as part of an overdue check. I suppose that could be yearly or weekly, couldn''t it?¡±
¡°Or once every fifty years, it seems, yes.¡±
¡°It''s a shame that we didn''t get to the end.¡±
¡°Well, Ivan and Janet had asked to be on the second trip, it was only fair they went on it.¡±
¡°Oh, I thought that was just the engineer.¡±
¡°No, Teresa, Tony, Ivan, Janet and the engineer. He took a look, measured a few things and declared the tunnel well designed. He''s making plans as to how to fill the hole, but he said there was no reason they shouldn''t carry on exploring.¡±
¡°Oooh, do tell! What did they find?¡±
¡°A bit of an anticlimax really. They found a big heavy locked door. No key in sight. I need to ask you to ask the computer about it.¡±
¡°That''s embarrassing.¡±
¡°What is?¡±
¡°We told you there was a battery operated light in a bucket of water by the way in?¡±
¡°Yes. Was there a key there too, by any chance?¡±
¡°Yes. Very corroded. I''m not sure it''ll be usable. Here it is, I picked it up and have been meaning to give it to you.¡±
¡°I see what you mean by corroded.¡±
¡°Interesting challenge for a locksmith I guess.¡±
¡°From their description of the door, it sounded like the one to the roof from the owners lounge. I wonder if the key''s the same. It looks similar.¡±
¡°That would be very handy.¡±
11.30am
¡°Pete, love.¡±
¡°Yes Kate?¡±
¡°Are you free for a lunchtime discussion?¡±
¡°Of course, love. You sound troubled.¡±
¡°Two things going round my mind, one reminded me of the other.¡±
¡°OK, where shall we meet?¡±
¡°Home, I want privacy.¡±
¡°Oh. OK, love.¡±
Kate greeted her husband with a long embrace. ¡°Did you read or watch any news today, Pete?¡±
¡°No. Why?¡±
¡°The report about our tunnel breaker names the perpetrator in charge.¡±
¡°Someone you know?¡±
¡°We know. It was James.¡±
¡°What on earth? I knew he was a bit focussed, but what''s he doing digging thought your roof?¡±
¡°I checked up on some things, sure enough, he''s the director of expansion and mergers for the restaurant chain. So I guessed the chain''s acquisition of the site was his decision. Sure enough, his signature is on the paperwork where the company bought the lease for the land as though it was a freehold. But not as buyer. He sold it to his employer. Before that, he was one of two stakeholders in the company which had the tenancy. Genuine reason for sale was that the other partner, who was owner-manager, died. His widow inherited and was the other signatory.¡±
¡°So, James might or might not have known that the land was leasehold, not freehold. Then he''s in charge of the expansion plans, and gets told he can''t build as big as he wants to, so he digs through your tunnel, what, out of spite?¡±
¡°I think it might be what the sermon was about on Sunday. One sin leads to another.¡±
¡°You mean he''s hiding things?¡±
¡°Well, he sold restaurant without even trying to renegotiate the lease. That was about four years ago if I remember right. Very nice profit for him and widow, compared to what Teresa says it should have sold for. Widow is quite pretty by the way. Either the company''s legal advisor was lazy or corrupt and so doesn''t flag up the fact that there''s a lease. Then the letter comes, and the legal advisor takes early retirement. The following year''s financial statement still lists the site as an asset.¡±
¡°So, James seems to be covering up one thing after another, withholding stuff from shareholders, charming everyone as ever.¡± Pete summarised.
¡°Yes. Exactly.¡±
¡°So, this is probably more of the same. Where''s the problem, apart from finding out that he really wasn''t a nice person? I thought we''d worked that out already.¡±
¡°Half of me wants to forward what I''ve found to the prosecutor''s office. Half of me says you can''t do that just to stick the knife in further. Half of me says I shouldn''t do it because he used to be a friend, and if he gets convicted of this lot too its going to ruin his employment prospects and maybe his marriage. Half says justice must be done.¡±
¡°That''s a lot of halves there Kate.¡±
¡°That''s why I''m bringing it to my other half, to see what he thinks.¡±
¡°And this is only one of the reasons you want to talk?¡±
¡°The other one''s easier, I think.¡±
¡°Go on.¡±
¡°I''d like to support James'' daughter. Your letter said she was a missionary? I wanted to first thing I heard but I totally forgot.¡±
Pete kissed her. ¡°You know the regular payment that leaves our account which says ''support for Mrs K Robinson''?¡±
¡°Yes. That''s her? What does the K stand for?¡±
¡°Katherine¡±
¡°He named her after me?¡± Kate was shocked.
¡°I don''t know. I really really don''t know. I could hardly ask him with her and his wife standing there.¡±
¡°But he did always call me Katherine, didn''t he?¡±
¡°And me Peter, despite me telling him that I''d been named Pete.¡±
¡°But he knew better.¡± Kate said.
¡°Or didn''t listen.¡±
¡°Both, I think.¡±
¡°Kate, I don''t think it''s your job to tell the prosecutors. I think it''s Teresa''s. She''s been helping you find this stuff, I presume.¡±
¡°Some of it. I looked up the financial statements and something else, I can''t remember what.¡±
¡°Then forward them to Teresa with a note saying something like ''Curious, aren''t they? Since I knew him at university as a manipulative friend, don''t ask if you think you should forward them.''¡±
¡°She will though, won''t she?¡±
¡°Probably. But if she does then she''ll do it from duty to the law, not because she wants to stick the knife in deeper.¡±
¡°And my motive for telling her about this?¡±
¡°Inability to decide why you''re doing it? Lets face it Kate, all but one of your questions were about your motives for alerting the authorities to what looks like criminal activities, not about whether you should do it or not. So, what do we do about the the one which said don''t do it because he was your friend?¡±
¡°If I don''t tell, then I share his guilt. So I tell.¡±
¡°OK, so do you want Teresa to do it for you, or me, or to do it yourself.?¡±
¡°I wouldn''t know who it should go to.¡±
¡°Me neither.¡±
¡°Then it''s easy, isn''t it? I love you, Pete.¡±
¡°I love you too, Kate. So, You said you wanted to support Katherine. Shall we pray for her? For them?¡±
¡°Yes. Are they still in this country?¡±
¡°Yes. Lots to learn, according to her last prayer letter. Language learning techniques, and so on.¡±
¡°So you''ve got an address?¡±
¡°And a number.¡±
¡°That''s great. I wanted to talk to her before. I do doubly now. But lets pray first.¡±
¡°Hello, Katherine Robinson?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Hi, my husband Pete West, gets your newsletter.¡±
¡°Oh yes, the edible portraits man¡±
¡°Yes, that''s him. He always wanted to be an artist, this is the closest he''s got while making money at the same time.¡±
¡°I didn''t know he was married.¡±
¡°Ah well, he wasn''t when you met him. We hadn''t seen each other for decades then the day I came to Christ we met again. We got married last month.¡±
¡°Congratulations!¡±
¡°Thank you. Oh, my name''s Kate by the way. Urm, odd question coming, have you heard from your parents recently?¡±
¡°No, we err, don''t talk much.¡±
¡°OK, well, I suggest you call your mother very soon. Right now, actually. It''s not an accident or anything, but she''s got some news for you.¡±
¡°Do you know her?¡±
¡°No. But I knew your Dad at university, even went out with him for a while, so unless he''s changed I can imagine it''s not easy being under the same roof as him as a Christian.¡±
¡°Oh... And you know something''s happened?¡±
¡°Yes dear, rather more than the news is reporting actually. I think you should talk to your mother, unless you really never talk.¡±
¡°I can talk to Mum, as long as Dad''s not there, that is.¡±
¡°I can imagine. Call her then. Has your phone got my number?¡±
¡°Um... Yes.¡±
¡°OK, well if you''d like to talk, give me a call. That''s my job, by the way ¡ª psych-counsellor ¡ª so if you need that sort of talk, rather than just want to learn what I know, then just say, OK.¡±
¡°I thought..sorry.¡± Kate could here the embarrassment.
¡°You thought that was all computerized now? Almost everyone does, because almost all of it is. Not many places like were I work. But being a small field it pays quite well, which reminds me: once you''ve talked to you Mum, I''d like to ask how your support levels are. Don''t let me forget unless you''re really doing fine.¡±
¡°Oh, thank you, Kate. We''re doing O.K. at the moment, but long term...¡±
¡°Call your mother, Katherine. Everything else can wait.¡±
¡°O.K.¡±
¡°Mum, I''ve just had a call from one of our supporters telling me to phone you. What''s going on?¡±
¡°Katherine, I''m sorry, I was looking for you number, but your Dad''s did another reset of the computer. I wish for the life of me I knew why.¡±
¡°What''s happened? They said it wasn''t an accident or anything like that. He''s not been fired has he?¡±
¡°Not yet, but he''s been arrested dear.¡±
¡°What for? Something at work?¡±
¡°I don''t know. It was really scary to start with. Someone from internal security rang and told me he wouldn''t be home because there''d been a crime committed where he was and he was helping with their enquiries. Then the police told me that internal security weren''t going to hold him on national security charges, but that he was being charged with various other offences. I''m so glad that I''ve got a separate account, because all his assets have been frozen.¡±
¡°National security charges? What on earth has Dad been doing, Mum?¡±
¡°Quite a lot of things, I think. I''ve heard him shouting at the phone, you know how he does that. I think that I''m going to need to sell the house by the end of it, its too big anyway. Maybe even try and get a job. I don''t think anyone will be giving him one if everything I''ve heard comes out.¡±
¡°Mum! Really?¡±
¡°Kath, he always knew best, always found loopholes, thought rules were for him to make for others, not keep. You should recognise that. I think he''s about to find that you can''t do that forever.¡±
¡°You''re sounding pretty calm about this Mum.¡±
¡°Yes, Kath. I still love your Dad, but I''ve known for a while that he''s not been very honest with me or his employers. I think the law''s finally caught up with him.¡±
¡°Mum. Different subject. I heard him shouting at you once...¡±
¡°Only once? You''re ears need checking.¡±
¡°No, just once when he said something about naming me after someone.¡±
¡°Oh. Yes. An old girlfriend of his. He said that to annoy me I think. I came up with your name dear, not him. He did say at the time that he''d known someone called that who''d been reasonably intelligent, so it would be a good name. I took that as a pretty high compliment to whoever she was, since I''ve never heard him say anyone is more than ''reasonably intelligent''.¡±
¡°I think I''ve just talked to her. The supporter I mentioned, actually, she''s the wife of the portrait cake guy we met at the wedding fair, and said her name was Kate. She said she''d known him at the same time as her now-husband.¡±
¡°It must be her then. Urm, Kath, don''t mention either of them to Dad, OK? He said some very uncomplimentary things about him and her after we''d met him.¡±
¡°She''s a psych-counsellor, Mum. Offered her services to me, if I needed them, I guess she meant from coping with Dad.¡±
¡°A human psych-counsellor who knows what your Dad''s like? Oh how I envy you! I don''t suppose you could ask her if I could come for a chat too?¡±
¡°I can ask. I don''t think it''ll be cheap, Mum, she said something about it paying very well.¡±
¡°I expect it''s worth it. And I could always sell some of the junk, sorry ''important works of Art'', that your Dad''s collected over the years.¡±
¡°He''ll be furious!¡±
¡°Not for long dear, I''ll tell him I needed to do it with his bank accounts frozen. I wonder if they know about all of them. I must pass on a list to the police.¡±
¡°Mum, why?¡±
¡°Because I''m not the trophy-wife I used to be Kath. I''m not going to stop loving him, but I know him. He''s not going to think about me if he gets a chance to flee the country. I''m also not going to be important for his career if he doesn''t have one. So, if the police know about all his offshore accounts then he can''t abandon me quite so soon.¡±
¡°Oh Mum, that''s a terrible outlook on life!¡±
¡°That''s survival Kath. Planning ahead. Now, you go chat to Kate and ask her to contact me if she''s got time.¡±
¡°OK Mum, I will. You realise she''s a Christian, don''t you?¡±
¡°I''d guessed, Kath. Maybe she can tell me about her God. I think James doesn''t qualify for that position, no matter what he thinks.¡±
¡°Mum, you''re not reacting to this the way I''d have expected at all.¡±
¡°Oh Kath! You changed when you became a Christian. I could see it. It was almost enough to convince me, then since I learnt about his dodgy deals, three years ago I think it was, then whenever I''ve been really upset by Dad I''ve been challenging God that if he''s he''s real he should then pull your Dad of his high horse good and proper. It''s early days yet, but I think I see that happening. So, if you want me to turn to your God, you pray for your Dad to be in jail for a long time. Because if he''s here then he''ll be able to convince me that it''s all a myth yet again.¡±
¡°OK, Mum. I''ll call again sometime, and we''ll be praying for you.¡±
¡°Thank-you Kath.¡±
¡°Kate, Mum says that I should jump at the chance of talking to you professionally, she also asks if you''ve got time in your schedule to talk to her too.¡±
¡°I don''t really do much front-line counselling any more Katherine, but yes, I''ll talk to her. She told you what''s happened?¡±
¡°Yes. She also said that she''s been challenging God for the past four years to make Dad fall off his perch good and proper if He wants her to believe He exists.¡±
¡°Maybe she should have set a time-limit.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Sorry, I was just thinking aloud. I came to faith after challenging God to get us laughing within five minutes about something that was scaring some of us quite badly. He did it in four and a half.¡±
¡°I''m glad, but I thought we weren''t supposed to put God to the test?¡±
¡°We''re not. But sometimes He makes exceptions for unbelievers, to get them to where they''re ready to take that last step.¡±
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
¡°Oh, yes I see.¡±
¡°But your mother''s coping then?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Yes. And she''s compiling a list of his bank accounts, just in case the police have missed any.¡±
¡°That''s very... unexpected of her.¡±
¡°She loves Dad, but she knows him, Kate.¡±
¡°She''s making sure he can''t abandon her?¡± Kate guessed.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°He demanded loyalty but didn''t give much when I knew him. I''d hoped that with his wife that might be different.¡±
¡°It doesn''t sound like it. I don''t know how she can live like that Kate.¡±
¡°People are pretty good at coping.¡±
¡°What do you think he''ll do if she does become a Christian?¡±
¡°Let''s pray that he''ll learn faith while inside. Stranger things have happened.¡±
¡°You said you knew more about his arrest?¡±
¡°More about the circumstances. He was arrested for drilling a great fat a hole through our tunnel. Which seriously broke various laws and the lease conditions.¡±
¡°Your tunnel? Lease? I''m lost, sorry.¡±
¡°Sorry, I''m jumping too much. Your Dad was in charge of extending a restaurant on a plot of land which his company bought from him as though it was freehold. But actually it''s leased from the institute where I work.¡±
¡°Institute? And you''re a psycho-counsellor. Not where Bob McDaniel''s been reporting from?¡±
¡°The very same.¡±
¡°Mum said he''d almost been charged with breaking national security laws.¡±
¡°I''m not sure it was right not to charge him with them, but it wasn''t my call. Anyway, one of the institute''s founders bankrupted himself digging some tunnels and left us as landlords for the two hundred year leases to go with the property above them. That''s a really long time, so some people conveniently forgot the land was leased and sold it as though it wasn''t. Your Dad was one such, but there was only four years of lease left when he sold.¡±
¡°That''s not long.¡±
¡°Certainly not if you then decide to knock down the building you''ve just bought and rebuild something bigger. At the end of the lease, the land and any buildings on it revert to us, so that''s a really poor time to build.¡±
¡°So he didn''t know?¡±
¡°He should have. He certainly did before they demolished the building. Best guess is he was hoping to buy off the lease, or get it extended.¡±
¡°Isn''t that normal?¡±
¡°If you''ve been a good tenant, it''s normal, yes. But the rent hadn''t been paid for a long time. Maybe he was going to claim that us not chasing them over paying rent meant we''d given up on our rights. We''d have fought that very hard, and claimed quite rightly that it wasn''t worth our layers time to chase over a dozen bedding plants per year, but that we had reminded them to pay up.¡±
¡°So Dad built on the plot and broke your tunnel?¡±
¡°No, he got a warning phone-call that we would terminate the lease immediately if they dug too deep, or built too high. For some reason a few days later he sunk a borehole through our tunnel.¡±
¡°Ouch. Lease cancelled?¡±
¡°Very much so. Criminal damages claim against your Dad and company, also other charges pending. Our lawyer pressing for charges under the UN protected site laws, since it the tunnel has the status of a secret exit route.¡±
¡°So why did Dad''s company build. I don''t get it.¡±
¡°Last year''s financial statement listed the site as a freehold possession.¡±
¡°They didn''t know?¡±
¡°The shareholders didn''t. The rest of the board, I don''t know.¡±
¡°So Dad''s going to be chased by the shareholders for the loss of their investment?¡±
¡°I expect so. Not to mention the false accounting charges, and the fact that he mis-sold the land in the first place.¡±
¡°Mum said something about him not working again.¡±
¡°Yes. Assuming these charges stick, he''s not going to be any kind of manager or director again.¡±
¡°Kate, why are you telling me all this? I mean, it''ll all come out in court, won''t it.¡±
¡°Yes, except... Your dad runs. Your mum''s seen it in him, I''ve seen him do it. He didn''t have perfect control over me, so he dumped me and ran. Switched university, changed his net I.D. Abandoned his friends, position, everything. That''s not just an extreme reaction to a lack of loyalty, it''s a rejection of any reality which contains situations he cannot control.¡±
¡°So either this breaks his pride, like mum is hoping...¡± Katherine started, but couldn''t continue.
¡°Or he might run from life. I don''t think he''s going to escape into drugs or alcohol Katherine. He was always very anti those, saw them as acknowledgement of weakness. He''d be more likely to do the dramatic exit in what he thinks is the only way he''s got left. I''m sorry. I thought you should be prepared. I''ll forward the warning to the police, of course, so they can put him on their suicide risk list.¡±
¡°Kate, I know it''s invading his mental privacy, but could a gifted person check on him, like an internal suicide watch?¡±
¡°Yes and no Katherine. Yes, they could watch his top level thoughts all day, if they did nothing else. But someone sitting in the same room would be far better placed to actually stop him. Or they could look at what he''s thinking in detail for a second or two, but I don''t know if the sort of rejection that we''ve talked about is something that builds up over time or is more like a snap decision.¡±
¡°Thank you. So the answer''s not really.¡±
¡°Not really for the suicide watch. But, there maybe other things. It would be good if we could persuade him to reject suicide as an option.¡±
¡°Would a gifted person be able to do that?¡±
¡°I don''t know, but after your Dad vanished I spent thirty years wishing he''d come back, because he''d been such good emotional manipulator. In his case I''m prepared to do some emotional manipulation myself. I think I''m going to visit your Dad and convince him that running away is weakness too. It''s worth a try.¡±
¡°You''d do think you can?¡±
¡°Well, in our little trio your Dad was the charismatic leader, the grand orator, the manipulator. But in a debate, I could always run circles round both of the boys.¡±
¡°He might have changed, Kate, got better at arguing.¡±
¡°I''m sure of it. But I''m better at not being manipulated too. And I''m certainly not going to give in on the reality of God or the fact that your Dad''s been running from God all his life.¡±
¡°Well, I''d rather he was alive than dead, so please, do try and convince him.¡±
¡°Don''t worry. I will.¡± Kate said, and grinned a feral grin at Pete, who''d been listening ¡ª Kate had switched to speaker phone when she was making her analysis of James''s character. After they''d said their goodbyes, Pete asked ¡°You don''t think he''ll refuse to see you?¡±
¡°No. I don''t think so. I want to try, even if he''s a slime-ball, his wife and daughter love him.¡±
The prison governor was confused. ¡°You''re not seen him in thirty years, you think he''s a suicide risk, you know he''s guilty as hell, and consider him a manipulative slime-ball, but you want to visit him. I don''t understand your reasons Mrs West, but you''re free to visit him. Visits are recorded, of course, but it''s an automated system. Court order needed to access without permission from both of you.¡±
¡°Good. I''m a professional psych-counsellor sir, and will consider this to be under professional confidentiality rules. I hope I can convince him that suicide isn''t a good option for him.¡±
¡°I wish you every success then. It sounds like he''s going to be with us quite a long time.¡±
James was waiting in the interview room when Kate was brought in. He was confused at her entrance, he''d not known who to expect, but who was this woman? Why did she look familiar?
¡°James you miserable excuse for a manipulative slime-ball, I''ve finally found out where you are! Good to see you after thirty years. What did you think you were doing, running away from me like that?¡±
¡°Katherine? Is it that really you?¡± He was shocked, and he didn''t have much fight left in him Kate could see. Fair enough.
¡°No, Katherine is your daughter, who''s off to convert the heathen masses having given up on the pig-headed one at home. I''m Kate, as I rarely failed to correct you.¡±
¡°Kate then. You''ve really been looking for me for thirty years?¡± Shock had faded toward incredulity. ¡°No, just for most of them I was hoping that I''d bump into you and you''d congratulate me on keeping the faith of atheism alive.¡± Kate had decided it wasn''t the time to bring her other emotions into the open yet. She''d keep things simple while his brain woke up. Would he catch that carrot and show some of his old life?
¡°Atheism isn''t a faith Kate! It''s a clearly observable fact.¡±
Bingo! That was more like it. Time to invert an old argument, and turn the conversation to some places she knew he''d be on weak ground. ¡°No James, if it were something clearly observable then there''d be lights in the night sky saying ''God''s not here''. Of course the religious would point at the same evidence and say that it proves the existence of a God with a sense of irony or that our language had changed or something. Everything is faith James. You had faith in other people''s stupidity, that no one would find you out for selling the restaurant to the company as freehold when you knew it was leased. You were wrong. You had faith after you ran away from university that if you changed your network I.D. then I''d never be able to tell you what a coward you are for refusing to face the reality that sometimes rules that you''ve made need breaking. You were wrong about that too. Though I do admit that its taken me a while.¡±
¡°That''s not how it was, Kate!¡±
¡°No? You decided that we wouldn''t talk to Pete except on official or committee business, we all agreed after some objections. Then you find me talking to him. It wasn''t quite committee business, but it was official: there was something I needed to know for a paper I had to write during the vacation. I had to ask him about how it all started, had he gone to talk to her because he was interested in her, because he was interested in God, or because he was trying to convince her the error of her ways and he hadn''t foreseen how well she could argue. And what do you do? You accuse me of treachery among other things, dump me and then run away. You actually ran, I saw you. And you''d be doing it again if you could, wouldn''t you? I see that wild look in your eyes.¡±
¡°That''s not how it was Kate! I didn''t run from you, I was fed up with my course and transferred away.¡±
She was amazed how weakly that came from him.. He''d obviously lost his edge, or was mentally exhausted. ¡°Yes, I''m sure. And you reached that decision how long after you sprinted away from me? How did I become so scary James? By having a will and thoughts of my own? You don''t cope well when things don''t follow your plans do you? So rather than face them, you run. That''s a weakness, you know, just like you used to say drunkenness was. But that was years ago. Do you ever turn to drink now James?¡±
¡°No! I''m not weak Kate!¡±
¡°But sometimes you run away. What''s that if not weakness?¡± Kate could see the barbs sticking. No need to use her gift on him. Just his face was giving it away. It had used to be such a challenge to debate with him, now she was so obviously in charge it was almost a shame. ¡°Oh come on Kate, faced with an untenable situation, where''s the point in staying? Better to withdraw and redeploy.¡±
¡°Withdraw and redeploy? That''s a good euphemism. Is that what you did? Ran so quickly that you left your prize leather jacket at my flat? Some ''redeployment'', James. I tried to explain but you weren''t interested. I tried to contact you, but you changed your net I.D. Were you so scared of me?¡±
¡°No Kate! I was furious with you, but not scared of you.¡±
¡°Then what was it James?¡± Kate saw God''s hand in it, now, but she was still curious. ¡°Were you scared of God; scared that if I was talking to Pete that maybe I''d be convinced and then you''d have two people trying to save your soul?¡±
¡°I wasn''t happy in my course. When I broke off with you there was no point staying.¡±
¡°So why did you change your net I.D.?¡±
¡°Because I was fed up with Pete writing to me about how unfair I was being to you. And You tried writing to me too, but I didn''t want to change my mind. It would have been too humiliating.¡± Kate was amazed. Was this why he ran?
¡°Oh! You were happy to slander me in front of I don''t know how many people, but not to ask forgiveness?¡±
¡°Exactly¡± he sounded depressed about it, even. A known problem then. But somehow he was admitting problems. Not like him. She needed to press him further though.
¡°So, rather than ask forgiveness, you ran. And rather than face the consequences of your crimes you''d love to run again, wouldn''t you?¡±
¡°Of course I would, Kate. Wouldn''t you?¡±
¡°Well, I don''t know, I''ve never been such a self-serving slime-ball as you can be, James. I mean, selling your share in the restaurant was fine, but selling it as freehold? What were you thinking? And then keeping it a secret from your employer even after you''d had letters? How did you manage?¡±
James looked in horror at Kate. ¡°How did you know that?¡±
¡°Oh come on, James! The annual finances still list the site as an asset! Out of thirty restaurants, that site is getting thirty percent of the company''s investment expenditure, with less than a year to run before ownership could revert. That''s really really stupid, they wouldn''t have done that if there''d been any awareness of the lease. By the way, the lease has been revoked, and the building site is still marked as a crime scene. The company''s share value value has dropped by something like fifty percent. I guess you couldn''t admit a mistake again. Is that it? James, that''s probably as big a weakness as booze, just so you know.¡±
¡°I''d have been out on my ear!¡± he protested, knowing how weak it was. What had he been thinking? And why had Kate turned up to be his conscience?
¡°Ah! Another rationalisation. Imagine James: what would have happened if you''d called an emergency shareholders meeting three years ago, and had said ''Dear shareholders I''ve discovered that I mis-sold the land as freehold, but I''ve re-negotiated the lease and it''s now ours for the next fifty years. We do need to pay rent but it''s nothing compared to the profit we''ll make from such a prime location. Oh, and here''s the difference between the value of the site as freehold and with a fifty year lease as a token of my good will.'' Would you be in prison today?¡±
¡°Probably not, Kate.¡± he was seriously low now, she could tell. She didn''t like doing this to him, she''d been expecting more fight from him, but she knew it was still necessary.
¡°And would you have lost your job?¡±
¡°Probably not, Kate.¡±
¡°So by refusing to apologise you''ve got yourself a jail term. Your accounts are frozen, and you''re probably not going to get bail anyway as your wife says you''ll probably try to flee the country. Is she right?¡±
¡°Yes! Kate, how do you know all this?¡±
¡°I''ve been talking to your daughter. I ran into Pete soon after you met him, and he''s been supporting her. She and I agreed that even without bail you''d probably still try and run away from the trouble you''re in.¡±
¡°What, me? Try and climb over the prison wall?¡±
¡°I was thinking you might think you didn''t need to hang around for the trial, and that you''d maybe seek oblivion instead.¡± She said this tenderly. She knew it was true, but she needed to get him to admit it. ¡°Well, wouldn''t you? My life is in ruins, my wife is probably planning to divorce me, my daughter''s wasting her life in serving a delusion, I''ll probably never work again. What''s there to live for?¡±
Kate needed to give him hope now, but she wanted to get him to think where this rubbish was coming from too. ¡°James, you really are one of the most self-centred men I''ve ever met. For the record, I talked to your wife as well as Katherine. Amazingly enough, she recognised you as the self-centred slime-ball you are some years ago, and yet still loves you. She''s even making plans for when you''re out of jail. So she''s going to be very disappointed if you ruin her plans by being too week to cope with the prison term you''ve earned yourself. Secondly, your daughter is not serving a delusion, she''s following a very noble calling. You, on the other hand have been serving a delusion that no one would find out the truth. You''ve been running from apologising to people, you desperately need forgiveness, but you don''t seek it. That''s just so wrong-headed I hardly know where to start.¡±
¡°What do you mean, Katherine isn''t serving a delusion, Kate. You''re not going to tell me you''ve been duped too?¡±
¡°Duped? Oh yes I was duped. I was duped into believing that you were my Mr Right and it was only when I realised how terrible you''d be to live with that I remembered that all that Mr Right rubbish was your assessment, not mine. Thirty years I carried a flame for you, you self-worshipping manipulator, and now you tell me that you knew you should apologise thirty years ago and yet you still haven''t! It was only when I stopped worshipping you that I realised that there is someone who deserves my worship far more than you do. Oh, and James, do learn to apologise. Not only is it rude not to, but you''re not just sitting waiting for something as temporary as a jail term from God''s perspective. Don''t think that suicide is going to end your troubles. It''s just going to make it too late to do anything to resolve them.¡±
¡°I can''t cope with humiliation, Kate. I can''t!¡±
¡°And, therefore, you can''t even apologise for what you called me thirty years ago? Not even if I tell you that, in my joy in my reliable, loving, self-giving husband, I''m glad you dumped me, that I''m glad I never married until a month ago because of the way you''d messed my brain up?¡±
¡°I''m... I''m sorry Kate. I shouldn''t have called you those things.¡±
¡°Well done! Now, keep practising saying sorry. It gets you out of trouble, keeps people talking to you, less inclined to call you a slime-ball. The other phrase I want you to practice is ''guilty as charged, milord.'' It saves a lot of time, effort, money and public humiliation. It would also be good if you practised saying ''My psychoanalyst tells me I''m a slime-ball.'' no, sorry, you did finally apologise. A better way of saying it is ''My psychoanalyst tells me that my almost total inability to publicly or privately admit errors is what lead me to this situation, I acknowledge this and I realise that I should not be trusted to make my own decisions until I am cured.''¡±
¡°You''re a psychoanalyst?¡±
¡°Of course, James, really, pay attention to people! It was what I studied, after all. Of course, I don''t practice much, being the institute''s director now. You see, I know that if you''d come to your landlord four years ago then you''d have got that extension. I''d have given you one in an instant.¡±
¡°You''re the institute''s director?¡±
¡°Yes, James. And I''m very happily married to Pete too, thank you for asking.¡±
¡°I didn''t.¡±
¡°I know. You should have, though, it''s one of these things called a social convention. James, you genuinely are mentally unwell. I hope you realise this. Running away rather than apologising is not normal adult behaviour. It''s a sign of weakness. Don''t do it. Be strong enough to admit you''ve been wrong, and don''t make matters worse by killing yourself. Your daughter and wife would like to see you healed.¡±
¡°But I can''t face this Kate, I honestly can''t cape with any situation where there''s humiliation involved. I can fight, or I can run, but I can''t ''stand there and face it.'' I just can''t.¡±
¡°James, what if I told you that I knew a way you could face that? If I told you how to be strong enough to face humiliation, public insults and even torture. Would you be interested?¡±
¡°Some kind of self-help? I''ve tried lots Kate. They don''t work.¡±
¡°Then make your daughter very happy by seeking the same help she''s got. She faces you humiliating her quite a lot, doesn''t she?¡±
¡°Yes, Kate. I''m not a tolerant man.¡±
¡°But she can handle it, without running away. Because God is real, James, He''s not a mental construct. He''s not some kind of self-induced delusion. He''s as real as you or me, in many ways more real. He can help you if you''ll let him. It might take a while, but it could be instant too. I don''t know.¡±
¡°That would be really humiliating Kate! President of Atheist society turns to God?¡±
¡°James, who''d make fun of you? I wouldn''t, your wife and daughter wouldn''t. Pete wouldn''t. Who''d humiliate you? God? Who else knows you were president of the atheist society for a year? Are you really refusing the help you know you need, sticking your head in the sand because you''d make fun of yourself?¡±
¡°My parents know.¡± he was clutching at straws, she knew it.
¡°I remember you saying they''re Christians. I''m sure they''d be very very happy if you turned to God, James and I don''t think they''d make fun of you.¡±
¡°OK, so maybe no one would make fun of me. But how do you know your God is real, can you offer me proof, or is it just arguments like we used to pick apart at university?¡±
¡°Have you been following Bob McDaniel''s reports?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Good. I know God''s real because I challenged Him to prove himself by solving a very worrying situation in five minutes. He did it within four and a half. And then he gave me the gift of hearing thoughts, James, and He spoke to me. And then about three hours ate that, I met Pete after all these years. I know God is real.¡±
James looked at her in a mixture of fear and hope. Was she really claiming to be one of these fifty-six super mind-readers? ¡°You can prove that I presume, this gift? You mean what he calls the spiritual one?¡±
¡°Yes, I can. If you''ll allow me to look, I could tell you every thought in your skull at the moment I look. I''m able to do it without permission, of course, but that''s not very ethical, normally. You want proof?¡±
¡°All right, you tell me what I''m thinking.¡±
¡°All the way down, or just top levels? I can do both. The deep levels include subconscious and repressed memories.¡±
¡°Then tell me why I''m can''t cope with humiliation, Kate, if you can.¡±
Kate looked deeply, just briefly and analysed what she''d seen. He didn''t think he knew why, but his subconscious did, it was sitting there in his thoughts: a school performance when he''d got his lines all wrong, and tried to apologise. Everyone had laughed, even his parents. Deeper, what he''d said. It was very funny; it would have been a credit to him if he''d improvised it as a comic interlude. But his apology had come out as the punchline. Kate was too focussed to laugh, fortunately. Another memory, also deep, but probably not too deep for him to recall if she told him: his rejection of his parents explanation, that they''d thought it was a clever joke. They''d laughed at the memory, and he felt they were laughing again at him, more humiliation. Other related thoughts; that early distrust had led to him distrusting other things his parents said. Eventually rejecting their God. Kate looked at her ex-boyfriend with a better understanding than she''d had. No wonder apologies were hard. They''d brought humiliation, laughter, shame.
¡°James, let me tell you everything I saw.¡± and as she told him his eyes widened in surprise, hearing what he''d said with the ears of an adult, of a parent, realising the truthfulness of his parents explanation, and recognising the web of misinterpretation and mistrust that he''d built around it. ¡°I don''t know how you did that, Kate. But, thank you. I... I wish things had been different.¡±
¡°Some things hurt at the time and are for the best in the long run, James. I pray that you''ll think about what I''ve told you. You do have a future after all this is over, remember that.¡±
¡°You might be right. But I don''t know what as.¡±
¡°You could try crossing atheist off your CV and see where that takes you.¡±
¡°I''m not going to break down that easily Kate. I might admit that I have emotional hang-ups but that doesn''t mean I''m going to run into the arms of your god on the basis of one, admittedly amazing, revelation about my past.¡±
¡°James, I''m not going to suggest you should. Talk to your wife and daughter. Practice apologising to them, I''m sure you can think of a long list of things you can apologise for. Talk to your parents too, and listen to what all of them say about God. Don''t just take my word for it. Read the Bible too, one of the gospels, Luke, perhaps, or John, then maybe Acts. The early chapters of Romans for some reflection on where you are now, and what Christ has done. Hebrews would be good too, if you remember anything from Sunday school. Don''t turn off when God is mentioned, listen up instead. I think you''re going to have time, use it well.¡±
¡°And that''s it? You''re going to turn my life upside down and walk out of it again?¡±
¡°I hope I''ve given you enough of a kick that you can turn your life the right way up now, James. I''m going to be in contact with Katherine for the foreseeable future, and she knows how to contact me. Please don''t tell anyone about my working at the institute ¡ª that''d be another crime to add to the list, and one that Security would press charges on. I''d rather you don''t tell about my gift either. It might put my life in danger.¡±
¡°But now you''re vanishing?¡±
¡°Not entirely, James. You can contact me if you need to. You just need to talk to your daughter. I think you can do that without too much humiliation.¡±
¡°I think so.... Kate?¡±
¡°Yes, James?¡±
¡°You''re not a bad manipulator yourself, you know.¡±
¡°But there''s a difference isn''t there, James?¡±
¡°You manipulated me out of imminent suicide you mean?¡±
¡°How close were you?¡±
¡°Working on finding an opportunity.¡±
¡°I''m glad I came today then.¡±
¡°I think I am too, Kate. That''s quite a trick you can pull there. You could be famous.¡±
¡°It''s not for fame, James. It''s for helping the desperate, the lost, the needy, not to mention helping weak arguments against God to crumble. Any time you want a no-limits debate as to his existence, let me know.¡±
¡°By no limits you mean you get to read my mind? That''s hardly fair!¡±
¡°It''s perfectly fair, James! All it really does is keep you honest.¡±
¡°But I wouldn''t get to know what you''re being honest about, Kate.¡±
¡°Ah, but I''d be arguing with a view to convince you to trust in the Author of Truth, the Light in whom there is no Darkness. Not good to try to do that based on a lie.¡±
¡°I presume those are quotes.¡± James said, to buy himself some thinking time.
There was something important there.
¡°Second one is, from near the beginning of John. I''m not actually sure about where the first one comes from. It might be Biblical or just Christian phraseology.¡±
¡°But you''re telling me that you wouldn''t lie about your belief to win?¡±
¡°Of course not, James, not deliberately. I''m pretty sure it would really offend God.¡±
¡°What would you lie to do Kate?¡±
¡°Urm, what could I legitimately tell lies for with a clean conscience? I''m not sure. I don''t want to say nothing: I''m sure there are some motives. Is it important? I can ask a more mature Christian.¡±
¡°I''m not sure if it''s important. Your answer so far is pretty staggering, you know. Christians don''t lie?¡±
¡°Oh yes, we do, but we shouldn''t. We''re supposed to let our yes be yes and our no no. But to lie without offending God? That''s a tricky one.¡±
[John, I''m mid-conversation here... What is it legitimate to lie about or for?]
[Easiest one is protecting people, Kate, not yourself, but others. And not from justice, that doesn''t count.]
[Thanks! Oh, and pray for James. He''s letting thoughts about God enter his mind.]
¡°What about to protect someone?¡±
¡°Ha, just what I was just told. But not ourselves, and not from justice.¡±
¡°Then if you''d lie to protect someone, why not to convince them about God, if that''s so important?¡±
¡°I''d lie to say I didn''t know where someone was, if an aggressor was after them. I''d maybe lie about a gift I was giving if the truth would stop it being accepted, I''d never knowingly lie about God. I don''t know about other Christians. Maybe they''d be tempted to exaggerate about their experiences from some sort of sense of inferiority.¡±
¡°But you don''t feel inferior?¡±
¡°Well, I know I''m not good starting material, but as for evidence of him in my life, I''m in the privileged few, I''m sure.¡±
¡°What about my daughter?¡±
¡°What about her?¡±
¡°Is she in the privileged few, or the great unwashed masses?¡±
¡°Oh, I''m sure she''s been washed in the spiritual sense, James.¡±
¡°I mean, she once told me that God had told her that she didn''t need to convince me of anything, or even ask my permission before she obeyed him.¡±
¡°I imagine you left her in tears after that.¡±
¡°To be honest, Kate, I tried, and failed.¡±
¡°Chalk one up for her side, then.¡±
¡°I did. But do you think that was real?¡±
¡°I think the evidence speaks for itself, James. But I''m going to talk to her about it, and then I''m not going to breach client confidently.¡±
¡°Aren''t I your client, too?¡±
¡°No, James. This is just a friendly chat. I''d never take you on as a long term client. Too much history, not a good idea. But if you like I''ll pretend I didn''t know that you''d tried to reduce her to a tearful wreck every time she talked of her faith, just suspect it.¡±
¡°I didn''t say I tried every time!¡±
¡°Can you name one time you didn''t?¡±
James thought for a while. Then offered ¡°At her wedding; I didn''t try at her wedding.¡±
¡°And was that because of the occasion, because she didn''t come near you or because she was so surrounded by her Christian friends that you didn''t want to risk it?¡±
¡°A bit of all three. Plus my wife threatened me if I dared.¡±
¡°Good for her. So, can I tell Katherine of your confession?¡±
¡°Yes. I wasn''t a good father to her was I?¡±
¡°James, I personally consider the fact that she''s still talking to you at all to be a major miracle.¡±
¡°She doesn''t, much.¡±
¡°I said at all. Will she accept the call if you ring her?¡±
¡°Sometimes she does.¡±
¡°See! A miracle.¡±
¡°Kate, I want to tell her I''m sorry. Will you ring her for me? ¡±
¡°I don''t know. I''m not just going to ring her and then hand you my wrist unit. If I tell her that I''m here with you and you want to apologise, would that work? Leave it up to her if she wants to talk now? She could be in a lecture for all I know.¡±
¡°I guess so. Ask her to ring me sometime if she can''t talk now.¡±
¡°OK.¡± She rang Katherine, who admitted to be writing an essay. ¡°What''s the subject?¡±
¡°Christian Forgiveness.¡±
¡°Ooh, you''ve got some experience there then.¡±
¡°Yes. Were you able to talk to Dad this morning?¡±
¡°Yes. It went pretty well I think.¡±
¡°Oh, so he''s not suicidal?¡±
¡°Claims he isn''t now. He also says that he wants to apologise to you.¡±
¡°WHAT! Dad never apologises! What did you do to him?¡±
¡°We explored why he fights or runs away. I''ll give you a slightly less edited version in person, OK?¡±
¡°Fine, but you mean that he doesn''t turn into a cloud of dust rather than apologise now?¡±
¡°I extracted an apology from him, and just now he said he''d like to apologise to you. Can I pass you over, or would you like to call him sometime more convenient? James, you wouldn''t prefer to talk in private?¡±
¡°No, Kate. You hang around as a witness, if Katherine doesn''t mind talking now.¡±
¡°I don''t mind. I''m in shock, but I don''t mind. What did you dose him on, Kate? Is it obtainable legally?¡±
¡°Katherine!¡± Kate laughed ¡°What a suggestion! All I did was talk a bit about some old memories, point out how much trouble he''d got into by being such an unrepentant manipulative slime-ball, that sort of thing.¡±
¡°Urm, I don''t think I''d call him that Kate.¡±
¡°Of course not, Katherine, you''re his daughter, you''ve got a duty to respect him. I''m just an ex-girlfriend who he publicly insulted and dumped thirty years ago, I''m allowed to show him suitable disrespect and point out his flaws. It''s a cultural thing.¡±
¡°Kate, do you forgive him?¡±
¡°Of course I forgive him, Katherine, I didn''t say he was still a slime-ball did I? And you''re at least a bit repentant too, aren''t you, James?¡± With that she put her wrist unit on the table, so James could talk.
¡°Katherine, Kate''s being generous. I''m sure I don''t deserve her being so mild in her name-calling, or so forgiving. I''ve got a lot of thinking to do, but I want to say I''m sorry. I knew your faith was real to you and I didn''t try to do anything but mock you for it. That''s... that was far more about my failings and weaknesses than yours. Kate''s pointed out that never apologising is a weakness, an illness, not strength, and it''s got me here. I''d like to be well. I can''t say ''well again'' because it goes back a long time.¡±
¡°Th-Thanks, Dad. I''ll pray for you.¡± Kate could hear Katherine fighting to control her emotions and took the wrist-unit back. ¡°I''ll break the connection now Katherine, so you can pour it out to God. Talk to you in a bit.¡±
¡°Thanks, Kate¡±
Kate disconnected. ¡°James, I''m going to leave you with your thoughts now. No giving up on life please.¡±
¡°She didn''t say she forgave me.¡±
¡°She said she''d pray for you, James. You didn''t actually ask her if she''d forgive you, you know.¡±
¡°I guess I was expecting her to say she did.¡±
¡°You''ve given her a big surprise and quite a lot to pray about James. Give her some time. You know, it wouldn''t hurt you to talk to her about prayer, you might learn something.¡±
¡°That there''s more than the ceiling listening?¡±
¡°Are you prepared to admit that much?¡±
¡°I don''t know.¡±
¡°That''s progress, at least. There was no way I could peer into your memories or hear your thoughts before I became a Christian, James.¡±
¡°I know Kate. I can''t explain it. Well, I don''t want to explain it the way you do, but there doesn''t seem to be another rational explanation.¡±
¡°James, this gift of mine isn''t something to talk about over the phone. But I''m due to meet Katherine today, and I''ll tell her about it. You reorganise your thoughts a bit, let ideas percolate where they need to, and come up with some good sensible questions for her. Don''t let old habits come back. Do notice the lack of humiliation.¡±
¡°She was on the verge of tears. Why does an apology bring her to tears when attacks don''t?¡±
¡°James, its because ...¡± she stopped mid-sentence for thought and decided not to go there. It was time she left. They''d told her to give a short press on the buzzer just before she wanted to be let out. She did so, and finished her sentence.
¡°It''s because people are complicated. Now, I''m going to say goodbye and get back to work. Good-bye James. I expect it won''t be another thirty years before we meet again.¡±
¡°Goodbye Kate. The company''s shareholders didn''t know anything, nor did the board. Please don''t hold them to blame.¡±
She thought about that request as she left the prison. A mostly unselfish plea.... she decided to count that as a positive sign.
9am, Wednesday 25th October
¡°Teresa, what is the institute going to do with that building site we now own?¡±
¡°You''ve always owned it, Kate. But, yes, I see what you mean. Property development isn''t exactly your core activity is it?¡±
¡°Not exactly.¡± Kate said with a laugh.
¡°You could obviously find someone to take it on, but... OK, I''m prepared to fight it, but the restaurant are launching an appeal against the eviction, saying that whoever it was digging that borehole, it wasn''t in any of their plans, and so on. With you saying that it was just the one director claiming responsibility and that he''d been suffering a mental illness, well, I''m wondering if we should settle out of court and give them a new lease.¡±
¡°I agree. It doesn''t seem right to me to punish all the shareholders and staff for his actions. But... There should have been checks, controls, I can''t imagine they he could really deceive everyone on his own.¡±
¡°Nor can I. I presume the fraud investigation is going to find that out, I think he must have had help. There''s an emergency shareholder''s meeting tomorrow afternoon, and their board is meeting in the morning. Would you like me to persuade them to invite me?¡±
¡°I think that would be a very good idea. Or failing anything else, I guess at least a letter to the shareholders.¡±
¡°So what do I tell them?¡±
¡°That we understand the company has invested a lot of their money in the property, and we understand that the attack on our tunnel was not planned by them or envisaged by the published plans. Then something about not pre-judging the ongoing police investigation, but subject to it finding the company as an entity innocent of the damage to our property we''re willing to offer a fifty year lease on the site, at commercial land rates. Same engineering limits as before, of course. How does that sound?¡±
¡°Very reasonable. The rental amount would be re-assessed every five years, like the other commercial rate ones?¡±
¡°Yes. How long do we give them to decide?¡±
¡°Do you charge them for legal fees and tunnel repairs? You obviously can, it''s peanuts compared to them writing off the cost of the building, and it''d be far easier to make it part of the lease offer than to chase them through the courts for it.¡±
¡°Very good idea. Yes. Now, about the timing of when you ask to talk to the board....¡±
¡°You want them to sweat a bit first?¡±
¡°I think the board have been lax. They''ve let things happen which look like corruption to me. And also, this conversation should have been triggered by them ¡ª they should be approaching us, begging for a renegotiated lease, shouldn''t they?¡±
¡°Yes. Shall I skip the board meeting then?¡±
¡°I think so. Is the shareholder''s meeting closed?¡±
¡°Tony has managed to get himself a press invitation. I think I could sneak in as his assistant or use him as leverage to get in on my own credentials.¡±
¡°I think try the latter. A reporter''s assistant shouldn''t be dressed as a lawyer or addressing the meeting. Unless of course you want to go there as just his girlfriend and happen to notice something wrong?¡±
¡°Ooh, sneaky. Yes, I''ll see if I can do that. It gives them the opportunity to call me up during or after their board meeting, too.¡±
¡°But if they happen to say that they''ve tried to begin negotiations....¡±
¡°I can stand up and say no you haven''t and offer them the deal, yes.¡± Teresa was grinning widely. ¡°Thanks Kate, this sounds like fun.¡±
Disclosure / Ch. 11: Angry shareholders
Book 3: Disclosure / Ch. 11:Angry shareholders
Thursday afternoon, 26th October
¡°Thanks for getting me the invitation, Tony, this could be fun.¡± Teresa said, as they met, a little way from the hotel where the shareholders'' meeting was to be held, in a conference room.
¡°Teresa, you''ve got a wonderfully vicious sense of fun. And I don''t think anyone will think lawyer when they see you.¡± Picking the right clothes for the situation was part of Teresa''s art that Tony was learning to appreciate, but he wasn''t entirely sure about her choice today. Gone was her normal working garb of a smart suit and white blouse, with her hair in a bun; instead she wore a pale blue dress, with a flower-print neck-scarf. Her hair was loose. Of course, she was beautiful, and he supposed that it was appropriate enough for a shareholder''s meeting, but it wasn''t an outfit that spoke of any authority if she had to stand up and talk. Maybe that was the idea.
¡°I''m not at work, Tony, I''m here as your girlfriend.¡±
¡°And you''re not going to address the masses?¡±
¡°That''s not the image I want to present, no.¡±
¡°So you''re letting your clothes lie so you don''t have to?¡±
¡°No, to lend credibility to what I say, if I have to.¡±
¡°But you''re prepared to watch them suffer, and consider it fun?¡±
¡°I''m going because the board are not representing their shareholders interests very well, Tony. They should be, and I want to see why not. If they happen to say anything silly, then I''m prepared to delicately rub their noses in it, and if they come up with anything sensible then I can respond sooner than they expect.¡±
¡°Ah. I think I see. Shall we go in then?¡±
¡°By all means.¡±
The conference room was fairly crowded. Tony''s press badge got them seated off to the side of the hall, between the the platform and the main seats. A few other reporters were there also. This was potentially going to be a major story.
Judging by the way the staff kept bringing more seats, the investors thought so too, and someone had underestimated how many of them would come.
There was an tense quietness to the crowd, Teresa thought, much like she''d seen in some trials. This was not going to be a pleasant experience for the board members, she was sure.
At the appointed time, they entered in solemn procession, and took their places on the platform. Teresa noticed that one chair on the platform was empty. Presumably symbolically left for the missing board member.
Behind the board, there were various other people, presumably accountants, managers and the like. She thought she could guess who the lawyer was. She didn''t recognize him, but he was wearing the right outfit, at least; a sombre, immaculate suit.
The chairman of the board began his speech, detailing the events that had led to this meeting. Both she and Tony took occasional notes and made comparisons with what they knew, it all seemed to agree with their version of things, although Teresa noticed it did miss any reference to the letter from the institute several years earlier.
¡°The board met this morning and we are have decided on the following course of action: Firstly, that we continue to seek to get the eviction order overturned, on the grounds that the damage caused was not part of the planned building work, nor company policy, nor an action discussed with anyone else on the board. Punishing the company to this extent for the action of an individual is not proportionate. As a secondary claim of that, we further seek to have the leasehold itself overturned, in that the institute has maliciously waited until the building work was well underway, even almost finished, before contacting us, and thus have obtained our modern building for no investment on their own part.
¡°Secondly, we seek to recover damages from the lawyer who failed to adequately check the deeds and the previous owners who sold us the property fraudulently. Thirdly, we propose that the missing member of the board be removed from his position for various failings and actions where he has acted in direct opposition to the company''s interests, including such actions as failing to inform us in a timely manner that there was a problem with the property.¡±
A shareholder stood, and asked ¡°Since the board member in question is one of the aforementioned previous owners, what additional checks were made to ensure he was not abusing his position for personal gain?¡±
The chairman looked surprised at such a question, then called on the accountant to answer. He was the man Teresa had thought was the legal advisor. So, where was the lawyer, she wondered, while the accountant started his answer.
¡°Company policy prohibits such sales without an external valuation of the property, and external assessment of the motives of the staff-member for the sale. In this case, my predecessor''s notes tell me that the motivation check was waived as the staff member only had a minority holding in the property, and the majority holder had a clear motive for sale. I''m afraid I can''t find the external valuation.¡±
¡°And just when did you take over from your predecessor?¡±
¡°My predecessor resigned suddenly for health reasons shortly after the acquisition.¡±
¡°I see. So, of two checks, we have a record that company policy was breached in one case and no record for the other. Can you tell me his holding in the property?¡±
¡°Yes, technically my predecessor was correct that he held a minority share, but it was actually forty nine percent.¡±
There were murmurs of dismay around the hall, and lots of eyes focussed on the board members.
¡°In your view, should those motivation checks have been done?¡±
¡°Yes sir.¡±
¡°Thankyou.¡± The investor turned his attention to the chairman of the board once more. ¡°Mr chairman, it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure company policy is followed. Did you see this missing document?¡±
¡°Ahh, no, I don''t remember doing so.¡± very uncomfortable ¡°I was assured that that the purchase was in the company''s best interests. Mick, you''re company secretary, find those minutes will you?¡±
It was now the turn of the company secretary to be focus of the crowd''s attention. He searched through the files, then a look of horror appeared on his face. ¡°The file is empty.¡±
¡°Then access the previous version!¡± demanded the chairman.
¡°I don''t understand it, all of them are blank. There''s no error shown, but every version in the system is a blank. All the overview remarks are present, who checked it and so on but the content is gone. We''ve only got my hand-scrawled notes from during the meeting, they''re in a different place.¡±
¡°I think those would make very interesting reading. Display them please.¡± said the self appointed spokesman for the shareholders.
Teresa was quickly reaching the conclusion that the shareholders were going to be OK without her help.
¡°I can''t display those! They''re uncorrected, personal, notes. I add things I want to remember later as well as the official business. Displaying them could make it difficult to continue working with the other board members.¡±
¡°If you feel it''s necessary, we could take a formal decision that these notes be considered as the only reliable witness to the proceedings of that meeting.¡± He turned to the other shareholders. ¡°I feel that this meeting has an important clue as to how our appointed representatives have been proceeding. Can I have a show of hands who agrees with me? Thank-you. And those who would like to ignore that meeting and continue to other topics? Well, isn''t that interesting!¡±
At the second vote, only two people raised their hands. One of the people had actually not raised a hand, but a banner, which read ¡°Sack the whole board.¡±
The shareholder''s spokesman asked the secretary ¡°Do we need a full formal vote?¡±
He replied ¡°I want it to be recorded that my notes were never intended for public display and that they include notes to myself and sketches of a personal nature, at a time when I was new to my post and under stress. I therefore submit my notes to the meeting along with my resignation. I see that I should have taken my personal notes at the time more seriously.¡± Having said this he triggered a rolling display and walked off the platform. The woman who''d been the other vote against seeing the notes went to embrace him and they headed to the exit.
Tearing his eyes from the comment-laden text, the shareholder''s spokesman said gently ¡°From what I see recorded here so far sir, you have no motive to resign from my perspective, I ask therefore that, if you do not want to be present, you wait in the caf¨¦ across the hall.¡±
The display gave quite a clear view of what had happened in that boardroom meeting.
Alongside the formal descriptions of the proposal, the secretary had indeed drawn some sketches. One showed a big thumb labelled ''James'' pressing down on the chairman''s name, another showed a heart with a dollar sign by it. The text made this clearer still, and was obviously due to be edited: ''James gave verbal summary of evaluator''s report about his property. Doesn''t see why we pay him, suggests it gets lost. James wants to sell in order to help widow. Evaluator and accountant said price was a reasonable asking price for location, and assumed that negotiation would drop it by thirty percent. James notes widow not his lover, will introduce her to chairman. See what he can negotiate personally (am I understanding implications right??). Chairman agrees. James offers to buy round of drinks. Vote to permit chair to conclude deal: James + Chair for, others abstain ''as usual'' (what does that mean?). I against, motion passes. James tells me to be more charitable in future. Stick here or find another job?''
¡°Mr chairman,¡± started the shareholder''s prosecutor (Teresa had decided he must be one) ¡°I take it you negotiated the thirty percent reduction in the asking price recommended by the accountant and evaluator?¡±
¡°Ah, no. I was introduced to the lady and she convinced me that the accountant was wrong. She ah, was very convincing.¡±
¡°Can you summarise her arguments please?¡±
¡°Urm, she showed me other properties for sale in the area. The site in question was of course in a better location, and since she wouldn''t move on that issue, and we''d been thinking of expanding there, well, it didn''t seem right to refuse her generous offer.¡±
¡°Her generous offer?¡±
¡°Urm yes, a very generous lady, to ah..ah sell at below market value.¡±
¡°Sell below market value? Your accountant told you that true market value was thirty percent lower, but by showing you properties for sale with high asking prices she convinced you that the site was worth even more than she asked? Or was her generosity in another area entirely?¡±
The chairman''s mind seemed to be wandering, Teresa noticed. ¡°It was a very high class, ah sorry no, the property, the property was in a very high class location.¡±
The prosecutor spoke briefly to his neighbour who went to the display and inserted a data crystal. ¡°I bring as a reference for my fellow shareholders a graphic of recent property prices per unit area around this site. I''m sure you''ll notice that the property under question is about thirty percent higher than the others. it seems that the lady in question was very convincing, I wonder over what period of time, and, if the chairman''s married, whether his wife knew.
¡°My fellow shareholders, it seems that as well as ignoring company policy they have acted against good financial advice, gained from the transaction in a material manner, and then employed similar lack of due diligence in the checking that the land was as described. Before I move on to another point, does anyone else have a question or comment?¡±
¡°I''m his wife and, no, I didn''t know!¡± declared a woman in the front row. ¡°A very busy month at the office, he said! So,¡± she confronted her husband, ¡°is it over? Or are you still seeing her?¡±
¡°It''s over, dear. I haven''t seen her in years.¡±
¡°Good.¡± She turned to the crowd. ¡°My husband gave me half his shares some time ago, he then sold quite a lot of his, so he doesn''t own much of the company now at all. Fellow shareholders, he''s going to resign if we don''t kick him out first. I don''t think I should trust him out of my sight.¡± She sat down with calm dignity.
Tony was writing furiously, Teresa noticed. After a brief pause, the spokesman asked ¡°If there are any more comments or questions on the acquisition of the plot in the first place?¡± There didn''t seem to be any. ¡°Then, I''d like to ask about discovering that we don''t own what we paid for. When did the board become aware of the status of the land?¡±
¡°Last week. We were contacted by the institute''s legal advisor with incontrovertible evidence.¡±
¡°I see. Now, I''ve been asking around and have found that the IHM has, as far back as anyone can remember, sent a physical letter to every tenant they have, once every five years. Someone in the company received one a few months after the purchase, and before the plans for redevelopment were submitted, even. So why did no-one read it?¡±
¡°Any legal papers are routinely handed to our legal adviser.¡± reported the chairman. ¡°He then presents us with a report concerning recommended actions, options, and so forth.¡±
¡°And no one else reads them?¡± his incredulity was clear.
¡°That''s why we pay legal advisers! It''s not a director''s job to read every piece of mail that arrives!¡±
¡°Interesting argument there. I think other senior managers would say it is someone''s job to scan such a document before handing it on, and to keep track and make sure you get a report for every one. Otherwise something might be missed.¡±
¡°They said it was a hoax!¡± piped up the director of marketing, ¡°James always reads those letters, he said it sounded like a bad joke, and our legal advisor stated it was a hoax. Urm, come to think of it though, he resigned a month later.¡±
¡°Oh, so it was at least known by those two. Known, but ignored! I see, thank you. I think I''lll sit down for a while. Would anyone else like to do some follow-up questioning?¡±
There followed a number of angry questions, resulting in the sign-holder proposing that James and the chairman be removed from their posts for gross negligence and sued for damages. That demanded a formal vote, and there was discussion about whether it should be held off until the end of the meeting. Inevitably ''the prosecutor'' was once more in the centre of things.
Teresa wondered if the other board members were also going to be removed from office too, it looked likely. Some kind of emergency management team would need to be parachuted in. Maybe it was time to pass on a note. She looked in her handbag; she had something she could write on, surely? Ah yes, there. It wasn''t often paper got used for writing on, but sometimes it was still the best way. She had a little pad for such occurrences. She wrote: ¡°Am beginning to understand why board made no attempt to negotiate new lease-hold contract. IHM considered a response, in-case board asked. I can present it if required, or should I wait until dust settles?¡±
She folded the note, and asked the person on on the front row nearest her to pass it along to the unofficial spokesman of the meeting. There was much whispering about who it was for and from as it want from hand to hand, but it reached its destination.
The note got read immediately, and gained a look of surprise. Once the previous speaker had finished voicing their general dissatisfaction with the board, the prosecutor/spokesman stood again. ¡°Fellow shareholders, it seems that our board members have even less grasp of business that we might have given them credit for. I think I''d like to question the directors a little more myself, if you don''t mind. You might imagine ¡ª I certainly did ¡ª that the reason for the board challenging the lease was that negotiations had failed. This piece of paper informs me otherwise. Would someone like to tell me who decided the right course of action was to fight such a difficult court case?¡±
¡°It seemed a reasonable course of action,¡± declared the chairman ¡°I was told the probability of winning was quite small, but the result would be a restoration of the site to the company, and the investment would not be lost.¡±
¡°And this, I presume came from your legal advisor?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And did he come up with an estimated cost for this action?¡±
¡°Not exactly. He suggested about a week of his time to prepare the case, but obviously he couldn''t tell how long the case would take in court.¡±
¡°It just so happens that I''m in law myself, and I can give you four possible endings to this. One, the least expensive in legal bills, I might add, is that the judge throws out the case right away. The second is that the judge throws out the case after listening to our legal arguments. The third possibility is that after listening to both sides'' legal arguments he finds the arguments of the other side convincing and we lose. That would probably be after a month or so of court time. I''d say we have a one percent chance of possibility four: winning. But that is if, and only if, all other attempts at a settlement have failed, and it can be proven beyond reasonable doubt that they were indeed maliciously waiting for us to finish the building project, and so on. But you haven''t tried to negotiate have you? I''ve got a note here saying that the institute has prepared an offer on the assumption that you would, like any sensible people. I don''t see that as any attempt at all to deprive us of the building. So in my view, your proposal is a sure-fire way to run the company into more expense with your legal advisor pocketing millions. I''d like to propose that we hear the institute''s offer and then get on with deciding what to do with you.¡±
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°I set up this company!¡± declared the chairman. ¡°I''m the founder and the owner! You can''t just sack me like some kind of junior staff member!¡±
¡°Ah, and now we see the reason for the rot. The chairman has forgotten that over the years he''s sold seventy five percent of his shares. He still thinks he owns it, that he can tell it to gamble on high stakes ventures, or use the company''s money for his own enjoyment, but he doesn''t own it any more. Not the controlling stake; in fact as the representative of several investors, I''ve more votes than he does. So, can we hear the Institute''s offer, please?¡± this last he directed to Teresa.
¡°Of course!¡± She smiled and moved to the lectern ¡°I''d like to say that I''m here with several motives. One is that after this meeting I''m going on a date with the hard-working, handsome reporter who is turning red over there. I''m also here from curiosity; I''ve often wondered what sort of people are running this company. Now we all know. But as part of my job as legal advisor to the IHM, I was instructed to write up their non-negotiable conditions for a new the lease. We have no interest in punishing innocent shareholders for the actions of a few unscrupulous people, but of course there may be a police investigation, and what I say is conditional on the company not being found guilty of attacking the institute. There are other areas where negotiation is possible, of course. These are the non-negotiable parts:
Firstly, the tunnel must not be put at any more risk: the development limits on the previous lease stand.
Secondly, that a commercially realistic rent be paid for the site, negotiable every five years.
Thirdly that the lease term will not exceed fifty years.
Negotiable points are over damages, legal costs and repairs to the damaged tunnel, and the exact rental figure. Of course, the chairman here has stated that the location makes the site worth thirty percent more than neighbouring properties, so we''ll have to take that into appropriate consideration.¡± She smiled sweetly at that last bit and stepped away from the podium.
¡°Thank you! On behalf of the shareholders I represent, I''d like to thank you for being here. I''d also like to thank the institute for these terms. I see the institute has no desire to nullify our investment, only to protect its property, which is entirely reasonable. As for rent, we''ll obviously need to appoint a negotiator better than our current chairman. To my mind, the case should certainly not proceed. But can I ask, if it had come to court, what would the institute have done?¡±
¡°Well, having recently checked the case law on this area I''d say the company would have approximately zero chance of winning, unless I was totally incompetent, which my clients have never found me to be. So, once I''d torn the feeble arguments from the company apart, and won the case and relevant legal fees, then I would have recommended that another tenant, any other tenant, be granted the lease. If we allowed this company to regain possession of the site after it attempted to take it by force, that would surely be seen as a moral admission of fault on the part of the Institute. That is of course something which would be entirely inappropriate. Those letters have been going out for about a hundred and eighty years. Since the rent has been in bedding plants and the head gardener has sufficient each year, he''s never complained about non-payment of rent, but that will not be a situation that will continue.¡±
¡°Thank you. I think we can breathe a collective sigh of relief that you chose to attend. Mr chairman, I''d like to say that if you had simply asked the institute what its terms were and you''d presented us with them in your opening speech, your evening would have been very different.¡±
The chairman stood and stated ¡°We felt that seeking to negotiate would accept the legitimacy of the institute''s claim to ownership and so weaken our position. We had taken legal advice, and were acting on that information.¡± Then he accidentally performed a rare selfless act; by adding ¡°Of course, the company secretary ¡ª he''s never really been part of the team ¡ª thought he knew better, and voted for dialogue. He was outvoted by the rest of us.¡±
¡°I see. Well, thank you for that addition. Perhaps your incompetence only comes from bad choice of advisors. On such a risky course of action I''d always suggest three independent opinions myself. Now, I think it might be better if the board members were to leave for a while, maybe go to the caf¨¦ too, while we decide what our reaction will be.¡±
They trooped out, heads low.
¡°Personally, I am now convinced the current board are not competent to run this company, with the possible exception of the secretary. Do I have the meeting''s permission to call for a vote on the dismissal of the entire board, possibly including him? I suggest we also dismiss the legal advisor who came up with this idea which would have earned him lots of money and cost us the investment on the site, and file a complaint against him. Does anyone want to comment?¡±
Another man stood ¡°It''s never good to remove everyone from the management of a company. So I propose that in the light of the chairman''s statement that we don''t press the company secretary to resign, or perhaps I should say we don''t accept his resignation. But yes, lets get rid of the rest of them.¡±
There were various questions about whether resignation was to be preferred over dismissal. The more serious question was whether individual board members should be dismissed. The more forgiving questioned the morality of dismissing them without them actually being questioned individually about their involvement. On the side which wanted blood, the issue was raised of responsibility for their votes, and it seemed fairly clear that the other directors had not done much direction setting, so much as following the the lead of others. It was agreed that the secretary should stay, and the chairman and James should go, but, as for the rest, the debate seemed set to go on all night.
¡°Is there any time limit on this?¡± Tony asked.
¡°I don''t think so. Until everyone is bored, maybe?¡±
¡°So which way do you think they''ll vote?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I do know that if they vote to dismiss them rather than asking for resignations then there is every risk of an unfair dismissal hearing. I''ve got an idea though. Why don''t they ask the board members if they want to resign?¡± Teresa suggested.
¡°And so saving all the hassle of deciding their fate for them? Sounds wonderful. Ask them if they want to follow the chair''s lead in this matter, too?¡±
¡°But he hasn''t resigned yet.¡± Teresa objected.
¡°Well, his wife said he would.¡± Tony countered. ¡°Perhaps someone should give them some good legal advice.¡±
¡°You''re suggesting me?¡±
¡°We''d get to our date sooner.¡±
¡°Sly man. Do you want to stay here, or accompany me to yonder caf¨¦?¡±
¡°I think I''ve heard the different viewpoints three times so far, you don''t want to get yourself sent do you, make it official?¡±
¡°It might be a good idea.¡±
Tony managed to catch the spokesman''s eye and obviously put away his notepad, and signed a that they were going to the caf¨¦. Once the previous speaker finished calling for a stern response, the spokesman asked from the lectern ¡°Do I understand our unexpected bringer of glad news is leaving us?¡±
Teresa answered ¡°I was curious about the mood over in the caf¨¦, and it occurred to me that if the board members in question were, in fact, planning to follow their leader in departing the company, then we could perhaps all leave quite a bit sooner than midnight. As someone without a voice in the debate I wondered if I should be messenger, official spy, or just take my reporter with me and let him do some reporting.¡±
¡°Well, to make you an official spy would take an formal vote and we can''t do that in the middle of a pre-vote debate on another issue. But, if you did happen to find our debate were pointless then we''d be thankful, I think.¡±
¡°May I disclose the mood here? I would say that the chairman shouldn''t expect to go back tomorrow, the company secretary shouldn''t feel he needs to find a new job, and as for the rest, few people want them to stay, but the debate is over due processes and the desire to act decisively.¡±
¡°I don''t believe that there would be any problem with that. Any objections?¡±
There weren''t any. Teresa and Tony therefore, went to the cafe safe in the knowledge that they weren''t going to upset the shareholders if they reported on events. In fact, Tony decided that he''d send in an interim report. Teresa ordered for them both, while he checked through his notes and dragged them into order.
Drinking her tea, she looked at the clientele of the caf¨¦. Talking quietly at a table for two in the corner, the company secretary and his wife. The other board members were at a big table, not exactly boisterous but talking quite loudly. A number of bottles were on the table: no drinks softer than beer, and several considerably stronger. Their present complaint about the world was if only James had been there then He could have taken all the flack instead of them. There didn''t seem to be any of the hotel guests, just the staff. One of the board members recognised her. ¡°Hey look it''s the shareholders angel! Why didn''t you let us in on the secret, beautiful?¡± she couldn''t remember what he was director of, but now he seemed to be taking directions from the spirit bottle in front of him. Or rather, the previous contents which had already made it to his bloodstream.
¡°I was waiting to be asked. That''s the normal approach. If you''ve lost something and you want it back, you ask. Didn''t you ever kick a ball over the neighbour''s hedge?¡±
¡°I didn''t kick anything anywhere! You swiped the land and the building and now you''ve made sure we''ve got no jobs either, haven''t you?¡±
¡°No, but if you don''t sober up quickly you''re going to find it hard to ask the shareholders to let you keep it.¡±
¡°Ha! Shareholders! Think they own the whole company!¡± Offered one of the others, also with half a bottle in front of him. Teresa looked at the time on her wrist unit. They''d been here forty minutes. Were they play acting or really that drunk?
¡°So are you all planning to resign then? I mean, getting drunk half way through a shareholders meeting isn''t the best way to keep your job, but if you don''t want to stay I''ll go and tell them over there they can stop debating and we can all go home.¡±
The marketing director seemed to be alert ¡°They''re debating? They''re going to sack the lot of us aren''t they?¡±
¡°Not a foregone conclusion, no. The chairman, well as his wife said he''s out of the company one way or another, and of course the company secretary''s offered his resignation. There''s some over there that want to see your heads on spikes above the head office doorway, but others are talking about due process and innocence until proven incompetent. Oh, I''ve another message to deliver.¡±
She approached the corner table writing quickly on her wrist unit. Given the company, she felt that it would be better delivered in writing. ¡°Please reconsider resignation: shareholders don''t want you to go.¡± She showed it to the company secretary and his wife, who scribbled on her own: ¡°Others?¡±
Teresa answered aloud, but quietly, ¡°When I left it was, roughly speaking: 30% saying sack the lot, 30% saying get them all to resign, 30% say let them speak too, and when we know they''re useless, then we can sack them fairly. Then there are maybe 10% saying give them a probation period with a new chair.¡±
The director of marketing, a younger man than the others, obviously heard, and addressed the chairman: ¡°Mr chairman, I don''t think I am going to fall on my sword for you. Sorry. I''ve not been part of this all as long as you have, and I''m sure I''m letting you all down and so on. But since I wasn''t around when you bought the land, then if it''s not a foregone conclusion that they''re going to sack us all, then I''m willing to take the chance. And if they fire me, at least I''lll get redundancy pay.¡±
¡°But think of your honour!¡± demanded the (soon to be ex-) chairman.
¡°I have. That''s why I''m not drunk.¡±
The chair stood up and addressed Teresa. ¡°Young lady, you may tell the share-holders that, since the carefully considered decisions we made do not meet with their approval, we all resign. Except for the craven director of marketing here and Mr ''I can''t agree to that'' over there, who already has resigned, of course. Here is our our signed letter of resignation.¡± He handed her a crystal.
¡°I will inform them.¡± she said, formally.
Seeing the slight smirk on the chair''s face, she checked the letter in her wrist unit.
¡°Would you like to revoke your signature?¡± she asked the director for marketing. ¡°If I take it like this then you''re resigning whatever is said.¡±
He let out a stream of expletives towards the chairman ¡°That''s why you went all formal and gave it to her now, isn''t it? You really wanted everyone to go down with you? I don''t expect my wife will be very impressed with you for that.¡± Turning to Teresa he added ¡°Yes please, I would certainly like to revoke my signature. My father-in-law here likes to get his way, and it stirs up trouble at home if I don''t agree with him in board decisions, but I''m not going down with him for this if I don''t need to. We have still got a mortgage to pay, unlike some here who can talk about honour. I''d like you to pass on my apologies to the shareholders for not standing against him more.¡± He revoked his signature on the document. ¡°I''ll let them know about your difficult position. I don''t know if it''ll count in your favour or against, but I''ll let them know. I take it noone else is retracting their signature?¡±
They didn''t. ¡°Then, I''ll deliver this message. Coming, Tony?¡±
¡°Of course. You do like to provoke decisions, don''t you?¡±
¡°Who, me?¡± $he grinned. She knew some people preferred to look at things from every angle, three times over, but she wasn''t one of them. Tony was beginning to realise that too, she was glad to see. As they left, she said ¡°Speaking of decisions...¡±
¡°Yes, love?¡± he had no idea what she was thinking, but had a premonition that it involved him.
¡°I think I should introduce you to Arnold. What do you think?¡±
¡°Urm. How did he react when you told him about me?¡±
¡°Actually, quite well. I was half expecting him to ask why I was telling him, but instead he asked if you were a Christian, then said ''good decision'' when I said you were.¡±
¡°Where does he stand now?¡±
¡°They let him do a lot of running these days, so he tends not to stand around in his cell much.¡± She was proud that she managed that dead-pan.
¡°I meant... Teresa you''re starting to crack a smile!¡± Tony accused.
¡°Was I?¡± she let her laugh escape. They laughed together.
¡°Seriously, I don''t know.¡± she started again, ¡°Maybe near his bed...¡± more laughter. It was good to laugh together.
¡°I tried to talk about forgiveness to him, soon after he was court-martialled. He said two of his squad members talked to him about it a lot.¡±
¡°So they can visit him?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And he''s not going to be discharged afterwards?¡±
¡°No. He''s apparently going to be posted somewhere where he doesn''t know anyone though.¡±
¡°As long as he can run...¡±
¡°Yes. I hope he''ll be able to.¡±
¡°And as long as he starts to listen to what people tell him about faith.¡±
¡°I have a sense that he''s started to listen, but that... I don''t know, that he''s waiting for something.¡± Teresa said.
¡°I wonder what it is. Would he tell you if you asked?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. We''re not very close.¡±
¡°Worth a try. Shall we present that document?¡±
¡°Yes, and the apology from the marketing director. I wonder what the shareholders will think.¡±
¡°Only one way to find out.¡± Tony said, holding the door open.
The shareholders were of mixed opinions, of course. The explanation of not wanting to cause friction with his father-in-law was certainly easy to understand, but nevertheless it had helped to almost bring the company to ruin. The debate continued. In the end, someone suggested asking the company secretary for his insider knowledge. Had the marketing director shown any independence, or had he just followed the lead of the chairman blindly?
Teresa was asked to be messenger once more.
¡°Hi! The shareholders would like to ask you some more questions.¡± she said to the company secretary, then, seeing a look of concern on his wife''s face, she added
¡°It''s nothing to worry about.¡±
¡°What''s it about?¡± he asked, as they crossed the foyer of the hotel. ¡°Who, not what.¡± replied Teresa somewhat crypticaly, then added, just as they entered the conference room, ¡°They''d like an honest evaluation of past performance.¡±
The shareholders spokesman welcomed him back, and asked him to come to the microphone. ¡°We hope you can help us in our decision making. Firstly, what is your impression of the marketing director as a director? That''s to say, we''d like to hear from you what his participation was like in board meetings. Secondly, have you seen any signs that he''s good at other aspects of his role, and thirdly, do you feel it would be difficult for you to work alongside him after this meeting?¡±
¡°Urm, wow. You''re basically asking me if he should be sacked or not, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Well, sort of, but while your answers will affect our decision it is this meeting''s decision, not yours.¡±
¡°Well, urm. Typically I''d say he made his points fairly coherently, but he never actually voted against his father-in-law. I could work with him, as long as his father-in-law is out of the loop. ¡±
¡°And did he contribute to today''s board meeting?¡±
¡°He said that it would be good to get an opinion from someone who wouldn''t be getting a lot of highly paid work as a consequence. The chairman said that there wasn''t time to do that before this meeting, and we needed to be decisive.¡±
¡°And he backed down?¡±
¡°He said something like ''I won''t vote against you but I think it''s a mistake.'' I agreed with him, and voted against. As usual, the chairman made a comment about not getting a Christmas bonus that way.¡±
¡°You were often threatened?¡±
¡°Not beyond that. Of course I''ve never had a Christmas bonus either.¡±
¡°I see. They shouldn''t have done that, even. I think you will be contacted in the near future by the financial authorities, just to get your statement down clearly. Reporters, no details on this. Shareholders! I think we''ve heard enough. Let''s have our formal vote!¡±
Tony wasn''t used to financial reporting, and felt lost. He asked Teresa ¡°I''m missing something, can you help?¡±
¡°I''d guess that it counts as bribery or attempted bribery, maybe abuse of office too.¡±
¡°What about bullying his son in law?¡±
¡°Not so clear cut, but along the same lines. There should probably be a prosecution, if there''s any evidence.
¡°Security camera logs?¡±
¡°Probably. That''s why I expect the authorities will act quickly, they might not not keep the security camera logs around for long.¡±
The vote was taken, and then some more. All resignations were accepted except the company secretary''s, the marketing manager was formally reprimanded for not voting in accordance with his belief of what was best for the company. He would keep his job. James was formally fired, the contract with the legal advisor cancelled, and a formal complaint against him would be made. The relevant authorities would be informed that the shareholders did not consider the ex-board members had performed their duties well. That would trigger an investigation, with the possibility that they would be declared unfit for such a position. In that case, it wouldn''t prevent them from finding a job, but it was unlikely any of them would hold directorships again. Teresa was given a vote of thanks.
¡°Teresa, did you have any idea you''d be saving the shareholders'' investment?¡± Tony asked, over their meal later that evening.
¡°Well, I was hoping I''d be able to make the board squirm. So, I guess so... Yes Tony I knew it. I could have done that different ways, but I chose to help the board dig a deeper hole for themselves. I can''t stand incompetence, I guess.¡±
¡°That''s a pretty good quality in a lawyer, I think.¡±
¡°I''ve always thought so.¡±
¡°For what its worth, I think the way you handled it was very well done.¡±
¡°Thank-you.¡±
¡°And if you don''t mind, I''d like to go for a walk this evening.¡±
¡°Of course! But not too long, I''ve got to be alert tomorrow.¡±
Friday morning, 27th October
¡°So, there you have it Kate. Most of them gone, cases almost certainly being build against them as we speak, and the new management would really like to sign a deal which doesn''t leave them minus one building.¡±
¡°I think we can do that. Sarah, did you do that maths I asked you to?¡±
¡°Yes. I think it should work.¡±
¡°What''s this?¡±
¡°I''ve had a query from one of the fashion businesses, who just happens to be a neighbour to a certain famous building site.¡±
¡°Oh yes?¡±
¡°Do you think they''d like some extra land, say, to put a summer terrace on, and tanks under?¡±
¡°Probably. You mean the fashion chain would like a smaller plot?¡±
¡°They don''t mind the space, but once they heard talk about commercial rates, they decided that really they could alter the layout of the shop, move some warehouse and office space out of town and reduce their land rent significantly, if we could happen to find a tenant who''d like some space without a street front.¡±
¡°What was Sarah calculating?¡±
¡°If there was sensible space for rain tanks there.¡±
¡°I don''t really understand. The tanks are so important?¡±
¡°They''re why James was drilling. The restaurant will barely harvest enough rain-water to stay open.¡±
¡°How did you learn that? He told you?¡±
¡°Urm, no. I was told it as the reason that he''s not being charged with attacking the institute. He''s going to be charged with attempting to steal a precious resource from the crown instead ¡ª that borehole. Don''t pass it on, though of course it''s pretty obvious. He was after water.¡±
¡°Wow. Does he know what big trouble he''s in?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. He''s going to find out though, eventually.¡±
¡°What is the maximum penalty for water theft?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Well, if he''d done it, and say, it had been found out years later, quite possibly a one way trip to mars.¡±
¡°And attempted theft?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Probably depends on the seriousness of what was planned. You can''t have people just helping themselves, or the whole river system fails. I seem to remember that it''s around one year imprisonment for the equivalent of an individual''s home use. If he was planning to supply the restaurant, well, I don''t know how that compares.¡±
¡°It''s not that expensive, surely?¡± Sarah asked ¡°surely they can''t have such small margins that they can''t pay for a bit more water?¡±
¡°It''s the planning rules for new commercial development. All water used for flushing must be harvested rainwater, unless there''s been no rain for a month. It limits restaurants more than most other places of course, but the rule''s been there for years now.¡± Kate said.
¡°Oh! I see. I hope his wife is a patient woman.¡±
Disclosure / Ch. 12: Decisions
Book 3: Disclosure / Ch. 12:Decisions
Friday evening, 17th November
Tony had tried his cooking skills out on Teresa, but for once he hadn''t made too much of a mess in his kitchen. It would keep, and he had plans. He asked ¡°Teresa, are you up for another of our moon-lit walks?¡±
¡°Isn''t it getting late? Normally we leave earlier than this.¡±
¡°Are you tired? You don''t seem it.¡±
¡°I''m not. You don''t have any wedding shots or other work? I thought you did.¡±
¡°No, I''m free tomorrow. How''s your schedule?¡±
¡°Well, I was thinking I''d do some research, I thought you''d be busy, but its nothing urgent. I can stay up. What''s the big occasion? And how long are you talking about?¡±
¡°Oh, I''d hope to get you home by not long past midnight, but you''''ll need to change before we go, I think. I''ve borrowed a pair of night vision glasses. It''s a full moon too, and I''d like to try some owl watching, if you''d consider it. Are you interested?¡±
¡°Oooh, you want to lure me into a dark, isolated place with the promise of getting cold, damp and muddy? What a dangerously tempting suggestion! It''s a good thing I''ve got good reason to trust you. What makes you think I''d refuse that?¡±
¡°I thought it might have appeal.¡±
¡°So why are we wasting time here?¡±
¡°Because we were both hungry, remember, and you accepted extra desert?¡±
¡°Yes, that''s true. I mean, thanks for cooking, and the cake was wonderful, but we''ve been chatting over desert for ages. Can we go?¡±
¡°Of course, Teresa!¡±
Since it was late, Teresa took a transport home to change, then Tony followed in another one, once he''d got himself ready and packed up his camera and the night vision goggles. He went via a florist; he didn''t often visit her house except when he was walking her home, and he felt it was important that he bring some flowers. Tony knocked at Teresa''s door, and presented them to her. ¡°It didn''t feel right to turn up on your doorstep without these.¡±
¡°Well, let''s help the neighbours'' tongues wag some more then shall we?¡± and she accepted them with a rare kiss.
She wasn''t in her high visibility outfit, Tony was pleased to see; instead she had a dark blue jeans and a black pullover. Just like he was wearing.
¡°So, where are you taking me at this hour of the night?¡±
¡°Well, you know where we had that picnic last time?¡±
¡°That''s too far away Tony! It''s an hour even by transport.¡±
¡°That''s what I thought, so we''re not going there. Let''s see if you recognise where the transport takes us, OK?¡±
¡°You''re left it waiting?¡±
¡°Yes, I thought about walking, for, oh, about five seconds before dismissing the idea.¡±
¡°I''ll just quickly put these in a vase, then.¡±
¡°Have you got a thicker jacket too? Its too warm for snow but it might rain. Unless you want to risk being romantic?¡±
¡°What, you''d lend me your jacket and freeze instead? I''m not going to wear a ball-gown, but I''m happy to be romantic if you lke.¡±
¡°Then, oh most beautiful of women, shall we depart to the gloomy forest''s edge where the owls fly on silent wings and the mice shiver in the damp frozen earth at thought of their approach? There the rain may dampen my clothes but nothing shall dampen my love for you!¡±
¡°Ooh, you are feeling romantic, aren''t you? Be careful, it might be catching.¡± She smiled at him, and then gave him another quick kiss. ¡°I think I almost want it to rain, to see if you''re true to your word. Oh, I''ve got some tea in my bag, here, to warm us up if it gets cold. Lets go.¡± She didn''t tell him that she also had a lightweight raincoat in the bag. It would spoil things for him, she felt. She loved him too much for that, she realised. She noticed him smile to himself at a thought as they were leaving.
¡°What are you thinking?¡±
¡°That I love you very much.¡±
¡°That''s good, but nothing has changed there recently, I think. So, what brought on the smile?¡±
¡°Just thinking how the meal table, set for two, and candle-lit, supposedly one of the key places for romance, was abandoned so quickly so we can go and play in the mud like a couple of kids. You''re a very unusual woman, I think. Entirely wonderful.¡±
¡°It''s nice to be appreciated. I love you, too, Tony.¡±
She didn''t say that very often, and that, plus the kisses made Tony all the more certain about his plans for the evening.
They got into the transport. ¡°Continue to planned destination¡± was all he said. No clue there them. She wondred where this romantic evening was going to be, and looked at him, this man who''d unexpectedly entered her life. He was a Christian, handsome, available, clearly in love with her, plus he wasn''t put off by her brain or her past. Marriage? She''d certainly miss him if they broke up. She couldn''t imagine any reason they should. He was a good man, and she realised that she wanted him to be her good man; exclusively. So, the only question was whether she should ask him, or wait and see if he would ask her. Winter weddings could be beautiful if there was snow. Spring was warmer of course. Would Arnold be able to come? ¡°Penny for your thoughts?¡± he asked, triggering another memory.
¡°I seem to remember the response last time was ''they''re worth more than that.''¡±
¡°That''s true. So, how much are they worth?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. How about I keep you waiting until we''ve seen enough owls.¡±
¡°Or got bored waiting. No guarantees we''ll see any.¡±
¡°Of course. Anything I should know about what''s in your bag?¡± his hand was checking his pocket she realised, yet again. ¡°Or in your pocket?¡±
¡°My pocket?¡±
¡°You''ve been patting it occasionally all evening.¡±
¡°Have I? I didn''t notice.¡±
¡°So, are you going to tell me what''s in there?¡±
¡°How about, after the owls, and the romantic current buns?¡±
¡°You know I like current buns, but we only just ate, Tony! What makes them romantic?¡±
¡°Eating them in the middle of nowhere, sitting in the cold damp night, waiting for owls, together.¡±
¡°Oh. That sounds nice.¡± She moved closer to him, and at the implicit invitation he put his arm round her shoulders. It was a pleasant feeling. She wondered about that thing in his pocket. Might he be planning to propose, or was it some other gift? For all she knew it could be his plane reservation. That wasn''t a nice thought. Maybe she could go with him. She''d asked Karen about that, and she''d said it wouldn''t be unusual in that culture, once they were engaged. She didn''t want to lose him for the ''up to a month'' that he''d been told it would be. ¡°You look sad, love. What is it?¡±
¡°I''m being selfish, I guess. Not looking forward to you leaving me to go to scary places.¡±
¡°It''s a great career opportunity, but no, I''m not looking forwards to separation either.¡±
¡°Do you have any idea when it will be?¡±
¡°No, ''not yet''; that''s all I know. They said something about getting more used to things at the office here.¡±
¡°That''s a relief.¡±
¡°Why a relief?¡±
¡°One possibility for what might be in your pocket. It''s obviously significant in your thinking, and you are always looking at me when you check on it.¡±
¡°You''re burning with curiosity aren''t you?¡±
¡°Well, I''m wondering what it is, and I''m also wondering how you''re going to keep it safe in the mud you''ve promised me.¡±
¡°Perhaps I should put it in a safer place, you''re right. I won''t keep you wondering very much longer.¡±
¡°Good. And I won''t keep you waiting much longer beyond that with what I was thinking.¡±
¡°Have you worked out where we''re going?¡±
¡°We''re near the institute. There are owls in park behind it?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
The transport stopped. ¡°This way, love. I know just where I want to take you.¡±
¡°Let me guess... Romantic current buns happen at a certain tree?¡±
¡°That''s right. I went there to pray a few days ago and saw two owls roosting there.¡±
¡°We''d better watch where we point your camera then. You went there to pray? Why there?¡±
¡°It seemed like a good place. That day changed my life. Thank you. ¡±
¡°You were following wrong advice, but God meant it for good, I think.¡±
¡°I''ve got a better advisor now. Much much nicer to kiss.¡± which he did, to emphasise his point. ¡°Silly man. I love you too.¡±
¡°I''m very glad of that Teresa. Very very glad.¡± Something, dark grey against black trees, passed in front of them. ¡°Did you see that? An owl!¡± he said excitedly.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
¡°I saw something. It could have been a duck for all I know.¡±
¡°Owls are one of the reasons we''re here, and it was too quiet for a duck.¡±
¡°OK, so it wasn''t a duck. And given my limited ornithological knowledge it was too big to be a robin or a sparrow and too small to be an albatross, but just because we''re looking for leprechauns that doesn''t mean a rustle in the bushes over there was one. That''s not good logic. But, onto more important questions: what are the other reasons we are here?¡±
¡°Spending time together, escaping from the sterility of the city, a romantic walk in the rain, Tea and romantic bread-products, and the thing in my pocket.¡±
¡°Oooh, are you going to tell me what it is now?¡±
¡°I don''t think so. Lets see what we can see with the goggles on.¡±
He reached into the bag he''d been carrying, and got the goggles out. Each one had a pair of ultra sensitive cameras and a display. With the big lenses and tricky to adjust straps they weren''t going to be a fashion accessory, but they were good. Even with only the diffuse glow from the moon behind the clouds, they could see fairly clearly, and in colour. It wasn''t quite like daylight, but it was far better than her natural night vision. Teresa said ¡°Colour by cloudy moonlight! I''m impressed.¡±
Tony said ¡°If it gets too dark, we can switch detectors. The other one isn''t colour, but I''m told it never gets too dark for it above ground.¡±
¡°But underground it''s no good?¡±
¡°Not unless someone''s got glow-in-the-dark clothes on. I guess they''d let you see using the light from them.¡±
¡°I presume battery life isn''t great though, I can feel the warmth from it.¡±
¡°I asked about that. There''s an active cooler in it to help the sensor be more sensitive.¡±
¡°So, where do we wait to watch for passing owls?¡±
¡°Just along here. There''s a handy log, see.¡±
¡°This is your tree?¡±
¡°Hardly mine, but, yes you could say this is where it all started, where I made a fool of myself.¡±
¡°I must say I like what this tree started, Tony. And you''ve been praying about something? Am I allowed to know what about?¡±
¡°Urm, yes, but it''s a little complicated.¡±
¡°Life often is, Tony. Do I need to worry?¡±
¡°I don''t think I''d chose that word. It''s just... I want to make the right decision in something. I don''t want to decide based on what I want, but on what is best. So I''ve been praying.¡±
¡°Sounds like it must be a big decision.¡±
¡°It is. Teresa, it is.¡±
¡°Did God answer?¡±
¡°Sort of. Yes. I''ll tell you soon. Look there!¡±
¡°Ooh. Owl!¡±
They watched it swoop down and thump into the leaves.
¡°Did it get anything?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°I''m not sure. Look, there it goes!¡± There was something dangling from its talons.
¡°Bad time to be a mouse. You might get eaten; what''s eating you?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°Nothing bad. We have our log. Have a bun?¡±
¡°You and your stomach!¡± she said, but took one anyway. ¡°These are good.¡±
¡°I hoped they would be.¡±
After they''d eaten, she said ¡°No more excuses, or I''ll sue you for breach of promise!¡±
¡°OK, Teresa... I''ve been worrying it might be too soon to ask you something, and praying that I''m not being impatient, or not considerate enough. That''s all.¡±
¡°And did God answer your prayers?¡±
¡°I''d really love to look into your eyes, while I tell you, but that''s hard with these goggles on.¡±
¡°Then lets take them off and turn on the lamp I''ve got in my backpack.¡±
¡°Teresa, you''re a genius.¡± Tony exclaimed before giving her a kiss and releasing her.
As she reached around in her pack to get it, she replied ¡°Technically incorrect, by a couple of IQ points, but thank you anyway. You don''t do so badly yourself, when you''re not worrying yourself sick. Got it, now do I hold it in my teeth while I try and undo my head straps, or can you do that for me? I''m presuming that we need to turn off the goggles before I turn this on.¡±
¡°I''m more than happy to do your straps, love.¡±
¡°And steal a few sneaky kisses while you''re at it, I know you.¡±
¡°Of course!¡± he said, kissing her ear. Once he''d undone the straps on her goggles, he undid his own, and said ¡°Lights on please, Teresa my love?¡±
She wasn''t entirely surprised to see him on one knee in front of her. ¡°Teresa, I''ve prayed that I''d know I wasn''t rushing into making a decision too soon for either of us, but the passage I read this morning seemed to say that I should not wait. And I don''t want to. Teresa, will you marry me?¡±
¡°I will, Tony, with joy and without doubts.¡±
¡°Then I give you this ring as a token of my love. And I really hope it fits, because if it doesn''t then I''m going to be afraid of it falling out of my pocket.¡±
¡°It''s beautiful, Tony. Thank you. It does fit, perfectly. And thank you for asking. I had almost decided to ask you.¡±
¡°Would that have meant you''d have bought me a ring?¡±
¡°No. But, we probably would have gone looking together, and I''d have tried to convince you you didn''t need to spend a whole month''s pay on a ring. But this one looks like more than that.¡±
¡°I cheated, Teresa. Sarah got me a discount.¡±
¡°It''s one of her I.D. and panic button rings?¡±
¡°Yes. She told me that unless I had a heirloom to give you, I wouldn''t find a rational argument to give you anything else.¡±
¡°That''s quite an impressive sales pitch.¡±
¡°I urm, suspect that she''s cheated somehow.¡±
¡°Cheated?¡±
¡°There''s no way I should be able to afford that stone.¡±
¡°Well, at least coming from Sarah we know it''s genuine. Have you seen her react to the mention of the Z word?¡±
¡°Not in person. I gather she considers their very existence a personal insult.¡±
¡°Something along those lines, yes. She far prefers what she calls ''good honest plastic'' for some reason. You know she hardly wears gems herself, but she won''t go near Zirconia. ¡±
¡°I was warned. Do you like it? I had the most horrible choice deciding which one.¡±
¡°So how did it work? I''m curious. She didn''t actually sell it to you herself did she?¡±
¡°No, she made an appointment for me with her jeweller friend, and said that she''d told the computer to estimate your ring size from pictures.¡±
¡°Then you said what you could afford and the jeweller winced?¡±
¡°Not at all actually, she brought out a selection and told me how much I''d be charged for each, after putting me under oath not to say what I was offered them at.¡±
¡°So, you got it at trade price?¡±
¡°I wouldn''t actually be surprised if I got it at replacement raw material price, or something silly like that. Like Sarah said, it was a far better ring for the price than I could have got anywhere else. Sarah said it was her way of giving us a cheap engagement present.¡±
¡°But they could have sold it to someone else,¡± Teresa said ¡°and made the normal profit, so it''s cost her that profit, not just the materials. Basic economics!¡±
¡°Maybe it''s a form of discrete advertising? You have rich, powerful clients, they see you using it as your I.D. and ask where the ring came from. She sells more rings.¡±
¡°I suppose so. I want to talk to her about it though.¡±
¡°Of course. But don''t ask what I paid, OK? I love you very much, Teresa.¡±
¡°It''s a beautiful ring, Tony, and I love you very much too.¡± An owl hooted. ¡°Shall we look for more owls or shall we stay here confessing our love for each other until dawn?¡±
¡°Well, we need to set a date sometime, but it doesn''t need to be tonight.¡±
¡°Of course not, Tony. We''d never persuade anyone trustworthy to marry us that quickly.¡±
¡°Teresa, I didn''t mean... You know that don''t you?¡±
¡°Do you want a long engagement, Tony?¡±
¡°No. Not particularly. But it takes a while to organise everything, doesn''t it? Invitations, that sort of thing, a wedding dress?¡±
¡°I''ll ask, but I don''t know if Arnold can come. That''s it as far as my relatives are concerned, other than my Mum. My male ancestor probably exists somewhere, but I don''t know if I ever met him. As for a dress, do you really think, Tony, that white is the right colour for me?¡± she turned away from him, and looked at the ground. Tony heard her pain at her past, once more, and held her. ¡°Teresa, Your past is forgiven and washed clean. Of course white is the right colour. Though perhaps you''d feel more comfortable in denim with a helmet and light, rather than lace and a veil...¡± he suggested, to lighten her mood. It worked.
¡°White denim wedding dress, knee and elbow protectors, and steel toecaped boots. I like it!¡± she laughed at the image. ¡°Totally impractical of course. You can''t wear a full skirted dress in a cave.¡±
¡°I''m not sure that practical has ever been a factor in wedding dress design.¡±
¡°True. So, first, we get you to meet Arnold, then find out if he can get day release or something and if so when, and if its not soon enough then we get married without my little brother.¡±
¡°What''s soon enough?¡±
¡°I''ve decided that it wouldn''t be safe for you to be talking to exotic foreign women with strange customs. So, I want to come too. Karen says it''d be very acceptable for you to talk to women with your wife with you, and safer.¡± She didn''t feel like saying the ''or betrothed'' bit, that was too complicated.
¡°Oh? And when was this conversation?¡±
¡°Soon after I heard her telling you what would happen if you were caught in the same room as an unmarried girl.¡±
¡°Oh. But she told me how to avoid that.¡±
¡°Yes. Then I asked how her father had avoided that sort of trouble. His wife was there too. Problem totally avoided.¡±
¡°Oh. I''d love you to come, but it''s not going to be a cheap trip, or much of a holiday.¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know. I think it could be enjoyable. It would certainly beat worrying about you and missing you while you were gone.¡±
¡°That, Teresa doesn''t sound so much a reason for us to marry, as for me not to go.¡±
¡°No, Tony. You should go, just I''m going to come too. Actually, I''m coming with or without the marriage; Karen said that I''d be just as good a chaperone for you as your betrothed.¡±
¡°I see. And how good are you at demanding appropriately separate accommodation in the local language?¡±
¡°Not very. Which is one more reason why I prefer the married option.¡± Teresa concluded.
¡°Well, we don''t know when they''re going to send me, but lets make some plans of our own. Marriage preparation classes, for instance.¡±
¡°Invitation list. Do we do the whole ''spend a fortune on an expensive banquet'' thing, or do we just have a few guests at the reception?¡±
¡°Or there''s always the cheapskate version where we ask people to bring some food to share. But as you say, you''ve only got Arnold and your mum as family, but I''m sure you''ve got friends. I''ve got more family ¡ª you''ve met most of them but I''ve also got three unmarried cousins. As for friends... I could invite the whole church, but I''d struggle to chose who to include and who not.¡±
¡°So, the guest list is currently seven or say a hundred to a hundred and fifty, depending how many I invite?¡±
¡°Um, that''s not so good is it?¡±
¡°Not really. Tony, I''m paid well, but I''m trying to pay off the mortgage on my house quickly, which is eating quite a chunk of my income. I do not want us to end up using up all our joint savings on the wedding. That''s silly; there are better things to do with the money, like not splitting up when you go to dangerous places. But, if we went through the church list, you''d really have a good reason for everyone?¡±
¡°Well, maybe not everyone, but almost. I''ve been there a long time. I''m not particularly close to anyone, but that just makes it harder, doesn''t it? No one special so that means everyone or suddenly someone is special.¡±
¡°I see what you mean. What about our mid-week group?¡±
¡°That might work, except they got shuffled just before I met you.¡±
¡°So, the current one, and the previous one, and any committees you''ve been on in the last year?¡± her frustration was growing. ¡°Urm, drop the committees. It might work, and we''ll work out something. But Teresa, why don''t we look for some owls? It''s getting late.¡±
¡°I don''t know if I want to look at owls Tony. It''s going to bug me.¡±
¡°A decision needs to be made?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°My suggestion then: a small meal: my big Family, your small family, your selected friends to make the numbers roughly match. Then we pick my brother''s restaurant or he''ll never talk to us again.¡±
¡°Not sure. You should have some friends there, not just relatives. But Tony, you know that even if Arnold is allowed to attend the ceremony itself, he''ll not be able to come to the reception, I''m sure. Urm, is that sound rain? Or is it just wind?¡±
¡°Lets hope it''s wind.¡±
¡°I''m doubtful. Could you really not come up with a list of fifteen or twenty? That''d be a nice group.¡±
¡°Teresa, love, why don''t we invite everyone and challenge my brother to come up with a starter or main course, for a limited budget. Use the church hall rather than hiring anywhere more fancy, and everyone who comes is asked to bring a salad or dessert to share.¡±
¡°You mean, rather than fancy food for a small group we do mass catering for five times that number? OK, but I''m not telling people to bring food, Tony. We''re hardly pennyless students. But your brother wouldn''t mind?¡±
¡°I don''t see why not. He likes a challenge. I''m sure he knows enough tricks to make it look impressive. Agreed?¡±
¡°Well, OK, subject to prices. But if he can''t do it, then you''ll cut your list down to no more than half the church. OK?¡±
¡°OK. Its a deal. Now can we try out these night scopes properly?¡±
¡°Of course, Tony. That''s what we''re here for. But first...¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You get kissed.¡±
¡°Oh! I think I can live with that!¡±
¡°Good.¡±
Two owls watched these strange humans from their vantage point in the trees. There didn''t seem to be food around, but the humans seemed harmless, and it was safe enough to watch. After a while, they got bored; after all, humans weren''t that interesting. They looked around and she heard the tasty sound of a mouse moving. It was time to hunt.
¡°They''ve flown away. Did we frighten them?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°Probably not. Maybe they heard the rain coming.¡± Tony suggested.
¡°What rain?¡±
¡°I don''t know, but they''ve got fantastic hearing. Do you want to stay and find out if the forecast is right?¡±
¡°I didn''t check. What did it say?¡±
¡°Chance of rain after midnight.¡±
Teresa checked her wrist unit. ¡°Well, it is after midnight. I thought you promised me I''d be home by now?¡± she said with mock surprise.
¡°I told you it was getting late my love, but you wanted to stay.¡±
¡°I know. It''s lovely out here. But shall we go?¡±
¡°I think we should, It''ll be easier going if we can keep the goggles on. I forgot to ask how rain-proof they are.¡±
¡°Let''s go then. Thank you, Tony. It''s been a lovely evening. And thank you for this ring.¡±
¡°Thank you for letting me give it to you! It''s much better on your finger than in my pocket.¡±
¡°Now all we need to do is decide on a date.¡±
Disclosure / Ch. 13: Forebodings
Book 3: Disclosure / Ch. 13:Forebodings
Saturday morning, 18th November
Sarah was cleaning the bathroom when her wrist unit rang. John was doing his bit in the kitchen. ¡°Hi Sarah, I hear that you''re in need of some economics education.¡±
¡°Oh, who said that, Teresa?¡±
¡°Tony said you''d arranged for him to buy me a ring at discount price. It''s very pretty, thank you, but you must realise it''s costing you the difference? You could have sold it at the full price.¡±
¡°He proposed, you''ve accepted? Congratulations! But, no Teresa, I couldn''t have sold it to Tony at full price. He''d have never afforded it.¡±
¡°So, you admit it! You''ve subsided him by I don''t want to know how much, and the difference is coming out of your pocket. That''s not a cheap engagement present!¡±
¡°Not at all! The cost of that ring to me was the time it''ll take to bend some gold wire into shape, do a bit of soldering and set a stone. No more. I couldn''t have sold that ring at full price, or at least, if I''d sold that one then I wouldn''t have sold another. We''ve been very careful about advertising so far, and we want to stay that way, otherwise we''re destroying our market. So, urm, lets say customers are a little thin on the ground.¡±
¡°Oh. So Tony was right? I''m being cynically used as a walking advert? How do you know I won''t use my current I.D. ¡±
¡°Well, I don''t imagine you''ll risk using the ring as your I.D. in every transaction you ever make, but I''d appreciate if you used it where it might be seen as useful.¡±
¡°Of course I will Sarah. It''ll give me an extra chance to show off my beautiful ring and so talk about my handsome fianc¨¦.¡±
¡°So, have you set a date yet?¡±
¡°Not yet. I need to find out if Arnold can come. I''d like him to be there, but I''m thinking that maybe it''ll be nice weather on Valentine''s day.¡±
Teresa saw Sarah''s face turn white on the display, and herd her whisper. ¡°Not that day Teresa, not that day for your happy day, don''t wait ''till then. ¡°''
¡°Pardon? What''s wrong Sarah?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I''m sorry. John!¡±
¡°Are you OK?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°I''m fine, I''m sorry, Teresa, I don''t exactly know what just happened. But... I''m a bit scared.¡±
¡°Scared?¡±
¡°I think something bad might happen that day, Teresa. I''ll talk it over with John and get back to you. OK?¡±
¡°OK. Um, you think it''s a bad day for my wedding?¡±
¡°I''m not sure what I think, Teresa, but when you said Valentine''s day I had a terrible feeling of dread. As though just for a moment I knew it would be a bad day for... lots of people. I need to talk to John. Get him to look in my skull, OK?¡±
¡°Um, of course. Can I tell Tony?¡± Teresa asked, knowing she needed to talk to someone.
¡°Yes. And do pray please. Lots of prayer.¡±
¡°Teresa,¡± it was John''s voice. ¡°I don''t remember if we''ve told you, but sometimes Sarah has what I think of as prophetic insights. Occasionally predictions and more often rebukes. They''re often things that could be explained away but since we presume they''re from God we don''t want to. We''ll talk this through and get back to you, maybe we can learn more details. But... Sarah''s never had one of these turn out to be wrong.¡±
¡°Thanks John.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, Teresa.¡± Sarah said, ¡°This isn''t about your joyful news, not really. It''s just....¡±
¡°Don''t wait that long. I heard. That''s the bit I''m going to talk to Tony about most of all.¡±
¡°God bless, and we''ll be in touch soon...¡±
John and Sarah held hands, prayed and linked their minds.
[Can you show me what happened Sarahwifelove?] she felt his love surrounding her, and the concern for her in his thoughts.
[Yes of course Johnprotectorlove. I''m O.K. John, it was just... a shock.]
They explored her memory. There wasn''t very much she didn''t know, but Sarah hadn''t wanted to share some of it with Teresa. The words Sarah had said had come with an image of devastation in a city. Crumbled buildings and smoking debris. Other images came after, of the attack on the shopping centre which had so changed their lives. [These are from me, my memories, my imagination, aren''t they?]
[Yes Sarahlove. The initial one isn''t though. Something bad is going to happen. If that image is true, then.... I don''t know. It didn''t look like the result of a single bomb.] [Not unless it was nuclear.]
[I didn''t see an anything looking like ground zero.] John added.
[A long way off? Away from the city?]
[Maybe. Or an earthquake?]
[It seems a bit more likely, but... It''s crazy. What sort of earthquake would do that much damage? I couldn''t recognise anything about where it was, could you, Johnlove?]
[No, me neither. We don''t know where.]
[But, this isn''t random fore-knowledge, it was given for a purpose, surely?]
[We have the Gift. If there are survivors, we can find them.] John said.
[Yes. But we would anyway, surely?] Sarah asked [How does the foreknowledge help that?]
[If we still know no more, I suppose we can spread out, so we have a better chance that one of us is close.] John suggested.
[Yes. Maybe. And we can warn the authorities.]
[Which ones?] he countered. [Everywhere?]
[Maybe. If they''d take such a general warning seriously. I must admit if it wasn''t from you, I probably wouldn''t in their place.]
[Let''s call the others over. It''s bigger than just us. We don''t want to spark international panic, just on the basis of one strange thought I''ve had, do we?] Sarah asked.
[I agree, we''ll call the others. Teresa too?]
[Yes. Let''s get her to come. Tony too. We promised them more details, after all.]
[OK. Would you like to, or me?]
[I''ll do it. My vision, or premonition.]
[I''ll make some tea then. You''ll need it.]
[Once the adrenaline wears off, you mean? Yes, I probably will.]
As they unlinked their minds a thought came to her. ¡°And then I want to revisit the question of babies, John.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Call it a survival instinct. If there''s a risk of losing you, then I want your baby.¡±
[And if I lose you, and our child, my love? {pain} Like I lost Sally?]
[Oh, John, I''m sorry! I was selfish. I didn''t think.] Concern for her husband made her scan him quickly. The thought had gone through him like a knife, almost ripping open the old scars in his mind and tipping him to insanity. [No John, it won''t happen. Let''s make our babies after then, not before. You mind almost broke there, John. I don''t want do that to you, ever. I''m sorry. Seek peace, my love. Seek peace and heal. I''ll make you some tea.]
John knew her words were true. He''d felt that flood of pain which had threatened his sanity, and as he sought peace he offered God his pain and his tears, his thankfulness for Sarah, and for the love they shared.
¡°Hi, Teresa. We''d like to invite you both over to talk through what I saw and what to do about it. Hopefully the others will be able to come too.¡±
¡°The others? You mean Kate and Karen? I presume George can''t travel.¡±
¡°Pete and Arwood too, maybe Bob if he''s free. George and maybe Eliza too, if we can arrange it.¡±
¡°Wow, that''s some crowd. All at your flat?¡±
¡°It won''t work will it? Especially not with the security concerns.¡±
¡°Safest place I know of is the institute.¡±
¡°I''d hoped it could be somewhere else, but it has to be, doesn''t it, for everyone to be able to come?¡±
¡°Can the others all make it anyway?¡±
¡°No idea, I''m calling you first. Is Tony with you by the way?¡±
¡°Yes. And apart from quite a lot of wedding planning, I don''t think we''ve anything else on today, so yes, we''ll come.¡±
¡°What, you''re not planning to do any hugging and kissing?¡±
Teresa laughed ¡°that comes under wedding planning!¡±
¡°Good.¡±
¡°So, when do we come?¡±
¡°I''d love to say as soon as possible, but. I''ll just talk to the others. Call you back soon.¡±
[Friends! Can we all meet, sometime today?] Sarah called mentally.
[What, face to face?] Eliza asked [I''m stuck in a safe-house.]
[Whatever''s wrong, Sarah?] Kate asked.
[I had... I don''t know what to call it... a vision, a prophetic image, when talking to Teresa this morning. Scary and big.]
[We''re free.] Kate said, silently scrapping their plans for looking at new carpets for their living room.
[I''m happy to postpone my essay.] Karen chipped in. [It''s not urgent.]
[If it''s here, then I can provide some jam and stuff if someone can bring extra bread.] George offered.
[I think I''ll be fasting.] Sarah said [But yes, George, that''d be good.]
[Would you like to come, Eliza?] Kate asked.
[Of course!] she answered.
[Then I''ll be ringing soon to ask if we can schedule a counselling session for today, as something''s come up, and I don''t know if I''ll be able to do our normal time. That last bit''s not a lie, as I never know for certain if I can make our normal time.]
[I expect we might all need counselling as part of this, Eliza, so it''s not even dishonest.] Sarah added grimly.
[That''s why you want it face to face?] Kate asked.
[Yes.]
[Shall we say one hour at the institute, then?]
[Yes. It''s a bit sterile, but it''ll have to do.] Sarah agreed. [Oh, I''ll be asking Arwood to come too.]
[How about George''s flat?] Karen asked [It''ll be a bit over crowded, but it''s more of a home than a meeting room.]
[Could we use the owners'' lounge, Kate?] Sarah asked. [It''s a good place for a serious discussion, but comfortable, and big enough that we don''t need to sit in each others laps unless we want to. I.. I also think it might be good to be able to see out of the windows, too.]
[Yes, that''s fine by me.]
[I''m wondering about inviting Bob too, any thoughts?]
[You know his heart isn''t that great, Sarah.] Eliza cautioned. [If you''re going to tell us the world''s going to end then maybe keep him out of it.]
[I don''t think the world''s ending, but yes, point taken. He doesn''t need the stress.] Sarah agreed. [See you in an hour, I''ll tell Teresa and then ruin Arwood''s day.]
[See you!]
Putting the tea-cup beside John, Sarah thought to him. [Tea''s ready when you are my love.]
¡°Thank you, Sarah. God''s good. I''m not falling apart now. Is it all arranged?¡±
¡°One hour, in the owners lounge, but I need to tell that to Teresa and one of us needs to ruin Arwood''s Saturday.¡±
¡°Oh, we might not ruin it. He was gong to be decorating, wasn''t he?¡±
¡°Well, you call him, then. Get Hannah to come too if you can.¡±
¡°OK.¡± he rang the familiar number, and got Hannah. ¡°Hi, Hannah. How''s the decorating?¡±
¡°Ha! Disagreeing is more like it. We can''t agree on colours so we''re still at the shop''s computer, seeing what the room would be like with practically their whole inventory. We''re down to the last twenty-five, but can''t decide.¡±
¡°I don''t want to sound heartless, but I''m really glad you''re not up to your eyes in paint sprayers and things. Urm, as a side note, what did it mean, at Mama''s funeral that we''re in the clan, now?¡±
¡°That if you need us we''re there for you, John. Even if it means dropping paint brushes. Is it that serious?¡±
¡°It''s serious, but not ultra-urgent. Sarah''s had another prophetic moment. We''re meeting in an hour with the ethics crowd and a few others to tailk it over, and we''d really like you both there if humanly possible.¡±
¡°We''ll be there John. Your place?¡±
¡°Urm, no. May works Saturdays at a department store, doesn''t she? Which one?¡±
Hannah named the shop.
¡°Bingo.¡± John said. ¡°We''ll meet you at the back entrance, if that''s OK. Can you get there without rushing?¡±
¡°That''s fine, John, where do you think we''re getting the paint? May working here gets us a discount.¡±
¡°That''s great. See you at eleven-thirty.¡±
¡°God be with you, John.¡±
Kate called Eliza, and after talking a bit, Eliza put her through to Bella, the witness protection officer. ¡°Yes, that''s right, Bella, I''d like you to bring Eliza to the institute, at eleven fifteen. I know it''s not much notice, but she''s happy to come. She''ll be well protected there, I assure you.¡±
¡°Well, OK, and It''ll be the normal one hour counselling session?¡± Bella asked.
¡°No. I''m not quite sure how long it''ll be. It might take much longer than an hour. Can I just give you notice when we''re almost finished?¡±
¡°We don''t work like that, Maam. I need to make sure the witness is safe at all times. I need more details, especially if there are unexpected changes to the schedule, and this is way off the scale of what I can allow.¡±
¡°OK, I understand. I''m afraid that, in the circumstances, I can''t disclose the details with you, so I''ll have to talk to someone with higher clearance.¡±
¡°I can connect you to my supervisor if you wish, Maam.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, I''ll need to go higher than them. I know who to call, but to be polite, it might be nice to alert your supervisor.¡±
¡°I''m only doing my job, Maam.¡± Bella said, wondering if she shouldn''t be so by the book.
¡°Of course you are. But I can''t tell you more details of why Eliza should come. I''m in no way seeking to cause trouble for you, Bella.¡±
¡°Thank you for that reassurance Maam.¡±
Kate checked if Maria was awake. Praise God, she was.
¡°Hi, Maria, I need someone with influence and prior knowledge. I hope I''m not interrupting anything. ¡°Not much, Kate, how can I help?¡±
¡°We''re having a crisis meeting, and we''d like Eliza to be with us in person. Since that''s not exactly on her schedule the witness protection officer is rightly suspicious and wants to know more.¡±
¡°If you go using phrases like ''crisis meeting'', then I want to know more too, Kate.¡±
¡°Well, I didn''t tell her that, I think she probably deserves a commendation for not letting me slip anything past her. I don''t know the full story, Sarah received a prophetic warning ¡ª directly, that is ¡ª and we''re going to discuss what to do about it. It obviously scared her, and she''s not said much yet except that she doesn''t think it''s the end of the world, but it''s bad.¡±
¡°I don''t quite see why Eliza needs to be there, Kate. Is there something no one''s told me about my niece?¡±
¡°Oh. I guess so. Sorry, I thought you knew. Very trustworthy person, your niece, just like Karen, we have that on the highest authority.¡±
¡°OK. Well. Yes, I can see the advantage of a face to face meeting. And it''s going to be where, the institute? And who else?¡±
¡°Sarah asked for the owner''s lounge. It''ll be all of us there, plus Sarah and John''s pastor, Arwood, plus Teresa our legal person and Tony her almost fianc¨¦ who are also involved somehow.¡±
¡°Well, that''s quite a crowd to smuggle in, but you know that. And you''ll inform me of everything?¡±
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
¡°Yes, of course, through Karen?¡±
¡°Yes... Or actually, could Pris be involved? There''s lift access to the owners lounge isn''t there? She''s in a wheelchair and going crazy with boredom in the hospital, but she might have some good ideas, and she knows about most of you anyway.¡±
¡°If you can get her day-release from hospital, fine. The meeting is due to start at 11.30 this morning.¡±
¡°She''ll be there. She and Eliza can go in one vehicle, that way they can get to know each other on the way. If you don''t think that''s going to cause Eliza anguish, about what Roland did to Pris.¡±
¡°I think she''ll be OK. I''ll forewarn her.¡±
¡°Good thinking. And I''ll forewarn Pris. I''d better send some messages. Bye!¡±
¡°Bye¡±
Kate rang the contact number she had for Eliza. Bella picked it up, as usual.
¡°Hello Bella, troublesome me again. A slight change of plan, Eliza will apparently come with a colleague of yours, who''ll be reporting on our secret meting to her boss.¡±
¡°So, I''m going to be replaced?¡± Bella asked, still thinking she''d maybe made a mistake.
¡°Probably not, I don''t think she is going to do much protecting from her wheel-chair, but I don''t know where either of you are, so can''t guess who meets who where. Can I talk to Eliza?¡±
¡°Urm, sure!¡± Confused, Bella handed over the phone.
¡°Hi, you''re going to be coming straight up, no long walk, but the real news, just so it''s not too much of a shock, is that you''re coming with Pris. You''re not to blame for her condition. You know that.¡±
¡°But Dad is. Urm.. thanks for the warning.¡±
¡°How''s Bella? She sounds like she thinks shes in trouble.¡±
¡°She does.¡±
¡°Then tell her I told Maria she deserves a commendation for well aimed suspicion. Bye!¡±
¡°Bye Kate!¡± Eliza put down the phone. ¡°Bella, do you know of someone urm... influential... called Maria?¡±
¡°Yes¡± Bella answered carefully.
¡°Kate told me to tell you that she told Maria you need a commendation for well aimed suspicion.¡±
¡°Someone with higher clearance, she says! What are you involved in Eliza? Do you know who Maria is?¡±
¡°I know her in two roles... I think you''re talking about a third.''¡±
¡°Oh. You know her? Not just know of her?¡±
¡°Well, maybe know her is putting it too strongly, but she debriefed me, and we''ve talked about other things since. She''s nice. But I don''t know what her role is in Security. I think that''s probably best.¡±
¡°Yes. I expect so. I don''t know exactly, either, for that matter. But... don''t tell any enemies of the state know you know her.¡±
¡°I won''t.¡± or, she added to herself, tell you our relationship. ¡°I''ll just get ready for my meeting.¡±
¡°OK.¡±
Bella''s wrist unit bleeped. She read her new instructions. A vehicle was on route to take her and client to a certain hospital. There, they''d meet agents who would entrust a wounded agent (in wheelchair) to her care. Other vehicles would accompany them as perimeter security. They were to go to a shopping centre where her clients would ascend, with her, in a particular staff elevator. Once they arrived, she would return to the ground in the lift and provide perimeter security under guise of shopping. Purchases would be hers, non-returnable funds had been transferred to her account for this purpose. Her eyes almost popped out. She''d just been given two week''s salary to spend in a few hours or keep as she liked.
She called her supervisor. ¡°Do I read this correctly? I''m supposed to go shopping and provide perimeter security at the same time? How?¡±
He laughed ¡°Well, you don''t need to bother looking at the prices much, Bella.¡±
¡°This is just a little crazy, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Not really. If you see anything suspicious, then you''re on the spot. But no one planning anything is going to worry about someone on a spending spree. They''ll think that you can''t be on official business if you''re buying yourself pretty dresses and stuff.¡±
¡°So I try things on and everything?¡±
¡°Of course. Just keep your stunner handy, and remember you might need to give chase, so don''t take too much off.¡±
¡°You''re enjoying this aren''t you? How many of you chipped in to the seriously embarrass Bella fund?¡±
¡°Who me? I didn''t write those orders, Bella. All came from way up on high, along with an official commendation for appropriate suspicion.¡±
¡°Oh. Sorry for the recent suspicion.¡±
¡°That''s OK. It''s a neat idea... we could make up orders that send someone to a pub to get drunk.. I know just the person. Shame it''d get me fired if I tried it.¡±
¡°Rightly so. But to summarise, I''ve been given a big pile of money to see if I can hear anyone plotting dastardly deeds in the changing room?¡±
¡°Or the dress aisle, the cookware department or anywhere else. Yes. Oh, there was a personal note with it too, if you queried your orders. Doesn''t make much sense to me.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°It says ''Ask E'' I guess that''s your client, ''about soldiers in the ballroom. M.'' Who''s M?¡±
¡°I think I know, sir. I''ll need to ask E.¡±
¡°Fair enough. And then you''ll tell me, all about it, right?¡±
¡°I think I''d need advice from someone with high clearance on that, sir.¡±
He laughed ¡°Just testing. You''ll go a long way Bella, with a careful attitude like that.¡±
¡°Thank you sir.¡± Bella, bemused rather than confused, closed the connection.
¡°What do you need to ask me?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°I have a message from someone with an initial of M, saying to ask you about soldiers in the ballroom, to explain why I''ve got the equivalent of two week''s pay to splurge in the shop during your meeting, on the off chance that I happen to be in the right place to prevent of an attack on your meeting.¡±
¡°Wow. Generous! Told you she was nice.¡±
¡°So what''s this about the ballroom?¡±
¡°When I being rescued, I was told by one of the soldiers about how the ambassador''s wife had told them that she could use the embassy ballroom to get married in. And that the wedding food was going to be supplied by the embassy too. Cheapest and yet grandest wedding she''d ever dreamed of. I guess the intended moral of the story is that the service looks after its own.¡±
¡°Oh. That''s urm, reassuring.¡±
¡°I think you''re new at this, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Yes. I keep wondering if I''m going to make a horrible mistake. You know, something that''d ruin my career or get someone hurt.¡±
¡°Well, personally speaking, I think you''re doing OK. You''ve got a commendation, a bonus, and I''m still in one piece.¡±
¡°How did you know I''ve got the commendation?¡±
¡°I guessed. I don''t think a reprimand would come with two weeks pay worth of shopping spree. What are you going to buy? Or are you going to save it?¡±
¡°I''ve got a little kitchen in my part of Mum''s house, and have been thinking of getting a new cooker for months. I don''t know if that''s what I should get. I mean, there are more people on the clothes floors.¡±
¡°Well, do both. Look at cookers, and then go and find a nice dress while you think about which one. That way you get to see who''s loitering in stairwells too.¡±
¡°I guess I could. Wow.¡±
¡°I think our meeting will be at least an hour. Probably more like two or three.¡±
¡°What''s all this about a staff elevator? Is there a conference room, or something?¡±
¡°I''ve really no idea, I''ve heard the name, that''s all. The institute owns it, or mostly.¡±
¡°That is where Bob McDaniel reports from, isn''t it. Isn''t it spooky, going where people can read your thoughts?¡±
¡°No. That''s not spooky. They''re nice people there, who value your privacy. It''s almost like a family. Spooky is thinking that your mind has been read by an international terrorist who threatened to rape you, and is now trying to get out of jail based on a technicality.¡±
¡°Oh, you''d heard about that?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°It won''t happen.¡±
¡°I hope it won''t. But it''s a bit scary, even so.¡±
¡°But you''d trust the mind-readers at the institute?¡±
¡°Oh yes. With my life. They''ve already saved it once, well, some of the fifty have, I should say. Very trustworthy people regarding secrets. And that''s not just my assessment, it''s God''s¡±
¡°I don''t believe in God.¡±
¡°I think that''s the saddest thing anyone''s told me in a long time.¡±
¡°Eh? Why is that sad?¡± Bella asked, confused once more.
¡°You seem like a nice person with their head mostly screwed on, but you''re so wrong there, I guess it''s no wonder you''re full of worries.¡±
¡°But it''s all nonsense! I mean, take Odin and all the Norse gods, for instance. I don''t know how anyone could believe in any of that pack of misfits.¡±
¡°No. Nor do I.¡±
¡°And the Greek gods are just one personality disorder after another.¡±
¡°Agreed.¡±
¡°So, how can you believe in some made up misfit personality disorder just based on a story from before they knew the earth was round?¡±
¡°Wow. You have been listening to the wrong people, haven''t you. You''re not an anarchist are you?¡±
¡°What? No, of course not!¡±
¡°But pseudo-theocracy, oligarchy pretending to be democracy and military dictatorship are all terrible ways of ruling a country, so surely you should reject all forms of government. By the logic you apply to God, anyway.¡±
¡°Urm, I think I get your point. You mean I need to examine them all before I dismiss them?¡±
¡°Not really. I mean that just because almost all religions are rubbish it doesn''t mean they all are. Personally I don''t recommend you check out all of them.¡±
¡°Just yours?¡±
¡°Well, I''m convinced of its truth claims, but I haven''t met many people who still offer the blood of their victims to Thor or Odin or whoever, I''m happy to say.¡±
¡°So I should choose a religion based on popularity?¡±
¡°No, Bella. On truth. I''ve not noticed that truth is particularly popular, but really, I can''t recommend anything else.¡±
¡°Ooh. Didn''t someone famous say ''my truth is better than your truth''?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I do know someone who once said I am the way the truth and the life.¡±
¡°I''ve heard of him, I think.¡± Bella acknowledged ¡°Executed for saying be nice to each other.¡±
¡°Not quite.¡± Eliza corrected, ¡°more like executed for upsetting the religio-political system where the priests were the wealthiest people and the group of people who were well known for being religious really liked to be known as religious, no matter if they actually were or not. Among other things he told them that God wanted them to trust him rather than paying so much attention to their public approval ratings.¡±
¡°That''s an interesting take on it. So, you wholeheartedly follow his teaching and think that''ll earn you bonus points with God?¡±
¡°Well, I try to follow, but as for the bonus points, they''re not as important to me as the relationship.¡±
Bella''s wrist unit chimed, she checked it. ¡°We''re going to have to stop talking and start moving, Eliza, our transport is here.¡±
Eliza had a thought [Karen, do I remember you saying that Pris is a Christian?]
[Yes. Why?]
[Tell you soon.]
¡°Well, maybe we can get another opinion from your colleague, Pris¡±
¡°What, the person we''re meeting? Do you know her?¡±
¡°Of her. My Dad put her in hospital.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Bella was confused. She knew Eliza''s father was awaiting trial, but no more details than that.
¡°I think he said it was for the greater good, or something. He''s probably going to be in a secure psychiatric unit if they don''t execute him for his crimes.¡±
¡°Oh. I hadn''t made the link. Urm, so am I going to be escorting you or keeping you apart while she tries for some payback?¡±
¡°I think the former, Bella, but we''ll have to see.¡±
The transport brought them to the hospital, and a number of security officers, recognisable as always, pushed a wheelchair to their vehicle.
¡°Hi, you must be Pris. I don''t know if Dad is sorry, but I am.¡±
¡°Hi Eliza. I''m mending, thanks.¡±
¡°Just before we left, Bella here was telling me that all Gods are alike and none are worth following. I told her I thought that was a sad error of logic.¡±
¡°I''d say so. Bella, have we met? I''m Pris. I''d shake your hand but my fingers are still new.¡± Pris waved her arm, which was fully bandaged, and ended in thick padding.
¡°Urm, hi Pris. I think I''ve seen you at headquarters.¡±
¡°And you really think all gods are the same?¡±
¡°Maybe not. Eliza''s pointed out a few errors in my logic.¡±
¡°That''s good. We don''t need to send you to get your head examined then.¡± she said that bit laughing, to take the sting out of it.
¡°Do you two know what I told God this morning?¡± Pris asked, not entirely rhetorically, given the company ¡ª Maria had pointedly told her that Eliza had quite a lot in common with Karen and she''d got the point.
¡°No, go on.¡± Eliza prompted.
¡°That if he didn''t get me out of the hospital soon, then, urm, I wasn''t going to be a very happy person. Ten minutes later, I got told to put on my best dress because not only was I going to get out of that place, but I''ve got real work to do! This is so much fun! Shame about the topic. How much does Bella know?¡±
¡°That we''re going to a meeting, no more, except she''s got to go on a shopping spree, so she can provide some low profile perimeter security.¡±
¡°Ooh, have fun! Don''t expect to get that assignment very often.¡±
¡°You''ve heard of it before?¡±
¡°Oh yes. I''ve even heard of attacks prevented because of it.¡±
¡°That''s a relief. I''m glad I''m not unique.¡± Bella sighed.
¡°Oh, I expect God only made one of you, so you''re special to him whatever you think.¡± Pris said.
Bella looked at the slightly older woman, confused once more. Pris was clearly happy, chatting, in a carefree way to her and her attacker''s daughter, as though they were old friends. All the while heavily bandaged and by Bella''s book she would have been fully entitled to have been bitter and twisted about what had happened.
¡°Are you sure you two have never met?¡±
¡°No, never. I''d be in deep trouble if we had.¡± Pris answered.
¡°Oh? Can you tell me why?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Because Maria doesn''t like not knowing things.¡±
¡°Ah, yes, that makes sense.¡± Eliza agreed.
¡°Not to me, it doesn''t.¡± Bella offered.
¡°When he was under arrest, dad had been muttering about being blackmailed, but Maria had no idea how anyone could blackmail him.¡±
¡°But.. Oh, she didn''t know about you, you mean?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Eliza confirmed.
¡°But if I''d met Eliza it would have to have been from before any of this happened. In which case I should have told Maria.¡±
¡°So he was already on the radar?¡±
¡°And how!¡± Pris exclaimed ¡°A politician who''s in prison for abuse of power, with entirely credible accusations of worse floating around, but the witnesses all happen to have fatal accidents? Who then gets granted release earlier than should have been possible?¡±
¡°So, why wasn''t anyone checking up on his communications?¡± Bella asked. ¡°Surely they should have noticed he had a daughter.¡±
¡°Oh they did. Maria told me that apparently they thought the little detail of my existence was common knowledge and never bothered mentioning it on his records. Since he was keeping me ignorant about his criminal activities, everything he told me was of no interest to Security at all.¡±
¡°OK, that makes sense. But I''m still confused. Really confused. How is it that you, Pris, and you, Eliza, are so much on the same wavelength that I can hardly tell who started this conversation, and not only that but you''re geting on so well! Plus, I haven''t heard a word of bitterness about what happened to you, Pris, when I know how much regrowth therapy hurts, really hurts. You don''t speak like you''re blissed out on pain meds.¡±
¡°Well, I''m on something to take the bite out of it. But yes, it hurts. It''s hurt so long that it''s sort of normal, but you wouldn''t have seen me like this when my nose was growing back. Yikes, that burnt.¡±
¡°And the rest?¡±
¡°Well, you see we were warned that we''d be meeting, and the Christian ladies who warned us knew that we are both Christians. So they passed on that information to us, so that''s why Eliza had prior knowledge to dump you in it, by way of introduction. Which, along with her apology, no that''s not the right word, her expression of regret for her father''s crimes made me certain we''ll be friends. Did I get that right Eliza?¡±
¡°Well, it wasn''t Kate who told me about your coming to faith, but... someone younger.¡±
¡°I should have known. Sorry Bella, you don''t need to know who we both know.¡±
¡°That''s OK. I''m used to it. Everyone knows too much already without learning any more than they need to.¡±
¡°Well put!¡± Eliza said wholeheartedly. ¡°Bella, just so you know... that''s the attitude of the mind-readers at the institute. Yes, it can be helpful, their gift got Pris and me out of trouble, but they really don''t want to know your innermost secrets.¡±
¡°That''s where our conversation started isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes. And I think it''s stopping there for a bit, too. I think we''re almost there.¡±
¡°It would really ruin my day if we got shot at and the meeting got cancelled.¡± Pris announced. ¡°Anyone see any snipers?¡±
Eliza took the thought seriously; after all, they were in a convoy of bullet-proof vehicles. There was a chance, however slim, that someone would try for a shot just for that fact. There were occasionally gang initiations that took that form. She thought of people secretly preparing to shoot and focussed on this area. A red dot, on top of one building her side and another on the other side. She looked out of her window. There was a man there, she saw him duck. ¡°Pris, Bella, I''ve just seen someone duck. He was on top of that building. Did your briefings say anything about marksmen?¡±
¡°Vehicle maintain speed, do not stop!¡± Bella commanded. ¡°No. Just that other agents would accompany us and provide perimeter security.¡± Bella said. ¡°Which building?¡±
¡°That medium height one.¡±
¡°I''ll call it in.¡± Bella said, then tapped on her wrist unit. ¡°Bella here, almost arrived. One person spotted on left hand roof top, laying low, ineffectively. Ooh, look, another head right side, same height building, so they can wave at each other. Two people. Please confirm or deny they''re ours.¡±
There was a pause. ¡°Denied. Armed?¡±
¡°Yes, both armed.¡± Eliza confirmed. Thus gaining a surprised look from Bella.
¡°Line of fire to destination?¡± headquarters asked.
¡°Uncertain, marginal.¡± Bella replied.
¡°Deviation plan gamma.¡± instructed headquarters.
¡°Vehicle, deviation plan gamma.¡± Bella instructed the navigation system. Plan gamma would cause them to turn off the planned route as soon as possible and then approach from another direction.
¡°Airstrike en-route, agents dispatched.¡± reported headquarters. ¡°Have a nice trip, and keep your eyes peeled.¡±
¡°Airstrike?¡± Elisa asked Pris.
¡°Rocket drone with a sleep gas projector. Goes up, spots them and then swoops past and gasses them. They''ve got about ten seconds before they''re seen by the drone, unless they''re under cover, and then another five before they get all sleepy. Certain about them being armed?¡±
¡°Yes. Absolutely¡±
¡°Interesting decision you had to make.¡± Pris commentated.
¡°The secret''s not worth lives, Pris. And I think Bella can keep secrets.¡±
¡°You? You''re one of them?¡± Bella stuttered.
¡°I know, odd isn''t it? I certainly didn''t expect God to give me the Gift. I grew up trying to work out how to not use the Power, then get landed with this.¡±
¡°When did it happen?¡± Pris asked.
¡°Funny thing is, I got it, used one aspect of it to escape my captors, and it was only when I went to the institute that they realised I must have it.¡±
¡°How do you use something when you''re not aware of it?¡± Bella asked.
¡°If you think in a language I don''t know, Bella, then, when I just had the Power, it would let me hear your thoughts but I wouldn''t understand them. But with the Gift, I understand any thoughts I hear. In case you''re wondering, Bella, I''ve not heard anything from you. Thank you for wearing gloves.¡±
Bella''s mind was working quickly, now. ¡°Pris, you knew?¡±
¡°Yes. ¡°'' she answered simply.
¡°And this meeting?¡±
¡°Is going to happen with or without us being present, but I''d like to be there.¡± Eliza said.
¡°But it''s of a group of you gifted? That''s why the high security presence?¡±
¡°I''m of the opinion the security is because there are three of us attending who are in witness protection. That''s a bit unusual. Groups of gifted meet quite often.¡±
¡°At the institute?¡±
¡°Bella!¡± Pris rebuked the junior agent, ¡°Do you have a need to know?¡±
¡°Let''s let Eliza decide.¡± And she took off a glove and held out her bare hand.
[I''ve worn gloves a long time Eliza.] Bella thought.
[So why is the institute so ''spooky''?]
[Just because you''re used to talking, it doesn''t mean radio is normal. Let alone x-ray vision. And as for blabbing about it! Wow, that was brave, foolhardy or both.]
[I think I understand.]
[And you could just decide to know where snipers were and then you did?]
[Yes, sort of.]
[But you''ve never used it to find thought-hearers?]
[No! Why would I?]
[Curiosity?]
[I''ve a friend who used it to check if someone was a thought-stealer. But the evidence was already pointing that way. We need a good motive.]
[And there are no more snipers in the city?]
[No idea.]
[But you could?]
[Yes.]
[But you don''t?]
[I suppose today could be ''bad day to be a sniper day.'' Why not?] Eliza said.
[Pardon?]
[That''s what we call it when we grass up different types of criminals. We''ve said we''d try to avoid repeating or there being a pattern that would help the criminals to switch their methods to something worse. I''ll have a chat to the others.]
[When you meet this morning?] asked Bella.
[You''re fishing again. We don''t need to meet to chat, Bella.]
[You''re right, I''m fishing.]
[Why?]
[Strange, scary dream I once had, years ago.]
[Oh?]
[Me in a room, people around me, talking in my head, without touching, and asking if they could look at a dream about Valentine''s day.]
[Odd dream.] Eliza commented [Why scary?]
[Because it was impossible, and prophetic dreams are so, I don''t know, primitive tribal superstition! And then the institute tells the world the big secret, and the bigger secret about people like you. That''s scary and spooky. So, do I have a need to know? Is that dream real?]
[I''m... not sure. You really refuse to believe that God might exist? If there is an omniscient, caring creator then they''re not that unreasonable.]
Bella dropped hands and said quietly ¡°Not sure.¡±
Pris had watched them in silence, drawing her own conclusions. ¡°Bella, you could have told us! You''ve got a useful talent there.¡±
¡°Who should I tell? I don''t remember getting a memo saying ''Thought hearers please contact so and so for potential reassignment.'' I''ve not had much experience, but from what I''ve seen so far I like witness protection. Mostly civilised with some excitement from time time to time. I also don''t want to hear guys thinking about my cleavage for a living, thank you. That gets old quickly.¡±
¡°It''s gross, isn''t it?¡± Eliza agreed.
¡°Not necessarily for reassignment.¡± corrected Pris, ¡°But it could be very useful, in the right circumstances.¡±
¡°It''s not like I can use it to cry for help, Pris.¡± Bella pointed out.
¡°No, but if Eliza or someone equally gifted checked up on you, and you needed to talk, then you could. If they know you can hear them.¡±
¡°OK, I accept it is possibly useful, but socially its normally a handicap.¡±
¡°Well, of course that''s another reason ... If enough of you admit you have the Power then maybe every so-often you could have get-togethers. You know... meet like-minded people, see if you happen to get on with any.¡±
¡°Urm.. maybe. Are you suggesting there might be official funding for such dating opportunities?¡±
¡°Don''t know. Want me to put it to Maria? She might even approve it as long as she gets invited to the weddings.¡±
¡°Pris! That is a joke, isn''t it?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Yes.¡± Pris admitted ¡°Partly, but surely you can think of a reason to meet?¡±
¡°Maybe. Bella, can you hide?¡±
¡°Pardon? You don''t mean hide and seek, I presume.¡±
¡°I mean hide your intentions, turn off your receiver, be safe from mental attack?¡±
¡°Mental attack? How?¡±
¡°OK, Pris, I think there''s a motive here for meeting everyone with the Power, at least once. Bella, you''re at risk. Bad guys with the power, like my attacker''s henchman, say, can fill your mind with horrors, and if you can''t hide your thoughts you''re in trouble. We don''t have time for me to teach you now, sorry.¡±
¡°Hopefully I''m not going to meet any for the next few hours.¡±
¡°I hope not. OK if I check up on you every so often?¡±
¡°How invasive are you talking? My every thought?¡±
¡°No! Just like touching, or if you like, then I can just check your emotional state, like looking at your face. That''s all I''d do without permission or real concern for your safety.¡±
¡°But touching is two-way.¡±
¡°Yes. So, I''d tell you when I''m listening in, and you''re free to tell me to leave you in privacy. And I will. OK?¡±
¡°Err, OK. Now, please, can you check for more snipers, in case those two were just the vanguard?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
Eliza concentrated on people getting ready to shoot non-criminals and looked at the skin of the city. ¡°No one preparing to shoot non-criminals in the city.¡± she reported.
¡°Nice touch there.¡± Pris said.
¡°Why didn''t you just say innocent people?¡±
¡°Because we''re all guilty of something, Bella. Much easier not to use thoughts without an absolute sense.¡±
¡°But a sniper waiting to shoot a rival drug baron wouldn''t have registered.¡±
¡°No. But there could be police operations in progress where the officers are preparing to shoot if the criminals are armed, so I didn''t want to see them. I made that mistake last time.¡±
¡°I see. Tricky.¡± Pris acknowledged.
¡°Languages are messy and vague things.¡± Eliza said.
¡°And we don''t need to wait in the vehicle any more.¡± Bella pointed out. They''d arrived. She reported in ¡°Bella here, elevator, here we come.¡±
¡°Acknowledged. Spot any more snipers?¡±
¡°Negative.¡±
¡°Good. Those two won''t be rejoining their gangs for a while. Finger prints all over the stolen guns they had.¡±
Bella thumbed open the door and gently pulled Pris''s chair out.
¡°I guess it''s my I.D. that''ll we need to use.¡± Eliza said. ¡°But Bella, you''re security, I''ll be the muscle and push Pris''s chair. OK?¡±
¡°Thanks.¡± Pris said ¡°But if you being the muscle makes me the brains, we might be in trouble.¡±
¡°Well, rather the brains than a sack of potatoes. Your dress wouldn''t look nearly so nice on a potato sack.¡± quipped Eliza.
¡°Urm, thank you, I think.¡±
They reached the elevator and Eliza let it scan her I.D. The door opened at once.
¡°No lift buttons?¡± Bella observed, once they''d entered.
¡°This elevator has voice control. Your destination is pre-programmed as Owners'' Lounge.¡± responded the loudspeaker. ¡°Acknowledged. No override.¡± Elisa said.
¡°I heard rumours about there being an ultra secret owners'' lounge, when I worked here as a kid.¡± murmured Bella.
¡°Now you know. It''s real. The institute is the majority shareholder still. Hold on a bit.¡±
[Kate, Bella used to work at the store, can she have a look around for a bit or is everyone there already?]
[You''re the last I''m afraid. Maybe at the end?]
[Sounds good. Thanks.]
¡°Bella, you''ve got an invitation to look round after the meeting. Interested?¡±
¡°Of course! Is it really dripping with gold and diamonds?¡± Bella asked.
¡°I seriously doubt it. I heard the owner almost went broke, that''s why he sold shares in the shop.¡±
¡°Oh well, there goes that rumor.¡±
¡°Well, here we are¡± Pris remarked. ¡°Have a nice shopping spree!¡±
¡°I''ll try!¡± Bella said.
Disclosure / Ch. 14: Valentines day committee
Book 3: Disclosure / Ch. 14:Valentine''s day committee
11.40 am, Saturday morning, 18th November
Introductions took longer than Eliza had expected, since Kate had decided everyone should give a short testimony. Some people clearly had longer definitions of short than others. But it was encouraging to hear about what God had been doing.
Then it got down to the serious bit, or so Eliza had expected. Kate handed the floor to Sarah, who suddenly turned to Teresa. ¡°Teresa, you didn''t share about the decision you were talking to me about this morning. Is it a secret?¡±
¡°Urm, no. Just, I didn''t want to delay things any more.¡±
¡°You just have. Tony, stop grinning and tell everyone why you''re grinning.¡±
¡°Well, last night, I asked Teresa to marry me.¡± he turned to his fianc¨¦e, with an even bigger grin.
¡°I said ''yes''. And this morning I was berating Sarah for being so foolishly generous, and then mentioned a date I was considering for our wedding. And Sarah had her vision or whatever it was and told me we shouldn''t wait that long.¡±
¡°How was she foolishly generous?¡± Hannah asked, intrigued.
¡°She let my besotted man here buy a ring he shouldn''t have been able to afford, for an amount he could.¡±
¡°Quite easily¡± chipped in Tony.
Of course at that point Teresa had to show off her ring.
Eventually, Kate called them to order ¡°So, Sarah, you didn''t want to tell us before. What did you see?¡±
She went and looked out of the window. ¡°I saw a ruined city. I don''t know if it was here or somewhere on the other side of the world. I couldn''t tell. Everything was tangled, ruined; there was rubble, as far as the eye could see. Smoke rose from some, but not all piles. But there wasn''t a single building standing in what I saw.¡± She broke off, close to tears.
John continued ¡°We examined Sarah''s memory. She didn''t see any one place that had worse destruction than another. There wasn''t a centre to the damage, unless it was far away. There wasn''t evidence that all the buildings had fallen in a particular direction. There wasn''t any water on the streets. So it wasn''t an earthquake-triggered wave.¡±
¡°A war, then? Or a massive earthquake?''¡± asked Tony.
¡°Maybe.¡± replied Sarah. ¡°Or a massive nuclear weapon a long way away, but I didn''t see charring, and certainly no mushroom cloud.¡±
¡°So that''s one scarily big earthquake, if that''s all that''s left as a possible cause.¡± Tony said.
¡°But we don''t know where and we don''t know what caused it, it could be something even weirder. We don''t even know if its true.¡± John answered.
¡°But we felt we should assume it''s real, and it''s a warning, at least to be prepared. We''re not sure what else we can do. We can hardly expect government agencies to pour resources into preparing for ''something devastating'', in a city somewhere.¡±
¡°Two witnesses?¡± Hannah asked Arwood.
Arwood nodded. ¡°I agree it sounds seriously scary, and we can do what we can ourselves if we''re convinced. But if this is from God, he''ll send confirmation. I''m not sure what we can do other than look for that second witness, and in a passive manner, I mean. We can''t go asking who''s had dreams of ruined cities! If we do get confirmation, then we''d be justified in alerting governments, maybe.¡±
¡°I think you''d need more precision too.¡± Karen said. ¡°I mean, I''m really pleased that Pris is here,¡±
¡°Me too!¡± butted in Pris.
¡°but we can''t expect very many governments to have as much motive as ours to get involved.¡±
¡°Yes. Let''s face it, if I hadn''t been going mad in hospital, then it''s very unlikely that I''d have been sent here; or anyone else, for that matter.¡±
¡°I agree.¡± Sarah said. ¡°It''s great to meet you at long last, Pris, but we weren''t expecting anyone official here at all. In some ways, this meeting is about helping Teresa and Tony understand what happened.¡±
¡°And decide a wedding date!¡± Tony said. ¡°I''m certain of one thing, Sarah.¡± he held Teresa''s hand posessively. ¡°I want us to be happily married before the sky falls, and I don''t mean just back from Honeymoon.¡±
Teresa grinned at him. ¡°I agree, how about new year''s eve instead of Valentine''s day?¡±
Pris glanced at Eliza and saw she''d gone white. Teresa hadn''t noticed yet and carried on ¡°No, that wouldn''t work. Not going to be possible for either brother.¡±
Karen noticed Elisa''s look too. ¡°What''s wrong Eliza?¡±
¡°Urm. I don''t want to jump to conclusions, except I have, and it''s a bit scary.¡± Eliza said carefully. ¡°Are we to understand that Valentine''s day was the day Sarah reacted to?¡±
¡°Didn''t we say?¡± John asked. ¡°Sorry. Is there something special about Valentine''s day for you?¡±
¡°Not to me, but not more than half an hour ago Bella, my witnesses protection officer, was telling me that she found the thought of the Gift really spooky, because she had a dream years ago about being in a room with faceless people asking questions without speaking or touching about a dream she''d had about Valentines day.¡±
¡°Well, that''s a coincidence, isn''t it?¡± remarked Arwood.
¡°Arwood, you know there''s no such thing, so call it the providence that it is!¡± Hannah corrected her husband with a smile.
He ignored her and continued, ¡°So, assuming that ... It was Bella, wasn''t it?¡± Elisa nodded ¡°That Bella''s dream confirms the message, where do we go from there?¡±
¡°I want to point out that Bella isn''t a Christian yet, and is scared of her dream being prophetic. I don''t know what she''d do if we asked her about it by phone or something, or called her to come up here so soon.¡±
¡°OK. Point taken.¡± Sarah agreed. ¡°So, shall we discuss our options?¡±
¡°Number one, and easiest, is alert the rest of the gifted.¡± John said, ¡°Just as soon as we have confirmation.¡±
¡°Can we do anything to alert governments?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°I think that almost every secular government is going to laugh at you,¡± Pris said, ¡°unless you can find a perpetrator, a weapon and a target. That''s assuming that it''s not some kind of natural disaster, of course.¡±
¡°And if it is, then what?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Lend your support to the lone scientist who''s right?¡± Pris suggested with a shrug ¡°According to the old films I''ve been watching there is always one.¡±
¡°I think that''s called a narrative necessity. I don''t know that God works that way.¡± Karen replied.
¡°I assume bypassing the authorities and making a direct press release is just going to cause panic or derision.¡± Pete added.
¡°I don''t care about derision, but I think if the public saw my dream there''d be riots and looting and all sorts.¡± Sarah commented.
¡°So, what can we do?¡± Tony asked.
¡°I''ll make my report.¡± Pris said, ¡°and Maria will probably say that these meetings should be weekly, to share any new insights, crazy ideas and so on. And then, we''ll let the world know discretely, and let the world''s governments come to you.¡±
¡°But you said they''d laugh.¡± George queried.
¡°If you go to them, yes, that''s publicity seeking and all the rest. But if they come to you, that''s different,¡±
¡°So we''d form a ''Committee on major threat assessment'' or something like that?¡± Karen asked. ¡°Make it all formal, and not scare mongering at all?¡±
¡°Sounds better than the department for scary visions.¡± Kate said.
¡°How about ''Interorganisational Valentine''s Day committee for major threat assessment.'' ¡± suggested Tony.
¡°Ooh yes, very official sounding, plus giving people a clue about when the threat is for.¡± Karen agreed.
¡°Or at least what the trigger was.¡± Sarah agreed. ¡°If Bella''s dream is that on valenties day she got a box of chocolates, then I''d say the formation of this committee is the purpose of my vision. And I''d be very relieved.¡±
¡°So you get a scary vision just so that there''s a group of people able and willing to listen to crazy dreams, visions, and prophets of doom, and decide how credible they are?¡± John asked.
¡°Yes, exactly.¡± Sarah agreed.
¡°Is everyone willing to be on such a committee?¡±
¡°Once a week? Permanently?¡± asked Hannah ¡°That''s quite a commitment.¡±
¡°I think once a month or even less often, most of the time.¡± Kate said. ¡°We can report on anything we''ve been approached with in the meantime which sounds credible and worth investigating further, if there is.¡±
¡°Sounds good.¡± Arwood agreed.
¡°So, major threat one is Sarah''s vision.¡± George said. ¡°In two parts, is that right, the verbal and the image?¡±
¡°Yes, that''s right.¡± John said. ¡°I checked Sarah''s memory almost immediately. Unthought of words followed by a vision, followed by ...urm... memory-inspired images.¡±
¡°Oh you poor things!¡± Kate said. ¡°Did it bring it all back?¡±
¡°Yes, Kate.¡± John said. ¡°Sarah sent me to the Peace not long after.¡±
¡°That bad?¡± Kate asked, worried.
¡°It was my fault, Kate, we were talking about what we could do and John suggested make sure we''re spread out, so that we don''t all die at once. Urm, Can I tell this John?¡±
¡°I will. Sarah said that if there was a risk of losing me she wanted to be carrying our baby. Sally was pregnant when the Clear Sky attack happened. The though of losing Sarah too, when pregnant... A bit too much to bear.¡±
Hannah went and hugged John, as she had done so often in the weeks after the attack on the shopping centre. ¡°No wonder you flipped out there, John. I''m glad you guys can take it to the Lord in prayer so instantly.¡±
¡°Speaking of which, can we pray about what we''ve heard?¡± George asked, holding Karen''s hand tightly. ¡°I don''t like the idea of any of us dying quite yet.¡±
¡°Especially not one from a couple.¡± Karen finished his thought.
¡°Of course we can pray.¡± Arwood said. ¡°And we should.¡±
Arwood''s simple prayer was the last. ¡°Father God, we pray that whatever happens you might meet us in our time of need, give us the strength to carry on, the faith to trust you, even when times are hard, and the grace to praise you for the good things you''ve given us even when those things are taken from us. Our eternal home is with you Lord, help us not be too attached to this earthly existence that we forget the glories that await us.¡±
Wholehearted amens came from each of them. Eliza had a thought. ¡°Sarah, you''re the closest thing to resident physicist. Tony said something about the sky falling. I remember reading about airburst weapons that flattened what was underneath them. Might that fit your vision?¡±
¡°I''d have thought there''d be massive charring for a nuclear airburst, and that''s about the only thing powerful enough.... No it isn''t! Tungasca! That might do it. A Tungasca over a city!¡±
¡°Can you enlighten us what that strange word means?¡± Hanna asked.
¡°Urm, its a place. A comet or asteroid entered the atmosphere and exploded over a forest. Trees turned to matchsticks, if I remember right, over a massive area.¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Eliza said. ¡°Pre-communist, czarist Russia, 1908. More than two thousand square kilometres of trees destroyed. Windows broken hundreds of kilometres away, I don''t remember much more.¡±
¡°How big a circle is two thousand square kilomrters? I can''t visualise it.¡± Arwood asked.
¡°Urm, a fifty kilometre wide square would be 2500, does that help?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Uh, yes. Wow¡± Arwood exclaimed.
¡°Would it fit your vision Sarah?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Yes, but so would a massive earthquake, I think.¡± Sarah answered.
¡°OK. But, presumably predicting asteroid or comet impacts is a more precise science than earthquake prediction?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°Yes much. Both have errors, of course but it''s hardly fair to compare them.¡± Sarah replied.
¡°Assuming you''ve seen it.¡± George added.
¡°Yes. There are some which are hard to see, of course.¡± Sarah admitted.
¡°So, it could be an earthquake, it could possibly be a nuclear bomb except for the charring, or it could be a comet that no-one''s seen.¡± Kate summarised.
¡°Or one they think will miss, or one they''re keeping quiet about for fear of causing panic.¡± George added.
¡°Or, we''re supposed to form this committee, and the vision was no more than a prompt.¡± Karen added. ¡°I''m with you, Sarah, in liking that option.¡±
¡°But then you have to explain away the words too.¡± Tony pointed out. ¡°Not on that sad day, don''t wait that long.¡±
¡°There are other reasons it might be an extremely sad day, Tony.¡± Pris said, ¡°Someone could die, for instance, without it being an international disaster.¡±
¡°Agreed.¡± Teresa said. ¡°So, we won''t wait that long for our marriage, and then we''re obeying God, and our feelings.¡±
¡°Normally I wouldn''t encouarge a short engagement.¡± Arwood said, ¡°But in the circumstances, go for it!¡±
Hannah added, with a grin ¡°There''s still time this side of Chrismas if you''re decisive and organised.¡±
¡°Teresa is the most decisive woman I know.¡± Tony complimented her, with a beaming smile. ¡°That''s why I''m marrying her, along with her top rank organalisational skills, her intelegence, not to mention her extreme beauty which I''m not really allowed to mention.¡±
¡°Do you think he''s in love with her?¡± Hannah asked Arwood in a stage whisper everyone could hear.
¡°Just a tiny little bit. Not as much as I love you of course.¡± he whispererd back, just as loudly.
Eliza was feeling a bit... single she decided the word was, and decided it was time to think to Bella [Hi Bella. I think we''re almost finished. Are you?]
[Oh! That made me jump! Urm, yes. No decisions yet on the cooker, can''t make my mind up on which of three to get.]
[Oh well, you''ve got time do decide, haven''t you? The money stays yours.]
[So, shall I come up?]
[I''ll just ask, do you want me to use wrist units? Every one here knows I''ve the Gift, just not about you having the power.]
[Really odd decision. Oh I don''t know. You trust them, so go for it. Pris knows anyway.]
The conversation was still on wedding plans, and looked like it might continue for hours, so she decided she needed to interrupt. ¡°Kate, are we basically finished, except for Bella?¡±
¡°I think so. Anyone else have non-wedding related issues to raise?¡±
¡°Just the question of how to let her know we want her input.¡± John replied.
¡°Pris, what do you think? Do we invite her to talk to the committee, or shall we just get Eliza to quiz her?¡± Karen asked.
¡°I don''t know. Eliza, you know her best.¡± Pris answered.
¡°I think we should tell her that we don''t think the meeting needs to be a secret from her, and let her ask about what we discussed if she likes. Let''s leave it to free will and divine providence.¡±
¡°Ooh, how sneeky!¡± Kate said ¡°Poor girl won''t know what''s coming ''till it hits her! Well, she can''t run that way, but have the grace to be hesitant about telling her, Eliza.¡±
¡°You don''t want to?¡± Eliza replied.
¡°You and Pris are the ones she told her dream to, girl.¡±
¡°Actually, just me.¡±
¡°Oh? I thought you said it was on the way.¡±
¡°It was, we were touching, and she has the power. I''ll call her up.¡±
[Bella! You can come up. We''ve decided our clandestine meeting can at least be open to you about who''s here. It looks like we''ll be having more of them. You can have a guided tour of the room by the institute''s director if you like.]
[Ooh! Does he have a long white beard and wear a funny hat?]
[No, she doesnt. Urm, I guess I should warn you... You''re going to be the only non-Christian here.]
[Typical! If you drop me into a discussion of my faith or lack of it then I''m going to be cross with you.]
[I won''t. Urm hold on a bit, I wonder how you get here.]
¡°Kate, will the computer recognise Bella''s I.D. when she tries for the lift?, and does she need to go outside to get to it? ¡°Urm, The elevator goes to every floor, but I expect not in public parts of the shop. Sarah, does it know her?¡±
¡°It knows her, and there''s an accessible lift door next to the till in the wallpaper department.¡±
¡°Thanks, I''ll tell her.¡±
[Bella, if you can find the wallpaper department, then there''s a lift door next to the till. Your I.D. should work.]
[They sell wallpaper too? I never knew that. I guess it''s easier to go outside, I''m near the back door.]
As Bella went through the door, she was momentarily distracted by a vaguely familiar smell and looked around for the source.
She tripped over him. Or rather she tripped over a man''s foot who had been lurking just outside the door. He smelt of a solvent, that was the smell, she realised as she sprawled onto the floor. He must have had his foot there already, she realised, or it wasn''t aimed at her, or she''d have heard his intentions. She rolled properly, at least, and rose quickly.
¡°Ooh look, the clumsy lady''s had some self defence classes! Are we scared?¡± asked the substance abuser.
¡°Nah.¡± said his friend, ¡°We''ve got knives, she''s just got her little handbag. Maybe she''ll give it to us.¡±
¡°Or maybe I''ll take your knives, and then where would you be?¡± Bella asked, calmly.
[Bella, how much trouble are you in?] Eliza asked.
[Two gang boys about to get arrested, almost certainly no trouble, but get Pris to call in the cavalry just in case, please, they''re supposed to watching nearby.]
¡°You think you can take on both of us at once?¡±
¡°I''ve got good reactions.¡± Bella said. ¡°There''s no one coming to help you. Give us your valuables or we''ll cut you up until you do.¡±
¡°I''ve got another idea. You give me your knives and I tell the judge that you didn''t resist arrest. By the way, you are under arrest for attemped agravated theft, threatening behavior towards an officer of the crown, me, in the execution of her duties, plus substance abuse, and I''m sure the police will find out about a few other crimes too.¡±
¡°That''s a pretty good bluff there.¡± said the thin one with the long foot. ¡°I almost believed you for a moment.¡± he lunged towards her, with his knife outstretched, as did his friend. Knowing what was coming almost before their muscles did was a great advantage. Bella sidestepped the first easily and grabbed the second one''s knife hand and pulled, turning his momentum against him. A knee in his back helped him to the ground. She was strong for her size and arms just aren''t meant to go that way, it clicked out of its socket and he screamed and dropped the knife. The first attacker recoved as fast as the solvent clouding his mind would let him, and tried to slash at her. Even with his friend at her feet, that was such an easy attack to counter that she almost laughed. She brought him to the ground on top of his accomplice just as a vehicle screached to a halt beside her. Two security agents lept out and handcuffed the gang members.
¡°You guys were a bit slow.¡± she said. ¡°They almost damaged my manicure then.¡±
Agent one, she didn''t know them, replied ¡°We weren''t expecting you to be here. You''ve not had any calls to your wrist unit, you didn''t call in, either.¡±
¡°Pre-arranged meet-up time.¡± she lied. ¡°But you didn''t see that two gang thugs, who''d probably been waiting around to witness the shooting of our convoy, had moved into attack position outside this door? If I''d been some average housewife then I''d have been robbed and they''d have vanished before you guys woke up.¡±
¡°What happened to building security? We''re not supposed to come out of covert survelence mode just for loitering thugs.¡±
¡°No idea what happened, but maybe you should have given them a tip off. Find out, please. Anyway, I''ve got to go up that lift to meet my client. This was just the easiest route to find the lift-shaft.¡±
¡°OK, we''ll sit on these two until Building security come and get them.¡±
¡°Oh, by they way, these slime attacked after I''d told them they were under arrest and that I was a officer of the crown. So you don''t need to be too gentle with them.¡±
¡°What about our rights!¡± the one with the dislocated shoulder complained. ¡°She pulled my arm out of its socket! I need hospital care!¡±
¡°Oh! Your rights.¡± Bella said, with glee. She had a certain joy in letting them know what rights they''d lost by attacking her. ¡°Well you probably know your normal rights, but after an attack with a lethal weapon on an officer of the crown, you have the right to request deportation, I''m sure the mars colony wants your muscles. You also have the right to a fair trial. You have the right to make two monitored phonecalls up to ten minutes a day. You have the right to be visited while you''re in jail. You have the right to pay for your own medical care and lawyer if you want to. You have no right to access the net. The court will appoint you an AI lawyer if you do not get one yourself. Other rights have been forfeited.¡±
¡°What about rehab? I''m an addict.¡± said the abuser.
¡°Don''t worry, you''ll probably survive going through cold turkey.¡±
¡°I have the right to rehab!¡±
Agent one laughed. ¡°A nice comfortable bed, and a pretty nurse to soothe your brow too? No, you don''t. If you''d gone quietly, yeah. But you didn''t, did you? You used a lethal weapon to resist arrest, threatening a clearly identified crown officer''s life, you silly boy. Into the van with you! Don''t suppose you feel like signing up for Mars?¡±
Space travel was still risky, and it took a certain attitude to take that risk. Mars itself was a tough place to work, although the recruitment adverts spoke highly about the
long term benefits. It was a gamble. You could stay safe on Earth, or be a pioneer on Mars, and earn the right to large tracts of land there. Of course the terraforming wasn''t finished yet, but fusion power had made pleanty of oxygen available, and the atmosphere was thickening up. In a few years time, after just a little more permafrost had melted and a few more comets had been delivered from what the press insisted on calling the Oort cloud, it should be possible to farm in the open, not just under domes. (Of course it wasn''t from the Oort cloud that they came; why go almost a light year to the Oort cloud when there were plenty of comets in the Kuiper belt, just past Neptune?) Mars was a tough place for tough risk takers who needed a challenge. On civilised computer-aided Earth those types of people didn''t really fit in. Some joined the police, army or security forces, others sought their adrenaline highs in other ways. Not many of them were hair-dressers or accountants. There was a joke that on Mars you were more likely to find a hen with teeth than an accountant with a fashionable hair
style. That was foolish of course, since hair fashion on Mars was reputed to be a question of did you cut it or not, and if you did what you set the clippers to.
Since hair was useful extra biomass for the compost heap, it was supposed to be
a sign of great success or utter failure to have long hair there. Of course there were pilots and mechanics who weren''t spending every spare moment nursing their current batch of seedlings and checking their compost microbes were healthy, but they had other reasons not to have long hair. It didn''t exactly help you move around safely in zero gravity if your hair was getting sucked into the ventilation system.
Bella made it to the lift shaft without further incident, presented her I.D., and was taken to the owner''s lounge. ¡°Hi Bella!¡± Eliza called out. [Thank goodness you''re here! If I hear another wedding-related comment then I think I ''m going to scream.] Eliza deliberately leaked that thought to everyone able to hear.
¡°Sorry Eliza¡± Sarah said. ¡°I guess we were going on about them rather a lot. Welcome, Bella, I''m Sarah, and Eliza''s urm... third cousin, isn''t it?¡±
Eliza shrugged. ¡°I think so, something like that.¡±
¡°Hi Bella. Did I miss something?¡± Pris asked in confusion.
¡°Yes, Eliza was looking forward to a change in conversation topic.¡± Bella summarised. ¡°Nice meeting room you have here. Not dripping with diamonds.¡±
¡°No. That would have been tasteless.¡± Eliza agreed.
¡°Who ever said it would be?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Staff rumour when I worked here as a kid. I''m sure they didn''t have a wallpaper department then.¡±
¡°My fault.¡± Sarah admitted. ¡°I think it''s officially interior design or something like that, but I''ve thought of it as the wallpaper place since I was five.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s solved that mystery then. Thanks!¡± Bella responded, then putting together another inconsistency ¡°But... you heard Eliza''s quiet comment?¡±
¡°Quiet? They probably heard it half way round the planet!¡± Sarah exclaimed. ¡°Eliza, you probably need to talk to Kate about it next time you chat. Yes, I''m gifted too. Since this meeting grew from my idea I guess I should do the introductions. This is John, my husband, next to John is Arwood our pastor and Hanna his wife and our good friend, not that Arwood isn''t but I don''t want to say Hannah''s only here because she tags along with Arwood.... Argh I''m getting this all in a mess.¡±
¡°But I do try to go with Arwood to mysterious emergency meetings!¡± Hannah protested. ¡°It saves so much time later on, plus he''s useless at remembering things in the right order. Don''t worry Sarah, you''re doing fine.¡±
¡°But John''s taking over!¡± Sarah said decisively.
¡°Am I? OK. More friends: Kate and Pete, Teresa and Tony, Karen and George. Kate you know, I think, Bella, and I work for her. Pete is an artist and public relations consultant. Karen and George are students, George is a protected witness too. Teresa is a legal advisor and Tony a journalist, but he''s agreed to leave his notebook at home today.¡±
¡°And Pris is my surrogate big sister.¡± Karen said, ¡°So it''s great to have an excuse to let her get out of that ward.¡±
¡°Oh. And whoever assigned Pris here knew of that link and that you''d be here?¡±
¡°Yes, Bella.¡± Pris said, ¡°But this is one of those need to know areas and you don''t have a need to know more than that.¡±
¡°OK, but it does seems a little odd that this meeting which seems like a group of friends was sufficiently significant that Pris get sent here. But this place fascinates me. Lovely furniture. Comfy too. Not at all what I expected. Is there a kitchen through that door?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Kate answered ¡°There is. How did you guess?¡±
¡°I don''t know, it just seemed there should be. And that door there is to a helicopter pad, am I right?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Kate supplied the answer Bella already knew was coming.
¡°It''s as though I know this place. Very spooky experience.¡± She looked at the people in the room, opened her mouth in shock and after mouthing a few obscenities she went to the window and stared out at the city. ¡°I DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD OR THE SUPERNATURAL.¡± she stated, clearly enunciating every syllable and punctuating every word with a stamp of her foot. ¡°I do not believe in prophetic dreams either. I don''t want to. I do not want to accept that I saw this room in a dream, that you are sitting in the same places that you were in my dream.¡± Tears ran down her face. ¡°I do not want to tell you what I dreamt about happening. I do not want to believe that''s possible. Snowballs don''t burn. It is impossible. My teacher said so.¡± With this she curled up into ball and began to sob.
Kate went to her and put an arm round her. ¡°Bella, I think you''re given us enough of a hint about what you saw to help us. Is there someone you''d like us to call?¡±
¡°No. Yes. My mum. I want my mum here; you probably will too. Why? Why does it have to be true? Why does it have to be true? I don''t want it to be true!¡±
¡°If your dream is at all like my vision, then I don''t want it to be true either.¡± Sarah said, joining her. ¡°Do you want to call your mum, or shall we?¡±
¡°I will.¡± Bella answered. ¡°In a bit. What did you see?¡±
¡°A ruined city. Nothing but broken buildings as far as the eye could see. That''s why we''re all here. And you? What did you see? Oh, there was a date too. This coming Valentine''s Day.¡±
At the mention of the date, Bella gave a gasp and more tears flowed. ¡°Eliza told you?¡±
¡°She said you''d had a dream about people asking you about a dream about Valentines day. We don''t know more than that and what I told you.¡±
¡°Were there bodies?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Bodies?¡± Sarah repeated in confusion.
¡°In your dream?¡±
¡°No. No bodies.¡±
¡°You''re lucky. OK, it goes like this. When the attack happened on that shopping centre, what was it called? Blue Sky? No! Clear Sky. Anyway, that night I had a dream. Not just the shopping centre ruined, but a whole city, bodies everywhere. It became an intermittent recurrant dream, except different nights I''d see different things; in winter I saw a burning snowball, one Valentines day the city was inside the lid of a box of chocolates. My mum kept a diary, and wrote them all down for the Doctor program. It wanted to know if there was a pattern. There wasn''t, really. I think it was suggesting it might be related to puberty or something. I was getting desperate and getting behind in my school work. Then, one day, I screamed out ''God, anyone, make these dreams stop''. That night I dreamt about this room, and you guys asking me about it. And then they stopped.¡±
¡°And your mum still has this diary about what you saw?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Yes, I''m sure she does. She''s like that.¡±
¡°And you don''t believe in God, although the dreams stopped?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°If I believe in God, then they''re maybe prophetic dreams, and then I''m going to have to tell the king about them. Sorry that was another dream I had. I was there, in front of the king, can you imagine it? Telling him all about my crazy dreams.¡±
She looked at Karen. ¡°There was someone looking like you there too.¡±
¡°Well, in that case I''d better make sure my best dress is clean. You didn''t notice if I had a wedding ring on, did you? It would help set the date.¡±
¡°You''re not phased by the idea of meeting the king at all?¡± Bella asked, surprised.
¡°Urm. Sorry, no. Been there, done that. He''s not quite as chatty as some heads of state I''ve met, but he''s all right.¡± Karen said simply.
Bella, on the other hand was still in shock about her dream, and held her head in her hands for a while before asking ¡°Am I to presume that I don''t have a need to know more?¡±
¡°Urm, I can tell you that my parents are in the diplomatic service. That''s how I met Pris.¡±
¡°And their pull got Pris assigned here?¡±
¡°The credibility of the source got me assigned here, Bella, along with the fact I was going mad in Hospital.¡±
¡°Not to mention the fact that you didn''t let me sneak Eliza away from you.¡± Kate added. ¡°Praise God I couldn''t, or you wouldn''t have talked to Eliza in the car and we''d be wondering if Sarah''s vision was at all valid.¡±
¡°By the way, Bella.¡± George said ¡°We were thinking we''d call this little group the ''Interorganisational Valentines day committee for major threat assessment.'' It looks like Sarah''s vision isn''t just a prompt for this committee to be formed. I think all of us were hoping it was.¡±
¡°And what makes you think you''re qualified?¡± Bella asked.
¡°To assess major threats, like strange visions and prophets of doom?¡± John asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Well, you can''t get away with lying to some of us.¡± Sarah said.
¡°I don''t have a need to know who.¡± Bella said. ¡°Don''t tell me, but Karen, how did you get into this crowd? Oh no, you were the kidnap risk who got tricked by the AI?¡±
¡°That''s right.¡± acknowledged Karen.
¡°And George..?¡± Bella asked.
¡°My fianc¨¦. Wedding in 3 weeks, sorry Eliza.¡±
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°It''s OK Karen. I''m happy for you guys, and Sarah''s right, I''m over-sensitive.¡± Eliza admitted.
[And wishing you had a strong shoulder to cry on?] Kate asked privately.
[Yes. I guess so. In general and especially now.] Eliza confessed.
[Well, take care you don''t rush into anything. We''ve got a stressful next few months, I think, and that''s not the time for making life-long commitments.]
[Even if we don''t know how long life will be?]
[Especially because of that. You might survive it and so might Mr not-so-right, and then were would you be?]
[Stuck with him. I get it.]
¡°Bella, do you want to call your mother now, or do it the other way?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°The other way?¡± Bella was confused.
¡°I think you''ve got a pretty good memory, and all this has brought your dreams to mind, am I right?¡± Sarah probed.
¡°Yes, I guess so.¡± she replied.
¡°So, if you''d rather not bring your mother into this now, then Sarah or I could have a look at your memories.¡± Eliza expanded.
¡°Memories can get distorted over time though.¡± Karen added, thinking of her dress.
¡°True.¡± Sarah admitted, ¡°But it was useful when we looked at mine, to sort out what thoughts came from me and what was the actual vision.¡±
¡°Could you actually tell those apart after years?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Probably not.¡± Sarah conceded, but turned to Bella ¡°So, would you like to let us see those memories, or would you like one of us to call your Mum, or both?¡±
¡°You''ll get the best information out of me with both won''t you?¡±
¡°Yes, we will. You''re willing?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Not exactly looking forward to it. But my training tells me not to withhold information.¡±
¡°Well done, Bella¡± murmured Pris.
¡°Who should look?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Sarah, please. I''ve got to spend a lot of time with Eliza. It might, I don''t know, affect things.¡±
¡°Very wise call, you''re a sensible young woman.¡± Kate agreed.
¡°So, think about all your dreams please.¡± Sarah said, focused on Bella and relaxed.
[Sarah, that''s long enough.] John''s warning thought came after a few seconds.
[More there to see. She''s had so many!] Sarah thought.
[Show me, then I''ll take over.] John told her.
Sarah showed John the memories she''d looked at, and then he looked at Bella''s thoughts. Sarah was right. An enormous tangle of memories was there, associated with her fears about them, and her growing relief and confusion that this session hadn''t exactly followed the dream. Where was the pain?
John followed that thought back and saw that in her earliest memory of the dream there hadn''t been pain, but later thoughts had been layered on top, and now she thought that her dream had included pain. He looked at other memories and saw they''d changed or been altered too. Time to stop.
[I didn''t get everything love, but her memories have been altered compared to the original. She didn''t dream about it hurting at first, but later thoughts came and edited it, adding pain and she thinks of that when she remembers it. Similarly on the other ones. No bodies in her first dream, that was a later change. And the burning snowball dream had a very different feel to it, more horror movie than warning vision. I think we''re looking at two sources of dreams.]
[I agree, the snowball one was revolting.]
¡°Bella. I''m afraid there was too much for me to look at on my own, so I got John to help. I hope you don''t mind.¡±
¡°Urm, bit late now if I do, isn''t it? But no, it''s OK. So you two both have this gift?¡±
¡°Yes. And I''m glad John looked. He spotted something.¡±
¡°The dream was wrong, it didn''t hurt. I didn''t feel anything in fact.¡± Bella said.
¡°Not quite.¡± John corrected. ¡°Your original dream didn''t have the pain, that was from your thoughts about it later on, I think mixed with some films you were watching around the time. They''ve merged in your memories. And there were other changes too, making things scarier, nastier. Your dream about the city full of bodies didn''t have the bodies in the first version.¡±
¡°That''s.. er.. interesting.¡± Bella said. ¡°So my thoughts are a complicated mess?¡±
¡°Yes. Oh and about that scary snowball dream...¡±
¡°Yes? That was the worst of the lot.¡±
¡°It had the same feel to it as the revised versions, not like the ones you were having to start with. If I had to guess what has happened I''d say that some of your dreams were from God, but others weren''t, and your memories about even the dreams from God have become corrupted.¡±
¡°So my evidence is useless, is that what you''re saying?¡±
¡°More like someone has been trying to tamper with it, Bella, trying to bias you against it. You had a feeling that the dreams were unreliable, scary rubbish? As far as your current memories of them are concerned, I''d say it''s true. It''s a lot healthier to reject those versions of them than to accept them. They aren''t the same dreams you originally had.¡±
¡°Bella?¡± Sarah began, not sure how to ask, ¡°I''m going to ask you something mind to mind, for privacy.¡± [Is there something you''re not telling us about how they started or stopped?]
¡°How do you mean?¡± Bella asked aloud.
[I caught a sense of regret. I wasn''t sure if it was regret that you''d done something to cause them or regret that you''d asked that they stop. It wasn''t something you''d allowed me to look at, and there was so much about what was in the dreams, that I didn''t look further.]
Bella closed her eyes for a while, thinking, judging, weighing. Did she trust these people? Strangely, she did. Might it be relevant to this, to the meaning of the dreams? Yes. Was it relevant to her own peace of mind? Probably. She looked directly at Sarah for a long moment, and then said. ¡°You may look, it''s easier than me trying to tell it. It might be related.¡±
Sarah took a glimpse of the memory that her question had stirred. It was complex, with other things spiralling off it. As a young girl, Bella had been fascinated with the power she and her mother shared, and had loved old science fiction and fantasy stories. In her mind, there had been a link between having thought hearing powers, and various sorts of second sight or even telekinesis. She''d tried moving things by mental thought, focussing first on leaves and then when that didn''t work she''d tried moving motes of dust. Nothing worked, so when she was twelve she''d decided that she either didn''t have telekinesis or she was too young. Second sight ¡ª by which she meant seeing things a long way away or foreknowledge was harder to test. She''d tried meditating and staring at flickering lights and candles, to see if she could induce a trance where she''d `unlock her mind''s powers''. When that didn''t work she''d added chanting too, various different self-hypnosis techniques. She''d been sure she should be able to do something else beyond hearing thoughts, she just needed the key. She knew what drugs resulted in and it didn''t look like super mental abilities so much as slavery, but she''d tried other things, straying into the occult and incantation-based pagan rituals. A week before her first dream she had called upon all the spiritual powers active in the world to come to her and grant her power to see the future. Her first prophetic dream had been that her mother would take her to a circus. She did, and she had secretly rejoiced that she''d dreamt it coming.
But then she had seen herself being teased at school, and that happened too; she then realised it could have a down side as well. A week later, aged fourteen, she''d dreamt about a stick making a hole in an egg, and filling it with fire. The next day the terror attack had happened, and that night she''d dreamed about the ruined city.
She forgot about seeking foreknowledge and tried to escape the terrible dreams instead, desperately hoping they were not foreknowledge. Over the next year her mother had taken her to doctors and psych-program sessions, and she rejected the pagan route to power. After she''d had no more dreams for some months, and more sessions with the the psych programs, she''d rejected the whole idea of foresight as foolishness, superstition and giving your nightmares power over you. She tried to become a convinced materialist atheist. The alternative, she felt, was a nightmare, but she knew she was hiding from what she''d experienced. ¡°I''m somewhat surprised you''re not still having nightmares, Bella, or worse.¡± Sarah said.
¡°They stopped.¡± Bella said, simply.
¡°And do you accept the real reason why?¡± Sarah probed.
¡°You''d like to tell me that it''s because I asked God to make them stop, wouldn''t you?¡± Bella said.
¡°I don''t know any other cure for what you''d asked for. Have you said thank you?¡±
¡°I don''t believe in him, Sarah.¡± Bella protested.
¡°Only enough to ask him for help, which was promptly given.¡± Hannah pointed out. ¡°You might like to think about that.¡±
¡°Bella, can I tell the others a little of what I saw?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I guess so. Not too much, OK?¡±
¡°Tell you what, I''ll think it to you, and you can decide what to pass on, how''s that?¡±
¡°Sounds good. Sounds very good.¡± Bella agreed.
¡°And I think it would be good to get your mum''s diary. Shall I talk to her, or will that scare the living daylights out of her?¡±
Bella was surprised ¡°You saw that too?¡±
¡°Sorry, shouldn''t I have mentioned it?¡± Sarah was contrite.
¡°In this company, I guess it''s not such a great secret. Go ahead, she''ll be impressed by the company I''m keeping.¡±
¡°Sarah, Bella can''t hide. I guess her mum can''t either.¡± Eliza butted in.
¡°OK, urm, we''ll have to teach her. What''s her name? ''Hello, Bella''s mum?'' dosn''t quite fit.¡±
¡°Mrs Monroe, Jaqueline.¡± Pris supplied.
¡°Oooh, impressive knowledge!¡± Bella said.
¡°Impressive nothing, I looked up your record while you were talking.¡± Pris said. ¡°How about Bella calls using more normal means first, to prepare her, just so she doesn''t drop her best vase when you shout into her brain.¡±
¡°Oh, where''s the fun in that?¡± Bella asked.
¡°You don''t have time to go home and tidy up for her.¡± Pris wagged a finger at her, or would have if it hadn''t been bandaged. As it was she tried and realised that it hurt and it wasn''t very effective.
¡°Oh all right. I''ll ring. I can give her your name?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Yes. Just ask if it''s OK if someone called Sarah talks to her, please.¡±
¡°I don''t know how much more than that I could tell her, Sarah.¡± Bella protested.
¡°Oh, you could tell her all sorts of things.¡± Pris said ¡°But you won''t, will you?¡±
¡°I guess you''re right. No I won''t.¡± Bella confirmed, and rang her mother.
¡°Hi Mum, it''s me.¡±
¡°Aren''t you at work, Bella? What are you doing calling me during work time? Are you in trouble?¡±
¡°Yes I''m at work, in a meeting, and you know I don''t get in trouble these days, Mum, but there''s someone here called Sarah who''d like to urm talk with you. Is that OK?¡±
¡°Yes dear, why the emphasis?¡±
[Because I want to talk like this Jaqueline. Hi, I''m Sarah.] Sarah thought.
¡°I see. I see and I suppose she can hear my every thought can she?¡±
[Only if you tell me it''s OK to listen in, and I''d only listen as though we were like holding hands. I''ve no desire to pry, it''s just there are things I''d like to talk to you about that I''d rather not trust to a wrist unit.]
¡°OK, I''m willing. Bloody curious too.¡± [What''s this about then, Sarah?]
¡°Bye Mum, see you soon.¡± Bella said, and dropped the connection.
[Mrs Monroe, as you''ve realised I''ve got a rare gift. I''ve just been having a look at some memories Bella has, and she tells me you kept a diary about them toos ¡ª dreams she had as a teenager. I wonder if you still have them?
[Yes, yes, I''ve got them, but why on earth do you want to find out about those dreams?]
[Mrs Monroe, there are several reasons, but one is that it was clear that her memory of the dreams has altered over time, and I''d like to get some extra data about what she reported to you.]
[I guess that you''ve got your reasons. Are you one of those psych-counselors? Are they thinking my Bella is crazy?]
[No, no to both Mrs Monroe. I had a dream from God, very much like one of Bella''s. But she had so many dreams. Some of hers are just horrible nightmares but some could be very important.]
[You mean to say you think they''re prophetic? Bella said they were when she first started geting them, but...]
[Some of them are. Her last one, I don''t know if she told you about it, was to dream about her being here in this meeting.]
[She told me about it. I thought about it when I heard that report. Thinking without touching. Impressive.]
[I hear Bella can''t hide her thoughts. Can you? It can be a very good defence if you meet the wrong person.]
[I''ve heard of it. Is it hard?]
[Not very. Could you bring the diaries here? Then both of you can learn at the same time.]
[You can''t teach me like this?]
[It can be hard to un-hide your thoughts. I wouldn''t want you to get stuck without being there to tell you what to do.]
[That sounds sensible. It''ll take me a while to find the diaries. I know they''re filed on the computer somewhere, but quite where I put them, I''ve no idea.]
[Do you remember what they''re called? Or a phrase from one of them?] Sarah asked, and told her how to get the computer to do the searching.
[Thanks, that''ll save a lot of time.]
¡°How should Bella''s mum get here?¡± Sarah asked the room in general.
¡°Get into the Security vehicle waiting outside her home.¡± Pris answered.
Everyone looked at her in surprise. ¡°Hey, don''t look like that! It wasn''t my decision, it was Maria''s.¡±
¡°But you asked her?¡± asked Bella.
¡°She asked how things were going, I sent her a note saying Bella had had confirming dreams as a teen, her Mum kept a diary, and we''d ask her to bring it along. She replied that I should send some agents to guide her here.¡±
Sarah relayed the news to Bella''s mum that there was an official car waiting for her; meanwhile the conversation moved on in the room.
Kate said ¡°And you did that all using the eye tracking stuff? You''re good!¡±
¡°Eye tracking plus a couple of switches. I''m apparently in the top twenty percent of users, but I''m getting better.¡± Pris said with justifiable pride.
¡°Well done, Pris!¡± George said ¡°I thought I was doing well to get up to 4 words a minute.¡±
Pris decided she wouldn''t mention that she''d been faster than that from the outset. ¡°You used it? When?¡±
¡°I had a broken right wrist and a sprained left one as a teenager.¡± George said. ¡°I tried it, for a few days, but ended up using voice recognition instead, it was less frustrating.¡±
¡°So that''s why you suggested it? You wanted to frustrate my friend?¡± Karen asked, with a dangerous note in her voice.
¡°No, because if you remember Pris''s eyes were about the only thing working properly, while her nose was regrowing.¡±
¡°What did happen there, Pris? You could talk during your rescue.¡±
¡°They gave me muscle inhibitors so my new nose would stick properly. That''s what they said anyway. I heard someone whisper that it was so there''d be less talking on the ward. That might have been a joke though. I expect it was.¡±
¡°I certainly hope it was.¡± Teresa said. ¡°They''re not allowed to do that sort of thing, it''d be abusive medication.¡±
¡°Anyway, Bella, hadn''t we better tell your Mum to get in that car before she leaves home?¡± Pris thought.
Sarah replied before Bella could ¡°Oh, I did, as soon as you said. She said something about finally a good use of tax money.¡±
¡°That''s my Mum. She says the only good use of tax money is to pay my salary and give her cheaper prescriptions.¡±
¡°Rather a short-sighted view.¡± Tony commented.
¡°Oh, I doubt she means it. She was an auditor before she retired. Very good at spotting a hole in a story. Having the Power probably helped of course.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Kate prompted.
¡°I suspect you''d think it wasn''t very ethical, but she just used it to confirm her findings.
¡°I wonder, might she have used the Power on you, on your dreams?¡± Tony asked.
¡°Oh, she did, I know.¡± Bella said. ¡°The psych-program was suspicious of how well I was able to describe my dreams to her. Actually, that''s probably how I ended up in Security.¡±
¡°How come?¡± Karen asked.
¡°I expect that if Pris has a look in my file she''ll see a note that I was stated to have an excellent visual memory. It''s true, but I didn''t claim it.¡±
¡°You think the psych-program leaked that information to Security?¡± John was concerned. ¡°It shouldn''t have.¡±
¡°I granted access ¡ª part of the application process, if you''ve had long term psych-issues. I guess some well paid human had to review my case notes and make the call as to whether I was mentally unfit or something.¡±
John looked at Kate and raised an eyebrow.
Kate had the grace to blush slightly ¡°I thought your name was familiar when I first heard it. It was probably me. It''s certainly something we do.¡±
Bella was surprised. ¡°I thought it''d be internal.¡±
Pris answered that ¡°There aren''t many applicants who need that sort of review, Bella. I''d guess that we give Kate about a day''s work a month, on average. Her skills would be useless most of the time if she worked with us.¡±
¡°Plus,¡± Kate added, ¡°if it were someone internal, with another role as well, then you might end up working with them and that could be difficult, as you rightly noted with Eliza.¡±
Bella''s wrist-unit chimed for attention. ¡°Oh, my mum''s here already. I''ll go and meet her, if that''s OK.¡±
¡°Very, but I''ll join you.¡± Sarah said. ¡°The computer''s not been programmed with her I.D. yet, and I suspect I just allowed you to come up yourself, not to authorise others to.¡±
¡°So if I went down, and let my Mum into the lift, it might not let me back up?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Exactly.¡± Sarah said. ¡°Of course we could try it and see if it''s working properly, but it should be, or the institute''s in big trouble.¡±
¡°Let''s not go there, Sarah.¡± Kate said. ¡°I don''t want to have to replace your pet for quite a few years.¡±
[We''ll just come and open the door for you, Mrs Monroe.] Sarah thought to Bella''s mother as they waited for the lift.
[So why am I Mrs Monrow all the time, Sarah, when I don''t even know your surname, and you started out by calling me by my given name?]
[Because I realised that I''d overstepped the mark by doing that, sorry.]
[Overstepped rubbish. Call me Jackie.]
[Thanks, I will.]
[And you found out my name by doing something mystical?]
[No, by asking Bella. I thought it would work better that way than saying ''Hello, Bella''s mummy.'']
[Oh, that takes me back. I was never anything other than that to some of Bella''s classmates. They just couldn''t remember my name, I guess. But surely Bella wouldn''t call me Jaqueline?]
[No. I asked Bella, but Pris, who''s also here and works in Security jumped in with your name. She''d just been reading Bella''s file, apparently.]
[And what''s her connection with all this? Has she had some dreams too?]
[No, but she''s been going mad with boredom in hospital.]
¡°Hi Mum!¡± Bella spoke as the lift door opened.
¡°Hi little one. What sort of trouble are you in now?¡±
¡°Nothing too drastic, Mum. But the secret''s out.¡±
¡°Which one? Your boyfriend?¡± Jackie asked as she got into the lift.
¡°Mum! ¡± Bella exclaimed ¡°I don''t have one. This is Sarah, as you''ve probably guessed.¡±
¡°Come on in Jackie. Computer, admit this woman to the owners lounge on my authorisation.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Acknowledged.¡±
Just as the doors were closing, a man in smart clothes flashed his ID at the lock and stepped in.
¡°This lift isn''t for the general public,¡± he said, surprised at not seeing another manager in the lift ¡°How did you get in?¡±
¡°I have authorisation to use this lift, sir, as long as I hold my current position.¡± Sarah said, ¡°My friend here has temporary authorisation. I''m accompanying her and the third member of our party to a meeting.¡±
¡°Where? I''m not aware of any conference! Who called it? Where is it and in what capacity are you here?¡±
¡°I''m sorry sir,¡± Sarah said trying to maintain a professional manner ¡°I don''t recognise you, or know if you have the relevant clearance for me to answer that question.¡±
¡°I don''t know who you are either. What are you doing in this elevator?¡± he demanded, ignoring her implied question.
¡°I''m using it, sir, to attend a meeting, as I''ve said. Will you please identify yourself, or must I ask the computer?¡±
¡°I''m the managing director, young woman. I demand to know what''s going on. What position are you currently in?¡± there was a threat that she wouldn''t be there much longer if he had anything to say about it.
Since Sarah was fairly sure she knew what the managing director looked like, she checked with the computer ¡°Computer, confirm job title of male occupant of this lift.¡±
¡°Self-designation incorrect. Male occupant holds position of acting managing director.¡± the computer informed her. Bella and Jackie suppressed smiles.
Sarah watched him lose a little of his bluster, and decided to deflate him some more. ¡°Well sir, in view of the temporary nature of your position, I can only tell you that there is currently a meeting in the owners'' lounge, which we are attending.¡±
He decided that two could play at the game of checking with the computer, and tried ¡°Computer, identify these women.¡±
To Kate, Sarah thought, [Kate, the acting MD got into the lift with us and is demanding to know who we are and what we''re doing in his lift. I''ve told us we''re heading to the owner''s lounge for a meeting. That doesn''t seem to be stopping him, Any ideas?]
The computer responded ¡°Female occupants of lift are authorised users. Further identification is not necessary.¡±
[Tell him the majority shareholder will be informed of his attitude and the incident will be logged in his file. Then if that doesn''t work, see if Bella wants to arrest him for something. Gassing him is probably a bit much unless he gets violent. If there''s any problem, take him to level one, I''ll talk to the nice people in building security.]
¡°Further identification is requested!¡± the now irate manager said to the wall.
¡°Authorisation is needed to comply with this request.¡± replied the computer.
¡°Authorise by my authority.¡± the acting managing director said, totally frustrated.
¡°Insufficient authority. Requesting permission from authorised occupant.¡±
¡°Not granted.¡± Sarah said ¡°Sir, the computer will not identify us to you, you do not have sufficient security clearance. Can I suggest that you designate your floor and allow us to attend our meeting. Otherwise I shall have to formally report this incident to the majority share holder, and it will be noted on your file.¡±
¡°I don''t know who you are young woman, or how you''ve managed to convince the computer that you''ve got higher authority than I do, but I insist you identify yourselves or leave this lift. Failing that I shall have you removed by security.¡±
[Bella? Feel like arresting him?] Sarah asked.
Bella almost did. ¡°I think you''ll find, sir, that if you seek to have us removed then you''ll be finding yourself removed instead and possibly in search of a new job. I formally warn you that I''m a Officer of the Crown and am attending the meeting in an official capacity. I do not suggest you interfere with me executing my duty any further. Please, designate your floor to the lift.¡±
¡°Computer, take us all to the owner''s lounge!¡± He stated, giving it yet another try.
¡°Authorisation is needed to comply with this request.¡± replied the computer.
¡°Authorisation refused.¡± Sarah told the computer, then, very politely in the circumstances, she felt, she addressed the man once more ¡°Sir, you do not have an invitation to the meeting, nor do you have the security clearance or authority to barge in uninvited. I will be reporting this incident to the shareholders, and I assure you that it will be raised with the board. I do not find your attitude appropriate for a senior manager of this store.¡±
¡°Sir, please name your floor or leave the lift.¡± Bella tried once more, even more firmly.
¡°I will not do either while I see strangers seemingly taking over control of store property! So we can wait here until you tell me who you think you are.¡±
Sarah had had enough. ¡°Computer, take lift to level one, alert security, one aggressive male staff member to be detained until he can calm down at least.¡±
¡°Acknowledged.¡± Finally, the lift moved.
¡°Sir,¡± Bella began ¡°you are formally warned that you have, without sufficient cause, interfered with the execution of my duty. You will report to a police station to accept this warning in written form within forty-eight hours or further proceedings will be triggered.¡±
The lift opened and the security guards were standing ready.
¡°These women refuse to identify themselves to me, and claim to have more authority than I do!¡± blustered the manager, ¡°I want them off store property at once!¡±
¡°Sorry sir, if you will just step forwards a little.¡± They guided him two steps forwards, out of the lift cabin. ¡°They do have higher authority, sir. I''ve just had the majority shareholder on the phone wondering what had happened to her staff member and guests. Sorry for the inconvenience, Maam.¡± he added, as the lift doors closed.
¡°Quite all right.¡± Sarah said with a smile ¡°Well, wasn''t that fun!¡±
Bella''s mother looked at the two younger women. ¡°I don''t think it was much fun, really. He looked like he was going to get violent.¡±
¡°There isn''t much space here, but I think we could have handled him.¡± Sarah said, ¡°It''s not like he''s going to surprise us, and failing anything else, the computer won''t let much happen to people without taking matters into its own hands.¡±
¡°What would it do? Drop us off at security?¡±
¡°Once it''s gassed him, yes.¡± Sarah replied. ¡°It''s part of the Institute''s security system, after all.¡± she added in explanation.
¡°Sleep-gas in this lift?¡± Bella asked. ¡°We''d all get a dose, surely?¡±
¡°I expect so, but the computer would identify him as the target and us as the innocent victims if we did pass out.¡±
¡°I see.¡± Jackie said. ¡°For the record, I''d rather not find out if I''m allergic at my age.¡±
¡°I''ll keep that in mind.¡± Sarah said.
¡°I probably would have stunned him, Mum.¡± Bella said.
¡°I''m not sure which of you is worse.¡± Jackie decided.
¡°Oh, that''s easy.¡± Sarah said ¡°I am. I mean, at least Bella told him who she works for.¡±
¡°And who do you work for?¡± Jackie asked.
¡°Mum, think about it. The majority shareholder asks about staff members, and the lift is part of the Institute''s security system.¡±
¡°I didn''t understand the reference. You mean the IHM? Of course you do. So there are gifted people employed at the Institute.¡±
¡°Didn''t you see Tony Randle''s report?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°I assumed you had.¡±
¡°Oh yes, he put two and two together didn''t he? But it was partly speculation, not acknowledged fact. I do like his stuff though. Well thought through.¡±
The lift door opened smoothly. ¡°You should tell him that,¡± Sarah said, ¡°Tony, let me introduce you to a fan of yours.¡±
¡°Hi, Bella''s Mum, urm Jaqueline wasn''t it? Have a seat.¡± Tony said.
¡°Call me Jackie, please. Bella, are you going to introduce me to everyone?¡±
Once the introductions were over Sarah asked Bella ¡°Shall we do the, `what I saw in your memories'' bit now, or shall we peer at the diaries?¡±
¡°Urm, I guess we should set the scene. So you''ll think it to me and then I can censor it?¡±
¡°Yes, I think that''s a reasonable approach.¡±
¡°What''s this about, Bella?¡± her mother asked.
¡°I let Sarah have a rummage through my memories, Mum, to see if she could come up with any background information about my dreams. I don''t quite know what she came up with and so I''d rather she told me and then I can decide what to make public.¡±
¡°Oh. Interesting!¡±
[OK, Bella,] Sarah started. [The background is that you read loads and as a teenager you were utterly convinced that hearing thoughts meant that all the other fantasist''s dreams had to be true too. Psychokenisis, second sight, you name it.]
Bella repeated that.
[And on that assumption, and hoping that you had more than just one power, you wanted to find out what your powers were, not leave them ''dormant''. You tried moving leaves by mind power and when that didn''t work you tried on dust floating in the air. That didn''t work either, so you decided that maybe you were too young and should try again later on.]
¡°Oh that''s right! I was obsessed, wasn''t I,¡± Bella said, and repeated it.
[And then you tried entering trances and hypnotism to bring out your second sight.]
Bella repeated that. Her mother looked at her. ¡°Bella, is that what you were doing? What did you think second sight meant?¡±
¡°I thought it mostly meant seeing the future, Mum.¡±
¡°Oh, Bella! When I told you about my great-gran having a reputation for second sight that wasn''t seeing the future! I guess it was what Sarah has, knowing where people are, that sort of thing.¡±
¡°I realise that now Mum. I''d totally forgotten about your great gran though.¡±
¡°I only told you once, when you were very little,¡± Jackie said.
¡°No wonder I was so convinced that there was something more.¡±
[And you went about getting it pretty much any way you could, except drugs,] Sarah said. [I don''t know if you want to tell people all this, but when hypnosis and flashing lights failed you basically kept looking for ways of altering your mind, and ended up with what amounts to witchcraft. Spells, incantations and invocations of spiritual powers. You called on all the spiritual powers active in the world to grant you the power to see the future.
The spirits, personally I''d call them demonic forces, answered first I think, and then God gave you some true prophesies, and then the demons did a pretty good job of distorting them, as well as feeding you some more nightmares. Fortunately for your sanity, God put a stop to them when you called out to Him.]
Bella said, ¡°I was a very foolish girl. I wanted power, I wanted second sight, I don''t know why. I ended up as a little witch, calling on all the sprits active in the world to give me what I wanted, the power to see the future. And they did, the spiritual powers of this world, Sarah names them demons.¡±
¡°Bella! Oh Bella, you silly... I never knew!¡± her mother said, shocked. ¡°Oh, I knew you were playing with candles and trying to hypnotise yourself, and I know I told you it wouldn''t help, but I never knew you were that stupid.¡±
¡°I was, Mum. Sorry. They answered, and it was cool at first, and then it wasn''t cool, it was scary, and I wanted them to stop. Sarah tells me that God also gave me some dreams and then the demons distorted my memories of them and gave me nightmares. God stopped them.¡± Saying it like that, she realised that truth she''d been hiding from for a long time. God did exist and He''d rescued her from her nightmares. ¡°Thank you, God.¡±
¡°Good start,¡± Arwood commented. ¡°But don''t stop there.¡±
¡°I know. I need to decide about truth, don''t I?¡± Bella replied.
¡°Truth and trust and who should be the boss,¡± Pris said. ¡°Important issues those. I''m sure Eliza would be happy to fill you in.¡±
¡°I''ve got a question. Is someone out to get me?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Pardon?¡± Arwood asked.
¡°I mean. On the way here we spot snipers, then there were thugs who just happen to pick me as their target. Then there was that manager guy. Should I worry? Should we worry?¡±
¡°Given what you''ve told us so far, maybe. Your demons won''t want to let you change sides.¡± Arwood said, then asked ¡°Any thoughts from anyone else?¡±
¡°Quite a lot of eggs in this basket,¡± Tony said, thinking about what a coup it would be for the forces of evil to kill everyone in the room.
¡°We could be somewhere safer,¡± Kate said. ¡°Pris, do you have access to the assessment of this room? Security did one about ten years ago, but all I ever got was a verbal summary.¡±
¡°I should do, if I can find it. Why?¡± Pris wondered.
¡°I''m just wondering what threats we''re vulnerable to up here. I remember things like ''the window glass should be bullet proof, but not against high calibre weapons.'' but I don''t remember if they were thinking anti-tank weapons or just high calibre rifles.¡±
¡°You mean, could a typical sniper shoot through the windows, that sort of thing?¡±
¡°Yes. I mean, from what we know about the previous owner, I expect it was sniper proof when built, but that was a while ago.¡±
¡°And there are more tall buildings around than there used to be,¡± Pete added.
¡°That could make a difference,¡± Pris agreed.
¡°Why not just move?¡± Sarah suggested. ¡°Like Tony meant, I assume, it''s not just our lives at stake, but the knowledge of the prophesies, which could mean thousands of lives.¡±
Tony chose his words carefully, to not give too much away, ¡°Not to mention the quotient of gifted people here is higher that normal.¡±
¡°Gifted people?¡± Jackie said, looking at Sarah. ¡°You''re not the only one here? Oh, Bob talked about an engaged couple in the testing. That was you and John? And you''ve both got the Gift?¡±
¡°John''s got an artificial leg, Jackie. It wasn''t us in the tank, he prefers not to risk getting the electronics wet.¡±
¡°Oh. sorry. Leaping to conclusions.¡± Jackie apologised.
Then she looked at the other couples in the room. ¡°I can''t believe it was Tony and Teresa, sorry, it doesn''t seem like either of you have the right job, and I''m afraid you and Pete don''t qualify on the age criteria, Kate.¡±
¡°We''re young at heart, aren''t we Pete?¡± Kate said. ¡°But really, Jackie, it''s better if you don''t try and work it out.¡±
Bella combined what she knew with her Mum''s speculation, ¡°If Mum''s right and there are more of you here than I know about, we probably should move, if the moving doesn''t expose us to extra risk.¡± She looked accusingly at Kate. ¡°You initially asked me to bring Eliza to the institute.¡±
¡°We won''t all fit in the lift, children, but lets go for a nice safe walk.¡±
Kate decided. ¡°You''re not claustrophobic, I hope Jackie?¡±
¡°No. You''re about to let me in on a well kept secret, though, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Yes, Jackie. Arwood and Hannah, too. We''re going to walk to the institute, people, without ever stepping outside. But you can''t tell anyone or you get branded as something akin to an international terrorist.¡±
¡°Oh, I can keep secrets, Kate.¡±
¡°Bella said you were an auditor, so I guessed you could.¡±
¡°Ha, my Bella can keep secrets too. She never said where, did she?¡±
¡°No, she didn''t.¡± Kate acknowledged.
¡°Kate has the same security clearance as you do, Jackie, but in a different branch. Arwood and Hannah haven''t been cleared to any level as far as I know.¡± Pris pointed out.
¡°Oh, well, no swapping stories then.¡±
¡°However,¡± Pris continued. ¡°If you feel the need to swap stories, then Karen, George and I know some people you know.¡±
¡°Really? It''s a small world isn''t it.¡± Jackie said, brightening up.
¡°In some circles, yes.¡± Karen said, wondering who she knew that Jackie might too. Auditing wasn''t exactly a function of her mother''s branch of Security, or a usual embassy function.
¡°So, why don''t we make one lift-load, and the others can squeeze into another.¡± Pris suggested.
¡°Not much time for stories, but yes, lets.¡± Jackie said ¡°Sorry, Bella, I think you''re not included.¡±
¡°Just my luck. I''m always left out of things.¡±
¡°I''ll just check if the computer knows about anything,¡± Sarah said,
¡°Computer, report status.¡±
¡°Security alert status seven. Fire alert status zero.¡±
¡°Full expand on security alert.¡±
¡°Possible ongoing threat to staff members and visitors. Threat type: multiple assasination or general attack, risk: high. Basis: conversation in this room. Threat source: unclassified entity or entities labelled ''demons'', threat motive: potential defection of visitor Bella, frustration with actions of unclassified entity labelled ''God''. Query status of being ''God.'' Query status of being ''demons'', query meaning of phrase ''believe in God.''
¡°Wow. Urm. Status of being ''God'', ruler of universe, highest authority. Status of beings angels: messengers and servants of God. Status of demons: former angels rebelling against God''s authority.'' Phrase ''believe in God'' meaning: trust in God, acknowledge loyalty to God. Equivalent term: Committed Christian. Phrase ''not belive in God'' meaning: refuse to acknowledge God exists. Characteristic of God, angels, demons: spiritual beings. Estimate approximately zero probablilty of direct threat from demons. Characteristic of spiritual beings: normally invisible, undetectable to scanners, normally work through human agents.
¡°Confirmation request: Committed Christian equates to agent of spiritual being God?¡±
¡°Confirmed,¡± Sarah said, wondering what the computer was going to make of that.
¡°Analysis: Staff members Sarah, John, Kate, Karen agents of God, contract staff members Teresa, Pete, agents of God. Visitors George,Hannah, Arwood, Pris, Eliza agents of God.¡±
¡°Threat analysis demons and agents of demons pose danger to staff members. Query visitor Bella is human agent of demons?¡±
¡°Negative!¡± Sarah responded quickly.
¡°Parsing logic failure. Query visitor Bella status. Query defection status of visitor Bella when not agent. Inconsistency. Threat analysis incomplete. Query visitor Bella regarding belief in God.¡±
¡°This is surreal,¡± Bella said amazed that she''d just been asked by a computer if she believed in God. ¡°How do I answer without it classifying me as a threat?¡±
¡°It''s got a point though, doesn''t it?¡± Hannah pointed out. ¡°Either you''re on God''s side or you''re not.¡±
¡°Hannah, shh!¡± Sarah said ¡°Let''s not confuse it any more.¡± Thinking fast she said ¡°Computer! Human logic not binary. Visitor Bella was unwilling agent of demons many years ago. Visitor Bella has totally rejected that role. Visitor Bella''s statement of unbelief in God does not make her agent of demons, it meant she does not trust God.¡±
¡°Phrase analysis: ''Visitor Bella believes in God'': status negative. Phrase analysis ''Visitor Bella does not believe in God'': status negative. Threat assessment complete. Security alert status unchanged, level seven. Staff members and visitors at risk from agents of demons. Full expand complete.¡±
¡°Well, Bella, ever had an AI interrogate you about your lack of faith before?¡± Jackie asked.
¡°No, Mum. And I bet you haven''t either.¡±
¡°I just wonder what happens now if someone were to announce they believed in demons during a counselling session,¡± John said.
¡°Or talks about their attempts at demonology,¡± Tony suggested.
¡°I think, the computer would increase the security alert level, and I''d be very happy with that,¡± Sarah said.
¡°Just as long as it never gases people without warning.¡± Bella commented.
¡°Oh, it''ll do that, in the right circumstances ¡ª if there''s a sudden attack between people it has reason to know are in conflict, it won''t bother issuing warnings. That''s probably why it wanted to know Bella''s religious affiliation.¡±
¡°It didn''t ask about mine,¡± pointed out Jackie.
¡°But you hadn''t raised it as an issue until now. So, where do you stand on the great God question?¡± Teresa asked with a sweet smile.
¡°I said a great many years ago that I''d believe in God if someone proved to me that the stories about my great-gran weren''t just so much hot air. I was half-way convinced when I heard what the reports from the institute said, but there were some details missing,¡±
[John, do you think she''d figure in Mamma Ng''s legacy?]
[It sounds plausible, could even be a relative of Arwood''s.]
Sarah, in an inquisitive voice asked ¡°Jackie, I''m just wondering... Does the name of a dish called `thoughtful chicken'' mean anything at all to you?¡±
Jackie''s jaw dropped. ¡°You''ve heard of thoughtful chicken?¡±
¡°Heard of it? I''ve cooked it.¡±
¡°If you''ve got witnesses to that, then you''ve made a believer of me girl, otherwise I''m going to suggest that you''re the most unscrupulous thought-reader I''ve ever met. That was the missing detail.¡±
¡°Her ma got the recipe from my mama, Sarah cooked it in all innocence, and we helped eat it,¡± Arwood said.
¡°And it works as advertised,¡± Hannah said with a grin. ¡°Which probably means that you and my beloved husband need to compare family trees.¡±
¡°We do indeed! Bella, you always said you wanted some more relations. I think you''re about to gain some.¡±
¡°What''s thoughtful chicken?¡± Tony asked.
¡°Closely guarded family recipe,¡± Hannah said. ¡°How Sarah''s mum got Arwood''s Mama to part with it, I''ve no idea.¡±
¡°And there''s a reason for it being a secret. It could be dangerous in the wrong hands,¡± John said.
¡°Terrorist food?¡± Tony asked, now totally confused.
¡°Tony, I don''t think this is a helpful line of discussion for you at the moment,¡± John said, ¡°Maybe in a few months'' time, OK?¡±
¡°What''s the difference between now and then?¡± Tony asked, even more confused.
Even Eliza knew the answer to that one. ¡°You''ll be a married man then.¡±
¡°That''s true,¡± conceded Tony with a grin at Teresa. ¡°But I''m still totally confused about this dangerous food.¡±
¡°Let''s keep it that way, and let''s move, since we decided to before Sarah and the computer started discussing theology,¡± John said.
¡°Computer, admit all present to tunnel. Override normal lift operation. Once empty, reserve lift for secure transfer of all present.¡±
¡°Acknowledged. Evacuation to secure location in progress. Lift reserved for this process, until evacuation complete. Barriers rising.¡±
The lift arrived. ¡°Karen, do you four want to lead the way?¡±
¡°Fine by me,¡± Karen said. ¡°Come along Pris.¡±
¡°I don''t have much choice do I?¡± Pris joked from her chair, which Karen had grabbed. ¡°How''s your leg, by the way?¡±
¡°No major problems, but the doctor said I''m not allowed to dance too vigorously at the reception. Or go mountain climbing for the honeymoon.¡±
¡°What honeymoon?¡± asked George. ¡°Or has someone moved the trial earlier?¡±
¡°Oh, please, let that be the case!¡± Karen said. ¡°Did you hear when it''s rumoured to start, Pris? Monday after our wedding! What a start to married life. I''ve no idea how we get married in a probable blaze of publicity and then hide in a safe-house, either.¡±
¡°I heard, Karen, I heard. But I promised Jackie a little gossip.¡±
¡°You did indeed, Pris. So, who do we know in common?¡±
¡°Well, I had heard that Karen talked a fair bit to Tasha.¡±
¡°Tasha? Not for long, but a good talk. You know her?¡±
¡°Do I know Tasha? Oh the tales I could tell. But you''re not cleared that high, surely at your age?¡±
¡°Blame it on my parents.¡± Karen replied with a grin.
¡°I would if I knew who they were.¡±
¡°Karen is Maria''s daughter, Jackie.¡± Pris supplied.
¡°Oh really! Well! You''d have to have pretty high clearance then, wouldn''t you?¡±
¡°One gamma. It''s not exactly gossip, and I hope you don''t mind me asking, but there''s quite an age gap between you and Bella, isn''t there?¡±
¡°Yes dear. I was over forty when we finally had Bella. And in case you''re wondering, my husband died when Bella was two. Accident.¡±
¡°I''m sorry. It must have been hard. Very hard.¡±
¡°You''re right. It was. But we''re close. But you know Tasha. How is she?¡±
¡°She was really hot the last time I saw her. She finally took up Mum''s offer of experiencing some fieldwork, and for some reason chose to go to a little place I used to call my hot home from home. We met her as we were passing through.¡±
¡°Where you were at school?¡±
¡°Yes. Security situation was even worse than when I was at school, and Tasha was all for calling a taxi, can you believe it?¡±
¡°Urm, what''s wrong with that?¡± Jackie asked.
¡°Sorry, urm. Pris, do you want to explain?¡±
¡°Weren''t we supposed to wait for the others?¡± Pris asked suddenly, having realised that they''d left the lift and hadn''t stopped.¡±
¡°I hope not. We do know the way after all,¡± George said.
¡°And there''s more time to chat if we don''t,¡± added Karen.
¡°OK. Jackie, if there''s a security risk, calling a taxi from a base is just asking for trouble.¡±
¡°Oh, yes, I see. And Tasha hadn''t had that bit of training?¡±
¡°I guess not. I had to explain it to her, but she took it well.¡±
¡°Shouldn''t there have been someone with her?¡±
¡°Yes, but he had a dental emergency, I seem to remember it was. Quite handy, really, just like her being in the right place at the right time for us to meet.¡±
¡°I blame God, myself,¡± George added.
¡°He can take the credit, certainly. For everything,¡± Karen agreed.
¡°Have you spoken to her recently?¡± Pris asked.
¡°No. But do I gather from all the God references she''s gone and signed up with you lot?¡±
¡°She''s come to trust God, yes,¡± Karen said.
¡°Well I never! She and your Mum used to have such fun debates, from what I hear. Blood everywhere. That''s an exaggeration, or at least, no real blood.¡±
¡°I heard Tasha saying that she was on the line to Maria when she became a Christian,¡± Pris said.
¡°Purely for academic interest, how does one do that? No, that''s a lie and you all know it. I grew up hearing fairy stories about my great gran being a godly woman and because of her God she had far greater abilities than mine, knowing where people were and the rest of it, and her knowing a recipe which could have helped my husband... hold on... do you know about thoughtful chicken?¡±
¡°Sarah''s told me.¡± Karen said ¡°He didn''t have the Power?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°From what I understand, yes, it probably could have helped him understand.¡±
¡°I wish I had a need to know what you''re talking about.¡± Pris commented.
¡°But you don''t, so pretend you didn''t hear that.¡± Jackie said, ¡°So... when I was five-years married with still no children, cross with life in general and God in particular, I told God that I wasn''t going to believe in him unless he''d prove that all those stories were true.
Derek, my husband, he became a Christian a year before Bella was born, and when we found out about her he was going on about how God was finally blessing our marriage, but I refused to listen, telling him I''d given God my conditions a decade earlier. He begged me to listen and reconsider, but I was still stupid and all I''d do was promise him that I''d believe in God if he proved himself like I wanted. Not very clever, but I was still angry. And then Derek had that stupid accident... It was a long time ago, and my Derek''s been gone a long time now, but I mean to keep my promise. I accept your God is real. What comes next?¡±
They''d reached the foot of the stairs up to the Institute.
¡°A staircase, in terms of getting to the meeting room,¡± Karen observed. ¡°OK if we wait here for the others? I don''t think I should help carry Pris on this leg, and while I know George is strong...¡±
¡°I''d rather not risk being dropped, thanks,¡± Pris completed her statement.
¡°And I''d rather not drop you, Pris. I could manage you without the chair, if you could hold on. As it is I think we should just wait a bit.¡±
¡°As for what comes next about becoming a Christian, just how much do you know?¡±
¡°My parents weren''t Christians, but my gran was, she told me the stories, and about Moses crossing the red sea and Jesus walking on water. I never really listened because I thought I knew better. Then I met Derek and Gran refused to tell me the recipe before we married; then she died when we were on our honeymoon.¡± Jackie said.
¡°And you decided it had all been stories?¡± Pris asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°But now?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Now, I wonder if God was out to get me, or what.¡±
¡°But even if he was, you''re prepared to trust him?¡± Karen prompted.
¡°Ah, you''ve caught me out, haven''t you? I''ve given you the simplified version. There might have been... complications in our marriage if I had fed it to Derek.¡±
¡°So, it might have been God making sure that you were still married by the time that Bella came along?¡± George suggested.
¡°It might have been. It might have been. In which case I might say it was worth it.¡±
¡°One part of becoming a Christian is telling God that you want Him to be in charge of your life, Jackie. If you don''t trust Him that far then you''ve got a problem with keeping your promise just yet.¡± Pris offered.
¡°I thought by your definitions he is already?¡± Jackie said.
¡°So? That doesn''t stop the subversives from fighting the establishment. Which side do you want to be on? Part of the massive crowd of rebels, or the few loyal supporters who lots of people think are deluded?¡± George pointed out.
¡°According to what I remember, the establishment has some big weapons just round the corner.¡±
¡°That''s where the analogy breaks down. It''s more that the majority are blocking their ears and saying ''Nyaa nyaa, you can''t scare us, we want to party.'' when the establishment warns of approaching dangers.¡±
¡°You mean I''m one of the stupid crowd, more interested in my pleasures than my safety?¡±
¡°Or your pride, or anger or some other thing that you''re holding on to rather than face the approaching danger.¡± Karen said. ¡°I prefer to face dangers with my eyes open, and to accept help when it''s offered.¡±
Jackie laughed. ¡°Well, you''re your mother''s daughter all right! I heard her say roughly the same thing to Tasha about 20 years ago.¡±
¡°Maybe I was quoting.¡± Karen acknowledged.
The others came into earshot, and then into sight. ¡°What kept you?¡± Jackie asked Bella, ¡°It seems like we''ve been here ages.¡±
¡°We didn''t all fit in the lift.¡± Bella said.
¡°Ah.¡± Jackie said.
¡°And then I realised that I''d left my handbag upstairs.¡± Kate admitted.
¡°So, three lift trips instead of one.¡±
¡°Yes. Did you have a good gossip?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°Not really, but we had a good chat.¡±
¡°Oh? Any news?¡± Arwood asked.
¡°Only that Karen here uses the same arguments her mum did twenty years ago.¡±
¡°Oh? You knew Karen''s mum?¡± Bella asked.
¡°You didn''t know that? Oops. Sorry.¡±
¡°Bella knows that Mummy and Daddy are in the diplomatic service, Jackie.¡±
¡°Well, that''s good to know. And everyone else?¡± Karen thought a bit. ¡°I''m not actually sure Arwood and Hannah knew that much, did you?¡±
¡°Not that precisely, know. You''ve said they''re living abroad before now.¡±
¡°Oh well, me and my big mouth. Pris, you won''t report me will you?¡± Karen said.
¡°What, for putting such critical information into the hands of people who''ve proved entirely trustworthy with bigger secrets?¡± Pris asked.
¡°Actually, Pris, Karen, I think Arwood has been given some kind of clearance level.¡± Kate offered. ¡°I can''t remember what level it was, but I know I filled in some forms for him when we were setting up the ethics committee.¡±
¡°That''s a relief.¡± Karen said. ¡°I wouldn''t want to break any official secrets laws.¡±
¡°Since they''re for your own safety, girl, that would be quite a silly thing to do.¡± Jackie said.
¡°Eliza, do you know what''s not being talked about, or am I the only one?¡± Bella asked.
¡°I know Karen''s mum, Bella. Sorry.¡±
¡°If it''s any comfort, Bella, I can say that there''s a time for everything. I mean, how long was I chasing you for an interview, Sarah?¡±
¡°Years, Tony, years and years. Have I given you one yet?¡± Sarah smiled sweetly.
¡°Come to think of it, not really.¡± Tony admitted.
¡°Well, there you are. Patience is a virtue, maybe I will eventually.¡±
¡°Is the reason Tony wanted to interview you a state secret too?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Not really, Bella. My maiden name is Smith. You dreamt about the attack, and I shouldn''t need to add that it was in such very vague terms you couldn''t have known what was about to happen. I survived it.¡±
¡°Oh!¡± Bella then looked at John. John Williams with a metal leg; the penny dropped. ¡°It must have been hard for you, both.¡±
¡°It was, but we''re who we are because of going through it.¡± Sarah said.
¡°But you can understand why we are a bit under-awed at the thought of giving another interview.¡± John added, looking pointedly at Tony
¡°I''ve stopped asking! Honestly, I have!¡± Tony protested.
¡°So, Tony, the moral of your saying about everything having a time was that if I wait long enough I won''t want to know any more?¡± Bella asked.
¡°I suppose it does come out like that.¡± Tony admitted. ¡°Oh well. It wasn''t meant to. I presume you were waiting for help with the stairs?¡±
¡°Yes please.¡± George said. ¡°I''d get in all sorts of trouble if I tried to take Pris up myself and dropped her.¡±
Disclosure / Ch. 15: The Diaries
Book 3: Disclosure / Ch. 15:The Diaries
2.30 pm, Saturday afternoon, 18th November
On arriving at the institute, George had raided his larder and found plenty of pasta, a small tin of tuna and a few other things. After watching him look at the other ingredients blankly for almost a minute, Sarah had begged him to let her take over. Somehow she managed to stretch the tuna to make a delicious tuna sauce to go with the pasta. There were even left-overs.
¡°I thought that feeding the five thousand had gone out of fashion?¡± Pris joked.
¡°That was a miracle, this was just cooking.¡± Sarah said.
¡°That''s what I thought to begin with. But you''ve just made a sauce for fourteen people out of a single tin of tuna.¡±
¡°I had a limited income as a student.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I learned how to stretch things.¡±
¡°I kneel to your superior expertise,¡± Pris said, ¡°or I would if I wasn''t in this chair.¡±
John decided it was time to get to the point. ¡°Jackie, Bella''s told us about what she remembers, Sarah''s had a dig around in Bella''s memories, and I did too, and we found signs that her memories don''t entirely correspond to her dreams, and that some of the dreams look like they''re not from God but an entirely different source. We''re hoping that your diaries have the original versions of the dreams, rather than the corrupted version.¡±
¡°You''re taking Bella''s dreams seriously then? Why?¡±
¡°Yes, we are. It started out that we were taking Sarah''s vision very seriously, because I checked immediately after she had it and we know it came from God. Then it seemed that Bella had had a confirming dream, but it seems to me now that Sarah''s vision was confirmation of Bella''s dreams.¡±
¡°OK, well, here''s the memory dump. I double checked, Bella had those dreams for about eight months before they stopped. It was a terrible time, I can tell you.¡±
¡°More like a year, Mum.¡± Bella corrected. ¡°I just didn''t tell you about the first few months. But they weren''t as often then either.¡±
¡°I saw there were lots of dreams.¡± Sarah said, ¡°That''s why I asked John to help: there were too many for me to take them all in. What was it, one a night?¡±
¡°Oh that would have been nice.¡± Bella said. ¡°I probably could have coped with one a night.¡±
¡°Sometimes it felt like one an hour.¡± Jackie said.
¡°Ouch.¡± Kate replied. ¡°No wonder you sought help.¡±
¡°So, was it just different versions of one dream each night?¡±
¡°No. There was a sequence. It seemed to repeat.¡± Jackie remembered. "You''ll see."
Sarah brought up the dream diary.
- Friday 1st Feb. Dream one: People on a space ship, in dispair, radioing for help. Dream two: People in a laboratory, staring at a screen in shock. Dream three: Devastated city. No bodies. Dream four: Arguing people on a space ship, someone fires a missile. Dream six: Devastated city, full of bodies.
- Sat 2nd Feb. Dream one: On a spaceship, people pulling on air masks. Dream two: Mission control, getting a distress call. Dream three: Valentine''s day chocolate box, with a devastated city inside. Dream four: Arguing people in a laboratory, saying it''s not their fault. Dream five: People fighting in a room with lots of dials and switches a big red button gets pressed. Dream six: Devastated city full of bodies.
- Sun, 3rd Feb: No dreams.
- Mon 4th Feb. Dream one: a missile landing and a mushroom cloud. Dream two: someone pours a bottle into a reservoir. Dream three: a christmas present opened with lots of bodies inside, but the city isn''t ruined.
And so it went on.
¡°Was it always like that?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Always like what?¡±
¡°If there weren''t any bodies in a dream, those came first?¡±
¡°Yes, I think so.¡± Jackie said.
¡°I think that''s maybe significant.¡± Karen said.
¡°I agree.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I saw a ruined city in my vision, with no bodies. I trust the source of that, so I think that the sequences that end with bodies, or a city which isn''t ruined should probably be ignored.¡±
¡°And it''s Valentine''s day.¡± Teresa said, ¡°Not Christmas.¡±
If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
¡°Very true.¡± agreed Sarah.
¡°Filters?¡± John guessed.
¡°Absolutely¡± Sarah agreed. ¡°Lets see if those details help.¡±
Sarah instructed the computer to index each day''s text based on presence of bodies and mentions of dates. While that was happening she set up the filter.
¡°Isn''t that interesting?¡± Karen said, seeing a pattern.
¡°What?¡± asked Pris.
¡°Look at the dates. Two days in a row, skip five, two days in a row, skip five. Remind you of anything?¡±
¡°No scary dreams midweek?¡± Kate asked.
¡°No dreams which match our reliability criteria midweek.¡± Sarah corrected, ¡°Plenty of scary rubbish mid-week,¡± Bella agreed ¡°But nothing from God when I needed to be alert the next morning? That''s... I don''t know. Is that considerate or just wierd in the circumstances? Come to think of it, I do remember something saying something about the dreams I had at weekends not being so terrible. Do you remember me saying anything about that to you Mum?¡±
¡°Not really dear. About the timings, I think it''s useful. It means we can get rid of a lot of dreams right from the start, and yet if there are any that don''t match on those days we can look at them more closely.¡±
¡°Am I right that the reliable dreams always come in threes?¡± George asked.
¡°Well, that''s a biblical number, but then so are most numbers.¡± Arwood said. ¡°I certainly wouldn''t want to say they have to.¡±
¡°Me neither.¡± Sarah said, looking at what might be a sequence of seven.
¡°Look at this set.¡±
¡°No ruined city at all that night.¡± Karen spotted.
¡°Just what I was thinking. So do we count all of them or none of them as reliable?¡±
¡°All as worth considering, I think.¡± Arwood said ¡°Unless we see a contradiction with a dream we''re fairly sure is reliable.¡±
¡°I''ll see if the computer can merge them together.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Perhaps get it to score the different things as well, in terms of how often they come up?¡± George suggested.
¡°That sounds like a good idea. Actually, George, this pattern matching stuff is more your field than mine. Could you see what you can persuade the computer to do?¡±
¡°Of course, Sarah. I actually don''t think it''ll take long.¡±
George sat down at the terminal and pointed some of his subroutines at the dataset. He was sure that because they were already in groups, and quite terse, it wasn''t going to be a hard job for the computer, once he''d set it all up. Of course setting it up always took longer than he hoped. Eventually he was happy with his approach, and commanded it to run.
The result came back quickly:
Reliable (>4 occurances).
- People on a spacecraft spot something, are worried, put on oxygen masks, and make a distress call.
- The distress call is picked up in mission control, they are concerned, call for help.
- An observatory is scanning the sky, there is something blocking the light from a star. There is a meeting. people there are worried, failing to agree.
- There is a dark something on the screen of the observatory.
- There is an office, people are staring at plots and numbers on monitors.
- Police are going through the city, shouting at people.
- The city is runined, there are no bodies, it is valentines day.
2 or 3 occurances:
- There is a broken spacecraft transmitting a distress call.
- There is a radar station on fire, with a crowd around it.
- There are convoys of vehicles leaving a city.
- There is a meteor shower over an enormous campsite.
1 occurance:
- There is a meeting with lots of people, asking about a dream.
- The king is listening to Bella and another woman.
- There is smoke from a power-station.
- A missile is launched, which goes off course and is commanded to self destruct.
- A missile is launched, which hits a small rock in space and is destroyed.
- There are people hiding in houses.
- A rock hits a tent.
- There are people crying at a funeral.
- There are people praying.
- People are going back to an undamaged city.
¡°Sarah?¡± Kate asked. ¡°Thoughts? You''re our resident almost-physicist.¡±
¡°My guess? We''re facing something like a Tungasca event. There''s a city that will need evacuating before Valentines day. There might be a tent city, there might be attempts to divert the asteroid or comet, but they don''t work. Except, that last one... Bella, your dream about our meeting... can I have another look at it?¡±
¡°Sure, Sarah. If you like.¡±
Sarah focussed on Bella. She saw Bella''s recent thoughts about the dream, and went behind them, saw the distorted versions, and ignored them too. Where was that original dream? There! She took in the details, and then sought peace instead. Some heat, but not very dangerous. She returned to normal for a bit.
[John, catch! {memory} {memory}] she thought, and flung him what she''d seen, and her initial assessment of it. [I''m going to rest a bit.]
Bella was a little worried that Sarah was slumped in her chair. ¡°Is she all right?¡±
¡°Yes, she''s just turned off part of her brain so she can cool down a bit.¡±
John said. ¡°She''ll be with us in a bit.¡±
¡°Oh. So we need to wait until she''s cooled off?¡± Jackie asked.
¡°No, she told me what she saw. I think I agree with her analysis.¡±
¡°Well then, what is it?¡± Kate asked.
John flicked a glance at Arwood and Hannah. ¡°Predestination and free will.¡±
Bella made a frustrated sound. ¡°What is it? Come on John! What are you saying?¡±
¡°Bella, what do you remember anything about your original version of that dream?¡±
¡°I don''t know if it''s original, but I remember people asking me about my valentine''s day dream, without touching, or speaking.¡±
¡°And?¡± John prompted.
¡°It was spooky, being asked questions like that. I didn''t like it.¡±
¡°And so we didn''t.¡± John added.
¡°OK, Now I''m all confused.¡± Jackie said ¡°Are you saying that these dreams aren''t true?¡±
¡°We asked Bella about her dream, but not the way she dreamt we''d ask. The dreams are warnings, not an exact representation of the future. Almost every valid set of dreams Bella had, ended with the city in ruins, but one didn''t.¡±
¡°There''s hope.¡± Arwood said. ¡°There''s hope, even if the best efforts of man fail, because this is God''s Universe, and He''s in charge.¡±
¡°If we do the right thing.¡± Tony said.
¡°I wish we knew which city it was.¡± Teresa said. ¡°That way at least we''d know which country needed to be warned.¡±
Bella looked at them in surprise. ¡°I thought you already knew. It''s here, I''m fairly sure.¡±
Preparation / Ch. 1:Sheep-dog trials
Book 4: Preparation
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 1:Sheep-dog trials
Ten years earlier
Mars had water, but not enough for farming. Not enough to make it livable.
So, a decision had been made, once the energy issues had been solved with
fusion reactors, that a few thousand small icy asteroids would be delivered to Mars from the Kuiper belt. Small, since people were nervous about the idea of throwing dinosaur killers around the solar system, plus of course it was much easier to move the small ones.
It took a strange sort of person to coax asteroids from the inner edges of the Kuiper belt into an orbit that would intercept Mars. You were a long way from home, not quite as far as Neptune, but almost, and there wasn''t exacly much opportunity to pop over to a friend''s house for a chat and a cup of tea. Or of visiting Mum on her birthday. It took at least three months each way, and normally far more.
All the actual orbital manouvers, of course, were done by the robotic probes, which gave the lumps of dirty ice a push here and a nudge there, grouping them into line to send ¡°down-hill ¡°. Someone once said they moved around like sheepdogs, and so sheepdogs they became, even in official communications. But the sheepdogs needed instructions, checking over and occasional repair. So the Martian terraforming (water delivery division) service corps were formed. Since they ''fed and watered'' the sheepdogs, everyone called them shepherds. Their job was important, but left them a lot of free time, so much so that it was a requirement that they have something else time-consuming and mentally challenging to do. Many used the time to write books, or study theoretical subjects. They tended to be philosophers, mathematicians, theoretical physicists or religious hermits. Anyone who had at least repaired their own bicycle at an early age, was capable of using a torque wrench properly and replacing a circuit element the right way up, who was also mentally suited to the task and needed a few years of thinking time was welcome. There were often vacancies, but not many. The job paid well, but there just weren''t many people interested. The only face to face meetings the shepherds had while on the job were with the crew of the supply ships, who called once every eight months.
The computer bleeped an alert and crackled. ¡°Shepherd six, shepherd six, Supply four here, are we interrupting anything, Jack?¡±
¡°Yes, but it''s not as important as visitors. Nice to hear your voice, Wilma.
I don''t suppose you''ve got any extra chocolate have you? I ran out much too soon last time.¡±
¡°Well you did only order twenty bars for eight months, that wasn''t much compared to your normal dose.¡±
¡°I was planning to exercise self control, and cut down to half a bar a week. I found I didn''t have enough will-power though.¡±
¡°I see. Well, we''ve got plenty. I don''t suppose you want a lift home do you?¡± this was a key question that was always asked. There were forms to fill in to request a transfer home, but they were rarely used. Filling out a form asking to be relieved felt very very different to having company turn up and offering you a choice between a lift home and another eight months of isolation.
Jack hesitated. ¡°You know, Wilma... I think I do. I''m not finished yet, not by a long shot, but I think I''m close enough that I probably wouldn''t need more than four months to get there. I''d hate to have to make someone make a special journey to fetch me, and lets face it, I''d need to ask them to come about now if my guess about how long it''ll take is at all
right.¡±
¡°Well, you''re welcome to come aboard, once we''ve docked. Any problems with the dogs?¡± Wilma asked. Of course there had been, that was why Jack was out here. There were always problems with the dogs that the automated systems couldn''t cope with.
¡°Not much. Sheepdog four is getting a bit slower than it used to be, but it''s still in spec. It''ll probably need its lines scrubbed in a few months. Oh and I had to replace dog eight''s power board again last week. I''m sure that''s not right. Two failures in two years with the same problem?¡± Changing the power board was a fairly simple procedure, once you''d taken practically all the other boards out. It didn''t need to be done very often, fortunately.
¡°But it could limp back home OK?¡± Wilma asked. If it hadn''t been able to then Jack would have had to ride another sheepdog out to it, hook them together and then bring it back, quite a risky task.
¡°Oh yes. No problem there. But why should two main rectifiers fail? They''re not exactly complex, or even highly stressed ¡ª you know how over specified those things should be. I wonder if there''s some other fault.¡±
¡°Maybe there was just a bad batch?¡± Wilma suggested.
¡°Perhaps. That''s what control said, but no one else has had any failures so I''m not convinced. I was thinking about it when you called and really, I think it should be given a complete checkup. It wouldn''t take more than a couple of weeks, I think, put everything through its paces with a few thermal cycles and the odd bit of vibration.¡±
¡°You mean kick it around a bit, don''t you Jack?¡±
¡°Standard field vibration test, yes.¡±
He was right. It wasn''t in the service manual, but it did seem that the best way to check that everything in the three tonne robotic probe was up to nudging rocks around was to give the circuits a good kick or three and see if it glitched. Sometimes people missed, or kicked too hard and broke things, so Wilma wasn''t allowed to encourage it.
¡°Well, if you want to stay to kick your dog in its sensitive bits then I guess you can, Jack.¡±
¡°No, I''m coming. Running out of chocolate was my own silly fault, but it helped me decide. I need to see civilisation again.¡±
¡°Maybe your replacement can give it a good kicking then, Jack.¡±
¡°I''ve written them a note about it.¡±
¡°We''ll be docking soon Jack, then I can introduce you to him.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Your replacement. Philosophy student by the name of Dan, came out with me on this run for the fun, excitement and in case anyone wanted to swap.¡±
¡°I''ll tell him just where to kick them then.¡±
¡°I''ll pretend I didn''t hear that, Jack.¡± Wilma had heard it all before, of course. She''d been piloting the six month long supply runs for almost two decades now, visiting the different shepherds in one segment or another. Jack was actually a rare type of shepherd, this was his second tour. All told he''d been a shepherd for fifteen years, and had come out for his first tour just before Wilma had started. If Jack thought the dog was starting to fail then it probably was. And he knew all about where to kick them to check for different failure modes. She''d try and make sure Dan paid attention.
Hand-over took a day, just like restocking might have, so it didn''t put Wilma''s schedule off at all.
At the airlock, Jack turned to Dan.
¡°Well, Dan, the station''s all yours now. If you find any of my missing socks, just incinerate them. They''re not worth the postage. Do check on those dogs soon, like I said. Oh, and keep a watch on the spectroscope for those diamonds. They''d just burn up if you sent them to Mars, which''d be a real pity.¡±
¡°Jack!¡± Wilma warned ¡°Don''t you go filling Dan''s head with nonsense! There''s no such thing as space diamonds.¡±
The dogs were fusion powered of course, and early on a bright spark in the design department had asked why anyone should bother shipping purified hydrogen out to them for fuel when they were constantly bumping into icebergs?
A heated probe could easily be deployed to suck in a few hundred liters of comet whenever the tanks were getting low. Certainly that then needed to have the contaminants filtered out, and the filters needed cleaning every now and again, but that was a small price to pay for not needing to bring out tonnes of hydrogen to refuel the sheepdogs. The high purity water used to supply the hydrogen also provided the shepherds with their drinking water and oxygen, and allowed the shuttle to refuel at both ends of its journey, increasing the cargo capacity and reducing the transit time at the same time. The project would probably have never happened without it.
Of course, there were contaminants, hydrocarbons mostly, pure carbon as graphite, nanotubes or fullerines was possible too. Different authors had even postulated ways that diamonds might be formed, but mainstream scientists couldn''t really believe they made any sense outside of the gas giants. And the gas giants were notorious for not letting things get out of their atmospheres at orbital velocities. So,
proto-comets with diamonds on didn''t make any sort of sense. That didn''t stop rumours.
¡°Oh Wilma! You cut me to the quick. Do you really think the rumours would persist if there weren''t any?¡± Jack replied as they closed the hatch on his ex-home and made their way to her cargo ship.
¡°Yes, I do, and you know it. They''re a myth!¡±
¡°Wilma, in view of the fact that you''ve been a supply pilot for twenty years now, I think it''s time someone let you in on a secret.¡±
¡°Oh yes, Jack? What''s that?¡± Wilma asked, sceptically.
Bracing himself against the airlock door, he rummaged in his pack for a bit, and pulled out a little bag. He carefully opened it and took out one of the fifty or so rough crystals that were in it. ¡°Rumour has it that it was your birthday the day before yesterday, Wilma. Have a very very happy birthday, and don''t spend it all at once.¡± And with a curious twisting motion of his hand he sent the crystal spinning slowly towards her. It was roughly octahedral, and transparent. It hadn''t been cut and polished of course, but it certainly looked like it might be a raw diamond to her untrained eyes. It felt cold to her skin. Diamonds conducted heat well, she knew.
¡°It''s real? They exist?¡± was all she could say.
¡°Took them from dog five''s filter with my very own hands,¡± he replied. ¡°Happy birthday, but don''t tell the others.¡±
Their route would take them relatively close to the next ''sheep'' which would be added to the ''flock''. It was Jack''s last chance to watch this strange dance first hand, and he decided he''d rather not miss it. There was something he saw on the radar and out of the window that struck him as odd. The asteroid was about normal size, and the dogs were working well together, but there was something odd about how it was reacting to the pushing of the dogs, or about the way the dogs were pushing it.
All asteroids tumble through space and since a dirty snowball sixty metres or so across weighed quite a lot more than the three ton dogs, there wasn''t much point in trying to stop that. So it was that a dog would make contact, stay for maybe a minute and then back off, once its angle of thrust had been turned more than a certain amount by the rotation of the asteroid. As it backed off, another dog would take its place, or approach in another direction to correct the trajectory. As it got closer to its intended course they''d mostly leave it alone.
The dogs had been working on this one for long enough by now that there should have only been occasional contacts needed. That was it, Jack realised: the dogs were still working hard on it.
¡°Wilma, I think maybe Dan''s first sheep is looking like a goat.¡±
¡°Pardon? I''ve never heard that term before.¡±
¡°Oh. Maybe it''s my own. Sometimes you get odd ones round here. Look just perfect until the dogs try to move them, and they act like they''re made of rock rather than water. I call them goats. I''m sure the astronomers have a nice scientific name for them, but I forget it.¡±
¡°Would Dan know about them?¡±
¡°Yeah. I told him he mustn''t go sending any goats down with the sheep. He just needs to watch the mass estimates from the flight data.¡±
¡°Well I''m sure he''ll do OK.¡±
¡°Yeah. He''s probably doing some cleaning or something.¡±
In fact, Dan was looking through the telescope at the dance. It was hypnotic. The little flares from the manouvering jets, as the dogs lined themselves up, then the great tail that the main engines produced, tens of kilometres long, and multiple colours, depending which elements were in the mix at a given time ¡ª there was no need to filter the reaction mass nearly so well as the water that fed the fusion core.
It was entrancing and he was entranced. Everyone was for their first few sheep. It was against regulations not to check the mass readings, but perfectly normal to be entranced. Dan should have told the dogs to pick another sheep. Jack could have reminded him, but he didn''t think it would do any harm, and would teach Dan an important lesson if he realised the mistake himself.
Dog eight was working hard. That was its purpose, so there was nothing unusual there. The unusual thing was the little place on its throttle limiting circuit where there wasn''t a perfect connection. When it got really hot, say, when there was a heavy asteroid to move, which took longer than usual, there was a chance that the connection would stop conducting at all. That had happened twice now, and the surge in power of the engine turning on full from cold had killed the main power board. This time it didn''t, since there wasn''t a surge. The throttle was already at
full thrust. The fault just meant that when the dog''s computer tried to disengage its drive, it couldn''t. The computer signalled the power board to enter emergency shut-down mode. There was a dedicated signal wire for this. Unfortunately an inept field vibration test had broken it before Jack had started his most recent tour, and an oversight in the diagnostic program meant that it was never checked properly. The plasma engine burned, and the asteroid turned. Dan realised there was something wrong just as the computer signalled mayday.
Jack looked on in horror as the dog''s main engine flare, still burning
at full throttle, disappeared behind the asteroid. It should have turned off long before. The way the asteroid was turning, it''d be aiming straight at them in about ten minutes, and they were too close.
He swore. ¡°Wilma, If we don''t get out of the way, and Dan can''t turn that dog off, we''re about to get roasted.¡±
Wilma had been reading, but took in the situation quickly. ¡°How far, which way, how long have we got?¡±
¡°Six, seven minutes or so, I''d guess. I''m pretty sure it''s tumbling right in the same plane as our flight-path, so I don''t care if it''s up or down as long as it''s at ninety degrees. As for how far, the further the better. We''re what, fifty kilometres from it? The cone will be at least three kilometres wide out here, but it could be more. If you can get us five kilometres up or down in ten minutes then we''re probably safe. Make it that far in five and I''m fairly sure we are.¡±
¡°What do you think this is, a sports car? Wake up everyone, we''re doing things this ship wasn''t designed for, emergency manoeuvres about 10 seconds.¡±
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
She turned to Jim, the navigator, then Nancy, the engineer: ¡°Jim, say we''ve got five minutes and want distance, maximum OMS or turn and use the main engines? Nancy, If Jim wants main engines, we''ll want full fusion power available immediately when Jim says so. Once we''re not aiming at anyone, squirt it out raw until we''re ready to blast.¡± She''d just given the command to use pure fusion products as thrust. Really long-range missions were configured that way, it was highly efficient in terms of reaction mass, but the thrust was very low. In the present circumstances, it was just a good way to make sure that full power was available instantly, all Nancy would need to do was add reaction mass to the plasma jet and they''d get noticeable thrust.
Everything depended on mass. Their main engine was flexible: it could eject more reaction mass for extra thrust and shorter journeys, or it could eject less reaction mass faster and keep thrust up for years. With their
current load of cargo and reaction mass, the main engines could accelerate them at a fiftieth of a gravity, but the main engines couldn''t steer. The orbital maneuvering system could accelerate them at one twentieth of an earth gravity in pretty much any straight line, or if they needed to turn quickly on the spot, it could could turn them ninety degrees in about a minute. But the fuel was limited, and individual rocket nozzles weren''t meant to make long burns. Everything is a compromise, and no one had expected the cargo ship to need to dodge quickly.
The safe limits were set at a minute per nozzle at full power, followed by a cool-down period. They could over-stress them, twenty, thirty percent longer was probably fine in an emergency, but more than that was risky. They really needed those OMS engines and damaging them would mean they couldn''t turn or dock properly, and would put all their lives at risk.
Knowing those numbers, it wasn''t a particularly complex calculation to know how far each system could take them in a certain amount of time. If they only had three minutes it would have been easy: there was no way the main engines would be able to make up for the time lost in turning the ship round. But ten minutes was plenty of time. With nine minutes of full thrust, they could have been almost thirty kilometres off their present course, the longer acceleration was like that. But, in between, it was less clear, especially when you added in options like starting to accelerate before the ship was fully turned.
Jim, at the navigator''s desk, didn''t have time to do the maths, but got it almost exactly right for the parameters he''d been given: ¡°A thrusting OMS turn is probably best, Wilma. Just front thrusters for a minute with no reciprocal at the rear, then start the main engines and eventually straighten us up with a burn from the rear OMS.¡±
The combined thrust pattern would give them some speed from the initial OMS burn, and then the continuous thrust from the main engines could take over.
He could have specified that the main engines turn on earlier, and they would have helped a bit more. Of course, if they''d turned them on immediately they would have been blasting Dan with a higher energy plasma beam than the one they wanted to escape. That wouldn''t have been polite.
Dan, in the dog control room, tried what he knew, to no effect.
He didn''t realise it was a wiring fault, and thought the computer had got stuck somehow. He instructed the computer to reset itself. It didn''t have any effect, except to prevent him from issuing more instructions while it did that. A full computer reset like Dan had commanded took a minute. The dog kept burning on full; Dan watched on in horror as the accident unfolded.
Jack''s guesses turned out to be wrong in all the wrong directions. The path of the dog''s plasma tail hadn''t been exactly along their flightpath, but two kilometres above it, so in fact they spent the first two and a half minutes getting to its centreline. Also, the plasma tail thrusters pointed roughly at them after only four and a half minutes. If Jim had told Wilma to use the OMS, they''d have been 6.3 kilometres from their previous path, as it was, they were just over five kilometres. If Jack had been right, or had said to go down, they''d have been safe. The tail was eight kilometres wide. Three kilometres from its center line just wasn''t enough. The tail was diffuse, of course, spread over such an area it wasn''t going to cut through the cabin or anything like that, but it was still a hot plasma which can do all sorts of damage in its own right, and also included dust particles up to the size of grains of sand. Just like a comet tail. Unfortunately, cargo ships aren''t designed to fly through comet tails. The dust and sand, travelling at more than ten times faster than a bullet, exploded through the outer thermal insulation layers and sent a shower of debris through the cables beneath them, and the plasma shorted out exposed circuitry. High voltages and currents burnt along microscopic circuit paths and electronic components were destroyed. The communication antennae were the first to go, then the navigation cameras. The computer took the only step it could to protect itself and the crew, and triggered the electronic crow-bar circuits; for a few milliseconds every input and output lead went straight through them, harmlessly bypassing the computer. Then the fuses blew and the circuit breakers tripped. The fusion reactor shut itself down, and all electrical power died with it, apart from the emergency lamps. Jack hadn''t moved from his place at the window, transfixed by their approaching doom. Ten seconds later, the tail had passed. The light surrounding the ship was gone, and there was silence.
Jim, having seen what was likely to happen, hadn''t been so passive. Even before the tail hit, he''d sent the mayday signal and then started going towards the emergency store. He got out the oxygen masks, and in the silence and gloom, he handed them out. ¡°Just in case.¡± he said. ¡°We don''t know there''s no leak.¡±
¡°My ears aren''t popping.¡± Jack replied.
¡°So, it''s not fast.¡± Wilma said. ¡°Unfortunately, we don''t have a pressure gauge which doesn''t depend on there being some electricity around. Unless you do, Jack?¡± He shook his head.
¡°We can bodge something if we''ve got an airtight bag.¡± Nancy offered, trying to think of something that would work.
¡°Good thinking!¡± Jack complimented her.
¡°We must have something.¡± Wilma replied.
¡°Food packs and tape?¡± suggested Jim, handing her the pack from his lunch and the ubiquitous space emergency supply: a spool of tape.
¡°Excellent!¡± Nancy said and started constructing. ¡°Jim, did I see you''d hit the mayday?¡±
¡°Yes. I hope it went out.¡±
¡°I''m sure Dan saw what happened.¡± Jack said.
¡°Yes. But how able is he going to be, without someone to talk him through it?¡±
¡°He should do fine. But he''s now got two problems to solve ¡ª us and that mad dog. He''s going to have to work out a solution to both, that thing''s blasting away between him and us and we don''t want him to get hit on the way to get us.¡±
¡°What''s gone wrong with it do you think?¡± Jim asked.
¡°I''d guess the throttle''s jammed on full.¡±
¡°And the emergency shut-off?¡± Nancy asked.
¡°Not working somehow.¡± Jack shrugged, ¡°It passed full diagnostics, but then that should have caught the throttle too.¡±
¡°So, what''s going to stop it?¡±
¡°The filter will probably block in about 3 months, if nothing else.¡± Jack offered. ¡°It''s a shame I cleaned it out recently, or it''d be that much sooner.¡±
¡°Could he command the refueling not to happen?¡± Wilma asked.
¡°Yes. That''d at least mean it''d calm down a bit in, what, a day or two?¡± Jim asked.
¡°Hmm. The dog''s engine''s not going to like that.¡± Jack considered. ¡°It doesn''t eject the reaction products like you guys do, it''s another system altogether: heat exchanger makes superheated steam and then that feeds the plasma jet.¡±
¡°So, if there''s no reaction mass, what happens?¡± Wilma asked.
¡°The reactor probably melts. The reaction mass acts as coolant.¡± Nancy supplied.
¡°So stop the plasma jet without engine shutdown, and the dog will die a messy death?¡± Jim asked
¡°I expect so.¡± Jack confirmed. Then, indicating the Oxygen-rebreather pack he''d been handed, he asked ¡°How many of these do we have?¡±
¡°Two more rebreathers, total of fifteen oxygen tanks, including the ones we''re holding.¡± Jim replied. ¡°Each one should be good for twelve hours if we do lose pressure.¡±
¡°So, with four of us, and four and three quarters of a tank each, however we manage to share, then we''ve got two days. What if we don''t lose pressure?¡±
¡°Then, if we can get some power to life support, we''re fine for a year or more, and if we can''t then it''ll be more like a week before the scrubbers are full...¡±
¡°Did I hear a ''but'' there?¡±
¡°But if we don''t have any heating then it''s all going to be a bit irrelevant anyway. Four bodies is not enough to keep this ship warm. Temperature will be dropping at about half a centigrade per hour. With all the water on board it''ll slow when it gets to freezing point for a while.¡± Nancy answered. ¡°By the way, I''ve finished this pressure sensor. If this bag starts looking full then we''ve got a leak.¡±
¡°At least the dog''s not going to blast us again.¡± Wilma said.
¡°Is there some kind of light we can point out of the window?¡± Jack asked ¡°Really, we should try letting Dan know we''re still alive out here.¡±
Jim handed him a flash-light. ¡°Don''t suppose you know any Morse code?¡±
¡°S is three short flashes, O is three long ones, E and T are a short and a long respectively. Can''t remember any more I''m afraid.¡±
¡°Good job it''s all printed on the handle then.¡± observed Wilma.
¡°Ooh, what a good idea someone thought of that.¡± Jack whistled appreciatively. ¡°I think I''ll start with `Save Our Sausages''.¡±
¡°Souls, Jack, souls. S.O.S. means save our souls.¡± Jim pointed out.
¡°I know. Now, since we seem to be spinning, Mr navigator, can you look out of that window to tell me which way to flash?¡±
When he''d seen the ship get blasted and apparently go dead, Dan had relayed his version of the mayday, along with the telemetry data from the dog''s computer, to Jupiter control. Not that that would help much; given the distances involved, it would be roughly two hours until they even received the message. After that, he''d set the station''s telescopes to point at the cargo ship. He was just working out the boost calculations to call most of the other dogs home without them getting fried by the mad dog''s rocket when the computer announced there might be a signal from the departing ship. In terms of space travel, the ship was still moving slowly. It had separated from his station and had originally been drifting away at about twenty kilometres an hour. Even that was because one of the dogs had given it a nudge. There was no point in wasting the cargo ship''s OMS fuel, and they couldn''t turn on their main engines so close to the station. Their attempt to escape the blast had given them some more velocity, of course, but they where still within easy reach, or would have been, without the mad dog.
He checked the telescope image. Deliberate-looking flashes from one of the windows. Morse code, probably. He''d never seen it in real life before. He told the computer to decode it for him.
¡°S.O.S. All alive, no power, no leak. S.O.S. All alive.¡± the message repeated. The problem was, he couldn''t exactly send a message back to them, if they didn''t have a telescope. Or could he? Yes! He realised that he could instruct one of the dogs to pulse it''s engine. That would certainly be visible to them, but given what had happened to dog eight, he wasn''t going to risk it just yet.
¡°Think he''s seen it yet?¡±
¡°Probably. No reply yet though.¡± Jack answered, keeping on with his pattern.
¡°What could he reply with?¡±
¡°Well, he''s got a laser ranger we ought to be able to see. Maybe he hasn''t thought of that though.¡±
¡°Why don''t you suggest it?¡± Jim asked.
¡°Because, it''s taking all my concentration to not get lost in sending this message, without having to talk to you, yet alone try to work out how to send anything that complicated.¡±
¡°Fair enough. Happy flashing.¡±
¡°Just stop, Jack. He''s sure to have noticed by now, and if he hasn''t then he''s not likely to for a while. Is there anything happening?¡±
¡°I think he''s calling the dogs home. Not a bad idea. Oh, it looks like one is coming this way.¡±
Dan was growing and more worried about that mad dog. The tail wasn''t following a precise arc, but the spin seemed to be precessing. The computer estimated he had about 3 hours before it aimed at him. The station should be better protected than the ship was, but still, he was concerned. He forwarded that data to Jupiter too, but any reply would be too late. What could he do with it? If at least he could stop it spinning then he''d be able to route the others around it''s tail, and the dog would go away from him too. He set the computer to see if that was possible. It indicated that it was; the spin could be stopped by three dogs pushing on just the right lumps and ridges on the asteroid. It would take about an hour of thrust. He sent one dog after the ship, to bring it back to the station, and sorted out the instructions for the other dogs.
¡°Any news, Jack?¡± Wilma asked. Jack was still in position at the window. He''d developed a system. Every minute he''d send ¡°S.O.S.¡± then every five he''d repeat the full message. He really wanted Dan to know they were alive.
¡°We''re too far to see much, now.¡±
¡°Get some rest. I''ll take over.¡±
¡°No, I''m fine. The dog''s going to be getting close soon though. It''s coming nice and slowly, which I''m perfectly happy about.¡±
¡°Me too.¡± Jim agreed,
¡°Oh, I might be imagining it, but I think the mad dog isn''t spinning as quickly.¡± Jack added.
¡°Is that good news?¡±
¡°Probably. It''d help us get back there without another roasting.¡±
Jupiter control to Dan:
Accident summary: Computer control of rocket motor and reactor has been lost. Exact sequence of events unknown, further tests in progress.
Analysis: Malfunctioning sheepdog is navigation hazard. Robotic repairrecovery not feasible. Manual repairrecovery too perilous while motor firing.
Mitigation: Shutdown of motor may be achieved by reaction-mass starvation. Reactor shutdown or destruction will follow. Either is preferable to continued hazard.
Instructions: 1. Command computer to disable reaction mass refueling and withdraw refueling probe. 2. Use other sheepdogs to rescue shuttle. Advise on damage and repair schedule. 3. Plot final course of asteroid for eventual recovery.
Nancy meanwhile, had been refreshing her memory of the circuits. She''d put the relevant data-crystal, normally kept in a special protective case, into her wrist unit, unfolded the screen to maximum size, and was scrolling around, trying to follow the lines on the complex diagrams. It would have been much easier on a screen bigger than ten centimetres across.
Judging by how many of the circuit breakers had triggered, it was clear that something significant had happened. If the computer had triggered the crowbar circuits itself, then it was probably OK, and so was the reactor. Other conditions ¡ª she was just checking which ones, could also trigger the crowbar circuits. If
that had happened, then that meant there was a chance that something vital in the reactor had seriously broken. The other possibility was that the crowbar circuits had not been triggered. That would mean that all those broken fuses and triggered circuit breakers had failed because those currents had gone through the computer itself. There wasn''t actually a single board that they all connected to except the power supply. Optical fibres ¡ª lighter than copper ¡ª joined some sub-systems together. Such a catastrophic failure was unlikely, but if it had happened then it would indicate that the generator had done something seriously nasty. It was her job to make sure it hadn''t before she reconnected it. Meticulously she pulled the circuits and checked for signs of damage.
Ten hours after they''d been hit, and three hours after the dog had coupled onto them and started to push them towards the station, Nancy spoke to Wilma. It was getting chilly.
¡°Wilma, your call: I''ve checked everything I could. As far as I can see the computer threw the crowbars across the power lines, so I should be able to restore power safely, at least to some circuits.¡±
¡°Well done! Which ones?¡±
¡°Heating, lighting, life-support certainly. Once they''re up, I can test other circuits better. Based on what I know, I could probably start the computer too, but I''m pretty sure we''ve got some dead circuits out there, so it''d just be the main computer, until I can do more tests. I don''t want to connect a bad circuit that''ll trigger another forced shutdown.¡±
¡°Of course not. And you''re tired and might make a mistake too. What about radio? It''d be good to be able to talk to Dan.¡±
¡°Someone decided to save a few grammes and made that a computer function. That''s one of the circuits I suspect the most, actually, along with the outside cameras.¡±
¡°Oh great. So, no radio. But life-support and heat would be nice. Any benefits to starting up the computer?¡±
Wilma was hesitant. ¡°Maybe. I''d need to talk to Jack. We''ve got the dockyard acoustic interface on the coupling, I don''t know if the dog has one. If it does then we might be able to get the computer to talk to the dog, and use its radio.¡± Jack had finally fallen asleep an hour ago.
¡°Remind me what a `dockyard acoustic interface'' is please. I don''t know if I''ve ever heard about it.¡±
¡°It''s built into the coupling: a little ultrasonic transmitter-receiver that lets the dockyard talk to the computer even before they''d built most of the ship. Its also used when we''re docked. Saves having data cables going through the airlocks, and it still works if they''ve disconnected the radio.¡±
¡°Sounds wonderful. Why would you need to talk to Jack?¡±
¡°I don''t know if the dogs have one. If they don''t then there''s no point in bringing up the computer, which is a slight risk.¡±
¡°Ah. Well, I think you should just restore life support and heat and leave it at that then. Then get some sleep, you''ve been alert for almost twenty hours.¡± Then, seeing Wilma''s expression, she added ¡°I will too, soon, Jim''s watch starts in half an hour.¡±
The end of dog eight''s existence was more spectacular than had been expected by anyone.
In the two days since the refueling probe had been disconnected, the constant thrust had given it and the asteroid an appreciable speed, and it was a long way from the station now.
But the reaction fuel was running out, and pressure in the reservoir reduced below where the regulator that fed the reactor was set. Constrictions which had previously been swept clean by the flow of water and steam started to clog up with silt and debris. The flow in them reduced further and became erratic, and eventually they were blocked entirely. Had the reactor temperatures got closer to the softening point of the encasing metals, then automatic shutdown would have occurred. No one had expected there to still be water in the system at elevated temperatures, however. The pressure of the water rose and rose further, eventually something had to give, and it did. The water exploded as though it had been high explosive. The dog split in two; one half hurtled into space, the other half gave up most of its momentum to the asteroid, altering its course a small but critical amount, before spinning off in the other direction. The explosion also released a cloud of dark debris which eventually settled back over the asteroid. The albedo dropped to almost nothing, even darker than most comet''s nucleii. Camouflaged, and no longer on the orbit expected, the asteroid went on its way. It had been aiming at where Jupiter would be in eight years. Now, it was going to miss.
The telescopes on the station reported the explosion to Dan, who duly passed that fact, along with the last orbital data and telemetry from the dog to Jupiter control. They decided that the risk of the dog hitting anything manned was roughly zero, and there was obviously nothing to be gained by visiting where the dog had exploded from.
The darkened asteroid dropped down the gravitational well towards the inner solar system, gathering speed with every kilometre.
January 2270
Scientists based on Europa who were studying Jupiter looked for the asteroid a week before it was due to hit. They''d hoped it would give them a nice collection of data as it impacted the gas giant, but they failed to find it where the data-set said it should be. That wasn''t particularly unusual, so they searched the sky for it, half-heartedly, but didn''t find it. In fact, it had passed the other side of the moon to where their telescopes were pointing. It had just been a potential data-source to them, and they had plenty of other sources of data, and a conference to prepare for. It didn''t occur to them to wonder where it might be going if it had missed Jupiter. In fact, having swung past Jupiter, it was now on a collision course with the third planet. Ambrose Bierce wrote that an accident was an inevitable occurrence due to the action of immutable natural laws. Unfortunately, the laws of human forgetfulness and laziness played their part. When it was early enough to make a difference, no one cared enough to look at all the data in order to refine the orbit, and thus find out where the asteroid was going.
Preparation / Ch. 2: God be with you
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 2: God be with you
Monday 20th November, 6pm.
Bella had been waiting two minutes when Maria entered, sat down and looked across the hospital room at her and Pris. ¡°You know, I do so love jet lag. It clears away any sense that you know when your next meal is coming from, or whether you should be awake or asleep. What time is it, by the way?¡±
¡°It''s six O''clock, maam¡± Bella answered. Pris just grinned, recognising what was behind the question. ¡°It''s nice to see you, too, Maria, and I hope the flight was tolerable. Would you like me to call for some food?¡±
¡°Yes please, Pris. Can you order something for all of us, please? Now, Bella, you''ve met some scary people and been reminded of your scary dreams. How do you feel?¡±
¡°Relieved, I think.¡±
¡°Interesting response. Care to elaborate?¡±
¡°Well, assuming that their analysis is right, then there won''t ever be burning snowballs chasing me down the street, for instance, even if some of the rest are prophetic.¡±
¡°Ah, I think I understand. You mean that you''ve knowingly been in denial that there was anything prophetic about them?¡±
¡°I.. guess so.¡± Bella agreed. The conversation lapsed, while Maria stared out of the window for a bit. It was a gloomy day, but there was a good view over the city.
¡°What do you think of the committee idea?¡± Pris asked.
¡°Well, I think you can drop the ¡°Valentine''s day¡± from the title." Maria replied "After all, you don''t want to imply you''re only focussed on one major threat."
¡°We''re not?¡± Pris asked.
¡°No. You''re not. You might think you are, but I''m sure we can come up with more than that. I also think you''re too mono-cultural. Include some respected outsiders in the group, preferably people who their local governments will listen to, and who either know people with or have the gift.¡±
¡°Anyone in mind?¡± Pris asked.
¡°One or two. Float the idea to your committee and see who they can think of.¡±
¡°International committees can''t meet very often.¡± Pris pointed out.
¡°Well, the institute can set up tele-presence, I''m sure.¡± Maria responded.
¡°Probably. If their budget can cope.¡±
¡°Oh, forget the budget!¡± Maria said, dismissively, ¡°You''re talking about threats that cost billions. A few telepresence units cost peanuts by comparison.¡±
¡°If anyone cares to pay up.¡±
¡°Yes. Well, if you organise yourselves on the right lines, and then a few hints should be all it takes to get the UN to adopt you. Then they can foot the bill.¡±
¡°A committee under UN protection, like the institute?¡± Pris asked, knowing how unlikely that would be.
¡°Meeting at the institute and its sister organisations.¡± Maria countered.
¡°I like that idea. Automatic anonymity.¡±
¡°Of course! What do you think, Bella, honestly?¡±
¡°I think it sounds good, but honestly, I''m wondering why I''m here.¡±
¡°Pris noted that you liked witness protection, but that you needed training in using your power.¡±
¡°Yes. You know about it?¡±
¡°Yes dear. I''ve known about the power for years, I don''t have it, but a relative does.¡±
Pris noted the careful phrasing, and mentally congratulated Maria for not giving anything away at all.
¡°Oh. Yes. Pris and Eliza were suggesting some kind of meet and get trained event. But I don''t know how that''ll work.¡±
¡°I can think of two ways. I order you to shake everyone''s hand and think at them, or we send out an internal memo to everyone.¡±
¡°How many people work for Security?¡± Bella asked, shocked at the first suggestion.
¡°Too many to shake all their hands. And from what I''ve read of Saturday''s events you''re in the right job at the moment.¡±
¡°So, you''re back to the memo.¡± Bella summarised. There was a polite knock at the door. Knowing what Maria''s appetite was like after a flight, Pris had ordered a large plate of assorted sandwiches. Maria smiled her thanks.
¡°Enough variety to make me keep eating, but not too overwhelming. Thanks Pris. Where were we. Yes, the memo.... Before I go collecting everyone with the power into one location, I need to filter them to make sure that no one is fibbing, just to find out more. I know a few people who might see that as a good challenge. That''s fairly easy to prove, I guess. But from your perspective, what other risks are there?¡±
¡°Oh. Urm, there are people who won''t want to come forward, for fear of being transferred or of ruining working relationships, if the secret comes out. And, I guess...¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I''ve been warned about mental attack.¡±
¡°Yes. Not everyone with the power uses it for good.¡±
¡°I hope there aren''t any in the service, but...¡±
¡°It''s something to be wary of, yes. Good thinking. So, how would you mitigate against both of those?¡±
¡°Against the second? I don''t know, convince someone with the gift to check up on everyone? I don''t know if that''s possible. Against the first, make it somewhere people want to go, maybe?¡± Bella asked.
¡°All expenses paid trip to some beauty spot?¡± Pris asked, and when Bella nodded agreement, added ¡°But not everyone would want to go.¡±
¡°Not if its overnight, no.¡± Maria agreed.
¡°So, make it clear that there''s no requirement to be re-assigned, and make it worthwhile somehow for people to register?¡± Bella suggested.
¡°Might cause division if there''s a special bonuses to be earned.¡± Maria pointed out.
¡°True. So, what do we do?¡± Pris asked.
¡°How about everyone has to go through an awareness seminar about the gift and power?¡± Bella asked.
¡°And different people get different versions?¡± Maria asked
¡°Yes. I mean, I''m sure that people without it have questions.¡±
¡°Indeed. In fact, it''d be good to not just keep this to field ops. I''ll arrange things. Now, Bella, you''re going to be assigned to Eliza for a while, and so for the duration of that, at least, you''re assigned to the committee too. But, longer term, I think I do need you to think wider than just witness protection.¡±
¡°Longer term? You mean after straight after Eliza, or in two decades?¡±
¡°I mean, I''d like you to think, starting now, about how each and every skill you have, and I include the power in that, could be most useful to your country. I don''t want you to stay in a role which another person could fill almost equally as well, when you are capable of greater things. Your power is only partly used in your present role, your intelligence is only partly used, your obvious skill in self-defence is only rarely used. I don''t see any sign that you''re experiencing any trauma from any of Saturday''s events. If you have, then I''d like to know it, but from what it looks like to me, Bella, you''re quite capable of facing thugs and assassination attempts several times a week, not once or twice a year. Which doesn''t surprise me the least, knowing your mother.¡±
¡°I didn''t know you did.¡± Bella said, surprised. ¡°She never speaks about what her role was in Security.¡±
¡°That''s understandable. Do you get on well with her?¡±
¡°Yes, of course! She''s my mum.¡±
¡°Doesn''t necessarily follow, Bella. You can tell her about what I''ve said, and say `hi'' to her from me. Also tell her I say that you''ve a need to know.¡±
¡°I think that might be the scariest thing you''ve said yet.¡±
¡°What, that you need to know?¡± Maria asked.
¡°Ignorance is a lot safer, sometimes.¡± Bella said.
¡°And very dangerous other times.¡±
¡°Yes. Exactly. If I''ve got a need to know something, then my life might be getting dangerous.¡±
¡°And you didn''t think that carrying information in your skull that demons didn''t want revealed might just be a bit risky?¡± Maria asked, surprised.
¡°I hadn''t thought of it like that.¡± Bella admitted, set back. ¡°I''m too used to pretending it didn''t really happen. Do you think I still do?¡±
¡°I don''t know. But I do know that a live witness is more useful than a dead one, and I''ve been praying that you stay that way.¡±
¡°Urm, thank you, I think. Why is it that everyone I seem to meet these days is a believer?¡±
Maria laughed. ¡°Maybe God wants you to think about your future too?¡±
¡°I''m thinking, honest!¡±
¡°Good. Get to deciding soon, too, Bella. I''m sure Eliza''s happy to answer your questions.¡±
¡°Most of them.¡± Bella decided that she''d push a little ¡°She gets a bit vague about you though.¡±
¡°She''s quite capable of keeping things to herself where necessary. Would have to be to be given her gift, of course.¡±
¡°It''s nice to know that there are limits to what I need to know.¡±
¡°Actually, you do need to know this.¡± Maria said. ¡°Eliza is a target for multiple reasons. You know she''s a witness. She''s also gifted, which I presume no bad-guys know. But she''s also my niece. My brother decided to misuse his power to become an arch-villain. I don''t know how many people he told that I work in Security, or how many he told about Eliza. But it''s another risk element. At least with her gift there''s not much chance of her staying kidnapped for long.¡±
¡°But since the bad-guys don''t know that, they might try?¡± Bella asked.
¡°They might easily try, yes. But either set, both sets, are going to be very very well prepared. In another case my brother gave a disposable underling an I.D. faker which fooled a system which should have been hardened against such devices.¡±
¡°Ouch. The arms-race continues.¡±
¡°Yes. So don''t trust systems, don''t trust electronics. Trust flesh and blood and that flesh and blood warning system you''ve got.¡±
¡°I think it''s on the blink.¡± Bella admitted, ¡°I''ve not heard you decide anything.¡±
¡°I try not decide things about people near them these days.¡±
¡°I didn''t know that was possible.¡± Bella responded, surprised.
¡°I learned the risks a long time ago, and have the scars to prove it. It takes discipline, and forethought. One thing you could help with is helping our more exposed people practice it. Pris here, for starters.¡±
¡°I don''t have any decisions to make at the moment.¡±
¡°Yes you do. You have to decide when you''re going to ask Bella to test you!¡±
Bella grinned. ¡°Sorry Pris. I heard that. You decided you''d decide later.¡±
Pris shook her head. ¡°Maria, how was I supposed to avoid that!¡±
¡°Just toss the question around a bit and then get bored of it.¡±
¡°But remember it later?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So, when are you going to tell Bella about your plans for her?¡±
¡°What an interesting question! You think I have some? Isn''t she a cheeky young woman, Bella?¡±
¡°You have plans for everyone Maria!¡± Pris retorted with a grin.
Bella looked in admiration at Maria. She hadn''t heard a thing, not even the decision to defer, that she''d heard from Pris. ¡°Maria, I''m amazed. You''ve really got everything so planned?¡±
¡°Almost, it helps that I know what topics I want to cover in a meeting.¡±
¡°Can I bring up a topic?¡± Pris asked.
¡°Yes Pris. I assume it''ll be relevant.¡±
¡°Roland''s trial. Now starting tomorrow, any idea how long it''ll last?¡±
¡°Prosecution wants a week.¡±
¡°So defence gets a week too?¡±
¡°Probably longer.¡±
¡°So, what happens late-December?¡± Pris asked, thinking of Karen''s wedding.
¡°The wedding? We pray it''s over by then.¡±
¡°Yes, of course. But if not?¡±
¡°There are contingency plans. Worry ye not.¡±
¡°You mean they elope?¡±
¡°Not quite. What is the relevance of this to Bella?¡±
¡°I''m sure you know who''s on the invitation list.¡±
Maria looked thoughtfully at her assistant. ¡°OK Pris, you win. Bella I presume you heard a decision from me.¡±
¡°I heard `Bella needs to know about Karen''. I presume we''re talking about Karen and George''s wedding, from the committee?¡±
¡°Yes, Bella. Eliza has been invited to my daughters wedding.¡± Maria paused to allow that fact to sink in. ¡°It cannot be a small informal affair, since my husband is an ambassador and heads of state are on the invitation list. There will be press, there will be foreign dignitaries. You''re going to be there with Eliza, and somehow you''re going to arrange to keep her out of camera shot. We really hope that the trial is over, George is about to go from unknown student in witness protection to husband of celebrity bride. If the press are alert enough they''ll recognise the wedding dress too. It''s an heirloom with quite a history. If they dig into George''s background then they''ll find his unsavory relatives ¡ª you''ve heard of the Kray family, I''m sure ¡ª and they''ll probably have a field day about the whole lot. It would be far far better if the trial were over, or there''s a real risk that the jury will find themselves reading something they think is perfectly unrelated to the case and see lots of stuff that influences their opinion of George, either one way or the other.¡±
Bella had done a double take when Maria said the word daughter, but the rest almost sent her into shock. She sat there with her mouth open for a while, and then managed ¡°Urm. I wasn''t expecting any of that. Wow. I really had a need to know all that?¡±
¡°Yes. If you hadn''t known that by the wedding day, you''d have been incapacitated.¡±
¡°Whereas now I just go quietly mad?¡±
¡°Whereas now you talk to your mum. Pris, you said that Karen had a little gossip with Bella''s mum?¡±
¡°Yes. I did tell her who Karen was.¡±
¡°And her security clearance, I presume?¡± Maria asked.
¡°Yes. It set her mind at rest that she wasn''t going to break any laws.¡±
¡°Bella, you can talk this through with your mum, she''s retired but still cleared. You''re officially raised to two-alpha now, by the way, which is rather unusual for witness protection officer, but it makes sense for what the committees dealing with, and for talking these things through with Eliza.¡±
¡°Mum''s never told me what her clearance is, was.¡±
¡°Two alpha. But a whole different branch. You''re fieldwork, she was auditing and planning.¡±
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
¡°But I''ve just been raised to the level she had after she''d worked there for ever?¡± Bella asked, shocked. ¡°What happens next month, I get told I''m at one alpha like you?¡±
¡°Oh, no. I''m higher than that, don''t worry.¡± Maria said ¡°Pris here is one alpha.¡±
¡°I thought that''s where the scale stopped.¡± Bella said, confused.
¡°Yes. Most people do. Level one still means that some people higher decide what subjects you need to know about. I have to decide what I need to know about myself.¡±
¡°A bit like people with the gift.¡±
¡°Yes. They have my sympathy and compassion.¡±
¡°And I don''t need to know how many people have one-alpha, let alone at whatever you call your level.¡±
¡°No. You don''t. But you do need to know that I report fully to the king, and if the prime minister asks the right questions then I answer them. If you or Sarah have more dreams or visions, you report them to me directly, or via Pris. Oh, by the way... None of our security levels allows you to enquire about who has the gift, or inform people what you know, whatever clearance they have. That''s not an official secret, therefore it isn''t covered. Oh, Kate is two alpha, like you, other permanent staff at the institute are two beta, and Karen and George are one gamma.¡±
¡°I still don''t understand why I need this clearance. I mean, this morning I woke up perfectly happy to be cleared to three gamma. I''m not aware of applying for it, and I''m not aware of doing anything particularly trust-inspiring. Quite the opposite, in fact.¡±
¡°You need it because you''re going to be doing some thinking and training and contacting people with your power. Some people in this organisation might get uppity if a lowly three gamma told them they''d been told to listen to their thoughts.¡±
¡°And you don''t want me to stay in witness protection much longer.¡±
¡°Half your skills and abilities are underused or entirely wasted there, Bella.¡±
¡°This is crazy. I''ve only been out of training for two years.¡±
¡°Sounds about right. It''ll be time to move on soon, expand your horizons.¡± Pris said. Bella looked at the older agent, and realised that there wasn''t such a great age difference between them.
¡°It''s all about duty, really, Bella.¡± Maria said. ¡°We don''t have so many agents that we can have people under-utilised. We don''t want to burn you out, or put you in a job you can''t cope with, but you''ve vowed to do what you can for your country. Witness protection is important, but there are more important things you are capable of doing, and if you''re not doing them then it might well be that they won''t get done, or not as well as they should be.¡±
¡°But, I''ve been a complete idiot in the past! I presume Pris reported on how I ended up with the dreams?¡±
¡°Yes. It convinced me you know how to keep secrets, and how to release them in the interests of the public good. Those two are important parts of level two clearance. Have several more sandwiches, they''re so small, you need more than one if you''re going to stay healthy.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°Now, Bella, you dreamt about meeting the king.¡±
Bella swallowed her mouthful. ¡°Yes. I''m rather nervous about the whole idea, and don''t know what I can add to what was in the diaries and what Sarah saw.¡±
¡°In some ways it should be soon, in others, it should be later. What''s going to happen is that I''m going to report to him tomorrow, about various matters of concern. One of them will be Valentines day. I''m going to tell him about the committee, and about what steps have been taken and could be taken to confirm the threat. He might decide to talk to you alone or with someone else from the committee.¡±
¡°I dreamt Karen was there with me.¡± Bella said.
¡°Yes. But maybe the king will ask for Sarah instead, after all she looked inside your skull. Why would Karen be called?¡±
¡°I don''t know.¡± Bella was set back a bit. ¡°It would make more sense for it to be Sarah, wouldn''t it? She''s got her gift, after all. Would Karen''s higher clearance be relevant?¡±
¡°Maybe. Or maybe she''ll be there for another reason entirely. What I''m saying is that your dreams won''t be slavishly followed by the king.¡±
¡°What you said about the gifts not being official secrets. Does the king know Sarah has the gift?¡±
¡°I haven''t reported it to him, no.¡±
¡°But Pris reported to you that Sarah had used it on me.¡±
¡°Yes. She knew that I knew about Sarah''s gift. And if the king asks me who''d looked into your memories then I''d have to decide if I could ask Sarah if she minded first. If she did, then I''d be in a difficult position, and I''d tell the king that. In my report I''ll identify her only as a staff-member of the institute.¡±
¡°But you don''t think he''ll ask, so you''re not asking for Sarah''s thoughts before-hand?¡±
¡°Actually, it hadn''t occurred to me that he might ask. It''s not that he knows the staff there, anyway.¡±
¡°I see, I think. Does he know of anyone with the gift?¡± Bella asked, curiously.
¡°I don''t think I need to answer that.¡± Maria replied. Did he? She wasn''t sure what Tasha had reported about her conversion, but Karen''s name might have come up.
¡°No. Sorry. I shouldn''t have asked.¡±
¡°Pris, you''ve been very quiet.¡± Maria noticed.
¡°Who, me?¡± Pris replied. ¡°I''ve just been watching your reactions, Maria.¡±
¡°Oh yes? You''re not planning on starting to mind-read me now are you?¡±
¡°No, but you did lose your calm just a little when Bella started asking about who knew about whom.¡±
¡°It''s very awkward to think I might need to hide stuff from the king.¡±
¡°Then make a call or three and get their permission!¡± Pris suggested forcefully. ¡°Or if you don''t want to, then I will get a list of people who don''t mind you making them known to their majesties.¡±
Maria''s wrist unit discretely let her know there was a message for her.
¡°Sounds like a good job for an assistant. Please do it Pris, I think I need to go.¡± She checked her unit. ¡°Bother. Yes, I definitely need to go. God be with you girls.¡±
¡°And with you Maria.¡± Pris said.
¡°Goodbye, Maam.¡± Bella said, not feeling quite comfortable in invoking a deity she hadn''t quite believed in yet. Maria left with smile and a wink to Pris.
Pris got the message. ¡°Am I right, Bella, that you said that to avoid mentioning God?¡±
¡°Urm, yes. Why?¡±
¡°Just something I read recently. Do you know where the word Goodbye comes from?¡±
¡°Let me guess, it''s some sort of contracted form?¡±
¡°Yes. God be with ye.¡±
¡°I might have known. So how does God become Good?¡±
¡°Oh, God''s always been good, Bella. The real question is how we do.¡± Pris said with a grin.
Bella looked around for something heavy, but decided against it. ¡°I''d get in trouble if I hit you with that lamp, wouldn''t I?¡±
¡°Yes. In answer to your question, people probably were so used to saying good day and good afternoon, and the like, that they just sort of mixed the two. But do you know the answer to my sneaky question?¡±
¡°What, how do we become good?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Eliza''s told me.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°I''m not there yet.¡±
¡°But you believe God''s real?¡±
¡°I think I always have, really, deep down.¡±
¡°But?¡±
¡°But. I''m hesitating. I''m missing some pieces I think. It doesn''t all fit together.¡±
¡°Or maybe one of the pieces you think you''ve got isn''t right.¡±
¡°Like what?¡±
¡°Maybe you''ve got a wrong idea of what God''s like, or some silly idea that you''ll have to give up rational thought if you accept him.¡±
¡°Or the sky computer will gas me if I get my answers wrong.¡± Bella joked.
¡°Hmm. Computer almost did, didn''t it?¡±
¡°A very surreal experience, that. I liked the way that Sarah pointed out to the computer that not believing in God and believing in God aren''t total opposites.¡±
¡°Yes. Bella, do you want to talk about God? I''m more than happy to. Maria would be too, except that she keeps getting called away.¡±
¡°I''d wondered about that. It''s normal?¡±
¡°Oh yes. I was amazed, actually. She got more uninterrupted time today than I''d expected.¡±
¡°That''s sad, her not being allowed to just tell the world to go away, she''s in a meeting.¡±
¡°She can, actually. Does, quite regularly. Meeting the king, for instance. Or if she''s praying with someone.¡±
¡°That''s one of the pieces that doesn''t fit.¡± Bella admitted.
¡°What, prayer?¡±
¡°Yes. Why does your all-knowing God, who you say knows your every thought, want you to talk to him?¡±
¡°For our own good. If we don''t ask, then it''d be so easy to take things for granted. So, he waits to be asked. Then, sometimes he says yes, sometimes he says no, sometimes he says wait. And I''m told that sometimes he doesn''t answer until we''ve been praying about something for years.¡±
¡°So, he keeps you guessing what he wants?¡±
¡°Bella, you don''t realise it yet, I''m only just beginning to realise it, but we need God. It''s not just that we''ve got no future without him, it''s not just that we feel better after praying. It''s not even just that we''re up against some nasty enemies that you know more about than me.¡±
¡°Not really. I just know they terrify me. But go on.¡± chipped in Bella.
¡°We need him. Humans just have a design which functions far better if we are in contact with God. I don''t mean athletic abilities or aches and pains, but important things like joy and attitudes and trust, that sort of thing. If I didn''t have to ask Him for anything, which is really only a tiny part of the thing called prayer, then since I''m lazy and no super-saint then I''d probably forget about staying in contact with God at all, and I know I''d suffer, and people around me too.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± Bella pondered ¡°I guess that makes sense. Thanks.¡±
¡°I presume that''s not the only issue.¡±
¡°No. I think I''ll talk to Eliza about the big one. It could take some time, and I''ve apparently got to talk to my Mum and be back there at eleven tonight.¡±
¡°Have a good chat to your mum.¡±
¡°Thanks, I intend to. Oh! Maria said to talk about what she''d said, but then she said some more. Is there anything I shouldn''t pass on?¡±
Pris replayed the conversation in her mind. ¡°I don''t think so. Just make sure there''s no one listening at the keyhole.¡±
It was a standard farewell phrase in Security so Bella automatically replied ¡°I will.¡±
¡°Really? There aren''t many houses with one these days.¡±
¡°Well, no, but Mum did have a cat-flap put in a year back.¡±
¡°That''s... not very secure is it.¡± Pris said.
¡°No. The only good point about it is that it''s one where the cat has to have a special collar, and there''s a security camera in the kitchen which should spot someone sending in a spy-probe. But, no. I was a bit surprised when Mum did it.¡±
¡°Did she say why she did?¡±
¡°Her knees, and the cat. Her knees aren''t that great sometimes, and the cat is a complete pain where it comes to deciding if it wants to be in or out.¡±
¡°Well, check out the house with a bug-detector before you talk to her, OK? Your mum''s still a potential target.¡±
¡°Will do. Bye.¡±
¡°May God be with you, Bella.¡±
11.10pm, Eliza''s safe-house
Bella entered the safe-house and knocked on the door. She wasn''t quite sure why it took two people, Dirk and Eliza, to replace her, but that''s what HQ had decided. Two Elizas in the house didn''t make conversations easier either.
¡°Sorry I''m late, Dirk, Eliza. I got officially told I had to talk to my mum, and well... there was a lot to talk about and we lost track of time.¡±
¡°Oh yes?¡± Eliza the security agent said ¡°Who told you to do that?¡±
¡°I''m not sure I should say, sorry.¡±
¡°What''s this all about, Bella?¡± Dirk chipped in. ¡°You get called away for a mystery meeting and then go and talk with your mum? I really hope this isn''t some kind of personal issue you''ve managed to persuade someone in headquarters to cover for you.¡±
¡°Mum is security cleared up to 2-alpha, Dirk. She used to be in internal auditing and planning. I was given some secure information about a future event and got told to get her to help me plan what to do when it happens.¡±
¡°Oh. So, anything you care to pass on to us?¡±
¡°What level are you cleared to, Dirk?¡±
¡°Three alpha, so as a lowly three gamma you can tell me everything you know.¡±
¡°I''m afraid not Dirk. One thing I can tell you is I''ve been bumped up all the way to two.¡± Bella decided she didn''t need to say what sort of level two. It was embarrassing enough anyway to have higher clearance than a far more senior agent.
¡°Oof. That got him where it hurts.¡± his sister commented. ¡°Sorry brother, looks like Bella needs to keep her meeting secret.¡±
¡°Is Eliza asleep?¡± Bella asked, changing the subject.
¡°No, I''m here.¡± the other Eliza said from the kitchen. ¡°I presume your mum fed you? If not I''m just making a late snack if you want some cheese on toast.¡±
¡°Too much to talk about, actually. So yes, please! Anything I should know about here?¡±
¡°No, nice and quiet.¡± Dirk said.
¡°Enjoy your cheese on toast. I''m planning to pig out on the whole pizza and jam donut thing about ten minutes after we leave.¡± Eliza said.
¡°That''s not very healthy.¡± Dirk commented. ¡°I''m going to have a cheese cake instead of the donut. I get dairy and fruit that way.¡±
¡°And probably twice the calories. And there''s already cheese on the pizza, and I get fruit in the jam.¡± Eliza replied.
¡°Does jam count as fruit, Bella?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°Pass. But I can see you''re hungry, so off you go!¡±
¡°See you around, Bella. Extra anchovies are calling.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Bye!¡±
After they''d gone, Bella went to the kitchen. ¡°I couldn''t tell them, but I''ve been talking to your aunt.¡±
¡°Oh! She''s decided to let you in on that secret, has she?¡±
¡°Yes. And about Karen being your cousin, George''s notorious relatives, and that I''m supposed to keep you away from cameras at their wedding.¡±
¡°I thought I couldn''t go!¡± Eliza exclaimed.
¡°Well, Maria thinks you''re going to be there.¡±
¡°That''s wonderful!¡±
¡°I''m glad you think so. I hope they know what they''re doing. George being in a safe house one day and then plastered all over the gossip columns the next, beside Karen in some special wedding dress.¡±
¡°And Dad''s trial due to start the next day. It doesn''t seem very normal, I agree.¡±
¡°Oh, further news is that they''ve moved his trial, it starts tomorrow, apparently.¡±
¡°Well, that''s good I suppose. You haven''t heard any more have you?¡±
¡°About your Dad? No. About other things, Maria would like me to be on the committee as long as you''re in witness protection, she recommends that we drop ''Valentines day'' from the title, and she thinks we should be more international, suggests government employees and respected persons who know about the gift. Thought you lot might just happen to know some.¡±
¡°I expect the others do. International meetings take some organising though.¡±
¡°She''d thought of that. Suggests that the institute could easily set up some telepresence units, and eventually the committee could be run with UN funding, actually as a UN quasi-autonomous committee, meeting at the institute and other such secure locations.¡±
¡°That... that does make sense, but I hate to think how much bureaucracy and lobbying it would involve for us to make that happen.¡±
¡°I rather got the impression that she''d arrange to have the UN come begging to us, rather than the other way round.¡±
¡°That''d be an impressive feat. I didn''t realise she had that much influence.¡±
Bella realised to her chagrin that maybe she''d overstated the case, and also possibly given away a bit too much about Maria''s status. ¡°I don''t know. I think I stated it wrongly, but she gave me the impression that the committee is something the UN ought to have, and would realise it ought to have quickly. So if we exist and she drops some hints in the right direction, maybe it''ll all fall into place quickly. I guess her husband could do some effective hinting too.¡±
¡°Yes, that''s probably true.¡± Eliza agreed.
¡°Talking of hints, I don''t think I''m breaking any rules to say that she wants me to use every relevant skill and ability I have to the extent that I can within the service. In other words I''m over-skilled for this job, and she wants me to expand my horizons. That''s the one which took longest with Mum.¡±
¡°Your mum must be proud of you.¡±
¡°Yes. But I like doing this job.¡±
¡°Maybe you''ll like other roles too.¡± Eliza pointed out.
¡°Maybe.¡± Bella conceded, grudgingly.
¡°And by every skill and ability, she includes the power?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Well, it makes sense. I wonder how many people there are with it in security.¡±
¡°You could find out, couldn''t you?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Eliza said with a grim look. ¡°Sort of. I''d need to look at an area, zoom in where I found matching people, count the dots. Do you think your bosses would like me to know where lots and lots of people in Security are?¡±
¡°When you put it like that... they''d probably scream blue murder.¡±
¡°Statistics are probably more useful... One or two in a thousand or so is a number I''ve heard people use. So if you know how many officers Security have, you can guess the rest.¡±
¡°I think that''d be an official secret.¡±
¡°Probably on the network though, as a ball-park figure.¡±
¡°Oh, probably.¡±
¡°Then you could work out how many potential dates you have, assuming you''re looking for someone with the power who works in Security. You know, roughly fourty years in service, so one in eighty are men the same age as you, and if you''re open to a 4 year age difference, and that''s one twentieth of the number you just thought of, or about one or two potential dates per twenty thousand security officers.¡±
¡°Oh don''t! Eliza, that''s terrible! I''m pretty sure there aren''t that many people in Security! And you haven''t even taken account of the number who are already married, or have fatal personality flaws.¡±
¡°My chances are just as bad, you know. With a total of fifty-six of us in the whole world with the gift, that works out as two men within five years of me. I think I know them already, and they''re already taken.¡±
¡°Have you asked if there are any more?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°You know... Hey, guys, are any of you out there roughly my age and single?¡±
¡°No. I haven''t! It''d be way too embarrassing. And is having the gift in common even enough? What if they happen to be from some weird culture I can''t cope with? What if number three, if he exists, is just someone I can''t actually get on with?¡±
¡°But at least you know you''ve got your God in common.¡±
¡°True, but what if there''s some kinds of church I''d feel really uncomfortable with. Oh no, I''ve just had a thought... I don''t know how old the monk is. He might be number three for all I know.¡±
¡°The monk?¡±
¡°One of us is a Catholic monk. Vows of celibacy, you know.¡±
¡°Awkward in a potential husband, that.¡±
¡°Totally.¡±
¡°But you don''t know how old he is.¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°And you don''t want to ask?¡±
¡°I''m new to this gift, Bella. I''ve not talked to very many people with it, I''m still having trauma counselling, and there''s too many scary things about to happen.¡±
¡°So you''re not thinking of hunting out Mr Right.¡±
¡°Of course I am. I just shouldn''t be. Kate''s warned me already that I''m not in a fit mental state to go husband-hunting.¡±
¡°Hmm. I bet that helped.¡±
¡°Oh yes.¡± Eliza''s voice dripped sarcasm.
¡°So what are you going to do? Keep hoping or put your gift to work?¡±
¡°What I should do is pray. I''ve not been doing enough of that, really.¡± Eliza admitted.
¡°How much is enough?¡±
¡°Not sure. But given my mental state, more than I''ve been doing.¡±
¡°Ah. Pris was saying you Christians needed prayer. No, sorry, I''m misquoting. She actually said that you pray because humans function better when in contact with God.¡±
Eliza thought for a while. It was true. Very true. ¡°She''s right. So when are you planning to start?¡±
¡°Me? Pray?¡± Bella realised she shouldn''t be surprised at the question, but she was.
¡°Well, you''ve been talking to me about Christianity for a few days now, and you''ve obviously been getting other opinions, which suggests you''re not just killing time. Any further thoughts on the matter?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Bella said. ¡°It''s sort of related to what we''ve been talking about, in a messed up way. But we can talk about it tomorrow if you like. It''s late.¡±
¡°I don''t think I''m going anywhere tomorrow.¡± Eliza said, with a sour expression.
¡°I might be, come to think of it.¡±
¡°Oh, where might you be gallivanting off to tomorrow?¡±
¡°Your aunt is talking to his Majesty tomorrow. For all I know he might decide there and then to call me in.¡±
¡°Oh. Not a pleasure trip then.¡±
¡°No.¡± Bella replied. Then she decided it was time to raise the big issue. ¡°How can I trust him?¡±
¡°The king?¡± Eliza''s confusion was audible.
¡°No. Your God.¡± Bella replied.
¡°I... I don''t get the question, sorry.¡±
¡°I think it''s the real big issue for me. I''ve put myself into the hands of spiritual forces before. I know I called out to God and he got me out of that mess, but how do I know that your God is the God who did that, and how do I know that he didn''t just do it to make use of me in the future. I don''t want to be used. I don''t want to be a play-thing. How do I tell if your God is a nice guy to commit myself to? Once bitten twice shy, I guess. I know it probably seems stupid, but I don''t feel I know him well enough to.¡±
¡°I think there''s only one way, Bella.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Read the Bible. Read the Bible and ask God to help you see what he''s like.¡±
¡°That''s quite a big book.¡±
¡°Yes. But it''s full of people being stupid and God putting up with them, meeting them where they are, and quite often them heading in the right direction afterwards. Or if you read some bits, they start off OK, but stop listening to God, follow the crowd and God gets cross with them.¡±
¡°I heard once there''s a lot of bodies in that book.¡±
¡°Yes. There''s a chapter fairly early on... So and so lived so many years, had kids, and then he died. Generations and generations of `and then he died.'' You get the point when you''ve read it enough times.¡±
¡°What, no one lives forever?¡±
¡°Consequences of sin. We die. Millions of people a day; people are born, live, and then die.¡±
¡°That''s depressing.¡±
¡°Depends how you look at it. Death is certain, the question is, is your life and death pointless, or do you use the opportunity you have in this life to qualify for a meaningful life here and an even better one after death?¡±
¡°So you''re saying that we should be good now, so we earn our place later?¡±
Bella asked, confused. That seemed at odds with what Eliza had said before.
¡°No!¡± Eliza responded ¡°Sorry, I''m saying that you''ve only got a few decades at most, maybe much much less, to decide that you want to accept God''s offer. You need time to decide, that''s fine. I guess I''m just warning you not to take too long deciding.¡±
¡°Urm. thanks, I think.¡± Bella said, feeling a bit hurt.
¡°Bella, I''m sorry, I''m not explaining myself very well, or answering your question at all. My answer is that God is trustworthy. Far, far, more trustworthy than any human. Read the Bible, it''ll help you see what God''s like. But, beware: you could go on finding out more and more about what God''s like for all your life, and still not know him totally. At some point you need to decide you''ve learned enough about Him, and trust Him enough to get to know him properly ¡ª one to one. Even then, you''ll never know him perfectly, he''s too big, too wonderful, too amazing. You''re my friend, I don''t have many, so... please don''t wait too long.¡±
¡°I think I get it. From your point of view, you''re saying don''t get distracted with second hand knowledge. Is that it?¡±
¡°Yes. I think so.¡±
¡°But from my point of view... First hand knowledge is too scary.¡±
¡°Bella. There''s possibly a problem.¡± Eliza said, hesitatingly.
¡°Go on.¡±
¡°As you know, those spiritual forces messed with your head, put dreams in there, that sort of thing.¡±
¡°And scared me silly. Yes.¡±
¡°What if they''re still doing it? What if the dreams have stopped but they''re still filling your head with groundless fears. You know, like you were convinced having your thoughts read would hurt, and so you were afraid of the meeting.¡±
¡°You''re making too much sense, friend.¡±
¡°So, can I pray for you to be able to think clearly? Now? And if you don''t mind that, will you listen and decide if you want to say Amen to it? That''s to say, that you agree, and you want it to be answered too.¡±
¡°No promises I will agree. But, yeah, OK. I''ll trust you that much.¡±
¡°OK. Urm.... Father God, you who made the universe and made humans in your own image, to reflect your glory, forgive me that I''ve been drifting far from you recently and have neglected prayer. Hear my prayers now I beg. I want to pray for Bella. You know the foolish things that she''s sought in the past, the influences she''s listened to. I pray that just as you stopped the dreams, you''ll enable her to think clearly, without the influence of any unclean spirits. Let her thoughts be her own. Permit her eyes to see you at work in the world and her mind to understand your Bible. Amen.¡± There were other things Eliza wanted to pray, but she prayed them only in her heart, she couldn''t ask Bella to agree to those yet.
¡°I agree with those requests, God. I don''t want those fear-mongers in my thoughts or affecting my thinking.¡± It was interesting, Eliza thought, how Bella seemed to implicitly trust God to deal with the evil spirits, and to play fair as he did so, but claimed she was afraid of trusting Him. She took it as a good sign, a very good sign, but she felt it was better not to point that out to Bella quite yet, unless Bella brought up being afraid again.
Preparation / Ch. 3: Demonstrations and Error Ellipses
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 3:Demonstrations and Error Ellipses
Tuesday 21st November, 11am, the Palace.
¡°And that ends my prepared verbal report, your Majesties.¡± Maria said, feeling the relief she always felt when the King had allowed her to get to the end of it without interrupting. The Queen had made some notes. She never interrupted.
¡°Thank you, Maria. As usual, you''ve given me just enough information to satisfy my need to know what''s going on, but not so much to make me bored.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir.¡±
¡°Except on one subject.¡± The King added.
¡°I wonder if it''s the same subject I have a number of questions on,¡± the queen said.
¡°This informal threat-analysis committee that you say you''ve assigned two agents to.¡±
¡°Yes, sir?¡±
¡°Two agents says to me that you''re taking it seriously, but your report is rather lacking in details about the threat they set themselves up to investigate.¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡± Maria admitted. ¡°The group presents a number of complications on several fronts, and I find it hard to be dispassionate about it.¡±
¡°Complications?¡± the Queen prompted.
¡°Your Majesties, the members include my daughter, her fianc¨¦, my niece, and another, more distant relative, who called the meeting to start with. My daughter''s fianc¨¦ and my niece are in witness protection, on two different cases. Several staff members of the Institute, including the director, are on it as well, since my distant relative is on staff there. They were trying to arrange for my niece to attend under cover of a counselling session at the Institute, but some things didn''t add up and her protection agent got sufficiently suspicious that the Institute''s director told me all about it.
I assigned one agent, who is known to most of the other members, and who is recuperating from an attack. Then as the meeting progressed, they decided to form a permanent committee and then something was said that caused them to call in my niece''s protection agent. She''s the second agent who''s now assigned to this committee. I''ve also suggested that the committee should actually be under UN authority.¡±
¡°So, apart from there being too many of your relatives present, I presume you can tell us more about this threat?¡±
¡°Yes, your Majesty. It was, by nature, a prophetic revelation. Not a dream, since the person was awake at the time, in the middle of a phone conversation with another person at the meeting. The meeting was called to discuss what they''d said over the phone, and to take it from there.¡±
¡°Ah. So, a funny turn leads a lot of your relatives and acquaintances to form a committee to assess the reliability of prophetic dreams, doom-sayers and other people''s funny turns?¡± the King summarised, jovially.
¡°You could phrase it like that, yes,¡± Maria conceded.
¡°What makes them consider themselves fit for the task?¡±
¡°Two members are trained psycho-counsellors, more than one have the full-blown scary mind-reading gift that we''ve discussed previously.¡±
¡°And they concluded that the triggering funny turn was just that, I hope,¡± the King prompted.
¡°No, sir. They initially concluded that the vision was supernaturally inspired but since all they had was a scary vision and a date, they would seek confirmation.¡±
The King raised a sceptical eyebrow at mention of the supernatural. He was adamantly atheist himself.
¡°You said initially? What was the date?¡± the Queen asked.
¡°Yes, Maam. It seems that actually the protection agent had had a number of similar dreams in the past, but had dismissed them as unreliable.¡±
¡°And the date?¡± the King asked, quietly.
¡°Next Valentine''s day,¡± Maria replied.
¡°I thought so. Valentine''s day... and a ruined city?¡± the Queen looked for confirmation from Maria, who nodded. ¡°You can''t just ignore it any more, my dear.¡±
The King patted his wife''s hand, in acknowledgement, but said decisively, ¡°Maria, you''ve been careful to not say, and so has Tasha, but we can put two and two together. According to Tasha this thing the press are calling the gift was somehow instrumental in the total collapse of her arguments against your God. That''s her business. She stated that it was someone with high level clearance who used it on her, which excludes everyone based where she was, but your daughter and her fianc¨¦ were passing through at the time. I''m guessing your daughter has it.¡±
¡°Yes, sir. She was given it in time to call out to be rescued,¡± Maria said.
¡°Or developed it in that time of crisis,¡± the King added, resolutely refusing to abandon his scepticism.
¡°If you prefer that explanation, your Majesty,¡± Maria conceded.
¡°I do,¡± he replied. His wife raised her eyebrows. They''d both been agnostic when they married, but had moved in different directions during the past thirty years. ¡°I''d like to speak to this agent with the confirming dreams, and to your daughter.¡±
¡°Of course, your Majesty,¡± Maria smiled, unable to resist the little dig: ¡°The agent dreamt that such a meeting would happen too.¡±
¡°Oh joy, a regular prophetess. Tell me about her.¡±
¡°She''s twenty-four, single, alert, capable of being a top ranking agent, if only she wasn''t so satisfied with the status quo. Her dreams had her in a state of terror, and fortunately stopped in her teens. She also possesses the normal form of thought-hearing. Like, it turns out, her mother, who was also in the Service ¡ª in auditing.¡±
¡°Interesting! More thought hearers around than you might think. It''s genetic, you''ve said?¡±
¡°Often skips a generation or more, but yes, sir.¡±
¡°And your daughter plans to wear Sarah''s dress at her wedding?¡±
¡°Yes, sir,¡± Maria replied, wondering where this was going.
¡°My father apparently had the ability too. I often wondered how the original bride''s mother was quite such a successful con-artist. Perhaps now we know.¡±
¡°It is possible, your Majesty.¡±
¡°Very well, please call in the two youngsters. Four o''clock this afternoon, if humanly possible.¡±
¡°I''m sure it will be, sir.¡±
¡°Good.¡±
After Maria left, he turned to the Queen and asked, ¡°So, do you tell him, or do I?¡±
¡°Who, dear?¡± she asked, confused.
¡°Albert. You never know.¡±
¡°Just because you married a Security agent, Albert doesn''t have to.¡±
¡°I know that, love, but it would solve a couple of issues.¡±
¡°You mean the fact that he finally explained that he''s not interested in someone he can''t think with?¡±
¡°Yes. And the fact that we''ve been tearing our hair out hoping he''d find someone to marry for the last few years.¡±
¡°Of course, she could be totally unsuitable.¡±
¡°Of course she could be. But do we warn him to wear his gloves when he shakes their hands?¡±
¡°I think that would be enough of a hint.¡±
Maria called her daughter first. ¡°Hi, Karen! I hope you''ve not got anything to cancel this afternoon. You and Bella are going on a little expenses-paid trip to the palace.¡±
¡°Oh. I''d better wash my hair then.¡±
¡°There''s a hypersonic ticket booked for you. Don''t be late, it won''t wait for you.¡±
¡°I don''t suppose it''s a first class ticket, is it? I''ve always wanted to go first class.¡±
¡°You can pay for the upgrade yourself if you want it that much.¡±
¡°Ouch! No, thank you!¡±
Lunchtime, the palace.
¡°Albert, we''ve got a follow-up national security-related briefing this afternoon,¡± the King told his son.
¡°So much for our chess game.¡±
¡°It should be interesting for you too. We''d like you there,¡± responded the Queen.
¡°Oh. OK. Anything I should know? I presume it''s Maria?¡±
¡°Maria''s daughter actually, with a security agent. Wear your gloves and keep your thoughts under control.¡±
¡°Maria''s daughter''s got the power?¡±
¡°Horrible term that, but yes. Both of them do, apparently. Maria''s daughter, she''s called Karen, by the way, also has a fianc¨¦.¡±
¡°I remember her from years ago, some ball or something. Odd to think of her grown up.¡±
¡°Yes. Time happens to us all. You know my scary dream from last year?¡±
¡°Yes. Not the sort of thing you forget, your Dad waking up next to you on the plane screaming.¡±
¡°Someone at the IHM had something similar and the agent had lots of similar ones when she was a teenager.¡±
¡°People with the gift have confirmed that it was supernaturally inspired,¡± the Queen added.
¡°Well, at least God didn''t leave you out of the loop, Dad.¡±
¡°No one said it was God, Albert. Or proved he exists. Or proved to me that people who claim they got their so-called ''gift'' from a non-existent God haven''t got a biased view of what makes things supernatural. I''m sure there''s a perfectly logical explanation for all of this.¡±
¡°Yes, Dad. You can wrack your brains for a perfectly logical explanation full of hypothetical non-detectable time-travelling thought particles or something, and I''ll cut it to shreds with Occam''s razor and a simpler one: God exists and he gave you a dream about the future.¡±
¡°Whatever the source, we''ve got three ''witnesses'' that something nasty is going to happen on Valentine''s day. At least one of them says it''s this one,¡± the Queen interjected, heading off a familiar argument.
¡°Hence the agent and the security briefing. Why Karen too?¡±
¡°She''s going to report what happened at the meeting where they were discussing the vision,¡± responded the King.
¡°And she might well convince your father that the gift is real.¡±
¡°Oh. She''s got the gift? Interesting!¡±
¡°She developed it in a time of great trauma and crisis ¡ª lost in a tunnel with a broken leg,¡± explained the King.
¡°I suspect some praying happened too,¡± Albert added.
¡°Stop it, you two! Albert, do some praying yourself and stop needling your father.¡±
¡°Yes, Mother.¡±
4pm, the palace.
After his parents had shaken Karen and Bella''s hands, Albert pointedly removed his gloves. Karen interpreted the signal correctly and removed hers.
[Your Highness,] she thought in greeting.
[You''ve grown since we last met. Congratulations on your engagement.]
[Thank you, sir.]
[I hear you don''t actually need us to be touching.]
[God gave me the gift, yes.]
[Mother and I pray for father to renounce atheism. I hope you can cast doubt on his faith better than I''ve been able to.]
[I''ll do my best, Highness.]
Bella wasn''t sure if she should remove her gloves or not, but decided that the prince could always replace his if he didn''t intend to think to her too. He wanted to use the power.
[Your Highness.]
[Thank-you for removing your gloves. It isn''t often I can think to someone. Forgive me if I''m out of practice.]
[I''m overwhelmed, your Highness.]
[My grandfather had the power also, but he died a long time ago.]
[It must have been hard. And you''ve had no-one to think to in all that time? Sorry, am I allowed to ask that?] Bella was getting flustered.
[No, not one. I don''t think we need to stand on ceremony too much when no one else can hear us.]
[Thank you, sir. But they can watch.]
[That''s true. May I ask... do you have any faith?]
[Lots of people are trying to help me trust God. So far... I know he exists.]
[An important step.]
[I''ve known that a long time, though. Recently, I am starting to read the Bible. The supernatural scares me.]
[And this?]
[Oh, this is perfectly normal.]
He laughed and switched to spoken words, though kept her hand in his. ¡°Perfectly normal! So, you often hold men''s hands and think at them?¡±
¡°No, your Highness. Not at all. But it''s a normal way for me to talk, even if I''ve only done so with my mother until recently.¡±
¡°Thank you for not excluding us from the conversation entirely, dear,¡± the Queen reproached her son.
¡°It''s been a long time since I''ve been able to talk to anyone that way, Mother.¡± Albert replied.
¡°Is that what you were doing? I thought you were just holding her hand and gazing into her eyes,¡± the King said.
[Don''t mind Dad.] Albert thought to Bella [He says that sort of thing every time I talk to a pretty girl.] But having said that he did let go of her hand.
¡°Maria tells us that you had some scary dreams, Bella,¡± the Queen prompted.
¡°Yes, Maam. Lots...¡± she glanced at Karen in mute appeal for help.
¡°Bella''s mother kept a log of them. We believe they were from two sources, and they seem to have been in sequences. Did Mother''s report include the list, and George''s analysis of them?¡±
¡°George?¡± asked the King.
¡°My fianc¨¦, he''s good with computers,¡± Karen supplied.
¡°Assume we just got a summary, not the raw data. Could you explain what you mean by there being two sources?¡± the Queen asked.
¡°There were conflicting details: sometimes it was day, other times it was night. Sometimes there were bodies, sometimes there were none. Sometimes it was related to Valentine''s day, other times it was some other date. But there were patterns. Normally it was two dreams and the third which figured the ruined city. Another pattern was that the wild variation and the scariest dreams usually ended with bodies in the city. Another pattern was that the dreams with no bodies were Friday and Saturday nights.¡± Bella said.
¡°So we concluded that God was sending Bella consistent dream sequences ending up with no bodies in the city, and the Enemy was sending a lot of nightmares to confuse her. The lack of bodies agrees with the vision that Sarah had,¡± Karen concluded.
¡°And the dreams just started out of the blue and stopped just as suddenly?¡± the Prince asked.
¡°No, your Highness. I was a stupid teenager and wasn''t content with just hearing thoughts. I became obsessed with the idea that I should be able to see the future. The night before my first dream, I enacted a little new-age-pagan ritual that I''d found in a book and asked the spiritual forces in the world to let me do that. The nightmares grew straight out of that. So, you see, I''ve got good reason to be afraid of seeking help from the supernatural.¡±
The Prince nodded, and asked, ¡°How did they stop?¡± He felt something close to shock at what he''d just heard Bella admit. No wonder she was scared.
¡°They only stopped when, something like a year later, I went to a lonely place and screamed and screamed, ''God, anyone, make these dreams stop!'' That night, I dreamed about talking to mind-readers about my dreams in a room I''d never been in. That room was where I met Karen and the others for the first time, and told them about my dreams.¡±
¡°You dreamt about holding hands with them and thinking to them?¡± Prince Albert asked.
¡°No. I dreamt about them thinking to me without touching.¡±
The Queen replied, ¡°So you dreamt about the gift before you''d heard about it! And it happened that way?¡± She looked to Karen.
¡°Actually, no. We saw how scared Bella was about the whole situation, so we just spoke normally most of the time. Also, it was just... more polite. We didn''t want to exclude the others there.¡±
¡°So, the dreams are not an exact representation of the future,¡± the King observed.
¡°No sir, they seem to allow for free will.¡±
¡°And your dreams leave a lot of scope for reinterpretation, if we don''t filter them,¡± the King said, obviously mulling something over in his mind.
¡°If we don''t filter them, then there''s a very confusing picture. If we just filter based on when I had them, then the picture is quite clear, I think,¡± Bella said. ¡°And also there is a good tie-in with what Sarah saw.¡±
¡°Something black, and therefore I presume harder than normal to see, coming from space, aiming at a city, impacting on Valentine''s day,¡± stated the King. ¡°I understand you believe it to be Restoration?¡±
¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡±
¡°Well, we''ll obviously get the space-watch programme to look out for it. I don''t suppose you know which star wasn''t seen?¡±
¡°No. Not at all,¡± Bella said.
¡°And Karen, your impression of Bella as a reliable source?¡±
¡°Your Majesty, I didn''t look in her mind at what she saw, but the person who did saw some corruption, or editing of her memory with time. That''s normal. My own memories of events tend to become distorted even after a few months. I would say that her current memories of her dreams are reasonably reliable, but I wouldn''t say they were entirely accurate after such a long time. The dream diaries, however, were made by her mother at the time, under medical direction. I would say that those diaries are a very reliable record of what she dreamt.¡±
¡°But the problem remains of the source of the dreams, of this information,¡± the King decided. ¡°There have been theoretical models which might explain prophetic utterances ¡ª brief sightings of the future through some kind of space-time pre-echo. But that would not equate to the way that your dream about meeting the others did not conform to reality. You explain it away as free will, but I see it as unreliable information. OK, we happen to have two other people with the same sequence, but I expect if we carried out an exhaustive search we''d find several people and a city destroyed full of bodies and probably a city full of marsh-mallows too.
¡°We have no knowledge of what was going on in your mind, Bella, to cause these dreams, or why the weekends should be key to the more regular pattern. Without some hard data to back up your assertion of something genuinely due to hit us, I can''t authorise this to be disseminated further or decide that we should evacuate the city or anything drastic like that.¡±
¡°Father,¡± the Prince said, ¡°don''t you feel that your disbelief is possibly clouding your judgement?¡±
¡°Don''t you feel that your willingness to believe someone just because God gets mentioned is prejudicial to sound decision making?¡±
¡°Oh, don''t start that again! Please!¡± the Queen interjected. ¡°Your father''s logic is reasonable, Albert. We might not agree with it, but that''s only because we share a concept of God who sends prophesies but allows for free will. Even within the church there would be people who said that since some details did not match, they weren''t from God. Or if we presupposed that there were no prophesies today, then we''d say that the dreams were the work of the evil one. We''ve heard Bella''s confession, you know where your father stands. We only have one Christian''s word that this is from God. That''s assuming this Sarah you mentioned is a Christian?¡±
¡°She is, your Majesties, Highness. I have absolutely no doubt,¡± Karen said.
¡°You don''t think you might be mistaken?¡± Albert asked.
¡°No. I have what I see as incontrovertible evidence.¡±
¡°Through your gift?¡± Albert guessed.
¡°Yes,¡± said Karen, and thought quickly to Sarah. [Sarah, would it be OK if I tell their Majesties that you''ve got the gift?]
[What? Yes, go ahead.]
¡°She had the gift before me, was one of those who found me in the tunnel, and taught me a lot about how to use it,¡± Karen said simply.
¡°And your mother is aware of this?¡± the Queen asked.
¡°Yes, Maam.¡±
¡°I see. Does that change your opinion at all, dear?¡±
¡°Not significantly. Karen believes she has a gift from God. I don''t accept the existence of God, so I''m afraid I don''t count her account as very useful in this respect.¡±
¡°But your Majesty does accept that I have a rare ability?¡±
¡°You say so, your mother who I trust says so. Yes.¡±
¡°May I be so bold as to ask if your Majesty understands that the scope of my ability defies various physical laws?¡±
¡°You have it. I am sure there is a mechanism, even if we don''t know the laws it obeys.¡±
¡°Any miracle may be explained away, your Majesty, with a sufficiently complex mechanism.¡±
¡°But you are willing to demonstrate your gift?¡± Albert asked.
¡°It would depend on the request. I have no desire to invade anyone''s privacy.¡±
¡°I understand you can find people?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Yes, Highness.¡±
¡°And do I believe the papers saying you can know where they are in a particular room, wherever that might be?¡±
¡°Yes, Highness.¡±
¡°Then I believe we have a test,¡± Albert said. ¡°I will call a friend, ask him to stand still, and you can tell me where he is.¡±
¡°I would be willing.¡±
¡°Father, would that be a good proof to you?¡±
¡°It would indicate that she can find people, yes. I approve.¡±
The Prince called someone who he''d been at school with. ¡°Shorty, I''m helping in a demonstration. Can you stand still for a bit?¡±
Shorty, actually called William Short, stood still. ¡°What''s going on, Alb?¡±
¡°Hold on, tell you soon.¡±
Karen was already ahead of him, and had looked at Shorty''s feet. Without being asked, she said, ¡°The man you call Shorty is standing roughly in the middle of a room, facing the north window, on the top floor of a ten story building, on the Eastern edge of a large city in what I think is Mongolia. I could pinpoint the city and the block on a map, but I don''t know the name, sorry.¡±
¡°Did you hear what she said, Shorty?¡±
¡°Yes. You''re talking to one of those gifted people? Every detail correct.¡±
¡°What are you doing there, Shorty?¡±
¡°Business trip,¡± he explained.
¡°Do you know his full name?¡± asked the Queen.
¡°No, but I can find out everyone''s name in that room if you want me to and if I have permission.¡±
¡°Did you hear that, too Shorty?¡±
¡°Yes. Is she pretty? You need a wife.¡±
¡°Yes, she''s pretty, and engaged.¡±
¡°Can''t you send him to the moon or something?¡±
¡°I don''t think I should, no.¡±
¡°Shame. Is that all?¡±
¡°Can I ask her to tell me who''s up there with you?¡±
¡°Urm, yes, sure. Let me put you on speaker. We''re... sorry, everyone here is listening.¡±
Karen looked at the floor of the room in as much detail as she could, and reported, loudly enough to be heard, ¡°In that room, there''s William Joyce Short, Jemimah Louise Short nee Montgomery, and Oh! I didn''t know I could see that! Congratulations!¡±
¡°Pardon?¡± William asked.
Jemimah grabbed William''s phone and asked Karen: ¡°Are you sure?¡±
¡°Yes, I''m sure. Sorry, I shouldn''t have said anything,¡± Karen replied, deeply embarrassed.
¡°Do I gather...¡± William said.
¡°I''d been hoping it was true, William. I was going to go for a scan when we''re back home... I''m expecting.¡±
¡°Wow!¡±
¡°Congratulations, Shorty! Sounds like you''re going to be a Dad.¡±
¡°Time to celebrate, I think!¡±
¡°We''ll leave you to it,¡± Albert said, and disconnected. ¡°Karen, that was, urm... quite scary, actually. Dad, comments?¡±
The King was silent for a while. ¡°You have a very impressive ability, Karen. A very impressive demonstration.¡±
¡°You saw the unborn child too?¡± the Queen asked.
¡°Yes. I''m glad they took it well. I assumed they knew already! Really though, I guess I shouldn''t have said anything,¡± Karen said, still somewhat shaken.
The Queen agreed: ¡°In other circumstances. You''re right. You breached your ethics code, but I don''t think they''ll be pressing charges.¡±
Bella wasn''t sure. ¡°You had permission, Karen.¡±
¡°I think it could be argued that I had permission to tell about everyone they knew of. I was caught off guard but should have considered it before I spoke up. I hope, Majesties, that I''ve demonstrated that I have access to a level of knowledge which defies explanation. I should not have been able to identify your son''s friend from just a nickname, but the nick-name was enough to locate him, and identify those in the room. It is not reasonable to assume that such a quantity of information is being transmitted world-wide for me to pick up.¡±
¡°I admit, I cannot think up such a mechanism,¡± the King conceded.
¡°Karen?¡± started the Queen. ¡°You can find people by category too?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Karen acknowledged.
¡°Why don''t you look for the people in the spaceship?¡± Karen was silent for quite a long time.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡°Would locating those people, and having them confirm the events that Bella saw provide your Majesty with sufficient information that the filtered dreams are more reliable than random chance?¡±
¡°Yes, I believe it would.¡±
¡°Then I will try,¡± Karen agreed.
Karen looked for people who had been on that spacecraft on the skin of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, the Earth. No results. She looked on the skin of Mars. No results. She looked for people aged thirty with fair hair on the skin of Mars. Lots of red dots on the red planet. Her gift worked there, but she had found no one from the space-ship. Carefully, without entirely shutting off her awareness of the room, she sought peace. There was heat. Not very dangerous, but she needed to stop.
¡°Your Majesties, I am afraid I have not found them, but I have used my gift sufficiently that I must let my brain rest.¡±
¡°So, either they''re somewhere you didn''t look, or they don''t exist?¡± the King asked.
¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡±
¡°And where didn''t you look?¡±
¡°I looked at Earth and Mars. That leaves the rest of the solar system.¡±
¡°Mars! You think you would have seen them so far away?¡±
¡°I wasn''t sure. As a check, I looked for thirty year olds with fair hair on Mars. I found too many to count. I believe that the travel time for light is considerably more than a minute. The information was available to me instantly.¡±
¡°But you haven''t found anyone from the spaceship.¡±
¡°No, your Majesty.¡±
¡°So the dreams are not reliable,¡± The King said.
¡°Or they are on the moon, or somewhere else in space, or they have died. I should not check further, but with your Majesties'' permission, I will ask Sarah to look for me.¡±
¡°By all means,¡± the Queen asked.
[Sarah, I''ve bitten off more than I can chew. Can you help?]
[Of course. What''s up?]
[The King is playing ''I need hard evidence'', and the Queen asked if I could find the people on the space-ship Bella saw. I said I''d give it a go, and scanned Earth and Mars for matching people. I wasn''t sure about reaching Mars, so I also checked for fair-haired 30 year-olds, and got a bit too hot to continue.]
[OK, got it. Any reason you tried that way?]
[Urm, the queen asked about categories. I don''t know their names.]
[Yes, but we found your thoughts by naming you Damsel.]
[Oh, I''m stupid! Could you try, please?]
[Of course. Shall we call them Julian, Dick, Anne and Georgina, after the Famous Five books?]
[Why not? Julian the oldest man, and Georgina the oldest woman?]
[Yes. OK. I''ll report back in a few seconds.]
Sarah looked at the feet of Julian ¡ª He was in orbit round Jupiter. Georgina, on board some sort of cargo ship a long way from anywhere, it seemed. Anne looked like she was standing beside Julian, and she therefore had both of their names. Dick... Dick was either out of range or not alive.]
[Karen! Georgina is on a cargo ship, out further than Jupiter, but not in that direction. Julian and Anne are actually Jack and Nancy, currently orbiting Jupiter. No sign of Dick, I guess he''s died.]
[Thanks! Make sure you don''t overheat.]
[Of course!]
Karen had been aware that the conversation had lulled, waiting for Sarah''s response, so she felt no qualms about passing on what she''d been told. ¡°Sarah reports that Jack and Nancy, two of those who were on board, are currently in orbit around Jupiter. The younger male who was on board seems to have died, and the older woman is on a cargo ship in the outer solar system, beyond the orbit of Jupiter in another direction.¡±
¡°Do you have her name?¡± the King asked.
¡°No, sir. It could be obtained, of course,¡± and asked Sarah. [If you''re not too hot, can you find out Georgina''s real name, please.]
Albert asked the next question: ¡°Karen, your gift for finding out about people seems not to be limited by boring things like the speed of light. Is that true for reading thoughts too?¡±
¡°I haven''t tested that aspect of it, sir. Sarah did tell me that she suspected that to be the case.¡±
¡°I don''t suppose there are any thought-readers on that space-ship you could talk to?¡± he asked wistfully.
¡°I think, sir, that your respected Father would prefer more conventional and verifiable ways of communicating.¡±
¡°Smart thinking!¡± commented the King, ¡°Of course I would.¡±
¡°While you were talking to Sarah, I found a list of space-accidents.¡± The Queen said. ¡°I don''t think we need to talk to anyone so far away. Listen to this: from about ten years ago, ''A cargo vessel on a resupply run was hit by the plasma trail of an out-of-control comet-harvesting-tug also known as a ''sheepdog.'' Later investigations suggest a programming error in the self-diagnosis routines permitted a critical malfunction to not be tested for correctly. Blah blah, crew and passengers on board put on oxygen masks for safety and improvised a simple leak detector. The harvesting tug eventually exploded. Kuiper belt object''s last known orbit suggests Jupiter impact. Orbital data passed to Jupiter Watch as observation possibility. Jupiter watch assigned object number Ko594a.''
There''s a crew list, two of the names are Jack, ending tour of duty on shepherd six, and Nancy, flight engineer. I looked and couldn''t find any data from Jupiter Watch on that object.¡±
¡°Maam, Sarah tells me the other woman on board is called Wilma,¡± Karen added.
¡°Well, interestingly this report says the pilot was called Wilamina, but there is an attached letter of commendation for pilot Wilma.¡± She looked expectantly at her husband.
¡°Very well, ladies, I''m becoming convinced that there is at least some reliable data in Bella''s filtered dreams. We obviously need to get Space Guard or some tame astronomer to look out for things that might hit on Valentine''s day.¡±
¡°Is it reasonable to assume that it is that missing asteroid?¡± Albert asked.
¡°It would certainly be a good candidate,¡± the Queen answered. ¡°There must only be a small set of orbits that would take a rock from where it started from, not smashing into Jupiter and getting to us on that day. In which case it should be much easier to find. But that''s up to the astronomers.¡±
¡°I think I''d like to follow up on this personally, Mother, Father.¡±
¡°Good,¡± the King said.
10am, Wednesday 22nd November, Astronomy department
The security officer showed Prince Albert into the university office, and discretely stood outside.
¡°Dr Green,¡± Prince Albert greeted the confused astronomer, ¡°thank you for making time to meet me.¡±
¡°It''s an honour, your Highness. But I''m not quite sure how I can help or what I''ve done to occasion it.¡±
¡°It''s very simple, but not very flattering, I''m afraid. You are in the unfortunate position of being the nearest expert on orbital mechanics my staff could find who is not at a conference, up a mountain, or on holiday this week.¡±
¡°Ah! I see. Well at least that sets my mind at rest that I haven''t upset anyone. Although I do wonder why the crown prince should need an expert on orbital mechanics.¡±
¡°I''m sure that you''re much more familiar with the little game of cosmic billiards that the Mars terraforming programme is involved in.¡±
¡°Yes. Yes, indeed. It''s not the sort of thing that we are very happy with at Space Guard, but none of them have missed Mars so far, so it all seems to be going OK.¡±
¡°With your Space Guard mindset, I''d like you to consider this report from about ten years ago.¡±
He handed over the report.
¡°Yes, yes, I remember that event. Throttle on full and totally out of control. It''s very fortunate that it was heading straight towards Jupiter. It would have been going quite fast at the impact time, lots of data for Jupiter Watch.¡±
¡°What concerns me is that Jupiter Watch have not reported the impact. Or indeed any impact around the time in question, or any sign of an impact cloud on the
surface of Jupiter in the surrounding days. It looks to my untrained eye like it missed.¡±
¡°That would be concerning, yes. But there are so many asteroids flying around the Solar system, the chances of it causing any damage are miniscule. And if it missed Jupiter then it''ll be on a hyperbolic orbit. It''ll be on a one-way route through the Solar system. Unless you have additional data, sir?¡±
¡°There have been three, what you might call independent prophecies, that something will cause a Tungaska-style event over a city on this coming Valentine''s day. One of the prophecies included data which matched that report, so while that''s not the only candidate, my parents would like you to consider that one first. Is there a chance of that object hitting Earth?¡±
¡°Your Highness, if it missed Jupiter, but went close, then it could be almost anywhere. I''m sure that''s what these prophesies are based on. It depends so much on how closely it passes, of course, but...¡±
¡°So there is a chance?¡±
¡°Yes, sir, there is a miniscule chance. I''ve heard some strange prophecies of doom in my time, but to predict anything based on a missed Jupiter impact... Sorry, sir, I can''t give credence to any such calculation. The error margins are too high.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, Dr Green. You seem to have misinterpreted what I said. No calculations have been made. These are prophesies in the sense of dreams and visions. One was from about ten years ago, the other two were more recent. The people who had them found them traumatic and are not seeking fame, newspaper interviews or any other reward. The question is this: If there are possible orbits which would take this object from the Kuiper belt, past Jupiter and intersect Earth''s orbit on or about February the fourteenth, then which way should telescopes be pointing to confirm or deny that the object is coming?¡±
¡°I can calculate that, of course, sir. But I''m sure you''re on a wild goose chase.¡±
¡°I personally hope that I am not.¡±
¡°That you are not, sir?¡±
¡°The people concerned have absolutely nothing to gain from making this up, Dr Green. We''ve learned recently that mind-reading is not thing of fantasy novels. I myself have recently met a young woman who was able to correctly identify where a particular friend of mine was, and who was with him. I think perhaps our society should be open to the idea that there are other sources of true knowledge than science, even if that is the one we are most comfortable with. If this candidate object is nowhere to be seen with a telescope, then given the credibility of the witnesses and the fact that there are three of them, that would not convince me that the prophesy is incorrect, only that we''d picked the wrong candidate to look for.¡±
¡°I find it hard to believe in prophesies, sir.¡±
¡°So does my father. However, and you must not pass this on, he was one of those who received this disturbing dream.¡±
Dr Green worked hard not to do an impression of a gold-fish for a about ten seconds, and eventually gathered his wits enough to say, ¡°I''ll start the calculations immediately, your Highness.¡±
¡°Thank you. Will they take long?¡±
¡°I do not think so, sir. I could give you an approximate answer in five minutes, I expect, but perhaps twenty minutes would be better, as it would allow me to refine the search better and perhaps identify what error happened with the Jupiter impact prediction.¡±
¡°That would be good, yes, as much accuracy as possible. I''ll leave you to your work. I do have some other business, but I''ll try to return in about an hour.¡±
10:30am
Prince Albert spoke into his wrist unit. ¡°Hello, Bella. Albert here. I thought you''d like to know that I''m hoping to have coordinates for an observation programme in the next hour or so.¡±
¡°Oh. Thank you for calling, Sir. That''s good to know.¡±
¡°I''ll let you know what the results say.¡±
¡°Thank you, Sir.¡±
¡°How''s your Bible reading going?¡±
¡°Umm, quite hard to say, Sir. I''m meeting some new concepts. It''s quite challenging.¡±
¡°Keep it up.¡±
¡°I intend to, Sir.¡±
¡°I''ll be in touch later. Bye.¡±
¡°Good bye, sir.¡± Bella looked at Eliza. ¡°That was urm, unexpected.¡±
¡°I heard you calling someone ''Sir''. News from headquarters?¡±
¡°Not exactly headquarters. Prince Albert.¡±
¡°Oooh! Well, you never did finish telling me about what happened yesterday. What was this call about?¡±
¡°I guess he''s been talking to an astronomer. He told me that he was hoping to hear coordinates to look for the asteroid in an hour.¡±
¡°That, Bella, sounds rather a feeble motive for a call.¡±
¡°That''s what I was thinking. Maybe he was bored. And he also asked me about my Bible studies.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s what the new concepts comment was about. So, what''s he like?¡±
¡°Prince Albert? Intense. There seems to be a constant battle with his father about God. The King sounds like an atheist, but Albert obviously isn''t. He''s what, twenty-five?¡±
¡°Sounds about right. Eligible, single...¡±
¡°Eliza!¡±
¡°Well, isn''t he? The papers are always full of speculation about when a girlfriend is going to come to light.¡±
¡°I wouldn''t be surprised if he hasn''t had one.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°People like us don''t tend to.¡±
¡°''People like us''? What do you mean?¡±
¡°He''d obviously been told about me having the power, and greeted me silently. He''s got it too, but hasn''t had anyone to think to since his grandfather died.¡±
¡°Oh, Bella! And then you walk into his life, confident, pretty, with the power, and he starts calling you for no good reason?¡±
¡°I hardly said ten sentences to him, Eliza. He was really shocked when he heard about my stupid pagan ceremony.¡±
¡°So he knows you''ve been a silly girl, but still calls?¡±
¡°Maybe he''s just interested in saving my soul.¡±
¡°There''s quite a few of us interested in that.¡±
¡°I''ve noticed.¡±
¡°We prayed that you''d be able to think clearly the other night. What do you think about God, right now?¡±
¡°That you think he''s the answer to all my problems. You prayed that I''d be able to decide this on my own, but on the other hand, I heard you decide that you''d pray quietly that God would help me love him, you, you sneaky person.¡±
¡°Argh. I should have hidden, shouldn''t I? That reminds me, I need to teach it to you sometime.¡±
¡°True. Anyway, I know you''re probably going to keep on bringing it up if I don''t accept God, which fits with how you think of him. So you''re sneaky and consistent. I think that if I''m not a Christian then I ought to be safe from the prince making any plans for me, which would be nice.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Eliza asked, surprised.
¡°Really. You know the Queen used to be a security agent?¡±
¡°Yes, I''d forgotten, but I read it once.¡±
¡°I saw her name on the self-defence trophy when I won it. I don''t really want to be a queen, Eliza. I much prefer my current job to going around opening schools and stuff like that.¡±
¡°Maybe she sees herself as the King''s personal security agent.¡±
¡°Maybe. I don''t think I''d like the public duties.¡±
¡°Fair enough. But, back to God? You haven''t told me what you think of Him, Bella.¡±
¡°I don''t really know. You obviously think he''s the most wonderful being in the universe, but in that passage we looked at last night your Jesus sounded distinctly aggravated.¡±
¡°Well, what''s wrong with that?¡±
¡°I thought angry was wrong?¡±
¡°Let me ask you a question. If you saw someone threatening a harmless little old lady you know with a knife, what would you do and what would your emotional state be?¡±
¡°I''d disarm them and arrest them. Emotionally, I''d try to be cold, calculating.¡±
¡°Fair enough. Anger leads to mistakes. What about if the prosecutor made a mistake and you heard they''d walked free on a technicality?¡±
¡°I''d be angry, I guess.¡±
¡°Right. And what about if the prosecutor had deliberately let them off because the little old lady didn''t have the right friends, but they did?¡±
¡°I think you''d rather I didn''t swear. Very angry.¡±
¡°And would your anger be wrong?¡±
¡°You''re telling me that some kinds of anger are right?¡±
¡°Of course. You should feel anger at injustice, when you see others maltreated. It''s just typically human that we feel angry when someone doesn''t let us do things how we want them to. That''s not exactly the best sort of anger.¡±
¡°So anger which starts ''He can''t tell me to do that!'' isn''t on a good track.¡±
¡°Yes. But anger which starts `Doesn''t he know right from wrong?'' is off to a better start.¡±
¡°Interesting. I''d never thought of there being two different sorts of angry. I presume you''ve got yet another special word or phrase for them?¡±
¡°Of course! Righteous anger and selfish anger.¡±
¡°Oh. Yes. I''d heard of righteous anger. So... according to you it''s OK for God to be angry, but not for us, often.¡±
¡°Yes. God''s not going to get upset about people trampling him underfoot, no one''s big enough to do that. But, on the other hand, you find times in the Bible when he does get angry when his people damage his reputation.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°For instance when the Israelites keep on pretending to be just like the other nations around them, fitting in, not creating a stir, not refusing to worship idols like they should. Do you see how that would affect God''s reputation?¡±
¡°If God''s people aren''t different, then their God''s not so different either?¡±
¡°Yes. Not only that, but things like: If their God''s really so wonderful and far more powerful than Baal, like he says, then why do I see them going to Baal-worship regular as clockwork?¡±
¡°But they wouldn''t say that! They didn''t have clockwork.¡±
¡°OK, as regular as whatever simile for extreme regularity they used.¡±
¡°That doesn''t sound as snappy, somehow,¡± Bella said.
¡°But you get the point?¡±
¡°How you behave affects God''s reputation.¡±
¡°And the God who spoke to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is not just some kind of local tribal totem like the pagans considered him, or even the sun-god. He made the Sun, and it wasn''t even his first creation. He made us, and has been in the business of rescuing us from our attitude of `I know better'' ever since. If we go ruining his reputation then people will not believe what he says. For instance about approaching asteroids.¡±
¡°How is it that I believe God about asteroids, but not about anything else?¡± Bella asked.
¡°You believe he can deal with demons too, and you trust that when you ask him to make them go away he isn''t going to take up residence himself without you asking. I know enough history to know I certainly wouldn''t trust the average human empire to act like that.¡±
Bella thought long and hard about that. ¡°OK. So it looks like I think God is trustworthy. So, what am I scared of?¡±
¡°Total guess, not my field of expertise at all, but how about the changes that a life-long relationship brings?¡±
¡°That''s silly!¡±
¡°Really? I don''t think you like change, Bella.¡±
¡°I don''t mind change!¡± Bella said indignantly.
Eliza hid her thoughts and looked at Bella for a while, putting her arguments in order.
¡°Bought that new stove yet? Got scared by the thought that our nation''s most eligible bachelor might be interested in a date? Been worried sleepless about a change of job? Want to stay sitting on the fence as far as God is concerned, even when you know deep down that he exists, he''s the good-guy, and you''re in the firing lines of his sworn enemies and that he would protect you better if you joined his camp?¡±
¡°You''re not cheating, are you?¡±
¡°Well, I hid my thoughts so I could hit you with that lot in one go. Why?¡±
¡°I thought of some of those things while you were looking accusingly at me.¡±
¡°I wasn''t accusing. Was I?¡±
¡°I thought so.¡±
¡°I just thought you''d made yourself a lovely target.¡±
¡°For accusations!¡±
¡°No, for reminders that you might not be as aware of your motivations as you''d thought. I''ll make some tea, or would you prefer coffee?¡±
¡°Coffee, please. How did you know I''d been worried about changing jobs?¡±
¡°You said you didn''t sleep well last night, remember?¡±
¡°I didn''t say it was about changing jobs. It might have been about protecting you from kidnap attempts.¡±
¡°Fat chance! That''s all in a day''s work for you, no, better than that, you enjoy it, just like arresting muggers.¡±
¡°Hey, how did you get to know me so well?¡±
¡°I guess we''ve been talking a lot.¡±
¡°Yeah, we have, haven''t we? It''ll be sad to lose contact after I''m not assigned to you any more.¡±
¡°Don''t think you can escape that easily, Bella.¡± Eliza tapped her head and thought to her, [I can call you anytime I like.]
¡°Show-off! So you don''t think we''ll lose contact?¡±
¡°I doubt it. I expect Maria''s got her plans for both of us, well beyond the trial. Speaking of which, any news about when the trial is?¡±
¡°No, sorry.¡±
¡°Never mind. You''re good company. Now, I really should read this book, so I can pretend to know something for my seminar tomorrow.¡±
11:30am, the astronomy department.
¡°Dr Green, you look like you''ve got news for me?¡±
¡°Well, yes. I got the computer results and put out a query if anyone had seen an object in the right patches of sky. I heard back almost immediately from a colleague. He was studying the spectrum of a variable star, it''s doing some very odd things, but never mind that, he''d got it nicely in the middle of the spectrometer, and just as he was starting to collect data it stopped reporting anything. He thought the equipment had failed on him, and then he realised that there''s been an occultation.¡±
¡°An occultation?¡± Prince Albert wasn''t familiar with the term, and it didn''t sound like a positive one.
¡°Something went in front of his star, hiding it from view.¡±
¡°Oh. The asteroid?¡±
¡°It would be reasonable to presume so. There was nothing in the catalogues that should have been there, and it was too long for an untracked piece of space debris.¡±
¡°Thank you, Dr. So, the object is aiming at the Earth?¡±
¡°Just about, sir. It''s not aiming at the centre of the planet, you understand, and there''s a considerable degree of uncertainty, even with this data point. I urm, hope that I''ve not broken any laws. It just sort of slipped out when I was talking to him.¡±
¡°What `just sort of slipped out?''¡±
¡°Well, sir, I told him I''d been given a commission to look into what had happened to that asteroid, sir. But he realised that my search area was too small to be a general search so he asked what my other data-point was...¡±
¡°And you told him an Earth impact on Valentine''s day?¡±
¡°I''m sorry, sir, I told him that the authorities were concerned about a prophesy. He can easily work out when it''s due.¡±
¡°I''d like to politely ask him not to pass it on, and I''d like to know your colleague''s name and present location. It shouldn''t go further.¡±
¡°Certainly, sir.¡± He wrote them down on a piece of paper (it seemed Dr Green liked low technology for some things) and handed it to the prince. ¡°Urm, he''s not actually in this country, and, urm, perhaps it wasn''t wise of me...¡±
¡°Between you you''ve published the orbit?¡±
¡°I didn''t mean to, sir, but it''s part of the system. I submitted the query through the normal system we use to check observations or predictions. A confirmation result, which his was, automatically refines the orbit, and highlights it as worth further study, especially as it''s on Earth-approach. Everyone on the Space Guard list will have got a message, sir. I''m sorry if this was supposed to be a secret. There will be a lot of telescopes pointing at it over the next few days, trying to reduce the error ellipse.¡±
¡°I presume you didn''t enter the asteroid with a datapoint of it hitting the Earth?¡±
¡°No, sir, I put in the original position, and a vector which I could have worked out from the original report. I''m quite proud that I managed it in such a short time, actually. It should be embarrassing to someone ¡ª it looks like they didn''t account for the ejection of the space tug properly.¡±
¡°You mean that the data was actually there in the original report?¡±
¡°Yes, sir, well, almost. There were some frames from after the explosion and there was a minuscule dot near the asteroid which could have been part of the sheepdog. They''d got the track of the part that went off quickly, and they''d assumed that the whole dog went off on that vector, but with your date for the impact, I discovered that if I revised the mass ejected then I could get it to miss Jupiter and impact here. It turns out to have been half the dog.¡±
¡°So, you do actually have a plausible story for the press.¡±
¡°The press?¡± Dr Green felt a little like the ground was about to open under him.
¡°When they come to ask how you found this doomsday rock.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Dr Green, if the prophecy is correct, you''ve just published data that will alert the planet for the first impact that Space Guard has had to deal with. You spoke of an error ellipse. How big is it?¡±
¡°It''s roughly twice the size of the Moon''s orbit at the moment, but it''s centred half way out from the Earth''s centre to its limb.¡±
¡°By limb, you mean the Earth''s edge?¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
¡°So, at the moment the Earth is in the cross-hairs, but there''s a lot of uncertainty in your calculations.¡±
¡°Yes, Sir.¡±
¡°So, the press probably won''t come knocking quite yet. Security will send someone to help you practice your story. I think that a scientific discovery will be less threatening to people than hearing that God says a city is probably doomed, don''t you? And we don''t need to make the public panic, do we, Dr Green?¡±
¡°No, Sir, not at all, Sir.¡±
¡°Do you believe in God, Dr Green?¡±
¡°Urm, I had wanted to weigh the evidence myself, but I''ve never taken the time.¡±
¡°I suggest that you might want to, Dr Green. Or take someone else''s word for it. The evidence is far more reliable than your current error ellipse. I will be encouraging my father to plan for the evacuation of the relevant city. I only hope your colleagues can refine the orbit quickly enough. If we have to tell people that God says we''re the target, they might choose to ignore us. I''d rather not be callous enough to say it serves them right for not having any faith. Goodbye, Dr Green.¡±
¡°Goodbye, Sir.¡± Dr Green quickly called his friend. He hoped that he hadn''t passed on the information about the prophesy.
As the prince left the office he was already starting to call Maria.
¡°Maria, Albert here. A slight situation, which needs a cover story-crafter.¡± He explained where he was, and what had happened.
¡°He did what?¡±
¡°My fault partly, I didn''t actually tell him not to publish anything, I just asked him where to point the telescopes. He''d gone beyond what I asked for and had worked out how the thing got on its present orbit and put it up for confirmation, just like he normally would. Someone called back immediately. It had gone in front of a star he''d just happened to be observing. But he was curious, as you might imagine. He told him what his second data point was ¡ª Earth impact on Valentine''s day.¡±
¡°So, there''s a scientist with a loose tongue but a somewhat credible cover story, and a colleague where?¡±
He told her. ¡°Really? Well, it''s a good thing we''re on good terms with the president. It just depends on who he''s passed it on to.¡±
¡°I''ll leave it in your capable hands.¡±
¡°Thank you, your Highness, I need to act quickly on this, I think.¡±
Maria dropped that connection and called her husband.
¡°Hi, love, there''s a drip I''d like you to patch up quickly if possible,¡± Maria said, speaking in their mutual shorthand. Drips were a sort of leak ¡ª they made a messy splash, possibly all over the news media.
¡°Anything for you, my love. I take it that it''s landed here?¡±
¡°The real splash will be if it lands back here. The good news is that someone there has a confirmation on our Valentine''s day delivery, the bad news is that the professor here was so excited that his tongue got carried away.¡±
¡°Oh. So someone here knows why he was asked to look?¡±
¡°Part of it. The professor wasn''t that informative, but he knows there''s a prophesy which has us worried.¡±
¡°Well, I''ll have a talk to the President.¡±
¡°Please do.¡±
¡°Mr President, I have an embarrassing favour to ask you.¡±
¡°Yes, my friend, I''m all ears.¡±
¡°It seems that an academic in my home country was told a certain piece of information, and accidentally his tongue ran away with him and he told it to his colleague here. I believe it would cause great... public concern in my home country were it to become common knowledge all of a sudden.¡±
¡°Oh, a scandal! Do tell me more!¡±
¡°Of course, my friend, but if you''ll give me permission, I''d like to first talk to the respected academic, to ensure that he understands the situation.¡±
¡°There would be a representative of our government there, of course.¡±
¡°Of course. I would prefer it not to seem that we are threatening this honourable scientist.¡±
¡°Certainly. And it would be of great embarrassment to your government if it were to be known?¡±
¡°Not embarrassment so much as panic, if the news comes too quickly.¡±
¡°Ah? Then perhaps the matter has already crossed my desk, and is at the forefront of my mind.¡±
¡°Really? If so then news has indeed travelled fast.¡±
¡°It is to do with the Space Guard alert?¡±
¡°Yes, Mr President, it is indeed.¡±
¡°You know that at the moment the predicted target is our beautiful country?¡±
¡°No! No, I did not know where the scientists are predicting, but I know that several people have had dreams sent by God that there will be a ruined city, and at least one is convinced that the city is her home town - in my nation.¡±
¡°Ah, and the one who knows all is a better source of such knowledge than scientists who guess at much.¡±
¡°I think we have seen that repeatedly, my friend, although there is always the hope that God might be merciful.¡±
¡°If it is his will, he will be.¡±
¡°Indeed. But you have spoken to this scientist?¡±
¡°He knew that young Adam had Deborah''s heart, and that my cousin has my ear. He heard there had been the prophesy, and saw where it was aimed from his data, so he talked to Adam.¡±
¡°Ah, that was a hard message to carry. There will be relief, I am sure, to hear that the impact is not in this beautiful land.¡±
¡°Yes, but it is sad to hear it will be in your own land.¡±
¡°It is a long time since we have rebuilt a city, but we have the resources. You unfortunately have the experience, and because of that less resources, I believe.¡±
¡°I think you are right in this, my friend, though it will be a painful task. Go to the university! Adam and Deborah will meet you there and take you to the scientist. He has been warned not to speak words that will cause panic, but all will be relieved to hear your message.¡±
¡°I thank you, my friend.¡±
¡°I thank you. You have removed a great care from my mind.¡±
9am, Thursday 23rd November, the Palace
The Royal Emergency Committe (TREC) did not meet very often. When it did, there was a serious problem, and so there was little time for pleasantries. The committee meeting had been called in a simple message: ¡°TREC meeting, 9am tomorrow, the Palace. Be there.¡± One person, the minister for religious affairs, was particularly surprised to get the royal command. He knew his king had embraced atheism, roughly at the time his wife had turned to Christ, and hoped this wasn''t something to do with their marriage.
The King spoke. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen of TREC, Valentine''s Day, next year, is the date that Space Guard will remember. Either as the day they justified their existence or failed, depending on your point of view.¡±
The science minister raised his hand to speak, and the King acknowledged him. ¡°I have read the alerts, your Majesty. There''s an enormous error ellipse.¡±
¡°That is true, minister. If you glance at this briefing document you''ll see
that there is other information that Space Guard and the press do not have. My son and I disagree on the ultimate source of that data, but it is there, and we need to reckon with it, and given the severity of the emergency, we need to take it seriously.¡±
The prince added, ¡°I will point out that the reason, the only reason, that Space Guard located the asteroid is that I asked Dr Green
to work out where that asteroid would be now if it was going to hit us on Valentine''s day, given that it had failed to impact Jupiter like everyone had predicted a decade ago. Publicly, for the moment at least, we allow Dr Green and Space Guard to continue to claim to have found the asteroid. Dr Green and another member of Space Guard who he unfortunately blabbed to know the truth. This discovery is not to be attributed to human genious, but to divine intervention.¡±
The King made a snort of disagreement to the word divine, but the prince continued: ¡°We propose to let the public gradually become aware that there is a growing risk of an impact, while we plan, knowing that there will be one, unless God has mercy on us.¡±
The minster for religious affairs spoke up: ¡°Sir, I understand why I''m here now, but, should the credit not go to God right from the start?¡±
The King spoke: ¡°This is one aspect we''re struggling with at this meeting. Would the fact that this information originated through scary dreams be something that would encourage the people to listen, or a distraction, something people would argue against? Would it help or hinder efforts to evacuate the city? Personally I don''t acknowledge the being my son attributes the information to, but prefer to think there is a naturalistic explanation. But that''s not relevant for the moment. The important issue is what would the public think? Would the truth cause confusion?¡±
The religious affairs minister said thoughtfully, ¡°If the error ellipse from SpaceGuard does not shrink sufficiently rapidly, then I think it will be difficult to convince people that we know something that SpaceGuard do not. In that case, evacuation could be very difficult. On the other hand, if we tell them right from the start that God told us something in a dream, there will be many who will laugh and pay no attention. And they would possibly doubt the science if it supports the dream, when they would not if it was just the scientists speaking; some people are like that. I myself would prefer complete honesty, and then maybe the nation will pray and God will relent.¡±
The defence minister spoke up ¡°Your Highness has said that the discovery was made on the basis of dreams. How certain are we that their purpose has not now passed? Can we not leave it in the hands of the scientists to tell us where the rock will land? Trajectory prediction is not exactly a modern invention.¡±
¡°Madam Minister, there are some dreams that suggest there are decisions we must take, or attempts that we might make which will prove fruitless. It is not certain that the error ellipse will be sufficiently small to prompt the complete evacuation of a city in the time that that takes. There are, I admit, some dreams that suggest the outcome is not one hundred percent certain. And some other dreams, whose significance is not understood.¡±
The science minister was confused about something. ¡°You speak as though there were a large number of these dreams.¡±
¡°Appendix one of the briefing document lists the dreams and their number.
If any of you can cast light on the less clear dreams, that would be most helpful. The dreams were experienced by a teenage girl twice a week ¡ª on Friday and Saturday nights ¡ª over the period of a year.¡±
The finance minister objected ¡°These numbers are the count of dreams? They add up to several hundred, not just one hundred.¡±
¡°Most nights she had three of these dreams. They terrified her, and her mother recorded them at the medic''s request. We therefore only have the final eight or maybe nine months'' worth.¡±
¡°And this girl is the only source of this data?¡± asked the minister for science.
¡°No,¡± the King said. ¡°A year ago I had a dream in which I saw a destroyed city, and knew it was Valentine''s day. More recently another person had a similar experience. The details are from the young woman''s dreams, however. She has also told us where she believes the impact point will be ¡ª Restoration.¡±
There was a pause as the ministers absorbed that piece of information, and flicked through the briefing document.
The King changed the subject to more practical matters ¡°So Gentlemen, Ladies, assuming that all above surface buildings are reduced to rubble, and with no data about anything below ground yet, we need a list of national treasures that need to be moved or protected, and somewhere to put them. We need to move prisoners in a not-too conspicuous manner, so that they''re moved long before the civilians have to evacuate. We need a timetable for the evacuation, and destinations for the population who don''t have friends or family they can move to. If possible, we''ll want people to be able to move as many personal effects as they can, so that they don''t have to totally rebuild their lives. But that takes time and of course there needs to be a secure area to store their possessions in. We''ll have to set a limit on how much space we can provide. A cubic metre for half a million people only makes a square kilometre, even without stacking and some space between them, so hopefully we can let them take at least that much. Closer to ten cubic metres would be better by far. Minister for transport, will you find out how many shipping containers might be available, for delivery by the start of February? I think that would suit
an average family quite well. Let''s say a family gets a container, adults share one between four. Now, we don''t
want this to be happening in the last week, Gentlemen. The roads would be clogged, accidents would happen. Minister for planning and development, assume we''re going to need to house three quarters of the city, in about two months. Winter''s coming and I understand it''s hard work to build an emergency city when the ground is frozen.
Make it possible. Finance minister, this won''t come cheap, put all departments on a war footing, immediately. Nothing gets spent which doesn''t need to be. This project has priority over ministerial salaries, even. And whatever you do, stop any renovation or infrastructure works going on there, immediately. It''d be a total waste. The builders will have other work to do. Minister for science, find out when the error ellipse is going to shrink to something useful. Otherwise we''ll have to listen to the religious minister.¡±
That gentleman spoke up. ¡°Respectfully sir, It will be a lot easier to explain this if we did tell the people as soon as possible.¡±
¡°Of course it would. It would also increase certainty that I''ve gone mad. Now, minister for defence. You have your target and your missiles, Mars teraforming have information we need about what it''s made of. Bring me feasible options to let life in my realm go on unaffected.¡±
¡°Yes, Sir!¡±
¡°Justice minister, the prisoner transfers, as soon as possible. Find a good excuse and get them moved by a week''s time. While they''re doing that, I want some laws to sign. The right to industrial action is suspended, conscription into construction teams and evacuation forces if necessary. Emergency legislation for the temporary confiscation of lands if necessary ¡ª work with the planning minister on that. Some suitable penalty for theft or looting. We want to keep law and order and not have a riot on our hands. Planning minister, you need to find me somewhere to put these people and their possessions. Good road transport links are a must, of course, and something like a hundred kilometres from the city, just in case. I don''t want our temporary city knocked down by the same impact, but the lorries are going to be busy, so keep the distance within reason. Preferably land that''s already in government or crown hands.¡±
¡°Minister for religious affairs,¡± the prince added ¡°whatever is publicly stated, this should be prayed about. Prepare a circular for all churches and I guess other religious groups since we''re not supposed to show too much partiality. Nothing specific beyond what''s officially released, of course. Father, if you don''t release at least some information about the dreams, none of the specific measures will make much sense.¡±
¡°I''ll look a fool.¡± the king moaned.
¡°I don''t mind looking a fool, Father, if that''s what it takes to save lives.¡±
The queen, who''d been silent all this time said ¡°That is indeed the question. Will we save lives by maintaining this fiction, by misleading the people, or will the truth hurt people too much? And if the truth comes out later, will the people be comforted that we were acting on secret knowledge, or will they be distrustful that we''ve hidden things from them? Which is the best, not for us, but for our country? And I also wonder two more things. One is how certain are we really that the city is the one we believe it to be? The other is that this girl''s dreams showed people praying and the asteroid missing. Are we going to act upon that, or will we let the opportunity pass?¡±
The king dismissed his wife''s last question from his mind and focussed on the first. How certain were they? It was such a vital question.
¡°How did we not address this earlier?¡± he asked his wife and son.
¡°I guess that we were not as sure as we are now that anything was coming.¡±
the queen answered. ¡°But now we are sure, and we do not know how certain we can be of the exact target.¡±
¡°How can we be sure? Father, were there any geographical landmarks you might recognise in your dream?¡±
¡°It was a year ago! And I wasn''t looking at the landscape.¡±
The queen spoke decisively: ¡°Then we must ask the experts to help us once more.¡±
¡°The astronomers don''t even know it''s going to hit Earth yet.¡± the prince said derisively.
¡°I wasn''t talking about them. We have met someone who astounded us with her power to know where people were and who they are. I think perhaps the other aspects of their gift can give us some more details.¡±
¡°You''ve talked to one of those mind-readers?¡± asked the defense minister.
¡°Yes, minister. I knew that a friend of mine was not at home. The person we talked to was able to tell me which way he was facing in his hotel room, just from me using his nickname. I am sure that was not the limit of her power.
¡°And you can contact this woman again, Highness? And they could examine the girl''s memories?¡±
The queen answered. ¡°I''m sure that we could. We asked her about this, and she agreed it was possible, but she stated that the problem is that human memory is not perfect. That is the issue. And the memories we are discussing are from a long time ago.¡±
The king spoke. ¡°There is another witness. If their memory and mine coincide, and match a location, then I think we can be very sure. Albert, you''re in charge of getting all the relevant people together, A.S.A.P.¡±
¡°Yes, Father.¡± He left the meeting.
The king continued. ¡°Gentlemen, Ladies, we will keep you briefed. For the moment, I suggest that we broaden the scope of my earlier orders. Let''s find all suitable sites, and postpone all works that cannot wait. Get the builders to train up in rapid building techniques instead. If it hits, we''ll need a lot of houses for people, if it doesn''t, then we don''t, and that many temporary houses would be a major problem unless we can ship them to some other disaster area. So, I suggest either tents, or if we can get enough shipping containers then people can live in them for a while, I presume. But we''ll want to be able to rebuild quickly, very quickly. Camping in February isn''t fun. That means very innovative building techniques, maybe someone''s got a crazy scheme using sticky paper and forcefields, or something, get them tested and work out if they can do instead of tents, or at least instead of prefabricated buildings. And if we''re considering prefabricated designs, then I want something that will fit at least ten on a lorry, have at least two bedrooms a kitchen and a bathroom, and be possible to put together a by a few strong men in a day or two. And we desperately hope that infrastructure like drains and water will survive the devastation. The meeting is over, unless there are any questions?¡±
The minister for religions affairs plucked up his courage and asked: ¡°May we pray, sir?¡±
Standing up, the King said, ¡°You may stay and pray, minister, and any others of you feeling the need for that sort of support. I will not be joining you.¡± With that, he left. About half of the others present followed his lead.
¡°His majesty would not value your prayers, my friends,¡± the queen said as the last closed the door, ¡°but I would value your prayers for my husband.¡±
Preparation / Ch. 4: Unexpected changes
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 4: Unexpected changes.
11.50am, Thursday 23rd November, hypersonic transit terminal.
¡°Hi, Sarah, John.¡± Karen said. ¡°I didn''t know John was coming along too.¡±
¡°I suggested it to...¡± Sarah caught her self just before she named the prince, ¡°the organsier, and he agreed. After all, John pretty much saw what I did.¡±
¡°And Bella''s coming too, I presume?¡± John asked.
¡°Yes. Well, she should be. I guess she''ll be here before the transit leaves.¡±
¡°How''s George doing?¡±
¡°OK. They''re due to call him today. Pris testified yesterday.¡±
¡°And then he''s a free man again?¡±
¡°Not quite. He apparently needs to be ''kept safe'' for a bit longer, in case the defence lawyer calls him back.¡±
¡°But you don''t actually think he''s at risk?¡±
¡°Not really. We''ll be careful, though, of course.¡±
¡°How''s student life?¡± Sarah asked ¡°I''ve been meaning to ask for over a month, but keep forgetting.¡±
¡°Seriously odd.¡± Karen declared.
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Well, you know, lectures are lectures, but so much happened over the summer, and there''s so much else to think about, it''s not the same.¡±
¡°No. It wouldn''t be.¡± John agreed.
¡°I presume that people asked about your new ring?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Yes. They were... rather surprised when I said that George had given it to me.¡±
¡°Well, they didn''t know him very well, did they?¡±
¡°Ha! Not even I did. But then they asked where he was, and I had to say about how he''d almost been murdered and was a witness. And then they were so full of questions that I had to tell them that I wasn''t allowed to answer any other questions, for his protection.¡±
¡°And what did your tutor say when you told her the wedding date.¡±
¡°She said that it wasn''t exactly breaking a university rule, but it wasn''t recommended, and had we really thought it all through.¡±
¡°And you answered that you had, I presume?¡±
¡°Yes, and that I''d discussed it with my parents and they''d agreed it was for the best. I suspect she thinks I''m pregnant and that we want to married quickly for that reason.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°I might be wrong, but she certainly started asking about was I feeling well, and did I think I''d be able to cope with everything. I only thought of that explanation afterwards, it just seemed a bit of an odd change of subject at the time.¡±
¡°She''s probably met it happening before, and lept to conclusions.¡± John said, ¡°But getting married does take some adjusting, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes¡± agreed Sarah. ¡°I didn''t used to get breakfast in bed for my house-mates.¡±
¡°Hey, I get it for you too.¡± John protested.
¡°Yes. I know, love. But my point was that even something as every-day as breakfast is different.¡±
¡°Where is Bella?¡± Karen asked, looking round the waiting room. The transit wouldn''t wait for her.
[Should one of us check?] Sarah asked silently, while looking round the room with her eyes.
[I will.] Karen replied. She checked Bella''s feet and saw she was outside the terminal building, not moving in a transport.
[Hey, Bella, what''s up?] she called.
[I can''t just abandon Eliza here! I didn''t even want to bring her this far, but my replacements were delayed, said they''d meet me here, but they''re nowhere to be seen.]
[Transit leaves in 4 minutes.] Karen said. [You''ve just got time to get here if you start moving now. Don''t be late. Tell H.Q. that you''ll just need to bring Eliza. Charge the ticket to Security.]
[If you say so.]
[You don''t miss appointments with the King, Bella.]
[Good point. OK. What happens the other end?]
[I''ll sort it out. Now, move!]
Karen sat down from looking round, and typed a code on her wrist-unit.
¡°Hi, Mummy. Bella couldn''t leave her friend alone at a time like this, so she''ll have to come too. Hope that''s OK.¡±
¡°Your cousin?¡± Maria checked she was understanding properly.
¡°Yes. Definite case of no-one showed up for the party.¡±
¡°Poor thing. Oh well, she''ll get to see the beautiful countryside blurring past, at least. I''ll see what can happen at the other end.¡±
¡°Thanks Mummy. Bye.¡±
¡°Bye, dear.¡±
Sarah raised an eyebrow ¡°One more for the group?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Well, maybe we''ll get a compartment to ourselves then.¡±
¡°That''d be nice.¡± John looked around the room. The transit wouldn''t be full, so they ought to. Not many people would chose to be the sixth person in the compartment when everyone else was obviously in a group. ¡°It should be possible.¡±
¡°Yes, as long as they get here on time.¡± Karen agreed, seeing the countdown ticking on.
[Ticket bought! Wow, that wasn''t cheap!] Eliza reported in.
[One minute 20 seconds until it arrives. Doors close a minute after.] reported Karen.
[We''re running.] Eliza told her [Save us seats!].
The hypersonic transit system, was actually a bit of a misnomer. It was a mag-lev vehicle that ran in a tube ''filled'' with quite a good vacuum. Since sound doesn''t work very well when there are hardly any air molecules, there isn''t really a speed of sound in a vacuum. But on a long journey the vehicle would have been hypersonic if the vacuum pumps ever broke down, and it had been designed for that possibility. The mag-lev system could deliver a comfortable but constant acceleration up to the maximum speed of mach 6, but on the relatively short journey they were taking it would not reach that speed before it needed to start slowing down. Bella and Eliza were not going nearly that fast, but it felt like fast enough to them, and they were out of breath from their final sprint when they joined the others. They''d actually had another thirty seconds before the
doors closed, but they didn''t want to risk it. The transits didn''t wait for anyone, the timings needed to avoid collisions were too critical.
¡°That was exciting!¡± Bella said.
¡°Exhausting too.¡± Eliza puffed. ¡°It''s a long time since I''ve run that fast.¡±
Karen told her cousin: ¡°Mummy''s arranging things, Eliza. I don''t know yet what she''s arranging, but even if you''re just going back again, I''m glad to see you.¡±
¡°Me too. I mean, Bella''s good company, but it''s nice to be allowed out for a change.¡±
¡°So, do you know what this trip is about, Eliza, just in case you get invited along too?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Bella said that the King wanted to talk to her again.¡±
¡°And to me, too.¡± Sarah said.
¡°And John?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°I got him invited too.¡± Sarah said. ¡°That way I don''t need to worry about screaming attacks in terminal buildings or in the pallace.¡±
¡°Oh!¡± Karen said ¡°I''d forgotten about that. You think there''s a range limit on how far he can keep you sane?¡±
¡°I''m sure there is Karen. I just don''t know how far it is.¡±
¡°What''s this about?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Sarah can''t stand crowds, Bella.¡± John said.
¡°Unless John''s with me, or unless it''s worship time at church.¡± Sarah added.
¡°Why not?¡± Bella was confused.
¡°Over-effective version of the power, or inneffective filter, or something.¡± Sarah said with a shrug. ¡°We''ve not really worked out what''s going on, but it seems like I receive everyone''s intentions, not just the ones about me. Let me tell you it is not something to be envious of. In a non-united crowd then that''s just a lot of noise, so much I can''t think. When people are united in adoring God, that''s something beautiful. I''ve... learned from someone else that if there''s a crowd coming to burn the witch then that comes across lound and clear too.¡±
¡°Urm, yes, I can see that might be useful, occasionally.¡± Bella said.
¡°Once every few lifetimes it might be useful, most of the time, it means agonizing pain if there''s more than about thirty people in reasonable distance. For example, the waiting room for this transit had at least thirty people in it. Bad news, but I might have coped. If the transit had been full, then my place would have been empty. I''d be passed out or would have run out screaming.¡±
¡°But John''s presence helps somehow?¡±
¡°We''re not quite sure how that works, either.¡± Sarah said.
¡°The poetic way of expressing it is that I wrap her up in a blanket of love, which smothers that bit of her power.¡± John said, with a loving gaze at his wife.
¡°Excuse me while I''m sick.¡± Eliza said, half-seriously.
All eyes turned to her. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Sorry, guys.¡± Eliza shook her head. ¡°Acute attack of envy, I guess. I shouldn''t have spoken.¡±
John looked into her eyes and said, ¡°Eliza, take it to the Lord in prayer. He knows your needs, hopes and desires. And he''s bigger than them all.¡±
Sarah said ¡°And don''t forget, Eliza, that we love you too. It''s not the same, but it is important.¡±
Karen decided a more formal approach was appropriate. She took Eliza''s hand and spoke a slightly modified formal blessing in her second language.
¡°Respected and much loved elder cousin, you who have experienced terror, isolation and loneliness, may the God of Hagar see your plight and have mercy on you. May the God of Ruth lead you to meet the right man in the right place as you live in submission and obedience. May the God of Deborah give you wisdom in recognising that man and give him the wisdom to conquer your heart. May the God of Rebecca grant that he love you with all his heart, overcoming all obstacles until he wins you. May you know God''s love better through that of your husband, but never confuse the lesser for the greater. May you appreciate the unity of the trinity through the unity of your marriage, and remember this is just a small picture.
"May you know the pain and joy of childbearing, and be kept safe through it, may you know the joy and struggles of motherhood and raise respectful children. May you see your grandchildren and great grandchildren, and may each and every one of them bring God glory honour and praise. Most of all, may you be at peace, waiting for God''s perfect timing.¡±
¡°Wow. Karen, urm, thanks.¡±
¡°What did all that mean?¡± Sarah asked.
Eliza looked at Karen, who simply said ¡°Your choice.¡±
¡°Karen blessed me quite... comprehensively.¡±
¡°I can''t claim authorship ¡ª though I did modify it slightly for the occasion.¡± Karen said.
¡°Thank you Karen. And thank you John and Sarah too. I think I do need to pray a bit.¡±
John felt that he should add ¡°I don''t know if you realise it Eliza, but you''re probably going through something like mourning.¡±
¡°And that can take a long time I know.¡± [Kate tells me the same thing John, but what? what should I be mourning?]
[Well, you used to be free, now you''re not. But I expect the big one would be your relationship with your father.]
[But he''s not dead!]
[No, but I think perhaps your relationship with him has changed a lot. Or maybe your hopes for it.]
Eliza thought for a bit. John was right. [Thanks John. I''ll pray now.] And she did. For the first time in a long time, she stopped pretending to herself that everything was all right, and silently poured out her heart to God. Some of it was anger (but God was big enough to take that), some of it was fears and tears (and He was strong enough to take those too). But it was communication, and it helped. Then with a deeper peace in her heart than she''d felt for a long time, and no longer feeling a fraud, she sought the peace. And there, she rested a few minutes and let God''s cleansing peace fill her heart once again. [Thank you, Father God. Your will, not mine be done.] Opening her eyes once more, she said ¡°God is God, and God is good. That''s enough. Thanks, all of you.¡±
Bella looked at Eliza; it was clear that she was far more relaxed than she''d been for a long time. ¡°Eliza, you sound like you''re in a better mood, you even look like you''re in a better mood. What changed?¡±
¡°I''ve stopped trying to tell God what he should do, Bella, and just cried onto his shoulder instead. It works much better.¡±
Karen told her cousin: ¡°Eliza, I don''t know if you heard. Mum rang. All cleared, you''re coming with us, it''s easier that way.¡±
¡°What, me? Meet the king? Dressed like this?¡±
John was confused, as Eliza was wearing a perfectly sensible set of clothes - a comfortable looking jumper and warm skirt ¡°What''s wrong with what you''re wearing?¡±
¡°Well, it''s just my loafing around the house clothes. I''d never dream of going to an interview dressed like this, let alone meeting royalty.¡±
¡°You''re fine, Eliza.¡± Karen said. ¡°Bella''s impecable, of course, but she''s Security, so she has to be. But I''m not exactly in a ball-gown am I?¡±
¡°No, but at least you''ve had time to do your hair!¡±
¡°God''s in charge, remember, Eliza.¡± Sarah said. ¡°But have a hair-brush. We''ll be stopping soon.¡±
As had happened to Karen and Bella last time, at the terminus they were greeted by an official and directed towards a special exit, and then into a waiting vehicle. At the palace Bella was surprised to see the Prince himself was waiting for them. His gloves were off, she noticed. Since she''d been the last into the car ¡ª her duty ¡ª she was also the first out.
[Bella, it''s nice to see you again.] he thought.
[And you, your highness.] she switched to normal speech ¡°Your Highness, May I introduce Sarah and John Williams from the Institute, members of the committee, and Eliza Underwood, who''s also on the committee but not at the institute.¡±
¡°I heard that you''re Bella''s client at the moment?¡± the prince asked Eliza, holding out his hand.
[She''s good company, but it''s nice to be out of the safe-house for a change.] she thought to him as she shook it.
[{Surprise.} I didn''t know you had the power also!]
¡°Sorry, your highness. I thought you''d have been briefed on me having the gift.¡± Eliza said, a little embarrased.
The prince obviously hadn''t heard anything of the sort, so Karen gave him a little time to collect his thoughts ¡°Mummy has said we''re not an official secret, Eliza, so she doesn''t have a duty to tell on us.¡±
¡°Oh, so my gift could have stayed a closely guarded secret?¡± Eliza asked. ¡°Oh well. I''m sure I can trust your highness not to make that too public.¡±
¡°Of course.¡± he said, then added ¡°Underwood isn''t a very common name.¡±
¡°No, your highness. I didn''t meet him very often as I was growing up, but unfortunately it seems that my father isn''t a good man.¡±
[John, do you want me to share about your gift too?] Karen asked him.
[Makes sense.]
¡°Your Highness,¡± Karen said ¡°You already know that Sarah has the gift, I''m not sure if you know that John has it also. He helped Sarah analyse her vision immediately after she had it.¡±
¡°I hadn''t heard. Thank you for trusting me with this. I didn''t realise that there were two people with the gift at the institute.¡±
¡°I see it as evidence of God''s sense of humour, your highness.¡± John said ¡°The institute has been looking for evidence of the power for two centuries, and then ends up with three staff members with the gift.¡±
¡°Three?¡± the prince said, even more surprised.
Karen wasn''t sure it was wise to tell the prince too much, and to explain away John''s statement said ¡°I was working there over the summer.¡± [He doesn''t need to know about Kate, guys. Or George.]
¡°Oh. Yes, I believe Maria had mentioned that.¡± the prince said.
[I disagree, Karen. It might be important some day.]
¡°Your highness, Karen is trying to cover up something I felt it wise to let you know; something that Maria knows perfectly well, too. We''re not the entire complement of gifted people at the institute. Should some accident happen to those of us here, there''s another.¡±
¡°Thank you for trusting that information to me John. I hope I never need to use it. But, we mustn''t keep my father waiting much longer. May I tell my parents of your gifts?¡±
¡°Of course, Highness.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Certainly.¡± John agreed.
¡°This way. May I ask, how do people get the gift? Through praying for it?¡±
¡°I believe that the normal way is for someone with the gift to pray for someone they know with the power to recieve it, in the last few years of their lives ¡ª passing on the batton, if you like.¡± Sarah said. ¡°In each of our cases, God decided not to work that way.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± the prince prompted.
¡°Sarah and I probably were given it at roughly the same time, but didn''t know how to use it at all back then.¡± John supplied.
Karen added ¡°I got it when I was praying that someone would hear my screams for help ¡ª I expect Mummy''s reported how I''d broken my leg.¡±
¡°Yes¡± acknowledged the Prince.
Eliza said ¡°And I didn''t know I''d been given it until I met these guys. I guess I was given it while I was being held hostage.¡±
¡°You were held hostage? How, where, by who?¡± the prince was surprised once again.
¡°I got tricked into thinking my father wanted some father-daughter time. I''d known he''d been in prison but he''d always insisted to me that he was innocent. But it wasn''t him, it was the key player in the other big celebrity case.¡±
¡°The President''s nephew? Ibrahim what''s-his-name?¡±
¡°That''s the one. I was his hostage for twenty-eight days. Well, most of the time his underlings where holding me hostage, but he gave the orders.¡±
¡°A month? Ouch. That''s got to leave scars.¡± the prince looked genuinely concerned, Eliza noticed.
¡°Lots of threats, but physically nothing worse than rope burn, praise God.¡±
¡°Praise God indeed! But even so...¡±
¡°God''s good, your Highness. He kept me sane, and now the nice people at the institute are trying to help me put my mind back together.¡±
¡°I''m glad. I hope you''re taking good care of her, Bella.¡±
¡°I''m trying to, your Highness, but I keep getting called away to meetings.¡±
The Prince laughed, ¡°Oh, the demands we put on our agents!¡± and lead them into a room where the King and Queen were waiting.
¡°What''s the joke, Albert?¡± asked the queen.
¡°Bella just pointed out that by calling her to such meetings as this we were making her job of looking after Eliza harder.¡±
¡°Ah. I see. Whereas we thought that we were paying her the compliment of taking her dreams seriously?¡± she replied.
¡°Actually, I thought we were simply trying to save a lot of lives.¡± Albert said. ¡°Mother, Father, let me try to do the introductions. Karen and Bella you know. John and Sarah Williams are gifted staff members at the institute, and Eliza Underwood is the witness who Bella is trying to protect. Eliza was just telling me that she was granted her gift after being held hostage by Ibrahim what''s-his-name for almost a month.¡±
¡°Oh, you''re Maria''s surprise relative?¡± the queen asked.
¡°Yes, Maam.¡± Eliza admitted.
¡°And therefore a very distant relative. Welcome Eliza.¡± the King said.
¡°Thank you, your Majesty.¡±
¡°With respect, your Majesty, Sarah should also be included in that welcome. After all, she''s the keeper of her namesake''s dress.¡± Karen added.
The King''s mind worked quickly. ¡°Ah! I hadn''t made the connection. Be welcome, most welcome! And also, please accept my sympathy for the loss of your parents.¡±
¡°Thank you. It has taken a long time to heal, but now I see God has brought good from it, your Majesty.¡± Sarah said, reaching for John''s hand.
The queen realised that she''d met John, at the hospital. ¡°Our sympathy to you too, John. I''m sorry I didn''t recognise you, or your name, earlier.¡±
¡°It''s been a long time, your Majesty, and if I remember correctly, when we last met I was mostly hidden by tubes and bandages.¡±
¡°That''s true. I must admit surprise that your marriage has not generated any major press attention.¡±
¡°There are advantages to working at the institute, Maam.¡± John said.
The Prince laughed, ¡°Oh, how I envy you! You have a job where the press cannot chase you. Whereas we...¡±
¡°Have a few secret nooks and crannies in our very beautiful goldfish bowl.¡±
the queen finished for him.
¡°I must admit, Karen,¡± the King said, ¡°That had we known that there''d be so many coming with the same gift you have, we might not felt the need to drag you from your wedding preparations, but since you''re here....
We understand from your mother that you can use your gift to examine memories. Our desire was that you should check if the city of my dream actually matches that of Sarah''s and that of Bella''s, so that we can be certain where we need to evacuate people from.¡±
¡°Your Majesty, I think perhaps a modification to that plan is best. What you ask, for one person to compare three sets of memories, would need a good visual memory, and I fear that mine is... rather poor in fact. I wonder if perhaps Eliza, John and I should each look at one person''s memories and then we could pool what we''ve seen and compare it.¡±
¡°Pool what you''ve seen?¡± the prince asked.
¡°Your highness, a little like the way two people with the power can send images to each other, we can cooperate and share memories.¡± Karen explained. ¡°And it is far less demanding on our minds to do that,¡± Sarah added.
¡°I think perhaps I need to ask more about this sending images. Do you know how to do that, Bella?¡±
¡°No. Eliza has promised to teach me one day, along with hiding my thoughts from thought-hearers.¡±
¡°Urm, perhaps I could ask for lessons on that too?¡± he asked.
¡°Of course, your Highness.¡± Eliza answered. ¡°It doesn''t take long to learn, but.. there are risks.¡± she looked to Sarah for help explaining.
¡°It is important not to hide your thoughts for very long, your Highness. Otherwise you can lose your power entirely, and the longer you hide them for, the harder it is to break free. So, while we could tell you how to do it in about five minutes, it''s far better to have an hour or two to practice how you can break free.¡±
¡°Then, I think perhaps today may not be the best day to learn.¡± the prince admitted, ¡°But we shall see.¡±
¡°Who should look at whose memories?¡± Karen asked.
Eliza replied first: ¡°I think Bella would prefer it if it were not me looking at her mind, since we have to spend a lot of time together.¡±
Bella nodded. ¡°I don''t think I''m thinking any nasty thoughts about Eliza, but still...¡±
¡°It''s still sensible.¡± Sarah concluded. ¡°John has seen my memory already, so he should probably look again at mine, if that''s OK with everyone?¡±
¡°So, if your Majesty agrees, that leaves Eliza checking your memories, sir.¡±
John summarised ¡°And Karen checking Bella''s. Karen, I really don''t know how you''re going to do that, by the way. I guess you''re either going to need to pick one city dream out of a hundred or try and get an amalgam.¡±
¡°Could you tell us a little more of the process before you get too technical?¡± The queen asked.
¡°Oh, sorry.¡± John apologised ¡°What will happen is that Karen will ask Bella a question to provoke the right sort of thoughts, and then have a look at the thoughts that are going around in her mind. Hopefully the memory of the right dream will be uppermost, otherwise Karen will have to ask a different question or investigate deeper. But it is almost impossible not to think of something at all when you''ve been asked about it, and screening thoughts don''t hinder us much at all. The risk with Bella is that she''s got so many dreams that her mind could be thinking about a hundred different ones at once, and Karen will have to decide which ones to look at.¡±
¡°Could you explain what you mean by ''screening thoughts''?¡± the Prince asked.
¡°At the institute there was a man who didn''t believe we could look at his thoughts ¡ª this was the first day we''d known about the gift. He volunteered to have his mind read, and the result was surprising for him and us.¡± John said.
¡°He''d tried to fill his mind with a meditation chant. We saw that, and we saw that he was trying to hide something, and didn''t think we''d see that, but we did. And we saw he was sceptical about mind reading because deep down he was afraid of having his mind read ¡ª and we saw the guilty secret of why he was afraid, and why his guilt was false and he didn''t have anything to fear really.¡±
¡°Since then,¡± John added. ¡°we''ve learned how to pick and choose how much we see in one glimpse.¡±
Eliza wasn''t sure she wanted the responsibility of looking at the King''s mind. ¡°But whatever is in your mind at the time I look, your Majesty, would be available to me, and there are a lot of thoughts that go along with any memory: for instance the circumstances of the dream, how you reacted, what you thought of it at the time, and now, and so on. Also, I am the newest at this gift, and I''m not at all sure that I can use it with as much finesse as the others. I think it would probably make much more sense for me not to be the one to look in your mind.¡±
¡°Thank you for your candour, Eliza.¡± the King asked. ¡°Karen, you have highest clearance, and you know better than I about the choices behind Eliza being nominated to investigate her monarch''s mind. What do you think?¡±
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡°Your majesty, I think the choices are valid, although Eliza has worked with Sarah before, so she and John could swap. As you''ve witnessed, on occasions I blurt things out in situations when I shouldn''t. I would of course try to be on my best behaviour, but frankly, I don''t trust myself much, and I think also that I''m a little too knowledgeable to be a good candidate ¡ª I might make more connections than Eliza would.¡±
¡°My dear?¡± the King asked his wife.
¡°Karen''s last reason is the best I''ve heard, dear. I think they''re a bit nervous of finding out their King is human.¡±
¡°If I may correct you, mother, I think they know he''s human, but are afraid of finding out things they have no need to know.¡±
¡°Yes, very well. Their concern is evidence of their good motives. But the whole point of their gift is that they can find out too much, isn''t it?
And we need to know if Bella''s thought about which city it is has any corroboration. So get on with it, Eliza!¡±
¡°At your command, your Majesty.¡± Eliza curtsied, with a smile. ¡°If your majesty will please think about when you had your dream about the ruined city.¡±
She focused on the King, and saw at the forefront of his mind the question about why she''d said when he''d had the dream, rather than about it. She saw he was waiting for at least a tickle or some feeling to indicate her looking, She saw the thoughts that the expected question would have brought up, and ignored all of them she could; there was one about God she felt that she couldn''t really ignore. The question she''d asked had reminded him about the plane flight he''d been on, who''d been there, and so on, and had also brought to his mind waking up with the image in his mind ¡ª the original memory she''d hoped her question would help bring to his mind.
¡°Thank you your Majesty, please excuse me while I consider your dream.¡± she said. She took that image to the edge of the peace, only vaguely aware that the others were asking questions too and examined it for landmarks. There were some in the desolation: what might be a distinctive building which didn''t look too damaged, next to it there was what must have been a park, although the trees looked like telegraph poles. There were also some hills in the background.
She returned to the normal world and said: ¡°I hope your majesty will excuse my question ¡ª I wanted to avoid any more recent memories concerning the dream. Sometimes they contain re-tellings which are not quite the same as the original.¡±
¡°I didn''t feel a thing!¡± The king said to her.
¡°No, your Majesty; people don''t. Not even one of us with the gift would feel anything. If your Majesty can spare the time, then once we''ve conferred, I would like to tell you all that I saw.¡±
¡°In the interests of your peace of mind about all the official secrets you''ve found?¡±
¡°I''m not aware that I found any of those, your Majesty, but perhaps you could confirm that while we talk. I was more thinking of your Majesty''s peace of mind.¡± she replied calmly.
The King looked at this young woman who''d just taken a look at his mind, and could do anytime she wanted to, all unnoticed. ¡°I wasn''t aware my mind was lacking peace, but very well, if there is time. How long will your comparing notes take?¡±
¡°I''m not sure your Majesty, a minute, maybe?¡±
¡°Probably less.¡± John said, sounding a little dejected. ¡°May we see if we can find anything in common, your Majesties?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± said the King.
They linked minds and John said [Sarah had no landmarks except this odd-shaped corner of a park {image}, some hills which could have been anywhere, and maybe we might make something of the road network, but I don''t think that''s going to be useful at all.]
[That''s a wonderful confirmation, John.] Karen said [That''s where Bella played as a kid. I asked her why she thought it was home, and she thought of that corner.]
[The king had a park in his dream too {image}, and I don''t know if this building helps {image}, it''s sort of unusual.]
[{amazement}Don''t you recognise it?] John asked.
[No, should I?]
[I guess you''ve not seen it from that angle. That''s the institute.]
[Mostly intact, except that wing.] Karen noticed.
[The new wing, yes. It wasn''t built to quite the same specification. We''ll have to check with Kate.]
[New wing? I wasn''t aware there was a new wing.]
[I remember asking Kate about why that bit had thinner walls. She said it had been added about fifty years later when they wanted some extra lab space, and they hadn''t designed it to stand up to as powerful a nuclear blast as they had for the rest.]
[So we have three agreeing images, and maybe a rough measure of how strong the blast will be? That''s more than we expected. Let''s tell their Majesties. John, you tell of Bella''s corner first.] Eliza said.
[OK.]
¡°Your Majesties, Sarah saw an unusual corner of a park ¡ª it sort of tapered down and had a sort of hook-shape because of a building, but nothing else very useful. Karen saw the same shape in Bella''s mind.¡±
¡°It''s where I played as a kid.¡± Bella supplied.
¡°I see. I don''t remember any such feature to my dream.¡± the King said.
¡°No, your majesty, but you might remember there was one building which was far less damaged than the rest. I didn''t recognise it, but John did.¡±
¡°It''s the institute, your Majesty.¡± John supplied. ¡°The damaged part was a later addition, not built to the same specification as the original build ¡ª they''d decided that building to withstand such a strong nuclear blast wasn''t necessary. We can probably find the specifications and then it might give some idea of how powerful the blast will be.¡±
¡°But, in short, all three agree about where the impact will be.¡± Karen said. ¡°I suppose that is good news,¡± the King said, ¡°and I think I somehow expected that it would take far longer. Now, Eliza, what would you like to tell me?¡±
¡°Your Majesty, I am not sure you want it to be heard by other ears.¡±
¡°Very well, the queen and I will hear you out in private. Albert, you can be the gracious host and find out what our guests would like to drink.¡± The King led Eliza to a small audience room. The queen came last and shut the door behind her. Eliza was a bit nervous, and felt that she needed the peace, so she focussed on it loosely.
¡°So, young lady, what is the great secret that you saw, which is relevant to my peace of mind?¡±
Answering carefully, and holding on to the peace still, Eliza said ¡°Your Majesty, I saw you questioning my question; I hope I''ve explained that. I saw you waiting to see what it felt like; as you experienced, the answer is nothing. I eventually found the memories that came to your mind in answer to my question: the plane flight and who was on board and the dream. But before I found the dream I also saw the thoughts that you''d been marshalling in preparation for the question I didn''t ask. I tried to ignore those thoughts, but there was one which seemed very important to you, and thinking it might be related to the dream I looked at it. That thought is what I wanted to talk to you about, and I am quite sure that it is not for public scrutiny.¡±
¡°I thank you for your sensitivity then," the King said.
¡°Is this something that I should not hear either?¡± the queen asked, in a worried tone.
Eliza let go of the peace to answer, and with warmth she said ¡°Maam, you have no need to fear, whatever his Majesty decides.¡±
¡°Having heard what Eliza has said, I can perhaps guess what the topic is. Would I be correct to say it is a point of dispute between me and my son?¡±
¡°I have not witnessed any such dispute, sir, so I find it hard to answer that question.¡± Eliza said, skirting the fact that Bella had possibly shared more than she should have.
¡°Very well then, is it about God?¡± the King said.
¡°It is. Would you have me say what I saw in front of your wife?¡±
¡°I think that you will say little she does not know, so go ahead.¡±
Grabbing the peace again, to help her stay clam, she replied ¡°Your Majesty, I saw a question in your mind, which has obviously occupied your mind for a long time. It all based on a series of simple facts: you reject God, but you know he exists. You reject him because of events for which you blame him. You consider him as an enemy, and you find it intolerable that he should be forcing you to consider that he might care for your people. What you asked was why does God have to keep barging into your life now, when he didn''t help before?¡±
¡°And you saw what was before?¡± asked the King, holding his wife''s hand.
¡°I could have, your majesty, but I did not pry.¡± Eliza answered.
¡°But you think talking about this will help my peace of mind?¡±
¡°Yes, your majesty. This I have learned from Kate, at the institute, and from the Bible also. It is all right to pour out your anger at God, to kick and scream when it seems that he''s not kept his promises to us. He is big enough to take it, and when we have stopped screaming perhaps we can be still enough to hear his answer, or experience his love. I also know we''re not big enough to hold on to anger against God for long. You know he is there, and have no need to live an undignified lie that you do not believe he exists. Honesty is better, especially concerning God.¡±
¡°And if I say that you are wrong? That I have no belief in your deity?¡± the King bristled.
¡°You Majesty, I do not believe that you are so far gone that confronted with the truth, you would continue to lie even to yourself. I know what I saw, and for your good and for the good of the kingdom, I have told you and your wife who I know you love. What comes after is your decision.¡±
The King was silent for a while, and then said ¡°Eliza, you are a very dangerous woman, but I admit you spoke truth.¡± and with this, he seemed to relax, as though a burden had lifted from his mind. Then without waiting for her to reply he turned to his wife, ¡°What do we do with dangerous, principled, young women like this, my dear?¡±
¡°I don''t know that we''ve met so very many. But, perhaps we should invite her to eat with us in thanks, and then send her away while we talk.¡±
¡°That would be a good solution.¡± the King agreed.
As they left the room, the queen asked curiously, ¡°Eliza, how is it that you were able to stay so calm? You seemed nervous as we came in here.¡±
¡°I cheated, Maam. I knew I was nervous and so I was holding on to God''s peace while I spoke to your husband.¡±
¡°Part of your gift?¡±
¡°Yes, Maam.¡±
¡°Thank you. I''ve suspected what you said for a long time. Now, perhaps, we can talk through some important things.¡±
¡°Any time, Maam.¡± Eliza said, and realised that she meant it.
¡°Be careful what you say, you might get called on again.¡±
¡°I meant it, Maam. My father''s aim in life was to undermine the constitution
and monarchy. If I can help to strengthen them then I will.¡±
Eliza saw the appraising look that the queen gave her, and quickly hid her thoughts. She didn''t want to hear what the queen decided. Then she said,
¡°Maam, from your look, I''ve just guessed that you were deciding something about me. Perhaps I''m wrong, I don''t know because I hid my thoughts which also stops me from hearing. Beware around people with the power, for we can hear decisions that are about us quite a few metres away.¡±
¡°Oh, thank you for that reminder, Eliza. I need to remember to keep my thoughts in line, don''t I?¡± the queen was very thankful that Eliza hadn''t heard. It would surely have been embarrassing for her to hear that the queen thought she''d make an excellent bride for Albert. Especially since Albert seemed to have his eyes firmly on Bella at the moment, she noticed.
¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that if we proceed to the dining room, then lunch will be served shortly.¡± the King announced, ¡°I''d first like to express my thanks for confirming the location of the impact and also to Eliza for somehow finding the courage to tell me what she did.¡±
¡°She tells me she cheated, and God helped her.¡± the Queen said.
The Prince, expecting one of his father''s normal replies, was surprised to see him merely nod to his wife instead. As they moved towards the dining room he asked ¡°What did say to him, Eliza?¡±
¡°I''m sorry, your highness, I dare not break confidentiality.¡± Eliza replied, primly.
¡°And nothing I say will change your mind?¡±
¡°Nothing you say, highness, but perhaps if you persuaded your father that I should tell you, and he put it down in triplicate....¡± she said, only slightly teasing.
¡°And signed in his own blood?¡± Bella asked.
¡°I don''t think that would be necessary.¡± Eliza said.
¡°I''m glad. I''d prefer to keep father''s blood in his veins ¡ª and moving ¡ª a long long time.¡±
¡°A worthy desire for a son.¡± Eliza said.
¡°I''m afraid it''s more than a little bit selfish too.¡± Albert acknowledged. ¡°I
still have a little bit of freedom about where I go and who I talk to. My
parents have far far less. Everything they do is for the good of the country.¡±
¡°They''ve learned to deny themselves.¡± Eliza said, appreciatively. ¡°That''s important in a monarch, I think. Very important ¡ª it commands loyalty.¡±
¡°And ''loyalty and service is what keeps the country alive'', I know.¡± the prince said, quoting. ¡°I wonder what happens without them.¡±
¡°Chaos.¡± Bella answered, giving the school-book answer.
¡°Corruption, theft, kidnapping, murder, rape, war.¡± Eliza supplied.
¡°You''ve been caught up in it.¡± the Prince acknowledged. ¡°I''m sorry.¡±
They weren''t using the formal dining room, but the small one. There were two tables, both laid for six people. ¡°Let''s sit here.¡± the Prince suggested, indicating one corner of the first table. Bella sat to the prince''s right and Eliza to his left, round the corner.
Once they''d sat down, Eliza continued the previous thought. ¡°I''ve experienced a bit of chaos, and my father worked towards it too; he wanted to tear down the monarchy and the constitution. As I told your parents, I fully intend to strengthen what he wanted to destroy, however I can.¡±
¡°In other words, I shouldn''t complain to you about duty, should I?¡±
¡°Or about limitations on your movement.¡± she added, unconsciously rubbing her wrists.
¡°Ouch.¡± Albert said ¡°I''ve walked out onto thin ice, haven''t I?¡±
¡°I wonder if we should change the subject, your Highness.¡± Bella suggested.
¡°Actually, Bella, I think I''d like to stay on this one a little longer.¡± the Prince said ¡°Eliza, do you have any advice for me?¡±
¡°Me?¡± Eliza was surprised.
¡°Yes. You''ve suffered, and survived, you''ve analysed, you''ve dedicated your life to maintaining a throne for me to inherit one day, may it be far off. What part do you assign me in the mean time?¡±
¡°I surely don''t need to tell you this, highness!¡± Eliza protested.
¡°I''ve heard my teachers telling me, but probably too much. You know, water off the duck''s back. Somehow I think I should hear it from other people too.¡±
¡°Then let''s get you lots of independent views.¡± Eliza said, practically.
¡°How? Put a questionnaire up on the net for advice for a young Prince?¡± Bella asked.
¡°It might work, but there''d be a lot of useless rubbish in there.¡± the Prince said ¡°The advantage of asking Eliza here is that I know she''s going to give me good advice.¡±
¡°Why do you think that?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Because of your gift, Eliza.¡± Bella replied.
¡°Oh please!¡± Eliza said. ¡°If you go putting me on a pedestal that tall then I''m going to fall off just from the height.¡±
¡°All right, I won''t put you on a pedestal. But I do want your advice.¡± Albert said.
¡°Fine. I''ll think my advice to you, as long as Bella tells you hers too. And I''ll get the others to think some advice to you too, if you''re not careful.¡±
¡°Well, if you don''t think they''d mind...¡±
¡°That wasn''t careful, and it gets me off the pillar, I hope. Your vague wish is my command, your highness. So, how much can I tell everyone about you?¡±
¡°I don''t understand. About my question, you mean?¡±
¡°No, I mean when I call up friends across the world. Can I tell them that the crown prince of my country wants some advice about how he should prepare for when his beloved father moves on from this place of tears, or should I try to be more vague?¡±
¡°I thought you just meant Karen, John and Sarah!¡± the prince said.
¡°I warned you to be careful, didn''t I? Bella you''re my witness!¡± Eliza laughed.
¡°You did. Be careful, highness. Eliza can be tricky.¡±
¡°I think I''m learning that.¡±
¡°And would you like them to listen in to your mind, so you can have a conversation with them and ask any questions, or would you like them to just drop their advice into your mind? Or would you prefer to go through an intermediary, so that they don''t get told that our crown prince has the power?¡±
¡°You''re enjoying this, aren''t you?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Yes. Is that wrong of me?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°I don''t think so. But it is a totally odd conversation to have. Also, that thought of telling them I have the power.. That could eventually get diplomatically complex, couldn''t it.¡±
¡°I expect so, yes.¡± Eliza agreed.
¡°So can we start with you, Bella, John, Sarah and Karen please? And then I''d like some expert advice about the politics of the rest.¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Eliza agreed. [My advice is: learn now to think of your country first. I''ll only get harder, and chafe more, if you don''t start soon.... I''ll be praying for you.]
Bella offered Albert her hand [Duty encompasses many things, as I need to keep learning. Some of them can be unexpectedly enjoyable.]
[Like what?] he thought to himself, but Bella took it as a question to her.
[You weren''t supposed to ask that! Urm... one for me: I found out that I like it when arrogant thugs attack me thinking I''m just a little weak woman, and I get to toss them around like rag dolls.] Bella thought with a wicked grin.
[Oh. Thanks.] he said and let go of her hand.
¡°Eliza, you''re going to ask the others now?¡±
¡°Yes. Do you want them to listen to your thoughts afterwards? Not deeply, It''d be like you were holding hands.¡±
¡°I think perhaps it''s better if they don''t. Is that why you did it that way?¡±
¡°I guess so. If you want to ask me something then you can just use your mouth, so why should I use my gift to invade your thoughts?¡±
¡°Thank you. But we could have just used the power and touched skin, like I did with Bella.¡±
¡°Yes, I could have, but... your parents are watching us, and holding hands at the meal table? That seems a little too... advanced... for a first meeting.¡±
¡°Ah, you''d like to wait until the second or third before we do that?¡± he asked teasingly.
¡°Your highness, who can say there''ll be another one?¡±
¡°Oh, lots of people could. Me, my parents, you even.¡±
¡°Me? Why should I be able to decide that I meet a prince?¡±
¡°Because... I think that with your gift you could call me from a long way away, and I''d like to think that you wouldn''t be afraid of doing so.¡±
¡°In time of need, you mean?¡± Eliza asked, confused.
¡°If I can help you, you must call me. But, I was more thinking that I miss talking mind to mind and would like a friend I can talk to in that way.¡±
¡°Your higness, using the gift in that way...¡± Eliza wasn''t sure how to finish.
¡°Would it be wrong?¡± the prince asked, chagrined.
¡°Not wrong, but one sided, and potentially embarrassing. How do I know if you''re free to talk without checking on your thoughts? How do I know you''re not in the middle of an important meeting or a date with a girlfriend, and I come barging in?¡±
¡°I see what you mean, but you''re certainly safe on one count ¡ª no girlfriends, never have been.¡±
¡°I told you so, Eliza,¡± Bella said ¡°he''s grown up hearing thoughts like us. You know it doesn''t go with dating normal people.¡±
¡°Whereas here I am, suddenly sitting next to two beautiful young ladies who can hear thoughts.¡± the prince said. ¡°Are you surprised that my parents are watching? Or, for that matter, that I''ve no idea what other topics of conversation there might be in this room.¡±
Eliza laughed. ¡°Would you like me to ask? Because I''ve no idea either.¡±
¡°Oh well, I expect we can find out later. I suspect my father would privately say something like the future of the royal house is at stake, and so our conversation is the most important in the room.¡±
¡°So, no pressure on any of us at all then.¡± Eliza commented with a blush.
¡°I''m relaxed myself, because the smart money has to be on Eliza.¡± Bella said. ¡°I mean, I''m not even a Christian yet, and I''m sorry your highness, but I do really like my job, and I don''t think I could keep it even as your girlfriend.¡±
¡°Hey!¡± Eliza said, ¡°You can''t say that Bella!¡±
¡°Why not?¡± Bella countered. ¡°The truth is important, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Of course it is, but...¡±
¡°But while it makes my decision making easier, if I happened to be planning on deciding on which of you I should be asking out, it does very much put Eliza and me under the spotlight, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°Of course it does. Now you can decide if you''re going to seize the moment or keep the nation waiting another decade.¡± Bella said, impertinantly.
¡°Bella! Stop it!¡± Eliza demanded, bright red with embarrassment.
¡°Why? I haven''t had this much fun in ages.¡±
¡°Eliza.¡± the prince said, ¡°In the interests of private communication without our self-appointed matchmaker overhearing, will you please talk to me mind to mind?¡±
Eliza removed her glove, and rested her hand on the table, with her little finger towards the prince.
He followed suit, touching. [Thank you, Eliza.]
[I''m sorry, your highness, I don''t know what''s got into her.]
[Nor do I, but she has a point. And call me Albert, please, at least when we''re talking like this.]
[If you wish me to, sir.]
[I do, Eliza. So, as Bella has so rudely pointed out, I don''t meet many people with the power, and it would be hard, I think for me to marry a normal person.]
[I understand that... Albert. But we hardly know each other. It''s just foolish to be thinking such thoughts, isn''t it?]
[We don''t know each other well, but what I''ve seen of you, I like. Would you at least be willing to consider us getting to know each other better?]
[I would consider it, Albert. For what it''s worth, I did describe you to Bella as the nations most eligible bachelor. Purely from a worldly view point, I''m afraid.]
[And from a Christian viewpoint, or a personal viewpoint?]
[I''m not sure, Albert. But... I''m certainly willing to find out.]
[Thank-you Eliza.]
[It won''t be easy. After all, I''m locked away in the safe house most of the time.]
[And the press do have a tendency of following me around.] Albert admitted.
[Then, for the moment, perhaps we should just write and talk?]
[Regularly? I would like that, I think.]
[I do have research to do and essays to write, your Highness.]
[I promise not to take more of your time that you can give.]
[Don''t make promises you can''t keep!]
[What are you researching?]
[Modern history.]
[For a doctorate?]
[Not yet, maybe never. Masters first, I''m in my second year, first year was mostly classes, now I''m in the research phase.]
[But, you must have particular topic.]
[Yes...]
[And?]
[Should we pay some attention to the rest of the room?]
[So, what don''t you want to tell me?]
[In the current context, it seems... a little embarrassing.]
[The secret loves of Prince Albert? That''d make interesting reading, especially to me.] he joked.
[No. I''m looking at the way that the educational system affects the monarchy. Something Karen''s mother said suggested it to me, actually.]
[Why is that embarrassing?]
[Because it''s going to end up looking at what my dad did to your future.]
[I thank him that he brought you into the world.]
[Oh don''t! I''ve never found out if there was even any love between them. He certainly wasn''t around for my birth. OK, he did acknowledge me and pay for my education, but that''s about it other than letters from prison telling me he was innocent.]
[I admit... I knew most of that.]
[Oh?]
[Maria.]
[It''s her job to make sure you and your parents know what might be important, isn''t it?]
[Yes. She does a good job, I hope.]
[You hope?]
[Well, if she hasn''t then we''ll get a nasty surprise one day. But we trust her.]
[Trust, loyalty, dedication, commitment.]
[Exactly.]
[And so much of it is based on knowing the basics. But my dad broke that. Lots of people don''t know them.]
[How would you solve it?]
[You''d need to motivate everyone roughly our age to learn more than they can in a day. I looked at the old civics week material ¡ª it was tough going. Motivate people to study that so well they know it? Tricky. Some sort tax rebate for everyone who gets the answers right in a test?]
[Ouch! Do you have any idea what that''d do to the budget?]
[OK, so not for everyone. But say, five percent of the population each year will get a surprise test.... ''Start brushing up on your civics now and you could win...'' I don''t know what, but something that would make it worth people doing well. But maybe not until we know what the bill for the impact is going to be.]
[That sounds more possible than messing with tax law. But you''re right about the impact too. It isn''t going to be cheap. And it reminds me that there are quite a few pairs of eyes trying not to look at us.]
[Let''s blame it on Bella.]
[So, can we throw them off the scent by saying... I don''t know, that we''ve had a long talk and that with the current situation: your studies; the press, the court case, that it''s probably best if we don''t become an item of gossip, and we''ve no plans to meet again?]
[Ooh, sneaky! I like that idea. No plans at all.... Yet.]
[Yet. But I''m not sure how long I can hold out.]
[Be strong, Albert! When do you normally fall asleep?]
[Sometime after eleven. You''re wondering when to call me?]
[Yes. If it''s all right with you, I''ll probably check in a bit before then.]
[Eliza... I like talking to you, I don''t mind when you check in. I can always ask you to wait a bit, can''t I?]
[Of course! But I should give you my number, shouldn''t I? Just in case you have a burning need to talk to me.]
[Sometime, not now, if we''re going to keep up the pretense that we''re not going out.]
[We''re not going out. We''re just planning on getting to know each other.]
[Very well.]
[We''re not going to fool anyone, are we?] Eliza said.
[Probably not.]
[But... we can try.]
[At least for a while.]
[And it might not work out.]
[No. It might not.]
[I should warn you... I''ve been warned by my counsellor that I''m emotionally unstable after my kidnapping and finding out about my Dad. So therefore I shouldn''t plan on forming any relationships at the moment. She''s right by the way about me being a bit unstable.]
[How do you feel right now?]
[Very happy.]
[Hmm. Maybe emotional instability is catching. I feel very happy too.]
[Stop it! You''ll make me laugh.]
[OK. So... serious. We can''t plan to meet.]
[No. We can''t. That''s sad.]
[And I can''t even call you without asking Maria for your number.]
[But I''m sure she''d give it to you. Oh. But I need to train you and Bella in hiding your thoughts.]
[I have a meeting I can''t escape.]
[When?]
[About half an hour.]
[How long will it last?]
[Until five.]
[Right... I''ve no plans for the evening. May Bella and I presume upon you for an invitation to stay?]
[Until my meeting''s over? Yes, of course!]
[Would you like to tell Bella, or shall I?]
[I''ll let you.]
¡°Bella, I hope you don''t have plans for the afternoon or evening.¡±
¡°Aren''t we going back to the safe-house?¡±
¡°We''ve talked it over, and I think it''s best if I train the Prince in using the power after his meeting. That means we need to hang around here until after five.¡±
¡°Can''t it happen when you next meet?¡± Bella asked.
¡°We don''t have any plans to meet again, except right after my meeting, Bella.¡± Albert said. ¡°Thank you for trying to play match maker, but...¡±
¡°What with the trial and me being stuck in the safe-house, we can''t exactly become gossip item number one, can we?¡± Eliza pointed out reasonably. ¡°Anyway, we hardly know each other.¡±
¡°Well I thought thats what dates were for!¡±
¡°But we can''t date, Bella.¡± Eliza reitterated. ¡°Can you drop the subject, please? We''ve talked it through a lot, and it''s just not possible. I mean, can you imagine the fun Evil Ibrahim''s lawyers would have, if I''m a celebrity by the time I''m giving evidence? They''d either drag my name through the mud ten times harder than they will anyway, or call it a mis-trial, or both.¡±
¡°But, after the trial?¡±
¡°Oh do tell, Bella, when is that going to be? Now drop it, OK?¡±
¡°OK. Dropped. Sorry.¡±
¡°You know, this meal has been totally wasted on me?¡± Eliza said, looking at her empty plate. ¡°I hardly remember eating it let alone what it tasted like.¡±
¡°I don''t remember tasting it much either.¡± the prince admitted.
¡°Another sad thing.¡± [I''m laying it on too thick, sorry.] Eliza thought to Albert.
¡°The good news is that dessert will be coming soon.¡±
¡°So is your mother.¡± observed Bella.
¡°Albert, a word please?¡± the queen said.
¡°Of course, Mother.¡± he said getting up and following her. ¡°What is it?¡±
¡°While you''ve been sorting out your love-life, there''s been... a development.¡±
¡°What''s happend?¡±
¡°We''ve found out what Bella''s dream about the burning radar station means. It used to be Space Guard''s pride and joy, but there was an electrical fault just when the fire suppression system was being worked on. There''s not much left. Three months to rebuild it at least. It was somehow important to reducing the error ellipse. I can''t remember if it was supposed to measure the speed, or the distance or both.¡±
¡°So, we need to go public with the dreams and visions?¡±
¡°Yes. And don''t needle your father about God, OK? How are things with Eliza?¡±
¡°We don''t have plans to meet again, except that she''s staying here this afternoon while I have my meeting, so she can train me in my gift.¡±
¡°No plans to meet? Why not? You looked like you were deep in silent conversation together.¡±
¡°We were, mother, Bella rather forced us to, and we talked through a lot. But she''s in witness protection, so we can''t go out on dates. I can''t even have her visit here often. You know what the press are like.¡±
¡°But if she weren''t in witness protection?¡±
¡°She is though, mother. Don''t worry, it''s fine.¡±
¡°Not from where I''m standing. She''s a national treasure in my eyes, don''t let her get away, just for lack of imagination, please!¡±
¡°Mother! Don''t worry. Oh come on, side room, please?¡±
He cast a glance at Eliza as he left, hoping she''d talk to him.
[Everything OK?]
[Mother''s in a tizzy about me giving up on you too easily. I think she''s thinking that if you weren''t in witness protection we''d be able to date, and therefore you shouldn''t be. Can I tell her our plans?]
[Of course!]
The queen closed the door and said, ¡°You looked at her just now, and then you looked like you were listening.¡±
¡°Yes, Mummy. We were having a quick chat. I did tell you that you don''t need to worry, didn''t I?¡±
¡°Yes, you did. So what were you chatting about?¡±
¡°We''re not planning to meet, but we are planning to talk. I''ve no intention of letting her get away. But we can''t let the press get wind of her, and Bella was being such a match-maker, we decided to tell everyone what I told you. We don''t know each other well, we can''t go on dates, but we can talk. So why do you think she''s a national treasure?¡±
¡°Because she boldly told your father what he really thinks of God, and politely informed him that lying to himself and others was beneath his dignity. Now we have a lot of talking to do, and you could usefully do some praying.¡±
¡°But he doesn''t believe...¡±
¡°Don''t be na?ve, Albert. He said he doesn''t believe, that''s not the same thing at all. I''d suspected it, now I know. Now, I''m not going to say any more, and I''m sure Eliza won''t. But leave him to me, OK?¡±
¡°I did ask Eliza. She said that if Daddy signed a waiver in triplicate then she might just possibly consider telling me. She''s got a good sense of humour.¡±
¡°Good. And you''re sticking to that story?¡±
¡°It''s the truth!¡±
¡°Partial truth. Almost got you in trouble.¡±
¡°We''re not dating, mother. We''re both happy at the thought of talking lots, but that doesn''t mean that we''re going to fall in love.¡±
¡°So what did the food taste like?¡±
¡°We didn''t notice, the company was good though,¡± he said with a grin.
¡°Oh Albert! Don''t lie to yourselves, or each other. You''re starting to fall in love already.¡±
¡°But we hardly know each other, mother.¡±
¡°OK, so get to know each other, and pray the trial happens soon, so I can start arranging the wedding. In the mean time, we''re going to need to decide who will announce the impact.¡±
¡°Not Father?¡±
¡°I don''t know if he''s going to want to do it, Albert. My thought is it should be soon. Press conference tomorrow after another TREC meeting.¡±
¡°How much detail, do you think?¡±
¡°About the dreams and visions, how many have been fulfilled already. The date and place of the impact, state of emergency and re-training for builders. The one dream that says it doesn''t hit, and a call for public prayers,¡± the Queen said.
¡°It''s going to really confuse the housing market,¡± Albert thought aloud.
¡°And the stock market. Very good point. I think we should close the markets early tomorrow, stop panic reactions.¡±
Albert''s next thought was: ¡°What about people''s home insurance?¡±
¡°I expect that they all have a get-out clause for this sort of thing.¡±
¡°On the building, yes. But I don''t think the insurance companies should be able to wriggle out of, say, legitimate theft claims because people had moved stuff out of their house. We could, say, legislate that their cover extends to possessions put into official storage,¡± he suggested.
¡°Or even better, that their temporary housing and official storage shall be equally considered their house. But make it clear that things left in their home are not covered for loss should the impact occur,¡± the Queen agreed.
¡°I think that''s fair. The companies might whinge a bit though.¡±
¡°I think we should also want to legislate against other sorts of profiteering, not just pick on the insurers,¡± the Queen mused.
¡°Agreed. Should I be taking notes?¡±
¡°I will. Go back to your new friend, Albert. Ask her and Bella to brain-storm like we''ve just been doing while you''re at your meeting. The others can decide for themselves if they want to help in that. Your Father and I will be otherwise busy. Please do pray, I think it''s going to be hard on both of us.¡±
¡°What''s it about, Mummy?¡±
¡°I guess you were too young to remember the timing. Your Father rejected God when Alice died, Albert.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± Instinctively he rose to hug his mother. ¡°I hadn''t made the connection, sorry. I''ll pray. Can I share that much with Eliza?¡±
¡°Of course. But... not to others. OK?¡±
¡°Yes, Mummy.¡± He went towards the door.
¡°And ask your father to come in here. I think I''ll be crying.¡±
¡°I''ll tell him, Mummy.¡±
As he''d done so many times when he was younger, though not so often now, Albert went to his father and whispered, ¡°Daddy, Mummy needs you.¡± Then he added, ¡°I''ll take over here.¡±
¡°Thank you, Albert,¡± the King replied, understanding the message very clearly; he expected that he''d need a good cry too, before too long. ¡°If you''ll excuse me, John, Sarah, Karen. There are some things I need to talk about with her Majesty.¡±
Late Evening, Thursday.
[Hello, Albert. Is now a good time to talk?]
[Eliza! I was hoping you''d call, but I wasn''t sure how tired you''d be. How was your trip home?]
[Uneventful. But half-way back I realised that I never got round to asking anyone for advice for you, did I?]
[No. But it doesn''t matter.]
[No? You''re going to be left without important advice you''d asked for and it doesn''t matter?]
[I don''t think I''m going to lack wise advice, Eliza. Not while you''re talking to me.]
[Stop trying to flatter me, Albert! {smile}]
[I''m not trying to flatter you, Eliza. Just being honest.]
[Changing the subject, how are your parents?]
[Still talking. I think.]
[You said ''Pray for comfort, I''ll tell you in private.'' Is now OK?]
[Yes. When I was little, Mummy became pregnant again. They found out it was a girl, and decided on the name Alice. Everything was going well with the pregnancy, and then about a month before she was due, something went wrong, Mummy almost died, Alice did.]
[Oh! Your poor parents!]
[Yes. I hadn''t realised there was a link, but Mummy found God through it, and Dad decided God wasn''t real. Mummy''s said that you''d told Daddy he wasn''t being truthful about what he thought about God.]
[So now they''ve been reminded of their pain. Maybe I was wrong.]
[Pardon?]
[I told your mother that she didn''t need to fear about what I''d seen. Maybe I was wrong about that. Tell her I''m sorry for that. I pray they find peace through talking it all over though.]
[I will. I think she''s been wanting to have a real talk to Daddy a long time, but he''s always hidden behind atheism. I think she''s prepared for the pain of old memories. And she''s very impressed with you for making that possible.]
[And she knows we''re going to be talking?]
[Yes.]
[This time yesterday, my plan for today included getting up, looking at four walls, one ceiling, one floor and an essay, plus maybe meeting a new protection officer.]
[Whereas you went on a hypersonic transport, and threw an enormous spanner into the status-quo here at the palace. I''m pleased you did.]
[And I''m glad that Bella forced us into that talk.]
[I am too, Eliza. Very glad. And thank you for that brain-storming.]
[You''ve said that before.]
[I''ve said it to the group, now I''m saying it to you. I''ve been putting it into a series of proposals for the TREC meeting.]
[I didn''t ask earlier. What was your important meeting this afternoon?]
[Oh, that! I''m not sure it was very important, but it''s been booked almost a year. I was the guest speaker at a University debate: `This house believes that humanity has finally put chaos behind us.'']
[I hope you were speaking against the motion!]
[I was indeed.]
[Who were you debating with?]
[Oh, some apparently famous humanist lecturer who obviously had their head in the clouds. I hope you don''t mind, I used some of our earlier conversation, you know, about what the constitution and the monarchy rest on, and how you''d expanded what chaos meant.]
[I hope you didn''t name me!]
[No. I didn''t.]
[Then I don''t mind at all. I presume you won?]
[Yes. I mean, recent events have rather stacked the decks in my favour, haven''t they?]
[Yes. Sad to say. How well did you win?]
[They didn''t bother counting: ''Motion defeated by an overwhealming majority.'']
[Any other highlights?]
[Well, there was some curiosity about who the mystery woman was.]
[Albert... what did you say about me?]
[Well, the first time I quoted you, I called you a wise young woman.]
[And the second time?]
[My friend.]
[That doesn''t sound too mysterious.]
[No. But... it was degenerating towards the end and someone asked a point of information, `Would the speaker against the motion say that his wise friend was also pretty.'']
[I see, and so you felt you had to answer?]
[Yes. I said that I felt pretty was too weak a word and would prefer to use the word beautiful.]
[Albert!]
[In retrospect, a simple yes or ''no comment'' might have been wiser.]
[I guess we''ll see what the news outlets are making of it tomorrow.]
[I don''t know that we need to.]
[Because?]
[I''ll read one article I see in front of me... ''Who is Prince''s mystery woman? In a university debate today Crown Prince Albert made reference to a wise young woman who he quoted at several points in his devastating attack on the motion etc. etc.'' Skipping on... ''Later questioning revealed that he considered this woman to be beautiful and that she''s single. The prince refused to comment on where she lived, how old she was, or whether he was in regular contact with her, but claimed that they were not dating. It was clear to this reporter that he wishes they were.]
[So... how many extra reporters does that gain you?]
[I''m not sure.]
[You''re going to be at Karen''s wedding, aren''t you?]
[Yes. Why? You''re going to be there too?]
[Yes. Bella''s going to have kittens. She''s got to keep me out of the camera''s view. I think that''s just become harder, even if we don''t come within yards of each other.]
[Sorry.]
[You will be. I''d been wondering if we could maybe sneak a dance there, but that''s really not going to happen now.]
[{chagrin} Oh me and my big mouth. I''m really sorry, Eliza.]
[Your only consolation is that it probably wouldn''t have happened anyway. Let''s face it, I can''t dance with you and stay out of the viewfinder, can I?]
[Probably not.]
[Hmmm... I wonder. Maybe it might work,] Eliza pondered.
[What?]
[Well, I don''t know if it''s possible... I presume that it''s impossible to keep all the press out of such an event.]
[Yes.]
[But might it be possible to sign an exclusive deal? Like the Institute has?]
[What, you mean only let one reporter in and bribe him or her not to point the camera at you?]
[I was more thinking of asking him nicely, with his legal-advisor fianc¨¦e there telling him how nasty a contempt of court judgement could make life for them.]
[Someone you know then?]
[Tony Randle, at NWN, on the committee, since Sarah was talking to Teresa ¡ª his fianc¨¦e ¡ª when she had the vision.]
[Nice idea. I don''t think it''ll work though. There''s probably going to be international networks following their own leaders.]
[Oh well. No secret kisses then.]
[Eliza Underwood! You shock me! I thought we didn''t know each other, and here you are planning secret kisses?]
[Oh, but the wedding''s weeks away. We ought to know each other a lot better by then, and I was just thinking ahead, you know. Even if we''ve decided that we know each other well enough, and decide that we want to continue our relationship, there still won''t be secret kisses with all the press around.]
[I must say I''m looking forwards to knowing you well enough to kiss you.]
[You''re forgetting important steps, Albert!]
[No, I think I''m just presupposing them.]
[Dangerous that. We might end up hurt if we presuppose too much.]
[I don''t want to hurt you, Eliza.]
[Good. I don''t want to be hurt either. Or to hurt you. So let''s not let our emotions get too out of control. You never know. You might meet someone else before I get out of witness protection.]
[I don''t think I''m as fickle as that.]
[And we might find after a few weeks of talking that we''re not right for each other.]
[Theoretically possible, I suppose.]
[So... I think we should say goodnight.]
[Goodnight, Eliza. When do you plan on telling me your number?]
[It depends how good you are. Any more hints to the press that you''re in love and I might be upset with you.]
[I''ll try not to let on.]
[Me too.]
[Are we in love, Eliza?]
[Oh no, it''s absolutely impossible. We hardly know each other!]
[Then I wonder what being in love feels like,] Albert said.
[Me too. I''ll talk to you tomorrow.]
[I hope so!]
[Goodnight, Albert.]
[Goodnight, Eliza. Sleep well.]
Preparation / Ch. 5: Public awareness
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 5:Public awareness.
9.00am, Friday, 24th November, IHM
¡°Hi Kate... I think I''ve been a silly girl.¡±
¡°Oh? Well founded gossip says you and the prince spent a long time holding hands yesterday, but decided not to meet. Sounds quite sensible to me. Not a very easy decision, I imagine, but realistic. Have you been having second thoughts?¡±
¡°The problem is, that little bit of rumour is only half true.¡±
¡°Ah?¡±
¡°The public version was actually ''We have no plans to meet.''¡±
¡°Hmm. Close, but I hear more wriggle room.¡±
¡°The private version adds ''But we will do a lot of talking.'' Last night the prince admitted that he hadn''t been very discrete.¡± Handing over a data crystal with the press report on it she said ¡°I offer you exhibit one.¡±
Kate read it and whistled.
¡°So...¡± Kate started ¡°I think it''s quite obvious he''s smitten. What about you?¡±
¡°Last night? I was full of joy and happy glowing feelings. This morning... Reality has bitten back a little.¡±
¡°So... describe reality.¡±
¡°Well, that little stunt at the debate. If we''re supposed to not be going out, in order to avoid things like Bella''s matchmaking and unwelcome press attention, and damaging my status as a witness, then why is he broadcasting the fact that he''s in love to all and sundry?¡±
¡°Damaging you as a witness? How?¡±
¡°I imagine Evil Ibrahim''s lawyers would really love declaring that I was at his house as a guest because I''d been after his client and I''m only testifying because he rejected me. And then, having failed with him I''ve now got the prince ¡ª I''m obviously just after a celebrity husband, or some such muck-raking.¡±
¡°Ouch. Yes. He might say that sort of thing anyway of course, but you taking up with the prince might damage your credibility if he does say something like that. Did you tell the prince this?¡±
¡°Well, not in that much detail.¡±
¡°So apart from feeding your fears, what''s he done?¡±
¡°Broadcast something that we''d agreed would be a secret, I guess.¡±
¡°And what does that do?¡±
¡°Adds to my conviction that he''s not as mature as I might have hoped for his age.¡±
¡°Just based on that?¡±
¡°No, based on what he admitted to me quite early on yesterday: that he''s not been paying much attention in civics. No, that''s not fair. Rather, doesn''t want to give up his freedom.¡±
¡°And how did you feel about that?¡±
¡°I wasn''t impressed.¡±
¡°But you started falling for him anyway?¡±
¡°Yes. He''s handsome, intelligent, funny, likes my jokes, Christian, single, interested and charming. Plus he has the power.¡±
¡°And what does he see in you?¡±
¡°He claims I''m beautiful, intelligent, wise, plus I''m Christian and of course I wowed him with the gift.¡±
¡°Deliberately?¡± Kate asked, concerned.
¡°No. I ended up checking the King''s thoughts to compare with Bella''s memory of her dream. I found something the King needed to hear.¡±
¡°And told the prince?¡± Kate asked, surprised.
¡°No. I didn''t, not at all. I asked the king for a private interview. He chose that the queen should hear too, which worked out well, I think.¡±
¡°Well handled.¡±
¡°Maybe. I think I could have handled part of it better. But the queen was very impressed with me, I don''t know why. Maybe it was something I said about Dad.¡±
¡°What was that?¡±
¡°That he''d worked to bring down the monarchy, and I''d do whatever I could to strengthen it.¡±
¡°Were you quoting deliberately?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Didn''t think so. Sometime, see if you can look up interviews she gave before their marriage. There''s something similar in one of them.¡±
¡°I didn''t quote her did I?¡±
¡°It''s been a long time, I can''t remember quite what she said, but it was roughly along the lines of her having taken an oath to support the crown a long time ago, but she hadn''t expected it to be quite this literally. I take it that what you told the King wasn''t pleasant for him?¡±
¡°No. But he needed to hear it.¡±
¡°So, you''re prepared to upset the king for the good of the country?¡±
¡°Yes, wouldn''t you be?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. Probably. But I''m older than you are. Eliza, it''s simple, really. You are a lot more mature than the prince, even though he''s older than you. But you''re a lot more mature than practically anyone your age. You can blame it on your history if you like.¡±
¡°Whereas he''s led a very sheltered life.¡±
¡°In some aspects, certainly. So the question you might want to think about is even if he''s a bit immature now, how important is that to you?¡±
¡°I thought you''d warned me not to develop any hasty relationships?¡±
¡°I did. I don''t think you''re really being very hasty. But you''ve appointed yourself as guardian of the monarchy. Can you think of a better way of doing that than helping the crown prince grow to be a bit more responsible?¡±
¡°Did you read my thoughts?¡±
¡°Eliza, what a thing to ask!¡±
¡°Well?¡±
¡°The other important question, Eliza, is if you think that you''d entrust him to anyone else.¡±
¡°Honestly, Kate... I''m pretty sure that I don''t want to lose him.¡±
¡°So have you made a mistake?¡±
¡°I hope not.¡±
¡°Good answer.¡±
¡°The other thing that worries me, Kate.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°It was on the way there, I got really upset about not having anyone. Very off-balance. You know.¡±
¡°Hmm. Sarah did tell me.¡±
¡°And then I prayed. And Karen gave me the most wonderfully comprehensive blessing, and I thought I''d left it all with God. Then not two hours later I was catching myself a prince. It doesn''t sound like I''d really left it with God.¡±
¡°But had you?¡±
¡°Yes, I think so. I certainly know I was really upset with Bella for saying, roughly speaking, ''look prince, you''ve met two single girls in the last decade who can hear thoughts, but the smart money''s on Eliza because she''s a Christian and I''m not interested in a change of job. So seize the moment or wait another decade.''¡±
¡°She said that?¡±
¡°Pretty much.¡±
¡°And if she hadn''t?¡±
¡°Well, the prince had been saying he''d like to stay in touch.¡±
¡°But?¡±
¡°Certainly no romance as far as I was concerned.¡±
¡°So you had left it with God.¡±
¡°I guess so,¡± Eliza answered, relieved.
¡°And maybe God prompted Bella to play matchmaker?¡±
¡°It''s possible, isn''t it?¡±
¡°So, what comes next?¡±
¡°I guess I forgive Bella.¡±
¡°Oh, you need to do that. When are you talking to him next?¡±
¡°After I''ve finished my essay. Or this evening. Or... when I just want to hear his voice, whichever comes first. Maybe lunchtime?¡±
¡°Eliza, I think you''re in love.¡±
¡°Me too. Oh, by the way, after yesterday, there''s going to be a press conference at about lunchtime today. You might want the computer to be suspicious. They''re going public about Valentines day, and I expect they''ll mention the Institute.¡±
¡°In what context?¡±
¡°I''m not saying, because I''m not sure.¡±
¡°You''re not making much sense, Eliza.¡±
¡°I''m in love, do I have to make sense?¡±
¡°Oh get out of here and stop wasting my time! You''re sane,¡± Kate said, in frustration.
¡°That''s the nicest thing anyone''s ever said to me,¡± Eliza replied. ¡°Well, almost,¡± she corrected herself.
¡°Let me guess, your handsome prince?¡±
¡°Actually the King. Called me a dangerous and principled woman.¡±
¡°You like to be dangerous?¡±
¡°I think he meant that I don''t accept the status quo if I see it as wrong.¡±
¡°If I remember my history, in previous days, that sort of statement would make you a revolutionary.¡±
¡°Well, yes, but I don''t like violence, and I hate chaos.¡±
¡°Eliza, I pray your friendship with Albert remains, even if other things don''t work out. He''s probably going to need friends like you.¡±
9.45am, Friday, 24th November, TREC meeting
¡°So, there you have it, Ladies and Gentlemen. Comments are invited,¡± Albert concluded his overview of what they''d found out the previous day, and the news from Space Guard.
¡°The press conference is already called?¡± asked the defence minister.
¡°Yes, minister,¡± the queen replied. ¡°There seems little point in delaying now. We have the agreement between three dreams, we have the news from the science ministry that Space Guard say they will not be able to give us a definite impact point until about twelve hours before impact. That will not be sufficient time to even save all the people, let alone any of their possessions. Do you wish to turn the entire city''s population into destitute refugees?¡±
¡°Certainly not, Maam.¡±
The King, silent until now, spoke. ¡°The events that the prince has mentioned, and others he has not, have led me to the conclusion that my wife and the minister for religious affairs were correct. We will be open with our people about the coming events, and will make every preparation that we can. And I mean every. For this reason I wish to inform you that I have not been entirely honest over the past years, and hid my unreasoning anger against God behind a pretense of atheism.¡± He reached for the queen''s hand. ¡°As you know, one of the dreams showed people praying and returning to an undamaged city: God, it seems, wants to give us the opportunity to seek His help as well as to prepare for the worst. If God wishes our nation to pray, then perhaps that is the best preparation we can make. May he show us mercy.¡±
The queen added ¡°None of the dreams showed people staying in the city and watching the asteroid miss. This reminds me that we cannot treat prayer as magic. It is God who decides if He will answer our requests. We cannot presume that just because we''ve prayed, it automatically follows that God will answer us, or that He will answer in the way we wish Him to. Therefore, we must evacuate.¡±
¡°Your Majesties, where does this leave the missile plans that my staff have been working on?¡± asked the defense minister, intensely uncomfortable with this talk of God.
The queen answered, ¡°I would personally say, minister, that we have not yet seen those plans, seen a scientific evaluation of their chances of success, seen an evaluation of their potential failure modes, and for instance the possibility that we send the asteroid into one of our allies'' laps. Nor have we seen any financial and manpower estimate. I had hoped that you''d be able to present those to us today. Is that possible?¡±
The minster shook her head. ¡°They tell me they need another few days to be certain, maam, but that it should be possible, with our allies'' cooperation.¡±
The prince said, ¡°What we have seen is two dreams showing different failures, and no dreams of them succeeding. Perhaps that is only two failures out of ten or twenty rockets, but I would certainly like to see evidence that if there are multiple rockets and two fail, the plan is not in ruins.¡±
The science minister spoke up. ¡°Madame minister, I took it upon myself to contact the Mars terraforming authority for the data for this asteroid, in preparation to scrutinise your plans. I was a little surprised to see that there are size estimates from when the object was first logged, but they sent me nothing about its actual mass. Does that agree with your information?¡±
¡°Yes, they included an apology, but said they didn''t have that data.¡±
¡°But, since it was being pushed around, the data must have been available at some point.¡±
¡°I would presume so, but it seems no one thought it worth preserving. So I instructed my people to proceed on the assumption that it is typical for what they send to Mars.¡±
The science minister nodded. ¡°That was the suggestion in the Mars terraforming project''s message to me also. Your Majesties, I preferred not to make assumptions and sent a message to Jupiter control the day before yesterday, asking if the data might be on their systems. I would like to show you a communication I received from the chief engineer at Jupiter Control, yesterday morning.¡±
He put the message up on the display, and everyone read it: ¡°Hi. Very sorry to hear that that goat''s on its way to you. Definitely wasn''t behaving like a sheep when I saw it being pushed around by the dogs; I''d estimate its density is at least double what it should have been, but Dan was brand-new at his job back then and obviously wasn''t watching the mass-readings. Before the dog went mad, that was just a minor procedural error. After it did, he had other things on his mind, so I''m not surprised that he didn''t log the mass. On the other hand, the data should be easily extractable from the telemetry data that would be in the accident log. That would be archived at H.Q. Yours, Shepherd x4, Jack.¡±
¡°Apparently the Shepherd x4 he prepended to his name means he''s performed four tours of Shepherd duty, which makes him more respected out there than your average admiral. Plus of course he''s chief engineer now. I therefore quoted his letter and asked Mars Terraforming Headquarters again, pointing out that we did need precise data if we were going to be able to deflect it. Apparently they''d had so many requests for data about it that they''d set up an AI system to answer them. My initial response came from that system, I''d guess that the defence minister''s was too. I now have the mass information. It is certainly not cometary material, the overall density is more consistent with an iron or rocky core, albeit with an icy coating. This is consistent with other so-called ''goats'' that Mars terraforming have investigated over the past decade.¡±
¡°Thank you, minister. That was most informative, and shows the value in digging further. But could you spell out the implications for us a little, please?¡± the King asked.
¡°Your Majesty, if the calculations for the missile intercept are based on the idea of altering the orbit, then they''ll be wrong, because the mass they''re assuming is wrong. The orbit will only be moved by a third of what they predict, if that. If they''re based on assuming they can blast it to bits because it''s nothing but a fluffy comet, they''ll be wrong because it isn''t. Any plans, other than launch windows, that have been made up until now are, roughly speaking not worth writing up. I attempted to get this information to the relevant people in the ministry of defence yesterday afternoon but was told that my contribution would be ''considered before the final report was written.''¡±
¡°I see... Minister for defence, do you have any comment?¡± the king asked.
¡°I''ll institute an investigation, of course, your majesty. That''s not the right way to respond to a minister.¡±
¡°I think we have a deeper problem here, minister.¡± the queen said ¡°To use a military metaphor, it seems like you have not understood the enemy you''ve been assigned as target, nor understood the seriousness with which we expect you and your department to take this issue. Even your attitude to the minister''s critical information being brushed off was one of incorrect procedure.¡±
The King said ¡°Minister, I believe you do not believe that our country is at risk. Am I correct?¡±
¡°Your Majesty, with due respect, the scientists say there is only a 4 percent chance of anywhere on Earth being hit. Until it is more likely ...¡±
¡°Minister, the science will not say that until it is too late. Intelligence was provided which we assumed, this being an emergency committee, you would work on with the utmost diligence, It seems that you have not done so. That is... disappointing. If you had aired your prejudice earlier then perhaps less time would have been wasted. I hope it is not now too late. I find I can no longer have confidence in you. Ministry staff will, I''m sure, help you to move any personal possessions from the minister''s office. You have our permission to withdraw.¡±
¡°At your command, Majesty.¡± As the former minister for defence stood with what dignity she could muster and left the room, the king sent a message from his wrist unit.
¡°Minister for science, the cabinet has a vacancy, which is not good at a time of crisis. I ask therefore for your opinion: Would you take the rocketry and space-launch wing of the defence ministry under your authority, leaving the more traditional forces with one of the junior ministers, could you recommend someone to be defence minister who has an understanding of the devastation we face, or would you take on all of defence and leave someone in your role?¡±
¡°Your Majesty, if a snap decision is needed...¡±
¡°It is.¡±
¡°Then I would recommend the junior minister for rocketry and space-launch be promoted. She is an intelligent woman, respected in the other wings as far as I know, and it was not her that put my information on hold, but one of the former minister''s assistants.¡±
¡°And she''s your cousin,¡± the King pointed out.
¡°That was not a part of my consideration, your Majesty.¡±
¡°It should have been,¡± the king chided. ¡°It would not be acceptable for her to be directly accountable to you.
¡°The suggested assignment would cause far less disruption than the other options,¡± the queen said, ¡°and I agree with the science minister''s assessment of her qualities.¡±
¡°Thank you, dear. Any dissenting voices, speak now, please!¡±
¡°Your Majesty, would she be required to take on other responsibilities with the promotion?¡± asked the minister for finance.
¡°It is inevitable. She will have to get to know the capabilities of the other wings of defence, and train up a replacement to fill her job.¡±
¡°Then I suggest that you make her the full minister, but for the duration of the current crisis have defence run more as three separate ministries. Or perhaps do this permanently. Really, the three wings have grown quite separate anyway.¡±
¡°My feeling is that this is a most sensible suggestion. We will have to consider the full implications later. There will be cases when a unified defence ministry is important, I''m sure, but those times probably coincide with times the country needs to be united. Any dissenting voices?¡±
There were none. ¡°Very well then, Albert, please inform our three new ministers and ask the minister for rocketry to get here before the end of the meeting.¡±
¡°Of course, father,¡± he said and quickly wrote a message on his wrist unit, informing all three new ministers.
The new minister for rocketry had been deep in discussion with her assistants about the report they were writing. ¡°I know that the Minister said it wasn''t high priority, but I don''t believe TREC meetings make low priority requests, so let''s try and get this ready before the end of the meeting, OK? If his majesty asks for it then let her be able to make it available. At the very least confirm those calculations! They''re critical.¡±
Her wrist unit bleeped. ¡°That''s odd, I''m sure I''d set this on quiet!¡± She glanced at the message, and sat down. Emergency priority message. No wonder her wrist unit had bleeped. ¡°Guys, head''s up please. I''ve just had a message from the palace. I quote: ''Previous defence minister has lost His Majesty''s confidence. Three wings of defence will now be full ministerial positions. Minister for rocketry please attend TREC meeting, immediately. N.B. Science minister has obtained true mass data: body is not cometary, rocky/iron core suggested.'' So, please follow me as I go to put my coat on and give me any very short comments you might have.¡±
¡°No point in confirming those calculations, Maam, they''re useless anyway,¡± said one aid.
¡°Maybe not. If they really show we''d need our entire arsenal, then that''s useful data,¡± said another.
¡°Agreed. Other thoughts?¡± the minister said.
¡°I''ve said it before and I''ll say it again, it''s coming too fast. The range-based triggers we''ve got will not work reliably at those combined speeds. They''d need to be microsecond accurate, or at best ten microsecond and they only take a ranging ten times a second at maximum rate, with a one percent error. That''s roughly a hundred metres of error, when we''d like one.¡±
¡°Estimated failure rate?¡±
¡°Depends where you want the average explosion to be. We''ll lose half of them if we aim for the surface. Aim a hundred metres above and the missiles which blow up there will waste something like eighty-five percent of their energy. Some would be closer, of course, but, still, roughly half of them blow up so far away as to be useless.¡±
¡°So, if the calculations based on the real mass say we need a hundred impacts ten metres from the surface...¡± the minister prompted.
¡°Launch something like three times that number, aimed fifty metres above, and we might be OK, as long you don''t mind scattering the solar system with broken warheads.¡±
¡°And as long as we don''t end up fragmenting it with a warhead that gets in too close.¡± Added another aid.
¡°Thank you everyone. Please do send my wrist unit any calculation results. I''ll get you the real mass data as soon as possible. But I think I''m going to recommend that we don''t do it this way at all.¡±
¡°Congratulations, minister!¡± the king welcomed the new member as she was ushered in. ¡°I hadn''t expected you to make it this soon.¡±
¡°I cheated, your Majesty. I didn''t wait for a transport but used one of our vehicles.¡±
¡°Appropriate use of resources in time of crisis. I approve. Now, the ex-minister for defense assured us that with time it would be possible to deflect this incoming rock. I understand from the science minister that she did not give you the correct data, but based on the knowledge that it is considerably more dense, could you give me your best guess?¡±
¡°Sir, my colleague who knows our space intercept missiles best tells me there is a significant problem. The missiles were designed for slower targets, where either the missile would be catching up and overtaking the intended target, or our missile would scatter debris in front of its target to disable the incoming missile or aggressive space vehicle. This second method will have no relevance to the asteroid, as it is large. The guidance system is not sufficiently accurate to reliably give us a close explosion at the speeds involved. We would need a statistical approach.¡±
The finance minister spoke up, ¡°Excuse my ignorance, madam minister, could the explosion not be triggered on impact?¡±
¡°Not really, sir. The combined impact speed will be over a hundred kilometres per second, or a hundred metres per millisecond. The impact would destroy the missile before the warhead could trigger.¡±
¡°And a redesign of the guidance system?¡± asked the prince.
¡°Very difficult, sir. I understand there is also a power requirement issue. More pulses per second means that much more power. Ideally the radar pulses would only speed up as the missile approaches the target. Else, if the pulses are too close together when the missile is far away there would be confusion... It is all solvable, but to minimise the number of warheads needed we should be launching in the next few days, at most a week or two. So there isn''t time for designing and testing a new system. That would take months on a normal schedule, even running tests in parallel and giving them absolute priority, I''m told that unless we cut dangerous corers we can''t get it down to less than six weeks. I''m sorry sir.¡±
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
¡°So we''re left with multiple launches and hope that the statistics are in our favour,¡± the king summarised.
¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡±
¡°And based on the inaccurate mass data, can you give me an estimate of how many launches we''re talking about?¡±
¡°The initial calculation said five or six, sir, but I''m afraid that there were some errors in the calculations. Now... I''m awaiting confirmation, but I believe we would have needed approximately a fifth of our missile stockpile to correctly explode between ten and fifty metres from the asteroid.¡±
¡°And allowing for statistics?¡± the queen asked.
¡°Half the missiles we possess, if not more than that. It depends on how soon we can launch without hitting any satellites, space trafic or the moon.¡±
¡°And so deflecting this asteroid using our conventional defensive missiles would leave our realm with a crippled missile defence capability?¡± summarised the King.
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
¡°Thank you for your assessment. Now, you don''t know a lot of details that the rest of us do. Here is a briefing document that you should read. A lot of it is going to be made public very soon. The document was written before we were certain where the impact would be. We now are.¡±
¡°Space Guard have an exact orbit, sir? I''m amazed.¡±
¡°Unfortunately,¡± the Prince began, ¡°Space Guard do not now expect to have an exact orbit until about twelve hours before impact. In fact, Space Guard only found the object when we asked them if a certain object could hit on Valentine''s day. That information came from a series of prophetic dreams about ten years ago, which have been separately confirmed by other people who had no knowledge of the initial series.
¡°There have been an impressive number of other dreams in the same sequence which have been fulfilled. I don''t know if you have any faith in God, minister, however, these three people had dreams which contain geographical references to the same city, devastated by a Tunguska style event.¡±
¡°So we must presume the data is accurate,¡± the King concluded.
¡°I am somewhat shocked, your Majesty. The former minister made no reference to such accurate data, only to Space Guard.¡±
¡°So, now that you know, could we have your recommendation?¡±
¡°Your Majesty, I recommend that we do not use our defensive missiles in this manner. The chances of success are too small and the implications for wider defense of the realm are too large. With replacement rates it would take at least six months to restock. If we had a better guidance system, we could fit some rockets with nuclear weapons, which would be more powerful of course. But I personally hate the thought of launching multiple nuclear weapons in the hope that one would do what we want it to. Plus we''d be far more likely to shatter the asteroid, I expect, rather than deflect it.
¡°If we do want to break up the asteroid, it would actually be far easier to hit it with a large lump of something heavy than to try any type of explosive missile.¡±
¡°Thank you, minister. Do you happen to have something large and heavy in mind?¡± the King said.
¡°No, sir. I''m sorry, I confused several thoughts. My recommendation is that even with a city to defend, we do not attempt to use nuclear warheads on our interceptor missiles, or gamble crippling our missile defensive screen on the slim hope that we might deflect this asteroid. We have no guarantee of succeeding but just one rogue state''s multiple-warhead missile could destroy several cities and kill millions.
¡°As a collaborative effort, where all major nations contributed, we could contribute thirty percent of our stockpile without significant loss of operational effectiveness. Otherwise we''d be launching a new untried system and hoping it works. I''m sorry I cannot be more hopeful, sir.¡±
The queen reassured her. ¡°Minister, you have provided us with useful data and informed opinions. We cannot ask you for miracles.¡±
¡°Minister, if we did decide to launch something big and heavy, what would you recommend?¡± the prince asked, curiously.
¡°I''d recommend a moon-based launch of some rock, sir. There''s no point in overcoming the Earth''s gravity-well, and that would leave more fuel available for course corrections.¡±
¡°And what launcher?¡± The king asked, ¡°No one has missile installations on the moon.¡±
¡°Sir, I''d propose that we use a cargo rocket. They have good guidance systems for when they''re delivering to orbital platforms, and I expect it wouldn''t be too difficult to to put in some extra tanks for some more range.¡±
¡°And a big pile of rocks?¡± the prince added.
¡°Yes sir. One or two tonnes of rock with a combined impact speed of a hundred kilometres per second should do a lot of damage to the asteroid.¡±
¡°But would it alter the course enough?¡± asked the King.
¡°I''m not at all sure, sir.¡±
¡°Very well, please keep us posted on all possibilities. I''m sure the science ministry can explore these options as well.¡±
¡°Yes, sir!¡± affirmed the minister.
¡°Now, Albert, you''ve been working on a list of legislation that we should announce.¡±
¡°Yes, Father. Ministers, this list is not set in stone, but I present it in the interests of shaping discussion. It is probably not complete, either. It is more a list of ideas and recommendations from myself, their majesties, and others. The first of the recommendations is that the stock-markets should be closed from the beginning of the press conference, until after the weekend, or perhaps longer.¡±
There was agreement from all round the room, and the King, forewarned, sent the already-prepared order. The stock markets would be closed.
¡°We further suggest that the committee discuss whether the housing market in the affected city be suspended. The opportunity for that discussion will be later on.
¡°The next suggestion is legislation to prevent any form of profiteering, hoarding and panic buying. To this end, we suggest rules restricting price rises on goods and services to no more than five percent relative to a year earlier, without government approval. Obviously internationally traded items such as gold would not be covered in this. We also suggest that insurers be required to apply the same cover that would apply to possessions in people''s homes to possessions that are in government storage or that people reasonably have with them in temporary shelter. A grand piano in a tent would not be reasonable, obviously.
"We suggest that in compensation for this extending of cover, in the event of the impact occurring, no claims for loss of anything left in the city will be considered, no matter what clauses might or might not apply. Also, hard evidence will be needed to prove that the item being claimed for was not left in the city, for example a certified inventory of stored items. ¡°Similarly, we suggest that banks and other companies making secured loans not be permitted to terminate the loan agreement without evidence that the customer has breached their part of the contract, or to alter the terms of the loan in any way. Conversely, that any person who seeks to take advantage of this law and stops making repayments without any attempt to negotiate, (or attempts to negotiate without supporting documentation which proves dire need) be punished with immediate repossession. This would of course be a matter for the courts to decide.
"We suggest that the announcement remind people that if a bank or loan company does repossess then they would obviously lose title to the land, and thus to any rebuilding aid.
¡°Regarding stockpiling and panic buying, one option would be to impose universal rationing, but we felt that was far too drastic. Therefore, we suggest rules preventing shoppers from making purchases which would represent more than two week''s consumption, unless they can prove this is their normal shopping practice at that particular store. Also, we suggest reminding people that this does not affect the entire country, only the one city.
¡°Certain sectors of the economy will be drastically hit before the impact: home improvement and building supplies, obviously. These sectors will however see an upsurge in turnover after the event. Obviously stock will need to be moved from the affected areas. We suggest that government loans be available to affected businesses, with the proviso note that the government will require full repayment, through community service from the company''s board members if no other means is available to them.
¡°If the housing market is suspended, then obviously estate agents, building surveyors and others in that sector will be severely affected, and we do not expect an upturn in the event of the impact occurring. Relocation to other locations may be the preferred option for these companies.
¡°If the impact does occur, then there will be a very large number of people owing money on a house which has been reduced to rubble. We remind people that the debt remains and they have the choice of accepting repossession or making continued payments. We again suggest reminding people that there will be no rebuilding aid given to those who have no land on which to build, or title to a flat or apartment.
¡°Our understanding is that the initial rebuilding aid programme is currently expected to concentrate on the rapid construction of simple homes which will be expanded later on. Longer term, apartment blocks can be built, of course, and it is anticipated that people will be able to choose to wait for an equivalent apartment to that which they lost or move into new land made available for the simple homes. We suggest that businesses, possibly individuals as well, have the option of choosing to accept a one off cash payment and rebuild themselves. However, we expect the cash payment will not be equal to the eventual value of the rebuilding aid package.
¡°We recommend warning people that even if cellars and other underground structures do withstand the impact, there is no guarantee that they will withstand rapid clearance of devastated areas by heavy machinery.¡±
¡°Looting is of course a risk. We suggest that anyone caught looting be put to manual labour in the rebuilding effort, but could not agree a timescale for this. We also suggest that home owners not be permitted to return to their homes after the impact except with documentation of where their house used to be and possibly also police escort. We suggest that to avoid false accusations of looting, every household be provided with a certificate giving the location of their house in terms of latitude and longitude, and that perhaps neighbours could add to this certificate agreed boundary lines.
¡°We raise the possibility that alternatively building surveyors and estate agents could also play a part in this process, documenting the pre-impact state and size of homes, and that it could help with the eventual rebuilding aid process. Thank you for your attention. Are there any clarification questions?¡±
The minister for finance asked ¡°Is it the intention then, that the rapidly built residences become permanent?¡±
¡°Would the minister for planning and development like to comment?¡± the prince asked.
¡°His Majesty prompted me to find novel solutions. I have begun that process and can say that some of them hold a lot of potential, but I''m not yet sure they will scale. One interesting one, for instance, is using forcefields to constrain poured concrete. That is obviously a technique for large buildings, but it means that the normal approaches that require the lower floors to harden before the next ones up can be built are not needed, so the concrete pouring time is essentially the delivery time.¡±
¡°Most interesting. And on the smaller scale?¡±
¡°Well, for many purposes, wood is still king ¡ª it''s fast to nail together, reasonably lightweight and as long as you don''t burn it or let the insects get to it, then it can last for centuries. But those caveats are pretty significant and anyway, there isn''t nearly enough seasoned wood available to build a city. Foamed concrete is far more suited to mass production can be drilled and such like, and can be made just as insulating as wood, but it''s fragile: it hardly has any bending strength when it''s thin, so you can''t use it to hold up a roof, say. We''re investigating studies into alternative compounds, adding carbon nano-tubes or graphene to the mix, for example.
"If we can do that, then we''d have the material. The problem would then be bringing the plant on-line. Perhaps the forcefield approach would help here too, I''m not sure. Another approach is to use the local soil, either for a geopolymer material or a more traditional adobe. Initial tests on the soil as to which it is more suitable for are underway. The adobe would need covering to keep rain off, but short term, simple plastic sheeting will do for that.
¡°But, in any case, getting back to the original question, yes, we''re planning to have something available which will make long-lasting walls, and hopefully long-lasting roofs too.¡±
¡°Thank you, minister.¡± the King said, ¡°Any other clarification questions?¡±
¡°May we ask, sir, who these others are that you mentioned?¡± the justice minister asked. ¡°The list seems quite complete to me, and it seems that a lot of thought has gone into it.¡±
¡°You may ask, minister,¡± replied the queen with a smile. ¡°I leave it to Albert to reply.¡±
Albert groaned inwardly, guessing what was coming next. ¡°Yesterday, my father''s memories of his dream and those of the other two witnesses were compared, in order to see if we could be certain of the asteroid''s target.
"For various reasons several other members of the committee for major threat assessment were also invited. My mother and I started some brain-storming over lunch, and while I was away at a debate the others continued with that task.¡±
¡°Ah, and your highness''s comments at the debate which have so rapidly filled the press with curiosity refer to a member of this group?¡±
¡°I wholeheartedly repent of my reported comments at the debate, minister, and have apologised to the lady in question,¡± the prince said.
¡°But yes, she was in that group,¡± the Queen added, with a smile, ¡°and I find myself in agreement with my son''s comments, however unwise it was of him to make them when the press was listening,¡±
The minister for religious affairs said, ¡°I''m sure that the other ministers here will join me then in expressing our best wishes to you both, and hope that even if you have no plans to meet at the moment you will eventually be able to introduce us to her.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir. I will pass on your best wishes to her,¡± the prince said, trying hard not to blush, and failing.
The king said, ¡°As well as the youngsters'' understandable desire for a little privacy while they work out their feelings for each other, there are other reasons that press attention and speculation is particularly inappropriate. The young lady is currently in witness protection, expecting to give evidence in person.¡±
The justice minister blanched at the implications. ¡°Majesty, I presume that as she is currently in the witness protection scheme, the accused know who she is and that she could give evidence against them. Should she become significant in the prince''s life, then without drastic surgery it will be impossible to hide her from them. The risk of assassination... it would be far safer for her not to become involved with the prince.¡±
¡°Yes, minister. I know,¡± the King said. ¡°On the assumption that neither she nor my son want to take that route out of this, the question is whether not giving evidence would make her any safer. I will be discussing this with the relevant people quite soon, I assure you.¡±
¡°It hadn''t occurred to me, minister,¡± the prince admitted, with his heart feeling as heavy as lead. ¡°Thank you for raising the issue. Might we move on to discussing the press conference?¡±
[Albert, is now a good time to talk?] Eliza called.
[Urm, I guess so. I''ve got a bit of time.]
[Great! I met with my counsellor at IHM today. Guess what? She says I''m sane and in love. I certainly agree with the second bit. How are you? Was the meeting useful?]
[Urm, there''s something I have to say, Eliza.]
[What is it?]
[I think we should break up.]
[{shock}]
[I''m sorry, Eliza. I really care about you. Too much. That''s why.]
[{pain, confusion} I don''t understand, Albert. Why does you caring for me mean we should break up, just as we''re falling in love?]
[I don''t want to get you killed. I refuse to get you killed. So we need to break up.]
[Albert... I''m not sure you''re making very much sense.]
[Eliza, think about it. You''re in witness protection. You''re at risk, and need to hide. I''m surrounded by the press and therefore incredibly dangerous to you. I''ve put you at risk already. If I love you, then I need to stay away from you and let you disappear. If we get closer, you can''t disappear and so I''m putting you in danger. I refuse to do that. I''m sorry. I''d like to stay friends, but we can''t get close.]
[I''m going to break off for a bit, Albert, I need to hide my tears better from Bella.]
[OK. I''m so sorry, Eliza.]
[Talk to you later, Albert. I love you.]
[I love you too, Eliza. That''s why we need to break up.]
That logic sounded so wrong to Eliza she could have screamed, had she not been about to get into the transit back to the safe-house with Bella.
¡°Are you OK?¡± Bella asked, who''d noticed Eliza''s sudden change of mood.
¡°Mostly.¡±
¡°Just, ten seconds ago you were walking ten feet off the ground, and now you look like you ran head-first into a brick wall.¡±
¡°Well, Kate told me I was sane.¡±
¡°That''s great news, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes. Except one excuse to get out has just evaporated, and I want to break something.¡±
Bella looked at Eliza. Her smile was gone, her muscles were tense, her eyebrows pulled together, there seemed to be tears in her eyes. It was clear that she was angry or upset or both. In fact, she''d never seen Eliza like this.
¡°There''s something else too, isn''t there?¡±
¡°Yes. Now can you let me handle it?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Can you?¡±
¡°I hope so. Probably not.¡±
¡°Want to talk?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Is it something I''ve said or done?¡±
¡°Yes. You dumped me in the prince''s lap yesterday. I was even about to forgive you for it too. But I''m not sure now.¡±
¡°What changed?¡±
¡°I''ve just talked to him.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°He''s dumping me because he loves me.¡±
¡°I thought you weren''t going to go out?¡±
¡°You were meant to.¡±
Bella got the point immediately. ¡°Eliza Underwood, you''re a very sneaky woman. So you weren''t going to make plans to meet, but you were going to be talking regularly? Is that it?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And you were ten feet off the ground because you''d realised you were in love?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And he''s realised he isn''t?¡±
¡°He claims that he''s realised that seeing me could get me killed, so we need to break it off.¡±
¡°And don''t you get a say in the matter?¡±
¡°Not so far.¡±
¡°Tell him from me that I''ll chuck him through a plate glass window if he''s not more respectful for my friend''s feelings.¡±
That brought a wan smile from Eliza, but she said: ¡°No.¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°He''s the crown prince, you''ll get in serious trouble if I say such things.¡±
¡°You''re probably right,¡± sighed Bella. ¡°So what are you going to do?¡±
¡°Try to convince him otherwise, of course,¡± Eliza said.
¡°He''s right, you know,¡± Bella admitted.
¡°Why? Why does he need to break up with me because he loves me?¡±
¡°Well, you''ve got to hide. After the trial you''ll need a new name, new place to live, maybe even a new face, if you want to be really safe. Definitely not your face on every news channel, with them digging into your past. Sorry, but it''s the unpleasant harsh truth. I should have thought it through better. I''m really sorry.¡±
¡°And if I refuse?¡±
¡°Refuse what?¡±
¡°To change my name, etcetera. I''d decided that a long time ago, not just because of Albert.¡±
¡°You''re running a big risk. Evil Ibrahim could plan a revenge attack, and apart from him, if you become publicly linked to the prince then there''s risks of political assassination, you name it.¡±
¡°But that''s true for any woman he gets involved with, no?¡±
¡°I suppose so,¡± Bella conceded.
¡°So, there''s a risk in not changing my face, but I like the one I have. There''s a risk in not changing my name, but I won''t do that anyway, and there''s an additional risk of assassination if I''m seen with him, but that''s universally applicable. Do you agree?¡±
¡°When you put it like that... I suppose so. You want him that much?¡±
¡°I''ve declared to their majesties that I''ll do all I can to support the monarchy. Albert is immature and makes silly decisions like this one and blabbing about me at debates and needs someone to help him grow up. I love him and I don''t want to trust him to someone else. They might not recognise all his faults or know how to deal with them.¡±
¡°I see. You''ve obviously thought about it, but you''d better expand on the blabbing about you at a debate thing. When are you going to deal with this bad decision?¡±
¡°Just as soon as my protection officer stops talking to me,¡± Eliza said with a grin. All was not lost, she was sure.
¡°Go for it, Eliza!¡±
[Albert, you''re wrong!] Eliza started.
[I''m also about to be live in front of millions.]
[Oh, press briefing?]
[Yes.]
[I''ll convince you you''re wrong later then. Love you.]
[I hope you can, but I''m pretty well decided.]
[Easy! I couldn''t hide it from Bella, so she knows what you did to me just now, and she agreed with you at first, but I convinced her. So I''ll convince you later.]
[I love you too, Eliza, but I refuse to get you killed.]
[You won''t, don''t worry. But don''t you go making decisions or announcements about me without talking it thorough first, or I''ll be very angry.]
¡°Bother!¡± Eliza said ¡°Bother, drat, and bother again.¡±
¡°Problem?¡±
¡°The press briefing''s starting.¡±
¡°Oh. Mind if we turn it on?¡±
¡°No. At least that way I''ll know when I can bug him some more.¡±
Bella turned on a news channel, and they watched the announcement that the world was about to turn upside down for the city they were in.
The King addressed the assembled reporters and cameras. ¡°Reporters of the free press, citizens of our realm, we address you today on a matter of extreme seriousness. I have ordered the stock markets to be closed in order that our economy not suffer the additional strain of panic-selling. It is our conviction that our realm is mature and most of our citizens are sensible enough to handle the truth, and that withholding information that affects us all is not in the interests of the public good. I note that, despite the pessimistic expectations of many, there have been no riots or unrest at the recent revelations which have given such a boost to our glove-making industry. I hope and trust that you, our people will similarly remain calm in the light of the crisis we are about to reveal to you. Prince Albert will present to you the history leading up to this press conference, in the sequence that we learned about it. There will be details in the briefing pack.¡±
[Hi, handsome! Nice speech, well delivered. Even Bella agrees. Is that your part over?]
[Yes, Eliza, for now. But I do need to look like I''m paying attention to my Father.]
[Of course! Just remember to keep me a secret in the questions. I''ll be good and finish my essay before I interrupt you again.]
2pm
Someone had to ask it. All the reporters from that section of the press had the sense that, never mind the impending doom, their readers would still want to know about the prince''s love life.
¡°Your Highness, where does your beautiful friend fit into the timetable you outlined?¡±
¡°No comment.¡±
¡°Was she aware of the contents of this briefing?¡± someone else asked.
¡°No comment.¡±
¡°When will you next meet her, sir?¡±
¡°As I''ve said before, we have no plans to meet romantically, if that is your question.¡±
¡°Then you will meet her in another context, Sir?¡±
¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± interrupted the queen, ¡°this is not an opportunity for you to ask about my son''s love life. Can we return to the subject at hand?¡±
5pm
Bella had a new hobby, or rather, a new aspect of her job: she now had to read gossip columns. So it was that she read:
¡°Asteroid impact: did Prince''s love know of Valentine''s day disaster? The prince refused to comment on whether his ''wise and beautiful friend'' was aware of the impact, (due to occur on Valentine''s day) and the queen felt it was necessary to intervene to prevent further discussion of her son''s love life. The prince still claims that they have no plans to meet romantically, but refused to be drawn on whether they would meet for another purpose. We note that the mysterious ''Committee for major threat assessment'', described in the recent press release in connection with the impact, have been meeting with the royals in the last few days to discuss the impact threat, and it seems reasonable for us to guess that the woman who has become so significant in the prince''s thinking at the moment is on this committee. Unfortunately this is a dead end, as far as identifying her is concerned, as the secretive committee makes no public reports and meets behind the reporting barrier of the Institute for the Human Mind. The intriguing question that follows is what links her to this institute? Is she staff, is she a thought-hearer, or merely someone who knows people who are?¡±
¡°Eliza, I know I''m interrupting your essay, but what do you think of this?¡±
Bella showed it to Eliza.
¡°Innnteresting. A little closer to the truth than the normal gossip columnist.¡±
¡°Yes. I wonder if someone leaked something,¡± Bella speculated.
¡°Who could know even that much?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. Someone at the palace? Or at the Institute?¡±
¡°Sounds entirely unlikely, from either source,¡± Eliza said.
¡°I agree.¡±
¡°So, who wrote it?¡±
¡°No one I''ve ever heard of: Jillian McPhearson.¡±
¡°Never heard of her either. Anything we should do?¡±
¡°Yes. I''ll forward it to Maria.¡±
¡°Hmm. Maybe I should alert Kate. I''m sure she''ll be thrilled with the thought of royal-watchers descending on the Institute.¡±
5:30pm
¡°Hello, Mrs Jillian McPhearson?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°Yes?¡± it sounded like a fairly elderly lady.
¡°My name is Teresa Riley, I''m the legal advisor for the Institute for the Human Mind.¡±
¡°Ah... did my little article hit a raw nerve?¡±
¡°I''m not sure if you''re aware, but the computer system flags up all published articles that refer to the Institute, and when they speculate about someone working or visiting there, then it gets forwarded to me.¡±
¡°So this is merely a formality?¡±
¡°I''m not sure that ''formality'' is the correct term. Your article got very close to telling people that if they really want to see the next queen before anyone else does, then their best bet would be to hang around the Institute. That''s not exactly ideal for the Institute''s clients, who have a legal right to remain anonymous.¡±
¡°But was I right? That''s amazing!¡±
¡°Mrs McPhearson, I would like to point out that in the situation that you were correct, your article would have technically broken the law, since if the woman in question is ever named, then you will have identified her as having a reason to visit Institute.¡±
¡°You''re serious?¡±
¡°The law is quite clear, Mrs McPhearson. You may not mention comings or goings at the Institute. Your article even remarks on the reporting restriction. You have said that the prince is probably in love with a person who almost certainly visits the Institute. That might be on the right side of the law. If you had named a person and said they almost certainly visit the Institute then I am quite convinced that you''d be on the wrong side of the law.
Obviously the question of whether you put in enough maybes and the like to keep you on the right side of the law could be tested in the courts. I''m not sure what Internal Security''s decision in this matter will be.¡±
¡°But the Institute''s?¡±
¡°I do not make policy, maam. I''ve been asked to contact you, warn you of the situation, and ask about your intentions for the piece and any sources.¡±
¡°My intentions?¡±
¡°Yes. Are you intending that it be one of many speculations concerning whether the lady in question goes to other places, for example that maybe she has links with Jupiter like the asteroid does? Or are you intending to carry out an investigation about who is on the committee?¡±
¡°Oh, I see. I don''t know if you''re familiar with my work at all?¡±
¡°No, I''m afraid not, maam.¡±
¡°I do speculative celebrity pieces. They don''t usually lead anywhere.¡±
¡°I see. And in this case?¡±
¡°No. Almost certainly not.¡±
¡°I''m glad to hear it. Now, the matter of sources. I don''t want to know who, I understand professional ethics very well. But did you have any, or was there anyone who suggested that line of speculation to you?¡±
¡°Even answering that question could be a breach of ethics in some situations.¡±
¡°I hope that this is not such a situation.¡±
¡°You don''t credit me with making the connections myself?¡±
¡°My fianc¨¦ is a journalist, Mrs McPhearson. He''s very good at making connections, I''ve seen him do it, but yours seemed to come just a little too quickly, and too detailed. For instance, the link between the committee and the Institute is not generally known.¡±
¡°But... I''m sure I read that somewhere else, I wouldn''t have used it otherwise...¡±
¡°Thank you for that confirmation, Mrs McPhearson.¡±
¡°Have I just been tricked?¡±
¡°Not really. There were several ways you could have found it out, but it was certainly not included on the briefing document that went to the press. It hasn''t been generally published, or should I say, wasn''t until your piece.¡±
¡°May I ask, where I might have read it? Otherwise it''s going to bug me.¡±
¡°I''m afraid the information I have received from Security only lists three places you could have read it, but there may be more. You might have read it in the top secret briefing to The Royal Emergency Committee, a recommendation to the United Nations, and a briefing document hand delivered from Security to the royal family.¡±
¡°Urm. Were any of those documents in the public domain?¡±
¡°The UN one was marked unclassified, but it was an appendix to a secure briefing document. It''s not the sort of thing that would normally make it into a reporter''s hands.¡±
¡°Should I go and talk to a lawyer?¡±
¡°You''re talking to one now. My advice: hand over any paperwork to the nice people in Security immediately. I might add that I''ve found that they are very nice people who care a lot for the freedoms that you and I take for granted.¡±
¡°But I don''t have any official documents! The closest thing to official documents that I read are from my husband''s role as minute taker at church meetings ¡ª I check that it makes sense. That was it... there was something about pastor Arwood being asked to be on the committee.¡±
¡°That sounds entirely plausible, maam. I suggest you take that document to Security, I''m sure it''ll set their minds at rest. And tell Pastor Arwood about this conversation and that I said hello.¡±
¡°You know Arwood?¡±
¡°Yes, Mrs McPhearson. I know Arwood, and some members of your church led me to Christ at the Institute a few months ago. Do you think that, perhaps, in the future, you might be a little more considerate of their friends'' privacy and safety?¡±
¡°It was only meant to be a bit of fun! I mean, the prince isn''t even officially going out with anyone!¡±
¡°I''m sure that''ll be reassuring to everyone when an assassin puts a bullet in the poor girl''s head.¡±
¡°What?!¡±
¡°That is, after all, what the laws you''ve been flirting with are intended to prevent. There are people out there who don''t like our country in general or the Prince in particular. There are probably more who don''t like the Institute. To link the Prince with the Institute like you''ve done... I suggest you pray, Mrs McPhearson, and if you feel led perhaps you could give a hint to Security about who set you on this path.¡±
¡°But I don''t know how to contact them!¡±
¡°Would you like me to ask them to contact you, maam?¡±
¡°Yes, please! I don''t want anyone to be hurt!¡±
6:20pm, IHM
¡°Welcome, Dirk, Eliza. You''re happy with this idea from Bella? No need to change anything?¡± John asked.
¡°She''s come up with a good line, just enough fact and gossip. I think it''ll lead people up the wrong path.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Yes, I think it should work. Let''s hope she''s willing,¡± Dirk said. ¡°They said she lives near here?¡±
¡°Yes, three houses away. I''ve known her at church for years, but I didn''t know where she lives until just now.¡±
6:30pm
¡°Hello, John!¡±
¡°Hello, Jillian. I know Arwood''s warned you to be careful what you say in your articles before now. Now look what you''ve done! Anyway, This young lady is called Eliza, her brother''s called Dirk and they both work in Security, normally doing witness protection, but they were free and nearby when Teresa called. I''ve just come along to make the introductions and I''d like you to tell them anything you feel able to.¡±
¡°Well yes. Urm. I don''t know much, really, but I got an annonymous tip-off this morning, just before the press conference ¡ª I''ll show you: here it is on the house computer. It doesn''t say much really.¡±
¡°This is the original message?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And you haven''t sent it on from another computer, or anything like that?¡± He double-checked.
¡°No, no, it just came like that.¡±
¡°Thank you very much, Mrs McPhereson. I''ll just take a copy if that''s all right?¡±
¡°Yes. It doesn''t say much, does it?¡±
¡°No, maam. Just enough: Prince''s love interest probably member of ''Committee for major threat assessment'' which meets at I.H.M.¡±
¡°And you based your article wholly on that?¡±
¡°Well, I knew about the Institute of course. How could I not?¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Eliza said.
¡°I didn''t know you lived so close, Jillian!¡± John added.
¡°You and Sarah must come over for a cup of tea some time on your way home, John,¡± she said, then added, ¡°Plus, there was the last set of church minutes, when Arwood was saying that he and Hannah have been asked to help on the committee, and they felt it was very important work.¡±
¡°Are those minutes published yet?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Not yet,¡± John said.
¡°Can we get the committee name removed, for security purposes?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± John said.
¡°Good, that''s another bit of damage limitation.¡±
¡°And the final piece?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°Yes. Mrs McPhearson, would you be willing to retract your article? We can''t stop people passing it on by word of mouth, but if you would formally retract it then we can get it removed from everywhere,¡± Eliza asked, sweetly.
¡°It''d look very odd, wouldn''t it?¡±
¡°I think, Jillian, you could produce an alternative one, saying you''ve had another exciting lead, couldn''t you?¡± John asked.
¡°Could I?¡±
¡°Well, the prince did have an hour or two to kill between meetings in the university''s astronomy department,¡± Eliza pointed out.
¡°Oh! Yes, he did, didn''t he!¡±
¡°And I have it on very good authority that between those meetings he was heard to speak to a young lady he''d met recently,¡± Dirk added with a visible wink to his sister.
¡°And we don''t need to say anything about other times he might have met her, do we?¡± John asked.
¡°Oh! No, not at all! But... she won''t mind?¡±
¡°Jillian... please, please don''t pass this on, but... I was at the palace the other day,¡± John said. ¡°I heard the woman he talked to between the astronomy meetings telling him she wasn''t really interested in changing her career, and that he shouldn''t be interested in her since she wasn''t a Christian either, but that her pretty friend sitting the other side of the prince had a strong faith. If that hadn''t been said, who knows where it might have ended up. I don''t think she''ll mind protecting her friend.¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Eliza said. ¡°She does it all the time.¡±
Jillian looked at Eliza, and drew all the wrong conclusions, just as she was supposed to.
¡°His mother used to be in Security, didn''t she?¡±
¡°Yes. Best in her year at self-defence,¡± Eliza said.
¡°Is that true?¡± Jillian asked.
¡°Oh yes, I''ve seen her name on the cup.¡±
¡°Oh how lovely!¡± said Jillian. ¡°So, I''ll withdraw this version of the article... Exciting new lead... Can you check I don''t get it wrong?¡±
¡°Of course, Jillian,¡± Eliza said, reassuringly.
¡°So what''s he like?¡±
¡°Well, you know... Handsome, charming, desperately needs a wife to sort him out, just like most men.¡±
¡°Hey!¡± Dirk said.
¡°So... We know that the prince had an hour between meetings at the university, during which time he was seen talking to a very pretty young red-head in Security...¡±
¡°I won''t comment on that bit,¡± Eliza said.
¡°Who would have witnessed his discussion with the professor?¡± Jillian asked.
¡°Doesn''t ring true. There''s normally a closed door when the prince is meeting people,¡± Dirk said.
¡°Oh, so... one hour ample opportunity to discuss matters of concern?¡±
¡°In a public corridor?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°No, that''s not good, either.¡±
¡°How about, ''A good opportunity for a first chat?''¡± John asked.
¡°Of course!¡± Jillian said with a smile.
Eventually the new article was written.
[It''s done, love,] John told Sarah. [On its way to her column right now.]
[Oh great! I''ll pass that on to Eliza.]
[I will. I want to give her some more details, feel free to eavesdrop. Just thought you''d want to know I''m coming home.]
[Hi Eliza! Bella''s version of the prince''s love-life is now making its way to people''s living rooms, complete with ''A very attractive red-head in Security''.] John thought.
[Red-head?]
[Yes, Eliza wore a wig.]
[Excellent idea!] Eliza exclaimed.
[That''s what I thought. It was an anonymous tip-off ¡ª ''Prince''s love interest probably member of ''Committee for major threat assessment'' which meets at I.H.M.'' How''s your essay?]
[One more line to go.]
[I''ll let you finish.]
[Thanks!]
Preparation / Ch. 6: Private joy
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 6:Private joy.
7.30pm Friday, 24th November
[Albert, are you free?]
[Yes, Eliza. You''ve done your essay?]
[Yes. And Bella needs an award for creative gossip writing.]
[Why?]
[I''m sure Maria will tell you eventually, but someone leaked to a reporter that your love interest was probably on our committee, meeting at the Institute. Nice article built around it. Did I know about the impact, how was I involved at the institute, was I a thought-hearer or staff.]
[Ouch! Me and my big mouth!]
[Don''t worry, the article''s been withdrawn. Journalist was actually someone at John''s church. She''s replaced it with gossip about you talking to an attractive red-head in Security when you were at the university, were you following in your father''s footsteps, and so on.]
[How did you do that?]
[Bella wrote about you calling her for no apparent reason, another agent my age, wearing what I assume was a gorgeous-looking red wig, visited
pretending that it had been her that dumped you in my lap and convinced the reporter that she didn''t mind protecting me by giving away some gossip.]
[So, if I''m asked about a red-head, I have this agent to thank.]
[Yes. She''s also called Eliza, by the way, just to add to the confusion.]
[That is confusing.]
[It shouldn''t be. I''m the one you love, she''s the security agent you''ve never met, as far as I know.]
[True. And I''m not going out with either of you.]
[Oh, don''t be silly, Albert.]
[Eliza, I don''t want you to get killed because of me.]
[Albert, I think you''re supposed to marry for the sake of the succession, no? Any woman you marry is at risk.]
[Yes, but for you the risk is far greater.]
[No, it''s not. That''s the big mistake you''re making. Actually I''m probably safer with you than without you.]
[How do you work that out? You need have a new face, hide, you can''t do that beside me.]
[Albert, do you really want me to get my face surgically rearranged?]
[Not really. I like your face.]
[Good, because I refuse to change what God''s made. So I''m not doing that. Nor am I going to change my name. I had thought of it, but I don''t want to. Eliza is who I am, and the only time I plan to change my surname is by marrying someone. Therefore, I''m ignoring some advice about how to stay ultra safe, and taking my chances. With or without you, I''ve accepted that risk, because I''m not happy with the alternatives. I''m accepting the protection at the moment, because they think what I can give evidence about is important, but after the trial, I''m back to being Eliza Underwood, Master''s student. I''ll move house, but that''s about it.]
[Urm... OK. I can understand your feelings.]
[So, since there are hardly any other Underwoods around, and I''m not going to start lying about who I am, the safest place for me is amid permanent security, which I notice you do happen to have, with another name, which I hope that you''ll offer me one day. So, if you think about it, the safest place for me is beside you, and if you dump me then you''re putting me at risk. As well as hurting me a lot, which you claimed, I remind you, you didn''t ever want to do.]
[I''m sorry, Eliza. I thought it was for the best.]
[And now?]
[I... I don''t know. I wish I''d have thought of those things myself before hurting you.]
[Did I just hear a but?]
[But now I don''t know if they''re real arguments or just your reaction to the pain.]
[Albert. Do you love me?]
[Yes.]
[Do you know that I''m in love with you?]
[Yes. That''s pretty clear.]
[Will you trust that I do know my own thoughts?]
[I suppose so.]
[Did you think to ask if I was planning on accepting surgery?]
[No.]
[Well, I wasn''t, and I never did.]
[I''m glad... But you should really...]
[Albert, I won''t. If you dump me, I won''t. If you marry me, I won''t. If I have an accident, even then I probably won''t accept more than the bare minimum. My mother was addicted to cosmetic surgery, Albert. I saw what she did to herself in the name of beauty. I do not want it. The idea of starting to follow down that road, even to stay safe, revolts me.]
[I see your point. OK, I''ll not mention surgery again.]
[Good.]
[But if we go out, get seen together, and then it doesn''t work out, then it''d the worst of all, wouldn''t it? You''d be recognisable and exposed, rather than just recognisable.]
[So you''re trying to convince me that you should dump me now to protect me from you dumping me later?] she asked, incredulous.
[Or you dumping me.]
[Albert, I remember that I told you I''d do all I could to strengthen what my father wanted to tear down. I''m not going to say that I''m sure God''s put that thought in my mind, but he might have. I suppose that means that if I see I need to dump you to strengthen the monarchy, then I will. But, I''m proud enough to think that you need me. Is that wrong?]
[No Eliza. I don''t think you''re wrong. I probably do need you. At least... I need a wife sometime and you''re the only candidate for the position that I''ve met so far.]
[I actually meant is my pride wrong. It is, I think. But what if Bella hadn''t spurned you? I know you were attracted.]
[She''s not a Christian.]
[I''m working on fixing that. So, if she becomes a Christian, changes her mind about changing her job...]
[She still wouldn''t be able to do this.]
[Really, a phone would work just as well.]
[Not in the middle of meetings.]
[Sorry for that.]
[It was.... nice, but not very sensible.]
[I agree.]
[But talking of phones, can I have your number?]
[It depends. Are you changing the subject deliberately? You know Bella, you don''t know lots of other women with the power, but they''re out there. So, why not one of them, rather than me?]
[OK, Bella, for instance, yes, when I thought she was the only person with the power I''d ever meet, it seemed possible. But I don''t actually find the way she likes chucking criminals around like rag dolls an attractive point. Quite the opposite, in fact.]
[Oh, she told you that did she?]
[Yes.]
[And the others?]
[Eliza, stop it, please! I love you. I don''t want to dump you, and I don''t see any reason why I should ever dump you.]
[That''s nice. And what if someone tells you that I''m safer without you again?]
[I hereby promise that I won''t make any more decisions about breaking off our relationship without talking it through thoroughly with you first. Satisfied?]
[Yes.]
[So?]
[So what?]
[So, if I need to talk to you in an emergency, say because someone''s telling me to break up with you, can I have your number please?]
[Of course!] And she told him.
[Thank you Eliza. So... when can we meet?]
[We don''t have any plans to meet, remember.]
[I know, but I need to give you some flowers or something in apology.]
[I don''t think you can Albert.]
[{sadness}I really want to, Eliza. I''ve put you through a terrible time.]
[True. But I''ve survived worse.]
[What about if I just happened to visit the church you go on Sunday?]
[I''m not often allowed out to church, Albert. Quite frankly, witness protection is a sort of prison.]
[Well, it keeps you safe.]
[Yes. It does. It also meant that I met you, so it has its good points.]
[I''m glad you''re in protection then.]
[I guess I am. But... How many assassins are really likely to see me at church?]
[If you went to the same one every Sunday, they might catch on.]
[Hmm. But I''m not part of any church here. I think I want to try and persuade someone to let me visit some different churches.]
[Sounds like a good idea. Can I come too?]
[Not if you''re serious about bringing me flowers. That would be a bit too obvious, unless you brought a truck-load and gave them to all the ladies.]
[It could be arranged....]
[Be sensible, Albert! I''ll cherish the thought for the moment, and you can give me some when we''re official.]
[Where would you go?]
[I''d probably go to John and Sarah''s church. Arwood''s on the committee too, so I know three people there. Oh and Karen, I guess George too.]
[It occurs to me that visiting the churches there is a little gesture that I could be making, in the interests of showing solidarity etcetera.]
[Nothing to do with your love life then.]
[Well....]
[I think you need to talk to Security about that idea, and I need to talk to them about my idea.]
[And admit to them that we''ve been thinking about visiting the same church?]
[They''ll find out anyway and we''ll get in trouble. If Eliza''s willing to wear her wig again, then we could even throw some fuel on that little subterfuge.]
[I don''t know... She''s works in witness protection, after all. Let''s not draw too much attention to her, or she won''t be able to work.]
[You''re right. Silly of me.]
[It would be safer not to meet, wouldn''t it?] Albert remarked.
[Of course it would. Be safer not to get out of bed in the morning, too, except that there''s an asteroid coming.]
[So... I''ll go and talk to my parents about visiting the same church you do.]
[And I''ll try and persuade someone to let me. And you can call me when you''re done, if I haven''t called you first.]
[I love you Eliza.]
[I love you too, Albert.]
Eliza opened her eyes and stretched, to see Bella grinning at her. ¡°Have a good chat?¡±
¡°Yes thanks. I have a question though...¡±
¡°Oh yes?¡±
¡°How would I get permission to go to church on Sundays? It wouldn''t need to be the same one every week. We know people at at least three different ones, I think.¡±
¡°Urm... I''ll ask my boss.¡±
¡°I should also admit that Albert is thinking of visiting some churches here too, to show solidarity with the populace, etc.¡±
¡°That sounds like a plan to meet, to me.¡± Bella said with a smile.
¡°But not for a date.¡±
¡°No. So, you''ve convinced him?¡±
¡°I hope so. At the very least he''s dropped the idea of us breaking up immediately.¡±
¡°Well, that''s progress.¡±
¡°What do you think, about me getting to church?¡±
¡°I really don''t know. You know the drill, all trips need to be justified, approved, etc.¡±
¡°OK. Justification: it''s against the teachings of my faith to give up meeting with other Christians.¡±
¡°Oooooh, pull out the big guns... Any documentation for that?¡±
¡°Urm... one of the letters ''Do not give up meeting together.'' Do you want an exact reference?¡±
¡°That''s from the Bible?¡±
¡°Yes. I can''t remember if it''s in Paul''s letters or Hebrews though. I''ll look it up.¡±
¡°Any other reasons?¡±
¡°It''s also against my faith to not worship God through singing together, praying together, and let''s face it, Bella, Christianity is a social religion. It''s a community bound together by faith in Christ. I need to be part of that worshipping community.¡±
¡°I wonder how Pris and George cope. Well, Pris is sort of stuck anyway.¡±
¡°I''m going to ask George right now. Hold on.¡±
[George? Eliza here, quick question if it''s OK with you.]
[Hi Eliza, what''s up?]
[How do you cope with missing church, you know, stuck in protective boredom?]
[Eh? I don''t.]
[Do you mean I''ve been missing out on going to church just because I didn''t ask?]
[I guess so.]
[Midweek meetings too? Or just Sundays?]
[Only Sundays. Must admit I didn''t ask about mid-week meetings.]
[Thanks George. You do the varying routes thing?]
[Oh, they take me on all sorts of detours, and sometimes I''m there half an hour early, other times I sneak in late. Sometimes the front door, sometimes the side one. You must know the drill.]
[Yes. Make sure there are so many variables that I don''t know anything, let alone would-be assassins.]
[Exactly.]
[Who did you ask for approval?]
[Urm, I seem to remember Karen asked her mother.]
[Well, I''ll try from the bottom up, see if that works, if not I''ll go that route. I really do want to get to church.]
[Eliza, can I be a bit nosey?]
[I expect so... What is it?]
[Karen said that she was feeling a bit responsible for your current situation, and then said ''oops'' and went all quiet.]
[Oh did she! Well, she did bless me quite comprehensively. Tell her I''m praying the second half for her too!]
[No clues?]
[Well... Oh, just tell her I said she can tell you the first half, but to leave you guessing on the second.]
[OK, I will.]
[Oh yes, other news to pass on... Kate tells me I''m sane, and Karen should pay attention to phrasing.]
[You''re being very cryptic.]
[Good! I''m sure you''re happy for an excuse to talk to Karen.]
[Especially if it''s not about wedding plans.]
[Isn''t everything arranged?]
[You''d have thought so, but apparently not.]
[Oh well, you go natter to Karen.]
[I will, don''t worry. Bye.]
[Bye, George. And tell her I told you to give her a kiss.]
¡°Well, that''s a side of her I haven''t met before!¡± George declared.
¡°Who were you talking to?¡± Karen asked.
¡°You weren''t listening in?¡±
¡°No. Should I have been?¡±
¡°It was Eliza. She said I should do this.¡± Quickly hiding, he gave her a kiss.
¡°That''s a change, then.¡±
¡°Hmm. She was asking about getting permission to go to Church, said Kate had declared her sane, and was also very cryptic about a few things.¡±
¡°Such as?¡±
¡°She said that she was praying the second half of the blessing for you and that I should tell you you can tell me the first half.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s nice of her!¡±
¡°And she also said you needed to pay attention to phrasing, which I think was the most cryptic of the lot.¡±
¡°Careful attention to phrasing? That is cryptic.¡±
¡°Yes. What''s the first half? Of the blessing, I mean.¡±
¡°Let''s test your language skills.¡± And she recited the blessing to George.
¡°Wow. I didn''t get everything from it, but I can sort of guess. I heard lots of love and care words in there.¡±
¡°George, what was the context for her telling you about the blessing?¡±
¡°I said you felt responsible for her situation but had gone quiet, then she said that you had blessed her quite comprehensively.¡±
¡°The sneaky things!¡±
¡°Care to expand?¡±
¡°No, but you can pay careful attention to phrasing too, can''t you?¡±
¡°If I know the context.¡±
¡°I think, George, the context is Eliza''s good mood, and the blessing.¡±
¡°You told me that they''d thought to each other and then said it wasn''t going to work.¡±
¡°But what was the exact phrasing? It was something about them not having any plans to meet.¡± Karen said.
¡°And the prince has been dropping hints having talked to a wise and beautiful woman, but denying they''re going on any dates.¡± George remarked.
¡°Which of course they can''t, since she''s in witness protection.¡±
¡°But they can talk can''t they?¡± He pointed out.
¡°No wonder she''s acting much happier.¡±
¡°So why didn''t she just say it?¡± George asked.
¡°Wanted us to know, without shouting it from the roof tops. Ultra top secret until they''re more certain of each other, maybe?¡±
¡°Could be. Are you going to congratulate her?¡±
¡°Let''s both do it. Now.¡±
[Hi sneaky! Do we understand that congratulations are in order?]
[Hey, that was fast.]
[Well, you didn''t ask, and I didn''t say, but Karen was there when you called.]
[Oh. Did you get your kiss, Karen?]
[I did, thanks. So, tell us all about it, if you''re not breaking state secrets.]
[Well, he tried to dump me this morning, but I think I''ve convinced him not to.]
[What!]
[Actually, what he said was that he loved me too much to put me at risk, so it was better to break off the relationship.]
[Ouch. So, he''s been talking to people and they''ve pointed out about the risks you face?]
[Oh, not you too, Karen! I''m not going to change my face or my name, so I pointed out to him I''m much safer in the middle of his security web than outside it.]
[Good argument. You might like to point out that you can spot assassins from a continent away, too.] George added.
[Is that your plan? I''m not sure how much we should use the gift for self-preservation.]
[Nor are we.] Karen admitted [But we generally use it to look out for each other when we''re moving or leaving a building. Since he doesn''t have the gift, then I think you should be on the look out for the both of you. Lets face it, Eliza. If it''s all going wonderfully between the two of you and then you get assassinated or crippled for life, it''ll not just affect you and him.]
[You mean, I''ve got a duty to stay safe, Karen?]
[Sort of, yes. But I don''t think you need to lie about who you are to do that, just... be careful.]
[Thanks. Oh! Albert''s calling.]
[He''s calling?] George was confused.
[I told him my number, bye!]
[Oh, bye!]
[Hi Albert. You rang?]
[Yes. You didn''t pick up, I was getting worried I had the wrong number.]
[I think it makes more sense for me not to pick up. There''s always the risk that someone''s hacked the phone system.]
[You''re probably right. But what if I need to pretend that we''re normal people?]
[Well, you could give me a couple of rings, ring off and then ring back. Then I''ll know you need to talk. Or I could try and call you a bit quicker.]
[Were you busy?]
[Just talking to Karen and George.]
[Any progress from your end?]
[Well, George has been going to the same church for almost all his time in protection. Unpredictable routes and things, but still getting there. So that''s either special treatment, or I should have asked ages ago.]
[That''s good news. My news isn''t so good, I''m afraid, but it''s not a disaster, either.]
[Oh?]
[My parents liked the idea of visiting churches there. They''re going to come too. What they''re actually going to to is politely request all the churches to meet in one place ¡ª probably a sports arena ¡ª but that''ll take too long to organise for this Sunday.]
[Oh. So, I don''t see you the day after tomorrow?]
[No. But since they''ll be there, I can just put on jeans and a T-shirt and mingle.]
[What if you''re spotted?]
[''Excuse me, are you Prince Albert?'' ''Oh, people ask that all the time. I guess I must look like him.'']
[And you can get away with it?]
[Usually.]
[What if you don''t.]
[''You are him, aren''t you?'' ''Shh, please don''t tell anyone. I''m trying to escape my security detail just for a bit. Isn''t there anywhere nearby I can get a good curry beer surprise bunch of flowers for my mum?'' depending who I''m talking to.]
[You''re outrageous! What do Security say?]
[They know where I am. Special issue panic button ¡ª they can query it anytime to find out where I am.]
[That''s sensible. Works even if you get gassed or something. Sarah''s got an implanted panic button. You too?]
[Yes. Would you object to that much surgery?]
[No. That''s not cosmetic, it''s just, um, a sensible precaution.]
[I''m glad you see it that way.]
[George suggested I point something out to you, by the way.]
[Oh?]
[He thought you might find it reassuring to be reminded that I can spot assassins a continent away, if I look. And, for the sake of the nation, I will try to keep both of us safe, Albert.]
[George was right. Thank you for telling me that. It''s nice to know that no one''s going to be able to sneak up on you.]
[I can''t look all the time, Albert! But I''ll try to remember to check on leaving buildings, that sort of thing. I don''t think I can spot drones and things like that, either, but hidden marksmen or people in the crowd with a knife are easy.]
[How does it work? Karen talked about counting dots.]
[I decide what sort of people I''m looking for, and concentrate my mind on where, and then do some kind of thing with my brain which is a bit like relaxing a muscle in my head, or letting out a breath. Then I see glowing dots on a three-dimensional map.]
[Just like that?]
[Yes.]
[And what are you doing now?]
[I''m focussing on your head. If I focussed on your feet I''d know where you are, on your skin and I''d just get an idea of your emotions. If I focussed on you, and you were close, then I''d see everything thats going on in your mind. Karen says we can get longer range if we look at someone''s heart ¡ª the things that are concerning them, rather than their every thought, I guess. I''ve never had a need to do that, but it could be useful.]
[You''ve not practiced much then?]
[No. It''s not a toy, I''m using it a lot to talk to you, but that''s OK. You''ve agreed to me using it on you, and there''s general agreement ¡ª it''s fine to stay in contact with people using the gift, especially...]
[Especially?]
[I wasn''t referring to us, just people in general, but I realised it might have sounded like I meant us. I was going to say especially when people are engaged or married.]
[We don''t know each other well enough to talk much about that yet, do we.]
[Not really. But just so you know, I do find the idea appealing. Hmm, interesting that.]
[I find you appealing too. What''s interesting?]
[When I first found out about there being such a thing as the gift. Maria used the analogy of royalty. Did I find the idea of being a royal appealing? Some privilege but lots of responsibility. I said no. Then I found out that I''ve got the gift and here I am finding out that the idea of eventual extra responsibility isn''t scaring me either.]
[Interesting that, indeed. Eliza, I hope you don''t mind me prying...]
[We''re supposed to be getting to know each other, aren''t we? I can always ask you to hold off on something if it''s too personal. Ask me anything.]
[Thanks. I''ve told you I''ve never had any girlfriends... what about you, any boyfriends?¡±
[No, Albert. There''s just this one guy who keeps telling the press we''re not going on dates. He''s sort of special to me.]
[Oh, I wonder who that might be. But the question I''m really nervous about asking. When you were a captive...]
[And the question I need to ask you in reply is how much it would matter to you.]
[It would matter a lot, I think. It wouldn''t stop me loving you, but I''d find it hard to forgive them, and you know, I''ve heard that there can be flashbacks and things.]
[They took my wrist unit from me, and my liberty, and once or twice they tied the ropes too tight. Nothing else. They threatened, but nothing happened. Didn''t I say this, soon after we met yesterday?]
[I thought you''d said something reassuring along those lines, but I wasn''t sure if I''d heard correctly.]
[And it wasn''t as important then?]
[No.]
[Because you were fixated on Bella?]
[No, well, maybe.]
[Just wondering... We''re ''not officially going out, just talking''. Have you ever been ''not officially going out, just talking'' with anyone before?]
[No. I haven''t. But... I think I''d rather think of us as ''doing lots of talking in lieu of going out'' wouldn''t you?]
[{grin} I much prefer that, yes. I''m afraid I haven''t been very good at keeping you a secret.]
[Oh? I wouldn''t have thought you''d have met many people.]
[No, but I gave too many hints to Karen.]
[Fair enough. I gave too many hints to the entire Emergency Committee.]
[Not my name, I hope.]
[No, but they know you''re in witness protection. That''s why I suddenly panicked about putting you in danger.]
[I did wonder where that came from.]
[Oh, I forgot, earlier... the minister for religious affairs thinks everyone there would join him in expressing their best wishes for us, and hoping that they get to meet you some day. That was just before Father told them that press interest was bad news since you were in protection, and the minister for justice started talking about drastic surgery, and you being safer without me.]
[I don''t think I like the justice minister.]
[Blame me, not him, Eliza, I was the one who got scared for you but my father started wondering if you''d be safer not testifying.]
[I don''t think that''ll help at all, for the record.]
[Why not?]
[His modus operandi ¡ª kidnap relatives of people who upset him once, kill them if they do it again, moving on to a new relative.]
[So why wouldn''t you be safer not testifying?]
[Because they almost certainly want my father to testify, not just me. I mean, he''s got the real information. I expect I''d be just as much a target if he testifies as if I do it myself. Maybe even more. If he testifies, then he''s a former colleague upsetting Ibrahim a lot, so killing me would be a good way of getting back at him. If I testify, I might get elevated to an enemy he''ll want to sort out personally.]
[Why does that make you safer?]
[Because he''ll want me alive so he can personally burn out my tongue or something. But I don''t make a good kidnapping victim any more.]
[Unless he keeps you drugged.]
[Even then, Karen, John, Sarah or any of the others could find me in an instant.]
[Urm. OK. But as a lever he might ignore you if you''re too well protected, but if you''re an enemy he''s not going to, is he?]
[You win some, you lose some. We can always hope that he gets given the death penalty, or put into his uncle''s care.]
[I thought his uncle had promised to execute him for treason?]
[Yes, I know. I don''t call people evil lightly, Albert. Subject to some miracle of him repenting his sins, it fits him well.]
[You don''t think he might?]
[I don''t know. Who knows what''ll happen between now and then.]
[God does.]
[Yes. That reminds me...]
[Yes?]
[Where do you stand on predestination versus free-will?]
[Do I have to choose? God''s in charge, and has predestined us to have moral responsibility for what we do. We think we''re free, our decisions are important and he''s still in charge.]
[Good answer. I think I''d emphasise God''s rule a little more, I mean, if he''s keeping all the electrons spinning or whatever they do, then he has to be in total control. But I like your answer. Your turn.]
[For what?]
[Getting to know each other through theological discussion.]
[Oh. OK... Urm... what about God giving spiritual gifts to his church?]
[Urm... Albert... How are we talking?]
[OK, but, this is so weird that it''s not even mentioned in Scripture. What about the ones that are? Or, perhaps better, what did you think about them before you got your gift?]
[OK. That''s a better question. Before I was kidnapped, I think I believed that God could do miracles, but didn''t believe that he''d ever do any in my life. When I was held captive, I really hoped that he would, but I couldn''t believe it would really happen. Then it did.]
[How did you escape?]
[I prayed a lot while I was held prisoner. You know, the normal, ''please let me get out of here, God.'' I went through a sequence... I started off praying God don''t let anything bad happen to me. Then, don''t let me be raped, even if they do beat me, a few days later it was don''t let me lose my sanity if they do rape me, then that I wouldn''t kill myself if I did go mad, then by the end I prayed that I''d stay faithful whatever happened.]
[Wow. That''s powerful. It sounds like you were... I don''t know, growing up is totally the wrong word. Maturing, getting your priorities right?]
[I guess so. Near the end I told God that I wanted to serve him heart, mind, body and soul. Two days later while I was tied to the water pipe, they had a big argument which I somehow understood bits of, and when they came to check on my ropes the guy thought about putting the car keys in his pocket back where they should be on the hook in the hall, and I understood that too. Then he was so upset about the argument and worried about the keys that he didn''t do my knots up properly. I slipped my knots while they were arguing some more, stole the only working car, and got found by some soldiers, just before the fuel ran out in the car. They''d known where to find me because Karen had found where I was, even before I''d escaped.]
[Eliza, when was this?]
[Kidnapped on the seventeenth of July, escaped on the fourteenth of August. Why?]
[Well {embarrassment} I''ve been praying occasionally for the woman I''d marry.]
[That''s a nice thought.]
[Just I''ve got a note in my prayer diary for early July which says: prayed for F.W. to know God''s protection and blessing. F.W stands for future wife.]
[Well that''s pretty standard.]
[Yes. Then a week later on the 16th: prayed (2am) for F.W. to stay safe if she''s in trouble.]
[Two in the morning? What were you doing up then?]
[I''d woken up, couldn''t sleep until I''d prayed.]
[I see.]
[Then, a couple of weeks after that: prayed for F.W. to value life and grow deeper in her faith.
Then, I''ve got: 5am, prayed for F.W. to trust God for everything and serve him whole-heartedly.]
[Any date on that entry?]
[Hmmm. Yes there is.]
[Come on, Albert.]
[August 11th.]
[And on the 12th I prayed that God would help me to serve him.]
[Yes. Interesting isn''t it?]
[When did you start praying for... your future wife?] Eliza asked.
[A few years ago, I''d heard someone suggest it years before, but the idea came back to me that really I should start to do it.]
[I don''t supposed you''ve got a date, have you?]
[I was going to ask you... when did you become a Christian?]
[Four years ago, at a Christmas service. Why?]
[That''s what I prayed for first: that if you weren''t a Christian you''d turn to Christ and if you were that you''d stay close to him.]
Eliza heard the switch. [You''re sure it''s me?]
[Well, I did pray that prayer for about three months until Christmas four years ago, at which time I felt that perhaps I''d prayed it enough.]
[I started going to Church after Mum died. That was the end of September. Thank you for praying for my salvation, Albert.]
[God''s good. God''s so very good, Eliza.]
[Yes. He is. He blesses us far more than we know. Albert?]
[Yes?]
[Don''t stop praying for me, just because you''ve met me, please. And just because I prayed some intense prayers and have a scary gift, don''t assume that I''m perfect, please.]
[I won''t.]
[How can I pray for you?]
[Wisdom, maturity in the faith. I''ve been praying for you to grow wise, but I''ve not done so well myself.]
[I''ll pray that, certainly.]
[Can I tell my Mother, about the answered prayers?]
[Yes, Albert. I''d be very happy for you to. I''ve never kept a prayer diary, perhaps I should.]
[I''m glad I did.]
[Me too.]
[It''s nice to meet you after all these years, Eliza.]
[It''s nice to know you''ve been praying for me. And I do like that name you prayed for me by, too. Very much.]
[It certainly solves one thing.]
[What''s that?]
[I can''t very well say we should break up and stop getting involved now, can I?]
[Well, we might decide to wait a few decades.] Eliza counter-argued.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
[Would you want to?] Albert asked, surprised.
[No, of course not. You?]
[No.]
[Albert... I think you should know how gracious God''s been... it''s a bit of a confession.]
[What is it?]
[Well, if I did have a prayer diary, mine would have been fairly empty over the past weeks.]
[Really? Why?]
[Silly! Because I''ve not been praying much.]
[I''d understood that. Why haven''t you been praying?]
[Oh sorry, I shouldn''t have called you silly. Because my life was changing so much and it was all God''s fault, I think, that was part of it, but mostly it was because (I now realise) I''d got quite depressed about my Dad. You know, I''d been hoping that one day I''d get to know him ¡ª that''s how I got lured into the trap, by the way. Then on the day I escaped, Maria comforted me with the thought that my Dad had been distraught about me, while causing havoc and mayhem.]
[That''s not particularly comforting.]
[No. She didn''t really want to tell me, but I could hear her dithering.]
[Maria? Dithering? That''s shocking.]
[Looking back on it, it must have been terrible for her. She wanted to tell me that I could count on her, not just as ambassador''s wife but as my aunt. But she knew what her brother was like and knew that if she told me part then the whole was going to come out. And I told her that I had the power and knew she was struggling to decide to tell me something.]
[Oh. So you forced her hand.]
[Yes. I did. I discovered that I wasn''t as un-shockable as I''d thought I was.]
[So you got your freedom and lost your hope of a good relationship with your father in quick succession?]
[Yes. The final nail in the coffin was when Maria arranged a video call for me. He was surprised to see me with Maria, and in order to ''protect me from her lies and distortions'' he told me about his motives for planning a new world order with him as supreme leader. It wasn''t particularly rational.]
[Ouch.]
[So, yes. Not much hope for a good father-daughter relationship there. And then to top it off, it seemed that everyone I met was newly married or on the way towards wedded bliss, while I was locked away not meeting anyone, the world was ending, and Kate warned me that I shouldn''t be looking for a husband in any of those circumstances. Everyone else gets wonderful relationships, I lose the one I''d hoped for for years and get told that I''m still too emotionally unstable to think of forming any.]
[So.. jealousy?]
[Yes. On the way to the palace, Sarah was explaining how she can''t cope with crowds unless John was with her.]
[Why''s that?]
[It''s an odd variant on the power ¡ª she hears too many intentions, which turn into pain in crowds. If John''s with her then he can sort of blot it out by ''smothering it in his love for her'' or something equally romantic. I was almost sick with envy and how soppy it sounded to me, and said so.]
[Just before we met?]
[Yes. Then John reminded me that I really ought to pray, Sarah told me they loved me too, which I did need to hear, and then Karen modified a cultural blessing for me, which was... very comprehensive. I really did feel loved. It was so.. healing, I guess. So I prayed that God would help me to know what he wanted me to do, and that I would be able to stop worrying about the whole relationship thing and trust it to him. I got out of that transit a whole lot more sane and at peace than when I got in, I can tell you.]
[I knew Bella was coming, and was confused about what I felt for her. I didn''t want to fall in love with a non-Christian, no matter how close she was to that decision. So, I prayed that I''d find something in Bella that I didn''t like if she wasn''t the one, and that I''d meet my future wife soon, and that when we met we''d both be right with God.]
[And what did you find in Bella? Her joy in beating up thugs?]
[Yes.]
[When did you pray that?]
[When I woke up yesterday morning.]
[Thank you for praying that I''d be right with God. I''d have struggled today if I hadn''t been.]
[And thank you for not giving up on us easily. Oh. I''ve got to go. My parents are calling. I love you, my future wife.]
[I love you too, my future husband.]
[Hey, does this make us engaged?]
[Probably not. Just... aware that we will be one day. Go on!]
[I''m going, don''t worry!]
8.30pm
¡°Mother, Father, you called? Hello Maria.¡±
¡°We''ve been discussing what to do about Eliza and the trial, Albert.¡± the queen informed him.
¡°Oh. Any conclusions?¡±
¡°We''d like to hear your thoughts about the options first, Albert. We can see several options, all of which avoid her being in the public eye quite so much. She could make a affidavit before the international court''s representative, she could testify live by phone but anonymously, she could testify over a video link, with her face masked from the press, or she could just not testify at all.¡± the king said.
¡°I''ve just been talking to her... she told me she should testify, and that it wouldn''t change the security situation much, or might actually improve it. I''d value your thoughts on that, Maria.¡±
¡°How does she come to that conclusion?¡± Maria asked.
¡°She pointed out that she was held prisoner to ensure her father''s good behaviour, and assuming that he testifies then she''s a target, probably for some anonymous assassin. On the other hand if she testifies then she''s likely to be someone that Ibrahim wants to deal with personally, but that she''s not a good person to try to kidnap now.¡±
¡°Well, that has a certain amount of logic to it.¡± Maria agreed. ¡°Unfortunately, my brother will probably not be testifying.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°He was removed from court today to a secure psychiatric unit.¡±
¡°What about the trial?¡±
¡°The prosecution was closing their case and he dismissed his defense lawyer and shouted ''Of course I did all that, you imbeciles, how else could I gain the throne? The ends justifies the means. You''re all inferior beings anyway, and your lives mean nothing, you should be bowing and scraping before me.'' The court decided that that constituted a full and frank agreement with the prosecution case, that he''s a dangerous megalomaniac-psychopath.¡±
¡°Oh. Is that going to be in the press?¡±
¡°I expect so. Bella''s been informed, so she''ll be telling Eliza soon, I''m sure.¡±
¡°Oh. How important does that make Eliza''s testimony?¡±
¡°Fairly. We''ve got people from his country that Ibrahim kidnapped, and people here that he bribed. Eliza''s testimony adds evidence that he''s got a long reach and isn''t just sticking to things at home.¡±
people here that he bribed. Eliza''s testimony adds evidence that he''s got a ¡°I''m sure she''ll want to testify then. I presume that the only issue is the press, am I right?¡±
¡°Pretty much, yes. You understand why she shouldn''t be publicly associated with you until after the trial?¡±
¡°Harming her evidence, she said, but I''m not really sure how.¡±
¡°The defence would probably make attempts to blacken her character, make out that she was there of her own free will, because she''s after a celebrity husband.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± the prince realised how damaging that could be, to both of them.
¡°We''ve got medical data to prove that she was tied a long time, so it''s not a very real threat.¡±
¡°And if she testified in person that''s better than a written testimony?¡±
¡°Far more powerful. However she testifies, there''s no difference as far as Ibrahim is concerned ¡ª he didn''t have many international hostages, after all. He''s going to know it''s her. But the question is really what it does to her image here and abroad. Does making the fact of her being kept hostage public make her come across as the victim who''s grown stronger through her experiences or does it somehow damage her in the eyes of the people? Or does it do both?¡±
The queen offered ¡°My expectation is that if people know, they will think she''s been harmed. Either physically or emotionally. It''ll take a lot of proving otherwise before people are fully confident in her.¡±
¡°Our public reticence about her could add to that, couldn''t it?¡± the King said.
¡°Possibly.¡± agreed Maria.
¡°So, on one hand, we could go for a bold statement, this is who she is, there''s her dad in the secure facility, this is what happened to her and why. God strengthened her through it, and she''s been certified sane. But that might hurt her testimony and somehow it might blacken her character. Or we could ask her to use her mother''s name, keep low key, hide the fact she was hostage for a month, and hope it doesn''t come out. Is that the choice, really?¡± Albert asked.
Maria winced: ¡°I hope not. I was more hoping for a bold statement and then obscurity, but that''s doomed to failure.¡±
¡°Well, I could name her, tell the world how we feel about each other, and then leave the press trying to break your secure arrangements for her.¡± Albert offered.
¡°Albert, you haven''t even told us! All you said yesterday is that you''d be talking, and that you were getting along well.¡± the queen said, ¡°Today you went awfully quiet in the committee, and you''ve been hiding in your room ever since the press briefing.¡±
¡°We''ve been talking... I got a bit of a shock from what the justice minister said.¡±
¡°I''m afraid that Bella''s rattled on you, your highness.¡± Maria said.
¡°Oh? What did she say?¡± the king asked.
Maria asked Albert ¡°Would you like me to answer that, highness, or would you like to?¡±
¡°I think I can stand it. I''ve been talking to Eliza a lot since, anyway.¡±
¡°Then I''ll read what my agent wrote. First note: ''Client seriously unhappy at the moment due to A. breaking up with her because of threats. E. denies his logic. Frustrated about not being able to convince him otherwise, due to timing.'' Second note: ''Client peaceful, issue apparently resolved, but wants to go to church. Leak from somewhere about her being on committee, links with institute, possibly thought-reader.'' Third note:
''Client tells me article withdrawn, she''s smiling, with eyes shut, obviously busy.''¡±
¡°I didn''t know she shuts her eyes too.¡± Albert said, with a smile.
¡°So, you''ve been talking to her most of the day?¡± the queen asked.
¡°Not when she was doing her essay, and only a sentence or two during the press conference.¡±
¡°Albert, would you like to update us then?¡± asked the king ¡°You tried to break off for her protection?¡±
¡°Yes, but she''s totally averse to surgery, wants to keep her name, and is planning to testify. So, the only extra threat if she''s seen with me is what anyone I''m seen with would experience. I didn''t try to argue very hard.¡±
¡°You''d have probably lost, anyway.¡± Maria commented.
¡°The most recent news is that she''s told me about how she became a Christian, and when, and other key events which tie in quite well with my prayer diary.¡±
¡°With your prayer diary?¡± his father asked ¡°What''s that?¡±
¡°It''s a little pad I keep... I write down what I pray for, when.¡±
¡°So how does that relate to Eliza?¡±
¡°September four years ago I started praying for my future wife to start going to church and to come to faith if she wasn''t already a Christian, or to get serious with God if she was. Eliza started going to church just after her mother died, September four years ago. I felt I should pray about something else for her at Christmas time. That''s when Eliza became a Christian. And so on.¡±
¡°It could be a coincidence.¡± his father said.
¡°It could be. But there were quite a lot of other times which matched, too.¡±
¡°So, you''ve asked her to marry you?¡± the queen asked.
¡°Not yet. But we''re quite sure I''ll ask one day.¡± The prince replied, confidently.
¡°Face to face?¡± the queen asked.
¡°I think that''s better, yes.¡±
¡°Of course it is.¡± Maria agreed. ¡°Thank you for your openness your highness, it helps us plan. Urm... has she mentioned the term feedback to you?¡±
¡°No.¡± Albert said. The queen raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
¡°Your Majesties... once the two youngsters start spending time together, then I don''t think you should expect them to campaign for a long engagement. Quite the opposite in fact. I managed to get hold of the video from John and Sarah''s wedding. What you can see is that they almost totally avoid contact until they''re told to kiss, and when John is putting the ring on Sarah''s finger he sort of wobbles a bit, as though he''s under quite a bit of mental strain. I understand that he had to hide his thoughts at that point.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, Maria, I don''t understand.¡± the queen said.
¡°They love each other and when they touch they become aware of the other''s love and that stirs their love for each other more. And so on. Karen told me that they felt like they were only kissing for a second or two, but it was over half a minute. That, your majesties, is the effect of what they call feedback. A total emotional involvement, brought about by skin to skin contact, and making them relatively oblivious to anything but each other.¡±
¡°Sounds fun.¡± the queen said, with a wicked grin at her husband.
Albert turned red.
¡°Yes, after the wedding, I''m sure it is. Beforehand, it is apparently far more rapid and a bigger risk to self control than simple biology. Karen and George were wondering about marrying before the end of the summer break.¡±
¡°They only got engaged in the middle of August.¡± the queen said.
¡°Yes, maam. Sarah and John got married six weeks after falling in love.¡±
¡°Surely that''s too fast!¡± the queen exclaimed.
¡°They both have the gift, Maam, they didn''t need much time to get to know each other very well. Perhaps it will be different for Albert and Eliza, being apart so much.¡±
¡°Or perhaps not.¡± the king said ¡°Thank you for your warning, Maria. Albert, any thoughts?¡±
¡°I doubt the trial will be over in six weeks, but by the sound of it we might not care. Seriously, though, before the impact we''ll have other things to worry about. Afterwards... I don''t know how that will work either. A big royal wedding while people are without a home sounds like it''ll be offensive.¡±
Maria made a decision.
¡°Your majesties, I have a suggestion. If Eliza makes a affidavit before a court official, then in many ways witness protection can relax. She''s made her affidavit, her part in the trial is mostly done, unless they call her during the trial for clarification, but she''ll have given her evidence and been questioned on it already. Her evidence will be weakened a little by going public, but I think we can weather it. So at that point, she can come out of hiding, support the prince in his public duties, wow the press, and you can plan a wedding. We really have no idea how long the UN court will decide to take collecting and collating the evidence. I''d have thought they''d have finished by now, personally, but all his posturing seems to be making them drag their feet.¡±
The king said ¡°I approve. I approve of young Eliza, and I approve of getting her out of this situation. Let''s let the public have something other than an impending disaster to think about. Albert, would you like to try and convince her to accept this?¡±
¡°How long would it take for it to be all organised?¡± He asked.
¡°A few days, maybe a week.¡± Maria said ¡°Not in time for church on Sunday.¡±
¡°I''ll call her.¡± he said, tapping his wrist unit.
[Hi, Albert!] she answered immediately.
[Pick up, please!]
[OK.]
¡°Hello Albert, long time no chat.¡±
¡°Eliza, Maria''s here, with a suggestion. And a warning about feedback. You''re on speaker, by the way.¡±
¡°I''m all ears.¡± [Feedback between us?]
[Yes. Short engagements are recommended, I understand.] ¡°We were talking about what''s best for the country and the trial. And my prayer diaries. She suggests that, since we''re that serious, then in order to stop the idle speculation and rumour-mongering, you could come out of hiding before the trial. Make an affidavit, and you''re done with your witness bit. Then the people can get to know you and see, before the trial and your kidnapping becomes public knowledge, that you''re not damaged by it. And if they try to attack your character then we can say that it''s understandable that they want to defend their client''s interests, but treat it like the false accusations that it would be.¡±
¡°I''d be happy to be out of protection soon, but what would that do to how seriously the court takes my evidence?¡±
¡°Maria?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Hi, Eliza, you''re obviously an important witness in terms of the size of his network, but there was enough to convict him before we knew about you. I don''t think that it''ll harm things too much. Quite frankly I''d like to get you out of witness protection into the public gaze as quickly as possible. Someone''s leaked stuff about you to one reporter, they''re bound to try again. That sort of stuff is going to make Bella''s job impossible if we''re trying to hide you. I''ve been telling Bella to think of moving jobs, a spell at royal protection might be an easy step for her to make, if you''re both willing.¡±
¡°Urm, yes. We get on OK.¡±
¡°Wonderful.¡±
¡°Eliza,¡± the queen chipped in, ¡°Albert has pointed out that a royal wedding soon after the impact would be insensitive. The country''s going to be struggling to pay for the rebuilding project for a long time, years, probably. No matter how little the wedding costs, there will be grumbles.¡±
¡°Yes, Maam, I understand. ''How can they afford all that food when... etcetera''¡±
¡°Good. So, fully aware that it''s much too soon to be asking you this, I''d personally appreciate you and Albert discussing your plans quite soon. Do you want to wait years, or shock everyone with unseemly haste? Don''t answer now. At least wait until you''ve had some time together at church on Sunday.¡±
¡°Yes, Maam. I think we can do that.¡± [Albert, it''s too soon, but I don''t think I want to wait years.
February is too close to the impact, what do you think about mid-January? ]
[Ditto. I just hope you''ll wear something sensible.]
Eliza decided to ask Maria, ¡°Maria, in view of her Majesty''s question, how sensible would the dress be for a mid-January wedding? I think February is getting too close to the impact.¡±
¡°Entirely unsuitable on its own, Eliza, like many wedding dresses. But I''m sure that a shawl could be found that would match it.¡±
¡°Thank you, Maria. Your Majesties, we''ve just had a little discussion and neither of us want to wait years. We''ll confirm it after Sunday, but I think that the shawl answers Albert''s only objection so far. So I think that we can anticipate a mid-January wedding, except for the little formality of him asking me. But I''m fairly sure he''ll get round to it before Christmas.¡±
¡°Eliza, give me a chance!¡± Albert protested, but the queen laughed. ¡°Well, that helps us plan, anyway. Any particular reason for mid-January?¡±
¡°My only motive was that nearer to the impact we''ll have quite a lot of work to do, but we do want to allow some time for the people to get used to the idea.¡±
¡°Not to mention us.¡± Albert said.
¡°Well, yes, a little longer might have been nice, but we can always finish the getting to know each other over the following weeks.¡±
The king laughed. ¡°It takes more than weeks, Eliza. Don''t worry, no one really knows their spouse until years after the wedding.¡±
¡°Mother, Father, how long do we give the public to know of Eliza as my girl-friend before we announce an engagement?¡±
¡°I think, Albert, that it''s up to you.¡± The King said. ¡°Obviously the press are going to be mad with curiosity if you mention Eliza but she''s still in witness protection.¡±
¡°Shouldn''t we tell them, though? It would explain why they''ve not seen us together,¡± Eliza asked. ¡°I mean, if Albert announced that they''d be able to meet me later in the week, after I was out of witness protection, obviously no details about the case, then we can tell them that we''ve been doing a lot of talking, but that he''s not been going on dates with me because I wasn''t allowed out much.¡±
¡°I''m not really sure...¡± began the Queen, then changed her mind. ¡°Actually, yes, it''s probably good. It lets them guess that the relationship has been going on longer than they know about.¡±
¡°And we don''t comment on when or how we first met?¡± Albert suggested.
¡°That would be wise, highness.¡± Maria said. ¡°Otherwise they might wonder at such a speedy wedding.¡±
¡°Oh, they''ll probably wonder that anyway.¡± Albert said. ¡°I don''t think there''d be a problem with us saying that we decided to bring it forward because of the impact, would there?¡±
¡°Well, from recent history if there''s such a thing as a normal length of a prince''s engagement, I''d say it''s six months.¡± Eliza said. ¡°We''re a little short of that, and as for the years of press speculation about if or when the dating couple will get engaged... Some people are going to feel cheated, I expect.¡±
¡°Well, you could always wait a couple of years.¡± suggested the queen. ¡°It is an important decision, after all. Eliza you could finish your studies, Albert could...¡±
¡°Struggle against this feedback Maria told us about, and generally get impatient.¡± Albert interjected.
¡°There is that.¡± she conceded.
¡°Maria,¡± Eliza said ¡°If the engagement is fresh news, then the attention won''t be on the couple it should be at Karen''s wedding, so for Karen''s sake, my feeling is that we should be established in the public gaze as engaged before her wedding. Would you agree?¡±
¡°Thank you, Eliza, for that thought. I''m not sure how you avoid it, though. There''s only just over three weeks to go.¡±
¡°That''s at least partly up to Albert. I''ll just have a little discussion with him.¡± Eliza said. [Albert, when are you planning to propose?]
[I really really want to do it in person, Eliza.]
[I see three options. We wait a week or two, which means that Karen''s wedding is full of people looking at us, not her. I don''t want to do that to her. The other two aren''t exactly ideal either: we announce a three week engagement after Karen''s wedding, or we say that we know we''re going to get married, and get engaged before we''re really ready. It would be far easier to have this conversation if it were settled in our minds which one we want to do.]
[I agree. So, in order that we can be fully settled in our minds... do you have any plans tomorrow?]
[I think I do, but can I put them on hold, so that I can say yes to a life-changing question?]
[You saying yes would make me very happy.]
[Me too. I love you.]
[But we''ll need a ring.]
[It''s not that much of a rush, Albert. Not as important as you asking. But, Sarah''s family were jewelers. She''s got contacts, and she''s come up with a process where they can make a diamond hold data, say as an I.D. chip. I''m not sure if that''s really important, but I''m sure that her friend with the shop wouldn''t object to a little royal custom. I wouldn''t want anything very showy anyway. Don''t go ordering a bespoke ring that''ll take weeks, please!]
[Thanks for that lead, it might be useful, but I''ve also got another idea that I''ll ask my parents about. I don''t suppose you know what ring size you are?]
[No. Should I bully Bella into letting me visit Sarah? I''m pretty sure that she''s got the things to measure me.]
[That sounds like a good idea. Do you think you could find out tonight? I''ll float the idea of me making a trip tomorrow.]
[And I''ll speak to Sarah, to see if she''s OK with a late night visit. You really want to know tonight?]
[Yes, please. Well, if it''s possible.]
¡°Mother, Father, would it be OK if I went on a little trip tomorrow? There''s something I''d like to ask Eliza. I had thought I''d wait until I see her on Sunday week, but really, Church isn''t the right place.¡±
¡°Oh the impetuousness of youth!¡± exclaimed the king ¡°You''ve only known her a couple of days, Albert!¡±
¡°I seem to remember that you''d only known me for twenty-four hours, love.¡± the queen said.
¡°Ah, but that was different. We had a decently long engagement, and I''d noticed you before-hand, and I''d seen you talking to that other guy. I didn''t want to lose you.¡±
¡°Not very different,¡± the Queen replied, ¡°and ''that other guy'' was my boss, as I''ve told you lots of times before. Go ahead Albert, if you''re really absolutely sure.¡±
¡°I''m sure.¡± he confirmed.
¡°Son, you''re crazy. What about a ring?¡± asked his father.
¡°This is where I ask Eliza to go and talk to Sarah about what size finger she has, and I see if my idea finds merit with my parents.¡±
¡°O.K. I''ll contact Sarah and leave you to your secret plans, Albert.¡±
¡°Thank you, Eliza. I love you.¡±
¡°I love you too. Talk to you again soon.¡± He closed the connection on his wrist unit.
¡°Well, Albert what is it?¡± his father asked.
¡°Eliza will be wearing Sarah''s dress. The last member of our branch of the family to do that was great-grandma. I wondered if Eliza should have great-grandma''s ring.¡±
¡°It''s not the most impressive ring.¡± his mother pointed out.
¡°No, but simplicity is coming back in fashion. Eliza''s just said she wouldn''t want anything very showy.¡± Albert replied.
¡°There used to be ear-rings to go with it. That''s where the glitter really was. But they were given away, I think.¡± The king said.
¡°They were.¡± Maria confirmed. ¡°To my grandmother. Karen''s going to wear them at her wedding, but if Eliza will have the ring, then think it would be very appropriate for her to have them too. I''ll discuss it with Karen.¡±
The king said, ¡°If we pointed this out to the press, it would certainly emphasize that although there''s not been a marriage between the branches, we''ve tried to keep in touch with each other. And that Eliza''s got other family members as well as a dangerous criminal.¡±
¡°I take it that your brother won''t be at the wedding?¡± The queen asked Maria.
¡°Not unless Eliza really really pushes for it.¡±
¡°I don''t think that''s likely.¡± Albert said. ¡°She''s said that they were never at all close, even before she found out about his criminality. But it needs to be discussed, so I''ll ask her. I think it should be tomorrow.¡±
¡°I agree.¡± His mother said.
[Albert?] Eliza called.
[Hi Eliza! Any news?]
[Sarah''s a bit busy. Does it need to be tonight?]
[Not really. Not at all, in fact. I was just hoping to find out if the ring I''m planning to give you fits.]
[I''ll tell her, then you can explain about this ring.]
[I will, but let me surprise you tomorrow, first, OK?]
[Oh. All right!]
¡°I think he''s talking to his beloved again.¡± Albert heard queen say.
¡°Did I miss something?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Yes. Maria was asking if she could go and set things in motion.¡±
¡°Sorry. Eliza called.¡±
¡°We guessed.¡± His mother said, with a forgiving smile.
¡°I don''t think there''s more to discuss, except that I would like to go with Eliza to church on Sunday... Would that be possible? I was thinking that Karen could introduce her as her cousin, I''d be her fianc¨¦ who''s always getting told he looks like prince Albert.¡±
¡°It might work, highness, but if so then it''ll be the last time you use that pretense. The gossip columnist who linked Eliza to the institute goes to the same church, remember? We can ask her not to talk about the institute, but not about what she''s seen and heard at church. ¡±
¡°Oops. I suppose we could visit another church.¡±
¡°You could, but with respect, sir, I think it''d be better to wait until she''s not in hiding before you go anywhere with her in public.¡±
[I tend to agree, Albert. You''ll see me tomorrow, then we''ll see how long the court thing takes. It could just be a couple more days.]
¡°Very well, Maria. I don''t want to make your job too hard.¡±
¡°Thank you your Highness. May I depart, your majesties?¡±
¡°Of course, Maria. You''ve got a lot of work to do.¡±
Saturday, 25th November, 9 A.M.
After taking an early hypersonic transit and a somewhat circuitous route, just in case, Prince Albert found himself being ushered into a staff lift behind a department store.
¡°What''s here?¡± He asked the agent as the lift door closed behind them.
¡°High security meeting room, on the top floor, sir.¡±
¡°Owned by Security?¡±
¡°No sir, the I.H.M. have the controlling share. We''ve been lent it. I understand it''s quite pleasant and almost as secure as the palace.¡±
¡°That''s encouraging.¡±
[Don''t be too shocked, Albert, but my memory slipped up a bit. You''re going to meet the rest of the committee, later on, unless you run away.] Eliza said.
[Oh. But I will get some time alone with you?]
[Oh yes. Don''t worry, they don''t get here until about eleven.]
[O.K. I don''t think I want to run away, then.]
[Good.]
The lift opened to show him the owner''s lounge. He stepped into the room and took in the view. Elegant but not overly ornate furniture which wouldn''t be at all out of place at the palace, and standing in the middle, Eliza. This time, which he reminded himself was only their second actual meeting, she wasn''t wearing the simple practical clothes that she''d worn on her unexpected trip to the palace. She was in a elegant dress, of a beautiful rich fabric, with her hair carefully arranged. Quite simply put, he found her stunning. He vaguely realised that Bella was there too, but his eyes were fully concentrating on Eliza. There was no question about it, she wouldn''t be out of place at the palace either.
¡°Don''t forget to breathe,¡± she said, obviously pleased at his reaction.
¡°You''re stunning, Eliza.¡±
¡°Glad you think so, you''re pretty well dressed yourself.¡±
¡°I knew you were beautiful, but...¡±
¡°But I wasn''t very dressed to impress before, I know. I made a bit of an effort today, for some reason.¡±
¡°I was impressed before... Today, I''m very glad we didn''t decided to delay a few years. I''d have been kicking myself for a fool.¡±
¡°Isn''t he eloquent, Bella?¡± Eliza asked, with a smile. [Would you like Bella to play photographer, or leave us alone? ¡ª She offered.]
[Mixture.] ¡°Bella Eliza tells me you''ve offered to photograph us?¡±
¡°If you''d like.¡±
¡°I think, if Eliza is OK with that, I''d like you to take a picture of me pretending to ask her, and then leave us alone for the real thing. Is that OK?¡±
¡°Fine by me. I''m a bit curious about why though.¡±
¡°Just some things I''d like to say to her, for her ears only.¡±
¡°Oh. Of course.¡±
¡°Plus the other benefit is that you''re not waiting for any particular moment and can arrange us to make a photo as beautiful as Eliza.¡±
¡°Isn''t he a flatterer?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°I honestly didn''t expect anything this fast, that''s for sure!¡± Bella said.
¡°Your skills as match-maker are obviously beyond measure.¡± Albert said.
¡°Can''t you give her some kind of official recognition for services to our happiness?¡±
¡°I''d have to talk to my parents. Has Maria been in contact yet, Bella?¡±
¡°In what context?¡±
¡°You changing jobs in a few days time.¡± He prompted.
¡°She''s send a note that Eliza''s coming out of witness protection. Nothing more.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± Albert said.
¡°You''ve heard more?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Well, we both heard her deciding that a move into royal protection might be good for your career.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Royal protection? Me? As in protecting the fianc¨¦e to the Crown prince?¡±
¡°Yes. I expect there are far more opportunities to subdue miscreants.¡± Albert said.
¡°Hmm, yes. And no offence to your cooking, or company Eliza, but I hear that the food and social life are better too.¡±
¡°I''m sure they are!¡± laughed Eliza.
¡°I had been going to say that I''d miss you. It looks like I won''t after all. That''d be nice.¡±
¡°Does it count as a promotion?¡± Albert asked.
¡°You''re kidding me? You don''t know? Royal protection is probably the most sought after role I can think of.¡±
¡°So, if Maria forgets to move you there, then I''ll make sure she remembers. How''s that for the first installment of a thank you?¡±
¡°Very much appreciated, your highness, thank you.¡±
¡°So, photo time?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°OK. Which wall as background? Or in silhouette against the windows?¡±
¡°I think the wood panels. Could be anywhere, almost.¡±
¡°Anywhere with a few hundred years of tradition and a rich original owner.¡±
Eliza corrected. ¡°I wonder what sort of wood this is. It''s certainly not pine, the grain''s too close together.¡±
¡°I''d guess it''s oak.¡± Albert said, looking at the grain.
¡°Oak! Wow... Seriously rich. But maybe prices were different then.¡± Eliza said.
¡°I expect so. The age of chaos seriously damaged the hardwood forests worldwide. Not many survived. It used to be a building material, even. There are some old old houses still standing which have oak beams.¡± Albert said.
¡°Oak is about as expensive as gold, isn''t it?¡± Bella asked.
¡°No! Far more than pine, of course, but not that expensive. But still, it would be a shame to let this room be demolished by the asteroid.¡±
¡°I wonder if the panels could be removed without damaging them too badly.¡±
Eliza asked.
¡°Certainly worth asking an expert.¡± Albert said.
¡°So, the happy couple in front of untold wealth, for those in the know?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Maybe not then.¡± Eliza decided.
¡°So, far enough away from it that the panels are out of focus, or against the window?¡±
¡°I think not against the window. The glass is semi-silvered, so you''d get reflections with the flash, and we''d be black against the light otherwise.¡± Albert said.
¡°So... where?¡±
¡°Bella, what do you get in the shot if you stand on the arms of that chair and we stand here?¡± Eliza asked.
Bella tried, and reported ¡°I don''t think you''ll like it. The angle''s not great. I get a lovely view of the sumptuous carpet, an almost risqu¨¦ view down the front of your dress, and if the prince kneels then I get to see if he''s going bald yet, but not much of his face.¡±
¡°As far as I know, I''m not balding, but what do you mean by risqu¨¦? I don''t like the idea of publishing risqu¨¦ pictures, but Eliza''s dress doesn''t strike me as revealing.¡±
¡°I might have exaggerated. I''ll try one and you be the judges.¡±
¡°OK. Albert, do you want to gaze lovingly into my eyes for the camera?¡±
¡°I really want to gaze lovingly into your eyes for the week, Eliza, but you''ve said we''ve got company coming, so let''s try a shot or two.¡±
He got down on his knees and gazed up at Eliza. He didn''t need to fake the adoration on his face.
The camera made the traditional click sound, twice. They continued gazing until Bella asked ¡°Excuse me, I know this is the first chance you''ve had to do this, but could you decide if this is a good shot, so I can get down from here before I slip?¡±
¡°Sorry.¡± Eliza said, and took the camera. ¡°What do you think Albert?¡±
¡°You''re beautiful.¡±
¡°Thank you, but what about the dress? I see what Bella means.¡±
¡°Yes. Perhaps if she was a little lower?¡±
¡°I get panels.¡±
¡°And if you''re low?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°What, from almost floor level, looking up?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I expect I see up your nostrils, but I''ll give it a go.¡±
¡°Don''t, It''ll look silly.¡± Albert said. ¡°Let''s just go with the panels.¡±
¡°You''re the prince.¡±
¡°Bella, if you don''t get all of us, but say, just from Albert''s waist up, what does that do to the panels?¡±
¡°Hmm, not much of them left. I''ll show you.¡± The camera''s loud speaker clicked again.
¡°Not bad, but I think it looks a little odd.¡± Albert said.
¡°OK, lets just go for panels then. You can always trim off the sides.¡± Bella pointed out.
¡°We''ll probably want to.¡± Albert agreed.
¡°That''s good, but shouldn''t you be holding hands?¡±
¡°Probably.¡± Albert agreed and held Eliza''s gloved hands in his.
¡°Maybe I''m sensitive, but I think that looks like you''re avoiding hearing each others thoughts.¡±
¡°Oops. Thus publishing the fact that we might be able to?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Exactly.¡±
They removed their gloves and held hands.
[I do love you, Eliza.]
[I love you too. But we don''t know each other very well, do we?]
[No. I''ve no idea what music you like, or what your favourite food is.]
[Chocolate cake, that''s easy. Music.. I''m fairly eclectic. You?]
[Well, I won''t say I like everything, but yes, I think I''m fairly eclectic too. I''d actually prefer a pavlova with fresh strawberries on to a chocolate cake, but that''s not exactly an all-year dish.]
[Delicious though.]
[Like you in that dress.]
[Hey, I''m not for eating.]
[No, but you''re a delight for my other senses.]
[Scent included?]
[I like your perfume.]
[Actually... Bella''s. I didn''t have any, so she lent me some.]
[Odd! Is it the same one she had on when you came to the palace?]
[I think so. Why?]
[I didn''t find it anywhere as nice then as it is on you now.]
[Different people''s skin?]
[Maybe. Yours is nicer.]
[You''re just saying that because you''re holding my hand.]
[What''s wrong with holding your hand?]
[Bella''s probably said something we didn''t hear.]
[Oh well. Shall we break then?]
[I suppose so. I love you Eliza Underwood.]
[{love}]
[How do you send emotions like that? Is it part of the gift?]
[You can''t?]
[I don''t think so. ]
[I''ve felt some from you.]
[{confusion} that''s odd.]
[You just sent me confusion.]
[I guess it filled my thoughts.]
[Ah. So, you''re not as filled with love for me as you think?]
[I think you can be the judge of that, better than I. It''s one thing I''d like to ask you about when Bella''s gone.]
[Then, let''s see if her picture is any good.]
They broke hands, in time to hear Bella say, for the twentieth time.
¡°Hello? Love-birds? Are you receiving?¡±
¡°Sorry Bella, we are now.¡± Eliza said.
¡°It''s nice you can concentrate so fully on each other, I suppose, but I recommend against holding hands in public. I got about twenty photos, since you were having so much fun. Hopefully one of them is good.¡±
¡°Let''s see, then we can leave you to investigate the cookers again.¡± Eliza said.
¡°You''re sure?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Of course I am. Just don''t get into any fights this week, because I''m afraid, based on what you''ve just witnessed, that we won''t notice.¡±
¡°What''s this?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Last week we met here, and Bella managed to find some thugs to beat up.¡±
¡°Just making the streets a safer place.¡± Bella said.
¡°Either that or indulging her favourite hobby.¡± Commented Eliza.
¡°These photos are great Bella. Thanks.¡±
¡°I''d say set an alarm clock or something, so that the others don''t burst in on your romantic idyll, but I suspect you won''t notice it anyway.¡±
¡°Go and shop, Bella! You''re enjoying this too much.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Of course I''m enjoying it, you make a lovely couple, and I guess I''m a romance fan. Bye!¡± She waved from the lift door and disappeared.
¡°So, Albert, what do you want to ask me and tell me?¡±
¡°First, Eliza, I want to ask you if you would please look in my mind and know me better, before you answer. I think I love you, but as you say, it doesn''t fill my mind. I don''t think I''m just in love with the idea of being in love. You''re beautiful, and I want you to be my wife. I guess, I''m just not sure what it does to us if we marry too quickly.¡±
¡°You think you''re worrying too much?¡±
¡°I''d like an expert opinion.¡±
¡°I think I''m a bit concerned, too. But on the other hand, we know what we''re going into, roughly speaking. There are going to be massive changes in our lives, enormous stresses, and we''re probably going to have some arguments. The real question, I guess, is will we argue so much that we can''t work things out.¡±
¡°I... I guess so. But... divorce is not an option.¡±
¡°No. it isn''t. But that doesn''t mean a rushed marriage will be easy.¡±
¡°We could delay,¡± Albert said. ¡°but I''m greedy: I don''t want to.¡±
¡°And you''d like me to scan your thoughts and make the decision about whether you''re driven by loneliness, greed, love or duty?¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°And you ask this to protect me, or you, or both of us?¡±
¡°Both of us, I think. Why do you ask?¡±
¡°Because.... I don''t know. I guess because I''m not sure I matter.¡±
¡°Of course you matter, Eliza!¡±
¡°Not as much as the state, not as much as preparing the country for the impact, not as much as obeying God''s will. I will scan you, Albert, for your benefit. But can we pray first?¡±
¡°Of course!¡± he bowed his head and prayed ¡°Father God, give us wisdom, peace, and strength to make the right choice. Don''t let us rush into marriage if it isn''t your will. Help Eliza to know how she should answer, to answer according to her wisdom and understanding, not just on what she feels is expected of her, or flawed logic. Amen.¡±
¡°So, how do you want to do this?¡± She asked.
¡°Like this, Eliza.¡± He got on to one knee and said ¡°I ask that you know me truly, and see me as the jumble of thoughts and emotions that I am. I offer my current love and my future love, my joys, fears, torments and excitement; my surname; eventual position; and my duty, asking only in return what God requires of all married couples, that we submit to each other and put each other first. I will seek to love you as Christ loved his church, but I know I am weak. Will you accept what I am and consent to marry me, Eliza?¡±
Eliza, was a little overawed at the long speech when she''d expected a simple ''Will you marry me?'', but she focussed on him and relaxed in that special way. He was a jumble of emotions, but she tried to take in all that she could. Focussing on peace she sought to analyse what she''d seen, but she focussed far too deeply, and before she could correct herself her legs had given way.
Albert caught her and held her before she could fall and his heart filled with worry. What had happed? She returned to the normal world almost as he''d brought her to a stop, with her head cradled on his left arm and his right around her holding her close. She felt his concern as he looked at her face. [I''m fine Albert, I just disconnected a little too much.]
[{reliefconcernlove} Are you sure, my love?]
[I''m sure.] and she adjusted herself a little so she was sitting on his knee. [That''s better! Now, if it''s OK with you, I''ll stay here while I look at what I saw. I like you holding me;] it was a secure feeling, she noticed.
[Of course, you''re not heavy.{love}]
[I''ll be back soon!]
As he cradled her seemingly unconscious body he marveled at her beauty and the trust that Eliza was demonstrating in him. Thoughts that might have been temptations disgusted him as he rejected them wholeheartedly. He would not abuse her trust. His heart was filled with a new determination to watch over her and protect her when her mind was elsewhere. She was so vulnerable like this, he felt, and he treasured her all the more.
As Eliza sorted through what she''d seen in his thoughts, she saw that his words had been right, he tried to be a godly man, but he felt he didn''t deserve someone who, he was sure, was as holy as her. Her gift marked her as special, amazing, fragile. He wanted to love her just for that, she saw, but his physical attraction towards her was powerful and he felt that wasn''t as pure. She became aware of how she was probably putting temptation in his way by resting in his arms like this, and so withdrew a little from the peace, just in case. As she did she heard his disgust at the temptation and his decision to protect her. He''d won that battle and she realised that she loved him all the more for it. She pondered more. He didn''t really feel ready for marriage, she saw, but then, nor did she. They''d not known each other long enough. But the middle of January was still weeks away, and their engagement would mean that they could spend more time together. She saw how valuable that was going to be. Thinking together was important, but he''d seen so little about the way that she reacted, the way she laughed, the danger signs she might give if she didn''t like something. They needed time together, but he worried about that too. What about her studies? Well, Eliza, what about them? In some ways they were as important as ever, more so, even. But, she was a realist. She''d only be able to work on them part time. She wasn''t sure if the university would allow her to make that change. But then, if they didn''t, more fool them, she decided. She could carry on her research with or without the university. The certificate wasn''t really an important part of her chosen career path. Her new chosen career path; what an interesting description for marriage, but it fitted. She wasn''t just going to marry a handsome prince and live a fairy-tale existence. She was going to have to work hard, to the glory of God. Perhaps she should think of the adoration of the handsome prince as a perk of the job. Thanking God as she felt her remaining doubts vanish, she opened her eyes to the physical world once more. Adoration indeed, she felt it washing over her like a flood; she had no difficulty hearing the love in his thoughts now.
And she loved him. Looking into his eyes she said, ¡°Albert, I will marry you. I don''t think we need to wait a long time.¡±
¡°I think I should let you go now, though.¡± he said.
¡°Really? I like you holding me like this.¡±
¡°Yes, but very soon I''m going to find the urge to kiss you overwhelming.¡±
¡°Oh. Well. I think that''s allowed, in the circumstances.¡±
¡°I''m a bit worried about that feedback thing.¡±
¡°I can feel your love for me already. No feedback.¡±
¡°And I can feel yours. No contact either, as far as I can tell.¡±
¡°There must be!¡± Eliza protested.
¡°Only through our clothes. I let go of your hands to catch you.¡±
¡°Hmm. Then perhaps you''re right. Let''s stand up so we can separate more easily if we need to.¡± she said, but didn''t move.
¡°I hope I can kiss you without feedback.¡±
¡°We can always hide our thoughts.¡± Suggested Eliza.
¡°Should we, rather than risk it?¡±
¡°I think, you''re right. Especially how I''m feeling right now. I didn''t know it was possible to feel this strongly.¡±
¡°Perhaps we are experiencing feedback but just don''t know it yet?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Without contact? But maybe we do, actually.¡±
¡°How?¡±
¡°The fabric of my dress ¡ª in some lights it''s a bit shiny, maybe it''s got metallic threads.¡±
[Can you hear me, then Eliza?]
[Yes. I do.]
[So we have contact.]
[And maybe what we''ll eventually call feedback, at the moment isn''t so bad.]
[So may I kiss you, my beloved?]
[I would like that a lot, Albert.]
Albert kissed her, and with the better contact the feedback increased so quickly he dropped her in panic. He felt his heart would explode otherwise.
¡°Oh, I''m sorry Eliza. Are you OK?¡±
¡°My fault. We should have hidden.¡± she said, sitting up from her undignified position on the floor. ¡°Nice soft carpet here.¡±
¡°Let me help you up, my love.¡± They touched hands and let go immediately.
Eliza laughed. ¡°This is silly Albert! We can''t love each other so much we can''t touch!¡±
¡°Let''s hope it''s the context.¡±
¡°Yes, you and me deciding that we love each other and thinking of marriage. Help me up, Albert, I''m hiding.¡±
¡°Your wish is my command, my love.¡±
He helped her up and as she stood she surprised him by stepping into his embrace. ¡°I love you very much Albert, and I do want that kiss.¡±
He didn''t bother to answer that with words.
¡°Don''t hide too long. Eliza.¡± he said, a little later.
¡°I know. I need to come out, don''t I?¡±
¡°Yes, love. And I need to see if a certain ring fits you.¡±
¡°Hmm, yes, you were going to tell me all about it.¡±
¡°So, are you unhidden now?¡±
¡°Not yet.¡± and she stole one more quick kiss before trying to get out of the mud that she''d hidden in. It wasn''t easy, but she managed eventually.
¡°That... wasn''t pleasant.¡±
¡°What, the mud?¡±
¡°Yes. quite sticky.¡±
¡°No wonder people don''t like long engagements.¡±
¡°Yes. We''re going to have to be creative in public, aren''t we?¡± Eliza said.
¡°What, all those public signs of affection that people expect to see?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Well, at least it''s not summer, so gloves aren''t going to be too obvious.¡±
¡°That''s true.¡± She agreed. ¡°At least when we''re outside.¡±
Albert fished in his pocket. ¡°Eliza, I''ve no idea if it fits right now, but as a token of our love, I''d like you to wear this ring.¡± He presented her with the open box, which he realised was itself made from walnut wood ¡ª not quite as rare as oak, but almost.
¡°I''d be very happy to, Albert. It''s old isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes. Not as old as this room, though. It was my Great-grandmother''s ring.¡±
¡°Queen Beatrix?¡±
¡°Yes. The last member of my branch of the family to wear the dress. It seemed fitting to me. There were ear-rings to go with it, but they passed to your branch of the family.¡±
¡°To my branch? You mean Maria has them?¡±
¡°Yes. Karen will be wearing them at her wedding, apparently, but Maria thought that you might want to too.¡±
¡°Proclaiming my family history through dress and jewelery?¡± Eliza said, ¡°That''s a lovely idea, Albert.¡±
¡°Yes. That brings an awkward question though.¡±
¡°My father?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I don''t know him, and I don''t know the distorted version of reality he lives in, where killing people is no worse than swatting a fly. If he wasn''t locked away for the good of society, maybe I''d let him be present, if I didn''t believe that he''d talk more of his poisonous lies. But I do believe he would and he is locked away. I don''t want him there.¡±
¡°I can''t say I''m very surprised. But thank you for being so clear.¡±
¡°I decided a long time ago that I wouldn''t be inviting him to my wedding, if I ever had one. I should have said, sorry.¡±
¡°His absence makes for a slight gap in the ceremony though.¡±
¡°You mean, will I enter on my own, or with some other relative?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I have an idea. Tell me what you think.¡±
¡°I''m all ears.¡±
¡°Let me try something. Shut your eyes please.¡±
¡°OK.¡±
She hid her thoughts and prepared a little memory picture for him. Eliza, newly gifted, talking with someone half the world away, a third cousin on her mother''s side, a reassuring teacher who with his wife had helped her understand a lot about the gift and how it was difficult to use wisely.
Unhiding, she delivered this memory with the lightest of touches to his ear.
The brief contact didn''t bring much feedback.
¡°Did you get it?¡± She asked.
¡°A memory-picture? I got a family tree, and sort of a reassuring presence.¡±
¡°Oh well. I guess it was a bit too detailed, and feedback interfered too.¡±
¡°And we''ve not had much practice at that, either.¡±
¡°No. I have a third cousin, on my mother''s side, with the gift. He''s fifty-ish, I think, a policeman and a good teacher. He and his wife are sort of filling the parent-gap in my life, on an occasional basis. That''s to say, I''d probably turn to them for advice if I wasn''t so arrogant as to assume I knew enough already.¡±
¡°So do they know about us?¡±
¡°Not really. That''s what I meant about assuming I knew enough. I should have asked them about feedback, and told them just how fast we were going, but, you know, we weren''t dating...¡±
¡°Does this count as our first date?¡±
¡°I think it had better. First date, first kiss, first feedback, and engagement all in one.¡±
¡°This isn''t sensible, is it?¡±
¡°Not humanly speaking. Let''s trust God for it.¡±
¡°So, what do they know about us?¡±
¡°Just that I''d met someone and was probably falling in love.¡±
¡°So this was what, Thursday night?¡±
¡°Yes. Crazy, aren''t we?¡±
¡°Forced by events, and totally crazy.¡±
¡°So. Does the ring fit?¡±
¡°I don''t know. The box is beautiful though. It''s real wood?¡±
¡°Yes, looks like it. Walnut. Quite fragile but beautiful.¡±
¡°I hope that''s not a symbol for our love.¡±
¡°So do I. Now, do I risk feedback, or would you like to try it on yourself.¡±
¡°Let''s not risk feedback. It''s too intense.¡± She carefully removed the ring from its box, and tried it on her finger. ¡°I think it''s a tiny bit too small. That''s good.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Sarah says that''s an easy adjustment. Too big or much too small means cut and resolder, tiny bit too small means stretch the metal a little. Much easier.¡±
¡°So, who do you want to tell first?¡±
¡°I think I should ask Enoch and Rose if they can get time off work, not to mention if they want to be publicly associated with me. It won''t exactly be easy to explain how we met.¡±
¡°Good point. And there will be questions, won''t there?¡±
¡°Interviews, you name it. Well, if they don''t want to then I could just enter unaccompanied.¡±
¡°Or ask John, maybe?¡±
¡°I''m not sure that''s a good idea. There''d be similar questions, and Sarah''s younger than me.¡±
¡°I guess I see what you mean.¡±
¡°I''ll see what Enoch and Rose think, if they''re still awake.¡±
¡°Still awake?¡±
¡°They live a long way away.¡±
Eliza checked. They were both awake. [Enoch, Rose, Eliza here with a little question for you.]
[Oh yes? Any progress in your thoughts about this man?]
[Urm.. slightly. He''s just given me a rather pretty ring.]
[Do you mean...?] Enoch asked
[Wow girl, you''re quick!] Rose said.
[It was sort of forced on us. It wouldn''t be right to wait until after the impact, assuming that it happens.]
[Why not?] Enoch asked.
[Politically unwise.]
[Politically unwise? What on earth does that mean? That he''s a politician? How old is this guy?] Rose asked.
[He''s four years older than me. He''s rather more important than just a politician....
I''d rather my biological father didn''t turn up, let alone give me away, and thought, you know, Enoch''s an older male relative that I know and trust.
So I was wondering if you guys would feel comfortable coming to a royal wedding.]
[Slow down girl!] Enoch said [Did I get that right, you''d like me to give you away on your wedding day? I''m sure I didn''t hear you right.]
[Yes, Enoch. You''re the closest male relative I have except my biological father. He set up a fund to pay for my education when I was born, but never even sent a card on my birthday. The only time I''ve heard from him since was when he started sending me letters from jail telling me he was innocent really, and when I called him after escaping from the kidnappers and he told me that normal people were flies and sometimes needed swatting. So I''ve not met him in my memory and I certainly don''t like him. If someone has to give me away, It''d make much more sense if it was you, at least to me.]
[OK, I think I understand your feelings there, Eliza.] Rose said [But what was that you said about a royal wedding?]
[Wait a moment, I''m going too fast. I''ll wind back a bit. I met Albert, my fianc¨¦, a lifetime ago on Thursday. We got on well, he''s a Christian, and has the power, so we''ve done a lot of talking. Yesterday we were comparing history and he noticed that he''d been praying for his future wife at all the most significant times in my life. He was praying for his future wife''s salvation all the time between when I started going to church and when I gave my life to Christ; and so on. There was such good agreement, it seemed so unlikely to be coincidence. So that helped focus our minds on our feelings, which were getting pretty involved anyway. I love him a lot although we''ve obviously got to get to know each other quite a lot better. Ideally we''d wait longer, but however you do it, you can''t have a royal wedding in the middle of national austerity. People will either grumble that people should have brought their own sandwiches to the banquet or something stupid that way, or if we don''t have a big wedding then we''re cheating the nation of the chance to celebrate. So we had to choose: marry this side of the impact, and not immediately before, or wait three or four years.]
[Albert, as in your crown prince?] Rose checked.
[Yes.]
[And you decided you didn''t want to wait three or four years?] Enoch asked.
[We shouldn''t have kissed today without hiding. First ever kiss, cut off immediately because of feedback.]
[Already? Well, I guess you''re emotionally involved enough then, anyway.] Rose said. [But couldn''t you have waited a week or so before getting engaged?]
[We''d planned to, it would have been more sane, but the closer our announcement is to Karen''s wedding then the more we are going to detract from her special day. We don''t want everyone paying attention to us when they should be paying attention to her.]
[So, you''ve sacrificed good sense for the good of others?] Enoch asked.
[I guess you could say that.]
[But I thought you were going to be in witness protection until the court case?]
[Yes. I was. I''m now going to swear an affidavit, answer as many questions as the justices require me to, and in general get myself out of being a witness needing pre-trial protection.]
[And then getting your picture on every screen on the world? That''s not exactly post-trial protection, Eliza.] Rose pointed out.
[I know, but I wasn''t going to hide anyway, let alone get surgery done.]
[May God bless you both then.] Enoch said [You know you''re marrying too quickly, perhaps that''ll keep you talking, talking, talking and forgiving, forgiving, forgiving. You''ll need to. Expect a lot of unintended hurts, Eliza. It won''t be an easy few months.]
[It won''t. We''re going to be busy, very busy.]
[And the media storm is going to be... Wow, I can''t imagine.]
[Yes. That was one of the issues that made me think you might not want to be involved.] Eliza said. [I''ll fully understand if you think it''s too silly an idea.]
[Yes. It''s not exactly like you''ve visited us for years or anything like that.] Rose said.
[So the press are going to be asking questions. Lots and lots of questions.] Eliza supplied.
[I presume you''re not going to make your gift public.] Enoch said.
[No!] Eliza said, shocked.
[Just checking, I wasn''t actually going to recommend it.]
[Good. I don''t know what that''d do.]
[How did Albert find out about your gift, anyway?] Rose asked.
[The press haven''t make a massive thing of it, but our king was one of the ones who had a confirming dream, and my protection agent is the one who had the original set. On Thursday I hadn''t planned to be there at all,
but she had to go and for some reason no one turned up to take over from her. So I was there, she was there, John and Sarah were there as well as Karen. Karen''s visual memory isn''t good enough to collate three people''s memories, and Bella already knew that John, Sarah and I had the gift. Telling a few more people whom we knew could keep secrets didn''t seem to make much difference in the face of confirming the impact. Then it just seemed to make sense that John look at Sarah''s memories, Karen looked at Bella''s and I checked the King''s.]
[Oh, so Albert saw your gift at work and told you he had the power?]
[No, actually, he''d been told Bella had the power and thought to her on their previous meeting. And she''d gossipped to me about that, so I knew too. He didn''t make much of a secret of it either ¡ª when we got out of the transport he thought to her for at least ten seconds in front of us all.]
[Ah. So he''s not actually that good at keeping secrets is he?]
[Yes and no. I guess he considered himself safe since we knew what was about to happen.
I do know he''s going to need to do some growing up in the next few years.]
[But you''re prepared to take him on?] Rose asked.
[God seems to have called me to help support our monarchy from the inside.
I accept the job, and the adoring handsome prince who comes as a perk.]
[Have you told him this?] Rose asked.
[No, do you think I should?]
[Not this decade, no, the male ego is a sensitive thing. Let him think that you''re doing the job for him.]
[I''d disagree, actually.] Enoch said. [If he knows you''re taking on the job, then he won''t be afraid of asking for you to help.]
[But he might be tempted to let you carry the load.] Rose pointed out.
[Your call, Eliza. Sorry!] Enoch summarised.
[OK. I can accept that. I''ve looked into his mind, you haven''t.]
[You did? When?]
[When he proposed. He asked me to look at his thoughts before I answered, and prayed that I''d see enough to help me know what was best.]
[That''s pretty honest, right there. So you saw his puppy-like devotion?]
[Mostly that he''s as much feeling rushed by circumstances as I am, doesn''t feel that ready for marriage, doesn''t want to wait years.]
[I''m not surprised when you''re already feeding-back to each other.]
[That was actually after I''d said yes.]
[You said yes before your first kiss?] Rose asked
[Yes.]
[That''s.... unusual.]
[All business before pleasure these two.] Enoch commented.
Rose said [If you can keep on prioritising like that, then I think you''re OK.]
[Thanks.]
[Eliza, can I put your question back to you.] Rose asked. [Should Enoch walk you up the aisle?]
[Probably not. I can do it myself and that doesn''t put anyone at risk of intense press scrutiny. None of us want to expose the fact that we can talk like this, after all. But I''d like you to come anyway, even without that. Do you have any plans for mid-January?]
[That''s only six or seven weeks away, Eliza!] Enoch protested.
[I know. But I don''t want to have to cope with a new husband and a major disaster at exactly the same time.]
Rose laughed. [You''re a wise girl, then. But... you really need to start thinking contraceptives now, unless you want to risk morning sickness and a major disaster at the same time.]
[Thanks Rose, good thought. I''ll discuss it with the poor man.]
[And we''ll discuss your invitation. We were thinking of visiting John and Sarah some time anyway.]
[Why did you call him a poor man, Eliza?] Enoch asked.
[What, having to discuss sex with the way he feels about me already? Poor me too, come to think of it.]
[We''ll pray that you can keep your thoughts pure.] Rose said.
[Thanks. I''d better pay him some attention.]
[Best wishes to you both.]
[Thank you.]
Eliza looked around the room, and didn''t see Albert, then she heard some noise from what Bella had identified as the kitchen. She went towards the noise.
¡°Eliza, is that you?¡± he called.
¡°Yes. What are you doing in there?¡± she asked, looking round the door.
¡°Having gazed lovingly at you for a few minutes, I decided it might be more productive to make a cup of tea. Or would you prefer coffee?¡±
¡°Tea please.¡±
¡°Good. I think the coffee might be a bit old.¡± he said, looking at the blue fur growing on the top of the coffee grounds in the glass jar.
¡°I wonder when this kitchen was last used.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Not last week?¡±
¡°No, Kate brought a couple of vacuum flasks.¡±
¡°Ah. So I could be looking at an ancient life-form? I''m glad I didn''t open the jar.
¡°I''ll ask Kate.¡± [Kate, any guesses how ancient the tea and coffee are likely to be up here in the owner''s lounge kitchen?]
[Oh. urm... there''s still some there?]
[Yes.]
[About 5 years then. The room doesn''t get used much.]
[Thanks. The coffee''s got a bit furry.]
[Yuck. The tea''s the same age. Go carefully.]
[I won''t bother asking about the milk.]
[There''s milk too? Don''t open it!]
[I won''t, don''t worry. See you soon.]
¡°Don''t open that, Albert.¡± she said, seeing that he''d put the milk container on the counter.
¡°I won''t. I heard it talking to me.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°It said `let us out, we only want to infect you.''¡±
¡°I seriously hope you''re joking.¡±
¡°Me too. Is there a dustbin or something where we can put this?¡±
¡°I don''t know. It''s only five years old, Kate said. They don''t use the room much.¡±
¡°Crying shame. A beautiful room like this!¡±
¡°It''s not quite as secure as the institute, and it''s a fairly long walk.¡±
¡°They told me this room was almost as secure as the palace.¡±
¡°Oh. Maybe we should ask to move into the institute then. There''s a flat or two downstairs, apparently.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes, George, Karen''s fianc¨¦ was staying there.¡±
¡°So how secure is it?¡±
¡°Forcefield glass, autonomous sleep gas release, updated software, and I think I heard something about a generator in the basement. Plus of course a top-secret escape tunnel.¡±
¡°Oooh, nice. More secure than the palace then.¡±
¡°Last meeting the computer got a bit worried about Bella and we think it almost gassed her.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Well, she said that she didn''t believe in God, and had been consorting with demons, and it knew that everyone else was a Christian. It was getting a bit worried and needed reassuring that she wasn''t a threat to its precious staff members.¡±
¡°Ah. Whereas you and I are just visitors, and so lower on the protection list?¡±
¡°Just don''t threaten anyone. But... I wonder if it''ll answer me. Computer, years-old food residue is threat to health. Query location disposal unit.¡±
¡°Disposal unit does not appear in plans. Food residue should not be left in owners lounge. Removable container located under sink. Caution, may contain other food residue. No record of last date of emptying.¡±
¡°I think I''d just like hot water, Albert, rather than five year old tea.¡±
¡°Urmm.. me too. I won''t look at that dustbin either, without a face mask.¡±
¡°Good. I want you healthy.¡±
¡°Oh? what for?¡±
¡°Amongst other things, to announce me to the world, whenever that''s possible and more immediately to talk about contraception.¡±
¡°What?¡± Albert was shocked.
¡°Rose pointed out that we need to discuss it, unless I''m going to risk morning sickness starting roughly when the impact comes. Depending what we decide to use, we might be running out of time already. I really can''t remember. I don''t really want to start a family quite yet, Albert, let''s wait a year at least, can''t we?¡±
¡°Urm. Yes. I think we should wait a while too.¡±
¡°So. We need to talk about some different options. Personally I think this is going to be easier to do face to face than long distance.
¡°You do? Why?¡±
¡°Because that way we can see each other''s reactions and we can pray for each other''s thoughts to stay pure.¡±
¡°I love you, Eliza. You think I need to discuss this? You don''t want to make the decision yourself?¡±
¡°It''s going to affect us both, Albert. I know it''s not an easy or safe topic. That''s why we''re going to pray now, and pray after.¡±
¡°And maybe a few times in the middle, too.¡± Albert said.
¡°And then we''ll talk about who we''d like to come to the wedding. That''s much safer, I think. For instance, I''d like Enoch and Rose there. Oh, it doesn''t make sense for him to walk me up the aisle. I realised that. It''s far too risky. I don''t think I have enough money to fly them here, though. Would it be OK?¡±
¡°Failing anything else, Eliza, there''s almost certainly a military plane we can get them a place on. But I''ll look into how much it costs for more civilised ticket. I really don''t think it''ll be a problem. I don''t usually spend my allowance.¡±
¡°Can you tell me sometime how that works? I''ve only the vaguest idea how
the whole money side of things will work. Not to mention where we''ll live.¡±
¡°We''ve got a lot to discuss, haven''t we?¡±
¡°Yes. An enormous pile of things we haven''t even thought of yet.¡±
Preparation / Ch. 7: Important Decisions
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 7:Important Decisions
Satuday 10:30 A.M.
The lift door opened, and Bella stepped out with her eyes shut. ¡°Knock, knock, can I come in?¡±
¡°Open your eyes, Bella, or you''ll trip over something.¡± Eliza said.
¡°What''s all this?¡± Bella looked at the sheets of paper on the floor.
¡°A wonderful invention of humanity, called paper, Bella. Far better than a screen if you want to think of a million things at once and categorise them later.¡± Albert said.
¡°How old-fashioned!¡± Bella said.
¡°Traditional, and very hard to break into electronically.¡± Eliza corrected.
¡°That much I believe. Where did you find it?¡±
¡°We asked the computer if there was any.¡± Albert said. ¡°It seemed to fit with the age of the room that there''d be some somewhere.¡±
¡°And the computer knew?¡±
¡°Oh yes. Beware the kitchen, by the way. The tea and coffee are only 5 years old, but there''s no record of when the waste bin was last emptied.¡±
¡°And what used to be in the milk carton has evolved sufficiently to possess language skills, according to Albert.¡± Eliza added.
¡°Oh, just like a typical student house, then.¡±
¡°None I''ve lived in.¡± Eliza countered.
¡°So what''s on the paper? If I''m allowed to ask.¡±
¡°It''s a list of questions to answer sometime, along with timings about when it needs to be answered by, and who we might be able to delegate to or get to help us decide, and other things that are needed first.¡± Eliza answered.
¡°Wow. For your wedding?¡±
¡°It started as that, but it''s expanded a bit.¡± Eliza admitted.
¡°There are some quite long range thoughts in there, but we thought of them so we''ve written them down too. Just so we can forget about it and move on.¡±
¡°Like what?¡±
¡°Plans for our children''s schooling, on the assumption that we''ll have some someday.¡±
¡°You''re joking!¡±
¡°OK, that''s the longest range one, so we put it down for discussion sometime after I become pregnant.¡±
¡°And you''ve got that planned too?¡± Bella asked, incredulous.
¡°Sort of. Certainly not immediately, and if I go on to a doctorate then after that.¡±
¡°And that depends on Eliza deciding that her Masters work is worth continuing, and that the university are willing to let her go part time.¡± Albert said.
¡°Which means that I need to book a discussion with my tutor for about 3 hours after Albert''s announcement of our engagement.¡±
¡°Why so quickly?¡±
¡°Because other things depend on it. I''m assuming that I''ll be at the palace for the announcement, then guessing at an hour''s gap before the press assemble for a photo bonanza, lasting an hour. Then I come home and talk to my tutor. Alternatively, I''m moved to somewhere else and I get an hour to get there and arrange my stuff, before I discuss how I obviously have a significant new role in my life, so I won''t be able to be full time, but that I''d be very willing to continue working with the university on pushing my research towards completion and a few joint papers. University lecturers love publishing papers, and I suspect the faculty staff would really love the thought of their name beside mine as a co-author. The sad thing is that any celebrity paper always attracts far more attention than a normal one, but I hope to make a real contribution. That ought to make my papers quite well quoted.¡±
¡°Did you actually have time for romance?¡± Bella asked, amazed. ¡°I thought you were having a date, not a planning meeting! I presume with all this, he asked you and you said yes, Eliza?¡±
¡°You presume correctly, Bella. Unfortunately the ring doesn''t quite fit.¡± Albert said.
¡°Would it fit another finger, Eliza?¡±
¡°There''s an idea! Shall I try, Albert?¡±
¡°It''s meant for your hand. I''m not particularly worried which finger it''s on for now.¡±
It did fit her little finger, though it was loose, ¡°Your great grandma''s fingers were a bit smaller than mine.¡± Eliza commented to Albert.
¡°Very pretty ring.¡± Bella said. ¡°Your highness''s great grandma''s?¡±
¡°Queen Beatrix.¡± supplied Eliza.
¡°Last reigning queen we had.¡± Bella said, still gazing at the ring. ¡°It''s beautiful. I''m so happy for you two.¡±
¡°Thank you Bella. How was the shopping?¡±
¡°Truly odd. I guess it''s the result of the announcement. Compared to last week, the customers are in the wrong places. I looked through the whole store, just to confirm.¡±
¡°How so?¡±
¡°Fashion department: empty, except for people buying warm clothes. I heard the sales assistant being asked which jumper was their warmest. She had no idea. The only thing I saw being sold in the hardware department was locks and plastic sheeting. No one''s buying home entertainment systems, but there used to be a basket of those wind up wrist-unit chargers, for people going camping, you know. It''s always been three quarters full and when I worked here they said they only sold one a week. I got the last one, just in case.¡±
¡°Just like everyone else?¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°What''s happening in the toy department?¡± Eliza asked, out of curiosity.
¡°I heard a mother telling her daughter. ''No you can''t have the doll''s house, we might have to leave it behind, and that would be sad. How about a travel game, that''s small.'' It was the same all over. Only the little toys were selling, and things that didn''t need batteries unless it was a torch or something practical. The camping department was almost empty.¡±
¡°Empty? Why was no one there?¡±
¡°Sorry, there were people, but no stock, unless you wanted repair kits for inflatable toys.¡±
¡°It''s not even eleven o''clock, yet!¡±
¡°I asked one of the staff, who looked like he was just standing around and wondering what to do. He said that they''d been called in last night because they were under-staffed for the crowds, and there had been a crowd waiting outside at opening time. They had to have the security guards control admission. I heard someone else say to the guy ''There''s plenty of time, I just thought I''d beat the rush, when do you expect your next delivery?¡±
¡°And the stove department?¡±
¡°I had the whole sales-team all to myself. One of them said I was the only person they''d had visit except for people asking if they had camping stoves.¡±
¡°Wow. So, did you decide on which stove to get?¡±
¡°Is there really much point in getting a new stove for two months?¡± Bella asked.
¡°You could put it in storage for the impact.¡±
¡°I know. But then I might have to decide whether to store that, or something else big.¡±
¡°I see your point. But other than that?¡±
¡°Yes. I''ve decided, and they actually reserved one for me. But they told me not to buy anything there and then.¡±
¡°Why ever not?¡±
¡°Because they expect the management will say in a day or two that the stove department is going to sell every sort of camping stove available. And also that it''s better to sell the display stock at a discount rather than store them or try to persuade another shop to buy them. They''ve all been given loads of reading material about camping stoves to read up. I let one guy tell me all about the different technologies available. I think maybe he was trying to chat me up too.¡±
¡°So, the shops are adjusting and young men are still hopeful?¡± Albert asked.
¡°I guess you could put it like that, except he wasn''t particularly young.¡± Bella replied.
¡°Oh Bella, where will you find yourself a suitor you don''t reject?¡± Eliza asked dramatically.
¡°I still have high hopes of Maria''s plans for me, Eliza, despite your attempts to pour cold statistics on them.¡±
¡°What''s this?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Eliza was trying to work out how many thought-hearing men there might be in Security who are roughly my age.¡±
¡°Why limit yourself to Security? There''s other wings of the civil service, after all.¡± Albert asked.
¡°Well, if you do happen to meet any suitable candidates...¡± Bella joked.
¡°We''ll pass on your C.V., picture and home phone number.¡± Eliza responded in kind, but dead-pan.
¡°Don''t you dare!¡± Bella said.
¡°Eliza was joking, Bella.¡± Albert said, then added ¡°Weren''t you?¡±
¡°Of course I was. We''ll just introduce you.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
¡°What do you think, Albert, ''This is Bella, she has the power but really needs a man in her life...''¡± Eliza teased.
¡°Eliza, I think you should stop teasing your friend.¡± Albert said.
¡°I will. I guess I''m just not sure how to play match-maker. On the small chance that I do happen to meet someone who might be suitable, what do you want me to do, Bella? Tell you to shake his hand, or something more subtle? And if so, like what?¡±
¡°How about you ask him if he''s been on Bella''s training course?¡± Albert suggested.
¡°That might work.¡± Bella agreed. ¡°Assuming that I''ve started them.¡±
¡°I think it''s fairly important that you do.¡± Albert said.
¡°Yes. It might be useful to know how many people in Security could be contacted in an emergency.¡± Eliza said.
¡°But you could just find that out.¡± Bella observed.
¡°Yes. But I''d prefer to have volunteers, or a clear request from someone to find out, with a good motive.¡±
¡°Please find out, Eliza.¡± Albert asked, ¡°Infrastructure is going to be destroyed in this city, and we might need to be able to coordinate a response. I don''t know how many stand-alone radios there are in Security these days, but probably not enough. I can imagine the gangs hiding in sewers or something and coming out to pillage the rubble. Plus there''s the issue of search and rescue. Does that count as a good motive?¡±
¡°It does. Now?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Yes please.¡± Albert asked.
¡°OK.¡± Eliza looked for security agents with the power. One dot in this city: It must be Bella. Ten more dots in the country as a whole.
¡°OK, dots: I looked at the city here, and found one dot. I''m not sure where exactly we are in the city, but I presume the dot is you, all on your own Bella, sorry. I looked at the whole of the country and found ten more dots. If the people are close together then they''d only show up as a single dot, of course. So, since I didn''t make sure any of the dots were only one person, there might be a more than that. Should I look further?¡±
¡°When you say ''close together'', and ''zooming in'', what would that mean?¡±
¡°Think of a map which you can see all of, say on the floor and a metre across, and the dots as little lights on it, the size of, I don''t know, spider mites. It''s that sort of thing. I think I''d have seen anyone else as a separate dot unless they''re actually in this building. When I looked at the whole country, I seriously doubt that I''d be able to separate people in the same city. So... should I check every dot, or do the statistics and say that''s probably it?¡±
¡°I don''t know what the statistics say, Eliza.¡± Albert said.
¡°According to Karen, one in something like five hundred to a thousand are thought to be truth-sayers where she grew up. I don''t know how many agents there are in Security. And I don''t want to count, thank-you very much.¡±
¡°I don''t have a need to know.¡± Bella said.
¡°Then, since I don''t remember, and as long as it''s safe, could you, love? If each of those dots is really five people, that''s a fairly dramatic difference. Plus, I wouldn''t be surprised if different countries have different statistics.¡±
¡°You''re right. Let''s not put our trust in guesses.¡±
Once more, Eliza concentrated on agents with the power. Looking at one place that she''d seen a spot before, she adjusted her gaze to just the city, then just the neighbourhood and then the building. After confirming it was just one agent, she checked for heat; none. She then checked two more spots, two more agents, and checked for heat. There was a little. She probably couldn''t check everywhere, she decided, and returned her awareness to the room.
¡°I''ve checked three spots ¡ª three agents. I don''t think I''m going to be able to check everywhere though. Do either of you know anywhere that I''m going to find more agents than elsewhere?¡±
¡°I know where I did my training.¡± Bella offered. ¡°But would your gift think of trainees as agents?¡±
¡°No idea, and I''d rather not overheat my brain trying to find out. I''m certainly not sure that I would.¡±
¡°Interesting question that.¡± Albert said ¡°What would you consider someone like Maria?¡±
¡°In Security, but I''d think of her too important to be an agent, I guess.¡±
¡°I think I''d agree with you.¡± Bella said ¡°But what about Pris?¡±
¡°I think she''s an agent. Isn''t she?¡±
¡°Yes, but... technically I think she''s a courier.¡±
¡°I didn''t know there was a difference.¡±
¡°That''s all right then.¡± Bella said, then had a thought ¡°And my mum?¡±
¡°She''s retired, isn''t she?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I''d think of her as a retired agent, not an agent, and I didn''t see a spot for her anywhere in this city.¡±
¡°Well, she was in the city last I heard, so I''d guess you filtered her out.¡±
¡°This is complicated isn''t it?¡± Albert said.
¡°Yes. But at least it''s given my brain-cells a bit of time to cool down. I''ll have another look around.¡±
¡°Go carefully and gently, my love.¡±
¡°I''ll try. I''ll also go a bit more cleverly too.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°I''ve been rechecking the whole map before zooming in again, just because I wasn''t sure what the places were called. That''s silly. I''m going to call up a map on my wrist unit, and then I can save some brain-heat using technology.¡±
¡°Cunning!¡± Albert complimented her. ¡°Even more cunning if we watch your map and see if it rings any bells.¡±
¡°OK. I''ve confirmed a single agent here, here and here.¡± Eliza started.
¡°Never heard of any of those places.¡± Bella said.
¡°What about over here? Oh, that''s a messy part of the map!¡± During the age of chaos ¡ª it must have been then ¡ª several large towns had expanded until they''d touched, and kept on expanding into the spaces left by the other. According to the cartographers, no one had been able to persuade people that it would be better to redraw the map, and the dividing lines between the towns were practically fractal. Presumably it was a proof of growing up there to know which town you were in as you went from one street to another. It would be difficult to call it by a single name.
¡°Oh, I know that part of the world!¡± Bella exclaimed. ¡°I did my training there. We called it Messingham. The training institute is there, but there are dormitories here, here and here.¡±
¡°Shall I look for agents and trainees with the power then?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Yes, please.¡± Albert said.
Eliza looked, and found four sparks. Two in the institute and the other two where Bella had pointed out dormitories. One of the sparks in the institute seemed a little brighter than the other, and Eliza looked at the floor of that part of the building. There were two glowing people, walking hand in hand.
¡°Ahh, sweet.¡± Eliza said.
¡°What''s sweet?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Four sparks there, two in the institute, two in different dormitories, but one of the sparks at the institute was brighter: two people, hand in hand.¡±
¡°So, that makes fourteen agents and almost-agents?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Yes.¡± Eliza agreed.
The next two spots triggered no memories. There was one agent at each place, and it turned out that one of them was half-way up a mountain, so Eliza guessed that agent was on holiday. She brought up the next place on the map.
¡°Next one: Does up here ring any bells for anyone?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Hmm. Yes.¡± Albert said. ¡°Lots of bright sparks work there. Not exactly field agents, but agents.¡±
¡°I don''t need to know, more than that, do I?¡± Bella said.
¡°Well, you know, they deal with a lot of data and some things attract more of their computers'' attention than others. But you''ll probably have to visit there in person, anyway, Bella. Those people really need training in not thinking about their work.¡± Albert said.
¡°But there''s someone there with the power already.¡±
¡°Yes. So maybe you get to have an assistant. You''ve spent more time in the big wide world than most of them have.¡±
[Albert, do I gather this is our main communications decoding centre?]
[Yes.]
[So, do I look at it, or stay clear?]
[Look please. I think it could be very valuable for you to be able to drop stuff to someone there. Assuming they''re trustworthy.]
[They must, be, to work there, surely.]
[People get fooled to think that about all sorts of people, Eliza. Imagine what a thought-stealer would be able to do there.]
[Ouch.]
[So, yes, count people there please.]
Eliza did. There was just one person, quite deep underground. She decided to check for trustworthy agents with the power, in that room, and was pleased to see the person stayed as a spark. She checked for heat; it was there, but not dangerous. She could do more, but thought it would be better to rest her mind.
¡°One person with the power, who is trustworthy.¡±
¡°Thank you for that extra check, Eliza.¡±
¡°That''s OK. I think it would be better for me to stop there though.¡±
¡°Can you tell me where else you saw spots?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Of course! They were here, here and here.¡±
¡°None of those mean anything to me. Bella?¡±
¡°No, sorry.¡±
¡°That''s good.¡± Eliza said. ¡°Probably means that there''s not going to be masses of people there.¡±
¡°So, fourteen agents, one on holiday, one in a place we shouldn''t mention.¡±
¡°Yes. Do we pass this on to Maria, or decide she doesn''t need to know it?¡±
¡°She told me that she makes that call.¡± Bella said. ¡°And I really don''t feel comfortable knowing something she doesn''t.¡±
¡°Welcome to high level security, Bella.¡± Albert said.
¡°I''m only cleared to two-alpha!¡± she protested.
¡°You won''t be for long.¡± Albert said. ¡°You''re heading for royal protection.¡±
¡°What does that have to do with my clearance level?¡±
¡°You need to be level one-something for that. Didn''t you know?¡±
¡°No. I guess I didn''t need to know.¡±
¡°Now you do.¡± Albert said.
¡°I think I need to report this verbally, not electronically. Am I right?¡± Bella said.
¡°I think so. Especially given the source of the information.¡±
¡°Oh wonderful.¡± Bella said, depressed. How could she ask Maria for a personal meeting? Then she had a thought. ¡°Oh! Maria told me I can report to her via Pris!¡±
¡°Sounds reasonable.¡± Eliza said. ¡°She knows about my gift, after all.¡±
¡°And should be coming soon.¡± Bella said.
¡°Yes. I''ll check for any unwelcome welcomers, like last week.¡±
¡°What''s this?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Some gang members wanted to use an official convoy for target practice last week. That''s how I learned about Eliza''s gift.¡± Bella said.
Eliza checked for assassins, and was pleased to see there weren''t any around. She reported it to the others [Hi! Just thought you might want to know there''s no assassins around this week.]
[Oops.] John admitted [I''d already checked, but forgot to say.]
[You too?] Karen said.
[Typical! {grin}] sent Eliza [Here I am using my overheated mind when I should have asked first.]
[Overheated?] Karen, Sarah and Kate asked simultaneously, full of concern.
[Not very, don''t worry. I''ll tell you some details when you get here.]
[We''ll be there a bit late.] John said. [We thought we''d stop in at the camping department first.]
[Don''t bother, Bella says it''s out of stock, unless you want to patch an inflatable toy. Oh, and she bought the last wind-up wrist-unit charger, so don''t bother looking for one of those either.]
[Oh well. Then I guess we''ll be early. You got there that early?]
[Yes. Kate let me come here early to do some planning, didn''t she say? Has anyone seen where Pris is? Bella needs to talk to her, fairly privately.] No one had, so Karen looked, and laughed. [She''s half way up the lift-shaft, Eliza.]
[Oh, bye then!] ¡°Pris is almost here, Bella. And Albert, Somehow Kate managed to keep your being here a secret, at least from John.¡±
¡°So should I hide in the kitchen?¡±
¡°No. Oh, maybe, I''ve no idea who''s helping Pris up the lift.¡± At that moment, though, the lift door opened. Pris, and, accompanying her, Eliza.
¡°Hi, Pris, Eliza!¡± Bella greeted her, ¡°Thanks so much Eliza for helping with that rumour merchant.¡±
¡°That''s OK¡± she replied, before realizing who else was in the room. ¡°Your Highness!¡±
¡°Thank you for helping protect Eliza, Eliza.¡± Albert said.
¡°Yes, thank you. That little leak could have caused problems. It still could of course.¡± Eliza added.
Eliza took in Eliza''s ring, her presence here and the Prince''s, and said, in a small voice, ¡°I think, no, I know, I''ve just walked into something I really didn''t need to know.¡±
¡°I''m sure we can rely on your discretion.¡± Albert said.
¡°I''m not entirely sure that I can hold out until Eliza''s given evidence, that''s a long time to not act smug when people are gossipping.¡±
¡°Well, as long as you can keep quiet about the circumstances, we hope it''ll only be a few days before we announce our engagement to the world. At which point you can try to be surprised, and there''ll be much less temptation¡± Eliza said reassuringly.
¡°Now you see why I asked you, not Dirk to help me up the lift, Eliza?¡± Pris said. ¡°You''re not such a natural gossip as your brother.¡±
¡°I''ll try, Maam.¡±
¡°Good. We were rather hoping that you''d be able to calm your brother''s gossip habit, Eliza, not join him in it. If you''re finding it hard not to join him in it, then we''ll have to split you up immediately, for your sake.¡±
¡°I understand, Maam.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Do you, Eliza?¡± Pris hammered home her point. ¡°Dirk''s been passed over for promotion a couple of times because he''s such a blabbermouth around the office. You may point that out to him if you think it''ll help him keep his mouth in check. I know he''s not broken security yet, but he''s shared things others didn''t really need to know, and that gets him black marks. Don''t follow him down that road. You can tell him that this warning is why I wanted you to help me up the lift, if you like. I know you''ve applied for courier work. I''d like to encourage you in that, it''s a fun job and you get to see the world, but that''s not a role for someone who can''t stop their tongue from wagging. I don''t think I need to say that you''ll never be a courier if you breathe a word about Crown Prince Albert''s fianc¨¦e having any role in this meeting. There''s no point squelching the leak to then spread it. Oh, something else I need to tell you: you''ve got an official commendation for your improvisation in the squelching.¡±
¡°I have, Maam?¡± Eliza was surprised.
¡°Yes. There''s been five freedom of information requests about how many red-heads there are in Security, so it obviously worked. Now, when his Highness starts heading back to the capital, later on today, you and Dirk are going to be assigned to perimeter security. Maria would like you to have your wig on, just to keep the press confused a bit longer. You may, of course, remind any would-be photographers that they need a very very good reason to publish an identifiable photo of a crown officer executing her duty. And of course if they mention the prince here, you can tell them that you''re not going out with him. If you happened to add ''any more than he''s going out with me'' then so much the better.¡±
The prince laughed. ¡°You do want to keep the press confused, don''t you?¡±
¡°We would like Eliza''s decision to make an affidavit to pass relatively unnoticed, sir. Someone has given one accurate leak, we don''t want the press to give them too much credence if they give another one, for instance that your love interest is protected as a witness in a certain case.¡±
¡°Who and why would give such a leak, though?¡± Albert said.
¡°We don''t know, sir. Yet. I assure you that Maria and Tasha are working on it.¡± Pris returned her attention to Eliza the agent, ¡°Bella will take me back, Eliza, thank you. Do make sure you get your wig, then report in for orders as to where they want you stationed.¡±
¡°I will, maam.¡±
After she''d left, Bella said, ¡°Maria said I should report to her via you.¡±
¡°Not another dream?¡± Pris asked.
¡°No. Just something I didn''t think should go through normal channels: Eliza has been counting agents with the power.¡±
¡°At my request.¡± Albert supplied.
¡°Yes...¡± Pris said, ¡°That''s probably not news for electronic communication, is it.¡±
¡°Fourteen in total, probably including a few recruits. One of those is in Tasha''s little beehive.¡± Albert said.
¡°Oh, really!¡± Pris exclaimed.
¡°That struck me as potentially useful, but I''m not sure what for.¡±
¡°Depends... Did you happen to see where the person was, in the building Eliza? Just answer yes or no.¡±
¡°Yes, Not exactly, but roughly.¡±
¡°Could you wheel me somewhere we can talk, and Bella doesn''t need to hear?¡±
¡°OK. Kitchen?¡±
¡°I guess that''s the best.¡±
When they got there, and Eliza had closed the door, Pris asked, ¡°Were they above or below ground?¡±
¡°Below.¡±
¡°OK... and how far below?¡±
¡°I didn''t really look at how many floors there were, but I''d say they were two thirds of the way to the bottom floor. Does it make a difference?¡±
¡°Yes. It tells me what function they have. Basically above ground means that Tasha isn''t very worried about someone spying on what they''re spying on.¡±
The very bottom floors were where the pure mathematicians were based, Pris knew. People looking at new codes or how to break existing ones. Above-ground meant routine checking of media sites and keeping a watch on what suspected terrorists were up to. Below ground, the organisation was looking at intercept data from government sources, both home and abroad, the lower the level, the more sensitive the data. Eliza had just identified someone who probably read the king''s mail before he did. Or that of other world leaders. Eliza didn''t have a need to know any of this, so Pris didn''t tell her.
¡°Ah. So deep underground means deep secrets. By the way. I did check ¡ª they''re trustworthy.¡±
¡°I''m very very glad to hear that, Eliza.¡± Pris breathed a sigh of relief.
¡°The question I have is how might it be useful.¡±
¡°Well, you know, when you''re dealing with highly sensitive information, there''s always the problem of getting it where it''s needed.¡±
¡°Oh. So the fact that I could contact this person...¡±
¡°Would possibly be very useful, but on the other hand it might distract them from vital work. Can I tell Tasha about you?¡±
¡°Who is Tasha?¡±
¡°Maria, I''m sure you''ve worked out, tells the Royal family a lot of important stuff. Tasha, given that framework, fills in details from intercepts and generally listening carefully. She''d tell Maria''s people too, of course, but they need to ask exactly the right question. ¡±
¡°Oh. So Maria might find out there''s likely to be a coup in some unstable country...¡±
¡°And Tasha, with that much information might be able to tell you when. But people won''t say ''coup'' they''ll say ''a party'' or ''a reunion'', which without more context is often useless.¡±
¡°So we could put this in a message to Maria and Tasha would read it eventually.¡±
¡°Along with her opposite numbers in other countries, probably.¡±
¡°Good point.¡±
¡°Or I could ask Maria and Tasha to come and chat to you sometime.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m always happy to chat to my friends and relatives, Pris, you know me.¡±
¡°Not as well as I think I''ll have to.¡± Pris mused.
¡°That''s almost certainly true.¡±
¡°You might as well know, if you ever do need to contact this person, they''ve got an internal shorthand for royalty. Actually, it gets long, but that''s only because they like complications.¡±
¡°You think I should know it?¡±
¡°Yes, or at least partially. The first king was RP1, Royal Personage one. His wife was RP1S ¡ª for spouse, The had two kids: RP2, RP2B. 2B''s spouse would have been RP2BS. So the direct line is dead simple. When you leave the direct line, it gets more complicated. The first king''s eldest sister were labeled RP1B and RP1C, RP1B''s first child would have been RP1B2, second RP1B2B. Albert, you probably guess, is RP7, you, Karen and Sarah figure in it somewhere as RP1B something-or-other 7. Assuming you go ahead with the wedding you''re going to be RP7S, and at the moment you''re RP7pS, prospective spouse of RP7, or at least, you will be once someone''s told them about your engagement. Congratulations on that, by the way!¡±
¡°Thanks. I see what you mean about it getting complicated. But that code is basically a genealogy, and claim to the throne thing, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes. And it means that no one gets confused about who is being talked about.¡±
¡°So... If I have to tell them that, say, there''s some crisis involving the king, I''d say RP6 is being attacked by a crocodile?¡±
¡°Yes, except they can''t help you with that, you need someone in royal protection. They don''t mess about with such silly codes, just scream loudly.¡±
¡°That makes sense. But what might I need to contact them about?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. It must be useful, but I''ve no idea what for.¡±
¡°Thanks!¡±
¡°Can you call Bella? I''ve got something to tell her, too, and I think the others should be here soon.¡±
[Bella, can you come?]
¡°Done, do you want me to vanish, or hang around?¡±
¡°Oh, you can hang around.¡±
¡°You called?¡± Bella asked Eliza.
¡°Pris asked me to call. I think she expected me to stick my head out of the door, but I cheated.¡±
¡°You did. I have an envelope for you, Bella.¡±
¡°An envelope?¡±
¡°Yes. You know, folded paper, with a message inside.¡±
¡°Wow. Did I win the lottery or something?¡±
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
¡°Depends how you want to look at it.¡± Pris passed over the envelope, which Bella opened carefully, and read the message:
¡°Letter of reassignment: Agent Bella Monroe, you are hereby assigned to royal protection division. You may accept or appeal this reassignment within a period of 24 (twenty-four) hours from receipt of this letter, through normal channels, or directly to the courier entrusted with this message. This letter must be returned as part of the appeal process.
Failure to appeal is considered acceptance. ¡°On acceptance you will be advised of your revised clearance level, your assigned client, and revised rules of engagement. You will communicate with H.Q. using normal procedures and any special procedures relevant to your client.¡±
Bella read the letter again, just to let it sink in. ¡°I accept.¡± she told Pris, in a small voice. ¡°I can''t believe it, but I accept.¡±
¡°Believe it. Your client is Eliza, as I''m sure you''ll have guessed. You''re cleared to one-gamma. Rules of engagement are as follows: you''re not permitted to personally restrain anyone who''s not a direct threat to your client, as that interferes with your ability to protect your client from other threats. You are expected to remain armed with a stunner at all times, on or off duty, and to use it in preference to other means of self defence where there is any risk of physical incapacity to yourself or a threat to your client. You are expected to be armed with a firearm at all times when you are with your client. You are permitted to use necessary force to neutralise anyone who seeks to prevent you from being with your client. You are expected to use whatever methods are necessary to retain a constant state of protection for your client. During times of threat, public safety comes second to the safety of your client. Your wrist unit will soon have these rules of engagement uploaded to them.¡±
¡°Oh, Bella, I''m sorry.¡± Eliza said, with mock sincerity. ¡°You can''t beat up unsuspecting gang members any more.¡±
¡°Pris, does that mean I''m supposed to stun a ten year old who tries to tie me up?¡± Bella asked.
¡°If you can''t stop them any other way, yes. If you shake them off and they try again, yes. You can''t let a ten year old''s game put Eliza''s life at risk. It could be part of a bigger threat. Sorry.¡±
¡°And if the stunner doesn''t stop the threat, I kill.¡± Bella said with a grim voice.
¡°Yes.¡± Pris said. ¡°You stun or kill in preference to being incapacitated, and you put yourself in the way of any threat to Eliza.¡±
¡°Pris, this doesn''t seem right,¡± Eliza protested ¡°I''m not this important!¡±
¡°Sorry, Eliza, unless you break up with Albert, then you represent the future stability of the monarchy and therefore the country. The king being killed would be a cause for national mourning, but the monarchy would continue, as Albert is of age to step into the gap. Your being killed, on the other hand, might put the succession at risk and thus could mean a return to chaos. Quite simply, Bella is your last line of defence. The rest of security has failed if any threat gets through to her, so she must be prepared to take a life to defend our country as personified in you.¡±
¡°Urm. Gulp.¡± Eliza said. Then asked ¡°What does this mean to Bella training people to use their power?¡±
¡°It goes ahead, I think, at least until you''ve trained some other agents, Bella. Eliza, there are other royal protection agents, not assigned to an individual. Bella''s allowed time away from you, holidays, free time and a life. She''s even allowed to marry and have kids, but it''s normal to ask for reassignment before pregnancy. You know, balancing duty to family and state gets hard, even for royalty. Workaholics the lot of you.¡±
¡°I''m not royalty yet, Pris.¡±
¡°That ring on your hand doesn''t agree with you, Eliza, sorry. Either take it off or accept your fate.¡±
¡°I guess I''ll accept my fate, or rather, my career.¡±
¡°Probably vocation is the word you''re looking for. People change their career, after all, but a vocation? Not so much.¡±
¡°Shall we join the others?¡± Bella asked. ¡°I think I hear voices outside.¡±
¡°Yes, Eliza, go show off your ring.¡±
The voices had been John and Sarah. ¡°And I thought we were quick!¡± John said, seeing Eliza''s ring. ¡°Did you know about this, Sarah?¡±
¡°I suspected. Eliza did ask about measuring her finger last night. I brought the gauges, Eliza, and acting on my suspicion I also brought this nice little tool.¡±
¡°What does it do?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Assuming that it''s not a snug fit on your little finger then it''ll let me stretch the band just a little bit. Alternatively, we can visit my old house - that''s to say where Karen''s living, and do it properly, assuming you want to trust it to me and not to someone who does it every day of their lives.¡±
¡°Urm, what does ''do it properly'' imply?¡± Albert asked, a little nervous.
¡°Can I have a look, Eliza?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Of course!¡±
Sarah got out her jeweler''s loupe and examined the ring and the diamond. She whistled gently, and reverently, she handed it back to Eliza. ¡°I''m not going to touch it.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡± Eliza said.
¡°That''s out of my league. There''s no way I''d believe that ring is worth less than my home,¡± she said, then asked Albert ¡°I presume it is an heirloom?¡±
¡°Yes, my great grandma''s.¡±
¡°Queen Beatrix.¡± Supplied Eliza.
¡°Queen Beatrix¡± Sarah nodded. ¡°I should have guessed. She married, I believe it was the second son, of the Grand Duke of Luxemburg. He gave her a new ring which had set in it a one carat entirely flawless blue diamond with an old-European cut from his father''s collection. Lots of rumours where it came from, before that, but none proven. Thank you for letting me see it. It''s beautiful. And it''s worth far more than my house and John''s put together. Your Highness, this is a job for very skilled and practiced people you''d entrust the crown jewels to. What am I saying! It is a crown jewel.¡±
¡°Albert!¡± Eliza said, ¡°You didn''t tell me what it was worth.¡±
¡°I didn''t know! But Sarah, what is the difference between what they''d do and what your machine here would do?¡±
¡°My machine is for stretching part of the ring, which it does by rolling the part of the band which is away from the stone between these rollers. That makes the metal there a little bit thinner. But you see the beautiful little curls engraved in the gold, which lead into the setting? It would destroy them. The ring needs to be very carefully cut open, and gently opened until it is the right size. Then the gap needs to be filled with extra gold which matches the color and strength of the original band exactly, and of course, while it''s being re-soldered or even laser-welded, the diamond should be protected from any heating. And this all needs to be done with ultra precision, because of that engraving which means that you can''t hammer the ring if it gets out of shape, or file down any rough edges. I know what to do, but you need someone who''s been doing this sort of work with meticulous care and a delicate touch for the last twenty or thirty years.¡±
¡°Thank you for looking at it, Sarah.¡± Eliza said. ¡°I guess I need a bit of patience before it fits me.¡±
¡°What I can do at least is measure your finger. Then whoever you give it to will know the size without you needing to visit. Here. Find out which one of these is the right size for you.¡±
Tony and Teresa arrived just as Sarah was putting the gauges away. Tony hesitated and took in the scene. A smartly dressed man with a very familiar face, standing close to Eliza, who wore a very fine dress and a diamond ring. Where had he seen that face? Eliza came to his rescue.
¡°Albert, let me introduce Tony Randle, reporter, and his fianc¨¦e, Teresa Riley, legal advisor to the Institute. Teresa''s discussing her wedding plans with Sarah led to the formation of this committee. Tony, Teresa, let me introduce you to my fianc¨¦ as of an hour and a half ago, Crown Prince Albert. Sorry Tony, it''s still a state secret until I''m out of witness protection. That''s being brought forward to later this week, I really really hope.¡±
Tony bowed and Teresa curtsied with a simultaneous ¡°Your Highness.¡±
¡°Oh I''m not here officially.¡± Albert said. ¡°It''s just that Eliza said that I could stay if I was good.¡±
¡°And he mostly has been good except when he dropped me.¡± Eliza added, with a smile. ¡°We''ll do the gossiping later when everyone''s here, if that''s OK.¡±
Teresa looked at Eliza''s left hand and asked ¡°May we at least see your ring?¡±
¡°Of course. It needs resizing, but Sarah''s not accepting the commission.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Only because I''m not practiced enough to deal with crown jewels, Eliza.¡±
¡°It was my great-grandmother''s¡± Albert said. ¡°I''m ignorant and just thought it was a nice ring, Sarah pointed out that the stone came from the ancient house of Luxemburg.¡±
¡°It is beautiful.¡± Teresa said then asked Eliza ¡°I had no idea you were going out with anyone, Eliza!¡±
Eliza laughed ¡°We haven''t been going out. Albert keeps telling people that, don''t you believe him?¡±
¡°We have been doing quite a lot of talking though.¡± He said.
¡°Not enough.¡± Eliza added. ¡°But we''ll tell all the gossip later, I promise. How are your wedding plans going? I stopped you from setting a date last week, didn''t I. Sorry.¡±
¡°It''s OK. We set one after the meeting. December the thirtieth. It''s a bit soon to arrange everything, but, well, what with the impact coming, we decided that sooner is better.¡±
Eliza and Albert looked at each other and smiled.
¡°Thank you, Teresa.¡± Eliza said. ¡°You''re helping to make us look restrained.¡±
¡°You''ve set a date?¡±
¡°Not precisely, but we''re thinking the middle of January. Should we send Tony away? We must be tempting him terribly.¡±
¡°I''d like to know what I can write up when, of course.¡± Tony said.
¡°Pris, what do you think? I wouldn''t mind if Tony releases a little ''watch this space, has Prince Albert made some plans?'' trailer for Albert''s announcement on the day, and then once Albert''s made the announcement he could quote, I don''t know, a well informed source close to the happy couple. Would that be OK?¡±
¡°Saying what?¡± Pris asked ¡°That you two are crazy, but determined, so it''ll probably work out OK in the end?¡±
¡°I was more thinking that ¡°They''ve been in love for some time, but couldn''t meet because of me being in witness protection.¡±
¡°Most misleading use of the phrase ''some time'' I''ve heard for a long time.¡± Bella sniggered.
¡°''Happy couple put the nation ahead of common sense?''¡± suggested Albert.
¡°If your highness is willing for me to use that headline, I''d be very happy to oblige.¡± Tony said.
¡°Tony, I don''t know, I''m not an expert in what should and shouldn''t be said. I would very much defer that decision to Pris and the organisation she represents, I would also very much prefer to be able to talk freely, with this whole meeting off the record.¡±
¡°I understand, your Highness.¡±
¡°Mr Randle is cleared to three beta, highness.¡± Pris said.
¡°Thus proving that he is used to knowing more than he can say. Thank you, Pris.¡±
¡°In some ways, that is not an unusual situation for a reporter, in that I''m expected to protect my sources. However, I must say it is unusual for my sources to be the news.¡±
¡°That''s why you need to tread carefully, Tony. They need protecting still.¡± Teresa said.
¡°Out of interest, Pris¡± Eliza said, ¡°Has anyone decided to give me a security clearance? And if so, can you or someone else tell me how the system works?¡±
¡°Subject to the wedding happening, Eliza, you have clearance to know and to trust, as other members of the Royal family. It''s very much like your gift. If you decide you need to know, we tell you.¡± Pris said.
¡°Oh.¡± Eliza said.
¡°The numbers are a guide to us how much detail we can trust each other with, and who decides. A two beta can decide to tell things to a two gamma to enable them to carry out their assigned task, and must tell what they know to two alpha, if asked, assuming the two alpha is cleared in the same area as they are. The numbers are the level of detail ¡ª how patchy their knowledge is, shall we say. A level three gamma in witness protection finds out about their own client. A level three alpha in witness protection finds out about lots of clients, a level two gamma in witness protection can know why we''re protecting who in what way, and where they''re going to be next. Witness protection is headed up by someone with two alpha clearance. They don''t know much at all about other areas of Security. Bella''s now one gamma. This means that she''s allowed to know lots of details in a few specific areas. I''m one alpha. I get to know lots of details in lots of areas. As you saw, Bella reported to me that she has specific information, as she should have done. His highness informed me that that information was obtained at his request, and I understand from what he said that she has further knowledge, but I chose not to know those details. Maria might find that information useful, but I doubt it is relevant to her planning outside the context of talking to Bella anyway, so I decided I didn''t need to know. He also trusted me with more information, about which I asked you for some other details, and I will pass those on to the relevant people.¡±
¡°Do I understand that if his highness hadn''t been involved, then Eliza might have been in trouble?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°You''ve got clearance from the Almighty to know all sorts of things, Sarah, but if you go passing some specific things on to people then you''re subject to the laws of this land, yes.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± Sarah agreed. ¡°We''re subject to the laws of thermodynamics and gravity too.¡±
The lift chimed gently and opened. Kate, Pete, Arwood and Hannah arrived.
¡°I thought we''d decided it wasn''t safe up here last week.¡± Hannah was saying.
¡°No, just I couldn''t remember how safe it was, and we were feeling scared.¡±
¡°Whereas this week?¡± Arwood asked.
¡°The view and the decor is much better.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Hi Eliza! Nice dress¡± Hannah said, still not spotting Albert. ¡°Hey, nice ring too! You never told us you had an admirer last week!¡±
¡°I''m happy to say that last week she didn''t.¡± Albert said ¡°Since then... things have been moving rather quickly. Hello, I presume you''re Hannah and Arwood, I''m Albert, the man who Eliza''s just made very happy.¡±
Hannah wasn''t the most avid reader of gossip columns, but she recognised his face. ¡°Your Highness!¡±
¡°Please, I''m not here officially. Just call me Albert.¡±
¡°We blame it on predestination, Hannah,¡± Eliza said. ¡°God''s known we''d marry for a long time, we''re just falling in line. Albert, descreetly in the background you see Kate, who has a role I''m not allowed to tell you about, and her husband, Pete West, artist, cake decorator, and public relations. I''m not sure where Karen''s got to.¡±
¡°My mistake.¡± Kate said. ¡°I forgot to tell her we were meeting up here again, so she and George decided to have a walk rather than call her protection officer back.¡±
¡°Oh. Oh well. We thought it would be better to bore everyone with all the details at once.¡±
¡°I must say, I hadn''t expected you to be wearing that ring quite yet. You''re going even faster than John and Sarah here.¡±
¡°We know we''re going too fast.¡± Eliza admitted. ¡°Neither of us are really used to the idea of being in love yet, but... we''re facing difficult circumstances and we needed to make a tough decision. But can we hear other news? Teresa''s said they''re going for a December the thirtieth wedding.¡±
¡°Dress up warm then!¡± Hannah said.
¡°You think it might be cold? I thought I''d go for one of those bikini style dresses.¡± Teresa teased.
¡°Have you got a dress?¡±
¡°No, I''ll be hiring one, I guess. There''s certainly no time to order one.¡±
¡°Silly idea anyway.¡± Arwood said. ¡°Why spend so much on a dress you''re going to wear once?¡±
¡°So you can keep it and lend it to friends and pass it on to your daughters, of course.¡± Hannah replied. ¡°Speaking of which, what do you think, Arwood, Is Teresa the same size as I was when you married me?¡±
¡°You''ve not changed, love, just all the other women have been getting thinner and thinner.¡±
¡°Let''s see you lift me up like you used to then, flatterer!¡±
¡°Ah.¡± Arwood grimaced. ¡°My muscles have been growing weaker too.¡±
¡°Come over some time, Teresa. See if you want to borrow my dress. We''re the same height, and I know I''ve put on a lot of weight. I think I was about your size back when it was new, hard as it seems to believe.¡±
¡°Thank you, Hannah. Is it warm?¡±
¡°Well now, with you thinking of a bikini-top I didn''t think you minded! Decide how thick a shawl you want when you try it on, that''s my advice.¡±
Karen and George eventually arrived, and Albert passed on the government''s thanks for the committee''s work, and filled in the details that hadn''t made it into the broadcast. He felt that was an appropriate response to the committee''s help.
¡°So, that''s how I met Albert.¡± Eliza added.
¡°And then threw us the little fib about not meeting.¡± Karen said.
¡°We only decided to meet today last night, Karen. Until then we didn''t have any plans except maybe go to church together next week, and I think we only came up with those at about tea-time yesterday.¡±
¡°You''re not telling us that today is your first date?¡± Hannah said, shocked.
¡°Yes. We''ve been doing a lot of talking, over the past few days, but today was our first date.¡±
¡°And they spent it planning.¡± Bella chipped in.
¡°Oh yes? I presume some hugging and kissing happened too?¡± Teresa said, thinking of how much planning and how much cuddling Tony and she did under that title.
¡°I''m not sure how much; they''d got about twenty sheets of paper all over the floor half an hour ago, full of writing.¡±
Eliza chose to ignore that. ¡°One of the things that really helped us concentrate our thinking was that Albert has been keeping a prayer diary. He started praying for his future wife''s salvation when my Mum died, and felt he didn''t need to pray for that any more after I''d come to faith, three months later.¡±
¡°I haven''t been very regular about praying for my future wife, but every time I prayed for her, it was at a crucial time in Eliza''s life, and my prayer was appropriate and answered. I don''t normally get to write ''answered'' beside so many prayers, but it feels like God has been answering all my specific prayers about my future wife to reassure us that Eliza Underwood and the woman I''ve been praying for for the last four years as my future wife are one and the same person.
¡°And the more we talked, the more obvious it was to both of us that given the choice between marrying before the impact and waiting a few years until the country had recovered after it, we''d rather not wait.¡±
Eliza added ¡°We realised that if we had the wedding after the impact then people would be upset because they didn''t think we should be having a royal wedding, however modest, when they were still rebuilding their homes and lives, or because they thought that we should have a lavish wedding to provide some respite from the gloom. Either of those leads to criticism of the monarchy.¡±
¡°Whereas you feel that a fast wedding doesn''t?¡± prompted Tony.
¡°We think that a fast wedding, a month before the impact, enables me to be Albert''s helper, not a distraction, enables the right amount of national celebration, and settles any doubt about how strongly we feel for each other. Us being engaged before any public acknowledgement of our relationship spoils some people''s enjoyment, I''m sure, but on the other hand it helps everyone plan and avoids the need for multiple announcements. We could have waited a few weeks before the engagement, but all that would do would be make it harder to plan the wedding.
Plus, of course, segments of the press would be spending all their time doing nothing except trying to get pictures of us kissing or something to help them decide if we''re going to get engaged soon. Not to mention that we''d like to be able to be at your wedding, Karen, without being the latest hot news.¡±
¡°You''re that certain about each other then?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°Yes.¡± Eliza said. ¡°We''re also certain that we don''t know each other very well, but on the other hand, delaying the engagement doesn''t help that if the wedding date is already fixed. And it needs to be, for the good of the country.¡±
¡°It sounds to me like you''re letting circumstances force you to hasty decisions, before you''re really ready.¡± Arwood said. ¡°That... sounds more than a little dangerous to me.¡±
Albert answered ¡°We know that we love each other, we know we will marry sometime. We''re trusting God that he knows what he was doing when he introduced us to each other.¡±
Eliza added ¡°Ages and ages ago ¡ª on Thursday ¡ª I declared to her Majesty that I''d do what I could to support the monarchy, just as my father had tried to pull it down. As I said it I knew it was true and it felt very much what God was calling me to do. I didn''t expect to be supporting it quite so personally, but I''m not backing away from obeying God just because of some convention about how long we''re supposed to know each other before we decide on the wedding date. I mean, in some cultures people don''t meet until the wedding day, and they cope. I trust that with God''s help we can cope too. But... we would appreciate your prayers. I don''t imagine it''ll be easy.¡±
¡°Eliza,¡± Karen said, ¡°you''re thinking of everyone except yourselves, aren''t you?¡±
¡°I think that''s our duty, Karen.¡± she replied.
Albert nodded.
¡°Then the least we can do is pray for you now, and might I suggest that, thinking of Eliza and Prince Albert''s needs, we break up the meeting quickly, so that they can have as much time together as possible? Unless someone has any other major threats they''ve come aware of. Eliza, you must call on us if we can help in any way, please.¡±
¡°Thank you. We will. One thing... Karen and Sarah, sometime I''d like to know everything you know about getting the dress fitted.¡±
¡°Of course!¡± Karen said.
¡°Sarah''s mother knew her theatre props, Eliza. It''s designed to be adjustable. And, I must say, its little surprises mean it''s got too many layers of fabric for it to be a dress for summer, really.¡±
¡°Little surprises?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°We must have a chat sometime... Bella, could Eliza have a look at the dress, say later today or tomorrow? It''s still at my house.¡±
¡°Which house, didn''t you say something about where Karen''s staying?¡±
¡°Yes. John and I are in his flat, Karen is at my old house. That''s where the dress is. And it''s going to be very emotional to pack everything up for the impact, I can tell you. Eliza... after your wedding, could you keep the dress, at least for a while? It takes a lot of space, and since we''re evacuating...¡±
¡°I''d be happy to,¡± Eliza said, ¡°but I''ve still no idea where we''re going to live after the wedding. Albert?¡±
¡°I''m afraid our future home is for my parents to decide. I can guess where they might put us, but I''d rather not say, in case I''m wrong. I''m sure we can find somewhere. But the palace has clean store-rooms if there''s no space where we end up living.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Sarah said.
¡°Where did you live before you were a hostage, Eliza?¡± John asked.
¡°I rented a room, thanks to Dad''s fund. Mum was sick for quite a while before she died, and she''d never been much of a saver. The bank strongly suggested that I sell the house to pay off what was left on the mortgage. That didn''t leave me with much. So, I''ve got enough money in a long-term account to maybe put down a deposit when I find a job. Only I seem to have found myself a job sooner than I expected, which comes with accommodation provided.¡±
¡°Yes. Food, accommodation, medical care, press interest and lots of people helping you make use of every minute of your day in a responsible manner,¡± Albert said.
¡°Good. I''d hate to have a share of that much authority without help. And I like the man I''ll be sharing my time with,¡± without thinking of the consequences she reached out to touch Albert''s hand. Feedback came immediately, blotting out thought and she jerked her hand away. Karen saw.
[Feedback?]
[Yes. Incredibly frustrating!]
[Know the feeling. Learn to take turns hiding, that''s my recommendation. No more than half a minute each so it doesn''t get too sticky, and get used to coordinating quick swap-overs. You obviously can''t coordinate them by thought, but you''re going to need to show public affection, so try signalling each other with a pressure change... do some practicing when you''re alone and can talk. The other thing to remember... It''s far easier for you to get unstuck than him, since focussing on the peace will free you. So, if he''s struggling to not be sticky, give him a rest. Otherwise he could panic and stay stuck. Neither of you want that to happen, I''m sure.]
[Thanks, Karen! I''ll tell him.]
¡°So, Bella, I''d really like to visit Karen''s home so I can meet this famous dress. What does the procedure for that look like?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Urm, Pris? Have the rules changed?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Yes, Bella, technically they have, but Eliza''s got two statuses right now, so it gets messy. I''ll just make some enquiries.¡± She tapped something on her wrist unit.
¡°What''s changed?¡± Sarah asked Eliza.
¡°The engagement. Bella''s been reassigned to royal protection with a view to me not being in witness protection much longer, but I am still a witness.¡±
¡°And a royal one,¡± Karen said.
¡°Yes. I got a little reminder earlier of how much they want to protect me, and I don''t want to cause trouble.¡±
¡°Well, why don''t I just go and bring the dress? I didn''t think of the consequences when I suggested we go there, sorry. If I take a transport then I could be be back in twenty minutes.¡±
¡°Thanks, Sarah,¡± Eliza said.
Karen made another suggestion. ¡°I''ve a better idea. You two enjoy some time together, and Sarah and I come with the dress when Albert has left. Unless he wants to see the dress? I know George has said he doesn''t want to see me in it until the day, although he''s seen Sarah wearing it.¡±
¡°Albert, what do you think?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°I like Karen''s idea. I do need to get back to the palace by five or so, Eliza. Does that give you enough time to try on the dress and work out any changes? I think I agree with George about not seeing you in it until the day, love.¡±
¡°Did I hear that the side trip is cancelled?¡± Pris asked.
¡°Yes. Karen and Sarah will bring the dress here, once the Prince has left.¡±
¡°Or it could be the Institute,¡± Kate added. ¡°Sarah and Karen bringing parcels to the Institute isn''t exactly unusual, after all.¡±
¡°Yes, that would be a good idea,¡± Pris agreed.
¡°Then if that''s settled, I''d like to suggest that we pray for the happy couple,¡± John said.
¡°About everything we''ve talked about, please,¡± Albert said, ¡°not just us.¡±
¡°Your highness,¡± Tony asked after the prayer was over, ¡°you''ve suggested that you wouldn''t object to a carefully timed article, which I''d be very happy to write, but I wouldn''t want to say too much. Could I send it to someone to get it checked?¡±
Pete spoke up. ¡°Tony, you don''t normally do royal correspondent work, and you writing it might cause friction in your organisation and let people think there''s a link between the royal couple and the Institute. Can I suggest that you be the source, and you talk to the usual NWN correspondent?¡±
¡°If you don''t mind, Tony,¡± Eliza said, ¡°that sounds like a very wise idea.¡±
¡°Urm, no, that sounds great. Unless... would one of the others of you like to be the source? If it''s me then there''s all sorts of issues about how I''d like it written, it''d be better for me just to stay out of it and make the contacts. Actually... no. Pete, this is your department. I back out entirely. You know how to set up a watertight contract about timing, prior approval and stuff. I''d just mess it up. Teresa and I have enough to think about without being involved, I think.¡±
¡°Thanks, Tony, that''s probably a great idea. But I hope you''re not going to decided I should be the source!¡± Kate said. ¡°Clear conflict of interest.¡±
Pete said, ¡°I think it should be Karen, actually.¡±
¡°Me?¡± Karen said, shocked.
¡°You''re the one with the best publicly acknowledgeable link to Eliza. You''re not linked to the Institute in the same way that Sarah is. You''re her cousin, the natural person for Eliza to turn to to release a controlled leak like this is going to be.¡±
¡°Urm. OK.¡±
¡°Now, the question of payment,¡± Pete said. ¡°As an exclusive deal, this is worth a lot. Alternatively, we could make it a non-exclusive deal and you talk to several papers for a smaller amount.¡±
¡°No, no, no!¡± Karen said. ¡°I don''t want to talk to loads of people. I''ve got my own wedding to plan. And if Tony''s giving this up, then I''m not going to make money from it personally. Either money goes to charity or it isn''t paid.¡±
¡°Charitable donation it is, then,¡± Pete said. ¡°So, on offer is an exclusive interview, pre-briefing to an important royal announcement, all contents Security-approved prior to publication, and publication timing restricted to the day of the announcement. I''ll offer it to a selected list of trustworthy royal correspondents, and the biggest charitable donation wins. Is that acceptable to everyone?¡±
¡°It is to me,¡± Pris said, ¡°assuming the prince wishes to have his statement pre-announced.¡±
¡°I think I''d prefer to have it timed to when I begin my announcement. I''ll keep the contents of my announcement short and to the point, so they''re getting background knowledge. But obviously the winning correspondent will be able to prepare far better questions.¡±
¡°With respect, your Highness, that sounds like you don''t want a managed leak so much as a press-pack.¡± Pete said.
¡°Perhaps you''re right. Could you tell me the advantages or disadvantages?¡±
¡°They both get the information out there. The managed leak separates it from your Highness and the exclusiveness and timing makes it valuable. The press pack is useful to the media but since it is just background information then they''re not going to be fighting to get a copy, and it would come from the palace, without personal reactions. The exclusive interview can be very personal, it is expected to be. But if too many restrictions are put on it, then that starts to be offensive to press freedoms.¡±
¡°I understand,¡± the prince said. ¡°Eliza?¡±
¡°I think if Karen is able to point out the witness protection laws, that makes a good motive for the correspondent to not to let it go to press until you''ve warned the press about your announcement. That would signal that I''ve made my affidavit, and so I''m out of witness protection. Then, if Karen is careful to remain anonymous, and not mention my name, then the important bit about who you''re engaged to waits for your announcement. Would that be reasonable, Pete?¡±
¡°I think that''s very reasonable, assuming it meets with Security''s approval?¡± he looked at Pris.
¡°I''ll work with Karen about what she should and shouldn''t say,¡± Pris said, ¡°Not that I expect she''ll need much help.¡±
¡°Wonderful, then I think we''ll leave you to your planning.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Thank you so much for the prayers,¡± Albert said.
¡°God be with you both, you''ve got a busy time ahead of you,¡± Arwood said.
¡°I really recommend you write a diary,¡± Sarah said. ¡°You might not be be able to remember these next days in a month or two otherwise ¡ª I expect it''ll all turn into one big messy blur. I know the six weeks before my wedding did.¡±
¡°Thus speaks the voice of experience! Thanks, Sarah,¡± Eliza said.
After everyone else had said their good byes and left, Bella asked, ¡°Pris, I thought you said that I''d take you back to the hospital?¡±
¡°I did.¡±
¡°But you''ve also said I need to keep a watch over Eliza at all times.¡±
¡°Not quite, you''ve got to make sure she''s protected at all times. That''s different. Do you notice His Highness''s protection agent here?¡±
¡°No. I was wondering why not...¡±
¡°We''ve double checked the security of this room, Bella. It''s not quite as safe as the Institute, but it is very secure. As long as Eliza promises not to leave the room, she''s safe here.¡±
¡°Oh. That''s nice.¡±
¡°It is. So, since you''ve only got a stunner right now, we''re going to get you properly equipped to take Eliza to her new home.¡±
¡°Oh, not another move!¡± Eliza said.
¡°Yes. Sorry, Eliza. We''ll eventually move you to the capital, but in the mean time we want you somewhere a bit more secure than where you''ve been so far.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°I predict that you''ll get more visitors though, so that''s probably a good point.¡±
¡°More visitors?¡±
¡°Yes. George has moved out of the Institute, so you''re getting the other room down there. We thought it would be better that way, no matter how well he''s tidied up after himself.¡±
¡°Oh! So when Sarah and Karen bring the dress, I can try it on in my new flat?¡±
¡°Yes. The other thing is that since the Institute is so secure, you don''t need a room-mate any more. Which also means that while you''re there we can stop paying Bella overtime for sleeping away from home.¡±
¡°And there I was thinking that I might be able to buy myself a flat if I keep getting overtime like this,¡± Bella said.
Eliza, Albert and Pris looked at her curiously.
¡°What?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Bella, why would you want to buy yourself a flat? As an investment or something?¡± Pris asked.
¡°Well, it''s all very nice living with mum, but, you know, I felt that it would be good to have my own place.¡±
¡°She doesn''t know, she has no idea!¡± Eliza told the others.
¡°I guess she doesn''t. That''s very sad.¡± Pris replied. ¡°Bella, does your mum know about your plan?¡±
¡°No, why?¡±
¡°Because she''d have called you names and then called your teachers names,¡± Pris said.
¡°A civil servant has the right to be fed, clothed and housed, Bella,¡± Eliza explained. ¡°Your wages are for the first two. OK, you probably get a bonus for living with your Mum, but you can request accommodation anytime, based on your needs.¡±
¡°You''re joking!¡± Bella said.
¡°No. You should have learned that in civics class,¡± Pris said.
Albert added, ¡°Maria had told 6us about the drop in standards, but I didn''t know total ignorance was that common. But, you''re roughly the same age, Eliza, how did you learn about it?¡±
¡°My mum. Kept moaning that she should have joined the civil service, then she wouldn''t have had to worry about the mortgage. In connection with my research, I checked up on what the law actually says. You need a flat, you get one, Bella, if it''s not convenient or you marry someone and it''s too small, you request a different one.¡±
¡°So I just request a flat, and one appears by magic?¡± Bella said.
¡°Well, you apply at the housing office, and they give you a selection to choose from, yes,¡± Pris said. ¡°It stays yours as long as you need it, but you do get in big trouble if you don''t keep it nice ¡ª they''ll send in a decorating crew and charge you the cost plus fifty percent, including on the crew''s wages. If you know you can''t decorate for some reason, it''s better to request the crew, then you just get charged normal rates. Oh, and if there''s any necessary structural repairs and things like that, you go to the same office, and they sort it out.¡±
Bella sat down. ¡°That is just so typical. I find out that I could get a flat just as the city''s about to get leveled anyway.¡±
¡°But just think, Bella. If you had got a flat, you''d have spent so much more on furnishings and things you can''t store,¡± Eliza said.
¡°That''s what I meant, actually. It''s God again, I know it. He''s used my ignorance and stupidity and turned it into help. You know, I was just thinking the other night... what if I hadn''t been a stupid girl, eh? No dreams, no talking to Eliza in the transport, no confirmation for the committee. No one has any idea where to look for the asteroid, no timely evacuation. Boom, lots of bodies, or at least no one takes more than they can easily carry. God uses my stupidity and saves the day.¡±
¡°Does that mean you''re thinking of trusting him?¡± Pris asked.
¡°I''d better. Otherwise someone or something else might use my stupidity to destroy someone or something I care about. How do I do it?¡±
¡°You pray what some people tend to call ''The Prayer'' and you can hear the capitals,¡± Albert said. ¡°There isn''t really a set prayer, but you tell God you''re sorry for rejecting him until now, want to follow him and not keep on sinning, that you want Jesus'' death on the cross to deal with your sin and make you clean. You thank him for his reliable promise that he will forgive your sins and give you eternal life... and did I leave anything out?¡±
¡°The third person of the trinity, Albert,¡± Eliza said. ¡°Thank God for promising the Holy Spirit to you, Bella, and ask Him to enter your life to help you to love God more every day and to live a life worthy of Jesus.¡±
¡°Do I have to? Ask for the Holy Spirit, I mean?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Still nervous?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°I''m not sure you can be a Christian this side of Pentecost without the Holy Spirit, and even if you could... you''ll need Him, Bella,¡± Albert said.
¡°Need him?¡±
¡°Bella,¡± Pris tried, ¡°what sort of witness protection agent would you be if you''d never been issued a stunner, you''d never had any training, and didn''t even have a wrist unit?¡±
¡°Totally useless. A fraud, even. Why?¡±
¡°It''s somewhat similar,¡± Pris replied. ¡°The Holy Spirit is given to Christians to equip us. It''s not easy living for God in this world, even with His help, and we''d be totally useless without it.¡±
¡°Oh. I suppose that make sense, but it doesn''t make it easier to ask.¡±
¡°Bella, can I ask... what is it you''re afraid of?¡± Albert asked.
¡°That I lose control, become a mess of scary dreams again. That sort of thing.¡±
Eliza knew it was time to once more point out to Bella that she trusted God already. ¡°Bella, can I point something out to you?¡±
¡°Should I be scared?¡± Bella asked with a grin.
¡°Why should you be?¡±
¡°Well, you pointed something out to his Majesty, I''ve no idea what, and the next thing I know he''s telling the nation to pray.¡±
¡°Oh. That. I can''t comment on that, at all, you understand.¡±
¡°Of course not. So, what do you want to point out to me?¡±
¡°That you already trust God. You just don''t want to trust in Him.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°You already trust God: I mean, you were happy to pray that God would keep the forces of evil from mucking with your mind, but you didn''t say a thing about him leaving your thoughts alone. That''s trusting, that is. Very trusting.¡±
¡°That''s different. Of course I trust God to clean out demons. The Bible''s full of Jesus getting demons out.¡±
¡°But you hadn''t started reading the Bible back then.¡±
¡°I know. But he''d cleaned them out before, when my dreams stopped.¡±
¡°So why are you nervous about letting God enter your life?¡±
¡°That''s not about God, that''s some angel, isn''t it.¡±
¡°Urm, Bella, I think you need to learn a little more theology,¡± Albert said. ¡°Have you ever heard of the Nicene creed?¡±
¡°Don''t think so.¡±
¡°Oh well. Not all churches use it as part of their service, but if you ever find a group that doesn''t believe it, then they''re probably not Christians as we understand the word. It''s worth learning some time. I know you''ve heard the word Trinity, since Eliza just used it. What do you understand it to mean?¡±
¡°Urm, not much.¡±
¡°Bella, were you asleep the other night?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Urm... I didn''t think so.¡±
¡°I did try to explain the Trinity to you, honest! God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit, three persons, one God, remember?¡±
¡°Oh yes. I remember, three leaves in one leaf, that sort of thing,¡± Bella said. She''d been tired, but not asleep. The context for this conversation dawned on her. ¡°Urm, are you saying that ''Holy Spirit'' means ''God the Spirit?''¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Pris said
¡°Oh. So we''re not talking about God sending an angel, but God sending Himself?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Albert agreed.
¡°Oh. Wow. Really? Why didn''t you say?¡± Bella said, amazed.
Eliza buried her head in her hands and shook her head. ¡°I must have! Surely!¡±
¡°Maybe I was too tired to take it in. Sorry.¡±
¡°No harm done,¡± Albert said.
¡°Yes, there was!¡± Bella retorted, ¡°That little misunderstanding has wasted some of your time together. So, what do I need to pray again?¡±
¡°Want to do it line by line?¡± Pris offered.
¡°Yes, please!¡±
¡°So who gets the joy of helping you get born again?¡± Albert asked.
¡°I don''t know. What does that mean?¡±
¡°Synonym for becoming a Christian. Something else I said the other night,¡± Eliza said.
¡°Oh yes. Sorry. I did know that. Too many new words, I guess. You do it, Eliza. You''ve put in the hours.¡±
¡°Yes, but they didn''t get through, did they? Why don''t we all say a line?¡± Eliza asked. ¡°That way we can all claim to have prayed ''the prayer'' with you.¡±
¡°If the future king, his future wife, and the future head of Security want to share the privilege, far be it from me to stop them.¡±
¡°Who said I was the future head of Security?¡± Pris said, shocked.
¡°I''m sure Maria''s got plans for you, Pris, and for her own retirement.¡±
¡°Thanks! Please don''t put that idea in her head.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m sure it''s there already, Pris.¡± Albert said, as though it was reassurance. ¡°You know how Maria is. Now, I think it should be ladies first, so Eliza, Pris, and then me.¡±
After they''d spent most of the afternoon planning, talking and practicing swapping who was hidden while they held hands, and of course while they kissed too, Albert eventually had to leave. They''d found time to discuss a lot of practical things, but also talked about their lives before they''d met, and their hopes and dreams.
On the practical side, Albert was going to arrange for marriage preparation classes from his pastor, and for the ring to be adjusted. Eliza was going to draw up a list of people she''d like to be at the wedding ¡ª close friends from university and her church. She didn''t want to completely abandon her friends, but it was going to be hard. They''d agreed that she''d try to visit them, once she was out of witness protection, and Albert would join her for a visit to her church. At least she''d be able to meet Bob McDaniel soon, assuming he was planning to visit the institute like he normally did.
The issue of bridesmaids had obviously come up. Karen and Sarah were not only relatives, but also knew the dress, which would be very helpful. Eliza really wanted Caroline, her best friend at church, to be one too, but Caroline had just signed on to be resident portrait painter on a cruise ship. So Eliza wasn''t sure if Caroline would be free. If she was then as well as bridesmaid Eliza wanted to give her a chance to paint her portrait in the wedding dress, if it could be arranged in the limited time. Caroline did beautiful paintings, and Eliza was sure that something like that in her portfolio could really help Caroline''s career. But that couldn''t be arranged until the announcement. Caroline had a flaw, Eliza knew, that she wasn''t good at keeping secrets. It wasn''t that she was a gossip, just... incredibly open. Anyone asking Caroline why she was smiling would hear Eliza''s good news, no matter how hard she tried not to say, and Caroline wouldn''t be able to ask for time off work without saying exactly why. Anything Caroline got involved in had to be destined for public knowledge.
Given that it was winter, the train of the dress would need to be carried; at five metres long that would mean that four or five bridesmaids would be far better than three. It would be good to have another two friends involved, but she couldn''t have just two of her three flatmates. But six was surely too many? Eliza needed to pray about it, and talk to Sarah too. Perhaps Caroline would be better as just an artist? No, she wanted someone from church. Perhaps some younger girls from Church? She didn''t know any of them except the pastor''s daughter though.
Eliza decided to sleep on that decision, so she added it to her list of decisions sheet. She needed to write lists, lots of lists. Maybe she needed a list of lists, to make sure that nothing got lost.
¡°Shall we go to the institute now, Eliza?¡± Bella asked, helping her collect up the papers.
¡°I guess so. Bella, no promises, just a question... would you being a bridesmaid conflict with your role as my protection officer?¡±
¡°Bridesmaid with firearm and stunner in a holster? I''m not sure if it goes, Eliza. Thanks for considering me though.¡±
¡°In a shoulder-bag wouldn''t be sufficient?¡±
¡°Probably not. I expect there''s too much chance of it not being where I need it to be. Sorry. Unless you make us all wear jackets that I could hide them under. And it would still look awkward I think.¡±
¡°Oh well. I''ll keep thinking about who I should pick. Karen tells me the train is about five metres long.¡±
¡°You''re the one who wants a winter wedding!¡±
¡°No I don''t. I just want a quick wedding, and it''s winter.¡±
¡°It''s the same thing.¡±
¡°Not at all. It just ends me up with the same result.¡±
¡°Couldn''t you shorten the train?¡±
¡°No. Changing the subject, any idea at all how long it takes to get identical bridesmaids'' dresses done?¡±
¡°Got a designer in mind?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Lots of research then, or I could take a quick trip downstairs to the wedding department and see what they''re offering. I expect they''ve got brochures or something with off-the peg dresses. What''s the budget?¡±
¡°Urm.... Pass. Who pays for bridesmaids'' dresses?¡±
¡°Joint effort, from what I understand, but maybe not for a royal wedding.¡±
¡°Ouch. I need to talk to Albert about the wedding budget then.¡±
¡°And his mother. She might have feelings about how your bridesmaids are dressed.¡±
¡°Bella, that''s a very very wise thought. Thanks. Maybe I can delegate arranging bridesmaids dresses to her.¡±
¡°Glad to be of help. Shall we go?¡±
¡°Yes. Let''s.¡±
As they descended in the elevator, Eliza called, [Karen, Sarah, I''m going to the Institute now. No panic, because apparently I''m going to be staying downstairs, in the other room.]
[Oh, great, so we see more of you for a while?] Sarah asked.
[Yes. I''m not sure when, but eventually they''ll move me to the capital ¡ª it makes more sense if I''m going to be going to lots of official functions with Albert.]
[Yes. It does.] Karen said [George was practically staff, but I guess you don''t want to be, am I right?]
[I think I''m going to be a busy girl. Either I''m going to be working on plans or on essays, I expect.]
[Yes. I agree with you. I expect Kate will tell everyone that there''s someone down there who doesn''t want to be disturbed, but I''ll tell the computer too.] Sarah said.
[I don''t mind visitors I know, but... you know, I''m going to have all sorts of wedding-related lists around the flat, so I don''t want people I don''t know just deciding ''I''ll go and chat to our new guest because she''s bound to be bored'' and then getting curious.]
[Of course. I understand.] Sarah said.
[Sarah,] Karen said, [I think you should get the computer to help Eliza not be seen by any clients, even if she is upstairs.]
[I''ll do it when I get there. Privacy guard for the flat and ''deny-awareness'' rules for everywhere.]
[But if Bob McDaniel shows up, I''d like to see him.]
[No problem at all.] Sarah reassured her. [I''ll be at your place in five minutes, Karen, to help with the dress, OK?]
[Yes, fine!]
[It''d be good to know if it needs adjusting, can I try it on as well as just looking?] Eliza said.
[Of course.] Sarah said [Not much point in just looking, is there? And you can''t put it on alone.]
¡°John?¡± Sarah said ¡°I''m off to help with the dress.¡±
¡°Oh, OK. See you in an hour or so then.¡±
¡°You''re joking! It''ll take three hours at least once I get there, probably four, you know how long it takes to put it on!]
¡°Oh. Urm. No I don''t. What shall I do with dinner then? It''s going to be ready at six.¡±
¡°Is that what you''ve been doing? I thought you were preparing something for tomorrow. I was thinking I''d just grab some bread on the way.¡±
¡°Urm... I could bring it over, would that work?¡±
¡°Is there a sauce?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Then no. No sauces near the dress please, or anything else which will risk marking it. Can''t you just put it in the fridge?¡±
¡°It''s just gone in the oven!¡±
¡°I''m sorry John, I need to go, I won''t be back until eight at the earliest, probably nine, and I expect we''ll eat something to stop tempers fraying, so assume I won''t be hungry when I get back. I thought you knew all this.¡±
¡°No. I thought you were just delivering it. So much for our evening together. I guess I''ll cook it and then reheat it tomorrow.¡±
¡°Can''t it be cooked tomorrow?¡±
¡°It''s a savory souffl¨¦, Sarah! I probably shouldn''t even be talking this close to it, but I''ve even started on the washing up and have bubbles up to my elbows. You know, we did have a romantic candle-lit meal planned.¡±
¡°I''ll try and be back soon John. I''m sorry, I forgot.¡± She left before John could reply. As she got out of the transport he said [I forgive you, Sarah. Sorry I reacted badly. But... please do come home soon.]
Getting to her old home, and opening the door, she heard a scene which rang so many bells that she gently closed it and called John. [John, I think Karen''s as forgetful as me.]
[Pardon?]
[It''s George''s first weekend out of protection, isn''t it.]
[Their first real date?]
[I expect so. I''ve just heard a very familiar conversation. I think I need to ring my own doorbell.]
[Do you think Eliza could wait a night or two?]
[Thinking about it, I expect so. I''ll ask.] Sarah thought. [Eliza! It looks like not only have I double booked myself, but Karen has too. I''m just guessing, but there''s sounds of ''how could you forget'' ''why didn''t you say'' etc. coming from her front door. Would it wreck any of your plans if we said tomorrow night, or even afternoon instead?]
[Urm.. no, that''s fine.]
[Then I''ll just sneak away and pretend I didn''t hear Karen and George arguing, and call Karen.]
[Just make sure neither of them storms out.]
[Karen! I''ve been an idiot and forgotten that John was cooking something special for me tonight. Eliza says we can play dresses tomorrow.]
[{relief} you''re an angel of mercy. Hold on.]
[John, cancelled. I''ll hang around in case they need someone to bash heads together.]
[You know that''ll upset George, Sarah.]
[I think he''s upset already.]
[Oh. I was too. Let''s go out for a meal.]
[What about the souffl¨¦?]
[You shut the door... I opened the oven... it went in the bin.]
[What!]
[I was... a bit cross. Sorry.]
[I''m sorry John. Urm.. can I tell George and Karen? It might help.]
[Yes.]
Sarah retraced her steps to the front door, and rang the bell.
No one answered, which, Sarah decided was fair enough. So she opened it herself.
¡°Hello, it''s me.¡±
¡°Hello, Sarah.¡± George said.
¡°I hope you''re not planning to bin the souffl¨¦, George.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°For full explanation, ask John. He''s just spent half the afternoon making a souffl¨¦, and then I came out and he binned it. I think he was a bit upset.¡±
¡°What a waste!¡± Karen said.
¡°Understandable though.¡± George said, grimly.
¡°So, since I only had my brain-wave about moving the dress-testing when I heard some similar emotions being expressed here, I thought I ought to try and play peacemaker. I''m really really sorry for not making it clear to you men that it would be a multi-hour event.¡±
¡°And I''m sorry for forgetting our big date.¡± Karen said.
¡°Now, I would like to point out to you two something very important.¡± Sarah said, hiding her thoughts.
¡°What''s that?¡±
¡°You love each other really.¡± and with that, she grabbed a hand of each of them and made them touch fingers.
¡°Sarah!¡± Karen protested, hiding her own thoughts.
¡°I''m hidden. And I want to see you two mended. So, share your emotions until feedback starts. I''ll promise to throw a bucket of cold water on you if you start getting silly.¡±
¡°You can''t force this on us!¡± George said.
¡°No, but I can make myself a nuisance until you do.¡± Sarah replied, smugly.
¡°Let go of my hand please, Sarah.¡± George tried again. ¡°I don''t want to hurt you.¡±
¡°Good. Then hold Karen''s because you probably don''t want to hurt her either, really.¡±
¡°What do you mean, ''really''?¡±
¡°Just do it, George.¡±
Karen unhid her thoughts [{sorrow} I''m really really sorry George.]
[{pain} it hurt a lot, Karen.]
[{reflected pain} I see that. I''m sorry. I didn''t want to hurt you. It seemed such a good idea, I just forgot, and then it was all arranged.]
[{sadness}We''ve been planning it so long.]
[{sadness}I know, George. I don''t know how I forgot. I''m sorry for ruining the day.]
[{disbelief} Sarah''s outrageous isn''t she?]
[{agreement}Yes. Imagine forcing us to do this!]
[We should do it to her and John sometime.]
[Not the same. They''re married, they''re probably immune to feedback by now.]
[I wonder how soon that develops {anticipation}]
[We seem to be immune from it at the moment.{sadness} I sort of miss it, it means we''ve broken something, doesn''t it, George?]
[I think so. But, she''s right. I do still love you.. Does no feedback mean that we can kiss?]
[Sarah has appointed herself chaperone.]
[I don''t want to get drenched, though.]
[I think it''s worth the risk. I love you, George.]
[I love you too, Karen. But I don''t actually feel like kissing in front of Sarah.]
[I doubt our chaperone will turn her back for us.] Karen said.
[I suppose not. But I''m going to ask her to.] ¡°Sarah, can you stop grinning at us like that and turn you back please?¡±
¡°Of course, but only for a little while.¡±
¡°Don''t you trust us?¡± Karen asked
¡°Of course I trust you. I just don''t trust feedback.¡± Sarah said.
¡°But you''re pushing us towards it.¡± accused George.
¡°No, I''m pushing you towards healing. So, now that you''re not shouting at each other, I suggest some prayer, but a kiss or two first wouldn''t hurt either. I''ll give you thirty seconds.¡± and with that she turned her back and put her hands over her ears.
[Karen,] George said, [there''s more water for her in the kitchen isn''t there?]
[And she can''t see round corners.] hand in hand they stepped into the kitchen and kissed.
[{pleasure, love} I love you, Karen.]
[{love} You too, George.]
[No feedback yet.]
[Do we want it?]
[No. Let''s pray.]
Towards the end of their prayer time, they dropped hands. It was getting hard to think as the familiar feeling of feedback grew and grew.
Sarah, with her thoughts hidden, quietly opened the door and crept in.
¡°Boo!¡± she said, and leapt into John''s surprised arms.
¡°Sarah! What are you doing?¡±
¡°Trying my own medicine.¡± and she unhid her thoughts [I made George and Karen hold hands.]
[Didn''t that make it worse? Anger-feedback is really bad.]
[Didn''t seem to. I guess the sun hadn''t gone down on their anger. They went out on their date anyway. I love you John. Sorry for ruining the evening. {regret, love}]
[{Love} I''m sorry for ruining a perfectly flat souffl¨¦.]
[{surprise} Perfectly flat?]
[It must have collapsed as soon as I put it in the oven. Flat as a pancake.]
[Pancakes sound nice. Shall I make some later?]
[What about our date in town?]
[Town can wait.{love}]
[{love} What for?]
[Important things, like kisses.]
[Oh, yes, kisses are important. Shall I hide, or you?]
[Neither.] Sarah said, decisively.
[I love you, Sarah.]
[I love you too, John, and you''re mine.]
Preparation / Ch. 8: Leaks and interviews
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 8: Leaks and interviews
9 A.M. Monday 27th November. N.W.N.
Tony, passing the editor''s office, saw the door was open. He popped his head in. ¡°Albert, can I have a quiet word?¡±
¡°Yes, Tony. Got a new lead?¡±
¡°Hmm. Sort of. Not my territory though.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°There''s going to be an invitation to tender coming from Pete West. For all sorts of reasons, I''m not going to be touching it, but it''s solid.¡±
¡°Any chance you can name your reasons?¡±
¡°Number one is it''s not my territory and I don''t want to trample toes. Number two is I probably wouldn''t do a good job, number three... probably comes down as conflict of interest.¡±
¡°Conflict of interest? How?¡±
¡°Hmmm... how much can I say? Ok... It would be against everyone''s interests if the story were linked in people''s minds to the Institute, which my involvement would do. It''s not Institute-related, and there''d probably be unpleasant repercussions, say for my Security clearance.¡±
¡°You''re telling me you know about this somehow, and you know what it''s all about?¡±
¡°I think I''ve said too much already, Albert. Except that Eleanor will quite possibly kill you if you let it go.¡±
¡°Eleanor?¡± Albert''s mind raced. Eleanor was the royal correspondent. ¡°You couldn''t have just put her in contact with your contact, could you?¡±
¡°I guess I could have done, but I advised her to talk to Pete instead.¡±
¡°This isn''t some kiss and tell story is it? We don''t touch those, you know.¡±
¡°No, Albert. It''s exclusive, but there''s going to be strings attached.¡±
¡°About royalty?¡±
¡°I''m not saying any more, sorry.¡±
¡°But you could?¡±
¡°Not without legal advice.¡±
¡°Well, call your fianc¨¦e then.¡±
¡°I''d be happy to, but I think I''d end up needing to call someone in Internal Security.¡±
¡°Just what have you got yourself into now, Tony?¡±
¡°I''m just an innocent bystander, honest.¡±
¡°So why are you dropping these hints?¡±
¡°Loyalty to my employer, sir. I''d hate to see someone else get this.¡±
¡°And you''d like your friend to get rich?¡±
¡°No. Winning bidder gets to make a charitable donation. My friend isn''t even in it for the glory.¡±
¡°All right Tony. I''ll pay attention.¡±
10.30 A.M.
Eleanor sat at her desk and looked at the note. It wasn''t often that she got such a thing. Someone was obviously concerned about security, because it was on paper, hand-delivered by a courier. ¡°Exclusive interview offered, open, online auction (charitable donation) starts 4.30pm Monday. Closes three minutes after final bid. Background piece for a palace announcement, expected this week. Publication timing is restricted by legal reasons. Oversight by Internal Security is required. Contract will be available to bidders from 4pm.¡±
She decided that it wasn''t her call. As she walked to the editor''s office she thought about it some more. There had been a few palace announcements in the past few week about the impact, but she presumed that a physical letter wasn''t going to be sent about that. The royal family had been quite open about that. So was this something about the prince''s love-life? There''d been a lot of speculation, of course. Perhaps he''d decided to start dating the girl? The legal stuff was... peculiar.
¡°Albert, I''ve had a paper note delivered.¡± Eleanor said.
¡°Curiouser and curiouser. From Pete West?¡±
¡°Yes. Offer of an exclusive interview.¡±
¡°And just a couple of hours ago young Tony was telling me that you''d kill me if we lost it.¡±
¡°Tony Randle? Bob''s understudy? What does he know about it?¡±
¡°More than he''s telling, obviously. Sounds to me like he could be writing it himself, except that he thought it would upset Internal Security. Is that the note?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± She passed it over.
¡°Not very explicit is it?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Your guess?¡±
¡°My guess, is that someone knows something about the prince''s love life, the girl he isn''t dating. But I''ve no idea what all this is about the timing restrictions.¡±
¡°And the ''Oversight by Internal Security is required.'' line is really odd. By who, the palace? Tell me your guesses.¡±
¡°OK... let''s consider what the rumours say... A red-head in security got quoted as saying that she''s not dating him any more than he is dating her, now that''s a get-out clause if ever I heard one. Maybe they''re not dating, but she''s with him a lot anyway, so they can talk, and love has bloomed. But she''s in Security. She can''t talk about her work, especially not if her work is him. Maybe they''re about to announce that they are dating, and we''re getting the chance to talk to her or a colleague, with some sort of official wink from the palace, but they want to keep their job and not give away operational secrets. Would that work?¡±
¡°It''s possible. Tony did give away that you''d be talking to a woman.¡±
¡°Assuming that we win it.¡±
¡°He also told me that you''d probably kill me if we don''t.¡±
¡°I''d only consider killing you for not getting a wedding announcement Albert,¡± Eleanor joked.
¡°Does he know that?¡± Albert asked, taking it dead-pan.
¡°What? It was a joke, Albert! I''m not planning on murdering anyone!¡±
¡°But... might he know that for you a wedding announcement would be that significant?¡±
¡°I''d have thought all royal correspondents would find a royal wedding that important, Albert.¡±
¡°Hmm. So. What''s the value of it?¡±
¡°I have no idea. Say, two percent of the population will want to see anything about the prince''s love life. Five percent might want to see some sort of topical muck-raking. If it''s really first news about a wedding, then, I don''t know. Thirty, forty percent. It depends on how long we have the exclusive information. I''m worried about the timing restrictions and the Security oversight thing. We could end up getting a wonderful story and have it broadcast to the world by the palace before we get it out.¡±
¡°A really wonderful story might hold its value after the announcement though.¡±
¡°Yes. All depends on what the palace say.¡±
¡°But this is background information. From that I''m guessing that means we''d be getting stuff that the announcement doesn''t cover.¡±
¡°And therefore remains newsworthy?¡±
¡°I think I''ll verify that with Mr. West. If you manage to get some more out of Tony, then that''d be grand.¡±
¡°I''ll give it a try.¡±
¡°Hi, Tony, Albert tells me that you know all about the note that landed on my desk this morning.¡±
¡°Hello, Eleanor. I know more than I can say. Does that help?¡±
¡°So... off the record.... what can you tell me?¡±
¡°I can tell you that you''re going to be seriously miffed if Albert gets outbid.¡±
¡°Albert said you said I''d kill him.¡±
¡°I was exaggerating. You''d probably just slip laxative in his coffee just before he meets with the directors or something like that.¡±
¡°So is this a unique opportunity?¡±
¡°I''m not sure if it counts as unique, but it''s not the sort of story you get every year.¡±
¡°I''ve been in this job thirty years, Tony. Has it happened in my career?¡±
¡°Yes, Eleanor, but I won''t tell you how often. We don''t want to get accused of insider dealing, do we?¡±
¡°I suppose not. But from what you understand, will the story still be newsworthy after the palace announcement?¡±
¡°Yes, unless the announcement says more than I heard discussed.¡±
¡°Just where were you when you heard this?¡±
¡°Look Eleanor, you know I have clearance to be somewhere that Security uses occasionally for different purposes. That doesn''t mean I can report on who''s there.¡±
¡°And the prince was in town on Saturday.¡±
¡°Yes, I understand that he was.¡±
¡°And you''ve met his red-head?¡±
¡°I''m saying nothing.¡±
¡°But if you know all about it, why aren''t you writing the article, or being the source?¡±
¡°Because there''s a better source than me, I don''t want laxative in my coffee, and this has nothing to do with the Institute and no one wants it linked to it in people''s minds.¡±
¡°By no one, who do you mean?¡±
¡°The Institute, Security, me, the palace.¡±
¡°But you went to the Institute to meet the prince?¡±
¡°No. I went to an undisclosed location to meet some friends, some of whom need to keep a low profile, and we were surprised several times in quick succession.¡±
¡°Need to keep a low profile? You can''t mean royalty, you mean people with the gift?¡±
¡°No, Eleanor. People with the gift do the shopping just like everyone else.¡±
¡°I''m confused then.¡±
¡°How I got involved isn''t relevant, or publishable, Eleanor. You''ll find out plenty if Albert wins the bid.¡±
¡°Albert needs to know what to limit his bids to.¡±
¡°I''ve said too much already, Eleanor. There''s going to be accusations of unfair process, insider dealing, breach of trust, all those sorts of things. Sorry.¡±
¡°That''s all you''ll say?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°If Albert doesn''t win it...¡±
¡°Then it''s not my fault.¡±
¡°I was going to say, would you give me a few more hints?¡±
¡°I''d have to discuss that with various people.¡±
3:45pm
¡°Hi, Pete, Albert Campbell, N.W.N. Interesting note you sent to my royal correspondent this morning.¡±
¡°Hello, Albert. Nice to hear from you again.¡±
¡°Can you fill me in on a little detail or two?¡±
¡°That would very much depend what you want to know.¡±
¡°The key one is how much of the interview becomes old news when the announcement is made, and how much publication lead we get.¡±
¡°Hmm. Well, my understanding is that the announcement will be fairly brief and to the point, and will contain some things that will not be in the interview, whereas the interview will give a much fuller picture. That fuller picture will not be negated by the announcement. But of course I''m not involved in writing palace speeches.¡±
¡°But the interview has palace approval?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And it will be given by someone involved in the announcement?¡±
¡°No, a relative.¡±
¡°Distant, or someone who knows things?¡±
¡°Knows things, has opinions and is prepared to share them.¡±
¡°Anyone else asked you these sorts of questions?¡±
¡°Not yet, Albert.¡±
¡°That''s encouraging.¡±
¡°Depending where you''re looking from.¡±
¡°Anything else I should be asking?¡± it was always worth a try.
¡°Probably. You understand the bidding process?¡±
¡°Bidding continues until we all go quiet for three minutes. Simple enough.¡±
¡°That''s it.¡±
¡°Is it any charity?¡±
¡°No. Details are on the contract. I take it you''d like to see a copy?¡±
¡°Yes please.¡±
¡°O.K. You''re added to the list. Let me know if it''s not arrived by five past.¡±
¡°Many others on the list?¡±
¡°I don''t expect you''ll be the only one bidding, not by a long shot.¡±
¡°How many of those invitations went out?¡±
¡°Oh, about a hundred.¡±
Albert whistled. ¡°Postage must have cost something.¡±
¡°Not my budget.¡±
¡°Can I ask whose?¡±
¡°You can ask. I can''t answer though, sorry.¡±
¡°I see. Well, speak to you later!¡±
¡°Speak to you later!¡±
Disconnecting, he said, ¡°Well, Eleanor, I count that as positive.¡±
¡°In that the competition aren''t asking questions?¡±
¡°Yes. And that Pete thinks the story isn''t going to vanish.¡±
¡°That''s encouraging. Any other leads?¡±
¡°The hall of fame for Internal Security notes that an agent received a commendation for creative thinking under pressure and imaginative use of a wig.¡± Eleanor said.
¡°So, the red-head could be not a red-head?¡±
¡°And possibly isn''t even the right woman. Tony did let slip something else: that he''d been meeting with friends, and I quote ''some of who need to keep a low profile.'' If the mystery woman were some kind of spy, would that work?¡±
¡°And they''re waiting for whatever she''s involved in to end? It doesn''t seem very plausible. If she''s undercover, why would she be hob-nobbing with reporters, let alone royalty?¡± Albert said. ¡°It doesn''t make sense.¡±
¡°No. It doesn''t make sense, does it.¡±
¡°So, where does that leave us?¡±
¡°Waiting on the contract, hoping our legal guys are happy, and winning the bidding war.¡±
¡°Speaking of which, I''ll just check my in-box. Oh, lookee here! There it is, safe and sound.¡±
¡°Any gotcha''s?¡±
¡°Not so far. Here, have a copy.¡±
Eleanor read the legalese. She didn''t see anything, except to notice what she''d expected already ¡ª Security would be present during the interview, and would hold reporter and editor personally responsible for any breaches of the contract.
It was interesting that Security was involved, quite interesting. She wasn''t quite so sure about the next phrase. ''Representatives of Internal Security are available to check final copy and timing of publication is not in breach of any relevant laws, and request that their services be used.''
¡°Does this mean censorship, Albert?¡±
¡°What I hope it means is someone is nervous about us breaking the law, and that if we publish too soon or too much then we do. This reminds me of something... I know, sub-judice laws! Publish too soon, and we get into big trouble. Wait a bit and we''ve got a great story.¡±
¡°I''m going to interview someone involved in a trial?¡±
¡°Possibly. A witness?¡±
¡°Needing to keep a low profile! Witness protection!¡±
¡°And the prince isn''t dating her... Well, he couldn''t if she''s in witness protection. Interesting hypothesis, explains all the details, but we can''t run with it. If we go suggesting anything about witness protection then we''re in trouble. But I think you can go with a ''not the red-head'' piece.¡±
¡°It might be a double bluff.¡±
¡°It might be, but... it''ll give you something to write up while I''m bidding.¡±
¡°Yes. Best if I don''t see how many week''s of my salary this costs us.¡±
¡°Go on, get writing!¡±
¡°Bye.¡±
Albert looked at the contract again. It looked water-tight. He''d put the agreed price into an escrow account. The interview would happen, and then either they''d publish or syndicate the story to someone else, in which case the money would go to the charity or if they decided it wasn''t worth publishing then most of the money would come back to them.
The specified charity was the royal fund for injured sailors, soldiers, astronauts, and agents. They did a lot of good work, he knew, but it wasn''t the charity that he''d expected. It was the sort of charity that people in the civil service or armed forces might think of, but not outside. No wonder they''d mandated Security involvement.
4:28pm
Karen and George knocked at Kate and Pete''s front door. ¡°Hi, it hasn''t started yet has it?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Not quite.¡± Kate answered.
¡°Thanks for having us over.¡±
¡°Oh that''s fine. It''s quite exciting, really. I''ve never been involved in this sort of thing before. I know it''s early, but I''ve got some nibbles.¡±
¡°Thirty seconds!¡± Pete called from the living room.
¡°How long do you think it''ll take?¡±
¡°I expect that the first few bids will come in quickly, Then it''ll probably settle down. Come and see the display set up.¡±
The screen was full of boxes, five across the screen, and ten down ¡ª only half of the invitations had resulted in people asking to bid. Each box had an news organisation''s name and a number. Karen recognised most of them, everything from serious broadcasters to kiss-and-tell publications, and a few that normally published things like ''aliens ate my dog''. Karen really hoped it wouldn''t be one of those that won.
George asked ¡°So, the highest bid will be highlighted somehow?¡±
¡°Yes. Highest bid in yellow, second highest in white, others will be fading towards dark blue based on when they last bid. People who declare themselves out will go black. And the stopwatch in the middle shows how long ago the last bid was.¡±
¡°And it''s due to start about now.¡± Kate said.
It did. Initially the yellow blurred from place to place as different opening bids came in. Some of the bids had already been passed by the time they registered.
Karen was surprised at the amounts. ¡°We''re already at my book budget for last term!¡±
¡°It''s the numbers involved.¡± Pete said ¡°If they can get an extra percentage of the population accessing them, then that''s a lot of money, for just one report. And then you can add the advertising revenue. I''d expect to see another couple of zeros on there by the end of the evening.¡±
¡°I hope the charity''s happy.¡± George said, seeing the first of Pete''s predicted zeros get close.
¡°I''m sure they will be.¡± Karen said. ¡°Right now they don''t know about it at all.¡±
¡°They don''t need to, until the paper publishes.¡± Pete added. ¡°Then I''ll attach a note from Security to confirm that the interview wasn''t breaking any rules. They get touchy about that sort of thing.¡±
¡°I''m sure they do!¡± Karen said.
¡°No bids from some of the big names yet.¡± George said, looking at the screen.
¡°Not worth their time, as long as the bidding is so low.¡± Pete said.
¡°So low?¡± Karen was surprised.
¡°They''re going to be devoting at least the equivalent of half a working month at this, Karen, when you add all the different production staff into the mix. They''re letting the little ones have their fun, that''s all. Or maybe they''re not all interested. NWN are, I''ve spoken to their editor in chief.¡±
¡°Do you think Tony''s been encouraging interest?¡±
¡°I''m sure he has, and I''m sure he''s been very careful not to say too much, too. Oh look, a bid.¡±
¡°Ouch!¡± Karen said. ¡°I know you said so, Pete, but...¡±
¡°You''re planning to give them the story of the year, Karen. Remember that. If there''s enough interest then it''ll pay the salaries of the entire staff for a couple of weeks, if not a month.¡±
¡°Then what did Bob''s reporting do?¡±
¡°Made sure that NWN keeps going for another few years, I expect.¡±
¡°Wow.¡±
¡°No one''s beaten NWN''s bid, I see.¡± Kate said.
¡°I know. It was about four times the previous bid, after all. The others are talking to their accountants, I expect.¡±
¡°I''m not surprised.¡± Karen said, shaking her head.
The time ticked by. After two minutes, another bid came in, a fraction higher than NWN''s bid.
¡°They''re testing NWN.¡± Pete said. ¡°Was that their upper limit?¡±
¡°Oh, a third big bidder!¡± Kate said.
¡°Hmm. Not one I''d expected either.¡± Pete said. ¡°I''d have thought that was a month''s revenue for them.¡±
¡°A big gamble?¡± Tony asked.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡°More likely their final bid, so they can tell their staff sorry, we tried really hard.¡±
¡°NWN bids again.¡± George said. It was thirty percent more than the previous highest bid. ¡°Ouch! That must hurt the little guys, if that was their highest bid.¡±
¡°I didn''t know NWN were this big.¡± Kate said.
¡°I wonder if Tony said too much.¡± Karen said.
¡°I doubt it.¡± Pete said. ¡°Look ¡ª NWN are out-bid again.¡±
¡°Hmm, by twenty percent, too.¡± George observed.
¡°We''re now in about the right region.¡± Pete said. ¡°NWN have asked me some questions which should convince them to bid a bit higher than the others. Those guys might have deep pockets though.¡±
¡°But I thought they were just kiss-and-tell merchants.¡± Karen said.
¡°Yes, but that makes them used to paying for stories, and with a wide circulation. They throw money at a real story now and again to keep up appearances.¡±
¡°Maybe I shouldn''t be watching this.¡± Karen decided. ¡°It''s too much money. Are you really saying that this would have been coming to us if I''d accepted it?¡±
¡°They''re bidding high because of the charity angle. Plus of course if you''d been making money from this then I''d have taken my cut, and there''d be taxes and legal fees and things to pay too.¡±
¡°Whereas you''re doing it from generosity now?¡±
¡°Not entirely. This is good advertising for my friends'' agency, after all. And the palace is funding the external costs; they approve of your choice of charity. That''s not for sharing with anyone.¡±
¡°I''ve seen how much they''ve helped Pris.¡±
¡°And this little sum should help them continue with that.¡±
¡°NWN are five percent clear again.¡± Kate noticed.
¡°Yes. Serious bidding now. No more trying to shock the opponent, just seeing how much deeper their pockets are compared to the other side''s.¡±
¡°I didn''t realise it would be this much!¡± Karen said.
¡°Remember, Karen, they''re convinced they can make this much and more out of what you''re going to tell them, and I might add, once they''ve interviewed you the contract says that if they''re not happy they can withdraw. If they don''t think what you tell them is worth it, then they publish nothing and most of the money goes back to them.¡± Pete said.
¡°I didn''t know about that. So they''re not risking the company in the hope that I''m a good enough subject.¡±
¡°When you say most, what does that mean?¡±
¡°Ten percent, minus bank fees, goes to the charity come what may.¡±
¡°OK. So it''s not zero-risk bidding, so they''d bid ten times that to stop the other one from winning.¡± George said.
¡°No. But take off a zero for how much they''re actually gambling with.¡± Pete said.
¡°OK. That makes me feel better.¡± Karen said. It was still a lot of money, of course.
Kate said, ¡°The other guys are being slow to bid. Two minutes gone.¡±
¡°Probably getting close to their limit, or reached it already.¡± Pete said.
¡°Or they''re talking to their owner about going over for one last bid.¡±
¡°Ouch.¡± George said. ¡°That''s quite a jump!¡± They''d just bid twenty five percent above NWN''s previous bid.
¡°I expect that''s their final gasp, hoping to shock NWN into backing off,¡± Pete said.
¡°NWN must be feeling rich, or angry.¡± Kate said. ¡°Look at the speed of that response.¡±
¡°Hardly past the other''s bid, though,¡± Karen said. ¡°Does that mean something?¡±
¡°I think it could mean, ''I know you were bluffing and you owe me a drink for not leaving you with that.'' Look at the difference.¡±
¡°Yes. I think you''re right.¡± Kate agreed.
¡°Karen, I think you might be talking to NWN,¡± George said.
¡°I can''t say I''m disappointed. I much prefer them to the kiss-and-tell mob.¡±
¡°So, when are you available for interview?¡±
¡°This evening would be OK by me, assuming they can pay up on time,¡± Karen said. ¡°Tomorrow it''d have to be in between lectures or after nine.¡±
¡°Your pair of followers outside as normal?¡±
¡°No, just Eliza tonight. Dirk''s doing something else.¡±
¡°Why are they normally in a pair?¡± Kate asked. ¡°Eliza just has Bella with her, I thought.¡±
¡°Yes. It''s because Eliza-the-agent has been shadowing her big brother ¡ª she''d only just started in protection when I first met her. Now she''s counted as fully qualified.¡± Karen said.
¡°Oh. And there I was wondering if it was because your Mum was worried for you, but now you''ve got George to go with you, you just get the one agent.¡±
¡°I wouldn''t put it past her,¡± Karen said, shaking her head, ¡°But I''m fairly sure that it''s true.¡±
¡°The winner is NWN,¡± Pete announced.
¡°So who calls who at this point?¡±
¡°I''ll call them,¡± Pete said. ¡°You know where their office is, if they want to interview you there?¡±
¡°I know where, but Pris was wondering if the owner''s lounge would be possible, Kate?¡±
¡°Oooh, more rent for the institute''s coffers! Yes, that''s quite possible. Let''s use it while we can. I''d say it''s far better than the paper''s offices. We get the recordings too, not them.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll tell Mr Campbell.¡± Pete said, selecting the contact.
5:30pm
Karen and Eliza were waiting in the owner''s lounge when Eleanor arrived.
¡°Hello, welcome, I presume you''re Eleanor, since the computer let you up here.¡±
¡°Yes. and what do I call you?¡±
¡°Well you can call me Hagar for the moment, but it''s not my real name. For your piece, I think I''m ''Anonymous source close to the happy couple'', or some-such.¡±
¡°So there is a happy couple?¡±
¡°Oh yes. But I need to introduce Eliza. As you can guess she''s in Security, and I don''t think it''s much of a secret that she''s currently assigned to protect me.¡±
¡°To protect you? Who from? Me?¡±
¡°Not from you, no. I''m not really sure. It was from Roland Underwood and his cronies, but now I think it''s just unspecified other threats.¡±
¡°You were at risk from Underwood?¡±
¡°Botched kidnapping attempt, my home got broken into, and so on. All orchestrated by him.¡±
¡°Oh. But this isn''t about you, I''ve been told.¡±
¡°No, it''s about my cousin. I''ve told you that so that you understand that I''m not going to upset Security. They''re my friends and they keep me safe.¡±
¡°From the sound of it you''re not actually with Security yourself.¡±
¡°No. I understand that you have a certain level of clearance, is that right?¡±
¡°Yes. Urm, I can''t remember what the number was though.¡±
¡°You''re cleared to level four gamma, maam.¡± Eliza supplied
¡°Is that very high?¡±
¡°Not particularly, no. Bob McDaniel is cleared to three alpha, for instance. Because of who my parents are and where I grew up, I''m cleared to one gamma.¡±
¡°So... you''re a highly placed source?¡±
¡°I''m just a student at the moment. But I''ll probably join Security or some other branch of the civil service eventually.¡±
¡°Your cousin, she has family in high places too?¡±
¡°My cousin''s mother is dead, and I''m certain that you''ve heard of her father. But I won''t be mentioning her name.¡±
¡°I understand. We were speculating that the restrictions on reporting this might be because she was a witness to something?¡±
¡°So you''re not convinced by the red-head rumour?¡±
¡°Not after I saw a commendation to someone for wearing a wig.¡±
¡°Oh well. It was fun while it lasted, wasn''t it, Eliza?¡±
¡°It was. I got so many people whispering and trying to pretend they weren''t pointing me out to people.¡±
¡°You were the red-head?¡± Eleanor asked.
¡°Yes, maam.¡±
¡°And your cousin?¡±
¡°My cousin is currently in witness protection. She did get kidnapped, and was held hostage overseas for a month. Her protection officer was due to talk to the royal family and for some reason the replacement officer didn''t turn up. So, my cousin got an unexpected trip to the palace. There, she met the prince and they got on very well. When you see the official engagement photos, you might recognise the decor. He proposed in this room.¡±
¡°So the announcement later this week will be of an engagement! But what about the witness protection?¡±
¡°My cousin will discharge her duty as a witness by making an affidavit and giving evidence under oath before the trial begins. Shortly after, the press will be called to the palace for an announcement. At that conference the prince will tell the world who he''s marrying and when, plus the reason that he wasn''t able to date her. I assume that my cousin will be beside him by the end of that statement, and that there''ll be so many people trying to get photographs that questions won''t get much of an answer.¡±
¡°And the timing of my article?¡±
¡°Your article can be published once she''s made her statement. Since you don''t know who she is, and we''ve no intention of leaking that to anyone ahead of the prince''s announcement, then either someone from Security will contact you or you can use the prince calling the press for the announcement as an indication that the affidavit and so on is all done.
¡°My guess is that the call to the press will be going out in the late afternoon or evening, with the announcement taking place mid-morning.¡±
¡°So my article will be about the prince''s love-life being limited by our laws, that he''s expected to announce his fianc¨¦e and the wedding date at his announcement?¡±
¡°Yes, and other things that I''m planning to tell you about their crazy headlong rush towards matrimony, assuming that you ask me enough questions.¡±
¡°Thank you for the hint. I don''t suppose you could tell me when they''re marrying?¡±
¡°Roughly half way between my wedding and the impact.¡±
¡°Oh! Congratulations! I had noticed your ring. When''s your wedding?¡±
¡°December the 23rd.¡±
¡°Well, before your wedding would certainly have been shocking, So... roughly seven weeks of engagement? That''s fast!¡±
¡°You think that''s fast?¡± Karen laughed ¡°You haven''t heard the best bit.¡±
¡°Urm... Oh, so... how long have they not been going out?¡±
¡°Since Thursday.¡±
¡°That''s when the Prince spoke about her, but when did they meet I mean?¡±
¡°Thursday.¡±
Eleanor dropped her note-taker.
¡°Shocking, isn''t it?¡± Karen sympathised. ¡°If it''s any comfort, they know it''s too fast. But, for the good of the country they''ve decided it''s better to rush themselves than to delay their engagement a few more weeks. They didn''t think it would be right to have a royal wedding when the people of this city are rebuilding their lives.¡±
¡°And their majesties approve?¡± Eleanor asked.
¡°Their majesties have seen fit to allow Prince Albert to give my cousin an heirloom ring. I''m afraid that the precise identification of the ring will need to wait until the announcement.¡±
¡°So they approve of her.¡±
¡°I understand that she made a good impression on their majesties. She''s studying history and knows how fragile our society is. She told me that she found herself declaring to her majesty that she''d dedicate her life to uphold the monarchy, and as she said it, she was fully convinced this was God''s calling on her life. She''d no idea at the time she''d be doing it from the inside.¡±
¡°You say our society is fragile?¡±
¡°Yes. It''s based on shared values and assumptions, which come through education. Eliza, what did you learn during civics classes?¡±
¡°Urm... we visited lots of places, police stations, churches, you name it. Why?¡±
¡°I''m demonstrating something to Eleanor. What do you do if you need a flat?¡±
¡°Eh? I save up and buy it, don''t I?¡±
¡°What? You''re a civil servant, girl!¡± Eleanor said, shocked.
¡°Eliza is typical of my generation. Ask your brother, and if he doesn''t know, find someone older, O.K., Eliza? Eleanor, civics week was turned into visit places week. You see? The seeds of a return to chaos.¡±
¡°And your cousin has been researching this, to bring it to light?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Interesting, but that doesn''t make for a marriage.¡±
¡°No. Being in love and certain about each other does in our society. In others it''s things like political alliances, or arranged marriages, and perhaps the couple are less convinced that it''ll be plain sailing all the way. Prince Albert has been keeping a diary of when he prays for things. He''s been praying for his future wife over the past few years.¡±
¡°Has he? And what makes him think he''s found her?¡±
¡°That what he prayed for and when matches what was happening in my cousin''s life. For example, in mid-September four years ago, her mother died. At the time he started praying regularly that his future wife would become a Christian if she wasn''t already. He felt he should start praying something else at Christmas time. My cousin started going to church at the end of September and committed her life to Christ at a Christmas service. There were lots of other times. It convinced them that they would marry eventually. They certainly weren''t opposed to the idea, but seeing as there are only two and a half months before the impact is due, they decided to sacrifice their good sense to the needs of the country.¡±
¡°But they could have waited until they knew each other better.¡±
¡°Yes. They could have decided on a one month engagement, or even three weeks, I suppose, with things happening behind the scenes. But they''re both on the invitation list to my wedding and they said they didn''t want to steal my limelight. Everyone else first seems to be their motto.¡±
¡°Should I recognise who you are, that you''re expecting royalty to your wedding? You do look familiar.¡±
¡°I''ve been assuming that you wouldn''t recognise me.¡±
¡°You''ve met the Prince before?¡±
¡°Yes, when we were younger.¡±
¡°But your cousin hadn''t?¡±
¡°No. She was raised by her mother, and was never close to her father who was the black sheep of the family, she never looked into his side of her family tree, and thought he was an only child.¡±
¡°Oh. I''d had the impression you''d grown up together.¡±
¡°We didn''t know about each other at all until a few months ago, but we''re pretty close now. We''ve been spending quite a lot of time talking about different things since then.¡±
¡°So, how did you get in touch?¡±
¡°I''m afraid that''s not something I can tell you much about, it was to do with her escape from where she was being held.¡±
¡°She escaped? She wasn''t rescued by the authorities?¡±
¡°The authorities didn''t know about her. Her father reported nothing ¡ª he was being coerced with her as the lever ¡ª and her actual abduction was quite cleverly planned. A convincing lie to get her into their hands. I''m afraid I can''t say more as this is still sub-judice. Even publishing about her being held hostage might be too much to publish.¡±
¡°But she wasn''t hurt by the kidnappers?¡±
¡°A few rope burns, a month of imprisonment. Apparently they wanted to keep her father cooperative, so they treated her relatively kindly.¡±
¡°But with your own attempted kidnapping you''ve had quite a lot to talk about?¡±
¡°Hmm, interesting that, mostly we''ve been talking about much more mundane things, like studies, faith, and of course since Prince Albert proposed we''ve been talking a lot about the dress.¡±
¡°''The dress?'' Her wedding dress?¡±
¡°Our wedding dress, actually. It''s an heirloom, we''re both entitled to wear it, and why not? It''s gorgeous. People have been saying it''s fit for a princess for a long time, why shouldn''t it make it to a royal wedding?¡±
¡°It''s very old?¡±
¡°I could probably work it out, but over a hundred years, certainly.¡±
¡°And it''s survived in your family so long! That''s amazing!¡±
¡°It''s been well looked after, and I guess the original designer knew her fabrics well.¡±
¡°Who was the last person to wear it? Your mother?¡±
¡°No, actually a third cousin of ours. I guess it was her mother before her. Mine didn''t want to attract that much attention.¡±
¡°Could you describe it to me?¡±
¡°Now if I do that too well, you might be able to find out too much about us before time, mightn''t you?¡± Karen said with a smile.
¡°You mean I could look up the reports of society weddings over the past more than a hundred years for a matching description?¡± suggested Eleanor. ¡°How could you suggest such a thing? It would take ages.¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know. Computer searches can be very quick.¡±
¡°So, no description?¡±
¡°Hmm... I don''t think I''ll give much away if I say it''s white.¡±
Eleanor laughed. ¡°Well that certainly cuts it down. Lace?¡±
¡°No lace, no ribbons, no pearls.¡±
¡°That tells me it''s more than a hundred and fifty years old, Hagar.¡± Eleanor said.
¡°You don''t surprise me.¡±
¡°There aren''t many dresses that old outside museums. Hagar is a Biblical name, isn''t it?¡± Eleanor asked.
¡°Yes. A friend of mine''s called it, but she''s not from round here.¡±
¡°Oh. And there I was thinking there might be some connection to Sarah.¡±
¡°Abraham''s wife lived a lot longer ago than a hundred and fifty years.¡± Karen laughed.
¡°I was wondering about another one, more like a hundred and eighty years ago. Her dress seems to match.¡±
Karen said, ¡°It did not occur to me that my choice of pseudonym was in any way risky,¡± and glanced at Eliza, who said, ¡°Maam, I think that Security would very much appreciate it if your article did not pre-empt the Prince''s announcement of who his bride is, or provide sufficient information for anyone to identify her. By anyone I include even relatives of hers who are not aware of the relationship. It is not the purpose of this interview to enable you to do that. This is why you are interviewing someone using a pseudonym. There are factors that you will only become aware of once you become aware of her identity. We would not, of course, object to a follow up article reacting to the announcement with details of who previously wore the dress, photographs of it being worn, even, and other such details. But we ask that you be very careful in this area. You have been granted the information and access you have on the basis of your security clearance, and it would be most unfortunate if that clearance should be revoked.¡±
¡°You''re threatening me with loss of clearance unless I agree to censor my article?¡± Eleanor was shocked.
¡°No. I''m telling you that you are going to be held responsible for your actions,¡± Eliza said.
¡°I''m sorry, Eleanor. It is not just for the sake of the Prince''s self-esteem that we are being coy about who his fianc¨¦e is. I have sought to give you all the information that I could and preserve that one fact. I obviously got too close, and I''m sorry for that. If you will give your oath not to pass on the information in any way shape or form, then I will tell you explicitly. You writing in the initial piece that my cousin will wear a certain dress will, without doubt make it possible for certain people to identify her, and I would not like her happiest moment to be spoiled by prejudice.¡±
Eleanor started putting together some things Karen had said earlier. ¡°You said that her father was the black sheep of the family.¡±
¡°Yes. I did.¡±
¡°I take it that he''s the relative you don''t want to be known or to know?¡±
¡°You have that freedom of thought,¡± Karen said.
¡°I do not like censorship,¡± Eleanor said.
¡°I understand that. I do not like knowing secrets I cannot tell either. But I know quite a lot. You must be used to protecting your sources.¡±
¡°You do not strike me as needing my protection.¡±
¡°No. But my cousin does, until the prince''s announcement, and the statement I expect she will be making immediately after it.¡±
¡°So her father has a certain notoriety, and you don''t want her blamed for his actions until she can disown him, is that it?¡±
¡°Eleanor, will you swear that you will not put my cousin''s identity into the public domain, or is this interview over?¡±
¡°What makes you think I''ll keep my word?¡±
¡°Because I know that your employer and your colleagues are ethical people and you also have a sense of ethics.¡±
¡°Not to mention that I don''t want to be treated like scum for the rest of my career.¡±
¡°That too,¡± Karen acknowledged.
¡°I swear I will not identify your cousin until the prince has done it,¡± Eleanor said.
¡°Thank-you,¡± Karen said. She was very tempted to check on her thoughts, but resisted the temptation. ¡°Her biological father, my uncle, is Roland Underwood. He tortured my mother when he was a little boy, he tried to kidnap me. My cousin hardly saw him as she was growing up and had no idea what he was like until my mother told her. She has worn the name Underwood all her life, and it is a proud name with a great history, and the occasional scumbag, the worst of whom is my uncle. She is a committed Christian who has sworn to work ceaselessly for our society that her father sought to destroy.
And when she goes down the aisle she will wear the dress passed down to us from ''princess'' Sarah, and worn by Queen Beatrix on her wedding day, but which was made by another dubious character, princess Sarah''s mother.¡±
Eleanor took that in, and eventually said, ¡°If her surname name becomes known before the announcement, then the prince won''t be able to make himself heard against all the hatred and name calling, will he?¡±
¡°I expect not, no. I''m sure they''re planning the announcement very carefully.¡±
¡°I see your concern. I''ll prepare two articles.¡±
[Hi Eliza, are you free?!]
[Hi Karen, how did it go?]
[I used a pseudonym of Hagar, only thinking of my friend. Unfortunately it made her think of Abraham''s wife and then when I talked about the dress, I''m sorry, she thought of ''princess'' Sarah. So we switched to plan B. She doesn''t want to ruin your day though. She''s going to encrypt the second article.]
[Thanks for the update. How did she accept the stuff about the prayer diaries?]
[Accepted it, no real comment, actually. Hinted at the obvious question about your captivity.]
[You know why I wasn''t raped, don''t you?]
[No. Well, other than Ibrahim threatening you with it. I''d guessed that meant that others weren''t allowed to first.]
[Actually... about half way into my time there, he said that I could choose. He said that my usefulness as a hostage only lasted for so long and that if dad disobeyed then he''d rape me and then have me killed like he said at the beginning, but on the other hand he wouldn''t be opposed to the idea of a marriage if I decided I could be a nice submissive wife.]
[Oh, what a romantic proposal!]
[So, after that he told his people to look after me well, while I got used to the idea.]
[You poor thing.]
[Oh don''t you start, I get enough of that from Albert! If I hadn''t been a prisoner, I''d have never met Bella, her dreams wouldn''t have been known and I''d hardly have met Albert would I? God used it for good. I almost feel like thanking Ibrahim for his part in introducing me to Albert. Not quite though.]
[I''m glad you''re able to look at it that way. How are you going to announce your name?]
[Albert''s going to introduce me as his fianc¨¦e, just as Eliza, tell the world our wedding date, and say that he''s given me Queen Beatrix''s ring for reasons that will become apparent later.]
[About an hour later, I expect, once Eleanor''s had time to rewrite that bit of her report.] Interrupted Karen.
[Fair enough. And then he''s going talk about us not being able to date, because I was in witness protection, but that we plan on making up for lost time. Then there''ll be a short picture opportunity of us gazing lovingly into each others'' eyes or something equally mushy, and after that I''m going to drop the bombshell about who my dad is.]
[I hope you''re not going to say that first. You''ll be drowned out by their noisy shock.]
[Oh I know. I''m going to say that I''m going to shock them soon with who my father is, but that I never even got a birthday card from him as I was growing up, and were never close. Then I''ll say that I was horrified to find out about the depths of his crime, and will be working to try and undo the damage that he''s done to our society. I''ll emphasize that I will not be inviting him to my wedding. Then I''ll drop the bomb, but it''ll hopefully not be too shocking by then.]
[Any news on the affidavit?]
[Tomorrow.]
[Get some sleep, then, it''ll be a tough day.]
[I will, once I''ve talked to Albert.]
6.30 A.M. Tuesday
¡°Wakey-wakey, rise and shine, Eliza,¡± Bella said as she knocked on the flat''s door.
[Ugh. I know you said early start. I should have asked when exactly.]
[That''s OK. I didn''t know, either. Is your wrist unit turned off? They said they''d tried to ring you with a wake-up call but couldn''t get through.]
[It shouldn''t be off, but I took it off. The signal in the bedroom is terrible.]
[OK well, I''ll wait, official transport turns up in half an hour.]
[I''m getting dressed. Help yourself to breakfast.]
[Thanks, I''ve had a bite, but maybe a bit more. Tea?]
[Yes, please!]
8.30am Tuesday
¡°Hello, Eleanor.¡± Albert said as he arrived at work. ¡°You''re here early.¡±
¡°Late actually.¡±
¡°You''re crazy. Don''t you know what that''s going to do to your health?¡±
¡°I just wanted to prove I could still write good copy after being awake twenty four hours. I''m not sure I succeeded. Just in case I keel over, there''s two articles. Cunningly labled ''Pre-announcement article'' and ''post-announcement article''. Don''t get them round the wrong way, please. Article two puts my immortal soul in danger if it gets out too early.¡±
¡°What on earth?¡±
¡°Some people need to lay very very low indeed, Albert. Otherwise their relatives might find out what they''re up to.¡±
¡°So, did I mortgage the retirement fund for a good cause?¡±
¡°I hope you''re joking, but I certainly hope so. It''s taken a lot of writing and re-writing.¡±
¡°And have you got any copy for today?¡±
¡°Of course. On your desk.¡±
¡°Headlines?¡±
¡°Red-head is a red-herring.¡±
¡°You know that for a fact?¡±
¡°I met her. Apparently she had a lot of fun earning that commendation.¡±
¡°I see. And the real news is?¡±
¡°The real news is they first met on Thursday got engaged on Saturday and the wedding is in about six weeks'' time.¡±
¡°Very funny. So, he''s got himself a girlfriend?¡±
¡°No, he''s got himself a fianc¨¦e. On Saturday. I''m too tired to joke.¡±
¡°That wasn''t a joke?¡±
¡°No. That was what they call the impetuosity of youth, or as my informant said, they''ve decided to sacrifice their good sense for the good of the country.¡±
¡°Why not wait until after the impact?¡±
¡°That''s my third paragraph. I think.¡±
¡°And the answer?¡±
¡°You can''t have a royal wedding when people are trying to rebuild their lives, their homes, and their city. And how long is it going to take? I don''t believe you can rebuild a city in a year. Nor even two or three. And long royal engagements just mean extra security hassles. Diverting much-needed resources from where they''re needed. They''ve thought it through carefully and entirely ruthlessly relative to their own needs, even bringing the engagement forwards so that her cousin''s wedding won''t be quite so spoiled by all the media frenzy they rightly expect around themselves. Though, of course, it still might not have died down by then.¡±
¡°And you know the girl?¡±
¡°No. I know her name, and I swore that I wouldn''t tell anyone. Post-announcement article is encrypted.¡±
¡°So what''s the passphrase?¡±
¡°Security have it, I''m not going to tell you.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Albert, if what''s in that file leaks, then the prince''s announcement goes badly wrong and the news topic will not be how did they meet and other questions I''m answering. I swore an oath that I wouldn''t tell, and I''m not going to. Me telling you that the article exists is just in case I get killed or something.¡±
¡°But Tony knows?¡±
¡°Tony knows part of it. I expect he doesn''t know all. My source beats him, any day.¡±
¡°Highly placed source?¡±
¡°That too. I''m sure I''ve met her somewhere. She''s got official connections.¡±
¡°You could try talking to Bob. He might know her.¡±
¡°Probably. I think I will, just to stop it nagging at me. But if I decide it''s relevant then it goes into article two, just so you know.¡±
¡°Hi, Bob. I wonder if you can help me.¡±
¡°I''ll try, Eleanor. Congratulations on getting the big scoop! Rumour has it you need some sleep.¡±
¡°Rumour is right. Albert''s sending me home soon.¡±
¡°How can I help?¡±
¡°My source used a pseudonym, open about using it. But I recognised her. I''m sure I''ve met her before at some function or something. She''s about twenty, knows you, or at least knows your security clearance, by the sound of it didn''t grow up here. And because of her parents and where she grew up she''s got a clearance of one-gamma. Ring any bells?¡±
¡°I can think of a couple of people it might be.¡±
¡°Any of them getting married soon?¡±
¡°Well that cuts it down. But why do you want to know?¡±
¡°Because it''s bugging me. She started off using a pseudonym to protect the identity of one of the subjects of the scoop, but unwittingly gave me one hint too many. So having sworn that I wouldn''t tell until they''ve handled making that side of things public, I''ve got the whole dope on who I''m reporting about, but my source just smiled when I asked her who she was, and said I could surely work it out.¡±
Bob laughed ¡°And you want to go to sleep instead of working it out?¡±
¡°Yes. I could work it out, she''s right. I tried in fact. I thought I could just look up family trees and the like, except that for obvious reasons highly placed officials don''t get their family trees put on the net, so I''d have to look through a couple of generations of birth and marriage data to see if what I want to find out is in there or if her parents are so highly placed I can''t even find out that way. A need-to-know enquiry takes a week. I need to sleep before then.¡±
¡°Oh, Eleanor! I understand your pain, but I don''t think I can give you a name. That''d probably be breaching official secrets laws.¡±
¡°You''re no help!¡±
¡°So, you''ll just have to see what Society functions you were at in Autumn last year or the year before that, look at the pictures and see if you spot her.¡±
¡°You are a help. Regular ball sounds a very likely context. Thank you, Bob. But she was missing from this year''s?¡±
¡°Recovering from a broken leg, probably been there every other year since she turned fifteen though.¡±
¡°Oh, of course! The fund-raising ball for the charity that the bid goes to. Obvious! Thank-you Bob.¡±
¡°Sleep well, Eleanor.¡±
The official bullet-proof transport took Eliza and Bella to a military airbase. There, they boarded a small jet plane ¡ª it had space for twelve passengers ¡ª which took them to the airport which served the nearest outpost of the UN court. As they descended from the plane, two men, UN security officers from their uniforms, came to meet them, at which point Bella''s expected role was simply to hand Eliza over into their care, and wait for her return.
¡°See you soon, Eliza,¡± Bella said.
¡°I certainly hope so,¡± Eliza said, with a grin. [I''ll keep you posted.] she added, as Bella stepped off the steps to one side.
¡°Court rules state that no recording devices are permitted. Please leave your wrist unit with your protection officer.¡± The UN agent said.
¡°This is standard procedure?¡± Bella asked surprised then added, ¡°Stay on the plane steps please, Eliza.¡± That was a jurisdiction thing.
¡°Yes, this is standard procedure, you don''t need to worry.¡± The agent said.
¡°I was not informed of that, and must check.¡± Bella stated, ¡°I had expected to remain in contact, in case of some emergency.¡±
¡°We''ll look after your precious client, don''t worry.¡± the agent repeated.
¡°Oh, I''m not worried.¡± Bella assured him. ¡°I''m just wondering where the miscommunication has happened.¡± She contacted H.Q. on her wrist unit. ¡°Hi, Bella here. I''m told that standard procedure is that my client must leave her wrist unit with me.¡±
¡°Yes. It is normal procedure. It doesn''t apply, special dispensation has been arranged. If they don''t accept that, then you are to remain with her, standard rules.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡± Bella said into her unit.
¡°Well boys, it appears that my information is correct. Special dispensation has been arranged, so that my client may remain in contact at all times.¡±
¡°This is most irregular.¡± the agent said.
¡°I''m sure it is. Could you please confirm the exception with your headquarters, and any other orders relating to my client, or I''m instructed to remain with my client, in order to ensure that she is properly protected at all times.¡±
The second man, who''d been quiet until now said ¡°I think she doesn''t trust us.¡±
Eliza noticed that neither had made a move to use their wrist units, and had an uneasy feeling about these two men. In which case, she decided, a strategic withdrawal might help Bella.
[Bella, I''m not sure they''re genuine.] she thought and said, ¡°I''m sorry, I''ve just remembered I left my handkerchief in the plane.¡± she turned and started quickly up the ladder ¡ª there were only eight steps. A couple of steps from the top she heard a decision from one of the men to stun her, and she dived into the cabin. His shot missed, but Bella''s didn''t. The two fake agents fell, stunned, to the floor. They''d be able to move in a few minutes.
¡°Stay in the plane, Eliza, please.¡± Bella said, needlessly, while scanning the airfield for other threats.
¡°That''s going to be interesting to report. In you get, Bella!¡± the pilot said, who''d witnessed the events and was starting to taxi even before Bella had got the door shut. ¡°Tower, we''re leaving. You have a major security breach.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± the tower replied ¡°You are not cleared to move anywhere!¡±
¡°I have a clear taxiway on my left, it is long enough for an emergency take off, which this is. All inbound traffic, abort abort abort, UN airbase is not secure, I repeat, UN airbase is not secure.¡±
The tower was not impressed by such an announcement, and demanded an explanation as the pilot did what he''d promised to do. Once airborne the pilot said ¡°Tower, two men dressed as UN agents have just tried to abduct a passenger. Either you have corrupt agents or impostors on-site. I call this a major security breach, we are not staying around to find out if they have any other surprises for us.¡±
The soldier on duty decided the pilot was right and finally hit the security alert. ¡°Incoming aircraft, we have had a security breach. Contact air traffic control for alternative landing site.¡±
Meanwhile, Bella had been contacting HQ. ¡°HQ says head home, while they raise a big stink over this.¡±
¡°What do you think happened?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°My guess, Ibrahim''s lawyer discussed interviewing you with his client, which is just about allowed, and somehow those two were going to pervert your statement or make sure you didn''t testify.¡±
¡°So what happens about my statement?¡±
¡°I really don''t know. I really hope the agents who should have met you are found tied up somewhere but alive.¡±
¡°Otherwise you get accused of stunning UN agents?¡±
¡°For instance, yes.¡±
¡°But they can''t have been, or they wouldn''t have been thrown by the wrist unit thing.¡±
¡°Or they knew about it, but keeping you incommunicado was part of the plot.¡±
¡°And we go through this all again tomorrow or next week?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°I certainly hope not.¡± Bella said, fervently.
[Albert, just so you know... it doesn''t look like I''ll be testifying today. We''re on our way home.]
[Some kind of mix-up?]
[We''ll find out eventually. But there was a security breach there. The wrong people came to meet me. They didn''t know about special arrangements for me, or I''d have blithely walked into another trap. As it was, they acted strangely and we left. All OK, but I might develop a certain paranoia about getting off planes.]
[I''m glad you''re OK.]
[{relief}Me too, it was a bit scary.]
[So, what aren''t you telling me?] he asked, suspicious, that what she''d said so far didn''t sound that scary.
[You mean about how I dived into the plane to avoid getting stunned, Bella stunning them and then us taking off from the taxiway?]
[{shock}Eliza!]
[I didn''t want to worry you.]
[Urm. Thanks for your concern... please don''t do that.]
[I would have told you later.]
[When?]
[Pass. I''d like to say next time we''re together and I can feel out of danger, but... that''s too far away. I think we''ve proved something though.]
[What''s that?]
[That he''s out to get me anyway.]
[Oh, what a comforting thought.]
[So, I''m safer off with people like Bella around. Oh, she''s asking me something. Bye!]
¡°Sorry, Bella, my thoughts were miles away.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Hmm, yes, I expect they were. I said H.Q. would like to know which of the following options you''d like: one, after that fiasco you don''t testify at all; two, you tell them that you''ll testify before a judge at a home court and they''ll have to make do with that, or three, you''ll do the whole affidavit and interviews thing, but somewhere genuinely safe. Oh, by the way, they were genuine agents, but hadn''t been assigned to escort you. Guess which police force and which senior officer got them seconded to the UN?¡±
¡°Not Ibrahim?¡±
¡°The very same. They''d intercepted the assigned pair and told them they had new orders.¡±
¡°So... not such a big security breach as it might have been.¡±
¡°No. But I''m still not recommending we turn around. If the agents there can be confused that easily, then there needs to be some re-training at least. So which option?¡±
¡°Hmm. By genuinely safe, what do you mean?¡±
¡°I mean somewhere like a bomb-proof interview room in the middle of the military airport we left from, with our guys all around, where there are weapon scanners on the doors and faces I know and trust present, and the only outside people are the judge and lawyers from the international court. And then your affidavit is then digitally sealed and certified by everyone present before being copied electronically to the court.¡±
¡°So, no more plane flights?¡±
¡°No more plane flights, at least, not for you.¡± Bella agreed.
¡°Let''s do that one then.¡±
¡°I thought you''d like that option.¡±
¡°I also think that it should be today, to reduce the chance of Ibrahim whistling up some other plan.¡±
¡°I think that might just be possible. After all the judge and lawyers were all ready and waiting for you. I''ll suggest it.¡± Bella said.
Preparation / Ch. 9: Court Appearance
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 9:Court Appearance
3.00pm Tuesday 28th November
¡°I hope you all realise how unusual this is.¡± the judge said to the small crowd in the airport interview room. As well as the judge and court secretary, there were two other agents besides Bella, plus the two lawyers and Eliza. There wasn''t a great deal of space left around the table.
¡°I understand that it is unusual, your honour.¡± Eliza said. ¡°I also understand, or at least sincerely hope, that subverting court security officials is not usual.¡±
¡°Your honour, in the circumstances, where the witness was fired at this morning by someone who had sworn to uphold the sanctity of the law, I think we can cope with the unusual.¡± the prosecution lawyer said.
The defence lawyer felt he needed to say ¡°We have no knowledge of why the two individuals decided to act as they did, but in the circumstances we can understand the desire of the witness to stay in her country of birth. I do wonder, however, why the daughter of a dangerous psychopath is given such preferential treatment.¡±
¡°Objection, your honour. The parenthood of the witness is not relevant to the validity of her testimony.¡±
¡°Sustained.¡± ruled the judge. ¡°Not that we have begun yet. Young woman, the card that the court secretary will give you has several different wordings. I ask that you select the text most binding upon you and which you can utter without harm to your religious convictions, and so swear of your own free will.¡±
Eliza looked at the different wordings. There were quite a lot, reflecting the world''s religions or lack of them. It wasn''t actually hard to choose. ¡°Understanding the penalties for perjury and oath-breaking, I swear by Almighty God that my evidence will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.¡±
¡°Please state your full name, your place of birth and citizenship.¡± Eliza did so.
¡°You see in front of you photographs of certain individuals.¡± Declared the judge. ¡°I would like you to indicate any which you recognise.¡±
¡°I recognise all of them, your honour, however I have no knowledge that this man here had any connection to my kidnapping.¡±
¡°I would like you then to say what you know about each of these people figured in turn, where you know it from, and more specifically what you have witnessed them doing directly. I ask that you be very exact in separating what you witnessed personally and what you heard others saying.¡±
¡°I will start from the left. The first man was treated with obedience and respect or quite possibly fear, by all the people involved in my kidnapping and keeping me hostage. I understand that his name is Ibrahim, but I only know that from after I had escaped. He told me that he was chief of police. He told me that I had been taken captive to ensure that my father would obey certain instructions ¡ª he didn''t say what. At the beginning of my captivity he told me that if my father failed to obey instructions, or I tried to escape, then he would rape me himself and have me killed. Part of the way through my captivity he told me that I could save my life by agreeing to be his subservient wife, but that if I disobeyed him in anything then he would still kill me. The one on the right was referred to as Hamid. He appeared to be the first man''s second in command. All other people treated him with fear. I drew the conclusion myself that this is the man who would kill me if such an order was given, but I do not know. I saw him physically attacking others if they did not immediately stop what they were doing when he spoke to them. I did not understand what he said, but I witnessed the speed of punishment and the violence of it. Usually it was with his fists, but on one occasion I saw him use a knife to injure a woman.¡±
¡°How injure?¡± the prosecution lawyer asked.
¡°She said something to him, and he threw her to the ground. He then held her in a headlock and used his knife to cut three lines on her cheek, about four or five centimetres long. He then pushed her face to the ground, I would assume to rub dirt into the wounds.¡±
¡°But you did not understand the words she said?¡±
¡°No. He said very little during this. She was screaming. The others present watched, but did not intervene or help until after he''d left, which he did after he''d rubbed her face into the dirt.¡±
¡°And you did nothing, yourself?¡± The defence lawyer asked.
¡°I was tied and gagged inside the building. This occurred in the yard outside,¡± Eliza said.
¡°And did you see this woman afterwards, or might it have been a performance?¡± asked the prosecution lawyer.
¡°I saw her once, a week later. Her face was badly bruised, she held her right arm with her left, I would guess it was broken, and she seemed to be walking with great pain. Her face looked like it had become infected.¡±
¡°She was walking alone?¡± asked the defence lawyer.
¡°No. Hamid walked behind her, with a wooden club. He hit her once, on the right arm. She screamed. He made her enter a part of the building I did not see used during the rest of my time there. I heard sobbing and screaming for the first twenty minutes after she entered. He left about ten minutes after she had gone quiet. I did not see her again.¡±
¡°When was this?¡±
¡°He cut her face on my second day of captivity.¡±
¡°You were close to the window, to see this?¡± the prosecution lawyer asked.
¡°I was tied to iron pipes close to a glass door. I could see most of the courtyard, and they could see me from most of the courtyard.¡±
¡°You seem very aware of how long things took. Did you have your wrist unit?¡±
the defence lawyer asked.
Eliza couldn''t help herself from giving him a look of scorn. ¡°They took my wrist unit immediately I''d arrived. I never saw it again. There was a wall clock in the room I was held in.¡±
¡°Could you move on to the next picture?¡± asked the judge.
¡°The other pictures, with the exception of the person second to the right, are of other people who were at the location I was held captive. They appeared to be minor functionaries. I did not experience any particular cruelty from them, but they were at the place where I was held prisoner and did nothing to help me either. The person second on the right is known in this country as His royal Highness, Crown Prince Albert, he is next in line to the throne.¡±
¡°You are sure?¡±
¡°It may be an actor, the picture is not very recent, but I believe it to be prince Albert.¡±
¡°You know the prince well? How?¡± the defence lawyer asked.
¡°I would like to know whose decision it was to include his picture, and to what purpose I am being questioned about him,¡± she asked.
¡°Miss Underwood, you are under oath, your testimony is being judged here, not court procedures.¡± the defence lawyer said. ¡°I demand that you answer the question.¡±
¡°Objection, your honour, the witness is not required to answer questions immaterial to the case in question. I also question the inclusion of the prince among the pictures of the accused.¡± the lawyer for the prosecution said.
[Bella, what do I say here, if they push me?]
[You''ve given your oath, on the other hand you two are still technically a state secret. Call for advice. If he insists, try to get him to accept the consequences on you too, and agree to state his sources. Those two would make everyone''s life easier, except his of course.]
¡°I too question the late inclusion of this picture by the lawyer for the defence. I remind the witness, however that she has vowed to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.¡± The judge said.
¡°Your honour, I am therefore put in a difficult position that fulfilling my vow would mean, I believe, breaking the law of this country. Will the court allow me to receive advice on this matter before I answer?¡±
¡°With respect, your honour,¡± Bella said, before the judge could answer, ¡°placing duress upon a citizen to reveal a state secret is an offence in this country.¡±
¡°Thank you for that warning, I was aware of that, but perhaps the lawyer for the defence was not aware that what he was asking was a state secret.¡±
¡°I see two options, your honour.¡± the lawyer for the prosecution said, relishing the opportunity, ¡°Either my colleague for the defence is seeking to confirm a rumour he has heard or he has knowingly become aware of a state secret and is seeking to force the witness to confirm it by including the prince''s picture here. I expect that he will have to explain his actions before the day is finished, either in this court or elsewhere.¡±
¡°My clients have accused of heinous crimes, your honour. If something conveniently labled as a state secret is material to the defence, must it not be made known to the court?¡±
¡°Your honour.¡± Eliza tried again, ¡°I continue to express my amazement how this state secret might be in any way material to the defence, and I wonder if it might be recorded that I know the prince, but answering the question in further detail would, at the present time, mean that a state secret would need to be revealed, and leave it at that?¡±
¡°Your honour, this is not the whole truth.¡± The defence lawyer insisted.
¡°I believe we have a stand-off. The defence lawyer may under the rules of this court demand an answer, but doing so makes him guilty under the laws of this country, and subject to arrest.¡± The judge summarised.
¡°But this room is temporarily under U.N. jurisdiction, and therefore I am immune from any such prosecution.¡± maintained the defence lawyer.
¡°I do not believe that such a treaty has been signed.¡± The judge said. Eliza decided that she liked him. ¡°We were invited here in order to interview the witness, after a reprehensible failing in security. Such niceties as treaties of jurisdiction were not entered into. You will notice that there are no U.N agents present. I therefore insist that you withdraw your question and accept the declaration of the witness.¡±
¡°I must protest this restriction in my cross-examination of the witness most strongly,¡± the defence lawyer stated, ¡°and I fear that it will lead to a mistrial.¡±
¡°Perhaps my colleague will tell the court in what way this evidence will so dramatically affect his case that he wishes to declare a mistrial before it has even begun.¡± suggested the prosecution lawyer.
The judge was not impressed with the idea of presiding over a mistrial either. ¡°The court will hear why this evidence is so important.¡±
¡°Very well.¡± the defence lawyer began. ¡°It relates to the credibility of the witness. Certain information has come to my attention that suggests the witness, having stayed as a guest at the home of my client, and failed in her desire to entrap him into marrying her, has now turned her attentions on the person pictured here.¡±
Eliza took a deep breath and looked at the lawyer quizzically, ¡°Your honour, am I permitted to give a round of applause to the lawyer for the defence being able to say such a heap of rubbish with a straight face, and without blushing in the slightest? At what point does he believe I conceived of the plan to lure his loathsome client into a marriage that my religion forbids? While I was tied to the pipe in his house, when I was bundled into the back of a van at gunpoint, or when I was lured into getting onto the plane with first class tickets and a fake message from my father?¡±
¡°But you do not deny that you have formed a romantic attachment to the prince?¡± pushed the defence lawyer.
¡°I do not comment, unless the lawyer for the defence insists that I answer according to my vow, and accepts full legal responsibility for both his and my breaking of the law of this land, and furthermore agrees to examination to determine the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth concerning the information that he is basing this line of enquiry on.¡±
In the silence that followed she thought to Albert [Albert, I suggest you tell Maria and Tasha that the defence lawyer here has heard about us being in love, and is suggesting that having failed to lure Evil Ibrahim into a marriage I''m now after you. He''s asking I tell him the whole truth, and I''ve been saying it''s a state secret, at Bella''s prompting.]
[Ouch. But I thought avoiding this is why we weren''t announcing anything yet.]
[Part of it. The other reason is so I can be beside you when we do.]
¡°I accept the legal consequences, and insist on an answer.¡± The defense lawyer foolishly said.
¡°I warn you, one final time that you will regret this decision very quickly.¡± Eliza said.
¡°I insist on an answer.¡±
Bella nudged the agent beside her, who stepped forward.
¡°Then sir, I am placing you under arrest for attempting to cause a breach of official secrets legislation. You have the right to legal representation. In accordance to the agreement you have entered into, you do not have the right to remain silent. You must fully detail your sources and motivation to a closed session of a court of law which will be convened within the next forty-eight hours, until then you will be held incommunicado. I require your wrist unit from you at this moment, and any other communication devices. These will be returned to you when you are released from detention. In the interests of the present legal proceedings, I will postpone your detention until they come to an end.¡±
He held out his hand for the lawyer''s wrist unit, and when it wasn''t presented to him he removed it forcefully, and he and another agent patted down the lawyer.
¡°This is outrageous!¡±
The judge looked at him pityingly ¡°I think you did not do your research sufficiently well before insisting on that answer. I thank the agent for his indulgence in this matter, and express hope that a deferment of his final committal proceedings might be arranged so that the defendants in this case receive a fair trial. The lawyer for the defence has insisted on his answer, and accepted the punishment for his crime and for any crime that the witness might commit. For the record I ask that these crimes be specified before the court.¡±
Bella stepped forward. ¡°The crimes for which he will be tried include: knowingly receiving and passing on official secrets without authorisation, placing a citizen under duress to reveal a state secret, revelation of a state secret, disrespect to a royal personage, and placing a royal personage under duress. Subject to what he reveals or withholds he may also find himself tried for oath-breaking or even breaking of an oath to a royal personage, defamation of a royal personage. Pending further investigations into this morning''s events, he will possibly also be tried for conspiracy to abduct a royal personage, and also information theft, spying on U.N. communications and corrupting of U.N. officials, but I suspect these last offences will be left for the U.N. court to try.¡±
¡°Thank you, agent.¡± The judge said. ¡°With respect, could the witness please uphold her part of this binding contract which the lawyer for the defence foolishly entered into.¡±
¡°Of course, your honour.¡± Eliza said. ¡°I am engaged to be married to Crown Prince Albert.¡±
Bella added ¡°For the court record, this state secret has been so designated so that the witness could give evidence to this court without press attention or additional risk of abduction or assassination. Within approximately twenty four hours of her finishing her testimony, I am informed that the state secret will be declassified and the engagement will be made public. An additional motive for the classification of the state secret is so that the release of the information can be complete, accurate and without undesirable or misleading interpretations that might arise from a partial disclosure.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡± the judge said. ¡°I add for the record that, according to the laws of this country, the duration of the state secret has no relevance to the penalties that the law provides, nor does the law recognise any territorial limit to where an offence may be committed. Thus, I suggest that those present wait until the secret has been declassified before they mention what happened here to anyone, wherever or whoever they are.¡±
The lawyer for the defence glared, and didn''t say anything.
The lawyer for the prosecution, however had been paying attention to other things. Addressing Eliza he asked ¡°You mentioned a letter purporting to come from your father?¡±
¡°Yes. I have never been close to my father; for much of my life he has been in prison, but he has written to me. I was surprised to receive the message, but it bore many marks of being from him. For instance, it addressed me using his usual name for me, and used many of his normal phrases from other letters. It offered me the chance to spend time with him, if I could possibly make myself free for a few days, in order that we could get to know each other better, and it came with first class tickets. It said that he had some free time at the end of a business trip, and was there already. The tickets were in my full name. It seemed a wonderful chance, both for an exotic holiday and to get to know my father. I didn''t suspect anything.¡±
¡°When did you suspect something might be wrong?¡±
¡°I was met at the airport by a man I didn''t recognise, but I''d been warned that might happen. He helped me with my luggage and then when we got to a van he opened the door and there were suddenly three people around me with weapons. They grabbed me and physically threw me into the van, where I was gagged and tied up.¡±
¡°What sort of weapons?¡±
¡°I am not sure exactly, but firearms. One may have been a type of shotgun, but it was short. I think there was a pistol as well. The person who tied me up had a knife.¡±
¡°Is he in one of these pictures?¡±
¡°No. The man who met me is this one in the middle. He was unarmed. As we arrived at the van he said ''We are here, sorry.''. At the time I thought it was because we had walked a long way to the van.¡±
¡°Do you still have the message and the reservation number?¡±
¡°I''d have deleted them from the service, I don''t like to leave things lying around. The reservation number was on my old wrist-unit which they took from me. The letter might be too, I can''t remember if it was separate.¡±
¡°Is this your wrist-unit?¡± he passed it to her, still in the transparent evidence bag.
¡°Yes. That''s it. I recognise the strap. Should I seek to access it?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
¡°Wait, please!¡± Bella said. ¡°Has the device been checked for booby-traps, poisons, and the like? Recently?¡±
¡°It should have been.¡± the prosecutor said.
¡°In the circumstances, I''d like to be sure.¡± Bella said. ¡°Your honour, may I ask for a testing kit to be brought?¡±
¡°Yes, please do.¡± the judge said.
Bella called for the kit, and the prosecution lawyer continued ¡°And in the van you were taken directly to where you were held prisoner?¡±
¡°I don''t know about the route, but yes, that is where we stopped.¡±
¡°And can you tell us about your escape please?¡± he asked.
¡°Yes. One day the staff were having an argument. I did not know what about at the time, but later I learned that it followed Ibrahim''s arrest. One of the staff came to give me a drink and then retie my hands ¡ª they had a pattern of doing this every three hours ¡ª and I guess that he was distracted by remembering that he had to put the car keys away or else by the argument, but he failed to tie them tight enough. I felt them to be lose and managed to free myself. I found the keys to the car and made my escape.¡±
¡°How did you know about him having to put the keys away?¡± the lawyer for defense asked, ¡°Did he tell you?¡±
¡°He didn''t speak to me, none of them did. I don''t know if he even knew English. When he was bending down to tie my hands and feet together, they fell from his shirt pocket. He muttered what I presume was a curse and looked around in a way that I interpreted as guiltily. He re-tied my ropes quickly, then went to the hall returning after only a few seconds. I presumed that he went to return the keys. He then returned to the argument, at which point I managed to slip my hands free, undid the ropes around my feet and found the keys in the hall.¡±
¡°You recognised the keys as car keys?¡± the prosecution lawyer asked.
¡°Yes. I saw that they had a logo on them which matched the logo on the car, and they also had a bright orange key-fob which I''d seen in people''s hands as they were locking the car.¡±
¡°And you expect us to believe that the car had no voice print recognition software or any other security devices other than the keys?¡± the defence lawyer asked, scornfully.
¡°The keys were in a small cupboard which also had some plastic cards inside. I thought one or more of these might be some kind of proximity card, and grabbed them also.¡±
¡°Thank you. Are these those cards?¡± the prosecution lawyer asked, showing her three cards in a sealed bag.
¡°Yes, I think so, but I think there was a green one as well.¡±
¡°This one?¡± he said, offering another bag.
¡°It looks right.¡±
¡°Let the record show that on the passenger seat of the car that the witness was driving there was: a green fueling station loyalty card in the name of the accused man, Ibrahim; another loyalty card for a local supermarket; as well as the vehicle''s proximity card and the access card for the house weapons store. Let it also state that the vehicle contained a tracking device which apparently no one in the house knew how to access.¡±
He paused to let the significance of that sink in to Eliza.
¡°You had no idea of the cause of the argument?¡±
¡°A couple of days earlier they had been getting everything ready, as they did when the man I now know as Ibrahim was due to turn up, but he didn''t, nor did Hamid who was sometimes there without his boss. I presumed it was something to do with that.¡±
¡°You said that Hamid had taken a wounded woman into part of the complex that no one normally went near. Was Ibrahim present at that time?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And he witnessed that happening?¡±
¡°Yes. As Hamid was going with her to the room, he shouted something to him. I presume that it was something vulgar, because in reaction Hamid used his stick to raise her skirt.¡±
¡°How did she react?¡±
¡°She tried to twist away, and he used the stick to hit her arm, the one I presume was broken. She screamed.¡±
¡°Would you look at these photographs and please identify the place to which she was taken?¡±
¡°Here.¡± she said pointing to the relevant doorway.
¡°And you were held where?¡±
¡°I would guess it was here.¡± she said indicating another room.
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¡°And you were in the same room the whole time?¡±
¡°Yes, except when I went through the hall when I was taken there and left.¡±
¡°Let the record show that the witness identified the victim as being taken to a room with a door to the outside of the compound. Let photographs 85 to 140 which show the room and its contents be admitted as relevant evidence and laboratory report 1245, which shows that the dirt floor of the room was found to have the blood of several different people in it, as well as teeth from different people. Let the record also show that tracks lead from that room to the nearby river.
"Let the record also show that the room which she tentatively identified she was held is shown in photographs 165 to 185. Let the analysis of the blood and tissue samples recorded from the pipework of that room and the ropes and chains found there and showing a match to the witness also be entered into the court record. Let the record also show that there is no matching DNA or fingerprint evidence for the presence of the witness in any other room except for the key box in the hallway. Your honour, my examination of the witness is over for the moment.¡±
The lawyer for the defence glared at Eliza once more and asked ¡°How do you account for the fact that your finger-prints were only on the one key-box that contained the keys to the vehicle?¡±
¡°I tried that box first, and recognised the keys.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Did you not try that key box because you had free use of the car and had been told which box the keys were in?¡±
¡°No, that is not the case at all. I fail to understand why you think I would have willingly been tied to a pipe when I had free access to a vehicle.¡±
¡°I suggest that you were tied to that pipe because that is where you asked to be tied for the sexual games you played with the accused.¡±
¡°And is that a product of your own diseased imagination, or that of the accused?¡±
The judge smiled and gently said ¡°It is not normally the role of the witness to question the lawyers.¡±
¡°I withdraw my question, your honour.¡± Eliza said with a smile.
¡°Is it not the case that you used sexual favours to try to entice my client into a marriage relationship?¡± persisted the lawyer.
¡°No, it is not the case. As I have stated before, such a relationship would be against my religion, not to mention my good taste.¡±
¡°That is an easy claim to make.¡±
¡°I do not think it is at all easy to alter the Word of God.¡±
¡°I meant your reference to your taste.¡±
¡°If you had a daughter, would you encourage her to marry your client, sir?¡±
¡°It is not my place in this court to answer questions.¡±
¡°But you wouldn''t, assuming you are not totally blind to his nature.¡±
¡°I have no daughter, so this speculation is idle. Apart from your claim to have better taste and a religion, neither of which are easily examined in this court of law, do you have any evidence at all to prove that an alternative explanation is invalid? That you had a nice time as a house guest of my client, enjoyed his company when he was present, and then when your plans fell apart with his arrest you stole the vehicle and came up with this fantasy story of kidnapping, threats and violence.¡±
¡°Your ludicrous claim then is that I was engaged in a consensual sexual relationship with your client?¡±
¡°I challenge you that that is the real truth, yes.¡±
¡°May God have mercy on your sinful soul. That, at least is easily disproved. I believe that the evidence lies in the care of the prosecution.¡±
She turned her gaze to the prosecution lawyer, who was flipping through pieces of paper. Eventually he found what he was looking for.
¡°Your honour, I am somewhat surprised at the line of questioning that the defence team are pursuing, and present a medical report regarding the condition of the witness on her rescue. I hesitate to include it in the evidence due to its personal nature. Let the court record show that the witness is innocent of the ridiculous claims by the lawyer for the defence.¡±
The judge scanned the document.
¡°Let it be so shown. The counsel for the defence will cease this insulting line of questioning, it is disproved, and the young lady''s claim of a strong religious faith finds support in this document.¡±
¡°Your honour I must protest that I be allowed to continue to challenge the evidence presented by this woman.¡±
¡°You may challenge my evidence if you wish sir, assuming you have sufficient grounds beyond these disgusting fantasies.¡± Eliza said. ¡°However, the document his honour the judge has just read contains the phrase virgo intacta. Keep the filthy and disgusting results of your or your client''s depraved imaginations yourself.¡±
¡°It is clear to me that I was misinformed in this matter.¡± The lawyer claimed. ¡°I turn my attention to certain other matters. When you saw the woman being cut, was Ibrahim present?¡±
¡°Not in the courtyard, no.¡±
¡°And other times that you saw Hamid reacting with extreme violence?¡±
¡°Most of the time he was not. But yes, on several occasions.¡±
¡°But you do not know what Hamid was reacting to, it could have been something extremely insulting, could it not? The sort of thing anyone might flare up at?¡±
¡°On one occasion, in the evening, a serving boy, I guess he was in his mid-teens, took drinks and snacks to Ibrahim, Hamid and some others. He tripped, or possibly was tripped, as he got to the men. The drinks came off the tray he was holding and spilt. Two glasses broke. Ibrahim said something to Hamid and he punched the boy in the head twice. As he was knocked to the ground, another glass broke and when this was pointed out to Hamid, by one of the men, he punched him again, after this he seemed barely conscious. Then, Ibrahim deliberately broke another glass under his foot. Hamid lifted his head by the hair and punched him yet again. I therefore concluded that Ibrahim''s instructions were one punch per broken glass. Ibrahim and the others seemed to think this was very amusing.¡±
¡°What happened after that?¡± asked the prosecutor.
¡°They left him where he had fallen and went to another part of the courtyard. On the way, Ibrahim called something to one of the men and he swept up the glass. Eventually the boy regained consciousness and staggered back towards where he had come from.¡±
¡°Did you see that particular boy suffering any more abuse from anyone at another time?¡±
¡°No. I did see him a few days later. He had lost a tooth, and had one eye which was closed by the swelling.¡±
¡°Were missing teeth common amongst the staff?¡± he asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Do you not wonder why the staff stayed, if it was really so dangerous to work there?¡± asked the lawyer for the defence.
¡°Objection your honour, this calls for speculation.¡±
¡°Sustained.¡±
¡°I have no further questions, your honour.¡± The defence lawyer said.
¡°Did you see any apparent senior staff, other than Hamid?¡±
¡°Yes. There was one man who often seemed to give orders to the others.¡±
¡°But he isn''t pictured here.¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Is he included in this picture?¡± He handed her another photo.
¡°Yes. The man in the blue T-shirt.¡±
¡°Thank you. Let the record report that the man who previously gave orders in the house was one of those killed in a gun-battle with the local army. The prosecution has no further questions, unless the wrist-unit can give us data.¡±
¡°Neither has the defence.¡±
Bella answered that ¡°Your honour, the wrist unit has been checked. A poison has been applied to the strap which I understand would have started to take effect after approximately one hour of wear.¡±
¡°Thank you, agent. Is it possible to know how long the poison has been on it?¡±
¡°I do not know, your honour.¡±
¡°And can the wrist-unit be handled safely, if the strap is removed?¡±
¡°I expect it can with rubber gloves, your honour, but I would prefer to have an expert give advise.¡±
¡°Then, the court will take a ten minute break to allow someone to seek that advice.¡±
¡°Very well, sir.¡± Bella asked one of the agents beside her to do that, and went to stand by Eliza as the lawyer for the defence approached her. He did not get too close to where she was still seated, but stated: ¡°I would like to state, Maam, that the line of inquiry I was acting on came from the testimony of my client, and did not stem from any personal animosity, but that it was my duty to pursue it to the very end. I apologise for any personal offence I may have caused.¡± Having said this he immediately returned to his seat, without waiting for a reply.
Eliza gazed at his retreating back for a while in incredulity, and then sat back and closed her eyes. [Bella, if that proves to be true, is it fair to throw the book at him just for doing his duty?]
[He didn''t pull his punches, and he did insist. That''s not nice.]
[Are there due-cause type allowances in the law?]
[I don''t think so. But you can probably get a royal pardon for him if you feel he''s just a cold-hearted pig doing his duty as he sees fit, rather than an actual criminal. I would like to say that I''m really impressed that you''re not in tears about those accusations.]
[They just made me annoyed, really. But where did that information leak out from? That''s the real problem, I think.]
[I agree. You could find out, though, couldn''t you?]
[Don''t tempt me! I''m not thought police, I don''t want to go down that route.]
¡°Bella, I''ve got the expert opinion.¡± The agent said.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Anyone who''s been touching the bag even should wash their hands well, plenty of soap and scrubbing. Since I opened the bag to test the thing, then I go and get dosed on antidote as soon as possible.¡±
¡°So, how do we cleanse it? They''d like that data.¡±
¡°They''ve got some counter-agent and will send it here. We dunk it in the agent with a pair of tongs, which they''ll also send, slosh it around for ten minutes and assuming the wrist unit still works we can cut off the straps and get the data off. The straps should be burned, for safety sake.¡±
¡°Did you hear that, your honour?¡± Bella asked.
¡°I heard that there''s ten minutes of treatment, with a delay before-hand.¡±
¡°Yes, your honour, the counter-agent should be here in about an hour, they said, and anyone who touched that bag should scrub their hands well with lots of soap.¡±
¡°That includes me, the prosecution, and the court secretary then.¡± Eliza said.
¡°And me,¡± Bella said. ¡°I handed it to you.¡±
The judge called the room to attention and spelled out the precautions. ¡°I think that, just to be safe, since that bag has touched other items of evidence on its way here, anyone who has touched any evidence bag should wash their hands well. The counter agent will arrive in about an hour, we''ll need to treat the unit for ten minutes, and then the witness can try to access the booking number, perhaps the letter too.¡±
The agent who''d opened the bag went to the sink first, and then he left to go to the hospital. Another agent arrived soon after, to take his place. The lawyers looked at their notes to see if there might be anything else they wanted to check, and Eliza, once she''d washed her hands, put her head on her arms as though she was resting and called Albert.
[Hi, Albert. Any news?]
[Tasha has a possible lead. The computer at the palace was accessed in the middle of Friday''s TREC meeting for a list of who had visited the day before. Roughly speaking, it was around the time that the defence minister was being replaced.]
[So, it could have been her?]
[It would make sense. She''s got opportunity and a reason for wanting to stir up trouble against people on the committee. It would fit with the previous leak about the committee too.]
[It would. If she''s found guilty....]
[Then she''s in big trouble, Yes. I expect that she''s covered her tracks fairly well, considering the consequences.]
[But it could have been someone else with another motive?]
[Yes. Anyone at TREC would be authorised to look at that sort of data. It''s not public, but their clearance would be sufficient to look at it, and what with you arriving as a group and leaving as a group, it''s pretty obvious who came as part of the committee.]
[And add to that your admitting being in love with someone under witness protection...]
[Yes. Except she''d left by the time that was said explicitly.]
[Oh.]
[So, either someone''s talked to her, or there''s been a leak about you giving evidence to the court.]
[Or it''s not her and someone would be very happy for her to take the blame.]
[Eliza, I know you don''t like to use your gift to solve crimes...]
[No. I don''t. We don''t.]
[I accept that. Can you make sure there''s no one trying to harm you, or our break the news about our relationship?]
[That''s a bit too general, Albert. And I''m not sure I''d like to.]
[Then can you at least talk to Karen about it, see what she thinks? I don''t want anyone to be sent to a think-tank. So far the damage has been minimal, but if the announcement gets wrecked and the press run with some other version of our relationship...]
[Then the person won''t get much leniency, will they?]
[No.]
[O.K. On that basis, I''ll talk it over with Karen, and we''ll see what we can come up with.]
[Do I gather you''ve finished your witness bit?]
[No... there''s a slight delay.]
[What''s happened now?]
[Well, the defence lawyer insisted on knowing we were engaged. But I don''t think anyone here is going to be silly enough to leak that, having heard the list of possible charges that Bella came up with.]
[So, they need a new lawyer?]
[No, the arresting officer said that he''d delay the actual detention until this process was over. I''ve had a ''it was my duty'' apology from the guy, by the way.]
[The officer?] Albert said, confused.
[No, the lawyer. Roughly speaking he said his client had told him that he and I had been indulging in regular sadomasochistic sex while I was there, thus explaining away my rope burns. I guess that''s why it seemed reasonable to him to suspect I''d been acting the temptress with you too. My medical report showing that was a load of lies would have squashed that idea from the outset, but the prosecutor hadn''t entered it as evidence, apparently, thinking that it was a bit too personal.]
[Oh. So it''s evidence now?]
[No. He just showed it to the judge who told the defence lawyer to stop insulting me and claiming I was making up my religious convictions.]
[And did he?]
[Once I spelt out to him that the report said virgo intacta, yes.]
[I''m glad it did.]
[Me too. It was Maria''s thought to get it spelt out, actually. I guess she knows how personal these cases can get.]
[I guess so. Urmm, could you thank her, rather than me?]
[Embarrassed to bring up the subject?]
[Yes. I''m very glad you are though.]
[Hmmm. Only for another six weeks or so.]
[Please don''t make me think about that, Eliza. It''s hard enough battling temptation as it is.]
[I won''t. But we do need to discuss contraception sometime. Soon.]
[You understand why I didn''t want to on Saturday?]
[I think so. Less temptation if we discus it mind to mind?]
[{love}Yes]
[{love} But I was telling you about the delay.]
[Yes.]
[Well, they want me to get the message off my wrist-unit, but apparently it''s been covered with a contact-poison. They''re bringing a counter-agent, it should be here in the next hour.]
[Someone''s trying to poison you now?]
[It might have been while I was still a prisoner. For all I know, they''d left it somewhere where I should have seen it when I was looking for the car-keys, just as an extra bit of anti-escape insurance.]
[Oh.]
[But it should have been tested while it was in UN custody. The fact that no-one did or the poison was added later isn''t good news for their security.]
[No. So that''s the delay? Wait for the counter-agent, and then you get your wrist unit back?]
[I''m not sure I want it back, but I''ll get the message off it if I can. Then that''s it.]
[So it will all be over today after all?]
[Yes, it looks like it. But do wait until it is really all over, please.]
[Of course. I''m so looking forwards to telling the world about you tomorrow, Eliza.]
[That''s only because you''re in love, Albert. It''s a form of temporary euphoric state, I understand, a bit like a drug.]
[Not too temporary, I hope.]
[Me too. It''s a nice feeling.]
[Will you talk to Karen?]
[Yes. I suppose I''d better. I like talking to you better, my prince.]
[I like talking to you, too, my future princess. But I think you should. Before it turns out to be too late.]
[Oh, all right. I love you, Albert.]
[I love you too. Tell me what she says.]
[Of course! Talk to you soon.] and letting go of Albert''s mind, she called Karen, and briefly explained Albert''s concern.
[So, you''re concerned, but don''t really want to do it, just in case it ends up as a thought-police thing?]
[Yes. I guess that''s part of it. It doesn''t seem right, me being so close to being royalty and finding out who''s not my friend.]
[I understand, I think. You need to be even more careful than the rest of us.]
[Exactly, and I''m not sure that us being concerned something might go wrong with our happy announcement is sufficient justification.]
[Eliza, you''re doing it again! Don''t be silly. Just because it''s your happy announcement, that doesn''t mean it doesn''t matter! I''ll look.]
[Thank you, Karen. You think it''s right to then?]
[Yes. Not for your happiness, but for the country. The country needs to hear you talking about your father before they know who he is.]
[I needed to hear that. Thank you. If you''re convinced, I''ll do the checking.]
[No. I will. I want to make sure it''s done properly.]
[What do you mean by that?]
[I''m going to find out details that you don''t need to know.]
[Karen! We''re not thought police!]
[I know. But I don''t want to heat my brain looking for categories again, until I know where to look.]
[I guess that makes some sort of sense. Thank you Karen.]
[I''ll give you the results later.]
Karen decided that the person who had sent the note to the press was called Aleph, and the person who''d been the origin of the message to the lawyer that maybe Eliza Underwood was involved with the prince was called Beta. She checked Aleph''s feet, and then Beta''s. They were different people. Aleph was in a flat, there; Beta was walking, just outside a church, there, in a totally different part of the country.
Karen then looked for people in the world who knew or suspected about Eliza and the Prince, and had given or would give her name to the press before the announcement. There, she concentrated on the location of the spark. Same city as Beta, Same street as Beta. It was Beta, or someone walking in the same place as Beta. She checked. There wasn''t anyone else there, just the minister for justice. She focussed on his thoughts. He was trying to decide:
''Should he leave? The reporter was late. Walking up and down in front of a church was fairly obvious. But Underwood''s daughter for queen? It had to be her. It was too offensive.'' Karen contacted the prince herself. It was the fastest.
[Your highness, it''s Karen. Sorry for taking the liberty of calling you like this, but can you contact the minister for Justice, right now?]
[I can try. Why?]
[He''s outside a church, waiting for a reporter, very offended at your choice of bride, sir. I suggest you ask him not to commit such a crime.]
[I will.]
Karen decided that the journalist he was waiting for was called Bert and checked where he was. He was about a minute''s walk away.
Albert put through a call to the minister. ¡°Minister, I have an urgent issue I''d like to ask you about. Are you near the palace?¡±
¡°Your highness! I''m sorry, no I''m not even in the right city. I could come first thing tomorrow morning.¡±
¡°I''m afraid it''s far more urgent than that. It''s just come to my attention that a serious breach of security could happen in the next few minutes. My thought is that such a breach would be very bad for myself and more importantly for the country as we approach this time of crisis. Of course it would also be bad for the senior official who committed the breach, I''m sure that you appreciate the consequences. Obviously, the leak must not happen, but I do not think that someone should be arrested for something that they haven''t done, but only contemplated, do you, minister?¡±
¡°My resignation will be with his Majesty first thing in the morning, sir.¡±
¡°I hope that will not be necessary, minister, I wonder if we might meet first thing tomorrow morning to discuss matters?¡±
¡°Yes, sir, of course, sir. Might I ask how you became aware of this potential leak, sir?¡±
¡°I am not sure that is appropriate, minister.¡±
¡°I just wonder about the ethics of the journalist I was due to meet.¡±
¡°The information did not come from that source at all, minister.¡±
[Hi, Eliza, sorry to bypass you, there wasn''t any time to waste so I spoke straight to Albert.]
[The leak was about to happen?]
[Exactly. Hopefully Albert''s got through to the minister for Justice before anything happened. How''s your hearing?]
[Delayed while they get a rather nasty poison off my wrist unit.]
[Ouch. Where did that come from?]
[My assumption is that they either dosed it while I was held prisoner, or the nice guys who tried to abduct me or whatever they were planning this morning got at it while it was stored at the court.]
[What''s this? Another kidnap attempt?]
[A couple of agents who got recommended to the court by you know who decided that they''d escort me somewhere, rather than the assigned pair. Somehow they managed to convince the assigned pair that it was an official change of plans.]
[Ouch.]
[They didn''t know about special arrangements for me, otherwise I would have been easy prey again, depending what they wanted to do to me, of course.]
[Oh wow. You are living a high risk life, aren''t you?]
[I guess so. I sort of expected some move or other from Ibrahim. I think the real high risk living was being a servant at his house. I mean, at least I''ve got Bella and company looking out for me, they just had to take it, suffer, die or let whatever greater evil it was that kept them there happen.]
[I''ve heard some of that, yes. Nasty place. A very evil man. I''ll be glad when you''re back on our soil.]
[Oh, sorry, I didn''t say. I am already. We''ve got a temporarily convened court here at the military airport.]
[That makes sense. Hold on. How did Ibrahim find out about you coming?]
[Bella said it was allowed for the lawyer to talk to his client about interviewing me, or maybe those agents found out.]
[So, the justice minister passed on that you were probably the prince''s fianc¨¦e, the lawyer probably passed on that you were coming, and the agents with divided loyalties possibly poisoned your watch and certainly tried to abduct you.]
[Yes, that''s about it. And then the lawyer got himself in big trouble for demanding that I say the whole truth and admit that I''m engaged to Albert. He''s technically under arrest for breaking official secrets laws, but they''re letting him finish interviewing me before they actually throw him in a dungeon for insulting a royal personage.]
[You don''t live a boring life, do you?]
[No. I don''t see it getting particularly boring in the near future, either.]
[We''ll be praying for you.]
[Thanks! How are your plans going?]
[Getting complicated.]
[I thought it was all arranged.]
[Yes. It was, then I saw what Dad had arranged and decided that I didn''t really agree with the odd plan or three of his. I mean... an open-topped horse-drawn carriage?]
[Oh, that''s really romantic.]
[Yes. If it''s not raining. I''ll leave that level of showing off for you and Albert. I know the dress could be cleaned in time for your wedding if it did get dirty, but I''m not going to risk showing up at the church splattered with mud from head to toe.]
[I see your point.]
[So did Daddy, after I''d explained it to him.]
[Oh, I''d better pay attention round here, something''s happening.]
Eliza lifted her head to see a large flask of pink-looking liquid being poured into a bucket. It all seemed rather too much for her wrist unit.
¡°My wrist unit''s not that big, Bella!¡± she protested.
¡°I know. But the counter-agent comes in flasks that big, so they decided to give it room to be moved about in.¡±
¡°You know why I bought that wrist unit?¡± Eliza said, seeing the strap being cut off.
¡°No.¡±
¡°I really liked the patterning on the strap. I saw it at an art-shop when I was sixteen.¡±
¡°That''s a shame. I wonder if someone''s got another one like it.¡±
¡°They won''t have. It had a little card in the box which said it was done by mixing the different coloured resins by hand. Every one unique, guaranteed.¡±
¡°Not everyone''s choice of colours.¡±
¡°No. I liked it though.¡±
¡°Sorry. The strap''s pretty deadly now. The poison gets into the plastic. You''d get sick at the very least, even after it''s been in the counter agent.¡±
¡°Nasty poison that.¡±
¡°Yes. I looked it up just now. Developed in the age of chaos. It was meant to be a very long lasting insecticide, to kill insects on netting and jungle-wear, so the soaking into plastics is part of the design, but they found out it kills people just as effectively.¡±
¡°So it''s from an industrial process? Who would make it still?¡±
¡°It''s still a very effective insecticide. They use it in some countries in farm out-buildings and the like, all nicely protected in a metal case, of course. One little box above your pigs with the poison and an attractant, then suddenly there aren''t so many flies around, for the next five years or so.¡±
¡°I see. But don''t open the package.¡±
¡°No.¡±
[By the way Bella. We shouldn''t need to worry about more leaks. Karen looked.]
[Under arrest?]
[No, but he knows he''s known about.]
[{surprise} He? Not the ex-defence minister?]
[He.]
[And he''s in the cabinet?]
[I don''t think you need to know that, Bella. But I''ll just have a quick chat with Albert.]
[I can''t stop you.] Bella thought with a smile.
Eliza checked Albert''s thoughts. He was still talking to the minister for justice. So, she decided to do some checking herself. What was the minister thinking?
She heard, ''So, he has his sources, and I''ve been warned. So if there''s leak then it''s fairly obvious that it was me. On the other hand, I can claim it wasn''t me, because only a fool would do it after that warning. But, does it harm the country? Ha, there''s that journalist at last. What shall I tell him? That I''m not a complete fool, I guess.'' She broke off. Why was she spying on him? Selfish reasons. Rather than talking to Albert immediately, she prayed first.
¡°You''re late.¡± the minister for Justice said.
¡°I''m sorry. There was something you wanted to tell me?¡±
¡°There was. Just after our meeting should have begun I got a phone-call though. So, I''d be a complete fool to tell you what I was going to.¡±
¡°You said you were outraged about something.¡±
¡°Yes. I was, I am.¡±
¡°But you can''t tell me about what.¡±
¡°No. His highness was quite clear.¡±
¡°It is no secret that there''s going to be a palace announcement this week, there''s a connection?¡±
¡°There is.¡±
¡°Can you tell me if your outrage is about the timing of the announcement, its leaking, or its content?¡±
¡°Content. Specific details about its content. I don''t think I can say more.¡±
¡°I''m sorry I wasn''t on time, then.¡±
¡°I think, since we''d be under arrest soon for breaking official secrets laws if you had been, that I don''t agree with you. My outrage is not an official secret, however.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir.¡±
¡°Miss Underwood, assuming you feel comfortable that the poison has been removed, could you please attempt to access the data on your wrist-unit?¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
Placing the unit precariously on her wrist so that it could notice her pulse, she woke the unit up, and identified herself to it by I.D. and fingerprint. It came up with a message that told her that there was currently another unit accessing her network account, so what did she want to do? She clicked on the option to leave her new wrist unit in charge, then recovered the message that claimed to have come from her father.
¡°I have the message, sir,¡± she told the judge, ¡°what should I do now?¡±
¡°Please send it to my unit.¡±
¡°The message came encrypted, your honour, I don''t know if I can send you anything useful. It looks like it actually came from the airline booking system, I hadn''t noticed that before.¡±
¡°Ah.¡± the prosecutor said. ¡°I had wondered why you didn''t get warnings about it not coming from the right I.D. Your wrist unit verified the message as coming from the airline system, but the booking system didn''t care about who the originator was, as long as they''d paid?¡±
¡°Yes, sir. I guess so.¡±
¡°That would seem like an omission on the part of the airline booking system, not to flag that it does not guarantee the authenticity of the message.¡± Commented the prosecution lawyer.
¡°I tend to agree. Please could you duplicate the message to me so we can check the message details, and also copy the content as a separate message?¡±
¡°Of course, your honour.¡±
After Eliza had done that, the judge sent the message to the prosecution and defence lawyers.
¡°The use of ''Liz'' as a shortening of your name is normal?¡± asked the prosecution lawyer.
¡°No. It is only my Dad who calls me that.¡±
¡°And you accepted it as evidence that the messages originated with him?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And were there other indications to you that your father was involved in this letter?¡± Asked the defence lawyer. Eliza decided to tread carefully. ¡°Other indications that whoever wrote this letter was duplicating my father''s style were the phrase ''political prisoner'', the opening phrase and the closure. It is possible that my father was directly involved, but it seems unlikely that he was willing if my kidnapping was intended to put pressure on him.¡±
¡°Objection your honour, this last is speculation.¡± the lawyer for the defence said.
¡°As was the point she answered.¡± countered the prosecution lawyer.
¡°Both are permitted to stand.¡±
¡°How would you describe your relationship with your father?¡± asked the lawyer for the defence.
¡°Now, or at the time I was kidnapped?¡±
¡°Both.¡±
¡°Before I was kidnapped, I had ambivalent feelings towards him. He was my father, I wanted to know what he was like. I had read bad things about him, but had no knowledge as to their truthfulness. I knew he had been convicted of abuse of office and corruption, but that no other charges had been levelled against him. He said it was all lies, or at the very most a few things had been exaggerated for political reasons. Now, I''ve heard from his own lips what these political reasons are: he thinks almost all other people are of no importance at all. He described Ibrahim as a kindred spirit and based on the evidence I''ve heard from his trial I would tend to agree. They are both men to whom only their own plans matter.¡±
¡°But you seem to matter to your father.¡±
¡°I know. That worries me. I don''t want to figure in his plans.¡±
¡°And you think that you would only matter to him if you do?¡±
¡°He has told me that I do ¡ª after he had successfully gained power and ruled as a malevolent world dictator, he intended that I should inherit his throne.¡±
¡°Those plans do not seem to me to be likely to succeed.¡± the lawyer for the defence stated.
¡°I did not say they were. But it makes me feel unclean to be included in his deranged imaginings.¡±
¡°Your honour, no further questions.¡± the defence lawyer said.
¡°No further questions, your honour.¡± agreed the prosecution lawyer.
¡°Then I thank the witness for her statement and declare this hearing closed.¡±
¡°In which case,¡± declared the agent who''d earlier arrested the defence lawyer, ¡°I will take you into custody now, sir.¡±
¡°I hope you are pleased, Miss Underwood.¡± he told her.
¡°I am not at all pleased, sir. If you remember, I warned you not to insist on an answer, and told you you would regret it. I hope that no grounds will be found for any of the potential charges listed earlier.¡±
¡°I assure you, there will be no grounds for any such charges.¡±
¡°But you did discuss interviewing me with your client?¡±
¡°I did. But I did not reveal the day or the time.¡±
¡°And did you discuss with him the information you received concerning the prince and myself?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°So, your suggestion that I sought to entrap the prince into a relationship came from you alone?¡±
¡°Can I ask why you are asking these questions?¡±
¡°It is very simple. I do not want anything to put at risk the trial for which I have given evidence. It is my firm opinion that your client should be punished for his crimes. Perhaps a little leniency could be applied if all you have done is your duty. But you have attempted to besmirch my character and if the information you were given were to be published, particularly with the slant you put on these accusations, then that will cause trouble for the government at a time of national crisis. I would rather be forewarned of that.¡±
¡°You refer to the panic your government is in over the vanishingly small possibility of an impact?¡±
¡°I refer to the three independent prophesies that the city of Restoration will be razed to the ground, yes.¡±
¡°They will be proved false, have no fear, they are just scare-mongering, there is no such thing as true prophesy.¡± he answered dismissively.
¡°I know people for who very specific prophesies have come true, so count your claim as valueless.¡± Eliza said. ¡°But you have not answered my question. Who did you discuss your idea with that I was seeking to entrap the prince?¡±
¡°I will not answer.¡±
¡°Then, this conversation is at an end.¡± Eliza said.
The agent, who''d been waiting patiently for this examination to end, slapped handcuffs on the lawyer and took him away.
Preparation / Ch. 10: Leaks official and unofficial
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 10:Leaks official and unofficial
5:30pm Wednesday, 29th November
Press report:
¡°Discord in the government. The minister for justice described himself as ''entirely outraged'' about some details of a palace announcement that is planned to be made later this week. Official secrets legislation prevent him from being more explicit, but it seems clear that something is going on.
Earlier this week, royal correspondents were offered a chance to bid (proceeds going to a nominated charity) on an exclusive leak. This deal apparently had official approval, and it was expected by many that it would somehow relate to the prince''s recent comments about his love-life. Now, the minister for justice is outraged about certain details about the announcement. Asked if it was about the timing, or that it was being officially leaked, the minister revealed that it was details about the content that had him so upset. What could upset the minister for Justice so much about a revelation of the Prince''s love-life? Is the object of his love a known criminal? That seems unlikely. Perhaps she is unsuitable in another way? Why is it that the palace has not identified her, that they have not been seen together, and what causes such outrage? We await with interest.¡±
6pm
Eleanor''s wrist unit bleeped, just as she was heading out of the office at the end of the day. The caller wasn''t identified. ¡°Hello?¡±
¡°Hello. Just in case you''ve missed it, you might want to check the palace news stream,¡± a familiar voice.
¡°There wasn''t anything on it ten minutes ago. Is this Karen?¡±
¡°Bye!¡± Karen said, and disconnected. Eleanor checked the news stream again, and turned round.
¡°Palace announcement tomorrow at noon,¡± she said to Albert, excitedly, ¡°We''ve got almost eighteen hours of exclusive!¡±
¡°Seen this?¡± He replied, pointing out a report on a competitor''s site.
¡°Hmm. That makes sense.¡± Eleanor said.
¡°What makes sense?¡±
¡°I told you her name was dynamite.¡±
¡°And the justice minister is outraged?¡±
¡°Yes. I wonder how he found out.¡±
¡°You''re telling me that you know things the cabinet don''t?¡±
¡°Of course I do, Albert! So, are you going to run my piece or do I need to scream and shout about the retirement fund?¡±
¡°I''m going to run your piece. Do you want to comment on this report though?¡±
¡°Hmm. Maybe I should.¡±
Eleanor''s first article.
¡°Prince''s engagement to be announced tomorrow. You heard it here first: the prince is engaged! In an exclusive interview with a close relative of the prince''s fianc¨¦e, the true reason for the palace secrecy around the prince''s love life was revealed; the future royal bride has, until very recently, been a witness who was under official protection. Her role as witness has now been discharged and no doubt the prince is looking forwards to being able to be able to be with her in public ¡ª which obviously wasn''t possible before. The royal protection corps will obviously have a bit more work to do, but that would be the case whoever the prince chose to settle his affection on. The exact identity of the young woman in question is still an official secret for various reasons - not even the cabinet have been informed ¡ª so we''ll all discover her name at about the same time. Another news channel has reported that the justice minister is angry about something. Perhaps it is about the speed with which the happy couple are proceeding, or the fact that no one has told him, either.
''Certain they will marry.''
My source also was able to reveal that for the last few years the Prince, who has never made a secret of his firm faith in God, has been praying for the woman he would marry, presumably relying on God to be able to work out who that fortunate woman was. But, not only has he done this, he''s also been keeping a record of it as well. When comparing notes about their lives, the happy couple found numerous occasions when not only did his prayers fit her situations, but where it was clear to them that his prayers had been answered in her life. Here I quote my source directly:
¡°At the time [when her mother died] he started praying regularly that his future wife would become a Christian if she wasn''t already. He felt he should start praying something else for her at Christmas time. My cousin started going to church [two weeks after he started praying] and committed her life to Christ at a Christmas service. There were lots of other times. It convinced them that they would marry eventually.¡±
So, the question arose in their minds of when; my source said ¡°They didn''t think it would be right to have a royal wedding when the people of Restoration are rebuilding their lives.¡± and so with the impetuosity of youth and certain that their love would end in marriage some time, they''ve decided that they''d rather have the marriage this side of the impact rather than wait a few years until after the city has been fully rebuilt. The exact date, which will be announced tomorrow, is expected to be a month or so before the impact.
People of my generation tend to think that the youngsters of today can''t take things seriously, and don''t think through the impact of their decisions on others carefully enough. It seems that this happy pair are very aware of the impact on others, but perhaps a little na?ve about the impact on themselves. Their short engagement of only six or seven weeks is nothing though. My source informed me that they''d only met on Thursday. That''s right, they''ll have known each other a massive six days by the time of the announcement. She said: ¡°they know it''s too fast. But, for the good of the country they''ve decided it''s better to rush themselves than to delay their engagement a few more weeks.¡± She also told me that her own wedding, at the end of December, had played a part in their choosing when to announce their engagement ¡ª they didn''t want to spoil her big day by being the centre of attention when they attend.
Such an attitude of putting others first, or even a ruthless disregard for self so that stability for the populace can prevail, is of course, a theme that has always been strong in the restored monarchy. Assuming this break-neck ride towards matrimony doesn''t end in disaster, the self-sacrificial attitude with which it is being carried out suggests to me that our country will be in safe hands for another generation.¡±
9:00 am, Thursday, 30th November, the Palace
¡°Minister. You are reported as being outraged,¡± said Albert.
¡°Yes sir.¡±
¡°And that is still the case?¡±
¡°Yes sir, it is.¡±
¡°Because?¡±
¡°I was curious, sir, I admit it. I looked at the entrance logs on the palace computer. Am I correct in saying you have become romantically involved with Underwood''s daughter, sir?¡±
¡°Would that offend you?¡±
¡°Sir, I am aware of her father''s claims that all he did were for her, that he sought to place her on the throne. I am aware that she is accused of being a serial seductress, and that the accused in the case where she is supposedly a witness has stated under oath that they were involved in an intimate relationship, that she begged him to marry her repeatedly, that the only reason that she claims to have been kidnapped is revenge because he did not accept her as potential wife, and through spreading malicious rumours about him, she sought to preserve her reputation after he was jailed.¡±
¡°I see. Did you read this article?¡± indicating the article in NWN.
¡°I did, sir.¡±
¡°And you are still convinced of your version of events, from a man who has been implicated in multiple-kidnapping and murder?¡±
¡°I am convinced sir, that her character is flawed, her father is a psychopathic murderer, and she figures highly in his plans.¡±
¡°I see. And you have reached this conclusion without ever meeting her, talking to anyone who knows her, or anything of the sort.¡±
¡°People can be deceived, sir. She''s Underwood''s daughter!¡±
¡°Ah. Then perhaps the person to talk to is Roland Underwood''s sister.¡± Albert tapped a message on his wrist unit.
¡°His sister? I didn''t know he had one.¡±
The door opened.
¡°You asked me to come in, your highness?¡±
¡°Yes, Maria. The minister here has raised some concerns about your niece being suitable company for me.¡±
¡°Your niece, Maria?¡± the minister was shocked.
¡°My niece, minister.¡± Maria acknowledged. ¡°My little brother being public enemy number one is not something I''ve broadcast, but their majesties are well aware of the fact. I assure you that his daughter does not share his outlook on life. She''s a lovely Christian who''s witnessed too much evil for her years. But she''s survived it. Stronger, I believe. It was hard on her when she found out what her father was like.¡±
¡°And could you give me your assessment of Ibrahim as a witness, since he''s also been mentioned in my conversation with the minister?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Ibrahim as a witness? I''d rather trust my brother!¡± Maria said, shocked.
The queen stepped from behind a painted screen, where she''d been sitting the whole time. ¡°Minister, I''m sorry for hiding, but felt that it was better handled by my son. You seem to have been acting on prejudice and false information. I''ve met the young woman, and I decided she was a national treasure long before Albert here did. Almost the first thing she said to me was that her father had sought to destroy the monarchy, but she''d dedicate her life to strengthen it. For the last few months she''s been researching the impact of every piece of legislation that her father was involved in and looking at its effects on society which were not foreseen by Parliament. We presume that these effects were deliberate on his part. The most obvious is that the present generation of twenty-somethings know practically no civics. The civics weeks that you and I grew up with have been turned into school-trip weeks, where students learn what people do, but not why. All the state institutions from the fire brigade to water treatment works are required by the law to offer local schools visits during civics week, and the form they send out asks when they plan to visit without giving any indication that the school can reject the offer. So teachers feel that they can only pick when to visit, not whether, and so they feel obliged to cram in a visit to each and every one during the school year. There is no time for the syllabus. Your opinion of the impact of this?¡±
¡°No one will know their duties or their rights. This is why we''re seeing the upsurge in corrupt civil servants?¡±
¡°Exactly. Eliza suggests a simple modification to the form, adding a ''not this year'' box, and a note suggesting that a given class is not expected to visit more than one institution per civics week. She also suggests re-introducing the examination in civics that was scrapped in the same act. The syllabus remained unchanged, but without the test it has long been ignored. I ask that you take the recommendation, with your insight into the consequences of the current framework, to the minister for schools. Since there''s a civics week soon, I suggest that you pass on our royal recommendation that the schools cancel most visits, and ask the minister to pass that down through channels.¡±
¡°I will, Maam. I wholeheartedly apologise for leaping to conclusions.¡±
¡°Minister, I would like to remind you what my husband I declared to you at your investiture; as a minister of state, you have certain rights. One of those is to call us, even wake us up in the middle of the night, if there is something that concerns you. Your call to the press should have been a call to the palace. Now, please do two things. First, admit to your journalist contact what you should have done, and why, and that having done what you should have done in the first place you''ve realised your concerns were misplaced. All this without, of course, giving away any content about what you were cross about. Think of it as educating the public. State that this is a formal retraction and insist on equal coverage. And secondly, talk to the minister for schools.¡±
¡°Very well, Maam. Once again, sorry, your highness, your majesty.¡±
¡°I do not believe that any real harm was done.¡±
¡°I hope not. I must confess, maam, that I also talked to Ibrahim''s lawyer.¡±
¡°We had gathered that, minister. He told you of the accusations against Eliza?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Yes sir.¡±
¡°They were disproved before the court yesterday, minister.¡± Albert said. ¡°And the lawyer for the defence has apologised to my fianc¨¦e for making them.¡±
¡°I am pleased to hear that, as I''m sure you were, sir.¡±
¡°I did not need that evidence, minister, I never doubted her.¡±
¡°I stand corrected.¡±
¡°Perhaps you should also go and correct that article then.¡± hinted the queen.
¡°Of course, Maam.¡±
After he left, Maria turned to the queen and asked, ¡°About that lawyer, Maam.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Bella passes on a request from Eliza that should there be no other charge found against him than fulfilling his duty as he saw it, the court be lenient. Bella states that his aggressive attitude would have had her reaching for her stunner on another occasion.¡±
¡°And did that attitude change with the presentation of medical evidence?¡±
¡°He apologised, but from what I''ve heard he certainly saw Eliza as an opponent.¡±
¡°I think Eliza sees this as a question of the greater crime needing to take priority.¡± Albert said.
¡°Yes. The question is, which is the greater crime? We cannot be seen to be lenient with the question of official secrets.¡± Maria said.
¡°No. But to charge him with disrespect to a royal person or of placing a royal person under duress seems a little convoluted since the whole thing was to identify her relationship with me.¡± Albert said.
¡°It''s a little more complicated than that, Albert. He was also disrespectful to you by placing your image amongst the criminals. And he could have dropped it when she said she could not answer without revealing a state secret.¡± the Queen said.
¡°But he didn''t necessarily know that a state secret is directly related to the crown, and therefore her relationship to the prince being one meant that there was some sort of direct connection.¡± Maria countered.
¡°But she could have just been a direct employee, or something, couldn''t she? It doesn''t specify that there''s romance involved.¡±
¡°A secret direct employee, without romance, Albert? What could you be suggesting?¡± the queen raised an eyebrow.
¡°I was thinking, mother,¡± Albert said, turning red at the innuendo, ¡°that she could have been a crown employee, working on some secret project, say related to the impact, and have met me in that capacity. In that case she would not be a royal personage.¡±
¡°Yes. That''s true.¡± admitted the Queen.
¡°So, he had no way to know she was a royal personage, except that he''d been told she was almost one by our minister.¡± Maria countered.
¡°Hmm. Yes. He didn''t know we were engaged yet.¡± Albert said.
¡°So again, very reasonable doubt,¡± summarised the Queen.
¡°So, can we at least drop that one?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Yes. We can, unless we find other evidence against him.¡± stated the Queen, then asked ¡°Has he been questioned yet, Maria?¡±
¡°Not yet. We need to decide what to formally charge him with, first.¡±
¡°If he is found guilty, what does that do to his standing at the UN court?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Depends on his own country.¡± the Queen answered. ¡°Maria?¡±
¡°He loses it. They don''t allow anyone convicted of a crime to practice law.¡±
¡°Ouch.¡± Albert said.
¡°But on the other hand, they don''t allow an officer of the court to be arrested for anything he says or requires during a trial, or to be arrested during one. So he might have assumed that he would only be arrested after the trial.¡± Maria continued.
¡°So, if we convict him, then he''s no longer the defence lawyer. If we postpone his trial he''s theoretically under pressure to treat one witness''s evidence as beyond questioning.¡± Albert summarised.
¡°So, a royal pardon might be an option if we knew he had no sin beyond duty and an aggressive manner,¡± Maria said, looking quizzically at Albert.
¡°I don''t understand your look, Maria.¡±
¡°Then you should talk to Eliza more. It''s part of her gift. A very dangerous one, from what I witnessed. They can look at a person''s sin.¡±
¡°Dangerous?¡±
¡°Because, from what I heard, when you look at the workings of evil, the workers of evil might be looking back. Plus it''s apparently a massive heat load.¡±
¡°I''m not sure I want to ask Eliza about that then.¡± stated the Queen.
¡°Nor am I¡± Albert said.
¡°We could ask him if he''s willing to be interviewed by a truth-sayer, I guess.¡± Maria said, ¡°It''s not as reliable, but it''s far safer.¡±
¡°Me, for instance?¡± Albert asked.
¡°I was hoping not to reveal to him that you have the power, Highness.¡± Maria said. ¡°But if you wore some kind of face mask...¡±
¡°He''d still recognise his voice, potentially.¡±
¡°Unless I was behind a wall, with a metal pipe between,¡± Albert said.
¡°In which case, perhaps Eliza could also check. I''m sure you''d like to stay together every waking moment, anyway.¡± the Queen suggested.
¡°If he is willing to have his thoughts checked by a thought-hearer, during his pre-trial hearing, and if he''s found to be telling the truth, to have no involvement in the other crimes against Eliza, do you think Daddy would be willing to grant a royal pardon?¡±
¡°Since him standing trial puts Ibrahim''s trial in jeopardy, I expect so. But you go and do some last-minute planning with Eliza. The trial will be this afternoon at the earliest.¡±
¡°I''ll send someone to ask the lawyer what he thinks about a truth-sayer.¡±
11 A.M.
Dirk wasn''t quite sure why he''d got this job, but oh well. Interview a foreign lawyer arrested for breaking security laws, video record the whole thing, ask him some questions. Try to gauge his reactions.
The questions weren''t normal, of course. He guessed it was a trust thing. Maybe it was all a big setup, but he doubted it. It was too weird, and as for the cultural terminology, he had had to learn a lot of words and
attitudes in the last half an hour. He showed his I.D. to the guard on the door and went in.
¡°Good morning, sir. If it is acceptable to you, then I will be video recording this interview.¡±
¡°For what purpose?¡±
¡°Because in it I will be asking for your informed consent to an unusual question, and the video will be evidence that you were asked and your consent was given.¡±
¡°I understand. You may record this interview.¡±
¡°In preparation to the question which requires informed consent, I would like to ask you certain other questions. These do not form part of the consent process, and if you are not happy with the recording I am happy to turn it off, however if the whole interview could be recorded then I and my superiors would be more comfortable, as it would be a record that your decision was well informed and formed without threat or violence.¡±
¡°I acknowledge this attitude.¡±
¡°First, I will state that I have no knowledge of what the state secret is that you know and have no desire that you tell me. My questions relate to differences in law between our two countries and your expectations concerning your trial under our security laws, and the trial at which you are lawyer for the defence.
¡°My first question. During the hearing yesterday, you insisted on the answering of a certain question, which constituted an offence under our laws. Were you surprised at anything which happened after that?¡±
¡°Yes. I was arrested in the middle of a trial. This should not be!¡±
¡°I understand that our legal systems vary on this point.¡±
¡°The judge did not object, so I presume you are correct.¡±
¡°When did you expect your arrest would take place?¡±
¡°I did not expect to be arrested. In my country I can say and ask anything when I am interviewing a witness.¡±
¡°Yet, you were warned.¡±
¡°Yes. I was warned. I did not realise the differences were so great. If I had wounded the witness, for instance, I would expect arrest after the trial was complete.¡±
¡°Rapid justice is an expectation in our country. We expect those who have committed a crime to be arrested quickly. If you are found guilty for the crimes for which you were arrested, what do you expect will happen to the case against your client?¡±
¡°I could not continue as his lawyer. My contribution would be negated. Witnesses might need to be recalled.¡±
¡°And that would be the case even if the process was not finished, that is to say even if you had not been sentenced?¡±
¡°You have a delay between the guilty verdict and the sentence?¡±
¡°Yes, we can.¡±
¡°We do not, normally. I do not know what the situation would be.¡±
¡°And what if you are not tried quickly, but the trial is delayed until after your clients'' case is finished?¡±
¡°That is what I expected. I do not understand the question.¡±
¡°Would you be able to complete his defence, or would there be a potential mistrial?¡±
¡°Why a mistrial?¡±
¡°Because it might be that you feel under pressure to treat the evidence from a certain witnesses as beyond question, and so fail in your duty to question everything that casts a bad light on your client. Surely, such a trusting attitude would be opposed to your assigned role?¡±
¡°You are concerned with this?¡±
¡°Justice must be done, sir, and justice cannot be interfered with. In your country you do this by ensuring that the trial lawyer cannot be arrested, in our country we would not ban lawyers so easily, only for crimes against the court, such as perjury or perverting the course of justice.¡±
¡°Ah. This I did not know either.¡±
¡°Could your client call a mistrial, saying that you treated the witness preferentially?¡±
¡°It is possible. With an unspecified sentence over me, it is possible that he would say this had happened.¡±
¡°We do not want this to happen.¡±
¡°You offer an alternative? I cannot see one.¡±
¡°We possibly offer an alternative. Are you aware of the culture of your client''s homeland?¡±
¡°Not fully, of course.¡±
¡°Have you heard of their truth-sayers?¡±
¡°Yes. But they are not part of your legal system, surely?¡±
¡°No. But the remedy is not part of the legal system either. We offer this: You have your pre-trial hearing either this afternoon or tomorrow, as planned. That is part of the legal process. If you agree, then during the trial you will hold onto an iron pipe, the pipe will go into another room, where a trusted truth-sayer, possibly two, will listen to your thoughts. If they conclude that you have no guilt in this other than what your duty compelled you to do, then the King will grant you a royal pardon for your crimes, and you will be able to leave.¡±
¡°And the truth-sayer or truth-sayers will not reveal what they learn beyond this?¡±
¡°They will not, as long as you retain your hand on the bar, unless in your thoughts you reveal that you are guilty of perjury or another crime, at which point they will share what they hear.¡±
¡°And if I remove my hand from the bar?¡±
¡°The thought hearers will report this, and what your thoughts were as you did this, and then the King will decide.¡±
¡°But they have no legal standing in this country?¡±
¡°In general thought-hearers at the moment have the same legal standing as someone listening through a door ¡ª they risk prosecution for listening in secret and must have a good motive under law to tell what they hear, even to a court. For this process, you will give your permission, and so they can listen without fear of prosecution.¡±
¡°And they will take a vow to these conditions?¡±
¡°They will so vow, but you will not see them or hear them, except through a machine which alters their voices. Thus their identity will remain fully protected.¡±
¡°Ah. This is the reason for the pipe?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And the reason that their identities must be so well protected?¡±
¡°Should not be relevant to your decision, it is merely because they are not publicly known as having this ability.¡±
¡°Does that not make them thought-stealers according to the culture of my client?¡±
¡°Excuse me, I must remind myself of that expression.¡± Dirk looked through the notes. ¡°Ah, I''ve found it and an answer. Our cultures are different; they do not hide their power to take advantage of peoples'' ignorance, but because they fear people''s ignorant reactions. If they were thought-stealers they would not be asking.¡±
¡°That is true. I give my consent. They may listen to my thoughts during my hearing.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir.¡±
11:45 A.M.
¡°Daddy, have you signed the declassification order yet?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Don''t worry, Albert, I''ll do it.¡±
¡°The press conference starts in fifteen minutes.¡±
¡°Yes. But when I declassify it then that fact gets published, doesn''t it? You don''t want me to release it too early do you?¡±
¡°Oh, I''d forgotten that bit. Thank you, Daddy.¡±
¡°So I''ll declassify her surname when you call her to the microphone. How''s that?¡±
¡°That sounds lovely, Daddy. Thank you!¡±
noon
Albert''s security guard nodded to the camera men as he went onto the stage first. Albert often did the technology check himself, but today they''d decided that he''d let someone else be the first to address the sea of faces that filled the room.
¡°Ladies and gentlemen of the press and anyone else who''s snuck in, welcome. I hope everyone is getting the camera feeds? They should be live by now. Hands up if anyone has problems.¡± There was always one or two; people who couldn''t work out which room they were in and were waiting for the video feeds from, say, the large conference room when actually they were in the ballroom. People were people, after all. Today there were about five.
¡°In the interests of getting going, can their neighbours please help them? If the problem proves unusually hard, then raise a hand again.¡±
Someone raised a hand: ¡°Does anyone know what this room might have been called in Swahili?¡±
¡°If you can get to the main menu, it should be the only room with its name in bold with a big flashing star beside it,¡± the agent replied.
¡°Oh! Thank you!¡±
¡°Any other problems?¡±
Someone raised a hand. ¡°I have a blank feed, with a message saying ''Unrecognised video codec on feed.'' Does my colleague here panic?¡±
¡°No, you can select alternative formats. Top right hand of the display, there''s a small exclamation mark. The same quality will take more data, but there are other sizes available as well. At the bottom right you will see a small asterisk or star; you may select the resolution using that if you do not need the full quality.¡±
He waited a while before asking ¡°Are all problems resolved now?¡±
It seemed they were. ¡°Then I turn the platform over to his Royal Highness, Prince Albert.¡±
Albert entered, with a somewhat nervous Eliza beside him. He was in a suit, she in the same dress she''d worn when Albert had given her the ring, which was now on its proper finger.
¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, rumours that I''m in love are entirely accurate. I''d like to introduce to you my fianc¨¦e, Eliza. I''m sure you''ll see us a lot together in the next few weeks as we seek to make up for lost time. As has already been reported we could not be seen together until today, since Eliza has been in witness protection. Yesterday, she completed her duty as a witness and has now passed fully into the hands of the royal protection service. ¡°It''s been reported that we first met last Thursday, which is entirely correct, as is the fact that I''ve been praying for my future wife regularly for the last four years. Comparing Eliza''s life with my diary of what I''d prayed and when, it was a lovely surprise that God has made my prayers appropriate to her situation and answered every one of them in her life. As you know we''re expecting the city of Restoration to need rebuilding in a few months'' time, and since we were sure that we would marry eventually, we have set the date of the wedding for Saturday the thirteenth of January.
¡°As a descendent of Princess Sarah, Eliza plans to wear her dress, as did my great Grandmother Queen Beatrix. It seemed appropriate, therefore, that she also have my great-grandma''s ring.¡±
Eliza raised her hand, palm down, to the cameras to zoom in on, and was not at all surprised to have it held aloft by Albert. That had been planned.
She was a little surprised when he kissed her, as that hadn''t been in the script, but she didn''t mind one bit.
Albert then said, ¡°Eliza, you wanted to say a few words.¡± He stepped away from the microphone.
¡°You might have noticed that Albert has been careful not to mention my family name. I''m going to shock you quite soon with who my father is, but I''d like to first say that we were never close; I never even got a birthday card from him as I was growing up. I knew that he had spent time in prison, but over the past few months I have been horrified to find out about the depths of his crimes. He was officially a public servant but he used his influence for his own purposes, which were not at all in the public interest.
So it was that, early on Thursday, I declared to her Majesty that I would do all I could to undo the damage that my father has done to our society and to the monarchy. Thursday was a busy day and this was a long time, /hours even/, before Albert and I started to realise we might eventually have feelings for each other.¡±
An appreciative chuckle ran though the audience and she waited for it to die away before continuing, ¡°I certainly didn''t realise when I said it that I''d be working to strengthen the monarchy from the inside, I was intending to help through my studies into the social impact of his actions.
"I was reminded a couple of months ago that my family has a long history of being in public life and that dedication to a cause runs in our veins. Unfortunately some members, such as the mother of ''princess'' Sarah, were not good people, and did not choose good causes. My father chose evil, I have chosen to serve God and the good of our country. So, I''ll emphasize that I will not be inviting my biological father to my wedding, and I will not be retaining my maiden name when I marry. In case he is watching, I have this to say to him: I hate all you worked for and all you have done, Roland Underwood.¡±
Eliza stepped to beside Albert, and they waited for the questions. There were quite a lot. What had she studied? When had Albert proposed, and had he been on one knee or two? What else had happened on Thursday? Did Albert''s parents approve of his choice of bride?¡±
¡°Yes, we do.¡± the King said, entering with the Queen from the side of the stage. ¡°Eliza is not afraid of very much, and was prepared to tell me, respectfully of course, that something I''d said was beneath me. I married the last woman I found who was that bold, and I''m very pleased that Albert is going to have a similarly strong wife.¡±
¡°Now, I''m sure you''ve all got lots of questions.¡± the queen said ¡°But I''m afraid that Albert and Eliza have rather a lot of things they need to be doing.¡±
¡°Hi, Caroline!¡±
¡°Eliza, long time no contact! Are you out of witness protection now, then?¡±
¡°Yes, I am. I guess that you haven''t been watching the news just now.¡±
¡°Oh, the Prince''s announcement? No, I''m working on a commission. I saw that he''s got engaged though, very hush hush because she''s been in witness protection, like you. How on earth does someone get to meet the Crown Prince when you''re in witness protection?¡±
¡°Well, for me it was all because my protection agent had a meeting at the palace and her replacement didn''t turn up, so I had to tag along too. Caroline, put down the brushes nice and calmly, OK?¡±
¡°Eliza, you went to the palace too? What are you telling me?¡±
¡°Are the brushes and artwork safe?¡±
¡°Safe from what?¡±
¡°Surprising news.¡±
¡°They''re safe. What surprising news?¡±
¡°How would you like to paint a portrait of the happy royal couple? I''ve talked it through with Albert and he''s happy about the idea.¡±
¡°You''ve been talking to prince Albert about me painting him and his fianc¨¦e? Wow! How did you arrange that? What does she think of the idea?¡±
¡°I''m very happy with the idea, Caroline, that''s why I suggested you.¡±
¡°Eliza, I''m getting confused here. I thought I asked about his fianc¨¦e?¡±
¡°I noticed. Do you want me to spell it out for you?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
¡°On Saturday, Prince Albert asked me to marry him. I said yes.¡±
Caroline paused. ¡°You''re not joking?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Wow! Congratulations! And don''t forget, you owe me a paintbrush.¡±
¡°I thought you said they were safe!¡±
¡°They were, this is from last time, remember?¡±
¡°You mean when you broke a brush when I told you I''d got a first class honours.¡±
¡°And I said you can buy me one when you marry someone rich.¡±
¡°Oh yes! I''m not actually sure how rich he is, but of course I''ll buy you one. When''s your cruise ship thing start? Our marriage won''t be until January.¡±
¡°It''s fallen through. Or rather, I turned it down.¡±
¡°Oh. Why?¡±
¡°They said they wanted a portrait artist, but what they wanted was someone to do quick sketches of all five hundred passengers during the course of a five day cruise, no guarantee anyone would buy any of them, and I''d have to supply my own materials.¡±
¡°Ah. I did wonder how many people you''d get willing to sit for a few hours.¡±
¡°I was thinking I could make do with lots of pictures, but still, I can''t even do a proper sketch in four minutes, and they wanted me to do that for
eight hours a day? No way!¡±
¡°So, you wouldn''t object to a royal commission for your portfolio?¡±
¡°Eliza, do you want me to beg, or just strangle you for thinking I might refuse?¡±
¡°How about you just say yes, and then I pass your contact details on to whoever organises such things.¡±
¡°Sounds wonderful.¡±
¡°Right then, I''ll do that. Next question... Since you''re not going to be swanning around the Greek islands or wherever it was going to be, what do you think about being one of my many bridesmaids?¡±
¡°Many?¡±
¡°It''s going to be winter, the dress is almost two hundred years old, and has a train five metres long, which has a quick release but definitely is not quick connect.¡±
¡°Wow. I never knew you had an heirloom dress hiding in your cupboard.¡±
¡°Nor did I. It''s actually been hiding in a relative I didn''t know about''s cupboard. You''ll never guess whose it was originally.¡±
¡°Your Dad''s side?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Old family that... no! You''re not going to wear princess Sarah''s dress?¡±
¡°How did you guess that so quickly?¡±
¡°I did a project about it. Last time it was worn it was by someone who married a jeweller.¡±
¡°Actually, it was worn by her daughter a few months ago.¡±
¡°I never heard about that!¡±
¡°No. It was a small wedding, they didn''t want any press there. Her parents got killed in the Clear Sky attack.¡±
¡°Oh, the poor thing.¡±
¡°She''s doing OK now.¡±
¡°And you''re next?¡±
¡°No, actually another cousin I didn''t know about. The source in last night''s official leak actually.¡±
¡°I must re-read that. I didn''t realise it was about you!¡±
¡°You can if you like. There should be another one coming out soon. But you''re allowed to talk to me too, you know!¡±
¡°I know, but sometimes reporters can say things you wouldn''t ask a friend.¡±
¡°Maybe, but you can ask, OK?¡±
¡°Thanks, Eliza.¡±
¡°About the picture...¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I''ve got a feeling Albert won''t want to see me in the dress before the wedding.¡±
¡°Fair enough.¡±
¡°So, do you think you can paint a picture from photos, or would you prefer to have a sneak preview of me in the dress to base something on? Please bear in mind that it takes about three hours to put on.¡±
¡°Urm, yes, it''d be better to see you in the dress with my own eyes, and do some sketches. No problems with helping you put it on.¡±
¡°Urmm... Thanks, but I''ve talked about this with my cousins. There''s things about the dress which are a surprise for the groom. We don''t want to spoil anyone''s fun so we''re keeping it in the family.¡±
¡°What I don''t know I can''t tell. I understand. I''m know I''m not good at secrets.¡±
¡°It''s not just you, Caroline. My cousins will help me put on the dress, you and the others will be very needed, but not with that bit.¡±
¡°Who are the others?¡±
¡°I''m not fully decided on anyone else. I need two or three more. Probably my old flat mates, but... I''m not convinced they won''t embarrass me by getting drunk or something. I suppose I could ask Victoria.¡±
¡°Not the best idea.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°She''s not in her daddy''s good books right now. Fred''s really upset.¡±
¡°What''s she done?¡±
¡°Started dating some boy from school. Not a Christian.¡±
¡°Hmmm. I think I''ll talk to her next, then.¡±
¡°You will?¡±
¡°Yes. Tell her she''s not being very sensible.¡±
¡°You always did get on well with her, but...¡±
¡°Hopefully she''ll take it from me. How''s your love-life? Is Richard still gathering up the courage to ask you out?¡±
Caroline laughed. ¡°No. A month ago I decided to pin him down, well, to a wall, actually, and asked him if he was going to ever ask me out or not.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°Well, he hadn''t been feeling well, and we''d just been on a long walk, with others you know, except that somehow we''d got separated, which took some arranging, I can tell you. When I asked him, he turned white and fainted.¡±
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
¡°And?¡±
¡°He woke up to find his head on my lap, and me playing with his hair. I''ve always wanted to. It feels nice.¡±
¡°So, you''re now officially an item?¡±
¡°Yes, we decided that we''d give ourselves a month of really dating, and then decide if we really needed more time to decide.¡±
¡°So, you''re almost engaged, you mean?¡±
¡°Yes, well, we''ve known each other a long time.¡±
¡°OK, he''s on the invitation list then.¡±
¡°You don''t mind?¡±
¡°Of course not. Her Majesty has given me a quota of guests I should invite, not a maximum, you understand, but a minimum. I can go to double if I want to argue.¡±
¡°Wow.¡±
¡°Yes. It''s a bit cruel, if you ask me. Lots of people to invite but no one who''s going to struggle to look comfortable in formal dress. Richard''s always well dressed so he''s no problem. By the way, you''ll get contacted sometime soon to get measured for your dress. Also from the state wedding budget apparently. You get to keep it, too.¡±
¡°Oooh, pretty dress for free?¡±
¡°Pretty dress for lots of hard work.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Oh yes. I''ll let you know what you''ve let yourself in for, once I know. Carrying the train is apparently the easy bit. Oh, can you waltz?¡±
¡°Sort of. Why?¡±
¡°There''ll be a formal waltz. Albert and I go first, then my bridesmaids and their husbands, fianc¨¦s, or someone who''s caught their eye join in, then everyone else.¡±
¡°I''ll have to get practising with Richard then.¡±
¡°Yes, please! I''ll leave that with you and have a chat to Vic then.¡±
¡°I''ll pray.¡±
¡°Thanks!¡±
¡°Hi Vic!¡±
¡°Eliza! Is that you? What''s it feel like to be the crown prince''s fianc¨¦e?¡±
¡°Busy. Very very busy, but it''s nice to be able to talk to people at last. How are you?¡±
¡°Dad''s in a bad mood. You talked to him?¡±
¡°Not yet. To Caroline, but I was going to call anyway.¡±
¡°Oh, what about?¡±
¡°That can wait. Own up!¡±
¡°He''s called Alfred, and he''s nice. OK, he''s not a Christian, but he''s going to come to church soon.¡±
¡°I see. And in the mean time, how many Sundays have you missed?¡±
¡°None, yet. Well, no morning meetings.¡±
¡°You used to be there every evening.¡±
¡°I didn''t have anything else to do, then.¡±
¡°Yes you did. You told me once that you''d have really liked to stay at home and finish a book, I can''t remember which one, but God was more important.¡±
¡°Alfred''s more important than a book.¡±
¡°But not more important than God, Vic. You know that.¡±
¡°I know but...¡±
¡°But. I remember you telling me that you''d never consider going out with a non-Christian, because it would pull you away from God. What''s changed?¡±
¡°Alfred''s such a nice guy, Eliza. I talk to him about God, and he listens, he pays attention!¡±
¡°I''m sure he does. The question is, what are your actions telling him?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Your words say that God comes first, but your actions say that you like him enough to disobey scripture. That''s not going to help either of you, Vic.¡±
¡°You sound just like Dad. Are you sure you''ve not talked to him?¡±
¡°I''m sure. Just I''ve been reading the same book as him. How''s your prayer life?¡±
¡°Not good.¡± Victoria admitted.
¡°Any idea why not? I can guess.¡±
¡°You think it''s Alfred?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°You''re wrong. It''s because of you.¡±
¡°Me? Why?¡±
¡°Because you vanished into thin air, you were going to be gone for three days and nothing! I was so worried. I prayed and prayed and prayed, for weeks, about nothing else. And you still didn''t come back. And then I heard that you''d been kidnapped and couldn''t come back because of what you''d been through, and if God didn''t listen to me, why should I pray?¡±
¡°Victoria, what do you think happened to me?¡±
¡°I don''t know. But I can guess. Something horrible.¡±
¡°I got tied up, I got rope burn on a couple of occasions. My arms got really sore. I lost a few kilograms. I saw horrible things, but God kept me safe. Nothing bad happened to me. Thank you for praying.¡±
¡°Then why didn''t you come back?¡±
¡°Because the bad guys have nasty friends who have been trying to kill me. You should have been told this, surely.¡±
¡°I guess I didn''t listen. Nothing happened to you?¡±
¡°They didn''t even punch me, Vic. It was scary, they were violent people: I saw people losing teeth; but nothing at all happened to me. God kept me safe.¡±
¡°So he did answer my prayers?¡±
¡°If you prayed that I''d stay safe, yes, He did. If you prayed that I''d escape, yes He did. If you prayed that I''d get closer to Him during my time, yes He did.¡±
¡°Wow. That''s neat!¡±
¡°You prayed those things?¡±
¡°Yes. Eliza?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Have you heard about what Bob''s been reporting on?¡±
¡°Yes, I have.¡±
¡°Do you have it?¡±
¡°What, the power?¡±
¡°Yes. I was just thinking. You never did get hit in dodge-ball, it seemed like you knew when you were being aimed at. And you didn''t like holding hands much. Especially boys.¡±
¡°Sometimes young people can be so observant. Don''t tell anyone, please. Based on what I''ve heard myself, it''s pretty unlikely that your Alfred is really listening to your arguments about God with more than about a quarter of his attention. He might be unique, of course. But just an extra warning.¡±
¡°And your Albert?¡±
¡°He struggles to keep his thoughts pure, to honour God in our relationship. Your Alfred won''t have that motivation. He might want to honour you, but it''s not the same. I''m sorry to have to say this, but he''s much more likely to be plotting how to stay in your good books, and that if he''s persistent enough you''ll lower your standards. Even more.¡±
¡°Oh. I''m in love with him, Eliza, don''t tell me to break up, please.¡±
¡°What''s the best thing that can happen to him? Eternally speaking?¡±
¡°He comes to God, of course.¡±
¡°So, keeping that in mind, how can you help him to get there?¡±
¡°I tell him I''ll break up with him unless he turns to Christ?¡±
¡°That''s a good way to get him to lie, I expect.¡±
¡°So, what do I do?¡±
¡°Tell him the truth. You can''t serve God and disobey Him at the same time, and that it''s cutting you up inside.¡±
¡°So I ask him to dump me?¡±
¡°Not really. It''s asking him to consider putting your needs first. If he really loves you then he''ll realise that he''s hurting you, and yes, you''ll need to agree to separate, and it will hurt, I know, but it''s not the same as dumping each other. You''ll both understand, for one thing. If he doesn''t care about you being hurt, he''ll probably try to force you to decide between God and him. I expect that''ll hurt too, but better sooner than later.¡±
¡°You''ve never had a boyfriend, how do you know it''ll hurt?¡±
¡°Albert tried to break off with me when he got told that he was putting me in danger. Wow, that hurt, but I convinced him that I was going to be in just as much danger without him. Not the same with you two, but I''ve been through it for a few hours, at least.¡±
¡°You said there was something else?¡±
¡°Yes. You have that conversation with Alfred and I''ll tell you.¡±
¡°Eliza, that''s not fair!¡±
¡°I''m using almost every lever I have to get you out of deep trouble, Vic.¡±
¡°Almost?¡±
¡°I''m not reading your thoughts, am I?¡±
¡°No. Well, I suppose you could be if God answered my retrospective prayer for you.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°When I heard about the gift, well, I thought it''d be really neat if God gave that to you too. I was pretty sure you had the power, so I prayed that God would have given it to you to help you escape. It was a silly prayer, I know. That was about the last thing I prayed, actually. It was just so silly! Why was I praying that, when you''d already got back, and God hadn''t answered the other prayers. Then I got depressed, and then Alfred asked me out.¡±
¡°Thanks for that thought Vic. You know, those thoughts about it being a silly prayer don''t sound like they came from God. Much more likely another source entirely.¡±
¡°Does that really happen?¡±
¡°What, people find themselves thinking thoughts that aren''t theirs?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Yes they do. I''ve spoken to people with the gift. They''ve seen it: horrible, ugly thoughts in people''s minds which come to dominate their thinking, or subtle sneaky thoughts that distort their thinking and just make everything not quite right.¡±
¡°Oh. Like the thought that God doesn''t answer prayers?¡±
¡°Yes, that one, for instance. Distorts all sorts of things, that one. And it''s a load of rubbish. He does.¡±
¡°Even mine?¡±
¡°You list everything you prayed for, and I''ll say yes, no or no-comment, how''s that?¡±
¡°What''s the no-comment for?¡±
¡°State secrets, for instance. Someone tried to force me to reveal one of those yesterday and is now in prison for it. No way am I promising to tell you the whole truth.¡±
¡°Oh. OK. So, I prayed that you wouldn''t be hurt.¡±
¡°Answered.¡±
¡°That you''d stay close to God.¡±
¡°Answered.¡±
¡°That you''d escape.¡±
¡°Answered.¡±
¡°That when you had escaped, you''d be able find your way to safety somehow, or even be met by someone you''d trust.¡±
¡°How on earth did you get convinced that God didn''t answer your prayers? I got met by some UN soldiers, from here, directed to me by someone with the gift.¡±
¡°Wow! God''s good, isn''t he?¡±
¡°Very.¡±
¡°And the last one?¡±
¡°Which one''s that?¡±
¡°That you''d get the gift.¡±
¡°No comment.¡±
¡°Because it''s a state secret?¡±
¡°Because you shouldn''t ask people about having the gift. Or if something they''re not commenting on is a state secret.¡±
¡°I suppose I get a no comment for whether Albert can hear thoughts too, don''t I?¡±
¡°Of course you do. You prayed that too?¡±
¡°That if you did have the power, like I was pretty sure you did, that you''d meet someone else who you could think to too.¡±
¡°Are you going to have that talk with Alfred?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Promise?¡±
¡°Yes. If God''s been answering all my prayers, I really ought to pay him attention too, shouldn''t I?¡±
¡°Absolutely. Whether you see the answers or not.¡±
¡°So I''ll phone him right after I''ve apologised to my parents. I think I''ll want some hugs afterwards too.¡±
¡°Good plan. So, I''m going to take you at your word. Want to be a bridesmaid?¡±
¡°Yours?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Do I! Wow! Me, a royal bridesmaid! Wow. Eliza you''re great!¡±
¡°Hush, you''ll shock your parents.¡±
¡°I think I have. Here''s mum. Eliza''s fine, mum! God answered all my prayers for Eliza. She''d like me to be a bridesmaid! Sorry about taking up with Alfred.¡±
¡°Hi Eliza! Good to hear your news. You''re sure about Victoria?¡±
¡°Yes, I''m sure. As long as you''re OK with the idea. You both get invitations too, of course. Please make Fred dress up smartly, or I''ll get in trouble. Victoria''s going to have a painful chat with Alfred.¡±
¡°What about a dress for her?¡±
¡°Paid for out of the state wedding budget, apparently. She''ll need to get measured sometime soonish, probably at the same time as Caroline. I''ll need quite a few bridesmaids since the train is really long.¡±
¡°I''ve seen pictures. It''s a stunning dress.¡±
¡°Yes, it is, but if there''s snow on the ground, or heaven forbid, mud, the train will certainly need carrying.¡±
¡°Yes. How long is it?¡±
¡°Five metres.¡±
¡°You certainly can''t keep that out of the mud with just a couple, can you! Happy choosing.¡±
¡°Victoria makes number four. Two cousins and Caroline are already signed up. I think I need one or two more.¡±
¡°Wasn''t Tamula one of your flat-mates?¡±
¡°Yes. You don''t mean to say she''s started turning up on Sundays?¡±
¡°Yes. Came along to see if anyone knew what had happened to you, and has been coming ever since.¡±
¡°Praise God! She was the one who never wanted to listen.¡±
¡°Maybe she was already feeling got at.¡±
¡°I guess so. And has she gone along to the seeker''s group?¡±
¡°No. Not yet, but she''d missed the start by about five meetings.¡±
¡°Oh, yes, that could feel awkward. I''ll call her next, I guess.¡±
¡°Do. I think there''s been some tension in your old flat.¡±
¡°I can imagine. OK, I''ll call her. But I''ve got to call the university first.¡±
¡°Hi,Tamula, It''s Eliza.¡±
¡°Oh, future highness, what did I do to deserve such an honour?¡±
¡°Oh, be serious, Tam!¡±
¡°I am, sort of. You''ve been vanished for months, appear out of nowhere next to prince charming, and then phone me. What''s he like?¡±
¡°Charming, handsome, a bit thoughtless sometimes, needs to learn when not to blurt secrets out at public debates, but his heart''s in the right place, you know, behind his ribcage, connected to the right blood vessels.¡±
¡°Yes, he did rather blurt, didn''t he? I never thought it would be you, though. You were hidden away from prying eyes, or something.¡±
¡°An abduction team and some poison were waiting for me at the UN court. I think you''re much safer with me not at the flat any more.¡±
¡°I''d really hoped you''d come back. The other two got worse.¡±
¡°What are they up to now?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I moved out. It was too hard living with them.¡±
¡°Wow, Tam, I had no idea!¡±
¡°Well, me going to church probably didn''t help things, but you know how they liked to go out to party. The last straw was when I came back home from work one night and found they''d brought the party to the flat, my bedroom lock had been forced and my room was being used as a ''chilling out room''.¡±
¡°That''s terrible.¡±
¡°That''s what I thought.¡±
¡°But the good news is that it makes a decision easier for me.¡±
¡°Oh? What''s that?¡±
¡°I need another bridesmaid. You game?¡±
¡°Sure! What do you mean by another?¡±
¡°Four isn''t really enough to keep the train out of the mud. Five should be.¡±
¡°Do I know the others?¡±
¡°Two cousins of mine I only knew about after I''d escaped. They know the dress so they''ll help with getting me into it... it''s a bit complicated. The other two are Caroline from church and Victoria, pastor''s daughter.¡±
¡°Oh. I''ve seen Victoria. I don''t think I know Caroline.¡±
¡°You''ve probably seen her, she''s the artist who normally has her hair in a bun pinned with a paintbrush and a pencil, just in case inspiration strikes.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s her name. Anything I should know about being your bridesmaid?¡±
¡°Urm... your dress will be made to measure, so you''ll be contacted about that. I got the impression that the dress-maker would be measuring you herself.¡±
¡°Wow. That doesn''t sound cheap.¡±
¡°Worry ye not, all costs are met. Apparently there''s been money put aside every year since Albert was born for his wedding, since they were pretty sure he''d have one some day.¡±
¡°And the dresses are all going to match?¡±
¡°Not entirely, from what I understand. Same fabric, same basic design, but some individuality too. You get to keep it, by the way.¡±
¡°Is there a catch?¡±
¡°Yes. You''re going to have to learn how to waltz if you don''t know how, keep my five metre long train out of the mud, and pick someone to come with if you want someone you know to take part in the grand waltz with you. Alternatively, you can somehow pick out a suitable bachelor during the sit-down part of the reception and send him a little message.¡±
¡°That''s going to be interesting.¡±
¡°It is. I didn''t tell Victoria about that bit. It''d probably hit a sore nerve.¡±
¡°Oh, didn''t I hear she was going out with someone?¡±
¡°Yes. But he''s not a Christian, and she is. That''s not a good mix.¡±
¡°Ah. That''s interesting.¡±
¡°What is?¡±
¡°Well, I did happen to notice that someone I knew a while ago is at your church. When he saw me he looked really excited, and then we got talking, and somewhere along the line his bubble burst and it was ''just good friends, see you around sometime.'' You think it might be because I''m not a Christian?¡±
¡°It''s possible. What''s his name?¡±
¡°Rodger.¡±
¡°With the guitar?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I never knew you knew him!¡±
¡°We were at school together. Whenever you talked to me about God and stuff it reminded me of what he used to say.¡±
¡°Oh. So, what do you think about God and stuff now?¡±
¡°It makes sense, Eliza. You''ve got your I''s dotted and your T''s crossed, I''ll give you that. But...¡±
¡°But?¡±
¡°I''m not too sure about the whole miracle thing.¡±
¡°You mean like Albert''s prayer diaries, and Victoria''s prayers for me being answered?¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes. Not to mention the person who arranged for me to be met by soldiers, being able to know where I was just from knowing who my Dad was and that he calls me Liz. There''s a whole walking bundle of miracles there.¡± Eliza said, thinking of all Karen had been through as well as her own escape.
¡°That''s neat too. I get it, you''re living breathing evidence for miracles. But... Oh I don''t know! I''m out of excuses aren''t I? Even the miracles was one, I admit it. But it''s a massive decision isn''t it? I guess I need to spend a lot of time talking to someone.¡±
¡°If you know Rodger, why don''t you ask him to?¡±
¡°Because.¡±
¡°Because what?¡±
¡°I''d feel like I was just doing it to get back in his good books.¡±
¡°Tamula, are you saying you''ve got history there?¡±
¡°Yes. Well, sort of.¡±
¡°Sort of?¡±
¡°End of final year party, I was bold and brave and just a little bit drunk and asked him out. He said he''d love to but it wouldn''t work out.¡±
¡°I see. Not a great deal of history then.¡±
¡°Not really.¡±
¡°Right. I''ve decided, you and he both get an invitation to my wedding, it''s up to you whether you dance together or not.¡±
¡°Eliza!¡±
¡°What? I''ve got to distribute at least fifty tickets, it might as well be to people who know each other.¡±
¡°I though you might just be matchmaking.¡±
¡°Now why would I think that two of my good friends who have been thinking about each other for the last four years might need a little bit of matchmaking?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°I didn''t say that. I''m just going to call him and tell him he''s coming, OK? Give me five minutes, then you can start talking to him. Bye!¡±
¡°I''ll get you for this, you, you friend you!¡±
¡°Bye!¡±
Eliza disconnected, and found Rodger''s network I.D. It wasn''t hard, since he had just become a pastoral assistant. ¡°Rodger, Eliza here.¡±
¡°Hello Eliza, how''s life? I''ve been hearing all sorts of rumours about you.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m fine. Very happily engaged.¡±
¡°So it''s true? You''re going to marry prince Albert?¡±
¡°Yes. You''re going to get an invitation to the wedding by the way.¡±
¡°Me? Why?¡±
¡°Because I''m expected to invite lots of people I know. I''ve just asked my old housemate to be a bridesmaid. You never said you knew her!¡±
¡°I didn''t know she was your housemate. I presume you mean Tamula?¡±
¡°Yes. I''m going to give you two, no three pieces of information. As long as you make the right decision I don''t mind what you do with it. Number one is that she needs to talk to someone about God. She''s close, but still has questions, there''s a surprise. Number two is that she thought of talking to you since she knows you from way back, but doesn''t want it to seem like she''s just trying to get back into your good book, number three is that as my bridesmaid she''s going to need someone to waltz with.¡±
¡°And number four is that you''re matchmaking?¡±
¡°No. I''ve just got too much inside information. She is the one you''ve been praying for for the last however many years isn''t she?¡±
¡°Yes, Eliza. You didn''t tell her that did you?¡±
¡°No. I''ll leave you a few more days to do that before I make sure you have.¡±
¡°Eliza!¡±
¡°Honestly, Rodger, it''s probably better if you don''t appoint yourself to disciple her. Just make sure someone does. But do start talking, OK?¡±
¡°Is that a royal command?¡±
¡°No, just friendly advice.¡±
¡°Thank you, Eliza.¡±
¡°Oh, I forgot to tell anyone else. Well, you know Caroline, I couldn''t tell her. This Sunday, we''ll be in Restoration, but next Sunday morning we''d like to turn up unannounced, maybe give a testimony. Is that going to be convenient?¡±
¡°I''m sure it will be. Actually, we were going to have an external speaker, but he''s just cancelled. Would Albert be willing to fill the slot, or you?¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know about me, but I''ll ask Albert. Does that mean that Fred won''t be there?¡±
¡°No, he''ll be there, just he wasn''t going to preach.¡±
¡°Is there a set passage?¡±
¡°There was going to be a topic, but you can change it I''m sure.¡±
¡°What was the topic?¡±
¡°Christian suffering.¡±
¡°Oh. Well, maybe we can talk about that, I''ll talk to Albert.¡±
¡°Could you do it soon? Just I''ve been asked to make sure the slot gets filled by the end of the day.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll ring you back in a few minutes.¡±
¡°Thanks, Eliza.¡±
¡°Hi, Rodger. You''ve been a hard man to contact.¡±
¡°Hmm, yes well, you did tell me to talk to Tammy.¡±
¡°I did. I didn''t expect you''d spend the next hour on the phone to her though.¡±
¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°Don''t worry. Can I be nosey?¡±
¡°I''m sure you can be. We''ve agreed that we''re interested, but that she needs to work out things with God before I complicate things.¡±
¡°That''s wise. I''ve talked to Albert. We''re not going to have much time to prepare, but we''ll give it a go. We might deviate from the topic a bit.¡±
¡°That''s fine. How unannounced do you want to be?¡±
¡°Totally, if possible. I''m not going to be surprised if there''s a camera man or two following us, but that''s not the same as having the whole three front rows of church filled with reporters.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll put you down as mystery speaker.¡±
¡°Thank you. You can tell Fred, of course.¡±
¡°Good, because he just asked me how I was doing finding a speaker and I said you two would be there and had promised to call me back.¡±
¡°That''s no problem, but do ask Fred not to tell people, please. Oh, we''ll be talking about some of what I went through, and that probably shouldn''t be broadcast, because the court case hasn''t finished yet. Would that be a big problem?¡±
¡°No, we don''t get many people watching the live video feed. Would it be OK if we record it anyway, just don''t put it on the net? That way we could take the crystal to the ones who normally watch?¡±
¡°I think that should be fine. Just make sure there''s a great big sub-judice warning on the container.¡±
¡°If people know what that means.¡±
¡°It means that if you broadcast it then you are going to be held responsible for a major international trial going wrong, and quite possibly a very dangerous and evil man walking free.¡±
¡°Gulp.¡±
¡°So I''ll talk to some people from Security, and maybe they''ll arrange to some scanners around, just in case.¡±
¡°Will it be suitable for kids?¡±
¡°Depends on the age. I didn''t suffer much myself, But I saw people being beaten unconscious. And there was a woman who was taken somewhere and screamed for about twenty minutes. I don''t know if she got raped or tortured or both. I won''t major on it, I probably won''t mention her at all, actually, it''s too nasty, and I don''t want to be nasty.¡±
¡°Eliza, Fred and I are going to be asked. What did happen?¡±
¡°The letter from my dad was a fake ¡ª someone just as nasty as my dad turned out to be wanted me as a lever to use against dad because they didn''t think he''d shown the right attitude ¡ª I got kidnapped, I got tied up, and I got threatened. The guy who''s on trial offered me a choice of being raped and murdered or becoming his sex-slave, well he called it marriage, but it amounted to the same thing, since he promised to murder me if I wasn''t nice and submissive. Then, he got arrested for other crimes, the people guarding me got careless and I escaped. I took the car, drove to the city and met a group of our fine soldiers who were there waiting for me.¡±
¡°Waiting for you?¡±
¡°Someone with the mind-reading gift had found me just before I escaped. Didn''t Bob tell you all of this, weeks ago?¡±
¡°Some. He said he wasn''t sure how much he could say.¡±
¡°Oh. Victoria thought something bad had happened to me.¡±
¡°I''m not sure where she got that idea.¡±
¡°Me neither.¡±
¡°But the protection was just a formality until you gave evidence?¡±
¡°Not really. Some corrupt guards tried to abduct me at the court, and someone spread poison on my wrist unit, which had been taken from me when I got kidnapped. I''m sure if I''d have been in plain sight then they''d have had a few goes at making sure I wasn''t around to testify.¡±
¡°And now?¡±
¡°Now I''ve got lots of lovely royal protection officers around to keep me safe. And to tell me that I''ve been talking too long when I need to be going. I''d better go. Bye.¡±
¡°Bye, Eliza. Do rest sometime!¡±
¡°I will. Bye!¡±
Eliza closed the connection. She was so glad that Rodger was talking to Tamula. He''d told her that he''d fallen in love with someone years before, and he was praying that God would save her one day. She hoped it would work out. On the other hand Rodger was heading in the direction of being a pastor, and Eliza really couldn''t imagine even a redeemed Tamula as pastor''s wife.
¡°Come on daydreamer!¡± Bella said.
¡°Sorry. Just been playing match-maker.¡±
¡°You can tell me all about it when we''re on the way. In the mean time, get ready!¡±
¡°OK. OK! I am ready.¡±
¡°Have a look in the mirror.¡±
¡°Oh. OK. Urm, I''ll tell Albert I''m in disguise.¡±
¡°You don''t need to look like a dusty hedge. Just get a move on.¡±
¡°It''s not my fault that plant hadn''t been watered in a decade.¡± Eliza had been moved yet again, this time into a flat not far from the palace. The last occupants had left some plants, cunningly next to a radiator. The leaves were so dry they''d gone brittle. Eliza had taken the plants to the disposal chute, and tried to shake the leaves in. It hadn''t quite worked according to plan.
¡°No. But you didn''t need to collect so many of its leaves in your hair either.¡±
¡°Unintentional I assure you. Good job I didn''t call anyone with video.¡±
¡°You''re really not going to change?¡±
¡°Oh I suppose I should.¡±
¡°I think so. After all, you''re going straight to the palace afterwards.¡±
¡°Am I?¡±
¡°That''s what my schedule says. Reporting to their Majesties about what you''ve found out. Then a romantic meal for six.¡±
¡°Six?¡±
¡°You, Albert, and four agents.¡±
¡°Including you?¡±
¡°Nope, I''m going to actually have some time off, for once.¡±
¡°Fair enough. Have a restful time.¡±
¡°I don''t know how restful it''ll be. I''m going to look up some old friends.¡±
¡°Oh well, enjoy yourself then.¡±
¡°I''ll try.¡±
¡°How do I look now?¡± Eliza asked after she''d finished changing.
¡°Much more presentable.¡±
¡°Good. Shall we go then?¡±
¡°Yes, now, what''s this about match-making?¡±
Eliza and Albert were ushered into a small office next to the court room.
The desk was haphazardly moved in the middle of the room, and there was still some dust on the floor under the hole that the pipe went through, but the wall around the pipe had been re-plastered and painted. The pipe had almost got painted too, according to the agent, which would have caused problems.
It wasn''t quite how Eliza had imagined it, but it made sense. The witness box in the courtroom next door now had a chromed steel bar around the top of it, and that came through the wall into this room and went vertically to the floor. Someone had thought ahead and added a removable section just before it left the courtroom. Bella''s final act before going off duty had been to go into the courtroom and touch the pipe.
[Hi, Eliza, Albert. Does this work?]
[It does. Have a good evening off.] Albert said.
Eliza pressed the ''speak'' button on the intercom-voice distorter, and added ¡°yes.¡± There was no need to let on that Bella could hear thoughts.
To reduce the chance of their voices being recognised despite the distorter ¡ª some people claimed to be able to do it ¡ª the vow that Albert and Eliza made had been re-phrased to be a yes-no question. They both said yes into the voice distorter.
The vow and consent spoke about listening to thoughts, but didn''t specify how. They''d found that feedback wasn''t inevitable if they were concentrating on something else, so that might be an option, and it was certainly less risky. So they''d decided to both try the pipe.
Eliza had checked earlier that the lawyer had no power himself, otherwise it would have been foolish to use it at all.
Eliza wasn''t planning to do a full scan of him, unless there was some sign that he was trying to hide something, like, for example removing his hand from the pipe. As he approached the stand, he was curious about how this little pipe would work. [You really hear my thoughts?]
There was a keyboard as well as audio link, Eliza decided this was a good time to use that system, and typed ''Prisoner thought: You really hear my thoughts? Answer: yes.''
The prisoner took his vows, and questioning began.
The judge started speaking ¡°This is a preparatory hearing with a view to determining the scope of your guilt under official secrets legislation. You required, in front of numerous witnesses that a state secret be revealed, despite being warned that this action was a crime and you would regret it. Do you acknowledge this?¡±
¡°I do.¡± the lawyer for the defence of Ibrahim, now in the dock himself, acknowledged, wishing he''d taken the judge''s advice.
¡°The person you forced to reveal the secret, Eliza Underwood, said that she would reveal it only on the condition that you accepted legal responsibility for her breaking of the law. Do you acknowledge this?¡±
¡°I acknowledge that she said such a thing, and at the time I accepted responsibility for my actions, even though I did not understand the legal implications.¡± Albert and Eliza heard his thoughts of regret for making that undertaking. He could have two sentences to serve, rather than one.
¡°She further named a condition that you would state the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth concerning the information you were basing your enquiry upon. Do you acknowledge this?¡±
¡°I acknowledge that she said that or something close. I did not understand that such a statement would be binding upon me in a court of law, even without me having so agreed, that it would suspend my right to silence, or that it could supersede lawyer-client privilege.¡±
¡°But you did not challenge it at the time?¡±
¡°It seemed empty of meaning.¡± Regret filled his mind.
¡°But you accept now that you implicitly accepted it?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And you now know that you implicitly accepted this suspension of rights in a legal setting, before witnesses and before a royal personage?¡±
¡°I do not understand in what way her status is significant here.¡± Confused, he thought [Isn''t everyone equal under law?]
Another voice, presumably the prisoner''s defence lawyer at court said: ¡°Our legal systems are different, sir. Those to whom respect is due are judged more harshly. To break a vow to a normal person might make you liable to a civil prosecution, to break a vow to an officer of the court, an officer of the crown, or some other civil servant would be a criminal offence, just as their breaking a promise to you would be. To break oath to a royal personage is a very serious crime, and a royal personage who is found guilty breaking an oath would be removed from their royal position. You should understand that you were asking the prince''s fianc¨¦e to choose between breaking a law which could have put her in prison for five or more years or annulling her engagement.¡±
Eliza looked at Albert, in shock. [Really?]
[Didn''t Bella tell you? She should have known.]
[No, all she said I was bound by my oath.]
[Don''t take oaths lightly, Eliza, or even make a promise. You really really have to keep them. Now, listen, love!]
¡°I begin to understand her reluctance to answer. This law would have applied even if no one knew she was a royal?¡± the defendant asked.
¡°If it were proved that you did not know that she was royal, then it might be said that you had no expectation of her higher trustworthiness. On the other hand, she knew her status when she took her vow. There is no case law in this circumstance.¡±
¡°But I had no knowledge of her status when I pressed her to answer either.¡±
¡°That is one aspect of this hearing. This hearing will seek to establish what you knew, what you did not know, and what you could have known. If you could have had such knowledge, the crime of knowingly placing a royal personage under duress shall be added to those others you are charged with.¡±
Albert and Eliza heard [This legal process sounds like a show-trial!] Albert jotted it down ¡ª he was chief note-taker.
¡°Your honour, I understand that ignorance of the law is not a valid defence, but how is it that I can be found guilty of placing a royal person under duress if I only potentially had knowledge that she is one?¡±
¡°The charge is hardly a guilty verdict, sir! The charge merely establishes that you have possibly committed a crime, and the trial will decide if the evidence is strong enough to be beyond reasonable doubt.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± [Why did I misunderstand that word? But they expect to prove what I knew beyond reasonable doubt? Maybe the system is not so rigged against me.] ¡°So you use the word charge to mean something that will be tried at court? And the standard of proof is beyond reasonable doubt?¡±
¡°Yes, of course. This will be a criminal proceeding, after all.¡±
¡°Our legal systems are different, as I continue to find out.¡± [Beyond reasonable doubt! Amazing, what a strange country this is! I thought that had been discarded centuries ago. I wonder who defines reasonable. A jury?]
¡°Sir, will my trial be before a jury, or a panel of judges?¡±
¡°There will be a jury, unless you plead guilty on all counts. Do you have other procedural questions?¡±
¡°No, your honour.¡± [{Amazement} Trial by jury! I had no idea it still happened anywhere.]
¡°Please detail for us what information you received concerning the young lady, and the source of that information.¡±
¡°Firstly, I knew her name, and her relationship with the criminal Roland Underwood. Secondly, my client had told me that he had found out that her father had suggested she might find him to her liking, as well as him being unmarried and heir-presumptive to the presidency. He also told me that the young woman had been attracted to him, as she liked powerful men, and they had engaged in various sexual games. He stated that as she found mock violence stimulating, various violent scenes were enacted for her benefit during her stay, with carefully performed stunts and stunt-actors. Thirdly, I was contacted by a government minister in this country who asked what I knew about the woman. I told him that my client said she had been hoping to marry him. He told me that she had somehow formed a relationship with his prince. I expressed my surprise that such a woman should be allowed near royalty, but that it seemed to fit her personality, as described by my client, to seek such a relationship.¡±
¡°Which minister?¡± Asked the judge.
[I promised the justice minister I wouldn''t say who''d told me. Where does that leave me?] ¡°I must answer?¡±
¡°You have the option of breaking your oath to a royal personage.¡±
¡°I did not know she was a royal personage, but I knew he was a minister. I freely promised him I would not tell who it was. Which vow do I break?¡±
[Do we report what we heard?] Eliza asked.
[Can''t. We vowed we wouldn''t, remember? Except of course they sort of reveal that he''s guilty of a crime whatever he does, but that''s dodgy ground, I think. But we can report that we heard.]
[OK. I''ll put that on the screen,] Eliza replied and typed ''Defendant''s thoughts identified source, and confirm his dilemma.''
They both heard his chagrin at having thought about the Justice minister.
[If we add that the source has confessed to leaking it,] Eliza thought, [Does that break any vows?]
[Possibly. It probably also identifies us. The prosecution was told that the justice minister confessed to being the source. Let''s leave it up to him.] Albert thought.
The prosecutor chose to let silence rule the courtroom for a few more seconds before saying ¡°Let the accused be aware that the justice minister has confessed to leaking that information to you, and let him also remember that he has sworn to this court to tell the whole truth. Is there a second minister involved?¡±
¡°No. There is not.¡± answered the prisoner. Quite relieved, Eliza noticed.
¡°Then let the record state that the minister for justice is the defendant''s source.¡± the judge stated.
The prosecutor said ¡°What you stated that you had passed on to the
minister, is that exactly what you said?¡±
¡°I summarised, sir. I do not remember exactly. I believe when talking about her character I used the term serial seductress, and I also spoke about my client''s totally different explanation for what she saw.¡±
The defence lawyer said ¡°Did the minister inform you that this was a state secret?¡±
¡°No, he did not.¡±
¡°But he told you that he didn''t want to be known as the source?¡±
¡°He told me that he''d get in trouble if he was found to be the source. He didn''t say what sort of trouble.¡±
¡°So you presumed that was secret in some form?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°But you were not aware that it was at all a secret protected by law?¡±
¡°Objection, your honour, leading questions!¡± the prosecutor said.
¡°Sustained.¡±
The defence lawyer tried again ¡°What sort of trouble did you expect for the minister?¡±
¡°I assumed that the minister might be officially reprimanded, even asked to resign from his position.¡±
¡°So you knew that this was a secret considered to be a personal matter by the royal family, but did not recognise that such are protected under law?¡±
¡°I did not.¡±
¡°What do you understand by the term ''state secret?''¡± the defence lawyer asked.
¡°A government secret, information that is classified as such by the government.¡±
¡°It seems, then, that you are not aware of nuances of our legal terminology.¡± The judge said. ¡°You have described an official secret. We have laws protecting privacy in this country: it is a civil offence to make known another''s family secret without a strong case that revealing it is in the public interest. A state secret is a secret that relates directly to a member of the royal family.¡±
¡°So, when the young lady stated yesterday that I was asking about a state secret, she was admitting that she and the prince were in a relationship?¡±
The prosecutor answered this. ¡°In the most general sense, a relationship existed. She was saying that she had a secret context in which she knew the prince. She had some secret reason for having access to some member of the royal family or to the palace, and in that context she had met the prince in at least one occasion. You knew of such a context ¡ª that a romantic relationship existed, and you knew it was secret. Thus you knew all that was necessary to know it was a state secret, though you were ignorant of that aspect of law. What was your purpose in requiring the secret to be disclosed?¡±
¡°I considered what the minister had told me as no more than gossip. It was my duty to establish what the uncontested facts were, to cast doubt upon her character as was appropriate prior to confronting her with the accusation of my client and to expose her story as being the tissue of lies that I believed it to be at the time. It seemed to me that she was too calm for someone unjustly accused, and that she was presenting herself as an innocent victim merely as a consummate actress, which would be expected from a child of such a father who was also able to be very convincing until recently.¡±
¡°You speak of her father. Do you know him?¡±
¡°No. I do not. I read of his trial recently. My client told me that he had approached him as a respectable business-man.¡±
¡°I see. Are you aware of any other court-cases where your client and Roland Underwood have been linked?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Is it your duty to be aware of such things?¡±
¡°No. It is in fact my duty to not seek out such cases so that I may represent my client without bias.¡±
¡°But it is your role to seek out any evidence that could discredit a hostile witness?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Have you found any evidence supporting your client''s claims?¡±
¡°No. I have not.¡±
¡°Have you found any evidence questioning your client''s claims?¡±
¡°Medical evidence was presented yesterday which casts considerable doubt on some aspects of them.¡±
¡°Who did you tell that you would be examining Eliza Underwood yesterday?¡±
¡°I told my client on Saturday it would be happening soon. I did not give an exact date or time. I spoke to him before the minister spoke to me, I did not speak to him afterwards.¡±
¡°Who did you tell that Miss Underwood''s wrist unit had been recovered?¡±
¡°No one. I did tell my client some weeks ago that a wrist unit had been found in the hallway of the house. I did not know or suspect that it might be Miss Underwood''s.¡±
¡°Did he say anything about it?¡±
¡°He suggested that maybe one of the staff had left it there.¡±
¡°When did you become aware of the royal status of Eliza Underwood?¡±
¡°Only when the female agent listed crimes against a royal personage, and I realised that she could not be referring to the prince. This was another source of confusion to me.¡±
¡°But your country is also a monarchy. Are royal fianc¨¦es not counted as royal personages?¡±
¡°No. Only once the marriage has occurred.¡±
¡°But they are protected by royal protection officers, are they not?¡±
¡°Yes. But this is an anomaly.¡±
¡°We do not have that anomaly. The engagement signifies the point of transition, as such a promise is not broken lightly.¡±
[Albert, what would happen to you if you decided to break off our engagement?]
[Depends on the circumstances. If it was just because I decided that I''d found someone else and you pressed charges, then I''d be looking for a new job, I guess.]
[I hope you''re not looking for anyone else then.]
[Likewise. You''d be in trouble too, by the way, if you were to break it off.]
[I''m glad we''re not looking for anyone else. But concentrate on the court, I feel feedback starting.]
¡°Nevertheless, ignorance of the law does not constitute a defence.¡± the prosecution was saying.
[What did the prisoner say?] Albert asked.
[Nothing. Defence said that it was clear that the prisoner didn''t know anything about me being a royal personage, especially since he didn''t know there was such a class of people under law.]
[Oh.]
¡°Your honour, clearly the defendant is well versed in the laws of his own country and those governing the international court. It is also clear that he knows less about our laws than we would expect a child to understand. It would strike me as a travesty of justice to add a charge of placing a royal person under duress when he did not even realise that she was one once he had heard that she was engaged.¡±
¡°When did that happen?¡± the prosecutor asked.
¡°When did she say she was engaged?¡± the prisoner asked.
¡°No, when did you first hear or come to be aware that she was engaged, and what led you to conclude that she might be?¡±
¡°I did not hear that she was or might be engaged until she said so with her own mouth.¡±
¡°The minister did not say?¡±
¡°The minister said that the prince seemed to be falling in love with her, not that he was engaged to her. Their speedy engagement makes me think that she has had more success with her plans than with Ibrahim.¡±
¡°You do not consider her an innocent victim then?¡±
¡°I think the truth must be between her account and his. I do not know. She has too quickly gained too much influence over the prince. I wish him well, but I think he invites a snake into his life.¡±
The judge said, ¡°The young woman you name a snake accepted your half-hearted apology yesterday, and it is her forgiveness that brought the possibility for a royal pardon.¡±
¡°She has stated to me that she wishes to see my client punished. I am not surprised that she asked for this. All this tells me is that she told me the truth yesterday when she said that she does not want anything to put his trial at risk.¡±
¡°But you do not accept that everything she said was the truth?¡± asked the prosecution. ¡°If she lied under oath then she cannot remain a royal personage. Do you believe that she would gamble her future, and what she has worked hard for, according to your interpretation, just for the purpose of revenge?¡±
[I hadn''t thought that bit through. But it doesn''t add up!] ¡°I do not know. I cannot explain what I have seen otherwise without giving credence to this story of answered prayer.¡± [And I won''t do that!]
¡°Ah. So you have some objections to the religious convictions of Miss Underwood and the Prince? And for this reason you consider her and the prince himself lacking in honesty?¡±
[This is getting me into more trouble.]
The defence lawyer spoke up ¡°Objection your honour, this is moving from the facts to the attitude of the defendant to religious matters.¡±
¡°Your honour, I am seeking to ascertain if the accused has any true motive for his antagonistic stance against Miss Underwood, or if everything stems from his anti-religions prejudice.¡±
¡°I do not believe in any prediction of the future. This means that the so-called prayer diaries cannot be valid.¡±
¡°The government of this country does not agree with you sir. But would you accept that to people who do accept such predictions are possible, what I assume you would call a series of coincidences could be interpreted as a prediction?¡±
[That is of course a stupidity, but not all people are as intelligent as I am.]
¡°I suppose it is plausible.¡±
¡°And if someone were thus convinced, would that not equally permit such a rapid development of mutual attraction as you ascribe to careful plotting on the part of one person?¡±
¡°I suppose that it could, yes. But my objection to Miss Underwood''s calm testimony remains.¡±
¡°You do not feel able to accept any other hypothesis?¡±
[Like what? There was a purple bunny holding her hand?] ¡°I cannot think of any that would explain her attitude.¡±
¡°Perhaps you might consider that the counselling sessions she has been through over the last months have helped her come to terms with what she witnessed and she no longer has nightmares about them?¡± Suggested the prosecution, ¡°Or that she is confident that her God is with her and truth will prevail? But is the real reason that you have a prejudiced view against her because of your client, and that you are seeking to fit every piece of evidence into the framework he has provided, no matter how unlikely it is?¡±
¡°That is indeed my duty.¡±
¡°Then why do you not preface your every statement ''It is my duty to act as though brainwashed. My client wishes me to believe the sky is green and the grass is blue, and he says she lies''?¡±
¡°Objection your honour!¡±
¡°Sustained.¡±
[Am I brainwashed? No! It is my duty to the court to represent my client, not to judge him. But he should not have lied about her.]
The prosecutor declared ¡°No further questions, your honour.¡±
The defence stated ¡°I would like to make a concluding statement, your honour; under the laws of the UN court, the lawyer''s duty is to his client. My client should not be replaced as his client''s lawyer merely for performing his duty.¡±
The judge said ¡°Then unless there are any statements from next door, I state this hearing is at an end.¡±
[Do we state to your father or to the court that we heard no evidence of perjury or other crimes?]
[Both, I think.]
[OK. I''ll type that.]
''Conclusion from next door: the thoughts of the accused show no evidence of perjury or other crimes beyond those under consideration.''
[I''d really like to add ''only overwhelming arrogance'', but I guess that''s beyond what we swore, isn''t it?]
[Yes, Eliza{love}.]
[{LOVE} Oops. Feedback!]
Eliza hid her thoughts, but was pleased to accept a kiss from Albert.
¡°We need to go and report to your father, don''t we?¡± she asked.
¡°Not yet. We''ve got a date to go on.¡±
¡°And date comes first, before civic duty?¡±
¡°It is my civic duty to get to know you, my love. Father won''t want to see our report until tomorrow morning anyway.¡±
¡°You''re sure?¡±
¡°Yes. He said so.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s nice. So... Bella said something about a romantic meal for six.¡±
¡°Very poetic. Actually a romantic meal for two, and a meal in a nice restaurant for four alert agents. Shall we go?¡±
¡°I see, that sounds better. Yes, let''s.¡± As they left the office and met the agents who''d accompany them, Eliza asked [How do our finances work, Albert? I mean, it''s all very nice that I''m not paying rent, but what about shopping for food, meals out, that sort of thing? If we had a longer engagement, should I be going out and looking for a job?]
[You have a job, Eliza, didn''t you notice? You''re learning the ropes at the moment, but you''ve signed up for a lifetime of public functions, public appearances, behind the scenes planning and investigations, cross-checking, problem-solving and pastoral support for confused ministers. You''ll receive a salary too. I called it an allowance last time, but got told off by my father.]
[Oh.]
[But we don''t get paid overtime, I''m afraid.]
[And is our salary something I would have learned in civics class if we''d actually had any lessons?]
[Not exact numbers, no.]
[But?]
[I can''t remember. Sorry. I know that cabinet ministers get more than I do, but they''re not normally in their posts for more than a decade or so . When we''re married then I think we get the same; I''m not sure about what happens now. I expect that we''re well below the income of, say top end business-men, but we have a fairly secure position, and we don''t pay for our housing, either.]
Albert decided it was a bit suspicious that they weren''t touching or talking - the guards knew that they had the power, but not that Eliza had the gift. ¡°Oh, by the way, we were talking about clothes earlier? Clothes for official events are provided, but not clothes for lounging around in or gardening or that sort of thing.¡±
¡°So, I have to keep two closets, one for official stuff and another for personal?¡±
¡°I do. You''ll probably have designers falling over each other in the rush to get you to be a walking advertisement for them. Those would be provided by them for free, in exchange for them being allowed to advertise with your image. Be very careful what you say to them. We can''t systematically favour one designer over another, but you''re certainly allowed to reject ones you don''t think are suitable, and to have a preferred style, colours and so on. For the moment you should refer them to the keeper of the royal wardrobe. She knows all about their little ploys.¡±
¡°Who wears that title?¡±
¡°She''s called Mirabelle, lovely lady about sixty years old. Certainly knows her stuff. She''ll talk to you about what you should wear when, in fact I''m in trouble with her for not introducing you yet. She approved of your dress for the announcement, though, so I''m not in deep deep trouble yet.¡±
¡°But I should have talked to her about what I''m wearing for our meal?¡±
¡°If I''d warned you on time, yes. There might be camera-men around.¡±
¡°Occupational hazard, it seems.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So does us going on a date fall under the official event category, or not?¡±
¡°Good question. Quite possibly depends on what we''re doing.¡±
¡°And if I continue my practice of getting almost all my clothes from one discount supplier?¡±
¡°Oooh, big no-no, I''m afraid. That''d get the others all upset. And major chains are probably out too. Talk to Mirabelle.¡±
¡°So for instance, I''m now wearing an off-the-peg skirt, an off-the-peg blouse which I bought from the same high street shop two or three years ago, probably during an end-of-season sale, and a cardigan which might have been from another shop, four years ago.¡±
¡°They''ll cry.¡± Albert said with a grin.
¡°Should I talk to Mirabelle before we go anywhere?¡±
¡°No, I don''t think so. You''re not expected to be a leading setter of fashion yet.¡±
¡°That''s all right then. Do I need to be, ever?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. Another discussion to have with Mirabelle, include Mummy too, if you don''t mind.¡±
¡°Not at all.¡± They''d got to the door they were going to use, Eliza paused. ¡°Next question: do we have a reason to be here if there are journalists outside?¡±
¡°Tying up some loose ends after your statements?¡± Albert suggested.
¡°And what does Ibrahim''s lawyer make of that?¡±
¡°Hopefully nothing much. I''m not sure.¡±
¡°Wait a moment, then.¡± Eliza checked for assassins and then for journalists or cameramen. There were two dots, coming the way they''d come. ¡°On the other hand, let''s not.¡±
¡°Trouble?¡± Albert asked, concerned.
¡°Not if the vehicle''s ready and waiting.¡±
¡°It is, Maam.¡± Nigel, the royal protection agent who was assigned to Albert said, and ushered them through the door.
Once they were in the vehicle, Nigel asked ¡°Was there a problem, maam?¡±
¡°Approaching journalist and cameraman, I guess, or two journalists.¡±
¡°You recognised someone, Maam?¡±
¡°No, Nigel.¡± Eliza sighed. ¡°I just spotted that they were coming.¡±
¡°I don''t understand, Maam.¡±
¡°Nigel,¡± Albert said, ¡°you have accidentally become a witness to what is probably a class epsilon state secret. I haven''t talked to my father about what class it is, you understand, but it''s probably epsilon.¡±
¡°I wasn''t aware there was anything beyond delta, sir.¡±
¡°Yes. Well, there''s quite a lot of people who know that I have what people call the power, aren''t there? And that''s delta.¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
Albert asked ¡°How many people know your little secret, Eliza?¡±
¡°Hmm, apart from God, other spiritual beings, me, and any people he''s allowed to know, you mean?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Well, let me think.¡± She counted them off on her fingers.
[There''s Maria, Pris and Bella in security, Bob, Tony and Teresa, oh and Pete, at the Institute, then you and your parents.]
¡°According to my count it''s ten, Nigel, including Albert and his parents,¡± Eliza said.
¡°I think we need to add Nigel to that list. He''s assigned to me like Bella is to you, so he''ll be working beside Bella quite a lot, I expect.¡±
¡°Gulp.¡± Nigel said. ¡°I don''t know if I want to have a need to know that. ''Those God has allowed know'' means the fifty-six gifted, if they cared to find out?¡±
¡°Yes. So the total lies between ten and sixty five, depending how you count. Well, eleven and sixty six, since you''re on the list now.¡± Eliza said.
¡°And, urm, you don''t mean eleven and sixty seven, do you?¡± Nigel asked, just checking that he''d understood the implication of that number.
¡°I don''t. No. I can''t exclude myself and include myself at the same time, can I? Fifty five other than me, unless I''ve missed out on some news.¡±
¡°So, Nigel, you really should trust Eliza if she says there''s trouble.¡±
¡°Urm. Wow. You sure it''s only epsilon, your Highness?¡± turning to Eliza, he asked ¡°Maam, I presume I trust you if you say the coast is clear, too?¡±
¡°That''s harder.¡± Eliza said. ¡°It''s easy for me to look for assassins, but that wouldn''t show me kidnappers, and I don''t think it would show me people who weren''t planning to kill one of us themselves, just say, distract us while their accomplice fits a bomb that a third person is going to set off.¡±
¡°I think I understand. But you could find people about to attack you?¡±
¡°It''s too broad a category. It would include anyone from egg-throwers to people who plan on writing a nasty article about my lack of dress-sense,¡± Eliza pointed out, ¡°I think you guys can deal with the first category, and we just ignore the second, don''t you think?¡±
¡°Criminals?¡±
¡°We were outside a court, remember, Nigel.¡± Albert pointed out.
¡°And not only does the problem of innocent until they''ve done it apply, but there''s also the question of which classes of criminal we need to alter our plans for,¡± Eliza pointed out. ¡°I''m sure we don''t need to run the other way because there''s someone who tried an illegal narcotic ten years ago, but that''d still be a criminal.¡±
¡°OK, I understand. It doesn''t work.¡±
¡°It works well at finding people, not at avoiding people.¡±
¡°What if you looked for people you don''t want to see us?¡± Albert asked.
¡°I think that''s got be too woolly,¡± Eliza said, ¡°I mean, if sometimes I don''t want to see an old acquaintance, or if I want a friend who can be a bit of a chatterbox to show up or not, then how do I look for them? Or what about when we just want some privacy? I''m not going to use my gift to help us hide from Security agents. It''s too trivial.¡±
¡°But you used it to avoid press people?¡± Nigel asked.
¡°Yes. It struck me that a member of the press meeting us leaving that hearing would have led to our power or even my gift being revealed. That wouldn''t be trivial.¡±
¡°OK. Got it. Do I gather that Bella knows this?¡±
¡°Yes. So do Maria, Pris, their Majesties, and other people on the committee.¡±
¡°Which committee?¡± Nigel asked, temporarily at a loss.
¡°The committee for major threat assessment.¡± Albert supplied.
¡°Oh. Of course. I was off duty that day.¡±
¡°I can''t remember where you were. It was a holiday wasn''t it?¡±
¡°Sort of. My brother wanted to have a long weekend mountain climbing before the snow got too bad up there, and asked me to look after his dog while he was dangling from his fingertips on icy rock-faces. The dog and I much prefer to keep our feet on the ground, so I did a lot of walking in lovely scenery while my brother tried not to fall off it.¡±
¡°Do many people go mountain climbing in November?¡± Albert asked.
¡°No, only nutters like my little brother.¡±
¡°I take it he doesn''t have any family?¡± Eliza said.
¡°No, just the dog. Bit of a shy guy, my brother. He says that he''s asked God to point out to him the right woman, and until then he''s happy to look after Fido. That''s really the dog''s name by the way.¡±
¡°What sort of dog is it?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Great big slobbery yellowish thing with long hair. I really should know. Some sort of retriever, but I''m sure there''s not a yellow retriever.¡±
¡°Golden?¡± suggested Albert.
¡°That''s it!¡±
¡°They look like teddy-bears when they''re little,¡± Eliza said. ¡°Very cute. A friend had one.¡±
¡°Not so cute when it''s just jumped into a mountain stream in November for the shear joy of picking up a stone and getting wet at the same time.¡±
¡°Weren''t there any stones beside the bank?¡± Albert asked.
¡°They weren''t wet enough, apparently. According to my brother, Fido''s never happier than when he''s carrying something or jumping into a stream. Both at once is just pure ecstasy. Except for the person he then showers with icy water of course.
¡°What''s your brother do?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Oh, he''s in Security, too, on the analysis side of things.¡±
Albert looked at Eliza, who shrugged. [OK, so he climbs mountains in November, but he won''t have been doing that alone, surely?]
¡°Nigel, were there other climbers with your brother?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Yes, there was a group of them. Two women, three men, all from analysis. Plus Fido and me. I guess it keeps them fit, or something.¡±
¡°Or gives them a dose of adrenaline?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Maybe. Anyway, here we are.¡±
Eliza checked. No assassins nearby. She didn''t need to look for reporters; there was one there, waiting with his camera aimed and ready.
¡°Just how did he find out?¡± Albert asked.
¡°I think you''ll just have to ask him if you want to know,¡± Eliza answered.
¡°I think I will.¡±
After they''d put on their best smiles, Albert helped Eliza out of the vehicle (an act which was only necessary in the romantic sense), and asked the reporter, ¡°How did you manage to be waiting here?¡±
¡°Coincidence, sir. I was coming home ¡ª I live just across the street, when I saw a couple of guys from Security nonchalantly doing what looked like it might just be a perimeter sweep. I decided that I''d stay, just in case. My wife and I ate here last month for our wedding anniversary, the food''s excellent. Have a very enjoyable evening.¡±
¡°Thank you, we plan to. Ten out of ten for observation.¡±
¡°Any chance of some more shots?¡±
¡°Oh I think that could be arranged, what do you think, Eliza?¡±
¡°Depends how fast he is with his camera.¡± she said, giving Albert a quick kiss.
¡°Not that quick, Maam, sorry.¡±
¡°Oh well. You missed that chance. Are you freelance?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Yes, Maam.¡±
¡°Then, perhaps we can be kind to him and his wife, can''t we, Albert?¡±
¡°As long as he leaves us in peace for the rest of the evening.¡± Albert replied.
¡°Of course, Sir, Maam.¡±
¡°Then we can share some happiness, I''m sure.¡±
They posed for a few photographs, and then a few more, said goodbye, gave him a bonus photo of a kiss, and went into the restaurant. They were ushered to a secluded table towards the back. The reporter was right; the food was excellent.
As for the photographs he''d taken, the usage rights were snapped up quickly by different news channels, one after another.
Some he offered non-exclusively, for those prepared to share, but he knew that the kiss was worth a lot, especially as an exclusive picture. He was right. After the auction was over, he called his wife, who was still on her way home from work, and told her his news: They''d be able to have a holiday next year, after all, and that was after paying off the mortgage.
¡°What have you done, struck gold in your allotment?¡±
¡°No, I came across a happy couple going into the restaurant opposite. They didn''t mind me taking some photos, posed for some more and even kissed on-camera.¡±
¡°I take it they were celebrities? Anyone I''ve heard of? And you''ve sold rights already, or are you counting your chickens before they''ve hatched?¡±
¡°You''ve heard of them, dear. Pictures sold already. Every single one, some as stock, some as exclusive. Nothing less than ten times my base rate, either. No one even quibbled. Now, you''ve got to guess who.¡±
¡°You''re not giving me any hints at all?¡±
¡°None, except they''re engaged, and no one''s had a good picture of them kissing yet.¡±
¡°So we really can go on holiday?¡±
¡°And pay off the mortgage too.¡±
¡°I thought you were joking! Who on earth was it, Prince Albert and that poor girl with Underwood for a father?¡±
¡°She''s called Eliza, dear. Yes, it was.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes, dear.¡±
¡°Maybe you should have asked for more then.¡±
¡°Don''t be greedy, just get home and look at the numbers. The stock photos are still selling.¡±
¡°I take it you don''t want left-overs tonight?¡±
¡°I''m happy with leftovers. I think I''m going to be busy selling photos, so I don''t think we can go out to celebrate. Maybe tomorrow though.¡±
¡°You''re not going to hang around for more pictures?¡±
¡°No, I promised I wouldn''t.¡±
¡°You talked to them too, how did they seem?¡±
¡°Relaxed, happy, and clearly in love. A bit surprised I was waiting for them as they got out of the car, but happy to be photographed together. Their security guys were a bit nervous, of course.¡±
¡°How were you waiting for them?¡±
¡°I''d spotted a couple of people from Security looking around, all nonchalant.¡±
¡°And you asked them?¡±
¡°Of course not. I just got my camera ready. You know that spare power pack?¡±
¡°The one that cost a fortune and you almost never use?¡±
¡°Yes. I needed it.
¡°Well worth the investment, then.¡±
¡°Glad you agree.¡±
¡°Did they tell you how they ended up there?¡±
¡°Recommendation from someone, apparently.¡±
¡°Oh well, that''s not much of a lead.¡±
¡°Plus, according to her, it had the right number of stars, was the right size and meals were affordable, at least for their first real date.¡±
¡°So, you''re checking to find other places with the same qualities?¡±
¡°I''m checking, I''m checking, don''t worry. But since she mentioned their first date, I''m going down a notch on price. Oh, I tried to be careful to frame the shots so the restaurant name isn''t in them, so I''m hopefully ahead of the game there, too.¡±
¡°Good thinking. I''ll be home soon.¡±
Eliza pushed back her bowl. ¡°I hope you''re not planning on us going out to eat every night. It was all too nice and I''ll get fat.¡±
¡°Well, we could do something else. Any ideas?¡±
¡°What about a romantic stroll beside the river?¡±
¡°With a few hundred photographers?¡±
¡°The one this evening was polite.¡±
¡°He was on his own.¡± Albert pointed out, ¡°and he''s probably making quite a lot of money from those pictures. You know, our first date, and so on...¡±
¡°Good. His camera was good but I noticed that his clothes were getting old, and his shoes were repaired. My guess is that he''s not had so many wonderfully paying photography opportunities recently.¡±
¡°Or he''s not very good.¡± Albert counter-suggested.
¡°As a total amateur at the being photographed business, I think he did well at encouraging us to let him take more photos.¡±
¡°I agree. So, hopefully some of them are good.¡±
¡°We could check.¡±
¡°What, see if his photos are on every news channel yet?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I don''t normally. But I guess we could.¡±
¡°It''s probably not a good idea. Shall we leave?¡±
Preparation / Ch. 11: Briefings
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 11:Briefings
Monday 4th November. 11am, Cabinet meeting
Eliza had spent the journey to the palace studying the profiles of the current cabinet ministers. She hadn''t even realised that she was expected to attend, but it made sense, she supposed. If she was going to be protected as a royal, be working as a royal and helping decide on policy as a royal, why not meet the people who helped the royals shape policy.
It made her a little nervous to think that these politicians included some who had known her father before he''d been stripped of his power (in both senses) and locked up. She wondered if she should check to see if any of them were still somehow under his sway, but it seemed unlikely.
After introductions were over ¡ª Eliza was glad she''d done her homework, there were too many names ¡ª the king asked her to describe the results of her research so far. She''d known this was coming and since it was the essay that she''d been writing a week before, she could even give them copies of it - she''d got special permission from her tutor at the University.
¡°This is an essay that I submitted to the University on Friday of last week. I have permission to distribute it to the cabinet as long as it doesn''t go further. So, please consider it a confidential briefing document. In summary, while my father was involved in government he came up with a number of seemingly helpful suggestions, which actually have done genuine harm to our nation. Unfortunately, it seems that no one other than him foresaw the long term consequences. Or if they did, then he managed to ensure they did not speak of them.
¡°Some of you knew him better than I have ever done. Apart from one thing he said to me, I''ve not had any privileged access or been working from anything except the public records. If you are aware of other laws which he helped draft, then I would be very grateful if you could tell me of them.
¡°You may or may not be aware that I was kidnapped. After I escaped from that, I spoke briefly to him in company he did not expect, and I believe that he said more than he would normally have done. He stated, and I have no reason to doubt him in this: that he''s been planning since he was a teenager to rule our country. Of course, the only way that he could rule was to first destabilise the country and cause constitutional change. I''ve therefore come up with a hypothesis that I am testing as part of my research: that until he was arrested on corruption charges, every recommendation he made for changes of legislation had an ultimate aim of bringing that constitutional collapse about. So far, I have analysed about a third of the list I compiled, and have found no evidence to dissuade me from this hypothesis, and quite a lot of support. The changes he introduced for civics week are an obvious case.¡±
¡°Could you list some others?¡± the justice Minister asked.
¡°Another fairly easy one is the dangerous jobs act. Before my father was involved, it was not possible for someone to be employed in certain categories of dangerous jobs if they''d been convicted for use of addictive drugs. After his intervention, the list of jobs was longer and the exclusion standard had been reduced from a conviction to an official warning, nor does it allow for any limiting time. One warning, even as a juvenile, and those jobs are closed.
Psychologists tell us that people who have a risk-seeking, adrenaline-loving personality-type will tend to seek such jobs, or if they cannot find another source of adrenaline then they may turn to drugs, crime, or both. They also tell us that this personality type is the one most likely to experiment with illegal drugs as a teenager, and so get an official warning. So that law, combined with the warning that might have set them back on the straight and narrow after an act of teenage rebellion, excluded them from practically the entire range of jobs they were predisposed to. Since the law was passed the estimated number of people involved in the inner-city gangs has almost trebled, and the combined number of applicants to dangerous jobs has declined at a corresponding rate. Roughly speaking, the gangs are getting people who used to join the army, fire service and so on.¡±
¡°But do we want such people in those jobs?¡± asked the minister for transport.
¡°Minister, there is no such restriction on government ministers,¡± pointed out the King. ¡°If there had been, then some very capable ministers would never have held their posts. The change to the law was supported by parliament. I remember voicing my concern at the time, and in retrospect I should have requested longer debate on the issue. But there were very few opponents to the bill, because of news events at the time. I remember thinking this would never have had so much support if there hadn''t just been that tragedy involving the fireman on hallucinogenic drugs who stepped out of the wrong window carrying a child.
"I suppose it might even be possible that those events were actually engineered by Roland Underwood himself, but he certainly made use of them. A more balanced approach would be randomised testing of people, to make sure they''re not on drugs, rather than banning everyone who''s ever been caught with them. But the civil liberties union really didn''t like that, and preferred the life-ban for some reason.¡±
¡°I can guess why,¡± said the finance minister.
¡°Oh?¡± the King asked.
¡°I once made a list of which groups he was found to have been blackmailing and bribing members of; they came out at the top.¡±
¡°Thank you. I''d not put those figures together.¡± the King admitted ¡°We have a monarchy so that our country experiences stability. We have an elected parliament so that the voice of the people is heard. I believe that in this case, one man charmed, bribed and corrupted his fellow ministers so that the voice of the people was not heard, but only the voice of a dangerous schemer. Eliza, you have some more information about your father which has not been made public.¡±
¡°Oh. Do I?¡±
¡°How was he so successful at knowing people''s weak spots.¡±
¡°Oh. Yes. My father had the ability to hear thoughts. He no longer has it, as three rather brave Christians prayed that it would be taken from him, just before his first arrest. He possessed the power, and I guess he didn''t meet anyone else who had it. Therefore, he considered himself a super-human, the next step in evolution, and therefore he concluded that it was natural that he should rule.¡±
¡°The irony of it is that my father also had this power.¡± the King told his ministers ¡°Roland Underwood assumed that he was genetically superior to my family, because he had a rare ability that actually my father had also. It is entirely plausible that our criminal ancestress ¡ª the mother of ''princess'' Sarah, also had that ability.¡±
¡°Your Majesty, from your phrasing, do we assume that you do not possess this ability?¡± the minister for Justice asked.
¡°Minister, I think you of all people, should know that you are asking for the revelation of a state secret. As it happens, I do not have the power. As has been reported, it often skips one or more generations. But I do not think that questioning along these lines is appropriate.¡±
¡°I apologise wholeheartedly, your Majesty.¡±
The science minister asked, ¡°Your Majesty, is the knowledge about your father''s ability declassified, or is it still a state secret?¡±
¡°That is a matter for further discussion, when we have less pressing business. For the moment it remains a grade beta state secret.¡±
¡°Thank you for trusting us with it, your Majesty, but might I ask your reasons for doing so?¡±
¡°The Institute for the Human Mind has seen fit to release the big secret ¡ª that such a power exists. There seems to have been no great public outcry, very few cries of ''get rid of the witches''. I raise three questions for you to consider: firstly, do we encourage openness, for instance by my speaking of my father''s ability. Secondly, do we support privacy, by making it an offence to reveal whether someone has this ability or not, or do we simply state that possession of this gift is automatically a long-standing family secret, as it affects multiple generations, and leave the existing laws to deal with infractions. Thirdly, the question of its application to legal matters could be considered a little further, I believe.¡±
¡°Having spoken to people at the Institute,¡± Eliza said, ¡°it is clear that the thought-hearing power is not going to detect every lie told in court. I''m sure that well-rehearsed criminals could practice their statements. However, in certain cases, it might prove a useful additional tool. I am thinking of one in particular, but am not sure if I may speak of it, your Majesty.¡±
¡°You may, Eliza. Ministers, this matter is sub-judice, and touches on a state secret. Do not pass on what you hear,¡± The King said.
¡°The lawyer for the defence in which I gave evidence had heard a rumour that I was involved with Albert, which he felt validated his client''s unlikely version of events. Under the laws of his country he was duty-bound to take his client''s version as truth and seek to garner all support he could for it. Therefore, he insisted that I answer his questions.
"Warnings were given but he insisted. It was his right to insist, since I had given my oath, but he ended up breaking our laws, and was arrested on the spot. Obviously he should have sought legal advice before insisting, but his arrest put the trial in jeopardy, since his status as an accredited lawyer would be damaged.
"Thus, the question in my mind was should the trial that I was a witness at be jeopardised because he wanted to know the answer there and then and not wait twenty-four hours. Or alternatively, what were the real reasons for his insisting on finding it out so soon.¡±
¡°Under his home-country''s laws he would no longer be able to practice law if he had any conviction against his name. And of course he didn''t know he''d find out in twenty four hours,¡± stated the King, ¡°So Eliza requested that a royal pardon be issued. I was not happy with that idea, while his motivations were unclear, and whether he had been involved in various other information leaks. Therefore, with his permission, two anonymous thought-hearers eavesdropped on his thoughts during the pre-trial hearing.
¡°They certainly heard some self-talk that he didn''t say aloud, but there was no evidence to suggest that he was anything other than honestly ignorant about our legal process. I expect to issue the pardon after this meeting.¡±
¡°Your Majesty, I thought from Bob McDaniel''s report that the thought-hearers risked death if they acted as lie-detectors. Was he being selective with the truth?¡± the minister for Rocketry asked.
¡°Eliza? You''ve had more contact with these phenomena than most of us, could you answer that?¡± the King asked.
¡°Bob McDaniel was talking about the Spiritual gift, which is very risky when used as a lie detector. It would have given a complete knowledge of every thought that crossed his mind and the connections that there were between them, and yes, if that is used to follow someone''s thoughts over a protracted time, then there is a very real risk of death or serious brain injury. What was used with the lawyer was the natural ability, that my father had, for instance, and it''s something that someone used to doing it could probably do all day. The results are far less conclusive, after all it is possible to lie in your unspoken thoughts just like in speech. But it''s harder to do when you don''t know what questions you''re going to be asked. From what I''ve been told most people leak something somewhere along the line, like ''I''m glad I remembered to say that!'' or ''Now, how was I going to answer this?''¡±
¡°Thank you. I''d obviously forgotten that important difference.¡±
¡°Do I presume you know this from being on the committee?¡± asked the religions affairs minister.
¡°That would not be entirely accurate but nor would it be too far from the truth.¡± Eliza said.
¡°And the truth?¡±
¡°I don''t think it is a secret that I was sent to the Institute for the Human mind for counselling; I learned it while there.¡± Eliza said, perfectly truthfully.
¡°Ah. I see. So you were visiting during Bob McDaniel''s reporting?¡±
¡°Yes, I actually got there the same day he did. I didn''t stay there as long as he did, but I was around, and I''ve met people he talked about.¡±
¡°I admit an intense curiosity how you, as a patient, met the secret staff of that secretive institution. I thought that they were better at keeping secrets than that.¡± the minister for science said.
¡°Bob is an elder at my Church, plus... Oh, hold on. Reporting restrictions... I don''t think I can say more.¡±
¡°So Bob and someone else they trusted vouched for you?¡±
¡°Yes. That''s a good way of saying it. They decided I was a trustworthy person.¡±
¡°And that is an opinion that others share,¡± agreed the queen. ¡°And that is a good cue to share another piece of information which has been a family secret until now. I know that you all know Maria, who heads up the field arm of Security, either by reputation or personally.¡± heads nodded. ¡°She, her husband and daughter have agreed that it is time to claim a relationship that has not been public, though I''ve known it since Maria and I joined Security at the same time. Maria''s younger brother is Roland Underwood. The approved leak who talked about Eliza and Albert making their engagement public for her sake is Maria''s daughter, Karen, Eliza''s cousin. The press will, I''m sure, be making the link soon enough, though of course Maria''s role in Security had better remain a very strict secret.¡±
The murmurs of surprise turned to agreement.
¡°Moving back to our earlier topic,¡± the King started, ¡°I ask that parliament address the issues raised in Eliza''s paper, over the coming months. Please start with the most public one ¡ª that of the civics week. I would like to see a parliamentary discussion on that in the next week or two. Eliza, do I remember you saying that you hoped this essay would turn into a publication?¡±
¡°Eventually, yes. I don''t know if my tutor would recommend a publication of the essay as research in progress, or if it would be better to finish the research first.¡±
The Education minister suggested ¡°From my brief time in academia: you''ve publicly mentioned it as a research topic, so someone could beat you to formal publication if you''re not quick. Publish soon.¡±
¡°Thank you for that advice, Minister.¡±
¡°It also makes it available to parliament to discuss.¡± stated the King ¡°Which is something I''d like to see as soon as possible. If your tutor feels that no journal is willing to publish it soon as work in progress, then if everyone agrees, how about we suggest it be published as a parliamentary briefing paper. Say within the next month?¡± There were nods around the table at that suggestion. ¡°You may tell your tutor the cabinet is happy with that idea. I don''t know where parliamentary briefings figure on their league tables, but at least it''s published.¡±
¡°Thank you, your Majesty.¡±
¡°Thank you, Eliza. You''ve made a more convincing case for changing legislation than many documents that I''ve seen, and we didn''t even commission the research.¡±
The education minister coughed. ¡°Yes. Sometimes there are advantages to the wheels of the civil service grinding slowly. Maria notified me about the issue some months ago, and I went through the normal channels to confirm her findings. This morning I received the final draft of a proposal for multiple-stage survey which would have proved her insights were correct, which has taken at least a month to draft and re-draft. I propose that we ignore that survey. I also issued the guidance to schools you suggested, Maam.¡± he added, nodding respectfully to the queen.
The cabinet secretary added ¡°The Education minister asked that I check the records of the parliamentary debate where the changes to civics week were discussed, your Majesties. I found that there was indeed mention made of how many such visits should be made, and Roland Underwood stated in the debate that he thought that was best left unspecified, so that the school would not feel under pressure to take a trip every civics week if they felt the teaching standards would suffer, and then he verbally proposed the wording on the form and stated that he''d make the text available for the legislation if parliament agreed. There were some subtle but critical differences between what he said (and parliament agreed to) and what he actually sent in. My predecessor didn''t catch them, I''m afraid.¡±
¡°Could you detail the differences?¡± asked the Education Minister.
¡°The discussed wording was ''Please indicate if you would like to visit and when.'' the published wording is ''Please indicate when you would like to visit.''¡±
¡°Subtle.¡± agreed the King, ¡°So actually, the current form is not what was approved by parliament?¡±
¡°No, your Majesty.¡± stated the secretary.
¡°Schools have been told to cancel most visits?¡± asked the Queen.
¡°Yes, your Majesty. The question of the examination, though, I feel, is rather difficult, Maam. It will be very difficult for final year students who have not been exposed to the syllabus at all to pass an exam in the summer. Especially when the teachers are totally unused to teaching it now.¡±
¡°But the material is not actually that hard to cover. If I remember correctly, the main problem with civics weeks from one year to another was that by the third or fourth year most of us knew it by rote.¡±
¡°That is true, Maam.¡±
¡°Might I suggest that the exam be optional for the first year, and that it only be a requirement for people entering the civil service?¡± Albert suggested.
¡°And what about people in university already?¡± asked the King.
¡°Evening classes, online study, or persuade the universities to offer tuition?¡±
¡°I think all three might be useful.¡±
¡°What about people who are already in the Service?¡± the Education minister asked.
¡°Might I suggest that they get to go to the same evening classes?¡± the King said. ¡°I also suggest that they have to have passed the exam before they be eligible for a promotion. Once the first rush is over, then the evening classes could be offered to everyone.¡±
¡°I imagine that stopping promotions could cause problems, dear. What if the otherwise best candidate hasn''t managed to find space on the course yet? Not to mention where do the teachers come from. It''d be better to have some sort of self-study programme.¡±
¡°With respect, I tend to agree with the Queen, your Majesty.¡± the minister for education said. "Teaching staff are going to find it hard to prepare for their current students, let alone if they are suddenly expected to teach the past fifteen years of students as well.¡±
¡°Very well, self-study programme it is,¡± conceded the King, ¡°and what about the incentive?¡±
¡°It would be good to reach out to the entire population; Eliza suggested some kind of random testing with a significant prize.¡± Albert responded.
¡°Such as?¡± the King asked Eliza.
¡°Well, at the time I suggested a reduction in the tax rate for people getting a hundred percent, but Albert pointed out that messing with the tax law wasn''t a good idea.¡±
¡°Thank you, your Highness,¡± said the minister for finance.
¡°So, I''m not sure. I was guessing that something like one or two percent of the population would get it, so that most people would either know someone who was tested or failing that know someone who knew someone.¡±
¡°That sounds reasonable.¡± Agreed the queen, ¡°and then there''d need to be some kind of prize which would appeal to vast swathes of the population and not cost the public purse a fortune.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡± agreed Albert.
¡°And I presume that a tour of a state institution isn''t going to be very desirable.¡± said the King.
¡°Ah, I doubt it, your Majesty.¡± Eliza said. ¡°My generation have had enough of those. I think. It would have to be somewhere very special.¡±
¡°Like the palace?¡± suggested Albert.
¡°Security concerns, Albert.¡± warned his mother.
¡°Perhaps a banquet here instead.¡± suggested the king.
¡°That''s more workable,¡± agreed the queen. ¡°I think we can actually offer a range of options, possibly in different age ranges. As long as we can keep the numbers of winners manageable ¡ª something like two hundred.¡±
¡°Perhaps multiple rounds?¡± suggested the minister for Education.
¡°We probably need to, yes. A small prize for everyone who gets to the second round and maybe genuine policy questions as part of that.¡± Albert agreed.
¡°And a job offer for those who do really well?¡± Eliza chipped in.
¡°Why not? Why not indeed!¡± the King sounded delighted. ¡°After all, if someone knows the facts and can come up with a good policy recommendation under pressure, they surely have the potential to work in the civil service, or to be encouraged into politics.¡±
[Albert, remind me sometime. I''d love to know what makes someone decide to enter politics. Now isn''t the time to ask though, I''m sure.]
Albert disagreed. [Ask now, Eliza. It''ll help you get to know the ministers.]
¡°I''m not sure it''s an appropriate time, but... might I ask, your Majesty, what made the ministers here decide to enter politics rather than the civil service?¡±
¡°I''m sure it''s a good time, Eliza. After all, you''re here to get to know the ministers as well as be introduced.¡± replied the King. ¡°Let''s start with our minister for education, and in the interests of keeping everyone guessing then you can nominate who follows you.¡±
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Eliza listened to their accounts of enjoying the cut and thrust of debate, the challenge of representing their constituencies, their care for local issues. And above all, the common theme that the people''s voice had to be heard, and not just heard but responded to, to avoid the trap of a dictatorship; Parliament had real power, not just voice. The civil service was important, to implement decisions, but the decisions came from parliament and from the throne.
¡°From a historical perspective,¡± she asked, ¡°I know that almost all countries used to have political parties, even when there was only one. Do you think the ban on political parties is a good thing? Or am I not allowed to ask such things?¡±
¡°How could we represent the constituents who elected us if we''re following a party policy?¡± asked the minister for rocketry, ¡°I think the party system was all about being on the same side as the prime-minister or president, so that you could in turn share in his power. In other words it was all about being part of a powerful tribe, ''we''re stronger than you are'', and so on. It''s not really very different to warlordism with words instead of weapons. I don''t think we need to go back there.¡±
¡°But aren''t there some natural groupings?¡±
¡°Oh, of course. But they''re flexible. It depends on the subject. I mean I tend to disagree with the pacifists on defence issues, but I agree with some people who are pacifists that shipping the gangs to Mars may not be the best thing do do with them.¡±
¡°Oh? You agree with them about their ideas that education would solve the problem?¡± Albert was fascinated.
¡°Ah, no. I''m just thinking that in terms of propellant, it''s lots of orders of magnitude easier to accelerate a few grammes of lead to the speed of sound than to accelerate a human body to escape velocity. Especially if you need to supply them with food and oxygen as well.¡±
¡°I don''t think we need you to pursue that thought, minister,¡± the king warned. ¡°The Mars colony needs risk-takers, just like the fire service does. Executing the gang members is not a solution I would approve of.¡±
¡°I wasn''t being entirely serious, your Majesty. But I would approve of more effective sentencing.¡±
¡°The gangs are a problem, I agree, Father. Why are they allowed to get away with so much?¡±
¡°Because we, as a society, have decided not to use the capabilities we could bring to bear to crack down on them, because of the civil liberties implications.¡± explained the minister for justice. ¡°The cost is too high. Not the monetary cost, you understand, sir, but the civic cost. To arrest every gang member, then it would be necessary to intercept every message, analyse every conversation. Track people to see who they meet, who they talk to, trace every journey. Of course we can do that. But it makes us a police state. We don''t want to live in that sort of society.
¡°We could use the security cameras as though every offence committed by gang members was a terrorist offence, and track their every moment from when they commit it, until arrest. But, since most of what the gangs get up to is no different to the sort of extremes teenagers sometimes get up to, just on a more industrial scale, then what would catch the gangs would also catch a lot of teenagers who are getting carried away. Almost all gang activity isn''t about the crimes, so much as the organisation and the frequency of the crimes. But we don''t want to live in a police state, and the principle of equal treatment prohibits us from tracking down some vandals and not others.
¡°So, we allow them the freedom to meet and organise in secret, and police officers arrest them when they''ve committed their acts of vandalism or violence. Sometimes, well, about seventy percent of the time, actually, the police are too slow to catch them, and they get away.¡±
¡°But the obvious question is, what makes the police officers too slow?¡± asked the queen. ¡°The arrest rate used to be higher than that. Police numbers are the same. Surely you''re not going to tell me that they can''t move as fast as they used to!¡±
¡°I don''t know, your Majesty.¡± answered the minister for justice.
¡°It does seems like the sort of thing that my father would have been happy to have a hand in.¡± Eliza pondered ¡°But I haven''t spotted anything in it yet.¡±
¡°It''s not just that they''ve learned a few more ways of hiding in the crowd?¡± asked the minister for agriculture.
¡°No.¡± the justice minister replied, ¡°It''s more like they know where the officers are being sent. I''ve had a statistical survey done using the camera records. In general they scatter from an area about a minute after the officer is dispatched.¡±
¡°You think they''ve got an informant?¡± asked Albert.
¡°Not likely, your highness. All the gangs reacted in the same timespan. I don''t think that there''s much chance that the same informant is informing all of them, given the rivalries.¡±
¡°So, you believe there''s some kind of information leak, possibly even someone''s programmed a back door into the dispatch system?¡± asked the minister for privacy and civil liberties.
¡°Exactly.¡± agreed the justice minister.
¡°That sounds... ominous.¡± Albert said.
¡°It does rather.¡± agreed the king ¡°I think the obvious thing to do is get Internal Auditing onto it.¡±
¡°Shouldn''t they have caught it already?¡±
¡°Of course they should have. So, if the cabinet agrees, we''ll also get Signals to look at what information sources the gangs are accessing.¡±
The minister for civil liberties raised a hand. ¡°How are we going to identify gang membership without violating the liberties we discussed earlier?¡±
¡°I propose that for this warrant, a crime in progress be picked, which by location and timing would tend to exclude ordinary citizens, and all incoming and outgoing communications be monitored in the immediate area of the perpetrators,¡± said the justice minister.
¡°I would agree to monitoring of a crime in progress in an isolated area, strictly for the purpose of determining the nature of this leak, yes. Just as long as the information gathered under the warrant does not result in the perpetrators being tracked, identified or other unusual methods being used against them.¡± the liberties minister conceded.
¡°Should they receive a communication which causes them to leave, would you agree to the originator of the information being investigated?¡± Albert asked.
¡°No arrests to be made?¡± asked the minister for civil rights.
¡°Purely to identify the manner of the leak,¡± Agreed the justice minister.
¡°And this operation would occur as Auditing''s operation, and receive judicial oversight as normal?¡± pressed the minister for civil liberties.
¡°Yes.¡± Conceded the King, with a sigh.
[What does being under Auditing mean?] Eliza asked.
[Auditing are allowed to look at lots of secret stuff ¡ª they need to ¡ª but they don''t have authority to arrest members of the public, only civil servants. Putting it under Auditing means that even if the investigation happens to record a mass-murderer at work, the most they can officially do directly is warn him that he''s been a naughty boy. They can inform the police, like any good citizen, but only as a vague tip-off. They can''t supply evidence about the public, or disclose where they got their information. Unless there''s a civil servant involved, it''s an even more restrictive set of rules than Signals normally work to.]
[Oh. The price of freedom?]
[I guess so.]
With that matter dealt with, the prime-minister, who''d been mostly silent as usual, raised the issue of the recent press leaks: ¡°Your majesties, I''m informed by Security that there have been a number of leaks which arose from cabinet-level discussions recently.¡±
¡°Yes Prime-minister. TREC discussions, actually.¡± the King confirmed.
¡°That''s something that I found most concerning. The source of those leaks has been identified and reprimanded?¡±
¡°Yes Prime-minister.¡± confirmed the King ¡°Well, no. I would rather say that one source has been reminded that the appropriate channel for expressing concerns is direct discussion, not press leaks. There was also another, but I do not believe we will have any more trouble on that front either.¡±
¡°The second wrong-doer has been identified?¡±
¡°Identified and warned, yes.¡± the Queen said.
¡°I ask because it is obviously a serious thing when secrets are betrayed, and I would hope that there is not a loss of standards in the cabinet. Someone who feels justified to betray official secrets on one occasion might find themselves tempted on another, and if we cannot express ourselves freely, then that would severely reduce the efficiency of cabinet. So while I''m not exactly asking for names, I think that we''d like reassuring that their motivation was sufficiently extreme and honourable that it warranted their actions, and there''s no question of them being asked to resign or face charges.¡±
¡°One of the leaks was is in that category, as I''ve said, the person concerned was not in possession of all the facts and had severe doubts about policy that they should have brought to us. The second person is not present at this meeting, and may be facing charges.¡± the King said.
¡°The previous minister for defence?¡± asked the prime-minister.
¡°I thought you weren''t asking for names?¡± asked the queen, with a smile to soften her words. ¡°Yes. The second leak was a further display of poor judgement from her. What she leaked was relatively innocuous, suggesting that maybe the woman Albert was falling in love with here was someone on the Committee for major threat assessment. That little piece of information was added to by the gossip columnist who knew too much from other sources, and she made up a nice little article from the two which is probably too sensitive to talk about in more detail. Fortunately the writer was persuaded to change her story to an alternative one quite quickly. Depending on what Auditing discover about how the ex-minister chose which gossip-monger to leak to, then there may or may not be grounds for charges.¡±
Eliza noticed that there were some confused faces around the table and wasn''t surprised when someone ¡ª the minister for civil liberties, in fact ¡ª asked ¡°I''m not sure I understand. How does selecting the recipient make her liable for charges?¡±
¡°If the ex-minister knew that the journalist would be able to add to what she reported, and flesh it out to make a plausible story of skulduggery and conspiracy, then that''s a malicious leak. If she just pulled a name out of a hat, then it wouldn''t be her responsibility.¡±
¡°And in either case we can breathe a sigh of relief that the journalist could be persuaded to withdraw her story.¡± added Albert.
¡°There would have been long-term implications?¡±
¡°Yes, I believe there would have been, and indeed will be if the suggestions are made again.¡± the King replied.
¡°Surely if the speculation is unjustified, then it could simply be denied?¡± asked the minister for privacy and civil liberties.
Eliza decided to change the track. ¡°Minister, might I ask you something?¡±
¡°Of course, Maam.¡± the minister replied.
¡°As fianc¨¦e to the crown prince, do I have a right to privacy, to decide what is and is not known about me by the general public?¡±
¡°Assuming that it doesn''t affect your suitability for your future role as queen-consort, Maam.¡±
¡°Then, I would like to postpone further discussion on this subject until you and I have had a discussion in private, if that is acceptable to their majesties.¡±
¡°It is your right to trust, Eliza.¡± the queen said in reply, and the meeting moved on to other topics.
After the cabinet meeting, Albert showed Eliza and the minister to a room down the corridor. ¡°You won''t be disturbed, or overheard here.¡± he said.
¡°I think it might be useful if you witness our conversation, Albert. Is that all right with you, Minister?¡±
¡°Of course. Since I''ve very little idea of what it''ll be about, I''m not sure what I''m walking into.¡± he said carefully.
¡°Minister, your role, if I understand it, is to ensure that the citizens'' right to privacy is preserved, and that civil liberties are not breached by any legislation. Is that correct?¡±
¡°Yes, Maam.¡±
¡°Can you keep secrets?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Urm, as well as most people, I think.¡±
¡°Albert, do you think that''s acceptable?¡±
¡°It depends what you want to discuss, Eliza.¡± Albert said, with a warning note in his voice.
¡°OK, let me make my thoughts more explicit. Minister, I plan to seek your opinion about the piece written about me. Their majesties believe it could be quite controversial, and that it might affect some people''s view of me as a suitable queen-consort. I hope that you will not be among them, or that if you are then I will be able to allay your fears. I''m not quite sure what I''d do if I can''t. But would you trust yourself to not reveal what I''m about to tell you? Ever? Would you take an oath to that effect?¡±
¡°You''re serious, there''s enough truth in the speculation that it could not be denied?¡±
¡°Will you take such an oath?¡± Albert pressed.
He said, ¡°Yes. Of course I will take such an oath. Or rather, I already have, your highness. It''s part of my oath of office to give confidential advice to the royal family. I didn''t expect it would ever happen of course.¡± Eliza was relieved, but decided that to be fully confident she''d invade his privacy ¡ª just a little. She checked his skin. He was full of curiosity, but felt privileged too; he was also determined to not break that trust.
¡°I don''t actually have a copy of the report. Do you, Albert?¡±
¡°Urm, no, actually. Bella might.¡±
¡°She might, but she''s off duty. It probably doesn''t matter. Minister, roughly speaking the report went like this:
''Did the Prince''s love know about the Valentine''s day impact? We know that the mysterious committee for major threat assessment has been meeting with the royals recently, so maybe the woman who''s become so important to Albert is on it. Of course that doesn''t help us identify her, since the committee meets at the Institute for the Human Mind, and we can''t find out anything about anyone there. But why might she be connected to that institute, and how did she get onto the committee? Is she staff, a thought hearer, or simply someone who knows people who are?'' You know how I am connected to the institute ¡ª I was assigned there for therapy. But I''m sure you''ll agree that that doesn''t actually help explain why I''m on the committee.¡±
¡°No, it doesn''t really,¡± the minister conceded.
¡°Nor does my connection to Bob McDaniel, either. He''s not on the committee ¡ª they considered it but his heart isn''t that great these days. Would you like to speculate?¡±
¡°You know staff members at the institute well? In some other capacity than patient?¡±
¡°If you''ve been following the reports about Albert''s love live, then you''ll be able to work out that I''ve got two cousins ¡ª Maria''s daughter and another one. She had the vision that sparked the formation of the committee, and given where the meeting was held you can probably assume some connection to the institute. However, I can''t say that in public, as that would be breaching the publishing ban surrounding it.¡±
¡°Oh. So while you can freely deny being staff at the Institute (which doesn''t help at all, of course) you can''t either acknowledge or deny knowing someone who works there. And of course that leaves the question of thought-hearers up in the air. With your cousin, I infer, being on staff and Bob McDaniel knowing you from your church, it''s no great surprise that you know people. But surely, you could just deny the accusation that you are one yourself? That''s the most damaging accusation, constitutionally speaking.¡±
¡°But I cannot legitimately deny that, minister. My father had that ability, what they call the power, and I grew up with it too. I expect that''s one reason he avoided being near me.¡±
¡°Ah.¡± The minister said. ¡°Urm, that would be a little complicated. Some people might not like the idea of someone on the throne able to hear thoughts.¡± Turning towards Albert he said, ¡°But your highness''s grandfather was a well-loved king, who was careful in his use of power, in every sense of the word. I really don''t see any inherent problems, and would be quite prepared to argue that case. You could simply refuse to answer, and tell people that if they''re worried they can wear gloves. They''re becoming standard wear, after all.¡±
¡°Minister, you''re generous, and I thank you. But if I''m allowed privacy, and I refuse to answer, then speculation abounds about why I''m not answering. And, if I may press you further to think like a gossip columnist, do please consider that there are a number of unusual features in how fast I''ve been accepted as trustworthy by the people at the Institute and in the royal family. Not to mention that I was somehow part of a committee while I was under witness protection. Add to your deliberations that there are two sorts of thought-hearers. People might not just ask themselves if I''m a thought-hearer, but which sort of thought hearer I am. Some people might not think it was appropriate for me to be queen consort if I had the second, rarer form of thought-hearing. That''s why the article is so dangerous ¡ª it plants an idea which would have quite an explanatory power.¡±
¡°You mean what they call the gift? That''s incredibly rare, isn''t it? You think that there might be civil liberties issues if you had it?¡±
¡°Well, minister, what would you say were the civil liberties implications to a queen-consort able to hear thoughts across the world, locate individuals or categories of people even beyond Jupiter, and know your every thought if you''re in the same part of the building as her?¡±
¡°Urm. That doesn''t sound very good, but I think I haven''t really understood the extent of those abilities, Maam. Could you give me some for-instances of what someone with the gift could do?¡±
¡°Of course. Let''s address the issue of the gangs. A person with the gift could pinpoint the location of every gang-member in the city, and also get their names too. That might take a while though, it''d be easier to cut it down, say, to every gang-member in the city who''s helped kill someone. That''s a more manageable number, I expect. The next day they could move on to rapists, and by the end of the month you can have all the criminals in prison. Of course, there''s the matter of evidence. Someone with the gift can locate people, but not things, so far as I know, so it''d be best to just take their word for it that the criminals are indeed criminals. Eventually, of course, they can get proactive ¡ª find people who are about to commit crimes, and arrest them before they do. Or I suppose we could start with them, just as easily. What sequence would you prefer?¡±
¡°I wouldn''t! That''d be terrible! Arrest and detention on one person''s say-so! For crimes not even committed! That''s a horrible thought! That''s too much, Maam!¡±
¡°I fully agree. But, you see, someone with the gift could do it; no-one in their right mind would, of course. All fifty-six agree that it would be a terrible abuse of the gift; but the capability which lets the fifty-six find people in trouble, or locate hostages, works for criminals too. So, minister: would you be happy with someone with that gift on the throne? Or is that welding of secular and spiritual power in one person too much?¡±
¡°Maam, this is purely a hypothetical question, isn''t it?¡±
¡°For the moment, let us assume that there might be a rumour that I had such an ability. Would you be able to reassure people that there were no civil liberties implications, without actually forcing me to comment on the family secret of my thought-hearing abilities?¡±
¡°Ah. Yes. I think I understand. There could be very intense press speculation.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°But you say that while the powers exist they wouldn''t be abused in that way?¡±
¡°Exactly. Minister, for an abuse like I outlined, there would need to be massive changes to our legal system, wouldn''t there?¡±
¡°Yes. And since we have checks and balances to make sure no-one would make such changes, I don''t think there''s much risk there at all, scary though it seems at first glance. I''d happily argue that there''s no civil liberties risk there.¡±
¡°So, I think that actually what I gave you was a bit of a straw-man. Sorry.¡±
¡°You think there are civil liberties issues that aren''t straw men?¡±
¡°Certainly!¡± Eliza started ticking them off on her fingers. ¡°One: people who are hiding don''t stay hidden, even if they never leave their underground cave. Two: if someone with the gift wants to find out who knows something, then they can know within a few seconds. Three: if someone with the gift wants to find out what you''re thinking, they can know, in more detail than you do yourself. Four: journalists'' sources aren''t safe unless the journalist doesn''t know. I could go on, but...¡± she lifted her hands in resignation: ¡°I don''t know if these abilities are particularly worrying in the role of a queen or not. Most of them would be breaches of the ethics code, but that''s probably not a very important consideration when we''re really talking about abuse of power.¡±
¡°You make it sound like these abilities would put Security out of business.¡±
¡°The information gathering side... maybe, except that the quantity of data would be far too much for any individual, plus of course that there''s no physical evidence to back up what the thought-reader learns.¡±
¡°Maam, I''m fairly sure that there''s no civil liberties case to answer. But I agree that the sort of intense press speculation it would stir up would certainly make it uncomfortable for you. You would of course have the right to privacy, but it would be easier to squash such rumours with a public denial that you had such a gift. I''m sure it could be phrased to avoid denying that you had any thought-hearing powers.¡±
The time had come, and Eliza weighed what he''d said in her mind. Did he, or would he, have a need to know that this conversation wasn''t just theoretical? Yes. He probably would. ¡°Minister, the problem is that I can''t honestly make such a denial.¡±
The minister''s mouth momentarily escaped his brain''s control as his mind concentrated on other things. Fortunately, there were no flies in the room.
¡°Just checking...¡± he eventually asked, ¡°you''re telling me you have the gift?¡±
¡°Yes. And I''m quite sure that if I didn''t have it then I wouldn''t be on the committee. If I hadn''t been on the committee, then I''d have never visited the palace, would not have impressed their majesties or met Albert.¡±
¡°I''m honoured that you chose to share this with me, Maam. I understand your concerns... It wouldn''t be good for you to answer such questions, would it?¡±
¡°It would be best if they weren''t ever asked,¡± agreed Albert. ¡°I''m sure you''ll realise that if this were to get out then there would be very serious consequences. We''ve decided it is a class epsilon state secret.¡±
¡°Yes, highness. Class epsilon? I wasn''t aware it existed.¡±
¡°It didn''t use to. There are no statutory penalties as yet for revealing a class epsilon secret, so for now assume that the penalties for revealing a class delta will apply, and then maybe some more.¡±
¡°Could you remind me, sir, what those penalties are? I never expected to know such a secret.¡±
¡°Leaking of a delta class state secret brings loss of position and pension and loss of freedom ¡ª possibly in a think-tank, depending on what else the leak knows. Malicious leaking would very possibly count as treason, as it could be seen as adversely affecting our wedding plans, and thus the succession.¡±
¡°Ouch. I hadn''t thought of any of that!¡± Eliza said. ¡°Should I have kept it secret from you?¡± she asked the minister.
¡°Your questions and concerns wouldn''t have really made much sense to me otherwise, Maam. Now they do, and as I said I''m not planning on being a leak. No, there might be angry voices raised, but the right to privacy must be respected. We can''t say that every mind-reader should be quarantined or something to avoid them breaking privacy laws, any more than we can say that every man should be locked up as a potential rapist. Though of course that has been argued. But... I think we do need to put something very like the Institute''s ethics code into law. Quite how to patrol it is rather hard though.¡±
¡°Yes. Stealing thoughts is a hard crime to legislate against,¡± Albert agreed.
¡°Unless the accused has their thoughts read by someone with the gift.¡± added Eliza. ¡°And the ethics code says they would need to agree to that, which of course if they were guilty they wouldn''t be likely to agree. Which reminds me, Minister, Bob McDaniel reported that there have been occasions where thought-stealing has been punished by removal of the ability. For example, my father. With thought-hearing now being acknowledged, then it could be seen as a vigilante action which brings about a real loss to the individual. I would instead like to see it recognised in law as an ultimate sanction against a persistent offender. The miraculous nature of it makes it rather hard to legislate for, but I''d at least like to see the people who risk such a confrontation being protected rather than persecuted.¡±
¡°Certainly!¡± agreed Albert.
¡°That''s a difficult one,¡± the Minister thought aloud. ¡°Since it is a religious activity, I''m quite sure we can''t legislate that it should be applied. And I''m not sure who''s responsible if that sort of prayer gets answered. The people who pray, or God? But we don''t want to give people carte-blanche to obstruct people''s day to day lives under the guise of the special prayer meeting clause, either.¡±
¡°How about we just state in the law something like ''Individuals or groups who exercise their religious freedom to pray against people they believe are abusing their power are not responsible under law for any divine intervention that follows''?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°That sounds very reasonable and obvious,¡± Albert said. ¡°But in order to reduce potential abuses, I think I''d suggest adding that anyone advertising such prayer sessions may be committing a civil offence of harassment, and that no one should receive any payment or fee in connection with such prayer.¡±
¡°Oh? Why not?¡± the minster was surprised, he''d been wondering if a reward should be offered.
¡°Because, firstly, the effective prayers that we''ve heard of took three individuals, not thirty or three-hundred, and secondly, it was done as a surprise to the person concerned. So to advertise such a thing makes it more like organising a protest rally than the sort of prayer we''re talking about protecting. Secondly, we don''t want to encourage any groups claiming that they need financial support to pray against people abusing their power. If people want to pray regularly, that''s their own business, but it shouldn''t turn into a business opportunity.¡±
¡°I see, your highness, but I think you''re treading onto the ground of interfering with people''s religious freedom, and dictating what sort of prayer is acceptable.¡±
¡°I personally think that offering prayer in exchange for money is abusing the vulnerable when they need help the most, Minister, but I accept your word of caution. Perhaps the present laws are adequate in this area. But we are agreed, I think, that there is a need for new legislation in the other areas. Would you be able to get together with the ministers for religious affairs and justice to draft a law which codifies things in these areas? I know there''s more discussion to be had, and Father''s only just asked for people to think about some of the issues; however, I think it would be useful for the discussion if there was at least a rough draft for people to build on and chisel away at.¡±
¡°Of course, your highness!¡±
Eliza had a thought. ¡°I think, perhaps, minister, it would be worth contacting the Institute for the Human Mind. They must have some idea on how it might be possible to identify breaches of the ethics code. There needs to be a method to establish guilt or innocence, and somehow there needs to be a way that an accusation doesn''t automatically reveal whether someone has the power or not, but that someone who can''t be guilty of stealing thoughts doesn''t get dragged through the courts for no purpose.¡±
¡°I wonder if some equivalent to Auditing needs to be set up.¡± Albert suggested.
¡°Nice idea, but how long will it be before everyone''s calling them the `thought-police''?¡± Eliza responded.
The minister pulled a face. ¡°An ugly name, I agree; but you''re right. There needs to be proper investigation, and the only people able to really check up on thought-hearers are going to be other thought-hearers.¡±
¡°I think you''re partially wrong about that, minister.¡± Albert said ¡°If they''re in a public place, then for instance video records might show where the person was relative to the person making the accusation, and if there was contact or a piece of metal between them.¡±
¡°But you''re not limited in this way, Maam?¡± the minister asked.
¡°No. I''m not. You have two ways to find out if I''ve been a bad girl. You''d need to catch me knowing something I shouldn''t and decide my explanation was rubbish, or you''d need to ask another one of the fifty-six to check me and trust them to answer honestly when you''ve presumed that I wasn''t. I do not actually believe the case would come to trial.¡±
¡°Why not?¡± asked the minister.
¡°If I were confronted with evidence that one of the gifted had gone bad, had started to abuse their gift, then I wouldn''t be waiting to give evidence to a secular court. I''d be taking the case to the other gifted and unless there was full repentance, then to God. What the LORD has given, the LORD can most assuredly take away.¡±
¡°I think I see,¡± the minister acknowledged. ¡°You believe that faced with this threat, the person would be pleading guilty?¡±
¡°Actually, I think this whole scenario is very very unlikely, given that God knows what he''s doing; but... yes. We gifted can''t hide truth from each other; we can know exactly what''s happening in each others heads, and it is normal amongst us to have at least one person with permanent permission to do that, to keep us on track.
¡°The whole lying thing is based on the assumption that the other person doesn''t know what''s going on inside your skull. We can and God does. That''s why it''s so mindbogglingly stupid to try to lie to God.¡± Eliza wasn''t sure why she''d added that last bit, but the minister winced a little, so she guessed that it had hit a nerve.
¡°Thank you maam, I guess we all have our times of stupidity.¡±
¡°Minister, feel free to tell me not to pry, but I''m curious about how good your relationship is with God.¡±
¡°Hmm.¡± he answered uncertainly. ¡°I think perhaps, Maam, that I should be too. I''ve always tried to keep a very open mind on the subject, and haven''t let myself be convinced either way.¡± He said this as though indecision in the face of evidence were something to be proud of.
Albert wasn''t so sure and replied, ¡°A wise man once said something very roughly like ''The point of having an open mind is that, like an open mouth, you can close it and chew over the truth you''ve deliberately put into it, and spit out the bad bits if there are any.'' I won''t claim that any of us know all the answers, but there doesn''t seem much point to me in staying strictly neutral all your life. Our faith isn''t, at core, a philosophy to be debated and dissected, but trusting God to keep his promises. But, I''m afraid we need to go. Thank you once again for your time, minister.¡±
¡°Your Highness, Maam. Thank you.¡±
Preparation / Ch. 12: Stuck
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 12: Stuck
10pm Monday Evening
[Was I wise, Karen, to tell the minister?] Eliza asked, that night.
[Just before you rescued yourself, I told a plane-full of soldiers about me having the gift. They knew who I was.]
[Oh. So, one minister of the crown isn''t too much to worry about?]
[It depends how well he can be trusted doesn''t it? But there''s no point worrying. I mean, what''s the worst that could happen?]
Eliza thought for all of two seconds before answering, [Headline news on every channel, protest riots in the street, and to stop them Albert has to choose between me and renouncing the crown?]
[Well, OK, that''s pretty bad. But I don''t think that''ll happen. I mean, no one''s done as much as thrown a rotten egg at the Institute.]
[Well, it does have that security screen up every day. The palace doesn''t have one of those. Or the dazzle lazers, either.]
[Kate tells me she''s decided that it spoils the view too much, and there''s no sign of protest, so that barrier''s not going to be going up unless there''s some sign of a crowd gathering. But I''m sure there are lens detectors at the palace, even if it''s not polite to blind the public. And I expect there''s a nice big forcefield generator on standby somewhere.]
[Oh, I expect so.]
[Well then. What are you really worried about?]
[Who said I was worried?]
[You did, when you called me.]
[Oh yes, I did, didn''t I?]
[So?]
[I don''t know. It''s all happening too fast, I guess. Wedding plans and things.]
[You knew that.]
[Intellectually, yes.]
[Oh, you mean it''s beginning to sink in what you''ve let yourselves in for?]
[Yes.]
[This is probably going to sound super-spiritual; but worry is a really good indicator that you need to spend a lot of time in prayer, Eliza. The same goes for me too.]
[How''s your prayer life doing?]
[To be brutally honest, miserably.]
[Oh? Why?]
[Normal reasons... I''m making silly excuses about being too busy.]
[Shall we pray then, rather than talk?]
[Just like that?]
[Any reason why not?]
[All my lists of lists?] Karen asked.
[They''ll wait. Mine are, like my research.]
[How much time are you getting for that?]
[Not much. I''m too busy. For instance I''d planned to spend the afternoon following up some more data, but instead I had to talk about dress styles, fashions, and colour schemes.]
[For your wedding?]
[No, that would have been easy. No, it was a basic education in something I need to think about for the rest of my life, it seems.]
[Ah. Life in the public spotlite.]
[Yes. Suddenly, I need to be far more aware of what I''m wearing.]
[You''ve got good dress sence, Eliza!]
[Not good enough. Too many old styles, not enough variety of shops. I need to think about the socio-economics of what I wear, apparently, as well as what I think looks good on me.]
[You could always delegate. Wear what they tell you to.]
[I know. She offered, but I don''t want to. It''s looking like it''s about the only area that I''m always going to be allowed a lot of freedom in. As long as I don''t only choose one supplier, or wear too much which is old stock.]
[I understand. So, what is the fashionionble bride-to-be going to be wearing out and about this winter?]
[I have no idea. Personally, I''m going to be going for comfort, not fashion. And since we''re leading an austerity drive, I''m not going to be wearing a new dress to every event, or anything stupid like that. I''ll probably do a lot of mixing and matching though.]
[Sounds sensible. Speaking of which, I think I need to head to bed. I''ve got an early lecture tomorrow.]
[What counts as early?]
[Pre-dawn. In this case, six O''clock.]
[What!] Eliza was shocked [Why so early?]
[I''m not sure if it was that the computer got into a panic, and put this course anywhere it had space, or if it''s something to do with the topic.]
[What, you''re taking lectures on how most student''s can''t get out of bed that early in the morning?] Eliza asked.
[Almost. It''s a course on different people''s responses to unusual challenges. It seemed like it would be... relevant.]
[Is it?]
[It''s been pretty interesting so far, yes. I get the feeling that it''s part of a recruitment drive for Security. The lecturer is on loan from the civil service, anyway, and I''m pretty sure I recognise him.]
[Has he said hello?]
[No, he''s been the soul of discression. But I have noticed he has to think a bit before he uses the name I''m attending the university under, like he knows my real one and has to stop himself using it.]
[Oh. How does that work? You get a certificate under a false name?]
[No, the University gets a polite request from the civil service to print the certificate it in my real name, and they put a note in my file so it doesn''t get too complicated if someone asks for references.]
[I''ll let you get to bed then.]
[Thanks. But lets pray first. OK?]
[Yes, of course.]
Linked in thought, they prayed together, and lifted their concerns to their heavenly Father. Neither was aware of how or when it happened, but both noticed that by the end of their short time in prayer their attitudes to the things they''d been worrying about were not the same. The facts hadn''t changed, and some of them wouldn''t be easily solved; but the problems weren''t going round in circles in their thoughts any more, tying their stomachs in knots. There was an extra thought there: the troubles would pass, and God would bring them out of them.
5.55AM, Tuesday morning. 5th December. Restoration University.
Karen nodded to the caretaker who was sweeping the foyer, and entered the assigned lecture room. At a squeeze the lecture hall could seat a hundred, this class usually had about thirty students, who tended to sit dotted around the room in their preferred places. This morning, Karen wasn''t the first, but numbers were lower than usual ¡ª ten in total.
No surprise there, she thought. Maybe others would arrive later. After taking out her notepad, she looked for the lecturer to arrive. No sign of him at all. The front desk was bare, not even the computer console which was normally set up was on it; totally bare except there was a small piece of paper. She asked the young woman next to her ¡°Did anyone look at that piece of paper? It looks suspciously like a note.¡±
¡°I don''t know. I mean, who''d use paper for that? So archaic! I really hope it doesn''t say that this is all a joke.¡±
¡°I agree, that wouldn''t be funny.¡± Karen agreed, and asked the room in general ¡°Did anyone check to see if that scrap of paper is a note?¡±
No one had; or, at least, no one was admitting to it. Someone, she couldn''t see who, had his head on his arms. He didn''t say a thing and looked like he''d fallen asleep.
Karen decided she''d look herself, and went back down the steps. It was a note. ¡°To the finder of this message: Don''t say anything, or give away that this has instructions on it. Please don''t spoil the exersise by failing to obey them carefully.¡± The first instruction was to return immediately to her seat, taking the message. There she obeyed her next instruction: she waited two minutes and walked out, leaving the sheet at her place. There were similar instructions for people who came after her.
The caretaker was still cleaning the exact same bit of floor, Karen noticed. He was obviously in on the plan, and silently showed her another piece of paper: the lesson was actually going to be the next door lecture theatre.
In that room, Karen was the first. ¡°Congratulations for finding the note, Karen. Is there anyone else in there?¡± Dr Holmes asked.
¡°Yes. I''d say... nine and a half.¡±
¡°The half being my accomplice who''s feigning sleep?¡±
¡°Yes. I didn''t recognise him. Not a student?¡±
¡°Psychology postgraduate.¡±
¡°Ah. He''s making sure if the instructions are followed?¡±
¡°That too. And seeing if anyone says anything. Did you?¡±
¡°I asked if anyone had checked to see if the paper was a note. No one had, so I checked.¡±
¡°And did anyone ask you if it was?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°So, they were just sitting there, wondering when the lecture would start?¡±
¡°Or whether this scheduling was a practical joke, in which case at least one of them was planning on forming a committee to lynch the professor.¡±
¡°Well, that''s certainly one reaction to unexpected circumstances. Speaking of which, since you''ve demonstrated your leadership skills, you''re elected to give today''s lecture.¡±
Karen had heard him decide she''d be excellent for that role, so she wasn''t caught by surprise. Nor was she going to play. ¡°I think, perhaps, that''s not the wisest suggestion you''ve ever made, Doctor Holmes.¡± she said cooly.
¡°You don''t think you could share some insights?¡±
¡°Oh, undoubtedly. But, after all, you''re being paid, I''m not,¡± at that point the young man who''d been sitting behind Karen entered. Karen thought his name was Kevin.
¡°Good morning, professor.¡± he said.
¡°Good morning, urm, Keith isn''t it?¡±
¡°Calvin, sir.¡± He said. Bright, alert and hard up, if she read him correctly. Time to turn the tables on the professor.
¡°Hi, Calvin!¡± Karen said. ¡°The good doctor thought that one of us should be volunteered to give today''s lecture, as yet another unexpected event. I pointed out to him that he''s getting quite well paid to teach us. And he was just about to name a fee when you came in, weren''t you, sir? So, how much would Calvin receive for giving your lecture?¡±
¡°Urm, err, actually, I was thinking it would be worth extra marks for today''s exercise.¡± Dr Holmes said, embarrassed at being put on the spot like that.
¡°Oh, I don''t think you can do that, sir.¡± Karen said. ¡°There are university rules about that sort of thing. But none at all agaist paying people for work done. Why don''t you just offer Calvin enough to cover a meal and see where that gets you? Or should it be a meal for two, Calvin?¡±
Doctor Holmes began to see what she was doing, making it socially impossible for him to insist on her, and laughed. ¡°Are you two in cahoots? All right then, if Calvin''s happy.¡±
Calvin wasn''t going to miss out on his chance for a meal ticket. ¡°Oh, enough for a meal for two would do very nicely, sir.¡±
Karen chipped in ¡°Of course you wouldn''t want to insult Calvin with only enough for just the food hall on campus, would you, sir? A proper meal in a real restaurant, please.¡±
¡°Very well, Calvin, you can have your fancy meal, and the lecture notes. Just beware of what Karen wants for a negotiator''s fee.¡± He handed over a data-crystal. ¡°Please add to them how Karen here managed to wiggle her way out of presenting the material and assigned herself the role of negotiator instead. You have about ten minutes before the others will get ushered in, assuming they don''t read the note themselves.¡±
Dr Holmes left the room to talk to his unmentioned accomplice, the caretaker.
¡°Thanks Karen! Did you know it''s Flora''s birthday this week?¡±
¡°No, Calvin. I didn''t even know you were going out with anyone. Thank you for agreeing to do it. I really didn''t want to.¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
Karen had been thinking about that question too. What was she going to say? She couldn''t tell the whole truth: She was here under a false name, to learn. not to attract attention to herself. So, as she had many times before, she made up with a rhetorical question, implying that it was her reason without actually lying: ¡°It''s bad enough that I read the paper first; but giving the lecture too? That''d make me seem like a real teacher''s pet, wouldn''t it? You should''t say that of course.¡±
¡°Urm, probably not. So, do I just say you didn''t want to?¡±
¡°That leaves people wondering why not. Say I''ve got a sore throat. It''s true, too.¡±
¡°But not your reason.¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°I don''t particularly want to lie to the class.¡± Calvin protested.
¡°Fair enough. I don''t like lying either. So if you have to, say something like ''Dr Holmes asked Karen to give this lecture, but without revealing her reasons, she adopted the role of negotiator instead. She later told me she has a sore throat.¡±
¡°That''s implying something that''s not true.¡±
¡°No. It''s not telling the whole truth.¡±
¡°So what is the whole truth?¡±
¡°I don''t want to be the centre of attention.¡±
¡°Why not? You don''t come across as shy.¡±
¡°No, I''m not shy. But you need to read those notes, and I''ve just remembered something I have to check up on.¡±
Karen left the bemused Calvin looking at the lecture notes. They were quite complete, he was glad to see. So why had Karen been so reticent? Karen retreated to the back corner of the lecture theatre, and tapped first some commands and eventually a query about Dr Holmes on her wrist unit.
She''d been right, partly. He hadn''t ever been security, he''d been auditing, and now, when he wasn''t lecturing he was assigned to recruitment. He had clearance, if she decided to tell him anything. But he didn''t have a need to know much about her. But she felt she did need to put him on notice not to pick on her, though.
The others still hadn''t come, so she slipped out the door. He was chatting to the caretaker. Noticing her approach, he checked his wrist unit. ¡°Oops, I''ve kept you from your last task! And this young lady has come to remind us about it, I expect.¡±
¡°Not quite, but I would like a brief word before the lecture begins, sir.¡±
¡°I''ll go and wake the rabble then.¡± the caretaker said, leaving his mackine and heading to the first theatre.
¡°Yes?¡± Dr Holmes asked, expecting it to be something about assignments.
¡°I''ve just checked ¡ª you have sufficient clearace, but no need to know. My contacts or relations and my past or present are not for public consumption, nor should I be put in a spotlight at the moment. Please don''t ask me to speak, except when everyone else is, that''s too high a profile.¡±
He paused for a little and said ¡°And you have the access to check up on me. That''s unusual. You stood out as being far more aware of the basics than most students. I see there''s a reason for that... You could probably have given the first few lectures, couldn''t you?¡±
¡°The practical side, but not the theoretical background, sir; and I hope to learn more of that.¡±
¡°I''ll try not to disappoint. I keep feeling I should know who you are; but,¡± he paused ¡°perhaps it''s better that I don''t.¡±
Karen smiled. ¡°Indeed.¡± Thinking, hopefully that''s the end of his probing. Calvin gave the lecture reasonably well, and as Karen had half suspected, the student news channel had been tipped off, and there was a photo shoot afterwards. Probably the caption would be something like ¡°Bleary eyed student gives unexpected lecture about the unexpected.¡± It was inevitable. So much the better that it hadn''t been her delivering the lecture.
Karen was waiting for George, reading some notes, when she realised someone was approaching. ¡°So, was that why you didn''t want to give the lecture? There was another reason, wasn''t there?¡± Calvin asked; he''d caught up with her. Bother, he''s persistent, and he''s not going to drop it. she thought.
¡°I didn''t know the press would be there, if that''s what you''re saying.¡±
[George, where are you?] they''d agreed to meet by the library, where she was waiting. [Just passing the back left door of the library. Why?]
[Classmate asking too many questions.]
[Can''t you handle it?]
[Yes. But it''d be nicer if you were here.]
¡°Well?¡± Calvin asked.
¡°Pardon? Sorry, my mind was elsewhere.¡±
¡°So what was the real reason for you not giving the lecture?¡±
¡°I told you it would look like I was the teachers pet.¡±
¡°Yes. And I was supposed to assume that was why, wasn''t I?¡±
¡°Yes. You were.¡± She looked around for George.
¡°You''re waiting for someone in particular?¡± Calvin asked.
¡°My fiance.¡±
¡°Oh. So, why don''t you want to be the centre of attention?¡±
¡°Would it offend you deeply if I refused to answer that?¡±
¡°Urm. No. Personal reasons?¡±
¡°Look, Calvin. Can you just drop it? Go enjoy your meal for two, and forget about it.¡±
¡°Are you in some kind of trouble?¡± Calvin persisted.
¡°Not if I stay out of the lime light.¡±
¡°You are in trouble? I don''t know if it helps, but my Dad''s a lawyer.¡± Karen decided he was radiating scincerity from every pore.
¡°Thanks, Calvin. No.¡± She looked him in the eyes. ¡°I am in no trouble with the law. But I don''t want to be the centre of attention, and I certainly don''t want my picture in the press.¡±
George arrived with a bag ¡°Hi Karen, I bring breakfast!¡±
¡°George, meet Calvin, my classmate, Calvin meet George, my fiance.¡±
¡°Hi, Calvin.¡± George greeted him. ¡°Hi. I was just wondering why Karen convinced the lecturer to pay for a meal for me and my girlfriend instead of you.¡±
¡°She has a generous heart.¡± George said.
¡°And, he was offering his Dad''s legal help if I was in trouble.¡±
¡°That''s generous. Maybe we could break a window or two so we can take him up on it.¡± George joked. ¡°Thank''s Calvin, but we''re not short of help.¡±
¡°I don''t understand then. What''s wrong with a bit of public recognition?¡±
[George, he''s not giving up. Let''s give him something to nip this in the bud properly. OK? Tell him of a threat.]
[Uncle Roland?] George suggested.
¡°Calvin, other than criminals, can you think of other people who might not want their pictures in the press? Or for people to remember where they''d seen them if they were shown a photo, or to recognise them from a distance?¡±
¡°Urm...spies?¡±
¡°Or?¡± Karen prompted.
¡°Trainee spies?¡±
Karen laughed. ¡°You''ve watched too many films, Calvin. Think harder.¡±
¡°People who have enemies, people in witness protection. Urm... royalty, film stars, no everyone recognises them already. People about to be famous? .... I don''t know how that might work.¡±
¡°Very easily, in the right circumstances.¡± Karen said. ¡°Look, Calvin. There are people, you''ve just listed some categories ¡ª there are more ¡ª who really don''t want lots of people, or even ten, with a strong memory of them. It would cause trouble for them. George and I are both like that category.¡±
¡°You''re the one they call paranoid George?¡± Calvin asked.
¡°Yes.¡± Karen said. ¡°But the word paranoid assumes you''re making up enemies. George is just careful. And I''m happy to say, still breathing.¡±
¡°You make it sound like you''re serious.¡± Calvin protested.
Karen replied calmly ¡°Calvin, we are. Have you heard of Roland Underwood? He knows our names, and we''re not on his Christmas list. He still has friends, and some influence.¡±
Calvin''s face paled. ¡°OK. That''s serious.¡±
¡°And he''s only one threat. We seem to collect them. Just being at university is a risk for us. Like we''ve said, avoiding publicity is safer. So, please don''t put us in the limelight, OK?¡±
¡°OK. Urm thanks for trusting me with that.¡±
¡°You''re not going to spread it, are you?¡± George asked.
¡°No. Shouldn''t you have bodyguards or something?¡±
¡°That''d just make us stand out in the crowd.¡± Karen said with a sigh.
¡°I think we''re going to find somewhere a bit less windy to eat, Calvin.¡± George said.
¡°I''m meeting Flora soon. I hope, so I''ll stay here. Take care, you two.¡±
¡°We''ll try.¡±
As they left, Karen started to ponder a thought she''d had while talking to Calvin. ¡°Are you OK?¡± George asked, as they went into the library''s sandwich area.
¡°Just wondering. We''re going to get married in a blaze of publicity, pretty soon. That''s not exactly staying low-profile, is it?¡±
¡°No.¡± George agreed.
¡°And nor does it let us go back to low profile afterwards.¡± Karen pointed out.
¡°No more hiding behind a false name for me.¡±
¡°No. And with our faces all over the news, there''s quite a chance that people will recognise us.¡± George agreed.
¡°Of course we can hope that all eyes are on Eliza.¡±
¡°Oh that''ll work. I doubt.¡±
¡°So, do we cancel the wedding?¡± Karen asked, knowing that he knew she wasn''t serious.
¡°No. But, we can ask your parents what they were thinking our security would look like after such a flamboyant wedding. Not to mention our career prospects if everyone knows who we''re related to ¡ª different sorts of security risks on both sides, I mean.¡±
¡°Hmm. Yes. Let''s ask. But you have sent in your application to the service, haven''t you?¡±
¡°Yes, of course. You?¡±
¡°Yes. Well, not so much sent it in as had it snatched from my hands by my eager mother.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
¡°So, what our careers look like is not really our problem, is it?¡± Karen pointed out.
¡°Not if we''re accepted, no. It really was a very short application form, wasn''t it? I was surprised.¡±
¡°Well, they know all about us anyway, from our getting clearance and stuff. If you''re not cleared already then it''s a longer form.¡±
¡°Oh. That makes sense. Any idea when we hear if we''ve been accepted?¡±
¡°I think they normally let people graduate before they get assigned anywhere.¡± Karen said.
¡°And you don''t know you''re accepted until then?¡±
¡°I''ve no idea. We could ask, if you like.¡±
¡°Who?¡±
¡°Well, my lecturer that got us into this conversation works in Recruitment.¡±
¡°Is he around?¡±
¡°Just over there.¡± Karen indicated the other side of the hall. ¡°Very good croissants these, by the way. Thanks.¡±
¡°My pleasure! I do like watching you eat.¡±
¡°Ha! I know you, George. You like watching me, full stop.¡±
¡°Guilty as charged. So, shall we go and interrogate your lecturer?¡±
¡°Yes, let''s.¡±
Crossing the hall, Karen saw that Dr Holmes had noticed them. She also realised that by approaching with George she was giving him an extra clue to her identity. Well, he had clearance. ¡°Hello, sir, George has just asked me a question I couldn''t answer, but I''m pretty certain you''ll know.¡±
¡°Oh, yes?¡±
¡°Between application to join the civil service and notification of assignment, what happens?¡±
¡°You''re planning to apply?¡± he looked pleased.
¡°We have already, actually.¡±
¡°Oh. Well, then, depending on clearance being granted... Hold on, you''ve probably got it, haven''t you?¡±
¡°Yes, sir, one gamma.¡± Karen admitted.
¡°No wonder you could find out I had clearance.¡± he noticed the ring on her. finger for the first time. ¡°George has the same?¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
¡°Congratulations on your engagement. Hold on...¡± he dropped his voice to a whisper ¡°You''re using an assumed name for security purposes?¡±
¡°Need to know?¡± Karen shot back.
¡°None. Well done. It''s all changing; six months ago, your applications would have been a matter of course. No question about that, with you already cleared that high. Now, you''ll need to pass a civics test, except that they''ve not worked out the details of how you take it yet. You ought to have got a welcome to the family pack about the next stages within a week of applying, but you''re probably on hold until the testing regime is set up. You''d have been told this if you''d got the form for people needing clearance checks, since the first stage there is an interview. As for your branch of assignment... That would be a matter for discussion, probably after you graduate but it would normally be related to your current clearance.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir.¡± George said.
¡°My pleasure. You''re still a bit young for the diplomatic corps, but you did well in that area this morning, Karen. It is high profile, too, of course.
There are a lot of different branches of the service which people don''t always think of. And I must say that I''ve found Auditing a nice challenge, and it''s certainly lower profile than quite a few roles.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir, we''ll bear that in mind.¡±
¡°Hmm. Very diplomatically said, but I saw your eyes, young lady. You think auditing isn''t for you.¡±
¡°You did point out that it''s low profile, sir. Unfortunately, we''re not going to be able to stay low profile very long.¡±
¡°Oh? Don''t tell me, I don''t need to know.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir.¡±
He paused, then said ¡°Don''t pass this on too freely, but it could be relevant for you. There is obviously high level discussion in the university about what to do about closing down for the impact. One idea that''s gaining ground is to not reopen after Christmas; make everything virtual that we can, and book lab space at other institutions for practical topics. The more radical proposal is that since that''ll take a lot of time and effort, we shut down all the courses until September, and all we have after christmas is finals. The even more radical suggestion is that the students help pack up the university, in an orderly manner in exchange for credit. That one''s got support from sciences and has the librarians in a state of shock. My thought is that this all makes lovely material for next year''s course, and that all three are inevitable.¡±
¡°That does make sense, sir. Otherwise, I don''t see how everything can be kept safe from the blastwave.¡± George said.
¡°So you''re not in the ''It''s all a sham, It''ll never happen'' camp, then?¡±
¡°Certainly not.¡± Karen and George said at the same time.
¡°I''m not giving away secrets to say the vice-chancellor is one of those not so convinced.¡±
¡°I''m sure that he''ll be convinced when all that''s left is a pile of rubble.¡± George said. ¡°Unless there are any buildings here built to the same standard
as the Institute, that is.¡±
¡°I''m not sure I follow you.¡±
¡°Only one building was seen in the visions as surviving with only partial damage. The person who had the vision had no knowledge of which building or where it was. It was the Institute for the Human mind. The part which is prophesied to withstand the impact turns out to have been designed to withstand an almost direct nuclear strike, something like half a kilometre from ground zero, if I remember correctly. The part which was seen as damaged was ''only'' built to withstand a nuclear strike five kilometres away.¡± Karen expanded.
¡°I''m not at all sure that''s publicly available information.¡± Dr Holmes said.
¡°I''m fairly sure it''s not been restricted, but I will make enquiries.¡± Karen said.
¡°And you''re sure of those facts?¡±
¡°Fairly. I might have got the design distances wrong, of course.¡± Karen admitted. She certainly wasn''t going to say it was the king who had that vision, either.
¡°I might be misjudging the man, but I think what you''ve just told me would convince the vicechancellor that it''s not just a coincidence, and stop delaying the decision. I suppose I don''t have a need to know where you heard that little gem?¡±
¡°Where, how, or who from, no. But I''ll certainly make enquiries as to whether it has been published anywhere. That would be best, I think. Otherwise the vicechancellor will just have to trust his king has more evidence than he does.¡±
¡°Would you be willing to brief him?¡±
¡°Of course, but perhaps someone else with a little more... shall we say, natural authority, would be better.¡±
¡°Well, if you think you could arrange for a royal visit...¡±
¡°I was actually thinking the director of the Institute could be asked to confirm it, but, well, I suppose it''s possible, if that''s what it''s going to take.¡±
¡°That was a joke, wasn''t it?¡±
Karen smiled. ¡°Now, if you had a need to know, you''d know if it was a joke or not. So if I tell you if it was a joke or not then I''d be giving away things you don''t need to know.¡±
¡°You must be a diplomatic corps child, young lady. That much you''ve given away. And I know that standard procedure is for you to attend university under an assumed names. So I wonder what your real name is, and why you look familiar.¡±
¡°Oh, don''t worry, sir, I promise you''ll know before the impact.¡±
¡°Who''s chancellor now?¡± George asked. ¡°I know there were elections recently, but missed the result. But I mean, if the V.C. is effectively delaying a decision because of his disbelief, then that''s the sort of time the chancellor should step in, isn''t it?¡±
¡°I''m afraid I don''t know. That''s mainly a figurehead role, isn''t it?¡± Dr Holmes asked.
Karen thought for a moment ¡°I have a feeling they might have elected Prince Albert.¡±
George looked it up. ¡°Unanimously elected for the next five years by the student body, after the other candidates were ruled to have failed to give their knowing, written conscent to the nomination. The duck''s foot-print was deemed to have been applied under suspicious circumstances which might amount to duress, and the bill received from the pizza shop not indicating any willingness to serve in the role.¡±
¡°The high level of the competition must have made him feel very honoured to be chosen.¡± Karen said.
Dr Holmes said. ¡°It''s traditional. One real candidate and some jokes. He shouldn''t be offended.¡±
¡°So, perhaps the vicechancellor does get a royal visit.¡± George said. ¡°As I understand it, an application for the chancellor''s intervention has to come from a student, but supporting evidence from a staff member is useful.¡±
¡°I don''t know this is worth doing.¡± Dr Holmes said. ¡°I mean, how long will it take before the prince even looks at the application, let alone has time to schedule a visit?¡±
¡°Sir, I''m perfectly willing to make the request, but would very much appreciate your willingness to give written or verbal support. As a civil servant your evidence will carry more weight than most other staff members''.¡± Karen said. ¡°I''ll also try to identify the document I spoke of earlier.¡±
¡°I''ll support your application. When would you like it?¡±
¡°Thank you, sir. If you could write it now, then I''ll go and look up the relevant form, and we can see if the Prince reads his mail before or after lunch.¡±
¡°I admire your faith, but I doubt you''ll get a response that quickly. This is
going to have to go through channels, after all.¡±
¡°Actually no.¡± George corrected, ¡°An appeal to him as chancellor should go straight to him, with no beaurocracy involved at all.¡±
¡°Maybe you''re right. I''ll have your supporting document ready in half an hour. Does that satisfy you, Karen?¡±
¡°Yes, sir. I''ve got my next lecture at nine, so I''ve got time. George, have you got time to help? Let''s put our heads together on this, and dispell the vicechancellor''s doubts. OK?¡±
¡°Fine, that shouldn''t be too hard!¡±
A bemused Dr Holmes watched them go. They seemed to have incredible confidence.
Was it just the impetuosity of youth? He doubted it. Karen had mentioned connections and relations, her past and present. She had them all. He was sure.
If she''d grown up in diplomatic circles, probably an overseas posting, that would give her the clearance, the confidence and familiarity with the systems.
Where they''d heard the secret briefings was an interesting question. As was their casual mention of the IHM. They obviously knew, or could contact the director. They seemed to have friends in unusual places. He could certainly call up a list of recent applications, to find out their names, but he had no need to know. It would be more interesting to work things out himself. With that settled he thought about how to formulate his supporting document. Obviusly this morning''s briefing document to staff would be a good place to start, or maybe end. ¡°No decision will be made until more conclusive data is available.¡± Sitting on his hands indeed!
Karen and G1eorge went to another part of the library. There were consoles there which would make filling in the form faster, and that time of day they had privacy. [So, do we just give Eliza a shout?] George asked.
[Not just, but I''ll tell her the application is on its way. Can you find it while I talk to her about the King''s memory?]
[Of course.]
[Eliza, am I interrupting anything?]
[No. We''re just crossing the city to the palace. Yet another crazy route, I think It''ll take about twice as long as normal.]
[I''m glad you''ve got time. The vice-chancellor here is in denial about the impact. Refusing to make any real plans, just letting ideas float about, because he believes it''s all a load of fuss about nothing.]
[Ouch.]
[Anyway, we were talking to Dr S. Holmes, my lecturer in dealing with unexpected events, I really hope his parents didn''t call him Sherlock. He''s semi-retired from auditing, cleared to one beta. He told us about the V.C''s indecision. George mentioned the Institute being the only building standing, and partly at that. We know it, as far as I know it''s nor restricted information at all, but how can we get that gem to the V.C. in a way that''s not hearsay? Has it been published anywhere?]
[Hmm. Maybe minutes from the committee?]
[Possibly, but me having access to that is almost as bad as me saying I was in the palace, isn''t it?]
[Well, there was a TREC briefing which mentioned it. But if one of those said the sky was blue then you still couldn''t quote it. So that''s not very useful either. I''m not sure if it''s elsewhere at all. Oh, it might be in something sent to other countries. I guess your dad would have seen that.]
[Good lead. I''ll check. Maybe the committee should put something out about it, if no one else has done so.]
[Yes. There could be more doubters around. Oh, I''ve just remembered! The king asked for a report about how powerful the blast-wave would be, so we know how far out we need to evacuate. I''ll ask.]
[Thanks. We''ve thought of another possible approach too, probably more effective but urm... a bigger favour.]
[Oh? You want him to get a royal knuckle-rapping?]
[We didn''t really consider it. I was thinking that Kate could rap pretty well. But then we realised that your Albert is the Universitiy''s chancellor. We''re working on an application for him to intervene.]
[Oh? Well, if he goes for it then he could even deliver the royal reprimand and the document at the same time, I suppose. Though it might be better coming from another source. I agree, though; the V.C. can hum and hah about what to do and so ignore the King''s telling him to prepare to evacuate, but I don''t think he can ignore the universitiy''s Chancellor if it comes to a matter of student welfare.]
[And it does, doesn''t it? No one knows what''s going to happen. What does the university expect us to do, study somewhere else, come back next year, or what.]
[And you''ll be sending it today?]
[Yes. George is starting on the form now. I''ll be signing it with my false name, of course.]
[Get half a dozen signatures if you can.]
[I''ll try. We''re also getting Dr Holmes to write a letter of support for it. Expect it by nine A.M.]
[Well, I''ll be seeing you soon then, I expect.]
[You think Albert will go for it?]
[Probably. His majesty doesn''t like being ignored.]
[Thanks, Eliza.]
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
[Happy signature collecting. I''ll warn Albert.]
Karen saw that George had started filling in the form. [Eliza suggests at least half a dozen signatures if we can.]
[By nine o''clock?]
[Yes]
[We''d better write quickly then.]
9.30 A.M. Tuesday 5th December. The Palace.
¡°Father, I think I need to visit Restoration.¡±
¡°Oh? The Institute?¡±
¡°No. The university. You know they made me chancellor last year.¡±
¡°Marginally beating the duck who had to be coerced to stand, yes.¡± teased his father.
¡°Do you know what competition you father faced, once when he was elected chancellor for a university?¡± the queen asked.
¡°No. Do tell please, mother.¡±
¡°A wilted bowl of chopped lettuce.¡±
¡°Please! It only wilted by the end of the campaign. It was very healty at the start. So, what''s going on at the university, Albert?¡±
¡°Not much. At least as far as planning for the impact is concerned. The vice-chancellor is apparently in denial.¡±
¡°And some students are complaining?¡±
¡°With support from, urm¡± he checked his wrist unit. ¡°A Dr S Holmes, ex-Audting, now part time in recruitment, part time lecturer.¡±
¡°Oh, old Sherlock? I thought he''d retired ages ago!¡± the queen exclaimed.
¡°His parents didn''t name him Sherlock, surely?¡± Albert was shocked.
¡°No. Just his trainees. Well, I''d say the complaint is well founded then, just on his name being attached. Reliable man.¡±
¡°Karen and George instigated it, apparently, and they''ve got urm, something like fifty co-signatories.¡±
NoEliza, who''d come in with Albert, added, ¡°That''s fifty since about eight this morning, when they heard from the Dr Holmes that the vicechancellor didn''t think the impact was a serious threat. She told me they were asking around for some co-signatories, and someone they asked got the entire rugby club to sign up, as they came in from their morning run.¡±
¡°Well! I guess that the students are feeling some tension over it then.¡± the queen said.
¡°There was a separate letter from Dr Holmes.¡± Albert added, ¡°I guess its what actually prompted him to tell Karen and George ''in passing''. He got a staff memo this morning basically saying the vicechancellor was adopting a wait and see policy.¡±
¡°Karen also asks, from earlier in that conversation, if the fact that the vision showed only the strongest part of the IHM standing had been restricted, and if not, was it published anywhere, so that someone could wave a copy under the vice-chancellor''s nose.¡±
¡°Not restricted, as long as it''s not made clear that I had one of the visions.¡± the King said, ¡°As for published... the TREC briefing paper mentions it, and the science ministry was going to work out what the safe distance from the predicted blast-wave was likely to be.¡±
¡°Did it make it into the intergovernmental advisory, Father?¡± Albert asked.
¡°You know, I think it did.¡± the King said. The queen checked the text. ¡°Yes, it''s in there, but only just. Estimates of the energy of the impact are being made, on the basis of a certain hardened building being undamaged in the vision.¡±
¡°That''s not really enough detail, is it?¡± Albert said.
¡°Not really.¡± Eliza agreed. ¡°The minutes from the committee meeting probably make a better starting point.¡±
¡°Oh? I haven''t seen those.¡± The queen said.
¡°I''m sure that Pris passed on a copy, but you can''t read everything, mother.¡± Albert pointed out.
¡°Do you have a copy, Eliza?¡±
¡°Yes, Maam. Here''s the relevant part.¡± She put them up on the display.
¡°Confirmation from three visions/dreams. The location/viewpoints of the visions did not coincide, but features did. The dreams repeatedly showed a distinctive hook-shaped feature of a park, well known to the dreamer. Vision recipient one also saw this feature of the park, and a partly damaged building. Vision recipient one had no knowledge of where the building was or what it might be. Vision recipient two saw the unusual park, but not the building, and did not recognise the park. The parks matched perfectly and identify the impact site as Restoration. The building was recognised by examiner three as the Institute for the Human Mind. He further recognised that the undamaged portion was built to a higher standard that the ''new wing'' which was seen as damaged. IHM records show the ''new wing'' was added about 50 years after the original construction and was built to withstand the blast of a 5 megaton warhead detonating at a distance of 6.5 kilometres, whereas the original building was designed to withstand a 1 megaton warhead detonating at a distance of 3.5 kilometres.¡±
¡°The minutes do identify who''s who, but I think Pris wrote that bit so it could be copied for release if anyone wanted to.¡± Eliza added.
¡°Well, I think we certainly want to.¡± Albert replied. ¡°Have the science ministry interpreted those figures yet, Father?¡±
¡°Partially. I have had what they call a preliminary analysis note, but I don''t quite know what to make of it. It says ¡°those figures work out as the approximate contour lines of an overpressure of 14PSI (PSI is a historical unit) for the original part and 12PSI for the new wing.¡± They add that in the age of chaos literature most residential buildings were expected to be a mangled mess at 5PSI and even at 1PSI, there was some structural damage. Oh, and that the literature they''re reading talks of the 5 PSI contour as being a reasonable estimate of how many will die, but that''s just a rule of thumb.¡±
¡°So does that mean that this 5PSI line is the safe limit for peopke, but not buildings?¡± Albert asked.
¡°No, obviously there is an increasing chance of survival the further you get from the impact, but if I understand it properly, it means that if it hits a uniformly populated area, then that line represents the area where you can count up the people inside and say that''s how many will die, because the number of survivors inside that contour is roughly matched by fatalities outside it.¡±
¡°Oh. That''s not a safe distance then.¡±
¡°No,¡± the King agreed. ¡°So, they''re working out what they can, based on these findings and will eventually report back, but in any case, the two combined would make an interesting gem for some science reporter. The question I have is whether the IHM''s design criteria are counted as falling under the reporting restrictions.¡±
¡°We''d have to seek legal advice, I guess.¡± Albert replied.
¡°Shall I just ask Kate, the director?¡± Eliza asked, then realising that the Royal family didn''t know about Kate having the gift, she added ¡°I''ve got her number.¡±
¡°Good plan, do it now please.¡± The queen agreed. ¡°So, Albert, when are you going?¡±
¡°I guess I should make sure the V.C. isn''t away, but I''m thinking it''s not too late today, even.¡±
Meanwhile, Eliza had got Kate to pick up. ¡°Kate, the design criteria for the different parts of the building, are they publishable?¡±
¡°Yes, I''d say they are. It was part of the planning application, so it''s already public. And it''s not like the tunnels, no one gains much advantage by knowing we can or can''t stand up to a nuclear bomb dropped on us. But, Sarah found out something else in the records. There are some doubts about how strong the new wing actually is; about fifteen years after the new wing was built the builder was convicted of defrauding the tax-payer and corporate murder. A military bunker they''d built was found to not to be as strong as the design called for, and the poor guys inside got killed. They''d used cheap materials and hadn''t done it right, apparently. But our wing was done ten years before the bunker.¡±
¡°So, the new wing posibly isn''t up to specification?¡±
¡°Possibly. I don''t know if or how you can tell, though.¡±
¡°Thanks. I''ll pass that on.¡±
¡°No problem. Do I gather that you''re going to publish the committee report?¡±
¡°Yes. I''m not sure quite how though.¡±
¡°You could just make it available on the palace news site, or we could on ours, if you prefer.¡±
¡°Or even both.¡±
¡°That might even be the best idea.¡±
¡°And someone point Tony at those old press reports?¡±
¡°I don''t think you''re supposed to show favoritism like that.¡±
¡°Oh I didn''t say I would!¡±
¡°Well, if you want I can tell Teresa that we''re about to publish, and ask if she has any input.¡±
¡°But she''s certainly not allowed to be a leak!¡±
¡°No. But I could call her when Tony''s in earshot.¡±
¡°Kate, you''re a devious woman. I''ll just check for final approval here, but I don''t have any objections. Bye.¡±
¡°Bye.¡±
Elisa disconnected. ¡°No objections?¡± Albert asked.
¡°No. She suggested that an easy way to publish it was to put it out on the pallace news site, or the institute''s. She also said that the contractor for the new wing skimped on material on a government contract ten years after building the new wing. Corporate murder. The bunker wasn''t nearly as strong as it should have been and soldiers died. So, there''s a possibility that the new wing isn''t made to specification.¡±
¡°OK. Well, I guess that''s something the mnistry for sciences needs to know.
Eliza could you please pass that on to them? I''m sure Albert will be happy to tell you how.¡±
¡°Yes sir.¡± Eliza agreed, wondering if she''d get any of her own research done today.
¡°About publishing, I think that her suggestion has merit. Except that I don''t think we will publish the whole text, merely a pointer to the article on the Institute''s site. It is right, I think, that the Institute receives due credit for this.¡±
The queen added ¡°From a security stand-point, I don''t actually think it is wise to publish the exact design strength of the institute. After all, there are other ways of generating a shock-wave, and even if it''s accessible from an archive, that''s not the same as putting it in a press release. So, I suggest that the numbers be left out, and be replaced with a some phrase like, ''A very close nuclear blast.'' and ''a nuclear blast further away,'' and if you really want you can add a note saying ''exact numbers withheld.'' ¡±
¡°Very wise. Why tell people how big a bomb they''d need to wreck the institute?¡± Albert said. ¡°But Eliza, what was that about Tony?¡±
¡°Tony''s on the committee, but he''s also a reporter. It seems unfair not to at least tell him an extract from the committee''s minutes are about to be put on the network.¡± Eliza explained.
¡°Oh, I would think everyone on the committee should be consulted.¡± The king said. ¡°That''s not favouritism, it''s only right and proper respect for your committee colleagues.¡±
¡°Thank you for your wisdom, your Majesty.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Now, Albert.¡± the King declared, ¡°I think you should tell the Vice Chancellor that there''s a serious matter that you need to see him about, and don''t accept excuses. Get on the transit while you''re doing that. Eliza, you should go too, of course. While Albert''s telling off the vice-chancellor, you could either be assessing the mood of the staff and students, or officially thanking those who signed the pettition. Probably both, actually. I suggest you coordinate with Dr Holmes to arrange for some kind of meeting place, maybe if the rugby club were so helpful they can be again. Nothing too fancy, but I''d suggest a five minute speech thanking the students for alerting us to the problem, tell everyone it''s their right and civic duty to do that, and be utterly convincing that we''re taking the impact seriously, and that they should too. Albert, you know that as Chancellor you have the authority to suspend the vice chancellor if he doesn''t see reason. Don''t be afraid to use it if you see fit. Eliza, if you could try and gague the opinion of staff and students about how liked and respected the V.C. is, that might help Albert decide how heavy handed he ought to be.¡±
¡°I''ll try, your Majesty.¡± Eliza said, trying to work out how long she''d have to prepare for such a lecture. It was looking like about thirty seconds.
¡°I do hope you can delegate chasing around for input on the minutes. I think you''re going to have enough to do. Albert, I don''t think the vice chancellor is much of a security threat, so I''d judge that if the committee haven''t published by the time you get there, you can go with what we''ve got here, and just make it clear that this is from a confidential royal briefing, but that a public version will be released very soon.¡±
¡°Have a lovely time you two, we won''t expect you back for lunch.¡± the queen added with a smile.
¡°Thank you mother. I hope you won''t expect us for dinner, either.¡±
¡°Of course not. You''re going to take Eliza out somewhere.¡±
¡°Yes. Probably in Restoration, by the look of it.¡±
¡°That''s not a bad plan. Maybe you should give at least half of that speach.¡± Agreed the King.
¡°I must say, I do like that idea.¡± Eliza said, feeling the pressure lifting.
¡°OK, so let''s get Dr Holmes to arrange a nice big venue for towards the evening, and publicise it. We''ll do some talking and then we''ll ask the vice chancellor to outline the university''s plans for responding to the impact, or failing that, give a farewell speach.¡±
¡°Good plan, Albert.¡± the King agreed.
¡°So, off you go then. For the sake of our friends in security, I think you should take half an hour or so to get ready before you leave the palace.¡±
¡°Eliza,¡± the queen added, ¡°this is your first meet and greet event, and there are extra precautions. For safety''s sake you should have some protective clothing. Mirabelle will have had something made for you.¡±
Eliza was surprised, ¡°I''ve never noticed you wearing anything like that, maam.¡±
¡°Well, it''s very discreet. Not very effective, either, truth be told. But it should protect you against very low calibre firearms, and knife attacks, so it''s better than nothing..¡±
¡°I''d better go and talk to Mirabelle then.¡±
¡°Take care and listen to Bella please, we don''t want anything to happen to you.¡± The King said.
¡°Thank you sir.¡±
10am
At ten o''clock, Eliza called Karen. [Karen, is your lecture over yet?]
[Just. I''m just off to find a study hole somewhere.]
[Sound-proofed?]
[Yes.]
[Wonderful! Do you have anything else planned for the next hour or so?]
[Not really. Why?]
[You''ve wrecked my plans for the day, so I thought I''d return the favour. Well, not quite. Albert and I are just about on our way. There''s nothing decent published, so putting out that section from the minutes looks like the best option. Her majesty is concerned that we don''t give people instructions on how to knock down the Institute, so her suggestion is to put it less precisely, maybe with a footone saying that we''re withholding the exact numbers. I need you to make sure there''s no typos in my change, when I send it to you, and then get everyone on the committee to agree to it before we arrive if possible. Kate''s fine with it going on the institute''s site, but the king pointed out that it''s only right and proper to give committee members some warning. Not least Tony, oh, and tell him to talk to Kate or Sarah about it.]
[OK. I can do all that. So you''ll be here in something like an hour?]
[A bit more than one, but less than two, I''d guess. I''ll send you the current draft.]
[OK. I''ll get on it.]
[Bye then. Oh, a quick question, we''ve been told to pass on an official thank you from the King for raising the problem, and give a speech all about how seriously we''re taking the impact. I don''t quite know how we solve the equation of that and keeping you low profile.]
[How about a personal thank you, in private? Then, in your speach you can say something like you''ve thanked the people in person and won''t embarrass them by calling them up to the front.]
[Thanks. Good plan.]
[So, you''re really going to rake the V.C over the coals?]
[No, not at all. That''s Albert''s job. The King told Albert to suspend him if needed. I''m supposed to measure the V.C.''s popular approval rating. Which reminds me, does he do a good job otherwise?]
[He signs degree certificates. Is there more he needs to do?]
[Urm, that sounds really aloof to me.]
[I guess so.]
[So, does he turn up at debates, or would he be seen at a rugby game?]
[I don''t think so. Maybe at a croquet match.]
[There''s a student croquet team?]
[No.]
[Okaaay, does he lecture in anything?]
[I don''t know of him teaching anything. Ask George and Sarah, too, though.]
[Sorry, I''ll stop puting you on the spot. ]
[It''s O.K. Just, I''m only vaguely aware of his name, let alone of what he does.]
[Thanks, Karen. I''ll grill the others, too, don''t worry. See you later.]
[O.K. Eliza. By the way, do you enjoy his new job you''ve got, turning people''s worlds upside down?]
[I''m not sure that''s part of it, but, from what I''ve seen so far, it''s mostly fire-fighting and making sure the fires don''t start. Yes, I like it, and Albert.]
[Good! I''ll pray for your energy reserves, then!]
[Thank you!]
Karen decided that contacting Pris was probably going to be the hardest. But that Arwood, Teresa and Tony were the ones most likely to be in meetings with someone. She thought about sending a message to them and trying to talk to the others, but then decided that she might as well send everyone the message. She did that, asking them to reply within the hour that Eliza had given her if she couldn''t speak to them, then tried calling Arwood. She got no answer from his home, so she tried the church office. A woman answered.
¡°Hi, is that Hannah? Karen here.¡±
¡°Hi! We''ve just read your note. Yes, we''re both fine with that going out.¡±
¡°Thanks!¡±
¡°What''s the big rush?¡±
¡°We need it published A.S.A.P. to help sort out a situation here. I''ll tell you more in person, OK?¡±
¡°That''s fine, dear. Go for it, I won''t hold you. Bye!¡±
¡°Bye!¡±
A message had come from Pris. ¡°OK. Don''t call, v. busy.¡±
Next, she tried Teresa''s work number and got a secretary: ¡°I''m sorry, Ms Riley is with a client. Could you leave a message, or call back in twenty minutes please?¡±
¡°I''ll call, thank you. Goodbye.¡±
¡°Goodbye.¡±
She tried Tony next. He answered with ¡°Hi Karen, I can''t talk, I''m with someone at the moment. Yes. But when?¡±
¡°In twenty to fourty minutes, I hope. And apparently you need to talk to Kate or Sarah.¡±
¡°OK. Bye.¡±
¡°Goodbye.¡±
She decided Sarah was next. [Hi, Sarah!]
[Hi! John''s read your message, but don''t call him, he''s with a client. He says fine. I think it''s worded OK-ish, but I think you could say ''a more powerful device further away.'']
[You''re the physicist.]
[Well, it''s just that if you say ''very close and then ''further away'' then people might think it wasn''t built to be very strong at all. This way sort of makes people think, OK, so I guess that means its not quite as strong, but it still must be pretty tough.]
[And is it?]
[Ah, yes. The great important question. Even without the right amount of reinforcement there''s still a lot of concrete there.]
[How thick are the walls, just in case Albrert gets asked?]
[Good question, actually hard to answer. You don''t notice them in the foyer, because of the display cupboards on the sides, and at the windows they''ve played tricks to make them look thinner. But... they''re over a metre thick. The entire foyer area works as a blast deflector, by the way, so whichever way the blast comes from, it''s partly cancelled out at the doorways, which are solid steel under the veneer, of course; don''t get your fingers trapped! I''m sure the forcefield glass doesn''t hurt, either, but that wasn''t in the original design.]
[And the new wing?]
[One metre instead of a bit over. The main difference is it was designed with less steel.]
[But possibly there''s even less in it than there should be?]
[Yes. But, unless they skimped on the amount of cement, which I guess is also possible, there''s still a lot of solid wall there.]
[Thanks. Oh, Eliza asked me to tell Tony he ought to contact you or Kate, by the way.]
[Well, Kate''s going to pass him to me, I expect.]
[Oh well. I wonder what he''s going to write.]
[Me too. But what are you going to give as an introduction to this?]
[Oh. You mean it''s not enough on its own?]
[It needs a title, at least. You could call it ''Excerpt from briefing to royal family.'' or something like that. But maybe put something about it being from the committee too.]
[I guess so. So, does everyone need to check the title too?]
[I don''t think so. I''d say get Pete''s thoughts at least, though. Feel free to run ideas past me though, I''m interruptable.]
[Thanks, Sarah. Hmm, first guess, how does ''Excerpts from the committee on major threat assessment''s report to Royal family'' sound?]
[Sounds wonderfully accurate. Do you have the description of the committee that went into the UN thing?]
[I don''t think so.]
[Well, this is going onto the institute''s press page isn''t it?]
[Yes.]
[Then I''ll add that bit about the committee, if that''s OK.]
[That''s wonderful, Sarah. We might as well advertise our services.]
[It did read like that, didn''t it? Oh well, it''s better to be as open as we can be, I think. Otherwise we''re just going to feed rumours.]
[Yes. Has Eliza talked to you about tne vice chancellor yet?]
[No. At the university? What''s he up to?]
[Refusing to plan for the impact.]
[Ah. Hence the rush to publication?]
[Yes, and hence Eliza and Albert''s visit to the university.]
[Oh. Well I guess that''s like him.]
[You''ve met him?]
[Didn''t you? I thought you were doing geology. First year course on the fundamentally faschinating properies of rocks.]
[That was him? I''m braindead! Eliza, I take it all back!] she called to Eliza too.
[Take what back?] Sarah asked.
[Sorry, I''d totally forgotten that the V.C gave us a lecture on basic geology in my first term. He''s not aloof, but he''s not very good as a lecturer either.]
[Hi Sarah. Would you agree? What''s he like?]
[The V.C.? I''d guess he''s a capable enough administator, a steady hand at the wheel, or something. Not very imaginative, or very flexible. He takes one course in geology and manages to discourage half the students from taking any more courses in the subject, out of the groundless fear that they''ll get him again. The only high point of his lecture course is that he does like the subject, and if you can manage to get him into a digression from his lecture notes, he''ll start to expound on how fascinating it all is. If he gets really excited, then his diction starts to slip, and there''s graffiti on the lecture room desks recording some of his classic phrases.]
[And otherwise you''d say he''s a capable man?]
[I think so. Maybe a bit fearful of the unexpected, and not easy to persuade.] Sarah said.
[I wonder...one of his digressions....] Karen started.
[Yes?] Eliza asked.
[He might just be the person to ask about your walls, Sarah.] Karen suggested.
[Oh! Of course! His doctorate work!] Sarah exclaimed.
[Can you expand, please?] Eliza asked, pained.
[He apparently came up with a novel way of testing what was in rocks and concrete, but while it was superior to the normal way, it wasn''t widely used because it''s easy enough to take a sample, normally. I can''t remember all the details. But I think his way was entirely non-destructive.] Sarah explained.
[So, do you think Albert should show him your report, tell him about the uncertainty because of the dodgy builder, and ask him about testing the strength of the Institute''s walls?]
[It''s worth a try, I think. He''d be interested in the science, I''m sure.] Karen said.
[And here I am, a historian.]
[Well, at least you''re not a philosopher.] Sarah said, pointing out the old antipathy.
[Karen, you need to stay out of this, don''t you, for your security?] Eliza asked.
[I think so. Unless we tell him we''re cousins, which he''s going to find out soon, but it blows my cover early.]
[But it doesn''t explain your link to the institute, unless we tell him that link too.]
[I''m not sure it''s a very good idea, especially since I instigated that request.]
[I agree. So, if we bring him out to the Institute, Sarah, could you tell him why we''re asking this?]
[Of course.]
[Wonderful! I''ll fill Albert in.]
10.30 Hypersonic transit
Eliza watched her fiance. She liked seeing him being conscientiously studious. It was a contrast to how he''d presented himself as a rebel against duty when she first met him. He was re-reading the University''s constitution, just to make sure of his powers. ¡°Albert, it might not be necessary.¡±
¡°I know, but I need to know, just in case it is.¡±
¡°Yes, I know. Let me know when I can tell you the new plan.¡±
She went back to making notes for her speach.
10.35
George found Karen in the study cubicle, looking stressed, and maybe distressed too.
[How are you, love?]
[Feeling guilty. I almost ruined the vice-chancellor''s carreer, just because I didn''t think.]
[Oh?]
[I told Eliza no one ever saw him. I totally forgot I''d ever met him, but he actually taught a whole term of lectures in my first year.]
[Oops.]
[I guess his full name didn''t stick, and I never realised he was V.C.]
[But no long term harm done?]
[No, well, only to my self esteem, I guess. Sarah saved the day. I totally misjudged him, presented him as aloof. He''s not aloof, just... uncomfortable away from his topic.]
[Which is? He''s never taught me.]
[Rocks, strata, fissures and other such fun stuff. Oh, and he can''t lecture on the basics without making it boring.]
[Ah.]
[But he does know his stuff, and I shouldn''t have passed judgement on him like that.]
[You''ve said that. But surely Eliza wouldn''t just check with you?]
[No. But...]
[But you''ve had a stressful morning and need a pray and a hug?]
[I guess so.]
[Come on then.]
[But I need to call Teresa in two minutes and then...]
[Let''s pray, precious.] George said.
[You''re not supposed to call me that.]
[Emergency use only, I know, my precious. Prayer time!]
They prayed.
10.45am
¡°Hello, could I speak to Teresa Riley please?¡± Karen asked the secretary once more.
¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Riley is with a client.¡±
¡°Still? That''s an expensive consulation. Can you please tell her, from Karen, she''s got urm... Fifteen minutes to reply to me before she makes me break a promise to Tony.¡±
¡°Oh, you''re a friend?¡±
¡°Yes. Is she all right?¡±
¡°I hope so, I''m sure she is.¡±
¡°You hope so?¡±
¡°Well, she didn''t come it in this morning. That happens, she gets emegency calls from clients, but she normally rings to let me know who she''s with.¡±
¡°And I presume you''ve called her home number and her wrist unit.¡±
¡°Yes. The answerphone and no connection respectively.¡±
¡°But you''ve not called the police, yet?¡±
¡°I''m sure she''s just with a client.¡±
¡°Good. Please tell the police that when you speak to them, but make sure that you also tell them it''s out of character, and you''re worried.¡±
She tried to signal to George, but he''d gone across to his own study cubicle. ¡°You really think I should?¡±
¡°Yes. Now, I''ll do some checks myself, and see if anyone I know knows where she might be, and if I manage to talk to her then I''ll get back to you, OK?¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°Bye.¡±
Karen focussed on Teresa she was there in that odd-shaped room there. What on earth? [George!]
[What?]
[It looks like Teresa may be in trouble. {image}.]
[A room with no exits?] George asked.
[Tunnel, or rather, a cave, I guess.]
[I''ll talk to Tony, you call Kate.]
[OK.]
George checked on Teresa''s health as he called Tony. ¡°Hi Tony. Did Teresa go caving last night?¡±
Tony got the point immediately. ¡°Is she OK?¡±
¡°Mostly. Miserable, hungry, cold, and it looks like she''s trapped. Kate''s contacting the authorities.¡±
¡°I knew she was going, but not where. She said she''d be back late, so I didn''t worry.¡±
¡°So you weren''t the safety contact.¡±
¡°No. It was a well organised trip, she said. So, I guess that means two things have gone wrong.¡±
¡°OK, well, as I say, she''s not in any pain as far as I can tell without actually listening in to her thoughts. You don''t know any names of who she was going with, do you?¡±
¡°No, sorry. Just ''a group from the club.'' I''d have gone too, if I didn''t have a piece to write up.¡±
¡°We''ll keep you informed.¡±
[Authorities already aware, and on-site. George.] Karen interrupted.
¡°Tony, the authorities are already there, apparrently.¡±
¡°Well, I suppose that''s good news. But she''s trapped, you say?¡±
¡°Here''s Karen. She actually checked on where she was.¡±
¡°Hi Tony. I think it''s water, not a rockslide.¡±
¡°Rising?¡± Tony asked.
Karen checked ¡°Not noticably since I first checked.¡±
¡°That''s good news at least.¡±
¡°More good news is that I can tell you where, assuming you want to go. We''ll be praying.¡±
¡°Of course!¡±
Karen gave him directions, and said goodbye. Then George and Karen prayed once more in the little study cubicle.
When they''d finished. Karen decided that concern for Teresa was no real reason to not keep her promises. She called the office and spoke to the secretary.
¡°Hello, I''ve got news about Teresa.¡±
¡°Is she OK?¡±
¡°Yes and no. I called a mutual friend at the IHM. Teresa''s underground, OK at the moment, but cut off by water, the authorities are on the scene.¡±
¡°So, she''ll be all right?¡±
¡°I don''t think there''s any guarantee of that. We''re praying she will be. ¡±
¡°Oh. Oh dear. Thank you for telling me. I''ll pass the word on.¡±
¡°Good bye.¡±
¡°Bye.¡±
Next she called Pete, ¡°Hi, Pete, Karen here.¡±
¡°Hello Karen. That''s going to go on the Institute''s news site?¡±
¡°Yes, there''s going to be something from the palace pointing to it, Sarah''s thinking she''ll append the description of the committee from the UN application, and we''ve got a first draft title: ''Excerpts from the committee on major threat assessment''s report to the Royal family.'' ¡±
¡°Not bad, but there''s no mention of the impact in that title. I''m not sure you need to say it''s to the royal family. How about this: ''Credibility of Valentine''s day impact threat. Excerpts from COMTA report.'' And I think you should add some sort of two or three line summary. Something like
''Credibility:very high. Threat:total devastation of city of Restoration. Source: three independent dreams and visions, presumed to be divine specific revelation.'' Maybe add something about there not being any profit motive for anyone.''¡±
¡°OK, But people know most of those things.¡±
¡°But now they''ll know that this is the committee''s assessment, not just the press or palace making things up.¡±
¡°OK. I agree. Thanks!¡±
¡°Wait up! I also think you need to make it explicit what we''re being told here. I''d add something like 3 gifted individuals observed the memories of the 3 independent witnesses, to find points of similarly and points of difference in their dreams/visions. And if we could point to a picture of that hook feature, in the park, so much the better. Or shall we leave that up to Tony and the press?¡±
¡°I think Tony might not be writing much; Teresa''s stuck down a cave at the moment.¡±
¡°So he''s got a choice of worrying or writing?¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°I''d probably worry myself.¡±
¡°Understandable, but not helpful. Prayer''s better.¡±
¡°Yes. Is anyone with him?¡±
¡°One of us gifted, you mean?¡±
¡°I guess so ¡ª you''re really handy from a reassurance point of view. Or at least, their pastor.¡±
¡°I don''t know who he thought to tell. Last I heard John was with a client.¡±
¡°I''ll go, then. Correction, could you tell Kate I''d really like it if she came too.¡±
¡°Thanks, Pete. I think I''m needed here for this little crisis. It doesn''t feel so important now though.¡±
¡°It''s important. Just less immediate. But you couldn''t do much to help anyway, you know.¡±
11.10
Kate was very glad to have Pete''s request to come. That way she could go and shout at the rescue coordinator in person.
He''d ignored what she''d told them about where Teresa and the others were, and were doing it the slow way, ignoring everything she''d told them. The caves were sufficiently complex that it would probably take them hours to get near Teresa, and that was assuming there wasn''t any problem with them getting past the water.
[George, have you got time to do Teresa and me a big favour?]
[Yes Kate. What is it?]
[I need your artistic memory and skills. They''re relying on a crude map of the cave system, which apparently Teresa''s group was planning on fixing somewhat.
But it''s complicated down there and the map''s wrong. Teresa''s got somewhere the map shows has a nice straight connection out, but there''s no such thing.
Someone must have got lazy, or something. Do you think you could take a look at the tunnels and make an accurate map?]
[Urm, yes, I''ll try, for sure. But Karen said she couldn''t see anything under the water.]
[Oh, that happened to me too. You just have to decide you don''t care about the water, and it hides.]
[Handy.]
[Very.]
[OK. I''ll give it a go.]
[Thanks. I''m going to go with Pete, so we can be there with Tony and just maybe get the search coordinator lynched; he''s ignoring me.]
[Why?]
[Because ''he''s not going to interrupt his team''s well established, careful search plan on some mystical hunch.'']
[Ah. OK. And who might be able to overrule him?]
[I''m not sure if anyone can. Cave rescue is a volunteer organization. He''s the long-established leader for that cave system, apparently.]
[OK, I''ll work on the map.]
George looked at where Teresa was, without the water; it was complex. No wonder the map wasn''t very good. Trying to get that twisting, turning mess onto a single sheet wasn''t going to work. He started to see the pattern though.
There was one set of tunnels which he guessed had followed the folds in the. rock, And wow! Was it folded! and then there were others which cut through the layers. Teresa was in the upper portion of one of the folds. There was a way
out, but first it followed the fold down and actually went under the entrance tunnel and joined it from the other side. The water was entering there he guessed, and then it could be leaving there or maybe there. He thought he''d try something; he talked to Karen and asked her to look for Teresa without bothering about still water. And he looked at where the water was flowing.
Mentally comparing the three views, Karen saw that there must have been some kind of blockage at the lower exit, so the water had gone back to an older path.
¡°Thanks, Karen.¡±
¡°It''s a mess down there, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes. And Teresa''s path might have worked if there hadn''t been so much up and down and that slot thing to the other tunnel.¡±
¡°It''s called a fissure, George, but you''re right. I wonder what the blockage is. And as for how to draw that tangle, I''m certainly going to leave that to you.¡±
¡°Not all of it on one sheet, that''s for sure. I think I''m going to need to make a 3d model to get all of it in.¡±
¡°But you can? And.... do you need to?¡±
¡°Yes I can... Especially if you help me.¡±
¡°Of course, George! How?¡±
¡°Like asking if I need to do the whole system. Good point.¡±
[Teresa''s there can you see where other people are?]
Karen looked for trapped people in the cave system. There was Teresa, and there was a woman in another pocket just ahead of her, and a group of three people in another branch. They''d been going another direction towards the exit, Karen guessed. She pointed them out to George.
[OK, so that means I can ignore more than three quarters of the tunnels. That''s nice. Hmm, I think I can get it on one sheet with colour for height, and maybe a cross section or two.] George started a graphics program on the console, and quickly sketched the plan view. Karen had hardly ever seen him drawing, and was amazed at how quickly it was taking shape before her eyes.
[What do you think,] he asked, [blue for underwater, heading to black as it gets deeper, and say, green for just above water?]
[How about green, brown purple, like on some maps?]
[I like that. Keep things familiar.]
Karen wasn''t quite sure how, but the next thing he did was started ''painting'' and it seemed to change colour as he went, sometimes blue, sometimes black. The blocked channel out of the system was a little black circle Then he changed settings and the pen was drawing greens, browns and purples all in the same stroke. Karen couldn''t stand not knowing. [That''s amazing! How do you get it to change colour like that?]
[It''s pressure sensitive, and I guess I''ve had practice.]
[Very Impressive.]
[Yes, but is it accurate?]
[I think so. You''re going to mark the trapped people?]
[Yes. Nice visible red crosses. Then, I''m going to draw a cross section through this bit.]
[I do wonder what''s caused the blockage. It must have happened while they were down there.]
[I''d guess so.] George thought to her, sketching the cross section so he could show the water level in Teresa''s tunnel, and the fissure which linked it to the other chamber.
[That''s amazing, George!]
[I think it''s good enough. I''ll send it to Kate.]
[Wait a moment. Let''s label the people. Duh, I''m dumb. Let''s also check on everyone''s health, too, I could have been doing it while you drew, sorry.]
[Good Idea.]
Everyone down there was roughly speaking OK, they decided. Cold, grumpy, bruised, and quite a few angry. One was regretful. The three in a group were also deeply worried about someone, but Karen didn''t dig deeper to find out who.
They decided they''d check on the search party too. None were on the map, but George drew arrows to them, and the time they''d checked. One of the rescue party had a sore knee, and George added that note too. Then he sent it.
[Kate, annotated map on it''s way to you now. I''d recommend you send it straight on to Mr Know it All.]
[Thanks George. Wow that''s great. But you''re sure there were only five trapped?]
[Yes. Why?]
[When I checked, there were six. There was someone near that flowing water you''re marked. There, it''s sent.]
[Oh no, you think he got swept away?]
[It''s possible. Probable, I guess.]
[That deepest part, that''s where the stream should be going, but it''s not. There''s some sort of blockage. The hole''s not that big, but it opens out fairly quickly underneath. I don''t know if it''s possible, but maybe if they could reopen it somehow...]
[Then maybe the water would go away of its own accord, and they could get out easily?]
[Yes, exactly.]
[Well, if he''ll look at the map, then he might work that out himself, but I wouldn''t want to be the diver who does it, if theres a risk of getting sucked in.]
[No. Me neither. I don''t think it''s that big a hole though.]
[Right, I''ll try and talk to the rescue leader again.]
[We''ll be praying.]
11.30am
¡°You received the map, Sir?¡± said an all too familiar voice on his wrist unit.
Angus tried to be polite, but he''d told her not to contact him again.
¡°I saw you''d sent something, and I''ll be informing the police that you''re harassing me in a time of crisis. Goodbye.¡±
¡°Sir! Wait! What I sent you is as detailed a map as my contact was able to make in the time available. It shows roughly where your searchers are, which tunnels are flooded, water flow and the exact position of the five individuals still alive. It is trustworthy. Please use it. ¡±
¡°Goodbye, maam.¡± he said, and hung up. What arrogance! Trying to tell him about these caves. He did glance at the supposed map. How could she think anyone could draw a decent map of that mess down there? It was very pretty, he saw that, and missing three quarters of the tunnels. But, OK. It did look quite like his mental image of that part of the tunnels, except they supposedly were as full of water as they got after a heavy storm in spring. Someone had obviously been down there and taken good notes. What was that about Jack having a sore knee? Come to think of it, how did whoever it was who''d drawn this map known who was down there?
His mind racing, he called Jack. ¡°Jack, how are you doing?¡±
¡°Slower than normal, I''ve done a fair bit of wading. There''s something odd going on, Angus. The water level''s as high as I''ve ever seen it, but there was the normal amount of inflow when we checked.¡±
¡°OK. And if I asked you about your knee, what would you say?¡±
¡°I''d want to know what you''d been talking to my wife about.¡±
¡°I haven''t. Some woman from the city who says she''s connected to the Institute for the Human Mind has sent me a map saying Mick and Edmond are in each other''s tunnels, you''ve got a bad knee, and there are five people trapped down in the crinkles.¡±
¡°With water this high, they certainly would be trapped if they were. Mick and Ed never did know left from right, so I''m not surprised. But only five?¡±
¡°Yes, that''s what the map says. Complete list with their names and health conditions too.. The map also shows the water around the bottom hole is static. Does that make sense to you?¡±
¡°It''d explain the waterlevel, certainly. So, why are we this end of the system, if you''ve got a live contact with supernatural knowledge?¡±
¡°Because I didn''t believe a word of it. Who would?¡±
¡°I''d guess that map''s right, Angus.¡±
¡°Now I think I''m starting to, too. Maybe I should have kept her on the line, rather than threatening to call the police on her. If it is, you''ve got two trapped separately along crinkle three and another three huddled together in the bulge in crinkle four. Crinkle two is almost fully flooded and crinkle one is taking the whole flow. One of the three is regretting something and the whole group of three are worried about someone. The other two are just hungry, cold, and feeling miserable.¡±
¡°No broken bones or anything?¡±
¡°No. Quite a bit of anger. I''d guess Mr guilty-feeling is responsible for that little flood, somehow. And his friends death.¡±
¡°Well, I presume he didn''t stuff his friend down the bottom hole, so what might have blocked it?¡±
¡°A big pile of rocks, maybe? Or a backpack?¡±
¡°Who''d be crazy enough to let his backpack get near the bottom hole?¡±
¡°I don''t know, but what do you think? If it''s a backpack, can Ed go and free
it? Without getting sucked in himself, of course. Getting five people out form
where they are, with the full flow going down wriggle 1... Well that''s going to be a seriously risky operation.¡±
¡°Maybe if he took a look, well roped. He might be able to hook a line on it and get clear. But it can''t be just a soft pack, surely. Ortherwise I don''t know why its not been shredded already.¡±
¡°Well, if it''s rocks then we''re going to have to break them somehow, and if it''s got a good strong frame, so much the better. We''re going to finally be glad of that hook the film crew pit in, rather than just hitting our heads on it.¡±
¡°Right, I''ll get Ed to have a look.¡± Angus decided. He also decided he might eventually owe an apology to the woman who''d called him. But of course, the originating code had been protected, like any sensible person. So he couldn''t. But he certainly didn''t complain to the police like he''d threatened.
He had other things to worry about.
¡°Edward, you''re going swimming. You too, Mick, as dive-buddy.¡±
¡°Oh joy.¡± Ed replied. ¡°So, what''s up with the funny water levels?¡±
¡°Exactly. We''ve had a map care of the IHM. Their informant says you two don''t know your left tunnel from your right, that Mick''s knee hurts, that the bottom hole is blocked and all the river''s going down crinkle one.¡±
¡°And there are some live bodies down here?¡±
¡°Five, uninjured in crinkles three and four. But if all the water''s going down one, then, well, you know. You can''t get out from three and four without using one part of the way.¡±
¡°I''ve been down crinkle one on a rope once before Angus. Remember what happened?¡±
¡°Yes, Ed. You recovered eventually. That''s why you''re going to see if you can take the plug out of bottom hole. The safe alternative is we try and divert the main flow down two, somehow.¡±
¡°That''ll flood three for sure, Angus, you know how they''re connected.¡± Ed said.
¡°Yes. We''d be giving up on two people to keep you alive and rescue three.¡±
¡°I''ll have a look at the bottom hole, then ¡°.
¡°Thanks, Ed. There''s still that hook the film crew put in; Mick and I were thinking that if you could set up some block and tackle between that and whatever the blockage is, then you could get yourself to a safe location, and then pull.¡±
¡°I''ll see what it is first, Angus. But yeah; I hate to think how strong the current will be when it starts.¡±
12:00, Restoration University
Eliza was quite enjoying visiting the university. She and Bella had decided that the easiest way to talk to lots of students was to actually conduct an opinion poll. She wasn''t quite sure how it would go, but Eliza had persuaded the library porter that even though the fianc¨¦e of the crown prince wasn''t a student here, it was still OK to let her use the library photocopier.
There was another candidate, a young woman in her third year, by Eliza''s guess. Time for her opening line.
¡°Hello, my name''s Eliza Underwood, and I''m here to do a bit of research for their majesties. I wonder if you could spare me about a minute of your time for some questions?¡±
¡°You look really like her too! Is this a setup?¡± It was so unexpected that people didn''t believe a word of it. ¡°No hidden cameras that I''m aware of.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Yeah, I''ll answer some questions.¡±
¡°Do you happen to know the names of the university''s vice-chancellor, dean of academic studies and chancellor.¡±
¡°I''ve gone blank on the first two, but it should have been the duck for the chancellor. She wasn''t forced at all.¡±
¡°Thank you, I''ll pass that on. What do you expect will happen on valentines day?¡±
¡°Either we''ll wake up with such a big hangover and wish the world had ended, or we won''t wake up.¡±
¡°You expect to be here, then?¡±
¡°I think the V.C.''s not going to close down, and if I miss another lecture then I''ve been warned not to bother taking my finals.¡±
¡°I very much hope you''re wrong about that. Thank you for your time. No more questions. Bella?¡±
Bella came forward, ¡°One letter of thanks, sorry it''s a photocopy, and a genuine discount voucher for your next campus meal or course book.¡±
¡°You''re serious?¡± the student asked. Doing a double-take at the amount on the discount voucher. It would probably buy two meals.
¡°Royal protection officers aren''t famous for joking, and your answers are important to us, thank you.¡± Eliza said.
¡°I honestly still can''t really believe you''re real, but... Could I have an autograph?¡±
¡°Of course! What''s your name?¡±
¡°Tiffany, with two effs.¡±
Eliza thought for a bit; then wrote on the back of the letter, ¡°Dear Tiffany, ''Don''t get drunk on wine, but be filled with God''s Spirit'' ¡ª no hangovers! And be somewhere safe for the impact. Eliza Underwood.¡±
It wasn''t much of an autograph, but it was personal. She handed it back, ¡°I''d love to chat, but I''d like to interview this man coming over here. Tiffany recognised him.
¡°Hi Gavin, your future queen wants to interview you.¡±
¡°Very funny, Tiff.¡± Gavin said.
Eliza tried anyway, and said ¡°Hi, Tiffany''s right, I''m doing some research, Could I ask a few questions? About a minute?¡±
¡°And you''re Eliza Underwood, I suppose?¡±
¡°Correct. Could you name the Academic dean, vice chancellor and chancellor of this university?¡±
¡°We don''t have an academic dean, they renamed the post to something else. Prince Albert is chancellor and the V.C. was still Dr Burton the last I heard. And if you''re really Eliza Underwood, then why does me being in the rugby club matter?¡±
¡°Thank you for those answers, you''re the first who pointed out the renaming of the post. Your being in the rugby club probably means that as of sometime a bit before 9 A.M. your signature went on a petition to Albert this morning, which caused us to drop our plans and come down here.¡±
¡°Hey! I''m starting to believe you.¡± Gavin said. ¡°But I didn''t sign, I wasn''t there, since I''ve got a dodgy elbow since my last match.¡±
¡°How long before you can play again?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Doctor''s not sure. Maybe never. It''s happened before, you see.¡±
¡°They''re saying stop now before you do real damage?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I hope it gets better. What''s your impression of the vice-chancellor?¡±
¡°No idea, I guess he does his job. I''ve never had a run-in with him. Rumour says he can delay deciding a lot, but then makes decisions really fast if he''s convinced.¡±
¡°And one last question, can I ask what you''re expecting to happen on valentines day?¡±
¡°Other than proposing to Tiffany, you mean?¡±
Tiffany turned to him in surprise. ¡°Really?¡±
¡°I told you I would.¡± Gavin said.
¡°I thought you were just saying it because you were drunk.¡±
¡°Doesn''t make it less true. Just less of a surprise.¡± he told her, then turned to Eliza ¡°I expect to be with Tiffany, wherever she is, beyond that, I don''t much care if the impact happens or not.¡±
¡°Isn''t he a romantic?¡± Tiffany asked, rhetorically.
¡°Hmm, I don''t know.¡± Eliza answered. ¡°I mean, if he''s planing a big, lavish engagement then the day of the impact might not be the best, and if he''s not, and you both feel like that, then I don''t really see the point in waiting for a certain day just because it''s considered a good day to ask someone on a first date. But, don''t change your plans just because I''ve got wedding fever.¡±
¡°So, did you know Albert was going to propose to you?¡± Tiffany asked.
¡°Yes, I did. I was still in witness protection, so it all took quite a bit of arranging to actually be in the same place.¡±
¡°And you didn''t want him to ask your Dad''s permission.¡±
¡°No. I mean, he never even sent me birthday cards when I thought he was someone important. Even before I met Albert I knew my dad was an evil madman. Sorry, I can''t talk more, I need to get some more answers, and I see some more candidates over there.¡± Bella handed Gavin a ''thank you'' pack.
¡°I hope you have a good term and a happy lifelong marriage.¡±
¡°Thank you. Out of interest,¡± Gavin asked, ¡°would you have said that if I told you I was a republican?¡±
¡°You''re not, surely?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°He is, I''m not.¡± Tiffany confirmed.
¡°In answer to your question, I would, but I''d maybe advise sorting out that difference of opinion before you marry. Have you ever actually studied the history of what republics are like?¡±
¡°They can be made to work. Most monarchies aren''t that great, either and even the good ones end up in war or paralysis. I''d rather suffer the odd policy change than live under a whimsical dictator whose only reason for being in power is that he got the right parents.¡±
¡°OK, fair point. That''s why our constitution lets the public vote out the monarch if they start going off the rails. Or automatically ousts him or her if they break a promise.¡±
¡°What?¡± he hadn''t expected that response.
¡°Of course! Haven''t you read our constitution? Sorry, that''s hardly fair, I only did that over the weekend. But, still, I do recommend it, it might make you change your mind about constitutional monarchies, or at least ours. Politicians can get elected for making promises they know they can''t keep, but if the king acted like that he''d be looking for a new job. Which sort of person would you rather trust to rule?¡±
¡°OK, but the social stratification implicit with a monarchy ¡ª marrying into their own exclusive privileged social class ¡ª means there is no true social mobility opportunities for the lower classes, however talented. Their creativity is limited and the society eventually stagnates.¡±
¡°Urm, excuse me? Marrying into a privileged social class? You''re talking to the bastard daughter of a temporary office worker, who stupidly thought getting her boss drunk and sleeping with him might be a good career move. It wasn''t. I don''t know how often you''ve gone to bed hungry. When mum couldn''t find work we didn''t always have much more than stale bread to eat when I was growing up. OK, my dad set up a fund which paid for my university fees, but other than that he hardly remembered I existed until he was thrown in prison. What on earth do you mean marrying into their own privileged social class?¡±
¡°Urm...¡±
¡°And I don''t think her majesty is exactly from the upper echelons of society, either, an I right, Bella?¡±
¡°Grew up trying to protect her little brother from the gangs in her road, so that should tell you a lot about how privileged her upbringing was. She joined Security and won all the self defence medals going because she knew how important it is to get the winning blow in. Rumour has it that she also won a few matches because there''s no rule against fighting dirty in the gangs or royal protection. The king was impressed by her fearless attitude, not her family ties.¡±
¡°Just where did you get this rubbish from?¡± Eliza asked ¡°You sound like you''re quoting something from before the restoration.¡±
¡°He is.¡± Tiffany said ¡°His Great-I don''t remember-how-many-times grandmother was the last president. She wrote it and he found a copy in the library in his second term. He''s been memorising it ever since.¡±
¡°Interesting. Can I ask that you look at our present constitution, and see if there is anything that she writes which isn''t covered? I''d guess the constitution was written to counter all the horrors your relative wrote about, but it would be nice to know.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll read it. You''ve made me curious, too. Urm, how do I let you know the answer?¡±
¡°Care of the palace will get to me. Or via your chancellor. I seem to be spending most of my waking hours at the palace these days, it''s not doing my masters research much good.¡±
¡°All those parties must be draining.¡±
¡°You must be joking! Cabinet briefings, talking to this or that minister about proposed legislation; and I must have explained my research results at least a half a dozen times since Thursday, but people, politicians mostly, still want more clarification. And that''s without all the plans and proposals to do with the impact.¡±
¡°I thought they were just going to put up some kind of container city, doesn''t seem too hard.¡±
¡°Great, yes. So what about sanitation, schools, water supply, transport, shops, rations, or both, policing implications, suggestions about emergency curfew laws to try to stop looting. Do you know how many empty containers there are in the world? And what you need to do to get tens of thousands of them in one place?
"That takes time, infrastructure, And is it really feasible? Steel isn''t the best insulating material after all, and mid-February isn''t exactly summer. Plus, each container takes a lorry. If you could deliver something which wasn''t mostly air then you''d need far fewer lorries, which impacts on infrastructure needs and everything else.¡±
¡°So, containers for people''s stuff, tents for people?¡± Tiffany asked.
¡°Probably.¡± Elisa agreed, ¡°But I really must go and talk to more people.¡±
¡°Thank you for not having me arrested for treason, or something.¡±
¡°Hmm, it''d only be treason if you actually tried to bring about a republic.¡± Bella said. ¡°Now spreading sedition on the other hand isn''t such a serious crime, but we might have a case there. But this is a university, and I''d have to fill in a whole lot of paperwork if I tried to arrest you for spreading sedition here, so I won''t bother.¡±
¡°I don''t think they know you''re joking, Bella.¡± Eliza said loudly enough to be heard by at least Tiffany, as they left.
¡°But I would get into a lot of paperwork!¡±
¡°Resitting your exams as punishment for trying to arrest someone for a non-crime is not what most people would call paperwork.¡±
¡°Well, all right. Next target straight ahead?¡±
¡°I guess so. Let''s hope we don''t meet any more republicans, or I''ll never get enough samples.¡±
12.05pm. Underground
Ed, who had been a professional cave diver before his accident, finished getting into his diving gear beside the water. He''d seen what the camera crew had filmed through bottom hole. A pipe, worn smooth by the water, dropping away at about twenty degrees along the seam, about the same size as crinkle one; small surprise there, it was crinkle one, for all intents and purposes. Just the bottom hole normally provided a short cut. Eventually, it would come to the surface, but not soon. Not soon enough for the missing caver, except his neck had probably been snapped by the crinkle before he had drowned. Ed felt his own. He''d survived, and recovered, but it was a near thing. He''d ¡°only¡± had fractured vertebrae. None of the crinkles were for walking. If you liked wriggling yourself over slippery rock without having space to crawl, then crinkles three and four were just about perfect. Crinkle one was a bit bigger, but had too many vertical sections in it to make it a nice for anything. Three and four were were the best way to the surface from the small cavern by the bottom hole. But they both joined onto crinkle one near the exit, and if that was taking the full flow, then the cavers would need to fight against the lethal currents, with breathing apparatus. The only good news was that getting to the bottom hole was easy. It was in a cavern the size of his livingroom, and normally you could wade there from where they were now, with a three metre swim at the bottom. There would be a current, but it wasn''t going to be too strong. In fact, getting to the trapped cavers wasn''t going to be impossible either. Just long. It would take too long to get to them with tanks. He''d need a rebreather or air hoses. He''d always hated air hoses. But really, it shouldn''t be him.
¡°Angus!¡± he called over his radio.
¡°Yes, Ed?¡±
¡°Plan ''B'' ought to be get them either air hoses or rebreathers, and then back down to bottom hole and out this way. We''d miss the crinkle one and its currents that way.¡±
¡°Backwards down three and four, underwater? It''ll take hours, Ed.¡±
¡°I know, I know. But it unless they panic it doesn''t actually kill anyone.¡±
¡°The cold might, but yes, you''re right. It''s a better plan ''B''. Thanks, Ed. I''ll try and source lots of rebreathers plus some more cave divers, and put them on standby. You''re going to be out of consideration even if you immediately give up on plan ''A'', you know, Ed.¡±
¡°I know. Angus. I''m too old for that game. But while we''re asking for the army or navy for the impossible, some kind of mini underwater robot which could take them some hot soup and rations wouldn''t go amis either.¡±
¡°What a lovely idea.¡± Angus agreed. ¡°But I doubt they''d be able to get us one this week, even if they do have one.¡±
¡°Doesn''t hurt to ask. You never know. Mick''s ready too, so we''ll go and have a look.¡±
¡°Be safe, you two.¡±
¡°Careful''s our middle name. We won''t take any risks.¡±
¡°Oh no?¡±
¡°Well, no needless ones.¡±
¡°You''re in a cave, Ed. That too much risk for someone I know.¡±
¡°I know. But someone''s got to rescue people who are as crazy as I used to be, otherwise the insurance companies would go out of business.¡±
¡°That is the most perverse motivation I''ve heard out of you yet, Ed,¡±
¡°Not perverse, please! I''ll accept cynical, though.¡±
¡°OK, cynic, go get wet and see what you can see.¡±
Mick (who was still an apprentice at cave diving in Ed''s books) didn''t say much, ever, but he''d been listening. He''d gathered together carabinas, ropes and a set of pullies into an anti-snag dive bag. He also put in the steel butterfly cable and crowbar they had for moving rocks. He mutely showed Ed, who nodded his approval. They checked each other''s equipment and set off.
Getting to the cavern, Ed pointed to the entrance to the passage they called crinkle one and gave the danger signal. Danger indeed, he could feel the tug from here. He was glad they''d been roping themselves to the wall as usual as they came along. They''d need those ropes. He also realised there was a flaw in the plan. The heavy duty hooks the camera crew had fixed into the roof were only a metre from the entrance to that dangerous channel. He''d need to be very careful, and stay close to the ceiling. Holding onto his ropes, he looked into the bottom hole.
Not a rucksack. It was blocked by what looked like a heavy duty plastic ball. He recognised it from a recent write-up. It was a prototype cave-proof laser scanner. Shock prof, scratch proof, and waterproof, it could map a cave just by being carried or dragged behind explorers.
The eye by which it had been towed was sticking up, with a broken rope attached. Not strong enough to pull it up against the water pressure, or maybe it had snagged on a sharp rock and fallen in. But it was no matter. He remembered seeing the courteous notification at the rescue centre. Someone had wanted to finally map the crinkles accurately and had arranged with the manufacturer to borrow the prototype as a final test. Obviously, somehow it had been taken by the current and instead of being the perfect survey tool it had become a perfect plug.
Ed wondered how much force the towing eye could take. He supposed that if it wasn''t strong enough, then just maybe that would break the shell, then that would also be a result. He really didn''t want to try and smash the thing with the crowbar.
Ed returned to where Mick was waiting. He indicated the pulley set and a carabina for each end. Mick indicated himself, did Ed need help? No, he signaled. He didn''t. It was easy. Swimming close to the bottom again, he went to the bottom hole and attached the bottom set of pullies. There were four pullies here, and the tied end. Five pullies at the top. He could have got a ten to one ratio if it had been the other way up and he was pulling up himself, but he wasn''t going to be doing that. Nine to one ratio was good enough, with a rope which could cope with a thousand kilos. If they put a winch on the other end they''d be able to, hmm, pull the carabinas apart, probably, not to mention pulling the hook out of the ceiling. For safety sake, he put another carabina onto the bottom. They had spares, so it seemed sensible. There wasn''t so very much he could do to stop the hook from falling out, but not using enough carabinas when he had spares was silly. The hook was next. This would be so much easier if someone would just turn off the currents, he thought.
12.20 Above ground
Tony looked up from his report. At least Kate had been able to tell him that Teresa was still safe. It was hard to concentrate, but he needed to do something. Writing up the press release was just the thing. He copied in the text, and added the picture of the park that he''d found a while ago. He was glad there weren''t rules against insider dealing in reporting. Now, what was in that message Sarah had sent. The front page of a building contract, as registered in the city archives, extension to the institute, and a press report... Interesting headline! Corporate murder: Fraud and bad workmanship killed bunker soldiers. So, the new wing, seen collapsed in the vision, was built, hmm, ten years before the bunker. Maybe it was as strong as it had been designed for, maybe not. So, is your building stronger than.... And the answer is probably no, except for underground bank vaults. That contract page ¡ª no it didn''t state the blast-resistance, but it did specify the wall thickness. One metre thick walls! And yet they didn''t withstand the blast. Scary. But it obviously mattered if the concrete was strong enough. Hmm, well, he could write this up anyway. ''Metre-thick walls prophesied to not withstand Valentine''s day impact.'' Thank you, Karen and Sarah!
Preparation / Ch. 13: Release
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 13:Release
12.30 Underground
¡°Angus, we''re out.¡± Ed reported. ¡°So, was it a rucksack, or a pile of rocks?¡±
¡°Neither. Remember that laser survey ball? It makes a perfect plug. The towing eye was up, thank goodness. So give the word and we''ll all heave.¡±
¡°You didn''t try when you were down there?¡±
¡°If it works, then the flow gets bigger, doesn''t it? I haven''t worked out how much bigger.¡±
¡°Good point. Me neither¡±
¡°So, we opted for more bodies pulling and dryish ground.¡±
¡°Good decision. I presume you checked for tangles and kept the rope tight.¡±
¡°Oh no, I forgot. I''d better go back down there and tell grandma to suck eggs.¡±
¡°All right Ed. You guys give it a tug and see what happens. The robots idea was excellent, by the way. We got lent two robo-snakes, with operators. They should be delivering radios, food and hot chocolate as we speak.¡±
¡°How on earth?¡±
¡°Apparently, they had the bright idea yesterday of bringing them near here to train their operators.¡±
¡°God works in mysterious ways, Angus.¡±
¡°So, you''d better see if you can pull out the plug, Ed, otherwise the military boys want to see if their snakes can place a shaped charge on it.¡±
¡°Oh what joy! You mean with those things around I might not need to get out of bed soon?¡±
¡°Ed, the day you don''t get out of bed...¡±
¡°I know, you''re going to gall the doctor?¡±
¡°Doctor? Ed, We''re going to call the undertaker, and see if they give a discount for advanced bookings.¡±
¡°Your thoughtfulness is very touching, Angus. Stop sniggering Mick!¡±
¡°On my mark, guys, three two one pull!¡±
The rope had been moderately tight to stop the currents from tangling anything, so there wasn''t much slack to take up. Merely some stretch in the rope. Then they were pulling seriously. They felt a small lurch and then the rope moved a bit under five centimetres.
¡°That was probably just the carabinas adjusting.¡±
¡°That much?¡±
¡°Nine to one ratio, Jack. That''s less than a centimetre motion.¡±
¡°OK. So how deep was it?¡± Mick asked.
¡°About half a metre down the hole, so if this works then there''s going to be at least four and a half metres of rope before it''s in clear water.¡±
¡°So if it works four or five metres with real tension, then reducing to hardly any?¡± Jack asked to make sure he''d understood.
¡°Yes. Jack.¡±
¡°That''s more information that I was expecting. Good.¡±
¡°So, heave!¡±
The rope moved a fraction.
¡°Heave!¡±
Another half a step back.
¡°Don''t let it pull back, guys, or it might jam in there harder.¡±
¡°On my mark, let''s try to heave and keep walking.¡±
¡°Ed, do we have any real hope of doing this?¡± Mick asked.
¡°We wouldn''t if there wasn''t full flow down wrinkle one, but there is, so there shouldn''t be much pressure on it now. Any more questions? Then, heave, walk walk, walk!¡±
the tension on the rope was strong, but they''d gone a metre or more when Mick slipped on the wet rock. The other three didn''t get pulled very far. ¡°Ow!¡± Mick said, retaking his place. Then ¡°Sorry. Slippery there, watch your feet.¡±
¡°Heave! Walk, walk, walk, keep going, keep going! Four metres, five, keep going but watch for the rel... ¡± it seemed the rope came loose in his hands as the sphere stooped being dragged down the pipe. Mick didn''t fall over, mainly because his back was against the wall ¡ª he''d reached one of the turns. The others did fall, but seeing Mick still had the rope, groans turned to laughter. ¡°Ed, I think you were looking for the word ''release'' there. It was a bit sudden, wasn''t it?¡± Jack teased.
¡°Only another ten metres to haul in, Jack. Keep going, while I try and put a tie off round this corner. Well done for not joining us on the floor, Mick.¡±
¡°My pleasure, Ed.¡±
Ed called the surface. ¡°Angus, we think we''ve done it.¡±
¡°Thanks, Ed. I''ll ask for confirmation.¡±
¡°You''re not asking them to send that snake near the bottom hole, surely?¡±
¡°No, I''m going to do something I''ve never done before and ask for a miracle.¡±
¡°Careful, Angus, next you''ll be admitting that God exists after all.¡± Ed said, silently praying it would happen. ¡°And then you''ll have to start listening to my little sister and me.¡± Angus ignored that comment from his brother in law and lifelong friend, and turned to Kate. ¡°Thank you once more for coming out, Maam. My colleagues underground think they''ve cleared the blockage. If you could ask your contact to see if the flow''s pattern has changed? We do need to know, and the alternative is asking my brother-in-law to see how badly he needs to fight the currents to stay alive. I''d rather not do that, even if it means ignoring my convictions on the subject of miracles. That map was very convincing, by the way. Thank you.¡±
Kate smiled ¡°I''ll warn you that I used to be an atheist before I started mixing with the miraculous. I''ll ask for an update.¡±
[George.] Kate called as she dialed on her wrist unit [I don''t know if you''re in a lecture but they need need an update. I''m about to ring you.]
[I am, Karen is too.] he said as he rejected the call. [Ask Sarah?]
[OK.]
¡°Sorry, previous contact must be busy ¡ª call rejected. I''ll try another.¡± She explained, and called Sarah.
¡°Hi, It''s me.¡±
¡°Hi Kate. Have they got Teresa out yet?¡±
¡°They think they''ve unblocked the blockage, but apparently they can''t tell if it worked yet, and therefore whether a scary current has stopped, and therefore if it''s safe for people to swim down to rescue them.¡±
¡°And you''re playing ''people I know?'' Fair enough. How can I help?¡±
¡°Update the map?¡±
¡°Never seen it, sorry.¡±
[I don''t know how to see currents, Kate. I thought we couldn''t look for things only people.]
¡°Want to borrow my eyes?¡± Kate asked.
[I don''t know how, either. George is in a lecture and so can''t talk, I''m sure he can explain it though.]
''ll ¡°Yes, I do actually. Look at the map, please Kate, and think hard about what the picture is.¡± [I''ll pretend to have a hard time seeing, but talk to him meanwhile, OK?]
[Of course!]
¡°Could you put the map up please so my contact can see it in my thoughts?¡±
Sarah asked George. [How did you see the currents?]
[Kate decided she wasn''t worried about water, and saw the tunnels without the
water. So when I was drawing it I decided I was worried about water that was
moving. Three images. Compare, contrast, draw. Is that enough? This is a complicated lecture.] ¡°Try and think about what you''re seeing, Kate! I don''t want to look at your shopping list, or your love life.¡± Sarah said, for Angus''s benefit.
[I''ll get you for that, Sarah. Catch! {image}]
[Only playing to the audience, Kate.] then she spoke into the phone ¡°I think I''ve got it, Kate. Now I''ll see what I can see.¡±
¡°She thinks she''s got it.¡±
¡°I heard that. Also the rest, sorry.¡±
Kate raised an eyebrow. ¡°The rest?¡± Was he admitting to hearing thoughts?
¡°She said she didn''t want to hear your shopping list.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± [Is that all?] Kate flung the thought at him.
¡°No. She also said something not knowing how to see currents and about playing to the audience.¡±
¡°But I presume you didn''t hear my thoughts?¡±
¡°Not without contact, no. I should have said, shouldn''t I?¡±
¡°I probably should have asked, or she could have been more careful and not spoken to the whole room. So, why don''t we let her talk straight to you, then you get it without me confusing anything?¡±
¡°I''d be ... honoured.¡±
¡°Is the power useful, in this work? I''d never have thought of it.¡±
Angus shuddered. ¡°Not really. When you''re close, then, well, you know, damp rock''s not iron, but it works after a fashion.¡±
¡°I don''t imagine you hear much of interest.¡±
¡°Mostly biological stuff. You know, my feet are freezing off, what''s that funny smell, I hope no one notices that warm patch, that sort of thing.¡±
¡°Yuck! That''s not nice at all.¡±
¡°Well, you know, cold and the sound of running water does things to people, sometimes.¡±
¡°So much for pristine mountain river water.¡±
¡°Exactly. Will it take her long?¡±
¡°No idea.¡±
Kate''s wrist unit rang. ¡°Hi, you might as well think straight to Angus, here. He says he doesn''t mind.¡±
Sarah was a bit surprised, but called him. [Hello Angus.]
[Hello Maam. I must say this is odd.]
[Not as odd as cave diving.]
[I leave that to my wife''s crazy brother.]
[She has the power too?]
[Yes. It''s how we hit it off. I mean, she''d vowed never to even date a caver.]
[You managed to convince her otherwise?]
[A bit of both ways. I''ve not gone down much except for rescues since we married.]
[But you know these caves well?]
[I''ve got a pretty good mental map. This one really got my attention. Your friend''s good.]
[I''ll pass on the compliment. I think the currents have changed, if that helps.]
[Is it still going into crinkle one? That''s the real danger point.]
[Crinkle one?]
[Urm, it''s the one which goes from here, along here and then doubles back under here.]
Sarah peaked a bit deeper and saw which one he was thinking about.
[Oh, the overflow? It''s still flowing. But there''s hardly any head of water above it, and I think that''s dropping quite fast. What''s the level like normally?]
[About a metre of water above the bottom hole.]
[OK. Well, I''d guess that soon, maybe half an hour, crinkle one will stop being well fed, and when it does then it''s going to empty very quickly, unless any fissures are feeding it. I mean, it''s big compared to that orifice, and the orifice won''t take very much volume while there''s any back pressure, and it''s got so much more volume to deal with, it''s almost got to work that way.]
[That''s good news, not great news, but good. So, they did it, the tunnels are emptying. I don''t suppose they you know how fast it''ll empty?]
[Urm, flow through an orifice? Yuck, I did study this. I think it''s proportional to the pressure. No, hold on, it must be the square root of the pressure. But, in any case, if normal flow is with one metre of water pressure, then it''ll be going pretty quickly to start with, faster than it filled until you''re down to about four metres above the hole.]
[OK, I''ll just tell everyone.]
[Bye, then.]
[Thanks for your help.]
12:45 Restoration University
[Albert, I''ve had some good conversations. Not many know much about the University Management. I got a few ''the duck was cheated'' comments, but they mostly knew about you. One said that the V.C. could dither but when he was convinced then the decisions came thick and fast.]
[Thanks, Eliza. I''ve told him that one of the people was Dad, which got his attention, and pointed him at the press release. He''s looking convinved.]
12.50 In the crinkle
Teresa sipped her hot chocolate. Hearing, then seeing that two-metre snake thing coming through the water towards her had been terrifying for a while, until she realized that the strange glowing markings on its sides were words. ¡°Battery compartment¡± would never rank high in the list of scary phrases, either. But she didn''t think painting the teeth on the front was a good idea. A cartoon smiley face would have been far less panic inducing. Just it being there was good news. She thought she''d been hearing noises, like someone sending morse-code through the rock, but she didn''t know enough morse to make sense out of it. The robotic snake, especially with the compartment full of goodies was lovely evidence that she might live to her wedding day. That had been a, hmm, matter of discussion with God over the past hours. No, stop lying to yourself Teresa, you were terrified, and for some reason you decided to hold Tony''s feelings about the wedding over God''s head, as though praying for at least that to happen was less selfish than just crying that you don''t want to die. Oh God, thankyou for this drink and the chocolate and the blanket. Thank you for the radio, and that I heard Tony''s up there, and Pete and Kate. Thank you that I''m not dead yet, and that I didn''t try to swim out. Forgive me for being so angry, and so selfish. Thank you for Tony and my friends.
Teresa was still praying when the radio crackled to life. Angus again. ¡°Hello, everyone. We''re happy to say that the most dangerous current is now officially stopped. But there is still a lot of water moving around down there. So, unless anyone is in too bad a way, then we''re going to let you decide when the water ahead of you is gone enough that you can crawl out on your own, and let us know you''re coming. Don''t go under water at all, because you''ve all got bits of deep water ahead of you. Teresa, you''re going to be able to join Jan, if you like, before Jan can move. You''ve got about the same amount of elbow room as each other at the moment. So you can decide between yourselves if you''d prefer company or continue to enjoy your spacious accommodation. Oh, do any of you have special diets?¡±
¡°Just food!¡± Jan said ¡°And Teresa, if it''s OK with you, I''ll keep my elbow room.¡±
¡°Fine by me.¡± Teresa agreed. ¡°No special diet here, but if it''s going to be steak then I''d like it medium please.¡± she joked.
All the others joined in, and there were two medium steaks, one medium rare and a well-done from Jan. ¡°OK, I''ve got that, down. Is boiled potatoes OK, or does anyone prefer mashed? I''m afraid there''s hardly any oil so we can''t offer fried.¡±
¡°We were joking!¡± Teresa said.
¡°I wasn''t. The doctor''s in favour of the idea too, but he is sending down a multivitamin and electrolyte drink too. Think of the steak as your reward for promising to drink it all down ¡±
12.57 Restoration University
Karen''s wrist unit bleeped discreetly just as the lecture finished. Something from the university. She read it, ooh, what a surprise. She was invited to an informal reception, with the university chancellor, in half an hour. Light snacks would be served. Hmm. Informal, right. She just had time to get to Sarah''s house, grab something suitable and make it back. [Eliza, about this meal that I''ve been invited to?]
[Yes?]
[It says informal. If this was a diplomatic function, then that means any very smart dress will do, it doesn''t need to be a ball gown with a tiara. Same here?]
[I''d guess so. Albert said expect to hob-nob with the top people in the university. Deans of this, professors of that, emeritus professors of the other.]
[Thought so. So, a slightly mucky cardigan and jeans isn''t quite the thing to wear, then?] she asked, including George in her comment.
[Hey, I resemble that remark.] George replied, quoting someone, but he couldn''t remember who.
[Not really suitable, no. Hi, George. I presume you''ve got an invitation too?] [Yes. I presume for me informal means only a suit, not a dinner jacket?]
[Yes.] Karen agreed. [Race you back here.]
1.20pm
Teresa finished her multivitamin gloop as quickly as she could and exclaimed ¡°Eee-yuck that''s foul!¡±
¡°Hi Teresa, was that the vitamins?¡± she head Jan ask from the tunnel. ¡°I started with the steak.¡±
¡°Yes, it was, they''re vile. Nice to be able to talk, though.¡±
¡°It is. I wasn''t sure which order is best, I thought the vitamins weren''t that appetizing, so I''d start with the mouthwatering steak. It''s excellent.¡±
¡°I hoped there wasn''t going to much aftertaste to the vitamins. There is. I''m about to try a half a spoon of mustard to get rid of it.¡±
¡°Go careful, it''s military issue, extra hot.¡±
¡°Too late.¡± Teresa said, with tears running down her face. ¡°A drink might help.¡±
¡°Or spread the pain?¡±
¡°Maybe. Try a bite of the potato.¡± Jan suggested. Teresa did. Then the steak. ¡°Hmm, this steak''s good.¡±
¡°So, did the mustard clear the gloop?¡±
¡°Only in the perverse way that if you pull a scab off it stops itching. It might have worked if I''d eaten it with something.¡±
¡°I don''t really fancy mustard with chocolate, and that''s all I''ve got left.¡±
¡°Not very tempting, I agree. If I found something waterproof, I could try and float you a potato.¡±
¡°Thanks, but I think I''d have to get half into the water to reach it. Can you turn round, back there?¡±
¡°No. I thought I could maybe get into foetal position, if I got really cold, but wasn''t at all sure I''d ever get straightened out again.¡±
¡°I didn''t try either. What have you been doing? I''ve been trying to think of all the songs I know a few words of and arrange them into subject order. Pointless, but you''ve got to do something.¡±
¡°Praying, mostly. I dozed a bit too.¡±
¡°Praying? I never had you posted as the nun type.¡±
¡°Nun? No, but I''m a Christian.¡±
¡°So, what were you praying about?¡±
¡°Oh, the usual for this sort of situation, I guess.. Moaning at God that I don''t want to die here, can''t he send someone or something to get me out, or at least bring me something to warm me up. Then I spent a while telling him that I was sure he didn''t want Tony to be be hurt by me dying, especially since he''d told us not to wait to marry on Valentine''s day. Towards the end I was prayed that someone would tell Tony I was all right, and then since God was going to get me out, so Tony wouldn''t be devastated, why didn''t he do it quickly? And then I saw the snake coming and I prayed it wouldn''t eat me.¡±
¡°That''s quite a lot of themes.¡±
¡°I had a lot of time, and God''s a good listener.¡±
¡°But what was that about telling Tony you were all right?¡±
¡°I do a lot of work for the Institute for the Human Mind, Jan. They''re friends, too. One of the gifted helped me become a Christian. Tony knows them too. If they want to find out where I am they can, no problem.¡±
¡°Oh wow, I never knew you were involved there. I suppose I mustn''t tell anyone about that, must I?¡±
¡°Not really. I wouldn''t want to see you prosecuted under those laws, Jan.¡±
¡°And that thing about God warning you about valentine''s day? What was that about? You mean you were playing with dates and then got wind of the prophesies?¡±
¡°It was a more personal and direct than that, but sort of.¡±
¡°Come of Teresa, don''t be vague and mysterious, we''ve known each other for years!¡±
¡°OK, Jan, but this goes no further. One of the visions was experienced when I was on the phone to someone. I said we''d been thinking of valentine''s day, and my friend on the other end gave a gasp and said ''Not then, don''t wait until that sad day.'' ¡±
¡°Wow, that does count as was more personal than a rumour. You''ve got a whole heap of important friends I don''t know.¡±
¡°What about the most important one? Do you know Him?¡± Teresa asked.
¡°What? You''re saying you know the King too?¡±
¡°No.¡± Teresa said, resisting the temptation to say that she''d met prince Albert, ¡°I was talking about God.¡±
Jan was quiet for a while. ¡°I thought I did. But I guess I don''t, not like you.¡±
¡°Want talk about him?¡±
1.30pm
George arrived at the appointed place just in time to see Karen going in. He guessed it came from practice, but he was a bit surprised. She''d managed to not just change her clothes, but she''d also managed to rearranged her hair into what looked like a totally different style. He''d been doing up his tie and shoe laces in the transport on the way here, it had been that close.
Catching up, he asked ¡°How did you do your hair so quickly?¡±
¡°I cheated.¡± [Now, lets pretend we don''t know anyone but our lecturers. I see Dr Holmes. Recognise anyone else?]
[Not except Bella, Eliza and Prince Albert.]
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Dr Holmes saw them standing by the door, and beckoned them over. To Karen''s dismay, as they started to head towards him, she recognised the man he was talking to from her first year lecture series in basic geology. ¡°Dr Holmes, Vice chancellor.¡± she greeted them.
¡°Am I to understand that I have you to thank for his highness''s presence?¡±
¡°Well, sir, the student body was growing increasingly anxious about what would happen, and when we heard, a urm, rumour this morning that the consultation amongst the officers of the university had run into difficulties, it seemed to George and I that perhaps his highness might be able to help. We didn''t know that the response would be quite so rapid.¡±
¡°Very diplomatically put, young lady. You only wrote it this morning then? I''m surprised that you got quite so many co-signatories.¡±
¡°The third person I asked to sign grabbed it and got her boyfriend in the rugby club to sign just as they were returning from training, and he got the other members to sign.¡±
¡°Well, you''ll no doubt be pleased to hear that the ''apparent paralysis in the leadership of the university'', is over,¡± he said, quoting their application to Prince Albert. ¡°His royal highness has apparently arranged to get some more information released, and was also able to share certain unpublishable information, and I''m fully convinced that the threat is fully credible. There were significant voices pouring doubt on the validity of the threat, you understand.¡±
¡°I understand, sir. My father has told me on numerous occasions, though, that while one is always allowed to disagree with ones monarch, and on occasions its acceptable to argue, it is always wisest to obey.¡±
¡°Your father has said that? Do I take it that he holds a government or civil service position?¡±
¡°You may if you wish, sir. I''m afraid that I cannot, at the moment, comment on which.¡±
¡°But you may later on?¡±
¡°George and I are getting married in the Christmas break, sir. From that point on, I can hardly hide who I am related to.¡±
¡°So, you would have been one of those whose names on their degree certificates don''t match the name read out during the degree ceremony?¡±
¡°Sir, you must know that if that''s a security related question I can''t possibly acknowledge having any idea what you''re talking about.¡± Karen managed to say with a totally blank face.
¡°Yes. I suppose that I should. No wonder you weren''t afraid of writing to the crown prince. We''ll probably discover during the vacation that she''s prince Albert''s little sister, Dr Holmes.¡± he said. A look of pain crossed Dr Holmes'' face. ¡°Their majesties'' daughter died soon after birth, sir.¡±
¡°Oh. Yes. Sorry.¡± the vice chancellor apologised, and looked in embarrassment towards the Prince, who hadn''t heard.
Eliza, standing closer, had heard, including the name of the man to whom the remark was addressed. She came over ¡°Dr Holmes?¡±
¡°Yes, maam?¡±
¡°Her majesty asked me to greet you, sir. She remembers the training you gave her with fondness and respect.¡±
Karen realised that her mother probably knew this man too, and that it was even possible he was on the invitation list to their wedding. She''d said something about lecturers in common.
[George, you''ve got a memory. Is Dr Holmes on the wedding list?]
[Oh! He might be. What''s his initial?]
[S. No idea what it''s for.]
[Could be. There was a ''Sherlock'' in quotes.]
¡°Her majesty was a good student, and I''m sure she would have had an excellent career in the service had she not chosen a different path. I do try to follow the careers of the best students, but of course some are easier to track than others.¡± he added with a chuckle ¡°I taught investigative forensics at the academy for a few years, including her Majesty''s year, vice chancellor. I''m sure you can guess what my students nick-named me.¡±
¡°Sherlock, Dr Holmes?¡± guessed the vice chancellor.
¡°A lot more flamboyant than Stephen, yes. Christmas break is getting close, Karen. Might we know the exact date, or is that shrouded in mystery too? Maam, Karen here seems to delight in refusing to confirm or deny her relationships, except to George, here, and I''m not sure I''ve ever heard his surname.¡±
¡°Well, Dr Holmes, I think everyone is allowed a little secrecy. And speaking as someone granted access to certain privileged information, I can well imagine they don''t want to face the full glare of publicity.¡±
¡°It is no great secret what my relatives are famous for, sir.¡± George said, ¡°My surname is Kray.¡±
¡°As in...?¡± Dr Holmes said.
¡°Yes.¡± Karen said. ¡°Quite a number of George''s relatives will not be joining us at our wedding service.¡±
¡°I''m not sure you can stop people going to a service. The reception, yes, but not the service.¡± the vice chancellor said, not getting it.
¡°Sir, to attend a wedding one normally needs to have freedom of movement.¡± George pointed out. ¡°My foster parents will be attending, but I don''t have such fond memories of my natural family that we''ve sought day-release for any of them, and it would probably have been refused anyway.¡±
¡°Oh!¡± the vice chancellor said, finally getting the point.
¡°As for the date, sirs, we''ve booked the 23rd of December.¡± Karen supplied.
Dr Holmes looked at Karen''s face, and the way she''d arranged her hair. Karen remembered that when her mother had taught it to her she''d said it was something she dug up when she was a student. One clue too many. ¡°Well, well, well. Maybe I should be retiring! I should have realised! And all the evidence before me! Do greet your parents for me, Karen.¡±
¡°I will, Dr Holmes, but I''m sure you can do so in yourself, in December.¡±
¡°What''s this, Dr? You do know who this young lady is, after all?¡±
¡°Yes sir, I realise that I do.¡± Dr Holmes admitted with a chortle ¡°I''m even going to their wedding. But she''s perfectly right, it would be entirely incorrect to discuss anyone who might be there from her side.¡±
¡°And you presumably know, as well, Maam?¡±
¡°Sir, as Dr Holmes has far more experience in these matters, I wouldn''t dare to comment. But do I understand you have certain expertise which could help the science ministry?¡±
¡°My expertise?¡± The change of subject threw the vice chancellor.
¡°I understand that where for me the field of non-destructive testing of rocks and concretes is pretty much a closed book, you are the person who wrote the book in the first place.¡±
¡°Urm, yes, well, one of them.¡±
¡°The science ministry would, urm, sorry, I need to quote exactly.¡± she pulled up the message on her wrist unit and opened the screen to full size. ¡°They''d like to know ''if the blast resistance of new wing of the institute can be established, in an entirely non-destructively manner. This would include determination of the appropriate moduli, the consistency of the mineral composition, the location, size and quantity of all the reinforcement bars and ties.'' Oh, and I need to add that the walls incorporate radiation shielding, a high quality Faraday cage, and are a metre thick.¡±
¡°Well... None of that sounds too tricky, except the mineral composition. Could you expand?¡±
¡°My guess is they want to know if the builders didn''t put in as much cement as they should have, or used the wrong sand, or something.¡±
¡°Oh. Yes, I see. The radiation shielding is on both sides?¡±
¡°No, just on the inner side, as far as I know.¡±
¡°Hmm. Well, with a variety of techniques, and the right tools, and sufficient
time. I presume there is a time scale for this?¡±
¡°As soon as possible, preferably within a week.¡±
¡°That seems rather more hurried than is possible for reliable results. It matters?¡±
¡°The way it was explained to me is they know how much energy the asteroid ought
to have. If they can get a handle on how strong the blast is at the institute, they can start drawing maps of where the impact might be centered, and then get maps of where safe is. ¡°There are three possible evacuation sites, sir, assuming that partcular part of the building was built exactly as strong as it should have been. If it''s significantly stronger, then so much the better, unless it means the blast wave is too strong for the model. But if is significantly understrength, then there''s only one, or possibly none with easy transport connections. The lane position grid used by the driverless transports doesn''t extend very far outside the city, after all, but that''d be the best and safest way of getting people to the evacuation site. I''m sure you know how much further apart they have to get when they''re only relying on internal sensors. Efficiency decreases, and so on. If they have no details, then they''ll just have to pick a number that coincides with houses being flattened. Apparently that pushes the distance up a long way.¡±
¡°I would have thought getting people away from the impact flash would too, maam.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, if I sounded like any kind of expert, that''s because I''m just repeating what I''ve been told, a lot of times. Could you explain that to me?¡±
¡°Well, I''m sure the minsistry scientists have considered it, but only part of the energy is going to be released as a shock-wave. Some will be light and heat. You''d want to make sure that people are far enough away that the light doesn''t blind them or the heat burn them.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡± Eliza said ¡°I''ll make a note of that. I wonder if they have considered it, actually. I haven''t heard anything from them about people risking being blinded.¡±
¡°It probably depends on how high the meteorite explodes.¡±
¡°Now that reminds me.¡± Eliza said ¡°One piece of evidence which led the committee to conclude that it was a Tungusga type event rather than a nuclear device was that there weren''t any scorch marks on buildings. But buildings look at the sun all day long, but people shouldn''t.¡±
¡°Very well put, Maam, very well put.¡±
¡°Excuse me, I think I must talk to Albert about this.¡± She tried to attract Albert''s attention.
¡°Of course, Maam. You don''t think the ministry scientists will have considered it?¡±
¡°Perhaps they have and they''re genuinely not worried, but I don''t remember anything in the reports I''ve been reading. Excuse me, I''ll go and ask Albert.¡±
She crossed the room to his side and asked. ¡°Albert, can I interrupt?¡±
¡°Of course, Eliza. Did I see you talking to the vice chancellor?¡±
¡°Yes, and he raised the issue of a flash from the meteor possibly blinding people. I suspect, from some of their reports, the ministry scientists are a little out of their areas of expertise, but not so far that they''d think they need to call in an expert. I haven''t read anything about a flash, so maybe they haven''t considered it.¡±
¡°Nor have I. So, we need to ask them, and of course the good professor here. Eliza, let me introduce you to Professor Hope, emeritus professor of space physics. Professor, could you restore our faith in the ministry scientists? Is there a risk of the flash blinding you if you''re too close?¡±
¡°I''m afraid it''s a little out of my field. But there will certainly be an ionisation trail, just like with meteors, which is going to be bright enough to get people''s attention. Then, assuming it breaks up, yes, yes, you''re going to get quite a flash. Not quite on the pure deathray-scale of a nuclear explosion, of course. But there''s going to be a lot of hot stuff up there. Probably brighter than the sun. It would depend on how much of the sky it covers for you, probably. I really don''t know what the safe range would be, sorry. I suppose I could come up with a distance, but I wouldn''t want to bet anyone''s eyesight on it.¡±
¡°Thank you for your caution, professor. Do you think you could suggest someone who we should be contacting?¡±
¡°Oh, that spaceguard chappie, what''s his name, Brown? No, Green, Dr Green, I''m sure he could make some better guesses. You''re sure it''s going to hit then?¡±
¡°Not a hundred percent, no. We know two people who had waking visions, over the past year, and a third person had a series of dreams when a teenager. Both visions showed the city destroyed, as did most of the dreams. But one dream showed people going home.¡±
¡°And you''re sure this isn''t just some publicity seeking stunt?¡± The professor asked.
¡°Quite sure. None of the people concerned have sought publicity. The gutter press are screaming for them to, offering big rewards, but they''re not interested.¡±
¡°The government''s keeping them quiet then? Paying them hush money?¡±
¡°No, professor. Actually, they''re just not interested in having more press attention, or getting their pictures in the paper.¡± Albert said.
¡°How remarkable. I thought everyone wanted their fifteen minutes of fame.¡± the professor protested.
¡°Ah, but maybe these people have had it already professor, and now they want to get on with life. Or maybe they see that being plastered all over the news channels would ruin their careers, or their professional standing.¡± Eliza pointed out.
¡°Oh, yes, I suppose being famous isn''t to everyone''s liking. But you''ve chosen that life, my dear.¡±
¡°I actually feel I''ve had it thrust upon me, professor. I was caught up in an international crime by no fault of my own, got put into witness protection and then instead of a nice quiet day writing a paper at a safe-house I found myself being whisked off to the palace.¡±
¡°But you didn''t need to accept his highness''s proposal, did you?¡±
¡°Hmm. I don''t really know. Bella, what do you think? Could I have refused?¡±
¡°I think, since I''ve known you, you''ve never once declined a challenge because just because it''s not in your plans or outside your comfort zone or brings an enormous commitment. You see your duty and just get on and do it, and encourage others to do the same.¡±
¡°Oh, so which one was the prince? Duty, or challenge?¡± laughed the elderly professor. Eliza blushed a little, wondering how to answer, but Albert saved her from having to, saying ¡°I think we have a duty to go and start enjoying the excellent meal.¡±
2.15pm, Tuesday 5th December
¡°Your Highness, honoured guests, respected senior members of our university,¡± the vice chancellor started as the dessert was being cleared away ¡°We need to decide what to do about next term. Additional information has today been published which adds credence to the account, and has been available to the government since the beginning. Our Chancellor has given me further information on the sources of this information. This is not a publicity stunt gone too far, it is a serious and credible threat. There is no guarantee that any building on campus will withstand the impact, and subject to further structural analysis, I must include in that statement the old reactor building. We must, for public safety''s sake consider the accelerated decommissioning of that facility, and relocation of the neutron source. Obviously, that is not a spectator friendly activity, and it would be best done outside term time.
¡°Data should already be backed up off-site in line with university policies, but staff should verify this is so. We would hope to move data storage, but priority will need to be given to the library''s physical archive, and to any unique apparatus and samples. The data centre and its infrastructure is obviously important to the university''s functioning, but we should assume we may not be functioning for several years. We also need to balance the risks of not moving the centre with the possibility that the impact does not occur. If the data center and associated equipment remains, then we could reopen quickly, at least for some courses. If it is dismantled, then we would, I believe, struggle to verify the correct functioning of all the systems in time for next September. I propose that we obtain quotes with a view to protecting the data centre from the impact, rather than move it. Such protection may not be fully effective, of course, which is why I am not proposing it for the neutron source.
¡°I do not believe that we should assume we can reopen, or that we should try to force a particular solution on all students. There is a mechanism, we know for the lower year students to transfer to another institution, and if the impact occurs that would be the obvious choice for most of them. However, as we all know, that''s not a realistic option for the final year students. For students of law, we do not have the same flexibility as for other subjects, as the exams are set and sat externally. Those students will be given self-directed study and will sit their exams in the capital as normal. I am convinced that the university''s final exams will need to occur in January, and propose that we should confer degrees before Valentines day. This has precedence in the history of academia, and it avoids the risk of our database being destroyed by the impact. Obviously, there will be topics not studied, and these should be made available to students before the end of this shortened year. I propose that intermediate exams be held at the normal time, should no impact occur, and if it does, then whenever it is possible to resume, if that be before the next academic year begins. Do I hear any voices in opposition?¡±
One professor raised his voice ¡°What about those subjects examined on a dissertation? Most students have not even chosen their topics yet, let alone begun their research.¡±
¡°I leave the exact formulation of the marking scheme to the faculties and departments concerned.¡± the vice chancellor stated. ¡°Obviously students will need to be informed quickly what is expected of them. Perhaps the dissertation itself could be skipped and the students required to submit their research notes, tentative conclusions and lines of further study, I understand that this is an assessed requirement already in some subjects.¡±
¡°There is not a hundred percent correlation between making good plans and carrying them out.¡±
¡°But I expect there is a good correlation between poor research techniques and poor results. We could of course offer those students who feel that a good dissertation is critical for their employment opportunities to have it marked after the impact, and I suppose that in exceptional circumstances this might be reflected in an amendment on their certificate.¡±
¡°You suggest their degree grade could be raised after it has been conferred?¡± asked another professor, outraged.
¡°I think I propose that an accolade such as ''Cum Laude'' could be added to any grade, in this exceptional case, and we would indicate that while the degree grade cannot by law and custom be raised, had the year been normal and their excellent dissertation been taken into account, then they would have attained a higher grade of degree.¡±
Murmurs of ''very just'' went round the room.
¡°This is wonderful news for humanities students, but what of students in the sciences? Their research project is just as important, but not as portable as a pile of notes. Some students have already begun projects that will not begin to produce results in this timescale.¡±
¡°Professor, the fact that the government has requested a total evacuation of the city should not have come as a surprise, it was announced some time ago. It is unfortunate that the staff guiding the students did not foresee any possibility of this premature end to the year and suggest a shorter project. However, I''m sure that the quality of their understanding and of their research method must be assessable somehow. Surely you of all people are not expecting the students to be graded on the results they obtain?¡±
There was a ripple of muted laughter.
[What''s that about?] Eliza asked Karen and George.
[University rumour says the professor''s incredibly complex PhD research apparatus took him four years to design, build and setup. But, depending on the version it either got struck by lightning or sank or washed away by a flash flood on the day it was due to give him the first results. Or possibly all three.] George replied.
[I heard another version,] Karen added [that a police car crashed into it, and that while he was trying to sort out the paperwork, a bailiff came because he hadn''t paid his rent, repossessed it, and sold the whole lot for scrap metal.]
[Ouch. That last half has a certain ring of credibility.] Eliza replied.
[So does the one that he broke it himself in a fit of rage when it gave rubbish results and he realised there was a fundamental design error. But the rumours agree that he got no data, and I guess that bit''s true.] George concluded.
¡°So, do I hear any further objections or questions?¡± the vice chancellor asked.
No one spoke. ¡°Then, I shall announce this decision to the student body this afternoon. Our students have been on edge long enough.¡±
2.30, Underground
¡°Teresa, I''ve been edging forwards to watch the water. It''s going down pretty fast now ¡ª a centimetre or two a minute. It''s not gone, but I can see the other side of the dip now. I''m pretty sure there''s headroom all the way, And I want to see sky!¡±
¡°That''s great Pam, me too, but check with Angus that there''s no more surprises. You don''t want to get soaked and then find there''s another dip after that one still full of water.¡±
¡°Good point,¡± Jan agreed. She called Angus on the low frequency radio. ¡°Angus, Pam here, are you there?¡±
¡°Hello Pam, how''s the water level?¡±
¡°Going down. There''s headroom above it to the other side. Is this the lowest point just in front of me?¡±
¡°It is, but you''ve still got quite a crawl on the other side ¡ª there''s some tight spots so it''s probably a good half hour. Plus your muscles aren''t exactly warmed up. I know you don''t want to be dragged out by your hair because you''ve got cramp. Wait till the water''s gone, please.¡±
¡°Spoilsport. I want to see sky.¡±
¡°You''ll see it sooner if you don''t get soaked. Oh, those radios are only splash proof, too.¡±
¡°Oh all right, I''ll wait.¡±
¡°Thank you. Oh, by the way, there are some other dips, and yours might drain faster than the other ones, even if yours is the lowest, so no guarantees you''re clear once you''re past that one. All we know is they do drain eventually.¡±
¡°Oh great.¡±
¡°Think of it as useful mapping exercise if you like. It''d be useful to know.¡±
¡°That is Jack''s love, not mine, but OK, I''ll moan if there''s anywhere I have to stop.¡±
¡°Thanks, Take care down there.¡±
2.45pm
Dr Holmes approached as Karen and George were talking with Albert and Eliza. ¡°May I congratulate your highness on the speedy resolution of the problem.¡±
¡°I think, Doctor, that the congratulations really belong to the members of the committee who were able to bring that data into a publishable state so quickly. I will be thanking them as soon as I can. The vice-chancellor got the point very quickly.¡±
¡°I did momentarily find myself wondering how two students came to be aware of unpublished data from a secretive committee report, but having known Karen''s mother at a similar age, I cannot really say I am surprised.¡± Albert raised an eyebrow.
¡°I believe I gave Dr Holmes one clue too many when I arranged my hair like this, your highness. Mother taught it to me as a fast way to an elegant hairstyle, but I''d forgotten she said she''d rediscovered it just before going to the academy. Plus, of course he is on the invitation list to our wedding.¡±
¡°That hairstyle was very much her trademark.¡± reminisced the doctor. ¡°I will not, of course, disclose her maiden name.¡±
¡°I see you are living up to your reputation Doctor.¡± Eliza said. ¡°But I''m sure you will realise that other aspects of the wedding will make some relationships perfectly clear.¡±
¡°Not to mention her role in certain press reports, yes. You clearly had a busy summer, Karen. I see what you meant about not being able to stay low profile for long. Enjoy it while it lasts.¡±
¡°Thank you, Doctor.¡±
¡°Your Highness, Maam, I''m afraid I must go and prepare for my next lecture.¡±
After he''d left, George groaned. ¡°You realise what the short year means for us, Karen?¡±
¡°Not in much detail.¡±
¡°If finals are going to be in January, then our honeymoon is going to need to include revision.¡±
Karen groaned. ¡°That was not part of the plan. What''s the point of travelling to far away beauty spots if we need to spend our days studying?¡±
¡°Not to mention sitting finals while getting over jet-lag isn''t my idea of fun. We haven''t finally booked yet, cancel and go to plan B?¡±
¡°Plan C, rather.¡± Karen said.
¡°You think so?¡±
¡°Yes. Fetching wood and water will keep us sane, and we get lots of peace and quiet.¡±
¡°Can I ask what these plans are?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Plan A was to play tourist somewhere exotic, like most people do. It was looking like more than we could afford so we came up with plan B, which was a hotel in some hills, with opportunities for walking or various tourist things nearby if we wanted.¡± Karen explained.
¡°Plan C is a rustic cabin in the mountains.
Almost off grid ¡ª just enough electricity for a small light and for charging wrist units. Seasoned timber from the local sustainable coppice for heating and cooking, pull up your own water from the well, and there''s a filter to put it through just in case.¡±
¡°Sounds isolated.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Quiet, tranquil, and since there''s literally nowhere to spend money once you''re there, it''s fairly cheap too,¡± Karen esaided ¡°We''d thought we could go for nice long walks in the snow before warming up beside the wood burning stove, but maybe something more like revision in the morning and short walks in the afternoon? What do you think, George?¡±
¡°I''m beginning to think it should have been plan A from the beginning.¡± George agreed, looking forward to having no distractions from revision except Karen. ¡°It also means that we''re not likely to accidentally gather a following of reporters, well-wishers and other unwelcome attention.¡±
¡°So, romantic, rustic revision paradise it is.¡± Karen agreed. Albert asked something he''d been wondering about. ¡°How do you get there if it''s so inaccessible? And what about food, or accidents?¡±
¡°There are a number of the cabins, none less than a kilometre apart. We takefood, and there''s all terrain vehicles at the office, one to ten kilometres away, which take us up there, and we can call on in emergencies.¡± George said.
¡°Sounds good.¡±
¡°I hope they''ve not booked up. Shall we go and book it, Karen?¡±
¡°Yes, if you''ll excuse us?¡± Karen asked Albert and Eliza.
¡°Of course!¡± Albert said.
After they''d left the room they still had a little time before the vicechancellor''s talk,
Albert asked Eliza, ¡°What do you think? Should we follow in George and Karen''s footsteps for our little get-away before judgement day?¡±
¡°I believe, dearest Albert, that I''ve left the honeymoon arrangements entirely in your hands. All I ask is that we do genuinely get some privacy. But having saidthat, it does sound quite a tempting place. I don''t know what Bella and Nigel''s thoughts would be though.¡±
¡°Nor do I.¡± Bella said.
¡°I think we''d have to check up on it quite thoroughly.¡± Nigel said, ¡°Maybe we should even stay there for a weekend.¡± he mused.
¡°Nigel, I''m not really interested in going out with you, sorry, let alone taking a romantic trip to a secluded cabin!¡± Bella protested.
¡°Not just you and me, Bella!¡± Nigel said, burning red, ¡°I was thinking more of a group of us. Look at it from all angles. Maybe my brother, he''s in Analysis. Fido would love it.¡±
¡°Your brother''s called Fido?¡± Bella asked.
¡°No, Trevor. Fido''s his dog. What did you think he was, Maam? I can never remember.¡±
¡°Golden retriever from your description. Apparently Nigel looks after Fido while his brother and some friends go hanging off mountains by their finger tips, Bella.¡± Eliza said.
¡°I see. So you have a brother who has a nice safe job, a big friendly ball of fur, and a death-wish. Who else were you thinking of inviting?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I guess it shouldn''t be all my contacts. And it should be someone who''s good a judging people. I''m sure the staff are the biggest risk.¡±
¡°Pris?¡± suggested Eliza, thinking that Pris had looked like she needed a break last time she''d met her.
¡°She might not like the idea of being somewhere cold. But yes, she''s good at that side of things.¡±
¡°We can ask.¡± Albert said. ¡°I think it''ll be an expenses-paid trip but on your own time, by the way. I seriously doubt you''ll be doing that much investigation.¡±
3.05pm, Crinkle three
¡°It''s gone, Teresa!¡± Pam said, in glee, and radioed, ¡°Angus, we''re on our way. I''ve just watched the last half centimetre go down the crack.¡±
¡°Happy crawling. I don''t know if you heard, the others are getting near to being ready to move, too.¡±
¡°So, who do you expect to get out first?¡±
¡°If it''s dry all the way, you two.¡± Angus replied.
3.30pm
All the students had been notified that there would be an extraordinary announcement outside the library, and a public address system usually used for student fun days had the dust blown off it and was set up without the normal attention to detail. There just wasn''t time.
So when Albert stood up to address the gathering crowd the technicians were still adjusting the settings. ¡°Students and staff of this University, while all the loudspeakers are being fiddled with and maybe even as the echo is tweaked away, I would like to thank those of you who voted for me in favour of the duck. Honestly, I doubt the duck would have been able to help much with the issue that I was called here to address. Normally the role of chancellor is only honorary, but it has a certain authority, and one aspect of that is that the vicechancellor has to listen to me.¡± as with the duck reference, was little brief laughter. ¡°I was asked to interevene because of a situation which arose because the university authorities didn''t have enough information to implement the drastic plans that they knew needed to be made. They needed to be sure that the threat was credible, and I believe they are now fully convinced of this.¡±
¡°The real thanks today go to the students who raised this issue with me, and the members of the committee on major threat assessment who have worked very hard, without financial or other gain, to obtain, assess, and now publish the technical information that formed the basis for a briefing at the palace just ten days ago. But, I also want to thank the vicechancellor who clearly had no intention of closing his ears to me, and for making a number of difficult decisions this afternoon. I will hand over to him now.¡±
There was a stunned silence when the vice chancellor effectively announced the closure of the university in two weeks time, and rattled off the bullet points from his notes.
¡°There will be no lectures next term, as the staff concentrate on packing up everything and then marking the final year students'' exams. Since law students are not examined here anyway, they will continue to study, and have access to staff remotely. The university will reopen early after Christmas, on the eighth, for students who need to consult staff, and final exams will begin on the fifteenth. The university graduation ceremony will be on the tenth of February. Course fees will be returned for those students who transfer to another institution or who sadly decide they will not be able to complete the studies they''d started. Alternatively, students can defer until the university reopens. This might be a month or years, we do not know. Deferring students will be rewarded for their faithfulness to the university with a guaranteed 10 percent reduction in their fees for all remaining years they study, including into postgraduate courses, and their fees will be based on the whichever is cheaper, the current fee structure or that which we implement after the impact.¡± There was a ripple of conversation on that ¡ª deferring for a year or two could end up saving a large sum of money.
¡°There will be a number of short-term job openings to students who have an exemplary record, in helping to box and move the library''s physical books and other archives. There will be similar openings in the science departments. Preference will, in all instances be given to students of the relevant science, to avoid costly or dangerous mistakes due to unfamiliarity with the apparatus. Final year students are expected to need the time to concentrate on their studies, but may seek approval from their tutors to apply in certain circumstances. Those circumstances will include financial hardship as well as convincing proof that working for the university is not going to hurt your grades.¡± He then laid out the special regulations for after-graduation submission of dissertations and any research projects not rendered impossible by the closure.
¡°If there are research projects that have been rendered impossible by the closure, which the student feels must be completed for their career path, then arrangements will be made for facilities at another institution, though there may be some additional costs to the student. Final year students will have complete access to the lost term''s course materials until graduation, and may take copies of lecture notes for future study as needed. In recognition of the staff time saved by those who do not feel that their chosen career paths need them to complete dissertations or research projects, those students will be entitled to reimbursement of one sixth of the year''s course fees.¡±
¡°That is all for now from me, the university news page will, of course, be kept up to date. I suspect that many of you will want to communicate this to your parents, and I won''t keep you. No decisions are needed immediately, except that I recommend final year students start to think of how they will revise for exams starting in a little over six weeks'' time.¡±
A significant portion of the crowd groaned at that thought.
3.45pm
¡°Tony, I''ve made a vow. ¡°Tereza said.
¡°What, my love?¡± He said into her hair; neither felt like letting go of the other.
¡°I''m not going caving without you. If we do go, we''re not going anywhere we could get separated.¡±
¡°You vowed that to God?¡±
¡°Yes. I mean it. Let''s go bird watching instead. It was scary down there. Jim''s dead. It''s not worth that, Tony.¡±
¡°OK. What actually happened?¡±
¡°You''ve seen the map? We had that laser ball there to make a better map of the place. We went down crinkle one. There are a lot of places where it twists and turns, and it''s slippery, but mostly its was walking. There''s a drop into the cavern at the bottom, so it''s one way only. It''s not so far, and you land in about a metre of water. All part of the route. Down crinkle one, splash, into the pool, then up three or four, total time about three hours. So, we did that, a fairly easy trip down, and we were wading past the bottom hole ¡ª where the river goes away. The plan had been to walk as far as we could towards where the river enters the cavern, and get the ball to scan that tunnel as much as it could, maybe even find the entrance to crinkle two, ¡ª it''s all flooded there - and then make our way out of the system by one of the two other ways. We were all staying near the edge, well away from the currents. Jim was carrying the ball. Then Jack slipped. Jim dropped the ball to catch him, I mean, the ball'' waterproof, and he didn''t want Jack to hit his head, so why not? But while Jack was getting back on his feet, the ball got caught in the current. It was on a rope, so Jack just pulled. Only he pulled at the wrong time. It had been going round the hole, you see, and he pulled it right across the mouth, and it went down. We spent, I don''t know, five or ten minutes trying to pull it out, with the water rising to our chests, and then the rope broke, and we gave up. We got to the crinkles and split up, Jan and I took crinkle three, and the others crinkle four. Theirs was the bigger one, mostly, but has more hard bits. It was a race against the water, since we knew that crinkle one with water in it is deadly, and that we had to go along one to get out. But we also knew that there were bits of both tunnels that were higher than crinkle one, so there were places we wouldn''t be likely to drown. But we weren''t really sure which way was fastest, or which rise was above the water line.
"So, while we were going as fast as we could, up and down, up and down, Jan and I were also working out how much we''d gone up and down at each high point. We were just deciding we''d got high enough, maybe, when water started gushing into the dips through the fissures. Race over, we''d lost; we were pretty sure that One would be useless by the time we got there, so we stopped. Then the water kept rising and we we got cut off from one another. And we hoped that we were in the right place to be rescued, and not drowned. I did a lot of praying.¡±
¡°I''m glad you''re safe. I don''t want to lose you.¡±
¡°Me too. I don''t want to lose you or be lost to you. So, let''s do bird-watching.¡±
¡°The doctors want to check up on you, love.¡±
¡°They can wait. I need more hugs.¡±
Preparation / Ch. 14: Yet another problem
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 14:Yet another problem
6.30pm, Tuesday 5th December
¡°George, I''ve got another problem.¡± Karen said into her wrist unit.
¡°Oh? What subject?¡±
¡°Wedding. Potential disaster, in fact.¡±
¡°I''m all ears, love.¡±
¡°My cousin and I got chatting. She''s having five bridesmaids.¡±
Karen was being careful, George realised, possibly she was in company. ¡°Well, that''s sort of normal, given who she''s marrying.¡±
¡°She''s worked out she needs them. In case it''s muddy. Don''t I need the same precautions?¡±
¡°Ah. Yes. Sarah had the church swept spotlessly clean, and two train carriers.¡±
¡°Whereas I have my cousin to help in the background only, Sarah is definite, Eliza was a possibility but she''s been told no, she needs to keep her hands free, just in case. Even if it''s not muddy, that''s not really going to work, is it? I was so banking on Eliza, but even then, with mud it doesn''t work.¡±
George thought of how the train had just kept coming and coming as Sarah walked up the aisle. ¡°No. You''d need a total of four or five¡±
¡°In two and a half weeks.¡±
¡°Friends?¡±
¡°Now in a panic about revision, I think. Maybe not all, but one''s just asked how late the reception will go on, because she thinks she''d rather get home that night, rather than stay and travel the next day. She didn''t say revision, but she''d been planning to stay and play tourist last time I talked to her. I''m going to keep trying.¡±
¡°O.K. So, shall I come over?¡±
¡°No, just tell me if you think May would be willing?¡±
¡°Which one? Ngbilla or Kray?¡± George asked.
¡°Excellent idea. Why not both?¡± Karen replied.
¡°Do they know each other?¡±
¡°Not as far as I know.¡±
¡°It might be just the thing they don''t need, you know, filling their heads with famous people and glamorous dresses.¡±
¡°Ha, they don''t need me for that. Especially not your cousin. For all I know she''s picked her dress fabric already.¡±
¡°You might be right.¡± George laughed, then thinking of Karen''s plan to introduce May to Pris, he had another idea. ¡°Pris is out of her wheel chair now, isn''t she?¡±
¡°Yes. Oh George! You''re a genius! I love you! I''''m so glad you''re my genius. Lets get married.¡±
¡°O.K. Are you planning of doing anything in two and a half weeks?¡±
¡°Yes, lots and lots of new and exciting things, so be there and don''t bring too many course books for the honeymoon.¡±
¡°You neither!¡± he laughed, ¡°But do bring some, or we might both regret it. So, shall I try and arrange for May to meet May and you, while you convince your honorary big sister to do you a favour?¡±
¡°I guess I''ll talk to Mummy first. She might veto the whole idea. Could you sound out both sets of parents/foster parents, no hint to the girls?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
¡°Hi May, are you at home?¡±
¡°Yes. Why?¡±
¡°I want to talk to your foster parents without you knowing about it.¡±
¡°So you''re telling me this first?¡±
¡°Of course, isn''t that what everyone does?¡±
¡°George, you''re nuts. Mum, It''s my cousin George. He wants to talk secrets with you. What''s it about, George?¡±
¡°Christmas is coming up, isn''t it?¡± George asked.
¡°So''s your wedding.¡±
¡°Ooh, you surprise me. So do you want to totally spoil the surprise, or will you leave the room after turning off your monitor program?¡±
¡°How did you know?¡±
¡°I guessed.¡±
¡°Oh all right. It better be a big surprise.¡±
¡°It''s an idea. If you hear it and it gets vetoed then it''s a big disappointment. I don''t want to do that to you, cuz.¡±
¡°Oh. OK. So it''s better I don''t listen at the door either?¡±
¡°Got it in one!¡±
¡°OK. Here''s Mum.¡±
¡°Turn off the monitor too.¡±
¡°All right. It''s off.¡±
¡°Talk to you sometime then.¡±
¡°You''d better.¡±
¡°Hello?¡± George heard Mrs Brown, May''s foster mother. ¡°Hello, Mrs Brown? George Kray here. Has May left the room?¡±
¡°She sprinted out of the room and upstairs.¡±
¡°Hmm. If I know my cousin at all then even if she''s been told it might be a massive disappointment then she''s still listening in. She''s probably got it relaying to a console in her room, or something. I didn''t mention that.¡±
¡°I''ve never actually caught her doing it, but possibly.¡±
¡°So, I''ll just change a setting on my wrist unit. The line will go dead for a moment, but don''t hang up please.¡±
¡°O.K.¡±
George changed to ''remote energy saving mode''. It turned off a number of other functions on the receiving wrist unit, so that, for instance parents or employers knew that their children/staff were paying attention to them and not continuing to watch a film, or he''d discovered, by lawyers to make sure that their conversations with their client were not being recorded. Because it turned off a lot of the functions, it could increase the battery life a lot too. ¡°Can you hear me?¡±
¡°Yes, but the screen''s gone blank.¡±
¡°''''Remote energy saving mode''. The screen and non-essential functions turned off, such as relaying to another device.¡±
¡°Handy. And she doesn''t know about it?¡±
¡°I have no idea. But there''s very little she can do about it now, except thumb screws. But I presume you have rules about that.¡±
¡°So, what''s the big secret. I hope you''re not considering getting her a pony.¡±
¡°No. Bigger, in some ways. Karen''s just realised that with a five metre long train she needs another three or four bridesmaids to keep her train out of any mud or snow.¡±
¡°Oh. OK, and you''d like our input?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
¡°Can I call you back? I can''t think of any reason why not, but I''d like to check and see what Ray thinks.¡±
¡°OK. There are actually a few reasons. Partly because of Karen''s parents job, and the guest list, it''s going to be high profile. It can''t be avoided.¡±
¡°When you say ''High profile'', you mean pictures in the local paper?¡±
¡°I think, quite possibly, multiple international news channels. Almost certainly multiple national ones.¡±
¡°Oh. Wow. Is your Karen royalty or something?¡±
¡°No, but she did once, age four, I think it was, crawl into the lap of a certain foreign head of state, demand a story and tell him to shave off his beard. He''s on the invitation list. So, is that much press attention going to terrify May, make her a into a egocentric monster, or confirm her in her desire of seeking greatness through planning and effort?¡±
¡°Hmm, yes, she is a planner, isn''t she? She also brings most of them to fruition, too. I''ll speak to Ray.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°This is fairly urgent isn''t it?¡±
¡°It is rather, sorry.¡±
¡°It''s OK. He''ll be relieved, I think, he''s got a boring meeting that this just might get him out of.¡±
¡°Try not to share too much of what I''ve said with anyone except Ray, please.¡±
¡°Of course not.¡±
¡°Thank you, Talk to you later.¡±
George called Arwood and Hannah next.
¡°Hi, Hannah, George here. Karen and I would like your parental input before we ask May something.¡±
¡°A wedding something?¡± Hannah guessed.
¡°Yes. You''ve seen the train. Karen did have Sarah plus another bridesmaid, but that one''s had to drop out and it''s just occurred to us that there could be mud or snow, so more like five in total would be better.¡±
¡°Oh, you poor things!¡±
¡°So, would you be happy for us to ask May? We''re not going to publicise the guest list beforehand, but I''m sure that there''s going to be Tony''s colleagues. It''ll probably go international, given the context. There''s going to be important people from where Karen grew up, too.¡±
¡°OK. So you''re concerned about what this might do in terms of school, social, and so on?¡±
¡°Yes, and any other reason. Like has she been grounded for anything.¡±
¡°I presume you''ve got some more candidates?¡±
¡°My cousin May, and Pris. Both pending appropriate approvals. May''s the same age as your May, Christian and a very decisive personality. She''s picked herself a boyfriend from youth-group and told the world that they''re going to marry after university. I get the feeling he''s not opposed to the idea, but if he was he''d need to run away to Mars or something.¡±
¡°So how did she choose him?¡±
¡°Faith and intelligence, apparently.¡±
¡°That''s hopeful. So as long as she listens, your cousin would be a good influence. It''s a good job you didn''t call last week. She was within a
milimetre of getting herself grounded until Christmas. Yes May, of course I''m talking about you. So, George, I think it''s both of them or neither, if that''s OK.¡±
¡°Thanks, Hannah. That beats an outright refusal. I''ll let Karen know.¡±
¡°Bye, George.¡± Hannah said.
¡°That was Karen''s George? Asking ''bout me?¡±
¡°Yes, May.¡±
¡°And what was the question?¡±
¡°If he could ask you a question. I said maybe, girl, because of last week.¡±
¡°You know what the question was?¡±
¡°Yes, girl, of course I do.¡±
¡°And what does the maybe depend on? I can be good!¡±
¡°Don''t make promises you''ve shown you can''t keep. It all depends on someone else now.¡±
¡°I don''t understand.¡±
¡°Can I walk on water? No, I''d need God''s call to do it, and let''s face it more faith than I''ve got. But it doesn''t depend on me. Can Karen ask you what she wants to? We don''t know yet. I''ve set a condition.¡±
¡°What''s the condition?¡±
¡°That George''s cousin''s parents say yes, and George''s cousin says yes.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because she''s got sense you seem to be missing, and you ain''t getting involved unless she does. Girl, you don''t listen to me much any more. Don''t deny it, it''s true. Maybe you''ll listen to George''s cousin. She''s called May too, I don''t suppose you know her?¡±
¡°May Kray? Yeah, I''ve met her. She''s got a boyfriend, why do you dump on me every time I go out with someone?¡±
¡°Maybe, I''m just guessing here, maybe it''s because she asks permission before she goes out, tells her folks where she''s going to, gets back before midnight, and chooses the right sort of boy to hang around with. It sounds to me like she''s got a brain, girl, so you find out from her about boyfriends, and about being good.¡±
¡°What, now?¡±
¡°No. Now you finish your homework.¡±
¡°Awww, Mum!¡± May protested.
¡°May, girl, you need to do your homework, and if May says yes and you get that call, then you''re not going to be able to concentrate.¡±
¡°So what is this, some kind of trip?¡±
¡°No clues, just homework! I''m going to check on you soon, like I did when you were twelve and if you''re not doing it then maybe I''ll call George and tell him the answer''s no after all.¡±
¡°Mum!¡±
¡°Homework May, Or else!¡±
7.30pm, 5th December
¡°Thanks for coming home, Ray.¡±
¡°So what''s an ''urgent family crisis, no one dying?'' And where''s May? Surely she''s not in trouble?¡±
¡°Not at all. May''s done her homework and Tim called, which was just perfect timing by my book. So, they''ve gone for a walk, with pizza, due back at 9 as usual, and you and I are going to do the same, just in case May''s bugged the house again.¡±
¡°So it concerns her?¡±
¡°It does. Don''t take your coat off. I''ve got some tea in this flask.¡±
¡°OK, Hilda, let''s go.¡±
¡°Where to? It needs to be somewhere we won''t be overheard.¡±
¡°Well, if we need to talk in private, why not one of our old haunts? The bench in the woods?¡± he asked. It was had been of their favourite places, even before he proposed there. ¡°Lovely idea! Appropriate too.¡±
¡°I hope you''re not saying Tim''s proposed. She''s too young.¡±
¡°No! George called. I''ll tell you more on the way, Ray.¡±
¡°The mystery deepens.¡±
7.45pm, The woods near Ray and Hilda''s home.
¡°So, Karen needs a bridesmaid. What''s the big secrecy, and why not an immediate yes?¡±
¡°Ray, we knew Karen''s folks lived abroad, and you know we wondered at the choice of reception venue.¡±
¡°Yes? We figured they must be rich or civil service, didn''t we?¡±
¡°Apparently there are going to be heads of state, plural, at her wedding. I gather from George that she''s lived in diplomatic circles all her life, or anyway apparently she asked one head of state for a story when she was four. There''s likely to be media there, the lot.¡±
¡°With our May helping hold a 5 metre long train?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So she''d get press coverage, with all its risks, and there''d be no doubt that its her, down on the program as George''s cousin. We''d have to ask Social services.¡±
¡°I did, as soon as she went out. I didn''t give them all the details, but they said I didn''t need to. She''s sixteen, clearly makes her own decisions and knows her own mind, and we can''t keep her out of the media forever, plus it''s not like there have been any serious attempts to contact her from her birth-parents, not even through her brother. So, they say that the most serious risk is long gone, and it''s all up to us. It would certainly help George and Karen.¡±
¡°And I don''t think being on international news is going to hurt her self confidence any.¡± Getting near to the bench, they saw it was occupied, as they got closer they discovered who by.
¡°Hi Mum, Dad. What''s this about me being on international news?¡±
¡°How much did you hear, May?¡± her foster father asked.
¡°Just your last sentence. I heard Mum was saying something, but not what. We weren''t spying on you. Honest!¡±
¡°So, tell me, May Kray. What were you doing upstairs while George was talking to me?¡±
¡°My homework...¡±
¡°And did you try to listen?¡±
¡°George told me not to.¡±
¡°I know he did, so did you try to listen?¡±
¡°He did something.¡±
¡°Told your wrist unit to save power, yes. So you were trying.¡±
¡°He didn''t say not to do that. Just turn of the monitor, and not to listen at doors.¡±
¡°And what was the purpose of that?¡±
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
¡°He didn''t want me to hear. He thought it would be an enormous disappointment if you said no. But I can handle disappointment, and I learnt a long time ago that listening when people are talking about you is healthy.¡±
¡°Do you really still not trust us, May? Not even George?¡± her foster mother asked, pained.
¡°I trust you mum. Just...¡±
¡°Just you need to eavesdrop on everything, so you feel safe?¡±
¡°I guess so. I''m sorry, Mum.¡±
¡°Tim, be careful with May. She acts as decisive and bold, but needs a lot of ... unusual reassurance. You''ll know you''re really important to her when she plants bugs on you.¡± Ray said.
¡°You''re joking!¡± Tim protested, looking to May for reassurance.
May just hung her head in shame. ¡°May, that''s gross invasion of privacy! They put people in prison for that.¡± Tim exclaimed.
¡°The psych computers are aware.¡± Hilda said. ¡°May knows she''s got a deadline.¡±
¡°Or what?¡± Tim asked.
¡°My plans fall to pieces. All of them.¡± May said, sadly. ¡°I haven''t bugged you, Tim. I''m resisting. I will not, no matter how much I want to. I haven''t bugged anyone except Mum and Dad in a long time.¡±
¡°And let''s face it, we''re sort of used to it, after this long. But, do we have a decision, Ray, or do we send this pair off while we eat our Pizza?¡±
¡°You''ve still got Pizza?¡± May asked, optimistically.
¡°I told you it wasn''t enough! Go on, have a slice. Tim, would you like one too?¡±
¡°Thanks Mum!¡± May said.
¡°No thank you.¡± Tim said ¡°May gave me her last piece. She said she wasn''t hungry.¡± he accused.
¡°That was then. This is now. So, Dad, decisions?¡±
¡°Decision is, that you two go away and let us enjoy our pizza and thermos of tea, and then we''ll make our decision within half an hour. But May, I''d like you home by 8.30, so we''ve got time to talk this through. You need to learn to not show so much distrust in people who love you.¡±
¡°I know, Dad.¡±
¡°Hi, May. Karen here. Your foster parents said I could ask you a favour.¡±
¡°I thought it was George who wanted to make me an... interesting suggestion.¡±
¡°OK, are you somewhere reasonably private?¡±
¡°At home, will that do?¡±
¡°That''s wonderful. So, don''t say yes, don''t even think yes, until you''ve heard all of it OK?¡±
¡°So there''s a catch?¡±
¡°Several. And some surprises that you won''t be warned about. Do you cope well with surprises?¡±
¡°Like what?¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know. Suppose you were at church and there was a guest speaker who turned out to be the King?¡±
¡°Urm, OK, that''d be a surprise. I didn''t even think he was a Christian.¡±
¡°Assume he''s just become one. And at the end of the meeting he wants to talk with you.¡±
¡°Me?¡±
¡°Yes. What would you do?¡±
¡°Urm, run away.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°I wouldn''t know what to say. Running helps.¡±
¡°Hmm. Lets imagine you''re holding a really precious thing, and you''ll break it if you run, and make all sorts of people unhappy.¡±
¡°Am I allowed to faint?¡±
¡°I don''t think so, does that look good on the news?¡±
¡°On what news?¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know, Nation Wide News, or maybe something bigger. Just assume all your school friends are going to watch, with repeats.¡±
¡°This is the question?¡±
¡°No. This is hypothetical.¡±
¡°Phew. No way I want to do that.¡±
¡°Oh. OK. Bye then.¡±
¡°Wait. What about the question?¡±
¡°OK. Lets back up a bit. What''s the most scary bit about all that?¡±
¡°Fainting on camera.¡±
¡°Then don''t faint. What''s the next scariest bit?¡±
¡°Urm. Talking to the King, not knowing what to say.¡±
¡°Oh. That''s OK. He''s all right. He''ll probably just ask what''s your name, any say lovely or something vague like that. But I don''t think he''ll be there.¡±
¡°Where?¡±
¡°Church.¡±
¡°I don''t get it, Karen. What are you asking?¡±
¡°I''m asking what you''d do, if some head of state comes and talks to you while you''re holding my wedding dress''s train out of the mud, complete with camera crew and security guys. Does my dress get dirty?¡±
¡°Urm. I don''t think so. I''d try really hard not to drop it or run away. That''d be really embarrassing.¡±
¡°Great. Want to do it?¡±
¡°What. This is still hypothetical, isn''t it?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°But heads of state...¡±
¡°Will almost certainly be at my wedding, as will someone from the royal family. It''s a tradition.¡±
¡°What, to have someone from the royal family at your wedding? How many have you had? I''m getting really confused.¡±
¡°Right, you probably need to know this, but you''re breaking official secrets laws if you tell anyone, even your foster parents. OK?¡±
¡°Urm, OK. But that wouldn''t really matter, would it? I''m under age.¡±
¡°No age restriction, sorry. You tell someone what I tell you, without my saying so, and you''re in jail until after my wedding, maybe longer. Or if you don''t trust yourself, then I don''t tell you, and some bits don''t make sense.¡±
¡°OK. Tell me, but tell me what I can''t tell.¡±
¡°My father is the ambassador in another country. I grew up there. That''s going to be declassified at the wedding, it has to be, but at the moment it''s an official secret that the ambassador''s daughter called Karen getting married to someone called George is me. Do you understand that?¡±
¡°Not really I mean, you''re Karen, he''s George, people know your name.¡±
¡°No they don''t. I''ve been using an assumed name. I can get away with Karen since it''s common enough, but practically no one knows my real name at the university, and practically no one who knows my real name knows where I live and study.¡±
¡°Wow!¡±
¡°So, you can now find out my name, but please don''t. You don''t need to know, and what you don''t know, no one can steal from your thoughts.¡±
¡°And it''s traditional that someone royal goes to Ambassadors'' daughter''s weddings?¡±
¡°Yes. And if there''s a friendly relationship between the countries, the head of state gets invited. Since I climbed into the president''s lap and demanded a story when I was little, and he''s friends with my Dad, then he said he''d come. There is also a state visitor from another friendly country going to be here and they asked if they could come to the wedding too, so they could have an informal chat to the president. I''ve no idea what about, but he said that was a wonderful idea, so who are we to say no?¡±
¡°And you want me as a bridesmaid?¡±
¡°Yes. The train of the dress is about five metres long, it''s really old and we don''t want it getting dirty. So, four or five bridesmaids would be good. I''ve got one so far, number two had to drop out.¡±
¡°And the cameras...¡±
¡°Will be there, yes.¡±
¡°And the repeat showings?¡±
¡°Always possible. If the king does come then they''ll probably show him talking to the pretty bridesmaids, but realistically, it''s more likely to be the queen or the prince.¡±
¡°And if the prince is there, then his fiancee will be there too, and they can''t show enough of them.¡±
¡°You got it in one.¡±
¡°And Mum and Dad can come?¡±
¡°Of course, they''re already invited. You too.¡±
¡°I think I knew that, but I didn''t realise.¡±
¡°Of course not.¡±
¡°Any other surprises?¡±
¡°Oh, probably. Do you faint easily?¡±
¡°No. I never have yet.¡±
¡°Good. Oh, do you know May Ngbila?¡±
¡°We''ve met, inter-church youth meetings. Pastor''s daughter, isn''t she? ¡±
¡°Yes. Any thoughts?¡±
¡°About her being a bridesmaid too?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I''m sure she''d love it to impress the boys with.¡±
¡°Care to expand?¡±
¡°She''s taken to flirting in the last few months. And I''m not certain how, but she always seems to know what to say to different people, so all the boys focus on her. She loves being the centre of attention.¡±
¡°That''s not very godly behaviour. I never actually met her grandmother, but I''m sure she''d be very disappointed.¡± Karen said.
¡°I''m sure her parents are too, what''s her gran got to do with anything?¡±
¡°I never said a word about anything. Her Dad''s performing the wedding ceremony, I''ve seen her around a lot, know who she is, but never really talked to her about faith and stuff. Lots of people would really appreciate it if you can try and talk some faith into her.¡±
¡°Why me?¡±
¡°Because we''re grown-ups, and therefore probably know nothing, from her perspective, if she''s too far gone.¡±
¡°You''re probably right.¡±
¡°Do you know that hand slapping game, you know, move your hand before it gets slapped?¡±
¡°Yes. Why?¡±
¡°Ever play May Ngbila?¡±
¡°Once. She''s really quick. I never hit her. Why are you asking me, Karen?¡±
¡°Just random thoughts that come into my head. Do you think you can try to witness to her? You know, how boy-chasing is dumb in the sight of God and sensible women of all ages. She''s not thick from what I''ve heard, got a good brain if only she''d use it properly. If not, then maybe I shouldn''t ask her. I haven''t yet.¡±
¡°I can try. I''ll pray about how.¡±
¡°Good. Thanks, May!¡±
¡°You''ve been trying to tell me something. I''m sure of it.¡±
¡°Not tell. Even hint is too strong a word. Can you get your mum on the line? I need to talk dresses with her. Bridesmaids need dresses.¡±
¡°Oh! Of course.¡±
¡°Hi Arwood, Karen here. Has Hannah talked with you? If so, Can I have a word with May?¡±
¡°Yes, she has. Cousin May said yes?¡±
¡°Yes. Also promised to try and say the odd word of sense to her.¡±
¡°That''d be great. She needs someone to. It''s been getting hard to get through to her recently.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll ask her, if you''re happy with the idea.¡±
¡°I think we are, if you are.¡±
¡°If she can keep the dress out of the mud, then that''s great by me. We''ll do what we can to stop it going to her head.¡±
¡°Thanks, Karen. Shall I yell for her?¡±
¡°Yes please.¡±
Karen heard his powerful voice calling her to pick up the phone. ¡°Hello?¡±
¡°Hi May. Karen here.¡±
¡°George''s cousin said yes?¡±
¡°She did. So do you want in too?¡±
¡°What do I get?¡±
¡°Fame, glory, blisters maybe, sore arms probably, and my thanks if you get it right. Acute televised embarrassment if you get it wrong, probably only repeated on those ''major embarrassment'' shows which no one admits watching after a year or so. And a new dress, either way.¡±
¡°The dress I understand. What''s with the fame or embarrassment thing?¡±
¡°You know Sarah''s wedding dress?¡±
¡°Yes. It''s beautiful!¡±
¡°I think so too. So, I don''t want it getting muddy, and I don''t think Sarah, May, and one other is enough to keep it out of the mud when I wear it. Want to help? Because of my parent''s work there''s going to be the odd foreign head of state there, and maybe a royal or two. Plus cameras, and reporters to immortalise anything interesting at the event, for instance visiting head of state talks to pretty bridesmaids, or if I slip or someone drops the train.¡±
¡°I''d be famous?¡±
¡°Well, I''d rather you don''t drop it, but I suppose infamy is the next best thing.¡±
¡°I won''t drop it!¡±
¡°Sure?¡±
¡°I''ll try my hardest. That''d be terrible!¡±
¡°But you''ll do it?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Thanks, May! Now, put you mum on, please, I need to talk dresses with her.¡±
¡°Do I get to chose a colour? ¡±
¡°No, sorry. That decision was made weeks ago.¡±
¡°A style? Length? Neckline? I''ve got the legs for short and I don''t need to hide what I''ve got.¡±
¡°This isn''t about parading about like a piece of flesh for sale, May, this is my wedding. Engage your brain, and get real. No bridesmaid should ever try to outdo the bride. There is no way your mother would let you wear what you imagine you look good in, let alone at a wedding. Who gave you that idea anyway? Boys with more testosterone than self control?¡±
¡°They like me, Karen, they think I''m beautiful!¡±
¡°Oh, I''m sure. And then they mentally undress you and worship you in whatever way seems good in their own lust-fueled imaginations. That''s no way to keep your self respect, May. Any Christian boy who really loves a girl is going to be struggling against the side of his biochemistry and fallen nature which confuses love with lust. Do you really want to pour fuel on that fire? Or do you want to repel the decent boys by your behaviour?¡±
¡°I saw Sarah in that dress, Karen, you''re going to be showing a lot off.¡±
¡°Well, I''d have liked it to show less, true, but there are far worse being worn everyday in the street by girls who ought to know better. I thought you knew better too. And the bride being wrapped up beautifully is part of the wedding, May. Can''t have the groom getting distracted by the idea of unwrapping anyone else, can we?¡±
¡°Your making yourself sound like a present.¡±
¡°My body is part of my gift to George, May. Just like his is part of his gift to me, along with his self control. And before we give those gifts we''re making solemn vows which will last our whole lives. That''s very different to snagging a boy for a date.¡±
¡°I suppose so.¡±
¡°I know Mama Ng told Sarah you were a good girl, May. Just before you held hands with her and John. What''s changed? And I haven''t heard you talk about God recently, either. You used to.¡±
¡°Mama died. That''s what happened.¡±
¡°I see. And Mama died so all her advice goes out the window?¡±
¡°No. But... I don''t miss her as much when there''s boys around.¡±
¡°And I don''t suppose you''ve talked to anyone about this, have you? Not even held hands with John and Sarah?¡±
¡°No. They''re always busy.¡±
¡°Did you ask, or try?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°So, how are you using your power? It''ll want to be used, I''m sure.¡±
¡°I don''t use it much.¡±
¡°Just to find out what the others are thinking?¡±
¡°It''s not deliberate! It just happens!¡±
¡°Sorry, May. I don''t believe you. I think you''re turning your back on God and starting to use your power for sin. What''d Mama say about that?¡±
¡°You never knew her!¡±
¡°Not when she was alive no, but I''ve heard about her since she died. She knew right from wrong. You knew her. You think about what she''d say about you misusing your power and your looks.¡±
¡°She''d wallop me good and proper.¡±
¡°Well, then! Mama made John and Sarah part of your clan, didn''t she?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So, I''m going to tell Sarah about our little conversation. ''Cos she needs to know, doesn''t she?¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°Right. And you remember she''s got the same gift your Gran had, don''t you?¡±
¡°I''d forgotten. You know about that? I thought it was a big secret.¡±
¡°I know about that. I know you know, because Sarah told me about everything that happened that day. And it is a big secret, the biggest you know. But since you know it, then you''re not going to jump out of your skin when she talks to you pretty soon, are you?¡±
¡°She''d do that?¡±
¡°May, she''s clan, you''re clan, and you need to talk. What do you think?¡±
¡°She''d do that. And I think I''m going to cry when she does.¡±
¡°Good thing about the power is you can cry and talk at the same time.¡±
¡°How do you know?¡±
¡°Come on May, you''re not dumb. Sarah told you I have the power, remember? And how do you think I know what boys think and struggle with?¡±
¡°I just thought George told you.¡±
¡°That too. But I don''t think you''ve really heard what they think sometimes, May, or if you''ve got any self respect you''d not be thinking of showing off what you''ve got.¡±
¡°You''ve heard? It''s bad?¡±
¡°I''ve heard, and sometimes it''s vile. The good ones hate themselves for having had those thoughts, and it drives them to pray for forgiveness. The bad ones think it''s normal and it''s what you want them to think. So think of that when you choose your wardrobe. Now, can you put me through to your Ma? I need to talk to her about what you''re going to wear at my wedding.¡±
¡°OK. Thanks, Karen. I... I''d love to be your bridesmaid.¡±
¡°Then take the phone to your Mum.¡± May did so, and went to her room to think. Maybe even to pray, she thought.
¡°Hi Karen, that was a long talk.¡±
¡°Quite a few topics too. I''m going to get Sarah to call her.¡±
¡°Wow, this phone''s going to be busy.¡±
¡°Hannah, I don''t think they''re going to be talking by phone.¡±
¡°Then how?¡±
¡°Sarah told me that Mama Ng told May to go hold hands with her and John, Hannah. Didn''t you realise?¡±
¡°No what? Oh! No; May can''t have your gift, surely.¡±
¡°Just the power.¡±
¡°Oh wow. Why didn''t I realise? That explains why she always guesses what punishment she''s going to get, I suppose.¡±
¡°She said she misses Arwood''s Mama. I didn''t check if its the truth, but she said this boy-chasing dulls the pain. I asked her to think about what Mama Ng would say about her behaviour.¡±
¡°And she''s doing that?¡±
¡°I hope so. Like I said, I''m going to set Sarah on her. She knows Sarah''s got the gift, but as far as she knows I''ve only got the power. And Mama made Sarah clan.¡±
¡°Do you know what that means? Sarah didn''t seem to.¡±
¡°Not really, but this is what I guess: Mama was matriarch, with the undisputed right to interfere, and with the gift she had the knowledge to do so pretty effectively. Her death must leave quite a gap.¡±
¡°It does. Thank you for interfering.¡±
¡°We''re all one family in Christ, Hannah. I heard some stuff from George''s cousin and challenged May about some of it. I think she heard me, and she sounded like she wanted to talk. Just maybe not with her parents.¡±
¡°Ha! Tell me about it! Actually, I suspect she tried, once, and at the wrong time, then decided we weren''t giving her any attention. I know I was like that. Mama didn''t name a successor, except to go to Sarah for things we''d have gone to her for. I don''t know if anyone has gone to Sarah, or if Sarah''d know what Mama''s let her in for. But when you talk to Sarah, tell her... she''s got Mama''s gift and her blessing. That''s got weight. None of us are going to stand against her unless she really goes wrong. She''s a bit young for the job, but I think she''s got it.¡±
¡°I''ll tell her. I''m sure she''ll have questions for you.¡±
¡°I expect so. I just wish I''d listened to May.¡±
¡°Well, maybe once Sarah''s talked with her, she''ll be ready for a hug.¡±
¡°I hope so. May said you wanted to talk dresses?¡±
¡°Yes! We don''t have much time. My parents said they''ve been saving up and the venue comes with the job, so don''t worry about the cost. Could you take May to be measured? The dress is going to be computer-made to measure. You know what the reputation on that system is?¡±
¡°Computer gets it right: wonderful, but if you stand funny, you''re going to look funny.¡±
¡°Exactly. Please drill that into her. Natural upright pose, not slouching or sticking her chest out and all the rest.¡±
¡°Karen, the bulk of the cost is in the pattern and the material, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes. Why?¡±
¡°She needs some more clothes for school, and for that the pattern''s free. It''s a bit more than getting off the shelf things, and there''s the risk of it going wrong, so I''ve never bothered, but she''s feeling the peer pressure to get made-to-scan, and has said she''d pay the difference for getting something computer fitted. It''s certainly worth buying a funny looking blouse or two to avoid getting a badly fitted bridesmaid dress. I''ll take her and we can remeasure her if it turns out wrong.¡±
¡°Hannah, you''re a genius. Thanks. I''ll suggest that to Cousin May''s mum. No, scrub that. Hannah, the first blouse and skirt is on me. Just as long as it''s a decent length and modest neckline.¡±
¡°She''s been on at you about that, has she?¡±
¡°And she knows what I think. So, you see what she thinks I''d be happy to pay for, and veto as necessary.¡±
¡°How long?¡±
¡°What does school specify?¡±
¡°Knee to calf, but some of those girls have real high knees by that standard.¡±
¡°Calf length, I think. Hannah, after our conversation, I''d like her to have something she''s going to look good in, be proud of wearing, but not baring all. Fuller skirts are back in fashion, aren''t they? Something she can twirl and swish in if she wants to.¡±
¡°For school? Well I''ve seen some nice ones, but I''m not sure they''re in the rules.¡±
¡°See how much fabric you can get into the rules, Hannah, and I expect we''ll all be happy.¡±
¡°I like this idea, Karen, thanks. So I''m going halves on this. And if you''re going to be extravagant like this, then I think I''m getting her two skirts this trip, and skirt one had better be something more normal, just in case the measurement goes wrong.¡±
¡°OK. Then you get her skirt one, which she''ll expect from when you tell her what''s happening, and I''ll get her skirt two in the interests of education. Call it an early Christmas present.¡±
¡°Sure?¡±
¡°Sure. George and I can afford it.¡±
¡°That sounds unusual from students.¡±
¡°Well, George got some back royalties on one of his programs. That''s the honeymoon paid for, and more. Plus, Kate''s a really generous employer from a student''s point of view.¡±
¡°What about rent for next term?¡±
¡°We''re fine, Hannah, honestly!¡±
¡°All right, you can spend yourselves back to poverty if you like. I''ll let you know what the bill for your generosity comes to.¡±
¡°Thank you, Hannah. Can you send the measurement file to me?¡±
¡°Of course. You really don''t need to shower her with gifts, Karen.¡±
¡°I know, I know. Actually though, maybe the long skirt should come from Sarah and John too. I''ll discuss it with them. But you go ahead and get it, please. I''ll pay and then if Sarah and John want in we can work that out between us.¡±
¡°If you''re sure.¡±
¡°I''m sure. Bye.¡±
¡°Good bye.¡±
Karen was in two minds if she should call Hilda first, or Sarah. She didn''t have Hilda''s number, so would have to call May, and it was getting late, but she decided that Sarah was going to need time to talk to May.
[Sarah! I''ve just been talking to May.]
[Oh yes, which one?]
[Both. But mostly Ngbila. I''ve told May that I''d tell you what we were talking about. She''s been missing Mama Ng, missing having anyone to talk to like this, doesn''t think anyone has time for her, except for boys who she''s taken up flirting with. And cousin May said that she seems to know just what to say. I didn''t really challenge her on misusing her power like that, just with listening to the boys.]
[She likes listening to boys'' thoughts?] Sarah asked, surprised.
[Maybe she''s not done it much. That''s my guess.]
[Or she''s further gone than we hope.]
[Yes. Either she''s good at play acting or she''s not. Sarah, you said that Mama Ng had made you clan. She needs someone to talk to. Please make time for her.]
[Of course.]
[Also, I talked a bit with Hannah. Mama was matriarch. You''re not, quite, but she said you''ve got Mama''s gift and Mama''s blessing, which gives you real weight, and you''d have to go pretty wrong before they''d stand against you.]
[Me, not John?]
[I think he''s expected to lead you, Sarah, while you sort out the clan''s problems. Now, Mama almost certainly used her gift to keep the clan in line. Beyond the ethics boundaries, but they were her kids so what do you expect?]
[Hmm. yes. She didn''t exactly ask permission to check up on us. I won''t do that.]
[No. I didn''t think you would, or even you should. But if you ask, I bet most of them would be surprised you feel the need to. I''ve grown up in a patriarchal society. What Dad (or granddad) says goes, but things fall apart if he''s not there or sick without an acknowledged heir. Arwood''s family''s not that traditional, but there''s a hole, and I think you''ve been nominated to stand in that power vacuum at least for a while. Someone needs to.]
[Oh, joy.]
[Well, anyway, talk to May. She needs to talk.]
[That I understand. The rest... that''s going to take some processing.]
[I''m sure you''re up to it. Ask the others for help too.]
[The others in the clan?]
[And around the world. Remember, you said Mama said she''d spend whole nights thinking to people? I bet some of the others know all about the clan in far more detail that you do.]
[Why didn''t I think of that?]
[You''re new to the job.]
[Why did you, then?]
[Because it''s not my job, I''m happy to say! Bye, I''ve got to talk to May Kray before she goes to sleep.]
[Bye.]
Karen looked at her wrist unit for a moment before dialing. It was getting late. When did May go to sleep? She called George instead.
[George, you don''t happen to have Mr and Mrs Brown''s number do you? I don''t want to wake up May if she''s asleep.]
[Sorry, no. Why don''t you check if she is?]
[Because I''m sleepy too and didn''t think of it.]
[It''s been a long day, love.]
[It has. But Hannah had a wonderful idea, and I need to pass it on.]
[Oh?]
[Rather than getting the computer to measure May for the bridesmaids dress, why not get it to measure her for some school clothes, or something equally simple? If it gets that right, then use that proven measurement set.]
[Great idea. Big stress reduction for everyone.]
[Indeed. So, I''m going to pass that on, and offer to buy May some clothes like I did for May, after all it stops us having a truly embarrassed bridesmaid. Then I''m going to bed.]
[Good idea. I''m just going to finish this bit of work and do the same. Sleep well.]
[You too. I love you, George Kray.]
[Good job we''re getting married, because I love you too, Karen.]
Karen checked on May''s skin. She was awake, and sad. Karen rang. May''s voice, falsely cheerful.
¡°Hi Karen! What''s up?¡±
¡°I need to talk to your mum, pass on a bright idea from Mrs Ngbila. But what''s up with you?¡±
¡°Nothing.¡± Sniff.
¡°Fibber. I heard that sniff. Want to talk?¡±
¡°You wouldn''t understand.¡±
¡°I can try.¡±
¡°I''m in trouble. Again. Hasn''t George told you?¡±
¡°Told me what?¡±
¡°Bugs.¡±
¡°What, spiders and beetles?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Electronic?¡±
¡°yes.¡±
¡°No, he hasn''t told me.¡±
¡°You wouldn''t understand. And the psych-computers always say the same thing.¡±
¡°Which is?¡±
¡°It''s a very serious self-destructive problem and you need find the root cause before you turn seventeen.¡± She got the lack of intonation just right.
¡°That''s not very long, is it?¡± Karen said.
¡°No. Just under two months.¡±
¡°What happens then?¡±
¡°I get locked up.¡±
¡°May, I''m trying to understand. You''ve got some psych problem which they''re going to lock you up for? They don''t normally do that.¡±
¡°I''ve got a psych problem, that I can''t trust people unless I can check what they''re doing, or saying about me. I don''t need to do it all the time, just... reassure myself that I''m worrying needlessly.¡±
¡°So you bug them?¡± Karen tried to hide her amazement.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Everyone?¡±
¡°Mostly my parents. Now. It used to be more people. I''m getting it under control. But...¡±
¡°But?¡±
¡°But Tim found out tonight. Now I''m scared that he''s going to dump me. And I really really really want to know what he''s doing, what he''s saying, who he''s telling.¡±
¡°In other words you want to bug him?¡±
¡°Yes. And the worst thing is, I lied. Sort of.¡±
¡°Not good. Tell me?¡±
¡°I said I hadn''t bugged him. It''s not strictly true. I planted one. I''ve never listened to it. But I could. It would be so easy, Karen! But I don''t want to. I just need to.¡±
¡°No you don''t. You need to tell him what you''ve just told me, and tell him how to find it and destroy it.¡±
¡°Then what will he think of me?¡±
¡°I hope he''ll think that you''re battling with temptation, May, and winning.¡±
¡°Winning?¡±
¡°If you don''t have a bug there, then the temptation is gone, isn''t it?¡±
¡°But I won''t be able to check on him then!¡±
¡°Yes you will.¡±
¡°How?¡±
¡°Call him and talk to him. Very good way of knowing what someone''s thinking.¡±
¡°But he might lie.¡±
¡°Then you''ll catch him out, scream and shout and either your relationship will be stronger for surviving it or you''ll be well rid of him.¡±
¡°That''s... that''s brutal, Karen.¡± May said in a small voice.
¡°I''m sorry, I had a lecture at six this morning, a friend got trapped in a cave, I''ve been in meetings with Prince Albert, Eliza and half the university staff all afternoon, I''ve just been telling the other May off, and I''m really really tired.¡±
¡°It''s OK. I know brutal. I''d just never thought it could be... useful. Your friend OK?¡±
¡°Yes. She got out, but it was worrying for a while.¡±
¡°You''ve met Prince Albert?¡±
¡°Yes, several times. Goes with the territory, sort of.¡±
¡°And Eliza Underwood, too. You''ve talked to her?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Karen realised that had been a slip as soon as it was out. She must be really tired.
¡°Of course? Why is it of course?¡±
¡°Because I''m really really tired and I''m making mistakes.¡±
¡°Something you can''t tell me?¡±
¡°Not yet. I will. That''s why I''m making mistakes, I guess. Please don''t ask. Can I talk to your Mum?¡±
¡°Of course. Then I''ll call Tim.¡±
¡°Promise?¡±
¡°Yes. I can save Tim and me both pain by being brutal. I want to know.¡±
¡°Don''t be too brutal, May.¡±
¡°I''ll try not to be. Thank you Karen. Mum!¡±
Preparation / Ch. 15: Targets
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 15:Targets
Wednesday 6th December, 9AM
¡°Oh, that sounds a good idea!¡± the queen had agreed when Albert raised the idea of Nigel, Bella and some others scouting out the rustic retreat, and had quickly asked Maria in to discuss it. ¡°They would need to scout the area for potential risks, if you two''re serious about going there. And a mixed group going for a long hiking weekend isn''t going to attract nearly as much attention as if they go in officially. Maria, do you agree?¡±
¡°Yes. I do. And I agree that a mixed skill set is ideal. Eliza, you suggested Pris?¡±
¡°Yes, but without knowing many people in Security. It was more because she was looking exhausted, last time I saw her, and this seemed like a way of getting her to take a break.¡±
¡°She''s not sleeping well. I think its the aftermath of all she''s been through, but she''s also been doing a lot of mental work and not moving much, which isn''t like her. That probably doesn''t help. So, I''m going to tell her she''s going. Now it''s sort of hijacking the trip for other purposes, but I''m going to give Pris another reason to go. Bella, you know Dirk and Eliza, I think?¡±
¡°Yes. I know them, Eliza''s smart, but Dirk''s got a reputation of talking too much to live down.¡±
¡°Yes. But he''s being given a warning and some odd assignments recently, so far he''s been quiet about them. You could call this a test of his resolve. He''s good at spotting bugs, cameras and the like, even without technology, but he''ll have it since that''ll be his assignment. Eliza''s there so that Pris can observe her more closely with a view to her reassignment and because she''s showing signs of being a good people-reader. Nigel, you''re group organizer. I''m fairly sure your brother is wasted in Analysis, and I''ve been considering him as a field operative for a few years. So, Bella, I''d like you to see if you can find out the real reason why he''s avoiding that. With that potential field role in mind, for him it''s a little test to see if he can work out everyone''s secondary role, and his main role is going to be assessing if there might be risks from wildlife. So, you''ll all have secondary assignments as well as walking all over the area checking for risks. You''re going to be busy and exhausted. I''d like to suggest, Maam, that this be a four day trip, and certainly considered as work-time.¡±
¡°Approved.¡± The queen said. ¡°When?¡±
¡°Nigel, can you find out when they''ve got space? Tell them you''ve got got a group of six of you who have some time you can be there in lieu of working weekends, and it can start anytime in next week or the week after, but with the impact and things it can''t be much later. Oh, and keep the weekends clear if you can, we don''t want to upset anyone.¡±
¡°Certainly. I''ll get right on it. I assume you''ll do the assigning to this excursion, Maam?¡± he asked Maria.
¡°Once you''ve sent me dates, yes.¡±
As Maria rose to leave Eliza asked ¡°You majesty? Could I talk to you, Maria and Bella?¡±
¡°It sounds like we''re un-invited.¡± Albert said to Nigel.
¡°You can stay, Albert, just we''ve already discussed this.¡±
¡°Oh, in that case, I''ll stay and have an opportunity to see if I still agree with you.¡±
¡°That''ll be interesting.¡± she said with a wicked smile. ¡°You didn''t last time.¡±
¡°Good bye, your Majesty, Albert, ladies. I''ll run away now.¡± Nigel said, making rapidly for the door.
¡°There''s gender solidarity for you!¡± Albert said to the closing door.
¡°So, Eliza, what are you disagreeing with Albert about?¡± the Queen asked.
¡°A task Bella been given, which seems relatively insoluble.¡±
¡°Oh? Do I know about this?¡± the queen asked.
¡°If it''s the task I think it is, then yes.¡± Maria said. ¡°Contacting the others with the power?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Eliza agreed. ¡°Bella''s been thinking, I''ve been thinking, but neither of us can think of a way for Bella to make contact with everyone with the power without it taking months, unless we cheat. In which case, let''s cheat properly and get it over with.¡±
¡°Cheat?¡± the queen asked.
¡°Option one is that, rather than Bella shaking hands with everyone in the service, I tell her where the people who she needs to think to are eating
lunch, or having a break, and she shakes hands with everyone on that table. Hey presto, contact made with everyone necessary within a week or so.¡±
¡°I like that one.¡± Albert said. ¡°It''s not invasive and it saves a lot of time.¡±
¡°Option two is that I speak into the minds of the relevant people, telling them to contact Bella unless they want to pretend they can''t hear me.¡±
¡°I see. Yes, that''s a little more direct.¡±
¡°Personally, I prefer option three. I give you a list of names, Maria, and you give a few orders for them to meet up, under some plausible subject. You know, randomly selected panel to discuss I don''t know what, a new logo for Security, no probably something more significant than that, but that sort of thing. A few people grumble and moan, but they come anyway, and no one asks too many questions.¡±
¡°I think that is overly intrusive, as it gives people no opt out, and makes their names known.¡± Albert said.
¡°What''s wrong with option two?¡± The queen asked.
Eliza answered, ¡°It requires an apparently unmotivated action, people could notice, and ask difficult questions. Why should they suddenly be calling Bella, or the palace?¡±
¡°You don''t just want to ask them to tell you?¡±
¡°That means I listen to their thoughts, undetected, unavoidable. It''s a bit borderline, ethically, without consent.¡±
¡°Hey, how about if we gave everyone a motivation to call a number, but only they had the relevant code to get them a prize?¡± Bella suggested.
¡°I don''t like false offers or prizes.¡± The queen said.
¡°What about special training for getting too many answers wrong?¡± Albert suggested.
¡°I think that''s going to be too embarrassing. But if their taking part is understood as acceptance, we can do something, bringing us back to the third scenario of an acceptable motive. But with a prior opt-out.¡±
¡°Except, how do people opt-in if I can''t make a list of the people who I''m contacting?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°How about there''s some I don''t know, ''Mystery voice'' competition. And to accept they have to mis-dial the number? Then hopefully there are only a few accidental mis-dials, and Eliza can tick off the people she''s called?¡± Albert suggested.
¡°Subtle. And there''s some prize draw for it? So that people want to take part?¡± Eliza asked
¡°Yes. Say, a ticket or two to your wedding reception? Unless there''s anyone on your list who''d be there anyway?¡± the queen asked.
¡°I suppose I shouldn''t answer that, if we''re protecting people''s privacy. But I can''t actually ¡ª I didn''t get anyone''s names. It doesn''t seem likely though.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll talk to Mable and get the clever people to set up the call lines.¡±
Maria said, then asked ¡°Do we want people to get through to the mystery voice if they mis-dial?¡±
¡°I don''t think so,, it might get popular then. Give them a recorded message saying they''ve probably called the wrong number.¡± Eliza suggested.
¡°Press one if the mystery voice talked to you personally and told you to call that number. Press two for psychological examination, press three for information on eye tests?¡± The queen suggested, with a smile.
¡°Very tempting. But if someone gets there by mistake, then they''ll will start playing with it if we make it funny.¡± Maria warned.
¡°So, who is the mystery voice? We can''t make it impossible, or too easy.¡± the queen asked.
¡°And when do we want the competition?¡± Maria asked, thinking it could be Karen.
¡°I think I''d like it to be soon,¡± Eliza said thinking of mountain climbers. She''d find out if it was Nigel''s brother with this method. But it would be better if Bella did too, without Eliza telling her.
¡°Oh? You have reasons?¡±
¡°Well, I was actually thinking that after they get back from their little excursion, It''ll be Karen''s wedding, then Christmas and New Year, and then we''re all going to be a bit busy, I expect.¡±
¡°I agree, better Bella talks to them this week, really.¡± Albert said.
¡°Very well. But Who?¡±
¡°How about a sped up version of the prime-minister? Maybe with some distracting background instrumental music.¡± Suggested the queen.
¡°Wonderful! The boys in monitoring will have fun, I''m sure.¡±
¡°But then they won''t be able to take part, which would be a bit unfair.¡± Albert objected. ¡°I''ll work on the recording, then monitoring can put it up in the right place.¡±
¡°Great, I''m sure they''ll be in contact soon.¡±
¡°Is the competition only open to Security, or the whole civil service?¡±
¡°Everyone.¡± the queen decided. ¡°But only one go per person, and Eliza, you''re only contacting people from the various branches of Security for now, I guess.¡±
¡°Abroad too, or just in-country?¡± Asked Albert.
¡°Just in country, I guess. Make a note of out of country ones though, Eliza, please. In some ways they''re the more important ones to know about, but they''re not really going to be in a position to contact a mystery voice line.¡±
¡°OK. And we leave the military for later, too?¡±
¡°Yes. Maybe we''ll need to handle them yet another way.¡±
¡°Now, what do I tell them?¡±
Eliza looked at her list of names. Hmm, almost done, but those two hadn''t been alone earlier. She checked where they were now and found they were in the same room ¡ª that was handy. [You''re not dreaming, and I hope I''m not interrupting anything, I''m not listening for any response. By royal request, I''m calling every thought-hearer in Security, asking you to consider letting the top levels of Security know of your thought hearing abilities. There will be a meeting of thought-hearers in Security soon which will include some training in avoiding attacks from a rogue thought hearers. You might be worried about exposure, and witch-hunts. I''m authorised to tell you a class alpha state secret ¡ª that present king''s father had the power also ¡ª don''t pass it on. Their majesties have no desire that their relatives face a witch hunt. We have a mechanism for you to opt in without attracting attention form your colleagues; if you are willing to be called to the meeting I mentioned, call the mystery voice competition which will be announced shortly, but reverse the last two digits. The meeting will be by royal command and described as a test of civics awareness, with participants chosen at random. Genetics is random, isn''t it? Bye.]
Harriet looked at Jim, who''d gone glassy eyed during the unexpected announcement.
¡°You heard too?¡± She asked.
¡°Someone in the royal family''s got it too!¡±
¡°She didn''t say that, just that the old king had it.¡±
¡°Of course not. But what do you think, the prince, maybe?¡±
¡°We''ll never know, unless we get told.¡±
¡°And you''re not going to dump me for him?¡± Jim asked, worried.
¡°Jim, if he''s got it, then you can bet she does too, look at how quickly he decided after ignoring so many girls. And stop being paranoid, I''m going out with you, not your power.¡±
¡°So, shall we sign up?¡±
¡°I like the set up: it looks like they''re being ultra careful with our privacy.¡±
¡°Ha! They don''t want to give us any reason to say no.¡±
¡°But they could have just assigned us without giving us the choice. Look at what she asked: do we want to let the top levels know who we are. That means they don''t. She at least is protecting our choice, and it''s a real one. I''m going to sign up.¡±
¡°I wonder who she was.¡±
¡°One of the 56 of course. She wouldn''t be interested in you, anyway.¡±
¡°How do you know that?¡±
¡°The 56 are all committed Christians, you idiot. You''re not.¡±
¡°I believe in God.¡±
¡°Yes, but you''re not exactly in regular communication with Him are you?¡±
¡°Her, not him.¡±
¡°See!¡±
¡°Look, just because we don''t believe in God being male, that doesn''t mean we''re not Christian.¡±
¡°I''ve looked it up. They don''t believe in God having genitals either. That was the ancient Greeks. They don''t believe much of what your booklets were talking about, either. I think those booklets wouldn''t really convince anyone who''d any idea about what Christians believe, just gullible people like you who don''t bother checking up on things.¡±
¡°So what do you believe, Harriet?¡±
¡°I believe I''m going to look into things more, Jim.¡±
¡°Maybe I should too.¡±
¡°Good plan. So, are you going to do the mystery voice thing?¡±
¡°Depends on whether it''s got my lucky number in it.¡±
¡°I like you Jim, but sometimes, you know, I think you''re certifiably nuts. ¡±
Eliza returned from the peace, restored and cooled. She''d been getting a bit hot towards the end, but she hadn''t wanted to expose people to risk, so she''d been checking on people, rather than just shouting. Her message had grown a bit from the first version''s ''transpose the last 2 digits in the mystery voice number, if you''re happy to come to a meeting about the power.¡± But it made it much clearer. Hopefully Trevor, Nigel''s brother, would come. Of course there would be other potential dates for Bella, but Eliza felt that Trevor was the most likely candidate. ¡°Your ''cheating'' looks like it took a lot out of you.¡± Bella said.
¡°It was a bit long by the end, so I checked that I wasn''t going to lay all that on them while they were giving a presentation or something.¡±
¡°Hmm. So how big a room do I need to book?¡±
¡°No idea. It depends how many people respond.¡±
¡°Well, I''ve got a list of, hmm, fifteen names here, who responded to the mystery voice announcement in the first five minutes, and got the last two numbers wrong. There haven''t been any since.¡±
¡°Fifteen?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Yes. I though there were fourteen last count.¡±
¡°There were this count too. So least one person genuinely mis-dialed.¡±
¡°So, would you like to tell me who I''m meeting?¡±
Eliza looked down the list. ¡°Cross number three off the list, you''ve got the full set.¡±
Bella looked at the names, ¡°So... Nigel''s brother was half way up a mountain in November?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Eliza said.
¡°That''s interesting. Out of interest, any idea of his age?¡±
¡°Younger that Nigel is all I know. By the way, as far as I know, Nigel doesn''t know about Trevor having the power.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll not mention it then. How long have you known?¡±
¡°I knew that Trevor was mountaineering at the time, that''s when we heard about the dog. I didn''t know he was the one in the group with the power until just now.¡±
¡°I''m going to need my best dress on then aren''t I?¡±
¡°I thought you''d need to be in uniform?¡±
¡°Yes, but my smartest one.¡±
¡°Oh. Well, they say first impressions count.¡±
¡°Let''s hope I don''t hate him at first sight then. Or any other potential dates, for that matter. Wow. Bella heads to target rich environment! Do you know if he''s a Christian?¡±
¡°Nigel said something about him trusting God to introduce him to the right woman. Remember, Bella, they''re not coming to flirt, but to learn, and you''re the teacher.¡±
¡°Spoilsport!¡± Bella replied, with a laugh.
¡°Seriously, though, if there is a need for further meetings, then you guys can decide it. You''ll just need to come up with a clear reason, and persuade someone, probably Maria, ultimately. Otherwise you''re going to just need to swap contact details. Has Maria set a date for your meeting?¡±
¡°Yes. Day after tomorrow, she doesn''t hang around.¡±
¡°OK, I''d better let you work on a room and a schedule, then. I think we''re going out in about forty-five minutes.¡±
¡°Oh. Thanks for the warning!¡±
12.30pm
May''s school gave her an hour and a half lunch break, which gave her ample time to buy dresses, except that Hilda hardly had a lunch break at all. So it was that Hilda had suggested Karen accompany May to her work ¡ª there was a dress shop with a computer scanner just next door. Karen had wanted to talk to May anyway, so accepted. ¡°Hi May. How did it go?¡± Karen asked.
¡°The exam, or talking with Tim?¡±
¡°Both. But I didn''t know you''d be taking an exam. What subject?¡±
¡°Maths. It''s just a practice one. It doesn''t count for anything. Scary though.¡±
¡°Scary?¡±
¡°Well, I finished it in half the time. I kept looking back and forwards to see if I''d missed questions, or made some mistake that made it too easy. I didn''t find anything, though.¡±
¡°You like maths?¡±
¡°It''s OK. I can do it, but it''s pretty boring still. Calculus sounds fun though.¡±
¡°And your talk with Tim?¡±
¡°I''d planted it in his terminal, which was quite new. What I didn''t know was that his terminal went wrong soon after and it got swapped under warranty. Bug is long gone, and he''s been praying for me, and that was so wonderful.¡±
¡°What about the others?¡±
¡°At home?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I''m not sure where they all are any more.¡±
¡°And have you squished any?¡±
¡°No. I''m putting them in a foil covered chocolate box, like when I got them. Pebbles for the five squished ones. When the box is full then I''ve got them all.¡±
¡°When did you get them?¡±
¡°My birth-parents'' home, cousins'' homes. I found the first one and found out how to use it, then started to collect them. They all work on the same system that wrist units talk to consoles over. Low power, short range. And if you look in the right place on their sticker with a microscope, you can see their access number.¡±
¡°That explains it. I expect the sticker''s supposed to come off.¡±
¡°I didn''t even bother collecting the ones without one.¡±
¡°So, what are you going to do with them?¡±
¡°Tim said hand them in to the police, but that''ll take some explaining. It''s one reason that I haven''t done it. You know the other one.¡±
¡°You don''t really want to.¡±
¡°Yes and no.¡±
¡°I can get them to the police, May. No problem. Why didn''t the computers say hand them in?¡±
¡°I could get more. Better to solve the desire, I guess.¡±
¡°Could you get more easily?¡±
¡°Not very.¡±
¡°Did you say that to the programs?¡±
¡°I think it just asked if I''d be able to get more. Of course I could, if I visited someone under investigation.¡±
¡°And the program understood the of course, but not the second half, I bet. So it''s been treating you as someone who abuses an easily obtained substance.¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°What''s the best way to deal with temptations? Haven''t you discussed that at youth group.¡±
¡°There''s a cycle: motivation, opportunity, secrecy, excitement and reward.¡±
¡°So, the computer tried to deal with reward by real warnings, and the motivation by analysis. Did it work?¡±
¡°What do you think?¡±
¡°I think that when you started, you thought it was fully reasonable. Now you know its wrong and is going to get you into deep deep trouble.¡±
¡°Agreed.¡±
¡°So, what happens is that the enemy whispers fear into your heart, and you''ve got the bugs just sitting there and it''s easy. Far easier than other ways of solving the fear, like you know, remembering the times your foster parents have gone the extra mile for you, to make sure you feel loved and protected, and that your birth family don''t get wind of where you are.¡±
¡°You''re good at this. That''s not so hard is it?¡±
¡°Not very. To both bits. Do you want to give into temptation?¡±
¡°No. Not really. But.. Like you said, they''re just sitting there waiting to be used.¡±
¡°Then get rid of the temptation. Tell your mum to check the number in the box is going up, not down. Even better, hand them in as you find them and replace them with pebbles. If you got rid of them, would you really get yourself more?¡±
¡°I, urm, probably not.¡±
¡°And would you be able to get rid of them?¡±
¡°I don''t know.¡± May replied in a small voice.
¡°You know bugs are pretty expensive, don''t you?¡±
¡°I hadn''t thought of it.¡±
¡°How many are we talking about?¡±
¡°There were thirty.¡±
¡°Five squished. Now many found?¡±
¡°Fifteen so far.¡±
¡°So with the one vanished that makes nine to find?¡±
¡°I counted that as squished.¡±
¡°How about I ask if ten bugs to find and another fifteen to collect are worth someone visiting your house?¡±
¡°That''s scary. I stole them, didn''t I?¡±
¡°Technically yes, but you were what, ten?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So you were little and in a terrible situation and now you''re trying to return them to the government. I don''t expect you''ll even get an official warning.¡±
¡°Are you sure?¡±
¡°No. But I''ll make sure.¡±
¡°Thanks, Karen. You know a policeman?¡±
¡°Ask no questions about who I know, and I''ll tell you no lies.¡±
¡°Oh. Not a policeman then? Army?¡±
¡°Drop it, May, please.¡±
¡°OK. You''re really going to buy me a dress?¡±
¡°I''m buying the other May some clothes, it only seems fair. That way if you stand wrongly you get embarrassed with something cheaper than the bridesmaids gown.¡±
¡°Oh. Makes sense.¡±
The dress had been simple enough that there was no human intervention needed, and there was no queue. The robotic sewing machine at the shop whirred and thrummed, and counted down the minutes until it would be finished. The whole process didn''t take long at all, and they could see the fabric being moved around ¡°I never knew it would be this fast!¡± May said.
¡°It didn''t used to be. Imagine moving that fabric by hand, with a machine which only sewed in one direction. Let alone stitching it all by hand. Made-to-measure used to take weeks,¡± her mother said.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°People did that?¡±
¡°They still do, in some places.¡± Karen said.
¡°I''m glad I live here then.¡± May said.
¡°Hmm. This is convenient, but I can''t help feeling that a bit of hand finishing wouldn''t have come amiss.¡± May''s foster mother said, looking critically at the seams the machine had just produced.
¡°Something wrong?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Not wrong, just machines still don''t tie knots. When I worked here, we''d have left the ends loose on the machine and at the very least tied them by hand. Now it''s just done a few back stitches and left it. Fast, but not as good.¡±
¡°I never knew you worked here, Mum!¡±
¡°When I was a student. Eons ago. Lots has changed, and not all for the better, unless you need your clothes in ten minutes flat. In which case why not get off the peg, Hmm?¡±
¡°But for our purposes, this is great, Hilda. We can see if May stood properly, and the scan worked.¡±
¡°Well, she stood properly, I peeked. Go on May, there''s a changing room there. See if we need to kick up a fuss.¡±
¡°Can we?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Oh yes. If the client stood properly and the scan got it wrong then they can''t expect you to pay. Used to happen about once a week when I was here. A thread on the lens, a fly in the way, all sorts of things could confuse it.¡±
¡°It''s perfect, Mum!¡± May said, stepping out of the changing room.
¡°Hmm, lets see you twirl, then.¡± Hilda commanded. ¡°OK, that''s acceptable. Good scan, cheap pattern but we knew that.¡±
¡°Mum! It''s beautiful! Stop criticising.¡± May protested.
¡°May, your bridesmaid dress is going to be beautiful. This is nice but functional. But it does fit well, very well.¡±
¡°Can I wear it to school this afternoon?¡±
¡°No, May. You wanted a weekend dress. This isn''t for school, and you know it. You can wear it tonight if you like.¡±
¡°Thanks Mum! Thanks Karen!¡±
¡°Now change back, you''ve got to get back to school.¡±
¡°Karen, did you talk to Mum about what we were talking about?¡±
¡°No, May. It''s your choice.¡±
¡°Tell her, please, while I change.¡± May asked.
¡°What''s this?¡± Hilda queried.
¡°I think the computer was a bit thick.¡±
¡°Go on, surprise me. They always are.¡±
¡°It never suggested handing the bugs in, did it?¡±
¡°Not to me. I even asked about that once, and it said it was better for her to stop first.¡±
¡°It probably thought May had a ready supply. She doesn''t. So why don''t we get temptation out of her way? Otherwise it''s like leaving a four year old in charge of a sweetshop, and telling him he''ll get in trouble if he eats any.¡±
¡°Makes perfect sense to me.¡±
¡°She had thirty, five have been destroyed or are known lost, and she''s found another fifteen. That leaves ten little temptations. I suggest we call in someone to find them and take them all away.¡±
¡°You know someone who can do that?¡±
¡°I know who to ask. Civil service, not some private firm. So it''d be returning them to the original owner.¡±
¡°I still don''t understand how she could use them. Surely there are codes or something.¡±
¡°Someone got lazy. Planted them without removing the access code stickers.¡±
¡°And someone''s too clever for her own good.¡±
¡°Well, we can debate that. It possibly kept her safer at the time.¡±
¡°I suppose so. Please do it. I guess it''d have to be evening or weekends, is that a problem?¡±
¡°I doubt it.¡± Karen said. ¡°That dress did turn out pretty, didn''t it.¡±
¡°She''s a pretty girl.¡±
¡°And Tim''s an acceptable choice? She seems pretty certain about him.¡±
¡°I think so, yes. I''m not comfortable with the idea of her declaring that she''s going to marry him quite so early, but yes, he''s got faith. But what his prospects are, I''ve no idea. He''s not as self confident as her.¡±
¡°Can you imagine if he were? You know, her experience with these bugs, and all the rest of her history could be very useful in the right career.¡±
¡°What, undercover agent? She''d probably love that, but it''s too dangerous. Please don''t get her killed.¡±
¡°I don''t want her killed, but I was thinking somewhere in the civil service, not necessarily undercover. She notices things, that''s important. You know she found lots of other bugs? Just she ignored the ones with no label.¡±
¡°Smart, pretty, observant and believing. What a combination! Makes me a proud mother.¡±
Karen dropped her voice to a whisper. ¡°I know it''s none of my business, but may I ask? You obviously care about her deeply. Have you thought about adopting her? I just ask because of her insecurity.¡±
Hilda sighed ¡°Yes. We''ve thought. We even tried it two or three years ago, but her natural parents are alive, so it''s not possible unless they relinquish their rights.¡±
¡°But they''ve not tried to get in contact?¡±
¡°No. Not for years. Actually, I need to check again. There might be some kind of automatic rule which kicks in. You know, like legal death.¡±
¡°What''s like legal death?¡± May asked, having changed.
Hilda looked at Karen, who nodded encouragement.
¡°I was just saying that maybe after your birth parents haven''t tried to get in contact with you from jail for some years, their rights to you might suffer legal death. Which would mean we could try and adopt you again, May.¡±
¡°I love you, Mum!¡± May threw herself into her mother''s arms. Then she drew back her head and asked ¡°Again?¡±
¡°We thought we would, a few years ago. But we got our wrist slapped: you can''t do that while your birth parents have parental rights.¡±
¡°They lapse after five years of silence, Mum. I checked.¡± May said. ¡°And last contact was on my birthday five and a half years ago. I never even heard you discussing it.¡±
¡°We were careful. Didn''t want to give you false hopes and have them dashed.¡±
¡°I love you, Mum.¡± tears started to flow. ¡°One of the reasons for the bugs was I hoped I''d hear you talking about it.¡±
¡°You never said! Of course, you couldn''t, could you? Fear of rejection.¡±
¡°No more bugs, Mum. Karen send your friend''s friend or I''m going to squish them myself. They don''t work.¡±
¡°Not in the way you want them to. No.¡± Karen said.
¡°Karen,¡± Hilda asked, ¡°I should really get back to work and May''s going to be late to school unless she takes a transport. Could you accompany her?¡±
¡°I could take one alone, Mum. Other kids do.¡±
¡°They don''t have criminal relatives who might want to wreak our chances of adopting you, May. It''s an old bit of advice from social services, but its still safer if you don''t travel alone.¡±
¡°I''d always thought it was you didn''t really trust me.¡± May said quietly, ¡°Sorry mum ¡°.
¡°I''ll go with her, Hilda. And I''ll make sure it doesn''t route us through gang territory.¡±
¡°Thanks, Karen. May, take care, and talk to us about your worries. We love you a lot.¡±
Karen named the school to the transport, then added ¡°Show routing options.¡±
¡°Customer override may significantly increase travel times. Please confirm.¡±
¡°Confirmed.¡±
Karen looked. As Hilda had suspected, the route suggested was along the edge of an area known for gang activity. Karen decided to go one better and checked the skin of the city for May''s criminal relatives. Two of them in the high street, which was the second route the computer offered. None in the gang-prone area; typical. ¡°Time estimate for route three.¡±
¡°Estimated travel time for route ten minutes. Suggested route five minutes.¡±
Karen checked the time. It''d be close. ¡°OK May? It avoids the high street too, just in case someone''s there.¡±
¡°You think that''s necessary?¡±
¡°In the circumstances, yes.¡±
¡°OK. I can sprint.¡±
¡°Select route three. Begin.¡±
May looked at Karen. ¡°What circumstances, Karen?¡±
¡°High street at lunchtime? Who knows who''s going to be there?¡±
¡°God, for instance. People he trusts with knowing that sort of thing. I mean, I know George has the power, so surely you must too.¡±
¡°How do you ''know'' George has the power?¡±
¡°I couldn''t ever beat George at hand slapping. He didn''t like playing, but no one could. He ducked in time to avoid head slaps too. The only way they ever managed to hit him at all was when they''d pinned him down first. I remember hearing someone say that Gran could know what you were thinking. It sounded like one of those stories to scare the kids, but it all fits.¡±
¡°Ever ask him about it?¡±
¡°No. But he does, doesn''t he?¡±
¡°You''re observant. Don''t tell anyone.¡±
¡°Of course not. So, do you?¡±
¡°What, have the power?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Yes I do, but you shouldn''t ask.¡±
¡°And the gift?¡±
¡°You really shouldn''t ask that one, May. I know some people with it. If you have a need to know, then you''ll be told if someone has it.¡±
¡°I just noticed your eyes stared at nothing for a bit, and then you said we needed to avoid the high street. Very useful ability. Did you use it on me?¡±
¡°What, you think I was rifling through your thoughts when we were talking about temptations? No, I was most certainly not. That''s a very serious accusation young lady.¡±
¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°I forgive you, May. But really! I wouldn''t even use the power on you like that, May. That''s called thought-stealing where I grew up. It''d be a breach of privacy, and of the ethics code they''re going to make law.¡±
¡°Oh. I didn''t realise.¡±
¡°You should have. It''s like bugging people''s brains. Accidentally hearing someone is one thing, but deliberately spying?¡±
¡°Who''d know?¡±
¡°God, for instance, and your conscience. If you repeat what you heard either accidentally or deliberately as gossip, then the people you talk about when they hear what they thought but didn''t say. And it''s a terrible invasion of privacy.¡±
¡°When I heard about the gift, you know, I thought how nice it would be, not needing to use bugs. Then I thought that if it''s wrong to use bugs, that would be wrong too. But why did God give some people the ability to do that if it''s wrong?¡±
¡°Because what''s wrong when done secretly for private purposes can be very useful if done for the right reasons, or openly like helping someone work out what''s going wrong in their thinking.¡±
¡°But you wouldn''t do it to help someone who had something wrong in their thinking without them knowing it?¡±
¡°Full, informed consent, or a life threatening situation.¡±
¡°I dropped a ''you'' in there and you didn''t correct me.¡±
¡°I noticed, but decided not to make a fuss. I''ve told you not to ask, May, it''s prying, and you don''t stop bugging people to take up another sort of prying.¡±
¡°Sorry, Karen.¡±
¡°I forgive you. Just stop. OK?¡±
¡°OK.... Karen, I do want to say thank you for the dress.¡±
¡°My pleasure. It proves that with that scan you won''t look too silly in your bridesmaid''s dress.¡±
¡°And Karen, thank for everything else. I''m sort of on a high, I think. I can''t really believe Mum and Dad have been wanting to adopt me for years. That''s awesome fantastic.¡±
¡°I''ll ask for someone to come and hunt the bugs. It might even be tonight. You see how many you can find first, though, once you''re home from school.¡±
¡°I will.¡± Then the transport arrived at the school, May said ¡°God bless you, Karen.¡±
¡°And you, May. Bye.¡±
May jumped out and sprinted into the school just as the bell rang. Karen also got out of the transit, deciding she''d walk to the university. She was surprised to be stopped by a policeman.
¡°Excuse me, Miss. Routine check. Are you a relative of that schoolgirl?¡±
¡°Not yet. She''s my fianc¨¦''s cousin.¡±
¡°I''m going to need some proof of identity.¡±
¡°Could you tell me what the issue is?¡±
¡°It''s very simple, Miss. The school has rules about people meeting students during school hours. It needs to be close relatives or someone that''s been nominated as such. No one was nominated.¡±
¡°Oh? Her foster-mother asked that I accompany her to meet her at a dress shop. She''s going to be my bridesmaid.¡±
¡°I understand, miss, but I''m going to need to see some I.D.¡±
¡°Very well, officer, but I''d like to verify yours first.¡±
¡°Miss, that''s not how it works.¡±
¡°Really? I was under the impression that an officer of the law should always show his warrant card when asking for an I.D. check.¡±
Karen heard him decide to lie, and was glad her panic button was in her pocket. She pressed it as he spoke the lie he''d just made up.
¡°That''s for an arrest, miss, not for a routine check like this.¡±
[George. Imposter, I think.]
¡°Is that a new rule then?¡±
¡°Yes miss. Now, can I please see your I.D?¡±
¡°You see, officer, that new rule isn''t one I''ve heard of, so it doesn''t fill me with a lot of confidence, and I much prefer the old one. Could I see your warrant card now, please.¡±
¡°If you''ll accompany me to the police vehicle, Miss?¡±
¡°Then what?¡±
¡°Then I''ll show you my warrant card and arrest you for wasting police time.¡±
¡°Oh, I think you can do that in the school office, instead, sir.¡± Karen said as calmly as she could.
[Don''t go near the van, Karen.] George advised. [Three men inside, waiting for the grab.]
¡°Why should I go to the school office, miss? Once I arrest you there, then you''ll need to come to the police car with me, so I can take you to the station.¡±
¡°I think, sir, that you''ll find my details a little slow to process, and of course it''s always good to have a witness statement, from the institution. And it''s rather cold, so shall we step into to the school office?¡± He made half-hearted grab for her wrist, and she stepped away, another step towards the school office.
¡°Now don''t start resisting arrest, it''d be a shame to add that to your record.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m not sir. I''m simply suggesting that rather than waiting here once you arrest me, that the school office is a better place to wait. After all, you''re here at the request of the school.¡±
¡°We won''t be waiting.¡± he said and lunged at her. Unexpectedly, from his point of view, he missed. What she''d learned in self defence classes came back and as she sidestepped his lunge, Karen gave him an extra shove and sprinted into the office. Slamming the door behind her. He wasn''t far behind her, and she held onto the handle with a strength she didn''t remember having.
¡°Imposter.¡± she panted, more from fear than the twenty steps and looked for the lock. ¡°No warrant card.¡±
The secretary had seen his lunge and so wasn''t totally surprised. ¡°I''ve locked it. You can let go of the handle.¡± Karen did and sprung away from the door as he slammed into it.
¡°I don''t think he''ll get through. It''s supposed to be a security door. I hit the school panic button.¡±
¡°I pressed mine as soon as he said he wouldn''t show me his warrant card.¡± She said it as much for the police as for the secretary; as well as transmitting location information, a panic button put neighbouring wrist units into transmit mode.
¡°Police should be here soon then. There''s a station just round the corner.¡±
The man rammed the door again. Karen looked uncertainly at the cracks forming in the plaster around it.
¡°He''s persistent. Is there another lockable door we can be behind?¡± she asked.
¡°Urm. The head''s office. There''s been a staff meeting and now lessons have started, so I''m the only staff member here.¡±
¡°I don''t know what he''s thinking, but I have a feeling that we don''t want to be here if he gets through that door.¡±
¡°I agree. This door.¡±
The imposter didn''t continue his attacks. Through the bars on the window, which stopped balls far more often than criminals, they saw an unmarked van stop, someone yelled something, and the false policeman jumped in.
¡°He''s gone.¡±
A familiar sound caused Karen to look up. A reasonably sized drone was flying after the van. Probably an interceptor. A bit too late to sleep gas the man, if she''d been grabbed, Karen thought.
¡°Did you hear what they shouted?¡± Karen asked.
¡°No.¡±
¡°Me neither. When the police do show up, I''m going to want to check their warrant cards. I''d appreciate it if you don''t unlock the door until I have.¡±
¡°In case he''s got friends?¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°You think they were after you?¡±
¡°It''s possible. Someone''s tried to kidnap me before, in early summer. But why here, of all places?¡±
¡°You arrived with May Kray. But you''re a friend? You don''t have a child here, I presume.¡±
¡°Me? No. May''s my fianc¨¦''s cousin who''s soon to be my bridesmaid. Oh no! I''m an idiot! I told that to the fake policeman. If they''ve been tailing me then she''s probably been photographed too.¡±
¡°You think she''s at risk? We''ll have to warn her parents.¡±
¡°I will, and probably the police will too.¡± [George, he''s gone, we need to warn Hilda and Ray.]
[I was listening. I agree. It''d be good to know if they were after you because of her, or might be after her now because of you.]
[Does it make much difference?]
[Not really, no. Actually, I guess it does. If I was the target, she might become the lever. But if I was going to be the lever, then they already know her location and everything, and I was just convenient, and anyone she knows might be next.]
¡°Do you want to use the school phone?¡±
¡°Let''s wait. The drone should have caught them. It could have just been intended as a random grab attack. He wanted me to get near the van. My guess is that he was just the lure, and the others had better snatch skills.¡±
¡°The others?¡±
¡°In the van. Did you see? It''s an approach I''ve heard of. Someone lures you to a van where suddenly two or three grab you and next thing you know you''re inside the van.¡±
¡°Nasty.¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Karen agreed.
¡°I''d have thought the police would be here soon.¡±
¡°Maybe they tried to scatter when they saw the drone, and the police need to pick up them up from all over the road. The drone looked like it''d be big enough to shoot sleep gas, anyway.¡±
¡°I wouldn''t know.¡± the secretary said, looking at Karen curiously.
¡°Didn''t you see on the news about those two snipers gassed a few weeks ago?¡±
¡°That was by a rocket, wasn''t it?¡±
¡°Rocket assisted drone. The channel I saw it on said something about the drone being a metre long, I think. I think this one could be the same size.¡±
¡°Oh, I didn''t see that one. I saw a follow-up, trying to work out who was in the convoy.¡±
¡°I don''t know why they bother. It''s all speculation.¡±
¡°I don''t know, there were some witnesses who saw a convoy pulling up outside the department store. They noticed that security woman in a wheel-chair, the one who testified against Underwood.¡±
¡°I can imagine they wouldn''t want her getting killed.¡±
¡°Actually, I was one of them. It''s a small world, isn''t it?¡± the secretary said.
¡°Sorry, why do you say that?¡± getting the hint, but acting puzzled. ¡°Oh, by the way, your wrist unit''s probably still transmitting.¡±
¡°I guess they don''t need it to any more, do they?¡±
¡°No threats here any more.¡±
The secretary, turned hers off. ¡°Except that I''ve got a ridiculously good memory for faces.¡±
¡°That must be helpful in this job.¡±
¡°It is. So, what was going on at the department store with all those vehicles?¡±
¡°It must have been a high level meeting concerning which gloves met with the civil service''s standards.¡± Karen said.
¡°I don''t believe that, one instant. What was going on? I know you were there.¡±
¡°I can''t tell you. Sorry. Nor can I comment on my presence at it. If you think there was some kind of top secret meeting in soft furnishings, then by definition it was secret, and the people present or not present would probably also be an official secret.¡±
¡°Do you work for security?¡±
¡°Me? No, I''m just a student.¡±
¡°But you''ve almost been kidnapped twice in six months.¡±
¡°I guess I''m lucky. I''d much rather almost get kidnapped twice that actually get kidnapped once.¡±
¡°Most people don''t get either.¡±
¡°Well, God never promised me an easy life, so I''m not going to complain. Here come the cavalry.¡± Karen said, spotting two cars. One was a police car, the other was plain, probably security. Oh, Karen realised, it was Eliza, and a man Karen didn''t recognise.
¡°Cavalry?¡±
¡°Police then, if you want to be pedantic, and the smartly dressed young woman is from Security.¡±
¡°You know her?¡±
¡°Yes. Do you recognise her face?¡±
¡°I don''t think so. She looks familiar though.¡±
¡°I''m still going to verify the policemen''s warrants.¡±
¡°Can you show me how?¡±
¡°Oh, it''s easy. Take a photo of it with your wrist unit, and select verify official I.D. You try it.¡±
¡°O.K.¡±
¡°Officers, please allow us to confirm your warrant cards!¡± Karen shouted through the window.
They smiled ¡°Of course Miss, no problem.¡±
It took the secretary longer than it would have taken Karen, but they were patient.
¡°It says you''re both real.¡±
¡°What about them?¡± the policemen asked. ¡°We''re not vouching for them.¡± he indicated Eliza and the unknown man.
¡°I''ll vouch for my colleague here; we went through training together.¡± Eliza said.
The secretary opened the door.
¡°Hello, you. Can''t you keep out of trouble?¡±
¡°Hi, Eliza. I can''t introduce you to the school secretary properly, since we''ve not actually swapped names, but I''m seriously thinking of recommending she switch to something in Security. She''s very good at recognising faces.¡±
¡°Hello. I''m Polly. I don''t think I recognise you, unless you''ve drastically changed you hair. But you look really like a photo I saw of the red-head the prince wasn''t actually going out with.¡±
Eliza looked in shock at Polly. ¡°Hello, Polly. It was a wig.¡±
¡°See what I mean?¡± Karen said.
¡°Polly, I''m going to put my recommendation down on file. I can''t guarantee anything, but I expect that with a memory like that Security or police would be very interested in offering you a job, any time you get bored of giving shelter to members of the public and weeding out messages from children pretending to be their parents from the real thing.¡±
The more senior officer, detective Victor Dewhurst, according to his I.D card, asked ¡°You''re really the one they called the ''prince''s redhead''?¡±
¡°Yes. Coincidentally called Eliza, just to add to the confusion. But, I believe you two gentlemen have some statements to take.¡±
¡°I rather thought you''d be taking over.¡± he replied.
¡°Oh no. I''ve got a much more interesting task. It looks like I''m going to go back to university.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Karen acknowledged reluctantly. ¡°I suppose it''s necessary. So, didn''t the drone get them?¡±
¡°It did. When they wake up then maybe they''ll be talkative. At the moment we''ve got a delivery van which looked to me like it was set up to be a nice little mobile surveillance centre, one of the occupants is in a stolen police uniform and there were some hard copy photos in the van which I expect the officers here would like you to look at.¡±
¡°I guess that counts as my cue.¡± Victor said. ¡°Would you be able to give us a statement now, miss, or would you like a friend, relative or legal representative here?¡±
¡°I''ll give a statement now. Are you recording?¡±
¡°I will be.¡± He answered Karen, then asked Polly, ¡°may we use an office?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Polly pointed down the corridor. ¡°If you take the third door on the left, that one''s unused at the moment.¡±
Eliza''s colleague who''d appointed himself as guard, stayed with Polly, and the rest followed her directions. Once they''d all trooped in, and the door was shut, Victor said: ¡°I''m starting the recording. Please stick to the facts, avoid speculation, and please try to mention any details which may be relevant.¡±
¡°Very well. One of the students here, May Kray, is due to be my bridesmaid. She is my fianc¨¦''s cousin. Since I have less demands on my time than her foster mother, I walked with May to her foster mothers place of work, where we ate a sandwich lunch and then went next door to a dress shop so that she could be scanned so that her bridesmaid dress could be made to measure. To test the scan I bought her a much cheaper dress, which turned out well. Since time was getting late, her foster mother asked me to take her by transport, but to override the routing to avoid known gang areas. This is old advice from social services. I also avoided the high street, as that seemed like a place where gang members might be at lunchtime. We arrived here without incident en-route, but after May had run into the school and I started to walk towards the university I was approached by a man dressed in police uniform which did not fit him very well. He asked me about my relationship to May, which I answered, and he stated that the school had a policy that only close family members should pick up students and he would need to do an ID check. As I was answering that I''d been taking her to her foster mother it struck me as odd that I had not been stopped when I met her, but only when I brought her back. I asked to see his warrant card, and he stated that I would only see it if he arrested me. Knowing this was not normal police procedure, and given the other reasons I had to doubt him, I pressed my panic button. I insisted on seeing his warrant card and he said that I should accompany him to the vehicle. I asked why and he stated that there he would show me his warrant card and arrest me for wasting police time. I presume that the rest of our conversation was intercepted after I pressed my panic button. I delayed as much as I could, suggesting that it would be warmer in the school office, and he would have a witness to everything if we went there. I said that I thought it would take a long time to process my ID check, which although true, was probably a mistake to say. He tried to grab me and I managed to sidestep him and run to the office here, where Polly, who I believe to be the school secretary, locked the door against him. After he''d had several goes at breaking down the door, the van arrived, something was shouted, and they left in a hurry. We then saw the drone following them.¡±
¡°You state that your ID would take a long time to verify. Why?¡±
Karen glanced at Eliza, who nodded.
¡°During the preparation phase for a previous kidnapping attempt, my ID was stolen. My biometrics are now double encoded, with a second person in the loop and I need to give verbal agreement to the signing process. In the circumstances I would have given a duress code, and they''d have replied that it''d take a while to verify the code.¡±
Sergeant Darren Jones, Victor''s younger colleague whistled his amazement. ¡°I thought that level of security was only for ...¡± then he stopped himself ¡°Kray, you said? As in...¡±
¡°Yes, as in the crime-wave and now the gang. May and George my fianc¨¦ being the good apples rescued from that bad barrel.¡± Karen affirmed.
Victor paused the recording and stuck his head out of the door. He asked Polly, ¡°Could you please verify that Miss Kray is indeed in her assigned class?¡±
¡°Should I call her out?¡± Polly asked.
¡°No. I don''t think we want to attract any more attention to her.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll check where she should be.¡± She busied herself with the records and the surveillance system.
Victor turned back to Karen ¡°Is it likely that your previous kidnapping experience was at all related to Miss Kray?¡±
Eliza answered ¡°No. We know who planned that, and they''re now in detention.¡±
Polly knocked on the door, and reported. ¡°May Kray''s in her class.¡±
¡°Thank you, Polly.¡± Eliza replied.
Victor continued the interview: ¡°Could you look at these photos? They''re obviously people the people in the van were looking for.¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Karen agreed.
Karen looked at the photos; someone had been busy. Photographs of May with Tim, and with her foster parents, May with George, George with Karen, entering the department store. Karen walking along a road that she knew led towards the institute, and on roughly the same patch of road, some of the people who she was fairly sure were the institute''s neighbours, along with Ivan, Pete, Tereasa and Kate.
¡°I see a lot of faces I know, and I think this might put me in quite a difficult position.¡± Karen said.
¡°How?¡±
¡°I see a common thread which I don''t think I''m allowed to report on.¡± Karen said, looking at Eliza.
¡°All of these?¡± Eliza asked, looking at the pile.
¡°Not all. No.¡±
Eliza smiled, ¡°Then I think I can work round it. Officers, without any comment on the people photographed, I''d like to inform you that whoever took these photographs has been breaking a globally ratified law under a certain United Nations resolution. Would you like me to look up which one exactly?¡±
¡°I believe we can guess.¡± Victor said, ¡°would it be one concerning reporting about the Institute for the Human Mind?¡±
¡°Yes, it would. I therefore think that this investigation is eventually going to come under Internal Security''s jurisdiction, but certainly we don''t want to discuss some of the people in those photographs.¡±
¡°Let me discuss some of the safe ones.¡± Karen said. ¡°I am not certain about all of them, but I believe the ones I don''t know are neighbours to the institute. Otherwise, this is May and her boyfriend, Tim. He was given shelter at the Institute from gang members. You might have seen the video of them going splat against the forcefield glass. One of those going splat was May''s brother. These are her foster parents, this is my fianc¨¦, May''s cousin.¡±
Victor asked ¡°So, this all circles around non-criminal Kray relatives?¡±
¡°And the institute.¡± Eliza added.
¡°Who are also in the Kray gang''s cross-hairs.¡± Victor agreed. ¡°Except the surveillance equipment seems a little sophisticated for them.¡±
¡°Sir, we know that not all of Underwood''s network went down with him. There''s sophistication with gang contacts.¡± Darren pointed out.
¡°And we know that he had some kind of leverage over the gangs to get them all out and attacking people, but we don''t know what hold he had over them or what he''d offered them.¡± Karen added. ¡°It surely can''t have been that he offered them all free drugs for a year or something, he''d wasn''t that rich.¡±
¡°Hey, I''m the detective, you''re the witness!¡± Victor said to Karen, with a pained look on his face.
¡°Sorry, I''ve been trying to work out what he might have offered them to get them to take that much risk. Five gangs, each with explicit targets, following the list in order and to the letter. It must have been pretty good, otherwise they''d have never agreed, surely.¡±
¡°Miss, how do you know about those lists? It wasn''t reported.¡± Detective Dewhurst asked.
Karen gave a shudder, ¡°I wish I didn''t, Detective. I could probably recite them to you, if I cared to rake up those memories. I had a summer job at the institute; I was there that day.¡±
¡°The institute?¡± Darren asked, confused. ¡°It was a Security operation, wasn''t it?¡± he asked Eliza.
¡°Sergent, there was a lot of information flowing out of the institute that day. I didn''t have a need to know at the time, but I can guess where it was coming from now.¡±
¡°There was too much information, too little time.¡± Karen said. ¡°One of the gifted was listing the targets and their tortures. Another two were locating them. I was asked to relay the information to security.¡±
¡°You knew who to contact because of your previous kidnapping attempt?¡± Darren asked.
¡°Eliza here had been assigned to guard me, which she was doing from the front lobby. I was in contact with one of her superiors.¡± Karen said, not exactly answering the question, as Darren might eventually realise.
¡°Let''s get back to today, please.¡± Victor said ¡°No wonder you''re not particularly phased by what happened. I had been wondering. But you don''t know what they said when the van picked up the imposter?¡±
¡°I didn''t hear it clearly through the window, but what I thought I heard made no sense. I thought I heard them say ''Dispatched!''. It doesn''t make much sense to me, but it made him stop part way on his run-up, and turn around.¡±
¡°Thank you, miss. I don''t have any further questions at the moment. Could you please state your full name for the witness statement?¡±
Eliza stepped in. ¡°I don''t think that''s necessary, Detective. I know who she is, and given what she''s told you about her connections, I''m afraid to say that you not only do not have a need to know, you have a need to not know, at least for a while. It will save you from reporting on staff at the Institute, for instance.¡±
¡°I need a witness name and ID on the statement, or the system won''t accept it.¡±
¡°I''ll sign it. On her behalf.¡± Eliza said.
¡°That invalidates the statement, Maam.¡±
¡°Not at all. Are you ready to record?¡±
¡°yes.¡±
¡°I, Eliza Smythe, officer of the crown and assigned bodyguard to the witness, certify that the witness is known to me, and that her identity is protected under law. The witness should be aware that there are severe penalties under law for swearing falsely to an officer of the crown; will the witness swear that her testimony is true to the best of her knowledge? You may answer ''I so swear,'' or you may withdraw all or part of your statement.¡±
¡°I so swear.¡± Karen said.
¡°I hereby verify this was spoken and sworn before me, and recorded by Detective Victor Dewhurst.¡± Eliza said formally, and presented her I.D. to the slightly astonished detective.
¡°Boss, could we do that sort of thing?¡± Darren asked Victor.
¡°You know, Darren, before you joined the force, you had the choice of signing up to start work after a year of training which included short tests and no major exams until you wanted to study for a promotion, or going through the same material in three months, taking a three hour exam at the end of every month and carrying on like that for another two years with all sorts of physical training, sleep deprivation, loyalty tests and the like thrown in?¡±
¡°Yes, sir. It sounded scary.¡±
¡°The workload did lighten up after the first six months.¡± Eliza chipped in.
¡°Yes, well. If you''d decided to go the scary way, Darren, then you''d maybe be entitled to do that sort of thing. As it is, we get to solve crimes too mundane for the likes of our agent, here.¡±
¡°I don''t think its about mundane and exotic, really. It''s more about what or who they involve. I mean, murder is murder, it''s just that if there are official secrets, foreign dignitaries or undercover work in places with funny names, then it''s our job.¡± Eliza said. ¡°But that doesn''t mean I''d look the other way if I saw a crime being committed.¡±
¡°Even if it were some drunken idiot with a knife?¡± Darren asked.
¡°Ah, well, I''ve got a lot of respect for people who pluck knives from drunken idiots'' hands every Friday night, but I didn''t get a very high score on unarmed combat. I think I''d much prefer to persuade the idiot to drop his knife and arrest him after that.¡±
¡°I thought you could throw your big brother around any day?¡± Karen asked.
¡°That''s different. He almost got the lowest grade in combat that he could and still be a field agent. Officers, I''d love to stand around discussing this kidnapping attempt and the differences between our two branches of law and order, but if you''re finished with my charge here, I think she would be safer leaving the area.¡±
¡°Of course, Maam.¡± Victor said.
¡°Could we continue our conversation sometime when it doesn''t get in the way of duty?¡± Darren asked, thinking that it wasn''t every day he met someone like Eliza.
¡°I think transfer is possible. If you''ve questions, you could address them to recruitment.¡± Eliza said, misunderstanding his thought.
¡°Thank you. I was rather more wondering...¡± his voice trailed off as he felt the heat rising in his cheeks.
¡°I think he wanted to ask you out, Eliza.¡± Karen supplied, as Eliza pondered.
¡°I''ll think about it, Darren and get back to you.¡± Eliza said.
¡°This is where you ask for her contact details, Darren.¡± Victor helpfully offered, with a huge grin.
¡°I will get back to you Darren.¡± Eliza promised. ¡°One way or another.¡±
¡°Thank you, Eliza.¡± Darren said.
¡°And if Eliza, an officer of the crown, breaks a promise made before witnesses, then she gets in deep deep trouble.¡± Karen pointed out, before Victor could stir any more.
¡°Come on, trouble.¡± Eliza said to Karen, in mock ferocity, ¡°Stop pointing out the obvious, and let''s go. Gentlemen, I''m sure there''s going to be some Security interest in this case, but I''m not at all sure we''ll be taking over.¡±
About an hour later, Eliza was waiting for Karen''s lecture to finish, when she saw Pris approaching.
¡°Eliza,¡± Pris said, getting straight to the point, ¡°I''m taking you off protecting Karen, Sorry, I know you get on well, but you''re going to have some other duties. Easiest is to go and get May Kray''s mum, pick up May from school, and introduce them to your brother, who''s going to do some bug detecting at their house. Karen can brief you, it''d probably be good to get her to introduce you too, less threatening. Next, you''re going to be talking the family through their options available until this case is over. Thirdly, next week, starting on Monday, you, Dirk, and I are going to be part of an advance team checking up on a rustic holiday location. Four nights, reporting back on Friday afternoon. It''s all Karen and George''s fault apparently, they talked about it to another couple of almost-weds, so now we''ve got to make sure it''ll be safe for them. Again, get details from Karen and pass what''s relevant on to Dirk, please. And to me, come to think of it. Warm clothes and hiking gear is all I''ve been told so far. Fourthly, you''re going to be liaising with the police in this case where they almost grabbed Karen and had that lovely collection of pictures.¡±
¡°That last will probably make police sergeant Darren Jones happy.¡± Eliza said, with a slightly sour taste in her mouth.
¡°Are you being sarcastic, or serious?¡±
¡°I''ve picked up an admirer. I''m not at all sure I want him.¡±
¡°Because he''s unsuitable, repulsive, or you''re after someone else?¡± Pris asked.
¡°Not eminently suitable and I''m self-centred enough to want someone I can look up to. Not someone who was too scared of training to even try joining Security. He asked me out, I said I''d think about it and let him know.¡±
¡°I see, well, maybe you''ll find out he has some good points. Right now though, the official advice is not to complicate your assignment with romance. Tell him that you''ve been assigned to keep lines of communication open, not to muddy them with emotions.¡±
¡°In other words, you don''t want me to refuse him yet either?¡±
¡°You can tell him ''probably not, but I''ll see'', if you like, but I''d recommend you tell him you''re not going to think about answering until after the assignment''s over, and if he can''t accept that then your supervisor ¡ª that''s me now, by the way ¡ª will be having an official word with someone about three people up his chain of command, and if that doesn''t have the desired effect then the head of operations will start making the chief of police''s life uncomfortable.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Eliza, don''t play dumb. You know who Karen is. If Maria doesn''t get results because your sergeant can''t keep his mind on the job, then she''s going to use every lever she has to help him concentrate.¡±
¡°What level of liaison?¡±
¡°When other duties allow, you''re there, in on the interviews, explaining to the culprits about why they don''t want to be charged under the anti-terrorist legislation, and so on.¡±
¡°That sounds like fun.¡±
¡°It isn''t really, I mean, they probably won''t believe you and they probably have a lawyer who''ll be contradicting you. If that does happen too much, you know what to do?¡±
¡°Tell him or her to stop interfering with my duty?¡±
¡°Exactly. He or she needs to let you speak. And of course if they end up contradicting the letter of the law then you''ve got them.¡±
¡°Professional misconduct?¡±
¡°Yes. Time to put your high scores it this stuff to work.¡±
¡°Thank you for this opportunity to serve, Maam.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Don''t worry, there''ll be plenty more. Now, I reckon your afternoon looks like this: Karen, May''s Mum, alert Dirk, then police, then pick up May, meet Dirk, back to the police and then the family chat.¡±
Eliza thought about the different tasks ¡°Do I talk to Karen about next week?¡±
¡°Well, that probably depends on how soon her new detail arrives. Police will be putting a uniformed officer at the school, by the way.
¡°Good. And the kids and parents will be alerted?¡±
¡°Yes. Routine ''a member of the public blah blah kidnap attempt foiled because of panic button blah blah be alert for strangers near the school, and keep your panic button handy.'', sort of thing.¡±
¡°Do the police do the special warning for May''s boyfriend, and his parents or do we?¡±
¡°Ooh, good question. Discuss with police please, and let me know.¡±
¡°OK.¡±
Preparation / Ch. 16: Fallout
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 16:Fallout.
2.30pm
¡°Hello, Hilda. I''m afraid I need to tell you your afternoon schedule is going to be in pieces soon.¡±
¡°Hello Karen, what''s wrong? I can''t really get away, there''s a meeting tomorrow with a lot of stuff to process beforehand.¡±
¡°I''m fine, but someone tried to kidnap me outside the school, after May had gone in. Someone in a stolen police uniform trying to lure me to his van, where his mates would grab me. The police got them all, but found a pile of photos in the van: May and you, May and Tim, George and me, and a lot of photos of people going down the road towards, you know, the building where Tim took shelter from May''s brother. A friend from Security wants to talk to you about it.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s horrible. You''re OK?¡±
¡°Yes. He didn''t really start making a scene until I ran into the school office. At that point he tried to knock down the door, which didn''t work. Various things had made me suspicious, so when he said he wasn''t going to show me his warrant card that made me hit my panic button.¡±
¡°Oh, but they don''t show you their warrant card, unless they''re arresting you.¡±
¡°Hilda, you showed a policeman your I.D. and he said he didn''t need to show you his warrant card?¡±
¡°Yes, a few weeks ago.¡±
¡°Interesting. I''m putting Eliza on. Please tell her all about this.¡±
¡°O.K.¡±
¡°Mrs Brown, could you tell me all about this event? I heard Karen''s end of that conversation.¡±
¡°I was meeting May at the school, and the policeman asked me for my I.D. I was a bit surprised, and he said it was a school policy that only parents could pick up students. I said I was May''s foster mother, May confirmed it, and he said he''d need to verify my I.D.¡±
¡°And he refused to show you a warrant card?¡±
¡°May asked to see his warrant card and he said they only need to show it if they''re arresting people now.¡±
¡°And when was this?¡±
¡°A few weeks ago. I was taking May to the dentist, I can check when the appointment was, if you like.¡±
¡°Mrs Brown, what he said about the warrant card was a lie, the same lie as he or a colleague told Karen. Are you at work? We need to talk face to face.¡±
¡°Yes, Karen knows where.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll be right over. Karen can you take me there, just to reassure Mrs Brown that I am who I say I am?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Karen agreed.
¡°Mrs Brown, I''m going to have to put a block on your I.D. Don''t trust your wrist unit, or any other system your I.D. might get you access too. If you need to contact your husband or any one else, ask a colleague to call on their wrist unit.¡±
¡°You think my I.D. might have been stolen?¡±
¡°Almost certainly. Was anyone else stopped when you were?¡±
¡°I don''t think so.¡±
¡°That''s good, at least. We don''t want to have a block put on every parent at the school. I''ll be there as soon as I can.¡±
¡°See you soon then.¡± Hilda said.
Eliza ended the connection, and then called headquarters. ¡°Hi. I''m going to need a secure transport. Second problem is probable identity theft. I need a block on the I.D. of the Mrs Hilda Brown, I''ve just been talking to. I''ll also need a listing of the last few weeks of her I.D. activity.¡±
¡°Weeks?¡±
¡°Yes. False I.D. check a few weeks ago.¡±
¡°OK. Right, I.D. is blocked. Only, hmm, three thousand events in the past three weeks. Any time-point you can give me?¡±
¡°Visited the dentist with her foster-daughter, just before the false scan.¡±
¡°Hmm, OK, yes, I''ve got an access to dental records logged. Two thousand five hundred and seventy six events to check. At five seconds per event that''ll only take you about four hours. Your eyes will glaze over and your brains go to sleep of course, and you''ll miss the things you''re looking for, long before you''re finished, I expect. So I''m going to cut out regular, predictable behaviour. I hope that''s OK?¡±
¡°Very much so.¡± Eliza agreed.
¡°OK, list will be with you soon, then.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡± Eliza said, and turned to Karen.
¡°Karen, if you were a criminal who''d just heard that he had about thirty seconds before access to Mrs Brown''s account got cut off, what would you do?¡±
¡°Proceed with stage two or three of the plan and send May a message to go home with a colleague, along with a recognition code so that May feels safe.¡±
¡°Ooh, you sneeky thing, I hadn''t thought of the recognition code thing. Mitigation?¡±
¡°I''ll send May a message.¡± Karen typed a message to May. ''Hi May. Hope your teeth OK after dentist visit. Real police always happy to show you their warrant cards. Do not trust text messages from your Mum. She''ll meet you from school in person, with my friend. Friend''s brother will help with your collection. K. ps. I was the member of public in recent/expected school announcement.'' Then, before she sent it, she had a thought. What if the secretary had lied, and May had already been kidnapped? She checked May''s feet.
She was there in the large room, which was there in the building, which was the school. Good. ¡°What do you think, Eliza?¡± she showed Eliza the message.
¡°You don''t want to tell her you''re OK?¡±
¡°I thought of saying ''All OK'' at the end. But decided that it might not be for May. After all, her Mum''s probably had her I.D. stolen, her whole family and Tim are probably at risk. I expect her life is getting complex.¡±
¡°Fair enough, send it. Hey, thinking of May''s life getting complex, no one actually checked what the secretary was doing during your interview, did they? It''s always possible she could be in on the plot, and didn''t actually check May was there.¡±
¡°She locked the door against the bad guy before I asked her to, Eliza.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s a good sign,¡± she said as the transport arrived.
¡°I thought so, too.¡± Karen agreed.
¡°I need to call detective Dewhurst. And don''t you want George to know what''s going on?¡±
¡°He knows what happened. I can fill him in on the details any time. You phone your new boyfriend''s boss.¡±
Eliza pulled a sour face. ¡°Pris told me to leave him on tenderhooks. I''d much rather just tell him no.¡±
¡°Oh. Sorry. I thought that your ''let you know'' was embarrassment at accepting in public.¡±
¡°He bottled out at the thought of training, I loved it. I''m in Security, he''s not. Secrets everywhere. I don''t think it''d work out.¡±
¡°I can''t fault your logic. But did I hear a but in there?¡±
¡°Not really, just, am I being too picky?¡±
¡°Well, that''s better than not picky enough, I''d think. Why don''t you pray about it.¡±
¡°Why? What''s God got to do with it?¡±
¡°Well, it depends, really. Do you take expert advice or not?¡±
¡°I try to be the expert.¡±
¡°You don''t surprise me. But what would you do, faced with an area you know relatively little about?¡±
¡°You mean, like deciding who''s not going to be a total waste of time getting close to?¡±
¡°For instance. Love and marriage are pretty life-changing events.¡±
¡°The biggest, in fact.¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know. They''re big, but, children are a similar impact, maybe even bigger. But your relationship with God is bigger still.¡±
¡°Look, I''ll accept you''re not bonkers, and that you think your God is real. But I don''t believe in him, OK?¡±
¡°Sorry, which way do I take that? I''m not bonkers, but I am basing my life on a lie, which isn''t exactly sane; or you''re perfectly happy not believing the truth, so leave you alone?¡±
¡°I''m sure that your belief is true for you.¡±
¡°Then it''s true for you too, Eliza. This isn''t wave-particle duality, or blind-men describing an elephant they''ve only been able to touch part of.¡±
¡°I like the elephant analogy. What''s wrong with it?¡±
¡°The elephant in the analogy is passive, it might as well be a statue, and the blind men aren''t allowed to talk to each other or even know the others are there. The real world isn''t like that ¡ª people do talk to each other, and the real God isn''t like a statue. There are quite a few passages in the Bible where God tells people off for treating him as though he is. God wants us to know Him, he''s told people what he''s like, got them to write it down, and do uncomfortable and embarrassing things to get the point across. Even sent them to explain things to their military enemies. And then, when humans still didn''t get it, he came to earth in person, and let himself get killed in a rather nasty way to get the message across about how much he cared for us. There were other things going on as well, of course, but that was part of it. God wants to be known. He''s just not going to force it on you.¡±
¡°OK. You''re convinced, I can see that.¡±
¡°Good. So, are you going to let God convince you that he''s real, and he cares?¡±
¡°All right. If God drops Mr Right in my lap then I''ll start listening.¡±
¡°Define Mr Right.¡±
¡°Handsome, single, in Security, a bit older than me, someone I can respect. Interested in getting to know me.¡±
¡°OK, but if he''s a Christian then he shouldn''t be interested in romancing you. You know that, right?¡±
¡°Because different religions pull people apart?¡±
¡°Yes, and if you''re not a Christian then you''re going to pull him away from God. And his relationship with God is more important than getting married, from the eternal perspective.¡±
¡°Hmm. I guess that''s fair enough.¡±
¡°So, you''re going to accept God''s existence if he drops a Christian into your lap that you''re really really interested in, and who starts off interested in you until you tell him you don''t believe in God, at which point you get rejected by him?¡±
¡°That doesn''t really sound like a very pleasant test, does it?¡±
¡°Not really. Or perhaps God drops a non-Christian into your lap? Then if you''re serious about your end of the bargain, then you will eventually need to reject him. How about instead you start reading the Bible yourself, listen to some explanations if there are things that you don''t understand, come to your own conclusions about God''s existence and don''t put God to the test like that.¡±
¡°Where''s the proof in that?"
¡°God''s self-revelation in scripture is far more solid a thing than a coincidence or a miracle. I mean, miracles get people''s attention, but people are incredibly forgetful, and get distracted so easily. Like, didn''t you need to call Detective Dewherst?¡±
¡°Yes. And pick your brains about somewhere we''re being sent. But I''ll call the policemen first.¡±
Eliza rang the Detective''s office. ¡°Detective Dewhurst''s office. Sergeant Jones speaking.¡±
¡°Hi Darren, Eliza here. First off, information. The fake policeman ruse has been going on for a few weeks, apparently, so the parents need to be warned. It looks likely that at least May''s mother has had her identity stolen. I can get you the dates of that, if you need it. We''ve got a stop on the I.D. and I''ll be doing an event check with her pretty soon. Secondly, I''m assigned as liaison on this case. I urm mentioned to my supervisor that you''d probably be happy about that, and I''ve been told in no uncertain terms to keep emotions out of it for the duration. I''m not allowed to give you a yes or no, and if you ask me for a hint once then my supervisor takes it up with someone about three above you in the chain of command, and if you ask again then her supervisor who happens to be head of global field operations will be making the chief of police''s life miserable on your account. Got that?¡±
¡°Strictly professional. Yes, maam. Even off duty?¡±
¡°Yes. The only emotion you''re allowed to experience is abject terror at the thought of any other emotions creeping into our working relationship.¡±
¡°Gulp. Abject terror. O.K. I''ll try.¡±
¡°Next, are your side going to talk to the boyfriend and parents about risks and their options, or should we do that? Decision needed by home-time at his school, I''m not sure if they''re at the same one though.¡±
¡°All I have to I.D. Him is ''boyfriend, Tim'' So if you can talk to her Mother and follow that up, that''d be great.¡±
¡°O.K. consider that covered. Next. Have you woken up the perpetrators yet?¡±
¡°Yes. They''re keeping quiet and waiting for their lawyers, but it seems like Mr Policeman is in charge.¡±
¡°O.K. Any idea when that''s going to happen? I should be there.¡±
¡°About five minutes, I think.¡±
¡°Bother. OK. Well, I''ll have to be late. I''m going to be at least quarter of an hour here, then I''ll need to be back with Mum in time to pick up May. So, formal request from Security, don''t let them go, as we''ll be considering whether to place terrorist charges against them, or merely get them for breaking the UN reporting ban. I''ll be along to explain it to them and their lawyers as soon as I can, in words of one syllable if need be.¡±
¡°How do you say terrorist in one syllable words?¡±
¡°Dead man.¡±
¡°Oh. Yes. That works. You think it''ll stick?¡±
¡°Sophisticated kidnapping attempt against a protected person, outside a highschool, which also targeted multiple staff members of a UN protected facility? I think it''d be quite an easy case, really.¡±
¡°Ooh, let''s hope they''re not cooperative.¡±
¡°I want their employers'' names, addresses, motives, blood types, everything.¡±
¡°O.K. I''ll pass this on. Anything else?¡±
¡°Call me if there are any developments.¡±
¡°How?¡±
¡°Easy. Call Security and ask to be put through to Agent Eliza Smythe.¡±
¡°OK. Will do.¡±
¡°See you soon.¡±
¡°I hope so.¡± Darren said, looking forward to seeing her in action.
¡°Careful!¡± Eliza warned. ¡°What did I say?¡± he asked.
¡°You used the word ''Hope''.¡±
¡°Sorry, let me expand... On a purely professional level, I''m looking forwards to seeing you set the lawyers quaking in their boots, and watching the detainees lose control of their sphincters at the thought of the charges which might be brought against them.¡±
Eliza stifled a laugh; that would never do. ¡°O.K. Just don''t go selling seats to watch the video.¡±
She cut the connection. ¡°So, Pris tells me it''s your fault that we''re going to a rustic get-away. Can you fill me in on any details?¡±
¡°Me?¡±
¡°She said that you and George had been talking about it to another couple, and so suddenly Dirk, Pris and I are going there next week to check for any issues.¡±
¡°Oh. OK. Urm, heating is by a wood burning stove, there should be an ample supply. Drinking water gets processed by a filter system but otherwise water comes up from a well. I''d guess that you''ll need to fill up the filter. There''s some electricity, but only low current things like for the filter, lights and charging stuff. So, it''s not all the way back to the nineteenth century, but it''s pretty basic.¡±
¡°Wood burning stove makes me think that we stay up all night feeding the fire because if it goes out, we freeze. Is that right?¡±
¡°Not according to the blurb I saw. It was talking about how efficiently the heat was captured and stored, actually, and how you just needed to light it once or twice a day.¡±
¡°Ok, that sounds like fun. I just hope they have fire extinguishers, then.¡±
¡°Oh, they do.¡±
¡°What about hot water?¡±
¡°Same wood-burning thing. Pour the water through the right pipe and get a lovely warm bucket-full out.¡±
¡°So, no showers?¡±
¡°There is one, I checked. I''m not sure how it works, though. But don''t bother to take a hair dryer, it''d blow the circuit breaker.¡±
¡°I can cope with that. OK, so it''s not a top class hotel, but it sounds far better than what we lived in during basic training. Thanks.¡±
¡°Hilda, let me introduce my friend, Agent Eliza Smythe.¡± Karen said.
¡°Hello, Mrs Brown, please call me Eliza.¡±
¡°Pleased to meet you, Eliza. You thought my I.D. might have been stolen?¡±
¡°It seems rather likely. I''ve got too many things to do right now, so I''m going to need to run away quickly. But I really really hope it''s OK if I come back here and take you to meet May in one of our nice bullet proof vehicles.¡±
¡°I think I can cope with that.¡±
¡°Great. Could you check this list of events? We''ve excluded things which fit your normal pattern.¡±
Hilda scanned the list. ¡°What''s this about pairing a wrist unit?¡±
¡°That was one that worried us, yes. You haven''t swapped wrist units, or got yourself a spare one, have you?¡±
¡°No. I haven''t.¡±
¡°And I presume you didn''t override its theft detection alert either.¡±
¡°Whatever is that?¡±
¡°It''s the function in wrist units which notices if you''ve taken it off, and makes you re-verify yourself when you put it back on.¡±
¡°Oh. No. I wouldn''t want to do that. So does this mean they''ve been able to listen to my calls?¡±
¡°No. But they will have read all your text messages, and been able to do whatever else you might want to do with your wrist unit. Banking, for instance.¡±
¡°They could take money out?¡±
¡°They could have emptied your account and bought a luxury yacht on credit in your name.¡±
¡°All because he checked my I.D?¡± Hilda asked, shocked.
¡°Because he got you to give them a biometric scan while he had your I.D. Yes. Could you identify him?¡±
¡°He was a big man, his uniform was too tight. I think I could. All that access, just from one check? It doesn''t seem right!¡±
¡°That''s all it takes. That''s why you get warned not to use your I.D. in someone else''s wrist unit. It''s a huge flaw in the system, but no one''s come up with a good solution except what Karen has. Your I.D. needs to know you''re you, and once it does, then that''s that.¡± Eliza explained.
¡°What''s Karen got?¡±
¡°The summary is that Security look after my I.D. and act as gatekeepers to it. I''d need to convince them that I''m me and I''m not in trouble before they approve any check. In something like a police check, they''ll verify the policeman too.¡± Karen said.
¡°Is that much of a pain?¡±
¡°Not too bad. I mean, I don''t go signing legal papers and so on very often. But it makes what would be a ten second operation into one which takes at least a few minutes.¡±
¡°Oh. O.K. I recognise most of these, Miss Smythe.¡±
¡°Do call me Eliza, please.¡± Eliza said. ¡°Which ones don''t you recognise?¡±
¡°This payment, on the first day, looks odd; and all of these under the line which say ''on hold''.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll just call that in.¡±
Eliza called HQ. ¡°Hi, me again.¡±
¡°Hi, any news on the potential I.D. theft?¡±
¡°Yes, I have, it''s confirmed. There''s a false wrist unit out there, cloning her messages. Hopefully we can locate them from that. Plus there''s one payment for... urm.. what was it, two sandwiches and four drinks, and then all the things that are on hold, so congratulations all round that we got it held on time.¡±
¡°Right. We''ll send the police in after that wrist unit.¡±
¡°Oh, a message to Pris. Police ask us to talk to the boyfriend.¡±
¡°I''m sure she''ll be in touch.¡±
¡°Me too.¡± Eliza agreed, as she hung up.
¡°Mrs Brown, are you in contact with Tim''s parents?¡±
¡°Yes, you''ll need to talk to them too?¡±
¡°Yes. Does Tim go to the same school as May?¡±
¡°No. They live pretty close, but in another school''s area. He goes to Freedom Road school.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll need to tell someone else to meet him then. Can you give me their name and address? And then introduce me?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
2.50, police interview room.
Eliza got the two minute summary from Darren on the way to the interview room, where the interview had been put on hold, pending her arrival. The false policeman was there.
¡°Hello. I hear you''ve been a very naughty boy, I''m here to listen to you tell all your little secrets.¡±
The lawyer got off on entirely the wrong foot as far as Eliza was concerned. ¡°I am representing all the people you''re holding, gassed together as they went about their lawful business. My clients wish to declare their innocence and exercise their legal right to silence in the face of these trumped up charges.¡±
¡°I see. Trumped up is not the descriptive phrase I would use. Have you explained to your clients what charges they are being held for?¡±
¡°They are being held for impersonating a policeman, or aiding and abetting such. Other charges may follow.¡±
¡°And they claim that this man has a right to wear the uniform he''s wearing?¡±
¡°They have not instructed me on this matter.¡±
¡°Well, perhaps you should let them speak, then. But first you and he should listen. My time is limited, and so I release this speech to the others too. You, clearly, will be charged with impersonating an officer of the law, and your colleagues with aiding and abetting. There will also be charges of attempted identity theft, attempted kidnapping, and invasion of privacy. You will also be charged under various sections of the protected places act. Depending on further evidence there may be charges of actual identity theft, aggravated identity theft, and illegal interception. Those are, of course the more minor charges. If you do not cooperate fully, then there is no question that we will be forced to assume this entire terrorist operation has been planned and carried out by you.¡±
¡°Terrorist operation?¡± queried the lawyer.
¡°We are regarding this arrest as a thwarted terrorist attack, yes. We believe we have sufficient evidence to convince the judge of this already and of course more evidence is piling up. Do you understand the seriousness of the charge of planning a terrorist attack?¡± Eliza asked the prisoner.
¡°I''ve got rights. I don''t need to answer you.¡±
¡°Until we satisfy the judge that this a terrorist case, that is true.¡±
¡°The anti-terror laws have not been invoked in five decades.¡± protested the lawyer.
¡°Incorrect, but since the main case wasn''t going to come to court and all the secondary cases had already been tried by the time the judge made his decision, he didn''t formally make his ruling. We just got him to sign some intercept orders instead. But he agreed with us that it had been a terrorist plot. The evidence we have collected so far links this case to that, so it would be easy to convince him that we should have gone ahead with the ruling. Your clients were armed, and had in their possession secretly taken photographs of people that we suspect to be on a hit list. This is not a random hit for extortion, or an opportunistic gang punishment attack. I presume you understand what charges under those laws would mean?¡±
He answered in monotone. ¡°Yes. My clients would lose the right to privacy, retroactively. Video and communication logs would be unlocked to establish their patterns of movement and network of contacts, even what they said, to whom. Their entire lives will be minutely examined, along with everyone else they have had contact with. Including me. I would also have my every word and movement tracked, I would have to drop all my other cases, because of the suspension of client-lawyer privilege. I would have the right to withdraw my services, but I would not regain my privacy until the case is over. The investigation could take up to a year, in which time my clients would be held in solitary confinement except during interviews with law enforcement agencies or myself. There may be multiple charges in a terrorist case. Once the case is started under the anti-terrorism laws, it is not sufficient to obtain a not-guilty verdict on all offenses that are normally capital offences to prevent the death penalty from being applied. Any guilty verdicts which would normally carry a sentence of five years or more carry the death penalty in a terrorist case, as there is already an established intent of the group to murder. The court would have to be convinced that there was no evidence that the crimes were not in fact related to terrorist activities.¡±
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¡°Does the prisoner understand this summary?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Sort of.¡± he answered.
¡°OK, Let me be more specific. You know that attempted kidnapping means five years, yes?¡±
¡°Urm, yeah.¡± he agreed.
¡°Attempt a kidnapping as part of a terrorist plot, you''re a terrorist, you''re dead. Beat up a policeman badly as part of a terror plot? You''re a terrorist ¡ª you''re dead. Rob a bank as part of a terrorist plot? You''re a terrorist ¡ª you''re dead. Get the picture? Terrorist means dead. You don''t even get a grave, because your ashes get a one way ticket into the sun with the radioactive waste. Do you want to cooperate? We don''t need to invoke the anti-terror laws to find out who you know and who set this job if you''ll just tell us. And, of course I''m sure you''d rather not be tried as a terrorist.¡±
¡°I strongly advise you to cooperate fully.¡± the lawyer said.
¡°Oh, by the way.¡± Eliza said, playing her ace card. ¡°Those photos in the van, combined with that surveillance gear? Clear evidence that you''ve been reporting on staff at the Institute. We''d almost certainly get a conviction, and U.N. law says we must charge you, no exceptions, and that''s a minimum of five years in prison. I can''t negotiate that away at all. Understand what that means?¡±
¡°You charge us under them terrorist laws, we''re good as dead, no matter what else we done?¡± he asked, worried. ¡°And us keeping quiet doesn''t protect anyone?¡±
¡°Got it in one.¡± Eliza said.
¡°And you need us all to cooperate?¡±
¡°It makes things easier. If any of you make things too hard, then we go talk to the judge.¡±
¡°And what about the boss?¡±
¡°Who''s that?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Nice try. What if we grass up the boss and then he won''t play dice?¡±
¡°Did he commission the pictures?¡±
¡°''Course he did. Told us where to park and who to snap.¡±
¡°Then, assuming you''ve got evidence against him, we can have this same little chat with him and we can all hope he''ll cooperate. Otherwise, well, we''ll need someone to tell us about everyone in the organization, and verifyable evidence against them, or we''re going to need to do it the hard way, aren''t we? That''s why we want you to cooperate fully.¡±
He glanced at the lawyer, and asked ¡°She''s got us, hasn''t she?¡±
He nodded. "She was telling the truth.¡±
¡°All right! I''ll cooperate.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡± the lawyer said.
¡°So, let''s start with clearing up some little details. What did your colleagues shout to you to get you into the van?¡±
¡°What?¡± he asked, surprised at the choice of the first question, ¡°Urm, probably ''Dispatched.'' That''s what they normally say.¡±
¡°And what does that mean?¡±
¡°The cops are on the way.¡±
¡°How do you know?¡±
¡°It comes up on the info site, if you know how. Really useful discovery by the boss, that. It got the gangs eating out of our hands.¡±
¡°So the gangs work for you?¡±
¡°We collaborate. They do the dumb stuff, we sometimes do them a favour, if it doesn''t interfere with our own stuff.¡±
¡°And what you were doing today, was that a favour to the gangs or your own stuff?¡±
¡°Bit of both. Would have been two birds with one stone, that one. Grabbing her, I mean.¡±
¡°Keep going.¡±
¡°OK, well, that girl I tried to grab, she''s been in the boss''s scope for a long time. But she''s well protected. Hey ¡ª you''re often with her ¡ª you know that.¡±
¡°I know I''ve been with her on occasions. How long have you been watching?¡±
¡°Since the Boss got her I.D., in the summer. He''d been after her for years, he tol'' me, but he di''n''t have no idea what she looked like ''til then, see.¡±
¡°I see. You guys were patient.¡±
¡°Yeah. That''s the boss, real patient.¡±
¡°So your boss was after her. And the gangs too?¡±
¡°Naah. Kray just wanted to find out what his sister and his goodie two-shoes cousin were up to. Then, when we found out that Kray''s cousin had helped put the boss behind bars, well, we were only too pleased to help. And we couldn''t believe our luck when the little witch turned out to be goodie two shoe''s bit of fluff. Stupid of me to try to grab her. Them witches are supposed to have real good reactions. She must''ve done some self defence training too, more fool me. Otherwise I''d have got her, witch or no witch.¡±
¡°So, your boss is behind bars?¡±
¡°Oh yeah. He acted insane of course. One way of ensuring no one throws the terrorist thing at you.¡±
¡°Now, just who is your boss? I don''t want to guess.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Well, now, he''s got a few different names, depends who he''s dealing with. You probably know him as Roland Underwood.¡±
¡°Oh, come on, just because he''s in the press, you can''t go and blame it all on him.¡± Detective Dewhurst said, disparagingly, adding. ¡°You''re claiming he gives you direct instructions?¡±
¡°Hey, the lady wants full cooperation. I''m cooperating! The big boss is Underwood. All right, I''m not second in command, but then Underwood doesn''t have one.¡±
¡°So, how does his organization work?¡±
¡°You get a job, you see it through, doesn''t matter how long, normally. So, take the little witch, the boss worked out how to grab her and set up a little routine to do that. Of course university systems are locked down real tight, so he waited until there was an upgrade cycle due, and then we grabbed one of the programmers, to have a little chat with him. We just showed him some pictures of his girlfriend, and pointed out she''d be even easier to grab than he had been, then he got real cooperative. So, he added our little package to the upgrade, and when it went out with our package on we delivered a big bunch of roses to his girlfriend.¡±
¡°What do you mean by ''a big bunch of roses''?¡± Detective Dewhurst asked.
The prisoner replied, his voice dripping scorn: ¡°Well, there''s this flower, see, it''s kind of pretty and has thorns on the stem. Probably a metaphor. That''s called a rose. You put some of them together and that''s a bunch of roses, a big bunch means you put lots there, geddit?¡±
Managing not to laugh, Eliza asked ¡°Why did you give her the roses?¡±
¡°Reward for a job well done, and a bit of a warning too, of course, the way we put them inside her bedroom.¡±
¡°I see. And how did you put them inside her bedroom? Breaking down the door?¡±
¡°No, we just got the building supervisor to let us in, told him we were from the programmer and he wanted to propose to the girl. Nothing like a bit of romance to make people drop their guard. Programmer got the hint, too. He hasn''t said a word to anyone, married her and they''ve got a real cracker of a security system. Must have cost them a packet. Boss was real pleased about that.¡±
¡°When did this happen?¡±
¡°Oh, a few years ago. Boss''s little package came good in the end. He was right miffed when the foreigners never showed up to collect. We were going to, but when the army showed up and rescued the little witch we got out of there.¡±
¡°Why do you keep calling her a little witch?¡± Darren asked.
¡°Boss passed on that gem. She''s one of them mind readers. Must be. She saw right through me.¡±
¡°Is that why Underwood is after her?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°No! He only worked that out after the army guy started blabbing. I think it''s something more personal.¡± Eliza''s wrist unit chimed, time to meet May.
¡°Detective Dewhurst, I need to leave you now. Do please keep me informed. Oh, a word outside, please.¡±
Outside the room, Eliza said ¡°I can''t confirm or deny what he said about my protected victim having the thought-hearing power, but it''s not something she''s ever mentioned to me. And therefore either he''s wrong or she''s just not said. But obviously it''s not public knowledge. I also state that her name and connections are an official secret, and not something you should be discussing with the prisoner without prior discussion. Do either of you have any level of clearance?¡±
¡°No.¡± Darren said.
¡°Urm... Maybe.¡± Victor answered. ¡°I needed it when I was the sergeant here''s age. Does it lapse?¡±
¡°Sort of. OK, expect some forms to fill in. It wouldn''t be useful to have the investigation team in trouble for learning things they shouldn''t. Please answer truthfully and as completely as you can, then there shouldn''t be any need to get back to you.¡±
¡°I seem to remember there was a question about regular contact with known or suspected criminals. What should we put?¡± Victor asked. ¡°Only when arresting them?¡±
¡°Not bad, but you''re interviewing prisoners too, so I''d recommend you mention that as well, along with any other contact you might have. Some of the people processing these things are obsessively picky about details. You write ''only when arresting'' and they''ll understand you to mean that once that''s done you never meet them again, and flag it as a dishonest answer if they find out otherwise.¡±
¡°That''s craz....¡± Darren started, then corrected himself. ¡°that''s very careful.¡±
¡°Yes. Right, see you sometime soon. It probably won''t be today, though. I need to be in about six more places today. Do keep me posted.¡±
Eliza called Pris, once she was in the Security transport. ¡°I''m in transit to pick up May Kray''s mum. May I submit a verbal report?¡±
¡°Yes, that''s fine.¡±
¡°One lawyer happy to help convince them they don''t want to be tried as potential terrorists. And so far one prisoner is singing like a canary. He''s one of Underwood''s men. There''s apparently some backdoor to the police dispatch system which gives them the warning, I''d guess they''re keeping the code to themselves, because he says it keeps the gangs eating out of their hands. He knew all about Karen''s kidnapping and how the university systems got compromised for Karen''s kidnap attempt, but according to him it was set up years ago ¡ª they grabbed a programmer and pressured him to put some code into the regular update system.¡±
¡°Threat to himself or a relative as the lever?¡±
¡°Then girlfriend, now wife, according to the prisoner. Sounds like they''ve been keeping tabs on him.¡±
¡°That''s organized. Anything else?¡±
¡°Yes. They''ve been watching May and George at the request of May''s brother, and were very pleased with themselves to identify Karen who they recognised from when her I.D. was stolen and to discover that she and George, who they know was a witness against Underwood, are in a relationship. The prisoner of course now knows May is due to be a bridesmaid. He says Underwood''s insanity is feigned to avoid the terrorist charges, by the way.¡±
¡°That''ll please some people. Is that it?¡±
¡°One more thing. He''d been passed what he called a ''little gem'' of information about Karen, having certain ah, abilities that I''m not able to confirm, and was kicking himself over forgetting it when he''d tried to grab her. He''s of the opinion that he would have succeeded in grabbing her otherwise. Should I ask her about it?¡±
¡°You''re talking about her having good reaction times?¡±
¡°That''s part of it, yes.¡±
¡°You''re free to as far as I''m concerned. The policemen heard too?¡±
¡°Yes. As I was leaving I said it was news to me and maybe he was wrong, but in any case keep their noses out of it. Oh, I promised them clearance forms.¡±
¡°Within the prisoner''s hearing?¡±
¡°No, all that was after I called them out of the room. I also told them not to ask about what else he knew about her.¡±
¡°Well done. You handled that exactly right. Any news on next week?¡±
¡°Yes. More civilised than basic training, but it''s going to involve fetching water from the well and occasionally feeding some kind of wood burning stove which keeps warm overnight. Some way of having a warm shower is apparently possible too, and there''s enough power to do things like charge wrist units, but the circuits won''t cope with a hairdryer.¡±
¡°Sounds like we''ll survive then.¡±
¡°Yes. Of course we survived basic training too.¡±
¡°You never know, the boys might be out to impress us.¡±
¡°As long as no one lets Dirk near the cooking, they can impress us all they like. Do you know who ''us'' is?¡±
¡°Entire compliment is you, me, Bella, Dirk, Nigel, Trevor and Fido.¡±
¡°I don''t think I know Nigel or Trevor. But Fido? Are you sure? Sounds like a dog''s name.¡±
¡°It is. Fido is of the canine persuasion, belongs to Trevor. Apparently thus adding to our cover as a group of friends out for a well earned break after working too many weekends, while giving us the perfect motive for not lounging round the nice warm stove whatever the weather. Trevor''s in analysis, Nigel is royal protection.¡±
¡°Any idea how big the dog is? I mean, you don''t exactly need to walk a chihuahua very far.¡±
¡°I''m not very sure. I''d guess normal sized.¡±
¡°OK, well, I presume we''ll get fully briefed eventually. Oops, I''m arriving.¡±
¡°We''d better get fully briefed. ''Bye.¡±
¡°''Bye.¡±
¡°Hello, you''re supposed to be someone I know''s friend?¡± May asked, suspiciously.
¡°Yes. I''m Eliza, and Karen introduced me to your Mum in person. My brother''s going to help find the... pieces of your little collection that might have gone missing later on. Your bullet-proof vehicle''s this way, with you foster mother inside.¡±
¡°Oh, wow! Hi, Mum. This is what they call personalised service, isn''t it?¡± May said, getting into the vehicle.
¡°Well, Karen getting almost kidnapped again does make people a bit worried. My job right now is keep you safe while everyone considers the options.¡±
¡°You''ve got the bad guys, though?¡±
¡°Some of them.¡± Eliza said.
¡°And they''re not saying anything, I suppose?¡± Hilda asked.
¡°Actually, they''ve decided they don''t want to be tried as terrorists, so they''re being quite talkative.¡±
¡°Are they? Terrorists, I mean? Not just gangs?¡± Hilda was worried.
¡°I''d rather only say it all once, maam. Do you know when your husband will get home?¡±
¡°He''s just told me he''s on the way. Praise God for flexible hours!¡±
¡°That''s good.¡± was all Eliza said.
May noticed, and bluntly asked ¡°Do you believe in God?¡±
¡°Not really.¡± Eliza said, after a little hesitation.
¡°Why not? You don''t seem stupid.¡±
¡°May!¡± Hilda exclaimed, shocked at her rudeness. ¡°You can''t say things like that!¡±
¡°It''s OK.¡± Eliza replied with a laugh. ¡°Only a few hours ago I was telling Karen she was only slightly crazy for believing any particular version of God was better than another.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, I withdraw my statement.¡± May said, with an apologetic tone, but Eliza noticed a little sparkle in her eyes.
Hilda noticed it too. ¡°May Kray! Eliza''s here to protect us, not be insulted.¡±
¡°But Karen''s practically a walking miracle! How can you be Karen''s friend and not realise that there''s only one real God?¡±
¡°Because, as Karen pointed out, a miracle gets you thinking but then is usually fairly easy to explain away. And I''m glad she considers me her friend, but I don''t really know her very well. Plus, I was working on some dodgy assumptions which Karen''s just knocked some holes in.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Sorry.¡± May apologised ¡ª genuinely, this time.
¡°So, tell me three things about your God. Why should I believe in him?¡± Eliza challenged her.
¡°Seriously?¡±
¡°It passes the time, and yes, I''m interested.¡±
¡°Urm.. only three things? Mum, help!¡±
¡°Eliza asked you, May. You brought up the subject. ''Always be ready to give an answer'', remember.¡±
¡°Can I quote three Bible verses?¡± May asked.
¡°That''s fine by me.¡± Eliza replied.
¡°OK. Number one goes something like ''God is light and in him there is no darkness.'' Number two: ''the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life.'' Three: ''God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life'' I don''t think I''ve given exact quotes though, I''m sorry ¡°.
Hilda added ¡°I think you quoted well enough, May. If you''ll permit me, I''d like to quote another one. ¡°If we claim to be without sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.''¡±
¡°There goes my first argument then,¡± Eliza said.
¡°Why did you choose your fist one, May?¡±
¡°Well, I guessed you knew that God created everything, but it''s important that God''s good. Some people don''t know that, they keep on thinking they can''t trust God. But he''s good. There''s no darkness in him at all. Not like people. People, well, if I''m allowed to quote another verse, ''all have sinned and fallen short of God''s glory''.¡±
¡°You make it sound very simple and obvious.¡±
¡°Well, isn''t it?¡±
¡°It can''t be.¡± Eliza complained.
¡°Well, it''s logically simple.¡± Hilda said ¡°But that doesn''t mean it''s easy to put aside your pride enough to let God rescue you and decide to follow him in everything, even when it costs you friendships, social standing, things like that. We''re almost there, by the way.¡±
¡°So. I think I''ve heard people saying I shouldn''t start reading the Bible at the beginning. Where should I start reading, then?¡±
¡°What do you know? Do you know who God is? Abraham, Isaac, Moses?¡± Hilda asked.
¡°I''ve heard those names. I don''t know much about them though. Wasn''t there something about one of them with a big fish?¡±
¡°That was Jonah. I think you probably should start at the beginning. I think I''ve got a Bible overview somewhere. It''s just a few pages, but it might help you understand what''s going on. The Bible, especially the Old Testament, doesn''t give you a point by point theology. It''s really a whole set of biographies, excerpts from people''s lives, warts and all. Sometimes there''s more warts than good points, in fact. I''ve heard it said that it''s not meant to be taken apart, it''s meant to be remembered, even without people being able to read. I find it hard to think that anyone would really memorise the lists of names, in some of the books, but I''m sure there are some cultures where those are really key. Anyway, I''d suggest you read Genesis chapters one to twenty five or so. There''s themes and promises made there which come back over and over again. After that, maybe skim the first half of Exodus, then with that and the overview, you might be able to make sense of quite a lot of the New Testament. May quoted bits from that.¡±
¡°What''s this about old and new testaments? Did someone die?¡±
¡°Good question. Sorry, ancient terminology and yes, someone did die. Lots of people in fact. OK.. urm backing up a bit, Christianity started out as a sect of Judaism. We still accept the Jewish Bible as part of our Bible, and we call that the Old Testament, meaning the old formal contract or covenant between God and man. Where we disagree with the Jews is about a person born in Bethlehem and brought up in Nazareth, a relatively insignificant village a few days'' walk from Jerusalem. Jews say Christians have made up a load of blasphemous lies about him, we say that in some unimaginable way God managed to get himself born as a human being, lived a life without sin, and died so that we don''t have to. If the early Christians had made it up, then I don''t really know why anyone would have given up their lives for a lie, but plenty did die. I don''t think any of the first leaders of the Church died a natural death, but they were killed for refusing to denounce their belief in Jesus.¡±
¡°That''s not really very likely if they knew it was a lie, I agree. So, the New Testament is about Jesus?¡±
¡°The first four books in that section are eye-witness accounts of his life, work and teaching. Then there''s a sort of history of the church growing, and then there are a lot of letters written by the early church leaders to encourage and educate the new believers. And then there''s the book of Revelation which is in a strange genre called apocalyptic, which is full of imagery.¡±
¡°I''ve heard of it. What''s it about?¡±
¡°Oh, who knows! Depending on who you listen to, it''s either about the end of the world, or about what is going on behind the scenes now, or it''s in that style of language because saying that the Roman empire was going to be judged and would fall apart to the sound of much rejoicing wasn''t exactly going to get you a pat on the back from the government of the day. There have been so many different interpretations and heated arguments about it in the past that it''s a bit of a favourite topic for youth group discussions, and adults who''ve grown up in the church will shake their heads and ask if the younger generation will ever learn.¡±
¡°What should we learn, Mum? I like those discussions!¡± May asked.
¡°You could learn not to spend so much time in rehashing old arguments and accept that there''s just the possibility that in God''s view it''s probably all of the above, and probably more too.¡±
¡°Oh. You mean ''everyone''s right, let''s not argue''? Where''s the fun in that?¡±
¡°See what I mean?¡± Hilda asked Eliza.
¡°Mr Brown, thank you for coming so quickly. My name''s Eliza Smythe, my brother Dirk''s in Security too and is more of a computer expert than I am. He should be along in about ten minutes.¡±
¡°Call me Ray, please. Is Karen all right?¡±
¡°Yes. She spotted the man was a fraud from the moment he asked for her I.D. Unfortunately, your wife fell for a very similar scam.¡±
¡°So any system she has access to is compromised?¡±
¡°Almost. Anything which her wrist unit would give access to without her needing to use her I.D. could be affected. It seems they stuck with doing things that way, so I presume they didn''t want to do too much out of the ordinary, and so attract too much attention. But we''re going to need to check the house computer, for instance. Fortunately, we blocked the I.D. before they managed to drain your bank account. They did try, once they realised that their ruse had failed on Karen.¡±
¡°Well, thank you for thinking of it. There isn''t much in the bank, but still...¡±
¡°You''d like it to stay there, I''m sure. Now, we know that they managed to make a clone of your wife''s wrist unit, and we know how they did that. The question is whether that''s all they were capable of, or if that was just all they wanted to do. Do you remember if you just gave a fingerprint scan or was it an eye scan as well?¡±
¡°I think it was just fingerprint.¡±
¡°That''s good. A fingerprint would be enough to unlock the outer part of the I.D., which would be enough for cloning a wrist unit. You''ll need to generate a new I.D. of course, and you''ll need to get used to using another finger, but if they''d done an eye scan then we''d need to alter that for you. It stings something rotten, and of course altering the bloodflow in your eyes is not something you want to happen too often.¡±
¡°No. No it''s not.¡± Hilda agreed.
¡°Now, moving on to the next issue on the agenda. The people who did this are being quite cooperative, and as I explained on the way here, that''s because they don''t want to be charged under the terrorism laws. It would make a lot of extra work if we did that, but we could do it, I''m pretty sure.¡±
¡°So they are terrorists?¡± Hilda asked.
¡°I don''t actually think so. They are part of a very patient, organised criminal network, who collaborate with the gangs. I quote, ''they do the dumb stuff, we sometimes help them out.'' We knew we hadn''t got all of Roland Underwood''s syndicate. It seems that this is part of it. They have multiple reasons to be interested in your family, and unfortunately Karen gave them another one by telling the false policeman that May was going to be her bridesmaid when he first stopped her. We don''t know yet whether they passed that on.¡±
¡°Why does that make them more interested in May?¡± Ray asked.
¡°Because Roland Underwood has been plotting against Karen for a long time, George testified against him, and they know that Karen and George are engaged. They were previously only checking up on May because of a request from her brother to find out what she and George were up to. It appears that they hadn''t linked George the reformed Kray cousin to George the informer against their boss, but obviously they made that link very quickly once they''d seen him. We don''t know what their plans were, I''m afraid. But we know they can be very very stealthy and brutal. I would expect that if we hadn''t caught them then they''d be planning an ''accidental'' death for Karen and George. Underwood''s syndicate had a way of dealing with people who crossed him.¡±
¡°What''s he got against Karen?¡± May asked ¡°You make it sound like he''s been after her for years.¡±
¡°He has. I''m afraid the exact motive is an official secret, but it''s to do with her parents.¡±
¡°Oh. He wanted to get at them through her?¡±
¡°Yes. And he might want to get at her and George through May.¡±
¡°But he''s gone mad, hasn''t he?¡±
¡°Well, since the way he gave orders to the gangs amounted to a large-scale attack on random members of the community, then he''s an even better fit for the classic definition of a terrorist than the fake policeman you talked to. He''s never been stupid, so he''d know that. His madness could be part of a complicated plan to stay alive.¡±
¡°What would happen if he did regain his sanity?¡±
¡°There are other things we could charge him with. It might be difficult to make a death sentence stick because I''m sure his lawyer would be saying it had been part of his madness. Otherwise, he''d be released into the general prison population to serve the rest of his sentence.¡±
¡°So it''s not instant release?¡±
¡°No. But if he''s mixing with other prisoners then he can probably send messages to his syndicate, at least occasionally. If there''s any of it left, that is. We are trying to get them all, I assure you.¡±
¡°Is there a problem? I''d have thought it would be fairly easy to get the computers to find everyone he''d talked to.¡±
¡°Civil liberties, unfortunately, mean that we can''t do that. Unless we''ve got a judge''s decision saying we''re investigating a terrorist plot.¡±
¡°But I don''t understand. If invoking the terror laws would let you catch them all, why do you use it as a bargaining chip?¡±
¡°Several reasons. We don''t have infinite resources. If we invoked the terror laws, then lots of important things Security does wouldn''t happen. Other crimes where we''d normally be able to help would fall to the police, and they don''t really have the training or quite the right resources to deal with the things we do. That works both ways, by the way. We don''t have the training or right resources to everything they do, either. We''re working together on this case though, and they''ll be making plenty more arrests, I''m sure.¡±
¡°But you don''t think you''ll get everyone?¡±
¡°It''s one of those hard to know things. We can''t assume that we will, but we''re trying.¡±
Dirk arrived at that moment. Once introductions were over, it only took him a few moments to locate one of May''s missing bugs, in a light fitting.
¡°All clear in here, now.¡± he reported and moved towards the kitchen.
¡°You spoke of options?¡± Ray asked.
¡°Yes. Option one, we to keep you informed, but you decide you''ll take your chances without any changes. Option two, you accept some level of protective presence, for example watching over your house and escorting May to and from School. At some level of protection it might make sense to consider option three, which is that you move into a safe-house and lay low for a few months. You work remotely and May attends school remotely.¡±
¡°I don''t want option three, Dad, please!¡± May protested.
¡°You''d rather be kidnapped or killed?¡± Ray asked.
¡°I don''t think any Kray would want to kill me, dad. I might not be on their side, but I''m still family. If they decide to beat me up, or kidnap me, then I press my panic button, and either the police can find me, or Eliza''s colleagues. If I''m wrong, then.... I''m sure God will use it for good. I don''t see Karen living in fear of her shadow, or George. I don''t want to.¡±
¡°Rather a martyr than a slave to fear? It''s healthier, I guess.¡± Hilda asked.
¡°I''m not sure how taking needless risks is healthier.¡±
¡°Life is about balancing risks, Dad ¡ª you''ve said that. It''s not about taking needless risks, only avoiding unhealthy precautions. About putting God first, not fear. I''m not going to stop going to church because of some vague, possible, unspecified threats.¡±
¡°Articulate youngster, isn''t she?¡± Ray asked Eliza. ¡°I actually tend to agree with May. But I wonder what you''d recommend?¡±
¡°I''m not supposed to recommend, sir, but most people would find a certain level of risk acceptable.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Any chance of a bigger hint?¡± May asked
¡°Or more precisely, how big the risks are?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I''m sorry. In fact, May''s thought about her being safe from her relatives isn''t something I''ve been briefed on. So your guesses are probably better than mine. One thing I''ve heard about Underwood, is that he plans long and acts discretely, and often surprisingly.¡±
¡°Could you expand on ''discretely'' I mean, the gang''s going mad wasn''t exactly discrete.¡±
¡°No, but that was the gangs. Normally his rule has been no witnesses.¡±
¡°You mean that assuming his operation is still under his control, they''re not going to go after us in public?¡±
¡°Unless they can be sure the public die too.¡± Eliza agreed, grimly.
¡°So, just someone from the police visibly hanging around is almost as good as a safe house?¡± May asked.
¡°Well, they''d probably be Security, but, yes, that''s pretty much the case. And of course, they''d be doing more than ''hanging around.''¡±
¡°I think we''d appreciate something like that, at least for a few days until the rest of them are caught.¡± Hilda said, looking to her husband for his confirmation. ¡°If that''s all right.¡± Ray agreed.
¡°Yes. That''s fine.¡± Eliza said, and got down to the details.
¡°Three extra bugs?¡± Pris asked Dirk.
¡°Yes. May confirmed which ones she had an access code for. The three extras are long-term recorders, not transmitters, so they were definitely not from her inventory. It fits with the logs from the house computer. It let someone in with the cloned wrist unit last week. One bug in May''s room, one in her foster parents'' and one in the living room. They''ve not been accessed since they were placed, which reassured the family a lot.¡±
¡°You broke the access codes, then?¡±
¡°I had physical access, maam. It wasn''t very hard to get at the data.¡±
¡°It''s beyond what I could do without sending it to the lab. Well done for finding that out, and very well done for letting them know.¡±
¡°Thank you, maam.¡±
¡°Are you still there?¡± Pris asked.
¡°Yes. Well, in the van outside.¡±
¡°Great. Has Eliza told you about next week''s assignment?¡±
¡°Assignment? She told me to make sure my waking boots were well oiled.¡±
¡°Assignment. You, me, Eliza, Bella I think you know, guy called Nigel in royal protection, and his brother Trevor who''s analysis. We''re on an advance perimeter check at a potential honeymoon spot for the royal couple. Low profile, of course. Not a whisper to anyone about why we''re really there. We''re going to be pretending to be a group of friends who have been given time off for working weekends, so we''re well-rested for the approaching chaos of weddings, meteorite impacts, and the like. Four nights, departure early on Monday, debrief on Friday afternoon. It''s apparently a rustic holiday resort, but there should be enough electricity for chargers.¡±
¡°Rustic as in, we try to ride horses and watch the sheep and goats out of the hotel window?¡±
¡°No horses, no hotel, no idea about the quadrupeds, but probably not. Rustic as in: cabin in the hills; fetch the water from the well; cut up wood to feed the stove; and keep your body parts away from the business end of the axe because we''ll be about an hour from the hospital unless they can send a helicopter.¡±
¡°Oh, I think I''ve heard of that place. So, what''ll we be doing? Checking to see if any of the wildlife are republicans?¡±
¡°You''ll be primarily checking that there''s no sign of the owners or anyone else for that matter planting secret cameras around, or anything else which would turn it into a nightmare for the newly-weds. We''re all apparently going to be taking long walks to maintain our cover and check out if there are any gotcha''s in the vicinity. You''re not allergic to dogs, are you?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°That''s good, there''ll be one, by the name of Fido.¡±
¡°Sounds like a fun trip. Except that Eliza''s allergic to not getting warm showers.¡±
¡°Warm showers are on the cards, and to me it sounds like Eliza''s more worried about your cooking.¡±
¡°With good reason. I managed to burn what was supposed to be a soft-boiled egg last month.¡± Dirk said with a self-deprecating laugh. ¡°I''ll stick to fetching, chopping and carrying if that''s OK.¡±
¡°I''m not the organiser, but that''s OK by me.¡±
¡°Am I allowed to ask why me? I mean, people pay good money to go on a walking holiday in the hills.¡±
¡°Your bug hunting skills, I believe. Plus, and not a word of this to anyone, but Maria wants me to watch Eliza in action.¡±
¡°As in ''assessment prior to reassignment''?¡± Dirk asked, his mind whirling. That sort of assessment must mean that his little sister was being considered for a major role. Courier, maybe, or royal protection. She didn''t reply immediately. He guessed that she was wondering if he could be trusted not to pass on that exciting news to someone. It was going to be hard not to. Smash that habit, Dirk. he said to himself.
¡°Exactly.¡± Pris answered, eventually.
¡°Well, well. I always said my sis''d go far.¡±
¡°Not a word, to anyone, remember.¡±
¡°Of course not, Maam. I''ve taken on board the warning. It''s a hard urge to resist, but it''d hurt her and me both if my tongue wagged, wouldn''t it?¡±
¡°Probably.¡± Pris agreed.
¡°Maam, should I go and talk to a psych computer? It''s a struggle not to pass on news.¡±
¡°Of course it''s a struggle. Talking to a psych computer might help work out the root of the habit, but as to whether that''d help you kick it, you tell me.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m pretty sure I know the root, Maam. Any thoughts on what might help?¡±
¡°Well, you''re trying to keep a lid on it, which is good. There''s one school of thought which says just keep on trying. But I''d expect you to fail. Murphy''s law says you''ll fail at the moment it does maximum damage. As for a permanent solution, that probably takes divine intervention. Keep well clear of hypnosis, by the way, if you want to keep any clearance.¡±
¡°Oh. Yeah, I knew about that one. So, you think I''m going to blab myself out of promotion every time?¡±
¡°I''ve no idea, Dirk. I don''t know if this counts as a bright side, but you''ve only got a couple more chances to blow it, before you get assigned to training staff.¡±
¡°Training?¡±
¡°You''re great with the bug hunting and stuff, Dirk, but if you can''t control your mouth then we''re going to need to find you a place where it won''t get you in trouble. That probably means the academy.¡±
¡°I think I''d really really hate that.¡±
¡°So, why don''t you ask for some divine help then?¡±
¡°So, can you introduce me to any divinities?¡± Dirk asked, tongue in cheek. ¡°I''ve never met any.¡±
¡°One.¡± Pris replied, ¡°I promised Him that if He got me out of my freezer, then I''d stop making up excuses to not follow Him. Stupid reason for making the best bargain I ever made. We can talk more about Him next week if you like. I''m sure there''ll be time.¡±
¡°You''re serious?¡± Dirk asked, he''d always assumed that people who believed in gods were mentally unstable, but he knew Pris was a high-level courier: very very trustworthy.
¡°About making time to talk about God? Certainly. Would you mind if I prayed for you?¡±
¡°What does that involve?¡± Dirk asked, alarm bells ringing in his head.
¡°I say something like ''Dear God, please help Dirk not let on about Eliza being assessed as to whether she''s courier material, and help him know that you''re real and answer prayers.'' and if you agree then you say ''Yes please, God.'' or you can say ''amen'' which is an ancient Hebrew word which means roughly the same thing.¡±
¡°That''s it? No contract written in blood or anything like that?¡± Dirk asked, reassured.
¡°Interesting question.... Probably for discussion later. The short answer is that God became human, suffered, shed blood, died and rose to life again so that I can be a Christian and you can maybe have an answer to that prayer.¡±
Dirk pondered. A Christian; Pris was a Christian. So, she believed in God and that was some sort of part of her being a Christian. He''d never knowingly met a Christian who believed in God. Or maybe they all did and he hadn''t been paying attention? Maybe believing in gods plural was wacko, but not in God singular? After all, the Queen was Christian, he knew. Maybe he should have paid more attention to the course-book in his R.E. lessons at school, and less to the interesting gossip the teacher had filled the lessons with. Next week could be full of interesting discussions.
¡°Then, yes please, Maam. I think I''m looking forward to discussions next week.¡± Dirk said.
In response, Pris prayed and Dirk agreed.
While her parents were working out more and more details with Eliza about how intrusive or otherwise the protection should be for the next few days, May sent Tim a message.
¡°Hi, you. Negotiations ongoing, but it looks like I''m going to have someone from S. hovering around me when I''m out, and camping outside the house just in case. You?¡±
¡°Mum almost in a panic.¡± Tim replied, almost immediately. ¡°Dad not home yet. Any chance your mum could talk to mine?¡±
May showed her wrist unit to Hilda, who nodded. She wasn''t really adding much to the conversation.
¡°I''ve got to call Tim''s mum.¡± she said. ¡°Do we know the house phone is safe to use?¡±
¡°Yes. Dirk checked it all out.¡± Eliza replied.
¡°Thanks.¡± Going to the kitchen she called Tim''s mother on the phone there.
¡°Julia? Hilda Brown here.¡±
¡°Hello Hilda, is this safe?¡±
¡°Yes, Julia. At least, you didn''t give your ID to someone posing as a policeman, in the past few weeks, did you?¡±
¡°No. No. Did you?¡±
¡°Yes. More fool me. But our house is now bug free, and they''ve caught the man who did it too. And I''m happy to say that the young man who found the bugs told me that they weren''t the sort that would transmit anyway ¡ª they were just hidden recorders, so that''s a big relief.¡±
¡°Your home got bugged?¡±
¡°Yes, but like I said, the bugs have all been found, and they didn''t transmit anything.¡±
¡°How do you know?¡±
¡°Because the bugs they planted couldn''t transmit, Julia. I said that.¡±
¡°Oh yes. So you''re going to go into hiding?¡±
¡°What? No! They offered, but what''s the point?¡±
¡°You''re not hiding? Why not?¡±
¡°Julia, get Tim to make you a cup of tea and do try to calm down a little.¡±
¡°Oh, yes, a cup of tea would be good. Please, Tim.¡± she said to her son, who was hovering nearby, concerned.
¡°Now, Julia, I''ve been listening to what the nice Security people have been telling me, and it sounds to me like the criminals they''ve arrested were very professional about their job. Not slap-dash at all. They got asked to find out what they could about May and who she''s been talking to, and since their boss was in jail and they didn''t have anything else to do, that''s what they did. It doesn''t sound like they were planning to kidnap anyone until she put their operation in danger by smelling a rat. But they''re under arrest now, like their boss, and they''re telling the authorities all about everything.¡±
¡°Why would they do that?¡±
¡°Apparently someone from Security convinced their lawyer that that there was no point trying to keep secrets, and he convinced them. So we''re expecting that in a week or two the whole lot of them will be behind bars, and right now they''re almost certainly running scared, not thinking about what our kids are talking about.¡±
¡°Oh. So you don''t think there''s a risk?¡±
¡°Not much of one. Less than there was last week and getting smaller every day.¡±
¡°But if this was all at someone''s request, then what about them?¡±
¡°That was the gangs again, Julia. You didn''t go into hiding when Tim got chased by the gang, did you?¡±
¡°No, but I''m wondering if we should have.¡±
¡°I don''t think so. I get the impression that that threat is getting smaller and smaller every day too. We''re accepting some Security people outside our house for a while, but we''ll still be going to church on Sunday.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°You can''t go to church and stay in hiding, Julia, it doesn''t make sense.¡±
¡°Oh, oh, you''re right. No, we don''t want to miss church. Oh, thank you, Tim.¡±
¡°Your cup of tea arrived?¡±
¡°Yes, the biggest cup in the house!¡±
¡°He''s a thoughtful lad, your Tim.¡±
¡°He is. Thank you for calling, Hilda.¡±
¡°No problem, Julia. I''ll see you on Sunday.¡±
¡°Yes. Yes, that''d be good.¡±
¡°Actually, why don''t you all come over for Sunday lunch? We''ve been meaning to do it for a long time, haven''t we?¡±
¡°Yes, we have. Thank you, Hilda, that''s a lovely idea. Shall I bring desert?¡±
¡°Yes, please! That''d be wonderful. See you on Sunday, then. God be with you!¡±
¡°And with you.¡±
Hilda breathed a sigh of relief as she put the phone down. Julia was a natural worrier, hopefully that little conversation had put a stop to a worse panic attack.
Preparation / Ch. 17: Meeting of minds
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 17:Meeting of minds
Wednesday, 6th December, 6PM
Harriet read the message she''d got a few hours earlier. ''Dear Harriet, You have been selected to be one of fourteen members of Security taking part in a combined test of civics awareness and training/discussion event, to take place by royal command. The meeting will take place in meeting room three, royal protection wing, the Palace. Starting time will be 9am, on Friday, 8th December, refreshments will be available from 8.30am, and meals will be provided. No end time has been set. Your supervisor has been informed, but please discuss any hand-over arrangements or other responsibilities. In the event of illness or major injury, either to yourself or a close family member this assignment may be annulled. Inconvenience, prior plans or other minor issues are not acceptable motives. This assignment is for you individually; a replacement is not acceptable. Your ticket is attached.''
¡°Well, two of fourteen! That is, you are going too, aren''t you, Jim?¡±
¡°Yes. Too late to bottle out now.¡±
¡°Indeed. You''re known now. I have the feeling that getting yourself arrested by the police might be counted as a minor issue, too. I never expected the meeting to be at the palace, though.¡±
¡°Well, it makes some sort of sense. It is by royal command, after all, and it''s a secure location.¡±
¡°True.¡±
9AM. Friday, 8th December
The little group of people, mostly arriving one by one, had showed their assignment note to the gate guard, followed the initial directions and then signs and behind the door of a room called meeting room three, they found tea and coffee, biscuits and other slightly nervous people. Everyone had arrived with gloves on, of course, it was a cold day outside, but no one had taken them off yet.
There were fourteen people in the room, they noticed, then the door opened.
Most of them recognised Maria, and there was a short woman behind her that no one knew.
Maria spoke first. ¡°Hello, people. Thank you for coming. We might need you one day, but perhaps you need each other more than we need you. I won''t stay long. First of all, some facts. You all have the same abilities as the former king had, and Roland Underwood also had, before certain brave Christians gathered round him and prayed that it would be taken from him. In the queue at his local fish and chip shop, I understand.
¡°I know very well that Roland had it, because my nasty little brother used it on me when we were growing up, before I joined Security. If I''d been a little braver and had told His Majesty about my brother as soon as I joined, then history might have been a little different. But, I had no idea that he''d know exactly what I was trying to describe, and I fully expected I would be laughed at. I''ve been wearing gloves since I joined Security; I told people it was to cover the scar on my hand. People who I was close to, I told that my brother had burned it there. I didn''t tell anyone the real reason wasn''t vanity, but carefulness. You know the real reason. Any questions that you need me to answer? Oh, this is Bella, she''s got the same ability you have, and is going to lead the meeting.¡±
¡°Do we need to know who it was that contacted us?¡± Jim asked.
¡°Not unless she tells you. I know her, Bella knows her, as do the royal family. If she contacts you again, know that you can trust her, and she will not knowingly deceive you. She can contact the royal family and be contacted by them, and might on occasion ask you things on their behalf. She has clearance to know the answer. If she asks you to look something up, do. Assume that she speaks with the same authority as I do, and will not abuse it.¡±
¡°So the royal family know she''s one of the fifty-six?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°But she''s not here?¡± Jim asked.
¡°You have no need to know where she is, who she is, how old she is, or anything else about her.¡±
Bella added ¡°There is one question she''s asked me to pass on, for you to think about. Will you give her the permission to check your thoughts so that she can hear the answers to her questions? The easiest way for her to get answers is like she was holding your hand, except that you won''t get anything from her unless she deliberately sends it to you. If you insist on mental privacy, she won''t invade ¡ª you could still answer simple questions by moving around the room or something clumsy like that ¡ª but it''d be much easier on her if she doesn''t need to do that. Not to mention less obvious.¡±
¡°How long has she known about us?¡± Harriet asked Maria.
¡°Bella, I think you were there?¡±
¡°Yes. We''d had the idea that her gift could be useful, say in the event that there was a total collapse in the communications network, and prince Albert asked her how many people there were in Security with the Power. She checked, and found thirteen dots. One of the dots turned out to be two people walking down a corridor in the Academy, holding hands, another dot was half way up a mountain, Trevor. Nigel would say hi, by the way, but he doesn''t know about you being here, or about this meeting as far as I know. So, she''s known how many of us there were since early November. She only found out names just before contacting you.¡±
¡°Does Nigel know her?¡± Trevor asked.
Bella looked to Maria ¡°I know the answer, but I don''t know if this is needed information.¡±
¡°Yes, Nigel knows her, and knows that she talks to the royal family quite a lot.¡± Maria responded. ¡°I don''t know if he knows she has the gift, and I''m sure he''d be too discreet to talk about it even if you asked him, Trevor.¡±
¡°Can I ask who Nigel is?¡± someone asked.
¡°Trevor''s brother, Nigel, is in royal protection. He''s assigned to prince Albert, I''m assigned to Eliza, so we seem to bump into each other quite a lot and also get to meet unusual people.¡±
¡°Bella has some other claims to fame.¡± Maria said, ¡°One is that she was Eliza''s witness protection officer, and when Bella was called to a meeting and her replacement got herself locked into a transport with total systems failure, it was Bella that brought Eliza here to the palace and introduced her and prince Albert to each other.
You may consider yourselves warned that none of you have a need to know the circumstances of that meeting, any events at it or any other claims to fame that Bella has. Of course, if Bella accidentally thinks about those things and you pick it up, you will treat that as an accidental overhearing of classified information, and won''t repeat any of it to anyone, including each other. Understood?¡±
¡°Yes, Maam.¡± fourteen voices replied.
¡°Good. Right. Since you''ve been called to a civics test, here it is. A young officer in Security was putting in all the over-time she could to save up for a deposit on flat of her own. Hands up who knows why Bella is turning red?¡±
Trevor looked at Bella and asked ¡°Really?¡±
¡°No one ever told me.¡±
Trevor, along with those his age and above raised their hands.
Harriet raised hers half way. Maria, looking around the room, decided to pick on Harriet, but not to say say anything.
¡°You''d like me to answer, Maam?¡± Harriet asked after a little.
¡°Yes please. But first tell everyone how you knew.¡±
¡°I heard you decide to pick on me, but not to say anything. I guess that''s a lesson, but I''m not very sure what about. As for the answer, I guess it''s because there was something that Bella should have known, maybe should have learned at school. But I didn''t learn it either.¡±
¡°The answer is that you have the right to request suitable housing, and the civil Service has the duty to provide it. The lesson is that even in the middle of a group of thought-hears, there can be secrets. You were all here, but only you got the message, Harriet, indeed only you knew there was a message passed.
That is ever so ever so useful. I''ve been in situations where I knew I was being watched by unfriendly eyes, but I needed to pass on a message. I had to try and contact someone by eye signals or work out how to pass a note. I didn''t always succeed. If you''d been there, then I could have wandered near to you and thought ''I must get Harriet to tell Bill ¡°run home now! ¡°'' No note, no eye signals, not even a touch. But a message gets passed on. It''s only one way, but I hope you see that knowing of your ability could be useful to Security. Thank you for coming. Right now, the only people in Security who know your names and that you have the power are Bella and I. The royal family know what this meeting is about, the gate guards know who''s invited, but the guards know better than to ask, and the royal family are trusting Bella and me to tell them what they need to know, when.
¡°You youngsters, my brother wanted you to know nothing about your rights, and the system failed to protect you from his plans. I''m sorry. There''s a pile of data-crystal books on civics by the door, feel strongly encouraged to take a copy. Otherwise, have a nice meeting, get to know each other, learn more about your power, and come up with a good motive to meet again if you want to, I''m sure if it''s good enough then you can persuade me. Lunch is at one, dinner is at six. Bella knows how to get tea, coffee and so on. I''ll leave you to it. Oh, as part of getting to know each other, you have my permission to tell each other where you''re assigned, and in very general terms what you do, but no needless information sharing about work, please.¡±
With that, she left.
¡°Agenda item one: did anyone miss out on tea or coffee, or want a refill?¡± Bella asked.
It turned out that several refills were needed. It had been an early morning for some people.
¡°Agenda item two: does anyone have any objection to name badges? I know they''re useful for some people.¡± No one did, so they were handed out.
¡°I suggest that we just use first names and our departments. The interesting box in the corner is not a rubbish bin, but a laser incinerator. We can use that for the badges at the end, along with any notes we might make. We''ve got a stack of paper for that. Please, no notes on wrist units, and nothing to leave the room, except in your head, without everyone agreeing to it. Is that acceptable to everyone?¡±
There was one query, from a man Bella didn''t know, ¡°I''m sorry, why might we want to make notes?¡±
¡°I''m thinking that perhaps we might want to temporarily write down some ideas in a brain-storming session, for example, or we might want to write a few notes to remind ourselves of the things we''ve learned. Unless everyone knows about hiding your thoughts and sending images, for example. I''d love to know if there are other aspects of this power that I don''t know about, so perhaps we should write those up too.¡±
¡°I get it. So we list what we know, prioritise them, and if we have things that we can''t all do by the end of the meeting we tell Maria we need to have another one?¡±
¡°Exactly. And my suggestion is we all take a copy of the book as evidence that we''ve been a focus group on civics, and that we''re modernizing the school textbook and looking for things that Security personnel should all know. We''ll even do some of that, after lunch, so that we don''t need to lie to our colleagues about it. OK?¡±
¡°Surely there''s people better qualified than us to do that?¡±
¡°Yes, But unless you want to wear a T-shirt saying ''Let''s touch hands so I know what you''re thinking'', then it''s good to have a plan of what to say. What I''m trying to do is keep things plausible. and truthful. So, this morning we had a test and discussion on some aspects of civics, then after lunch we can start on looking at the book. We don''t need to let on that it was only one question and two minutes of discussion or however long it was, or that we only spend half an hour on the book.¡±
¡°And this morning we also spent time talking through exactly how we''d proceed with the task we''ve been given.¡± Trevor offered.
¡°Exactly. And we need to introduce ourselves too, don''t we? Can we do that now?¡± There were nods ¡°OK, I''m Bella, royal protection, as you''ve heard. I share the power with my Mum, and she taught me sending pictures but I thought of it as a child''s game, until I saw one of the fifty-six using it for real stuff. One of them also taught me to hide my thoughts, which, by the way, is how they managed to surround Underwood to pray against him. Oh, I''m also a Christian, as of a few weeks ago, and very happy to answer simple questions about God, but I probably have to pass on complicated ones. I have no siblings or romantic attachments.¡±
¡°I''m Jim, still in training. I don''t know anything about hiding thoughts or sending pictures. I think of myself as a sort of Christian, but from what I hear others might not agree. No siblings, but I guess it was me and Harriet holding hands. We''ve been tending do to that a lot for the last month or so.¡±
¡°I''m Harriet, still in training. My gran talked about hiding thoughts before she died, but said I was too young to learn. I think she sent me pictures, at least it rings a bell. She also always seemed to know just when I was going to thump my little brother. I don''t know how she did that, but I guess it''s part of the power.¡±
¡°Protecting my little ones, I call it,¡± offered a woman almost ready for retirement. ¡°I could do it for my kids when they were little. I don''t know if it still works. My name''s Helen by the way, but it''s not my turn yet, so I''ll stop until it is.¡±
¡°As you''ve gathered, my name is Trevor, I''m in Analysis, and my big brother is called Nigel. I''ve been a Christian for over a decade so hopefully I can answer questions about God that Bella can''t, or at least I know who to ask. I don''t know of anyone in my family with the power, but when I was eight or so I met an old lady with it who reassured me that I''m not a total freak. As Bella''s hinted, I enjoy the odd bit of mountaineering, and I have a dog called Fido. No other siblings, I''m single, and I''ve no idea what you''re talking about when you say hiding thoughts or the rest.¡±
¡°I''m Chris, I work in Communications. My wife also has the power, but she''s military comms, so I guess that''s why she didn''t get an invitation here. She taught me to hide my thoughts, and I''d like to know about this sending pictures thing and protecting kids. One son, he''s called Terry, and is six months old.¡±
¡°I''m Rachel, in Auditing. I''m glad there''s not many of us, because if there were then I''d need my husband with me. No living relatives with the power, but my husband knows I have it. I also got met by an elderly woman when I was eight. She told me that when I was older I wouldn''t like crowds and boy, was she right. She called it the Pain. She met me again when I was fourteen and taught me to hide my thoughts to escape the Pain, and warned me about not doing it too long. We''d moved house in the mean time, but she walked right up to the door as though she visited every week. She''s one of the gifted, I''m sure, If she''s still alive. She also taught me about sending pictures but I''m very rusty, and I''d like to know about this protecting kids from danger. I''ve got two lovely kids: a boy aged twelve and a girl aged ten, and I hope we don''t go on until dinner time because my husband''s a rotten cook.¡±
Bella mentally revised the day. ¡°The exact agenda''s up to us. My plan is that we should try and finish the work section by five, or five thirty, and then those of us without family commitments can stay and socialise, and maybe do some discussion about civics. Does that suit everyone?¡±
¡°Finishing by five would be excellent.¡± Rachel answered.
¡°OK. Five it is. You said the Pain wasn''t right from the start? When did you start getting it?¡±
¡°When I was about twelve, I guess.¡±
¡°And what does your husband being with you do?¡± Helen asked.
¡°Somehow him being there blots it out, or at least makes it tolerable. I don''t know how. The old lady said it might happen. She also said that being in a worshipping church was wonderful, and I agree. I''m happy to talk about God too, but perhaps that sort of talk ought to be over meals or after I''m gone, if we''ve got a long agenda.¡±
¡°I''m Helen, my kids are married, but no grand-kids yet. I used to be field work, but got a bit old for that and now I''m training ignorant youngsters like these two. Don''t expect better marks, because we share the power, Jim, or Harriet, it doesn''t work like that. But do feel free to ask for a chat. Hmm. We''ll have to do something about separating you at exam times, too, won''t we? And make sure you''re not able to touch the iron radiators. Complications, complications! I love them! Oh, my husband''s retired, or I guess he''d be here too. I can do hiding and pictures too. It''s handy when sending my husband shopping. Oh, since we''re all confessing our faith, I''m Romano-baptist, which for the ignorant is the wing of the Roman Catholic church where only believers are baptised and we think the Pope is probably right if he agrees with the Bible.¡±
¡°Isn''t that heretical, according to Catholic doctrine?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°Well, we''ve got various church fathers on our side, and they decided a century ago that since we do accept the authority of the pope, they''d let us stay.¡±
¡°I see. Interesting!¡± Trevor said.
¡°I''m Naeel, I work in witness protection, and I was raised to be Moslem.¡± a man a little younger than Bella said. ¡°Like Trevor, I never met anyone else with this power, before I met the old woman. She stopped me in the street when I was going to school one day, when I was twelve and troubled, and she touched my face, and spoke into my mind. Then she left as quickly as she''d come. As for family, I am engaged to someone, who has the power, but we argued... we are not talking at the moment. I wish it were not so.¡±
Eventually, once all the introductions had been made, Bella spoke again.
¡°Please correct me if I''m wrong, but it seems to me that only the unmarried people here need to learn about hiding their thoughts. It''s really important that everyone knows that, and I''ll be happy to explain why, but my question is, would it be OK with everyone if we schedule that towards the end of the day, so that people with kids can go home to them while we stay on?¡±
There was general agreement. ¡°Helen, you''re the only one who has any experience hearing threats to your kids, and that sounds immediately useful for the younger parents here, but if we could apply that to anyone then it''d be really useful for me too, as a body-guard. It''d be easiest with kids, I''m sure, but we can''t do that, so I think I''d like to put Jim and Harriet on the spot as the only couple here. If you think you could get them to be able to hear decisions affecting the other one, then perhaps we can all learn. Sending images is a skill that''s sometimes useful, but that''s not nearly so much a defensive skill as the others, so I''d like to put that towards the end of the main session, if that''s OK with everyone. If we don''t get to it, then that would be something we could cover in another meeting. Other agenda items that would come before that between are: one, a discussion on talking to my friend with the gift; two, another discussion about how the power might be useful to preserving national security in our present roles, or in another one if you''d consider a move; and last but not least I do think we should be ready to bore people to death about civics if they ask on Monday. Trevor, thinking about Monday, you and I need to have a private chat about that.¡± Trevor nodded.
¡°Is everyone OK with all of that?¡±
¡°I''ve no idea if I can teach how to protect kids, but I''ll give it a go.¡± Helen said. ¡°I was worrying for a moment that you were building the whole day around an unproven skill I might not be able to teach anyone.¡±
¡°We all know that we can instinctively pick up thoughts that affect us, out of the noise. That sounds like our brains are doing a wonderful job of filtering and interpreting.¡± Trevor said. ¡°My guess is that Rachel''s filters aren''t quite as effective as the rest of us at blotting out the noise. The question I have then is whether we can alter our filters to include others, or if we do that then we''re risking opening ourselves up so that we end up with Rachel''s pain. I don''t think we''d want that one bit.¡±
¡°I understand.¡± Bella said, ¡°So, would you suggest that we don''t even try, but stick to things we know can be taught?¡±
¡°It''d be safer.¡± Harriet said.
¡°So would staying in bed.¡± Jim countered.
¡°The old lady spoke as though she knew what the Pain was like, and she knew I''d develop it. I don''t know how she knew that, but maybe it''s genetic, or something that I don''t have the right filters.¡± Rachel said.
¡°It also might be that your filters are just as good, but your receiver is better.¡± Chris said. ¡°I mean, I can''t tell if someone three metres from me is making a decision concerning me, so I''ve no idea how you can hear a whole church congregation.¡±
¡°I think I''d hear decisions further than three metres.¡± Rachel said.
¡°Good point.¡± Trevor acknowledged. ¡°Is there some way we can test how good Rachel''s receiver is?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Jim said. ¡°Extension of the hand-slapping game kids play. We blindfold her and give her ear-plugs, and then see how far away we need to be to throw something at her without her noticing. You can try it on me first if you like.¡±
¡°I don''t suppose the Institute for the Human Mind have done this sort of research, have they?¡± Helen asked.
¡°Not that they''ve published.¡± Chris replied.
¡°Would you like me to ask?¡± Bella queried. ¡°I know some staff there.¡±
¡°It could save us some funny looks when we move into the corridor. I mean, this room isn''t very big.¡± Rachel said.
¡°OK, I''ll step out and make that call, and find out what if anything they know anything about the Pain at the same time. Not to mention protecting kids. Shall we call this a good time for a coffee break?¡±
¡°Hi Sarah, it''s Bella. Kate said you were the person to talk to about some questions we''ve got here.¡±
¡°Oh yes? What''s that then?¡±
¡°We''re having a meeting of Security staff with the Power. Someone mentioned that their gran could tell when she was about to beat up her little brother, and another woman said she''d been able to do the same thing.¡±
¡°My mum could do the same. No threats to me unnoticed.¡±
¡°Can it be taught? If so, then some parents would like to know how, if I could watch over Eliza like that it''d be an extra advantage.¡±
¡°Hmm. No idea. I can ask around though.¡±
¡°Please. Next question is about the Pain. We''ve got someone here with it. She said it only developed later in childhood, maybe twelve years old.¡±
¡°Poor thing. You know I have it?¡±
¡°I thought it sounded familiar, but I wasn''t sure. She says it''s OK when her husband is with her.¡±
¡°Why do you think I stay with John as much as I can? He makes a noise-proof blanket of love to wrap me in.¡±
¡°That''s roughly what she said too. Apparently she got warned that she''d get it when she was eight by an elderly woman with the gift. At least, she presumes she had the because she knew exactly where to find her again when she was fourteen.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s interesting!¡±
¡°Said lady cropped up several times, in fact, reassuring confused eight year olds who didn''t know anyone with the Power, mostly.¡±
¡°Curiouser and curiouser. Might have been Mama Ng, Arwood''s mum. She died early in the summer.¡±
¡°Oh. So, we''ve got two thoughts circulating at the moment: one is poor filters, the other is unusually good receiver. Have there been any experiments on what the range of decision-detecting is?¡±
¡°No. But I think the receiver option is more likely. I get more insights when I use part of the gift than most people. Feel free to experiment if you like. You think it''s important?¡±
¡°We''d like to learn this watching over kids, loved-ones or clients if we can, but don''t want to touch our mental filters if that''s the way to the pain.¡±
¡°Good point. I doubt it is, though. But I''ll ask."
¡°While you do, can you find out if there are any other bits of the power that we don''t know about? We''re aware of hiding thoughts, images and this thing for protecting children.¡±
¡°OK. Will do. Is it urgent?¡±
¡°It is rather. We''re trying to set the agenda for the rest of the day. If we can''t teach it, then there''s no point trying and we can get on with other things.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll give it a go. Shall I call by phone, or just call?¡±
¡°Feel free to just shout it to me. There''s a bit too much shielding in that room for phones to be a hundred percent reliable.¡±
¡°OK. No problem.¡±
¡°Thanks!¡± Bella said and went in search of Trevor. He wasn''t hard to find, and it seemed a good time to talk. Coffee was still being drunk, and smaller conversations were taking place.
¡°Bella, you thought we should talk?¡±
¡°It occurs to me that us getting to know each other today makes Monday complicated. Does Nigel know you''ve got the power?¡±
¡°No.... no he doesn''t. Or at least, I don''t remember telling him and he''s never mentioned it. I couldn''t explain before, it was too weird and embarrassing, but I''ve been meaning to tell him, now the institute made everything public. I''d thought I would on the November trip, but I just didn''t get the chance I thought I''d have.¡±
¡°He doesn''t know I have it either, that''s mostly because the topic''s not come up. He wasn''t there when we were discussing this meeting. In case you''re worried about his reactions, I know that he knows some people who are thought-readers, and he appears to have just taken it in his stride.¡±
¡°That''s reassuring.¡±
¡°I thought so, too. So, I''ve no motive not to tell him, I just haven''t. You might have when you were four, I don''t know. But we''re booked into the staff restaurant ¡ª perfectly normal when there''s a meeting here, but Nigel could turn up. Alternative one, we could ask to eat here, and pretend not to know each other on Monday. Alternative two, you could tell him you''re here and why, and we don''t need to pretend. Alternative three, we make it up as we go along, and see if he drops his tray in surprise. By the way, he suggested you come along next week, saying Fido would love it.¡±
¡°He will, I''m sure. Is he off duty? I think I''d like to tell him.¡±
¡°I''m not sure. I can call him even when he isn''t though. Privileges of the job. Want me to tell him you''re here? Maybe you could chat at lunch.¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
¡°OK.¡± Bella said, and rang Nigel. ¡°Hi, are you on duty?¡±
¡°Yes, in transit at the moment, though, so I can talk.¡±
¡°Oh, of course, that businessman''s lunch. Will you be back for dinner? Visitor here in a meeting who knows you.¡±
¡°Oh? Who''s that then? I''ll be there.¡±
¡°Your brother.¡±
¡°Really? What''s the meeting about?¡±
¡°Cover story is that it''s a civics working group. Trevor can tell you more face to face, if he wants to, but if he does then don''t tell anyone else what he tells you, or ask about other participants, OK?¡±
¡°Sounds undercover.¡±
¡°Oh, it is. Very hush-hush. Only the royal family, Maria and us participants know what it''s really about.¡±
¡°You''re another participant?¡±
¡°I''m nominally leading it, if you must know. I''d better go and lead.¡±
¡°OK, bye then.¡±
¡°Bye.¡± Bella said and disconnected. ¡°You were staying for dinner, I hope?¡±
¡°Yes. Fido won''t starve, and I need to learn.¡±
[Bella?] Sarah called. [Initial results: not much more to learn. Anyone can learn to hear decisions affecting others, but it takes a pretty deep emotional tie, so it normally only shows up between spouses and parents towards their kids. Maybe siblings. The Pain is rare, about two percent of women with the power have it, and guesses are that it''s a sensitive receiver. You''re welcome to test it, no one else has as far as I could find out. And it''s only ever been found in women, by the way.]
[Congratulation on being one of the ultra few. Does that mean you''re the only one of gifted with it?]
[Thanks. No, actually there are three of us. I don''t know what that means other than statistics aren''t the same as a law. And it was Mama Ng. It''s not something that everyone does, but she thought it was important.]
[Thanks. I''ll pass on about the statistics. Should I say about Mama Ng?]
[You can tell people she''s dead now, but you''ve met one of her sons, who''s a pastor.]
[Thanks! All that should help us. I don''t suppose you know how we can learn to hear decisions about others?]
[Not really. Never tried it myself. Practice, maybe?]
[OK, I''ll pass that on. I''d better get back to my meeting.]
[Bye!]
¡°Sorry, Trevor, I got a reply about the pain and other issues.¡±
¡°Mind to mind? I saw you not really looking at anything. Was it our mystery voice woman?¡±
¡°Yes to the first, no to the second. I''ll tell all to everyone. Can we re-assemble, people? I''ve got some good news and bad news.¡±
Once they''d settled down, Bella announced: ¡°I''ve just had a reply in answer to my query, from one of the gifted. She has the pain, like you Rachel, apparently it''s only experienced by women, and someone obviously did some counting and the answer is that it''s only experienced by two percent of women with the power, but at the moment there are three women amongst the gifted with it though. Which goes to tell you something about statistics or about God. No one''s ever tested the range of decision-sensing, so we''re welcome to if we like, and I''m sure the institute would be only too happy to publish it if we want it to be public. However, my thought is maybe we don''t want it published. Why tell people how far away they need to be to plan things against us? The elderly woman that visited some of us was almost certainly known as Mama Ng, who''s now gone from this world. Apparently I''ve met one of her sons, if anyone wants to pass on a message, he''s a pastor.
¡°As for Helen''s trick of watching out for her kids, apparently that''s something that anyone with the power can learn, but my contact doesn''t know how, since she''s never done it. However, it normally needs a really close bond, like parent to child, or between husband and wife. I''m not sure where that leaves us.¡±
¡°Throwing balls of paper at a blindfolded Rachel for the sake of science?¡± suggested Harriet. ¡°You can throw some at me too, for the sake of comparison. I hope that''s OK, Rachel.¡±
¡°Oh, I''ve had worse thrown at me, that''s fine.¡± Rachel laughed.
¡°A waste of paper though.¡± Bella said. ¡°Wait a moment, I''ll be back soon.¡±
She nipped to the supplies cupboard to check what was there.. One catering sized pack of multi-purpose cleaning sponges, and a pack of rubber bands.
¡°Ta-da! What do you think? I''ve got the rubber bands in case the foam''s too light to fly otherwise.¡±
¡°Beautiful!¡± Trevor said, and Bella thought she heard an echo, as though there had been a decision with it. Had he decided she was beautiful, as well as her idea? She''d been playing with the idea of Trevor as romantic interest without actually deciding anything since she''d met him, but hiding her thoughts briefly, she resolved that if he was interested, then she was too. Bob from witness protection, the other single man in the group, was physically more impressive, but since he wasn''t a Christian, then he was off the list. Unhiding she realised that playing with ideas to avoid decisions was another thing they needed to practice. She''d almost forgotten it in the excitement. ¡°Are Harriet and Rachel ready to be targets?¡±
¡°Yes. At least I am.¡± Rachel said.
¡°Me too.¡± Harriet agreed. They stationed themselves at the far end of the room.
¡°Now, I guess in the interests of better science, we shouldn''t change throwers, should we? Who''s willing to bombard these volunteers?¡±
¡°I''ll give it a go, but I''m not sure how throwable those sponges are, even with the rubber bands.¡± Chris said.
¡°You don''t actually need to hit them, Chris.¡± Bella pointed out. ¡°It just adds to the realism if you have some hope of doing it. Rachel, Harriet, if you hear a decision to throw at you, step sideways to avoid the missile, OK? We''ll see how close Chris needs to be before you notice anything except the indignity of being hit by a flying sponge. Chris, you''ll need to tell us who you were aiming at after each throw. I doubt they''ll fly very straight.¡±
¡°Fine.¡±
Chris threw at Harriet first. The length was OK, but the aim was wrong. Harriet didn''t react. ¡°That was meant for Harriet.¡±
Bella handed him another two and he threw both, in quick succession.
Rachel moved two steps, as he threw. ¡°Both at Rachel.¡±
Bella handed him another two. He aimed one at Rachel, who stepped straight into it''s path, and the second at Harriet, it hit her, but she hadn''t moved. ¡°Rachel, then Harriet.¡±
¡°Interesting results so far, Chris please take a step forwards.¡± Bella said.
¡°Binary search should be faster; half, then quarter and so on, forwards or back depending on results.¡± Trevor said, pointing to the middle of the room.
¡°OK by me.¡± Chris said, launching another one at Harriet. She didn''t react, so he stepped to about two metres from her, and threw again. That time she reacted. He stepped back a metre and threw again. She reacted, but hesitantly.
¡°I guess your range is around three and a bit metres, Harriet.¡± Chris said.
¡°And Rachel?¡±
¡°More than across the room. The only time she got hit was because it would have missed and she stepped into it''s path.¡±
¡°Any other volunteers?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Let''s see if Harriet can hear me better.¡± Jim said.
Collecting a pile of sponges, he went to about half way across the room, and launched one at Harriet. It hit her. He went half way to her ¡ª about two metres away, and threw. She moved. He stepped back to where he had been before and threw again, and scored a hit again. One metre back, he threw again. She moved. ¡°Did you notice anything, Hari?¡± he asked.
¡°Yes. People keep throwing sponges at me, I want some revenge.¡±
¡°It''s better to give than receive.¡± quipped Rachel.
¡°Do we have enough blindfolds to give Harriet and Rachel lots of targets?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°Good idea.¡± Bella asked.
It didn''t take long for them to prove that Harriet was actually less sensitive than most people, and that Helen, with a range of six metres, was the most sensitive apart from Rachel. In fact, it seemed that there was quite a good correlation with age.
¡°Well, it looks like age wins on this measure.¡± Helen said. ¡°Interesting.¡±
¡°Indeed. But I think we''ve got a definite answer, Rachel.¡± Trevor summarised ¡°Your ''ears'' are far better than the rest of ours.¡±
¡°And I bet your kids learned quickly that they can''t get away with much when you''re in the same room.¡± Helen said.
Rachel smiled. ¡°They''re good kids.¡±
¡°Another skill to practice.¡± Bella said, ¡°isn''t specific to us. That''s to avoid making decisions in public. That''s one Maria told me about, and I''ve been trying. It''s not as good as hiding thoughts, of course, but if you can play with the idea, think around it, and so on, then you can be very ready to make the decision without having actually made it.¡±
¡°Should we practice?¡±
¡°We could, but I think that''s a low priority task right now. However, it is one thing that Maria''s asked us: Could we help others to practice it? It might be quite an advantage if our ambassadors and so on were able to avoid decisions that affect people who might overhear them.¡±
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
¡°Do we actually expect there to be a thought-hearing person in a meeting of ambassadors and heads of state?¡± Rachel asked.
¡°Well, we should. I won''t tell you where she''s from, but there''s one woman thought-hearer who''s been named as successor to the current ruler of a friendly nation.¡± Chris said.
¡°It would mean exposing our ability, I presume.¡± Helen stated.
¡°Yes.¡± Bella replied ¡°Again, it would be a limited exposure, and it could be masked as something else, like this meeting.¡±
¡°But it''s the sort of thing which might expand? Once the Ambassadors have been trained, then government ministers, and so on?¡± Helen pressed.
¡°Eventually, I''d expect so. Field operatives too, of course. It''s even been suggested that there might even be a required module at the academy, training everyone with a certain level of clearance to watch their thoughts and keep the secrets in their heads safe.¡±
¡°Whoever does that work would need high clearance themselves.¡± Trevor said.
¡°Yes.¡± Bella agreed. ¡°But while that excludes some people here, that''s not a massive problem.¡±
¡°But the biggest risk is to their majesties, surely?¡±
¡°Along with the department heads.¡± Rachel pointed out. ¡°I mean, they know more than their majesties.¡±
¡°Yes. I don''t think we need to worry about training the royal family ourselves, though, and probably not department heads, either.¡± Bella said.
¡°Your friend with the nice mental voice?¡± Jim asked.
¡°She''d certainly be one possible and trustworthy individual, but there are others. Our nation is blessed with more than its fair share of gifted people.¡± Bella pointed out, ¡°And as long as their identity is kept a secret, I''ve found them very willing to help the authorities.¡±
¡°Don''t they insist on being apolitical?¡± Bob asked, as though not taking sides was a crime against humanity.
¡°I don''t think think they would be willing to spy on anyone, if that''s what you mean.¡± Bella said, ¡°On the other hand, I don''t think you''ll find them offering to teach much to people working for oppressive regimes, either, but someone with the gift taught me to hide my thoughts.¡±
¡°So, they''re neutral but try to have principles?¡± Bob asked.
¡°I think I''d say that they have a strong sense of right and wrong, and they''re happy to be helpful to people who want to do the right thing.¡±
¡°And how do they know that they''re not helping the bad guys?¡± He said, pressing the point.
¡°Bob, think about it. If they''re suspicious of you, they can read you as though you were holding their hands anywhere from here to Jupiter. In the same room they''re able to see the reasons behind your attitudes you don''t know yourself, and to top it all off, if they really want to, they could also check your record in God''s book of judgement.¡±
¡°And what if they''re not suspicious enough?¡± Bob insisted.
Bella was getting frustrated. ¡°Then, Bob, someone who knows them can ask them, as a favour, if there''s anyone on the invitation list that is abusing their power or not to be trusted. Congratulations, you passed, just like everyone else here.¡±
¡°And you trust your friend. Of course you do!¡±
¡°Bob,¡± Trevor asked, ¡°Just what is your problem?¡±
¡°I don''t trust religious extremists not to be gullible fools, and these people who claim to have some God-given power sure count as extremists in my book.¡±
¡°Bob, you''re here because you were identified as having the power by someone when she was sitting not very far from here, and she checked if there was anyone else there with you and saw you were probably in a meeting. She then checked up on you at roughly speaking half-hourly intervals until you got to be out of your meeting, and contacted you. All of this is surely evidence that her God-given power is real. She could have just written down everyone''s names and handed the list to Maria, then we wouldn''t have had all the extra work with setting up the special phone number, and the whole mystery voice competition wouldn''t have happened. But I heard her insist to Maria and their Majesties that she let you to have a totally free choice about whether she identified you as having the power or not. Does that sound like someone overly trusting? A gullible fool?¡±
¡°I guess not.¡±
¡°Good. I''d also like to point out that the whole thing about identifying you using her gift was her idea in the first place. My earlier suggestion would have had me shaking everyone in Security''s hand in an effort to set up this meeting.¡±
¡°Did she happen to tell you if there were any who didn''t want to come?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°A full set, she said. Of course that''s just Security, not military, or police.¡±
¡°Why do we get special treatment?¡± Helen asked.
¡°Because we know too much, more than we can admit to, more than we''re supposed to, sometimes.¡± Chris said.
¡°And if some criminal thought-hearers identified us,¡± Bella said. ¡°then we''d possibly face physical or mental torture to get us to think about things we wouldn''t say. That''s one place where hiding our thoughts comes in, by the way, but it''s dangerous.¡±
¡°How is it dangerous?¡± Harriet asked.
¡°Because if you hide your thoughts a long time it becomes harder to unhide them. You can get stuck. And if you get really stuck then you''ll get used to it and stay that way for life. Your thoughts will stay hidden for a few days, but you won''t be hearing anything. Therefore, the most important thing about learning to hide your thoughts is learning how to get out, and getting to know trustworthy others with the power is also good, so they can remind you how to get unstuck in nice calming terms so that you don''t panic too much.
If you can''t get through to anyone, and you need help, then you could also call the Institute for the Human Mind. I won''t say everyone there knows what to tell you off by heart, but they''re learning, and they know how to pull it up on their computers, apparently.¡±
¡°So, help is only a call away, as long as we''re in working hours?¡± Harriet asked.
¡°There is that. The advantage of working with the institute, of course, is the understanding and the anonymity. However, as I understand it they are planning to get the response programmed into psych-computers, and it''s something we could tell the guys on the switchboard at control if you like.
Really, though, it''s not rocket science at all. I''ll tell you: When you''re hiding your thoughts it feels like you''re hiding in mud, the mud starts out runny, no problem at all to get out, but it''s like it slowly gets sticky. To get out, you need to imagine yourself as a perfectly smooth, non-stick bubble floating to the surface. It sounds silly, but it works. Just don''t panic or give up. That''s it, make a note to tell your spouses, you married people. It is something that you''re likely to panic about, even if you''re not a panicking person. The closest thing I can liken it to is waking up and not being able to open your eyes. The first time is really scary, and it never gets pleasant.¡±
¡°But that''s it?¡± Trevor asked, ¡°Make yourself a bubble, and up you come? And a calm voice telling you what to do helps you not get panicked and spiky?¡±
¡°Exactly. Not exactly the sort of thing you need a few PhDs to administer, is it? But, on the other hand, if you call control and say ''Help, I was hiding my thoughts, and I''ve got stuck,'' well, that''s rather let the cat out of the bag, hasn''t it?¡±
¡°But at the time, you won''t care one fig.¡± Helen said, ¡°So having alternatives: friends, relatives, the Institute and control is a really great idea. I only had my Mother and she was at work, giving a lecture in front of a hundred people, the first time I got stuck. I cared not one iota. The bubble works, by the way. Bubbles don''t get confused which way''s up. They float up all on their own. That''s the great thing about them, it might take a time, but you''ll get free in the end, praise God.¡±
Jim spoke up, ¡°Can I ask, what''s the longest time you''ve been stuck?¡±
¡°Well, like you know, I used to be in fieldwork. Lots of stories I still can''t tell you, but... there was a time early in my career, I was caught by someone a long way away who had a torturer-cum-thought-stealer on his staff. Bad, bad time. The only thing to do was hide and hope for the rescue to come. Rescue came after almost a day, and the wounds healed eventually. I had plenty of time, lying there in hospital, for the bubble to work. Prayer helped too, of course. I''m sure I wouldn''t be sane if I hadn''t had prayer. And encouragement. I got some encouragement too ¡ª either it was an angel or someone got into the maximum security wing of the hospital some other way, and they told me that they had a message from God: I was half-way to the surface, and it wouldn''t be long now. That was after a week, when I was about to give up. God''s good, and I''m sure he could have got me out some other way, and sometimes I''ve wondered why he didn''t. But, maybe, just maybe, it might be that he wanted me to use that bubble so I could tell you guys about it.¡±
¡°Helen, that''s a powerful testimony,¡± Trevor said, ¡°would you mind it being written down or otherwise recorded somehow, so it''s not just us you encourage but others too?¡±
¡°You think so?¡± Helen said.
¡°Yes.¡± Bella and Trevor said at the same time.
¡°I''m sure.¡± Rachel said. ¡°I''ve wondered, how long was it worth trying, if you got really stuck. I''d have thought it was all over if you weren''t out by the time your thoughts started leaking again.¡±
¡°Well, I didn''t have anything else to worry about, so maybe that helped.¡± Helen said modestly. ¡°And like, I said, I was praying, so it might have all been a miracle. But... with that message, I don''t think it was.¡±
¡°It doesn''t sound like one, I mean, miracles are supposed to be obvious, aren''t they?¡± Jim said. ¡°But... I do think I want to learn a lot more about your version of God.¡±
¡°Then no, I don''t mind writing it down. You know it''s the first time I''ve told it all in one go? My husband knows, but he didn''t get it all in one go.¡±
¡°Thank you for sharing it with us.¡± Bella said.
¡°And thank you, Father God, for bringing Helen through that terrible time with her faith, her life and her power.¡± Rachel prayed.
¡°Amen.¡± sounded from several voices around the room.
¡°I also thank Allah the merciful and compassionate that you are here to tell us, Helen.¡± Naeel said, ¡°When the old woman spoke to me, I saw an image of a place of great peace where God washed troubles away, and she spoke into mind, saying ''Greetings to you, Naeel who hears thoughts, from my God, who provided the ram in the place of Abraham''s son, and allowed them to crucify the sinless son of the virgin, so that he could display his power over the powers of darkness. One day, you will meet others who share your ability, who will tell you more of God''s mercy. If you ask, they will also tell you of this place I have shown you.'' And then she left me, with my mouth gaping like a fish. Was she right? Do you know of this place? How can I get there?¡±
There were blank looks around the room. And then Bella spoke, ¡°I know of it, Naeel, I have spoken with my friend about it, but I have never been there, not as truly as she has been. I think that it is a Christian reality, that all Christians have a little of, that we can reach to if only we stop our busy-ness, and think, and rest in God. But it is also a place that those with the gift of supernatural knowledge can spend time, and be refreshed. I do not know why you were shown it.¡±
¡°Ah. A Christian place. I thank you, Bella. I must think.¡± He stood up and walked to the wall. ¡°I must think.¡± he repeated, staring at the brickwork.
¡°I think I must talk to someone. There is more I have not said. Bella, you can contact your friend? I need counsel, an older man, who knows this wonderful place. Is it possible? I must talk to someone.¡±
¡°You say older? Is mid-thirties sufficient? There is the husband of the woman who contacted me earlier; I know him to be a wise man, who is not in Security but has clearance, if that is relevant.¡±
¡°A wise, trustworthy and impartial adviser. That is what I want. He has been married long?¡±
¡°Not very long. His first wife died suddenly, years ago.¡± Bella said.
¡°Ah. Yes, I would like to talk to this man. You can arrange it?¡±
¡°Yes. I can arrange it. How urgently?¡±
¡°For the sake of my fianc¨¦e, the sooner the better. But it does not need to be before we finish today.¡± Naeel replied.
¡°Then during lunch I will ask him when he can talk to you.¡± Bella concluded. ¡°Helen, we don''t have a massive amount of time, but can you try and explain what we''d need to do to know of threats to others?¡±
¡°I''ve been thinking, really I have. The best I can think of is that I probably thought of my kids as part of me. You know, you see them taking risks and you flinch. I guess that''s why I don''t think it''d still work. They''re their own people now, they''ve got husbands and wives to look after them.¡±
¡°Can you remember when the last time was that you heard someone think something about one of them?¡±
¡°Yes. I can. My youngest, Brian, he''s called. I was beside a young woman, and I heard her making very definite plans for Brian''s future. She was deciding that his then-current girl-friend was no good for him, and she''d rescue him from impending doom.¡±
¡°Was she right?¡± Bella asked.
¡°I think so, and he obviously thought so too; they''re married now.¡±
¡°So it isn''t just threats?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°No, no more than it is with hearing decisions about yourself.¡±
¡°I''ve got an idea: it''s a bit artificial, but let''s all take a piece of paper and in nice big writing, write the name of someone who''s really important to us, who we feel responsible for; the person who''s most likely to get us running out of the door if there was a problem.¡± Bella passed out pens and paper, and quickly put her mother''s name on her piece of paper, then while everyone else was thinking, she put two chairs back to back in the middle of the room.
¡°Now, I''m assuming that we''re going to need to be close for this to work, but obviously not touching, so what we''ll do is have one person sit in the chair facing the door, and then one by one we''ll let three people sit on the other chair and try and make a non-threatening decision about the name on the paper, and we''ll all try and listen in turn. How does that sound?¡±
¡°It''s worth a go.¡± Helen said.
¡°Would you like to go first?¡± Bella said.
¡°OK.¡± Helen replied, her paper said ''Brian''. ¡°Now what I''m going to be doing is thinking protective thoughts how helpless Brian is and how he gets into trouble without me around, which is a bit of a laugh, given that he''s been married for five years now. But... that''s the only way I''ve known it to work.¡±
¡°Who''s up first?¡± Bella asked. No one volunteered. ¡°Fine, I''ll give it a go.¡±
Bella sat down, and thought to herself [I''ll buy Brian a coffee.] But she wasn''t sure it was a decision, after all, she wasn''t likely to meet him, so she decided [I''ll buy him a coffee if I meet him.]
¡°Get anything?¡± she asked.
¡°Nope.¡± Helen reported.
¡°Oh well. Who''s next?¡±
It was... not unexpected, Bella decided, when they still had no results when they were half way though. Trevor was due next and he held up his paper with a flourish. It read ''Fido!'' and he''d sketched a picture of his dog plunging into a river.
¡°Oh, well done!¡± Bella said, and decided on the spur of the moment that she needed to get Fido a bone.
¡°Really, Bella? He''ll be your friend forever if you do!¡± Trevor asked.
Bella looked in shock at Trevor. ¡°You heard?¡±
¡°Yes, shouldn''t you be sitting down though?¡±
¡°I think I need to. You really heard that?¡±
¡°Yes. Bella''s going to buy Fido a bone, everyone, for which she''ll be on his top five people in the whole wide world list, at least until someone else buys him a bigger one.¡±
¡°I think that part of the problem is that we''re not going to ever meet the people on these bits of paper.¡± Bella said, ¡°But I''m due to meet Fido on Monday.¡±
¡°Oh? And do I detect a little romance in the air?¡± Rachel asked.
¡°Fido, Trevor, I, and some others have been assigned to a multi-speciality field operation.¡± Bella explained. ¡°Since the others include Trevor''s brother, we''ve been wondering how to pretend we don''t know each other, or how to explain our meeting each without talking about this meeting.¡±
¡°Oh. Sorry.¡± Rachel said.
¡°It''s OK.¡± Bella said, wondering what Trevor was really thinking.
¡°Trevor, have you ever heard anyone making decisions about Fido like that?¡±
¡°No, but then I''m not sure if I''ve ever thought about him quite like that either. It''s true, but I''ve just not actively thought it.¡±
¡°Shall we continue? Or does everyone else agree that it''s too artificial? I think we''ve shown it''s feasible, where there''s a genuine dependency.¡± Harriet asked.
¡°I agree.¡± Rachel said, then asked ¡°Bella, should we do some of the inevitable civics stuff now, so that we''ve got more time for practising pictures? I mean, with only three of us able to demonstrate, it could take quite a long time.¡±
¡°Yes, by all means, let''s move the civics up. Phase one is a little test that Maria''s handed me. First we do it, then the experts among us get a laugh about where we went wrong and then we might even have some time before lunch to find faults with it.¡±
1:10pm
[Hi, Bella, are you free?] Sarah''s mental voice came to her, as Bella was sitting down at the lunch table.
[Yes, meal time, and I was about to call you anyway.]
[Oh? Do you want to go first, or shall I?]
[I don''t mind.]
[Then you go, I''ve got notes down already.]
[OK. One young man here, raised Moslem but I''d guess he''s having doubts, met Mama Ng when he was a lad. She showed him an image of the Peace, and gave him a little message that could be taken as a prophecy about this meeting. He admits that he''s not told us everything, but said he needs to talk to someone older than him, male, and who knows the peace.
I suggested John might be just the person, and he agreed ¡ª I called him the husband of the woman who''d just contacted me. Oh, he''s also in the middle of some kind of major argument with his fianc¨¦e and they''re apparently not talking at the moment, so he''d like to talk when we finish tonight if that''s OK, so that he can resolve that.]
[Well! That''s complex enough. I wonder why Mama Ng showed him the Peace! That''s weird.]
[Not as weird as me being asked ''She said I''d be told more about it if I asked. Do you know about it? How can I get there?'']
[How can he get there? Well, first he needs to change religion and then ask God for a scary gift.]
[You think just asking is enough?]
[Probably not. I''m sure there are lots of people who ask. My mum did, for instance. But then, John and I didn''t ask, did we?]
[Not from how you tell it, no. What''s your news?]
[About the pain. Did you do a range test at all?]
[Yes. Most of us had a range of three to five metres, which increased with age. Rachel who has the pain could hear anywhere in the room.]
[But you didn''t reach the limits of her range?]
[No, just more than eight metres or so.]
[According to tests we''ve just done, you''d probably have found she had a range of around thirty metres. At least, that''s my range and the range of the other two.]
[Wow.]
[Yes, that''s what I thought. There''s also news on protecting people.]
[Yes?]
[They pretty much have to need protecting in your mind. Like, they''re not safe out of your sight.]
[That ties in with what we found here. One participant used to have it regarding her son, but apparently she felt that once he married he wasn''t her problem any more.]
[I''m sure his wife appreciates that attitude!]
[Yes, me too. I''ve got a lot of respect for that woman ¡ª mother not wife that is. She had a very traumatic experience when she was a young agent. Tortured by a thought-stealer. She hid her thoughts for almost a day before help came, and was stuck in the mud for more than a week before she got free.]
[A week!]
[Surprised us too. Apparently after a week either an angel or someone told her God said she was half way out and it wouldn''t be long now, so I don''t know exactly how long she was being a bubble, but... wow.]
[So there''s always hope?]
[Maybe. She was in hospital at the time, without anything else to do, she said. I guess the torturer was brutal.]
[Can I pass this on, or is it cleared-people only?]
[She''s going to write it down, then... I think it''s Maria''s call. But I''d say the fact that the bubble can still get you out of the mud even after your thoughts have started leaking, well, that just needs to be out there.]
[It does, I agree. Thanks. What''s the guy''s name that John needs to talk to?]
[Naeel. Oh, he asked if John had been married long. I said no, but his first wife had died suddenly a long time ago. Sorry, I probably shouldn''t have said that much without asking.]
[I think it''s better you did, actually. It saves John having to. And Mama Ng met him when he was young?]
[Yes. Obviously made an impact on him, he quoted what she said to him.]
[Can you remember it?]
[Roughly. It went something like ''Greetings to you Naeel who hears thoughts from my God. Then there was something about God providing a ram for Abraham''s son, and allowing Jesus to die and why, except she called him the sinless son of the virgin.]
[OK, so she alerted him to some contentious points there, and he remembered them. That''s a pretty good sign. What''s your programme for the rest of the day?]
[Well, we''re going to be trying to learn to send pictures to each other and beef up our cover story that this is about civics, and then at five the people who need to rush off will, and I''ll be left passing on to the rest how to hide, which''ll be a bit of an adventure into the unknown. Dinner''s provided at six, and I hope we''ll be finished by then, so people can leave afterwards.]
[Oh, you''ve got plans for the evening?]
[Sort of. I expect I''m going to need to write up a report about the meeting.]
[Oh, fun. I''ll get John to shout to him at about six-thirty. I''ll leave you to your meal then.]
[Thanks. My plate seems to be mostly empty.]
[And who''s the young man patiently waiting beside you to say something? ]
Bella flicked a glance around the square table. Trevor was beside her on one side, Helen and Rachel were on the other sides, talking about something. [He''s called Trevor, is single and Christian.]
[And you''re hopeful.]
[Sarah!]
[For what it''s worth, so''s he. I can tell that from here. Be brave and tell him I said that, or I will. Bye.]
Bella almost choked on her mouthful.
¡°Are you OK?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°Sorry, Trevor, another long range conversation. With a complete stirrer.¡±
¡°Stirrer?¡±
¡°Well, she seems to think that we need help.¡± she looked at him significantly.
¡°Help?¡± he was confused.
¡°OK, her words were ''Be brave and tell him I can tell from here that you''re both hopeful, or I will''.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°That''s stirring all right. Nice to know, though.¡±
¡°But of an invasion of your privacy.¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t mind that.¡± He fell silent for a bit, and Bella heard him decide that he''d really like to tell her something but mind to mind. In acceptance, she took off her glove and placed her hand on the table. Nervously, Trevor did the same thing.
[I''ve never done this before.{embarrassment}]
[What, speak mind to mind to someone?]
[Yes. It''s nice to know I''m hopeful. Answer to prayer. Even nicer to know it''s mutual.]
[Answer to prayer?]
[I prayed that I''d know what was I was feeling about you. Hopeful is a good word.]
[Oh, the sneaky stirrer!]
[What?]
[I misquoted. She told me I was hopeful, which I knew, and then added that you were too and she could tell that from where she is, and I should tell you that or she would. So she could claim that she just meant that I was to tell you that you were hopeful.]
[Well, I for one don''t mind the extra information. You don''t mind letting a strange man into your thoughts?]
[What about a dangerous woman?]
[You''re dangerous?]
[Well, I did get unarmed combat trophy in my year.]
[I bet your power helped.]
[Oh, it did, I''m sure.]
[I never took part in the competition; I thought it wasn''t a good idea. Part-way cheating, and part-way giving things away.]
[I wasn''t a Christian then.]
[I''m not criticising, I just thought it was safer not to.]
[Thus says the man who hangs off rocks in winter!]
[That''s different. Physical danger isn''t as... Personal I guess.]
[Odd way to look at it. I take it very personally when someone attacks me.]
[Well, I mean that no one''s going to dissect you for falling off a mountain, just stitch you back together.]
[If there''s enough of you to stitch.]
[If there''s not then I''m beyond caring.]
[You don''t think that God might tell you off for dying for such a silly reason?]
[It hadn''t occurred to me, actually. You think that maybe I shouldn''t do it?]
[Not necessarily. I''m sure it''s good for your muscles, and presumably you enjoy it. Just, have a good reason for taking risks, you know. There are other dangerous things you could do.]
[Like spending ten minutes holding hands with a beautiful woman in front of lots of people?]
[Hmm. That one counts as a personal danger, doesn''t it? You really think so? That I''m beautiful, I mean?]
[No question in my mind. But, well, that doesn''t really mean much, does it?]
[It doesn''t?] Bella was surprised.
[Ideals of beauty are flexible and changeable. I''m hoping to get to know you better than just from the outside, rather than judging the book by the cover, if that''s OK.]
[Uh, yes, fair enough.] Bella thought, a little disappointed by what sounded like it might be leading up to `let''s not go out yet.''
[I mean, life changing decisions shouldn''t be made after only a few hours.] he continued. And Bella realised that he hadn''t been thinking about going out. [Trevor, I think, you''re thinking a little too out-loud, aren''t you?]
[Probably. I''m not used to this.]
[Should we talk normally then?]
[I like your mental voice, Bella.]
[I''m glad. So, can we pretend that you weren''t just mulling over the idea of proposing to me quite this soon, and stick to a more realistic sequence of events?]
[{embarrasment} I was, wasn''t I? Sorry, Bella. So, trying to get things in the right order, I really like what I''ve seen of your character and your faith so far. I don''t want to pretend we don''t know each other, I''d never pull that off, and I''d be very happy if you''d consider spending time with me so we can get to know each other better, that is to say going on some dates together.]
[After a lot of miliseconds of careful consideration, Trevor, I like that idea too. But we''ve got lots of time together next week. Let''s try hard not to rush ourselves, OK? I mean, just because we''re the only single thought-hearing Christians in Security at the moment, that doesn''t automatically mean we''re going end up more than friends.]
[I suppose not.]
[I mean, you might find I''m terrible company, and you''d much rather wait for one of the other girls in the room to turn to Christ.]
[And you might find Naeel an interesting prospective if he breaks up with his fianc¨¦e.]
[Theoretically possible, but I doubt it, any more than I was interested in Albert.] Bella found herself thinking, then realised that wasn''t an acceptable line of thought without breaking some laws.
[Were you hoping for compliments by the way? You''re much prettier than any of the others. Who''s Albert?]
[Ooops. Naughty thought, sorry.] she broke the link. ¡°I need to break hands, I think. Talking by thought can be dangerous.¡±
¡°Yes. I could get used to it, though. It''s faster isn''t it?¡±
¡°Much. Well, per word it''s faster, but then you end up saying more.¡±
¡°Or rather thinking, but the filters we''ve got that stop us saying things don''t quite catch up with the thought in time to stop it, do they?¡±
¡°That''s why the power''s potentially useful in interrogating witnesses, but probably it won''t be allowed.¡±
¡°Well, not in secret anyway. ''Bugging people''s brains'' is not a very nice thing to do.¡± he said quoting the title of an article written by Kate, intended to promote discussion about the ethics of using thought-hearing in legal cases.
¡°You read that article from the Institute, then?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Yes. It was interestingly put. But I think the point about being able to catch people out when they made a slip up, but not to prove they were telling the truth was a good one.¡±
¡°Yes. It was. It was all very well thought out and reasonable and infuriating.¡±
¡°Infuriating?¡±
¡°Well, I was hoping for something new, but it seemed to just repeating the usual points of view, pro and contra, but arguing both sides, and doing it so well that you end up feeling like an idiot if you decide one way or the other. I hoped for clarity, but it feels like she''s saying there is none, and she''s explored everything so well that there''s no arguments left.¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t think so. They''ve left some avenues unexplored. But you keep saying she? You know the author?¡±
¡°Yes. I saw a draft and asked her to please reach a conclusion before she published. She laughed and said that wasn''t the point. So what is the point?¡±
¡°Read it more carefully. It''s cleverly done, but she''s actually pointed out some holes in each side''s arguments that aren''t being addressed.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I bow to your superior intellect, I didn''t see that at all.¡± she conceded.
¡°Well, I''d be happy to show you some time, maybe after a meal?¡±
¡°You''re persistent, aren''t you?¡± Bella said, pleased. ¡°Any time in particular?¡±
¡°Well, I don''t have any plans for tomorrow. Do you?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. I should be off duty.¡±
¡°But?¡±
¡°But I''m suspicious that things might be waiting for me after I declare this meeting over.¡±
¡°Oh. Yes, Nigel''s told me about that sort of thing. You think you''re free, then suddenly you''re earning overtime instead.¡±
¡°Yes. It''s one reason I''m looking forward to next week, actually.¡±
¡°You think we''ll be working fixed hours?¡±
¡°No, but I don''t think the plans will change much.¡±
¡°Speaking of which, when are we supposed to be restarting?¡± Trevor asked.
Bella looked at her wrist unit. ¡°Soon. I''ll just tell to Naeel I''ve arranged his meeting.¡±
¡°Before you go, can I ask something? It''s why I sat here in the first place, but I''d forgotten.¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Bella asked.
¡°Nigel''s asked me to get supplies for next week. Is there anything you''re allergic to?¡±
¡°No, no allergies.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
¡°When are you going shopping?¡±
¡°Tomorrow morning, why?¡±
¡°I thought that maybe you''d like a hand, subject to no extra duties. Six adults for a week is a lot of shopping.¡±
¡°That... that''d be great.¡± he stammered, gazing at her in wonder.
¡°What did I do now?¡± she asked.
¡°I''ll tell you later.¡± he said, failing to hide his embarrassment.
¡°OK.¡± Bella said and went off to deliver her message to Naeel.
Helen asked Trevor in a whisper, ¡°I won''t let on, but did she just offer to draw water for your camels?¡± referring to Genesis 24.
He got the reference at once. ¡°How did you know?¡± he asked.
¡°Put it down to experience of age, young man, experience of age. Congratulations.¡±
6.05pm
Bella put down her tray, sat back on the dining room chair and closed her eyes. ¡°Over at last.¡± she sighed.
¡°You''re not exhausted by any chance are you?¡± Nigel asked, coming in.
¡°Just slightly.¡± Bella replied.
¡°Hi, Nigel. I''m just guessing, but I think Bella would prefer it if we''d finished about three hours ago.¡± Trevor replied.
¡°I''ve never seen Bella so exhausted, what have you been doing to her?¡±
¡°Not his fault, Nigel.¡± Bella said, ¡°Just a lot of things to tell people about and practice. I never realised how hard it is to be a teacher.¡±
¡°So, how did you end up being a teacher?¡±
¡°This is the point where I think we should move to another table, or in fact, lets go to meeting room three, can we?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Urm, sure.¡± Nigel said. ¡°Big secrets?¡±
¡°Indeed.¡± Trevor said, then as they went down the deserted corridor to the meeting room he added, ¡°Unless of course I told you when I was four.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Nigel ¡°Do you mean about the blue aliens who made the ice-cream?¡±
¡°Nope.¡±
¡°Or the pink fairy with the big nose?¡±
¡°Don''t remember that one. Have a seat.¡±
¡°Then the only other thing that stuck was when you told Mum that you knew I''d wanted to break your toy soldier when I''d got really annoyed with you, because you''d heard me decide to.¡±
¡°Now that sounds on the spot.¡± Bella said, taking her seat.
¡°You mean...?¡± Nigel asked.
¡°Disclosure time.¡± Bella said. ¡°I got a commission from Maria and the royal family to meet all the thought-hearers who wanted to be met, train them in stuff they didn''t know, learn what I didn''t know, etc.¡±
¡°I decided I wanted to be met.¡± Trevor said.
¡°Wow. And you, Bella?¡±
¡°I''m one too, yes. So, information protocol is that you''re being told about the meeting because that''s how I met your brother, plus I don''t mind you knowing. You never know, it might be handy that you do, sometime. But don''t tell anyone else about what the meeting was about. OK?¡±
¡°Well, I suppose that explains a few things.¡± Nigel said.
¡°Like what?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°For example, young Bella''s reaction when she thought I was suggesting that next week would be just the two of us. She just told me flat out that she wasn''t interested in me. There I was, thinking it was my naturally repulsive personality, but no, I just didn''t meet one of the qualifications. I can live in hope of finding a wife one day.¡±
¡°I never knew you were wife-hunting, Nigel!¡± Bella said. ¡°Tell me the qualifications, and I''ll see if I can make any suggestions! But really, it did sound like you wanted me to go with you on a romantic weekend for two. I didn''t think that was at all appropriate.¡±
¡°Well, to be honest, someone taller that you would be nice. Nothing personal, Bella, but, if we''re talking my ideal woman...¡± Nigel started.
¡°It''s OK, I know I''m not very tall.¡±
¡°Tall, clever, dark hair, and ideally enough clearance so I can talk freely to her, but not so much that she can''t talk to me.¡± he finished.
¡°Age?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Younger than me.¡±
¡°Hmm. O.K. I''ll see who I can think of.¡± Bella said.
¡°I wasn''t serious!¡± Nigel protested.
¡°That list sounds familiar though.¡± Trevor said.
¡°Well, the list is serious, but I don''t need help, honestly. What was your list, Trev?¡±
¡°You remember what pastor Percy used to say?¡±
¡°Two arms, two legs, the rest changes with time anyway, eyes you like to look at, a living faith, and the helpful attitude which offers to help water your camels without you even asking. Yes, I remember. That''s the basic, the rest of my list was entirely up for negotiation.¡±
¡°I decided that being able to use the gift together was great. But I really used to struggle with the camels bit.¡±
¡°What camels?¡± Bella asked.
¡°In Genesis, Abraham''s servant is sent to look for a wife for Abraham''s son. He asks God to show him who she was by her offering to pull water up for his camels when he asked for a drink. I don''t know how much water that means, but I assume it''s a lot of pulling.¡± Trevor explained.
¡°Oh, I see. But you don''t have a camel, I presume.¡±
¡°No.¡± Trevor laughed and hid his face. ¡°Go on, Nigel, you tell her.¡±
Nigel said ¡°He was only little when he first heard it. And he looked all puzzled for the next few days. Eventually I heard him asking God to give him some camels so that he could know who his wife would be.¡±
¡°And Nigel thought that was so funny that he ran to tell Dad, and Dad came and explained to me that these days we don''t have camels, but maybe it would be like someone offering to help you do a massive amount of shopping without being asked, or something like that.¡±
¡°Do you have a witness to that?¡± Bella asked, keeping her tone neutral.
¡°Nigel was there too, weren''t you?¡±
¡°Yes, that''s what he said.¡± Nigel confirmed. ¡°Why?¡±
Bella ignored Nigel''s question and turned her gaze full onto Trevor ¡°And?¡±
¡°When you told me I was hopeful, that''s part of what I was hoping.¡±
Nigel looked at the pair of them. ¡°You didn''t go and offer to help him with his shopping, did you Bella?¡±
¡°I did, yes. All unprompted, too, as soon as he told me he had some to do for next week.¡±
¡°We had already discussed the idea of getting to know each other better.¡± Trevor said.
¡°OK, so I guess that explains the look you gave me.¡± Bella said. ¡°I heard about the Prince''s prayers for Eliza, and I thought how sweet, but I never thought it''d happen to me. I wish I''d thought to ask God for some kind of indication about who I''d marry. No I don''t. I was so messed up with prophetic dreams that I''d have probably run a mile.¡± She gave Trevor a little nervous smile. ¡°Of course, you might run a mile when you learn about what a silly girl I was.¡±
¡°Prophetic dreams?¡± he asked.
¡°Another of my claims to fame.¡± Bella said ¡°I got called to the palace twice to talk to their majesties about my dreams of a ruined city. The second time is when Eliza came too.¡±
¡°And she told Albert that she wasn''t interested in giving up being able to beat up people as part of her job of protecting people, just to watch someone else having all the fun.¡± Eliza supplied from the doorway. ¡°Sorry for butting in, but I need to talk to you, Bella. Hello, Trevor, I''m Eliza.¡±
¡°We''ve just been filling Nigel in on Trevor and I having the power, Eliza. And Trevor has just told me that by offering to help him with the shopping for next week I''ve sealed my fate, at least in his eyes.¡±
¡°I didn''t mean it like that, Bella.¡± Trevor protested, ¡°I don''t want to say you''ve got not choice.¡±
¡°It''s OK, Trevor. I didn''t mean it that harshly. I''m hopeful too, remember. Just... less certain yet.¡±
¡°I can see you''ve got lots to talk about, but can I just have a couple of minutes, Bella?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Bella got up and followed Eliza into the corridor.
[Sorry, it''s about one of your other participants, Naeel.]
[What''s up?]
[John was talking to him, I guess you set that up?]
[Yes, he said he needed to talk to someone, male, older. John seemed the ideal person.]
[OK. He probably was. John was talking to him just now, and Naeel said ''thank you'', then went silent on him. Hid his thoughts, and has gone into the toilet, I guess for privacy. John''s concerned, but not enough to force the matter. You don''t think he''s suicidal, do you?]
[I don''t think so. He said that he wanted to talk soon for the sake of his fianc¨¦e. You don''t think he''s just phoning her, do you?]
[No. That''s why John called me. I got Albert to check with the palace computer, there''s no sound from there.]
[But you can see through hidden thoughts, surely?]
[If I thought there was a risk to him, yes. Being nearer helps ¡ª It''d be harder for John, but yes, we both could. But if he just wants some privacy with his own thoughts, well, it would have saved some worry if he''d said that.]
[Shall we get Trevor to go and talk to him?] Bella suggested.
[Good idea.] Eliza said, then asked [So have you decided you''re going out, or was that announcement of his totally out of place?]
[Going out, but I had suggested we go slowly, at least until after next week.]
[So much for going slowly. How unsure are you, really?]
[Not unsure at all, which scares me silly.]
[I bet Pris didn''t think chaperone would be one of her duties.]
[Eliza!]
[Just teasing. Go get your new boyfriend then, unless you want me to?]
[He doesn''t need to know, does he?]
[No. It just keeps things clumsy. But you probably shouldn''t have told me about him having the power without asking.]
[I suppose not. I''ll apologise. Hold on. How do we explain your being involved?]
[We don''t. But you have my permission to tell him, if he works it out. He''s trustworthy. I did check. But warn him that I''m apparently a class epsilon state secret, and Albert''s a class delta, if he works out about Albert too.]
[Thanks, Eliza.]
[I''ll leave it in your hands and vanish then, if that''s OK?]
[That''s fine. We''ll handle it, whatever it is.]
¡°Bye.¡± Eliza said, and headed back to her rooms.
Bella went back to the meeting room, ¡°Boys, I need help. Nigel, I''ll give Trevor more details, but could you come along as backup?¡±
¡°Backup?¡±
¡°Just in case. Unknown situation with one of the participants, ideally you shouldn''t find out who, but if there''s a problem, then an extra pair of hands is helpful.¡±
Touching Trevor''s hand she explained [Naeel went silent and hid his thoughts during his conversation, and has shut himself in the toilet. The man he was talking to didn''t know if that meant he was going to phone his fianc¨¦e or try to kill himself. Eliza tells me that the Palace computer doesn''t hear anything, and I don''t think he''s at all likely to suicide. You agree?]
[Absolutely.]
¡°So the question is, what''s up?¡±
¡°So you want be to break taboo and knock on his cubicle door and talk to him?¡±
¡°Yes. Sorry. And Nigel can stay outside in case there''s trouble.¡±
¡°And you''re not planning on coming too?¡±
¡°Into the mens'' toilet? Not unless there''s trouble.¡±
¡°Fair enough. In there?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Trevor went in. One cubicle was closed, which made it easier.
¡°Naeel, it''s Trevor. Is there a problem? The man you were talking to is worried.¡±
¡°Yes. There is a problem. I cannot do any of what I must do.¡±
¡°What is that?¡±
¡°I must talk to my fianc¨¦e, I must unhide my thoughts, I must pray. But I cannot do any of these.¡±
¡°And so you stay here?¡±
¡°Yes. I thought it would be easier to be a bubble here, but it is not. I cannot pray here, it would be insulting to God. I cannot call my fianc¨¦e.¡±
¡°Does your fianc¨¦e have the power?¡±
¡°Yes, this is part of the problem.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because she saw my doubts, and I saw her certainty, and I called her certainty blasphemy, and now I come to realise that eventually I must join her in it. It is most embarrassing.¡±
¡°I think the meeting room is a more comfortable place.¡±
¡°I saw you were there, so I came here.¡±
¡°Then come to the meeting room, my friend. It is a better place for all you must do. We can talk elsewhere, I''m sure. My brother has a room here in the complex.¡±
¡°Thank you, my friend.¡±
¡°It is nothing. We worried, that is all. I will tell my brother he need not worry, and need not see who it is that we were worrying about.¡±
¡°Again I must thank you.¡± Trevor went outside again, and spoke to Bella and Nigel ¡°Nothing to worry about. Just a case of him being too embarrassed to call his fianc¨¦e, too messed up to unhide, and not in the right place to pray. I told him he could have the meeting room.¡±
¡°Good call.¡± Bella said.
¡°Maybe the chapel would be even better.¡± Nigel added.
¡°Excellent idea.¡± Bella agreed. ¡°But I guess we don''t need you any more Nigel.¡±
¡°No problem. We can probably chat more next week.¡±
¡°I expect so, unless we reconvene in your room?¡± Trevor suggested.
¡°You''re welcome, but I think you''d better stick with your friend until he''s left the complex. And I''m sure Fido''s missing you.¡±
¡°Fido can cope.¡± Trevor said.
Bella added ¡°We''ll see how long he needs, but I think there''s some things to discuss before Monday.¡±
¡°Like when the wedding date is?¡± Nigel teased.
¡°Oh, you! Get out of here!¡± Bella said. He did.
¡°I''ll go and say the coast is clear.¡±
¡°That''s not necessary.¡± Naeel said. ¡°You were being quite loud out here.¡±
¡°So, meeting room first.¡± Bella said. ¡°And then, if you would like, the chapel.¡±
¡°There''s a chapel here?¡±
¡°Yes. It''s just a quiet room with some chairs, a nice carpet, and space on the floor. We''ll show you, but Trevor said you were stuck?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Yes. I didn''t really want to hide, but I did it. It just seemed easier than asking him to stop. But then, I think I wasn''t paying enough attention when you talked about the bubble.¡±
¡°Then, let us solve that first.¡± Bella said, opening the door to the meeting room.
¡°I have been a fool, and do not deserve this special treatment.¡± Naeel said.
¡°You have had a lot on your mind.¡± Trevor said.
¡°I think you two also?¡±
¡°We''re glad that we have met.¡± Bella said simply, ¡°Now, Naeel. I want you to close your eyes, and relax. You do not need to worry, because God is in charge and he has given you this way out of the mud. The mud is sticky, but you are in a bubble, A shiny, non-stick bubble, and the mud cannot hold onto it, and you are lighter than the mud, so you must be going up. If you listen carefully with your imagination you might hear the mud sliding around your bubble, but in any case, you''ll be free soon, I am sure. The nearer the surface, the runnier the mud is, so you will get faster and faster as you rise to the top.¡± Naeel opened his eyes.
¡°Thank you. I am out.¡±
¡°Now, your second problem.¡± Bella said, businesslike. ¡°Trevor said you were too embarrassed to talk to your fianc¨¦e.¡±
¡°Yes. We argued, about what God is like, about which religion is true. I will explain. I saw that picture of peace, and I prayed for weeks on end that I would be able to know it. Then I had a dream, in which I was told I was not right with God, and I must submit fully to God if I wanted my prayers answered, that peace came as a gift, not something earned. Moslem means submission, but it was confusing. I tried to be good, to submit more, and felt I was earning Gods forgiveness, which my dream said was not right. I shared my thoughts with my fianc¨¦e, my doubts. Then, last week she told me she had been convinced that the way to submit to God is to follow your Jesus. I said she blasphemed, she said I was ignoring God''s message to me. More words were said. I know I hurt her.¡±
¡°And now?¡± Bella asked.
¡°And now I know I need to learn more of your Jesus.¡±
¡°I think your fianc¨¦e should be the one to teach you.¡± Trevor said ¡°It will bring great joy to her heart to replace the pain you have caused her.¡±
¡°I tried, but I cannot find the words to say.¡±
¡°Would you like Trevor or me to talk to her first?¡± Bella asked.
¡°I feel like a little boy who has broken a window, and asks his sister to help him admit it. That is also shameful.¡±
¡°But it is not unusual.¡± Trevor said. ¡°I think you can trust Bella to not embarrass you more then is needed. Or I have another idea, you said your fianc¨¦e has the power?¡±
¡°Yes, she has.¡±
¡°Then perhaps, I don''t know, Bella could you make a call? So that Naeel could finish talking to the man and then he talk to Naeel''s fianc¨¦e?¡±
¡°Or his wife would, I''m sure.¡± Bella said.
Naeel nodded. ¡°I think that would be better. Please.¡±
¡°I''ll call.¡± Bella said. She rang John''s wrist unit. ¡°Hi. Me again. Naeel would like to talk some more, and then perhaps if your beloved could talk to his beloved, then there might be some reconciliation there too. He''s sorry for the hurt he caused her, our thought is that she should be the one to lead him to the Lord.¡±
¡°Sounds like a good plan.¡± John said, and called [Naeel, what Bella said, do you agree?]
[Yes. I want to call my Jazmin, but I think she will fear to answer. And if she does then I will not know what to say.]
[Sorry is a good place to start, I have found. Jazmin has the power also?]
[Yes.]
[And you hurt her with words or also with thoughts?]
[Words and thoughts too, and also I slapped her. I was very angry, and it the pain I caused her burns my heart.]
[You should meet, I think, as well as talk. Tell her how much you regret your anger, your thoughts, your violence. And I agree with Bella, you should ask her to teach you about Jesus.]
[Yes. That would be good. Perhaps if she met me from the hypersonic transport? But it will be late. I do not want to cause her risk or more dishonour in her parent''s eyes.]
[She lives with her parents still?]
[Yes.]
[Perhaps when you phone her, you could ask her father or mother to bring her to meet you? Then there would be no question of dishonour to her.]
[Thank you, that is a good idea. Your wife will talk to her?]
[Yes. She will tell your Jazmin that you are sorry, and wish to talk.]
[And learn.]
[Should my wife say that as well?]
[If I know that Jazmin knows, it will be easier to tell her myself.]
[Then she will say that also.]
[Thank you. You will tell me when I can call her?]
[Of course.]
¡°You heard, love?¡± John asked Sarah.
¡°Of course. I''ll have a little chat to Jazmin.¡± Sarah said.
[Jazmin, hello. I have the gift, my husband also. He''s just been talking to Naeel about repentance.]
[I''m not dreaming this?] Jazmin said.
[Nope, I don''t think so. Naeel wants you to know that he''s about to call, say he''s sorry and ask you to teach him about Jesus.]
[I don''t know much. All I know is he died to take my sins, the righteous for the unrighteous.]
[That''s a very good place to start. Naeel said you were living with your parents?]
[Yes, and now grounded for life, since Naeel has accused me of blasphemy and slapped me in front of my parents.]
[How old are you that you can still be grounded?]
[I''m twenty one.]
[OK, so it''s a cultural difference thing?]
[I guess so. My parents say until I''m married I''m under their authority.]
[The law doesn''t agree with them, but I presume you know that. Well, Naeel wants to meet you, tonight, to apologise. He thought maybe you could meet him at the transit terminal, with a parent.]
[It might work. He''d speak to them?]
[Yes. He''s pretty embarrassed, but he''s also very very sorry.]
[I''m not allowed to be vindictive am I?]
[''Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.'']
[I''ve heard that before. Where''s it from?]
[It''s what we call the Lord''s prayer. Jesus taught it to his disciples. Do you have a Bible?]
[I did, the woman who led me to Jesus gave me one. My parents took it from me.]
[And your wrist unit?]
[No. That I still have.]
[There''s plenty of Bibles available on the network. The meaning is important, find a translation you can understand. I suggest you read one of the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, and then Acts. Can you remember that?]
[Yes. I''m making notes.]
[You going to need to find a good church, where they have what are called ''nurture groups''.]
[My parent''s won''t let me do that, I''m sure.]
[Not even if Naeel takes you?]
[You think he would?]
[Yes. He said that he needs to pray, and he wants you to teach him what to say.]
[But he knows even less about Jesus than I do!]
[But he knows that he has sinned and needs to turn to Jesus for forgiveness, Jazmin, and follow him. That''s enough. Even a child can become a real Christian. You don''t stop there, there''s always more to learn about God, but if you trust Jesus to save you and to lead you, then you are saved. That is what the Bible says: everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.]
[You fill me with hope. I had expected Naeel to break off the engagement.]
[He will not. He called you ''my Jazmin'' to my husband just now, and even this morning he said that he was engaged but that you two had an argument, and he wanted to resolve the argument quickly. That is why he wanted to talk to my husband.]
[I don''t understand how he spoke to your husband, though. You are at Security?]
[No. A friend was leading a meeting of thought-hearers in Security, where Naeel spoke about you. She put us in contact.]
[She also has the gift?]
[No, she has the power like you. She has my wrist unit number though.]
[Thank you so much, I cannot repay you.]
[I am glad to have helped, Jazmin. We serve the same Saviour. He has paid so much for our salvation that we insult him if we try to pay for that, but that does not mean we should not try to be like him in helping one another without expecting reward. You are prepared now to talk to Naeel?]
[Yes. Yes, prepared? I am excited!]
[Then my husband will tell him he can call you now. He has been waiting.]
¡°John, she''s ready. Excited, actually.¡±
[Naeel, Jazmin is looking forward your call.] John called.
[I call! Thank you!]
¡°It''s ever so tempting to eavesdrop on that conversation.¡± John said.
¡°I know. But we mustn''t. It''d be an abuse. What we can do though is pray.¡±
¡°Yes. We could also ask Bella how it went from her end.¡±
¡°John, stop it! You''re supposed to be the ethical one.¡±
¡°I know, but I like happy endings too.¡±
¡°You can give him a call tomorrow if you like, but leave them some mental privacy tonight.¡±
¡°Assuming her parents allow them to.¡± John pointed out.
¡°We can''t really interfere if they don''t let them meet.¡±
¡°You''re suggesting they''d imprison her?¡±
¡°She''s twenty-one and therefore an adult, but she said she''s grounded. If she or Naeel decide to call it false imprisonment, then that''d be their call. I did point out to her that while her parents might say she can''t leave the house without their say-so, the law doesn''t agree.¡±
¡°It''d be pretty devastating to the family to bring the police into it, though.¡± John said.
¡°It might be necessary. I don''t know how they might react to hearing that not only is their daughter a Christian but their future son-in-law will soon be one too. They took her Bible.¡±
¡°Ouch. You''re really not reassuring me, Sarah.¡±
¡°I''m just saying, it might not be quite the happy ending you were hoping for, love.¡±
¡°Let''s pray.¡±
Preparation / Ch. 18: Happy ending
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 18: Happy ending
Friday Evening, 8th December, 7.25pm
Bella and Trevor saw that Naeel''s face was grim after his call to Jazmin.
¡°Is there a problem?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°Her parents are not happy. I should have foreseen it. I explained that I had yelled at her in tiredness and my rage and lack of understanding, that I had acted hastily and now that I''d talked to her again I saw she was not a blasphemer, but had been seeking to obey God''s command.¡±
¡°But?¡± Bella prompted.
¡°But they said I had been right, that she had been given a Christian Bible, and that they thought she was flirting with abandoning the Moslem faith.¡±
¡°What did you say to that?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°I did not dare to tell them that she had, and I too will obey the Ingil, and only said that she was still my fianc¨¦e and I wished to apologise to her in person, just as I insulted her in person. They say they do not permit it.¡±
¡°Surely they cannot stop her from meeting you!¡± Bella said.
¡°By law no, she is legally adult, but by culture yes.¡±
¡°And does your culture allow no way out?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°None that does not dishonour them.¡±
¡°The law does not permit them to stop you from meeting, Naeel.¡± Trevor said.
¡°I know.¡±
¡°Have you talked to her since?¡± Bella asked.
¡°They will not allow that, either.¡±
¡°Naeel, how traditional are they?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°I think they are very traditional, more so than I realised.¡±
¡°Then, I must ask, is Jazmin safe there?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°Surely they would not... surely? I... I don''t know.¡± he said, turning white as he realised what he was saying.
Trevor stood and opened the door. ¡°Naeel, get on the hypersonic transit. Now!¡±
he insisted, then added, ¡°Except, as we''re walking that way, give us her home address. We''ll arrange for the rest. You know the drill. You have reason to believe she is at risk, and she needs to be kept safe.¡±
¡°I''ll make sure she knows, once you''re safely on your way.¡± Bella added.
Naeel forwarded the address from his wrist unit. ¡°You''ll send the police?¡±
¡°I think we can do better than that.¡±
Bella said. ¡°You''re Security, Naeel, let''s not trust this to the police, sometimes the police make mistakes.¡±
¡°Control.¡± Trevor was saying into his wrist unit, ¡°Urgent situation, two agents to this address.¡± he forwarded the address. ¡°At least one a woman. Block transport requests from that address. Potential kidnapping and / or honour attack against Agent Naeel''s fianc¨¦e, name of Jazmin. Actual false imprisonment and denial of communication. Agent Naeel is here, in the capital, on his way now.¡±
¡°Honour attack?¡±
¡°Strict and traditionalist family, she''s recently changed religion. He spoke to her just now, and then asked them to let him meet her so they could talk face to face. They said no and are not allowing him to talk to her any more.¡±
¡°Understood. Agents report ETA five minutes. One knows Naeel and Jazmin. One transport request made two minutes ago, it hadn''t got there yet, so the drive has been cut. It''ll show as assigned and on-route if they query it.¡±
¡°Excellent! Thank you.¡±
¡°That''s why we''ve got all these lovely systems.¡±
¡°And we''re very glad you do.¡±
¡°Is Naeel there?¡±
¡°Yes, we''re just picking up a transport.¡±
¡°Put him on will you?¡±
¡°Naeel here.¡±
¡°Your colleague suggests that a quick marriage ceremony might solve things very effectively.¡±
¡°It had occurred to me too. It''s possible? I thought that notice had to be given?¡±
¡°This is one situation when that doesn''t apply. Would you be willing?¡±
¡°Yes, if Jazmin agrees.¡±
¡°OK. They''ll offer it to her. It''ll be a civil ceremony, but that doesn''t preclude a religious ceremony of your pick when you''ve had time to arrange one.¡±
¡°Transport is just arriving.¡± Trevor reported to control and Naeel.
¡°Goodbye friends.¡±
¡°God be with you, Naeel.¡± Bella said, while dialing Sarah''s number.
¡°Hi, what''s up?¡±
¡°We''ve just unleashed Security on Jazmin''s parents; Naeel was worried. Just in time, too, by the look of it. Can you please tell her that the transport someone there ordered will not be arriving, and that two people from Security will be. One is known to her.¡±
¡°Wow. Yes. Of course.¡± Sarah said.
[Jazmin!]
[You called! I prayed you would, they have locked me in my room and say they are taking me away! I don''t know where to!] Sarah could hear her panic.
[No, they''re not. Naeel was worried, so two people from Security will be coming instead of the transport. One of them knows you.]
[Oh, thank you, thank you!]
[I''m just the messenger, don''t thank me.]
Bella added, ¡°You might as well give her time to think about it, they''re going to suggest that she marry Naeel tonight. Quick civil ceremony, thus hopefully removing her from her parent''s authority. Naeel''s willing if she is. A religious service can come later. Bye!¡±
¡°OK. Bye!¡±
[Bella''s just telling me some more, Jazmin. The people from Security will offer you the opportunity to marry Naeel tonight, they think this would mean you are not under your parent''s authority.]
[It would. Is Naeel willing? We were not planning a big wedding, but we did have plans.]
[Naeel is willing, and you could always have a religious service later.]
[Once we are of the same religion.]
[Oh, I think you ought to make sure of that first, myself. Once the people from Security are there then you should be able call Nael to tell him what to pray.]
[If I remember what the words are.]
[Didn''t your Bible have that prayer in it? I know some do.]
[Oh, yes, it did! I remember.]
[So, maybe the nice people from Security can help you get that back too.]
[I hope so. If Naeel is willing to marry me in this horrible situation, then yes, it would be a good solution. Then I can find refuge with him and all is honourable.]
[And you think you are ready for marriage? You are certain that he is the right man?]
[Yes. We have been engaged since I was sixteen. I know that is early for you, but it is our way, and we share the power. He is the man I choose.]
[Five years! That''s a long engagement! Especially when you share the power.]
[Why do you say that?]
[Often, people who are in love and share the power experience something we call feedback.]
[I think, probably, we have not been what you would call in love. We have chosen to marry. It was a good decision, and maybe I am falling in love with him as he comes to share my faith and to my rescue. I have long felt his desire for me, but I think that is different.]
[Yes. That is different. I am guessing, but some of the things he told my husband make me think he has realised today that he loves you, and if you have realised that you love him, then that is good. Being in love is a strange thing that happens in the brain and the emotions. Feedback is an even stranger thing, it is more powerful than mere desire, but it also pulls you towards temptation to sin when you are not married.]
[And when you are married?]
[Then the thing it pulls you towards is no longer sin, indeed I think that it would be sin to deny one another that part of marriage.]
[Oh. I understand. We will have to decide quickly if we want a religious ceremony, won''t we.]
[Yes. You will. And which church.]
[Can you recommend any?]
[I don''t actually know where you are. I could find out of course.]
[Is it true, that you could know everything?]
[Not everything. For example, I cannot find lost things or animals, only people, as far as I know.]
[And you''re deliberately not telling me your name.]
[It''s my habit not to, unless people ask. Like several million other women, I''m called Sarah.]
[Thank you for trusting me with that, Sarah.]
[I''ve just looked where you are. I know a Christian who went to church somewhere in that city before she moved. I''ll ask.]
[Thank you.]
[Would you like me to get her to talk to the pastor too, and explain what''s happened to you?]
[I''ll talk to Naeel about it. I expect he''ll agree. Oh! There are voices downstairs.]
[I''ll find out about the church and get back to you.]
[It seems like every other thing I say to you is thank you! You are kind to me.]
[Everyone needs kindness, you have a special need for it now. God be with you.]
[And with you.]
Sarah stopped listening to Jazmin, and called Eliza. [Hi Eliza, are you busy?]
[No. Is everything sorted with Naeel? I''ve not been checking.]
[Things are moving pretty quickly at the moment. Brief summary of this evening is that he''s convinced that God wants him to follow Jesus, and who is he to disobey? So he wants to commit his life to the Lord today, even without knowing much. His fianc¨¦e, Jazmin, did last week, and he accused her of all sorts in front of her parents, so part of the reason he hid was the thought how much he needed to apologise to her. He decided to ask her to pray the prayer with him, as part of that apology, and then it got really exciting.]
[Go on.]
[Her parents didn''t like his apologetic tone and I guess decided that he was likely to encourage her in following the Lord, rather than beating it out of like a good medieval husband ought to, so they imprisoned her and were going to take her who knows where. Fortunately he got worried about their attitude and Security are there now, protecting her from her own parents.]
[Wow. That''s an eventful evening.]
[You''ve not heard the best bit yet. The best way out of this is apparently a rushed marriage this evening, removing her from her parent''s authority in that culture. That''d be a civil ceremony, I think they''re going to want a church wedding too, and since they''re going to be living together for her safety, they might want to take those vows before God really really soon. So, all in all, they''re going to need a very supportive church, sensitive to the cultural issues, a remedial level nurture course, and a pastor who''s happy to marry them even though they''ve done the civil bit already, plus marriage preparation classes. Do know any good churches you can recommend in your old home town?]
[That''s where they are?]
[Yes.]
[That''s quite a load of pastoral issues in one package, isn''t it?]
[Yes.]
[I''d love to recommend my home church. I''m just not sure if our pastor''s going to have the diary space.]
[One of the elders, maybe?]
[I hope so. I''ll just make some phone calls. You know Albert and I are going to be there on Sunday?]
[Oh! I''d forgotten.]
[So, the place will be full of Security people which might reassure Naeel if he''s feeling nervous. I''m not sure if the sermon topic will be too close to home though, Albert''s been asked to speak about Christian suffering, of all subjects.]
[Urm, one might say that you''re a better one to speak.]
[Actually, I think the best person I know to speak would be John, or Pris, maybe. But he''s going to admit that he''s not suffered much, talk a bit about me not suffering much beyond imprisonment, and then deviate from the theme, into a little study on bits of Job. There are all sort of rumours going around in the church about me being tortured or raped or something, so we''d like to stomp on them.]
[But God did keep you safe from those things.]
[I know. But he doesn''t protect everyone from that, which makes me very very thankful that I was kept safe from them. But we''re not going to say it always works that way, we don''t even want to hint that. So we''re going to say that I praise God that was spared from them, that not everyone is, and my heartfelt thanks for their prayers.]
[OK, I''ll leave you to make some calls.]
[Thanks. I guess I ought to relay details about the church, hadn''t I?]
[I think so. I know mental voice isn''t quite the same as physical, but...]
[It''s close enough to be an additional risk, yes.]
[Hopefully, they won''t associate the mystery voice with me, but, you know, if I go telling Jazmin how to get the church, that could really trigger something.]
After Bella had finished talking to Sarah, she and Trevor headed back to the meeting room, to pick up her coat, before going on to Nigel''s room. ¡°Bella, I''m wondering about something.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°There was something a little odd to me about the way you spoke to Eliza.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°I mean, it seems odd, you going to such lengths to protect us all from discovery, and then you didn''t try to hide what we were talking to Nigel about. It was like she already knew we both had the power, that she was in on the secret and only Nigel hadn''t been.¡±
¡°She did, she was.¡± Bella said.
¡°Oh. Well, that explains your words. But how?¡±
¡°I told her that I had the power ages ago. She helped come up with the idea of the mystery voice. Prince Albert did the audio editing, so that there wasn''t any prohibition on who could take part. The people in communications who set up the phone number had no knowledge of why, but just forwarded the list of people who''d rung it. She saw the list, and noticed your name. She then repeated Nigel''s tale of you hanging off the scenery by your fingertips, while the challenge he faced was staying dry when Fido went fishing for rocks in the stream.¡±
¡°You just left that list lying around and she saw it?¡±
¡°No. She''s the only royal who saw it, Trevor, but the meeting was by royal command.¡±
¡°Oh. I see. Oversight?¡±
¡°You could call it that, yes.¡±
¡°And what she said about you refusing Prince Albert?¡±
¡°Yes, well, you know, her Majesty used to be in Security. I had the impression that he might be interested, so I told him I wasn''t.¡±
¡°And he went from interested in you to interested in Eliza? That''s.. fickle.¡±
¡°Not fickle. I told him that Eliza was a much better candidate than I was. I mean, she''d just declared to their majesties that she''d been discovering how much her father had done to undermine the monarchy, and that she''d dedicate her life to supporting it and undoing the damage that he''d done. Then they started talking and by the end of the day they were plotting how to pretend they weren''t head over heals about each other. ''No plans to meet'', indeed, the sneaky pair, nothing at all about not speaking to each other every available moment.¡±
¡°Oh. I see, so you can take the credit as matchmaker?¡±
¡°Sort of, yes, I guess I can.¡± Bella said with a smile.
¡°Now, If I can continue the interrogation, you said I might end up running a mile?¡±
Bella''s smile vanished. ¡°Yes. Trevor, I first want to say that you''ve really impressed me this evening. That was marvelous, really, the way you got Naeel to realise there was danger, and gave control the data they needed. In other words, I don''t want to lose you. But... if you decide to fall out of love with me then I''ll understand. I might cry, but I''ll understand.¡±
¡°I don''t want you to cry, Bella. This is something about your dreams? We are talking about the impact, aren''t we?¡±
¡°Yes. Once they stopped, I tried to convince myself that they weren''t prophetic, that God didn''t exist, that the supernatural was rubbish, that the horrors I''d seen were just, you know, nightmares.¡±
¡°But they weren''t. Your dreams were real.¡± Trevor said, trying to be encouraging.
¡°Not all of them, not even most of them, praise God, not all of them. No burning snowballs.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°One of the worst ones, giant burning snowballs rolling down the street, burning all in their path, chasing after me. No place to hide, no chance of survival.¡± Bella went cold, just remembering it. ¡°That one wasn''t from God. I was a stupid girl, Trevor. God used my stupidity, and he was gentle, but the others who answered my call weren''t.¡±
¡°I''m getting confused, Bella. Can you rewind a bit? What call?¡±
¡°I''m sorry. I''m starting in the middle or at the end, and I''m too tired to get it right, I think. Hang on. I''ve got the minutes from the committee meeting somewhere. They got the full story.¡±
¡°Can you just give me a summary?¡±
¡°OK. Young Bella grew up with the power, loving fantasy stories about people with special powers and thinking there were more. Knowing, in a half-remembered way, actually, since my mother apparently told me once about her great-grandmother having what we now call the gift, and she called the second sight. I wanted more, I was determined that if could just enter the right mental state or something, then I''d discover my hidden powers.¡±
¡°Oh. And you tried meditation?¡±
¡°And as a teenager I was trying self-hypnosis and flashing lights. I avoided drugs, but kept trying, and in the end I started trying incantations and invoking spirits. I wanted to be able to see the future, for some stupid reason. I ended up calling on all the spirits active in the world to give me the ability to see the future. And they did. I saw things and then they happened. It got scary. God gave me true prophesies, the demons gave me false ones, and distorted versions of the true ones, after a year and a half I went up a hill and screamed ''God, anyone, make these dreams stop.'' I had one more dream, then they stopped. I spent the next ten years in denial about the supernatural, because it was too scary. And then my final dream came true, about half an hour after I told Eliza I had the power. That was pretty devastating.¡±
¡°Because you thought it meant they were all true?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And then you learned about which dreams were from God, turned to Him and you''re not consorting with demons any more?¡± Trevor said, amazed how calmly he was able to take this all.
¡°Correct. But I''m still pretty nervous about them.¡±
¡°That... that just sounds sensible. I''ve never met anyone who''s encountered their power before.¡±
¡°You might have, and they''re just not aware of it, according to some of the gifted. Mostly they''re subtle.¡±
¡°You sound like you''ve met lots of the gifted.¡±
¡°Hmm, not lots, but urm, five? No, six.¡±
¡°That''s more than ten percent of the world''s total, Bella. That sounds like lots to me.¡±
¡°I guess when you put it like that....¡±
¡°And since you haven''t scared me off, if I stick around you then I might meet them?¡±
¡°Possible. No hints, no guarantees. I''ll have to ask them pretty soon about keeping secrets from you if you''re planing go holding my hand again though.¡±
¡°I guess you will. Do I assume that today was an oddity, that you were in so much contact with them?¡±
¡°Pretty unusual, yes.¡±
¡°That''s not a great problem then, I mean you could just say we don''t talk about your day if it''s had gifted people in it. It''s not like you''re seeing one every day.¡±
Bella tried not to react. But she was tired, and probably failed.
¡°Or am I wrong about that?¡± he asked.
¡°What lovely weather we''re having.¡± she said.
¡°I hadn''t noticed, but I get the message. Not a fair topic.¡±
¡°Thank you. We do do need to discuss a few things. Probably with Nigel.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Pris knows I have the power, but thinks we''ve never met. Nigel knows about both of us now.¡±
¡°And knows we''ve got the odd inkling that we might be seeing more of each other. Pris is a courier, right? I''ve seen her at analysis.¡±
¡°Top level. Pretty much Maria''s personal assistant.¡±
¡°So, she knows about the meeting?¡±
¡°I''m not actually sure. She might not.¡±
¡°And the other two, Dirk and Eliza? Same surname, they''re married?¡±
¡°No! Brother and sister.¡±
¡°Oh. OK. So one option is that we just tell people we have the power and that''s one reason we might spend lots of time holding hands.¡±
¡°If you want the whole of Security to find out. No. that''s not fair. Dirk''s getting better, he really is. But...¡±
¡°He used to be a gossip?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I think I''ve heard of him then. I heard someone say ''We don''t want any Dirks blabbing this around,'' in a meeting a few months ago. ¡±
¡°That''s plausible, yes. He''s been warned, and I''ve not heard any more incidents since.¡±
¡°So now we''re gossiping about him?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°No. Now we''re doing risk assessment.¡±
¡°And his sister?¡±
¡°Trustworthy.¡±
¡°And you know that by reputation, or because of something else?¡±
¡°Both, now stop gossiping. What are we going to tell them?¡±
¡°Can we just say we happened to meet recently and we''re going out?¡±
¡°Fine by me. And if Pris asks about you having the power, can I tell her?¡±
¡°Privately? Yes.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°What for?¡±
¡°Not making me keep secrets about you that people know about me and would probably notice about us if we''re together. It would get confusing what I''m hiding from who.¡±
¡°Urm... I think I understand.¡±
¡°Good, because I don''t think I can repeat it. I''m sorry, I think I really need to rest.¡±
¡°And write your report. May I escort you to your home?¡±
¡°Yes, you may. It''s all of two hundred metres away.¡±
¡°Oooh, palace residence, eh?¡±
¡°Royal protection barracks, yes. It''s better than it sounds, fortunately.¡±
¡°You mean you''re not in the top bunk, five down on the left?¡±
¡°No. I even get my own front door, but the kitchen''s shared between ten of us.¡±
¡°Could be worse; Nigel''s told me some stories from his early days. They might have even been true. Because of Fido, I have a little patch of grass outside, but otherwise I''m in a similar set-up.¡±
¡°I used to be in my Mum''s house, so it feels a bit cramped, but I''d guess I''ll just be getting used to it when something changes.¡±
¡°Like the Royal Wedding?¡±
¡°For instance.¡± then, thinking about her Mum, she asked ¡°Are your parents alive?¡±
¡°Yes, they don''t live near here though.¡±
¡°And they don''t suspect you''ve got the power, at all?¡±
¡°Not as far as I know. But, you never know. Maybe they told me not to tell anyone.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m sure they''d have done that, whether they believed you or not.¡±
¡°Yes. I expect so.¡±
¡°Here''s my front door.¡± Bella said.
¡°Thank you, Bella. I don''t know about you, but I''ve had a good day.¡±
¡°Me too, I think. But I haven''t asked you where you want to meet for tomorrow''s shopping trip. Or how to contact you without going through control.¡±
¡°And we wouldn''t want that, would we? Here''s my contact details.¡± he sent his data to her wrist unit.
¡°Not really. Thanks, I''ve got them. And where shall we meet?¡±
¡°Can I suggest that I call you? I should have asked everyone about allergies already, but I haven''t. If they don''t reply quickly, then it might be afternoon before we can go buying with confidence.¡±
¡°That''s fine. Just not before about nine O''clock, please. I think I''m going to need some time to re-write whatever I write tonight.¡±
¡°OK. See you tomorrow, Bella.¡±
¡°See you tomorrow, Trevor.¡±
¡°Bella, one more thing before I go?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I think it''s... I don''t know, is it too early? May I give you a kiss?¡±
¡°I like you, Trevor, but I think it''s probably a bit early.¡±
¡°I thought I should ask. I''d hate to think you wanted to kiss and I''d disappointed you.¡±
¡°Goodnight Trevor. I''ll see you tomorrow.¡±
¡°See you tomorrow.¡±
Bella closed the door, wondering what would have happened if she''d given in to her emotions and let him kiss her. Indeed, if she''d kissed him. This was silly. She''d only known him a day. She couldn''t be falling in love with him that quickly, could she? Should she ask Eliza? No, Eliza had fallen for Albert in an afternoon. Sarah? No, she was another giddy twenty year-old. She wasn''t sure how quickly that pair had fallen for each other, but she got the feeling she wouldn''t get much sense out of her, either. Bella was a perfectly sane twenty-four, there was a big difference. She hoped. No, the person to talk to was her mum. No question about it. But business before pleasure, she needed to write all about meeting Trevor. No, she needed to write about the meeting. Not just about meeting Trevor. He was nice, and a Christian. And very much interested. How could she do her secondary assignment without hurting him? She''d think about that later. First the report.
¡°Mum, are you free?¡± Bella said, after failing to persuade her thoughts to get with the official program for the evening.
¡°Hello, Bella! You sound worried.¡±
¡°I''m not sure worried is the right word, Mum. I''m too happy to be worried.¡±
¡°Oh yes? And you need to talk?¡±
¡°Yes. I do. I certainly can''t write a report about a meeting today, which is what I ought to be doing.¡±
¡°It''s gone eight o''clock, Bella, what have you been doing until now?¡±
¡°Hmm, all sorts really, I helped someone who''d hidden his thoughts get out of the mud, and then played my part in arranging for him to meet up with his fianc¨¦e, which turned out to be much harder than it might sound. But there was a lot of talking. Mostly with Trevor.¡±
¡°I don''t think I''ve heard you talk about someone called Trevor before.¡±
¡°I haven''t. I met him today, but I work with his big brother.¡±
¡°And is it this Trevor''s fault that you''re so happy, Bella?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So tell me all about him.¡±
¡°Hmm, He''s kind, brainy, decisive. Strong arms. Taller than me, which isn''t saying much, but not so much taller that I''d get neck ache. Claims I''m beautiful.¡±
¡°You are, Bella. Like your name says.¡±
¡°He hasn''t made a play on my name yet, so he''s wise too. And he''s got a dog called Fido.¡±
¡°Fido?¡±
¡°Yes. I haven''t confirmed this, but apparently a Golden Retriever with all the trimmings.¡±
¡°What do you mean all the trimmings?¡±
¡°Big, friendly, loves bones, stones, and water. Preferably nice big wet stones from the bottom of ice-cold rivers, so he can shower everyone around him.¡±
¡°And you always wanted a dog.¡±
¡°I''m not interested in Trevor for his dog, Mum.¡±
¡°But you are? Interested in him, I mean?¡±
¡°Yes, Mum.¡±
¡°You told me recently that you weren''t going to consider a non-Christian, and a long time ago that you weren''t going to consider someone who couldn''t hear thoughts.¡±
¡°He qualifies on both counts. Also works in Security. He''s in Analysis.¡±
¡°So, when''s the wedding?¡±
¡°Mum!¡± Bella protested, ¡°we''ve only just met!¡±
¡°Just kidding, Bella. There must be other Christians in Security with the power.¡±
¡°Yes. There''s three married women, two married men, the man I spoke of earlier is possibly a Christian by now, I''m not sure, one couple who are interested in learning more about God, us two, and the rest of the fourteen either didn''t talk about their faith or are atheists or agnostics.¡±
¡°You''ve met all of them?¡±
¡°Yes. Identified for me by someone with the gift.¡±
¡°I''m not surprised that you''re interested in him then.¡±
¡°It''s mutual.¡±
¡°That''s a good start. So, unless you''re meeting tomorrow, you''ve now got almost a week of separation to regain your senses and then you can start dating properly?¡±
¡°We''re meeting tomorrow, I''m on duty on Sunday, and then we''ve got almost a week together, where amongst other things, I''ve been given the duty of getting close to him, and finding out why he wants to stay in Analysis rather than doing fieldwork somewhere.¡±
¡°What! Who gave you that task?¡±
¡°Maria herself. When they first set up this trip. She thinks he''s wasted in Analysis. Everyone''s got secondary tasks for being part of the group. That''s mine, and I want to reject it. It feels poisonous right now.¡±
¡°Well, you can either reject it, or tell him what it is, right at the start. Don''t do it and then let him find it out later on, certainly. That''d hurt him, I''m pretty sure.¡±
¡°The problem is, I know what his is: he''s supposed to be trying to analyse what people''s secondary task is.¡±
¡°Well, that''d be a useful field skill, certainly.¡±
¡°So, am I allowed to tell him?¡±
¡°Talk to Maria if you can, or send a message. Be straight with her, tell her you''re romantically involved. You don''t mix spying on people with romance. You''re right, it''s a poisonous task that''ll sow doubt about your motives, right where you both need certainty.¡±
¡°Thanks Mum. So what should I do to stay sane? I can''t keep my thoughts straight.¡±
¡°Get some sleep?¡±
¡°I''ve got a report to write.¡±
¡°Maybe you should decide on your limits and barriers, dear. Love is a powerful emotion.¡±
¡°Am I really in love, Mum?¡±
¡°Oh, probably not yet.¡±
¡°You mean it gets worse?¡±
Bella''s mother laughed. ¡°Has he started writing you poetry yet? Are you planning to go to sleep clutching a letter or gift from him close to your heart? Does his name bring music to your ears and make your heart race?¡±
¡°I guess it gets worse. How long have I got before I lose all grip on sanity?¡±
¡°It varies, Bella. It varies. You''ve got a responsible job. People''s lives depend on you, and you''re not some eighteen year old full of romantic ideals.¡±
¡°No. I''m a twenty four year old, full of romantic ideas.¡±
¡°Then start thinking of the longer term consequences: excruciating pain, years on end of interrupted nights and stinky dirty nappies to change, dear. Followed by little demanding mouths to feed, never having a romantic evening together with your husband without the risk of someone waking up and demanding a glass of milk or another goodnight kiss.¡±
¡°Mum, we''ve not even been on our first date yet.¡±
¡°I know, dear. But very little in this world helps reality to dawn as rapidly as the realisation that there''s a dirty nappy to change, the food''s about to burn and there aren''t enough spare nappies on the shelf to last until morning.¡±
¡°OK, that''s not a nice thought, but I still think that''s too far removed, Mum.¡±
¡°Depends what you get up to, dear. If you just let nature take its course then that could be this time next year.¡±
¡°We''re both Christians, Mum. We''re not going to jump into bed at the first opportunity.¡±
¡°O.K., Bella I know. So tell me more about his good points and his bad points. Not to mention when you''re going to tell him about your dreams and why you had them.¡±
¡°I told him already, Mum. I didn''t want that hanging over my head.¡±
¡°And he''s not scared?¡±
¡°It might be lack of imagination; he climbs up mountains, Mum, in November. Claims that he hadn''t really thought of there being much chance of dying.¡±
¡°I thought you said he was intelligent.¡±
¡°He is, Mum. Or at least, better at analysing things than I am. Maybe I''m better at seeing risks. No, that''s not true either. He''s got a blind-spot about risks to himself, but I think he sees risks to others fairly clearly. At least, he asked the right questions to get that guy''s fianc¨¦e protected.¡±
¡°Don''t tell me, I''ve got no need to know. So you''ve seen his brain in action?¡±
¡°Yes. Both ways. I''ve also heard his thoughts when he was reaching the decision that it wasn''t a good idea to propose immediately.¡±
¡°So he''s serious?¡±
¡°Mum, he asked God to show him who he ought to marry, like Abraham''s servant in the Bible. Apparently he even asked God for camels too.¡±
¡°I don''t get the reference, sorry.¡±
¡°Nor did I, Mum. Abraham''s servant apparently gets sent to find a wife for Abraham''s son, and asks God to show him who the right girl is by her being the one who offers to pull up water for his camels when he asks for a drink. With a bit of help from his parents, he decided that he didn''t need camels, but that me offering to help with a whole heap of shopping without him asking was a good equivalent.¡±
¡°Sorry, what do you mean he decided with his parents about you being helpful, You''ve met his parents too?¡±
¡°No, sorry, I''m tired. He prayed, when he was ten or less, I guess, that he wanted God to show him who he should marry, by that girl offering to help do loads of shopping without him asking. Trevor''s in charge of getting the food for next week. We''d already talked about going out, and I don''t have anything else to do tomorrow, unless I don''t write my report tonight, so I thought that''s something we could do together and so I offered to help as soon as I heard.¡±
¡°And now he''s doubly sure that you''re the one.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Well! So in his mind, God has spoken. Are you going to make God a liar or not?¡±
¡°I''m not going to make God a liar, but I''m not going to accept a proposal before we''ve even been on a single date, either. I''m just not sure what I''m going to do if he proposes tomorrow. Isn''t it too early to feel like this, Mum?¡±
¡°It was a long time ago for me, Bella. Don''t you have friends you could ask?¡±
¡°Well, I could ask Eliza, but I know what her answer will be. They got engaged before their first kiss.¡±
¡°And have you kissed yet?¡±
¡°Not yet. We decided it was too soon. I started regretting that decision almost as soon as I''d made it. How can I be so silly, Mum?¡±
¡°Oh, Bella! You''re breathing the intoxicating fumes of love, dear. Enjoy it, it doesn''t sound like there''s much reason not to.¡±
¡°None I can see. He''s not even ugly. Quite handsome, in fact.¡±
¡°Of course, it''ll mean another career change for you.¡±
¡°If he can climb mountains, I can keep Eliza safe.¡±
¡°And if he gives up on the mountains?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. Mountains aren''t as important as people.¡±
¡°I don''t think I''ve ever heard of a pregnant protection officer though.¡±
¡°No. Me neither.¡±
¡°So, think about what roles you could do, dear. And cross off the ones that routinely put unborn babies in the line of fire. At least Analysis is a nice stable job.¡±
¡°But Maria thinks he''s wasted in it, and he ought to be doing fieldwork or something.¡±
¡°So, would you be interested in fieldwork?¡±
¡°Isn''t that more risky than royal protection?¡±
¡°There''s no requirement that you be prepared to unthinkingly stop a bullet for someone in fieldwork. That''s a massive difference.¡±
¡°Hmm. That''s a difference, yes. I''ll think about it.¡±
¡°Do. Talk it through with Trevor.¡±
¡°I will Mum. Have no fear.¡±
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°I''ll be praying for you two, dear. Have a nice shopping trip.¡±
¡°Thanks, Mum. I need to write a report, I guess.¡±
¡°No shopping before it''s done, remember. Maybe that''ll help you concentrate.¡±
¡°It might work! Bye.¡±
¡°God bless, Bella.¡±
¡°I think he has, Mum. God bless you too.¡±
Trevor didn''t have a report to write, but he had a dog to walk. It took about the same amount of time, but allowed more thinking time.
¡°Well, Fido, I think you''re going to like Bella. I know I do.¡±
Fido wagged his tail. His master smelled happy, that was good. Maybe there''d be a bone, or a river involved. Or a big stick to carry home. Maybe there was one over there.
¡°Hi, Dad.¡± Trevor said into his wrist unit. ¡°Is Mum there too? She''ll want to hear this too.¡±
¡°Hi, Trevor,¡± is father replied then shouted ¡°Trevor''s got news, love.¡±
¡°She''s just coming, so how''s life in the big city? Fido OK?¡±
¡°Yes, Fido''s fine. We''re just out in his favourite park, actually. I think he''s looking for half a tree to bring home.¡±
¡°Hi Trevor, you sound happy. What''s the news?¡±
¡°She''s called Bella, and if you remember about me wanting to have some camels, she offered to go shopping with me tomorrow, for next week.¡±
¡°Oh really! Well, well well!¡± Trevor''s father said.
¡°I remember something about you wanting camels for something, Trevor, but what was it?¡±
¡°So his future wife could offer to draw water for them.¡± supplied his father.
¡°I presume that''s not the only qualification?¡± she asked.
¡°No Mum, she''s a Christian, a bit younger than me, a bit shorter than me, which is nice, works in Royal protection, like Nigel, only she''s assigned to Eliza.¡±
¡°And she''s going on your little jaunt next week?¡±
¡°Dad, next week is a security check of the place, that''s why I can''t tell you where it is. But yes, she is.¡±
¡°And that''s the context you met her in? Some sort of planning meeting?¡±
¡°Urm, no. Actually, she was leading a special meeting I was at today. We were the only two single Christians there, so that helped focus our thoughts, I guess, and we got talking at lunch time, and after a bit of help we just sort of clicked. Then she offered to help with the shopping.¡±
¡°So what''s so special about that meeting, that her being the only single Christian there focussed you mind on anything except business?¡± his mother asked.
¡°Urm. I''d rather have said face to face, but, urm, nothing too terrible, but are you sitting down?¡±
¡°We are now.¡± his Dad said after there''d been some moving of chairs.
¡°Mum, Dad, It was a meeting of everyone in Security with the thought-hearing ability.¡±
There was a pause from the other end of the phone. ¡°Thank you for making us sit down, Trevor.¡± his mother said. ¡°I wondered, when it all came out in the press. They seemed to be talking about what you''d talked about when you were five.¡±
¡°I don''t remember, all I remember is growing up knowing that I mustn''t tell anyone.¡±
¡°Well, you always were an obedient boy. I told you not to.¡± she said.
¡°Does Nigel know?¡± his father asked.
¡°Yes. We told him.¡±
¡°OK, so now tell me what he knows?¡±
¡°He now knows we both hear thoughts, actually, he guessed I might be able to. And he told Bella about me wanting a camel and what you said, Dad. She took it really well, actually.¡±
¡°And does she know?¡±
¡°Does she know what?¡±
¡°About why you''re in Analysis, rather where they wanted you to go?¡±
¡°No, I haven''t told her yet. I will tomorrow though.¡±
¡°It is rather significant.¡± his mother pointed out.
¡°I know, Mum, I know. I was going to, but we had to deal with a lot of crises at the end of the day, and she was exhausted.¡±
¡°And you bottled out?¡± she asked.
¡°That too.¡±
¡°We''ll be praying for you, Trevor. For both of you.¡±
As she was settling down to sleep, Bella heard Sarah''s call.
[Hi Bella, sorry to catch you so late. How are you doing?]
[Hi Sarah. I''m pretty sure I''m in love.]
[Oh! That''s wonderful. Can I tell John?]
[I''m not fully certain yet. I mean, we''ve not even been on our first date yet.]
[Bella, you''ve got a mind that can pick up thoughts. That''s a real help in separating the good ones from the bad ones. I think you''ve got a good one there. Just watch out for feedback. It''s a complete pain until you''re on your honeymoon.]
[I''ve heard of it. Can you explain?]
[Of course.] the explanation didn''t take long, but Sarah also told her some anecdotes about it. Bella found the thoughts of feedback were far more effective at concentrating her mind than her mother''s discussion of babies. She needed to keep her emotions under control.
9am, Saturday, 9th December
Bella answered her wrist unit without even looking who it might be.
¡°Good morning, Bella.¡± Eliza said. Not Trevor then. Bella had half been hoping it would be.
¡°Good morning, Eliza, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?¡±
¡°Wondering how your meeting went, other than socially, I mean.¡±
¡°Hmmm. Successful, on that front too, I think.¡±
¡°Did you get a report on it written last night?¡±
¡°I did. Yes. Sort of. Re-reading it this morning I think a more accurate description would be that I have extensive ungrammatical notes, as you might expect when a poor tired mind is flooded with hormones. It going to need quite a lot of beating into shape.¡±
¡°Can you let me have them?¡±
¡°What, unfinished?¡±
¡°Yes. I''ll take over, and if there''s anything really incomprehensible then I''ll call, OK?¡±
¡°You''re sure?¡±
¡°Yes. Quite. I want you to have a totally free day.¡±
¡°What about you?¡±
¡°Albert''s preparing his sermon for tomorrow. I''m going to be sitting around waiting to check it for factual errors, etc. I might as well have something to keep me busy while I''m waiting. It beats a crossword, and I don''t want to start reading a novel. And I can''t work on the next my masters knowing there''ll be interruptions.¡±
¡°Then, by all means, by all means. Oh, by the way, I''ve put in people''s names, to help me keep it straight in my head, but I was going to take them out in the final version.¡±
¡°Can you take them out now? That way I don''t need to remember.¡±
¡°OK, I will. Just letters of the alphabet?¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°OK. That won''t take long.¡±
¡°And do you need another meeting?¡±
¡°Not urgently. We''ve covered everything we had to learn, but we didn''t do much of the extra stuff Maria was asking for: brain-storming about how we could be useful, that sort of thing. Also the people with kids were going to try listening to decisions affecting them. I think it would be good to share success stories, if there are any.¡±
¡°OK, so qualified yes. Follow up in a month or so if possible?¡±
¡°I guess so, yes.¡±
¡°Can you put that in there before I get it? I don''t want to be adding to it at all, just correcting it.¡±
¡°That''s fine.¡±
¡°Thanks, Bella.¡±
¡°Hey, I''m the one who should be thanking you! You''ve just given me some extra hours to enjoy.¡±
¡°Hmm. So, what''s your plan for the day?¡±
¡°Right after I send you the draft, I''m going to call up Trevor and tell him that I''ve got the whole morning free after all, so why waste it?¡±
¡°That sounds like a sensible plan.¡±
¡°I don''t suppose you know which time zone Maria is in, do you? I should have written a plea to her last night, but forgot.¡±
¡°Oh? You''re not asking to be excused from next week, are you?¡±
¡°No, just the ''try to get to know Trevor and find out why he wants to stay in Analysis.'' bit.¡±
¡°Ah. You don''t want it to seem like you''re just obeying orders?¡±
Exactly.¡±
¡°Well, if you don''t get a reply before you see him, then tell him what she asked, and ask him if he''s got any idea what the answer is. If he tells you or not, fine. It''s not worth ruining your relationship over. Just be honest and above-board.¡±
¡°You don''t think I could just drop the whole thing?¡±
¡°I think that even being asked and not telling him is risky, Bella.¡±
¡°Thanks for the advice.¡±
¡°I''ve got another idea.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
[I tell him we''ve just been gossiping, sorry, catching up on the news, and that you got a stupid secondary assignment, that I should have told Maria it was a horrible thing to ask anyone, and you''re not faking about what you feel.] Eliza thought to her.
[You''re sure?]
[Yes.]
[Extra risk to you, surely?]
[I think it''s worth it.]
[Well that''s your call. I can''t ask you to do that.] ¡°Oh, Trevor did ask about how you knew his name. I said you''d seen the list. He accepted that as oversight. I think I said that was one way to describe it, or something along those lines.¡±
¡°OK.¡±
¡°Except that Maria had said the Royal family were trusting her and I with it.¡±
¡°Oh, well, see if that takes him anywhere at all. Same rules apply. If he works it out, then it all comes back to me greeting him, no fault at all on you.¡±
¡°Thanks for saying that.¡±
¡°None needed, Bella.¡±
¡°I''ll get you that document.¡±
¡°Thanks. And I''ll make a preemptive plea on your behalf.¡±
¡°If you''re sure.¡±
¡°I''ve decided. Bye.¡±
¡°Bye.¡±
[Trevor, I''ve just been chatting with Bella, and I really hope it works out for you two.]
[Thanks!]
[But I''ve got a confession, I didn''t object when I should have. Maria gave Bella a really stupid secondary task for your trip next week; Bella''s going to try and get the task cancelled, but even if she does then it''s the sort of thing that might cause some nagging doubt, where you don''t need any. And you really don''t need to have any.]
[Before I get too carried away analysing what you might be talking about, could you expand?]
[Sorry, of course. Maria asked Bella to get to know you a bit during next week, to try and find out your motives for something. At the time Maria had no idea that you''d meet yesterday, or that you''d be falling for each other. If she had, she wouldn''t have asked, I''m sure. That assignment''s not why Bella''s falling in love with you.]
[The something wouldn''t be why I''m in Analysis rather than fieldwork, would it?]
[Yes. Maria thinks you''re wasted there.]
[I''m planning to tell Bella today. Or I was. It''s a bit embarrassing.]
[And you''d rather not tell her if you know she''ll pass it on?]
[Exactly.]
[Fine. Ask her not to. She can keep secrets.]
[Like who you are?]
[For instance. Except that I''ve possibly given you one or two clues too many, in which case it''s my fault. But if you do work it out, discuss it privately with Bella please.]
[I will if I manage to. Of course, now that you''ve told me there''s clues to be remembered, that counts as another clue...]
[Oh, no!]
[Oh, my wrist unit''s ringing.]
[I''ll leave you in peace then.] Eliza sent.
¡°Hello, Trevor.¡±
¡°Hi Bella. How''s the report going?¡±
¡°Well, it currently looks like it was written by someone who''d lost their command of English due to excess tiredness and strange powerful emptions, but I''ve just been asked to hand it over, uncorrected.¡±
¡°Oh, why?¡±
¡°Eliza was expecting to be bored so she asked for it, to give me the whole morning off. So, I hope you''re not going to make me sit around here and pine for your company. Plus I''ve got something to tell to you.¡±
¡°I think I know ¡ª your mysterious friend has just been telling me, plus giving me another hint about who she is. I''ve... I''ve got something to tell you too.¡±
¡°Oh? Does it call for a serious head to head over a cup of something, or a walk in a park with Fido?¡±
¡°Well, if you don''t mind a walk...¡±
¡°Name the park, Trevor, or the meeting place.¡±
He acquiesced entirely without hesitation.
¡°I''ve been inside too much. Is it likely to be muddy?¡±
¡°Quite muddy, I''m afraid.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll dress appropriately. See you there in half an hour?¡±
¡°That''d be lovely, Bella! Bye.¡± He wanted to add ''I love you.'' but he hesitated. He wanted to say it face to face first.
¡°See you soon.¡±
Trevor and Fido got to the park entrance five minutes early. ¡°We''re going to need to wait Fido. We''re early.¡± he said.
¡°No you''re not,¡± Bella said, stepping out from behind the map of the park, ¡°Boo!¡±
Trevor saw she was wearing jeans, a warm coat and walking boots, and had a back-pack. She looked gorgeous.
¡°You''re early too?¡±
¡°Not much earlier than you. And it''s not too soon for a proper greeting.¡±
Bella said, stepping close to him. He kissed her cheek and caught some of her thoughts. He guessed she caught his too. Lots of happiness, and surprise at quite how nice the brief kiss felt.
¡°Bella, I''m quite sure that I''m falling in love with you.¡±
¡°That''s all right, Trevor. It''s mutual. I spoke to my Mum last night and she agreed with the diagnosis. So I want you to know now that Maria asked me to befriend you and try to find out about why you''re hiding away in Analysis, but that''s not why I''m falling for you.¡±
¡°Your mysterious friend told me.¡±
¡°What, all that detail? She said she was just going to tell you the outline.¡±
¡°Yes, she told me. I asked, so it wouldn''t be whirling round my head until we met.¡±
¡°Oh. And you''re not going to hold it against me?¡±
¡°No. Thank you for telling me. I''ve got to say my piece too, I guess.¡±
¡°Shall we start walking? I think Fido''s getting impatient.¡±
¡°He is. Fido, this is Bella. Bella, this is stinky drool face.¡±
¡°Hello Fido. Does he always call you that?¡±
¡°Only when he''s just got drool on my girlfriend''s jeans. Sorry, I''ve got a cloth. Here.¡±
Bella looked at the leg which Fido had just left a line of saliva on, and wiped it with the cloth. It got most of it off.
¡°Lovely!¡± Nothing was going to spoil her day. ¡°It''s a good job I''ve thought ahead.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°I''ve got a change of clothes in my backpack.¡±
¡°Oh! Excellent idea.¡±
¡°I thought I can''t go on a shopping-date in muddy clothes, so I thought I''d bring something more appropriate.¡±
¡°More appropriate for shopping, or a date?¡±
¡°You''ll have to decide.¡± Bella said.
¡°Just so you know, Bella, I think you''re beautiful.¡±
¡°Yes, you''ve said that. I think you''re pretty handsome yourself. But I don''t want to get too many strange looks in the shop.¡±
¡°Or the restaurant. I hope you don''t mind. I''ve booked us a table for this evening.¡±
¡°Oh, really? So I need a third change of clothes?¡±
¡°There should be time for you to get one.¡±
¡°Do I get to know where, or is it a surprise.¡±
¡°It''s a surprise.¡±
Fido pulled on his lead towards a stick he''d see. It was short he thought ¡ª only a tail long, but it would do for now, he decided.
¡°That''s a good stick he''s found, is he going to carry it all the way?¡±
¡°That? Sorry Bella, be prepared to adjust your preconceptions. He''ll upgrade it as soon as he can.¡±
¡°Oh, He likes longer ones?¡±
¡°And fatter ones. His ideal stick is about as fat as my wrist and two metres long. He''d love to bring them home, but I don''t let him.¡±
¡°Wise.¡±
¡°Bella, changing the subject?¡±
¡°Yes, Trevor?¡±
¡°If I tell you why I''m staying in Analysis, will you have to tell Maria?¡±
¡°Not if you tell me in confidence.¡±
¡°That''s good.¡±
¡°It''s embarrassing?¡±
¡°It is rather. I''m in the right job, I think. I don''t like travelling. No that''s not what I should say.¡± he draw a breath. ¡°I''m petrified of flying, Bella. Totally, totally petrified. I don''t need to fly in this job, but fieldwork, well, it''s not often local is it?¡±
¡°Oh. Well, that explains it. For what it''s worth, Mum was suggesting I consider fieldwork instead of protection, longer term.¡±
¡°Oh? Why?¡±
¡°Because, presuming we marry, then presuming we want kids, then pregnant and protection officer don''t really go together.¡±
¡°That''s quite a long way off isn''t it?¡±
¡°Depends when you propose, when I accept, when we marry and when we decide to start a family. Mum pointed out that biologically speaking, we could be changing stinky nappies a year from now. That was supposed to help me regain some sanity, by the way.¡±
¡°Did it help?¡±
¡°Not really. I still want to spend lots of time with you.¡±
¡°That''s nice. I want to spend every hour of the day with you. Silly aren''t we?¡±
¡°I understand that it''s a biologically programmed imperative, fundamental to the successful rearing of young.¡±
¡°I think they just made that up, and that really God made humans so that we''d fall in love.¡± Trevor said.
¡°Yes, but why?¡±
¡°Because otherwise, when there''s trouble, disaster or storm, there''s no way that we''ll think of one another. So, He''s made us so that once a certain set of apparently logical conditions are met, we lock onto the crazy idea that our happiness depends on someone else''s smile.¡±
¡°I don''t think that''s a crazy idea. And I like your smile.¡±
¡°I like yours too. ¡±
¡°And you really don''t like flying?¡±
¡°Quite frankly, you''d have to drug me, and if I knew you were going to drug me to get me onto a plane, then you''d probably have to tie me up first. Not that I''d let you. Well, I don''t know. You might succeed. I know that Nigel didn''t.¡±
¡°He tried?¡±
¡°Yes. Well, OK, there weren''t drugs involved. It was when I was sixteen. He tried to tie me up and get me into a light aircraft a friend of his flew. Thought it might get me over my phobia. He decided to do it when I was too close and I got ever so slightly loopy.¡±
¡°Go on, finish the story.¡± Bella prompted.
¡°Nothing much to say, really, his jawbone and nose healed, they got his teeth to regrow. I spent a lot of time talking to the psych computers.¡±
¡°Surely this got onto your record? Why doesn''t Maria know it?¡±
¡°It ought to be on my record. In the end they decided that I had a strong, instinctive aversion to flying.¡±
¡°But you climb mountains?¡±
¡°Yes. It was supposed to be therapy for the flying, but it didn''t work. It''s not a fear of heights.¡±
¡°You''re weird. Now, give me a kiss please.¡±
¡°What, for saying that I''m weird?¡±
¡°No. So I know you don''t take it badly.¡±
¡°And if I do?¡±
¡°Then I''ll have to give you one, so that you know I don''t mean it badly. And with that she hid her thoughts, got a lock on his neck and kissed him soundly on the cheek.
¡°Bella, that''s not what you call a normal approach to a kiss.¡± he said, rubbing his neck.
¡°Sorry, I didn''t want to hurt you, it''s just I didn''t want any more protests.¡±
¡°Would it offend you if I said you''re weird too?¡±
¡°Not if it came with a kiss.¡± she said with a laugh.
Tenderly, he kissed her on the forehead. ¡°I love you, Bella.¡±
¡°That''s good. I love you too. It was a nice kiss too. Crazy, aren''t we?¡±
¡°Only slightly. Now look at what Fido''s got, that''s what he calls a stick.¡±
¡°It''s half a tree!¡±
¡°Don''t exaggerate, Bella.¡±
¡°I''m not exaggerating. Look, over there, there''s the rest of the tree.¡±
She pointed to a young tree, hardly more than a sapling, which had once had two trunks. One had either been broken or cut off, and the tree had a strange, lopsided look. Fido was now proudly dragging behind him the two metre long missing trunk, complete with branches.
¡°He looks incredibly happy.¡± Bella said.
¡°He looks like I feel, then, so that''s OK.¡±
¡°Hmm. Rumour has it that Fido likes water,¡± she said, seeing a stream in the distance.
¡°True. He does. Let''s avoid it.¡±
¡°You lead the way, then.¡±
¡°Bella, your friend?¡±
¡°Which one?¡±
¡°The mysterious one you talked to this morning.¡±
¡°What about her?¡±
¡°She spoke to me this morning and one of the things she said was she''d given me one or two clues too many.¡±
¡°I''m listening.¡±
¡°And not commenting.¡±
¡°Did you expect me to?¡±
¡°Not really. So, she gave me one clue in that she said she could have objected to Maria giving you such a nasty job. Do you know what mine is, by the way?¡±
¡°Analyse people''s words, behaviour, etc. to see what their secondary tasks are.¡±
¡°Yes. So, that''s one clue. But she said one or two too many.¡±
¡°Well, depends how many you need.¡±
¡°So, I know she''s not Security, unless Maria lied, and yet she''s trusted by Maria, by the royals, and she knows what you''re doing.¡±
¡°I''m still listening, Trevor.¡±
¡°She said when Maria set the tasks, she had no idea you and I would meet yesterday. But I don''t think that''s much of a clue, and also that Maria thinks I''m wasted in Analysis. But that, together with her being able to object sounds like she was there when next weeks little trip was being planned.¡±
¡°That sounds like an entirely plausible hypothesis on the data available.¡±
¡°So, she''s trusted, she''s around Maria and the Royal family, even when secret trips are being planned, OK, that''s a pretty big clue. But, it''s still only one, and from what she said, it sounded like she''d given one already, even before she talked to me about next week. But the only time I''m aware of her speaking mind to mind is during the announcement, and there was no clue there. By saying she''d given me one or two too many clues, that suggests that she said something to me some other way. Confusing. Now, the other thing that got me confused, is Maria said the royals were trusting you and her with it, but Eliza saw the list. And I know that because you needed to explain Eliza knowing who I was and that she knew I had the power.¡±
¡°Hmm.¡±
¡°And of course there was yet another clue, that if I worked out who she was, I needed to talk to you.¡±
¡°I hear your thoughts but only because you''re saying them. I''m keeping mine hidden.¡±
¡°Bella, if I''m right, you only actually spoke to one person this morning, not two.¡±
¡°What, you mean the gate guard and..¡± she said, looking around. Still no one anywhere in the park. Just the two of them and Fido.
¡°Bella! You know what I mean. I think you spoke about me and your report to the same person.¡±
¡°And that solution meets all the clues, does it?¡±
¡°It does.¡±
¡°And leaves none unexplained?¡±
¡°None I can see. It''s pretty amazing though. Am I right?¡±
¡°What do you know about classes of state secrets?¡±
¡°Gulp. I did learn this once.¡±
¡°Disclosing a class alpha state secret?¡±
¡°Bad news, but not as bad as a class beta, and so on. The highest is level delta.¡±
¡°You''ve just analysed yourself to a class epsilon state secret.¡±
¡°I don''t want to know what happens if I disclose it, do I?¡±
¡°No. Their majesties haven''t decided, as far as I know. Probably something like your tongue surgically removed and then being sent on a trip to map all the objects in the Oort cloud.¡±
¡°You mean the Kuiper belt?¡±
¡°No. The Oort cloud''s further out.¡±
¡°And bigger.¡±
¡°That too. Just don''t leak, OK? She may tell, or drop clues, you on the other hand may not.¡±
¡°Nigel knows?¡±
¡°He does.¡±
¡°And she must have told Albert. No wonder everyone trusts her despite her father. Good credentials, God trusting you with that. But you knew, didn''t you? When you told Albert she was a better, urm, candidate I believe the word you used.¡±
¡°Yes, I knew.¡±
¡°Wow. And his grandfather had the power.¡± He looked at Bella in astonishment. ¡°It wasn''t just that you were in security, was it? Albert knew you had the power, too.¡±
¡°Albert knew I had the power, yes.¡±
¡°Like he does?¡±
¡°That, Trevor, sounds like a guess to me.¡±
¡°I''d say it''s about eighty percent probable. It would explain their quick engagement, if they''re able to speak mind to mind then that whole thing about not planning to meet make perfect sense. They didn''t need to meet to get to know each other.¡±
¡°I''ll remind you of that the next time you want to kiss me.¡±
¡°It''s not ideal, I was going to add.¡±
¡°Well escaped.¡±
¡°It also explains how he could convince her about the diaries without her seeing them.¡±
¡°Oh, you think that his word wasn''t enough to convince her about why he was convinced she was the one? Tread carefully.¡±
¡°Well, I''d like to point out that you had Nigel''s word as well as mine, and that his word was relatively unprompted. So, I believe that her being able to see it in his mind was a great advantage, and I can''t actually imagine someone with the power or the gift being happy to not be able to share their thoughts. Which of course explains another feature of his life and mine: no prior girlfriends.¡±
¡°Nigel''s not got the power, has he?¡±
¡°No. He''s not had much luck in picking his girlfriends, either.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°My poor big brother''s had his heart broken a couple of times.¡±
¡°And you don''t think I''ll break yours? What were they like?¡±
¡°Hmm, what they had in common was they were nice girls who thought it was a great catch to be going out with a high flyer in Security, but who didn''t actually have much understanding that life in the civil service, especially in protection, meant that all dates were subject to adjustment.¡±
¡°Or cancellation at no notice.¡±
¡°Exactly. They decided they couldn''t adjust to that uncertainty. Well, one of them could have coped with that, but decided she couldn''t stand the thought of him catching a bullet. Gave him an ultimatum: leave Security or we''re finished.¡±
¡°Not just leave royal protection?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Your poor big brother.¡±
¡°Exactly. I don''t think you''re going to do that to me.¡±
¡°No. I''m just going to tell you to get your mind fixed before we marry.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Look, Trevor, you''ve got a great mind, I can see why you''re happy in analysis, but look at you!¡±
¡°Urm, in what respect?¡±
¡°Analysis is mostly where people go who''ve finished a field term, or been injured on the field and need to rest, not who''ve never had field term. Your mind on the field? With your reaction speeds and mountain climber''s arms? Wow. You''d be real asset. I''d want you on my team if I ever go that way, I know. So I''m warning you now: I''m going to insist that you at least have one more go at getting your brain straightened out, properly, before I''ll accept any proposal of marriage from you.¡±
¡°You''re serious.¡±
She faced him, and pressed her cheek against his. [I''m serious, Trevor. I don''t know why you''re so wounded. I don''t know what you suffered in the past or what idea got planted in your mind which the computers couldn''t ferret out. But I''ve met people at the IHM, Christians who are trained counsellors. Give it a go, please?]
[I think I''m so messed up that it''d take someone with the gift to find out what''s wrong with me.]
[That''s relatively easy to arrange too, Trevor.]
[Eliza?]
[No, I was more thinking of the guy who talked to Naeel.]
[He''s at IHM?]
[His choice to tell you that or not. I''m not allowed to comment, remember? Reporting restrictions.]
[If it''s that important for you, Bella.]
[Just imagine, please, if we got field assigned somewhere reachable by boat.]
[Hey, that''s an option I hadn''t thought of!]
[And then there was an accident. I needed to be flown home for a bit of regrowth therapy or something. Would you be taking the boat? Or would you be there in the med-evac with me? Telling the medics how I was by listening to my thoughts? Keeping me company, keeping me sane, looking after me?]
[{pain/misery}At the moment I''d be on the boat, love. I''d be tearing into myself for getting into that situation without being fixed, but I''d be on the boat. So if you can get me fixed, do. Please.]
[You''re willing?]
[Yes. Of course, Bella. It''s not like I enjoy being broken like this, you know. I just didn''t think there was any hope for me.]
[Thank you, Trevor. I love you.]
[I love you, too, Bella.{love}]
[{love} Let''s break, Trevor.] and pushed herself away.
¡°Why?¡± he asked, confused.
¡°It''s too soon!¡± Bella said, tears starting to flow. ¡°Don''t let it be starting yet!¡±
¡°Bella?¡± Trevor asked ¡°What''s wrong?¡±
¡°Feedback.¡± she spat.
¡°What''s feedback? I don''t understand, Bella.¡±
¡°I hope it wasn''t feedback. I don''t want feedback yet.¡± Bella cried.
He went to embrace her, she shook her head. ¡°Hide first, just in case.¡± she said, between inelegant sobs.
He hid, as instructed, and then held her. ¡°What is it, Bella?¡±
¡°It might have been feedback. I don''t know it was, but it might have been. I don''t want feedback, Trevor, I want to hear your thoughts, get used to the sound of your mind.¡±
¡°Can you tell me what feedback is, Bella?¡±
¡°You love me, in reaction to sensing your love, my mind thinks oooh, he loves me and sends out I love you signals, yours sensing them realises that I love you just as powerfully as you love me and that makes you love me more, and the tide of love grows until all rational thought is gone, blotted out in one great hormonal and emotional rush. It''s one of those experiments that won''t be performed, as far as I know: do an unmarried Christian couple retain any self control if they allow themselves to experience the full onslaught of feedback. I have heard that a certain couple kissed briefly at their wedding ceremony without hiding. What they thought was a very brief kiss lasted over a minute, apparently.¡±
¡°So.. if we start getting feedback now?¡±
¡°Then, Trevor, you can look forward to not speaking to me mind to mind until we''re on our honeymoon. It''s not as bad for people with the gift ¡ª they don''t need to touch for talking. But for us... we won''t be doing much talking, we''ll be avoiding hugs and kisses and even holding hands once it gets bad. Unless we want to spend ages hidden, and that''s dangerous.¡±
¡°That''s... that''s terrible!¡±
¡°Unless we can find a way to talk mentally without sending emotions.¡±
¡°Do you think that''s possible?¡±
¡°Not really. But we can try.¡±
¡°So, what do we do now?¡±
¡°Let''s enjoy our walk together. We can do that, safely enough.¡±
¡°Bella I can''t help noticing two things.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You''re assuming we''re going to marry some time.¡±
¡°I know. Dangerous leap to make, isn''t it? Nothing I''ve learned so far has put me off though. But yes, I suppose that one of us should be saying we don''t know each other well enough yet to go dropping phrases like ''on our honeymoon'' into conversations.¡±
¡°I was going to say I''m assuming it too.¡±
¡°Well, you''ve got that little indication from God, haven''t you?¡±
¡°Can''t you share it?¡±
¡°Of course I can. I trust God. Eliza pointed out to me that I trusted God for a long time before I acknowledged him.¡±
¡°That''s... an interesting twist.¡±
¡°Well, you know, when he makes the demons go away then it''s hard not to, even if you then try to pretend the whole thing was purely psychological.¡±
¡°I see what you mean.¡±
¡°I trust you too, by the way. And like you quite a lot. So, what''s your second thought?¡±
¡°That you''ve not told me what grade of state secret it is that I''m giving a 95 percent probability to now, having heard about feedback.¡±
¡°I''d say that if that guess was true, then it''d be class delta.¡±
¡°And Nigel knows?¡±
¡°What do you think?¡±
¡°I think he does.¡±
¡°If it''s true.¡±
¡°It explains so much. It must be.¡±
¡°So why are you hedging your bets with that five percent?¡±
¡°No actual acknowledgment from anyone, no actual concrete evidence, that sort of thing.¡±
¡°Oh. You mean you''re as certain as you can be without someone saying you''ve got it right? Whereas with her, you knew someone had been chatting to you about your love-life and you were only working out who it was out of the candidates.¡±
¡°And chatting to you, too.¡±
¡°It could have been someone else though.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°There were quite a group of us in the throne-room that day I was talking to their majesties.¡±
¡°But you and Eliza were the only single women?¡±
¡°That is true.¡±
¡°So Albert, after looking for someone with the power, just like I was, suddenly finds himself faced with two beautiful eligible ladies and has a nasty choice until you simplify it for him. I''m glad you did.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Well, otherwise I''d have been keeping my emotions under very strict control around you, wouldn''t I?¡±
¡°I should hope so.¡±
¡°Whereas now I need to for another reason entirely.¡±
¡°Only when we touch though, and only for a season too.¡±
¡°Everything changes in spring?¡±
¡°I meant a period of time, not quarter of a year.¡±
¡°Bella, it''s not really a thing men talk about, so I don''t know, but I''m guessing women are different.¡±
¡°You''ve noticed?¡± Bella said, teasingly.
He ignored her ¡°Out of the couples you know, what''s a normal sort of time for couples to date before he pops the question?¡±
¡°It all depends, Trevor.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°Everyone is different. I was thinking about people I know. For instance, there''s one couple who were almost in love at University, he never plucked up the courage to ask her out, they went their separate ways and then they met again after, umm, thirty years, I think it was. I think he was sending her flowers daily for a fortnight until she accepted, but he let her know on the first date that he''d been kicking himself for the last three decades and wasn''t going to be shy about asking this time round. Then, there''s another couple where he got a much more explicit prophesy than you had, which took her totally by surprise when she fulfilled it. I don''t know how long she took to get used to the idea. Maybe a week? But he actually waited a bit longer to formally ask, until he''d spoken to her father. Then there''s another couple I know, where they were engaged by the end of their second or third date. And another couple, everyone''s sure they''re going to marry, have been for months, but they''re not actually engaged yet.¡±
¡°So, not much help there, then.¡±
¡°Not until you ask which of them share the gift.¡±
¡°The gift?¡±
¡°Yes. two of the couples in my list both have the gift. Guess which ones.¡±
¡°The shortest ones?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Because of feedback?¡±
¡°And because of certainty. We can''t be quite as certain, of course, as people who can link their minds together and examine memories together.¡±
¡°No. We can''t.¡±
¡°And don''t get your hopes up about a wedding before the impact, it''s too soon.¡±
¡°It hadn''t actually occurred to me, Bella. Isn''t a six month engagement normal?¡±
¡°Based on observation... Not for thought hearers.¡±
¡°I don''t want to rush you, Bella.¡±
¡°Good. Do you think you are at the moment?¡±
¡°No... The opposite, actually. I mean, you''re talking wedding dates, and we haven''t been on our first date yet!¡±
¡°What do you call this then?¡±
¡°Wonderful company while I lose Fido in the woods.¡±
¡°He went that-a-way.¡± Bella said, pointing to a trail of devastation in the undergrowth. Fido obviously had taken his tree with him.
¡°That''s the good thing about him having a stick.¡±
¡°Tree.¡± corrected Bella.
¡°You can see where he''s gone.¡±
¡°He always takes it with him?¡±
¡°Not always. But he doesn''t really trust me. He thinks I might try to get rid of it somewhere.¡±
¡°Would you do something like that?¡±
¡°Of course. You don''t think I''m taking that tree back down high street, do you?¡±
¡°You could pretend he''s not yours.¡±
¡°Not very successfully.¡±
¡°So, how do you get rid of it?¡±
¡°I tell him to drop it, tie him to the gate, and place it somewhere off the path.¡±
¡°And what does he do?¡±
¡°Looks at me as though I''m the cruelest person in the whole wide world. Then I give him a treat after we''ve left the park, and he''s my friend again.¡±
¡°What''s the treat? Bit of sausage?¡±
¡°What? No! Wholemeal bread. He loves it.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°No question. Here, have a lump. Call him and tell him you''ll give him some.¡±
¡°If you say so.¡± she agreed, then shouted ¡°Fido! Fido! Come and get some bread, Fido!¡± There was the sound of movement in the woods, and soon Fido came, still with the tree, except once he was in sight of them he dropped it and bounded towards them with a look of ecstasy on his face.
¡°Make sure he sits down before you give it to him.¡± Trevor prompted, as Fido skidded to a halt.
¡°Anything you say. Fido, your master says you need to sit.¡±
Fido looked at Trevor and sat down in front of him.
¡°No, not him, I''ve got the bread.¡± Bella said.
Fido adjusted his position and looked at her face, and her hands. Where was the bread?
¡°There you are, good dog.¡± Bella said, giving it to him, and almost losing her fingers. ¡°Hey!¡±
¡°Sorry, I forgot to say. It''s best to throw it to him when he''s this excited.¡±
¡°Are you excited, Fido?¡± Bella said ¡°I wonder who you get that from.¡±
¡°Do you like Bella, Fido? She''s nice, isn''t she?¡±
Fido wagged his tail. Maybe there was more bread coming.
¡°Are you a good dog, Fido?¡± Bella asked. More wags. In fact it seemed like the whole of his body was wagging, not just his tail. Bella gave him a bit more bread, keeping her fingers at a safe distance this time.
¡°You''re a fast learner, and you''re good with him.¡±
¡°I didn''t tell you. I always wanted a dog when I was little. I read up everything I could on dog training and everything, plus I practiced on friend''s dogs.¡±
¡°But you didn''t have one?¡±
¡°No. There wasn''t really the space. Mum might have given in if I''d wanted a little yappy thing, but... I''ve got standards.¡±
¡°Oh, did you hear that, Fido, Bella doesn''t like little yappy dogs either.¡±
Fido wagged his tail again.
¡°Now, let''s see how good you are. Fido, stay still. Stay!¡± she said, firmly. Fido looked uncomfortable, but obeyed.
¡°How much won''t power does he have?¡± she asked.
¡°Not much.¡±
¡°We''ll see. Fido, stay.¡± she repeated and put some bread at her feet. Fido, staring at the bread, whined.
Bella stepped away. ¡°Good boy, take it!¡± she said. He leapt on the morsel of bread and swallowed it with one gulp. ¡°Well done, Fido!¡± she said.
¡°Bella, what have you done to him?¡±
¡°I don''t know, what have I done?¡±
¡°He''s never done that for me. He normally dives at it as soon as I step away.¡±
¡°He''s obviously decided that I''m an alpha female, and therefore very dangerous and that he needs to be on his best behaviour.¡±
¡°I think he must.¡±
¡°Go on, Fido, get your stick.¡± she said. ¡°You''ve got a very intelligent dog there, Trevor.¡±
¡°I know. He comes from a long line of guide dogs for the blind. He wasn''t quite up to their standards, though. So, where to next, my alpha female?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I''m new in town. Have you had replies from everyone yet?¡±
¡°Hmmm, let''s see. Oh! Yes I have.¡±
¡°So, how much longer does Fido need?¡±
¡°Need, or want?¡±
¡°Let''s re-phrase that. How much longer shall we give him to play in the woods?¡±
¡°How about another half an hour or so, or are you getting cold?¡±
¡°No, I''m fine.¡±
¡°You mention your mum a lot. She''s alone?¡±
¡°Yes, Dad died when I was young. I don''t remember him at all.¡±
¡°Oh, sorry. I must have been hard for her.¡±
¡°I expect so. What about your family?¡±
¡°Mum, Dad, Nigel and me.¡±
¡°And Fido.¡±
¡°Yes. I''ve had him since I joined Security.¡±
¡°Just how did you pick the name Fido?¡±
¡°I didn''t actually. The breeders just were just working their way through the alphabet with each new puppy. They''d already had a Fred, Frank, Friz and Ferdinand previous years, apparently, and he had to be an ''F''.
¡°I get it. And they couldn''t repeat a name?¡±
¡°No. Against the rules. Unique name required for every puppy, otherwise the pedigrees might become confused and great bastion of rule and order, which survived even height of the age of chaos, would fall. Surely civilisation itself would follow shortly there-after.¡±
¡°Ooh, so he''s got a pedigree?¡±
¡°Oh, only back about three hundred years, apparently.¡±
¡°Wow. Fido, did you know you''re a great noble amongst dogs?¡±
¡°Naah, he''s just a big softy, aren''t you, slobber-face?¡± Fido wagged his tail as Trevor rubbed his head.
¡°You don''t think he''ll object to me then?¡±
¡°I doubt it. Especially if you get him what you promised him.¡±
¡°I need a bit of expert shopping advice there. Where do you actually find a butcher''s shop around here? Or do I need to get a dried up pre-packaged thing from a pet store?¡±
¡°Well... if you''re after the real thing...¡±
¡°I''m sure he''s not used to anything less.¡±
¡°You''re joking. He''s used to having bits of wood to chew on. He only gets a bone from me at Christmas. And I''m afraid I normally resort to the pre-packaged ones. You know they won''t make a mess when being transported.¡±
¡°I''ve promised I''d get him one, and I intend it to be as fresh as possible.¡±
¡°You''re not trying to steal his affection are you?¡±
¡°No, just make sure I''m firmly in his good books.¡±
¡°I think you already are.¡±
¡°That''s all right then. I want to stay in yours too.¡±
¡°I can''t imagine what you would do that would get you out of them, Bella.¡±
¡°Oh, well. There''s still time to find out.¡± Her wrist unit buzzed. ¡°Oh, I''ve had a reply.¡±
¡°Who from?¡±
¡°Maria. ''Sorry for the difficult situation. Consider it cancelled. Thanks also for report. Well handled on situation with N. All resolved. Congratulations due to Trevor on new appointment. M.'' What new appointment?¡±
¡°I have no idea. Absolutely no idea.¡±
¡°Nothing on your wrist unit?¡±
¡°Oh, yes there is!¡±
¡°So, what does it say?¡±
¡°It says the world''s gone crazy.¡± He mumbled after reading it.
¡°Come on, what is it?¡±
¡°I''ve just been assigned to a new department.¡±
¡°Which one?¡±
¡°It doesn''t have a name yet.¡±
¡°So what''s your role going to be?¡±
¡°Guinea pig, by the look of it.¡±
¡°Come on, Trevor, out with it, or let me read it.¡±
¡°I''ll need to explain anyway. A few months ago I got asked to look at data flow in the organisation. Part of that was the divide between Communications and Analysis.¡±
¡°You mean the way that Comms need to sit on stuff without passing it on, because they''re an impenetrable black box that can legally only respond to queries for data, not offer it?¡±
¡°And you need to ask them exactly the right question, or they can''t answer either. Exactly.¡±
¡°So, what did you suggest? I take it your new role is a result of this?¡±
¡°I suggested that someone be able to metaphorically peer over the shoulders of Analysis, look at their assumptions or known gaps in their data, and register long-term questions with Communications about whether the assumptions are correct, and specific questions about gaps.¡±
¡°Isn''t that something that could happen anyway?¡±
¡°In some ways, yes. But Analysis is normally told things like ''here''s what we know, give us some options by tomorrow lunchtime, please.'' There are longer investigations, but it gets treated in the same way. There''s a built-in assumption that all the data provided is all the data available. I suggested that someone in Analysis administration be given the role looking for the holes in the data, but I got back this. ''Tnx report. Well done. Auditing have similar issues. If it works, it makes sense to have a small dedicated unit. Discussed with your previous supervisor, you''re clearly man for job. Make new department work, small scale, only to analyse Analysis for now, expand later if successful. Report to me. Will name your department later. I expect you will have new staff members soon, but probably never more than a dozen. Ask Bella & Pris: K+G? Nepotism, but suitable/efficient? Expect more details from Pris.'' So what''s this about nepotism?¡±
¡°Well, I know who K and G are. Applying to join the civil service as we speak, along with planning their wedding.¡±
¡°New recruits, then?¡±
¡°Well, K is Maria''s daughter, so I''m not sure when she first got a security clearance, probably about age ten. G is a bit of a computer wizz, from what I understand. At least, he''s written routines which are going into embassy computers worldwide. Pattern recognition, interpreting natural speech stuff. So yes, technically new recruits, but on the other hand, they already know their way around.¡±
¡°Pattern recognition and interpreting natural speech? That does sound useful. What''s this about efficiency?¡±
¡°I''m not a hundred percent sure, so I don''t think I ought to guess at the moment. I''ll try and make some calls sometime.¡±
¡°You know them, personally?¡±
¡°Yes. I was body-guard for Karen for a while, this summer.¡±
¡°Hmm. No more clues until you make those calls, I guess.¡±
¡°What does it feel like to get your own department?¡±
¡°Of one.¡±
¡°For now. Well?¡±
¡°Downright scary, if you ask me.¡±
¡°Better or worse than staying in Analysis?¡±
¡°I''m still going to be in Analysis, sort of.¡±
¡°But with a different role.¡±
¡°Yes. You know how many information requests Analysis sent to Communications last month?¡±
¡°I expect you do.¡±
¡°Yes. Five. All from my desk. My supervisor told me to try and do what I''d suggested. Little did I know what they were planning!¡±
¡°Useful questions?¡±
¡°Three came back empty, but two were very useful.¡±
¡°That''s not bad then. Where there any down-sides?¡±
¡°Yes. Looking at the data for gaps and framing the questions took a while. Then waiting for the answers slowed things down too. I didn''t waste time, I worked on other things, but it meant the individual analyses took longer from start to finish.¡±
¡°So if someone was checking up on the work queue....¡±
¡°They''d have seen that a query was officially open for a day rather than half, for instance. And then they might have moaned that it surely wasn''t that complicated, so why was it being put on hold.¡±
¡°No wonder they don''t want everyone trying it.¡±
¡°That''s what I thought. However, if I could send off questions to Communications almost soon as the data is submitted....¡±
¡°Then you don''t get any sleep. And how many of these sorts of things can you actually do in a day, without burning out your brain-cells? I mean, reading all those reports, and looking for gaps in the data that Comms might be able to pull in, that sounds impossible.¡±
¡°OK, maybe I''ve overstated it. I''d be reading the executive summaries, not the whole report, and where if I thought there might an issue, I''d get the computer to pull out related sections to that. I wouldn''t be reading the whole report.¡±
¡°Oh, OK. So you are planning to leave the analysts some work that you haven''t done first.¡±
¡°Lots. Yes.¡±
¡°That''s good. I do get to see you, even in your new role.¡±
¡°You really are assuming we''ll marry, aren''t you?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°Well, aren''t you?¡±
¡°That''s different. You''re supposed to be the one who doesn''t want to rush into things.¡±
¡°Look, Eliza has pointed out to me that I don''t like change. But I do like decisions made. I guess that''s why I don''t like change ¡ª why re-visit an decision? So, a silly example, I decided that my cooker needed replacing; I should explain that mum just uses a little grill-microvave thing, because that''s easier, so the big cooker is mine. Then when it came to choosing which one, I totally failed to decide. There were too many competing factors. I liked one, I knew I liked it, I would have bought it within five minutes, but then I looked at the price tag and I didn''t like that. I spent hours looking at others, trying to decide if I could like one of them as much as I liked the first one.¡±
¡°And, what''s the result?¡±
¡°I''m going to buy the one I first saw, but only once the impact is over with, the shop''s been rebuilt, and has got some stock back, and I have a home again.¡±
¡°You think you''ll move back to Restoration?¡±
¡°Hmmm. Maybe not. But I don''t need a cooker here, do I? Wasted decision there then.¡±
¡°So, I''m not quite sure if I should interpret what you said about the cookers in the way I am. Was it an analogy?¡±
¡°No, just facts, but I think there''s a similar pattern.¡±
¡°You''ve decided that you don''t want to stay single all your life?¡±
¡°Correct.¡± Bella said, moving close, in case he decided to hug her. He didn''t get the hint, or maybe he did, but was being restrained. He decided something, but she couldn''t make out what.
¡°That''s nice. I don''t want to either. Now, I''m obviously not the first man you''ve seen, so I get stuck at that point of the analogy.¡±
¡°Not an analogy. You''re the first man I''ve met who meets my stringent criteria.¡±
¡°Ah. And does the price tag correlate too?¡±
¡°Well, prince Albert, even if he had met all my criteria (which he didn''t) came with a very high price tag. But you''re not going to tell me I need to give up being in Security, I hope.¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°So, reasonable price, you meet the criteria, at least so far. I''m still open to the idea that it''s too early to tell for sure, of course, but I''ve certainly got a... a working model, I think you''d call it.¡±
¡°Do I dare ask what that looks like?¡±
¡°We try hard not to start causing feedback for at least a few weeks because it''s too soon, then after a decent amount of time of getting to know each other you decide to propose, I accept, and we set the wedding date for about three months later.¡±
¡°That''s... quite a plan there, Bella.¡±
¡°I told you, it''s not a plan. It''s... I don''t know. What is it? You''re the brainy one.¡±
¡°It sounds to me like a series of waypoints along the road from where we are now to committing ourselves to one another for life.¡±
¡°I like that description.¡±
¡°I like your roadmap, and I like you, Bella.¡±
¡°That''s nice. Do I get a kiss as evidence of it?¡±
¡°Another one?¡±
¡°Do you object?¡±
¡°No, but, you know, not rushing things...¡±
¡°Kisses on the cheek aren''t rushing things, Trevor. We''ve done that already, and lets face it, that''s a normal greeting in some cultures, isn''t it. Now, if you wanted to kiss me on the lips...¡±
¡°Or if you wanted to kiss me on the lips.¡± he said, thinking that so far, the suggestions for physical intimacy had come from her direction.
¡°Of course I do, but I''m trying to work out what I''d feel.¡±
¡°Feedback?¡± he suggested.
¡°Very possible. So, should we restrict ourselves to quick pecks on the cheek until we''re engaged?¡±
¡°Urm, yes. Sure.¡± Trevor agreed.
¡°And don''t go sneekily thinking you could get a kiss on the lips if you propose tonight. I think we at least need to get through next week.¡±
¡°I wasn''t thinking that at all, Bella. I was thinking that we need to discuss so much. And we''re going to need to work out limits we''re not going to pass. You know ¡ª not just how much physical intimacy we should leave until later, but how long we should be leave ourselves to get to know each other before we start encouraging our hormones and I guess feedback with talk of wedding dates and honeymoons.¡±
¡°You mean you want to be sensible.¡±
¡°Bella, I like you a lot, but yes, I do want to be sensible. I think being sensible stops us from hurting each other and dishonoring God.¡±
¡°Oh all right then. We can be sensible.¡±
¡°I''m glad.¡±
¡°Does, does sensible mean I don''t get any more kisses?¡± Bella asked, pretending to be on the verge of tears.
¡°Maybe we should ration them.¡± Trevor pondered in reply.
¡°Cruel, heartless man!¡± Bella flung herself at him, and pantomime-style beat on his breast, with her elbows at her waist.
¡°Hey, not so hard, please!¡± Trevor laughed.
¡°This is where you''re supposed to sweep the heroine into a loving embrace.¡±
¡°Hmm. I think you''ve been reading too many romances.¡± he said, giving her a peck on the forehead.
¡°Do you have a single romantic bone in your body?¡± she asked, curiously.
¡°Wait until the end of the day and judge for yourself, please.¡±
¡°Oh, all right.¡±
¡°But be warned I''m not planning to propose to you over dessert tonight, nor will I, at any time in the near future, carry you off to a bedroom strewn with rose-petals.¡±
¡°That''s OK, as long as I can anticipate you acting on some of ideas along those lines eventually.¡± she said, then added ¡°Assuming it all works out between us, of course.¡±
¡°I''m going to need some time to adjust to you, aren''t I?¡±
¡°I think I''m going to need to adjust to me too,¡±
Bella said, realising that she was acting out of character.
¡°You''re not always flinging yourself at men, you mean?¡± Trevor said, somewhat relieved.
¡°No, I''m not.¡± Bella said. ¡°Sorry. I don''t quite know what''s come over me.¡±
¡°So it would be very... urm... unkind of me to take advantage of your every offer of kisses, cuddles and the like, because you might regret something tomorrow.¡±
¡°I don''t know. I doubt you''d do anything we''d regret. But on the other hand. I don''t know. I just like being with you so much, it''s making me silly!¡±
¡°You don''t think you''re in love with the idea of being in love, do you?¡±
¡°Maybe. How do I tell?¡±
¡°I''ve no idea. I was in a youth meeting years ago when someone talked about it. Urm, trying to get those synapses going.. Hmm, I think they talked about lots of happy feelings and they''re along the lines of ''He loves me, I love him, how wonderful! He''ll take me on dates and shower me with gifts, I''ve been looking forwards to this happening for ages.'' but actually it''s about the state of being in love, and the person is entirely secondary.¡±
¡°Oooh, that''s deep. I don''t think that''s what''s going on in my mind. But I guess I should come clean about something.¡±
¡°Oh, what''s that?¡±
¡°Yesterday''s meeting, when it was first suggested, was toungue in cheek spoken of as Bella''s dating opportunity. But... that''s at least part of what I was hopeful about.¡±
¡°I see... so you spent a little longer on your hair than normal?¡±
¡°Made sure I had my spotless clothes on, not just my almost-spotless ones.¡±
¡°Used a bit more perfume than usual?¡±
¡°Brushed my teeth twice as long, just in case.¡±
¡°And there-by flooded your system with just the sort of hormones that apparently make a woman that extra bit attractive to men.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Apparently so. I''m not sure how they did it, but it''s been studied. I heard it in high school biology class.¡±
¡°I didn''t take biology.¡±
¡°Can I let you in on a secret?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°I had no idea what to expect, but thought that maybe, just maybe, there''d be a single Christian woman there. I had no idea that we''d be going to a romantic beauty spot together the day after tomorrow.¡±
¡°That''s going to be difficult, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Difficult? You think we should try and hide how we feel?¡±
¡°I was more thinking of keeping our minds on the job.¡±
¡°No canoodling when we''re on walks away from the cabin, you mean?¡±
¡°I always wondered what that word means.¡± Bella said.
¡°I''m not sure either, but I guess standing like we''re doing now for minutes on end counts.¡± Thanks to lack of inclination to move, they were still in roughly the same position where Bella had dramatically beat on Trevor''s chest, now, however, she had her hands resting on his shoulders.
¡°But I like it here.¡±
¡°I don''t think you''ll notice me complaining, either, Bella. But I think we''re going to find it hard to notice any threats if we''re like this.¡±
¡°Or notice where Fido''s gone, either.¡± Bella pointed out.
Trevor looked around. ¡°Do you know where he''s gone?¡±
¡°No. You?¡±
¡°Me neither.¡±
¡°Maybe we should look for him.¡±
¡°Maybe. But... just hold me like this a bit more please, Trevor.¡±
¡°Any reason?¡±
¡°Yes. But it''s a bit illogical.¡±
¡°Does that mean you''d rather not try and explain?¡±
¡°No. I''ll try. I feel protected here. Safe, as though nothing will hurt me. I know it''s probably not true, but it''s roughly how I feel. Since that''s normally my job, keeping people safe, I mean, it''s nice to just feel protected for a while.¡±
¡°Why is that illogical?¡±
¡°Because it''s a false sense of safety. I''m actually more vulnerable like this than I''d ever be normally. I''m aware of you, but nothing else. So why do I feel protected?¡±
¡°Maybe because I don''t want anything to hurt you, not even me.¡± Trevor said.
¡°That''s nice. And you could be right. I suppose I might be picking up your protective thoughts, couldn''t I? I don''t want anything to hurt Fido either; shall we go and look for him?¡±
¡°Let''s.¡± Trevor adjusted his grip on her shoulders and stepped back to hold her at arm''s length. He gazed at her in wonder. She was so beautiful!
¡°What?¡± Bella asked.
¡°I''ve got the most beautiful girlfriend in the whole world.¡± Trevor said.
¡°And the most lost dog.¡±
¡°Oh all right then. Let''s put some field-craft to use. Look, I see a bent blade of grass! He went that way.¡± He pointed at the very visible path Fido''s tree had left in the grass.
¡°Field-craft? A four year old could tell you that.¡±
¡°But I bet the four year old couldn''t tell you what the dog will be doing when we find him.¡±
¡°Maybe not. Your guess?¡±
¡°I think he''s taken his stick to the stream. It''s that way.¡±
¡°Should we run?¡±
¡°Maybe.¡±
¡°Last one to get to Fido pulls him out of the water!¡± Bella said, and sprinted along the trail Fido had left.
¡°You''re on!¡± Trevor said, and sprinted after her. Quickly, he realised that he wasn''t going to catch up. She was fast. Very fast, he noticed, appreciatively. And for all his mountain climber''s strength, he spent most of his time doing a desk-job. He''d never beat her unless he could find a short cut. They were in the woods now, and he saw that Fido had taken the normal, wide path towards the stream, but he knew he could save quite some time with a narrower path, just coming up. It wasn''t much more than a game trail, straight down the slope, whereas the main path was a series of hairpin bends. He plunged down it, keeping his speed under control by going from tree to tree. He crossed main path just behind Bella, who was so intent on her chase that she didn''t notice him. He carried on, down the next slope, and saw Fido ahead. He wasn''t at the water quite yet.
¡°Fido!¡± he called, as he bounced off another tree.
Fido ignored him, or couldn''t hear, so two trees later Trevor whistled. Fido looked round, saw him coming, and bounded up the hill to greet his master and enjoy this new game.
¡°Good boy, Fido!¡± Trevor praised him, and seeing a dense bush a bit lower down the hill he said ¡°Now, let''s hide and watch for Bella. Down, boy!¡±
Fido obeyed, and got a reward. A little later, Bella came round the corner. She saw the stick and slowed to a walk as she passed it. Obviously looking for Fido''s tracks in the dirt, she didn''t even look in their direction until she''d seen which way Fido had gone.
¡°Fido!¡± she called. ¡°Here boy!¡±
¡°Stay.¡± countermanded Trevor quietly. Fido looked at his owner and wagged his tail. This was an unusual game, and therefore fun. Maybe there''s be some more bread too. He nosed at Trevor''s pocket, just in case he''d forgotten where he kept that delicious stuff.
Bella climbed up the hill quickly, and looking ahead for the signs of Fido''s climbing, she missed where his claw marks had turned back on themselves and were on top of Trevor''s footprints. She went right past them.
¡°Boo!¡± said Trevor, springing up. With retrospect, he realised that might have been a mistake, as her training took over and she launched a powerful back-kick at the stomach of her ''attacker''. He''d been through basically the same unarmed combat classes she had, but had no desire to hurt her. With the split-second warning he got from her decision whether to punch or kick, he was able to catch her foot before it disabled him, but he didn''t follow through. ¡°Hello, it''s just me. Sorry for surprising you.¡±
¡°Good reactions you''ve got there.¡± she said.
¡°I heard you decide to kick.¡± he explained.
¡°And I notice you''ve got a good strong grip.¡±
¡°All the better for holding onto mountains or your attractive but dangerous foot, my dear.¡±
¡°You don''t think you might let me go, do you? This isn''t a dignified posture, or very stable.¡±
¡°Are you sure you''re not still thinking of disemboweling me?¡± He asked, laughing.
¡°Trevor, let me go!¡± Bella said.
¡°Only if you promise to let me pay for our meal tonight, without a single quibble.¡±
¡°Deal!¡± Bella agreed. Once he''d let go, she asked ¡°So, just how much are you planning to waste on impressing me with how profligate you can be?¡±
¡°Bella, I don''t know about you, but I live in my state-provided room, look after my state-subsidised clothes so they last a long time, and normally eat my cooked meal at the canteen where, thanks to the economies of scale, I''d be hard pressed to buy half the ingredients for the price I pay for a decent meal. I don''t have expensive hobbies, I don''t go on international journeys or stay in expensive hotels when I go mountaineering ¡ª normally I camp, in fact. I rarely visit the cinema, and so on. So I get these numbers arriving in my bank account, and I spend money on what I need, and the two don''t really have very much in common. In other words, it''s an indulgence, a whim, and an indication of how serious I am about getting to know you, and I hope you will enjoy it without any expectation of it being repeated very often.¡±
¡°On those terms, I accept. But I will want to change.¡±
¡°There should be plenty of time.¡± He reassured her.
¡°Speaking of time, should we be going food shopping soon?¡±
¡°Yes, we should. This is the fastest way.¡± He indicated the path by the river. ¡°Come on, Fido, get your stick, and I''ll put you back on a lead so you don''t get any ideas.¡±
¡°Any limits on food requirements?¡±
¡°Yes. Two are much happier eating gluten-free than relying on the tablets.¡±
¡°Oh? Who''s that?¡±
¡°Nigel and Pris.¡±
¡°I never realised!¡±
¡°Well, with the tablets, it''s not a huge disaster if they eat gluten, but it still makes them uncomfortable, according to Nigel.¡±
¡°So that it explains why I''ve never seen him deliberately choose pizza.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°So, we eat rice and potatoes for main courses?¡±
¡°And make sure we''ve got gluten-free bread and gluten-free cereal as well as the normal stuff.¡±
¡°That doesn''t sound too tricky.¡±
¡°It''s not. But either packet sauces are out or we check ingredients.¡±
¡°Hmm. OK. So, what about protein? Tinned meat and fish?¡±
¡°Yes. We''ll also need to check the ingredients.¡±
¡°Is that hard?¡±
¡°No, I''ve set up my wrist-unit. I just need to remember to scan everything.¡±
¡°And there are pots, pans, and potato peelers supplied?¡±
¡°Yes. But no foods, not even salt, sugar, or oil.¡±
¡°Or tea, coffee, milk, etc.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°Big shopping trip, then. Do we have a planned menu?¡±
¡°Not really. I''ve ... had some thoughts.¡±
¡°You mean you were planning to wander round the shop and just pick things off that you thought would be nice, weren''t you?¡± Bella accused.
¡°Well, yes.¡± he admitted. ¡°You know, sometimes there''s special offers...¡± he tailed off, sheepishly. ¡°Really, I should have a detailed menu planned, shouldn''t I?¡±
Bella thought about it. ¡°I think we can make it up as we go along, as long as we take notes. We just need to guess portion sizes, which is something I always get wrong.¡±
¡°So should we put in twenty percent extra rice? That keeps.¡±
¡°Yes. And lets assume that we''re going to be hungry, with all that walking.¡±
¡°Not to mention the cold. Should we plan for two hot meals a day?¡± he asked.
¡°Hmm. I don''t think so, not if we''re walking all over the area.¡±
¡°I was assuming we could take a camp-stove.¡±
¡°You''ve got one?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Yes. A light-weight two-burner liquifuel one.¡±
¡°Wonderful. Then let''s at least assume we''re going to be making hot drinks on it.¡±
¡°Packet soups?¡± he suggested.
¡°If there''re gluten free versions.¡±
¡°There are.¡± Trevor confirmed. ¡°But I''m not sure if they come from a special shop. I''ll ask Nigel.¡±
¡°So, packet soup for lunch, along with bread, then something more substantial in the evenings?¡±
¡°Sounds great to me. Who''s cooking?¡±
¡°Everyone in turn? We''ve got three nights and four lunches.¡±
¡°Eliza''s answer to the special diet question was ''Anything as long as Dirk didn''t cook it.'' So, my guess is that everyone might not be a wonderful idea. Maybe Dirk can do the washing up.¡± Trevor suggested.
¡°And there''s wood to chop too, so we can share out the different chores.¡±
¡°Nigel can share out the chores. He''s supposed to be in charge; let''s let him take the blame.¡±
¡°I like that idea.¡± Bella laughed, very prettily, Trevor thought.
¡°I like your laugh.¡± he said.
Stopping, she turned and faced him, ¡°That''s allowed. I''m not sure you''re allowed to just say it out loud, though.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± he said, confused. ¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Because it sounds like you want a reply, and I''m not sure I''ve heard you laugh yet.¡±
¡°Oh. Sorry. I''m sure I have.¡±
¡°Oh yes, when you pounced out at me, and then grabbed my foot. I could have got out of that, you know. But once I knew it was you I decided that I didn''t want to rearrange your face.¡±
¡°Could you have?¡±
¡°Maybe. I''m not sure. You''ve got a strong grip.¡±
¡°Mountain climbing muscles,¡± he shrugged.
¡°I suppose so. I''m glad that beating you at arm-wrestling isn''t on my to-do list.¡±
¡°So what is?¡± he asked, somewhat confused.
¡°Oh, I don''t know, all sorts of silly things, but I''m restraining myself at the moment so that I don''t shock you or young Fido.¡±
¡°Bella, what are you getting at? I''m getting more confused by the minute.¡±
¡°Oh, don''t worry, nothing immoral. I''m thinking that one day I''d like you to introduce me to a tame mountain so I can see for myself what''s so special about them, then I''d like to see what happens when I stick a snowball down your neck, how well you react if I fling myself into your arms, all those silly romantic horse-play things that teenagers do.¡±
¡°You''re not a teenager, Bella.¡±
¡°I know. But I feel like pretending I am one.¡±
¡°I see. And would you like me to pretend to be a teenager, or pretend to be a mature adult?¡±
¡°Oooh, I don''t know. How about we just be ourselves?¡±
¡°All right,¡± he accepted, then, hiding his thoughts he touched her.
¡°you''re it!¡± he said, leaping a few steps away.
¡°Hey, you cheated!¡± she accused, without moving.
¡°No, I just didn''t let you cheat.¡± he replied.
¡°And you think I''m going to run after you again?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I just thought that I''d stop pretending to be mature and sensible.¡±
¡°And you think I can''t out-run you?¡± Bella challenged.
¡°No, I''ve seen you''re too fast. But I wonder how long I can dodge you.¡±
An observer with a stop-watch might have measured that the answer was thirty-five and a half seconds; their embrace afterwards lasted a little longer.
Preparation / Ch. 19: Preparations
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 19:Preparations
Saturday evening. 9th December
[Hi, Bella. Can I be nosey about your day?] Eliza called.
[I''m sure I can''t stop you. I had a wonderful day, but I think I''m scaring Trevor, or at least worrying him.]
[Oh?]
[I want more. More hugs, more kisses, more emotion from him. We might have touched the edge of feedback once, and I guess I over-reacted. He was acting a bit scared for a while after that.] [How did you over-react?]
[Urm, but bursting into tears. I''ve no idea why.]
[Hmm. Bella, you''re a physical contact sort of person, aren''t you? Thump the bad guys, hug friends?]
[I guess so.]
[I''m no expert, and I''m certainly not digging into your mind without you asking me to, but don''t you think it might just be that you''ve been looking forward to hugs and kisses and feedback would mean they were going to be out of reach? Would that explain both bits?]
[Probably.]
[So, other than scaring him, how did it go?]
[Well, I almost ruptured his stomach, but that was only because he surprised me.]
[You did what to him?]
[He leapt out behind me. I did a back kick, and he caught my foot, before I could even connect! Can you imagine? He just sidestepped and held it. I know the power I put into that kick. It was a real disable-an-attacker kick; and he caught it, as though I was a total novice!]
[I''m not sure I understand, Bella.]
[I guess I''m saying that I think he''d beat me in unarmed combat. He''s got the reactions you''d probably expect, but which surprised me, and far more strength than I''ve got.]
[Ah. And is that important?]
[I''m not sure. It''s... unexpected, I guess. He says he doesn''t compete in competitions, but he''s good.]
[So, does that mean you''d be able to spar against one another?]
[Hmm. Maybe. That''s also probably complex. It might not be a good idea. I''d have to ask an expert.]
[At the very least, you''d be able to train for when you don''t get a mental warning. I wouldn''t mind betting you risk being over-reliant on the power.]
[You''re probably right.] Bella admitted.
[So, apart from impressing you physically, what have you learned?]
[That he''s been living frugally, and saving pots, that he normally camps when he goes hanging off cliffs, that I''m an idiot, and he needs to talk to John.]
[Why do you say you''re an idiot?]
[Because I told him early this morning that I wasn''t going to marry him before the impact, or accept a proposal from him until he''d talked to John or someone else at IHM, and right now I want to be able to accept a proposal whenever he asks, especially if that''s soon, and then elope the following weekend.]
[So, in other words, you''re fallen head over heals for him and you''re currently riding an emotional wave that''s almost entirely impervious to logic?]
[{grin}I guess so.]
[I know the feeling, but I must say it fades with wedding planning. Now I just want the wedding to be over so we can get on with learning to live together.]
[It''s pretty intoxicating at the moment.]
[I know. And so now you''re going to pray lots and you''re thinking of putting yourself on the inactive list because you''re not going to be able to concentrate tomorrow?]
[Actually, I told him I''d be away, and that if he dared show up I''d probably be honour-bound to stun him and tie him up to keep me from being distracted from protecting you. But yes, I''ll have to declare myself unstable if I can''t sleep or if I can''t keep my mind off him in the morning. Praying sounds like a good idea though.]
[How did he take that warning?]
[He gave me a kiss, and said I was wise. Me!]
[You are, relatively speaking. But changing the subject, did he analyse his way to identifying me?]
[Yes. You gave him far too many clues, especially telling him you''d given him too many already ¡ª that meant you''d spoken to him as well as given the announcement.]
[Oh, me and my big mouth.]
[And he''s 95% certain about Albert too.]
[Well, that keeps things simple, anyway. And he must know how to keep secrets, or he wouldn''t be in Analysis.]
[He won''t be any more, apparently. He''s going to be in a new department; of one.]
[Oh? The ''questions to Communications'' thing, that''s him?]
[You know about it?]
[Maria discussed it with their majesties recently.]
[Maria sent him a question for me to answer along with the note about his assignment.]
[Well, no point in sending two messages when one can reach both of you.]
[She did send two, actually. His was sent first, but I read mine as soon as it arrived.]
[As you''ve been trained to do. Whereas he was ignoring his wrist unit so he could concentrate on one problem at a time. As I expect he''s been trained to do.]
[Are you calling me a problem?]
[Not in yourself. But wooing you? I''m sure he''s doing a lot of thinking.]
[Yes, I think he is. But... I need to ask you about something if that''s OK.]
[Yes?]
[I think it might even be an ethics committee question, and I''m trying to work out if I can ask it in such a way that I can give Maria a response without the individual or individuals concerned knowing what''s being considered.]
[Ooh, this sounds like quite a challenge, and you''ve had a busy day.]
[It is. I have, and I don''t think I can work out how to ask it.]
[Do you need to ask now?]
[I think I do, yes. Too many questions to buzz round my brain otherwise. I''ll just ask straight. You do know George and Karen are applying to the Civil Service?]
[Yes.]
[I guess that Maria has been thinking about where they might assign them eventually, and Trevor''s new department occurred to her. And it certainly seems to me that they''d be pretty good there, assuming he can make it work. Looking for patterns and gaps in data seems up right their street. But generally, is a married couple in a small department a good thing? Would it work? As long as Trevor''s there, it looks like they''d have a team leader who they could contact wherever they are in the world. That''s... efficient, potentially really useful, but is it ethical? Is it permissible to prefer them to others, because of their gift? Is it sensible to suggest that they might ever communicate with their manager using something as intimate, special and holy as the gift? And in any case, would it be right for them to be effectively put in a position where they''re expected to tell their manager they have the gift, and in certain circumstances they''d possibly be expected to use the gift and there''d also be the temptation to use their gift to short-circuit the legal process, or to ask questions they know the answer to?]
[Wow. No wonder you thought there were too many questions. The easy one is couples in the same work-place. I''ve seen plenty of examples. It adds an extra dimension, but yes, it works, as long as they''re on good terms and as no one is asking them to compete against each other or anything stupid like that.]
[On good terms? You mean the gift doesn''t stop arguments?]
[Not according to Sarah, no. But... it does normally help them get resolved quickly.]
[Praise God for that!]
[Amen. Next issue... telling people isn''t something Karen''s particularly worried about, it seems. At least, she tells me that she told a plane-load of soldiers about having the gift. I don''t know about George.]
[Thanks, I didn''t think she was very shy about it, but wasn''t sure.]
[Now, as to being assigned on the basis of having the gift... That sounds very dodgy to me. I think the case could fairly easily be made that having the power would be something that could be part of a role description. I''m not sure that the role would be in Trevor''s patch, though.]
[Hmm. No. Me neither. And what about the whole using the gift to find out what questions to ask? ]
[I''d say it''s probably bad news. They could be accused of turning into thought police. On the other hand, they''re both entirely capable of refusing to do things if they''re worried about the ethics, so I don''t think I''d have any worries there.]
[So we''re just back to the question of why them not anyone else?] Bella asked.
[Yes, I think so. Somewhere out of the public gaze like analysis would probably be a good place for them though. ]
[I''d assumed they''d be heading for the diplomatic service.]
[Apparently they''re a difficult fit, Karen was saying; far too young to be senior, too many high-profile relatives to be anonymous underlings.]
[A tricky problem I guess. I''m glad it''s not my problem. What do you think about using the gift to talk to their manager?]
[I''m using it to talk to my friend. Is that appropriate? I think it is. We can talk about things faster, more privately. It''s their call, though. It has to stay that way.]
[That... that sounds very reasonable. Thanks. One final question... Looking back it seems to me that Sarah heard Trevor''s prayer. Or at least, she answered it, when she bullied me into opening up to Trevor about how I felt. Not that I''m complaining. Does that sound, oh I don''t know, reasonable to you?]
[Well, you dumped me in Albert''s lap, so that''s only fair. I''m not complaining either, by the way.]
[No, I mean the hearing people''s prayers. Did God let her hear him praying, or what happened there?]
[Sorry, I guessed that was what you meant. I was giving myself time to think. Can I pass on that one? I really don''t know what happened there. Why don''t you ask her?]
[Nervous, I guess.]
[Of what? Sarah?]
[No, predestination. Visions of the future, that sort of thing.]
[Oh! Of course. Sorry. Would you like me to ask her if there''s a simple explanation not involving divine intervention?]
[Well, if you''re sure it''s no trouble?]
[Not to me. I''ll just see if she''s free to talk.]
[Thanks!] Bella thought.
Eliza thought to Sarah, who was indeed free to talk. [Sarah, I''ve got a question from Bella. She said that what you told her to say answered Trevor''s prayer, and she was wondering how that happened, and I think she''s really hoping the answer isn''t that God passed on that message.]
[Oh! No. Not really. I guess I''d better do some explaining.]
[If you could. She still gets a bit nervous about prophesies.]
[I''ll do it now.] Sarah replied and immediately called to Bella.
[Bella? I hear you''re getting nervous.]
[Well, not nervous, exactly. Just... did you somehow personally hear Trevor''s prayer, or did God tell you to tell me to tell him he was hopeful? Or what happened?]
[Well, the short answer is not exactly to both of those options. But, well, it could have been God, I suppose. Or it could have been me.]
[Could you explain?]
[Yes, of course. Urm... where to start.... You know there are different depths we can listen using the gift, don''t you?]
[Yes.]
[There are also different amounts we can focus. We can listen to just one person''s thoughts, or we can sort of focus our ''eyes and ears'' in different places. For some reason, I''m not quite sure why, when I was talking to you I focussed on your ears instead of your mind. If I do that to someone with the gift, then I hear thoughts directed to the area they''re in ¡ª it''s how we hold a group conversation. I''ve never done it to someone who didn''t have the gift before.]
[And that made a difference?]
[I guess, and this is just a guess, that when I do that then it''s as if I''m virtually putting myself into the place where you are. It''s not the same as looking at where you are, or looking at who''s there with you, but it''s obviously more that the normal talking thing. I was vaguely aware of people''s thoughts near you ¡ª a bit like the pain without pain if that makes sense.]
[Urm, not really.]
[Well we now know that the pain is the result of having a ridiculously sensitive receiver, getting overloaded by too much noise.]
[Yes, we do now.]
[Right. I''ve been doing some more experimenting. Blame it on my science training. It seems that, probably because of the pain, I can get insights that John can''t ¡ª if I check where people are, then I notice others there too. They''re a bit like a pale shadow, but they''re there. John doesn''t see them, he needs to take a separate step of seeing who''s in the room.]
[OK, I''m following you. And what was that about the pain?]
[Well, what you asked about filters: at lunch yesterday, I tried listening hard really hard. It was a bit like holding your breath; you can''t do it for long. But I think it''s possible to reduce your filters, for a few seconds, and I was getting some impressions about what people were thinking. It was fuzzy, like a very weak radio signal, but I got something. It was also noisy and I was relived when I stopped trying and my filters came back up. But I did get something. When I focussed on your ears, it was like that; maybe a bit clearer. I could hear you loud and clear, but in the background there was impression of some thoughts around you. Trevor''s confusion about what he was feeling was a strong thought, and he was near you. As for his hopefulness, well he seemed to want to know so much that I took a quick peek at his skin to see how he was feeling. That''s only as intrusive as an expert face-reader looking at someone, really. We don''t get thoughts, just surface emotions and if someone''s feeling sick or something like that.]
[So, you mean if I''d let down my filters, I''d have maybe heard him wondering and if I''d looked at him I''d have seen him being hopeful?]
[Possibly. Assuming you can let down your filters. I don''t know. Like I said, it wasn''t particularly pleasant ¡ª and I certainly don''t recommend it. It gave me a bit of a headache when I tried.]
[Thanks, Sarah. {relief} So it wasn''t that God told you to eavesdrop, or anything scarily supernatural like that.]
[Urm, only as supernatural as me using this spiritual gift.]
[I''m inconsistent aren''t I?]
[A bit. I guess you''re used to talking like this, and it doesn''t seem unusual any more.]
[Spot on. {Hesitation, concern, determination.} There''s something else I''d like to ask you though.]
[Yes? Trevor related?]
[How did you guess?]
[Your emotional control''s a bit wobbly at the moment. I''ve noticed those symptoms before.]
[OK. Urm, yes. It''s about Trevor. I think, no, I''m certain that he needs to talk to someone. By the sound of it, the psych-computers have given up on him.]
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
[Oh. But he''s not too messed up for you to feel strongly about him?]
[No. He''s fine... just as long as no one thinks of him getting on a plane.]
[And if they do?]
[His brother tried once, when Trevor was a teen. By the sound of it, his panic-reaction ended up with his brother in hospital with a smashed jaw and broken nose.]
[So... either Trevor doesn''t go anywhere by plane or he gets his panic fixed?]
[Yes. That''s basically it. He told me this morning and I went and made a stupid declaration.]
[Oh?]
[That I wasn''t going to accept any proposal until he''d at least tried.]
[Woo! Steady on! He''s proposed already?] Sarah was surprised.
[Not yet. But... we''re pretty serious about each other.]
[After one day, and no divine intervention? Are you making up for lost time, or something?]
[Well, he did pray once that God would show him who he ought to marry by her offering to help him do lots of shopping. Which I did yesterday.]
[Well, that''s not the most clear-cut test, but if you''re willing...]
[Willing? Right now I''m floating around the light fittings, emotionally speaking.]
[Enjoy it, Bella, just don''t be too surprised if it doesn''t last too long.]
[Has it gone already for you two?]
[Not gone gone, but... I can see his bad points too now. He tells me that no one can stay love-crazy for more than a year or so. Crazy''s not real love, it''s just brain-chemistry. Doesn''t mean it''s not fun though. So, back to the topic, you''re crazy about Trevor and he''s got this nasty phobia?]
[Yes. He''s agreed to apply to see someone, and that probably means someone at IHM. We don''t know how long it''ll take, but I was wondering, Is it likely to be John?]
[Possibly. Do you think it should be?]
[Well, I''m imagining that thing''s would go faster with John having the gift..... If you''re asking for an unbiased opinion about how urgent it is to get him a clean bill of health...]
[{grin} I should talk to someone else, I know. And so should you, about if John''s the best person to do it, come to think of it. Was Trevor a Christian when he smashed his big brother''s jaw?]
[I''m not sure. I think so. I guess I just don''t really understand why he''d react that violently.]
[I''ll talk to John. Obviously any of us with the gift could find out what''s behind that panic... I''m just not sure if that''s as important as the what to do about it now. I presume he''s been praying about it?]
[Good question. I''ll ask him.]
[And it''s not fear of heights?]
[He goes mountain climbing. In November, even.] Bella pointed out.
[I guess not then. Interesting case! I''ll talk to John.]
[Thanks.]
Sunday, 10th December
All in all, Eliza felt that Albert handled the whole topic well, and she hoped the congregation would agree. He''d admitted that he had suffered very little, and then asked her to get up to share her own experience of the kidnapping, and how her prayers had changed. She''d edited out a lot of the gory details, of course. Then Albert had spoken of how God had answered Eliza''s prayers and those of others. He''d spoken of martyrs throughout history, and also about Jesus'' suffering. As a conclusion, he said ¡°We live in a fallen world full of fallen people. Some of those people are truly evil, and sometimes they even seek to make God''s people suffer. But sometimes our suffering cannot be attributed to the sin of a particular person. Some comfortable people, over the centuries, have found it surprising that Christians might ever suffer anything. I think most of us, when our turn comes to suffer ask ''Why me? What went wrong?'' But shouldn''t we instead be surprised if we never suffer? Shouldn''t we instead ask ''Is my faith really so weak that God needs to wrap me in cotton wool?'' Thanks be to God that he knows what we can stand, and can strengthen us by it. Let us also give thanks for the times when we do not suffer, and rejoice when we do that our suffering will not last long. And even if it lasts until we leave this suffering world, we can rejoice that we will then be with our Lord, who will wipe away our tears.¡±
[Don''t forget to announce the final hymn.] she prompted, when he looked like he was about to step away from the lectern.
¡°Oops. I almost forgot two important things. Firstly, I hope you won''t all rush away, and will stay for tea, coffee and I believe there may be biscuits or even cake too. Secondly, I need to announce our closing hymn. I''m sure the band will correct me if I''m mistaken, but I believe it is ''How Great the Father''s Love''.¡±
¡°Bella, am I allowed to offer you a cup of tea?¡± Eliza asked, after the service.
¡°I''d love one, but its not really a good idea when there''s a crowd.¡±
¡°Then, I have the perfect plan. I need to talk to my bridesmaids anyway. Caroline, can you grab Tamula, Victoria and a plate of biscuits, please? I''d like to talk wedding plans in the back room.¡±
¡°Oh, OK.¡±
¡°No great secrets, so boyfriends and mothers as appropriate are welcome.¡± Eliza added, seeing Tamula holding hands with Rodger.
Caroline followed her look. ¡°Well! That''s new. I''d heard she''d made a commitment earlier this week, but....¡±
¡°Rodger''s probably rejoicing that he can now introduce the church to the woman he''s been waiting for.¡±
¡°Tamula''s the mystery woman? Well, that makes sense then; he''s been waiting long enough. But how did you know that?¡±
¡°She told me her side of it, soon after I talked you into being my bridesmaid. What have you done with Richard?¡±
¡°I sent him to get me a cup of tea. But I think he got kidnapped by some of the youth group about the Christmas play. Oh, they might be in the back room actually.¡±
¡°I''ll go and check.¡± Eliza said, and headed for the back room.
¡°Nice to be back?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Very. Really, this was the closest thing I had to a family after Mum died, you know.¡±
¡°And you''ve been away a long time.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡± Eliza agreed, then seeing Bod McDaniel, asked ¡°Bob? Do you know if the back room is free?¡±
¡°Oh, Hi Eliza. I''m not sure, I think the youth group might have claimed it. Thank you for what you and Albert spoke about. It was well said. Does prince Albert preach often?¡±
¡°No. This was only the second time as far as I know. The first time was a few years ago at his university.¡±
¡°Please tell him a big thank you from the elders. I don''t think the others would disagree if I said we''d be happy to hear him speak again ¡±
¡°I''ll tell him. I''m not sure how we arrange another sermon without getting so many of your colleagues turning up that there''s no space for the congregation, though.¡±
¡°Well, I''ll promise not to spoil my exclusive story.¡±
¡°You''re going to write it up?¡± Eliza had expected he would.
¡°If you don''t mind. Of course, I''ll get it checked by our Security friends to make sure it doesn''t say too much.¡±
¡°I don''t mind, Bob. Thanks for getting it checked.¡± Eliza replied ¡°I''ll go and see if the back room''s free.¡±
¡°There''s always the prayer room.¡± Bob said.
¡°I think that''s busy. Fred''s talking to someone Bella knows.¡±
¡°Oh, the young couple?¡± Bob asked.
¡°Naeel and Jazmin.¡± Bella supplied.
¡°Then I ought to be there too.¡± Bob admitted ¡°I didn''t know where Fred had taken them, I was about to try his office.¡±
¡°I saw them going that way, anyway.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Well, take care, Eliza.¡±
¡°I''ll try.¡±
¡°Which way to the back room?¡±
¡°This way, but if the youth have it, then I''m going to need to think of somewhere else.¡±
¡°If this is just so I can drink some tea, I''m OK really.¡± Bella said.
¡°Not just for that. I''d like to talk to them without too many interruptions.¡±
¡°Eliza, do thank your handsome prince for us. It was well said, very well said.¡± said Mabel, an elderly member of the congregation who''d befriended Eliza when she was first at the church ¡°And I''ve got a message from Victoria. She said you''d said you wanted to talk to her after the meeting?¡± Eliza nodded. ¡°She said that the youth group are practising in the back room, and so she said she''d meet you in the cr¨¨che.¡±
¡°Oh wonderful. Thank you, Mabel!¡±
¡°Now, what''s this I see about you having a cousin?¡±
¡°I''ve got two, actually, Mabel. Well, a first cousin and a third cousin too. Both on my father''s side, both Christians.¡±
¡°Well! Praise God.¡±
¡°I do!¡±
¡°Mabel, I was meaning to ask. Would you and Derek like to come to my wedding? I know his health wasn''t too great last I''d heard.¡±
¡°Oh, he''s recovering, praise God. He''d have been here if he''d slept better last night. He''ll be sorry he didn''t come when I tell him you were here. You''re sure you can invite us?¡±
¡°Yes, of course. Her majesty''s asked me to invite at least fifty people who won''t embarrass the nation by turning up looking scruffy.¡±
¡°I''ll warn Derek to wear his best suit, not that he would have done otherwise.¡±
¡°Thank you. Now I''d better find Caroline before she gets roped into the Christmas production.¡±
¡°She''s just over there.¡± Mabel pointed out.
¡°Great, thanks.¡± Eliza made a beeline for Caroline, Rodger and Tamula.
¡°Vic''s waiting for us up in the cr¨¨che, apparently.¡± Eliza told the others. ¡°I just need to get a cup of tea, then I''ll join you.¡±
¡°I''ll get you one Eliza,¡± Rodger offered ¡°You go have your discussion. Anyone else?¡±
¡°I''d love one.¡± Bella said. ¡°Milk, no sugar.¡±
¡°Me too please.¡± Tamula added.
¡°Coffee with cream and one sugar, please, if it''s not too much.¡± Caroline requested.
¡°I think I can cope with that. I''ll dig up a tray from somewhere.¡±
¡°Try next to the microwave.¡± Caroline offered.
¡°I will.¡±
Eliza saw that Albert had finally escaped from conversation with the musicians where she''d left him, and was coming in her direction, with Nigel. ¡°I''m guessing that Albert and Nigel will be joining us, Rodger, so if you think you can fit another two cups on your tray....?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°Albert, I''m heading off to the balcony ¡ª there''s a cr¨¨che area up there ¡ª to discuss dresses and things with my bridesmaids. Open meeting, and it struck me you ought to meet them too. Rodger''s getting the teas and coffees.¡±
¡°Why don''t I help him then?¡± Albert suggested.
¡°I was going to look for a tray.¡± Rodger said ¡°If you can find a second one, we can share the load.¡± Albert insisted. ¡°That way the ladies can have a bit of time without us.¡±
¡°We''ll leave you to it, then.¡± Eliza said. ¡°See you when you''ve hunted down trays and drinks. This way, Bella.¡±
¡°Finally!¡± Eliza said, once they''d sat down. ¡°Thanks for the idea of being up here, Victoria.¡±
¡°We''ve even got ammunition if they boys start getting rowdy.¡± Caroline noticed, indicating the bucket of soft toys.
¡°I hope they''re better behaved than that. Now, before they come. Any questions about the dresses? You''ve all been measured, and you''ve made some choices about style by now, I hope?¡±
There were nods. ¡°I didn''t know she''d come with a laser scanner as well as a tape measure.¡±
¡°For what it''s worth, nor did I. I guess the idea is that it should fit really well.¡±
¡°I hope I don''t grow out of it.¡± Victoria said.
¡°Didn''t the dress-maker tell you?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°What?¡±
¡°All the styles she suggested for you had growing room.¡±
¡°That''s good news. So it ought to last for University balls and such like?¡±
¡°It should.¡± Eliza agreed. ¡°You know where you''re hoping to go?¡±
¡°I had it all planned out by the end of Summer... Only there''s apparently an asteroid heading that way now.¡±
¡°Oh. Restoration?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°That''s tricky. You must a second choice? Surely.¡±
¡°Yes, but it was a long way second. I liked the look of the course in Restoration.¡±
¡°Well, if you like I could ask my cousins if there''s a similar course elsewhere. One graduated from there last year and the other''s just found out that because of the university closing for the impact her final exams will now start straight after her honeymoon.¡±
¡°She''s getting married before the end of university? That''s... rare.¡± Caroline said.
¡°I think the word you''re looking for is impatient.¡± Eliza supplied.
¡°And what are you two, then?¡± countered Tamula.
¡°We''re putting the country''s needs first.¡± Eliza said primly. ¡°And wishing we had more time to get everything organised.¡±
¡°Well you could always wait a year or two.¡± Tamula said.
¡°Not long enough.¡± Caroline replied. ¡°If the impact really wipes out the whole city then it''ll take more than a year or two to rebuild it.¡±
¡°Especially since there are already people saying we shouldn''t just rebuild what was there, but should ''seize the opportunity and plan the new city properly''.¡± Eliza added. ¡°Thus delaying the rebuilding by another year or five while they argue about what a proper modern city should look like.¡±
¡°OK. But why do you need to wait until the rebuilding is done?¡± Victoria asked.
¡°Because there will be people all over the networks grumping about our wedding distracting from the rebuilding effort if we have it after the impact. If we have it before then we won''t get nearly as many grumps.¡±
¡°As long as there''s no sign that it got in the way of preparing for the impact.¡± Tamula pointed out.
¡°Why do you think we''re not waiting until the last minute?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Oh. So everything''s public relations?¡± Caroline asked.
¡°Not everything. I''m actually looking forward to the wedding day.¡±
¡°I should hope so too. Or are you marrying him for the extra research opportunities?¡± Tamula asked.
¡°What research opportunities? I''ve had about three days to work on my thesis work since I came out of hiding.¡± Eliza complained.
¡°So it''s not all beautiful dresses and parties?¡± Victoria asked.
¡°No. It''s meetings, committees and more meetings. Ask Bella, she''s my witness.¡±
¡°And the person who makes sure you don''t go out looking like a shrubbery.¡±
Bella commented from where she''s stationed herself at the door.
¡°Hey, I only looked like a shrubbery once.¡± Eliza said.
¡°And would you have gone out like that?¡±
¡°I didn''t know the plant had disintegrated all over me.¡±
¡°And you didn''t check, either.¡± Bella insisted.
¡°I was busy.¡±
¡°I rest my case, ladies. As Eliza''s bridesmaids, you''re going to have work to do.¡±
¡°What''s this about, Eliza?¡±
¡°When I moved into my current flat, there was a plant which someone had thoughtfully left next to a radiator. It fell apart all over me when I tried taking it to the waste-chute.¡±
¡°Don''t you have servants to do that sort of thing?¡± Victoria was shocked.
¡°No, Victoria, we''re a very modern monarchy. No servants. Oh, there''s lots of technical advisors, and a cleaning staff for all but private rooms. Plus there''s a catering staff for official occasions, but His majesty makes excellent deserts, and I can highly recommend her majesty''s chicken curry.¡±
¡°And your handsome prince really helps with the dishes? I thought that was a put-up job for the introduction to Bob''s piece.¡± Caroline asked.
¡°Albert really does the dishes sometimes, but not when we''re out on dates. Part of which is public relations. As is my wardrobe and all sorts of other irksome things.¡±
¡°I wondered.¡± Tamula said. ¡°You''re not allowed to dress how you like?¡±
¡°I''m allowed but there are all sorts of guidelines and dire consequences.¡±
¡°Oh? What like?¡±
¡°Like accidentally promoting a company if I always seem to be seen in their products, or ruining another one if I''m perceived to be avoiding them. But I am insisting that I''m not going to throw things away just because I''ve worn them once already. If Albert can wear the same suit for a year, why can''t I have a few favourite outfits, carefully chosen to avoid upsetting balance sheets?¡±
¡°Good for you.¡± Tamula said.
¡°And is it true that the designers are fighting over who supplies your going away outfit?¡± Victoria asked.
Eliza groaned. ¡°It was.¡±
¡°Was? You''ve decided? Who''s the winner?¡± Victoria asked.
¡°The winner is common sense.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Eh?¡±
¡°I''ve told them to stop it, I''ve refused all offers. I''m not going to make or break someone''s career just because I did or didn''t pick them.¡±
¡°So what are you going to do?¡± Caroline asked.
¡°I''m going to commission some trusted accomplices to sneakily purchase an outfit for me, combining bits from different shops.¡±
¡°Ooh! Who are the accomplices?¡± Tamula asked.
¡°You three.¡±
¡°You''re joking!¡± Victoria said, flabbergasted.
¡°No, I''m not. Caroline, I''m leaving you in charge of colours. You know what I can wear. I suggest you get Tam and Vic to do the purchasing, since we don''t want the assistants to know what''s going on. I''m going to want something smart but fit for the middle of January. Long sleeved jacket, pretty scarf, nice warm jumper, long skirt. Not trousers.¡±
¡°You never did like trousers.¡± Tamula said.
¡°No. I''ve got prejudices.¡±
¡°You don''t want us to get you footwear too, do you?¡± Victoria asked.
¡°No. I''ve found some nice warm boots. Black leather, Caroline, if that affects anything.¡±
¡°This sounds like fun.¡± Victoria said.
¡°This sounds like hard work.¡± Tamula corrected. ¡°We''re going to have to bounce ideas back and forward aren''t we?¡±
¡°Just between yourselves. I''m trusting you. Just remember that no two things are allowed to be from the same shop.¡±
¡°Where are your boots from?¡± Caroline asked.
¡°Don''t worry, they only do footwear.¡±
¡°I''m not worrying, but I do need something to go with the pretty dress you''re buying me. The dressmaker said something about calf-length boots being good with the design I chose, and I don''t have any.¡±
¡°And then she laser-scanned your feet. Footwear is part of all the outfits.¡±
¡°Oh no!¡± Tamula said.
¡°What''s wrong?¡±
¡°I''ve a nasty feeling there were high heels in the design I ended up with. I hope they''re not compulsory.¡±
¡°I hope not, too. I told her I didn''t want anyone to be in high heels.¡± Eliza said, making a note on her wrist unit.
¡°I like high heels.¡± Victoria protested.
¡°Sorry Vic, there might be snow or ice. High heels complicate things, and make it a bit more likely that the train gets dropped. Now, moving on to other matters. The unavoidable waltz.¡±
¡°What waltz?¡± Victoria asked, surprised.
¡°It''s traditional, I''m afraid. A suitable time after the meal, Albert and I will start to waltz, then my bridesmaids leave their seats and pick on a pre-arranged or unsuspecting partner and join in.¡±
¡°And it has to be a waltz?¡±
¡°Afraid so.¡±
¡°I guess I need to learn then,¡± Victoria groaned, ¡°But I just get up and ask anyone to dance with me?¡±
¡°Well, you can''t have Albert, he''ll be dancing with me. And if you want to dance with the king, that might be a breach of protocol, or something, but I can check.¡±
¡°Me? Ask to dance with the King?¡± Victoria asked, amazed. ¡°I''d never dare!¡±
¡°It''s probably a long time since he''s danced with a teenager who can''t waltz, but it''s not exactly an opportunity that Victoria is going to get very often.¡±
observed Bella.
¡°Could you ask, Eliza if it''d be OK? I''ll practice every day!¡±
¡°I''m not sure, Vic.¡± Eliza wavered, wondering what the King was going to say. Bella opened the door to Rodger, who was followed by the Prince and Nigel, ¡°Why not ask for expert advice?¡±
¡°All right I will. Albert, what do you think?¡±
¡°I might think it''s a wonderful idea, or I might not, depending on the subject. What am I answering?¡±
¡°I was just telling Victoria here about the waltz, and how she could choose who to dance with. She was thinking that there aren''t many young ladies who get the chance to waltz with their monarch.¡±
¡°You mean, out of all the eligible bachelors there: heirs to various thrones, businesses and fortunes, you''d like to dance with my dad?¡± Albert asked.
¡°I don''t know who the heirs and so on are, but everyone knows who your father is, your highness.¡± Victoria pointed out.
¡°Unless it be some unforgivable breach of protocol or something like that?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°I plead ignorance. I''ve no idea, sorry.¡± Albert answered ¡°I''ll ask.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir.¡±
Albert cringed. ¡°If you''re going to be dancing with my father, Victoria, then I think you should stop calling me sir. I do have a name, you know.¡±
¡°I didn''t want to be disrespectful, s...¡± she managed to stop herself.
¡°Noted. Now please respect my feelings as well as my position. I hope you wouldn''t think of calling Eliza ''Maam''?¡±
¡°Of course not!¡± Victoria said.
¡°Good. So, in the present company, I''m Albert. Who wanted the coffees?¡±
Sunday afternoon.
Trevor looked at the time on his wrist unit once more; it was still too early. He knew it would be. After all, he''d last checked five minutes ago, and there was no way that two hours would pass in five minutes. Except yesterday, of course. Then it seemed that hours passed like very marvelously full and wonderful minutes.
¡°Sorry, Fido. It looks like I''m hopelessly in love and missing Bella enormously.¡±
Fido, of course wasn''t missing Bella. She''d given him this wonderful bone, and he was going to give it his utmost attention. No matter if his master was moping.
¡°Shall we go for a walk to pass the time, Fido?¡± Trevor asked. Fido ignored him, and concentrated on gnawing the bone.
¡°You''re no help.¡± Trevor said, getting ignored again. Trevor had already double-checked that he had packed everything, made sure that his camping stove was fueled, oiled and that the jet was clean. He was really running out of things to do, and what he wanted to do was talk to Bella. He''d resisted the lure of trying to write poetry so far ¡ª he knew he was a long way from anyone''s idea of a good poet. So, what could he do? Then an idea struck him. Earlier that week, he''d found some tourist information about the holiday centre they were going to be going to. He''d thought that he''d look at it on Friday, but then the meeting had been announced and he hadn''t had time to study it. It wasn''t really work, and it might make a difference to next week. He sat down at his console and pulled up the maps and details. An hour and a half later, he was very glad he had started reading. He now knew about the different walks they ought to be taking, and he also felt that he now had some idea about how to get the best out of the wood burning stove. Or to give it it''s full name, the multi-function batch-box rocket-bell stove. According to the manufacturer, it was a wonder of efficiency and state of the art clean-burning technology. The simple bit, well, almost the simple bit, was where the wood went. Surprise surprise, it went into the firebox. One firebox, one chimney. Those were the easy parts; the rest wasn''t so easy. Reading on, he discovered how easy it was to turn wood into a smoke-making polluting fuel, and how, during the age of chaos some individuals had taken up the challenge of getting every last bit of energy out of it and ensuring that only carbon dioxide and water came out. Part of the recipe was the right amount of air at the right time and place. The most significant part was to make sure that nothing cooled the flames until they''d burned all the components they had. So, there was an insulated fire box, which led to an insulated ''heat riser'' where just the right amount of extra air was added so secondary combustion could take place, and then, once all that was coming out of the heat riser was just hot gas, the stove could heat a hot plate for cooking, heat the room quickly or store heat to release slowly overnight and for heating water. Or do all at the same time. He took some notes as to which valves did what. That was relatively obvious, but the clean burning wouldn''t happen without the complexity of the air inlets. Some of them were just to shut the intakes so the hard-won heat would stay in the cabin, but they did need to be opened. Another set were to alter how the air met the fuel, with different settings for the start, middle and final stages of the burn. Not too complex, but easy to get wrong, he assumed. More notes. And then there were special procedures for starting it when the weather outside wasn''t actually very cold. It wasn''t actually complicated, he decided. But it was all new. And reading the technical description of a worst-case scenario, the warm-outside issue was a real risk that certainly needed to be avoided, he decided. There were safety features; it shouldn''t be possible for the chimney to stall, partly smother the fire before flooding the cabin with the invisible killer, carbon monoxide. But, on the other hand, he was going to need to find or write some procedures for checking the safety valve was working, and ensure that the happy couple (or at least their security officers) took the warning seriously. Likewise the water heater. Water should flow through it at a certain rate, according to the manufacturer. Otherwise... he read on, otherwise meant there was a blockage. A blockage meant a small chance of someone''s face meeting a jet of steam. And a far smaller chance of a steam explosion killing everyone in the cabin. It all came down to maintenance, he decided. Had the resort management been making sure that the relevant maintenance had happened? He made a note to look up the reports on the way there.
Now, those walks, which ones did he think looked the most romantic? Not just for himself and Bella, of course. But, if he wasn''t looking for the benefit of his beloved, then it was work, and today was not a day for working. He took more notes, looking forward to sharing the views with Bella.
Preparation / Ch. 20: Home from home
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 20:Home from home
Monday, 11th December, 8am
Nigel had asked Bella to do the meeting and greeting, since he didn''t know everyone. So, while he watched their luggage and the food in the warmth of the transit station, she was outside, watching for the others. Mostly she was looking for Trevor.
¡°Hi, Bella. Boo!¡± Pris said, materialising behind her.
¡°Hey! Hasn''t anyone told you not to surprise people like that? Where did you spring from?¡±
¡°I saw you a while back and hid behind that big man.¡±
¡°That''s crazy. I should have seen you.¡±
¡°Why? I had a perfect camouflage. His bulk covered my body, his suitcase covered my legs. And I''m supposed to be able to be able to sneak past unsuspecting people, remember?¡±
¡°I''m not supposed to be unsuspecting though am I?¡±
¡°Not normally. You must have something on your mind, or your brain is off duty.¡±
¡°Maybe a bit of both.¡± Bella admitted.
¡°Oooh, do tell. What''s on your mind?¡±
¡°Nigel''s brother, Trevor.¡±
¡°You mean your secondary task?¡±
¡°What? No, I know the answer to that, in the circumstances, Maria absolved me from it, but Trevor told me anyway.¡±
¡°''In the circumstances?'' He''s not hurt is he?¡±
¡°What? No, he''d better not be anyway. Keep guessing.¡±
Pris studied Bella''s face. Her eyes were sparkling, and she''d been looking around for someone, even while she''d been talking to Pris.
¡°Bella Monroe, I do believe that you''ve come down with the bug that seems to be striking half the people I know.¡±
¡°Only half? I thought it was an epidemic.¡±
¡°The others are married already. So, what''s your excuse?¡±
¡°I didn''t think I needed one. I met Trevor, he''s a Christian, we like each other.¡±
¡°Oh come on, Bella. You''ve got a reputation for rejecting every suitor that comes your way! What''s so special about Trevor?¡±
Bella gave a secretive little smile, ¡°Where''s the fun if I tell you? I expect you''ll work it out soon enough. But what about you, if you don''t mind me asking? You''re surely not going to tell me that you''ve been travelling the world and never met anyone who''s caught your eye?¡±
¡°Some have caught my eye, I''ve even been on dates, but... you know, once I let on that I''m a courier I never get a second date. I think it''s the courier reputation. It must scare them off, or something.¡±
¡°That can''t be right. It''s just in movies, surely.¡±
¡°I''ve not thought of it until now, but you think of male couriers in general. What''s the reputation?¡±
¡°Hmmm. Couriers who are men... Here today, gone tomorrow, maybe even gone by midnight. Usually so messed up by jet-lag they can sleep any time. Trust them to deliver the package, but don''t trust them to turn up for a date, but at the same time no one would really believe they don''t have lovers all over the world.¡±
¡°Exactly. And couriers who are women?¡±
¡°Different to the men.¡± Bella said.
¡°I should hope so. And?¡±
¡°You''re the only one I know, but in the media, I''d guess the stereotype is Cool and collected, mysterious, romantic figures who come and go unexpectedly, maybe not returning for years, leaving broken hearts behind them.¡±
¡°You see? And young Eliza is applying to be a courier, but Karen tells me that she''s also looking for Mr Right, the poor thing. And asking questions about God. So''s Dirk, by the way, asking about God, I mean.¡±
¡°Why does looking for Mr Right make her a poor thing?¡±
¡°Because, based on personal experience, she doesn''t have much chance of convincing him that she''s serious before he decides she isn''t. Or of spending very long with him before she''s sent off in another direction.¡±
¡°You''ve got friends though, haven''t you? You and Karen are close.¡±
Pris sighed. ¡°Yes, I have. But that''s mostly through being assigned to Maria, and then getting frozen. Some months I only I spent about three days in my flat. Other months it was more like a fortnight. As a young courier I saw more of Maria and her family than anyone here.¡±
¡°And now? You''re not travelling now, are you?¡±
¡°No. I''m still officially recuperating from the attack.¡±
¡°And you''re going back to a courier''s life after that?¡±
¡°Probably not, at least not for a while. After Underwood''s trial and the press attention I got...¡±
¡°You''re famous. And famous plus secret courier don''t go together, do they? But what does that do for Eliza?¡±
¡°Hopefully, without her wig, she''s going to be OK. It''s not like her name was in the press too. But where is everyone?¡±
¡°Nigel''s inside, with the luggage, and I can see Trevor and Fido now at long last.¡±
¡°So you mean I could be getting warm rather than gossiping with you?¡±
¡°Sorry, of course! He''s in waiting area 3B. You go in the door here, turn left and down the corridor on the right.¡±
¡°But that would mean I miss any clue there might be in you two greeting one another.¡± Pris pointed out.
¡°It would indeed. So you''re staying?¡±
¡°At least for a bit.¡±
¡°What is Eliza wearing?¡± Bella asked, checking the other direction and seeing Dirk and Eliza coming. They were a long way off, but noticeable. Pris followed her gaze. ¡°Urm, not what I''d normally think of as suitable attire for walks in the hills.¡± Eliza had eschewed normal wisdom about hiking gear for a long dress of what looked like gold-embroidered green velvet. It didn''t quite go with the modern back-pack she was also carrying. Dirk was entirely embarrassed by his little sister, and was pretending he didn''t know her. The fact they had a very similar back-packs and she kept talking to him rather spoiled the effect.
¡°It''s probably warm.¡± Bella pointed out. ¡°I wonder if her wig is part of that get-up, normally.¡±
¡°Entirely possible.¡± Pris said.
Trevor arrived first, and Bella greeted him with a wordless embrace.
[I''ve missed you, Bella.]
[I''ve missed you, too. But aren''t we making a spectacle of ourselves?]
[Not compared to Eliza''s dress.]
[That''s Eliza?]
[You saw her then?]
[That dress is quite noticeable.]
[So''s Fido''s bone.]
[He refused to leave it at home.]
¡°Hi, Fido, I see you brought your bone! Have you met Pris, Trevor?¡±
¡°Hello Pris. Sorry about the bone, Bella gave it to him on Saturday and I can''t get it away from him.¡±
¡°Hi, Trevor. It looks too heavy for him.¡± Pris said. Fido had put one end of the bone down on the floor as though he was having a rest.
Bella laughed. ¡°You should have seen the tree he was carrying for two hours on Saturday. I guess he''s got the neck-muscles.¡±
¡°Nigel''s inside with the shopping, area 3B.¡± Bella supplied.
¡°That seems to be his favourite spot. Do you mind if I go ahead? I want to see his face when you bring Eliza in.¡±
¡°Not at all! Just describe it later. Pris, do you want to go in too?¡±
¡°I think I do, yes.¡± Pris said ¡°You think his face is going to be impressive?¡± she asked Trevor.
¡°He used to dabble in reenactment as a student. Eliza''s obviously more than dabbled if she''s comfortable wearing that in front of the general public.¡±
¡°Oh, I see. Just so you know, Bella said that I should work out what''s so special about you.¡±
¡°Oh, did she? And have you?¡±
¡°Possibly.¡± She wondered how to ask, then decided that she couldn''t ask Trevor directly if he shared Bella''s power without first knowing if he knew Bella had the power. Trevor, of course, heard.
¡°I know, and yes I do. Sorry, I overheard you.¡± he said.
¡°That answers my question then. I presume you''re not planning to tell everyone.¡±
¡°No. I''ve heard about Dirk''s reputation.¡±
¡°He''s struggling with it, and that might, just might, draw him to God.¡±
¡°That''d be good. You''ve talked to him?¡±
¡°Yes. I''d say that on a scale of zero to ten, his Christian knowledge is about zero now, but that''s an improvement because it was minus one.¡±
¡°But he''s open?¡±
¡°Yes. So''s Eliza, apparently. We might have some good discussions in the evenings.¡±
¡°That''s good. I don''t know if you''ve met Nigel. Nigel, this is Priscilla.¡±
¡°Hello Nigel, I''m fairly sure I''ve seen you around.¡±
¡°Hello Priscilla. Likewise.¡±
¡°Call me Pris, please.¡± Pris said.
Trevor looked at the pair of them together. Pris had dark hair, was just under Nigel''s height, and had clearance. He guessed she was younger than Nigel. Which meant that she met Nigel''s not very demanding criteria for an ideal woman. But then, Eliza had dark hair too, he realised, as she entered the room with Bella and Dirk. He quickly switched his gaze to Nigel''s face. He wasn''t disappointed.
Nigel''s eyes were open wide and a smile grew on his face, and then Trevor saw Nigel''s eyes searching, almost reading, and then a mixture of disappointment and determination crept into his brother''s eyes.
¡°Milady, had I but known you would be present, I would have worn more fitting garb.¡± he said with a florid bow.
Eliza''s eyes twinkled as she stepped into character ¡°Indeed, sir, your garb is most strange, like these others I see around me, but I notice by your manner and your speech that you are of noble birth. How might you be known, good sir?¡±
¡°I am sometime known as Sir Nigel Brokennose, and though it is long years since I have frequented the lists, there were few who vanquished me, save the monarch of the fifth kingdom, whose crest you wear. Is my liege, king Robert still found in good health?¡±
¡°Sir, I know of your name and repute, but wonder if you have been absent from noble society too long, and have forgotten of who you speak! King William has been monarch of the kingdom for these past thirteen years, after king Robert was mortally wounded in a fierce battle of chess.¡±
¡°Forgive me milady, a mere test. I judge then that your fine apparel is no hand-me-down, but that the runes, crests and signs you bear speak truly.¡±
¡°Indeed, they speak truly, sir knight, upon my honour.¡±
¡°Then as knight-protector of the royal court I must offer you my protection in this rude and unlettered company.¡± He checked his wrist unit. ¡°But we''d better hurry or we''ll miss our transit.¡±
¡°I was wondering.¡± Eliza said with a smile.
¡°This way.¡±
Nigel had booked tickets for them in a six-seater transit, so they could discuss things together easily. He hadn''t expected the first topic of conversation.
¡°So what was all that stuff about runes, Eliza?¡± Bella asked, once they were underway.
¡°Well, this sign on my belt here says that I''m part of the royal court of the fifth kingdom, and Sir Nigel Brokennose here was checking that I knew my history and wasn''t just some imposter wearing second hand clothes above her station.¡±
¡°In which case, I''d have had a little problem.¡± Nigel said. ¡°Because once I''d announced my name and rank then if she had been an imposter I have had certain duties, at least in the make-believe world of the fifth kingdom.¡±
¡°Oh? Do tell.¡±
¡°According to the rules, he would have had to demand my belt and cut up it up with three strikes of his sword.¡± Eliza supplied.
¡°I can see that working in the middle of a field of like-minded people, but it''s a bit tricky in the middle of a train station.¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Eliza agreed.
¡°And at least when I was last there, there was an explicit rule that said no true knight could ignore such rules, ever. Do they still have the annual debate about cancelling that one?¡± he asked Eliza.
¡°Yes. It''s a firm tradition. There''s also a lottery about who gets to be pelted with eggs for raising the subject.¡±
¡°Still! That was my idea, back when I was young and foolish.¡± Nigel said, shaking his head.
¡°And what do the other symbols mean?¡± Pris asked, intrigued.
¡°Nigel, would you like to do the honours?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°OK, right to left. She''s from the 5th kingdom, in king William''s court, a noble of the first tier, that she reached her position not through relatives but through combat in service to the king, in her case, archery and unarmed combat were involved. After that, it''s more personal. Shall I continue?¡±
¡°Go ahead, Nigel.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Eliza has no husband, no accepted suitor, no claim to magic, she has no faith,¡± he pointed them out, one by one. ¡°She''s been trained as a warrior, and also as an assassin, and she''s armed and dangerous, and then you should recognise the variation on Security''s symbol there, that means she''s got real-world authority, not just make-believe.¡±
¡°Well! Talk about an open curriculum vitae.¡±
¡°To be fair, most people wouldn''t recognise all of them. Particularly the assassin one.¡± Nigel said.
¡°I never realised you were so involved in it.¡± Trevor said.
¡°Well, it was good fun as a student, but once I started working for Royal protection for real, playing at it wasn''t so much fun.¡±
¡°I can imagine that.¡± Eliza said. ¡°But you''d certainly be welcome if you chose to come back. Forgive me for asking, I''ve always wondered... how did you get a title of Brokennose?¡±
¡°Because I got a broken nose just before I was knighted, along with the broken jaw bone and various teeth knocked out. The broken nose was actually defending William, so I got it in my title.¡± He looked at Trevor.
¡°Sorry, Nigel.¡±
¡°Wait, you''re saying that Trevor wrecked your face? When was that?¡± Pris asked.
¡°When I was sixteen, and his friend William got to be able to fly solo, Trevor thought it would be a wonderful chance to cure me. They tried to tie me up to get me onto the plane. I went a bit loopy.¡± Trevor said.
¡°Just slightly.¡± Nigel agreed, rubbing his jaw.
¡°So as well as playing King William''s protector, you actually were?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°No wonder you''re famous.¡± Eliza said.
¡°In certain circles.¡± Nigel admitted.
¡°Certain circles? You''ve had ballads written about you. I can even see the grain of truth in the most famous of them, now.¡±
¡°Do tell.¡± Bella asked.
¡°It''s called ''The Ballad of the Dragon'' and don''t ask me to sing it, but it talks about how King William tamed a dragon, which I guess equates to getting his private pilot''s license, and that then there was a great battle, and Nigel Brokennose received great wounds, but still single handedly and with great valour saved the king from the seven mighty weapons of his foe, and was knighted as soon as he could stand and at once he became the king''s right hand man.¡±
¡°Seven weapons?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Hand''s, knees, feet and teeth, maybe?¡± Pris guessed.
¡°Or just artistic license.¡± Nigel said ¡°You can''t really rely on ballad writers to bother with more than two facts per hour of song.¡±
¡°What I don''t get, Trevor, is what was so bad about being tied up. It was just some prank, wasn''t it?¡± Pris asked. ¡°Not really.¡± Trevor said. ¡°My great not-so-secret secret. I don''t like flying. Or, to put it like the psych computers, I have a strong instinctive aversion to flying. Put me in a boat, submarine or one of these contraptions any day. But fly? I''d rather walk there on my hands. Or ride a man-eating crocodile.¡±
¡°It''s not fear of heights.¡± Bella said ¡°He considers dangling off rock-faces in November a perfectly sane activity.¡±
¡°How would you consider bungee jumping?¡± asked Eliza.
¡°A bit nuts, but I''ve done it once. It''s just flying. Nothing else at all as far as I know.¡±
¡°Human cannonball?¡± suggested Dirk.
¡°I almost had a go on a man-flinging trebuchet once, at one of Nigel''s grand fairs. Does that count?¡±
¡°What stopped you?¡± Bella asked.
¡°I saw the man doing the weight calculations getting his maths wrong. I pointed out his mistake but decided it was safer to bottle out at that point.¡±
¡°It''s very easy.¡± Nigel said. ¡°Trevor''s not really afraid of anything sensible people get nervous about, but he''s piled all his rational and irrational fears into fixed wing aeroplanes. Maybe helicopters too. No one knows why.¡±
¡°I''m just weird, sorry. But Eliza, what made you decide to dress up like that?¡±
¡°It''s warm, and I worked hard on making it, and I don''t get much chance to wear it. I thought, why not, if this is supposed to be a holiday?¡±
¡°It is certainly beautiful.¡± Bella said. ¡°And I don''t think anyone would think you''re on duty.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°You made it all yourself?¡±
¡°Well, that would be exaggerating. I did the design and the embroidery myself, but got the basic dress made professionally.¡±
¡°It doesn''t exactly look very practical though, milady,¡± Nigel said.
¡°Oh, it''s practical. It''s got a water and grease repellent coating. I''ve even worn it in combat. Even grass stains just wipe off.¡±
¡°So you''re not expecting to skip the cooking, washing up, and so on.¡±
¡°Not even the wood chopping. Except... please don''t make me eat Dirk''s cooking. I know I survived last time, but I''d rather not take the chance again.¡±
¡°Isn''t she appreciative?¡± Dirk said. ¡°I cook her a cheese omelette for her fourteenth birthday, and ever since she says that I tried to poison her.¡±
¡°It''s not just the omelette, it''s that I''ve seen the interesting lifeforms in his kitchen, and watched the way that he tortures innocent vegetables. I just can''t stand to think of it. I''d rather starve!¡± with this, she put her hand dramatically to her forehead and collapsed into Pris''s lap, in mock tears.
¡°As you can see, my sister is a little dramatic at times.¡± Dirk said.
¡°OK, Eliza. Would you please behave sensibly?¡± Pris said.
¡°Do I have to?¡± She said, looking up.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Oh, all right.¡± Eliza gave in and resumed her place.
Pris said, ¡°Dirk, I know what you said last week, but seriously, how would you rate Eliza''s cooking skills, and your own?¡±
¡°I''d give her seven out of ten, and myself one. I admit it, I managed to burn a boiled egg not long ago. So, I''m happy to chop wood or wash up or whatever instead.¡±
Nigel took over, ¡°OK, anyone else wanting to say what they do or don''t want to do?¡±
¡°I''ve spent about an hour reading up on the stove.¡± Trevor offered. ¡°It''s probably very simple once you''re used to it, but it''s got a lot of controls and if no one else knows about it then I''m happy to keep it fed and watered.¡±
¡°It needs water?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°No. But we might decide we want warm water for showers or washing.¡±
¡°Good point.¡±
¡°Did anyone read up about how the showers work? I don''t understand how you can have a shower when there''s no pipes.¡± Pris asked.
Trevor had looked that up. ¡°Three easy steps. First, make sure the right bit of the stove is hot. That''s my job, I guess. Secondly fetch a bucket of cold water, and pour about half of it into the right hole on top of the stove. It comes out of a pipe lower down, into another bucket, steaming hot. Add cold water to adjust the temperature down, or if you make it too cold, pour some more through the stove. Then the final stage is you hook the second bucket onto the pulley in the bathroom, pull it up, and underneath you''ll see a shower head. Unscrew the shower head a little to start the water, screw it the other way to turn it off. Don''t forget to turn it off after you''ve finished, or you get to mop up the floor in the kitchen.¡±
¡°Oh, a bucket shower. They work. Just make sure you get the temperature right.¡±
Eliza said.
¡°And if anyone''s foolish enough to run out of water when their hair is full of shampoo, then either suffer in silence or shout for help and hope there''s someone willing to refill the bucket for you?¡± Bella asked.
¡°I guess so.¡± Trevor agreed.
¡°That really doesn''t sound too complicated.¡± Pris said.
¡°It''s not.¡± Eliza confirmed. ¡°I''ve used a bucket shower plenty of times at tournaments.¡±
¡°I guess that we don''t all take showers in quick succession, or whoever gets the last shower doesn''t get very warm water.¡± Trevor qualified.
¡°That depends how much wood you''re burning, surely?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°Sort of. But it looks like the burner is intended to burn the wood at a set rate, so that it''s all maximally efficient and smoke free. So we can burn it longer, but we can''t burn it hotter, if you see what I mean.¡±
¡°Oh well, I guess we''ll learn.¡± Eliza said.
¡°I hope so. And then we can pass on what we''ve learned to others.¡± Bella said.
¡°Indeed.¡± Pris agreed. ¡°Trevor, you did the shopping, what can you tell us about meals, then we can agree on a rota.¡±
¡°Actually, Bella helped a lot.¡± Trevor said.
¡°And we decided that if Nigel''s going to be organiser then he can get the blame for organising the rota.¡± Bella added.
Nigel gave a florid bow. ¡°As always, I''m at your service, milady Bella.¡±
¡°OK, basics. We planned for two hot meals a day, since we''re expecting snow and cold tired people. Soup, we expect for lunch, and something more substantial in the evenings.¡±
¡°We''re taking soup in flasks or something?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°No, I''ve got a two-burner camping stove, and plenty of liquifuel.¡± Trevor said.
¡°How... modern.¡± Eliza said, with obvious distaste.
¡°Well, you can rub sticks together if you like, Eliza, but you''re carrying the wood if you really want to try a lighting a camp-fire on snow. I don''t know how you''ll keep it dry though.¡± Dirk said.
¡°Easy. I''ve got a flame-proof mat in my pack. Fire goes on top, snow and ice stays below.¡± Eliza said. ¡°I''ve also got the makings of a fire-bow, a flint and steel and plenty of bone-dry tinder.¡±
¡°We''d better check if there are any local laws about where we can light a fire if you''re serious.¡± Pris said. ¡°I for one don''t want to give the local police the opportunity to give us a formal warning or to start wondering what we''re doing there.¡±
¡°Hmm. Yes. It''s all very well for us to say we''re on holiday if the neighbours ask what we''re doing, but what''s the protocol if we''re talking to police?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°Nigel, I think it''s your call.¡± Bella said. ¡°Do we lie, or do we tell them we''re here officially and can they please keep their noses out of it?¡±
¡°I think the latter. Or actually, we could tell them that we''ve been instructed to tell people we''re on holiday and leave it at that.¡±
¡°I have a question.¡± Eliza said. ¡°Has anyone actually asked the local police if they''ve got any information about the place?¡±
Trevor raised a finger. ¡°I requested information. No reply as of Thursday evening, I''ve not checked since then.¡±
¡°Could you, please?¡±
¡°Of course. There were a few other things I wanted to check too. Like have they been doing their maintenance properly.¡±
¡°What, leaking roofs, that sort of thing?¡±
¡°No, the stove. I read the dire warnings on the manufacturer''s website. Improper maintenance might lead to a small risk of boiling water in your face, a smaller risk of a devastating steam explosion, and a relatively high risk that in the right weather conditions and a cold stove, the smoke comes back into the room and gives you a nice dose of carbon monoxide.¡±
¡°Nasty.¡± Bella said.
¡°That''s what I thought.¡±
¡°OK, Trevor, you concentrate on that, can you?¡± Nigel said, then asked ¡°Bella, what meals have you planned for us? Then we can decide who cooks what and how.¡±
While Bella answered that and other questions, Trevor extended his screen and focussed his awareness on it. He''d had a reply, just this morning.
No investigations in progress. There had been a change in ownership a few years earlier and there had been some complaints about the new owner from regular guests. These had been investigated but without conclusive results.
Hmm. That could have been anything from shady business practices to just not being as friendly as the previous owner. He checked the company accounts for maintenance expenditure. There had been a slight dip with the new owners, but nothing worrying. More had been spent on advertising with the new owners, and the occupancy rates had risen, he saw. Then he checked the breakdown in more detail. That was more interesting. The previous owner had contracted the stove maintenance out to the manufacturer, which had cost 70% of the maintenance budget. The new owner had picked another contractor, who charged far less ¡ª just 30% of the budget, and spent the difference on refurbishments. Nothing particularly worrying there, as long as the new contractor was still doing the same task. He quickly scanned some reviews about the complex which agreed with what the accounts told him. Under the old owner, there had been comments about the interior looking tatty, which vanished with the new owners. There were a few complaints about the stove being too complicated, and one which said there used to be detailed instructions on using it but they''d been replaced with a simplified version this year. He found a copy of it. No mention of testing the water flow, or of how to light the stove if it was above zero outside. Not a good sign.
On a hunch, he checked the stove manufacturer''s accounts to see how much profit they had been making on the maintenance contracts. Uh oh. Hardly anything. Of course labour was going to be a factor there, as was any internal charges. It was always possible to make one department seem to be losing money by some creative accounting. But there weren''t internal charges. If anything, he''d guess that there should have been. Accountant''s fees were charged against the main company books, for instance. Were they paying above the odds for labour? No, it didn''t look like it. So... what were the possibilities? The manufacturer might be overly cautious, and cleaning things every year that only needed cleaning every three years, or alternatively the new contractors were deliberately skimping on stove maintenance, and the owners knew it. He looked up from his display.
¡°We''re almost there, Trevor.¡± Bella said. ¡°Any news?¡±
¡°Yes. New owners three and a half years ago. They''ve spent more on internal prettiness, and significantly less on the stove maintenance. The previous contractor was the stove manufacturer, who wasn''t making lots of profit on the maintenance side of things ¡ª hardly covering costs if you ask me, although in their formal accounts they''ve been slightly creative to make it look like it''s still worth doing.¡±
¡°Slightly creative?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°Maintenance department pays nothing for communications, secretarial or accounting services, and makes five percent profit on their contracts overall. I''d guess they''d be making five percent loss on their contracts if they paid their share of the secretarial costs based on the staffing levels.¡±
¡°Ouch. So they''ve cut their margins to the bone and then some?¡± Dirk said.
¡°I think so. Cut and thrust of competition, but wanting to keep their heads held high for the good name of the company or something.¡± Trevor said.
¡°So, at the very least, before our friends stay there, we get someone to check the stove?¡± Nigel proposed.
¡°I''d think so, yes. And I''ll do what I can for our stay. The original instruction set gave the user some simple tests to check everything was all right.¡± Trevor said. ¡°Some customer reviews say that''s gone now, but I''ve got a copy.¡±
¡°And if our stove fails the test?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Then, at a guess, we have a little chat with the man at the office and ask for one which does pass. Plus call in the local consumer protection or health and safety people.¡±
¡°That sounds reasonable, but what does it do to our cover?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Not much, but it means we get put down as troublesome customers.¡±
¡°But I guess we don''t admit that I''ve been looking into their financial records, let alone the records of an ex-contractor.¡± Trevor suggested.
¡°Why not, they''re in the public record, aren''t they?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Yes, but what sort of customer would check the financial soundness of their holiday home?¡±
¡°An utterly paranoid one.¡± Nigel said.
¡°Or someone thinking of investing in the company?¡± Bella suggested.
¡°Bella, I''ve got some savings, but not enough to buy this resort.¡±
¡°Your friend William sounds rich, if he''s got a plane.¡± Pris said ¡°Would he be interested?¡±
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Eliza shook her head. ¡°My liege, King William of the fifth kingdom, hath a trusting spirit. It pains me to say he has invested his inheritance on bad advice so many times that he no longer has the dragon he worked so hard to tame. In other words, he desperately needs a better paying job so he can pay off some personal debts he incurred when his last venture failed. So, unless you know any real millionaires, with genuine business acumen, I think this isn''t going to go anywhere.¡±
¡°Trevor, how full is the resort, on average? Did you find out?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Even in peak season, it''s often not full. I think the advertising has mostly been word of mouth, until recently. The report said something like `our recent investment in advertising has seen average occupancy levels reach fifty percent year round.''¡±
Dirk said ¡°I can see this place being somewhere that the stove manufacturers might want to invest in, as a show-case for their product.¡±
¡°I can''t actually imagine they sell very many in a year.¡± Bella said.
¡°Oh, I don''t know.¡± Dirk replied ¡°The stove seems ideal for a rural get-away. There''s no water to freeze but you can still have a hot shower. Every millionaire with a mountain get-away they only use once a month should want one for that feature.¡±
¡°Or maybe every family living in rebuilt Restoration.¡± Bella thought aloud. ¡°At least, based on the last I heard one of the post-impact issues was going to be that putting up houses was going to be relatively easy, as it was fairly easy to put together a prefabricated house with semi-skilled labour, but connecting them up to power, heat and water meant more experts than there are in the country. But if heat could be delivered by truck and a bit of unskilled labour...¡±
¡°Interesting idea, Bella.¡± Nigel said. ¡°Call it in?¡±
¡°I will. It''d mean a lot of wood, of course. I don''t know if that''s possible.¡±
¡°It might be. But on the other hand, if there was some way of either burning liquifuel in one of those stoves, or making a solid equivalent of liquifuel which burnt more like wood, that''d be very handy.¡± Eliza suggested.
¡°I do like the solid fuel version. I don''t know if it''s possible, though.¡±
Trevor pondered ¡°Liquifuel''s wonderful as a convenience fuel but it''s not the safest thing to have around kids.¡±
¡°Well, as a natural version there''s still plenty of coal in the ground.¡± Dirk pointed out.
¡°Ouch. Welcome back global warming. The whole point of liquifuel is that it''s carbon neutral.¡± Bella retorted.
¡°I wonder if the liquifuel process could adjusted to make wax?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Hold on people.¡± Pris said. ¡°You''re not thinking short term enough. I don''t believe their majesties are going to want to invent a whole new infrastructure devoted to a new fuel-stuff. Maybe Dirk''s idea of using some coal has merit, but I seem to remember reading that it was hard to get at. We don''t have a coal mining industry now. But we do know how to get wood, and we know that long term it''s as carbon neutral as can be. As long as the pollution issues are solved, then in this crisis time then maybe wood is the best solution.¡±
¡°The stove needs an insulated burner, that''s the most important part,¡± Trevor said, ¡°the heat store can be bricks or tiles or even be compacted earth from what I read.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll send in our thoughts. Trevor, can you send me links, company details and the like? I''m sure that their people are going to have an idea of how to come up with a short term, efficient heating solution, for an entire city with limited infrastructure, and then we can get back to our task.¡±
¡°Your wish is my command.¡± he said.
Fido just kept on at his self-assigned task ¡ª to get the most out of this bone before someone took it away from him.
Blackwood cabins
¡°So how come you''re starting your holiday today? Most people come at weekends.¡± the site-manager cum receptionist, who was at least in his mid-fifties, asked them as he drove them up the mountain.
¡°Bella, how many full days off have you ended up having in the last month?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°Hmm. Well, I was working yesterday but I got most of Saturday off, didn''t I? I guess that makes five days. What about you, Nigel?¡±
¡°Working yesterday, half-day on Saturday after a full week. Further back it''s a bit of a blur. Maybe I got four days in total, I lost count.¡±
¡°Weekends are busy.¡± Eliza agreed. ¡°But they must be for you too, surely?¡±
¡°Well, of course, but I''m in the tourist trade. Weekends are prime time.¡±
¡°Anyone noticed such a thing as a slack time?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°No. Every day is as busy as another.¡± Pris said.
¡°You''re government, though, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Civil service. Don''t confuse us with politicians, please. We work for our living.¡± Dirk said.
¡°I believe you. And you''re really armed and dangerous, miss?¡± he asked Eliza, recognising that symbol on her belt.
¡°Oh yes.¡± Eliza said with a wicked smile ¡°Always ¡°.
¡°I don''t recognise the rest of your runes, you must be from another kingdom, but the skull and cross-swords is pretty much universal.¡±
¡°Which kingdom is it around here?¡±
¡°Oh, well, we''re right on the border here. Thirtieth kingdom is to the west, ninth to the east. I don''t suppose you want to extend your stay to the weekend? There''s going to be a tournament just down the road.¡±
¡°I can''t, sorry. This is my entire summer holiday.¡± Eliza said, lying outrageously.
¡°Strange idea you''ve got of summer.¡± he laughed.
¡°Well, you know how it is, one urgent thing coming up after another.¡±
¡°Are all of you re-enacters?¡± he asked.
¡°No, only me and my knight-protector here.¡±
¡°And I didn''t know milady here was coming in garb. But really, even if I had, I think full-plate and broadsword might not be the right clothes for hill-walking. Or for getting on the transit, for that matter.¡± Nigel said with a laugh.
¡°Well, you''re in the right place for hills, that''s certain. We''ve got no end of them. A bit of snow on the ground with more on the way.¡±
¡°Would there be any problem with making a little cooking fire if we''re out on a walk?¡± Trevor asked, ¡°Assuming milady here can find some dry wood that is, she''s keen to avoid using my camp-stove. I think she thinks it''s cheating.¡±
¡°Good luck with that, then, milady! I''ve no idea where you''d find any dry stuff. I know it''s also cheating, but as long as it''s just for cooking you''re allowed to take some from the wood store. Cooking fires are no problem at all. You''re not going to start a brush fire with the snow on the ground, that''s certain. Sometimes there''s a ban, but not now, hasn''t been for years.¡±
¡°Have you worked here long?¡± Bella asked, grateful for that lead-in.
¡°Oh, about ten years now. It''s not the best paying job, but it''s not seasonal, so that''s good.¡±
¡°I read something about a change in ownership.¡± Trevor prompted. ¡°Has that affected you much?¡±
¡°Not much, no. We''re getting a few more customers. The old guy tried to do everything right, but towards the end it seemed he thought word of mouth was best form of advertising, which was a bit nuts, if you ask me. Current owner and manager are putting a bit more cash on the things people see, and on advertising. So yeah, they''re good news for my job security. Some things I''d do different, of course, but they could be worse. Could be much worse.¡±
¡°I don''t want to cause trouble with your employers.¡± Eliza asked, ¡°But you said you''d do things differently... is there anything we should watch out for?¡±
¡°Oh, you''ll be fine, milady. I''ll check your wood-stove''s in working order when I drop you off and show you the ropes. No rush today, that''s for certain.¡±
¡°Thank-you.¡± Eliza said.
Trevor decided that he didn''t need to press further, and changed the subject.
¡°I forgot to check, are there any dangerous animals around?¡±
¡°You probably won''t see much this time of year. We get the odd wild boar, and there''s plenty of deer. Just make sure you don''t walk too quietly for the boar and you''re fine whatever the season. It''s only when they''re startled that you''re in trouble.¡±
¡°What about when it''s warmer? Snakes?¡±
¡°Up here? No, nothing. It''s lovely woods and it might look like unspoiled nature, but it''s all re-planted and reintroduced species. Not much wildlife has moved in of it''s own accord. Who''d introduce poisonous snakes into a tourist hotspot?¡±
¡°I bet there''s spiders though.¡± Pris said.
¡°You''re not phobic are you?¡± he asked.
¡°No, just not my favourite creature in all creation.¡±
¡°That''s good. We get some real beauties. It''s not the right season for them now of course.¡±
¡°That''s good news. When''s the right season? I need to know when not to come back!¡± she joked.
¡°Autum, normally. Well, I hope you have a lovely time and do come back. Here''s your cabin.¡±
True to his word, he checked the stove, more comprehensively than Trevor had planned, since Trevor hadn''t thought of checking nothing had built a nest in the chimney. All the time, he gave a reassuring commentary of what he was doing and why. It all made perfect sense. The only slightly worrying thing was why he felt it necessary to do it.
¡°Have you always done these checks?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°No, not always. Just, you know, it never hurts to check.¡±
¡°Have there ever been problems?¡±
¡°Just once. Just once, last year, and no harm done either, but that was once too often, see? It could have been much worse, and I''d hate to think of something worse happening on my watch.¡±
¡°Thank you. It''s reassuring to know it''s working properly.¡±
¡°I think so too. Now, you young people have a lovely time, and keep warm. Don''t hesitate to ring the office if there''s any problem. Night or day. We''re not in a city, so if someone might need an ambulance, it''s better safe than sorry, if you get my meaning. Oh, and do keep an eye on the weather. It can change right suddenly up here.¡±
¡°Thank you, we''ll bear that in mind.¡± Dirk said.
¡°Excuse me maam,¡± he said to Pris. ¡°I hope you don''t mind me asking. You are that lass that Underwood stuffed in a freezer, aren''t you?¡±
Pris was taken aback but said she was.
¡°I''m right glad to see you back on your feet, maam. But do take care with the cold. Regrown fingers don''t much like it.¡± he waggled two of his. ¡°Personal experience right here.¡±
¡°Thank you. I''ve been warned.¡±
¡°I''m sure you have. I just thought I''d add my own. Very good to see you back on your feet, maam. Very good indeed. I''ll be off, you young people are going to look after each other, I''m sure. That''s the best way, so I''ll leave you to it.¡±
¡°Nice man that.¡± Eliza commented as he drove away.
¡°Indeed. Very reassuring.¡± Dirk said, getting out his bug-detector, and indicating they shouldn''t mention it.
¡°I was a bit surprised he recognised me.¡± Pris said. ¡°That wasn''t reassuring, really, but that''s probably just paranoia. This cabin''s bigger than I''d thought it might be.¡± As well as the kitchen/living area, there were two rooms with two beds, a single room and the living area sofa turned into another bed.
¡°So, Nigel, oh, respected leader who gets the blame for everything that goes wrong, have you thought about who''s going to sleep where?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Not really, except that whoever sleeps here gets less privacy and the dubious privilege of having someone come in to light the stove in the morning or doing it themselves.¡±
¡°I''ll be out here.¡± Trevor said. ¡°It makes more sense if we avoid having Fido track mud into the bedrooms. Plus I doubt that I''ll be turning in before anyone else. And before anyone makes any other claims, I''d also like to point out that this is luxury compared to the camping I''m used to, and furthermore that I''m not sleep deprived unlike some people I could mention, Bella.¡±
¡°OK, OK, it''s yours!¡± Bella said. ¡°Pris, rumour tells me you''ve not been sleeping well. Would you like the single room, or would you like company company?¡±
¡°Company, I think.¡± Pris decided.
¡°Horrible question: whose?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°You''ve not been sleeping well either, Bella?¡±
¡°That was just Friday night. I''m fine.
¡°What happened on Friday night, and how does Trevor know about it?¡± Eliza asked, curiously.
¡°What happened on Friday night... rather a lot of things I can''t really talk about and then I had a report to write. I mentioned to Trevor that I re-read it on Saturday morning, and I''d obviously been far too tired to write coherently. Then a certain angel took it off my hands and gave us some extra hours together, which is how Fido got his bone.¡±
¡°Bribery being the best way to any dog''s heart.¡± Trevor said. ¡°No, that''s not fair. Bella was already in Fido''s good books.¡±
¡°Oh? How did you manage that?¡± Dirk asked curiously from the bedroom where he was still checking for bugs.
¡°I don''t like little yappy dogs. Apparently Fido doesn''t either. Instant friendship.¡±
Eliza looked at Bella, then Trevor and back to Bella. ¡°I''m slow on the uptake, aren''t I? You two...¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Bella said, ¡°we walked Fido together, did the shopping together and then had a very very nice meal for two, so I guess that means that as of Saturday we''re going out together.¡±
¡°And I think, therefore, I need to keep Bella under my watchful, motherly eye.¡± Pris said.
¡°Pris! First, I don''t really think we need a chaperone, and secondly, you''re not that much older than I am.¡±
¡°That''s OK, Bella. It''s as good a motive as any and it means we can let our royal personage have space to hang up all her gowns.¡± Pris said, with a curtsy to Eliza, who in correct and noble fashion stuck her tongue out in response. Dirk came back with his bug detector, ¡°All clear in here, but it looks like there''s some sort of signal source somewhere outside though. Don''t panic yet, it could just be odd reflections from something miles away, but it might not be.¡±
¡°I''d better start that fire.¡± Trevor said.
¡°I wondered when you were going to.¡± Pris said, suddenly feeling cold at the thought of active bugs anywhere. Bugs meant criminals and she didn''t want to be anywhere near organised crime.
¡°Are you OK, Pris?¡± Dirk asked, ¡°You look white.¡±
¡°I think I''d like you to finish, Dirk.¡±
¡°Of course.¡± He went out with his detector.
¡°Trevor, give me your camp-stove, please.¡± Eliza said, ¡°I''ll make some tea. Or would you prefer coffee, Pris?¡±
¡°I''m fine, I''m fine.¡± Pris protested.
¡°Yes, but I''m thirsty, and insisting. Which one?¡±
¡°Tea please.¡±
¡°I''ll get the teabags and stuff. Nigel, water?¡± Bella said, going to the food bags.
¡°Here it is, Eliza.¡± Trevor said, passing over his camp stove. ¡°I thought you didn''t like them? Can you set it up, it''s a bit complicated?¡±
¡°I''ve got one, Trevor. I just prefer lower technology. I mean, liquifuel starts off as carbon dioxide in the air, gets concentrated by selective heating by lasers and so on, and then, using a pump with a surface made of artificial diamond it''s forced into a reaction chamber with some hydrogen, where it''s heated by a fusion reactor. The whole thing is the product of an obscenely high technology. It works, it''s efficient and carbon-neutral, but really! What''s wrong with planting a few more trees and letting nature give us some wood to burn?¡±
The stove had been expertly assembled by the end of this diatribe, and Eliza started trying to get the fuel to light. ¡°And, to top it off, even with all that technology, you still can never get the horrible things to light with the sparker!¡± she added.
Trevor looked up and warned ¡°Don''t lean over it like that, Eliza, the flames will be high! And aim the sparker a little higher. You need to have the spark going through vapour and air, not just vapour.¡±
Moving the sparker worked. Flames shot up, higher than Eliza expected and she jumped back with a yelp. The flames were yellow to start with, and then once the gas generator had heated up and was turning the fuel to gas, the flames settled to their proper length and to a steady hissing blue.
¡°That thing''s dangerous, Trevor. You should get it adjusted.¡±
¡°It''s set up for very low temperatures up mountains, Eliza, sorry. It''s barely freezing at the moment and we''re not that high up. That makes the difference.¡±
¡°Thanks for the warning. I''d have been fried.¡±
¡°Having done it myself... you''d have singed your eyebrows, but the height you were, it almost certainly wouldn''t have set your hair alight.¡±
¡°Well, urm, thanks for the reassurance. I like my eyebrows as they are.¡±
¡°I think we all do, Eliza.¡± Nigel said. ¡°One bucket of water. Do we need to filter it if we''re going to boil it?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Trevor said, ¡°There might be contaminants.¡±
¡°Here.¡± Bella said, handing Eliza the kettle ¡°I''ve put a litre and a half of water in it ¡ª I brought a extra bottle from home.¡±
¡°Trevor, do you need a hand?¡± Eliza asked, seeing him peering into the back of the firebox.
¡°I don''t think so, I''m just hoping that the kindling isn''t going to burn out before the bigger wood starts.¡±
¡°Hear ye the wisdom of the ages: if in doubt, add more kindling before the first batch burns out.¡±
¡°No need. It''s catching. Nice dry wood this.¡± he added more thin wood, and then larger ones until the firebox was almost full, but with gaps between the wood. He shut the door. As the instructions had said he should, once the bottom wood looked like it was properly alight, he adjusted the airflow control. As he had been loading the firebox, he was a little surprised to already hear a roaring sound from the flames. He''d read about ''the distinctive roar of the rocket stove'' but had assumed that wouldn''t start right away. After a while of watching the flames through the gaps between the wood, he realised that he''d been partially right; the sound steadily grew, especially once he''d put the airflow to ¡°normal ¡°.
Bella came and squatted beside him.
¡°You can certainly hear them, but you can''t see much of the flames, can you?¡±
¡°You need to look between the wood. They''re mostly going straight through that slot thing at the back. See it?¡±
¡°I do. Strange but pretty. And the hot plate is starting to warm up already.¡± she said, testing it with the back of her hand.
¡°That''s good. Is it at about fifty centigrade yet?¡±
¡°More like thirty. Why?¡±
¡°When it gets there I need to fiddle with some more controls.¡±
¡°Is there a lot more fiddling?¡±
¡°Once I adjust those ones, not until the wood burns out or we decide we don''t want so much instant heat any more, or we decide we want to cook something.¡±
She looked at the no-longer full basket of split wood. ¡°I wonder how long it''s going to take to get the whole cabin warm.¡±
¡°I don''t know. Why?¡±
¡°We might need more wood cut.¡±
¡°We will eventually, anyway.¡± Trevor agreed. ¡°Nigel, should we all take turns cutting wood while we heat up the cabin?¡±
¡°Good idea, but let''s see how fast it''s using it up, so we can try to be fair.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll sit and watch the flames and drink my tea when it''s done.¡± Trevor agreed.
¡°The fire''s starting to get going really well now, isn''t it?¡± Bella commented, mesmerised once more by the flickering patterns of flames.
¡°It is. Hey, that hotplate is pretty hot! Let''s see how effective the so called immediate heat is.¡± He moved a control, directing the burnt gasses to a metal heat exchanger. The note of the fire was unchanged, but there was also the plink-plink sound of the metal heating up.
¡°Do you really think it needs that mesh in front of it?¡± Bella asked, curiously.
¡°Probably. I know it looks a bit like a normal radiator, but it''s probably going to be well above boiling point.¡± Trevor pointed out.
¡°You mean it might get us nice and warm? That''d be good.¡±
¡°Aren''t you warm already? It looks like a decent coat.¡±
¡°Well, my coat''s OK, but it doesn''t cover my fingers very well.¡± Bella pointed out.
¡°Mind if I join you?¡± Pris asked.
¡°Of course not!¡± Bella answered, then added quietly. ¡°Are you OK, Pris?¡±
¡°I''m fine.... Just you know, being recognised, and then bugs probably mean organised crime, add in freezer-temperatures, and I''m getting flashbacks.¡± Pris said, not bothering to whisper.
¡°Well, it won''t be cold much longer, and hopefully Dirk will eventually tell us there''s nothing to worry about.¡± Bella said. ¡°But even if he doesn''t, then we''re not leaving anyone to freeze.¡±
¡°I know, but that doesn''t really help much.¡± Pris admitted.
¡°Then let''s pray.¡± Trevor said.
Nigel joined them, and the four of them prayed for a successful trip, that they''d find out if there was anything to worry about and not be worried needlessly. They also prayed that Pris would be healed from the mental scars of her trauma, and that she''d sleep well.
Eliza watched from a distance as she poured the tea, and realised that, while she had watched people pretend to pray during reenactments, and she''d heard formal prayers at school, often repeated by rote, week in week out, she wasn''t aware of hearing people pray real prayers they were making up on the spot before. She listened, feeling privileged, and a bit in awe. They obviously believed that God was going to answer. And she also remembered Karen''s challenge earlier in the week. Why didn''t she ask God about Darren? Or, for that matter, Nigel. Nigel seemed like a much better catch for her than optimistic-but-flawed Darren. What had Karen said? Did she want a Christian dropped into her lap who should reject her, a non-Christian she''d have to reject, once she believed, or was she going to accept God''s reality without a miracle. And young May''s ''You don''t seem stupid.'' had stung quite deeply. She wasn''t stupid, but she was ignorant.
So, after those two conversations, she''d decided not to challenge God. It didn''t seem sensible, she agreed, and she''d tried to read a bit of Bible, but it was hard-going. God certainly seemed more real to her now than he had ever before. And maybe, just maybe, she thought, looking across the room, God had taken her up on her challenge even if she hadn''t really meant it. Nigel Brokennose, protector of the true King, not just of their mutual friend William! There was a man she could respect. Not ''that looks too hard'' Darren.
She realised that, whatever happened, she''d made two decisions. She wasn''t interested in Darren one bit, but she was interested in finding more about God, and this faith the four of them shared which let them talk to God with confidence that He was listening, and not care about who else might be.
She saw Dirk about to come in, through the back door, and opened it to him, motioning him to stay silent. He raised his eyebrows when he saw the impromptu prayer meeting, but said nothing.
She whispered ¡°Bugs?¡±
In reply, Dirk pointed up to a plastic housing above the back door. There was a security camera there. Equally clearly, it was not aimed at the house, but at the wood-store. It made sense, she realised. The camera let the office see the level of wood in the store, and also deterred wandering back-packers from helping themselves for a camp-fire.
Eliza smiled, gave her brother a cup of tea, and took a tray to the others.
Wordlessly, she sank down beside them. This was where she wanted to be. Not just in the physical warmth of the fire, but in the emotional warmth of this little caring community.
Pris noticed Eliza''s presence and moved to make room for her in the circle. Eliza was self-conscious, but moved into the gap. After sitting there, a while, it seemed very natural that she say something too.
¡°Help me to get to know you, God.¡±
Dirk drank his tea, and watched Eliza go, sit in the prayer time, and even pray herself. Eliza had always been the impulsive one. He liked to reflect more, to understand things before he committed himself. He knew he needed help with gossiping. It had become an addiction; maybe he should have been there too, but it seemed too soon for him, now. He wondered why Eliza had decided to find out more about God. Just a whim? No, it was more than than, he was sure. He was so proud of his little sister. The prayer time was over, he realised. Nigel was first to his feet, and helped Pris up. Dirk found himself feeling a pang of jealousy when Pris thanked Nigel. Now where did that come from? He ignored it and announced ¡°I''d like to introduce you to the source of the signal I spotted, which turns out to have a perfectly acceptable source. Pris, would you like to come and see?¡±
She came, and looked where he''d pointed. ¡°Watching the wood store? Thank you, Dirk. It''s nice to know I''m over-reacting.¡±
¡°It does present us with an issue to address, though.¡±
¡°Yes?¡± Pris prompted.
¡°It''s wireless, and not even very well encrypted. Pretty much anyone interested can pick it up and see who''s staying here, and when they''re here.¡±
Bella winced ¡°If you''re right about the encryption being so weak, then that''s not very good news, no.¡±
¡°I know the brand. It''s bottom of the range for the home market. They have a feature that if you want to you can configure them as a mesh network. Each camera only needs to be in range of a repeater station or another camera.¡±
¡°Ideal for a situation like this.¡± Pris agreed.
¡°Yes. But the encryption is really really badly implemented. They used it as an example of how not to do it when I was at the academy. If they''d done it properly, then there''d be a unique key for every camera, there''d be two main sorts of data from each camera. One would maintain the network: say I''m camera X and I''ve heard cameras Y, W and T, camera W can see the base station and cameras Q, R and T, and so on. The second would have an unencrypted header saying here''s a pile of encrypted data and it needs to get to the base station.
¡°That''s the normal way to do it. They decided it was better to encrypt the network maintenance too, which isn''t so silly; it stops an attacker claiming to be the base station and confusing the network. Until you realise that that means the cameras need to decrypt the network data, so they need some kind of shared key. You can do that, but it''s extra hassle. So, the designers decided that setting a unique key for every camera and a shared key was far too much work for the poor home owner, and so there''s a shared key for all the cameras and that''s it. Which then means that every camera can read every picture on the network.¡±
¡°OK, I see that the security level is going down. But you said almost anyone could break it.¡± Pris said. ¡°I still see some cryptanalysis being needed.¡±
¡°I haven''t got to the best bit yet. How do you think you add a new camera to the network and tell it what the key is?¡±
¡°Plug it''s datacrystal into the base station''s programming port?¡± Pris suggested.
¡°That would have worked. But then some user might drop their datacrystal and their camera would be dead. They didn''t go that way.¡±
¡°Some sort of programming chip?¡± Bella asked.
¡°''Oh dear, we need to add a new camera to our system but we''ve lost the programming chip, can you send us a new one please?'' My guess is that customer services rejected that idea.¡± Pris offered.
¡°I agree.¡± Dirk said. ¡°No, what they did was give the camera a little button on the back, and if you put a new camera near to an old one, or next to the base station, and press the button, then it sends out a little message saying ''Hello, I''m new here, can I play too?'' and if you press the same button on the old camera or base station within a few minutes then it says ''Yes, OK. Here''s the key.''¡±
¡°You''re joking!¡± Pris said, shaking her head, ¡°It''d be child''s play to come up with a device that pretends to be a camera to get the key!¡±
¡°No joke. Send the right signal when you''ve got physical access to the little button on the back of any of the cameras, and it gives you the encryption key for full access. But you think that''s the best bit, don''t you?¡±
¡°It''s not?¡± Pris asked.
¡°No. The best bit is that their marketing department decided this was too useful a feature for just the cameras, and their users might want to check their cameras with their wrist unit. So you don''t need any special skills at all. They give the application away for free.¡±
¡°The net result being that if you''re near the base station, your wrist unit can see what''s on every camera?¡± Pris asked.
¡°And if you''re not near the station then you can either put it in passive mode and accept that you get less pictures or you can ask the near-by cameras to forward the whole set to you.¡±
Bella drew her breath in and said ¡°Let me check if I understand you, Dirk. Let''s say that some bored thirteen year-old with the application on their wrist unit decided to be a bit nosey. At some point they got on a chair, press the magic button on the camera at their cabin and then they see a certain familiar face on their screen collecting some firewood. They can then wander down to the office, and then follow the picture stream straight to the right cabin to ask for an autograph?¡±
¡°Yes, except that the application also lets you see the topology of the network, so they probably don''t even need to go all the way in to the office and back out.¡± Dirk answered.
Pris concluded ¡°So... item two in our report is that to improve our friends'' security, we need to make sure that we disable our friends'' camera, disable those buttons, or replace the camera network?¡±
¡°I think so, yes.¡± Dirk said. ¡°Except that idea one is only any good if they never show up on anyone else''s camera, and idea two is probably easily circumvented by a paper-clip.¡±
¡°OK. We''ll note that in our recommendation.¡± Nigel agreed.
¡°I actually suggest item two in our report says that the site-manager seems knowledgeable and conscientious, but obviously has little control of the maintenance budget.¡± Eliza suggested, ¡°or, to put it another way, if some department ends up buying up the site then he should be kept on.¡±
¡°OK. I don''t think that''s likely though. I mean, there''s supposed to be a spending freeze on, no matter how good a case we could make for this place as a training site. And I''m not sure we could, really.¡± Nigel pointed out.
¡°Me neither.¡± Eliza agreed.
¡°But maybe someone knows a multi-millionaire, so it''s still worth putting in. I''m with Eliza.¡± Bella said.
¡°Bella, technically we do know one. Remember?¡± Pris asked.
¡°We do?¡±
¡°Yes. You''ve spoken to her when I was around.¡±
¡°I''m thinking... I''m thinking...¡±
¡°You met her in a room near a helicopter pad.¡±
¡°Really? Where was that?¡± Bella asked, now really confused.
¡°I give up, I''m out of innocuous clues! No I''m not. You dislocated the shoulder of a thug, just because he wanted to knife you, and there wasn''t a wallpaper department.¡±
¡°Oh, there! Really? Multi-millionairess? Surely not...no, it can''t be. Who?¡±
¡°Bella, you''ve really no idea?¡± Pris asked.
¡°No.¡± Bella said. Surely it couldn''t be Hannah. She was sure it wasn''t Karen, and it certainly wasn''t Eliza. Teresa? Kate? Sarah had inherited the house, where Karen lived, sure, but it wasn''t worth millions, and surely if she had millions there wouldn''t have been bare spots in the carpet.
¡°Oh well. I guess it means you don''t have a need to know.¡±
¡°I really can''t think of anyone there I''d think of as having a even almost a millionaire lifestyle.¡±
¡°Who said anything about lifestyle? She''s not old enough to control the trust fund yet.¡±
¡°Oh. All right, I think I know who then. Does that get us anywhere?¡±
¡°Not really. She almost certainly wouldn''t be interested in persuading the trustees to invest here, if they''re persuadable.¡±
¡°She might, though.¡± Bella pointed out ¡°And there isn''t really much time.¡±
¡°That''s true. So, when do you want to call her? You know her best.¡±
¡°Except that small detail, yes.¡±
¡°I guess it is a small detail to her.¡±
¡°Do you have any idea who they''re talking about?¡± Eliza asked Nigel.
¡°No. I''d presume that''s the whole point.¡± he replied.
¡°Pris, will you come out of other''s earshot before I make a fool of myself?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Pris agreed. They went into the furthest bedroom, shutting the door behind them.
¡°Sarah?¡± Bella whispered.
¡°Yes.¡± Pris confirmed.
¡°Right. My thought is we haven''t been here long enough yet, but assuming we''re going on a walk around the area this afternoon, then I''ll float the idea to her once I''ve some more idea of what we''re talking about. OK?¡±
¡°OK by me. I''d hate to tell her the place is actually falling apart after we ask her to invest in it.¡± Pris agreed.
¡°Right, now let''s go back, it''s cold in here.¡± Bella suggested.
¡°I agree. I guess that stove is working.¡±
¡°Do we leave the doors open so that the whole cabin warms up, or do we say that we need some more concentrated warmth first?¡±
¡°I think concentrated heat in the kitchen and the bathroom, until we can take our coats off.¡±
¡°Agreed. Let''s get our priorities right!¡± Bella shivered at the thought of siting on an ice-cold toilet seat. ¡°That reminds me. How come the toilet isn''t frozen solid?¡±
¡°Do you know it isn''t?¡± Pris asked.
¡°Yuck. Let''s send one of the men to investigate.¡± Bella suggested, as they went back to the kitchen area.
¡°Deal!¡±
¡°What are we investigating?¡± asked Dirk.
¡°If the toilet is frozen, and if not, why not.¡±
¡°The answer should be an ultra-low water flush, combined with an automatic tank drain and antifreeze dispenser system which operates as the temperature falls past four degrees.¡± Trevor said, having been curious himself.
¡°So if it all worked properly, there''s no water to flush with, but no ice either?¡± Nigel asked.
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°Pris and I were just thinking that heating this room and the bathroom should be our priority.¡± Bella reported.
¡°Agreed!¡± Eliza said. ¡°When does the heater start working.¡±
¡°It is, you try visiting the far bedroom.¡± Pris reported.
¡°I''ll take your word for it.¡±
¡°Do we need to refill the firebox yet?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°Not yet.¡± Trevor reported. ¡°Still plenty of unburnt wood in there. What''s the plan about the millionairess?¡±
¡°First, you''d need to convince me that this place, run properly, with all the right investments, proper maintenance and so on will still make a decent return on investment. Then, you need to give me the data so that I can pass it on, and then someone needs to work out how to persuade the present owners they should relinquish control.¡±
¡°We''re certain that they should?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°Not a hundred percent, no. But you''ve told us the cameras are a disaster, and the maintenance on the stoves is a problem. That''s actually the one that worries me about the present owners. They decided to cut corners which shouldn''t be cut.¡±
¡°Sufficient for legal proceedings?¡± Pris asked.
¡°Probably not, until there''s a real accident, or we could prove deliberate negligence.¡± Dirk said.
¡°It seems like a massive investment for that, surely. I mean, the land must be worth tens of hundreds of millions in itself!¡± Eliza pointed out.
¡°Oh, they don''t own the land. The cabins are on it as part of a leasing arrangement.¡± Trevor answered.
¡°Oh. So what does the company actually own?¡±
¡°An exclusivity contract with the land-owner, fifty seven scattered cabins of various sizes, with fittings, etc. the office and the vehicles.¡±
¡°OK. And while the cabin is nice, it''s not going to be that valuable, without the view which they don''t own.¡±
¡°No. Not even with the nice stove. The book value is two million, I think.¡± Trevor said.
¡°Trevor, I don''t suppose you''ve got any idea about what the maintenance cost on this stove is, compared to its initial cost?¡± Bella asked.
¡°I can look it up. This is roughly the top of the line one they offer, you realise.¡±
¡°I''m not surprised.¡±
¡°Hmm. Roughly speaking I''d say they''ve halved the maintenance on the stove, and the manufacturer says on this one that maintenance is about five percent of purchase price.¡±
¡°So, by skimping on maintenance they''re risking damaging something for a fortieth of its value, and risking injury as well? The administrator''s not in it for the long term, are they?¡±
¡°I guess not, no. But there''s lots of fixed costs, and swapping the maintenance contract probably seemed like the easiest way of saving some cash. And the administrator might think that the investors will sack him or her if they don''t get their five percent return on investment.¡±
¡°The administrator does the books?¡± Bella asked.
¡°No, that''s the accountant.¡± Trevor said.
¡°Handles the bookings?¡± She prompted.
¡°All by computer.¡±
¡°So, what does the administrator actually do?¡± Bella asked.
¡°From what I can see, he commissions advertising, authorises expenditure, and writes glowing reports on what he''s done for the investors, makes sure that the site rental ¡ª which takes by far the biggest chunk of the income, by the way, gets paid, and takes home a nice salary. But he probably does other things too.¡±
¡°I see. So, if the reason that we''re suggesting it gets new ownership is to change his policy, he might not want to sell.¡±
¡°It all depends. He might be a nice guy with nasty co-investors, or he might be a nasty himself.¡± Pris said. ¡°It''s quite simple, really. We''ve no idea about any of this. We don''t even know who owns the land and whether they''d be interested in investing in a stake in the company.¡±
¡°I saw the owner, funny name. Urm... here we are. Carbon-carbon land management, looking that up, urm... it''s part of the Diamond division of GemSmith holdings.¡± Trevor said.
Bella looked at Pris, who shrugged and asked ¡°I don''t think we need to dig any further. Really, it''s beyond our remit to solve the problems. We''re just here to see if there are any.¡±
¡°Are we supposed to be submitting daily progress reports?¡± Bella asked Nigel.
¡°Not individually. But as group organiser I was told that I should make sure Maria gets at least one report by nine every night on what we''ve found out, more if anything is seriously worrying. Like those cameras.¡±
¡°I think I want to look around our immediate area.¡± Bella said. ¡°Anyone else coming?¡±
¡°I''d love to, but someone should watch the fire.¡± Trevor said.
¡°I''ll do that.¡± Nigel offered. ¡°I might as well start on my report.¡±
¡°OK. The recommended way of re-loading it is to wait until you can push the burning embers to the back third, but not so far they block that slot, and then pile the firebox high, like I did the first time.¡±
¡°What''s wrong with just filling it now?¡±
¡°They like the wood to burn at one end and heat through slowly, like a matchstick, rather than getting hot all in one go and making lots of smoke.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll try. Have a nice walk.¡±
¡°We''ll try.¡± Bella said. ¡°Just yell if you want us, I doubt we''re going far. Come on, Fido.¡±
Fido ignored her, and chewed his bone.
¡°We don''t need to take him.¡± Trevor said.
¡°Yes we do.¡± Bella disagreed.
¡°OK. Fido, Bella''s got some brown bread for you.¡± Trevor said, giving her some, and putting Fido''s lead on. Fido ignored what was happening to his collar.
¡°Fido, if you don''t get up this instant, I''m going to take your bone away.¡± Bella threatened. ¡°Come on, dog! Walk time.¡± Fido kept on chewing.
¡°This could be interesting.¡± commented Eliza.
¡°No contest.¡± Bella said. She pushed his paw off the top of the bone with one foot, and pushed the bone to the ground. Fido got up, so his jaw wasn''t pinned to the ground, and just kept gnawing. So she dropped three bits of bread on the floor, just in front of Fido''s nose, each one a bit further from the bone. Fido snapped up the bread in three bites, and then he went back to the bone, only to find it wasn''t there. Bella had kicked it away under the table.
¡°Told you, doggie. You lost it. Come on, walk time! You can have your bone later.¡±
Deprived of his bone, Fido looked around for it and found that he was being pulled towards the door by Bella. Maybe his bone was that way?
¡°Well done. But why do we need Fido?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°So he doesn''t notice his pride and joy being put outside. It''s starting to smell.¡±
¡°Oh, is that what it is?¡± Pris asked. ¡°I wondered.¡±
¡°Yes. And while I admit responsibility for creating the problem, I''m not going to share the cabin with a stinky bone. Sorry, Trevor.¡±
¡°That''s fine Bella. So you take him out the front and I''ll take it out the back way?¡±
¡°Exactly. I''ll meet you out front.¡±
Fido didn''t find his bone just outside the door, so he decided he wanted to go back inside to look for it. Bella wasn''t going to put up with that though. ¡°Hey, Fido! Outside!¡± he looked at her, hurt. Why was she dragging him outside if his bone wasn''t there? ¡°Come on Fido. We''re going for a walk!¡±
Now that word made sense. Of course he wanted to go for a walk. Maybe he''d find something to chase, or a stick. He started sniffing around.
¡°Trevor?¡± Bella asked, when he arrived ¡°Do you think Fido''s got a one-track mind?¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because as soon as I said walk out here, he got the message, but when we were in there, well, you saw him. It''s a bit like he can''t chew and listen at the same time.¡±
¡°Well, he is male.¡± Trevor said with a laugh.
¡°Good point.¡±
¡°So. is it going to work?¡±
¡°What, this week?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°In what sense? Checking out the place?¡±
¡°That too, I suppose.¡± he smiled.
¡°Sorry, what senses are we talking about?¡±
He reached for her hand. [My brother''s ideal woman, for instance.]
[Oooh, yes. What was the list again?]
[Christian, shorter than him, but not by much. Dark hair, in security, high clearance but not too high. And, though he didn''t say it, some sign interest in him, or he''ll not pursue her.]
[So two dark haired women, both pretty, younger than him, Eliza is, not that she''s a Christian yet, but she''s obviously seeking, so she might not quite be out of the running. What does too high mean? Pris is one alpha. I''m not sure what level Eliza is.]
[I don''t know what ''not too high'' means. I think he came up with it before he started in Royal protection. To me, all it means is he doesn''t want secrets.]
[Eliza''s pretty dazzling at the moment, isn''t she?]
[I''m biased towards you, but yes. I think that Eliza is interested in him because of his sword-swinging past. But I''m not sure that''s still something in his future. If she finds that out, she''ll probably lose interest.]
[But I think his brain might be turned off by her dazzle. I also think Pris looks like she needs a protector at the moment, Nigel isn''t noticing and Dirk wants the job.]
[Really? Where does that leave Nigel then?]
[Depends how many happy endings we want, really. I mean... what are the chances that both siblings turn to God and catch some of Security''s highest flyers? Which would probably mean that either Eliza decides to pack up being princess, or Nigel decides to make a bid for the crown of wonderland so he gets interested again. And also,] quickly Bella hid her thoughts. ¡°and also it depends on something I shouldn''t talk about.¡±
¡°Oh. OK. Something good?¡±
¡°Something about which I see some disappointment whichever way it turns out, and I''m not going to give you any clues. What do you think of the views?¡±
They''d reached a clearing in the woods, and found there was a seat overlooking the valley below them. Snow and pine-trees filled most of their view, but there was a small river winding along the bottom. Fido still without a stick, lay down and moped.
¡°They''re like you, and your name, beautiful.¡±
¡°Not like me, icy-cold and almost monochrome?¡± She retorted, in a surge of fury.
¡°Bella!¡±
¡°Sorry, but... you know, I got really fed up with teenage idiots grabbing my hand and asking me out by saying I lived up to my name. Most of them were thinking of my breasts at the time.¡±
¡°Sorry, Bella. I''ll try not to say it again.¡±
¡°Good.¡± she said. In a tone which made it clear that it wasn''t good enough.
¡°I''m sorry. I''ve ruined our walk, haven''t I?¡±
¡°No, I have.¡± her mood swinging to regret ¡°I should have warned you that mentioning what my name means is about as welcome as a punch in the guts.¡±
¡°I have a silly idea.¡± he said, hiding his thoughts as he crouched to the snow-covered ground.
¡°What''s that?¡±
¡°Stress relief.¡± he said, and presented her with a hastily made snowball. ¡°A gift, my beloved. Plus, let it not be ever said that I launched an attack on an unarmed opponent.¡±
¡°Who said I was an opponent?¡± Bella asked, weighing the snowball in her hand.
¡°Depends what you want to do with that snowball.¡±
¡°Are you challenging me to a snowball fight?¡±
¡°That depends.¡±
¡°On what?¡±
¡°Whether you want one or not, or whether you''d rather just throw it for Fido to chase.¡±
¡°Will he chase it?¡±
¡°Depends on his mood. So you might just be wasting a snowball.¡±
¡°We wouldn''t want that, would we?¡± Bella asked, feeling her mood lightening.
¡°Snowballs are a scarce resource.¡± he pointed out.
¡°Especially in summer.¡± she agreed, looking at the pristine snow that surrounded them, and having some ideas of her own.
¡°So, O woman I love. What are you going to do?¡±
¡°This.¡± She didn''t throw it, but since he was still within reach she grabbed him in a hug and tried to insert it into his neck. It didn''t get past his scarf ¡°That''s not very sporting, Bella.¡± he said, conversationally.
¡°I notice you''re not resisting.¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Why not? You''re taking all the fun out of it.¡±
¡°Sorry I didn''t want to hurt you but I did want to do this.¡± He said, and kissed her. Then he added, ¡°and I wanted to do this, too.¡± The second ''this'' being to carefully put his snow-filled hand through her hair and straight on to the back of her neck. She let out a little scream of shock, ¡°you treacherous...¡± and let him go to bat the snow out of her hair.
¡°You''ve got some more on the left.¡± he said, helpfully, retreating to a safer distance.
¡°Now you really suffer!¡±
¡°Bella, I''d just like to point something out to you.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I''m bigger than you, possibly stronger than you and possibly sneakier than you.¡±
¡°You mean that I should quit now?¡±
¡°No, I mean that maybe you shouldn''t try something like last time.¡±
¡°I see. Is that a threat?¡±
¡°No, just advice from someone who loves you.¡±
¡°You said that before and gave me a neck full of snow.¡±
¡°Just like you wanted to give me.¡± he pointed out, reasonably.
¡°Thats true. So what do you suggest?¡±
¡°A fair snowball fight?¡±
¡°All right.¡± She agreed, ¡°Now define fair.¡±
¡°No aiming at heads, no trying to stuff snowballs into people''s clothes.¡±
¡°Oh all right.¡± she agreed, grudgingly.
¡°And afterwards, we declare peace and mean it.¡± He got a snowball in response to that, right in the chest. Then another one.
¡°Bella?¡± he started slowly circling towards the deeper snow.
¡°Yes, Trevor?¡± Another snowball, same target.
¡°Have we started yet?¡±
¡°What do you think?¡± Another snowball, to the stomach.
¡°I just wondered.¡± He reached the deep snow. And started his own attack.
He could throw bigger snowballs, with more force, but she had far better accuracy, so while she aimed at his upper body, he deliberatly aimed at her legs and stomach, just in case he went high. Frequently he missed her all together. After a while he admitted defeat.
¡°Bella, I give up!¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because every snowball you throw, hits.¡±
¡°That''s the aim, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes. You''re better at this than me.¡±
¡°I thought you were trying to avoid hitting me.¡±
¡°I was trying to avoid hitting your face.¡±
¡°Not my breasts then?¡± she asked. Noticing that he''d not scored one shot there.
¡°Bella, are we at peace?¡±
¡°Yes. Peace.¡±
¡°I''d like to ask you something. Shall we sit on the bench?¡±
¡°OK. Thank you, Trevor. It did help.¡±
¡°I''m glad.¡± he said, brushing the snow off himself.
¡°So, what''s the question?¡±
¡°I don''t know if I should ask it.¡±
¡°Go on!¡±
He took her hand [It seems to me that you''re rather self-conscious about your breasts.]
[What breasts? I''m practically flat.] she said.
[Don''t exaggerate.]
[I''m not exaggerating.]
[Then what was I very aware of noticing when we embraced on Friday? Ribs aren''t that soft. And don''t say it was your coat, you didn''t have one on.]
[You don''t mind? I''d thought of getting implants.]
[Bella!]
[What?]
[Stop it. I don''t have any problems with the way God made you.]
[You haven''t seen the reality.]
[No. And that''s a good thing, isn''t it? Not knowing all the details until the appropriate time?]
[I''ve not been a Christian for very long, Trevor. Some of my attitudes need correcting.]
[Talking about attitudes that need correcting, I''m curious. Tell me not to be. What were the teenagers thinking about your chest?]
[How big they were really, how many dates it would take before I''d let them have a fondle, if they''d grow more, what they...]
[{Embarrasment} Stop! I''m sorry I asked.]
[Really?]
[Yes. I shouldn''t have asked. I guess I was wondering if they''d made you feel self-conscious about them.]
[Well, I guess it made me realise how conscious the average male is of them.]
[Quite conscious, yes.]
[You''re different, though.]
[Not significantly. But there''s such a thing as self-control, you know?]
[So, you''re not going to fantasize about my body?]
[I''ll try not to. I don''t want impure thoughts ruling my mind. So can we drop the subject?]
[You brought it up.] Bella pointed out, reasonably.
[I know. Never again.]
[Never?]
[Well, not until the right time.]
[You think there will be a right time?]
[I hope so.] Trevor said, trying hard not to pass on how strongly he felt about her.
[That''s good. I do too.]
¡°Shall we head back? I don''t want feedback.¡±
¡°I agree. But one hug first, please? Hugs are important to me.¡±
¡°Of course, Bella! But I''ll stay hidden.¡±
¡°Good plan. Otherwise you might find out things you shouldn''t.¡± Like, she thought, how much she regretted vetoing marriage before the impact.
¡°I love you, Bella Monroe.¡±
¡°I love you too. Trevor¡±
Bella got her hug.
Preparation / Ch. 21: Romantic and Rustic
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 21:Romantic and Rustic
Monday, 11th December, 8pm
¡°Hi, Sarah. Bella here, I hope I''m not interrupting anything.¡±
¡°Hi Bella! I wasn''t expecting a call from you. Aren''t you up in the mountains somewhere?¡±
¡°Yes. And I''ve been commissioned to ask you something.¡±
¡°Oh? Who by?¡±
¡°Pris. She says ''hi'', by the way. We''re going to be sharing a room.¡±
¡°Well, say ''hi'' back. Fire away.¡±
¡°OK, the next thing Pris says is ''Sorry if it was a secret, but she thought that I knew.''¡±
¡°That sounds ominous. What did she think you knew?¡±
¡°That your parents left you a trust fund.¡±
¡°Oh, that. That''s not a major secret. Tell her she''s forgiven. Your question''s related?¡±
¡°Yes. Especially is if there''s any relationship between that and ''Carbon-carbon land management'', part of the ''Diamond division of GemSmith holdings''.¡±
¡°That''s where you are? On the carbon-carbon estate?¡±
¡°Yes. You know the place then?¡±
¡°Of course I do! We used to camp up in those hills when I was a kid. Daddy asked me what to call the company, and I was too literally minded. Yes. It''s part of my trust.¡±
¡°You know why we''re here?¡±
¡°Checking that everything''s all kosher for my two cousins to go there to enjoy themselves, yes. I didn''t realise they were going to be on that land though. You''re in one of those rustic cabins? I saw them being built when we last went.¡±
¡°Yes, we are. Apparently under new management as of a few years ago, someone who''s actually heard of advertising, but not of off-season discounts. I guess that''s fair enough because of the extra heating wood.¡±
¡°But there''s a problem? I''m guessing there is, or you wouldn''t be calling.¡±
¡°It''s like this... Trevor''s looked at the finances and reckons that the new management are paying for the internal refurbishments by cutting back on the maintenance of the stoves, that way they still give the investors a nice dividend. Lack of maintenance is not so good, but the site-manager cum receptionist knows how to check they''re safe so that''s actually sort of tolerable, although it''s short-sighted. What''s not tolerable is the security camera system. They just use it to check if people''s wood stock is OK, and I guess to deter theft, but the brand is apparently used as an example of how not to do it in the academy. Anyone with a ladder and a wrist unit can get the whole network to talk to them. It''d be trivially easy for a twelve year old staying on the site to spot recognisable people and turn autograph hunter, or equally easy for reporters or worse to track them down. ¡±
¡°It''s really that easy to gain access?¡±
¡°Install a free wrist unit application, press a little button on the back of the camera, and you''re in. Dirk demonstrated it.¡±
¡°Ouch. And the stoves are dangerous?¡±
¡°They get nice and hot, and there''s water involved. Trevor says full scale steam explosion isn''t very likely, since there''s supposed to be a safety valve. But the stove manufacturer calls for annual pipe-cleaning as a preventative measure, and Trevor thinks they''re only being cleaned when they''re almost fully blocked. At least, the manufacturers'' instructions give the ''clean'' flow rate through the pipes, and the ''don''t use this stove'' rate. The stove we''ve got is above the ''don''t use'' level, but not by much. So, we''re worried that some time when the site-manager can''t or doesn''t check the thing, then there might be an injury or even a death if the safety valve doesn''t work, or, heaven forbid, has been incorrectly replaced.¡±
¡°Short-sighted administration, in other words.¡±
¡°Exactly. We don''t know if that''s because of direct investor pressure or the administrator thinking he''s clever though.¡±
¡°And you''re wondering if Carbon-carbon could try and give them a stern talking to, on the basis that an injured client would put off a lot more?¡±
¡°Yes, that was one of our ideas.¡±
¡°But that doesn''t solve the camera issue does it?¡±
¡°No, it doesn''t. And there''s a spending freeze on for the government, so that''s going to make life even trickier. That was why we were speculating whether anyone we knew knew a multimillionaire who wanted to buy up the company and run it properly, then Pris said she and I already knew a multimillionairess. I''m really embarrassed at even raising it, but she said I knew you better than she did and she does outrank me.¡±
¡°She actually pulled rank?¡±
¡°No, not as such.¡±
¡°Good. You know that I don''t control the trust fund, don''t you?¡±
¡°Yes, she said.¡±
¡°But, on the other hand, the trustees do listen to my thoughts. The company runs at a profit?¡±
¡°Yes. Trevor said they paid a five percent dividend last year.¡±
¡°Value of the company?¡±
¡°About two million.¡±
¡°And does he know how much went on land rent?¡±
¡°I expect so. He said it was about half the income. Shall I ask for exact numbers?¡±
¡°No, that''s fine. I can get it. What staff, do you know?¡±
¡°Urm, there was the receptionist cum site-mananager, an administrator, and a part time accountant, I think. Maybe some peak-season help.¡±
¡°And how busy does it get?¡±
¡°Trevor said they were claiming to have made a breakthrough with an average of fifty percent capacity, apparently.¡±
¡°That''s rotten. Lots of room for improvement there. But the site-manager''s a good guy?¡±
¡°Seems like it, based on a single meeting. He didn''t come in with the new management.¡±
¡°And Karen''s due there in two weeks. Hmm.¡±
¡°Is it possible?¡±
¡°Oh, it''s possible. How many cabins are there?¡±
¡°Fifty something. Fifty-six, I think, or fifty-seven.¡±
¡°OK. Yes, that''s possible. Very possible. I think I can make a case that by bringing it into Carbon-carbon then there''d be operational savings. Also better security and maintenance will stop bad publicity destroying the venture at an unspecified future time, as well as keeping the guests happier so they''ll come back. Then with some proper advertising and a bit of pricing reform then we ought to be able to get that occupancy way higher. What condition are the cabins in?¡±
¡°This one''s nice. Well furnished, with rustic last-a-hundred-years furniture which has just had a new coat of polish by the look of it.
I''d guess the walls were repainted a year ago. They''re not spotless, but they''re a long way from shabby. The doors work, and there are no handles falling off or anything like that.¡±
¡°No sign of a leaking roof, or anything like that?¡±
¡°None.¡±
¡°That''s good. And the beds are OK?¡±
¡°I think so. I mean, you bring your own sleeping bag or linen, and they provide a sponge mattress. Pris, How''s that bed?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Very solid, no wobbles at all, the mattress is clean and just right for me, but my sleeping bag''s not warmed up yet.¡± Pris replied.
¡°Did you hear that?¡±
¡°Yes. You''re heading to bed already?¡±
¡°Not really, we''re planning a Bible study for eight-thirty, but Pris decided she wanted to test her bed for comfort. Dirk and Eliza petitioned for the Bible study, by the way.¡±
¡°Praise God! And you''re not freezing? The stove is working OK?¡±
¡°Oh yes. All functions tested and working.¡±
¡°Even the water heater?¡±
¡°Yes. Eliza''s already had a shower. It apparently works best with a bit of a rest between people using it, so I''ll have one later.¡±
¡°Why am I not surprised at Eliza being first? OK, Bella, I''ll make a convincing business case and talk to the trustees tomorrow. I''ll keep you posted.¡±
¡°Thanks, Sarah!¡±
¡°I''m not doing it for you, I''m doing it for my cousins.¡±
¡°I know, but still, it means I might not need to ruin Eliza''s plans.¡±
¡°Oh, don''t do that. I''ll get enough of those cameras changed, whatever happens.¡±
¡°Really? How?¡±
¡°Remember Karen''s been using my home as a safe house? Ten or fifteen cameras with a proper security protocol won''t break the bank, and in exchange I get a contract out of them that whenever I, my friends or relations stay, they get the secure cameras. I''d been meaning to book a holiday with John up there anyway.¡±
¡°Sarah, you''re wonderful!¡±
¡°No, just imaginative.¡±
¡°How much of this can I pass on to the others?¡±
¡°They know you''re calling me?¡±
¡°They know I''m calling someone with a trust-fund.¡±
¡°OK, well just tell them that even if I can''t persuade the trustees, the cameras can be solved quickly and easily, since I don''t want that system near me when I visit. Pris can know all the details. Sleep well.¡±
¡°You too, Sarah. Do you want me to pass on the company details that Trevor dug up?¡±
¡°No, that''s fine. I''m sure I can get them myself.¡±
¡°Well, if you struggle, give one of us a shout.¡±
¡°Have no fear, I will.¡±
Bella disconnected and turned to Pris. ¡°How much did you overhear?¡±
¡°Your side only. You sounded happy though.¡±
¡°OK, your ears only: the land is part of the trust, she used to camp up here when she was a kid, and saw some of the cabins being built, she thinks there''s a good business case and will talk to the trustees tomorrow. Public version: anonymous friend will talk to her trustees but even if they say no, or it takes too long, then we can consider the camera issue solved.¡±
¡°Oh? How?¡±
¡°She''ll replace ten or fifteen cameras out of her own pocket in exchange for a contract that says she, her friends and relatives get one when they visit. The company would be fools to refuse an offer like that, I think, since it costs them nothing to accept and strongly implies that they lose customers if they don''t.¡±
¡°Well! That''s generous of her!¡±
¡°Apparently, Security have paid for it, by way of rent for her house. But we don''t pass that on.¡±
¡°Well, it''s still coming out of her pocket!¡±
¡°I know that, and so does she. But the good thing is that she can do that as an individual, and people just call her eccentric and publicity shy. But there''s no way Security could do it without raising questions about what''s so special about this place all of a sudden.¡±
¡°That''s very true. I suppose I should get up and we can tell the others.¡±
¡°Are you OK, Pris, really?¡±
¡°I guess my new toes don''t like the cold. I''ve got extra thick socks on, but they still feel chilly after standing around in the cold most of the day. They were even starting to get numb earlier.¡±
¡°And when exactly were you planning to tell us?¡±
¡°I wasn''t.¡±
¡°Come on, let''s see them.¡± Bella ordered.
Reluctantly, with more cajoling, Pris got out of her sleeping bag and allowed Bella to check her toes.
¡°Your socks are wet, woman!¡± Bella pointed out.
¡°What?¡±
¡°Didn''t you notice?¡±
¡°No, I just thought they were cold.¡±
¡°Priscilla Robertson, you need to look after regrown toes better than this.¡±
¡°I just thought it was cold.¡±
¡°Because your new nerves aren''t quite functioning right, are they?¡±
¡°I guess not. Pass my bag, will you, I''ve got others.¡±
¡°There you are. I''ll check your boots.¡±
¡°I did put waterproofing on them, and they don''t look wet.¡±
Bella examined them critically. The leather looked fine. ¡°How old are they?¡±
¡°Quite. Mostly I''m in warm places.¡±
¡°Hmm. So you''ve not really worn them in several years?¡±
¡°True.¡±
¡°I think the soles are leaking. Look.¡± Bella showed Pris the crosswise cracks she''d seen on one of them. There were similar cracks on the other one too.
¡°That''s not good news is it?¡±
¡°No standing in puddles for you, anyway.¡±
¡°But we''re going to be walking round in snow, and it''ll melt, surely? Unless it''s really cold. If I''m going to need to stay on dry ground, I might as well not have come. I''ll have to try to get replacements somehow. I feel like an idiot.¡± Pris said, sounding defeated.
¡°I''ve heard about the problem, and I''m pretty sure there was some sort of field solution.¡± Bella said. ¡°Are your feet feeling warmer now they''re dry?¡±
¡°Yes, thanks.¡±
¡°That''s good. Do you want to come, or shall I go?¡±
¡°I''ll come. At least it''s not rubbish circulation, but it''s really odd I didn''t feel like they were wet.¡±
¡°Like the man said, freshly regrown flesh doesn''t like cold, I guess.¡±
¡°I do wonder how he recognised me.¡±
¡°Well your picture was on most of the news channels when you testified.¡±
¡°If I''m that well known, you know what it means?¡±
¡°No more running around keeping a low profile?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Pris, I''ve got a question for you.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
Bella dropped her voice to an almost whisper ¡°Does a courier have to be low profile? I mean, milady next door...¡±
¡°Isn''t exactly being low profile, is she?¡± Pris answered with a grin, but in equally hushed terms.
¡°But on the other hand, I wonder how much it''s a smoke-screen. Do we ever meet the real Eliza?¡±
¡°I don''t think there was anything false about her prayer, or about asking for the Bible study.¡± Pris pointed out.
¡°Good point. Let''s go and share the good news, and the bad news about your shoes.¡±
¡°Yes. Lets.¡±
It was warmer in the kitchen area than the bedroom, and Trevor had put some water on to boil. The combination of these probably explained why the others were there. ¡°We bring glad tidings of great joy.¡± Bella said.
¡°Oh? Has a saviour been born unto us in David''s town?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°Not recently, but yes, he was. Bella has more recent news,¡± Pris replied.
¡°We almost certainly don''t need to worry about the cameras.¡±
¡°Do tell!¡±
¡°I called my friend who''ll be rich one day. She''ll talk to the trustees about taking over the company. There''s other elements which she thinks make it a sensible move but it''s not going to be up to her. On the other hand, even if that doesn''t work out, she said that she''s been planning to come here and doesn''t want the present cameras anywhere near her. So she''s quite prepared to buy ten or fifteen fixed cameras with decent security on them, and get a contract from the company that says in exchange for her giving them the cameras then she and her friends get allocated to the area with decent privacy whenever they visit.¡±
¡°Oooh, I like it!¡± Trevor said. ¡°The company get to choose between either upsetting a customer and her friends for no financial motive, or installing some decent cameras, which they can then mention in their publicity.¡±
¡°You mean, ''Responding to customer demand, we''re proud to announce stage one of our increased privacy programme, ensuring that only authorised staff can access the wood-pile cameras''?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°Would they really advertise that their current security cameras are no good?¡± Pris asked.
¡°I think I read a customer review about them. So they might.¡± Trevor said.
¡°And they''d probably charge a premium for it too.¡± Eliza suggested.
Bella shrugged her shoulders ¡°Personally, I don''t care if they charge extra. Those cameras were a show-stopper as far as I was concerned.¡±
Nigel nodded ¡°I agree. The guy in the office will know who''s staying, but that''s no reason for everyone on the site to know, and be able to find out exactly where they are too.¡±
¡°It won''t actually cost her very much either.¡± Dirk said. ¡°I hadn''t thought of doing it piece-meal, but it makes good sense and cuts the costs and installation time massively. I''ve noticed that when you buy twenty cameras then most companies will decide you''re a big corporation and charge you full rate, but if you buy ten or fifteen they give you a discount or throw in the base-station for free.¡±
¡°Would the base-station be compatible with more cameras, if they ever decided to roll out phase two one day?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Almost certainly.¡± Dirk replied.
¡°So, we can get on to our next problem.¡± Bella said. ¡°Pris''s boots have sole-rot.¡±
¡°You got them soon after basic training?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°Yes. Why?¡±
¡°I had some identical ones, same problem. Something went wrong at the factory. They replaced mine for free.¡±
¡°Well, that''s nice to know. What do I do now?¡± Pris asked. ¡°My new nerve endings apparently don''t notice when my feet are wet and just say they''re cold.¡±
¡°Pris, I''ve just thought, you had wet socks on in your sleeping bag, didn''t you?¡± Bella asked, ¡°your sleeping bag will be wet.¡±
¡°I''ll get it, we can dry it on the stove.¡± Dirk said. ¡°With your permission, ladies?¡±
¡°Please, Dirk.¡± Pris said.
¡°Mine''s still on my pack.¡± Bella added.
¡°There was a field repair for sole-rot.¡± Nigel remembered.
¡°I know. I even used it.¡± Dirk said. ¡°I can''t remember what it was though. I had to spread something on something else and stick it inside. It didn''t work a hundred percent, but it sure helped.¡±
¡°Glue and a special bit of plastic?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°No! Field repair, you know, nothing you didn''t have on basic training.¡± Dirk said.
¡°I don''t remember having anything except the clothes I stood up in on basic training.¡± Eliza commented.
¡°Sounds right.¡± Pris agreed. ¡°That''s what field repairs call for: approximately no equipment, just some knowledge or ingenuity.¡±
¡°I think we''re out of both.¡± Trevor said. ¡°I''ll look it up.¡±
¡°Boring!¡± Eliza said.
¡°How about some plastic or foil under the inner-sole?¡± Nigel suggested.
¡°It might work.¡± Pris agreed.
¡°Fat, or waterproofing wax. That was it.¡± Dirk remembered, arriving back with the sleeping bag. ¡°You take out the innersole, and spread fat or waterproofing wax, nice and thickly on plastic or thick foil if you''ve got some, or paper or even straight onto the bottom of the innersole if you can''t. Then put it in, sticky side down. Works best on nice dry boots, of course, even better if they''re warm. Fat doesn''t do much for the boots of course, but either one should keep a lot of the water out.¡±
¡°Well, since the boots are dead anyway...¡± Pris said.
¡°I''d go for the waterproofing wax.¡± Nigel said. ¡°If you go smothering the inside of the boot with fat then there''s probably no way they''ll exchange it.¡±
¡°Sorry, Pris.¡± Trevor said. ¡°I''ve just found out, the company issued a time-limited recall on all affected boots. It lasted a few years but ran out three months ago.¡±
¡°Typical. So if I''d gone on my summer holiday rather than to hospital, then I''d have got wet feet in summer and some new boots.¡±
¡°Another charge against Roland Underwood''s name.¡± Bella said. ¡°I''m not sure it really compares to the others.¡±
¡°Probably not. But it''s just hitting me, again and again on this trip, just how much he''s wrecked my life. I''d imagined that I was going to pick up the pieces one by one and get back to couriering, but I don''t think that''s going to happen either.¡±
¡°Why not?¡± Nigel asked.
¡°Because if I''m so recognisable now that some complete stranger knows who I am, then I''m hardly able to blend in with the crowd, am I?¡±
¡°Pris, you''re forgetting something.¡± Nigel said.
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°I had to put down names on the booking form. I didn''t think of using aliases. He had plenty of time to scratch his head about why your name rang a bell, do a few searches on the network, even.¡±
¡°Nigel,¡± Pris started, then, totally surprising herself, stepped towards him and kissed him full on the lips. Stepping back, she said, ¡°thank you, you''ve just given me my future back.¡± Then as everyone''s shocked faces registered and she thought about what she''d done she added ¡°I''m already embarrassed about that kiss, and probably will be more so later. But you deserved it.¡±
¡°I''m really really sorry for making you think you''d lost your future, Pris,¡± Nigel replied, his mind still in turmoil ¡°I didn''t want to do that.¡±
¡°I think I''ve noticed something.¡± Bella said.
¡°What''s that?¡±
¡°That some of us, and I include myself, are being just slightly emotional today.¡±
¡°Urm, guilty.¡± Pris agreed, turning redder.
Nigel nodded too, thinking of how Eliza had brought those old memories back to life. His armour was getting rusty in a cupboard, and he''d thought of selling it once or twice. Now he was thinking of polishing it instead. All because of a pretty dress, worn by a dark-haired pretty girl. But Pris was equally pretty, and also had dark hair. And she had clearance to one alpha. Higher than him, but only just. She and Eliza were about the same height; the right height. Pris was a Christian, Eliza was close, but not there yet. They were both attractive. But that kiss. Wow! He''d been kissed before, but never quite as spontaneously as that. Was it just thanks? Was there more behind it? He''d have expected it more from Eliza; she was fascinated by his history, and clearly spontaneous. Part of that might be her age; she was so young, ten years his junior. But Pris? Was she interested in him? Two very different but beautiful women. Surely, they couldn''t both be interested in him? He didn''t want to hurt either, but nor did he want to pass up this... opportunity God had seemingly provided. Help, Lord! He realised he needed to pay more attention to Bella.
¡°And I''ve noticed in the past that when I''m this emotional three things help. A cup of tea, which I think is still coming, and even better, prayer.¡± she was saying.
¡°It is. But what''s the third?¡± Nigel agreed.
¡°Getting some sleep. Which I suggest we do at some reasonable hour rather than trying to discuss God until two AM.¡±
¡°Agreed.¡± Eliza said, feeling quite emotional about that kiss too. She was honest enough to see that Pris and Nigel as a couple made sense. They were both Christians, and of similar ages. But... oh, she was going to be jealous. God? She thought, is this your idea of a joke? That I meet someone I imagine to be my perfect man, spend the afternoon swapping stories with him, and barely twelve hours after meeting him I have to watch someone I know and respect snare his heart? Does Pris even want him? She''s embarrassed herself, is that because she does or doesn''t want him?
¡°I don''t think prayer is really an option for me.¡± Dirk said. ¡°But I''ll settle for tea, bible-study and sleep.¡±
¡°Dirk,¡± Pris said, ¡°There''s nothing anywhere that says only God''s people can pray.¡±
¡°Just honesty and good manners.¡± he responded, ¡°How can I talk to someone I don''t know anything about, or even believe in, really.¡±
¡°I once heard of someone giving a summary of the Bible in about ten minutes.¡± Nigel said. ¡°Obviously it left a lot out, and I don''t remember it all, but I can look it up if you like.¡±
¡°It''d be good to have some framework to hang stuff on. Yes please.¡± Dirk agreed.
¡°Go on, be brave.¡± Eliza challenged him, ¡°Try without technology.¡±
¡°Is this a solo exercise, or do I get some help?¡± Nigel appealed to Trevor ¡°You were there, too Trev.¡±
¡°I was.¡± he acknowledged ¡°I''ll try to help.¡±
¡°OK... I''ll try, after a quick prayer. Father God, help me not skip what Dirk and Eliza need to hear. Amen.¡± he took a deep breath. ¡°Here goes: Just before the Big Bang, God said ''let there be light.'' and he made time and space and everything that filled them, everything that exists visible or invisible. He Himself is outside time, beyond the restrictions of time, and beyond the restrictions of the universe. He does not need the universe: he made it, and every subatomic particle in the universe only continues to exist because of his desire that it should. Out of the quantum soup he separated light and darkness, matter, solid, liquid and gas. He made stars and planets and our earth. And he filled the Earth with life. Life in the sky and sea and on the land. And he made mankind; just two to start with, Adam and Eve. And they lived with God in a garden that he''d made for them, called Eden. God''s rule was undisputed, his people were happy, and were living in a wonderful place. But we need to introduce another figure into the story, a crafty, malicious creature, called the serpent. Later on in the Bible we read about the most splendid of God''s angels becoming so proud he wanted to take God''s place, and how he was thrown to earth; maybe the serpent is this same angel, like some people say it is, but there are others who say the later passage is just talking about a king. Or maybe, the passage is talking about both. Saying the king has become as proud as this angel who rebelled and was kicked out of his previous home. But anyway, one day, in the garden, one of the created beings, a serpent, tells the woman nice things will happen if she disobeys God, and she falls for the lie, and then so does the man. And God asked them what had gone wrong, and the man said ''It''s all her fault'', and the woman said ''It''s all the snake''s fault'', and no one was very happy after that. God loved his creation, but rebellion, sin (which means failing to live up to standards), and human death had entered the world. God''s perfect creation was damaged by the deadliest enemy ¡ª rebellion against him.¡±
Trevor jumped in ¡°We can, sometimes, be quite tolerant of people sinning against us, because we know that we''re just as nasty as they are. But God is perfect. Sin can''t exist in his presence, he has to hide his face it or it''d be blown away, along with the person who did it. So God came up with a plan. A way that the sin could be dealt with. It was his secret plan and it was scandalously dependent on frail humans. It was also so shocking that he kept it a secret. But God gave hints and promises ¡ª and he told Adam and Eve that one day sin would be dealt with, one day the serpent''s head would be crushed, even though the person who did that would suffer as that happened.¡±
Nigel took over again, ¡°With sin loose in the world, things went from bad to worse. Adam and Eve had two sons Cain and Abel, and when something upset Cain, he killed his little brother. Then they had another son, called Seth, and we guess they had some daughters as well, but the Bible''s a bit silent on that. Anyway, somehow Cain and Seth got wives, and the cycle of sin and violence, murder and presumably rape too kept on growing until there was only one man alive that tried to obey God. I guess sin was in the DNA, as well as the culture. If God didn''t intervene then even that good line would be in trouble. So, God didn''t put up with all the sin any more and sent a flood, killing every human except Noah and his family. And after the flood was over, God gave another promise: no more global destruction, and he pointed at the rainbow and said, look, I''ve hung up my bow, I''m not at war with humanity any more. Of course, sin was still in the world, and people were born, sinned in various ways and died. Some a bit better than others, but all sinners, none fit to live with God, without being rescued from the consequences of their sin. Eventually a man called Abraham came on the scene, and I need a drink. Your turn, Trevor.¡± Bella had made the tea.
¡°Abram was born into a pagan family, who probably worshipped the moon instead of God, but Abram listened to God, and left his relatives to go where God told him to go, and eventually got his name changed to Abraham. God told him that one day all the land he sees will belong to his family. And God told him more of the plan. The promised serpent crusher would come from Abraham''s children. Which Abraham thought was a bit of a joke, since he was a hundred and his wife, Sarah, was ninety and they were childless. But nothing''s impossible for God, and they did have a boy, Isaac. Isaac had a bit of a dysfunctional family, but God repeated his promise to his son, Jacob. Jacob was a cheat and a swindler, and had his own family problems, but he had twelve sons. One upset his brothers so much they decided to kill him, and then changed their minds and sold him as a slave instead.¡±
¡°What a charming family.¡± Dirk commented.
¡°And these were the good guys?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°These were the unlikely people that God decided to use, yes.¡±
¡°So, Jacob''s son, Joseph goes down to Egypt as a slave, gets a reputation as a dream interpreter, interprets the king''s dream, which he said warned of seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. He gives some good advice and gets made prime-minister in order to see it through. The famine hits his family back home and dad sends the brothers off to Egypt when they hear that someone''s been stockpiling all that surplus grain for the past seven years.¡±
¡°Whereupon he gives the brothers their comeuppance?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°No, whereupon he forgives his brothers, invites the whole family down and gets the king to give them some prime sheep-farming land to keep their sheep on, along with enough grain to eat.¡±
¡°A nice guy at last!¡± commented Eliza.
¡°Oh, I forgot, Jacob had another name ¡ª Israel.¡± Trevor added.
¡°As in Jerusalem?¡± Dirk asked, quick on the uptake.
Nigel answered ¡°Yes. Jacob''s descendants live in Egypt and after a few generations they get turned into slaves by a new king, and eventually leave.
"Of course the Egyptians weren''t happy with their workers leaving and it took miraculous help from God, through his chosen leader ¡ª Moses, to show the Egyptians who was really in charge. Moses gives the Israelites a lot of advice and laws, the most important of which are called the ten commandments. Moses leads them back to the land that God had promised to Abraham, gives them the rules by which God should be worshiped and establishes a priesthood. Through Moses, God tells the people that one day another Moses-type leader will emerge, who you really need to listen to.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
"So ''God''s people'' now means the people of Israel, the right place for them is in the promised land, and in particular worshipping God at a portable shrine centered around a box called the Ark of the Covenant, which represents God''s throne, and God''s rule is shown by them obeying God and teaching their kids to do the same thing through the laws Moses gave them. At least, that''s the plan. The implementation wasn''t so great.
"This force which came out of Egypt got scared at seeing who was in the promised land already and said if that''s who we''ve got to fight then let''s go back to Egypt.
"God is patient with them, and rather than washing his hands of them entirely, he lets them wander around in the desert for forty years miraculously feeding them until the generation of scaredy-cats have passed on and their children march in and do a half-hearted job of clearing out the very sinful Canaanites, rather than the total job they''re supposed to. Rather than a clean start with no bad influences, there''s still plenty of other people around to lead the people of God astray, and they do.
"So, with that patchy start as a proto-state, Israel descends to something verging on anarchy when this group who the Bible still calls God''s chosen people try to fit in with all the sinning peoples they''re living amongst. There''s this cycle ¡ª Israel sins, God sends nations to punish them, Israel wakes up, calls to God for help. He sends them a leader called a Judge who reinstates the worship of God and kicks the enemy out. The judge dies and the people go back to the bad old ways. Only by the end there were quite a few judges who kicked the enemy out without really reinstating the worship of God. Then, God lets them have a king, and then when he goes bad, replaces him with a better one, called David. David''s a high point, but he''s obviously not the serpent crusher, he fails quite spectacularly in some areas. David captures Jerusalem from the pagans, writes a lot of songs for worshipping God, and God reveals to him a bit more of his plan ¡ª David will have a descendent who will rule the whole earth. And in one of the songs, David calls this descendent his Lord. And that bit is a big clue: David should have called his descendent, ''oi, you, kiddo'', not ''my Lord''. David''s son, Solomon, builds an impressive temple to God in Jerusalem, which God declares to be his permanent residence on Earth. But because of sin then things start to go down hill even before Solomon dies, probably a lot to do with multiple political marriages and I can''t remember how many hundred wives and second-class wives. The country eventually splits in two, and God keeps on sending people called prophets who give a lot more clues about God''s plan and also warn the people that they''re going to be in really deep trouble if they don''t worship him properly. Of course, the people don''t listen and eventually both halves of the country get taken over by various foreign powers, and most of the people are moved somewhere else. But finally, they learn their lesson, at least partially: Everyone in Israel knew that God and God alone is the one who should be worshipped, and they realise that this marrying outside your religion thing their ancestors loved to do was a really bad idea. Quite a lot, but not all, go back to live in the promised land, and by the time of around what we might call minus five on today''s calendar, everyone there is waiting for the son that David was promised. In Hebrew this person is called the Messiah and in Greek, the Christ, both mean the anointed one. And the prophets said he will bring in God''s unchallenged rule on Earth. Of course, the people aren''t thinking big enough, and think he''ll do that like his famous ancestor, David, with lots of battles. They really wanted to see their enemies, in particular the Roman empire, trembling in fear rather than lording it over them as they were doing at the moment.¡±
Trevor interjected ¡°And then angels bring good news of great joy for all mankind. The serpent crusher, the Messiah, has arrived. A little baby, in the arms of a young woman called Mary, who got pregnant when she was engaged but without getting married first. Now, there''s a normal way for that to happen, which involves sin, and then there''s God''s way which doesn''t. The first time she lay with a man was after her first son was born. So, the virgin Mary has a baby boy, and they give him the name Yesua, or Jesus, which means God saves. God is happy enough about this event to mark it in the skies, and some astrologers see it. They ask at the palace where God''s wonderful new king is, and thus really upset the current murderous monarch, who knew it wasn''t any of his offspring. So, when they''ve found the little family and given them gifts, the little family flee the country for a while, until that king has died. And just to be safe, they don''t go back to Bethlehem where Jesus was born, but Nazareth, where Joseph and Mary grew up.¡±
¡°And now we get to the shocking bit.¡± Nigel said ¡°In some totally incomprehensible way, this human boy Jesus was also God. God the all-powerful and incomprehensibly wise had put himself into Mary''s womb as a tiny cluster of cells, or maybe a single sperm cell. And the creator of the universe learned how to walk and talk and tie his own shoelaces. But unlike every other boy and girl around him, before him or after him, he didn''t sin. He didn''t rebel against God''s authority. Even more confusingly, Jesus who is God, spoke to God and called him his Father, and God from heaven spoke of Jesus as his son. Jesus said that he was one with the Father, and that he was before Abraham was born. Jesus, this human being, was very clearly marked out by God as the messiah, but he wasn''t the sort of messiah people expected. And furthermore, he said things that made it clear that he was claiming to be God. All this was too much for the religious authorities of the day and they had the Romans crucify him as leading an insurrection, overriding the judge''s complaint that Jesus was innocent. They managed that with the powerful argument that the judge would get in massive trouble if he let go someone claiming to be the king of a nation famous for its rebel tendencies. That he would be crucified was no surprise to Jesus, and he''d predicted it multiple times. But his followers hadn''t believed it would happen, and were shattered when it did. Jesus had also told them that he''d rise from the dead after three days, and when he did they didn''t believe the first few people who''d seen him, until he came and talked to them. After forty days... I think it was forty, anyway I get confused ... anyway, he was taken into heaven and then fifty days after he was crucified, just as the Old Testament prophets and Jesus had promised, God sent the Spirit of God onto the people who''d believed in Jesus. They were transformed from amazed but terrified people hiding in a room in Jerusalem into people who fearlessly spoke about all that Jesus had said and done to massive crowds. They started in Jerusalem, and used the infrastructure of the Roman empire to spread the message of God all through the world, not just to the Israelites, but to anyone who would listen.
¡°Those confusing statements by the prophets and Jesus eventually led to what we call the Trinity, which makes wave-particle duality look easy.
"There is only one God, and he is one. God the Father is God, God the Son is God, God the Spirit is God, but the Father is different to the Son, and both are different to the Spirit. ¡°God''s people are those who believe in Jesus, whatever their ethnicity, God is present in every believer''s heart, and God''s rule is demonstrated every time the believer takes a stand against sin, and through the help of the Holy Spirit and the power of Jesus'' victory, wins.
"Indeed, some Christians, particularly those who have turned to Christ in rejection of some sin or addiction, find that their desire to those specific sins has vanished once they ask Jesus to be Lord of their lives.
"That makes sense, because the Bible says that Jesus'' death on the cross has broken the power of sin, and even death is mortally wounded. He took our sins on himself, let them be nailed to the cross, and left them in hell where they belong. He took the punishment we deserve, washing us clean in God''s sight, and so he won the victory over sin and death for us who believe. And more than that, even. Those who are saved in Christ''s name, who are in that way saved in Christ are also given eternal life with Christ and adopted into God''s family. And one day, he has promised he will return, and bring in the time when everyone who has trusted God will be raised to life, and God will once again walk with his people, in a world entirely free from sin.¡±
¡°And that, Dirk, Eliza, is roughly speaking the Bible from beginning to end.¡± Pris said, ¡°They went over time though. And, I don''t actually remember reading the words ''quantum soup'' anywhere.¡±
¡°Or Big Bang.¡± Bella added.
¡°Oh, but that one''s there.¡± Nigel said. ¡°God said ''let there be light'', and there was light. I''d like to see you do better at explaining the Big Bang to an illiterate bunch of iron-age manual labourers and shepherds.¡± Bella thought for a moment. ¡°OK, I''ll accept that. But what about the quantum soup?¡±
¡°The earth was formless and void?¡± suggested Trevor.
¡°Hmm. Not so convincing. I think you inserted a bit too much modern thinking there, Nigel.¡±
¡°Has God changed?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°No.¡± Bella said.
¡°Do you think, assuming that there was a quantum soup like we''ve been taught in schools, that God formed it and used it, and separated it so that this world would form?¡± Nigel asked.
¡°Of course.¡± Bella agreed.
¡°Then I rest my case. Dirk, Eliza, was that useful?¡±
¡°I think so, yes.¡± Eliza said.
Dirk had been listening silently throughout. He turned to Pris. ¡°You didn''t tell me.¡±
¡°What didn''t I tell you?¡±
¡°Well, most of that.¡±
¡°I admit that, but was there something in particular?¡±
¡°Your God''s been planning to save people from sin since the first humans sinned?¡±
¡°Before, actually.¡± Trevor corrected.
¡°You implied, or at least, I interpreted what you said, as though if I asked God nicely enough then he might get round to helping me with my struggle with gossiping.¡±
¡°Sorry if that''s what it sounded like.¡± Pris said. ¡°I can''t promise a miracle, I can''t promise that God will take the temptation away. All I can say is what the Bible says: in Christ we''ve got all we need to live holy lives. We can resist temptation, as long as we''re staying close to Him, not in a physical sense, you know, in a... a... help!¡± she looked to Nigel.
¡°Pris means that as long as you''re in contact with God, through prayer, Bible-reading, and all the rest of the things that we call Christian living, then he''ll willingly guide you and lend you his strength when you need it, but if for some reason you''re ignoring him at the crisis point, then you''re not going to be likely to ask him for help, are you?¡±
¡°How do I sign up?¡± Dirk asked simply.
¡°That''s it?¡± Eliza asked. ¡°You''re willing to sign on the dotted line already? You''re the ''give me time to think'' guy!¡±
¡°I''ve thought, Eliza. I found myself writing a gossipy message the other day and almost blew the reason for this trip into the public sphere. I need help, I need this victory.¡±
¡°Dirk, the normal way is that people learn about what they''re doing, and who they''re committing themselves to, first.¡± Pris said, ¡°You know, most people don''t pick a name of a stranger out of a hat and then promise to marry them.¡±
¡°But there are things called arranged marriages. I trust you people, I trust their Majesties. If you''re willing to trust God then so am I. I want in, I''m happy to do the get-to-know-God stuff later.¡±
¡°Dirk, this isn''t a matter for a spur of the moment decision.¡± Pris said, gently ¡°This is a decision that should change your life, you should know what and who you''re committing yourself to.¡±
¡°Of course it should change my life. I''m making a pledge of allegiance to the King of the universe, aren''t I? Of course it''s life-changing. But with all due respect, I don''t want to wait until I know what size his underpants are. He''s King, and at the moment, I''m a rebel. I don''t like that state of affairs, not one bit. I want it to change. Tell me how to change sides, please.¡±
¡°Dirk''s decided, but I need to think.¡± Eliza said and adopted what she thought of as her thinking posture, crossed-legged on the floor, with her elbows on her knees. What was it that was holding her back? The Bible-overview had been... new. So full of information. Obviously bits were missed. She''d looked at how long the Bible was. Nigel and Trevor had skipped some key things, she was sure, like sacrifices, and they''d only touched on some things she remembered from religious education classes: the plagues of Egypt, for instance. It was enough for Dirk to know that God was the King of the universe. But what sort of ruler was he. She wanted to know. Therefore, she wasn''t ready yet. And she wasn''t prepared to talk openly to Pris right now, not after that kiss.
¡°I''m not ready yet. So Bella, while the others allow Dirk to sign away his future, can we talk?¡±
¡°Urm, OK. Sure.¡±
They withdrew to Eliza''s room. ¡°So, Eliza, how can I help?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Hmm, what a question! Anything?¡±
¡°Within reason of course.¡±
¡°Well, maybe I''ll ask you for a favour later. But first... God, what''s he actually like?¡±
¡°In what sense?¡±
¡°I guess I''m asking is he a kind old grandpa, a grumpy old man, an arrogant despot?¡±
¡°Oh. And you had to ask me, did you?¡±
¡°Why not?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Well, I only became a Christian two and a bit weeks ago.¡±
¡°So you should remember what it''s like not being one then. Does everything change like Dirk is expecting?¡±
¡°Not everything. I''ve still got the same number of heads, arms, legs and fingers.¡±
¡°But otherwise?¡±
¡°Otherwise? I''m still me. I''m not possessed by a scary power who''s making me do things I don''t want to do.¡±
¡°And has what you want to do changed?¡±
¡°Not massively, no. I''ve got some new wants. I want to spend time with Christians, I like to talk about God. I want to honour God, which means for instance that neither Trevor nor I want to give in to mindless biochemistry.¡±
¡°So your little walk before lunch when you came back with snow in your hair...¡±
¡°Was a little bit of walking, a little snowball fighting, in which we proved that I can aim and Trevor can''t really, some talking and a little bit of hugging, which, I hasten to spell out in case you''ve got a dirty mind, was nothing I wouldn''t do in public, although maybe in public it wouldn''t have lasted quite so long.¡±
¡°So if Trevor can''t aim, how did the snow get in your hair? He hit you in the head?¡±
¡°No. He stuffed a snowball down my back. Which was only... educational. I''d tried the same trick on him.¡±
¡°You tried, he succeeded? How is that educational?¡±
¡°He was pointing out that he''s as sneaky as me and stronger.¡±
¡°I thought he had an office job.¡±
¡°Yes, but he also hangs off mountains for fun.¡± Bella pointed out.
¡°Oh. Really? Not just office work, OK.¡±
¡°But getting back to your question... God is trustworthy, He''s good, and He takes the long view, which isn''t our view at all. Beyond that... I don''t know much of the Bible, but someone pointed this bit out to me recently.¡± She showed Eliza Psalm 103.
After she''d read it, Eliza said ¡°That''s quite a poem.¡±
¡°It is.¡±
¡°Any more good bits?¡±
¡°Oooh, yes. Lots. How about when people tried to get Jesus in trouble?¡±
¡°They did that? Of course they did. How did they do that?¡±
¡°Hmm. There''s probably more, but there are two different occasions I can think of. In the first of them, the religious elite ask Jesus if according to the Jewish law they need to pay tax to the Romans. He says yes, the crowd don''t like him any more. He says no, then the soldiers who might be round the corner get him as a trouble maker.¡±
¡°OK, yep, not the sort of question you want to be asked. What did he say, somehow I don''t expect it was lots of waffle?¡±
¡°Absolutely no waffle or compromise. He got someone to show him a coin, and asked ''whose picture is this?'' They said, ''It''s Caesar''s''. Now, putting your image on a lump of metal was a bad thing to do in Jewish culture, especially if you worship it. And of course the popular accusation against the rich religious elite was that they worshipped money. Furthermore, the Old Testament says God made man in His image. So Jesus said ''Give to Caesar what is Caesar''s and to God what is God''s''. In other words, you''ve just said it was Caesar''s coin and clearly you wouldn''t want to claim that forbidden image was something important to you, like you worshipped it or something, would you? Not if you''re a faithful Jew. So, give it back to Caesar. But just like that coin''s image says something about its ultimate ownership, the religious authorities ought to know they''re bearing God''s image, and he''s publicly reminding them they should give God the whole-hearted worship they owe him, not just lip-service.¡±
¡°So the Romans hear what they want to hear, and the crowd are lapping it up too?¡±
¡°And there''s another point too. Respect for the civic authorities, but very little for religious authorities if they''re not representing God properly.¡±
¡°Interesting attitude for someone starting a new religion.¡± Eliza said.
¡°That''s what I said, and got corrected.¡± Bella admitted ¡°He wasn''t starting a new religion. He was fulfilling an old one, and correcting it where human religion and religiosity had become more important than God''s attitude.¡±
¡°Interesting¡± Eliza pondered. ¡°You had another example?¡±
¡°Yes. One day Jesus got told ''We''ve caught this woman committing adultery, what do we do with her?'' Again, a tricky question, because the Old Testament law said that both adulterers should be stoned to death, but the Roman''s didn''t allow lynchings.¡±
¡°And they''d only caught the woman?¡±
¡°Maybe the man was a friend of theirs or something. The Bible is entirely silent on him.¡±
¡°Jesus'' solution? I''m sure I vaguely remember this from R.E. class.¡±
¡°He said that whoever hadn''t sinned should throw the first stone. They left one by one until it was just Jesus and the woman. I''d need to look up what he said, to get it exactly right but it was something like ''What happened to all the men that brought you here, have they all gone?'' She said ''Yes'', and he replied ''In that case I won''t condemn you either, but leave your life of sin''.¡±
¡°I do remember it. He gave her a second chance, didn''t he.¡±
¡°Yes. Again, he was uncompromisingly clear that sin was totally wrong, but at the same time he was merciful. I like God; he''s great.¡±
¡°The conclusion that our teacher drew from it was don''t judge people, you''re just as bad. I like yours better. You know, on Wednesday, a teenager asked me why I didn''t believe in God, since I didn''t seem stupid, and then when I said that I''d just told Karen that I didn''t see why one version of God was better than another she retracted her statement. In other words I did seem stupid.¡±
¡°Ooh, cutting! You can rely on teens to be tactful, can''t you?¡±
¡°Yes. I''m beginning to see her point though. There''s no way that your version of God is like the others'', is there?¡±
¡°Not that I can see.¡±
¡°And you''ve really got a passage somewhere that says all I need to do is sign on the bottom line and I''m safe for all eternity?¡±
¡°Yes. Several, actually.¡±
¡°So what''s to stop me doing that and then living as I want to?¡±
¡°There''s probably a verse or two about that too. You''d really swear fealty and then go back on your word? I don''t think God''s going to be happy about people who take that attitude. It''s oath-breaking, after all.¡±
¡°It is, isn''t it. No. I don''t want to go there, I was just wondering. What is the oath?¡±
¡°It''s not actually an oath, it''s a plea for rescue. It goes like this:¡± And Bella told Eliza the prayer that Pris, Albert and Eliza had lead her through.
¡°So I''d offer unconditional surrender in exchange for forgiveness?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°I guess so. I hadn''t thought of it like that.¡±
¡°I''ll be changing sides, so it makes sense. But not yet. Still too many questions. Like: do you really give much credence to the stuff about fallen angels?¡±
¡°I''ve known demons are real since I was a teenager, Eliza.¡± Bella said. ¡°I just tried to convince myself that the supernatural was superstitious rubbish because I was so scared of the alternative. So, yeah, I got a second chance too.¡±
¡°You sound like you''re speaking personal experience? What on earth happened, your class-mates tried to raise a demon and succeeded?¡± Eliza wasn''t sure if she said that in shock or disbelief.
¡°No. I did, sort of.¡±
¡°Urm. Could you expand on that?¡±
¡°Yes. But first, when did you decide that you were going to wear that assassin''s badge on your belt there?¡±
¡°That? I decided I''d wear it when I earned it.¡±
¡°Yes, but when did you set out to learn how to kill people? I presume it''s not just saying you won the unarmed combat trophy?¡±
¡°No. No, it''s saying that I learned the dark side of herbal remedies. I already had the weapons skills, so it was pretty easy.¡±
¡°So what made you do it?¡±
¡°I don''t honestly know. I thought, you know, it might come in handy some time.¡±
¡°What, knowing what to put in your enemy''s drink?¡±
¡°More like knowing what to tell the kids to stay well away from. But OK, yes, the sense of knowing stuff others don''t was in there too.¡±
¡°But it was fairly recent, I presume?¡±
¡°Actually, I finished it just before I went on basic training.¡±
¡°And you didn''t think of putting your knowledge into practice on the instructor?¡± Bella asked. The instructors on basic training were, in their own words, ''firm but fair'', which was interpreted by the trainees as meaning ''Everyone else went through this and you''re going to too, unless you wimp out.'' Not many people liked them, especially not during the endurance walk.
¡°Not really.¡± Eliza said with a grin, getting the point immediately. ¡°But then I already knew about living rough.¡±
¡°You''ve been dressing up as an almost princess for a while, then?¡±
¡°I earned this, Bella. Went through the ranks, if you like. When I was fifteen I went out with a boy whose parents were into reenacting. They were going on a reenactment camp, and he begged me to go too, because he found it just so boring, and I think that he thought I would too and I''d want to spend the whole time with him. I don''t quite know why, but my parents agreed that I could with his family. I started learning archery, horse-riding and embroidery, and I loved it all so much he wasn''t talking to me at all by the end of the week. I decided I''d be friends with his little sister instead of him and kept going back with them.¡±
¡°When you were learning to live without much technology, I decided I was going to be a fortune-teller.¡± Bella said.
¡°What, ''a tall dark stranger'' sort of thing?¡±
¡°No. I read too many fantasy books as a kid, and I was utterly convinced, I''ve no idea why, that I either had a latent gift of telekinisis ¡ª you know, moving things by mind power, or of seeing the future. I wasn''t sure which one, but it was like I knew I would do one of them one day. I just had to work out how to unlock the powers that were in me already.¡±
¡°That''s... unusual.¡± Eliza said.
¡°I tried this and that, hypnosis, meditation, and the like. In the end I found some ancient book, I think it was called ''unleashing your inner power for the new age''. I tried all the little rituals it suggested, and its final one was that I called on all the spirits active in the world to unlock my mind and let me see the future. They answered.¡±
¡°Have you told many people this?¡± Eliza asked, feeling uncomfortable that she''d strayed into a very private area of Bella''s life.
¡°No one until I found myself in a situation I''d dreamed about, and got my head looked at by some people with the gift. Since then, in no particular order, I''ve told Trevor, Pris, Maria, the royal family, and a few others. You see, I did start dreaming about the future: I dreamt that Mum would take me to the zoo which was cool; then about the Clear Sky attack, which wasn''t. Then with the analysis of hindsight: at weekends I started having some dreams from God, about the impact, and mid-week I had a lot of very nasty variants on them which weren''t from God, but from another source entirely. Nightmares, multiple ones per night. Most nights I woke up screaming multiple times.
Eventually I went to a lonely place and screamed ''God, anyone, make these dreams stop!'', and after one more dream, they did. And in terror that the nightmares were true, I tried to believe the psych computers when they told me they were just a developmental phase I''d been going through, they were just nightmares, nothing to worry about. In other words I went into denial about it all. Then I got asked to meet someone up in the owner''s lounge, and found myself in the place I''d dreamed about in the last dream, with the people I''d seen there.¡±
¡°The committee on major threat assessment?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Yes. So, you see, I know first-hand that there are unfriendly spiritual forces at work in the world.¡±
¡°And you know that God''s real.¡±
¡°Yes. I do. I tried to deny it for a long time, because I didn''t want to admit the dreams had any validity. I thought it was all or nothing, and I''d forgotten the not-so-scary versions that I had to begin with. But now, there''s no question in my mind.¡±
¡°There are in mine.¡±
¡°I''d noticed.¡± Bella said with a smile. ¡°Such as?¡±
¡°OK, here''s one which is totally irrelevant, sort of. Any idea what Pris was doing? You know, that kiss.¡±
¡°Other than totally embarrassing herself?¡±
¡°Well, yes. Do you think she thought I was getting too much attention for wearing this?¡± she indicated her dress.
¡°Well, it is an attention grabbing dress.¡±
¡°Look, Bella, honestly. I didn''t wake up this morning and decide I''d try and look spectacular and grab the attention of every male over sixteen. I''ve actually got another outfit which would do better at that. This is my favourite outfit and it''s comfortable, stain-proof and with all these layers it''s warm.
It''s also supposed to be fairly bullet- and knife-proof, too, but I''ve not tested those much.¡±
¡°And the attention-grabbing is just a nice side effect?¡±
¡°Look, I half expected everyone would think I was weird. I didn''t know that Nigel was one of us nutters.¡±
¡°OK. OK. I understand. You''re only grabbing all the attention because
Nigel decided to pull his knight-protector personality out of the cupboard and brush the rust off when he saw your outfit.¡±
¡°And since then, we''ve been working out who we know in common, we''ve worked out that His last event was probably my second or third, and I''ve been bringing Nigel up to date on some of his old friends.¡±
¡°And that''s as far as its going to go?¡±
¡°I don''t know.¡± Eliza said, but Bella didn''t need to read any thoughts to hear Eliza''s hope that it might go a lot further.
¡°Quite an age gap,¡± she commented.
¡°I know. Too much?¡±
¡°Less than John and Sarah. But I''ve got a question for you, if you don''t mind me asking.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°If he told you he wasn''t really interested in going back, that he''d grown out of it? Was going to sell his armour and sword. What would that do to your thoughts? If you knew that either you''d holiday apart or he''d pull you away?¡±
Eliza thought. Nigel hadn''t been to a gathering in six or seven years. It was probably true, for all that he recognised her runes, and spoke the lingo.
¡°It''s a possible scenario isn''t it?¡±
¡°Quite. It might even be that he polishes up his armour for you, goes along once more and says ''naah'' I don''t fit in any more.¡±
¡°I think that''d hurt even more.¡±
¡°Sorry to force you to think that way, I''m just wondering, what is there in the man you like now, other than his past.¡±
¡°Well, earlier today I did a comparison between Nigel and a policeman called Darren Jones who''s asked me out.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°I''d rather be single than go out with Sergeant Jones.¡±
¡°Because?¡±
¡°He didn''t even try for Security. Scared of the training and the study. I could respect him if he''d tried and failed, or maybe even if he hadn''t thought of it and just joined the police as a childhood dream. But he had the choice, and decided that the academy sounded scary.¡±
¡°Whereas?¡±
¡°Whereas Nigel put his already wounded face in the way of his brother''s foot to protect a friend of mine, and would put his body in the way of a bullet to save my future king. That level of bravery and dedication is something I can respect.¡±
¡°Those are different threats you''re describing.¡±
¡°I know. One flees from learning, the other doesn''t from physical threats.¡±
¡°Hmm. OK. Want me to pass any of that on to Nigel?¡±
¡°What? No! If he wants to ask I''ll tell him myself.¡±
¡°Just thought I''d ask.¡± Bella said with a grin.
¡°So, now I''ve answered your question, what about Pris? Have I got a rival?¡±
¡°Well, before that kiss, I''d have said she seemed to be doing a lot of talking with Dirk. But maybe that was because Trevor and I were rather monopolizing each other and you two were off in a land of your own. Now? Maybe it
was just totally impulsive, or maybe she''s encouraging the men to make their minds up quickly, but if she''s interested in Dirk then kissing Nigel seems like a high risk strategy. But I don''t want to gossip about people who aren''t here.¡±
¡°Good point.¡±
¡°So, if she happens to ask about your feelings then I''m going to make you talk to each other.¡±
¡°You wouldn''t!¡± Eliza whispered a shout.
¡°Maybe you should anyway. Get it all out into the open. But on the other hand, you need to decide about God, because that''s going to be an important factor.¡±
¡°I was talking to Karen earlier in the week, about God, and I said ''All right, if God drops Mr Right in my lap, I''ll start listening.'' She pointed out that wasn''t a sensible challenge to God, because it would confuse things and end up hurting. I agreed, and I did start listening. So, actually, I''m not ready for Mr Right to come along yet. It''s just I think he has. And it''s confusing things no end.¡±
¡°So things would be simpler if Nigel and Pris got together?¡±
¡°Simpler and sadder, yes.¡±
¡°I don''t suppose you want to pray about it, do you?¡±
¡°Actually, I already have, sort of. I asked God if this was his idea of a joke. What do you think? Does God have a sense of humour?¡±
¡°Duck-billed platypus? Birds without wings? Jesus telling the twelve disciples to feed five thousand people?¡±
¡°I don''t get what you mean. Sorry.¡±
¡°I mean that they prototypical bird has wings, but not all do, mammals don''t lay eggs, unless it''s a duck-billed platypus, and the twelve disciples thought Jesus was joking when he told them to feed the crowd, but they did. Jesus broke the bread into twelve baskets, and then each basket fed a bit over four hundred people, at least according to some interpreters. They thought it was a crazy idea, but God proved them wrong. Yes, I think God''s got a sense of humour. But it''s not vindictive, it''s surprising.¡±
¡°I''ve got a crazy idea.¡±
¡°What''s that?¡±
¡°That I ignore all my questions about Nigel, Pris, my future role in Security, and all the other things that are flying round my head, and concentrate on God.¡±
¡°Doesn''t sound too crazy.¡±
¡°Yes it is. I''m full of questions about him, but I''m going to ask you to repeat that prayer anyway. I mean, it occurs to me that I''ve got to believe he''s real if I go asking Him if he''s having a laugh at me, don''t I?¡±
¡°You''re sure?¡±
¡°Not really, but let''s go for it anyway.¡±
¡°Let''s go for it?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Sorry. One of my pet phrases. To be used when bungee jumping, parachuting or doing any number of other crazy things. I''m sure enough that I''ll take that step.¡±
¡°Here in private, or with more witnesses?¡± Bella asked.
Eliza thought. Realised that she''d missed her brother turning to Christ, and that she''d have liked to witness it, and she was sure that he''d want to witness her doing so. ¡°Witnesses. Dirk at least.¡±
They went to the room, to find that Dirk and Nigel were arm-wrestling. It seemed to be a close match.
¡°What''s going on here?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Final round of the tournament.¡± Pris said. ¡°Trevor beat everyone, but after all my physiotherapy and using the wheel chair, apparently I''ve got more muscles than I thought I had, and I beat Dirk and Nigel. They''re now competing to avoid the humiliation of last place. The far more likely alternative of course is that they both let me win.¡±
¡°Which would be... gallant, I suppose.¡± Eliza said. ¡°Whereas this is just plain cheating.¡± and with that she tickled Nigel on his ear. It didn''t work.
¡°Oooh! He can concentrate.¡± Eliza said, in glee.
¡°What are you doing, Eliza?¡± Nigel said through gritted teeth.
¡°Trying to end the match, and let my big brother win for once, of course.¡±
she said, then seeing that Nigel was starting to beat Dirk added ¡°Clearly more drastic measures are needed.¡± and with that she bent down and whispered something in Nigel''s ear. Nigel burst out laughing, tried to hold on but lost.
¡°What''s the joke?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°She said she''d put itching powder in my socks. It happened to William once. He couldn''t walk straight and slipped into this massive puddle, when he was supposed to be dignified.¡±
¡°Eliza, why spoil the match?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°Because I''ve just realised you''re important to me, big brother. I want you to witness something without being in too much pain. Bella, prompt me if I miss anything important please.¡± Sitting down peacefully, she drew a deep breath, closed her eyes and said ¡°God, I didn''t grow up learning about you. I didn''t grow up following you. I grew up doing my own thing as I felt like it. I realise now, my way isn''t the best, that I''ve been rebelling against you from birth, and I''m dirty in your sight and don''t deserve anything from you. Don''t stay angry at me, please. I surrender to your mercy, and ask that you save me from my sin and rebellion. Make me clean, Jesus. Help me live for you, God, make me change. Be my liege and my King. Guide me into right paths like it says in the Psalm. Give me your Spirit in my heart so I can do what you want me to and a faith that doesn''t turn from you. Did I forget anything?¡±
¡°The cross.¡± Bella prompted.
¡°Thank you, Jesus for the cross, for taking my sins there, for dying the death I deserve. I want to live, God. I want to live for you and with you.¡±
Dirk silently helped his little sister to her feet, and embraced her.
¡°Welcome to the new you.¡±
And Eliza found that she was a new her, because she even accepted a hug from Pris.
¡°Now, Eliza.¡± Trevor said. ¡°You implied that you always beat Dirk at arm wrestling.¡±
¡°Mostly.¡± Eliza said.
¡°So, would you like to join in the fun?¡±
¡°Is there a prize?¡±
¡°The bottom two get all sweaty cutting up some more wood.¡± Dirk said.
¡°I''ve had my shower.¡± Eliza pointed out.
¡°You''d better not lose then. Standard rules: you can challenge anyone, then anyone below you can challenge you, or you can challenge those above you if you win.¡± Dirk said.
¡°All right. I think I''m going to start at the top, since that''s normally mine.¡±
¡°Such pride!¡± Nigel said.
¡°Simple truth.¡± Eliza countered.
¡°All right, Eliza, I''ll accept your challenge.¡± Trevor said, taking off his pullover and rolling up his shirt sleeve.
Bella saw his bare arm for the first time; the muscles were noticeable. ¡°No wonder you could catch my kick.¡±
¡°What''s this, Bella?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Trevor jumped out behind me in the woods when I thought he was a long way away. I thought it was some mugger and reacted appropriately. He just caught my foot like I was some total novice. Unless one of you cheats, you''re going to lose.¡±
¡°Come on, Eliza. Unless you want to withdraw your challenge?¡± Trevor said.
¡°Me, withdraw? Never!¡± It wasn''t much of a contest. After letting Eliza try to move his arm, Trevor started to exert himself a little more and just slowly and steadily pushed Eliza''s hand to the ground.
¡°OK, Trevor''s on top, I admit it.¡±
¡°I''ll challenge you.¡± Pris said. ¡°Let''s get some idea if the boys were cheating.¡±
Nigel admitted ¡°I didn''t want you to freeze again, Pris.¡±
¡°Finally he admits it!¡± Pris said in disgust. ¡°I suggested the wood-chopping, remember? I quite like doing it.¡±
¡°So, shall we?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°I want a fair fight against Nigel first.¡± Pris said, ¡°Then you can take on the victor. Come on Sir Nigel Cheatingnose.¡±
Pris smiled when Nigel won.
¡°That''s more like it. I''d hate to think the world had gone so wrong that I could beat someone in Royal Protection. He''s all yours Eliza.¡±
¡°Good sir knight, wilt thou, for the honour of thy reputation in the fifth kingdom, try thy utmost to beat me?¡±
¡°I shall not resort to foul trickery, noble lady, nor even to the telling of jokes, and I trust by thy virtue thou shall not stoop so low either, though you wear a rune that is now a vile lie.¡±
¡°I do, don''t I? Good job I''ve got my sewing kit with me.¡±
¡°Would it not be meet, milady, to correct this unseemly lie most speedily?¡±
¡°It would Sir Knight, and I thank thee with whole heart for thy kind reminding. It would not be meet to enter a trial of combat wearing such a profanity.¡± She went to her room.
¡°Nigel, can you explain that?¡± Bella asked.
¡°She''s got a symbol on her belt which proudly proclaims that she doesn''t believe in God. She didn''t need to put it on there. It''s a bit like carrying a placard saying ''There''s no God.'' Not really appropriate for a new Christian to keep carrying it, even for a while.¡±
¡°So she''s gone to do three hours of embroidery?¡± Pris asked.
¡°Probably not.¡± Nigel said, ¡°She could have just hidden it or taken the belt off.¡±
¡°Well then, while we''re waiting I''ll challenge you, Nigel.¡± Bella said.
She lost.
Eliza looked at her belt. It hadn''t taken her long to put in some temporary stitches in the Chi-Rho symbol that symbolized her new faith. Later on she''d do a neater job, but at least she wasn''t lying. But she looked at the other symbol beside it, which also wasn''t completely true. Her heart wasn''t empty. There was an etiquette here, but she wasn''t sure if it was recent or not, that when a woman was interested in a man she''d put a hint there, an encouragement to bravery if he was feeling the same way. A man interested in a weaver, for example, wouldn''t put her whole crest on until they were formally a couple, but he might depict a part of a loom. But since Nigel was the only one here who could read the symbols, if she put a sword there, that would be a blatant declaration, Which is exactly what wasn''t supposed to happen. On the other hand, if she put nothing, that too would be a lie, saying she wasn''t interested. She decided that the best she could do was a tiny stitch which would look to uninterested eyes like a bit of dirt. But if he looked, seeking reassurance, it would be there, but she wouldn''t shout it, like for instance a kiss full on the lips. That was proper. She made the stitch, hoping she was doing the right thing. She decided to pray. ¡°God, I don''t want to be dishonest, or to force Nigel''s hand. I pray this is the right thing to do.¡±
She went back to the living room. ¡°My belt now fully speaks the truth, good sir knight, though I will of course replace these crude stitches with finer work when time is more plentiful. Where have Dirk and Pris gone though?¡±
¡°They declared themselves the losers and went to cut up some wood.¡± Nigel said.
¡°Nigel beat me, Eliza, so if you beat him then it''s all finished, but if he wins then I''ll give you a bout, just for curiosity.¡±
¡°All right. Good sir Nigel, I challenge thee.¡±
¡°Very well, milady, sit thee, then, in the chair of challenge.¡± Looking at her belt as she sat he said ¡°The stitches thou said are crude seem most elegant to me, milady.¡±
¡°I''m most glad of thy approval, sir knight.¡± she said, and put her elbow on the table. The battle began. Eliza was determined to win his approval, even if she didn''t beat him. Likewise, Nigel had no desire to appear weak to Eliza. She was fun to be with, and now a Christian, albeit a very young one. He resisted her first probes and watched the emotions on her face.
¡°Triest thou thy hardest, sir knight?¡± she asked.
He realized that he wasn''t actually concentrating on beating her.
He''d got distracted by the feel of her hand and watching her face.
¡°Probably not.¡± he admitted.
¡°Thou playest with me then?¡±
¡°No, I find, however, that my thoughts are wandering.¡±
¡°Then concentrate, man!¡± she said, and slammed his hand onto the table.
¡°Ow.¡± he said a little weakly ¡°Best of three?¡±
¡°If you promise to concentrate.¡±
¡°I''ll try.¡±
They linked hands and he took the initiative and scored a quick victory.
¡°Hey, I wasn''t ready!¡± she protested.
¡°Then concentrate!¡±
¡°Trevor, you be umpire.¡± Bella said.
¡°OK¡± He held their interlocked hands and said ¡°Ready, steady, go!¡± letting go. For what seemed like a long time, they still didn''t move, then Nigel slowly started to win. Eliza strained as hard as she could to resist, but couldn''t. She adjusted her position, half standing, and started to regain her losses. Nigel adjusted his position in the same way, and found that his eyes were drawn away from watching their hands to her belt that was now above the table. In particular a little dot. The same colour as the Chi-Rho pattern she''d hastily embroidered on the panel beside it. She''d made a spot indicating that just perhaps her heart was not totally empty. A hint of encouragement, for someone with the eyes to see it. Pris''s kiss and then reaction afterwards was just too confusing, and the way she''d gone off with Dirk suggested there was something happening between them. Eliza''s spot was clear communication, and Nigel decided he did have the eyes to see it, and wanted that encouragement. He made the extra effort, and almost, almost got her hand to the table, again, his gaze drifted to her belt. Eliza noticed the direction of his gaze and realised that he''d maybe seen her little dot. Feeling a surge of energy, she fought back and forced his hand to the table.
For a while they just sat there and got their breath back.
Choosing his words carefully, Nigel said ¡°It seemeth, my lady, that thou hast conquered me, as I perceive was thy strong desire and intent.¡±
Eliza heard. ''My lady'' was more intimate than milday, and conquered was not a normal term for battle. Did he mean what she hoped for?
¡°Thou hast fought bravely, sir knight, but ofttimes I do battle in this manner against my brother, and also against those at the court, and I saw in thy battle with my brother the two of you were closely matched. I thought me that perchance I had a small hope.¡± on saying ''hope'' she looked down, to her little hopeful dot.
¡°A hope thou hast indeed, my lady. And that hope I beheld as I almost vanquished you, and behold, ''twould seem thy hope of conquest was not ''broiderd on your heart in vain, Eliza, my lady.¡±
That ought to be clear enough, Nigel felt. He''d seen hope, embroidered on her heart, and then using her personal name alongside ''my lady''.
If Eliza got it, and agreed, then she''d reply with ''my knight'', and it''d be settled that they were going to be going out. If she didn''t then he knew that the hope wasn''t for him.
¡°Thy words in defeat are most kind, my knight.¡± Eliza said, with a blush.
¡°Can you two please explain something to me?¡± Bella asked interrupting Nigel''s reply.
¡°It depends what it is.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Why do you two speak to each other in language that hasn''t been used for five hundred years or more?¡± Bella asked.
¡°What do you mean hasn''t been used? We''re using it aren''t we?¡± Nigel replied.
¡°OK, I''ll grant you that. But I mean, why not just say ''Well done, you beat me?''¡±
¡°Because that would contain the obvious, without conveying what we were really talking about, of course.¡± Nigel said, taking hold of Eliza''s hand.
¡°Which is that we''ve decided we''re going to do a lot of talking over the next days and weeks.¡± Eliza said discretely.
¡°Perhaps involving a meal or two.¡± Nigel added.
¡°Or some walks.¡± Eliza added.
¡°All right I get the message. Has she convinced you to start hitting people over the head again with bits of metal, Nigel?¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know about that.¡± Nigel said. ¡°But I expect I could clean up my armour and look threatening. I think I''d better formally resign again from being in William''s bodyguard. I think I''ve made my point.¡±
¡°He didn''t accept your resignation?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°No. I told him that I was doing enough guarding in my proper job, he said that he needed me in that position. I said he couldn''t have me. He said his word was final, I told him I wouldn''t turn up then. He said I would be back in a few months. I think I''ve called his bluff long enough now.
But apart from uncooperative monarchs, it was fun. Eliza''s reminded me how much fun it was and how much I''ve actually missed it.¡±
¡°I never knew why you stopped going.¡± Trevor said.
¡°Now you know.¡±
¡°Can you explain something?¡± Bella asked. ¡°You said this morning that the previous king was mortally wounded in a game of chess. How can you get wounded in a chess game?
¡°If was a battle of chess, not a game.¡± Eliza said, as though that explained everything.
¡°It''s a sort of tournament.¡± Nigel explained ¡°A mixture of chess and battle. You can lose it by being bad at chess or not having good enough people on your side. The king moves himself and his people around on a chess-board, up to three moving at once.
If your guys ends up on the same square as an opponent, there''s a short battle. So, taking pieces isn''t guaranteed, but on the other hand you can decide to throw two or even three of your guys against one of his. If that happens then they both go on the attack. Not many can take on two or three opponents at once. The player that is judged to have beaten the opponent stays in the new spot, the other one goes back to their old spot, and both hope they get a breather before they''re next called on to fight.¡±
¡°When you say things like fight and battle, then we''re talking things like fencing rules, yes?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Sort of. All weapons are blunt and non-leathal, but you can get a decent bruise if you''re not careful.¡±
¡°By ''not careful'', Nigel means you pick on the wrong opponent, or foolishly failing to cry mercy at the right time.¡±
¡°And I take it the previous king wasn''t a good chess player?¡±
¡°He upset all his best fighters, and they either didn''t join in or supported William.¡±
¡°What did he do then?¡±
¡°What any sensible ex-king does. Accept his lot, not make too much of a fuss, and practice archery.¡±
¡°Archery?¡±
¡°Well, it''s fun, and doesn''t involve getting as many bruises.¡±
Pris and Dirk entered at that moment, with plenty of wood, but not perhaps as much as might explain their length of absence.
¡°Hello people.¡± Pris said. ¡°The stars are pretty tonight, but it''s late.¡±
¡°Oh is that where you''ve been?¡± Bella asked. ¡°I was wondering if you''d got lost.¡±
¡°Just cutting wood and looking at the stars. We did a bit of talking too,¡± Dirk said.
¡°Quite a lot of talking, actually.¡± Pris admitted.
¡°These two have been sending each other coded messages.¡± Bella said, indicating Nigel and Eliza.
¡°Oh yes?¡± Pris asked, with a raised eyebrow.
¡°Somehow they managed to decide that they were going to do a lot of talking in the coming weeks, while we thought they were just talking about Eliza beating Nigel at arm wrestling.
¡°You did?¡± Dirk asked. ¡°Well done, sister.¡±
¡°I''m out of practice.¡± Nigel said.
¡°It is a plague, isn''t it?¡± Pris asked Bella ¡°I mean, Bella and Trevor came down with a serious case of romance two days ago, though I don''t quite know how they met, now four more of us have decided to do lots of talking.¡±
¡°Not to mention that churches are filling up with enquirers or people who''ve made recent decisions.¡± Nigel said.
¡°I wouldn''t know. If six months is recent then I''m one of them.¡± Pris said.
¡°I think you were ahead of the rush, Pris.¡± Trevor said.
¡°People are making decisions faster,¡± Eliza agreed. ¡°Personally, I blame that asteroid. I know it''s prompted me to think things through a bit more.¡±
¡°And we can blame the asteroid for Prince Albert meeting Eliza too, can''t we?¡± Nigel said.
¡°Can we?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Bella said ¡°But Nigel shouldn''t have said that.¡±
¡°What about you two getting together?¡± Eliza asked.
Trevor looked at Bella, who shook her head. ¡°Not in terms of my thinking. Bella?¡±
¡°Well, I''ve certainly talked to Albert''s Eliza enough about weddings recently, so that might explain part of it. But since we''re going to blame their meeting on the asteroid, then I''d say that without the asteroid I wouldn''t have been in the capital to meet Trevor. As for me turning to Christ, yes, we can blame the asteroid for that, too. But I think the asteroid is just God at work, really, reminding us we''re mortal.¡±
¡°And thoughts of mortality do help people get their thoughts in order.¡±
Nigel agreed ¡°But has anyone heard what''s being said from abroad at all?¡±
¡°Well, the last I heard was that the scientists had moved the central point of their massive guess slightly; generally in this direction. But they still say there''s only a small chance of it hitting the earth. I think most news agencies think we''re crack-pots, planning to evacuate a city.¡± Pris reported.
¡°And governments?¡± prompted Bella.
¡°The government of the country where the scientists put the initial centre point were very glad to hear that God had told us it was going to hit here.¡± Pris said. ¡°I understand our ambassador told them that they had more experience rebuilding cities, but we had far more resources to do it, so it made sense for God to send it our way.¡±
¡°That was very, urm, noble of him on behalf of us.¡± Eliza said.
¡°True though.¡± Bella said. ¡°I mean, it''s going to hurt, but it''s not going to mean the politicians choosing between letting people starve or paying the teachers and police. I can''t say I like the thought of where I grew up being ground zero, but assuming Christ doesn''t return, our country will survive.¡±
¡°So, on that cheery note, shall we get some sleep?¡± Pris asked.
¡°I think so.¡± Bella agreed.
Preparation / Ch. 22: Blackwood Cabins
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 22:Blackwood Cabins
Tuesday, 12th December, 6.45am
¡°John, love?¡± Sarah prodded her husband.
¡°mmm?¡±
¡°Cup of tea for you. Wakey-wakey.¡±
¡°doihaveto?¡± he mumbled.
Sitting on the bed, she intertwined her fingers with his. [Yes, love. I need two decisions, and if we finish with them quickly you get a prize.]
[What sort of prize?]
[Guess] she thought as she kissed him.
¡°How can you be so wide awake at this time of the morning, you sparkly eyed enchantress?¡± he said, looking in love and wonder at her face.
¡°I told you about Blackwood cabins on Carbon-carbon''s land.¡±
¡°Your little holiday paradise which needs the new cameras?¡±
¡°Yes. First question, can we go up there? For New Year?¡±
¡°Straight after Teresa''s wedding?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I suppose so. Why?¡±
¡°So I can have a good reason to get the cameras installed before Christmas.¡±
¡°OK. That sounds like good logic.¡±
¡°Next question. I''ve narrowed it down to two options for the cameras. Which one?¡±
¡°Advantages, disadvantages?¡±
¡°The more expensive ones have the best security on the market, plus far better night vision, and a long long guarantee. They''re actually what IHM has. Really they''re over the top, but the reliability issue is what attracts me. Plus, it''s easy to link them into a proper security system, which if Carbon-carbon buy the place I might be tempted to suggest. The other ones are decent, but a less reliable brand, maybe a one percent chance of failing per year. They''re perfectly adequate, as long as they work. But with an eventual sixty cameras, that poor reliability is going to mean a new camera every couple of years. If carbon-carbon does buy the place, then I''m going to regret buying them.¡±
¡°I thought you''d only buy them if Carbon-carbon can''t buy.¡±
¡°If the impact happens and clientele drop with everyone feeling the pinch, then there''s a high chance the company goes cap in hand to carbon-carbon for a reduction in land rent or faces bankruptcy. At that point, Carbon-carbon would be able to insist on a fifty-one percent share, or something like that.¡±
¡°What''s the price difference?¡±
¡°Ten good cameras, or fifteen adequate ones cost the same. But looking at the map, ten cameras is going to be about the bare minimum you can get away with without leaving some of the old cameras isolated, and even then it''s going to be marginal for some of the cameras ¡ª they''d be connecting to other cameras in other valleys. Fifteen would let me replace all the cameras up either of two of the valleys and down to reception.¡±
¡°And how much does the controller cost?¡±
¡°Hopefully I get one free. They offer that, sometimes.¡±
¡°And if not?¡±
¡°Equivalent to two good cameras.¡±
¡°So, to make it work, and do a good job for Carbon-carbon in the future when the current owners go broke, you get fifteen of the good cameras, don''t you?¡±
¡°You think so? It''s more than we budgeted for last night.¡±
¡°Sarah, like you said, Carbon-carbon almost certainly gets the cameras in the end. Think of it as an investment.¡±
¡°It''s only almost certain if the impact happens.¡± Sarah said.
¡°If Carbon-carbon make a bid once, the owners still might decide to offer it later on, mightn''t they?¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°Then go for it. We can afford it.¡±
¡°We''re going to need to rebuild a house or two some time, John.¡±
¡°I was thinking about that. First off, no one ever said we had to do it with a one-off payment from savings. Also, Karen and George are joining the civil service, so they won''t need your house after their honeymoon. And most of the value of your house is in the security system and the memories, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes. But the memories... some of those are soft toys and things I wouldn''t put into our however many cubic metres of storage.¡±
¡°OK, so we can''t do much to save the memories other than lots of photographs, but why don''t we at least get the security system taken out, rather than try to rescue bits out of the debris? No. Scrap what I said about not saving things. While we''re doing that, or even before, we can also empty it of everything, not just whatever will fit into government-provided storage, but let''s rent some space in the tunnels from Kate, or something like that. What do you think?¡±
¡°I don''t think, I know I love you. That''s an excellent idea.¡±
¡°Then, when we''re rebuilding, we can build one house, with a garden for the children. Speaking of which...¡±
¡°Yes, my love?¡±
¡°I was thinking that as long as we don''t know you''re pregnant by the time of the impact, then really, there''d be no harm done. So, I''m not opposed to the idea of trying to start a family in February if you''d like to.¡±
¡°I''d like that, John, I''d like that a lot.¡±
10am
¡°So, Frank, have I been convincing enough?¡± Sarah asked her head trustee. Kate had been willing to let her have the day off to organise the purchase of the cabins, and she''d decided on a face to face meeting.
¡°I think you have, Sarah. But for two little details.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Firstly, what''s the impact going to do to the company?¡±
¡°With the current land rental agreement, there''s still some on-paper profit to the company with an occupancy rate of thirty six percent, even with proper maintenance, but if the current investors have to service loans at say three percent, then they''re going to be screaming at any occupancy levels below forty five percent. Personally, unless they drop their prices, I wouldn''t be surprised to see occupancy rates cut in half, or even more, but I''m no expert.¡±
¡°How do you come up with that?¡±
¡°I''m guessing that people are going to be looking for value for money. They''re going to guess that foreign travel costs a certain price, and they''re going to say how come we need to pay almost the same amount for a week in a wooden hut as we would for a ticket to an exotic location and a week in a hotel. And if people have two weeks holiday then that comparison gets worse. It''s a lovely place, but it''s over-priced.¡±
¡°But if you drop the prices by much, then you''re undercutting the campsite down the road.¡±
¡°Tough. Then they''re over-priced too.¡±
¡°They''re on carbon-carbon''s land too, with prices largely controlled by the site rental fee.¡±
¡°Oh. I didn''t know you meant a real campsite! But OK, I''m not opposed to carbon-carbon buying them out too, if that makes sense. Bring them under one management structure, a single pricing scheme, and combine the advertising.¡±
¡°You''d swap a nice steady rent from the companies for the uncertainty of the tourist trade?¡±
¡°At the moment, we''ve got a renter whose business practices are flirting with a devastating case of bad press because of poor maintenance. That would wipe out the company and probably blight the cabins for a decade, besmirch Carbon-carbon''s name, and have knock-on effects for the economy of the whole New Blackwood area. I''d swap that for the tourist trade any day, and while we''re under no obligation to be fair, I think it''d be right to warn the campsite we''re taking over the cabins, and introducing a new pricing strategy, and ask if they''d like to be taken over too. I presume the capital invested in the campsite is pretty minimal anyway.¡±
¡°Well, they''ve got some buildings. If I remember correctly there''s the reception-cum-shop, toilet blocks, and a cafe. Plus there''s the roads and pitches, those would have a book value too. But it''s certainly not as much as the cabins. I''d have to check their accounts.¡±
¡°So. Next question. How soon can it be done?¡±
¡°I''m sure we can have it all done and dusted in a couple of months.¡±
¡°Too slow.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I''ve got a cousin going to stay there for her honeymoon over Christmas. I''d like the security cameras fixed by then.¡±
¡°You always did want quick results. You know there''s no way we can force the present investors to sell.¡±
¡°I know. But, on the other hand, we can offer them a time-limited offer, with the implication that we can always wait until they''ve gone broke.¡±
¡°I''ll make some calls, Sarah, and sound the current investors out.¡±
¡°I think that first, if you could find some tourist-trade expert to write half a page of doom and gloom for their company, then it might help them get the point. Or shall I do that?¡±
¡°You''ve got contacts?¡±
¡°Not that I know of, but there''s a tourism research department at the university here.¡±
¡°Academics would probably want to do an in-depth study, and take a month at least.¡±
¡°Good point,¡± Sarah agreed, ¡°do you have anyone?¡±
¡°I''ll ask some colleagues. I expect I''ll be able to come up with someone in a couple of hours. And I''ll also collar an associate to write up the offer. We can''t just give the present owners a couple of days though.¡±
¡°No. Would a week be long enough? I''ve got a contingency plan that if they won''t sell, I''ll make a booking and connected with it I''ll pay for a few replacement cameras myself, in my persona of being extremely press-shy.¡±
¡°What do you mean, your persona? You are extremely press-shy.¡±
¡°I know. That makes it very easy to act that way.¡±
¡°You think your cousin needs secure cameras?¡±
¡°Frank, you were at my wedding.¡±
¡°Yes. And very beautiful you looked too, but what''s this got to do with your cousin?¡±
¡°Karen, actually a third-cousin, was my bridesmaid, and I''ll be hers. Please don''t pass this on, but I''ve actually got two third-cousins, who are first cousins to each other and both engaged. In January, Karen and I will both be bridesmaids to cousin three, who''s called Eliza Underwood.¡±
Frank''s eyes registered his surprise, but nothing else. ¡°Karen will be wearing the same dress I did ¡ª Princess Sarah''s, as will Eliza, of course. So yes, I''m sure that Karen will not want her face showing up on the wrist unit of any curious teenager who might decided to become autograph-hunter or press-informant. She''ll want those secure cameras.¡±
¡°Yes, she will. OK. Yes, I think a week ought to be enough.¡±
¡°Good. I''ll book John and myself a long weekend up there, over the new year, then if the purchase falls through then I''ll get the cameras changed.¡±
¡°Even if the purchase does go through, those cameras will need installing on the same timescale ¡ª the week after next.¡± Frank pointed out.
¡°I know. Should I arrange it whichever way it falls?¡±
¡°I think so, if that''s OK? Carbon-carbon can reimburse you if the sale goes through. Just make sure the cameras are compatible with a decent controller.¡±
¡°Oh they are. No question of that.¡±
¡°You''ve picked them already?¡±
¡°Yes. I did some research last night, and we decided this morning. John decided that since there was a fair chance that Carbon-carbon would end up with possession of the site anyway, we''d go with my favourite brand. We could connect them into anything up to a full AI controller if we wanted to. If I''m going to be getting them whichever way it falls, then once I''ve booked my holiday, I''ll start trying to convince the salesperson to give me a good offer.¡±
¡°Try suggesting that you''re tossing up between them and their competitors.¡±
¡°I was thinking of doing that. I''m also thinking of telling them that I''ve convinced my trustees to try and buy the site, which would mean another forty-five cameras later on, but that sale isn''t guaranteed, and this is my money.¡±
¡°If I was the salesman, I''d want to make that deal. You know it means Carbon-carbon has to pay full rate, don''t you?¡±
¡°I do. Tough luck to Carbon-carbon''s bottom line. They''ve got so much cash they can afford it.¡±
¡°It''s your money in that company, Sarah.¡±
¡°Not yet, it''s not, or at least, I don''t control it.¡±
¡°Oh, I think you''re doing pretty well. How''s your venture into diamond-data storage going?¡±
¡°Sorry, I should have told you. Batch number one sold out, even the ones which I considered failures, which means that I can let you have the seed capital back when you want.¡±
¡°What about batch number two?¡±
¡°That''s what the profit''s for, isn''t it?¡±
¡°You''re saying that you''ve made a hundred percent profit?¡±
¡°No. But since you''re asking, it would have been a hundred and forty five percent profit, once the patent and manufacturing costs are accounted for. But I let a couple of rings go to influential friends at cost, and gave a trial sample to internal Security at only ten percent profit. That means that I made a hundred and two percent profit. Oh, no, hold on, I sold my ex-employer a five year exclusive sales licence for trade in Restoration, I''d forgotten that. A hundred and twelve percent profit on the whole venture so far, and I put that back into batch two. Half of which is already sold.¡±
¡°Sarah, it seems to me that you have a functioning business venture, as well as a steady job at the only place around here that will still be standing after the impact.¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°In which case, young lady, then once you''ve submitted your accounts, I''ll be turning over the trust to you.¡±
¡°Oh! That''s a bit sooner that I was expecting! I thought I needed to have a steady job for a year.¡±
¡°Or demonstrate sufficient business acumen to show that the year''s delay is not necessary.¡± Frank said.
¡°Frank, quite simply, I''m not sure I''m able to cope with it as well as everything else I''m busy with. Would you stay on, please?¡±
¡°Sarah, I''ve been thinking of retirement.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± Sarah said, crestfallen.
¡°But, I think I could stay on a bit longer, certainly until your year is up, as long as you make the major decisions. I''ll admit that over the last year I''ve been using your trust to give Colin in the room next door the experience of handling a major client''s interests. He''s not been making the decisions on his own, of course, I''ve been double checking everything. But I''ve only had to correct him once.¡±
Colin was Frank''s junior partner. Sarah had met him before, and wasn''t surprised that Frank had let him take some of the strain. It made sense. But she needed to investigate that mistake.
¡°What did you have to correct him on?¡±
¡°It was.. shall we say an investment opportunity which looked good on paper, but I was reasonably sure you wouldn''t approve of it.¡±
¡°So, not so much a failure to investigate fully, or do his maths right, but a failure to consider my attitude towards the business venture?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°What was it, a nightclub?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°No, nothing quite so blatant. I think I''ll ask Colin to explain where he wished to invest that particular three million, Maam.¡±
¡°By all means.¡± Frank pressed a button on his desk ¡°Colin, could you come in please?¡±
When Colin came in, Frank said ¡°Colin, I believe you''ve met Sarah Williams? She''s the heir of the Smith trust. Colin shook her hand and asked ¡°How may I be of assistance?¡±
¡°I was asking Frank about your performance in handling the trust.¡± Sarah said. ¡°He said that he''d overruled you on just one decision, and when I asked him about it, he said that he would rather you explained the investment he didn''t think I''d agree with.¡±
¡°Very well, Maam. It was a publishing house, privately held, with a steadily growing list of titles and profits, who had reached the limits of their present site. They approached us, knowing that we handled some clients who might be interested in a 49 percent share of the company in exchange for funding their acquisition of a larger site.¡±
¡°Why didn''t they just take out a bank loan?¡±
¡°They felt that servicing the bank loan was too expensive, and would limit future re-investment of profits. They looked for a long-term partner, looking to see their investment grow as well as the company increased in value, which it has been doing year on year at twenty percent per annum. The proposal was that, after five years, sixty percent of the value of the company will be floated on the stock market and the partner would have free choice as to it being their shares or not.¡±
¡°I see. So in effect either party could end up with a large but minority stock holding. And in the mean-time, there would be no dividend paid?¡±
¡°That is true, Maam.¡±
¡°And are any of the current investors drawing a salary?¡±
¡°No maam, not as such.¡±
¡°That sounds ominous.¡± Sarah said.
¡°The present investor is a man in his sixties, maam. The staff are relatives. So, while he himself has no direct income, it is certainly of benefit for his family.¡±
¡°And the salary level is established by majority vote amongst the shareholders?¡±
¡°That is true, maam, at least in the proposal.¡±
¡°So, worst case scenario is that he could increase salaries to a point that the company was worthless in five years time and my shares had no value at all.¡±
¡°I challenged him on this, Maam. He appeared honestly contrite that this was possible, and immediately suggested that either salaries should be set by unanimous agreement of the shareholders, or that for a proportionally larger investment then he would offer a higher proportion of the company.¡±
¡°OK, But still the best case is that growth continues at twenty percent, per annum over five years.¡±
¡°Yes, maam.¡±
¡°Over a five year period, what benefit would his family derive from the company in terms of income?¡±
¡°Urm, approximately half a million, Maam. But the pay-scale is not at all abnormal, and workers deserve to be paid.¡±
¡°And if I invested three million, I would receive approximately four and a half million in profit, without any work, but with a risk. I think the rate of return is rather on the low side, since there''s no dividend and there''s only the share price, but I suppose it''s acceptable, assuming I like the publisher. So, tell me more about the books they publish. I assume it''s a niche market?¡±
¡°Not really niche, maam. They mostly publish novels, but also some more philosophical titles. Some are quite well known.¡±
¡°Can you name some?¡±
¡°I have a list, Maam, I''ll bring it up.¡± He called up the list, and Sarah looked at it. Reprints of various atheist philosophers, some of which, she knew from her philosophy course, were hard to obtain. There were also various authors who''d she heard spoken of in sermons ¡ª mostly negatively. There was one slight oddity ¡ª they''d reprinted the comic works of Douglas Adams, which seemed to poke fun at everything, including atheism, but she supposed they were certainly non-Christian.
¡°Colin, I can see that the philosophy works are filling a gap, and yes, I recognise some of the authors. I can see that the company has been doing well. However, Frank was a hundred percent correct in his perception that I wouldn''t approve. In fact, I''d be happier if the company went bankrupt than continued to grow. I believe their tag-line is ''spreading the atheist message'' is it not?¡±
¡°Yes maam. I understand that you don''t agree with that philosophy?¡±
¡°Colin, I''m a committed Christian. If you like then some time when I''m free I''ll very happily try to convince you that all of atheism''s arguments are ''a load of dingo''s kidneys'', to quote one of the authors they''re reprinting. Now, though, we''re talking business, so if you find an opportunity to make a sensible investment in a company with a tag-line more along the lines of ''spreading the Christian message'' then I''ll be interested, even if the rate of return isn''t quite so good. Let''s face it, Christians aren''t as concerned about making money as atheists; we''ve got better things to look forward to, so it''s not surprising that Christian-run firms don''t make quite as much as they could.¡±
Frank laughed. ¡°Sarah, can I tell Colin about the little project you''ve just made a hundred and forty five percent profit on in five months, with steady growth expected?¡±
¡°You may, in general terms, Frank. But that''s different. I''m innovating in a brand new and very very niche market. The growth is steady at the moment, but necessarily limited. Therefore, my customers expect to pay over the odds to keep the market small, and the secret safe.¡±
¡°I thought you''d patented the process, though?¡± Frank asked.
¡°I did. One very small but critical part of the process. And I had help in phrasing it. An expert in the field would understand what the patent is about, and what the result is, but there aren''t that many experts in the field, and the application of the result wouldn''t occur to most experts.¡±
¡°Sarah, so I don''t overstep the mark, can you tell Colin yourself?¡± Frank asked.
¡°Yes, but before we totally leave the principle here: I don''t want to support anyone promoting a faith or for that matter anything else I don''t agree with, whatever the rate of return. Also, you might not recognise some groups who claim to be Christians but wouldn''t fall into my definition of the term. So, general rule: if you have an investment opportunity which is linked to a particular philosophy, religion, faith, ethical or political position, then I would expect to be asked about it. Clear?¡±
¡°Yes maam.¡±
¡°Now, Colin, what follows is privileged client information, under your professional code of practice. Clear?¡±
¡°Clear, maam.¡±
¡°I''ve worked out how to use a gem diamond to store enough data to make it into someone''s ID. Unless it becomes known, this means that a diamond ring, necklace, or cuff-link can secretly serve as an I.D. for the discerning businessman or woman, and contrary to popular belief, they are far less likely to be snatched or mislaid than the typical wallet or purse. Hence giving my customers a nice extra line of defence against I.D. theft.¡±
¡°But if it becomes known, then any stolen diamonds might get checked to see if it''s someone''s ID?¡±
¡°Exactly. And diamonds start to become something that gets stolen to order, just in case. Which is another reason not to make them commonplace. I''m working on an assumption that no more than one in fifty thousand gem diamonds sold should have this done to them. But that still leaves me with quite a lot of potential sales growth, and I''m planning to let supply and demand adjust the price, with a limited production rate.¡±
¡°That''s your right as a monopoly supplier.¡± Frank agreed. ¡°Just don''t get too greedy, or you''ll end up defending your patent in court.¡±
¡°Not personally I hope.¡± Sarah smiled at the lawyers.
¡°No. But I''d advise you not to let your diamonds sell for more than about five times their gem value, nor keep your jewelers waiting too long.¡±
¡°No, of course not.¡± Sarah agreed. ¡°Is there anything else to discuss?¡±
¡°I don''t think so. The next trustees meeting happens to be in a week, could you let me have the year to date accounts by then?¡±
¡°I''m sure I can.¡± She made a note on her wrist unit.
¡°Goodbye Sarah. Well done, I''m sure your father would be proud of you.¡±
¡°Thank you, Frank. You''ve taught me well.¡± She stopped half way to to door, concerned, ¡°Oh, is it still Bob Coal in the office at Carbon-carbon?¡±
¡°Yes it is. Why?¡±
¡°How''s his health? The poor guy''s going to suddenly get a lot more work to do, isn''t he?¡±
¡°Yes he is. But on the other hand he''ll probably enjoy the change from the routine. Last time I talked to him he said he was fighting fit, very thankful for the steady low-stress job, but sometimes he thought he wouldn''t mind a bit more of a challenge now and then.¡±
¡°Good, I''m so glad. Tell him I said ''hi''. You know it''s my fault he got that job?¡±
¡°No. I thought your father said he needed a good long rest.¡±
¡°He did, a very nasty case of burn-out at twenty-eight. Daddy had been telling me about how there needed to be someone closer to that site at New Blackwood, but it wasn''t really a full time job. So when Mummy and Daddy were talking about Bob needing a rest one mealtime I suggested that he go there and since we were moving Bob Coal from selling diamonds to selling the occasional tree, we could call it Carbon to wood from carbon. They said that was too much of a mouthful and shortened it to Carbon-carbon.¡±
¡°All is revealed! I had wondered. I''ll pass on the greeting. Does he know the company is named in his honour?¡±
¡°I''ve no idea. Bye!¡±
¡°Goodbye, Sarah.¡±
After she''d left, Frank said to Colin ¡°And that is why it''s a pleasure to work for clients such as her, Colin. She might be one of the richer women on the planet, but she is genuinely interested and concerned about people. If you ever lose her trust you''ll not just lose a client, but a friend who''ll stand by you in thick and thin. Most employers would have given Bob Coal his medical leave and then a severance package and thrown him on the dump. They created a job for him where he could start off at one morning a week and expand as he felt able.¡±
¡°So she''s a soft touch?¡±
¡°Don''t make that mistake, Colin. She''s going to squeeze the poor camera sales people for all she can get and make them work for it. But they''re going to come away thinking they''ve made the most wonderful deal of their year. And long term, they probably will have.¡±
Sarah liked face to face meetings, at least when she knew there wasn''t going to be a crowd nearby, so once she''d booked the holiday, she walked to the outlet for the cameras, looking forward to some more negotiating. Since she needed to tell quite a lot about herself for this to work, she checked the floor of the shop for criminals or gossips. There were none, so she went in confidently. There were two sales assistants, a man and a woman, and no customers.
¡°Hello, can we help you?¡± asked the woman.
¡°I certainly hope so. I''ve just booked a holiday over the new year in a rustic cabin in a lovely part of the world. Wood-burning stoves, and all the comforts of home with better views. They''ve got cameras pointing at the wood stock, so they can refill it when needed. However, I''ve learned that these cameras are not exactly secure. Does this brand mean anything to you?¡±
The woman looked at the piece of paper Sarah showed her, drew her breath and said ¡°They''re not exactly what I''d call competitors of ours.¡±
¡°You''re being polite, I can tell.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Yes. I am. I''ve not proven it myself, but I''m informed that any ten year old with a stepladder can access the entire network.¡±
¡°I''ve heard roughly the same. And also that it''s easy to use that access to turn camera number into physical location. So, the other piece of information you need to know is that I''m what the press call a recluse. In other words, I''m totally fed up with the requests for interviews which I''ve had approximately weekly for the last ten years. I''ve also got some friends with very recognisable faces, who are also planning to go there. So, I don''t want a reporter ruining my holiday, and nor do my friends. Can you help?¡±
¡°I''m afraid I still don''t quite understand where we come in, Maam.¡±
¡°I''d like to replace a portion of their camers so that I can have some peace and quiet, and no reporters. Obviously, I''d get the owner''s agreement for this, along the lines of a contract which says I give them some security cameras worthy of the name and in exchange they guarantee that when I and my friends and family come to stay they make sure we''re in the cabins where we have some privacy. We''re talking mesh networked, fixed cameras. It''s a limited electrical supply, but there is one to each cabin, so there''s no need for solar or wind power. Here''s a map of the topography. The guy who needs access is here. I think ten cameras is going to be too few without isolating some of the existing ones, but ten of your cameras was my initial budget, I can see it working with fifteen, but ouch! I don''t want to go across the street to your competitors, but fifty percent over my original budget for cameras, plus a controller? That''s going to be painful. So that''s part of the help I want from you: how many cameras can we get away with replacing, what can you give me as a discount, and how about a controller to sweeten the deal?¡±
¡°Without a site survey, we''re going to be partially guessing on the numbers, Maam, we''d have to be conservative.¡±
¡°Accepted.¡±
¡°And as for the discount, I don''t know. There have been offers of a controller with fifteen cameras, but that was for a short period only. We''d need to get approval from head-office to extend that offer to you, and frankly I expect they''d say no.¡±
¡°I understand. Now, my husband and I will be buying these cameras with our hard-earned money which is in reasonably short supply, but there''s an extra piece of information I''ve not told you yet which might make head-office say yes. The land these cabins are on is owned by Carbon-carbon land management, which is held in trust in my name. The cabins are run by another company, and quite frankly they''re not doing it right.
"I can''t get at the money in the trust yet, but the trustees listen to me and I''ve just convinced them that there''s a good business case to buy out the cabin company. Carbon-carbon are therefore going to put in a bid to do that today or tomorrow, depending how fast my trustees can pull it all together. That purchase will take a while though, at least a week, even if it goes through. And I need those dodgy cameras replaced by Christmas. If Carbon-carbon gets the land next week, then I get my money back, and then Carbon-carbon upgrades the rest of the fifty-something cameras at full price. Obviously if I go across the road to your competitors, so does Carbon-carbon.¡±
¡°So, you''re saying that if we manage to reach a deal here, there''s an order for forty more cameras to follow?¡±
¡°If the purchase goes ahead, yes. And a proper controller, and if it were me then I''d say they should put in a proper AI security system to watch out for unwelcome visitors disturbing the clients, not just a recorder to make sure some back-packer doesn''t steal a couple of logs, but there might be other opinions, I don''t know. If today''s offer is rejected, another option is that Carbon-carbon waits for the tourist trade to collapse after the impact, and buys out the cabin company when they''re on their knees. But I don''t want that to happen, people get hurt when companies go bankrupt. Either way, though, Carbon-carbon gets the cabins, the cameras get upgraded. But there is the chance that they won''t sell, and don''t go bust, so don''t cut your quote so thin that you''re actually making a loss on the deal.¡±
¡°Thank you for your concern, maam.¡± the woman said.
The man said ¡°We''ll call it in and I certainly hope we''re going to be able to help you. But they''re going to want to verify what you''ve told us. I''m sorry, if you could give us your name, and the name of your trustees.¡±
¡°That''s perfectly all right.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I''m Sarah Williams, nee Smith. Frank Packer and partners are managing the trust.¡±
¡°Thank-you. I hope this won''t take more than a few minutes. Would you like to wait, or perhaps come back later once we''ve prepared the quote?¡± the woman asked.
¡°Well, I''m going to look like a real idiot if the company categorically refuse to accept the cameras after I''ve bought them. So, how about I wait for a nice offer from head office that''ll say I can go ahead, and a conservative number of cameras to replace, and then I go away and convince the cabin company they want new cameras while you work on putting together the formal quote? I''m assuming that your company will be installing them, by the way.¡±
¡°Thank-you maam.¡± the man said ¡°If we close the deal, here, that probably means me, unless we delegate to someone nearer. Before Christmas, you said?¡±
¡°Well, before the end of next week, actually. The terrain is rather rugged, but there are all-terrain vehicles at the reception. Hopefully they''ll let you borrow them or the site-manager can get a driver for you.¡±
¡°So, with uncertain transport times between sites and getting there, plus training the site-manager, it''s got to be a whole day. If I pencil it in for Thursday of next week, would that be soon enough, Maam?¡±
¡°That would be wonderful. Thank-you. Oh, actually, since I''m here, would you be interested in quoting to decommission the security system in my parental home? We''d rather it wasn''t smashed by the impact. That''d be January, I guess.¡±
¡°Probably. How complex a system are we talking?¡± the man asked.
¡°Top of the range AI system fifteen or twenty years ago. Lens detector, lots of cameras, external and hidden-internal. It doesn''t have autonomous sleep-gas release, but it''ll call in to the police and they can authorise it.¡±
He let out a low whistle. ¡°I can do a survey, Maam, but I think head-office will need to issue the quote, and send out the team if you pick us. Sleep-gas systems are out of my league.¡±
¡°OK. Well, let''s concentrate on the map, then. For scale, this part of the site is about ten kilometres by ten, with the cabins at least a kilometre apart. As you see, there is this main valley leading to the main road, and then the side valleys, here, here and here. Just in case, I''d like to plan for two possible valleys, because one of the reasons the company needs buying out is they''re cutting corners on maintenance. The site manager probably knows about some cabins that he''s not keen to put guests in, so I''d like you to listen to him about where to put the cameras when you get there.¡±
¡°Very well. Let''s have a look.¡± He scanned map and fiddled with different combinations for a few minutes. ¡°I''d think this valley, and that one there.¡±
¡°Not these two?¡± Sarah pointed to her original plan.
¡°But what if this cabin isn''t usable? It''s crucial for both of your valleys without this other cabin here, and we can''t take both of them or the current mesh falls apart. Yours might just work with ten cameras, but it gives both networks a common point of failure, and you end up needing an extra five cameras to provide a back up route. But, if you accept from the start that we''re going for more than ten, then either of these gives us the chance to do a proper mesh without disrupting the current system. And if the contours are right, then we''re probably going to get away with twelve cameras on either valley. The only thing that worries me is that in either case, the end of the string here and here are out on a spur until the whole network is replaced. I''d like to suggest that if the purchase doesn''t go through, we put a solar powered repeater on the other end of the valley here. The repeater is only a quarter of a camera''s price, but it would give you a far more reliable network.¡±
¡°This is why I''ve come to the experts. Thank you. Would the repeater be a good thing even with the rest of the network in place?¡±
¡°It would mean that most of the network had triple redundancy, maam. That''s reasonable for a bank, or where you might expect sabotage, but a little excessive just for checking wood stocks. But then, so is double redundancy assuming the links are not marginal. It''s not like our cameras are going to fail as regularly as our competitors. I think I''d insist on triple redundancy for their system. And of course, if your desire to see an AI security system were to come to fruition then not having triple redundancy for just the price of a repeater would be a foolish economy.¡±
Sarah laughed. ¡°You, sir, have just made a good point, though you didn''t mean to. The reason for having the cameras is to gain privacy, though, not to protect wood. I have no desire for my friends'' holiday ¡ª honeymoon in fact ¡ª to be interrupted by the site manager coming to check on the wood because the link has gone intermittent. Nor for the owners to say ''your secure cameras couldn''t keep a signal, so we''ve put the old ones back.'' Therefore, since the cabins are in woodland and who knows what happens when the wind blows the trees around, I''m not settling for anything less than double redundancy. Put the repeater in. I expect that Carbon-carbon won''t be able to place the order for more cameras before Christmas in any case. They''re going to have enough to do fixing the other things on the little to-do list.¡±
¡°Mrs Williams, I''ve just spoken to head office.¡± the woman reported, having returned from the back office. ¡°We hope that your trustees are able to complete the purchase either in the near or more distant future, and in that hope we''re able to offer you a complimentary controller with the first five cameras and a twenty percent discount on any cameras you require after that. We''re also able to offer a ten percent discount on installation charges.¡±
¡°Thank you, thank you very much! Subject to the owners accepting the cameras, you have a deal. Twelve cameras and a solar powered repeater, installation pencilled in for Thursday of next week.¡± Sarah said, the male assistant nodded. ¡°Could I have a copy of the two suggested options?¡±
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
¡°Of course Maam, they''re on here.¡± He passed her a small data crystal, which she loaded onto her wrist-unit and passed back.
¡°It''s a pleasure doing business with you. I''ll get in contact with the owners, my lawyer will fill in the gaps on a contract to wave under their noses, attach the maps, and hopefully I''ll be back by mid-afternoon to complete the purchase.¡±
¡°It''s a pleasure doing business with you maam. We''ll look forward to seeing you.¡±
¡°I''ll be in touch about the decommissioning in the new year, have no fear.¡± Sarah said as she left.
¡°Do we tell your brother-in-law we''ve just met Sarah Smith?¡± the man asked his wife.
¡°I don''t think so. She doesn''t like reporters. What''s that about decommissioning?¡±
¡°Her parental home has what sounds like a fifteen year old class one-S system. She doesn''t want it to still be there when the house gets smashed by the impact.¡±
¡°Since a one-S system is worth ten times the cost of any house I''ve lived in, I''m not surprised. Hidden cameras? Sleep-gas?¡±
¡°Yes to both.¡± he said.
¡°That''s going to make a mess.¡±
¡°It is. But then, so''s the impact. That reminds me, has your sister agreed that we can store stuff in their loft?¡±
¡°Yes, didn''t I say?¡±
¡°I didn''t hear if you did. Sorry. You know, I expect there''s others thinking of decommissioning systems, don''t you? I was thinking we might as well shut up shop after Christmas.¡±
¡°I expect you''re right. I hadn''t thought of it, but I expect that you''re going to be very busy.¡±
¡°I expect you are too. We''ll shut the shop and give people a number to ring. It''s not like we''re going to need stock.¡±
¡°Let''s talk to head office. We''re clearly going to need help to decommission Mrs William''s system, but if just one tenth of the bigger systems I''ve installed in the last decade were to get decommissioned, that''s a lot of work.¡±
¡°Yes. So, we talk to head office, get a team down here, or at least on stand-by. Send a notice to our customers about their options. Estimate the cost per item ¡ª I mean, it''s not worth recovering the wires, I presume.¡±
¡°No. Wireless cameras they can just take down themselves, of course.¡±
¡°Yes. Wired too, as long as the system''s totally dead.¡±
¡°So we can offer a basic course on doing it yourself, say Monday evenings, for a nominal fee. We keep the normal quotation-based service, and maybe something in between, where you charge for call-out, plus so much per camera, and so on up to a certain complexity?¡±
¡°And we don''t offer the quotation service for small systems if it looks like we''re going to be too busy.¡±
¡°Agreed. I think we will.¡±
¡°Hello, Blackwood Cabins site office, Henry speaking.¡±
¡°Hello, Henry I''ve got an unusual query related to my booking.¡± Sarah said, having found the number for the site manager.
¡°Oh yes, maam, how can I help?¡±
¡°I understand from customer reviews that you''ve got cameras pointed at the wood-piles, and they''re not exactly the most secure on the market.¡±
¡°Well now, that''s true. But then the wood pile isn''t exactly the crown jewels is it?¡±
¡°No. But personally speaking, my privacy is. The thing is, I''ve been hounded by the press for the past ten years, since my parents died, and I really don''t want some reporter to recognise me when I go and get some wood and decide to sit on my doorstep until I give an interview.¡±
¡°Well, I suppose I could turn off the camera, maam, but then I''d have to check the wood pile daily in person. We''ve had piles being stolen, see, that''s why they put the cameras in.¡±
¡°I''ve actually got a better solution. Partly it''s for me, partly for a relative who''s staying with you fairly soon.¡±
¡°Well, don''t tell me any more if you don''t want me to know who, we''ve only got two bookings for Christmas and three over new year.¡±
¡°What! In that beautiful place, that''s a crying shame. You need more customers!¡±
¡°You''ve been here before, then maam?¡±
¡°I''ve got very fond memories of family holidays there, plus photos to prove that it''s not just rose-tinted memories.¡±
¡°Well, there''s been some changes since, did you say ten years ago? There weren''t many cabins back then.¡±
¡°No. We camped actually, that was summer, of course. I saw the cabins being built.¡±
¡°Oh, well, we''ve fifty-seven cabins now, and I expect the trees are taller.¡±
¡°I''m sure. But, since that was half my lifetime ago, it might look like they''ve shrunk to me. But anyway, I don''t want interview requests, and by the time my relative arrives, she''s probably going to be quite a celebrity. I don''t want her honeymoon ruined by press or autograph hunters. So, my plan is to replace twelve of your cameras with secure ones ¡ª a whole valley-full, so the networks both still work and you can check the wood, but no one else can see who''s collecting it. The different valleys all have roughly the same mixture of sized cabin''s don''t they?¡±
¡°Yes, yes. We thought it was best that way.¡±
¡°Great. So, you''d need to find space for an extra controller on your desk, or wall, but otherwise, can you see a problem with that idea?¡±
¡°Well, I can see a problem with paying for it!¡±
¡°I''ve just managed to get a good deal from the suppliers. I''ll arrange that side of it, and for them to be installed, they''re currently suggesting Thursday of next week, if that''s OK?¡±
¡°Yes, that''s fine.¡±
¡°So, in exchange for giving the cameras, all I''d want is a contract to make sure that my friends and relatives and I get put in the cabins without the wide open cameras, and if you decide to charge extra for those cabins then we don''t pay extra.¡±
¡°You''ve thought this through, I can see, maam. I can''t see a problem with any of that.¡±
¡°Wonderful. Now, obviously I''ll need someone''s signature on the contract. Would that be you?¡±
¡°Me? No! I guess that''d be my boss, Maam.¡±
¡°Can you put me in touch with him or her?¡±
¡°Yes, yes. I''ll just call ahead, get his OK to passing out his contact details, if that''s OK. Can you tell me your name?¡±
¡°Oh, of course. I''m Mrs Sarah Williams. I''ve got a booking for over new year.¡±
¡°Oh yes, Mrs Williams. I see your booking. I''ll send you the details to the number you''re calling from now?¡±
¡°Yes, please. No, actually, could I call you back? I hate waiting for calls.¡±
¡°Of course, Mrs Williams, I know the feeling. It''s not so much the waiting, but the wondering if you''re going to get the call, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Exactly.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Give me a few minutes to call him, maam. I''ll try and call you before you call me.¡±
¡°Thank you, Henry.¡±
¡°Mr Webb, Henry here.¡±
¡°Every time you call me, I get worried, Henry.¡±
¡°Sorry about that, sir. Nothing worrying this time. I don''t think, anyway. A downright eccentric request from a customer.¡±
¡°Out with it, Henry.¡±
¡°Young woman, name of Mrs Williams, doesn''t like the way anyone with a stepladder can see what''s on the cameras. She''d like to replace a valley-full of them with something more secure before she or a relative get here, in exchange for a contract that says she and her relatives get them when they stay.¡±
¡°That''s it?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Where''s the catch?¡±
¡°Oh, she also says that if we decide to charge extra for cabins with secure cameras, she gets it at the normal price.¡±
¡°Now, who would ever think of doing such a thing?¡±
¡°I don''t know. But it''s worth thinking about, since if we had them already, she''d obviously be willing to.¡±
¡°I was being facetious, Henry. If some cabins are better than others, anyone sensible would charge more for them. Not that I can see the owners going for it.¡±
¡°So can I give her your number?¡±
¡°Yes, please Henry.¡±
¡°Hello, Blackwood Cabins, Matt Webb speaking.¡±
¡°Hello, Mr Webb, Sarah Williams speaking.¡±
¡°Mrs Williams, Henry tells me you''d like to invest in the company.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡± Sarah was shocked. Had Henry found out who she was somehow?
¡°A valley-full of cameras sounds like quite an investment to me.¡±
¡°Oh, sorry, I didn''t think of it like that. More of problem solving. And I got a discount, so it''s not costing me nearly as much as the list price would be.¡±
¡°I''d love to know how you managed that.¡±
¡°Ah well, that comes down to bribery and corruption.¡±
¡°Urm, Mrs Williams...¡±
¡°Sorry, I was joking. I told them that I''d like to buy their cameras, but there was that inferior product on sale over the road for so much less, and I couldn''t really afford theirs, but it would be such a shame... and so on. They cut their profit margin quite a lot to keep the deal. I''m sure it helped that security cameras aren''t exactly on everyone''s must-buy list in Restoration at the moment. I got the feeling I was their first customer for a week.¡±
¡°Oh. I understand.¡±
¡°So, my proposal is that, on Thursday of next week, they come and visit your cabins, chat to Henry about which cabins are better candidates for your more paranoid customers, and replace twelve of your bottom of the range cameras with my nice reliable top of the line ones, and install a little solar-powered relay on the other side of the valley just to make sure that the signal is loud an clear even if some trees fall in the wrong place. Henry gets to make some space for the cheapest controller the manufacturer makes, which is still probably a few notches above what he''s got at the moment, and I get a signature on a contract my lawyer is drawing up beside me now.¡±
¡°And that contract would specify what exactly?¡±
¡°On my part it will specify the cameras exactly, and their number, and two scenarios for placement which would be verified by the fitter on the ground. On your part, you will guarantee that within your power, whenever I, my friends or relatives come to stay, then you will allocate us cabins with secure cameras, and that compared to your standard prices you will not charge us a premium. It also states that you will not use my name or photo or that of my friends or relatives in any advertising or promotional material unless you get explicit written consent.¡±
¡°In other words, you allow us to make a bit of extra profit from your investment, by charging others to use them, but we can''t trade your privacy for an advertising opportunity.¡±
¡°Exactly, Mr Webb.¡±
¡°Now, the part that worries me is ''my friends and relatives''. It occurs to me that ''friends'' is rather a vague term, and that some people claim to have thousands, and as for relatives... that needs defining too before someone claims that we''re all related.¡±
¡°Very sensible. Now since one of the relatives I''m concerned about is a third cousin, might I suggest that we define relatives to people who are limited to people sharing a common great-great grandparent, or similar degree of relationship through a single bond of marriage?¡±
¡°So you''d like to include your third cousin, her husband, parents in law, his siblings and so on? That sounds like quite a list!¡±
¡°It does, doesn''t it? I''m sure it would help your occupancy rates, which as one business person to another sound totally abysmal at this time of year. Would you like a limit on the number of qualifying bookings per year?¡±
¡°Yes, I do believe that I would.¡±
¡°Very well, sir. Pick a number. Bearing in mind that if the number gets reached then the people I''m thinking ought to qualify might decide to go elsewhere.¡±
¡°Fifty per year?¡±
¡°Fifty what? Cabin-weeks, or person-nights?¡±
¡°Cabin weeks.¡±
¡°Agreed.¡± Sarah said ¡°Teresa, limit the friends and family clause to fifty cabin-weeks per year, please, and send.¡±
¡°Teresa being your lawyer?¡±
¡°Yes. Current draft on its way to you now. You don''t need any co-signatures?¡±
¡°I certainly hope not. Fortunately the owners have never thought of this sort of thing. I run the company, but my hands are partly tied: I can''t exceed strict limits on advertising or maintenance. I can''t adjust wages, and I can''t adjust prices. Since your contract doesn''t say I''m going to do anything along those lines, then I''m pretty sure I can sign it. And I''m giving it a quick read, wow you meant top of the line cameras didn''t you! I''m happy, and I''ve signed it. And sent it back. Very nice speaking to you maam. If the owners decide I''ve just overstepped my authority by securing better cameras in exchange for not adjusting prices for you, then quite frankly they can have my resignation. I''m rather fed up with them.¡±
¡°You''re running a holiday business, but can''t adjust prices in line with demand?¡± Sarah was shocked.
¡°No. They''ve decided that they want a very simple formula to figure out what their dividend will be based on how full the site has been. I''ve told them again and again that we''d get better occupancy with a flexible pricing scheme, but they worked out their little formula and think it''s wonderful. Sorry, I shouldn''t be telling you this.¡±
¡°Thank you for the contract. No, you probably shouldn''t be telling me this unless you want to keep your job when I buy the company.¡± Sarah said with a happy tone. ¡°Any of them interested in selling to someone with a brain on their shoulders?¡±
¡°Individually, I doubt it, Maam. Please don''t joke.¡±
¡°Do you speak to Bob Coal at Carbon-carbon very often?¡±
¡°When I pay the land rent.¡±
¡°I expect he''ll be in contact soon. Tell him Sarah said ''Hi'' and then tell him what you''d do with the company if you had free rein. Make it good. I do hope your investors see reason.¡±
Matt Webb found himself going cold. ¡°Mrs Williams, what have I just signed?¡±
¡°Exactly what you thought you were signing, Mr Webb. I plan to visit soon, my third cousin plans to visit on her honeymoon over Christmas. We both value our privacy. The cameras will be installed to that end. But I sincerely hope that the short-sighted policies you''re being forced to pursue don''t continue, because I''m quite convinced that skimping on stove maintenance means the company is doomed otherwise.¡±
¡°I tend to agree, Maam. The stoves are designed for efficient heating, not tolerance for shoddy maintenance.¡±
¡°So, since the good name of the New Blackwood and Carbon-carbon is tied to your company, I''ve asked Carbon-carbon to offer to buy your investors out, and change company policy.¡±
¡°And Carbon-carbon land management listens to you?¡±
¡°Indirectly, yes. I''m told it becomes more directly quite soon.¡±
¡°Do I take it I have the honour of speaking the heiress to the Smith estate?¡±
¡°I trust you will not mention my personal involvement.¡±
¡°Of course not, Mrs Williams.¡±
¡°Good. Mr Webb, Bob Coal can tell you that my family''s ethic has always been intelligent management of resources and care for our people. As yet, of course, you are not in that category, but perhaps next week you will be, so I''ll tell you now. Trust and integrity are very important to me. I am far more interested in a long-term sustainable future from an investment in a company than a quick buck. If you think you will do well, making short-sighted policy decisions, then look for a new job. If you do not know if your policy is short sighted or not, seek advice. If you plan to profit from breaking trust, do not expect to work for any company I have any influence over. If you plan to work with integrity, then I hope you will be with us a long time.¡±
¡°Maam, do I understand you to be saying that if you take over the management of this company, there will not be any, urm, rationalisation of staffing?¡±
¡°I wasn''t aware that you had any staff except yourself and Henry.¡±
¡°My wife is part-time accountant. Actually she also helps with other tasks around the office too.¡±
¡°Very well, then Mr Webb. Please describe to me what your role in the company structure is, at present. That is to say, where does your working week go?¡±
¡°I am required to prepare a monthly report for the shareholder''s meeting. Each month this consists of a personal inspection of the inside of each cabin, some time when it''s not occupied, of course, in order to identify any maintenance needs. By this they mean scuffs on the floor, peeling paintwork, nicks to chair legs, loose screws, and so on. Any remedial work that''s needed, I normally carry out myself, since Henry is busy around the site, and it is just as fast to do it myself as to show him. I would estimate this inside work takes half an hour per cabin on average. I am then required to check the outside of the cabin. Which takes another quarter of an hour, or so. Adding in the travel time from cabin to cabin, when I am required to report on the state of the paths and roads, I would estimate that I spend approximately one and a half weeks on this... reporting task.¡±
¡°It sounds more like a care-taker''s role to me.¡±
¡°It was impressed upon me that it must be done by me personally, maam.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
¡°I also prepare a presentation on an item of interest for the shareholders about what is growing at the moment or the history of the area.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes, Maam. Again, this is required of me.¡±
¡°Could you describe the owners to me. They don''t seem like the typical investors.¡±
¡°Oh, they''re not investors, maam. They inherited the company after the previous owner died. His wife, who''s in her sixties, and the twins ¡ª unmarried daughters. I, ah, understand there was some difficulty at their birth. The maintenance contract was awarded to favourite a nephew, I believe.¡±
¡°And the previous owner left them the company to provide them with an income?¡±
¡°And I was employed to do various tasks that the mother felt were necessary, yes. The twins say ''yes mother'' quite a lot.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, I have completely misunderstood the situation. I was under the impression that the company was being mismanaged by money-grabbing businessmen. It''s just they have no idea, do they?¡±
¡°Not really, maam.¡±
¡°I still want to take over, but I''ll need to discuss the approach with Bob. Thank you so much for your candour.¡±
¡°You''re welcome, maam.¡±
Sarah called Frank first of all. ¡°Frank, cameras are done, but I think I should call Bob. I''ve just heard who the current owners are ¡ª the widow of the previous owner and her two daughters, who might not be all there from what I''ve just heard. They''ve tied the administrator''s hands and make him do talks about nature and stuff at monthly meetings.¡±
¡°So, not so much a business take-over, but a concerned talk?¡±
¡°Yes. Do you think Bob can do it?¡±
¡°I''m sure he can.¡±
¡°Great. Should I talk to him, or you?¡±
¡°You''ve got the information, Sarah. Keep me informed and tell me what the deal you negotiate is. Consider this to be a final test, you handle it your way, I''ll keep out of it until you need something signed. And once I''ve signed it, then I''ll listen to your report, and Bob''s and give you marks out of ten, and report on that to the other trustees too.¡±
¡°Ooh, no stress then! This sounds fun.¡±
Sarah called Bob immediately.
¡°Hello, Carbon-carbon land management, Bob Coal speaking.¡±
¡°Hello Bob, Sarah used-to-be Smith, now Williams here.¡±
¡°Hello Sarah. I see you''re causing waves in our tranquil waters.¡±
¡°Sorry about that, Bob.¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t mind. I told Frank not so long ago that I''d like more of a challenge. I didn''t quite think that buying out Blackwood Cabins would be part of it, though.¡±
¡°I''ve just been speaking to Mr Webb. I understand from him that a simple commercial bid is not exactly the best approach. Do you know the current owners?¡±
¡°No. I''ve heard Matt moaning about his hands being tied and having to do the rounds to keep them happy.¡±
¡°From what he told me, they''re the wife and twin daughters of the previous owner. He mentioned a difficult birth. I presume by that he means the daughters might have some learning issues.¡±
¡°Well. I didn''t realise it was them, but, yes. In that case, I do know them, at least from a distance. The mother is a stickler for neatness, and the twins have a mental age of about ten, I''d say.¡±
¡°I presume they were left the company to give them an income.¡±
¡°And to pay for support for the daughters, I''d imagine.¡±
¡°Any idea how to tackle the take-over?¡± she asked.
¡°I''d guess sending them with this complicated report Frank''s sent me detailing the ''Post-impact economic predictions with specific emphasis on reduction in tourist trade volume.'' isn''t quite going to work.¡±
¡°Not really. But off the top of my head... Urm I''ve got no notes here so you''d better record this, I suggest telling them that we expect the tourist trade to dry up for several years after the impact. That''s not bad news for me personally, I''ve got my fingers in too many pies, and a well-paying job. But I''m concerned what it would do to them. Her husband left her the company to keep provide for their needs, I''m sure, and I''d like to make that a reality. But there need to be changes. I don''t like skimping on maintenance. It''s very short-sighted, and one day one of those stoves is going to go bang. Henry''s doing what he can, but Blackwood cabins must give the maintenance back to the someone who understands the stoves, i.e. the manufacturer. I''m reliably told they''re not making a profit on maintenance contracts at all, so any savings just means it''s not being done properly. If they insist on not getting maintenance done properly, then I''m going to invoke the improper use clause in the rental contract, rendering it null and void, and cancel the exclusivity contract. It''ll cost me legal fees, and the cancellation value of the contract, which I think is a million, but I don''t care. I''m not risking having a stove blow up and kill someone on Carbon-carbon''s land. I''d also like to alter the way that Blackwood cabins are rented out, drastically, so that more people can enjoy the lovely cabins that they''ve been looking after so well. That land is /so beautiful/ it needs to be seen and enjoyed! I''d want to have a pricing formula which adjusts prices up if the cabins are filling up quickly and down if they''re not, until they do. That sort of pricing is totally unpredictable in terms of what income they''d get, but it''ll mean more people staying. In a slack year they might be paying less, maybe even much less. That would be a problem with their rental contract ¡ª there might be ninety five percent occupancy but no dividend left after the land rent''s paid.
That''s really tricky to put into something as crude as the rental contract. Two companies really can''t be as flexible as one can be, unless the rent is somehow worked out per day, which gets horribly complicated, keeps accountants paid and everyone else confused about whether they''re being cheated or not. I don''t like that option at all.
If we merge the two companies, then we could even employ someone full-time as care-taker for the cabins, and probably Henry would need help all year round. I''m certain I would be able to keep the cabins going during the lean years, and we''d get customers. Even if it meant cutting the cost per weak down to a tenth of the current price, that would give Henry and the rest employment, keep people turning up at the coffee shops in the town and so on. That''s my dream, that''s what I call land management ¡ª not extracting every penny every year, but making sure that it keeps people in jobs even in the lean years, so when the good times are back people are still there and it''s still a lovely place to go. With proper year-long occupancy levels, I can get a good enough return on the investment when things go well that no-one goes bust when they don''t.
So, I''d like to offer them five options: In all of this, I''m going to consider the value of their company as the book-value plus last year''s dividend. It''s a bit dumb, it''s certainly generous, but at least it''s simple to work out for everyone. Number one,
I pay them the value of the company according to the value on the accounts, plus last year''s dividend. They take the money and invest it somewhere else, or even buy an annuity. Number two: jointly, we pay for the company to be valued professionally and we pay them for it, again, they invest it somewhere else. It might be more or less, personally, given the lack of maintenance on the stoves, I''d expect it to be less, because there''s an unknown level of damage to a key part of the infrastructure. Number three, I don''t pay them anything for the company, but in exchange for their stake in it I contract to pay them an indexed link income the rest of their lives, equivalent to last year''s dividend. I''ve no idea how that compares to an annuity, but I''m certain that it''s better than the income they''d get from just holding on to the company, especially if they keep on mismanaging it like they have been. Number four: I pay them half the value of the company, and half what I said in three. Number five, which I think is probably bad news for everyone, but I acknowledge they might feel an emotional tie to the cabins and everything her husband worked for. I pay them half the value of the company, and the other half becomes a non-voting share in Carbon-carbon, based on dividend equivalence for last year. If they ask why dividend equivalence, show them how generous I''m being. I think that''s a silly idea for them because, quite frankly Carbon-carbon is going to barely break even in the lean years. I think it''s a silly idea for me because I''m not going to demand they bail out Carbon-carbon if it''s making a loss, but I share my profit when it doesn''t. If they ask why they don''t get a vote, it''s because firstly, there''s no point, since I own the rest, and secondly they''ve shown hardly any business sense at all so far, so don''t deserve one.¡±
¡°Wow. Sarah, it sounds convincing, it really does, but can I just play them the recording? I don''t think I can match your passion.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°And if they say no?¡±
¡°Then, Bob, either they present you with a maintenance contract with the stove manufacturer stating that all stoves will have a remedial service and repair in the next month and then regular services at the recommended interval thereafter, or I call in the legal team.¡±
¡°Deadline for that?¡±
¡°One week. Talk to them today if you can. Either they accept one of my five options or they say no and show you the signed contract.¡± Sarah said. ¡°They''ve had their chance. Mr Webb''s been warning them again and again, and they''ve refused to listen.¡±
¡°OK. Now Frank told me to offer the campsite a similar deal. Where does that stand now?¡±
¡°Do you know who owns shares in it?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Then just in case it''s the same family, I guess we''d better find that out pronto. I presume you can give me a company name?¡±
¡°Yes. Blackwood camping.¡±
¡°If I didn''t know the countryside was called New Blackwood, then I''d call that ominous. Dum de dum de dum dum dum, here we are... ''Blackwood camping is a private owner-operated business on land in the New Blackwood.'' So according to this the owner is the manager, owner and everything.¡±
¡°Then I know the guy. I''d guess he''s approaching sixty.¡±
¡°Well, check with him that it''s true. You never know. And tell me about the site. Full?¡±
¡°Yes, when it''s warm enough to camp. Prices dependant on time of year.¡±
¡°Ah, sanity at last!¡±
¡°Yes. So, what if he wants to keep ownership?¡±
¡°He can. His risk. This offer isn''t so time critical, but if there''s a deal then it''s done and dusted by mid-January. Tell him I''m anticipating a lean few years for him, and I''m making a take it or leave it offer. The amount we offer is the book value from his last audited accounts, plus dividend, like with the cabins. Or a professional evaluation, for which he pays half, like before.¡±
¡°So, do I hide the fact that you''re after the cabins?¡±
¡°No, that''s part of his motive for sale. Tell him I''m planning on buying up the cabins, and what I''m going to do to the cabin prices.¡±
¡°What if he hears about the other options?¡±
¡°Tell him I''m a soft-hearted fool for widows and the helpless, but he''s not either, plus it''s my land and if I want to I can camp anywhere I like on it except his patch. In other words, I want the cabins, not so much the campsite.¡±
¡°And if you get the cabins, and so the exclusivity deal is gone, can he build cabins? I know he''s asked and I had to say sorry, they can''t do tents, you can''t do cabins.¡±
¡°Hmm. Interesting question. I''m open to the idea, if he names the right rental price. But insist that he has to rename his campsite. I''m not going to put up with Blackwood cabins and Blackwood camping with cabins next door to each other. Life would be much less confusing with a single company.¡±
¡°And if he asks who''s going to run the campsite when you buy it?¡±
¡°As in fishing for nice regular employment?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Interesting question. It''s seasonal work, of course.¡±
¡°His house is on-site.¡±
¡°Oh! I didn''t remember that. Hmm. So if we buy him out then we''re also buying his house?¡±
¡°I''d guess so.¡± Bob agreed.
¡°Gets complicated, doesn''t it?¡± Sarah said with a sigh.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°OK, Bob. You''ve run carbon-carbon very well for the last ten plus years. You know what a business model is, you know cash flow and all the rest. I''m really not planning to move you unless you want a move. Frank''s given me a free hand on this little spending spree, and I''m deciding that campsite deal is going to be a Carbon-carbon negotiation, and I reserve the right to be pleased or a bit miffed at you as appropriate when the accounts come in, but you''re still an old family friend.¡±
¡°So I''ve got a free hand?¡± Bob asked.
¡°Can you think why not? I mean, Carbon-carbon''s got the cash just sitting there. Invest in a campsite or not as you feel fit, hire help as required, try to get me a good deal, but I can imagine you''ll need to dig a bit deeper than what I said about the offer, if his house is involved too. So, feel free. I will need some of the cash though. I''ve definite plans for making some of the cabins fit for royalty, security wise.¡±
¡°When you say fit for royalty, what exactly do you mean?¡±
¡°Partly, I mean those wood-pile cameras. They''re a wide open system, which is no good at all if you''ve got a recognisable face. I''m changing twelve of them next week, since we''re going to stay there soon, and so is a cousin who''ll have just had some celebrities at her wedding. And assuming you get your hands on those cabins for me, then I''ve committed you to upgrading the rest of the cameras to the same brand. Nice reliable expensive ones of course. But the other part is that Mummy and Daddy left me an AI security system with a ''Dear policemen, can I sleep-gas these attackers?'' function. I like it a lot, unfortunately there''s an asteroid aimed right at it. So, what if that was moved to Blackwood cabins and supervised at least some of them? I know I''d feel safer there knowing that if someone tried something silly it wouldn''t be an hour plus before anyone could respond at all, but they could get safely gassed by remote control.¡±
¡°What about the issue of cameras inside the houses? Some people would be nervous of the guy in the office getting too nosy.¡±
¡°At work, the AI has an automatic modesty-protection system. No cameras when people are undressing or undressed. I''m assuming that could be loaded in. Actually I''d probably put a total block on the AI relaying inside pictures to the console unless there was an emergency. That''d need external certification of the code, of course.¡±
¡°Where on Earth do you work that people are routinely undressed, Sarah? The mind boggles!¡±
¡°Oh, it''s got a medical wing.¡±
¡°Oh. That''s a relief. What''s the place called?¡±
¡°Bob, do you want to know something you can''t tell your wife? How is Christine, by the way, sorry I forgot to ask?¡±
¡°Christine''s fine, Sarah. Enjoying the countryside, doing some painting again.¡±
¡°That''s good.¡±
¡°What do you mean I couldn''t tell her?¡±
¡°You''d get in big trouble if you went reporting it. I got security clearance and everything to work there.¡±
¡°Can I tell her that?¡±
¡°What, that I''ve got clearance? Yes. Are you at home around new year, Bob?¡±
¡°Yes, why?¡±
¡°We''re going to be in one of the cabins for a few days. It occurs to me we could drop by and say hello.¡±
¡°Who is the other half of ''we'', by the way? I''m guessing he''s called Mr Williams.¡±
¡°His name''s John. Clear Sky survivor the elder.¡±
¡°You''ve known him a long time then?¡±
¡°Hardly. We met in early summer, I knew his name, but even then didn''t realise it was him until I heard his metal leg. We got talking, fell in love ridiculously quickly; we tend to blame God for that, since He dropped some really big hints early on, and we have been thoroughly enjoying married life since July.¡±
¡°By all means come and visit. Hopefully we can avoid talking about work stuff.¡±
¡°I certainly hope so. I''ll leave you to strike avarice into the hearts of elderly ladies then.¡±
¡°Thank you for that task, Sarah, I hope the result pleases you.¡±
¡°Bye, I''ve got to go and complete the purchase of some cameras.¡±
¡°Bye Sarah, it''s been nice talking to you.¡±
Bob disconnected. Long phone-call, lots to do, and no palpitations. Maybe he really was fit.
¡°Who was that dear?¡± Christine said, coming in from the garden. She''d been painting snow scenes.
¡°Sarah Smith, Williams now. I''ve got to go and convince Mabel and the twins to sell up. Did you know they currently own Blackwood cabins?¡±
¡°No! She never said. I''ll come too.¡±
¡°Please.¡±
¡°How are you?¡±
¡°I''m feeling fine, love. Maybe I really am recovered, like you''ve been saying for years.¡±
¡°Well, since it''s your first real bit of cut-throat enterprise in years, take it easy.¡±
¡°Not exactly cut-throat. Sarah''s offering them five different options for selling. Plus another two she doesn''t want them to go for.¡±
¡°What are the other two?¡±
¡°Carry on the way they''re running things ¡ª badly by the way, dangerously badly, in which case Sarah''s going to repossess and close them down, or let Matt service his stoves like he keeps saying needs doing.¡±
¡°Mabel''s not going to like any of the options is she?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I''ve got Sarah''s little off the cuff speech that I was supposed to deliver. She''s letting me play it instead. It''s full of passion and concern and vision, convinced that those beautiful cabins Mabel''s husband made need to be full of people, all year round, so they can enjoy the wonders of creation here. I think Mabel might admit she''s met her match, or at least her equal. I''d say she''s met her match and then some. Sarah''s got herself a loving husband, a well paid job at somewhere hush-hush involving her getting security clearance. Frank tells me she made over a hundred percent profit on a little side venture this summer, and by the sound of it she''s got a real faith too.¡±
¡°Praise God.¡±
¡°And they''re planning a stay in the cabins over new year. I said they''d be welcome to visit.¡±
¡°Of course they would be. It''s ages since I saw her.¡±
¡°Hello, Mabel, it''s Christine and Bob Coal here. We''re on our way over if that''s OK. Could we have a word please?¡± Christine called
¡°Hello Christine, is this about the Christmas pageant?¡±
¡°No, Mabel, Bob''s been asked to talk to you about something work-related. I never knew you owned those cabins up in the woods!¡±
¡°Oh, I''m getting an official visit from the landlord am I?¡±
¡°Sort of. I''ll let Bob explain.¡±
¡°I''d better say yes then, hadn''t I? Will I need to clear the decks? The twins are doing colouring in the reception room. I expect the place is a tip.¡±
¡°I''m sure we can sit round your kitchen table instead, Mabel. I know we won''t mind.¡±
¡°The proper place is the reception room though.¡±
¡°Mabel, you know Bob''s not been well. I think the kitchen would be better for us, really. If you go seating him in front of all that polished wood then I''m pretty sure it''ll be worse for his blood pressure.¡±
¡°What about mine?¡±
¡°I don''t know, Mabel. Would the reception room make you feel more comfortable, or would you be checking the wood to see if the twins had accidentally marked the table? Bob''s told me a bit about what its about and you''re going to need to concentrate.¡±
¡°You''re right, Christine. I hate to think what''s happening to the table, let''s meet in the kitchen.¡±
¡°OK, we''ll there in five minutes. Oh, Bob said it''s not required or anything, but you might want a copy of the last audited accounts on hand.¡±
¡°Oh? They''re not putting the land rent up are they?¡±
¡°He hasn''t said anything about altering the land rent to me. Oh, what''s that Bob? OK, he says they''re not putting it up, but part of what he''s saying is related to the land rent, although that''s not really the main point.¡±
¡°Well, I''m relieved about the land rent, at least. All those numbers get too complicated for me.¡±
¡°We''ll see you soon, Mabel.¡±
¡°See you soon, Christine.¡±
Christine disconnected and drew a breath. ¡°We''ve got the kitchen table, and you''ve also got a hint, Bob.¡±
¡°Yes, oh joy of my heart?¡±
¡°Be serious!¡±
¡°I''d rather not. Serious is stressful.¡±
¡°That''s the hint. Mabel said ''all those numbers are too complicated for me.'' If one of Sarah''s options means Mabel doesn''t need to think of numbers, then that''d be a marvellous plus point.¡±
¡°There are several options along those lines, actually.¡±
¡°Let''s hope Mabel doesn''t mind the egg on your tie then.¡±
¡°Where''s the egg?¡± he said looking down ¡°Come to think of it, what tie?¡±
¡°You wanted some humour, dear, that was my poor attempt at it.¡±
¡°Should I wear a tie?¡±
¡°No dear. You don''t want Mabel to think of funerals.¡±
¡°Oh, I love you, Christine. I don''t know where I''d be without you.¡±
¡°Yes you do dear. You''d have lots of pretty flowers to look at, maybe some baskets to help make, and a big fat nurse to plump your pillow.¡±
¡°Thank you, Christine, for standing by me.¡±
¡°''In sickness and in health'', remember? I wasn''t expecting the sickness quite so soon, but it''s nice to think you''re healthy enough to do this.¡±
¡°I think I am.¡±
¡°Good. Let''s pray before we go in.¡±
¡°Hello Mabel.¡± Bob said. ¡°Before I get to business, has Christine ever told you about how I got here?¡±
¡°She said that you had blood pressure problems, and your employer sent you up here for a rest.¡±
¡°Both are true, but I also had a nervous breakdown. I was a big high flier in the international diamond trade; closing deals worth tens of millions was pretty much every day at the office, then there was a big deal, far bigger and more complex that any before, and I was taking notes and making calls to three people at once and something broke. I reportedly said something along the lines of ''those purple hippos are flying like butterflies'' and collapsed on the floor.¡±
Mabel shot Christine a look ¡°I had suspected there might be something along those lines.¡±
¡°The reason I''m sharing this with you is that rather than just handing me over to the health insurers and terminating my contract after the required time, my employer split off Carbon-carbon land management from the parent company, set us up in our house, and set it up so that I could do as little or as much work as I felt capable of doing, starting with one morning a week. The rent from your cabins and the campsite basically looked after itself, and if I felt up to arranging some deals for trees then I could, and if I didn''t then I could tell people, no, sorry, not this month.¡±
¡°You''re saying that you''ve got a most generous employer.¡±
¡°Yes. I had. Unfortunately, just after he set that up he was killed in the Clear Sky bomb attack. Sarah, their daughter was one of the two survivors. She''s now happily married, has a job she claims pays very well, and is showing as much business skill as her father. She is about to take over the family company from the trustees.¡±
¡°And she''s about to kick you out if you don''t start showing some muscle?¡±
¡°What? No! It was her idea to post me up here in the first place, and is very concerned I don''t over-do it. I''d say she''s got her mother''s compassion and her father''s business skills, just maybe not his drive.¡±
¡°Then why the story?¡±
¡°Because, as far as I can work out, young Sarah has booked a holiday in your cabins, learned some things she doesn''t like, looked at your accounts, found how dependent you are on getting enough customers, and got worried for the future of the company, and therefore by implication Carbon-carbon. She thinks that after the impact people won''t be spending on holidays, and she''s not alone. I''ve got a complex report here predicting a that people nationwide will be feeling the pinch for a long time as government spending goes to rebuilding Restoration and everything else. The holiday business is going to be a real cut-throat market with everyone dropping their prices in search of custom.¡±
¡°So she''s going to lower the site rent?¡±
¡°Ah, no. She''s not at all happy with you about the stove maintenance, and wonders if you really want to continue running the company. She thinks it would be much more stable if Carbon-carbon owned it.¡± Mabel drew an angry breath to reply to that but Bob said ¡°Before you comment, just let me play you what she said to me, about an hour ago. She did tell me to record it and said I could play it back to you.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll listen to what your patron says.¡± Mabel said. Not in the best frame of mind. And listen she did. Carefully, wincing at some bits.
Bob turned off the recording.
¡°That last comment was a bit disrespectful.¡± Mabel said.
¡°I''m sorry, it was a bit forthright, I should have warned you that initially the recording was for me to take notes from, but I asked her if I could play it to you.¡±
¡°Oh it''s all right. She''s probably right. Matt''s been telling me the same thing though more politely of course.¡±
¡°She offers you a week in which to decide. You can choose one of her five buy-out options, you can decide not to sell and get a contract with the manufacturer to give the stoves a remedial service in the next month, followed by routine services at the recommended intervals, or you can face a legal battle to keep the company. She didn''t point out, but I will, that the bad press associated with a legal battle would probably put off a lot of customers, even if you won.¡±
¡°So, she thinks she''s got us over a barrel.¡±
Christine spoke: ¡°No Mabel. She thinks that you''ve got yourselves in a situation where you''re in deeper water than you think and is afraid that you''re going to drown and ruin a lot of livelihoods, including your own. She is offering you a way out. She also doesn''t want the slightest chance of anyone being killed by an explosion, which, given her history, is perfectly understandable.¡±
¡°I need to talk to a legal advisor don''t I?¡±
¡°You can if you like, Mabel. But I''ll tell you something for free,¡± Christine said ¡°I''ve just been looking it up. An index-linked annuity is going to give you a return of about three percent. What was your dividend as a percentage of the company value last year?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I''ve got the accounts here, but I can''t make much sense out of them, really, which number is the value? I can''t see it.¡±
¡°There''s lots of different ways of valuing a company, Mabel.¡± Bob explained. ¡°Some are based on how many orders you''ve got, what bills you need to pay and that sort of thing, and how well an expert thinks you''re going to perform in the next year or so. That''s what you''d get out of a professional evaluation, and a lot of it is subjective. He could be optimistic or pessimistic and it would affect things quite a lot. By splitting the fee, Sarah''s saying that she''d like to keep the evaluator neutral, but also hiring an expert for a day''s work ¡ª which it probably is, at least, is going to cost a reasonable amount, so it''s only fair that we split the cost. To get an easier number, Sarah''s proposed that we value the company by what the accountant''s written the value of things down as, you know, the stoves, the cabins, and so on. That''s either based on what the company paid for something, adjusted by reducing it''s value based on it''s expected life, or by what they call fair market value, in other words, what you''d be able to sell it for. Since you go to jail for submitting false accounts, Sarah is assuming the accounts are right, and that the value on the books is true. Now, the book value says nothing about how much the reputation of the company is worth ¡ª which is a massive factor in the tourist trade, or how much income the company could give you. So, she''s saying that on top of the book value, she''ll offer you last year''s dividend, that being some sort of measure of how much those other things are worth to you.¡±
¡°I see. But I don''t see book value anywhere in the accounts.¡±
¡°It should be called something like ''fair market value of capital assets''.¡± Bob said.
¡°Oh, I see it. Almost exactly two million, see?¡±
¡°And you got a dividend last year of this much here, I hope, almost a hundred thousand.¡± Caroline said.
¡°Yes, that''s right.¡± Mabel agreed.
¡°So, option one is Sarah pays you almost two point one million. An index linked annuity would give you about sixty three thousand between the three of you, as long as you''re alive and as long as the insurance company doesn''t go bust, (I say that because of the impact). Option three beats the annuity hands down, I''d say, but that depends on whether you think Sarah might go broke before you or the twins die.¡±
¡°Is that likely?¡±
¡°Well, she''d have a very hard time doing it, unless she invests everything in interstellar travel or something crazy. No. I don''t think she''s going to go broke.¡±
¡°Option four is there so we can not have all our eggs in one basket?¡±
¡°Yes. But an annuity isn''t the only way to go, you understand. It''s just one way of turning a pile of money into a regular income for life.¡±
¡°Very well. I''ll think about it. One question. If I go with Sarah''s option three or four. If I die then the full amount goes to the twins?¡±
¡°I''d have to check. If you split the money and bought three annuities, then each would be linked to one person''s life. I would assume that Sarah''s assuming the same. Actually, I think there''s nothing in Sarah''s plan which says you all have to make the same choice. I think she was talking to you as individuals, based on share ownership.¡±
¡°Oh! No, that''ll never do. I don''t need much money, it''s the twins who do, well paying for the care team.¡±
¡°But you have the majority share?¡± Christine said.
¡°I''ve got seventy six percent. Would you please ask if we can alter the split?¡±
¡°Of course, I can call her now. But I''ll step outside for privacy, if you don''t mind.¡± Bob asked.
¡°Go ahead, Bob, Christine and I can talk.¡±
Bob stepped outside, and called Sarah''s number. ¡°Sarah, the girls are busy colouring at the moment, we''ve been talking to their mother, who I''d assume speaks for all, legally. She''s interested in your options three or four, I think.¡±
¡°Remind me Bob, which ones were those?¡±
¡°Option three is your endowment equivalent, which I presume you know is going to cost you roughly speaking a hundred thousand, index linked. Option four is half of that, half in cash.¡±
¡°OK. I said it, I meant it. I''m just pleased they''re going for it.¡±
¡°She is, but there''s a hitch. She''s got seventy six percent of the shares, the twins share the rest, but their care-team is the big expense. She asks can she adjust the share?¡±
¡°Oh, sorry. I wasn''t clear. I''m not playing that ''who''s most likely to die first'' game. Share-based initial division of the hundred thousand, then one dies it''s divided equally between the others, just like if there were real regular income-bonds involved. I''d set it up that way, except that there''s no way I''m going to issue an index linked regular income-bond that they might get advised to sell. By the way, to keep everyone including the accountants happy, if they go this way, then the income-bond type contract is going to be drawn up with GemSmith holdings, then there''ll be an internal trade for the nominal value of the bond with Carbon-carbon in exchange for Blackwood Cabins, and Blackwood cabins will become a trading name of Carbon-carbon.¡±
¡°And the nominal value will be two point one million?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°OK, the accounts can stand that.¡±
¡°And the maybe one million for the campsite, and still have money over to fix those cameras.¡±
¡°Oooh, my cash reserves!¡± Bob said.
¡°What do you want them for anyway?¡±
¡°Urm, buying up campsites, cabin companies, cameras, and if I understand you correctly, expensive security systems. But maybe also putting in a cable car to the peak.¡±
¡°Seriously?¡±
¡°Not very, yet. But I walked it once. The views are fantastic.¡±
¡°Longer term goal?¡±
¡°Hot drinks at the top, ski slope to the bottom.¡±
¡°Do you really get enough snow?¡±
¡°Probably not. We did last year which is what started this dreaming.¡±
¡°I have a crazy idea for you to consider.¡± Sarah said.
¡°I''m listening.¡±
¡°Don''t bother with the cable-car for now, but do put in a ski slope.
Make the top of the run accessible by tractor or ATV, not disturbing the cabins but accessible from them. I don''t know if you can arrange it, but maybe have one run which splits and ends up with one end going to the cabins'' reception, another to the village, and another to the campsite?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Can you imagine the queues at the end of the day, cold skiiers turning up at reception.¡± Bob pointed out.
¡°Maybe the people in the cabins just get a cross-country route to their place, then, it becomes a ski resort for the campsite and town?¡± Sarah pondered.
¡°I think I''ve got it!¡± Bob exclaimed ¡°I don''t know if it works with the geography, but how about a cross country route to the cabins from above, so people can go back up at the end of the day and ski back to their cabins?¡±
¡°And ski down to reception to get a lift to the village. That would be easy to arrange, the road to reception isn''t that steep, according to the map.¡±
¡°But to get to all the cabins, that ski run would have to start at the peak, wouldn''t it?¡±
¡°So we''re back to your cable-car idea? Making it quite a gamble if there''s not enough snow.¡±
¡°I like the idea of the ski slopes without cable-car. OK, the running costs would be higher, but the capital would be far less. There''s nothing even remotely passable up to the peak that say a tractor could drag a cart load of skiiers up?¡±
¡°I''ll look into it, Sarah. No deadline, I presume?¡±
Sarah laughed. ¡°I can give you one if you like. Try and plot a route and maybe I can convince John to give it a go when we''re up there. By all means get some locals to help.¡±
¡°I wasn''t asking for one, but I''ll give it a go.¡±
¡°It''s low low low priority, Bob. Really, this isn''t the time to try to start a whole new tourist industry in the area, is it?¡±
He snorted ¡°Not really. I''d better get back to Christine and Mabel.¡±
¡°Mabel being the mother?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I won''t keep you then. Bye.¡±
¡°Good bye, Sarah.¡± He shook his head, in wonder. Brainstorming with a Smith again. It did feel good. But what a crazy idea! Maybe it was so crazy it would work. He was still smiling as he went in.
¡°From the look on your face, it''s good news.¡± Christine said.
¡°It is, yes. I''m afraid I misled you, Mabel. Her offer is that the hundred thousand would initially be shared between you according to shares, but on the death of one then that persons sum would not stop, but would be divided among the survivors. The contract would be with her holding company by the way, not just Carbon-carbon.¡±
¡°Well! I''ll sleep on it but I think we''re going to be taking option three. I must say, no more worries about stupid numbers sounds a wonderful thought. Yes, that''s certainly a reason to smile.¡±
¡°Actually, Mabel, I was smiling at a crazy brainstorming discussion we had, after she''d put me right on that.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°About whether it would be possible to take people up to somewhere near the peak, say by tractor, and then they could ski down to the village or clients could ski to the cabins.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s been done before.¡± Mabel said.
¡°And it worked? I mean, people tried it, had a fun time and wanted to do it again?¡±
¡°Oh yes. It was one of my late husband''s ideas that the cabins could be reached by ski if someone could ever be persuaded to do those runs again. That''s why some of them are in otherwise odd places. Up hill or flat to the peak, downhill to reception.¡±
¡°What stopped the runs?¡±
¡°The normal thing: old age, stubbornness, death. Mr McKenzie got too old, and didn''t want to have anyone else driving his tractor, or crossing his land in theirs. Then he died, his farm got bought up, and someone put a nice new house across the old route.¡±
¡°Isn''t our house on some of what Mr McKenzie used to own?¡± Christine asked, who''d heard his name before at Church.
¡°Yes dear. This was ages ago, when I was a teenager. We''d queue up along what''s now your front drive, climb aboard his trailer, drive through your living room and that pond Mr McKenzie put in when he decided he wouldn''t be doing the drive any more, and thought he''d like to do some fishing, I''d forgotten that ¡ª that''s why no one else could do it. Then from there, we went up to the ridge just below the peak.¡±
¡°Thank you for that very valuable information, Mabel.¡± Bob said.
¡°How valuable?¡± she asked, curiously.
¡°Oh, approximately one thousand in cartographers fees and feasibility studies.¡±
¡°I should have kept quiet then, shouldn''t I?¡±
¡°No, Maam. That''s not how my employer does business. I merely need to ask you to either point at some landmarks or draw a line on a map, and then I can reimburse you suitably for your time, effort and knowledge as a expert consultant.¡±
¡°I''ll do better than that, young man! I''ve got some photographs from the top around somewhere, they ought to show the route.¡±
¡°That would be excellently excellent!¡± Bob enthused, almost dancing with glee.
¡°Is he always like this, Christine?¡±
¡°That''s the man I took as my husband, Mabel. He hasn''t been quite like this since he became sick.¡±
¡°Well, take him away now dear, please, before he knocks something over and makes a mess. I''ll call you when I''ve found the photos. And about the other matter.¡±
¡°Thank you, Mabel. Come on Bob, calm down, or you''ll hurt yourself.¡±
¡°But it all works out, don''t you see?¡±
¡°Yes, Bob. I see. Now, I want you take a deep breath and repeat ''it''s not worth ruining my health over'' three times.¡±
Bob took a deep breath and said ¡°I love you too, Christine.¡± very calmly, and gave her a kiss. She could see his eyes were still sparkling with enthusiasm, and she kissed him back; it was nice to see him like this. Very nice.
¡°Have a very good afternoon, Mabel.¡± Bob said, still holding Christine round the waist. ¡°I''m going invite my beautiful wife for a relaxing stroll in the countryside.¡±
Mabel shook her head at their behaviour, thinking they looked just like a pair of newly-weds, ¡°Be careful you two, or it''ll all end in tears. Mostly due to empty tummies, full nappies and hurt knees, of course, so that''s not too bad.¡±
¡°Mabel, what a suggestion! I''m shocked!¡± Christine said, with a smile.
¡°Don''t be, dear, you''ve been married long enough. Just do make sure you''re near a hospital when the time comes, just in case. We were stupid and were camping up in the hills. See you at Church on Sunday?¡±
¡°Yes, of course.¡±
¡°Good, I''ll see you then if not before.¡±
¡°Good bye, Mabel.¡±
Christine dialed Sarah''s number. ¡°Sarah, it''s Christine here, not Bob.¡±
¡°Oh, is everything OK?¡± Sarah asked, concerned.
¡°Yes, everything is wonderful, for once. Bob''s just having a little rest. I rather wore him out, I think, poor man. I just wanted to tell you that the tractor-based ski lift has been done before, Mabel''s just sent some photos from her youth. The cabins were even planned with skiing down from the ridge in mind. She also wrote asking us to thank you for lifting an enormous weight off her shoulders, and say that she doesn''t need to think about it any more. She''s very keen on the idea of not having any responsibilities except her daughters. The only question she has is wouldn''t it be better to pay off what''s left of the mortgage on their home with a lump sum. And then, if she does that, what to do with the rest of the million in cash. I know it''s not one of your options, but I was wondering if you''d be willing to offer her ten percent in cash, and then the rest as regular income, or if there''s anything special about half?¡±
¡°Nothing special about half at all. What have you been doing to wear out Bob?¡±
¡°He''s back to his old self, with this cabin deal working out, and the ski-slope idea, Sarah. Full of bubbling enthusiasm, life, and grand schemes. He''s got his confidence back. I''ve missed him a lot.¡±
¡°Oh! So you had a nice romantic dance around the house? Entirely fitting! Congratulations on having your husband back in full working condition.¡±
¡°Thank you for understanding.¡±
¡°Do you know Frank, my trustee?¡±
¡°I''ve heard the name.¡±
¡°OK, well he''s going to sign up the contract, since technically I''m still not in charge, but Frank''s told me to go ahead and arrange things as I like on this deal. He''s going to give me marks out of ten, apparently and report to the other trustees, who decide if I get to do this more often.¡±
¡°You think you''ll be this involved in the future?¡±
¡°Probably not. Why?¡±
¡°Bob said it was brainstorming with you which really convinced him he was better. I think he''d miss it if you told him that was a one-off.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m normally happy to brainstorm!¡±
¡°Thank you Sarah, God bless.¡±
¡°God bless you, and your marriage, Christine.¡±
Preparation / Ch. 23: Contracts and decisions
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 23:Contracts and decisions
Tuesday, 12th December, 4.30pm
Sarah had resorted to using a transport this time. It was getting late and she still had things to do. She knocked on Colin''s office door.
¡°Mrs Williams! I didn''t know you''d be coming back so soon!¡±
¡°Well, Colin, Frank said he''d be happy to sign a contract for me, but he didn''t say that he''d be willing to write it. I did think of drafting the contract myself...¡± she paused for Colin''s wince ¡°...but only as a comic moment.¡±
¡°We have different ideas of humour, maam.¡± Colin responded.
¡°Probably. So, it seems natural to me that you draft the acquisition contract for Blackwood cabins.¡±
¡°We don''t normally handle Carbon-carbon''s contracts, Maam, but leave that to someone closer to the site.¡±
¡°That''s all right, this one is going to be entered into by GemSmith. I''ll then be transferring the Company to Carbon-carbon''s books in exchange for the nominal value of the present contract. This might either be a single three-way contract or two separate ones, I leave it to you.¡±
¡°I take it there is a motive for this additional complication, Maam?¡±
¡°Yes. Carbon-carbon is going to be involved in a somewhat unreliable business, to whit, the tourist trade. On the authority that Frank delegated to me to make this deal, Bob at Carbon-carbon has secured the owner''s agreement to exchange title to Blackwood cabins for ten percent of its agreed value, plus an index-linked annual sum of ninety percent of last year''s dividend, for the lifespan of the current investors. Death of any investor meaning that the annual sum of the deceased party being split between the surviving parties. And the thing ending when they''re all dead. It seems foolish to encumber Carbon-carbon with an expenditure which might cause cash flow difficulties.¡±
¡°I see. And it is clearly also your desire that the contract out-live Carbon-carbon should that company cease trading?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°There is a particular reason for this ah... generosity, Maam?¡±
¡°Oooh, you don''t approve already?¡±
¡°Issuing a bond such as this is not particularly normal, Maam.¡±
¡°The current owners of the property are the widow of the original investor, and her twin daughters who were brain-damaged at birth. I understand them to be approximately forty, with a mental age of ten. The company was left to them, as a source of support, and they have quite frankly been mis-managing it. Neither the elderly mother nor, of course, the daughters has any real understanding of finances, but they would certainly recognise the difference between what they got last year as a dividend and what they''d get from an annuity, which would, I''m sure, prevent them from selling.
The certainty of an annuity compared to the dividend from the company would not occur to them. They''re somewhat used to the uncertainties, but they have seen only improved dividend yields year on year, which has now reached five percent. Since to Carbon-carbon, the land-rental has been approximately fifteen percent of the company value, the company is worth more to me than it is to them, and their current policy is in my opinion leading it towards total loss.
If proper management is unable to achieve over a long long term a rate of investment on that company of far more than twenty percent in good years, I would be very surprised indeed. So, in order to secure the company I offered a variation on this deal instead, relatively certain they would accept. They requested the lump sum of ten percent, which I am happy to accept as it reduces the long-term drag on GemSmith.
"Now, I understand why you used the word bond, but to me a bond is a transferable instrument, and this is not, intended, in any way, to be transferable.¡±
¡°I understand, Maam. Would you settle for the term non-negotiable bond? I believe that is the correct term.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m always happy to accept the correct term.¡± she smiled sweetly at him.
¡°Is there to be a conversion clause?¡±
¡°Such as?¡±
¡°That the non-negotiable bond might be partially or totally exchanged for cash at a later date?¡±
¡°On the assumption of a certain rate of decline of value, you mean?¡±
¡°Yes, maam.¡±
¡°My thought is that such a conversion would lend itself to the formation of an abusive relationship, either personal or professional, where one or both daughters are persuaded to convert the income to cash and then the cash vanishes.¡±
¡°A similar effect could be achieved by a loan taken out against the guaranteed income, maam.¡±
¡°That is true, but such a loan may be challenged in court, and attributed to the abusive party.¡±
¡°Very well, Maam.¡±
¡°I cannot think of any case when such a conversion clause was of benefit to both GemSmith and the recipient.¡±
¡°Medical expenses incurred by one dying party?¡±
¡°I can see the benefit to GemSmith, but not to the surviving parties.¡±
¡°If the survivors took out a loan against the income?¡±
¡°I would like to guard against that, actually, if possible.¡±
¡°You mean an explicit clause that using the bond as security will render it null and void?¡±
¡°Place it into a suspended state, I think, until such an abusive contract is struck down.¡±
¡°Very well, maam, if you believe this will be accepted.¡±
¡°We can always delete the clause before signing if my explanation about why it''s there is not accepted.¡±
¡°And a court would be able to strike it later if it was found to be unenforceable, which is my expectation.¡±
¡°I would think it very enforceable to stop payments.
¡°Yes, maam, but how do you prove that the payments are going to a loan secured against the income, compared to an unsecured loan.¡±
¡°Personally, I''d do it by asking the loan-maker under oath what factors were take into account when the loan were made. My point is that the daughters are not mentally fit to undertake a loan, and any guardian, court-appointed or not, should not be taking out one on their behalf.¡±
¡°Not even to pay for a potentially life-saving treatment?¡±
Sarah started to become suspicious. ¡°Colin, are you speaking from personal experience?¡±
¡°No, maam.¡± he lied to her. There wasn''t much decision to make ¡ª he never told anyone. But Frank had only just warned him not to ever break trust with this woman. It did need a decision, and Sarah heard it.
¡°Who needed the treatment?¡± she asked, compassionately.
¡°What treatment?¡± he prevaricated.
¡°Colin, you lied to me just now. I understand, it''s probably a secret that you took out what I presume is a significant loan, but I can find out the truth easily enough. So, firstly I would like to know who had the expensive treatment, and did they survive? I would like to know that because we will be working together. In return for you telling me your secret I will tell you a secret about myself ¡ª I have the thought-hearing power. I know you lied to me because I heard you decide to.¡±
¡°Not even Frank knows this, Maam.¡±
¡°Well, he might, but might not have discussed it with you. Frank likes to keep things to himself if he can.¡± Sarah said.
¡°So do I maam. But since you know part... I married quite late, at thirty five. My wife, soon after we were married, needed a major operation that was not covered by our insurance. Yes, she survived, so I am certain it was worth it. And every month we have together we pay another instalment on our happiness.¡±
¡°So this was five years ago?¡±
¡°Six, actually.¡±
¡°And the loan is secured or unsecured?¡±
¡°Unsecured, maam. We had just moved here and were in rented housing at the time.¡±
¡°And I presume it is not troublesome for you to repay?¡±
¡°It was at the beginning, but once she was able to work again it became bearable. And by purchasing a small house with a mortgage we were able to reduce our rental costs significantly.¡±
¡°But had she not survived then you would have faced a crippling loan along with a broken heart.¡±
¡°Yes, Maam. Actually, as an atheist, you understand, maam, I might not have considered my life worth living.¡±
¡°My husband lost his first wife in the Clear Sky attack, Colin. We''re now both very happy that he didn''t submit to such dark thoughts. There''s always hope.¡±
¡°Thank you for saying so.¡±
¡°In my limited experience, unsecured loans generally charge a higher premium than secured loans.¡±
¡°That is true, maam.¡±
¡°I wonder if your loan and mortgage could be consolidated.¡±
¡°The outstanding amount of the loan is worth more than the house, Mrs Williams. We tried, I assure you.¡±
¡°Not hard enough. Speak to Frank, Colin, and then have him call me about specifics of how GemSmith can help here.¡±
¡°Maam, are you suggesting GemSmith would take over the loan?¡±
¡°Colin, should your wife need time away from work, your loan will, I imagine, become troublesome once more. If you are struggling financially then you might not sleep well and your performance on behalf of GemSmith will be degraded. There are also other possibilities I don''t want to raise. Therefore, it is not in GemSmith''s interests that your loan repayments should be unmanageable, and it is in GemSmith''s interests that you be able to pay off the capital as soon as reasonable, so that you can have that weight off your minds. Back to our ladies. From the little I know about them, the twins have approximately zero earning power unless they suddenly develop great artistic talent, and the mother is of retirement age. The income that this non-negotiable bond will be their only income, which must pay for a multi-person care team for them as well as upkeep on their home and such like. I''m sure there''s quite a lot of slack, probably fifty percent, actually. But a loan like yours would leave them in desperate circumstances. The ten percent lump sum is so that they can be free of the mortgage on their house. I would presume that if the family home has a two hundred thousand left on the mortgage at this stage of her life then it''s worth quite a lot more, so if they''ve got massive expenses, let them sell the house and move to somewhere more economical. I don''t ever want to hear that they''ve taken out a crippling loan which deprives them of the care they need.¡±
¡°It has to be their choice, maam.¡±
¡°It will be their mother''s choice, not the twins. They''re not capable.¡±
¡°You know this for a fact?¡±
¡°Actually, no. But while the negotiations about the sale were happening, they were busy colouring. I take that as indicative.¡±
¡°There is another option then, Maam.¡±
¡°I''m all ears.¡±
¡°You give them a reduced amount of cash and undertake to provide basic care for the twins, which could be provided through a relevant subsidiary.¡±
¡°We have one in the area?¡±
¡°I''m not sure, maam. But it sounds like there will soon be more employees on Carbon-carbon''s books, so there''s always the option to expand.¡±
¡°Thank you, Colin. What I''d like you to do is write up the contract that I''ve specified so far, and while you do that, I''ll talk to the mother personally and find out if she''d like to go that route.¡±
¡°You wouldn''t want to delegate it, Maam?¡±
¡°Not at this stage, no. It might be she''s already got some care plan sorted out, but somehow I doubt it. Can I use your consultation room?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°Mrs Rogers? It''s Sarah Williams here. I hope you don''t mind, I got your number from Christine.¡±
¡°Bob''s employer? He never did give your surname.¡±
¡°Yes, that''s me. I''m just getting a lawyer to draw up the contract, but we''re having a little bit of a disagreement I''d like you to settle.¡±
¡°Oh? I hope it''s not over my head then.¡±
¡°I understand from Christine that your daughters need quite a lot of care. I''d like a clause in there which says that the income from this can''t be used to get a loan, since that might put their care in jeopardy. My lawyer is telling me that would be very hard to enforce, leave it out.¡±
¡°Why might we want to take out a loan?¡±
¡°I think you wouldn''t, Mrs Rogers, but that maybe somewhere down the line, perhaps when you weren''t able to look after their interests, then someone unscrupulous might befriend either them or whoever is looking after their interests, and persuade them to do something stupid. It''s one way con-men operate, you know.¡±
¡°Oh, yes. I know about that sort. Thank you for thinking of it. But it''s difficult, he says?¡±
¡°Apparently so. But there''s another option he came up with. I don''t know, do you have some kind of long-term care plan for them with an insurer or something? What if the contract said that whatever fraction is appropriate went towards that, directly? It would reduce the amount coming to you, of course, but then no-one unscrupulous could ever take their care from them, and also no one would ever be put in the position of having to choose between protecting their future care and taking an expensive medical gamble.¡±
¡°Because I''d be taking that decision now, you mean?¡±
¡°Yes, exactly.¡±
¡°How much of the income would it be?¡±
¡°I''ve no idea, Mrs Rogers. I''m not an expert. Do I take it that you don''t have such a plan at the moment?¡±
¡°No. I''ve thought about it, but it always seemed like a more expensive way to do it than just paying some local girls, and I''ve been balancing too many numbers as it was.¡±
¡°I''m sure you''re right ¡ª it will be more expensive, since the local girls are going to still need their income and there''s going to have be someone to pay them, arrange schedules, and all the rest of it, and the company which runs the operation will want a profit of course.
"|f you want to set this up, then what I''d do is arrange for one of my health insurance companies to do a full assessment of your girls needs at the moment and in the future and everything else, just like a health insurer would do, and the number they come up with ought to be what another health insurer would come up with for fixed rate life-long care package. It''ll be more than you pay the girls at the moment, because we''d be thinking of what care they might need when they''re eighty as well as now. But on the other hand, if they need a lot of care now, then perhaps it won''t actually be very different. And we''d take that off the income you get, but it would be a fixed sum with no uncertainty for you.
"I''ll be honest with you, Mrs Rogers ¡ª I value honesty. If we can keep this in-house, that is to say, one of my companies does this, then I keep the profit on the care contract, as opposed to a competitor, and my employees keep getting their wages paid, so it means that I''d win slightly. Thus, I''m not purely suggesting this for selfless reasons. It would impact the final bottom line less if we do do it this way.¡±
¡°But if you''ve got multiple companies, then I''m guessing the difference it would make isn''t very significant, percentage wise, is it?¡±
¡°No, it isn''t significant at all, I''m afraid.¡±
¡°But, on the other hand, if I ask that our health insurance premiums get wrapped up into the same contract, I''d normally get a discount, wouldn''t I?¡±
¡°I''m sure you would, Mrs Rogers.¡±
¡°And you''d keep it all under the one roof, as it were.¡±
¡°That is very true. Who are you insured with at the moment?¡±
¡°I wondered if you were going to ask me, but I can''t remember the name exactly. I wondered if I''m already insured through your company, though. Christine helped arrange it.¡±
¡°''Emerald health'', by any chance?¡±
¡°Yes! How did you guess?¡±
¡°All employees are insured through Emerald. Me too, in fact. Christine would know who to call.¡±
¡°Forgive me from being curious, but why are you involved in this at all? Shouldn''t it all be underlings running around to get this sort of thing done?¡±
¡°Where''s the fun in that?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°No, actually, it all started because a cousin of mine is going to stay in your cabins, and I got curious.¡±
¡°Your cabins soon.¡±
¡°Yes. That''ll be nice. I wonder if I''ll give myself a discount when I stay? Probably not. My booking''s already on the system. Drat.¡±
¡°Does it matter?¡±
¡°Of course! I''m not technically in charge of anything at the moment ¡ª it''s all held in trust for me. I just persuaded the trustees to let me handle this one since it was personal, and persuaded my boss to let me have the day off. Back to work tomorrow, I''ve got a holiday to pay for.¡±
¡°Oh, I see.¡±
¡°I think I''ll probably always keep what''s in the trust separate from my personal finances. It''s much easier that way. Anyway, I''ll get someone to come over and do the assessment.¡±
¡°I really don''t want the girls to lose out on this,¡± Mabel thought, suddenly. "That wouldn''t be fair."
¡°If you give them a good recommendation, and they don''t mind, then I''m sure we can take them on.¡±
¡°Good, thank you. These assessment things can drag on for days, can''t they?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I don''t want to give myself time for second thoughts about the cabins. I might, my husband put so much work into them. He built most of them himself, you know?¡±
¡°No, I didn''t.¡±
¡°So can we sign the contract now, with a clause that says we''ll do what we''ve just agreed, and if the total package of insurance costs are acceptable then I''ll go that way, otherwise just take the cash?¡±
¡°I''d certainly be very happy to, yes. I think my lawyer can draft that quite quickly. I presume you have a trusted lawyer?¡±
¡°Yes. Should I go and pay her a visit?¡±
¡°I hope so. I''ll just check my lawyer thinks it''s all OK and call you back.¡±
¡°And I''ll see if my lawyer is free. Speak to you later.¡±
¡°Soon I hope. Bye!¡±
She stepped back into Colin''s office.
¡°Colin, she''s willing to go for a full medical and social care package, she and the girls are already insured through Emerald Health, so it''d mean an assessment and upgrading of that policy. However, she''s afraid of second thoughts, and would like to sign now. Could you make it so that if she agrees to the Emerald deal whenever that''s complete, then it would be paid directly from the bond, and if not she gets the cash?¡±
¡°And upon death of the beneficiaries of the insurance plan, then the funds allocated to that would return to the pot for the surviving parties?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°That would be entirely acceptable, yes. And you won''t insist on the no-loans clause?¡±
¡°No. I won''t.¡±
¡°I''m most glad, maam. I''ve drawn it up as a three party contract, by the way. It saves on everyones time. I presume you have a defined value for the company?¡±
¡°Yes. The book value of the company plus dividend from last year''s accounts. How long until it''s ready?¡±
¡°Fifteen minutes? I trust you won''t object to Frank checking it?¡±
¡°Of course not.¡±
Sarah returned to her seat in the consultation room and closed her eyes.
[John!]
[Yes, love?]
[I''ve got a few minutes, and thought I''d update you.]
[Do tell.]
[The camera deal is signed and dusted. We''re getting twelve and a quarter cameras plus a controller for the price of eleven. The quarter being a little solar powered repeater. They''re going to install on Thursday of next week.]
[Well done.]
[Ah, that was the easy bit. We''re also about half an hour away from signing for the cabins.]
[So, remind me, why are we paying for the cameras?]
[Because at ten o''clock this morning I had no idea we''d get a deal so fast. You know I told you the current owners were running the company badly?]
[Yes.]
[Turns our to be the widow of the previous owner and her mentally disabled daughters, who''d tied the hands of the administrator so they''d understand what was going on. They''ve agreed to me taking the company off their hands and in exchange giving them enough cash to pay off the mortgage, a comprehensive care and medical plan, and whatever cash is left of ninety thousand a year after that, index linked.]
[Thus replacing their worry-filled future with a nice stable one?]
[Yes.]
[My generous wife. I love you.]
[I love you too, but it was a commercial decision too ¡ª it got me those cabins, and I think I can make far more than a hundred thousand per annum from them. We might actually be turning the land into a ski resort.]
[Really?]
[Yes. When the current owner was a young girl there used to be a farmer who drove people up to the top with his tractor. What''s been done before can be done again, and apparently the cabins are actually arranged so that if you ski the other way then it''s down-hill all the way to your front door. One of those ideas that never happened.]
[What happened to the farmer?]
[Got bored of driving up and down for other people''s fun, and dug himself a fishing pond across the route instead. Then he died, someone built a house there near the pond, and Carbon-carbon bought it from them for my Daddy''s friend, Bob Coal and his wife to live in while he got better. Bob had a total breakdown, I think I''ve told you about him: he used to give me piggy-back rides when I was little.]
[Yes, you have. How''s he doing?]
[He arranged the deal with the old lady, and came up with the idea of the ski resort, which she then told him wasn''t just daydreaming but entirely plausible. Apparently this little bit of wheeler-dealing has done marvels for his self-confidence.]
[That''s good.]
[His wife said she thought so too. She said she hadn''t seen him like this in the last ten years. Anyway, I''d better call the old lady.]
[See you later, then, my love.]
[Bye, beloved.]
Sarah rang. ¡°Hello, Mrs Rogers, me again.¡±
¡°I was getting worried. Did he take much convincing?¡±
¡°Oh sorry, hardly any at all. It was so fast I thought you''d still be talking to your lawyer, so I updated my husband on my busy day instead. He expects it''ll be ready in about ten minutes.¡±
¡°Well! I''d better get moving then hadn''t I? My lawyer''s going to be glad, I think.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Well, she keeps telling me that I should think of selling up.¡±
¡°You''ll be signing on behalf of your daughters, I presume?¡±
¡°Yes, yes I will.¡±
¡°The contract will actually involve five legal parties: you and your daughters, Carbon-carbon land-management, who will take over the company, and pay you the lump sum, and GemSmith Holdings who will be issuing what I''m told is a legally speaking a ''non-negotiable bond'', which is to say that you can''t sell it. By the way, should the payment be monthly, quarterly or yearly?¡±
¡°Oh! Well, monthly would be very nice. I''d assumed it would be yearly like the dividend.¡±
¡°It can be, but it certainly needn''t be. I''ll tell him monthly income, then?¡±
¡°Yes, thank you.¡±
¡°And I''d better tell Bob he needs to meet you at the lawyer''s. I''d forgotten that.¡±
¡°Good bye then.¡±
¡°Good bye.¡±
Sarah called Bob. Christine answered once again.
¡°Hello Christine! I hope Bob''s all right?¡±
¡°Yes. He''s just making some tea.¡±
¡°Oh dear. I''m afraid the tea might need to wait. Mrs Rogers is on her way to her lawyer''s.¡±
¡°Oh! Already!¡±
¡°Yes. Contract is being drafted this end, but someone will need to sign for Carbon-Carbon. That could be the trustees here, of course, but I think it would be better if it was Bob. Also of course, there''ll be the funds transfer to do, and again, it''d be better if Bob did that. On the other hand, if you think Bob has had enough excitement for one day we can handle it all from here.¡±
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
¡°We''ll both go. You know your parents set it up so I can sign for Carbon-carbon too?¡±
¡°No! I''d forgotten that.¡±
¡°It was back when Bob couldn''t cope.¡±
¡°It makes sense. So, does that mean you''re on the payroll too?¡±
¡°Sort of. I think I''m officially half a morning a month. Why?¡±
¡°You used to work in personnel, didn''t you?¡±
¡°You have got a good memory.¡±
¡°I just remember asking you what ''personal work'' meant, and you explained the difference between the two words.¡±
¡°Oh! That was before the wedding, I think!¡±
¡°Probably. Anyway, as you know, there''s going to a rather massive increase in Carbon-carbon''s staff. Matt is officially administrator at Blackwood cabins, but apparently at least quarter of his time is spent as maintenance man. I don''t know if he enjoys it or not, but it''ll be more full time with more guests. His wife is accountant-cum-office help, then there''s Henry and I guess any summer help too. Also there''s hopefully going to ongoing care provided for Mrs Rogers and the girls through Emerald. I''m not aware of Emerald having an office in the area, but I might be wrong. Mrs Rogers is very happy with the current helpers, so I''m assuming we''ll take on employing them, and that Emerald would want to subcontract to Carbon-carbon since you''re local too. Someone will need to manage them. Plus, of course, if Bob''s ski slope idea comes to fruition then that''s even more workers. Subject to approval of Carbon-carbon''s management, I''m happy to offer you the job if you want it. I''m assuming that if Bob thinks he''s better you might be available. Alternatively it could be part of Matt''s role.¡±
¡°Urm, thank you. We''ll talk about it. You''re not thinking that Matt should be chief exec and Bob should be gopher, then?¡±
¡°Is there any reason I should?¡±
¡°Bob is assuming it, I think.¡±
¡°Well I wasn''t. Anyway, we''ll talk about it later. Can the two of you get to the lawyer''s?¡±
¡°Yes, I''m sure we can.¡±
¡°Wonderful! Once one of you''ve signed that paperwork, then the next task I''d like you to do is make sure Bob has a very relaxing evening.¡±
¡°If that''s my assigned task, then does it count as work time?¡± Christine joked.
¡°Of course! Just as long as you don''t let Bob think about any grand schemes, or to-do lists or anything like that. So does all the extra stuff you''ve been doing today, actually. Tot up the hours please and tell Bob you''ve been doing consultant work.¡±
¡°Sarah!¡± Christine protested.
¡°Christine!¡± Sarah echoed ¡°Please do it. You''re not taking advantage. If you''ve been going with Bob for most of his meetings these past ten years then we''ve been taking advantage of you.¡±
¡°Not all of them, not even most. Just the scary ones.¡± Bob said, having brought the tea and heard the last interchange.
¡°Good. What a sloppy way to run a company, I don''t know! We can''t have spouses being unpaid labour.¡±
¡°Sarah, I''d like to point out that it was your parents'' express desire to pay me a full-time administrator''s salary for the past ten years, even when I was only working one afternoon a week.¡±
¡°Was that the full extent of his working week, Christine?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Well then. If Daddy had insisted Bob take more breaks, or limited his travel, then perhaps he''d still be trading diamonds now. I know what a drop in income you two adjusted to. I''m not going to suggest Bob ever trade diamonds again, I don''t think either of you''d want that, but I am going to reward you for getting him back on his feet and keeping him there, Christine.¡±
¡°Thank you, Sarah. But having him back on his feet is reward enough.¡±
¡°We''ll talk more later on. You''re going to be late for that meeting.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Well, if you will keep on talking to me....¡±
¡°See you over the new year, Christine.¡±
¡°That''ll be nice, Sarah, Bye.¡±
¡°Bye.¡± Bob said, as Christine ended the call. Then he asked ¡°What meeting?¡±
¡°Mabel''s lawyers. Contract to check and sign, money to transfer. Boring stuff like that.¡±
¡°Deal to close, you mean?¡± His eyes getting that excited sparkle.
¡°Sarah''s told me that I''m acting as consultant, by the way, and that she''d like me to ensure you have a relaxing evening, and don''t think of work.¡±
¡°Oh, did she?¡±
¡°Yes. So, shall we have a relaxing evening at home, or shall we try that new restaurant?¡±
¡°Restaurant, I think.¡± Bob decided, sipping his tea.
¡°Right, let''s go and sign some papers, I''ll tell you some other things Sarah said on the way.¡±
[Hi Karen. Just thought you''d like to know, I''ve just spent a bit of money, and I''d like to know if you two ski.]
[Ski? Me? I''ve been once. Why?]
[Was it down-hill or cross-country?]
[Cross country, well, a bit of both really. Why?]
[Wonderful! Take some skis on your honeymoon, My company will provide the tractor.]
[What? Sarah, what have you done?]
[Oooh, lots. First I booked a holiday in a rustic cabin, over new year. You are gone by then aren''t you?]
[No, we''re staying ten days.]
[Oops. Sorry. That wasn''t deliberate. But we don''t need to meet.]
[And what else have you done?]
[I''ve spent money on some cameras, so that on Thursday of next week some of the current woodpile cameras, which are as secure as a wide open tent, with some of the same brand that IHM have. I got a discount, and I''m only swapping out twelve of them so don''t wince. Anyway, I''m going to get the money back eventually.]
[Because? ... Come on Sarah!]
[I''ve also bought the cabins, well, one of the companies in my trust has just signed the contract. They were on its land anyway, the cabins were owned by an old lady and her two daughters who suffered brain damage at birth. Her husband built the cabins, and she inherited them but had no idea about operating them, and the company was going to be in trouble in a year or two. So, I''ve made them happy with a nice steady income and paying off their mortgage, and made me happy by getting rid of a company doomed by its owners'' policy from my lovely mountain.]
[And what''s this about skis? We''re going to be revising, remember.]
[I know, but you can have a day off occasionally, surely? And however much you might want to, even with feedback, you can''t make love all day long. But anyway, there used to be a farmer who''d take local kids up the hill on his tractor. The land''s all mine now, and it shouldn''t be too hard to re-create the route he took. You get to the town, say by taxi, catch the tractor up to the peak, and either ski down to where the tractor dropped you off for another go, or if you go the other way then you''re on you way to the cabins, supposed to be downhill all the way as long as you take the right paths. Oh, it''s also supposed to be downhill to reception.]
[Well, if you provide ski hire, then maybe we''ll consider it. We certainly don''t own any.]
[Great idea! I''ll make a note.]
[Sarah! Be sensible.]
[Why should I be sensible? I''ve just acquired two million worth of cabins which need remedial service on their stoves, made an old lady happy, and best of all helped a family friend to realise that he''s recovered from his total collapse ten years ago. The ski centre was his idea, by the way, even if it''d been thought of before.]
[You''re on a high, you mean?]
[Yes. Do you know if Eliza skis?]
[I doubt it.]
[Oh well. I''ll ask. But first I''ve got to tell Bella, It''s all her fault.]
Bella''s wrist unit buzzed, and she read the message. It was short and to the point: ¡°Dear Bella and Pris, I hope you will find the attached of interest.¡±
¡°Pris, We have a message to read.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°It seems like we have a result from last night''s call.¡±
¡°And you want me to drag my poor tired body over there?¡±
¡°I''ll read it: ''Dear Bella and Pris, I hope you will find the attached of interest.''¡±
¡°And what''s attached?¡±
¡°Lots of documents. Number one is an invoice, for twelve cameras, a repeater and a controller.¡±
¡°That sounds good.¡±
¡°Number two is a contract saying they can be installed.¡±
¡°Wonderful.¡±
¡°Number three is an installation appointment, for Thursday of next week.¡±
¡°Oh she''s wonderful. We can sleep soundly, then.¡±
¡°Number four is the first page of a sales contract, transferring ownership of Blackwood cabins into the hands of Carbon-carbon.¡±
¡°She''s bought the site?¡±
¡°She''s bought it. Number five is a bit odd.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°It''s a photograph, date approximately forty years ago. People skiing, and a tractor taking people up the hill.¡±
¡°Anywhere you know?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°I wonder what she''s telling us.¡±
¡°Oh no!¡± Bella said.
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°Last attachment is a site map of here, where someone''s drawn a line saying ''approximate route of tractor'' on the other side of the hill we''re on, and then, you know how we noticed all the paths seem to be going consistently up or down on our walk today.¡±
¡°Yes, tell me about it. Why couldn''t the put in flat paths?¡±
¡°The map''s got lots of lines all converging on somewhere at the peak. It looks like they''re all down hill from there, and it says ''tractor drop off point''. Get the point?¡±
¡°Skiing? Skiing! She''s mad!¡± Pris exclaimed.
¡°Well, it would certainly give her more custom in winter.¡±
¡°That''s true. I was more thinking about snipers.¡±
¡°Do you know if our friends can ski?¡±
¡°No. Do you want to tell everyone?¡±
¡°Coming? Or are you too tired from our little walk?¡±
¡°Yes, I''m coming. I''m just too used to not moving, that''s all.¡±
¡°That''s unusual for a courier.¡±
¡°Injured, grounded, well-known courier, not going any place.¡±
¡°Ha! You''re going somewhere, woman, up!¡±
¡°I don''t want to go up, Bella. I want to go out and about, sneaking around and delivering messages.¡±
¡°Look, Pris, you''re temporarily grounded, Maria clearly values your help, Karen''s glad she can be sure you''re at her wedding, we''re in a lovely spot, you''ve got time to actually establish a few friendships, enjoy it!¡±
¡°I will, Bella. But making friends is going to hurt.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°You know why Eliza''s here. At the moment, from what I''ve seen, I''ve got to say unsuitable.¡± Pris pointed out.
¡°I expect, given the way she''s fallen for Nigel, she doesn''t care. So instead work on an alternative role.¡±
¡°Such as?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Where can you imagine her?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Other than a medieval castle?¡±
¡°Real medieval castles didn''t let women be guards, I believe.¡±
¡°True. Royal protection?¡± Pris suggested.
¡°Possible. Not many openings as far as I know. It''d be popular with a certain other member of the force, though.¡± Bella said with a grin.
¡°But make it rather hard for him to concentrate on his job.¡± Pris pointed out.
¡°Yes indeed. Noticed how people talk to her?¡±
¡°What, call her milady?¡±
¡°No, I mean, out today, when we met that family. And yesterday, come to think of it. She''s good with people, even kids. Gets them to open up.¡±
¡°Yes. I''ve noticed that, even sober royal protection people.¡±
¡°Useful skill?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Very, in some roles. Like liaison, recruitment, training, even.¡±
¡°And she is a trophy-winner, without my ability to cheat.¡±
¡°Cheat?¡± Pris was surprised.
¡°Hear decisions. Split second warning just when it counts. Trevor thinks of it as cheating.¡±
¡°She says she''s fought in that dress, why don''t you spar?¡± Pris suggested.
¡°Why don''t you?¡± Bella countered.
¡°I''m unfit.¡±
¡°How do you get fit?¡±
¡°Practice. I know.¡± Pris acknowledged.
¡°Come on, let''s tell everyone then go for a spar in the snow.¡±
¡°You are joking, aren''t you?¡± Pris begged.
¡°Not really. We need to get you fit.¡±
¡°Oh my poor, ag¨¨d muscles!¡±
¡°Stop whining, ag¨¨d-one, or you''ll qualify yourself for a desk job!¡±
¡°Oi! I''ll get you for that.¡±
¡°Come on then. Let''s bring them glad tidings of strange deeds.¡±
¡°Then, I''m going to try and land at least one good attack on you. OK?¡±
¡°You may try.¡± Bella said.
¡°Without you cheating, OK?¡±
¡°I knew I''d regret admitting that.¡± Bella said. It would give Pris a chance, certainly. Bella wasn''t used to not having that advantage.
[Eliza, Sarah here, are you free?]
[Hi, cousin, to what do I owe the pleasure, et cetera?]
[I was just wondering if you knew how to ski?]
[You must be joking!]
[Oh well, it was just an idea.]
[I''m not saying I''d be averse to learning, but no. Skiing is expensive. I''ve been sledging often enough, but never skiing. Why?]
[I might have just accidentally bought a ski resort.]
[Sarah... the mind boggles. How on earth can you buy a ski resort accidentally?]
[I don''t know if Pris or Bella''s been sending you any reports about where she is...]
[Yes. Pris. I saw that the stoves need checking and the cameras could ruin it, but that Bella had discussed the problem of the cameras with someone and I guessed it might be you, and that you planned to replace some of the cameras and discuss other options.]
[Is that all she said?]
[Yes.]
[And did anyone talk about what ''other options'' might mean?]
[Not really. I was going to ask Bella, but she was asleep already.]
[Ah. OK.]
[So, what does ''other options'' mean?]
[OK, well, it turns out that the cabins are on land I used to camp on with my parents. Very very beautiful countryside, if I say so myself. It''s owned by one of the companies in the trust. Other options meant that I''d speak to my trustees and try and convince them to buy the cabins, preferably before you got there. Have you placed a booking, by the way?]
[Yes. Well, Albert said he would, under an alias, of course.]
[Well, if he hasn''t then there probably isn''t much rush at the moment; they''ve only got three people bookings over new year, and I''m one of them. I didn''t realise Karen and George would still be there, which is a bit embarrassing.]
[Oh well, there''s plenty of space for privacy.]
[That there is. Anyway, at about noon, I paid the camera people and there should be secure cameras installed on Thursday of next week. And as of about five O''clock, the cabins now belong to a company I own.]
[Congratulations. What did that cost you?]
[Well, On the books it''s worth about two million, the company paid a its owners a dividend of a hundred thousand last year, but it paid my company three hundred thousand in land usage, and that''s with occupancy at only fifty percent. So I think I ought to be able to get at least five or six hundred thousand out of it with some advertising and variable rents. So I''m not at all upset to be paying the previous owners a regular income of ninety thousand and a lump sum of two hundred thousand. And the old lady who owned it is very happy not to have to worry about all those horrible numbers any more, pay off the mortgage and have a nice income to look after her daughters.]
[Happiness all round.]
[The best sort of deal, yes. Plus for the guy who runs the company it''s now part of. He was given it as a rest-cure after he burned out, back when my parents were still alive ¡ª He was a friend of Dad''s, and used to give me piggy back rides round the garden. ¡ª So, anyway, he''s still there, and has been slowly recovering his health and confidence. He was very happy about the deal going so easily and was telling me that he''d got this wild idea of maybe, if he could make the maths work, putting in a cable car for tourists in the summer and skiiers in the winter. There''s a lovely slope from the peak down to the town. He knew it was totally harebrained, but he''d seen the snow, and seen the view from the top. It seemed possible. It still is, if we can make it pay. I suggested that he could put in the ski slope, but take people to the top by tractor if it was possible, since hiring a tractor for a winter costs rather less than a cable car. The cabins are on the other side of the ridge the skiiers would be going down, so we thought that people at the cabins could maybe just ski cross-country from the ridge to their cabins at the end of the day if they liked. It''s down hill all the way if you don''t get lost.]
[Nice. How do they get to the bottom of the ski lift, though?]
[Ski down to reception and call a taxi is our current guess.]
[OK, that sounds workable too.]
[It''s better than workable. It''s actually been done ¡ª the tractor to the top bit, I mean. The previous owner dug up an old photo of people skiing down after being given a ride up in a tractor. And apparently they even planned the cabins with that in mind, just the guy with the tractor didn''t want to play any more, and it was his land so tough, then he dug a pond to fish in and the next owners even built a house in the way. End of dream.]
[But now it''s your cabins, and your land too?]
[Yes. And my administrator lives in the house which is in the way. We''ll need to work out another departure point or ask him to kindly turn the house into a ticket office and move elsewhere, which is a bit much for a testing period.]
[Well, it''s not quite a ski resort yet, then.]
[No. It''s not, but if you and Albert want to try some skiing, then I''m sure it can be arranged. Oh, I sent Bella some documentary proof of what I''ve told you, but haven''t told her any details.]
Wednesday, 13th December, 2.15pm.
¡°Frank, I stopped of at my accountant yesterday afternoon. Here are the latest accounts for the diamond enterprise.¡±
¡°Colin has explained the motivation for your contract. On the presumption that speed was of the essence, then I think you did well, Sarah.¡±
¡°I''m glad you approve.¡±
Sarah knew he could pay attention to multiple things at once, so she wasn''t surprised he was reading. He looked up from the paper, and said ¡°What I don''t quite see is why speed was quite so much of the essence. In terms of the acquisition, you didn''t need to wait until the company folded, you could have just waited until the owners were realising that their income was in trouble, and then they would have been more open to a lower offer, possibly much lower.¡±
¡°Multiple motivations. Firstly, I have an extreme aversion to the thought of anyone dying in an explosion. I know the risk should be small, but without checking what so-called maintenance has been done, I can''t be sure. I could have insisted on proper maintenance, without the purchase offer, but that would have made me a bully, and once they realised they were in trouble, they might have been keen to sell to anyone but me. I mean, the reason the company would have been in trouble was the fixed rent to Carbon-carbon. I''m not saying that was unreasonable, but they might have. So, that would have meant there could have been a bidding war, driving up the price, with no guarantee that, if we didn''t win, the new owners would be any better. So that was all a nice rationalisation post-facto. The other reason was my desire to know it is a safe place for me and my cousins to stay.¡±
¡°Cousins plural?¡±
¡°Cousins plural.¡±
¡°So your concern over the cameras...¡±
¡°Was also shared by some people in Security, yes. However, there is a spending freeze on and it would not be possible for a government intervention to pass unnoticed.¡±
¡°You were approached officially?¡± Frank asked.
¡°No. Purely unofficially by someone I know who''s at the cabins this week. I don''t need to tell you that this is a probably all a state secret.¡±
¡°I don''t know if I still have any security clearance, Sarah.¡±
¡°But you know how to keep secrets, Frank.¡±
¡°That I do, young lady. I understand you are able to weasel them out of people.¡±
¡°Colin?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I''m glad he''s talked to you. I presume you were aware of his loan?¡±
¡°I''d made some discrete enquires, yes. When someone with his salary lives as though he''s dependent on is wife''s income...¡±
¡°He''s told you what I told him?
¡°He told me that you had instructed him to bring it explicitly to my attention, and that you had asked me to discuss it with you. He seemed very nervous. Did you suggest it might be a resigning matter?¡±
¡°No! Not at all. I suggested that GemSmith should take over the loan as we needed him able to able to function properly, not distracted by an onerous loan, should his wife be unable to work for any reason. My plan was, depending on the amount involved, to charge him no more than inflation, possibly even nothing, so that he could pay off the capital in a reasonable time frame. I mentioned that he should be able to pay off the capital I didn''t say my thoughts on the interest rate. I didn''t explicitly raise the issue, but I felt that it was possible that if circumstances became too difficult he might even find himself tempted towards embezzlement.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
¡°You sound sad.¡±
¡°After he spoke to me, Colin left me the following two documents, maam.¡± He passed them across the table, Sarah read them. ''Frank, I thank you for your support, teaching and friendship over the years, and that you have shown me nothing but honest friendship. In coming to know Mrs Williams, and to see her character displayed in negotiations over the Blackwood Cabin deal, I find that certain acts I have justified to myself as necessary were an inexcusable breach of trust, I can only plead that I felt at the time I had no choice and humbly ask you and Mrs Williams not to press charges. I of course resign immediately from the partnership.''
¡°Do you know where he is?¡±
¡°No. I went to lunch at one, Colin was still working. When I came back, just before you arrived, the envelope was on my desk. I''m sure you noticed me reading while you were talking, this was it. The other is a mortgage application I presume for his present house, in which as well as his house being listed as the primary guarantee, he has forged my signature, stating that GemSmith will act as guarantor of last resort.¡±
[John, please find Colin Hilton. Possible suicide risk.]
¡°That''s... ingenious.¡±
¡°Technically it''s fraud.¡±
¡°He hasn''t stolen anything from anyone, really, and had I known, and been the one in charge, of course, I probably would have authorised or asked you to sign it. In fact I retroactively do that now. And I ask you to destroy that letter.¡±
¡°You have a very forgiving spirit, Sarah. Thank you. I hope Colin hasn''t done anything stupid.¡±
¡°Could you try to call him? I''ll find out where he is.¡±
[Have you found him?] she asked John.
[His thoughts are guilt-ridden, and certainly dark. He''s sitting with a woman. I guess his wife, in a garden here{image}.]
¡°He''s talking to someone, Frank. I guess his wife.¡±
Sarah checked who was in Colin''s garden: Colin and Pam. ¡°The woman''s called Pam, and he''s in his garden.¡±
¡°You really are full of surprises, Sarah! Pam is his wife. He''s not answering.¡± Frank reported.
¡°I''m going to send him a message that I distinctly remember asking you to make that guarantee. May I write that you also remember?¡±
¡°As though it was under five minutes ago. Yes, by all means.¡±
¡°And did he tell you how much his loan was for?¡±
¡°Yes. It''s listed here on the mortgage paper. He''s hardly been able to touch the principle, he said.¡±
Sarah looked, whistled at the amount, and wrote her message. ''Dear Colin, I distinctly remember asking Frank to make that guarantee. Frank also remembers this, as clearly as though it were only 5 minutes ago. Frank has not yet reacted to my suggestion of interest rate being being below inflation. Thank you for your valuable help yesterday, suggesting care plan. If it is accepted, you will receive a bonus, equal to two months of that plan''s profit margin. Please read Psalm 103 to your wife, and explain to her my assertion yesterday that Christians make lousy businessmen.''
Sarah looked up from her message. ¡°Since according to our distinct memories there''s nothing to resign over, do I tell him you''re rejecting his resignation?¡±
¡°No need. I''ve just sent a message about that.¡± Frank reassured her, so she sent her message. Just for safety''s sake she focussed on Colin''s garden once more. Pam was there, lying on the ground. What? She checked Colin''s feet. He wasn''t at home, but was heading away from it, actually towards her house. She checked his skin briefly, and Pam''s, and decided she needed to fear the worst.
¡°Frank, I''ve just checked again, and he''s left home, thinking very dark thoughts indeed, Pam is collapsed in their garden, utterly distraught. My guess is he doesn''t have his wrist unit on at all, or is ignoring it.¡± She checked where Karen was. Yes! She was at the house.
[Karen! Please get your coat on. Life and death, maybe. This man {image}, Colin Hilton, did something a few years ago he thinks has cost him his job. It hasn''t.
He''s just left had a conversation with his wife and left her utterly distraught in their garden. He was a block away from where you are just now. Please tell him he needs to check his wrist unit and comfort his wife.]
[I''ll try. I''ve got a body guard at the moment.]
[Even better. Ask them to do it then!]
[How do I convince them?]
[You''ve just had a message he was seen coming your way.]
[Colin Hilton, you said?]
[Yes. Laywer.]
[OK.]
Karen had grabbed her coat when Sarah asked her to, and pulled on her shoes. Alice, the surprised body guard had acted quickly too. ¡°What''s going on?¡±
Karen peered through the curtains. ¡°There he is! Exellent! She thought he might come this way. You see that man, looks like a rather muddy lawyer, other side of the road coming this way?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°He is. I''ve just had a message from a friend, he''s a suicide risk, over a stupid misunderstanding at work. Thinks he''s lost his job, but he hasn''t. His wife''s distraught and he needs to check his wrist unit. He''s called Colin Hilton. Could you turn him round and send him home?¡±
¡°Does he know you?¡±
¡°I don''t think so, I recognise him. Friend of a friend.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll try. You won''t mind if I invite him in for tea?¡±
¡°No. Should I stay out of sight if you bring him?¡±
¡°It might be better, yes. If I can keep him here for a bit, then the police can take him home. That way we know he gets there.¡±
¡°That sounds very sensible.¡±
¡°I''ll stop him.¡± Alice sprinted across the lawn, leapt the flowerbed, and almost slipped over as her now muddy feet hit the pavement. Cursing herself for an idiot, for taking that short-cut, she ran until she could cross the road and end up in front of Colin.
¡°Mr Hilton?¡± she asked, slightly out of breath.
He took in her clothes ¡°You''re with Security? That was fast. I''ll come quietly.¡±
¡°Mr Hilton, I am with Security, but you''re not under arrest. You were seen coming this way by a friend of someone I''m supposed to be staying with at the moment. You look like you''ve had a hard time. Would you like a cup of tea?¡±
¡°I don''t understand.¡±
¡°I''m told that there was some kind of misunderstanding at work? You need to check your wrist unit, sir, and apparently your wife is distraught.¡±
¡°A misunderstanding?¡±
¡°I don''t know any details more than that, sir, except that your job is safe. Do you have your wrist unit?¡±
¡°I left it at home.¡±
¡°Perhaps you should go home then, sir?¡±
¡°Home. Yes. Pam will be beside herself.¡± he said, as his cycle of dark thoughts was broken. ¡°I must get to her!¡±
¡°I think that will be wise sir.¡±
¡°Could you call a transport for me?¡±
¡°Normal procedure is to ask the police to escort you home, sir.¡±
¡°I think a transport would be faster. My wife''s health isn''t very strong. Please! I must get to her.¡±
¡°Very well sir.¡± Alice called for a transport. ¡°One will be here in a minute and forty five seconds, sir.¡±
¡°Oh! Such a long wait! I can be home from here in two minutes. Faster if I run. I will. Sorry, cancel the transport please! I must get to her!¡± He turned and ran.
Meanwhile, Sarah had been keeping a watchful eye on Pam. She was getting cold, but Sarah was relieved to see that rather than thinking of suicide her desperate thoughts had turned to God. She didn''t intrude any more, but prayed, and then checked Colin''s whereabouts once more.
¡°Frank, I think you''ll be happy to know that Colin''s heading home.¡±
¡°And I think that I have an idea of how you knew he had the debt.¡±
¡°That? No, I didn''t use the gift to find that out. He was just going on about how people would mortgage their future to save a loved-one, so I asked him if he knew from personal experience. I heard him decide that he needed to lie, despite what you''d told him ¡ª that''s just normal thought hearing. Given his hesitation, I think that even without any ability anyone would be suspicious.¡±
¡°Well, I''m gratified that he at least thought about not lying to you after my warning.¡±
Pam lay on the grass still, sobbing more quietly than she had been, and between them she prayed. ¡°Oh God, I didn''t know! When he got the mortgage I was so happy! I didn''t know. I know we were desperate, God, that terrible loan! I don''t want to lose him, God. Please. We''ve been so happy! It''s so long since I prayed, God. Since I thought you were real. I''m sorry. Are you real, God? Please bring him back to me if you are.¡± What was that song? The one she''d loved so much as a child, until she''d heard that the man who sung it had died in a plane crash. Maybe it was right, after all. Something about lying down in green pastures. She laughed through her sobs at that thought that it wasn''t actually that pleasant; not in this weather, at least. Her favourite lines from it came to her. ''Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever and ever and ever.'' How she''d wanted that, when she was little. And such a melody, he''d sounded so certain. Keith Green. That was his name. She''d not listened to it in years.
Colin ran to the house. ¡°Pam!¡± he shouted. ¡°Pam? Where are you?¡±
Frank, maybe, or Pam must have rung someone. The police? How else had the security woman known where he was? It didn''t make sense. Who knew he was missing? He checked the bedroom, and saw she was still in the garden, lying on the ground. As he ran down the stairs, he shouted, ¡°Pam! Are you all right?¡±
¡°Come and listen to this, Colin.¡± she said ¡°It used to be my favourite song. I''ve just remembered it. I was so worried about you, lying here on the grass, then I remembered this song.¡± He listened in rather surprised silence. Then she said ¡°Help me up, Colin. Lying in green pastures isn''t that comfortable in this temperature. What happened? You came back far sooner than I expected. To be honest, I was thinking that just waiting here for you might be a good idea. Whether you came back or not.¡±
He gathered her into his arms. ¡°Let''s get you warm, Pam. I was walking, just thinking, you know, it was all over, I was going to go to jail, no income, bankrupt. You wouldn''t wait for me to get out of jail.¡±
¡°Silly man. Of course I would.¡±
¡°And then I was stopped by someone in Security. Knew my name. I thought, this is fast, it''s all over. Then she told me I''d been seen coming this way and she''d been told that there''d been a mix up at work, you needed me, and I should check my wrist unit, but no more details except that my job was safe. Instead of arresting me she asked me if I like a cup of tea. The thought of you needing me got through my fuzzy brain, and I ran home.¡±
¡°I did need you. I do need you,¡± She said. ¡°I did something I haven''t done since I was ten. I prayed. Specifically that you''d come back, and here you are home. What does your wrist unit say?¡±
¡°No idea.¡±
¡°Well let''s have a look, then.¡±
¡°I don''t understand. I committed a fraud. How can I not lose my job?¡±
¡°What does it say?¡±
¡°Two messages. Frank''s just says ''Resignation apparently groundless, so refused.''¡±
¡°How can it be apparently groundless? What''s the other one say?¡±
¡°It''s from the big client. I don''t really understand it. You read it, Pam.¡±
¡°I think it''s fairly clear. Colin. The client says she asked that the mortgage be guaranteed. What''s difficult about that?¡±
¡°It''s not true. I forged his signature.¡±
¡°Then she asked him to do it five minutes before writing the message, Colin.¡±
¡°And the rest?¡±
¡°You helped her yesterday and you''re going to get a bonus for it you clever man, what''s the health plan worth?¡±
¡°I don''t know yet. Possibly around thirty to forty thousand per year.¡±
¡°And the profit margin is about ten percent?¡±
¡°Normally, so I believe.¡±
¡°So you''ve got a bonus coming of maybe five hundred or so, which will be nice. What''s this about an interest rate?¡±
¡°She said she needed me functioning properly so she''d discuss taking the loan over with Frank.¡±
¡°So, she wants to charge us less than inflation, which would be about half of what we''re paying now, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I like her already. And what''s this about Christians making poor businessmen?¡±
¡°She said that she wouldn''t expect a Christian company to make as much money as an atheist one, because they aren''t as concerned about the money.¡±
¡°And now you''re going to read me the hundred and third Psalm.¡±
¡°What is it? I didn''t understand that at all.¡±
¡°Really? OK. I''ll read it to you then. From the Bible. Oh! This one!¡±
¡°You know it?¡±
¡°I did go to Sunday School when I was little.¡±
¡°What does it say?¡±
¡°Second line pretty much says it all: ''Praise the Lord oh my Soul, and don''t forget all His benefits!''¡±
¡°You sound like you mean it.¡±
¡°I think I do. I know I did. Forget, I mean.¡±
¡°Tell me.¡±
She read the Psalm. First time with him interrupting where he didn''t understand and then straight through.
¡°So, in a context of me fraudulently obtaining our mortgage, Mrs Williams has sent a poem talking about quite frankly inhuman forgiveness and faithfulness. She said yesterday that she''d be happy to try to convince me that all atheism''s arguments are a load of dingo''s kidneys.¡±
¡°You had a wide-ranging discussion yesterday.¡± Pam commented.
¡°It was just in passing ¡ª I''d presented a case for her to invest in an atheist publisher, including some titles she''d obviously read. She said she wasn''t interested in promoting atheism at any rate of return.¡±
¡°I''m not surprised.¡± Pam said.
¡°At the time, I was. So what are your thoughts about God at the moment?¡±
¡°I used to be at home in the church, Colin, I really did. Then one thing and another took me away, and you came along and swept me off my feet and then rescued me from the illness. I forgot all about God and rather worshipped you instead. But this afternoon you fell off your pedestal when you left me crying in the mud, probably to kill yourself. I''m not going to worship you any more Colin. I still love you and want you and need you, but I think I''m going to find a church to go to. I hope you''ll come too.¡±
¡°I can''t think how I came home if it wasn''t a miracle, Pam.¡±
¡°I think you need to call Frank.¡±
¡°Would I be right to think that GemSmith taking over the loan, with subsequent notification to the bank, might have brought his actions to light?¡± Sarah asked Frank.
¡°I think that''s rather unlikely, actually.¡±
¡°So this was his guilty secret.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Which though it might have eventually cost me something, indeed, still might, is rather unlikely to.¡±
¡°You realise that by reducing the interest on his loan below the mortgage you encourage him to pay the mortgage off first.¡±
¡°Hmm. You''re right.¡±
¡°Would you like to stipulate a minimum payment against the loan?¡±
¡°What? No. No. I have another thought entirely.¡±
¡°Sarah, please don''t think of consolidating the two.¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Because already this smacks of favouritism. Not to mention a taxable advantage. If you go taking over his mortgage then other people are going to ask why not them too. You can''t do that without stirring up ill-feeling.¡±
¡°OK, OK. I won''t take over his mortgage. I wonder how many staff members are struggling in a similar way, though.¡±
¡°It would not be advisable to advertise below-inflation loans, Sarah¡±
¡°No. But I think on a case by case basis I am fully prepared to take over similarly incurred loans. Not loans due to negligence, or misspending of course. I mean, I''m not going to become the fairy-godmother who grants everyone''s wish for a lovely new boat. I''d let personnel staff know of the possibility, I guess. And I will insist on a personal interview and complete disclosure.¡±
¡°I think you will still need to be very careful that you are not taken advantage of.¡±
¡°Yes. I will, but it is not easy to lie to me successfully. Maybe I should hire a truthsayer though, to weed out the fakes so I don''t need to.¡±
¡°A truthsayer?¡±
¡°A trustworthy thought-hearer who doesn''t mind being known as such. I don''t mind telling people I trust already, and of course the institute was so keen to employ me because I was the first thought-hearer that they''d met. but I wouldn''t want to actually be earning my living listening to people''s thoughts.¡±
¡°You''d advertise for the position?¡±
¡°I suppose so. I guess it would be occasional work to start with.¡±
¡°Perhaps seek an internal candidate?¡±
¡°That would certainly be nice, but I expect that someone without any existing work-relationships to risk might be better.¡±
¡°So, someone young?¡±
¡°Possibly. But certainly not someone with a gossip habit, or who looks threatening.¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°I actually imagine that such a person might become a personal assistant to me. It''d certainly be that sort of trust-relationship.¡±
¡°So, non-threatening, intelligent, trustworthy, with the power. Best of luck finding one!¡±
¡°Thanks! You left brave off the list. I think I''ll let recruiting sort it out.¡±
¡°How do recruiting test for the power?¡±
¡°Touch hands and think of something. See if the response comes back word-perfect.¡±
¡°That''s pretty easy.¡±
¡°Yes. Trustworthy is harder, of course.¡±
¡°Personal references are pretty good for that.¡±
¡°They can, but people gave Roland Underwood personal references.¡±
¡°You''d be able to see through such a person though.¡±
¡°Yes, I would. Before a face to face interview.¡± Frank''s wrist unit rang. ¡°Go ahead and answer. I need to be leaving.¡±
¡°Bye Sarah.¡±
He picked up the call ¡°Hello Colin! Good to hear from you. Do you need the afternoon off, or would you be able to come in? No that''s fine. See you tomorrow. Mrs Williams? Yes, she''s just leaving. I''m sure she''ll be glad to hear that. Bye.¡±
¡°Colin says ''thank you'', and that he''ll be going to church on Sunday with his wife.¡±
¡°That''s good news, but it reminds me. Will you arrange for his loan to be transferred?¡±
¡°No, Sarah.¡±
¡°No?¡±
¡°We''ll let Colin do that. You might notice, on reflection, that you didn''t actually ask my advice in this matter, which is a far more significant decision than any you made yesterday. I would have advised leniency, so I''m not disagreeing with you. But from what I''ve seen today, you don''t actually need me. I was thinking that I would stay on in order to give you a chance to build trust in Colin. But you already trust him enough to forgive him instantly of something in his past that could send him to jail if you or I were to press charges. So, I think I''m withdrawing my offer of staying on until the summer. I''ll discharge my duties as trustee, of course, but unless you can think of a very good reason, I''m going to hand you over to him tomorrow morning. I will, of course be available to give some friendly advice.¡±
¡°All this is because I didn''t ask your advice?¡±
¡°No. Because with that, I''ve realised that you can wind me round your little finger and get me to agree to anything you want. Colin seems to have a little more backbone than I do in that respect, long may it continue. I hope that he will be able to convince you not to slowly drive GemSmith into debt, well-meaning piece by well-meaning piece. If you wish to dispose of some parts of the empire in order to fund your charitable impulses, that would be one thing, but I will not willingly transfer an individual''s debt onto the parent company, especially not when this is something that you clearly wish to set a pattern. I will tell this to Colin also. You may sign whatever you wish from next week, but I don''t think I want to be a party to it.¡±
Sarah hung her head. ¡°I''m sorry, Frank. It isn''t wise, is it?¡±
¡°No. If you put the parent company in trouble then you risk the whole. That is why you have subsidiaries. A subsidiary becoming nonviable is sad, and you can obviously bail it out from the parent, but what if the parent becomes nonviable?¡±
¡°Frank, given that I will wish to be stupidly generous on occasions, could you give some thought to how I can do that without ruining thousands of peoples'' livelihoods?¡±
¡°Tens of thousands, Sarah. One obvious way is that you do it yourself.¡±
¡°I don''t understand.¡±
¡°The trust does not solely consist of GemSmith. GemSmith is a large company, which you parents invested in heavily, and I have continued their policy on your behalf with takeovers and mergers. You continued in that tradition yesterday, of course. But GemSmith pays a dividend to its shareholder ¡ª you. The trust consists of your shares in GemSmith, your other shareholdings, and a very substantial amount on deposit in the bank, Sarah. I thought you knew this.¡±
¡°I should have, but no, I didn''t.¡±
¡°Then, perhaps I do need to carry on. You obviously need more educating.¡±
¡°I think I do, Frank.¡±
¡°Then at the very least I will carry on until you have some idea of what you own, young lady.¡±
¡°Thank you, Frank. You''re a real friend.¡±
¡°Hmm. Maybe that''s the point. I need to be a real lawyer too, and that''s hard around you. Now, I believe you used to have a job to go to.¡±
¡°I hope I still do. Goodbye.¡±
¡°Goodbye, Sarah.¡±
Preparation / Ch. 24: Blackwood camping
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 24:Blackwood camping
Wednesday 13th December 3pm
Matt and Bob knocked on the door of Charlie Wordsworth''s house.
¡°Eh up, what''s this a delegation?¡±
¡°Not really, Charlie.¡± Bob said, ¡°I''ve been told to let you know that there''s what I believe Mabel would call ''Ructions''.¡±
¡°I heard there''d been lots of coming and goings at her lawyers, what''s she done now?¡±
¡°All my boss''s fault, she decided to stir things up a bit.¡± Bob admitted.
Matt added ¡°Mabel''s now the happy owner of a house with no mortgage and various other things which it probably isn''t my place to speak about, and I''ve got a new boss,¡± he nodded in Bob''s direction.
¡°Since my boss is a bit of a soft-hearted young lady, Charlie, I''ve bought Matt along so he can tell you what''s going to happen to the cabin''s prices, and she''s going to give you the opportunity to retire if you want to.¡±
¡°You mean, you can actually drop the price of those cabins in winter to get people in them, Matt?¡±
¡°Worse than that. I''ve got to try and get ninety percent occupancy.¡± Matt said with glee.
¡°Why not a hundred?¡± Charlie asked, curiously.
¡°That''d mean that I''m not charging enough and there''s no time for maintenance.¡±
¡°Matt''s going to a fully flexible price structure, within limits.¡±
¡°We''re not going to have prices change every few hours, probably more like once a week, but if we''re taking bookings faster than the graphic, the price goes up, if they''re slow, the price goes down. I''ve got lots of data on how the cabins sell with a fixed price.¡±
¡°I bet. But people don''t normally decide on the spur of the moment. They like to look and decide.¡±
¡°I know.¡± Matt agreed, ¡°I''ve got data on that too. We''ll let people hold the price for just enough time to decide, and if the price goes down half way through, we''ll help them make their mind up to book with that hold by giving them a discount a bit below the current price. I was prepared, you know, just in case Mabel ever changed her mind.¡±
¡°Or sold up. OK. I get it. And let me guess, because you don''t have the site rental now, you''re going to be able to go low low low in a slack year.¡±
¡°Exactly. And our boss is relatively confident that if the impact happens then people are going think a bit more about value for money, and those cabins were costing more than some foreign holidays.¡±
¡°I know. Criminal isn''t it, how you can get a week in the sun with jet-lag for less than you can stay at home? Someone must be really raking it in. That''d be your boss with her land rent, of course. I don''t suppose she''d want to go flexible on that would she?¡±
¡°What, you''d volunteer to pay more in peak months so you can pay less if you''re only half full?¡±
¡°Ah, probably not.¡± Charlie said.
¡°Didn''t think so. You''re pretty full most of the time anyone wants to camp, and you hardly pay anything this time of year.¡±
¡°Sad that, isn''t it?¡± Charlie said with a grin.
¡°Probably depends on you point of view. I can''t see tears on your face.¡± Matt said.
¡°And I was just looking at what you pay for the whole site, house included, compared to lease rents on the average building plot.¡± Bob added.
¡°Uh oh.¡± Charlie said. ¡°But it''s hardly fair that those cabins get all that lovely space between them and I have to crowd people on this little postage stamp, is it?¡±
Bob shaded his eyes looking for the edge of the campsite. ¡°Pretty big postage stamp. I can''t see the boundary. You''ve got as much land to put people on as the cabins, Charlie, and you cram them in at about three times the density, more, probably. Anyone can wander in the woods. And if you want to expand, all you need to do is ask, it''s easy enough to move the fence posts.¡± Bob pointed out. ¡°But like you said last year, it''s already quite a long walk at night if you need to get to the toilet block.¡±
¡°Anyway,¡± Matt said, ¡°our boss thought it might make more sense to put the two sites under the one roof, as it were, so if there is this slack five years like they''re predicting, we cut the profit to the bone but no one actually goes broke.¡±
¡°Five years?¡± Charlie was surprised.
¡°I''ve got this report here, looks like it was written by some university professor of economics. Summary is five bad years if we''re lucky. You''re welcome to borrow it for bedtime reading. It''s good ¡ª it put me right to sleep.¡± Bob offered.
¡°You can keep it, Bob. So, tell me, what''s the offer?¡±
¡°Well, she started out saying book value for the buildings and everything plus last year''s dividend for the whole kit and caboodle, or split the cost of getting professionally valued. That''s the baseline of what she offered Mabel. Mabel got some other options because of the twins. Trouble is your house is wrapped up in the company, isn''t it?¡±
¡°It is, and that''s my home, Bob, it''s where I was born, where my kids were born, and where I plan to be when I die.¡±
¡°I told her it was your home, Charlie. She said something like, ''Oh, that''s harder'' and gave me a free hand. So tell me, Charlie. What do you want?¡±
¡°Just like that?¡±
¡°I don''t know. You ask too much, I say no or we haggle. I was thinking one option might be to get someone to value your house without the land it''s on, and then take that off the price. You''d pay your winter land rent the whole year.¡±
¡°You''re not interested in me buying the freehold then?¡±
¡°I looked at the land''s value, Charlie. Stick that much cash in the bank and you''ll get more interest than the land rent. Alternatively, I''ll let you pay twenty year''s worth of land rent and we''ll say that covers it for your life. It''s still less than what the free hold would cost you.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°I''m not trying to cheat you. Check it out,¡± Bob said.
¡°I will.¡±
¡°There''s another option,¡± Bob said.
¡°Say on.¡±
¡°You rent the house from us too. Index-linked guaranteed rate of course. It saves whoever''s in my job the hassle of buying it back from whoever inherits it, and as I''m sure you''re aware, it''s in a wonderful spot for whoever''s running the campsite.¡±
¡°That it is.¡±
¡°Which brings me to yet another random speculation... If you''re not ready to retire quite yet, then if you sell up I know someone who''ll need a guy who knows how to run a campsite, at least for a few years to train up a replacement.¡±
¡°And your boss would go for that?¡±
¡°She gave me a free hand. She said she''d be a bit grumpy with me if she didn''t like the bottom line, and I''d rather that didn''t happen.¡±
¡°Are you sweet on her or something?¡±
¡°No! We''re just friends.¡±
¡°Oh aye. I''ve heard that before!¡±
¡°Charlie, I''ve known her since she was about six. I used to give her piggy back-rides round the garden when I worked with her Dad, all right? I''m a family friend, or I would be if her parent''s hadn''t been killed just after I came up here. And me coming here was at least partially her idea. I owe her big time, I''m very happily married, and so is she.¡±
¡°Sorry, Bob, no offence meant.¡±
¡°That''s OK, Charlie, you didn''t know. So, are you interested in any of this?¡±
¡°You''re offering me a pile of cash, some certainty in an uncertain future, the chance to stay in my home ''till I die, and retirement whenever I like? Of course I''m a bit interested. But my son''s said he was interested in taking over the business one day, and I don''t think my daughter will stay in the city much longer. So I''ll ask them, just in case.¡± Charlie lied, he hadn''t heard from his children since their mother''s funeral. ¡°Is there an expiry date on the offer?¡± he added playing along.
¡°Well, by valuing the company with last years dividend, then the boss is being pretty generous: she''s assuming you''re thinking the asteroid will miss, and next year will be as good as this year was. Once that asteroid hits, then past performance doesn''t mean much, and somewhere in the middle she knows you''re going to get more certain. I think she''s certain already, but she''s making allowances. So, yes. There''s a time limit to that number I said at the beginning ¡ª mid January. You realise she could have just waited until the hard times hit and then make an offer, but she doesn''t want to be that sort of bully.¡±
¡°She ought to be, if she''s going to get rich.¡± he said, thinking about what a difference his real dividend would make to the deal, as opposed to what he told the tax-man.
¡°She is rich. Carbon-carbon land management is worth about what I used to buy or sell in an average week.¡±
¡°What trade was that in?¡± He asked, genuinely curious.
¡°Gemstones. Diamonds mostly. It got too stressful for me, and since I was a friend they set up Carbon-carbon for me to feel useful in while I recovered.¡±
¡°And now you''ve got a debt to pay? I mean, morally?¡± Charlie asked.
¡°I certainly don''t want to disappoint her. And if I play the ruthless so and so, then that would disappoint too.¡±
¡°Now, you know I''ve got to bring this up. What about cabins?¡±
¡°You''d cut down on your tent space, and under the present land rental it''d cost you dear, probably more than you get in terms of income, since the ''no campers'' reduced rate wouldn''t kick in. But OK. The boss would insist on a change of name. Two firms with almost the same name, both offering cabins? It''s is going to confuse people.¡±
¡°A ''no'' would have been shorter.¡±
¡°It''s not a ''no'', Charlie,¡± Bob said. ¡°I''m just pointing out some facts.¡±
¡°Oh well. That land rental is the killer again isn''t it? It just gets a bit boring in off-season, you know, nothing to do but make up the accounts. On the other hand, if I sell up, then there wouldn''t be any land rent would there?¡±
¡°No,¡± Matt said, ¡°And if we can convince Bob it''s worth building the things, then I don''t see why not. We''d point your old booking page to a combined one, offer the rustic cabins, the camping-site cabins and camping all on the same site. I''m guessing that the camping-site cabins wouldn''t be en-suite, since you''ve got those toilet blocks, am I right?¡± Matt suggested.
¡°I was thinking so, but maybe plumbing a few in as premium ones would be worth the plumbing by the end of the first year.¡±
¡°Charlie, what was that about making up the accounts?¡± Bob asked.
¡°Well, I do my own accounts, don''t I? The tax man doesn''t demand they get audited, since I''m too small for that rubbish. So, I note down how many people I''ve had, and I keep receipts for things, of course.¡±
¡°But you''re saying that there''s a certain amount of guesswork in what your income is?¡±
¡°Well, I suppose so, yes. You know, I charge more for the last few plots, less for the first few. Nothing like a few tents to persuade other people they''ll stay too.¡±
¡°And you don''t don''t actually keep a record of how much you charge who?¡±
¡°You must be joking! Have you seen how busy it gets in the summer? It all works out about right in the end.¡±
¡°Charlie, submitting false accounts is a serious crime.¡± Matt pointed out.
¡°They''re not false! I know roughly the income from looking at my bank account, and the tax man can see that too. It just might not be correct down to the last few digits. Is your boss going to worry about a few digits of what dividend I pay myself?¡±
¡°In the grand scheme of things, no. But it certainly makes me worry about trusting the book value of your assets.¡±
¡°What does book value mean? I was going to ask. Assets is the buildings, right?¡±
¡°Bob, Charlie doesn''t have audited accounts. Or even real accounts at all. He''s got a cash flow summary.¡± Matt said.
¡°Yes, that''s it. That''s what the tax people want. Pretty girl explained it to me years and years ago, when I was setting up.¡±
¡°So Charlie, you don''t actually know what the campsite is worth, do you?¡± Bob asked.
¡°Not as such. No. It must be worth quite a bit, I''d think. Is that a problem?¡±
Bob looked at Matt, who grinned and shrugged his shoulders.
¡°Charlie, you do know what your dividend is?¡±
¡°Not really. Is it the same as what I tell the tax man is my profit? That was a about forty thousand last year. Not bad for half a year''s work.¡±
¡°I guess in your case it''s the same figure. If you don''t know what it''s worth, then how do you know if I offered you, say, a quarter of a million for the lot, excluding your house of course, how would you know if I was conning you or not?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Call in an estate agent? I''d probably talk to my mates down the pub too. Quarter of a million? Not bad, not bad at all. I think I might accept that, Bob, especially if it went up!¡±
¡°OK don''t take that quarter of a million very seriously, I just picked it out of my head. I haven''t even counted your buildings. You talk to an estate agent and get me something sensible on paper, and I''ll talk to some colleagues too, if that''s all right with you, just so we get a second opinion.¡±
¡°Charlie?¡± Matt asked, ¡°Do you get people booking in advance, or do they just turn up?¡±
¡°Mostly it''s turn up trade. I get a lot of regular customers ¡ª come every year.¡±
¡°And you just charge what you think people will pay?¡±
¡°I''ve got a price list up in the office. I do give people a discount sometimes, and add a bit more if we''re really full ¡ª peak season surcharge I call it ¡ª it''s mentioned on the price list. That''s what makes the accounts tricky.¡±
¡°I''m sure it does, Charlie. I''ll talk to my colleagues, and see you soon.¡± Bob said, shaking his head in wonder.
¡°Charlie, can I have a look at that price list?¡± Matt asked.
¡°Sure. I''ll get you the old one, it''ll need replacing.¡± he went into the office.
¡°I thought we could estimate the turnover with that.¡± Matt whispered to Bob.
¡°Good idea.¡± Bob whispered back.
¡°Here you are.¡± Charlie said.
¡°This is great Charlie, and basically you''re full with these prices for the whole season?¡±
¡°Pretty much. A lot of experience in that price list. It''d be a trade secret if I didn''t have to display it to all the guests.¡±
¡°It''s amazing what people will pay for a patch of ground in a pretty place, isn''t it?¡± Bob commented, looking at the summer rates.
¡°Some people like to camp, I guess.¡±
¡°I know. Every year Henry catches some setting up camp in the wood, and sends a few people down to you, tells them if they want to camp there''s a site down here.¡± Matt said.
¡°Aye. I know. And they tell me Henry sent them and expect a discount.¡±
¡°Do they get one?¡±
¡°Often enough. I reckon that if I don''t they''re going to sneak back into the woods, and that''s not exactly hygienic, is it?¡±
¡°No. Thanks for that Charlie.¡± Bob said ¡°I wasn''t aware of that. Maybe if we take you over then we''d allow it in certain areas, for a fee of course, and put some facilities in at strategic points.¡±
¡°Now, that''d be very popular amongst the walkers, I assure you.¡± Charlie observed.
¡°I can imagine.¡± Matt agreed.
¡°Well have a lovely afternoon, gentlemen. I think I''ve got to talk to an estate agent about a valuation.¡±
¡°''Bye Charlie.¡± Matt said.
¡°Goodbye.¡±
After they''d got back to the Carbon-carbon office, Bob said ¡°Tell me your thoughts, Matt.¡±
¡°I think he''s got no idea what he''s sitting on, and I''m not surprised that he grouches about the land rental if he''s only getting forty thousand at the end of the year.¡±
¡°I expect that he''s only counting cash in that. I mean, I''ve seen him eating stock from the camp shop. But yes, it''s a pretty low rate of return, isn''t it. Makes me feel a bit guilty that he''s got all the risk, made all the investment, and is getting such a lousy return on it.¡±
Five minutes later, after Matt had entered some more numbers in the spreadsheet he''d made from the price list, he said ¡°This doesn''t make any sense, Bob.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Well, I had to make some guesses of course, but unless I don''t have the site rental right or he''s spending masses on site maintenance, I can''t come up with anything as low as forty thousand.¡±
¡°Show me.¡± Bob demanded.
¡°OK, he''s got a hundred and fifty pitches, right? And based on the figures on his price list, then making some guesses on occupancy and how much he''s discounting, this equation ought to give the income side of the turnover.¡±
¡°The maths looks about right, Yes.¡± Bob agreed.
¡°So his turnover ought to be well over half a million. Which is a problem right from the start, since that''s when the tax authorities want to see full accounts.¡± Matt pointed out.
¡°So, unless he''s discounting far more heavily than he lets on, he''s on the fiddle somewhere?¡±
¡°I think he has to be.¡±
¡°Any other odd numbers?¡±
¡°Yes. The site rental''s the same formula as for the cabins, right? Fixed price plus occupied amount?¡±
¡°Yes, but he''s got a ''no activity'' clause too. When there''s no one on the site for a month then he only pays a tenth. Per-pitch he''s paying a third of what your cabins were.¡±
¡°Lucky guy. Does this number look right to you?¡±
¡°They''re low.... you left out April. Yes, that''s that he''s paying.¡±
¡°So, his site rental is under a third of his turn-over. Even if my guesses are badly wrong, where''s the rest going?¡± Matt asked, amazed.
¡°Look at this map on the price list, Matt. There''s ''side A'' and ''side B''. Want to bet that he used to split the income with his wife to keep it under the taxable limit?¡±
¡°And now he''s probably carrying on with that, or giving it to his kids.¡± Matt speculated.
¡°Lucky kids. He didn''t actually say he was going to sell did he?¡± Bob said.
¡°No. Led us on a bit, sounded interested. I bet the answer''s no.¡±
¡°Charlie''s got a bit of a reputation for generosity, hasn''t he? Often buying the rounds at the pub, you know.¡±
¡°Even forty thousand''s twice my salary. He can afford to be generous,¡± Matt pointed out ¡°And I''ve heard rumours of a mistress, too.¡±
¡°Maybe she''s getting a share of the turnover too.¡± Bob speculated. ¡°No wonder he''s interested in the cabins; he started asking after his wife died, you know. They''d have let him put income into building and maintaining them, and he''d have to pay some more site rental, which is pretty trivial compared to the missing turnover, but it would give him a motive for saying ''Hey, Mr tax-man, I''ve got a bigger business than I used to have.'' and start submitting proper accounts without raising too much suspicion.¡±
¡°You might be right. Or he might just be greedy.¡±
¡°So, what do we do?¡±
¡°Right now, all we''ve got is a lot of speculation, confusion, and guess-work. I''d say, if he goes for the deal then we can submit honest accounts and if the tax authorities are surprised we can say so were we and leave it at that. We don''t need to get an old man thrown in jail just when he starts going honest.¡±
Matt pondered: ¡°Hmmm. As long as he is starting to go honest. You pretty much offered him the job, and I''m not sure I''d want to trust him with any money.¡±
¡°Good point. And if he says no, then we''d need to say something, or we''d be accessories.¡±
¡°Aren''t we going to be accessories after the fact anyway, if we don''t say something?¡± Matt pointed out.
Bob said ¡°I''m going to make a call to a lawyer. There''s always another option entirely, you know.¡±
¡°What''s that?¡± Matt asked.
¡°That he fed us even more lies than we thought, as some sort of integrity test, and he has really been submitting proper accounts.¡±
¡°You know, that''s the most hopeful thing I''ve heard since I got to the office.¡±
¡°So, Frank, there you have it. Either he''s an inveterate liar about everything, or he was telling the truth about no accounts and he''s a tax-dodger.¡±
¡°Or somehow there''s two businesses working the campsite, and he just operates it as one.¡± Frank said.
¡°Possible, but a violation of the rental agreement. I''m sorry, Frank. I should have been more on the ball.¡±
¡°Bob, there''s no way this is your fault. The whole thing stinks, but the landlord doesn''t have a duty to check the client''s accounts. He paid his rent on time, I presume.¡±
¡°Regular as clockwork.¡±
¡°Would you consider him a friend?¡±
¡°Not especially.¡±
¡°And he''s not a client. You have a duty under law to report what you know. You don''t have a duty to tell him what you''re going to do, but on the other hand, if you give him a few hours to turn himself in, then it''ll probably feel less like stabbing him in the back. Alternatively you could do it anonymously, but he''ll be pretty sure who it was, I expect.¡±
¡°I expect so. You think that just a few hours is enough notice?¡±
¡°Plenty. It doesn''t take long to confess to the tax authorities. Their investigation afterwoods takes a long time, of course. I don''t need to tell you not to purchase the company, do I?¡±
¡°Not at all?¡± Bob asked.
¡°Unless there''s an aquittal. If he''s failed to submit proper accounts then he gets fined and or jailed as administrator, but the tax bill goes to the company. If you purchase, then any liability would fall on Carbon-carbon.¡±
¡°Oh good grief. I hadn''t thought of that. I''d be giving him money so I can pay the back-taxes.¡±
¡°Whereas, what we should be doing, assuming he''s guilty, the money''s gone and the company is insolvent is repossessing the lease.¡±
¡°His house is on the land.¡±
¡°Well, that will make life more interesting. He might be able to stay on in the house. But that''s for another day, Bob. Make the call to the tax authorities today. You don''t have a choice, but you can wait until the evening if you like.¡±
¡°Thank you for the advice, Frank.¡±
¡°Instructions, mainly.¡±
¡°Yes. I need them.¡±
¡°I''ve got another one for you, actually. Get Matt to warn him, after all, he found the problem, and you don''t need the stress of an abusive reaction. You should probably be the one to alert the authorities though, based on his bringing it to you.¡±
¡°If you say so, Frank.¡±
¡°I do. Do that with Christine around. I know her presence helps you.¡±
¡°How do you know that?¡±
¡°You''ve told me enough times, remember.¡±
¡°Fair enough. Bye Frank.¡±
¡°Bye, Bob. Oh. Before I go. If you think he might suicide, then don''t warn him at all, just call the authorities.¡±
Bob turned to Matt ¡°I was almost a prize idiot. If we buy the company we buy its debts to the tax office. If he''s been siphoning off money ever since we bought the lease off the previous owners, or even before, then that could be more than the company''s worth.¡±
¡°Ouch. So one of us needs to report him.¡±
¡°I''ll do that. This evening, based on you bringing me your calculations, which I trust you''ll send me at going home time. Right now, since you''ve done the calculations, I''d like you ask him what he thinks he''s playing at. No don''t do that, it leads to arguments and excuses. Just tell him what you''ve worked out, and that you''ve got a duty to tell me, and then I''ve got a duty to pass it on to the tax-man, today. Call him I think, that way you don''t get punched.¡±
¡°You think he might turn violent?¡±
¡°I don''t know if he''s going to turn violent, suicidal or what. If you think he turn suicidal, then I call the tax authorities immediately. One of the reasons they react fast, is because they''re used to that response.¡±
¡°I don''t know him well enough to guess that.¡± Matt said.
¡°Me neither.¡±
¡°Henry might. They''re drinking buddies.¡±
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
¡°But on the other hand, Henry might warn him.¡± Bob pointed out.
¡°He was adamant he wanted stay in that house, wasn''t he?¡±
¡°Yes, quite.¡±
¡°I''d rather be called names for backstabbing than having his death on my conscience.¡± Matt decided.
¡°Good thought. I''ll make that call.¡±
Charlie Wordsworth looked at the blank space on his office wall. The realisation of what he''d just done struck him. ¡°You shouldn''t have done that, Charlie.¡± He said to himself. ¡°You shouldn''t have told them you don''t have accounts, you certainly shouldn''t have told them you tell tax man that the dividend''s only forty thousand, and you should have said ''that''s my trade secret, gentlemen. I''ll give you the prices when we have a deal.'' They had no idea what people pay for staying here, and you told them, didn''t you Charlie. You should have just told them you weren''t interested, but instead you told them the last part of the secret. They already know the rest. Well, maybe they''re gullible. Maybe they''ll buy my little pig in a poke. I doubt it though. Imagine, Bob a diamond dealer. That must have meant buying raw and selling cut. He''ll know business. And he didn''t say he never played dirty, just that it would upset the boss. He''s going to work out my turnover, he needs to, so he can work out the bottom line for the little girl. Forty thousand! What a silly amount. You could hardly buy the guys a drink with forty thousand, let alone play the horses. A man needs his little pleasures. You can''t sell up, Charlie, they''d try to make an honest man out of you. Ha! Next thing you know you''ll be singing in church. Bob guessed a quarter of a million for this place! Pah! You''ve kissed away that much on one day at the races before now, Charlie. They''ll probably offer you a salary of ten thousand a year, like Henry gets.¡±
He thought about his choices. He could call himself in. Maybe they''d be lenient, maybe not send him to jail, but he''d lose everything. He could wait and see what happened. But he was fairly sure they wouldn''t fail to be good little boy scouts. Choices, choices. No gun, so there was tablets, knife, or gas. Or rope of course. Maybe rope was best.
¡°Well, children, if you''d ever thought of giving your dad a call on his birthday, it''s too late now.¡± he addressed the ten year old picture of his kids. ¡°Gone your separate ways, not interested one bit in the family firm. Of course, maybe you would have been if I hadn''t told you it was all trouble and no gain, Eh? If I hadn''t lied to everyone about only ever spending ten or twenty on a race. Ten or twenty thousand, that what gets the blood going! Sometimes I even won. Half a million once. Half a million in pretty notes. That went back on the horses though. Finding out about that killed you mother. Now I guess it''s my time.¡±
He decided to write a note. ¡°To whoever finds my body, Please pass on to my kids I lied to them: this place was a gold mine, if only the money didn''t go on the horses. Sorry if it makes you sad, but I''m an unrepentant gambler. Tried to kick the habit a few times, but failed. Sorry about your legacy. Tell the tax men: This place made me about four hundred thousand a year profit, in today''s money, for the last thirty-five years, and you never once cottoned on! Suckers.¡±
He turned on the screen to watch one last horse race.
¡°Yes, that''s right, Blackwood camping. My colleague and I were floating the idea to the owner-operator that we as lease-holder would be interested in buying him out. He didn''t commit himself at all, but he told us us he''s reporting about forty thousand dividend, which seemed very low compared to the value of the site. We of course know what his site rent is, and that incorporates a component of occupancy rates. He''s got a hundred and fifty plots that he manages to fill to about ninety percent capacity for seven months of the year. I can send a copy of his price list, but with some guesses about what discount he might offer that works out to a turnover of well over half a million, more in the six hundred thousand plus area.¡±
¡°So you strongly believe that he''s under-reporting?¡±
¡°I know what the site rental is, sir, it''s not even a third of that amount. He further admitted to us that he doesn''t keep up to date accounts, or even proper records of income. Perhaps it is an elaborate joke, but the price-list came off his office wall, and he had no knowledge that we''d visit.¡±
¡°So, you''re not sure of the actual prices charged, but you have what you believe to be an actual list, and you know his site rental. Would there be any maintenance or other costs?¡±
¡°He has a number of washing areas and toilet blocks. From the look of them they last had some painting done some years ago, they looked a bit tired to me, at least externally. I cannot imagine the maintenance bill is more than ten thousand, which leaves approximately four hundred thousand per annum unaccounted for. The site has been in continuous operation for decades, and the occupancy levels he''s reporting to us are quite consistent. He says he gets a lot of repeat custom.¡±
¡°Could you describe the site rental?¡±
¡°Yes, There''s a flat fee per camping pitch, and an occupied fee which is double the flat fee. He''d have no motive to over-report. The structure is one that we''ve inherited from the previous lease holder, and we saw no reason to alter it, except in line with inflation. Oh, there is a concessionary clause that when he has no occupied pitches at all, then the flat fee is reduced to a peppercorn rent.¡±
¡°Thank you sir. To your knowledge, has he been informed of your intention to make this call?¡±
¡°No. He is obviously aware of the information he''s given us, and our intention to seek to obtain a realistic valuation of his company. I think it would be natural to attempt to estimate the company turn-over as part of that. Oh, I forgot to say. His family home is on the site and is part of the company property. He seemed quite adamant that he had no desire to move away. We discussed options for him should he sell.¡±
¡°His family?¡±
¡°Wife is dead, children moved away. He said they were still in contact and thinking of moving back, but it sounded like a lie to me.¡±
¡°Thank you very much sir. We''ll take it from here.¡±
Charlie saw that he''d just missed a race, the big one of the day was coming up. By habit he checked which horses were racing. No, that was crazy. This was Rumpletop''s distance, what was he doing at those odds? Crazy odds, odds that sounded like he''d fall at the first corner. But he''d won here last year at that distance. OK, he''d been off his form a bit lately. Charlie remembered that when he''d been at the track he''d overheard Rumpletop''s trainer whispering to a jockey ''save him for the big one''. He hadn''t made the connection, but for Rumpletop this was the big one. It was irresistable, really. Long odds on a horse that ought to be favourite. And why not go out this way, eh? One last gamble. He looked at his other account, the one where most of the camper''s money went, and which went to the races with him. Sadly low. Then he had a thought, and looked at his official bank account. It was pleasantly full. So it should be really, it was supposed to keep him in whiskey and beer and maybe even some food until the start of the season and beyond. But he wasn''t going to be around to drink that, so why not? One last go, why not blow the whole lot? He broke the golden rule, the one his dad had taught him when he''d got him addicted to the horses. Never link the two accounts. Put stuff in the one or in the other, never transfer. Didn''t matter now, did it? He emptied his account into the other one. All except forty. Just for luck. Then he put the whole lot on Rumpletop. If he won, then maybe he''d even have enough to talk to the taxman about. That''d be worth living for. See their faces when he admitted to thirty five years of cheating them and would they like some of his winnings. That''d be a gamble too, but with that much, repentance might even mean he''d keep the house and the campsite. Yeah. He could live with that.
There was a well rehearsed programme of events that Bob''s call set into process. The first, least complex as far as the tax authorities were concerned, was to dispatch police to detain the suspect. The police knew the routine, too. It didn''t happen very often, but when that code came through you didn''t finish your donuts. Get there too late and you might be detaining a corpse. The next, which was considerably more resource intensive, was to trace bank accounts. What accounts did the person have? And close relatives, and dead relatives, which were unaccountably still active. What accounts paid into or extracted money from those accounts? Quickly the AI saw a pattern. A set of people had paid money to Charlie Wordsworth''s account during the summer. Many of them showed up in previous years. He had spent the money in all sorts of different ways, as you might expect for a normal bank account, and the amount coming in agreed with the tax summary that had been submitted. At least closely enough to not be worth fussing over. Allowable mistake margin, they called it. With the authority of the tax department''s investigation department the AI then looked at all of these other accounts. They all matched the criteria for a normal account. Of course they''d made payments into other accounts. A list of these accounts was created, and patterns were compared. There were comonalities. Unsurprisingly they''d paid into shops. In the week or two preceding the payment into Mr Wordsworth''s account they''d paid into shops and restaurants linked to the New Blackwood area. There was a strong correlation between payment into Mr Wordsworth''s account and the length of stay in the New Blackwood area. The pattern was observed by the AI. In other years, they''d also displayed a matching behaviour, without the payment into Wordsworth''s account. Payments that would represent the cost of the holiday were sought. many went to other legitimate sites, easily explained. But many of these missing payments, with the same correlation between length of stay and amount had gone to another account, not linked to any other establishment. They also showed amounts with a remarkable year-on-year correspondence to the amounts going into to Wordsworth''s account. Processing continued. There were no other accounts which displayed this pattern. The AI reached its first concludion. Wordsworth was operating a second account. It processed this second account. Many more deposits were made into this account than the main account. The total corresponded to the missing four hundred thousand per annum. The expenses from this account were of a particularly unusual pattern. The account was paying to only five different accounts. Four were gambling establishments, a fifth was a much smaller amount, paid at monthly intervals to an account owned individually, by a woman. The computer flagged the link between accounts as for possible future investigation.
Time for one of those slow humans to make a decision. All but a few of the AI''s circuits were deprived of work to do, and so closed down to power saving mode. The computer displayed the results on the relevant terminal.
¡°Thank you very much sir.¡± the operator was just saying ¡°We''ll take it from here.¡±
He closed the connection and scanned the result. Yes, that woman was worth investigating. He brought up her file. Oh dear. He called his supervisor over.
¡°This account, sir, has a ninety-nine percent correlation with a report I''ve just received. It''s being used as an undeclared corporate account to avoid declaring an income to the tune of roughly four hundred and ten thousand per annum. Police are on the way. The funds are going on gambling, it would seem sir. High risk horse racing, by the looks of it. All except regular payments of five hundred a month into the account of this person here.¡±
¡°How long for?¡±
¡°Thirty five years, sir, since when the account was first opened.¡±
¡°Forward the details to Internal Auditing. Not your problem to investigate further.¡±
¡°I understand sir.¡±
He turned back to the main case, and saw two new transactions. He called the en-route policemen. ¡°Hello. We''ve got a new development on the case. The suspect is clearly guilty. He''s a high stakes gambler, very careful to keep his two lives separate, except just now. He''s taken all his money from his normal account, moved it to the hidden one and placed a bet with it. My guess is we''re talking about a final fling of the dice, or whatever the right term is for betting on horses.¡±
¡°When was this?¡±
¡°Last minute.¡±
¡°Where was the transaction initiated?¡±
¡°Perpetrator''s home.¡±
¡°We''re probably OK then, we''re two minutes from the destination, horse races normally last longer than that.¡±
They ran to the house, and saw through the window they saw that a noose had been prepared, it was hanging from the stair''s banisters, in plain sight through the window. They tried the front door. It wasn''t locked, there was the sound of shouting from a side room.
¡°Come on, Rumpeltop! Come on! Yes! Yes! YES! A WINNERRR! I''ve won! I''ve won!¡±
¡°Mr Charlie Wandsworth, I''m placing you under arrest for tax evasion and embezzlement.¡±
¡°I''ve won!¡±
¡°I''m sure that the tax authorities will be pleased to collect your winnings for you, sir. I see you''ve also prepared a confession. How very considerate of you. If you''d come this way, sir.¡±
¡°I''ve won! All my money at seventy five to one, and I''ve won!¡±
¡°Very good sir, now, if you''d get into the car? We''ll just take down your noose, we don''t want to scare any visitors you have, do we sir?¡±
¡°I''ve lost, haven''t I?¡± Charlie said, his mind catching up with recent events.
¡°I expect so, sir,¡± the policeman said, ¡°but where there''s life there''s hope, they say.¡±
Charlie was silent, reliving the excitement of his last bet in a long time, before it faded.
Wednesday 13th December 7pm
¡°Bob did you know you saved a life today?¡± Christine said.
¡°Saved one? I thought I''d ruined one.¡± Bob said.
¡°They found him with a noose all ready for after the horse-race.¡±
¡°I won''t pretend to have any idea how you found that out.¡±
¡°I used my super-human abilities and read the front page of the New Blackwood gazette, Bob.¡±
¡°I hope it doesn''t say we shopped him.¡±
¡°It said ''Anonymous tip-off saves local businessman. Charlie Wordswith, troubled owner-operator of Blackweed camping was sawed by the timely intervention of local police after they''d received an anonymous tip off that he might be considering soupicide as his tax affairs were under investigation. Police express their tanks for the tip off and say that the self-confessed compulsive gamboler had prepared a noose and was preparing to kill himself after the end of the house race he was watching.'' Shall I read on? The spelling is really atrocious. They must have been in a real hurry.¡±
¡°A ''house'' race, eh?¡±
¡°Yes. I like ''soupicide''.¡±
¡°I wonder who gave the tip off.¡±
¡°It was probably the tax authorities. Later on it says something about him emptying his account to bet on the horse race.¡±
¡°Why are the press reporting on this? Don''t they normally wait until the case has gone to court.¡±
¡°He admitted everything, apparently. Court hadn''t closed, and so he pleaded guilty, said that he''d been getting roughly two thirds of the customers to pay into a separate account. He said that he realised that he''d given two honest men a piece of paper that was enough to convict him, and had realised the game was up, hence the noose. He also stated in court that as a final gamble, (or gambol as in a lamb, as the paper spelt it) he''d put everything he had on a real outsider. The horse won, just before his arrest. He hopes his winnings will be sufficient to pay the tax he owes to the authorities. The court has ordered that all his assets be frozen, pending the final decision on his tax bill, and penalty charges and interest, and since he did have a noose prepared, he''s not in no way eligible for bail until the court has decided if he''s due for prison or not.¡±
¡°I guess we won''t be buying the company then. At least not now.¡±
¡°I don''t think so. But that was the second half of the afternoon. I know what this morning''s meeting was like, but what about the start of the afternoon? You were going to go up with one of the ATV''s from the cabins, weren''t you?¡±
¡°Yes. I did. It works. We went up one of the paths, I met a group of guests out for a walk, and we went to the ridge. It''s still beautiful, and I want an excuse to take you up there some time.¡±
¡°Why do you need an excuse?¡±
¡°Because it''s a long walk.¡±
¡°You''re not working on Saturday, are you?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°So let''s go and see this beautiful view.¡±
¡°I thought you had plans?¡±
¡°I''ve changed them. I''m going to spend lots of quality and quantity time with my husband.¡±
¡°That''s nice. Then tournament on Sunday?¡±
¡°Yes, that''ll be fun. Now come on, you got to the ridge, then what?¡±
¡°Using the photo Mabel gave us, we were able to work out the old route. The edge of the ridge isn''t too steep, so we went down. I had the limits of Carbon-Carbon''s land on my wrist unit, and we didn''t get anywhere near them. The pond is on the obvious route, but there are other options. We could have come into the back of the campsite, for instance, but even more interesting is that we could get to that wedge of land beside the station. Now that gives me a very interesting future plan.¡±
¡°Go on, tell me.¡±
¡°Well, imagine we do one day build a ski-lift or a cable car. Where better to end it than next to the station, eh? We can tell people ''you can catch a train to the town and then choose to either be driven to your cabin by ATV, or catch a ski-lift to the peak and ski down.'' What do you think?¡±
¡°I think it may not work with boxes of food like they have to bring.¡±
¡°That''s true. However, I was thinking about that. If we''re going to have a full compliment of guests at the cabins, then it might make it worth it to do a bread and tins delivery.¡±
¡°Not sure. I mean, advertising the cabins as back to basics, escape the trappings of city life, and then offering fresh bread daily? It seems a bit incongruous.¡±
¡°I know, but I wonder if the lack of fresh bread would put some people off. Oh, I didn''t say, we gave one of the walkers a lift on the ATV. She was very thankful. Her boots had started disintegrating ¡ª great big chunks of the sole had been falling off. We took her to the boot shop, then Henry was going to take her back to the cabin. And you know what, she knew about the new ownership!¡±
¡°How on Earth?¡±
¡°She knows Sarah, would you believe it? Several of them from that group do.¡±
¡°I hope you invited them round.¡±
¡°I did, she said they''d got a few more walks they wanted to do, and they''re leaving tomorrow, so probably not, but they''ll discuss it.¡±
¡°I don''t envy her breaking in new boots on the last day of her holiday.¡±
¡°Me neither, but on the other hand, the rate her old ones were self-destructing, she''d have been barefoot by the end of today.¡±
¡°Nasty.¡±
¡°Yes. We need to get a list of local shops and services for all of the cabins. It hadn''t even occurred to her there might be a boot shop in the town. She was thinking she''d need to order some. One of the others looked like she''d come early for the tournament at the weekend. Fully belted member of the royal court of the fifth kingdom, armed and dangerous, assassin trained.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes. And unless I misremember my runes she''s got real-world authority too. My guess is Security.¡±
¡°Always useful to have around if things get out of hand. But she''s not going to be at the tournament?¡±
¡°She said they were thinking about it as a separate trip. Her boyfriend''s a reenacter too. He was a bit surprised I recognised the assassin''s mark.¡±
¡°Did you tell her how you did?¡±
¡°I just smiled enigmaticly. She got the point immediately.¡±
¡°Not literally, I hope.¡±
¡°No. I don''t go to work armed and dangerous. I''m not sure it''s wise to pull a knife on a guest outside the tourney ground anyway. Especially not with her bodyguard around.¡±
¡°You think so?¡±
¡°I''m going to see if I recognise any of them next time the royal family are on the screen.¡±
¡°You think they''re all Security then?¡±
He ticked the points off on his fingers. ¡°Henry told me later they''d said were civil servants, who worked weekends a lot. The broken boots looked almost army issue, but more suitable for running. They were all ridiculously fit, and when we met them they were paying a lot of attention to the ruined hut that''s up there.¡±
¡°Not amateur historians?¡± Christine asked.
¡°From my assassin training, I''d say they were considering its potential use as an ambush site. Henry agreed with me, and passed on something else, which got me thinking.¡±
¡°Go on.¡±
¡°Don''t pass it on, but Sarah said something about planning to make the cabins fit for royalty. She explained it away, saying that she didn''t want her face broadcast by the cameras to any journalist in the area, and that she''d also she''d have a cousin coming up to the cabins for her honeymoon, who will have had some celebrities at her wedding. What do we know about Sarah''s cousins?¡±
¡°Nothing on her Dad''s side, that''s fairly certain. His big sister never had any, and he never spoke of any.¡±
¡°No. Were you at their wedding?¡±
¡°Me? No. I wasn''t even in the company then. Hold on. The dress? You''re thinking the dress, aren''t you?¡±
¡°I''m thinking that a cousin on Sarah''s mother''s side might well be allowed to borrow her mum''s wedding dress. In which case, no wonder she wants the stoves safe, the cameras secure, and she''s wondering how quickly she can install her dad''s security AI into a cabin or two.¡±
¡°Is she?¡±
¡°Well, she pointed out that at the moment it''s in the path of an asteroid, so it''s got to move somewhere.¡±
¡°And Sarah''s got security clearance herself and an unmentionable workplace?¡±
¡°It seemed like she could have told me, but if she did I couldn''t tell you. What sort of place is that?¡±
¡°One where reporting about who works there is forbidden, of course love.¡± Christine said.
¡°Oh? You think so?¡±
¡°Well, we can ask her about it all when she gets here, can''t we?¡±
¡°We can. Thinking about unreportable places... I guess we ought to not think about who may or may not be visiting in public, should we?¡± Bob thought.
¡°No. So, let''s change to a new subject: babies.¡±
¡°Are small, often cute, and often noisy. Next subject?¡±
¡°Bob. We decided that we wouldn''t have any until you were better. That was a long time ago, and I''d sort of given up hope.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, love.¡±
¡°But, in my expert opinion you''re better. You''ve got your spark back, and it''s a bit later than ideal but not too late. Can we try?¡±
Bob looked at his beloved wife''s eyes, brimming with hope. ¡°Of course we can, love.¡±
¡°Good.¡±
8.00pm
¡°How are the new boots?¡± Bella asked Pris.
¡°A bit stiff, but no blisters so far, not even any tender spots.¡±
¡°That''s good.¡±
¡°And the new manager seems a good guy.¡± Pris said
¡°Yes, even if he is yet another reenactor.¡±
¡°Who recognised Eliza''s secret mark.¡±
¡°Probably because he wears one too.¡± Bella said.
¡°You think so?¡±
¡°When you were getting your boots examined and I was leaning on the ATV, he was pondering what we were doing in the cabin. He decided we were checking it as an ambush site, like he''d been trained to do as a pretend assassin, and given your old boots look light-weight but military quality, we''re probably Security.¡±
¡°You didn''t say anything.¡±
¡°Probably isn''t certainly.¡± Bella pointed out.
¡°No. But he knows Sarah''s going to replace the cameras, and that we know Sarah.¡±
¡°And he and his wife knew Sarah''s parents and probably saw wedding pictures.¡±
¡°Maybe we should have accepted their invitation then.¡± Pris said.
¡°Invitation?¡±
¡°He said any friend of Sarah''s is a friend of his, and invited us to visit.¡±
¡°Not really time, is there?¡± Bella said.
¡°That''s what I said. Unless we alter one of the walks tomorrow to go over the ridge and down to the town, roughly speaking way we went on the ATV. He did suggest it. Actually, he suggested that if we were feeling brave we could try going down on some sledges.¡±
¡°Wow. That''d be quite some run.¡± Bella said.
¡°And it is, just possibly, the sort of thing that our friends might feel they want to do.¡±
¡°It is. They''re young and foolish and full of hormones like us.¡±
¡°Speak for yourself.¡± Pris said.
¡°Oh? You''re not?¡±
¡°We''ve done a lot of talking. But I don''t know. I really don''t know.¡±
¡°Is this just nervous, or uncovered incompatibilities?¡±
¡°Probably just nervous.¡±
¡°Well see how safe he can make you feel on a sledge then.¡±
¡°Should we discuss it with the others?¡±
¡°I suppose so. How are your muscles?"
¡°They''re fine, and no, I don''t want another sparring match. One bloody nose a week is plenty, thanks.¡±
¡°I''m really really sorry about your nose, Pris.¡±
¡°I know, you''ve said it before. I guess the regrown tissue is still ultra fragile.¡±
¡°I hope I haven''t caused any permanent problems.¡±
¡°I doubt it. It feels fine, and Dirk was very kind.¡±
¡°Pris, I know you say you''re having doubts, but I don''t think he is.¡±
¡°I don''t think he is either. But it''s too early, and he is younger than me.¡±
¡°Don''t forget the impact effect!¡± Bella said.
¡°I''m not. I''m trying to overrule it with some logic.¡±
¡°Fair enough, that''s your choice. Up you get then, let''s see if we can convince the others they want to go sledging. Where do we get the sledges?¡±
¡°Call the ever-helpful Henry tomorrow morning.¡±
¡°He''s got a stock?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Not yet. Bob said that he wasn''t sure there''d be any demand. But there''s plenty on sale in the town.¡±
¡°And then we''d have to go down to reception to get them?¡±
¡°No, Henry''ll bring them up, and take us up to the top if we like.¡±
¡°Luxury! Travel without walking!¡± Bella exclaimed.
¡°Really? How?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°We''ve been offered some sledges to go down the slope to the town, lunch at the new director''s house, since we''re Sarah''s friends, and then a lift back up here, or to reception if we feel the need to walk off our lunch.¡± Pris reported. ¡°Bella thought that we ought to try it, just in case our friends took up a similar offer.¡±
¡°Sarah being our previously anonymous benefactress on the camera front and the new owner of these cabins.¡± Bella added.
¡°And obviously much better off than I thought.¡± Eliza said.
¡°So, do we accept?¡± Bella asked. ¡°Bob and his wife, Christine, were friends and colleagues of Sarah''s parents. They probably saw the dress Sarah''s mother wore, at least in pictures. We should probably assume they know the history of it.¡±
Trevor was confused ¡°Excuse me for being thick, what does Sarah''s mother''s dress have to do with anything?¡±
¡°Sarah is one of the cousins. Hence her motivation to help out.¡±
¡°Oh. So Bob and Christine have knowledge to link our friends to Sarah.¡±
¡°And they''re smart enough to put two and two together, especially since Bob saw us working out if that ruin would be a good sniper site.¡± Eliza said.
¡°How do you know he''d think of that?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°Because he''s a reenactor, and recognised my little assassin badge with ease. I expect he has one too. And really, we were being so obvious.¡± Eliza said.
¡°That''s my fault,¡± Nigel said, ¡°I thought they were going up another trail.¡±
¡°So, do we accept?¡± Bella asked ¡°Someone on site needs to know at some point, so that relevant precautions can be set up.¡±
¡°Yes, but that was supposed to be closer to the event.¡± Nigel said.
¡°We''re only a month away as it is.¡±
¡°How do we know Bob and Christine are trustworthy?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°I''ve just initiated a security check. All OK so far¡± Pris said.
¡°Sarah trusts them, Sarah''s dad trusted them.¡± Bella said.
¡°And we trust Sarah''s opinion?¡± Nigel asked.
¡°We trust Sarah.¡± Bella said. ¡°More to the point, their Majesties and Maria trust Sarah.¡±
¡°And how trusting is Sarah?¡± Nigel asked.
Bella frowned ¡°Possibly overly. Point taken.¡±
¡°Oooh!¡± Pris said. ¡°Christine used to be cleared. Level four gamma, civilian role.¡±
¡°Used to be?¡±
¡°Moved jobs. Poached by Sarah''s dad, in fact. New message from Maria. ''Bob used to trade and courier diamonds for Sarah''s dad, and also used to do some deliveries for Security. Past clearance level two beta, both easily reactivated, upgrading of Christine''s in progress. Go and talk to them. Let them know why. When''s not going to hold any surprises.''¡±
¡°Well, it''s not our decision then.¡± Bella said ¡°I guess we''re going sledging.¡±
¡°We don''t need to use the sledges.¡± Pris pointed out.
¡°But we might as well, it''d save time and be fun.¡± Dirk countered.
¡°I agree.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Me too.¡±
¡°All right, I resign myself to plunging down a slope on a few pieces of wood and metal. But no one going down on their stomachs and head first, please!¡±
¡°I was assuming we''d be going down feet forwards, in pairs.¡± Bella said.
¡°Pris, I know what pairings the others are going to pick, and I''m happy with that. Are you?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°I thought you would be. Yes, I''m fine. I''ll tell Bob that he''s got six extra for lunch, and we''d like three two-person sledges.¡± she said, and headed for the bedroom.
¡°Do we do that last walk, to the other side of the site and up to the peak then?¡± Trevor asked. ¡°It''d be a lot of walking for just the morning.¡±
¡°If Henry can meet us on the ridge with the sledges, I think we can do it.¡±
Bella said. ¡°That was the offer.¡±
¡°All this personalised service!¡± Eliza said ¡°I don''t feel so cut off from the world all of a sudden.¡±
¡°It seemed like a long way from the station, but that''s only because we had to go round the ridge.¡± Trevor pointed out. ¡°I can see why Bob thinks it has potential as something of an occasional ski centre. There''s already most of the infrastructure. It probably would have been developed centuries ago if it had more snow. OK, ten to fifteen centimetres of snow like we''ve got now isn''t going to please everyone, but I think skiing or sledging as an optional extra for a walking holiday, it''s great.¡±
¡°With the maglev station here, and the hypersonic transit so close, he''d probably get day-trippers, wouldn''t he?¡± Dirk said.
¡°Probably. It''s not very cheap, but on the other hand it''s so lovely here.¡± She stretched expansively, just ''happening'' to end up with an arm round Nigel''s waist. ¡°I could get used to saying here.¡±
Pris came back. ¡°Is that a job application, Eliza?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡± Eliza asked, surprised.
¡°I was just thinking, when our friends come up, and I see no reason at all why they shouldn''t. Anyone else?¡± there were shakes of heads ¡°Right, so Nigel, Bella and colleagues need to decide how many people to put where ¡ª I''m presuming that means a neighbouring cabin or two, and a few extra cameras watching the approaches certainly wouldn''t come amiss. That sort of thing will probably need someone to come up a few days earlier, possibly a full week.¡±
¡°That''s a job for someone in liaison, surely?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Hence my question, youngster. Come and discuss it?¡±
¡°But I thought...¡± Dirk started to say, but clamped his mouth shut.
¡°I''m urm, honoured, I think that you''d think I''m up for the job, but I thought I''d applied to be courier?¡±
¡°You did. What do you know about being a courier, Eliza?¡±
¡°You need to be good with people, you travel a lot. Both of those appeal.¡±
¡°Do you know how much you travel?¡±
¡°Urm, not really.¡±
¡°Basically, you should expect two flights a day, if you''re going somewhere easy. If not, then you might need to add some days for internal transfers t. If it''s really uncivilised, expect to be doing a lot of smelling people''s armpits on public transport. You get rest time wherever you are when you''re due for a rest day. As a variety, sometimes you get seconded to an office, where you''re expected to fit in, or you might get sent ahead of someone to find out everything so that you can give them a briefing on the way from the airport. In the entire time, you''re trying to be entirely unnoticeable and easily forgotten. It also plays havoc with any social life you might have. You are allowed to nominate a place or person you''d like to work with by preference. Since I seemed to click with Maria''s daughter, I nominated them. In your case, they might allow you to deliver messages for palace briefings, for example, which would maybe let you steal an occasional kiss, but a palace visit is hardly ever a long one for a courier. I''d say half an hour is the longest I''ve ever been there in that role.
"So, what I''m asking first of all is would you like to know more, or would you like to reconsider your application.¡±
Eliza''s face had been slowly progressing from surprise, to shock and then growing horror. ¡°I don''t really think I want that job, Pris.¡±
¡°That''s good. I''m planning to submit an assessment which says given what I''ve observed of your personality and your clear commitment to individuals, you would be very ill-advised to proceed further with that application.¡±
¡°Thank you. Should I sign it too, or write ''sorry that application was a stupid mistake'' separately?¡±
¡°No need. I''ll just add that we''ve talked it over and you wholeheartedly agree.¡±
¡°Thank you Pris. What did you mean, clear commitment to individuals? That I''m in love with Nigel?¡±
¡°No. More like the way it''s pretty clear from some of what you''ve said that you see life as moving from between one group of friends to another, and you don''t seem to ever lose contact with them.¡±
¡°I guess you''re right.¡±
¡°I mean, you swapped net-IDs with that little girl, promising to meet up if you came back this way. That''s wonderful, but I think you mean to keep that promise, and as a courier, you wouldn''t be able to promise that.
"I''m guessing that sort of thing would put you in something like a constant state of mourning.¡±
¡°How do you know me so well?¡±
¡°Practice. One thing you get practice at in this job is reading people quickly. So, you''re too active for analysis, too people centred to be courier. I could imagine you on fieldwork if you weren''t so flamboyant, but I''ve got the feeling that everyone you meet remembers you at least a decade. Even then, that''s not necessarily a problem, as long as they don''t ever suspect you. If they do, you won''t be able to go back. That also suggests that you staying in witness protection isn''t a great idea. So, where do we put you? You''re not totally wasted in protection, I can see you being a good supervisor once you can''t move, but not much before then. Any thoughts?¡±
¡°I need to resign?¡± Eliza asked, feeling gloomy at this list of jobs she wasn''t really fit for.
¡°Don''t you dare! What haven''t I mentioned? Your chance. Tell what''s good and bad about them?¡±
¡°Royal protection? Good point, I''d be near Nigel. Bad point, Nigel would be near me.¡±
¡°Expand on why that''s a bad point.¡±
¡°Male hormones. If we''re both on duty at the same time he might be distracted.¡±
¡°Face it, Eliza, you might be too.¡± Pris pointed out with a grin.
¡°OK. Yes.¡±
¡°Next?¡±
¡°Liaison. I think that''s low profile too, though, sometimes.¡±
¡°But not all the time.¡±
¡°So it''s possible?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Diplomatic work. You know, Ambassadorial support? I''d need to learn a lot though. Bad point ¡ª long way from Nigel.¡±
¡°Very good. But you could solve that by him leaving R.P. and joining you, either on Ambassadorial protection or a similar support role. I tend to think protection.¡±
¡°Recruitment? I think it might be possible, but I''m going to end up missing people too much.¡±
¡°You could be good in it. Certainly on the making a memorable impression, but if you think it''ll be too tough on you it probably will be. Training might be better ¡ª you''d meet less people, more chance of staying in touch.¡±
¡°But unless I''m martial arts, it''s a bit static for me. Any other ideas?¡±
¡°Yes. Totally not my place to discuss it with you, though, not without Maria answering my last message.¡±
¡°Something I''m not going to guess then?¡±
¡°I doubt it.¡±
¡°Can you tell me anything about it?¡±
¡°I think it fits you fairly well, and I''m not saying more.¡±
¡°Where does that leave me?¡±
¡°Thinking of getting back to Nigel and telling him not to worry, you''re not going to be a courier.¡±
¡°He knew it was possible?¡±
¡°Yes. It probably filled his heart with dread, assuming he has any imagination. Which he must, considering your joint hobby.¡±
¡°Pris, if you don''t mind me asking... that kiss you gave Nigel.¡±
¡°Surprised me.¡±
¡°Was there anything behind it? I mean, was it meant to say ''hey Nigel, I exist too?''¡±
¡°It wasn''t a conscious thing at all, but I had been feeling a bit along those lines earlier in the day. Mostly it was thanks and relief and nothing more. I''d been really really shocked when Henry recognised me and it didn''t occur to me or Bella that he''d have a guest list. I saw the look you all gave me in response, too.¡±
¡°What did it look like?¡±
¡°In no particular order: Bella and Trevor, ''where did that come from?'' Dirk was definitely kicked puppy; Nigel''s face said, ''I''m in trouble now.'' and your look, Eliza was the purest look of ''how would you like to die?'' that I''ve ever seen. So that certainly helped me make a decision.¡±
¡°You mean you didn''t want to die?¡±
¡°Not really. I decided that while I was mildly interested in Nigel, I obviously wasn''t as interested as you. Which is why I was very miffed with the boys about the arm wrestling. I thought I''d give you some time to calm down. I also was half expecting you not to accept my hug after you''d prayed.¡±
¡°I was surprised myself. Evidence of the new, changed, me. And then you spent a lot of time talking to my big brother.¡±
¡°Yes. Mostly about that kiss, and about you, I''m afraid.¡±
¡°About me?¡±
¡°Yes. I was curious about all sorts of things. Your belt for example. He said it was a bit like geek code. And then he needed to explain what geek code was.¡±
¡°Well, I guess it started that way. Very useful though.¡±
¡°What''s wrong with just talking to people? You''re not socially inept.¡±
¡°You''ve seen my latest bit of embroidery?¡±
¡°You''ve drawn something like a nose. Nigel''s emblem?¡±
¡°Yes. Those few stitches mean that no one, at least no one who reads the code, is going to ask me out, unless they''re drunk or an idiot. When I came back after fixing my atheist symbol I also put a tiny little dot there. It meant that I was hopeful. I didn''t need the embarrassment of asking Nigel what he really thought about me. It wasn''t as shocking as that kiss, but it actually communicated more clearly. If he was interested, then he could look, and since he was the only one around who could understand the code, it was enough of a clue for him. He probably wouldn''t have noticed it if he wasn''t a bit curious, and he certainly didn''t need to responded to it if he wasn''t. He noticed it as we were arm-wrestling. But yes, there are a lot of socially inept people who do reenacting, or people who are at least a bit too shy to ask without some encouragement.¡±
¡°And if there''s no encouragement, then they know not to ask?¡±
¡°Well if there''s nothing there, then it means you''re available. There''s other symbols you can put to say don''t bother asking.¡±
¡°Complicated way of encouraging the boys.¡±
¡°Oh, it''s not just women who wear them. Of course, it''ll probably be a better idea if I embroider my own symbol on Nigel''s belt. He''s not very good, and my symbol''s a bit complex.¡±
¡°I don''t see you wearing one.¡±
¡°Yes you do, you just thought it was fancy embroidery on my dress.¡± she pointed out the pattern.
¡°That''s your symbol?¡±
¡°It is.¡±
¡°I see what you mean.¡±
¡°Pris, can I ask? Dirk?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. That''s the truth. I''m not sure. You know, that kiss. That was because I was realising how much being a courier is part of who I am, or at least, it''s been my life so far and I''m not sure I''m ready to give it up. But on the other hand, I was moaning to Bella that it''d be nice to not be single my whole life. And I can''t have both.¡±
¡°So, if you weren''t hoping to get back to being a courier?¡±
¡°Then, so far, Dirk''s the only applicant.¡±
¡°What, ever?¡±
¡°I''ve never had a second date; once guys heard I''m a courier, they lost interest. Since I''ve been a Christian, no one suitable''s even asked before this week.¡±
¡°So, Dirk is Christian, just, knows you''re a courier, and I don''t think he has lost interest.¡±
¡°No... So he''s unusual, but then, I''m not a courier at the moment am I?¡±
¡°It sounds like you need to decide what''s most important to you.¡±
¡°Yes. Actually, I''ve realised that what I really need is some sensible advice about what I am if I''m not a courier, or if I''m going to stay one until I die.¡±
¡°I don''t think I''m really qualified to help there.¡±
¡°Probably not, sorry.¡±
¡°Do you know who is?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°I''m not sure I do.¡± Pris admitted, feeling depressed once more.
¡°I think I know someone ¡ª God. Shall we pray?¡±
¡°Eliza, you''re wonderful! Yes please.¡±
Preparation / Ch. 25: Bob and Sarahs Friday
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 25:Bob and Sarah''s Friday.
Friday 15th December 9am
¡°Yes, that''s right, this is about the maintenance contract for stoves in Blackwood cabins.¡± Bob repeated a third time, in the same call, admittedly it had been to different people.
¡°I''m sorry, we don''t have a maintenance contract with Blackwood cabins, it was cancelled a few years ago.¡±
¡°I know, that''s the problem. I am speaking as general manager of the company that''s just taken over Blackwood Cabins. I sent a message two days ago stating that we would very much like to reestablish the maintenance contract, and have all the stoves given a remedial service as soon as possible. I haven''t heard anything back.¡±
¡°Oh, I understand sir. I''m sorry, you''ve been put through to the wrong department; you need sales.¡±
¡°They''ve just put me through to you.¡± Bob said.
¡°That''s odd, I don''t see anything here. Oh, but Blackwood cabins are now a subsidiary of your company? Would the contract be set up with Blackwood Cabins or with your company?¡±
¡°Probably it should be our company, ''Carbon-carbon land management''. Blackwood cabins will be dissolved to just be a trading name.¡±
¡°OK, I understand now, sir. Yes, I see the maintenance contract request, but the computer''s got in a mess. It''s rejecting the contract because it looks at our records about how many stoves you have of what type and comes the answer of a big fat zero. I''ll get it to record the stoves as sold to your company, and that ought to solve it.¡±
¡°That won''t lose any service history and location data, I hope? I understand there''s a number of different sizes of stoves.¡±
¡°I hope not. Oh. Yes it might. Would you bear with me a moment, sir?¡±
¡°Of course. Should I call back?¡±
¡°That''s up to you, sir. I''m happy to put you on hold while I call in our resident computer-tamer. But just in case the switchboard drops your call, can I give you the direct contact number? It''s a century old and gets a bit quirky sometimes.¡±
¡°Yes, please then.¡±
Once that had been done, Bob was put on hold and the ancient switchboard played him ancient music. Bob shook his head.
¡°Progress?¡± Christine asked.
¡°I''m on hold, I''ve got a slightly quirky century old switchboard which might decide to drop my call, playing me what I guess was considered relaxing music a hundred years ago. But on the other hand, we have progress. Sales can''t put the contract through because we want the contract in Carbon-carbon''s name, but the stoves are in the system as owned by Blackwood cabins. It''s got the function of coping with them being sold, but for all I know it''ll mark them as needing chimneys attached or something, rather than an overhaul.¡±
¡°It sounds like they need an injection of cash.¡±
¡°We''re trying to give them one, remember? Fifty seven stoves to service.¡±
¡°That''s only a cash injection if they make a profit on the maintenance contract, remember.¡±
¡°I''ll have a word with them about that.¡±
¡°What, you want an un-discount?¡±
¡°If it means the company stays afloat for another fifty years to service my stoves, yes.¡±
¡°Why not buy them up, then? I presume they''re profitable?¡±
¡°Don''t tempt me. I''m not going to make that sort of decision without Sarah''s approval. It hardly counts as land management.¡± Nevertheless, he did pull up the firm''s published accounts. Hmm, fairly low capital equipment, quite a few staff, reasonable profit on the stoves, relatively high cashflow on the maintenance contracts without much profit at all. He noticed that the phone system wasn''t listed as an asset anywhere. And that company profits would double with a one percent increase in maintenance charges. Surely competition wasn''t that tough.
Finally, the music stopped, there was a click, silence, then another click ¡°Hello? Mr Coal?¡±
¡°Hello! It didn''t manage to drop me.¡±
¡°I''m glad.¡±
¡°Interesting music selection.¡±
¡°I''m afraid we haven''t been able to update it. The system''s too old and nothing that works any more will communicate with it. Also... would it be possible for you to keep the maintenance contract under the name of Blackwood Cabins?¡±
¡°I suppose so, It will stay a trading name.¡±
¡°It would certainly be easier on our part. Our systems expert says that the alternative is to alter the database by hand, and he''d rather not do that during the day.¡±
¡°Your stoves are wonderful, but I have to wonder about your infrastructure. And about your practice of hardly covering costs on your maintenance contracts. Sorry, I''ve just been reading your accounts. Is competition really that steep?¡±
¡°It is in the mind of the management, sir. I haven''t noticed it myself, except when cases like your cabins occur.¡±
¡°My employer takes the long view, and would like the stoves to still be functioning in fifty years. That means proper maintenance, which means your maintenance division surviving. I don''t know if this means anything to you, but according to the site-manager here the flow on most of them is now only ten percent above ''don''t use'' ¡°.
¡°It means they need a service, urgently sir.¡±
¡°My employer agrees. So, please instruct your sales team that we do expect you to make an operating profit on this contract.¡±
¡°Ah. Now that might be the hardest request to comply with that I''ve ever heard.¡±
¡°Don''t tell me there''s no flexibility in the contract price at all.¡±
¡°None I''m aware of sir.¡±
¡°Why don''t you just have a computerized sales department, if all they do is take down details and make up the contract?¡±
¡°I don''t think the owner would like to make them redundant, sir.¡±
¡°Technically, they are. In the sense of serving no useful purpose. Sorry, that''s too harsh. I know I prefer speaking to people. But if you''ve got a suggestions box, then I suggest increasing the price by at least five percent and allow the sales team to discount it back to what it is now, depending on how much the customers complain.¡±
¡°The suggestion has been made before, sir.¡±
¡°By a customer?¡±
¡°Not as far as I''m aware, sir.¡±
¡°OK, Can you alter the maintenance contract request to say Blackwood cabins, or do I need to re-submit it?¡±
¡°I can do that, sir.¡±
¡°Wonderful. So, when can someone come out? Fifty something stoves need help.¡±
¡°A full remedial service would take several hours per stove, so we''re talking about more than four man-weeks, I guess we''d send a team of five. Can I schedule a them to come out in February?¡±
¡°That''s the soonest you can offer?¡±
¡°Well, if you declare it an emergency service, then we could schedule it sooner. We could send a team of two next week even. I don''t know if that would cover every stove, though. The emergency service isn''t as thorough, you understand ¡ª it makes sure the safety-critical aspects are resolved, but leaves out various cleaning tasks which might affect the efficiency but not the safety of the stove. There is an additional charge involved.¡±
¡°Then it sounds like what I''d like is for you to schedule an emergency service next week, and whatever''s left over in terms of servicing needs done in the coming months. Now, we''re also planning to significantly increase occupancy rates, ideally so there''s only one or two unoccupied at any time. I''d prefer not to have guests disturbed, so would it be possible to have a service contract where we arrange a phased servicing, where you service one or two stoves each time? We''d arrange the bookings so that the right cabins were free. I realise this isn''t particularly convenient in terms of time and travel, but we would be prepared to pay the additional call-out charges.¡±
¡°If only there were call out charges, sir. I can process the emergency servicing, sir. That''s within my authority. I''ve made a note of your request and will be talking to the management and to sales about the phasing, I''m sure that someone will be contacting you soon.¡±
¡°Your profit only comes from servicing multiple stoves per visit, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°It''s not my place to say sir.¡±
¡°It''s not my place to say this either, but I would not be surprised if my employer were making a takeover bid for your company sometime soon.¡±
¡°I doubt the owner would sell, sir. Takeovers generally mean redundancies.¡±
¡°Generally, yes. All I can say is that we''re looking to expand the customer base and take on more staff after taking over Blackwood cabins. As I say, my employer doesn''t like short term profits.¡±
¡°And your employer''s shareholders? I hope you don''t mind, I''ve been looking you up and you''re part of an enormous corporate structure.¡±
¡°You thought I was talking about the holding company? No, I was talking about the owner.¡±
¡°You''re saying that GemSmith Holdings has a single owner?¡±
¡°Yes. It''s a privately owned company.¡±
¡°I won''t pretend that an injection of cash wouldn''t be welcome. Perhaps some kind of deal could be reached.¡±
¡°Not my place to say, as I said. I''ll expect your engineers next week and some contact from your sales department. It''s been nice talking to you.¡±
¡°Good bye, sir, I''m sure we''ll talk again.¡±
Putting the phone down, he went to see the owner-manager, his father.
¡°Dad, remember Blackwood cabins?¡±
¡°Yes. Did I see they want proper maintenance again?¡±
¡°Yes. Company''s been bought up by ''Carbon-carbon land management, a subsidiary of GemSmith Holdings'', which also owns such companies as Emerald health insurance. They want the whole lot to have an emergency service. flow rate''s down to ten percent faster than ''duck and cover''.¡±
¡°Another small trader swallowed up by a corporate giant. At least they want the stoves serviced.¡±
¡°They want staggered servicing: maybe only one or two a week, since that won''t disturb their guests. But they are prepared to pay call-out charges. And an interesting thing I learnt about the corporate giant, Dad. Single owner. The guy I was speaking to thought that no profit on the maintenance contracts wasn''t good for the company''s health, and that his employer ¡ª the owner ¡ª might make a take-over bid if that''s the only way to change policy.¡±
¡°Typical corporate bully, then.¡±
¡°I''m not sure, dad. He said he''d be happy to pay more than everyone else if it meant we''d still be servicing their stoves in fifty years. His employer takes the long view, it seems.¡±
¡°Well its nice of him to sound concerned.¡±
¡°I think he is, Dad.¡±
¡°And how many redundancies is Blackwood cabins facing?¡±
¡°Last time I was there they only had two employees, Dad. But he says they''re looking to expand the business and take on more staff.¡±
¡°OK, well if GemSmith make a bid, then I won''t just chuck it in the bin like the others. I''ll read it first, at least. And since he wants us to make a profit on a servicing one or two stoves a week, then work out the travel costs in hours and fuel and everything, will you? I''ll tell Sandra to add fifteen percent, call that the call-out charge and add it to the normal amount. Let''s see how much he squeals.¡±
¡°He might just smile and pay it, Dad.¡±
¡°Then we''ll all be happy, won''t we?¡±
10.30am
¡°Hello, Carbon-carbon land management, Bob Coal speaking.¡±
¡°Oh. I was given this number for Blackwood cabins, I''m sorry.¡± Sandra said.
¡°They''re a subsidiary, you''ve got the right number.¡±
¡°Oh, good! I''m Sandra, calling from E.C.Stoves, concerning your, urm, unusual service contract.¡± Sandra sounded like the woman he''d spoken to earlier, who''d put him through to servicing. She also sounded like she was hardly out of school.
¡°This would be the emergency service, or the regular servicing?¡±
¡°The regular servicing, sir.¡±
¡°Wonderful. Do you have an offer for me?¡±
¡°Yes, sir, would you like me to send the document to the account I''m calling now?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
¡°It''s on its way now then, sir. Would you like me to hold, or to call later if there''s anything you''d like to discuss?¡±
Bob looked at it, it wasn''t complicated, but she''d made it a little too detailed, the poor thing. ¡°If you could stay on the line please. Is this the first time you''ve done a contract including call out charges?¡±
¡°Yes, sir. Is there a problem?¡±
¡°Well, I see that you''ve managed to account for the variable number of call-outs, well done. Unfortunately you''ve made some mistakes. It looks like you''ve forgotten to include a figure for administrative support, and I assure you that arranging this many visits will need someone''s time. It''s also not at all normal to tell the customer how much profit you''re making, you should just put all together in a lump sum called the per-visit call out charge. And you also should check with your manager that he said really said fifteen percent and not fifty? Thirty to fifty was about normal last time I checked.¡±
¡°Urm. Sorry, Mr Coal.¡±
¡°That''s all right Sandra. Perhaps you should get your manager to check, next time you do something you''re not familiar with.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir. I will.¡± she sounded close to tears.
¡°No harm done, I assure you. So, if you''d like to check up on those things and get back to me?¡±
¡°Yes, I will sir.¡±
¡°Goodbye.¡±
¡°Goodbye.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Christine asked ¡°She''d got the whole calculation in there?¡±
¡°Yes. She sounded like she was just out of school, never done this before, and was working without enough supervision.¡±
¡°Poor thing. Did you make her cry?¡±
¡°I don''t think so. She was close, though. Good professional phone manner, just it wasn''t the right document to send out.¡±
¡°Hopefully she won''t forget that lesson.¡±
¡°And hopefully her manager will forgive her for giving away company secrets.¡±
¡°Since you told her their margin wasn''t big enough, I expect he will. You''re giving away quite a lot of Carbon-carbon''s money, aren''t you?¡±
¡°No, Christine. I''m maintaining the company ethic of not taking advantage of a junior worker''s honest mistakes. Surely they wouldn''t just add fifteen percent?¡±
¡°I don''t know, Bob.¡±
¡°Anyway, I''m going to write up a suggestion for Sarah to consider. How''s your work going?¡±
¡°Well, since we''ve got an extra six for lunch I thought I really ought to go and prepare it. But on the way I''m going to give one last carer for Mabel''s twins an interview, to see if they''re on-board for the care package too, and if they''d want to take on other clients.¡±
¡°Mabel''s accepted then? I hadn''t heard.¡±
¡°Yes, as long as we pay ''her girls'' the same amount for the next five years, index linked. Since their pay seemed reasonable to the negotiator, then they signed it. I think Mabel thought she was protecting them.¡±
¡°And is that a problem?¡±
¡°Yes. They all knew about that clause, and said they were happy, but for the work they''re doing, and their experience, she''s actually been paying them at below the union''s scale. I''m having to negotiate with the union about giving them a top up in terms of pension provision and health benefits.¡±
¡°What fun.¡±
¡°It is, actually.¡±
¡°Well, take care, love.¡±
¡°That''s my line!¡± Christine said.
Sandra went to speak to her grandfather.
¡°I think I messed up, Grandad.¡±
¡°That happens to us all. What happened, Sandra?¡±
¡°Well, I put everything you said onto the contract, called him, sent it to him and he told me I shouldn''t show the workings. Is that right? I thought we always do that.¡±
¡°Ah, well, not for something like a call-out charge you don''t.¡±
¡°Oh. I''m sorry. And he told me to check: did you say fifteen, or fifty percent on top? He thought I''d made a mistake.¡±
¡°You didn''t hear fifty did you? That would have been really over the top.¡±
¡°No, I heard fifteen, but he said fifteen seemed too low, Grandad. He said thirty to fifty percent was more normal.¡±
¡°Well, listen to the customer, girl. And since we don''t want to confuse the nice man then make it thirty.¡±
¡°That''s charging him for thinking I''d made a mistake which would have got me in trouble, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Oh all right. You can give him the fifteen if you like.¡±
¡°I don''t know, I''m not in charge. Oh, he did say he thought we should be charging him for administrative support, too.¡±
¡°Oh did he?¡±
¡°Yes, Grandad. He said he thought it''d add up to a lot of time organising all those visits.¡±
¡°He''s right you know. He''s right. It all adds up.¡± he sat back and closed his eyes. He should of thought of that. Thirty or forty visits to arrange, not to mention working out which stoves needed what sort of servicing. There was probably a day of work there, easily, plus the additional financial our, and he''d been about to do it for free, when the man clearly wanted them to survive. Maybe it was time to step away from things.
¡°Are you all right, Grandad?¡±
¡°Me? I''m fine dear. I''m just wondering if you''re going to be fine if I keep on running this company. I mean, it shouldn''t the customer''s job to work out I''m undercharging him, surely?¡±
¡°So how much should I be charging him Grandad?¡±
¡°Go talk to you mum, dear. She can work out how much admin work it''ll take. Point out to her that there''s boing to be lots of checking everything back and forth to make sure we all agree we''ve serviced all the stoves.¡±
Friday 15th December 1pm
¡°That was fun!¡± Bella said, getting off the sledge, and brushing the snow off herself. Some was fresh ¡ª it had started falling again as they reached the top ¡ª but most had been kicked up by their feet on the way down. ¡°I''d love to that again if it wasn''t for that climb.¡± Trevor agreed.
¡°Did you have fun too, Pris? Despite your reservations?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Yes, thanks.¡± Pris said. ¡°But I think I scared Dirk.¡±
¡°Pris insisted on steering.¡± Dirk said ¡°I think she''s addicted to speed.¡±
¡°We didn''t crash, and I did have the better view of obstacles.¡±
¡°Only because your hair was in my eyes half the time.¡± he said, with a smile. He''d very much... treasured, he supposed the word was, the feeling of holding her close on the way down. He liked the smell and feel of her hair too.
¡°I did offer to put it under my hat, Dirk.¡±
¡°It''s a shame to hide it.¡±
¡°Silly man.¡± she said, with an indulgent smile. ¡°Are Eliza and Nigel OK, do you think?¡±
¡°Eliza seemed to be. She had a big grin and shouted something about enjoying the occasion, when we got to them.¡± Bella said. ¡°But it looked quite a tumble. Fido seems to have decided to stay with them, the traitor.¡±
¡°Eliza seems to have a habit of falling off sledges. Maybe we should have warned Nigel.¡± Dirk said as they arrived with a cloud of sparkling snow, and Fido galloping after.
Trevor asked, ¡°What happened?¡±
¡°I got a snowflake in my eye.¡± Eliza said.
¡°And let go to brush it away, just as we hit a bump, which she didn''t see because of the snowflake. The combination overbalanced us.¡± Nigel added. ¡°No real harm done.¡±
¡°Dirk was just telling us that falling off sledges is a habit of yours, Eliza.¡± Trevor teased.
¡°Just to correct any mistaken interpretations.¡± she said primly ¡°Dirk used to pull me on our sledge when I was little. Sometimes he deliberately pulled me into a ditch. Or at least that''s what it looked like from my viewpoint. Anyway, here''s the pond, where are we going to, Pris?¡±
¡°That white-plastered house there.¡± she pointed to the other side of the pond. ¡°Shame we can''t cross this pond, we''ve got quite a walk to get round it. But what''s your professional opinion of the slope, Nigel?¡±
¡°Fun. Addictive, probably. And I didn''t see any reason except publicity to avoid it.¡±
¡°I agree.¡± Bella said. ¡°It is a bit public. But as long as there''s no snipers around, they should be fine.¡±
¡°Or journalists?¡± queried Pris.
¡°Always a risk.¡± Eliza agreed.
¡°I think that''s something we can deal with.¡± Nigel said. ¡°There are protocols for such things.¡±
¡°Bella, why are you walking when there''s a perfectly good sledge to sit on?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°Well, since you''re offering.¡± She sat on, and Trevor pulled.
Nigel looked at Dirk ¡°Blame my brother for setting the precedent.¡±
¡°That''s OK, Nigel.¡± Eliza said. ¡°I''ll pull you the first half of the way, my knight.¡±
Pris said ¡°Dirk, I''ve just realised something.¡±
¡°What''s that, Pris?¡±
¡°I''ve no idea if I could even move you. On you get, let''s find out.¡±
¡°You''re not that weak, Pris.¡±
¡°So, let''s prove it. I probably need the exercise. You can take over when I get tired.¡±
¡°OK. Or half way.¡±
¡°We''ll see.¡±
Pris was still pulling when they got to the gate of the house, having over-taken the others on the way. She''d actually jogged most of the way.
¡°You didn''t need to pull me all the way, Pris.¡± Dirk had said as they were approaching.
¡°Yes I did, I was proving something to myself.¡±
¡°That you can pull a sledge?¡±
¡°No. That I still have some stamina.¡± she replied.
¡°I''d have thought all the walking in the past days had proven that.¡±
¡°That was just walking. Anyone can do that.¡±
¡°Not anyone, no. Not even everyone who thinks themselves moderately fit could walk all day long for three and a half days and then pull me on a sledge for quarter of an hour. You''re genuinely fit, Pris.¡±
¡°Thank you for saying that, Dirk.¡±
¡°I could say some other things about you too.¡± he said, checking there was still a while before the others caught up ¡°But mostly I want to say that I''m in love with you.¡±
¡°Oh Dirk, I''ve warned you about that.¡±
¡°I know. But there''s no point pretending to myself it''s not true, and absolutely no point at all in not telling you the truth.¡±
¡°For the record, Dirk, I like you, I respect you, I enjoyed having your arms round me on the sledge and I care about you. I don''t think that amounts to being in love. But I''m happy we''ve had this time together.¡±
¡°That sounds a bit final.¡± Dirk said.
¡°It''s not meant to be. It''s been a lovely extended first date.¡±
¡°And would you accept an invitation on another?¡±
¡°Of course, Dirk.¡± she smiled. ¡°I''ve never been on a second date before.¡±
¡°Are you doing anything this evening?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± she said and at her pause his heart fell. ¡°I''m going on a date with you, if that''s OK.¡±
¡°Very much so.¡± he said just before the others arrived.
¡°What was the rush?¡± Bella asked.
¡°A test of my stamina.¡± Pris said.
¡°Fair enough. You''ve got buckets.¡±
¡°Good to see it''s still there.¡±
¡°For the record, I don''t think I could have done that.¡± Trevor said.
¡°Probably not. I was always way out there in front of everyone in stamina.¡±
¡°Who''s going to ring the doorbell?¡± Bella asked.
¡°I nominate Pris, she''s talked to Bob the most.¡± Nigel said.
¡°Oh, thanks.¡± Pris said. She was still breathing quite heavily.
At that moment, Bob looked out of the window, saw them and opened the door to them. ¡°You made it then. All in one piece?¡±
¡°Yes, thanks. Sorry if I''m a bit out of breath I''ve just been hauling Dirk here on the sledge since the other side of the lake.¡±
¡°At a run, most of the way.¡± Dirk added.
¡°That''s a very impressive feat.¡± Bob said. ¡°Was it a bet or something?¡±
¡°Sort of. I knew I''d have been able to do it before my bout in hospital. I was checking to see if I was still up to it.¡±
¡°Well, do come in.¡±
¡°We''re a bit covered in snow, I''m afraid.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Be at peace, milady, and be welcome.¡± Christine said, from behind Bob, ¡°There are rags on the floor and the banqueting table awaits. But if anyone does feel the need to brush off some snow, there''s a brush on your left.¡±
¡°This is Christine, and I see she''s had time to dress up for the occasion as well as prepare the meal. Welcome one and all to our humble abode. May your bodies be refreshed by the light repast under which the table groaneth, and your souls by good conversation, come in peace and leave in good health.¡±
Addressing Nigel, he continued ¡°It has vexed me, sir Knight, that your countenance seemeth to me familiar. But now I see thy mark upon thy lady''s belt and all is clear. Thou art the unvanquished Sir Brokennose, is it not so?¡±
¡°In truth, ''tis true, but I must say thy countenance seemeth not familiar to me.¡±
¡°It is rare indeed for one to recognise the true countenance of the one known as the Jester, sir Knight. Though there are are no few who have regretted not doing so.¡± Christine supplied.
¡°But don''t worry. I had nothing to do with preparing this meal.¡± Bob added.
¡°I bow in humility before the supreme master of assassins, and am doubly grateful for thy words of welcome.¡± Eliza said formally. As Bob gave a mocking bow in return. Eliza explained ¡°If you remember my jesting threat to Nigel, during the arm wrestling, people, I present the honorable perpetrator of that fine joke. This is the man who put itching powder in William''s socks.¡±
¡°But you''re here as friends, so your socks and other garments are safe.¡± Christine said ¡°Come on through to the dining room, please. It''s just a collection of random things I had in the fridge or freezer.¡±
Once they''d sat down, Christine asked ¡°Bob, would you say grace?¡±
Bob gave thanks for the meal, and the friends of friends they were eating with.
¡°And thank you so much for the invitation.¡± Bella said. ¡°I can''t even claim we all know Sarah, although Eliza''s spent quite a few nights inside and outside her house.¡± She said as they sat down at the meal. It did meet her idea of a banquet.
¡°And Dirk almost got himself sleep-gassed on his first visit.¡± Eliza said.
¡°What on earth were you doing?¡± Bob asked.
¡°I was running a systems check on the security system. That was, when, June or July?¡±
¡°Mid-July. Two weeks before her wedding.¡± Eliza supplied.
¡°And am I right in thinking you''re all with Security?¡± Bob asked.
¡°Yes.¡± Pris said, and introduced everyone, giving their departments as well. ¡°And I''m also to tell you that Maria says ''Hi, nice to hear you''re better.''¡±
Christine asked, ¡°Maria, as in Maggie''s cousin?¡±
Bob nodded. ¡°You know I used to get packages to deliver sometimes?¡± he asked. ¡°Maria was one of the people that did the sending or receiving.¡±
¡°And you had the perfect opportunity, since you were always round at Maggie and Joshua''s place.¡±
¡°Maggie and Joshua were Sarah''s parents.¡± Pris supplied to the others ¡°I''m not sure if you want to hear this, Bob, Christine, but Maria''s going to be reactivating your clearances. It doesn''t really affect you much, but it does mean we can speak freely.¡±
¡°Uh oh.¡± Christine said. ¡°So your visit to our lovely part of the world isn''t just fun?¡±
¡°We''ve had a very lovely time.¡± Pris said ¡°But no, it wasn''t actually our idea to come up. No, hold on, it was your idea, wasn''t it Nigel?¡±
¡°It was, but the formation of the group wasn''t.¡±
¡°So do we gather that our speculative thinking last night was right?¡± Christine asked, ¡°As well as Sarah visiting over the new year, and a cousin ¡ª I presume Maria''s little girl all grown up ¡ª visiting over Christmas, there''s going to be another one of Sarah''s relatives coming, having just worn Maggie''s wedding dress?¡±
¡°That''s right. Maria''s niece will be visiting your cabins too. Not that it''s commonly known that Maria and her infamous brother are related.¡±
¡°That dress gives away too much.¡± Christine said. ¡°And I''m not just talking about the neck-line.¡±
¡°For those like you who are in the know, yes, it does.¡±
¡°Well, thank you for telling us. We''d guessed as much, but it''s nice to know for sure.¡± Bob said.
¡°I hope we haven''t put you off your food. It''s a wonderful spread.¡± Bella said.
¡°Do have some more,¡± Christine said. ¡°I''ve got some more keeping warm in the kitchen if we manage to empty the table. It struck me that people who''ve been walking all over the site might have an appetite.¡±
¡°Thank you so much.¡± Dirk said, ¡°I know I have, even though Pris pulled me the last bit of the way.¡±
¡°Before we get into any more details,¡± Christine began, ¡°apart from having an unmentionable job, what can you tell us about Sarah and her new husband? Can you fill us in with anything since we last saw her? That was just before her parents died. To start with Bob was too sick to travel, and after he was, her aunt didn''t want old friends to make contact with her.¡±
¡°Bella, you''ve spent the most time with them, in total.¡± Pris prompted.
¡°Possibly. Urm, this is tricky, since I know I know things not everyone here knows, and I''m not sure how much you know. Did you know about Sarah''s tiara?¡±
Christine nodded, and Bob answered very carefully ¡°It was urm, more than decorative.¡±
¡°She''s told me that one of the last things her Dad told her was that she shouldn''t take it off. So she didn''t, until she was about fourteen, I think it was, and one of her friends was ultra-upset about something, and Sarah lent it to her. Some unpleasant events that happened after that and it got broken.¡±
¡°That must have ah, had unexpected consequences for Sarah.¡± Christine said.
¡°Yes. It did, but because of wearing tiara so long the consequences weren''t particularly reliable, and she''d probably never known what you do about it.
"So, Sarah struggled with the consequences, studied physics and other technical things at university. In the mean time, John had got a job at the same place Sarah''s at now ¡ª you know he was the other survivor?¡±
Bob nodded, and Bella continued, ¡°He''d lost his wife and unborn child in the attack. So, eventually, Sarah graduated and met John, and God intervened quite a lot. He healed her, and convinced John that he was meant to remarry. Her ability with the computer got her employed as systems guru the same place John worked, which is where most of us met her.¡±
Christine asked ¡°And that''s a civilian organisation where most of the permanent staff have level two clearance, or at least did when I worked there. But don''t tell anyone that I told you that.¡±
Pris burst out laughing. ¡°Well said, Christine. Of course you know we can''t answer that.¡±
¡°Of course. Oh, that was a long time ago. They decided they needed a personnel officer, advertised, picked me, got me clearance and once I was there they didn''t really know what to do with me. I spent a lot of time with nothing much to do. I met Bob, then through him Joshua and Maggie, and Joshua offered me more money and less boredom. I left the institute. Oops am I allowed to say that? We probably know people in common but of course can''t discuss them in that context.¡±
¡°Perhaps I ought to say that I''ve never met Sarah in her work context.¡± Pris said, ¡°Well, not really. I''ve known Karen, Maria''s daughter, for ages, and then while I was getting bored out of my skull in hospital with my fingers and toes feeling like they were burning from the regrowth therapy, I got told that I should go and represent Maria at a meeting in half an hour.¡±
Christine interrupted ¡°Sorry, can I ask why you were having regrowth therapy.¡±
¡°Christine, I''m really really pleased you don''t know.¡± Pris said, then seeing the confusion on Christine''s face she added ¡°I''ve had the feeling that everyone knew who I was, which wasn''t good in my career. Roland Underwood''s chmen put me in my freezer.¡±
¡°Oh, but you''re recovered now?¡±
¡°My feet don''t seem to know when they''re wet, but otherwise, yes. And I wouldn''t have promised God I''d to turn to him if he let me survive, if that hadn''t happened. So here I am, new fingers new nose and new faith, but I''m not as young in the faith as Bella, Dirk or Eliza.¡±
¡°Dirk and I are positively newborns,¡± Eliza said ¡°If someone asks me what I did complicated while I here I''d have to say I fell in love with God and Nigel."
¡°Whereas I found some dodgy cameras, and God found me.¡± Dirk added, not feeling quite sure if Pris wanted their status public. He looked in query at her.
She supplied:
¡°And since Dirk''s also taking me out somewhere when we get home tonight, there are some other things that have changed.¡±
Bella felt she ought to add ¡°Personally, I blame God and the impact, but Trevor and I will be celebrating our one week anniversary tomorrow. But having said that, Sarah gets her share of the blame too. I also ended up going to that meeting we''re stopping Pris from telling you about, and if I hadn''t done, then I''d have carried on pretending to myself I was an atheist. And that meeting was certainly a joint effort between God and Sarah.¡±
Eliza said ¡°I think you''re going to need to explain that, Bella.¡±
¡°I wasn''t there for all of it. Pris, back to your line of thought, if you can remember it.¡± Bella said, with a grin.
¡°Where was I?¡± Pris asked. ¡°Well I wasn''t going to say who was there, but I guess I need to explain Bella''s cryptic comment. I think you guys all have a some sort of need to know, but please don''t pass it on. Sarah called the meeting, and invited various friends, relatives and her pastor. The reason for the meeting was that while talking to one of the friends about wedding dates, Sarah found herself seeing a vision of a ruined city and telling her friend not to wait until ''that sad day.'' That day being St Valentine''s day. She asked everyone to come to help work out what to do about what she saw and what to do about it. I got called in, because Bella got rightly suspicious when she got a call asking if the young woman she was looking after in witness protection could come to a counselling session at roughly zero notice. Faced with a suspicious Bella, Kate, the very experienced counsellor (who Sarah had led to Christ a few months before, by the way, Christine) decided to let Maria know what was going on and why it might be handy to throw protocol out of the window. Are you keeping up?¡±
¡°Kate the evangelising atheist has turned to Christ! Praise God!¡± Christine said.
¡°And for the record, she''s since married an old university friend, by the name of Pete. Several others have returned or turned to Christ there too, but I can''t remember names.¡± Pris said.
Bella contuinued, ¡°So, I got a message from my supervisor that I should take Sarah''s cousin to a certain lounge on the top floor of a department store, picking up Pris from the hospital, and then got told to do some shopping and see if I could notice any terrible plots.¡±
¡°We listened to Sarah''s account of things, and something she said seemed much much too close for coincidence to something Bella had mentioned en-route to Sarah''s cousin.¡± Pris said, ¡°So, we got as far as we could, formed what''s now called the committee on major threat assessment, and agreed we''d put discrete feelers out for confirmation of Sarah''s vision and hope that there wasn''t any. Then we called Bella upstairs. Which was when we discovered that we''d got it round the wrong way, Sarah''s vision was confirmation for what God had already told Bella. Bella got called to the palace, with her witness in tow because no one came to take her off her hands, and the rest, as they say, is history.¡±
Bella intervened before the subject changed: ¡°Of course some bits won''t make it into the history books. For example who it was that used their gift to dissect my memories of my dreams, and separate truth from demonic lies, But that happened there, and certainly helped me come to terms with my dreams, and my reactions to them. Maybe if I''d had a tiara like Sarah''s then I wouldn''t have had them, I don''t know.¡±
That last sentence bought her an appraising look from Christine.
¡°There are a few gaps, but it certainly helps us understand what''s going on.¡± Bob said. ¡°It''s all poor Sarah''s fault.¡±
Christine laughed ¡°I''m not sure poor and Sarah should go together, not if anyone''s going to understand it financially, anyway.¡±
¡°No. But she''s been through a lot.¡± Bob said.
¡°She misses her parents, obviously, but I''d say she''s enjoying life at the moment.¡± Bella said ¡°But I''m sure you can see why we told her about the cameras, given who was coming here.¡±
¡°Yes, that''s clear. Is there anything we need to do?¡±
¡°Apart from keeping quiet about all the things you didn''t know until we told you, you mean?¡± Pris asked with a grin. ¡°Not really. I''m sure you''re going to get the stoves serviced soon. If possible, we''d appreciate it if the ones with Sarah''s new cameras got done soonest.¡±
¡°I was just arranging that most will be done next week.¡±
¡°Excellent!¡± Bella exclaimed ¡°Except we don''t yet know where the cameras will be put.¡±
¡°No, but Sarah''s sent the two best candidate valleys, and I''ll be putting in an order for the rest of the system soon, once I can decide, I guess with Sarah, exactly what sort of investment we should be making. Those cameras are overkill for the woodpile, but Sarah has grander ideas.¡±
¡°I can''t really imagine a rustic cabin with a house computer controlling the doors.¡± Christine said.
¡°No. I was more thinking that, especially if we''re thinking of more visitors, placing some so they could have a view of the wood-pile as well as, say a main path through the site, or for that matter approaches to some cabins certainly wouldn''t be a bad idea.¡±
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
¡°And maybe a few cameras which could point where you wanted them?¡± Dirk suggested.
¡°I can imagine it being useful, yes. But we''d need to make sure that the guests don''t feel their privacy is being affected. I mean, Sarah was thinking her house security system could be set up to give real protection to one or two cabins, but I think that hidden microphones and cameras would have given you a real scare when you got here.¡±
¡°It would indeed.¡± Dirk said. ¡°Even the wood-pile camera''s signal worried Pris.¡±
¡°So, we''d need to strike a balance, but I don''t think cameras everywhere is going to be part of the answer.¡± Bob concluded.
¡°But if, say, we asked to install a few extra cameras and motion detectors prior to the arrival of our friends, and to get access to the network from a near-by cabin?¡± Pris asked.
¡°That would be entirely acceptable, yes.¡± Bob agreed.
¡°Could you tell us about the electricity supply? I saw we had a half-amp circuit breaker, but that seems like a very low figure. Is the supply really that limited?¡± Dirk asked, ¡°The sort of monitoring equipment they''re likely to bring in is likely to want more than that.¡±
¡°I''m afraid that''s beyond my knowledge, I wouldn''t be surprised to hear it''s at least partly to stop people bringing electric water heaters for their morning cup of tea or coffee. But I''ll ask Matt and Henry.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°How should I get the answer to you?¡± Bob asked.
¡°I guess that''s me or you Pris.¡± Nigel said. ¡°Any thoughts?¡±
¡°Information''s my department, I think.¡± Pris said, and told Bob how to contact her.
¡°That''s a short contact code.¡± Christine commented.
¡°Yes. It saves time. Don''t bother with formalities, either. Dirk, if you were going to pick equipment for here, what would you want to know?¡±
¡°Diameter of the wires, material, and run-length, I guess. Assuming they''re the limiting factor. I presume it''s grid power?¡±
¡°So would I, but again, I''ll check.¡±
¡°Well, I certainly didn''t see any hydroelectric dams anywhere we were walking, or anything that looked like it might be a geothermal station.¡±
¡°If there is, then I don''t know about it.¡± Bob confirmed.
¡°OK, so I''d assume the problem is how fat the wires are and how long they are. Could you find out if they''re in some sort of conduit, or are just underground buried cables? If we''re talking a single length in conduit then swapping the cable might be the easiest solution. Otherwise they might end up be bringing a tank of liquifuel and a fuel cell or even a generator.¡±
¡°I expect Henry knows, the generator''s going to be attention ¡ª drawing, isn''t it?¡±
¡°It is. I guess another option would be to put in a transformer at both ends and increase the voltage on the wire. Might be worth it, depends if your insulation is up to it or not.¡±
¡°And if it''s not, then someone gets a nasty shock?¡± Christine asked.
¡°Possibly. They''d surely isolate the circuit, so it should be OK. But it''s not my call.¡±
¡°No, I think it''s probably mine.¡± Bob pointed out.
¡°Yes, sir. If you can get Pris anything about the electrical network at all, I''m sure it would be possible to get an expert appraisal. As I''ve said, I believe there are plenty of options.¡±
¡°But it is something to bear in mind, Bob,¡± Christine said, ¡°if we were ever going to put that cafe on top of the ridge, there''d need to more than a hundred watts getting to it. And in that case, maybe running a high voltage cable up towards the cabins becomes a sensible option.¡±
¡°I expect the problem is that the cabins are over such a large area.¡± Dirk said. ¡°Multiple kilometre runs are a pain without high voltage transformers. But let''s face it, you don''t need much power to them normally. The stove works wonderfully for cooking and heating.¡±
¡°Is that everyone''s opinion?¡± Bob asked.
¡°Yes. It was good.¡± Pris agreed. The others nodded.
¡°I want one.¡± Eliza said. ¡°I''ve no idea where to put it, since I''m in barracks, but I want one. Maybe I can get one for my tent?¡±
¡°How big''s your tent?¡± Christine asked.
¡°I fit, just, with my bow and quiver and so on.¡± Eliza admitted. ¡°Perhaps if I got myself a yurt, then it would fit in one of those.¡±
¡°And where would you put a yurt?¡± Dirk asked.
¡°I don''t know, let''s solve this problem on step at a time!¡±
¡°We''re switching to a flexible booking system. Maybe you can get a good deal to come back sometime.¡±
¡°Ultra-special discounts for long-term bookings?¡± she asked.
¡°Probably not, sorry. We''re looking for ninety percent occupation. Of course, if you''re the first booking and the equations say the first booking is overdue, then you''d get a discount. There''ll probably be last minute deals too, for that matter.¡±
¡°And when does this flexible booking system come on line?¡±
¡°Just as soon as possible. Tomorrow, I hope.¡±
¡°So, if I went to your booking page today, then I''ll get charged a fortune, and tomorrow, I''ll get charged peanuts?¡±
¡°No. If you go today you''ll see a page saying ''New booking system with flexible prices coming very soon. Please check back daily.''¡±
¡°But what if I wanted to come back for the tournament, this weekend, say?¡±
¡°Then I''m sure Matt can offer you a very special deal, milady. Especially if you can drum up some more custom from the fifth kingdom.¡±
¡°I just might take you up on that.¡±
¡°Good. Silly question I shouldn''t even get you thinking of. Do you know how much it costs us to have someone stay in one of those cabins?¡±
¡°Some wood. Wear and tear, a bit of Henry''s time. That last one is probably the biggest factor ¡ª do you start needing to employ helpers or not.¡±
¡°You forgot the administrative cost of handling the money and the tourist tax to the local authorities.¡± Bob said. ¡°For the previous owners, it cost them an increased rental charge, but it doesn''t cost us that now. Therefore, when we''re as empty as we are at the moment, it''s totally crazy to be charging what you paid.¡±
¡°What Security paid, but indirectly.¡± Nigel said. ¡°So, what you''re saying is that a last minute booking with the site as empty as it is will cost very little indeed.¡±
¡°It won''t be free, But I''d expect that from the capital you''d pay more on transport than you would on staying here.¡±
¡°Now what I happen to know.¡± Eliza said, ¡°but I guess you don''t, is that it was due to be the winter tournament of the fifth kingdom this weekend, only the owner of the field didn''t get the paperwork submitted in time. I got a message on Tuesday that it had to be cancelled.¡±
¡°Milday, we have some bookings, but there are perchance some fifty cabins
unoccupied, pray do tell of your pleasant times here. Of course, if they all got filled, with tournament-goers, then we''d probably have to spill over into the next door field. But that''s OK, since that''s owned by Carbon-carbon too.¡±
¡°Would there be space for those who wished to camp?¡±
¡°Space, yes. Facilities? They''d be reliant on what was booked for the day-trippers. Christine, how big a crowd were they expecting, do you remember?¡±
¡°I think about a hundred and fifty.¡±
¡°So, if we fill the cabins then we''re doubling that number, plus any who want to camp. How many disappointed people are there at the moment?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. Henry did tell me that there was a tournament here this weekend, and I passed that along.¡±
¡°I''ll give Matt a call, see if his booking system''s working.¡±
¡°It can wait until after dessert, Bob.¡± Christine said.
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°What happens to an influx if Henry''s at the tournament?¡±
¡°Oh, the place doesn''t fall apart without Henry. There are a few other occasional employees.¡±
¡°Well, you''d better get Henry to check all the stoves. You know he did for us, I presume?¡±
¡°Yes. Well, I know it''s his normal routine.¡± He made a sound of disgust ¡°It''s a perfect opportunity, but I''m not sure we can offer all the cabins.
This time of year, Henry normally lights a small fire in the stove a day before, so that he can check for the flow. Otherwise he''d need to pour hot water in, so it doesn''t freeze in the pipes.¡±
¡°I was wondering about that.¡± Nigel said. ¡°Big barrel of hot water on the ATV?¡±
¡°It might have to be. I still don''t see how he can check fifty stoves.¡±
¡°But if they''re supposed to be good for a year between services, and they were OK the last time that he checked them, surely one extra weekend isn''t going to be a problem?¡± Christine asked.
¡°Unless in the months since it''s been there unused some debris fell in, or a spider''s made a food-cache in one of the pipes, or something like that. That''s the risk, you see. I''ve had Henry''s lecture on them: with the pipes as clogged up as they are, it doesn''t take much to block them, and that''s what happened when there was that accident.¡±
¡°Henry hinted that there''d been a problem. What happened?¡±
¡°Roughly a year after Mabel and the twins had inherited and cancelled the contract, a couple asked for a specific cabin where they''d stayed before. It was one of the few that hadn''t been used for almost eighteen months, and nor had it been serviced, of course. A mouse had made a nest in the water pipes, would you believe? Henry didn''t test it, and when they poured water in then the exit was blocked by now-roasted mouse, and the water made a little geezer in the filling tank. Rather spectacular, but they weren''t hurt. They called Henry, who prodded and poked in the bottom hole with a wire until the dead mouse came out, followed by a mass of boiling hot mouse-tail soup. Fortunately he had a bucket ready, but it wasn''t a pleasant smell.¡±
¡°Bob, I hope you''re not trying to put our guests off their meal.¡±
¡°What, after Bella''s admitted to having demon-inspired dreams?¡±
¡°It''s not quite the same thing, Bob.¡± Bella said, ¡°But I left out an important bit, at least important to me ¡ª after a year or so of waking up in terror three times a night, I screamed to God to make them stop. He did.¡±
¡°What took you so long?¡± Christine asked.
¡°I don''t know. Maybe I was just fourteen and stupid? I didn''t really believe in God. I mean, if I had, would I have been working my way through an A to Z of pagan rituals at the time I started having them? God in his grace answered my stupidly brain-dead desire to see things in the future, I presume so we can get ready for the impact. The demons in their part showed me the horror-movie version.¡±
¡°And you''re sure who sent which?¡±
¡°Yes. With the help of diaries my mum kept, and help from people with the gift, who spotted that the demons had been distorting my memories of them, I can tell you that God sent me visions on Friday and Saturday nights, which were scary but not too bad, and the demons sent me terror and distortion on Monday to Thursday. With hindsight, I presume that God declared I get a day of rest.¡±
¡°God is good.¡± Bob said. ¡°God is very very good. Thank you for sharing that with us Bella. I''m assuming you don''t tell that to everyone you meet.¡±
¡°No. I don''t. And I don''t really know why I felt you needed to know. We certainly can''t blame Sarah for it, for once. But maybe we can give the credit to God if it''s helpful.¡±
Bella heard Christine decide that she needed to talk to her. So, when Christine asked, ¡°Is everyone ready for dessert?¡°, Bella asked ¡°Is there something I can help with, Christine?¡±
¡°Oh, urm, yes, thank you, Bella.¡±
Between them they tided the dishes away and went to the kitchen.
¡°Was it that obvious that I wanted to talk?¡± Christine asked.
¡°It was to me, but I very much doubt the others heard your decision.¡±
¡°You hinted, but I wasn''t sure.¡±
¡°Yes. And I don''t know why I hinted, either. Except of course having mentioned Sarah''s tiara earlier, it was easier to hint. By the way, Pris knows about the tiara, none of the others do, so far as I know.¡±
¡°We''re going to be obvious if we take too long, everything''s all prepared, but I think do need to talk.¡±
¡°We could decide to make a start on the washing up. As far as I know, we''re not in a rush.¡± Bella decided.
¡°Thank you. The issue is this: there are some people at the tournament who pretend to be magicians, or fortune tellers, and so on.¡±
¡°I guessed there would be, since one of the symbols on Eliza''s belt says she doesn''t claim any magic.¡±
¡°Well, most of them it''s things like handkerchiefs up their sleeves, and the like, but there are some who seem a little more scary than that. There''s two that dress as witches, I don''t know their real names, but they call themselves Elvira and Morticia and do actually seem to know things.¡±
¡°You think they might be mis-using the power I have? I mean ¡ª hearing what people in contact with them are thinking, or decisions people make.¡±
¡°It''s possible, I don''t know. I wonder if it''s more supernatural than that, and the teenage son of a friend of mine is fascinated by them. Their clothes probably have something to do with that ¡ª they''re in their early twenties, and they''re not hags. He''s been having bad dreams recently. Do you think....? Is it at all plausible?¡±
¡°It''s possible. I''m not an expert, by any means. Has he been getting close enough to learn from them, or is he just wishing he could get his hands on their bodies from afar?¡±
Christine shook her head. ¡°I''ve no idea.¡±
¡°Well, God''s more powerful than demonic forces, and we don''t need perfect knowledge to pray. What''s his name?¡±
¡°Daimian. Which probably doesn''t help.¡±
¡°An early Christian martyr, from what I remember ¡ª there was one poor kid at school with that name. But yes, old horror film connections probably don''t help. You''re good friends with his mother?¡±
¡°Fairly. She''s not a believer.¡±
¡°Well, having had a year of talking to machines about nightmares, I could list some of the scientific causes, but basically it comes down to what''s going on in his body, in his mind, or in his spirit. Medication might help if the problem''s with his body, analysis might help if it''s his head, and God can fix all of them. See if you can talk to the lad. Unless you want me to?¡±
¡°Would you? It''s going to be tricky to arrange, isn''t it?¡±
¡°It is. You''re right. I''ve got an idea. John''s a psych-counsellor. You could set him and Sarah on the boy. They can tell my story as well as I can.¡±
¡°You don''t think they''d mind?¡±
¡°I''ll talk to them, but I''m sure they''ll be happy to at least talk to him. But let''s pray and take the others their dessert, shall we?¡±
2pm
¡°Hi, Matt. We''ve got what you might call an opportunity. Christine and I have just had lunch with the woman with the broken boots and her party. You know the tournament for the reenacters at the weekend? There was a similar meeting near the capital that''s just been cancelled. I''ve already got a request for a six-sleeper cabin from two members of that group ¡ª they''re going to find some friends to fill it up. So, do you think your booking system is ready for a live-test? If so, can you see how many stoves Henry thinks he could test ready for the weekend and put them into it? After all, we don''t make any profit from empty cabins.¡±
¡°I think the system is OK, but to test it with real bookings... that''s quite a scary step.¡±
¡°Can you make it so that it asks your approval before the booking is actually accepted?¡±
¡°Urm, I could. It would have been better to think of that at the start. Now, it might take at least another half hour of programming and I don''t know how many hours of testing. I think I''d rather have it going and watch what it''s going to offer the next booking. Or just take all the orders manually. Would you like to set the minimum booking fee?¡±
¡°What happens if we put zero? Not that I''m suggesting that.¡±
¡°I don''t know. Good question. More testing needed.¡±
¡°But you can adjust the expected booking curve, set a first booking amount, and set a time or number of bookings between updates for any given date?¡±
¡°Yes. That I can do all that easily.¡±
¡°Great, well, I''d like you to programme a function that says we''re going to offer however many cabins Henry can check, minus the one six-sleeper cabin we''ve got the pre-booking for. As for updates, I guess aim for one update per five cabins booked, what do you think?¡±
¡°It sounds reasonable. Plus adjusting the price down if we get an early surge and nothing as soon as the price goes up?¡±
¡°Absolutely. What does your system do in terms of a hold period?¡±
¡°The longest hold is the update period.¡±
¡°Sounds logical, but that''s tricky if the update is by bookings. Tell it that we''ll have twenty or thirty or however many Harry can check for the weekend, then only about fifteen for next week, since the rest are probably going to be getting serviced.¡±
¡°OK. And that includes ones booked already?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Just in case someone with a prior booking moans, do we have any response?¡±
¡°Not really. Put them in contact with me, we can offer them increasing services as they come on line for free ¡ª like sledges, for instance, and some way of getting to the top easily. Speaking of which, the sledge trial worked very well, according to the guinea pigs.¡±
¡°So, we should buy in some more?¡±
¡°I''ve already told Henry to see if he can get the stock up to twenty on his way back. We''ll need to see if that''s enough. And we''ll also have to see if anyone wants to hire out skis to our guests, or what the economics are like.¡±
¡°Pretty uncertain, given our winters.¡±
¡°That''s why I was thinking of not having that in-house. Sledges are one-size fits all and much cheaper too.¡±
¡°They are indeed. OK, I''ll call Henry about the stoves.¡±
¡°Do. But if he says fifteen to twenty, then don''t tell the system any more than fourteen extra. We don''t want to put anyone in a dangerous cabin.¡±
¡°Agreed. It could be a busy weekend, couldn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes. It could. Especially since the camp-site''s well and truly closed.¡±
¡°People would camp in this weather?¡±
¡°Oh yes. No question.¡±
¡°Do we let them?¡±
¡°What, on the cabin''s site? No. But I''ll talk to the tournament organisers. I''m sure they can arrange something. I never did set a minimum charge, did I? Since we''re not really ready for an influx of guests, what about the old standing fee for a cabin?¡±
¡°Really, that low?¡±
¡°Well, I''m assuming that at that price you''re covering the wood and the tourist fee, and all the other real costs, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Yes. Yes, I guess I am. By about double, in fact.¡±
¡°So, when we''re better organised we can drop it further, but for now I think that ought to let us iron any bugs out of the booking system, without it actually costing us anything. I''ll talk to you later.¡±
¡°OK Bob.¡±
Friday 15th December 5pm
Bob had just put the finishing touches to the business case for investing in or taking over E.C.Stoves, when he got a call from Sarah.
¡°Hello, Sarah. This is a surprise, I was just putting together a note for you.¡±
¡°Hi Bob. Let''s get to that later. Is Christine there?¡±
¡°No, she''s interviewing someone. She tried earlier but they weren''t in.¡±
¡°Oh. Never mind. Did you talk to her about what she and Bella were doing before dessert?¡±
¡°Other than the washing up? Yes. Son of a friend of ours. Bella''s talked to you already?¡±
¡°Yes. And before you or she talks to anyone, beware. The woman ''Morticia'' is a thought-hearer who regularly misuses her ability. Same goes for ''Elvira'', but she is also into the occult, though I don''t know how deeply. Your friend''s son''s dreams don''t come from his personal involvement, but they are from evil spirits. I know some people with the spiritual gift version of thought-hearing, I have no doubt at all that information is entirely trustworthy. My guess, based on that information is that he''s going to ask them about the nightmares, and Elvira''s going to offer to ''heal'' him using her spells. It might even seem to work, as it gets him hooked too.¡±
¡°So, Daimian is in trouble.¡±
¡°Daimian shouldn''t go anywhere hear those women in my opinion. Nor for that matter should either of you. When I say not near, I mean not making decisions within five metres, not touching metal they''re touching, and physical touch. Gloves help.¡±
¡°And when you say they regularly misuse their ability, what does that mean?¡±
¡°I thought you might ask. It means they deliberately and secretively use their power to gain secrets. It might be might be as ''innocent'' as finding out what people are thinking so they can make a fortune telling fortunes, or it might be for criminal purposes ¡ª industrial espionage, blackmail, you name it.¡±
¡°No way to know?¡±
¡°Yes, but at this distance, without actually talking to them then it''s yes/no questions only.¡±
¡°Could you explain that?¡±
¡°Someone with the gift could listen to their surface thoughts anywhere they are, but that''s unethical unless a life is at risk. The information I''ve told you came from deciding to know where they were, then checking if there were people there involved in the occult, who had the power, and who were misusing the power.¡±
¡°Oh. I think I get it. And without knowing their phone number to ask them if it''s OK to bug their brains, then that''s it?¡±
Sarah laughed ¡°Not quite. What''s probably going to happen is that they hear a disembodied voice talking to their minds asking if they''d like to explain how they''re misusing their power, and why they shouldn''t be stripped of it.¡±
¡°And the more ethical version of their fortune telling business has a note which says ''Wear gloves if you want me to guess what you want to hear?''¡±
¡°That''s a lovely idea. It might just hurt their trade, of course.¡±
¡°But Daimian?¡±
¡°Daimian needs people to pray for him, and to meet the One who''s really in charge of the universe, of course. What was the note about?¡±
¡°E.C.Stoves. Obviously in need of a cash injection, and the management seem to be so scared of competition it don''t dare make a profit on maintenance contracts, which are most of their turnover.¡±
¡°And is there a lot of competition?¡±
¡°The maintenance man I spoke to didn''t see much, at least, not much honest competition. My guess is whenever they lost a customer to a cowboy they thought ''Oh, no, we need to drop our prices lower.¡±
¡°Forgetting you can never undercut a crook.¡±
¡°Exactly. By what the maintenance guy said, the present owner is more concerned with keeping the business going and his staff employed than with profits, and won''t take kindly to a buy-out offer. On the other hand, their computer system is cranky and their phone system is a hundred years old and drops people''s calls sometimes.¡±
¡°So either they''re investing in other things or they don''t have the spare cash to invest in anything.¡±
¡°I''d guess the later. Looking at their accounts, they''d double their profits by increasing the servicing charges by one percent.¡±
¡°But basically it''s a profitable business?¡±
¡°Yes. I actually suspect that a lot of the staff are family-members.¡±
¡°So you''ve got family loyalty and all the rest of it.¡±
¡°Yes. Oh, and Sandra in sales sounds younger than you do, had never charged for call-outs before, and sent me a breakdown of what they were charging for as though it was a parts list.¡±
¡°Oops.¡±
¡°Yes. Either they or she had put fifteen percent on the travel and time, but forgotten to include any administrative support. And they only had a call-out charge component because I told them I''d be happy to pay it.¡±
¡°And the rest of the breakdown included exactly the things they''d be using to service the stoves?¡±
¡°No. But I wouldn''t be surprised if their only profit is from servicing multiple stoves on one site. There''s no discount for multiple stoves on one site, or any travel component.¡±
¡°How to make a company struggle. OK. I''ll read what you''ve written, and pray about it. Were you thinking it''d be under Carbon-carbon?¡±
¡°Not really. I mean, they''re not very local, nor are they exactly land management.¡±
¡°That''s good. I wasn''t thinking they would be either. I''m actually wondering if they need taking over so much as another shareholder who can give advice.¡±
¡°They certainly need something, Sarah, at least, they do if they''re going to keep going until you retire.¡±
Friday 15th December 6.30pm
¡°Sarah, you''re thinking about something, what is it?¡± John said
¡°E.C.Stoves.¡±
¡°Urm. More details please?¡±
¡°Well you know the little fusion reactor under the institute? This is a little company which makes things which are the total opposite, but do roughly the same thing: with practically no overall carbon footprint, or other pollution, they produce heat. The fusion generator is a wonder of high tech trickery and complexity; the stoves this company make do it by burning wood incredibly efficiently, but basically it''s low technology happening in an excellently designed environment. Should something die in the reactor, then the chain to fix it probably involves a thousand experts. There''s basically nothing to die in the firebox of these stoves. The worst that happens is that heat-stresses crack something, in which case some of the right sort of clay slip can fix it. Another technology as old as mankind.¡±
¡°I thought the stoves were in getting dangerous because they weren''t getting serviced.¡±
¡°I did say the firebox, John. The dangerous bit is if the water heater gets blocked.¡±
¡°So, what are you saying?¡±
¡°I''m saying I''d much rather one of these stoves to cuddle on a winter''s night than a reactor. But I''m not sure that makes a good business case.¡±
¡°Does it need to, my beloved multi-millionairess?¡±
¡°Not if I''m investing personally. No. If I get GemSmith to, then yes. Too many jobs at stake. Frank told me off good and proper about that.¡±
¡°Yes, you told me. So what''s wrong with investing personally?¡±
¡°What they need is going to cost time. If it were GemSmith, then it''d be easy to set up consultants and things. If it''s me, then I''d need to arrange things, or employ someone to do it for me.¡±
¡°Which you could.¡±
¡°Yes. But do I want to. Is it a good thing to do? Is it good stewardship?¡±
¡°Could you do it through that foundation you were thinking of starting up for the deeply indebted?¡±
¡°Probably. But if I do that then I''d need to be thinking about employing administrators to handle that side of things too. I''m not going to be able to do everything.¡±
¡°Big problem?¡±
¡°Just a different set of people to interview and employ.¡±
¡°So, do you want to not do these good works because they''re too hard, or because it means entrusting it to people who might not do it as well as you?¡±
¡°I''d like to entrust it to people who''d do it better than me.¡±
¡°GemSmith has a some sort of recruitment division, I presume?¡±
¡°Well, the larger GemSmith companies have them.¡±
¡°Can you not request them to hire for you? At a cost, I presume?¡±
¡°I love you, John. Yes. That''s how GemSmith does it too, for major posts.¡±
¡°So that''s probably your consultants done. I''d expect GemSmith has a list of them anyway. Or Frank, personally. Now, I was thinking about your part time young, truthsayer-cum-P.A.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Why not pick someone we know?¡±
¡°Who? I''m assuming you''re not suggesting I employ Kate, George or Karen.¡±
¡°No. I was thinking of May Ngbila. She''s not interested in University, much to her parents'' disgust. She''s young, and has got the power. She''s certainly not particularly threatening.¡±
¡°She hasn''t even finished school yet, John.¡±
¡°I know. But you''re thinking of starting small anyway, aren''t you? She''s working part time at the store. Make her a better offer.¡±
¡°OK. Probationary period applies, of course. And I''ll want references.¡±
¡°References?¡±
¡°What sort of worker is she? Does she get her homework done on time.¡±
¡°We could just ask her parents.¡±
¡°What do they know?¡± Sarah asked with a grin.
¡°Point taken. OK. You write a job description and I''ll drop it round tonight, and see if she''s interested. Alternatively, just cheat.¡±
¡°No, let''s do this formally. Sorry, I''d forgotten about your elder''s meeting. That''s how you knew I was thinking about something isn''t it? No tea preparations in sight. I''m sorry.¡±
¡°It''s fine, Sarah. There''s plenty of time; it only starts at eight. You get typing, I''ll make tea.¡±
¡°Thank you John.¡±
John, having cleared it with Arwood and Hannah, had arrived early to talk to May.
She looked at the piece of paper John handed her.
¡°This is a joke, isn''t it?¡±
¡°No. It has the advantage that you can easily turn it into flames or compost and can''t be hacked.¡±
She looked again ''Truthsayer -cum- personal assistant needed. Young, independently wealthy, Christian woman seeks personal assistant. Applicants must be of impeccable moral character, intelligent, be willing to travel and have strong personal confidence. Only applicants able and willing to serve as truthsayer in one-on-one interviews, (e.g. with applicants for hardship loans) need apply. A professional but sympathetic attitude is essential. The successful applicant will possess or be willing to develop the full range of secretarial skills, and will be able to perform her (or his) duties with minimal supervision. Self-defence training would be considered an advantage, but can be paid for as part of employment package. Initially the post is expected to be part time, maximum one day per week, but over could potentially grow to a full time position. N.B. It is in no way anticipated that the applicant will conduct above-mentioned interviews in a risk-enhancing environment, but at present no interview location has been determined. Salary: negotiable.''
¡°Any questions?¡± John asked.
¡°Am I allowed to know who this is talking about?¡±
¡°We were hoping it might be talking about you.¡±
¡°I guessed that. But the ''independently wealthy woman''? What does independently wealthy mean anyway?¡±
¡°It basically means she doesn''t need to worry about her pension, or keeping an employer happy for that matter.¡±
¡°So who is it?¡±
¡°Why, you''re going to ask her for a loan?¡± John asked.
¡°I know Sarah''s folks left her a house. Does that count as ''independent wealth?''¡±
¡°Not really. But are you interested enough to apply?¡±
¡°What''s a truthsayer?¡±
¡°You''d tell people you know what they''re thinking, and see if they tell you the truth during the interviews, for instance.¡±
¡°You''re joking.¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°And they''d consent to this?¡±
¡°We''re not talking a few hundred so that they can go to the restaurant more often. We''re talking about her buying up a loan that someone is spending something like three quarters or more of their income on and hardly managing to pay the interest, and replacing it with a loan which just about keeps up with inflation, so that they can genuinely pay it back in a reasonable timespan and have some hope of a life. Or, in Biblical terminology, a loan where she''s neither charging usury, nor demanding the guy''s cloak as security.¡±
¡°So, why would she want to do that?¡±
¡°Say because they were a valued employee whose health or work was really suffering.¡±
¡°And because she''s got that much cash and wants to use it for good.¡± May summarised.
¡°Yes. That too.¡±
¡°And if I took on this job then I''d be deciding if the person whose thoughts I was listening to was a deserving case or not?¡±
¡°That sort of thing. But the decision wouldn''t be yours. They''d have been put in contact with you by the personnel department or something, have gone through various paper trails, I expect, and then at the interview you''d be asking them things like: how they got into the debt; how much of their income is going on repaying it; and so on. Gamblers and the like not qualifying, people whose relatives needed expensive lifesaving medicine probably do.¡±
¡°But I''d be deciding if they''re trying it on.¡±
¡°Yes. And throwing in the odd unexpected but highly relevant question to see if they''re just reciting from a script. You''d wouldn''t need to be a lawyer, but you''d be analysing their answers just as carefully as a lawyer would.¡±
¡°And you think I''m up to this?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Do you? Would you mind trying to spot the difference between the genuinely needy and the compulsive gambler or drug addict who needed another few hundred thousand for their habit?¡±
¡°A few hundred thousand?¡± May was shocked.
¡°People can pay off a mortgage on a house reasonably happily, given ten, fifteen or twenty years. These sort of crippling loans are either beyond mortgage scale, or there''s been a drastic change to the family''s income. But if it''s the latter case, then they really need the loan written off, not just the interest rate adjusted.¡±
¡°Wouldn''t it be cheaper to just pay the bank the interest rather than buy up the loan?¡±
¡°Short term, yes. Where does the money end up, long term?¡±
¡°Erm, you pay the interest, then at the end of the day, the bank''s got the money, and the loan''s gone. If you buy the loan, then at the end of the day you''ve got the money, and you can loan it to someone else. Minus inflation and the fraction who decide to run away, or die, or lose their job. Not to mention minus the income you would have got from investing that big pile of money. Plus of course that she can help ten times more people by not giving away her money like that. So, really I''m still not convinced long-term either.¡±
¡°Interesting thought. I''ll pass it on. But in any case your job would be to try to weed out the ones likely to run off or anything like that.¡±
¡°And for this I get paid how much?¡±
¡°How much are you paid an hour at the moment?¡±
¡°Five.¡±
¡°And what do you think you''re worth in this job? Assess how capable you are now, how much you''ll need to learn, how much you''re going to need hand-holding at the beginning, how much better you''re going to get. Take all those factors and decide what you''re worth now per hour. Also consider, is this a job you really want? Long term? What is your career plan, May?¡±
¡°I''m not interested in university. Secretarial sounds OKish, but boring. Secretarial plus brains makes a P.A., I was told, I think I''ve got the brains. So yes. I think I want the job. And I guess that to get it I''d accept what I''m getting now, to start with. Who is it? Anyone I know?¡±
¡°References, qualifications, and so on first, then I''m sure she''ll get in contact with you.¡± John said, ignoring the question.
¡°Can you get Sarah to call me?¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°I want to know if she thinks I can do this.¡±
¡°Why does what she thinks matter?¡±
¡°Because it does. I don''t want to make a fool of myself.¡±
¡°I''ll ask her to. Or you could ring her.¡±
¡°Can I keep this paper?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°You''ve been keeping your thoughts hidden aren''t you?¡±
¡°Of course. I need to preserve the secret of this woman''s identity, don''t I?¡±
¡°Someone you know from work?¡±
¡°You know I can''t answer that, May. Don''t go asking silly questions that besmirch your character.¡±
¡°What if it''s besmirched already?¡± May asked.
¡°Is it?¡±
¡°That''s one thing I''m going to ask Sarah.¡±
¡°In context, May, it''s probably talking about not being interested in bribes, but by all means see what Sarah thinks it means. But it''s time for my meeting.¡±
¡°Thanks John. It sure sounds better than working at the shop, especially since that''s going to get wiped out in a couple of months.¡±
¡°Talk to you later.¡±
¡°Bye¡±
[Sarah, she didn''t guess the woman was you. She thinks she''s a client or something. She''s going to call you, she says. She also thinks it''d be cheaper and better to just leave the loans where they are and pay the interest on them, that way you could help more people.]
[She''s probably entirely right. Far less risk, too. Why didn''t I think of that? Oh, I know. It was going to be the employer buying up the loan. Paying off the interest on the loan would amount to extra salary.]
[If it has the same net effect, then it sounds like buying the loan ought to too.]
[Yes. It''s certainly cleaner if it''s not in the company. But I''m still going to limit applicants to people who do actually work for me. And who''ve worked for me for a long time, too. Oh, actually, I don''t know, I''d include people who have some other connection too.]
[And what you''ve said about the church building, can I pass that on?]
[Not yet. I don''t want to call the shots. For all I know, you''ll decide we should function as house-groups except for occasional meetings. Just because there''s a big expensive building now...]
[OK. Got it. Oops, we''re starting.]
¡°Hello, Mr Earnest Jacobs?¡±
¡°Speaking.¡±
¡°My name is Sarah Williams. Your company''s been having some discussions with a friend of mine, Bob Coal at Carbon-carbon land management.¡±
¡°That''s entirely possible. Is this a business-related call? I prefer to keep business to office hours.¡±
¡°Then you''re a sensible man, Mr Jacobs. It is sort of business related, I''m afraid. But on the other hand I''d need to take time off work to call you during office hours. My boss is quite understanding, but I''ve had to do that quite a lot recently. It''s more of a personal matter for me.¡±
¡°Then I suppose I can indulge you. Ms Williams.¡±
¡°''Mrs'' please. My maiden name is Smith. As in GemSmith, Carbon-carbon''s parent company.¡±
¡°Mrs Williams, how is it you''d need to take time off work to talk to me?¡±
¡°Oh, that''s easy. I need to eat. I also need to demonstrate to the trustees of my inheritance that I can stand on my own feet and I''m not going to just be a rich parasite.¡±
¡°So, on the one hand, you''ve got millions sitting in the bank, and on the other you''re living on a shoestring?¡±
¡°Well, not exactly a shoestring. I''ve been there, but now I''ve got a good job, and I''d like to keep it. Even when I do inherit, I want to keep the two halves of my life separate, if I can.¡±
¡°I imagine that''ll be hard, if you go mentioning your inheritance to complete strangers, Mrs Williams.¡±
¡°Mr Jacobs, I did have a purpose in mentioning it to you.¡±
¡°You''re planning to offer to buy up the company.¡±
¡°I considered it, but no, I''m not.¡±
¡°Oh. Seen something to make you change your mind?¡±
¡°Not really, Mr Jacobs. I was just thinking that E.C.Stoves has been running for over a hundred years, and I''m not twenty-five yet. I''m sure you know far more about the stoves business than I do. No, what I''d like to do is ask you to confirm some guesses that I''ve been making, based on what Bob Coal has told me. Then, if I like your answers, then I''m going to ask you to think something over. Would that be acceptable?¡±
¡°I can always refuse to answer.¡±
¡°Bob told me that someone, I don''t know who, had said you''d be reluctant to sell up, since that would mean redundancies. He also told me that Sandra in sales sounded rather young. Would I be right in guessing that quite a number of your workforce are family?¡±
¡°You would, Mrs Williams. Sandra''s my granddaughter, just left school. Normally there''s someone else there too, but she''s off sick. Her mother''s the secretary and her dad, my son heads up the maintenance department. Not because he''s my son, you understand, but just because he''s the best.¡±
¡°Bob told me that Sandra had a very professional telephone manner. You can be proud of her.¡±
¡°That I can, and am. And I don''t want any of them out on their ears. Not the hired hands either.¡±
¡°I fully understand. Mr Jacobs, would I be right in thinking that you''d be one of those rare people who want to do things right, no matter if it cuts into profits?¡±
¡°I wish they weren''t so rare.¡±
¡°So do I, so do I. But the company''s got to stay afloat, hasn''t it? Otherwise everyone''s in trouble. Mr Jacobs, I was always taught to look at least ten or twenty years into the future. I''d like your company to still be making and servicing stoves that long, and beyond, and with respect, I think you could fairly easily ensure that with somewhat higher charges on the servicing side of things.¡±
¡°You''re probably right.¡± Ernest said.
¡°I also wonder if Sandra would benefit from a part time distance-learning course in business skills. I''m sure she''s learned a lot, but there''s always more that people my age can learn.¡±
¡°Well, that''s an idea I hadn''t had. Aren''t those things expensive?¡±
¡°They can seem it, but we''re trying to look twenty years ahead, remember. Maybe it''d be worth it. As I said, I don''t control my inheritance yet, but the trustees listen to me, and they''re meeting next week to decide if the decisions I''ve been making are sensible enough so they can retire, or at least move on to an advisory role. But assuming that goes well, what I''d like you to consider is a bit of a cash injection into your company, in exchange for shares. I think, sir, that you''re an honest man who pays attention to his responsibilities, but maybe you''ve had bad advice or didn''t get any advice when you needed it. Part of what I''d be offering, along with my financial involvement, is my advice for whatever that''s worth, and where there was a significant issue then the advice of real experts, consultants. Now, they don''t grow on trees, and don''t come cheap either. If we both agree that we really really need to call in a consultant, then we''d charge their fee to the company, but if it''s just my thought, then I''d pay them myself.¡±
¡°And would I be committing myself to agree to what you or the consultant said?¡±
¡°Of course not. But if you''re not going to listen to someone then you''d better have a better argument than ''I don''t want to.'' Unless it''s something that attacks core values of the company. By the way, it''s worth putting those down on paper, and in people''s employment contracts, if you haven''t already.¡±
¡°Core values of the company?¡±
¡°Yes. You know, things like ''We don''t cheat people by selling second rate rubbish.'' or ''When we say a stove has been checked then that means we''ve checked it properly.'' I''d actually like to add one: ''We don''t try to compete on price with crooks or cowboys.''¡±
¡°You think that''s what we''ve been doing?¡±
¡°You tell me. When you lost the contract to Blackwood cabins, had they asked you to drop your prices, and did you consider doing it for other customers?¡±
¡°Point taken.¡±
¡°Oh. By the way, I presume you''re aware of the sorry state of those stoves?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Bob will be asking one of your guys to examine them as an expert witness, would you be aware of anyone who can be a second witness? I mean someone who isn''t connected to your company, at very least now.¡±
¡°You''re going after the crook?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I''ll look up some names.¡±
¡°Thank you, Mr Jacobs.¡±
¡°Your offer of a cash injection. Just how many shares are you after?¡±
¡°Well, I certainly don''t have time to take over your company, Mr Jacobs. If you want me to buy more than fifty percent then I want your guarantee that you''re not abdicating responsibility for running the firm.¡±
¡°I thought you were in the company take over business?¡±
¡°My company sometimes takes over mismanaged companies so they can be run better. I am not. Your company doesn''t really fit in any divisions of my company, well, the servicing part would be, but the stove manufacturing side wouldn''t, and I presume you''re not interested in splitting the company in two. I know I''m not.¡±
¡°I don''t really understand why you want to invest personally.¡±
¡°Because, Mr Jacobs, I think that if I''m involved in your company then it''ll still be running in fifty years. But I expect the impact will change the shape of your business, and that the manufacturing side might stop making enough to keep servicing alive.¡±
¡°You''re sure it''ll happen, then.¡±
¡°Mr Jacobs, do you believe in God?¡±
¡°Yes, yes I do.¡± he said, surprised at the question.
¡°I believe that God has warned us of the impact for a reason, and I don''t think His reason is to make fools out of us.¡±
¡°I''ve read that there''s a lot of uncertainty about where those warnings came from, and speculation that their majesties have been taken in.¡±
¡°Well, you don''t want to believe every idle speculation you come across. I know the people who received the warnings.¡±
¡°Personally?¡±
¡°Two personally. I wouldn''t claim to know the other personally, but I''ve met him. He''s a trustworthy man.¡±
¡°I thought there were only two witnesses.¡±
¡°No, Mr Jacobs, there were three. Each one indicating the same location. God is not leaving us in the dark. I don''t know if you''ve heard about SpaceGuard''s radar station that burnt down? That fire also figured in one of the warnings.¡±
¡°I hadn''t heard that.¡±
¡°It may not have been widely publicised.¡±
¡°You''re certain it''s coming then?¡±
¡°Maybe if enough people pray, God might send it away, I don''t know. But I''m most certainly not staying at home to watch it flatten my house.¡±
¡°You''re in Restoration?¡±
¡°Yes, I am.¡±
¡°I''m sorry to hear that, Mrs Williams.¡±
¡°I''m getting used to the idea. It helps you think about priorities, certainly.¡±
¡°And in your priorities you''re thinking about my little company?¡±
¡°No, I''m thinking about not storing up treasures on Earth.¡±
¡°And giving all your money to the poor?¡±
¡°That''s a difficult one. Lot and lots of people depend on my company for their jobs. I''ve got responsibilities. But the cash I can give away. I''m just trying to be sensible about how I do it.¡±
¡°And that''s where we come in?¡± Ernest asked.
¡°No, I''m investing in your company because I think if we do it right then maybe I''ll be able to get as good rate of return from you as I do from the bank, and I want you to be in business so Bob can stay in business and feed his family.¡±
¡°There''s only one problem, Mrs Williams.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°I was just thinking that maybe I''m not the right person to run this company any more. Too many mistakes recently.¡±
¡°Can you think of a good pair of hands to entrust it to?¡±
¡°Maybe. Maybe.¡±
¡°The owner doesn''t need to run the company, Mr Jacobs, and that''s a fact. But he, she, or they should set the tone and the attitude. That''s one of the reasons my family have only very rarely invested in publicly listed companies. All too often they have an attitude that says profit comes first.¡±
¡°Those are an interesting thoughts, Mrs Williams. I''ll certainly give your offer serious attention.¡±
¡°Thank you for that courtesy, Mr Jacobs. I hope I haven''t ruined your evening.¡±
¡°Well, you''ve certainly given me something to talk about with my wife. Should I call you on this number?¡±
¡°Yes. If I''m not home it should direct your call to my wrist unit.¡±
¡°I''ll be in touch. I can''t say when, but I will.¡±
¡°Bye.¡±
Sarah disconnected. That had gone well, but she saw she''d missed a call from May.
[Hi May, you rang?]
[Hi, Sarah! Yes. Do you know about this job offer John handed me?]
[Technically it''s not a job offer until it''s got your name on it, May. But yes, I know about it. John said you''d got something to ask me about.]
[Have I got an impeccable moral character? I mean, I was doing some stupid things recently.]
[Hmm. So, why was that, now that you''ve had time to repent?]
[Attention seeking behaviour?]
[Really? I thought that''s what three or four year olds did.]
[Maybe I didn''t grow up. I guess what I mean is Mama was always dropping in on my thoughts, so, you know.]
[You had Mama control, not self control?]
[Maybe.] May said.
[And?]
[I was off the leash and running wild.]
[And now you''re back on the leash and you''re going to run wild again when my back''s turned?]
[{denial}No!]
[Can I check you meant that, May?]
[What do you mean?]
[I''m only looking at your surface thoughts. Can I have a look at what''s deeper?]
[You don''t need to ask, Sarah. You''re clan, and you''re in Mama''s seat.]
[I do need to ask, May. I''ve signed a document that says I will get informed consent.]
[Oh. What a silly thing to do!]
[Not silly at all. You''ll sign something similar, if you''re going to be a truthsayer. Eventually there''ll probably be a law which says, apart from a few specific situations, you only deliberately listen to people with informed consent, and don''t act on what you hear by accident.]
[OK Sarah. You have my informed consent.]
[So, May, why won''t you go wild again?] And with that question, Sarah looked as deeply as she could. She couldn''t see all the way, but she certainly saw deeper than the words May responded with.
[I don''t want to go there again!]
Sarah saw what May meant. Her mourning for her grandmother had cut her off from everyone, and she''d felt no one listened to her. Feeling hurt and pushed away, she''d pushed away things she''d known were right, and flirting with boys had been a symptom of that, as had misusing her power, replacing love with distraction and mental games of power. They weren''t a good substitute. She''d felt their emptiness and the pain of a guilty conscience too. She''d seen glimpses of the truth that Karen''s warning had hinted at, and the unmerited gift of the beautiful skirt had reminded her that she was loved, that her parents did care. And she''d come back to God''s love too. Why would she want to go back to that cold empty lonely place?
[I think you''ve learned your lesson. Nothing wrong with your character at the moment, May.]
[Only at the moment?]
[Stay close to God and you''ll be OK. That does get difficult, sometimes, so stay close to other Christians too. Any other questions?]
[This thing about self-defence classes.]
[Well worth having.]
[Really?]
[You never know when someone''s going to try and attack you, May. You''re pretty, not threatening and someone might think you''d make good prey. Self defence is all about making sure they think again quickly.
If you''re talking to desperate people, May, and you will be if you get this job, then there''s a chance that someone totally fails to think. What''s the point of knowing that someone''s going to go for you if you can''t do anything about it?]
[But isn''t it all full of eastern mystical lies?]
[It can be. But not the way I was taught it.]
[You''ve taken a course?]
[Oh yes. Your dad''s a big guy, but I could almost certainly throw him. Not that I''m saying he''s going to attack me. But just as an example. I''m not an expert, but I''m pretty good.]
[Wow. Could you teach me?]
[Probably not a good idea. I''ve never taught anyone. That job vacancy notice says you get them paid for, after all. More questions?]
[Yes. What does professional but sympathetic attitude mean? And Do you know who this rich woman is?]
[Professional: you''re going to hear tales of woe and you''re not going to get emotionally involved, you''re going to need to talk to people with respect, and as an adult. They''re not going to know from your words or your phrasing that you were still in nappies when their problems started. Sympathetic: when you''re interviewing someone, you''re not going to listen to their story and say ''get on with it, I''ve got to go to the movies'', you''re going to need to convince them that you''re listening very carefully to what they say. As for who the woman is, yes. Is it important?]
[I''d like to know if I''m at all who she had in mind when she wrote this, or was she expecting some university graduate or thirty-five year old.]
[We discussed it, and neither John nor I thought a thirty-five year old would be willing to work as a truthsayer ¡ª too much history of hiding the power. John came up with the idea that maybe you''d be suitable, and without breaking any confidences, let her know there might be someone with a couple more years at school and no plans for university who''d maybr be willing. But if you didn''t think you wanted the job then the author wasn''t planning to re-write it for some university graduate.]
[Oh.]
[Out of interest, why aren''t you interested in university?]
[Different factors, I guess. Partly, I guess I want to be earning, not learning.]
[What about earning and learning?]
[You think this woman would be happy with me saying that I''m not available full term for another five years, but I''d like the job?]
[Oh, I expect so. And there are plenty of students who have a part-time job. Not many are part-time P.A.s of course, most would be working as a waitress or something like that, rather than dressing up in a business suit and conducting life-changing interviews. Do you feel up to it?]
[I''ll do my best. It''s not like there''s much future at the store, is there?]
[Not if the impact happens, no.]
[So, how do I apply for the job.]
[Tell me you want it.]
[I want the job.]
[OK. Don''t you think you should negotiate your salary?]
[I''d guess that''d be discussed in an interview, but I''m assuming that this independently wealthy woman will at least beat what I get at the store.]
[What do you think this was, May? How much is that an hour and how many hours?]
[Five an hour. Eight hours a week, plus extra time at peak seasons.]
[So, forty a week, normally?]
[Right.]
[OK, how does this sound: probationary period of six months during which either of us can cancel with a week''s notice, up to eight hours of your time a week plus self-defence classes one or two evenings a week, at a salary of two hundred a month, and any time left over from the eight hours you''re studying for school, but not doing homework.]
[Hold on, hold on, Sarah, when you said ''OK'' and ''what do you think this was.'' Did you mean I''ve got the job, I''ve just been interviewed and you are the young independently wealthy woman?]
[Yes to all of the above. I will want to see references and to hear good reasons for any bad ones.]
[OK. {horror}I''ve just been interviewed for a job half-way into my pyjamas!]
[You''d better tell people it was a voice-only call before you tell them that, then, or they''ll get the wrong idea.]
[And I can''t tell people how I got it, can I? I mean, as truthsayer?]
[Don''t tell them I''m gifted. But about your power? That''s up to you. It might make the perfect opportunity to do so.]
[Will the contract mention it?]
[I think it should, yes.]
[And you''re going to pay me for doing schoolwork?]
[No. I''m going to pay you two hundred a month for being my part time P.A., and pay for self-defence classes for you. The self defence classes will take time from your weekdays. Sometimes I''ll need you to work the full eight hours, but I doubt it''ll be often. So, while I''m not paying you for your time away from study for your self-defence classes, I''m insisting that you use any time I don''t need as extra study time. You probably won''t know until the Saturdays what I''ve got for you to do, by the way, so don''t think you can plan on doing homework then. What''s your notice period at the shop?]
[I think it''s two weeks, I''ll have to check tomorrow.]
[Do. I expect they''ll want you to work long hours over Christmas.]
[I expect so.]
[Well I won''t. So, as far as I''m concerned you can earn pots from them before you quit. I''ll get Teresa to write up the contract on Monday or Tuesday, and you can let me know when you want to stop with them and start with me. Oh, except, I''m just maybe getting a bit ahead of myself. I mustn''t count my chickens before they hatch.]
[What do you mean?]
[I mean that the decision hasn''t actually been made that I get control of the trust my parents left me. The trustees are discussing it next week. One of them thinks I''m ready, I''ve not talked to the others. So maybe you shouldn''t quit quite yet, until they''ve had their meeting and made their decisions. I''d love to get these interviews going as soon as possible, but if I don''t have control, then I can''t really give away any of my inheritance to the unfortunate, can I?]
[Not really, no.]
[So, don''t quit yet. It''s probably best not to even ask about your notice period. To some managers that''s just as final as handing in your notice.]
[So there might not be a job?]
[There is a job. The question is whether it starts next week, or on on my wedding anniversary. No, hold on. You can do other stuff for me... I''m sorry, I''m thinking on my feet here. When would you like to start?]
[Actually, I think if there''s time I''d like to hand in my notice so I don''t have to work at Christmas. I signed up for Christmas work thinking I''d like to have lots to spend on the sort of clothes Mum won''t get me. I don''t really want a lot of those now.]
[Did you tell your mother that?]
[Not yet. You''re going to make me tell her, aren''t you?]
[I''m not going to make you, but I''m going to suggest that it might really help your relationship with her, and it certainly won''t hurt it. You can also tell her you''ve just been offered a salaried position.]
[That''s better than a job, isn''t it?]
[Oh much. Much more professional.]
[You''re a bad influence, you are. Next thing I know you''ll be getting me to go to university to take a course in business skills.]
[Or accountancy.] Sarah sent to her, thinking about the cost of borrowing calculation that May had apparently done in her head.
[Accountancy? Is that like book-keeping?]
[Accountancy is what an accountant does. I took an introductory course in it... I''ve got a list somewhere. Hold on.... accounting, bookkeeping, auditing, taxation, corporate planning, cash forecasting and so on.]
[Oooh. Sounds mathematical. Fun.]
[Do you like maths?]
[Yes. But proper maths, when it''s doing stuff.]
[Maths is an important tool. Doing it right keeps people in jobs. John told me about your advice on the loans, by the way. You''re probably right. The idea had started off differently, which is why I didn''t think of doing it that way.]
[Just paying the interest on their loan certainly makes it less risky.]
[It does. It also answers the question of what to do with people who have a loan they can''t afford, but it''s because of some less worthy cause than a loved one who got sick.]
[Like, they''d put all their money on the wrong horse?]
[No, I don''t think I''d want to help in that case. But what about if it''s a woman who took out a loan to set up her fianc¨¦ in business and then he ran off with the money and another woman? It was foolish not to get the business in her name too, but you can hardly say it was all her own fault.]
[Unless she made his life intolerable.] May countered.
[Even then, he ought to have paid her back.]
[Which he intends too, just as soon as he''s paid off the bank loan, and so on.] May offered.
[I''m sure he intends to, it might never happen. So, anyway, you''d interview her initially, then I probably would too, and we''d decide what percentage of her interest I pay for her. I also set a limited time over which I''ll pay the interest, say for five or ten years, which helps them get out of the hole they''re in and doesn''t commit me to support them if it turns out they''re sponging.]
[What about ''I''ve just been made redundant and can''t keep up the payments on my home.''] May asked.
[That probably depends why they were made redundant. But since my companies are not in the habit of laying off staff without a reason, I''d not expect many to be both in genuine need and innocent of causing it. Be wary indeed if you meet one.]
[I will. Is that the criteria? In trouble from no fault of their own?]
[That''s part of it. I''d like to add that they''ve been trying hard as they can to resolve it, that they''ve looked at their expenditure and cut down on needless expenses, moved to a smaller house if that''s a relevant option, taken the advice of debt counselors, and so on. I want be sure that I''m the last resort, not just the easiest.]
[And I''m here to make it a little harder still?]
[Well, to save my time from time-wasters. I do have a full time job. There''s no way I''m going to be full-time fairy god-mother. But to be honest, your job is also to protect me.]
[Protect you?]
[Protect me from press attention, gossip and intrigue, from publicity seekers, treasure hunters and idiots.]
[So I get to deal with all of those myself instead of you?]
[Probably not. But imagine the headlines ''millionairess read my mind!'' big news ''schoolgirl with power read my mind'', not interesting.]
[What about ''Millionairess employs truthsayer''?]
[In case it happens, we prepare a press-release and sit on it, explaining how I knew you, thought your ability might be handy and snapped you up before anyone else got you. Groans of ''why didn''t I think of that'' from the rich and powerful worldwide. Would you mind being the first member of the union of professional truthsayers?]
[Do I need to be in a union?]
[No. Only if you think I''m going to mistreat you, under-pay you make you hold hands with slimy old men, or that sort of thing.]
[You are aren''t you? The slimy old me, I mean?]
[Never heard of iron? A one metre length of stainless steel rod would be lovely, but probably a bit hard to explain, let alone fit in your handbag. Maybe a folding umbrella? Or one of those extendible map pointer things?]
[I know what you mean, but I''ve only seen them in films.]
[I''ll see what I can find for you. You go and talk to your Mum.]
[OK. Bye Sarah.]
[Bye]
May ran down stairs, and burst into the kitchen.
¡°Where''s the fire?¡±
¡°No fire mum, great news. Three bits. Which one do you want?¡±
¡°Number three.¡±
¡°Sorry, that doesn''t make sense without number one.¡±
¡°So, tell me number two then.¡±
¡°OK. I need your help, mum.¡±
¡°This is great news?¡±
¡°I think so. You know my unsuitable clothes? I want to fix them or dump them. I was thinking that maybe we could cut some up to extend the skirts or something. Would it work? Can you help me sort them?¡±
Hannah looked at her daughter in wonder ¡°What''s brought this about?¡±
¡°I''ve been thinking of what Sarah and Karen said. A lot. Sorry Mum. God''s on his throne, and I want to dress like it.¡±
¡°Praise the Lord!¡±
¡°I want to.¡±
¡°Are bits one and three as earth-shattering?¡±
¡°Possibly more. Unless John talked to you.¡±
¡°About helping Sarah part-time.¡±
¡°Did you see this?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°I didn''t know it was her, the sneaky things. I knew her parents left her the house, but I never knew she was really rich.¡±
¡°Perhaps you''d better show me that paper.¡± Hannah asked, seeking that May was excited about.
¡°Here. I''ve accepted. I''ve got a salaried position, Mum. Two hundred a month, eight hours a week, if she needs me for it, and I needed to promise to do non-homework study with any left-over time.¡±
¡°She is sneaky, isn''t she? Truthsayer?¡±
¡°It''s going to work something like this, Mum. Someone has a loan, say from medical bills of a sick relative, which is crippling them. They''ve moved into a smaller house, stopped drinking expensive coffee, and so on and so forth, and it''s still more than they can cope with. Their personnel department gives them a form to fill in blah blah, they get though that process, then I interview them to make sure they''re not lying through their teeth, and if I think they''re genuine then Sarah gets personally involved and either interviews them again or decides how much of the interest to pay on their loan, and for how long, so that they can concentrate on paying off the capital.¡±
¡°So this ''hardship loan'' is wrong?¡±
¡°Well, Sarah had been thinking that she''d buy up the loan, but that''s just silly. It gives her all the risk and means she can''t help as many people.¡±
¡°You told her it was silly?¡±
¡°No, I told John, he passed it on, and Sarah agrees. Much more flexible this way.¡±
¡°And this is your chosen job for life?¡±
¡°Well, she says it''s not unusual to have a part time job while you''re at university. She''d be happy for me stay part time.¡±
¡°And you''re suddenly interested in university?¡±
¡°I''ve got no real reason not to be, have I? I mean, if Sarah''s going to be paying me the whole time, I shouldn''t go into debt, should I?¡±
¡°Well, at only two hundred a month, you might.¡±
¡°That''s for the probationary period, Mum. And it''s still better than I get at the store. Oh, she''s also going to pay for self-defence classes for me too. Proper ones, like she got, not full of mystical rubbish.¡±
¡°What''s number three?¡±
¡°Oh, that was the university. Did you know there''s some course there which is all about business maths and fun stuff like that? I''m going to need to read up on it.¡±
¡°I''m sure it''s not called that, but it sounds reasonable.¡±
¡°And I was thinking, if I''m going to find myself a good husband, then a University Christian Union is probably a reasonable place to start looking, isn''t it? And if I''m still Sarah''s P.A. then maybe she''ll help me spot the really good ones.¡±
¡°Or maybe God will, love. Are you deliberately trying to make me cry with happiness, May? It''s working.¡±
¡°Can I have a hug, Mum?¡±
¡°Of course you can!¡±
Preparation / Ch. 26: Friday in Security
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 26:Friday in Security.
Friday 15th December 9.15am
¡°Hello, Maria, you wanted to see me?¡±
¡°Yes, Pris. Have a seat. So. Tell me.¡±
¡°Anything in particular?¡±
¡°Let''s start with the important stuff. How are you?¡±
¡°Confused.¡±
¡°About?¡±
¡°Oh, pretty much everything. Conflicting realities and priorities, life in general, my future, my role in Security.¡±
¡°Would you like me to give you some certainty?¡±
¡°Probably.¡±
¡°Bella''s wrong. I''m not expecting you to take over my job. I think it''d wipe you out.¡±
Pris felt like a massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders. ¡°That''s very good news.¡±
¡°Want some more?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I''ve received the other''s reports. Something rather important was missing from yours.¡±
¡°Oh? What was that?¡±
¡°That after a morning of punishing hill-walking walking, you pulled not-so-light Mr Dirk Smythe on a sledge for about a kilometre across uneven ground at a sprint, mostly going up hill, wearing new boots, through fifteen centimetres of snow.¡±
¡°Guilty, it was a bit silly, but I wanted to check how my stamina was. Not as good as when I did basic, I was getting tired towards the end.¡±
¡°But you were still able to hold a perfectly normal conversation at the end of it.¡±
¡°You''re labouring this as though it''s exceptional.¡±
¡°It is, Pris. And I checked up on your records. There was a little note from your instructor on basic, it said ''Please, please, send her to us sometime, she''s passed with the highest marks we''ve seen in a decade and is probably able to run most of us into the ground.''¡±
¡°I didn''t know I did that well. It was fun, but...¡±
¡°But most people think it''s a form of torture, Pris. So, what do you think? Could you be ''firm but fair'' and run circles round great big burly men who think they''re strong but have no real stamina? Would it cut you to shreds to say hello, goodbye to so many people, like it would Eliza?¡±
¡°Maria, hello, goodbye is my life. As for running circles and showing them the ropes, I think I''d quite like that. And ''firm but fair'' is just propaganda.¡±
¡°Oh? What are they really?¡±
¡°Lenient and entirely soft on people who are giving it 90% effort. Hard on people who need a kick in the tail for being lazy.¡±
¡°So, do you think you could do that?¡±
¡°I think I could, Maria. I think I might even enjoy it.¡±
¡°Wonderful. Consider yourself assigned. Next intake is in mid-January, so you''ve got some time get to know your new colleagues.¡±
¡°Where will I be based?¡±
¡°Next session is going to be near Restoration. We''re going to need people there, so it makes sense to base your recruits there. Convenient for you too.¡±
¡°I hope you''re not showing favouritism, Maria.¡±
¡°Not at all. I had the recommendation on my desk and approved it ages and ages before you came in the office.¡±
¡°That''s all right then.¡±
¡°So. How''s that confusion going?¡±
¡°I''m slowly admitting to myself that I might be falling for him.¡±
¡°Romance was certainly in the air on that trip, wasn''t it?¡±
¡°Romance and repentance. I went on that trip thinking that when Dirk stopped gossiping then he had the makings of a very fine field tech guy.¡±
¡°Now?¡±
¡°Now, I''m biased. I think he is a very fine field tech guy. Humble about it, but he just understands stuff, knows stuff. He''s turned to God fully realising that he can''t beat temptation on his own. He was hoping that God would take it away entirely, but he tells me it''s not gone, but it does go when he prays.¡±
¡°And how''s his stamina?¡±
¡°He did OK. I mean, I was suffering with sore muscles and things at the end of the day, but he was fine. No sign of anyone falling behind on the walks. Well, except Bella and Trevor who decided they needed to step off the path once or twice to investigate something.¡±
¡°That something being each other''s tonsils?¡±
¡°No, I think they were mostly admiring the views together. I didn''t see many kisses at all. Quite a lot of hand-holding, but maybe that was just communication. They are certainly thinking marriage, by the way. I presume Bella''s reported on why Trevor''s resisted fieldwork?¡±
¡°Air travel.¡±
¡°Yes. I don''t know if she''s reported it officially, but she told me I could tell you: she wants him to talk to John about it. She''s actually told him not to bother proposing until he''s talked to someone at I.H.M. about it.¡±
¡°Well, since a psych-checkup is part of him taking up his new role, he''s going there today. So Bella won''t have that excuse any more.¡±
¡°She wasn''t looking at it as an excuse, more of a source of frustration. I think if she hadn''t set that condition then they''d be engaged by now. She blames the impact. I tend to agree.¡±
¡°No one''s said it''s going to be the end of the world, as far as I know.¡±
¡°No. But the thought of deadly rocks paying us a visit makes people think that maybe decisions shouldn''t be put off.¡±
¡°Are you telling me that you and Dirk...?¡±
¡°No! No, it''s too early. But we are officially going out together. Depending how we count it, then tonight is going to be our second or third date.¡±
¡°The uncertainty being?¡±
¡°Does going to a romantic beauty spot count as a first one, or if that doesn''t, what about sharing a sledge down a kilometre or more of slope? We did have choice about that, after all. Or was it only the candle-lit dinner we shared last night that counts?¡±
¡°Does it matter?¡±
¡°Probably not. But anyway, from my biased opinion, Dirk''s good at electrical stuff, electronic gizmos, hacking into bugs and so on. I think he''d do well in field tech.¡±
¡°OK. I think I''m going to be moving him into that role, if he''s happy about that idea. They''re certainly short-staffed at the moment, and he''s been doing a lot of that side of things anyway. Long term, just so you''re not worried about the future, someone needs to teach new recruits the basics of field tech while they''re on basic training. Dirk''s shown aptitude for teaching in the past, so if you two do end up marrying, I don''t see why it shouldn''t be him.¡±
¡°Thank you. It''s too early at the moment.¡±
¡°You''ve said that. That''s why he''s not going to be there for a while. But I''m just saying that you don''t need to think that the marriage would never work because of you being stuck out in the wilds half the year or something.¡±
¡°Thank you, Maria.¡±
¡°Now, moving on to your analysis of Eliza''s people-centredness. Very well done. You said she agreed?¡±
¡°Yes. Going from one group of friends to another is fine, as long as she knows she''ll see the ones she''s leaving again. She''s active, better than Bella at combat, unless Bella''s cheating ¡ª using the power, that is ¡ª she''s smart, she''s good at making friendships, but emotionally would want to keep in contact with them all. And she''s one of those personalities that everyone remembers. I''m pretty sure that red wig wasn''t a long neglected prop, it''s part of her natural expression of her character. I won''t say she''s utterly useless for low profile, she can sneak. But it''s certainly not something that comes naturally.¡±
¡°So she suggested diplomatic. Ambassadorial support, maybe, and you agreed.¡±
¡°I did. I''d been thinking of it before she suggested it. I also wondered who I''d most like to see accompanied by a support worker who can put Bella on the floor four times out of five. Plus, she''s said she does like travel, I''d add that''s as long as she stays long enough to connect with people. And I''m sure she wouldn''t mind one bit shuttling between a posting at a certain embassy I spent a lot of time at and the palace, say while the ambassador''s wife was spending a little more time with her husband than she''s been doing recently.¡±
¡°What do you mean, recently? I was back home most of this week.¡±
¡°I mean in general, Maria. What proportion of the last six months have you two actually slept in the same country?¡±
Maria ignored that question, the answer was painful. ¡°So, you''re thinking that she''d make a good understudy?¡±
¡°I do. Or at least a good assistant. I''m not recommending her for just any posting. She and Nigel do seem entirely made for one another, and posting her somewhere she''ll never see him would be plain cruelty. She agrees that putting her in royal protection wouldn''t be a good idea, unless someone guaranteed they were never going to be on duty at the same time. Too many hormones involved, at least at the moment.¡±
¡°I don''t agree with you, Pris. Sorry.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°I don''t think there''s any need for her to go the diplomatic route. Too much training. I''ll interview her and give her a trial as my assistant. If that works out then yes I''d love to cut down on my travel. You''ve been a wonderful helper, but I know it''s been slowly eating away at you. Let''s see if she can cope. She''s been reporting to you on that case with Roland''s surveillance team, hasn''t she?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Right. Tell her that she''s reporting directly to me now, because you''ve been assigned to be firm but fair. You may also take the time to tell Dirk, about your new assignment if you like. Let Eliza know that when she judges that there''s no need for her in that liaison role, I''ll interview her for a new role.¡±
¡°And if she asks what the role involves?¡±
¡°Long term relationships with people, keeping herself and others safe, quite a bit of travel, but being here a lot of the time. Lots of brain-work.¡±
¡°Well, that ought to keep her guessing.¡±
¡°It does me, so why not? Go on, share you good news, Pris.¡±
¡°Yes, Maam!¡±
Friday 15th December 9.25am
Trevor approached the institute on foot, taking his time. He was early for his appointment anyway. He''d spotted twenty cameras so far. Impressive security! Yet when he approached the building he wasn''t challenged, and the door wasn''t locked against him, there wasn''t even a receptionist. It seemed totally incongruous, somehow. He looked around the lobby, wondering what he should do, which door to knock on.
¡°Hello, Trevor,¡± a voice came from behind him. ¡°Nice to meet you. I''m Sarah, Bella didn''t say you''d be coming today.¡±
¡°She didn''t know. Nor did I until I was on my way to work this morning.¡±
¡°John, my husband, will be talking to you.¡± [ Informed consent, the interview can be silent if you like, and since you''re a friend I''ll add that no touch is necessary.] she added, then opening the door to a waiting room, she continued, ¡°He''s with another client at the moment, would you like a tea or coffee?¡±
He was taken aback to hear Sarah''s mental voice, but he suddenly realised what the tiara discussion the day before had been about. ¡°Tea please. I''m pretty sure that Bob and Christine Coal would would send their love too, if they''d known I''d be coming.¡±
¡°Oh? You met them both?¡±
¡°Yes. They invited us for lunch, and we were told to accept and explain our visit. I''m afraid that those discussions mean that all of us now know about your cousins, and your inheritance.¡±
¡°Well, that''s not a secret that''ll be secret very long, once Karen gets married.¡±
¡°They also, naturally enough, asked about you. Did you know they weren''t permitted to visit you once Bob was able to?¡±
¡°I... suspected. The aunt who raised me was a great believer in not dragging up memories from the past.¡±
¡°I hope Bella wasn''t giving anything away she shouldn''t have, it didn''t make any sense to me at the time, but she asked if they remembered your tiara, they responded cryptically and then Bella spoke about it getting broken.¡±
¡°Oh! It hadn''t occurred to me that thay''d know anything about it, but yes, it makes sense. I wonder if they know anything about how it was made.¡±
¡°It is something to do with the power?¡±
¡°As far as I can work out, it either artificially hid my thoughts from others, or stopped me from hearing thoughts. Possibly both. It certainly meant that I couldn''t hear thoughts properly until God healed me and gave me the gift. So, I didn''t grow up with the power, not really. Nor did John, for that matter. God surprised us both. I''m not entirely sure why, but the rest of the gifted didn''t get in contact with us either.¡±
¡°Maybe they didn''t know about you?¡± Trevor suggested.
¡°Possible, I suppose. We certainly didn''t know about them, or how to use the gift to find them at the beginning.¡±
¡°Can I ask... why do I need to know this?¡±
¡°Good question.¡± Sarah pondered. ¡°I think it''s because in some ways, you and Bella are experts with a lifetime of experience, whereas we''re beginners. Anyway, I probably owe it to you for my bit of stirring a week ago.¡±
¡°Oh, that was you, was it?¡±
¡°It was. Guilty as charged. I see wasn''t listening to her in quite the normal way, I don''t really know why. I picked up some other people''s thoughts in the background, mostly very fuzzy. Your confusion about how you felt was quite clear through, I guess because you were close and really wanted to know. Seeing how much you wanted to know, I had a quick peak at your top level emotions, not thoughts even, and told Bella to tell you that you were hopeful.¡±
¡°We''re both a bit more than hopeful now.¡±
¡°Or hopeful about other things?¡± Sarah suggested.
¡°Hmm. I have hopes, dreams and plans, yes.¡±
¡°I''m happy for both of you, and I promise I won''t tell Bella you''re here. That''d be illegal, anyway.¡±
¡°Oh, that reminds me. Christine would probably want to say hello if there''s someone here called Kate, and anyone else who remembers her. She apparently used to work here before your father offered her a better job.¡±
¡°Well! Someone''s been skirting close to the law then.¡±
¡°Pris. And she didn''t say Kate worked here, she just said that an experienced counsellor called Kate had become a Christian through you.¡±
¡°I might have known, she''s a tricky one. I''ll tell Kate, though. I didn''t know Christine used to work here.¡±
¡°The price of secrecy.¡±
[Sarah, coast is clear, now.]
¡°Indeed. John says he''s ready. I''ll show you the way and then leave you in his expert hands.¡±
Trevor had agreed to John''s suggestion that they do the rest of the interview first and then look at the fear. So, after amassing enough data to be quite certain that Trevor''s mind was working properly, John asked him about his fear. He reported back:
¡°Trevor, I''ve had a look at your thoughts, and what I can tell you is that you have an aversion of flying.¡±
¡°Urm, I know that, John.¡±
¡°Perhaps I should explain. Normally, fears are based on something, you know, someone got bitten by a particular dog and the child heard of it and built it into a fear or all dogs. Or they were wearing a yellow T-shirt and the child decided that there was a connection between yellow T-shirts and getting bitten by a dog and now doesn''t like any yellow clothes, but they''ve totally forgotten why. You''re not like that. Deep down, the reason that you''re afraid of flying is that sitting in your mind there''s a very strong thought that flying is a scary thing and you shouldn''t ever do it.¡±
¡°Does that make me insane?¡±
¡°No. Not at all. I''ve seen similar, baseless thoughts. Some of them were from God, others were from another source entirely.¡±
¡°And if you had to guess, who would you say was origin?¡±
¡°If I had to guess, I''d say God. It doesn''t affect your life, it doesn''t affect your relationships or your church-going. Unless you ever discover that there''s a medical reason that you shouldn''t fly, or something like that, then I think the safest thing, the most obedient thing to do is stay away from planes the rest of your life. I''ll get Sarah to look if you like, for a second opinion.¡±
¡°If it''s no trouble.¡±
[Sarah, can you come? Oddity, in Trevor''s mental landscape.]
[His fear of flying?]
[Baseless.]
Sarah locked the screen on her terminal and went there.
¡°You''d like me to have a look?¡±
¡°Yes please.¡±
¡°OK, Trevor can you think about when you first knew you were afraid of flying?¡±
She focussed her thoughts on him, looked at the thoughts and memories, then mentally stepped back and analysed. There was the baseless fear of flying, and there, next to it were his first memory of it. He''d been at church, a missions presentation, about flying aid into a troubled country. Trevor had been fascinated, and briefly considered it as a career path. Deeper still, she saw that he''d prayed that God would show him what he should do. He''d been surprised to find himself afraid of flying, and there''d been a thought too: ''Never fly''.
¡°Did you remember anything?¡± she asked him.
¡°There was a thing about flying for God. I was thinking maybe I''d be a pilot. I think even I prayed about it. I don''t know how old I was. Small.¡±
¡°It''s often the way that we can see more than than people can bring to mind, so don''t worry. Yes, you prayed. And you got an answer, too. You got the fear and you got the command: ''Never fly.''¡±
¡°You''re right! I remember now.¡± Trevor said ¡°I told my parents that God had spoken to me.¡±
¡°So, Trevor. I think it''s very simple.¡± John said. ¡°Your fear of flying is not something you want to be cured of. It''s something that helps you not to disobey God.¡±
¡°Thank you. Nice to know I''m sane. And no wonder I fought so hard against my brother if God''s told me not fly. I think I''d prefer to die than disobey.¡±
¡°Now I need to work out how to phrase this to make it acceptable to an atheist.¡± John said.
¡°I don''t think you need to, John.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I mean, an atheist wouldn''t accept our testimony, would they?¡±
John thought about it. ¡°I''m going to write ''Investigation has shown that his profound aversion of flying is motivated by and linked to an early years religious experience. Subject believes he informed his parents of this at the time. Their memory has not been confirmed. However, now that this has come to light, it is inextricably linked to his present-day deeply held beliefs. Subject should be expected to view flying as a violation of his commitment to God, and to resist any attempts to make him do so accordingly.'' Happy?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Trevor agreed. ¡°I''m not sure Bella will be.¡±
¡°She may not be happy, but she should understand.¡± Sarah said, ¡°the question is, would you like me to take a few seconds to tell her now, so she can do any screaming and shouting in private, or would you like to tell her yourself?¡±
¡°You think she''ll scream and shout?¡± Trevor said.
¡°No idea.¡± Sarah said. ¡°How much has she got her heart set on flying anywhere?¡±
¡°I don''t think she has, but it sounded like she''d like the option.¡±
¡°So. Back to my question. Would you like me to tell her?¡±
¡°No. I''ll do it.¡±
9.45am
¡°Dirk, was it you?¡± Pris asked accusingly, once he answered her phone-call. She had the video off so he''d not see her grin.
¡°What?¡±
¡°Grassed me up to Maria,¡± trying to pretend to be angry, but she was too happy.
¡°What about?¡±
¡°You mean you grassed me up on lots of subjects?¡± She burst into laughter ¡°Sorry, I can''t keep this up. Did you tell Maria I pulled you on the sledge?¡±
¡°Yes. Did I get you in trouble?¡±
¡°No. You got yourself in big big trouble. The next time I see you you''re going to get a big sloppy kiss.¡±
¡°I''m confused, Pris. You sound happy, and your sentences don''t quite connect.¡±
¡°Well I think they do. Would you like a hint?¡±
¡°Yes please.¡±
¡°Tough, I can''t think of any, so I''ll just tell you straight. Because of your testimony to my stamina, Maria looked up my record from Basic. They put in a request for me to go on staff, there and then. I''m going to be ''firm but fair'', Dirk. Can you imagine it?¡±
¡°Hated by half of security.¡±
¡°And loved by the ones who need it, yes. Pushing people so they know what their real limits are, not just the edges of their comfort zones. It takes stamina, got it. It takes reading people, got it. It takes being able to sneak up on people, got it. It takes field experience, got it. It takes the ability to look to people''s best interests, no matter how much they''re moaning, I''m not sure if I can do it, but I''ll try.¡±
¡°You can do that last one, too, Pris. I mean, look at how you''ve been applying cold hard logic to our relationship.¡±
¡°Speaking of which.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°It looks like I''m not going to be vanishing in a cloud of dust. Therefore, some of that cold hard logic rather falls apart, and I can admit something to myself.... I''m falling in love with you, Dirk Smythe.¡±
¡°I love you too, Priscilla Robertson. So, why am I in trouble?¡±
¡°Because now I''ve admitted that to myself and to you, then sooner or later I''m going to introduce you to my family, and you''re going to need to introduce me to yours, and then where will we be, eh?¡±
¡°Building up everyone''s expectations,¡± Dirk said, ¡°not to mention each other''s.¡±
¡°Exactly. See? You''ve landed yourself in in trouble.¡±
¡°I don''t mind that sort of trouble, not if you''re with me.¡±
¡°Now that was a good answer. I''d better tell your sister about her new future too.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°You can ask her sometime. Not on work time. In case you''re wondering, Maria told me I could tell you about my lovely new role.¡±
¡°You don''t mind giving up being a courier?¡±
¡°For this? No, not at all!¡±
¡°I''m very glad.¡±
¡°So am I. See you tonight!¡±
¡°See you tonight, Pris.¡±
Friday 15th December 10am
¡°Hi, Eliza. Any progress on the case while we''ve been away?¡±
¡°Yes. They''ve been busy. All of them decided to confess everything. Basically, they''re wrapping up the loose ends.¡±
¡°So, you''re not needed there any more?¡±
¡°Not really.¡±
¡°Then while I''m on my way down to Restoration, to learn how to be firm but fair, it looks like you''re due here in the capital ¡±
¡°You''re being assigned to staff on basic training?¡±
¡°Yes. Aren''t I the lucky one!¡±
¡°Urm, I guess so. It''s not something I''d enjoy, all those goodbyes.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m used to general goodbyes, as you know. But it means I don''t need to say goodbye to Dirk, which simplifies things no end. Anyway, Maria wants to interview you for a new role.¡±
¡°Maria herself?¡±
¡°Yes, indeed.¡±
¡°Can you tell me what the role is? Is it diplomatic?¡±
¡°I can''t tell you the role. I can tell you some of the things it involvles, if you like.¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
¡°Long term relationships, keeping yourself and others safe, quite a lot of travel but having said that, you''ll be in the capital a lot of the time. And lots of brain-work.¡±
¡°That sounds like some kind of mutant flying analyst-cum-bodyguard. Sounds like it fits me, though, even if it''s nothing I''ve ever heard of. When do I go?¡±
¡°Good question. The answer might be now. I''ll just ask.¡±
¡°Just so I know... should I go expect to stay in the capital?¡±
¡°Always safer to be prepared. I''ll ask that too.¡±
¡°Thank''s Pris.¡±
Friday 15th December 11.30am
¡°Thank you for getting here so soon, Eliza.¡± Maria said.
¡°Pris said that I should grab clothes for a week and jump on the next hypersonic, so I did.¡±
¡°Well done. Being able to move that fast is a very good point in your favour.¡±
¡°I err, do have a reservation for a trip this weekend. Is it a problem if I''m not here?¡±
¡°Not at all, have a good holiday. Now, tell me what you know about this job.¡±
¡°Pris told me there''d be brain-work, travel, long term relationships and keeping people safe.¡±
¡°Were those her exact words?¡±
¡°No, I summarised. Would you like me to repeat them?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
Eliza thought back and said ¡°Direct quote: ''Long term relationships, keeping yourself and others safe, quite a lot of travel but having said that, you''ll be in the capital a lot of the time. And lots of brain-work.''¡±
¡°Well done. You''ve just proved you''ve got a good memory. That''s important. So, Is that all you know?¡±
¡°I know that you''re interviewing me, and that I need a good memory.¡± She made a guess, the only thing she''d been able to come up with in the last frantic hour: ¡°I don''t know how relevant it is, but I know that Pris has been reassigned to be staff on basic training.¡±
¡°If it were relevant, then where might your thoughts lead you? Walk me through the process.¡±
Eliza tried to keep her emotions under control, and her thoughts in order. ¡°I''m aware that in the last week, maybe before too, Bella has been labeling Pris as your assistant, maybe even understudy. I''m also aware that Pris''s reaction was to say ''I''m a courier!'', but that she''s very happy to be moved to basic training. So my hypothesis is that either she hadn''t thought of that possibility at all, or her ''I''m a courier'' protest was directed against the role that Bella had allocated her. I''m also aware that Bella''s assumption wasn''t groundless, and that Pris moving to a full-time training position will mean that she can''t continue in the different tasks where she''s been representing you. I can imagine that such a role as the one Pris has been fulfilling would indeed match all the aspects of what she told me.¡±
¡°You''re wrong in that last bit.¡± Maria said. ¡°Pris has had no need to protect anyone except herself. Nor has she travelled far at all. So correct your analysis and tell me about your role.¡±
¡°Urm. OK. I can imagine that the sort of role Bella''s been ascribing to Pris would fit the description.¡±
¡°Who do you think you''d be protecting?¡±
¡°Ultimately, the Royal Family and thus the nation, more immediately, you?¡±
¡°Good guess, who else?¡±
¡°Anyone I was taking instructions to? I''d need to make sure the information I had didn''t get into anyone else''s hands.¡±
¡°Yes. You''d be acting as a special courier, part of the time, but not often. Mostly, we''d leave couriers to do that. I''d imagine that you''d be taking a lot of travel load from me, eventually. I''d be staying at home with my long-suffering husband, and you''d be visiting me one day a week, or so, to tell me things in person that can''t go electronically.
The travel time is about six hours, plus or minus a couple, depending on the connection. You''ll probably be able to do it as a long day trip, I know I have done. If there''s not time you can stay over, or I could meet you half way. You wouldn''t be getting all the information, of course. Already I get a lot at home. What you''d be doing, again this is probably a year away, is relaying stuff to their majesties. Which is where I take a little pause for you to reflect. Again, I''d like to hear your thought processes.¡±
¡°I''m honoured, maam. I don''t particularly understand why me, but I feel really honoured to be considered for this posting.¡±
¡°You realise, I presume that it''s more of a career path than a posting?¡±
¡°I, urm, was trying not to think of that maam. It''s scary enough to consider it as a posting. I don''t understand why it should be me.¡±
¡°Let me explain it to you then. I''m turning fifty relatively soon. I have about fifteen years before I''m due to retire, and while I''ve no plans to retire early, it is normally expected for the head of Security to... shall we say fade into the background and adopt a more advisory role. The minimum time for on-the-job training, if we are to have a smooth transition, is five years. Ten is better. This automatically rules out of consideration anybody over forty, or we can''t guarantee a good transition to whoever who comes after them. And of course that depends on there being an agreed on trainee, which you''re not going t be for quite a while yet. Add a year or two for the other heads of departments to get to know and trust the individual, and you''re looking for someone thirty-eight or younger. But, like I say, that''s the upper limit. Twenty five or so makes more sense. So, I''ve got about three or four years to find someone roughly twenty-five years old, who I can put through their paces as an assistant. Yes, Bella was sort of right: Pris was stuck with regular hospital visits and I gave her some assistant type tasks. I wasn''t very confident that she''d cope with it, and it''s pretty clear that she hated some aspects of it. You''re not the only candidate, but you''re the only candidate who''s at all feasible now, and seeing how much Pris helped, makes me realise that having an assistant is a very good thing indeed. If you decide the job''s not for you, then tell me, and we''ll find someone else. There''s time. There''s plenty of time, and if home wasn''t an embassy a long way from here then I wouldn''t be asking, I expect. But it is. You seem to have the potential, you''ve got roughly the right character traits. So, you get first stab at it. You might find out you can''t work with me, I might decide you''re better suited to another job. We''ll see, OK? Unless you want to tell me the challenge is too much.¡±
¡°I don''t easily turn down a challenge, though I am able to admit when I''m beaten.¡±
¡°I noticed that in the reports I got about this last week.¡± Maria paused ¡°I have a personal question for you. Nigel: There''s quite an age gap.¡±
¡°Yes, we''ve talked about it.¡±
¡°Brutal time, sorry. Given that men on average still die younger, you''re probably going to be a widow a long time. Also, assuming you don''t want to have kids at university when he retires, then you''ve got about ten years before your last child is born. Some women don''t start until their mid thirties. If you accept this role, if you do well, and if you are selected as my successor, I will tell you now, when you start training, then you''ll basically be living in my pocket. You don''t want to be doing full-on training with a toddler who can''t be without mummy. It would just about work with a babe-in-arms, but they don''t stay that size for long. It would be far better to wait until you''re actually confirmed in my place. In other words, seven to twelve years from now. The other option is that you work as my assistant far longer than you need to and start your family very soon, so that any children you have are at least in school by the time you start training. We can delay the onset of your training up to seven years, maximum. At which point, of course, we''d all be hoping and praying that we''ve got a replacement couple at the embassy, and I can be living here. Otherwise either you don''t see your children or I don''t see my husband.¡±
¡°Oh. So, say, four kids at two year intervals, like my parents had, is just going to be impossible?¡±
¡°Not impossible. But sufficiently difficult that I''d say that if that''s your dream, it''d be better to take this job as my assistant ¡ª I do need one ¡ª but not think of it as a stepping stone anywhere so much as helping me out, and a chance to see a bit of the world and be near Nigel at the same time.¡±
¡°This isn''t something I''ve talked about with Nigel at all, but thank you. I hadn''t thought through those implications.¡±
¡°I''m just speaking from experience, Eliza. We thought it all through and decided to wait, but God sent us Karen unexpectedly, part of the way through my training. I must say that a new baby and taking over at the same time would have been even worse.¡±
¡°If it''s not rude to ask; you didn''t think of having more than one child?¡±
¡°We''d been assigned to the embassy. It made absolutely perfect sense for us to do it; we knew the president personally from our days in fieldwork, and had, still have, a good relationship with him. But looking after the embassy, plus the interesting bits of Security, plus a toddler, plus a new baby? I think that would have been rather too much. I know we did then. The other reason for accepting the embassy, of course, was keeping away from my brother.¡±
¡°I don''t think I''ve been officially told who your brother is.¡±
¡°But you''ve worked it out?¡±
¡°Cousins, dresses, cameras, wedding dates. Yes.¡±
¡°It''s going to be fairly obvious in eight days time, when the world sees Karen in that spectacularly famous dress, and just as confirmation Eliza and Albert are at the wedding.¡±
¡°Yes. Well, at least the fact that they''re cousins.¡±
¡°My maiden name goes on the marriage certificate.¡±
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
¡°And that becomes a matter of public record.¡±
¡°If the press have any sense, they''ll also spot Sarah as bridesmaid, look up who she is and see that her mother wore the dress too. That was a high society wedding, too. And just to grind it into everyone''s faces, Karen and Sarah are going to be bridesmaids at Eliza''s wedding.¡±
¡°Isn''t the correct phrase ''matron of honour'' if they''re married?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Oh, you''ve been reading old books?¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°It used to be the right phrase, for a married head-bridesmaid or ''maid of honour'', at least in some parts of the world. But really, I''m not aware of there ever being a restriction on someone stopping being a ''lady''s maid'' in the sense of helper, just because they got married. So if a lady can have a married maid, why can''t a bride?¡±
¡°Oh, thanks. That makes sense of it for me. So, one more secret escapes. Does it have practical repercussions?¡±
¡°Not so many for me. Quite a lot for Karen, you know she''s joining the service? I don''t think it''ll be Security with the public profile she''ll have. Oh, by the way, you have a lot of studying to do, for which you can partly thank my niece''s research.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Parliament have just voted in a new law. Civil service promotions are on hold until the candidate has passed a civics exam.¡±
¡°Does that affect Pris, too?¡±
¡°No. Courier to pretty much anything is at best a sideways move. But witness protection to director''s assistant? Certainly a move up. There''s a grace period. I can move you into the post and give you the duties, but you don''t get the pay-rise until you''ve passed, and it''s not back-dated. And if you decide to be lazy and not study, then the only direction your career goes from now on is down. Sorry.¡±
¡°I''d better get studying then. Where and when can I take the exam?¡±
¡°That is part of the problem. The spending freeze makes setting up exam centres rather hard, so you''ll quite possibly need to hunt around for a school with an exam being sat, then sit it along with the spotty teenagers. The exam used to be set in schools anyway, so apart from the age differences, and of course the difficulties of school security, why not? There ought to be some guidance offered over the weekend.¡±
¡°So, like I don''t know how many other civil servants, I need to find an old school textbook, find a school, and apply for the exam?¡±
¡°That''s about it. Karen and George are in the same boat, only civil-service recruiting decided that it was easier to put everyone''s entire application process on hold until the applicants manage it, than to track down who had and hadn''t done it this year.¡±
¡°So, they have five days to do it before they cause a major disruption to the serenity of the exam hall?¡±
¡°Yes. I assure you that we''re aware of the situation. Otherwise they''ll sit it as part of their finals, which is also possible, but just means less time to revise in an already over-busy exam schedule.¡±
¡°And their wedding is all organised?¡±
¡°I certainly hope so. So, your brain has had some time to assimilate stuff. Does it need more, or do we move to interview stage three?¡±
¡°What''s stage three?¡±
¡°We go and talk to their majesties.¡±
Friday 15th December 5.45pm
¡°Hello, handsome.¡± Eliza said, totally surprising Nigel.
¡°I thought we were meeting at the station?¡±
¡°We were. That was before I got reassigned.¡±
¡°Reassigned?¡±
¡°I''m allowed to tell you. I''m Maria''s new assistant, and Pris is learning how to be firm but fair.¡±
¡°She''s got the stamina for that job.¡± Nigel nodded, ¡°But I think I must have misheard you.¡±
¡°I don''t think so. Assistant to the director of field operations. Confirmed by their majesties this afternoon.¡±
¡°Gulp.¡± he said and turned away.
¡°What''s wrong?¡±
¡°You''re going to end up knowing too much, aren''t you?¡± he asked the wall he was facing, feeling like the ground had opened under him, and plunging into despondency.
¡°Too much for what?¡±
¡°To talk to me.¡± Nigel said.
¡°Nigel, what are you talking about?¡±
¡°Isn''t it obvious?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°I''m happy for you, but it''s the end of us, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Why?¡± she asked, incredulous.
¡°Surely you''re not that na?ve?¡±
¡°I think I must be, Nigel, and Maria must be, because we were talking about family planning if I end up, in two to seven years, getting selected to be trained up to take over her job. Neither she nor I thought it meant the end of our relationship.¡±
¡°How can it not be? You''ll have so much going on in your head that you can''t talk to me about because of clearance issues, and you''ll want to talk to someone about it. It''ll pull us apart.¡±
¡°Nigel, you''ve got clearance, remember? Where did you get that rubbish? It''s not like you''re a civilian. Oh. Is that where it came from?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°You told me, after you''d broken up with Wilma. Did it come from the psych-counsellor, telling you it would never have worked out anyway?¡±
¡°I guess it might have. You think it can work?¡±
¡°Of course it can work, Nigel. I mean, we''ll probably both get bumped up to one alpha or something, but it can work. I''m sure we can talk about things. But shouldn''t we be moving?¡±
¡°Do you have your stuff?¡±
¡°Yes. I left it at the station. Good job I was all packed.¡±
¡°I''ll just grab my stuff.¡±
¡°Need a hand?¡±
¡°I can manage, but if you''ve really got nothing to carry, yes please. You''re not changing into your dress?¡±
¡°It''s at the station too. But I''m now based here: I''m apparently just down the hall from Bella.¡±
¡°That''s handy for going out isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I looked at my armor last night.¡±
¡°Badly rusty?¡±
¡°I knew I''d not be wearing it for a while, so I sprayed it all over. So there''s only a tiny bit of rust in one space where I missed. But there''s a bigger problem.¡±
¡°You''re not the same shape as you used to be?¡±
¡°Worse. The rust protection I used must have attacked the straps. They''re falling apart; I''ll need to find a complete set if I''m going to put the armour on. Hopefully there''s someone selling them at the tournament.¡±
¡°There probably will be. So, court wear for you tomorrow?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Well, that''s nicer to hug, anyway. By the way, I''m planning to spend the trip up embroidering your belt. Can''t have you wearing a lie, can we?¡±
¡°Thank you, Eliza. I''m actually wondering if I should take the armour at all. It''ll take an hour or more to redo the straps, and I can''t imagine turning up to church in full plate. I''d be a bit out of place, I think.¡±
¡°You''ll fit right in. Christine said the pastor at one of the local churches is a reenactor, and there''ll be a service on site.¡±
¡°And there I was thinking that you swapping contact details was just your psychological quirk.¡±
¡°Very useful quirk.¡± Eliza said. ¡°Speaking of which, why don''t we call them and ask if there''ll be anyone with straps for sale?¡±
Friday 15th December 6.00pm
¡°Hi Bella!¡± Trevor greeted her with a kiss and his thoughts hidden as they met at their agreed spot ¡ª just outside the palace. Bella, Trevor noticed had traded the practical clothes she''d worn the past week for the dress she''d worn on their previous evening out. ¡°You look stunning.¡±
¡°You''re biased, but thank you. You''re looking rather elegant too. So, how was your first day back at the office?¡±
¡°Mostly away from the office. But can I ask about yours first?¡±
¡°I already asked you first.¡±
¡°I know. But some things in my day are probably going to keep coming up the whole evening. So, anything you can and want to tell me about your day?¡±
¡°Yes. I missed you, especially at lunch time. A cryptic note saying ''Sorry, I can''t come for lunch, but people you know say ¡°hi ¡°, meal out tonight in apology.'' does not exactly compensate for missed hugs. Nor does it explain why you''re still keeping your thoughts hidden.¡±
¡°Neither of us are dressed for a long walk in this weather, but can we walk a bit before we catch a transport?¡±
¡°Of course. It''s not too cold yet, and this is warmer than it looks.¡±
¡°I hope so. OK, nothing else you want to tell me before I derail your thought processes?¡±
¡°Not really. The usual to here, from there sort of stuff. I did meet Pris, with a massive grin on her face. She''s got a new assignment.¡±
¡°Oh, formally assigned to be Maria''s assistant?¡±
¡°No, formally escaped from that future, hence the grin. She''s going to be firm but fair, apparently.¡±
Trevor was silent for a bit then said ¡°I can imagine that working incredibly well. I mean, she doesn''t look like she could run us all into the ground, but she did, didn''t she?¡±
¡°She did, yes, and that was after a few months of mostly desk-work. Imagine what she''ll be like once she''s really back to full fitness? She''ll have those poor tough-guy recruits in tears. Plus I think she''s going to love sneaking up on people to scare the living daylights out of them when they''re on night watch.¡±
¡°She did it to us enough, yes.¡±
¡°So, who says hi?¡±
¡°John and Sarah. I got told to go and get my head checked over as part of my new job.¡±
¡°Oh wow. And? What did they dig up? Are you fixed already? How long do they think it will take?¡± Trevor heard Bella''s enthusiasm and hoped what he said wasn''t a going to hurt her too deeply. He stopped and looked into her eyes, pleading with her to understand.
¡°My fear isn''t at root a fear; it''s an aversion, and it helps obedience. When I was six there was a missionary pilot visiting our church, and it sounded like fun. I prayed about whether I ought to be one of them. God answered ''never fly'', and to make it clear planted my aversion in my mind. It seems that it would be sin for me to fly. I don''t know why.¡±
¡°Oh. Nothing to fix then? But no flying for you.¡± It was a surprise. She''d assumed, with everyone else, that eventually his fears would be cured, that he''d be able to fly eventually.
¡°No. Not unless I''m forced to break a specific command.¡±
¡°Trevor, that changes things doesn''t it?¡± Bella said in a neutral voice. She was happy ¡ª no delay ¡ª and a little sad too, that they''d never see as much of the world as she''d hoped.
¡°How do you mean?¡± Trevor asked, fearful.
Bella, hearing his fear realised that he needed reassurance of her love, and gave him a bright smile, ¡°My stupid condition is null and void. Can I give you a hug? You sound tense and worried and I think you need one. And stop hiding, or you''ll get stuck.¡±
¡°Bella, be sensible. If you hug me when I''m not hidden...¡±
¡°Then you''ll hear my heart singing.¡± She said, laying her head on his shoulder.
¡°I was afraid that you''d say it wouldn''t work.¡±
¡°Just stop it, or I''ll propose to you.¡± she kissed him, ¡°Trevor, it''s not like you''ve got cancer or anything. We can have a happy life together without going anywhere exotic. And stop hiding.¡±
¡°Bella, if I unhide like this then we might get feedback.¡±
¡°And if you don''t then you''ll get stuck.¡±
¡°We said we''d not risk that until we''re engaged.¡±
¡°Then get on with asking, if you''re ready to, or tell me you''re not.¡±
¡°I can''t ask you like this.¡±
¡°That''s true. You need to do it mind to mind.¡±
¡°You never said that.¡±
¡°I''ve just decided.¡±
¡°How do I ask you mind to mind if we''re going to be risking thought-blotting-out feedback?¡±
¡°Trevor, do you want me to ask you?¡±
¡°I love you very much Bella, will you marry me?¡±
¡°As long as you can ask me that with your mind. You''re worrying me.¡±
Trevor tried to unhide. ¡°Rightly, it seems.¡± he said, and concentrated on being a bubble. It didn''t take long for him to hear Bella''s concern, and then he was out. [Bella, I''m out. Will you marry me?]
[{relief}Good to hear your thoughts, Trevor. Of course I will. I''ve been wanting you to ask me for at least half a week.]
[What about your declaration that I needed to get fixed first?]
[It was inconvenient. Anyway, you''ve tried; it can''t be done, let''s get on with important things. Did you notice, no feedback.]
[Yet. I''m trying hard to keep my emotions under control.]
[Me too. This is too nice to break it with feedback.]
[Bella, nice though this is, we do have a reservation.]
[Too far away to walk?]
[Too far to go at this speed.]
[So''s five metres. Shall we start walking?] she pointed out.
[Yes, my beloved fianc¨¦e{joy,love}]
They started walking, hand in hand.
[I love you too, but your emotions are starting to leak.]
[That''s amazing.]
[Why?]
[They''re only leaking, not filling the whole world. Maybe Sarah was right.]
[What?]
[We''ve got more expertise than them in some things.]
[You''re used to keeping your emotions from leaking?]
[Maybe I am. I don''t know. What about you?]
[My Mum''s got the power. Of course I am.]
[I''m not sure, but sometimes I think Fido can pick things up, so yes, I do try not to project emotions round him.]
[Now that''s a interesting thought. More experiments for the institute to do some year.]
[Handy skill in a guide dog.]
[Hmm. So you think people might have been breeding for it, unknowing?]
[It''s as good an explanation as any.]
[You''ve never picked anything up from him?]
[There''s a lot of fur on him. And I while know there are some pet owners who let their dogs lick them, I''ve always thought ''yuck''.]
[I''m glad to hear you say that. There''s two questions I''m going to get asked, when I tell people we''re engaged.]
[Can they see your ring and have we set a wedding date?]
[Yes.]
[Well, let''s wait a bit on the latter.]
[And the ring?]
[I don''t want to risk dropping it in the dark.]
Dropping hands, Bella said ¡°I love you, Trevor.¡±
¡°I love you too, Bella.¡±
Friday 15th December 6.20pm
¡°Hello William, long time no see.¡± Nigel said to his old friend. He''d aged, Nigel noticed, but then Nigel expected he had too.
William was amazed, ¡°Nigel! I thought you''d abandoned us for ever! It certainly felt like it. Eliza, I know you said you''d be bringing a man I knew, but you could have given me a hint! How many years has it been?¡±
Before he answered, there was something Nigel felt he had to check up on. ¡°Majesty, the lady Eliza, wearing the belt of your court, bid me welcome to return to the kingdom. Is this the case, in truth, or didst thou indeed issue a writ of treason against me for entering into the bodyguard of the high king, as thou raged at our last meeting?¡±
¡°Erm. I rather think I might have. Sorry.¡± William admitted, shame-faced.
¡°You did what!¡± Eliza exclaimed.
¡°Things got a bit heated, Eliza. Nigel told me he wasn''t going the be in my bodyguard, I told him I needed him, and I wasn''t going to let him just resign like that. He said I''d do perfectly well without him. I said he''d better turn up at the next meeting or I''d pass a writ of treason against him. He told me to grow up, and get used to not seeing him around. Since there were witnesses to me threatening the writ, I expect I signed it the next meeting. And we got used to not seeing Nigel around.¡±
¡°And did perfectly well without me.¡± Nigel said.
¡°I think I grew up a bit too.¡± William admitted, ¡°Good job that we''re going to be guests of another kingdom though, or I''d need to put Eliza on trial for offering welcome to a traitor.¡±
¡°If that''s necessary, I demand trial by combat, your majesty. Personally," Eliza said, smiling sweetly as William winced. ¡°After all, I''ve heard you say a number of times how it would be good to have Sir Brokennose back amongst us, and made no mention at all that you''d declared him traitor. I''m sure that God will ensure that victory goes to the righteous.¡±
¡°OK, OK, I admit it was a stupid, vindictive thing to do.¡± William said.
¡°So where does that leave us?¡± Nigel asked.
¡°Wondering where everyone else is.¡± William said.
¡°Oh, that''s easy. I told you six twenty and everyone else half past, so you could have some private time with your old friend. I didn''t know you''d gone and exiled him, but Nigel told me you''d argued, so I thought it might be good to not have crowds around. And I did give you a clue. William. I specified this meeting point.¡±
¡°Which was always where I suggested we meet,¡± Nigel added, ¡°If you remember.¡±
¡°I do remember, I did, even, and thought it''s a long time since I''ve met anyone there.¡±
¡°So, you had your clue. You know who I work for, and you know what Nigel''s job is, so you had enough to work it out, I think.¡±
¡°Yes, all right. You''re clever, Eliza and I''m not. Nigel, did Eliza tell you I''d had to sell the plane?¡±
¡°Yes. Sorry to hear that.¡±
¡°Another business venture like that one and I''m going to lose my house too.¡±
¡°What went wrong?¡±
¡°Financially, the usual. I ignored expert advice.¡±
¡°You got expert advice and then ignored it? Any particular motive?¡±
¡°She was very pretty, a friend, and I wanted to help her.¡±
¡°And she ran off with the money?¡± Nigel asked, half joking.
¡°No! No, sadder than that. She died; it was sudden heart failure according to the coroner. I''d guaranteed the loan she took out to set up in business ¡ª a smithy ¡ª and when she died she dropped what she was working on, that started a fire which pretty much gutted the place. So the bank said no smith, no smithy, hand over the money. There''s a small chance her insurance might pay up eventually, but it''ll probably be a long time.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± Nigel said. ¡°Sorry, I shouldn''t have joked.¡±
¡°It''s OK. It was a year ago. I''m not about to break down in tears. But if you know anyone recruiting a pilot or ski instructor or anything else you can think of that I might be able to do, please do tell.¡±
¡°Ski instructor?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Grand scheme number eight, I think it was. I did ski-instructing as a winter-vacation job as a student, I''ve got the certificates and everything. I saw this second hand ski-tow, dirt cheap. I thought, yeah, buy a bunch of skis, hire a nice steep farmer''s field for the winter, within an easy commute of the capital, hey presto: instant ski-school, loads of money!¡±
¡°What happened?¡±
¡°I got the ski-tow, bought the skis, then the deal for the field fell apart, I couldn''t find another one that winter, or the one after, gave it up as a dead loss and went on to schemes nine, ten and I think the forge was number twenty.¡±
Eliza and Nigel looked at each other.
¡°Have you still got the skis and the ski-tow?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Yes, I just kept on hoping, you know. The skis are still in their nice shiny wrappings at home, the ski pull is collecting bird''s nests at the end of the barn.¡±
¡°You need to talk to a man called Bob Coal.¡± Nigel said.
¡°The Jester?¡± William asked.
¡°Yes.¡± Eliza confirmed ¡°He was just telling us yesterday that he''d love to put some kind of ski-lift up this hillside he''s in charge of, between the cabins and the tournament field. We went down the slope on a sledge. It was great fun.¡±
¡°You said it was good weather up there for skis, Eliza, you didn''t say we could be skiing to the tournament!¡±
¡°Problem?¡± Nigel asked, realising that William''s long-bow case had skis in it as well as his bow.
¡°Not at all. But it sounds a glorious idea. You really think he wants my ski lift?¡±
¡°I think he thinks he wants an instant ski-hire company so he doesn''t need to gamble on the skis. He was talking about using a tractor to take people to the top of the slope. The grand scheme is a cafe near the peak with some kind of all-year chairlift or cable-car. The views are impressive, but I think he knows he needs to start on a smaller scale.¡±
¡°And he really owns that much land?¡±
¡°He''s director of the land management company. Mostly it''s woodland, like where the cabins are, but by the sound of it they own three quarters of the mountain, the rest is a national park.¡±
¡°And you went down on sledges?¡± William asked. ¡°How steep is it?¡±
¡°Depends where you are. We weren''t crazy enough to go straight down. I''m pretty sure you could use a drag lift to take you to near the top, though.¡±
¡°That''s what I wanted to hear.¡±
¡°Here,¡± Nigel said, unfolding the screen of his wrist unit, ¡°scene from the top.¡±
¡°Ooh. Pretty views. You went up there in your full garb, Eliza?¡±
¡°It''s warm, comfortable, and mostly dirt proof.¡±
¡°Not to mention that she looks stunning in it.¡± Nigel said.
¡°So, do I gather that you were stunned, Nigel?¡± William asked.
¡°It was mutual.¡± Eliza replied.
¡°But Nigel, you''re a Christian, and Eliza''s not. Or has something changed?¡±
William asked, obviously confused.
¡°I didn''t used to be. I am now.¡± Eliza explained.
¡°Ooh, pictures of where we''re going?¡± a woman asked, peering over William''s shoulder. ¡°Hi, Eliza, William. Who''s this man who''s been taking pictures of you, Eliza?¡±
¡°Hi Susan. Let me introduce you to my knight, Sir Nigel Brokennose. Nigel, this is Susan, who''s slightly better at archery than I am.¡±
¡°Hello Susan. The tournament''s going to be on the edge of the town here somewhere, the view is from the ridge between the cabins and the town. We can ski or sledge down if we want to, otherwise we''ll need to go down to reception and call for transport.¡±
¡°And you''ve just been staying in one of these cabins, Eliza?¡± Susan asked.
¡°Yes. I loved it. It''s basic, but the staff are friendly, the stove keeps the cabin nice and warm, cooks well and let all six of us have a nice warm shower every night.¡±
¡°So are we going to be in the same cabin you were in?¡±
¡°I hope not.¡± Nigel said. ¡°The site is something like eight kilometres across, and where we were last time wasn''t on the side closest to the tournament.¡±
¡°I hope we''re not going to need to walk eight kilometres tonight.¡±
¡°No! We go up the hypersonic, change to maglev, and get met by someone from the station and driven to the cabin.¡± Nigel said, then re-thought. ¡°Urm, well, actually, that probably depends how many other cabins they managed to rent out. We might need to catch a taxi to the reception and then get taken to our cabin. You did the booking, what did they say, my lady?¡±
¡°Goodman Henry said to me that I should call to him by means of the crystal bracelet when we approach, and at that point he will advise us whether his wagon is in the vicinity or if we should approach one of the wagoneers awaiting custom at the staging post. And if it''s OK with everyone, I''ll just go and change into my dress while you wait for the others.¡±
As Eliza vanished, Susan asked Nigel ¡°Have you known Eliza long?¡±
¡°No, not long. I''ve heard her being mentioned a few times at work, though.¡±
¡°Oh? You''re in witness protection too?¡± Susan asked.
¡°Sir Brokennose left my body guard for the High King''s, milady Susan.¡± William corrected quickly. ¡°He''s in Royal protection.¡±
¡°Eliza''s done her bit of royal protection too, indirectly. Did you see any of the pictures of the woman they were calling the prince''s red-head?¡± Nigel asked.
¡°Yes. She looked familiar... No! You''re not saying it was Eliza, are you?¡±
Just as Susan said that, another couple of reenacters, Jim and Rachel, arrived. Jim had been a part-time reporter and together, Nigel remembered, they''d served excellent spit-roasted pork. Nigel wasn''t sure they''d recognise him, though, he had probably been just another mouth to feed.
¡°What was Eliza?¡± Rachel asked, ¡°And where is she?¡±
¡°Just changing into her garb, Rachel.¡± Nigel supplied. ¡°I get the feeling she thinks it would be entirely inappropriate to go back to the cabins dressed in anything else. Susan was just expressing disbelief that Eliza pretended to be a red-head for the sake of confusing the press.¡±
¡°I told them. I told them, ''that red-head''s got a wig on'' but they didn''t ask me how I knew, and they didn''t believe me.¡± Jim the reporter said, then asked ¡°You''re her colleague from work?¡± Jim asked.
¡°That''s one way to describe him, Jim.¡± William supplied, ¡°But I think your reporter''s memory is failing you.¡±
¡°Oh? Your face does trigger some neurons. But I can''t place you. Have I seen you on news reports?¡±
¡°It''s possible.¡± Nigel admitted.
¡°Has Eliza been keeping her belt up to date?¡± William asked Nigel.
¡°Yes, she has.¡± Nigel smiled.
¡°Maybe that''ll jog Jim''s memory then.¡±
¡°What''s Eliza''s belt got to do with anything?¡± Jim asked.
¡°I guess Eliza''s been putting this man''s mark on it, Jim, and his Majesty thinks we ought to remember it.¡±
¡°Are you still serving the best spit-roasted pork on the planet?¡± Nigel asked.
¡°Oooh, that dates him.¡± Jim exclaimed. ¡°We haven''t roasted a pig in, what, four years, love?¡±
¡°It was too much hassle.¡± Rachel explained. ¡°And Jim''s back wasn''t up to hauling the meat around.¡±
¡°Oh. Shame, my taste-buds were getting all excited.¡± Nigel said.
¡°So, who is he?¡± Jim asked, ¡°William knows him, he''s been away from the tournament for years, he works with Eliza, come on brain.¡±
¡°Here comes your hint.¡± Susan said.
¡°Eliza, Jim and Rachel want to look at your belt for a hint.¡± Nigel said.
¡°What''s this Eliza!¡± Rachel asked, seeing the Chi-Rho symbol on her belt, ?, ¡°You''ve signed up with the God-squad?¡±
¡°Well, when a teenager tells me that I was being really dumb, I''m not too proud to give things a re-think. And she was right, by the way. But the symbol you''re supposed to be looking at is Nigel''s one here.¡±
¡°It looks like a nose.¡±
¡°Thankyou.¡± Eliza said ¡°It''s supposed to.¡±
¡°Now hold on! You''re not Nigel Broken-nose? Surely!¡± Jim said ¡°Here, let me have a better look at you. You''re about six years late for your treason trial.¡±
¡°It was all a stupid mistake.¡± William said.
¡°Oh?¡± Rachel asked.
¡°Yes. I made a stupid mistake in thinking that Nigel wasn''t far more stubborn than I was. Not to mention that he was in the right, and I was acting as king brat. Anyone happen to know how I revoke the treason charge?¡±
¡°What, other than he de-thrones you?¡± Jim asked.
¡°Not interested, sorry.¡± Nigel said quickly. ¡°I''m purely in it for the fun, the sport and the company.¡±
¡°Urm, services to the crown?¡± Rachel suggested.
¡°That''s my day-job. For real.¡±
¡°Think creatively, Nigel!¡± William said. ¡°If you''re right about Bob then that''d be a real service.¡±
¡°That''s just helping a friend.¡±
¡°So was getting your nose smashed.¡±
¡°Well, then.¡± Eliza said. ¡°Why didn''t you remember that, when you decided to exile one of your best friends?¡±
¡°Because I was young and stupid.¡±
¡°How about the service to the crown of demonstrating that?¡± Nigel asked.
William groaned. ¡°All right. We''ll count that as a service to the crown. I certainly haven''t made any stupid threats since you vanished. I hope they''ve got some parchment up at this tournament.¡±
¡°What, the real stuff?¡± Eliza asked, shocked.
¡°No, Just something a bit more physical than bits and bytes.¡±
¡°I''m sure we can get you something.¡± Eliza said. Her wrist unit bleeped. ¡°Time to catch our transit.¡±
Maria leant back against her husband ¡°It''s nice to know we''re going to be together for at least a week, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Don''t make promises you can''t keep.¡±
¡°Well, I''ve formally got an assistant now, at least.¡±
¡°Does that mean more or less work?¡±
¡°Less, eventually. In the mean time, not much change.¡±
¡°So tell me about him or her.¡±
¡°Her. Name of Eliza, just to confuse everyone.¡±
¡°Not good planning there.¡±
¡°That''s about the only thing I can find to fault her with. Well, almost. She also likes dressing up in pseudo-medieval costumes to inflict mayhem and destruction on her friends.¡±
¡°With a sword?¡±
¡°No, fortunately. That apparently is the role of Nigel the royal bodyguard.¡±
¡°That vaguely rings a bell. Didn''t he give it up, years ago?¡±
¡°Sort of, apparently the king of make believe land didn''t let him resign from being his bodyguard when Nigel became a real R.P. officer. But now the pair of them are together, he''s going back, and hoping the pseudo-king has got the point that there''s a real world out there, and he''s just dressing up for fun.¡±
¡°And wielding a sword is fun, is it?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I''ve never tried.¡±
¡°So how are you going to keep the two Eliza''s separate when you talk about them?¡±
¡°Maybe I''ll just drop names and call them my niece and my assistant.¡±
¡°Assistant-cum-slave, or assistant-cum-friend?¡±
¡°I hope friend. I''m going to miss Pris.¡±
¡°What have you done with her?¡±
¡°She couldn''t cope with the mental side of things. She''s an out and about and moving sort of person.¡±
¡°So are you. You''re always out and about.¡±
¡°Yes, but I rejoice when I get the chance to sit still for a week. Pris groans.¡±
¡°Ah. So what''s her new role in life? Back to a courier?¡±
¡°No. She''s too well known for that at the moment. Possibly forever, but I haven''t told her that yet. Not that I think she''d care at the moment. There seems to be a veritable epidemic of people pairing up.¡±
¡°You still haven''t answered my question. Where''s Pris going?¡±
¡°She''s going to try being firm but fair. She''s got stamina by the bucket load, apparently and of course she''s quite capable of sneaking past dozy guards, and she looks so slight than she''s going to reduce the big tough lads to tears, I expect.¡±
¡°Physical strength isn''t everything.¡±
¡°Which is one thing Basic is supposed to teach people. I think she''ll do very well.¡±
¡°But we won''t see her much.¡± James said.
¡°Not unless she comes for a holiday, no.¡±
¡°Another end of an era.¡±
¡°Hmm. I was telling assistant-Eliza that I''ve got another fifteen years in service.¡±
¡°It''s true.¡±
¡°But I doubt the president does.¡±
¡°No. He''s talking about handing over power a lot sooner than that.¡±
¡°I was wondering. Assuming all goes well, and Deborah takes over....¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Would you want to stay on another fifteen years, or should we make the odd nepotistic suggestion?¡±
¡°I don''t think we need to. Karen actually asked for some fatherly advice recently.¡±
¡°It''s not that rare, surely?¡±
¡°I guess not. But anyway, she''s seriously thinking that there aren''t really many roles she or George could fit into in Security, and is wondering about diplomacy, in particular here, instead.¡±
¡°What did you tell her?¡±
¡°I told her to wait and see, and list them both as potential areas.¡±
¡°You know that''ll make recruiting grumpy, don''t you? They much prefer either a single area or a clean field.¡±
¡°Tough luck to them. Anyway, since recruiting decided to sit on their applications anyway and not even tell them, I''m not really sure I care.¡±
¡°I was half considering whether George''d be any good in Communications.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°He might, and of course they''re perfectly happy sitting on lots of knowledge they can''t share, but I think they''re both too people-centred really, not to mention active. I was thinking they could both fit in my new department though.¡±
¡°Your questions to Communications department? Yes, they might. But is it off the ground yet? I thought you said it was on hold.¡±
¡°Only because he was one of the group with Pris checking out the cabins.¡±
¡°Oh. How did that go?¡±
¡°Remarkably well, now that Sarah''s bought up the place and is installing secure cameras for us. Did you ever meet Bob Coal?¡±
¡°Your civilian package man in the diamond trade?¡±
¡°Yes. He''s director of Sarah''s land-management company which owns the site and now the cabin company. I got Pris to fill him in.¡±
¡°So, Karen''s going to a wonderful place run by trusted friends? That''s what I call a result.¡±
¡°Me too. It also seems that romance was very much in the air, as I mentioned earlier.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°A week ago, Bella and Trevor were falling in love with each other, now for all I know they''re engaged and the other four have also paired up.¡±
¡°Oh? So Pris paired up with the guy with the blabbermouth reputation? I can''t see that working out.¡±
¡°Assistant Eliza''s his sister, and they both turned to the Lord within about 5 minutes of each other, apparently. Part of Dirk''s motivation is he knew he couldn''t battle sin alone.¡±
¡°And Eliza''s?¡±
¡°She says that she got challenged last week by Karen and then by the teenager she was guarding ¡ª George''s cousin. Apparently the teenager wasn''t exactly subtle.¡± Maria laughed at the memory.
¡°Details?¡±
¡°Apparently the first quote went ''Why don''t you believe in God, you don''t seem stupid.'' When girl''s mum rebuked her and then Eliza said something about it being all right, she''d told Karen she was slightly crazy to believe in God, the girl politely said ''I''m Sorry, I retract my statement.''
¡°As in, ''Oops, you do seem stupid''?¡±
¡°Yes. Not the sort of thing you can say as an adult.¡±
¡°So, you''ve got an infant Christian as an assistant, and Pris and Nigel have them as people to go on dates with, with some overlap. Any more news?¡±
¡°Yes. The police have got pretty much all of Roland''s remaining associates.¡±
¡°Now that is good news. When you say ''pretty much all'', what does that mean?¡±
¡°It means that they''ve got all the ones who his surveillance/grab team know about and all the ones they know about too. I don''t think anyone is assuming that means the whole network. Plus they haven''t rounded up all of the gang members, but they do have a list. And we now know how the gang members are getting away so often these days. Once more, my little brother.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°In the interests of transparency, and so on, the police dispatch system automatically records how many officers were sent where, and publishes it one to fifty days later, depending on the seriousness of the crime. My oh so clever little brother made it so that if you typed in the right query pattern then the dispatch system changes the delay from days to seconds.¡±
¡°So once the police are dispatched, then the gangs know.¡±
¡°Except that Roland didn''t just give them the address, the gangs need to go through one of a number of computers he set up, so if the gangs disappoint him then he could cut them off.¡±
¡°Not stupid, your brother.¡±
¡°No. We also know how he persuaded them to all dance to his tune when they went mad in Restoration.¡±
¡°He offered to give them the keys?¡±
¡°Exactly, except of course he got himself arrested before he could do that. Isn''t that convenient?¡±
¡°Who for?¡±
¡°Well, it keeps the gangs cooperating with his organisation, for one thing. Keeps the gangs in line. Roland knew the keys, but his colleagues could easily enough cut the cables to the computers the gang was accessing through.¡±
¡°So, you think that Roland wanted to get arrested?¡±
¡°Eliza''s kidnapping put him under pressure, and he was improvising, and he knew it. He also knew that if we''d struggled to find why there were three gangs out doing mayhem on the same day then, we''d have probably invoked the terrorist laws. It was too much in one day, too bold, too brash, it had to be a conspiracy, especially with the messages he was supposed to send with the
attacks on Pris and George. So, yes. I think he gave us a sporting chance to catch him, and avoid the terror charges, and of course the out of character actions lent support for his insanity claim.¡±
¡°So, is he insane or not?¡±
¡°Of course he is. He probably hasn''t been sane since before I joined the Service. It''s merely that he''s been too coldly-calculating for people to believe it or to actually convict him of anything serious. But it''s entirely possible that he thinks he''s been very clever in faking the utter lunacy we saw in court. We presume that he has plans to escape, or maybe to slowly recover his senses or something.¡±
¡°So, you think he''s acting?¡±
¡°Partly. I think he''s also put just enough truth into it to convince people he''s really stark-raving bonkers. I mean, that stuff about ''you should be worshipping me'', it rang a bell. Not long ago I remembered when I''d heard it before;
before I left home, he said it to me. It was in the context of
some old film, about someone being treated as a god, I seem to remember, and I just laughed it off. I wonder if that film was part of what started him on this terrible road he''s taken.¡±
¡°I think he must have been pretty ill to start with, Maria, if that''s what convinced him.¡±
¡°Probably. But I wonder if I should try and talk to him again. Remembering watching that film with him... he wasn''t always a monster.¡±
¡°If you really want to. But, do wait until after the wedding, Maria, please. You know how talking to him affects you.¡±
¡°Oh, don''t worry, I''m not planning to do it any time soon.¡±
7.30pm
¡°Good to see you back so soon.¡± Henry welcomed Eliza and Nigel.
¡°Well, when the tournament back home was cancelled, I decided to bring some friends.¡±
¡°Oh, it''s you I''ve got to thank for all this work, is it?¡±
¡°Urm, possibly.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Don''t worry. It''s nice to see the place being used. Gives me a nice secure feeling in the wallet.¡±
¡°So, how many cabins are in use?¡±
¡°Ah, well, now. That''s going to be an interesting test.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Matt''s little booking program did its job rather well. I guessed that I''d be able to check twenty five stoves yesterday afternoon and today.¡±
¡°And it sold them all?¡±
¡°It did. I can''t tell you how much booking number twenty-five paid, but Matt was reportedly leaping around the office saying ''it worked, it worked''. The interesting thing is that got to twenty by lunchtime, hit twenty five by tea-break and since then I''ve managed an extra eight, that''s why I couldn''t come and meet you. Matt did but a notice on the booking site that I was working as fast as I could and more cabins might be available, so, you never know, maybe there''ll be thirty-three in use tomorrow morning.¡±
¡°That''s going to put a strain on transport isn''t it?¡±
¡°Don''t worry, I''ve already moved three sledges up to your cabin.¡±
¡°That''s great! How will it work, we''ll ride them down then hand them to someone at the bottom?¡±
¡°Yes. So do please head down fairly early. Others are going to want to use them after you, I expect.¡±
¡°Susan, you''ve got skis too, haven''t you?¡± William asked. ¡°Shall we make our way down on skis, so we don''t hog a sledge?¡±
¡°Yes, that''s fine,¡± she replied.
¡°I didn''t think to ask! Rachel and Jim, would you prefer to sledge down to the tournament, or catch a taxi?¡±
¡°How far are we talking?¡±
¡°Well, Eliza said you''d want one double bedroom and two twins, somewhere that getting to the tournament wouldn''t be hard, and I thought you''d all be youngsters, and so we put you right up near the ridge. It''ll certainly be faster to get to the top than to reception.¡± He stroked his beard. ¡°I guess you''re talking two and a half kilometres to reception and half a kilometre to the ridge. It''s a gentler slope to reception than to the tournament ground, and down hill all the way, but I don''t know if it''s too gentle for the sledges to go though. Probably the fastest way to get down, if you don''t want to go by sledge, is to walk up to the ridge and take the ATV down when it brings the sledges up. With a hundred people staying and only twenty sledges, they''re going to be doing a fair number of trips up and down.¡±
¡°Will the ATVs be coming up the same way people are going down?¡± Nigel asked, thinking that sounded dangerous.
¡°No, no, we''ve got a route all planned out. You''ll go down the way you went last time, roughly. You won''t miss the tournament site. The ATV''s will be going to near the station and then straight up to where I met you with the sledges yesterday, then back the same way.¡±
¡°So, if we''re feeling young and fool-hardy we can go for the sledge, but if we''re feeling our age in the morning then we can wait around and admire the view, and then catch an ATV?¡±
¡°Yes. Well, you can admire the view if you like, but we thought it might be a bit fresh up there, so the boys have put a tent up there and guyed it down really well, so there''s that as a waiting room. We''re planning to shuttle people up there until about sun-down too, if anyone wants to get to the cabins from the top.¡±
¡°Or to just sledge down again?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Well, yes, we''ll give you tickets for a trip up tomorrow and on Sunday, but after that then there''s a charge.¡±
¡°So Bob''s got his caf¨¦ on the ridge, then, has he?¡± Nigel asked.
¡°Almost. Almost. We haven''t found anyone to actually staff the caf¨¦ yet, but Matt''s still hoping to find someone.¡±
¡°There''s another job opportunity for you, William!¡± Eliza joked.
¡°I think I''ll stick with the ski-school idea.¡±
¡°Ski school?¡±
¡°Our liege, king William of the fifth kingdom, fancied himself a ski-instructor and saw, in his foolish youth, a ski-tow at a low low price, And so he did invest in this wondrous apparatus. Unfortunately, there was some disagreement concerning the slope on which our noble sire wished to erect it, and his investment turned to naught. Except we think your boss might take him up on it.¡± Nigel explained.
¡°He probably will, have you told him about it yet?¡±
¡°No. We thought we''d meet him at the tournament.¡± Eliza said.
¡°You shouldn''t try to talk business to the Jester at a tournament, milady, that''d be right foolish. Anyway, here''s your cabin, all checked and everything. Here''s the key. And don''t forget to pre-heat the hotplate good and hot, or you''ll get the smoke coming back.¡±
¡°Thank you. You''ll be at the tournament?¡±
¡°Indeed I will. See you there. Seriously, folks, if I were you, I''d call Bob tonight. Float the idea of the ski lift.¡±
¡°We''ll think of it, once we''ve got the cabin warming. Bye, Henry.¡± Nigel said. ¡°Right, who wants to cut wood and draw water? Eliza, I think you or I ought to light the stove, since we know the controls.¡±
¡°Can you do it? I''ll give the others the guided tour and then put William in contact with Bob. It''s a good thought.¡±
Nigel looked at the wood-basket, it wasn''t entirely empty. ¡°OK, but make sure someone gets me half a basket of wood fairly quickly, there''s only really enough wood here to get it lit.¡±
¡°Right, tour starts with the wood-store and the chopping block then. We''ll sort out rooms later, first priority is heating the cabin.¡±
¡°I couldn''t agree more. It feels colder in here than it did outside.¡± Susan said.
¡°That''s just because you undid your coat, when you came through the door, Sue. You don''t want to do that until we''ve got some heat in here.¡± William said. ¡°I almost did the same ¡ª the power of habit. Lead us to the wood pile, Eliza!¡±
¡°At your command, Majesty.¡±
8pm
¡°Hello?¡± Christine answered the phone.
¡°Hi Christine, it''s Eliza Smythe, yet again. Sorry for interrupting your evening but if it''s not too inconvenient, I''ve got someone here who''d like to talk to Bob.¡±
¡°Can I take a message?¡±
¡°Of course. William here, as in monarch of the fifth kingdom, has a long list of failed business ventures to his urm... credit. As part of one of those, he just happens to have a fairly respectable pile of unused skis and a disassembled ski drag which he bought second hand.
"He was planning to set up as a ski school but the deal for renting the land fell apart and he didn''t find anywhere else.¡±
¡°So it''s not actually a failed venture, so much as one that never really got started?¡± Christine said.
¡°Yes. I suppose I should have said it got put on indefinite hold, if I was being kind.¡±
¡°It''s always good to be kind, Eliza.¡±
¡°Anyway, Nigel and I thought that perhaps Bob and William ought to speak to each other.¡±
¡°Do you happen to know how long the lift is?¡± Christine asked.
¡°No, sorry.¡±
¡°Well, I''ll pass it on. Bob''s just deep in discussion with Matt at the moment.¡±
¡°You mean he''s still at work until this time of night?¡±
¡°I know, I know. Sarah''s not going to be happy if I tell her, and nor am I, but on the other hand we''re taking the entire weekend off, and this would be something that would prey on his mind if it wasn''t sorted out now.¡±
¡°Would talking ski-lifts be a weight off his mind or on it? We don''t want to ruin your weekend. I expect William could come up for a chat on Monday, if that''d be better. He''s nodding.¡±
¡°Thank you, Eliza. I''ll see how he is, but I''ll call either way.¡±
¡°Thanks Christine.¡±
Bob looked up from his conference with Matt. ¡°Who was that?¡±
¡°Eliza. I''ll tell you when you''ve finished, if I think it''s advisable.¡±
¡°I think we''ve finished.¡± Matt said.
¡°And I heard you say the word lift.¡±
¡°Did you also hear me say that Sarah wasn''t going to be happy about you working this late into the evening?¡±
¡°Yes. So, what''s this about ski lifts? Please?¡±
¡°Eliza has someone in her party who almost had a ski school, but negotiations for the slope fell apart. He has some sort of drag lift, and skis. I don''t know how big the lift is, or how many skis. Personally, I think you''re already interested enough for him to come up on Monday. Do you agree?¡±
¡°Probably. Did she say if he''d be interested in selling up, or in running it?¡±
¡°Pass.¡±
¡°Matt, what do you think? I don''t think we''re really interested in buying him out. But if he''s willing to run it, great, we can talk fees, percentages and everything else.¡±
Matt thought a bit. ¡°I''m thinking that there''s going to need to be planning permission if we end up pouring concrete for the machinery. So, he''s got an investment already, and either you''d be making an investment or he''d be making more. He''s also putting his time into it, and it gets really complicated. I therefore think I''d suggest splitting the package in two. Carbon-carbon supply the footings for a share in ski-lift machinery, and a share of the profit which I think would also incorporate some element for land rent. Whoever operates it get an appropriate wage. He then can run the school and ski-hire on the site or not as a separate business, again for some kind of fee or profit share.¡±
¡°I like your thinking, let''s talk to him, see what he says. Is that acceptable, Christine?¡±
¡°I think so. Just don''t get bogged down in details tonight. Leave that for Monday. Would there be a benefit in the ski lift side of things being a separate company?¡±
¡°Probably. It could just be accounted that way, but it''s probably easier in the long run do it that way.¡±
¡°So, you''ll need lawyers and a formal agreement eventually. But you will also need to know that the ski lift is a viable option to get people to the top.¡±
¡°Hey, that should have been my line.¡±
¡°We''ve been married long enough that I can help you think when you''re tired, Bob. But I point out that you are tired. So, either get details from him, or get him to come up with them. Or if you like, I''ll do the talking. That way I know you''re not going to get sidetracked into the details.¡±
¡°Matt, what do you think? I think I should talk to him, since I''m director,¡± Bob asked.
¡°I think I hear valid reasons on both sides, Bob, but there''s no way I''m going to interfere between you and your wife.¡±
¡°Ha! Now that''s wisdom! Why don''t you go home to your wife, Matt. I think we can cope here.¡±
¡°Well if you''re sure.¡±
¡°It''s gone eight o''clock, Matt.¡± Christine said ¡°I think she might want to see you sometime, and as your personnel officer I''ll point out that although the day''s been exciting, you do need to spend some time away from work.¡±
¡°In less polite terms, Matt. Thank you, we couldn''t have done it without you, now go home and get some rest. You''ll probably have more bookings to deal with tomorrow.¡±
¡°OK, I''m leaving! Goodnight, Bob, Christine.¡±
¡°Goodnight Matt.¡± Christine and Bob said.
Christine looked at her husband. ¡°You, Bob, are out on your feet. Agreed?¡±
¡°Agreed. It''s been a good week though.¡±
¡°Yes. Now you need a good weekend too. I''ll make the call. If you want to you can make some tea, otherwise you can massage my feet, they''re killing me.¡±
¡°Your wishes are my command. Which one first?¡±
¡°Tea, please.¡± Christine said, hoping the call would be over by the time Bob had finished. She rang Eliza.
¡°Hi, Eliza. I''ve just sent Bob to get some tea, it''s about all he''s fit for at the moment.¡±
¡°Oh, OK, Christine. I''ll tell him.¡±
¡°Wait a moment, we''ve talked it through, so could I talk to your budding entrepreneur?¡±
¡°Yes, of course. William, it''s for you.¡±
¡°Hello?¡±
¡°Hello, Mr Speed. I''m Christine, Bob Coal''s wife and personnel manager at Carbon-carbon. I''ve just been talking to Bob, and we''re interested, but need some more details. I got the impression that you weren''t interested so much in selling your lift and skis, but as actually using them, is that right?¡±
¡°Yes, that''s right. I haven''t seen your hillside yet in the light, but from what Eliza and Nigel have said, it sounds ideal for beginner to intermediate skiers, the snow on this side is fine and access is wonderful.¡±
¡°You should see the views. They''re great too. Now, first question, how long is your ski lift?¡±
¡°Ah. Well, right now, it''s about ten metres. The mechanism''s in perfect order, or at least, it was when I put it into storage, but the cables were badly stored by the previous owner. To be precise, judging by the way they looked, they were left in a puddle of salt water. I took what decent cable there was, so that I''d at least have a sample, and told him there was no way I was buying the rest just to scrap it. According to the manufacturer, there''s no real limit on the length, but you do need a support pylon every one or two hundred metres. I got three pylons, the manufacturer sells extras in the same size, but really, they''d be really easy for someone with some welding skill to put together, or for that matter a carpenter could make one out of wood, I''m sure. All they''re doing is giving some lift so the cables stays off the ground.¡±
¡°And it''s a drag lift, Eliza said.¡±
¡°Yes. Technically it''s a T-bar lift, so it''ll take two people per position. I''ve got thirty T-bars, so that''s up to thirty people going up at a time, since half the bars will be going back down.¡±
¡°I presume the motor is electrically powered?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And it would need to be bolted onto a block of concrete or rock?¡±
¡°That''s one option. The other option, if the soil is deep enough is to use some things that look a bit like two and a half metre long wood-screws. It came with two of those. I understand they worked as guying points.¡±
¡°Interesting. So it could be a temporary structure?¡±
¡°I believe so, yes, certainly I don''t see why not as a trial.¡±
¡°That gets even more interesting. We had been assuming that there''d need to be planning permission, and concrete poured and such like.¡±
¡°If there''s enough soil in the valley and rock at the top, I don''t think that''d be necessary. I presume you''d be wanting the lift to go all the way up?¡±
¡°If possible, yes.¡±
¡°I haven''t seen it, but I think it should be.¡±
¡°Sorry, your surname, it is Speed, isn''t it?¡±
¡°It is. Congratulations on finding it out. But call me William.¡±
¡°William, then, we did come up with a rough idea how we thought things might work out, but as I said, we were assuming there''d need to be some kind of investment from us. I''ll let you mull over it anyway, so you know how we were thinking.¡±
¡°I''m listening.¡±
¡°OK, we were thinking that we weren''t particularly interested in entering the ski-school or ski-hire business, but had no objection to you setting one up, indeed we''d been thinking we''d need to find someone to set up a ski-hire franchise or something for the guests at the cabins. What we are interested in is your ski-lift, and we were thinking that on the basis of your investment in the ski-lift, and some investment on our part, as I was saying we were thinking of groundworks, planning permission, I don''t know how many cubic metres of concrete, and also of course the use of Carbon-carbon land, there could be a partnership formed between us and you, possibly as formal as registering a company to own and operate the lift, which could then employ either yourself or someone else at whatever the going rate is. We''d obviously need to work out the relative split in the shares. We understand that in your mind the lift and school are probably combined, but think it would be simpler in the long term to split them, in case, for instance, you gave up the ski-school business in order to concentrate on ski hire, or even found more lucrative employment elsewhere.¡±
¡°And if I decided to abandon all things skiing, and the ski lift was bringing in money, this semi-independent company would be able to continue to operate the lift, and you could even buy my shares.¡±
¡°Yes. Though of course if the ski lift is bringing in money, then you might be better advised to keep the shares for the sake of the dividend. I should warn you... This isn''t the best time to start in on the tourist trade.¡±
¡°But from what I understand, Carbon-carbon have done exactly that.¡±
¡°Carbon-carbon has always derived an income from the tourist trade, in the shape of the rent on the land. We decided, based on a number of different factors, not least the low flexibility of the land rental agreement, that there was a real risk of the cabin company collapsing if the tourist trade suffered a downturn. Which would mean that rather than just a reduction in income we''d be faced with a tenant in receivership and no income at all.¡±
¡°And you''re planning to set up a similar land rental for the ski-lift company?¡±
¡°Not unless you really want us to, William. We were thinking that shares in the joint venture was a far better approach. Of course if you have no need of investment from our part and are convinced that the business will thrive, then I''m sure we could negotiate a lease on the land.¡±
¡°Mrs Coal, I''ve never had a thriving business, and given the cost of the cable and my current finances, there is a definite need for investment. You should understand, over a long distance, the cable is probably the most expensive part of the system. But, with your suggested split, I''d be very happy to be a minority holder.¡±
¡°Thank you for saying that, William. Do you think you could take some pictures of what you''ve got, and bring them up for a meeting next week? Also if you could look up some typical prices for cable? There''s obviously going to need to be all sorts of discussion on that side of things.¡±
¡°Yes, yes, I could do that. What about the ski-hire and ski-school side of things?¡±
¡°Well, quite frankly, I think you''d better start the ski-hire business soon, before someone else jumps in. We''d need to negotiate what land usage fees you pay us, and whether you''d want an exclusive contract or not, but perhaps that could happen when you come up next week?¡±
¡°But you wouldn''t be interested in a profit share on that?¡±
¡°Instead of a fixed price? If the profit share contract stated how much you''d be taking in wages and other allowable expenses, then I expect that we could arrange something. Urm, I think we''d want either a third party handling the cash or to do it ourselves. I''m just saying that because the campsite owner-operator was arrested yesterday for tax-fraud and false accounting; it seems he was putting most of his takings into a hidden account.¡±
¡°Ouch. Yes. I can see you''d be nervous. I think I''d be very happy to operate that way, Christine. Would Monday afternoon be acceptable?¡±
¡°Yes, I think that''d be fine.¡±
Preparation / Ch. 27: Handover
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 27:Handover
Monday, 18th December, 9.30pm
¡°John, I''d like to discuss something.¡± Sarah announced.
¡°I''m all ears.¡±
¡°No you''re not, don''t fib.¡±
¡°Very well, you have my attention, my beloved.¡± he said, without actually looking up from what he was reading.
¡°Good. Can I retract something I said to you?¡±
¡°Should I be worried?¡± He asked, looking up.
¡°Possibly.¡±
¡°Ohhhkay. Now you really have my full attention, Sarah. What is it?¡±
¡°My inheritance. I said that I''d like to give it away slowly.¡±
¡°Yes, you did.¡±
¡°I''ve been looking at what Frank sent me, and having second thoughts. Do you know how many people my companies employ?¡±
¡°Urm, do I want to?¡±
¡°Maybe not, but I''m going to tell you. Approximately thirty thousand people are ultimately looking to GemSmith, and thus to me, for their mortgage payments, contract renewal and the rest of it. They''ve been working faithfully for me and my parents over many years. GemSmith companies don''t fire people easily. At least, that''s the way it''s been. That''s a policy my parents and my grandparents before them insisted on. It means the companies don''t make as much money as they could, but since they''re owned by the family, that doesn''t hurt anyone.¡±
¡°Except the other people you could employ if you were making more profit?¡±
¡°Yes. But if you go that route too far then you end up with wage-slaves with stress over their job security. I don''t want to do that to people, and if I sell GemSmith off, then that''s almost certainly what I''d be doing. Management policies would have to change to maximizing the profit for the investors.¡±
¡°You''re talking about having a duty to people and being a good employer.¡±
¡°Yes. I think that''s a Biblical principle, but then so is selling what you have and giving it to the poor.¡±
¡°I think that was a specific command to individuals who were ensnared by wealth. I don''t think you are, love. I won''t hold you to that. I agree, you can''t just sell your workers to a profit-monger.¡±
¡°And you''re happy for us to continuine to live on our earnings?¡±
¡°Absolutely. You''re thinking of giving away the dividends?¡±
¡°Probably half to three quarters. I think I''d like keep on investing in worthy companies too, and of course to also bail out mine if they get in trouble. Actually... I''d like to do something that May almost suggested.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°When I invest in a company I normally get a better return on investment than a bank loan. I think that when I take on someone with a hardship-causing loan, I''d like to invest that much, so that the return on the investment ¡ª on average ¡ª covers the payments I''m making.¡±
¡°Any particular reason for that?¡±
¡°Yes. The money does no one except the bank any good if it''s just sitting in the bank, but on the other hand, I don''t want to invest everything, since that just makes more problems of what to do with the money later on. I thought that this might make a happy compromise.¡±
¡°Urm, OK.¡±
¡°You don''t sound so sure.¡±
¡°Just like you said, there''s not much point it sitting in the bank.¡±
¡°Yes. But I can''t just invest in everything that comes my way, it''ll take too much time and there aren''t that many good business opportunities out there.¡±
¡°But you''re investing in the stove company.¡±
¡°I hope so. I''ve got an idea that they''re going to be important.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Which would you rather have sitting beside you while you''re camping? A big bottle of liquifuel, or a stack of wood?¡±
¡°Hmm. Liquifuel is more convenient for cooking.¡±
¡°But for heating?¡±
¡°Oh. You''re thinking of post-impact?¡±
¡°Yes. I''m thinking that liquifuel heaters are scary, unless you get one of those expensive catalytic ones, which aren''t so bad.¡±
¡°And they''re expensive because they''re hard to make, I presume?¡±
¡°Yes. And even with them we''re still talking about a big bottle of stuff that if you spill it will flow a long way and start burning at the slightest spark. Wood is pretty safe in that respect. Knock down your wood pile and all you need to do is pick it back up.¡±
¡°But there used to be other sorts of fuel, some of them weren''t quite as scary as liquifuel.¡±
¡°Yes, but they''re not made now, that''s the thing. You''d be talking new plant, new infrastructure.¡±
¡°It still might be better than cutting down forests.¡±
¡°I expect that we''re only talking about a few months of heating. Or even weeks. The power grid won''t take too long to get back up, I''m sure. The forests will recover.¡±
¡°OK, OK, you''ve convinced me. Now convince their majesties.¡±
¡°I aim to. First though, I''m going to have to wait until I hear whether this is all academic. I''m happy to invest our spare money on this sort of hunch, but not someone else''s. You''re really sure you don''t want to be involved with any of this stuff?¡±
¡°I''m happy to help, Sarah, but really, I''m so far from being an expert, you''d be telling me what to decide all the time.¡±
¡°No, I''d be trying to teach you what I''d do. But you might have other ideas, and I expect that we''d work better together. I really would like your guidance, my husband.¡±
¡°O.K. Sarah. I promise not leave you to do this on your own.¡±
¡°Thank you, John.¡±
Tuesday, 19th December, 12.30pm
Frank called Sarah''s wrist unit. ¡°Hello Sarah, I know you''re working, so I won''t keep you. Could you come to the office tomorrow? I need you to sign lots of paperwork. The trustees have agreed. You''re capable of looking after your money yourself now.¡±
¡°Urm. Wow. So now reality bites?¡±
¡°It does indeed.¡±
¡°I presume we''re not just talking about an hour or so, are we?¡±
¡°A minimum of two hours, I think, but if you could arrange to be free the whole day, then that would be excellent. I''m sure you''re going to have questions.¡±
¡°So am I. I''ll see what my boss says.¡±
Tuesday, 19th December, 3.30pm
There was a knock at the door. Mike Watson, school careers advisor, looked up from the pile of papers on his desk, and said ¡°Enter!¡± As expected, it was May Ngbila.
¡°You asked to see me, Mr Watson?¡±
¡°Yes, May, I had two pieces of paper crossing my desk about you today.¡±
¡°Two?¡± May asked, confused. She knew that Sarah would be asking for a reference, but hadn''t expected another.
¡°Yes. The first, which probably arrived yesterday, was from the legal representative of a private individual asking for a reference, which is rather unusual, to say the least, and the second which came just before I sent the message to you, was from the department store we have on record as your employer, stating that they were very disappointed that you''d decided to leave them, and particularly this close to the Christmas rush, and that they took extreme dislike to the urm... I quote, ''Underhand and disrespectful manner in which this was communicated to them.'' That doesn''t look good on an employment record, I assure you.¡±
May was shocked. ¡°I didn''t communicate anything to them.¡±
¡°And this request for reference?¡±
¡°That would be from Mrs Williams?¡±
¡°Yes, she''s the individual named.¡±
¡°She gave me an interview on Thursday, for an eventual job.¡±
¡°What do you mean by an ''eventual job''?¡±
¡°On Thursday she wasn''t sure quite when it would start. That might have changed.¡±
¡°And what is this job, home-help?¡±
¡°Ah, no. I don''t think she needs any home help.¡±
¡°So, out with it, May. What exactly is she asking you to do?¡±
Sarah had warned her that she needed to be careful before answering that sort of question. ¡°Roughly speaking, secretarial. Would this interview be covered by professional confidentiality rules, Mr Watson?¡±
¡°Are you saying it''s not something that you''d like to be public knowledge?¡±
¡°If it were known about, it might prove awkward in certain situations.¡± May said, fueling Mike''s worst fears.
¡°May, I hope this isn''t anything immoral.¡±
¡°No! My parents know about this, Mr Watson. I was more thinking about the reaction of my class-mates and even of some teachers.¡±
¡°I''m here to provide unbiased professional advice, not to fuel rumours. Yes, what you say will be in strict confidence.¡±
¡°Would you like to see the job advertisement? I''ve got a photo of it on this data crystal.¡± She handed over the crystal.
¡°A photograph of it? Why not a digital copy?¡±
¡°Because of the nature of the job, there isn''t a digital original.¡±
¡°I can''t read this crystal. It says random data or encrypted.¡±
¡°It''s encrypted. Can I enter the relevant passphrases?¡±
¡°Plural?¡±
¡°Can''t be too careful.¡±
¡°What on earth is this job? Nuclear weapons development?¡± he asked, handing over his terminal.
¡°No. Truth-sayer.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°My wearing gloves is not a fashion statement, Mr Watson, it helps.¡±
¡°You''re saying that you can hear thoughts?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°But what''s a truth-sayer?¡±
¡°A professional thought-hearer. I''d be seeing if people were lying to me, and thorough me to her. Here''s the document.¡±
¡°I''ve never heard of the term, but I suppose that it''s not exactly a high profile job.¡±
¡°She said that she thought I might be the first privately employed one in this country, but she knows that our embassy somewhere employs one.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°I''m not sure if that''s public knowledge, or if she''s been told it by someone with connections there.¡±
¡°And we might expect an independently wealthy individual to have connections all over the place, I suppose. What does this ''hardship loans'' bit mean?¡±
¡°She''s had some further thoughts, where it says hardship loans you need to understand that now as assistance with hardship-causing loans.¡±
¡°And you were handed this... piece of paper... by her directly?¡±
¡°No. By someone I''ve known for years.¡±
¡°And you know that she''s genuine?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°What checking up have you done?¡±
¡°I know her from Church. I didn''t know until I checked that she''s the sole shareholder in a holding company which owns Emerald Health Insurance, among other companies.¡±
Mike raised his eyebrows. ¡°But she doesn''t know if the job exists yet? That sounds dubious.¡±
¡°Sorry. I simplified. The money''s in trust. She''s the sole heiress, but she wasn''t sure whether the trustees would declare their job done at a meeting this week, of if she''d be waiting until next summer. She said that one of the trustees was convinced they should hand over control, but it wasn''t just his decision.¡±
¡°It says part time, eventually full time. I presume you discussed this?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And? I need to have some facts before I can give advice!¡±
¡°Sorry. For a six month trial period, she''s offering me a monthly salary of twenty percent more than I''d normally get from the store, up to eight hours a week. My working time doesn''t affect the salary, but I need to promise that any hours of those eight that she doesn''t use I dedicate to non-homework study time. She''s also paying for me to take some self defence classes.¡±
¡°And once the trial period is over, she wants more of your time?¡±
¡°No. She''s suggested that I could stay part time until I finish university.¡±
¡°That''s the first time I''ve heard you saying you''d consider it since the summer.¡±
May shrugged, ¡°She made a convincing case, and my priorities have got back to where they should be.¡±
¡°Well. Assuming that this woman is going to raise your salary in line with your age, experience and the like, and you don''t mind being used for your unusual talent, then I can''t see anything particularly against this job. In fact it sounds very good. But she''s obviously concerned about risks to you personally.¡±
¡°She said that some of the people might be crooks, some might be really desperate.¡±
¡°And some might be both.¡±
¡°Yes. But I''ve got fast reactions.¡±
Mike was dismissive. ¡°That goes with the territory.¡±
May looked at Mike curiously, ¡°I''ve just realised that I haven''t heard a single decision from you, Mr Watson. You''re hiding your thoughts.¡±
¡°I hope I can trust you not to spread that around.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°Personally, I wouldn''t consider taking that job on for half a second. But I guess it''s a brave new world out there.¡±
¡°I haven''t heard of any riots in the streets.¡±
¡°No. But you''re putting your head above the parapet, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Someone''s got to be first, I suppose. And it''s not like the store will survive the impact.¡±
¡°Yes. Back to the store, you gave her their details as employer?¡±
¡°I did. Isn''t that normal?¡±
¡°It is. Their reaction isn''t though. This sounds more like you added an insulting note to your letter of resignation.¡±
¡°I didn''t even ask anyone what notice period I''d need to give if I was going to quit.¡±
¡°Very well, can you hold on, I''ll call them to find out what this is about. But you''re not handing in your notice?¡±
¡°I certainly haven''t done yet.¡±
¡°Before I call... I know there''s a no message checking policy at the school. In the circumstances, I''m instructing you to break it. Could you check to see if you''ve got one from her?¡±
¡°Urm, OK.¡± May checked, aware of the alerts this would generate in the office. ¡°I have one.¡±
¡°About the job?¡±
¡°Yes. It says. ''Trust dissolving. Hope it''s OK: I''m going ahead with asking for a reference from store.''¡±
¡°Hmmm, so far, my only guess is that they thought you should have asked if they''d give references first.¡±
¡°I guess so. Oh. I also have a termination notice from the store, stating that as per my contract since I''m not working out my notice period I''ve forfeited my last two weeks pay. Can they do that?¡±
¡°Not really, not unless they''ve got evidence that you said that. Right, they''ve chosen to involve the school. I''m going to follow it up. Don''t go away. Consider this part of your education.¡±
Mike grinned at May as he dialed. ¡°Hello, my name is Mike Watson, Northwood school. I''d like to speak to the personnel manager please, I''ve just received a complaint from you about one of our pupils, employed at your store, and I''m calling in connection with that.¡±
¡°I''m afraid that he''s not in at the moment.¡±
¡°Then put me through to the director.¡±
¡°Mr Watson, wouldn''t it be more appropriate to connect you to the Ngbila girl''s line manager? He''s just next door.¡±
¡°I see. No, I think it''s more appropriate that I talk to the director, if the personnel manager isn''t available.¡±
¡°I''ll just check, Mr Watson.¡± There was a click, which might have meant that she was on hold, or it might have just been the receptionist''s microphone being turned off. Mike switched off his own before saying to May ¡°I''m on hold. The receptionist knew exactly who I was calling about. She shouldn''t have.¡±
¡°Hello, Mr Watson?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°It seems I was wrong and the personnel manager is in. I''ll just put you through.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
Another click and a few rings later, Mike heard ¡°Hello?¡±
¡°Hello, am I speaking to the personnel manager?¡±
¡°Yes, who''s speaking?¡±
¡°My name''s Mike Watson, school careers advisor, Northwood school, I''ve just had a communication from your company, and I presume from your office, concerning one of our students here who''s one of your weekend assistants.¡±
¡°Could you give me the reference number for the communication, or name the student concerned?¡±
¡°Yes. The student is May Ngbila, and I''ve got the letter in front of me but interestingly it has no reference number.¡±
¡°Curious. OK, I have the young woman''s file in front of me. It states that she handed in her notice by proxy this morning, with no intention of working out her notice period.¡±
¡°She states that she did no such thing, however, she''s had a message saying that since she''s not working out her notice, then her last two week''s pay is forfeited. Would that be your normal response to a someone seeking a reference? To say that a staff member had handed in their notice by proxy and confiscate their last two weeks'' pay?¡±
¡°No, not at all.¡±
¡°Because when I called the student in to discuss the communication I received from your company, she stated that while she had been given an exploratory interview with someone for a part-time position as a private secretary, no starting date had been determined except within the next year, and she had no certain plans at all to leave your employ until the city gets leveled by the impact. I fail to understand how a simple reference request from a private individual has been interpreted as a refusal to work out her notice period. The communication I received states your company is (I quote) ''very disappointed that Miss Ngbila has decided to leave our employment without notice during the Christmas rush, and we wish to express our extreme dissatisfaction with the underhand and disrespectful manner in which this was communicated to us by a third party. This is not the standard of behaviour we had expected from your glowing references for her as a conscientious worker well able to pull her weight on a team.''¡±
¡°I''m somewhat at a loss to explain this. You are certain that the reference request was indeed politely made?¡±
¡°I am not at all certain, since I''ve not seen it or spoken to the woman in question; but I assumed that it would be on your system. From what I understand the prospective employer is not at all likely to have given any intentional insult. I''m sure you will appreciate that to my mind this letter represents defamation of character as well as unfair dismissal, although of course it is some years since I last practiced employment law. I also find it interesting that the receptionist was aware of exactly who I was talking about, and who her line manager was, just from me stating my name. That seems evidence of unprofessional gossip.¡±
¡°I do not have any recent communication on file regarding Miss Ngbila, either incoming nor outgoing. The reference request itself should have been logged. Which is also a disciplinary matter. I would appreciate it if you could obtain and pass on to me a copy of the request for a reference.¡±
¡°I would not be at all surprised if the lady''s lawyers will be contacting yours with that information.¡±
¡°I''ll begin an investigation at once.¡±
¡°I thought you might like to. I''ll call back in about half an hour.¡±
¡°Good bye, Mr Watson.¡±
¡°Good bye.¡±
May looked at Mike, curiously. ¡°Now what happens?¡±
¡°I call Mrs William''s lawyer. More education for you.¡±
¡°I''m missing my maths class.¡±
¡°I''m sure you can catch up. If you''re going to be someone''s personal assistant, then you''re going to need to do some professional bullying.¡±
¡°Is that what you''re doing?¡±
¡°Sort of.¡±
Mike rang the number he''d been given. ¡°Hello, Ms Riley?¡±
¡°Yes, speaking.¡±
¡°Mike Watson here, Northwood school, you wrote concerning a reference for May Ngbila.¡±
¡°Yes. Is there a problem?¡±
¡°Not with her, I''ll be putting the finishing touches to a glowing recommendation before the day''s done. But there''s a problem for her. Did you also contact her present employers this morning with a similar reference request?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°They sent me a letter, it seems they''ve construed your request as a resignation and refusal to serve her notice period, and I quote ''we wish to express our extreme dissatisfaction with the underhand and disrespectful manner in which this was communicated to us by a third party.'' She''s had a termination notice, and statement that her last two week''s pay are forfeit since she''s not working out her notice. It''s been a while since I practiced law, but that seems to me to be defamation of both you and her and unfair dismissal.¡±
¡°Would you be able to send me that letter?¡±
¡°Of course. I have been in contact with the personnel manager. He says that he didn''t write it or authorise it. He asked for a copy of your reference request, which doesn''t seem to have been recorded on his system.¡±
¡°Thank you Mr Watson. I''ll see if I can clear this up.¡±
¡°Thank you Ms Riley.¡±
Teresa read the letter the school had had from the store and re-read her request for a reference for May, just in case.
''A client of mine has instructed me to take up references for May Ngbila, who has supplied your name as a referee. I would be most grateful if you could complete the enclosed form and return it to me in the next few days. Any information you provide will be strictly confidential.
Thank you for your cooperation. Yours sincerely, Teresa Riley.''
No, nothing there that ought to give offence, or even indicate that May was intending to hand in her notice, but to describe her letter as disrespectful was over the top. She needed to call Sarah. ¡°Hello Sarah, Teresa here. The store have decided that May has handed in her resignation by proxy, in an disrespectful manner, refusing to work out her notice period. They''ve therefore penalised her two weeks pay and sent her school a very angry letter. I presume you''ve not been in contact with them?¡±
¡°No. I left that to you.¡±
¡°All my request says is that I''m taking up her references, on behalf of a client, please could they fill out the attached form. According to the school, the store''s personnel manager claims not to have a record of my request, let alone written the letter to the school. Now, I seriously doubt that two weeks of her part-time pay is going to cover the time it''ll take to sort this out, but do you want me to take them on for defamation and unfair dismissal in the hope of legal fees being recovered, or just supply them with another copy of the request, bill them for the second copy, and then I''ll sue them personally for defamation if I feel like I don''t like their apology?¡±
¡°Sorry, you''re feeling defamed, or May?¡±
¡°Both of us ought to be. They''re saying that my business-like letter was underhand and disrespectful, and they''ve said all sorts of nasty things about May.¡±
¡°Well, I think let''s not commit ourselves, maybe they''ve got a wonderful grovelling apology lined up.¡±
¡°I think I''d want it in writing, naming the perpetrators.¡±
¡°That sounds fair enough.¡± Sarah agreed. ¡°I''ll find out what May wants.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll listen politely before I launch any lawsuits. I''ll be in touch.¡±
¡°Bye, then Teresa.¡±
Sarah called May''s number. May sounded bright and cheery when she answered. ¡°Hi, Sarah. Mr Watson tells me I''ve been unfairly dismissed.¡±
¡°Congratulations, I''ve heard from Teresa. Question for you, do you want to go the whole hog and drag them through an employment tribunal, or simply get a written apology and your stopped wages back? I presume you''re not too stressed about going back to work there, or are you?¡±
¡°I don''t know. If I don''t work out my notice period, does that convince them they were right all along?¡±
¡°It won''t be a pleasant month, or however long it is. Did you say anything to anyone about working or not working?¡±
¡°On Saturday my line-manager said to everyone that he assumed we were all going to make his life easy by working every hour we could over Christmas and the new year, unless he heard otherwise. I told him that I''d prefer not to do overtime, but of I''d work my Saturday hours on Boxing day, like he''d agreed to. He grumbled a bit, but that was it.¡±
¡°OK. And you didn''t call him names or anything?¡±
¡°No!¡±
¡°Just checking. Teresa''s listening politely at the moment, seeing what they come up with as an excuse, apology and compensation.¡±
¡°You expect all three?¡±
¡°Don''t you? Your name''s been dragged through the mud.¡±
¡°I don''t know what to expect, really. I''d certainly like my wages back, along with a formal retraction. But I''ll be happy to start with you whenever.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll pass that on to Teresa.¡±
¡°Thanks, Sarah.¡±
Tuesday, 19th December, 4,00pm
Bob Coal was feeling assailed by doubts. The deal on the ski lift that he''d thrashed out yesterday with William Speed had looked very reasonable then, but recognising that it was getting late and getting complex, they''d agreed to leave it until Wednesday before they did anything. William had been working on his ski-hire and ski-school business, so from his point of view there wasn''t much rush either. Even with just the ATV''s available for taking people up the slope, he was quite hopeful that there''d be enough custom. There certainly would have been at the weekend.
Now, Bob he was getting cold feet. They''d need a lot of cable, more than five kilometres, if they wanted to take people to the top. Plus more T-bars so people would only need to wait about twenty seconds. While it was only actually going to cost roughly the same as a new vehicle, he felt he ought to get someone''s approval. So that was a part of the problem: he was director, he didn''t need anyone''s approval. But until the acquisition of the cabins, he''d been the director of himself, some trees, and Matthew, the forester, who mostly preferred to be out in the woods, picking which trees could be sensibly felled. As long as they had enough trees marked for the chop when Bob got what he felt was a reasonable offer, they were both happy. At that point Bob called for the men with the chainsaws and pulleys, and there was some more growing space for the other trees. It was painstaking work: they certainly weren''t denuding vast swathes of hillside, like had happened in the chaos times. Woodland was still considered a scarce resource and needed to be harvested carefully. So, really, you''ve had it easy, Bob, he decided.
Now, this past week, he''d felt he was truly better; on top of things finally. Suddenly, though, he wondered if he was ramping up at the right speed. Was he being too cautious, or rushing ahead with something that was too little for the proper thing? Yes, he''d seen the opportunity to get a version of his dream into reality, and it looked feasible, but... did he really want to install a drag lift? It would only be any use during about two months of the winter, and they could carry on taking people up the hill by ATV, after all. If he invested more, OK, a lot more, then he could put in a chairlift instead, which could work all year long. He wanted advice. So, that was one issue.
The other issue was that he wasn''t actually sure he had the moral authority to form a subsidiary company to Carbon-carbon. That seemed... empire building, he guessed. But, on the other hand, he didn''t see how it could work otherwise. More advice needed. So, who did he call? Frank? Ambrose Jackson, GemSmith''s investment analyser? Sarah? He buried his head in his hands. ¡°Christine? I need advice!¡±
Teresa rang the store. ¡°Hello, Teresa Riley from Hardwick, Riley and Cooper here. Your personnel manager is waiting to hear from me, and I will be billing your company for this call.¡±
¡°Yes, Ms Riley, I''ll put you through.¡±
¡°Hello, is this the personnel manager? I''m Teresa Riley from Hardwick, Riley and Cooper. I understand your staff have mislaid a reference request for May Ngbila and you would like me to reissue it. I will of course have to bill you for that service, and this call.¡±
¡°Ah, thank you Ms Riley, the staff member concerned has actually found the reference so that a reissue is not necessary.¡±
¡°And has the staff member given any reason for his or her actions?¡±
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡°Not one that I expect you or the disciplinary hearing will find acceptable. On behalf of the company I would like to apologise for the fact that the staff member has overstepped their authority in this manner and carried out such an outrageous course of action.¡±
¡°You will, of course commit that statement to writing, naming the individual concerned.¡±
¡°The disciplinary hearing has that authority.¡±
¡°But you do not?¡±
¡°No, Ms Riley.¡±
¡°And do you have the authority to immediately rectify any of the actions of this individual who overstepped their authority?¡±
¡°I have the authority to re-employ Miss Ngbila.¡±
¡°And the authority to reinstate the two week''s wages that have been denied her?¡±
¡°Ah, no. That would of course be the natural consequence of the disciplinary hearing determining that authority has been overstepped.¡±
¡°I''m sorry.¡± Teresa said, in the bright and breezy tone that those acquainted with her knew to fear, ¡°I thought you had categorically said that the individual concerned had overstepped their authority. Did I miss-hear?¡±
¡°I said that, maam. That is my personal opinion, but it is not formally the company''s opinion until the committee has made its ruling.¡±
¡°You know, I distinctly heard a verbal apology from you, in the name of the company. Are you saying that you do not actually have the authority to make such an apology?¡±
¡°Ah, it is not precisely my role in the company, no.¡±
¡°And when will this disciplinary committee meet?¡±
¡°Well, maam, it will be difficult, so close to the Christmas rush, everyone is very busy. I cannot predict when it will be able to meet. I''m sorry.¡±
¡°So if I might summarise my notes of this conversation: you gave a verbal apology on behalf of the company, which is worth less than the paper it it written on; you can offer no immediate redress for the slur on my professionalism or that of the young woman who has been deprived of her employment and her wages on what you personally feel are entirely unjustified grounds; and you have no timetable for when your internal investigation might or might not decide that some kind of remedial action is warranted. Is that correct?¡±
¡°I wouldn''t like to put it that bleakly, Maam. I can reinstate the young woman.¡±
¡°I think you''ll find that full reinstatement would mean she gets her full wage packet, and all record of this dismissal is removed from your system. I believe, rather, you are offering to re-hire her. Perhaps so some more of her wages can be stopped later on? You have my number. I would very much appreciate it if you could brief your director, or someone else who is able to speak with the voice of authority, concerning this case. I would very much like to hear from them, today. I''ll keep the school in touch, so don''t let that distract you.¡±
¡°I would like to reiterate my apologies, maam. My hands are tied.¡±
¡°Which is why you''re going to put me in touch with someone whose hands are not, yes?¡±
¡°I''ll try, Maam.¡±
¡°And I''ll try to be patient and not submit a claim for defamation and unfair dismissal.¡±
¡°You are representing Miss Ngbila, maam?¡±
¡°Not yet, but I am very tempted to offer to take her case on for the public good. You may tell your director that.¡±
¡°I will, Maam. Good bye.¡±
¡°I hope to hear from you soon.¡± Teresa hung up, noted the call length, and looked at the message Sarah had just sent. Yes. May had no need to be given a new offer of employment, didn''t want the hassle of an employment tribunal but she wanted her wages and a full retraction. Teresa wanted those too. She called the school.
¡°So, there you have it,¡± Teresa told the careers tutor, ¡°''someone clearly overstepped their authority'', but ''that was just my personal opinion''; ''on behalf of the company I apologise'' but he can''t actually speak on behalf of the company or write anything down; he can quote ''reinstate'' May, but only in the sense of hiring her again, with no guarantee that she''ll get her wages back or that it won''t happen to her again; and he can''t tell when the internal hearing will be because of the Christmas rush.¡±
¡°And after that it''ll be the new year rush and the rush of organising the evacuation, I can imagine.¡±
¡°I wouldn''t be surprised if it''s about to become unofficial company policy. I asked him to get the director to call me, today.¡±
¡°And if you don''t get that call?¡±
¡°Then, they waste their valuable time and money in court. The question is, does May want me to take her on as a client? I''m sufficiently irked by his ''say something and then retract it'' verbal dance that I''m not going to charge her anything, but I''ll certainly be charging the store.¡±
¡°I''ll discuss it with her and get back to you. She''s trying not to eavesdrop and doing some homework. I suggested that going home now might not be the best idea.¡±
¡°Probably not, no.¡±
¡°Ms Riley, if she does get reinstated, and her line-manager is disciplined over this matter, I don''t imagine her work environment will be pleasant.¡±
¡°No. But on the other hand, being moved to another department probably won''t be very nice either.¡±
¡°Unless it''s something she''d see as a promotion, perhaps to the cash office?¡±
¡°That would be a nice gesture by the company, wouldn''t it? If the director calls I''ll mention it as an idea.¡±
¡°I''ll check what May thinks about that too. What''s that May?¡± he asked, seeing her waving from the desk in the corner.
May spoke loudly ¡°Yes, I''d love to work in the cash office while I work off my notice period, and I''d be very happy to have Miss Riley represent me. Sorry for not being better at not eavesdropping.¡±
¡°Did you hear that?¡± he asked Teresa.
¡°I did. I''ll prepare a contract for her to sign. Tell her I''ll bring it round later. I need to talk to her father anyway about something else.¡±
5.30pm
¡°Hello Sarah. It''s Bob Coal here. I''m very sorry to bother you with this, but I don''t want to make an expensive mistake.¡±
¡°Hi Bob. How expensive?¡±
¡°Not very, in financial terms, but I guess I''m thinking that if it doesn''t work out then it''ll have a negative effect on the grand scheme.¡±
¡°The grand scheme being the cafe at the top of the mountain?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Come on then, tell me about it.¡±
¡°Do you know Nigel and Eliza?¡±
¡°Eliza as in Dirk''s sister?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I know her.¡±
¡°OK, well, it turns out that she has a friend who''s made a series of unfortunate investments. Not all his own fault: for example one of his latest was that he guaranteed a loan for a good friend, I actually suspect he thought of her as a romantic prospect, and she died suddenly.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s sad.¡±
¡°Yes. And it got expensive when as she collapsed she knocked over something which caused a fire and burnt down the building the loan had been taken out for.¡±
¡°Insurance?¡±
¡°Dragging their feet for months, apparently, but the bank said that''s your business, we want our money back now.¡±
¡°Nasty.¡±
¡°Yes, that''s what we agreed too. Anyway, one of his earlier ventures was a ski school. That never worked out because the farmer decided to cancel the rental of his field, after the contract had been signed and William had gone and bought himself a bunch of skis and a drag-lift.¡±
¡°Oh, and he''s offering the whole lot to you?¡±
¡°No. He''s very happy to run the school himself ¡ª he''s worked as a ski instructor before, but the drag lift he got ultra cheap because the idiot who''d owned it before hadn''t bothered to keep the cable out of the mud. It had rusted into a single lump, apparently. So, he''s got a fully functioning drag lift ¡ª he cleaned that up well and stored it properly, except that it needs a new cable, and he''s run out of cash, at least until the insurance pays up. He would be entirely happy if we bought some cable for however close to the top we wanted to go, he''d chip in the rest of the lift and we would split the operating profit based on the investment, with Carbon-carbon also getting some kind of land use fee. I suggested a joint enterprise company, and that rent-free land use represents twenty percent of the stock. Carbon-carbon would also provide book-keeping services at cost. He agreed.
"He''s had a proper valuation of the ski lift and all the associated bits, which comes out to roughly five thousand, and it looks like we''d be needing to spend about ten thousand on the cable, plus another fifteen hundred on extra bars.¡±
¡°So, eleven and a half thousand in exchange for a seventy-something percent of the takings minus someone''s wages, and the cabins are suddenly part of a ski-resort?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°But you''re worried?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Because?¡±
¡°Because last winter was exceptional, this winter has more snow than normal, and this is just a ski-drag, not a real lift. It''ll only work when there''s snow on the ground. Also, I get the feeling he has a bright idea, it doesn''t work out, and then he moves on. I don''t want to be carried away with a bright idea which he then walks away from.¡±
¡°Which would leave you with a ski lift and no skis?¡±
¡°That''s one fear, yes.¡±
¡°And the other one? Or are there more?¡±
¡°He''s tested it, but hasn''t been able to test it with thirty people on it all day long, of course. Maybe there''s some problem with the motor or the gear box which no-one''s spotted. We''ve no idea what return on investment we''re talking about. What will people be willing to pay to take a ride up it? Maybe it''ll be in use all day long for two months which means up to something like seven passengers per minute, for maybe eight hours a day, which gets into silly numbers if you work it out that way. If we actually managed to charge fifty people fifty a week, for two months, then we''re in profit. But what if in the end of it''s only getting used by him and his ski-class of ten people a couple of times a day, or something like that?¡±
¡°Then you add some stronger cables and see if using the motor to pull people up on a chair lift works, giving yourself six times longer to recoup the investment, plus saving the problems associated with it sitting idle for large chunks of the year?¡±
¡°If you''ll permit me that experiment, after the first one fails, yes. But unless the cabins are empty in winter, then I don''t really see how we''re going to beat the potential ski traffic in the summer. Or, should we say this whole thing is a dead-end anyway, and go straight to a chairlift?¡±
¡°A chair lift is going to need multiple pylons and so on. Somehow, I expect this is much easier to set up.¡±
¡°Yes. Apparently it doesn''t need to sit on permanent footings, even.¡±
¡°Then, Bob, go for this one. As you say, it tests your ski traffic, and ski traffic is going to have the most repeats per person. If you can move it, then it''s wonderfully flexible. And in the summer I expect you could attach little carts or something for people to ride up in.¡± Sarah said.
¡°I don''t like the thought of standing on something with wheels and trying not to fall over.¡±
¡°Hmm. How about something bigger, say chariot-like? Hop into the back, and away you go.¡±
¡°Extra weight. We''d need to use less per loop.¡± Bob pointed out.
¡°You said yourself that the summer traffic is going to be lower.¡±
¡°I did. Do you really think it''ll work?¡± Bob asked ¡°I imagine the health and safety people would have a field day, people sprinting to get onto a moving chariot.¡±
¡°It would make a funny film though. OK, it''s probably not a good idea.¡± Sarah conceded. ¡°But what about if you got on a moving carpet sort of thing, so it was just a case of stepping on to it?¡±
¡°I''ve no idea. But I expect there''d not actually be very much time to get on.¡±
¡°I agree, you can just imagine granny being left behind, can''t you?¡± Sarah agreed ¡°So, maybe even better, the chariot stays still, you get on, and then some clamp thing engages on the cable.¡±
¡°And then you all fall off backwards as it takes off? Not to mention what the shock does to the cables.¡±
¡°I guess there''d need to be some shock absorbers involved.¡±
¡°Or some kind of launch system, which got you up to speed a space of say ten metres and then you locked onto the cable?¡±
¡°Oh, I like it!¡± Sarah enthused. ¡°But I think we actually could just use the cable.¡±
¡°Oh? How?¡±
¡°Imagine there''s some kind of pinch roller thing which grabs onto the cable. That roller connects to some kind of mechanism, say like the fly-wheel from an exercise bike. You start applying the brakes to the flywheel, the carriage speeds up, you let them go, the fly-wheel speeds up and the carriage slows down. Hey presto, no need for a second motor to drive the acceleration track thing, which actually sounds a bit like a roller-coaster launch mechanism, and therefore rather scary.¡±
¡°But presumably attaching your mechanism has a cost in terms of of extra wear and tear on the cable, though not as much as direct friction breaking would involve, of course.¡±
¡°That''s probably true. How about you hire an engineer to do some calculations?¡±
¡°You''re serious?¡±
¡°It lets your drag lift be usable for the whole year, and makes the big dream of a cafe at the top a lot lot cheaper. I don''t imagine the cost would be prohibitive. Maybe we can even patent the idea and sell them to other ski centres.¡±
¡°O.K., you''re the boss.¡±
¡°No, Bob, you''re the boss. I''m just the ultimate shareholder.¡±
¡°And you don''t think that I''m overstepping my authority setting up this ski-lift thing as a separate company?¡±
¡°No, Bob. I think that''s a very good idea. It keeps everything cleaner. You''d need to have everything audited and so on anyway. Bob, you''re the man on the spot, you know what Carbon-carbon can afford, you know what sounds good on paper but wouldn''t in reality, and vice-versa. I''m happy to brainstorm like this, but the decisions are yours.¡±
¡°Sarah, if I''m the boss...¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I don''t think people are going to be happy with cameras in the cabins. Can I say no to your security system? Imagine, we''d got it going, and then Dirk and Eliza and the rest had come on their secret mission?¡±
¡°They''d have run a mile. OK. Point taken. But you haven''t told me how the system worked with your guests over the weekend.¡±
¡°I think we could tweak the equations a little, but it worked.¡±
¡°When you say tweak the equations, what do you mean?¡±
¡°Last-minute shopping for a limited number of cabins is probably a whole different game to normal bookings. We just scrunched up the normal demand curve, but I think we probably could have had prices higher. We had two batches, an initial twenty five cabins on offer. The first five sales happend very quickly, at bargain price, and the system put up the prices but it had also let five cabins be put on hold at the initial price. That was a glitch; it should have put up the price based on holds as well as sales. Matt did see it happening though, so he turned off holds. Anyway, although the people with holds confirmed their bookings last of all, they got the price for people booking in the first ten minutes. And once we were down to the last ten cabins we realised that it ought to have been adjusting the rates every couple of cabins, but oh well. In other words, batch one sold out entirely, batch two only went on line on Friday evening. We''d thought it might so asked people to sign up if they wanted to hear about it. It did, we started prices higher than we did with batch one, Matt had fixed the hold bug, and we got seven of the eight bookings filled for Friday and Saturday night, and someone smart worked out that they''d get a far better price if they booked for Saturday and Sunday night instead.¡±
¡°So you ended up sold out again?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°What about for this week?¡±
¡°Well, we had one booking already, but they''re leaving on Friday, so hopefully that stove will be serviced then. We told the system the others would be all out of action on Monday, and guessed that they''d be able to service at least six a day after that.¡±
¡°How are they doing so far?¡±
¡°We''ve got them doing the worst ones first ¡ª Henry had some that he didn''t dare put people in after the summer, so hopefully they''ll be able to speed up. But on Monday they managed just the six between them. On one of the stoves it took them about an hour to just get into the heater matrix, there was so much scale in it. They said it looked like the service guy had just been pouring a bit of descaler into the top, and scratching around with a piece of wire, whereas the proper procedure is to take the thing apart and mechanically clean off the limescale with a special tool they''ve got.¡±
¡°No wonder he was cheaper.¡±
¡°No wonder that stove will need new pipes next service. Either the acid or his improvised bit of wire has stripped off the zinc layer, and the pipe is showing signs of rusting. It''s not an emergency, but that stove will slowly start to give people rust-coloured showers. Needless to say it''s top of the list for the full service after Christmas. Lots of pictures taken.¡±
¡°So you''ve grounds to sue the cowboy already?¡±
¡°Yes. We''re going to build a solid case, though.¡±
¡°Good. Once the court case is over then I expect E.C.Stoves will want permission to use those pictures in their advertising.¡±
¡°Oh, they''ve got that already.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°Why are you thanking me? Oh, you are buying them up after all?¡±
¡°I thought of it, but no. I am going to be investing though. I don''t think they need buying up, just a bit of outside advice. I''m going to talk to Frank about exactly how I should invest.¡±
¡°You mean personally, or through GemSmith?¡±
¡°That''s part of it, yes. I think that some level of GemSmith involvement is going to be necessary, but whether that''s through partnership or through borrowing people, I really have no idea.¡±
Tuesday, 19th December, 5.35pm
Teresa was just about to leave the office when she got a call.
¡°Ms Riley? I''m calling to say that a written apology on behalf of our store will be with you shortly.¡± It was the personnel manager from the store.
¡°That sounds like a good start. I almost missed your call.¡±
¡°I''m sorry that I wasn''t able to call you earlier. We just held the disciplinary committee. The individual concerned did not agree with the committee''s decision that he should go on an anger management course, pay your very reasonable expenses, and personally write a full letter of apology to Miss Ngbila. Therefore, of his own free will he is no longer with the company. Poetically, since he could not avoid these sanctions any other way, he will not be working out his notice period.¡±
¡°Miss Ngbila will, I''m sure, be interested to hear that. She''s also accepted my offer to represent her.¡±
¡°Would you then be able to pass on all that I said and inform her that the letter of termination has been formally revoked.¡±
¡°I will tell her, however she''s aware that it would be a rather difficult working environment in her former role if it is known that the individual has left because of her, and her colleagues decide this is her fault.¡±
¡°Yes, yes, I can appreciate that.¡±
¡°So, we were wondering, by way of compensation for the actions of the store in blackening her name without any justification, might there be a vacancy in the finance office during this holiday season? I understand that this was the role she initially applied for.¡±
¡°Ah, yes. I see that on her file. But just for the holiday season, you said?¡±
¡°I cannot speak for certainty, you understand, but I believe that the reason I was asked to take up her references was that a job offer was immanent. I''m sure that Miss Ngbila will work out her notice period. Urm, for the sake of my other client, could you tell me what that period is?¡±
¡°Three weeks. Yes, I think that we coud give her a temporary posting there, just for two or three weeks, but possibly returning to her old position after then. Hmm yes it would be very helpful for that department. I will communicate that to her.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°I''m sure you understand, we are having quite a lot of people leave us, with the uncertainty concerning the impact. We would prefer to keep as many staff as we can until we''re forced to close. Getting replacement staff for just a few weeks could be very difficult, so I would not be surprised if we offer staff an incentive to stay on until that time.¡±
¡°I''ll contact my client and let her know that she should indicate any flexibility in starting-dates, so that should you make such an offer to Miss Ngbila she''ll have all the information she needs to decide.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°Now, concerning restitution for the insult done to me. I''m sure you''d prefer to settle this out of court. I was thinking that as well as the formal apology, perhaps a donation to a charity of my choice might be appropriate. Since you''ve resolved the issue so quickly, I was thinking that perhaps if you matched the compensation for my time with a donation to a charity named by me, that would be appropriate.¡±
¡°You are most generous, Ms Riley. I''m certain that the director will agree to those terms. Could you name the charity?¡±
¡°I recently very much appreciated the services of a particular cave rescue group. I''ll look up the details and send them to you with my bill.¡±
¡°Thank you, Ms Riley.¡±
Wednesday, 20th December 11am
¡°Sarah, I''m happy to say that that''s it for now.¡± Frank announced, almost two hours after Sarah had started signing document after document.
¡°That''s good. Are you going to tell me what I''ve just signed? Sorry, let me rephrase that. For the last half an hour I''ve been giving specimen manual signatures for four different banks, and each bank had I lost count how many accounts. Was it six accounts? And each account needed five signatures, and you made me write a letter beside the signature. Why?¡±
¡°OK, it goes like this. The letter is your internal account identifier. Each bank has the same account letters, you''ll have noticed. That''s called not keeping all your eggs in the same basket, since banks have been known to fail. You''ve added the letter to your signature, so that mistakes don''t happen. You''ve given five specimens of your manual signature because manual signatures vary slightly, but are consistent in other ways. The signature device works out what is consistent and what is not. You''ve given your signature because in the event of digital identity theft, that, combined with your face and the sort of quick DNA-test they do at banks, gives you a very good proof of identity. Twins might look the same and have the same DNA, but they''re not going to write their signatures the same way on the device, even if they''ve been practicing copying each other well enough to fool the eye. So, if your digital ID needs changing, you can use your manual signature to authenticate a new one, even without getting your eye scan re-done. As for why the bank can''t just keep the signatures on file and combine them in one account, that''s also for your safety. The bank knows you''re operating each account, of course, but the accounts are not formally linked in the database structure like they would be if your accounts were linked. On the other hand, having signed so many times, the device has a very accurate model of how you sign, and it''ll tell the bank to apply that improved dataset to all the samples you''ve given. Every time that you sign the model gets adjusted slightly, by the way, so a changing signature with age isn''t going to confuse it.¡±
¡°So do I need to carry this signature device with me, or something?¡±
¡°No. We have one here, all banks have one, and like I say, it''s mostly just in case of identity theft. The other reason if you''re authorizing a significant expenditure. At the moment that level is set at a million, by the way, but you can change that.¡±
¡°With five signatures per account?¡±
¡°No. One signature per bank, listing the accounts and the amount you''d like the significant expenditure limit to be adjusted to.¡±
¡°I think I''m beginning to understand. And the same thing for a new digital I.D.?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So I could have a low limit on one account, and a high limit on another?¡±
¡°Yes. And also, there''s a special case that if you''re transferring between, say, the I account in two different banks, then there is no limit.¡±
¡°And you''re going to tell me about these different account letters, I hope.¡±
¡°Yes. This is your parent''s system, you should understand, and you can adjust it as you like. Actually... I should have asked you if you wanted to adjust it before the signatures, sorry.¡±
¡°I''m sure I can cope. I certainly don''t want to sign anything else if I can avoid it.¡±
¡°OK. You parents set it up so that different ratios of income went into separate accounts. Account I is for investments. That''s the account that we''ve been using to increase your stock portfolio. Account H is for health and housing, that''s the one which has paid for your home''s insurance, any maintenance work, health insurance premiums, and so on. Account P is philanthropic purposes, and account M is for missionary giving. Those we haven''t altered at all, except where there were some external changes, like the missionary retiring, the project your parents supported coming to an end and so on.¡±
¡°Oh, weren''t they organised! On the subject of philanthropy, if rather than buying up someone''s loans I entered an agreement with the bank to pay towards the interest on it, so that they were actually decreasing the principle of the loan, would that firstly meet your approval and secondly would that come from account P?¡±
¡°It would, in my opinion, be a far far better decision, and yes, it would naturally come from account P, though it might come from account S if you prefer.¡±
¡°S being staff?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And I remember an L, that was legal?¡±
¡°No, L is for luxuries. R is for retained professionals, which would include ourselves and your accountant.¡±
¡°I need to meet my accountant, I presume.¡±
¡°You don''t actually have one at the moment. Or rather, we''ve been filing your tax returns through our accountant, who used to also be your parents'', but your parent''s contract died with them.¡±
¡°So, for familiarity with everything, I should talk to your accountant?¡±
¡°Yes... except she''s past retirement age already. I don''t think she''d want to take you on, especially as your tax affairs are probably going to get much more complicated.¡±
¡°Oh. If not, presumably she''d be able to recommend someone?¡±
¡°Possibly, I''ll ask.¡±
¡°Thank you. Are there other accounts?¡±
¡°No, that''s it.¡±
¡°S for staff, what sort of transactions went in there?¡±
¡°That was mostly your parent''s secretary, any minor legal matters. You understand that I, and now Colin, don''t expect to deal with every little matter, but just your business acquisitions, company reorganisations, that sort of thing.¡±
¡°I understand. I have a question on that front too, if now is a convenient time to ask.¡±
¡°Go ahead, Sarah. You''re paying me handsomely, after all.¡±
¡°I expected I was.¡± Sarah said with a smile, ¡°The company that makes the stoves that Carbon-carbon now owns, is a little family owned business, with no interest at all in being bought up by some nasty horrible mega-corporation like GemSmith. As far as Bob and I see, they''ve been running scared in their maintenance billing because fools like the previous owners of Blackwood Cabins have been going to crooks who charge less. Bob''s pointed out to them that Carbon-carbon do want them to still be in business fifty years from now and please don''t undercharge us.¡±
¡°I bet that shocked them.¡±
¡°I think it did rather. I then compounded their shock by suggesting that I invest in them, partly financially, and partly in terms of getting them access to good advice. They don''t need any in making or maintaining the stoves, or really in pricing the stoves, either. It''s far more in terms of things like setting the prices of services, and staff training.¡±
¡°So where would your financial investment go?¡±
¡°They''ve got a computer which won''t let them change the owner of a stove without dumping the stove''s maintenance records, unless someone fiddles with the database manually, and they''ve apparently got a century old phone system which sometimes drops calls, and plays century old music because nothing talks to it any more. I was thinking if I upgraded some of their capital equipment, and got their database redesigned, then the staff might breathe a collective sigh of relief.¡±
¡°Probably. So, what''s your question?¡±
¡°Should it be me Sarah, who does the investment, or would doing it through GemSmith be a better bet. I talked to them about it being me personally, but I was thinking that GemSmith almost certainly have the experts that I''d like them to sit down with and talk to. I guess I''m actually asking more deeply, what''s GemSmith''s role in the grand scheme of things?¡±
¡°A very key question, Sarah. Congratulations on asking it. Now, firstly,
GemSmith has been very deliberately set up so that GemSmith companies are all yours. GemSmith doesn''t do minority holdings in someone else''s company. Sometimes there are subsidiary companies which set up a joint company, but again, not as a minor partner. GemSmith has standards which means that all GemSmith investments need to abide by them. If there is a going to be a joint company, then it gets looked at carefully.¡±
¡°Oops. Bob Coal is about to set up a joint company. I told him he could.¡±
¡°Then he can, but he really ought to be talking to Ambrose Jackson, who''s investments analyser, too. Is Carbon-carbon the minor or major partner?¡±
¡°Major. Bob''s found someone with a ski drag-lift, but it needs cable. Roughly two thirds of the capital will be from Carbon-carbon. The cabins were laid out to be accessible by ski from the ridge, and the other side of the ridge is a lovely slope towards town.¡±
¡°So the hope is that this joint venture would be profitable in it''s own right and increase the profit for the cabins?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I''m sure Ambrose will be delighted, but since you told Bob to go ahead, if you could make sure Ambrose knows that and that they do talk....¡±
¡°Then I won''t put too many noses out of joint.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°Should that be now?¡±
¡°Has anything been signed yet?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Maybe not.¡±
¡°Then now, yes.¡±
¡°OK, can I go somewhere private? That way I don''t need to eat humble pie in front of you as well as everyone else.¡±
¡°Of course. Colin''s not in at the moment, use his consulting room.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
Sarah dialed as she entered the room.
¡°Bob, Sarah here. I''ve been a naughty girl. Have you signed anything for the ski drag yet?¡±
¡°Not quite. Why?¡±
¡°I''ve just been told I should have told you to talk to Ambrose Jackson about it, to make sure your partnership agreement was all up to GemSmith''s standards.¡±
¡°Oooh. And I''d even thought of talking to him earlier, but not from that point of view. I should have thought of that one too.¡±
¡°Well, you had my go-ahead, didn''t you? Anyway, if you can hold off on signing, then I''ll just call Ambrose and tell him I''ve been sticking my nose in places I shouldn''t, and smooth things over.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll talk to William, and let him know.¡±
¡°I''ve no idea how busy he is or how long it''ll take, so I''m afraid I can''t make promises. I''ll get him to call you when he''s free.¡±
¡°That''s OK, Sarah. We''re all learning.¡±
¡°Talk to you later, Bye.¡±
¡°Problem?¡± William asked, looking up at what they hoped was the final version of the contract they''d been drafting.
¡°Yes. You know I said I''d spoken to the owner and she said go ahead?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°She didn''t know, and I probably got told ten years ago when I was only able to concentrate for ten minutes a day, that setting up a joint venture needs approval from the parent company''s partnerships expert.¡±
¡°Ah. So the deal''s off?¡±
¡°I don''t think so. Just don''t sign it yet, bits might be re-written.¡±
¡°Any idea how long it''ll take?¡±
¡°None, I''m afraid. Do you want that coffee?¡±
¡°Yes thanks, only make it tea, I''m jittery enough as it is.¡±
Bob''s phone rang, just as he''d made the tea and coffee. ¡°Hi Bob, Ambrose here. Sarah tells me she''s accidentally made me unable to do my job.¡±
¡°Not quite. We haven''t actually signed anything yet.¡±
¡°So she said. Now, since she explained approximately nothing, tell me about motivations for this partnership.¡±
¡°Wouldn''t you want a ski-lift if you''d got a lovely mountain out of your back window?¡±
¡°So... a personal dream?¡±
¡°Partly. I think it''ll be good for the company too.¡±
¡°I assumed so. And the other party?¡±
¡°Would you like to ask him? He''s here?¡±
¡°That would be excellent. Yes please.¡±
¡°OK, I''m passing you to William.¡±
¡°Could you put it on video, please?¡±
¡°Fine by me. William, would you mind talking to aforementioned expert with video?¡±
¡°Not a problem for me.¡±
¡°OK, William Speed, Ambrose Jackson, please consider yourselves introduced.¡±
¡°Bob tells me he''s always wanted a ski lift for his mountain, what about you?¡±
¡°Personally, I''ve wanted a mountain for my ski-lift for something like five years. I''m a qualified ski-instructor, and when I found the ski-lift for sale I thought, hey, instant ski-school. I rented a nice steep field, bought some skis to hire out and then the farmer cancelled the lease.¡±
¡°Can I ask why?¡±
¡°I think it was greed. He started out saying it would mean he couldn''t plant his winter wheat crop, so he asked for twenty five percent more than he''d have got for that. Then, he said that he''d plant it anyway on parts of the field I wasn''t using. I said fine. Then he actually planted it on the slope I was going to be training people on. I told him that was fine, but I couldn''t guarantee his crop wouldn''t be damaged by the skiers. He wanted to exclude them from that area, I said that''s not what we had on the contract. He tore up the contract. It was still just inside the cooling off period, so I had no comeback, but I''d already bought the skis.¡±
¡°And the lift.¡±
¡°I''d actually got that the day I saw it. It was such a bargain, I thought.¡±
¡°And since then you haven''t found a slope?¡±
¡°No. Well, I got more picky too. I realised that the first slope was OK, but transport wasn''t very good.¡±
¡°I understand. There''s not much point in opening up a beginner''s ski school if it''s hard to get to.¡±
¡°So this site is pretty much ideal, from my point of view.¡±
¡°OK, now one part of my role is to make sure that GemSmith''s business interests are protected, another is to make sure that GemSmith''s principles are not breached. The first means you need to convince me that the deal you''re both about to sign has a reasonable chance of being a success and isn''t going to be an excessive burden on Carbon-carbon if it isn''t. The second includes things like not upsetting the neighbours (assuming the neighbours are being reasonable), making sure that no one is treated unfairly, making sure that it''s a viable project for the long term, and so on. So, Bob, tell me about capital costs, running costs, employees, customers, the business case, and then go on to tell me about longer term plans for it, how it helps Carbon-carbon''s long term future, the benefit for the wider community, and so on. William, please feel free to chip it as necessary.¡±
Bob spoke, William agreed and clarified and Ambrose took notes. When Bob got to the idea of the ridge-top cafe, William agreed that the views were stunning. When he mentioned the cable-drawn cars for summer use, William was surprised but enthusiastic, and added his own thoughts about that possibly being useful all year round, for example for getting goods up to the cafe.
Ambrose butted in ¡°OK, now this is where the second part of my role comes in. You''ll need planning permission for that cafe, won''t you, Bob?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°But you said not for the drag-lift?¡±
¡°Correct, it classifies as a temporary structure.¡±
¡°But you''re actually thinking of it as though it were a permanent structure, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Oops.¡± Bob agreed.
¡°So, I suggest that you put it up this winter as temporary, but first tell the planning authorities that you''re trying it out, hoping it works, that you''ll talk to local businesses about what they think the impact on local trade and infrastructure might be, and so on. And make it clear that if it does work out both for you and the town, then you''ll go ahead and submit a planning request for the lift cum cable-car, cafe, ticket office and so on.
"In terms of community relations, I''d suggest that you offer a local residents'' discount. It''s electrically powered?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And presumably it won''t work off a domestic socket.¡±
¡°Ah, no. Fully loaded we''re talking about a twenty-five to fifty amps three-phase connection.¡± William supplied.
¡°Why the range?¡±
¡°On average, it ought to be less than twenty-five amps, but that doesn''t leave much margin for, say, a bus-load of obese people turning up.¡±
¡°Oh, I see. But the motor could cope with that?¡±
¡°Yes. Unfortunately the motor is pretty much unstoppable.¡±
¡°Why do you say unfortunately?¡±
¡°Someone once got caught between the motor and the cable. Fatal. That was the reason the previous owner had taken it down, and didn''t care what happened to the cable. The operator got jailed for manslaughter ¡ª he''d habitually taken the safety devices off because sometimes ice on the cable had been making them trip and stopping the lift. Every time the owner visited, of course, they were in place.¡±
¡°The safety devices are so easy to remove then?¡± Bob asked.
¡°Fairly. They''re just rollers on the end of a lever, with a switch at the other end. My guess is that when he put them back he didn''t even bolt them on. The factory came up with a nice cheap solution, which I back-fitted, just in case: no lever, no power.¡±
¡°And that can''t be removed too?¡± Ambrose asked.
¡°It could be, but you''d need to take the main winch-wheel off to do it.¡±
¡°That sounds much safer.¡± Bob said.
¡°I thought so, too.¡±
¡°So, getting back to the subject, your motor isn''t a problem, but you''ll need a power supply equivalent to a light industrial unit or something along those lines. You''ll need somewhere for people to buy tickets, and some kind of key operated switch to turn it all off, and I presume you''ve thought of all this.¡±
¡°Yes. We''ve got a suitable site, and even good access. Carbon-carbon owns a strip of land which goes right to the road at the back of the mag-lev station. It used to go to a workshop cum barn owned by a farmer, but the barn was long gone. The farmer died without an heir interested in farming and Carbon-carbon bought up the farm and got this funny strip of land. Mostly we just use it for access to the field behind where the barn used to be for events. Because of the events, there''s already a ticket hut there, with a three-phase supply, because some events want that.¡±
¡°What sort of events?¡±
¡°Fairs, just last week there was a reenactor''s tournament, country markets, horse shows, there have been concerts there too.¡±
¡°It sounds like a perfect place for testing, anyway, and you can get from there to where you want to go in a straight line?¡±
¡°Yes. The only question really is how close to the bottom of the hill we put the drag lift. We''re thinking that putting it too close to the ticket hut means there''s not much space for queueing, putting on skis, and so on. Too far and people get tired out getting to the bottom of it.¡±
¡°Assume there''s going to be people whooping for joy, any neighbours?¡±
¡°Light industry either side of us, that''s to say a farm machinery repairers shop on one side, and an electrical contractor''s warehouse on the other. There is some trade at the warehouse. We were thinking that a hundred metres would be a good compromise.¡±
¡°So you''d lay a hundred metres of fifty amp cable underground?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°What about the events, would it adversely affect them?¡±
¡°Not really. The farm machinery shop have a big parking area at the back, the route would be going parallel to their fence, about fifty metres away. It''s an area that some events use for parking space, but that''s about it. And there''s other land that could be used for that.¡±
¡°And no one''s planning on sticking a big spike into the ground, that might hit the cable?¡±
¡°Well, we are, to fix the mechanism to the ground, but otherwise, no that shouldn''t happen. We''d have it properly protected, anyway.¡±
¡°Good. Right, as long as you keep the local authorities and neighbours in the loop and listen to what they say, then I''m happy with that side of it. Now, Bob, I think you said that Carbon-carbon would get twenty percent of the company in lieu of the land rental, and a proportion of the income based on the investment you made. Is that right?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And William do you find that fair?¡±
¡°I think so.¡± William said, hesitantly.
¡°Personally, I don''t. I think you''re being exploited, William.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes. I think you''re so keen to finally have a plan of business that looks like it''ll work that you''ve left the door open for Carbon-carbon to set the agenda. Correct me if I''m wrong, but the whole exercise would work equally well from your point of view if the lift only went about a quarter of the way up the mountain, don''t you think? You''d get custom: people might say ''what a shame the ski lift doesn''t go all the way to to the top'', but they''d still use it, I''m sure. And you''d have the ski school and the ski-hire. Maybe there''d be ten or twenty percent more custom from going to the top, but for that you''re allowing Carbon-carbon to quadruple the running costs, reduce the passengers per hour, and take more of the profit (which will of course be smaller due to the higher electricity bill, extra maintenance costs, and so on). On the other hand, for Carbon-carbon, the ski-lift going to the top means they can build their cafe, they can get more customers in the cabins, and they''re going to run it all year long so that those enterprises keep the advantage of the ski-lift. More wear and tear on the equipment, a little bit more profit for you, assuming they actually cover costs, and all the profit for them.¡±
¡°Urm. If you really want to put it like that...¡±
¡°I think I do.¡±
¡°But I didn''t pay five thousand for the ski lift. That''s what it''s been valued at, but I knew I was getting an absolute bargain because of its sad history.¡±
¡°Nevertheless, you could sell it for five thousand.¡±
¡°If I could find a buyer, yes.¡±
¡°Bob? Are you interested?¡± Ambrose asked.
¡°Yes.¡± Bob said. ¡°I hadn''t considered it really, but yes, now we''ve done the sums, if you get cold feet then I think I''d certainly be interested in a second hand drag lift.¡±
¡°So, there you are, William, you''ve got a potential buyer.¡±
¡°I still think it''s a good investment. I don''t get many offers of investing five thousand for an expected income of something considerably more than a thousand a year. Normally my investment gambles were more like ten percent.¡±
¡°Then, quite simply, you shouldn''t have been investing in them, William. So, don''t let the potentially big numbers blind you. I suggest that your initial calculation was fair, but you should have considered only the bottom quarter of the ski lift. The top three quarters is Carbon-carbon''s business. So, that would mean that Carbon-carbon takes 20 percent of the shares in lieu of rental, plus what, one third of the rest of them?¡±
¡°A quarter of the cable would be about two and half thousand, yes.¡± Bob confirmed, not quite sure what Ambrose was doing. He knew it was very rare for GemSmith to invest where it didn''t have a controlling interest. ¡°So, I make that about forty six percent.¡±
¡°That''s not right.¡± William protested.
¡°Why not?¡± Ambrose challenged.
¡°Because I will benefit from the extra twenty or so percent use that going to the top will bring, and I actually expect it''ll be more than that. We''re not going to get many mid-week occasional skiers except people who are staying here. The campsite''s closed in winter and there aren''t that many guest houses in the area. I expect we''ll be getting more like fifty percent extra use mid-week by going up to the top. And those extra punters are going to be my customers too. Locals who want to ski are going to buy skis.
"So, I think we should at least consider thirty percent of the rest of the cable to be in my interest too, which makes it more like sixty percent for Carbon-carbon, if I''m right. Anyway, I like the way you guys operate, I really do, so there''s no way I''m accepting a controlling share; I''d get things wrong.¡±
¡°Thank-you William. You''ve just made a very good case for accepting you as a business partner, which was the other thing I needed to check.¡±
¡°It was a test?¡±
¡°Partly. If you hadn''t protested, then I''d have had to say unfortunately GemSmith have our rules, which bind Bob, and he couldn''t form the subsidiary company with less than a fifty one percent share. So, since I think you''re being generous, and you think we are, shall we agree on fifty-one?¡±
¡°Well, if you''re insisting that I get double the return on investment relative to what I was perfectly happy to sign before we started this conversation, then what can I say?¡±
¡°You can tell Bob that his first point of call should be to the experts that GemSmith employs, not GemSmith''s owner, even if she is a friend. We can''t expect the owner to know every item of corporate policy, can we, Bob?¡±
¡°Ah, no, but we might expect directors to.¡±
¡°Well, it''s not your fault we''ve been leaving you in splendid isolation up there for the last decade, Bob. And you didn''t exactly get the full orientation when you started either. So, expect more corporate memos and meetings now that you''ve been declared fit.¡±
¡°I will.¡± Bob said.
Wednesday, 20th December 1pm
May knocked on Mike Watson''s door.
¡°Enter.¡± he said, round his sandwich.
¡°Mr Watson, I''ve got a problem.¡±
¡°Not another one! What is it?¡±
¡°Last night I got a message from the store saying they''d revoked the dismissal letter, and were going to move me to the finance office for the Christmas and new year period. I also got a formal job offer from Mrs Williams. So I wrote to the store thanking them for the move to the finance office, and explained that since I''d received a formal job offer I was intending to accept, I was checking how long my notice period was, and would be submitting my resignation in accordance with that. I added that if that was shorter than I believed then I would not, of course, set a date before the end of the rush period.¡±
¡°Well done. So what''s you problem?¡±
¡°They replied, it''s three weeks, but they''d like me to stay on until the end of January when the store closes for the impact.¡±
¡°That doesn''t surprise me, what''s the problem?¡±
¡°I don''t really want to do it, but they''re offering me, along with all staff, a fifty percent increase in my wages for January if I contract to work until that date.¡±
¡°In other words, they''ve worked out that keeping you on is going to be far better than trying to work short-staffed or hiring temporary staff. So, what''s wrong with doing that?¡±
¡°I''d like to start with Mrs Williams before then, five weeks is ages.¡±
¡°Then just work out your notice period.¡±
¡°But I''d be losing a lot of money, and letting the store down, just when they''ve decided to be nice. That feels wrong.¡±
Mike laughed, ¡°I don''t think I can help you, there, May. I''ll tell you something, though. There probably won''t be much homework in January. All the staff will be concentrating on setting up self-study programs for you to take away with you. Maybe you could start with Mrs Williams just a few hours a week.¡±
¡°It''s going to be chaos, isn''t it?¡±
¡°I think it won''t be too terrible, if the impact doesn''t happen.¡±
¡°But companies are moving out of the city already.¡±
¡°Well, wouldn''t you move your company, if there''s no real need to be here?¡±
¡°I suppose so, but all those jobs going! They''re not going to be coming back, surely.¡±
¡°Assuming the scientists are right and nothing happens on the fourteenth, there will be empty space and plenty of workers. I expect there''ll be lots of motivation for companies to come back, or move in who weren''t here before.¡±
¡°I trust God more than scientists, so I''m not going to make that assumption.¡±
¡°So there''s no hope, you''re saying?¡±
¡°Oh, there''s always hope. There was that one dream where people prayed and then people went back to the city.¡±
¡°I don''t put too much trust in dreams.¡±
¡°Me neither. But in this case, I think the committee''s been proven right. Too many predictions have turned out correct. I''d better go and have my lunch. Thanks for the advice.¡±
¡°What advice?¡±
¡°Pray about it.¡±
¡°I never said that.¡±
¡°No, you just reminded me that there''s some things experts can''t help with.¡±
¡°And you think God can help?¡±
¡°No question about it.¡± May said with a conviction that surprised her. She wasn''t sure why she was so sure, but nor was she sure why it should surprise her. Maybe because she didn''t used to think like that. Keep up brains, she thought to herself, God''s given you some faith. Hallelujah!
Preparation / Ch. 28: Tithe
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 28:Tithe
Wednesday, 20th December 7pm
¡°Sarah, what are you doing?¡± John asked.
¡°Reading up on GemSmith company policy. Yesterday I told Bob to do something which might have broken policy, and I didn''t know. Everyone was very forgiving, but it could have gone wrong.¡±
¡°Oh. So you''re making sure you''re better informed?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Don''t forget Bible-study tonight.¡±
¡°I won''t. We''ve got a problem, by the way.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Mission spending has been too low for the last eight and a half years. Know of any missionaries short of cash?¡±
¡°How much are we talking?¡±
¡°You know IHM''s special project fund? Not that much.¡±
¡°Good.¡± John said.
¡°I think I''m going to need to approach a mission agency. See if they''ve got a major project coming up.¡±
¡°There was that literacy project we were praying about last month.¡±
¡°Of course! Thanks, that''ll help.¡±
¡°Sarah, can you be a bit more forthcoming?¡±
¡°Yes, of course, John. Eight and a half years ago, a project my parents were funding to the tune of a hundred-thousand a year came to an end. Seven and a half years ago, someone retired. Six years ago, another missionary came home to look after an aging relative, and told Frank they didn''t feel justified in carrying on receiving support. Personally I''d have argued, but Frank didn''t. Five years ago another project, fifty thousand a year, ended. Shall I continue?¡±
¡°And so you''ve got lots in the missionary giving account.¡±
¡°Yes. In other words, I''m behind on my tithe. Mostly I''d like to support individuals, but that turns into a lot of people. More than I can sensibly pray for. So, I''d like to find some big short term projects too. Like that literacy project.¡±
¡°I understand, Sarah. But let''s not be late for Bible study.¡±
¡°I don''t want to be.¡±
¡°Good, so shall we get in touch with people we already pray for, ask them if they have any particular support needs?¡±
¡°We could. Yes, let''s. What about a Christmas present for them, too?¡±
¡°We could do that too. I''ve just had a thought though.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Would it be an acceptable use of the gift?¡±
¡°Find people we should give money to?¡±
¡°Hmm. I guess so.¡± John said.
¡°That sounds a little vague to me. Oh! I''ve just remembered, I was going to find people with the pain who didn''t know what it was, wasn''t I?¡±
¡°You were. Which is the most important, do you think?¡±
¡°How about missionaries in real financial hardship first, then people with the pain who don''t know what it is.¡± Sarah suggested.
¡°That sounds like the right order to me. How are you going to define hardship?¡±
¡°Let''s start with not having enough to buy food for the next week.¡±
¡°And if we find any, how do we find out how to give to them?¡±
¡°We look for someone who knows their support details.¡±
¡°OK. But what if they can''t buy food because of ID theft, or something like that?¡±
¡°Oh, stop complicating things, John, please.¡±
¡°OK, love. You''re looking and I''m taking notes?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
There weren''t many. But there were some. Sarah found four dots, one was actually a family, she found, when she zoomed in.
John jotted down their names. Levi and Rebecca. Sarah looked for people from their mission agency. No one, anywhere. Independent missionaries? Well, what about their supporting church? Again, no one. ¡°John, any ideas? No mission agency, no supporting church.¡±
¡°Sent out by a church which has had a split and disbanded, maybe?¡± John suggested. ¡°How about you look for people who get their prayer letter. There should be some of those surely.¡±
¡°I wonder if their letter is on the network somewhere.¡± Sarah wondered.
¡°That would certainly make explaining how we found them easier. You''re the expert there.¡±
¡°OK, here we go, search engine knows quite a lot of rubbish, but maybe it can be helpful for once. Levi and Rebecca, prayer letter. Ooh, look.¡±
¡°Well, that explains the lack of mission agency. They left it. But their motives seem valid to me.¡±
¡°Poor things.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Yes. Look at this note. ''We are sure this is where God wants us, and that God will provide for us abundantly. If the Lord lays it on your heart to be part of our ministry, please do get in touch.''¡±
Sarah read more ¡°So, they fell out with their mission because it abandoned what they felt was a defining theological point under a new leader, and their sending church agency didn''t agree with them doing that and cut support. That''s a bit tough, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes. I guess there''s more to it.¡±
¡°There probably always is. But right now, they''ve got hungry kids.¡± Sarah pointed out.
¡°So, you''re going to support them?¡±
¡°I''m going to call them,¡± Sarah said, ¡°and I''m going to ask them how much they spend on food in a month, and send it.¡±
She called the network ID they''d given.
¡°Hello? Rebecca speaking.¡±
¡°Hello. You don''t know me, but I''ve just been reading your prayer letter. Without getting into theological points, what would you need to feed your family properly for the next month, and where do I send it?¡±
¡°We don''t ask for money, please, if you want to give, let it be between you and the Lord how much that is.¡±
¡°Rebecca, I really hope you can help. I think the Lord is leading me to give you enough to feed your family for the next month, that''s why I''m asking you how much that is. I don''t know what food costs where you are, and I don''t want to disobey God.¡±
¡°Can I ask, how did you find our newsletter?¡±
¡°Oh, this is complicated. My parents left me money in trust, and it''s just been given to me. They''d been instructing the bank to put ten percent of the interest, dividends and so on into an account for mission, but one of the missionaries they were supporting retired, and another left the field to care for a relative and asked the trustees to stop supporting her. So you see, I didn''t know it, but I''m behind on my tithe. I asked the Lord to lead me to hungry missionaries, and I searched around the network and saw your newsletter.¡±
¡°And you''re sure that the Lord has led you to us, and told you we need food for the next month?¡±
¡°I''m sure the Lord has led me to you, I''m sure you''re hungry or will be soon. I think the one month of food is from the Lord too. I''m not as sure as the other aspects. I was wondering how much and that came to mind.¡±
¡°I think I''m going to need to ask my husband. You understand that the issue of not asking for money is the one that the agency changed their mind on. They went from never asking to running a blatant begging campaign.¡±
¡°I understand. But surely there''s a difference between asking for money and responding to a direct question of what you need? Actually, of course, I haven''t even asked that. Just, how much do you need for food for the next month.¡±
¡°You actually asked for my family. That''s not the same as how much food we need.¡±
A flash of knowledge came to Sarah. ¡°You need to feed fifty three orphans, three dogs who the orphans play with, and two cats. You think you only have a small jar of rice. There is also a sack holding up a shelf.¡±
¡°Who are you?¡± Rebecca was shocked.
¡°I''m called Sarah, and sometimes God tells me things. Sorry if that startled you. I know how much to give now. Can you tell me your bank details please?¡±
¡°It''s a miracle!¡±
¡°Yes. But I''m about to be late for Bible study. Bank details, please!¡±
Rebecca gave them, then said ¡°I don''t know how you can be so blas¨¦ about miracles, Sarah.¡±
¡°God is good, he meets us where we are, and likes to surprise us. But I''m afraid that I''ve grown rather used to surprises like that over the past half a year. But Rebecca, every time you don''t tell people your needs when they ask, you are asking that God will perform a miracle. If you have been called to do that by God, that is trust and obedience, if not, well, please think about what that might be called. I''ll call tomorrow to check the transfer has got to you. I trust God far more than the banking industry.¡±
¡°Thank you, Sarah, for your support.¡±
¡°We serve the same Lord, Rebecca.¡± Sarah said, closing the connection. Turning to John she said: ¡°Well, that took longer than I thought it would.¡±
¡°Can we go, then?¡±
¡°Yes. Praise the Lord for intervening.¡±
¡°Indeed. Fifty three orphans and not sharing their needs?¡±
¡°And yet surprised by a miracle quite that blatant.¡± Sarah said, putting on her coat. ¡°So, prayer topic sometime is whether we''re called to support them monthly.¡±
¡°So, do we jog, turn up late, or call a transport?¡±
¡°Transport, or we''ll be very late. Another bit from that intervention. I''m going to tell someone with the pain to turn from her sinful path tonight.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Apparently.¡±
¡°I''ll pray for wisdom then, to go with that knowledge, while the transport comes.¡±
¡°And I''ll find out where she is.¡± and she looked for people with the pain, who didn''t understand what it was. There was was a dot there. Sarah looked at the skin of the room she was in. She was called Tabitha Bailey.
¡°Do you know it''s this side of the study?¡±
¡°There was urgency.¡± Sarah said [We''re going near here{image}] ¡°She''s called Tabitha Bailey.¡±
¡°You sound so confident. Aren''t you nervous about this?¡±
¡°Of course. But let''s not start to disobey God, and let''s seek peace in the transport.¡±
As they got out of the transport, Sarah saw a teenage girl furtively climbing out of a window of a house and starting to to come towards them. She checked where Tabitha was; it was her.
¡°Here she comes now.¡± Sarah said, ¡°Hide.¡±
¡°Anything you say. You''re the expert.¡±
¡°Hmm.¡± Sarah said, which meant that she wasn''t. She wasn''t very used to talking to teenagers, certainly not ones with the pain. She wasn''t entirely sure what to do. Then, when she was close enough for someone with the pain to hear she decided she was going to let Tabitha know she had the pain too. It was easiest. ¡°Hello Tabitha,¡± she said.
¡°I don''t know you, do I?¡± Tabitha asked, warily. Sarah guessed she was about fourteen.
¡°I don''t think so. But you get piercing headaches in crowds. If you don''t get away, then you feel you might scream, or even pass out. I don''t recommend screaming, though, because then people rush towards you to find out what''s wrong, which makes it worse.¡±
¡°You.... you sound like you know that.¡±
¡°I get the same thing. It''s part of the power, in case you hadn''t worked that out. You''ve got a better receiver than most people with it. We call it the pain.¡±
¡°There''s no escape?¡±
¡°Stay near people who love you and cherish you. Parents are good. So''s a husband, later on, of course. Grab hold of their hand when it''s too bad. Let them know you need to feel their love and protection. When you''re on your own, praying helps. Or you can hide your thoughts for a bit. Don''t do that too long or you''ll get stuck.¡±
¡°Hiding thoughts makes it stop? That''s fantastic!¡±
¡°Just don''t get stuck.¡±
¡°I don''t want to. I never thought it might be some part of the power!¡±
¡°So you don''t need to be sneaking off after illegal drugs, do you? They''re not going to help unless you dose yourself unconscious.¡±
¡°How...?¡± Tabitha asked, shocked.
¡°God told me, just like he told me where you were, and that you had the pain too. By the way, if you want to hear something so wonderful it''ll bring tears to your eyes, stick your head into a church full of people genuinely singing their hearts out to God. A special treat that makes up for the pain if you ask me. No one else gets to hear it except us, God and his angels.¡±
¡°I don''t understand.¡±
¡°The pain is your brain failing to sort out what all the noisy people are thinking, just in case there''s something about you. It fails because they''re all thinking different things at the same time and you''re hearing too many. During worship, most of them are thinking the same thing. It''s beautiful. It''s also pretty quiet when during the sermon, depending how good the speaker is. You''ll want to get out quick when the service is over, though.¡±
¡°This has to be the weirdest reason I''ve ever heard for going to a church.¡±
¡°Add it to the real ones then. God is real. He''s just sent me to warn you about wrecking your life and seriously damaging your relationship with your parents. You have a rare ability, coupled with a drug addict''s need for more money you''d probably end up using it on the wrong side of the law. If that happened, eventually I might be one of the people called on strip you of the power. Don''t take that road, Tabitha.¡±
¡°That''s real? What Bob McDaniel said about people having the power taken from them?¡±
¡°It''s real.¡±
¡°Do you have the mind-reading gift? Is that how you knew about the drugs?¡±
¡°What, you think I decided to tune through the thoughts of everyone in the city in search of a good deed? Or that for some reason I was spying on you? No. God told me you had the pain and needed to be talked to.¡±
¡°How many have the pain, do you know?¡±
¡°Someone with the gift told me it''s about two percent of women with the power.¡±
¡°So the reason it only started recently...¡±
¡°Is an age thing, yes.¡±
¡°Not because I kissed someone.¡±
¡°No. I presume you''ve been kissing your parents most of your life.¡± Sarah said with a smile, then stopped smiling when she had the thought ¡°And was that boy the one who suggested drugs, and told you where to get them?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Dump him. He''s bad news for you. Very very bad news. Drugs aren''t sane, Tabitha; they destroy lives. Does he have the power?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°That''s a relief then. You''ve got plenty of time.¡±
¡°That''s your husband, hovering over there?¡±
¡°Yes. He probably thinks we''re late. Which we are. Are you going up the drain-pipe or through the front door? And would you like me to explain to your parents you''re not mentally ill or something?¡±
Tabitha was nervous ¡°I''m grounded already.¡±
¡°Your parents know about you having the power?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Anyone else in the family with it?¡±
¡°My Granddad. His little party trick he calls it.¡±
¡°Does he live nearby?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°So, would you like to sneak home, and pretend nothing happened, or would you like to face the music with someone to explain things to your parents?¡±
¡°There''s no way for me to have found out about this pain without meeting you is there?¡±
¡°Not unless you subscribe to a specialist journal on psychological disturbances. I can''t remember which one, but my case got published a month or so ago.¡±
¡°My Dad''s a doctor.¡±
¡°And he hasn''t told you about what illegal drugs do to you?¡±
¡°OK, OK, it was a stupid idea, but I was desperate.¡±
¡°So was I, but I never took the route you were about to take. So, do I talk to him?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
¡°We''re going to be really late!¡± John said.
¡°I think it''s worth it. Go on, be useful; ring the doorbell and talk psycho-medical stuff to Tabitha''s dad.¡±
¡°Oh, thanks dear.¡± John said, and wondering what he was going to say, he went up to the door and rang the doorbell.
A man opened it. ¡°Hello, urm, my wife''s just talking to Tabitha beside the road. She''s your daughter?¡±
¡°Yes. Yes she is. And in bigger trouble than she used to be, even.¡±
¡°I won''t keep you for long, but this is going to sound very unusual, but we''re here because Tabitha and my wife share a rare form of the thought-hearing power, and God told my wife to come and talk to her. Tabitha''s headaches, my wife has them too, ¡ª they''re an aspect of the power. Caused by a hypersensitivity to thoughts. Most people with the power can only hear decisions within a range that''s age-correlated from three to five metres. Tabitha''s range is probably going to get up to thirty before she turns twenty. If she''s in a busy place then that''s too much input for the rest of the brain to cope with and it manifests as extreme pain. The IHM''s just published an article on the phenomenon.¡±
Her father processed that quickly; ¡°So it''s not psychological or even pathological?¡±
¡°No. It''s an over-stimulation effect, possibly related to the effects of a migraine, but from another cause. Medication won''t help, at least, nothing short of a general anesthetic. My wife was tried on pretty much everything. The easiest solution is for her to avoid crowds. However, there are other factors that can make life bearable for her.¡±
¡°I''m listening.¡±
¡°The sensitive range seems to be related to stress as well as age. Anything that reduces the range is a good thing, as it reduces the input. We don''t quite know what the brain is trying to do, but my wife describes it as like the way that you can hear comments about yourself in a noisy room, and the brain is able to tune out the rest. That filtering seems to be the part that cannot cope. But, anyway, the presence of a loved one who is seeking to reassure the subject seems to reduce the range by about half. Physical contact with that person further reduces the range. I don''t know if she''s discussed this with you, but she knows how to hide her thoughts, which also disables her thought-hearing entirely. In a very crowded room, that would still be necessary for her, and she should only hide her thoughts for a few minutes. But it would enable her to escape the situation without suffering a paralysing attack. Combine those factors and a relatively normal life is quite possible, though she certainly shouldn''t be expected to sit in the middle of a crowd.¡±
¡°When you say a loved one?¡±
¡°From what we''ve found so far, parents, husband and fianc¨¦ qualify, but maybe another trusted relative might do as well.¡±
¡°The sort of person you''d be able to share anything with, then?¡±
¡°Possibly, though perhaps more a person you''d not share stuff with but would still expect unconditional protection from.¡±
¡°Hmm. Like a father whose daughter is out on the road instead of in her room?¡±
¡°For instance, yes.¡± John said. ¡°I hope that what I''ve said has been helpful.¡±
¡°It''s published, you say?¡±
¡°Yes, most of it, in ''Advances in Brain studies and Psychology.''¡±
¡°And you''re one of the authors?¡±
¡°The Institute for the Human Mind is the named author. Beyond that, I couldn''t comment.¡±
¡°I see.¡±
¡°Now if you''ll excuse us, I think we''re late enough for our Bible study.¡±
¡°You don''t find the fact that religious experience is all explainable in terms of brain chemistry puts a dampener on your faith?¡± Tabitha''s father asked.
¡°Love is equally ''explainable''. I''ve never heard that given as a reason to not buy flowers for one''s wife.¡± John said, and sent to Sarah, [I really hope you''re finished. We should have been there five minutes ago. And if you remember, we''re leading the study.]
[Good job it''s not too far away.]
¡°That''s different, you can''t equate God with your wife!¡± Protested Tabitha''s father.
¡°That''s true. God''s far less likely to throw unjust accusations around, or go off in a huff. I''d love to stay and debate this, but as I say, we''re late. Goodbye!¡±
¡°Goodbye.¡±
¡°Oops, time to go. Bye, Tabitha. Maybe we''ll see you at church?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Somehow, I think I''m not going anywhere for a year or two.¡±
¡°There is that. But that''s only because you''ve broken their trust in you and shown you can''t make sensible decisions on your own. Maybe you''ll learn to be a bit more sensible sometime.¡±
¡°Go on, grind my face it in.¡±
¡°Well, don''t you deserve it?¡±
¡°Yeah. I do.¡±
¡°Coming, beloved?¡± Sarah said, as John arrived.
¡°Just as soon as we''ve seen that Tabitha''s going back where she should be.¡±
¡°Dad''s going to kill me.¡±
¡°No, that''s what you were trying to do. Your parents have been trying to keep you safe, I expect. Think about it.¡± Sarah said.
Tabitha did and by the time she was at the door she was close to tears of genuine repentance. ¡°Sorry Dad. I shouldn''t have done it.¡±
Wednesday, 20th December, 10.30pm
As she liked to do, Sarah helped Hannah tidy up after the meeting was over. ¡°May, shouldn''t you be asleep?¡± Sarah asked, meeting her in the kitchen.
¡°I need some advice.¡±
¡°From me, John or your parents?¡±
¡°Probably all of the above.¡±
¡°Oh dear, that sounds serious.¡± John said, bringing some more cups.
Hannah came in and asked ¡°What sounds serious?¡±
¡°May wants parental advice. I hope it''s nothing fatal.¡± John joked.
¡°Stop it John! I''m allowed to pretend I''m all grown up occasionally, aren''t I?¡±
¡°Of course!¡±
¡°So, what should I do?¡±
¡°How about supply us with some more information?¡± Hannah suggested.
¡°The store, mum.¡±
¡°Oh, that. Having decided they don''t want to fine May two weeks'' wages, they''re now offering her a pay rise if she''ll stay on until they shut at the end of January.¡±
¡°How much?¡±
¡°Fifty percent,¡± May said, ¡°and they''re going to have me working in the finance office over Christmas.¡±
¡°You''re going to need to offer her more, Sarah.¡± John said.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°I want to start with you, Sarah, but it feels like the store have just decided to be nice for a change, and I don''t want to let them down. It feels like throwing their change of heart back in their face.¡±
¡°Your loyalty is commendable.¡± Hannah said, ¡°But would you have considered it if they hadn''t offered you the fifty percent bonus?¡±
¡°Probably not.¡±
¡°So how much is it the money talking, or how much is it that they''re genuinely being nice?¡± Hannah prompted.
¡°Well, they are letting me work in the finance office.¡±
¡°Do you know what that''s like?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°No.¡±
Hannah probed some more. ¡°Do you get extra pay?¡±
¡°No, not as far as I know. But it''s a responsible position.¡±
¡°Meaning you suffer more stress?¡±
¡°Urm. Maybe.¡±
¡°So. Let''s break it down. You''ve always wanted to work in the finance office, and now they''re letting you. It''s going to bring with it the stress of learning a new job, getting to know new people, just when everyone''s rushed off their feet. You don''t think it''s got more pay. You think that it''s probably higher stress, but at least you''re not with people where you''ve just been involved in their manager leaving. Is this bonus just for you?¡±
¡°No, they''re going to offer it to everyone.¡±
Hannah decided to play devil''s advocate. ¡°So, what''s possibly happening is they''ve realised that they''re going to need to close down early or pay expensive short-term employees if they don''t pay a bonus to stop their staff from jumping ship. They''re then going to work you harder than normal, since they''re short of staff, and throw ''you''re getting paid time and a half, so we want you to work like it.'' at you. And of course they''re only actually paying you the normal overtime rate anyway, which is hardly going to dent their coffers. And this ''being nice'' is really only because they had a change of heart because Teresa threatened them with a lawsuit. Does anyone want to speak on behalf of the defence?¡±
¡°It''s possible that they finally had a change of heart and decided to not treat their junior staff like easily replaced slaves. I suppose.¡± Arwood said.
¡°You don''t think they''re being nice?¡± May asked her father.
¡°Not really, love. I mean, from what you''ve told us, yesterday they were just about ready to take your money and leave you wrapped up in an administrative mess until the impact came and conveniently erased the data for them. They''ll need to pay about three times or four times what you get if they need to hire staff thought an agency. You can work out what the cost difference is.¡±
¡°Oh. Yeah, it''s cheaper to offer me one and a half times pay for the whole month, isn''t it?¡±
¡°It is.¡±
¡°So... they''re not really being nice, are they?¡±
¡°Not especially.¡± Hannah said.
¡°OK. Sarah, can I start with you half way through January? That''s when my contract ends.¡±
¡°That doesn''t give you much time for self defence classes.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Urm, no, it doesn''t.¡±
¡°I''ve talked to my old trainer. She''s going to run a crash course ¡ª and you will be doing a lot of crashing to start with, I can tell you ¡ª in January. It''ll be an hour and a half, three evenings a week, which is a bit much, I know. But on the other hand it''d get you through the basics. Arwood, Hannah? Any thoughts?¡±
¡°Mr Watson doesn''t think I''ll be getting much homework in January. Mum, Dad, can I?¡±
¡°You''d have her start the self defence course before she starts with you?¡±
Sarah looked at John, who shrugged.
¡°Actually... I sort of need help now. Not with the interviews, but with getting organised. I''d been wondering, since they''d sacked you, if you could start sooner.¡±
¡°Oh. I''m sorry. I promised I''d work out my notice.¡±
¡°Oh, don''t worry.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I can try and sort things out on my own.¡±
¡°Can''t John help?¡±
¡°I am helping. I''m doing all the cooking and cleaning, except of course in the spare bedroom, which Sarah is turning into a paper factory.¡±
¡°I need to get things organised in my head. I could do it by computer if I had a monitor the size of a wall, but moving bits of paper is cheaper.¡±
¡°What are you doing?¡± May asked.
¡°Organisational chart, numbers of workers, capital, profitability, where they fit together, things like that. That''s one wall. Another wall is other investments, which is more complicated, because they''re all pretty much unique. In other words, I''m trying to get my head around what I own, why, and who works with who. I''m also trying to learn what sort of gaps there are, and if there''s a particular type of company I should be asking my lawyers to be on the look-out for.¡±
¡°Other than a paper-making company.¡± John said.
¡°That would be an example, yes.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I''ve got quite a lot of woodland, which makes oxygen for everyone and wood as a nice byproduct. Paper is an obvious consumer of wood, and there''s still quite a lot of paper used in my company. Would it be worth taking the paper-making in-house or is there an advantage in keeping it outside?¡±
¡°That was meant to be a joke.¡± John added.
¡°How would I help in this?¡± May asked.
¡°Getting stuff into the right format and printing it. The documents are a bit too complex and varied for a computer to get it right without setting a full AI to scan them. John''s house computer isn''t exactly up to that spec. Plus, of course, I keep changing my mind about what I want printed. And then if you were helping me, I could get you to file it all away in a fully consistent format. Not very exciting, I''m afraid, but useful for me, and also useful for you.¡±
¡°So I know how rich you really are?¡± May asked, not seeing how knowing this sort of thing was going to help her at all.
Sarah laughed, ¡°No, so you know that if I ever say something like I want to talk to Emerald''s personnel manager, then you know I am much more likely to mean Emerald health insurance, which is part of my inheritance, not the Emerald coach company, which is most certainly not. Do they still get used for school trips, by the way?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± May pulled a face, ¡°if they were yours they''d have cleaner coaches?¡±
¡°Among other things.¡± Sarah agreed.
¡°But you''ve got lots of shares in Emerald Health Insurance so you can just call up the personnel manager?¡± May asked.
¡°No, May.¡± John said gently, ¡°Sarah owns Emerald Health.¡±
¡°My great-grandfather set it up.¡± Sarah supplied.
¡°Wow.¡±
¡°But speaking of health insurance, May, I''d like to talk to you about panic buttons. Do you always carry one?¡±
¡°Well, most of the time.¡± May said.
¡°Hmm. Hannah, Arwood? Any objections?¡±
¡°Not from us. You''re sure?¡±
¡°Sure about what?¡± May asked.
¡°Am I sure that I don''t want you to ever be without one if I can help it. And as long as you''re working with me, I can. As you become known as my personal assistant you''re going to be in a perfect position to be a kidnap victim, May. I''d like you to very seriously consider accepting an implanted panic button. It''s not urgent, it''s not a requirement, but it''d be reassuring. Since they''re not cheap, you''d also sign a document that you''ve got it as part of your job, and that if you leave my employment then you consent to the surgery to remove it too. No promises about whether I''d actually insist on that or not, it depends on lots of factors.¡±
¡°Does John have one?¡±
¡°Yes. And it hurts for about a week.¡± John said.
¡°And I''m told that removing it hurts for much longer.¡± Sarah said. ¡°But like I say, it''s not urgent. Think about it for a year if you like. It''s not worth doing until we''ve come to the end of the trial period anyway, and we decide we can work together.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll think about it.¡±
¡°Thanks. What are you going to do about the shop?¡±
¡°I''m going to keep to my promise, and I''m going to ask my parents and my prospective employer if maybe doing the odd evening here and there might be possible, as long as I don''t have any homework.¡±
¡°Well, since you''re giving up a pay rise for my sake, I''d better say yes, hadn''t I?¡± Sarah said.
¡°And give her one yourself,¡± John said. ¡°After all, you wouldn''t want her to feel exploited, would you?¡±
¡°Certainly not.¡± Sarah agreed. ¡°All right, May, what do you think about this: now until mid-January, you get a wage of fifty percent more than you were getting at the shop, per hour, then once you''ve stopped at the shop you get a salary based on eight hours per week as before.¡±
¡°Still based on the fifty percent more than the shop''s paying me?¡±
¡°Any reason why not?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Yes.¡± Arwood said. ¡°May accepted the contract on the basis of twenty percent more, I think it was. You don''t want to start her on an adult salary, surely?¡±
¡°Don''t worry, Arwood. She''s not going to get filthy rich on eight hours a week. And for her role, her adult salary would be more that she''s starting on. And maybe with May helping me then John and I get to have some time to relax together, which''d be nice.¡±
¡°And of course it always helps to be a generous employer.¡± John said, ¡°it means staff want to stay on your good side.¡±
¡°You make me sound so... mercenary, John!¡± May protested.
¡°Sorry, May. I wasn''t speaking about you in particular. Just so often employees seem to think that money is all there is to the relationship. I hope you''re not thinking that way about working for Sarah.¡±
¡°And I hope,¡± Sarah added, ¡°that you won''t feel duty-bound to carry on working for me when it''s not really something you want to do any more.¡±
¡°You know anyone else looking for a truthsayer-cum-P.A.?¡±
¡°Not yet. But maybe you''ll get a better offer.¡±
¡°You''d be able to out-bid them though, wouldn''t you?¡± May asked with a cheeky grin.
¡°Not all of them, no. I mean, I''m not going to be able to out-bid an offer of marriage, am I?¡±
¡°You mean that you''re not going to want me to work for you when I''m married?¡±
¡°I think Sarah''s saying that if you happen to meet some handsome Christian guy who wants you to stop working for Sarah, for whatever reason, then Sarah''s not going to try and outbid him.¡± Hannah said.
¡°Exactly,¡± Sarah agreed, ¡°and I''m not going to try to dissuade you from going to work as a missionary either, if God calls you to that. Or from starting up your own company, or whatever else it is you want to do.¡±
¡°What, even if I decided to go over to a competitor of yours?¡±
¡°Well, if there''s a good reason, then fine. If it''s just money, then I''ll certainly want to talk to you about it. By the way, your contract will include a strong privacy clause.¡±
¡°I expected it would.¡±
¡°Good. Is there any more to talk about?¡±
¡°Not except for Karen''s wedding.¡± May said.
¡°Problems?¡±
¡°Not really. Just... was she joking when she talked about royalty and heads of state being there? Do you know?¡±
¡°I don''t know the exact guest list, if that''s what you''re asking. But I know she''s on pretty good terms with at least one foreign head of state, and the young woman he''s recently named as his successor. I''m sure they''ve been invited, but I don''t know whether they''ll be there or not.¡±
¡°Oh. Sarah? Your wedding dress...¡±
¡°Hmm?¡± Sarah asked, noticing that May had hidden her thoughts.
¡°It made you look like a princess.¡±
¡°Thank you for saying so.¡±
¡°And it''s old.¡±
¡°It is.¡± Sarah acknowledged.
¡°There was a piece in the papers, showing a Maggie Upton wearing a dress that looked very very like yours, marrying a jeweler called Joshua Smith. They said that was the last time that Princess Sarah''s dress had been worn, and speculating about who the mystery cousin was who was going to wear it before Eliza.¡±
¡°Well, you don''t want to believe everything you read in the papers, do you?¡±
¡°No, not when I know better. Karen said there''d be press there.¡±
¡°Then I''m sure there will be.¡±
¡°And she said ''probably not the King, maybe just Prince Albert.'' The press are going to go wild, aren''t they?¡±
¡°They have a habit of doing that.¡±
¡°So, I''m going to be (a) famous as Karen''s bridesmaid and (b) famous as your truthsayer.¡±
¡°That sounds possible. But I''m pretty good at avoiding the press these days and I''ll try and keep you out of the press too.¡±
¡°So how on earth do I meet someone who''s interested in me because of me, not because I''m famous?¡±
¡°I have no idea. Maybe you should become a recluse for fifty years.¡±
¡°That''s not funny.¡± May said.
¡°It''s easy, May.¡± Hannah said ¡°You can just dismiss being Karen''s bridesmaid with ''I didn''t know who she''s related to, she was this student at my dad''s church who realised she needed an extra bridesmaid at the last minute.'' Any glory hunters then realise that they''re not going to get invited to the palace or something because of you. And like Sarah says, she''s not exactly going out of her way looking for interviews, is she?¡±
¡°How many interviews have you given in the last five years, Sarah?¡± John asked.
¡°Do we count ''Stop invading my privacy or I''m calling the police?''¡± Sarah asked.
¡°No.¡±
¡°Then one, very very weird one. For a secretive little journal for undercover journalists and the sort of human-rights activists who go into unstable countries to interview oppressed people.¡±
¡°Why do you say it was weird?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°It was an advertisement, but it didn''t mention the product itself. Just spoke a little about growing up with a Daddy in the jewelery trade, mostly diamonds, and how pretty they were to play with and lovely to look at through a lens, but not as important as family. And how my family had been snatched away from me. Then it went on to how important privacy had become to me, that I''d got really fed up with reporters seeking glory by interviewing me, but now I had a job where privacy and secrets were very important too. And then there was a little line about sometimes secrets could be best hidden where people wouldn''t look twice. Underneath it, but in the same box, there was a little advertisement for my jeweler friend, of the sort that you''d maybe see in a local paper. Totally out of place for the journal. I''d say the advertisement has paid for itself ten times over by now.¡±
¡°I don''t understand.¡± May said.
¡°Nor do I.¡± Arwood admitted.
¡°Sarah''s come up with a process for turning gem diamonds into data crystals.¡± John supplied. ¡°But a secret process for keeping secrets in plain sight, say on a ring or a necklace, isn''t really the sort of thing that you want to broadcast in plain speech.¡±
¡°Oh. I think I get it.¡± Hannah said, ¡°So you''ve got an article about playing with diamonds, but them not being as valuable as people, and cherishing secrets and privacy, but hiding secrets in plain sight, all next to a jewelery advert.¡±
¡°Yes, and people put two and two together, and then call up my jeweler friend, say something like ''I saw your advert in the journal and wondered if you could help me?'' And then my friend then answers like any other jeweler would, and the intrepid interviewer mentions secrets, and my friend then suggests they drop by her shop just before closing time to discuss things in private. Which of course is just the sort of thing that they want to hear.¡±
¡°All this stays in the clan, May.¡± Arwood said, warning May.
¡°Of course.¡± May agreed.
John''s stomach rumbled loudly, ¡°Sorry. Maybe we should go home and eat, Sarah?¡±
¡°I think so.¡±
¡°You''re not telling me you haven''t eaten?¡±
¡°We decided to finish what we were working on and then eat.¡± Sarah said, ¡°Only it got too late to cook anything.¡±
¡°I''ve got some leftovers sitting there in the fridge, why didn''t you say something? Sit down! May, knives, forks, plates please!¡± Hannah said, taking charge.
¡°If you''re sure?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Of course I''m sure. You''re clan!¡±
¡°Not to mention friends and my new employer.¡± May said.
¡°All those relationships are going to get complicated aren''t they?¡± Sarah said.
¡°No.¡± May said. ¡°Or at least, only if you decide you can''t work with me.¡±
¡°You don''t think you''ll decide you can''t work with me?¡±
¡°I doubt it.¡±
¡°Well, if you do, let me know.¡± Sarah said, firmly. ¡°I don''t care that you got first offer of this job because you''re a friend and all the rest. That doesn''t mean you stop being a friend and all the rest if we can''t work well together.¡±
¡°Thank you for saying that, Sarah.¡±
Arwood asked ¡°Just what was it that delayed you today? More paperwork?¡±
¡°No. A divine appointment; I got told to meet someone. Since she was just crawling out of her bedroom window when we got there, God''s timing was perfect.¡±
¡°Anything you can share?¡±
¡°Girl with the pain, about to do something stupid to try and escape it.¡±
¡°Not suicide, I hope?¡± Arwood asked.
¡°Not quick suicide, no. Her bad-influence boyfriend thought drugs might help, the idiot.¡±
¡°What''s the pain?¡± May asked.
¡°You know I get headaches if there''s too many people around? That''s what we call the pain.¡±
¡°Like Mama had?¡± May asked.
¡°Yes. This girl even knew how to hide her thoughts, but didn''t know the pain was part of the power.¡±
¡°How old was the girl?¡± May asked.
¡°Fourteen or so, I''d guess.¡±
May reached her hand towards Sarah''s, and thought [Not Tabitha Bailey?]
[You know her?]
[She''s at my school. I taught her to hide her thoughts a couple of months ago. I knew she got headaches sometimes, but I didn''t make the link either.]
¡°Well, she doesn''t know my name. She does know about the pain now though.¡± Sarah said aloud.
¡°So she''s had her own private miracle?¡± May asked.
¡°Yes. Well, not so private. John told her Dad the technical side of things.¡±
¡°I wonder if I''ll see her at school.¡±
¡°You know her?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°Yes, Mum. I''m an idiot and didn''t realise what her headaches were.¡±
¡°I''d guess they''re going to get more intense as time passes.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I''ve told her a few ways to cope.¡±
¡°Is there any sure-fire way of telling if someone''s got it?¡± May asked.
¡°Range is the important one. Blindfolded snowball dodging, for instance. You''ve probably got a range of three metres, and by the time you''re in your fifties it''ll be up to five or six. Hers is probably going to reach thirty metres by the time she''s twenty.¡±
¡°You can fit a lot of people in that range.¡± Arwood commented.
¡°Exactly.¡± Sarah said. ¡°My limit was twenty to forty. Walls pretty much block it, doors not as well, and we still haven''t worked out what it is. We''ve got the touch-based one pretty much sorted out, but decision-hearing is something else, and there isn''t much else that ought to be possible.¡±
¡°You''re sure?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°Fairly¡± Sarah replied.
¡°That''s tricky for you scientist types.¡±
¡°Hmm, yes. This tastes good, Hannah, what''s the flavouring?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°It tastes familiar.¡± John commented, ¡°Oh no, it''s not thoughtful chicken is it?¡±
¡°No! It''s just lemon and ginger. No magic recipe.¡±
¡°I just hope you''re right.¡± Sarah said, then remembered something. ¡°May, you are able to come to talk to Karen tomorrow night, aren''t you?¡±
¡°I should be. I mean, it''s not like I''ve got homework for Monday.¡±
¡°That''s true. Hopefully Teresa will have time to get the contract all ready for us both to sign.¡±
¡°And I need to reply to the store.¡±
¡°You do.¡± Hannah said. ¡°And you need to be very polite, but firm.¡±
Wednesday, 20th December, early evening
¡°You said you needed to talk to me, ''Becca?¡±
¡°Yes. Levi. Today''s miracle.¡±
¡°The sack of rice? Yes! Praise God!¡±
¡°I didn''t tell you all of it.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°I didn''t just find it, Levi. I got a call, a woman called Sarah. She said she''s behind on her tithe, not through her own fault, and thought God wanted her to give us food for our family for a month. She asked how much was that going to be. I told her that she should give what she felt led to give.¡±
¡°Well done. How do you get behind on your tithe and it not be your own fault?¡±
¡°An inheritance, left in trust for her. Her parents had it all set up with money going into a special account, but apparently the trustees didn''t look for new recipients when people retired or left the field.¡±
¡°So she''s an orphan herself?¡±
¡°I guess so. I hadn''t thought of that. Anyway, she was sure the Lord had led her to us, to meet our need, but wasn''t sure the if the month was or not. I explained the reason we''d left the agency was because of their begging campaign, and I wasn''t going to tell her anything without asking you.¡±
¡°And now you''re asking?¡±
¡°No. She said that asking for money isn''t the same as responding to a direct question about how much we needed for food. I said something about us needing more food than for just our family, and that''s when it happened.¡±
¡°What, you saw the rice?¡±
¡°No. She got... I guess people would call it a word from God, and told me about the rice. She also told me we had fifty three orphans, three dogs and two cats. And that as well as all that, God had told her how much to give, so please give her our bank details, because she was about to be late for Bible study.¡±
¡°That''s amazing.¡±
¡°She was so... matter of fact about it, as though it was nothing special. She said as much, oh, what were her words. ''God is good, he meets us where we are, and likes to surprise us.'' but that she''s grown rather used to surprises like that. She then... almost rebuked me.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°She said we were asking for God for a miracle every time we don''t tell people of our needs, and that''s trust and obedience if God''s told us to do that. But if he hasn''t then what is it?¡±
¡°Well, he has, hasn''t he? He called us to the mission.¡±
¡°And we picked up the ethos of not asking, and we''re holding on to it even when they''ve got close to abandoning it. Does that make us faithful, or does it make us traditionalists who are putting God to the test without being called to?¡±
¡°Rebecca, don''t you think we''re where God called us to be?¡± Levi asked.
¡°Yes. I do. But I think that we might need to listen to our supporting church and our old mission board. I don''t think we actually prayed very much about leaving.¡±
¡°It was such a blatant begging letter.¡±
¡°Was it? Read it again Levi. Read it again, bearing in mind that combined with the amount of rice in the sack, and what God''s prompted her to give us, we have just enough for two months and ten days of food. Ring any bells?¡±
¡°The cooling off period?¡± Levi asked.
¡°Yes. The board and our church graciously gave us four months to reconsider. We thought we''d be down to our last crumb tomorrow. Now we will be, just when our time runs out.¡±
¡°So, the Lord is showing us that he can meet our needs.¡±
¡°Of course He can. But has he actually called us to do it this way? Why is He drawing attention to the deadline? Re-read that letter, please, now that it''s not a shock.¡±
¡°All right, Rebecca, I will. What''s that book you''re reading?¡±
¡°George Muller''s biography. I''m checking something I vaguely remember. I''ll tell you if I find it.¡±
An hour later.
¡°I''ve found the passage I was looking for, Levi.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Yes. George Muller wasn''t surprised by support. Ever. He was entirely confident that God would meet their needs, when he got given what must be about a million in today''s money, he was equally calmly thankful as when a little boy sent in his pocket money. I''m not like that. I was totally flabbergasted when God told her about our needs, even though that''s what we''ve been praying for for six weeks.¡±
¡°So what are you saying, Rebecca?¡±
¡°I don''t know about you, but I''m having doubts that I''ve been called to such a life of total dependence on the miraculous that they''re not surprising. I''m not saying I don''t trust God, but I find I''m really really surprised when miracles happen. It makes me want to sing and dance and praise the Lord for his goodness. I don''t want to lose that. But you''re my husband, I''ll follow your lead.¡±
¡°I''ve been reading that letter, like you asked.¡± Levi said.
¡°And?¡±
¡°They actually beg for prayer, don''t they? They present the annual accounts, and beg people will pray for the leaders to have wisdom whether there are projects that should be cancelled, and then say if you''d like to support, there''s the account.¡±
¡°But that''s always been there, hasn''t it?¡± Rebecca asked.
¡°I realised that. It was a shock seeing the accounts there though.¡±
¡°Of course. But the accounts have always been published. There''s no new information. It''s just putting it together...¡±
¡°Changes things. So I think you were wrong, or rather I was wrong, when I told you not to share needs.¡±
¡°How?¡±
¡°Because I wasn''t making our accounts public, was I? I should have put something up on the network somewhere that she could find out if she really wanted to know.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s true.¡± Rebecca said.
¡°And I think I''ll write to the board.¡± Levi decided.
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because.... miracles surprise me too, Rebecca.¡±
¡°I think they''re supposed to, Levi.¡± Rebecca said, kissing her husband.
¡°And also, I was thinking, this building isn''t ours, is it? The mission paid for it, we can''t just take it over if we leave the mission. I still don''t really approve of that letter, but I do agree with them, I over-reacted.¡±
¡°I''m glad they allowed us this period to think it over.¡±
¡°Me too, Becca.¡±
¡°I''m also glad that Sarah''s going to call back.¡±
¡°She is?¡±
¡°She said she doesn''t trust the banking system to get things right.¡±
¡°So what are you going to tell her?¡±
¡°The truth, that we''re asking to rejoin the mission. I wonder what she''ll say.¡±
Wednesday evening
¡°Yet another busy day for my favourite multi-millionairess?¡±
¡°Yes. And we haven''t finished yet.¡±
¡°No?¡±
¡°We saw three more missionaries who don''t have enough money for next week''s food, didn''t we?¡±
¡°We did. You think they''ll all still need food?¡±
¡°You think we just happened to look at the one need that God had in mind for us to meet?¡±
¡°I''ve no idea, but it''s possible, don''t you think?¡±
¡°Yes. OK, I''ll check, you''re ready to take notes?¡±
¡°Of course, love.¡±
The three was down to one. Sarah once more checked for names. A man, Robert. Sarah switched to the console. There was his prayer letter. Well, there weren''t many prayer requests in it really. It was very much a begging letter, and she wasn''t at all sure about what he was actually doing. Except that he was just about able to pay the rent and eat, but he didn''t have enough money to come home.
¡°What do you think, John?¡±
¡°Urm. Quite a different attitude to money isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes. He''s not afraid to beg. I get the feeling something''s gone badly wrong. Look, I''ve found links to last year''s letters.¡±
¡°One a month, hardly any changes for the last couple.¡±
¡°Hardly any news, either.¡± Sarah added.
¡°Here''s some, I''m looking at one from six months ago: ''A breakthrough at last, he''s had an opportunity to share the gospel.''¡±
¡°Well he is in a strictly moslem country.¡± She pointed out.
¡°Oh, that explains why it cost him his job. Because apparently it was at work and the manager overheard. But he''s up-beat about finding another one.¡±
¡°OK, I''ve got the next one he''s realised that he''s now not going to get a job as a teacher, because his employer''s passed the word round.¡±
¡°And look, a month later, still no real job, and he''s been looking too long, because he can''t afford the flight home any more, but he''s been able to get the landlord to reduce the rent in exchange for teaching his children.¡± John said.
¡°So, he was a tent-making missionary, who''s run into trouble, and is discovering that being jobless in a country where you need a good reference is a bad situation.¡±
¡°It looks like it. What happened to his supporting church?¡± John asked.
¡°Hmm. Here''s his first letter: ''I know you think I''m crazy, but I''m going anyway. I know our little church can''t even pay for the pastor every month, so I''m taking a teaching job out there. I should be able to save up enough to come home in just a few months.''¡±
¡°And he''s a long way from home, and for some reason he didn''t think it might be a good idea to have a backup plan.¡±
¡°He''s just out of school.¡± Sarah said. ¡°He was going to take a two year gap before university.¡±
¡°So... are you going to help?¡±
¡°Of course. I''m going to start by talking to Karen.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°I''m fairly sure he''s near where she went to school. There''s a possibility the school there might want him for something.¡±
¡°You don''t think he might have tried?¡±
¡°I expect it''s not well advertised in the country.¡± Sarah pointed out, ¡°and he had a job, so why should he look for other schools there?¡±
¡°That''s true. OK, you distract her from pre-wedding panic. At least she''s not catering for hers.¡±
¡°It worked out OK in the end.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Of course it did. We made a mountain of food. I''ll make some tea.¡±
¡°Thanks, beloved.¡± Sarah said, and then called Karen.
[Hi, Sarah! Please give me an excuse not to do more revision!]
[I thought you''d be in pre-wedding panic.]
[No, just revising so we can enjoy your sledging resort.]
[Ski-hire should be available too, complete with instructor if you''ve never done it before. He''s a friend of Dirk''s Eliza. Call the costs a wedding present if you want to go.]
[Oh, wow! I''ll have to check what George thinks. You''re sure?]
[Of course I am. Moving on to the reason I called you. I''m doing a little bit for starving missionaries. Is here{image} near where you went to school?]
[It is. About a bus stop away. Why?]
[A gap-year missionary tent-maker is living there, and he''s got himself known as a Christian proselytiser. Hence no income, and he''s not sure where next week''s food is coming from.]
[Where''s he from?]
[A little community church in the Kingdom of Alaska which struggles to pay their pastor. I could just fly him home, but he''s learned the language, started reaching out to people, and got fired for sharing the gospel with someone at his old job.]
[He''s lucky he only got fired. But apart from teaching English, is there anything he can do?]
[I have no idea. I''ve just found him as a missionary in financial trouble, and
was wondering if there was any way of keeping him there. I presume he''d be in big big trouble if I just started giving him regular support.]
[Oh, yes. That''d really make him a target.]
[So, crazy idea number one, could the school take him on as a cleaner or something?]
[I really doubt the school pays much.]
[At the moment, his mum is supporting him from her pension, and he''s spending that on his accommodation, even with the landlord dropping the rent in exchange for teaching his landlord''s kids.]
[His landlord should be paying him for that!]
[Yes, but he''s probably not used to bargaining, and since he''s got that black mark against his name it might even be more than the landlord is willing to risk to actually be paying him something.]
[Yes. And the employment law is pretty strict, too. He''d have to register him as a personal tutor or something.]
[But you think the school might be able to employ him?]
[They might. It''s certainly worth him giving it a try.]
[Can you give me an address?]
[Yes. here]
[Got it] John said.
[Oh, Hi John] Karen said [I should have guessed you''d be on the line too.]
[Karen, how sensitive is that country?]
[You mean, can you preach on a street corner and expect to live? No.]
[I''m just thinking that Sarah found him with the gift, and then found his last year plus of prayer letters. OK, I haven''t seen any mention of where he is, but they''ve got is name on.]
[Is it distinctive?]
[Pretty much so. The letters were on his church''s website, complete with a picture of him.] Sarah said.
[Then he ought to just get on the first plane he can, Sarah.] Karen said. [I don''t care if he''s got some kind of protective firewall which makes it harder for people where he is to read those letters. They''re easy to circumvent. He''s probably already being watched by their secret services, even.]
[Thanks, Karen. I hadn''t thought of that. Good thought, John.]
[How are you going to get him the money for the flight home?]
[I might not. That''ll get him too much attention as well.] Sarah said. [I''ll look for anyone there who knows he''s a missionary, and if there are then I''ll ask him to think of his passport name and book him the flight myself. How long would you say it''ll take him to get to the airport?]
[About an hour by bus. He shouldn''t use a taxi. Keep in touch, Sarah.]
[Will do.]
[Sarah, Karen, I''ve just looked. There are some dots in the country who know he''s a missionary.] John sent.
[Where?] Karen asked.
[Here''s two clusters. Here:{memory}]
[Capital.]
[And here:{memory}]
[Secret police headquarters. Not good, but not terrible. He''s not likely to get killed, but he''ll probably get warned not to ever come back.]
[OK, I''ll get right on it.] Sarah said.
[Don''t use the national airline, Sarah. They''ll note your bank account as missionary supporter if you do.]
[Thanks for the warning.]
[His apartment might even be bugged, if they''ve known for a while.] Karen added.
[What a cheery thought.] Sarah said.
[I don''t suppose he knows another language than the local one and English?] Karen asked.
[Oooh, good call. He might. It was an ethnic church.]
[So, get a relative to call him, in the most ungrammatical local slang they can. Makes it far less likely they can work out what''s being said.]
[Thanks Karen. You''re good at this.]
[I''ve had been around Pris a lot. Bye!]
[Bye]
Sarah looked for people in the country who''d probably hear if she called. There were two. His landlord and someone in the secret police.
She looked at flight information. Five hours to the next international flight.
That ought to be enough time. The ticket wasn''t even very expensive either.
¡°John, do you want to ruin his brother''s day in the Independent Kingdom of Alaska, or shall I? Either his phone or his apartment is bugged.¡±
¡°Can you? You know the technology stuff far better than I do.¡±
¡°Of course.¡± She called the contact number on Robert''s prayer letter.
¡°Hello?¡±
¡°Hi, Are you Robert Trent''s brother? I''ve just been reading his news letters. He''s in trouble.¡±
¡°Yes, I am. You think you can help?¡±
¡°Yes. I can.¡±
¡°That''s mighty nice of you, maam.¡±
¡°The bad news is he''s in bigger trouble than he thinks.¡±
¡°Why do you say that?¡±
¡°Because just like I''ve been reading his letters, it looks like the secret police there have too. I know that for a fact ¡ª I know someone with the mind-reading gift.¡±
¡°You''re not fooling?¡±
¡°No. There''s about ten people who know he''s a missionary in that country, five in his local secret police base. The gifted person also checked who might hear if I rang him direct: his landlord, obviously the walls are thin, but also someone at the same base.¡±
¡°Oh man. They''ve got him bugged?¡±
¡°Yes. Either him, his apartment or his wrist unit.¡±
¡°Oof, Raia! Even if you could send him the money it''d take him days to get it out of the bank there.¡±
¡°No time for messing around like that. If you can tell me his exact passport name I''ll make the booking. There''s a flight out of there in about five hours. It''s not in exactly the right direction, but it''s pretty cheap, and it gets him to somewhere that''s not Moslem. After that, well, I''ve not looked, but it shouldn''t be too hard to get him home.¡±
¡°We can''t afford much, maam. I mean, we''ve been scrimping and saving, but...¡±
¡°Oh don''t worry about the money, I''ve just inherited a fortune, I was just speaking about the route and stuff. I was hoping that you could tell me what name to book the ticket for, and that you can get him to take himself to the airport. Someone I know says he should use a bus, not a taxi, by the way. He''s much too likely to get mugged or worse if he uses a taxi.¡±
¡°His landlord''s a taxi driver.¡±
¡°Still, I wouldn''t risk it. His landlord could be some kind of informer, for all we know. I think he should just pack what he really needs and run. Stuff can be replaced.¡±
¡°That''s all very well, lady, but how do I know you''re for real?¡±
¡°Tell you what. It''s late here. Why don''t I just send you the money, and you book his ticket and stuff. Can you do that, no delay?¡±
¡°Urm, yeah, sure, if we''ve got the money.¡±
¡°Right. Tell me account details,¡± Surprised, he did.
¡°OK, here''s how it''s going to work then. Wait a moment.... OK, done. I''ve just sent you about three times what his first ticket ought to cost, and I''ll call again tomorrow. If what I''ve sent isn''t enough, then you tell me you don''t mind someone reading your mind and I''ll quiz you on how much you need to get him home and replace whatever he''s had to leave behind. You lie about that and you''d better hope that what I''ve sent is enough, because it''s all you''ll be getting. If you''re honest, then I''ll send more. If I''ve sent you too much already, then you give it to the church for your pastor''s salary. And here''s the link to the ticket I was planning to get him. Oh, when you tell him to get on that plane, use as many languages and as much local slang as you possibly can. Don''t make it easy for them to translate it into something else.¡±
¡°Gotcha, lady. That''ll be no problem. I''ve got the money, wow that came fast. I''ll book him his ticket. We''ve been praying for weeks, you''re really his saviour, and I don''t know how to thank you.¡±
¡°I''m not his saviour, that''s Jesus. And don''t you go calling me an angel, or you''ll upset my husband.¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Oh, read your Bible, man!¡±
¡°There''s a lot of Bible to read. Can I have a clue?¡±
¡°It''s in a gospel. Now, go buy your brother a ticket and tell him he''s moving.¡±
¡°Yes, Maam. Thank you so much.¡±
¡°Tell your brother to do better contingency planning next time. Once he''d been spotted evangelising he should have made sure he had a get-out plan. I''ll talk to you tomorrow.¡±
¡°Good bye.¡±
Booking the ticket took him a while, but while he was doing it, he called his mother. ¡°Miri dei, call our Bobbie, and use the lingo good and proper. The shingalo are onto him, secret police, and he''s been bugged too. Some woman''s just called and given me enough to get him home, we hope, but he''s got to get out of there pronto, even if it''s only part way. I''m booking his first ticket now, check in is in two and a half hours. And tell him to use a bus. A taxi might take him to the cops or worse.¡±
¡°Yer'' sure of all this?¡±
¡°The woman''s been talking to someone with the thought-hearing gift, mum. And like I said, she already sent me the money. She said she''ll call again tomorrow, and she''ll send more if it''s not enough.¡±
¡°How''s she going to know you''re not lying?¡±
¡°Cause if we want more money for Bobbie, then I''ve got to agree to my mind being read, and if her friend catches me in a fib then we don''t get diddly squat more. Now, let me book this ticket Mum, OK?¡±
¡°OK.¡±
And so it was that Robert, or Bobbie as his family called him, got a call from his mother. Except she called him Robert. Something serious. Some of what she said was Romani, some was other languages they''d picked up from the neighbours and the street. Some of it had real grammar, some of it his mother was getting deliberately wrong. In other places, she deliberately mixed the languages within individual words, using a root from one language and the endings from another. It was like a game they''d played when he was little, until he''d learned that it wasn''t just been a game. He knew that she wasn''t going to check-in for a plane anywhere in two and a half hours and she confirmed it by calling him her little cirikli ¡ª a bird. He needed to fly. Her reason for going, that she thought someone was after her, must apply to him. And the shingalo ¡ª literally meaning the horned ones, the police ¡ª were listening to him. He understood the message perfectly. He doubted very many people outside his little community would. He wondered how she knew, but that didn''t stop him reacting.
¡°Good deeds all done for the day?¡± John asked Sarah.
¡°Almost.¡±
¡°What else is there to do?¡±
¡°I''m going to go to bed. Doesn''t that sound like a good deed?¡±
¡°Hmm. Yes. May I join you?¡±
¡°I hoped you would.¡±
Preparation / Ch. 29: Persona non-grata
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 29:Persona non-grata.
Thursday, 21st December
Getting to the airport and picking up his ticket had proved entirely uneventful for Robert, and he handed his passport to the airport security officer just expecting to get an exit stamp. ¡°You''ve overstayed your visa.¡±
¡°I have a two year work permit.¡±
¡°You had a two year permit to work for the employer who applied for your work permit. You stopped working for them six months ago, and your permit ended at that time. You had a two month grace period to find new employment in which case your work permit would have transferred to them. After that your status automatically changed to tourist. Tourists are only allowed to stay for two months.¡±
¡°I didn''t know. I''ve been looking for a job, but I stayed looking too long and when I realised I probably wasn''t going to get a job I realised I couldn''t afford a ticket home either. Now my brother''s found me this ticket.¡±
¡°As soon as you realised you couldn''t afford to leave, you should have contacted your embassy. You''ve been an illegal person for two months, your motives for staying are suspect, you''re either a criminal or an idiot. Probably both. There will be a fine.¡±
¡°How much? I don''t have very much cash. My brother was going to send money for the journey, but I don''t know if it''s reached my account yet.¡±
¡°A likely story. I see. Illegal destitute alien. I could arrest you but then that would cost my country more. So, as a true patriot I''m letting you leave.¡±
Robert let out his breath in relief, as the official searched in the draw of his desk, and pulled out a rubber stamp almost as large as a page on Robert''s passport. With a look of pure glee he said ¡°I''ve always wanted to use this one. I''ve no idea if they''ll let you in at the other end, but don''t come back here. Ever. And with that he inked the stamp and with great relish applied it to the passport. He then he applied several other smaller stamps to spaces on the same page, took photographs, Robert''s fingerprints, and filled out a form. It didn''t take long. Handing back the passport he said ¡°Now, get out of my country.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡± Robert said.
¡°What for?¡±
¡°Allowing me to leave.¡±
¡°Idiotic infidel foreigner.¡± he muttered as Robert left.
Sitting at the departure gate, Robert looked at what had been stamped in his passport. The smaller stamps said, in English and the national language, ''destitute'', ''visa violation'', and ''illegal overstay''. That was bad enough, but the big one said ''Persona non-grata.'' at the top then in ten more languages it said he was an unwelcome person.
He waited until the plane was being pushed away from the gate before he checked his bank account. The money his brother had sent was there. So, he wasn''t destitute any more, hopefully they''d let him in at the other end. He rang his brother.
¡°I''m on the plane.¡±
¡°Bravo, phrala! You''ve also got a booking to near uncle Jack''s house. That''s as near as I could get you. But at least you''ll be with friends.¡±
Uncle Jack was an honorary uncle, had been their dad''s life-long friend.
¡°You know what it means though, don''t you?¡±
¡°No. What?¡±
Robert didn''t need to double-check the calendar. ¡°Madeline''s just turned nineteen. She''s still not found anyone else?¡±
¡°Not as far as I know. Oh, boy. I didn''t think of that.¡±
¡°No chance to change the tickets?¡±
¡°No. Maybe she''ll be happy to see you.¡±
¡°I doubt it. Last time I saw her she spat in my face and told me she hoped I could stay away until she''d turned fifty, or at least twenty-two and could call the arrangement null and void.¡±
¡°Why does she hate you so much?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I know I like her.¡±
¡°Well, you''ve got about twenty six hours before you land, with the lay-overs and everything. I suggest you get talking to her.¡±
¡°Arranged marriage or not, I''m not going to marry her if she doesn''t want it. I''ve told her that. Does uncle Jack know I''m coming?¡±
¡°Not yet.¡±
¡°Keep it that way, please. If Maddie doesn''t want to marry me, then he can''t know. You know what a traditionalist he is.¡±
¡°So where''ll you stay? You''re not going to be able to hitch-hike home at this time of year.¡±
¡°I dunno. Maybe Maddie will be able to come up with something. I owe you big time for even getting me that far. Thanks, man.¡±
¡°Not me. Some woman with a funny accent called, she sent the money. I just landed you in trouble.¡±
¡°Oh, we''re taking off. I''ll call when I land.¡±
¡°Don''t you dare. It''ll be three AM here.¡±
¡°Oh yeah. Sorry.¡±
¡°There''s a chance that the woman''ll send some more cash, but I don''t know that for certain, so I just had to end you somewhere I knew you wouldn''t starve, Bobbie. I had to.¡±
¡°I''ll see what we can work out. Bye.¡±
Robert decided he''d not talk, but would write to Madeline.
''Dear Madeline, you NEED to read this. I know you hate me and don''t want to see me for another decade or so, but please read this, it affects you. I hope you''ve been reading my newsletters, so you know I got stuck there with no money. Someone else did, and sent Matt some money to get me home, so I''m on my way home now, in the air, even, praise God! Five more flights to go. Only the money ran out for the last one. Matt''s got me tickets that get me as far as near your place. He says he had to route me that way, so there''d be somewhere I could stay. He didn''t think it all the way through, but you know what that''d mean. We hope that the woman who sent the money might send more, to get me the last leg home without bothering your dad. If not, any ideas? I don''t want you hurt, or forced into something you don''t want. You know I love you, I hope. That means I''m not going to insist on anything except your total freedom of choice. Do you know of any barns I could stay in or something until the roads re-open and I could hitch-hike home? That way your dad needn''t even know I''m anywhere nearby. But I would like to see you again, even if it''s just so you can spit in my face again.''
It didn''t take Madeline long to reply: `My dearest blithering idiot, never heard of people saying things they don''t mean when they''re angry? Say, like I might get when you announce that I''m not going to see you for 2 years? And what was I supposed to do when you asked for a kiss in front of my Gran? A girl''s got to have some pride! Something more personal than just your prayer letter would have been nice, but I suppose if you thought I hated you then that explains it. Sleep in a barn? Not without me you don''t! After we''re wed of course, so don''t you dare go past without dropping in to talk to Dad, and then we''ll go see the pastor. Since you''re so poor it''s a good thing you don''t need to pay for me, like grandpa''s generation did, or I''d have to get Dad to lend you the money. By the way, I''ve got a job, so we won''t starve. Maybe they''ll have something you can do too. Boss often asks if I know anyone trustworthy. Missed you lots, you nut-case. Of course I''m breaking all tradition by writing to you this honestly, but it looks like you need me to. My free choice is you. Don''t expect me to welcome you with open arms; that''s not traditional, but now you know my heart. Anything else is an act for traditions sake. Destroy this letter, or my name''s worse than mud.''
Robert read and re-read the message. He''d known her father was traditional, it hadn''t occurred to him that at the very least she''d have to act the traditional way around him, and not betray her feelings. He''d need to be traditional about it too. He sent a message to Matt. ''I might have been misreading the situation. Don''t book any more tickets. I''ll contact uncle Jack.'' And then he did.
''Dear uncle Jack, by God''s grace I''m out of the trap I got myself in. Matt got given some money to get me away from that furnace, and I''m on my way back to good company and people I know will welcome me. I know Madeline won''t, and I''ve have got a pretty stamp in my passport she''ll like to point at, which says I''m an unwelcome person. I hope that''s not the case for anyone else in your house, and that you''ll give me the chance to persuade Madeline to change her mind about me.'' He thought a bit, then added:
''The other stamp in my passport says I''m destitute. That''s not quite true, yet, but I''d certainly welcome the chance to earn some money. I don''t suppose you know of any jobs going in the area?''
Thursday afternoon, December 21st. TREC meeting.
¡°Thank you, minister for transport, That''s very encouraging news indeed. Did you have a date for when the first containers would be available?¡±
¡°Sorry, your majesty, I thought I''d reported that already. We''ve got about fifty percent of the required number available already. Each week we ship more than enough containers, but requiring every one of those would seriously disrupt too many industries and the knock-on implications would be huge. We''ve therefore set a more reasonable number to be left empty each day.¡±
¡°And minister for planning, you''ve got information for us, I hope?¡±
¡°Yes, your Majesty. The first news is that our survey indicates that twenty percent of the population will relocate to another location, mostly this is people following their jobs, but it also includes students not returning to Restoration for university. Thus the figure needing storage and temporary accommodation is reduced to four hundred and fifty five thousand people. A further twenty-two percent of the population say that they will certainly relocate on the impact occurring. These are mostly in rented accommodation, and retired people. Single unemployed renters are also almost all relocating should an impact occur, unless their skills are in the construction trade. As a group, the entire population of retired renters will be leaving should an impact occur.¡±
¡°That sounds reasonable.¡± The queen said.
¡°Yes, Maam. A further fifteen percent will try to relocate if the impact occurs. This is mostly home-owners in the above forty age range. Twenty-three percent have stated that they will certainly stay, and twenty percent don''t know. The ''certainly stay'' figure tend to be in state-employed or location-based jobs, like shop-keepers, teachers, medical sector, police, firemen, ministers of religion and the like. We assume this is because they see a need for their jobs no matter what happens. Most are also under forty, and tend to be married. The conclusion of this is that based on this survey, should there be a need to rebuild, then the demographics of the city will have changed dramatically.
"While there will at least be a temporary void in certain age-ranges, the number of school-aged children will only reduce by twenty to thirty percent, while the population halves.¡±
¡°So, a big priority will be for reopening the schools and building family homes?¡± Albert asked.
¡°That is our conclusion, yes, your highness. A further point is that a two or three bedroom family house is also a reasonable way to accommodate single people, at least temporarily, as most students know. Further to your Majesties'' request, we''ve identified ninety potential camping sites, each capable of holding an average of two thousand families.
Based on the requirements determined for campsites, each of these sites would need approximately one hundred and forty toilets and wash basins, if we wish to accommodate the morning and evening rush. However there is a school of thought that says that a lower number could be provided as this is emergency accommodation, not a long-term residential site, and also we presume that those people who have stated they will certainly relocate would have little need to stay there more than a few days in order to make their way to their chosen destination.¡±
¡°The laws of supply and demand will surely come into play with such a large number deciding to relocate on a single day.¡±
¡°Yes, your majesty. We instructed the local councils to identify unoccupied and partially occupied residencies in major locations, and request that owners consider renting them out. With the decreasing population trends over the previous decades there are more than sufficient unoccupied rooms, should people be willing to rent them out.¡±
¡°Yes, that''s the question. Are they willing?¡± asked the Queen.
¡°We have done some surveys asking people with significantly unoccupied homes if they''d be willing to make a room or two available, in this time of crisis, and what rent they''d ask for. A significant number indicated that they would. Assuming the surveys were representative, then there will not be a housing crisis in the rest of the country. Rent rates were, in general, lower than those in Restoration. I''m sure that there will be some adjustments to rental rates, but in the long term it might even be downward.¡±
The finance minister raised a hand ¡°If I might play devil''s advocate, since there seems to be sufficient unoccupied housing in the nation as a whole, do we actually need to rebuild the city?¡±
¡°I can think of several motivations, minister, including emotional ones.¡± the King replied, ¡°But perhaps the minister for planning can answer on a purely practical level?¡±
¡°Yes, your Majesty. The rental option is not a problem for the proportion of the population planning to leave ¡ª mostly comprised of single people and couples without dependent children. However, if we were to permanently evacuate the entire city, then that would mean a massive demand for family homes. There isn''t much slack in that portion of the market.¡±
¡°So either we rebuild Restoration, or we build the same number of homes elsewhere?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Yes, maam. At that point, the other arguments, regarding the existing underground infrastructure in Restoration ¡ª the roads, drains, pipework, and so on, all come into play. Even if all the buildings are destroyed, we expect that pipes, cables and the like a metre below ground-level should not be significantly affected, making rebuilding Restoration more economically viable,¡± the planning minister said confidently.
¡°And is that expectation based on research, or on gut-feeling?¡± the King asked.
¡°Urm, much more on gut feeling than hard research, your majesty,¡± he admitted.
¡°My gut feeling would tend to concur, however,¡± the science minister said.
¡°I''m glad.¡± the King said ¡°Because that''ll make rebuilding cheaper. We''re not going to leave one of our major cities a wasteland. Maybe it''ll be smaller, but we''re going to rebuild.¡±
¡°The minister for planning mentioned roads. Is the current plan then to rebuild like-for-like, using the existing street-plan?¡± the finance minister asked.
¡°If we build roads where they didn''t used to be, then land-rights become an issue. Not insurmountable, of course, but an issue.¡±
¡°The idea of people deciding to relocate wasn''t addressed in our early discussion on the impact.¡± the minister for finance stated. ¡°For land-owners relocating, whether commercial or private, will there be any state purchase of property rights should the impact occur? Or will a free market solution be considered?¡±
¡°Yes, it''s an issue we haven''t really discussed, isn''t it?¡± the King said. ¡°With the currently implemented plan, property rights are either kept or transfered to a mortgage holder on foreclosure. Renters are obviously able to leave, but we''ve in effect declared that home-owners should stay put. I wonder how many home-owning folk we''ve caused distress to by saying they need to wait for us to rebuild or to suffer the indignity of foreclosure.¡±
¡°I think we''re protecting them, father. I imagine that if there was a free market trade in houses at the moment, then we''d be seeing a significant drop in house prices as every new piece of news about the asteroid comes in, and people seeing that will under value their homes in the hope of a quick sale. I''m sure that there would be people hoping to make quick profit if the impact doesn''t happen.¡±
¡°I think any people betting along those lines are about to get a nasty surprise, your highness.¡± The science minister reported.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡°Oh? New news?¡±
¡°Yes. I understand it''ll be on the main news channels this evening. They''re still debating the issue of whether it''s an icy asteroid or stony comet, but whichever it is, there has been a short release of gas from it, and a corresponding shift in the orbit. Therefore, they''ve now got two error ellipses. One is now about the size of the moon''s orbit, because they think it might eject more gas, the other is just based on what they know of the orbit at the moment. That''s still over an earth diameter, of course, but the center indicates a direct hit on Restoration.¡±
¡°I don''t know whether to be relieved or saddened.¡± the King said, ¡°But at least now that it''s heading for us there might be less international mockery for our ambassadorial staff.¡±
¡°That would be most welcome,¡± the minister for foreign affairs said. ¡°Perhaps this is the moment to bring up an offer from one of our trading partners.¡±
¡°Yes?¡± The King asked.
¡°I don''t know how seriously to take it, or whether it was a joke, however we have just been offered fifty shipping containers of what they termed an experimental walling material at what I''m assured is a very competitive price. According to the blurb I''ve just been reading, it is some kind of multi-layer plastic sheet which you stretch it over a frame, inflate it and the inflation triggers a chemical reaction which turns it into a water-proof, fire-resistant semi-breathable solid within twenty four hours. Our ambassador there says he''s not seen it being used anywhere, but he''s seen what they claim is the end product. He says what he was shown looked a little like an artificial Balsa wood, about a two centimetres thick.¡±
¡°And we''re being offered fifty shipping containers of this stuff?¡±
¡°Yes, your Majesty. I personally thought that fifty shipping containers was rather a lot for an experimental material, but apparently they''re intending it for emergency housing post-earthquake, and this is how much their experimental plant has been able to produce so far. They''re keen to have it used under real conditions, apparently, so that they know whether they should build some larger factories.¡±
¡°So we''d be the guinea pigs, and then they''d point at us saying either ''they didn''t use it properly, that''s why it was a disaster'', or ''look they used it and rebuilt their city very quickly, don''t you want some?''.¡± Albert said.
¡°Yes, that''s about it, your Highness.¡±
¡°How do you inflate it?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Ideally, a normal air compressor, supplying air at about one to one and a half atmospheres. But apparently it''s also possible to do it with the sort of manual pump that people would use for a camping airbed.¡±
¡°Sorry, I asked the wrong question. It comes in some kind of roll, I presume, and you cut it to length? How do you seal the edges in order to inflate it?¡±
¡°Oh, sorry. You cut it to shape and heat-seal the edges together. You can make any shape, they say, if you need to. A domestic iron with some silicone-paper is a makeshift option, but they suggest a proper heat-sealing unit.¡±
¡°And how many metres of wall does a shipping container make?¡± the King asked.
¡°Each container is said to contain eighteen three-metre long rolls, with each roll having a diameter of a metre. There''s apparently a total of three kilometres length on each roll. I haven''t worked out how many houses that turns into.¡±
The science minister quickly did some maths. ¡°If we assume a square house ten metres by ten metres, divided into four parts, that''d make the walls for fifty houses from each roll. So if this system works, then what they''re offering is walls for forty-five thousand houses. But, I haven''t included anything in terms of roof or ceilings. But I''m a bit worried about its strength and low weight though. I presume it''s not going to be very strong, and a house made of balsawood would surely blow away very easily or need roping to the ground. I imagine this as a good for a refugee camp where you want something a bit more permanent and insulating than a tent, but I really wonder if it meets our requirements.¡±
¡°I think one important question might be how actually fireproof this material is, how
long it lasts exposed to the elements, and so on, so that we know whether it''s going to be something that could be a permanent feature of the houses or if it''s something that would need to be stripped out after a few years.¡± Albert said.
¡°Not to mention how much it costs.¡± Eliza added. ¡°It seems like it would clearly allow rapid construction of a living space on prepared ground. I don''t know if anyone has an idea of how rapidly the ground can be prepared, but I don''t.¡±
¡°So, if the material is stable and is suitable as an interior wall surface, then perhaps it''d be a very good first stage to getting people back onto their property,¡± the minister for launches said, ¡°But on the other hand, maybe we don''t actually want people living on a building site. Which means pretty much the entire city, really.¡±
¡°It probably depends if it''s their building site or not.¡± Albert said ¡°I mean, if people are rebuilding themselves, they might very well want to live there, but if it''s contractors, then people living on-site is probably just a complete pain.¡±
¡°That sounds very true. Now, we agreed that there would be the opportunity
for people to opt-out of the rebuilding aid programme, and just build themselves.¡± Eliza prompted ¡°Do we have a third category of people who''ll work on their own homes, but with state aid? Do we, in fact, want lots and lots of people to be in that category?¡±
¡°That depends. If we have everyone building with whatever they can rescue, then the city turns into a shanty town.¡± The King pointed out.
¡°If we have purely prefabricated houses, then that''s fast, but the result is an entirely bland and characterless city,¡± the queen said, ¡°And I don''t think we want that. If we have home-owners doing what they can, and then calling in the experts, then we probably end up with something that is very frustrating for everyone.¡±
¡°I''m assuming that immediately after the impact, heavy machine is going to clear the city section by section,¡± the King said, ¡°I think the minister for planning has more details.¡±
¡°Yes, your majesty. Having talked to various experts, we''ve concluded that the best plan is that the heavy machines try to be careful and not destroy anyone''s foundations or concrete slab floor, if there is one, and likewise they should be clearing the roads of large debris, but but not digging up the surface. The second stage will be for smaller, lighter machines to clear the smaller debris and doing some kind of sweeping things clean. Once that''s done, each plot will need to be assessed to see if what''s left of the foundations is in good order. If not, then those will need to be re-dug and concrete or geopolymer poured. Depending on whether the foundations match the prefabricated building''s dimensions, somewhere between zero and three walls would need new foundations, and the new foundations would need tying to the existing ones. If we are able to use this instant wall material to effectively do away with the prefabricated stage, then we would clearly be able to match the existing foundations on two walls, possibly three, with the expectation that this will then form the corner part of the rebuilt home. However, I suspect that there will be people who will want to adjust the size of their house rather than rebuild like for like.¡±
¡°I''m sure there will be.¡± the King said. ¡°We obviously will have to discuss special planning regulations for the city. And like for like does not mean identical construction methods, I expect.¡±
¡°Ah, no, sire. And obviously, there will be a need to determine the limits of state aid.¡±
¡°Yes. It is our stated intention that state reconstruction aid will initially provide everyone sufficient basic shelter, and eventually enable people to have a home of equal size to what they''ve lost. We have made no declarations about layout or internal arrangements. Matters of interior decor, fixtures and fittings are, of course, beyond the scope of our budget, which is of course why we''re providing people with the storage space. If people are that attached to their carpets, marble work-surfaces, and so-on, then they should make arrangements for them to be stored.¡±
The member of parliament for Restoration raised his voice, ¡°Your Majesty, I''ve had quite a few queries from constituents who have precious and non-movable floors, some of antique wood, or marble, for instance, which might survive the impact if they covered them with some kind of protective layer, but would not survive a bulldozer driving over them. The owners have volunteered to perform the clean-up themselves, and would like assurance that this would be possible, and that they won''t find that their preparations have been in vain. Speaking of which, one person even suggested that he intended to set up a forcefield over his two-hundred year old oak and maple floor, to be powered by batteries for the calculated impact time, so that when things fell, then the forcefield would take the impact and then when the batteries discharged the debris would only fall a few milimetres onto the foam he intends to place directly on top.¡±
¡°Ingenious!¡± Albert remarked, ¡°I wish him luck.¡±
¡°Obviously, it would not be in anyone''s interest to destroy such treasures, but it would clearly require careful thought. By setting up some kind of exclusion area for the machines, I presume.¡± the King said.
¡°That technology will already need to be in place, so that they don''t drive into a swimming pool, or a fuel station.¡± The minister for planning stated, ¡°I suggest that we instruct the local authorities to use the planning permission application system to allow a home-owner to specify an exclusion area. They''d just walk the periphery of the site and send the location data from their wrist units, like when people lodge an initial site inspection request.¡±
¡°Any objections?¡± the King asked.
¡°Should there be a penalty for frivolous use?¡± Albert asked. ¡°I mean, someone deciding they don''t want their flowerbed flattened is hardly of the same nature.¡±
¡°I think that the required commitment to clean up their own rubble would be a sufficient deterrent, Albert.¡± pointed out the queen.
¡°Do I understand your intention that a hazard area could not be specified without the entire site being off limits to heavy machinery?¡± asked the religious affairs minister.
¡°I suggest that there be different categories.¡± the queen answered ¡°Hazard is one, preservation of precious flooring should be treated differently.¡±
¡°Yes.¡± his Majesty agreed, ¡°hazard to the driver and equipment is certainly a different category. Speaking of which, I suggest that we make registration of such hazards a requirement of all home owners. If there are any houses out there who still have liquifuel powered heating, for instance, those should be dealt with pre-impact, to reduce the chance of pollution and fire.¡±
¡°Are there any?¡± The queen asked.
¡°It''s possible.¡± the planning minister said ¡°Even if they''ve not had a delivery in a decade then some people might still have the tank half full as a backup heat source.¡±
¡°I''m sure that hospitals and other institutions would have, unless they''ve got a private fusion generator.¡± the science minister offered.
¡°But presumably there aren''t many of those in the city?¡± the minister for religion asked.
¡°I don''t actually know ¡°, the planning minister replied. ¡°Of course they would all be underground with forcefield protection, so they shouldn''t be at risk from the impact.¡±
¡°Excuse my ignorance, but couldn''t we actually protect the entire city with an enormous force-field?¡± asked the privacy minister.
The science minister winced, ¡°No. Sorry. They''re not magic.¡±
¡°Oh. You mean the force would be too great?¡±
¡°Probably not for the field, but certainly for whatever you''re supporting it on. The force goes somewhere. Newton''s laws still hold, after all. That much pressure on a dome covering the entire city? It would probably cut through any reinforced concrete foundations like a knife through butter.¡±
¡°I''m afraid I never was very good at hard science,¡± the religious affairs minister said. ¡°But not even steel beams? Railway tracks, for instance?¡±
¡°The city''s what, roughly twenty kilometre''s across?¡± asked the minister for rocketry, starting to work out the pressure on her wrist unit.
¡°Something like that.¡± agreed the science minister.
¡°Then with the pressure wave that we''re expecting, we''d get something like of forty thousand tons of force per linear metre of the circumference.¡± She tapped some more numbers ¡°That forty thousand tons would need to be carried on the one millimetre wide field ring, you understand? So, every square millimetre under the ring would have about forty tons of weight on it. I think it''s possible that high pressure physics uses pressures a little bit above that in their laboratories, but I seriously doubt anything we can build will support it for long. Maybe diamond?¡± she suggested.
¡°If I can further confess my ignorance... then how can a forcefield keep an underground reactor safe?¡± the religion minister persisted.
¡°The forcefield protecting the reactor is flat, not a dome. That means that it can spread the load over a large area, while the dome concentrates it.¡±
¡°Oh. And you can''t put a flat forcefield under the dome, to spread the load?¡±
The science minister looked at his scientifically inclined relative, who shrugged and said ¡°It''s certainly worth an experiment or two.¡±
¡°Reverend, you might have a good idea there. There are technical reasons that it''s not normally done, and so probably no-one knowledgeable about forcefields would suggest it. For instance, there''s a risk that the two fields would interact. But for this purpose... there''s a chance that it might work. It''s probably still not going to work for the whole city, though.¡±
¡°Thank you, ministers.¡± the king said, ¡°I appreciate your imagination and your efforts. If there is some hope that this arrangement might work, then I urge you to investigate it well. I realise that Christmas break is rapidly approaching but perhaps someone could at least look up some records?¡±
The queen remembered something. ¡°I think the military academy''s Christmas-eve party could be a good opportunity for a small test. Or at least, they used to like to finish it with a bit of a bang. And I''m sure they''ve got the equipment necessary.¡±
¡°I''m sure her majesty''s suggestion would be well received by most staff and students. In recent years the quartermaster has frowned any use of high explosives not explicitly required by the curriculum, and they''ve had to resort to marking the traditional explosive end to the party with nothing more than hydrogen-filled balloons.¡±
¡°Then by all means, let''s give them this unusual excuse to let off some high explosives with real purpose.¡± the King agreed. ¡°Minister, I presume you know who to pass on our royal request to? Copy the quartermaster, of course.¡±
¡°I suggest that you stress that this is an urgent pilot study and query whether there might be a suitable occasion to test this idea in connection with some other programmed explosive event this side of Christmas.¡± Albert said. ¡°but that otherwise we''re looking for.... what sort of blastwave, minister?¡±
¡°An approximately collimated front with an over-pressure of about eighty kilo-pascals.¡± supplied the science minister.
¡°Thank you, minister, and while of course some instrumentation to compare pressures inside and outside the dome would be welcome, we''re looking for initial data on the viability of the approach, not a full scientific study at this stage.¡±
¡°And¡± added the queen, laughing, ¡°that we would like initial results back before the end of Christmas eve, and hope that they can mobilise the entire staff and student body to make sure that this test is a success and is well documented. Alternatively, you could not bother with all the hints, and just tell them that we''d be happy for them to enjoy doing the test in the bomb range as part of their Christmas-eve party as long as they promise to get us the results back before the end of the day.¡±
¡°I think that my wife''s suggestion is wise. Let''s not be ambiguous.¡± the King said. ¡°And I think that closes the meeting.¡±
Thursday evening, December 21st.
¡°Who were you talking to?¡± John asked Sarah as she cut the connection. ¡°And May says please call her when you can.¡±
¡°Rebecca, as in orphanage. It looks like they''ve had a re-think. Apparently the mission had said ''We think you''re wrong about leaving us, and we pray that God will change your mind.'' and gave Him a few months to do so.¡±
¡°So, all sorted then?¡±
¡°Mostly. Their church initially said the same, but are now taking a slightly firmer line, talking about reallocating budgets and the like, which is fair enough, so there''s going to be a bit of a hole in their personal budget.¡±
¡°You didn''t get her to tell you how much they needed, did you?¡±
¡°She said part of the rethink had been that the mission always used to publish their accounts for them, but they realised they hadn''t actually been doing that once they broke off that communication. So, yes, since I was expressly asking about their needs and they''d not got them on-line anywhere, she told me about them.¡±
¡°Did you promise to support her?¡±
¡°No. I did say I''d like to be added to their prayer letter list.¡±
¡°But you''re going to, I presume?¡±
¡°I think I''m going to support their mission. The whole thing was caused by them realising that their annual income wasn''t keeping up with inflation, apparently. Rebecca said that until twenty years ago there had been one or two big-name preachers who weren''t officially linked to the organisation but who''d been supporters and would mention them in their sermons, as illustrations of great faith, and so on. And of course that encouraged donations. At least, the people in the office would often see their names on the ''how did you hear about our work'' box. Then they went on to glory, no one else seems to have stepped into that role, and the people who heard about them through those preachers are dying out.¡±
¡°So, they need some new champions?¡±
¡°Well, I''m sure that would help, so if you happen to meet a big-name speaker, you could commend their work. The mission hardly advertises at all, you realise.¡±
¡°I wonder if some famous journalist might do instead of a big-name speaker.¡±
John said, thinking about Bob McDaniel, ¡°Or actually, what about your soon-to-be cousin-in-law?¡±
¡°George?¡± Sarah asked, confused.
¡°Not that soon.¡±
¡°Oh! Well, I suppose it''s possible. But there must be all sorts of protocol issues before you get an endorsement from royalty, surely.¡±
¡°Probably.¡± John agreed.
¡°Anyway, on the face of it they''re doing a good work, and I''m going to check further and pray about supporting them.¡±
¡°It''s just orphanages?¡±
¡°No. They do various other things too, but it''s all children who''ve either lost a parent or two, or are homes broken by prison or violence.¡±
¡°So you''d have qualified for their help?¡±
¡°Hmm. Probably, but I didn''t need it; I had a caring aunt, a home, and I was never going to starve. You''re wondering if I''m particularly sympathetic because of the orphan factor? I might be.¡±
¡°Not really, I guess I was more wondering if they only worked in deprived areas, or something.¡±
¡°No. They work all over the place. It''s actually fairly random, by the look of things. I guess it''s been a case of if your ministry idea fits then they''ll take you on, rather than an actual well-thought-out strategy. Or maybe I''m missing something. But John, I''m aware that I''m biased. Please can you check up on them for me? I don''t want to just support anything with the word orphan in it. And being semi-associated with a leap-before-you-look pair like Rebecca and Levi doesn''t exactly enhance their credibility, does it?¡±
¡°Well, since they got in a huff then I''m not sure what the mission could do about it.¡±
¡°Nor am I. But there was obviously a communications failure.¡±
¡°Hmm. Yes. That happens.¡± he admitted, giving her a kiss. ¡°Speaking of which, you were going to call May, remember?¡±
¡°Oh yes! So, we''re all guilty in different ways. While I talk to her, can you start to check them out?¡±
¡°Of course, love.¡± John agreed.
¡°Hi, Sarah! Thanks for getting back to me. There''s been an interesting development with the store!¡±
¡°Not another one!¡±
¡°Yes. I had another message from them, in reply to my polite message turning them down. They''re not impressed with me, it seems.¡±
¡°Now what are they doing?¡±
¡°They''ve said that since they really need help tomorrow, that being the big rush, and since I''m only a part-timer anyway, they''d much rather give my hours to their, quote ''loyal employees who are not abandoning them in their time of need''. I can work out my contract if I insist, but if not then they''d be perfectly happy to terminate my contract by mutual agreement, effective immediately. And since there is, quote ''considerable ill-feeling among the staff and certain members of management'' over the way my previous supervisor left they''d recommend I accept this offer.¡±
¡°So, having falsely accused you of resignation without notice, and fined you for it, they''re now recommending you resign without notice by mutual consent?¡±
¡°Basically. Yes.¡±
¡°And they''re not going to penalise you?¡±
¡°No, that''s what they say. They''ve also creditied my account with all the pay they owe me, quote ''as a good will gesture''. So I accepted their advice.¡±
¡°All signed and dusted?¡±
¡°Yes, I thought you might want some help earlier, and from the sound of it, it would be a really toxic place to work. I didn''t think I needed that stress, so I''m available for the full eight hours whenever you want me. Sorry for messing you around like this.¡±
¡°Oh, no, that''s fine! You realise this probably means they''re going to hire your old supervisor back, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°Oh! I hadn''t thought of that. And so he''ll say he was right all along, won''t he?¡±
¡°Probably. Do you have any close friends there?¡±
¡°No, well, no one very close, and the closest ones are people who''d try to lead me astray. I think I''d be much easier to stay on the right path without seeing them again.¡±
¡°So, pre-wedding get-together tomorrow night, Karen''s wedding on Saturday, Christmas day on Sunday, I know you were planning to work at the store on Monday, do you really want to come and do some work for me instead?¡±
¡°If that''s OK? I could come Tuesday and half of Wednesday too, if you want.¡±
¡°That''d be wonderful from my point of view!¡± Sarah said, ¡°But if doing that''s really OK with you, then we need to alter your contract, that way I needn''t feel guilty about all those hours.¡±
¡°Ooh, that''s right, I don''t get overtime for a salary, do I?¡±
¡°Nope. But if you re-read it then you''ll see there''s a number of weekly hours specified. So, if I ask you for more you can say no. But if you don''t say no, then no overtime. So, point one is that the contract does need changing, so that when you''re not in school, it explicitly allows payment for extra days of work, point two, let''s try and get everything sorted by the time the first period changes, point three, I''ll see if Teresa''s got time tomorrow to adjust it, but if it''s OK, we''ll sign it at the get-together tomorrow night, whether she has or not.¡±
¡°That''s fine!¡±
¡°See you then, then.¡±
Preparation / Ch. 30: Ready... steady...
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 30:Ready... steady...
Friday, 22nd December. 7.30am
¡°John, are you awake yet?¡± Sarah asked from the bedroom doorway.
¡°Mmmm uwug.¡± he mumbled, without any real commitment.
¡°Oh, that''s good. Breakfast is served.¡±
John exerted himself greatly and forced one eyelid to open and turned vaguely in the direction of the clock. He didn''t succeed in getting any information that way though. ¡°What time is it?¡±
¡°Seven thirty.¡±
¡°It can''t be.¡± he denied, ¡°I''d need to be getting up if it was.¡± He rolled over onto his side, so his eyes wouldn''t get any confirmation of such unwelcome news.
¡°Sorry, beloved. We stayed awake too late, didn''t we?¡±
¡°When did we come to bed? One A.M?¡±
¡°Not quite. It needs to stop, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°I''ve told you that.¡±
¡°I''m agreeing.¡±
¡°So what are you going to do? Appoint new trustees?¡±
¡°I don''t think so. That would be denying my responsibility, I think. You know I''m not really needed full time at the institute. It''s stupid me looking around for things to do for eight hours a day there and then having to stay up all hours of the night in order to try and get my head around GemSmith stuff.¡±
¡°You could always try to get your head round GemSmith a little slower.¡±
¡°I suppose I could. But I don''t think that''s a good idea.¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Because I''ve really got to get my head around it before I make any changes, and I want to make changes. There''s a couple of GemSmith companies that aren''t in too great a shape, both in terms of morale as well as financial. Frank told me that he''d not been able to work out whether it was a management problem, a market problem or bad attitudes from staff. It''s probably a combination
of all three plus some other factors only insiders know about. There''s already been prolonged visits from GemSmith experts, and it hasn''t seemed to make much difference. So, either I let things go from bad to worse, or I need to get involved personally, probably this side of the impact. And to do that, I need to know the situation and the people I can call on very well. Anyway, what do you think about me asking Kate if I can switch to working part-time?¡±
¡°Beloved?¡± John asked plaintively, ¡°Do we need to make all life changing decisions before I''m really awake?¡±
¡°Sorry. I''ve just been mulling it over since I woke up.¡±
¡°When was that?¡±
¡°Too long ago.¡± Sarah said with a yawn.
John checked Sarah''s health; she was incredibly tired, and worried. Concerned, he checked deeper, and saw that she''d only had a few hours sleep, and was filled with all sorts of different anxieties, everything from what her work was doing to their love-life, to all she wanted to do to GemSmith.
But uppermost in her mind, and the thing that''d made her wake up too early, was
the question about how she could tell Kate that she wanted to go part-time without it sounding like she was saying she didn''t think her work at the institute was important. ¡°Sarah, have you eaten?¡±
¡°Yes. Why?¡±
¡°Because I want you to come to bed.¡±
¡°Oooh, you say the nicest things.¡±
¡°And I might even give you a kiss if you promise to fall asleep. I''m going to talk to Kate.¡±
¡°You will? Oh thank you, John!¡± As she felt the wave of relief sweep over her she realised just how sleepy she was and let out another yawn. She waggled a finger at him ¡°Have you been snooping?¡±
¡°Only because I was worried about you, love. Come on, you need some sleep or you''ll not be fit for Karen''s big day.¡±
¡°Only if I get my kiss first.¡±
¡°Far be it from me to deny you a kiss, love.¡± he said, kissing her hand.
¡°And do I only get one kiss?¡±
¡°That depends how fast you fall asleep, my sleepy beauty. But if you come to work before you''ve had enough sleep then I expect that Kate is going to just send you back home again.¡±
¡°I''ve got things to do at work, John.¡±
¡°You should have thought of that before you decided to spend all night worrying. Now, do I need to get out of the bedroom before you''ll lie down?¡±
¡°Absolutely not, but I''m not ironing this again today, either.¡± she said taking off her dress. ¡°And I have to be there before eleven, John, or I can''t help set things up for the Christmas party.¡±
¡°That''s still almost three hours sleep, Sarah, and I can see you need it in your face.¡±
¡°Am I getting ugly? There wasn''t any feedback when you kissed me.¡±
¡°No, you''re getting stress-silly. I hid. We do that a lot, remember? But if you want feedback to help you sleep, then your wish is my command.¡±
¡°I love you, John.¡± she said, finally getting into the bed.
John put aside the breakfast she''d brought him and shared with her how much he loved her.
¡°Is Sarah sick?¡± Kate asked, seeing John arrive alone.
¡°No. But she is getting stressed and isn''t sleeping well because of all the
things she''s concerned about. It was almost one when I called a halt on things last night, and she woke up at something like four thirty.¡±
¡°That''s not healthy.¡± Kate said.
¡°So, I told her to get some more sleep, and that I''d talk to you. She''s got lots to do with her inheritance ¡ª the more she studies it the more situations she sees which probably need her personal attention, and she thinks she should switch to part time here, but was worrying about how to say that without without giving the impression she didn''t think her work here was important.¡±
¡°She is in a worry cycle, isn''t she?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So, how part time? A day off a week, or something more like mornings only? I do want her around at staff meetings.¡±
¡°I don''t actually know what she''s thinking, and I''d rather not ask her right now, but I think she''s thinking half time.¡± John said ¡°I suspect that she''d really like having one clear day a week to concentrate on inheritance stuff, plus some part days. Would that work out?¡±
¡°So, she''d be with us for four mornings plus at least one afternoon? I expect we can cope. I certainly don''t want her getting sick. Do you think this is long term, or just while she''s sorting things out?¡±
¡°Honestly, Kate, I have no idea. From what I see, she''s trying to be the ideal employer ¡ª you know, the most reliable person you know, who''s aware of everything that''s going on, very approachable and willing to help find solutions to the most awkward staff issues so that her workers thrive. I can''t imagine who''s given her such ideas.¡±
¡°One does one''s best.¡± Kate said with a grin, accepting the compliment. ¡°But it''s not like I could say no to that sort of reasonable request, is it? As I''m sure she''s noticed, she''s not really rushed off her feet full time, she''s an important person to a lot of us here, not to mention that she''s the only one of us with the pain, so I''ve got the prime directive to back me up.¡±
¡°Thank you, Kate.¡±
¡°She is planning to get here to help set up for the party, I presume?¡±
¡°Yes. Absolutely.¡±
¡°That''s a relief. OK, John, go and meet your client. The computer tells me he''s just arriving.¡±
¡°Oh. Thanks!¡±
9am
[George! I''ve just had a call from Eliza ¡ª the agent, that is.]
[Oh yes, what about?]
[If we can get to the capital at two instead of four, then she''s found somewhere we can take the civics exam.]
[Oh! Wow. Urm, yes, I think I can make it. My last lecture''s at twelve.]
[Great. My penultimate one should just be starting, no sign of the lecturer yet.]
[I''ll not be good company on the way up to the city, love. I''m only half way through the text book.]
[Second half is pretty much a heap of case-studies anyway. Much easier reading.]
[That''s good. You really think I''ll be able to pass it?]
[You''ve done well so far, George, every time I tested you. ]
¡°So, Sarah, John tells me you need more time to sort out your inheritance.¡±
¡°Urm. Yes. It''s not that I don''t love working here...¡±
¡°But our suspicions about not really needing a full time computer systems expert long-term were correct, weren''t they?¡± Sarah nodded. ¡°So, John said he thought you''d like a mixture of a complete day away from us as well as some afternoons. Is that right?¡±
¡°Ideally, yes.¡±
¡°That''s fine, but I want you here for staff meetings, and I''d like you to be here on pizza-days too, if you don''t mind keeping those up. Of course, if you think Friday would be a good day to concentrate on your inheritance stuff, then you could move pizza-day.¡±
¡°What! Shocking! I don''t think we can move pizza-day. Would it work for me have all Wednesday off?¡±
¡°I think so, yes. Do you need all the other afternoons except Friday?¡±
¡°I''m not really sure, Kate.¡±
¡°OK, let''s put it another way. How many days can you squeeze what you''re doing at the moment into, without feeling that you''re getting rushed off your feet or not having time to do everything you want to? And that includes being around to investigate what on earth is going on with the pain, and then add time taken for staff meetings.¡±
¡°Gulp.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I think perhaps I''d need three or three and a half days to be comfortable.¡±
¡°And would a day and a half a week be enough to sort out your inheritance?¡±
¡°I really hope so. I don''t know. It would certainly help.¡±
¡°Out of interest, how much have you been praying about it?¡±
Sarah hung her head and drew a long breath, and admitted ¡°I suppose now might be a good time to start.¡±
¡°And while you were worrying about it all, I assume you never thought to seek the peace, did you?¡±
¡°They say seven prayerless days make one weak. I''ve not had seven prayerless days, but...¡±
¡°You''re getting weak anyway?¡±
¡°Yes. For some reason I have a thought that I need to deal with this stuff on my own. That''s not a very sane thought is it?¡±
¡°John says you''ve not been sleeping enough; that, plus stress, is not a recipe for very sane thoughts. Come on, let''s take it all to God.¡±
¡°Thank you Kate.¡±
Friday, 22nd December. 11.50pm, I.H.M.
While they were putting the last of the streamers up, a glitter caught Sarah''s eye. ¡°I need my eyes tested.¡± she declared. ¡°How long have you had that ring, Janet?¡±
¡°Ivan gave it to me last night.¡±
¡°Congratulations!¡±
¡°Thank you. It was a bit of a foregone conclusion, but the timing was right.¡±
¡°Have you set a date?¡±
¡°Yes. It was Ivan''s idea. One year from when Ivan announced that his secret was out and he was undone, and we had our little chat.¡±
¡°What do your family think?¡±
¡°He''s actually impressed them. They''re firmly convinced we''re both mad, of course, for believing in God, but his doctorate, papers and patents have at least convinved them that he''s a worthy suitor.¡±
¡°They''re really more concerned about those things?¡±
¡°Oh yes. Absolutely convinced that I need to marry well. I understand that there was some family member a long time back who didn''t look at her prospective husband''s career prospects and really, really regretted it.¡±
¡°What happened to marrying for love?¡±
¡°In her case, she was marrying someone who everyone was sure would end up as head of his political party, only the wedding happened just as the ban on parties was being drawn up. She was probably marrying him with her eyes firmly on power, prestige and such like, and then he ended up as just another politician. Plus, because he''d been so involved in his party, his constituency didn''t really know him.
"They''d liked the idea of him being an important person in the party, but once that was gone, at the next election they swapped him for someone who was much more of an approachable and liked local figure. He never got reelected. Anyway, all prospective husbands since have to have at a fallback career. Preferably two.¡±
¡°I hope you don''t mind me saying so, but that''s very... calculating.¡±
¡°I guess it was traumatic for her, but my brothers heard the story when they were young and have been very concerned that it shouldn''t happen to any of us.¡±
¡°So they''ve got backup careers too?¡±
¡°Yes. One really wanted to be an accountant, but he took a year out and got himself trained as a plumber. I can''t really imagine that there''ll suddenly stop being a need for accountants, myself.¡±
¡°I suppose it means that least he knows how to fix his own dripping taps.¡±
¡°Yes. The crazy thing is that he doesn''t do it. He hates plumbing with a passion, but he''s got the certificate, just in case.¡±
¡°Hmm. So not trusting in God, not trusting in the family, not trusting in anything but himself, he needs to make sure that he can survive even if the world goes crazy?¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°Has he taken it the whole way, and learned how to tan his own leather?¡±
Janet laughed ¡°Quentin? He''d turn green at the thought. I expect he''d rather become a vegan than milk his own cow or catch a fish. He hates getting his hands dirty. That''s part of why he hates plumbing.¡±
¡°Only part?¡±
¡°Yes. The other reason is that it caused a flaming row with a flatmate when he was at university and wouldn''t try to fix the shower. The flatmate then went out of his way to wreck Quentin''s romance with his sister. I don''t know how serious she was, but Quentin certainly was about her by the end.¡±
¡°Ouch. But surely if she''d been serious, some false accusations wouldn''t have hurt the relationship?¡±
¡°Not if they''d been false, no. Personally, I''m not at all surprised she dumped him ¡ª he was two-timing her for four months in the middle of their time together. That''s not exactly trust-building.¡±
¡°No. And the truth got out with a bang?¡±
¡°Yes. For some reason he blames the whole lot on knowing how to do plumbing, not the fact that he was getting exactly what he deserved.¡±
¡°And therefore totally failed to learn any lessons from it other than not tell people he knows any plumbing?¡±
¡°Oh, almost certainly. Repentance and such like aren''t exactly part of my family''s motto.¡±
¡°You''ve got one?¡±
¡°Yes: ''F?ldem, h¨¢zam, jogom, pusk¨¢m.'' The literal translation is ''My land, my house, my right, my rifle.'' There have been different interpretations, for instance ''get off my land or I''ve got the right to shoot you'', ''cross me or mine and you''re dead'', or ''I''ll prove what''s mine in your blood.'' About the mildest I''ve heard is ''I protect what''s mine.''
¡°Hmm. That''s quite a self-sufficient attitude, Isn''t it? It doesn''t sound like Latin.¡±
¡°Oh, it isn''t, it''s Hungarian. My family moved here when the currency here collapsed, about the same time as Ivan''s, in fact.¡±
¡°Why move somewhere when the currency''s collapsed? That doesn''t seem very sane.¡±
¡°They took the long view, I guess. Guessed the economy would rebound quickly enough, saw an opportunity and invested in what was ultra-low cost property
from their perspective, and made a killing when things got better.¡±
¡°With a motto like that, I hope you don''t mean literally.¡±
¡°Not as far as I know. But it was in the age of chaos, so who knows. Family legend says they certainly did have the rifle ready at times, but I''m not sure if that was here or back before they moved. I think the stories have probably got confused.¡±
¡°Hmm. That happens. Anyway, are we finished with these decorations?¡±
¡°I think so. Let''s go and see if Ivan and Horace need help down in the kitchen.¡±
¡°They''re not using the helmet again are they?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°No, praise God. That took far too much cleaning.¡± Janet replied ¡°Instead they''ve screened the oven and are squirting the radio frequency energy into that. Ivan says it ought to cook in half an hour, get a nice crispy skin, and not make too much mess.¡±
¡°And how long did it take them to set up their toys, compared to someone just coming in a bit early to turn the oven on?¡±
¡°I don''t think that''s the point, Sarah. I think the point is the boys wanting to do messy things with their toys, and say ''Look, I helped!''¡±
¡°Oh, I know. But... it''s just a tiny bit immature isn''t it?¡±
¡°Of course it is. But it''s who they are at the moment, Sarah.¡±
¡°True.¡±
2.45pm, the capital
Karen, George and Eliza all felt rather conspicuous, queueing to enter the exam hall. They were the only ones there to start with.
¡°This brings back memories.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Do I want to know why school dining rooms all have that same smell?¡± George commented.
¡°Probably not. But... it''s not quite true. Mine smelt of more spices than this.¡± Karen said. ¡°But you''re right. There''s definately that same... food trampled into the floor six weeks ago odour.¡±
¡°Oh, thank you so much for sharing that.¡± Eliza. ¡°Now I feel sick as well as nervous.¡±
¡°You could always bottle out and take it another day.¡± George offered.
¡°Not on your life. I want to be confirmed in my new post before someone changes the rules again.¡±
¡°Excuse me, will you be invigilating the civics exam?¡± asked a very nervous boy, about fifteen years old.
¡°No, we''re here to take it.¡± Karen said.
¡°Oh. Do you know if we''re allowed wrist units? I''ve got mine and but I don''t think I should have it.¡±
¡°We''re not. We had to hand ours into the office.¡±
¡°Oh. Maybe I should too.¡±
¡°It sure beats getting disqualified.¡± George said.
¡°It does. What about simple calculators?¡± he asked.
¡°I don''t know. I didn''t ask that one, but I certainly hope we don''t need one.¡±
Karen said. ¡°Have you got one, George?¡±
¡°No. It didn''t occur to me that we might need one. Eliza?¡±
¡°Same here.¡±
¡°I''ll ask at the office.¡± the boy said, and sprinted off down the corridor.
¡°I wonder why he''s taking the exam now. It seems a bit early.¡± Karen asked.
¡°Get it out of the way, maybe?¡± George suggested.
A group of older students, clearly seventeen year olds, wandered along the corridor.
¡°Hello. You''re the civil servants here for the civics exam?¡± said one boy.
¡°Yes.¡± Eliza said.
¡°What branch are you in?¡±
¡°Field operations.¡± Eliza said.
¡°What, like scalpels and things?¡± a girl asked.
¡°No. Like witness protection, criminal investigation, on-the-ground information gathering. Internal Security sort of field operations.¡± Eliza replied.
¡°Oh wow! You''d better watch out, Jim, she might arrest you for loitering.¡± the girl teased.
¡°With intent to take an exam, yeah. Caught any criminals recently?¡±
¡°Does convincing a van-load of almost-terrorists to ''fess up count?¡±
¡°What makes them only almost terrorists?¡± Jim asked, curious.
¡°They confessed everything, so we didn''t need to get their crimes classified as a terrorist plot, and we could arrest all of their associates.¡±
¡°How did you get them to confess?¡±
¡°It was easy. I pointed out that if they told us everything, then it meant that they''d get to stay breathing, whereas if we got their plan registered as a terror plot then since they were looking for at five to ten years in prison already, they were dead men. They got the point immediately.¡±
¡°And that''s all in a day''s work?¡± the girl asked.
¡°Well, it doesn''t happen every day.¡± Eliza said ¡°I used to be witness protection. That was OK. It sure beat criminal stake outs.¡±
¡°And you''re here to get a pass slip so you can get a promotion?¡± Jim asked.
¡°I''ve got the promotion. But with the pass slip then my promotion is validated and I get the pay-rise.¡±
Karen added ¡°And we''re here because we can''t even get accepted into the service without the pass slip.¡±
¡°But you all know each other?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Jim, Sparky''s not here.¡± one of the other boys said. ¡°What have you done to him this time?¡±
¡°Nothing!¡± Jim said ¡°Why do you always blame me?¡±
¡°Your past record.¡± the girl said. ¡°I don''t suppose you''ve seen our boy genius of a class-mate have you? Fourteen, a stratospheric IQ. Probably nervous. Mostly because of Jim here.¡±
¡°School bullying is not a criminal offence, but it is a civil one.¡± Eliza told Jim. ¡°A record as a school bully would prevent you from joining most branches of the civil service.¡±
¡°I''m not a bully!¡±
Eliza ignored him and said ¡°If its the boy we met, he went to the school office to hand in his wrist unit.¡±
Jim fiddled with his sleeve. Trying, Eliza guessed, to hide his wrist unit.
¡°Is cheating in an exam a civil offence too, Maam?¡± the girl asked.
¡°No.¡± Eliza replied.
¡°I don''t know if it depends on exam board, but there was someone in my school that got caught cheating.¡± George said. ¡°They voided every exam he''d sat in the last year, and he had to re-take them wearing nothing but a sports vest and shorts, so he couldn''t have anything up his sleeves you understand, and he was disqualified from taking any more exams for two years.¡±
Jim went white and took off his wrist unit, stuffing it into his bag.
[Was that true, George?] Karen asked.
[Of course.]
Eventually, the ''bright spark'' arrived, followed by the invigilators.
¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the civics exam. I hope you''re in the right place. Find the desk with your exam number on it. You may take two pens to the
exam desk. No wrist units, or other electronic devices are permitted.
Anything else may be left at the back of the hall.
Eliza raised her hand. ¡°As an officer of the crown in my present post, I''m required to keep my stunner with me at all times. Will that be a problem? It''ll stay holstered, of course, unless something really bad happens and I need to stun someone.¡±
The students edged away from her slightly.
¡°Ah. Urm. I don''t believe the exam regulations mention stunners. I presume it has no memory, communication capabilities or display?¡±
¡°Nothing beyond a charge indicator. Would you like to examine it to verify that? I would, of course, have to keep hold of it.¡±
¡°As you are a crown officer, I would not doubt your word, Maam.¡±
Either at the mention of Eliza being an officer of the crown, or of her stunner, Jim''s bravado had collapsed, and he''d moved to the back of the crowd, Karen noticed. She also noticed that all the time he''d been holding his bag tightly shut, as though it had a snake in it. She suspected that he''d got something in it he really wished he didn''t in the present company. She saw Eliza noticing too. Good. It wasn''t her problem.
The invigilators opened the exam doors.
[George, Eliza might want to talk to Jim later on. I think he''s got something illicit or even illegal in his bag.]
[Probably. I''ve noticed it too. You''re going to tell her?]
[I saw her noticing.]
[Great. So, we can concentrate on the exam, then?] George asked.
[I just hope Jim doesn''t decide to leave early, or Eliza might have to too. But yes, we need to concentrate on this exam. And not communicate.]
[I love you, Karen.]
[I love you too.]
¡°The allotted time for this exam is one hour. You may turn over your exam papers, now.¡± the invigilator said.
George looked at the question paper. As he expected, from the mock tests he''d seen, there were sixteen questions worth five points each, and one question worth twenty points. He mentally split up his time. The long question was worth four little ones. Equivalent of twenty little questions, then. Five minutes to read the whole paper, two minutes to answer each little question, five minutes spare for any postponed questions, ten minutes to double check his answers.
He got down to reading, to get the feel for the paper. Easy questions to start with. Ooops, except number two was a trick question, he saw, and marked it as such. He saw that most questions had multiple choice components, but that he
had to show his reasoning. That was nice. The long question was one he''d
discussed with Karen, and they hadn''t agreed. Or looked up the answer either, he now realised. Oh great, that wasn''t so nice.
He started writing.
Halfway through the exam, Jim got up and left. Eliza, further back in the hall, heard and saw. Maybe it was nothing. But maybe it was some kind of stolen goods or drugs. Putting her hand to keep her holster closed, as she''d been trained, she signalled him to stop, and return to his desk. He understood the message, and turned back towards his desk. Then, passing a fire exit, he bolted through it, leaving his bag. That was good enough for Eliza, and she settled back down to her exam. The occurrence wasn''t acceptable for the invigilator, however, who came over to her. ¡°Maam, I don''t fully understand what just happened, but I must ask you to accompany me from this exam room.¡±
She pointedly left her pen and her jacket at her desk.
Outside the room, he said. ¡°You have made a threatening gesture towards one of the other candidates. That is not acceptable, maam. The rules are very clear.¡±
¡°From his behaviour, on hearing that I am a crown officer, I have good reason to believe that the candidate had an item or items in his bag which constitute stolen goods, drugs or other contraband. I gestured that he should return to his seat so that I could question him later. As you observed, he left the room by another exit, leaving the evidence in the exam room. I presume he will return later, at which time I will question him.¡±
¡°Your gesture included a hand on your weapon, maam. I must consider that as a threat.¡±
¡°No, sir. It did not. I would be derelict in my duty if I were to attempt to stop a potential criminal without ensuring that my weapon could not be taken from me, for instance by someone behind me. My hand being there contained no threat. If I had intended to threaten him, I would have drawn the weapon. Alternatively, I could have physically restrained him. That would have certainly caused a disturbance in the exam hall, far greater than your actions in asking me to accompany you here. May I please return to my place in the exam room?¡±
¡°No, Maam. You may not. I am sorry that you felt it your duty to interfere with another candidate, however my duty is clear. Having threatened another
candidate, I cannot allow you to return to the exam room.¡±
¡°As I said, sir, I did not threaten him.¡±
¡°And as I said, maam. I must consider your action as I saw it.¡±
¡°And may I ask what you saw, sir?¡±
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡°You put your hand to your holster.¡±
¡°Like this?¡± She repeated her action.
¡°Yes, exactly like that, maam.¡±
¡°Very well. Please explain to me how this is a threat to draw my stunner.¡±
¡°I do not understand.¡±
¡°The stunner is held in by the strap here. As you see, I am holding that strap down. My fingers are in these holes, here, meaning that my hand cannot be knocked away, and I must extend my hand downwards to release them. The release for the strap is up here. If I wish to draw my stunner, I must place my hand on the stunner''s grip, and then I could release the strap with a flick of my thumb, thus, and then move the stunner directly upwards.¡± She quickly replaced the strap, and then continued, ¡°my hand where you saw it sir, is thus entirely non-threatening, My fingers are stuck through holes well away from the grip, my palm is exactly preventing the action of drawing the stunner. My entire arm position is wrong. I would need to complete three distinct whole arm movements to draw the stunner from this position. I can''t imagine many other postures that make drawing the stunner more difficult.¡±
¡°I ... I now understand, maam, from a technical point of view, that your move is not a threat, but to the uneducated onlooker...¡±
¡°Sir, I am supposed to be answering a civics exam. Question twelve on the paper addresses this exact issue, asking what each of the three illustrated hand positions showed. The onlookers in that room, of all places, should not be uneducated, and neither should you be, sir. Now, if that''s cleared up, I would like to return to the exam room and complete my exam. I will, of course, insist on being given the allotted time for the exam without this wholly unjustified intervention, along with the compensatory allowance of ten minutes to regain my train of thought, as is discussed in the civics manual, I believe it is on page twenty.¡±
¡°I am sorry, Maam, there is no point in allowing you to return to the exam room. My colleague will have destroyed your paper, on my instructions. I... I
apologise for this error in my judgement.¡±
¡°Sir, by that instruction you have wasted the time of a crown officer. If the evidence has been removed from the site during my absence you have also interfered with my completing my duty. You have further delayed my taking the exam and therefore directly affected the date of my pay-rise. I will be taking all appropriate action against you. You will not leave the building until formally charged, for which I need my wrist unit, which I was told I must leave at the school office. You will now enter the exam room and stay there until I''m back. If the boy comes and asks for his bag, you will refuse. Do you understand?¡±
¡°Yes, maam.¡± he answered, miserably.
8pm, in the capital
Karen looked round the hotel function room and checked that everyone was there. The two Mays were chatting, Sarah was talking to Arwood and Hannah. George was talking to Hilda and Ray. Pris... where was Pris? Ah! Deep in conversation with John, she saw. Good. Ben, the best man was there too. Eliza the agent was nominally guarding the doorway, but since there was an agent on the other side she was also enjoying half a litre of apple juice.
¡°Hi, everyone.¡± Karen called for attention. ¡°A very big thank-you for coming. I hope you''ve all found your hotel rooms in order?¡± There were murmers of agreement. ¡°First off, I''d like to introduce my Daddy, Tonight is at least partially his idea and he''s paying the bill too, so please be nice to him. His second duty when he takes over is to let you in on an official secret or two, so that you''re not surprised by anything tomorrow. His first duty is to tell you how you ought to address him tomorrow. I''ve grown up with people calling him your Excellency, but I don''t think that''s appropriate here, is it, Daddy?¡±
¡°No. Not at all. ''Your Excellency'' is for when I''m at work. Here at home I''m just James Gibson, please call me James. It might surprise some of you to hear me say Gibson, since Karen''s been using the surname Grantchester at university. That was for her protection, but we can''t have her getting married under a false name; that wouldn''t be right. My beloved wife''s name is Maria, by the way. Some of you know that Sarah here is Karen''s third cousin. Not all of you know that Karen also has a first cousin, who''ll be joining us soon. Since there''s been a rift in my wife''s family, we didn''t actually know about Karen''s first cousin until the summer, but while we''re still not really on good terms with Maria''s brother, Roland, we''re very happy to call his daughter, Eliza, family. Tomorrow, Eliza and Sarah will help Karen getting into the dress, but we thought it would be a bit too attention-grabbing for Eliza to be Karen''s bridesmaid, so she and prince Albert will just be wedding guests.
¡°In case you haven''t worked it out yet, the dress Karen will be wearing once belonged to ''princess Sarah'', and will be the one Eliza wears for her wedding. The press in general don''t know this yet, but there are a certain portion who know at least some of the facts. Of course they all know that at some point Eliza and Albert will be at Eliza''s cousin''s wedding, and that that''s going to be their first chance to see the dress. So, it won''t take them long to come up with all the facts.¡±
¡°I''m pretty sure I told my interviewer my wedding date.¡± Karen added, ¡°So we certainly expect a full team from NWN. I very much doubt that they''ve told other channels about that though, so they''re needing to guess.¡±
Maria took up the tale: ¡°Prince Albert and Eliza''s official diary are published, but Eliza''s visit tonight was a last minute decision and doesn''t count and tomorrow is down as ''meeting visiting head of state'', which of course will happen at the reception, and maybe in the church too. Next Saturday, it just so happens, is down in all truth as a ''family event'', so the reporters are unofficially speculating that that is when the much-anticipated wedding is planned for. Including the ones who know better, for the sake of protecting their scoop. Are there any questions?¡±
Hilda raised her hand. ¡°Is there any hope of the bridesmaids practicing holding the train out of the mud?¡±
¡°It just so happens that we''ve got a piece of fabric the right size with us.¡±
Karen said. ¡°So yes, we''ll be practicing later on.¡±
¡°Wonderful!¡± May Kray responded.
Sarah said: ¡°I forgot to ask, are there any particular risks apart from getting you out of the car?¡±
¡°Getting out of the car and the steps into the church are the main risk. The good news is that there''s not any bad weather on the forecast.¡±
¡°The better news is that the piece of fabric you''re going to practice can be laid between the car and the church, just in case.¡± Maria said. ¡°It''s been treated so it won''t even pick up much mud.¡±
¡°It''s a shame we can''t do that to the dress.¡± Pris said.
¡°Actually...¡± Sarah replied ¡°I was told that it does have some kind of protective coating on the fabric. It''s not something they use now though, and it''s likely to react badly to modern coatings. So, it''s better than it would be as raw silk, but not totally impervious. But, on the other hand, while it''d be far better to keep it clean, it can be washed.¡±
¡°The problem with washing it is mainly one of wear then?¡± Hilda asked.
¡°Yes. And drying it so that there aren''t any marks left, though the coating helps there, apparently.¡±
¡°Is there anything to stop a few extras helping you out of the car?¡± John asked.
¡°Mummy?¡± Karen asked.
¡°I think that''s a very good idea.¡± Maria agreed. ¡°Of course, it would have to be James and me, so of course we''d help. The rest of you would all be waiting inside anyway.¡±
¡°We ushers could help, couldn''t we, Jim?¡± Simon, one of the two ushers suggested.
Jim obviously wasn''t so sure ¡°Urm, they used to call me fumble fingers Jim. There''s a reason for that, as what''s left of my parent''s best tea set bears testimony.¡±
¡°The good thing about fabric is it doesn''t shatter, Jim.¡± Karen said, encouragingly.
¡°I''d hope that six to help you out of the car should be plenty, Karen.¡±
Sarah said ¡°Too many people and we''ll all be getting in each other''s way. The top of the stairs is probably going to be the most complex bit, actually, where we''ll need to hold the train up higher than normal. I guess we''ll just have to go slowly.¡±
¡°Slowly is something I can manage.¡± Karen said. ¡°Just don''t make me run.¡±
¡°Problem?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I twisted my ankle yesterday.¡± Karen replied.
[Are you ready for us, Karen?] Eliza asked.
[Yes, I think so. We''re just talking about how to negotiate the train from the car and into the church.]
[OK, we''ll be there soon.]
6pm, Anchorage, Independent Kingdom of Alaska
Madeline had been trying very hard to not to show any excitement at the thought of seeing Robert, since her parents hadn''t actually said anything to her yet. But she felt she couldn''t keep it in much longer. If only there would be some kind of preparation happening! She''d kept here eyes open all the previous evening, and before she''d gone to work. Her parents had gone into a huddle once or twice, but that wasn''t so unusual that she could ask about it. Now, finally, half an hour after she''d got home, her mum called her.
¡°Maddie, where are you? Give me a hand in the kitchen will you? We''ve got a guest coming.¡±
¡°Anyone I know?¡±
¡°Yes. We''ll talk while we''re cooking. Come on girl.¡± The Kitchen was Mum''s territory. Admission was by invitation only, except for little ones, of course.
¡°Yes, Ma.¡±
In the kitchen, Maddie looked at the work surfaces. It looked like everything was all done already. ¡°It looks all ready for royalty, Ma, what do you need help for?¡±
¡°You need help. Oh Maddie, I know you''ve not been doing any sewing recently, not since Bobbie left for foreign parts, and I was patient, but girl, you''re going to bring such shame on us if you don''t have your eight dresses ready for your wedding. So, I know it''s not really right, but come on, let me help a bit, girl.¡±
¡°There''s no need, mum.¡±
¡°What do you mean there''s not need? Robert''s going to get here this evening! He''s the honoured guest. They got him his ticket home, or at least this far. He''ll be talking to your Dad real soon. You''ve got to get sewing, girl, and at least if we''re in here then you dad won''t see that I''m helping with it.¡±
It was their custom. A girl needed to hand-make eight dresses before her wedding day. She''d actually wear four of them: one before the ceremony, one for during, and then one for the party afterwards. The fourth... that would be the dress she''d wear the next day. Madeline wasn''t sure what the others were for, except to demonstrate that she could sew. They''d be on display somewhere, and the other women would ooh and ah over them, or pick fault depending.
¡°I don''t need to do any sewing, Ma.¡± Maddie insisted, calmly.
¡°Oh Maddie, don''t tell me you''ve still not changed your mind! Please! Oh the shame of it! Everyone knows you''ve been promised to him since you were six! Maddie, if you really can''t accept Bobbie before God, Dad won''t force you, that''d be wrong. But, oh the shame! You wouldn''t refuse him and dishonour your father so, please! Unless you''ve found someone else, is that it? After that row and him abandoning you like that, and then not writing, he''s treated you shamefully, that''s true. So, I suppose it wouldn''t be too bad.... I guess I could have a word with your Dad if you''re certain? It''s still a bit shameful, but I guess Bobbie will have to live with it, he should have treated you better, silly boy. Should I talk to your Dad, make sure he doesn''t make any promises? But you can''t just stay single, so you need those dresses in either case.¡±
¡°Mum, what are you going on about, me changing my mind? I said I''d marry Bobbie when I was ten! I''ve not changed my mind. You can talk to Dad if you like, but make sure he talks to the pastor. I don''t want any mess like Meggie had with them all about to go to the church and finding the pastor was away that week. And I don''t need any help with my dresses, Mum. They''re done.¡±
¡°They''re done?¡±
¡°Yes, Mum. I finished them before he visited last time.¡±
¡°But... you always call Bobbie a blithering idiot.¡±
¡°Well? He is, isn''t he? Running off to a country where he can''t tell anyone about Jesus without losing his job, and then staying there until he can''t get home? Anyway, you told me that all men are some sort of idiots. And why did he need to go before my birthday anyway? I was all ready for a birthday wedding, and he said he was going away! The idiot could have had me with him to keep him out of trouble!¡±
¡°We all thought you hated him, Maddie!¡±
¡°Not you too, Mum! I''m not that good an actress, surely!¡±
¡°Me too? Who else?¡±
Madeline shook her head, not daring to speak, but her mum wasn''t stupid.
¡°Bobbie''s not got much respect for the traditions. And you didn''t act surprised at all when I said he was coming. Maddie, answer me girl! Did he write to you, tell you he was coming?¡±
¡°He did mum.¡±
¡°And he thinks you hate him?¡±
¡°He did mum.¡±
¡°But he doesn''t now?¡±
¡°He''s a kind idiot, mum. He said he wasn''t going to force me into a marriage, he didn''t know Dad wouldn''t. So, he said he''d get away from the area as soon as he could, so Dad wouldn''t know. He was going to try and hide out in a barn or something. I had to reply, you see mum? I had to. I wrote to him telling him not be be such an idiot, and tell Dad he was coming properly.¡±
Her mum looked at her apprasingly. ¡°I dare say you wrote more than that, but I''ll not press you. So, I can tell your Dad you''re ready?¡±
¡°I was hoping he''d ask Dad early, Mum, last time he was here. Of course I''m ready!¡± then realising what she''d said she added ¡°But don''t tell Dad that.¡±
¡°Of course I won''t. Maddie, you had us all fooled. Even your sister.¡±
¡°No, mum. Sandra knows. I just swore her to silence.¡±
¡°Ha! Your Dad is trying to work out how to persuade you into this marriage everyone thinks you don''t want, and you''ve been dreaming of having him in your bed for the past two years? You are an actress, all right, Maddie.¡± She shook her head at a thought that crossed her mind. ¡°Crazy thought. Well, it''d solve one problem. All right, I''m going to talk to your Dad.¡±
¡°What''ll solve a problem, Mum?¡±
¡°Never you mind. Just you make sure your dresses are ironed at least.¡±
Madeline looked at her mother in shock.
She''d expected at least a couple of months wait before the wedding. Ironing her dresses was something that happened in the last days before the wedding. The last hours, even. Did her mum think she''d be taking vows this weekend?
¡°Mum! I can''t iron my dresses before the date''s set! What''ll Gran say?¡±
¡°Good idea. You go tell your gran I''ve told you to iron your dresses. You can''t very well do it if Bobbie''s hanging around in the house, now, can you? He''d see them!¡±
¡°But, Mum!¡±
¡°What? It''s what you want, isn''t it? Go on! Ask your gran to help.¡±
¡°Yes, Mum.¡± Maddie went, pale with shock, to her grandmother''s room. The video was on as always ¡ª Gran was traditional like that.
¡°Gran?¡±
¡°Yes, Maddie? You look like you''ve seen a ghost.¡±
¡°Mum just told me Bobbie''s coming. She said I should iron my dresses.¡±
Her gran got the implication immediately. ¡°They''re ready then? I didn''t think you''d finished them. I''ve not seen you sewing since Bobbie left.¡±
¡°They''re ready, Gran. At least, they were.¡± she admitted ¡°I hope they still fit.¡±
That earned her an appraising look. ¡°Oh, that''s the way of it? No wonder you called him all those things when he said he was going away. Well, you''ve hidden your feelings right well then, girl. Not even your mum knew? That''s very well done. You''ve done that right good and proper, and made me proud.¡± she glowed approval. ¡°Come on, girl, let''s see if they fit and then we''ll get them ready for when your man comes for you. If not, well, we''ll do some adjusting. Better to do that before they''re ironed, eh?¡±
Gran approved! Gran had never said she approved of anything as far as Maddie could remember. Maddie nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and ran to her room. She quickly dialed the combination on her chest and looked at the precious bundle ¡ª years of her work. If they didn''t fit, then she''d be glad of the extra seam allowance she''d put in.
Gingerly, she took them out and carried them to her gran''s room. She wasn''t sure. ¡°Gran, should I just hold them up to myself, or actually put them on?¡±
¡°Oh, Maddie, you''re going to wear them soon enough! Let''s see you in them! Start with the white.¡± Madeline did as instructed.
Without comment, her grandmother told her turn round, then to put on the next and then the next, until she''d put them all on.
¡°Well, Maddie, you made a mistake.¡±
¡°I have?¡± Madeline was terrified.
¡°Yes, dear, your bra straps show, either on the shoulders or at the back. But that''s OK. You don''t need one, not with the way you''ve shaped the dress. Otherwise, they''re a perfect fit, and from here the embroidery looks beautiful. I hate to think what the fabric cost your Dad. The white needs the most ironing, of course. Now, you''ve got to wear the white; what are you going to wear afterwards? I imagine you want that flame one for before the ceremony, to make sure he doesn''t change his mind?¡±
¡°Gran!¡±
¡°What? Isn''t that what it''s for?¡±
¡°I just thought it was such a lovely fabric... I''m not going to wear that before my wedding! What will people think of me?¡±
¡°They''ll think you''ve wanted your man a long time, girl. But you''re right, can''t have that, can we? Let it be dress four. So, you''re thinking of the blue for beforehand?¡±
¡°Yes. You really think the flame for number four?¡±
¡°I expect it''s for the best, Maddie. Go for it. It''ll sure help keep him by your side. But you''d better not wear it as number three, you''d never live it down. And as number four you don''t need to have it on public display either.¡±
¡°That''s true.¡±
While Karen was walking up and down and all over the stage, letting the bridesmaids practice not dropping the train, she checked up on her fianc¨¦ [George, you haven''t said much all evening. Nervous?]
[I... I just feel a bit like a spare part here, Karen, you know? Not needed until tomorrow.]
[Not as far as I''m concerned, George. Eliza''s coming soon. Let''s slip into a corner for a bit, when she does, OK? There''s some things I want to talk about.]
[About tomorrow?]
[No. Next week.]
[I thought we''d agreed not to talk about honeymoon stuff.]
[Not really honeymoon. Just... a request from Sarah if we could look into something. I expect the answer''s no, but don''t want to respond without talking it over.]
[Oh. OK. Sorry for being out of things, I guess I''m just unsure about passing that exam we took today, not to mention all that mess for poor Eliza.Sorry. I do love you Karen.]
[That''s good. I love you too, why don''t we get married?]
[Oh, all right then. How about tomorrow?]
[Sounds like a plan.] Karen agreed. [By the way, Eliza sent a message. The boy had drugs in his bag, the invigilator is in deep deep trouble for shredding her exam paper before hearing her side of things, and she''s being allowed to sit the rest of the test this evening. Lucky for the invigilator, the only contents of the shredder bin was her answer sheet, and it was a cheap on that just made strips, so they were able to piece together her answers. She gets thirty five minutes to answer the rest of the questions.]
[With a nice chance to check up on anything she didn''t know?]
[George, she wouldn''t do that!]
[What was the right answer to that long question? I ended up writing an essay on why none of the answers was fully satisfying without more data.]
[Well done! That''s the right answer.]
[What?]
[I looked it up after we''d disagreed. Didn''t I tell you?]
[No.]
[Oh. Sorry. It was based on a real case that went for a retrial twice. It''s a apparently a classic test case of what to do or what not to do when two equally strong rights conflict.]
[Oh. So we didn''t have enough data to decide?]
[Exactly. Happier?]
[Yes. Much. Thinking I''d lost twenty percent of the marks on one question didn''t make me feel happy. Have you heard what the pass mark is, by the way?]
[No.] she replied, then asked over her shoulder, ¡°Had enough practice yet?¡±
¡°We''ve finally had one circuit without a hitch. That transition at the top of the stairs gets us almost every time.¡± Sarah replied.
¡°One out of ten?¡±
¡°Yes. But we''ve been improving.¡±
¡°I take it you''d like another few tries then?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
¡°George, can you help John?¡± Sarah asked, seeing that he wasn''t talking to anyone. ¡°I think we really need another spotter.¡±
¡°Of course!¡± George agreed.
[Told you you weren''t surplus to requirements, George.] Karen said.
7.45pm, Anchorage
Robert''s honorary uncle stopped the car as close to the airport as he could, and Bobbie sprinted to it. They''d met earlier, and Jack had realised Bobbie had no coat.
¡°You didn''t even a take a summer jacket?¡±
¡°I took one, but I was so hot there, Uncle! I never needed it, and there was this guy I knew who said he was from somewhere even hotter, and he was freezing all the time. I gave it to him.¡±
¡°Well, Bobbie, my boy, It''s been dark a while now, it''s almost Christmas, the stars are twinkling in the sky. Whereas you''ve been getting used to a hot place, and now you''re home and you''re in shirt sleeves. You''d better take my coat.¡±
¡°I''ll be fine, uncle.¡±
¡°Boy, it''s below minus twenty out there!¡±
¡°Oh. I can''t take your coat, uncle Jack, you''ll catch your death of cold. Could you bring the car close and I make a run for it? I''ll put some more layers on. I''ve got a couple more shirts.¡±
¡°Why didn''t you say something boy? I could have brought a coat, easily.¡±
¡°I didn''t think of it, Uncle. I''ll be fine.¡±
¡°The car heater doesn''t work too well, either.¡±
¡°I''m sure it beats minus twenty, uncle. I''ll be fine.¡±
¡°I''ll go home and bring you a coat. That''s the best thing.¡±
¡°Uncle, I''m sure I''ll be fine. The policeman''s been looking at me funnily, and I really don''t want to be accused of vagrancy here too.¡±
¡°I bet he thinks you''re some kind of smuggler. Want me to tell him you''re just an idiot?¡±
Robert laughed. ¡°Oh, it''s good to be where people know me, Uncle.¡±
¡°I''m sure it is. I hope you''ve got that wandering out of your system, lad.¡±
¡°I knew there was a risk uncle. But I felt I had to go, while I was still single. I didn''t want to expose Maddie to risk. Speaking of her... she''s not found anyone else has she?¡±
¡°No, lad. She''s not. She doesn''t say your name much either, and I can''t remember her once saying it without calling you an idiot in the same breath.¡±
¡°Well, Uncle.¡± Robert laughed ¡°Now you know she''s right.¡±
¡°You don''t need to prove it, boy!¡±
¡°Well, I''d like to show her I''ve got some good points too.¡±
¡°I''ve seen some of ''em lad, even if she hasn''t. Giving your coat away to someone who needed it, for instance, that was the right thing to do. Sure you won''t take mine?¡±
¡°Uncle, I hope you''re driving. You need your fingers working. I''ll just keep mine under wraps. I''m not going to get frost bite on the way to your house. But Maddie, she''s of age now. Can we set a date? I was thinking maybe a month or two''s time, so I can get a job.¡±
¡°Well now, Bobbie. You know she''s not happy with you, but she''s an obedient daughter, and it''s been promised a long time. So, she says she''ll wed you since she''s not found anyone else. I can''t promise you an easy time, and she''s sure not going to welcome you with open arms.¡±
¡°I understand that, uncle. But like you say, it''s all been arranged a long time and I''ve never had eyes for anyone but your Maddie. I hope she''ll grow to appreciate my care for her.¡±
¡°Answer me something, Bobbie. How are you planning to look after her when you can''t even remember to ask me to bring a coat here?¡±
Bobbie laughed. It was that or cry. ¡°I''ve got a place at the university, Uncle. I''ve got the grades, I''ve got a bursary guarantee. It won''t be easy but the bursary should feed us both. I''m going to be a teacher. It''s what I did out there, sort of, and it confirmed it to me. I loved it. I''ve got the brains for it, Uncle. Maybe not the common sense, but I''ve got the brains to teach.¡±
¡°I see it, lad. What are you going to teach though?¡±
¡°Amare shib. I''m going to help give our kids the chance they need to do well. Teach them to read and write in a language they really understand! I''m going to be a witness to the gadjo that almost all of their stereotypes are rubbish.¡±
¡°Have you been talking to Maddie?¡±
¡°Not since I left. Why?¡±
¡°I''ve heard her saying the same sort of thing.¡±
¡°It''s not rocket science. People have known it for a long time, centuries. It''s what my dad always wanted to do, but he couldn''t get the qualification. With the bursary, I can do this. I think Maddie could too. She''s got a brain too.¡±
¡°You''d have her be a wage slave like you?¡±
¡°I''d have her working beside me, if she''s willing.¡±
¡°Ha! I dare say she''d be willing. And I say you''re mad the pair of you, fixing yourselves to some gadjo''s idea of a working week. Good job I''ve been talking to the pastor, it sounds like you''re well suited, no matter what she says.
Pastor''s says he''s free tomorrow. Your folks won''t be coming down no matter what, will they?¡±
¡°No, I don''t think so. Mum doesn''t travel, not since Dad''s accident.¡±
¡°What did happen there? All I heard was there''d been an accident and he''d lost his legs.¡±
¡°Truck he was working on fell off the jack. He''d forgotten to put it in gear, and it just rolled forwards onto him. It didn''t kill him, but he lost his legs. And he couldn''t take the regrowth pain, and being away from home. So, he came home. It all hurt too much. You know how he loved trade and travel. He just got thinner and thinner one year to next, in his wheel chair. He taught Matt so he could take over the business, but really, he just pined away. But mum said she''d vowed to only ever drive the road with him, and so without him she''s not going anywhere. I don''t think Matt will come either, not with leaving Mum.
"But tomorrow? You''re sure?¡±
¡°Bobbie, there''s not much space in the house. Madeline''s the only one with a room of her own. So, she''ll leave that for you and sleep in her sisters'' room.
"But she can''t move all her stuff out, and she needs that desk for work sometimes, with the door shut so she can concentrate. So, she''ll need to be going in and out. And staying to work. Maybe even when you want to sleep. She''s a good girl, but that''s not right, her shutting herself into a man''s bed-room.
"And especially with you engaged and all, tongues''d only wag. I won''t have her dishonored. Better you two get hitched properly.¡±
¡°It''s awful fast for her. Does she even know I''m coming?¡±
¡°Her mum told her. She''s ironing her dresses right now, and I dare say my mum''s filling her with all sorts of advice. She''ll accept you, lad, maybe she''ll even like you in the end. Especially if you let on about her learning to teach too.¡±
¡°And my Dad''s hunting cabin isn''t so far out of town is it?¡±
¡°Now lad, that''s a good thought. I''ve kept an eye on it. It''s still there all right. Take her away and let her do her screaming and crying out where it won''t disturb the neighbours. We''ll give you some warm blankets, of course. But right now, I''d better stop jabbering and get you home. You put on every bit of clothing you''ve got, OK?¡±
¡°I will. I won''t freeze.¡±
By accident or possibly by design, when Jack opened the door to Robbert, Madeline was there.
¡°You didn''t even have a coat! You total blithering idiot, Robbie. Are you planning to marry me before or after you die of pneumonia? What a crazy plan! Ruin my life twice over, why don''t you? Leave me a widow before I''m twenty! You left with no brains, how could you get worse?¡±
¡°It''s nice to see you too, Maddie. You look really stunning, by the way.¡±
¡°Madeline, if you''re so concerned about him getting pneumonia, why don''t you let him into the house?¡± her father chided.
¡°It was just occurring to me that if I kept him outside then I might not need to go through with marrying such an idiot, Dad.¡±
¡°I doubt he''s going to die that quickly, girl, so you look after him if you don''t want to be a widow. I spoke to the pastor, and he''s free tomorrow.¡±
Madeline drew breath for another torrent, but Robert got in first.
¡°Madeline, your Dad tells me you''re interested in teaching. Is that right? Because that''s my plan, and I''d really like you to study beside me, assuming you''ll really take me as your husband. I''m not doubting your parents word about what you''ve told them, but I''d like to hear you say it.¡±
¡°And you can''t wait until tomorrow, is that it?¡± she asked, but he''d seen her eyes light up when he mentioned her studying with him.
¡°Well, call me stupid, but I was thinking that it''d be less embarrassing all round if you turned me down now rather than in front of the whole church.¡±
¡°You really want to study as a teacher? I thought you were going to be a mechanic, like your dad.¡±
¡°Matt''s the real mechanic. I''ve got a place lined up, complete with bursary. They told me they need teachers who can speak Romanes. If you say you''re thinking of studying too, I bet they''d give you one.¡±
¡°Did Dad put you up to this, just to win me over?¡± she asked accusingly.
¡°No. I can even show you the letter if you''ll let me in.¡±
¡°Come in, Robbie.¡± she said. ¡°I said I''d marry you, back when I was ten, Robbie. I''ll marry you.¡±
¡°Thank you, Maddie.¡± he said entering the house at last.
¡°As long as I can call you a blithering idiot whenever you deserve it.¡± she added as he passed, with a wicked smile.
¡°Like now?¡± he asked, taking his life in his hands and giving her cheek a kiss.
¡°Mum, do I allow him to get away with that?¡± Maddie asked.
¡°In the circumstances... I think it might even be appropriate. But don''t you go taking liberties with my daughter again, young man.¡±
¡°No, maam.¡± Robert said.
¡°Until you''re married, of course.¡± Madeline''s father added, ¡°then, what liberties you take when are a matter of ongoing marital discussion, aren''t they, dear?¡±
There was a knock on the door of the function room. Eliza opened it, and was surprised to see Nigel there. ¡°Surprise!¡± he said,and stood to the other side of the door.
Prince Albert and Eliza entered, followed by Bella.
¡°Your Highness! Welcome!¡± James said ¡°A most pleasant surprise!¡±
¡°Well, I thought it would be good to meet everyone informally.¡± Albert replied.
¡°How''s the practice going?¡± Eliza asked Sarah.
¡°We''re getting better.¡± Sarah replied. ¡°Can we take a break? I know I''d like a drink.¡±
¡°Me too.¡± Karen said, ¡°OK if we do drinks first and then introductions?¡± she asked Eliza.
¡°Of course! Can I get you something?¡±
¡°Urm, I''ve got a glass somewhere.¡±
¡°I''ll get it, Karen. You don''t want to trip over your train, even if it''s only a practice one.¡±
¡°That''s how long the real one is?¡± Albert asked.
¡°It is.¡± Karen agreed.
¡°Eliza, maybe you need eight bridesmaids.¡±
¡°Nonsense. If Karen can make do with four, then I should be fine with six.¡±
¡°Actually...¡± Karen said, ¡°For the steps, and getting out of the car, we''re getting help from my Mum and Dad. So I''d say I six is necessary for the top of the stairs, and that''s with practice.¡±
¡°With seven it would be easier.¡± Sarah agreed. ¡°Or a nice clean carpet, of course.¡±
¡°I think I get one of those, don''t I Albert?¡±
¡°Yes, you do.¡± he agreed.
¡°You lucky thing.¡± Karen said, in half-serious envy.
¡°At least you get to choose how many you''d like to be at your wedding. I don''t think I''m going to even see half the people I''m inviting, there''s going to be so many. And there I was thinking that ideally I''d like a little family wedding without much fuss.¡±
¡°I think you''re marrying the wrong man then.¡± Karen said.
¡°Not from where I''m standing.¡± Eliza retorted.
¡°Not from here, either.¡± Albert agreed. ¡°Eliza, it looks like there''s orange juice, pineapple juice, apple juice, and flat or still mineral water.¡±
¡°Or there''s mineral-free water if you prefer.¡± Karen added.
¡°Pineapple juice please.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Karen, Sarah?¡±
¡°I think George is getting me something, thank you.¡± Karen said.
¡°Thank you, but I think I''ll mix my own concoction.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Ooh, secret recipe?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°No, an experiment. I wouldn''t want to blame anyone but myself. I also want to get closer to John.¡±
¡°Problem with the pain?¡± Karen asked at a whisper.
¡°There shouldn''t be. There''s not that many of us, but, yeah, it''s not great.¡±
¡°Sarah, just how are you going to manage tomorrow?¡± Karen asked.
¡°I''m going to hide as we go up the aisle, and you''ve made sure the seating plan puts John close to me during the sermon, I hope.¡±
¡°Right beside you.¡± Karen agreed.
¡°Then I''m going to stay wrapped up in his protective nature and I ought to be fine. If I''m not, then I''ll grab his hand and that''s even better.¡±
¡°And for the photos?¡±
¡°For the photos... I guess John stays close, or I hide.¡±
¡°Do that too much and you''ll get stuck.¡±
¡°I know. But I can tune into the peace too if it gets bad. Oh, I''m stupid!
I''ve just remembered something you two need to know.¡±
¡°What?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°We were told that going to the peace gets you unstuck. I''d totally forgotten. I''ve never actually tried it, but that''s what Mama told us.¡±
May NgBila came over from where she''d been talking to the other May and touched Sarah on the arm [Your voice is carrying a bit far, Sarah. At least, I heard you say you''re stupid, ''you two need to know'', ''the peace'', and everything between ''unstuck'' and ''Mama''. Which makes me think you''re giving away big big secrets.]
[Oops. Did May hear?]
[Want me to ask?]
[No!]
¡°Eliza, Albert, let me introduce May NgBila, who I''ve just employed as my truthsayer cum personal assistant. And she''s filling that role already by saying I wasn''t keeping my voice down enough.¡±
¡°Truthsayer''s actually in your contract?¡± Eliza asked, surprised.
¡°Yes.¡± May agreed.
¡°Wow, that''s brave.¡± Eliza said.
¡°I wasn''t planning on wearing a T-shirt, though.¡±
¡°Some kind of veil or mask normally goes with the title though.¡± Karen said.
¡°I can''t imagine that''d help anyone agree to the process.¡± May said.
¡°Then they''re not desperate enough.¡± Sarah pointed out. ¡°May''s truthsayer role is going to be part of a screening process for people who need help with paying off crippling loans. Just for employees of companies I own, not the general public.¡±
Albert was bewildered ¡°Companies you own, Sarah? I thought you were a humble employee of ... somewhere Eliza''s been?¡±
¡°The trust my parents set up has just been dissolved. I now have the misfortune to figure on the country''s richest list.¡±
¡°And feels responsible to know everything about everything and solve the misfortunes of everyone her companies employ, even if it makes her sick.¡± May concluded.
¡°Hey! You can''t say that!¡± Sarah protested.
¡°As your personal assistant I''m supposed to look after you.¡± May answered primly ¡°I''m talking to your trusted relatives. So why can''t I express my concerns in a clearly exaggerated and light-hearted way?¡±
¡°I think she''s got you there, Sarah, at least partially. Plus of course, you''re the one who hired a teenager.¡± Karen pointed out, then she said ¡°May, even if it''s true, you still shouldn''t have said it quite that bluntly, and not on your first day at work either. Say sorry.¡±
¡°Sorry, Sarah.¡± May said.
¡°You''re forgiven. I''m going to get myself that drink.¡±
¡°Can you help me get this straight?¡± Albert asked Karen, ¡°Sarah''s parents left a trust and it''s been dissolved?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Karen replied ¡°It was all a bit of a surprise to her, she thought she had until next summer. But, having made a massive profit on a little idea she had, which could easily turn into a lifetime income, the trustees decided that their job is done, and that Sarah can look after her own business interests now.¡±
¡°Only she started getting involved before she knew everything and almost made a couple of mistakes, so she''s determined to understand everything now.¡± May added.
¡°And this thing about the loans?¡±
¡°I''m not sure how much I should say....¡± May said. ¡°She met someone who had taken out a long-term loan for a relative''s life saving treatment and could hardly repay the interest on it, and realised there are probably more, lots more among her employees. But she didn''t want to be inundated with trivial cases, or people who wanted to just have a free meal ticket.¡±
¡°So this is a debt cancellation scheme?¡± Albert asked, fascinated.
¡°I think she started out thinking of that. But then she worked out that wasn''t going to be feasible for more than a handful of people, and also, unless she cancelled everyone''s loans, then it became really unfair on the people who didn''t quite qualify. So, at the moment the idea is she arranges to pay the interest for ten years or so, so that there''s a real chance for the person to pay off the capital.¡±
¡°So, while not cancelling the loan, she''s making it manageable, and giving people hope?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Yes. That''s a good way of putting it.¡± Sarah said, feeling a lot better now that she''d had a drink and John was with her.
¡°And you''ve got some idea of how many people need this?¡±
¡°Not really. I sent out a questionnaire to the personnel offices of some of the companies yesterday. The responses so far have been ''We don''t have any record of that information. We''d refer someone to a debt counselling agency, but it''s considered a personal matter.''¡±
¡°Where does that leave you?¡± John asked.
¡°Sending around a little note to all employees, I guess. At least that way I know that everyone who needs it hears. The problem is everyone hears at once, unless I do it in phases by surname or something.¡±
¡°You can''t do it by company?¡± May asked.
¡°I could. But it sort of smacks of favouritism.¡±
¡°Oh. Well, you could say we need to start off slowly, so smallest ones first.¡±
¡°Yes, but I think I need to know who might be in this sort of need before I go committing myself, that''s the problem.¡±
¡°Letter to all employees, saying ''Register now, I''ll get round to you I promise!''?¡± Albert suggested.
¡°Or just cheat.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Cheat? Oh, count dots? I''m guessing there''s more than I want to count.¡±
¡°Well you could just see if there are, then at least you''d have some idea.¡±
Eliza pointed out far too reasonably. ¡°And Sarah, I''ve got another question for you.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You''re restricting it to your workers because you feel a responsibility for them, is that right?¡±
¡°Yes, pretty much.¡±
¡°I''m wondering about other people. You know, people in your church?¡± [And have you checked on the others? I mean, we know that Enoch and Rose aren''t exactly well off.]
[It didn''t occur to me.] ¡°Thanks Eliza. I don''t know of any, but it''s a good thought.¡±
¡°Are you actually planning to give all your money to the poor, Sarah?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Not exactly. To do that, I''d need to sell the companies I own and that''d hurt a lot of people.¡±
¡°We''re more thinking of living on our earnings and giving Sarah''s income from the inheritance to the poor.¡± John said.
¡°While still using some of it to help people with bright ideas and no money turn their ideas into jobs.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I''d much rather have some total losses on investments I approve of than have the money sitting in the bank for someone else to invest in things I don''t like.¡±
¡°I get it. Thank you. Now, can you introduce us to your fourth bridesmaid, Karen?¡±
¡°Of course!¡± She looked round to see that May was taking an interest in the
ceiling.
¡°See anything of interest?¡±
¡°We need Dirk, or someone similar.¡± was her unexpected reply.
¡°The room''s been swept, May.¡± Karen replied.
¡°I thought it should have been. But there''s a familiar looking dot up there.¡±
¡°You''ve got good eyes.¡± Karen said, and guided her towards Albert and Eliza. ¡°Old habits die hard, you know?¡± May said as they were in transit.
¡°Albert, Eliza, may I present May Kray, George''s cousin, who''s just spotted what looks rather like a bug on the ceiling. I''ll go and talk to our smartly dressed friends.¡±
¡°I''ll signal Bella instead, Karen.¡± Eliza said.
[Bella! Suspected ceiling bug.]
[End of party for you, then, sorry.] Bella tapped an emergency code on her wrist unit.
¡°Albert?¡± Eliza said.
¡°I know, If the room''s possibly compromised, we don''t stay. Nor does your mother, Karen, sorry. I''m sorry May, you''ve got a useful skill there, but it''s cut our conversation short.¡± he ushered Eliza towards the exit.
¡°They swept the room!¡± Karen protested.
¡°Maybe it''s battery is dead then. But if it''s near the light, it could be powered from it, and they might have swept the room with the lights off.¡± Albert said.
¡°It might even be on a delay circuit so it only activates an hour after the lights come on.¡± May added, then blushed at her boldness.
An agent ran up and asked Karen ¡°Where is it?¡±
¡°I spotted it.¡± May admitted. ¡°Near the third light on the left.¡±
¡°She''s got plenty of experience spotting them.¡± Karen said, when the agent looked surprised at a sixteen year-old girl spotting such a thing.
¡°Then lead on, maam, if you will.¡± he said.
Eliza saw that May was clearly torn between wanting to help and wanting to talk to her and Albert. ¡°We''ll have time to talk tomorrow, May.¡± she reassured her.
¡°Until tomorrow then, your highness, Maam.¡± she said politely and led the agent to the suspicious dot.
Albert and Eliza were ushered out of the room as she got there, and Karen saw her mother was already gone.
The agent fiddled with his scanner for a bit then walked round the room in a search pattern.
¡°Active?¡± May whispered.
He nodded.
¡°Transmitting?¡±
He nodded again then said ¡°Enough data around for there to be multiple video feeds too from somewhere.¡±
May looked around. Where would she put a video camera? It was obvious, really. ¡°Try in the shadows just above the curtain on the stage.¡±
He looked. Yes. It was an obvious spot. His signal peaked in that direction, certainly. He made his way there, with May checking the ceiling as she followed. She spotted some more.
¡°Management, criminal or spy?¡± May asked
He shrugged.
¡°Three more on the way here, by the way.¡±
¡°I''m guessing someone with staff connections then.¡±
¡°Me too.¡± May agreed.
¡°You''re right about the curtains. Three cameras.¡±
¡°Watch the audience as they''re watching the stage.¡± May said. ¡°Can you track the receiver?¡±
¡°The vans will be doing that.¡±
¡°They''ll have seen you prowling with your antenna.¡±
¡°Yes. They''re probably doing a runner right now.¡±
¡°Never run. It attracts suspicion.¡± May said.
¡°Views from the lobby cameras.¡± He said, unfolding his wrist unit. ¡°Do you suspect anyone?¡±
May looked at the display. Four pictures. Not incredible detail, of course, at that size. ¡°Receptionist one is relaxed and chatting, receptionist two is replying, but looking tense. Guy in the suit on the left is pretending not to be terrified.¡±
¡°How do you know that?¡±
¡°Look at his hand. He''s facing the tourist information board as though he were reading it, but his hand keeps twitching, and his head movement''s wrong for reading. He''s looking to see if he''s being watched.¡±
¡°You''re good at this.¡± He tapped her observations. ¡°Credit where it''s due,
What''s your name?¡±
¡°May Kray. As in, unwilling underage participant in the crime syndicate, like my cousin.¡±
¡°Oh. Yeah. I suppose these guys look like amateurs compared to your relatives?¡±
¡°No. Just as obvious, really.¡±
¡°That''s a relief.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Gives me hope that before I retire I''ll be able to spot the bad guys as easily as you seem to be able to.¡±
¡°You just need more practice.¡± she said, encouragingly.
¡°Yeah, right.¡± he replied and she realised he was probably older than she''d taken him for. His hair-roots showed that the lack of grey was chemical, not natural.
¡°Have you considered a career in Security?¡± he asked.
¡°I''m only sixteen, I''m too young to make life-long decisions like that, I need to finish my education first.¡± she quoted. Then laughed at his confused expression. ¡°Sorry, that was a quote from my boyfriend when I told him to get used to the idea of marrying me. It''s all in the plan, don''t worry. Do worry, he''s leaving.¡±
The man had stopped pretending to read the tourist information and was walking towards the hotel doors.
¡°No one else suspicious?¡±
¡°He waited until receptionist two had closed her position. She''s putting on her coat now, I expect she''s going to join him outside.¡±
¡°I expect she''s going to be joining him in custody.¡±
¡°Well, I should hope so. Ruining everyone''s evening like this. I''d better go and talk to my foster-parents.¡±
¡°It''s been nice talking to you, May.¡±
It had been a tense few minutes for Ray, when he''d seen May pointing out bugs to the security man and seen the prince and Eliza hustled out. But Karen didn''t seem too concerned, he saw.
¡°What''s going on?¡± Hilda asked.
¡°May''s found some bugs.¡±
¡°Oh no!¡±
¡°Hence the rapid departure of our honoured guests, just in case, I guess.¡±
Ray said.
¡°What, of an assassination plot?¡±
¡°Probably more like encroaching journalists.¡± Karen supplied.
¡°But someone might have got your father''s announcement?¡± Hilda asked.
¡°It''s entirely possible.¡± Karen agreed. ¡°If they have, then there''s nothing we can do about it now. If they didn''t then there''s nothing to do.¡±
¡°May''s just helping the guys from Security do their job.¡± George said, coming over with a drink for Karen. ¡°From the snatch I just overheard, it sounded like she had a willing apprentice.¡±
¡°George, don''t joke.¡±
¡°I wasn''t actually. She''s got very good observation skills, Hilda.¡±
¡°So what happens now?¡± Ray asked.
¡°Armed gun-men bursting through the ceiling: none. Assassins lying in wait: none, camera-men pointing lenses through the curtains: none. security guys collecting evidence: a few. Bugs and hidden cameras still in operation: possibly. So, I think we just carry on chatting, and then when they''ve finished their work we can try a bit more practice. It''s a shame Eliza and Albert had to leave.¡±
¡°It sure is.¡± May said coming over from her chat with the man with the scanner.
¡°Solved the mystery, May?¡± George asked.
¡°Not quite. But I think one of the receptionists was in on it, as was
a guy in a smart suit. Security are just talking to them now. Apparently the receiver for the bugs was actually on the reception desk.¡±
¡°So this was just some sort of security system?¡± Ray asked.
¡°Not officially.¡± Karen said. ¡°The hotel security system is wired into the hotel''s A.I. No humans involved unless it calls the police. Or that''s what the official declaration says. I had to check before booking this place.
This is something extra.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°It could just be some kind of ill-conceived magic-show type setup for all I know. We''ll just have to wait until our friends in Security tell us something.¡± George suggested.
¡°I really resent the fact that my one chance to hob-nob with royalty has been ruined by someone leaving bugs where I could find them.¡±
¡°Don''t worry, May. I''m sure you''ll get another chance to talk to royalty. If nothing else when you get your reward.¡± Karen said.
¡°My reward?¡±
¡°Yes. Alerting Security to a possible threat to the heir to the throne? I bet there''s a reward for that sort of thing. Plus there''s tomorrow of course.¡±
¡°Everyone''s going to be too busy to talk tomorrow.¡±
¡°Oh I don''t know. You might be surprised.¡±
¡°What by? I don''t really like surprises.¡± May said.
¡°You might be surprised at how long and boring everything is tomorrow.¡± Karen said.
¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked suspiciously.
¡°Punctuated by moments of extreme business, yes, fairly.¡±
¡°I can''t wait.¡±
¡°You can''t wait? I''m not sure if I''m going to sleep.¡±
¡°You''d better.¡± George said, ¡°We don''t want you falling asleep in the middle of the reception.¡±
¡°We''d better practice some more then.¡± Karen said.
¡°If it gets dirty there is time for it to get cleaned, Karen.¡±
¡°Oh, I''m not worrying about the dress. Well, not really. I''m more worried about being distracted by the dress so that I trip over or something equally embarrassing.¡±
¡°I''d love to say I''ll be there to catch you, but I''m going to be standing nervously at the other end of the church, waiting for you to arrive.¡±
¡°You doubt I''ll turn up?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Not really. Just.. I''m looking forwards to it all being over.¡±
¡°Me too, George, me too.¡±
Preparation / Ch. 31: Weddings
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 31:Weddings
Friday, 22nd December, 10pm Anchorage time.
Sarah''s wrist unit buzzed. It was time to keep a promise she''d made.
¡°Hello, is that Robert Trent''s brother?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Oh! Hello, lady, yes, it''s me, I''m Matt, by the way.¡±
¡°Hello Matt, I''m Sarah. How is Robert? Did he get there OK?¡±
¡°Thank you, yes, he''s back in the country. I''ve just got off the phone to him. He was telling me all sorts of things he couldn''t put in his newsletter.¡±
¡°Oh? What like?¡±
¡°Well, the man he shared about his faith with? He actually turned to Christ a while back, and has been going on with the Lord ever since, and had just led his wife to the Lord before Bobbie left.¡±
¡°Praise God!¡±
¡°Amen.¡±
¡°You said in-country, does that mean he''s not home?¡±
¡°Bobbie''s going to stay where he is now, and look for a job, until next semester, when he''s going to start a teaching course. Actually... you''re probably not going to believe this.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°He''s getting married tomorrow.¡±
¡°What?¡± she didn''t believe it.
¡°Well, you know how I said yesterday, we have semi-arranged marriages, and he''d be staying with his future parent''s in law?¡±
¡°Yes. That much made some kind of sense.¡±
¡°Well, they thought about it and talked it through with the pair of them, and decided that since it was all going to happen anyway, why give the devil time to lead them into temptation? It''s sort of traditional, actually, when the groom turns up. And the pastor was free tomorrow.¡±
¡°So... sort of like a decision to elope, only with the parents involved in the decision too?¡±
¡°Yes. And the wedding''s at her home church.¡±
¡°My cousin is getting married this weekend too. It''s been planning, planning, planning for weeks. I think we''d all wholeheartedly approve of your tradition. Especially the bride and groom. But what about her dress and that sort of thing?¡±
¡°Oh, she''s been working on her dress for years.¡±
¡°Oh OK. So it only really works because the marriage is arranged?¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°Oh well. I won''t suggest it here then. But Robert and his wife will stay at her parent''s house?¡±
¡°Yes, maam.¡±
¡°Is that traditional too?¡±
¡°No. No, normally he''d bring her home, or they''d set up in a place on their own.¡±
¡°And it is Anchorage he''s living in?¡± Sarah asked. She could have checked, but why bother when she could just ask? If it was Anchorage, then maybe there was a job for him. Emerald Medical had an outpost there, she knew. Maybe they needed a mechanic or caretaker or something. Or even a translator. Stranger things had happened. Frequently did, in her experience.
¡°Yes, maam.¡±
¡°And he''s a trained car mechanic, you said?¡±
¡°Yes, you think you might know of a job for him?¡±
¡°I might. I''ll ask some people I know.¡±
¡°Well, he''s a jack of a lot of trades, really. He''s been teaching English, he can do plumbing and such like, and he''s not too bad around a car. Not as good as me, of course, but yeah, I''d give him a job in the place of some guys I''ve got working for me even without him being my brother.¡±
¡°Interesting. Thank you for that. Can you give me his number, just in case I do find something?¡±
¡°Sure!¡±
Saturday, 22nd December. 9am
¡°Where do these threads go again, Sarah?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°The loops on the veil go through the big rings, fold back round and poke their noses though the button holes. Got it?¡±
¡°Yes. Done that. Except that number three likes falling out when I let go.¡±
¡°I know. It''s a pain. The loop of thread from the nose then goes to the relevant catch on your quick release, and they can''t fall out then.¡±
¡°White on white. My favourite high contrast colour scheme.¡± Eliza moaned. ¡°So what is the point of all this complication?¡±
¡°The train gets held up by those threads, but there''s not actually much tension in them.¡±
¡°I was really asking why the train needs a quick release.¡±
¡°Oh. Well, so it can release quickly, of course. Useful at the end of the photo shoot. Otherwise there''d be loads of buttons and loops and things, and the fabric would be pulled out of shape.¡±
¡°And what are you fiddling with now?¡±
¡°These long strings are for threading the third quick release. I thread them carefully in the right places and then they let us actually put Karen into the dress.¡±
¡°The third one quick release?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°What does that do?¡±
¡°Holds the bodice together.¡±
¡°Wait, I know you said that the there''s no zip or anything because it''s held together a bit like the train, but you''re saying that if something goes wrong I''m going to be left standing there in my native glory?¡±
¡°I don''t recommend you let anyone fiddle with the button on your navel. Don''t worry, It''s actually tricky to do deliberately, even. It took John a while even after he had found it. But if an accident happens there is a sort of safety mechanism.¡±
¡°Sort of?¡±
¡°The shoulder straps are key. If you feel it going at the wrong moment, grab them, and urm, seek privacy.¡±
¡°Otherwise?¡±
¡°If you don''t grab them, the shoulder straps slither away, and so does the naughty dress.¡±
¡°I take it this is supposed to be a lovely unwrapping for the groom?¡±
¡°John enjoyed it, yes. And I enjoyed his enjoying it.¡±
¡°Who on earth would put such a thing in a wedding dress?¡±
¡°Princess Sarah''s mother, she designed it.¡±
¡°I thought she was just a con artist, probably with the power.¡±
¡°And also an exotic dancer. I guess she got the idea from one of her stage props.¡±
¡°Ah. Exotic dancer as in ''all her clothes fell off''?¡±
¡°Almost all her clothes fell off, out of sight. I''ve actually found an archive description of her act. She''d be dancing all formally dressed, and would step behind a screen mid-dance, formally dressed, and without stopping she''d step out in something quite risqu¨¦. No one could work out how she did it, and they were speculating about doubles and such like.¡±
¡°Oh. So this is the big secret?¡±
¡°It''s not that big a deal. It''s just a bit of a puzzle for the boys to solve. The dress behaves as though you''re sewn into it, until the quick release lets go. I think it''s a bit of an engineering marvel, actually.¡±
¡°The shoulder straps aren''t holding the whole weight, surely, they''d cut into you.¡±
¡°No. The weight is on the waistband, where it should be. But the waistband fold is held tight by these hooks, and the hooks are held closed by the shoulder straps. So when we put her in, we''re sort of zipping her up.¡±
¡°It''s a good job we''re all roughly the same size.¡±
¡°Yes. There are some adjustments for waist size here.¡± Sarah pointed.
¡°And what about other measurements?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Adjustable length care of the buttons on the waistband. Bust size by these buttons which move the hooks.¡±
¡°I thought you said that you''d needed to get it adjusted.¡±
¡°I did. The length used to be adjusted by sewing in pleats under the waistband. See here? It wasn''t doing good things to the fabric.¡±
¡°Oh. I see. So, are we going to be ready for Karen?¡±
¡°I think so. Once she''s finished with the hairdresser.¡±
¡°The lengths we go to...¡±
¡°I know. It''s silly isn''t it? It''s just tradition, that''s all, tradition and indoctrination, that you need a special dress, and a special hairstyle. Jeans, tee-shirt and tangled hair wouldn''t be quite so photogenic of course, but it wouldn''t change the important bits of the marriage.¡±
¡°No. I don''t think I''d get away with starting a new trend of tangled hair though.¡± Eliza said. ¡°But Karen''s hair is beautifully long. It''s a shame to put it up.¡±
¡°I don''t know if she''s going to, actually. But something is taking a long time.¡±
¡°Is everything ready for her?¡±
¡°Yes. Let''s see if we can find our cousin.¡±
Saturday 3am
Robert woke up and looked at the clock.
Yuck. Jet-lag strikes again. It was the middle of the night and he felt wide awake. He had a drink of water, spent some time praying and then tried to get back to sleep. In the end he made it, but it took him a while.
Sat 10.30am
Karen was encased in her dress, had been reminded about what George would need to do, and suitably reassured that the feedback that would probably follow wouldn''t kill them, or even lead to foolishness. And totally unexpectedly, there was an hour to spare ¡ª the wedding was due to start at twelve.
¡°What went wrong?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°We finished early.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I guess we didn''t need all the extra time I allowed to get it done.¡±
¡°That''s... unexpected.¡± Karen said. ¡°Can I sit down?¡±
¡°Yes. One sofa at your service.¡± Sarah said, clearing stuff away. ¡°Two steps straight back and you should feel it. Eliza, help me with the train, can you, so Karen doesn''t trip?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°Oh, that feels good!¡± Karen said, sinking into the sofa.
¡°So now what do we do?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Rest!¡± Karen said. ¡°And chat. Oh, I do know that May Kray really wanted to chat to you, Eliza.¡± Karen said.
¡°And she''s dressed and ready?¡±
¡°She should be. May and May were in their dresses and going to get their hair done as I came in.¡±
¡°Sarah, want to be in on the chatting too?¡±
¡°Actually, would it be OK if I stole May Ngbila and I checked to see if I can find out something? This could be my only chance before tomorrow.¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Karen agreed.
¡°Right, then shall I find May Kray and send her in?¡±
¡°Please.¡± Eliza said. ¡°I need to thank her for finding those bugs.¡±
¡°You don''t mind?¡± Sarah asked May.
¡°Of course not. It sure beats boredom. So, what''s the challenge?¡±
¡°Emerald has an outpost in Anchorage. Apparently expanding significantly. Here''s half the list of vacant positions, I''ve got the other half. Which one can you imagine might fit a jet-lagged missionary teacher-cum-mechanic with fairly fluent street-Arabic, a new wife, no home to take her to, and strapped for cash? She might have some, I don''t know.¡±
¡°A new wife?¡±
¡°They''re getting married sometime today.¡±
¡°OK, that''s new, alright. No cash as in not much of a honeymoon?¡±
¡°As in penniless. I understand they''re having a night or two in his dad''s old hunting cabin. After that, they''re expecting to live in her old bedroom at her parents'' house. Not recommended.¡±
¡°And he''s a teacher?¡±
¡°He''s been doing English teaching to kids as his tent-making job. Planning to start proper teacher training next semester, which I think means early summer.¡±
¡°So, we''re looking for short term, with a flat?¡±
¡°Yes. I know they''ve got some flats, but I''m not sure which ones they''ve got reserved for medical staff.¡±
¡°On-site custodian? That''s a caretaker, right?¡±
¡°Yes. There is one?¡±
¡°Yes. But it''s only a few hours a week.¡±
¡°Possible, but not ideal.¡±
¡°Part time translator?¡±
¡°What languages? Oh, he speaks Romani too.¡±
¡°It might do then. Long term though.¡±
¡°Not good then.¡±
¡°Driver?¡±
¡°What sort?¡±
¡°Lots of sorts. Oh! How about this one? ''Full time post, part-time mechanic''s assistant, part time supplies gofer/driver.''¡±
¡°Sounds ideal. It''s got a flat with it?¡±
¡°No. But can''t you ask them to arrange something?¡±
¡°Yes, I expect so. My half of the list is all medical this and doctor in that so I think your one looks like the best. So, I''ll send some messages to arrange it at the Emerald end. I can call him later on, otherwise I''ll call tomorrow, I guess.¡±
¡°Hi, May. Thank you for spotting the bug and catching the perpetrators. There''ll be an official thank-you sometime... I''ve no idea what, though. Is there anything you''d like? Since there''s a spending freeze, it shouldn''t be something expensive so much as unusual.¡±
¡°I don''t quite understand.¡± May said.
¡°Say... would you fancy a tour of the palace with Albert and me as tour guides? That costs us nothing but time, but it might be special for you. Or you could be a fly on the wall for a day and see what it''s like to be me at the moment. That costs approximately nothing, except we''d feed you of course. Or would you like to join us for a meal, with your parents?¡±
¡°You and Albert?¡±
¡°Maybe his parents too.¡±
¡°You''re serious?¡±
¡°May, you''ve done a service to your royal family. We''re on an austerity budget because of the impact, so we''re not going to spend masses of money, but we have debt of thanks to pay. But you don''t need to answer now. Want to hear what was going on with those bugs while you think?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
¡°The function room is often used for parties. Sometimes those parties get out of hand, and sometimes there''s a press interest in what happens there. So, the receptionist has this little monitor on her desk to see if there''s something worth calling in a photo-journalist for, in which case he gate-crashes the party or points his camera in through the window and takes his privacy-breaching snaps. The hotel gets half the money for any scoop, and a retainer. The microphones are a similar scheme, but record. When she saw us arrive she called her manager, who listened to the recordings and decided that they had the biggest scoop they''d ever had. He didn''t tell her what he''d heard, but told her to pretend they were on a date and go to a caf¨¦ to meet a journalist, and see how much they could make from it personally. Then you spotted the bug and things got tense for them. So, they are in custody for operating illegal bugs for personal gain, the hotel owners are facing a big fine for the same, and the journalist went to a meeting that never happened, but he doesn''t know what it was about. And if you hadn''t seen the bug then Karen''s wedding would almost certainly be a media scrum. Of course it still might be, but we''re very thankful to you anyway.¡±
¡°Wow. OK. Urm, I still don''t know what to pick, but would it be too much if I asked that my boyfriend came with me?¡±
¡°No, May, that''d be fine.¡±
Saturday, 22nd December. Anchorage. 9.50am, local time.
Robert had talked to his mother the previous night, letting her know the news. She''d wept with joy, and wished them God''s blessing.
Now, he waited near the altar in his borrowed suit, with hardly enough money to buy a meal to his name, now that he''d bought Maddie a ring. It was... daunting. He was about to promise to stay with her through thick and thin, and right now, it seemed pretty thin. But he loved her, and according to that note she''d told him to pretend she''d never written, she loved him too. She shouldn''t have had to admit it, but he''d got it too wrong. He needed to apologise to her, it must have cost her so much to write that. She couldn''t show a sign that she was looking forward to the wedding. That would have been wanton, disgraceful. He''d once tried explaining it to a gadjo friend. The best analogy he could come up with was it would be like a gadjo bride (well, gadji bride, to be grammatical) turning up to her wedding dressed like a prostitute. Different cultures defined what didn''t fit in different ways. It was entirely appropriate that she wear the white ¡ª anything else would be unthinkable ¡ª and it was entirely appropriate that she act modestly, and appear the reluctant bride. No matter how long she''d been looking forward to their wedding day. And wedding night.
In the old days, he knew, he ought to come away from that night with deep scratches, along with the evidence of the blood he won from her. He was very glad that last wasn''t necessary now. But he found the thought of her fingernails digging into his back... enticing, he supposed. Not that he liked pain, not at all, but simply the idea that the pleasure was sufficient to ignore the pain... No Robert, that''s not a helpful thought he. The real pleasure will be in seeing her every day, maybe even with a smile on her lips, in bringing her joy and serving the Lord together. Where was she? There was deep aching in his heart at her absence, and he was clearly coming down with a case of poetry. Wow, that was extreme. He knew she''d be there, it was just a question of patience. Good things come to those who wait and he''d been hoping for this day a long time.
Pastor Abner had said something, Robert realised. ¡°Pardon, pastor?¡±
¡°Robert, I should have talked to you last night, but I was out of town ''till late. I know Madeline''s a true believer, and I know you''ve visited our congregation before, but where are you with the Lord? Have you trusted him with your life, really?¡±
Robert hadn''t been expecting the question, but he saw the point immediately. ¡°I gave my life to Jesus when I was about ten. I remember discussing the faith with Maddie before we got engaged.¡± he said. ¡°I told her that I couldn''t agree to marry her unless she was a real Christian, and she said she''d been going to say the same thing.¡±
¡°That''s great to hear, man. And since then?¡±
¡°He''s been good to me, and kept me from straying too far. Jesus is my Lord. I went to a Moslem country to teach and lost my job because I shared my faith with a man there. I could have come back immediately, but I hung around, partly to look for another job, partly to keep talking to him. It cost me a lot, in lots of ways, and it was a really anxious time, wondering how I''d get home. But it was worth it ¡ª I saw him make a profession of faith, and go on with the Lord, and just last week he told me he''d told his wife about the Lord and she''d given her life to the Lord too.¡±
¡°Praise God! Of course, I''ve seen your prayer letters! But you didn''t put that in them.¡±
¡°No. I couldn''t. I knew it might leak and get him in trouble, you see. It really didn''t matter if I lost my job, but he had a wife and kids to care for.¡±
¡°Could you tell the church this, today? I like couples to give their testimonies, if they''ve got one.¡±
¡°Yes, sure!¡±
¡°Well you''ve probably got time to plan what to say, we''ve got a long wait, I expect. It might be good to move your weight from one foot to another, too. Stand still too long and your blood pools in your legs.¡±
¡°When did this custom start anyway? I mean, there''s no practical benefit to her deliberately wasting everyone''s time.¡±
¡°Not except to give you time to plan your testimony. But, hey, you don''t want her appearing too keen, do you?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Well, then. She''s got to have a few hysterics, scream a bit at her dad, that sort of thing. I''m used to it.¡±
Saturday, 22nd December. Anchorage. 9.55am, local time.
¡°Dad, just what do you think you''re doing?¡± Madeline screamed.
¡°Checking if you''re ready.¡±
¡°Get out of here at once!¡±
¡°I''ve seen your toes before, girl. And you''re almost late.¡±
¡°Get out!¡± another octave higher. ¡°Didn''t anyone ever teach you to knock?¡±
¡°Maddie, you''re fully dressed except your shoes, put them on!¡±
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°No.¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°I''m not ready. Now, get out!¡±
¡°I''m leaving!¡± he said, with a grin.
¡°Now, where were we?¡± Maddie said in normal tones to her sister.
¡°You were telling me why you wanted to put blue and green nail varnish on your toes.¡±
¡°It''s a surprise for him.¡±
¡°You''re weird. And what if you need to take your shoes off for something?¡±
¡°I hope I don''t.¡±
¡°Don''t do it, Maddie!¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°You''re going to end up embarrassed.¡±
¡°No, but he might be.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°I don''t know if he remembers, but he bought me a plastic necklace when we were ten or so, and told me to keep it for our wedding day. It had blue and green beads on it. That''s all. I spent ages looking for the right colours. So please paint my toe nails, or I''ll do it myself.¡±
¡°Oh, all right. You''re a romantic, aren''t you?¡±
¡°I''ve just been planning this a long time. Haven''t you?¡±
¡°Well, yes... Not this much detail though.¡±
¡°Well, I have. And part of the plan is the toenails. And as dad''s pointed out, I''m almost late already.¡±
¡°You don''t want to be early.¡±
¡°Sandra, paint! It''s not going to dry in ten seconds, and I''m not planning to glue my toes into my shoes.¡±
¡°Yes, Maddie. You''re an extremist.¡±
¡°Paint!¡±
¡°I''m painting! Alternate toes?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And at the change of feet?¡±
¡°Big toes different colours.¡±
¡°You''re weird.¡±
¡°And stressed at my little sister.¡±
¡°You shouldn''t rush me. I might get polish on your dress.¡±
¡°Do, and you die.¡± Maddie said, matter of factly.
¡°I''m going to die anyway, eventually.¡±
¡°Yes, but you didn''t ask how.¡±
¡°I don''t want to. You might tell me. Did you keep the necklace then?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I told you you were a romantic. You''re not wearing it though?¡±
¡°No. It only had that cheap elastic which breaks after two weeks.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°So why is he going to be embarrassed?¡±
¡°It''s the last gift he bought me.¡±
¡°What?¡± Sandra was shocked.
¡°That''s what I thought too. He''s just so literal, sometimes.¡±
¡°You didn''t go and tell him not to buy you gifts did you?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Maddie admitted.
¡°Maddie, you need to work on that with him.¡±
¡°I know.¡±
¡°Where are the beads?¡±
¡°Somewhere safe.¡±
¡°You''re not going to tell me, are you?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°What did you think about going to his dad''s cabin?¡±
¡°One of his better ideas.¡±
¡°You''re going to freeze!¡±
¡°I doubt it. There''s got to be some sort of heat. But I can scream and cry all I like without eavesdroppers. That''ll be nice.¡±
¡°You think you''re going to?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Maddie said, realistically. She didn''t like pain.
Saturday, 22nd December. 11:50.
¡°It''s traditional to keep him waiting a little, dear.¡± Maria said.
¡°I''m ready, Mummy. Being late is because people are hurrying to get ready on time. Why deliberately waste everyone''s time? We''ve been ready for almost an hour, let''s go, please.¡±
¡°She''s got a point, Maria.¡± James pointed out, putting down the book he''d been reading. ¡°We''re just killing time here.¡±
¡°You don''t want to arrive early, surely.¡± Maria said. ¡°There might be important people who haven''t arrived yet.¡±
¡°I''ll check.¡± Karen declared.
[Eliza, do you see anyone significant absent?]
[No, not except you, of course.] Eliza said, having looked around.
[Deborah, It''s Karen. You and your cousin are in the church?]
[Yes, is there a problem?]
[Only my mother, she wishes me to be late. I don''t know why.]
[Maybe she thinks it''s good for George to be nervous.]
[George has known we''d marry for longer than I''ve known he even loved me.]
[She''s being silly then.]
[There aren''t any gaps in the seating near you?]
[No.]
[Thank you my friend.]
¡°Mummy, the only people missing are us and there are no seats empty in the VIP section. I''m leaving now.¡± Karen said, standing up from her stool. Sarah and Pris rushed to carry the train, which they''d loosely rolled up to stop it creasing.
¡°How can I argue with that?¡± Maria said, conceding defeat and following.
May Ngbila looked at May Kray in surprise, ¡°I think we''ve just been let in on a secret.¡±
¡°It happens.¡± May Kray replied.
¡°You knew?¡±
¡°I... suspected and asked Karen. I got ''That''s not a question you ever ask.'' in reply.¡±
¡°You do know I have the power, don''t you?¡±
¡°You did rather display it at youth group a while ago.¡±
¡°I was an idiot.¡±
¡°Want to talk about what was going on?¡±
¡°Not really. Oh all right. When we''re in the car. We''d better go.¡±
There were two cars: Maria, James, Karen and Sarah were in the first, Pris and the two Mays in the second.
¡°Pris, I''m just filling May in on what I was doing when I went off the rails.¡±
¡°I won''t listen.¡± Pris said, with a smile.
¡°Oh, you can listen. Just... please don''t spread it. I think you can keep secrets.¡±
¡°I can neither confirm or deny that I have or ever had a job where that might have been important.¡± Pris said.
¡°Yeah, I thought so. So.... Basically I went off the rails because I missed my Gran, she had the gift, you know? And she kept a close watch on me, I suppose, often dropping in on my mind for a chat. Then, she was gone, and I felt alone. I found that eves-dropping on people''s thoughts sort of blotted out the pain, especially when flirting. But never again.¡±
¡°How do you know?¡±
¡°Karen asked me what my Gran would say to me misusing the power like that.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°She''d have walloped me. And I''d have deserved it, and more. And she''d have had tears in her eyes when she did it, because if she''d been alive then my doing that would have hurt her more than I''ll ever know. And she''d have reminded me that I hurt myself acting like that and that I was spitting in God''s face, and there''s only a certain amount of that that he''ll take before he turns away. It was a terrible place I''d got myself in. I''d cut myself off from the people who love me most of all. So, I say never again. And even if I forget that, Sarah would probably fire me in an instant.¡±
¡°You really work for Sarah?¡±
¡°Contract signed last night. I''m quite possibly the first truth-sayer employed in this country.¡±
¡°Certainly the first I know of,¡± Pris said.
¡°And you know pretty much everything?¡± May Kray said.
¡°No, certainly not! I''ll leave that to God.¡±
¡°And people like Karen.¡± May Ngbila asked.
¡°Oh, they don''t know everything.¡± Pris replied ¡°They can''t even find out everything. They''re quite happy to leave the omniscience to God.¡±
¡°Yeah. Being able to find out what people really think must be a terrible thing.¡± May Kray said ¡°Imagine the temptation.¡±
¡°Even with the power it''s big.¡±
¡°Even with technology. For example, bugs.¡±
¡°Yeah, it was cool how you found that bug last night.¡±
¡°I suppose so. It used to be a hobby.¡±
¡°A hobby?¡±
¡°Something to do at home, before my birth-parents were arrested. There were plenty around, just in case the A.I. heard them talking about a raid.¡±
¡°How did that come about?¡±
¡°Well, they were suspects. But the police needed proof. Hard evidence. I found the first bug when I was about eight, I guess. Dad gave me an expensive watch, and said well done. The watch turned out to be stolen, of course.¡±
¡°And then you found more and more?¡± May asked.
¡°Yes. I... kept some, that''s how I know about the temptation.¡±
¡°You''ve still got them?¡± May was horrified.
¡°No. I asked someone in Security to take them away.¡± Then she echoed May Ngbila''s statement ¡°Never again.¡±
¡°I think we''re going to be good friends.¡±
¡°I''d like that. What''s being a truth-sayer like?¡±
¡°I guess it''s a bit like listening to someone talking to themselves, when you''ve told them you''re going to listen. And they don''t stop doing it.¡±
¡°Weird concept.¡±
¡°All open and above board with informed consent.¡±
¡°Not that that would stop you hearing random thoughts that had nothing to do with the topic at hand.¡± Pris pointed out.
¡°Exactly. So, I got to sign the institute''s ethics policy too. I don''t ever pass on what I hear, except as agreed, unless there''s criminal activity involved. I like gloves.¡±
¡°Me too.¡± Pris agreed. ¡°And we''re here, so action stations!¡±
It was one minute to twelve when Karen entered the church, and the train control went perfectly.
[Thank you for getting here on time, Karen. You''re beautiful!]
[Were you worried?]
[No. But, thank you anyway. It makes me think you want this.]
[Of course I do.]
[But it wasn''t your idea. I mean, the prophesy...]
[I was just telling Deborah about that. I''m glad you were given it, George. Otherwise... who knows when you would have had the courage to ask me out?]
[Have I said you''re beautiful?]
[Not in the last five sentences.]
[I love you Karen.]
[I love you George. So keep alert, save up your energy. We''ve got some wood to chop up tonight. Among other sorts of exercise.]
[Stop doing that please, my precious. I don''t need reminding.]
Arwood''s sermon probably wasn''t unique, but then what could you say about marriage that hadn''t been said hundreds, thousands, of times before? But he didn''t stick to the normal passages either. He spoke about the way that Karen had been living under a false name, and spoke about truthfulness, trust, and necessary lies. He spoke about lies that had been told in the Bible for good purposes ¡ª Rahab protecting the spies, Jonathan protecting David by lying to the arrow-collecting boy, about more recent lies, made to protect the innocent from oppressive regimes. But also about the many more cases where lies were made for the purposes of evil. The first exaggeration ¡ª Eve saying they shouldn''t touch the tree ¡ª and the first real lie ¡ª that death would not follow. There was the human tendency to exaggerate, and so misrepresent reality, and he said that it was interesting that the first exaggeration was before the fall. So be careful, he concluded, addressing George and Karen, that your marriage is based on truth, and so honours the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, who he knew lived and worked in them.
After their vows, George took Karen''s hand and put the simple gold ring on her finger, she reciprocated, and Arwood proclaimed them husband and wife.
¡°You may kiss the bride.¡± he said, not without trepidation. The last time he''d said that to someone in that dress the kiss had lasted a few minutes.
He didn''t need to worry though. Karen and George weren''t planning on experiencing feedback quite yet.
After they''d finished their kiss George unhid, looked Karen in the eyes and thought
[Mrs Kray, I love you very very much.]
[I know. And I love you too, Mr Kray, my husband.]
Saturday, 22nd December. Anchorage. 10.15am, local time.
Robert looked round at a sound from the back of the church. It was Maddie, her parents, and her sisters. Maddie''s dress wasn''t some overly ornate cake-decoration, Robert was pleased to see. It was simple, elegant, and modest. She looked beautiful, of course, but a vision of purity.
It would have suited a virgin sacrifice to a dragon, he thought. He wondered if she''d been thinking along those lines when she made it. If so, then he supposed that made him the dragon, but he didn''t want to eat her. And she was the one with the fiery temper. But he was going to eventually take her away from her family, the only life she knew, and he was certainly planning to defend her to the death if anyone attacked her. She was so beautiful! He was aware that the church was filling up as she came up the aisle, and that he could have checked what his almost father and mother in-law''s expressions were, but none of that was possible, because he couldn''t take his eyes off Maddie. Her face was set, and serious, but he thought he saw some sparkle in her eyes. Was it anger? Or concealed excitement, humour? Or something else? He''d ask her sometime, but not now. He had a vow to take. Or at least he would when he stopped looking at his bride.
Maddie glanced and him and whispered, ¡°If you smile any more your face is going to crack. Pay attention to pastor Abner!¡±
The pastor spoke about marriage, how it was one of the hardest and most important decisions anyone ever took, secondary only to the decision to follow Jesus. He said he knew Madeline and Robbert had genuine faith, and that they were going to be taking their vows seriously, but purity in their marriage was something everyone should be praying for one another, not just now, but all the time. Then the sermon continued touching all the standard passages about marriage. Robert thought it was a good sermon, but it it did go on a bit longer than he''d expected. Then the pastor turned to them both and asked them to come forward. ¡°I expect everyone is expecting the marriage about now. But first, I''d like us to give Robert and Madeline the chance to to share their testimonies. I know it should be ladies first, but Robert''s had some notice, so Madeline, would you like some thinking time?¡±
¡°You''re serious?¡± she asked Abner, incredulous.
¡°Yes. I know it''s short notice. Would you like Robbert to go first?¡±
¡°No, it''s OK. I just didn''t expect it.¡± she tried to gather her thoughts.
¡°Try to tell us something about how God''s worked recently.¡± the pastor said.
¡°Well, as you know, I''ve grown up here, I was baptised here, and you''ve mostly heard about how I came to put my trust in Jesus when I was about eight, not least because I thought it would stop a certain son of my father''s best friend from pestering me.¡±
¡°Then I grew up a bit and so did he, and even if we only met one another for a day or two every six or eight weeks, I''m told that we''d take up our arguments just where we''d left them. So our parents put two and two together and decided an arrangement would be in order. They sat us down in different rooms and asked us if we agreed. I''m told we both answered maybe, and then they let us talk. I told him that I''d only marry him if he was really a Christian, and he told me the same thing. A couple of years ago, when I was about to finally win one of our many long-standing arguments, backed up with irrefutable evidence, he announced that he was going to take a well paid job in a far off country to teach the heathen to speak, read and write English. Now, I think we all know how hard it is for the schools to find Romani-speaking teachers, so among the things I screamed at him was why he didn''t teach the Roma children to read and write their mother tongue instead.
I believe that I also told him that I hoped that he caught malaria, typhoid and gangrene all at the same time, and not to think of coming to marry me until I was past eighty. So, we didn''t exactly part on best of terms.¡±
She paused for the ripple of laughter that triggered. ¡°I didn''t know if or when Robert would come back, but what I''d screamed at him about teaching Romani kept going round in my mind, and I felt it was something that the Lord might be laying on my heart. Why couldn''t I do that? Apart from minor things like going to college not being something I could afford without saving up for about a decade. So, I prayed that it might be possible, and as some of you know I started saving and trying to do some part time courses too.
¡°When it eventually sunk in that Robert hadn''t just gone there as a get-rich quick scheme, I eventually started praying for him. When I saw that he had lost his job for sake of the gospel, I prayed that he might see fruit from his sacrifice and be able to come home. He''s home, and he told me yesterday that actually teaching Roma children was his plan even before he left, that there was government support available, and that he would like me to train for this too, beside him. So, it looks right now as if at least some of my prayers have been answered, for which I praise God! And, perhaps my parents did know what they were planning all those years ago, despite every appearance to the contrary. I''ll let you know if I''m convinced of that when he''s grown up a bit more.¡±
Robert was listening at least as attentively as anyone else, and he thanked God for what Maddie had said. God had clearly been leading them in the same direction, and she''d clearly not listened to any of his explanations. That was also a warning to him which he filed away for future reference: Maddie can''t hear when she''s angry. The pastor indicated to him that it was his turn. ¡°I''d like to start by saying that actually Madeline''s prayers have all been answered. I couldn''t write in my prayer letters, because of the safety issues, but after I''d shared the gospel with my friend at work, he did turn to Christ, and in the months my funds were running out I saw his faith grow and the last time I saw him he told me that he''d told his wife the gospel, and she had accepted the Lord also. So, yes, there was a financial cost to my going there. It never was a get rich quick job, and in the end I left with some savings, and returned almost penniless with a ''persona non-grata'' stamp in my passport. But I thank God that I went. I have seen the fruit of my labour. And I thank God that he''s answered my prayers. I''m home, and He''s also softened Maddie''s heart towards me enough that she''s at least willing to stand here now, beside me, after all. Which I count as one of the most amazing things of all.¡±
Abner took the hint, and led them through their vows.
¡°Having declared your faith and exchanged your vows and rings, I now declare you man and wife. May God bless you and keep you, may he watch over you in all you do, and keep you united come what may. May he also grant that your marriage be marked by a self-sacrificial love, and all the healthy babies you might wish for in due season.¡±
With that over, Robbie stole a kiss. Which caused Maddie to wave a dangerous finger at him to the accompaniment of laughter from the congregation. It was a set piece, but he deviated from the script by kissing her wagging finger rather than taking hold of it. The script said he should have then pulled her out of the church by it, demonstrating that he was in charge now. Instead, he picked her up and carried her out of the building. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she demanded in a stage whisper which carried to the whole congregation.
¡°Supporting you in the only way I can right now.¡± he answered a little more loudly than he needed to, to more laughter.
Outside the church, as he put her down, he whispered into her ear ¡°I love you Maddie.¡± and stole another kiss.
¡°Oh you! Grow up!¡± she whispered back.
Saturday, 22nd December. Anchorage. 11.25am, local time.
Sarah checked Robert''s feet. He was in that room there sitting next to a woman and talking to another couple. The room was there in the house there next to the church, there. She''s seen enough, and sneaking away from the crowded reception hall, rang the number Matt had given her.
¡°Hello, Robert Trent?¡±
¡°Yes?¡± Robert answered, confused at who this might be.
¡°You don''t know me, but I''ve been talking to your brother quite a lot over the past few days. My name''s Sarah. I understand congratulations are in order.¡±
¡°Thank you. Erm, you''re my benefactress?¡±
¡°Yes, that''s me.¡±
¡°I think my wife would like to talk to you.¡±
¡°That''s great, because I''d like to talk to her too.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Maddie, this is Sarah, the lady who paid my way home.¡± he said, offering her his wrist unit.
¡°Hello. Thank you so, so, much for bringing Robert home to me.¡±
¡°Congratulations on your wedding. I gather it was a bit of a surprise for you both.¡±
¡°Yes, it was rather.¡±
¡°I''ve got an unexpected question for you. You''re local there, aren''t you? Do you know where Emerald Medical are based?¡±
¡°Yes. Yes, I work there. Why?¡±
¡°You do? Oh that''s excellent!¡±
¡°It is?¡±
¡°Yes. That should make it even easier. I''m going to bully your boss into interviewing Robert. If it goes well, and you like the idea, then I''m also going to suggest that he offer you a flat as part of the deal.¡±
¡°You''re serious? You can do that?¡±
¡°You''ve heard of GemSmith?¡±
¡°The parent company? Yes.¡±
¡°I own it. My great-grandfather set up Emerald Health Insurance. E.H.I. set up Emerald Medical. You know most companies have a duty to keep the shareholders happy? GemSmith and Emerald have to keep me happy. It would make me happy to know that you two have a place to yourself assuming that''s what you''d want.¡±
¡°I don''t know about Robert, but, yes, yes please!¡±
¡°OK, well, have a lovely wedding party. You''re talking to the pastor and his wife?¡±
¡°Yes, how did you know?¡±
¡°It didn''t sound like a party, and I thought your wedding service ought to be over. You''re going to talk about... bedroom things?¡±
¡°I... I think so.¡±
¡°Good. Take care, and have a lovely honeymoon.¡±
¡°A couple of nights don''t make much of a honeymoon.¡±
¡°No, but they give you some time alone. And you''ve got all day tomorrow too. But, really, as long as you''ve got privacy and the energy, you can sort of think of the honeymoon lasting until your contraceptives fail.¡±
¡°Erm...¡± Madeline said. Thinking that yes, well, given some notice she could have started on the pill.
¡°Talk about that too.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I don''t care if it''s cultural or not. Matt said Robert was going to study to be a teacher? You too?¡±
¡°Yes, I hope to. It''s been a dream for a long time.¡±
¡°I''m told it''s very hard to study when you''re throwing up every morning.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Urm, thank you for that, Sarah. I''m sure you''re right.¡± Madeline said, feeling distinctly nervous. She couldn''t bring up that topic. She just couldn''t. Sarah sensed her discomfort.
¡°Would you like me to break some taboos?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Please. I can''t.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll tell Robbie about the interview and the flat, and drop that little bombshell.¡±
Maddie was relieved ¡°Thank you, Sarah.¡±
¡°Look, Maddie, I''m newly married with a job myself so I know it''s all a bit daunting. And since I''m responsible for him only getting part-way home I feel responsible for you too. Since you''re helping make money for me to give away to good causes, I''m allowed to feel doubly responsible. I hope you don''t mind me interfering.¡±
¡°I don''t, Sarah. Thank you.¡±
¡°And if you need advice or help, send me a message. I mean that. Not just financial, but that too.¡±
¡°Why? Why are you being so helpful?¡±
¡°Why not? We serve the same God, Maddie. Now, put me over to Robert, please.¡±
¡°Robert, she wants to talk to you again.¡±
¡°Hello?¡± Robert said.
¡°Three things. One, since I own the place where Maddie works, I''m going to persuade her boss to interview you. They''ve got the opening for a mechanic-cum-driver anyway, so that won''t take much persuasion. I''m also going to get him to offer you two a flat as part of the pay package. I think that''d make married life easier on both of you. And thirdly, sorry if this is a shockingly taboo subject, but if you''re serious about Maddie studying to be a teacher, you''re going to need to use contraception. At this short notice, that probably means condoms. Otherwise there''s a really high chance she''ll be pregnant before you even start the course. That''s it. Bye!¡±
Robert looked at his wrist-unit in shock. ¡°She owns your workplace?¡± he said.
¡°She owns the parent company, apparently. She told you about the flat too?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And the other thing?¡± Madeline asked, blushing.
¡°Yes. Very bluntly.¡± Robert said, equally red.
¡°She''s shocking, isn''t she?¡±
¡°Very.¡±
¡°That call was from your benefactress, Robert?¡± the pastor asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And she''s going to pull strings to get you a job?¡±
¡°She said they had an opening anyway. But she''s going to pull strings to get us a flat apparently.¡± Robert reported.
¡°And from the look on your faces she also dropped unsubtle hints about contraception.¡± the pastor said ¡°Which is good, because it is an issue all couples need to discuss, and I''m pretty certain you''ve not had that conversation yet.¡±
Robert and Madeline, both bright red, didn''t dare speak, but they both shook their heads.
¡°So. First of all, almost all protestants say contraception''s not sin, but abortion is. Some would say that certain methods, which allow fertilisation of the egg to occur but prevent implantation, is closer to abortion, others disagree. So that''s an ethical debate you might need to have.
Secondly, you''re married now, you''re very soon going to be one in flesh. You may and should talk about these things between yourselves. It doesn''t need to be in public, of course. Thirdly...¡± he nodded to Mildred, his wife.
¡°This is our newly-wedded couple pack.¡± she said, giving Maddie a box which used to contain a tube of toothpaste. ¡°We know it''s an embarrassing subject, so it''s in disguise. There''s some stuff to read together in there, on paper, more details on a chip, the password is ''Marriage''. Plus there are a few other things which we hope will help things go well. Hide it away in your handbag, dear, and don''t let anyone borrow your toothpaste, or they''ll get a big surprise.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡± Madeline said, no longer resenting the fact that her mother had insisted Madeline take her handbag, even if Sandra had to look after her until after the ceremony was over.
¡°Out of interest,¡± the pastor asked, ¡°What did she reply to you asking her about why she was helping?¡±
¡°She said ''Why not? We serve the same God.'' She also said she felt responsible for us, and that if we ever needed any sort of advice or help, financial or otherwise, we should send her a message.¡±
¡°Matt said she''d told him she''d got a friend with the thought-knowing gift, that''s how she told him I was being bugged. So I guess she meant that sort of help too.¡±
¡°So, you don''t think it was just an empty promise?¡± the pastor asked.
¡°It wasn''t a promise. It was... I don''t know, it sounded like ''don''t you go hiding it from me if you''re in trouble'', like I might say to my sister.¡±
¡°So, you''ve got a nice elderly lady who happens to be ultra-rich taking you under her wing? That''s a wonderful blessing.¡± Mildred said.
¡°Oh, she''s not elderly! She sounded younger than you, Mildred. And she said she''s not been married very long.¡±
¡°Really? Well!¡±
¡°I admit I''m a bit curious about this woman.¡± Abner said, turning on the console beside him. ¡°You said she owned Emerald medical?¡±
¡°Emerald medical is owned by Emerald health insurance, which is owned by GemSmith. She says her great-grandfather set up Emerald Health Insurance, and she owns GemSmith.¡± Maddie supplied.
¡°It says here... GemSmith is a privately owned corporation, with diverse interests in a variety of sectors, currently held in trust as part of the Smith family estate. Well, ''currently'' might be a bit stretching the point since this page was last edited two years ago.¡±
¡°What about the history of Emerald Health Insurance?¡± Mildred suggested.
¡°Hmm, set up by Jacob Henry Smith, as an in-house insurance venture for workers at his jewelery stores and other business interests. Oh, here''s a link to the Smith family tree... Jacob Henry Smith had a son, Aaron. Aaron had a daughter who never married and oh, a lot later, a son Joshua, who had one daughter, Sarah, but it only gives her decade of birth, and he died about ten years ago. Oh, there must have been an accident ¡ª his wife Maggie died on the same day.¡±
¡°That''s her name, all right.¡± Maddie said. ¡°Why are you looking this up?¡±
¡°Curiosity, Maddie. And concern. I don''t want you being led astray by someone just because she''s rich and has a nice voice. I don''t really trust all this stuff about this thought-knowing gift, either.¡±
Mildred had swung the console towards her and said ¡°I''ve found her. It wasn''t an accident, they were killed in a terrorist attack. You remember, that shopping centre that got blown up. There''s a testimony here about their charitable work from their pastor, and how they considered it so important to take care of the people who work for them. Hmm, not much more interesting there. Oh wow!¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°You know that foreign prince who''s in the news a lot? What''s his name, Albert and his fianc¨¦e Eliza, you know, the daughter of the master-criminal who gave that testimony about God''s power to save?¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Well, according to this, the last person to wear the historic dress was Maggie Upton, bride of Joshua Smith, heir to the GemSmith fortune, tragically killed etc. etc.¡±
¡°So, she must be some sort of cousin to this Eliza?¡±
¡°It sounds like it.¡±
¡°That''s that country where they''re getting ready for the comet to hit, isn''t it?¡± Robert asked, thinking he''d have been totally lost he hadn''t been able to keep up with the international news, even if there was hardly anything from home.
¡°Yes.¡± Maddie answered, not getting the connection.
¡°Warned by dreams and visions apparently from God. And lots of scientists not to mention governments that were saying ''Who wants to believe in that rubbish? What a way to rule a country!'' are now saying ''Well, yes, O.K. we know the last estimate centres the impact on the city they said was the target, but there''s still a massive uncertainty.''¡± Abner said. ¡°I won''t be surprised to see that city smashed.¡±
¡°That city is the same one whrre her parents died¡± Mildred said. ¡°I wonder if she still lives there.¡±
¡°Ouch,¡± Robert said ¡°And yet, here she is, sending money for me to come half way round the world, and sending best wishes on our wedding day?¡±
¡°Does that make you trust her or suspicious of her?¡±
¡°Neither. But it seems pretty generous to me.¡±
¡°One of the confusing things she said was that she had a job, and she said that as an employee, I''m helping make money for her to give away to good causes, as if, you know, she doesn''t actually live on the income she gets from GemSmith. Which does make sense, actually.¡±
¡°It does?¡± Robbie asked.
¡°Sorry, you don''t know. Part of the new employees briefing I got said that they hoped I''d be happy there, and that while the pay might not be the highest, they wanted to treat me like a human being, not some replaceable part. I''m just a receptionist cum secretary, surely I''m replaceable! But I''ve had to file the annual reports they send off to head office. As well as income and expenses there''s also stuff about staff satisfaction and staff turnover. It seemed odd when I saw it, but if the ultimate boss is concerned about more than just the money, or even hardly about the money side of things at all, that makes sense, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°It must be a nice position to be in.¡± Robbie said.
¡°It must be incredibly hard to navigate the line between not being taken for a ride by every con-artist with a convincing sob-story, while not becoming hard-hearted.¡± Abner said. ¡°So maybe that''s part of her motivation for picking on you two. In which case, maybe I''m less worried. But... this so-called thought-hearing gift thing does make me worried.¡±
¡°Why, pastor?¡±
¡°Because I''m not sure I believe that any spiritual gifts are for today, let alone ones that I can''t see mentioned in the Bible.¡±
¡°But you mentioned those prophetic dreams and visions, dear. What are they if not spiritual gifts?¡± Mildred asked.
¡°They''re another item of confusion for me.¡± Abner admitted. ¡°Far be it from me to deny that God can do whatever he likes, but I grew up being taught that tongues and the rest have ceased, but that the word of the Lord, faith, hope and love remain. I know there are people don''t agree with that position, like my wife, for example, so I feel it is better to concentrate on solid ground. Which is why I preach about the fruits of the spirit, and on the word, but you won''t have heard me preaching on the subject of the gifts outside the New-Testament era.¡±
¡°I had wondered.¡± Maddie said.
Robert had had a lot of time for Bible study in the past few months, and knew the passage, and had his own thoughts on the matter. ¡°Pastor, with due respect, I don''t think we know perfectly, or see God perfectly, or understand his will perfectly. So I''m not sure perfection has come yet.¡±
¡°But the cannon is complete. We have the whole revelation of God.¡± Abner replied, rehashing the old arguments he''d been taught.
¡°I agree. And when we''re transformed from glory to glory, we''ll no longer see him through a glass, but face to face, and we won''t have a need for prophesy or learning. I guess I''m trying to say that we need all the help we can get, and I''m not going to tell God he can''t astound me if he wants to.¡±
¡°That''s very easy to do, by the way, watch!¡± Maddie said, and planted a kiss on his lips.
Bobby was astounded, and admitted it: ¡°Wow. Yes, definitely astouded, Madeline, what''s come over you?¡±
Maddie was wondering the same thing. She''d kissed him! On the lips! In public! What was he going to think of her?
¡°I think perhaps your wife is trying to make up for her harsh words in the past, Robert, or maybe just get revenge for you carrying her down the aisle.¡±
Mildred said, with a smile.
¡°It won''t happen again, Robert.¡± Maddie said, crushed by her sense of guilt.
Robert took Maddie''s head gently in his hands and gently whispered into her ear ¡°Maddie? I didn''t say I was disappointed. And I hope you don''t mean what you''ve just said.¡±
¡°I was shameless.¡± she replied.
¡°You two need some time to talk, I think.¡± Abner said, and led Mildred to the door.
At the door, Mildred said ¡°And Maddie, don''t be ashamed on our account.¡± and she gave her husband a kiss, considerately more passionate than Maddie''s had been. Then shut the door on the young couple.
¡°I''m sorry, Robbie.¡± Maddie said.
¡°What for? For writing a letter that turned my fear to joy? I''m sorry for making you write it. For marrying me for all the right reasons, not just some of them? Or for making a very good theological point?¡±
¡°I''ve shamed you.¡±
¡°No. No you haven''t Maddie.¡±
¡°Good girls don''t do things like that.¡±
¡°Good girls don''t. Good wives can do that to their husbands. I saw my parents kiss, and it wasn''t always Dad''s initiative.¡±
¡°But... in front of the pastor!¡±
¡°Hmm, and look how Mildred behaved.¡±
¡°That''s different.¡±
¡°Is it?¡±
¡°Yes. I''m still...¡±
¡°You''re my wife, and I love you. I''ve loved you a long long time.¡±
¡°I.... I can''t say it.¡± she said.
¡°You wrote it.¡±
¡°You destroyed the message?¡±
¡°Of course. But thank you for being so honest.¡±
¡°More honesty: I''m scared.¡±
¡°Then, you don''t need to act.¡±
¡°Yes I do. The kiss... wasn''t acting, but you must think me a slut.¡±
¡°Maddie, why would I think that of you?¡±
¡°Because, like you agreed, good girls don''t do that. I''m still a girl, technically. So I''m not a good one.¡±
He embraced her, ¡°My Maddie, my wife. You cannot be both a girl and a slut. I think you''re a good girl who loves her husband. That sounds very good to me.¡±
Preparation / Ch. 32: Receptions
Book 4: Preparation / Ch. 32:Receptions
Saturday, 22nd December, 4pm, the capital.
Deborah was fascinated by the people dancing. It was all very strange to her. She knew it happened, but hadn''t ever been at such an event before.
Couples, and obviously not-couples dancing together. She''d seen the prince dancing with different women, but just once with his future bride, Eliza. It was very strange behaviour. She saw that Eliza had been refusing all invitations, like she was, and that Karen and George were not dancing except with each other, except that at the beginning Karen had danced with her father, and George had danced with Karen''s mother. That seemed acceptable.
The president, beside her, noticed her watching. ¡°Cousin, you do not want to dance?¡± he asked.
¡°It would not feel right, to dance with strange men.¡±
¡°Ah. Then dance with your husband!¡±
¡°My president, I do not know how.¡± Adam admitted.
¡°Then, my cousin, perhaps you will do me the honour of accepting a dance? Then your husband can watch and learn. This is not a very difficult dance, you understand, there are others, far more complicated. The important bit is to move your feet at the beat of the music. Left foot, right foot, feet together, right foot, left foot, feet together. You should become used to this form of entertainment. You will meet it again and again. If a man should try to pull you close, that is a breach of etiquette. You may push him away and rebuke him, if he persists, you should slap his face, and the dance will be over. Probably, it will start a diplomatic incident, but only your husband should pull you close. It should not ever happen, of course, but it is possible.¡±
¡°I must learn this, my cousin?¡±
¡°You must, it is a very old part of their culture.¡±
Karen saw that Albert was dancing with May Kray, and decided it was time to put one of her plans into operation. She beckoned May Ngbilla over; even with the train detached it was far less complicated if she didn''t move. ¡°Do you see my friend Deborah there, in the green dress?¡±
¡°Learning to dance with the president?¡±
¡°Yes. He''s her cousin, and he''s publicly nominated her as next in line, which we all hope won''t spark a civil war when he dies.¡±
¡°Ouch.¡±
¡°At the moment though, she''s also his truthsayer.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°It''s not a very public thing ¡ª she wears a veil when she''s on duty. Want an introduction?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡± Karen had another thought.
[Eliza, May Ngbila is about to be introduced to my friend Deborah. I believe it would be good for you to meet her too.]
[Cousin of the president? We''ve been introduced.]
[Yes, I know. But I bet you were wearing gloves. I''ll warn her too, if you''re happy for that to happen.]
[Oh! Well, yes, in the interests of good international relations. I''m assuming you don''t mean to expose that I''ve got the gift. Even that I''ve got the power is a bit risky.]
[No. I don''t think she needs to know that. Though she knows I have it, by the way. She''s a believer, as is her husband.]
As Deborah left the dance floor, Karen thought to her. [Deborah, my friend, I would like to introduce you to two people. Would you meet one from my culture who is to work as a truthsayer? Our cultures are different, and people here know nothing of the role, so her role will be different, but she is young.]
[Yes, I will meet her. You will translate for me?]
[Of course. She is the girl sitting beside me.]
[And the other?]
[A big secret. She will come as May, the truth-sayer, leaves. If you would, as though by accident, shake hands with her without gloves, please. I think it would be good, but... I ask that you be very discrete. Only a few know.] Deborah came close to where Karen sat. Karen stood up and said ¡°Deborah my friend! How do you like dancing? Have a seat and let us chat, please!¡±
¡°It has been a long time, Karen. Your dress is beautiful!¡±
¡°As is yours. I see less worry lines on your face, too. I think marriage is good for you.¡±
¡°It is good. And of course my life is more secure than ever before, even with the grumbles of the elders and the tribes. I do not know if I will ever enjoy this dancing thing, but, it is not too unpleasant.¡±
¡°When you are more practiced, it can be a place to hold a conversation. And of course it is nicer when you dance with your chosen or your husband.¡±
¡°Oh. Yes. Of course.¡±
Switching to English, Karen said, ¡°Deborah, this one beside me is May, and she has much to learn. She has a job as truthsayer, the first such in our country, we believe.¡±
¡°You example are.¡± Deborah said, hesitatingly. ¡°It is for for police, or for person that you work?¡±
May puzzled over the strange syntax, but answered ¡°I work for a person, for Sarah.¡±
¡°Sarah is my cousin.¡± Karen supplied. ¡°She hopes May can help her not be bothered by people who wish to lie.¡±
¡°That is not an easy task.¡± Deborah responded.
¡°I know.¡± May replied. ¡°Sarah also knows this. As well as I.¡±
Deborah looked at Karen and asked, in her native language, ¡°Your cousin also has this power?¡±
¡°My cousin also.¡± Karen confirmed. ¡°My cousin is a busy lady, however, and very rich. She seeks to help people who are poor, who need help to pay their debts. But you know that here there is no history of truthsayers, and there is much fear, on both sides. There is fear that people will react badly, and there is fear that any with the truth-saying ability will be a thought-stealer. It seemed good to Sarah to pretend she has no power, except to those who work with her. People at her church and her workplace know, but to tell the whole world that this rich woman has the power? It might be dangerous.¡±
¡°So she pushes the danger onto this young one?¡± Deborah was not impressed by that.
¡°No! She thinks that no one will think a young girl is dangerous. But a very rich woman who has rich and powerful friends? There will be fears.¡±
¡°Ah, I understand. It is like the way that I was safer as a servant than I am now.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡± Switching back to English, Karen said ¡°I''ve just filled Deborah in on why Sarah''s employing you.¡±
¡°Because she''s too busy.¡± May said.
Touching May''s hand Karen added [And because a sixteen year old school-girl isn''t nearly as scary to the general population as a multi-millionaires reclusive thought-hearer might thought to be be.]
[Not to mention one who''s got connections to royalty.]
[Oh don''t!]
¡°So you have no traditional dress at all?¡±
¡°No. I could dress as a witch, I suppose.¡± May said. ¡°But a real witch would inspire fear. And not be a Christian. Witches deal with magic and demons.¡±
¡°That would be not good.¡± Deborah said, then switching to her mother tongue ¡°She should invent one, I think. The question is, how does she proclaim her power, and how does she hide her identity? And how will people understand what she wears.¡± Karen translated.
¡°You mean, should I just wear a T-shirt with ''professional truthsayer'' on it, rather than fancy dress?¡±
¡°Or would something more subtle be appropriate, like a business suit with some kind of emblem?¡± Karen asked.
¡°What is ''business suit''?¡± Deborah asked.
¡°What a bank-manager, accountant or lawyer might wear.¡±
¡°That might be good, yes. Someone serious, but not someone connected to the occult.¡± Deborah agreed. ¡°But I don''t know your culture, I don''t know how I can help, really.¡±
¡°May, are there questions you have that aren''t so cultural?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Yes. How do you recognise a lie?¡±
¡°For me, it is a little different. Culture again, people do not lie to a truth-sayer. But if they did? Karen, translate please.¡±
She spoke and Karen translated. ¡°By catching them thinking ''what do I say?'' ''does that keep my lie sounding true'' ''oh she almost caught me out. I mustn''t think that.'' My presence prevents the lie, mostly.¡±
¡°That is what I''d like.¡± May said.
¡°Part of that is the ritual and the incantation.¡±
¡°Can you tell me about those?¡±
Karen again translated: ¡°I don''t know how relevant they will be, but I tell them of the God I serve and his power to judge the living and the dead, I tell them He has given me power to hear their thoughts, and a voice to shout out when they lie. The incantation is a prayer, really: that God will bring to light any lie they speak, and not let justice be perverted.¡±
¡°Thank you. Have you ever been in a situation where the truth shouldn''t be told?¡±
¡°No. You can think of such?¡±
¡°I guess, where a lie is being told to protect another person.¡±
¡°I can think of that where the person you''re talking to is good and the people questioning are not, but... would you put yourself in that position?¡±
¡°No. No I guess I''m thinking about all the stupid ways people might get in debt. Say that they get in debt because their brother''s wife was really really stupid and got tricked into some get rich scheme, a second time, but the brother doesn''t know. So the person lies to say it was them that got tricked, but it wasn''t.¡±
¡°Oh. Then you''d have to be very careful, I think. A truth-sayer hears many many secrets, but must not lie. If you like, you are an expert witness. In that situation, you could leave, simply refuse to verify the person''s story. Or you could just say the truth without the secret: this story is not the truth, but by it he thinks he protects someone he thinks is innocent.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°It has been useful?¡±
¡°Yes. Very.¡±
¡°I''d like to talk to Deborah a little, May, if that''s OK?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± May said, and went back to her place, looking around. She wanted to dance, but there weren''t many boys around her age.
¡°Deborah, let me introduce you to Eliza properly.¡± Karen said. ¡°There is a connection neither of you know, I think. Deborah, Eliza was a hostage held by the evil Ibrahim. Eliza, Deborah helped to arrange the soldiers meeting you. At that time I did not know my thought-stealer uncle had a daughter, or that she served the same Lord as you and I, Deborah.¡±
¡°I am pleased to meet you.¡± Deborah said, offering her gloveless hand.
[Karen said I should offer you my bare hand.]
[She told me the same.] Eliza thought. ¡°I thank you for your part in my rescue. Karen is right, I didn''t know.¡±
[And now we have met, what next?]
[We pretend we cannot talk like this, I think.]
¡°I understand your cousin has named you heir?¡±
¡°That is true.¡±
¡°Then, perhaps we should find your husband, and my fianc¨¦ and introduce them to each other too, and tell of this new connection between our countries? And that we share our faith.¡± Eliza suggested.
[That we share this ability?] Deborah asked.
[Perhaps that is better done privately. My ability is not known publicly.] Eliza thought to her.
¡°I ask, please do pray for my cousin ¡ª that he finds faith and lives long. There is too much to learn.¡±
¡°My future father in law found faith recently, but I ask the same prayer for his life.¡±
¡°Your country expects the... the rock from space. I am sorry.¡±
¡°Yes. That is what the dreams and visions indicate. The very city where Karen was a student will be hit.¡±
¡°At the start, when the discovery was first made, it was in our land. Your pain is our relief.¡±
¡°Yes, I heard the report from Karen''s father. We have the warnings. I do not expect many to die, though one of the dreams said there might be some.¡±
¡°I did not know. Can you tell me more?¡±
¡°There was one, we took it as a warning. There was a field full of tents quite near to the city, and a small rock came and destroyed one tent. So, we will not put the tents near to the city.¡±
¡°Ah. I will pray that it is just a warning, not a true prophecy.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°And I am glad Karen told us to meet.¡±
¡°So am I.¡±
Saturday, 22nd December, 7pm, the capital.
May was amazed. The wedding had started seven hours ago, and the reception was still going on.
¡°Any idea when this finishes, Tim?¡± she asked, as he approached her once more.
¡°No. None at all. I was wondering myself. You sure I can''t persuade you to dance?¡±
¡°You''ve had three dances, Tim!¡±
¡°Yes. One with each bridesmaid except the one I really want to dance with.¡±
¡°I got to dance with prince Albert! Twice!¡± she gushed.
¡°I know.¡± he said, increasingly morose.
¡°He asked me something. Come on, sit down and I''ll tell you all about it.¡±
¡°What was it? I hope you''re not planning to supplant Eliza.¡±
¡°That''s not funny. She''s nice, and you''re the one I''m going to marry.¡±
¡°I was wondering if you''d changed your mind.¡± he said, sure that she had, despite that reaffirmation. She''d rejected him every time he''d asked for a dance, and had hardly spoken to him all day. It had made him think about all the times she''d said they''d marry. It had been scary to start with, but the idea had grown on him. It certainly made it easier to know how to respond when other girls had seemed interested in him. He didn''t want that certainty taken from him. He liked May; she was smart, Christian, and pretty. Very pretty. And now she was dancing with the heir to the throne but not with him.
¡°Tim, be serious.¡±
¡°May, every time I''ve asked you for a dance you''ve shrugged me off onto one of the others. I mean...¡± he dropped his voice ¡°Pris is old enough to be my mother!¡±
¡°Don''t be silly, she''s not thirty yet. I''ve been thinking, I''ve got a difficult decision to make.¡±
¡°About prince Albert.¡±
¡°Partly.¡±
¡°Ha! I knew it.¡±
¡°We''ve got an invitation to the palace.¡±
¡°Who''s we?¡± he said, unable to work out why Albert would need an invitation there.
¡°You and me.¡±
¡°What for?¡±
¡°Services to the heir to the throne.¡± she said, with a very self-satisfied smile.
¡°I don''t want to know.¡± he said, bitterly, not sure what that could be except for something which was repugnant.
May looked at him oddly. ¡°I''m going to tell you anyway. I found a bug in the hotel last night. Security ushered Eliza and prince Albert out of the building, then I helped spot some more cameras, more bugs, and the perpetrators, who were on their way to tell a journalist about the relationship between Karen and Eliza, which would have meant dozens of cameras instead of just three. As a thank you, I''m pretty much allowed to choose anything that doesn''t cost much money or more than a few hours of their time.¡±
¡°And that''s why Albert danced with you twice?¡±
¡°Yes. Eliza gave me a few suggestions this morning, Albert a few more, and helped me discard a few of them. Some of the ideas were too crazy.¡±
¡°You spoke to Eliza this morning? How? And what were they doing at the hotel?¡±
¡°Oh Tim, don''t you get it? Karen''s her cousin. Eliza was helping with the dress. Karen''s the one that told the reporter over there about Eliza.¡±
¡°So, Karen''s beautiful dress....¡±
¡°Is the one Eliza''s going to wear, yes. Now, we''ve got three sensible options, and I want to know which one you want to pick.¡±
¡°May, please, can we have a dance?¡±
¡°You know I don''t think it''s a good idea, Tim.¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Because if you remember, we agreed a month ago dancing wouldn''t be a good idea.¡±
He cast his mind back. A month ago? Oh! ¡°May, that was about going to the end of term party, wasn''t it? Not about a formal dance at someone''s wedding! I mean, the lights are on and no one here is going to be going off into a corner for a snog, are they? It''s vastly different.¡±
¡°You''re sure?¡±
¡°Very.¡±
¡°I thought it was just, you know, you getting tempted beyond what you could bear. I''ve been trying to protect you.¡±
¡°And I thought it was you gearing up to dumping me, and it hurt.¡±
¡°What!¡± she asked in a shocked whisper.
¡°Please don''t push me away, May.¡± he said.
¡°I''m sorry, Tim. Let''s dance, then.¡± she said. And they did, three dances.
3.30pm, Anchorage time.
Robert was no expert at judging needlecraft, but as was expected he looked at Maddie''s display dresses. He didn''t care what the experts said, they were gorgeous. Before the wedding, she''d worn a pale blue dress. It had been sky blue, he''d thought, he remembered, and he could see she was wearing green, with beautifully embroidered trees on it. Pictures of land and life, one might say. Especially as Maddie might say, who loved books, histories, myths, stories. Between arguments, she''d told him some when they''d been small. It had probably been one of the things that helped him fall in love with her that she was such an excellent storyteller.
His thoughts about the virgin sacrificed to the dragon came back, and he remembered it had been one of her best-loved stories; the dragon''s bride. He knew there''d been themes in it, land, air, sea, space, as well as the traditional four elements, earth, wind, water and fire. And as he looked at these dresses, in the noise of the party, sipping a drink, he thought he saw the story there, or at least, what he remembered of it.
The dragon had been living on his own on an island, far from anyone and anything except the fish he ate. One day, he''d looked at the moon, beautiful and silver in the blackness of space and had gone to try to look at it. A month and a week and a day he flew up, higher and higher, until his island was a minuscule dot below him and the sky above was black even though the sun shone. He flew until he could fly no further, and the thin air beneath his magic wings would carry him no higher. Yet and still the moon was there, high above and laughing at his puny efforts to reach it. So the dragon turned his back on the cruel moon, stretched out his tired wings, and glided around the world. From the black of space he glided through the pale blue sky, he traveled over blue-green seas, and green forests covering the land.
Robert ticked off the dresses. Black with silver dots for space, check. Sky blue, yes, this morning. Blue-green with ocean motifs, check. Green trees, yes she was wearing that. Oh Maddie, your dresses are retelling your favourite story, aren''t they?
As the dragon soared he saw something strange in the forests. A brown and gold rectangle, and then another one. It looked strange and pretty, this golden pattern on the land. And he circled lower and lower to get a better look. He saw there were creatures moving about on the earth. Not the fish he knew from his island, but they had legs like him, though no wings of course. And as his shadow crossed over them these white creatures ran, just like the schools of fish did. And he realised he was hungry, very hungry indeed. And they did remind him so much of the scared fish he hunted normally. So he decided he should see what they tasted like, these white fluffy land-fish.
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But he didn''t want to eat a clever animal, so he caught one, making a cage of his claws, and spoke in the language of dragons which all intelligent creatures can understand. And the creature screamed its terror. He spoke in the language of the mer-men, and the creature screamed its terror. He spoke in the language of the sailors, who he sometimes saw as he swam, and the creature screamed its terror. He looked at the other creatures, and saw they had gone back to eating the golden hay on the brown earth, unconcerned at the fate of their colleague. So he roasted it, and ate it, and it tasted good.
And there were plenty of these land-fish, and he hadn''t eaten in a month and a week and a day. So he roasted and ate four more, and then settled down to sleep.
Robbie noticed the five white buttons on the gold and brown dress, and smiled.
The shepherds heard the sheep''s bleating, and from the wood they ran, expecting dogs or maybe a wolf or bear. When they saw the dragon, delicately roasting a sheep over a flame from it''s mouth they were terrified. And when they saw the dragon repeat that another four times, and settle down to sleep they knew they were in deep trouble. Without the sheep they''d have no livelihood, no cheese, no wool. And they went back to their village in deep distress. They consulted the local priest, who was a sadly a man of no faith or courage at all, and he panicked and ran. They consulted the mayor, who was a bitter old man, and would not believe them, and threw them in prison for sheep stealing. But the shepherd''s wives went and looked, and then they picked up the mayor and dragged him kicking and screaming to the sheep fold, where the dragon slept in the gold and the brown. And he stopped screaming and kicking, because he''d died of fright.
The wives went, very nervously, to consult the young woman who everyone called a witch. And she looked in her books, and in her library, and the were amazed at the way she could read without moving her lips. And she said ¡°I don''t know. I don''t know at all. I can only find two ways of getting rid of a dragon, and I don''t like either of them.¡±
¡°What are they?¡± asked the wives, worried about the sheep and the wool and the cheese.
¡°The first one is that we call in a knight. And you know how expensive they are.¡± And the women nodded, and moaned about how the last one had eaten a month''s food in a day, and tried to steal their daughters too. And they asked the librarian what the other option was. And the librarian said ¡°The other option is just from a story. It talked about a village which offered the dragon a beautiful girl, a virgin, and the dragon took the girl, and ate her instead of the sheep, and flew away.¡±
And the wives looked at one another, and at the beautiful librarian, who they knew hadn''t ever let any man near her, and they tied her up in her simple white dress and took her to the dragon. And for good measure they took the sheep home.
Soon after the dragon awoke and saw that the woolly land-fish had gone, and someone had left another creature tied up in front of him. This creature had two arms and two legs, and very pretty dark hair. He decided she was much prettier than the moon. ¡°Can you speak?¡± he asked her in the language of the dragons, which all intelligent animals understand. And she replied ¡°Yes, are you going to eat me?¡±
¡°Why would I do that? You''re not a land-fish or a water-fish.¡±
¡°The people thought you''d eat me.¡±
¡°You''re too pretty to eat.¡±
¡°Thank you for the compliment, but what are you going to do then?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Why did they tie you up?¡±
¡°Because I''m too clever and not cunning enough.¡±
¡°Can you explain that?¡±
¡°They asked me about dragons and I read what I could about dragons and told them. They can hardly read, you see. But they''re afraid of me being clever. so when I told them about a story about a dragon eating a pretty girl instead of the sheep they decided I''d do.¡±
¡°I''m not looking to eat a clever creature. But you are pretty.¡±
¡°You''ve said that before.¡±
¡°I don''t suppose you''re unmarried are you? A pretty girl like you?¡±
¡°I''m not married.¡± she said, wondering where this was going.
¡°I''ve got an idea, then.¡± And he wrapped his magic wings around her and her ropes fell off.
¡°Thank you dragon.¡±
¡°Do you like books?¡± asked the dragon.
¡°Yes. I''ve got almost a hundred.¡±
¡°I''ve got almost a thousand.¡± the dragon said ¡°Would you like to see them?¡±
¡°Is there a catch?¡± she asked, sensibly enough.
¡°You''ll have to ride on my neck. It''s quite a long way.¡±
¡°And you''ll bring me back here if I want to?¡±
¡°If you want to.¡± the dragon agreed. ¡°Or I could take you somewhere else where they don''t think feeding beautiful girls to dragons is a good idea.¡±
¡°You are a very kind dragon.¡± she said.
¡°Thank you,¡± he said ¡°I try.¡± And she climbed onto his neck and they flew away over deep blue water, and white winds, and brown and gold earth. And the librarian loved the intelligent conversation of the dragon, and his gentle manners. And his library had over a thousand books. And they fell in love.
He gave her a magic necklace of green and blue stones, and wrapped her in his magical wings until she was full of magic, and she turned into red fire and kissed him playfully. He called the white winds and brown gold earth and deep blue water and wove his greatest spell. And she became a dragoness, a beautiful, wise and playful dragoness, who taught him even more about the world. And he taught her the magic of her wings, how to fly, and how to roast fish in her flames. And they lived happily ever after.
¡°Robert, what are you thinking about?¡± Maddie asked, realising that he''d been sitting there a long time, staring at her dresses.
¡°Dress number four ought to be red or orange, my beautiful librarian.¡±
¡°You worked it out.¡± she gasped.
¡°Well it was your favourite story.¡± he said and then had a thought. ¡°Did you keep the necklace?¡±
¡°Oh, you remember that too? My last ever gift from you.¡±
¡°And I remember you telling me not to buy you anything else or it would spoil the story.¡±
¡°I... don''t think I remembered that bit about it spoiling the story. I just remember wishing you didn''t take everything I say so literally.¡±
¡°Well, once we get to the happily ever after bit then I''m sure it won''t spoil the story any more. And the shops are closing soon, I expect.¡±
¡°And your bank account is empty.¡±
¡°That''s also painfully true. Another thing that''s true is the sun''s setting, we should go.¡±
¡°So soon!¡± she gasped.
¡°We need to find the cabin. It''s been a long time since I was there. We''ve got, what, an hour until it''s dark? I''d hate to try and find the path to it when it''s pitch black.¡±
¡°I thought the party would continue until midnight!¡±
¡°Maybe it will, but I think we should go, unless you want to wait until dawn?¡±
¡°I can''t stay awake that long!¡±
¡°Then, let''s go!¡± and he picked her up over his shoulder and with her screaming at him to put her down, he headed for his parents in law.
¡°Sun-down! We need to go so there''s light to find the cabin.¡± he shouted over her protests.
¡°Fine excuse!¡± ''Uncle'' Jack said and waved him off.
¡°You''re not taking me anywhere without my handbag!¡± Maddie screamed at him.
He put her down and asked ¡°Where is it?¡±
¡°I''ll get it.¡± she said, adding in a whisper, ¡°And I can walk out on my own, thank you.¡±
¡°Not and keep your reputation.¡± he whispered back.
Holding her head up high she walked to get her handbag. And then dodged behind her mother and sister who were standing near by.
¡°He wants to humiliate me, mum.¡±
¡°He wants more than that.¡± Anna, Maddie''s older sister said, with a knowing smirk.
¡°I''m trying not to think of that.¡±
¡°Go with your man, Madeline.¡± her mother said, and taking Maddie''s hand she put it in Robert''s. ¡°Look after my Maddie.¡±
¡°I aim to.¡± he replied, picking her off the ground again, and carrying her to where the coats were.
¡°So, now I''m supposed to put my coat on so I don''t freeze, then you''re going to turn me upside down over your shoulder again?¡±
¡°No. I''ve carried you this far so you know you can''t get away, then I''m going to hold you tight until you''re in the car.¡±
¡°It''s my car, Robbie.¡±
¡°I think I ought to drive you away though, shouldn''t I?¡±
¡°I suppose so, for appearance''s sake. Hmm, someone''s put something in my coat pocket.¡± Robert said, feeling a lump that didn''t used to be there. Expecting a mouldy orange or some other trick, he looked in, carefully. Seeing what it was, he said ¡°I guess it''s an anonymous gift.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°Urm, it''s safer if it stays there. I''ll tell you in the car.¡±
¡°Someone else with out best interests at heart?¡± Maddie guessed.
¡°I guess so.¡±
Gently, he led her into the carpark. For the sake of the watchers she resisted getting into the car for a bit. But then saw there was a policeman watching too. ¡°Oops.¡± she said. ¡°Robbie, there''s a policeman.¡±
¡°You''d better get into the car then.¡±
¡°I will, but let me sort out my dress first.¡±
She stood up, sorted out her dress and sat in, as decorously as she could. Robbie got into the driver''s seat, and was about to drive off when he saw the policeman coming over. Carefully, he turned off the ignition and kept his hands in plain sight, just in case the policeman was worried.
Maddie rolled down her window. ¡°Good evening, miss, is there a problem?¡±
¡°No officer. We''re just off on our honeymoon. I think you might have seen a bit of cultural play acting.¡±
¡°Cultural play acting?¡± he asked, confused.
¡°I''m expected to be reluctant. If I''m visibly keen to start married life, that doesn''t speak well of my morals.¡± she shrugged. ¡°One of our peculiarities.¡±
¡°You''re sure there''s no problem?¡±
¡°Would seeing our marriage certificate help, officer?¡± Robert asked.
¡°I hope your not asking me to demonstrate public affection towards my husband before our wedding night, officer. I''d risk public censure for the rest of my life.¡± Maddie said.
¡°No, maam, I''ll not ask that. But, I strongly advise you to keep very private any more acting as though that your husband is abducting you.¡±
¡°Thank you for your advice, officer, I will.¡± Maddie said.
¡°Happy honeymoon!¡± he wished them, and went back to his car.
¡°That was... embarrassing.¡± Maddie said.
¡°Yes. Can we pray? I feel a bundle of nerves.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
Saturday, 22nd December, 8.30pm, the capital.
George and Karen finally managed to get away from the reception; it seemed that after being there to talk to all afternoon, everyone had suddenly realised they wouldn''t be soon and needed to have a quick word.
¡°We''ve got an hour to get to the transit.¡± Karen said.
¡°Well, ten minutes by transport, what, ten minutes to say goodbye to everyone.¡±
¡°Ten minutes to check out of the hotel.¡±
¡°I''d forgotten that. So we''ve got half an hour to get changed? That should be plenty, surely?¡±
¡°Just folding up the dress properly will take about ten minutes.¡±
¡°Could we leave that to Sarah?¡± George asked.
¡°We might have to. But even then it doesn''t leave much time for feedback, does it?¡±
¡°Not really. But I would still like to kiss you, properly.¡±
¡°George, let''s wait with that.¡±
¡°You''re sure?¡± George asked, confused.
¡°Yes you can kiss me any time. Let''s save time for things that only happen once.¡±
¡°You mean helping you out of that dress, don''t you?¡±
¡°Yes, my husband, I do¡±
¡°I don''t see a zip.¡±
¡°There isn''t one.¡±
¡°Do I have to guess?¡±
¡°George, I love you, and I''ll tell you no more than that you don''t need to go diving under my skirts.¡±
¡°Oh, shame!¡± He looked, and said ¡°Topologically this looks impossible. There must be hidden fastners.¡± he ran his fingers over the seam at the back of the dress. ¡°I wish I had time to do this more. I can feel something here. There''s some kind of button inside.¡±
¡°That''s part of the adjustment. You don''t need to worry about that.¡±
After some more ideas, and the occasional kiss, Karen looked at the clock. ¡°I need to tell you don''t I?¡±
¡°I think so, love.¡±
¡°I have a question, George. Would you like me to do so you can watch, or would you like to do, bearing in mind you might not have as good a view?¡±
¡°I don''t understand.¡±
¡°The designer of this dress apparently based this on one she wore on stage, for a quick change act. That one came off in about a single beat of the music. I don''t think this one is quite so fast.¡±
¡°I, urm, ah.¡± he fumbled for coherent speech.
Karen looked at his thoughts. He was trying hard not to imagine what she''d just said, she also saw what his true preference was as an artist, to replace false images with a true one. A true image without guilty feelings, which he''d guard and treasure, not distort or abuse. ¡°George, my gift to you. Happy wedding day and happy Christmas, don''t blink.¡±
Checking George had his eyes open, she released the button, and all worked as it should. ¡°You''re all mine, George, and I''m all yours. You may kiss the bride.¡± He did, for quite a long time, as they let the feedback come and their love for one another blotted out their sense of time. Just one kiss. The amazing thing was, they got to their hypersonic transport on time, too.
4.30pm, Anchorage time.
¡°I''m glad we''ve found the cabin. It''s getting dark.¡± Maddie said.
¡°Now all we need to do is get some heat.¡±
¡°I couldn''t agree more. And light.¡±
¡°Here''s a wind-up torch.¡± Robert said, ¡°And here''s the axe. Great.¡±
¡°Don''t you go cutting off anything vital.¡±
¡°I''ll try not to.¡±
¡°Good. I''m just saying that because it''s rather prominent at the moment.¡±
¡°Maddie!¡± Robert said, embarrassed.
¡°Go cut up some wood for the fire, Robert. We''ve got some reading to do.¡±
¡°You were sniggering part of the way here.¡±
¡°I know. The introduction to the book was quite funny. Then.... then I thought we should read it together. I certainly don''t want to tell you those things. You should have let me drive.¡±
¡°Oh. OK. Why?¡±
¡°Because I''d feel really lewd telling you some of what I read in chapter one. That''s why I closed the book. I guess I''m more traditional than I thought. But then, so are you, carrying me away like that. Did you have fun?¡±
¡°It was the right thing to do, Maddie.¡±
¡°I know. Sorry for screaming so much. That was the right thing to do, too.¡±
¡°So, are we a modern couple or not? I mean, you''re literate, happy to learn to teach. You drive! That''s modern, isn''t it?¡±
¡°I thought so. But, on the other hand, we''re not gadje.¡±
¡°No. Our attitudes are different.¡±
¡°Very. The book says it''s written for couples about to marry, not already married. Even though it is a Christian book. It''s meant for study alone or together, but there are things I have read already that I wish you had told me. I feel... dirty knowing them from anyone but you. And speaking of dirt, I''m looking forward to cleaning this room as you cut the wood, because it''s so dirty in here. I mean, look at the dust! I couldn''t cook here, let alone sleep with this dirt around me.¡±
¡°Then, my wife, let''s do our different work, and get ready for reading together.¡±
Saturday, 22nd December, 10pm, Blackwood cabins.
¡°Hello, Mr and Mrs Kray, I''m Matt Webb the administrator here. Normally Henry here would take you straight up to your cabin, but I thought I''d take the time to welcome you in person. Mrs Williams said that you''d like to do some skiing. The instructor''s been alerted, is looking forward to earning some of Mrs Williams'' money, and can be reached on this number, here.¡± he passed her the business card. ¡°Alternatively you can come down to reception and whoever''s on duty will call him for you. You''re in one of the cabins with new secure cameras, of course, and the stove has just had a full service and a clean bill of health. Instructions for using it are in the cabin.¡±
¡°And since we knew you were coming late, I''ve pre-heated the cabin for you, Sir, Maam.¡± Henry added. ¡°I''m not claiming it''s at your favourite room temperature, but it should be at least twelve centigrade in there, possibly even sixteen.¡±
¡°Wow. First class service!¡± Karen said, with a smile.
¡°Well, maam, we understand that your coming here helped trigger the change of owners, so this is just our little thank you for that. We''re not quite fully booked, you understand, but our jobs are looking a lot more secure than they used to.¡±
¡°Well, thank you for all you''ve done.¡±
¡°I''ll leave you in Henry''s hands, then. There''s always either someone here or the system will forward calls to the wrist unit of whoever''s on duty. So if there''s any problem at all, or you need anything, call reception.¡±
¡°We will.¡± George and Karen reassured him.
When they got to the cabin and had been given the tour and the keys. George looked questioningly at Karen.
¡°What is it?¡± she asked, making a wild and highly accurate guess about what he was thinking.
¡°How cold are you feeling?¡±
¡°Not very. It''s nice and warm in here compared to outside.¡±
¡°I was thinking the same thing.¡±
¡°Plus our sleeping bag ought to keep us warm.¡±
Thinking of their experiments that summer at the institute he asked, ¡°Then, Mrs Kray, would you be happy if we continue our little experiment with emotional feedback? I''m sure there were a lot of points we haven''t investigated fully.¡±
¡°That sounds like a good idea. And if we somehow do get cold, there''s plenty of wood in here already.¡±
¡°I don''t think I''ll be keeping any written notes on this experiment.¡±
¡°I hope not. So, shall we start with holding hands, or with a kiss?¡±
5.30pm, Anchorage time.
The stove was nice and warm by the time Maddie announced ¡°I''ll want to do more cleaning in the morning, but I think I''m comfortable with leaving it like this for now, are you satisfied?¡±
¡°Of course, Maddie! Come and sit with me?¡±
¡°Have you finished the introduction?¡± She sat down beside him, carefully staying a few centimetres from him.
¡°I have. Maddie, I know you mentioned cooking. I''m not actually hungry at the moment.¡±
¡°Not for food, anyway.¡± she said, with a shy smile.
He smiled back and kissed her. ¡°Exactly. I saw there''s a chapter at the back that''s called ''For the wedding night.'' Should we read the whole book now, or just skip to that?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I can see it''s tempting, but there might be things in the rest of the book that we should learn first.¡±
¡°You''re probably right. Maddie, we''re on our own now, married, and in private. Can you tell me what you really think?¡±
¡°I don''t know if I even know, Robbie. Am I scared? Terrified. Am I excited? I''m not sure. Am I happy to be your wife? Yes.¡±
¡°And would reading the whole book reassure you?¡±
¡°I hope so. Either that or terrify me.¡±
¡°And may I hold you? Close, I mean?¡±
¡°Closer than this?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I''m not sure, Robbie. Its not something we''ve done before.¡±
¡°I know. But if you''re not comfortable with that...¡±
¡°It doesn''t auger well for the rest of the evening, I know. Robbie, I''m a virgin, I''m thinking like a virgin.¡±
¡°I understand that, Maddie. But you''re my wife and I''d like you to start thinking like my wife. So, easy step by easy step?¡±
¡°That''s not going to work.¡± she said. ¡°And I think you need to cross the boundaries, Robbie, not ask me to. And...¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Not lots of little steps, a few bigger ones.¡± Maddie said quietly, knowing it was right, and feeling terrible for saying it.
¡°You''re sure?¡±
¡°Fairly.¡±
He looked at her beautiful face, and saw it was creased by worry and he wanted to kiss her worries away, caress her and hold her tight until she felt safe. Yes, maybe that was a big enough step for the first one. He started with kissing her on the forehead, and another one on her nose and her cheeks and her eyes and her nose, and chin, kiss after kiss until she was giggling and laughed ¡°do you call that a big step?¡±
Then he kissed her lips, and held the kiss there, watching her eyes as well as he could. She struggled, and he went back to kissing her face. ¡°Is that what you had in mind, my beautiful wife?¡±
¡°Not really, but I can live with this.¡±
¡°Good.¡± he said, and kissed her a few more times again. Eventually she kissed him back. He held her, and she didn''t pull away. It was certainly not something they''d done before, so it counted as a step. Not a little one either. Together, they read the book.
Saturday, 22nd December, 10.15pm, the capital.
Sarah handed the dress over to Maria, enclosed in its travel case. ¡°Eliza''s got the long-term storage chamber at the palace already. You''re sure it''s no problem for you to deliver this?¡±
¡°No problem at all. It''s much easier for me than for you to get past palace security.¡±
¡°Well, that''s certainly true.¡±
¡°I presume you''re emptying the house?¡±
¡°Yes. We''ll put a lot of stuff in storage, of course, and I''m getting a quote for decommissioning the security system.¡±
¡°Any thoughts about what to do with it?¡±
¡°Well, I had thought that I''d get them to install it up at the cabins, but it''s not really appropriate, is it?¡±
¡°Not really.¡±
¡°So I''m thinking that when we''re rebuilding after the impact, we''ll just reinstall it. Maybe I''ll even let them convince me that something needs upgrading.¡±
¡°Personally, I doubt you need to.¡±
¡°Me too. Is it even worth reinstalling the sleep-gas release?¡±
¡°Given your relatives, good and bad, then yes, I''d think it''s worth it. You''re going to be increasing your profile every time you talk to someone, too.¡±
¡°That''s true.¡±
¡°Something you might like to think about, though is adding a little change. The AI at the institute is a certified system. If Kate agrees, you could put in a request that it be able to authorise release as well as the police.¡±
¡°What would that have done to Dirk, when he tested it?¡±
¡°Sent him to sleep, unless he was recognised by the AI as someone in Security. Even then, noting down camera positions is a pretty aggressive act.¡±
¡°I just hope it doesn''t decide that decommissioning isn''t an aggressive act.¡± Sarah laughed.
¡°Oh, it''s an extremely aggressive act. I''m sure it would try to gas them, If you''re not there to reassure it. And since Karen''s been staying there, the team that decommission the system will need clearance too. I''ve just thought of that.¡±
¡°Because they''d be able to look at history logs, you mean?¡±
¡°And retrieve her I.D. details, too, if they took the storage away.¡±
¡°I must admit I''m ignorant. Is it the same as the house computer, or a separate unit which talks to it?¡±
¡°A separate unit. Why?¡±
¡°Because there''s data on the house computer I haven''t got at yet ¡ª stuff my dad stored. Including, I believe, details for the thing I called my tiara.¡±
¡°Oh. You think it would be useful?¡±
¡°I presume that it was something to hide my ability from your brother. It would be interesting to see if it would protect, for example, you from thought-hearers.¡±
¡°I''m not sure I''d trust it, but yes. I can see that as a useful tool. But surely he didn''t do all the electrical design and manufacturing work himself.¡±
¡°If he didn''t, I can''t find out who helped him.¡±
¡°Your tiara was broken, I understand?¡±
¡°Yes. I''ve got the debris, but hardly any of the circuits are in place, and there were lots. Horace and Ivan haven''t been able to work out what the entire circuit was, except that it had different oscillators in it, and the chips were almost certainly custom-made.¡±
¡°Well, I do have certain contacts who have, shall we say, certain tools unavailable to the average research lab. If you''d like them to see what they can find out, with a view to reconstructing it as something to test for its uses inside Security? Perhaps the manufacturer is still around, and has the plans filed away, even.¡±
¡°Why didn''t I think of that? Yes, that''s entirely possible, isn''t it? And if they are, then what''s the betting they''re about to get flattened by the impact?¡±
¡°Hmm. Yes, that''s a possibility, isn''t it? I can''t imagine your father taking many trips to arrange it, or trusting more people than he needed to. Your little empire doesn''t have any semiconductor plants in-house, as it were?¡±
¡°No. Nothing. I think I''ll go and wave some micrographs at the companies I know of around here and see if they recognise anything, but if that fails then I expect I''ll take you up on that offer.¡±
¡°What will you do if you do find a local manufacturer with the plans?¡±
Maria asked, not just out of curiosity.
¡°I''ll almost certainly get them to make another one, and then start some experiments. Mama Ng didn''t approve of it at all, by the way. She said it made my thought-hearing ''ears'' numb. So I''m not going to try and use it. It might even be something I''d want the plans of destroyed.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Maria, normally unshockable, was shocked.
¡°If it doesn''t work to block thoughts but only causes discomfort to thought-hearers, think what some people might want to do with that.¡±
¡°Turn it into a weapon. Yes. I see that.¡±
¡°But if it works as a thought-hiding mechanism...¡±
¡°Then it would serve a purpose, yes.¡±
¡°In the right hands. That''s the tricky bit. So the crown might be getting exclusive rights anyway.¡±
¡°I appreciate your trust in your government.¡±
¡°Well, I''d be a bit silly not to trust Eliza, wouldn''t I?¡±
¡°Remember the crown isn''t the same as the royal family. But OK, point taken.¡±
Saturday, 22nd December, 10.30pm.
Ernest Jacobs, owner and until now director of E.C.Stoves, knocked on his son''s door. It was a bit late, but he knew Adrian, his son would still be awake, since he''d only just got back from an emergency call-out.
¡°Come in, Dad.¡±
¡°I''ll let you shut the door, but I won''t stay long. What was the problem?¡±
¡°A old toothbrush, would you believe it.¡±
¡°A toothbrush?¡±
¡°Yes. Turns out that their kid had been playing ''Mr Toothbrush takes a bath.'' and that progressed into ''Mr Toothbrush gets rescued from the whirlpool.'' Only he didn''t on game number five. Kid claims it was because his Mum distracted him at the critical moment.¡±
¡°I presume the stove was cold, then?¡±
¡°Yes, well, they''d just started lighting it when the toothbrush went down. My guess is the distraction was Mum saying ''don''t you dare stick anything but water down the feed-pipe''. They got most of the wood out.¡±
¡°Sensible adults, at least. Melted toothbrush would have been nasty.¡±
¡°Just what I said.¡±
Ernest handed his son a little piece of engraved wood. ¡°Something for your desk, Adrian. Happy Christmas.¡±
¡°Dad...¡±
¡°I''m serious. I''ve been thinking about two things for the last ten days, and it''s time for changes. This is one of them. I''ve been making a lot of mistakes over the past few years, and it''s hurting the company.
"I''m probably going to accept young Mrs Williams'' offer too. But I want you in on the negotiations. She''s not interested in taking over, just in making sure we get good expert advice.¡±
¡°Dad, I''m not sure I''m the best person for the job. I''m much happier dealing with the stoves than finances and business decisions.¡±
¡°I was the same. But you''re not going to be on your own. You''ve got the family around you, and I''m not planning on vanishing, after all. But, hard as it''s going to be, I''m going to let you make the day to day decisions. I''m determined on that at least. Mrs Williams pointed out that there''s no need for the owner to run the business, just to set the policy.¡±
¡°So, what''s the policy, Dad?¡±
¡°We keep the company going. We listen to what the experts say about the impact. I told you she''s got an inside track to the dream-prophesies, didn''t I, that there were three witnesses?¡±
¡°Yes. I do wonder why it''s so hush-hush about who they were.¡± Adrian pondered.
¡°I guess they don''t want the personal publicity. I saw one rumour that one of them was someone in the palace.¡±
¡°Well... that would certainly explain why the King is taking it so seriously.¡±
¡°So, I think we ought to be ready for the impact happening. That probably means new sales dropping.¡±
¡°Or even drying up entirely. Which would be a disaster for the whole company, not just the guys in production. That''s where our profit comes from, Dad.¡±
¡°I know.¡±
¡°So, what can we do?¡±
¡°We''re going to have to put up servicing costs. And I did think, if we separate out the per-stove servicing from the travel time and fuel and the rest, then we could say something like why should our near-by customers with lots of stoves subsidise travel for people with one further away.¡±
¡°But we need to put costs up all across the board, Dad.¡±
¡°Not necessarily. That''s where Mrs Williams'' experts come in, I think. Setting a fair price for services, and keeping our customers happy at he same time.¡±
¡°Sounds like a very hard square to circle.¡± Adrien concluded. ¡°I think we need those advisors.¡±
¡°What about the other parts of the package she was offering? I mean, the phone system has its quirks, I know, but do we need it replaced, along with the database redesign and other things she offered to throw money at?¡±
¡°Well, they''re all interesting ideas, they''d all help the company. But it''s your decision, Dad. It all affects your share of the dividend.¡±
¡°I''m retiring and drawing my pension, son. Don''t worry about my dividend. You''ve got a share too. What about what it does to yours?¡±
¡°If you''re serious about me taking over as manager, then I think that gives me a pay-rise, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°You''re right there.¡±
¡°So I think it''s covered. But what does it do to the maintenance department, dad? I''m senior technician for a reason.¡±
¡°Yes, son. I had thoughts about that, too. Mick''s better than the rest, technically, from what I''ve seen, but he doesn''t have the seniority, and I''m not sure he''s the best person to pick up a phone. So, that makes it hard. What about some sort of exam covering all areas of your job? You drag some of the worst cases out of the scrap book, and I''ll act out the most problematic customers, and we''ll give them some kind of score and see who comes out top?¡±
Adrian thought for a moment. ¡°There''s another option. Maybe there''s no need for a senior technician. You know my work included taking bookings because I knew my way round the database as well as stoves. If we''re getting a new database, which included somewhere where Sandra could easily see who''s booked out when, and it also had some kind of symptom database where it would help her work out what sort of maintenance was needed for the most common cases, then she could forward the tough cases to Anna, say, who''s really good at that side of things, but from what I''ve seen, pretty much anyone in the department except Mick has been able to handle customers when I''m out. They just weren''t going to go near the computer.¡±
Sandra put her head round the door. ¡°Hello, Grandad! Did I hear my name being mentioned?¡±
¡°You did.¡± Adrian said ¡°If you had a helpful computer that would prompt you what questions to ask if you got stuck, do you think you could take maintenance bookings too? You could always pass the call on to Anna or someone if there was a tricky problem.¡±
¡°But I''d need to know who was available when.¡±
¡°Assume the computer would tell you that too.¡±
¡°Ooh, you mean we might be moving the booking system into the twenty-first century?¡±
¡°There are distinct advantages to a chart on the wall, girl. It never crashes, for instance, and if you''re in the room it''s much faster than scrolling through menus.¡± Ernest pointed out.
¡°And if you''re outside the room then you need to take a walk, which is good exercise, I suppose.¡± she shot back, ¡°I think I could handle it, Dad. Why?¡±
¡°Grandad wants me to put this on my desk.¡± he showed her the ''managing director'' tag.
¡°Congratulations. But I never did get the point of those things.¡± she said ¡°I mean, everyone knows who''s who, so why do I need to be reminded that I''m the junior member of the sales department every time I sit down?¡±
¡°Tradition, visitors, new people. Plus of course, you cheeky girl, it lets us shuffle people''s desks around to keep them on their toes.¡± her grandfather teased. ¡°Anyway, that''s yours now, Adrian. I''m off to enjoy my Christmas without as many cares in the world as I used to have.¡±
¡°Happy Christmas, Dad.¡± Adrian said.
Ernest did one more thing before going to sleep that night. He hit send on a message he''d drafted earlier:
¡°Dear Mrs Williams, Sorry for taking so long to decide, and thank you for your patience. I''ve just handed the management of E.C. Stoves to my son, who''s been in charge of the maintenance department until now. He is fully aware of the unbalanced nature of our current business model, and he been telling me of the need to change policy for a long time. Since I''m an old dog, ready for retirement, it seems more appropriate for a younger dog to learn the new tricks. As he''s also got a five percent share, I''ve discussed your proposals with him, and he''s in favour. We would be very glad to discuss precise details at your convenience. Ernest Jacobs, principle shareholder, E.C.Stoves.¡±
Association / Ch. 1: Boxing day
Book 5: Association
Association / Ch. 1:Boxing day
Tuesday, 26th December, 9am
¡°Hi, May!¡± John Williams said, opening the door to his wife''s new assistant, ¡°How''s life?¡±
¡°Apart from eating too much for the past 2 days, it''s fine.¡± she said.
¡°So, you''re ready for a hard day''s work?¡± Sarah asked from the kitchen, ¡°or would you like a turkey sandwich first?¡±
¡°Please, mercy!¡± May begged, clutching her stomach.
¡°Sorry, I had a lie-in, this is my breakfast.¡±
¡°I skipped it.¡±
¡°Not the best idea.¡±
¡°We didn''t finish dinner until after midnight!¡± May protested.
¡°OK, we''ll feed you when you''re hungry then. I''m assuming you''re eating with us, is that OK?¡±
¡°Yes. But I''m going to get so fat.¡±
¡°I seriously doubt it.¡± Sarah replied. ¡°Getting fat needs consistent over-eating, not just one or two big meals.¡±
¡°Or sitting around doing nothing much.¡± John added ¡°Which I don''t think either of you are going to qualify for at the moment.¡±
¡°No.¡± Sarah agreed. ¡°So, May, here''s the plan. First, I fill you in on things that are up in the air at the moment, and shouldn''t be dropped. Second, we look at my very very rough draft for the loan support, or whatever we''re going to call it. Third, we look at what I might call the problem children, that''s to say companies that seem to be in trouble despite the best efforts of GemSmith gurus. We''ll look at our options for dealing with them, try to gather as much information we can, and see if we can come up with anything short of a personal visit to bash heads together.¡±
¡°And what do we do after lunch?¡± May quipped.
¡°Reevaluate your pay scale, if you manage all that before the end of the day.¡± John chipped in.
¡°John, stop it.¡±
¡°Have you heard about urgent and important scoring?¡± Sarah asked May.
¡°Urm, probably not.¡±
¡°Very easy approach to getting things done. Every task gets a score on how urgent they are and how important they are. You then allocate time for all the important ones and then have to juggle the urgent ones into the time available. If you get it right, then it means that when you run out of time then if there''s something urgent but unimportant, then maybe it won''t get done, but the important things will. For example maybe there''s something you want to watch on some entertainment channel. Urgent, but not important. If theres a conflict between say, that, spending time doing revision, and getting to school on time for and exam, then we know what ought to happen, don''t we?¡±
¡°Yeah. But in real life what would happen is I''d skip the revision, watch the program, spend time chatting about it to friends, and get to school late for the exam.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°In my past life. I''d disappoint you if it happened again, wouldn''t I?¡±
¡°You''d also break your contract.¡± John said.
¡°I don''t remember anything about that in there.¡± May said.
¡°Right. Good point John. I think that this is important and since it''s about you working for me and this is your first day, it''s probably urgent too. One contract. Which terms apply to this?¡±
¡°Urm... that one, conduct myself and dress in a professional manner?¡±
¡°That''s one, yes.¡±
¡°In no way act to bring you into disrepute?¡±
¡°Good. And?¡±
¡°I don''t know.¡±
¡°What would cause you to act like that.¡±
¡°Getting my priorities mixed up. Just, you know... ignoring what I knew was right and doing what I felt like.¡±
¡°Yes. What sort of behaviour is that?¡±
¡°Stupid?¡± May guessed.
¡°That too. You''re almost here.¡±
¡°It''s sort of hedonistic, isn''t it?¡± she said, picking on a long word she vaguely understood.
¡°Describe hedonism.¡± Sarah pushed.
¡°Doing things just because they feel good?¡±
¡°Not quite. It''s a belief system that says the best thing you should do is the one which brings you the most pleasure.¡±
¡°That''s... that''s crazy!¡±
¡°If you say it''s worldwide and long term, then it''s not bad too bad, actually, especially if you include God''s righteous judgement. But if you only apply it to the individual then it''s a sort of anarchy, actually.¡±
¡°An immoral sort.¡± May said.
¡°Exactly. Without all those caveats I said, it turns into total failure of self control. Short range hedonism is the extreme ¡ª it says self-control is wrong. Take the forbidden fruit. It can be modified, with a ''long term'' bit in there, in which case the forbidden fruit might stay on the tree because of the long-term pain that it would bring, but it depends on how much the individual knows. ''It doesn''t hurt anyone'' is basically the hedonist''s way of saying ''I can do that if I think it''ll bring any pleasure at all.'' And that''s what the age of chaos was about. And being late for exams. It''s a moral failure.¡±
¡°And since my behaviour reflects on you, I''m contracted to behave in a morally impeccable way.¡± May said.
¡°Exactly, but not just because your behaviour reflects on me. A truthsayer is a professional thought-hearer, and you''re the first one around here. You''re going to be demonstrating the standard of behaviour appropriate for people who follow you into that profession. At some point in time there might be a even need to a professional body to represent truthsayers to government, give them training and so on, like lawyers have. Given that you''re the first, you''re probably also going to be quite a public member of that organisation. Again, moral failure on your part would reflect badly on the entire organisation.¡±
¡°Oh, wow.¡±
John had been thinking about this too. ¡°That''s one option, anyway. Another option is that truthsayers end up viewed much the same as other people who exploit their natural talents near the legal field, say like private detectives. Think how often they get shown in films as morally questionable people who work from dingy offices and how other people in the legal profession treat them as scum. Partly that''s because they get involved in domestic disputes and divorce cases, but let''s face it, a truth-sayer could do that too. Probably there are thought-hearers who are already private detectives, I''m sure it would be a useful skill, in which case, you''ve got an up-hill battle if you want your profession to be a hundred percent respectable.¡±
¡°So, you''ve actually got to decide fairly soon.¡± Sarah pointed out ¡°Are you interested in there being official recognition that professional truthsayers are a highly ethical individuals among the thought-hearing community committed to maintaining professional standards of the highest integrity, or are you content that anyone who''s a thought-hearer can call themselves a truthsayer, no matter what their ethics code? I expect that the government would be interested in your answer.¡±
¡°You''re joking, aren''t you?¡± May looked at them, agog.
¡°No," John grinned.
¡°I know what I''d like to see, but you''re the one who''s actually employed in that job. I''m just an undercover thought-hearer.¡±
¡°But I haven''t done anything yet.¡±
¡°No, but I saw you talking to Karen''s friend at the wedding.¡±
¡°She said it was essential that I speak the truth while keeping irrelevant things secret. And she spoke about having a little ritual where she announced her power to people, and said it helped to make people hesitate about lying in the first place. It was... very religious. It went something like ''I''m a servant of the God of Abraham, who''s given me the power to hear the truth you whisper in your mind when your voice lies, and a voice to speak it out.'' or something like that. I got the impression that it would get me very funny looks if I tried it here.¡±
¡°I understand that its a society where public declaration of religion is treated very seriously.¡± Sarah said.
¡°But if I could say that I''m a member of a legally registered professional organisation with a sworn duty to... what? Keep quiet about stray personal thoughts while exposing the truth in the case before me... something like that? That''d work, wouldn''t it?¡±
¡°I think that would be much more culturally acceptable here. Yes.¡± Sarah agreed.
John said ¡°Why not go the whole hog, May? Get a royal charter.¡±
¡°What?¡± May was shocked.
¡°Present the case to Prince Albert. Tell him that that you''d imagine truthsayers being useful in legal cases as well as your role working for Sarah, but you don''t want just anyone being able to set up as a truthsayer and so devalue the term, and that there should be professional, ethical and moral standards they hold to, and so on. Would he think there ought to be a legal definition, or some kind of professional organisation with a royal charter incorporating the standards, and an appropriate oath to the crown?¡±
¡°Just for me?¡±
¡°No, Just so that people who follow you into this profession don''t do it lightly.¡±
¡°I think I might have done it lightly.¡± May admitted.
¡°Getting cold feet?¡±
¡°I don''t mind being telling a few people a week that I can hear their thoughts, but I''m not sure if I want to be giving interviews on national news channels declaring that.¡±
¡°No. I think it''s entirely appropriate that your identity be protected. Otherwise you become a potential target for all sorts of things.¡± Sarah said. ¡°Quite how is another thing to discuss.¡±
¡°If there was a royal charter, and legal standing, then could professional anonymity be part of it?¡± John asked, ¡°you know, like with the institute?¡±
¡°I don''t really see why not.¡± Sarah said, ¡°But there''d have to be some kind of register that people could check up on.¡±
¡°Yes. Why not have the Institute involved, actually? If the Institute held the register, then we could also assess people as being worthy and so on.¡± John suggested.
¡°And if the either the institute or eventually the professional body would be able to serve as go-between, then the employer wouldn''t even need to know who was working for them.¡± John added, ¡°So there''d be real professional anonymity, which would probably be a real help for getting more people to join.¡±
¡°So it wouldn''t be a request from me, personally, but the institute asking on behalf of people like me? Please let it be that way!¡± May begged, ¡°Please!¡±
¡°Nervous?¡±
¡°Of course!¡± May said.
¡°Why? You''ve danced with the man.¡±
¡°That was... incredibly embarrassing.¡±
¡°Really? Why?¡±
¡°Urm, age difference, status difference, things like that.¡±
¡°You mean you think he''s too good for you?¡±
¡°He''s not available. Eliza''s got him.¡±
¡°That is true, so, why do you think he danced with you and May?¡±
¡°I''m not sure, really. Why did you dance with Tim?¡±
¡°May asked me to. What about you?¡±
¡°Ditto. And Tim''s a good catch. I thought maybe May was half-way dumping him.¡±
¡°He did too, I over-heard a little heart to heart they had.¡±
¡°What was she doing?¡±
¡°Trying to protect him. She thought they''d agreed not to dance, and him wanting to was, you know, pushing the limits.¡±
¡°But they hadn''t?¡±
¡°He said something about a school dance.¡±
¡°If it''s anything like the one at my school... Thank you for talking to me when you did, Sarah, if I''d still been hiding from God...¡±
¡°You''d have gone?¡±
¡°Actually, I went, with some other girls. But with a very different attitude. And we took some cameras.¡±
¡°Cameras?¡±
¡°I thought ''now what might help my foolish friends think about what they''re doing?'' and so I let it be known that we''d be prowling the dance floor and the dark corners, in the interests of a special edition of school newspaper, to record in history the last school dance in the hall before it''s flattened.¡±
¡°Oh, I think I see!¡±
¡°I don''t think I''ve ever been to a school dance where so many people were actually dancing rather than sneaking away into corners.¡±
¡°This was all your idea?¡±
¡°Well, a friend on the school paper had just dumped her boyfriend for two-timing her, so I just dropped the idea of a special edition, and she thought it would be a lovely idea. Especially since she was fairly sure that ex-boyfriend was planning on spending as much time as possible trying to get to the other girl''s tonsils. Or worse. Then it sort of spiraled, and there were ten of us with cameras, and got the head on-board to announce what we were doing. She pointed out that they put it onto the school''s site because of course parents and grandparents would want to look see us all having a lovely time.¡±
John laughed ¡°Well done, May. There''s nothing like a little bit of public exposure to help keep most people sane.¡±
¡°So, May. If I got Kate to write to the palace, would you be prepared to add something?¡±
¡°Yes, I guess so. As long as it''s not just from me.¡±
¡°Thank you. It won''t be just from you anyway. I''ll add a bit too, from an employer''s point of view.¡± Sarah promised.
¡°Not from a not-a-professional truth-sayer, but thought-hearer point of view?¡± John asked.
¡°Hmm, I guess I could. You could, too, actually.¡±
¡°All right. I''d probably say that I fully support the formation of the list for people wanting to earn their money from their power, and feel this professional body would be an excellent way for people to feel safe about entering into a short or long-term contract either as employer or truth-sayer.¡±
¡°Getting back to the prince dancing with you. Do you really have no idea?¡±
¡°It might be something about the monarchy being accessible. Is that it?¡±
¡°That''s a big part. Yes.¡± Sarah said.
¡°You know that?¡±
¡°I asked. It was pretty clear that he''d have preferred to dance with Eliza the whole time.¡±
¡°I saw you swap with her.¡± May said.
¡°Well, why shouldn''t they have some time to dance together? It doesn''t need to be all business all of the time. Speaking of which, can we start with the original agenda now?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± May said.
¡°Right. Things up in the air.¡±
Tuesday, 26th December, 9am, Anchorage time.
Madeline''s wrist unit bleeped that there was an urgent work message. Automatically, she looked at it. ¡°It''s from my boss.¡± she told Robert.
¡°Oh, what''s it say?¡±
¡°It says ''Just had very unusual message from head office, saying you had got married. Have they got their information wrong? Or why didn''t you say? Please call back, A.S.A.P.''¡±
¡°I guess you''d better call then.¡±
¡°I think I should. Sorry.¡±
¡°You''d better put some more clothes on first, my playful flame.¡± He kissed her to emphasise his point.
¡°So had you. He might want to interview you.¡±
¡°Today''s a public holiday!¡±
¡°I know that, he knows that, but I guess head office might not.¡±
¡°Or might not care. OK.¡±
¡°Should I wear my flame dress, or something more... normally me?¡±
¡°I like your flame dress.¡±
¡°I know you do. That''s not the question. Do I wear it in public, or should I put the green?¡±
¡°Urm. With your shawl?¡±
¡°Good idea. OK.¡±
¡°Good morning. Madeline Trent here.¡±
¡°So it''s true? You''re really married?¡±
¡°Yes. It was a bit of a surprise, but Robert came back on Friday, and my parents thought it made more sense for us to marry soon. A few weeks wouldn''t make any difference for his folks.¡±
¡°I''m trying to get my head round the idea of a marriage arranged in a day, without even an engagement period.¡±
¡°Oh, we''ve been engaged since we were about ten. Robert''s been out of the country for a long time. My parents only told me he was coming on Friday. But then, he didn''t know he''d manage it much before then.¡±
¡°Well, congratulations! The note said that the owner of GemSmith, if you can believe that, has said that you''d just got married and your new husband would probably suit one or two of our vacancies. And that if I did find a post for him with suitable accommodation for you two, then she''d be very grateful.¡±
¡°I didn''t believe she''d get to work that quickly! Wow.¡±
¡°You knew that something like this was coming?¡±
¡°Well, Sarah said she''d ask....¡±
¡°You know the owner of GemSmith?¡±
¡°Well, that''s putting it far too strongly. She paid for Robert get home from where he was jobless and running out of money, and then she was checking up that he''d got here safely and heard we were getting married. She talked to me on Saturday. She sounds like a nice person.¡±
¡°Oh. Well, anyway, she thinks Robert could work for us. You typed up the vacancy list. What do you think?¡±
¡°He might. I don''t really know. You know, it''s a semi-arranged marriage. Just because we''ve been engaged for ages doesn''t mean we''ve been best of friends all that time, or sharing our inmost thoughts. Quite the opposite in fact.¡±
¡°But you''re happy now?¡± he sounded worried.
¡°That''s a culturally inappropriate question, sir.¡± That got Robert''s attention and she mouthed to him ''am I happy?'' Could she answer?
In response Robert kissed her ear and whispered ''Phen leske o chachimos.''
¡°But my husband says I should tell you the truth. So.. very Our inmost thoughts have been going in the same direction. We''re both hoping to train to be teachers, and he''s found out that there''s some sort of government support because we speak Romani.¡±
¡°So I''ve only got you until start of term?¡±
¡°I was wondering if I could stay on part-time. I''ve no idea what the course is like, but, I don''t want to leave entirely, if that''s acceptable.¡±
¡°That''s very acceptable.¡± he said. Then realised it wasn''t just his decision, or hers, by the sound of it. ¡°At least, it is to me. Do I need to find out what your husband thinks of that idea, too?¡±
¡°Shall I pass you over?¡± Maddie asked.
¡°First, have you shown your husband the vacancy list?¡±
¡°I was going to, but...¡±
¡°You had other things to think about, I''m sure. I really am sorry for interrupting your honeymoon like this, but the memo from head office asked for a reply by tonight.¡±
¡°It''s OK, sir.¡±
¡°Right, well, could you please show him the list, talk him through anything he doesn''t know about the job or the company and then when he''s decided which vacancy he''s applying for give me a buzz, and I''ll call you back and give him a telephone interview.¡±
¡°Oh, OK, sir, yes, I can do that.¡±
¡°Good. Talk to you soon. Bye.¡± He hung up.
¡°So what did he ask you to do?¡±
¡°I''ve got to pull up the vacancy list from the company site, answer any questions you might have, and ring him back when you know which job you''re applying for.¡±
¡°You think you''ll know all the answers?¡±
¡°I hope so. I had the job of typing up the vacancies, and if someone calls about one of them then I''m supposed to be able to give all the answers.¡±
¡°Maddie, what is your job? I thought you were receptionist/secretary, but your dad was talking about you working at home.¡±
¡°The office isn''t very big at the moment, Robert. The administrative staff consists of the director, accountant, and me. There are doctors and other medical staff, and their support staff, and we''re expanding, so there''s lots of extra things falling on everyone''s plates, so I''ve been earning some overtime too.¡±
¡°So you handle appointment booking as well as everything else?¡±
¡°No, that''s left to the medical people, praise God. I don''t really want to hear about back aches and lost prescriptions. We deal with staffing, taxes, stuff like that.¡±
¡°That sounds like a good job, Maddie. You''d really chuck it all in to be a teacher with me?¡±
¡°Yes, I would... I think... I don''t know. I mean, it''s what I think God''s calling me to, but maybe that was just to make sure I melted at your saying you''d like me to train with you, and now God''s going to call me in another direction. I really don''t know. I mean, I''ve never faced a classroom full of kids. That''s one reason that I don''t want to resign entirely, just go part-time. But, on the other hand, I think if I can cope with a staff meeting of bickering doctors, then I can cope with a few runny noses.¡±
¡°Bickering doctors?¡±
¡°They''re human too, Robbie. ''He''s got a bigger office than me, it''s not fair.'' OK, I''m exaggerating, they''re not quite that bad. It''s more like ''In my previous place of work seniority was reflected in both the pay-packet and working environment. I was led to believe that this was the case here too, however I find that my modest requests are not dealt with in a speedy manner. '' In other words, what happened to that extra-comfy chair that I requested.¡±
¡°How on earth do you reply to that one?¡±
¡°I defer to my boss, and he points our point out that the extra-comfy chair he''s requested costs more than his monthly salary, wouldn''t actually fit in his office without him switching back to the table that he got rid of last year as not being fit for a man of his station, and based on how often he''s in his office these days, he''d hardly sit in it anyway.¡±
¡°So, you''re saying it''s not all harmony and light?¡±
¡°It''s just that one doctor, mostly. As a doctor he knows his stuff, but he certainly hasn''t learnt much about humility.¡±
¡°I saw adverts for Emerald Health Insurance when I was in the plane. Is Emerald Medical totally unrelated, or is sort of an in-house private clinic which Emerald Health Insurance calls on?¡±
¡°I think it started that way. But, at the moment, Emerald Health Insurance hardly has any customers here. The market is already pretty much saturated, and EHI''s policy has never been to compete on price. Emerald Medical, however, is doing quite well.¡±
¡°If Emerald doesn''t compete on price, then what does it compete on?¡±
¡°Simplicity, and plain language. They don''t cover elective surgery, they don''t cover drugs that just give people a few more months of life for a terminal illness, they don''t cover needless tests, but they do cover hospice care for the terminally ill, and respite care, and even experimental treatments if you want to take the risk, but there''s a lifetime limit to the amount they''ll pay for them. Otherwise, as long as you have regular check-ups, answer the questions truthfully, and pay your premiums, it''s an all risks, no limits policy.¡±
¡°All risks, as in crazy sports?¡±
¡°Well, if you say you like to go shark diving and white-water rafting every year, then it''s covered, just expect to higher premiums. If you once said you''d like to do it once in your lifetime, and an accident happens on that once, then it''s covered. And so on.¡±
¡°Oh, I get it. If you''ve told them about it, then it''s covered, and in your premium. If you haven''t, then it''s not?¡±
¡°Yes. So, for instance, and I admit I laughed at this one from their brochure: a Catholic Nun wouldn''t be covered for even an unplanned pregnancy, unless it was as a result of rape. But I am covered for a higher than average number of pregnancies in my lifetime, planned or unplanned. How many children are you thinking of us having?¡±
¡°More than two.¡± Robert answered, with a grin. Then he asked ¡°You''re insured through them?¡±
¡°One of the nice things about working in GemSmith. It''s part of the package, unless you explicitly opt out. Which would be a silly thing to do in my mind.¡±
¡°But it''s expensive cover?¡±
¡°I''m... not sure. I''ve had the horrible job of passing on the message to patients that their insurer will only cover their treatment up to a certain amount and knowing that there was a one in twenty chance that it will go over. I tend to think that sort of cover is the real expensive cover.¡±
¡°But if you do become a teacher, we''d be facing the decision of continuing your insurance with Emerald or finding something else.¡±
¡°Yes. And because it is part of the package, I''m not actually sure what it costs.¡±
¡°I don''t suppose GemSmith runs any schools for Roma kids, does it?¡±
¡°I can''t imagine that being a profit making activity, but while you read these job opportunities, I''ll have a look.¡±
¡°Maddie, that was supposed to be a joke.¡±
¡°I know, Robbie. But I''ll just take a look anyway. I saw something about education once, somewhere.¡±
Tuesday, 26th December, 11am, Restoration
¡°Now May, the loan-help thing.¡± Sarah started, ¡°Or how hungry are you?¡±
¡°My stomach is starting to notice it''s not full.¡± May said ¡°But I can easily wait an hour or so.¡±
¡°John, are you sure you''re OK cooking?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± he replied. ¡°Shall I aim for about an hour?¡±
¡°Sounds good to me. May?¡± Sarah replied.
¡°Yes, please.¡±
¡°Right, so, we do want to start slowly, but we also want to avoid showing favouritism, or anything like that. The other issue is that the personnel departments deliberately don''t keep any record about people''s debts, since it''s considered a personal matter. So we have no idea how many people out of the thirty thousand GemSmith workers are in debt.¡±
¡°So we ask people to fill in an initial ''I''m interested, please contact me'' form?¡±
¡°Unless I first say something like ''I know that some people have debts that they really struggle to even repay the interest on. I don''t know how many people are suffering genuine debt repayment problems. Please fill in this anonymous survey if you feel you are, so that I can judge how best to respond.''¡±
¡°Does that actually gain anyone anything?¡± John asked. ¡°I mean, if you make it clear on the ''please contact me'' form that this is a very initial stage in which you''re trying to judge how many people need help, doesn''t that cover you?¡±
¡°Not really. I mean, if I get a thousand responses, then I won''t be able to help very many of them at all, and it turns into a lottery or something.¡±
¡°But you do need to prioritise.¡±
¡°How about we just tell people the entire process as we imagine it at the moment? And tell them it''s a draft, of course.¡±
May suggested ¡°We could also have them submit an initial form to help us prioritise but which gives them a unique code without demanding a name from them?¡±
¡°Then how do we let them know what''s happening?¡±
¡°Invite them to check back on a ''news'' page.¡± May said pragmatically. ¡°We could even let them know how many people there are who have filled in the form, and say, how many people have a higher debt-to-income ratio than them.¡±
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
¡°You make it sound so easy.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Isn''t it?¡± May challenged.
¡°No. I''m not just going to prioritise on the basis of debt-to-income ratio, for instance. I''m also going to prioritise on how the debt was incurred, how long they''ve had it, how much their spouse or other relatives are contributing, and so on.¡±
¡°And what takes priority?¡±
¡°Debt incurred for life-saving medical treatment for a loved one, I guess.¡±
¡°But what if that''s because they didn''t take out any insurance, or deliberately chose a basic plan?¡±
¡°That''s probably where the interview comes in.¡±
¡°And shouldn''t everyone who works for you have cover for that?¡±
¡°It''s an issue I mean to address. My workers are covered by default, but the way it''s set up at the moment, there''s no cover provided for family members. I think that family members should at least be offered a reduced-profit rate.¡±
¡°Reduced profit?¡± May was confused.
¡°Emerald health insurance is one of my companies, it provides health care to my workers but makes no profit from them. The profit comes from offering the same cover to non-workers. I think there ought to be a rate for close family members which doesn''t make quite as much profit as the rates for the general public. The potential issue with this is that, surprise surprise, a disproportionate number of the ''general public'' policies are held by close family.¡±
¡°And there''s no benefit to some kind of family cover?¡± May asked.
¡°Not as far as the actuaries are concerned. Marketing would say differently, of course.¡±
¡°Well, surely if Emerald undercuts the competitors then you will get more market share, won''t you?¡±
¡°No, Emerald would go out of business.¡± Sarah said, simply.
¡°I don''t understand.¡±
¡°Emerald doesn''t do upper caps on treatment costs. Not except for a few cases. That''s how the competitors cut their costs, by limiting payouts and so leaving some patients with heart-breaking choices. Therefore, Emerald will never be able to undercut the competition. Of course, unscrupulous Hospitals don''t like Emerald because there''s a whole heap of tests our experts say are a total waste of money, and we don''t budge on them. For example: If you have an accident on your bike, and the doctor thinks you''ve got a partial break in your finger. Would you expect to get an X-ray to confirm it?¡±
¡°Oooh, I know this one.¡± May said ¡°We did it in Biology. No, because it''s not going to help, and the radiation might do some harm.¡±
¡°Exactly. And there''s a whole heap of things like that which Emerald will demand real evidence that they''re necessary before it will authorise payment. It costs Emerald some time, but it saves people''s money. The big insurers just pay up, which costs money but saves time.¡±
¡°I thought Emerald was a big insurer.¡±
¡°No. They''ve only got something like three percent of the market, here. There are a couple of big companies which have at twenty percent each, worldwide. But they trade through lots of smaller companies. Partly that''s so people don''t realise they''re the same company, so maybe if they want to switch they end up back with the same company.¡±
¡°Oh. Sneaky.¡±
¡°Yes. So, back to the problem: if people weren''t insured through Emerald, they might have a huge bill they''re struggling to pay. If they were, I''d be very surprised, but maybe they tried too many experimental treatments.¡±
¡°What about loss of a spouse''s income for some reason meaning they can''t afford the mortgage?¡± May asked.
¡°Then maybe they should move house.¡± Sarah said. ¡°In the questionnaire or letter then it needs to be clear that this is about giving hope to people who can see no way out of their situation except, say, selling their kids into slavery or bank robbery.¡±
¡°Sorry, I know you''ve said that sort of thing before. But what if they''re already in a house the family barely fits in?¡±
¡°Then yes, OK, that would make them an acceptable candidate.¡±
¡°Pushing the issue a bit further, what if they''re in a house too big for them, but they''ve got a lodger?¡± May asked.
¡°OK. OK. I answered too quickly.¡± Sarah admitted. ¡°But it does point out that as well as asking about how big the debt is and their income, we do need to ask what other sources of income they have, and what expenses. Do they own or rent their home, and if they own it then how much is the mortgage on it. How many family members and lodgers live in the house. If they could live in a smaller house, why don''t they?¡±
¡°How much they spend on clothes, drink, eating out, entertainment, horse-riding lessons for the children.¡± John chipped in from the kitchen.
¡°And somehow you want to do send this out today?¡± May asked.
¡°I would. Boxing day is the traditional time for an employer to give a gift to their poor employees, after all. But, I wonder if some of this can come later, in a second stage. I mean, if we''ve no intention of helping someone, we don''t need to know about riding lessons.¡±
¡°So, what''s critical?¡± May asked. ¡°Size of debt, interest rate, what they''re paying towards it, personal income, other income for the family, fixed expenses. How the debt was incurred.¡±
¡°Why do you want to know about the other income?¡± May asked, curiously.
¡°Because maybe there''s someone who''s paying three quarters of their income in servicing the debt, but that''s the only income in the family, whereas another person is paying all their income but they''re still living quite nicely on their spouse''s income.¡±
¡°Oh. Got it.¡±
¡°So, if I set up a form to ask those things, can you work on a first draft of the covering letter?¡±
¡°Of course. So it''s going go something like ''Dear employee in the GemSmith family of businesses, are you in such crippling debt that you''re thinking of selling your children into slavery or robbing a bank? If so prove it like this...''¡±
Sarah blanched. ¡°Not quite. I mean, I said those things, but I wasn''t actually thinking of you putting them in the letter.¡±
¡°Sorry.¡± May said.
¡°It''s OK. I guess I''ll do the introduction, or maybe John would be even better. Tell you what, you write the middle section, about the process, the slow start, two stages of forms, the initial interview with you, and then probably a personal one with me. Then compile a list the information they''d need to send before that stage. It''s probably worth pointing out that a lot of what we''re going to ask for is going to be on their tax paperwork.¡±
¡°And are we going to get them to sign something about it being true to the best of their knowledge, and so on?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°And lying would get them fired?¡±
¡°I''d need to talk to the lawyers about that. I would certainly report them to the police if they''re out to defraud me. If they''re hiding something then it would certainly hurt their chances of getting help.¡±
¡°OK, so if I put something like ''Please answer completely honestly. Attempted fraud will of course be reported.'' would that be good?
¡°Yes, I think so. Maybe with something like ''There will be opportunity to correct any mistakes, but this may, of course, harm your application.¡±
¡°Though not as much as not correcting them.¡± May added.
¡°Exactly. In the description of what I''m planning, make sure that you say that the maximum I''m considering is paying their interest for a ten year period, so that they can pay off a large chunk of the capital, but that the actual amount depends on how many apply, how long they''ve had the debt, how significant the burden is, and the precise circumstances of how the debt was incurred.¡±
¡°And your payments will only continue as long as they are also continuing to make payments?¡±
¡°Significant repayments, yes.¡±
¡°Who defines significant?¡±
¡°Determined at the interview and written into the contract. Roughly speaking I''m thinking it''ll be slightly less than their present repayments, so they can have a week camping or in Blackwood cabins, or something, assuming they''ve not had a holiday in years. But, depending on how much they''ve been tightening the belt, I might be more or less generous.¡±
¡°You mean, even if you think they''ve not been paying enough you might still help them?¡±
¡°Yes. I mean, it might be they''ve taken the decision that there''s no point in trying to do more than pay the interest at the moment, and if they can do that without tightening their belts too much, then I''ll say well, if you really want to escape that debt then you''re going to need to put more effort in. I''ll listen to their arguments, of course, but I expect I''ll try to work out what their debt would have been if they''d been making repayments on the capital and base any help I give on that number.¡±
¡°So if they''ve decided that little Patricia must have her pony lessons...¡±
¡°Then I''ll probably decide the debt isn''t actually crippling them, unless they''ve made some significant life-style changes. And no, only drinking one case of champagne a month instead of two doesn''t count for much in my book.¡±
¡°And if they get all high and mighty and say who are you to dictate to them how they should have scrimped and saved?¡±
¡°They they clearly don''t want my help. The people I most want to help are desperate people who have pared back their lifestyle so there''s nothing left to cut back on except basic food. I''m presuming that I''ll need to pay their transport.¡±
¡°You think there are people that desperate?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I know that I''m already committed to helping one man for whom something like ninety percent of his entire salary as high level lawyer was going to pay for interest on a loan for his wife''s life-saving treatment. Before she got back to work after her illness they were very much working out which brand of pasta got them more calories for the money and how many meals they could make a tin of fish last, and dreading the time when he''d have to spend money on an expensive suit so he could keep up the appearance of a high power lawyer.¡±
¡°Ouch.¡±
¡°Yes. The other thing is that this was a private matter for him and he only told me about it because I asked him who had got sick, and then heard him struggling with the decision to lie after he''d just been told not to break trust with me. I therefore think we should state that although I''m limiting the offer to GemSmith employees (and their spouses) I am making the offer as an individual, and in no way will I communicate what they tell me with their colleagues or supervisors.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll put that in.¡±
¡°And I''ll start work on the form, ¡°Sarah said.
¡°Out of interest, how will you stop someone outside GemSmith accessing the form? I mean, if someone passes on your email to a friend....¡±
¡°Hmm. Good question. I don''t think I can, until it gets to the second stage.¡±
¡°Oh well. You can''t make it only accessible from within a corporate network or something like that?¡±
¡°Not the form, I want people able to fill it in from their own homes... I could make the letter only accessible from there, of course, but then that''d make it hard to discuss with their spouse. No. I think I''ll just tell my personal assistant that some weeding might be necessary later on.¡±
¡°Very well, Maam. I''ll get some gardening gloves.¡±
Tuesday, 26th December, 10.15am, Anchorage time.
¡°Hello, Madeline. Your husband is ready?¡±
¡°Yes. He has a question about the mechanic''s assistant-cum-driver position I couldn''t answer.¡±
¡°I''m shocked, Madeline, I thought you knew everything.¡±
¡°I''ll hand him over.¡±
¡°Hello, it was Robert, wasn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
¡°I''m Edward Winters, I understand you have a query about one of the positions we''re advertising?¡±
¡°Yes, sir, the description I have been looking at seems rather short on detains about what sort of mechanic I''d be assisting. Are we talking heavy goods vehicles, steam engines, cars, or even computers?¡±
¡°Mainly it''s ambulances, actually. We do have a number of company cars but mostly the issue is ensuring that the ambulances are functioning when we need them.¡±
¡°That''s what Maddie thought, sir, and it makes me nervous. I believe that ambulances need a lot of specialist knowledge, what with the extra equipment. Would I be responsible for assisting with that equipment, or merely the standard electro-mechanical side of things: metalwork, motors, fuel-cells, engine management and the like?¡±
¡°You''d be working on the electro-mechanicals. Have you ever worked on turbo-generators?¡±
¡°I have, in trucks. Not much more than inspecting the filters, blades and bearings though. Your ambulances have turbo-generators as well as the fuel-cells?¡±
¡°Yes. And more than inspecting the filters, blades and bearings would be contracted out to a specialist. But those are critical tasks, of course.¡±
¡°Absolutely. You don''t want a turbine to shatter on you.¡±
¡°That''s about as rare as a flying pig with proper maintenance.¡±
¡°I know, but I''ve seen the results of botched maintenance. Not mine, you understand, I just had the job of picking the debris out of the casing.¡±
¡°So, you''re up for the job? You''ve got references, I presume?¡±
¡°Would you prefer customers or my old boss? That''ll be my big brother, by the way.¡±
¡°And customers?¡±
Robert named some of the haulage companies that used his brother''s company.
¡°I''m afraid I''m not very familiar with any of them.¡±
¡°Those are long distance haulage firms, otherwise, there''s a few small businesses around home.¡±
¡°Where is that, by the way?¡±
Robert told him.
¡°Now I understand why Madeline said a few weeks wouldn''t make any difference for your family. You can drive, I presume?¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
¡°Madeline said that you''d ended up jobless and out of cash. Can you explain to me why how that happened, and why that doesn''t make you an unsuitable candidate for this job?¡±
¡°Well, the fundamental reason I lost my job out there is that I was teaching in a very Moslem country and I told someone about Jesus. It was a risk, but I thought it was worth it. I still do. What I didn''t realise was that to get a job there you absolutely have to have contacts, friends in high places. And what I had was a major enemy in a high place. Since I didn''t know that, I thought I ought to be employable in something, and I didn''t have enough to get home by the time I''d worked out that I didn''t even have the contacts to get a job as a street-sweeper. I had been keeping track of how much money I had compared to the ticket I''d bought on the way out, but when I looked, the ticket home seemed like it cost twice what I paid to get there, and every time I checked, it seemed like the ticket price went up. I do admit that I hadn''t thought of just looking for what left there as cheaply as possible and doing the route planning myself.¡±
¡°So... you got stuck there because of na?vety and cultural ignorance.¡±
¡°Yes sir. ¡±
¡°And it was nothing to do with your competence or anything like that. But on the other hand, you''ve been away from your trade for what, a couple of years? That''s a long time to forget stuff.¡±
¡°Eighteen months. But I don''t think I''m at all likely to forget how to fix a vehicle. That''s in my blood. I was rebuilding skidoo engines when I was twelve.¡±
¡°Well, Madeline can take up your references, but from a relative they''re not that informative, and with the eighteen month gap the customer references are a bit suspect too. But that''s OK, because it seems to me you''re a bit over-experienced for the sort of menial work we want. But, since you''ve got friends in all the right places around here, and you''re only looking for a short-term job, I can''t count that against you, now, can I? So, if you manage to convince our chief mechanic you know your stuff, you''ve got the job. Ha, for all I know you already know him, your community being what it is.¡±
¡°He''s Rom? What''s his name, sir?¡±
¡°Mickey Wales.¡±
¡°Name I haven''t heard in a while, sir. My Dad knew him, he knows his stuff.¡±
¡°I know he does. So, I''ll give Mickey a call to say that he''s to give you a test tomorrow morning. Get Madeline to show you to the workshop, it''s a nightmare getting to it with the construction work. If Mickey thinks you''ll do then we''ll sign the paperwork at lunchtime. Wages as per the job offer.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir.¡±
¡°And you''d be interested in one of the worker''s flats?¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
¡°How are you at house maintenance? Things like blocked drains, broken windows, creaking doors, replacing locks, clearing snow, and the like?¡±
¡°No problem.¡±
¡°Right, then I can offer you two options. One is that we charge the rent against your or Maddie''s wages. The flats aren''t great, I warn you, but then the amount we charge is reflected in that. The other option is that you fill another vacancy I''ve got for part time on-site custodian. You''d be on-call between six P.M. and midnight for any minor repair jobs you get asked to by other residents, and any time of night for emergencies. The last guy said he was called out for about two hours a week, on average, and once in the six month period for an emergency, but it varies. He gave it up because it ruined too many dates, and his girlfriend started issuing ultimatums. Anyway, if you want to take that on, then you''d get the flat for free, and you''d be paid for time you spend clearing the snow, since that''s seasonal. I suggest you talk to Madeline about it. It''s an antisocial job, and you''re committing yourself to stay within about half an hour from the flat every evening.¡±
¡°Would I get Sundays off?¡±
¡°Oh, yes, you get one day a week off, and five days annual leave accrue every 3 months.¡±
¡°Thank you sir, we''ll discuss it.¡±
¡°Can you let me know fairly soon? I need to report this by the end of the day.¡±
¡°Of course, sir.¡±
¡°Bye'' then.¡±
¡°Bye.¡±
Robert pulled Maddie towards him and kissed her.
¡°That well, then?¡±
¡°I love you, Maddie Trent.¡±
¡°I love you too. What did he say?¡±
¡°One, assuming an old friend of my dad says I''m all right, then I''ve got the mechanic job. And if we decide we''re not going out evenings then we can have the flat for free.¡±
¡°Not going out evenings?¡±
¡°We can either pay for the flat out of our wages, or he offered me the part-time custodian job if I want it.¡±
¡°It''s a horrible job, you know.¡±
¡°Fixing creaking doors and blocked sinks a couple of hours a week?¡±
¡°Mostly unblocking toilets. According to the last guy, some of the nurses had bad habits about flushing things that shouldn''t be flushed. And then the plumbing backs up.¡±
¡°Oh. He didn''t say that.¡±
¡°He probably doesn''t know I know. The last guy''s girlfriend came by the office to have a good moan while he was having his resignation interview. ''You''d need to be really desperate for a flat for it to be worth that,'' is what she said.¡±
¡°Your boss said she''d been issuing ultimatums about wrecked dates.¡±
¡°That''s a nice way of saying it. I expect I wouldn''t be interested in a date with anyone who''d just come from just having his arm up to his shoulder down a sewer pipe.¡±
¡°That''s a repulsive thought.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So what happens when there''s a blockage now?¡±
¡°Ah well, that''s the interesting thing. It seems that either the perpetrator was deliberately doing it to ruin his life, or they left the flats at about the same time he did. It''s one of life''s little mysteries.¡±
¡°So, you think that if I take the job, then maybe just maybe it''ll be fine, but...¡±
¡°It''s risky. Anyway, with you having the mechanic job... can we look at the numbers, Robert?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°It''s not very romantic, I''m afraid.¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know. We''re talking about our life together, that''s nice. Your boss wants the answer by the end of today, by the way.¡±
¡°Let''s try and answer by lunchtime. I''ve got plans for this afternoon.¡±
¡°Oh, really?¡±
¡°Yes, several. And there''s no cleaning involved.¡±
¡°Don''t I have a say?¡± Robert asked.
¡°Of course, my husband, but I think you''ll like my ideas.¡±
¡°Then let''s look at those numbers.¡±
Tuesday, 26th December, 2.30pm, Restoration
¡°Sarah, May, why don''t you leave it for now?¡± John asked, providing a cup of tea. ¡°I think it sounds pretty good, but give it a rest and look at it again just before you send it out?¡±
¡°Oh, but...¡± Sarah stifled that rebellious thought. ¡°All right, John. You''re probably right. We''ll let it rest for a bit.¡±
¡°So, now you''re going to tell me all about the problem children?¡± May asked.
¡°Yes. So, randomly picking one of them.... Sapphire custom jewelery.¡±
¡°It''s not a name I recognise.¡±
¡°It''s a group of smallish shops, specialising in custom, made-to-order pieces. Customer satisfaction is high, the workshops where things are made seem to be a happy place, but staff turn-over at the sales counters is pretty high. The staff get training, they claim in their reports that everything is fine, but hardly anyone stays more than seven months, so there''s obviously something wrong somewhere.¡±
¡°The wages are OK?¡±
¡°I think so. I mean, it''s not like we''re the first person to look at this. No one has asked for a wage rise, no one has complained about any personnel issues, no one has said anything negative at all. They just don''t stay.¡±
¡°So either there''s a culture of fear where they''re afraid of speaking out, or there''s something unpleasant about the customers, they''re getting offered more to go somewhere else, or they decide it''s not for them.¡±
¡°Maybe a recruitment problem, you mean?¡±
¡°Just an idea.¡±
¡°Possibly a good one.¡±
¡°And there have been questionnaires done about why people are leaving?¡±
¡°Yes. It''s standard practice ¡ª the manager accepting the resignation has to ask why. The normal response is something like ''I don''t think this job is for me after all.'' or something like that.¡±
¡°But it''s always the manager who does that exit interview?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So if there''s a problem with the manager, then that might be a factor?¡±
¡°Yes. There was apparently a problem with one manager, but they were replaced and the staff are still leaving. Of all ages and both sexes.¡±
¡°And there''s nothing special that happens after seven months?¡±
¡°Not that I''m aware of.¡±
¡°I''m just thinking, if there was some kind of bonus they were hoping to get after six months, and they found out they weren''t going to get it, or it wasn''t what they thought it would be....¡±
¡°Then they ought to be complaining, surely?¡±
¡°You''d have thought so.¡± May said.
¡°Unless the manager they''re conducting the interview with has just explained to them why they''re not eligible for it.¡± John said.
¡°Oooh, now that''s possible.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Have any of the previous interventions included an extra survey of why people are leaving?¡± May asked.
¡°Yes. Here''s the summary of responses. They didn''t conclude anything really.¡±
¡°Yes they do. Salary is ''above average'', but ''disappointment'' scores highly, and so does ''had a better offer''.¡± May pointed out.
¡°Yes. But both of those are only to be expected, aren''t they?¡± Sarah said.
¡°But no one followed it up with a ''what were you disappointed about?'' question?¡± John asked.
¡°Not that I can see here. There doesn''t seem to have been a ''extra information'' box either.¡± Sarah said.
¡°So, someone needs to do a follow up questionnaire.¡± John concluded.
¡°And find out exactly what the recruitment firm are saying.¡± May said.
¡°Good thought.¡± Sarah said.
¡°So would you like me to do some calling people?¡± May asked, ¡°Or are you going to trust someone else to do a good enough job?¡±
¡°Oooh, listen to the arrogance of youth!¡± John said, with a smile. ¡°I suggest you give May the job, Sarah.¡±
¡°OK, May, go for it. What''s your strategy?¡±
¡°Urm, I call people up and ask them open ended questions?¡±
¡°And what''s in it for them?¡± John asked. ¡°I mean, I just hate answering questions like that.¡±
¡°I don''t know. Urm, can I promise them some sort of thank-you for their valuable time?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Sarah decided ¡°If we can find out why people are leaving it might well save quite a lot of money.¡±
¡°I''ve got another idea.¡± May said.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I call people who are still working for you. See if we can keep them, you know?¡±
¡°Ooh, now that I like. Yes. Go for it. It''s easier, actually, since they''re current staff.¡±
¡°So, I say ''Hello, I''m May, working as P.A. to the owner of GemSmith, do have any idea about why so many Sapphire sales staff leave after six or seven months? And would they like a little boxing day present in exchange for telling me why.''¡±
¡°And they ask how much.¡± John said, looking at Sarah.
¡°You''re asking them for work stuff on what sensible people are enjoying as a public holiday. I''ll credit them an hour''s overtime for answering, and another one or two if you tell me they answered well.¡±
¡°And how many people are in this category?¡±
¡°Hmm... ten shops, three sales staff per shop. So thirty people total.¡± Sarah pulled up the staff records. ¡°The sorted list by seniority is here. Start at the top and see how many of the top fifteen you can get through in about an hour. But don''t rush people. I''d rather four good answers than fifteen rushed ones.¡±
¡°OK, May Santa-claus is on the case, trying to give away your money.¡±
¡°Remember, professional manner.¡± Sarah warned.
¡°Yes, Mrs Williams.¡±
¡°Much better. OK if I evesdrop for a bit?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± May agreed.
¡°Then I want to talk to John for a bit. We''ll be in the kitchen.¡±
¡°OK. And I should use your house phone?¡±
¡°Yes. Just make sure you set it to withhold the number.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
May rang the first number. In her best telephone voice she said, ¡°Hello? Am I speaking to Jonathan Ellington?¡±
¡°Yes. I hope you''re not trying to sell me something. This is an unlisted number...¡±
¡°No, Mr Ellington. I''m P.A. to the ultimate owner of Sapphire. I''ve been authorised to credit you with an hour''s overtime pay if you could answer a few quick questions for me.¡±
¡°Well, that''s an unusual sales pitch.¡±
¡°I''m sitting in her flat at the moment. I assure you this is no sales pitch.¡±
¡°You''re trying to tell me that the owner of the company that owns the company I work for lives in a flat?¡±
¡°Yes. The inheritance was locked in a trust fund until about a week ago.¡±
¡°Oh, so she''s out looking for a mansion now, is she?¡±
¡°I very much doubt it. Would you be willing to answer a few questions, sir?¡±
¡°Yes, OK, go ahead.¡±
¡°My employer has noticed that turn-over among stafft at Sapphire is ridiculously high. Would you be able to shed any light on why sales staff rarely stay longer than seven months?¡±
¡°You mean that I''m a rarity?¡±
¡°You are sir. You''re the longest serving sales staff member in a long time.¡±
¡°That''s crazy! I''ve only been working there eight months!¡±
¡°Yes, sir. Most of the people leaving seem disappointed, but about what either they''re not saying or someone is hiding it from GemSmith staff.¡±
¡°Well, it was a bit disappointing, I admit, but the pay''s good.¡±
¡°What was disappointing, sir?¡±
¡°The bonus.¡±
¡°I''m afraid I don''t know what you''re referring to, sir.¡±
¡°We''re on a reasonable wage. I''ve seen better, but the benefits are good. Very good, and I know what I''m talking about. So, there''s this mention in the recruitment literature of a small bonus for completing every sale, I mean, I didn''t expect it to be much, but I''d done pretty well, I thought. We''re a busy store, and for some reason I''m selling more than the others. So you get to dreaming, you know. You keep count, and think, well, almost five hundred pieces sold, you''d think well, the bonus won''t be a thousand, but maybe it''ll be at least a hundred, that''d be nice, get something for my wife. And then the bonus letter comes and I admit I almost threw in the towel there and then.¡±
¡°It sounds like it was insultingly small, sir.¡±
¡°It was. I didn''t get a thousand. I didn''t get a hundred, I got just less than ten! Yeah, that''s disappointing, all right. But like I say, the wage is OK and the benefits are very good.¡±
Sarah took the handset from May''s unresisting fingers. ¡°Mr Ellington, Sarah Williams here. GemSmith owner. I''ve just been checking the board decision on bonuses. There has obviously been a serious mistake.¡±
¡°I''m glad you think so, too, Maam.¡±
¡°The board decision is supposed to reward staff, and also managers. Each six months of a staff-member''s employment the number of pieces sold within a store should earns the manager a little bonus of the amount that you received. Based on the board decision, the bonus you got should have been more like two hundred.¡±
¡°That would have been very welcome, Maam.¡±
¡°The exact formula was deemed a board secret, I''m not quite sure why. Clearly if no one knew how much it ought to be then there was no way even your manger could complain. I don''t suppose you know how much they got as a bonus.¡±
¡°He said he got the same as I did, and that he agreed, it wasn''t very much, and he wished they''d scrap it since it was so disappointing for people.¡±
¡°I bet. Unfortunately, he''s not passed on that wish to anyone in GemSmith over the past four years. Mr Ellington, I''m about to credit you as having worked five hours overtime. You''ve certainly just saved me at least that much time. The next thing I''ll do is ruin the board members'' day to find out who failed to check that their decision was correctly implemented, and make sure that they ensure that you get the bonus you should have received. If you haven''t had a revised bonus letter within the week, then please ask your manager for contact details for GemSmith personnel, and let them know that the issue is still not resolved.¡±
¡°Thank you, Maam.¡±
¡°Please reassure the other sales staff at your store that the bonuses should be fixed soon. Managers get a sum for every employee who stays six months, by the way, so don''t feel too sorry for your manager.¡±
¡°Maam, I do know some previous staff, and they''d warned me to expect a disappointment. Will they receive a corrected bonus, too?¡±
¡°I''ll need to discuss that with some advisors, but I expect so. I''m not sure how far back we can do that. Purely from practical terms that people move, and so on. But, quite frankly, I wouldn''t be surprised if are red-faced board members or senior managers giving a press conference soon.¡±
¡°You would push it so far, Maam?¡±
¡°Someone failed to do their job, Mr Ellington, and has seriously undermined morale in the company''s sales-force. At the very least I would expect a public apology be made to all those affected. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I''ve got to upset some board members.¡±
¡°Thank you for taking the time to talk to me, maam.¡±
¡°You''re welcome.¡± Sarah put down the handset. ¡°Right. Now I mark this as as having done overtime. She clicked on the console a few times. Oh, bother. It won''t let me.¡±
¡°What do you do now? Get someone else to do it?¡±
¡°No. I go to my page... here we are! Consultant help from staff member, there''s Mr Ellington. Hmm who do we charge? Something in Sapphire...¡±
¡°Board expenses?¡± May suggested.
¡°No, that''s got all sorts of implications. OK, well I''ll just charge it to miscellaneous, and add a note. ''Solved mystery of sales-staff turn-over.''¡±
¡°Now you''re going to ruin the board''s day?¡±
¡°Not quite. I''m going to ask you write down your conversation, urm.. here.¡±
¡°This says it''s minutes of owners meeting.¡±
¡°Yes. I know. We''ve just had a meeting between you, me, and Mr Ellington. Get it down and minuted and official, please. I''ll get some advice.¡±
11.55am, Anchorage
¡°Hello, Mr Winters? Robert Trent here.¡±
¡°Hello, do you have a decision for me?¡±
¡°Yes, I''m afraid I need to decline the custodian job. Madeline doesn''t want me coming to bed smelling of excrement.¡±
¡°Ah. You''re referring to the unfortunate case of the previous maintenance man. Could you put me on loudspeaker?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Robert said.
¡°Madeline, you''ve heard what happened in more detail than I thought.¡±
¡°I have. I got an earful from his girlfriend while he was resigning.¡±
¡°You understand there were... personal issues involved?¡±
¡°I notice that the blockages stopped when he did.¡± Madeline said.
¡°Yes. Well, what you might not know, I guess you don''t, is the little scandal that happened just before you joined us. He had been almost engaged to one of the nurses, until she found him urm, entwined with the woman you know as his girlfriend.¡±
¡°Ah. No I didn''t know that.¡± Maddie admitted.
¡°So, there was quite a lot of sympathy for the nurse as the wounded party, and quite a lot of ill-feeling towards both of them. I don''t know, and quite frankly I''m not going to investigate, but I suspect that when it was discovered that flushing sanitary products caused the result it did then her supporters joined in the revenge.¡±
¡°So, in your view it isn''t likely to reoccur?¡±
¡°I don''t see why it should. And if it does then I''ll have to take disciplinary action against whoever''s responsible; they shouldn''t be flushing such items. With that reassurance, would you like the job?¡±
Robert looked at Madeline. With the expenses of renting and furnishing the flat, buying replacement clothes for Robert, and food for them both, and of course taxes, the double income would have let them make some savings, but certainly not double the amount Maddie had been able to put aside herself living at home. Plus, Robert wanted to be able to help his mother buy things she''d put off purchasing while she''d been supporting him. She nodded. It was OK with her. ¡°Yes, Mr Winters, thank you, I''ll take the job.¡±
¡°Excellent! I''ll let head-office know. By the way, I''ve talked to Mickey Wales, and Mickey''s talked to your brother. Mickey says that even if you have forgotten everything you ever knew, as long as you''ve not forgotten how to talk too, then you ought to be able to pick things up again. So, come by the office first thing and we''ll get you signed up with both contracts.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir.¡±
¡°It does occur to me that if all goes well, perhaps you''d be able to continue in that custodian role while you''re studying. Just a thought for you to consider. I believe that Mrs Williams would approve. Bye.¡± He closed the connection before they could respond.
Robert looked at his wife ¡ª one of his favourite occupations ¡ª and asked ¡°Had that thought occurred to you?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Nor to me. I think I like your company.¡±
¡°It rather looks like he looks after people.¡±
¡°As long as they''re not two-timing scum.¡±
¡°Yes. I did notice a slight difference between ''I''m not interested in who'' in one case and ''I''ll have to discipline whoever''s responsible'' in the other. He shouldn''t do that, let his personal feelings affect discipline.¡±
¡°You''re probably right. But there is a certain element of justice to it.¡±
¡°It might get him in trouble, so let''s not tell.¡±
¡°Of course not. One thing that''s confused me though. How does everyone know it was the nurses?¡±
¡°Oh that''s easy. They''re on the top floor. Oh... I should have thought. Does that worry you?¡±
¡°Being technically underneath them? I''m technically underneath a woman every time a plane goes over, or I go under an underpass. It''s fine.¡±
¡°My dad''s fine with it too, as long as there''s a good solid floor. But I know my granddad wasn''t.¡±
¡°You were going to look up whether friend Sarah owns any schools.¡±
¡°Yes. I did. No schools that I could see. But... there is an educational foundation that GemSmith employees are encouraged to support. I don''t know if it''s actually part of GemSmith or not.¡±
¡°And if it is, is it relevant to us?¡±
¡°It might be. I''m not entirely sure. The blurb I found was rather vague.¡±
¡°Oh well. We''ve got a long time to wait before it''s relevant to us.¡±
¡°Yes. Much more relevant is lunch.¡±
¡°And are you going to tell me about your plans for after lunch?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± and she whispered in his ear.
¡°How urgent is lunch?¡± he asked.
¡°Not very.¡± she replied with a smile. So, by mutual accord, they postponed lunch.
Tuesday, 26th December, 3.30pm, Restoration
¡°Hello Colin, thank you so much for returning my call. I need some advice.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Do I presume this is GemSmith related?¡±
¡°It is. I''m really sorry for ringing out of hours on a public holiday. I presume you''ve got a suitable rate for that.¡±
¡°Urm, yes, I have.¡± Colin admitted.
¡°Good. I''ve just found out the reason that Sapphire sales staff are all giving up on the company. The board made a decision four years ago, when there was another problem, to reward staff who stayed on with a bonus every six-months, based on their sales. Managers were to get a much smaller bonus, every time a staff member got one. It looks like whoever programmed that bonus did too much copy and past and at least one sales staff member got what I think should have been the manager''s bonus. It was just about big enough to buy him and his wife a cup of coffee. And that wasn''t at a premium store either.¡±
¡°Ouch.¡±
¡°Yes. So my question: the board decision was poorly implemented. The formula for calculating the bonus was, by board vote, deemed a board secret, therefore the store managers could sympathise but couldn''t know the maths was wrong. First, who gets the blame? Is it the board for not checking up on things, whatever senior manager didn''t obey the board decision, or who?¡±
¡°If the formula was a secret, then it''s either the CEO or the board. Ultimately I''d blame the board. They introduced the policy and didn''t seek any feedback at all, by the looks of it.¡±
¡°I agree. Second, since the problem with under-performance of the company originated in the board''s failure to check their policy was working and that the staff were treated with due respect, what options do I have?¡±
¡°Well, you always have the right to instruct GemSmith to sack the lot of them. I think you can certainly penalise them heavily. As you say, they''ve failed to implement a core GemSmith value. You would have a case for saying that they''ve failed to do that since they failed to check that decision was implemented, and therefore forfeit a fairly large chunk of their last four year''s bonuses. I''ll need more data than that to make a final recommendation.¡±
¡°OK. Last barrage of questions. Staff who have left because they were so insulted and or disappointed by the minuscule bonus. Do they get the bonus they should have got? If I find someone who''s just left, do they get an apologetic offer to have their resignation torn up? If someone has just left but the job has been filled, what then?¡±
¡°Over-staffing would cause a problem?¡±
¡°I''m not aware of any stores where there are too many customers for the staff to cope, so I presume it''d mean a reduction in sales for the other workers.¡±
¡°Any plans to open a new store?¡±
¡°If there are, then I''d be nervous about them, on the one hand, the post-impact economic climate doesn''t look great, and on the other, I believe the factory would need to expand if there is extra custom. Ten stores seems to be the right number at the moment.¡±
¡°If there''s no spare capacity at the factory, then I agree, you shouldn''t take on extra capital and outgoings without a base. So, if the job has gone, then one option would be to notify the ex-staff before any public advertisement of the job. That would need employment tribunal approval. Without that approval, your only option would be simply notify them of the opening at the same time as the public advertisement. And you''d need to let them know that you can''t discriminate in their favour. So, I think I''d recommend simply an apology from the board, payment of all the bonuses, and also payment of some kind of apology figure. The bonus isn''t actually in anyone''s contract, I presume?¡±
¡°No, but it was apparently mentioned by recruitment as ''a small bonus''.¡±
¡°Well, it certainly was small.¡±
¡°I''m thinking of double the bonus amount, coming from the board members'' personal bonuses. Is that reasonable?¡±
¡°How many people are you talking about?¡±
¡°There are ten stores, three sales people per store, none has lasted more than about seven months since the insult scheme started.¡±
¡°Now, Sarah, don''t go calling it an insult scheme, that''s prejudicial. There might be court cases about this, you realise.¡±
¡°Yes. If there are, then my attitude is the board members can take the fall.¡±
¡°But the investigations of the GemSmith personnel department were clearly also insufficient to root out the cause.¡±
¡°I agree that there could have been a more thorough investigation, but the report of an early one I saw directed the board''s attention to the high levels of disappointment, and strongly suggested they seek out the cause of that. I learned about this from one phone call. So, again, in my book, the board failed. GemSmith investigators could have checked that the board had followed up the line of inquiry but really, if that were necessary, why are we paying the board at all?¡±
¡°Very well. So, you''re talking a little less than sixty staff leaving each year, on average?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I think your idea has a lot of merit. This would be instead of any punitive factor?¡±
¡°I was actually thinking of it as a additional measure. This is the restoration of what they owe the staff they''ve let down. Failure to implement core values is another issue.¡±
¡°Well, the bonus does contain a claw-back clause. I wonder if it can be made to stick in this case.¡±
¡°Well, Colin, that''s your department. But... to be more precise, I was thinking that the punitive bit would be past bonuses, and the restoration out of this year''s. Does that work?¡±
¡°I''m pretty sure it does, yes.¡±
¡°Great. One more question. Am I within my rights to demand a public apology to the two hundred and forty or so ex-staff they''ve let down? Or should I accept them making individual apologies?¡±
¡°Oh, I think an immediate public apology on the company site would be in order. Perhaps with an interview with GemSmith''s spokesman, or even better, yourself talking about them failing in their duties and that you''re consulting with your lawyers to see what proportionate and appropriate measures can be taken.¡±
¡°I don''t do interviews, Colin.¡±
¡°I think that policy might need to change, Sarah. You can of course say that you are so disappointed in their performance that you''re making an exception in this case.¡±
¡°You''re not suggesting I address a mob of reporters, are you? Surely they wouldn''t be interested?¡±
¡°I suppose it could just be a few.¡±
¡°Not just one?¡±
¡°You''ve got someone in mind?¡±
¡°Well, there''s one. He''s become a friend since he started dating a friend and stopped begging me for an interview every few months.¡±
¡°Then he''d know how unique an opportunity this is, I suppose. He''s with a significant media outlet?¡±
¡°N.W.N.¡±
¡°Oh, they get all the good chances, don''t they? You''re going to be accused of playing favourites, you know, if there''s only one channel involved.¡±
¡°Hmm. Maybe I''ll think of a couple more persistent reporters then. But the main burden is going to be on GemSmith''s spokesman. Who is that at the moment?¡±
¡°Ambrose Jackson is filling the role, among his other duties.¡±
¡°O.K. I''ll fill him in. Thank you.¡±
¡°You could leave this all in GemSmith''s hands, you realise.¡±
¡°I could. And mostly I will. Bye!¡±
¡°It''s been a pleasure talking to you, Maam.¡±
¡°At the amount I hope you''re charging GemSmith, it ought to be!¡±
¡°I meant it genuinely, Maam.¡± he said, hurt.
¡°Please call me Sarah, Colin. I''m sorry, it didn''t come out well. What I wanted to indicate in a friendly way was that I''m glad you enjoyed the conversation, and I hope you and your wife will enjoy spending the extra Christmas bonus that this conversation represents.¡±
¡°Thank you, Sarah.¡± he said, checking the timer as she said goodbye and disconnected. Yes. It was going to turn into quite a bonus.
Tuesday, 26th December, 4.10pm, Restoration
¡°Hello, is that Mr George Huntingdon, chairman of the board of Sapphire?¡± May asked.
¡°Yes, speaking. Is this work-related? Really, I can''t hold a work conversation on a public holiday. And how did you get this number?¡±
¡°Mr Huntingdon, I got this number from your personnel file. I''m P.A. to the owner of GemSmith. Would you really like me to tell Mrs Williams you''re unable to talk to her?¡±
¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about. GemSmith is held in trust.¡±
¡°Sir, you really should read company bulletins. Do you enjoy your job?¡±
¡°What sort of question is that?¡± he asked, insulted.
¡°One you should be asking yourself. Would you like me to tell Mrs Sarah Williams, (who was the sole beneficiary of the recently dissolved trust which included one hundred percent of shares in GemSmith) that you refuse to speak to her on urgent company business, because it is a public holiday?¡±
¡°Er... urm, no, please don''t tell her that.¡±
¡°Very well, then in that case, please hold the line, as she''s still talking to someone else.¡±
[Well done, May!] Sarah sent, approvingly.
¡°So,¡± Sarah finished, ¡°If you could pass that on to personnel? There''s obviously been some major failings. Colin Hilton is aware and will be awaiting more documentation tomorrow.¡±
¡°Yes of course, Sarah.¡± Ambrose said, ¡°And I''ll work on a suitable statement. You really want me to say something about seeking legal advice?¡±
¡°Absolutely. In my book they''ve failed to uphold a core value, so I''m not excluding any options at the moment.¡±
¡°Very well. You realise that might prompt resignations.¡±
¡°Yes. Can you tell personnel that I''d like to them to investigate if and why they should refuse any, just in case.¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Ambrose made another note. ¡°You''re not going to take that decision yourself then?¡±
¡°I don''t think so. Frank told me I probably needed to look into the ''problem children'' as he called them. Personnel were more than happy, since they hadn''t got very far. I looked and found this out, and I think urgent action is needed before there are any more people leaving sales, but I''m not trying to do personnel out of their jobs.¡±
¡°Well done.¡±
¡°Thank you. I hope I''ve learned that lesson.¡±
¡°So why do you think that you need to intervene this much?¡±
¡°Because it seems to me that the board have failed to listen to strong advice from personnel already. Otherwise they''d have found out what I found out.¡±
¡°Ah. OK. In that case, there aren''t many options, are there?¡±
¡°I''m not going to present them with any, just lay down the law about some immediate actions.¡±
¡°And if they refuse to comply?¡±
¡°Then I''ll let personnel know, with my view on the matter.¡±
Association / Ch. 2: Interview
Association / Ch. 2:Interview
Wednesday, December 27th, 5pm, GemSmith headquarters
The cameras started rolling. ¡°Who''s going to introduce themselves first?¡± Sarah asked the three reporters.
¡°Shall we toss for it?¡± Myra Wilcox, business reporter at International news suggested.
¡°We could, but it''s your press conference, Sarah, though I''ve never been in a press conference where there''s only three reporters before, or one where the reporters introduce themselves first.¡± Jack Fisher, reporter at Finance Today, said.
¡°Crowded rooms full of noisy people shouting over each other just give me a headache. I thought a nice civilized chat would be far nicer.¡± Sarah said, ¡°But Tony, you''ve been begging me for an interview for most of the past decade, why don''t you go first?¡±
¡°Good evening. I''m Tony Randle, of Nation Wide News, and with me are...¡±
¡°Myra Wilcox, business reporter at International News.¡±
¡°Jack Fisher, reporter at Finance Today.¡±
¡°And I''m Sarah Williams, and as Tony can testify, my automatic reaction when asked to give an interview is to say no, very firmly. I''ve had lots of practice, but I''m making an exception today. Before we start, I''d like to play two short video clips. First up is Ambrose Jackson.¡±
¡°As spokesperson for GemSmith Holdings I have the sad duty to say that our subsidiary, Sapphire custom jewellery, has failed to uphold one of our core company values, that is, treating every category of staff with care and respect. This sad failing is the direct result of the failure of the board to ensure their decisions were carried out correctly. The board''s apology follows and GemSmith''s officers are considering what further action will be taken.¡±
¡°We, the board of Sapphire custom jewelery, took the decision just under five years ago to reward sales staff with a bonus which included components for their longevity and the number of sales they''d made. We took this step because we saw that sales staff were being attracted elsewhere by yearly bonuses offered by our competitors.
We did not want to enter direct competition with them, as there are significant differences in our clientele and the number of sales anyone should expect to be making, so we took the decision that the exact formula should be secret. With hindsight, we see now it should at least have been available to store managers, so that they could check that the bonus was correct. We then failed to ensure that the correct formula was being applied, failed to interpret the disappointment expressed by staff correctly, and failed to realise that the bonuses being automatically sent out were approximately one tenth to one twentieth of what the formula should have given. We would like to wholeheartedly apologise to our present and former sales staff for these failings and in the coming days affected staff will be receiving a letter with the correct bonus amount, along with an amount which we intend to express our profound sorrow at this occurrence. We will be checking the calculations for these letters manually, so please do bear with us.¡±
¡°To make it clear, Sarah you''re the sole shareholder of GemSmith, is that correct?¡± Myra asked.
¡°Yes. The company was held in trust for me until a week ago.¡±
¡°Firstly, if you''ll forgive me for saying so, the normal description of you in the press is ''recluse''. Would you like to comment on that?¡±
¡°Thank you, Myra, I would. I understand the word recluse to mean someone who never sees anyone, never leaves home, and has no social life. I don''t think any of those applies to me, actually. What I would prefer to say is that I really got fed up with people of your profession. After the death of my parents in the ClearSky attack, and once I''d left hospital, it felt like I could hardly look out of my window or step out of my home without seeing some reporter pointing a camera at me, or crushing the flowers in my mother''s prized garden in their haste to stick a microphone down my throat, or in some cases both. So, I said no press interviews and I''ve managed an almost one hundred percent record since. Tony was one of the respectful ones, although he did keep coming back every six months, just in case I''d changed my mind. But not all reporters took no for an answer and there were times when my guardian needed to call the police. In this case, however, I''m making an exception.¡±
¡°And what would you like to say about this case?¡± Jack asked.
¡°In my view, the board had a reasonable idea, and managed to turn it into a complete disaster. Firstly by failing to check up on it, and secondly by keeping the formula to themselves,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Obviously, their immediate response is only reasonable, however, their compounding the disaster does raise serious questions in my mind, and I am awaiting the decision from GemSmith''s personnel department with great interest. There are core company values which were not upheld, and at the very least I would expect that their performance bonuses from the past years will suffer, but I''m neither a lawyer nor an expert in this field.¡±
Myra and Jack accepted that without comment, but Tony admitted confusion. ¡°I''m not a business expert, so perhaps this is a stupid question, but surely, the bonuses have been paid to them already?¡±
¡°As is the case for many company directors, their contract contains a claw-back clause. This is because, I''m speaking in general terms, you understand, issues of mismanagement often only come to light after an extended period of time, and in that case any bonus given can be recovered. That recovery would either be directly from their future pay-packet if they''re still employed by the company, or a demand for repayment can be made.¡±
¡°Are you suggesting that the board should resign or be fired?¡± Jack asked.
¡°As I tried to make clear, that was a general description of what a claw-back clause is.¡±
¡°But in this case, do you feel that the directors of Sapphire should resign?¡± Jack pushed further.
¡°I do not have enough information to comment, and I refuse to undermine the hard-working staff at GemSmith who are assessing that as we speak. I take what has happened very seriously, as a lot of people have left the company, feeling disappointed and undervalued because of this and it has always been one of GemSmith''s core values that those in authority care about their staff and make them feel valued.¡±
¡°So, will you be offering people a chance to sign back on with Sapphire if they''ve resigned over this?¡± Myra asked.
¡°Unfortunately, that will only be possible in a couple of cases, where resignations have only just been received. I spoke of it as a disaster: in the years since this policy was made, the longest any member of the sales staff has stayed with the company has been nine months, most have quit very soon after they got the hugely disappointing bonus letter. We''d need to open something like six or seven times the current number of stores to be able to offer everyone who''d resigned their old job back. Even if only one in six wanted their jobs back, we''d still need to double the number of stores. That sort of massive expansion doesn''t seem like a sensible move when we''re expecting an economic down-turn after the impact.¡±
¡°You''re relatively certain that the impact will occur then?¡± Tony asked.
¡°Yes. I know that certain elements of the media, particularly international media, are paying a lot of attention to the scientists who say the chances of it hitting are miniscule. I''d like to remind people that the scientists who discovered the comet only did so when asked if they could see anything in a particular tiny patch of sky indicated by the prophesies. I studied some physics myself and am entirely comfortable with the scientists saying that their error-bars are too big to make an accurate prediction. I agree, they don''t have that data, not yet. However, I''m also a firm believer in the God who sustains all things, visible and invisible, by his own power. Theologians have been saying for thousands of years that God is outside of time. So if God tells me that I need to be a long way away from my house on Valentine''s day, then no scientist is going to convince me to stay there.¡±
¡°And you don''t blame God for this impending disaster?¡± Myra asked.
¡°If I was going to cast blame, then I''d be far more likely to cast it at the individuals responsible for that rock being sent in this direction.¡±
¡°You''re referring to the terraforming project?¡± Jack queried.
¡°No! No, I''m referring to the people who contributed to the malfunction of the space-tug probe. Perhaps they were a little bit too distracted, a little bit too tired, a little bit too impatient, we''ll never know. The self-test should have spotted the problem, the component should not have failed, the shut-down code should have been able to genuinely shut it down, and so on. I don''t think there is any point in trying to identify the hundreds, maybe thousands of people who unwittingly contributed. No one set out to make it happen, but I think it was the cumulative result of human sin.¡±
¡°You''re saying it couldn''t be helped?¡± Tony said.
¡°Oh it could have been. But it wasn''t. We''re fallen people living in a fallen world. A lot of factors coincided to make that rock aim for my house. Personally, I''m just glad that it''s falling on us, not on an under-developed country without the resources or the courageous government to evacuate everyone to a safer distance.¡±
¡°I notice you said safer, not safe.¡± Myra said.
¡°Yes. The prophesies do not promise that everyone evacuated will be safe, or no-one in other parts of the country will be hurt. I would find it, aahhh, most surprising if that large piece of rock explodes in such a way that no smaller pieces survive to fall to earth at all. I don''t know if scientists have calculated how many fragments there are likely to be, but it only took David one small stone to kill Goliath. I''m not sure I''d like to be out of doors at the time of the impact. And I believe it would be foolish for anyone who values their sight to be watching the sky to see the flash.¡±
¡°It could be blinding, you mean?¡± Tony asked.
¡°I really don''t know how bright it will be, but I don''t expect it would be less bright than a welding arc, and you don''t look at one of those.¡±
¡°We''ve strayed quite a long way from your company.¡± Myra noticed ¡°Might I ask some more personal questions?¡±
¡°I reserve to right to say ''no comment.''¡± Sarah said, with a grin.
¡°Of course. Not so many days ago, you were on international news channels.¡±
¡°I was, yes.¡± she said, not volunteering anything.
¡°Our viewers might realise that I''m referring to the recent wedding where we all got to see ''Princess'' Sarah''s dress once more. And you were a bridesmaid. She was a relative, I understand?¡±
¡°''Princess'' Sarah? Yes. I''m a descendent on my mother''s side, I can''t remember how many generations back, though, sorry.¡±
¡°Sorry, I was referring to Saturday''s bride.¡± Myra corrected.
¡°Yes. Karen''s a relative. We couldn''t both have worn the dress otherwise.¡±
¡°You also wore the dress?¡± Jack asked, surprised.
¡°Yes. I didn''t have any press at my wedding though. You can guess why.¡±
¡°So, the reports that said it had last been worn twenty something years ago were wrong.¡± Tony said.
¡°Yes. I got married in the summer. Karen was my bridesmaid, I was hers.¡±
¡°So you''ve known the mystery of where the dress was all along?¡± Myra asked.
¡°Oh yes. Until recently it''s been in a special protective chamber in my home. Now, because of the impact, Eliza''s looking after it.¡±
¡°And I''m sure you could tell us lots about it.¡± Myra said.
¡°If I wanted to.¡±
¡°And I take it you don''t.¡± Myra interpreted Sarah''s response.
¡°Personally, I think it''s far more beautiful close up than it appears on the cameras. More than that? No comment.¡±
¡°If I may change the subject, you''ve recently taken on an unusual employee, I understand.¡± Jack asked.
¡°Now were did you learn that?¡± Sarah asked, curiously.
¡°Far be it from me to reveal my sources.¡± Tony was looking embarrassed.
¡°I expect Tony here knows, since he knows the young woman concerned. I guess he''s been talking. Yes, I''ve hired a young woman part-time to be a truth-sayer.¡±
¡°I''m not very sure that very many people know what a truth-sayer is.¡± Myra said ¡°I know I didn''t until Tony tried to explain it.¡±
¡°Karen, who you''ve mentioned already, grew up in another country. In that country, she tells me that the reaction to the Institute for the Human Mind''s recent bomb-shell that there are thought-hearers, was roughly speaking, ''that''s news?'' Over there, there are very few people of good will who hide the fact that they can hear thoughts, most choose to enter a profession which translates as ''truth-sayer''. It is a demanding job, but it pays quite well, from what I understand. There is a lot of mystique and superstition around the role, but in the informal system of village justice, the truth-sayer is human lie-detector, expert witness into someone''s mental well-being and I understand the older ones also serve as marriage counsellors. After all, having someone who''s seen it all before saying ''You''re making that up, stop lying or I''ll tell her what you just thought.'' is quite an effective tool in conflict resolution. They are considered as very trustworthy, good keepers of secrets, and utterly committed to not letting something they know to be a lie pass unchallenged.¡±
¡°And you think you''ve found someone not only qualified, but willing to step out publicly in this role?¡±
¡°Yes. The Institute for the Human Mind have certified that she''s mentally fit for the job, character witnesses state that she''s morally fit, that''s to say not given to gossip, and so in that respect she''s qualified, and yes, she''s willing to be the first one here.¡±
¡°I understand that you''re both keen to have some kind of institute of professional truth-sayers.¡± Tony said.
¡°Yes. I can see that there are many situations where a professional truth-sayer could be a real asset, and where a non-professional one, who took sides, or even accepted bribes to knowingly allow lies to slip past, or did not hold to strict ethical standards, could demean this new profession before it begins. Our feeling is that a professional body, perhaps even operating under Royal charter, and certainly having a register of members in good standing, could be very helpful in establishing trust. We wouldn''t allow just anyone to set up business as an accountant, doctor, or lawyer, but insist on them being members of their professional body that approves and regulates them. I feel it should be no different for truth-sayers.¡±
¡°To enter those professions, you need to have many years of training, and to pass difficult examinations. It sounds like the qualifications you are talking about are either innate or far more of a moral quality.¡± Jack pointed out.
¡°That is true, but I think many teachers will tell you that consistently good ethics takes a lot of learning too, and of course a lot of willingness from the student.¡±
¡°Very well, I''ll accept that parallel, but what about the tough exam?¡± Jack asked.
¡°I think it is common knowledge that the Institute for the Human Mind has connections to people with the mind-reading gift.¡±
¡°Employment contracts, even.¡± Tony said.
¡°I said that my truth-sayer had been judged mentally fit to take on this role. Part of that was that her innermost thoughts were examined concerning her attitude to bribery, gossip, and a few real-life ethical dilemmas that truth-sayers have faced in the past.¡±
¡°And she has signed up to the Institute''s ethical commitment?¡± Tony asked.
¡°Without reservation.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I think I''ve found an unusual young woman, but she did have an unusual training.¡±
¡°An unusual training?¡± Myra asked.
¡°An elderly relative, now passed away, had the mind-reading gift, so my truth-sayer has had a lot of training in using her ability. I''m not saying that she''s been a perfect saint, you understand, but she does know her profession.¡±
¡°I notice you''re being very careful not to give us many hints about her identity.¡±
¡°That is true, and that''s deliberate. When she works as a truth-sayer, it''s her role as truth-sayer that is important, not her name or anything else. Even in the country my relative grew up in, where truth-sayers are part of a culture, the personal identity of a truth-sayer is not normally revealed. I think that''s a pattern we''ll be following.¡±
¡°I imagine it wasn''t easy to find such a person.¡± Myra said.
¡°I don''t imagine it would be. That is another reason that having a professional body representing truth-sayers could eventually be a real asset, for people seeking their services. In my case, I was fortunate enough to know her before I realised I would very much like to employ a part-time truth-sayer.¡±
¡°Could you tell us why you feel that you need a truth-sayer?¡± Myra asked.
¡°Yes. I spoke earlier about one of GemSmith''s core values being that staff are valued. That''s not just a corporate value, it''s a personal one too.¡±
¡°I was meaning to challenge you on that.¡± Jack said, ¡°Surely every enterprise values their staff.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Sarah replied ¡°Then how is it that I ever hear of bonuses given to managers who fire large sections of their workforce?¡±
¡°They''re protecting the future of the business, Maam. Sometimes those decisions are difficult, but they must be made, or the company will fail.¡±
¡°I understand about the need to make hard decisions, Jack. But what I don''t like is that sometimes the hard decision hurts everyone except the person making it. My family has always taken the view that having a workforce that is too large is first and foremost a major failure of senior management''s planning and foresight. There would be no bonuses associated with that failure.¡±
¡°But sometimes markets dry up, or production needs to be moved to satisfy the corporation''s duty to shareholders of maximizing profit.¡± Jack said.
¡°There you see. Profit first, the human cost comes second. You''re assuming that. I don''t. Profit is a crude measure of success suitable to meeting the goals of short term investors. GemSmith has always operated with a different ethos.¡±
¡°I presume you''re not going to claim you run your companies as a charity?¡±
¡°No. I receive quite a nice income from GemSmith, thank you. But I understand there is often quite a long learning period when new managers join us before they learn that profit is only one factor in their decision making, and that when they do consider profit then it should be in the next ten to twenty years, not the next one or two.¡±
¡°Sarah, you sound like you''re recruiting.¡± Tony commented.
¡°No, just explaining some fundamentals.¡±
¡°Can I ask, relative to the invested sum, what''s your return on investment?¡± Myra asked.
¡°From GemSmith, when I play the venture capitalist, or some of my own little projects?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I''m afraid I didn''t know you had any of the second or third categories.¡± Myra replied.
¡°Ah well, they can stay a secret then.¡± Sarah said with a grin. ¡°Based on reinvestment income in the last ten years, GemSmith as a whole has probably given an income slightly lower than the stock-market average. I''m entirely happy with that rate of return. I don''t live on it, after all.¡±
¡°I presume you''re saying that you allocate yourself some kind of personal stipend from it?¡± Jack said.
¡°No. The trust has only recently been dissolved, while it was running, it paid the premiums on my health insurance and home insurance. I have a job I''m happy to keep, and my husband and I live on our earned income. I''ll probably leave the insurance premiums being paid, in compensation for loss of income from my work ¡ª I''ve had to switch to part time because of issues like the one which we started off discussing today.¡±
¡°Might I ask, what then do you intend to do with your income?¡± Tony asked, ¡°Give it to the poor?¡±
¡°Finally, we can get back to Myra''s question!¡± Sarah exclaimed. ¡°Why do I need a truth-sayer? Because the answer to Tony''s question is a qualified yes. I''m aware that there are some people who work for me, for GemSmith, who are suffering from unmanageable debts. I''m not planning to cancel everyone''s debts, or even anyone''s debts, I''m not made of money. Plus to cancel some debts but not others is itself divisive and unfair. But I am planning to give some hope to GemSmith people who have gone into debt say, trying to save a loved one''s life, and are now putting almost all their income into paying off the interest, and can''t see themselves ever getting out of it.¡±
¡°And you hope that having a truth-sayer will help you avoid getting snowed under with false claims?¡± Tony asked.
¡°Yes. I don''t want to give money to a fraudster. Nor do I want to give it to someone who''s in debt because they decided to buy a mansion when they only need a one bedroom flat. So, they get to tell their story with my truth-sayer listening in.¡±
¡°How are you planning to avoid the unfairness element?¡± Myra asked ¡°I mean, you must have some kind of cut-off where you say that you''re not going to help.¡±
¡°My current plan is that I will contribute a sum towards paying the interest, on a regular basis, providing they continue with payments and don''t just use me to have a payment holiday. And I''m leaving the capital for them to pay off themselves. For some people I might pay all their interest, but for most I expect that I''ll pay a fraction of it, depending on how the debt was incurred, how much they''ve already altered their lifestyle to pay it off, and so on. I really have no idea how many people there are who need this sort of help, so I''m not going to quote figures. If I''ve got too many applicants for the available money, then I''ll have to reduce the amount that I''d like to pay. If I''ve got too may applicants for my truth-sayer to cope with, then I guess I''ll have to prioritise based on what people say in the application forms.¡±
¡°Otherwise it''ll be first-come first served?¡± Jack asked.
¡°Within some limits, yes. It really all depends on how many apply by the time everything is ready for interviews to start. I''ve stated that preliminary applications must be in within a month.¡±
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
¡°Presumably you have a time limit of how old the debt needs to be?¡± Tony said.
¡°Yes. I do. That was made clear on the message to staff, which went out yesterday. I''d also like to make it clear that this is not a free-for-all, nor am I making any commitment to do this more than once. I don''t want anyone seeking to come to work for a GemSmith company in the expectation that it means their debt problem will go away. That''s not how this is going to work. It''s available to people who have been in debt for a significant amount of time and were on GemSmith''s personnel database yesterday.¡±
¡°You''ve spoken of paying the interest on people''s loans. How will you know that they''re passing that money on to the loan company?¡±
¡°The money will go directly to the loan company, and the debtor will be required to commit to paying a certain amount each month. Failing to provide evidence of that payment will stop my payments.¡±
¡°That sounds like you could have a lot of record keeping.¡± Myra said.
¡°If it becomes too onerous, then I expect I''ll try to find an AI to do it. Unfortunately there''s no point trying to get my house computer onto the task, because of the impact.¡±
¡°Your house computer has a full A.I.? That seems a little unusual.¡±
¡°My house computer runs the house security system. It was installed for my father, who used to bring his work home with him.¡±
¡°And his work needed an A.I. security system?¡± Jack asked.
¡°It did. He was a jeweler and, like his father, also traded in precious gems.¡±
¡°But that''s not a trade you''re in yourself?¡± Jack asked.
¡°No. I''m not actually very keen on long-distance travel, and buying uncut gems seems to need a lot of that.¡±
Sarah heard Myra decide to ask something that had puzzled her. ¡°I heard from someone at your university that you were urm... rather averse to crowds of more than about twenty people, but on Saturday you were amongst a far larger crowd. Might I ask, does that mean you''re cured?¡±
¡°Well, I did say that you could ask anything, Myra, but I wasn''t expecting a question along those lines.¡± Sarah said, playing for time. ¡°I think that all I''d like to say on that subject is that crowds still make me uncomfortable, but since leaving university I''ve learned some ways of coping in the short term.¡±
¡°I don''t want to invade your privacy, but are those ways you''ve learned something that you would be able to pass on to someone else who had the same problem?¡± Myra asked.
Sarah hesitated, trying to formulate a response.
¡°Myra, that''s all she wanted to answer on the topic.¡± Tony chided.
¡°It''s OK, Tony, someone might need to hear.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I think I''m not breaking any laws if I say that in the summer I was a patient at the Institute for the Human Mind. I''d recommend anyone with a problem being around too many noisy people to contact them. If it''s the same problem then they can probably help.¡±
¡°Changing the subject entirely,¡± Myra said ¡°You mentioned earlier that you ''play the venture capitalist'' but from the sound of what you''re saying then you''re not intending to extend your debt-assistance to employees of those companies. Is that correct?¡±
¡°That''s certainly correct at the moment.¡±
¡°Could you explain the difference?¡±
¡°Yes. When my lawyers and investment advisors have considered an application for venture capital, there are a few categories of businesses that I''m not interested in supporting, but at root they''re analysing such things that any venture capitalist would: probability of the business being a success, likely return on investment, and such like. None of that includes me setting the agenda for the company, or having any responsibility for the business.¡±
¡°But, by investing, aren''t you condoning the business model, at least, and if that leads to loss don''t you bear a responsibility for that?¡±
¡°If I was demanding repayment of a loan to the detriment of the company, yes, I can see that. But that''s not the sort of investment plan I would normally consider. Normally I''d be investing on the basis of cash for shares.¡±
¡°But you''ve only just been attacking the share-holder model of business financing and yet here you are saying that you''re a share-holder expecting a healthy profit. Don''t you see the inherent contradiction in your position?¡± Jack challenged.
¡°I don''t invest in publicly listed companies, where for the most part my ethical position on profit coming second would not be listened to, for those very reasons, Jack. I do invest in family businesses wanting to expand, and normally I would expect my shares to be bought back by the family, rather than through a stock-market floatation. But there are shares in my portfolio where the investment did not give the expected result and dividends are far lower than expected. Now that I''m personally in control of my inheritance I might arrange for some expert advice for such companies. But I''m not going to force a company out of business just to get some money back, nor am I going to look kindly on selling up to an asset stripper.¡±
¡°So, you see no contradiction.¡± Jack summarised.
¡°Do you?¡±
¡°Now that you''ve explained it like that, I guess I don''t either.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Do you not feel that setting such a high value on the workers is detrimental to the long term success of the business? If you''re granting a job for life, then won''t people just slack off and take advantage of you?¡± Myra asked.
¡°Thank you, Myra, good question. If I was offering a job for life, then yes, I would certainly run that risk. No one should think that a job in GemSmith is a job for life, particularly certain board members. GemSmith puts a lot of effort into making the employees feel valued, and in return the company expects dedication, loyalty, and attention to detail. This is in their contract. Slackers need not apply.¡±
¡°Do I understand that you think that the board of Sapphire Custom Jewellery will not be in their posts much longer?¡±
¡°I don''t know. As I said, I don''t have all the details, there may be mitigating circumstances, or other factors that I''m not aware of. Nor am I aware of their record in other areas. Based on this one problem, I certainly would have expected far better from them, but I don''t know if this is an exception to an otherwise exemplary record, or if it''s part of a pattern. Nor do I know if there was one individual who claimed to have checked what the computer was doing, but lied.¡±
¡°And if it were found that there was a pattern of decision making without checking on implementation, and an attitude from all board members that such checking on was not their role?¡± Jack pushed.
¡°In that case, I wouldn''t see a future for them on any GemSmith board, and I wouldn''t hesitate to invoke the relevant claw-back clauses, in court if necessary.¡±
¡°The thought of an expensive legal case wouldn''t deter you?¡± Jack asked.
¡°No. I''d see an important principle as being at stake.¡±
Tony asked ¡°As a Christian, where do you feel the principle of forgiveness would apply to this situation?¡±
¡°Forgiveness normally follows repentance, Tony. Jack presented me with a situation where there was no repentance, even a stubborn refusal to recognise that they''d done wrong. In that case, I believe that justice would demand a single outcome.¡±
¡°And if they repent?¡± Tony pressed.
¡°Continuing the hypothetical case of them having done all that and turning from their bad ways and pleading for mercy... perhaps I''ll have my truth-sayer interview them to see how genuine their repentance actually is. Especially after this gets broadcast. No, that''d too hard a thing to judge. If they repent, then I''d have no alternative but forgive them. However, forgiveness in God''s universe doesn''t mean that the effects of the sin are un-done. Given that they''ve caused about two hundred and forty people to become so disappointed in the company that they''ve left, and since there have obviously been other failings in the company, so that it seems not one of them thought to have a moan to GemSmith''s personnel department, which exists for that sort of thing... I think that my forgiving them would mean that they are not forced out of GemSmith as a whole, merely reassigned. I don''t know, and as I hope we agree, this is a hypothetical question, in which they were consistently failing to perform their core duties. I''d be reassigning them so they are less tempted to slip back into the same habits, you understand.¡±
Myra was looking at Sarah curiously ¡°Why do you say you''d have no alternative to forgive them?¡±
¡°Doesn''t the line ''Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us'' ring any bells, Myra? God offers to forgive us so much, a little forgiveness from us is reasonable, surely?¡±
Myra felt decidedly uncomfortable being in the spotlight, and decided to turn the focus back on Sarah. ¡°Your faith is obviously important to you. Has that always been the case?¡±
¡°No, not at all. It wasn''t just my parents who died, a lot of others did to, of course, and the church I attended with my parents lost most of the leaders. I''m not entirely sure why but from what I can see they ended up struggling on without a leader for several years. My aunt who''d been my guardian died soon after my eighteenth birthday and I... drifted away from God. Then at university I thought I''d try going back to church but listened a bit too much to the wrong people about which one to go to. For some reason I finished university thinking that God was very busy, and wasn''t really interested in what people thought or did, and that anyone who took God seriously was suspicious. About a month after that, I met John, the man who''s now my husband and he challenged me about just how illogical it was to believe in the existence of a supreme being but think it was suspicious to take him seriously. I dug out my old Bible and read rather a large chunk of it that night, did a lot of repenting, and changed churches.¡±
¡°And then you married him quickly?¡±
¡°Well, having God tell both of us that he would give me this engagement ring and this wedding ring does cut down on a lot of uncertainty. It seemed like there wasn''t much point not being engaged at that point.¡±
¡°I know there''s a story behind your engagement ring.¡± Tony said. ¡°Would you be willing to tell the world?¡±
¡°John''s first wife died in the attack that killed my parents, they''d gone there to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.¡± Sarah said.
¡°You mean ¡ª you and John ¡ª you''re the two survivors?¡± Myra interrupted.
¡°Yes. People have asked if we''d known each other for years, you know, had he fallen for me ages ago and kept a flame for me until I finished university or something? No, not at all. We probably saw each other in hospital a few times, with lots of tubes, especially in John''s case, but other than that, our first meeting when I wasn''t a child was in the summer. Back to my ring... John had kept his wife''s ring. No great surprise there, but I wasn''t very keen on the idea of wearing it, thinking that it would always stay her ring in my mind, not mine. That was before I saw it.
¡°When John had been looking for an engagement ring his path took him to my father''s shop. My dad in his salesman role convinced John that although the setting wasn''t quite perfect, it was a very good stone, and that''s what people would notice, plus as an apprentice ring, he was selling it at hardly above the cost of raw materials, so there was no way he''d get a better ring for the money. John let himself be convinced by my dad, the proud father of his little apprentice. You see a few weeks earlier, I''d been practicing making rings and my dad in a fit of pride had told me the one I''d just made was good enough to sell. I never knew if he''d sold it or melted it down until John offered it back to me. So, although John''s first wife wore it for a bit, I''m entirely happy to call it my ring.¡±
¡°You recognised it after all that time?¡± Myra asked.
¡°Yes. It was the first ring that I designed and made, and then Dad saying it was good enough to sell certainly helped it stick in my mind, along with the long explanations from Dad about how not to get the mounting crooked next time.¡±
Jack said ¡°That''s quite some story, thank you for sharing it with us. But I must admit I''m wondering how much of this interview my editor will say doesn''t belong in our broadcast. Are you still personally involved in the jewellery business?¡±
¡°In a way, yes. Despite my early success, I''m not really good enough at the craft to make anything, I''ll leave that to the experts. But in the past six months or so I''ve done some design work which seems to be selling well. Some of that isn''t for public discussion, but one thing I''ve done is patented a design of an engagement ring or other ring with a stone with a panic button in it. The concept of the ring having practical as well as sentimental value seems to be appreciated by the customers.¡±
¡°Are you''re licensing the production of these rings to others, or keeping the production in-house?¡±
¡°So far, I''ve got three licensees. Sapphire being one of them.¡±
¡°And you''d be open to issue other licenses.¡±
¡°Yes. My information is that the production steps at the moment favour hand-crafting or a mechanised solution suitable for custom manufacturing processes. I''m not saying that it can''t be done with multiple simpler mechanisms, of course, but I think it would be quite a big gamble to set up a production line to make them.¡±
¡°You said that some of your other work was not for public discussion.¡± Jack said, ¡°Is that because it was under contract, or for some other reason.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, I''m not going to say any more about it.¡± Sarah said.
¡°It sounds like you''ve had a busy few months.¡± Jack tried again. ¡°Do I understand that you have also been personally involved in a subsidiary entering the tourist trade?¡±
¡°Yes, I have, you do have your sources, don''t you?¡±
¡°Thank you. Would you mind telling us about it? Entering the tourist trade if you''re certain the impact will come seems like quite a gamble.¡±
¡°Yes, it is quite a gamble, but I think this is again an area where a company like GemSmith is better placed to act than either a listed company or a small family enterprise. As you''ve hinted, following the impact, it would not be surprising if there is a major slump in the tourist trade, but the manager of the relevant land-management company saw a couple of opportunities which will hopefully ensure that the tourist trade in that particular location is increasing rather than decreasing.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Could you be more specific?¡± Myra asked.
¡°It''s not rocket science really, and all I can claim as my contribution was negotiating a deal with the previous owners which left everyone happy. By bringing the direct provision of holiday accommodation into the land management company, there''s far more opportunity for flexible pricing than if there are two separate companies. So, with that in place we expect that the holiday accommodation ¡ª cabins in this case ¡ª will remain competitive and so be fully occupied.¡±
¡°When you say flexible pricing, you''re talking about lowering prices?¡± Myra asked.
¡°I''m actually talking about fully demand-based pricing, so that prices will very depending on whether bookings are coming in faster or slower than expected.¡±
¡°If it''s not a business secret, could you say what sort of demand based pricing?¡± Jack asked. ¡°Will it be an ''early bird'' scheme, where you will be selling the first bookings cheaply, then escalating the price as you become full, or simply reducing prices when bookings are slower than normal?¡±
¡°I haven''t studied the algorithm in detail, but I understand that there are elements of both in it, with ''normal'' being defined by a particular model.¡±
Myra asked, ¡°So, if from just normal statistical fluctuations, bookings are low when the model expects them to be high, then there could be significant variations in prices week to week or even day to day? How then do people compare prices, or ponder their options?¡±
¡°That sort of price fluctuation is possible, I agree. I understand the system allows people to hold a price for a length of time so that they at least get to consider their options.¡±
¡°And the length of that holding time is hours, or days?¡± Tony asked.
¡°If I was designing it, then it''d be a week or so if we''re talking months ahead, and more like an hour if we''re talking about a last minute booking. I presume the intelligent people who designed it haven''t accidentally allowed one week holds a day before the start-date.¡±
Something occurred to Tony; he asked. ¡°Is there a charge for these holds?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°And you''re not worried about competitors getting their staff to take holds on your cabins and so leave you with empty cabins?¡±
¡°Oh, sorry, the hold is a pricing hold, it''s not a reservation. We guarantee that we won''t charge them more than that price if they book in the hold period, but there''s no guarantee that we will still have any cabins at the size they want.¡±
¡°Oh. But presumably the system counts holds as potential bookings in terms of the pricing calculations.¡±
¡°I think it ought to, yes.¡±
¡°So there would be the opportunity for a competitor or a group of people who didn''t like your company to artificially manipulate your prices.¡± Tony said.
¡°Tony, you''ve got a devious mind. There would, and this is obviously an area that the staff there need to think about, if they haven''t already. Obviously, one solution if that happens is to not allow holds to affect the pricing, but that has its own drawbacks. I''ll have to pass on your question to the experts, I think I''m going to admit defeat on that issue.¡±
¡°Well you heard it here first, folks, there''s something Sarah Williams admits defeat over.¡± Tony joked.
¡°There''s quite a lot of those, so don''t get too excited. Are there more questions, or does that mark the end of the conference?¡±
¡°I have one.¡± Jack asked. ¡°You said that this was an exception. If there''s anything we forgot to ask, do we need to wait a decade to ask it?¡±
¡°I have no idea. Probably not that long.¡±
¡°You said that you were a patient at the Institute for the Human Mind.¡± Myra started.
¡°I did. I hope you''re not going to ask me to break any secrecy laws.¡±
¡°I don''t think so. I was wondering how much a consultation cost.¡±
¡°Ah, now that''s a different sort of secrecy. I''m afraid that''s commercially sensitive information that I''m contractually bound not to disclose. I''ll just say that they took my income into account.¡±
¡°So they charged more than most people could afford, I presume?¡± Jack asked.
¡°No, I wasn''t receiving any income from the trust at that time. They took into account the part-time job I had as a student.¡±
¡°Oh! That was generous of them.¡± Myra exclaimed.
¡°Yes. I was on a ''cases too hard to solve'' list from the AI psych computers. So I might have got a special rate because of that. I really don''t know, sorry.¡±
¡°Mrs Williams, thank you very much for giving us this rare chance to interview you, and for answering so many of our questions so openly.¡± Tony said, declaring the interview over.
¡°And thank you, Myra, Jack and Tony, for a pleasant afternoon.¡±
¡°And CUT.¡± the director said.
¡°Myra, Frank, would you mind if we cut that last bit about the institute?¡± Teresa asked, coming forward from behind the camera. ¡°It''s not past the limits set, but I''m just worried that if that goes out then there could be tens of thousands of people asking for an appointment.¡±
¡°I shouldn''t have said it on-camera, should I? Sorry.¡± Sarah said.
¡°I''m OK with it being cut.¡± Jack said.
¡°Me too.¡± Myra agreed.
¡°And I''m in trouble if I don''t agree, aren''t I, Teresa, love?¡± Tony said, with a grin.
¡°Exactly. OK, Everyone agrees, but how much do we cut? Myra''s question, or Sarah''s answer after she said she can''t disclose the figure?¡±
The discussion went on for a bit, including some replaying of the footage. ¡°I think it''s probably best to just cut my whole question.¡± Myra said. ¡°Otherwise the context is going to be hard for Tony''s final statement, and we''d need to replace it with something else.¡±
The edit was made, there and then.
¡°I wanted to ask, Myra, are you thinking of someone in particular?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. I''ve got a cousin who was talking about his son, or maybe his daughter, I can''t remember, getting splitting headaches in school, wimpering at the in pain even, but being fine by the time they were on the way home.¡±
¡°That sounds like familiar symptoms.¡± Sarah said. ¡°But if it''s the same cause, then I''ll bet you it''s his daughter. Want to give me some contact details, and I''ll pass them on to the relevant people?¡±
¡°Urm, really? Won''t it be very expensive?¡±
¡°Myra, this isn''t really the place to talk, and I know you''ll want to get the interview in...¡±
¡°Can we talk somewhere then? If there''s a simple solution, then I''d be a fool not to put you in contact. A few minutes won''t make much difference for the interview, we''re all going to broadcast it at seven.¡±
¡°Fine, then let''s find a quite corner.¡± Sarah led the way, not that she really knew her way around GemSmith''s head-quarters yet. ¡°I think I''m going to need to ask someone.¡± she said, looking left and right down the corridor.
¡°Reception?¡± Myra suggested.
¡°Yes, I suppose so. Ah! Ambrose! Just the man to help me!¡± She said, seeing him stepping out of an office.
¡°Interview over, Sarah?¡±
¡°Yes, but I''d like to have a quick little chat with Myra here, somewhere private. Any ideas where?¡±
¡°There''s an interview room just this way,¡± he replied.
¡°I really must learn my way around here. Was that your office?¡±
¡°Yes. There are maps at the reception desk.¡±
¡°I didn''t think of asking. I guess I could have just looked on my wrist unit, couldn''t I?¡±
¡°The last time I looked, the map of the building was rather low on the search results page. Not many people need it.¡±
¡°I can believe that.¡±
¡°Here you are. Can you find your way out?¡±
¡°Yes, thank you.¡±
¡°The room''s sound proofed.¡±
¡°And no hidden microphones?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Inactive if you''ve set the door latch to ''private''.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
After he''d left, Sarah carefully set the door latch to private.
¡°You really meant a private discussion, didn''t you?¡± Myra asked, surprised.
¡°Well, not everything you know about me can be broadcast.¡±
¡°The institute, you mean? No.¡±
¡°Does that worry you? I mean, knowing things you can never broadcast?¡±
¡°Not really. Part of the job, I guess.¡±
¡°You''ve got the contact details?¡±
¡°Yes, my cousin''s name is Francis Quy, spelt Q-U-Y, rhymes with ''why''. Here''s his number.¡±
¡°Thanks. And his children''s names?¡±
¡°He''s got a son called Quentin, who''s about seventeen, I think and a daughter called Rhianna, who''s fifteen.¡±
¡°Interesting names.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Yes. I''m quite sure I wouldn''t have picked Quentin if I had a surname of Quy. He goes by his initials, normally.¡±
¡°How did you learn about my headaches?¡±
¡°I was looking for things about your life at university. You know, background stuff, group photographs, were you in the caving society or the rugby club or something else I could ask about. I found a few pictures of you, one in the meditation group, with about five others, another of you throwing the black-belted self-defence instructor into a tangled heap, and someone had drawn a cartoon of you at a primal scream session, with the others hiding in terror. The caption read...''You said "let it all out" so I did, and my headache''s getting worse too.'' ¡±
Sarah laughed. ¡°Yes, I remember that. One of the other participants drew it. I didn''t know it got posted on the network though.¡±
¡°It won a prize ''Unexpected events witnessed on campus.'' The artist had titled it ''Sarah Smith''s primal scream too real for group.'' I guessed you had a lot more to scream about than any of them. Then I found someone''s blog talking about you really over-reacting when an extra ten people had turned up to a party, and you''d screamed ''get these people out of here, there''s too many of them, my head''s killing me.''¡±
¡°I had no idea that got written. The secrets people give away! Yes. I get headaches when there''s too many people. Want to know exactly why? If so then I''ll want your oath that you won''t publish it or hint at it to anyone else.¡±
¡°I swear.¡± Myra said, after a moment''s thought, in which Sarah heard her decide that she wanted to know, and of course she wouldn''t break a secret.
¡°You''ve heard of the thought-hearing power. It gets shortened to ''the power''. The mind-reading gift gets shortened to ''the gift''. The third in the trio is called ''the pain''. It''s a hypersensitivity found in roughly one percent of women with the power. Normal people with the power have a range for hearing decisions of about three metres at age twenty, which might increase to more like five metres in old age, if they''re trying to listen ¡ª it seems to be one sense that improves with age, or people get better at using it. Because decisions are getting made all the time, and you do need a bit of peace and quiet, the brain filters out the decisions it picks up so that people only hear the ones that affect them, or loved ones. Just like you''re able to tune out a conversation in the room until they mention your name. People with the pain have a range of about thirty metres. It doesn''t seem to be affected by age, so I''m guessing it''s physics. You can get a lot of people in thirty metres radius, and the mind''s filters can''t cope with ignoring more than twenty or thirty before it starts getting too much. But it valiantly tries, hence the headache. There''s also a noise as the filters start breaking down.¡±
¡°Oh wow. You''ve got the power. And I''ve just asked you in mid-interview about this pain. I''m sorry.¡±
¡°Not in that much detail. But you can see why I''m not going to come out and say ''Yes, it''s a side effect of having a sensitive version of the power.'' can''t you?¡±
¡°Yes. So the truth-sayer is a bit of a ruse?¡±
¡°No, she''s real enough. But she agrees with my husband and I: a young woman with the power - she''s not even started university yet, by the way ¡ª employed by a crazy rich recluse, isn''t particularly scary. But a crazy rich recluse with the power herself might well be.¡±
¡°The former just being an unusual way to earn your crust, but the latter evidence that people with the power are taking over?¡±
¡°Yes. Now, do you know if either of the Quy kids have the power?¡±
¡°No, I don''t.¡±
¡°Well, quite simply, the easiest way of passing on some hints about this, if it is the pain, is to have someone with the gift chat with them. And if it''s not the pain, then they won''t be able to hear the person with the gift. If they can hide their thoughts already, then passing on the information about how to reduce the pain is about all that can be done. If they can''t hide their thoughts, then somehow they need to get trained in doing that, and that''s best with a face to face meeting with someone that can.¡±
¡°I understood the first bit... but hiding thoughts? What''s that about?¡±
¡°We''re not entirely sure what goes on, but it''s possible for someone with the power to not transmit their decisions. We don''t know how. It also coincides with not hearing either. But it''s a bit risky. You can get stuck in the ''off'' state, and not be able to get yourself out of it. Stay like that too long and you lose the power entirely, become someone normal.¡±
¡°You can hide your thoughts forever?¡±
¡°No, you thoughts stop being hidden after a day or so. But you don''t hear what other people are thinking again, short of a miracle, or, just maybe, doing very little except concentrating on getting unstuck for a few months.¡±
¡°Woah, too much information!¡± Myra said, feeling overwhelmed.
¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°It''s just, I don''t expect I''ll ever need to know this, and if I do, then I don''t know enough to be much help, and how on earth do I share how I know it?¡±
¡°Well, if you''ve got cousins with the power, depending how they inherited it, then you might end up finding you''ve got other relatives with it too. How you know it, well, you once interviewed someone from the institute. And how to help someone, get them to call the institute and tell whoever picks up the phone that they''re stuck.¡±
¡°That easy?¡±
¡°It''s not rocket science, it''s psychology, or psychosomatic or something else. Look, I''ll tell you, you can''t use it, but you might need to help someone. Hiding is like burying yourself in sticky mud. Struggling to get out is really ineffective, instead, you need to think of yourself as being in a shiny non-stick ball which is just going to float its way to the surface as long as they stay calm and shiny. That''s it. Believe me, it works.¡±
¡°That sounds... I don''t know, just so weird that it should work.¡±
¡°I know. Like I said, it''s psychosomatic or something, but something happens: some part of the brain closes down, or something. So, whatever it is you did to turn off, you need to relax it and just float back to normality.¡±
¡°In a big shiny ball?¡±
¡°Yes. I swear, it''s a powerful interpretive metaphor ¡ª you can sense the mud slipping past you.¡±
¡°Fascinating! And that''s all they''d get if they called the institute?¡±
¡°Pretty much. That and some calm reassurance from someone who''s seen it all before.¡±
¡°It happens often?¡±
¡°Fairly often. Personally, I can''t hide more than a couple of minutes before it''s time to get out the shiny ball. Other people I know can got for twenty or thirty minutes without any problems. But I think that''s about the limit.¡±
¡°So it''s not something someone could use for all day at school?¡±
¡°Not really. But it might get them through a school assembly. And of course they should stay at the edge of the crowd, that sort of thing. Oh, and painkillers are a complete dead loss, as is anything else the doctors tried to prescribe me. Worry, stress and the like make it worse ¡ª you know heightened senses due to adrenaline? Other than hiding, the best option is to hold hands with someone who loves you. I''m not fully sure what it does, but it certainly helps. That''s how I got through the wedding by the way.¡±
¡°Embarrassing in a classroom, though, I imagine.¡± Myra said.
¡°Indeed. So... the chances are that your cousin won''t get a phone-call unless it is a case of the pain and the poor girl doesn''t know how to hide.¡±
¡°You really don''t think it''s his son, then?¡±
¡°Well, it might be, but that''d be a first, from what I understand.¡±
¡°I must say, you do seem very well informed.¡±
¡°I''ve had some long conversations with people with the gift about this.¡±
¡°Oh. Well, yes, I can imagine, given the opportunity...¡±
¡°Shall we get back to the others?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Yes, we ought to. I''ve got to get that interview out.¡± They started heading down the corridor.
¡°I hope it meets expectations.¡±
¡°More than meets them, thank you, Sarah. And thank you on behalf of Quentin and Rhianna, too.¡±
¡°My pleasure.¡±
¡°You mean that, don''t you? You like helping people.¡±
¡°I guess I do. I hadn''t ever thought of that, but I guess it''s true now.¡±
¡°Only now?¡±
¡°Give the praise to God. I used to be so wrapped up in pain avoidance that I don''t think I had much energy left to be helpful.¡±
¡°God is very real to you, isn''t he?¡±
¡°Yes, very.¡±
¡°I wish I had that much faith. I''m stuck in the here and now, I''m afraid, and sometimes that''s not particularly easy.¡±
¡°The Bible speaks of faith as a gift from God, that people can ask for. So rather than wishing for it in general, can I suggest that you ask God for it instead?¡±
¡°And do you think he''d answer?¡±
¡°I expect so, as long as you''re not expecting him to turn off your brains and save you any effort. God doesn''t normally grant miracles so that people can be lazy, after all.¡±
¡°What sort of effort should I be putting in?¡±
¡°There''s an old children''s song, that says ''Read your Bible, pray every day, if you want to grow.'' and an old hymn which has as it''s chorus ''trust and obey, for there''s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey.'' Neither of them are actually very easy, but they''re both true.¡±
Myra said ¡°Thanks, Sarah.¡± and wandered towards the others, deep in thought. She knew those songs, they''d been in her childhood. Back when she was young and trusting had been easy. Sarah... Sarah seemed to be someone very trustworthy, and she obviously trusted God. Trust and obey, and you need to forgive to be forgiven. Perhaps Myra should do some forgiving. Sarah was right, it wasn''t going to be easy at all.
Association / Ch. 3: Quy
Association / Ch. 3:Quy
Wednesday, December 27th 8pm
Sarah checked where Quentin and Rhianna were. He was there and she was there in the house. They were in separate bedrooms, but alone. That was better than last time she''d checked. She knew from her last time they both had the power, and no one else in the house did, and that they lived half way between the capital and Restoration. She thought about checking if they had the pain, but really, what was the point? She called to the living room. ¡°John, beloved, are you free?¡±
¡°I can be. Just reading. What is it?¡±
¡°Quentin and Rhianna are alone at last.¡±
¡°Together?¡± John thought that was a bit surprising.
¡°No, separate bedrooms.¡±
¡°Oh. OK. And you''re sure you don''t want to talk to them?¡±
¡°I don''t trust myself. It would come out that I had the pain, or that I''d talked to Myra. If that got back to her...¡±
¡°Yes, OK. Better that it comes from another person. I''ll call them.¡±
Lightly touching their minds, just at skin level, John called.
[Quentin, Rhianna? I''m someone with the mind-reading gift. Are you free to talk? I''m not listening to your thoughts, just your emotions. If you don''t mind me tuning into your thoughts, then just think accepting thoughts, if you object, think rejecting ones.]
He sensed incredulity from Rhianna, and suspicion. Not rejection, but caution. Quentin''s initial shock was followed by guilty embarrassment.
[I''ll keep talking while you decide. Your dad''s reporter cousin, Myra Wilcox was talking to someone I know today, and she said that one of you, she doesn''t know which, was suffering headaches in crowded places. I''d like to talk to you about that. It''s related to the power.]
Immediate acceptance from Rhianna, continued embarrassment from Quentin.
[OK, Rhianna''s accepting me listening in. Quentin I guess you don''t want me to listen to what you''re thinking. So Quentin, I''ll talk to Rhianna, and leave you out of it if that''s OK? She can tell you what I say later on.] He heard relief from Quentin.
[Hi, Rhianna.]
[You''re listening now?]
[Yes. Just to you. Quentin''s embarrassed about something.]
[Well he ought to be working on his homework.]
[Maybe he was thinking about something else.]
[Someone else, I expect. He''s in love, or so he says.]
[Well, that''s a common problem. I presume it''s you that gets the headaches?]
[Actually... not as bad as Quentin.]
[{surprise} You both get them?]
[We think it''s a bit different.]
[OK, well, let me tell you about the thing we call ''the pain''.] And John gave her the normal description, and what caused it. [Myra thought you were fifteen, is that right?]
[Yes.]
[If you were someone with a normal sort of range, you''d be hearing decisions about you at a range of two or three metres. If you''re a hypersensitive, that range is probably at least five metres now, and it''ll be getting up to thirty by the time you''re eighteen. That''s in clear air. Walls and things dampen it.]
[Oh, frogs giblets! I heard some spotty boy deciding to ask me out yesterday lunch, in the playground. He was about six metres away.]
[Did he ask?]
[Strangely enough, I suddenly saw a friend I needed to talk to in the other direction.]
[So, I''m afraid you''ve probably got it. Quentin?]
[Normally he''s fine. But what I got out of him is whenever he''s close to his ''lady-lust'' then his mind goes crazy, like he''s hearing every decision in the room. He sees her every lunch-break of course.]
[Let me guess, he really really wants to know what she''s thinking?]
[I guess so. I mean, he hasn''t even spoken to her as far as I know.]
[Well, I''ve not heard of it happening, but I''d guess he''s turning off his filters. What happens when she''s out of sight?]
[Nothing, he just keeps on hearing things, like everyone is shouting and he can''t think. He''s got exams coming up, and it looks like he''s going to flunk them all.]
[Can you hide your thoughts?]
[What''s that mean?]
[Turn off your receiver, transmitter too, actually.]
[We can do that?]
[I guess he can''t either.]
[I''d guess not.]
[So... somehow you need to get trained in doing that. You don''t know anyone else with the power, I guess?]
[No. We thought it was just us, until the news broke.]
[OK, basic warning... You can turn off, but you shouldn''t do it for long. If you turn off for long, then you get stuck like that. If you panic, you get stuck worse, and believe me, the first time you get stuck, you''ll tend to panic. You therefore need someone around you when you get stuck to give you calm, reassuring instructions on how to get out, and of course, your being stuck means it needs to be face to face.]
[How long is too long?]
[It depends. My wife gets stuck after about five minutes, I get stuck after more like ten or fifteen. If you stay stuck for a couple of days then we''ve only heard of one person ever getting their power back, and she had a few months in hospital to concentrate on getting out.]
[That''s... scary.]
[The other thing that helps with the pain is to have someone there who loves you, thinking about wrapping you in a protective blanket of love. I know, it sounds mushy, but it works. I''ve heard of it working parent to child, and couples in love. I don''t know if you''d accept that sort of love from your brother, or if he''d be able to give it, but maybe. Actually, for all I know a close friend might be enough.]
[What does that do?]
[My guess... it blots out the other noise with feelings of reassurance. We''re pretty sure that stress heightens the range, maybe feeling loved reduces it. Holding hands helps too.]
[Icky!]
[Thought you might feel like that. I don''t suppose you''re planning at trip to Restoration anytime soon? If you could drop into the institute, that''d be one way of getting you trained.]
[Quentin''s got a water-polo competition there at the weekend.]
[A school trip?]
[Sort of. He''ll need to go up with a parent or two, but it''s a school club. And it''s an all day thing, lots of rounds, gaps between them, you know.]
[A little side trip to the institute would be rather obvious. But maybe there''s a solution there somewhere. You''d be along too?]
[I guess I could. I don''t normally. I mean, people splashing around in a pool isn''t that much fun to watch. But I expect he''s going to get a headache, anyway.]
[Why do you say that?]
[Because his ''lady-lust'' is going to be there. He''ll probably spend more time oggling her than watching for the ball.]
[Why do you call her that?]
[I don''t know. Yes I do. He calls her his lady-love, mentally I mean. But really, if it was love, why can''t he talk to her? So I think it''s lust.]
[Well, the average seventeen year old boy struggles to know the difference.]
[Why? It''s obvious isn''t it?]
[The effect of too much testosterone, I guess.]
[But, I mean, love is patient, love is kind.... love does not stick pictures of undressed women under his bed.]
[No, it doesn''t.] John said. [Do your parents know?]
[Dad''d just laugh. But Quentin''s supposed to be a Christian.]
[Being a Christian and falling into temptation aren''t mutually exclusive, you know.]
[I know, but... could you drop some words into his skull or something?]
[Any in particular? You know, like, your sister''s thinking of telling your girlfriend about your picture collection?]
[He''d murder me!]
[OK, I''ll tell him I''m finished, and remind him that God the Holy Spirit sees all his thoughts, all the time.]
[That might help. Thanks... I don''t even know your name.]
[That''s true, Bye.]
[Goodbye.] she thought, not knowing if he''d heard or not. It was... wow, it was just fantastic to think that someone like that would bother about her headaches. But then, if they were going to get worse... still, it was nice of him to drop in. And it sounded like she was going to need to shock everyone and actually not claim any other plans for once.
Quentin was trying not to let his eyes stray from his homework. But he wanted to finish that poem too. And look at her again, she was worth looking at, the girl of his dreams. And in that outfit... his hormones were screaming ''want'' at him, and were hard to ignore. He forced himself to concentrate on his Latin.
[Quentin, I''ve finished talking to Rhianna. I don''t know what you were doing or thinking about earlier, and I''m not even listening to your emotions now, but, do remember, if you''re a Christian then the Spirit lives in you, and hears your every thought. And he''s the Holy Spirit, not the guilty thoughts spirit. When you''re tempted, seek His help. He doesn''t want filth going through your heart, it''s His home in you. The evil one wants you to think you''re a failure, but God wants to help you to be a victor. Through Christ, you can be one.]
Then the voice was gone. Quentin called, but the man had gone. Leaving him with his thoughts. And realising that what that man had said rang true. Very true. He needed to talk to Rhianna, and he needed to finish this Latin first. But why was he trying to fight this battle alone?
¡°How does that help?¡± Sarah asked, when John told her about the water-polo match. ¡°I mean, we''re all at Teresa''s wedding.¡±
¡°Is May?¡±
¡°Not as far as I know. You think I should send her to talk to a boy who''s got a nasty case of teenage hormones?¡±
¡°He''s going to be in the pool half the time. I was thinking you could send her to chat to his sister. She''s got the pain. He''s doing something stupid to his filters in the presence of the object of his desire, and is giving himself headaches.¡±
¡°Which is, quite frankly, weird in itself.¡±
¡°Obsessive, anyway. I''m planning to talk to Enoch and the others, to see if they''ve met anything like it.¡±
¡°I know May''s over the flirting at the moment, but... isn''t it sending her into temptation''s way to be around all that heaving flesh?¡±
¡°You tell me, Sarah. I certainly wouldn''t think of sending Quentin to a women''s beach volleyball competition.¡±
¡°Unless the women concerned were over forty?¡±
¡°Eighty, I think, for safety.¡±
¡°I''m pretty sure it was the sense of being noticed that May was after, rather than any physical attraction. That''s more a boy thing, mostly, isn''t it?¡±
¡°You''ll have to tell me, Sarah. But better still, ask May, in general terms.¡±
¡°You mean, do you like gawping at male bodies?¡±
¡°More of, I don''t know, which of these situations shouldn''t I ask you to go into, temptation wise.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll do it, as long as you help me come up with a list.¡±
¡°Quality control in a Chocolate factory.¡±
¡°I''ve heard that''s not as tempting as it sounds after the first few days. And after a few weeks you don''t like chocolate any more.¡±
¡°I''ve heard the same thing. But...¡±
¡°You''d like to try and get sick of chocolate, John? Really?¡±
¡°No. Not really. Anyway, I''ve got you to kiss. Kissing you is far nicer than chocolate.¡±
¡°What, you''ve kissed chocolate? You''re weird.¡±
¡°Thus speaks the woman who kisses radiators?¡±
¡°I never did!¡± Sarah protested.
¡°Just my leg.¡± John pointed out.
¡°Not the same at all.¡±
¡°No. And I''ve never kissed chocolate, by the way.¡±
Thursday 28th December, noon, Blackwood area
William watched his class, calling instructions and encouragements to them. It had started small, with just Karen and George on Tuesday, but by the end of that lesson he had a queue of five new would-be customers, so he''d given them their first lesson on Tuesday afternoon and had taught seven yesterday on Wednesday morning. By lunch time, he''d got a message from the office that there''d been queries from another five campers, and a few locals had not only rung and asked when the lessons were, but had turned up too, and he had another five probable-students starting at two. It finally looked like one of his plans was working ¡ª and the students were doing well, all of them. He shouted a few more encouragements.
He saw from the corner of his eye that someone was coming down the slope, from the ridge. More advertising for the ski-hire, that was nice. There was something familiar about the patterns on their ski-suit. He turned his attention back to his class, just in time. ¡°Remember, lean forwards to slow down, not back, and keep your toes together!¡±
He checked his wrist-unit. They''d ought to take a break when they got to the bottom, and then there''d be time for another two runs before lunch.
He heard someone coming to a stop behind him. ¡°Hi William!¡±
¡°Susan! Hi! What a surprise!¡±
¡°I know you''re busy, just thought I''d say hi.¡±
¡°We''re about to take a break, but yeah, I do need to pay attention.¡± He called ¡°If you''re comfortable at that speed, Karen, try just a little faster, George too!¡±
¡°What if I''m not comfortable?¡± George asked.
¡°With the speed? Don''t speed up.¡±
¡°I was more thinking about my legs.¡±
¡°Fifteen minute break when we get to the bottom.¡±
¡°Speed up, Karen!¡± George urged, with a grin.
¡°Not too fast. Safe easy stages, remember.¡± William corrected.
William called the promised halt when they got to the bottom, and looked around for Susan. He saw next to the ski-lift''s winch, and skied towards her.
¡°I think I recognise this behemoth from your barn, it is yours?¡± she asked, looking at the mechanism.
¡°It used to be.¡±
¡°You''ve sold it?¡±
¡°No, it''s my investment into Blackwood Cableways, a little company which owns this, the bits between here and the top, rights to use the land, an awful lot of grease and five kilometres of high quality cable.¡±
¡°The grease is for the cable?¡±
¡°And the mechanical bits and pieces.¡±
¡°And you own a percentage of the company, I presume?¡±
¡°I do. Forty nine percent. Which isn''t bad considering how much that cable will cost.¡±
¡°And the other owner or owners?¡±
¡°The other fifty one percent is owned by Carbon-carbon land management, who also own the cabins and this half of the mountain.¡±
¡°That''s handy.¡±
¡°So''s the fact that the cable and fitters should arrive tomorrow, and the fact that with this many students paying me for lessons I''m going to be able to make my bank manager a happy man.¡±
¡°And what about you, William, are you happy?¡±
¡°It''s all finally working, Susan. Yes, I am.¡±
¡°I''m glad.¡± she said, but didn''t really sound it.
¡°So, what brings you up here?¡±
¡°Skiing, better company than anyone else I can think of at the moment.¡±
¡°Oh? Who''s the company?¡±
¡°You.¡±
William did a double take. Susan was nice, Susan was a friend, Susan was pretty, but Susan was engaged, or so he thought. She had been as long as he''d known her. ¡°Urm, Susan, what happened to Aaron?¡±
¡°It was sort of a joint decision, we''ve broken up. Well, I dumped him and he was understanding. It just wasn''t going anywhere.¡±
¡°You were engaged, weren''t you?¡±
¡°Not... officially. We''d done a lot of talking about marriage, but he never actually asked me. I was wondering why not, and asked him on Christmas eve.¡±
¡°You asked him why, or you asked him to marry you?¡±
¡°I asked him why. It turns out he had been keeping a little secret from me.¡±
¡°Oh? Anything you can share?¡±
¡°Oh, I''ll share it, all right. You know how he likes to gamble?¡±
¡°Yes. Not some gambling debt?¡±
¡°Worse. Can you believe it, he made some enormous bet with someone that he won''t marry until he''s forty. He bet his house, and pretty much everything on this bet. If he wins then he gets a million or two. It''s all in escrow or something already, which explains why he won''t move either. But it''s another six years before he''s forty. We''ve been going out for six years already, and he never even hinted at it. I thought I knew him really well, but it feels like I don''t know him at all, now. He''s not going to back out of his bet, I''m not going to wait another six years. Happy Christmas, your almost-fianc¨¦ has gambled away your future.¡±
¡°Oh Susan, I''m sorry!¡±
¡°So, since everyone else I could think of was married or engaged, and that was just a bit painful, and I know you''ve had a lot of tough knocks, I thought I''d come and cry on your shoulder, if that''s OK.¡±
¡°That''s fine, Susan. My shoulder''s always available to you.¡±
¡°Thank-you, William, I''ll hold you to that.¡±
¡°Did you mean that literally, or metaphorically?¡± She didn''t seem like she was going to burst into tears at the moment.
¡°Both, but I''m OK for now. Maybe later. What''s your schedule?¡±
¡°This class ends about twelve forty-five, and I''ve got another class starting at two. Then I''m teaching until about four.¡±
¡°Want some unpaid teaching assistance?¡±
¡°I''ll swap you meals for assistance. How''s that?¡±
¡°Very all right.¡±
¡°Not for this class, I''ll introduce you to the two o''clock class, if that''s OK?¡±
¡°Fine.¡±
¡°How long are you staying?¡±
¡°A week. Then I''m back to work and don''t need to spend too long in my flat.¡±
¡°Too many memories?¡±
¡°That too. And... too many opportunities.¡± the way she said it, they didn''t sound healthy to him.
¡°To do what, Susan?¡±
¡°I''m on almost the top floor, I''ve got a balcony. The last few evenings, I''ve felt like stepping into the sunset, you know?¡±
¡°Oh Susan! Don''t do that!¡±
¡°I''ve wasted the last six years, William. Who''s going to give that time back?¡±
¡°No one, but I don''t think you''ve wasted them. You''ve made other friends, you''ve got all of us. You could say the same about my plans ¡ª they''ve all come to nothing too, except this one, now.¡±
¡°Yes, OK, but still...¡±
¡°Susan, we''ve never talked much about faith, have we?¡±
¡°No. It''s not my favorite topic.¡±
¡°It helps, you know, when plans fall apart. Why don''t you like talking about it?¡±
¡°Guilty feelings.¡±
¡°What were you guilty about?¡±
¡°Do we have to?¡±
¡°Not if you don''t want to. But, we could talk about it as distraction therapy if you like.¡±
¡°Instead of talking doom and gloom we talk about judgement and death instead?¡±
¡°Christianity is about salvation and life, not judgement and death.¡±
¡°Ha! Read your Bible again, William.¡±
¡°What are you thinking about? Susan?¡±
¡°It is impossible once someone has been enlightened and done various things, I can''t remember exactly what, and then fall away to be brought back to repentance. They''ve crucified the Son of God again and put him to shame. There! That''s me.¡±
¡°Hebrews somewhere?¡±
¡°Probably.¡±
¡°And you think that''s you?¡±
¡°Isn''t it? I used to be a Christian, I turned my back on God, and he''s turned his back on me. I had my chance, I blew it.¡±
¡°I doubt it, or you wouldn''t feel guilty about it. I want you to consider two verses, Susan.¡±
¡°Go on.¡±
¡°''Nothing is impossible for God.'' and ''Nothing can separate us from the love of God, neither height nor depth, neither angels, demons, or anything else in all creation, neither past nor future'', Susan.¡±
¡°I think I remember it differently.¡± She said.
¡°I know, I always get the order wrong. But the point is, Susan, God loved you while you were still a sinner, He loved you when you turned to him, and he loves you now. If you''ve got a guilty conscience, then great that means you haven''t seared it and shut the door on God completely. He wants you back.¡±
¡°Are you sure?¡±
¡°Doing anything tonight? We can study the Bible together if you like.¡±
¡°I''d like that. But I think you need to get back to your students.¡±
¡°You''re right.¡±
As he polled his way up slope to the students, William''s thoughts were all about Susan. He''d thought he was just offering a couple of meals, with there being no chance of romance because she wasn''t a Christian. But he realised he''d just agreed to spend almost his whole week with her, including physical crying on his shoulder, and opening up to each other in whole new ways with the Bible study thing. She was hurting and she needed emotional support, obviously. But that much time together? When she was this wounded, and let''s face it, emotionally unstable and vulnerable. There was a phrase for that ¡ª catching her on the rebound. From what he knew of her, she was a good catch. If she hadn''t been so serious about Aaron, and hadn''t been acting the non-Christian, then he might have asked her out. But that wasn''t a motive to abuse her vulnerability. They''d have to talk about it.
Arriving at the group, he switched to instructor mode. ¡°Right, who''s feeling they''re ready to move onto the next stage?¡±
¡°Does that mean putting our feet up?¡± George quipped.
¡°No, it means putting your feet together.¡±
¡°You''re joking!¡± Karen said ¡°We''d go much too fast!¡±
¡°That depends what angle you are to the slope. Once we''ve got up the hill, then what we''re going to try now is turn a little bit further than you''ve been doing, and rather than turning back, put your skis together and coast a bit. We''ve got plenty of width. So, think of it as making our zig-zags wider. Then most of us will make the normal nice slow turns again, but if you want to try it, then towards the bottom you can try coming out of your turn a little earlier, and finishing it by leaning up-hill like this.¡± He showed them what he meant.
¡°Why at the bottom?¡± Jim, one of the villagers, asked.
¡°So if you accidentally get it wrong, there isn''t so much space to pick up speed.¡±
¡°Oh, that sounds sensible.¡±
¡°Right, all aboard then.¡± he indicated the tractor and trailer.
Before they left, Susan came up to him and asked ¡°William, will there be space for one more on the way up?¡±
¡°I''m up front, so I don''t really know. How was space in the back?¡±
¡°There''s space.¡± Karen said, wondering who this woman was, and whether she''d really been having a bit of a private cry since talking to William. It looked like it. ¡°Hi, I''m Karen.¡± then as they got into the trailer added quietly, ¡°Are you OK?¡±
¡°Mostly. I was just admiring the view and was thinking this would be a lovely spot for a honeymoon, then remembered I''m single now, not almost engaged.¡±
¡°You''ve split up recently?¡±
¡°Christmas Eve. Happy Christmas, your almost-fianc¨¦ of four years has just said he refuses to get married until you''re too old for children.¡±
¡°Ouch! That was William?¡±
¡°No, William''s a long-standing friend. Do I recognise you? You look familiar.¡±
¡°Urm... you might have seen George and me on the news, on Saturday. Our wedding, I''m afraid.¡±
¡°Oh, just my luck. I come up here to get away from happy couples and start having a heart to heart with the bride of the year.¡±
¡°You''re a long way from OK, aren''t you?¡±
¡°William''s offered me his shoulder to cry on. He''s trying to keep me sane.¡±
¡°Is it working?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I only found him just now.¡±
¡°You came up here, just hoping to find him, though?¡±
¡°Yes. It seemed like a better option than stepping off my balcony.¡±
¡°I''d say so. You''re not planning on doing anything silly here I hope.¡±
¡°Not like that, no. At least, I hope not.¡±
¡°You don''t mind if I pray for you, do you?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Please do. William has just denied something I was taught when I was younger. I''d... really like to know the truth.¡±
¡°What was that?¡±
¡°That there''s no sacrifice left for someone who loses their faith.¡±
¡°Oh. And you have?¡±
¡°I''ve been almost engaged to a non-believer for the last four years, and have hardly given God a thought since he walked into my life. Whenever someone mentioned faith I get a big guilty feeling that I''d blown my chances.¡±
¡°And now?¡±
¡°Now, I''m hoping maybe I haven''t.¡±
¡°If you''re feeling God calling you back, then you haven''t.¡±
¡°And if it''s just wishful thinking?¡±
¡°What, as in wishing that you might be able to repent?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Then do it, woman!¡± Karen said ¡°God wants you to be saved.¡±
¡°How do you know?¡±
¡°I read it in my Bible. I can''t remember the reference, I guess a letter. Something about God not wanting anyone to perish, but that everyone should repent.¡±
¡°You think He really wants me back?¡±
¡°Do you remember the story of the prodigal son.¡±
¡°But I was a Christian, and I turned my back on God. Why should he still want me?¡±
¡°Love, vast as an ocean, loving kindness like a flood.¡± Karen quoted.
¡°The prince of life, my ransom, shed for me his precious blood, and I treated it like something unclean.¡± Susan pointed out in reply.
¡°Another hymn: The patient love of the Lord never ceases.¡±
Susan recognised it, vaguely, and hummed a bit. ¡°How does it go on?¡±
¡°Great is your faithfulness, Oh Lord. Great is your faithfulness.¡±
¡°But mine wasn''t, Hebrews still says I''ve had it. I deliberately sinned.¡±
¡°We''re almost where we get off, so a last things for you to think of: David and Bathsheba. Peter''s denials of Jesus, Psalm 51.¡±
¡°All pre-resurrection, not convincing.¡±
¡°Are you determined that you ought to be damned?¡±
Stolen novel; please report.
¡°No! I just want to be convinced I''m not.¡±
¡°Maybe you need to step out in faith.¡± Karen said.
¡°I guess I just don''t know if I''ve got that much faith left.¡± Susan replied.
¡°We''ll pray for you.¡± Karen said, as the tractor stopped and they got out. ¡°What''s your name?¡±
¡°Oh! Sorry. I''m Susan. Thank you.¡±
¡°What for?¡±
¡°Trying.¡±
¡°Susan, if William can''t convince you, come and talk, OK?¡±
¡°What, and interrupt you two in your honeymoon love-nest?¡±
¡°Afternoons are revision time. No romance, I guarantee it.¡± George said. ¡°We''re at Restoration uni. They''ve brought the finals forward so they can get them marked before the impact.¡±
¡°That''s tough on you. You don''t need me interrupting then. I''m not worth it.¡±
¡°I couldn''t help overhearing what you were saying to Karen, Susan. You bear the image of God, you''re worth it.¡± George said, ¡°And as for what you were taught... It''s something the church has debated since very early on. The church is full of people who fight battles with sin, and sometimes they fail, they repent and God forgives, because Christ''s blood is sufficient. If you claim that Christians must never sin and can''t be forgiven when they do, then you''re denying a lot of scripture, and adding conditions to the gospel. Paul talks about not doing that in Galatians. Don''t believe the devil''s distortion of Scripture.¡±
¡°Let''s not keep everyone waiting, please George, Karen.¡± William called, realising that they hadn''t followed. They said their hasty goodbyes and started off.
¡°What about that passage in Hebrews?¡± Susan asked, training after them, plaintively.
¡°Balance Scripture with Scripture.¡± George called over his shoulder.
Susan wasn''t really feeling like skiing at that point, so she headed back to the tractor''s driver. ¡°Can you take me up to the top please?¡±
¡°You''re planning to ski the whole way down, then, miss?¡±
¡°Not to start with. I need some time to think, and was going to go back to my cabin.¡±
¡°That''s a long way for a bit of quiet. Why not go to the library? It''s warm, quiet, and just on the left there, with the red roof. I don''t think they''d mind you putting your skis into their umbrella stand. It''s big enough.¡±
¡°Oh! Thank you. Yes, that''s much nearer. That''ll save me some effort.¡±
¡°My pleasure! It saves me fuel too!¡±
Susan judged it would only take ten minutes to get to the library, and she had until two to do some reading, find some food and get to wherever William was meeting the class. That looked far more possible than via her cabin. She sped off, thinking the library ought to have a much better screen for her to read than just what her wrist unit could offer. William noticed Susan heading down the hill, at high speed. She was certainly a good skier. It would be good to have another expert, even if only to demonstrate things, help put people in their skis, and also help pick people up. The two p.m. group would be a good size, and were self-confessed beginners, there would probably be quite a few falls before the lesson was over. ¡°Remember, you''re putting your weight on the left foot to turn right, but not leaning left, Jim! Don''t get into bad habits!¡±
1.50pm, Blackwood area
¡°Hi Susan, I thought you might be joining me for instant noodles.¡±
¡°What? You were planning to feed me before I worked?¡±
¡°Why not? Like I said, it would only have been instant noodles.¡±
¡°I was in the library. George said something useful, by the way.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Yes. My theology was bad.¡±
¡°I knew that.¡±
¡°Yes. But he pointed me in the right direction, rather than just saying ''believe me''. I wanted to, but...¡±
¡°Oh. So you''ve been doing some personal Bible study?¡±
¡°And looking at some early Christian writings ¡ª in summary, I hasten to add.¡±
¡°Did you eat anything?¡±
¡°Yes, I found your local sandwich bar.¡±
¡°That''s good. I wouldn''t want you fainting from hunger.¡±
¡°I hope you''re not offering me instant noodles for this evening''s meal.¡±
¡°No, I wasn''t. Would you like me to cook, or something in town?¡±
¡°Decisions, decisions... Would you like to cook?¡±
¡°Yes, I would. I''d also like to make something clear, Susan.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I''m expecting we''re going to spend a lot of time together this coming week.¡±
¡°I knew that much.¡±
¡°I just thought it was worth saying that that''s because you''re a friend in need, not because of any romantic urges.¡±
¡°You''re saying you''re not interested in dating me, no matter how much I feel like you''re the only port in my storm, and you''re trying to warn me I shouldn''t fall in love with you?¡±
¡°Urm, yes. You know, ''rebound'' doesn''t make a good basis for a romance, nor does counselling.¡±
¡°We both know that. Why does it need saying?¡±
¡°Because the thought was there.¡±
¡°I''m not sure I get it.¡±
¡°That''s OK.¡±
¡°Hold, on, William, are you saying that you are interested in dating me?¡± Susan asked.
¡°I think I''m saying that you''re a friend, I don''t want you hurt, I''m not planning to take advantage of your feelings of loneliness.¡±
¡°You are, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Susan, you''re a friend, we''re both single, I''ve not made any vows of life-long celibacy, you''re attractive, you''re nice. I''m not going to take anything you say about your feelings in the next week as binding.¡±
¡°Ah, so I need to make my protestations of undying love in eight days, do I?¡±
Susan said, teasingly ¡°William, you are my only port in the storm. Thank you for saying you want to be a safe port for me. It''s very very sweet. Totally misguided to say it, though.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because you''ve sown a seed of hope which is going to wrap you up and carry you to the altar, my friend.¡±
¡°That was poetic. It''s a good thing I''m not taking your emotional promises seriously, or I''d run a mile.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because I''m not ready to make a life-long commitment to you, Susan, or to anyone else.¡±
¡°You mean I''ll need to wait six years for you too?¡±
¡°No. I mean that I want you over Aaron before I think about asking you out.¡±
¡°Aaron''s history.¡±
¡°You''ve said. But what if he called you back and said ''let''s get married this weekend, I don''t mind being a pauper if it means being with you.'' Would he be future too?¡±
¡°Urm....¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°It would be very difficult. But, I hope I''d tell him get saved first. I''m not right with God yet, but I know that''s the right answer.¡±
William felt like kissing her there and then, but felt it would be entirely inappropriate. Especially since the students were coming. ¡°Students coming. Have you taught before?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll do the teaching, if you can just help them put on their skis, help pick them up, that sort of thing?¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
¡°What about demonstrate snow-plough skiing?¡±
¡°That''s cruel! My poor leg muscles!¡±
¡°Please try, otherwise they''ll try to copy you too soon.¡±
¡°I can try. It''s been years since I''ve used it much.¡±
¡°I guessed. So, I''m going to introduce you as a prospective assistant instructor, OK? Seeing if you can cope with it.¡±
¡°You cruel man. You''re not even going to admit we''re friends?¡±
¡°Of course I am. I''m going to say this is my friend Susan, she''s hoping that it''ll get her a free ski-pass on the lift if she signs up as my assistant instructor.¡±
¡°Would it?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. I''ll have to ask. It ought to.¡±
¡°It sounds like a good deal.¡±
Thursday, 28th December, early afternoon.
Quentin knew that his lady-love was likely to be going to the shops, spending some of her Christmas money on more beautiful clothes. So, he''d been waiting, sitting on the bench and slowly freezing. He was eating the crisps from the packet in front of him, very very slowly, and watching out for her. He didn''t really like this flavour, but he knew she did. If he saw her, then he''d take the plunge. Ask her if she wanted some crisps, would like to sit a bit and chat. And... ask her for a date, if he cold pluck up the courage. There!, there she was! Quentin clutched the love poem he''d written, and had in his pocket. He probably wouldn''t be brave enough to actually give it to her, but... maybe.
He watched her turn her head, looking behind her, with her gorgeous smile, and his heart froze. She reached out and grabbed the hand of a boy behind her. Quentin didn''t recognised him, but she obviously did. He saw, in minute detail, how with intertwined fingers, she twisted and wrapped his arm around her waist and then kissed Quentin''s rival, driving the knife deeper into Quentin''s heart. He felt the chill in his arms and legs as his plans fell apart in ruins. Quentin boiled with a mix of frustration and rage and disappointment, but his rival was taller than him, and looked like a rugby player to Quentin. Quentin wasn''t going to start a fight; he was a fast swimmer, a poet and a lover of languages, not a fighter. And the other guy had obviously got in first and won.
Quentin got up, threw the crisps away, and trudged home. He didn''t cry. He''d got enough self control to wait until he was home for that.
Thursday 28th December, evening
¡°Thank you for the meal, William. If you can make that in this kitchen, then I think you''re a good cook.¡±
¡°I''ve been self-catering a long time.¡± he said dismissively.
¡°William, you''re a good catch for someone. You''re kind, you''re well off, or at least used to be, you''ve still got a nice house. Why haven''t you ever married. I''d have thought girls would be throwing themselves at your feet.¡±
¡°That''s part of it.¡±
¡°I don''t understand.¡±
¡°I''m not interested in someone marrying me for money, Susan. That''d be a disaster. I mean, my business deals haven''t exactly been a resounding success, have they? Nor did I see much future in someone who was interested in marrying me for my house, since I had a contingency plan that if I really failed in anything else, then I''d sell up and lock the money away in some kind of fifty year annuity or something so I wouldn''t lose that last bit of my inheritance. I... I didn''t quite have the courage to follow through.¡±
¡°And you were never interested in anyone?¡±
¡°Never anyone who threw themselves at me, no. I had hopes... it didn''t work out.¡±
¡°Anyone I know?¡±
¡°I was hoping that things might work out with Gwen, we even dated a couple of times.¡±
¡°Oh, William, I didn''t know.¡±
¡°So... you might be safer staying away from me. So far, every business venture I''ve been in has failed, and the only woman I''ve dated has died a sudden death.¡±
¡°I didn''t think Christians were supposed to believe in bad luck.¡±
¡°I don''t.¡±
¡°Then what?¡±
¡°Maybe I still need to learn something, I don''t know. I wouldn''t want you to get caught up in my education, Susan.¡±
Susan decided to go back to the earlier subject. ¡°You''re not interested in women who throw themselves at you, but aren''t I throwing myself at you? Coming up here and blackmailing you into spending time with me with my tales of contemplated suicide?¡±
¡°I know you''re not after my money. That makes a difference. Is that really how you think of it? Emotional blackmail?¡±
¡°Not really, I just was pretty sure you''d be your reliable selfless self. I didn''t expect you''d start thinking romance quite so soon. But then you''re feeling the first rush of business success, aren''t you?¡± Susan asked.
¡°I guess that''s part of it too.¡±
¡°So, we''re both emotionally unfit to make life-long decisions.¡±
¡°That''s true. Do you want to do some Bible study, or shall I walk you to your cabin?¡±
¡°Why would you do that?¡±
¡°Urm, because I want to?¡±
¡°But you''re not interested in romance.¡±
¡°I''m much more interested in knowing you''re safe.¡±
¡°Oh, OK, not romantic at all, then.¡± she said, with gentle sarcasm ¡°And you''d want to walk me home however long I stayed, wouldn''t you?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°I do have some questions about what I read today.¡±
¡°Ask away.¡±
Friday, 29th December.
¡°Quentin, what are you doing?¡± His mother asked, having seen him take a second well-sealed rubbish bag downstairs and out to the bin.
¡°Having a clear up.¡± he said, not admitting what he was clearing up. He had a nagging feeling that maybe his lady-love had been denied him as punishment for all the times he''d given in to temptation. So, stage one to having less of a struggle with temptation was clearing away the incriminating and tempting ¡ª oh how tempting ¡ª rubbish. Why had he collected the pictures? It was a stupid thing to do.
¡°That''s nice, dear.¡± his mother said, ¡°But what brought that on?¡±
¡°Nothing.¡± Nothing except guilty feelings anyway.
¡°What sort of nothing? Did you see her yesterday?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± he admitted. He didn''t want to share his pain.
¡°And?¡±
¡°Nothing.¡± Nothing worth reporting.
¡°You just watched her go past?¡± pressed his mother. It was too much, the dam broke.
¡°I just watched her kiss someone.¡± he said, letting his bitterness out.
¡°Oh, Quentin!¡± his mother exclaimed, wanting to comfort her son, but fairly sure he wouldn''t want it.
¡°I''m OK.¡±
¡°Maybe God''s got someone better for you. You''re still very young.¡±
¡°I''m seventeen, Mum.¡±
¡°I know. That gives you plenty of time. You don''t need to have lots of girlfriends before you find the right girl. I know I never wanted to have someone else''s reject.¡±
¡°Oh, thanks mum! I''m a reject now, am I?¡±
¡°No, Quentin. But if you''d gone out with her and she''d broken it off, then that would hurt you more than this. This was a missed opportunity, or maybe God was saving you from something or for someone, I don''t know. But having your love accepted and then rejected? That would hurt you far deeper. I don''t want you hurt.¡±
Quentin went back to his room without a word. God might have been saving him, not punishing? Well, he supposed he didn''t actually know she was a Christian. He hadn''t even thought of that. Brain, where were you? So... had it been love, or just lust like he''d heard Rhi thinking. It was so hard to tell! He mused it over in his brain as he continued in his cleaning up. How do you tell the difference? He could tell that was a rotten apple core. Yuck. He looked around his room; it was still a pig-sty. And his mind was probably worse in God''s sight. [Oh, God. Forgive me, and make me clean!]
Saturday, 30th December, noon.
After they''d drawn their second match, Quentin''s team had an hour''s break. It was a demanding schedule, and he was hungry. He looked around for Rhianna, who''d said she''d come so that she could make her planned New Year''s resolution with a clear conscience. He wasn''t quite sure what that meant, though he suspected that she was planning to resolve never to come to watch him play again. In any case, she was looking after their food. He didn''t expect her to be in the crowded front rows of the tiered seats, of course, but finally he spotted her to his left, up in the top row of seats right in the furthest corner. Rhianna was deep in conversation with some strange girl. Correction, some unknown, attractive girl. He wondered who she was. Something about her looked familiar. As he got nearer, he mentally catalogued her clothes, her hair, her looks. She was clearly older than Rhianna. Maybe his age, or a bit younger? He had plenty of time to take it all in and he liked what he saw. Perhaps there was a silver lining to the aching hole in his heart? This girl was prettier than her, and it looked like he''d have to talk to her. And she to him. Wow!
¡°Hi, Quentin, meet May!¡± Rhianna said as he got closer. ¡°May, this is my big brother, call him Q.Q, and he''ll be your slave for life, well maybe.¡±
¡°Hi Q.Q I don''t think I need a slave. Maybe a friend.¡± May said, offering her hand to shake.
Quentin, wanting to make a good impression, shook her hand and said ¡°Hello, May, you''re sure you''re not called Venus? Friendship''s an attractive prospect¡± and as he said it he cherished a wicked little thought that her cleavage was probably a very attractive prospect under her clothes, and it would be really nice to be friends with it.
May got the whole thought, including the image that came to his mind. Was this what Karen had talked about? Yuck! And she''d been feeding those thoughts! Thanks to practice with Mama Ng, her reply was instant. [So''s this one. {image}] She''d pictured him falling slap onto his face into a pile of dog mess. Full of fury at herself as well as him, she then thought at him [Shame on you, boy! Keep your disgusting thoughts to yourself. I''m not anyone''s sex-toy, or the goddess of stupid decisions.] Her conversation with Deborah came back and she added [I''m a servant of the living God, and He''s going to cast thoughts like that into hell where they belong. You going to go with them?]
Quentin realised that she''d obviously heard his thoughts and seen the image too. He wanted the ground to open under him. [I didn''t...] he managed before the ground did, metaphorically. He tripped over his own feet as he tried to step away from her fury. From all the swimming, his arms and legs were tired, and he didn''t manage to recover. The tier of seats in front, firmly bolted in place, did nothing to help either. He ended up with his face pressed against the chewing gum on a seat-back of the row of chairs in front, his left arm, up almost to his shoulder, was poking through the gap between two seat-backs, and his right fore-arm was painfully wedged down between the concrete tier and the seat his face was squashed against.
¡°What happened?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°Instant justice.¡± Quentin said. ¡°Sorry, May. I didn''t know you''d hear. Or see.¡±
¡°And that excuses it?¡± May asked, pointedly, though still ashamed at her past behaviour.
¡°No. I know I''m slime.¡± he tried to move, but found he had no leverage. ¡°And I''m stuck, too.¡±
¡°Come on Rhi, let''s get the slime back on his feet. Your first real test.¡± May said.
¡°You''re sure?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°Why not? Q.Q, see what you get from your sister.¡±
Rhianna hid in the mud and pulled at her brother''s left arm.
¡°Ow. My elbow doesn''t bend that way!¡±
May stepped around him and looked at his right arm. She saw some blood. It wasn''t gushing, but it was worse than a graze. ¡°Can you move your fingers?¡±
¡°That bad?¡± he asked, realising that the pain in his arm wasn''t just the pressure. They waggled appropriately.
¡°Just checking. You''re bleeding, not much, but I don''t know where from.¡±
¡°Just get me out of here, can you?¡±
¡°You don''t want me to call help?¡±
¡°I''ll scream if I do, OK?¡± It had sounded funny to him before he said it.
¡°So, what do you want us to do?¡± Rhianna asked, ¡°Just pull?¡±
¡°Not in any old direction, no.¡±
¡°I''m guessing that you ought to get your bottom hand out first.¡± May said, analysing the situation. ¡°Hold on, I''ll try and take your weight on my knees.¡± She squatted down and put her knees under him, levering them up to take his weight. ¡°How''s that?¡±
¡°Much more comfortable on my arm, thank you, and probably highly embarrassing.¡± he said.
¡°Well, let''s just get Rhianna to take some photographs then.¡± May joked, still worried about his arm. ¡°Can you get your arm free?¡±
¡°I think so. Ow. Maybe.¡±
¡°Don''t do any more damage. The chair probably comes off.¡±
¡°I''ll try. You can''t push on the seat a bit more, can you? It''s got a bit of give, I think.¡±
¡°I''ll go down and try to pull.¡± Rhianna said.
¡°I bet this is the fastest you''ve ever ended up lying in a girl''s lap.¡± May said.
¡°Only time. I really didn''t want to think those things to you.¡±
¡°Just to yourself?¡±
¡°Not really to me either. Temptation, you know? I''m not good at resisting, but after I give in, then I feel terrible.¡±
¡°And you really think I look like some armless statue made to commemorate the Roman goddess of stupid decisions and ruined lives?¡±
¡°No. I think you look really really beautiful, beautiful enough for mortal man to confuse you with aforementioned goddess of beauty.¡±
¡°So what''s this going to do to you?¡± May asked. Glad that he couldn''t see quite how close her chest was to the back of his head.
¡°Depends what my arm''s like. Probably give me the afternoon off, if the cut''s bad enough.¡± He deliberately misinterpreted her statement. Better not the think of the real answer.
¡°Where are your parents?¡± wondering if she could pass this duty on to someone else.
¡°Shopping.¡± he said. Not sure if he wanted them to witness his predicament, but wishing that they were here to get him out of it at the same time.
Rhianna finished working her way along the end of the row. ¡°So, shall I put my arm beside yours and see if I can pull the seat?¡±
¡°Yes, please. How come I''m not hearing anything from either of you?¡±
¡°Rhianna''s practicing hiding her thoughts. I''ve been teaching her. Only Rhianna, you should probably think about getting out now.¡±
¡°It''s sticky!¡± she said surprised. ¡°There, I''m out.¡±
¡°You were hidden quite a while. Any longer and you''ll have to use the ball trick.¡±
¡°You''re still hidden though?¡±
¡°Well, wouldn''t you be, in this position?¡± May asked.
¡°Urm, yes. Preferably from sight too. Ready, Quentin? One two three, now!¡±
His arm came free, and as it did May saw that something, maybe a screw-head, had cut a five or six centimetre long gash in his skin.
¡°Ow.¡± Quentin said seeing his wound.
¡°How do you want to do the next arm?¡± May asked.
¡°I''ll try and kneel if that''s OK.¡± He moved his head away from the gum and bumped into some part of May. If May had been listening, she''d have heard him decide he didn''t want to know which, but she noticed him flinch away. Maybe he was struggling against temptation after all.
¡°Just let me get out of the way.¡± she said.
¡°Just think of it as a game of twister.¡± Rhianna suggested.
¡°I didn''t know twister was a blood sport.¡± Quentin replied.
¡°OK, Q.Q. You''re relatively safe to move now.¡±
¡°Relatively?¡±
¡°Don''t ask.¡± May said.
¡°Do you have a boyfriend? I''m just thinking I don''t want any more injuries.¡±
¡°Not that you''re thinking you''d like to ask me out?¡± May challenged.
¡°Well, I would, but...¡±
¡°I have no boyfriend, and in the interests of keeping my employer and my mum happy, I''m having a rest from the species for the moment.¡±
¡°Your employer?¡±
¡°I''ll tell you when you''re not lying all over me.¡± May said, thinking it would be nice to get out from underneath him, and be nice to un-hide. And nice to know if he might possibly be ''one of the good ones'' that Karen had talked about.
¡°Oh, sorry.¡± He wriggled and managed to get his knees underneath him, and then got his arm out from between the seat backs. He looked again at his wound.
¡°It''s not very deep.¡± he concluded.
¡°Good. Now, let me get myself out of the mud please.¡± May said, moving away completely. She closed her eyes, and concentrated on being a shiny non-stick ball.
¡°What mud?¡± Quentin asked, looking around at the floor.
¡°If you hide your thoughts too long, you get stuck, and it feels like you''re in mud or treacle. It almost trapped me, and it''s got hold of May properly, I guess.¡±
¡°And I don''t want to lose my power. But I''m out now, praise God. The mud wasn''t very deep. But your arm is still dripping, Q.Q. At the very least, wash it, and keep it over your head. You''re making a mess.¡±
Rhianna told him, ¡°I think you should take it to your coach, see what he says.¡±
¡°We didn''t come by coach.¡± he tried to joke, ¡°Don''t I get a sandwich first, Rhi, please! I''m starving.¡±
¡°Let''s go with him, May, his brains have turned to mush again.¡± Rhianna pretended not to get it. It was petty, but well, he was her brother.
¡°Does it happen often?¡± May asked, curiously, playing along.
¡°Only when he''s hungry, tired, or just met someone pretty.¡±
¡°Oh. We''d better feed him, then, it can''t be either of the other two. I mean, he''s only played two matches so far. Open your mouth, Quentin, Rhianna''s got some nice food for you!¡± she teased.
¡°All right, I''m going to see the coach!¡± he said, snatching the sandwich before Rhianna could feed it to him.
¡°What on earth happened to you?¡± the coach asked, seeing Quentin''s arm.
¡°I tripped, my arm went down behind the chair. Rhi and her friend got me out.¡±
¡°Well, you certainly can''t play with that. I''ve got some spray-skin, but that needs an hour to set. I think you should just sit out the next game, Q.Q. You''ve had two games already. Jimbo can play your position, he''s only been in one so far.¡±
¡°So I''d be in the final if we get that far?¡±
¡°Let me see it better.¡± The coach had a closer look. ¡°Was this from the concrete or the chair?¡±
¡°The chair.¡± May supplied.
¡°I thought so, I''d guess it was a loose screw-head. It''s left quite a flap. Spray skin probably isn''t going to hold it well enough. Sorry, Q.Q. Are your parent''s here?¡±
¡°No, they went shopping.¡±
¡°Well, get changed, lad. No more swimming for you today. It looks pretty clean, but go and spray some of this on it, can you? It''s just a cleaning solution, but it does a better job than tap water.¡±
¡°Yes, coach.¡±
¡°And watch where you put your feet.¡±
¡°Yes, coach.¡±
¡°And Q.Q?¡±
¡°Yes, coach?¡±
¡°Don''t blame yourself if we lose. They''re good. Very good.¡±
¡°I''d seen that sir. Better than us, I think.¡±
¡°Defeatists, the lot of you. That''s half your trouble.¡±
¡°Your trouble, surely coach.¡±
¡°No, my trouble is cheek, boy. Go on wash your wound and take your fan-club with you.¡±
¡°Hey! I''m not his fan, I''m his sister, I probably wouldn''t be here if I didn''t need to talk to May.¡± Rhianna protested.
¡°I''m local, so with Q.Q. playing here it was an easy way to meet up.¡± May explained.
¡°Well, Q.Q., it looks like you''re going to have to work on your public relations. You''ve got two pretty girls hanging around you and neither claims to be very interested in you or your play.¡±
Quentin decided that didn''t need a reply, but Rhianna did anyway.
¡°I think that''s what he was trying to do when he tripped.¡± Rhianna said, ¡°But you know, sir, he''s not good at walking and chewing gum at the same time, let alone introducing himself to a pretty girl.¡±
¡°Oh, our best defender was slain by your beauty was he?¡± the coach asked May, ¡°I hope you''ll at least stay around and cheer us on in that case.¡±
¡°I guess I could do that. I might need Q.Q. to try and explain the rules to me.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Quentin asked, brightening up. ¡°I''d be honoured.¡±
¡°Once you''ve stopped dripping blood.¡± she added.
The coach looked at May suspiciously, and then the whistle blew for the start of the game, and he had work to do. ¡°Scat, the three of you, I need to watch this game.¡±
Quentin headed in the direction of the wash-rooms with the spray, thinking. May seemed so familiar... and confident. Very very confident, almost like she had her entire life planned out before her, and it was the duty of the rest of the world to fit in. He wished he had firm plans beyond the end of exams. Was that what it was like to be royalty? Not to have to worry about what job you''d get or whether you''d get into university. Why had he thought of royalty? What was his subconscious saying? May certainly wasn''t Eliza Underwood, or that woman in Eliza''s dress. Oh! That that was where he''d seen May! She''d been one of the bridesmaids! He''d thought she was gorgeous then. And shame filled him about his response to her picture. That was a clear case of lust, certainly. Plus he''d lusted over her in person too. [Oh Lord, create in me a new heart!] he prayed.
He then realised she''d seen it but still suggested he explain the rules to her. That was... that was very encouraging. Even if she wasn''t going to accept a girlfriend-boyfriend relationship, perhaps she was open to a ''just friends'' sort of friendship. She''d said as much before hand. He''d like to have her as a friend, for now. And maybe later... Something attracted his attention and looking round he realised that he''d just walked straight past the wash rooms. Embarrassed, he ducked in.
While Quentin cleaned his wound, Rhianna asked ¡°Why did the coach look at you like that?¡±
¡°It might be because we beat your school last year in the girls'' match. I was in goal, I think he recognised me.¡±
¡°So, coach now thinks you''re interested in Quentin?¡±
¡°If so, then I guess I provided a bit of gossip to boost your brother''s ego. But in any case I''ve provided an excuse to sit next to him while I teach him hide his thoughts too.¡±
¡°Does his ego need a boost?¡±
¡°Well, the average boy doesn''t call himself slime. And me calling him slime when he''d just cut his arm open wasn''t exactly charitable.¡±
¡°You didn''t know.¡±
¡°No. But I didn''t check, either. And I did shock him into falling down.¡±
¡°What did happen?¡±
Touching Rhianna''s hand, May thought in gentle reproof [I''m a truth-sayer, not a gossip].
¡°Sorry. Oh. Here''s my brother.¡±
¡°So, lunch?¡± May suggested once they''d started walking.
¡°I guess so. No point starving.¡± Quentin said. ¡°May, you see the two goals? The point of the game is to get the ball in there. There''s six mobile players on each side, plus the goal-keeper...¡± He trailed off when he saw her shaking her head slightly.
May checked she wasn''t in anyone''s earshot and said, ¡°Sorry Q.Q. I misled your coach.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± he said. ¡°You''re not interested?¡±
¡°I play in goal for our school team. Your girls'' team didn''t score much last year.¡±
¡°You''re May Ng-gila?¡±
¡°Ngbila, yes.¡±
¡°Urm. Wow. We heard the coach talking about you for months. You''re famous!¡±
¡°Not very.¡± she said with a laugh.
¡°And it was you, last Saturday, wasn''t it? On the news?¡± he asked.
May shrugged. ¡°My Dad was preaching, and another of her bridesmaids had to drop out. Once in a lifetime... I did get to dance with prince Albert at the reception though, that was neat.¡±
¡°And now you''re making up excuses to my coach so you can talk to me?¡±
¡°Yes. You need to learn how to hide.¡±
¡°Hold on, you''re here because...¡± he caught her signal to stop again, ¡°urm... you were asked to be?¡±
¡°Yes. I was asked to see to your sister''s education, and since you''ve got the time, I might as well tell you too.¡±
¡°If it''s not rude to ask, I wondered since I first heard your name. What sort of name is Ngbila?¡±
¡°I might well ask the same about Quy.¡± May retorted.
¡°We''re not quite sure. There''s a village called Quy, just north of Cambridge, which apparently started off being called ''Cow Island'', but whether some ancestor came from there or the name is from that, or some other source, we don''t know. We do know we had relatives about seventy kilometres south of there, in the seventeen hundreds.¡±
¡°Cow Island?¡±
¡°I guess they kept cows there.¡± Quentin shrugged.
¡°Or it was cow-shaped.¡± Rhianna suggested with a giggle.
¡°Oh well, that''s almost as good a story as my name.¡±
¡°What''s your story?¡±
¡°I can''t remember how many generations ago, but back when it meant something, my grandmother was a chief''s only child. She went to university, fell in love, and wrote home to tell her parents about him. Her parents took one look at his name and said ''Sorry you''ll need to find someone else, no way is any daughter of ours marrying someone called an English name like ''Smith''. Our grandson is going to grow up to be a chief and will need to have a proper African sounding name, or no one is going to take him seriously. And they wouldn''t be budged on the issue.¡±
¡°So what happened?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°He changed his name and she wrote saying she now had a very good friend called Ngbila, and she thought he might ask her to marry him. Her parents wrote back saying wonderful, as long as she thought he was a good guy. So they got married. I don''t know what his parents thought of him changing his name, or if they were even still alive at the time. But, according to the story dad told me, her parents never knew it was the same guy.¡±
¡°So he just picked a name?¡± Quentin asked.
¡°Made it up, in fact.¡± May admitted.
¡°And the moral of the story is love conquers all?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°More like, don''t put too much store in names.¡± May responded.
¡°And did their son become a chief?¡±
¡°Not really. War broke out. There wasn''t much left of the tribe outside the immediate family.¡±
¡°Ouch.¡±
¡°Life can be tough. We''ve actually been a bit of a matriarchy since then anyway.¡±
¡°Urm... how does that work?¡±
¡°While my gran was alive... really well. She was real matriarch material. Now? Well, transitions of power are always tricky, she''s new to the job.¡±
¡°Do you mean you your mother? Or you?¡±
¡°No! I''m no one''s mother. Well, nor''s our new matriarch yet, but give it time I''m sure that''ll change. She''s learning too, poor thing.¡±
¡°I''m confused.¡± Quentin said.
¡°You''re supposed to be. Cultural differences are easy to spot, hard to understand.¡±
¡°Would you be prepared to educate me properly?¡± Quentin asked, thinking it would be a good route to a deeper friendship.
That took May''s breath away. Did he understand what he was asking? Probably not, it was quite a request. ¡°Q.Q, that very much depends.¡±
¡°On what?¡±
¡°On what the matriarch decides, of course!¡± May said with a grin. ¡°You''d need to pass interview. Let''s stick with friendship for a few years before you get that seriously involved, Q.Q.¡±
¡°Urm, May, what did I just ask?¡±
¡°You''ve just asked to join the clan.¡±
¡°What, to marry you?¡± he asked.
¡°Not necessarily.¡±
¡°I don''t understand.¡±
¡°No. You don''t. You''ve just asked to know me as well as my cousin, brother or husband. But you asked me to educate you. That does rather suggest you''re thinking of the latter. So... I''m going to have to tell my mum.¡±
¡°Even if I didn''t understand what I was asking?¡±
¡°Even then. You haven''t retracted your request, you notice.¡±
¡°Urm. No, I haven''t. Should I?¡±
¡°Entirely up to you. But I have to tell my mum.¡±
Rhianna had been watching and listening, ¡°May, I don''t quite understand, what''s going on. Has Quentin just proposed to you or not?¡±
¡°No. He hasn''t. That''d be much easier. I''d just say ''get lost, I hardly know you''. What he''s said is that he wants to get to know me, my family, my extended family, and maybe eventually be part of it. Since there''s no bar to marriage, and we know he thinks I''m the physical match to some pagan goddess of hormone-driven stupidity, and I presume those hormones are at least behind part of that request, then I need to tell my mum. She''s going to be thrilled, I expect.¡±
¡°I still don''t understand.¡±
¡°Your brother''s doing it right Rhi. I don''t know what prompted him to, but he is. He''s asking to get to know my family, and how it works. That''s not talking about asking me to fall in love with him, or about hormones. At root it''s asking for friendship. Maybe love will come, maybe it won''t. But that doesn''t matter.¡±
¡°It doesn''t?¡±
¡°Not if the friendship''s real.¡±
¡°So, if I wanted to understand you too?¡±
¡°Then you''d better be good at saying no, because I''ve got quite a lot of male cousins, and they will be so optimistic.¡±
¡°Any of them got the power?¡±
¡°Just one.¡±
¡°I think I can hold out then.¡±
¡°You haven''t met them yet. At least wait a while, Rhianna. You''re still young.¡±
¡°You''re not?¡±
¡°I''m not fair game for my cousins. If you joined the clan all unattached...¡±
¡°It''d be like her saying, ''I''m available, who''s going to woo me?''¡± Quentin suggested.
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°Then what about Quentin?¡± Rhianna challenged.
¡°If he does join the clan, and I let on I don''t want him, then he''d better have another girlfriend lined up already or my pretty cousins are probably going to swoop. Even then, actually.¡±
¡°Gulp.¡± Quentin said, not sure that he was quite ready to be fought over like a piece of meat.¡±
¡°But I''m not at all sure they''re Christians, in which case you''re OK.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°''Cause they won''t get past Sarah.¡±
¡°Sarah?¡±
¡°Our matriarch. Your dad''s cousin Myra talking to her is what got me sent to meet you.¡±
¡°Now wait a moment...¡± Rhianna said, ¡°Myra interviewed Sarah Williams, multi-millionaress, you''re saying she''s your matriarch?¡±
¡°Yep. And my employer. She''s cool. Still got a lot to learn about being matriarch, of course.¡±
¡°And she''d tell your cousins to let me alone if they''re not Christians but not if they are?¡±
¡°Well... it depends how convincing you are if they are but once I tell her she can tell them to back off, I know she will if they''ve got no faith.¡±
¡°How do you know?¡± Quentin asked.
¡°Because she takes God seriously.¡±
¡°And if they ignore her?¡± he pursued.
¡°You''ve got a lot to learn, that you even ask.¡± May said. ¡°Have a sandwich.¡±
¡°May, you''re the one Sarah talked about in the interview, aren''t you? I should have realised.¡± Rhianna said.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°You''re brave.¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°What''s this?¡± Quentin asked.
¡°May''s our country''s first employed truth-sayer. Eventually she''s probably going to be hob-nobbing with royalty as the founding member of the Chartered Institute of Truth-sayers or something.¡±
¡°I''m not sure what a truth-sayer is.¡±
¡°How about a demonstration?¡± Rhianna suggested.
¡°What, on Mr ignorant volunteer, here?¡±
¡°Yes. I''ve certainly got some questions I''d like to hear the answers to.¡±
May thought about it. So did she. ¡°Full disclosure and informed consent. This isn''t a game.¡±
¡°I don''t understand.¡± Quentin said, yet again.
¡°Quentin, I''d like to eat, but can we think together a bit? It''s faster.¡±
¡°If you think it''s wise. I mean... last time.¡±
¡°Keep your thoughts under control, and it ought to be.¡±
¡°I trust you.¡± he offered his right hand.
¡°Left''s better, unless you want to eat left handed?¡±
¡°Oh. OK.¡±
[OK. A truth-sayer''s sort of a human lie detector. Rhianna''s asked for a demonstration, I don''t think it''s a good idea, but what''d happen is I''d listen to your thoughts, and tell her if you''re lying. I wouldn''t tell her what you were thinking though. It isn''t my role to expose thoughts, only say if you''re telling lies.]
[But I''d hear your thoughts too.]
[Probably not. I''ve practiced with my Gran, I can listen really quietly.]
[Really?]
[.......]
[I don''t hear anything, you''re still listening, you haven''t hidden?]
[.......]
[I sort of feel your presence, but I can''t hear your thoughts. Is that what it''s like if you hide?]
Her presence vanished, and she shook her head. Then she came back.
[See? I don''t know how many other people can do it. Gran told me it was something I''d find useful, and I guess she was right. Hiding is a total cut-off ¡ª nothing in or out. What I was doing wouldn''t help with Rhianna''s pain.]
[Or mine, but you might. Oops out of control thought, sorry.]
[I''m sorry. This is about full disclosure, not chatting: OK: I will not reveal what I hear from your thoughts. Except if I learn you are planning or have committed a crime, in which case I will be free to act as any well-intentioned citizen would. I face extreme penalties if I break your confidentiality ¡ª loss of employment, confiscation of my personal wealth and a fine amounting to... I can''t remember but it''s enormous. Two years of my income, maybe? I am bound by these conditions any time I use my power, in accordance with my agreement to the ethics code of the I.H.M. as enforced by the I.H.M ethics committee, which my dad is on so I''m really in trouble if I break the rules. Soon these restrictions will be introduced into law too, by the way. If you consent to being interviewed by me as a truth-sayer, you allow me to reveal whether you lie or not. I am not required to be a passive party and may ask further questions, though I must formulate these so that in and of themselves they do not reveal what I have learned from your thoughts. Do you have questions?]
[You won''t tell of my lustful thoughts, then?]
[Not without your permission. I can''t say it won''t affect my feelings.]
[Knowing I''m a multiple-adulterer in my heart? I hate myself for it. I''m... I''m trying to stop.]
[I don''t think I''m the one to hear your confession.]
[Why not?]
[{embrrassment}I went off the rails when my gran died. Seeking attention, flirting. I didn''t realise it, but I guess... encouraging thoughts like yours. I''ve stopped.]
[How?]
[Someone told Sarah.]
[And that solved it?]
[Lots of tears later, and prayer and Biblestudy. I felt God had abandoned me, you know? That he didn''t care. Stupid thoughts. And now I''ve got this job, which specifies as point one that I have an impeccable moral character. Impossible without Jesus.]
[Pretty hard even with him.]
[Yes. Harder for boys.]
[You think so?]
[You''ve got more testosterone. So.... any more questions before Rhianna suspects that we''re having an intimate head to head conversation about our past sins?]
[We are.]
[I know. Like I said, I''m going to talk to my Mum, and Sarah.]
[But not tell her what I thought at you.]
[No. They''ll probably guess if I tell her how I reacted though.]
[What will they think about you, if you''re still having anything to do with me after knowing that?] His eyes drifted down from watching her face and focussed on her chest.
[I''ll have to ask them. By the way, I once heard someone saying in a sermon that noticing once is optics, looking twice is biology, looking a third time is lust. So, stop it!]
She quickly broke the link. ¡°Q.Q. You understand now what Rhianna''s asked for?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And what''s your response?¡±
¡°I have the right not to answer?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And you don''t mind if I try to trick you?¡±
¡°Absolutely not. I''ve never tried this with someone with the power. It''s going to be a challenge.¡±
¡°Then, OK.¡±
¡°Name?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°Quentin Quy.¡±
¡°Age?¡±
May heard [Seventeen, no let''s test May],
¡°Sixteen.¡±
¡°A lie¡± May said.
¡°What are you going to do with your life?¡±
[Get to know May. I can''t say that! Sorry May.] ¡°My mind''s gone blank.¡±
¡°Partial truth.¡± May said.
¡°What''s the real truth?¡±
¡°Mind your own business.¡± Quentin said.
¡°OK. What did you feel towards the girl you used to call you lady-love? Love or lust?¡±
[How should I know?] ¡°Dunno.¡±
Rhianna looked at May for confirmation. ¡°Truth.¡±
¡°Interesting. What do you feel towards May?¡±
[{Attraction, respect, awe, curiosity, desire} {Outrage}] ¡°How can you think to ask that when she''s listening in?¡±
¡°Sorry. What do you want to study at university?¡±
[May. Sorry, May!] ¡°Anthropology and human language.¡±
¡°Where?¡±
[Restoration, but it''s going to be flat. Where are you going to move to, May?]
[.....]
¡°Don''t know.¡±
¡°Partial truth.¡±
¡°Where did you want to study?¡±
[Applied to the capital, but I was glad I was rejected.] ¡°The capital.¡±
¡°Partial truth.¡± May said.
¡°Restoration.¡±
¡°Truth.¡±
¡°What''s so good about Restoration?¡±
[May''s there.]
[You''re infatuated. Stop it! Why did you want to go there before you met me?]
[{image}] ¡°The attractive campus.¡±
[Letcher] May accused, and said ¡°Lie¡±
¡°Interesting! What attracted you to Restoration?¡±
¡°The lecturers.¡±
¡°Closer.¡± May said with a smirk.
¡°All right. One attractive lecturer. Look, the courses were identical on paper, the campuses have their good and bad points. The lecturer we had at the capital was supposed to be a great expert but he seemed like a horrible piece of work, moaning under his breath that he had to come and talk to a bunch of idiots. The one at Restoration was pretty, interested in her subject, and really seemed to want us to catch her enthusiasm about it.¡±
¡°So why were you fibbing at first?¡±
¡°Just because.¡±
¡°Was it because her beauty was the main reason?¡±
[It just made the decision easier.] ¡°No.¡±
¡°Truth.¡± May said, then asked ¡°Which reason did you think of first when Rhianna asked?¡±
¡°Her appearance.¡± Quentin said with a sigh.
¡°Is it fair of Rhianna to keep on asking about your thought-life?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Why do you think she does it?¡±
¡°To embarrass me. She thinks I need embarrassing.¡±
¡°Would you like her to answer under these conditions?¡±
[Great idea!] ¡°Yes!¡±
¡°Is she legally competent to make that decision?¡±
[Bother.] ¡°No.¡±
¡°Here, around your class-mates, how do you feel about your sister?¡±
[{protective}] ¡°She''s an annoying little squirt.¡±
¡°Lie.¡± May said. ¡°Would you like her to fall in love with someone like you?¡±
[{horror}] ¡°No.¡±
¡°What would you like her future husband to be like?¡±
¡°Christian, self-controlled.¡±
¡°What would you like to be like?¡±
¡°Self-controlled.¡±
¡°Would you like her to fall in love with someone like you want to be?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Do you know anyone like that among your team?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Do you know anyone like that among your year group?¡±
He thought ¡°I don''t think so.¡±
¡°When should she start dating?¡±
¡°Not yet.¡±
¡°When should you start dating?¡±
[{awe, revelation}] ¡°When I''ve got some self-control.¡±
¡°Was this useful?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± [Thank you]
¡°What''s the difference between love and lust?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°Lust takes, love protects.¡±
¡°Which one best describes how you feel about May?¡± Rhianna asked.
May dropped her hand ¡°Rhianna, stop stirring. He''s just said he''s not going to date anyone until he''s learned self-control. You can exercise some too, you know? Right, end of the brother-grilling.¡±
¡°Just one more question, please.¡± Rhianna asked, hiding her thoughts.
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because I want you to hear the answer.¡±
¡°Why?¡± May probed again.
¡°Because confession is good for the soul.¡±
¡°Deliberately causing embarrassment isn''t though.¡±
¡°What do you want to ask, Rhianna?¡± Quentin asked, taking May''s hand, and enjoying the sensation.
¡°What''s under your bed?¡±
[Nothing now.] ¡°Carpet¡±
¡°Truth.¡± May said.
[She''s right. Can I confess?]
[Doesn''t take much guesswork. Dirty pictures?]
[Yes. I''m sorry.]
[That''s where the first image I saw from you came from?]
[Yes. Dirty, polluting pictures. I binned them.]
[Good first step.] May said. [Next step is not to replace them.]
[And to not wish they weren''t gone.]
[What''s the step after that?]
[Get to know you, the most beautiful girl I know as a person. Learn to see the ugliness in sin.]
[Flatterer.] ¡°Right, education time.¡±
¡°Yes miss.¡±
¡°Rhianna, since the best way to learn is to teach, you can be teacher.¡±
¡°Me?¡±
¡°Why not? You might need to teach someone else.¡±
¡°Urm. OK. Q, you need to think of the most embarrassing moment you could possibly think of, something like wetting the bed on a school trip, and imagine how you''d wish the ground would swallow you and no one would ever knew you existed. And very quietly make yourself sink down into the ground, so that you''re not there any more.¡±
It was easy to think of an embarrassing moment ¡ª like opening his lustful thoughts to May ¡ª sinking into the ground was easy. ¡°It''s quiet down here.¡± he said.
¡°Then as a test, you get to see how fast Rhianna''s reactions are without hearing your decision.¡± May said. ¡°But don''t punch her because it''ll probably connect.¡±
¡°I never connect, she''s too fast.¡±
¡°She won''t hear you. So you probably will.¡±
¡°So how do we test it?¡±
¡°You could try the hand slap-game.¡± May said. ¡°See how slow your reactions are without warning.¡±
¡°OK.¡± Rhianna agreed.
¡°I can''t hear her, and she can''t hear me?¡± Quentin checked.
¡°Exactly. One try each.¡±
¡°OK.¡± Quentin agreed, and put his hands finger to finger with Rhianna''s.
It didn''t take long. ¡°Ow! Where did that come from!¡± He asked his sister.
¡°See?¡± May asked ¡°You''ve probably got slower reactions than normals, by the way. They''re used to watching for muscle movements. You''re used to hearing the decision to strike. That''s a disadvantage.¡±
¡°OK. I believe you. I don''t need to hurt Rhianna. How do I get out?¡±
¡°Just float up to the surface. If it doesn''t work, you need to think of yourself as being in a nice shiny bubble, which is going to float up to the surface. And remember ¡ª you''re going to get very stuck if you hide for more than about twenty minutes, half an hour. Stay there an hour and you might not get out at all. Of course, if it''s that or torture, you''ll have to hope for a miracle.¡±
¡°Torture?¡±
¡°There are some bad guys out there, some of them can throw horrors at you. They''ll find your worst fears and fill your mind with them, until they make you mad, if they can.¡±
¡°Why would they do that?¡±
¡°Get you to reveal things, maybe? A sense of power? I don''t know. My Gran met one when she was younger. With your mind hidden, then they lose their power over you, and they''re just another thug. And they''ll probably be as handicapped as Quentin was just now. She got away from the thug by using a well placed knee, that''s all I know. The other thing you can do, if you''re really fast, is to strike back. But hiding your mind and using your panic button is normally a better solution. Are you out yet, Q.Q?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°If you do get stuck, and you forget what to do, you can call the institute. They know how to get you out.¡±
¡°The institute?¡±
¡°Institute for the Human Mind. There''s an A.I. there, with speech recognition, which they''ve programmed to talk you out of it, if it''s night time.¡±
¡°That''s nice of them.¡± Quentin said.
May nodded, ¡°Getting stuck is nasty. Shall we watch your team''s game? Q.Q.¡±
¡°O.K.¡±
Association / Ch. 4: Matriarch
Association / Ch. 4:Matriarch
Saturday, 30th December, 7.30pm.
¡°Thanks for coming, Sarah.¡± May said. ¡°I wanted to give a report on today, before you went away.¡±
¡°And I need to be here too?¡± Hannah said, curiously.
¡°Yes. You''ll find out why, soon enough, Mum. Ruben....¡± May looked pleadingly at her eighteen year-old brother.
¡°You don''t want me, right?¡±
¡°It girl talk, I think.¡± May replied.
¡°Fine, fine.¡± he said, getting up ¡°I''ll guard the front door, repel boarders and generally do that sort of thing while the world''s problems are solved by the womenfolk.¡±
¡°Don''t forget your book, love.¡± Hannah said. ¡°So, the mystery deepens, do tell, May.¡±
¡°Right, I met up with Rhianna, and by lunchtime she''d learned how to hide. No problem. Then her brother turned up. Rhi obviously hadn''t expected me to meet him, or at least, she didn''t warn him I had the power. So, I got a mindful of what he was thinking when he shook my hand.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, May. I really didn''t intend you to meet him either.¡± Sarah said.
May shrugged. ¡°It was lunchtime, he''d just finished his second game and he was hungry, Rhi had the sandwiches. So, anyway, I gave him a piece of my mind about thinking such things, and he was shocked, embarrassed and repentant, and he tripped over in a rush to get away from my fury.¡±
¡°I think I count that as a positive reaction on both your parts, then.¡± Hannah said.
¡°But there''s more to say?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Lots. He got himself wedged with one arm between two seats and the other one was stuck between the back of the seat and the concrete. He described his fall as instant justice for being slime, but he''d actually got himself a fairly nasty cut. Not deep, but long. Anyway, we eventually got him out with a bit of leverage and pulling on the seats, but it took a while, and we talked a bit while he was dripping blood on the floor, then some more afterwards. He''d heard my name before, and was curious. And I was curious about where the name Quy came from. He told me about where their name came from: possibly from a village near Cambridge initially but traced to about seventy kilometres south of there in the seventeen hundreds. So, I told him Dad''s story, about how we ended up having a matriarch.¡±
¡°Is this a story I should know?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°It wouldn''t hurt.¡± May said. ¡°But then it gets really interesting. He said he didn''t understand about our cultural differences but he''d like to, and he asked if I''d educate him properly.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°Yes. I mean, he''s convinced I''m prettier than any goddess of beauty imagined by man, totally repentant about his lack of self control, at least when he''s not being tempted, and he says wants to know our clan.¡±
¡°He didn''t know what he was asking, though.¡± Hannah said.
¡°No, he didn''t. I explained a bit, and it didn''t change his mind. Later on he said he was studying anthropology, but I don''t really think it''s because of that. I think he wants a friend. I get the feeling that he''s not got many, especially girls. He also worked out that he didn''t think he ought to date until he''d got self control, and thanked me for that. Though how he''s going to get self control without a miracle or castration, I have no idea. And he was a bit scared of the thought of it being open season on him if I let the others know I wasn''t interested. But, anyway, I said I''d have to tell you both.¡±
¡°I have the feeling that I''m only catching about ten percent of what you''re meaning, May.¡± Sarah admitted.
¡°You''re matriarch, Sarah. Mama put you there. Quentin wants to know the clan, that''s not asking me out, that''s asking to join the family, to eventually be my husband, brother, or cousin. But he asked me to educate him; of course he''s interested in me. I tried to put him off, said it was better to be friends for some years first, but he didn''t say what he thought, one way or another. I don''t know if that means he''s prepared to wait or not. But ultimately it''s your call, Sarah. Do I let him get himself adopted into the clan?¡±
Sarah looked at Hannah, ¡°How can I decide this?¡±
¡°I wouldn''t have it be anyone else, Sarah.¡± Hananh said ¡°You''re the only adult among us with the power. I don''t know how much Mama used her gift, but she certainly used her power.¡±
¡°I need to learn a lot too, don''t I?¡±
¡°You most certainly do.¡±
¡°Rhianna was curious too. I think I put her off.¡± May said.
¡°Coming in unattached? Is she so lonely?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°At age fourteen?¡±
¡°She''s too young to decide that, certainly.¡±
¡°Can you please explain?¡± Sarah asked, feeling totally lost again.
¡°Which bit?¡± May asked.
¡°Urm, how about everything?¡±
¡°Not easily. But have a look.¡± May said.
¡°OK, I''m going to look and then process it in the peace.¡± Sarah said, sitting down, and looked, taking in as much as she dared. There was an entire mindset to absorb, and she tried to get what she could. In the peace, she was relieved to see that she hadn''t done too much looking. Analysing, she saw the implications of what Rhianna had asked, the... protocol said someone entering the clan with a sponsor of the opposite sex was off-limits to unattached members until the sponsor declined any interest, but that someone who joined with no sponsor was obviously looking for a spouse. She saw her own role, as gate-keeper, peace-keeper, role-model for clan marriage. How she had the authority to arrange or forbid liaisons, and that May assumed she would play a critical role in her life helping to fend off unsuitable suitors. She saw her other roles, and she quailed at the thought that she was expected to do all of this, when she hardly knew anyone''s names.
But of course they were there in the thoughts she''d absorbed from May. Her cousins, aunts and uncles. The ones May assessed were the most likely to swoop quickly on an Quentin or Rhianna if they weren''t off limits, and the girls who might try for Quentin even if he was officially off limits. She also saw May''s confidence that Quentin wasn''t going to be swayed by their fluttering eyelashes for long, not if she saw them at it. Sarah also saw May''s determination not to rush into anything, to let Quentin conquer his temptation before there was any discussion of deeper feelings. She saw May''s disgust at his lust, regret that she''d fed the lust of others, and admiration at his openness with her about his struggle with it. Sarah thought he could hardly be anything other than open given what he''d hit May with when they first met. And Sarah saw that May didn''t know what she thought beyond that, but the thought was there: if he conquered, then maybe, but not yet.
Sarah re-focussed her attention on the physical world. ¡°How long was I gone?¡±
¡°Five minutes, maybe.¡±
¡°Oh well, It''s still probably faster. I think I get it now. Did I miss anything?¡±
¡°Not really, Alice came in and wanted to know why you were asleep, then went to play ''Climbing mount Ruben''. Mostly I was looking at the family tree.¡± May said.
Alice was Hannah and Arwood''s fourth child, and at age ten very much the baby of the family still.
¡°Oh! Can I see?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± May handed over control of the console.
¡°OK, right. There''s Mama. How did it go?¡± Sarah checked the edges of the legacy. ¡°Her Man, that''d be two, and his Gran, four so that might be one of these two, and her Dada, five, and his Mama,six, and her Gramp, Eight, so we''re talking about one of these four gentlemen.¡±
¡°What are you talking about?¡±
¡°Mama''s legacy. Memories of people with the gift that have been passed down from generation to generation. Mama traced it back eight generations before you. But actually it must go back further than that.¡±
¡°Well, if these annotations are right, we can rule out this woman and her forebears then.¡±
¡°Why''s that?¡±
¡°No cross ¡ª she wasn''t a believer.¡±
¡°Oh. OK. In that case, it''s him, there, isn''t it?¡±
¡°I guess so. Interesting, eh?¡±
¡°Why''s that?¡±
¡°Look at where they lived. Eight generations ago, or roughly speaking the same sort of time as my namesake was alive, you had a relative with the gift, living within an easy commute of where Quentin''s family lived in the seventeen hundreds, and according to these earlier records, his folks had stayed there quite a long time.¡±
¡°You mean that we might be relatives?¡±
¡°You''d need to do a full comparison of family trees. But a link eight generations back isn''t exactly incestuous, you know.¡±
¡°No, it''s not. You''re right though, it''s interesting. I don''t see any Quys in the list though.¡±
¡°Well, at eight generations back you''ve both up to two hundred and fifty six ancestors. That''s a lot of potential surnames.¡±
¡°Why ''up-to''?¡±
¡°Cousin or second cousin marriage, incest, but even without that, in a small village there''s plenty of scope to for someone to marry their third cousin once removed or something like that, in which case they''d end up with duplication in their tree somewhere.¡±
¡°I suppose so. Oh look, there''s the famous first Ngbila.¡±
¡°He was born Smith?¡±
¡°Yes. You didn''t get the story then?¡±
¡°No. I got about as much as I could safely, but I''m sure there are a lot of things you weren''t thinking about.¡±
¡°Urm... do I want to know?¡± May asked.
Sarah shrugged ¡°I can tell you what you were thinking about.¡±
¡°So, tell me the worst: am I falling in love with Quentin?¡±
¡°No. You''re disgusted by his sin, you admire his openness about his problem with it, but then, May, you stumbled right into that so if he wants to be in your good books he can''t really be otherwise. Beyond that, you don''t know what you think about him. Except you think he''s getting in far deeper trouble than he knows, as far as your cousins are concerned, and you''re planning to protect him from them. I don''t think you realise what that means.¡±
¡°It means that I keep them thinking about him as my potential husband until he finds someone else.¡±
¡°Think further, May. It means that either you keep yourself thinking of him as your potential husband until he sorts out his thought-life and you two start dating and do marry, or until he sorts out his thought-life and decides to chase one of your cousins, or until he finds someone else. What it further means is that you don''t have any other dating options except him until one of those happens. You''re running the risk that if you decide in a few months that you''re not good for each other, then to protect him from your cousins then your love-life is on hold while in your cousin''s eyes he goes about two-timing you until he finds someone else he''s really serious about. Which could be a decade.¡±
¡°She''s right, May.¡± Hannah said.
¡°But you could warn-off the non-Christians, Sarah.¡±
¡°I could. I would, even. And I''ll try and talk the Christians out of boy hunting. But they might not listen, and if Quentin''s going to reject you then I''m sure he''s going to be able to reject them too.¡±
¡°Yes, but what if I reject him and he''s still hopeful?¡±
¡°Then he tells them that he''s hoping you''ll change your mind, and Mandy offers him solace and comfort from his broken heart. At least according to May''s assessment of her. Hannah, does that seem likely to you?¡±
¡°Mandy''s very shy, at least with outsiders, but feels very single, the poor thing. It doesn''t help that her mother, grandmother and great grandmother all married at eighteen after dating for two years, and she''s just turned eighteen now. So, yes, if he was in the clan and available then she''d probably cling to him like a limpet.¡±
¡°And she''s actually your grand-niece, Hannah?¡±
¡°Yes. Edwin and Grace married young, so their kids aren''t much younger than Arwood and me. Most of the other brothers weren''t in such a hurry, and of course there''s quite a gap after Edwin too. So, apart from Kayla and Samuel who seem to be trying to reverse the population decline, and Edwin''s youngest, Ella, who''s only just into her thirties, most of us had our kids in roughly the same ten-year window.¡±
¡°But I saw some little ones at Mama''s funeral.¡±
¡°Yes. Well, Kayla''s got all ages from three up, Ella''s youngest, Lilly-Grace is four, and then Karl has got a two year old, Michael.¡±
¡°How do you keep all those names straight?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Why do you think the family tree''s out so often?¡± May asked.
There was a banging of doors, ¡°Mum? Ruben, where''s Mum?¡± it was Martha, Hanna''s eldest daughter, and she sounded excited. Sarah had only met her a couple of times, since Martha was away studying for most of the year. She was in her final year, Sarah knew, but couldn''t remember what she was studying.
¡°In the lounge!¡± Hannah called.
Martha burst through the door. ¡°Mum, is Dad around?¡±
¡°In his office, why?¡±
¡°Simon''s in the kitchen. He wants to talk to him! Oh, hi, Sarah! Good timing!¡±
Martha hugged her mother, and grabbed Sarah''s hand, thinking Sarah needed to hear her thoughts. They were certainly excited thoughts, utmost in them was whether Sarah would give her blessing to Simon''s request that they marry. Martha loved him and he was a good Christian. But was it too soon? Should she say yes, or put him off for a bit more?
¡°How long have you been going out?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°This time? A month.¡± Martha replied.
¡°It''s been an on and off thing.¡± Hannah added. ¡°Over the past, what, three four years?¡±
¡°Because of arguments, or because of other people, or because of having second thoughts?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Flaming arguments, mostly.¡± Martha said.
¡°And other people, on both sides.¡± May added ¡°You two had a row, about when you''d two-timed him, and Lilly grabbed him until Mama vetoed it.¡± Lilly was one of the cousins, the same age as Martha. Lilly''s faith hadn''t really been there at the time. Now? Martha thought the incident had helped Lilly decide for Christ, but she wasn''t sure.
¡°That was years ago, May.¡±
¡°Easter last year.¡±
¡°But you''ve always come back straight to each other?¡± Sarah asked, feeling way out of her depth.
¡°Sort of.¡± Martha said, thinking of when she''d bounced between boyfriends for a few months at the youth-group before taking up with Simon again. But that had been right at the start.
¡°I''d suggest a nice long engagement.¡± Hannah said. ¡°Make sure you''re really both ready to settle down.¡±
¡°Oh. Not before the impact, then?¡± Martha asked.
¡°No!¡± Sarah and Hannah said in unison.
¡°I didn''t think so.¡± But Sarah heard from her that she''d been hopeful.
¡°Well, I guess I ought to listen to what he has to say, shouldn''t I?¡±
¡°He''s as inconsistent as Martha.¡± May warned.
¡°He''s not inconsistent!¡± Martha retorted ¡°He''s mine. He has been since Mama split him and Lilly up.¡± And Sarah heard in Martha''s thoughts so much certainty that it gave her some concern. Was that certainty from Mama''s intervention, or because of something that had passed between the two of them? She realised she needed to ask about their arguments.
Sarah gently disconnected Martha''s hand, and said ¡°Martha, you know I''ve got the gift.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I''d like to understand what''s going on between you two that you keep having such enormous arguments that you split up, but that you''re still so certain about him. Can I use my gift on you?¡±
¡°Urm, OK.¡± Martha said, surprised at the question. Mama wouldn''t have asked.
Sarah looked, and saw. Recently she saw their rows had been mostly about how they were expressing their love for each other. He''d bought her an expensive gift he couldn''t afford, and she''d made him take it back to the shop. She''d spent ages making a complicated recipe for his birthday and he had said he''d have preferred fish-fingers. Some was about pushing at boundaries the other wasn''t comfortable with. She wanted him to hold her close, and dance lots when they got the chance. That was provoking for him. He wanted to kiss her longer, and in private, she felt uncomfortable with that, thinking of what might happen. And what had happened, once, to the shame of both of them. They''d crossed a lot of barriers that time, but not the last one, Sarah was happy to see. They''d pulled themselves away from each other in shock at how fast they''d been pulled towards that slippery slope. No wonder they wanted to marry.
¡°Hannah, they''re sure how they feel. I don''t think a long engagement is useful.¡±
¡°No?¡±
¡°Nor especially helpful.¡±
Martha turned bright red ¡°Sorry, Mum.¡±
¡°What happened, Martha?¡± Hannah asked her, looking at her intently.
Already embarrassed at her lack of self-control, Martha was mortified that she might have to go into details about it, and turned even brighter red. Which of course worried Hannah even more. Seeing Martha looking a bit like a terrified animal caught in her mother''s glare, Sarah intervened. ¡°They broke their self-imposed limits but their consciences pulled them up quite a long way short of God''s. And they''ve been much more careful since.¡±
Hannah''s concern turned to relief and she pulled her daughter into an embrace. ¡°Well done, girl. It''s tough, sometimes, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes, Mum.¡±
¡°Come on, Martha. Let''s go tell your Dad to say yes. You come too, please Sarah.¡±
Hannah went into Arwood''s office with a grin on her face. ¡°Arwood, our little girl''s gone and grown up. When do you want grand-kids?¡±
¡°Mum!¡± Martha protested. ¡°Simon wants to talk to you, Dad.¡±
¡°Oh? And this delegation is to tell me to say yes?¡±
¡°Yes please, Dad.¡±
¡°But you two keep on splitting up.¡± he pointed out.
¡°Only for a week or so, Dad.¡± Martha said.
¡°I think that''s more a case giving each other time to calm down, Arwood,¡± Sarah said ¡°But I haven''t talked to Simon yet.¡±
¡°He''s gnawing his fingernails in the kitchen.¡± Hannah said.
Sarah decided to check. ¡°Actually, he''s sat at the table, praying.¡±
¡°That''s a good sign.¡± Arwood said ¡°And Sarah, you''ve been press-ganged into my mother''s role?¡±
¡°I''ll try and do a good job. Though it does seem odd to be the matriarch of people who are old enough to be my parents.¡±
¡°Grandparents, almost, in Edwin''s case.¡± Hannah said. ¡°But don''t worry. You''re doing great so far. Sarah''s not recommending a long engagement, Arwood.¡±
¡°No?¡±
¡°Not ultra short either, you understand. But...¡±
¡°Keeping holy''s hard, Dad. That''s why we split apart so often. It''s not good to be together too much.¡±
¡°Well, that''s an unusual sort of breaking up.¡±
¡°We''re not breaking up, Dad, we just... stop going out for a while.¡±
Arwood, slighly baffled, turned his attention to Sarah. ¡°OK, now, what my Mama would have done is let me talk to the boy, then ask what I thought and she''d roast him a little herself. She''d have the final word about the wedding going ahead or not.¡±
¡°Would it offend you if I said I didn''t want to do it that way?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Not at all. How would you like to do it?¡±
¡°Maybe if you let him talk to you man to man, and then call me in? I don''t want to dictate, but I''m happy to use my gift and offer advice. But Martha''s your daughter.¡±
¡°And she can still wind him round her little finger.¡± Hannah commented, smiling.
¡°I''ll go and talk to him.¡± Arwood said, thinking it would be safer elsewhere.
Simon was wishing that he''d written a letter rather than come in person. He loved Martha, he got on OK with her family, but this was scary.
¡°I understand you want to talk with me, Simon?¡±
¡°Yes sir. Urm, err, you know I''ve been going out with Martha a long time now...¡±
¡°On and off.¡± Commented Arwood.
¡°Yes sir, more recently it''s been a lot more on than off, and we''d like to make it permanent, with your permission.¡±
¡°What, you''d like to go out with together permanently?¡± Arwood teased. ¡°Stop breaking up with each other then!¡±
¡°We sort of hoped that would be easier if we got married.¡±
¡°You''re not put off by the way that people say marriage is the end of romance, then?¡±
¡°No, sir. We know we love each other.¡± There was a long pause.
¡°It''s normal to talk about how you''ve got a steady job and how you hope to be able to support your family at this point.¡± Arwood prompted.
¡°Urm, yes, I know. Unfortunately, I haven''t got a regular job at the moment. And I''m not expecting to get one in the foreseeable future.¡± He laughed, tensely. ¡°Actually, getting a job would mean there had been a big problem.¡±
He dried up. That had sounded like he had no idea how they''d eat. ¡°I err urm, that is...¡±
Arwood waited for more, but Simon had gone bright red and Arwood didn''t think more was coming.
¡°I think, young man, that you''re going to need to express your future in more positive terms, don''t you? But as you know I''m not going to be making this decision on my own. So you will get the chance to have another go.¡±
Simon was sure he''d blown it. ¡°I... I understand sir.¡± There was someone else he''d need to talk to, of course: whoever was in Mama Ng''s role now. He wasn''t sure who it was, where she lived, or even if they even had one these days. It had been hard for Martha that her grandmother had died, he knew. And Martha had told him that May, her younger sister had almost gone off the rails entirely without her guidance, though she''d also said that in the past few weeks things had apparently improved.
But wherever that woman lived, he wouldn''t be able to report a favourable response to Martha from her dad. He''d need to apologise to her. It would probably be their biggest row. He looked at his feet and shuffled them. ¡°So, if you''ll just think about what you want to say, I''ll go and get the wise and gifted woman my mother nominated to take her place. Since she''s visiting at the moment, you''ve got about thirty seconds. Don''t let her age surprise you.¡±
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
¡°She''s here?¡± Simon''s despondent cycle of thoughts was broken.
¡°Yes. I''ll ask her in. Get thinking.¡±
Arwood went to the lounge. ¡°Well, I expect he thinks he blew it already.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Martha asked ¡°What did you do to him, Dad?¡±
¡°I just asked him about how he was planning to support you. About all he said was that he wasn''t looking for a job.¡±
¡°Dad you know he''s training to be a missionary.¡±
¡°I know that, you know that, but does he know I know that? So I told him to talk about his future in more positive terms.¡±
¡°I certainly didn''t know about it. More importantly, what are your plans, Martha?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I''ve been thinking of mission since I was little.¡±
¡°But he''s getting training now, and you''re not?¡±
¡°I''m doing a theological degree, he''s a qualified teacher, now he''s studying applied theology.¡±
¡°Oh, I see. OK, let''s go and let him say his piece then, Arwood.¡±
Simon knew he''d been warned, but he hadn''t expected to see a woman younger than himself. He''d also seen her before. The wedding where May had been a bridesmaid the week before, and then Martha had said ''You need to watch this.'' about an interview with a businesswoman. She hadn''t said why, but just smiled sweetly when he realised that this multimillionairess had been another of the bridesmaids. She hadn''t let on a bit at all that this was her new matriarch.
¡°You''re....¡±
¡°Call me Sarah. I''m not quite as old as Mama Ng, am I? But I''m told I''ve got the job.¡±
¡°And you were bridesmaid with May, and then Tony and some others interviewed you.¡±
¡°That''s me. You know Tony, then?¡±
¡°Yes. He used to be my youth group leader.¡±
¡°Were you at his wedding? I didn''t see you.¡±
¡°No, I mean, I know him, but they couldn''t invite the whole church, could they?¡±
¡°Well, I''m sure they talked about it. I think Teresa''s friends would have felt even more seriously out-numbered than they did.¡±
¡°You''ve known them long?¡±
¡°Well, Tony''s been trying to get an interview out of me since I was about eleven, but I only met Teresa when I started work at the Institute. I suppose the fact I recognised him is at least partly responsible for her talking to him when he was up his tree, as opposed to getting him arrested by Security. Don''t talk about any of that, though, or you get in trouble.¡±
¡°Err, no.¡± Simon said, having no idea what the business with the tree was about.
¡°But you can talk to Martha about it. She knows I''m at the institute. And that I''ve got the mind-reading gift, which is another thing you shouldn''t be talking about, please.¡±
Simon held his head and said ¡°Mercy! Please!¡±
¡°Too much information?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Sorry, I just thought I should introduce myself.¡±
¡°You''ve had your thirty seconds, and more, Simon. Would you like to tell us why you think you and Martha won''t starve?¡± Arwood asked.
¡°God is good. I''ve seen, over the past couple of years, how he''s supplied me with jobs, and supporters and a flat which is so cheap it''s silly. I''m hoping to work as a missionary-teacher, I''ve been accepted already. Martha is applying to the same organisation. We''re sure that this is the right path for us, and we''re sure that God will supply our needs.¡±
¡°So, what role would Martha have? Simply your wife?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°No, she''s taking courses in student counselling and psychology, she''s hoping to join the school as counsellor.¡±
¡°And relationship advisor?¡± suggested Arwood, flippantly.
¡°Urm, maybe not. Ours has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride, hasn''t it?¡±
¡°Why is that?¡±
¡°We''re both strong personalities, I guess.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°We don''t agree on everything.¡±
¡°Tell me about the thing you did that hurt her most.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Urm... probably when she cooked me a lovely meal for my birthday last year and I was in a bad mood and when she asked me about the meal I told her I''d have preferred fish fingers.¡±
¡°That sounds hurtful all right.¡± Sarah agreed.
¡°Why were you in a bad mood?¡± Arwood asked.
¡°Because I''d arranged to take her to a concert and we had to cancel that, because she needed more time to cook it than she''d expected.¡±
¡°Had she known about the concert?¡±
¡°Yes. Well, I''d told her earlier that day.¡±
¡°Had you known about her cooking?¡±
¡°Yes. She''d been planning it for weeks.¡±
¡°So, who was in the wrong?¡±
¡°Me. I could have helped with the cooking, too. I just... I don''t know what happened.¡±
¡°And what did you learn?¡±
¡°Only plan one thing on one day if there might be a clash.¡±
¡°Anything else?¡±
¡°She''s a really good cook. I was lying about the fish-fingers, it was just pure spite.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°I''m not very tactful when I''m in a bad mood, and I shouldn''t have got in the bad mood.¡±
¡°Is that all?¡± Sarah pushed some more.
¡°No. I learned that even though I hurt her deeply she''s been able to forgive me for it.¡±
¡°OK. Inverse question. How did she hurt you the most?¡±
¡°I bought her something nice and she made me take it back to the shop.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Too expensive.¡± he shuffled his feet and looked at them.
¡°Do you accept it was too expensive?¡±
¡°Yes, well, depending.¡±
¡°On what?¡±
¡°It was a beautiful dress, it was on special offer, it fitted her perfectly. I thought it might even serve as a going away dress for our wedding.¡±
¡°But?¡±
¡°It was still expensive, I could only just afford it, and she didn''t think she needed something that expensive, and she didn''t think she wanted to have a dress in her cupboard that she wouldn''t dare wear so it would stay nice for her wedding day.¡±
¡°How did you know it fitted her so well?¡±
¡°She''d tried it on before she saw the price tag.¡±
¡°And what did you learn?¡±
¡°She''s stubborn.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°Lavish gifts don''t impress her, I guess.¡±
¡°Wrong.¡± Martha said from the doorway. ¡°I was very impressed, but then I realised you''d got to pay your bills the next day and you''d need to go into debt to do it. That didn''t impress me.¡±
¡°Hey, Martha, this is supposed to be us interviewing Simon, not you.¡±
¡°Sorry, I thought I''d put the kettle on. So, can I have him, Daddy, Sarah? Please?¡± she added in a winsome tone.
¡°I''d just like to check something.¡± Sarah said. ¡°First, Simon, I''d like to see if your other thoughts about why you two keep breaking up and getting back together so soon agree with what Martha thought. Would you be happy for me to have a look?¡±
¡°Is it... necessary?¡±
¡°After I''d looked at Martha''s thoughts, I suggested that a long engagement wasn''t needed. From the sorts of things you''ve been saying I''d say that maybe you do need more time for you to stop hurting each other and misunderstanding each other''s motives. I''d like to know how sure you are about her.¡±
Sarah saw him glance towards Martha and heard him decide that he didn''t want Sarah to see how close they''d got to blatant sin.
¡°It''s OK, Simon. Sarah''s trustworthy, she''s not going to tell what she sees.¡±
¡°Or decisions I hear.¡± Sarah added.
¡°You heard what I just decided?¡± Simon asked, shocked and embarrassed.
¡°Yes. It was about me, after all, although of course it was also about your care for Martha. And it''s my care for Martha that makes me ask.¡±
¡°Then I agree.¡±
Sarah focused on him, relaxed whatever it was she needed to. She saw the pattern of his thoughts, and she took in what she could, then closed her eyes to analyse. Of course, the incident he didn''t want her to see was very clear. But apart from checking Martha''s memory of what led up to it and his agreed, which they did, she wasn''t interested in it. His reaction to it was more important: the whole event was covered in shame, she saw. She''d expected at least some little strands of excitement or that there would have been time he was tempted towards repeating it, but no. She saw none. His desire to kiss Martha in private had been to protect her from gossip and censure, not for other reasons, his refusal to dance close to her was for similar reasons. He''d long interpreted dancing in a tight embrace as an indication that sexual sin was a part of the couple''s life, and he wasn''t prepared to give that impression to others. He had been hurt by her refusal of the dress, and he''d tried to tell her that he''d already paid the largest bill ¡ª so he wouldn''t have gone into debt.
A lot of their arguments were because they cared so much about each other, it seemed. Even when he''d gone out with Lilly, it had been driven by his pain at Martha''s two-timing him, and accompanied by his constant wish that Martha would demand him back. He hadn''t been interested in Lilly at all. Accepting Lilly''s advances had mainly been a way of getting close to Martha at clan gatherings. A bit tough on Lilly, Sarah thought. And she saw Mama Ng''s putting the end to that episode. ''Lilly, Martha wants him back, he doesn''t care about you a bit, he wants Martha, Simon, stop hurting yourself, and think about how you''re hurting Lilly too. That''s wrong, boy! Martha... I don''t know what you thought you were doing, but now you know how much it hurt him. There''s a lot of apologising needed but you''re family. Get on with it before I send the lot of you to bed with no supper. Ha! I might even send you two to the same bed, that''ll teach you.'' Simon had been outraged until Mama added. ''Silly boy! I know you love God and each other too much for anything to happen before you marry. But just think how much praying you''d have to do together, though.''¡±
¡°Mama''s threat was rather shocking wasn''t it?¡± Sarah asked Simon and Martha.
¡°What''s this?¡± Arwood asked.
¡°Your mother restoring peace after the Lilly incident.¡±
¡°I never did find out what happened. I do know they both came out bright red though.¡±
¡°I''m not a bit surprised. Anyway, your mother predicted a wedding. Far be it from me to disagree.¡±
¡°What did she say?¡±
¡°Arwood, you''re not going to make me break the ethics code, are you? Frankly, I''d say this pair have been virtually engaged since then and that most of their arguments have been about miscommunication and protectiveness of each other.¡±
¡°So why do they break up?¡± Arwood asked.
¡°You don''t, do you?¡± Sarah challenged Martha.
¡°Well, we do stop seeing each other.¡±
¡°Which otherwise is how often?¡±
¡°Daily. Lunchtimes too if we can.¡± Martha said, reddening slightly.
¡°So when you''re not seeing each other, what do you do?¡±
¡°Write.¡± Simon said.
¡°Or phone.¡± Martha added.
¡°Or both.¡± Simon added for sake of complete disclosure.
¡°But it still really hurts.¡± Martha concluded.
¡°Then stop doing it to yourselves.¡± Sarah said. ¡°Discuss, don''t shout. Listen, don''t leap to assumptions. Negotiate, don''t issue ultimatums.¡±
¡°Don''t let the sun set on your anger,¡± Arwood said, ¡°and get married.¡±
¡°Yes, dada.¡± Martha said, meekly. Then with a wicked grin asked ¡°Are you free next Saturday?¡±
¡°How about this time next year?¡± Arwood countered.
¡°Arwood, if you do that to them, then I''ll help them to elope.¡± Sarah said.
¡°If my matriarch helps us elope, is it eloping?¡± Martha asked.
¡°No idea.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Sarah, why do you keep telling people to elope?¡± Arwood asked.
¡°Personal experience. I mean, take me for example. I got so involved about the wedding being exactly according to plan with this and that and the other added extra that I almost had a breakdown. I hardly had time to think before my wedding, let alone pray. I''m probably exaggerating, but you get the point, I hope. People forget that the important thing isn''t the party or the food or the dress. I''d love to see someone decide to just concentrate on God, and the vows they''re taking. You know, just wear some nice clothes, white is good symbolism of course, but let God be at the very centre, not get pushed to the side in anyone''s thinking by everything else.¡±
¡°Sarah, you''re a dreamer.¡± Arwood said.
¡°I know.¡±
¡°But surely you''d invite people to the service, and then people do have to eat, don''t they? And why not make it into a party ¡ª it''s a very very happy occasion.¡± Arwood asked.
¡°Oh, I know. And my wedding dress was gorgeous and I''m happy that my cousins are getting to wear it, even if it is the most complicated item of clothing I''ve ever met. So... who said humans needed to be consistent?¡±
¡°You didn''t need to cater for your own wedding, surely?¡±
¡°Tradition.¡± Sarah said, grimly.
¡°No wonder you couldn''t think.¡± Simon said.
¡°Nothing needed cooking on the day, at least. Anyway, thinking of traditions, as far as I know, Martha, you''re not supposed to be here, and Simon is supposed to seek you out, invite you to some restaurant or beauty spot, or at least the garden and ask you to marry him, isn''t he?¡±
¡°Well, yes.¡± Martha said, and they looked at each other ¡°That is the tradition.¡±
¡°So? Do you want to arrange the ceremony before or after he''s asked you?¡± Arwood asked, pointedly.
Simon turned red.
Martha said ¡°Dada, he already asked. Quite a lot of times, in fact.¡±
¡°Oh did he? And what did you say?¡±
¡°I said wait, I''m not ready. And then Mama died and I said wait, and then I said wait again, lots more times. And then I heard this afternoon from May that she was going to get Sarah to think like a matriarch, and I think I really surprised him with my answer when he asked again at teatime.¡±
¡°What did you say?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I said ''Of course I will, but you''ve got to get permission before it''s official.'' And he insisted we come immediately.¡±
¡°I see.¡± Arwood said, thinking that it made sense even if it wasn''t the traditional way. And it explained Martha''s ''Can I have him?'' question. ¡°Then let me be the first to congratulate you on your engagement. May it be long enough to get everything done, and short enough to not test your youthful impatience. And may your life together be full of forgiveness and love.¡±
¡°Amen.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Now, go tell your mother.¡± Arwood instructed.
¡°Yes, dad.¡± Martha said, and ran out of the door.
¡°Simon, do you have a ring for her?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°No. She''s been saying ''wait'' so long...¡±
¡°You know I''ve got contacts in the trade.¡±
¡°Urm, yes.¡±
¡°So, I don''t want you to feel under pressure, but if you want me to help, say so.¡±
¡°Help in what way?¡±
¡°OK, I''m assuming that you''re not going to be able to afford one of my very special ones, but depending on your budget, I''ll very happily give you a big discount on what I can. I''m also happy to tell you how to spot a fake, or introduce you to someone who can help you look for something at trade-price if you want to go that way.¡±
¡°Trade price?¡±
¡°Jewellery shops don''t shift as much stock as supermarkets, so they need to put a fairly high mark-up on what they sell, otherwise they can''t pay for lights, rent and staff cost. That''s just the reality of doing business. But you''re joining the clan. So, if you''re on a really tight budget, you could find a second-hand ring, say at an auction, for what the shops pay, rather than what the customer pays. It''s going to take time, you''d go with someone I know who''d tell you what they''d set as an upper bid, and you''d see if the auction-goers will let you buy it. You''d need to pay immediately, of course, and then you''d probably need it to be re-sized. You''d know it''s not a new ring, of course, and some people get funny about that sort of thing.¡±
¡°Thank you. Urm, I''ll have to work out what my budget actually is.¡±
¡°Don''t believe the rubbish about it having to cost a month''s salary, by the way. That''s just an ancient marketing ploy.¡±
¡°If I put a month''s support into the ring, then I wouldn''t be eating.¡±
¡°Exactly. So, you need to decide. You don''t actually need to give her a ring at all. It''s just a tradition, but there are others. I know some places where the engagement ring is just the wedding ring on the other hand, for instance. That option saves you a lot, but you get to give a lot of explanations.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Well, thank you, Sarah. I guess we''ll need to talk about it.¡±
¡°You will.¡± Arwood said ¡°And while I''m certainly happy to conduct the service if you want me to, I don''t think it''d be good for me to lead you through marriage preparation classes. Just, you know, you need to be able to speak freely, without clamming up in front of a parent or future parent-in-law. Plus of course, with the impact coming...¡±
¡°You''re going to be busy.¡± Simon supplied.
¡°I was going to say that we might not have anywhere to finish them, except a tent, and that''s not exactly sound-proof. But anyway, you''ll want to do them at your college church, I presume.¡±
¡°Yes. I guess so.¡±
¡°Come to the lounge, Simon. I expect some kind of date-setting discussion needs to happen.¡±
¡°Unless you need to find out from your parents about any dates to avoid,¡±
Sarah suggested. ¡°Of course... it might be a good idea to tell them too.¡±
¡°About the date...¡± Simon was hesitant as normal.
¡°Yes?¡± Arwood said.
¡°We were wondering, is there any real reason to wait months and months?¡±
¡°Not if you want to elope.¡± Sarah said.
Arwood threw a tea-towel at her ¡°Stop it, Sarah.¡±
¡°No, actually I''m serious this time.¡± Sarah said, and addressed Simon. ¡°If you don''t want anyone to come, if you don''t care what people think, if you''re intent on giving people the impression that this is a shotgun-marriage, then go ahead and marry this weekend. People will leap to conclusions though. And some of them will be your supporters. Reality doesn''t matter. Combined with your crazy way of phrasing it ¡ª talking about splitting up when what you really meant was limiting your time together ¡ª an instant marriage is going to give people the impression that you had a joyful reconciliation which went too far and now you''re trying to do the right thing, post-facto.¡±
She saw the colour drain out of Simon''s face as she carried on. ¡°So, set yourselves a decent time. Tell your supporters the happy news. Combine your mailing lists, decide who you want to invite and come up with a list of things that would be good as wedding presents ¡ª I''d guess that household things beyond double sheets aren''t going to be high on your list of things you need, but don''t make people guess. Decide if you''re going to have a pot-luck or a five course banquet or something in between, decide if you''re going to ask guests for copies of their photos, or have an official photographer, or pay for some stranger to do it for you. Chase around after everything you''ve decided on, revisit your plans when you see the cost, and so on and so on. Do all that, combined it with studies, and marriage preparation class and of course reassuring each other that it is worth it, and you''ll find that a few months is about the minimum you can fit everything into.¡±
¡°I hope you were taking notes.¡± Arwood said to Simon.
¡°Urm. I was just about to ask if I can have that list written down.¡±
¡°No problem. By the way, have you had any thoughts about where you''ll have your honeymoon?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°I do happen to know where my cousin Karen was going, and it''s a lovely spot if you want nature and not many people. I''m going there for a little break tomorrow. Actually, Arwood, I was meaning to ask. Other than weddings baptisms and funerals, is there any reason the whole clan gets together?¡±
¡°That''s more than forty people, Sarah! Not often. But if you felt like paying for a holiday in the Galapagos Islands, then I''m sure we''d all be there.¡±
Sarah stuck her tongue out at that suggestion. ¡°What about something which doesn''t threaten to put me in a half-coma?¡±
¡°Your idyllic holiday spot?¡±
¡°Yes. Two to eight bed cabins in the woods. They''re separated by about kilometre or two, so it''s not an ideal meeting up spot, actually, unless everyone''s feeling fit. But there''s also a campsite just down the road.¡±
¡°I don''t think you''ll get Edwin and Grace camping, but I''m sure they''d like a holiday with the rest of us. And if you call for it...¡±
¡°I''ll pay, too.¡±
¡°I was joking.¡±
¡°I wasn''t. If the Lord is calling Simon and Martha to far flung places then I want everyone to hear about it from them before they go.¡±
¡°We''ve got schedules, Sarah, of where we need to speak when. Fitting in the wedding is going to be difficult enough.¡± Simon said.
¡°Who arranged the schedule?¡±
¡°Our mission.¡±
¡°Well, tell them that you''ve just got engaged, you''re getting married before you go, and please can they re-arrange the schedule.¡±
¡°I suppose I could.¡±
¡°Of course you can.¡± Arwood said. ¡°Missionary visits aren''t ever set in stone.¡±
¡°And some time you must tell me more about the mission you''re joining.¡± Sarah said.
Saturday, 30th December, 9.30pm.
¡°Hi Grace, it''s Arwood. Is my big brother there?¡±
¡°Edwin''s just getting into the bath, I think. Is it urgent?¡±
¡°No, I just thought I should tell him first, as eldest.¡±
¡°Oooh, this sounds like it''s clan news.¡±
¡°It is.¡±
¡°EDWIN!¡± Grace shouted, ¡°I''ll see if he''s actually got in yet. What''s the subject?¡±
¡°A little bit of joy, and the succession.¡±
¡°And you say it''s not important?¡±
¡°Important, but not urgent.¡±
¡°EDWIN! Clan news!¡± She shouted again, ¡°I did see that slip of a girl Mama introduced on the news, didn''t I?¡±
¡°Yes, Sarah Williams. Which time did you see her?¡±
¡°She was on twice?¡±
¡°Once at the wedding.¡±
¡°Oh, that was her, the bridesmaid?¡±
¡°Yes. The other one, she was being interviewed about her businesses and all sorts of other things.¡±
¡°Quite the committed Christian, isn''t she. But there''s no surprise there, if she''s got Mama''s gift.¡±
¡°Exactly. But don''t go spreading that, of course.¡±
¡°Of course not!¡±
¡°What''s this about clan news?¡± Edwin asked, coming into the picture.
¡°Hi Edwin, two bits of news: my little Martha''s gone and grown up. She''s got herself engaged to Simon.¡±
¡°Her on-off boyfriend?¡±
¡°Yes. Would you believe that the last year or so when they''ve been so-called split up, they''ve been writing and phoning each other every day?¡±
¡°Not much of a split.¡±
¡°That''s what we said. You remember Sarah, from Mama''s farewell?¡±
¡°Young enough to be my granddaughter, almost.¡±
¡°That''s the one. You know the way we''ve all been pussy-footing around, waiting for her to say something, or ask what Mama had meant? Well, she''s been helping sort May out recently, and this afternoon May just flat out told her that she was matriarch, Mama''s decision, so would she please tell her what to do about a lad that''s interested. Hannah backed up her up something along the lines of you''re the only one qualified, and Sarah accepted it. Then Martha turned up with her boyfriend and Sarah proved her abilities all right. Not quite like Mama, of course, but she certainly brought out the truth.¡±
¡°And what is the truth?¡±
¡°Well, you know how much Mama would say about what she saw?¡±
¡°Hardly anything.¡± Edwin said.
¡°Sarah gives even less away. But one of the things, she said was that Mama declared them due to marry, they''ve been sorely tempted but pulled themselves up before they fell, and all that palaver about splitting up so often is because they''ve been spending every waking minute with each other when they can, but they''re not very good at talking things through when they disagree. No doubt in their minds about marrying for ages, the real only question was when they''d go public.¡±
¡°Oh, the joys of parenthood! And you knew nothing of this?¡±
¡°Well, I knew that most times I rang her, he was around. But with them so-called splitting so often, Hannah and I thought it was that they weren''t sure.¡±
¡°So they''ve been having a lot of lovely rows, but they still write love letters to each other?¡±
¡°Yes. Martha told us that quite a lot of the rows have been about limits.¡±
¡°What, they want to cross them? There''s a surprise.¡±
¡°No. More like they''re misinterpreting the other one, and are trying to protect each other too much.¡±
¡°So, when''s the wedding?¡±
¡°Good question. Late spring or early summer is my guess. Which brings me to another question from Sarah.¡±
¡°Oh yes? What''s that?¡±
¡°What do you think of a clan get-together, something like a week up in some beauty spot she owns most of.¡±
¡°Not camping, I hope.¡±
¡°Youngsters can camp, sensible people get a cabin with warm showers as long as you feed the stove right.¡±
¡°Any idea what it''ll cost?¡±
¡°All expenses paid with some of her loose change.¡±
¡°So it was her on the news? Grace said she thought it was, but I said it couldn''t be.¡±
¡°The multi-millionairess with a truth-sayer?¡±
¡°That''s the one.¡±
¡°May''s the truth-sayer.¡±
¡°She''s a brave girl then. But why does Sarah need a truth-sayer?¡±
¡°Because no one''s going to be worried about a slip of a girl who can hear thoughts, but a thought-hearing multi-millionairess with links to the palace sounds just like the sort of future Roland Underwood was raving about, doesn''t it? ''We are the super-beings, worship us and do our bidding''.¡±
¡°I guess it does, yes.¡±
¡°So, that''s why. I''ll tell you, May''s really matured as a Christian since Sarah got involved. Don''t hesitate to call on her if you''ve got a sticky problem, that''s all I can say. She''s a busy lady, but she knows all about duty. And of course, there''s also her husband John, and like Mama said, he''s got the gift too. He''s one of our elders and a qualified psych-counsellor.¡±
¡°Is he now? Well! Good people to have at the top, even if they''re a bit young.¡±
¡°Let''s face it, Edwin, the clan''s mostly their age or younger. And for all Sarah''s young, John''s older than your Ella, and they''ve both suffered a lot.¡±
¡°He was the other survivor from that attack, wasn''t he?¡±
¡°Yes. He lost his wife, their unborn child and one leg.¡±
¡°Regrown?¡±
¡°No, he''s got a metal one. He says it''s almost as good, better in some ways, and saved him a year or more of regrowth pain. And if he stubs that toe on the door too hard then the worst that happens is repair the door not broken toes.¡±
¡°Sounds like a good choice then.¡± Edwin said, wincing at the memory.
¡°I thought you might appreciate that quote after last year.¡±
¡°I do, I do. So, Sarah''s stepped up to the task, and we''re in good hands.¡±
¡°I think so, Edwin. I think so.¡±
¡°Well, I''ll go get in my bath then.¡±
¡°You''ll pass the news on to your kids?¡±
¡°Of course, and about the clan get-together. Has she set a date?¡±
¡°Not yet. She was wondering about the week after Easter, but she''s flexible. We''ll have to check at all the school and university term dates.¡±
¡°I''ll be in touch then.¡±
¡°Thanks, Edwin.¡±
¡°Thank you, Arwood. That''s good news indeed. Best wishes to Hannah and your kids.¡±
¡°They''re getting old, Edwin.¡±
¡°That they are. Oh, I almost forgot to say, news from Kayla and Ella ¡ª they''re both expecting.¡±
¡°Congratulations to them both then! This''ll be what, number seven for Kayla? I thought she said little Holly was going to be her last?¡±
¡°Just what I said. Of course she said the same about Molly, Keith and Alan too. She replied something like why stop now, when I know what I''m doing.¡±
¡°She''s going to be your age when this little one gets old enough to marry.¡±
¡°I know, I know. I think she''ll stop after this one, really I do. I''d better go, my bath water''s probably got icebergs in it.¡±
¡°Bye, Edwin!¡±
When he put down the phone, Hannah asked ¡°Kayla''s expecting again?¡±
¡°Yes. And Ella too.¡±
¡°Do you think someone should explain the principles of contraception to Kayla and Samuel?¡±
¡°I''m pretty sure they know, Hannah. They just like kids.¡±
¡°If Kayla doesn''t stop after this one, and assuming Mandy finds herself a husband quickly enough then she''s going to have a brother or sister younger than her eldest.¡±
¡°Maybe Kayla will stop when Mandy marries.¡±
¡°I certainly hope so. It can''t be good for her health.¡±
¡°Probably not, no.¡±
¡°Who are you going to call next?¡±
¡°I''m trying for age order.¡±
¡°Oh, that makes sense. I''ll bring you a cup of tea, you''re going to be on that phone all evening. Or why don''t you do a conference call? Tell them all at once?¡±
¡°I suppose I could, couldn''t I? I didn''t think of that.¡±
¡°It''d save a lot of time.¡±
¡°I''ll give it a go.¡±
Saturday, 30th December, 9.45pm
After a bit of complicated communication, purely to keep Quentin in the dark for the moment, John called Quentin.
[Hello, Quentin. I hear you and Rhianna had a useful chat with May.]
[We did. Thank you for setting it up.]
[She also said you were asking about her clan.]
[Yes. Yes, I was.]
[So... via May, the matriarch''s asked me to chat to you a bit about why you''re asking.]
[Oh, urm, OK. Would the answer go back via May?]
[It needn''t.]
[That''s good.]
[Why?]
[Because I don''t want to hurt her.]
[How do you think knowing your motive would hurt her?]
[Because I''m fascinated by the thought that a once-male-dominated clan could turn into a matriarchy in this country. I mean, yes, there are different cultures here, but I thought matriarchies were rare anywhere, and that sort of change is as rare as hens'' teeth according to my text book. Then there''s the whole thing about how a woman becomes matriarch when she''s not even from the culture. It''s all so totally amazing.]
[So, you''re just interested in the clan because it''s a fascinating anthropological case?]
[And... because of May.]
[I heard quite a pause in there.]
[Intellectually, I''m fascinated by the clan. Intellectually, I''m fascinated by May becoming a truth-sayer. Psycho-sociologically, I''m aware that I need to develop some female friendships, so-far, May''s the only candidate.
Biologically I''m really really attracted to May, but... I have hardly any self-control. My thought life stinks. I need to get a lot more self-controlled before I go dating. She knows that.
Emotionally, I can''t think about her without my heart-rate speeding up, and I can''t imagine being happy if she''s miserable. Nor, right now, can I think I''ll be truly happy unless I''m spending time with her.]
[So, if your intellectual studies were considered inappropriate by the clan, what would you do?]
[I''d try to be May''s best friend.]
[And find out about the clan?]
[I don''t think I can find out about May without finding out something about the clan.]
[So, where would that leave the clan''s privacy?]
[May wouldn''t want me to break clan secrets, I''m sure.]
[So, you''re saying that for May''s sake you''d pretend you knew nothing of the clan?]
[Oh man, this is hard! I can''t think rationally about May. She''s too gorgeous, too kind, too forgiving, too fascinating.]
[So, let me check I''ve got this straight. You''re falling head over heals for her, lusting after her but trying not to, you''re not going to date, just be good friends until you''ve managed to separate your lust from your sexuality, and you''re intellectually fascinated by her clan and you want to find out everything you can about it. But because of your feelings for May you won''t publish about it or tell anyone individually.]
[Urm, I guess so.]
[Tell me the difference between being May''s best friend and May''s boyfriend.]
[Urm, boyfriend heads towards fianc¨¦, heads towards marriage.]
[But you''re in love with May.]
[Not properly. I don''t know her well enough. It''s just hormones.]
[You''d like to be her boyfriend though.]
[Oh yes!]
[But you''re thinking that you can be friend, best friend, boyfriend, fianc¨¦, and happily ever after, aren''t you?]
[Urm, I guess so.]
[The thing about ''best friend'' is that that''s not a romantic category, and if you try to make that romantic step then it risks the friendship.]
[{misery}I know.]
[Whereas what you''ve asked May to teach you is not romance free. It might end up as best friend if the romance side doesn''t work out, but it''s not the sort of thing you ask for unless you''re interested.]
[I''m interested! But I''m also doomed. How can I get to know May as a friend without thinking of it as dating if it''s not based around getting to know her clan?]
[You''re going to need to talk a lot, I guess. Find common interests. And find times you can be together but not alone together. Anyway, I''ll tell Sarah what you''ve said.]
[Thank you.]
John broke the connection. ¡°Well, that brings back memories.¡± he said.
¡°Oh?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°He''s a mess of hormones, lust, self-pity, and is determined to do the right thing. She''s without doubt the most important female in his world right now, but he acknowledges that no matter what he''s thinking it''s more hormones than being in love. Though of course I strongly suspect that if anyone mentions the fifth month then he''s going to start daydreaming about her. He''s also intellectually curious about the clan as an anthropological anomaly, and doesn''t understand how you ended up as matriarch.¡±
¡°That makes two of us. I mean, Mama didn''t say go to me for problem solving, she said go to us.¡±
¡°But you''ve got the gender. Therefore you''re matriarch, I''m just the tag-along.¡±
¡°But I''m not anyone''s mother, how can I be a ruling mother?¡±
¡°Well, love, you are ruling, aren''t you? You''re ruling GemSmith. Plus you''re mothering May, not to mention young Maddie and Robert. But, if you think pregnancy is an important feature of being matriarch, I suppose we could solve that one.¡± John said, giving her a kiss.
[What happened to waiting for closer to the impact?] Sarah asked, surprised, but pleased.
[I''m not planning on losing you, love.]
[I''m not planning on losing you either. {love} I was thinking though...]
[Yes, love?{love}]
They broke before feedback wiped out thought.
¡°Morning sickness is not going to be pleasant in a tent.¡±
¡°Ah, that''s true.¡±
¡°And really... stress-event indices and that sort of thing... I must be up in the danger zone with all the changes I''ve had since June. Maybe we should wait until we''re more used to coping with GemSmith, this new matriarch thing, the impact, and whatever else this year is going to throw at us.¡±
¡°That sounds eminently sensible, my beloved wife.¡±
¡°So, let''s keep on using contraceptives for the moment.¡±
¡°What are you going to do about Quentin?¡± John asked.
¡°I have no idea. I think May''s suggestion is a good one.¡±
¡°Which one, castration?¡± John said.
¡°No! She might really regret that in a few years time. I''m thinking of her suggestion that they stick at friendship for a while.¡±
¡°It''s going to be tough for him. He probably can''t think of anything other than the clan and romance to talk about.¡±
¡°Neither of those sound like a good basis for marriage.¡±
¡°No. It''s a shame she''s not more interested in him.¡±
¡°Why do you say that?¡±
¡°Because there''s the alternative route of early marriage. I can assure you that regular zero-guilt sex with one''s beautiful wife is a real help against out of control hormones.¡±
¡°OK, I can see it helping him. What about May?¡±
¡°Like I said, shame.¡±
¡°And he needs to get his lust-thoughts under control, surely?¡±
¡°Yes. He does, otherwise he''s going to project them onto May and that way lies abuse. So, where does that leave them?¡±
¡°Talking, not dating, but if he''s good and if May wants him there, then he can come on the clan holiday with us all, assuming that happens.¡±
¡°You don''t think that''s too soon?¡±
¡°Well, maybe. But I think I''ll make it a principle: Clan members, plus people who have shown an interest in joining the clan. That way the clan can see how they behave.¡±
¡°Would that include Rhianna? I mean, she''s shown an interest.¡±
¡°Hmm. Tricky one there. She''s too young to date, and based on what I got from May, joining the clan is about dating someone, really.¡±
¡°Or about a mostly Christian environment. It didn''t sound like she''s got one at home.¡±
¡°Sounds like a reasonable motive. But we''d need to discuss it with the others.¡±
¡°Agreed.¡±
¡°I also wonder if one of us needs to talk to Mandy.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Eighteen, very shy, outside the clan. But apparently feels very single too.¡±
¡°Oh. As in, she wants someone, anyone?¡±
¡°That''s the way mistakes get made, yes.¡±
¡°So what do you propose to do?¡±
¡°Well, first, talk to her. Second... I''m not sure.¡±
¡°Sounds like a very well thought out plan, Sarah. Come to bed? We''ve got an early start tomorrow.¡±
¡°Don''t make fun of me!¡±
¡°I''m not. Talk to her is the best thing to do. Get to know her, let her get to know you. Jumping in with a plan before you know her at all is just asking for trouble.¡±
¡°I faint at your great wisdom, my knight.¡± she declared, making sure he was close enough to catch her. He did.
intermission: The clan
The clan:
ALL-CAPS are used to indicate who was born into the clan (descendent of Mama Ng and her husband. Her husband was the only surviving child of his parents, but had 3 cousins. They or their parent decided to leave the clan for one reason or another).
EDWIN 60 + Grace 58 (Married @G 18)
..KAYLA 38 + Samuel (Winner) 39 (Married @K 18) (home:Restoration)
....Mandy 18 (very shy outside the clan) (Xn) [2253 1st Oct.]
....Zach 16 (power, Xn) [2255 16th Oct]
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.....Molly 14
....Keith 10
.. .Alan 7
....Holly 3 (power)
....? -1
..MARK 36 + Eve 35 (Married @E 18) (home:
....Lucy 16
....Tim 15 [2256 7th Dec]
.... Helen 13
..ELLA 32 + Joseph 31 [Married @E 21]
....Thomas Edwin 6
....Lilly Grace 4
....? -1
DANIEL 55 + Rachel 47 (Married @R 23)
..KARL 23 + Jenifer 23 (Married @J 20)
....Michael 2
..Lilly 21 (maybe Xn?)
TIMOTHY 49 + Danielle 48 (Married @D 25) (Home: capital)
..Charis 18
..Kara 16 (power, Xn)
..Pearl 14
MATTHEW 45 + Maggie 42 (Married @Maggie 21)
..Faith 19
..Timothy 17 [2254 Aug. 10]
..Hope 16 [2255 Aug 30]
ARWOOD 43 + Hannah 43 (Married @H 20)
MARTHA 21 (+) Simon 23 (Engaged @M 22)
..Ruben 18
..May 16 (power) (2255 May 1)
..Alice 10
Association / Ch. 5: Blackwood
Association / Ch. 5:Blackwood
Sunday, 31st December, 1pm
Karen and George were going up the ski-lift when, noticing a train arrive, Karen decided she''d check where John and Sarah were on their journey. As it happened, the mag-lev train which was just pulling into the station was theirs. [Hi, John, Sarah! Welcome to your ski resort.] she called [I hope you''ve brought yourself some skis.]
[I was planning to hire some, if we decide to not just sledge.] Sarah said, [Is that going to be a problem?]
[I''ve no idea. You probably need to book some from William before-hand, though, his stock seems to be getting low. Word''s getting out about your ski-lift, it seems.]
[My ski lift? Oh no, that was Bob''s idea and William''s lift. I think forty nine percent is still William''s, anyway.]
[Well, whoever''s it is, it''s working for its living, hauling George and me up the hill, among others. This is much better than waiting around for the tractor, I can tell you.]
[They''ve got it working already?]
[Yes. I was surprised myself. The cable came on... when was it? Thursday? No, Friday, but crack of dawn. By evening time it was working already. Yesterday they had a little opening ceremony, and dished out five complimentary tickets to everyone at the cabins and anyone who turned up from the village. Of course, five trips is only about an hour or so''s skiing, so I was hearing a quite a few kids saying things like ''Daddy, daddy, please can we get a ski pass? Please? They are on special offer today.'']
[So, it''s all working well?]
[It seems to be.]
[And what about your revision?]
[Ah, well, that''s going OK. Ish.]
[Only ish?]
[We decided that mornings are for enjoying ourselves in the great outdoors, and afternoon is revision time. But you know... Afternoon doesn''t really start until you''ve had lunch does it?]
[They''re your exams, Karen, that''s all I''ll say. Anyway, we''re out of the train, and I''m wondering what we do now.]
[Oh, we got a reminder message a few days before we got here, telling us to call ahead with your arrival time. Didn''t you?]
[I thought that if I did that then there was a real risk of a red carpet or something silly like that.]
[Oh, right. So, don''t bother looking for anyone to meet you.]
[No, I wasn''t expecting anyone to. Do you think we ought to call a taxi, or just ring and say ''oops, sorry for the short notice, but we''ve got here.'']
[Well, either that or we''ll introduce you to William, and you could ski to your cabin. No that''s no good, you won''t have your key, will you?]
[No.]
[Well, if you''re in no rush, we''ll come and meet you anyway.]
[That''d be nice.]
[Just head down towards the hillside with the skiers on it, you can''t miss.]
[Oh, I see signs, even. Someone has been busy. See you soon then.]
[Bye!]
Sarah broke off to follow sign posts, and Karen asked [George, I assume you were on the line?]
[Yes. Good thought. I want to thank her for the ski-hire and lessons. It''s fun.]
[Not quite what we''d planned, though is it?]
[No. We could still go for walks though.] George suggested.
[We can walk any time of the year, this is a bit more special, don''t you think?]
[Of course it is. So, shall we be boring and so a nice controlled descent, or shall we try going a bit faster?]
[A little faster. Let''s zig-zag down, with slow corners. I don''t want another broken leg. One in a lifetime is plenty.]
[''This week we have a special offer on wrists, ankles, arms and collar-bones, it''s all down to the pick of the draw, but one of yours could be broken in exchange for only a moment''s inattention.''] George quoted something they''d heard William say to the beginner''s class on Thursday.
[Exactly.]
¡°Hi, George, Karen! How''s it going?¡± Karen saw it was Susan.
¡°Fine! Beautiful views aren''t they?¡±
¡°Yes. One might even say romantic.¡± Susan said, with a grin.
¡°I thought that was a taboo subject?¡± Karen said.
¡°Ah well, my friend William protested too much.¡±
¡°I don''t get it.¡±
¡°Thanks, George, for that pointer by the way, it was incredibly helpful, it feels like I''m on my way home. As for William, I bullied it out of him in the end. Once he''s convinced I''m over my ex, and that my faith is healthy, then I could well have myself a suitor. So, out with the old, unhealthy, guilt-ridden relationship, and already I''m starting to be a happier person.¡±
¡°I''m really glad to hear that, Susan.¡± Karen said. ¡°I''m afraid we can''t stay and chat ¡ª we''re just going down to meet my cousin. She and her husband have just arrived by mag-lev.¡±
¡°Not... No, it can''t be! I''d have heard if the royal wedding had come early.¡±
¡°No, not that cousin. The one who convinced Bob Coal that having a ski-resort here wasn''t a silly idea.¡± Karen said.
¡°Oh, then I owe her quite a lot of thanks. If I hadn''t know William would be up here, then I''d have felt really stuck. Mind if I come along too?¡±
¡°Not at all. We won''t be going nearly as fast as you can, though.¡±
¡°I''ll just catch a word or two with William, if that''s OK?¡±
¡°Fine!¡± George said, glad that Susan wasn''t going to be accompanying them down the hill.
William was busy checking his diminished stock of skis. Even what was left were all booked to be collected today, but there were some due to come back as well. He''d drawn the line at teaching on Sundays, but he''d long known that if he was going to be in the holiday trade then taking the whole of Sundays off was going to be very difficult. Certainly for weekend trippers, there would be plenty of people wanting to return the skis they''d hired on Sundays. So, he''d struck a compromise with his conscience. For people needing to leave early, he was going to be open for an hour in the morning, before church, and then he''d open another hour around lunchtime, and once more in the evening. He wasn''t going to accept new bookings at any of those times, and of course he wasn''t handling the money, anyway. But when people had booked out skis then he''d let them collect them. Early that morning, he''d already had one man angry at that arrangement, asking why he wasn''t going to accept his money. William tried to be polite: ¡°I''m sorry, sir. Firstly, I can''t accept anyone''s money myself, that''s part of my contract with the land management company ¡ª they handle the financial side of things. The people you might have just seen leaving with skis have booked beforehand and had arranged to pick them up today.¡±
¡°So I''ve just bought a week''s ski-pass and have no skis, is that what you''re saying?¡±
¡°I''m sorry you have no skis sir, but the skis I have here are all booked already. I expect you can return the ski-pass.¡±
¡°I came up here to ski. Why don''t you have more skis?¡±
¡°Sorry sir. I''ve only been open a week, I''ve invested as much as I can afford already. I cannot help you. There are other sports shops in town. I don''t expect they''ll be open on Sunday, though.¡±
¡°Look, just give me some skis, I''ll pay double.¡±
¡°I''ve told you, sir, I can''t accept money myself, all bookings need to be made through Blackwood Cabins or through Carbon-carbon land management.¡±
¡°You won''t make an exception?¡±
¡°No sir. I won''t make an exception, I won''t accept any money myself, and I won''t accept a new booking on a Sunday. I''m closing up now, sir, I need to leave to go to church.¡±
At that, the man had stormed off, swearing about stupid Christians ruining everything.
So it was that after church William had been a little concerned that the man might have decided to try and break in to his little hire-cabin to take some skis, but the door had still been locked and the skis were still all there. He''d almost finished waxing the skis, and checking that the bindings were all correct when he heard the whoosh of someone coming to a flamboyant stop outside, spraying ice crystals at the cabin''s walls. He looked up with a grin, guessing who it was.
¡°Hello Susan. You''re determined to bury this cabin, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Just resurfacing your waiting area for you. It was starting to get trampled down.¡±
¡°The snow isn''t that thick, Susan. If you rearrange too much you''ll be down to the grass.¡±
¡°That''d be a shame. Let''s pray for more snow then. Anyway, I''m about to meet someone who''s responsible for me finding you.¡±
¡°Oh yes? Who''s that?¡±
¡°Karen''s wealthy cousin''s just arrived, apparently.¡±
¡°Oh, well, say hello and thanks for me then.¡±
¡°You''re still on duty then?¡±
¡°Another ten or fifteen minutes. I''m supposed to have five sets of skis coming back in today.¡±
¡°Well, there''s a lot of people having fun, maybe they''ve decided to push it to the limit.¡±
¡°Yes. I need to alter the hire contract saying what happens if they make me stay late.¡±
¡°Could the guys at the ski-lift collect them for you?¡± There were always two people there, to check passes or tickets and help people get on without discovering that you couldn''t sit on a drag-lift.
William had thought of it. ¡°I guess so, eventually, but I''d need a rack over there, and I''d need to teach them how to check the skis aren''t damaged and whether they''re fit to use immediately or not, plus a terminal to check the skis in.¡±
¡°What happens if skis are damaged? Customer pays?¡±
¡°If they opted not to take out insurance, yes. So those customers should want a receipt saying they returned the skis in good condition.¡±
¡°Oh well. You''ll just have to wait around until they turn up, then.¡±
¡°I''ll give them a call at five to, I guess. Find out if they are planning to bring back the skis immediately or not until this evening.¡±
¡°Is it one party?¡±
¡°No, two different groups.¡±
¡°You''ve got a busy life here, haven''t you?¡±
¡°I can''t complain. I mean, I wasn''t expecting to hire all my skis within a week of opening. It''s starting to look like this business venture might be a success.¡±
¡°I should hope so. Your business plan looks sound to me. It''s a shame about the unsocial hours though.¡±
¡°The company''s good at the moment.¡± he smiled at her.
¡°Hey, I thought we were avoiding romantic entanglement.¡±
¡°Surely I can say it''s good to be chatting with a friend without it being romantic, can''t I?¡±
¡°Yeah yeah yeah.¡± she said knowingly. ¡°Anyway, Karen and George are almost here, so I''m going to go tell her thank you.¡±
¡°What for?¡±
¡°Hope. Making it possible for me to know where you''d be.¡±
¡°Before you go, Bob would like to know if you''re accepting the invitation. The guys on the lift will be working late so we can get back up to the cabins.¡±
¡°Why would he invite me? That''s what confuses me. He''s not got me pegged as your girlfriend has he?¡±
¡°No. I told him you''d come up here to have someone to talk to after splitting up. That was OK, wasn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes, that was fine.¡±
¡°And you won''t mind being around happily married couples? I mean, that was why you came up here, wasn''t it?¡±
¡°Strangely enough... no. I think I''m healing. I''m happy to tag along.¡±
As soon as Susan left, William called Bob Coal.
¡°Hi, Bob, you were right. My spy network tells me they''ve just arrived.¡± William said.
¡°Your spy network?¡±
¡°Susan was just talking to Karen.¡±
¡°Ah. So, will your Susan be coming this evening?¡± Bob asked.
¡°Hey! I heard what you did there!¡± William protested. ¡°We are not a couple. But yes, she''d be happy to.¡±
¡°Excellent. And you''re not a couple, you just spend a lot of time together.¡±
¡°We''ve been friends for years.¡±
¡°I know. Just teasing.¡±
¡°Hi Sarah!¡± Karen called.
¡°I thought you said it was dead easy to find our way here!¡± Sarah said, when they met.
¡°It wasn''t?¡±
¡°We accidentally got ourselves channelled into the queue for the concert,¡± John explained.
¡°Oh. I''d forgotten that was happening. Sorry. Anyway, Sarah, this is Susan, she wanted to meet you.¡±
¡°Hello, Susan.¡±
¡°I just wanted to say thank you.¡±
¡°Urm, what for?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Quite possibly saving my life. Sorry, that''s too melodramatic. You managed to pin my friend William Speed down in one spot where I was fairly sure I could find him. And I needed to find him, preferably without me calling him first.¡±
¡°This is William with the ski-lift?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Yes. I needed to find a friend who wasn''t busy with their own romances so I could have a good mope about my failed one. All my girl-friends were in couples, and William was the only single man I was at that level of trust with.¡±
¡°Oh, I see. And normally he moves around a lot?¡±
¡°Well, you know, it would have been really bad to turn up on his doorstep unannounced, ready to pour out my heart and then find either he was gone and I''d have no idea if he''d be back in five minutes or five days. Or worse, get into my sob-story and find he was in the middle of some meeting. Here, it was perfect. I could see when he was free, and enjoy the skiing and the scenery while I waited. And there''s things to do and lots of chances to chat. Much much better than moping around in self-pity at home.¡±
¡°I''m glad.¡±
¡°So, I owe you a debt of thanks. And I don''t know how to repay it, which makes it difficult.¡±
¡°I don''t really think you owe me anything.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Oh yes I do. You''ve made it possible for me to meet William, and given him hope too. It''s great to see him succeeding for once. So, I don''t know why I would be able to help, I''m sure you have your own people, but if I can ever be of service, please call me. I''m afraid I don''t have a card with me, but William knows my number.¡±
¡°Urm, OK.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Sorry I haven''t even said what I do, have I?¡± Susan said, shaking her head at herself. ¡°I''m a graphics designer, mostly working in corporate identity. Like I said, I''m sure GemSmith have their own people and that it''s all worked out in-house, or if not in-house then an established consultant.¡±
¡°I certainly expect so.¡± Sarah said ¡°I must admit, that''s a business area I haven''t looked into at all.¡±
¡°My only other skills are archery, skiing, and being an exceptionally poor judge of character when it comes to almost fianc¨¦s.¡± Susan said, dismissively. ¡°I don''t expect I can be of much service with those.¡±
¡°Out of interest, how did you know of my link to GemSmith?¡±
¡°I actually owe you a double dose of thanks.¡± Susan said ¡°I''d looked into Carbon-Carbon when William talked about joint ventures and things ¡ª I know him, you see, and try to keep a watchful eye on him to make sure he doesn''t do too many stupid things. Anyway, I saw Carbon-Carbon was part of GemSmith and breathed a deep sigh of relief ¡ª GemSmith has an excellent reputation for nor ripping people off. And then, when I was in all honestly thinking that a leap from my balcony was quite an attractive option, I caught sight of your interview on the television on Wednesday night, watched it and decided that it made a lot of sense to come up here.¡±
¡°Oh, OK.¡± Sarah said.
¡°I''ve got a silly idea.¡± John said. ¡°If you''ve watched the interview, then you know about Sarah''s unusual employee.¡±
¡°The... what was it, truth-speaker?¡±
¡°Now that would make more grammatical sense, wouldn''t it, Karen?¡± Sarah said.
¡°Hey, don''t look at me! ''Truthsayer'' has been the established English translation of that word for generations," Karen protested. "Someone probably decided it was had a nice archaic ring to it, like soothsayer.¡±
John continued with his thought. ¡°So, assuming that there is ever some kind of institute of professional truthsayers, with or without Royal charter, then I''d guess they''re going to need some help developing a corporate identity.¡±
¡°Well, it''s certainly my field.¡± Susan said, hesitantly.
¡°I know, it''s a bit of a weird suggestion, and I''d understand if you didn''t want to be associated with a potentially controversial organisation which is still only a couple of stages beyond a dream.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Urm, sorry, I wasn''t hesitating because of that. Urm, it''s just...¡± she swallowed ¡°Do you know how many organisations received a royal charter in the last hundred years?¡±
¡°Not many. ¡±
¡°As far as I know, only one ¡ª the Royal Institute of Forcefield Engineers,¡± Susan realised that had come out in a bit of a gabble and tried to control her breathing. ¡°If this truthsayer organisation does get a Royal charter, then designing their corporate identity.... it... urm... it would probably be one of those things that everyone would know about you and would go in someone''s obituary, as their defining work, at least in professional publications. You know, like ''Sir Frederick Bloggs, designer of the logo for the Royal association of professional Snark hunters....'' I can''t think of many people in my field who wouldn''t give their mother''s eye-teeth to do that job.¡±
¡°Why their mother''s eye-teeth?¡± John asked, curious.
¡°Sorry, in-group expression. Giving their own would hurt their corporate image.¡± Susan replied. ¡°You can''t have that.¡±
¡°So, you''d like to do it?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°You can''t just ask something like that, Sarah.¡± Susan protested. ¡°It''s got to be put out to competitive tender, and things like that.¡±
¡°I don''t expect your competition will be very interested in competing for it, once they find out that the sixteen year old founder member is still at school, and that her last year''s pocket money probably wouldn''t pay them enough to make it worth them picking up a pencil, let alone taking the time to sharpen one.¡± John said.
¡°Ah, but we''re talking kudos, fame, not mere financial reward.¡±
¡°So, would you be interested?¡± Sarah said.
¡°Of course I would!¡±
¡°Even if it was for no financial reward at all, but just as a thank-you?¡±
¡°I have a counter proposal.¡± Susan said.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°As a personal thank you, I help you put together the announcement for
the competition, and help you judge the results.¡±
¡°But then you''d exclude yourself from the competition.¡± Sarah pointed out.
¡°Why don''t we round up some semi-knowledgeable people and get them to judge the results, then you get a fair crack at it like everyone else? We know someone in public relations, for instance.¡±
¡°Just what sort of thank-you is it, if it ends up making my career?¡± Susan pointed out reasonably.
¡°Ah, but you''ve already been helpful. It never would have occurred to me that people might be interested to do work on this just for the bragging rights.¡±
¡°And the free publicity, and their names going down in history. It sure beats redesigning someone else''s logo for some company, ''preserving the essential identity but adding a more contemporary flavour.''¡±
¡°I can imagine that doesn''t give you much scope to express your artistic talents.¡± George said.
¡°Especially when what they really mean is just tweak the colour scheme a little bit.¡± Susan said.
¡°So, Susan, if you really want to help work on the briefing document, if that''s the right term, and the announcement, then I think that would be a really big favour. But the glory for pulling you back from the edge goes to God, not to me.¡±
¡°I know, but you played your part. But hold on!¡± Susan said, ¡°Why is it helping you to help an organisation you''re not part of?¡±
¡°Because while my young truthsayer agrees, it''s mostly my idea.¡± Sarah said. ¡°And because if there''s no such organisation then I can see the term being abused to be any thought-hearer offering their services for money.¡±
¡°And that would be a problem?¡±
¡°The term is neutral at the moment. If the people who claim it work from grimy offices and only ever work in settling domestic disputes over who slept with who and sometimes accept bribes to cover lies, it becomes the name for a particular type of muckraker. If there are professional standards and bribing one is as bad as bribing an expert witness or police officer, then I don''t mind my name being going down in history as the first person to hire one.¡±
¡°So you''re pressing for it to be a fully professional title.¡±
¡°Exactly. Not just a cool sounding job for an unethical teenager. And, I think we are going to be mostly talking about teenagers to start with. People for whom an announcement made in the summer is ancient history and no big deal now.¡±
¡°That''s probably true. You''ve obviously thought about this quite a lot. But I do wonder what the I.H.M. think about you effectively making them the police to enter the profession.¡±
¡°Well, one possibility is that the I.H.M. actually hold the register of members and act as contact point. I''m don''t know if that''s the best approach long-term, but in the short and medium term it seems to work. The director is happy with that as a model, and the government are thinking about it.¡±
¡°Wow. You get things done, don''t you?¡±
¡°I''m not quite sure how it happened, but apparently his Majesty watched me being interviewed on Wednesday. I got a call on Thursday and spent quite a lot of Friday up at the palace, making my case to the Royal family and lots of ministers.¡±
¡°Wow.¡±
¡°So, I''m really ready to have a nice relaxing holiday.¡±
¡°I bet. And you''re going to do some skiing?¡±
¡°I had no idea the ski-lift would be working so quickly. But... maybe. We''re only here for a few days, and neither of us have done it before, though, so we might stick to going down by sledge.¡± Sarah said.
John asked, ¡°Does William have skis to hire?¡±
¡°You''ll have to ask him. He''s got a few booked out for collection today, I know. That''s his place of business, the hut over there with the lurid colour scheme.¡± Fluorescent green, pink and orange tiger-style strips made it quite easy to spot. ¡°Interesting combination of colours.¡± John said.
¡°Not my work, I hasten to add. It''s a rented unit and William got it at short notice. Apparently it had last been used at a funfair.¡±
¡°Well, I guess there''s no problem finding it on a foggy day.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Or at night. The green and orange glow in the dark.¡± Susan shuddered in disgust.
¡°Shall we go and see him?¡± Karen suggested.
¡°I''ll phone the magic number first.¡± John said, thinking it made better use of time, if someone needed to come out to meet them.
¡°William, why didn''t you tell me you had John and Sarah''s key?¡± Susan asked.
¡°Because it was a contingency plan in case they decided to sneak in without calling ahead.¡±
¡°Yes, but you knew I was going to talk to them.¡±
¡°I knew you wanted to go to talk to them, that''s not the same thing at all, Susan. I didn''t want you to worry if you missed them. Anyway...¡±
William addressed John and Sarah who were drawing their own conclusions about the feelings between these two ¡°Welcome to Blackwood area, Sir, Maam.¡±
¡°So formal!¡± Sarah interrupted in protest ¡°Call us John and Sarah, please.¡±
¡°John and Sarah, Bob Coal asked me to hold onto the spare key to your cabin, just in case you arrived without calling. He also made sure that I''d keep some skis for you. Here they are.¡±
¡°That''s nice of him. Neither of us know the first thing about skiing though.¡±
¡°Well, I''d really rather not to teach anyone today, since it''s my day off...¡± William started.
¡°We''ll happily show them what we learned, William.¡± George said. ¡°I think we can at least show them enough so they''ve got some hope of getting from one place to another.¡±
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
¡°Thank you, George.¡±
¡°You''re not revising today?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°On Sunday?¡± Karen exclaimed, shocked. ¡°No! I want to find out what you''ve been up to, anyway. What''s all this about you giving interviews? You don''t do that, Sarah!¡±
¡°I made an exception. I''ll explain later. Thank you for the skis, William.¡±
¡°You''re welcome! Here are your keys, and a letter from Bob too.¡±
¡°Before we go, I know it almost sounds like a business query, but I don''t mean it as one. Is it all going all right?¡± Sarah indicated the ski lift and the hire shop.
¡°Yes, thank you, Sarah. I think it''s going wonderfully.¡± For some reason William found his eyes rested on Susan, who noticed, and smiled a little smile. He saw her noticing, and tried to explain what his eyes had been doing. ¡°I''ve even got myself a temporary assistant. I''m afraid I can''t afford to hire her full time though.¡± he said, thinking how much he''d miss her company at the end of her time.
¡°Noodle soup isn''t that expensive, surely?¡± Susan said, clearly teasing.
¡°I was more thinking of hiring you away from your real job.¡±
¡°Ah, no. You can''t afford that, sorry. But this is fun.¡±
¡°You''re not working for just friendship and noodle soup, surely, Susan?¡± Sarah queried, ¡°I''d have thought you could at least get a pizza out of him.¡±
¡°I''m discovering that William is a good cook, actually. But lunchtimes seem pretty busy, and there''s barely time for noodle soup.¡±
¡°Oh. I get it.¡± Sarah said.
¡°So, I''m helping mind the store here in the mornings, while William is teaching the more experienced group alone, and then I''ve been helping teaching the afternoon group, which is bigger.¡±
¡°And finding time for the odd chat in between.¡± Karen said.
¡°A bit. Mostly into the evenings.¡±
¡°Well, don''t let us steal any more of your chat-time.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Would you care to take a trip up the hillside, Susan?¡± William asked, thinking that he hadn''t actually been skiing properly for a long time.
¡°I think that''d be nice. I''d like to see the view from the peak, if you''re finished here? I hear it''s worth the climb.¡±
¡°I''ve heard the same.¡± William agreed. He locked up, and they quickly poled their way across to the ski lift.
¡°So, they''re not supposed to be in love?¡± Sarah asked Karen.
¡°No, he''s just helping her put her life back together.¡± Karen said.
¡°Was it just me, or did anyone else see the pain in his face when he thought about her leaving?¡± George said.
¡°Not just you.¡± Sarah agreed.
¡°None of our business, of course.¡± John said.
¡°No. Not at all. I hope they start getting honest with each other, that''s all.¡± Sarah said.
¡°I think they have been.¡± Karen said. ¡°When she first came up here, Susan was telling all and sundry that she''d damned herself by turning away from God, her almost fianc¨¦ of four or five years had said he wasn''t going to marry her for another six years, and she''d been very seriously thinking of jumping off her balcony. She and William have been talking theology and were at church together today, so that''s a lot of progress. But I think she''s still pretty fragile.¡±
¡°And William likes her a lot but doesn''t want to take advantage.¡± George added.
¡°Oh. I get it.¡± Sarah said, ¡°So, we pray for her healing before we pray for a happy marriage for them.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°And are we right to ask her to work on this truthsayer thing, or should we drop it?¡±
¡°Don''t drop it.¡± George said. ¡°Like she said, it could be the crowning moment of her career.¡±
¡°Sarah, we''ve got an invitation for tonight.¡± John said, reading the letter.
¡°Bob?¡±
¡°Yes. He understands if we feel we''d just rather get an early night, but if we want company we''re most welcome.¡±
¡°We''re going.¡± George said. ¡°Bob said that he was inviting you, but we were welcome even if you didn''t feel like coming.¡±
¡°Will there be many there?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°It didn''t sound like it. Maybe eight or ten couples.¡±
¡°Let''s decide later.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I''d like to see these famous cabins and to do that I gather we need to put these things on our feet.¡±
¡°You do.¡± Karen said. [like this {image}, {image}, {image}]. ¡°And what''s all this about you giving interviews and visiting the palace?¡±
By the time Sarah and John''s boots were on and properly adjusted, Sarah had explained the interview and the truthsayers'' organisation. They worked their way to the ski lift and Karen and George showed them how to use it.
Their conversation continued as they were dragged up the hill.
[And you just got a call out of the blue from the palace?] Karen asked.
[Yes. Not even from Eliza. It was actually from the minister for civil liberties, calling on the King''s behalf.] Sarah replied.
[Wow.]
[Apparently, he''s been working on legislation to ensure that everyone''s civil rights are protected ¡ª combining the ethics code with privacy laws that make it an offence for anyone, even an employer, to demand to know if someone has the power, or for anyone to publish that someone has it without their written permission, unless they''re found guilty of an offence against the ethics code. Since one of the big stumbling blocks is how to police the whole thing, and how the courts might make use of the power, then they were... more than a little interested in hearing my thoughts on the idea of having a professional body of truthsayers, and how such a group might hide their identity.]
[What did you say to that one? Surely people will want an I.D. check?]
[Yes, but what if the I.D. came back and said they were ''Professional truthsayer, registration number nine hundred and sixty three?'' Anonymity and proof of identity in one go.]
[Oooh. Yes of course, you could do that, if there''s the legal frame-work for it. And it keeps personal details out of it entirely as long as that''s the only time they used that second I.D.]
[I''m wondering about that. It might be good to have it as usable for travel too, if they''re visiting a client. What''s the point of identifying yourself to the client with a secondary I.D. if the taxi firm knows your name?]
[But that''s going to make you stand out like a sore thumb.] George pointed out. [Of course, if you''re wearing some kind of veil then that''ll make you stick out even more, won''t it?]
[Exactly.] Sarah agreed [So, what makes more sense? To approach reception of a major organisation wearing a veil, or sneak in and then change?]
[Approach with a veil makes the most sense to me.] Karen said. [Change where people know all about you and you''re safe, or somewhere private and anonymous. And a just a veil doesn''t help much if you''re wearing unique clothes otherwise, unless you''re planning to change your whole outfit.]
[Pris said exactly the same thing.]
[Pris?] Karen was surprised.
[Yes. She got called in to share her thoughts from the point of view of a Security person on the committee.]
[Couldn''t Bella have done that?] Karen asked, confused.
[She could have, but Pris is more senior, and has had far more experience in hiding who she is. Plus the experience of seeing a truthsayer in action.]
[She has? She never told me that!] George was wondering if Karen''s reaction was outrage or just total surprise that Pris had kept something from her.
[Well, your mother knew.]
[Mummy was there too?]
[No, but it sounded like they''d asked her.]
[That''s not surprising. So, what was the conclusion?]
[Not fully decided, but I got the impression that the entire legal profession have been knocking on the door of the minister for justice badgering him to vote in favour of there being professional body of truthsayers to catch people out when they tell lies in court and the King was suggesting that it makes far more sense for people with the power to investigate their peers. So, I think it''s pretty likely that we''re going to get some kind of professional body. I also think we''re going to get at least two types of members ¡ª professional truthsayers who openly work with outsiders, but also others who have the power but are a bit too scared to roam the outside world in a veil that proclaims they have it.]
[And their role would be mainly to check up on accusations of abuse?]
[Partly that, or they might be happy to listen to witnesses in court cases, for instance, via some iron passing through a wall.]
[Oh, OK. And that gives a wider pool for the courts.]
[Exactly. And being behind-the-scenes, it''s a role that might be more attractive to one of us with the gift. Which would be good for policing admission and the like.]
[So, the Institute isn''t going to stay involved?] Karen asked.
[For the moment they are, indeed, Kate even has a proposal to consider that the whole body be a division of the institute, thus automatically protecting people from the press. But I think she''s going to turn it down.]
[Why?] George asked.
[Because unless the other nations of the U.N. agree, which seems unlikely to me, then it''s going to be argued that it''s an abuse of the resolution.] John pointed out [Plus, it''s overkill. We''re already going to have a no-publication, no witch-hunt law, after all. Having the absolute reporting ban from the Institute would mean that there''d be no real possibility of, say, May deciding to give a press interview about being a truthsayer.]
[Good point.]
[So, it makes sense to separate the truthsayer''s guild or whatever we call it from the Institute.] Sarah concluded.
[I don''t think `guild'' has quite the right connotations.] George said [Medieval trading cartels with seven year apprenticeships...]
[I know. But the alternative is I have to deal with two different institutes, which would be too confusing.]
Karen started dredging up names of other organisations, past and present: [Royal college of truthsayers? Naah. The Chartered institute of truthsayers? like you say it''s another institute. The general council of truthsayers? National board of truthsayers? Royal truthsayer''s union? No, that sounds like its only open to royalty. Royal assembly of truthsayers?]
[Too pompous, and the initials spell rat. Not good.] George said. [Chartered association of truthsayers?]
[Makes the initials to be C.A.T.] Sarah said.
[Purr-fect.] Karen said, with a laugh.
[As long as curiosity doesn''t kill it.] John said.
[But will there be a royal charter?]
[I think it''s pretty much guaranteed if the institute doesn''t take it up.] Sarah said. [And the designation truthsayer is going to be protected under criminal law to only apply to certified members, whichever way it is done.]
[So, it''s going to be government funded?] Karen asked.
[No. That was discussed too, but the decision was made that it would be best not to. With the name protected under law, then there''s not much actual policing to do, so that side of legal fees doesn''t apply. It''ll be up to the CAT, I do like that name, to think of different funding models, but the real costs at the moment are going to be things like getting people checked out, keeping the register, issuing I.D.s and probably some kind of secretarial support. It could almost be done from someone''s spare bedroom.]
[Except for the break-in risk.]
[Yes. So, option one is a room at the Institute, option two is a room at the palace, option three a room at the high court, and option four is setting up a separate office somewhere with equivalent security.]
[At the palace?] George was surprised.
[It would certainly lend kudos, and it''s been done before, apparently. If it is under royal charter, then there''d be a member of the Royal family on the board anyway. And it''d be convenient for Eliza; she told me that she''d be happy to be next door during the grilling of new members.]
[What does May think of all this?]
[I''ve not talked to her about it in this much detail. We both had other things to worry about yesterday.]
[Tony and Teresa''s wedding, of course.]
[That too, and then I got a plea from her to drop by for half an hour afterwards, which turned into most of the evening. I''ve been learning about being matriarch, and my first significant task in that role was approving Martha''s engagement.]
[I thought there was some doubt about that?]
[Not in the mind of the youngsters, apparently. Mama Ng named me and John as being people to go to like they''d got to her, I''m of the female persuasion, so therefore I''m matriarch. The parents are apparently breathing a collective sigh of relief, happy they''re not going to need to take on the job.]
[So, what''s your role?]
[Part of it is getting involved in teenage romance, apparently, at least according to the teenagers I''ve been talking to.]
[Well, it is an important area of their life.]
[Yes. So I get to tell teenage girls they''re making a mistake, warn off unsuitable boys, and settle disputes among the cousins over who got to the girl or boy first.]
[You''re joking!]
[Not entirely, no.]
[Oh you lucky thing. I bet you''re thrilled.]
[It''s OK so far.]
[You''re a glutton for punishment you are. I''d have run a mile.]
[I''ve got something like thirty thousand people looking to me like I''m their mummy, at least with this lot they don''t expect me to feed them too, and they expect me to box their ears if they muck up.]
[Mama got them well trained then?]
[Oh, yes. By the way. We could learn a thing or two from what Mama taught May.]
[Really?]
[She can hold someone''s hand, listen to their thoughts and they hear not much at all.]
[Interesting]
[She said it took a lot of practice, but... she can do it.]
[A very useful skill in a truthsayer.]
[That''s what I thought. I guess Mama did too.]
2.45pm, Sunday 31st December.
Quentin took a deep breath and knocked on the door. He really hoped he''d got the right house. A girl who by her looks could easily have been May''s sister opened the door.
¡°Hi, urm, does May Ngbila live here?¡± he asked. His knees weren''t quite knocking together.
¡°Yeah. Come in. You''re Q.Q?¡±
Quentin nodded, surprised that she knew. ¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Oh, May!¡± the girl sang out at full volume, with a taunting lilt in her voice ¡°Your boyfriend is really here this time!¡±
¡°Stop it, Alice!¡± a woman''s voice called ¡°And stop opening the door, you''re wasting the heat.¡± Quentin saw a head look round the door, he guessed it was May''s mother and that she was in the kitchen ¡°Oh! Hello!¡±
¡°Hello, I''m sorry for coming unannounced...¡± Quentin managed.
¡°Was Alice right, you''re Quentin who we should call Q.Q.?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Quentin said, blushing a little. It seemed May had been as good as her word.
¡°Well, come on in! I''m Hannah.¡± she said, then called ¡°May, you''ve got a visitor!¡±
Quentin heard hurried steps coming down the stairs. ¡°I thought you said you wanted to write?¡± May said. She was wearing a long dark red skirt, a white pullover, and unlike yesterday, her hair was loose. His heart skipped a beat.
¡°I tried, but in the end I thought it might be cheaper to visit than waste all that paper.¡±
¡°What, waste it in writing?¡±
¡°Waste it in getting it wrong and not being satisfied with sending you anything that wasn''t perfect.¡±
¡°Oooh, he is in love, isn''t he?¡± Alice said, undiplomatically.
¡°This little stirrer is Alice. She''s ten, has a pet hamster who is slowly starving to death because she thinks food gets into its cage by osmosis or magic or something. Just so you know, her favourite game goes roughly like this: boy doll meets girl doll, boy doll tried to kiss girl doll, girl doll punches boy doll in the teeth, boy doll sues for assault, girl doll marries lawyer teddy and goes off on honeymoon. Boy doll loses the case and has to buy girl doll and lawyer teddy a nice house.¡±
¡°That''s... different.¡± Quentin said.
¡°That was last week.¡± Alice said. ¡°Now I''ve got another one.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Quentin said, immediately wishing he''d said something less encouraging.
¡°Boy doll meets girl doll, boy girl kisses girl doll, boy girl meets girl doll''s cousin, girl doll two-times boy doll. Boy doll goes out with girl doll''s cousin, grandma doll tells them all to stop being so silly. Boy doll marries girl doll.¡±
¡°Where does she get these story-lines from?¡±
¡°Well, I don''t know about the first one, but the second sounds suspiciously like the last four or five years of my big sister''s life. Only she missed out the two years of on and off arguing and making up before the marriage. Not that they''ve got that far yet.¡±
¡°No, but they''re planning to. Soon! Sarah said she''d help them elope if Daddy said they should have a two year engagement.¡±
¡°Who''s been listening at doors then?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°I never did! Martha told me! She''s going to be a ministry.¡±
¡°Missionary.¡± May corrected.
¡°Same difference.¡± Alice said, carelessly.
¡°No, Alice, there''s a big difference.¡± Hannah said. ¡°A ministry is either part of the government, like the defence ministry or it''s a way people have of serving God in the church. You can''t be a ministry. That''s like saying you''re going to be Sunday school. You can have a ministry, or you can pursue a ministry but those are bit different.¡± Hannah knew as soon as it was out that she''d regret saying that.
¡°Is Sunday school a ministry?¡± Alice asked.
¡°Yes, Alice. But sometimes I think its a trial.¡±
¡°And pursue means run after, I know that. But how do you run after Sunday school?¡±
¡°With a large baseball bat, or maybe an axe?¡± Quentin suggested.
¡°Don''t tempt me.¡± Hannah said, smiling.
¡°I don''t get it.¡± Alice complained.
¡°That''s OK, Alice, you weren''t meant to.¡± Quentin said.
¡°I''ve got a new plot. Boy doll meets girl doll, boy doll comes visiting to kiss girl doll but tries to make fun of little sister doll, little sister doll hits boy doll in the unmentionables with an axe.¡±
Quentin winced.
¡°Alice, be polite.¡± Hannah commanded. ¡°To pursue a ministry means to do what you can to get one. At the moment Martha is seeking or pursuing the ministry of serving God as a missionary. She thinks God has called her to that and she''s going towards it. Can you think of someone in the Bible who ran away from the ministry that God had called him to?¡±
¡°Jonah.¡± Alice was bored. She wanted to make an axe for her doll. Maybe tinfoil and paper would work.
¡°But Alice, you''ve got it wrong.¡± Quentin said. ¡°I came to talk to May.¡±
¡°Why don''t you want to kiss her? Don''t you think she''s pretty? Or are you scared of her?¡±
¡°Alice!¡± May warned, ¡°Do you want me to show mum where you hide your diary?¡±
¡°Hey, that''s private!¡±
¡°What''s private?¡± Ruben asked, wondering what was happening downstairs.
¡°Ruben, meet Q.Q, as advertised last night when you were reading, Q.Q., Ruben''s my brother.¡±
¡°Hi!¡± Ruben said, wracking his mind to try to remember what May had been talking about last night. ¡°Oh! You''re the guy with the crazy death-wish!¡±
¡°Am I?¡± Quentin asked, confused.
¡°You want to get to know the clan.¡± May translated.
¡°I didn''t know that was a death wish.¡± Quentin was bemused.
¡°Didn''t you hear Alice''s threat?¡± May expressed surprise.
¡°Well, yes...¡±
¡°I''m one of the nice ones.¡± Alice said with a beautific smile, which she then turned into a snarl.
¡°Stop it, children!¡± Hannah chided ¡°Quentin''s nervous enough as it is.¡±
¡°We were just playing, Mummy.¡±
¡°I know what you were playing, Alice. You were playing terrorise the nervous visitor.¡±
¡°Well, he''s the one who came under false pretenses.¡±
¡°Why false pretenses?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°He said he''s not interested in kissing May, but he''s serious enough about her to actually come to the front door unexpected.¡±
¡°Alice, life is sometimes more complicated than you think.¡± May said.
¡°What does that mean?¡±
¡°That even if he''s interested in kissing me, he doesn''t want to risk me slapping him in the face or telling him to get out of the house and never come back. So, he wants to talk. It''s safer.¡±
¡°Oh! OK. Can I watch?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°You slapping him in the face.¡±
¡°Q.Q isn''t going to kiss me, so I''m not going to slap him, Alice.¡±
¡°You''re boring!¡±
¡°Why don''t you go and play with your dolls, Alice.¡± May asked, pointedly.
¡°Why don''t you kiss Q.Q?¡±
¡°Because I don''t think I love him, Alice. And even if I did think that, I''m quite sure I wouldn''t.¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Because.¡±
¡°Because what?¡±
¡°Because I''m not like some people who think anyone in trousers is a good boyfriend, because I don''t know him well enough, because I know him a little bit, and because I want to keep my job with Sarah.¡±
¡°Oooh, that''s a new tune!¡± Ruben said. ¡°When did you stop chasing boys, Kiddo?¡±
¡°Very soon after I got an earful from Karen and she set Sarah on me. Start of the month.¡±
¡°Three cheers for Sarah.¡± he said.
¡°I didn''t know you cared, Ruben. You''ve been buried in a book since you came home.¡±
¡°Well, there wasn''t much point in trying to argue theology with you last time I was back, was there? You on?¡±
¡°Did you have anything in particular to talk about, Q.Q.?¡± May asked.
¡°Urm, a few things, but they can wait. Why?¡±
¡°Ruben likes a challenge... Feeling up to two against one, Ruben?¡±
¡°Deal, if I can pick the subject.¡±
¡°Nothing too esoteric.¡± May warned.
¡°Defending Ecclesiastes as canonical?¡± Ruben suggested.
¡°Who, you, or us?¡±
¡°You.¡±
May looked at Quentin. He looked totally lost. Never mind, she decided, it wasn''t too hard.
¡°OK.¡±
¡°Great. I''ll just get my notes.¡±
¡°Hey! You didn''t say you had notes!¡±
¡°You didn''t ask.¡±
¡°Give us ten minutes to prepare then, and then your notes stay upstairs.¡±
¡°Oh all right.¡±
¡°Ground rules: No weapons, no water, no nails, no breakages, no contact in fact.¡± Hannah warned from the kitchen.
¡°But, mum! You''re spoiling the fun!¡± Ruben protested.
¡°Civilised debate, not warfare. You''ve got a guest.¡±
¡°Come on Quentin, let''s get preparing!¡± May headed to the living room.
¡°Can you fill me in?¡±
¡°Yes, in ten minutes you''ve got to help me defend the cannonicity of the book of Ecclesiastes. Ruben will try to prove it shouldn''t be there.¡±
¡°I like Ecclesiastes.¡±
¡°So, get ready to defend it.¡±
¡°That''s meaningless, a chasing after the wind.¡± Quentin asserted.
¡°But fun.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes. You wanted to talk, after all.¡±
¡°But talk too is meaningless.¡±
¡°No, talk is full of meaning, and hopes and dreams.¡±
¡°I know. But... how can we make dates to talk if we''re not dating? That was my fundamental question I wanted to talk to you about. It''s not like we''re going to meet up every week or anything like that, unless we do plan to meet.¡±
¡°Oh, I see. Tricky.¡±
¡°And with your sister calling me your boyfriend...¡±
¡°She''ll get over it.¡±
¡°But will I? I am attracted, after all.¡±
¡°Yes. I''ve seen that. That''s why we''re not dating for a long time. Plenty of time to talk later. Let''s defend the preacher.¡±
Sunday, 31st December, 4.30pm
¡°Oh all right! I''m not going to convince you, am I?¡± Ruben admitted defeat.
¡°Of course not. I mean. It''s there. Done deal.¡± May said.
¡°And it''s one of my favourite books.¡± Quentin acknowledged.
¡°But God hardly gets a look in! The book just says everything is meaningless.¡±
¡°Under the sun. Not under God! That''s the whole point. You shouldn''t look to science or pleasure or anything else to teach you about the meaning of life. Look to God, seek meaning through him while you are young, and before you get jaded. And don''t try to write the absolutely definitive book on anything, because there''s always more to write. Accept your limitations.¡±
¡°I couldn''t have said it better myself.¡± Ruben said. ¡°I like it too, actually. Good arguments there, by the way, I might steal some of them.¡±
¡°Oh. You were playing devil''s advocate?¡± Quentin asked. Realising, now, why May had smiled at some inappropriate points in the discussion.
¡°Iron sharpening iron.¡± May said.
¡°Thirsty work though. Who''d like Tea? Coffee? Water?¡±
¡°Tea please. Coffee''s vile.¡±
¡°Ooh, look, May! You have two things in common.¡±
¡°Three actually, no, four.¡±
¡°Oh? What are they?¡± Ruben asked.
¡°We both have a little sister, we''re both Christians, we both hate coffee, and...¡± She looked at Quentin, not sure if she should tell of his power.
¡°So I make it five.¡± he said. ¡°We both play water-polo, and we both have quick reactions, too.¡±
¡°Is that ''quick reactions'' as in, you could get the same job as May?¡±
¡°Maybe. Probably not right now. I''ve still got a lot to learn.¡±
¡°University choice?¡±
¡°I''d applied to come here. So I now need to choose between discounted tuition sometime, or find another university.¡±
¡°I don''t envy you. What subject?¡±
¡°Anthropology.¡±
¡°I can''t help you there, then. Oh well. Thanks for the debate. I''ve got to finish reading my friend''s book before tonight.¡±
¡°What''s so special about finishing it before tonight, is it going to burst into flames or something?¡± May asked.
¡°No, but he might. He''s not read it yet and he''s going on holiday tomorrow. I promised I''d finish it by teatime.¡±
¡°Do you need to be anywhere any time, Q.Q?¡±
¡°As long as I''m home by one, Dad doesn''t care. But the last mag-lev leaves at eleven, anyway.¡±
¡°And the rest of your family?¡± May asked.
¡°Rhianna''s at a sleep-over. Mum would like me home by midnight, which I will be.¡±
May hid her thoughts. ¡°I''ve got an idea then. Hold on.¡± and she went to the kitchen to talk with her mother.
Blackwood area, Sunday 31st December, 5pm
¡°Welcome, Sarah, John.¡± Bob greeted them, ¡°I hope you don''t mind me asking you over so early? Most of the others won''t get here until seven or eight.¡±
¡°Not at all. Your message was a little vague. Do I gather it''s to do with Daimian?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°How''s it going with him?¡±
¡°Quite frankly, not too well. He''s still getting the nightmares, and he slipped out of the house despite being grounded the last time they had a tent at the tournament. He was found sneaking around the back of their tent, so we presume that he didn''t actually make contact.¡± Christine explained. ¡°The good news is his mum''s on stand-by to drag him over if you''re sure it''s OK.¡±
¡°It''s fine. What does he know about it?¡±
¡°Not much, just that we''ve got some friends who have friend who used to have headaches.¡±
¡°And does your friend know about the evil-spirit connection?¡±
¡°No. Not really. I tried to broach the issue slowly, in a round-about way, talking about Jesus curing people with evil spirits. But she said ''Oh, that''s all just make-believe and misdiagnosed psychological illnesses isn''t it?''¡±
¡°OK, well, I do have my certificates and things available, so hopefully she''ll let me talk to Daimian alone.¡± John said ¡°How old is he?¡±
¡°Fifteen.¡±
¡°Good. He probably won''t want mummy along anyway then. By all means, tell her I''m here, and happy to talk to her son.¡±
¡°I will.¡± Christine said. ¡°She only lives a few doors away, so it won''t be long before they get here.¡±
¡°But can offer you some tea or coffee?¡±
¡°Tea, please.¡± Sarah and John replied in unison.
¡°Is the stove and everything working well, I forgot to ask.¡±
¡°It''s working wonderfully.¡± Sarah said ¡°Thanks.¡±
Christine was right it didn''t take long before Daimian''s mother herded him into the house. After the introductions had been made Daimian agreed to tell John all about his nightmares, as long as is mother wasn''t too far away, but couldn''t hear.
¡°Does that make sense to you?¡± she asked John.
¡°Perfect sense. He doesn''t want you hearing the embarrassing questions he expects I''m going to ask him, but you''re still his mum, and therefore good protection against strangers.¡±
¡°When will that change?¡±
John shrugged ¡°I''ve no idea. Everyone''s different, and it varies enormously. Somewhere between next week and next century.¡±
¡°Depends how embarrassing you are, Mum.¡± Daimian said.
¡°The doors aren''t that sound-proof, but you could have the kitchen and we could be in the lounge with some music on, would that work?¡± Bob suggested.
¡°Sounds good to me.¡±
¡°Daimian do you have any preference what we have in the background distracting you?¡± Christine asked.
¡°Urr. Something involving a full orchestra, no quiet bits and no words, I guess.¡±
¡°O.K. I''ll try and think of something. I''m going to have to guess about the no quiet bits though, it''s not a criteria I normally think of.¡±
¡°It''s OK, I''ll just clam up if it gets too quiet.¡±
Moving to the kitchen John introduced himself and Sarah in a bit more detail.
He made sure that he added ¡°We live in Restoration.¡±
¡°Man, that''s tough. You going to rebuild, or move away?¡±
¡°Rebuild. My work''s there.¡±
It took a few minutes before they heard music, and John asked the first real question. ¡°So these dreams... are there repetitive elements in them?¡±
¡°Yeah. I wake up just before I end up dead.¡±
¡°And I presume that''s not from old age, surrounded by your loving children and grand-children.¡±
¡°You trying to be funny?¡±
¡°Not really. So are we talking accidents, or monsters?¡±
¡°I guess it''s mostly girls.¡±
¡°I think I need to hear more. Girls aren''t normally deadly, you know?¡±
¡°OK, urm, it normally starts out as a dream about something relatively normal, you know, weird but normal dream stuff, floating on a sandwich box, driving a boat down the high street, typical surreal rubbish.¡±
¡°O.K. And then?¡±
¡°Then I meet some girl, and we get chatting, and then either she develops fangs, or a big guy comes out of somewhere with a gun, or she strangles me while we''re kissing, or spikes come out of her body and impale me, or her pet hamster develops fangs and bites off my knees.¡±
¡°And it''s always different girls?¡±
¡°No, but, but it''s never been anyone I recognised. Except once.¡±
¡°Do tell.¡±
¡°A few weeks ago... there was this reenactor''s fair here, you know? Dress up in armour and see how many ribs you can avoid getting cracked, or try and put the arrow into the target rather than the serving wench.¡±
¡°OK, I''ve got the picture. You''re not interested?¡±
¡°My mum is. I had to go along, but they''re a weird bunch. Some of the girls are pretty.¡±
¡°And it was one of them?¡±
¡°Yeah. She dresses up as a witch, tells fortunes.¡±
¡°What, hairy warts and black hat?¡±
¡°Black hat, bat-design stockings, miniskirt, no warts.¡±
¡°I see, so she''s advertising well, is she? What happened?¡±
¡°Nothing that was the odd bit. I talked to her, and she told me about my dreams, she did some kind of spell and said there wouldn''t be any more bad dreams.¡±
¡°A spell?¡±
¡°Yeah. The real deal, incantations and weird face movements, magic symbols.¡±
¡°Sorry, was that in the dream, or in real life?¡±
¡°Oh, that was the dream.¡±
¡°And were there more dreams?¡±
¡°Yeah. The next night I dreamt of her again, and she was sad that I hadn''t come to her because the spell needed me there, and then a giant monster ate both of us. Well, I guess it ate her, it said it was going to. I fought it but all I had was a teaspoon. It didn''t work very well.¡±
¡°So how long have you had these nightmares?¡±
¡°Urm, about three months.¡±
¡°And when did you first notice her?¡±
¡°Notice her, from the first time she came... She''s pretty noticeable, you know?¡±
¡°When was that?¡±
¡°Well, her friend, she''s even more noticeable, actually, she''s been coming for a year or more, but the one in my dreams came in September.¡±
¡°Four months? Do you think there''s a link in your mind?¡±
¡°Probably. My subconscious has decided I need to listen to her, I guess.¡±
¡°Want to tell me about it?¡±
¡°I''d gone to get my fortune told. They''re good, really good. I mean, I''m sure it''s all dark-haired-beauty rubbish, but they''d noticed me noticing them, I expect. So, it was pretty personalised. Morticia ¡ª she''s the one who isn''t in my dreams ¡ª she said ''Looking is free but you can''t have me. Look elsewhere and you will find her there.'' And then she described who I was looking for, which met my idea of an ideal girl pretty well. I''m not sure how she got it, watching how I reacted, I guess, but it was, you know, encouraging, flattering. Elvira then added even more details, and said this cryptic thing, which was was ... weird ¡ª I mean, she put on a strange voice and said ''Sleep will not be rest until you change what you want. Your journey is foretold in the front and begins in the back. Rewards need sacrifice and protection comes at a price.'' I almost believed it was real, you know? Very good acting.¡±
¡°And you didn''t tell anyone, I presume?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°And then you started getting the dreams?¡±
¡°Yes, a few days later.¡±
¡°But you think the dreams are just your subconscious acting up?¡±
¡°I hope so. The alternative is, like, real spooky.¡±
¡°So, since it''s just your subconscious, you didn''t act on it at all?¡±
¡°Well actually... after the dream about Elvira spelling away the dreams, I tried to go back to their tent. There was another fair you see. I wondered if there was some answer, you know, I figured out that maybe there was some sort of message on the back of their tent that I''d glimpsed when I went there last time, and the thing about her saying a spell was that I needed to read it again. There was a little manufacturer''s label there, but I didn''t really think that could have been it. Then Mum found me and dragged me home.¡±
¡°I see. Have these dreams affected anything other than your sleep patterns?¡±
¡°Urm. Yeah. It''s pretty hard to ask out a girl if you''ve dreamed about her turning into a monster and trying to bite your head off.¡±
¡°So they''re girls you know?¡±
¡°No. Except, this is really the odd bit, when I''ve dreamed of them then I see meet them a bit later. And they are girls I''d like to go out with. I guess it''s my subconscious warning me to stay away from them.¡±
¡°And so these dreams are warning you off other girls and telling you to go talk to Elvira?¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°And her cryptic thing doesn''t sound like a curse to you?¡±
¡°A curse?¡±
¡°Sleep will not be rest...¡±
¡°I don''t believe in the supernatural.¡±
¡°You believe enough to assume the impact is happening.¡± John pointed out.
¡°Urm. Yeah, I guess I do, don''t I?¡±
¡°Have you heard the full version of how the prophecies came about?¡±
¡°Urm, probably not.¡±
¡°They were given to a woman I know, Bob and Christine have met her too, by the way. Anyway, just over a decade ago, when she was a crazy teenager, she was convinced that she had this... latent ability to see the future. She tried self-hypnosis, meditation, everything else she could to unlock it. Eventually she enacted a spell where she called on all the spiritual forces active in the world to unlock her abilities and let her see the future.¡±
¡°And it worked?¡±
¡°Sort of. She foresaw the attack on the Clear Sky shopping mall the night beforehand, and some other things, and for the following year she had I think it was at least six dreams or nightmares a night. Some of them were the prophesies of the impact, most were corruptions of them, trying to destroy her memory of them, or general nightmares to make her wish she''d never heard the word prophesy. After a year or so she screamed out to God to make them stop, and they did. Someone with the mind-reading gift saw that some were true prophesies and others were lies, and eventually someone realised that the ones from God were the first three on nights she didn''t have school the next day, which really helped. Her mum had kept a detailed diary, you see.¡±
¡°I haven''t been keeping a diary.¡±
¡°It doesn''t matter.¡± John said. ¡°What I''m telling you is that there is such a thing as the supernatural, and scary dreams are certainly a possibility if you go messing about with it. I have information that Elvira does mess about with it.¡±
¡°So Elvira''s spell might have worked?¡±
¡°It might have. But what would have been the cost? She told you there''d be one, after all. You can guess that me knowing this, I also know someone with the mind-reading gift.¡±
¡°It did occur to me.¡±
¡°When I heard you were having lots of nightmares, they checked where they were coming from. They also checked Morticia and Elvira, that''s how I learned about Elvira. Morticia is just using whatever abilities she has to work out what people are thinking. Elvira is doing that, but she''s got the occult involvement too. Your dreams have been inspired by what I''d call demonic forces. If you want to go and pay the woman who told you''d have them to invoke those demonic forces to take them away, then I suppose you can. I don''t know what she wants from you, or if you having the dreams was her idea or just something she was told about. But in any case, going to her is certainly not what I''d do or recommend.¡±
¡°This is crazy.¡± Daimian said, not wanting to believe, ¡°You''re saying that Elvira really is a witch, that she''s cursed me?¡±
¡°No. I''m saying that she''s playing with magic, which means trying to bribe the supernatural to do what you want them to, and that your dreams are caused by demons, which are certainly supernatural.¡±
¡°And you''re a Christian and you pray. What''s the difference between magic and praying? Isn''t it just the same?¡±
¡°It shouldn''t be. Sometimes people treat prayer like magic. But God doesn''t like it when we do. Prayer is about talking to God about our problems, asking for his help, his advice. The big difference is magic says ''I''m in charge, do this!'', but prayer says ''God, I''d like help, but you''re in charge.''¡±
Something occurred to Daimian. ¡°If you knew what was causing my dreams, why did you ask all the questions first?¡±
¡°Because I knew the cause, but not why or how. Or what your involvement was. For all I knew you were seeing her every night.¡±
¡°I wish!¡±
¡°Really? Now you know that the spooky is real, you''re still interested?¡±
¡°Urm...¡±
¡°That''s part of the dreams of course. Putting you off anyone else. The demons are telling you all other girls are scary, but she''s safe. Quite the opposite to reality. Bear in mind that what both of them are probably doing is already invading privacy, and is going to be illegal soon.¡±
¡°What, there''s going to be laws about fortune telling?¡±
¡°About deliberately listening to people''s thoughts without telling people what you''re doing.¡±
¡°You mean... she just listened to my thoughts and told me what I was already thinking!¡±
¡°Almost certainly,¡± John said, continuing to tread a fine line.
¡°I thought at least there was some body language interpretation, or something.¡±
¡°It''s possible. But if she can hear thoughts, then why bother? I''m not saying she can of course ¡ª I''m not claiming any special knowledge there ¡ª but if what she said matched what you thought so well...¡±
¡°It''s a bit dishonest, isn''t it?¡±
¡°It all depends what they say, what you''re paying for. To me, it sounds like you wanted the pretty women to hold your hand and say titillating things, and you got what you wanted. Plus some bad dreams.¡±
¡°Yeah, I guess I did.¡±
¡°So, do you want to obey the demon-inspired dreams, and get her to induct you to her circle of slaves, worshippers or whatever it is she wants from you, or would you like to trust God to deal with them, in which case I''ll pray for you?¡±
Daimian thought it through. In his dreams she''d wanted him to ''pay'' with his love, which fulfilled his teenage fantasies, but in the light of day that didn''t quite work, did it? The chances of her wanting him for his body, or his earning power were vanishingly small. She wanted control. Or the demons did, he thought with a shudder.
¡°Please pray.¡± he said.
John did.
Daimian didn''t feel anything except curiosity while John was praying against the demonic dreams. He wondered why John started ''you know'' and then told God what John knew God knew ¡ª which started by saying everything and then homed into their conversation and the spiritual state of the self-proclaimed witches. Then John started telling God about what God was like, which was even odder, but then Daimian realised that John was teaching him too. John was presenting the problem and reflecting on God''s character. Then John just simply prayed ¡°Father God, please release Daimian from these evil spirits and from any hold they might have over him and protect him in the weeks and months to come.¡± Daimian expected the prayer to end there, but it didn''t. John also prayed for Morticia and Elvira and too, that they would come to see the error of their ways, and finally he prayed that Daimian would choose to know who God was, and eventually trust him fully. Daimian felt an overwhelming sense that this was the most important decision he had to make, that asking John to pray for him was almost inconsequential in comparison. Did he want to commit himself to learning who God was? It felt like there was a great gift on offer, and that the offer wouldn''t last long, and that this was his last chance to accept it. He hesitated, unsure what to make of such feelings, and he felt the sense of the offer started to fade away already. The thought of losing that gift brought with it such a sense of loss that he decided, there and then, that he needed to learn more. He wanted to know know more about God, tonight. With that decision, he knew what to say. ¡°Amen.¡±
¡°You meant that?¡±
¡°I need to know more about God. Tonight.¡±
¡°Tonight?¡±
¡°Yes. I don''t know why, but it''s urgent. And for mum.¡±
¡°Well, let''s go and talk to her, then.¡±
¡°Thank you, John. I''m pretty sure that I won''t have those dreams again.¡±
¡°I''m glad.¡±
Daimian went and found his mother in the lounge. ¡°Mum, I need to tell you something about the dreams. I ... I''d suspected, John confirmed it.¡±
Association / Ch. 6: Confrontation
Association / Ch. 6:Confrontation
Blackwood area, Sunday 31st December, 5.30pm
Vivian ''Elvira'' Trevithick, initiate of the fourth grade, third in power of her coven, felt something like a tug on her mind, and felt tired. Something was going wrong, and she had to be somewhere. She wasn''t sure where, not yet. It certainly wasn''t time for her party, that was later, even though she was dressed for it, in her witch outfit. She put aside her book of spells and started to chant the mantra she used to enter her trance, and opened her mind to the higher reality. It was that teenage boy. The dream charm by which she''d bound him to her wasn''t there any more, and it was flapping around the spiritual world, wasting her power on feeding the spirits. She''d never known that to happen before. It should have stayed in place until she reeled him in, and bound him with a stronger tie. One that he agreed to would draw from him instead of her. She tried to cancel the charm, and heard the howl of protest from the spirit being that was feeding on it. She had to wait until it was finished. She moaned in pain as it took more from her. The spirit stopped feeding long enough to tell her she needed to find the boy, and talk to him; offer him the healing spell without waiting for him to come to her again. After all, he had come but she hadn''t been attentive. Maybe she''d need to offer him more than just healing, make the price one he''d be happy to pay. It was all her fault, and she needed to learn her lesson, so the spirit would release her charm only then. It took another feed from her.
The demon who fed these lies and half-truths to her imagination laughed as it enjoyed this opportunity to sink it''s claws deeper into her soul each time it ''fed''. It knew that it''s power over the boy had been broken by someone''s prayers, but it had got bored of supplying stupid dreams to the boy anyway. And it knew knew where Daimian had planned to be tonight. Some party in the woods. It sent her there, and chortled at the thought of what might happen there, an ideal location for all sorts of things. Maybe it could abase this foolish mortal woman some more as well as gathering the boy, and maybe others as worshipper-slave. Anything to distort the image of God they carried, and tie their souls in knots, far away from God.
Daimian told his mother about visiting the fortune-tellers, and how the nightmares had seemed to have started with that visit and be shaped to bring him towards ''Elvira''.
¡°You tried to warn me about that woman, didn''t you, Caroline?¡±
¡°Yes. And that there were more invisible forces in the world than just God and his angels.¡±
¡°John''s prayed for me, Mum. Hopefully God will answer. I''m pretty sure He will. And, I don''t know why, but I think we need to know more about God tonight.¡±
¡°Oh yes? And what about your friend''s party that you were so keen to go to?¡±
¡°It''s not as important as this.¡±
¡°Really? You''ve been talking of little else this past week.¡±
¡°I''ve changed my mind.¡± Daimian said. ¡°I''m not going. Bob''s going to tell me all about him, I think.¡±
¡°Am I?¡± Bob said, in surprise, then recovered his wits enough to say ¡°Ahh, right, urm, let''s start with me asking what you know about him, OK?¡±
6.35pm
Vivian was driving as though on autopilot, as the ''spirit guide'' continued to sap her mental energy. She was half way there, and she should have been using the car''s self-drive features, but she had only the vaguest sense of where she was heading for. Left here, right here, her spirit guide prompted. She couldn''t think clearly, but just had a sense of doom unless she could find the boy. ''Or maybe bind another one'', whispered the demon she thought of as her guide. Someone to ''restore the balance''. She had to restore the balance, the guide was whispering to her, or there would be a higher price to pay. She didn''t want to think what not restoring the balance meant or would take from her, but the guide fed her with thoughts of guilt and worthlessness: she must have cast the spell badly for it to break like this, and of course she''d failed to even notice him when he was near, she''d been too busy trying to earn money. Everything was her fault. She needed to do better this time. She drove into the dark night, along minor roads where there were hardly any other cars, which was a good thing, since she was only just in control of the car, and in her haste she was ignoring the warnings from the computer. A white shape suddenly appeared in the lights: an owl, she realised, as she slammed on the breaks and swerved to avoid hitting it. Some said it was a symbol of wisdom, while others, she knew, thought it was a symbol of death. It had almost been hers, she thought, but adrenaline gave her a brief burst of rational thought. She programmed the car to take her to the next intersection. So, had that owl been wisdom or death? She pondered the thought, deciding it might be both, and vowed that when she got to where she was going, and had bound the boy to herself, then she would pour a libation to the owl-spirit.
6.45pm, Bob and Christine''s home
¡°It''s the most important decision of your life, Daimian.¡± Bob said, cautiously, ¡°Jesus said you needed to count the cost, that you mustn''t start and then think again. I''m not saying don''t decide for God, I''m just saying that you ought to think through the implications.¡±
¡°I know. And I have a sense that I need to make it tonight.¡± the boy ¡ª young man, Bob corrected his thought ¡ª replied.
Sarah got up from where she''d been lending the occasional thought to what Caroline had been saying to Daimian''s mother.
¡°Sorry, I overheard, can I ask a few questions?¡± She asked.
¡°Fine by me, Sarah.¡± Bob agreed. ¡°Daimian?¡±
¡°Urm, fine. Why?¡±
¡°Because, sometimes, I''ve felt God telling me things.¡± Sarah explained, ¡°and sometimes it''s totally out of the blue, no warning, no real connection to what I was thinking about, other times I''ve been ... I guess wondering about something and then I had the answer. But normally, it just seems like God is just chipping in a bit to a conversation I''m in, or something I''m listening too. Does that make sense?¡±
¡°Absolutely!¡± Daimian said. ¡°That last one. That''s what happened. John was praying, and it was like, I felt God offering me this fantastic gift, I got the sense of it being now or never. And I don''t want it to be never, so I decided to accept it.¡±
Sarah looked at him, curiously, ¡°What did you accept?¡±
Daimian shrugged, ¡°I don''t know. I knew it needed to be tonight, that I needed to find out tonight, that I had to put my other plans on hold. It''s like... I dunno, that if I''d have gone to that party then it would have been game over, but now the offer''s still open, you know? I''m not making much sense.¡±
¡°Was the party dangerous then?¡± Bob asked.
¡°I doubt it. I mean, it was just a group of us from school, we were going to go into this clearing in the woods where we often meet, have a bonfire, toast some marshmallows, and then cook potatoes and sausages in it.¡±
¡°And?¡± Sarah prompted.
¡°And nothing. Well, maybe... you know...¡± he reddened.
¡°Maybe you''d get lucky and get a kiss or two?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Someone was going to bring some mistletoe, and there''d be music, you know, dancing.¡± Daimian admitted.
¡°Well, that would help pass the time while the sausages were cooking.¡± Sarah said, ¡°Not to mention keep you warm. No drugs or drink?¡± she probed.
¡°No! Well, someone said he might be able to bring some bottles of home-made wine.¡± He felt that it was daring to admit it, after all wine was stronger than beer.
¡°You''re all too young for alcohol and you all know it.¡± Bob said, ¡°But it doesn''t sound like anyone won''t be waking up tomorrow morning, unless they freeze to death.¡±
¡°I guess the danger was most likely moral or spiritual.¡± Sarah concluded, ¡°No one was planning to do any magic or anything crazy like that?¡±
¡°I hope not.¡± Daimian said, and Sarah saw him shudder.
¡°So, do you feel like with you not being at the party, you''re out of danger?¡± she asked.
¡°I never felt in danger. Just in danger of losing the gift.¡±
¡°But you don''t know what the gift was?¡±
¡°Not then. Just it was my last chance to accept it. I guess it was eternal life, sins forgiven. I want that.¡±
¡°God on the throne of your life?¡± Bob asked
¡°Yes! How?¡± Daimian insisted. ¡°I want to know God. I want to be safe.¡±
Sarah caught Bob''s eye and nodded. ¡°Don''t make him wait if this is his last chance, Bob.¡±
8pm, Blackwood forest
Vivian drove along the track as far as she could. The car''s autopilot wasn''t any help here, this was for tractors. She felt and heard something scrape the bottom of the car. A stone, probably. She looked at the track ahead, and saw it only got worse. She let our a stream of curses. She wasn''t dressed for a night-time hike in the woods. She''d freeze. But she needed to find the boy. She didn''t need to consult her guide to know where to go now, at least. she could see the flicker of flames and figures moving in front of it, maybe a kilometre away. That''s where the party was. She''d need to go and find him, on foot, she swore again. And when she did she''d tell him that the spirits that served her had told her of his plight, and that she''d come, on this special night, to heal him.
She stopped the car and got out. Her high heels sunk into the snow. She contemplated her clothing: heels, miniskirt, a loose fitting blouse with a plunging neckline, suitable for attracting admirers who might turn into acolytes. A light-weight cardigan, of crocheted bats and spiders, suitable for wearing inside a building or driving, not outside when it was freezing; which it was of course. Why wasn''t she better prepared? Because it was urgent, of course. She found she did have a raincoat in the back of the car, which was long, at least, but it was thin. It wouldn''t be very much help keeping her warm.
She''d learned a charm, once, to keep herself warm. But she couldn''t use it now, not with the spirits sucking her strength out of her. Might they stop? She started her mantra to open her mind to the other reality, but found it ineffective. Was it that she didn''t have the strength even for that, or she was too cold, or perhaps the spirits were repelling her until she obeyed. She couldn''t tell, but she was certainly afraid. She moved towards her target.
The demon had actually been too busy to notice that she''d decided to use the ''sight'' that it had tricked her into believing she had. Making plans within plans, while she''d been rummaging in the back of the car, it had been concentrating its attention on the circuits in the car''s computer. Delicate wires no longer connected to where they should be, but to elsewhere. Interlocks re-wired. If she succeeded wonderfully, then it would reverse the damage. Probably. Now, it could offer her ways to repair the car: A ''great spell'' at sunrise; she knew that she''d would have to convince the boy to bind his soul to hers, of course, in order for that spell. The demon chortled at that fiction, which was always a good way to demean an adult woman and add a millstone of sin to her soul. Or, perhaps, she would choose to commit herself further into its service before it repaired them. Or she could choose to die, of course. The demon didn''t care very much which one she chose. In any case the hated image of God would be marred.
Vivian''s dark clothes hid her from the fire-blinded youngsters, as they danced and played with the foil-wrapped food. The boy wasn''t there.
She called to her spirit guide. She''d come to where the guide had led her, where was the boy?
Surprised, the demon searched. The boy wasn''t in the woods, the boy wasn''t on the way, nor in his own house. He was somewhere else, near Christians, probably, since the demon couldn''t see. The other children were sure that he''d be here sooner or later, so it told her to wait.
Vivian squatted down for a while, trying to conserve heat. It didn''t work, she felt her limbs going numb. She needed to get close to that fire. She stood up and approached. There were about fifteen kids there, she saw. and guessed they were aged fifteen to seventeen. The ''dance floor'' was on the other side of the fire, and most of them where there, except a couple of girls who were on this side chatting, near a big saucepan. One of them saw her and approached.
¡°Hey, who are you? Where did you spring from? ¡°, she asked ¡°What are you doing here?¡±
¡°I heard there was a party, and was going to meet someone I know here. But my car got stuck. I''m freezing.¡± Vivian said.
The other girl came up, clearly sizing up Vivian''s shoes and clothes.
Vivian heard her decide she wanted her boyfriend''s attention fixed on her, not some under-dressed stranger. ¡°Get lost.¡±
¡°I''m not after your boyfriend.¡± Vivian said, ¡°I''m after avoiding frost-bite. Let me warm up a bit, please.¡±
¡°How do you know about my boyfriend?¡±
¡°I''m a witch. I know all sorts of things.¡± Vivian said, too tired to think through how they might react. The second girl was stunned into silence.
¡°Where''s your friend, then?¡± the first girl challenged.
¡°He''s not here, but he should be.¡± she heard the confusion in her own voice.
¡°Some witch you are then. And I suppose you can''t magic your fingers warm either.¡±
¡°Not tonight. I need to save my magic.¡±
¡°I don''t think we want to invite a self-confessed witch to our party.¡± the second girl said to the first. ¡°Especially when she''s dressed like she wants to be the centre of attention. Especially when she''s not even saying who she knows.¡±
¡°Look, I''m sorry for gate crashing the party, really. I don''t remember his name, it was something unusual. D- something. I''ve only met him a couple of times. I was on my way to another party for people my own age, adults, you know? But I had this vision that his bad dreams were getting out of hand, and I needed to to heal him before something worse happened. He was supposed to be here.¡±
¡°So, this is some kind of mercy mission?¡± girl one said.
¡°Yes, now can I warm up before I freeze?¡± Vivian heard her teeth chattering.
¡°I guess we''d better let her.¡± girl two said.
¡°Want some hot chocolate?¡± girl one offered, indicating her saucepan. Vivian accepted gratefully.
7.30pm
Daimian and his mother were invited to stay at the party, which had turned into a theological discussion once Karen and George had been introduced, and been introduced to Daimian and why he was here.
¡°She set demons on me. Doesn''t that mean she''s evil? And if she''s evil, why did you pray for her, John?¡± Daimian finally asked the question that had been going round his mind.
John answered ¡°She''s made in God''s image, Daimian. She''s dangerous to herself and to others, but she''s still human. Maybe she''ll repent of her sins too.¡±
¡°So she''s not evil?¡±
¡°Something she said to you is something the demons used. Does that mean she herself is evil? I don''t know. Maybe she''s just stupid, convinced of her own sense of importance and playing with forces she doesn''t understand.¡±
¡°Oh. So we should pray for her to repent too?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
As the drink and fire warmed her, Vivian tried once more to use her spiritual sight. She muttered the mantra under her breath and entered the trance. This time the demon was paying attention, and fed her more half-truths and fabrications. She saw herself in a throne-room, the spirit on the throne told her ''you have tried, so we will feed on your power no more, for now.'' The demon wasn''t sure why it was that it couldn''t be bothered to torture her more, but that made a good excuse to stop. She asked: ''Where is Damian?''
The demon told her what it knew. ''Here is where he planned to be. He is not on the way now. He is not at home, but he will surely return there.'' She wanted to ask more, but the vision ended abruptly. A little while later, as she finished her hot cocoa, she heard someone approaching.
¡°You''re Elvira, aren''t you?¡± a boy asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Jez was saying you''re here about Daimian''s bad dreams. Is that right?¡±
¡°That''s his name! I knew it began with ''D''. Yes, I am, do you know where he is?¡±
¡°He told me about you. He should be here. I''ll call him, tell him you''re here?¡±
¡°Please. If he''s not coming here then I can go to him. I really want to help him.¡± she said. Help him get him into the coven, she thought. That would be wonderful. It was noisy near the fire, so he wandered off to make the call.
¡°Hi, what''s up?¡± Daimian asked.
¡°Where are you?¡±
¡°Chatting with the rich and famous. I''m not going to come.¡±
¡°The rich and famous?¡±
¡°Yeah. One of each, really, I guess. Friends of friends of my mum. Can''t say more, but it''s better than freezing up there. We''re discussing all sorts of things.¡±
¡°There''s a woman here to see you. Elvira.¡±
¡°Stay away from her, man. She''s dangerous company.¡±
¡°She''s pretty. Said she''d come all this way to help you with your dreams.¡±
¡°No wonder it was my last chance. I''m not interested in her help.¡±
¡°Oh man, lovely lady comes to help and you say you''re not interested?¡±
¡°Hey, I know she''s pretty, but she''s not lovely, OK? You used to be the one who claimed to believe in God. We''re talking practical theology here, and about staying away from the occult. She''s the real deal, in league with or confused by demons, mate. Don''t touch her with a bargepole.¡±
¡°She came to talk to you, got her car stuck and got frozen. Now she''s drinking hot chocolate by the fire to warm up. She doesn''t look very dangerous to me.¡±
¡°Maybe she''s not, personally. My dreams were demonic, they told me to talk to her. Think man, what''s your conclusion.¡±
¡°You sound like either you''re drunk or you''ve got religion.¡±
¡°Better, mate, I''ve got saved.¡± Daimian said, grinning.
¡°Wow, man! You? You don''t even believe in God!¡±
¡°I do now, mate. I guess some of what you said stuck. Stay away from her, you don''t want to mess with that stuff. Tell her to go home.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll tell her.¡±
¡°Hey, I''ve got an even better idea. Talk to Monica first, she''s there?¡±
Monica was well known in the school for her outspoken faith. ¡°Yes, she''s here. Hold on, you talk to her.¡± Daimian winced and pulled his wrist unit from his ear as his best friend yelled Monica''s name.
¡°What?¡± Monica yelled back.
¡°Call for you!¡±
Monica came over, checking for mistletoe ¡°This better not be some trick, Mick.¡±
¡°Daimian''s turned to Christ. Talk to him.¡±
¡°Daimian?¡± Monica didn''t believe it.
¡°Hi, Monica. I''ve just been washed in the blood of the lamb.¡±
¡°Don''t mock.¡±
¡°I''m not. God told me it was my last chance to repent tonight.¡±
¡°You''re serious.¡±
¡°Yes. Mick says there''s a woman there, a witch.¡±
¡°She''s looking for you.¡±
¡°That''s why it was my last chance. Someone here knows someone with the mind-reading gift. The witch, she''s genuinely into the occult too. My dreams were from demons.¡±
¡°You sound serious.¡±
¡°I am. Pray against her, Monica. Get her out of there.¡±
¡°You mean, confront her?¡± Damian realised that Monica sounded scared.
¡°You sound scared.¡±
¡°Wouldn''t you be?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Should I go up there to confront her?¡± Daimian asked.
¡°No.¡± Sarah said. ¡°Not alone, anyway.¡±
¡°Who was that?¡± Monica asked.
¡°Urm... That was Sarah.¡±
¡°Who''s Sarah?¡± Monica asked.
¡°I suspect you''re on land I own.¡± Sarah said. Bob nodded.
¡°Oh. We''re not doing any harm, honest.¡± Monica said, worried.
¡°Good. Don''t worry, you''re allowed to be there, just don''t leave a mess, damage the trees, offend public decency, or enact any pagan rituals.¡±
¡°I''m not going to, I''m a Christian.¡±
¡°Good, me too. I just thought you''d like to know that as far as I know that is on the access restrictions.¡±
¡°Will that stop her?¡±
¡°Probably not, but it means she''s technically trespassing if she intends to work magic there. My husband and I will come up. I don''t recommend you get into a real confrontation with her. If she starts to get nasty, cling onto God''s promises. Nothing can separate you from the love of God.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
Sarah looked at Damian ¡°What''s the best way to get there from here?¡±
¡°Are you sure?¡± Bob asked.
¡°Fairly.¡± Sarah replied.
¡°It''s about half an hour''s walk, if you cut across the fields.¡± Damian started.
Christine shook her head ¡°I''ll drive you to the bottom of the mud road. About quarter of an hour from there, straight up the road. You might even meet Henry in the ATV.¡±
¡°Thanks, Christine.¡±
As they got in the car, John called to Enoch [Enoch, any idea how to deal with someone with the power who''s also a witch ¡ª as in spells, demons and things?]
[Not personally. Contact Selina, she knows all about it.]
[Thanks!]
Vivian heard snatches of the girl''s phone conversation. ''We''re not doing any harm, honest'' didn''t sound like a conversation with a friend, and nor did ''I''m not going to, I''m a Christian''. So, who had they been talking to?
The boy and girl came over, looking... wary. Vivian decided.
¡°We''ve spoken to Damian. He says he doesn''t want any help from you.¡±
¡°But his dreams! They won''t go unless I heal him from them!¡±
¡°He''s trusting God now.¡± the girl said, as though that answered everything.
¡°That won''t help him much.¡± Vivian replied.
¡°More than your demon friends will.¡± the boy said.
¡°And if you do try any magic here, then you''re trespassing.¡±
¡°Says who?¡± Mick asked
¡°The lady who owns this wood.¡± Monica replied.
¡°Stupid children.¡± Vivian replied, haughtily, ¡°Magic is beyond any laws, and far more powerful than your stuffy, boring, God.¡±
Monica looked at her with incredulity.
¡°You really think that?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
Monica sniggered. ¡°Let''s ignore her, Mick. She''s crazy but maybe she''ll go away.¡±
Vivian hadn''t expected that sort of response. Derision? Magic was to be respected, feared, not laughed at. ¡°You challenge me to show my power?¡±
¡°Oh, go away. This is a private party.¡± Mick said.
Vivian began a simple demonstration spell. It would make the fire flare to twice its height. But before she could release it her concentration was shattered.
[We name you, witch. You are Elspeth], she heard a woman''s voice said.
[Vivian] said a male voice.
[Rachel] another woman''s voice.
[Trevithick] a second man''s voice
[known as Elvira.] a fifth voice, another woman.
The voices, male and female said together. [You will leave the woods and will not return. You have no magic of your own, only that which is leant you by demons. You have no life of your own, only that which is leant you by God. The power by which you hear these thoughts is also leant. What is leant may be reclaimed. Please do not make us take it from you.]
It is often said that knowing a magician''s true name gives power over them. Hearing it in her mind, mid-spell, certainly distracted her. No one knew her by her full name except her immediate family. From age five she''d decided to be Vivian, thinking it was special to have a name no one knew ¡ª due to poor hearing, the registrar hadn''t written her first name, Elspeth, on her birth record, and so it had never even made it onto any record or identity card. Not even the other members of her coven knew it. There was knowledge there, then, as well as power. But no magic of her own? That was quite a claim. If that were so then why did magic use tire her? The first woman''s voice spoke to her compassionately [It is hard to accept, I know, but it is true. The tiredness you feel is the demons draining you. The things you see are from demons. Nothing of it is from you. The demons play you like a fiddle, and you dance to their tune. They hide the truth from you and make you blame yourself when things go wrong. They are not your friends.]
[You listen to my thoughts. I didn''t invite you to.] Vivian accused.
[I do. Mostly in order to warn you from real danger, but I suppose partly because I''m an old woman used to sticking her nose in other people''s thoughts. And I know them, and I recognise them from my stupid youth. God has better things in store for you than the demons, I assure you. You were going to make the fire blaze. I know the words forming in your mind. You did not speak the last three. Enter them to a computer translator and you will find them quickly enough. They mean ''eat six of my eggs''. You thought they were magic words? They are not, not really. Its just a language few people speak. It is a simple bargain: each time you''ve enacted that spell you have traded roughly half a year of your fertility for that flame. I know it''s more complicated than that, because of biology, and natural die-off and so on, but that''s roughly what you''re doing. They eat, or at least kill, enough proto-eggs that you lose six real ones. It doesn''t benefit them, you understand. It just ruins you some more. This is why the men have a different form, and why you felt a pain in your womb, at least the first time you enacted it. I know this, Elspeth Vivian Rachel.]
[How?]
[Because when I was as beguiled as you, I used that spell almost every night, for two months in a row. I only looked the words up too late, when my eggs were gone, and the spell stopped working. I hit menopause at twenty two.]
Vivian felt her spirit guide demanding she not listen to the woman, and give her attention to it instead, immediately, the woman spoke again.
[Silence, demon! I command you to release that woman in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth! Begone, and trouble her no more!]
The guide fell silent.
[It is all lies, seduction, abuse, rape and human sacrifice bit by bit, Elspeth Vivian Rachel. It''s all about them defacing the image of God you bear. They draw you in and then wither you. Reject it and turn to God. At the very least, stop. Cast no more spells. Seek no more magical aid. The cost will be high if you do. Higher than you''ve paid before. They always demand more, haven''t you noticed that? Think on this. Now I''ll leave you with your thoughts.]
Vivian found that she could think clearly. Very clearly.The whole conversation had barely taken a minute. But her mind was clearer than it had been for months. They did demand more, these so-called friendly spirits. She thought of how often she''d been using that demonstration spell. Not every night for a month, certainly. But, every few weeks for... a year maybe? She couldn''t remember exactly when she was given the task ¡ª a great honour. A woman, not so much older than she was now, with a haunted look in her eyes, had told her ''It''s time for me to pass on my task in the coven meeting. You must call the fire now.'' Elvira had wondered about that look, at the time, wondering if the woman had felt threatened by her or something. But did she know? Had she felt menopause coming? Was it a conspiracy amongst the old against the young and ignorant? She''d noticed the difference in the forms of the spell, and now, she wondered what the men sacrificed, fertility? Physical strength? She couldn''t remember the male form of words, but what the woman had said rang true. She turned, heading back to her car, deep in thought. Reevaluating her life.
As before, on completing the walk, she was cold. But she was at least thinking more clearly. She''d go home and think more. She got in, and started the engine. The doors locked, and although she heard the fuel pump buzz as normal, the car didn''t move. She noticed that the doors didn''t unlock when she keyed the car to stand by; they should have.
This was impos.... No, she stopped that thought. A chill went up her spine. It was a long way from impossible, she knew that someone who displeased the spirits should expect trouble. She knew the protocol, even, of what happened to traitors. It was spoken of in hushed whispers in the coven. Possibly, the car would have been rigged to explode. ''Electrical fault in a poorly maintained vehicle'' was... not unheard of, not at all. Not that her car had been poorly maintained, but that''s what it would be reported as. Vivian considered her options and what she didn''t dare to do. She could call for help. Except the radio transmissions might trigger something, so might opening the doors, of course. So, she didn''t dare to use her wrist-unit, and she didn''t dare to try to open the doors, at least, not without there being someone near, but safe, to call for an ambulance in case the car did explode. Windows? No they were electric too. So, she could stay here, and wait for help or death by freezing. Or she could appeal to the demon, and pay a great price, she didn''t know what.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Surprise at her own thought filled her, she held her own breath. Not a spirit guide, but a demon. She acknowledged that designation, she realised. What had changed her mind? The realisation she was now a target, perhaps. Had been a target all along. She let that realisation seep through her. She wasn''t going to use magic, be used by magic, again. Determination filled her, more powerful even than the determination that had carried her on this path, even though she knew it might kill her. Tears flowed down her cheeks, she was still young, she didn''t want to die. ¡°Help!¡± she shouted ¡°Can anyone hear me?¡± No one answered. Hardly surprising.
[Hey, guys!] Selina called [I left Elspeth alone with her thoughts like I said I would, but I''ve been checking on her occasionally. She was almost to her car, about ten minutes ago, thinking thoughts of leaving, but now she''s sitting in the car, with a mix of repentance, terror, and not wanting to die going round in her head.]
[You''ve not talked to her?] Sarah asked, surprised.
[No. I sense it''s not the right time. But... it was rumoured to happen... the demon might have turned the car into a death-trap.]
[So we should send for the army or something?] Sarah asked.
[Unless you''ve got a good contact, then better someone who''s near and happy to believe in crazy stuff, and to break glass to get her out. It''s probably something small and electrical. The time I heard about there were quote ''malfunctioning interlocks and a loose wire in the controller which fed the fuel-cell to bursting point''. Probably when she tries to open the doors.]
[Right. Well, if no one else can go, then we will, we''re part way there already.] Sarah said.
[I think you''ve lived through enough explosions.] Selina said.
[We don''t want anyone else to die that way, either.] John replied.
George was pretty sure that the most likely outsider to cope was the ever-pragmatic Henry, and he checked where he was.
[I think God''s got it in hand, John, Sarah. Henry''s just round the corner on his patrol. I''m sure he''s got something in his toolbox.]
What would have been an unthinkable thought only half an hour ago crossed Vivian''s mind. Should she appeal to God? Could she appeal to God? How did you appeal to God when your whole mindset had been to treat God with derision, and demons with respect. But that woman, who had spoken to her mind, had escaped, hadn''t she?
¡°Help!¡± she shouted again, the umpteenth time ¡°Can''t anyone hear me?¡±
No one answered. Hardly surprising.
¡°God? Are you there? Are you really active in the world? Are you really more powerful than magic? That girl thought I was stupid for saying you weren''t. Can you get me out of here? That woman... she said I bore your image, and that the demons were trying to deface it. I don''t understand that, but it sounds important. Do they hate you so much?¡± she considered, ¡°Of course they do. So it can''t be that they''re more powerful, can it? The powerful don''t hate the powerless. Maybe they tread them underfoot, despise them, but they don''t hate like that. God, I don''t want to die. I don''t want to be defaced either. Help me please, God!¡±
She opened her eyes and immediately saw the shadow of her car on the trees ahead. Then she heard the sound of a vehicle approaching from behind her.
¡°God, is that your answer?¡± she asked. The vehicle was some kind of all-terrain transport vehicle, she saw, as it pulled off the road beside her, and its side-lights probably lit her quite well. The driver got out. He was maybe ten years from retirement, and she''d seen him before, she realised. A reenactor?
¡°''Ello, ''ello, what''s this then? Damsel in distress?¡± Henry shouted through the glass.
¡°The car won''t start, and it''s locked me in. I''m scared.¡± She shouted back.
¡°You''re that Elvira, aren''t you? I''m Henry. You''re not going to try and magic you way out, then?¡±
¡°No!¡± she said, surprised at her vehemence. ¡°And don''t call me Elvira, please. Elvira''s a witch. I''m not, not any more. Call me Vivian.¡±
¡°Why can''t you just open the doors, Vivian?¡± He asked, confused.
¡°I don''t dare. I''ve angered the demons. The engine didn''t start but the doors locked. They didn''t unlock. I don''t want to blow up.¡± she realised she was crying again.
¡°You think you car''s been rigged?¡± He shouted back.
¡°It''s happened before.¡±
¡°What, to you?¡± more confused than before.
¡°No. To people who leave the coven.¡±
¡°What lovely people you witches are, Vivian.¡± he said, amazed at how calmly he was taking this.
¡°I don''t want to be a witch. Or dead.¡±
¡°We''d better get you out then.¡±
¡°How? Anything electrical might be the trigger.¡±
¡°Electric windows?¡± he asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Well, miss, then I guess we''ll have to break a window. Any preference?¡±
¡°None, but they''re security glass, aren''t they?¡±
¡°Oh, yeah, probably. But I''ve got an answer to that too. Wait a moment.¡±
¡°I''m not going anywhere.¡±
He came back with a toolkit. First he picked out a little pencil-shaped thing.
¡°Right, now, lass. I''m going to try for the back window. It''s not always security glass; it might just be safety glass, which would be easy to smash with this. But... if it does smash then you''re going to get covered in glass fragments if you''re in the back, but maybe you''d say that you''d rather get out quickly.¡±
¡°I''ll get in the back.¡± She said, thinking that a few cuts were far better than getting blown up.
¡°At least hide your face then.¡± he shouted through the glass.
¡°I''ve got my coat.¡± she replied.
¡°Tell me when you''re ready.¡±
¡°Don''t you want to move your vehicle?¡± She asked.
¡°Yeah, I supposed I should.¡± He looked around. If there was going to be an explosion then the ATV might be the best thing to hide behind. Then he thought a bit more. How did you make a car explode on command? The fuel must be involved somehow. His misspent youth came back to him. Yeah, almost empty fuel cans blew up beautifully, just add a spark, but she wasn''t likely to be down to vapour, now, was she? An over-fed and shorted fuel cell would heat up quickly and go bang nicely too. Very nicely. ¡°Hold on, I''ll just sabotage the fuel line.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡± Was he trying to kill her or save her?
¡°Your tank''s not empty, I presume?¡±
¡°No, it''s almost full.¡±
¡°So, that''s not likely to make much of bang. Your fuel cell, now, that''s a bit slower than an empty fuel tank, but it''ll make a lovely explosion if, say it was shorted out and over-fueled. So, if I clamp off the fuel line then that might give us more time to escape if we do trigger it.¡±
It made some sort of sense. ¡°Whatever you say.¡± Vivian agreed. ''Oh, God, let this work'', she prayed, then added ''How do I turn to you, God?''
When Henry came back, she called ¡°I''ve heard about people turning to God on their death-beds. Do you know how and does it take long?¡±
¡°Wow, girl, that''s out of my territory. And you''re not exactly on your death bed, are you?¡±
¡°No. I might not live long though. Breaking the glass could trigger it, couldn''t it?¡±
¡°Hey, you really are paranoid aren''t you? Good point though. You won''t mind if I just attach my gizmo here to a pole?¡±
¡°Go ahead.¡± Vivian agreed. She didn''t want to cause anyone else''s death.
¡°And let someone know you''re playing with a possibly booby-trapped car, too¡±
[Scratch the ''possibly''.] Seline said [I''ve just looked for people in booby-trapped cars and you glow very clearly.]
[You''re back?]
[I didn''t want to invade your privacy, Elspeth.]
[Most people call me Vivian. I don''t want to die, I don''t want to be eaten or disfigured, or played with like a cat plays with a mouse. How do I turn to your God?]
[You''re willing to let God be in charge?]
[It doesn''t seem to worry you.]
[Of course not. God is good and he wants what''s best for you.]
[I prayed, and Henry came round the corner.]
[God knows what we need, before we even ask. He''s outside time, so he can set things in motion a long time before we need them.]
[So why didn''t he stop me from getting in here, or get you to check on me sooner?]
[I did check. He told me it wasn''t time to talk yet.]
[What? When was this?]
[Just before a friend a lot nearer to you than I am told me Henry was on his way.]
[I wanted you to talk to me.]
[What we want isn''t always what we need. God said you needed a bit more time.]
[And he''s in charge.] Vivian said.
[Of the universe, of coincidences, of atomic decay. Of my life. He allows us real choices, to ruin our lives, and the lives of those around us. But he''s still in charge: he puts limits on evil, lets it go no further than certain boundaries. Some people, like you and me, he lets muck up until we know we need help. You want to let him be in charge of your life?]
[Of course.] Vivian said [How?]
[First, a crash course in theology: There is one God, who is mindbogglingly three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There are different analogies: water, ice and steam or three sub-leaves on clover which together make up one cloverleaf. None of them are very good, but little human minds shouldn''t expect to understand God. The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God, but the Father is not the Son, is not the Holy Spirit and so on. United in purpose, in love, and in being. Called the trinity. I think getting some kind of handle on it is very important for understanding the rest. With me so far?]
[Trinity. Yeah, I''ve heard of it.] Vivian said.
[Each one entirely immortal, uncreated. God doesn''t need anyone else to love, he is love. Before time, before anything other than God existed, the persons of the trinity were loving one another. Before creation, God knew that mankind would rebel against God, and God the Son agreed to become one of us and open the way back to God. Demons started out as part of creation, servants of God, but probably thought God was being weak for not wiping out mankind for sinning, or thought they could do a better job than God, or something like that. They rebelled, and rejected God, they don''t like humans, because we''re made in God''s image, and still reflect it, enough for them to hate. Not a very good image, since we keep on sinning, but still, we''re not totally ruined. They want that image totally ruined, which of course will happen if we die without changing sides. One birth, one life, one judgement. And we''re guilty as sin. But God wants to make us new, get rid of the sin and keep us. Keeping up?]
[Yes. I need help, I know that much. What do I need to do to earn it?]
[I''m getting there. God the Son, became a flesh and blood human being, born of a virgin, lived entirely for God, without any sin, got executed for blasphemy because he dared to tell the people that God doesn''t really care about religion as much as their attitudes. That really upset the priests and religious leaders. A spotless, sinless, willing sacrifice. We sinned, he took all punishment we deserve, died in our place. You can''t earn salvation - it''s a gift. Our best deeds are like dirty rags. That''s... a bit humiliating, people don''t like it. The only valid answer to why anyone knows they''re going to heaven is ''Jesus died to save me.'']
[Everything depends on him? I don''t contribute?]
[No. He loves us because He''s God. We love him because he first loved us. We ''contribute'' by trying to love Him better: living for him, rejecting sin in our lives day by day, getting to know Him better. Letting him pick us up when we fall and not kicking and screaming when he says we can''t have a sweetie. Or children, or something we''ve worked for all our lives until now.]
[I think I get it. Which is good, because Henry''s coming back.]
[Sure? One off decision, not to be rushed unless you''re in a life and death situation.]
[Like I am, aren''t I?]
[OK. Repeat after me or rephrase as you like...]
Bob was still on the phone when Christine got back, but he put it down soon afterwards.
¡°Who was that call from?¡± Christine asked.
¡°Henry. He wanted me to know what he was doing, just in case something went wrong.¡± Bob replied.
¡°What is he doing?¡±
¡°Trying to get an ex-witch out of her car without it blowing up.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡± Daimian asked.
¡°It seems like she''s convinced that her demons are out to kill her. She''s locked in, the motor didn''t start, and he says even he can tell she''s terrified. Even asked Henry if he knew how she could to turn to God.¡±
¡°Henry?¡± Christine asked, wondering how he''d reacted to that.
¡°So, he''s probably got her down as a bit of a crack-pot, but he''s taking the risk seriously anyway. Apparently she was convincingly desperate.¡±
¡°So, what did you say?¡±
¡°I said that we''d heard she was up there spooking the kids, and Sarah and John were going up the road on foot to tell her to get off their land.¡±
¡°What did he say to that?¡±
¡°He said he thought I should have called on him. I replied that I didn''t think his immortal soul was as safe as John and Sarah''s, so I wasn''t going to send him against agents of the supernatural. He thought that was very considerate of me.¡±
¡°Well, at least he''s not denying he''s got one.¡±
¡°Vivian, I''ve just spoken to my boss, and he says a pair of Christians are going to be coming up the hill in a few minutes, to politely ask any witches up here to leave. Want to ask them about turning to God?¡±
¡°They''ve missed their opportunity. I''ve just done it. God is good!¡± She found that she wasn''t terrified of death any more. It felt... liberating.
¡°I thought you didn''t know how.¡±
¡°I didn''t. Someone told me how to, and I forgot to ask her name again, bother. Go on, get me out of here please.¡±
¡°What, someone else was here?¡±
¡°No. Can I explain when I''m out?¡±
¡°You think you''re getting out alive now?¡±
¡°I hope so. But I''m ready to try, whatever. And it''s not exactly warm in here, you know?¡±
¡°I believe you. OK, get yourself ready then, lass, and we''ll find out if this glass will break easily. Now, if it does go, you know what to do?¡±
¡°Graceful dive through the window, roll like the gymnast I used to be, and hit the ground behind your ATV.¡± Vivian said. Praying to God that her body would remember her gymnastics from when she was twelve.
¡°Sounds like a wonderful plan. Good luck, but you''ll need to go through the glass, and it might be still in one piece. So if you hear a sound like a gunshot, then head out with that coat still over your head, OK? And hit the glass with your arm, not your head. OK? And if it sounds like someone''s just hit it with a centre punch, and run off as fast as their beer belly would let them, then well, that''s what I''m doing.¡±
¡°I understand.¡± Vivian said, tensing her self.
When Sarah had heard from Selina that the car was booby-trapped, she typed a message to the institute''s computer. The AI would alert the authorities. A minute later Sarah got received a call from Bob they didn''t need, but at least he now knew they weren''t about to walk into a totally different situation than they expected, and it gave Sarah an idea.
¡°Bob, have you told the police? Just the basics, they don''t need to know she used to be a witch, etc. Tell them there''s a terrified woman locked in a car that she thinks has been booby-trapped, and your employee told you he was going to try and get her out.¡±
¡°Great idea. Why didn''t I think of that?¡±
¡°Because we were thinking we didn''t need to involve the authorities.¡± Sarah said. ¡°But I think we ought to.¡±
¡°I didn''t know we were thinking that. I was thinking I ought to warn you there might be a rigged car up there.¡±
¡°Oops.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I''d better have a private word some time, then.¡±
¡°Is this urm... related to your tiara?¡±
¡°You know about it?¡±
¡°Christine helped get it made, Sarah.¡±
¡°Now why didn''t I think of that! I''m so dumb sometimes. I need to chat with you both then. Once this episode is all over. Call the police.¡±
¡°I will.¡±
A few minutes later on, they saw the lights of the ATV round the corner, and then a bit later they saw Henry pressing the back window of the car with what looked rather like a medieval spear or lance.
¡°He''s going to try to break his way through the window with a lance?¡± Sarah asked, incredulous.
¡°No idea. But let''s wait here.¡± They were about two hundred metres away.
There was a loud bang, and as Henry ... loped to the ATV, they saw a figure dive out of the back of the car, curl up and land awkwardly on one side as her right arm tangled in the coat. Sarah winced in sympathy. That must have hurt. Vivian then scrambled to her feet and threw herself on the ground behind the ATV. The car stood unchanged for a while, before they saw the car leap as a sheet of flame shoot from underneath it. At the same time the bonnet sprung open, with the upper half of the fireball. It was just vanishing as the sound of the explosion reached their ears. It didn''t actually sound so very much louder than the breaking glass.
They saw Henry get up and empty a fire extinguisher on the flaming car. It didn''t put out all the flames though, they could still see a flicker under the back.
¡°It''s still burning!¡± Sarah shouted, but it was too far away.
[The car''s still on fire, underneath.] John called to Vivian.
¡°Henry, more flames underneath!¡± She passed on the message.
¡°This is empty. Get in, let''s drive!¡±
She didn''t need telling twice.
Sarah pressed her panic button. ¡°There''s a car on fire, a hundred metres or so up the track from me. I saw the occupant get out. The man who helped her get out also looked OK.¡± She reported.
¡°Thank you Maam. You''re sure there''s no one injured?¡±
¡°I''m too far away to tell, but I don''t think there''s any broken bones. I''m sure she''s going to have some cuts and bruises ¡ª she dived out of the window.¡±
¡°And you''re sure no one is in the car?¡±
¡°Yes. We were warned there was a woman stuck in there and saw her get out.¡±
¡°Thank you, Mrs Williams. Did you see the events leading up to that?¡±
¡°About thirty seconds worth. Would you like my husband and I to give statements? I presume there are officers on the way?¡±
¡°Yes please, Maam.¡±
¡°OK.¡±
¡°And don''t approach the vehicle, Maam.¡±
¡°I''ve no plans to. The woman and her rescuer are further up the hill, by the way. I hope they can keep the kids away.¡±
¡°The kids?"
¡°I understand there''s a group of teens cooking sausages on a campfire up there. I guess they''ll need to get down sometime.¡±
¡°Thank you, Maam. A fire crew are on their way.¡±
10.45pm
¡°Yes, that is, to the best of my knowledge, a true and complete account of this evening''s events.¡± Vivian stated.
The policeman scratched his head. ¡°If I record this stuff about spirit guides and demons as your sworn statement then they''ll accuse both of us of having celebrated the new year with too much drink. And you hearing voices...¡±
¡°Sergeant, as I have stated, I was born with the ability to hear thoughts. You are aware that there have been people talked about in the press who have what might be called an extended version of that. It is my firm belief that the voices I heard on four separate occasions this evening were from people with that... extended version.¡±
¡°Four?¡±
¡°The fourth time was when I was told the car was still on fire. My ears were still ringing, I can''t imagine it was from anyone around. Who could see it, to start with?¡±
¡°Oh. Well, I can tell you there were two people shouting at you that the car was still on fire from a couple of hundred metres away. Maybe one of their voices got through the ringing.¡±
¡°Oh. Maybe.¡± Vivian said. It seemed like the line of least resistance, and there was maybe some reasonable doubt. But she didn''t believe it; it had been much too clear.
¡°Please can I edit out the bit about the demons?¡±
¡°You wish me to perjure myself for the sake of your religions sensibilities, sergeant?¡±
¡°Ah, no.¡±
¡°I''m glad. That wouldn''t look good on your record.¡±
¡°On my record?¡±
¡°Sergeant. I can see it''s been a long day for you. Would you like to re-read my statement? The cover page included, where it states my name, and occupation.¡±
¡°You''re a trainee auditor.¡±
¡°Sergeant. Read it all again.¡±
¡°Knowing this statement may be used as evidence in court and shall contain the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth, I Vivian Rachel Trevithick, civil servant, trainee in auditing.¡±
¡°Is my handwriting that bad?¡±
¡°Well it can''t be civil servant, trainee is auditing. I assumed your pen slipped.¡±
¡°Sergeant, I apologise. I should have made the dots bigger, or maybe not used an abbreviation? Shall I re-write Internal Security out in full?¡±
¡°You''re an Internal Security Auditing trainee?¡± he asked.
¡°Yes, and what you have here possibly represents the end of my career, certainly it will trigger an investigation over my past conduct. So, I''d very much like for it to be correct, accurate and include all the facts. All the facts are important in my job. It would not be good to try to hide any of this, since it will come out in the end, I''m sure. We''re very thorough.¡±
¡°I... I understand Maam. Then if you could re-write the cover page without abbreviations?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°So, you never got to Monica and the others?¡± Daimian asked.
¡°No. Some of them came down towards the car, but Henry and Vivian and later on the police made sure they didn''t get close.¡± John said.
¡°And what happens to Vivian now?¡± Christine asked. ¡°New faith, no car, old friends potentially dangerous....¡±
¡°Henry said she was still giving a statement, and he was going to wait for her.¡± Bob said. ¡°After that, I really don''t know.¡±
¡°We''ve got the spare room.¡± Christine said. ¡°Bob? Can I offer it to her?¡±
¡°Yes, of course.¡±
¡°Sorry, everyone, it''s not quite the evening we expected. I''ll go and call Henry and make the room ready.¡±
¡°Don''t worry about us.¡± George said.
¡°I assure you we can eat your food and drink your drinks even when your not here, Christine.¡± Susan added.
¡°That''s all right then.¡± Christine laughed.
¡°Would you like a hand, Christine?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Oh, thanks, Sarah. I can manage.¡±
¡°I''m sure you can, but I''d like a private chat too.¡±
¡°Then by all means! What''s the topic?¡±
¡°History.¡± Sarah said, enigmatically as they left the room. ¡°What''s on the to-do list?¡±
¡°So, anyone''s history in particular?¡± Christine asked once they''d started working on the various tasks to prepare the room.
¡°Bob told me you helped get my tiara made.¡±
¡°Oh! Well, I helped make some connections. But... you do work with people called Kate and Horrace, don''t you?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Well, Horrace did most of the electrical design work for it. You ought to be talking to him.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°That''s crazy! He''s been poking and prodding it for the last half a year and said he couldn''t work out what it did.¡±
¡°I guess he''s forgotten. Plus of course I probably spun him a few fibs about what it was for.¡±
¡°What did you describe it as, then?¡±
¡°Urm... probably something along the lines of an idea my employer had to help him sleep. Horrace was dismissive but said OK he''d design the circuits, as long as your dad provided the input signal, and he signed a total disclaimer that he understood mucking with his brainwaves wasn''t a great idea, and if he scrambled his brain it was all his own fault.¡±
¡°But why didn''t recognise his own work?¡±
¡°I''ve no idea. Oh. I remember your dad almost rejecting the design, because it put everything on one chip, until Horace told him he could make the interconnects longer if he wanted to. So, I guess that either your dad or the manufacturer juggled with layout of the components too.¡±
¡°I don''t suppose you remember who the manufacturer was, do you?¡±
¡°No. But, Sarah it''s all still on your house computer, surely?¡±
¡°Maybe, but I can''t get into Dad''s secret files. It''s all encrypted.¡±
¡°Have you tried?¡±
¡°What, guessing the password?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I set a password guessing program on it once. No results with the hundred million most common passwords.¡±
Christine smiled. ¡°It''s easier than that, Sarah. The files on the computer are encrypted with a really long random number, but your Dad liked to keep things easy. I had to work on things there sometimes. There used to be a picture of you with your parents on the wall above the computer.¡±
¡°Yes. It''s still there. Dad used to get it down an look at it all the time.¡±
¡°He did more than look at it, Sarah. There''s a data crystal on the back of it. The password on the crystal is some combination of your name and your date of birth. It was written somewhere if I remember rightly.¡±
¡°You are joking! There''s a caption on the picture which says ''Our little Princess Sarah, born 2250.¡±
¡°That sounds about right. If I remember rightly you need to put in your whole birthday rather than just the year.¡±
¡°That''s... Oh, wow.¡± Sarah had to sit down. ¡°Auntie never knew.¡±
¡°I''m sorry to say your Aunt was mainly the one who wasn''t supposed to find out. I think he actually set the computer to reject any attempt she tried. She didn''t approve of your mother''s ability, thought it was very dangerous. She kept the secret, from you too, I guess, but she often said the world would be far safer for everyone if your ability would just rot on the vine.¡±
¡°Well, I loved her a lot, but I don''t think she was right on that one.¡±
Thinking of the lives her gift had saved or influenced reminded her Sarah to check on Vivian: she was just leaving the police station. ¡°And you need to call Henry; Vivian''s just leaving the police station.¡±
¡°How...?¡±
¡°Call first.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I''m not running away.¡±
¡°Vivian, you know you wanted a hotel? My boss''s wife, nice couple even if they''re as loopy about religion as you are, is offering you their spare room.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Vivian asked, confused.
¡°Here, you talk to her.¡±
¡°Hello?¡±
¡°Is that Vivian? Do say you''ll come. We''ve got a fairly full house at the moment, but the others aren''t staying past midnight or so.¡±
¡°You don''t know anything about me, but you''re opening your home to me?¡±
¡°I know you''ve turned to Christ, I know you''ve got the power. Damian''s still here with his mum, and she''s the only non-Christian in the house. Maybe your story will convince her.¡±
¡°I don''t understand. If you know all that, then why?¡±
¡°Because you''re my sister in Christ, Vivian. You''re forgiven, your sins have been washed clean.¡±
¡°That''s very generous, but really, I can go to a hotel.¡±
¡°Your new friend Selina would be rightly cross with me if we let you go off alone or into dangerous company.¡± Sarah added, loudly enough to be heard by Vivian.
¡°Who''s Selina?¡± Christine asked, confused.
¡°Someone Vivian''s been talking to this evening.¡± Sarah replied.
¡°You.. you know her? She''s called Selina?¡±
¡°I''ve known her a few months, but you probably know some of her story better than I do. We can talk more when you get here, OK?¡±
¡°So, you''re coming, Vivian?¡± Christine asked.
¡°Yes, yes, please.¡±
¡°Great. See you soon.¡±
[Selina, could we have a quick conference, please?] Sarah called, including John.
[Of course, dear. How''s things your end?]
[Vivian''s going to stay with the Christian friends we''re visiting, arriving soon.]
[That''s great. She shouldn''t be alone.]
[I thought so too. But to get her to avoid staying in a hotel I just told her I knew you, Selina.]
[Oh. Do you think that was wise?] John asked
[She needs to be shown trust, John. And she knows how to keep secrets, I''m sure.]
[You don''t mind that I told her your name?]
[Not at all. You can tell her where I live too, if you like. Actually...Sarah?]
[Yes?]
[I think I''d like to talk to her. Face to face. I''ve not looked at the air-fares, but my pension...]
[Don''t worry, Selina. I''ve told you, before. All you need to do is ask.]
[Thank you, Sarah.]
[It shouldn''t take more than about ten minutes for me to get you the money, so there''s two options I can think of: I''ll book you a flight and pay from this end, or you find a flight, tell me how much and then I''ll add a bit because there''s always unexpected expenses. Actually, there''s a third option: I''ll take a wild guess at what it''ll cost and then you can shop around or moan at me when I get it wrong.]
[And when I find you''ve given me twice what I need, then what do I do?]
[Buy a nice dress and pass the change on to some good causes?]
[Sarah, be serious!]
[God''s been generous to me, Selina. Let me be give generously in turn, please.]
[Hmm. I think I''ll look myself. I don''t want you wasting money on a first class ticket for me.]
[Bother, I''m found out. What about compromising on business class?]
[I''ll find myself some tickets and let you know. I''ll ask Vivian when I can see her. I think it ought to be fairly soon.]
[What aren''t you telling me, Selina?]
[Oooh, lots and lots of things, dear. It''s the privilege of age. Bye!]
¡°That''s way too much of a coincidence!¡± Vivian exploded.
¡°What is?¡±
¡°Selina''s home town.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°I''m due to go there at the end of the month.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Assuming I keep my job, anyway.¡±
¡°Are you able to elaborate?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I''m a civil servant. Urm. In a certain branch of, err, law enforcement.¡±
Sarah heard her realise she needed to be careful.
¡°Is this a point where knowing that I''ve got clearance would help the conversation progress?¡±
¡°Depends to what level.¡±
¡°Urm, two-gamma I think it is, no sorry, two-beta.¡±
¡°But you''re civilian?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°That''s... unusually high.¡±
¡°Sorry, it goes with my job.¡±
¡°And I probably can''t ask what that job is. Arghhh. I need advice.¡±
¡°Wait a moment, then.¡± Sarah got off the bed in Vivian''s room, stuck her head out of the door and called ¡°Karen, can you give some expert advice?¡±
¡°Coming.¡± [What topic?]
[Security]
[OK]
¡°Karen, Vivian wants to know if she can talk to me about her job.¡±
¡°What''s your surname, Vivian?¡± Karen asked, typing Vivian''s name onto her wrist pad.
¡°Trevithick.¡±
¡°Vivian Rachel Trevithick? Clearance level four alpha?¡±
¡°How...? Yes, that''s me.¡±
¡°Vivian''s a trainee in Internal Auditing, Sarah. Sarah can tell you where she works, but don''t pass it on, Vivian, or you''re in deep deep trouble. Vivian, if you feel a need to tell Sarah anything you may, that''s the purpose of her clearance. As to how I know all this, I''m cleared to one-gamma. You probably have no need to for me to tell you why, sorry. But on the other hand, you might have seen my wedding last Saturday, so maybe you can work it out yourself.¡±
¡°I thought I recognised you! And, Sarah, you were Karen''s bridesmaid?¡± Vivian asked, looking at the pair of them.
Sarah nodded. ¡°Karen and I are third cousins.¡±
¡°OK if I leave you? I think it''s my turn in the game downstairs.¡±
¡°Go ahead, Karen.¡± Sarah said ¡°Thanks!¡±
¡°I can tell you anything I want to? That''s... a bit shocking.¡±
¡°I work at the Institute for the Human Mind. I''m not a psych-counsellor, but, I''ve got the same clearance. If you think you need one, I can shout. Oh, I was also signatory number one on the ethics code.¡±
¡°And I just happened to come to see Daimian when you were up here?¡±
¡°Guess who''s in control.¡±
¡°God.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°No, hold on. I came because my link to Daimian broke.¡±
¡°When was that?¡±
¡°About half-past five.¡±
¡°That''s about when my husband prayed that he''d be freed from the dreams.¡±
¡°So it''s not so much of a coincidence. The demon sent me to chase up on what your husband had done.¡±
¡°True. The demon made a bad decision, didn''t it?¡±
¡°Not from my point of view.¡±
¡°Nor God''s, Vivian. But you were talking about there being another massive coincidence?¡±
¡°Yes. Auditing have this exchange program, sharing techniques, that sort of thing with friendly governments and vise-versa. I came out on top of my class, and won a place in the program at student level. If I do well then I stay in the programme as long as I want, six months here, six months there until I decide to settle down. There''s a possibility it''d be a semi-permanent position over there, but that''d be a bit tough, I think.¡±
¡°Depends where you have the most important relationships, I expect.¡±
¡°Mmm. I expect so. I don''t have many here, come to think of it, not if we exclude people in the coven. I need advice there. I was a recruiter, you know?¡±
¡°I guessed. You''re thinking you should try to un-recruit them? Warn people away?¡±
¡°If they listen. But... that sounds scary.¡±
¡°Yes. We saw what happened to your car. Talk to Selina about that.¡±
¡°Do you have her contact number?¡±
¡°Ah, no, I don''t.¡±
¡°Oh. I assumed you''d called her to help deal with your unwelcome witch.¡±
¡°I did. Hold on.¡± Including Vivian in her call, Sarah sent [Selina? Vivian here wants to ask for advice.]
[Sarah? You''ve got the gift?]
[Sarah, dear, be nice, you could have warned her!]
[She''d have got there in the end, Selina. She just asked for your number, and I had to admit I didn''t know it. Anyway, unless you''re in a real hurry to meet her, don''t bother looking for tickets. She''s coming to your city in what, a month?]
[Three weeks. It''s been planned for months.]
[Now isn''t that interesting.] Selina said, with a laugh. [I don''t suppose you''re staying for long are you?]
[Six months.]
[Every six months until she decides to settle down.] Sarah added.
[And there I was thinking there were too many of us in your patch of the world already, Sarah. That''s wonderful news, that really is. But if it''s OK with you, Sarah, I''ll still get that ticket. I''ve got a few last duties to perform.]
[What are you talking about, Selina?] Vivian asked.
[Vivian, there''s always been at least one of the gifted with our background, and I''m getting old. I can''t promise it''ll be you next, but it seems pretty likely from where I''m sitting. I''m not saying that I''m popping my clogs as soon as we meet, or anything dramatic like that. But I want to pass on what I know, and I''ll be the one to try to talk sense into your old coven, not you. It''s just sensible, OK? I''ve had more experience dealing with evil than you have, and the gift gives me better protection.]
[You''d risk your life for me?]
[Of course, girl. But really, I''m risking it for God, anyway.]
[It sounds like you''re making a lot of plans based on me keeping my job. I''m not sure I will.]
[That sounds more like your department, Sarah. What did you want to ask Vivian?]
[You''ve answered; it was about the coven. You''re sure?]
[Of course, girl. My predecessor did it for me, I''ve done it a few times since. It''s never pleasant, but... once or twice it''s turned into saved souls so it''s worth doing.]
[What do I do if they call me?]
[I used to say I was spending all my free time following an important lead in the spirit world. Or you could say you think you''ve found a path to power they wouldn''t imagine, or that you''ve met a great master, or something like that. Tell enough truth but dress it in language they''d expect.]
[One of my neighbours is in the coven, she recruited me. If she challenges me, what do I do?]
[Trust in God, and pray. Sarah, do some Bible study with Vivian. Moses before Pharaoh, Elijah and the prophets of Baal, the three lads in the fiery furnace. Mark, just since it''s short and dramatic, relevant bits of Acts.]
[Got it. Quick overview of a month''s worth of confrontational Bible passages in what''s left of the year. Should be fun.]
[What time is it there?] Selina asked.
[Urm, twenty minutes to next year.]
[Well, start the year on a good note then. God is far more powerful than magic.]
[Sounds like a good subject.] Vivian agreed.
[Bye, youngsters, now delve deeply into God''s word, and then get some sleep.]
[Bye, Selina.]
¡°Sarah, does everyone down there know you''ve got the gift?¡± Vivian asked in a whisper.
¡°No. Not even the power,¡± Sarah replied similarly, but leading the way downstairs.
¡°So how do we open this topic?¡±
¡°Easy.¡± Sarah said. ¡°Hey everyone. Vivian and Daimian really need to know that God''s more powerful that magic, don''t you think? How about we think of a passage, tell everyone some context, and then read it. If you can''t find it, then tell us anyway. I''m opening with Moses beating the Egyptian magicians, unless anyone can think of an earlier one.¡±
¡°Creation? Surely everything starts there.¡± John suggested.
¡°Oh wise and most highly esteemed husband, get on with it then.¡± Sarah said, giving him a kiss.
¡°OK. Context. The Bible was written over a thousands of years, and bits of it are much earlier than others. This one? It was quite possibly passed down by mouth from generation to generation before it was written down. It''s found in the first book traditionally ascribed to Moses, who Sarah wants to tell you about, we don''t know if this is is reflection on what God showed him about the big bang, or if he wrote down something he''d been told ages earlier. No one really knows, except God. But anyway, it certainly is poetic and it certainly gives the Bible''s perspective on a culture where the greatest pagan gods are the sun and the moon, where the sea is seen as a terrible force of chaos, and the stars are powerful forces that affect life on Earth. Genesis, chapter one, beginning at verse one.¡± John opened his Bible, and read.
¡°So their most important god was only made on day four?¡± Vivian observed.
¡°Yes. Did you notice what the stars are for?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Marking time.¡± Daimian said.
¡°Exactly. Not for controlling the future.¡±
¡°And they''re also there for being too many to count easily.¡± Sarah said.
¡°How many are there?¡±
¡°According to modern science, looking out on an average night near a city, or to someone in the middle of nowhere, with perfectly black-adjusted vision, a cloudless, moonless sky and some sort of mechanism to help them not lose count?¡±
¡°Ah. Urm. Last one?¡±
¡°Depends how good their eyes are. Five to ten thousand in total, but you only see half of them at a time. So, one a second for an hour or so, without blinking or losing count or counting any double.¡±
¡°And the scientific number?¡±
¡°Can''t remember, sorry.¡± Sarah admitted ¡°Ten followed by twenty something zeros. Moses next?¡±
At twenty to one, Christine called a stop: ¡°Hey, everyone? Were you planning to keep going until dawn? Or do you want to walk up to the cabins? The guys on the lift are only supposed to be working until one.¡±
¡°Ooops. Hurry hurry hurry! It''s a long way up that hill.¡± William said.
¡°Vivian?¡± Sarah asked ¡°Have you got any plans for tomorrow that mean you need to rush off? There''s things we didn''t end up discussing, aren''t there?¡±
¡°You''re welcome to stay.¡± Christine added.
¡°Urm, OK. I think I''ll need to write a full and total confession anyway.¡±
¡°For your work?¡± Karen asked.
Vivian nodded.
¡°It probably wouldn''t hurt to at least make some notes.¡± Karen agreed.
¡°So I''ll see you some time tomorrow morning. Any time restrictions, Christine, Bob?¡±
¡°After ten?¡± Bob suggested.
¡°Sounds sensible. OK.¡±
They weren''t the only ones to reach the ski lift late, and William told the men operating it that he''d be the last one up and would call them when he got to the top. Partly that was a precaution in case anyone fell off ¡ª some of the late-comers were a little wobbly ¡ª but it also meant that the men would know for sure when everyone was up, so they didn''t have to stay a moment longer than needed. William had half expected Susan to say goodnight and go up with John and Sarah, since they were neighbours, but he was quietly pleased that she said she''d be another pair of hands if there was someone in trouble. She surprised him again at top of the ridge; rather than saying goodbye and skiing off towards her cabin, as William expected her to, she turned to look over the valley, and removed her skis.
¡°Penny for your thoughts?¡± he asked, doing likewise.
¡°It wasn''t exactly the evening I''d expected.¡±
¡°Me neither.¡± William agreed.
¡°But it was good. Very good. William?¡±
¡°You have my undivided attention.¡±
¡°I thought I might. Happy new year, by the way.¡±
¡°Happy new year, Susan. Is that what you wanted to say?¡±
¡°No. I wanted to say I don''t want tonight to end. The views are beautiful, the company is good, and I''m not sleepy.¡±
¡°What would you like to do then?¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know. It''s selfish of me, but I''d like to talk some more.¡±
¡°Why is that selfish of you? And who to?¡±
¡°It''s selfish of me because you''ve got to get up and work tomorrow morning. And I don''t see anyone around here to talk to except you, so stop asking silly questions.¡±
¡°Just checking.¡±
Susan took the plunge. ¡°William, are we really being honest with each other? Or shall we confront the truth?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°I mean about not getting romantically involved.¡±
¡°Ah. Urm. Honest answer, I''m trying to keep a lid on my emotions. Tell them it''s too soon.¡±
¡°Are they listening?¡±
¡°Not really. Would you like to throw some cold realistic water on them? It might help.¡±
¡°You want brutal honesty?¡±
¡°Urm. Yes please.¡±
¡°OK background to the brutal reality is that since, roughly speaking church this morning, Aaron is ancient history. If he came and begged me to let him reconsider, I''d tell him he''s too late, too non-Christian, too addicted to gambling, too inconsistent, too chaotic. If he claimed to be have turned to Christ, then I wouldn''t believe him until I''d seen him live like that for the next year. He''s out of contention, and off the radar.¡±
¡°Urm, that''s not exactly pouring water on my emotions.¡±
¡°I know, sorry. The brutal bit is that I think I need to go home. Not just back to my cabin, you understand, back to my flat.¡±
William felt like he''d been punched. He''d just, well, almost, declared that he was in love with her, and she was running away from him.
¡°That''s the logical, rational thing to do. I''m healed, I''m over him, and we''re not getting emotionally involved. If I don''t go then I''ll be crossing a line we''ve agreed on. I should leave tomorrow. Well, later today.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± he said miserably ¡°But you didn''t want the day to end.¡±
¡°I don''t. But you need to tell me to stop talking now.¡±
¡°Do I?¡±
¡°I have to stop. Otherwise I''ll cross that line.¡±
¡°I don''t really understand. Susan. Maybe I''m too tired. Which line?¡±
¡°The one where I talk about my feelings for you.¡±
¡°I''m still confused.¡±
¡°The line where I might say something like the only man I''m interested in sharing my life with is you, or that I long your embrace and your kisses, and the one where if I cross it now then you''ll never know if I love you because you''re you, or because you''re not Aaron. You said, right at the beginning, if I said things like this then you wouldn''t hold me to them, but that''s going to be really painful, for us both I think. And I agreed it was better not to say them. That line.¡±
He finally understood, she wasn''t thinking of leaving because she wasn''t interested in more than friendship. Quite the opposite.
¡°We could just say we were wrong to draw that line. I love you Susan. I''m not so familiar with being in love that I can say I''m in love with you, but I know that when you talked about going away it was like a punch in the guts, like I was lost in the middle of a storm on the ocean and my boat was sinking, like I was lost in the dark with no place to go.¡± He drew a breath. ¡°And when you spoke about the line I was really confused, and when you explained that you meant telling me something like you wanted to share your life with me or wanted my embrace and my kisses, it felt like dawn had come, and the storm had washed me up on a beautiful tropical island. So, Susan, please don''t go.¡±
¡°You''re sure?¡±
¡°I love you, Susan. I don''t want you hurt. If you think crossing that line will hurt you, then OK, I guess you need to leave. But... I know I want you in my life eventually, so if you leave then I''ll have to work out how to follow you.¡±
¡°That was really quite poetic, William. So was the tropical island too. And it made me feel very warm and secure. Got any more?¡±
¡°I''m not sure, but.. Milady, Susan, wouldst thou grant me the great privilege of wearing thy symbol upon my belt, and do me the honour of wearing mine upon thine?¡±
¡°Milord king! You honour thy maid with thy kind request. But afore we proceed to grasp needles to joyfully proclaim what has passed between us, there is a small favour that would be not unwelcome to me.¡±
¡°Gladly my lady, do I listen to thy request.¡±
¡°William, hold me? It''s getting cold standing up here in the wind.¡±
He didn''t need asking twice, and she was pleased that he took the initiative and risked giving her a few kisses too.
Association / Ch. 7: Introductions
Association / Ch. 7:Introductions
9am, Monday 1st Jan, 2272
¡°Apparently we missed quite a significant broadcast last night.¡± John said, reading the news reports.
¡°Oh, what was that?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°His Majesty called on the nation to repent and turn to God. Well, not quite.¡±
¡°What did he say?¡±
¡°Well, he started talking about all the changes in the last year, which of course, you figure in quite a lot.¡±
¡°I presume you''re not being serious.¡±
¡°Oh, he didn''t mention you by name, or even identify you. He just spoke about the brave decision taken by the Institute to go public, and the impact, and Eliza''s coming into Albert''s life. Then he spoke about how we shouldn''t fall for the fallacy that all religions are the same. That one of the benefits of being in a multi-cultural society that was tolerant of difference was that we could see the differences, and have discussions and disagreements without being ostracised. And that our society explicitly made space for those discussions and disagreements, and for people to change their minds about what they felt to be right and wrong. That above all else, honesty was important. I''m going to quote the rest:
''I used to be antagonistic towards any mention of God, and claimed not to believe he existed. I will publicly state that that was not the whole truth. I did not accept that God existed because I didn''t want to believe it. If God existed then I was furious with Him, resentful of him, in which case I had a problem. If God did not exist, I had no problem. So I preferred the comfortable lie that preserved my pride to the uncomfortable truth.
''I was challenged earlier this year to not maintain that falsehood, that if I was angry and resentful towards God then I should admit that, but I shouldn''t deny what I knew to be true. I was told that it was beneath my dignity as king to do such a thing. I thank the brave person who said that to me, because having admitted my selfish anger, I have been able to come to know God''s healing forgiveness.
''I have shared this with you because I feel that is a problem with our society. We have too long prided ourselves on being right about things while we were hiding behind falsehood. We thought we were right to ignore reports from other parts of the world of people able to hear thoughts. It took bravery to publish that they existed, and I thank the staff at the IHM for their meticulous research. We thought that our system of government was secure. It took bravery to state that a lone individual has sown destructive seeds in our educational system and beyond and I thank Eliza for doing that, even when doing so exposes more of her father''s evil. I thank the two people who did not hide the scary dreams and visions they had concerning the impact, but acted as good citizens and, having verified it as much as they could, brought this major threat to our royal attention through appropriate channels. I have not made this public, but I will state clearly now, that there were not just two witnesses to this warning from God. I also, at a time I was rejecting God''s existence, received a similar warning. Again, individual bravery played its part and several people with the mind-reading gift made themselves known to us. They saw that in my dream I''d seen the undamaged state of the IHM ¡ª a second piece of evidence confirming that the city under threat was Restoration. God has given us this warning. Let us listen to it.
''It has not been an easy decision for me to state this publicly, and I am sure it will not be easy for the people of Restoration to empty their homes of all they treasure most in preparation for the impact. But I call on all of you: dispose of the convenient half-truths that mean you don''t need to change. Reject pride of whatever form: personal, religious or ethnic and admit the truth. There is a rock heading towards Restoration and my ministers have convinced me that the only solution that has any hope of working is prayer. Nuclear warheads, lasers and the other solutions offered will not work, we must put out trust in God. We all of us depend on God far more than we know or admit, for the air we breathe, the rain which allows our crops to grow, for our existence and the fact that rocks do not rain down from the skies every few months or years. So when we have stopped lying to ourselves and God, let us turn to Him and ask that this rock which approaches will not hit our city, but instead will pass by our planet entirely, this beautiful home God has given us, without causing any harm.''¡±
¡°Good speech.¡± Sarah agreed. ¡°I see he''s not made every secret public, though.¡±
¡°Only the ones directly affecting himself, yes.¡±
¡°In other words, we have a brave king, not a stupid one.¡±
¡°Talking about bravery... you''re talking to Vivian soon?¡±
¡°Yes. Why''s that brave?¡±
¡°I''m assuming that her talking about a confession is brave.¡±
¡°It is rather. What we didn''t know when we involved the authorities last night is that she''s coming to the end of her training in Auditing, as in ''you despicable civil servant, how could you?'' She''s not at all sure that she''ll continue. But it looks like she ought to.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°Selina''s pretty sure that Vivian''s going to join us. Actually told her that. Apparently there''s always one who''s been saved from that background, and I get the feeling Selina''s not expecting to live much longer. As extra confirmation, Vivian''s due to be spending about half her life in Selina''s neighbourhood, assuming she keeps her job. But last night at least she was worried she wouldn''t. But we didn''t have time to discuss why not.¡±
¡°OK. Next question, would you like me to come too?¡±
¡°Of course. Oh, other earth shattering news: Christine knows how to get into my dad''s files.¡±
¡°Wow.¡±
¡°And guess who did most of the design work on my tiara?¡±
¡°Bob?¡±
¡°No. Horace.¡±
¡°But...!¡±
¡°He said it looked like some kind of amplifier. My dad had a circuit which provided the signal somehow, Horrace''s electronics turned it into something to inject into my skull. Details hopefully in the house computer.¡±
¡°Which gets taken out of action in about a week.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I''m surprised you''re not running home straight away.¡±
¡°What, and miss the fun up here? I should have time. After she reminded me, I remembered I''d seen Christine working on the house terminal pretty often. I should have thought of asking her months ago.¡±
¡°Oh well.¡±
¡°Can''t be helped. Anyway, a nice slow ski to the bottom, or would you prefer a sledge ride?¡±
¡°Skis, I think. After all, William has promised us some lessons.¡±
¡°He has?¡±
¡°Oh, you were upstairs. Yes, he has. Three P.M.¡±
¡°Now, do we light the stove now, so it doesn''t get too cold, or just when we get back?¡±
¡°Oh. Urm, small load now?¡±
¡°I agree. So, since we''re out of wood, do you want to play with the axe or shall I?¡±
¡°I''m going, I''m going!¡± John said.
10.00am, Restoration
¡°Hi, May.¡± Quentin said.
¡°You are so going to get embarrassed about this.¡± May said. ¡°Run away now or come in.¡±
¡°What have I done?¡± he asked, coming in.
¡°Mum! We''ve got a visitor¡± May called.
¡°Hee hee.¡± Alice giggled, looking out of the kitchen. ¡°Hey cousins, come and meet May''s boyfriend.¡±
¡°Alice stop saying that. He''s not my boyfriend.¡± May said.
¡°Oooh, can I have him then?¡± Kara asked, coming from the lounge.
¡°Q.Q., meet Kara. Kara shake hands with Q.Q. if you like and then hands off. He''s not my boyfriend because he''s on probation for gross stupidity. After then... maybe.¡±
¡°Oh, Hi! Q.Q.¡± Hannah said, looking out of the kitchen, where the adults were chatting. ¡°Were we expecting you? Never mind, you wanted to meet the clan, didn''t you? About half of it''s here at the moment.¡±
Kara took Quentin''s unresisting hand, and said ¡°Hi, your parents called you Kyew-kyew? ¡°. As she did heard him think: [Kara... is that grace? No, that''s Charis.]
[Charis is a pain.]
[Good morning.] ¡°Who''s Charis?¡± he asked, and saw Kara''s jaw drop.
¡°Bad move, Q.Q.¡± May said, guessing what he''d just done ¡°As I guess you found out, Kara has the power. She also once had a faith the size of a carrot seed, but that was before she sneezed. Come to the lounge, Q.Q.¡±
¡°May, that''s not fair!¡± Kara said.
¡°Then start showing your faith. Anyway, finders keepers, Kara. I''ve found him, and I might decided to keep him.¡± May said over her shoulder.
¡°But you said he wasn''t your boyfriend.¡±
¡°Yet. Sarah''s banned romance for a while.¡± May said.
¡°Oh.¡±
Quentin found himself being steered into the living room. He saw Alice and Ruben, but there were nine or ten strange faces too. ¡°Everyone, this is Quentin, but call him Q.Q. He''s not my boyfriend yet, so don''t believe Alice, but he has applied for the position so he''s on probation and no butting in Kara, Lucy or anyone else. Q.Q., meet some of the clan.¡±
¡°How long''s the probation?¡± Lucy asked.
¡°Sarah''s call. Months, so don''t get your hopes up. Luce.¡±
¡°Don''t call me that!¡±
¡°Anyway, I saw him second.¡± Kara claimed.
¡°Hey, what am I? A lump of meat?¡± Q.Q. whispered to May, turning red.
¡°Warned you.¡± she whispered back.
¡°Who''s who?¡±
¡°By families, Charis, Kara, Perl.¡± May started, pointing round the room.
¡°Hey, it''s rude to point.¡± Charis protested.
¡°All right then, everyone cluster together in families, and introduce yourselves.¡± May said.
¡°Who made you the ring-master?¡± Kara protested.
¡°Hear that, everyone,¡± Charis asked ¡°Kara thinks we''re animals.¡±
¡°No, Charis, you''re a clown.¡±
Alice sprung into the air to catch the cushion that Charis threw at Kara. ¡°Ta-da! I''m an acrobat!¡±
¡°Is it safer if we skip the introductions?¡± Quentin asked.
¡°Please try to behave like normal people, clan!¡± May yelled. Then added ¡°Fine, don''t get into family grops.¡±
¡°But we love each other really¡± Ruben said, pulling Alice into an embrace.
¡°If you want to stay thingy, whatsit and whoeveryouare, then fine.¡± May threatened. ¡°Otherwise, I''ll point or you can pretend to be over ten and introduce yourselves.¡±
¡°Good morning Q.Q.¡± Charis started in her best adult manner ¡°I''m Charis, I''m big sister to big pain Kara, and to Perl.¡±
¡°I''m Lucy, this is Tim, who''s just fifteen and Helen who''s just turned thirteen.¡± Lucy introduced her siblings, then as though each word was an effort she added ¡°We are a happy family, and we just love one another to pieces.¡±
¡°Preferably with sharp blades.¡± Tim said.
¡°Or heavy weapons,¡± Helen added.
¡°Hi Q.Q. You know me and little Miss stirrer.¡± Ruben said.
¡°Hi Ruben and Alice.¡± He looked questioningly at a girl other side of the room, expecting her to speak up.
Instead a boy a bit younger than him said ¡°Hi, I''m Zach, I''m sixteen. This is my big sister Mandy, who doesn''t say much to strangers. After me comes Molly.¡±
¡°Hi. I''m fourteen. Next is Keith, who''s ten.¡±
¡°Wotcha. This is Alan, who can''t remember how old he is.¡±
¡°Yes I can! I''m six!¡±
¡°Seven.¡± Molly corrected.
¡°Oh yeah. This is my little sister Holly, who''s almost four.¡±
¡°I''m going to be a big sister.¡± Holly said.
¡°Oh yes, really?¡± Quentin said.
¡°Daddy likes mummy''s cooking.¡± Holly said.
¡°I expect he does, yes.¡±
¡°Expessaly thinkful chicken.¡±
Mandy, bright red, corrected her ¡°thoughtful chicken, Holls, and we don''t talk about that, remember.¡±
¡°So, moving rapidly on, tell us all about yourself, Q.Q. especially how you met May.¡± Molly said.
¡°Edited highlights.¡± May said.
¡°Urm, I''m Quentin Quy, hence the initials, I''ve got a little sister, called Rhianna, she''s fourteen.¡±
¡°Is she pretty?¡± Tim asked.
Q.Q. ignored the question ¡°Rhianna met May on Saturday, when I was in a water-polo match, then I got stuck in the seats and they both helped me get out it. It took a while and we got talking.¡±
¡°What were you doing at the water-polo match, May?¡± Ruben asked.
¡°Delivering a message to Rhianna from Sarah.¡±
¡°Telling her to watch out for you, Tim.¡± Alice said.
¡°How do you get stuck in the seats?¡± Zach asked.
¡°It''s got those seats which fold up, like in a cinema, but just plastic.
This arm was between two seat backs ¡°, he pantomimed, ¡°this one was stuck down the back of a seat and the concrete.¡±
¡°And his face was pressed into the ancient chewing gum. All because he tripped over his own two feet.¡± May added.
¡°Slain by your beauty, sort of.¡± Quentin said then realised that might not have been the best thing to say.
¡°More by my anger, if I remember correctly.¡± May corrected him.
¡°Urm, yeah.¡±
¡°Oh, go on, tell us more, this sounds juicy!¡± Lucy said.
¡°Whole story!¡± Molly demanded.
¡°I like stories!¡± Holly declared, and climbed onto May''s lap.
¡°This is your fault Q.Q.¡± May said.
¡°Tell me story!¡± Holly demanded.
¡°Say please.¡± May replied.
¡°Please tell me story.¡± Holly said, and then spoiled it by adding, ¡°Now!¡±
¡°There''s not much to tell.¡± May said.
¡°Then why is Quentin turning red?¡± Alice asked.
¡°So what''s thoughtful chicken?¡± Quentin asked.
¡°Clan''s secret formula.¡± Alice replied.
¡°Nobody here knows, really.¡± Lucy said.
¡°Because it''s secret.¡± Helen added.
May touched fingers with Quentin, [Aphrodisiac.]
¡°What''s a frodizzyilac?¡± Holly asked May.
¡°Ooohh kaaayy,¡± Zach said ¡°Who''s been corrupting my little sister?¡±
¡°May said it.¡± Holly said.
[No, I thought it.] May corrected in thought.
¡°OK, you thinked it.¡±
¡°Clever girl Holly, except it''s thought not thinked¡± May said. ¡°And if you''re thinking to someone, you don''t need to use your voice.¡±
[Tell me a story?]
[Can I show you a picture from the story?]
[OK.]
[Quentin looked like this{image} when he was stuck.]
Holly laughed ¡°You looked funny!¡± she told Quentin.
May carefully disengaged Holly and asked Mandy ¡°Is this news?¡±
¡°It is to me. Zach?¡±
¡°To me too. Come on Holly, lets go and tell Mummy and Daddy what a clever girl you are.¡±
¡°What did Holly do?¡± Alan asked.
¡°She heard what I was thinking, Alan.¡± May said.
¡°Oh. Like you and Zach and Kara can?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And me.¡± Quentin said. ¡°Which is part of the reason I fell over. Another part is that May doesn''t like being compared to Venus.¡±
¡°He thought it would impress me if he called me the pagan goddess of broken hearts, wrecked lives, and ''duh what was he thinking with'' decisions.¡±
¡°He probably wasn''t thinking of Venus in quite those terms, May.¡± Ruben said.
¡°Hmmm.¡± May replied. Which Quentin felt was the best response he could hope for.
¡°So my compliment fell flat on its face, I got a piece of May''s mind, and tripped over in surprise.¡±
¡°And if the seat hadn''t been in the way, he''d have fallen flat on his face like his supposed compliment.¡± May said.
¡°So what was he really thinking of, May?¡± Kara asked.
¡°Never you mind.¡± May said.
¡°Oh come on.¡± Kara said, ¡°enquiring minds want to know.¡±
¡°Enquiring minds can mind their own business. I''m not going to break the ethics code, lose my job and condemn myself to poverty just because you''re curious.¡±
¡°Your job?¡± Kara asked, ¡°What''s the store got to do with anything?¡±
Quentin stood, made a florid bow and proclaimed, ¡°Ladies, gentlemen, and assorted others, allow me to present our nation''s first truth-sayer, as talked about on news channels, parliament and even the palace, so I hear. As well as being a great beauty and young woman of wit and humour, she has been certified by the Institute for the Human mind as being of sound mind, a model of probity and highly skilled in all the mental arts of her profession.¡±
¡°Q.Q. stop that.¡± May said, blushing.
¡°It''s true.¡±
¡°So? This is family, you don''t need to praise me in front of my family!¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Because we''ll suspect you want to go out with her.¡± Alice said.
¡°You know that, Alice. May knows that, even Sarah knows that.¡±
¡°And Sarah said not yet.¡± May reported.
¡°May, you are supposed to be the paragon of virtue that Sarah was talking about?¡± Kara asked, finally getting over her surprise at this description of her partner in partying.
¡°I went off the rails with Mama gone. I''m back on track, and I''m not planning on going crazy again.¡±
¡°Wow, either Sarah''s easily fooled, or you''ve really changed.¡±
¡°I got asked, a month ago, what Mama would think about me using my power and my looks like I''d been doing.¡±
Kara winced.
¡°So, that got me thinking and got me praying, and now I''m the new me, and I even told one of my teachers that I trusted God to know the future far more than scientists. Other updates on me is I''m seriously thinking of university, but I don''t know where. Your turn, Kara. Tell us about boyfriends, faith, future...¡±
¡°Boyfriends: two possible ones, but yeah, Mama wouldn''t approve of either of them. Faith: feeble, future: scary. A rock''s coming. Ruben, your turn.¡±
¡°Boyfriends: none.¡± he started.
¡°Girlfriends?¡± Alice asked.
¡°Urm yeah, maybe.¡±
¡°What does that mean?¡±
¡°That I''m a scaredy-cat.¡±
¡°And does she pass the ABCDEF test?¡± Quentin asked.
¡°What ABCDEF criteria?¡±
¡°Available, Beautiful, Christian, Educated, Faith leading her in the same way.¡±
¡°What''s the D?¡±
¡°Dense enough to fall for you, or course.¡± May said. ¡°Faith?¡±
¡°She isn''t here.¡± he said, speaking about one of the missing cousins, ¡°But yeah, my faith is coming along, and I think hers is too.¡±
¡°Future?¡±
¡°God''s in charge. No real worries. Quentin''s turn.¡±
¡°Urm, Girlfriend, you know about. Faith... I went through a bad patch but it''s getting better, I hope, I pray. Future? Oh wow. I was hoping to study anthropology, here. Big choices to make. Who''s next?¡±
¡°I want to hear Mandy.¡± Alice said, earning herself a look of hatred.
¡°No boyfriends, not much faith left, nothing in my future.¡±
¡°I foresee at least one thing in your future, Mandy.¡± May said ¡°A long talk with Sarah.¡±
¡°You think she''d bother? I''m not worth the trouble.¡±
Charis took the blunt approach ¡°Mandy, just so you know, I think you''re nuts to think that. Let''s have a vote! Who agrees with me, and who thinks Mandy should be left to rot away in her own private torture chamber?¡±
Unsurprisingly, no one voted against her. May decided to send a note to Sarah.
10am, Blackwood area
¡°Vivian, you said something like you weren''t sure you had a job any more. Is that something you''re still thinking, or not?¡±
¡°I was a recruiter. That means corrupting people. That''s not compatible with working for truth and probity, is it?¡±
¡°So... that''s your fear?¡±
¡°Yes. Justified, don''t you think?¡±
¡°Potentially. But I think it''s worth exploring. I don''t know how it works in the civil service, but in my book, if you tell someone you''ve done something wrong, then that counts as a big plus compared to covering it up.¡±
¡°I hope that''s true.¡±
¡°I''ve also found that rules might say one thing but people can be more sympathetic, that condemning thoughts don''t always come from ourselves, and also that words are slippery things. Take that word corrupting.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°It means so many different things. For example in a financial, ethical or moral context.¡±
¡°You mean I need to define my terms a bit more carefully?¡±
¡°Possibly. There''s another question. Would you like me to just have a look and understand what you mean?¡±
¡°You mean... you''d use your gift to find out what I''ve done wrong?¡±
¡°Yes. If you''d like me to. I''ve met people who have felt condemned about things that they don''t need to. With the gift, it''s pretty easy to spot. But as I''m sure you can guess, you''re not going to be able to gloss over anything you''d rather not share.¡±
¡°Yeah, I guessed. And... there''s some nasty stuff in my memory. I think I''d like you to keep your ignorance and your innocence.¡±
¡°Thank you. So, did you plot to overthrow the government, interfere in the succession, or commit any other treasonous acts? I presume that''d mean bye bye job.¡±
¡°No. But I did seek to influence people towards demon worship.¡±
¡°That''s not against the law as far as I know. I''m not saying it''s right, but I think it counts as proselytising. Any crimes?¡±
¡°Well, I almost committed trespass last night, according to a girl up there.¡±
¡°Since it''s land I own, albeit indirectly, you''re forgiven.¡±
¡°I also told her that magic is beyond any law.¡±
¡°What did she say?¡±
¡°Well, I also said it was more powerful than God and she was incredulous, checked I meant it and declared me crazy.¡±
¡°Good for her.¡±
¡°It rather surprised me, actually.¡±
¡°So, I don''t think you''re going to have adversely affected her attitude to the law, especially when Daimian tells her that you''ve become a Christian.¡±
¡°I did myself actually.¡±
¡°What did she say?¡±
¡°She said ''Praise God. I was just praying that would happen.''¡±
¡°And did you go around telling people that laws don''t matter to magic users?¡±
¡°Actually... no. Morals yes, laws no. Sarah, just read this, and see what you think, OK? It''s my ''statement of past questionable deeds''.¡±
¡°Before I do, would you say that there are any particular things you did that were unusual for someone who was a witch or warlock, if that''s male term?¡±
¡°Urm... probably not.¡±
¡°And you stated your belief on your job application form?¡±
¡°It raised a few eyebrows and got some comment, but yes.¡±
¡°Then, what you''re doing in fact, is questioning whether that belief system is compatible with public service.¡±
¡°I guess I am.¡±
¡°Which presumably is a question that''s been raised before.¡±
¡°Maybe.¡±
¡°Now, our monarch has just broadcast a speech about people having freedom of religion, the freedom to ask questions and freedom to change religion. I think that perhaps the biggest question is whether what you''ve just left counts as a religion, whether the state would want to declare it illegal even if it didn''t count as one, or whether Internal Security might want to discretely monitor members as potentially dangerous members of society.¡±
¡°That''s... an interesting thought. Knowing what I know, I think they ought to want to do that, assuming the law permitted it.¡±
¡°And in that case, I''d presume they roughly know what you were up to, and could have stopped you at any time, and unless they were planning to blackmail you into infiltrating another coven and feeding people''s names or something sinister like that, then when you confess your sins they''re simply going to breathe a sign of relief.¡±
¡°That would be a very nice scenario, Sarah.¡±
¡°In which case, I don''t know if I even need to read your document, any more than I need to read your mind, do I?¡±
¡°I guess not.¡±
¡°Which brings me to a final question.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You having the power, and being in Security... does that mean you were at Bella''s little get together?¡±
¡°You know about that? Yes, I was. Why do you ask?¡±
¡°I have no idea, it just came into my mind.¡±
¡°Then I do. Naeel''s peaceful place. You''ve just reminded me of it.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°I was just thinking how tough it must be to be able to see the depths of human sin, and I wondered how you kept sane if you did it too often. That peaceful place sounded like it might be the answer.¡±
¡°Book of Galatians, chapter five.¡± Sarah said, and read the passage, and then the passage about the peace of God in Philippians. ¡°People with the gift can go straight there, it''s true. But it also can make it a bit less special. Peace with God and with yourself, with your past ¡ª knowing it has all been dealt with ¡ª is one of salvation''s benefits. You''ll find there are people who envy you your history, by the way.¡±
¡°Envy me it? Why?¡±
¡°Because they''ve lived nice safe obedient lives, never straying far from God''s path. And because they''ve never rebelled outwardly at least, they''re not sure when or even if they have turned their back on that and turned to God for real. Whereas you, wow, what a dramatic change!¡±
¡°They''re crazy.¡±
¡°I know. But it''s true. You''ll hear them say things like ''I don''t have much of a testimony.'' Where what they mean is ''I''ve drifted through life so surrounded by God''s blessings that I''ve never really noticed them.''¡±
¡°Yeah, OK. I pity them they''ve not noticed, but.. duh, can''t they open their eyes?¡±
¡°They could. Should. Sometimes it takes real trouble or danger for it to happen.¡±
¡°Changing the topic slightly, what happened to Naeel''s romance, do you know?¡±
¡°How much do you know?¡±
¡°He was having an argument with his fianc¨¦e.¡±
¡°Oh, well, the argument was about belief. Hold on...¡±
[Jazmin, it is Sarah, is all well, can you talk?]
[I thought I would not hear you again! Yes, all is well! Or at least, a lot is good, but my parents are still very angry.]
[But your marriage is happy?]
[Yes very. Naeel is a good husband.]
[I''m glad. And church?]
[They are wonderful people. We are learning lots.]
[I''m glad. I have a question, for you and your husband.]
[Yes?]
[A woman who was at that meeting with Naeel has just become a Christian. She asks how is your relationship, and I think she will want to make contact with you. Is that OK?]
[That is very good. You can tell her we''re married, and it is wonderful! As for contact, can I tell him her name?]
[I''ll just ask. Can I say when you married?]
[Yes! It is part of it, it is no secret how we married.]
[Thank you.]
¡°Vivian, I''ve just talked to Naeel''s wife. She says she''s happy for me to tell you all about how and when they married. OK if I tell Naeel your name? I''ve said you''re likely to want to contact them.¡±
¡°I will. He married her?¡±
¡°He became a Christian ¡ª that''s what the argument had been about ¡ª that she had become one ¡ª and then her parents decided she needed abducting to keep them apart. A squad from Security intervened and they were married that night.¡±
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡°Wow, that''s fast!¡±
¡°It was sort of the only cultural escape, but she''s very happy.¡±
¡°Yes, I''d love to be in contact with them. But you said you''d been talking to her?¡±
¡°Yes. I didn''t speak to him much. Cultural thing, you know.¡±
¡°And she''s got the power too.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Yes, I''d love to be able to call them, I told everyone there I was an atheist, by the way. But... tell them the truth so they can decide properly.¡±
¡°Sure?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
[Jazmin, the woman''s name is Vivian. She told Naeel she was an atheist. She asks me to tell you, the truth is worse than that.]
[Worse than an atheist?]
[She was a worker of magic, a witch. Demons lent her their power, though she thought of them as friendly spirits. She thought you should know this truth, so that you can decide if you want to talk to her.]
[Why should we not talk to our sister in Christ? I do not understand.]
[She is very new in her faith ¡ª she only turned from the demons last night. She does not know very much about God. In some ways she is as ignorant as Naeel was. Last night she stayed with friends of mine, she is an hour''s drive from her home, here. It was one of her neighbours who introduced her to this magic.]
[So she will be alone when she goes home, and is almost friendless, and thinks we will think she is dangerous, because of her past.]
[Yes. The demons tried to kill her once, destroying her car. Perhaps they will try again, but we pray they will not.]
[She is scared and is thinking unhelpful thoughts. I know what that is like. I do not need my husband''s permission to talk to a sister in Christ. Please, give her my number.]
[I do not know it, Jasmin.]
[Oh! And you cannot find it from your gift?]
[Maybe, it would be hard. It is much easier for you to tell me.]
[OK, it is a new number, I must find it.] That didn''t take long and Sarah wrote it down for Vivian.
[Sarah, it would be good for Vivian to have your gift, would it not? Then she could call for help when she needs it, and never be alone. I will pray that God gives it to her.]
[God knows best, that is certain. I... am nervous of praying such a prayer myself. She is so young in her faith, I do not want to put temptation in her way.]
[As you say, God knows best. I will ask, he will decide. Thank you for talking to me.]
[You also are lonely?]
[I am in a strange city, my husband is often not here, my family think I should not live. But I have friends at church, and a job some afternoons, so I am not too lonely.]
[I will try to talk to you more often.]
[Thank you, Sarah. Talk to Vivian. Tell her of my prayers.]
[I will. God be with you, Jazmin.]
[And with you, Sarah.]
¡°Jazmin''s number, and Jazmin says she''ll pray for you.¡±
¡°That''s nice.¡±
¡°Yes. Well, maybe.¡±
¡°Why maybe?¡±
¡°She wants you to know: She thinks you should have the gift so that you will be able to call for help if you need it, and never be alone.¡±
¡°Tell me your thoughts.¡±
¡°My thoughts: you''ve got a lot to learn about already and the gift is dangerous. It''s easy to kill yourself with it ¡ª I almost did a few times while I was learning to use it, I needed emergency medical aid, and fortunately there was a well equipped medical facility just down the corridor. Is it right to expect you to learn to use the gift while you''re only just taking your first steps as a Christian?¡±
¡°I sought power before. Look where that got me. The knowledge you have access to if half what I''ve heard in the press is true... your gift is scary.¡±
¡°Jazmin said she''ll trust God to know how to answer. Which is very wise.¡±
¡°Yes indeed! Out of interest, how much of what I''ve heard is true, by the way?¡±
¡°Urm, what Bob McDaniel said, all of it. The rest, I''m not sure what you''ve heard.¡±
¡°One I remember... There was this celebrity interview, it said that the interviewee was a friend of Prince Albert, and the Prince had wanted a demonstration, so he called his friend to see if he minded being part of the test.¡±
¡°And she said exactly where he was in the room, and who was there with him, yes. And no, that wasn''t me.¡±
¡°Including their unborn baby, and they had no idea she was even pregnant?¡±
¡°That doesn''t normally happen, and from what I heard she suspected but hadn''t been sure.¡±
¡°If it doesn''t normally happen, why did it happen that time?¡±
¡°Urm... do you want a crash course in selective access to infinite data?¡±
¡°Selina seems to think I''ll need it sometime.¡±
¡°She does. For the record, I can see her point. So... just now, talking to Jazmin. I decided I wanted to talk to Jazmin, she heard me. If I want to know something, then it''s about having that thing in mind and then I relax something or turn on the tap, or whatever analogy you want to use. Let''s call it my grip on this world. If I focus on peace, and let go of my grip on this world fully then my body enters a roughly comatose state, large parts of my brain shut down, and I find myself aware of God''s eternal peace, and I can also talk to other people who are there too. It''s a good place to cool off an overheated brain, because you can actually sense the heat if you''re there. With practice I can be partly here and partly there, which means I don''t fall down as though dead. That place is safe though. I''m detached from my body, so if someone were torturing me or trying to scramble my thoughts, then my mind would be protected. Tough luck on my body, but oh well.¡±
¡°When you say ''tough luck on your body'', what do you mean?¡±
¡°I mean that if I abandon my body to torturers'' care, then maybe I won''t survive, or they''ll cut of a leg or something to get a reaction. I assume I''d notice that, but...¡±
¡°OK, if you''re being tortured to death then you can stay there until death, and it''s not too painful.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°OK.¡±
¡°If I focus on you, then I see every thought in your mind, and the thoughts and motivations behind them and so on. That''s assuming you''re within, I''m not sure, a hundred metres or so. And if I stay connected to you like that for, say, ten seconds, then baring medical or divine intervention I''ve just earned myself a painful death as my brain overheats from having been running at something like a hundred times faster than normal to process all that lovely extra input. Fortunately I can take a quick look, only half second or so, and then work out what I''ve seen afterwards.¡±
¡°But you can hear thoughts around the world?¡±
¡°Yes. If rather than focussing on you, I focus on your skin, then I don''t even get your thoughts, just your physical and emotional state. If I go under your skin, then I get your thoughts, and if I focus on your heart, then I get the things that are behind your current thoughts, even if you don''t know what they are. The heart trick is useful for a quick diagnosis of someone up to a few hundred miles away. Notice that none of this tells me who you''re with, or where you are, unless you''re actually thinking of that.¡±
¡°You''re right! I hadn''t thought of that.¡±
¡°If I look at your feet, then I see where you are in the room, in the building, in the town, and so on, zooming out. With practice you can decide to start at a certain zoom level. And if I focus on the skin of a place then I get to know who''s there.¡±
¡°Oh, we''re there. So what went wrong, or right?¡±
¡°Normally, when I focus on the skin of a place I get first names, maybe second ones too, and where people are in the room. She wanted to know full names so she focussed a little deeper than just the skin of the room, by analogy, I guess. And she got full names, maiden name of the wife, and the wife''s little passenger. She didn''t say it at the time, but she knew the baby''s name too.¡±
¡°You mean the parents had picked names already?¡±
¡°We''ve talked about it, and we don''t think so. We think she saw what the child will be called when he or she is born. There''s a few verses in the Bible about God knowing people before they are born. But she also saw... something a bit fuzzy about the name, which gave her enough pause for thought that she didn''t give the name. She said it was as though... the life was there, but not fully. Does that make sense?¡±
¡°Like it was a bit too early to tell whether the baby would live or die?¡±
¡°Maybe.¡±
¡°But still she saw that life, and the child had a name.¡± Vivian said, hiding her thoughts, she continued. ¡°At only a few weeks into the pregnancy, the baby had a name.¡± and then the tears came.
Sarah guessed there was something in Vivian''s past, an abortion, maybe, that made this account stick out to her. She kicked herself ¡ª it should have occurred to her, when Vivian had said that she wanted to preserve Sarah''s innocence. It also occurred to her that the demons might have demanded such an act, and Sarah immediately asked God to blot that thought from her mind. She didn''t want to know. Innocence was a protection she realised. And in the face of Vivian''s tears, Sarah realised that even if Vivian was a baby Christian, the gift of being able to sense these terrible memories being dissolved in the peace was probably worth all the other risks. A thought came to her, and as she had looked at George''s skin, all those months before, Sarah looked at Vivian''s skin, and she saw the same shimmer she''d seen. The shimmer which said to her that Vivian already had access to the peace. Praising God, she took Vivian''s hands.
¡°Elspeth Vivian Rachel Trevithick, my sister in faith, God has washed you clean of your guilt, and Jesus has borne the punishment that you deserve on the cross. He has taken your sins, and put them on the far side of the sea. As far as the East is from the west, so far has he separated or transgressions from us. So now there is no condemnation for we who are in Christ, you are a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come. And God has given you his Holy Spirit to live in your heart and to guide you into all truth. These words are trustworthy and true and come from the Word of God. I also say to you, my sister, trust in the Lord with all your heart, think of the Peace of God and commit yourself fully into his care. Relax into his loving arms, my sister in gifting.¡±
As she felt Vivian''s body become limp, Sarah caught her, and shouted around the planet. [Selina! Go to the peace, please, and welcome your sister, I think she needs one who understands what she''s been through without being told.]
[You prayed for her to get the gift?]
[No, just saw she had been given it.]
[Praise God! It''s going to be tough for the poor kid, but I''ll be there.]
Sarah turned her thoughts to Jazmin, [Jazmin your prayer for Vivian... it''s been answered.]
[But I haven''t prayed yet! I thought I would after I had started lunch cooking.]
[Then, thank God that he answered anyway, or saw the need that you saw and I didn''t until just now. She is resting at the moment in the place of peace that your Naeel was once shown. I''m sure she will talk to you later.]
[John, Vivian probably doesn''t need psych-counselling.{image}]
[She''s passed out?]
[No, silly, she''s washing away her pain in the peace.]
[You prayed for her?]
[Me? No. I just looked at her and saw she could, like with George.]
[You''re amazing.]
[No, that''s God.]
[You''re not with her?]
[No, I asked Selina to go. I think she''s got a lot to be washed clean of, John, and wants us to stay ignorant of it.]
[That''s not particularly healthy, is it?]
[I''m not sure in this case. You don''t want to learn how to summon demons, do you?]
[No. I guess not.]
[So, it''s enough that we know that because she listened to demonic lies she''s been through experiences which will scar her for life. We don''t need to be nosy.]
[No, we don''t.]
Sarah''s wrist unit buzzed. [John, we might have another issue. Mandy.]
[Oh?]
[May''s just sent me a message: ''Dear Sarah, two pieces of news. 3yr old Holly''s just heard my thoughts, and her big sister Mandy''s just said 1. No boyfriends, not much faith left, nothing planned for the future. 2. She doesn''t think her life is worth bothering you about. Charis called for a popular vote: all agreed Mandy was nuts to say that, and Mandy shouldn''t be allowed to rot away in her private torture chamber.'']
[Interesting analysis. Her parents maybe too busy with children''s problems to notice the big children''s, you think?]
[Yes. Plus as well as having a three year old, her mum is expecting another.]
[This must be the infamous Kayla then? I forgot Mandy was her eldest.]
[Yes.] Sarah confirmed.
[So, we thought we''d need to talk with her, and it sounds like we were very right.]
[Worse, overdue. And time is short, isn''t it? Packing up the flat and house is going to take a lot of time, as is the rest of life. And of course, she''s got school to go to.]
[She''s still at school?] John asked [I thought she was two years older than May?]
[She is almost, but she''s only one school year above her, Mandy was born in October, she''s one of the eldest in her year.]
[So. Final year, exams coming. Lots of stress, I expect. That ''nothing planned for the future sounds like she''s not heading to university, doesn''t it?]
[Yes. Oh, I wish I knew what her parents have been telling her! To hear Hannah speak it sounds like Mandy''s waiting for Mr Right to gallop over the horizon, sweep her off her feet, and want nothing more from her than a nice smile and babies.]
[Talk to May about her?]
[I think I''ll have to. Talk to you later.] [May, can you talk?]
[Urm, yeah. It''s a bit hectic, but sure. Q.Q. turned up, by the way. He... seems to be surviving the clan so far.]
[You didn''t need to fight off any cousins?]
[Not too hard. Interesting news about Holly! Why is it that there are no adults with the power, but me, Kara and Zach at the same age and Holly and Zach in the same family?]
[Good question. Study genetics and make it your PhD subject if you like.]
[Urm, maybe I''ll leave that to Zach. He''s the mad scientist.]
[You said Zach had the power? I''d forgotten that.]
[Yes. He has. Why? Mandy?]
[Yes. Do you have any idea what''s going on in her head? Is she really expecting to marry in the next few months?]
[Her mother keeps saying ''You''re beautiful, girl, boys should be queuing up to ask you out, get out of the library, straighten up and brush your teeth.'' According to Zach, Mandy''s really interested in computers, but all their mum thinks of for her future is boys.]
[So the fact she''s not thinking university is her parents?]
[Uncle Samuel, he''s encouraging her to study, but, Mandy really loves her mum, doesn''t want to disappoint, and ... I think money comes into it to. I get the impression that they''ve been saving for Zach to go to university since he picked up a pencil, but not for Mandy.]
[Now that is an easy problem for me to deal with. I''ve got a crazy idea. How many of you cousins are at about ''what do I do after school'' age?]
[What, you mean my school year or the next?]
[Yes.]
[Me, Kara, Lucy, Zach, Timothy''s the year above me like Mandy, even though he''s only a few months older than I am. I''m not sure about Hope hold on...] She asked ¡°Anyone know what school year Hope is in? Sarah''s got a crazy idea, apparently.¡±
¡°Same as us, She made it in by one day.¡± Lucy said. ¡°How crazy?¡±
¡°No idea.¡±
[Hear that? She just made it into my year.]
[Thanks. So that makes seven of you?]
[Yes.]
[Next challenge for you is to find out from Mandy if she''s got any plans for the next forty-eight hours.... If she''s got something unchangable then we''ll forget the whole crazy notion, if she hasn''t find out from the others the same question.]
[What are you plotting, Sarah?] May asked.
[Something that might upset John, but never mind, I''ll make it up to him somehow. I hope it doesn''t upset any of your parents... Do your research, I''ll do mine, and call you back, in about five minutes, OK?]
[When you say the others, do you mean the others here, or Timothy and Hope too?]
[Them too. While you''re at it, get answers from anyone who''s not married and older than you too, that''s who, Ruben, Martha, Lilly, and Faith, isn''t it?]
[Yes. And Charis.]
[But it still all depends on Mandy''s answer.]
[OK. I hope you know what you''re doing, Sarah, because I have no idea.]
[Good.]
¡°Mandy, weird question from Sarah. Do you have any set-in-stone plans for the next forty-eight hours?¡±
¡°I was going to read some books and wash my hair, does that count?¡±
¡°Probably not.¡±
¡°I guess I don''t then. What''s the weird questions about?¡±
¡°Probably all Alice''s fault.¡±
¡°Hey, what did I do?¡±
¡°Picked on Mandy. Anyway, the same question for everyone in the clan, in their penultimate year at school, and older. That includes you too, Ruben, even if you are being Alan''s horse.¡±
¡°Neigh. Big scary exam on Wednesday.¡±
¡°When are you going to revise for it?¡±
¡°Tomorrow, of course. And Martha''s probably planning her next argument or something.¡±
10.50.am
Having checked Vivian was OK, Sarah went in search of John and Bob.
¡°Bob, I have a question.¡±
¡°Should I be worried?¡±
¡°Probably. Question one: any empty cabins that''ll sleep six or eight, and question two, if there were, any objections to me booking a bunch of teenagers into them for tonight and tomorrow night?¡±
¡°What is this, youth group weekend away or something?¡±
¡°Sort of. I have apparently been nominated as matriarch of a clan, which goes to show that someone''s got a sense of humour. They take it seriously, and so I''m learning that I need to too. I''ve just found out it seems there''s a bit of a crisis in at least one branch as far as parental careers guidance is concerned. I could just have a little one-on-one chat with the relevant girl but since really my only free time is while we''re up here it struck me that it might be seen as favouritism, or something. Plus of course, I''ve no idea what''s going on in other branches of the clan. There''s seven who are about to make university choices this or next year, and another five who are older but unmarried. Feel free to tell me it won''t work.¡±
¡°So they''re all relatives?¡±
¡°Yes. So you can expect the occasional row, but no kissing behind the woodpile.¡±
¡°Booking rules say each cabin has at least one eighteen year old or above, no one below fifteen without a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, and no unmarried mixed groups under twenty unless they''re family. It sounds like you''re probably OK. Needless to say we bill you if they break things. As for space, let''s have a look at what the computer says. You''re thinking two sixes, then?¡±
¡°Up to. I''m not sure how many are able to come yet.¡±
¡°Hmm.¡± Bob said ¡°Computer says we have six empty cabins, which is bound to upset Matt: two sixes at opposite ends of the site, the six nearest you has a four not very far from it, and that one''s part of three fours in a cluster, down near reception. Or there''s the big cabin just down the hill from you. It''s officially an eight-bed but there''s a big living area with space for another two or three to sleep there.¡±
¡°Thanks, Bob. I''ll find out who can come. The big cabin sounds good, in that there''s going to be space for big group discussions.¡±
¡°Yes, that''s what I was thinking. Vivian OK?¡±
¡°Very, I think. She''s talking to someone else at the moment. I''ll just make that call.¡±
10.55am
Sarah dialled May''s wrist unit.
¡°Hi May. Any news?¡±
¡°Oldies first: Ruben''s got an exam, Martha wants to know how urgent it is, Lilly''d need to take the day off work, but says if you really really need her says she can. Faith would need to cancel a date, so wants to know what it''s about. Timothy can, Charis is OK. Lucy can''t, she''s got some kind of medical checkup, Hope can, Mandy can, Zach''s officially grounded, but hopes they''ll relent if you ask his parents nicely.¡±
¡°Hang on a mo.¡± Sarah commanded, then called, [Zach, Sarah here, why are you grounded.]
[Urm... I stayed out too late.]
[When, why, who with.]
[With friends, because I forgot what time it was, Christmas eve.]
[What sort of friends, what were you doing?]
[Well, actually, a friend. A girl. Holding hands, looking at the stars, talking..,]
[Oh yes? Well, tell me all about her tonight or tomorrow.]
¡°Bob, the big cabin please, tonight and tomorrow night.¡±
¡°OK!¡± Bob replied.
¡°May?¡± Sarah checked.
¡°Yes, what big cabin where?¡±
¡°The plan is: Blackwood cabins, all expenses paid by me, two nights, starting tonight, mostly talking about post-school plans, options, and so on. Get up here as soon as you can and there might be time for a few trips sledging down the hillside. You''ll be in an 8-bed cabin with space in the living room for some more beds. Get people to bring any relevant blurb from universities if they''ve got some. And sleeping bags too, of course.¡±
¡°Oh wow! That sounds great! Urm.. Q.Q. says he''s free too.¡±
¡°I''m sure, and then Faith''s date and so on... Sorry, this is family only. We''d need parents along too, otherwise. Booking regulations.¡±
¡°O.K.¡±
¡°And now I''ll try to talk the parents in to allowing this.¡±
¡°I hope you can.¡±
¡°Me too.¡±
¡°You want to use my wrist unit?¡±
¡°Yes, please. Can you set it up so that Faith''s parents can be on the house line and everyone hear?¡±
¡°Sure. I''ll put you on speaker.¡±
A little later, Sarah heard, ¡°Mum! Can you call uncle Matthew? Sarah wants to talk to the parents of older teens.¡±
¡°Sounds scary.¡± Sarah recognised Arwood''s voice.
¡°Hi, Arwood, would you be happy for me to steal them away for a couple of nights?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°What? All of them?¡± Hannah asked, surprised.
¡°May''s school age and older. Is Matthew on the line?¡±
¡°Ringing. Hi, Matthew, Hannah. Sarah''s called a parent''s meeting. She wants to borrow our older kids. I think that means all of yours.¡±
¡°Does she really? Well, I suppose she can have them for a month or two... We''ll miss them of course.¡± he joked.
¡°Hi, Matthew, can you hear me?¡±
¡°Hi, Sarah! What''s this about?¡±
¡°I was just talking to May and thought about her school year and above. They''ve got big decisions ahead, and I thought I''d like to get them talking about it with each other and with me, about university or not, that sort of thing. Mostly I''d like to know what they''re thinking, but maybe with them all thinking together it''ll help them. Realistically, from my point of view, if we''re going to do this before the impact, then tomorrow is probably my only whole day. And since I don''t want to cut my holiday short, I''ve just booked an eight-bed cabin up here, which is relatively close to where John and I are staying, for tonight and tomorrow night. I can cancel if it''s not possible, but it was the best option so I didn''t want it getting away. And if you parents think this sounds expensive long-term, well, you know I''m stinking rich, and you know how to contact me, and we can talk about it, OK? This is about trying to work out where the kids will thrive and grow.¡±
¡°And you want the kids who are at university already involved too?¡± Matthew asked.
¡°Initially I wasn''t going to, and then I thought they''ve got other insights and hey, they might enjoy sledging down a mountain-side too.¡±
¡°Hi, Sarah, it''s Kayla. Where exactly are you?¡±
¡°We''re at a place called Blackwood Cabins. One of my companies has owned the land for ages, but a few weeks ago I helped arrange buying up the cabins from an old lady who''d inherited them from her husband and was slowly ruining the company. So, new management, far higher numbers of guests, and they''ve just put in a drag-lift, which makes getting from the train to the cabins dead easy if you''ve got a sledge or skis. I''ll try and arrange to hire some of those too.¡±
Bob nodded.
¡°So it''s a ski resort?¡± Eve asked.
¡°Sort of. Not the ultra-crowded, big-drunken-parties sort though. It''s mostly a get-away-from-crowds place. The cabins are about a kilometre apart. Most of the people using the ski-lift are actually locals and day trippers, though apparently a few people have started offering bed and breakfast at an appropriate price. Oh, and apart from last night, when they put up some temporary lights, the ski-lift closes soon after sunset, so if any of the kids thinks they''re going to nip into a bar in town, they''ve got a long hard walk back to the cabin to go with it. And I will point this out to them.¡±
¡°So we''re talking fairly high isolation, good clean fun, no real risks?¡±
Kayla asked.
¡°Well, someone will need to cut up wood and feed the wood-burning stove, so if they get stupid with the axe there''s a bit of danger there. Plus there''s a risk of sledging accidents.¡±
¡°Hmm, almost a dozen teenagers, a wood-burning stove, and a nice big axe. What could possibly go wrong? Sounds character building. You''re only letting family go, I presume, Sarah?¡± Arwood said.
¡°Oh yes, absolutely. It''s a booking regulation as well as just plain sensible.¡±
¡°Take them, Sarah! Maggie and I will enjoy having the house to ourselves.¡± Matthew said.
¡°Do you really think Mandy will want to go too?¡± Kayla asked.
¡°Of course she will, love.¡± Samuel said. ¡°Just because you didn''t want to go anywhere there wasn''t a dating opportunity, that doesn''t mean Mandy has to follow your lead. I think she''d do well to think about studying.¡±
¡°May said Lucy said she had a medical checkup, is that right?¡±
¡°Oh, that''s nothing important.¡± Eve said ¡°It''s just a turn-up blood test, we thought she might be a bit anaemic, but moving it''s no problem.¡±
¡°Great. And I understand that Zach''s grounded?¡±
¡°Oh, take him.¡± Samuel said, ¡°O.K. It was his third offence but this is practically a family event anyway.¡±
¡°What do they need to bring?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°Warm clothes, sleeping bags or something else for bedding, soap, towels. There are pots and pans here, warm water is available once the stove is hot.
I can get groceries from the local shop. Are there any foods to avoid?¡±
¡°Faith''s stomach doesn''t like anything too fatty.¡± Matthew said.
¡°Would a one-pot stew be OK?¡±
¡°Fine! I was thinking a big fry-up or something like that.¡±
¡°What about porridge for breakfast? Keeping milk cold is easy but stopping it from freezing overnight is a bit of a pain.¡±
¡°Hey, can Hannah and I come too?¡± Arwood asked.
¡°No, sorry. You need to look after Alice.¡± Sarah laughed.
¡°Bother.¡±
¡°It''s not what they''re used to, but I''m sure they''ll survive.¡± Timothy said.
¡°OK, any questions?¡±
¡°When should they get there?¡±
¡°John and I''ve got a skiing lesson from three ''till four. But I think they can arrive any time. There''s a number they can call from the mag-lev so they''ll be met. Obviously the sooner they get here the more time they get to go sledging.¡±
¡°And who buys the train tickets?¡± Matthew asked.
¡°May''s my personal assistant. She can charge my account directly.¡±
¡°That''s... quite a trust for a sixteen year-old.¡± Matthew said.
¡°There is a spending limit, but if I can''t trust her with that then I can''t trust her with more important things either.¡±
¡°Can I ask what the spending limit is?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°It''s enough that she knows there is one, Hannah, and that anything charged to it gets copied to me.¡±
¡°OK, Sarah, I''ll stop being nosey. I just wondered if she could buy a car in an emergency.¡±
¡°Oh, well, if it''s an emergency and she can convince the bank that, then of course she can.¡± Sarah said. ¡°She knows that.¡±
¡°Sarah...¡±
¡°Yes, Hannah? She''s got a position of trust. She gulped a bit when I told her some of this, but the whole thing about a P.A. is that she can do things for me, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Well, yes.¡±
¡°So, in an emergency, say both John and I are badly wounded, she can hire a helicopter to get us to a hospital if that''s what it takes. Normally, of course she''d just call an ambulance, but she''s got the helicopter or whatever as an option. Any more questions?¡±
¡°Not really.¡± Arwood said after a pause. ¡°Oh, how long did it take you to get there?¡±
¡°About two hours, but it depends on the connections.¡±
¡°So, we''ll feed them lunch and send them off?¡± Hannah suggested.
¡°Sounds good to me.¡± Sarah agreed.
¡°And then we can have a nice peaceful afternoon.¡± Kayla said, ¡°And actually sit in your lounge for once, Hannah.¡±
¡°I like that idea.¡± Hannah laughed.
11.00 a.m.
¡°Urm, May, I know it''s really bad timing...¡± Quentin said, intercepting her has she headed back to the lounge after leaving Sarah to discuss the plans.
¡°What is?¡±
¡°I did actually come with a purpose.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°My parents would like to meet you.¡±
¡°What have you said to them?¡±
¡°Mostly it was Rhianna. Oh, O.K. Me too. Rhianna told them that they could tell cousin Myra that her intervention had been helpful, and that a girl had come and taught us a bit about our power ¡ª they do know about it, by the way.¡±
¡°And then yesterday you came to visit me?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And you told them where you''d been.¡±
¡°Yes. I told them I''d gone to meet my new friend, May. Rhianna said girlfriend, I said yes she''s a girl but she''s not my girlfriend. At least not yet, that we weren''t going to date for a long time. And my dad asked if you were beautiful, and my mum asked if you were a Christian.¡±
¡°And you said ''Yes, she is'' to your mum and ''phwoor'' to your dad?¡±
¡°May!¡± Quentin protested ¡°I said yes, and most of your family had real faith - I wasn''t sure about Alice ¡ª and your dad was a pastor.¡±
¡°So what did you say to your dad?¡±
¡°I said you had a lovely personality.¡±
¡°You didn''t!¡± May laughed.
¡°I did, which made him shake his head about stupid Christians letting the atheists have all the fun or something. And then Rhianna said ''yes, and she''s got good looks to go with it.'' And my dad called me a sly fox or something like that. So... will you come?¡±
¡°I''ll talk to Sarah, and my mum. OK?¡±
¡°Before you go?¡±
¡°I''ll try. Mum''s going to be busy.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°Ooooh, lookeee! Secret meetings in the corridor!¡± Alice crowed.
¡°Should Alice come too? As proto-maiden aunt, I mean.¡± Quentin asked.
¡°Banshee doesn''t mean maiden aunt, Q.Q.¡±
¡°No, thats a form of fury, isn''t it?¡±
¡°I think it''s more of a Celtic harpy.¡±
¡°What are you talking about? Celtic are a football team, aren''t they?¡±
¡°Dangerous mythical creatures. Ugly ones, which make a lot of noise.¡± May said.
¡°What about maiden aunts?¡±
¡°Very dangerous. A prototypical type of chaperone. Often very lonely, too. That''s what makes them dangerous.¡± Quentin said.
¡°What are you talking about?¡± Alice demanded.
¡°Right now, or before?¡± Quentin asked.
¡°Just now.¡±
¡°Just now I wasn''t saying anything.¡±
¡°When you were calling me a proto-maiden aunt.¡±
¡°Oh, then we were educating you.¡± Quentin said.
¡°It sounded like you were insulting me.¡± Alice said.
¡°Moi? Pourquois?¡± Quentin asked, acting offended.
Alice shuffled off in disgust. May couldn''t hold the giggles in any longer.
¡°You''re terrible, Q.Q!¡±
Alice turned round and stuck her tongue out.
¡°Sic transit gloria linguinae.¡±
¡°So passes the glory of the tongue?¡± May checked.
¡°That''s what I wanted to say. I think I confused that with thus passes the glory of the linguini, which while poignant, is ultimately somewhat surreal.¡±
¡°Only somewhat?¡± May giggled.
¡°Does that count as a victory, by the way?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. She''s bound to ask Ruben about it.¡±
¡°Is that good, bad or indifferent?¡±
¡°No idea. Let''s go an sit down.¡±
11.20am
[May, parents are convinced. You''re travelling after lunch. You will be buying the tickets, on my account, of course. Use my personal one, not the business expenses. Zach''s grounding doesn''t count, since this is a family trip, almost. And tell Lilly, thanks, but it''s not that urgent. Lucy''s blood test is postponed, you can tell her, and tell Martha and Faith what''s happening, let them make their own minds up. They''d be coming to pass on their valuable experience to the rest of you, and have a two night holiday at my expense. Their call, and they''d need to meet up with the rest of you somehow, and then you''ll reimburse them.]
[Same route you took? I think that change works to meet Faith, Hope and Timothy.]
[Good. I was wondering about them.]
[But what about sleeping bags and stuff?]
[Yes, they''ll need to get them. So there''s going to be lots of side trips. You have the spending authority, my personal assistant. I trust you, make it happen.]
[But... OK, I guess we''ll all need to go to the capital.]
[Either that or split up and meet somewhere sane.]
[I think the capital''s sane, but then they''ll need to split to their homes, and I''ll be kicking my heels waiting. Unless... Sarah, Quentin''s parents say they want to meet me. If I got tickets for the others, but I went to see them for half an hour or so, would that work?]
[You tell me. How that would work.]
[Urm, I''d go with Quentin, no it wouldn''t work, would it? The whole thing about not dating is we don''t go anywhere alone together.]
[Good point. Also how frequent are the trains, and how fast compared to hypersonic?]
[You''d send us hypersonic?]
[Well, you tell me. How much faster is that than Maglev?]
[Much.]
[Want to get here before sundown?]
[Yes. OK. You''re sending us hypersonic, aren''t you? Thanks! But there''s still two sets of us to get stuff. That''s a double delay.]
[Not if there are 2 hypersonic runs. You pack, take the capital-folks to the terminal, then you hang around for the folk from Restoration, and go with them, reimburse everyone''s transport charges, or you can give them an advance if that''s needed. Then meet up with everyone, up the hypersonic, one stop on the maglev, you''re here. You should be able to get a through ticket for the whole lot, which might or might not be better. Delegate that so you''ve got time to pack and call everyone. There are showers, but you''ll need your own soap, towels, and a sleeping bag too.]
[Arrgh. Too much to remember!]
[Guess who should have been taking notes. Start by telling everyone what''s happening. OK? Then I''ll call back in a bit.]
[Thank''s Sarah.]
May looked up.
¡°May, are you OK?¡± Mandy asked. ¡°You looked really out of it just now.¡±
¡°I was a bit. Lots of instructions from Sarah. We''re on, leaving after lunch. I''m going to be raiding Sarah''s account to pay for everything. Zach, it''s a family trip so you''re not grounded. So, we''re all off to a little ski-resort Sarah owns, with apparently fantastic views and wood-burning stoves to keep us warm, and sledges available too. The purpose is to talk about nasty decisions post-school, share ignorance and maybe knowledge, let Sarah know what we''re thinking and maybe even have fun.¡±
May saw Lucy starting to look depressed, and added ¡°Opps, Lucy, you too, your blood test is postponed.¡±
Lucy perked up considerably. ¡°So where are we going? How?¡±
¡°Zach, can you look up Blackwood Cabins, and send details to Martha and Faith please? They get to choose whether they''re going. Now, since we want to get there before dark, we''re going hypersonic, both into the capital and out again. We''ll need to split up, pack really quickly, and meet up at the hypersonic terminal in the capital. I hope someone from here knows their way around there?¡±
¡°I do.¡± Mandy volunteered.
¡°Great. Can I put you and Charis in charge of working out where we''ll meet everyone? Including Hope, Timothy and maybe Faith and Martha. I need to pack quickest, so I can send Lucy, Kara and Charis up early, that way so they can be travelling while the rest of you are packing. Then I''ll meet you at the terminal here and we''ll follow them while they''re packing. Does that make sense?¡±
She saw some nods, and asked: ¡°Has anyone ever booked a combined through-the-capital ticket with mag-lev on the end?¡±
¡°I''ve done it, but you need to book an exact seat.¡± Ruben said. ¡°That''s tricky with meeting people. It''s far easier to book if-there''s-space separates, and the price isn''t that different.¡±
¡°Doesn''t that risk us getting split, if there aren''t enough seats?¡± Kara asked asked.
¡°We can book a single ticket with us all on it for the last 2 legs.¡± Charis offered. ¡°That way it''s all of us or none.¡±
¡°Wonderful!¡± May said ¡°Do you know how?¡±
¡°Urm, I''ll try.¡±
¡°Good. I''m going to call Faith and Martha, then. I suppose we could ask for some parental help if we need it.¡±
¡°But on the other hand you want to be big responsibubble grown-ups, and make a mess of it yourselves.¡± Ruben grinned.
¡°Thank you for that vote of confidence, Ruben.¡± Charis said.
[Ready for your packing list?] Sarah asked May.
[Urm yes, I''ve not got through to Martha and Faith yet.]
[No worries. Got something to write with?]
[Oh, still no wrist unit. Ah! A pen.]
[Paper?]
[Hand?] May countered [Or is it too long?]
[No. Sleeping bag, soap, towel, warm clothes, skis if anyones got them.]
[Doubt it.]
[Anything else?]
[Toothbrush, medicines, that sort of thing, and any university application stuff if they''ve got anything.]
[Sounds easy.]
[Good. All OK?]
[I think so.]
[Bye then.]
11.40 a.m
May got her wrist-unit and retreated to her bedroom. She called Lilly first,
¡°Hello, trouble.¡± Lilly said, ¡°So, do I need to get time of work?¡±
¡°Not necessary, Sarah says, thanks for offering.¡±
¡°Phew. It would have been tricky. So what''s it all about?¡±
¡°Sarah wants to get to know us better and get us talking about university or not before it''s too late for Mandy.¡±
¡°Excellent! Well, have a good time. Bye.¡±
¡°Thanks, we''ll try. Bye.¡±
Next she rang her big sister and cousin for a three-way call.
¡°Hi, Martha, hi, Faith! Me again.¡±
¡°So, what''s this all about, May?¡± Martha asked.
¡°Sarah''s inviting us up to her new ski-resort for 2 nights, to talk about post-school choices, let Sarah know us a bit better and us her. The speed is because it looks like Mandy''s drifting in limbo and she needs to decide really soon. You get an invite because we love you too, and maybe you can tell us about how you chose, tell us about what you wished you''d done, help us think out of the box, etc., and maybe you''d want to do a bit of sledging, this evening even, if we get there before dark.¡±
¡°You can take a sledge up the ski-lift?¡± Martha asked.
¡°Did you see the links Zach sent? It just drags you along, so I guess it can pull a sledge just as well.¡±
¡°Sledging down a multi-kilometre slope without the trudge back up again? What''s there not to like?¡± Martha exclaimed.
¡°Price for the ski-pass, I guess. But Sarah''s paying.¡± May said.
¡°And we''ll be self-catering?¡±
¡°We''re all in a big cabin, nominally eight beds, but plenty of space to sleep in the living room. Sarah''s going to arrange food. I guess we''ll all be helping to peal vegetables but she''ll take charge of the cooking, but maybe not. And someone will need to feed the wood-burning stove. Sarah''s cabin''s about a kilometre away.¡±
¡°Long way.¡± Faith said.
¡°Nope, that''s a near neighbour.¡± Martha corrected, then quoted ¡°''Enjoy the magnificent views and peace and quiet of our secluded rustic cabins, each one at least a kilometre from its neighbour, an ideal base for walking in the woods and hills as a romantic interlude to enjoying one another''s company.'' Oops, that''s from the honeymoon page.¡±
¡°Now I have no idea why you''d want to read that part of the site.¡± Faith teased.
¡°So... Sarah says she''s happy to have you, all expenses paid, but it''s family only. No boyfriends or fianc¨¦s.¡±
¡°Oh, what a choice!¡± Faith exclaimed ¡°Pizza with a boyfriend I''m seriously thinking of dumping or an expenses-paid trip to a ski-resort, someone help me decide! Pizza or ski-resort, ski-resort or pizza.... I''m coming.¡±
¡°What''s wrong with the boyfriend?¡± May asked, curious.
¡°He''s clever, and charming and handsome and I''m pretty sure that there''s something fishy about his claim to faith, like, you know, he''s heard that that Christian union is the place to meet nice girls so he''s pretending to be a Christian.¡±
¡°Ouch.¡± Martha said.
¡°You can talk to Sarah, Faith.¡± May said. ¡°Just like you''d have talked to Mama.¡±
¡°You''re sure?¡±
¡°Yes. She''s cool. John''s pretty smart too. Martha, what do you think? Coming?¡±
¡°I''d love to, May, but...¡±
¡°But what?¡±
¡°I''m supposed to be spending the day with Simon''s family tomorrow, and we were going to meet up in the evening with Mum and Dad to try to decide on a wedding date.¡±
¡°Oh. OK. Can''t really do that without you, can they?¡±
¡°Well, I''m sure they could, but...¡±
¡°You sort out your future, Martha. I''m sure there''ll be other times you can go sledging.¡± Faith said.
¡°Not many.¡± Martha replied, thinking of her missionary future.
¡°More than there are chances to set a wedding date, though, I bet.¡± May said.
¡°You''re right there.¡±
¡°And maybe you could go another time.¡±
¡°Probably. The prices look very good if you''re booking far enough in advance.¡±
¡°I heard Sarah talking. She said it was a crying shame that as many people as possible weren''t enjoying the place under the old management, where it was almost empty during winter, and that she wasn''t going to let that happen any more.¡±
¡°Hey, what happened?¡± Faith exclaimed.
¡°What did happen?¡±
¡°The prices for today dropped by about ten percent and tomorrow went down by about five.¡±
¡°Automatic adjustment.¡± May said. ¡°Not enough bookings for either night, I guess. If more don''t come in then by about five O''clock it''ll be really low.¡±
¡°Interesting idea!¡± Martha said.
¡°What?¡± May asked.
¡°Can you give me Sarah''s number, May?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
11.40 a.m
¡°Hi, Sarah, I''ve got a big favour to ask you.¡±
¡°Oh, yes? What''s that, Martha?¡±
¡°I''d love to come with May and the others, but I''m supposed to be spending most of tomorrow with Simon''s parents, and then the evening with both sets of parents working out when a sensible wedding date is. I don''t know, would it be possible to combine the two, somehow? I was thinking that, maybe if Simon and his parents booked a cabin....¡±
¡°Then you could offer some of your experience tonight, and on the way up and the way down, maybe do some sledging with Simon tomorrow morning and then do some walking and talking, with your parents coming up tomorrow, say?¡± Sarah suggested.
¡°You wouldn''t mind? I mean, it''s a bit of a cheek...¡±
¡°I don''t mind at all, Martha. And, if you do manage to persuade both sets of parents, then let me know what you two think of it as a potential honeymoon spot. I''ll be more than happy to pay for you to stay here a week or two, as you''ve probably seen, book far enough in advance and it''s a bargain.¡±
¡°I''ve seen, yes. Thank you, Sarah. Are you and John having a good time?¡±
¡°It''s been a long way from what we''d planned, but yes, it''s been good. We''ve helped two people come to the Lord, in fact. Not much skiing and walking, lots of deep spiritual joy.¡±
¡°Praise God!¡±
¡°So, go and sort it all out with your parents and future parents in law, and maybe we''ll see you tonight.¡±
¡°Thank you, Sarah!¡±
¡°My pleasure.¡± Sarah said as she rang off.
¡°Martha''s coming and bringing two more cabins worth of people?¡± John asked.
¡°It sounds like it. If she can talk both sets of parents into it.¡±
¡°That''ll make Alice happy.¡±
¡°And Matt.¡± Bob said. ¡°He''s constantly worried when there are unbooked cabins.¡±
11.45 a.m
¡°Simon, do I remember your parents saying something about skiing?¡±
¡°Probably. They try to go most years. Got their own skis and everything.¡±
¡°Great! Sarah''s inviting me to her little ski resort, for a family chat about careers choices with the cousins May''s age, and claims she''d be happy if I wasn''t there for most of it.¡±
¡°Ski resorts are expensive.¡±
¡°Sarah''s got some self-catering, wood-burning stove-heated rustic cabins. It claims to be a walker''s and honeymooner''s paradise, and they''ve just installed a ski-lift.
"There''s apparently about fifteen centimetres of snow, but that''s enough, surely? There''s a ridge, just over three hundred metres high, between the cabins and the town, and the ski lift goes pretty much from the edge of the town to the top of the ridge. You can ski from the top of the ridge down hill all the way to your cabin, then down hill all the way to reception, where they''ll take you to town.¡±
¡°Sounds lovely. How much?¡±
¡°Tonight''s price for a four-bed cabin is urm... let me check.¡± She did and told him.
¡°Per person?¡±
¡°No, the cabin.¡±
¡°You''re joking!¡±
¡°No. If there''s not enough demand, prices drop by the hour, apparently. I''ll send you the booking site. Do you think it''ll work?¡±
¡°Almost certainly. What about your parents?¡±
¡°Very bullyable, I expect. I can call on Alice''s pester-power too, remember. You check with yours, I''ll check with mine. Even if mine can''t come, we could set the date over video link, couldn''t we?¡±
¡°Yeah, I guess so. OK, I''ll try and be persuasive.¡±
11.50a.m.
¡°Hi Dad.¡±
¡°Hello Martha, is this you asking if you can postpone your wedding plans meeting?¡±
¡°Not exactly. I was just wondering if you and Mum would mind if it was up in Sarah''s little paradise. Simon''s parents are skiers, so Simon thinks they''ll be very happy to go up, and I''m sure Alice would love going sledging when there''s a ski-lift to pull you up. You needn''t rush up tonight, you could just come up tomorrow.¡±
¡°I see, and there is space for us tomorrow night?¡±
¡°There was just now. If it doesn''t work out, would discussing by video link work?¡±
¡°Of course it would. So, let me know what Simon''s parents think, and I''ll talk to Mum.¡±
¡°Thanks, Dad.¡±
¡°Is there space for us where?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°Rustic cabins. As Martha pointed out, Alice would be over the moon to go sledging when the work''s done by ski-lift.¡±
¡°Space for a few more?¡± Samuel asked, looking at Kayla.
She nodded ¡°It''d be nice to have a bit of a break, even just one night.¡±
¡°I''ll check. But we won''t be going unless Simon''s parents do.¡±
¡°Sarah won''t mind us gate-crashing her party?¡± Kayla asked.
¡°I doubt it. Anyway, we''ll be enjoying the countryside while she''s minding our teens. She doesn''t even need to know we''re there, especially if we sneak up tomorrow.¡±
¡°That does sound more sensible than the mad rush the kids are planning.¡± Samuel agreed.
¡°OK, well, there''s three cabins available for four, and one for six.¡± Arwood said. ¡°Uh oh, it''s just changed, two cabins for four.¡±
¡°And you''d need a four and we''d need a six, I guess.¡±
¡°And Simon''s parents would need the other four. So I hope that was them booking or they make their minds up quickly.¡±
¡°Arwood, if we''ve got a spare bed, we could take Alice up.¡± Kayla offered.
¡°Sure?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°Yes. Maybe she can help restrain the boys, or play with Holly while we do,¡± Kayla said.
¡°I''ll book the six then.¡± Samuel decided.
¡°The console''s all yours.¡± Arwood said, just as his wrist unit rang.
¡°Hi Martha.¡±
¡°They''ve just booked, but say there''s not many cabins left.¡±
¡°Especially since Kayla and Samuel are booking the six-bed one. Samuel, can you book us the four?¡±
¡°Done, Arwood.¡±
¡°Do we admit to Sarah what we''ve done?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°Martha can tell Sarah, can''t you?¡±
¡°So, who''s coming in the end?¡± Martha asked.
¡°Good question. One cabin left, four places. One spare place in our cabin, one in Kayla and Samuel''s. I think there Tim, Helen and Pearl feeling left out at the moment.¡±
¡°I''m back at work.¡± Mark said.
¡°Me too.¡± Timothy said.
¡°There may be space for one more in the cabin Sarah''s booked for us.¡± Martha suggested.
¡°And Tim''s only missed the cut off by a year, and already looking at his options.¡± Mark added.
¡°OK, I''ll ask Sarah.¡± Hannah said. ¡°Martha, I''ll tell her from you shall I?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
Hannah dialed. ¡°Hi, Sarah! It''s all your fault, by the way.¡±
¡°Oh no, what have I done now?¡±
¡°Invited Martha. Simon''s parents have booked, so we''re coming up tomorrow, and so are Kayla and Samuel. Which means we''ve got two empty beds and three kids here who are about to be disappointed.¡±
¡°Oh dear. No, that''s not very fair, is it?¡±
¡°However, Tim, who''s a year below May, has already started looking at his options. Might there be space for him with the big ones? Then everyone here would fit.¡±
¡°How old is he?¡±
¡°Fifteen, I think.¡±
¡°Can you check? Fifteen''s the youngest without a parent, aunt, uncle or Grandparent.¡±
¡°Eve, how old''s Tim?¡±
¡°Fifteen, as of the seventh of last month.¡±
¡°Did you hear, Sarah, he''s fifteen.¡±
¡°OK. I was told there''s space for two or three, so lets hope that there really is!¡±
¡°It''s not a problem?¡±
¡°Not for me. I''m not going to be queuing for the bathroom first thing in the morning.¡±
¡°There''s just one?¡±
¡°No idea, actually. He can come, Hannah, It shouldn''t make much of a problem.¡±
¡°Thanks, Bye!¡±
¡°Bye!¡±
12.05pm
¡°Hi, Everyone.¡± Vivian said, coming downstairs.
¡°You''re looking refreshed, Vivian.¡± Christine observed.
¡°I am. And I want to thank you all for everything you''ve done for me, but I think I need to get home. I''ve got a lot of dangerous rubbish to empty from my house.¡±
¡°Did you contact Jazmin yet?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Yes. That''s one reason I was so up there so long: we swapped stories. Totally different histories, but... similar end situations.¡±
¡°You won''t stay for lunch?¡± Bob asked.
¡°No, breakfast was so late, and big, I''m not hungry at all yet. I''ve got plenty of food at home. And I remembered that my witch-neighbour is away until this evening, which means I''ve got about six hours in which I can get home and have my little bonfire without her getting too curious.¡±
¡°Well, let me take you to the station then, at least.¡± Christine said.
¡°You don''t need to.¡± Vivian protested.
¡°I know, and that makes it my pleasure.¡±
¡°There''s a... custom I suppose among witches to pronounce some sort of blessing forumla when they''ve stayed somewhere and they''re leaving.¡±
She shrugged ¡°I know it used to make me feel like I was one of the good guys. Can I pray a Christian version for you?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Christine and Bob said.
¡°May the Holy God who makes all bless this house and all who live in it, may your marriage be long, and your love be strong. May your love be long, and your children strong.¡± Vivian wavered over the last stanza. ¡°Oops, I didn''t think... I hope that''s last line''s not out of place.¡±
¡°Not at all.¡± Christine said, holding Bob possessively. ¡°I''ve had a wounded husband for many years, but he''s healthy now, praise God.¡±
¡°In other words, yes, we are hoping to have children to receive your blessing.¡± Bob said.
¡°Thank you, too, Sarah. And I''ll be in touch.¡±
¡°Any time.¡± Sarah said, and gave her a hug.
[You might regret saying that.]
[I presume Selina didn''t introduce you to everyone?]
[No. She said I''d have some surprises.]
[Well, you met Karen and George last night. Best not to call them day or night without checking their skin, or you might have a surprise.]
[Could be embarrassing, you mean?]
[Yes. Eliza, are you free?]
[Hi, Sarah, what''s up.]
[Eliza, allow me to introduce someone you''ve talked to before: Vivian, our newest sister in the gift, Vivian, my cousin, Eliza Underwood.]
[{shock}] was Vivian''s reaction.
[Hi, Vivian! Congratulations on your new faith and gift.]
[You''re the mystery voice!]
[That''s me.]
[Not in Security, not in the royal family, but trusted, in the palace a lot and speaking with their voice... sneaky sneaky Maria.]
[That''s my sneaky aunt, yes. By the way, I''m apparently a class epsilon state secret. But on the other hand, as I think it was Karen told me when I got this gift, you''re a hundred percent trustworthy, or you wouldn''t have this gift.]
[You don''t know me well enough to say that.] Vivian said.
[I know God, and he doesn''t make mistakes. Sorry, I''d better go. I''m in a boring cabinet meeting but I''d better pay attention.]
Vivian broke their embrace, and waggled a finger at Sarah. ¡°You are a dangerous woman, Sarah.¡±
Sarah waggled hers back at Vivian. ¡°You are a child of God, Vivian, a light in this dark world, and if that''s not dangerous to our enemies, then God wouldn''t have left us here.¡±
Association / Ch. 8: New Hope
Association / Ch. 8:New Hope
3.55pm Monday 1st Jan 2272
They''d just waved goodbye to William, who they noticed, had been holding Susan''s hand quite a lot, when Sarah heard shrieks of laughter as six sledges of clan-members shot past them down the slope in clouds of snow.
¡°John, I think the youngsters have finally arrived.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Whatever makes you think that?¡± he asked, with a grin.
[Hi May! I thought you were going to let us know when you got here.]
[Oops. Sorry Sarah. We rang the number and the nice man who met us swapped our bags for the cabin key, map, ski pass and six sledges. And you did say we could go sledging as soon as we got here, and the sun''s setting.]
[Fine. Have a fun half-hour or so.]
[Somehow, I think we can manage that, Sarah.]
[And don''t run anyone down!]
¡°So, what are your plans for your last half-hour of freedom and sanity?¡± John asked.
¡°Very good question. Can we do some planning? I need to speak to Mandy, soonish, and Zach too sometime while he''s here. Zach''s less urgent of course. We''ve only got Martha this evening, really, so after dinner I''d like to get them to listen to her.¡±
¡°And you are going to get the kids cutting wood, pealing potatoes, and so on?¡±
¡°Yes. I''ll probably help with the potatoes. I was wondering if you''d like to be chief chef and stove-fiddler.¡±
¡°I was going to suggest the same thing. So, why don''t you and Mandy find a quiet corner to chat over a pile of potatoes?¡±
¡°Sounds good. And then sometime we call it a night and leave them to it.¡±
¡°And get back to our own cabin which''ll be rather chilly, since we''ve been out all day.¡±
¡°We could go there now, light the fire, maybe have some tea...¡±
¡°Or a ten minute cuddle?¡±
¡°I love you Sarah, and cuddles are nice.¡±
¡°And I''ve brought you to this romantic spot for a holiday...¡±
¡°And we''ve been busier than at home, so far.¡±
¡°You don''t resent talking to Vivian, or me calling the kids up, do you?¡±
¡°No, Sarah. I just think we need a bit of a break. You especially.¡±
¡°Then let''s go warm up our cabin.¡±
[Sarah, thank you.] he sent, as they skied towards the lift.
[What for?]
[Buying this place, encouraging Bob to put in the ski lift, thinking of bringing the clan up here. Volunteering to talk to Daimian. Marrying me. You''re a force for good in the world, and I''m very glad you''re my wife.]
[I love you too John. Race you to the line.]
[Hmm. My bionic leg isn''t a massive help here, you know.]
[Exactly. I might win.]
They declared it a draw after they''d both tripped over their skis and it had turned into a snowball fight.
[That was fun.] Sarah said.
[Look at us, responsible adults....]
[It''s all right, no one knows us.]
¡°Hi John, Sarah. Having fun?¡± Martha asked.
¡°You''re not with the others?¡±
¡°Simon''s just arriving. His parents have skis, but...¡±
¡°You thought you''d just have time for a quick sledge ride together. Fair enough. Is Simon planning to be part of tonight''s chatting session?¡±
¡°It hadn''t occurred to me to ask. Should I?¡±
¡°Do you know where his cabin is?¡±
¡°Not yet.¡±
¡°I think the manager said that there was a cluster of three four-bed cabins about half way from your cabin to reception. If so, then it''s down-hill most of the way for him. But do check, because the site''s eight or nine kilometres across, and that''s as the crow flies. If he''s on the wrong side it could be a three or four hour walk for him to get home.¡±
¡°Ouch, it''s massive.¡±
¡°And the cabins are nice and secluded from one another. A genuine method of getting across the site is sledge or ski to reception and ask for a lift up to the right valley.¡±
¡°And all routes lead to reception?¡±
¡°Downhill leads to someone else''s cabin or to reception. There''s signposts.¡±
¡°And do they glow in the dark?¡±
¡°There are rather dim lights on the paths, as well as the signs, actually. I asked about it once. The wires aren''t thick enough for much current. Just too much resistance. It should have been done with bigger wires or with transformers.¡±
¡°OK. So we''re not likely to get seriously lost.¡±
¡°Not if you head to the cabin as soon as you''ve had the last trip up the hill. Do warn the others, when the guys on the lift say ''that''s your last trip up'', they mean they probably won''t be there when you get down.¡±
¡°What about if we''re talking like now?¡±
¡°They ring a bell about five minutes before they stop letting any more people get on.¡±
¡°No exceptions?¡±
¡°It''s dangerous to ski or sledge down in the dark, so if you do it when they''ve told you not to, then you''re walking back up or taking a taxi. If you''re late back from town or something, then they might let you on, after giving you an ear-full.¡±
¡°Thanks, I''ll pass it on.¡±
¡°Do. We''re going up to our cabin now to light the stove so it''s not freezing tonight. We''ll probably be there before you''ve worked out who''s sleeping where. John''ll help light your stove, and show someone how. It''s a bit of a fiddle to get it to light properly. But, if we''re delayed, and someone wanted to start chopping logs, that''d be handy.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll pass that on.¡±
¡°Oh, and someone needs to pump some water and put it into the filter for drinking and the toilet cistern for flushing. You''ll see the notices.¡±
¡°Rustic living sounds complicated.¡±
¡°Not very. It just keeps you fit.¡±
¡°Oh, here''s Simon!¡±
¡°Well, see you later, bye!¡±
As they joined the lift queue, John said: ¡°It''s just occurred to me you could have told May almost all of that.¡±
¡°I plan to, along with Zack and Kara, but the more people that hear it the better.¡±
¡°Where are the kids now?¡±
¡°Half-way down the hill, see?¡± she pointed.
¡°Are you planning another trip down, sir, maam?¡± The attendant asked.
¡°No. Is it closing time?¡±
¡°Not quite yet. I''d guess two or three more runs for people going straight up and straight down, like that crowd of youngsters. We just noticed you weren''t quite as... dedicated as they are.¡±
¡°What a polite way of saying we''ve been playing around and wasting time.¡± Sarah laughed. ¡°Thanks for looking out for us.¡±
¡°Have a lovely evening.¡±
¡°You too.¡±
Once May and the others were on the way up, Sarah gave them the same message that she''d given Martha.
[Any questions?]
[Can we do some sledging tomorrow, too?] Zach asked.
Since the others couldn''t hear Zach''s answer, Sarah repeated it. [Zach asked about sledging tomorrow. Answer: You mean, have I brought you up here to torture you with nice things you can''t have? What do you think.]
[I think we''re going to do some sledging tomorrow.]
[Good. Me too.]
[Sorry. It was a silly question.]
[Zach apologised and said it was a silly question. I say: Not really. You have no idea what my plans are, and you don''t know me well enough yet. I''ve heard of conferences and school trips where just that sort of thing happens.]
Kara asked [What are your plans?]
[Kara wants to know the plan. Number one: light our stove so John and I don''t freeze tonight. Number two, decide if we''ve got time for tea. Number three, meet you guys soon after you''ve got to your cabin. Number four, introduce you guys to the complexities of life up here, and hammer home to people how long it''d take to walk up this hill, if anyone was stupid enough to go down when the lift is closed.]
[Ages]
[It''s two and a half kilometres long. Up hill that''s about an hour, or more. But there''s snow, so longer. Plus it''s dangerous to ski or go sledging in the dark. Anyone who tries gets tied down or sent home. The cabin site is massive ¡ª more than sixty square kilometres, at least a kilometre between cabins, with some lovely cliffs to fall off. Stay to the lit paths if you''re out at night, pass that round too. I can find you, but that doesn''t mean I''ll be happy.]
[Understood, Sarah.]
[Plan number five, is that while John is introducing a couple of axe-wielders to the wood store, demonstrating lighting the stove, and such like, everyone else will be pealing vegetables. Mandy and I will be having an initial chat while we do our pealing. John will then do the cooking while we continue to chat. If I finish with Mandy, then I''ll move on to Zach, and then anyone else who needs a chat. Tonight, we''re going to hear Martha and maybe Simon talking about how they ended up studying what they''re studying. Tomorrow, we''ll probably do something like breakfast, discussion, sledge, lunch, discussion, sledge, tea, discussion. Sometime I''m probably going to talk about dating, and about God, too, because he''s good.]
[Sarah, Faith needs to talk to you. Suspects her boyfriend''s faking faith.] May said.
[Public?]
[No. Just me and Martha know.]
[OK. Zach, May''s just told me someone else needs to be second after Mandy. OK?]
[Yeah, sure. I mean, I''m happy to talk, but...]
[You don''t think you need much advice?]
[Not really.]
[That''s nice. So, tell me about your prayer life.]
[Ooh, straight to the point. Urm, God is good, he seems to remember me when I don''t remember him.]
[When were you doing the most praying, recently?]
[Before I asked Zara out.] Zach admitted.
[Aha, her name at last. And now Zara''s filling your thoughts, God''s pushed out?]
[I guess so.]
[And how does that make you feel?]
[Guilty, of course.]
[But she''s a believer?]
[Yes. And she''s got the power.]
[And do your parents approve?]
[They don''t know. They think I''m hanging round with a group of friends, not just with Zara.]
[Explanation time, please. No, hold on, I''ll just check in with May and Kara.]
[May, Kara, Have you got any more questions, or is it OK if I just grill Zach a little?]
[What''s he done wrong?] Kara asked.
[Probably nothing at all. Your turn next.]
[Should I be nervous?]
[Only if you''ve got something to hide.] She turned her attention to Zach. [Hi Zach, do I gather that you and Zara isn''t known by anyone on your side?]
[yeah. Unless you''ve told anyone.]
[I haven''t. So, can I involve John?]
[That''s fine.]
[John, you''re invited into the conversation. Zach''s prayer life has been suffering a bit recently, because he''s thinking a lot about a girl called Zara, who he''s going out with but hasn''t told anyone about. Zara''s a believer with the power. Is that a fair summary, Zach?]
[Very.]
[Hi Zach. And is there a problem here, or is my beloved wife just being nosy?]
[A bit of a problem, I guess.]
[Because?] John asked.
[Neither of us dare tell our parents.]
[Because?] Jon prompted again.
[Hundreds of reasons, it seems like.]
[Any chance of a quick summary?] Sarah asked.
[She''s older than me, we''re not rich, her family is, she''s an only child, mum likes having babies, dad is... a bit colour sensitive.]
[Really?] John was surprised.
[I heard him say something like ''aren''t there any nice black guys left?'' about Martha''s Simon.]
[And I take it Zara''s not the same skin tone as you?] John prompted.
[I think she said she was Russian-Chineese-Scandanavian by history. Pale skin, deep blue eyes, and long dark hair.]
[She sounds pretty. What''s the age gap?] Sarah asked.
[Very pretty. She''s a school year above me, but only a few months older.]
[Where did you meet her, and how?]
[Oh, it was this school trip to a power station. Near the transformer, we all had to hold onto this chrome plated metal bar that went round the outside. They said we all had to be grounded, for safety, but I don''t know why. I think they were just trying to scare us, personally. But anyway, that meant no gloves. Can you imagine, a hundred sweaty teenagers all touching the same lump of metal? It really wasn''t a nice mental fog to listen to. She thought ¡ª loudly ¡ª ''I want to let go, or at least put my gloves back on or I''m going to scream.'', and I thought back ''Me too. We could pretend we got a shock from it.'' And I saw her jerk her hands off the bar in surprise. Then, when we moved from there I apologised if I''d shocked her.]
[When was this?]
[Oh, a year ago. Then it seemed that every time her school went somewhere, so did mine, so, we met every couple of months, shared jokes, that sort of thing. The last unexpected one was at a multi-church youth meeting at the end of the autumn. And we both said ''Hi! I didn''t know you were a Christian'' at exactly the same time, dissolved in laughter at the coincidence, chatted and swapped net IDs.]
[And your first date was soon after?]
[No, we''ve been keeping in contact, but not much more. Then, before Christmas she spent something like a month moaning about the boys at her school who''d been asking her out being so disgusting, and the girls teasing her that she didn''t have a boyfriend.]
[Dropping hints?]
[I don''t think so. She seemed genuinely surprised when I asked her if it''d solve any problems if I asked her out. We''ve only been out twice.]
[But you''ve been friends quite a long time.]
[Yeah. She''s nice, we make each other laugh, we make each other sad too, now.]
[Because?]
[Because neither of us really see it working.]
[But you both want it to?] John asked.
[Yes.]
[So, pray more, Zach.] Sarah suggested [And thank God for your friendship.]
[Every time you think of her.] John suggested.
[Wow! I''d be praying half the day!] Zach exaggerated.
[So? What''s wrong with cultivating an attitude of prayer?] Sarah asked.
[Nothing, I guess.]
[Glad you hear you think so. We''ll pray for you two.]
[Thanks.]
[Out of interest, what are her thoughts of university?]
[Oh. She''s thinking of taking a year out, assuming the impact happens, helping her dad.]
[What''s he do, then?]
[Construction. She says he wants her to stay in the office, but she wants to
see concrete being poured and learn plastering and stuff like that too.]
[And then?]
[Architecture or structural engineering.]
[And you?]
[Architecture and structural engineering have this sudden appeal] Zach replied with a grin [but otherwise, physics probably.]
[If your interest in the subject is just her, stick to your own preferred subject.] John recommended. [But by all means pick the same university. Silly not to, really, if you''re serious about her.]
[I feel serious, but... can it work?]
[Of course it can, Zach, with a bit of patience and diplomacy. And Zach, do bring her to meet us sometime. Hmm, do her parents know she''s got the power?]
[I think so.]
[Then, if you want her to meet me, she can tell her parents that she''s curious about the chartered association of truthsayers, and a she''s got an invitation to have lunch or dinner with the crazy multi-millionairess who kicked it off. And you of course can tell your parents I''ve invited you over to talk about some things that came up this trip in more detail.]
[Wow! You''d really... do that for us? Make excuses for us to meet?]
[Not an excuse. And I''m certainly not going to lie or encourage you to lie.
But if you need someone a bit older in my case or much older in John''s]
[hey!] John protested
Sarah ignored him [to help you think things through and work out how to tell your parents, then yes, I''ll provide a safe place for that. I''m not doing this to undermine your parents, you understand. And if you need more than one meeting, then OK, but the goal of that process is that you end up either talking to your parents or agreeing to separate until university. I really don''t recommend any more unaccompanied clandestine romantic meetings. That''s not a good road to follow, you know? Secret kisses so easily end in serious sin.]
[Yeah, I see your point. When?]
[John?]
[No idea. Of course Zach is grounded.]
[Yes. So it''s up to his parents, isn''t it? So Zach, after our time here either remind me to ask them when, or talk to them yourself.]
[Zach, getting grounded is all about your parents saying they can''t trust you, isn''t it?] John asked.
[Yeah, I guess so.]
[And since you are hiding things from them, they''re right, aren''t they?]
[Yes.{misery} That''s another reason we make each other sad.]
[So, what I suggest you think about is whether, even knowing your Dad might not be very happy about her skin colour, if you could tell one or both
something about her. You might even tell them you''re not sure all the parents''ll be happy, but Sarah knows and is helping you think things through, and doesn''t want to go behind their backs.]
[You think it''d work?]
[Trust is a two way thing, you know? And its easy to lose and hard to mend.]
[Yeah it is. Thanks, John and Sarah. It''s been great talking to you.]
[Our pleasure.]
4.10pm Monday 1st Jan
¡°Hi John, Hi Sarah!¡± George called.
¡°I thought afternoons were for revision?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°The are, but last sunsets in beauty spots are for enjoying, aren''t they?¡± Karen replied.
¡°You''re leaving tomorrow? I didn''t realise.¡±
¡°Our ten nights in paradise are up tonight.¡± George said.
¡°I think paradise is better, really.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Yes, but exams start on Wednesday. I don''t think that figures in anyone''s definition of paradise.¡±
Sarah pulled a face. ¡°Probably not.¡±
¡°So, tomorrow we''re moving into our new temporary home, on Wednesday we get back to ''real life'' with a crunch, and now we''re going to enjoy a bit of romantic sunset watching from the peak.¡±
¡°Don''t let us delay you, then. But sometime, do call and say ''Hi'' to Vivian.¡± [She has the gift now.]
[Really! Wow.] Karen exclaimed.
[Praise God!] George echoed.
[He is Good.] Sarah agreed.
4.40pm
[Hi May, How''s it going?] Sarah asked.
[We''re trying to work out who goes where... without bloodshed.]
[Surely you can sort it out?]
[Three boys, three students, various other groupings of three also possible. Three need to be in the lounge, all groups are saying ''we need just as much privacy as you do'', and ''you''re going to keep us awake chatting all night'', etc.]
[Draw lots?]
[Didn''t work.]
[What do you mean, it didn''t work?]
[Everyone thought their claim for superior treatment was better.]
[Vote?]
[Then the boys feel outnumbered.]
[Delegate the decision to a mediator?]
[I nominate John!]
[See if the others agree. Anyone cutting wood yet?]
[Deciding on rooms is apparently ''more important''.]
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
[I see. Is it cold in there?]
[Fairly.]
[Tell them (a) the bedrooms warm up considerably slower than the living room.
(b) it takes a lot of wood to warm up the whole cabin.
(c) we''re not coming to start cooking until someone''s drawn the water, filtered a saucepan of water and filled the basket with wood.]
[It''s already half-full.]
[That''ll vanish long before the stove''s properly warmed up. What about the second one by the wood pile.]
[Urm. Is there one? Oh yes.]
[OK?]
[Would you recommend sleeping in the living room?]
[Well, it depends how long you stay arguing about it. The living room will probably warm up quickly and stay warm longest.]
[Thanks, Sarah.]
[Call my wrist unit when the baskets are both full. I assume there''s someone there who can wield an axe without maiming themselves?]
[I wouldn''t bet on it, actually.]
[Can you check? Otherwise I''ll have to revise my condition.]
¡°I might have won us some time, John.¡±
¡°Oh yes, love?¡±
¡°They''re still mid-argument about who sleeps where. I''ve told them to get some wood cut and water drawn before we''re coming. May''s just checking if anyone can split wood without maiming themselves. If there is, then I''d guess we''ve got twenty minutes at least.¡± She kissed him.
[What''s the answer, May?]
[Focus of the argument has now changed about which of the three goes to cut wood.]
[Re-assure them that they''ll all have a turn. There''s a sack of potatoes there, isn''t there?]
[Yes. And carrots and things too. I don''t see any meat.]
[That''s because it ought to be in a hanging meat-safe thing. Look for a box with screen sides hanging at or above head-level, dangling off a tree on a pulley.]
[Oh! Yeah, there was something when we came in. There aren''t bears up here are there?]
[Not as far as I know. But I''m sure there''s other things that wouldn''t mind eating your dinner before you do, so why make it easy for them?]
[So, some people will be peeling potatoes and carrots, others start pulling water or chopping wood now. Anyone left over does the washing up, takes out the rubbish, and so on.]
[How many potatoes and carrots.]
[How hungry are you feeling?]
[Famished]
[That many then.]
[Sarah, that''s not very helpful.]
[May, it''s not like potatoes change size when they cook. And it''s not like I''m insisting that the potatoes all be peeled. Just get the wood cut and water filtered, and call me when they''re done.]
[What''ll you be doing?]
[Having a lie down. We were up until almost two last night talking to a new Christian.]
[Oh! OK.]
May looked at her still-bickering cousins.
¡°Look, you idiots. Sarah and John are not going to play Mummy and Daddy and wipe our bums for us. They were up until two last night, counseling someone, and they''re expecting us to solve our own problems and all take turns. The stove needs lots of feeding, there''s vegetables to peel, and there''ll be washing up later, and they''re having a rest until we''re actually showing some signs of being ready, OK? Now, think about growing up, can you? I''m going to pump some water.¡±
¡°I''ll help.¡± Martha offered, a little ashamed for her part in the earlier squabble. It had just been habit, really; whenever the cousins got together, the cousins squabbled.
¡°Thanks, sis.¡±
¡°It''s habitual, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes, and I''d probably be joining in if it weren''t that I''m being the eyes, ears and voice of our beloved matriarch at the moment.¡±
¡°Not to mention holder of the money bag.¡±
¡°Oh don''t! ''Please May, can you buy us some sweeties...''¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Not quite, but yeah, almost. Lunch at home was pretty salty and we didn''t drink much, so I got those bottles of water for everyone while we were waiting in the capital.¡±
¡°Oh, and some other requests came too?¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°What a bunch of spoiled brats we are. How about we surprise John and Sarah by shaming them into getting organised?¡±
¡°Seems like a civilised thing to do, we could even let them have a nice long rest, too.¡±
5.20
¡°You are, without doubt, my very favourite husband.¡± Sarah told John, with some kisses as punctuation, ¡°Thankyou for marrying me.¡±
¡°Thank you, beloved wife, for deciding I was so trustworthy you could throw yourself at me. Not to mention saying yes.¡±
¡°My pleasure. I wonder what happened to May''s call. They can''t still be arguing, can they?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Feeling hungry?¡±
¡°Yes. Shall we go down?¡±
¡°Yes, I guess so. Otherwise it''ll be a long time before dinner is ready.¡±
It only took them a few minutes to ski down to the big cabin. ¡°I think they''ve been cheating.¡± Sarah said, seeing the plume of smoke coming from the chimney.
¡°I hope they followed the instructions carefully, then.¡±
¡°They are pretty clear. But... I smell smoke, and see doors open and a crowd of dejected kids outside.¡±
¡°Yes. Doesn''t look good, does it.¡±
¡°Hi, John and Sarah!¡± May said ¡°We decided that we''d act like civilised adults rather than a bunch of pre-schoolers. Then it sort of went wrong again.¡±
¡°How did civilisation happen?¡± John asked.
¡°Urm...¡± May looked at Martha.
¡°May pointed out to us that we weren''t exactly acting as though we needed career advice as much as having our bottoms wiped, and then I decided to admit my shame for being a selfish toad and shamed the rest of them into action. Sorry. It''s a long established habit that we squabble over everything like a bunch of spoiled brats. It''s kind of fun, but it''s selfish.¡±
¡°Well, well done for breaking the habit at least once.¡± John said. ¡°I see someone lit the fire... do we gather something went wrong?¡±
¡°Urm, yeah. That''s why the doors are open. We think most of the smoke''s gone from the room now.¡± May said.
¡°So, who forgot to read the big red warning notices?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°It''s my fault.¡± Timothy admitted ¡°I decided the stove-top was probably warm enough. It might have been, but then Faith spilt a load of water on it, and I didn''t move the lever over to re-heat it while we were wiping it up.¡±
¡°And then all the smoke cooled too much, the water vapour turned to fog, and it all came back down the chimney, and gave everyone a dose of carbon monoxide.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Its poisonous, isn''t it? Are we going to die?¡± Hope asked.
¡°Probably not. Did everyone get out quickly?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Anyone take a deep breath of what was coming out of the stove? Or have a headache?¡± John asked.
No one did.
¡°OK, so you were in there for a minute at most when the smoke started coming out?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Half, I''d say.¡±
Sarah poked her head inside, estimated the volume of the living room, and of the chimney. Back outside, she checked exposure figures for dangerous levels of carbon-monoxide. ¡°Well, if we assumed that chimney had all the oxygen in it converted to carbon monoxide, which would really surprise me, and then dilute a chimney full of that in the air of that room...¡± she said ¡°We get, hmm, about six hundred parts a million or so. Not pleasant at all, and if you stayed in it for half an hour you''d risk getting sick. So, certainly don''t do it again, kids and let''s leave the doors and windows open for a while.¡±
¡°We''re going to freeze.¡± Faith protested.
¡°Oh come on, you''ve been outside for hours already.¡± Martha responded.
¡°Yes, but I hadn''t been putting my hands in cold water, peeling potatoes then.¡±
¡°Yes, but we''ve almost finished them.¡± May pointed out ¡°You did have a nice rest, I hope, John and Sarah?¡±
¡°So, this gassing yourselves was all an exercise in letting us rest?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Urm, yes.¡± Zach said. ¡°It didn''t quite go to plan. We were going to get everything ready.¡±
¡°Thank you, that was a very nice thought.¡± John said. ¡°So, there''s wood chopped, and veggies peeled?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And did you switch the stove back to pre-heat before you evacuated?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I''ll go in and see if it''s hot enough to set to store some heat then, while, I might add, holding my breath.¡± John said.
¡°Not to quick heat?¡± Timothy asked.
¡°With the doors open?¡± Zach asked.
¡°Oh. Yeah.¡±
John returned with a puzzled expression on his face. ¡°The wood''s almost burned out. Just when did this accident happen?¡±
¡°About five minutes before you got here.¡±
¡°And there was a full load of wood in it?¡±
¡°Urm, I wanted to be cautious.¡± Timothy said.
¡°So, you didn''t follow the clear instructions.¡±
¡°Well, it didn''t light when I tried it like it said, so I just lit it normally.¡±
Sarah groaned. ¡°So much for the pinnacle of efficient combustion technology. You didn''t actually use a pile of matchstick-sized splinters, did you? You thought you could get away with just a few.¡±
¡°It said a handful, that''s a few, isn''t it?¡±
[Our copy says ''from twenty pieces to as many as you can hold in a full hand, depending on length'' if I remember correctly.] Sarah told John.
[I know.]
[''I followed the instructions.'' Sorry, I''m going to crack up if I stay.]
¡°O.K. kids, pay attention to nice doctor John Williams, he''s about to tell you how to light the stove. He has lots of letters after his name and although he''s not as good at physics and computers as I am, those letters mean that he can read.¡±
Sarah said and walked away. She didn''t want burst out into hysterical laughing right in front of them.
¡°Have we upset Sarah?¡± Mandy asked.
¡°Urm, no, it''s fine.¡± John said, ¡°Urm, lighting the stove, first thing is to make sure you''ve got nice dry kindling. That''s small bits, matchstick sized. You need quite a pile, These stoves works really efficiently, and one way it does that by only trying to burn wood which is hot. That sounds obvious, but in a normal fire, you get lots of cold wood in the way of the hot flames. That makes smoke, smoke means fuel you''re not burning, and that means you need to cut more wood. The other thing is behind where you see the flames is a thing called a heat riser. That''s a place where the flames get mixed with some extra air, and can burn up any soot that might come from the main firebox, and indeed any other stuff that only burns at high temperatures, like tars and stuff. Obviously, that only works if the riser is hot. So the kindling is actually doing two things: it''s preheating the riser and also lighting just the ends of the wood so they send their flames into the riser. Get it?¡±
¡°So I broke it.¡± Timothy said. ¡°I skipped the introduction and broke it in lots of ways.¡±
¡°Urm, yes. I suppose the good news is that because you lit such a small amount of wood, there wasn''t so much smoke.¡±
¡°Does that mean we can go back in?¡± Faith asked.
¡°Let me get to the rest of the lighting instructions.¡± John said. ¡°The other thing you want to happen is that the fire stays towards the back of the firebox as long as possible ¡ª that way the heat riser gets really hot before there''s masses of flames from the pile of wood you''ve put in it. One way of doing that, strange as it seams, is to make sure you pile the wood high. That way the air which is coming from the front, rather just taking the easy way around the wood, goes past all burning bits of wood, giving the flames lots of lovely oxygen and blowing the flames back to the riser. But for this to work you do need to make sure that there''s air gaps between the bits of wood as you''re adding them. Got it?¡±
¡°I''ve got it.¡± Zach said ¡°It''s really neat.¡±
¡°But why don''t the flames blow out?¡±
¡°I bet it''s because there''s not much air going past ¡ª only just enough.¡± Zach said. ¡°It''s all about keeping the flames and the wood hot, not cooling it down too much.¡±
¡°You''re probably right.¡±
¡°He is,¡± Sarah said. ¡°What John didn''t say is that there are air controls to make sure that air goes to the right place to help it all burn at different stages and of course the heat directing controls. You need the stove top to be nice and warm, because that makes sure that the gasses in the chimney are warm enough to get out of the chimney. And if it''s working properly, what''s in the chimney is nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water vapour, a bit of oxygen, sometimes a smidgen of carbon monoxide, but no smoke. In other words, complete combustion. And that''s purely from clever design and the right ceramics. It doesn''t need an ultra expensive catalyst that needs replacing every decade. It just turns wood into a tiny pile of ash and a lot of heat.¡±
¡°And a bit of carbon monoxide.¡± Hope said.
¡°Hardly any, when it''s used properly. Less than a hundredth of a typical back-garden cooking fire, if I remember right.¡±
¡°Wow.¡± Hope exclaimed.
¡°So, treat it with respect and it''s a lovely friendly dragon, which will keep you toasty hot all night long.¡±
¡°Oh yes please!¡± Faith said ¡°My fingers are numb, and my shivers have got shivers.¡±
¡°Did you soak yourself too, Faith?¡± Sarah asked, growing concerned.
¡°I guess so. I didn''t notice at the time.¡±
¡°Everyone huddle round Faith please, lets make her feel warm and loved. John, can you go and sniff the air in there?¡±
¡°OK. What am I sniffing for?¡±
¡°If it smells of smoke, there''s probably still some carbon monoxide. If not, we can probably go back in perfectly safely.¡±
¡°Oh. Got it.¡±
¡°Hey, not that loved, Hope.¡± Faith yelped.
¡°Sorry, Sis, but we do want you to be warm.¡±
¡°Sarah!¡± Faith called from the middle of the mass.
¡°What, Faith? Can you lift your legs without falling, yet?¡±
¡°That''s not funny.¡±
¡°It wasn''t meant to be. The human body needs to stay warm to function. I''d much rather your personal space gets invaded just a little than we need to call an ambulance because you''ve come down with hypothermia.¡±
¡°Well at least tell whoever''s pinching me to stop it.¡±
¡°Children, that''s not nice, and I can find out who did it, remember. Consider the shame of me telling everyone your name please, consider the shame, and behave!¡±
[Sarah, I think it''s OK. I can''t imagine it not being, actually, with the breeze blowing through the cabin.]
[That''s good. Can you turn the warmth to instant then?]
[Yes, but I''ll refill the fire-box first, if that''s OK?]
[Of course.]
Sarah saw Mandy, like her, was on the outside of the Faith-warming crowd, and tapped her on the shoulder. ¡°Mandy, can we start talking? I don''t think either of us are contributing much to keeping Faith warm.¡±
¡°Urm, OK.¡±
¡°You''re not abandoning me, are you, Sarah?¡±
¡°No, Faith, I''m leaving you to the care of your brother, sister and cousins.¡±
¡°That''s what I was afraid of.¡±
¡°Everyone be nice, now, or I won''t be.¡± Sarah said.
¡°You wouldn''t use your gift abusively, surely, Sarah?¡±
¡°Who said anything about abusing my gift. All I need to do is find out who the criminal is and then I can bounce them on the snow a few times.¡±
¡°Sarah, with due respect,¡± Charis said, ¡°you don''t look like much of a fighter.¡±
¡°She''s a black-belt.¡± May said. ¡°Several times over.¡±
¡°Don''t exaggerate, May.¡±
¡°OK, you never took the tests, but your old instructor told me you were plenty good enough to.¡±
¡°Hey, personal secretary, you''re not supposed to let all my secrets out.¡±
¡°Sorry. I though that in the context it might help my cousins stay sane. Urm, Sarah, did you get that good thanks to the power?¡±
¡°Not as far as I know. My power wasn''t really working properly then.¡±
¡°So, you were quite-capable of being black-belt then, and now you''ve got the reactions of having the power too.¡±
¡°I suppose so, yes.¡±
¡°So, anyone want to pick a fight with my employer and me?¡± May asked.
¡°And me too.¡± Zach said ¡°I''m on Sarah''s side, She''s cool.¡±
¡°Stop turning everything into a battle, you lot¡± Martha advised.
¡°Are they always like that, Mandy?¡±
¡°Together? I guess so.¡±
¡°And you join in?¡±
Mandy grinned ¡°Oh yes. It''s good fun.¡±
¡°And you don''t mind me caling you up here?¡±
¡°It''s a lovely place. It''s really yours?¡±
¡°I own the company which owns the company which owns the land and the cabins.¡±
¡°So you get to stay for free?¡±
¡°No, not at all. That sort of thing would be hurting my employees. But I did ask the director what he thought of having you all up here, and it was his idea that you stay in the one cabin. It would have been much harder to arrange if you''d been split between two or three.¡±
¡°Yes, it would be.¡±
¡°So, Mandy, I understand that you''re not applying for university anywhere, but your Dad thinks you should be.¡±
¡°He does?¡±
¡°I heard him tell your mum ''I think she''d do well to think about studying.'' just this afternoon.¡±
¡°Wow. I thought...¡±
¡°You thought you were expected to follow your mum''s footsteps?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I think your mum''s expecting that, but your dad isn''t.¡±
¡°But they''ve never asked me what I want to study, and they''re always asking Zach.¡±
¡°Do you know what you''d say if they did?¡±
¡°Computers probably, but... maybe maths.¡±
¡°Maybe your Dad thinks you know already. Computers and maths, maybe?¡±
¡°You can study that?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°I haven''t looked. Mum''s always said find a nice husband and help her while I''m looking, and....¡±
¡°You didn''t think you could go?¡±
¡°University''s expensive.¡±
¡°It can be. But there are scholarships. How are your grades?¡±
¡°Good.¡±
¡°How good?¡±
¡°Top of the school.¡±
¡°What are your teachers saying then?¡±
¡°That I should apply for university.¡±
¡°And what do you say?¡±
¡°I can''t. Mum needs me home, money''s short.¡±
¡°And does your mum really need you home?¡±
¡°Probably not.¡±
¡°Mandy, what do you want to do? Not What your mum wants, not what your dad wants. What do you want?¡±
¡°I want to honour my parents.¡±
¡°Good. And if they''re happy for you to study, or marry, or join a convent or work in a shop or a factory, then what? Where would you like to see yourself in five or ten years time? What do you dream of? Your ideal future.¡±
¡°My dream? Cryptanalysis. But it''s silly! I can''t do that! It''s a hobby.¡±
¡°Your hobby is cryptanalysis?¡±
¡°Yeah. I''m a shy nerdish closet-crypto-geek, from a crazy family, with a mum who thinks my goal in life should be to find a nice husband, but I''d much rather play with cryptography than with babies.¡±
¡°Mandy, there are jobs in cryptanalysis, you know.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes. Which side of it appeals most? Implementation, verification that it''s been done right, or code breaking?¡±
¡°That''s illegal, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Not necessarily. If someone''s lost their password, it''s not illegal for them to try and break it. Or take my dad''s files. I''ve inherited the computer, and legally I''ve got access, but until yesterday I had no idea how to get in. Maybe it''s solved now, but if not, then I might need the help of a professional code breaker to get into it.¡±
¡°Wow.¡± Mandy''s eyes were wide with excitement. ¡°Do you know how it''s encrypted?¡±
¡°The algorithm? No. Apparently there''s a hidden data-crystal in my dad''s office, which when you give it the right pass-phrase gives you the right massive sequence of numbers to decrypt the data on my house computer.¡±
¡°And that unlocks everything?¡±
¡°Apparently.¡±
¡°I guess it''s not going to be a one-time pad then. You''re in contact with some professional code breakers? I''d love to talk to them.¡±
¡°I''m in contact with someone in Security. She''s in contact with someone who knows plenty of code-breakers, who work for that department.¡±
¡°Oh wow... I thought that was just in spy novels!¡±
¡°So, what would that sort of career path look like to you?¡±
¡°Would I be good enough?¡±
¡°No idea. You might find out its not for you anyway. But it''s an idea. It sounds like it excites you.¡±
¡°It does.¡± Mandy admitted. ¡°But then reality crashes in and I realise that money''s tight at home and I can''t just go and study a really difficult subject on the off-chance that I''m good enough to get a rare government job.¡±
¡°Why not study a mix of subjects ¡ª like you have to anyway ¡ª which opens a career path to a number of jobs in your ideal job and related fields?¡±
¡°It still costs.¡±
¡°Know any multi-millionairesses who might think that helping you get to university would be a good thing?¡±
¡°Urm...¡±
¡°Go on, Mandy. At least do some research. And I''ll just ask if there''s such a thing as a civil service scholarship scheme that might be relevant. You called yourself a crypto-geek does that mean you''ve done crypto stuff as well as read about it?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Mandy blushed ¡°I''ve even got rather a good reputation on-line.¡±
¡°My experience of geeks is that they''re shy because they''re not good in vague social situations, but get them on their subject and they can talk for hours. Does that sound like you? If you could skip the personal and social stuff and start chatting cryptography, would you be shy?¡±
¡°Probably not.¡± Mandy agreed.
¡°OK, I''ll ask around.¡± Sarah said. [George, Eliza, quick question...]
[Hi Sarah, what''s up?] George asked.
[I''m all ears, if it''s quick.]
[Do you know if there''s such a thing as a civil service scholarship for someone who''d like to go to university with a view to doing cryptanalysis and code-breaking? It turns out that May''s cousin Mandy''s a crypto-geek.
It''s her hobby apparently, but she didn''t believe there was much chance of getting a job doing it.]
[Can''t help there, sorry. I haven''t heard of one. But I''ll say that she''s way out of my league if she''s using that term like I''ve heard it used.]
[But you''re doing computer science George.] Eliza protested.
[Yes. But she must be deeply into higher pure maths. I mean, we had courses on cryptography of course, but the advice was never try to write your own function or you''ll get it wrong.]
[I''ll ask someone who might know.] Eliza said, and contacted Chris who worked in ''Communications'' or in other words, electronic interception.
[Chris, hello, a low priority question, just from a friend, you might know the answer to.]
[Ask away, Maam.]
[I''ve just been contacted by someone who''s talking to someone who describes herself as a crypto-geek, and names cryptanalysis and code-breaking as her hobby. Pre-university. Might there be such a thing as a civil service scholarship available for the girl?]
[Well, I got one, but it''s not exactly something we advertise. Is she willing to pass on her handle?]
[Handle?]
[Unique nickname. It''d let me see what she''s asking and answering, assuming she''s active in the community.]
[In the community?]
[Cryptography geek on-line discussion group.]
[Oh. OK. I''ll ask.] Eliza replied. [Sarah, can you ask her if she''s ''willing to pass on her handle.'']
¡°Mandy, I asked someone who asked someone who asks ''are you willing to pass on your handle?'' Does that make sense?¡±
¡°This someone is ... in the civil service?¡±
¡°I''d assume so. I didn''t think to ask.¡±
¡°Wow. That''s a bit.... personal, but OK. I''m 2-shy-r, as in circles, but shy, not pi. Two as a number. And I''m too shy, everyone says aaahh.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll pass it on. But you''re not too shy with me.¡±
¡°You''re clan, Sarah.¡±
¡°Oh. OK. Well I guess this person is a crypto-geek.¡±
¡°Yes. That''s another sort of clan.¡±
[Hi Eliza, apparently she''s ''2-shy-r'' as in circles, the two is a digit.]
[Chris, her handle is ''2-shy-r as in circles, with the two as a digit''.]
[That one! She''s pre-university?]
[Yes.]
[Well! I''d put 2-shy-r down as a retired maths professor. That''s supposed to be a compliment, by the way. But it makes sense, she''s only been saying deep stuff recently. Very very insightful mind. I''ll pass her interest on to the relevant person. Now... there''ll need to be proof that the person we''re interviewing is 2-shy-r, because that handle has got a massively good reputation, and there''ll need to be some way for the relevant person at this end to arrange an interview. That''s a challenge to the young lady.]
[Urm, I''ll ask.]
[The unnamed person at this end asks Mandy, as a challenge, how to arrange an interview and establish that she''s really 2-shy-r. ]
¡°Mandy, the person at that end sets the following challenge: how can we arrange an interview and prove that you''re really 2-shy-r.¡±
¡°That''s too easy, assuming we''ve got a trusted connection at the moment, anyway. I can send any message of their choice from my account. That could, for instance be an encrypted version of half of my contact I.D., and then they can call me. A book cypher, perhaps?¡±
Sarah relayed that message, and Eliza passed it on.
[Spoken like a true crypto-geek.] Chris laughed [How did she react to being called a maths professor.]
[Oops I''ll pass it on. I forgot, sorry.]
[I forgot to pass something on, Sarah. The person I''m talking to says he had 2-shy-r down as a retired maths professor, intended as a compliment, and she has a very insightful mind. And he needs the verification because of the massive claim. He''d like to know how she reacts to being called a maths prof.]
[Oooh. OK I''ll tell her.]
[And her response was spoken like a true crypto-geek.]
¡°Mandy, apparently the person my fiend is talking to recognised your handle, but had you down as retired maths professor -that''s meant as a compliment - and the verification is needed because of the excellent reputation you''re claiming. So what I''m saying to you is even if the civil service can''t help you to study, I can. And your response was spoken as a true crypto-geek.¡±
Mandy smiled at the last bit ¡°So you mean your contact just happened to pick on someone who recognises my handle? Or does everyone there know me? I''m not sure which is the most scary.¡±
¡°I don''t know. What do you think of being confused for a maths professor?¡±
¡°I don''t know, how should I feel? I guess it makes me feel socially inept. I supose it''s a nice compliment.¡±
[She''s not sure how to deal with the compliment and says that makes her feel socially inept.]
[Poor kid.]
[She''s also a bit intimidated at the thought that you just happen to be speaking to someone who recognises her handle, or the thought that everyone there knows her handle.]
[I meant to ask about that.]
[Chris, firstly, is it... normal that you recognise her handle? It''s got her a bit spooked.]
[Oh. urm certain of us have a role of monitoring and occasionally contributing to those boards, just in case.]
[OK. In answer to your question about the compliment, she wasn''t sure how to take it and it made her feel socially inept.]
[So... she trusts the person she''s talking to.]
[Yes. This is what you might call a network with high trust and low data integrity, that to say I''m not a very good relay.]
[OK well, as a verification of her owning the account, ask her to put a sensible question regarding the ancient twofish cypher, using her wrist unit. Tell her we don''t trust personal information to public channels if there''s a better way.]
[And the better way?]
[She''ll be able to work it out, I''m sure.]
[OK Sarah, for verification, he''d like her to post a sensible question regarding the ancient twofish cypher, using her wrist unit. And tell her that they don''t trust personal data to public channels if there''s a better way.]
Sarah passed on that message.
¡°From my wrist unit?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°He''s going to trace my message back, rather than just ask me for my number... OK I suppose that proves he''s real.¡±
¡°I don''t understand.¡±
¡°He, or his boss, is going to do some kind of only-possible-for-the-authorities request to find out my wrist unit''s number... Would he like me to do it from home?¡±
[She asks if he''d like her to do it from home?]
[Could be interesting if they send someone to knock the door of one of your cabins, couldn''t it?]
[Chris, she''s on holiday at the moment, she asks if she should wait until she''s home?]
[No. I doubt she''ll get visited. It''s much more likely to get invited for an interview. Can you ask where she''s applying to study?]
[I think she''s not applied anywhere yet.] Eliza replied [Sarah, has she applied anywhere?]
[No. I''m trying to persuade her it''s not going to impoverish her family or upset her mum ¡ª she''s Kayla''s eldest I think I''ve mentioned them? She thinks cryptography is just a hobby, and you can''t get a job with it.]
[Oh! OK]
[Chris, I know a bit about the family ¡ª she''s the eldest child of six or maybe seven, her mum''s been expecting her to follow in her footsteps and marry at eighteen, which sounds entirely unlikely. She doesn''t want to upset her mum, or plunge her family into debt, and I''m pretty sure that she''s been thinking there''s no hope of her getting to university for years. So, no application anywhere yet, and my friend''s trying to convince her that she''d have some hope of getting a job if she went to university, and it''s not just indulging her own little hobby.]
[Argh. Of course she''ll get a job. We''re always short of people with her ability. If she wants a guaranteed job, and she''s happy to go to the best university we can think of to study cryptography and associated geekery, then what she should do is as follows: first, think about this, second, write that message, third, find the on-line form to apply to the civil service, I assume she''s happy to consider that. She should specify that she''s applying to join Communications, quoting reference Colossus-Junior. There''s more to add, but I''ll let you pass that on.]
[OK, passing it on.]
[Sarah, the man I''m talking to says no problem on the job front. To quote ''of course she can have a job, we''re always short of people with her ability.'' What follows should get her a guaranteed job and a place at the best university they know for cryptography and associated geekery.]
Sarah laughed ¡°Mandy, I''ve just been told ''of course she can get a job, we''re always short of people with her ability'' And I''m about to find out how to get you a guaranteed job and a place at the best university they can think of for cryptography and associated geekery. Are you interested?¡±
Mandy''s eyes looked like they were about to pop open. ¡°Me?¡±
¡°You''ve obviously impressed him, Mandy.¡±
¡°Wow. Of course I''m interested.¡±
[OK, she''s interested.]
[Next bit... take notes.]
[Ready.]
[Number one: think it through, two: write that message, three: apply to join the civil service. On the form specify that she''s applying to join communications, quote reference Colossus-Junior. There''s more to come. ]
[OK, Got it.]
[OK, Chris, go.]
[As additional information she should state that she''s hoping for a fully supported place at a suitable university and that her case-code is twofish-2-shy-r.]
Eliza forwarded that information.
[Is that it?]
[Yes, and my boss is looking at me like I need to give an explanation.]
[Want me to stick around, to give him a demonstration, or go away?]
[Urmmmm stick around, please.] ¡°Yes sir?¡±
¡°You''ve been sitting there with your eyes closed or staring into space for about ten minutes.¡±
¡°Yes sir. Communicating sir, actually; I''ve been recruiting.¡±
¡°Really? That''s an interesting way of recruiting. I think I''ll need to put you on report unless you come up with a better explanation.¡±
¡°Sir, As you know, I have the thought-hearing power. I was contacted by one of the fifty-six, who has been declared to me to have full clearance and the Royal ear by Maria. This person contacted me on a matter concerning a young woman who is interested in code-breaking. I enquired further, she''s pre-university but has a handle I know with a rating of guru on the crypto-geek site. I''ve been talking to her regarding how the young woman can apply to join us.¡±
¡°You can substantiate this claim?¡±
¡°The lady in question is standing by, if you desire a demonstration.¡±
¡°It''s not going to be easy to demonstrate that she''s got the Royal ear, now is it?¡±
¡°No sir.¡±
[Any suggestions?]
[Would a call from Prince Albert suffice, or should I petition his Majesty? By the way, there''s fifty-seven of us at the moment.]
¡°Sir, she suggests that she could ask RP7 to call, or RP6 if necessary.¡±
¡°Oh, she''s got them on speed-dial has she? I''ll settle for RP7.¡±
[I really don''t like his attitude. OK, so, what number does he dial?]
[Extension 1415]
[Please stand by.]
¡°Albert, Sarah asked me about someone whose hobby is code-breaking, I called my contact in Tasha''s beehive, who was very helpful, but now he needs to prove to his boss that he''s just been talking to me, and that I''ve got the royal ear.¡±
¡°Oh does he? Can you tell me the boss''s name?¡±
¡°I don''t know it, he''s at extension 1415. Do you want me to find it out?¡±
¡°If you don''t mind.¡±
Eliza looked at the skin of the room. ¡°Edward Turnip¡± she said.
¡°Honorific?¡±
¡°I''ll have to ask.¡± [Chris, Prince Albert wishes to know if it is Mr or Dr Edward Turnip?]
[You''re really going to get me in trouble. Turnip? His badge says Turpin. He''s a Dr.]
[I''ll double-check, but I''m pretty sure God knows him to be Edward Turnip.]
Eliza double checked, looking deep into the skin of the room. ¡°OK, his real name is Edward Aloysius Turnip PhD, prefers to be called Ed Turpin, and my contact says his name badge says Turpin, too.¡±
Albert dialed. ¡°Dr Turpin at extension 1415 please, and please verify to the recipient that this call is coming from my rooms in the palace.¡±
¡°Certainly your highness.¡± the operator connected the call ¡°Dr Turpin please?¡±
¡°Speaking.¡±
¡°I have a call from RP7 for you, sir, verified as direct from his rooms in the palace.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°Hello, Dr Ed Turpin?¡±
¡°Yes sir, speaking.¡±
¡°Though I understand you are actually Edward Aloysius Turnip PhD.¡±
¡°Yes sir.¡± he said taken aback.
¡°I take it this call is sufficient proof that your subordinate is an honest man, and that the lady in question is who Director of fieldwork Maria has declared her to be?¡±
¡°Yes sir.¡±
¡°You may also thank him that he corrected the lady regarding what you''re known as there, or I would have asked the operator for Dr Turnip.¡±
¡°Ah, that would have been embarrassing, sir.¡±
¡°If your name embarrasses you, why not change it?¡±
¡°That would upset my parents, sir.¡±
¡°Well, good evening Dr Turpin.¡±
¡°Good evening, sir.¡±
¡°So, Mandy. You need to think it through. Do you want to sign up with the civil service?¡±
¡°I think I should to talk to my parents first. I didn''t know you could do it this way around.¡±
¡°Nor did I. But from the sounds of what I was hearing, you''re more than best in school, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Yeah. I''ve won some competitions. They weren''t a big deal though.¡±
¡°As in they weren''t hard?¡±
¡°Exactly. Nothing I''ve met is really hard except crypto.¡±
¡°Maybe you''ll meet some more challenges at university.¡±
¡°And I need to decide if I want certainty or freedom of choice, don''t I?¡±
¡°Well put.¡± Sarah said.
¡°I don''t normally do well with freedom of choice. That''s why I like maths. It''s either right or wrong.¡±
¡°But sometimes there are different approaches.¡±
¡°But they get to the same answer in the end.¡±
¡°Mostly. Unless there are multiple solutions. But anyway, you''re not opposed to the idea of being sent to whichever university they choose for you?¡±
¡°Not really. Is there much to choose between them?¡±
¡°In terms of what they teach and how, very much so. In terms of student culture, sometimes, in terms of living conditions, maybe. In terms of distance from home, friends and family, of course.¡±
¡°Oh. Yeah. And they didn''t say where they''d send me?¡±
¡°He just said the best university they know of. From what Karen''s said, when you sign up with the service, then yes, you can apply to move to different roles, but if they need you somewhere then that''s where you''ll be put. On the other hand, they do look after you. They''re not going to deliberately make you uncomfortable just to make you uncomfortable. And if you feel someone is doing that, then you can moan.¡±
¡°Who to?¡±
¡°Well, there''s a complaints procedure, and so on, but ultimately, all the way up to the monarch. But you can also moan to me and I have my contacts too, not to mention sufficient clearance for you to not get in trouble if you do moan to me.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes. I''m not really the right person to moan to, but... if you get stuck I can ask who is. What are you going to ask about that old cypher.¡±
¡°I''m probably going to ask if people think that twofish should have won the competition to be accepted as the standard at the beginning of the twenty-first century. You know, with hindsight. It was very innovative, a little harder to put on silicon than the winner, but not that hard. It was also a tiny bit slower too, but that was almost all because it had a fairly long set-up time, which made it significantly harder to brute-force.¡±
¡°Presumably it''s not really relevant now?¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know, actually... Even the ciphers from the early twentieth century are pretty tricky to get round for a short, unstructured message. The big break for the wartime code breakers was that the strict military procedures meant fixed format messages happening at a certain time of the day. Even with the attacks found against it since then, Twofish is certainly good enough to keep even me out of your files, unless you lend me a really big computer and give me plenty of time, or let me borrow up a quantum decryption box. It''s just not strong enough to keep a determined government out of your files.¡±
¡°And it was meant to?¡±
¡°At the time, they were looking for a cipher suitable for encoding top-secret information, assuming it would fall into enemy hands.¡±
¡°That''s a bit optimistic, isn''t it?¡±
¡°It was before quantum decryption techniques became possible, remember. I mean, I''m sure setting up a quantum decryption box is time consuming and it''s a complete pain to get it right, but it sure beats running a billion computers a hundred years.¡±
¡°Did anyone do that?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°No. Just that was the goal: to make it ridiculously hard to decipher. It still is the goal, of course. The other thing people realised was that it''s much better to hide important encrypted traffic in lots of equally encrypted traffic, so the opponent needs to waste resources on proving that little Johnnie''s cat picture isn''t a real secret. And of course almost everyone''s got wiretaps and things so they get all that rubbish to decrypt. Which is why governments don''t trust really important messages to computers. Because if, like most governments, you do have the millions needed to house a real quantum decryption box, and you can do the maths, and have enough computers around, you can break most sorts of encryption. It''s a lot harder to get at a message when it''s not on a computer network at all.¡±
¡°Only most sorts of encryption?¡±
¡°If I tell you ''fifty-six'', that might mean something very significant to you, but just be a number to people not in the know.¡±
¡°Not that there are many who aren''t. Fifty-seven now, though.¡±
¡°Really? There goes the numerological significance.¡±
¡°I told him it wasn''t a fixed number.¡±
¡°Sarah, did I need to know that?¡± Mandy asked, confused.
¡°Yes. I think you do need to know that I''ve spent quite a lot of time talking to a certain person, so if you do ever need to come and talk to John or one of his colleagues, you won''t be too nervous.¡±
¡°Urm, doesn''t that count as reporting?¡±
¡°No, it counts as implying. In the context, I think that''s fine.¡±
Association / Ch. 9: Separation of Powers
Association / Ch. 9:Separation of Powers
9am, Tuesday, 2nd Jan 2272, the palace
¡°So, tell me the worst, Albert, what are the press saying today?¡±
Albert shook his head. ¡°There''s still hardly anything. I mean, yesterday they were just reporting on what you said without much editorial comment, except it being a dramatic revelation. Plus of course there were comments from Christian papers who were cheering you on, Dad. But today? Business as usual, I''d say, almost as though the editors have got together and decided ''let''s forget his Majesty asked us to stop being proud, that''s too embarrassing.''¡±
¡°Well, I wasn''t expecting sack-cloth and ashes really, but nothing?¡±
¡°I don''t know if they''re hiding their heads in the sand, keeping quite because they don''t want to seem disrespectful, or just waiting to see what public opinion says after a while.¡±
¡°Nothing at all?¡±
¡°Well, there''s one editorial,¡± Albert admitted, ¡°in the Free Republican Post.¡±
¡°Well, we don''t expect them to worry about being seen to be disrespectful then.¡± the queen commented.
¡°Ah, no. Interesting editorial though. I think the writer might actually be a bit impressed.¡±
¡°What''s the headline?¡±
¡°King admits lies.¡± Albert said with a wince.
¡°Oh well, that''s better than some other options they had.¡±
¡°But you didn''t lie, Dad.¡± Albert protested.
¡°I certainly did a good job of misleading you, Albert. So, what makes you think they were impressed?¡±
¡°OK if I just read it?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°In a rare display of total honesty, the King''s New Year''s Eve speech covered a wide range of areas in which the public have possibly failed to understand the reasons for the decisions coming from the palace in the past few months. Most shocking is the admission that he''s misled us about his religious convictions for the past... who can tell how many years? Certainly if we look back at his early statements, it looks like he went from agnostic to atheist at some point. So, like many of us, he didn''t want to admit that God existed, and found denial more comfortable than saying that maybe there was someone up there. Well, congrats, your maj. for owning up to that porkie, but I thought you had to abdicate if you did that? Quick someone pass me the constitution. Hmm, maybe not, as long as you didn''t swear on it or anything like that. So, should we let him off for being human? Maybe. Pretty brave to admit it, but your maj, that statement''s definitely not the sort of thing that''ll keep you honorary president of the atheist convention. Oh, you weren''t? Amazing. How did you miss that honour? Never mind.
¡°So, what about the next one: prophetic dreams? What millennium are we in, people? I thought that went out with the fall of Rome. So, maybe this is bigger than the last, actually. At least, now we know why our constitutional dictatorship has ignored all the best advice from science, it wasn''t just some powerless religious nutcases that got the word from on high, but the guy on the hot-seat too. The witness that was counted but never discussed has come forth and outed himself. And apparently now a man of his convictions, His majesty has decided to nail his colours to the mast and tell the scientists to not bother trying to convince him he''s been listening to the wrong people. Unless, of course they want to try to convince him that he''s one of the wrong people. We''ve been trying to do that for ages and it didn''t get us very far.
¡°So, get on your knees, everyone, and stop pretending that all gods are the same. Apparently no one who knows anything about them agrees with our convenient fibs. We apparently know it and our unelected monarch has just said so. Maybe then the guy in the sky might relent from what he said, and then we won''t need to rebuild a city and we can go back to the way we used to be. It used to work for ancient Israel.
¡°I wonder... if we can actually admit that his maj with his future daughter-in-law seem to be doing a pretty good job of correcting the ill-intent of certain ex-politicians we could mention, does that mean that he''ll forgive us for not liking the idea of hereditary monarchy? I must admit, I do prefer the current guy to Mr ''you should be bowing and scraping before me'', even though I voted for him once. So, in the interests of being painfully honest and swallowing our pride, your maj, if you''re reading this, (yeah, right, pull the other one) we''ll give you a thumbs up for being a better ruler than some of the competition. And no, I don''t want your job either.'' That''s the end. I wonder how he''d react if you sent him a thank-you note for the vote of confidence.¡±
The King laughed ¡°I''m very tempted to.¡±
¡°How many people read that channel, do you know?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Well, I''m sure we could check. They have advertisements on the page, after all.¡± Albert said.
¡°Is there a comment section?¡± the Queen asked.
¡°Oh, yes there certainly is. Quite a lot of comments. Five pages, in fact.¡±
¡°What do the repeatable ones say?¡±
¡°Hmm, number one: Of course we like his Maj, but that doesn''t change the principle. Ten out of ten for saying it like it is.¡±
¡°Number two?¡±
¡°Not repeatable, but neutral in tone. Number three is probably an offence under advertising standards laws, number four says ''Good speech, good article, but you''re not going to turn into a God-bother I hope?'' article''s author replies ''I''ll listen politely when his maj. wants to discuss it with me. Ha ha.'' Someone else, user-name of ''Catherine the ungrateful'' replies ''So when you get an invitation to the palace, can I come too?'' author replies ''Does that count as a dinner date?'', Catherine replies ''You get me the invitation, I''ll wear my best frock just for you.'' Author then asks why she wants to go to the palace, she says she''s planning on measuring up for new carpets when she takes over. More along that line, hmm, I''d guess he''s been asking her out for ages. Another person tells them to just work it out in private. Catherine replies that this chat area is private, no one bothers reading past the first page of comments. That springs a whole host of replies that oh yes they do ¡ª at least thirty ''me too''s ¡ª and various comments to Catherine that in the new world order of honesty, why won''t she give Dan ¡ª he''s the author ¡ª a straight answer for once.¡±
¡°Go on Albert, carry on.¡± The queen prompted.
¡°Hmm... She replies that she''ll certainly go out with him if she gets an invitation to discuss the principals of sound government at the palace. Not that she''s demanding a miracle, but she doesn''t want to give in to him too easily. She claims she''s safe saying that because what self-respecting person from the palace would read this far into the comments on any article in the Post.¡±
¡°And the answer is, prince Albert, egged on by his Mother.¡± the King said.
¡°They sound like students, don''t they?¡± Eliza said ¡°I was assuming the article was written by someone more middle-aged.¡±
¡°Hmm, here we are: ''about the staff page''... Dan is in his late thirtys, Catherine''s also on staff, it seems, no age of course. Both claim to be agnostic, she graduated in political philosophy, no information on his subject.¡± Albert said reading from the terminal.
¡°Any more about the article?¡± the queen asked.
¡°Yes. Someone says that the article is well written but should have addressed the constitutional issues more. Catherine replies that she was the one who looked into it and she''s writing an article for the next edition.¡±
¡°Albert, could you find out some more about this publication? What''s their general attitude, that sort of thing.¡± the Queen asked.
¡°Oh, I often look at the main articles.¡± Albert admitted.
¡°Really?¡± she was surprised.
¡°Yes, I find it interesting to see what''s being said about us by the disrespectful minority. It doesn''t come out on a daily basis, but it''s roughly two or three times a week. Generally, I''d say the editorials are mostly more cynical and philosophical than radical. I''ve not paid much attention to who writes what though. I''ll check on that if you like.¡±
The King nodded. ¡°Yes please, Albert. If you don''t see anything too antagonistic, and Security give them the all clear, then let''s give them a surprise.¡±
¡°I wonder if it''ll be a nice one for that Catherine.¡± Eliza said ¡°If she''s setting what she thinks are impossible conditions....¡±
¡°Hmm. Well, she can always refuse the invitation. But Eliza, you were going to look in foreign papers?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Eliza said, sadly. ¡°According to the ones I''ve seen commenting on your speech, they''re saying that our constitution is now in crisis.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes. Apparently by mentioning religion, you''ve crossed the line separating church and state.¡±
¡°That''s rubbish!¡± Albert objected.
¡°That''s their historical perspective, I guess.¡± the Queen said.
¡°So, not only are we an object of scorn, we''re now a rogue state?¡±
¡°Not quite, dear. Just their press think we are.¡±
¡°I''m sure we''ll be hearing from the Ralph at the diplomatic service pretty soon then.¡±
9.10 am, Blackwood Cabins
¡°Yippee!¡± Mandy said, and pulled a very surprised Zach into a fierce embrace.
¡°Mandy, did you speak to your Dad yet?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Yes, last night.¡± she said, with a massive smile on her face.
¡°What''s this?¡± May asked.
¡°Boyfriend, no. University, no idea which one, not my decision, studying pure maths and cryptography, state funded tuition, living allowance, housing provided. Future: cryptographer for internal security, application approved assuming I pass my civics test.¡±
¡°Wow. So, were you holding out on us, Mandy?¡±
¡°No... but I guess they want me. I only applied last night. The yippee was my acceptance letter.¡±
¡°But you were already on their radar, Mandy.¡±
¡°I know. I''ll just go and call Mum and Dad.¡±
¡°I can almost guarantee that no-one else will get a similar result.¡± Sarah said, ¡°But on the agenda for today we''ve got individual chats for anyone who wants them, general discussion on what''s in store for you at university, and along-side that, I thought it wouldn''t hurt to talk about some dangerous things: flirting, courting, dating.¡±
¡°Dangerous?¡± Kara asked.
¡°Get it wrong and you can ruin your life.¡± John pointed out.
¡°We''re not going to discuss now, but let''s specify the differernces, because they''re all a bit fuzzy and can get used interchangeably sometimes. Then, in preparation for discussion after lunch, you can think about which of them are appropriate when. Or, if you find it easier, I''m sure you know what Mama Ng would have approved of, when, and why.¡± Sarah let that sink in for a little bit. ¡°So, definitions... John, want to do those?¡±
¡°Dating: spending time with each other, getting to know each other, with a view to deepening friendship, trust, and love. One party might feel more strongly than the other, but the thought that the relationship might grow is mutual, or at least, it is unless one is trying to break off the relationship. Courting: one party, normally the man, trying to persuade the other to think thoughts about them which include a future together. Flirting is playfully arousing sexual interest in another person or persons. Either because you''re selfish and/or cruel and either want the attention or you want to start a contest between rivals, or because you really do want to go to bed with them, Sarah.¡±
¡°Who me? Flirt with my husband? Of course! But don''t you think limited flirting is a natural part of courtship?¡±
¡°I''m sure it often is, but it''s not a necessary part of it, not by a long shot.¡± John pointed out. ¡°Flirting gives the impression that the person flirting wants the other person to be thinking lustful thoughts about them, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°Oh, Ok, no I don''t mean it in that sense. I guess I was more thinking about the admission of desire for the other person. I was wrong to call it flirting - that''s going too far.¡±
¡°Absolutely. It is culturally normal for us, but we know it''s risky territory, and to do it in some cultures would be utterly vulgar.¡±
¡°As I ought to know, yes.¡± Sarah agreed, thinking of Maddie and Robert. ¡°So: Courting is one-sided, dating is mutual. So, young adults, Christians among you think about honouring God in every area of your lives, non-Christians, at least think about the dangers of getting it wrong, but for now, I want everyone put those ideas aside because we''re going to talk about getting yourselves educated.¡±
¡°Haven''t we been doing that all our lives?¡± Hope asked.
¡°No. You''ve been fitting in with a system where you didn''t have much choice at all, only about how much effort you''d put in. So, I guess if you''ve been wasting the past few years then you might have ruined your choices, which would be sad. Now, however, you''re going to be choosing your educational path (or not) and that means you''re about to make decisions that affect the whole of your life. Mandy just has ¡ª she''s decided to be a civil servant, which means she''s decided to choose a job for life over the choice to pick any job she wants. Since it looks like the job she wants is only in the civil service, that''s not really such a bad swap.¡± Mandy grinned.
¡°However, it does mean that she''s not going to choose where she''s going to live, and given the jobs she''s going to do, she probably gets into deep deep trouble if she tells you much about it. Faith, can you tell us about your choices, how you ended up doing what you''re doing?¡±
9.20 am, NWN offices, Restoration
Eleanor, royal correspondent at Nation Wide News, stepped into Albert Campbell''s office.
¡°Yes, Albert?¡±
¡°I''ve had the boss on the phone. We apparently have to have an editorial about the King''s speech.¡±
¡°And we have to follow his line? What''s he demanding I say now? If I make them happy by saying the king might need a rest or something like that then I''m in deep trouble for the royal wedding in ten day''s time, aren''t I?¡±
¡°And if you say well done, King, stand up for what you believe, then we''re in deep trouble.¡±
¡°What ever happened to editorial freedom?¡±
¡°Apparently his majesty crossed a line in their minds.¡±
¡°What line is that?¡±
¡°Separation of church and state.¡±
¡°What? I thought he''d done very well on that one. He spoke about his faith and rejoiced that we were a multi-faith country. What more do they want?¡±
¡°Ah, but you see, he didn''t do well enough. Not for their point of view, anyway. To their viewpoint, he shouldn''t mention God. That apparently is the only level of separation they accept. And they want that question raised.¡±
¡°That means they''ll only accept an atheist monarch, which isn''t separation, it''s elevation of atheism above all else. Get a lawyer to write a piece on the constitution if you like, I''m not going to do it.¡±
¡°I agree with you, but I need to insist, Eleanor.¡±
¡°You want me to write a piece accusing the monarch of breaking the constitution? No way! I''m pretty sure he hasn''t. I''ll write one saying that foreign media interests are saying that he has, and how funny attitudes are in some parts of the world, if you like, and even interview some constitutional lawyers if you want me to. Get them to say the owners have got their laws in a twist.¡±
¡°As long as you stay ''fair and unbiased''. That''s all they ask.¡±
¡°This is just cultural imperialism. How can we be fair and unbiased if they''re forcing their political agenda on us?¡±
¡°I know. It''s just hiding behind words. Actually... I''ve got an idea.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°The stuff they''ve been putting out is so totally biassed, it''d make your hair curl. If they want ''fair and unbiassed'' here, they should apply it there too, don''t you think?¡±
¡°Absolutely.¡±
¡°I''ll challenge them on that. But it might take a while. So, get researching, please. Dig up some constitutional lawyers, preferably with experience abroad, but firmly on our side. Minimum twenty years experience. You might be writing for head office as well. The normal deadlines.¡±
¡°OK I''ll do that. I''m going to get some help though. Speaking of which, Albert, why don''t you contact your counterparts too?¡±
¡°What, ''editorial freedom under international pressure?''¡±
¡°I''m sure they know.¡±
¡°Well maybe they are feeling it, but don''t know how widespread it is.¡±
10.00am, the palace
¡°Your Majesty, Prime minister, minister for justice, minister for foreign affairs, thank you for agreeing to this short-notice meeting. I''ve had a number of queries from our ambassadors, and the diplomatic service would like the government to speak with a single voice.¡± Ralph Trinket, the head of the diplomatic service said.
¡°Where are they getting the idea that we''ve got a constitutional crisis?¡± the minister for justice asked.
¡°It''s probably ignorance, but their press are very hot on separation of powers and unquestioningly interpret that through a particular set of secularist-atheist glasses, of the sort that says the only acceptable religion for anyone in authority to promote is atheism.¡± Ralph replied.
¡°They probably don''t accept that atheism is a religious position.¡± Albert commented.
¡°Very true.¡±
¡°So, they declare that we have a constitutional crisis, when the only crisis is that their a-priori assumptions do not fit with ours.¡± the minister for foreign affairs said. ¡°The response should then be educational, I suppose?¡±
¡°It''s a little more complex that that.¡± the justice minister said. ¡°My department has received some discrete inquiries from several press organisations, asking for lists of loyal constitutional experts, and the ministry for civil liberties has apparently received queries in regard to safeguards for editorial freedom in the face of pressure from overseas owners.¡±
¡°Interesting! Do we interpret this as saying that that elements of our national press are under pressure to promote this foreign agenda?¡± Albert asked.
¡°That is how it seems, yes.¡±
¡°What are the locally owned media companies saying?¡±
¡°Locally owned national news channels?¡± asked the foreign affairs minister, I''m not convinced that we have any. Economies of scale and such like being what they are.¡±
¡°So, maybe we do have a crisis after all. If the local news channels cannot keep editorial freedom....¡± the Queen said, leaving the consequences unstated.
¡°There are the local channels.¡± Eliza pointed out.
¡°Who don''t really have the resources to cover much beyond their local patch, and otherwise get their news from news agencies.¡± the minister for justice pointed out.
¡°and those news agencies are equally biased?¡±
¡°I suspect so.¡± Ralph said ¡°It''s a question of which English-speaking countries have which understanding of separation of powers. Roughly speaking there are equal populations on both sides of the fence, but unfortunately, it seems that there''s been a certain amount of consolidation among media giants in the last few decades and they''ve all ended up owned by the corporations on the other side right now.¡±
¡°There are several pieces of legislation we could apply.¡± the minister for justice volunteered. ¡°But... I suspect that applying any of them is going to escalate the international criticism significantly.¡±
¡°Yes?¡± prompted the King.
¡°There are provisions under the hostile powers laws to prohibit foreign influenced propaganda, but that rather assumes that we''re at war with the countries concerned. There are powers under the area of eminent domain, where the government could buy out the foreign company under a compulsory purchase order. Thirdly, there''s national security legislation, where we could declare the foreign owners to be enemies of the state, which would then make them unsuitable owners of our news channels. It would force them to close down the channels or sell. Lastly, there''s the potential charge of deliberate misrepresentation of the law, which would fall on the editors.¡±
¡°From a diplomatic perspective, I''d strongly advise against any of these, your majesties. Even the last one would be seen as censorship.¡±
¡°But it might strengthen the editors'' hands.¡± the queen remarked, then asked, ¡°What about government-imposed terms of sale on the news channels? I remember hearing about such-things, anyway.¡± the queen asked ¡°Don''t they have anything about undue pressure on editorial freedom?¡±
¡°I''d have to check, Maam.¡±
¡°I believe that we have two diplomatic opportunities here. Towards other nations and their media, and towards our own national media.¡± the King said.
Ralph asked ¡°It is then the view of this meeting that our ambassadors need to be explaining that there is a massive difference between expressing a personal religious position and blurring the line between state and religion, and that, the way we see it, to permit a ruler to deny God through speech or silence is equally an expression of a religious position?¡±
There were no dissenting voices.
¡°I think that it would also be beneficial to also encourage the other nations who have a similar view on separation to us to state this also.¡± the minister for justice said. ¡°This media... alliance (dare I use the word cartel?) does seem intent on sparking an international crisis over this matter.¡±
¡°I suspect they don''t want the attention, but I assure you we''ll be trying.¡± Ralph stated.
¡°Now, what support can we offer editors seeking to assert their freedom?¡± the queen asked.
¡°We can obviously provide them with the information and contacts they seek,¡± the prime-minister said. ¡°I think I will also be calling the relevant ambassadors and asking them for assurance that their governments will not be in any way be repeating this misunderstanding of law, and perhaps letting the press know of this?¡±
¡°That would certainly be most welcome, Mr Prime Minister.¡± the King agreed, ¡°Perhaps they''d like to interview the ambassadors about it?¡±
¡°I''m not really suggesting that we invoke the national security laws,¡± Albert started, ¡°But, on the other hand, we are facing a national emergency, and it seems that they are seeking to engineer a constitutional crisis, and it''s already distracting us from preparations for the impact. Is there not some kind of warning we could give?¡±
¡°I think that we can certainly point out to our national editors the mistaken understanding of law that these foreign owners seems to be assuming. But, actually, I think they''re probably aware of there being a severe misunderstanding in their parent company''s coverage.¡±
2.30pm, NWN editorial meeting room.
Albert''s morning had been filled with discussions between editors, lawyers and diplomats. Now, he was going to make his move, with some top-notch witnesses. He had the feeling he''d need them. He got right down to it once the pleasantries were over.
¡°Mr Teague, with respect, your assertions sound totally unfounded to my ears.¡± Albert said, entirely happy that this was a voice only call ¡°And if there is a lack of balance in anyones coverage, it would not seem to be on this side of the ocean. For what it''s worth, everyone here agrees with me.¡±
¡°Albert, Albert, I know you''re chums with your royal family, but really, he''s gone too far with this public declaration of his belief.¡±
¡°Actually, sir, you have. I''ve made some enquiries, spoken to a constitutional lawyer, three actually, among other people. It seems that your country''s interpretation of separation of state and religion forces people of all religions to speak and act as though they were atheists, and therefore it actually elevates the religion of atheism to a privileged position. Now, I''m not a follower of any god, but I''m sure you''ll see that privileging one religious viewpoint is not separation of powers, it''s establishing one. If we publish anything that takes the position you''re espousing, then we''d have to publish a retraction immediately afterwards saying we''ve misunderstood the law. I''m not sure what that''d do for our credibility.¡±
¡°Well, you''ve got your lawyers, we''ve got ours. Publish this, Albert.¡±
¡°Whatever happened to editorial freedom?¡±
¡°Don''t be na?ve, Albert. I''m representing the owners.¡±
¡°What, all of them? It''s their express will that you force me to publish this?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Mr Teague let me state my position clearly. You''re asking me to publish a constitutional opinion that I am reliably informed to be a misrepresentation of the law. Knowingly publishing a misrepresentations of the law is potentially a criminal offence here. The opinion you want me to publish is in effect an attack on the constitution and monarch of my country, and it is therefore probably not going to be brushed away. The owners are really asking me to do this?¡±
¡°You''re missing the big picture, Albert, this is about a collusion between the media over there and your government that amounts to censorship, and the owners don''t like that one bit. Publish it, or you''re fired.¡±
¡°If you wish to force me to publish this, in violation of my editorial freedom, then I want that instruction in writing, and signed in the presence of a notary public or officer of the court or however you do it over there, as guaranteed under the takeover conditions. I will not proceed until that is in my hands. I will then publish whatever you wish, but to avoid prison I will publish alongside it the legal opinion of someone who understands our legal system far better than you.¡± Albert said, glad he''d rehearsed this bit in his mind.
Bob McDaniel, who was among those listening and happened to be standing beside a fish-tank, mimed holding a microphone up to the fish. It was stress relief, and Albert thought he had a point; certainly the fish weren''t trying to get him arrested.
Mr Teague started speaking again: ¡°Albert, don''t be so na?ve! You can''t lay that condition on us. It doesn''t work like that. Just publish or you''re fired.¡±
¡°Mr Teague, I''ve explained why I will publish under the reasonable conditions that I''ve laid down, I''ll say it again: if you don''t do what I''ve asked, then you''re asking me to get arrested. I''m not going to do that for you.¡±
¡°It''s been nice working with you, Albert. You''re fired.¡±
¡°I''ll await the letter from your lawyers with interest. I hope you took comprehensive notes, good people, I don''t think he''s going to repeat himself.¡±
¡°Who are you talking to, Albert?¡±
¡°I know I mentioned them earlier, the ones who thought your reporting was biased. Did you think I meant everyone in the country? They probably do, but I meant the reporters in this room.¡±
¡°What do you mean, the reporters in that room? Who''s there?¡±
¡°Oh a few of the usual suspects, Bob McDaniel, our intrepid roving reporter.....¡±
¡°He''s fired too!¡±
¡°Along with Myra Wilcox, business reporter from International News, and Jack Fisher from Finance Today, who you can''t fire because they don''t work for you. Oh, and we''re also enjoying a rare visit from an officer from Internal Security, who''s just showing me some highlighted passages from some law or another. Something about attempting to commission a crime, and attempting to destabilise the government at a time of national emergency. I expect they''ll explain it all to you next time you visit.¡± Albert disconnected before there could be a reply. ¡°Oh, that bit was fun!. Sorry you''ve been fired too, Bob.¡±
¡°That''s OK, Albert. He''s got time to reconsider. And anyway, I am overdue for retirement.¡±
¡°Albert, you''re sure about us publishing this?¡± Myra asked.
¡°Yes. Absolutely. You''ll notice that he didn''t make any claim of privacy for the conversation, and I did tell him you were here.¡±
¡°Just about.¡± Jack said. ¡°And our officer of the crown here sees no problem?¡±
¡°He had the opportunity to claim privacy, once he knew that there were others listening in. He didn''t. He was even told you were reporters. I''ll happily witness to that. He''s got until you publish to contact you and claim privacy if he wants to. If he contacts you after you''ve published then, well, tough, too late. So, I suppose that you might be wondering if it''s OK to run away and turn off your wrist units. That''s not a suggestion you understand, that''s just my interpretation of what you might want to do. It would be most improper for me to suggest such a plan of action. But, so that you know the law, it is incumbent on him to contact you. He''s failed to take an opportunity he had to claim privacy so it''s not incumbent on you to take any special precautions to make yourself contactable.
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"If he does contact you, then you would then immediately have to pull the story if it''s not been published, but it''s not something he can claim retrospectively or through a third party.¡±
¡°Thank you for your informative exposition of the law, sir. Now, I must be going, I have a report to file.¡± Jack said.
¡°Me too,¡± Myra said. ¡°I always turn my wrist unit to no calls when working on a story, don''t you, Jack?¡±
¡°Oh, when it''s an important one like this, absolutely. Respected editor and journalist sacked over editorial freedom? That can''t be interrupted by just any old caller.¡±
Jack and Myra left quickly.
¡°I''d better go and make my report too,¡± the agent said. ¡°I''m sure you''ll want to inform your staff, Mr Campbell. And I''m sure you won''t be surprised to learn that after asking you break the law like that, the courts will be deciding if the present owners are fit persons to have any control over a media company. Which reminds me... hold on please.¡± he tapped out a message to control, waited for a reply and then sent an acknowledgement.
¡°Sorry, I''ve just set some wheels in motion for that side of things.¡±
¡°Where would that leave NWN?¡±
¡°Well, a telephone firing like that needs to be followed up by a written notification. Until you get that, Albert, you''re still editor. If the courts decide your owners aren''t fit persons, then NWN would be placed into administration until a buyer can be found. To protect the company, we''ve just placed a partial block on NWN''s accounts; salaries and the like ought to be paid, but the owners shouldn''t be able to drain the accounts ahead of the court decision.¡±
¡°On behalf of the staff, thank you.¡±
Myra checked what she''d written one last time, before sending it in:
¡°Heads roll as NWN editor choses editorial freedom over job. Global News Syndicate, the multinational owners of Nation-Wide-News, via their representative Mr Teague, have just sought to force NWN to publish the syndicate''s opinion of the King''s speech, despite strong arguments against them presented by Albert Campbell, editor in chief. Describing their opinion as a misrepresentation of our constitution, and an attempt to reinterpret the separation of religion and state in a way that placed atheistic religious opinions in a privileged position, Mr Campbell requested that Mr Teague provide that instruction in written form. Mr Teague refused to comply, leaving the NWN editor the stark choice between being fired or ignoring the editorial freedom supposedly guaranteed by the take-over agreement of NWN only eight months ago. Mr Teague point-blank refused to abide by the conditions he himself had signed, saying ''Albert, you''re being na?ve. It doesn''t work like that''. So how does it work, Mr Teague? A multinational syndicate can ignore its commitments when it feels like it? Even with the written instruction, Mr Campbell would have become liable to prosecution for knowingly publishing a misrepresentation of the law, unless he was very careful to make it clear that the opinion of the owners is incorrect and accompany it with a total refutation. Mr Teague seems to think that our laws, our constitution and Mr Campbell''s editorial freedom, not to mention his physical freedom, are all of no account. I''m sure it will not surprise anyone that Mr Campbell did not bow to this bully.
As a witness to this conversation (which at no point was stated to be private), I, Myra Wilcox, am fully ready to testify to this in a court of law, should, for instance the courts question the fitness of Mr Teague and the syndicate he represents to run a media corporation. On being told that Bob McDaniel, NWN''s award-winning reporter was also present, Mr Teague immediately declared that he was fired too. It is not yet known if this verbal dismissal will be followed by a written confirmation, but I will of course also be willing to testify in any unfair dismissal case.¡±
¡°Myra, you know we''re under similar pressure?¡± her editor asked.
¡°Yes. But this isn''t about the king''s speech, is it?¡±
¡°No, it''s about editorial freedom. Albert''s a brave man for bringing it to a head. You''re sure we can publish?¡±
¡°Albert mentioned ''people here'' at the beginning of the call and named us at the end. Teague made no privacy claims. I was there, Jack Fisher was there, someone from Internal Security was there, quietly pointing out the laws that Teague was breaking. Publish it quick before Mr Teague calls me to claim privacy, and we''re in the clear.¡±
¡°OK. It''s going up on the site, and it''ll be in the O-clock bulletin. What if he calls?¡±
¡°Apparently the privacy claim has to go direct from him to me, not via a third party. So, would you mind if I took a little walk, to clear my mind? If he doesn''t want to make the effort to contact me that''s not our problem.¡±
¡°Urm, how would he contact you?¡±
¡°Arrange for someone to find me in the park, of course. I''ll have my wrist unit with me, but, you know, I don''t like having it on when I''m clearing my head.¡±
¡°Very wise, Myra. Have a lovely walk. We''ll want you around for live interview at about half past the hour. Makeup at about ten past?¡±
¡°Certainly!¡±
Wed 3rd Jan, 9am. Auditing H.Q.
Vivian sat in the chair in the secure interview room. It wasn''t particularly comfortable. Nor was the fact that she was on this side of the table. The interviewer, Vivian observed as she entered, was one of the triumvirate who oversaw auditing. Vivian wasn''t entirely sure if she should be feeling honoured or terrified.
¡°Vivian, I know you''re an intelligent woman, since there aren''t any other sort in auditing. So, I assume you can make a reasonable stab at why you''ve been called here.¡±
¡°I would presume it''s to do with the statement of past questionable deeds, I submitted on Monday, maam.¡±
¡°Yes. It is. I''m reasonably sure that those deeds must weigh very heavily on your mind.¡±
¡°I have had... significant help in dealing with them, maam.¡±
¡°You are speaking of those of the fifty-six who confronted you, and convinced you that you''d made a very bad choice?¡±
¡°One in particular, who had made similar bad choices. She was a great help to me, yes. But, actually, she''s not been the biggest help.¡±
¡°Someone else?¡±
¡°Yes, Maam. God. I''m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, but God has reassured me that I''m forgiven. It doesn''t change my past, but it changes my future.¡±
¡°In what way does it change your future?¡±
¡°No more guilt. No more loneliness, either, not even much doubt about whether God really thinks I can be trusted.¡±
¡°Could you unpack those statements for me?¡±
¡°No more guilt ¡ª Jesus died for my sins, my sins have been washed away, or to use another expression I''m told is in the Bible, I''ve feel like I''ve been born again, the old is gone, the new is here. I feel remorse, of course, for the stupid things I did, but guilt: that sense of condemnation that I deserve to rot in hell for what I did, that''s gone.¡±
¡°I''m sure my Sunday-school teacher would be glad to hear you say it, if she were still alive. But are you speaking of personal experience or of a warm theological glow of having found what seems like the right answer?¡±
¡°Personal experience, Maam, and certainty that the right answer has found me.¡±
¡°Loneliness?¡±
¡°Maam, I assume there is a person or people behind the mirrored glass. They can hear me?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Would you trust them with a state secret?¡±
¡°If they had a need to know, of course.¡±
¡°Would you trust them to be able to spend from your bank account and read your diary?¡±
¡°Ahh, now that''s a little more, mmm, personal isn''t it? Probably. Why this change of track?¡±
¡°In order to answer your question, I need to tell you a personal secret, that only a few people know. I wish to be full and frank with you, but I would like to be reassured that what I say will go no further.¡±
¡°You can trust them, Vivian.¡±
Vivian felt that a demonstration was the best way to forestall arguments, she closed her eyes and focussed on the floor of the next door room.
"Opening her eyes she gave a respectful nod towards the mirror and said, ¡°I am honoured that all three of the triumvirate are witnesses to my debriefing.
"At the moment, there are fifty-seven of us with this gift. I can contact any of them as easily as I''m speaking to you, Maam. With a little more effort I can talk to anyone with the thought-hearing power. My natural thought-hearing power I place at the disposal of the civil service, within the limits of the ethics code which I signed on Monday. The gift that God has given me, I must only use as seems good to my conscience and the consciences of the others who share it.¡±
Her interviewer, Helen Pew, paused in thought a while and said ¡°That is quite a claim. You could have picked it up from my thoughts, though, couldn''t you, when you asked about my diary?¡±
¡°It is possible, I know, to listen intently to all decisions taken, not just those that directly affect me. It isn''t something I''ve done more than a couple of times, it gives me a headache to try. So no, I didn''t hear what you decided about trusting them. It hadn''t occurred to me that would taint my little demonstration. I could give another demonstration if you like. You''re reasonably familiar with the abilities I''m claiming?¡±
¡°I''ve listened to Bob McDaniel''s report, yes.¡±
¡°I think the easiest thing, without invading anyone''s privacy, would be to ask someone to send some kind of code word. Would that suffice?¡±
¡°What is the range of your thought hearing?¡± asked one of the invisible listeners.
¡°About three metres in air.¡±
¡°So, if I were to ask you to tell me about a relevant class delta state secret, what would you say?¡± the disembodied voice asked.
¡°A class delta you say? I''d say that I''d much rather look into your mind to learn about a less significant fact.¡±
¡°You know of another state secret?¡± he asked.
¡°I think the correct answer to that, sir, is that at present I can neither confirm nor deny that.¡±
¡°Well said.¡± Helen said. ¡°What were you digging at, Ashley?¡±
¡°A rumour, Helen, which I believe I''d like confirmed or denied, but not exposed without proper authority. It occurs to me that if Vivian has the gift she claims it would not be hard for her to confirm or deny and to seek that authority if there is truth in the rumour.¡±
¡°Does asking me to check into this rumour not put you the difficult position of potentially revealing a class delta state secret to me?¡± Vivian asked.
¡°I''m sure you could find it out anyway, assuming you have the gift.¡± He said.
¡°Yes, but you''re deliberately revealing it. I feel there''s a difference there, I don''t know about your peers, sir.¡±
¡°Well, you are Auditing, Vivian. I think we can trust you.¡±
¡°Might I seek advice?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
Vivian knew who she wanted to call. [Eliza, are you free? I need help.]
[Hi, Vivian, what''s up?]
[I''m not entirely sure what''s going on. I''m being interviewed as a result of what I wrote. For some reason I''ve got the attention of the entire triumvirate of Auditing ¡ª one interviewing me and the other two listening in. I decided I ought to tell them that I have the gift, and then rather goofed my demonstration and it seems they want another one.]
[OK. And they''re asking something unethical?]
[I don''t know. One ¡ª Ashley Neville ¡ª has heard a rumour about a class delta state secret, and would like it confirmed or denied. He says if the rumour is true then I can seek authority to pass it to the triumvirate. He expects me to lift it from his mind, but that puts him in the position of sharing something that may or may not be a class delta state secret, and then me telling him it''s true which seems even more suspect.]
[Well! That does sound confusing, doesn''t it. I only know one class delta, and you might need to know about him sometime. Hold on a moment.] Vivian waited. [OK, Albert says of course you can know about him having the power.]
[That is a very convenient arrangement. No wonder you two are so sure of each other.]
[It certainly helped us do lots of chatting when I was in witness protection. He also says that if the triumvirate can come up with a reasonable sounding need to know then of course they can know too, they ought to have just asked him. But feel free to ask him if you''ve any doubt that it''s reasonable. He also says that if someone trusts you to look into their mind, then you''ve got clearance from God to do that, so don''t worry about legalities. I''d add that it''s up to you how much detail you look at, and how deep you look. Unless you think there might be ulterior motives, you don''t need to look at their deepest thoughts, heart is almost certainly deep enough, but even skin might be sufficient.]
[Thanks, Eliza!]
[Have a fun debrief. Oh, if their need to know seems good enough, then you can tell them about me too. If we can''t trust the most trusted people in auditing, then we''ve got real problems.]
[Have you actually checked they are trustworthy?]
[Urm, no.]
[But you don''t think it''s wrong of me to be suspicious?]
[I just feel sorry that you''ve told people about your gift if they turn out not to be.]
[Well, before I tell them anything else, I think I''ll check.]
[Good idea, Vivian. Thank you.]
Vivian returned to reality and checked the building for untrustworthy people.
There were two, she zoomed in. One was in the kitchen, a cook, she guessed. The other was in another interview room, being interviewed.
¡°I''ve received some help,¡± Vivian said, ¡°but for the record, there are two untrustworthy people in the building. One is being interviewed three rooms away, and the other is in the kitchen.¡±
¡°Untrustworthy in what sense? As in we might get burned rice?¡±
¡°Not fit to be told, or overhear, state secrets.¡±
¡°Well, we knew about the interviewee. Can you tell us more about the one in the kitchen?¡±
Vivian took a breath to think about it ¡°I''m not sure I should. I can''t present any hard evidence, after all. The reason I was checking was so I''d know that I''m not doing anything silly in confirming or denying state secrets. Mr Neville, if you''re sure you want me knowing what you''re thinking of, can think of this rumour and your need to know, please?¡±
¡°I''m sure.¡± he said, and she focussed on him and relaxed her grip on this world. Over the past decade, he''d heard several people say there was a rumour that there was a class delta state secret involving prince Albert but not what it was. Naturally he''d given orders that it be squashed, pointing out that passing on that sort of rumour was in itself breaking the law. But did they need to investigate its source? His private opinion now was that the only thing that would warrant a class delta was if the prince had the power or the gift. Earlier, he''d wondered if it was that he was illegitimate or something like that, but that seemed very unlikely. They couldn''t investigate every rumour, no matter how significant. How did they know whether to investigate a rumour without knowing it was true or not? Especially since responding to it raised its profile. The triumvirate knew most state secrets, but they didn''t know this one if there was one, and if they didn''t know it, then protecting it was very difficult. There weren''t any other motives other than his desire to do his duty.
[Your highness, I''m Vivian, Eliza said I could contact you.]
Gingerly Vivian focussed on prince Albert''s skin.
[Hello Vivian, I take it there''s a tricky need to know?]
[Well, I think its tricky.] She explained the thoughts going around Mr Neville''s mind, censoring the other options.
[In other words, he feels like he does need to know, so he can respond correctly. It sounds reasonable, don''t you think?]
[Yes, but do you think this a sufficiently valid reason that I should tell of Eliza''s gift, also? She said I should if the reason was good. I did check - they''re trustworthy.]
[Not many know of Eliza''s gift. With me growing up in the palace, there''s probably a few hundred that know about my power. But yes, it''d be very significant if they heard anything. Tell them. Tell them that Maria and Tasha also know.]
[They''re going to feel left out!] Vivian thought.
[Apologise from me. It didn''t occur to us that they might have a need to know.]
[I will.]
[Oh, for the record you can also tell them that my grandfather had the power, that one''s only class alpha.]
[I will sir.]
¡°Maam, Dr Edgars, Mr Neville, I wonder where the best place might be to share three state secrets with you? For all that the only untrustworthy people around are the two I''ve mentioned, I''m a little concerned about microphones that might have recorders attached to them.¡±
¡°That''s a legitimate concern, yes.¡± Helen agreed. ¡°Three class delta state secrets?¡±
¡°No, maam. Only one is class delta.¡±
¡°That''s a relief.¡± Helen said.
Vivian smiled at the thought that knowing one was a class epsilon probably wouldn''t be so relieving.
¡°Something funny?¡±
¡°I''ll share the joke later, Maam.¡±
¡°The rumour I heard then, has substance behind it?¡± Mr Neville asked.
¡°The actual rumour is correct, yes, sir. Since you thought of several explanations, I can''t say yes or no.¡±
¡°Helen, why don''t we move to another location?¡± Dick Edgars asked, ¡°I don''t know if there''s much point in us occupying an interview room, in the circumstances, and as Vivian says, there are microphones here.¡±
¡°OK, then let me terminate this properly, then we''ll move to an office. Vivian, thank you for your... brutally honest report. We were aware that there were some aspects of your previous belief system that were dangerous, and you''ve made us aware of other things that are quite frankly scary.
Your report into the incident with your vehicle is also concerning and is something we need to think deeply on, and probably reopen some old files. We can''t exclude people based on their religion, but we can certainly warn them and we''ll probably have more questions later on if that''s acceptable to you.¡±
¡°It is.¡±
¡°I don''t know if it''ll be a relief to you, but you were the only self-proclaimed witch in Auditing, and of course we were keeping tabs on your work. But then we do that on everyone.¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Vivian smiled, ¡°We are a suspicious organisation.¡±
Helen looked pained. ¡°We''re not a suspicious organisation, Vivian, that makes us sound like people should suspect us. As the guardians of civic trust, we can''t be as trusting as we''d like to be. Right, Vivian, pick an office:
mine, Ashley''s or Dick''s.¡±
¡°I have no basis to choose, maam.¡±
¡°And therefore no ulterior motive, whereas each of us might, so you choosing adds a random element.¡±
¡°Then I''ll select Mr Neville''s.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Helen asked.
¡°It was only Dr Edgars who actually suggested we move, you restricted the choice to one of your offices.¡± she shrugged ¡°Very slight automatic suspicion on each, and I know that Mr Neville has no reason for wanting to know beyond desiring to serve. I also know you''re trustworthy too, but I''ve go to pick one.¡±
¡°It''s nothing to do with me being rumoured to have the best views and most comfortable seats then? Oh well.¡±
¡°That rumour is something Ashley has been seeking to plant for the past three years, by the way, Vivian.¡± Dr Edgars said ¡°Everyone knows I have the better views and Helen has the most comfortable seats.¡±
Helen shook her head. ¡°You''re only going to convince her that you''re both daft, Dick. Let''s go I want to find out why she smiled.¡±
¡°I think I might be able to guess.¡± Dr Edgars said.
They reached the office on the top floor, and Vivian saw why Helen said they were daft. There was one door. On it the words ¡°No secrets between equals,¡± and behind it, there was a single office.
¡°The triumvirate works as a team, Vivian. It always has, and always will. Anything else leads to suspicion and distrust. It''s not something we publicise widely, though.¡±
¡°But when I saw you in the interview room, I might have known that the other two were behind the glass.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°So my little demonstration was totally rubbish.¡± Vivian said.
¡°Yes, sorry.¡±
¡°And now I''m going to tell you something I might just be making up, so that''s not a great demonstration either.¡±
¡°That''s true, except you did look at my thoughts.¡± Ashley Neville said.
¡°Yes, sir, but you''ve been leaking. Making rather too many decisions concerning what I''m going to tell you on the way up. I heard you decide that you were sure I''d smiled because I was going to tell you there was a class epsilon secret, as well as the class delta one about prince Albert, Dr Edgars has just decided I said that to spoil his guess, sorry, that''s not true. But Dr Edgars has also just decided not to think about Eliza Underwood near me, too late Dr., you just did it. Ms Pew is doing very very well in avoiding decisions, except that she''s going to enjoy the fun.¡±
¡°We need to practice our mental discipline, don''t we?¡± Dr Edgars said.
¡°Yes, sir. So, not holding you in suspense any more, I smiled because, Ms Pew, you were relieved that there was only one class delta: Prince Albert has the power, but as has been guessed, there''s a bigger secret, class epsilon, Eliza Underwood has the gift. There''s also a class alpha, which I knew before today: the King''s father had the power too. I knew it because Eliza Underwood told me some weeks ago, but I only found out it was her on Monday. Oh, the other thing I have to tell you is that these state secrets are all known to Maria and Tasha, and prince Albert sends his apologies for not realizing you might have need to know.¡±
¡°Why were you were told about the King''s father?¡±
¡°It was intended as reassurance, that the royal family weren''t going to approve anything that would get thought-hearers persecuted. Eliza contacted all the people with the power in Security, by Royal command. She asked if I''d be willing to let my name be known as someone with the power, meet others in Security, and make sure we all know some of the not-immediately obvious bits of using our power.¡±
¡°And you said yes, I presume?¡± Helen asked.
¡°We all did, actually. We must trust our government.¡±
Dick peered intently at her, ¡°And this meeting is going to happen soon?¡±
He didn''t see any reaction at all.
¡°Now, I''m not sure if you need to know that, sir.¡±
¡°Or if it''s already happened, either.¡± he asked, still watching her face. He saw a twitch of irritation, nothing else. She was good. Very good.
¡°Their majesties know the date sir, but not the invitation list. Their stated intent is that as few people know anything about that meeting as possible. I probably shouldn''t have even mentioned it.¡±
¡°Very well, young lady. We''ll let you thought-hearers keep your secrets.¡±
¡°Thank-you sir.¡±
¡°I''d like to compliment you, you have very good facial control, what they used to call a poker face.¡±
¡°You didn''t see my deliberate twitch of irritation then?¡±
¡°It was deliberate?¡± he asked.
¡°Honestly, I''m not sure. I certainly didn''t bother suppressing it. I could have.¡±
¡°You''ve practiced then, a long time?¡±
¡°I joined the coven when I was fourteen. I don''t know about elsewhere, but it was a skill that I had to master before initiation into the second grade. I was almost ready to try for the fifth grade. I thank God I didn''t.¡± she didn''t try to hide her horror at that thought.
¡°You could teach others?¡± Helen asked.
¡°I did, but I''ll need to think about how to adapt the training techniques.¡±
¡°How long did it take you to learn?¡± Dick probed, clearly fascinated..
¡°I was a fast learner; a few months. Some people never learned well enough.¡±
¡°So what happened to them?¡±
¡°They were wise: they didn''t try to progress to the second level.¡±
¡°If they had tried?¡±
¡°The coven isn''t about try try again. It''s about pride. Pride in the coven pride in yourself. They''d have had an accident, I expect. I''d heard of it happening.¡±
¡°You state your neighbour is in the coven.¡±
¡°Yes, she is. So far I''ve avoided her. That''s... not unexpected. She recruited me, but I went further than she did. More powerful, more stupid, depending on how you look at it.¡±
¡°The obvious thing is for us to move you. You''re on foreign assignment soon anyway, aren''t you?¡± Helen asked.
¡°Yes.¡± Vivian confirmed, needlessly.
¡°So, were you thinking of selling your house?¡±
¡°I don''t know. It''s not exactly the best time to sell. And who''d buy it, knowing the neighbour is a practicing witch?¡±
¡°Well, let''s put that to one side anyway. Would you like us to, say, assign you to the capital for a bit? It would be sensible anyway to give you a wider experience.¡±
¡°That sounds wonderful.¡±
¡°Great. Now, we''re still playing catch-up with the Roland Underwood-related cases, so that''s the obvious place for you to work. Are you up to a big challenge?¡± Helen asked.
¡°What sort of challenge?¡± Vivian didn''t really like the sound of that.
¡°Mr arch-manipulator himself. We''d love to get a complete list of people he''s corrupted. I think, given what you''ve written about here, you''re not going to be too fazed by his past. I know it''s different, but... there are enough similarities I think that you''re not going to be terrified by his callous attitude to life. And with you having the power, he might reveal more to you than others.¡±
¡°You''d like me to play the arrogant thought-hearer?¡±
¡°I don''t know about your ethical stand point on this, but if you''d be prepared to gloss over your recent change of faith...¡±
¡°I''m not going to claim allegiance to demons, deny Jesus, or perform any magic.¡±
Helen shook her head. ¡°No, we won''t ask you to. We''ve reason to believe, quite strong reason to believe, that he''s faked his mental illness, that it''s all a plan to escape justice. Maria tells us that he''s always been lousy at improvising, but meticulous at long range planning. So, if you go in with the attitude that he had interesting plans but he botched them, you''re going to take over while he''s locked up, dominate him, tell him his faked instability is an amateur trick, he''s lost his power but you haven''t, so shouldn''t he be bowing and scraping at your feet? That you want names, levers, details, so you can do it properly...¡±
¡°He might crack, yes.¡± Dr Edgars agreed.
Wed 3rd Jan, 5pm
¡°I think we can call this progress of sorts.¡± Albert said.
¡°Really?¡± Eliza asked ¡°I thought it counted as a victory for the bad guys; poor Bob and Albert!¡±
¡°But on the other hand, we''ve got a wide section of the press up in arms, worldwide, saying that that what happened to Bob and Albert is absolutely shocking, NWN''s owners are under investigation in a few other countries as well as ours, our ambassadors are finally getting listened to, and reportedly the storm over father''s speech has ground to a complete stop. As, interestingly enough, have the remarks about having dreams they''d like to tell us.¡±
¡°Why do you think that''s happened?¡±
¡°I guess people have decided that my father''s not the gullible fool they had been taking him for.¡±
¡°Have you checked for that follow up article by... what was her name, Catherine the ungrateful?¡±
¡°Yes, I have. In general I''d say it was a very well researched article, about why Dad''s speech was entirely constitutional in all respects. I particularly liked her reply to the attacks from abroad.¡±
¡°Oh, what did she say?¡±
¡°Roughly speaking ''Just because your constitution isn''t robust enough to let your leaders have freedom of speech and belief, don''t go imposing your anxieties on the rest of us, thanks.'' Anyway, both he and she check out OK, and you''ve just reminded me that I was supposed to invite them to the palace for that discussion of God and politics. Would you care to invite her while I invite him?¡±
¡°What, just ring them up?¡±
¡°Amazingly enough, Security were able to tell me their phone numbers. Here.¡±
He forwarded the contact details. ¡°Her real name''s Catherine Parr, apparently.¡±
¡°Interesting name for a republican, I wonder if she got teased a lot at school. I''ve never invited anyone to the palace before. Anything I need to know?¡±
¡°Well, you need to know that Dad suggests Friday, as in day-after-tomorrow, at 6pm. Also, she''s very likely to not believe a word you say.¡±
¡°So, how do I convince her?¡±
¡°Tell her she can check by contacting the palace switchboard and verifying that she''s on the invitation list for Friday. She is, I''ve done that bit.¡±
¡°That simple?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll give it a go.¡±
Eliza rang the number, choosing to include her picture too.
¡°Hello, Catherine Parr? Eliza Underwood here.¡±
¡°Very funny. You look right, and you''ve got the voice, but who is this?¡±
¡°It''s Eliza Underwood. In answer to your question about what self-respecting person from the palace would read four of five pages deep into the comment pages, that would be Albert, though I must admit his mother was egging him on at breakfast yesterday. Anyway, are you free at six, on Friday night? This is your invitation to the palace. You don''t have to put on your best frock, even, but I suppose you did promise Dan.¡±
¡°Who is this?¡±
¡°You can check it''s really me by ringing the palace switch-board. Albert says they''re used to people not believing they''ve been invited. Dan''s also going to get an invitation just as soon as I finish talking to you.¡±
¡°Hold on, you''re telling me you''re really Eliza Underwood?¡±
¡°Yes, that''s right, Catherine.¡±
¡°How did you get this number?¡±
¡°Security gave it to Albert once they''d decided you were safe to invite. Apparently they get nervous if we just invite anyone for a meal and constitutional and theological discussions.¡±
¡°This is insane...¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know. Albert''s apparently a regular reader, and yours was the only national paper discussing his dad''s speech yesterday morning. Everyone else was being leant on, it seems. So Albert read Dan''s article.¡±
¡°No, no, no. You''re trying to tell me that prince Albert regularly reads our articles?¡±
¡°I''m not saying he agrees with them, but he likes a good debate. His majesty too. Inviting you was his idea by the way.¡±
¡°So we''re to be entertainment for the evening, is that it?¡± Catherine asked in a dangerous voice.
¡°No. Not in that way. They''re not inviting you to laugh at you. Look, you and Dan both made mention of getting an invitation to the palace, you even set it as a condition for a date. So, their majesties thought maybe you''d like a surprise. They''re happy to talk about faith, which Dan mentioned, and constitutional issues if you like.¡±
¡°Do you have any idea what an invitation to the palace would mean to me?¡±
¡°Not really, except that you set it as a condition for a date.¡±
¡°It was supposed to be an unattainable goal.¡±
¡°Dan''s that repellent?¡±
¡°No. Quite charming, actually. I just once challenged God that I''d listen to him when I got an invitation to go to the palace with prince charming. I guess Dan qualifies, I''ve certainly been calling him that in a sarcastic way, around the office.¡±
¡°Oh, well. God was listening, wasn''t he?¡±
¡°I wish you Christians wouldn''t say things like that. And I wish I hadn''t just opened my mouth and told you that.¡±
¡°I''ll try and pretend you didn''t. See you on Friday?¡±
¡°I''m babysitting, for my sister''s kids. I''m the babysitter of last resort.¡±
¡°Ah. That comes under the heading of tricky, doesn''t it? How old are the kids?¡±
¡°Boy of twelve and girl of fourteen.¡±
[Albert, she''s babysitting, twelve year old nephew and fourteen year old niece.]
¡°I''d rather cook more than have it another time.¡±
¡°Hold on a moment, Catherine.¡± Eliza said, then asked Albert ¡°You''re sure?¡±
¡°It''s just going to be spaghetti bolognese. There''s room at the table. Maybe we can get Nigel and Eliza to give them a tour, teach them some archery or something.¡±
¡°Did you hear that, Catherine? Albert''s happy to cook for them too ¡ª it''s going to be spaghetti bolognese apparently ¡ª assuming you can get parental permission for them to come. Albert also suggests that his bodyguard might give them a tour with his girlfriend. Bodyguard''s girlfriend is an expert at archery if you really want your sister to panic.¡±
[They could play with my old toy cars if their mum prefers. I assume they''re around somewhere.]
¡°Prince Albert is going to cook me spag. bol. and thinks his bodyguard''s girlfriend might teach my niece and nephew how to shoot with a bow and arrow?¡± Cathrine''s sense of the ridiculous was beginning to assert itself.
¡°Well, the bodyguard is into reenacting too, but I doubt that he''s got a broadsword light enough for them to wield safely.¡±
¡°I''ll talk to my sister. But not before I''ve spoken to the switchboard. This is too weird.¡±
¡°That''s fine. Albert says his old toy cars should be around somewhere, if she''d prefer a safer option.¡±
¡°And he''s really going to cook spaghetti?¡±
¡°Is that a problem?¡±
¡°Just, I guess I imagined a dozen cooks preparing a massive feast.¡±
¡°Sorry, that''s special occasions only. This is just an evening meal with the family and invitees.¡±
¡°You''re trying to corrupt me, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°You''re trying to break down my prejudices, and convince me that the royal family try to live like normal people.¡±
¡°Oh that. Yeah, I was a bit surprised to see the king doing the washing up too, the first few times. I''ll let you open the debate about whether that''s a good use of his time or not if you like.¡±
¡°And prince Albert''s about to invite Dan?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Oh, how I''d love to listen to that conversation.¡±
¡°Are you both at the office? I''m sure Albert can wait a while if you want him to.¡±
¡°Office? That''s Dan''s spare room, but I''m not far away. Can you ask him to give me about ten, fifteen minutes, please? I''ll talk to my sister and go over.¡±
¡°Sure. Not to mention the switch-board.¡±
¡°Some things just go without saying.¡±
¡°Hi, Dan!¡± Catherine said as he opened the door.
Catherine was looking beautiful as always, but somehow... excited, too.
¡°Hi! Come in. What''s up? I thought you''d finished for the day.¡±
¡°Oh, a few things. I''ve had an idea, I''ve got a demand, I''ve got a question, and I''ve also got another reason that I wanted to be here in person, but we''ll get to that later.¡±
As she took her coat off, he realised that she''d changed out of her normal jeans and pullover and had put on a dress. A rather attractive dress. She looked stunning, and she probably knew it. It was a form of torture, he was sure.
¡°Just for the record, you look stunning, and I really wish you''d accept a date. What''s the demand? Asking for raise when dressed like that is just plain unfair.¡±
¡°Oooh, you''re putty in my hands are you?¡±
¡°I wish. I''m putty, but where are your hands?¡±
¡°So, do you like my dress?¡± She twirled.
¡°Catherine, I think I''ve made it quite clear, over the past year, that I like you a lot. You''re fun to be with, you''re gorgeous, and we get on well. Why won''t you let me take you out? Every time I ask you out, you say something like ''not yet'', or ''it''s not the right time'', or ''patience is a virtue.''. When is the right time going to be?¡±
¡°Not before you''ve told me what you think of my dress.¡±
¡°It''s beautiful. Will you go out with me?¡±
¡°Don''t rush me, Dan. I''ve set conditions, remember?¡±
¡°You''re a cruel young woman, Catherine. If you don''t like me then just stop leading me on, please. And just answer me one question, just how am I supposed to get you an invitation to the palace?¡±
¡°Good journalism. You know the reader logs show that someone in the palace is reading our articles.¡±
¡°Oh, yes, and I''m sure that someone from security checking up on us is going to get us invited there. It''s impossible!¡±
¡°All right, Dan, if you can''t come good on that challenge then I''ll issue another one.¡±
¡°Thank you. What?¡±
¡°I''ll think about it. Now, my demands.¡±
¡°Yes? They''re plural now?¡±
¡°Number one: Friday night, day after tomorrow. Whatever plans you have, they''re cancelled.¡±
¡°I have no choice?¡±
¡°None at all. Not if you want to stay in my good books.¡±
¡°Good job I don''t have any then. What am I doing instead of non-existant plans?¡±
¡°That''s wonderful.¡± she said, ignoring his question. ¡°Demand number two. This is more philosophical. I demand that you think about one or both of us changing our minds about republicanism or about religion. Blame the king''s speech, if you like. She became a Christian, he went atheist. They stayed together. You''ve written that you don''t want the king''s job. I''m not actually sure that anyone sane would. So, what I want from you is some serious thought about what would happen to trivial things like employment and more important things like our friendship if we didn''t agree on quite so many things.¡±
¡°I''m glad you think our friendship''s important, Catherine.¡±
¡°Of course it''s important, you''ve just asked me out again, and I haven''t said no, again.¡±
¡°Why don''t you just say yes instead then?¡±
¡°Initially it was because of things like age gaps, and nasty little questions in my mind about how come you''re still single, that sort of thing. I now know the answer to the second ¡ª you don''t socialise much in person, do you? It''s mostly books and chat-sites, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Do I say no or yes? No, I don''t get out much.¡±
¡°In point of fact, I''m the only woman you''ve spent significant time with since university, aren''t I?¡±
¡°Yes. Why should I want to spend time with another woman?¡±
¡°I think it''s called shopping around, learning what you like.¡±
¡°I know who I like, Catherine. You. I can''t imagine marrying anyone but you.¡±
¡°And there I was thinking this was all about a single date.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Dan was taken aback.
¡°Not really, but that''s all you''ve said until now. Clarity of thought and precision of language, remember?¡±
Dan swallowed. ¡°OK, being precise.¡± he gulped again ¡°Catherine, I''m pretty sure I''d be very happy to ask you to marry me, but that normally starts with going on some dates. And some dates start with one. Will you please consider a first date with me, and unless something goes wrong a second and so on?¡±
His phone rang before she could answer. ¡°Bother, I guess I''d better answer that.¡±
¡°Yes, you had. Don''t worry, I''ll wait.¡±
Dan picked up the call, ¡°Hello, New Republican Post, Dan Wyatt speaking.¡± It was a voice only call.
¡°Hello, Mr Wyatt, prince Albert here. My parents really appreciated your article yesterday and my father''s decided to take you up on your offer to listen politely about God.¡±
¡°Oh, very funny. Who is this?¡±
¡°Why does no one ever believe me? Mr Wyatt, you can verify this call by ringing the palace switchboard and confirming that you''re on the invitation list for Friday night.¡± Albert said.
¡°Friday night?¡± he looked accusingly at Catherine.
¡°Yes, reception are expecting you, Miss Parr and her niece and nephew at six o''clock.¡±
¡°Her niece and nephew?¡±
¡°I''m babysitting,¡± Catherine offered, ¡°the kids got invited too.¡±
¡°What sort of wind-up is this? Who is this?¡± Dan demanded.
¡°It''s genuine,¡± Catherine said, ¡°entirely genuine.¡±
¡°Catherine, don''t do this to me, it''s not funny.¡±
¡°I think you''ve got yourself a date, Mr Wyatt.¡± Albert said ¡°You''ve certainly got her the invitation to the palace that she demanded from you. In case you''re wondering, dress code is entirely up to you, but I understand that it''s generally wiser to ask the lady you''re accompanying. Do you have any questions about arrangements? Reasonable travel expenses can be reimbursed.¡±
¡°Urm, no no questions.¡±
¡°Well, I''ll see you on Friday, then.¡±
¡°Who is this? You''ve got the prince''s accent down very well.¡±
¡°Check with the palace switchboard, Mr Wyatt, I''m who I said I am.¡±
¡°Excuse me, your Highness?¡± Catherine interrupted.
¡°Albert, please. Yes, Miss Parr?¡±
¡°If you''re Albert, I''d better be Catherine. If you could arrange for an archery lesson, my niece and nephew would love it.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll ask Eliza.¡±
¡°Your fianc¨¦e?¡± Catherine was confused.
¡°No, the woman in Security who used to pretend to be a red-head, in the interests of confusing the press.¡±
¡°Oh! OK.¡±
Dan looked at Catherine, dressed in what he guessed was her best frock.
¡°Not a wind-up?¡± he whispered.
She shook her head.
¡°One question your highness. Would we be permitted to write up our visit?¡±
¡°Very good question. I''m fairly sure the answer is yes, but there might be some aspects you''ll need to skip over. I expect someone from Security will get in touch directly, I''d guess tomorrow. Have a good evening.¡±
¡°You too, sir.¡± He turned to Catherine and waved his finger at her ¡°You knew.¡±
¡°I''m in my best frock.¡±
¡°And you put it on just for me?¡±
¡°I did. It occurred to me that you''ve got me the invitation, and Friday isn''t going to be much of a date, is it? Not with us having a pair of chaperones. So yes, Dan.¡±
¡°Yes what?¡±
¡°You asked me out for a date, remember? Where are we going?¡±
¡°What? Now?¡±
¡°I''ll let you get changed. Unless you''ve changed your mind?¡±
¡°Catherine, if this does turn out to be a great big leg-pull...¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I still love you.¡±
¡°Shhh... don''t say that, Dan.¡± she advised.
¡°Why not? It''s true.¡±
¡°Because it is much too early.¡±
¡°Oh, I need to wait until ten o''clock or maybe midnight?¡±
¡°Oh, you! Go and get changed into something presentable. And work out where you''d like to take me.¡±
¡°What was your idea, by the way?¡±
¡°We write up Friday night, but you got there too.¡±
¡°We do think alike.¡±
¡°That''s just basic journalistic instinct.¡±
¡°Hmm. Basic male instinct says I shouldn''t let you out of my sight, or I might wake up from this dream.¡±
¡°That''s all it says?¡±
¡°No. It also says things like I should be kissing you, holding you tight and not letting you go, not to mention lifting you up, and spinning you round, and generally expressing my joy that you''ve said yes.¡± He censored the rest.
¡°Well I think protocol says you don''t get to kiss me until the end of the date, and then only if you''ve been good. As for the rest, you''d better keep yourself under control, because that sort of behaviour is only going to make people stare.¡±
¡°Not if we find somewhere to go dancing.¡±
¡°Can you dance?¡±
¡°Not really.¡±
¡°Then we''d better sign up for dance classes if you want to go dancing, because I know I can''t dance.¡±
¡°Something else we''ve got in common.¡±
¡°Well, yes, I expect there''s lots of things neither of us can do. I mean, I presume you can''t fly by flapping your arms? I can''t either. Go on, get changed. We''re wasting time.¡±
¡°Your wish is my command.¡±
Association / Ch. 10:Changes
Association / Ch. 10:Changes
Friday 5th Jan 2272, 9A.M. Maximum security unit.
¡°You''re a new one.¡± Roland Underwood said, deciding she was young and therefore corruptible.
¡°Oh, you do still have the power of speech. And you''re much too late to corrupt me.¡±
He stared at her in shock.
¡°Oh come on Underwood, you didn''t really think you were unique, did you? The great master criminal builds his entire empire on the thought that he''s one of a kind?¡±
¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about.¡±
¡°Now that is really pathetic. This would be so much easier if you could could still hear thoughts. But you got yourself trapped, didn''t you. Too careless, too ignorant.¡±
¡°I don''t have to sit here and listen to these insults. You''re just trying to get me to incriminate myself anyway.¡±
¡°Oh don''t be stupid. Or maybe you''re just totally ignorant. Were you told who I am?¡±
¡°No. Just another person from security.¡±
¡°And you didn''t think to ask why, did you?¡±
¡°No doubt my sister or one of her flunkies sent you.¡±
Vivian laughed, mockingly. ¡°Oh you really are ignorant, aren''t you? I''ve read your statements, by the way, all the manic ravings. I think I even saw your sister once, but sorry, wrong department. Let me tell you something: you''re wrong. You weren''t caught by witches, you were caught by interfering Christians. Witches wouldn''t bother handing you over to the police. If you had witches after you then you''d be in far greater trouble. Had any nightmares recently? Want some? That''s an easy curse, very effective. The spirits think that''s a lovely game, pouring nonsense into peoples minds. Flames are so pretty too. Especially when an itsy-bitsy birthday candle turns into a flame thrower, that''s a second level spell. I learned that when I was about eighteen, if I remember right. And now I''m in auditing and my boss thinks that maybe since I''m a thought hearer I might be able to persuade you to talk. Or think. What a lovely coincidence, isn''t it? Oh so very kind of him. I get to learn all the nasty little secrets you''ve learned over the years. That could be very useful.
You may call me... mistress. I like a little respect from people now and again. And you said it. You ought to be groveling at my feet, old man. You lost your power, so you''re just a normal now.¡± she put as much scorn into that word as she could, ¡°but I still have mine. Plus I''ve been initiated into the fourth grade of witchcraft, when most only ever dream of attaining the third. I have learned more spells and can call on more power than you can ever imagine. So plan to grovel, old man.¡±
¡°I want my lawyer.¡±
She poured more scorn and disdain into her voice, ¡°And your teddy too? Didn''t you hear me, old man, I''m from auditing. You have the right to keep on breathing, you have the right to answer my questions without fear of reprisals, you''re a civilian, I''m not after you. I can''t touch you, well, not in terms of the law. And I don''t particularly want your stinky skin near mine either. But we''ve got a nice iron table here, so maybe you should just hold that. I presume you know about iron?¡±
¡°I''m not stupid.¡±
¡°Yes you are, you got caught. Reeled in like a confused little fish. I have no intention of getting caught. I don''t believe you''re insane by the way. We''ve had plenty of testimony that you''ve long planned to feign insanity. So now you''re going to tell me all about your little network. One way or another.¡± She flexed her fingers towards his throat, and stared him down. It wasn''t hard, she''d practiced on cats, after all, before starting on the other witches in the coven.
¡°Guard!¡± he called.
¡°Oh, don''t waste your breath. This interview is operating under Auditing rules. You can tell me everything and none of it comes back on your head, Mr normal civilian. So, we can''t let anyone else listen in, can we? They''re not Auditing, it''s for your own good, you see. I say my little speech, show my ID, and all the microphones turn off and the guards don''t even stand outside the door. They call us the bastion of public trust; that''s a laugh, isn''t it? Me? Bastion of the public trust.¡± She gave an evil laugh. ¡°You don''t become a witch because you want people to trust you. No one trusts witches, not even you. You''re sensible about that at least, I suppose.¡±
¡°GUARD!¡±
¡°He can''t hear you. No, you become a witch for power. And it occurred to me that Auditing has power too, doesn''t it? Power to make people stop listening, for instance. And I wrote it down, plain for all to see on my application. Witch! Want to see a copy? They just shrugged and said ''That''s an unusual religion!'' Freedom of religion, eh! Isn''t that so wonderful? I''m a bona-fide member of auditing, so you may speak freely, Mr Underwood, or think if you prefer. Anything you say will be written down and may be used against erring civil servants in a court of law. Or maybe not in a court of law, maybe just used against them. After all, power on it''s own is boring, wouldn''t you say, Underwood? Money is nice to have, but that can be traced so easily. But friends in the right places, that''s ever so nice isn''t it? Always useful. I''m sure there are people who are really happy you''re behind bars, aren''t there? Tell me who they are. Tell me the levers you used against them. Tell me... everything Mr Underwood. It would be so sad for you to suffer an accident sometime, wouldn''t it? Witches don''t need human henchmen to knock people off bicycles, Roland. Oh, no. And electrical faults can be so devastating to fail human flesh, can''t they? And no one''s ever invented a prison that a spirit can''t get into. I know I was told when I was an initiate that they''re friendly spirits. And they can pretend to be, when it suits them. You can pretend to be friendly, civilised, a pillar of the community too, I understand. But right now you''re just a tiny bit terrified, aren''t you? That''s only sensible. So, I''m sure you don''t want me as an enemy, do you?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°No what? I told you what to call me.¡±
¡°No, mistress.¡±
¡°You don''t mind me knowing if you''re lying, do you? It''s your own free choice, totally, totally free. If you don''t mind, then just hold the table.¡±
¡°No, mistress.¡±
He started speaking, and Vivian wrote down the list, asking for clarification in places. It was a long list, and he didn''t lie, or conceal anything. She wrote, not betraying any horror at the depths of his crimes. He got to the end. She then asked him about his plans, his associates, why he thought he''d taken the course in life he had. Whether he thought his life had been well spent, now that he knew he wasn''t unique, now that he was estranged from his daughter and his sister. He answered truthfully, that no, maybe it hadn''t been worth it.
In her normal tone of voice, not playing power games any more, she said ¡°Thank you Mr Underwood. Your government thanks you, And I thank you. I want you to know something. Everything I told you, it was true. But you needn''t fear me.¡±
¡°No? Why not. You''re a witch of the fourth grade whatever that means, with demons at your command.¡±
¡°I was. But learning that the friendly spirits were demons was a bit of a shock to my faith, you might say. Especially when they decided I made a good target. So I did something on Sunday night that I might die for. I''ve left the coven.¡±
¡°And done what, joined a church instead?¡±
¡°Yes. Joined the Church instead. I don''t want to play who''s the biggest sinner, but I will say to you, you''ve just confessed your sins to me, and said that they probably weren''t worth it. God wants you to say the same to him.¡±
¡°Then you did lie to me. You said you could call on more power than I could imagine.¡±
¡°I didn''t lie. I can call on the power of God.¡±
¡°And he''ll answer?¡± he spoke with derision.
¡°Think about it, I exchanged demons and magic that worked, for God. Now why would I do that? Because when God speaks the demons shut up, when Christians speak, the demons quail. God is far stronger than demons. You get what you need though, not what you want. But that''s OK by me. Getting what I wanted almost got me killed on numerous occasions, and almost blown up when I didn''t want it. The other thing God gives me, along with forgiveness, is a clean conscience.¡±
¡°I don''t even know what that means.¡± He still had his hands on the table.
¡°A lie.¡± she said ¡°And since your sister and daughter are Christians, I wouldn''t be surprised if you turning to God would be a very good thing for your relationship with them.¡±
¡°You really are trying hard, aren''t you, to save my soul? Using all the levers you can think of. You''ve got a problem though.¡±
¡°What''s that?¡±
¡°Your God ripped my power from me in response to do-gooders like you. Do you have any idea what that feels like? To find the world''s gone quiet like that, to lose your sixth sense? Do you have any idea?¡±
¡°Did no one ever teach you how to hide your thoughts?¡±
¡°What''s that?¡±
¡°Temporarily disable your power. Of course they didn''t ¡ª you thought you were unique. Foolish, deluded man. Roughly speaking the statistics seem to be one per thousand. Yes, I know what it is like when I make the world go quiet. I imagine it wouldn''t be pleasant when that is done to you, but if you, for a tiny fraction of a minute, think about the lives you''ve ruined, then perhaps you''ll realise that you did need your wings clipped. It was a chance to reevaluate and take stock. This I expect is your last such chance.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°I mean that through a careful mixture of acting and out of date truth, I tricked you into a very vulnerable state. That was required of me by my superiors. What I''ve been saying since I put down my pen is me, Vivian, ex-witch. It''s not required of me by my religion, it''s not required of me by my new friend Eliza. She doesn''t know I''m here, as far as I know. But I''m certain she''d like her father to reconsider his life.¡±
¡°You know my daughter?¡±
¡°Yes. Not very well, but we''ve talked together, prayed together for various things. Including for you. My story gave her hope, you see, that even someone who did the terrible things I''ve done could be saved. You''ve done terrible things too, over a longer period, but you at least, tried to save your daughter.¡± Vivian stood and gathered her notes. ¡°Goodbye, Mr Underwood, Auditing thanks you for your help in rooting out corruption, I''m sorry that I had to trick you into it.¡±
¡°Help in undoing my life''s work. Oh yes, well thank you for the ''opportunity'' to help, I''m sure.¡± He said, not missing the irony at all.
¡°Mr Underwood, I heard your confession, and I heard your honest regret at at least some of the choices you made. I''ll pray that you will be wise enough to think truly long term, and will choose to sort out your relationship with God.¡±
¡°You''ve heard my crimes and yet still pray for me?¡± this young woman was still surprising him.
¡°God has even forgiven me, Mr Underwood. I''m sure he can forgive you.¡± She triggered the lock-release on the door and left the interview room.
The guards came in a little later ¡°Come one, then Roland. Back to your cell. Did you have a nice chat with the young lady from Auditing?¡±
¡°Oh yes, field-Marshall, it was great fun. The wicked little witch turned my bones to jelly and offered me eternal torment as she sucked all the secrets out of my brain, one by one. I even shouted for help a couple of times.¡±
¡°Really? I never head a thing.¡± One guard said.
¡°Me neither.¡± the other agreed.
¡°She could have killed me in here and you wouldn''t know or do a thing, would you?¡±
¡°Ah, well, you see, what with you being a drain on the state that you are and an evil conniving megalomaniac, if we found her doing that, then we''d probably cheer her on.¡± Guard one said.
¡°And maybe you''d foolishly try to head-butt my steel toe cap a few times as I was running to help prevent your escape attempt.¡± Guard two added grinning. Roland was used to it. So far, it had only been words. He didn''t mind those sorts of words ¡ª idle threats. But that woman, Vivian, her words went deeper. She had started out sounding like a more dangerous version of himself at that age, and he recognised the superiority of her stated plan. She had truly presented herself as a thing of his nightmares, the sort of person that would be able to rip his plans to shreds, and that''d made him utterly utterly vulnerable. Then, that change of face, the relief he''d felt when she said she was no threat to him and then the way she''d offered him the only things that might matter to him: his daughter and sister back again, and a clean conscience. He wasn''t likely to be this close to giving in to God again. Was he sorry? Did he regret his life? He regretted getting himself here, that was certain.
One of the guards poked him, ¡°Oi, wakey-wakey, you''ve just been asked a question.¡±
¡°What was it?¡±
¡°If your bones are jelly and your brain''s have been sucked out, then do you want another visitor?¡±
¡°I get a choice?¡±
¡°Yes. Family visitor: your sister.¡±
¡°Here? Now?¡±
¡°You really were out of it, weren''t you? Yes, your sister''s here.¡±
¡°What does she want?¡±
¡°I don''t know.¡± Guard one said.
¡°I think she wants to talk to you for some reason.¡± Guard two added, ¡°Can''t think why, unless it''s to save your soul, of course.¡±
¡°Too late.¡± Guard one offered, ¡°I think Roland here sold it for a bar of chocolate when he was five.¡±
¡°I''ll talk to her.¡± Roland said.
¡°Back we go then. This counts as a busy day for you, doesn''t it? Must really cut into your time for making futile plans for world domination.¡±
Friday 5th Jan 2272, 10 A.M. Office of the New Republican Post.
The phone rang, Dan answered.
¡°Mr Wyatt, my name''s Eliza Smythe, I''m calling in relation to your visit to the palace this evening.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You made an enquiry about journalistic freedom.¡±
¡°I have? Oh, yes, sorry, of course I have.¡±
¡°There are a number of different laws that might apply, but basically, if you don''t endanger anyone or spread things you''ve been told are secrets you''re fine. You may report on getting and confirming the invitation, your personal reaction, the cooking, the decor, and whatever comes up in the conversation, as long as it doesn''t stray into areas of national security, or any official secrets. You shouldn''t talk about security procedures except in general terms, or identify where the rooms you enter are relative to the rest of the palace complex. That would include references to things like sunlight or shadows that would indicate which side of the building you''re on. You shouldn''t name any members of security you meet, including me. If the royal family are in agreement you may take and publish pictures or video including them, but again, if there are agents present then their faces should be cut, masked or blurred before publication. Like anyone else, the royal family have the right to not give permission for embarrassing photos of them being published, like if they get caught mid-yawn or such like. You are also welcome to take pictures of the kids learning archery for their parents and other relatives, and as long as no one ever publishes them they can show faces. Publishing, of course, includes putting them in a school paper or the family''s photo sharing site. Therefore, I''d recommend you think of making a hard-copy for memory''s sake and then blurring the digital version. Is that all clear?¡±
¡°Don''t put people at risk, don''t embarrass people with bad timing, or publish names or faces of people in Security. That sounds entirely reasonable, thank you. I hadn''t expected us to have such a wide-ranging permission.¡±
¡°Sir, the royal family are civil servants too. They have a different role to most, but, ultimately they are servants of the nation with very few of the freedoms you or even I take for granted. I don''t know, but I believe one of the reasons you have this invitation is so that you can witness that they are people as well as heads or future heads of the state.¡±
¡°Thank you for sharing that thought, Ms Smythe.¡±
¡°I''ll see you later, Mr Wyatt, have a good afternoon.¡±
¡°What thought?¡± Catherine asked.
¡°That they''re human as well as heads of the state.¡±
¡°We know that.¡±
¡°We do, but does it come out in our writing? Are we going thinking we can maybe make fun of the heir to the throne''s cooking, or are we going thinking we''ve got a rare chance to meet some important people in their home, and talk about significant things with them?¡±
¡°Can''t it be both?¡±
¡°Maybe. Anyway, that was Eliza Smythe, and it sounds like she''s the Eliza who''s going to be teaching archery. And we can take photos for family use that include faces but not publish them.¡±
¡°I heard not publishing. And that''s it, that list you said?¡±
¡°Pretty much. Nothing about where the Royal appartments are in the complex, ask before you film or snap. The other thing she said was they have very few of the rights that we enjoy.¡±
¡°True. They can''t put themselves at risk, constitution says so. I guess that affects all sorts of things.¡±
¡°Like spontaneity. Escaping for a private walk somewhere.¡±
¡°Have you followed the fuss about Eliza''s clothes?¡±
¡°Not really.¡±
¡°She spoke out about the habit the clothing industry has of fighting to get her and the queen to wear their clothes as though their bodies were publicly owned prime advertising space. Described it as a total waste of everyone''s time and money, and why couldn''t she wear the off the peg end-of season''s bargains like she had all her life? You''d think she''d declared war on every woman''s magazine and fashion editor in the land.¡±
¡°She has. She''s just described the entire fashion industry as surplus to requirements.¡±
¡°Your point being?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°It is surplus to requirements. Actually, I''m pretty sure it''s parasitic. Most of what the top fashion industry makes is only of interest to ultra-rich models, who get rich because advertising pays lots of money to get them to wear unsuitable clothes. I think it would be an interesting economic study to find out how much we''d save on our annual shopping bill if the whole high-fashion industry folded. I''m not talking about high-street fashions, you understand, that serves a useful purpose of giving school girls somewhere to work. Plus there seems to be something in men that makes them want to put pretty clothes on the women they love. We can''t go denying them that, or there''d be anarchy.¡±
¡°Is that a hint?¡±
¡°NO! Don''t you dare, Dan. Two dates does not give you the right to buy me clothes.¡±
¡°Just checking.¡±
¡°Anyway, I''m fully with Eliza on that one. She should be able to buy what she likes.¡±
¡°I haven''t seen you writing on that.¡±
¡°I''m not brave enough. I don''t want to end up being called the unfashionable correspondent or something. But if we''ve got time, I might be very tempted to get some quotes from Eliza on the matter.¡±
¡°Good idea.¡±
Friday 5th Jan 2272, 11 A.M Maximum security unit.
¡°Hello, Maria. Nice of you to show up. Good timing actually.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes. Really. I''ve just been reduced to a snivelling wreck by someone in Auditing.¡±
¡°You?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Wow. I didn''t think that was possible.¡±
¡°She cheated.¡±
¡°I imagined that would be necessary. Are you laying a formal complaint against her?¡±
¡°What? No. No, she did her job wonderfully. Probably deserves a commendation or something. But she got me thinking.¡±
¡°You are in a very unusual mood, Roland.¡±
¡°I''m not sure what mood I''m in, Maria. Half an hour ago, I was sitting in this room, I think it was this one, anyway, they all look the same, listing all my corrupt officials and the levers I had on them to a woman hardly older than Eliza, and I was absolutely terrified that if I lied she''d swat me like an annoying bug. I was sure that I was facing someone my match in cunning and far more powerful than me.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes. And then, after I''d answered her every question as though I was on some kind of truth serum, I guess it was the truth serum called abject terror, she said, in a bright cheery voice don''t worry, you don''t need to be afraid of me, and proceeded to try to save my soul.¡±
¡°Did she tell you her name?¡±
¡°She did. At first she told me to call her mistress, and I did.¡±
¡°What on earth were you afraid of, Roland?¡±
¡°She could hear my thoughts, she''d read my statements, and everything else, and she claimed to be a witch, well, no. She said she''d written it on her application form. I have no doubt that she was one, actually. I could see her in the role, perfectly. Oh the scorn she poured on your precious institutions, and freedom of religion. She was wonderful. Imagine, someone as ruthless as I was, with better control of her power than I ever had, insinuating herself into Auditing, with demons on her side. It ought to be your worst nightmare, sister. She dominated me entirely, she''s used to absolute domination, that was clear. She spoke about how easy it was to set nightmares on people, and how easily demons could fry people with an electrical fault, no matter if people couldn''t get to me. She implied that she''d arranged that her boss send her here so she could pick my brains, and then she listened to my thoughts as I gibbered out the absolute truth to everything she asked.
She even told me I didn''t have to let her listen, emphasised it was my free choice. Just the context she said it in, I was sure that I''d be waking up with demons plugging me into the mains if I didn''t. And then she thanked me for cooperating and said sorry for misleading me. It was very very cleverly done. I have no doubt that everything she told me was the truth, but I got all the implications she wanted me to get, and they were terrifying. And she could have left me terrified, but she didn''t. It was like she cared. It was such a shock. She said her name was Vivian.¡±
¡°Yes. I guessed. We don''t have many witches with the power in Security.¡±
¡°You know her then? She said she''d seen you once.¡±
¡°Like you said, Roland, it ought to be our worst nightmare.¡±
¡°She got me to confess everything you know. Even got me to admit that I regretted ruining my relationship with you and Eliza. Then she told me I ought to tell God that, and it was probably my last chance. That I should be wise enough to consider my really long term future.¡±
¡°And she got through?¡±
¡°Not entirely. I resisted, she left. I didn''t immediately fall on my knees, you know? Like she said, long term planning, that''s normally my forte but it can''t be rushed.¡±
¡°I agree, as long as you don''t use that as an excuse to postpone it until it''s too late.¡±
¡°She said something else. That if I really turned my back on my past, then you and Eliza might be in my future. I lied to you by the way, about that bomb. I didn''t want you blown up.¡±
¡°Do you know, Roland, this is probably the closest thing we''ve had to a normal conversation we''ve had since you tortured me over the neighbor''s cat. If we keep on at this rate then I won''t cry myself to sleep for a week about my little brother being a monster. I''d like that. You really confessed everything?¡±
¡°I was fully convinced she''d send demonic torments on me if I didn''t. She got everything. All my contacts, all the levers, what they''ve done for me in the past, everything.¡±
¡°Roland, if you acknowledge the existence of demons, why not God?¡±
¡°I acknowledge there are forces I don''t understand. I don''t understand how my power vanished in that take-away, I don''t understand how your informers got their information, to take everything apart. I don''t even really understand how Karen got out of the tunnels or her friend Priscilla got out of her freezer. I put it down to witchcraft, but Vivian was quite convincing that witchcraft wouldn''t have given those results. I thought God didn''t ever intervene. But I don''t understand why you''re here either, Maria. You ought to know all about Vivian''s visit.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because otherwise you''ve come to visit me just in the hour or two when I was evaluating what my future would be like if we were on proper talking terms, and that''s much too unlikely for coincidence.¡±
¡°I''ve planned to come and see you today since before Christmas. At that time, Vivian was still a happy little witch planning on corrupting another few youths'' innocence. I''d lay the coincidence firmly at God''s door. He''s the only one able to plan that well. You told her everything you''d done. She wrote down everything she''d done for her superiors, and I was asked to read it. I did, and then slapped a ''do not read'' order on it.¡± Maria shuddered. ¡°If it wasn''t so valuable, I''d order it destroyed.¡±
¡°She said she knew God would forgive me because he''d forgiven her.¡±
¡°Yes. I''d say that was pretty powerful evidence.¡±
¡°But how does she know God''s forgiven her? How do you know.¡±
¡°Because there''s very clear evidence of it that I''ve been told but you haven''t. For what it''s worth, I have no doubts at all.¡±
¡°She also said that she''d been talking to Eliza.¡±
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
¡°Did she? Well, I guess she has then.¡±
¡°What are you doing letting a witch get into the palace, Maria?¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t think she''s been to the palace.¡±
¡°Then how have they been talking? Why have they been talking? Do you normally give out Eliza''s contact details to anyone who asks? Why are you putting my daughter at risk?¡± Maria heard the concern growing rapidly in his voice.
¡°Roland, I can''t answer those questions, but I can tell you that Eliza''s well protected, and that Vivian is no risk to Eliza.¡±
¡°She could have hoodwinked you. She''s a supreme actress!¡±
¡°Roland, stop this, you''re getting paranoid. Vivian wanted you to turn to God, didn''t she? Why would she be faking her faith?¡±
¡°It''s all a plan to get at my Eliza through me. She''s got you wrapped round her finger hasn''t she?¡±
¡°No, Roland it''s not a plan, she''s not got us anywhere. It''s all about you being a little bit insane where any threat to your daughter is concerned.¡±
¡°Vivian said I was sane.¡±
¡°Yes. I would have said the same thing until just now. Then you decided that Vivian was a threat to Eliza, which is absolutely stupid. You''re a much bigger threat to her than Vivian.¡±
¡°I''m not a threat to Eliza.¡±
¡°No? You know a state secret about her, brother mine, and you''re a known psychopath.¡±
¡°Vivian''s an unknown psychopath, but shhh, Maria! The guards are listening.¡±
¡°They''re going to stop listening if they value their liberty, but good thought, apart from calling Vivian a psychopath. Hold on.¡±
Maria unkeyed the door and said ¡°I''m about to call my niece. As you''ve probably just heard my brother is rather crazy concerning his daughter and I''m planning to reassure him. Matters which are state secrets may be discussed. The rest of this interview is entirely private.¡±
¡°But Maam, your safety...¡± Guard one protested.
¡°I''ll hit my panic button if I need help. All microphones off.¡±
¡°Video?¡± Guard one asked.
¡°There are people who can lipread. No video.¡±
¡°We''ll need authorization, Maam.¡± Guard two said.
¡°Who from, his Majesty?¡± Maria asked, sarcastically.
¡°Mrs Gibson has all the authority she needs, thicko.¡± the first guard assured his colleague. ¡°At once, Maam. We''ll need to relay your instructions to control, we don''t control the cameras from here.¡±
¡°Very well. I''ll give them about thirty seconds to comply.¡±
He gulped. ¡°Very well, Maam.¡±
She shut the door and sat down. ¡°Would it reassure you to hear Eliza tell you Vivian''s no threat?¡±
¡°I guess so. How does she know?¡±
¡°I''ll let you ask her that, assuming she''s free to talk.¡± Maria called Eliza.
¡°Eliza, sorry to interrupt whatever you''re doing.¡±
¡°That''s OK, Maria, how can I help?¡±
¡°I''m visiting my brother. He''s just had a visit from Vivian, who spooked him, got him to tell him everything he ever did, and then reassured him she wasn''t as scary as she''d had him believe and got him thinking about God. Now he''s spooked again thinking that maybe the reassurance was the fake bit of her visit, and he''s very worried that we''re letting Vivian talk to you. So, the question is, how do we know Vivian''s a Christian. Monitors are off, guards are nowhere they could be listening. At least, not if they value their freedom.¡±
¡°And we presume communication networks are all tapped?¡±
¡°That''s very true.¡±
¡°I''ll speak to my father a bit then.¡± When Maria had told her the wrist unit was on speaker, she said, ¡°Hello, Dad. Will you trust me to say that I know, without a doubt that Vivian is a true Christian, that she''s abandoned witchcraft, burned her spell books and is now an entirely trustworthy person?¡±
¡°She tricked me. That''s not trustworthy.¡±
¡°She told you some partial truths so that you could draw your own conclusions, yes. And then, you''ll remember, she told you what she''d done.¡±
¡°To lure me into a false sense of security.¡±
¡°No, so you wouldn''t be terrified more than was needed to get you to admit your guilt and put a stop to your evil plans.¡±
¡°They''re stopped anyway.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Since when?¡±
¡°I''m not going to let anyone hurt you, Liz.¡±
Eliza let that pass ¡°Dad, if your evil plans are stopped, then you could have very easily told the courts the truth, couldn''t you? I trust Vivian far more than I trust you.¡±
¡°Why!? Maria says you''ve never met, but it sounds like your closest friends.¡±
¡°I wouldn''t say we''re closest friends, but yes, I know her, she''s a friend, and she''s trustworthy. She talked about being able to call on power you can''t imagine, didn''t she?¡±
¡°How do you know that?¡±
¡°She told me, Dad. We''re in contact, especially about you. One thing she can do is talk to me, that''s calling on a sort of power, isn''t it? And if you don''t think that''s much more than you can imagine, then Maria, if he''s safe with delta, he''s probably safe with an epsilon, and maybe even an alpha. Vivian''s trustworthy, Dad. You can trust what she told you about God. He''s good.¡±
¡°He took my power from me.¡±
¡°Good. You were using it for evil. Think for a moment, would Maria be in the same room as you if you still had it? Would she be letting you be talk to me? The way you used your power cut you off from the people you claim to love, Dad. I''d say stripping you of your power was a major blessing.¡± She paused, and then added ¡°Dad, I don''t think you''re going to get to my wedding whatever you do. But I don''t want to see you go to hell. Plan that far in advance please.¡± She hung up.
¡°She hung up on me.¡±
¡°Did she reassure you?¡±
¡°She confused me some more. God stripping me of my power was a blessing? You wouldn''t be here otherwise?¡±
¡°She''s right there.¡±
¡°And what was that about greek letters?¡±
¡°It means I''ve got her permission to tell you how she knows without doubt that Vivian is a Christian, and possibly why the entire basis for your plan to take over the monarchy was entirely flawed from the very beginning.¡±
¡°Kipling never wrote that in the kingdom of the blind the one eyed man is king?¡±
¡°Kipling? No! It was someone much earlier. Erasmus maybe?¡±
¡°Whoever, it doesn''t matter. Why is that flawed?¡±
¡°You know you''re not the only human with the power, I hope. His Majesty has speculated that maybe our joint ancestor, ''Princess'' Sarah''s mother, was as successful a con-artist as she was because she had the power. You had a half-trained eye and an over-inflated ego, brother. Your daughter has two eyes and sees very clearly indeed. Round the world if she wants to. She can know with absolute certainty. If Eliza says Vivian''s on the right side, then have no fear, she is.¡±
¡°I don''t understand, Maria.¡±
¡°Eliza has the mind-reading gift, Roland. Just like the people who helped rescue Karen, and who listened to Priscilla thinking ''I don''t want to blow up.'' when you stuffed her in her freezer with a bomb. Just like the one who risked his own life to look at the evil you''d set in motion, in order to save all those lives. If you turn back to active evil then your daughter will probably see it as her duty to thwart you. Please don''t do that to her.¡±
¡°My little girl? My little girl can read minds? Properly?¡±
¡°Yes, Roland. Don''t feel too proud. I''ve met some people who were given the gift who''d never had the power to start with. It''s God''s choice, not genetics.¡±
¡°What were you saying about the King?¡±
¡°Both lines have the power in them, Roland. If you''d ever shaken hands with his father, the two of you could have had a quiet conversation.¡±
Roland looked at her in shock and bewilderment as he understood the implications. He curled up in a ball on his chair, like he had done when he was four or five, Maria remembered. ¡°It was all for nothing at all?¡±
¡°In the grand scheme of things? Nothing at all. All you''ve done is ruin lives. Mine, yours, Eliza''s, all those people you had killed, their brothers, sisters, parents, spouses and childten. All because you had a genetic mutation that the then-king had too. What you need, brother, is a very heavy dose of remorse.¡±
¡°And to tell your God I''m sorry?¡±
¡°Well, that wouldn''t come amiss. It won''t bring back the dead, or help heal broken hearts, of course.¡±
¡°I didn''t think they mattered.¡±
¡°Egotistical, psychopathic, homicidal madman, I know. That just makes me feel really proud to be your big sister. The only good thing is our parents died before they found out what you had turned into.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, Maria.¡± He was still in his ball, deep in thought, she presumed. A minute later he asked ¡°Why are you here?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Why are you here? Why did you come?¡±
¡°Because every so often I get this stupid hope that one day my little brother might realise he''s been wrong most of his life.¡±
¡°Like today.¡±
¡°Yes. And I''m a really crazy optimist, because my hope goes further, and I hope that my little brother might turn to God, and that way I won''t need to be scared of him any more, and I won''t need to be scared of what you''re doing, or planning, and I won''t need to be terrified to read the day''s news and wonder how many of those mysterious accidents are your doing, and I won''t need to think of how many families were ruined because I wasn''t brave enough to tell on you before it was too late.¡±
¡°You tried.¡±
¡°I know.¡±
¡°They didn''t listen.¡±
¡°You were daddy''s pride and joy. You were my pride and joy before you went bad. My clever little brother who could understand everything I was studying when he was five years old.¡±
¡°Was she right?¡±
¡°About what?¡±
¡°That if I turn to God then it would be a very good thing for my relationship with you and Liz.¡±
¡°Of course it would be. But your daughter doesn''t like to be called Liz.¡±
¡°There''s a reason I call her that.¡±
¡°Oh, with you there''s a reason for everything.¡±
¡°Not always. There''s not a reason that it hurts when you''re upset with me.¡±
¡°There''s a reason for that, too. It''s called being family.¡±
¡°How do I do it?¡±
¡°Turn to God?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°You want to?¡±
¡°Vivian said this was probably my last chance. You saw where my thoughts went. If you hadn''t been here then I''d be sure she was a witch, that she''d been trying to confuse me even more. I''m not sane; not all the time. I might die mad, but I don''t want to die bad.¡±
¡°Is there a prison chaplain?¡±
¡°Probably. Why?¡±
¡°Because if you''re going to become a Christian, then it''s good to have other Christians around you.¡±
¡°There''s some kind of prisoners'' group. Someone told me I''d be welcome. I think I called him something rude.¡±
¡°You''d better say sorry to him then.¡±
¡°What to I pray, Maria?¡±
¡°You really want to turn to God now?¡±
¡°I''m going to change my mind later.¡±
¡°What, regret you did it?¡±
¡°No. I mean strike while the iron is hot. Don''t put it off. There''s another reason.¡±
¡°What''s that?¡±
¡°I''m not well. Probably fatal, the doctor says, he just doesn''t know how long.¡±
¡°What is it?¡±
¡°Brain damage. I''ve known about it for years, they found it when I was about thirty, I think. It''s not cancer, but it is slowly growing. The doctor now says that based on how fast it''s growing, it probably started when I was about seven or eight.¡±
¡°When you went bad?¡±
¡°When you went to college and I experimented with drug cocktails and went bad, yes. Right now I''m sane, I don''t know if I''ll stay sane. Doctor said I might just not wake up one day, or I might live to an old age completely ga-ga, and the switch to ga-ga might be slow or instant. It all depends on which bit it grows to and when.¡±
¡°And you''ve known all this a long time?¡±
¡°Since I got here, and they decided to work out why I was such a lovely specimen of humanity.¡±
¡°So, you''re convinced that you want to join up with the people you used to despise?¡±
¡°Yes, yes, yes! I thought you''d be happy.¡±
¡°I will be when it happens, Roland, I just... can''t believe you''re serious.¡±
¡°Tell me what to say, please, Maria. I need God''s help. Staying sane is a struggle. The guards out there would only be too happy to see me ''accidentally'' fall on something sharp, or try to disable one of them by head-butting their steel toe-capped boots; the other prisoners look at me like I''m a either going to sprout horns and cloven hooves or come up with a plan to get them out of here by a using a plastic spoon and a toothbrush to make a laser gun. I''m tired of fighting. My daughter''s got herself into the palace by being good, and even my plan to oust the present occupant of the throne on the basis of superior genetics is a total fraud. What''s the point in being evil? Like you say, all it''s done is ruin things that I find I do actually care about. I don''t want to stay your enemy, Maria. I''ve never wanted to be Eliza''s. Tell me what I need to pray, please. I never did pay attention at Sunday School, and it was a long time ago.¡±
¡°Then Roland, say something like this, after me,¡± she started and leaving pauses for him to repeat, she said: ¡°God, I know I''ve lived my life rebelling against you, breaking your laws and treating people you made as though they had no value. I know I deserve to be locked up here, I know I deserved to lose the power I was born with, I know that my crimes deserve death and I have no way to earn my forgiveness. Thank you that you still love me, thank you that you want to turn my life round and forgive me, thank you that you''ve given me this chance, thank you for your promise that everyone who calls to you for forgiveness will be forgiven and saved. I turn my back on my old way of thinking, on my self-worship and on my evil plans and deeds. Thank you for Jesus'' death and resurrection, through which I can be saved. Be my lord and my saviour, I pray. Take my sins and wash them clean, take my will and make it yours, break my rebellious heart of stone and give me a living heart that bows to you and you alone. Help me to know your love and learn to love you with all my heart and soul and strength. Give me your spirit in my heart and mind to teach me and guide me, as you have promised, let me be born again into a right relationship with you, and people around me, give me words to explain my trust in you and my new love for you. Help me to find people wherever I am who will encourage me in my walk with you, and whom I can encourage. Take me, God, and make me your servant, now and forever more. Prepare me for heaven Lord, and give me victory over sin and temptation, help me to trust you day by day and never stop seeking your face. Amen.¡±
He repeated it almost word for word, but he added to his list of sins, and added ¡°Thank-you God for my sister, and my daughter, who haven''t given up on me, and for Vivian who knocked me out of thinking I had any control of my destiny.¡±
¡°Eliza, if I''m interrupting anything... you probably want to know this more. Your Dad prayed the prayer with me about five minutes ago. I''m just going to talk to the prison chaplain.¡±
¡°Praise God! Thank you, Maria. Dad''s just repented of his sins, Bella! Oh that''s wonderful news!¡±
¡°The other news, he says God must have taken the born again bit seriously. He apparently has the power once more. That scares him, actually. He says that all the time he didn''t have it, he was wanting it back, but now he''s got it, he''s afraid he''ll start misusing it again.¡±
¡°Well... Our surprising God''s in charge. I wonder if that''ll convince the other prisoners that he''s really repented.¡±
¡°I''ll fill you in on more details later on.¡±
¡°Thanks for telling me.¡±
Eliza called her father even as she disconnected. [Hello, Dad!]
[Eliza? You sound different, mind to mind.]
[Thank you, Dad.]
[What for?]
[For turning from your sins and for not calling me Liz.]
[Do you know why I called you Liz?]
[No.]
[Because when you were, I don''t know, two. You said ''I''m a Lizard'', and I asked you if I ought to call Liz the Lizard.]
[And I said OK?]
[No, you said ''You''re silly, but I like you.'']
[So every time you called me Liz, you were hoping that I''d remember I said I liked you?]
[I guess so. And the birthday card thing?]
[Yes?]
[It wasn''t that I didn''t care, but your mother wouldn''t ever tell me your birthday.]
[And you couldn''t tell from when you had your one night stand?]
[{Surprise}She told you that?]
[No, no she didn''t. She told me that she''d stupidly thought that getting you drunk and sleeping with you would be a good career move.]
[Your mother was a very attractive woman. I heard her decide that she''d try that, and played along, but I wasn''t drunk. I could have not taken advantage, of course, but she was attractive, and I was unscrupulous. Afterwards I told her that no, it wasn''t a good career move because I actually had no control over her employment since she was a temporary staff worker. But I wouldn''t have any objections to keeping her as my mistress.]
[And she pressed for marriage?]
[No, she accepted that arrangement, we met up every few days for oh, I guess four months, two months past the end of her employment.]
[She never told me that.]
[Then, she started asking wouldn''t I like her to move in with me. I said no, she said then where was our relationship going? I said I liked it exactly how it was. It went down hill from there and she broke it off. She wrote about three months later and told me she was pregnant, she didn''t suppose I''d want to do the honourable thing and marry her but would I at least allow her child to be called by my name. We met, I asked her who else she''d slept with, heard her truthful answer of no-one, and I signed the paperwork. I didn''t see her for another two years.]
[You couldn''t tell how pregnant she was?]
[No. I should have asked there and then, but didn''t think at the time. She wore a big coat so I couldn''t tell.]
[And she wouldn''t tell you after?]
[No. No you really want to hear this?]
[It''s my life history, mum would never talk about you.]
[OK. Well, every time we met I asked her if she''d found someone else. The answer was the same: she said she''d learned her lesson, one child was enough without a man about the house, and she didn''t trust the species. So she had no plans of sleeping around, or dating, but if I ever did get an attack of decency she''d be waiting for me and she''d tell me your birthday after we''d married. And did I like her new-improved figure; she always seemed to arrange to meet me after she''d had some cosmetic surgery. I always said yes, very nice, I''d be very happy to take her to bed again, but no thanks on the marriage proposal. I wasn''t willing to do that.]
[Why weren''t you? Too many other lovers?]
[No. Two reasons. One was I was keeping my options open. A possibility I''d thought of was engineering the king''s death and marrying the queen. It would have been an easy route to power if I thought I had much hope with her. The other was I didn''t want the emotional involvement. I was too emotional about you two already. It would make me weaker, give people levers.]
[So, your grand plans, evil plots and the bad company you kept ruined your life as well as hers?]
[And yours.]
[Long term... it seems God has used it for good for me. So no, you''ve not ruined my life. You''ve hurt me a lot, but I''m not ruined. Oh, I''ve got to go. I''ll call you again sometime, but I''ve got to go. God be with you, Dad.]
[Oh, you too, bye.] he thought, surprised, and a little embarrassed at the farewell. People said that? Why not? It''s true. Wow.
[Yes, Dad, it''s true.]
Auditing Headquarters, 12:30pm. Debriefing room.
¡°Mrs Pew, here are my notes and audio recording, which he didn''t ask about once.¡±
¡°Vivian, thank you. How did he react?¡±
¡°Maam, unless he is very very skilful at controlling his thoughts, then what you have there is as close to everything as he could think of.¡±
¡°You''re serious?¡±
¡°He is scared of witches, he''s very familiar with the idea of someone being able to enter government without anyone knowing their hidden agenda, why not the civil service. He knows how single-minded he was. I played the part of a power-hungry witch wanting to take over his ''contacts''. I had to pour scorn on a few parts of the constitution I actually hold dear, but I don''t think I actually lied about anything. He was calling me mistress within about five minutes.¡±
¡°Mistress?¡±
¡°I told him he could call me that. I told him that setting demons on him to give him nightmares was an easy spell, and strongly hinted that it wasn''t much harder to arrange electrical faults to fry him while he was in his cell. I''d told him right at the beginning that he ought to be groveling at my feet since he was a normal now, and I guess that the whole lot was a bit overwhelming. He didn''t literally grovel, but he didn''t try to lie either. You''ll hear on the recording if you listen: I strayed into more personal areas too, and got him to admit some things I''m pretty sure he''d never have admitted unless he was in abject terror of upsetting me. In the end I felt sorry for him and told him that I was a Christian now, and no threat. I didn''t want him to worry himself into a heart attack.¡±
¡°I guess I understand your motive, but if there''s anything he did leave out, you''re not going to get it from him now, are you?¡±
¡°I expect I could actually. I expect anyone could, now.¡±
¡°You think he''s going to abandon all his evil schemes?¡±
¡°I think you might have a message from Maria, maam. I know I got one.¡±
¡°Really? What''s she been telling you?¡±
¡°That he''d just been praying with her and his last prayer included thanksgiving for my visit. I believe other parts of his prayer included the line ''forgive my sins and be lord of my life'', or something similar.¡±
Helen was a little sceptical that Roland Underwood was going to change, but said ¡°You won''t mind if I check to see what she''s sent me?¡±
¡°Not at all.¡±
Helen looked at her messages. She found one from Maria that she''d skipped earlier. ''Report on visit to prisoner, update on health and new status.'' She read it. ¡°You must be joking!¡± she exclaimed.
¡°What?¡±
¡°She must be trying to see who reads messages with boring titles.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Does ''Report on visit to prisoner, update on health and new status.'' sound like the sort of title you''d give to a message about Roland Underwood giving up his life of crime and becoming a Christian?¡±
¡°I guess she thought Hallelujah was too vague. What about his health?¡±
¡°Apparently he''s got some kind of brain damage, and he claims it''s a struggle for him to stay sane. She witnessed it when he became convinced that you had been deceiving him when you said you were not a threat.¡±
¡°Ouch.¡±
¡°And she reports that to solve that issue, she let him talk to Eliza, and at the cost of an epsilon he was reassured and soon after was asking her to help him become a Christian.¡±
¡°Eliza told him over the phone?¡± Vivian was shocked at that breach of security.
¡°I hope not.¡± Helen re-read the note. ¡°No, that''s here, sorry I missed that, she instructed Maria to tell him. And he now has his power back.¡±
¡°Well, he knew she had the power and he''s never told anyone, so I don''t imagine he''ll be telling. Him having the power is very convenient for Eliza.¡±
¡°And probably a pain for his warders, I''m sure.¡±
¡°Hmm. Maybe. They''d better give him some gloves to wear.¡±
¡°Maria suggests that he eventually be downgraded a notch, and immediately be given an incoming-only line, in order that he not accidentally reveal anything.¡±
¡°Maria could have told him about me having the gift instead.¡±
¡°Not her decision, but yes, it was a risk. I wonder if someone should talk to Eliza about that, she mustn''t put herself at risk.¡±
¡°Once she''d involved Eliza... I think you might underestimate how powerful a reassurance it was to her father that Eliza could know I am a Christian. It was only when I was asking about her did I hear any assertion of self-will. He was entirely passive answering about his relationship with his sister, but when I mentioned his daughter he started asking ''Why is she asking this?''¡±
¡°Yes, but why was reassuring him so important?¡±
¡°Because if he was concerned that I was really a witch, then he wouldn''t have listened to me about sorting out his relationship with God.¡±
¡°Oh, you told him to do that too?¡±
¡°Yes, Maam. In the circumstances, I felt it was absolutely right to do so. I''d heard his confession of his sins, I''d heard him express regrets about them. I told him that if he told God that as well as me then it might help his relationship with his daughter and sister. Of course it also makes it easier for us to seek more information from him if my report is incomplete.¡± Vivian added.
¡°I don''t share your faith, but in the circumstances I suppose it did serve the nation.¡±
¡°Maam, I''m convinced that any prisoner who abandons his life of crime serves the nation. I won''t claim today was easy, psychologically or emotionally. Nor will I claim I can guarantee such a success again. But if you wish me to try, I will.¡±
¡°How would you feel about interviewing a man who claims to be a wizard?¡±
¡°Are you sure about the term? You''ve got three options: male witch, wizard or warlock?¡±
¡°Is there a difference?¡±
¡°Absolutely.¡±
¡°I''ll have to check. What''s the difference?¡±
¡°Some people say a warlock is the same thing as a male witch. But the word comes from oath-breaker, in other words a seriously evil guy. The equivalent of what I was pretending to be today; unreformed Underwood with demons doing his bidding. So, if he calls himself that and he''s genuine then he''s really bad news. For me to meet even a male witch, I don''t know. I''d be willing, but pretty nervous. You should know it might put my life at risk, since I''d be confronting the evil forces I''ve abandoned. That''s my uninformed guess, I''d need to ask advice. A genuine warlock? I''d certainly have been terrified before I was a Christian.¡±
¡°And a wizard?¡±
¡°Has probably read too many books, or watched too many fantasy films. He might have the power of course, and maybe he plays with incantations, but I''d expect he''s not as deeply into the occult as I was.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll let you know what we know.¡±
¡°I''ll probably have to check up myself, won''t I?¡±
¡°We can''t ask that of you.¡±
¡°Do you know his name?¡±
¡°Not off the top of my head.¡±
¡°When you know, tell me. Even just a first name.¡±
¡°Thats... not reasonable, Vivian. How is a first name sufficient to identify anyone?¡±
¡°Why not? You know what unique individual you''re referring to, you give me a name which is an identifier for him in your mind. Let''s say for sake of argument it''s Albert. I know you''re not talking about prince Albert, so I''m looking for the whereabouts of the Albert that you mentioned to me who''s said such and such a crazy thing on a form or to whoever you got it from. If we presuppose that God has access to all the information in everyone''s mind, it''s just joining dots. But we don''t even need to assume that. All we need to presuppose is that when you tell me someone''s name, then that chain of identification is all in your mind, and the angel sitting on your shoulder can whisper it to the angel sitting on mine.¡±
Helen looked at her shoulder, somewhat worriedly. ¡°I''ve got an angel sitting on my shoulder?¡±
¡°Not as far as I know, but it''s a relatively common piece of folk-imagery. It was just meant to be an illustration that it doesn''t take omniscience to make that connection. I don''t know how my gift works. I don''t know if I''ve got angels working as supernatural switchboard operators or if I''m tapping directly into God''s knowledge. I expect the truth is too marvelous for us to know.¡±
¡°You know, Vivian, talking to you does bad things to my comfortable agnosticism.¡±
¡°Good. Agnosticism either is either like shutting your eyes, blocking your ears and telling God nyaah nyaah, I can''t see or hear what you''re like so I won''t trust you, or like swimming alongside a life-raft thinking this water isn''t so cold, the sharks aren''t interested in me at the moment, but if I get in the life-raft then I might miss the ride on a helicopter that I can imagine coming.¡±
¡°Thank you for feeling free to share your... candid opinion, Vivian.¡±
¡°Maam, I''m sorry if you found it offensive. What I wanted to say is that the God who gave me my gift is not hiding. We wouldn''t be able to find out what he''s like if he was, I agree, he''s too other. But he isn''t hiding. He wants to be known. I''m very familiar with the fact there are spiritual forces in this world, but I believed God was like an old man, worn out, weak, powerless, not interested in anything and asleep most of the time. But I met a sixteen year old who laughed at me. She''d seen enough of God''s power at work to spot that as nothing but empty propaganda. Then someone on the other side of the planet told the so-called the ''spirit guide'' who I''d welcomed as a stupid power-hungry teenager to shut up and leave me in peace in the name of Jesus. It didn''t even put up a fight. Do you know what that told me?¡±
¡°Urm, your spirit-guide wasn''t that committed to you?¡±
¡°No, it told me that that demon knew God was still active and very much in charge. And thinking about that, I wonder: why am I''m scared to confront any witches? That''s a bit silly, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Urm, just because you''re with Auditing, it doesn''t mean you''re knife-proof, Vivian.¡±
¡°OK, but if the person I''m facing has no gun, and I know I can disarm him if he pulls a knife, then I don''t need to be scared, do I? Just alert.¡±
¡°I don''t want you putting yourself in danger, Vivian.¡±
¡°Thank you for your concern, Maam.¡±
¡°You know what I''m going to do now, Vivian?¡±
¡°No, Maam.¡±
¡°I''m going to send you to get some lunch, and then ask you to come back and enter all these lovely names into Underwood''s files, link them to the individual''s files and give me recommendations with your reasoning about who needs to come in for a little chat, who gets a message saying ''Underwood said he had such and such a claim over you, we are aware but expect no further action unless we hear more'', and so on.¡±
¡°Maam, isn''t that last bit something a senior analyst ought to be doing?¡±
¡°No, Vivian, recommendations are junior analyst level. We did talk about getting you wider experience, I believe, before you go and collaborate with our friends abroad.¡±
¡°So this is a one-off?¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know. It might be useful for you to follow some aspects of the investigation all the way to the conclusion, but it might also be useful to gain some more experience with case by case analysis.¡± She looked up at the camera ¡°Any thoughts up there?¡±
Ashley''s voice came from a speaker ¡°Yes, if there are as many names on that list as I think there are, then that''s plenty of experience. You''re just going to throw her in the deep end all unprepared?¡±
¡°Best way to see how her native good sense agrees with what our normal procedures are, don''t you think? And if she''s thinking along the right lines, then why bog her down with memorising case studies?¡±
¡°I think give her one borderline case study, Helen so this isn''t a totally futile exercise which might be destructive to her self confidence.¡± Dick suggested.
¡°Oh all right. Vivian, after lunch ¡ª and not before ¡ª go to analysis section and ask them for case study 372.¡±
¡°Helen, that''s cruel.¡± Ashley objected.
¡°It''s as real as some of the cases she''s got here, I expect.¡±
¡°Vivian,¡± Dick''s voice came from the speaker ¡°Just so you know, study 372 is a notoriously hard nut to crack. Expect comments from whoever gives it to you. For the record, the three of us gave different responses on out first look at it.¡±
¡°And then changed our minds.¡± Ashley added.
¡°But there is a right answer. So, if you think that it''s easy, then you''re off track, and Ashley''s right, it might be destructive to your self confidence to work on the real cases and have lots of decisions overruled.¡± Helen said, ¡°But if you still can''t make up your mind after looking at it for an hour, then you ought to be able to do OK.¡±
3.00pm
Vivian looked at the ancient analogue wall clock; the little hand was pointing at the three, and the longer one was pointing up. It was fascinating to think that all clocks used to be like that, slowly moving parts of themselves to show the time. They weren''t very common, but there''d been one in the case file, she''d seen. Anyway, she''d had her hour. The case in the case file was deceptively simple. Someone had come forward with apparently clear-cut video evidence of a teacher accepting a bribe from a parent. Quite a substantial bribe, in fact. But the evidence was from twenty years before the video had been presented, and there was no evidence that the bribe had had any effect on the grades that either of the children of the parent received. And nor had there been any impact on the teacher''s lifestyle, or on their bank balance. In fact, if it hadn''t been for the video, there was no evidence that they''d accepted the bribe. Except that the child of the person offering the bribe had been taken off the disciplinary measures early enough to go on a school trip, when the original penalty would have prevented them. But the amount of the bribe didn''t make sense, either, not for a school trip. It was twenty times the cost of the trip. And the evidence showed that the amount of the bribe had left the parent''s account. But.... two months later the exact same amount had been paid back in. Was there no case to answer? Had the bribe been accepted and then refused? Her eye drifted to the clock, she''d had her time and it was time to admit defeat. But Vivian wanted to watch the video again. Was there some clue? She mentally reviewed it. She had always been fairly good with her memory, but found that since receiving the gift she was able to play back things in her mind she''d seen far better than she had before. She''d always had a good memory for details, but it was better now. Was it part of the gift? Maybe: she certainly would need to use that faculty when she looked at someone''s thoughts and reviewed them. There was that analogue clock on the wall, and she realised that there was something funny about it. She played the tape, just concentrating on its hands. There and again, the hands jumped. She looked frame by frame. Yes, the minute hand had been blurred a little before and after the cut. Just enough, so that the hand wouldn''t seem to jump at normal playback speed, but sped up, it was fairly obvious ¡ª the steady movement had two lurches in it. So, the video had been tampered with. It was unreliable evidence. Had money had changed hands? Yes. Had the teacher hadn''t benefited from it? No. Had the money had been returned? Yes. She checked the school records in the case files, what had the child been disciplined for? Destruction of property on a school trip. Of course. The parent had effectively paid bail for the child. Now, who''d supplied the video? The child. Why? Revenge? What for? Hold on... She had a hypothesis only, and needed to check more. Where had that money gone to? Had the money actually been returned? Was she jumping to conclusions?
¡°How are you doing?¡± Ms Pew asked.
¡°I feel I''m close, but don''t have all the evidence.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°Cash sum left the parent''s account, it did not reach teachers account. I don''t know where it went. The same amount returned two months later, but I don''t know where from. The video''s been tampered with, sections taken out.
The kid went on a trip he shouldn''t have, after causing serious damage on a previous school trip. The amount could have been some kind of bond for the child''s good behaviour; and at the moment I''m guessing that''s what happened. The child submitted the video; I want to check the child''s account and the school''s accounts to establish if there''s some motivation for the submission. If I find it went into the school account and out again, and no irregularities in the child''s account then I''m at a loss to explain why, unless the kid just hates the teacher. If it went to the parent''s account from the kid''s, then my guess would be a repeat offence, and the kid feels really sore about its loss, and blames the teacher for letting him post the bond. I''d check the school''s punishment book for after the trip, but I''m not sure I''d find anything there if the loss of the bond sufficed as punishment enough. So, in either case, I think I''d pull the kid in for questioning.¡±
¡°Very well done, Vivian. Now, can you put it aside and work on the real case?¡±
¡°I suppose so. I''d love to know what the real answer is.¡±
¡°By working it out, or me telling you?¡±
¡°Hmm. Good question. If I''m badly wrong, I''d like to find out myself.¡±
¡°You''re not badly wrong at all. It came from the kid''s account. An inheritance, actually. It was a camping trip, he took a liquifuel burner with him, and smuggled some kind of alcohol in the spare tank. He and some friends got drunk, and he decided to light up the stove inside the tent, right next to the fabric. The tent and various other stuff was destroyed, and several of them, including him, got severe burns.
¡°The bond covered the excess on the school''s insurance which got the other kids full medical care, but the insurer said that the boy had clearly set out to cause trouble and it was so entirely predictable what would happen that they counted his wounds as self-inflicted, and so he only got emergency care. Parental insurer took the same line, and the parents didn''t think they stood much chance of a judge disagreeing with the insurance companies. He got left with severe scars on his face and a big chip on his shoulder. He got sent to prison for falsification of evidence. Now, most people don''t ever see the edits on the video. Then what would you have done?¡±
¡°Without that? Oh wow. I guess I''d have tried to find where the money went to. I presume it went into the school account?¡±
¡°Actually into an escrow account, held by a local lawyer.¡±
¡°Then on the evidence here, I''d have had to call in the teacher but I think I''d have said I didn''t think he''d been bribed but I needed help in working out what I was seeing in this video. No, hold on, other school records. I could have looked there too. And I could have looked at where the money came back from, too.¡±
¡°At which point it would have looked like a coincidence, wouldn''t it?¡±
¡°Maybe. I don''t know.¡±
¡°Without seeing the edits, it really comes down to your gut instincts about who was in the wrong, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°And the way they''re acting on the video. It doesn''t look furtive at all, I mean, there''s nothing about either of them to indicate they''re doing something illicit at all. Most people just can''t act that well.¡±
¡°So, you''d still be convinced the teacher was innocent, you think?¡±
¡°Yes, I think so. I found no indication at all of him having received a bribe.¡±
¡°What about his summer holiday that year?¡±
¡°Oh, I spotted that, but it was their tenth wedding anniversary. It was paid for by his wife''s parents.¡±
¡°OK, Vivian, you''ll do. That piece of analysis gets you a promotion, junior analyst Trevithick.¡±
¡°But I''m still in training!¡±
¡°No, Vivian, you''re not. If you''ve noticed, we sent you out to interview Roland Underwood alone. Trainees don''t go interviewing psychopaths alone.¡±
¡°But I''ve got so much more to learn!¡±
¡°Don''t we all? You''ve met the stringent demands of every test we''ve thrown at you, Vivian. Two promotions in twenty four hours. Don''t worry, you can stay a junior analyst for a decade or two while you gain experience, but you''ve got the skills necessary.¡±
¡°So, that''s why they said ''You''re too young for them to do that to you'' and ''Did you upset them or impress them?'' and the like in analysis?¡±
¡°That''s right. And the answer is you keep on impressing us. Well done.¡±
¡°I don''t feel I deserve this.¡±
¡°For what it''s worth, nor did I when they did it to me.¡±
Association / Ch. 11: Guests
Association / Ch. 11:Guests
Friday 5th Jan 2272, 6P.M. The palace
''The royal apartments'' sounded very impressive and Dan wouldn''t have been very surprised to see golden ornamentation, and crystal chandeliers, but at least he''d expected beautifully carved wood paneling and ancient furniture. The furniture was about the same vintage as his parents'', the carpets, well, they were carpets. It looked like they''d been nice, once. Maybe when Albert was born? In fact, the royal apartments looked ... how could he describe them? Tatty wouldn''t be quite fair, not yet. Lived in, might be the best term. And maybe in need of an extra pair of hands to help keep them clean. All in all, he decided it looked like the home of a couple of civil servants.
¡°Surprised?¡± he whispered to Catherine as they were shown to the dining room. It had a table for eight at a squeeze. There were scratches on the legs as though an active child had driven toy cars up and down them. Caroline guessed he had been called Albert.
¡°Slightly.¡±
¡°Oh, hello!¡± Eliza greeted them, getting up from a console. Dan recognised the model; he''d replaced one like it a few years before, because it was getting old and unreliable. ¡°Albert, our guests are here! Thanks for bringing them, Pam,¡± she thanked the lady from reception who''d led them there.
¡°Welcome, welcome!¡± Albert said from the kitchen ¡°I''d come and shake your hands but I''m afraid this might burn. Mother and Father will be along soon.¡±
Dan indicated the computer ¡°Top secret affairs of state?¡±
¡°No, praise God. I''ve actually been getting some research done.¡±
¡°Oh, your M.A.?¡± Catherine asked.
¡°Yes. I''ve come to an important discovery, by the way. It''s unrealistic to try and do academic research when you''re almost a member of the royal family and you''re living in the capital. It worked when I was in Restoration, just about. But the time I''ve gained in not commuting has been more than filled by all these wonderful crisis meetings. And you have to be involved, because it''s a crisis.¡±
¡°But crisis meetings only happen at time of crisis, surely?¡± Dan asked.
Albert laughed from the kitchen, ¡°Sorry, Dan. You''ve heard the thing about clutter growing to fill the available space? Crisis meeting obey the same law. It''s just at the moment most of the crisis meetings are about getting ready for the impact, rather than foreign events and education and the like. And of course, since we''re going to be trying to get away from it all after next Saturday, they''ve been generously trying to bring them forward so we can take part in them.¡±
¡°Who''s the they?¡± Caroline asked.
¡°Ministers, civil servants, parents.¡± Albert said.
¡°Did I hear our cue?¡± Caroline heard from behind her, and turned round to see the King and Queen. She hadn''t expected them to be in full regalia, but she was very surprised to see them in track suits.
¡°We''ll be more presentable soon.¡± the king reassured the open-mouthed kids. ¡°My dear wife has just been throwing me round the gym, as usual.¡±
¡°You''re getting better, dear, really you are.¡±
¡°You keep saying that. I notice that I''m always the one whose holds are broken and who spends most of the time on the defensive.¡±
¡°I''ve had more practice than you have, that''s all. And I''m not that much better than you now, don''t exaggerate.¡±
¡°Spaghetti will be cooked in five minutes.¡± Albert warned.
¡°Oops. To the shower for us then.¡± the king said, and they disappeared into their private rooms.
The kids'' mouths were still hanging limply open.
Catherine pushed them shut with a finger.
Eliza explained, ¡°Her majesty used to be in Security, you know, and won awards for unarmed combat. She says that sparring with his majesty keeps them both fit.¡±
Albert added ¡°And of course, if someone from Security were to spar with Dad and, say, accidentally give him a nose bleed, then they''d be in a lot more trouble than Mum would be.¡±
¡°Is that a tradition you intend to keep up?¡± Dan asked Eliza.
¡°Probably not, but maybe when I''m better. Like Albert said, you''ve got to do something to keep fit, and knowing some self defence might come in handy some day.¡±
¡°I thought you had body-guards for that sort of thing?¡± Dan asked.
¡°We do, and we don''t ever expect to need to defend ourselves. But, things do go wrong sometimes. It''s called contingency planning.¡± Albert said. ¡°I''m not sure if Security are going to say this is off limits for publishing. It might come into the same category as other security arrangements. But you can certainly write about seeing them in tracksuits fresh from their evening exercise if you want to.¡±
¡°I must say, these rooms aren''t quite what I expected, either.¡± Caroline said.
¡°The state rooms are decorated, cleaned, polished, and so on by state money," Eliza explained. ¡°These rooms aren''t. Their majesties income is a matter of public record, only they don''t get the opportunity to economise by going bargain hunting.¡±
¡°Speaking of bargain hunting, I''ll not be surprised if this a taboo subject, but you did a wonderful job of upsetting the fashion industry a few weeks ago.¡± Caroline asked. ¡°Am I allowed to ask about what you''re wearing for the infamous going away outfit?¡±
Eliza smiled. ¡°You can ask, but I can''t tell you. I don''t know exactly.¡±
¡°You don''t know?¡±
¡°I''ve asked some trusted friends to do the shopping for me. They know what size I am and roughly what I want.¡±
¡°Oh. Wow, that''s trusting.¡±
¡°Not much more trusting that letting some designer come up with something unsuitable. I mean, I admit I''m biased, but I think the only time you''ll ever catch me wearing trousers is if I''m digging the garden or something messy and physical like that. I''ve made that bias clear. So, what do at least half of the designers come up with for my going away outfit? A trouser-suit. As for the other half, well, if you haven''t noticed, it''s quite cold outside, that''s because it''s this time of the year called winter. I thought most people knew about seasons, but it seems that the designers who didn''t come up with trouser suits haven''t got that far in their education yet. They thought that a my ideal going away dress should be not just sleeveless but strapless too. Just right for the sub-zero conditions that the weather forecast is predicting, don''t you think?¡±
Caroline laughed, ¡°Oh, that was wonderfully put! I wish I had asked to record you saying that. No wonder you sent them packing. I do wonder what the high fashion industry costs the country per capita. I mean, I can''t imagine that it actually contributes much to society other than helping advertising agencies spend and keeping gossip columns full.¡±
¡°I don''t think I''m allowed to comment on the merits of certain portions of our industry.¡± Eliza said. ¡°Oh, I probably exaggerated about the designers. I think there were one or two that weren''t that unsuitable. But really, the entire competition thing was so obvious. Some chose to go for glamorous, the others for practical, all were expecting their work to win them the entry into a second round or something like that. Maybe it would have worked with months and months before the wedding, but it seemed like they were expecting me to wear whatever they managed to produce out of a hat at the last minute.¡±
¡°Isn''t that what you''re going to get anyway?¡±
¡°Not quite. First off, these are friends already, secondly they''re going to present me with options, and if they make a really really bad choice on the skirts or blouses then I can wear something else.¡±
¡°And who they are is a strictly guarded secret?¡±
¡°Yes. Albert knows, my bodyguard knows, their majesties haven''t asked.¡±
¡°So it''s a bit of a pick and mix?¡±
¡°Yes. No two things from the same shop.¡± Eliza confirmed.
¡°And Maribelle, the keeper of the royal wardrobe, threw up her hands in disgust and said she''d retire,¡± Albert said.
¡°No she didn''t, Albert. That was when the designers came up with such rubbish for what was supposed to be final designs. She suggested I do it the way I''m doing it.¡±
¡°Anyway, dinner is served. By the way, archery is definitely on for those interested and under eighteen.¡±
¡°Why the age limit?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Because I was told I couldn''t abandon our guests to join in, and if I can''t then I don''t think you can either Eliza.¡±
¡°You''re talking about the archery? It''s ages since I''ve done any.¡± commented the King.
¡°I don''t suppose our guests would like to try a little?¡± the queen asked, wistfully.
¡°If they don''t, I''m sure Eliza wouldn''t mind giving lessons some other time.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Come on, auntie, it''ll be fun!¡± Jim urged.
¡°Well, I''ve no objections. Dan?¡±
¡°Actually, I''d love to.¡± Dan replied.
¡°But then we''ve got you here under false pretenses, and we can''t have that.¡±
¡°Tell you what, Dad, you could tell Dan all about God while we eat the spaghetti, which is getting cold, by the way, and then you can eat while we''re playing with the lethal weapons.¡±
¡°Heated debate about deeply held beliefs, the monarch, two convinced republicans and lethal weapons. What could possibly go wrong?¡± Catherine''s niece, Jemimah, asked.
¡°I''m not actually very sure how convinced I am, but let''s leave that subject for now.¡±
¡°Then, Catherine,¡± Eliza asked, ¡°Can I ask you something that''s possibly taboo in exchange for you learning the secrets of my going away outfit?¡±
¡°Go ahead, as long as I can refuse to answer.¡±
¡°Were you teased a lot at school? I mean, didn''t your parents make the connection with the other Catherine Parr, sixth wife of Henry the Eighth? I presume your class-mates must have.¡±
¡°Actually, I was really proud to be named after the one who survived. And she was an intelligent woman ¡ª first ever queen to publish anything in English.¡±
¡°Yes, she was. A great reformer.¡±
¡°That too. So, no, I wasn''t teased. Well, they tried, but it''s very hard to tease someone of something they''re proud of.¡±
¡°That''s true. Well done.¡±
¡°If we''re leaving constitutional issues until we''re better armed.¡± the Queen asked ¡°Where do you stand on the great God debate?¡±
¡°Agnostic/deistic, as in not convinced about a first cause.¡± Catherine replied.
¡°But you really don''t think God intervenes?¡± the queen asked. ¡°Say, to tell us about incoming space rocks or arrange for you to come to give advice about the carpets? How did you know, by the way?¡±
¡°How did I know what?¡±
¡°That the carpets will need replacing?¡±
¡°I had no idea, Maam. I was being entirely facetious. And to be honest, I''d assumed that the gilded cage had a little more glitter in it.¡±
¡°Oh we can show you the glitter later, that''s in the state rooms for visitors we need to impress. But really, do you have any idea how long all that ornate carving takes to keep clean?¡±
¡°Hmm, that''s the other thing, I''d assumed an army of cleaning staff, cooks, and the rest.¡± Dan said.
¡°That''s for the state rooms and state occasions. This is home.¡± the King said. ¡°And do you know what good cleaning staff cost these days? That''d really cut into the household budget.¡±
¡°I don''t know how you manage it.¡± Catherine said, in admiration. ¡°I''d assumed you put in long hours but everything was laid on for you.¡±
¡°It helps, actually, to have some domestic concerns. There''s nothing like a leaking tap to fix to take your mind off an imminent melt-down in international politics.¡± the king said ¡°And in case you''re wondering, no there aren''t enough dripping taps for every crisis.¡±
¡°Sir, are you speaking literally ¡ª your majesty does your own plumbing?¡±
¡°This is our civil-service provided home.¡± The queen said. ¡°We have the same options as any other civil servant: we can do things ourselves or we can pay for a professional. We have two wardrobes ¡ª one for official wear and one for our own clothes. Any clothing that''s given to us by a designer or shop is automatically official wear. We pay for our own holidays, our own furnishings and our own furniture, and we''re not allowed to go into debt. So yes, since plumbers are in short supply and my husband learned how to fix taps and the like from his father, we don''t have to buy in that service. But, because we''re all a bit too busy to clean everywhere every week, we do get in a cleaner to help every few months. As you can see, it''s about time.¡±
¡°Maam, can I ask, why do you do it?¡± Jemimah asked.
¡°Do what?¡±
¡°You''re rushed off your feet, you''d have more freedom and more privacy in practically any other job, why don''t you do something else?¡±
¡°Because someone has to run the country, and there isn''t anyone I can think of who''d do a better job than my husband.¡±
¡°It''s our duty.¡± Albert said. ¡°It isn''t really something I''m looking forward to, but as Mummy says, the alternative is someone else doing it, and they would have no idea what they''re letting themselves in for, not really. They''d think about the public side of things, and think, ''I can do that'', but the stuff you don''t see would wear them down. There''s two reasons that the most stable republics had a limit on how long someone could be president for.
"One was because they had a nasty tendency to treat the national treasury as their personal bank account and fill their own pockets, and the other was that if they were doing the job right, it wore them down. You look at the old pictures: they entered young-looking and full of vigour, and only four or eight years later they were old and grey. That isn''t just because they were older, it was because of the pressure. They weren''t used to it, and it hit them like a hammer. Eliza and I have many many years, I hope, to get used to being on the edge of it. To cope with crisis after crisis, so that it becomes almost normal for us, and we''ll hopefully build up coping mechanisms and ways to relax and let off steam so we don''t crack. If Dad abdicated, then he knows I''ve been getting ready for it, but I''m not really there yet.¡±
¡°You''d cope, Albert, you''re doing pretty well.¡± his father interrupted.
¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dad. But if we asked someone who''d just got the job by election? That''s a very nasty thing to do to anyone. It''d be like taking a new recruit and telling them they''re director of the company. But it''s worse, because at least in a company you don''t normally get politicians around each saying ''I have a clear mandate from the people of my constituency to bring about such and such a change.'' when their changes look attractive in the short term but in the long term they''re not so wonderful. Sorry, Catherine, you wanted us to stay on religion, didn''t you?¡±
¡°I did, but thank you. In summary, you''re saying that the royal family are sticking at the job because although it''s a nasty job, someone''s got to do it, and you don''t think it''d be fair to ask anyone else to?¡±
¡°Not fair on the individual, and not good for the country either.¡± the King clarified. ¡°But yes, there have been plenty of times I wanted to be very selfish and leave the problem for someone else. But my sense of duty doesn''t let me. Or failing that, my wife''s.¡±
¡°The good of the country needs you to be thinking twenty years ahead, or more.¡± the queen said. ¡°I''m not saying we''re perfect, but how can a politician who needs to win an election in a few years really plan for what''s best twenty years ahead? He''ll lose the election to someone whose policies have more short-term appeal and his carefully thought out policies won''t be carried through. Maybe they can at the end of their careers, but I think you''d object to an enforced gerontocracy. Or restricting voting to people who have grandchildren.¡±
¡°The other benefit of a monarchy is that rule until death or old age means that the ruler has no necessary interest in lining their pockets for when they leave power. You can look at the age of chaos to see how that worked with presidents.¡± Eliza added ¡°And you''ve remarked on the lack of gold, servants, and other things that get called the trappings of power. That''s actually in the constitution, but people don''t realise it often.¡±
¡°More attention needed to those clauses by the press, hint, hint.¡± the King added with a grin.
¡°Don''t worry, I''m thinking I might need to write a whole series of constitutional articles.¡± Catherine said. ¡°And then I might need to offer my resignation from the Post.¡±
¡°Maybe there''ll be an opening at the royal press office you could apply for instead.¡± the queen said.
¡°Hey, don''t go corrupting my girlfriend.¡± Dan protested.
¡°Ooooh!¡± Jasmin said ¡°Does mummy know you''ve got a boyfriend, auntie?¡±
¡°No, Jasmin, not unless she regularly reads five pages into comments on Dan''s articles, like his highness here.¡±
¡°I don''t normally read that far.¡± Albert said.
¡°But I do love a nice bit of romance,¡± said the Queen, ¡°and you getting an invitation wasn''t nearly so miraculous from our point of view, Catherine.¡±
¡°Ah-ha! So it''s all a royal plot to win me over to your side and spread joy and happiness where there''s been cynicism and playing hard-to-get is it?¡± she asked.
¡°That sounds a reasonable approximation, doesn''t it love?¡± the king asked.
¡°I think so.¡±
¡°Out of interest, how many people have discovered that your highness cooks excellent spaghetti bolognese?¡±
¡°Not many. I don''t like to repeat recipes very often, and I don''t cook that often. But, as far as invitations to see the state of the furniture, I''m not sure. It''s not that common.¡±
¡°We make about one out of the blue invitation every couple of months,¡± the King said. As for how we pick on people, there''s no formula I''m aware of.¡±
¡°But Catherine, you haven''t answered about God intervening.¡± Eliza said.
¡°If I say he doesn''t, then I''m calling my hosts liars, and I don''t think you are. If I say he does then that''s not consistent with my stated position. Can I just admit that I don''t know?¡±
¡°Or don''t want to know?¡± Dan prompted. ¡°As your majesty reminded us, we like to hide from things we know are true because they''re not convenient.¡±
¡°So, by saying you''d listen to me about it, you were in fact expressing your lack of desire to confront reality?¡±
¡°Urm yes, sir. I suppose I might have equally said something more on the lines of listening to Roland Underwood after he''s turned to God. Verysorry if that''s offensive, Maam.¡± he added to Eliza.
¡°Until lunchtime, that would have been painful, rather than offensive. Now?¡± she laughed, ¡°You''re running out of excuses, Dan. Do you really want to talk to my father about God? It''s possible, but right now it''s probably far far easier to talk to my almost father-in-law.¡±
¡°Do you mean to say that your father has turned to God?¡± Catherine asked.
¡°Yes. He has. He''s also given me what is possibly the third the lamest excuse I can imagine about why he never sent me a birthday card.¡±
¡°Oh, what''s that?¡± Albert asked.
¡°He says he didn''t know when it was. I mean, public records exist, and failing anything else he could have written and asked me, sometime in the last decade, couldn''t he?¡±
Albert laughed ¡°I can see the headlines: ''Master criminal couldn''t work out how to find out public records.''¡±
¡°But actually... I don''t want to publish that without his say so.¡± Eliza said ¡°It''s a bit humiliating for him, I think. Or it should be.¡±
¡°May we publish that he''s become a Christian?¡±
¡°Yes. But I''d assume you''ll need to contact him or maybe the prison chaplain concerning any details. Oh hold on... there are other people involved too... I wonder if someone needs to work out a statement everyone''s happy with.¡±
¡°I expect so.¡± Albert agreed. ¡°You can''t just go publishing bits of someone''s life story without asking.¡±
¡°I thought that was what the press did all the time?¡± the queen said provocatively.
¡°The gutter press, maam.¡± Dan said.
¡°Doesn''t that include us?¡± Catherine asked.
¡°Oh I don''t think so, we''re frequently sarcastic, and often disrespectful, but we don''t stoop that low.¡±
¡°You mean you''re not going to run your write up on the royal apartment with the headline ''Post journalist was right, says queen: need to pull rugs out from under royals'' feet.''?¡± asked prince Albert.
Dan and Catherine looked at each other in surprise, and Jemima sniggered.
¡°Very witty, dear.¡± the queen said with a smile.
¡°I''m not sure....¡± Dan started.
¡°He''s not sure he''d dare suggest loving the idea,¡± Catherine interpreted, ¡°for fear of seeming an ungrateful guest.¡±
¡°It might get quite a few readers.¡± agreed the king. ¡°Like you say, you''re a little bit disrespectful. But you''re here because your honest with it. As long as the article makes it clear that we''re really talking carpets, why not? Too much respect gets cloying.¡±
¡°If you''re sure? It would be an excellent headline.¡± Dan asked.
¡°I won''t claim copyright.¡± Albert said.
¡°Maybe you should.¡± Eliza teased ¡°It might be an interesting experience for their readers to see that the royal family also has a sense of humour.¡±
¡°You''re really out to break down our stereotypes, aren''t you?¡± Catherine asked.
¡°Not all of them. Only the ones that are wrong.¡±
¡°Urm, which ones are OK?¡±
¡°Albert? You''ve read more of their articles.¡±
¡°I''m not actually sure. I think there''s quite a grain of truth in you saying that some channels don''t dare say anything against us for fear of some kind of subtle reprisal. I was half afraid of that when there was no editorial comment about father''s speech. That turned out to be another issue, though.¡±
¡°I thought a lot of the royal correspondents were worried their tickets to your wedding would get cancelled, Albert.¡± the queen said.
¡°Speaking of which, if your father has become a Christian, does that mean that he''s no longer considered a risk and could attend the wedding?¡± Dan asked Eliza.
¡°If it was only the risk, then he''d probably have been there anyway.¡± Eliza said. ¡°It''s also what he stood for. He wanted the sort of monarchy everyone should hate. He still represents that concept, of seeking power at any price in people''s minds. He probably always will. That''s not an idea that I''d welcome at my wedding. Well researched, cynical fun-poking, however is an idea I''m perfectly happy with. So if you don''t think it''ll cost you your readership, the Post is invited to send a correspondent or two. I met someone a few weeks ago who boldly claimed to be a republican, but he was still fighting old battles. He hadn''t actually read the constitution at all.¡±
¡°Maybe we need another term, so that we don''t keep getting lumped with the megalomaniacs.¡± Albert said.
¡°You''ve got one, your highness.¡± Catherine said ¡°The constitution declares the state to be a constitutional servant-monarchy. What I see here is just that. But people seem to have forgotten it. And if I''m given the choice of absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy (which can mean anything), and a republic, I''d choose a republic. What I''m realising is that servant-monarchy is none of the above.¡±
¡°You know why, don''t you?¡± the queen asked, her eyes were sparkling.
¡°I expect I''m going to regret asking.¡± Dan said, noticing that.
¡°We''re back to your least favourite topic, Dan. Servant-leadership is not ultimately derived from greed, and hunger for power, like the others. It''s based on what''s best for others combined with a respect for individual freedom. That''s not a particularly human train of thought, but it does appear in one book or set of books quite a lot.¡±
¡°Let me guess, the Bible?¡±
¡°Exactly. Jesus says all sorts of things about leaders having to be servants. Unfortunately very very few rulers ever got it, and when they did, their people didn''t let them enact it as a law for future kings. Or if they did the kings said, nope, I''ve got the right to tear it up, so there.¡±
¡°I think one of the most telling passages is where Jesus washes the deciple''s feet.¡± Albert said. ¡°It was the job of the lowliest slave, and we know that there were animals on the street and I''d just bet that nine times out of ten someone had probably accidentally stepped in something nasty. So the passage doesn''t say ''no one else wanted to do it so Jesus reluctantly washed their feet so they''d just stop their endless bickering for once.'' No, it says something like ''Knowing that he had absolute power and authority over all creation, and that his position was totally secure, Jesus got everything ready and washed their feet.¡±
¡°You''re saying you can serve because you''re secure?¡±
¡°I think, personally, we''re secure because we serve. But yes, it helps.¡± the King said ¡°Look at how many stupid decisions people take because they don''t feel secure. The whole political party thing is because individuals don''t feel very secure on their own. Look where that got our country. I think the craziest thing in the world is how people, myself included until recently, refuse to trust the loving creator and sustainer of the universe.¡±
¡°I think it''s because we know he''s got ideas about good behaviour.¡± Jemimah said.
¡°And we resent that from our parents, you mean?¡± the queen asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And when we grow up we impose the exact same restrictions on our own children as we resented when we were young.¡±
¡°Why? Why do parents do that?¡± she demanded.
¡°Because,¡± Eliza replied ¡°Mothers talk to fathers and fathers to mothers and they listen to each other and say really? and then decide that maybe those restrictions they hated are a very good idea for keeping their children safe, happy and healthy in the long term. Even when the children can''t see what the problem might be. God, of course, doesn''t need to talk to anyone to know what the long term effects are. Being outside time he can see them.¡±
¡°What do you mean, God is outside time?¡±
¡°The Bible says that to God a thousand years are like a day and a day like a thousand years. It also says that God made the everything that we can see and not see. About two thousand years ago a clever man worked out that that meant time too. We''re vaguely aware of time, depending on what it''s for. For example I noticed that I was hardly ever aware of time passing when I was reading past my bed-time, or putting off my homework, but when I was waiting for my mum to make me lunch then I was very aware of how long it should take her to cook it.¡± Jemimah grinned.
Jim added ¡°Or how long your sister''s in the bathroom.¡±
¡°I never had that problem, but I''m sure you''re right. So, we''re aware of time. We see it go, we can''t get it back, and we can''t nip ahead to next week to see what the history exam is going to be about so we need to waste our time revising stuff we won''t actually need for the exam. Time restricts us. But if God made it, then either he''s really thick, like the man in the story who builds himself a house without a door, or it doesn''t restrict him.¡±
¡°So God''s got a time machine?¡± Jim asked.
¡°He doesn''t need one. Imagine there''s a noticeboard somewhere, and it''s not too big for you to touch all of it. Do you need a special machine to put a note at the top of a noticeboard, another one at the bottom and then a third one back at the top again? Of course not. But if there was a little creepy crawly bug that couldn''t climb up, but just kept on going down, what you just thought of as being dead easy would seem really incomprehensibly amazing.¡±
¡°And God''s like that?¡±
¡°From what I understand, physics tells us that he almost has to be, if he made the universe. Because you don''t get space without time or time without space. But the theologian got there a long time before the physicist. So, if there''s someone who really really loves you, and can see all of time as easily as you can see the whole of that noticeboard, don''t you think it''s worth trusting that person when he says don''t do that or it''ll end in tears?¡±
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¡°Yeah. But does he love us?¡± Jemimah asked.
¡°Yes.¡± Eliza said, entirely confidently, ¡°and he intervenes, and he gives good things to his people, and answers prayers, and he sets thing in motion to answer prayers before we even pray them.¡±
¡°So, if God''s outside of time, why did Lazarus die?¡± Dan asked. ¡°Couldn''t his family have been saved the pain of him dying? How was it to anyones benefit that they suffer like that. And why did Jesus delay, and not rush there as soon as he heard his friend was sick?¡±
¡°Does everyone know the passage Dan''s talking about?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Roughly.¡± Catherine said.
¡°Then I suggest that someone reads it, after we''ve finished getting our fingers sticky with these delicious cakes, made by my father according to an ancient recipe, handed down from generation to generation.¡±
¡°And then posted on the net where I found it last week.¡± the King added. ¡°They turned out pretty well, didn''t they? And yes, there are more in the tin, so everyone who at heart is a starving teenager can have a second one. But I warn you, they probably have more calories in than you''re expecting.¡±
¡°Hmm. I can taste them.¡± Eliza said ¡°There''s no bulking agent in them at all is there?¡±
¡°Eggs, flour, sugar, butter, cocoa and more sugar. Not in that order by weight, either.¡±
¡°Wow. Pure calories on top of too much pasta. Maybe I shouldn''t then. It''s not like I''m walking as much as I used to, I''ll start getting fat.¡± Eliza said.
¡°It''s a real risk.¡± the queen agreed. ¡°Transitioning to palace lifestyle cuts down your walking enormously. You do need to make time for exercise, sorry.¡±
¡°Anyway, I''m not going to eat another, so I''ll get a Bible.¡± Eliza said, heading for the bookshelf.
¡°A paper version?¡± Dan was surprised.
¡°Yes. It''s a lot slower if you need to search for something, of course,¡± Eliza said, opening it to John, ¡°But if you know where the passage is, you can get there quickly, and it doesn''t have problems formatting the page or with an overloaded connection, or with the battery level being low, or with you pointing at something and it deciding to want to turn the page, and all the other little annoyances that might distract you if you tried to use a wrist unit. Here we are.¡± She read it.
¡°You''ve read that very nicely.¡± Jim said, then blushed bright red.
¡°Thank you.¡± Eliza replied. ¡°I''ve practiced.¡±
¡°Now, who noticed some things which didn''t really make sense?¡± Albert asked.
Dan said, ¡°He delayed because he loved them. Did the translators get the wrong word?¡±
¡°His disciples didn''t get it.¡± Jemimah said.
¡°The mourners didn''t get it.¡± Jim said, not to be outdone.
¡°I get the feeling no-one got it.¡± Catherine said, ¡°Including the translators.¡±
¡°I have to admit that our pastor has just did a three-sermon series on this passage recently.¡± Albert said.
¡°Oh, typical!¡± Dan exclaimed ¡°Who keeps loading the dice against me?¡±
¡°Maybe it was God making sure that prince Albert would be able to answer your questions.¡± Jemimah suggested.
¡°Or maybe God just made you think of the story.¡± Jim countered.
¡°Who''s side are you two on?¡± Dan asked plaintively, drawing a laugh from Catherine.
¡°Who suggested the archery? I''m on their side.¡±
¡°That''d be me.¡± Albert said. ¡°So, summarizing about an hour and a half into lots less, the translators did a good job. It''s just our expectations and priorities that are wrong. Note that Jesus stayed two days and Lazarus was had been dead four. Thus without him doing a miracle of timing, he wouldn''t have got there on time anyway. Note that even the crowd who didn''t get it thought that if Jesus had got there, then healing him would have been easy for him. In other words, Jesus and healing people were so hand in hand that it didn''t surprise anyone at all. It had stopped being a miracle, in fact, it had just become something that Jesus did. Imagine someone telling you ''I went to the dentist, and he had this buzzy thing which made a hole in my tooth and he put something in it, and my tooth hasn''t hurt since.'' You''d say, ''yeah, so what? That''s what dentists do.'' But they''ve only done that for the past few hundred years. They used to strap you down to a table and pull your teeth out while you screamed your head off, unless they hit you in the head to knock you out first. A wonderful advance of medicine is now boring. So, they expected Jesus to heal, just like Dan does, who doesn''t even believe in God. A miracle of healing would have been boring, nothing to see. Just Jesus healing someone else, no big deal, that''s what he does. A miracle of Jesus getting there on time would be even less significant, they''d have just said ''Great, Jesus, we just sent someone to find you, what a coincidence...'' But Jesus'' miracles were for a purpose, to show people who he was, so what would be the theological point of a timing miracle like that?¡±
¡°Not much.¡± Dan admitted.
¡°Same goes for a healing from a distance. OK, spectacular, but he''d done it before, no big deal. He''d even raised people to life before. But because other prophets had brought people back to life again ¡ª that just confirmed that Jesus was a prophet. But the miracle people were talking about was healing the man born blind, because no one had done that before. It must be a bigger miracle. Or was it? Who knows. People probably debated it as an interesting point of theology. But raising someone back to life after four days, that was impossible. Up to three days? That was OK, because the people of the day thought that the soul stayed near the corpse for three days. But after four days? The soul was definitely gone to the place where dead souls went to wait for judgement, rot had set in in the body, no way is that guy coming back to life. So Jesus makes sure that he gets to Lazarus four days after he''s been buried. Because he loved the family. Because he wanted them to have conclusive proof that he wasn''t just the first miracle-working prophet in Israel for hundreds of years, but he was God on earth. He was backing up his words with actions that no one could argue them out of. And why was he upset and angry? Because the crowd were blotting out thought with all their professional-grade wailing, and the people he''d spent time with, taught, explained things to, just followed the crowd and gave up as soon as death came. They called him lord, but forgot that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and they were acting like they''d never see Lazarus again. No wonder Jesus wept; these friends of his were in deep trouble: they hadn''t just lost their brother, but their faith and hope had all but evaporated too. And unless anyone wants more, I guess we can evaporate or at least go away from here, in the direction of the archery lessons.¡±
¡°Don''t you think we should ask Eliza if we can all descend on her?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°I suggest what we can do is give a little tour of the official bits of the palace, and then ask when we get there.¡± the Queen countered,
¡°No, I agree with Eliza, let''s give her a few minutes to think about it.¡± the King replied. ¡°eight students is very different to two.¡±
¡°Yes, but we know she''s flexible,¡± countered the queen.
¡°But we don''t want her to snap, and this is a favour she''s doing us. Let''s be polite. Albert, can you? I presume that Nigel will be lending a helping hand.¡±
¡°Of course, father.¡± Albert said, and touched his wrist unit''s call button ¡°Hi, Nigel, we''re guessing that you''re making sure that Eliza doesn''t get too lonely while we idle away the time here, is that right?¡±
¡°Urm, yes, that''s one way of putting it. Are you ready for her to come and get the kids?¡±
¡°We were thinking that we''d give all four of the guests the guided tour, so we can keep on chatting, and we also have this itsy-bitsy request for Eliza to consider while we''re coming: would she like another six students?¡±
¡°Urm... right. I''ll ask.¡±
¡°You don''t sound too hopeful.¡±
¡°Too many students makes for too many accidental targets.¡± Nigel said. ¡°But like I said, I''ll ask.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡± Albert said.
¡°How many extra students?¡±
¡°It sounds like the entire dining party: Six more students, I presume we''re talking the two invitees, their majesties, plus Albert, and Eliza.¡±
¡°Hmm. Great opportunity for the republicans to attempt regicide, don''t you think?¡±
¡°Oh, don''t! I was just thinking that there''d be lots of opportunity for someone to be helpful and collect arrows just as someone was about to loose.¡±
¡°Or someone manages a really really good fumble and shoots at ninety degrees.¡±
¡°So, you''re going to say no, I take it?¡±
¡°Of course not.¡± Eliza said with a grin. ¡°I''m just going to insist that you are guarding the onlookers, while I''m concentrating, one on one. As long as they stay well back.¡±
Looking about the room, which was alternatively used as a target range for training in various combat situations and as an indoor sports or fitness area, Nigel wondered how he could confine his monarch''s impulses to try to be helpful without telling everyone to sit like good children on the crash mats. ¡°How about we pull out the changing screen and ask that they stay behind that?¡±
¡°Hmm. Possible, but they can''t watch, can they? How about next door instead? Not so much disturbing sound if they''re chatting, the door is more arrow-proof than the screen, they can look through the window, and of course it makes controlling wanderers very easy for you.¡±
¡°Have I told you you''re marvelous recently?¡±
¡°Yes, Nigel, but you can say it again.¡±
¡°You''re marvelous. As well as beautiful.¡±
¡°You are in love, so I''m not sure you''re a good judge of that.¡±
¡°But I thought you were beautiful before I fell in love with you.¡±
¡°Hmm. OK, so I used to be beautiful, and now you''re biased.¡±
¡°Would you prefer that I fall out of love with you so that I can give you an unbiased opinion?¡±
¡°Of course not.¡±
¡°That''s good. I don''t plan on doing it.¡±
¡°I''m glad. I do acknowledge that my appearance probably hasn''t changed much in the past couple of weeks. It''s just that, you know, I''m just thinking that eventually it will. And one day you might stop being biased. And then where will I be?¡±
Nigel thought about it. From his point of view he couldn''t really imagine her losing her beauty until she was fifty or sixty, and even then, according to his dad, almost every man''s definition of beauty was constantly updated by how his wife looked when she smiled at him. ¡°Do you want my honest reply to that?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. Will I like the answer?¡±
¡°I was just thinking that, if things move in the direction I''m hoping, you''ll be surrounded by kids and our grand-kids, and quite probably at my funeral. I can''t imagine stopping being biased until then.¡±
¡°Nigel, don''t be ridiculous.¡±
¡°What do you mean, ridiculous?¡±
¡°You really think that you''re going to find be beautiful when I''m old, grey and saggy?¡±
¡°I know my dad is convinced mum is the most attractive sixty-something year old on the planet.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s really sweet.¡±
¡°I think that it''s normal Eliza. It''s called a loving marriage.¡±
Dan won the toss to be the first adult trainee, once the children had each had some time practicing. ¡°Catherine, you''ve been really quiet recently,¡± Eliza observed.
¡°I know. Not like me at all, actually. I guess I''m having deep thoughts about preconceived ideas.¡±
¡°Would talking about them help?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. God intervening in history. It''s a bit of a strange concept.¡±
¡°Why strange? I thought it was the basis for a lot of religions.¡±
¡°Yes. But my mother is Unitarian, and very much on the deist, universalist wing, if you''re familiar with that creed.¡±
¡°Not at all, I''m afraid.¡±
¡°I grew up being taught by my mother that yes there was a God, but he''d set things in motion and wasn''t involved now. My father on the other hand said you don''t need to bother with that god business, if he''s there then he doesn''t matter.¡±
¡°Deist accepts God as creator but not involved, is that right?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And universalist says that everyone will be saved?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And Unitarian means your mother would claim that Jesus wasn''t more than a human?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Yes. A special human, but human.¡±
¡°Where does that leave his statements where he claims to be God, like ''Before Abraham was, I am''?¡± Albert asked.
Caroline bristled. ¡°You know, I don''t know. I''m sure that in the centuries since it was recognised as an acceptable religion in Transylvania in the sixteenth century, no one''s asked that question.¡±
¡°I expect they have, and I''m sure it''s been answered before too, but I was wondering what your mother would say, or more precisely, you.¡±
¡°My mother would probably say that the Bible is an interesting book, but you can''t take these things on face value, you need to use your rational mind.¡±
¡°So, she''d say that if you can''t make sense of it then you shouldn''t accept it?¡±
¡°Exactly, and the trinity certainly isn''t something she''d say was something she could make sense of.¡±
¡°And miracles don''t fit into her rational world, so they don''t happen, either?¡±
¡°Exactly. And it''s not rational to believe that God could fit into a human body, so Jesus can''t have meant that. And on the assumption that you''re going to ask about the world''s favourite miracle, I expect she''s having a private crisis of certainty to learn that there are fifty six people walking around on the planet with access to too much knowledge.¡±
¡°Fifty seven now.¡± Eliza corrected.
¡°Really? I hadn''t heard that.¡±
Eliza shrugged ¡°I heard a few days ago. After my kidnapping, I was sent to the Institute so I could be to be put back together, and I made some friends there.¡±
¡°Including...¡±
¡°Yes, including people with the gift.¡±
¡°Is that normal? That they tell people who they are, I mean?¡±
¡°It depends on the circumstances, and the individual. It''s up to them. If it serves a purpose and they trust the person not to blab, and all the rest then they can be very open. They decided I had real problems about feeling I was a total failure, untrustworthy, and a total outcast because of my father, and decided to show me how trustworthy they thought I was.¡±
¡°Oh. Right. That''s quite a risk.¡±
¡°So''s taking that step of trusting God. But on the other hand, I''d rather take the risk of not breathing than take the risk of stopping trusting him now that I know him. You mother''s faith seems very rational and reasonable.¡±
¡°I''m sure she''d be happy to hear you say so.¡± Catherine said, surprised.
¡°Yes. But I''m not sure I like a couple of her axioms.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Go on.¡±
¡°It seems rather like she''s fitting God into her view of what he ought to be like, rather than allowing him to reveal himself to her.¡±
¡°It''s overwhelmingly arrogant, you mean? I''ve thought the same thing. The logic appeals, the basis for morality appeals, but I was never really been convinced that there wasn''t some fatal floor in her arguments. Which is why I decided to stay agnostic. But with you all confronting me with the idea that God intervenes, and no one here seems like a raving nut-case, that''s another flaw in her arguments, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Urm, yes.¡±
¡°In fact, although she calls herself a Christian, you''d probably say she''s compromised too much, wouldn''t you, and say that she''s too far from the God she trusts to be saved?¡±
The queen answered ¡°I can''t tell where she stands, Catherine. If she trusts God, and has asked him to save her from her sin... Well, the Bible says God doesn''t want anyone to perish, and that everyone who calls on him will be saved. But on the other hand there''s the thing with the sheep and the goats. I don''t think she''s right, but no-one can say if she''s safe or not, that''s between her and God.¡±
¡°Maam, you''re technically not quite right about that last bit.¡± Eliza said ¡°Someone with the gift can look at someone''s sin. That''s how my father''s victims were discovered on the day the gangs went mad.
"If they check a Christan, then they see them as God sees them: pure and holy in his sight. But it''s probably the most dangerous use of the gift, with a real risk of too much information and boiled brains. It''s not for satisfying curiosity. But what about you Catherine?¡±
¡°Oh, I''m pretty sure that I''m not among the saved.¡± she said lightly, ¡°And thanks to your intervention, I find myself wanting to talk a lot of this through with Dan.¡±
¡°That''s understandable, but don''t stop thinking about God if Dan''s not interested.¡±
¡°According to what my mum''s told me, if Dan''s not interested in God, and I am, then I should be breaking off the relationship, shouldn''t I?¡±
¡°Auntie, you can''t break up now!¡± Jemimah protested. ¡°You''ve only just started going out.¡±
¡°It doesn''t get any easier, Jem. Better to break up sooner rather than later.¡±
Just at that moment, Dan came in. ¡°Who''s breaking up?¡±
¡°You and auntie.¡± Jim said.
¡°Maybe.¡± Jemimah added.
¡°What?¡± Dan asked Catherine, shocked.
¡°Note to self, don''t have hypothetical conversations in front of kids.¡± She said. ¡°I was just contemplating the infinite and thinking that if I''m going to succumb to the royal family''s nefarious plot to save my soul and you don''t then according to my mum ''Just stop it before you get to the altar, or it''s a lifetime of hurt.''¡±
¡°Oh, so as long as we''re both undecided and open to persuasion, then I don''t need to panic?¡±
¡°I''m not undecided, Dan.¡±
¡°You''re not?¡±
¡°No. I''m probably going to shock my nut-case neighbour and actually ask about the exploring Christianity courses she keeps inviting me to.¡±
¡°Why do you call her a nut-case?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Mostly because she''s almost eighty and is unreasonably happy. I mean, she lost her husband a decade ago, and when something reminds her of him, you can see that she''s about to cry, and then quick as a flash she says ''Well, he''s in a better place and I''ll be joining him soon, so I don''t have anything to complain about really, do I?'' Why can''t she just have a good cry or scream at God a bit, or something like that?¡±
¡°I expect she gets the resurrection of Lazarus.¡± Dan said. ¡°Can I come too? Oh, Eliza''s waiting for her next pupil.¡±
¡°Catherine, do you want to go?¡± Albert asked, sensing her hesitancy.
¡°I think I''d like to explore Dan''s thinking a little bit.¡± she replied.
¡°OK, who''d like to go next then?¡±
¡°I will.¡± Eliza answered, ¡°I''ve monopolised the conversation with Catherine, so I''ll let everyone else a chance to get a word in.¡±
¡°If I might overrule?¡± the King asked. ¡°I think Dan and Catherine are going to be talking with each other quite a lot, for the next slot. I''d like to be free later on if I''m going to make good on my promise to Dan.¡±
Catherine couldn''t resist, ¡°Oooh, we can''t have the king breaking promises, can we?¡±
¡°Not if we can help it, no.¡± agreed the queen, and so Eliza went to learn from Eliza after the king.
¡°How''s the discussion going?¡± Eliza-in-security asked.
¡°Weird. Every time we start talking political systems it ends up religion, and every time we start on theology we seem to end up in politics.¡±
¡°Here''s some safety gear for you.¡±
¡°And there I was thinking we''d just be picking up a bow and shooting it with bare fingers like people in films.¡±
¡°People in films deserve to try it with a real bow, and see how quickly their fingers end up bleeding.¡±
¡°Ah. OK. Creative idiocy strikes again?¡±
¡°Yes indeed. A bit further up. Yes, well done. So, any particular prayer matters?¡±
¡°They''re intelligent and open, and nervous about whether this is going to ruin their relationship. I''ve not much idea about Dan''s history, but Catherine was raised with an atheist father and a Unitarian-deist-universalist mother. So struggling with familiar concepts.¡±
¡°How do you struggle with familiar concepts.¡±
¡°She hasn''t said, but I expect her mother simplified the world into nice rational Unitarians and ''check your mind in at the door'' Trinitarians. She recognised the pride inherent in telling God what he''s got to be like. So she knows roughly where we''re coming from, but our attitudes aren''t quite what she expected, so she''s interested.¡±
¡°And Dan?¡±
¡°He studied philosophy and journalism, poor guy.¡±
¡°Why poor guy?¡±
¡°For a start, he''s a shy one, so he was never going to make it as a roving journalist. And I think his philosophy seriously damaged his concept of reality.¡±
¡°Seriously?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. I can''t make him out, really. I think he can probably run mental circles around us, he just doesn''t want to, since that''d be a bit rude. He does value clarity of thought, and seems so quick to change sides in a discussion to point out any logical inconsistency on either side, that I''m not actually sure he has any idea what he thinks, except that he doesn''t want to tell Catherine to go investigate God on her own. I think he''s got quite a problem with the miraculous, though.¡±
As Albert went to practice archery, Dan said, ¡°I''ve got to admit a real problem.¡±
¡°Oh? What''s that?¡± Catherine teased, ¡°The woman you claim to love is embarrassing you?¡±
¡°No. Miracles. I mean, lovely for plot devices, but if God''s creation is perfect why does he need to tweak things, and if his creation isn''t perfect why are we paying so much attention to him? I''m sure there''s a rational explanation for everything. There has to be. But your whole belief-system seems very dependent on God coming along and tweaking things ¡ª It just seems... needless if he''d done it right.¡±
¡°Oh, it''s scandalously dependent on miracles ¡ª the Exodus, parting of the Red sea, the giving of the Law, the prophets'' ministries, the Incarnation, the Resurrection, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. And so on and so on.¡± Catherine agreed. ¡°That''s one of the big problems with my mother''s position as a semi-deist Christian. I don''t think our hosts see that as a problem, though.¡±
¡°I think the problem is that you''re seeing the universe as something that, once created, has it''s own existence, separate from God.¡± the Queen pointed out. ¡°That''s not the Christian world-view. Jesus is described as creator and sustaining all things. The existence of the universe is dependent on God, and every aspect of it, from subatomic particles up, behaves according to his will; always. It''s not that the miraculous is God intervening, it''s that normally God''s will is what we call the laws of physics, which is part of his demonstration to us that He''s not capricious. But it''s all his will, whether general or specific.¡±
¡°So you''re saying that something as mundane as gravity is just as miraculous as Jesus walking on water?¡± Dan asked.
¡°Not quite. Miracles are unusual, which is why we notice them. And God wills them to happen to get a point across. Without a point, they just become capriciousness. But if there''s a point, God doesn''t need to fill in any paperwork or make a special effort that leaves him tired.¡±
Albert decided to take a different line. ¡°Did you read about my friend and his wife learning they were expecting? That was pretty amazing, don''t you think?¡±
¡°The press reports were right?¡±
¡°Pretty much, as far as I know. I told the lady concerned my friend''s nick-name, and she told me exactly where he was, down to where in the hotel room and exactly who he was with. His name, his wife''s name and maiden name, and that she had a passenger. Apparently, normally she''d just get names, but she wanted their full names so dug deeper than normal and everyone got a surprise.¡±
¡°Your highness witnessed it, and has a point in raising it. It''s better than hearsay, but not as reliable for me as to see it with my own eyes.¡±
¡°You want me to call her and ask for a repeat performance?¡± Albert asked. ¡°If that''d convince you then she might agree.¡±
¡°Dan, don''t accept that offer.¡± Catherine warned.
Since he''d been about to accept, he was taken aback. ¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Because I know you too well. If you don''t trust his Highness, and you don''t trust the accounts of the other people involved, then I don''t think you''re going to be convinced by your own eyes and ears either. It''d just look like damning evidence that you don''t want to be convinced.¡±
¡°I''m just setting up false arguments, you mean?¡±
¡°I mean that you started off this evening talking about Lazarus, and asking why not other miracles. You had no problem at all accepting that miracles happen then. OK, it might have been a debating point, but you''re too good at that sort of mental gymnastics for most people to know what you really think. Right now I think you''re still playing that sort of game, and you''re being an obstinate materialist at the moment. How about you just think as Dan for the moment?¡±
¡°I''m not sure it''s a game.¡± Dan said.
¡°Well, if you want to, then accept the offer, but if it doesn''t convince you, then that''s not the result of an enquiring mind, not yet daring to believe but willing to be convinced, now is it?
Witnessing something like that... Well it''d convince me that miracles happen, that God is real, like my mum says, but he''s much more involved than she believes, and I''d be going along to those exploration groups convinced already. But if you see that evidence and don''t accept it then I doubt anything will. And that''d probably mean our relationship is over, wouldn''t it?¡±
Dan was quiet for a long time, thinking. Catherine knew him well, better than he knew himself, it seemed. He really didn''t want to admit his parents might be right. But he didn''t want to lose her, either. He turned to the monarch. ¡°Your speech had a lot of truth in it, sir. It''s not so much the lack of evidence as obstinate refusal to accept what we don''t want to be true, isn''t it?¡±
¡°I think maybe your article made that fairly clear. And that the young lady has brought a strong lever to bear, hasn''t she?¡±
¡°Forcefully, yes. And I feel rather like a snail caught between a rock and a hard place.¡±
¡°Dan, you''ve never told me, and I''ve never asked. Are your parents still alive? Is this something to do with them?¡±
¡°Got it in one, Cath.¡± He got up and walked to the door where he watched the archery for a bit, then turned back and said. ¡°My parents are alive, and well, as far as I know. I''ve not heard much from them since I declared myself agnostic after a week at university. For one reason or another, mostly revolving around the pastor, when I was thirteen or so, they led a chunk of the congregation away from the little church I grew up going to; where I had a few friends. Their cronies were mostly older than they were, and I was the only one younger than sixteen. Dad got named the part-time pastor of the breakaway group, and he preached a strict faith that had no time for dissent or questioning, and practiced it at home. I wasn''t allowed to meet my old friends, mostly because we''d only ever met at church, but also because our village was a long way from town where the church was. The congregation grew a bit as others from the same church joined us. Then there was another disagreement, I don''t know the issue. Half of our group left, to other churches. That left Dad the pastor of about fifteen people. My last Sunday school lesson at the old church had been ''By this shall everyone know that you''re my disciples, that you love one another.'' Dad''s sermons, however, where heavy on ''If anyone preaches another gospel let him be eternally condemned.'' After, I don''t know, about five years, the pastor at the old church was sacked, and a year later mum and dad and the rest of the people went back, saying ''see, we were right about him.'' I was at university by then. Once I declared myself an agnostic, my dad said I was welcome to visit, but he''d prefer it if I didn''t stay for long, which suited me just fine.
"In all this, I saw a lot of self-righteousness, back-biting, bitterness, gossip and very little love or tolerance. So I decided they must be following the wrong religion, or that if God did care about that church then either he ought to zap someone, or God doesn''t do miracles. I wasn''t sure if it was the original pastor who figured so often in my Dad''s sermons who needed zapping, or if it was Dad. I don''t really want to tell them they were right all along, because I''m still fairly sure they weren''t.¡±
¡°But you haven''t actually talked to them about it since?¡± Catherine asked.
¡°No. No, I drop mum a short note now and again, she replies.¡±
¡°That''s a really sad story.¡± Eliza said. ¡°Your parents actions really damaged your faith, didn''t they?¡±
¡°Yes, but, well, it''s all ancient history now.¡±
¡°The thing about ancient history, is it''s still present-day if you''re still living it.¡± The King pointed out.
¡°Yes. I have three options: God''s not there, God doesn''t do miracles, or my parents were right. I will freely admit that I don''t find any of the options intellectually satisfying.¡±
¡°What about your parent''s being right about God''s existence, but wrong about his character?¡±
¡°That''s why I want to go to the exploration group with you.¡±
Eliza had a thought, and acted on it. She checked for saved people in the room; herself, their majesties, and Dan.
[Albert? Any objection if I tell them I have the gift?]
[Why?]
[I''ve realised I got it wrong. It''s dead easy to tell who''s saved: I just count dots. Dan''s rejected his parents strict upbringing and lack of grace. But he glows.]
[I''ll get Eliza to call the kids back, if that''s OK.]
[Good thought.] she agreed.
When that''d been accomplished, much to the joy of the youngsters, Eliza spoke.
¡°Dan, you might want to think about something.¡±
¡°Yes, maam?¡±
¡°When you were talking about your church, you knew what should be there. When you wrote your article, behind the cynicism, you wrote like someone who knew what he was talking about. You know what church should be like, don''t you? In your heart?¡±
¡°Ha! I''m an optimistic dreamer, you mean?¡±
¡°Are you? I thought you were pretending to be a bitter, cynical man.¡±
¡°Why can you and Catherine see through me so easily? How do you know me?¡±
¡°Oh, I expect Catherine''s been watching you carefully for years.¡±
¡°Oh, I have. But I''m not sure how you can, maam.¡±
¡°Oh, call me Eliza, please. As for me, I can cheat. Dan, when you were at Sunday school, I expect you prayed the prayer, didn''t you?¡±
¡°Well, yes.¡±
¡°Dan, I very strongly suspect that you know what church should be like because the Holy Spirit you invited into your heart has been telling you.¡±
Dan''s eyes opened wide. Was it possible? It was shocking. But it did seem to ring true. ¡°Maam, I don''t understand how you thought of that. And I don''t understand what you meant by cheat.
¡°I''m afraid I misled you earlier.¡± Eliza admitted ¡°I just tried another way of spotting saved people. There are five in this room at the moment.¡±
¡°I''m confused.¡± Catherine said. ¡°What''s the prayer, and what do you mean, about spotting saved people, Eliza?¡±
¡°The prayer is the one which counts, above all others.¡± Dan said, shaking his head in wonderment. He was pretty sure he understood what Eliza meant. ¡°The prayer when you commit your life to God.¡±
¡°But you didn''t believe in him.¡± Catherine said, still confused.
¡°It seems that he believes in me, though. I wasn''t sure He was real, if he cared. I guess he does. No wonder I wanted to go to the exploration group as soon as I heard about it.¡± Then turning to Eliza he added ¡°Thank you for your trust.¡±
Catherine was still visibly confused, and said so.
¡°Catherine, There''s a reason I''m very well informed about people with the gift, as well as knowing people at the Institute. God seems to have decided I needed to know I was trustworthy too, so he gave it to me. He actually gave it to me to help me escape my captors, I just didn''t realise. I know Dan said thank you, but I did just let you in on a class epsilon state secret. Please don''t tell, I''d hate for you to get in trouble.¡±
¡°I didn''t know there was such a thing.¡± Catherine said, fascinated.
¡°There isn''t on the statute books. We don''t even admit they exist.¡± The king said, with a smile. ¡°If it came to trial, then the charge would be knowingly breaking a state secret of unspecified category, or I suppose we might just charge someone with the implicit class delta state secret ¡ª that Eliza is a thought-hearer too.¡±
¡°In case you''re wondering, no, you haven''t been leaking thoughts which have helped me convince you, or anything like that.¡± Eliza said. ¡°I said I''d cheated because I knew that Dan''s confession of faith had saved him, so I made some guesses. But you knowing does make one thing easier. Would you like me to ask my dad if he''s happy to talk to you about his conversion?¡±
¡°He knows about your gift?¡± Catherine asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°That... that should be the scoop of the year.¡± Dan said ¡°Yes please!¡±
¡°It might be. I''m not really sure. It basically boils down to him realising that he wasn''t that unusual, is mortal, got scared, and then the final straw: his entire plan was based on a very wrong presumption.¡±
¡°There is another state secret in there, Eliza.¡± The queen warned.
¡°I know. And it''s not for me to say it.¡±
¡°Albert, we''ve discussed declassifying the alpha. The consequences will fall on you and your children.¡± the King said ¡°Your decision.¡±
¡°Father, consequences for our children are already there for anyone to work out from Eliza''s father. I think we can time the release with the establishment of the C.A.T.¡± Albert said. ¡°There''s the chance that it would provide reassurance to people who might be nervous about the list turning into a witch-hunt.¡±
Catherine raised a hand to her shoulder-height ¡°Might I enquire if C.A.T stands for ''Chartered Association of Truthsayers''?¡±
¡°It does,¡± the King confirmed, ¡°I expect to be signing the charter next week. At Albert''s suggestion, I will also declassify the state secret at about the same time, that refers to a certain ability my father had. He had very fast reactions, my Dad, and when he clapped me on the shoulder and asked me what I''d been up to, there was no chance of getting away with a fib. It was as though he knew just what I was thinking.¡±
¡°My father''s whole terrible plan was based on the thought that he had superior genetics, and so his descendants should be on the throne.¡± Eliza added. ¡°He over-looked the possibility that someone with the same genetic trait he had might already be there, with far better morals.¡±
¡°So, your majesty knew that your father could hear thoughts?¡± Dan asked.
¡°No, of course not. Thought hearing was something for fantasy writers to use as a plot device, like telekinesis, faster-than-light travel, and tractor-beams.¡±
¡°Not to mention forcefields and of course terraforming planets.¡± Albert added.
¡°Hmm. Interesting that, isn''t it? I wonder how many other fantasist''s ideas will become reality.¡± Dan asked.
¡°An ever decreasing number, I expect, since they don''t seem to have felt the need to come up with anything else for the last few centuries.¡± Eliza said. ¡°And no, I''m not going to look for people with telekinesis. If they exist, and they want to come out of the shadows, then they can turn up at the institute to be tested. If someone does do that, proves genuine, and asks ''am I the only one'', then maybe.¡±
¡°I wonder when the first entertainment channel will be asking for technical advice about what the thought-hearer characters they want to put into their shows can and can''t do.¡± Catherine asked.
¡°Since most of them don''t bother asking about our lives, or basic physics and chemistry for that matter, I expect that''ll be quite a while.¡± the queen said.
¡°I can imagine someone deciding that you need to put your hand to your temple or something like that.¡± Albert asked.
¡°Or pulling a face.¡± Eliza suggested.
¡°Whereas there''s no visual clue at all?¡± Catherine asked.
¡°Is there a visual clue when you hear something? It''s a similar sense. Maybe it''ll distract you, or you''ll react to something the other person hasn''t said yet. But you learn fairly quickly that ''He was going to take my pencil!'' doesn''t get you very far with parents or nursery school teachers.¡±
¡°And sometimes, say in a race, you just need to fake having slow reactions, or you get accused of jumping the gun.¡± Albert added.
[Did you need to do that?] Eliza asked.
[They know it''s in my genes, so they''re going to work it out, or at least strongly suspect it. If I tell them plainly, then they''re going to be more careful about speculating about it in their writing.]
¡°Your highness,¡± Dan asked, ¡°have you just let us in on another state secret?¡±
¡°Class delta, yes.¡± he confirmed. ¡°I thought it would make it easier for you to know when you needed to be careful rather than just guessing.¡±
¡°And you''ll probably find certain other things suddenly become clearer.¡± Eliza offered ¡°Like the speed our relationship developed at and just how we were doing a lot of talking and falling in love but not dating or breaking safe-house rules about making regular calls from them.¡±
¡°It probably also helped when mother called Eliza a national treasure and threatened to beat me into a pulp if I dared to let her get away.¡± Albert said.
¡°I didn''t threaten to beat you into a pulp, Albert, don''t exaggerate. I just pointed out that you''d been rather obviously gazing into her eyes for at least half the meal, and off in a private conversation of your own, so your declaration that you had no plans to meet seemed like a very surprising step.¡±
¡°So it was love at first sight?¡± Dan asked.
¡°Hardly.¡± Eliza said, ¡°But someone did some ruthless matchmaking.¡±
¡°Ruthless matchmaking? What does that look like?¡± Catherine asked.
¡°It sounds like ''Sorry your highness, I know that you''re interested in me, but that''s just because I''m the first single thought-hearer you''ve met in a decade and I''m really not interested. Chat up Eliza instead. She''s a much better candidate than I am.'' Or something like that.¡± Albert explained. ¡°And with much indignation at such match-making, we got talking, and I decided she had a point.¡±
¡°It''s a shame we can''t publish that. Can I ask why you described Eliza as a national treasure, Maam?¡± Catherine asked the queen.
The King answered. ¡°Because she was the one who saw the truth about my attitude to God in my mind and was then brave enough to tell me it was beneath me to pretend I didn''t believe in him. Sorry, you can''t publish that either.¡±
¡°I think what we can publish is that the royal family spoke to us freely about politics, religion, deregulation of a certain state secret, how the happy couple met and even gave us an invitation to the wedding. And that very soon we''ll be running an interview with your father, Eliza, if he''s OK with that.¡±
¡°I''ll ask.¡±
[Dad, a quick question from someone here.]
[Yes?]
[Would you mind being interviewed about becoming a Christian?]
[I''m not going to put you at risk, Eliza. I''m not going to tell them everything.]
[Thank you, Dad, but they know I''m talking to you now. And how. They''re trustworthy, honest journalists.]
[Ha! No such thing! Which channel?]
[New Republican Post.]
[You''ve told a couple of republicans about having the gift?]
[Yes. It sounds silly, doesn''t it? But they''re all right. He''s a Christian, she''s interested. They''re a bit cynical, pretty low in respect for other people''s agendas or sacred cows, but like the fact that his majesty does the washing up. Not afraid of speaking up if they think its necessary, and they''re not owned by any big multi-national, either.]
[So if they interviewed me they''d be using my story to rake in massive readership to listen to their subversive ideas, and you want this?]
[I don''t think they''re subversive, Dad. They''re just refreshingly honest. The man used to call himself an agnostic, but he was hiding from dead religiosity, really. He wrote that he''d be happy to talk about God if the King invited him round for tea, she said she''d go out with him if he got her an invitation too, and their Majesties took them up on the offer. He admitted that if he hadn''t said the king inviting him to the palace for tea, then he''d have said he''d have said he''d talk to you about God after you''d repented, at which point I said I could arrange that too if they liked. In other words, Dad, your conversion is a by-word for the impossible, and people will listen.]
[And what do I say about your ex-witch friend?]
[I''ll ask her.]
[I still don''t know why you trust her.]
[I''ll get back to you soon...] Eliza sent and then called [Vivian? Are you free?]
[Sort of, if it''s quick.]
[Can I tell Dad about you? He still thinks I''m mixing with the wrong people.]
[Of course you can.]
[Thanks, a couple of reporters want to interview him about his conversion.]
[Oh, OK, so I need to discuss with him what I don''t mind him telling them?]
[If, possible.]
[I''ll call him when I''m free.]
[Thanks, Vivian.]
[Dad, Vivian will call you later. I guess she''ll ask you for your number too, so have it ready.]
[You''re not making much sense, Eliza.]
[She''ll call you like this. She has the same gift as I have, Dad. That''s how I know I can trust her.]
[Maria knows?]
[I''m not sure. But you''re happy to be interviewed?]
[Yes, Eliza. Once or twice. I don''t like reporters.]
[Bye.]
¡°Welcome back.¡± Albert said, as her eyes regained focus.
¡°Thanks. It took longer than I expected. Dad seems convinced that I''m playing with fire, telling republicans about my gift.¡±
¡°Well, we could run an expos¨¦ on everything we learned here, but I think we''d spend the rest of our lives regretting it.¡± Dan said.
¡°But honestly, Dan, what would be the point? And it would be needlessly damaging.¡± Catherine added.
¡°Thankyou.¡± Eliza said.
¡°I hope you''re not going to suggest we change the tone of our articles, Cath.¡± Dan asked.
¡°Oh, don''t do that,¡± the King said, ¡°or your readers will think we bribed you.¡±
¡°And abandon us to the cruel fate of businesses whose customers abandon them, you mean?¡± Dan asked.
¡°Or the indignity of the palace press office.¡± Catherine added.
¡°I think they enjoy it there, actually.¡± the queen offered. ¡°Fielding questions from schools about what colour Albert''s socks have been this month, followed by a defence journal asking if it would be possible for their journalist to do an in-situ interview on a submarine.¡±
¡°Are those real questions?¡± Catherine asked suspiciously?
¡°The socks are.¡± Albert said. ¡°I have a standing request from the press office to keep a record of what I put on each morning. And the school kids check up too. And don''t they write irate letters if I get it wrong.¡±
¡°Can''t you just get the house computer to do it?¡± Dan asked.
¡°What house computer?¡± asked the queen gently. ¡°The console Eliza was working on is the closest thing we have to a real computer in our home, other than wrist units. It would be a security risk to have a network-connected computer supervising the royal apartments. Deliberately putting cameras and microphones that might be coerced into being bugs? It''d be much too tempting a target for foreign powers.¡±
¡°Oh. I see. So what do you do?¡±
¡°I try to remember to take my picture every morning, send it to the office computer which analyses it, and then hopefully destroys the evidence because otherwise there''s an almost daily record of me looking not my best for the past fifteen years.¡±
¡°Oh, but imagine what you could do with a little bit of processing! The signs of growing maturity and wisdom!¡± Eliza teased. ¡°Well, age anyway.¡±
¡°Thank you Eliza. I love you too. I should add that the photos usually have my head cut off, so I can get my feet in the picture.¡±
¡°Oh. OK, forget it then. But why are the kids interested in your socks?¡±
¡°My fault,¡± admitted the queen, ¡°I said OK to a text book using Albert''s sock colour as an example in an introduction to statistical data when he was about ten. I did not approve a teacher''s suggestion on a discussion site which said ''maybe the kids could compare then and now and see if there''s a trend, or correlate the colour of his shirts and socks.''¡±
¡°Oh. So no one is going to start asking what colour clothes I''m wearing, I hope.¡±
¡°Of course they are!¡± Catherine replied ¡°But you know about them, they''re called fashion writers.¡±
Association / Ch. 12: Chartered Association.
Association / Ch. 12:Chartered Association
Monday 8th Jan 2272, 9.30am, I.H.M.
¡°Hi Horace, you said you''d been able to make sense out of your circuit?¡±
¡°Yes, and it did exactly what I said when you first showed me the pieces.¡± he said, still a little embarrassed that he hadn''t recognised his own work. ¡°It''s a series of oscillators and amplifiers.¡±
¡°Yes, but what does it do?¡±
¡°OK, dredging up ancient memories, buried under the silt of years, Christine asked me if I could help make something to help her boss sleep at night, which was as deceitful a piece of misdirection as I''ve heard in a long time. The intention was to induce a certain low-level pattern in the brain that he found restful. I said what a load of rubbish, she said humour him, please, multi-millionaires get these silly ideas sometimes, and he was planning to make a donation the Institute would be interested in. Well, I designed it and then redesigned it to have shorter scalp connections, and your father paid me, and gave the institute a thank-you present of some names we might try contacting and a pile of money to continue research. End of story as far as I was concerned.¡±
¡°And from Dad''s notes?¡±
¡°Now they are more interesting, it looks like he was trying to persuade your brain to copy your mother''s thought patterns when she was hiding her thoughts. Did you see that note about you being a late developer with your power?¡±
¡°Yes. I guess it explains a lot. I hardly have any memories of hearing people''s thoughts. If Mum was afraid that I''d get the power, then that wouldn''t help me do that now, would it?¡±
¡°No. It''s probably not the healthiest mental environment to grow up in. I''m not sure that tiara counts as healthy either, knowing more now than I did then. Particularly to use it on a child. I''m not saying your parents didn''t have your best in mind, Sarah, but... I think they were taking bigger risks than they or I knew at the time.¡±
¡°Can you elaborate?¡±
¡°We know that somehow you thought-hearers pick up and interpret a broad-spectrum of ultrasound and R.F.¡±
¡°Yes. And that I once got really cross with John for saying it was radio.¡±
¡°Well, we''ve always known that if you plug a human into an oscilloscope you pick up noise. And just because it''s radio frequency, that doesn''t mean you''re acting like a radio. I''m pretty sure you''re not, I mean, your brain ignores electrical signals, and ignores ultrasound signals too, or at least, it does except for decisions. My guess is that what you hear is some kind of cross-modulation of the electric and the ultrasound components, as transmitted along your nerve cells. In other words, it''s messy and complicated.¡±
¡°I''ll agree with you on that point.¡±
¡°But if what your Dad was trying to do with your tiara was to persuade your brain that it was hiding your thoughts, what I guess it did was scramble the cross-modulation. Once it was gone, you got some decisions affecting you, and you got the pain, but you didn''t get thoughts, which sort of confirms that, at least to my mind. Your brain was still trying to process what it got, but it had given up on one source of input and was struggling on the rest.
"Now, your Dad says he tried it on himself and your mum couldn''t hear his thoughts or decisions any more. Wonderful. We know it wasn''t interfering with the ultrasound aspect, or at least, it wasn''t unless there was a bad mistake in the construction. So, I''ve been trying to pull these thoughts together, and on Friday I saw some implications. Tell me if you think I''m wrong about this: since it didn''t interfere with ultrasound, but it did with electrical, it doesn''t really make sense for decisions to be over ultrasound, because it did block them.¡±
¡°But that can''t be right, surely? I thought we''d worked out that decisions had to be over ultrasound? It fits so much better. I mean, closing a door would have much more of an ultrasound effect than on radio. And I thought you just said that the one it wasn''t numbing was what was recovered. I.e. ultrasound.¡±
¡°Reluctantly, I reached the same conclusion. So, my next thought was how does electrical interfere with ultrasound interpretation if it''s not interfering with ultrasound reception?¡±
¡°Urm... because it was interfering with the interpreter?¡±
¡°That was my thought. Sarah, you know you made your school records available to me? Have you actually looked at them? I had another look after I had thought of that.¡±
¡°Well, I know they took a plummet with my parent''s death, but that''s only to be expected.¡±
¡°And then with the destruction of your tiara then your grades in comprehension went up again. One of your teachers wrote something like ''It''s been a long time, but it looks like Sarah''s brain has suddenly turned on again.''¡±
Sarah was quiet for a while ¡°So the tiara interfered with my ability to understand things?¡±
¡°I expect so, yes.¡±
¡°Ouch. I don''t think we should be suggesting anyone would want to use it then, should we?¡±
¡°Not really.¡±
¡°I''d talked to Maria about it, I guess I''d better tell her it''s a dangerous dead end.¡±
¡°When you do, then you can tell her I cobbled an equivalent together with my signal generators and an EEG hat and tried it out.¡±
¡°You did? That sounds like a silly thing to do.¡±
¡°I wouldn''t have risked it if you didn''t have that report of instant recovery, have no fear. And Ivan was helping.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Taking risks for science is all part of the game.¡±
¡°And the results were?¡±
¡°When it was on, it was a bit like being drunk. Depending on exactly where the contacts were, it varied between mild confusion and at the worst I couldn''t really understand complex sentences.¡±
¡°Ouch. OK. I''ll certainly pass that on. Thanks, Horrace. I still think it was a crazy risk.¡±
¡°Ah, but there''s a paper in it somewhere, I''m sure.¡±
¡°You''d have to leave out critical elements, surely.¡±
¡°Yes. I think I''d call it something like revisiting an old experiment. If I describe the purpose as seeking to induce sleep, would you be happy?¡±
¡°So you''d describe my dad''s device, without his name, I hope, and without the exact specification?¡±
¡°Yes. And state that I''d advised against it, at the time, as witnesses agree.¡±
¡°OK, and publish it as saying I was right, it''s a stupid thing to do?¡±
¡°Yes. Could I describe your hiding as a certain meditative state?¡±
¡°Yes, that''d be fine.¡±
Monday 8th Jan 2272, 12.40pm, I.H.M.
¡°Hi, Sarah, your message said you''d got bad news about your Tiara?¡± Maria asked.
¡°Yes. I''ve got access to Dad''s files, and Horrace has been doing some tests. It doesn''t do what Dad wanted it to do, not really.¡±
¡°So it doesn''t hide thoughts?¡±
¡°Hmm. Maybe. Dad''s notes said it did, but the side-effects aren''t good. Working out how it must have worked, it looked rather like it was interfering with basic cognition, and then Horrace pointed out that my teacher had written ''It looks like Sarah''s brain has turned on again'' when it got broken.¡±
¡°Uh-oh,¡± Maria said, understanding immediately.
¡°And being the mad scientist he is, he mocked it up using some signal generators and an EEG hat. He said that depending on where he put it, it gave him the reasoning skills of a drunk: anything from mild confusion to making him unable to understand complex sentences. I didn''t think you''d like the thought of couriers not being able to follow directions to the train station.¡±
¡°Certainly not. OK, Sarah, I''m more than happy for you to destroy the plans.¡±
¡°Maria, Horrace is thinking of a ''don''t do this'' sort of paper. Any thoughts from your point of view?¡±
¡°Well, if it turns off people''s brains, that makes it a weapon or the people into weapons, doesn''t it? I think I''d personally be happier if no one tells our less scrupulous enemies that there''s a way of turning soldiers or criminals into mindless morons at the flick of a switch.¡±
¡°Good thought. I''ll raise that point with him.¡±
Monday 8th Jan 2272, 4.30pm
¡°Mum! Mum!¡± May called out, excitedly as soon as she got home from school.
¡°What is it? Has lover boy come visiting, again?¡± Alice asked.
¡°Alice stop teasing,¡± Hannah reproved her daughter. Although Q.Q. did seem to
be visiting an awful lot for just a friend. ¡°What is it, May?¡±
¡°A message got delivered to school, by hand. I got called to see the head. Look!¡± She showed the piece of card, a royal summons.
¡°Gold embossed, no less!¡± Hannah said, taking it in.
¡°What does it say? Why did it go to your school?¡± Alice asked. ¡°You don''t live there.¡±
¡°No, but the school did need to see it,¡± Hannah said. ¡°Thursday. Well! That''s sooner than I thought. ''with press conference'', so you''d better work out what you''re going to wear as a truthsayer, hadn''t you?¡±
¡°I still think you should wear a cat mask.¡± Alice said, getting ready to flee.
¡°Too silly,¡± May said, absent mindedly. ¡°White veil: bride. Black veil: widow. So they''re out. Green veil?¡±
¡°You''ll look like a tree.¡± Alice said, being helpful since teasing hadn''t worked.
¡°Yellow? Blue?¡±
¡°Do you need a veil?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°I don''t want to look like an idiot, I don''t want to look funny, I don''t want to look like a mime artist. I don''t want to be recognised as who I am, I do want to be recognised as what I am.¡±
¡°What are you? Other than in lurve with Q.Q.¡±
¡°Alice!¡± Hannah and May warned in unison.
¡°What about some other sort of mask?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°I don''t know. The advantage of cloth is it can be hidden well.¡±
¡°Talk to Sarah, May. Maybe she''s got ideas.¡±
¡°Oh! I''m dumb!¡±
¡°Knew it!¡± Alice interrupted.
¡°Shut up squirt, or I''ll squish you.¡±
¡°What is it?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°Sarah was going to get some graphics design people onto it. I wonder if there''s been any replies yet.¡±
¡°If not, they''re going to be too late.¡±
¡°If you could get it done in town on Wednesday, Mum, we could pick this time tomorrow, maybe.¡± May said.
¡°Hmm. Yes. Well, you call Sarah, May. Got any homework?¡±
¡°Yes, lots. I hope this won''t take long.¡±
¡°I think you ought to warn Q.Q. not to come then. You know how often he ''just happens to be near.''¡±
¡°Yeah. I know. But... I don''t want to make him think I''m pushing him away, Mum.¡±
¡°May''s in lu-uv! May''s in lu-uv!¡± Alice taunted.
¡°Was I like this at Alice''s age, Mum?¡± over Alice''s continued chant.
¡°Not quite the same, May.¡± Hannah said, putting the summons down. ¡°Alice! Stop it and go do your homework. When you''ve done your homework you can tidy your room, and vacuum clean it.¡±
¡°But, Mum!¡± Alice protested.
¡°No buts. You are being a deliberately irritating pest and you know it. I''ve told you to stop, and you''re irritating me now. So go quick girl or it''ll be worse.¡±
¡°Sorry, Mum.¡± Alice said, but didn''t leave; she was looking at the summons.
¡°Alice!¡± Hannah warned, ¡°Go and do your homework.¡±
¡°I''m going, I''m going.¡± Alice responded. ¡°You''re really going to the palace, May?¡±
¡°Yes, squirt, that''s what this is all about. I''m going to have press interviews and everything, and I''ve got to have my veil on or I tell everyone they need to blurr out my face, unless I want everyone to recognise me in the street. And I''m not that fool-hardy.¡±
¡°You want guys in this? They won''t want a veil. You want something like I had in the school play. That theatrical mask stuff.¡±
May looked at her sister in admiration ¡°Hey, squirt, you''re probably a genius. Isn''t it horrible to wear?¡±
¡°Naah. It''s not very sticky, just a bit, and it''s all bendy too. They just smeared it on and then made it the right shape. It starts like whipped cream, but don''t eat it.¡±
Hannah added ¡°It gets to be like rubbery clay in about two minutes, I seem to remember, that''s when they made it into shape, and then it''s all set in about twenty minutes, if I remember rightly. Then they added the make up, and sprayed it with some sort of spray to stop that from smearing. They said you can sand it down and polish it to make it really pretty if you freeze it, or the other thing they do is make a mould for the front and then your face is the other half. Just remember to protect your eyebrows and eyelashes unless you want to lose them.¡±
¡°And then it''s this flexible thing you can stuff in a pocket, is that right?¡±
¡°And wash it in a washing machine.¡± Hannah said. ¡°So, talk to Sarah, suggest the stuff, and see what she thinks.¡±
¡°Hi, Sarah. I presume you''ve heard about Thursday?¡±
¡°Yes. Nervous?¡±
¡°Mostly about my uniform, or whatever we call it. Alice suggests using a theatrical mask stuff. Do you know it?¡±
¡°Not personally. I''ve always avoided theatres. But doesn''t it take ages to put on?¡±
¡°No. Well, you need to make it fit your face, which takes a while, but then you can just take it on and off as much as you like, and wash it in a washing machine, mum says. Alice had one for her school play, so she''s quite the little expert. It gives me a flexible face which isn''t my own. Breathable too, apparently.¡±
¡°Sounds like it might be just the stuff, then.¡±
¡°Have you heard back from the graphic design people?¡±
¡°I''ve not checked recently. I notified them at lunchtime that we''d need the designs really really soon, since you''d be getting interviewed on Thursday, and we''d need to get it made. Should I tell them to think along the lines of this mask stuff?¡±
¡°I think it makes sense. I''m not opposed to a veil if that''s what they''ve designed, but then I guess any men would want something different.¡±
¡°Probably. Veil certainly sounds female, doesn''t it. Oh, I''m just checking my messages. One person has said sorry, no time, and another has replied that they can submit preliminary sketches only, too busy on other things. Hmmm. Well, it''s concealing at least: Think variations on the theme of a bed-sheet ghost outfit. No apparent choice of colour.¡±
¡°That''s not going to be very easy to hide on the way to an appointment, is it?¡±
¡°Not really.¡±
¡°Nothing else?¡±
¡°Yes, one just come in. Oh, it''s Susan. You know, the ski-instructor''s girlfriend?¡±
¡°Yes. What does she say?¡±
¡°She strongly recommends white, blue and yellow or gold, as colours that are most likely to make people think of truth, honesty and integrity. And she''s sent in what she calls some early sketches. Blouse, shirt or T-shirt and matching masks. They look a bit like those paper ones you can get from a craft shop, if you know what I mean. The sketches are much better developed than the other one''s preliminary sketches. She''s sent various patterns for the mask but says these are still thought experiments and she''s thinking of what she might actually want to recommend. She asks if this time tomorrow is too late, if not she''ll try to get some reactions from people.¡±
¡°Wow. It sounds like she wants the commission.¡±
¡°She did say she wanted it. What do you think? Give her the extra time?¡±
¡°I think so. Can you tell her we''re thinking of using that theatrical mask stuff if it makes a difference. I wish I knew the brand name. Something like false-skin or fake-skin, maybe? No, there was something about head or face in the name. I don''t know. But tell her anyway.¡±
¡°Of course. So that''d mean that you could colour your neck too?¡±
¡°I wasn''t thinking of going that low, but it would let me reshape my chin, for instance, and eat with the mask on. I guess it could cover my whole head, at the cost of a bigger package. I don''t think a whole head thing would fit in a pocket though, which was my initial thought.¡±
¡°And it just sticks to your skin?¡±
¡°A bit, I know Alice could pull faces in it, but her mask had some strings to tie it on with, too, I seem to remember. She said it didn''t get very sticky, which I guess means it''s breathable.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll tell Susan and the others who haven''t replied yet that you''ve just thought of that stuff and what, that we''ll decide tomorrow?¡±
¡°I think it should work.¡±
¡°What happens if we make a mess of the mask?¡±
¡°Apparently we can sand and polish it if we freeze it, but otherwise, I guess I''d better order a couple of cans of the stuff.¡±
¡°Who did Alice''s face with it?¡±
¡°Mum was there, I can ask her. You''re thinking of getting expert help?¡±
¡°Any reason why not, other than the money? It could save a lot of hassle.¡±
¡°Spreading information?¡±
¡°Good thought. There''s no one in the clan who''s a budding sculptor?¡±
¡°Hey, that''s a good thought! I''ll ask Mum. I''m sure there''s someone.¡±
¡°And then you need to decide if you want to look like Mona Liza, a filmstar of your choice, a china doll, or what.¡±
¡°I think I want it to be clear I''m wearing a mask, not just make-up. Argh. I''ve just remembered, Sarah, one thought I had about a veil was it would help protect against someone just taking my photo and doing an iris scan on me. This won''t do that, will it?¡±
¡°Reflective sunglasses ought to put a stop to that. Hey, why don''t you embed some in? How do you fancy big gold eyes?¡±
¡°Mysterious, and just a tiny bit scary, don''t you think? But glasses would be too rigid, don''t you think? Plus it''d make it hard to stuff in a pocket. I do think that''s important, if I want to change somewhere en-route.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll keep thinking. And you''ll get your mum thinking about who should sculpt it, and you''ll arrange the stuff?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°OK, call me if you''ve got any other thoughts.¡±
¡°Don''t worry, Sarah, I will!¡±
¡°Hi Susan, Sarah here.¡±
¡°Hi, Sarah. Am I on the right track?¡±
¡°Very much so. We''ve decided that we''ll make the decision about this time tomorrow, and at the moment she''s thinking of making the mask out of some kind of theatrical flexible mask stuff I''ve never heard of. False skin or fake skin or something like that, so that she isn''t entirely without expression.¡±
¡°That''s a very good idea. Might it be ''fake face''? It''s excellent stuff.¡±
¡°Probably. You know it?¡±
¡°Yes. I''ve used it on myself actually, but it''s better to have someone else to do it.¡±
¡°She''s a bit worried, rightly so in my view, about someone doing an iris scan and ruining the whole point of the mask. I suggested embedding sunglasses, but she wants to be able to fold it up into a pocket for travel.¡±
¡°She''s got sense. Sunglasses would ruin the flexibility too. But, fear not! They make compatible eye elements for all your real, mythical and fantasy creatures and aliens. I''m sure she''ll be able to order something suitable. In fact, now I know you''re using that, I''ll have a look and recommend something if you like.¡±
¡°Thanks Susan. You''re sure?¡±
¡°Of course! All part of the bid.¡±
¡°Susan, one of the others has dropped out, a second hasn''t got time to do more than they''ve submitted. Let me just call your last two competitors, OK?¡±
¡°What are you thinking?¡±
¡°I''m going to ask them if they really want to be in the competition with such a tight deadline. If not we can might as well take the decision tonight.¡±
¡°Oh. OK.¡± Susan said, sounding disappointed.
¡°In which case, unless there''s some hidden wonderfulness in your competitor''s plans that my truthsayer spots, then you win.¡±
¡°I don''t want to win the whole contract, just because everyone else drops out of one unusual part of branding with a short deadline, Sarah.¡±
¡°OK, if every else drops out, you win the uniform design, but we allow competition on other aspects of the branding, how''s that suit you?¡±
¡°Much better. I want to win fair and square. Anything else is just going to win me more enemies than kudos.¡±
¡°Right. I''ll contact your competitors about this section, and let everyone know what''s happening. Bye!¡±
¡°Bye!¡±
[May, does ''fake face'' sound right to you?]
[Yes, that''s it!]
[Susan knows it, has used it herself apparently, and they do a whole selection of compatible eye inserts for your favourite creature, monster or alien. She''s going to include recommendations in her bid tomorrow. She also insists that we don''t drop people just because they can''t meet this deadline, so it''s only the uniform people are going for at the moment.]
[She wants the contract but only fairly?]
[Doesn''t want the hate mail, she says.]
[Sounds like a sensible woman, I like her already.]
[Me too.]
[Thanks for letting me know. Does that mean I shouldn''t order the stuff?]
[Probably. We''ll just have to order it quick-delivery tomorrow. Somehow, I''d expect that theatre supplies are always urgent. This is a necessary work expense for you, by the way. Therefore, since you''re not free-lance but my employee, I''m paying.]
[Far be it from me to argue with you on that.]
[Sensible girl. How''s the homework?]
[I might finish it before midnight.]
[I won''t keep you then. Bye.]
[Bye, Sarah.]
Contacting the other two competitors didn''t take long. Both were relieved to hear that their work on other parts of the corporate brand wasn''t wasted: one had been about to pull out because they hadn''t come up with a costume they thought was right. The last one said they''d be able to submit designs tomorrow, using the theatrical mask and paying attention to avoiding iris scans. Susan had her real competition.
Sarah then wrote to everyone involved, with the final timetables and the new design parameters: a face mask from ''fake-face'' that would fit in a small bag or pocket and include protection against an iris-scan without significantly affecting vision, and while other distinctive elements of clothing that would identify the wearer as a truth-sayer would be permitted, they would be optional-wear for the truthsayer concerned. Just the mask should be sufficient for uniform.
She added ''I know that some of you have already stated that you cannot produce designs for the uniform at such short notice, but at the insistence of one entrant who has submitted such designs, the second phase ¡ª that of other aspects of the corporate image, will be considered entirely separately. The rush for the uniform design is, as I explained earlier today, the unforeseen but perfectly reasonable news that there will be a press-briefing after the charter is granted. We feel it only appropriate for the founder member of the chartered association to address the press with her identity concealed by at least a prototype of her uniform. We foresee no need for the other elements of the corporate image to be rushed in this way, and would welcome your participation in the process. We apologise if the new restrictions on the design parameters for the uniform would require a redesign of anything done or even submitted already, but feel that it is only appropriate that all participants play on as level a playing field as possible. Any submission made before the deadline of 5pm on the 9th of Jan will be considered, even if you''d previously declined.''
Sarah then had another thought. [Eliza, are you free?]
[Yes, what is it?]
[Just checking... do you have any idea what the charter of the truthsayers association will actually say?]
[Somewhat. Why?]
[I can''t remember if I only talked about the two types of members with you or with their Majesties too.]
[Oh, that''s not going to be a problem. It says something like the association having the power to define its categories of membership, but that it may not admit anyone unworthy or permit anyone unworthy to remain a member. And then it''s got stuff about procedures for dealing with anyone suspected of being unworthy.]
[Oh, that''s great.]
[By the way, Albert and I are happy to apply.]
[Do you think that''s wise? I don''t imagine that you''d be turning up to annual general meetings, for instance, would you?]
[Would you? If the association gets big enough, I mean?]
[I''m not sure. But why?]
[There are various things that the charter says absolutly doesn''t happen: For instance, dissemination of detailed minutes to non-members, disclosure of who''s a member to non-members, that sort of thing. We can get round it partially by having Albert as the royal patron, I guess we might even have the both of us as patrons, but that''s still not the same.]
[And there''s no access to the register of members by other members?]
[Not automatic, no. Presumed, but not required in special circumstances. All that''s actually required is that every member has a verifiable I.D. which tells people their membership number. And if someone''s been suspended or rejected, then the verification server would say that.]
[I''m going to need to read that charter, aren''t I?]
[I''m sure you do, yes. I assume you''re going to be a member?]
[Yes. John and Kate too. And the institute''s had some other enquiries.]
[Well, the annual general meeting won''t be too lonely for May then.]
[No, it shouldn''t be.]
[You''re going to need a membership roster, aren''t you, for the identity server to work? How are you going to stop that getting broken into?]
[We''re going to split it, to start with. There''s going to be an identity server which just knows membership numbers and I.D.s I guess with status too. And then we''re going to have an entirely separate register somewhere else, which matches names to membership numbers.]
[And contact details, I presume.]
[Possibly. We might have those on a third system. What we might do, actually, is only have the name to number conversion in written form, and just have a nickname in the contact details. And of course, that''ll all be encrypted on a data crystal or two.]
[On someone''s diamond ring?]
[Maybe, I don''t think we need to smuggle the data anywhere. What I am thinking is that if we split the file into quarters, say, and each of four people was missing a different quarter, then you''d need two people''s crystals to get at the data, but it could be any two of the four.]
[But you''d need to update everyone''s copies when there were changes.]
[Yes. That''s where it gets tricky.]
[So, is it worth it?]
[If that contacts list holds class delta state secrets, what do you think?]
[Good point. Maybe we don''t sign up then.]
[I''ve got another possibility.]
[Yes?]
[We invent a third category of members beside professional and secretive: unlisted ones, who pass the tests, and can have a role in the organisation, but whose contact details are not entered anywhere beyond their nickname.]
[So Albert and I would be unlisted?]
[Yes. And I think I''d want to be too. I think we''d say that professional members might be contacted for anything, secretive would only be asked about court work, say, and unlisted members would be people who wouln''t normally be called on even for that, e.g. because they were pretty famous and there was a chance of the press following them, or public recognising them, but they''d like the rights and privileges of being a member.]
[Such as voting, and so on?]
[Yes. And having a truthsayer I.D. if they ever want to use it.]
[Excellent plan.]
[I''d better make a note of it.]
Tuesday 9th Jan. Republican Post
_Post journalist was right, says queen: need to pull rugs out from under royals feet_
Avid readers of our comments section will know that on Monday of last week, after his article about the King''s New Year''s day speech, Dan made some quip about discussing God with his Majesty, I asked if I could come too, he asked if that would count as a date and I replied that if he got me a visit to the palace to measure up for new carpets, then yes, OK.
Little did we know that the much commented on regular reader from the palace network was none other than the heir to the throne, and since the other news channels were under pressure from uninformed foreign owners to lay unfounded accusations of a constitutional crisis, the Post''s was the only editorial concerning his Maj''s plea to put aside our pride. But we do have things to be proud of; our constitution, for instance. But more on that later. So our little banter got read at the royal breakfast table, and shockingly enough Dan and I got invited to the palace on Friday night. After a delicious meal of spaghetti bolognese cooked by H.R.H Albert, the security officer once pegged as Albert''s red-head even lent us all her bow and arrows for a little spot of archery. As my niece said (I was babysitting and so she and her brother got invited too) when the idea was suggested ''Heated debate about deeply held beliefs, the monarch, two convinced republicans and lethal weapons. What could possibly go wrong?'' Well, what went wrong is that as her majesty and I were on our hands and knees measuring the rooms for new carpets, I knocked over a flower-pot. But I''m getting ahead of myself.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
I must say, from beginning to end, our visit to the palace was a real eye opener. It shouldn''t have been; I''ve read the constitution. We''ve al at least heard about Bob McDaniel''s accounts of the royal week. But we leap to assumptions too easily, we assume that because we see the state rooms and important banquets that''s the life of the royal family all the time. Our constitution says that we live in a constitutionally established servant-monarchy, that the king and his family are civil servants who live in civil service-supplied apartments in the palace complex. They do, and the carpets are getting tired. Almost the first thing her Majesty asked me was how I knew they needed new carpets.
We assume that that there is intricate carving and gold leaf, cleaned by an army of staff. ''Do you know how much just one security-cleared cleaner costs?'' his majesty asked, because like any civil servant, getting in outside help for their personal apartment gets charged to their personal funds. Her majesty asked me, in turn ''Have you any idea how hard it is to clean carved wood panels?'' very thankful that she didn''t have that to contend with. This was a little before his majesty got ready to do the washing up. He also does minor plumbing around the flat, just like any other civil servant might who knew how, in order to keep down the costs for the family budget. You and I, when we consider getting new carpets or furniture, have the option of taking out a loan. Their majesties don''t have that option, so, they''ve still got the carpets that Prince Albert spilt paint on when he was little, incidentally where I knocked over the pot-plant. I saw the stain. And the dining table shows signs of when his grandfather got him a woodwork set for his sixth birthday. By the way, grandparents, if you do that, I recommend you also supply some wood for the boy or girl to try out his/her saw on.
Our monarch and his family don''t live in a beautifully gilded cage at our expense, instead, anything in their personal space except for the security guards comes from their own pockets. I wonder how many republics can say the same? They also maintain a clear division between their private and work lives, even having separate wardrobes for official and personal wear. They do live in a sort of cage: there are real threats to them on a regular basis, and many areas of their lives are constrained by them. Nor are they allowed to express a preference for a certain shop''s produce, rummage through the end-of-season sales, or nip out for a take-away if they can''t be bothered to cook. Some people, his Majesty pointed out, might say that their majesties shouldn''t be considering buying new carpets when we''re expecting the impact, but on the other hand, they''ve been saving up for a few years, and if they leave it much longer then maybe they''ll feel ashamed to invite journalists around for tea. That would be a real loss, because our royal servants made us feel very welcome in their home. So we had that discussion as well as the one about God and the one about the constitution. And the one about Eliza''s father turning to God, which happened on Friday afternoon ¡ª see Dan''s forthcoming interview. I must say, what faith Dan and I had in the non-existence of miracles, and of God, has taken a real beating this last week.
So, their majesties have managed to challenge our thoughts on those matters, but what about my reasonable faith that a republic is far superior to an absolute monarchy? Totally firm. Or a constitutional monarchy? We know that''s such a vague term, that when you come down to it, it''s almost void. There are some monarchies in history where the constitution gives the monarch absolute rule, aren''t there? But then, there are `republics'' where inheritance plays a big part in determining who gets in. So maybe `republic'' needs defining too. So, my eyes have been opened, and having seen what I have... is it right to call our royal family privileged? Maybe, in the sense of private law since there are special laws that exist just for them, which the rest of us don''t need to worry about as much and I''m not sure we''d like that imposed on us. Is it right to call them wealthy? Not really. Is it right to say they''re living in luxury? I don''t think so. Are they idle? Far from it. Are they costing us lots? Not personally. Parliament has decided that there should be state rooms, gold leaf, and banquets as a matter of national pride. That costs us a lot more than our servant monarchy, but would we have less if we were a republic? I don''t know that that would be a forgone conclusion. Parliament could decide that we don''t need those expensive trappings. Our servant-monarch, his wife and his successor might even breathe a sigh of relief. But if we value them we won''t skimp on security. And I do think they should be valued.
I had assumed that the word ''servant'' was something in the constitution that was just paid lip-service to. What I saw on Friday was either a very cunningly orchestrated deception or clear evidence that an attitude of servanthood is alive and well in the royal flat in the palace. And if it was an orchestrated deception, then why did the prince''s bolognese sauce and his majesty''s chocolate cake taste so good?
We must be clearer in our terminology, and remember to pour scorn on those who insist on calling what we live in a ''monarchy'' or a ''constitutional monarchy''. We don''t: we live in a servant-monarchy. What would a republic governed by a servant-president look like, I wonder? Would anyone of the right qualities apply for the job? I know I wouldn''t: I value my freedom too much.
Our servant-king is not an absolute monarch, ruling on the basis of whim. He seems to have committed his life to trying to look at how every decision will affect our nation twenty-plus years in advance. And as he pointed out, that''s not something a politician who''s going to stand for election can easily do. I agree. Perhaps a presidency until retirement is more appropriate? But that might make us a gerontocracy. Hmm, that''s not particularly palatable either.
Would I say every kind of republic superior to a servant monarchy? No. To be precise, I think that there are many sorts of republics that are very much inferior to the system we have, and that when our ancestors wrote our constitution and swapped our previous money-grabbing and corrupt republic for what we have, they were learning from a lot of past mistakes. But... can''t we come up with something better than heredity for choosing who gets thirty plus years training in being heir?
Coming up in the next edition: Exclusive interview: Roland Underwood explains how he realised he''d been fighting the wrong fight.
4.45pm, Tuesday 9th Jan, I.H.M.
¡°Hi May, Welcome!¡± Sarah said.
¡°I''m still confused about why we''re meeting here.¡±
¡°Because although you''re the founding member, I thought that the more input the better. I''ve also got a proposal for a third membership category.¡±
¡°A third one?¡±
¡°Yes. Unlisted members, who don''t have full contact details listed.¡±
¡°Urm, sounds interesting. So how do we contact them?¡±
¡°Some people know who they are, but not everyone, that''s the thing. I''ll explain when we''re in the meeting room.¡±
¡°Who''s providing the extra input?¡±
¡°Patience, patience!¡± Sarah said, ushering her into the room, and blocking her view of people behind the door.
¡°Hi May!¡± Kara said. ¡°I didn''t think it was fair for you to keep all the fun to yourself. And I might not have had as much face-to-face time with Mama as you did, but she did teach me quite a bit. Kate says she''ll pass me, but I''m on probation.¡±
¡°John said he thought I''d probably do too, eventually.¡± Q.Q said, stepping out beside Kara. A bit too close for May''s comfort.
¡°But I''m only passed as an apprentice, because I''m not sixteen yet.¡± Rhianna added.
¡°So, has everyone been introduced to everyone?¡± Sarah asked. They confirmed they had. ¡°Since not everyone knows what''s happening, I''ll summarise. I got told by the palace today that, before Thursday, there needs to have been an initial meeting of people intending to form the Chartered Association of Truthsayers. At least five people, preferably more. Since Kara, Q.Q and Rhianna had expressed interest in joining, and we need to decide on what May and I have decided to call the truthsayer uniform, for want of a better name, I thought why not get them tested out this afternoon and combine everything. I was just telling May, I think we need three classes of members. If we''re going to have apprentices and probationers too then that makes five, and people are going to get confused. I suggest only four, because everyone is on probation, permanently. One line in the charter says that we don''t let anyone stay a member who isn''t worthy. We''ll need to police ourselves, and we''re accountable to the crown to do that.¡±
¡°So, we''ve got professional members ¡ª who, like May, are going to be walking into companies in uniform. We''re also allowing a category of members who aren''t expecting to be doing that, but are willing to be expert witnesses for courts, say.¡±
Kate took over. ¡°We''re also going to have some members who, like Sarah, for instance, are recognisable, and might attract press attention if we were were spotted entering a court. But, on the other hand, are ready to be part of the association, but in the background. Sarah''s had an enquiry from someone who''s certainly in that category. We propose that we don''t need to keep contact details of such people, and that a nick-name is sufficient. We can issue them with an I.D. if they ever need to prove themselves, but we don''t expect them to do that very often.¡±
¡°To make it a little simpler,¡± Kara suggested ¡°We could actually just have members, who either are or are not in the contact list. Then people in the contact list say if they''re available for court and/or professional work.¡±
¡°I like it.¡± John agreed ¡°That means that if someone''s a professional, but terrified of courts, say, they wouldn''t constantly feel under pressure to accept a courtroom task.¡±
¡°And celebrities and minors wouldn''t be in the contact list.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I like it.¡±
¡°But all would have the I.D., and be permitted to wear the funky outfit?¡± Kara asked.
¡°Or un-funky outfit, depending what we decide. I think so.¡± Sarah agreed. ¡°Everyone else?¡± there were nods.
¡°I''m glad we all agree, but that brings me a question. Costs. Eventually, we want the association to pay its own bills. Do we require an exact design of uniform, and if so, who pays for it? And who pays the recurring costs, like running the I.D. server not to mention secretarial support? Do we require people to pay an fixed annual subscription, an admission fee, both? Or do we ask that those who gain the most from the association pay more? Do we charge companies a fee for making contact, like a recruiting firm does, bearing in mind that if we make that too high, that''s going to encourage them to think about avoiding using the association.¡±
¡°Do we have any idea what any of those fixed costs might be, Sarah?¡±
¡°Not really. But I think we do need to discuss it now, because if, say, Rhianna finds that she can join but can''t afford the membership fees, then that''s not going to be pleasant for her.¡±
¡°Yes. What benefit would there be for someone below working age to be part of the association?¡± Q.Q. asked.
¡°Having a voice in what gets decided?¡± Rhianna suggested.
¡°I think we should have some kind of fixed fee, which for people who can''t work is minimal, plus elements from everything Sarah''s suggested.¡± May said.
Kate winced. ¡°Why so complex?¡±
¡°Because we all need the I.D. server. The secretarial support is there to meet the needs of the companies, it doesn''t benefit Rhianna or people whose name isn''t on the contact list, and, like Sarah says, companies are used to paying recruiting firms.¡±
¡°Some firms are. Others do it in-house, as does the government.¡± Sarah pointed out.
¡°We really have no idea how much a company will be willing to pay, do we?¡± John asked.
¡°Not really.¡± Sarah agreed. ¡°And so we don''t know whether you''re going to be able to charge like a lawyer or like a part-time cleaner.¡±
¡°Or a secretary.¡± May said.
¡°What I will say, is that I expect the amount companies will be willing to pay depends on the professionalism you display and the significance of the deal. So, what we''re doing is stepping out into the unknown, and I expect we''ll need to revisit this discussion a number of times.¡± Sarah summarised ¡°What we do know is that the Ministry of Justice has said that they''d like to run a series of experiments, comparing the abilities of a truthsayer with a standard polygraph-type lie detector, and despite the fact that they know there are people with the power in Security, they feel that it is better that the association provide truthsayers.¡±
¡°Would there be a place for truthsayers who are in the Civil Service?¡± May asked.
¡°Yes. I think there certainly would, but I''d assume that we''d be certifying them and checking up on them, but then their civil service contract would mean that they gain very little personal benefit from it at all.¡± Kate said.
¡°So we''ll need to work out what to charge the government for certifying and checking up on people?¡± Kara asked.
¡°Yes.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Can we decide anything with such little data?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°I think so.¡± May replied. ¡°We can decide not to price you out of the association, we can decide that we ask Sarah to keep funding us for six months or a year, or how long before we look at it again, and we can decide that people need to pay for their own uniforms, but that they''re produced in-house, for instance.¡±
¡°I think we''ll say adults pay for their own uniforms.¡± Sarah said, ¡°Else we''ll risk pricing the likes of Rhianna out.¡±
¡°Is there a minimum age limit?¡± Q.Q. asked.
¡°There needs to be.¡± Rhianna said ¡°You can''t have a five year old member.¡±
¡°Agreed. I think that your age is about the lowest, actually, Rhianna.¡± Sarah said. ¡°Or we might even be making an exception for you.¡±
¡°Ohh, thanks. I think. Can I know why?¡±
¡°Being blunt... this is supposed to be a professional organisation, and fourteen is a bit young to be a professional anything.¡±
¡°So make yourself useful, kiddo.¡± Quentin said.
¡°No, Q.Q., this isn''t about being useful or exploiting child labour.¡± John corrected ¡°This is about whether there''s any benefit to Rhianna. Or even Kara and yourself.¡±
¡°Obviously one advantage would be if being a member would give her additional opportunities for training.¡± Kate said, ¡°and since the answer is probably, even though you know one another, she''s invited. But we''ll need to be monitoring that. And since you''ve got some growing to do, Rhianna, I''m not sure it''s worth making you a mask straight away. But then I don''t think it''s worth making anyone except May a mask straight away, so don''t feel picked on.¡±
¡°I won''t.¡± she agreed.
¡°Sarah, you spoke earlier about needing to charge things to the association if we were in uniform. How will that work?¡± John asked.
¡°We''ll register the IDs with the association''s bank, and allow charges to be made against the association''s account, with a reference to the sub-account of the individual. You''ll then be settle up at the end of each month. Of course, if you get employers to pay to that I.D. which might only be sensible, then the association would need to settle up with you.¡±
¡°But, I''m confused. Won''t the I.D. come back and say I''m certified to be Rhianna Quy?¡±
¡°No, it''ll come back and say you''re certified to be professional truthsayer registration number three zero nine, or three zero nine zero one.¡±
¡°As in number three, today?¡±
¡°Any objections?¡±
¡°Who''s number one?¡± May asked.
¡°You.¡± Kara said, ¡°this whole organisation is being set up so you can help Sarah, so you''d better be registration number one.¡±
¡°I meant one zero nine. But.. are you sure?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Sarah said, ¡°Founder ought to be number one.¡±
¡°And Sarah, your number two?¡± May asked.
¡°I think I''ll be one zero eight, if that''s OK with everyone. Because I wasn''t really sure I should join until we thought of the hidden members yesterday. And I''d like to announce that numbers two zero eight and three zero eight are taken.¡±
¡°I was about to say that I''d be two zero eight.¡± John said.
¡°Oh, let him, Sarah, unless you''ve actually promised those numbers.¡±
¡°Oh, OK, John, you be two zero eight and the other two can be three and four.¡±
¡°So does that make me one zero nine?¡± Kara asked.
¡°Yes. And I''ll be two zero nine, if that''s OK?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Oh. OK.¡± Q.Q said. ¡°I thought that''d be me.¡±
¡°No, Q.Q.¡± John said. ¡°You knew you wanted to be a truthsayer quite a few days ago, didn''t you?¡±
¡°Urm, yes.¡± he said, blushing slightly as he stole a glance at May.
¡°So, I propose Q.Q. is either number two or one thirty one.¡±
¡°Oh, come and be a number one hundred and something, next to me, Q.Q.¡± Kara said, fluttering her eyelids.
May looked at Q.Q. The thirty first? That was his first visit, on new-years eve. She hid her thoughts quickly. He''d decided then? He''d told Ruben that he thought he had a lot more to learn. She had too, of course. Like how to deal with her feelings for him. He was open, he was fighting his sin. And she didn''t like the way that Kara flirted with him. ¡°It''s a bit lonely being the only person with a one digit number, would you mind being truthsayer two, Q.Q?¡±
¡°Not at all May.¡± he said, hiding his thoughts.
¡°So much for the power of your eyelashes, Kara.¡± Kate said, knowingly.
¡°Hmm. I need to talk to you three, don''t I?¡± Sarah said.
¡°Probably.¡± Kara agreed quickly.
¡°Not together though.¡± May said.
¡°O.K. Individual talks scheduled sometime,¡± Sarah said, ¡°Now, can we move on to judging? It''s past the deadline, and I''ve not had any more replies.¡±
¡°Absolutely.¡± Kate said. ¡°I want to see what I''ve just let myself into wearing.¡±
¡°Right.¡± Sarah said. ¡°We have four competitors, despite the fact yesterday it looked like we had two and a half. So, the final parameters were: a mask made of the flexible material known as fake-face, able to be hidden in a pocket or small bag, no required other clothes, so that someone can be in uniform and recognisable with just the mask, although I did say they could suggest a more complete outfit if they wanted to. I also specified that eyes shouldn''t be susceptible to an iris scan, but without significantly affecting vision. May, do you have Alice''s mask?¡±
¡°Yes, here it is.¡± she passed it to Kate. Alice had been the wicked witch, a role she''d enjoyed enormously. The mask was a sickly green, with warts and scars, and a long hooked nose.
¡°As you see, it''s a flexible material. It''s also breathable, and it''s supposed to naturally stick to your skin just enough to make it look like it''s your real face if you get the makeup right. Obviously they didn''t quite manage that with Alice''s.¡±
¡°No, but they got her personality just right.¡± Kara said, with a smile.
¡°Now, children!¡± Sarah warned. ¡°Be nice.¡±
¡°She did enjoy the role.¡± May said, ¡°And said it didn''t get very sticky.¡±
¡°We''ve had other people saying much the same thing. According to the manufacturer''s site its structure naturally removes perspiration to the surface and conducts heat like skin, I''m sure there''s a bit of exaggeration there, but it''s supposed to be as comfortable as anything going. That means it''s not especially cheap, but people in the know say it''s worth it. Oh, and you can machine wash it. Like I said, we have four contestants. I know who they are, so I''m sitting out of the voting unless there''s a tie. Contestant number one offers us the following.¡± She put the designs on one of the screens in the room. It was a harlequin-style face mask, of white and blue diamonds with a yellow grid, with a third eye in the middle of the forehead. It was certainly noticeable. May hoped the colour scheme didn''t mean it was Susan''s. She didn''t really like it.
¡°Contestant number two. Sent us this.¡±
May couldn''t help laughing. Bed-sheet ghosts with alien faces.
¡°Now, remember, we''re only really judging this on the masks.¡±
The mask was... angular, royal blue, with a sword motif in yellow from the forehead to the chin. It was striking, certainly. Then Sarah changed the view to look at the side image. It wasn''t a picture of a sword, she saw. It was three-dimensional dagger.
¡°How on earth are we supposed to eat with that dagger in front of our mouths?¡± She exclaimed.
¡°Pass.¡± John said. ¡°It looked possible before you showed us the side view, Sarah.¡±
¡°My thoughts exactly, until you realise that unless you see the mask face on,
you''ve got this odd yellow stripe down your nose which looks a bit silly. I suspect that''s why they decided it''d be a real dagger. You also might also have noticed that the eyes just have a clear lens with some dots on them. I expect that''ll make looking in certain directions hard and give you eye strain. So, candidate three.¡±
A third mask came on the screen, blue yellow and white again, May saw. The face was a familiar looking woman, but blue, with a white ''blindfold'' covering the top half of her face and golden eyes making the pans of a balance.
¡°Mona Lisa as blue goddess of justice?¡± Q.Q. asked.
¡°You''re right.¡± May agreed. A blue Mona Lisa. ¡°How would you like to look that pretty Q.Q?¡±
¡°Oh, thanks.¡±
¡°The artist said that they''ve done this as a female mask, and didn''t have time for a male one, but they were thinking of maybe a famous film-star, or musician.¡± Sarah said.
¡°That gets us in trouble with rights owners, doesn''t it?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Probably.¡± Sarah agreed ¡°Unless they''re long-dead, like Elvis Presley.¡±
¡°Let me state, here and now, I do not want to look like Elvis. Not even a blue version.¡± Q.Q. said.
¡°Your vote is noted.¡± Sarah said, with a smile. ¡°Candidate four has sent us this.¡±
Quentin watched. They''d sent an animation; it showed head and shoulders of a dark skinned, dark haired woman with the mask on, turning around, so you could see it from all angles. Quentin wondered about the hair and skin colour of the woman. Was it coincidence, or had the applicant seen May? Again, blue, gold and white. Again the face had reflective golden eyes. But this face was gender neutral, just... average human, and whereas the others had focussed on standard images of the sword and the scales of justice, this image had white words on the blue face. On the left cheek, was ''Yes be yes'' and on the right ''No be no''. On the forehead, a single word, ''TRUTH''. After a while the image changed, it was the same design, but the face was white and the words blue, underneath, some writing came into view.
¡°Truth? I think the first one''s better.¡± May said.
Q.Q. agreed. The animation switched to the first face again and zoomed into the lips of the mask, and he saw that they weren''t a paler blue, as he''d thought from the earlier view, but they also had words on them ''Let no lie pass'' It was double-edged he realised, the truthsayer would try to let no lie pass unchallenged, but in doing that, they needed to be fully honest. No lie should pass their lips either. The mask was a warning to the person wearing it as well as to the person they were facing. He had no doubts which he thought was the best mask. ¡°It gives a whole new meaning to ''read my lips'', doesn''t it?¡±
¡°I''d like to state that I told the computer to randomise these, the order is not my doing.¡± Sarah said. ¡°Would anyone like to see any of the first three entries again?¡±
¡°I think we should.¡± Kate said. ¡°Just for fairness.¡±
¡°I disagree.¡± May said. ¡°I think it''s fairest if we just let the others know they''ve lost.¡±
¡°May, this is supposed to be a secret ballot.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Let no lie pass.¡± May said. ¡°That is so powerful.¡±
¡°Especially there, at the lips.¡± Q.Q. said ¡°Let no lie pass our lips, and my lips let no lie pass unchallenged.¡±
Kara wiped the tears from her eyes. ¡°I don''t think I''m ready for this job, but I''d love to be. That''s what it''s all about. It''s not about scales or swords, those are justice and judgement, not truth. I know they go together, but no, this is what it''s about. Not letting lies proliferate.¡±
¡°The sword can be truth as well as judgement.¡± Kate said. ¡°But yes, I agree.¡±
¡°But... that''s so detailed.¡± Rhianna said. ¡°Is there a way of rubbing it out if we make a mistake? If not we''re going to ruin so many masks!
Can we really get that level of detail onto the mask? Reliably?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I''m pretty sure that Pete''s machine can do it easily, don''t you think Kate?¡±
¡°I''d forgotten that!¡± May exclaimed. ¡°Of course!¡±
¡°Yes, Sarah. Pete''s machine can do it, at least, if the colors are food colourant powders.¡±
¡°I don''t think they can be normal oil-based makeup, or they''d block the pores.¡± Sarah said.
¡°The colours were a sort of powder, which they sprayed with something to make them stick, or melt in, or something.¡± May said.
¡°Sounds like a compatible technology, anyway.¡± Kate said. ¡°If not, then Pete can paint them on, I''m sure.¡±
¡°I''m sure I''m confused.¡± Quentin said.
¡°My husband has a three-dimensional painting machine, which he paints faces on cakes with. It can put on eyelashes and moles, so I expect he should be able to get it to paint words on a mask, no problem, it depends on whether the colouring technology is toxic. But even if the machine can''t do it, he''s an artist. I don''t think painting that would be hard for him.¡±
¡°And he''s also a sculptor.¡± Sarah added. ¡°The only question I have is does he have the time.¡±
¡°Are we actually all agreed this is the winning design? Does anyone have any doubts or uncertainties? May?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°No doubts apart from the artwork, but that''s got to be the same issue for all of them.¡±
¡°Q.Q.?¡±
¡°No doubts that I want it to work.¡±
¡°Kara?¡±
¡°Mona Lisa and the sword don''t cut it for me. I think it has to be this one or the harlequin, and that''s going to be just as hard to paint. ''Read my lips'' here is a much clearer message.¡±
¡°John?¡±
¡°If someone couldn''t read, one of the others might be more powerful, but if we ever meet someone who can''t read, we can explain it to them.¡±
¡°Kate?¡±
¡°This one.¡±
¡°Rhianna?¡±
¡°It''s wonderful.¡±
¡°Sarah?¡± John prompted.
¡°I''m very very impressed by this one. Yesterday she had several designs, but this wasn''t among them. She said she planned to do some reaction testing, and she sends the following. ''I tried various symbols and patterns, but many of them looked OK face on, but not so good with a side view. I got fifteen people to react to the question ''On a scale of one to ten, how uncomfortable would you feel about lying to someone wearing a mask like this?'' I included a pure white mask as well. White got an average of three, with some people saying things like ''I''ve no idea who they are'' or ''the other person is hiding, I can hide things too.'' The other designs scored an average of five, this mask scored and average of eight and a half, but looking at the individual''s scores, I believe that one respondent was using the scale backwards, in which case the average is nine and a half.''¡±
¡°Susan?¡± John asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Who''s Susan?¡±
¡°The person we met over the New-Year who said that doing the branding work for an entity with a royal charter would be the crowning point of her career, but that she wanted there to be a real competition.¡±
¡°So she had more time to work on it than most?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Not really. She was on holiday until the day after I sent out the invitations. And I seriously doubt she spent much thinking-time on it while she was there. Or over the weekend, from what I hear.¡±
¡°Oh, she went back up?¡± May asked.
¡°Yes, helping out again.¡±
Kate was looking puzzled. ¡°She''s involved in your ski resort?¡±
¡°Involved with the ski instructor, more like.¡± May corrected.
¡°Their long standing friendship has just taken a new direction.¡± John said, ¡°They seemed very happy to spend a lot of time together.¡±
¡°Well. Sarah you''ll pass on the happy news, and I''ll ask Pete about it, shall I?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
¡°How are we going to sculpt the face?¡± May asked.
¡°I''ll ask Susan for ideas. If she doesn''t have any, then maybe one of Pete''s molds?¡±
Kate winced. ¡°I don''t think the food-hygiene people would be very happy about that.¡±
¡°Oh. No. Probably not.¡±
¡°Hello, Susan. We ended up with four entries, but our panel of seven judges reached a unanimous decision. The stunning design which someone christened ''read my lips'' won.¡±
¡°My design?¡± Susan asked hesitantly.
¡°Your design. It''s wonderful, congratulations. The double-edged ''let no lie pass'' on the lips is pure genius.¡±
¡°Double edged?¡± Susan was confused.
¡°No lies to pass our lips, no lies to pass unchallenged.¡±
¡°Oh! I hadn''t thought of the first one. I was thinking of your lips not letting lies pass unchallenged.¡±
¡°Well, it''s excellent. We have a few technical questions though.¡±
¡°Now I''m in trouble. About painting the letters on?¡±
¡°Sort of. I don''t know if you''ve seen anything about the face cakes that politicians have been happily slicing up?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Well, we know the artist, and he''s got a printing robot that puts on the colours, but... do you know if the colouring agents for the fake-face are food-safe? We don''t want to ruin his business.¡±
¡°Urm... no idea, sorry. I do know they don''t offer a white colourant. I asked and they said they''ve tried lots of things, but it just doesn''t work well. So assuming you go with the blue background, you''re going to need to leave the white uncoloured, and it''s going to be very fiddly, I''m really sorry.¡±
¡°So that''s why you showed the blue on white as well?¡±
¡°Yes. I think the white on blue looks so much better, but...¡±
¡°Don''t worry, Susan. Your design is wonderful, we''ll just have to see what''s possible in the time. For the shape of the face, did you have a specific mould we could use in mind? We don''t want you to think that we''ve broken your design by not using the right one.¡±
¡°Oh, no, it''s just a generic unisex pantomime mask as far as I remember. But I''ve no objections to you shaping the face however you like. It was the colours and text that I was more concerned about. Which reminds me, I need to specify them for you. I''ll send you them.¡±
¡°Thanks, Susan. Now, next question, or rather statement... I hope you''re free on Thursday.¡±
¡°I guess I could be. I''d need to cancel a meeting but it''s nothing very high priority. Why?¡±
¡°Because I''m under strict instructions to pass on the address of the designer of the winning entry to the palace. I can''t say for certain, but I suspect you''re going to get a royal summons to the chartering.¡±
¡°I really hope you''re joking.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because that''s too much, I don''t deserve it, and I don''t have anything to wear, and...¡±
¡°Calm down, take some deep breaths, and think to yourself. ''I''ve just produced the winning design for the uniform of the first organisation to get a royal charter in a long time.''¡±
¡°That''s supposed to calm me down?¡± Susan asked.
¡°No, it''s supposed to prepare you to talk to people you love and bask in some well earned glory.¡±
¡°I still can''t believe I won.¡±
¡°Believe it. Oh, by the way. If we say we really like ''let no lie pass'' as the motto of the organisation, especially with the lips, what does that that do to the second half of the design competition?¡±
¡°Urm.¡± Susan was silent for a few moments. ¡°If you tell everyone in the competition that you certainly want those elements, it probably makes me cry.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Sarah asked, take aback.
¡°It means I''m automatically a co-designer for the second phase.
Which would be wonderful, but it also means I shouldn''t really compete, doesn''t it? And I''ve already got some ideas...¡±
¡°Oh, OK. Well, maybe someone can come up with something better. We''ll just tell the press when we''re discussing the choice of the design, and the others can draw their own conclusions, can''t they?¡±
¡°But that puts the others at a disadvantage, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°Not really. They''ve got until the end of the month, after all. I''ll put out a press release to announce the winner today, if that''s acceptable?¡±
¡°Very.¡±
¡°Same contacts as I used to announce the competition, I presume?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Should it just be text, do you think?¡±
¡°Well, if you''re not sure you can do the white on blue, then yes, just text. It''s not unusual for certain elements to be left a bit vague at this stage. If they contact me then I can give them a pencil sketch. I still can''t believe this, by the way.¡±
¡°Congratulations, Susan.¡±
5.45pm, I.H.M.
Kate reported back ¡°OK, the order is placed, and the materials are due in an hour. They said that didn''t count as urgent, by the way. Pete thinks the dyes are food-safe, and although they''re not what he normally uses they ought to be compatible with his robo-painter, and he''s willing to try it out. He''s also going to see how his robo-painter does with inverse writing. He''s done dark on white before, but not white on dark, so he''s really not sure how well it''ll do. He says he''ll do that on one of his normal test heads.¡±
¡°I hope he''s adding up the bill.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Oh, stop it, Sarah! Let someone else spend money too.¡±
¡°Yes mum.¡± Sarah said, with a grin.
¡°Much better. How''s the press release going?¡±
¡°We were just wondering if you''d like to check it.¡±
¡°Yes, OK.¡±
Sarah pulled up the statement on the screen. ''Uniform design selected for truthsayers. The announcement of a press conference following the chartering of the association of truthsayers made the selection of a uniform / disguise an urgent priority for the association, and so the decision was taken to bring forward the deadline for that aspect of the corporate identity, and separate it from other elements. The seven designers who had expressed an interest in submitting entries for the design, were informed of this decision and four elected to submit their designs. All were of high standard, but the seven-member judging panel were unanimous in their decision that the design submitted by Susan Draper, using words as opposed to more traditional iconic elements, best represented the spirit of the organisation. The design incorporated familiar phrases ''yes be yes'' and ''no be no'', under a banner of ''TRUTH''. The final element, by which panel members were particularly struck, was her use of the double-edged phrase ''let no lie pass'' at the mouth of the mask. This indeed will be the role of the association: to ensure the honesty and integrity of its members, who will then seek to not allow a lie to pass unchallenged nor a clear truth to stand unconfirmed.''
¡°Hmm, looks good to me. You''re not going to say that the judges are part of the association?¡±
¡°Since it gets formed by the charter, we can''t be members yet.¡±
¡°Good point. OK. Send it, Sarah.¡±
Sarah gestured to the console, and the message went. ¡°Done.¡±
¡°Now, May needs to stay, or at least come back, so we can cover her in goo, but should everyone else go back home and start on their homework?¡±
¡°I really want to see May covered in goo, but yeah, I''ve got some homework.¡± Kara said, sadly.
¡°Don''t worry, we''ll record a video.¡± John said.
¡°I hope you''re joking.¡± May said.
¡°Purely for the sake of education.¡± Rhianna said.
¡°Hold my hand and say that without hiding.¡±
¡°Laughter can be educational.¡± she replied primly.
¡°Hmm. That''s what I thought.¡±
¡°I wasn''t sure how long we''d be gone.¡± Q.Q. said, ¡°So I told Mum not to cook for us.¡±
¡°Kara, you''re staying with May''s folks, aren''t you? Do you have food waiting for you?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I just got the last lesson off school and came down straight here.¡±
¡°How did you get the lesson off?¡± May asked.
¡°I told them I''d got an appointment here. And it was only P.E.¡±
¡°OK. I''ll call Hannah. Or even better, John, can you call Hannah? I''ll enter some I.D.s into the I.D. server here.¡±
She indicated a small rugged looking box sitting on the table.
¡°That''s it?¡± Q.Q. asked.
¡°That''s it. Well, the actual server is about the size of your thumbnail. The rest is armour plating, anti-tamper devices, a backup power supply which''ll keep it active for something like a month, and shock-proofing.¡±
¡°The intention being that you can''t break it open, but if you do then it screams murder?¡±
¡°Yes. Except it doesn''t ''scream murder'', instead if you try to force your way in then it will blow it''s memory to shreds. Literally.¡±
¡°Wow.¡±
¡°It''s a standard device for any company which has I.D.s or other data to protect.¡±
¡°So, we''ll keep the I.D.s on it as well as the register of members?¡± Q.Q. asked.
¡°No. It''s network connected. It has to be, and it''s as secure as any network-connected device can be, but we don''t want to put our register on the network.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°Instead, what we''re going to do is this little box will have our membership numbers and our I.D''s. on it and whether we''re in good standing or under investigation. And then we''ll have another pile of data that matches
membership numbers to contact details, without names.¡±
¡°What about people without contact details, and people''s names? Surely we need a register of names?¡±
¡°Yes. I suggest we have that on an encrypted data crystal (with backups, of course). People who don''t have contact details recorded will just have a record which says ''this record is intentionally blank''. And then we''re going to have an entirely separate register somewhere else, which matches names or nicknames to membership numbers. That way, for an outsider to uniquely identify one of us, they''d need to get hold of both databases, but for a secretary, there would be sufficient in the contact database.¡±
¡°That sounds good, but what about financial stuff? That''s going to link us, surely?¡± May asked.
¡°Hmm, good question which needs more thought, I guess.¡± She placed a crystal reader next to the I.D. server and adjusted them until there was a click. Then she connected the console in the same manner.
Opening a draw, she pulled out a collection of entirely boring looking data crystals. ¡°May, you''re number one. Pick a random crystal. They''ve all been set up as unowned I.D.s and registered to this I.D. server. This I.D. server has been certified by the ministry of Justice as belonging to us. All we need to to is claim one, and then don''t lose it.¡±
¡°Wow. Urm, this one.¡±
¡°O.K. Please put it in the reader, then iris scan and a fingerprint please. I recommend you use a different finger than you''d normally use for your I.D., in case you accidentally use the wrong chip.¡±
¡°Cunning, but doesn''t it make it a bit complicated?¡±
¡°Ha! This is nothing compared to what I needed to do to get this little pile of goodies.¡±
¡°I believe you.¡±
¡°Good. You are now officially ''Truthsayer in good standing, number one.'' Q.Q., you''re up next.¡±
¡°O.K. What would you have done if we''d all gone home earlier?¡± He asked as he gave his iris scan and fingerprint.
¡°Been very annoyed with myself. Well done, ''Truthsayer in good standing, number two.''¡±
¡°What happens if we use these before Thursday?¡±
¡°Ah, well, I skipped a bit. The server is certified, but not authorised to do anything, including identifying you. You''ll get a nasty message about using an I.D. which is valid, but unauthorised for that purpose.¡±
¡°And if we need to put someone on suspended status, it''d be similar?¡±
¡°Hmm. Possibly. I''d assumed we''d be changing their status by altering their name, but that sounds good too. Better in fact. I don''t know this system well enough.¡±
¡°You''re doing fine, Sarah.¡± Kate reassured her.
¡°But it does raise an issue.¡± John said. ¡°How easy will it be to change someone''s settings?¡±
¡°Another good question.¡± Sarah said, starting to fiddle. ¡°What did Hannah say?¡±
¡°That there might be enough for Kara if she gets there quickly, but Ruben is in the house.¡±
¡°Kara could do her homework here somewhere, couldn''t she?¡± May asked ¡°We don''t want her starving.¡±
¡°No problem.¡± Kate said.
¡°May, I think you''re now ''Truthsayer in uniform, number one.''¡± Sarah reported.
¡°School uniform.¡±
¡°Never mind. Can we check?¡±
¡°OK. What, I just show it to the scanner?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Oooh, look, there I am. I.D. of ''Truthsayer in uniform, number one.'' recognised.¡±
¡°So, in answer to your question, John, very easy. Who''s up next, Kara?¡±
¡°Please.¡±
¡°Can I go after?¡± Rhianna asked. ¡°I''ve got lots of homework too.¡±
¡°Of course. Kara, you''re one zero nine, and you''re done. Kate, small meeting room for homework?¡±
¡°Yes. I think so.¡±
¡°Rhianna, can you do your fingerprint again? It wasn''t convinced.¡±
¡°Of what?¡±
¡°I''m not sure. Maybe that you had good contact. Oh, that''s better. Three zero nine can now go and do her homework. We''ll arrange something for food.¡±
¡°Thank you, Sarah.¡±
Sarah looked at her wrist unit. ¡°Kate, want to try doing this for yourself? It''s less complicated than the institute''s system.¡±
¡°Ooh, trusting me with your account? Is that allowed?¡±
¡°I''m sure it shouldn''t be, but see what happens when I leave. The worst that happens is it logs me off. I hope. Hmm. Let me set up May as an administrator, just in case it decides I''m a naughty girl. OK let''s go for a little walk, everyone with homework.¡±
The terminal bleeped, noisily, as Sarah walked to the door.
¡°Sarah, come back!¡± Kate called ¡°I''ll take them.¡±
¡°OK, little box, mummy''s here.¡± Sarah said sitting back down in front of it.
She saw the terminal had locked. It definitely didn''t want her leaving when she was logged on. Sarah approved despite the inconvenience; it was a good security policy.
¡°OK, John, just you and me to do, since Kate''s gone,¡±
¡°And you''ve got to put May back.¡±
¡°No. You can do that.¡±
¡°Oh. OK.¡±
¡°What are we going do about food? Order some pizza?¡± Sarah suggested.
¡°How about something like Chinese, or Thai? We make pizza ourselves often enough, surely.¡±
¡°Mmm. Yes, tempting. I presume we''re inviting Pete over?¡±
¡°Me to. I''ll check.¡±
[Eliza, you and Albert are going to be numbers three zero eight and four zero eight. Hope that''s OK.]
[I presume you don''t have four hundred members.]
[No, you''re three and four yesterday.]
[Odd numbering system.]
[The important thing is to make it slightly more memorable than a random number, but not have it purely sequential.]
[What''s bad with a sequential number?]
[Tells people how many of us there are. I don''t know how long we''ll keep with this number scheme, but we could keep with it indefinitely, I suppose.]
[What, just keep counting the last two numbers as the date?]
[I was thinking we''d just keep going up and wrap around at ninety nine.]
[So all our members are going to be so many hundred?]
[All except May and Q.Q. they''re one and two.]
[Who''s Q.Q?]
[A young lad who likes hanging around May. I get the feeling she''s getting to like him too.]
[I thought you''d banned her from dating.]
[I have. But it''s hardly dating if he visits her family, is it?]
[Hmm, no, I guess not. It''s still a form of getting to know each other, though.]
[I know. It''s treading that fine line, and I think it''s going to only get harder. His parents also want to meet her.]
[He''s told them, then?]
[I presume so. I''m not sure what he''s told them.]
[So are you going to have any more single digit people?]
[Maybe. I''m not sure on what criteria though. So far it''s people who decided to join up last year.]
[Oh. Well, Albert and I decided we''d be happy to join when you first told us.]
[Well, you can be members three and four if you prefer. I haven''t entered anything into any databases yet. Oh, I''ll need some sort of aliases or nicknames for you.]
[Hmm. You can enter me as Lizard if you like. I apparently told my Dad I was one, once. I''ve always liked them.]
[Really?]
[Not as scary as snakes, spend ages dozing in the sun just warming up and then zip, they''re gone. I''d love to be able to spend ages warming up in the sun and waiting for my food to deliver itself.]
[Too busy?]
[That too. And too aware of what the ultra-violet does to skin, if you don''t have scales.]
[Know the feeling. You''re sure you want to be a cold-blooded creature? And what about Albert?]
[Yes, I''m sure about the reptile. They''re survivors. I''ll ask him, is it urgent?]
[Not really. We need to know your choice of number before we issue you with an I.D. crystal and both before we put you down in the register. That reminds me... Registering the crystal...]
[Yes?]
[Everyone else I''ve just had them do it straight onto the I.D. server. I guess I''ll use the same procedure banks use with you though ¡ª half-way register them and then get them to you somehow for the biometric layers. Would Thursday be a good time for me to pass them to you, or are we going to be in the eyes of the press all the time?]
[I''d expect that failing anything else, you can arrange to give them to Bella.]
[OK. I''ll bring along a couple of data crystals then... assuming you want such incriminating evidence to exist, that is.]
[You''d let us be unverifiable members?]
[Do you honestly expect that you''ll ever be active?]
[Well, it''s happened before, but... Probably not. We''ve spoken about it, it was a bit of a needless risk.]
[Well, the crystals are yours when you want them, if you want them.]
[If we don''t register them, then what happens? Do they stay registrable, or is there some kind of time-limit?]
[No idea, I''ll have to ask someone. But, I mean, they''d be identifiable as unregistered truthsayer I.D.''s, but if the I.D. server would disavow them, I''ve no idea. We can try if you like.]
[But you wouldn''t mind issuing them, and having them lying around in the palace?]
[Not at all. The registration doesn''t proceed automatically, otherwise banks wouldn''t dare send out a replacement I.D. There needs to be a confirmation that you''re the person who''s putting the biometrics on. I''m probably not going to automate that. So you''ll need to tell me you''ve registered them and then I''ll tell the I.D. server. If there''s a timeout I''ll just have to figure out how to override it.]
[Then if you''re willing to do that, then let''s do it that way. At least then if we ever do need the things, they''re available to us, just as soon as you can get to the I.D. server.]
[Just tell me nicknames and numbers.]
[I will, don''t worry.]
Pete stood back from his handiwork on May''s new fake face. ¡°Well, I think it''s getting too hard to work more like this, but it''s not bad. What do you think?¡± he asked Kate and Sarah.
¡°You''ve got rid of the bubbles?¡± May asked ¡°That''s what I was most worried about.¡± She was trying hard not to move her jaw, which made it rather hard to understand.
¡°Yes, all the bubbles from the moulding are gone.¡± Pete reassured her. They''d discovered that while starting with the ''whipped cream'' on May''s face had made it easy to avoid getting it in her eyes, it had turned into a bit of a disaster when they tried to putting the mould on. When they''d removed the mould, she''d looked like she had more craters on her face than the moon. Pete had come to the rescue though. Her fake-face was now a smooth white surface, entirely un-pitted.
¡°I think you''ve done wonderfully, Pete.¡± Kate said ¡°And printing the words works?¡±
¡°Yes. It seems to. I''ll need to test it with the specified different brand of dies, but there shouldn''t be a problem.¡±
¡°So, how much longer must I wait?¡± May asked, once more through gritted teeth.
¡°Oh, only another few days.¡± Pete teased.
¡°That''s not funny, and I know it''s not right.¡±
¡°Fifteen minutes. I hope you protected your eyelashes.¡±
¡°Eyelashes are fine. Can you see anything of my eyes?¡±
¡°Not really.¡± Kate said. ¡°I think I can see some sign of movement when you blink, but not much more than that.¡±
¡°Everyone should have one for boring lectures.¡± Sarah commented.
¡°Don''t make me laugh!¡± May protested.
¡°Sorry, May. Pete, you''re going to be able to print it tonight?¡±
¡°It shouldn''t be a problem. Kate can bring it tomorrow morning, if that''s OK?¡±
¡°Absolutely.¡±
[Nice uniform, May! Hopefully we''ll never need one. Is it comfortable?] Eliza asked, as the king was signing the Royal Charter.
[Not too bad. It sort of feels like I''ve got mud or something on my face, but it''s not itchy or anything like that.]
[But it''s not too hot and sticky?]
[Not so far, anyway.]
[Did you have it on as you came into the palace? I meant to ask Sarah.]
[Yes. I went to Kara''s house and changed there.]
[Oh, I wonder what her neighbours thought.]
[Well, she brought the rest of these clothes up for me earlier in the week, and we made sure that she left the house with me, so all they ought to know is that one of her cousins is visiting, with school bag. Wow, big surprise there, and a truthsayer was seen leaving with her.]
[Cunning.]
[We thought so. Kara then hired the transport, and brought me here.]
[She could have come in for the ceremony too.]
[It was a bit of a surprise for her, but she''s in the public gallery.]
[Albert''s idea?] May had been surprised to be met by Prince Albert at the security gate, but she supposed it made some kind of sense. After all, he knew her real name.
[Yes.]
[Good for him.]
Association / Ch. 13: Fallout
Association / Ch. 13:Fallout
5pm, Thursday 11th Jan.
¡°Everyone! They''re about to interview May!¡± Hannah called.
¡°You are recording it, mum?¡± Ruben asked as he came down the stairs.
¡°I hope I am.¡± Hannah replied. ¡°She''s on!¡±
¡°Myra Wilcox, International News. Your name is now a legally guarded secret, how does that make you feel? And also, how should we address you?¡±
¡°Hello Myra, your second question is certainly one I''ve been thinking about. I''m not a police officer, or a pastor, but I think that there''s a similarity. When we address a police officer we don''t know, we call them `Officer'', and we call a pastors ''Pastor'', because what''s normally important is the role, not the person. What''s important, when I''m wearing my uniform ¡ª this mask ¡ª is what I am, not who I am, so I suggest that normally the right form of address is probably ''Truthsayer''. I have this mask, both to protect my identity and to show what my role is. And we do intend to make these masks entirely uniform, or at least as uniform as we can. As for my name being a secret, I''m still me. My friends and family still know who I am. Some of them even know what my weekend job is. And I expect there are people out there thinking, ''that really sounds like...'' and I don''t even mind my friends asking if they''ve just seen me with a blue face with ''let no lie pass'' written on my lips. But you know, I''m sure, that the truth is not always popular. And while I''ll say whether what someone says is the truth or a lie, it is not my role to reveal any personal secrets I hear which lie behind that truth, or if they were thinking at a tangent. Indeed I am sworn to preserve those secrets. So, my mask is a protection for those I examine as well as for me. No one wants to be reminded that their mind wandered during their job interview.
If I''m anonymous, faceless, then they can pass me in the street or sit next to me on the bus without realising that I was the person who heard them wishing their spouse had better dress sense in their interview, or why they really wanted to apply for the job. And of course, I can fulfil my role with less fear of reprisals.¡±
Someone else asked ¡°You spoke of ''we''. How many members of the association were there before the charter?¡±
¡°Since the association didn''t exist before the charter was signed, I''m afraid that''s a non-question. But I can say that seven of us met earlier in the week, who fulfilled all the membership criteria, and that is not our entire roster.¡±
Myra asked ¡°You spoke of this being your weekend job?¡±
¡°Yes, it seems far more interesting than working in a shop.¡±
¡°But you''re still at school?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Tony Randle, Nation-wide News, you spoke about being present at a job interview. If someone wanted to hire you for a day, what would it cost them?¡±
¡°If they wanted to arrange for a truthsayer to spend the day with them, they''d need to contact the association, who would see if there was anyone interested in the commission. I''m not doing freelance work, at least for the foreseeable future, so it almost certainly wouldn''t be me. As for the amount, I''m afraid I''ve no idea what a reasonable amount is for our unique consultancy service. But I understand there are far more certified polygraph operators than truthsayers, perhaps their fee scale would be a good starting point for negotiation.¡±
¡°Jack Fisher, Finance Today. Have you had any communication with the polygraph operator''s trade union? And if so, have they expressed any opinion of your... encroaching on their territory, as it were?¡±
¡°I haven''t had any communication from them, no. We represent an additional option, I personally do not see us encroaching very far on their territory. I can easily imagine that there would be individuals who would refuse having their thoughts listened to who would be happy to undergo a polygraph test, and I expect that there will also be times when an employer will be far happier to have the hard record provided by the polygraph which could be re-examined at a later date, than a simple statement from a truthsayer that the person is lying or that they believe it was the truth.¡±
Another journalist chipped in ¡°Have you yourself undergone a polygraph test?¡±
¡°Yes, as part of my evaluation for this role.¡±
¡°And the operator made no comments?¡±
¡°He made lots of comments, but not about this issue.¡±
¡°But you do not think you are going to steal some of their business?¡±
¡°From what I understand, it is still possible, though difficult, to fool a polygraph test. It might be possible to fool me too. But both at the same time? I seriously doubt it.¡±
A reporter identifying himself as from a technology paper said ¡°Do you have any comment on the suggestion that in a few years a machine will put you out of your job?¡±
¡°Some day it might be possible for a machine to do what I can do in terms of hearing thoughts. But what I also do is make sure that what I hear goes no further than my mind. It would, of course, be possible for the machine to only relay into the headphones of a certified operator, in which case I''d suggest the operator pass the same process of continuous verification that we truthsayers undergo. But such a machine could be stolen and I have no doubt that it could be modified to bypass such precautions, however careful the manufacturer. So there would be, I''m sure, massive implications for privacy.¡±
¡°You''re saying that you''re a safer bet?¡±
¡°I''m saying that freedom of thought is highly valued. Even by me, who grew up with a grandmother with the mind-reading gift; before she died she would often tell me when was thinking rubbish. We don''t expect our thought-life to be published, brought-up as a topic in an interview, or in any way made public. His Majesty has just signed a law which is intended to preserve that mental privacy. I''m sure there will be a desire amongst the would-be blackmailers of the world for a technological method of breaking that law, and of course from repressive governments. But personally, I wouldn''t want to make that possible.¡±
Myra asked ¡°I understand that at the moment applicants to join you have been cleared by the Institute for the Human Mind. Is that something you expect to continue?¡±
¡°Some aspects of it will continue, I imagine, but I believe we''ll be bringing some parts of it in-house. There''s obviously an advantage to having external certification, but I don''t know how many applications we''ll be having of course, and we don''t want to swamp them.¡±
¡°Which aspects do you expect to bring in-house?¡±
¡°Training and aptitude testing are obvious parts.¡±
¡°Training? So this isn''t an innate ability?¡±
¡°I think the analogy to hearing is a good one. Anyone can listen to a piece of classical music, but it takes a real expert to tell you that the second violin is off key. It''s easy to spot some lies. Others are much harder, and our aim is to let no lie pass.¡±
¡°You consider yourself a real expert?¡±
¡°No. My grandmother was the real expert. But she trained me in a few things that many people with the power don''t know about. And at least I know what a real expert can do.¡±
Tony asked: ¡°Truthsayer, you said your grandmother had the gift, though. How do you know she wasn''t using the gift?¡±
¡°Because she told me that I''d be able to do it with practice. Practice doesn''t help you get the gift.¡±
¡°Then, can you tell us what sort of things you can do that others don''t know about?¡± Myra asked.
¡°I''m not really sure I should tell you.¡± May said ¡°I will share them with other truthsayers, but telling you might make life easier for people who want to deceive us. But I''ll say this much: most thought hearers would find it hard to tell if another thought-hearer is lying or not. I don''t usually have that problem.¡±
¡°Oooh, doesn''t she sound proud?¡± Alice said.
¡°No, confident. And she should be.¡± Hannah corrected. ¡°Mama taught her a lot, and if she can teach others, then that makes a real distinctive between the truthsayers and other thought-hearers. That''s so much the better for her future wages.¡±
¡°Poor Sarah!¡± Ruben said, with a grin.
¡°Rich Sarah.¡± Corrected Alice. ¡°I don''t think she''ll mind.¡±
¡°Hush, kids, I''m trying to listen.¡±
Quy family home 5.15pm.
¡°Mum, in case you''re wondering, yes, that''s her.¡± Q.Q. said.
¡°A confident young woman.¡± Quentin''s mother assessed.
¡°Very.¡±
¡°I''m not sure about her face, though. A bit unusual.¡± she teased.
¡°It''s a mask, mum.¡±
¡°I know that. Is the point of the golden eyes to make people scared?¡±
¡°No, just to block iris detectors. To quote her ''It would be rather pointless to have the uniform on and then have some computerised advert machine say: Hi, May, that is May Ngbila, isn''t it? Have you seen our latest range of miniskirts?''¡±
¡°Oh. And she''s into miniskirts?¡±
¡°She tells me she used to be, and it thoroughly embarrasses her how often thats the only thing the advert machines say to her.¡±
¡°Oh, yes, they do that. Identify an old spending habit and try to get you to pick up on it again. She''s told you she''s not wearing them now?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Because she doesn''t like that place: off the rails, far from God, seeking attention because it distracted her from loneliness.¡±
¡°And she associates those clothes with that part of her life, you mean?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Was it long ago?¡±
¡°I''m not really sure. I get the feeling it wasn''t, though, why?¡±
¡°Well, among other things, I''m wondering how emotionally stable she is. She comes across as very stable.¡±
¡°I think she is, now. She spends a lot of time with Sarah, of course. That helps.¡±
¡°But how long for, that''s the question. And what if Sarah decides to drop her?¡±
¡°Mum! Sarah wouldn''t do that!¡±
¡°I''ve seen a lot of totally unexpected behaviour in my life, Quentin. If your May''s stability is too dependant on this Sarah, then I want to know what happens if something happens to Sarah. I don''t want your life falling apart because May falls apart because someone else does.¡±
¡°I''m not worried, Mum.¡±
¡°I wasn''t worried about your dad, either, and look at him now!¡±
¡°I don''t understand. Dad isn''t a Christian.¡±
¡°I met him at Church. His best friend died in a diving accident, a few months before our wedding, and he stopped going to church. I thought he''d snap out of it eventually.¡±
¡°I didn''t know. Let''s pray he will.¡±
¡°I''ve been praying it would happen for a long time, Quentin. But you''re serious about her?¡±
¡°I think so, Mum. But it''s hard. May is... hard to read sometimes. I''ve no idea what she thinks about me. Her cousin Kara, on the other hand made it very clear what she thinks.¡±
¡°And what do you think about Kara?¡±
¡°She''s lively, attractive, fun to be around...¡±
¡°Christian?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Also has the power?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So you need to talk to May and find out what she thinks, don''t you?¡±
¡°I know what she thinks; sort of, anyway. No dating for a year or so.¡±
¡°Because her life is too complicated?¡±
¡°Well, the impact''s coming closer every day.¡±
¡°And that doesn''t apply for cousin Kara?¡±
¡°Kara''s family are in the capital. Oh! There she is.¡± Quentin said, looking at the screen.
¡°Where?¡±
¡°Front row, green cardigan.¡±
¡°Well, it doesn''t automatically follow that you''re going to marry your first real girlfriend. You''ve got plenty of time.¡±
¡°Not for university I don''t. I need to decide.¡±
¡°And it''s related?¡±
¡°Well, if I stay signed up for Restoration, and it doesn''t work out with May...¡±
¡°You''d rather be in the capital?¡±
¡°Assuming Kara''s going to a university there.¡±
¡°You need to pray for God''s leading then, don''t you?¡±
¡°And a chance to talk to May more.¡±
His mother laughed, ¡°That sort of opportunity seems to happen most days of the week, Quentin.¡±
¡°Not today, though. I can''t even call her.¡± Quentin said, realising that he missed her voice, even though he could hear her being interviewed. It wasn''t the same as her talking to him. Not at all.
It was pretty obvious which cousin Quentin was most interested in, his mother decided. She wondered if Quentin knew what was so obvious to her.
The cameras showed the King standing, and walking to the microphone.
¡°There is one further announcement that is planned for today; the declassifying of a state secret. Some people, I expect are wondering how difficult a decision it was to decide what line to take on the issue of privacy for people with the ability to hear thoughts. But I will state now something that made it quite an easy decision, and had it been public some decades ago, then history would have been different. But of course, decades ago almost everyone believed that mind-reading was a joke or a fantasy.
But, as I was growing up, I knew one thing. Joke or fantasy, I was in deep, deep trouble if I tried to lie to my father. He''d fix me with his eyes, hold my chin in his hand, turn my face left and right and ask me ''Now whatever made you think I''d believe that, Eh? What a silly thing it is to lie, it''ll only make things worse, and it''s no way for the future king to behave, either.'' I hoped it was just parental insight or that I was really bad at telling lies, but it really seemed sometimes that he''d know how I was thinking. But no-one could hear thoughts, could they? Now we know that some people can, so we presume that my father could too.
¡°Some of my royal ancestors'' personal diaries have contained puzzling lines like, ''I was sure the minister was deliberately blocking progress, so it was necessary to work around him.'' And I''ve asked myself, why, if there was evidence that someone was being deceitful, were they not simply confronted and replaced. I think we have the answer. Some of them had knowledge they couldn''t easily act on. We now have a legal framework where a person may, if they wish, publicise their abilities, but others may retain their privacy, absolutely. We have a law which prohibits the abuse of this ability, a mechanism to investigate abuses and a chartered association which will, we hope, make these abilities available to the courts, companies and even individuals. Joining that association necessarily means that at least someone in the association knows who you are, but the charter has been carefully written. The membership roster will never, I hope, become a list of targets for a witch-hunt against thought-hearers. Certainly not while any descendants of my father are on the throne. This ability often skips a generation or two or three, it''s certainly skipped mine, but perhaps one day Eliza and Albert will have children or grandchildren who join the Chartered Association of Truthsayers, I don''t know. But it''s certainly in both their lineages.¡±
Thursday 11th Jan, 5.40pm. local time, Anchorage
¡°They''ve done it!¡± Maddie said, as Robbie came in.
Robbie kissed his wife and asked ¡°Urm, who''s done what?¡±
¡°Sarah''s country. Well, her king, by the look of it, has decided to make it illegal there to publish if someone''s a thought-hearer without their express permission. They''re calling it an obvious extension to the civil liberty of personal privacy and the press are calling it censorship, of course. And Sarah''s been involved in persuading her king to set up a new Royal Association of Truthsayers, sorry, Chartered association, officially. But the papers are calling it a RAT anyway. ''Loony King gives birth to blue-faced RAT.'' according to one. He''s also announced that his dad could hear thoughts.¡±
¡°Handy ability for a King. But why blue-faced?¡±
¡°Apparently the truthsayers are going to wear a blue mask.¡±
¡°And he''s called loony for believing the asteroid will hit?¡±
¡°Among other things. They nurses were all a-giggle about it, anyway. Both the biological side and the whole ''blue-faced-liar'' angle. I really wonder what they were thinking in picking the colour. Didn''t they make the connection with the expression?¡±
Robbie speculated ¡°Maybe they don''t have the expression over there. It''s a new one since I went away.¡±
¡°It is? Surely not!¡± Maddie replied. ¡°Well, anyway, round here a blue face doesn''t exactly symbolise believable, does it?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Anyway, it''s all being put down to ''Christians'' craziness'', which seems to be the papers'' new preferred term.¡±
¡°''Christians'' craziness?'' Last week it was ''crazy Christians''.¡± Robbie noticed ¡°The campaign''s getting worse, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes. The editors really don''t like the way their king came out in favour of Christ. Not to mention all the other high profile Christians or conversions over there.¡±
¡°The Christian press are talking about there being a revival there.¡±
¡°And are they commenting on the rise in anti-Christian language in the mainstream press over here?¡± Maddie asked.
¡°Well, yes, but that much is noticeable to anyone.¡±
¡°Anyone here, anyway.¡±
¡°But why are they laying the choice of masks at Christian''s feet?¡± Robbie asked.
¡°Well Sarah''s made no secret of her faith, and she''s committed herself to funding the association while it gets starting, and then someone has looked up the designer, I can''t remember her name, hold on, I''ll look it up, I want to quote some more anyway. Susan, that''s right, apparently she put some message on-line that after a difficult emotional time over Christmas she''s over the moon about winning this competition and of course the two new loves in her life: Jesus Christ and her liege and suitor, king William of the fifth kingdom.¡±
¡°She wrote that?¡±
¡°It certainly looks like it to me.¡±
¡°And it wasn''t for a bet?¡±
¡°Apparently she''s been into dressing up in pseudo-medieval clothes and reenacting a low-tech lifestyle for the past few years.¡± Maddie explained, ¡°I looked it up, and the quote was actually from a reenactor''s discussion page. So of course she''d have to call her new boyfriend by his status in the reenactor''s fantasy world.¡±
¡°But out of context it sounds entirely crazy, and since she''s now a Christian too, the whole lot is more fuel for the anti-Christian rhetoric?¡±
¡°Exactly.¡± Maddie agreed.
¡°So what do we do?¡±
¡°Apart from keeping your story quiet?¡± Maddie asked. Robbie wasn''t sure if she was joking or not.
¡°You think we should hide what God''s done?¡± Robbie asked.
¡°No, Robbie. That''s what the enemy wants us to do. Your story is about God using our individual stupidity. Her''s is probably something about God blessing her with so much creativity she has to escape the mundane office life to express it in fancy dress.¡±
¡°What about yours?¡±
¡°That God knows what he''s doing, maybe. I was really angry with you when you went away, you know.¡±
¡°You''ve said, yes.¡±
¡°But if we''d married then, I''d have never had this job, Sarah would have never brought you home and pulled strings to get us this flat, and we''d be far worse off.¡±
¡°Not to mention not qualifying for the teaching bursaries because we wouldn''t be mature students.¡± Robbie said pointing to the data-crystal that held a copy of the letters that confirmed their successful applications, as well as their marriage and birth certificates, just in case both their wrist units got stolen. His mother and Maddie''s parents had copies too.
¡°So, God knows what he''s up to. Even when we don''t understand. So I''m not really worried about being called a foolish Christian.¡±
¡°Nor am I. But let''s hope it doesn''t end up being difficult to get employed as teachers because of it.¡±
Maddie was quite for a little before saying: ¡°Or getting respect from kids and parents.¡±
¡°That might be tricky, if we want to convince them to learn.¡±
¡°Well, it''s in God''s hands.¡±
¡°Yes. I don''t want to be selfish, but if that asteroid doesn''t hit, then the abuse is just going to get worse, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Probably.¡± she agreed.
9am, Friday 12th Jan.
PRESS RELEASE
Following weeks of emergency repairs after the catastrophic fire at Space Guard''s deep space active radar and lidar system, Space Guard is happy to announce that the ultra-precise system is back on line. We have also been able to precisely measure the distance and speed of the approaching asteroidal body and reduce the uncertainties due to these factors by 90%.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
There is still the possibility of further naturally occurring jets altering the course, but we can now say with a high degree (98%) of confidence that at present the body is indeed on the collision course with Earth as has been indicated before now.
We therefore call upon the United Nations high council to reach the end of its deliberations on this matter and permit the use of the Space Guard Penetration-Ablation Interceptor system to divert this target during the launch-window available to us.
Technical details are available.
10am, Friday 12th Jan., the Palace
¡°So, Space Guard got their radar station back together on time?¡± Albert asked the science minister.
¡°I understand that they don''t quite have it bolted together properly yet, but before they tried fitting it into position they wanted to test it, so they pointed it at the moon and when they found it was where everyone agreed it was, the astronomer on duty decided to point it at the asteroid since it was just rising. It''s now turned off again for another few days while they put all the boxes into the right cabinets with their proper cooling systems and everything.¡±
¡°And their interceptor? I thought it was just a theoretical project?¡±
¡°It was. The theory actually dates from the beginnings of the age of chaos. Someone worked out that you could make a crater in a comet or asteroid using either a bomb or just the power from an impact, and then assuming you could let off one or more nuclear weapons in it then you''ve got a rather crude rocket. But, apparently someone''s been looking through their museum and has discovered that they''ve sort of got the bits they need if someone will let them put a nuclear weapon on top of a rocket.¡±
¡°I don''t like the sound of ''sort of''. What have they actually got?¡±
¡°They''ve got a satellite payload, about a hundred years old. It''s basically a space-launching missile, which is intended to split into two. Part one makes the hole, part two delivers the bomb. They''ve powered it up and according to my source it performed a systems test, declared all its batteries needed replacing, that its atomic clock had taken a few seconds to start up properly because the power supply voltage was a bit low, but it was running OK now, the bomb was missing or disconnected, and could someone please load it with the orbital elements of the target in an obsolete format that someone will need to convert things to.
¡°They''d need a launch vehicle capable of delivering thirty metric tonnes to low Earth orbit, a nuclear warhead which will fit into it and go bang when they tell it to, and about twenty five tonnes of fuel. They''ll also need UN permission to launch the museum piece into orbit with a nuke on board, or failing that, permission to launch the nuke some other way and assemble it in orbit. Since they''ve changed the mountings a couple of times in the last hundred years, someone would need to work out how to attach the thing to a modern launch vehicle. They''ve started, of course, but they need to finish all this in the space of about a week.¡±
¡°Do you think they''ll do it?¡±
¡°They have be able to, assuming the U.N. agrees. The technical challenges are something they ought to have been thinking about for decades, after all. Since that museum piece is the only thing they''ve got, it ought to have been maintained better, and so on. Otherwise, what''s the point of Space Guard?¡±
¡°Well, since I told them which object was going to hit us and when, and all they''ve done since is fill everyones ears with confusion, I''m afraid I''ll probably vote for them not having much point regarding this particular impact. As for a rushed launch of an antiquated and untested device with a nuclear warhead on-board? Well... let''s see what my father thinks.¡±
11am, Friday 12th Jan., the Palace
¡°There you have it, father. Space Guard are pressing for their ancient payload to finally be launched in anger, and would like our support in the U.N.¡±
¡°And going with it, permission, if it goes wrong, to scatter radioactive debris all over Restoration, or wherever they knock the asteroid to?¡±
¡°I guess that''s implicit, yes.¡±
¡°Presumably they''ve got a specific warhead in mind?¡±
¡°Actually.... from what I understand, no.¡±
¡°No?¡±
¡°The original plan required a certain number of a specific warhead, all to be detonated simultaneously. But that was a century ago. Now... they''d like a total yield of above five megatons, and they''re prepared to work on the details.¡±
¡°I see. And is their little toy anywhere near our territory at the moment?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°That''s a relief.¡±
¡°Bella, your dreams did show a launch, didn''t they?¡± the queen asked.
¡°One dream showed a missile launched and hitting a rock in space, one showed a missile launch that went wrong.¡± Bella replied, ¡°But I''m not sure both launches were from the ground.¡±
¡°Ah, well. I happen to have a picture of the ugly interceptor here. Do you recognise this?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Urm. Maybe.¡± Bella said. ¡°Eliza?¡±
[You want me to look?]
[Yes please.]
Eliza looked at Bella''s memories of the dreams. She was right. One was very much a traditional ground-launched missile leaving a mobile launch platform. It looked like Eliza''s mental image of the onset of a nuclear war, except that the man in the control centre sees it going off course and aborts it. The other was a space-launched missile, pulling slowly away from a satellite launch vehicle slowly at first, and then when it had reached a safer distance erupting in a massive show of just how quickly chemical energy could move a rocket when there wasn''t much gravity to slow it down. Then just as the rockets shut down, it hit... something. It could have been a rock, or it could have been a piece of space debris. The result in any case was dramatic, with the missile tumbling away in a cloud of debris.
¡°Bella''s right. Two very different missiles. A ground-based one went off course, and the someone hits self-destruct, and Space-Guard''s one hits something just as its main engines turn off after launch. It might have been a rock, but I don''t know.¡±
¡°Interesting. What sort of ground-based missile?¡± the queen asked.
¡°It was on some kind of vehicle, but it was an enormous missile. It triggered thoughts of a nuclear war for me.¡±
¡°I certainly hope there won''t be another one.¡± Albert responded.
¡°Did you see how Space-Guard''s missile was launched?¡±
¡°I''m not much of a space geek, but it was what I imagine is a normal satellite launcher. I saw it gently going away from doors on the back of a space-plane for a while, and then lots of chemical rockets lighting up the darkness.¡±
¡°And the it was destroyed too?¡± Albert asked.
¡°I''m not entirely sure. It hit something, it ended up tumbling, and there was debris, but... I don''t know. If you told me that the missile was armour plated and the debris must have come from whatever it hit, then I''d probably believe you.¡±
¡°Thank you, Eliza.¡± the King replied ¡°That''s actually quite reassuring. For one thing, it says that Space Guard''s missile is going to get to space safely.¡±
¡°Should Eliza, and I guess Bella too, look at a database of mobile launchers?¡± Albert asked.
¡°If you''ve time, yes please.¡± The Queen agreed, ¡°It would be good to know what kind of missile Bella dreamed about getting aborted. For all we know, it could have been years ago and be only slightly related to the impact at all.¡±
Bella and Eliza discovered that, thanks the globalisation of the world arms trade, there were only two self-propelled gantry systems in current use. It didn''t take them very long to spot which model of launcher they were looking at. The variety of missiles however was significantly greater.
¡°What do you think, Eliza? This one?¡± Bella asked.
¡°Maybe. There''s nothing at least a fifth taller but about the same diameter? I''m pretty sure it was only slightly shorter than that lightning rod.¡±
¡°You''re right, it was.¡±
Warren, the expert in their photo fit sucked in his breath. ¡°We have tall and thin, short and fat, you''re sure about tall and fat?¡±
¡°Fairly.¡± Bella replied ¡°Why?¡±
¡°We need to start looking at something historic then, or it was this one.¡± he brought up what looked more like an artist''s impression than a photograph.
¡°Would that one be a problem?¡±
¡°Yes. You surely couldn''t have seen one of those where you were.¡±
¡°Warren?¡± Bella asked, ¡°What exactly were you briefed for this meeting?¡±
¡°That somehow Eliza had seen a missile in ready to launch position, and their majesties would like to identify it. I''m assuming that was during your captivity, maam? This one shouldn''t have been anywhere near there.¡±
¡°Ah, I get it. If you would prefer, Warren, you could suppose that I saw a photo or video during that time. It''s not actually the entire truth either, but its closer. Would that help? Tell me about this tall fat one.¡±
¡°It''s a scary one. It''s a genuine hit-anywhere on the planet intercontinental ballistic missile with a stealth scram-jet phase. You''ve heard of MIRVs? Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicles?¡±
¡°Yes. This one has those?¡±
¡°Not quite. A MIRV system is vulnerable to interception if you can get it while it''s on its way up, and there isn''t that much separation you can select. This one has a multiple second stage system, the scram-jet phase I spoke about. The first stage gives the initial boost, then there are seven independently guided second stage rockets under this housing, each one hosting a cluster of MIRV warheads. This was designed as the ultimate in retaliation weapons ¡ª a single launch and you can pick between a multi-parabola approach towards a single nation target or you can pick seven entirely separate continents.¡±
¡°I didn''t think there were seven continents.¡± Bella said, trying to lighten the load.
¡°Well, no, but you get what I mean.¡± Warren said.
¡°So, I presume it was developed by a small country who thought they might have a lot of enemies?¡±
¡°Yes, urm, I''d rather not say who. But as far as we know it''s not been built yet, so if you really saw it, that''s scary.¡±
¡°How historic would the historic options you were thinking about be?¡±
¡°Out of service for thirty years. Might it have been a historic film?¡±
¡°No. Sorry.¡±
¡°Maam, my role in this... I think I need to tell you I''m the point person for any information on enemy weapon systems. I''m not saying I''m the expert on an individual system, but any intelligence should come to me.¡±
¡°I presume you''ve heard of the dreams about the impact?¡± Bella asked. ¡°This is one of them.¡±
¡°You had the dreams, Maam?¡± he asked Eliza in surprise.
¡°Me? No, it was Bella here. I just know what she saw, possibly better than she does herself.¡±
Bella nodded and added ¡°But this is the point where you ask yourself if you need to know more, Warren, and come up with the answer `no, and I don''t want to speculate.'' Keep that firmly in mind. But what you can be told is that in my dream, this missile was launched, went off course, and the range-safety guy hit the big red abort button. Well, I presume it was big and red. Otherwise, we presume that the launching of the missile is something to do with the impact, we guess that it''s not anything to do with the rock getting sent in this direction, so it''s more likely to be related to this end of things. The initial hypothesis was that it was being launched to intercept the asteroid, but I''m not sure that makes much sense if it''s an ICBM.¡±
¡°It''s entirely sub-orbital unless there''s been a redesign no-one''s heard of. But you dreamed it going off course?¡±
¡°Yes. There were some lines drawn on the screen and when the missile didn''t stay inside them, a guy watching in uniform pressed a button.¡± Bella said.
¡°So you''d say that you had a premonition of range-safety abort of a test firing?¡±
¡°No.¡± Bella said.
¡°No?¡± Warren asked.
¡°I''d say I had a premonition of an aborted firing, and I remember feeling relief that it wouldn''t be landing on anyone. You said earlier it was an enemy system?¡± Bella asked.
¡°It isn''t one of our allies, certainly.¡± Warren agreed.
¡°But surely such a launch would be detected? What would they hope to gain? Except retaliatory strikes?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°I''ve no idea, but I assure you, we''ll be taking a lot of interest in their plans.¡±
¡°Launch detection is satellite-based, isn''t it?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Yes, why?¡±
¡°How many satellites? I''m just thinking that there''s going to be rocks and debris coming, not to mention the launch of the Space Guard missile, if that goes ahead. I wonder if they''re hoping to get a strike in under the cover of something like that.¡±
¡°That... that might be possible, if they knew exactly where the observation satellites would be and everything lined up beautifully for them. But that''s not very likely. Not at all.¡±
¡°I presume you''ll pass on the thought though?¡± Eliza said.
¡°Absolutely.¡±
1.30pm, Friday 12th Jan. Restoration.
The note to her teacher that the school secretary had delivered said simply, ¡°When convenient and without disrupting lessons, I''d like a word with May Ngbila.¡± and bore the illegible signature of the headmaster. May''s teacher had decided that that meant May could do most of the maths exercises at home and sent her along half way through the scheduled lesson: ¡°You''re to see the head; take your things, Ms Ngbila, I''ve no idea how long a word he wants.¡±
Like most students, May always felt that being called to the head''s office was a bad thing, so she was more than a little nervous when she went to the school office.
¡°Young lady, do you know why you''re here?¡±
¡°No, sir.¡±
¡°Hmm. Well, either someone has decided that the press should know which school the world-famous truthsayer is at, or the reporters are ringing every school in the city. I''ve had a number of reporters ringing up saying they have good information that the truthsayer studies here, and would like to interview staff and students for their reactions to you.¡±
May was aghast. ¡°Can they do that?¡±
¡°Not on school property without permission. How many people at the school have you actually told?¡±
¡°Here in the school? Other than staff, I''ve told five people, no six. And I can''t imagine any of them talking to the press.¡±
¡°So, you''ve made no public announcement to your class, or anything like that?¡±
¡°No, sir. I''m not interested in being hounded by the press my whole life. Quite the opposite, in fact.¡±
¡°And the staff who know would be myself, your form teacher and the school secretary. Anyone else?¡±
¡°Mr Watson.¡±
¡°Oh? You got some careers advice? That''s sensible.¡±
¡°I can''t think who might have leaked it.¡±
¡°It''s entirely possible the reporters are just engaging in a little bit of social engineering; pretending they know something they don''t in order to find out more.¡±
¡°I hope that''s all it is, sir.¡± May said,
¡°Don''t we all. Very well, you''ve told me what I need to know. I''ll talk to other schools and find out what I can. You may return to your lessons.¡±
2.30pm, Friday 12th Jan. Restoration.
¡°Tony? Have you been calling round schools phishing for the truth-sayer?¡± Albert asked ¡°I''ve had a complaint.¡±
¡°Me? No! Why would I do that?¡± Tony replied.
¡°It seems that someone has been, a little bit of social engineering to try and find out what school she goes to.¡±
¡°And they used my name? That''s terrible!¡±
¡°I told the school it didn''t sound like your voice, but I just wanted to check.¡±
¡°Albert, I not only wouldn''t do that, but I don''t need to either. I know her.¡±
¡°Hmm. All those lovely stories you won''t tell! Work on this one, will you? Turn it into a story about underhand journalistic techniques and dragging your good name in the mud. If you do find out who, then I''m sure your lovely wife might like to venture an opinion.¡±
Tony grinned at the thought of what Teresa''s opinion might be. Probably it would involve someone squirming to avoid legal fees. ¡°With pleasure.¡±
¡°I suggest you start with the schools not on this list, see if you can forewarn them.¡±
¡°Sting operation?¡±
¡°Assuming that you let the police know what you''re up to.¡±
¡°Certainly!¡±
3.10pm, Friday 12th Jan. Restoration.
¡°Good afternoon, Fleetwood Academy.¡±
¡°Hello, I''m Tony Randle from Nation-wide News, I understand someone''s been seeking interviews at numerous schools in and around Restoration using my name. Have they contacted your school yet?¡±
¡°Urm, not me personally, but I''m just covering for the receptionist, so I can''t be sure.¡±
¡°O.K. Well just so your colleague is forewarned, there are several people working their way through a list of schools saying they''ve heard the truthsayer is a pupil there and can they interview staff and students about their feelings about being in the same school as her. We think they''re working together, at least they''re both asking schools in the same order.¡±
¡°Oh, and one is claiming to be you?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Is that legal?¡±
¡°No. Technically it''s fraud. I''d really like to film them being exposed for unethical reporting, but that''s probably a bit too much to ask.¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know. It might be an interesting exercise for our drama and media-studies students. You say they claim they''ve heard the truthsayer is a pupil at the school?¡±
¡°Yes, it''s almost certainly a type of social engineering to find out which school she goes to. Fortunately, the school she''s really at always reply to press enquiries that they don''t talk to the press about pupils.¡±
¡°You sound like you know which school that is.¡±
¡°I do; her parents are friends of mine.¡±
¡°Oh! OK, urm, so, if they call, I can contact you at N.W.N''s offices?¡±
¡°Yes, please. The police are aware, by the way. The person to contact is detective St.Clair of the fraud unit.¡±
¡°Well, once the receptionist is back I''ll fill him in. I think I can see a lot of educational opportunities here.¡±
¡°Well, thank you for your vote of confidence, maam. I hope the head agrees with you.¡±
¡°Oh, I make it a policy to always agree with myself.¡±
5pm, Friday 12th Jan. Water-polo training.
The coach was droning on and on about what went wrong in the last match. How they''d given up. Q.Q had heard it before and had his own thoughts about it. His mind drifted to other problems he faced, like deciding what to do about his university choices.
¡°Wake up Q.Q!¡± the coach yelled, and then asked ¡°Or should we call you Romeo? Explain something to me, Romeo, that was May Ngbila who helped nurse you back to health at the match, wasn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes, sir¡±
¡°I don''t know, fraternising with the enemy. So just which part of the rules did she want you to explain to her?¡±
¡°Urm, none of them, sir.¡± Q.Q. replied, red-faced.
¡°So, will you please stop day-dreaming about her long enough to pay attention to what we''re doing here?¡±
¡°I wasn''t thinking about her, sir, I was thinking about university.¡±
¡°Well get your thoughts back to the match, lad. I asked you what you thought went wrong.¡±
¡°They were better than us, sir.¡±
¡°In what way?¡±
Q.Q. thought back. ¡°Passing accuracy, mainly, sir. And they fouled when the ref. wasn''t watching. But we lost too many passes and they hardly missed any.¡±
¡°Interesting observation. Why did you miss passes?¡±
¡°We were getting tired, I guess.¡±
¡°You got tired, you went through the motions, but you''d given up. What you could have done was get closer together. That''s what they did. Shorter throws, accuracy goes up. And if you guys remember, I was telling you you needed to do that. If you hadn''t given up, then you might have listened, and might have won. And that''s called letting the side down. So, what you''re going to do this evening is show me how accurately you can throw immediately after warm-up and then you''re going to do a few sprint lengths and see how accuracy goes down, get closer until it goes back up and then repeat until the end of the evening.¡±
The coach grinned at the groans greeted that this educational experience.
5.30pm, Friday 12th Jan. Restoration.
¡°Hi, May. You told me you needed to talk?¡±
¡°Urm, yes, I did. I do. Isn''t there work to do, though?¡±
¡°Oh, probably. But lets do this first.¡±
¡°You''re the boss.¡±
¡°Yes, and you''ve been busy this week, so I''m not planning to work you very hard tonight.¡±
¡°And tomorrow?¡±
¡°Tomorrow, you''re going to have some time to do some homework or study, since I''m going to be at Eliza''s wedding. But what do you want to talk about?¡±
¡°I''m not sure it''s working out with Q.Q.¡±
¡°Oh. And you want to talk about it?¡±
¡°I need to, Sarah. I know you said no dating, but with Kara fluttering her eye-lashes at him every chance she gets, I don''t think I can stay cool calm and aloof. I don''t want to lose him.¡±
¡°Oh! That sort of not working. I though you meant you''d decided there wasn''t any hope of romance.¡±
¡°I think he''s a good one, Sarah. I don''t want to disobey, but I want to at least let him know I''ve got feelings for him.¡±
¡°You haven''t yet?¡±
¡°I said we could be friends. And I''m trying to keep it like that. Otherwise...¡±
¡°But you''d like to be able to give him some encouragement?¡±
¡°Yes. And I don''t really know how, without flirting, and I''m not going back there.¡±
¡°Well, now, he''s always inviting himself over to your house isn''t he?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And his parents have invited you to visit, haven''t they?¡±
¡°Yes. You''re suggesting I could go?¡±
¡°Well... a girl visiting a boy at his home feels a bit different to the other way round, but as long as his parents are there, not to mention Rhianna... It''s not like you''re going out on a date, is it? So, you have my OK on this, but ask your parents. Also... just because you''re not giving each other an opportunity for temptation to strike, don''t feel you need to keep him in the dark about what you feel, May.¡±
¡°But... how do I do that without it being flirting?¡±
¡°Oh, that''s easy May. Flirting is doing things to get him excited. Don''t do that, just talk to him.¡±
¡°But how does that equate to not getting involved romantically?¡±
¡°You tell me, May.¡±
¡°I get jealous when Kara flutters her eye lids at him. I get annoyed when he''s always here and miss him when he''s not around...¡±
¡°You day-dream about him in lessons?¡±
¡°No. Well, not really day-dreaming...¡±
¡°When you think about your future, is he in it?¡±
¡°Well, he''s in the association, isn''t he?¡±
¡°So''s John, May.¡±
¡°Urm. That was a lame excuse, wasn''t it?¡±
¡°It was, rather. So, would you like to go to a different university than him? Have some time apart, meet lots of other boys, see if any of them take your fancy?¡±
¡°I don''t want to go chasing boys, Sarah.¡±
¡°But this one has chased you rather successfully?¡±
¡°He wants to know the clan, Sarah, that''s special.¡±
¡°And so he''s got past a lot of your defenses.¡±
¡°I guess so. If I had any.¡±
¡°So, I see two options, May. You keep him in the dark and I tell Kara to keep away from him, or you tell him that you don''t want him paying attention to Kara''s eye-lashes, even if you''re not really dating yet. And I don''t think I would have a problem with you telling him that when she does your emotions are getting involved despite your best efforts to keep things just at friendship level.¡±
¡°Even when she doesn''t.¡± May admitted.
¡°So, I should tell you not to see him for a while, shouldn''t I?¡±
May felt panic grip her ¡°Not before I''ve talked with him, please! It might push him towards Kara. Or someone else.¡±
Sarah smiled. ¡°Don''t worry, May. I''m not planning on making either of you miserable. So, you tell him what you''re starting to feel, and decide between the two of you how you can keep hormones under control and not date. Unless you decide to try and convince your parents that the only way of doing that is John''s solution, but I think that''s too drastic.¡±
¡°Dare I ask what John''s solution is?¡±
¡°Get married. To quote my beloved husband, ''There''s nothing like regular guilt-free sex to keep hormones under control.'' I don''t recommend it, myself, though you''re too young.¡±
¡°Not legally after my next birthday, but yeah. Quentin is so not ready for marriage. Nor am I, for that matter. I mean, you''ve banned us both from dating.¡±
¡°I''ve banned you and Q.Q. from dating, yes, like you told me, neither of you need that temptation.¡±
¡°How long is that in force for?¡±
¡°Give it some months. Try not to get too emotional about each other.¡±
¡°So no kissing either?¡±
¡°You tell me what you think. Is that giving in to hormones, or is it going to help him separate his lust from his sexuality?¡±
¡°Can you unpack what you mean about sexuality there?¡± May asked, ¡°I''ve heard about separating lust from love, but isn''t his sexuality about him finding women attractive?¡±
¡°Partly. It''s also about him being male. Male and female human sexuality comes into all sorts of things: typically males liking to compete, females tend towards nurturing and caring; males tend to look for someone they can protect and provide for, females tend to long for someone to protect them; and so on. But of course, females compete with each other over good males, as you know. All those sorts of things, biases that are wired into our brains. I''m not saying that there''s no fuzzy edges, there''s lots, but it''s more than just gender stereotyping and social norms. I don''t know anyone who got told they had to wear pink as a little girl. It''s just something that little girls like to do, for some reason. Male and female brains are wired differently and of course, testosterone makes people competitive, builds muscles, and so on, which is why when they discovered that they gave it to athletes.¡±
¡°Stupid thing to do, mucking with that sort of thing is really dangerous.¡± May said.
¡°Oh, I know. But that''s one way people found out. By people worshipping success, and suffering for it. But that''s another issue. The main issue, (realising there''s a difference between sexuality and gender-related temptation) is one of those things that it really helps to do. God doesn''t want us to force ourselves to be neuter, so maybe a kiss and cuddle is appropriate as long as it stays chaste, you''ll have to decide that between you. Q.Q. needs to find ways of rejecting his lust without rejecting the way that God has made him. Similarly, you and Kara need to find ways of rejecting flirting without wearing a sack over your heads, deciding that all men are rapists, or any other extremes people have taken it to. Or take gossipping ¡ª it is related to an interest in people and what''s important to them, which is good, but gossip is taking it too far and getting the motivation wrong.¡±
¡°Wow. Did you, like, take courses on this stuff?¡±
¡°Me? No. I''ve just been picking John''s brains.¡±
¡°So... applying some of it. If Mum and Dad say so, I go and visit Q.Q. for lunch tomorrow, and I don''t dress up in a sack, but nor do I wear the sort of lust-fueling stuff I used to.¡±
¡°Exactly, and you don''t flutter your eyelids, or lean towards him with a loose top, or press yourself against him or anything like that, because firstly, he''s your brother in Christ and you don''t want to lead him into temptation, and secondly, you want him over those sorts of thoughts quickly so that you can start going out with him without his mind being like a cesspit.¡±
¡°Will he be over them?¡±
¡°Probably not. But there''s a big difference between the thought coming to his mind and him stamping on it, or immediately turning to prayer and him savoring it. And May, it goes both ways. If you find certain clothes, words or actions of his don''t help you keep your heart pure, then they need excluding from your relationship too.¡±
¡°There''s a question I''ve not asked yet.¡±
¡°Oh yes?¡±
¡°Yes. Am I losing it?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°Am I straying from God? I''ve not been back with God long, and I don''t want to go back to that place, but I''m already thinking that maybe I shouldn''t have dumped all my party clothes...¡±
¡°Because you''d like to wear some of them for him?¡±
¡°Urm... yes.¡±
¡°And while his reaction might feed your ego, would it help his walk with God?¡±
May felt tears coming to her eyes, and shook her head.
¡°And would it help yours?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°So, like you agreed earlier, you''re not ready to be going out yet, are you?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°It''s going to be a temptation, May. It''s a path to sin you''ve followed before and it''s always easier to follow familiar paths than walk new ones.
You''re facing a new situation with Q.Q.; lots of prayer is entirely appropriate. Now, answer your own question. Are you straying?¡±
¡°I hope not. It was just a temptation, wasn''t it?¡±
¡°It depends if you took the thought on board. If you did, you''ll need to reject it all over again. And pray about it of course.¡±
5.40pm, Friday 12th Jan.
¡°Hello, Tony Randle? Fleetwood Academy here. I''ve just been talking to the nice helpful detective St-Claire. The fake Tony Randle called. He says he won''t actually be able to come on Monday, so it''ll be a colleague.¡±
¡°Well, that makes sense. It avoids him needing to explain why he doesn''t look like me or have my I.D. You''re going ahead?¡±
¡°Yes. I''ve made various excuses about why it couldn''t be during school time, so it''ll be at five on Monday. We''ve sent a letter home to the media studies and drama classes, explaining that some reporters might arrange an interview under false pretenses and would they like their kids to take part in this educational police operation. If you''d like to step out behind the door or something, along with the policemen, that''d be wonderful. The media studies students will be filming them filming it, and the drama students will be giving some reactions.¡±
¡°You sound like you''re very well organised.¡±
¡°Thank you, we try.¡±
¡°But you were able to convince them she goes to your school?¡±
¡°Well, I''d been pre-warned by the police not to say that she did, or I would be entrapping them. So when they said they''d heard rumours, I said something like it seemed there were no secrets safe in the world. Then they asked about her getting the day off to visit the palace, I said that our students often had invitations for acting jobs, so someone having a day off wasn''t that unusual, and of course the children didn''t always let on to others where they were going.¡±
¡°Oh very well done. So you''d like me to turn up at about quarter to five?¡±
¡°Actually, I was wondering if you''d be able to give a half-hour presentation on ethical journalism, starting at four?¡±
¡°Oh! Well, urm, it''s not something I''m used to doing, but OK, I can put something together.¡±
¡°Wonderful. I''m sure they''ll be fascinated.¡±
6.30pm, Friday 12th Jan.
Q.Q. checked his wrist unit out of habit as he put it on. No missed calls, one message. His heart sped as he saw it was from May. It was short, but... exhilarating: ¡°Dear Q.Q., hope you''re not too shattered. I''m busy with S. this evening, so avoid wasted trip and go straight home. But I''ve been talking to S. And Rhi. S. says I don''t need to hide what I feel for you, Rhi says I have a lunch invitation at your place tomorrow. Hope you can make it, or it''ll be very awkward. With what''s probably love, May.¡±
¡°Hey, Q.Q., what''s all this about you fraternising with the enemy?¡± someone who almost counted as a friend asked.
¡°I guess he''s saying I''m a traitor to the school for making friends with the infamous May Ngbila.¡±
¡°She''s the beauty who''s lap you were lying on? I saw you, you lucky guy.¡±
¡°Hey, I was genuinely stuck! She was helping me get my arm out without wrecking it.¡±
¡°Oh yeah, we saw that all right. You were really getting stuck on her, weren''t you?¡±
¡°Hey, look, she''s a friend of my sister, all right? I tripped over and got stuck and she helped rescue me. We''re not going out.¡±
¡°Hey, guys? Q.Q.''s not even asked her out yet!¡±
¡°I didn''t say that.¡± Q.Q. replied.
¡°I''m confused, man. You''re making friends with a pretty girl her but not going out?¡±
¡°Exactly. Plenty of time for that later.¡±
¡°Plenty of time? What are you playing at? I don''t get it.¡±
¡°I mean we decided we wouldn''t yet. I mean she''s beautiful and smart and pretty much my ideal woman, and I''m serious enough about her that I can wait.¡±
¡°Until what, she dumps her current boyfriend of something?¡±
¡°Nahh, I''m pretty sure I''m the only serious contender, but her family''s pretty traditional, you know?¡±
¡°No. What does that mean? Big brother''s going to beat you into a pulp if he catches you with her?¡±
¡°Not really, he''s all right, but... you know, it''d disappoint people if we went out behind their backs.¡±
¡°Nope, can''t say I understand that at all. What are you doing?¡±
¡°I''m visiting her at home, meeting her family. And we''re talking lots, getting to know each other.¡±
¡°You are so weird, Q.Q. Why do you want to involve her folks? Where does that get you?¡±
¡°Into her good books, and their good books too.¡±
¡°Ohh. So it''s all a cunning plan, is it? Buttering up everyone before you sneak away into a dark corner?¡±
¡°Not really. We''re just taking things slowly. There''s plenty of time.¡±
¡°You said that before. Before what?¡±
¡°Look, Nick, I think I want to marry her, eventually. I know I want to stay friends with her and her family, because they''re good people with all sorts of connections. I don''t want to ruin everything.¡±
¡°Oh wow. You''re serious aren''t you? First girl to look at you and she''s got you thinking marriage already!¡±
¡°What''s wrong with that?¡±
¡°What''s wrong with playing the field a bit first, eh? Gaining a bit of experience?¡±
¡°If you mean what I think you mean, then that''d be against my faith.¡±
¡°Q.Q., when did you get religion?¡±
¡°I''ve been a Christian all the time you''ve known me, Nick. I guess I woke up a bit over Christmas, got back into studying my Bible, that''s all.¡±
¡°And I thought you were a regular guy, not some nutter. Well, bye loser, been nice almost knowing you.¡±
Nick turned away, grabbed his stuff and walked out of the changing rooms.
Q.Q.''s surprise was doubled by what he''d heard Nick decide just before he''d said that: ''A bible-bashing nutter! I''ve really wasted my time talking to him.''
Association / Ch. 14: Wedding day
Association / Ch. 14:Wedding day
Saturday, 13th January. 8.45am
¡°I hope you approve, Eliza.¡± Caroline said, indicating the collection of clothes she and the other bridesmaids had picked out as possible going-away outfits.
Eliza did. ¡°They look perfect to me. I guess I need to try them all on, don''t I?¡±
¡°Could be embarrassing if you pick something which doesn''t fit very well.¡± Caroline agreed.
¡°OK, how much time have we got for this?¡±
¡°Not long. You said your cousins would be coming for you at nine?¡±
¡°I did, didn''t I?¡± Eliza checked her wrist unit. ¡°OK, so, I can''t try everything with everything...¡±
¡°Well try this one. It''s the one we''re least certain of, but it goes so well with this and this...¡± Caroline indicated a combination that Eliza had already noticed.
¡°That if it all fits it''ll be a gorgeous combination.¡± Eliza agreed.
¡°You agree?¡±
¡°Of course I do.¡±
9.30am, Quy household.
Q.Q. finished another maths question and glanced at the clock again. It had been ten minutes since he''d last looked. He had two hours to wait before May''s mag-lev arrived. This wasn''t going to work very well. Two more maths questions that were probably as long as the one he''d just finished, and he''d be finished with that subject. He''d thought it would take longer, or that he''d had more questions, or something. It looked like he was wrong. Concentrating on maths was one thing, but without that... he was going to be at such a loose end! On the other hand he didn''t want to start something that would be too open-ended, like his essay. Firstly because it wasn''t likely to grab his attention well enough to make time fly, and secondly because if by some remote chance it did grab his attention then he might lose track of time. Maybe he should do something more practical. Or maybe call May? That sounded a very attractive option. After all he''d told her he thought he''d be working on his maths all morning. What a stupid overestimation. So, he''d call her. But first... maths. Maybe he''d get an unpleasant surprise and the last question would take him an hour.
09.50am, Restoration
May looked at the train timetable on her wrist unit. She didn''t want to be pushy, or forward, but killing time was so annoying. Q.Q. had said he''d be working on his maths homework all morning. She didn''t want to interrupt him; that would be selfish. But if he was going to finish soon, then she could get the earlier train. Assuming she left soon. She had maybe ten minutes. Was calling and suggesting that she come early too... too what? pushy? Was that the right word? Old books would have called it ''forward''. But was he as keen to see her as she was to see him? She stopped short at that thought for a few seconds. What sort of a question was that? Judging by the efforts he''d made to try and spend time with her since they first met, of course he was keen to see her. But was she keen to see him and if so, why? She needed to talk to him, certainly, about the growing feelings she had towards him.
But did that need a face to face meeting? Or was exposing her thoughts and talking about strong emotions face to face and especially at his house, even a good idea? And how could she know?
She slapped herself on the head for trying to solve all this herself. ¡°Mum!¡±
10.10am
Q.Q. rang the Ngbila home number. ¡°Hello, is May there? It''s Q.Q.¡±
Hannah grinned to herself ¡°Oh, sorry, Q.Q. she''s just gone out, well, I say just, it was about five minutes ago. Is there a problem?¡±
¡°Uh.¡± Q.Q. felt like an idiot for not ringing earlier. ¡°Not really, just I was wondering if she''d like to catch the earlier train. My maths was easier than I thought it would be.¡±
¡°Oh, well, you left that a bit late, didn''t you? She''d probably have missed the train anyway.¡±
¡°I know. I''m an idiot; I should have called half an hour ago, but I kept expecting there to be some sort of catch in one of the questions, but there wasn''t anything.¡±
¡°Oh well. No great harm done. I suggest you talk to your sister, Q.Q.¡± Hannah said, cryptically.
¡°Oh? What about?¡±
¡°Now, that would be telling, wouldn''t it?¡±
¡°Mrs Ngbila, are you trying to be cryptic?¡±
¡°Of course I am. I wouldn''t like to spoil anything. See you some time, Q.Q.¡±
¡°Goodbye, Maam.¡±
Arwood looked up from what he was doing. ¡°What''s there to spoil?¡±
¡°Q.Q.''s just rung up hoping May could catch an earlier train.¡±
¡°I gathered. Why didn''t you tell him that she''s on her way to the station already?¡±
¡°He didn''t ask. As long as he talks to Rhianna then he''ll find out soon enough.¡±
¡°Rhi, do you have any idea why Mrs Ngbila would tell me I should talk to you?¡±
¡°When was that?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°Just now.¡±
¡°She just rang you up and told you to talk to me?¡± she asked.
¡°No. I rang to talk to May and she said she''d just left, but I should talk to you.¡±
¡°Oh. Well, you should, shouldn''t you?¡± She said, matter of factly. Then she put on her best professional face ¡°So, Mr Quy, tell me all about your hopes, dreams, expectations, plans for the future and uncontrollable urges! Not to mention you homework.¡±
He pulled a face. ¡°Homework is dead, long live the homework, but not yet.¡±
¡°Eh?¡±
¡°I''ve finished my maths, and really don''t want to start on my essay.¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Would you start writing an essay on the impact of the wool trade in the middle-ages on modern civilisation? When you''ve got about an hour and a half to kill?¡±
¡°Don''t be silly, I don''t know anything about the wool trade.¡±
¡°Nor do I.¡± Seeing her about to respond he corrected himself ¡°No, that''s overstating it. But it seems like one of those silly essays where you could write a dozen books if you researched it enough.¡±
¡°And you get low marks if you don''t quote lots of sources?¡±
¡°Exactly. And I bet the teacher''s smuggled some critical volume onto the classroom bookshelf that we''d be absolute fools not to start off with. She does that sort of thing.¡±
¡°Oh well. So you''re waiting for May to arrive, are you?¡±
¡°Yes. And I left calling her too late, but I was so certain there''d be a major complication in one of the maths questions. I should have called and asked if she could come early about half an hour ago. And Mum says everything''s under control and I can help best by staying out of the kitchen.¡±
He looked so gloomy that Rhianna decided to have mercy on him ¡°Good job she''s catching the early train then, isn''t it?¡±
¡°She is?¡±
¡°Yes. For some reason she wanted to be here just in case you happened to finish your maths early. Mum said I could meet her at the station, want to come too?¡±
¡°Go on, guess.¡± he said with a massive grin.
¡°Well, it wouldn''t surprise me if you really wanted me to stay at home so you have more chance of stopping somewhere for a private examinations of each other''s tonsils.¡±
¡°Rhi!¡± he interrupted in protest as she paused for breath.
¡°But I''m coming, so there. What?¡±
¡°It''s not like that at all.¡±
¡°What? You''ve been seeing her almost every day for a fortnight. I''d assumed you''d have had at least one discrete snog.¡±
¡°Sarah''s banned us from dating, remember? I don''t even really know what she feels about me. We haven''t even kissed. Until yesterday I''d have said I didn''t even know if she thought of me as anything more than a persistent pest.¡±
¡°Oh, yeah, she said something about being too reserved. So, what happened yesterday, other than she accepted Mum''s invitation to dinner?¡±
¡°She wrote me an encouraging message, and said she wanted to tell me what she''d been talking to Sarah about in person.¡±
¡°Oh. Right.¡±
11.00am
Q.Q. hung back a bit as Rhianna ran along the platform to meet May.
¡°Hi Rhi, did you tempt Q.Q away from his homework?¡± May asked.
¡°He claims he''s finished it. Actually, he didn''t know you were coming until he told me that, so I guess it''s true. Should I keep my nose out of what you two say on the way home?¡±
May quickly reviewed what she wanted to say to Q.Q, and what she needed to not say. Not to mention the urges she needed to suppress.
¡°Well, actually... I think I''m rather counting on you being around.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°There''s nothing like a chaperone for keeping unhelpful urges under control.¡±
Rhianna gaped. ¡°I thought a chaperone was a bitter old lady.¡±
¡°No. Just someone to remind us who we are in Christ.¡± May said, just as Q.Q. arrived.
¡°Hi, May!¡±
¡°Hi Q.Q. I''m just confusing Rhianna by asking her to not leave us in private.¡±
¡°Oh. I thought... urm... Can I ask why?¡±
¡°Because I used to out-flirt Kara and part of me wants to, especially when I see her fluttering her eyelashes at you, and I see you noticing. But that''s not the me who wants to honour God.¡±
¡°So what am I supposed to do?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°Don''t let me do much more than hold his hand, I guess.¡± May said, then touching Rhianna''s hand she thought [I really don''t think it''d help me or him if I act around him the way I used to act around boys before I came back to God.]
[When was that?]
¡°Q.Q., Rhi''s just asked me when I came back to God. Just so you know, it was only about six weeks ago. So I''ve got bad habits to unlearn too. Hence, no dates for a while.¡±
¡°But, urm, you''d like to go on some later?¡± Q.Q. asked, his heart in his throat.
May looked at his face, the hope in his eyes, his lips that she really wanted to feel on hers. She tore her eyes away and cleared her throat. ¡°Yes, very much so. Don''t pay any attention to Kara''s eye-lashes, Q.Q., she does that to lots of boys. Urm, which way do we need to go?¡±
¡°This way.¡± Q.Q. said, then he added, in a puzzled tone ¡°I don''t get it, May.¡±
¡°Me neither.¡± Rhianna said.
¡°Rhi first.¡± May decided. ¡°What don''t you get?¡±
¡°Why does she get the priority treatment?¡± Q.Q. asked.
¡°Because Rhianna''s question is probably safer.¡±
Rhianna pulled a face. ¡°It might not be. I thought the whole girl meets boy thing was all about wanting to sneak off for hugs and kisses and if you''re really serious then you start snogging each other''s tonsils off.¡±
May draw her breath, ¡°And then when you''ve done that for a bit and it doesn''t feel daring enough then you start touching each other''s clothes in places you shouldn''t and then you taking liberties with each other''s clothing and so on down the slippery slope. That''s the world''s attitude, yes. What''s the Christian one?¡±
¡°True love waits. But...¡± Rhianna said.
¡°But you thought that it''s OK to play on the top of the slide as long as you don''t go down too far?¡±
¡°Urm, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Does playing with temptation honour God?¡± May challenged her. ¡°Does it help either of us concentrate on whatever is pure and noble and honourable?¡±
¡°Not really.¡± Rhianna answered.
¡°So, though I''m feeling rather tempted to wear clothes that would make your brother putty in my hands, and to out-flirt my cousin to make sure that he''s not going to give her a second glance when I''m within a hundred kilometres, I don''t think any of that would help either of us stay close to God.¡±
¡°Why do I get the feeling I''m being thought of like a piece of meat that you and Kara are fighting over?¡± Q.Q. asked, a bit offended.
¡°Because under the old regime that''s what you would be. Just bear that in mind when she flutters at you; she''s just trying to score points. It''s an old unhelpful game we used to play. Sorry.¡±
¡°So... not flirting means you''re more serious about me?¡± Q.Q. asked.
¡°Not flirting means that I''m trying to honour God now. Kara never went as deep into rebellion as I was and hasn''t repented of it quite as much.¡±
Quentin began to have uncomfortable thoughts. Just how far down that slippery slope had May slipped? He wanted to ask but how could he? He decided he couldn''t.
May heard and reached for his hand. [What can''t you ask?]
[It''s too... I can''t ask something that private.]
[How deep was my rebellion and stupidity?] May supplied.
[Yes.]
[I did a lot of flirting. My idea of a good party was to see how many boys I could have focussed on me.]
[And then?] the thought escaped his mind. [Sorry. I didn''t want to ask that. I''m too curious for my own good.]
[It''s OK. Q.Q. Some of them got kisses, maybe a squeeze or two. No more, if that''s what you''re worried about.]
[Urm, thanks.] he had been worried, he realised. Then he asked [Does that mean kisses are rebellion and so are out of the question?]
[I don''t really think I should start kissing you, Q.Q. Not yet, not until I''ve got more self control. Otherwise I''d be back in the bad place, I think. But maybe just a quick one as a goodbye? I hope I can clear that with my conscience. It probably depends what it''s doing.]
[What do you mean, depends what what''s doing?]
[Sarah was saying some stuff about God not wanting us to be neuter, but not wanting us to lead each other to sin either. Things we need to work out between ourselves. Do kisses just express who we are, with a clear conscience, or do they lead to temptation and sin? I think a so-called ''good lusty snog'' is out, but is a kiss out because it might lead to tonsil hockey, or is it OK because we clearly make a difference. You probably kiss your gran, but you''d never snog her, I hope.]
[Wow.{stunned amazement}]
[Your thoughts on the matter are welcome.]
[Urm, I''ll let you know.]
[?]
[Sorry. New areas of thought. My gran''s dead by the way, but yeah, I get it. But you''re saying that me finding some women extremely attractive is how God made me, sin comes from when I don''t do the right thing with those hormones and sensory input?]
[And I presume that you know that thinking about the attractive women you know and what you find attractive about them would be a good way of getting shunned for a long time.]
[Even if her name is May Ngbila?]
[It ought to, I don''t need that pride-food.]
[You know, it''s very nice holding hands like this.]
[I think your sister might suspect something of the sort.]
[Why do you say that?]
[She just asked you if you''d notice the world ending.]
¡°Pardon, Rhi?¡± Quentin asked.
¡°I''d say the correct answer is ''no'', Rhi.¡± May replied.
Rhianna laughed ¡°I understand that the male ability to focus on one thing to the exclusion of all others was very useful to stone-age hunter-gatherers.¡±
¡°You''re calling him a cave-man, aren''t you, Rhi?¡± May asked, with a grin.
¡°Only partially.¡±
¡°Well, he must be a civilised cave-man: he hasn''t hit me over the head and dragged me anywhere by the hair yet.¡±
¡°Should I?¡± Q.Q. offered.
¡°No.¡±
¡°Has he told you what he doesn''t get yet?¡± Rhi asked. ¡°I''m curious.¡±
¡°No. What was it, Q.Q?¡±
¡°I know I said I didn''t get something, but I... Oh, yeah. I know.¡±
¡°Well?¡± Rhianna asked.
Q.Q. looked into May''s eyes ¡°It was just, I was wondering why telling me not to pay attention to Kara''s eyelashes needed a face to face meeting, and why you wanted to come early if we weren''t going to spend time alone. I''m glad you came.¡±
¡°And now you know?¡±
¡°Would have been hard to say those things over a phone.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°What things?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°Things we''ve been talking about.¡± Quentin said, evasively.
¡°One was that Sarah pointed out that God made us, biochemistry and all, and said ''be holy''. Those two don''t need to be contradictory: we don''t need to stamp out every aspect of biochemistry in order to be holy, but of course we don''t let biochemistry rule, either.¡±
¡°What does that end up meaning, practically speaking?¡± Rhianna asked, full of curiosity.
¡°That''s one of the things we were thinking about, yes.¡±
¡°May, can I be incredibly rude and ask if you''re in love with my brother or not? I know he''s besotted with you, of course.¡±
¡°I don''t really know.¡± May said, with total honesty. ¡°I''ve been trying really hard to keep it just at friendship, since falling in love just makes things complicated when dating is off the cards. But Kara keeps fluttering her impressive eyelashes and I''m not really succeeding. I miss him when he doesn''t come around every day and I think that if anyone else dares to get close to him then it might end in bloodshed unless she can run away fast.¡±
¡°For the record.¡± Quentin said quietly, ¡°I''m very glad you decided to say something, I was starting to interpret your self-control as meaning you weren''t really interested. And yes, Kara was making it clear she was.¡±
¡°Hmm. Would it help you if she stopped doing that, Q.Q?¡±
¡°After today? Now I know I''ve got a real chance with you, and she knows it? I think it''s might even be annoying.¡±
¡°You''ve always had a real chance with me, Q.Q. Didn''t I tell you that when you asked me to teach you about the clan?¡±
¡°Not really. You said falling in love didn''t matter.¡±
¡°But I also said you were asking for real friendship, and I''m pretty sure I said something like them considering you mine until I told them I didn''t want you. And if we had that sort of deep friendship that would survive not falling in love, don''t you think I''d discuss that with you?¡±
¡°So what''s Kara doing if she knows I''m yours?¡± Quentin asked.
¡°Partly, she''s letting you know she''d like to be first in the line if it doesn''t work out between us.¡±
¡°I got that message.¡±
¡°She''s also playing on your ignorance and hoping to steal you from me, which she shouldn''t be doing.¡±
¡°And since I wasn''t getting any message about it working out between us...¡±
¡°And you were ignorant and you don''t know me well enough, or how the clan works.¡± May drew a deep breath ¡°And because I was trying to keep unemotional about you, I didn''t explain things very well, I guess. To make it clear, Quentin....¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You asked me to teach you about the clan. I sought the approval of my elders and they accepted the idea, as did I. What we all accepted was that I''d be spending a lot of time building a close friendship with you. We weren''t expecting you to take up permanent residence in the living room, but, hey, why not? That''s a good place to get to know one another. But we''ve been concentrating on other things so I haven''t done much telling you about the clan. What you asked for is not quite the same as dating, because this friendship you''ve asked for is supposed to not be about romance. But since we''ve both got hormones.... we''re almost certainly on a path that will lead to marriage unless as friends we decide that it''s better if it stays friendship. In other words, I''m more committed to you than I would be if we were just dating. If we were just dating and we broke up, then goodbye. With this... I''d still expect to see you around, talk to you, and the like.¡±
¡°So, really you''re saying ''we''ll probably marry, why rush off on dates that''ll just lead to temptation?''¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°But although we''ll probably marry, it''s too early for me to propose?¡±
¡°Certainly! We don''t know each other well enough for that, Q.Q.¡±
¡°Just checking.¡± he said with a grin.
¡°You never know, when we know each other better we might decide that Mandy''s actually a better match for you and I ought to just let go of my feelings for you.¡±
¡°Mandy ''no-boyfriend, not much faith, no future''?¡±
¡°Mandy who is mega-smart on an international level, apparently, and has now got a future in Security.¡±
¡°But doesn''t have the power.¡±
¡°OK, well you could always wait for Holly to grow up.¡±
¡°Why should I, when you''re gorgeous, intelligent, full of faith and developing feelings for me?¡±
¡°I don''t know. You probably shouldn''t. I''d get jealous.¡±
¡°So, now that''s settled...¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Am I allowed to call you my girlfriend?¡±
¡°What, when we''re not dating, not even planning to date in the near future, and we''ve not kissed either?¡± May stopped and asked, with her thoughts hidden.
¡°Oh, yeah. That''s tricky, isn''t it?¡± he agreed.
¡°But otherwise, it''s not a bad description of what''s between us.¡± She added in her best dispassionate, analytical manner. ¡°Of course, I could call you my suitor, which isn''t a bad description either, but it''s a bit archaic, so I guess we''ll have to stick with girlfriend-boyfriend. Hold still.¡± She moved a little closer to him and brushed some imagined dust off his shoulder, then quickly moved in to kiss his shocked lips. She didn''t linger very long, just long enough to be a proper, undeniable, kiss.
¡°There. That''s that problem solved.¡± she said, matter of factly.
¡°Hey! Wasn''t I supposed to stop you doing that sort of thing?¡± Rhianna protested.
¡°May, you see that woman coming down the road towards us?¡± Quentin asked.
¡°Oh, go on, please tell me that''s not your mother.¡± May said, embarrassed.
¡°That''s mum.¡± Rhianna confirmed, waving.
¡°Good job we''ve decided we''re boyfriend and girlfriend then.¡±
¡°Good job we''re not going to kiss.¡± he retorted.
¡°It solved a problem. It won''t happen too often. Hold hands?¡±
¡°In a communicating way or just because you want to?¡± Rhianna challenged, deciding she needed to make her presence felt.
¡°Communicating.¡± May replied.
¡°OK.¡± Rhianna agreed.
[Q.Q. I couldn''t ask you about that beforehand. But is it OK?]
[It''s fine, I was surprised, I''ve no idea what Mum''s going to say, but I love you, May, and I don''t mind us kissing. Why couldn''t you ask?]
[Because I was afraid it''d turn into an ethical discussion, and that it''d become more of a temptation than otherwise. As it was, it solved several problems, it was almost spontaneous, not very emotion-filled, and now we can decide if it''s a good idea or not.]
[I''m not sure I understand.]
[I''m not going to flirt with you; I don''t want to feed your hormones or mine. But I did want you to know I''ve feelings for you, with more than just confusing words.]
[Um, yeah. It was sort of convincing.]
[Good. Now we just need to decide if we ought to do it again. I think the answer is probably not very often.] she thought, then said ¡°Hello, Mrs Quy.¡±
¡°Hi Mum.¡± Rhianna and Quentin greeted their mother. ¡°Everything all right?¡±
¡°Mostly. I presume that this young woman I witnessed kissing you on the street is May?¡± May heard the lack of approval in her voice.
¡°Yes, Mum.¡± Quentin admitted.
¡°We were thinking it would be difficult for Quentin to call me his girlfriend if we''re not going to be dating for the foreseeable future and have never kissed.¡± May said. ¡°So I rather impulsively solved that latter one.¡±
¡°Not dating?¡± Quentin''s mother was surprised.
¡°Not in the way most people use the word, no.¡± May said. ¡°No getting away from people for time alone, anyway.¡±
¡°That''s an unusual approach.¡±
¡°Quentin asked to learn about my clan, Mrs Quy, maybe even to join it. I''ve also promised to teach him more about his power. That means we need to spend a lot of time together, become friends. Given how he claims to feel about me and I''m starting to feel about him we could well end up marrying. But it might not happen, and really it''s a bit early to be kissing each other.¡±
¡°So why did you do it?¡±
¡°Because calling Q.Q my suitor is too archaic and calling him my student or my apprentice is too distant, and we are getting emotional about each other. But we don''t exactly fit in the normal boyfriend/girlfriend category.¡±
¡°So you decided to leap into it with both lips?¡± Mrs Quy asked.
¡°Urm, sort of.¡± May admitted.
¡°So, why aren''t you going to be dating?¡±
¡°Because that''s about romance and opportunities to test our resistance to temptation. If I''m going to educate him properly then we need to be first and foremost friends, without encouraging the romance side of things, and I''d rather avoid temptation, thank-you very much.¡±
¡°You really think you can be friends without romance if you''re already kissing?¡± Mrs Quy asked archly.
¡°Not really, but we don''t need to concentrate on that aspect of things, surely?¡±
¡°Mum, why have you come to meet us?¡± Rhianna asked. ¡°I mean, it''s not exactly a nice day for a walk.¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t know.¡± she looked up at the grey sky. Sleet was starting to fall. ¡°Sleet has its good points.¡± she said with a wry smile.
¡°Really? What are they?¡±
¡°Not so many people about.¡±
¡°Meaning Dad?¡± Quentin asked.
¡°Basically I came to warn you, May. My husband''s not in the best mood at the moment.¡±
¡°As in, I shouldn''t come?¡±
¡°No, it should be OK. It''s just that he''s had today circled for months, looking forward to watching his team play their arch-rivals. Because of the royal wedding they moved the match to this morning. I guess it was a last minute announcement, or at least, he didn''t know or had forgotten. So, anyway, he went to check the exact start time, only to see the final whistle blown and the final score all over the screen.¡±
¡°Did his team win?¡± May asked.
¡°No, it was a draw. Nil-nil. So, to quote him, ''There''s not even any point to watching the highlights, unless there were some excellent tackles or fouls, and I don''t like fouls.''¡±
¡°Oh. So his long anticipated pleasure has been ruined?¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°So... how unhappy is he?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°I expect he''s going to behave himself. He does know May''s coming.¡±
An idea struck May. ¡°Mrs Quy, I''m just a teenager talking about something she knows nothing about ... but I know my dad sometimes recommends married couples go on a date together, with all kids out of the house entirely.¡±
¡°Oh, does he?¡±
¡°I''ve heard him say it. I expect Mum and Dad would be OK with the idea of Rhi and Q.Q. staying over.¡±
¡°Well it''s a big request, but maybe I could talk to your parents about it sometime.¡±
¡°I was actually thinking of tonight. You know... meet a potential future daughter-in-law and then have an evening to celebrate the thought that eventually you''ll be able to pass on the responsibility of doing all Q.Q''s thinking for him?¡± May said with a wicked grin.
¡°Hey!¡± Q.Q. protested.
His mother laughed though, and said ¡°May Ngbila you''ve clearly been listening to too many adults talking behind closed doors.¡±
¡°I''ve got cousins, Maam. Lots of cousins, and while the parents talk in the kitchen and we talk in the living room, sometimes a girl needs to get a drink of water, doesn''t she?¡±
¡°Hmm.¡± was all Quentin''s mother said.
¡°It is ages since you''ve been out together Mum.¡± Quentin pointed out.
¡°Babysitters are hard to find.¡± she replied.
¡°Could we go to May''s house, Mum? Please?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°I''ll talk to your Dad about it.¡±
¡°Should I check with my parents?¡± May asked.
¡°I think that might be politer than presenting them with a fait accompli, yes. There''s some sheltered spots just round the corner, if you want the option of not calling when the whole family''s in earshot.¡±
May and Q.Q. stopped in the first sheltered spot, Rhianna and her mother continued another hundred metres. May didn''t bother waiting for them to stop before she make the call; She didn''t think she''d be saying anything that private.
¡°Hi, Mum, quick question.¡± May said.
¡°Oh yes? Everything OK?¡±
¡°Mostly. I was just wondering if Rhianna and Q.Q. could come over for the night. It struck me that their parents might like some time together.¡±
¡°Oh? How did you reach that conclusion?¡±
¡°Q.Q''s dad''s been waiting for weeks or even months to watch a big match and they moved it earlier so he missed it. Apparently he turned on just in time to see the final score. Serious disappointment.¡±
¡°He might not want to celebrate then.¡±
¡°No. Not unless he sees anything to celebrate in Q.Q. pulling me.¡±
¡°May! That''s a horrible term!¡± Q.Q. protested, loudly enough for Hannah to hear.
¡°I''m with Q.Q.¡± Hannah agreed.
¡°Would you prefer the way I said it to his Mum? Q.Q. didn''t like that one either, but she did.¡±
¡°What did you say to her?¡±
¡°I said something like they might like to celebrate the thought that eventually they won''t need to keep making all Q.Q''s decisions for him, but could pass that task on to someone else.¡±
¡°Are you saying you''re going to marry him?¡± Hannah asked, ¡°That''s fast work girl! Too fast!¡±
¡°No! But you must admit it''s a pretty strong possibility, though, and if not me then Kara''s been fluttering her eyelashes at him enough to make an impression on the poor ignorant lad.¡±
¡°Why aren''t I surprised? And what impression are you making on him?¡±
¡°We''ve talked things through a bit. I think he understands where things stand a bit better. Then I surprised him with a kiss to help the thought stick. Plus that makes it easier for us to claim boyfriend-girlfriend status even while we''re not dating. The embarrassing bit was his mum came round the corner just as our lips met.¡±
¡°Well, you deserve that, young woman, kissing unsuspecting young men in public.¡±
¡°I know. So, can we give their parents a night off duty?¡±
¡°Well, Rhianna can sleep in your room, I suppose, and Q.Q. can go in Ruben''s room. Tell you what, Why don''t you invite their parents over for lunch tomorrow? We might as well get to know them sometime.¡±
¡°Thanks, Mum! I''ll suggest it.¡±
¡°Now, go and make a good impression.¡±
¡°I''ll do my best, Mum!¡±
¡°Well? All approved?¡± Rhianna asked May, when she and Quentin had caught up.
¡°All OK.¡± She reported. ¡°Mrs Quy, you and your husband are also invited for lunch tomorrow, Mum thought you ought to get to know each other sometime. And of course you''d be welcome at Church, too.¡±
¡°Thank you, May.¡± Mrs Quy looked speculatively at May, and said ¡°But if you can persuade my husband to accept that last, then I''d be entirely shocked.¡±
¡°Dad, I''d like to introduce my girlfriend, May.¡± Q.Q. said.
¡°He said you had a lovely personality.¡±
¡°That might have just been a first impression, Mr Quy. You know how often those are wrong.¡±
¡°I''ll tell you one thing, Francis. She speaks her mind, and you might like her sense of humour. It might even make up for this morning.¡±
¡°Oh yes? How does she plan to brighten up my day?¡±
¡°Well, she suggested that the kids could all haul themselves off to her parents for the night, so we could have a hot date with no worries. If I remember correctly, she suggested we could ''Meet potential future daughter-in-law at lunch and then have an evening to celebrate the thought that eventually we''ll be able to pass on the responsibility of doing all Q.Q''s thinking for him.''¡±
Francis smiled and turned to his son, ¡°Quentin, don''t ever say you haven''t been warned.¡±
¡°Of what, Dad? That she''s got wit, intelligence, beauty and a very unusual family background? Her clan is matriarchal, after all.¡±
¡°I thought Quentin said your dad was a pastor?¡± Francis'' curiosity was stirred.
¡°He is.¡±
¡°So is he what I used to call a woolly-thinking liberal, or how does he square the circle of being head of his family, according to the Bible, but under his wife''s control?¡±
¡°Oh, Mum isn''t the matriarch! And Quentin''s simplifying it a bit. We''re not fully matriarchal. But most significant and final voice in clan decisions is the matriarch''s. But family decisions aren''t the same as clan decisions.¡±
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°That sounds suitably convoluted.¡± Francis replied.
¡°It used to be my gran who was matriarch, before she died, OK If I talk about how it worked then?¡±
¡°Fine.¡±
¡°So, she set the tone, she had full rights to clobber us grand-kids and great-grand-kids if we dared lie to her, and her sons weren''t about to cross their mother, not if they knew what was good for them. But on the other hand, she didn''t rule the adults with an iron fist. She just... set limits.¡±
¡°Such as?¡±
¡°When one of my uncles was thinking of moving cities, I guess ten years ago, she said ''That''s fine dear, just make sure you''re no more than an hour away, I''m not getting any younger, and I want to see you before I go.'' So when she knew she was dying, his family jumped on the hypersonic and got to see her before she went home to glory. He made the decision to move, I guess after discussion with his wife, but he didn''t cross her either.¡±
¡°So, it''s more of a matriarchal tribal rule with patriarchal family life?¡± Quentin asked.
¡°Yes, but really, I''d say pretty normal family life really. I''ve not noticed much difference to my friends'' families, but we''ve got a few extra layers.¡±
¡°How did the change come about? You told us your tribe got decimated, but it was patriarchal before that.¡± Rhianna asked. ¡°How did the switch happen?¡±
¡°Oh, that''s easy. Famous first Mr Ngbila married his beloved, heard there was a war on, kept his wife and new-born kid out of it and then her parents were killed in the war. Everyone had expected her father to name her son as heir when he came of age, but no one was prepared for him to die so young. Since she was their only child it meant Mr Smith ¡ª now Ngbila ¡ª should have become the tribal chief. He said ''I don''t know anything about running a tribe, I grew up in London, and I don''t even speak your language very well yet!'' She said ''I''ll help, but it''s very easy, what you say goes. No one can overrule you. But of course they''ll moan and groan, so it''s good to listen to people first.'' He replied ''Oh, that''s smashin'' that is! No sacred rules I mustn''t break? Really anything I decide goes?'' ''Yes, my husband, that''s right. You are our ruler, no-one can gain-say you.'' says she. ''Wonderful, luv. My decision is that people with problems come to you, and the people need to listen to you.'' ''You can''t do that!'' she protested. ''You said anything I say goes, and that''s what I say. They can moan if they want to but I''m not having anyone disobeying you or thinking they can ignore your advice.'' And that rather set the pattern ever since.¡±
¡°How does the matriarch get chosen?¡± Quentin asked.
¡°Old matriarch''s choice. Normally it''s a daughter or the long-established wife of someone born to the clan ¡ª not necessarily a daughter-in-law, but obviously not this time round. I must say, I''m very glad nan nominated Sarah.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°Because last year I heard nan talking to Dad once. He asked her what happened if she died before she named a successor. She said it''d be up to him and her other sons of course, but that maybe I''d grow into the job. Can you imagine? Me?¡±
¡°Telling your Dad what to do? That''d be awkward.¡± Quentin thought.
¡°Dad wouldn''t cause many problems, he''s a sensible guy. I was thinking of how I''d ever be able to keep my crazy cousins in line. Let alone myself.¡±
¡°You seem to be doing OK on that front.¡± Mrs Quy said.
May shook her head. ¡°Sorry Mrs Quy, with all respect, you''re wrong. My nan was a firm believer in intervening, so I got used to her dropping into my head to tell me I was thinking stupid thoughts. When she died... I didn''t have much self control.¡±
¡°Dropping into your head?¡± Francis asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°I''m sure Quentin''s told you, Mr Quy, I''m registered truthsayer number one. That''s not for public dissemination, but I think you need to know it. I have the thought hearing power; my nan had that power and the Gift too. She didn''t need to be anywhere near us to check up on us. And to her the phrase ''mental privacy'' just meant that she didn''t tell other people about what she''d seen going on in your mind. It''s a struggle not having that.¡±
¡°May, learning self control is always a struggle. I used to be a bit wild myself.¡±
¡°Cleopatra, queen of parties, they used to call you when we were at school.¡± Francis reminisced.
¡°You? Mum?¡±
¡°Yes, me. We were all young once, and some of us were more stupid than others. Your Dad was always serious, of course. I had to calm down a lot until I could get him to show any interest in me.¡±
¡°I thought you told me you met Dad at Church, Mum?¡± Quentin said.
¡°I did. It was a youth group praise party. Dad''s friend Jim invited me, telling me it was a party. And since I was Cleo, party queen, I couldn''t refuse. It wasn''t quite the party I''d expected.¡±
¡°So, she turned up in her dancing gear, late as usual, but just in time for the evangelistic message, and asked me, ''Is this a party? When does the music start?''¡±
¡°And your Dad, all handsome and serious, said, ''You''ve missed some of it, there''ll be more after this guy''s told us what we''ve all heard loads of times before.'' But I hadn''t heard it before, and God spoke into my empty heart. Since Francis had said he''d heard it all before loads of times, I hijacked him and spent the evening wheedling every bit of gospel knowledge out of him that I could.¡±
¡°And the next day, Jim accused me of stealing his date, and he didn''t speak to me for a month.¡±
¡°I was never his date.¡± Cleo replied, then corrected herself. ¡°Well, just the once, when I got him to lead me to Christ.¡±
¡°But the praise party had been his idea, and he later told me he''d been after you for months and it''d all been in order to get you.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Cleo hadn''t heard that before.
¡°I don''t think he ever forgave me.¡±
¡°But I chased you, not the other way round.¡±
¡°He knew that, it didn''t help. He was pretty bitter about being the one to get you into church, and lead you to Christ, and you only being interested in me.¡±
¡°But he was going to be your best man, Francis! He must have forgiven you.¡±
Francis drew a deep breath. ¡°Confession time, Cleo.¡± He paused and then continued. ¡°I never told you: he told me he''d thought it over and decided he''d rather stay away from the wedding. That was about two days before he was killed. His last words to me were ''Why do the committed Christians loose the pretty girls, eh? I lead her to the Lord, but she decides to marry you, even though you''ve always lived on other people''s faith not your own.''¡±
Francis took another long breath and bitterly carried on. ¡°He said ''You''ve fooled lots of people, but not me. You shouldn''t marry her, you''re not a Christian and she is. I''d have to say that if I was at the church, but I''m too much of a coward. So, I''m not coming.'' Two days later he was dead. He was my best fried, but my first thought when I heard it was I was glad he wasn''t going to be able to say that to anyone else, or our wedding might be cancelled. So, Cleo, you tell me: do you think he forgave me or not? Did I deserve you? Would he have been right to stop our marriage? It was built on a lie, after all. Do you want to set things right with a divorce?¡±
Cleo closed her eyes, thinking for a moment, and reached for his hand. ¡°Francis, you''re forgetting something. You tried to tell me before the wedding, even wrote me a letter, but I didn''t want to listen, I didn''t want to believe you, but I knew most of what you''ve just said. I do not want a divorce. Rather, I want to accept May''s parents'' offer and for you to take me on a date tonight. And by the way, if Jim hadn''t forgiven you, don''t you think he''d have told someone else? He had forgiven you, and he cared about your happiness too much to even do what he thought was right.¡±
Francis was looking at his wife in incredulity. ¡°But I never sent that letter, Cleo.¡±
¡°No, you just left it unsent on your account. And I was always borrowing your account to send messages in preparation for the wedding, wasn''t I? I saw something addressed to me and read it. I refused to believe it, because I wanted you too much. I do still wish it wasn''t true.¡±
¡°But you''ve finally accepted that I''m not a Christian, that I never was, not really?¡±
¡°Yes, Francis.¡± Cleopatra said, sadly.
He grunted, ¡°Took you long enough.¡±
¡°So, you''ve finally shared your big secret, I''ve finally admitted reading that letter and told you that I accepted the truth about you. Where do we go from here?¡±
¡°I''ve made one suggestion,¡± he said, ¡°divorce court.¡±
¡°I''ve rejected that one, remember? I still love you, and I want to stay married to you as long as we''re both alive.¡±
¡°That''s nice.¡± he said, and the youngsters began to breath again. ¡°So, your choice then.¡±
She thought a long moment, and then had an idea. ¡°I want to see if Mrs Perry still makes her ''Death by Chocolate'' with extra chocolate sauce, and if it''s still as good.¡± she said, naming the desert they''d both enjoyed far too often as a courting couple.
He raised his eyebrows. ¡°It''s been twenty years, Cleo.¡±
¡°But I think she''s still the cook. I think I''ll put in a special request.¡±
¡°Dad,¡± Rhianna asked, siezing the moment ¡°please can you and Mum come to Church tomorrow? Otherwise I''m going to be on my own in a strange church trying to keep these two from holding hands during the sermon.¡±
¡°What''s wrong with them holding hands?¡± He asked, ¡°They''re in love, aren''t they?¡±
Rhianna pulled a face. ¡°May claims she''s not in love, and doesn''t really want to be in love, and that there''s plenty of time for that later. But when they hold hands they start chatting mind to mind and they''re off in a world of their own and you need a bucket of cold water to bring them back to the real world. You should have seen them on the way here!¡±
¡°Plenty of time for that later?¡± Francis asked, obviously confused.
¡°If you''re not in love with Quentin, then what were you doing kissing him?¡± Cleo asked.
¡°Rhianna overstated it, Mrs Quy. I probably am falling for him. But, with clan approval, I''ve committed myself to teach him enough about how the clan works so that he can join if he wants to. That means that even if romance doesn''t work, by the end of it he''ll be a good friend, an adopted cousin, if you like, unless he runs away. So in that way, like I told him earlier, I''m more committed to him than someone he might date and then never see again if they break up. But he seems like a nice boy, so at the moment I''d like to keep him. That''s what the kiss was about.¡±
¡°And what about your cousin Kara?¡± Cleo asked.
¡°Kara''s going to get her eyelashes plucked if she doesn''t respect clan rules better. Quentin''s off limits until I say otherwise.¡±
¡°What about if he says otherwise?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°He needs to tell me, and we''ll talk it through.¡± May grinned, viciously, ¡°If he''s convincing and not very polite, then I tell my cousins it''s open season and if I know them then he doesn''t stand much chance. If he''s very polite about it then I might not announce it until he''s safely engaged to someone else.¡±
¡°What happens if Quentin''s still serenading your balcony but you fall for someone else?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°Then I tell him, and Kara and the others get to try to help nurse his broken heart back to health if they like.¡±
¡°So it''s matriarchal in that respect too? The woman chooses?¡± Francis asked.
¡°When we''re talking about a boy telling a girl he wants to join her clan, yes. But if it was the other way round, then it''d all be the other way round. I guess it''s really just a rule to say that you don''t go getting into the clan on false pretenses; if he was really interested in Mandy, then he can''t get me to apprentice him to the clan.¡±
¡°Mandy''s really shy.¡± Quentin supplied to his parents. ¡°But that makes me wonder, May. What if there was someone who was interested in Mandy, but she was so shy she ran away every time he got near?¡±
¡°Tricky one, I agree. If he knew how the clan worked then he could ask Sarah to get Mandy to apprentice him.¡±
¡°And if Sarah said so, then Mandy''d have to do it?¡± Q.Q. asked.
¡°Not if she couldn''t stand him, or really couldn''t stand the thought of talking to him until she knew him better. I guess he could come in unattached, if he passes the interview with Sarah.¡±
¡°What does that one mean?¡± Cleo asked.
¡°If he gets taught about the clan by someone who''s clearly not a romantic possibility, then he''s not off limits, is he? But he''s going to join the clan. That combination is a bit like wearing a sign saying ''Suitable marriage prospect, who''ll have me?''¡±
¡°Ahh. Has it happened that no one did pick them?¡± Cleo asked.
¡°In the past, yes.¡±
¡°May, I''ve been meaning to ask you.¡± Q.Q. asked. ¡°I think everyone I''ve met in your clan was a descendant of your gran or married to a descendant. By the sound of it you should have other clan members.¡±
¡°We should, yes.¡± May agreed.
¡°But?¡± Rhianna prompted.
¡°One of Grandpa Ngbila''s brothers didn''t marry, the other died young. I don''t know what happened to his sister, I suspect some sort of falling out. But yes, there ought to be cousins out there. I think some moved away or cut themselves off. Dad''s actually met one person who''s probably a second or third cousin, but doesn''t know anything about the clan.¡± she shrugged ¡°It''s not like there''s any law that says you have to stay under the matriarch''s watchful gaze if you''re a relative. I guess we''re the traditionalist remnant or something.¡±
¡°But you think your clan''s going to continue?¡±
¡°I expect so. There''s certainly enough of us at the moment.¡±
¡°You keep talking about cousins. How many do you actually have?¡± Cleo asked.
¡°First cousins, or people about my age? Mandy''s a second cousin.¡±
¡°Both!¡± Rhianna demanded.
¡°Eleven first cousins, four of them married, and there are twelve of us unmarried and over fourteen, four boys and eight girls.¡±
Francis murmured: ¡°That is quite a crowd. And they''re all like you?¡±
¡°No.¡± Quentin replied. ¡°I don''t think you''d hold onto that conclusion more than about thirty seconds if you walked into one of the gatherings like I did.¡±
May smiled her agreement. ¡°We''re quite different from each other, I think.¡±
¡°Well, it''s been nice getting to know you a bit, May, but I''ve got to do some more work on lunch.¡±
¡°I''ll help.¡± Francis volunteered.
¡°Dad, can you come and help me, tomorrow? Please!¡±
¡°What are you, their self-appointed chaperone?¡± He asked.
¡°No, May appointed me.¡±
¡°I really don''t think they''re going to get up to much in Church, Rhi.¡±
¡°Please Dad?¡± Rhianna persisted.
¡°What is this? A campaign to get me into church?¡±
¡°Well, it would be nice, now that you''ve made your point, Francis.¡±
¡°Crazy persistent Christians!¡± he accused them. ¡°Oh all right, I''ll come and keep someone more deserving out of their favourite pew, and you can keep an eye on this pair of party animals, Cleo. Hold on!¡± he fixed May with a glare, ¡°It''s not some kind of special service it it?¡±
¡°Not as far as I know.¡±
¡°What''s the topic?¡± He demanded further.
¡°Pass. Dad makes it a policy not to tell us ahead of time. I can look up the passage if you like, it might give us some kind of idea. I wouldn''t bet on it, though.¡±
¡°Hmm. So, is he one of those preachers who''d turn Samson killing Philistines so he could give their clothes away into a gospel presentation?¡±
¡°How would you do that?¡± May asked.
¡°Personally, I wouldn''t. But he doesn''t do that?¡±
¡°No. I mean, he goes off on a tangent sometimes, but he doesn''t force everything to be be about Jesus.¡±
¡°And he doesn''t call people to the front in some big emotional display?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Or claim that God''s told him there''s someone there with a headache, and it''ll go away if they confess their secret sin?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°And how many mind readers are going to be there?¡±
The question caught her off-guard, and left her floundering. ¡°Mind-readers? Gifted people? Or do you mean thought-hearers?¡±
¡°May, don''t answer. Dad, you can''t ask either of those!¡± Quentin protested.
¡°Well, I can ask, but I suppose if you answer then you get arrested, don''t you?¡± Francis said.
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°It''s just something I wondered. My cousin Myra interviewed a multi-millionariess called Sarah, your employer, and somehow Quentin''s headaches came up, you got sent to talk to them both, and it turns out your mind-reading grandmother met someone called Sarah and made her take her place.¡±
¡°Well, yes, Sarah my employer is also my matriarch, and my grandmother used to get pain like Rhianna gets, so she avoided crowds and I know about it. That''s not really secret stuff. What''s it got to do with mind readers?¡±
¡°I don''t know. What was so special about Sarah if it''s not that she hears thoughts too?¡±
¡°Beside the strong faith, contacts to royalty, working at... Oops I didn''t say that.¡± May turned bright red.
¡°Working at somewhere you can''t talk about? Interesting I can guess where that might be.¡±
May quickly gathered her thoughts while she drew her breath, and gave an answer she''d thought up before. ¡°Please don''t pass your guesses on, Mr Quy, they may be wrong. Sarah has publicly stated that she has a job she wants to keep, and I know where it is. But, for various reasons including her privacy she does not publicise it. I haven''t actually told you anything, all I did was prevent myself from seriously embarrassing myself by accidentally breaking faith with my employer.¡±
He raised his eyebrows at her professional tone. ¡°Well, Miss Ngbila, that was very professionally said, and I certainly wouldn''t want to embarrass you. That might not be good for family relationships.¡± he looked at Quentin, and gave a half smile. Then he added ¡°I''m sure that Quentin or Rhianna would be only too happy to forward me the address of your church, if you''ll tell them, please. I think I''m wanted in the kitchen.¡±
¡°You just reminded me about crowds.¡± Rhianna said, pulling a face.
¡°I did.¡± May agreed.
¡°Will there be much of a crowd at your church?¡±
¡°How about we sit up on the balcony, with Sarah?¡± May suggested.
¡°She won''t mind?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°I''m sure she won''t.¡±
¡°But... given what Dad was just asking...¡± Rhianna prompted further.
¡°OK, I''ve got two options for you.¡± May said ¡°We don''t mention the pain, and I just ask your Mum if she wants to meet Sarah, who''s normal seat is on the balcony. I think that actually gives more away. Number two: I say that''s where I always sit, which is true these days, and John says something about keeping an eye on the young people, I point out that Sarah''s much closer to Q.Q''s age than his and make a play about him being a cradle snatcher?¡±
¡°Isn''t it weird? I mean, you must have known him all your life, practically, as an adult, and then he marries someone barely older than your big sister?¡± Q.Q. asked.
¡°What do you mean older?¡± May challenged, ¡°Sarah''s younger. But, hey, Martha''s five and a half years older than me; that''s ancient already. Some of my aunts had two kids by her age. But yeah, OK, it''s a bit odd.¡±
¡°May, what do you think?¡± Q.Q. asked. ¡°Are we going to get married and have kids before you turn twenty two?¡±
¡°Too early to tell. But I hope not.¡± she said. ¡°That was about kids before I''m out of university, by the way; that''s not a good thing to do.¡±
Rhianna looked curiously at the two of them ¡°Was that a proposal, Q.Q?¡±
¡°Urm.¡± Quentin said, turning red, wondering how he''d got into this.
¡°It better not have been.¡± May growled, realising that she could have taken it as one.
¡°No it wasn''t. I was just... thinking aloud.¡±
¡°Don''t do that sort of thinking.¡± May advised. ¡°It''s too soon.¡±
¡°I really didn''t mean it as one. But I do like you a lot, May.¡±
¡°Fine. That''s allowed. Now get to know me better before you go assuming we know each other well enough to make life-long commitments. Otherwise I''ll start to think you''re even dumber than most boys.¡±
¡°And you wouldn''t go out with someone that dumb?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°Would you?¡±
¡°Of course not. Do you know what time the wedding is, by the way?¡±
¡°Pretty soon, I think.¡± May replied.
¡°I presume you want to watch?¡± Quentin asked, without any enthusiasm.
¡°You don''t?¡± May asked.
¡°Sure, if you are.¡±
Saturday, 13th January. 12.30pm
It was a stupid thought, Albert decided, but he was seriously wondering just why they''d decided to have the wedding this late in the morning. Did Eliza really need that long to get ready? Maybe she did, but he hadn''t. But he''d still woken up early, full of nerves or excitement or something. And of course he''d then only had a light breakfast. So here he was, about to enter into the holy state of matrimony before the assembled masses, with an empty stomach. He really hoped that his stomach wouldn''t be rumbling on the live international broadcast. It felt really empty, or maybe it was just his nerves.
¡°You''re not nervous are you, Albert?¡± his father asked.
¡°I don''t really want to trip over, stutter or otherwise embarrass everyone.¡±
¡°He''s nervous.¡± William Short, Albert''s best man, long returned from Mongolia, confirmed.
¡°As long as you''ve got the ring safe, Shorty, then I don''t have too much to worry about.¡± Albert responded.
¡°Safe and sound in the hotel''s safe, don''t worry.¡±
¡°That''s not funny.¡±
¡°It''s almost wasn''t, but Jemimah''s got a good memory, as have the guys from Security who met us.¡± Shorty admitted.
¡°Speaking of your wife, I hope the pregnancy''s going well?¡± the King asked.
¡°Yes, thank-you, sir. She''s into the second trimester now, and not feeling nearly as bad as she was a month ago.¡±
¡°And you''re both determined that you want to be surprised about whether baby''s a he or she?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Yes. What''s the point in knowing?¡± Shorty asked.
The king responded with a smile ¡°Well, you only need have half as many names ready.¡±
¡°That''s true. But neither of us really feel comfortable naming the baby until she or he is born anyway.¡±
¡°So, you''re not even thinking of names yet?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Oh, we''re thinking, just not deciding.¡±
There was a stirring in the church, as all the camera-men got silent messages and pointed their cameras towards the entrance.
¡°Well Albert?¡± Shorty prompted ¡°Technically there''s still time to change your mind.¡±
¡°Why would I do that?¡±
Quy household
¡°Did the reporter just get it wrong?¡± Cleo asked.
¡°Yes. Sarah''s on the left, Karen''s on the right from our perspective.¡± May replied.
¡°I wonder how embarrassed he''ll be when someone tells him.¡± Q.Q. asked.
¡°And they both went to the same university? That''s nice.¡±
May shook her head ¡°I don''t think they knew they were related until this summer.¡±
¡°They never met?¡± Cleo asked.
¡°Karen grew up abroad, and Sarah was brought up by her father''s sister. For all I know her aunt never knew Sarah had any relatives on her mother''s side.¡±
¡°What about Sarah''s grandparents?¡±
¡°Urm, I''ve never asked. I guess they died a while ago. Sarah''s never mentioned them. I think she said something about her dad being far younger than his sister, like, twenty or thirty years. It can''t have been thirty, surely?¡±
¡°That''s not very likely, no.¡± Francis agreed.
¡°Oh, they''re going in.¡±
¡°It''s a shame no one''s walking Eliza in.¡± Cleo said.
¡°Well, her Dad is safely behind bars, we hope.¡± Francis pointed out.
¡°Yes, but...¡±
¡°And lots of women don''t get walked up the aisle by their fathers now, anyway.¡±
¡°I know, but... just the symbolism of it...¡±
¡°He didn''t even send her a card at Christmas, let alone her birthday.¡±
Rhianna pointed out ¡°I think the symbolism is quite fine. She walks to meet her prince alone.¡±
¡°With five bridesmaids.¡± Q.Q. added.
¡°Well, yes.¡±
¡°So, what do you think is going round their minds, May?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°''Please God, don''t let me trip over or let it slip out of my hand!'' At least, that was all I was thinking. That fabric is slippery. And then of course you need to keep up with the bride, but not get too close.¡±
¡°So you had a nerve-racking time?¡± Cleo asked.
¡°Yes. There''s a reason she''s going slowly. It gives everyone more time to avoid accidents.¡±
¡°And there I was thinking it was just giving everyone a chance to see her.¡±
[Nervous, Albert?] Eliza asked from part-way down the nave of the church.
[Not very. Do you need to walk that slowly?]
[Yes. Too many terrified bridesmaids behind me.]
[Who are you calling terrified?] Sarah asked [And concentrate on a nice even pace please, Eliza, not on chatting. We wouldn''t want to tear the train.]
[Sorry, Mrs Williams.] Eliza sent, in her best school-girl impression.
[Don''t try to make us laugh, Eliza, please.] Karen asked.
[Here comes the steps.] Eliza thought to them a little later
¡°One, two, three, stop.¡± Sarah whispered to the others.
¡°I wonder how many times they''d practiced that? It was very well coordinated.¡± Cleo said.
¡°Sarah was going to whisper a countdown to the others.¡± May said. ¡°Lesson learned from Karen''s wedding.¡±
¡°All the usual assembled dignitaries, I see.¡±
¡°Oh, there''s Deborah, too! I didn''t know she''d be there.¡±
¡°Who''s that?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°Friend of Karen. In the green dress, next to the old guy with all the military medals.¡±
¡°And that''s Karen''s parents beside him?¡± Q.Q. asked.
¡°Yes. He''s the hereditary president-for-life of I can''t remember where, and he''s planning to get her elected queen after him.¡±
¡°That sounds entirely confused to me.¡± Francis responded.
¡°I know. But she''s nice, anyway.¡±
¡°You''ve spoken to her?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°She ahh... knows quite a lot about truthsayers. It''s her country where they''re normal. She helped come up with the idea of the mask.¡±
¡°Are you saying she''s one of you?¡± Francis asked.
¡°I''m not saying anything.¡± May said.
¡°So, a truthsayer head of state?¡± Francis pondered ¡°That could make for interesting international negotiations.¡±
May hid her thoughts, just in case.
¡°Not to mention conspiracy theories.¡± Cleo replied. ¡°Now, stop talking, Francis, I want to hear the commentary.¡±
¡°Why, when we''ve got a much better informed commentator here?¡±
¡°I don''t think I know very much else.¡± May said, adding ¡°I''d like to hear the commentary too, if that''s all right.¡±
The sermon was a little unusual for a wedding sermon, but Eliza thought it was quite appropriate. It had been her idea to suggest Bob McDaniel to give it, but Albert and his parents had been more than happy to agree. He spoke about marriage being portrayed in the media as a conflict or happily-ever-after, but that it was foolish to hope for the latter and displaying an un-Christian lack of hope and trust to think of it as the former. He also spoke about how prayer had played such a point in bringing them together and how it should be a significant part of their lives together. Then he turned to duty, and how both the royal couple and the press had different duties to perform, and limits on their behaviour, and how either stepping beyond their limits would bring conflict. Looking briefly in the direction of Catherine and Dan from the Free Republican Post, he mentioned about how certain elements of the press were here who weren''t normally present at Royal events and spoke about the way that openness, honesty and truthfulness could break down seemingly unsurmountable barriers, and that that ought to be a model Albert and Eliza should continue in their lives together. There were other points as well, but somehow Bob managed the timing exactly correctly, and after a hymn Albert and Eliza exchanged vows at exactly the scheduled time, in front of the palace chaplain, the congregation, and of course the cameras.
¡°Some unusual points, but a good sermon. And didn''t she look lovely!¡± Cleo observed, with a smile. ¡°Francis, do you realise that''s a first for our married life?¡±
¡°What is?¡±
¡°You''ve just listened to an entire sermon.¡±
¡°It was an interesting choice, having a reporter give the sermon. I imagine he''s seen quite a bit more life than then average pastor,¡± he replied. ¡°But don''t get your hopes up.¡±
¡°Why not, you''re going to sit through another tomorrow too, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Yes, I suppose I am. That doesn''t mean I''m going to make a habit of it though. Like I told you a long time ago, I''m through with pretending to be a Christian.¡±
¡°I''m not asking you to pretend, Francis.¡± Cleo said gently, warning the others with her eyes not to press him further.
¡°No photographer at all?¡± Sarah had asked, earlier in the week, shocked.
¡°It''s only fair.¡± Eliza had pointed out, ¡°We''re going to get hassled by photographers for the whole of our lives, why should we be bossed around by one on our wedding day too? We''ll just pick the best of the press photos, plus Caroline is going to do an official painting. That''s plenty.¡±
¡°Good point.¡± Sarah had agreed. ¡°So the train stays on until you''ve both stood for her?¡±
¡°Yes. It''ll only be about ten minutes to quarter of an hour, she says. She''ll be taking some pictures of course, and arranging us to a suitable posture. Then we''ll go to the reception, and being without the train would be better.¡±
¡°I''m surprised they''re risking an open carriage.¡± Q.Q. commented. ¡°Aren''t they afraid of assassins?¡±
¡°I expect that someone with the gift has made sure there aren''t any.¡± Rhianna pointed out.
¡°Well that takes care of snipers, but not remote controlled missiles or some sort of bomb or booby-trap.¡±
¡°Nor does it take care of sharks with lasers strapped to their fins, stray packs of rabid dogs, or flying pigs. But I expect that Security can deal with those threats too.¡± Rhianna retorted.
¡°Children!¡± Francis warned.
¡°It''s traditional, and romantic.¡± Cleo said. ¡°And I seem to remember hearing that there''s a forcefield generator under the seats of the carriage if a threat does appear.¡±
Caroline had got everything ready before they left for the church, so once they''d arrived at the palace it didn''t take her long to arrange Albert and Eliza as she had earlier in the preparatory sittings and get ready to take some pictures. She''d do the actual painting later, of course.
¡°Now, do us non-relatives need to leave you four in private to undo the train?¡±
¡°I hope not.¡± Sarah replied.
¡°Albert, would you like to undo the loops from the little buttons, just under your palms?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°What happens then?¡±
¡°If all goes to plan, the train comes off. What happens otherwise, Sarah?¡±
¡°We probably give it a little gentle help.¡±
¡°What, just yank it off?¡± Albert was aghast at the thought of tugging at the ancient fabric.
¡°No, I was more thinking of Eliza giving a little jump or two.¡±
¡°Oh, thanks, Sarah. Good job I''m not in high heels.¡±
¡°Hey, where did that loop go? And the other one?¡± Albert asked.
¡°Where it was supposed to.¡± Eliza said, stepping away from the train as it fell to the floor. ¡°Ta-da! No jumping necessary.¡±
¡°What a shame.¡± Karen said, with a grin. ¡°Now, fellow bridesmaids, we have to fold up one beautiful, irreplaceable and as you know, slippery train.¡±
¡°It is rather, isn''t it?¡± Tamula agreed.
¡°It''s the dirt-resistant coating.¡±
¡°I don''t care. It''s still slippery.¡± Victoria declared.
¡°Oh, I''ve been meaning to ask, Victoria.¡± Albert said, ¡°Are you really planning to waltz with my dad?¡±
¡°If it''s not going to spark some sort of crisis. It''s OK?¡±
¡°Yes it''s happened before, but my mother says she''s going to steal him back from you about eight bars before the end of the dance, so be prepared. Apparently that''s got precedence too.¡±
¡°OK. I can live with that. And after that I can just sit the rest out.¡±
¡°You mean you''re going to refuse all the eligible young men begging you for a dance?¡±
¡°I''m not going to dump one non-Christian I like then start dancing with another one I don''t even know.¡± Victoria said.
¡°I see your point.¡± Eliza said. ¡°Still hurting?¡±
¡°Not too much.¡±
¡°You could quiz them first.¡± Karen suggested.
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°When they ask you to dance, say you''re not really interested in dancing, especially with a non-Christian. Get any who claim to be one to name their favourite verse of Scripture, or something like that.¡±
¡°And then get them to tell you their testimony.¡± Sarah added.
¡°I can do that?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Albert agreed.
¡°Just how many boys my age are we talking about?¡±
¡°Not many, actually.¡± Albert said, ¡°But all the ambassadors coming have been invited with their whole families. I don''t know exactly how many have sons in the right age range.¡±
¡°Our ambassadors, or ambassadors to here?¡± Victoria asked, out of curiosity.
¡°Both.¡± Albert replied.
¡°And I invited some people you might not have met from the Christian union at Uni.¡± Eliza said. ¡°The younger ones aren''t that much older than you. You never know...¡±
¡°But they''re all guys you rejected?¡±
¡°Vic, that makes it sound like I''ve got a whole list of heart-broken guys I''ve left behind!¡± Eliza protested.
¡°I presume at least some of them showed an interest.¡±
¡°Victoria.¡± Sarah said, ¡°Bringing up the question of which young men at a wedding reception ever showed an interest in going out with the bride isn''t exactly appropriate, you know? We''re here to celebrate a lasting commitment, not to regurgitate might have beens.¡±
¡°Urm, yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking if Eliza thought they were bad news, then...¡±
¡°Then I''d tell you, Vic. And I wouldn''t have invited them.¡±
¡°Well, Catherine, what does fame feel like?¡± Dan asked.
¡°I just wonder where he found out.¡±
¡°List of accredited reporters, freely available on the palace website in the interests of transparency. I didn''t give it a moment''s thought.¡±
¡°And now everyone''s looking at it to see who he was talking about?¡±
¡°Probably.¡± Dan agreed.
¡°I hope our readers aren''t going to be upset.¡±
¡°Depends how we write it up, I expect.¡±
¡°Hmm. Notice any excessive spending?¡± Catherine asked.
¡°Beyond the obvious security presence? Not really.¡±
¡°Well there''s always the lavish reception to snark on about.¡±
¡°Maybe. I think an analysis of his sermon might be in order too.¡±
¡°I really didn''t expect we''d get an invitation to the reception. Did you?¡±
¡°No. We''re going to be open to all sorts of accusations if we say anything positive, you know, and accusations of ungratefulness if we say anything negative.¡±
¡°I wonder who we''ll be seated with.¡±
¡°That could make all the difference.¡±
¡°Glad you could make it Dan, Catherine.¡± Albert said, as they filed in to shake hands with the happy couple. ¡°I thought you wouldn''t mind, we''ve put you on the most constitutionally interesting table.¡±
¡°Do I dare ask what you mean?¡± Catherine asked.
¡°Karen, can you give them a quick briefing and make the introductions?¡±
Karen smiled. ¡°Of course. You''re the reporters from the Post?¡±
¡°Yes. What have we got ourselves into now?¡± Dan asked.
¡°I hope you''re going to have an interesting discussion with a family friend: the honourable President and supreme commander of the armed forces of the country I grew up in. Let''s go chat in a corner for a bit before I introduce you.¡±
¡°President as in dictator or as in democratically elected?¡±
¡°Oh they have elections. Every adult who''s not in prison for treason gets to vote, too. The ballot says something like ''I agree that our honourable President is doing his best for the country.'' then you can tick yes or no. They even took people''s names and addresses off the back last time round.¡±
¡°But ticking no gets you sent to prison for treason?¡±
¡°Actually, no.¡± Karen said ¡°Though it used to, a few generations ago. The presidency is hereditary, by the way.¡±
¡°So there''s no other candidate.¡± Catherine stated.
¡°Well, there was someone who wanted to be, but he wasn''t planning to get in by popular vote. Praise God, we managed to arrest him on a UN warrant. He was the nasty piece of work that kidnapped Eliza.¡±
¡°So, he''s a dictator but almost a good guy?¡±
¡°Oh, I''d say there''s no almost about it. A very honourable man. I wasn''t being sarcastic when I called him a family friend. Please try not to insult him, that could get tricky. His heir and her husband will be on the table with you, I think. Constitutional change is planned... I''ll let you discuss that with them.¡±
¡°Anything else we should know?¡±
¡°Urm.. the first estimate of the impact had it hitting their capital, which they''ve only just finished repairing ¡ª they had a pretty bad war over the succession, just under thirty years ago, which left its scars on just about everyone and everything. The other guy had less claim to the presidency, less honour, and less popular support, but more money and he thought he could make up for all of that by hiring mercenaries.¡±
¡°Topics to avoid?¡± Dan asked.
¡°Probably best to avoid asking for details about that war, since he lost his fianc¨¦e in it. Oh, and don''t be dismissive about the supernatural.¡±
¡°I wasn''t planning to, but why not?¡± Dan prompted.
¡°You might end up implicitly calling someone a liar.¡±
¡°They''ve seen things with no other explanation?¡± Dan asked.
¡°Exactly.¡± Karen agreed.
¡°But we can ask about truth-sayers?¡± Catherine asked, as her brain cells finally managing to get a message through to her.
Karen smiled ¡°Yes, that might be an interesting discussion. But they might be more interested in discussing your article. I think Deborah''s read it.¡±
This was going too fast for Dan. ¡°Deborah?¡±
¡°The president''s first cousin once removed, by way of her father being secretly adopted by the president''s uncle. Since the president''s nephew has a death sentence waiting for him if he ever gets out of prison, that makes her heir to the presidency, or maybe even the throne by then.¡±
¡°Hold on, you''re saying that someone pointed out my article to her?¡± Catherine asked.
¡°I think a hard copy went in the diplomatic bag.¡±
¡°Who''d do that?¡± Catherine asked.
¡°Well... Eliza mentioned it, I suggested she pass it on to Ralph, who''s head of diplomatic services, he agreed it might be useful for them, and I think I heard my Dad say that he''d handed it to her in person, so I presume their majesties agreed too.¡±
¡°But.... Why?¡± Catherine was still confused.
¡°It contains a discussion about why we have the sort of monarchy we do, and what it''s like, without using too many complicated words. Deborah''s learning English but I''m pretty sure she''s not up to reading constitutional law yet. I''m not sure I am for that matter. Shall I introduce you?¡±
¡°Urm, I guess so.¡± Dan agreed.
¡°Catherine, you wrote the newspaper thing? About needing to change the carpet?¡± Deborah asked after Karen had introduced them and left.
¡°Yes. I did. I never knew it would be circulated internationally.¡±
¡°You show very little respect to your king and his family.¡± the president said.
¡°Honourable president, most people who read our paper think that a presidency is better than a king, so say we show too much respect to them.¡± Dan said. ¡°We try very hard to write only the truth. Though perhaps not the whole truth. We do not tell of things told us in confidence, for example. But nor do we write things to flatter or that will make us popular.¡±
¡°So... you claim to be honest, trustworthy journalists, never swayed by politics, family pressure or bribe?¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡± Catherine said.
¡°You have chosen to walk a hard path.¡± the president said. ¡°But maybe it is easier here. Don''t try to live in our country: you would upset someone with connections and a week later... well perhaps you would find that no one will sell you any food.¡±
¡°Or perhaps your car would not have tires, or your house windows, or worse.¡± Adam added.
¡°Adam!¡± Deborah protested, ¡°You cannot say such things!¡±
¡°It is truth, and these people value truth, my cousin. Family, connections, honour, these things matter too much. Wisdom and truth, not enough.¡± the president said. ¡°I came here to university; it was very strange to begin with, but perhaps now I can see more clearly.¡±
¡°Honour is important everywhere, surely.¡± Dan asserted.
¡°Of course. But you derive your honour from what you do, do you not? You do not expect honour to be paid do you because your father is rich, or important. But if Adam opened his mouth like he did just now at home, showing disrespect to our culture, he would bring dishonour on Deborah for choosing such a husband, and on me for allowing such a wedding. And he would have to suffer for the shame he caused. But here, he can get away with it, and I can agree it is truth. But please do not put it in your paper.¡±
¡°Sir, you mentioned connections.¡± Catherine asked, ¡°May I ask, is nepotism a problem in your country also?¡±
¡°No, nepotism is not a problem; it is a solution. If I employ you and you do a bad job, who can I talk to? No one but you! But if the cleaning girl at the palace does a bad job, well, I can talk to her cousin who works in the kitchen, or her uncle who drives my car. And they will tell her, ''You have your job because of us, and you are not doing it right! Why are you doing this? You bring us shame, you must do your job properly!'' And if she does not listen they will tell me, Mr President we are ashamed of our lazy relative, she is a bad girl, we have sent her to our relatives in the country where she will learn what it means to work hard. While she learns this, my cousin''s wife is a very hard working woman and keeps his house spotless, but my cousin cannot work because he has broken his leg. Can she clean here so that his family does not hunger?'' And of course, I agree.¡±
¡°Here, it is something we try to avoid.¡± Dan said.
¡°I know. Our cultures are different, of course. I learned this at university; you are more individualistic, and have little respect within families. Here the relatives would say ''We''re sorry, if she won''t listen to you, her employer, she''s certainly not going to listen to us, we''re just her relatives.¡±
¡°You know us well, Mr President.¡±
¡°In some things, I know you well. But I was surprised to hear that there are republicans in your country.¡±
¡°There are not very many of us.¡± Catherine said.
¡°But enough people read your paper that you can eat.¡±
¡°That is true.¡± Dan agreed, and laughed ¡°But today we eat at the royal family''s expense, yet again.¡±
¡°And you are not ashamed to do take what is offered, and yet show so little respect in return?¡± Adam asked.
¡°The royal family ask us to be honest, to say that things are wrong when we see them as wrong, and right when we see them as right. We respect their wishes.¡±
¡°Ah, so, because you do not flatter, and are willing to say uncomfortable things, you can be tolerated?¡±
¡°I think, sir, it is beyond tolerated. I think there is friendship and I know there is trust. Too often people say what people want to hear, they want to flatter people. Their majesties have asked us not to do that.¡±
¡°You know there is trust?¡± Deborah asked.
¡°Yes, maam. I know that his majesty trusted us not to speak or write about his father, although he spoke of it to us when we visited. And there were other things said which have not been made public.¡±
¡°So... in your unflattering honesty... a head of state with the power of a truthsayer. What do you think?¡± Deborah asked.
¡°I think his majesty''s father could not say anything, people would not have believed him.¡± Catherine started.
¡°No, I mean now.¡±
¡°It has happened, and it will happen again, I am sure. We have a law now that says it is forbidden to publish if another person has that power or not. Perhaps the question is whether the person should choose to reveal they have the power? I imagine it would be undiplomatic to tell an ambassador they are lying, but I am told that diplomacy often involves pretending not to know things.¡±
¡°But you are not worried that I am the president''s truthsayer and heir?¡± Deborah asked.
¡°I did not know, Maam.¡± Catherine said.
¡°Ah, a diplomatic answer?¡± the president asked.
¡°Honest, sir.¡±
¡°I assumed Karen would tell you.¡± Deborah said.
¡°She knows? She said nothing.¡± Dan said ¡°But then, if it is not public knowledge, she could not tell reporters, and we cannot publish it. Is it public knowledge, Maam?¡±
¡°It is... semi-public. I will not hide it, that is the way of a thought-stealer, but when I am working as truthsayer, it is best that the people do not know it is me.¡±
¡°So if we write anything about this, maam, it would be better for us to write that the president''s heir can hear thoughts than the president''s truthsayer is his heir?¡±
¡°Yes. That would be far better.¡±
¡°But of course we do not necessarily write about it at all.¡±
¡°No?¡±
¡°Firstly, it is illegal for us to publish it without your permission, but even without the law, we are not a gossip paper, which prints every rumour it hears about celebrities.¡±
¡°So you claim your personal honour and the honour of your newspaper would prevent you.¡± the president said.
¡°Yes, sir.¡± Dan said.
¡°Unfortunately, in my culture, such a claim is worth little.¡± the president said. ¡°But on the other hand, Karen said you were honourable and trustworthy people, and I have known her and her family for a very long time. Such a recommendation is worth a great deal. A great great deal.¡±
¡°I think I understand, sir.¡±
¡°Do you? Have you known her a long time?¡±
¡°Ah, no, actually.¡±
¡°So how can she give such a recommendation?¡±
¡°Because someone she trusts gave it?¡± Catherine suggested.
¡°Exactly. Her cousin Eliza and your future king, to be precise. So if you show yourselves to not be trustworthy and honourable then it causes a great deal of political difficulty, as I would have less trust in the word of your royal family, and they are our close allies.¡±
¡°Deborah, I have never met a truthsayer before you. Would it be improper, or rude, to ask you to take my hand as truthsayer?¡± Catherine asked.
¡°Not improper. But why?¡±
¡°Because I wish to make a promise to the honourable president.¡±
¡°Then I will take your hand.¡± And she did.
¡°Mr President, I promise you that I will not deliberately cause you to regret our conversation in any way. I will seek to be honest, to answer questions that I may answer as fully as I am able, and to say that I am unable to answer fully when that is the case. I promise that I will ask before I publish anything about our conversation, and I will do all that I can to protect any confidences that I learn.¡±
¡°And do you swear this by your faith?¡± The president asked.
¡°I... I do not have very much faith, I am still learning about God. But by what faith I have, I will swear it, if this is what you demand.¡± Catherine said, hesitantly.
Deborah spoke to the president, at first in English. ¡°Honoured cousin, I believe she speaks truth. She was thinking about how to not promise too much, so she did not promise what she could not keep, what she would do in any situation where she must protect the source. I think that means to protect the person she talks to? This is important to her. But she does not want to displease God.¡± Then she switched to her mother tongue. ¡°She has read that Jesus said it is not right to swear, but she does not know if that means ever or if there are exceptions. I ask you do not demand it, because I am certain it is not right to swear in many circumstances.¡±
¡°Ah, so she is learning your faith?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And Dan, you also promise these things?¡± The president asked.
He offered his hand to Deborah, who took it.
¡°Yes, Mr President.
¡°And what of your faith?¡±
¡°It is much stronger since... ah... since we had a long talk with their majesties about God.¡± Dan corrected his line of thought, too late.
Deborah dropped his hand, looked at his worried face in compassion, and said ¡°Yes, your thoughts did get away from you. But I am a truthsayer, I keep secrets. That one... is not entirely a surprise to me.¡± She turned to the president ¡°Honoured cousin, these two honourable people can be trusted with great secrets.¡±
¡°And you will tell me what secrets later?¡± he asked.
¡°No, honoured cousin!¡± Deborah said, in a shocked tone, ¡°It would be entirely without honour to tell what I heard by accident, and it is beneath your honour to even think to ask me this.¡±
¡°My cousin, you see, has wisdom, honour and steel in her soul.¡± the president said, ¡°There are not many women in my country who would ever answer any elder male in such strong rejection, and even fewer men who would say it to me. My cousin, it is not beneath my honour to ask for what I know will be refused, so that my wisdom in choice of heir will be made clear.¡±
¡°I will forgive you this once, cousin.¡± Deborah said, obviously still angry.
¡°Does your holy book not say you must forgive me the same offence seventy times seven times?¡± he jibed.
¡°If you ask for forgiveness, yes.¡± she grudgingly admitted.
¡°I perceive that your honourable cousin also asked in order to reassure Dan and Catherine, beloved wife.¡± Adam said. ¡°I am sure he did not desire to undermine your word to Dan, but rather to show how honestly it was given.¡±
¡°I have upset you more than I thought I would, cousin Deborah. I am sorry.¡± The president said.
Deborah inclined her head in acknowledgement. ¡°Let us move to safer topics. Catherine, you have written that you hate dictatorships and monarchy, detest corruption and reject a concept of presidency which only leads to serial rape of the country.¡±
¡°This is a safer topic?¡± Catherine asked in surprise. ¡°You use stronger words than I did in my article.¡±
¡°I also read some of your comments and other articles. But I am right that these are things you have said?¡±
¡°You are right. I have said all of those things.¡±
¡°Our country is riddled with corruption, we have a dictatorship in all but name. Although my honourable cousin is not a harsh dictator and has made changes so that his power is not exercised without restraint, another man could easily undo those changes. What would you suggest? Karen''s father has long been suggesting that we do away with the elections forced on us some centuries ago and admit we are a monarchy, and write my cousin''s reforms into the constitution. You may speak freely, because it is beneath the honour of a president to take notice of the gossip of two young women over a meal. Dan however should be more careful in what he says.¡±
¡°Your country is so male dominated?¡± Catherine asked.
¡°Oh yes. The patriarch''s word is law, almost.¡± The president butted in. ¡°If Adam had said what his wife has said, it would be a very difficult situation. Such harsh words! But as she says, the meal-time gossip of two young women? Who would ever credit that with affecting the future of a country? Speak freely, while we men consider matters of great importance, like what exactly is in this soup. It is not pork, I hope, Dan?¡±
So it was that while the president considered such matters of real substance, Catherine and Deborah spoke freely over `trivial'' matters like which constitutional, legal and judicial reforms were most urgent.
Victoria was somewhat relieved to see her majesty approaching. It was just... intensely embarrassing, she decided, to dance with your monarch.
Especially when he was asking her things like what career she wanted to follow. "May I have my husband back, Victoria?¡± the queen asked.
¡°Of course, maam.¡± she willingly agreed. Perhaps a bit too willingly.
¡°I think you might have embarrassed her, dear.¡± the queen said, as they started dancing.
¡°She''s young, she''ll have to cope with having old people ask her about her plans for the future for a few more years.¡±
¡°Oh, yes? And what do you want to do when you grow up, husband?¡±
¡°Dance with you, of course.¡±
¡°Good answer.¡±
Victoria watched them swirl away. The queen was a much better dancer than she was, that was obvious. She made her way off the dance floor, fully intending to stay seated for the rest of the time.
¡°Excuse me?¡± a young man asked. ¡°I saw what just happened...¡±
¡°It was pre-arranged.¡± Victoria replied. ¡°One can''t have a whole dance with the king, that''d be greedy.¡±
¡°Oh. I wondered if there were some emergency.¡±
He didn''t look old enough to be in Security, and Victoria said as much.
¡°Me? I''m not security!¡±
She tried to guess which category of people he was with. ¡°OK... so that leaves friend of the bride or groom, official visitor or family thereof, or some other category of wedding guest I''ve not heard about.
"Somehow I don''t think you''re in the third category.¡±
¡°Urm, friend of the bride, I guess.¡±
¡°You guess?¡±
¡°Well, I don''t know her that well. I was really surprised to be invited, actually.¡±
¡°You know her from university?¡±
¡°Yes. Oh, the music''s stopped. I was going to ask you if you''d like to dance.¡±
¡°Not really.¡±
¡°Oh. Sorry, you''re with someone else? I just thought, you dancing with his majesty, and then getting your partner taken away...¡±
¡°That I might not have anyone else and I might want to keep on dancing?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Very generous of you.¡± she said, then thought that sounded really nasty, and he didn''t seem nasty. ¡°Thank you, you''re right about the first bit, actually.¡±
He chirped up at that, but seemed at a loss of what to say.
¡°So, why do you think Eliza invited you?¡±
¡°I was in her Bible study group last year.¡±
¡°And she invited the whole group of you?¡±
He looked around ¡°I guess she did, yes. The groups get rearranged every year, so I didn''t think of that.¡±
¡°Well, there you are then.¡± Victoria said. There was another lull as if they''d run out of things to say, so Victoria added ¡°I was actually pretty glad her Majesty came when she did.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°His Majesty was just asking me what I wanted to be when I finish university. I''ve not even started yet, and my first choice is an impact target at the moment.¡±
¡°Tricky. So you need to pick somewhere else?¡±
¡°It''s harder than that. They''re offering me a life-long discount on course fees if I don''t pick anywhere else.¡±
¡°How much?¡±
¡°Ten percent, rising to fifteen if they''re closed for a year and thirty percent if the impact means me putting my life on hold for two years, with that being relative to whatever is cheapest: the current fees or post-impact fee scale.¡±
¡°Wow, that''d save you almost a year''s fees!¡±
¡°Yeah, it gets even better: If I take them up on it, and decide to go on to do further studies, ever, I''d get the same discount.¡±
¡°They really want some guaranteed students when they reopen, don''t they?¡±
¡°I guess so. But, there''s room for some cynicism too. Like they say, they can drop the course fees post-impact if they need to. And it''s not like they''re promising me a fifty percent discount. So they don''t want me that much.¡±
¡°How much would the further study fees really benefit you? Most people doing postgrad work get some kind of sponsorship.¡±
¡°In which case the reduction doesn''t apply, yeah. That''s in the small print.¡±
¡°So, what are you going to do?¡±
¡°Keep on praying about it, I guess. Maybe go on some kind of mission trip or something. Or get a job.¡±
¡°You are a Christian, then. I''d thought you probably were.¡±
¡°I am.¡±
¡°And you''re sure you don''t want to dance? The music''s starting.¡±
¡°I''m not very good at dancing. You might have noticed.¡±
¡°I thought you did very well. But then I''ve only been learning since I got the invitation, so who am I to judge?¡±
She glanced around. ¡°My parents are watching us, by the way, along with a large portion of the church.¡±
He gulped, ¡°Is that going to be a big problem? If we just talk a bit or dance, I mean?¡±
¡°No, but Mum''s going to ask me what your name is.¡±
¡°Oh, sorry. I didn''t think of it. I''m really nervous, I guess.¡±
¡°That''s an unusual name.¡± she teased.
¡°Jason.¡± He said, bright red, ¡°Jason Stammers.¡±
¡°I''m Victoria Thomas.¡±
¡°Oh... Fred Thomas is your Dad?¡±
¡°Yes. You''ve met him?¡±
¡°He''s spoken at C.U. a few times.¡±
¡°Oh. Right, yeah, he does that. Your turn.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Tell me about yourself. If you''re serious about wanting to dance with me. I don''t waltz with strangers.¡±
¡°Oh, right. Urm. I''m Jason.¡±
¡°You''ve said.¡±
¡°I''m officially a dumb genius, got into Uni at sixteen, joined the chess club and the swimming club and the astronomy society and didn''t study enough, almost failed, then I met God, and I''m doing better.¡± he stopped, as though he''d said it all.
¡°And?¡± she prompted.
¡°And I''m not good at social skills.¡±
¡°What are you studying?¡±
¡°Pure maths.¡±
¡°Is it fun?¡±
¡°Err.¡±
¡°That was supposed to be either a yes-no question or an opportunity to express something about your subject.¡±
¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°Well, do you enjoy it?¡±
¡°It''s hard. But... it''s beautiful. The symmetry, the equations, I can make them dance and sing for me.¡±
¡°O.K. So it''s not quite fun, but you like it.¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°And you''re a second year?¡±
¡°No, third year.¡±
¡°And do you like dancing?¡±
¡°I don''t know. It looks... intricate. I like intricate.¡±
¡°But it sounds like you''ve never done it?¡±
¡°Not, you know, with someone else.¡±
¡°Or talked with many people?¡± she guessed.
¡°Not quite like this.¡± He gulped again.
¡°Quite like what?¡±
¡°Off the map, without a topic. I like a topic, it helps me organise my thoughts.¡±
¡°So, why did you come and talk to me?¡±
¡°Because... Eliza told me if I came I''d have to dance, and you''re not older than me like most women here, and you''re really pretty, and I guessed you were single, dancing with the king when Eliza said the bridesmaids could dance with anyone they wanted to. And I thought, when the queen stopped you, hey that''s not fair, and maybe you''d be you''d feel cheated out of your dance. It seemed like an ideal opportunity ¡ª assuming I wanted to dance with anyone, and I thought if I don''t ask her then I''ll probably not ask anyone.¡±
¡°So, a little bit of cold hard calculating, a little moral outrage, and a little bit of bravery?¡±
¡°Yes. Lots of bravery, actually. Even with the outrage, I nearly didn''t get up.¡±
¡°You did that calculating very quickly then.¡±
¡°I can do that. Draw conclusions, analyse facts. But not people, really. People are complicated.¡±
¡°I know. Come on.¡±
¡°Where?¡±
¡°Let''s see how intricate dancing really needs to be. Intricate might be pretty, but embarrassing yourself or falling over isn''t fun.¡±
Association / Ch. 15: Happy Sunday
Association / Ch. 15:Happy Sunday
The Palace Ballroom, Saturday 13th January, 6pm.
Dan''s wrist unit buzzed him in the middle of the dance. He glanced at it in annoyance, and would have tripped over if Catherine hadn''t steadied him.
¡°What is it?¡± She asked.
¡°Dad.¡± he said.
¡°You can''t not answer, Dan. You know that.¡±
¡°I know. Come with me for moral support?¡±
¡°Of course, Dan.¡±
Dan acknowledged the call, picking one of the three messages he''d prepared earlier, just in case he got an important call. The one he chose said ''Hi, your call''s caught me at the royal wedding, please hold while I get somewhere I can talk.'' He sort of hoped his father wouldn''t hold, but knew that was just fear.
He and Catherine made their way towards the edge of the dance floor, and stepped into the corridor.
¡°Hello, Dad.¡±
¡°Your mother told me to call. What do you mean, you''re at the royal wedding?¡±
¡°Catherine and I got invited, to the reception too.¡±
¡°Who''s Catherine?¡±
¡°Catherine Parr, my co-reporter at the Post, Dad. There''s about the same age gap between us as there is between you and mum.¡±
¡°Are you saying you''re an item?¡±
¡°Doesn''t Mum talk to you at all?¡±
¡°Not about you, no. But your ''post'' is a republican paper, I know that much. How did you get invited to the wedding?¡±
¡°We got invited to the palace for an evening meal a fortnight ago. His royal highness made excellent spaghetti bolognaise, we discovered we don''t live in a monarchy after all, no matter what the other papers say, and we had a good chat about God with the royal family.¡±
¡°You did?¡± he heard his father sitting down in surprise.
¡°Yes Dad. You can read about some of it in the paper if you want to. We didn''t write much about our discussion about God though. They''ve got a different view of the Church to you, by the way.¡±
¡°To me now, or to me when you left?¡±
¡°The one which drove me away from home and God.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, Dan. I was wrong, very wrong.¡±
Dan didn''t trust himself to respond to that.
¡°Urm, I don''t suppose Mum''s told you about what I''ve been doing either, has she?¡± his father asked.
¡°Not much. She''s said you were healthy.¡±
¡°There are some articles by me... my confessions if you like, on the church website. You might like to read them, decide if we can talk. How''s the royal wedding?¡±
¡°It''s pretty much winding down, their highnesses have gone to get changed. Catherine and I were just having a quick waltz after talking constitutional reform all afternoon.¡±
¡°Constitutional reform?¡± the idea obviously surprised Dan''s father.
¡°Not here, Dad, don''t worry. We were talking to the president and heir of a country which is currently a hereditary republican dictatorship. They''re planning to get the constitution changed. Well, I say we were talking, actually Catherine was doing most of the talking to Deborah ¡ª she''s the heir, while we men were talking about matters of substance like what colour the curtains were.¡±
¡°You''re not making much sense.¡±
¡°It goes like this, Dad. It''s a real patriarchy, and the president''s the patriarch of patriarchs. I can''t criticise their present constitution, because (a) I''m a nobody, and (b) it might insult the president. But Catherine could have a nice girls'' natter to Deborah, and who cares what the ladies talk about? It worked out perfectly, since Catherine''s far better than I am at all that constitutional law stuff.¡±
¡°It sounds complicated. But where are you with God, son?¡±
¡°Reading my Bible, and praying quite a lot. Mostly for wisdom and for Catherine.¡±
¡°Is she sick?¡±
¡°No, she''s not sick, but she''s not saved yet, either.¡±
¡°But I am seeking, Mr Wyatt, very seriously.¡± Catherine butted in.
¡°That was Catherine.¡± Dan said, needlessly.
¡°I''m sure it would make your mother very happy if you both came to visit, Dan.¡±
¡°What about you, Dad?¡±
¡°I''d be happy to see you with or without her. It''s not good for families to be divided. I''m sorry for what I did to you.¡±
¡°I''ll talk to Catherine about when we can visit, and let you know.¡±
¡°You''ve made a foolish old man very happy.¡±
¡°We can all be foolish, Dad. I guess it''s the repentance and forgiveness that matters.¡±
The Palace Ballroom, Saturday 13th January, 6.10pm.
¡°Urm, Victoria.¡± Jason said.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Urm, have you, err, had a nice time?¡±
¡°Yes, I have. I didn''t expect to dance this much, or talk this much, but it''s been fun. Thank you.¡±
¡°Thank you. Urm, would you like to do it again?¡±
¡°What, be Eliza''s bridesmaid? I don''t think that''s very likely.¡±
¡°I was thinking, urm...¡±
¡°Mmm?¡± she said, not really having any doubts about what he was going to ask. But she wasn''t going to help him. Given that they''d talked about all sorts of things, she felt he shouldn''t be shy. She sort of liked him. He was socially clumsy, painfully shy, but he had a gentle sense of humour that made her want to hear more.
¡°I was thinking it would be nice to meet again.¡±
¡°Well, it might be. The Christian community isn''t that big, we might run into each other somewhere, I suppose. You could tell me some more jokes.¡±
¡°We could make it deliberate.¡±
¡°That''s true.¡±
He noticed that she was trying not to laugh, and realised something. ¡°You''re deliberately making this hard, aren''t you?¡±
¡°No, you''re deliberately pussy-footing around and not getting to the point.¡±
¡°I''ve never asked a girl out before.¡±
¡°I''d guessed that. Come on.¡±
¡°Where to this time?¡±
¡°I was thinking you could ask someone how to do it.¡±
¡°Victoria!¡± he protested.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You could just answer.¡±
¡°You could just ask.¡±
¡°Will you go out with me?¡±
¡°I think I''d like to, Jason. But there''s a ''but''.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°I don''t think it''s a big but, but I don''t know.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± He didn''t ask what it was. He was like that. He was probably curious, but if you didn''t say, then he assumed it was something you didn''t want to say. It could be a bit frustrating.
She thought for a bit.
¡°How brave are you?¡±
¡°Not very.¡±
¡°What about surprises? Do you cope, or run away?¡±
¡°I guess I cope. What are you thinking?¡±
¡°Maybe nothing. Could you come to Church tomorrow, maybe next week too?¡±
¡°Urm, I suppose so. But not every Sunday.¡±
¡°No.. The service starts at 10.30. You''ll be there, maybe ten minutes early?¡±
¡°Absolutely. You''ll sit with me?¡±
¡°Yes, of course. Jason, just so you know...¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°You know how frustrating it was for you just now, where I wasn''t helping you?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°There''s this social convention, a rule, if you like, but it doesn''t apply all the time, and it depends on lots of other things. I was breaking it so you''d be forced to be brave. You''re supposed to make connections, when people tell you things. And if someone doesn''t tell you all of something, but mentions it, you''re allowed to ask for more information. You''re expected to ask, if you want to know more. If they don''t want to tell you, they can always say so. Or punch you if you''re breaking other rules.¡±
¡°Oh. Yes. I''ve been told that sort of thing before.¡±
¡°Then make connections!¡± In her discussions with him, she''d told him this before. It seemed to work; he could certainly make connections, very quickly in fact. It just didn''t happen automatically.
¡°I should have asked you something. About the ''but''.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Am I allowed to know what the but is?¡±
¡°Very well done. I told you part of it ¡ª I was going out with a non-Christian.¡±
¡°You dumped him.¡±
¡°Yes, I had to. Six weeks ago.¡±
¡°And you think he''ll be at Church?¡±
¡°No. I''m just not going behind my parent''s back again.¡±
¡°Oh. That makes sense. You''ve been praying for him?¡±
The question caught her off her guard. ¡°Yes.¡±
¡°What''s he called?¡±
¡°Alfred.¡±
¡°I''ll pray for him too.¡±
¡°You will?¡±
¡°He''s your friend, we should pray for friends of friends.¡±
¡°Thank you. So, my parents.¡±
¡°I need to meet them?¡±
¡°But I expect you''re not brave enough to talk to them here.¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°So we''ll sit together at Church, and see what happens, OK?¡±
¡°I expect your Dad will preach and we''ll sing hymns together. That''ll be nice.¡±
She didn''t believe he''d said that, had he really no concept of what else might happen? She didn''t think he was that bad. But she agreed. ¡°Yes, Jason. That''ll be nice.¡±
Then he grinned at her. ¡°And your Mum or Dad might come and speak to me, probably after the service. If they come and talk to me, that''s not nearly as scary as the other way round.¡± she felt a surge of relief.
¡°Jason, you were teasing me just now, weren''t you? About the singing hymns?¡±
¡°Sort of. It''s the sort of thing I''d have said a few years ago. I normally stop myself from saying things like that, until I''ve made more connections.¡±
¡°You''re getting better at this sort of thing, you mean?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So why didn''t you stop yourself?¡±
¡°So you''d know. That''s where I''ve come from, that''s me, my immediate reaction. Anything else is calculation.¡±
¡°Thank you for telling me. Oh! I''m on duty! Must go!¡±
¡°Bye, Victoria.¡± Jason remembered to say.
Just before Eliza and Albert left, Eliza grabbed Victoria.
¡°Jason rather monopolised you, didn''t he?¡± Eliza said.
¡°I didn''t mind. He''s funny.¡± Victoria said, then added ¡°As in sense of humour.¡±
¡°Yes, and other less complimentary senses.¡± Eliza said. ¡°It''s more than just shyness, you''ve realised.¡±
¡°Somewhere on the autistic spectrum?¡±
¡°The ultra-smart end, yes.¡±
¡°Urm, do you know what he was doing when he was getting behind in his maths?¡±
¡°He didn''t say?¡±
¡°I didn''t ask. At the time I thought, you know, the whole underside of the university scene. But I realised that wasn''t very likely.¡±
¡°Someone told him he shouldn''t just focus on maths... He found the library. More than a lifetime of books to read, in a myriad of subjects.¡±
¡°Oh! That makes far more sense. He''s asked me out.¡±
¡°Really! What have you said?¡±
¡°That I''m not going behind my parents'' backs. So he''s coming to Church tomorrow, and hoping that my parents come to talk to him, not the other way round.¡±
¡°What will you do if Alfred turns up, asking about getting to know God?¡±
¡°Urm. Probably cry. Jason''s promised to pray for him.¡±
¡°He''s got a big heart.¡±
¡°I don''t want to hurt him.¡±
¡°Don''t make him promises you can''t keep. That''ll hurt him more than anything. Otherwise, well, given his problems in that area, he''s not going to assume he''s guessed right about anything you haven''t told him straight, is he?¡±
¡°Thanks, Eliza. Have a wonderful honeymoon.¡±
¡°Thanks, I plan to.¡±
¡°Are you going to throw the bouquet?¡±
Eliza shook her head. ¡°No. It''s a silly custom, really. Smacks of pagan fortune-telling, or something. Plus I don''t think any of you three need that extra pressure, of people saying you''re going to marry soon, do you?¡±
¡°Not really.¡± Victoria agreed.
Saturday, 13th January. 8.15pm
¡°So, Francis, what do you think?¡±
¡°The food''s excellent, the company too. About what?¡±
¡°Our ''potential future daughter in law''.¡±
¡°She really called herself that?¡±
¡°Well, I think she was suggesting that we might think of her in those terms. And actually I think she said ''a potential future daughter in law.'' if that makes a difference. You''re the expert on the nuances of language.¡±
¡°So, it could have just be a reflection of what she thinks Quentin''s been telling us.¡±
¡°Except that she''s thinking along those lines too, because Quentin asked to get to know how her clan worked.¡± Cleo pointed out.
¡°But she made it plain that she''s not taking that as a proposal.¡± Francis countered.
¡°But on the other hand with the course they''re on at the moment, marriage is a distinct possibility. She was very clear to me about that, too, although...¡±
¡°Yes?¡± Francis prompted.
¡°She didn''t seem over the moon about the idea, it was just... ''I''m going to be spending a lot of time teaching Quentin stuff, and I like him a bit already, but I don''t want to concentrate on that.'' She''s very socially aware, I''d guess.¡±
¡°Probably comes from the clan environment. She''s been around a lot of people as she grows up, had lots of practice reading people.¡± He pointed out.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So, what do you think, is she manipulating our little boy, and worming her way into his emotions?¡±
¡°I don''t think she needs to!¡± Cleo laughed, ¡°Didn''t you see the looks of mindless adoration on is face?¡±
¡°Is that what you call it?¡±
¡°What did you see?¡±
¡°There''s nothing wrong with his eyes, his hormones, or the way they''re wired up together. No question that wants her, and since she''s talking to him, he''s really hoping that he''ll get her too.¡±
¡°You make it sound like it''s all about sex.¡±
¡°He''s seventeen. Of course it''s all about sex.¡±
¡°They''re not going to date, you know that? Where does that leave your assertion?¡±
¡°He''s playing the long game. Pounce now, and he maybe gets his thrill but probably not and he loses her, play it slow and she''s his for life, maybe.¡±
¡°Francis, that''s not a nice way to talk about your son.¡±
¡°Hey, I''m just saying it the way it is, party-babe. The urge to procreate.¡±
¡°Oh stop pretending, Francis.¡± Cleo said, ¡°I know you know there''s more to love than just sex.¡±
¡°OK, I admit it. Sorry.¡±
¡°Why, Francis?¡±
¡°Why what?¡±
¡°Why do you so often go out of your way to trivialise things I know are important to you? Why do you hide behind a mask so much?¡±
¡°Habit?¡±
¡°You hid behind a mask of being a Christian, and acted the way you thought Christians act, then you acknowledged you weren''t. Fine, I wished you were wrong but I know you''re not. But... these days, half the time you''re you, and the other half you''re putting on the act of being a brain-dead worldly atheist who spouts rubbish you''ve heard from people you call idiots. I think your children even think that''s the real you. Who are you hiding from? Or have I got it wrong? Is the real you the devil-may-care party dude?¡±
¡°I expect I''m making life hard for you, aren''t I, Cleo.¡±
¡°What do you think?¡±
¡°I don''t deserve you.¡±
¡°So, you''re trying to push me away?¡±
¡°Not just you. I''m pushing everyone away, aren''t I?¡±
¡°You''re succeeding with the kids, I think.¡±
¡°I know.¡±
¡°So, what does this mean? You''re at that age in life where you want to be left alone?¡±
¡°I don''t think so.¡±
¡°You''ve met someone else?¡±
¡°No!¡±
¡°Stress at work?¡±
¡°Maybe.¡± he didn''t sound too sure.
¡°Stress at home?¡±
¡°Not really, apart from my wife and children constantly praying for me to turn to God.¡±
¡°Does that really stress you?¡± Francis thought she sounded surprised. Didn''t she know?
¡°YES. And now I''ve been wrapped round Rhianna''s little finger to go and sit in church for the first time since we got married.¡±
¡°She always was good at that. And that''s scary?¡±
¡°Of course it''s scary.¡± How could she not know how threatening that was? He was going to go into an environment where almost everyone there wanted him to change. That was pretty much his entire life though. He was sort of used to it by now. ¡°But getting back to your original question.... I think she''s got a pretty nice personality.¡±
¡°So you approve of her?¡±
¡°I think so. Do you?¡±
¡°From what I''ve seen so far, yes. Our little boy''s grown up.¡±
¡°Yes. You know he got rid of that filth from his bedroom, don''t you? Before he met her, even.¡±
¡°Yes. I''m glad he rejected that rubbish on his own.¡±
¡°I still don''t understand why you didn''t want me to say anything. I thought you were all into combating sin.¡±
¡°I can''t fight all his fights for him. That one... well, you know.¡±
¡°If it comes from inside him, then it''s better?¡±
¡°Much, don''t you think.¡±
¡°So why are you putting so much pressure on me to repent and turn to God?¡±
¡°I''m not Francis. I''ll admit pestering God to help you want to, but that''s different, surely?¡±
¡°Maybe. Want to dance, Cleo?¡±
¡°Of course I do.¡±
¡°Thank you, Catherine.¡± Dan said, as he walked her home.
¡°What for?¡±
¡°Making me talk to Dad.¡±
¡°You would have, surely?¡±
¡°Pass.¡±
¡°Good job I was there, then.¡±
¡°And we make your neighbour happy tomorrow?¡±
¡°Yes. And then, Mr Wyatt, you''re going to introduce me to your parents.¡±
¡°Just like that?¡± Dan asked, surprised.
¡°Yes. I don''t want to work on the story, I do want to spend time with you, and you are going to go and see them, aren''t you? So, ipso facto, previous plans are scratched.¡±
¡°I was sort of thinking it might be a good idea. Strike while the iron is hot or something like that, but....¡±
¡°You were planning to make our plans for tomorrow afternoon an excuse, weren''t you?¡± she accused.
¡°You know me too well.¡±
¡°Good job I''m coming with you then, isn''t it?¡± She looked at him appraisingly. ¡°Now the question is, do I need to make sure you call your mother?¡±
¡°I''ll do it now.¡± he offered.
¡°Excellent plan, Dan.¡± the woman he loved agreed with a grin.
10.20am, Sunday morning, 14th Jan.
¡°Hi Jason!¡±
¡°Hello Victoria. Urm, I thought of something last night.¡±
¡°What was that?¡±
¡°That maybe praying that Alfred come to church today wasn''t the best thing to do.¡± he gave a little smile and shrug of apology. ¡°Too late though.¡±
¡°You prayed that you''d meet my ex-boyfriend?¡±
¡°Urm, that wasn''t quite how I meant it. Sorry.¡±
¡°How did you mean it?¡±
¡°I was praying that he''d come to church, that God would answer your prayers for him.¡±
¡°God knows best I suppose.¡±
¡°Yes, he does, doesn''t he! Sorry.¡±
¡°So you should be.¡± she said, just as someone tapped her on the shoulder.
¡°I finally kept my promise.¡±
¡°Hello Alfred. You''re about twenty-four hours late in keeping that promise if you''re hoping to get back into my good books. Meet, Jason, the dumbest genius of a boyfriend I''ve ever had, he''s just told me how he prayed you''d turn up.¡±
¡°Hello, Alfred. I hope you don''t mind me praying for you to come to church. I didn''t think it all through... I''m not good with humans.¡± Jason held out his hand.
¡°Not good with humans?¡± Alfred stepped back. ¡°What are you? An alien?¡±
¡°Not according to the doctor. It''s just this problem I have. I can deal with maths; people are too complex.¡±
¡°Ah, right, hello, Jason.¡± Alfred finally shook Jason''s hand, which was still sticking out. ¡°So the genius bit..¡±
¡°I tested out with an I.Q. of 162.23 when I was fifteen, and a social I.Q. of about sixteen. I''m a bit more normal now, on both scales.¡±
Alfred, who considered himself a bit of a social genius, considered this. Victoria had claimed this... social numbskull... as a boyfriend. She''d also said something about getting back into her good books. So... she did still have feelings for him. Great, maybe his plan would work. It clearly wasn''t going to be hard to make Jason look a fool, the trick to winning Victoria back was obviously do that without making her jump to his defence. Yeah, maybe it would work. ¡°So you were praying for me?¡±
¡°Yes. You''re Victoria''s friend, it''s only right to pray for friends of friends to come to faith.¡±
¡°That''s what you said yesterday, and I agreed, Jason. I didn''t say he should come here. Oh well, we''d better go in. I presume you want me to keep up my end of the promise?¡± She glanced at Alfred''s nod, and noticed his clothes properly for the first time. She was sure they very suitable for something, but it wasn''t her father''s church. ¡°Jason, I told Alfred that if he came I''d help him avoid too many mistakes. Let''s go upstairs, that way we won''t disturb too many people.¡±
¡°Interesting shirt.¡± Jason said, making conversation. ¡°I don''t think it''s quite a normal Mandlebrot set, is it? Oh! It''s the cubic extrapolation! Maybe somewhere along the sixty five degree radial? Maybe seventy? I don''t suppose it says anywhere? I really hate guessing, and it must be five, six years since I played with them. Was everything else in the wash? That happens to me sometimes.¡±
Alfred was dumbstruck. His eye-catching silk shirt had just been analysed in ways he''d never envisaged happening, and he got the impression that he''d just been told that it wasn''t at all suitable, in a pretty sympathetic way for someone he considered a rival. Looking around he realised it wasn''t suitable. ¡°Yeah.¡± he said to cover his growing embarrassment. The shirt was clearly a mis-calculation. ¡°Sorry, I don''t know about the trigonometry stuff.¡± he said, making a wild guess about what area of maths he''d heard of mandlebrot sets in. He immediately realised that wild guesses about maths was not going to do his street-cred any good at all in the present company.
Victoria tried not to snigger. ¡°Even I know that fractals aren''t trig, Alfred. Now, there''ll be a prayer to start, then some hymns, words will be on that screen there, and some prayers, then Dad''ll preach, then a final hymn or two, and probably a prayer. Stand up and sit down at the same time as everyone else, or you''ll stick out as much as your shirt does. But don''t worry, God looks on the inside, not the outside.¡±
¡°That''s supposed to make me comfortable?¡±
¡°If you''re here wanting to get closer to God, of course!¡±
Alfred thought about that. He hadn''t come wanting to get closer to God. He''d seen Victoria resplendent in her bridesmaid''s dress and thought it would be well worth trying to see if she''d had a change of heart. But her new genius boyfriend was a complication, and obviously he didn''t
need any introduction to what went on in this strange building.
The songs, he guessed they were what Victoria had called hymns, were obviously well known to the crowd. At least, they were singing them loudly. They were full of weird things too. How did blood wash anyone clean? What a disgusting thought. It was a bit familiar too, though. Victoria had said something about it. He looked at his ex-girlfriend, clearly caught up in
the emotions of the song, as was Mr Genius beside her. She''d said God was important to her. He thought he knew what that meant, but he realised that he probably didn''t. And this... event was really strange. It was like some concert or something, but people were singing love-songs to nobody. It was almost a foreign language. He didn''t understand the sentiments or their motivation. If he could have bolted from the building he probably would have, but he was trapped. He couldn''t imagine ever coming back willingly. Victoria was pretty, but she wasn''t worth this.
The speech was at least more familiar ground. Her dad started with some funny stories, and Alfred found himself following the logic of what he was saying. At least partially. Her dad seemed to rely far too much on one source. Who was this Paul guy anyway? What right did he have to tell everyone what to do. OK, his analysis was fairly reasonable, but... nah, Alfred wasn''t going to accept that he was any worse than anyone else. Church wasn''t for Alfred.
At the end of the sermon there were more songs; Victoria''s face lit up like she was on some weird emotional high which Alfred didn''t get. How could you react like that to some song? Especially since this one didn''t just mention blood, it seemed all about it. And then, great relief, it was over. Albert knew one thing: he wasn''t really interested in Vic, if this was important for her. The blood stuff was just gross, and what gave her God the right to decide what was right and wrong? What about all the other gods? Weren''t there some who just said live and let live? He was sure he''d heard about some once, and he''d imagined that''s what he was coming to hear. Didn''t those sorts of gods get a look in? He said something vague about it not what he expected, and left as fast as he could.
They watched him go, pushing past people to get out as quickly as he could.
¡°That wasn''t what I expected to happen.¡± Jason said.
¡°Me neither. It doesn''t look like he''ll be staying for tea or coffee, does it? Dad didn''t even say anything vaguely controversial for once, either.¡±
¡°Nothing but the stench of death to the perishing?¡± Jason suggested.
She looked at him, curiously. He was right; she''d really overestimated what Alfred had understood from what she''d said. ¡°I thought you weren''t good at people?¡±
¡°I have to notice things; recognise expressions. I saw his face when we were singing, he was looking at you. He looked really unhappy. No, more than that. It was disgust, I think. Like you smelled, or you''d stepped in something and liked it. I don''t think you''re disgusting, and you don''t smell nasty either. I''m glad you love God. He''s great.¡±
¡°I''m very glad you love God too. We might be too late for the chocolate biscuits, I''m afraid, but there''s tea and coffee downstairs, shall we go?¡±
¡°That sounds nice.¡±
¡°You''re not nervous?
¡°About tea and coffee?¡± He looked at her and saw he''d guessed wrong. ¡°Oh, your parents?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Should I be?¡±
¡°I don''t think so. Urm, Jason, I hope you don''t mind...¡±
¡°You talked to them about me? I''d be surprised if you didn''t.¡±
10.50am, Sunday morning, 14th Jan. Restoration.
¡°Mr Quy,¡± May said, ¡°Dad wants me to assure you that he wrote the sermon on Tuesday and in no way did he rewrite it or write it with you in mind.¡±
¡°Right. I''m off then.¡±
¡°Francis, be good.¡± Cleo warned him.
¡°What? When the pastor warns me that he didn''t write it about me then that means he thinks I''m likely to think he did, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°It might just be his idea of a joke.¡± May offered. ¡°I''ve heard him say it before to a lovely old woman in the congregation and it was mostly about Samson being a complete nut-case.¡±
¡°Let me make it clear that I''m not interested in having a personal encounter with your God, I''m happy the way I am.¡± Then seeing the way that Cleo was looking at him, he added ¡°Well, mostly, anyway.¡±
¡°Can I ask why you ever went to church, then, Dad?¡± Q.Q. asked.
He shrugged, ¡°I grew up going, then there was peer pressure, fitting in, the social life. For a while I probably fooled myself into thinking I was part of it too.¡±
¡°But you never actually trusted God?¡± Q.Q. asked.
¡°No. He didn''t seem very trustworthy to me: annihilating people left right and centre, even killing people for trying to help. I can see why you''d be scared of him, but not why anyone would like him.¡±
Just then, Sarah and John came up onto the balcony, and May decided she
didn''t need to answer. ¡°Hi Sarah, John. Let me introduce Mr and Mrs Quy. Mr Quy''s here somewhat under protest, and has just been telling us how he grew up going to church and he thinks God''s scary but not likable.¡±
¡°Well, God is described as a consuming fire, May, and the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom.¡± John answered ¡°So far be it from me to suggest anyone treat him with disrespect. Welcome!¡±
¡°Hello. I''m glad you came, despite your reservations.¡± Sarah said, offering her hand to shake.
Francis realised that both she and John were wearing gloves as he shook it.
¡°I see we''re all wearing gloves.¡± He observed.
¡°They work.¡± she said, matter of factly, ¡°And there''s be more than the normal concentration of thought-hearers in this church normally, let alone today.¡±
¡°You''re saying...¡± Francis caught himself and looked around, to see if
he''d be overheard. ¡°You''re saying that there''s more than one here normally?¡±
¡°I''m not saying anything, Mr Quy.¡± Sarah said. ¡°It being illegal to break people''s privacy in that way. Speaking of privacy, May, you don''t know who it is that John and I are having over for lunch, and it stays that way, OK? No trying to work it out. It''s not illegal, but it will earn my displeasure.¡±
¡°Urm, OK.¡± May said, confused.
¡°Did you see Alfred, Dad? He turned up, finally.¡± Victoria said.
¡°With the shirt? Yes. What happened to him?¡±
¡°We think he didn''t like the smell.¡± Jason said, helpfully adding ¡°Second Corinthians two, fifteen and sixteen,¡± when Fred looked worried.
¡°Really?¡±
¡°I saw him look at Victoria. She was singing of Jesus'' cleansing blood, and he looked like she smelt bad. She''s got the perfume of life, and it looked
like he only smelt death. Then, he ran away. It''s sad.¡±
¡°It was very, very, helpful, and removed any doubts I had about what Eliza told me.¡± Victoria said. ¡°He can''t have listened to anything I said.¡±
¡°Eliza is very good at spotting frauds.¡± Jason agreed.
¡°I didn''t know she''d met him.¡± Fred said, a bit confused.
¡°She hasn''t, as far as I know. She just listened to me talking about him and said a few all-too-true probablities.¡±
¡°Nice of him to confirm them, then, sort of.¡± her father said.
¡°Yes. It certainly means I''m out of love with him, the deceitful so and so.¡±
¡°Does it hurt?¡± Jason asked.
¡°Actually, it''s a bit of a relief. Confirmation I didn''t do him an injustice.¡±
¡°Just how did you break up with him, Vic?¡± her father asked. ¡°All you said at the time was that you''d dumped him and it was over and you didn''t want to talk about it.¡±
¡°Well, to start with, I did what Eliza had suggested, told him it was hard, because I wanted to obey God, and that the Bible said I shouldn''t be going out with a non-Christian.¡±
¡°Second Corinthians six, fourteen.¡± Jason nodded, earning him a respectful look from the other two.
¡°And he said he wanted to learn, he''d been paying attention when I spoke about God, and that he''d come to church soon, and we didn''t really need to break up, surely.¡±
¡°What did say then?¡± Jason asked.
¡°I set him a test. I said, ''OK, if you''ve been listening, tell me what I''ve said about sin.'' and he said ''It''s bad stuff.'' That wasn''t what I''d said about rejecting God, but it was true. Then I asked him ''And what does it do?'' and he said ''gets you in trouble.'' which wasn''t exactly the ''separates us from God'' answer I''d wanted. Then I asked him what Jesus had done for us, knowing that I''d told him Christ died once and for all for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous.¡±
Jason chipped in ¡°1 Peter 3:18, but my Bible says suffered, not died.¡±
Victoria wasn''t sure if she should be impressed or annoyed with him for interrupting, ¡°Anyway, he hummed and haa-ed and said ''It was something about Easter, wasn''t it? No Christmas!'' So I got annoyed and told him he should have listened better, sorry, it''s over. And when he rang back about six times in the next hour with guesses about loaves and fishes, healing sick people, and turning the other cheek, I got really annoyed put his number on my temporary block list.¡±
¡°You seem to know your Bible well, Jason.¡± Fred said.
¡°Just some bits.¡± he replied with a shrug. ¡°I haven''t tried to memorise the genealogies, or the censuses, or the Levitical laws. I''m a bit patchy on the prophets too, and I get lots of the Psalms confused.¡±
Victoria stared at him, ¡°So if I asked, say, about what Nicodemus said, you could tell me?¡±
¡°Which bit?¡± Jason asked confused. ¡°The bit in John three, starting in verse one, where he talks to Jesus at night, or in John seven verse fifty, when he''s talking to the rest of the Sanhedrin, or John nineteen? No hold on, he doesn''t say anything there.¡±
¡°Well, I''m impressed.¡± Fred said. Victoria just stood there, seemingly in shock.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°It''s my party trick.¡± Jason admitted. Then added with a shrug, ¡°Not that I get invited to many parties.¡±
¡°Well I''m not sure it counts as a party, but we''d like to invite you to lunch, anyway.¡± Fred said.
Dan stopped and looked at his parents'' home. Some things about it hadn''t changed, other things, had, and one of them looked worrying.
¡°That crack''s got even worse.¡± he told Catherine. ¡°It was only up to my waist when I last saw it.¡±
¡°It''s just in the exterior plaster, surely?¡±
¡°That''s what dad thought when I was young. He got the outside re-rendered a couple of times, but the crack comes back. It''s got to be something nasty happening to the foundations.¡±
¡°Sounds nasty.¡±
¡°Expensive too, I expect.¡±
¡°Shall we go and knock on the door?¡±
¡°I suppose so.¡± Dan agreed.
They didn''t need to, since Dan''s mother opened it. ¡°You''re admiring your crack, I see.¡±
¡°It''s grown.¡±
¡°Oh, I know. But apparently we should have another twenty years before there''s any risk of the wall falling down. Coming in, dear?¡±
¡°Of course, Mum. Let me introduce you to my colleague, friend, and beloved, Catherine Parr.
Most recently Catherine''s been busy in undercover international diplomacy, And yes, she is a distant relative of her famous namesake.¡±
¡°Welcome, Catherine. Was he being serious about the international diplomacy? I can never tell when he''s exaggerating enormously and when he''s serious.¡±
¡°He was serious, sort of. I spent most of yesterday''s wedding reception talking about constitutional reform with someone who''s due to inherit something between a dictatorship, a civil war, and a servant-monarchy. Dan and the current president talked about anything trivial they could think of,
while we slogged away at constitutional and judicial reforms, though I must admit that some of the president''s comments on other issues seemed particularly relevant.¡±
¡°I''m not sure I understand.¡± Dan''s mother admitted.
¡°The president apparently can''t really discuss this sort of thing without casting his basis for power into disrepute, which could lead to civil war.¡±
Dan explained. ¡°I couldn''t say anything, because I''d insult their constitution, and thus the president. But their society''s also incredibly patriarchal, so Catherine and Deborah could talk freely, since at least what women say between themselves at a wedding doesn''t matter much, officially.¡±
Catherine added, ¡°But the president could listen in, say while we were talking about whether she should try to amend the constitution, or write a new one, and then say something to Dan like he much preferred the simple curtains here to the ones he''d inherited from his father, and although he''d tried to patch some of the worst tears in them, he''d come to the conclusion that it was going to be easier for Deborah to live with them if he just tore them up and had nice new ones put in, without so many patches.¡±
¡°Oh what fun. But couldn''t someone else have helped?¡±
¡°That''s the other thing: anyone that the civil service could have asked to do it would have had an official position, and presumably an official line. That would be intervening in the internal matters of another state, which might cause all sorts of problems. Likewise, a university professor, say, couldn''t, as their voice would carry weight, and therefore be outside interference. Whereas I''m just a reporter with an interest in constitutional law, and I''m even on record as not particularly loyal to our political system. Anyone calling me a representative of our government would be laughed at. Apparently the diplomatic service thought I was a godsend.¡±
¡°Urm... could you explain that?¡±
¡°They want to help the president draw up a strong constitution, but can''t, even unofficially. Even our ambassador there, who''s a long-standing friend of the president, can''t go very deeply into that sort of thing. Whereas I''ve just been looking at our constitution from an outsider position and decided our reformers got it mostly right, but I can still see some places it could be improved.¡±
¡°So you''ve helped this Deborah work out how to turn her country into a constitutional monarchy?¡±
¡°No.¡± Catherine said, with a grin. ¡°We decided that name''s misleading. Assuming the names doesn''t change, they''re going to claim to be the world''s first servant-ocracy. Family''s a BIG thing there, and so we''re suggesting the ruler be called the spouse of the state, and replace the coronation with something based on their wedding customs. And the good thing about that is that while you''d expect the bride or groom to get dressed up and pretty for the wedding, no one lives in their wedding clothes. Hence no royal regalia, no need for a lavish palace, even, except for the business side of things. We get rid of all sorts of extravagance by changing the name. And with them, we hope to replace ''what can I get out of this'' attitude to the sort of attitude that speaks of loyalty, serving, protecting.¡±
¡°That sounds good. What do the diplomatic service think of this?¡±
¡°No idea.¡± Catherine said, with a grin. ¡°The president seems to likes the idea. He was saying something about having cherished his country for a long time, and everyone likes a good wedding.¡±
¡°Did you think about other family metaphors?¡± Dan''s father, who''d come through from where he''d been minding the pots in the kitchen, asked, ¡°Sorry for butting in without saying welcome, which you most certainly are. I''m just thinking... the bride-bridegroom image has good points, but there''s the risk of someone with limited understanding thinking it''s all about ah... taking advantage of the country.¡±
¡°Hi, Dad.¡± Dan said and embraced his father.
¡°Yes. Not every marriage is as protective as it should be. Another idea we had was that of adopting the state as a daughter. That''s got good connotations for the protecting and defending side of things, but it also implies that at some point you''re going to give her away to a husband with a suitable dowry. That''s part of the traditional adoption formula, and even if it''s not said, it''s be what people will be thinking of, so it isn''t quite appropriate either.¡±
¡°But the state is necessarily taking the feminine role?¡± Dan''s mother asked. ¡°I mean, if you''re really trying to promote the idea of serving the state, in a very patriarchal society...¡±
¡°I knew we were missing something! Excuse me, I''ll just give Deborah a call.¡±
¡°You''ve got the personal number of the acknowledged heir to the throne, albeit of another country?¡± Dan''s father asked, surprised.
¡°I know... and it all comes back to your son''s article and his public declaration of his feelings towards me less than a fortnight ago.¡±
Restoration, John and Sarah''s flat.
¡°Hi, Zach! And I presume you''re the closely guarded secret named Zara? Welcome!¡± Sarah welcomed them into the flat.
¡°Thank you for the invitation, Maam.¡± Zara said, following Zach in.
¡°Oh, call me Sarah, please.¡±
¡°Yes, Maam.¡± Zara said, then blushed.
¡°Zara, just so we know who knows what, I presume your parents know you''re here, is that right?¡±
¡°Urm, I told them that I had an invitation to your house for lunch, to find out about the C.A.T. I really am interested, so that''s no lie. But I didn''t tell them where you live.¡±
¡°But your wrist unit is presumably turned on, so they can find out if they need to know.¡±
¡°Urm, I guess so. Should I have turned it off?¡±
¡°No! That''s just going to worry them.¡± Sarah responded.
¡°Next question: what do they know about Zach?¡± John asked.
¡°That he arranged this meeting. Mum knows that we''ve got feelings for each other, and that he''s number two out of six and a half, and that his dad might not approve of me because I''ve got white skin. She might have told Dad, I don''t know.¡±
¡°Zach?¡±
¡°Mum met Zara six, seven months ago, I''d forgotten. She came to help on one of the school trips we talked at. After New Year''s, I told her that the reason I''d been grounded was that I''d chatting to a girl. She demanded to know her name, I said Zara, and she asked if it was the girl with the deep blue eyes from the school trip. I said yes, she said ''Lucky boy, she''s gorgeous.''¡±
¡°Don''t say that, Zach.¡± Zara blushed.
¡°Why not? I''m allowed to agree with my mum, when she''s right, aren''t I?¡±
¡°But neither set of parents actually know you''re both here together?¡±
¡°Ooops, I forgot to say: Mum does.¡± Zach said.
¡°So, Zara, would you be willing to tell your mum that I invited Zach too? I''m sure she''s going to find out eventually.¡±
¡°Or would you prefer it if Sarah did?¡± John offered.
¡°I think she''s probably guessed, she said something about me spending longer than normal getting ready for Church.¡± Zara said, blushing a little.
¡°Well, can we make sure that she knows? The fact that she knows about Zach already means this can mostly be about problem solving, and so my thought is that we don''t really need to keep his presence secret.¡±
¡°I thought...¡± Zach protested, then changed his mind ¡°I agree. Needless secrets are silly.¡±
¡°Well, if you''re sure.¡± Zara said.
¡°Shall I?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°No, that''s OK.¡± She rang her mother''s wrist unit. ¡°Mum, just letting you know I''m here with Mr and Mrs Williams, and um, so''s Zach. I should have said, sorry. He and Mrs Williams thought I ought to tell you.¡±
¡°That was a good thought, dear, but I''d assumed he would be, after all, he could hardly arrange the meeting and not conduct you there, could he? Have a good talk dear.¡±
¡°Thanks, mum.¡±
¡°And if he feels brave enough to offer to accompany you home, that''d be a nice gesture too.¡±
¡°I''ll tell him.¡±
¡°Oh, Zara! You can''t tell him! That''s not done. He needs to offer.¡±
¡°Oh, yes. Thanks, mum.¡± Zara repeated, and disconnected.
Sarah''s eyes were sparkling. ¡°Your wrist unit was set a bit loud. Your mother and my late aunt would have got along famously, I think. Etiquette must be observed.¡±
¡°Oh, it must.¡± Zara agreed, with a smile.
¡°And etiquette can be learned, Zach.¡± Sarah said. ¡°If you learn how to behave in accordance with the rules of good manners...¡±
¡°Then ignorance of social conventions will no longer present a limit to the upwardly mobile individual''s participation in polite society.¡± he continued, quoting the famous book on the subject.
¡°You''ve seen the blurb then?¡± Zara asked, surprised.
¡°I''ve read the whole book. Mama Ng made me last year, and tested me on it ruthlessly.¡±
¡°Oh, how wonderful!¡± Sarah clapped her hands in joy, switching into the upper-class accent of her late aunt. ¡°My husband, I fear that we have not laid the table as is befitting our socially accomplished guests, allow me to rectify the situation immediately,¡± then she added in an aside, ¡°Zara dear, you could not know, but my beloved husband completed his doctorate some years ago.¡±
¡°I apologise for the unintended slight, Dr Williams.¡± Zara immediately responded.
¡°It was an honest mistake, and erm, I doubt you could have discovered it. After all, erm, even if were I more prominent in my field, my work precludes an entry in any society reference work.¡± he replied, choosing his phrasing without the effortless ease Sarah or Zara had, ¡°But I''m sure your mother would not thank you for leaving her ill-informed for long.¡± Then he asked, ¡°Do we need to play this game, Sarah?¡±
¡°Yes, beloved, and if by game you mean an entertainment, you err. It''s most serious, especially for young Zach here.¡±
¡°Your perception, then, beloved matriarch, is that I must erm, become more fluent in this manner of speech?¡± Zach asked.
¡°And in all the matters of etiquette, else your fears of ostracism will be well founded.¡±
¡°Dearest Zach, Mrs Williams speaks truth, but I rejoice that you are at least acquainted with the norms of polite society. It gives me hope for our liason.¡±
¡°It pains me to correct you, dear Zara, but beware, young Zach. My aunt was most clear to me: the part of society with practices this form of one-upmanship is anything but polite about those who cannot or will not compete in this field, except the royal family, I hope. And Zara dear, I''ve told you to call me Sarah!¡±
¡°Oh, I need no correction, Sarah dear, I''m aware of the character of my mother''s intimates. I was merely using the phrase in it''s normal, perjurous sense, though of course Zach might not have been aware of that.¡±
¡°Touch¨¦.¡± Sarah acknowledged. ¡°You are more accomplished in this blood-sport than I, Zara dear. Does your father also participate?¡±
¡°Not with such glee. He moves between worlds so often that it is a trial to him.¡±
¡°Whereas your mother is one of those who never move in those crude circles where such an attitude would earn her a smack in the teeth?¡±
¡°Not often, no.¡±
¡°Now, Zach dearest, what message did Zara''s manner of speech send to her mother.¡±
¡°She used the common tongue, which indicates either her desire to not stand out among those who are not members of high society, her intimacy with her mother, or her rebellious attitude towards her gentle upbringing.¡± Zach quoted. ¡°Before today, I''ve never heard her use anything but the common tongue. and I suspect that her mother''s corrections indicate that although Zara can easily swim in the waters of high society she is not fully at home there, so I discount the first motivation. I have some doubts concerning the second two, for I cannot believe my dearest Zara to be a rebel.¡±
¡°No?¡± Zara asked, dangerously.
¡°At least not against that which she knows is right.¡± Zach added.
¡°Dearest Zach, we''re practicing today, so I can judge if I dare let you meet my mother. But is her attitude right?¡±
¡°Far be it from me to pass judgement.¡±
¡°Then I will.¡± Sarah said. ¡°There''s a lot to be said for good etiquette. It helps people attend the same event even when they can''t stand each other, for example, and done properly good manners are as the workings of your wrist unit. But the affected speech and the power-play that is involved in what calls itself high society are not good things. Zara dear, would I be right to think that you anticipate most opposition to Zach and his family background to come from your mother?¡±
¡°A combination, actually. I didn''t expect Zach to know anything of mother''s social niceties, so I fully expected her to be against him. And Zach''s said money was pretty tight at home, so I''m guessing that Zach''s not going to qualify for Dad''s support: he''s often said that if I fall in love with someone with a good job, his own house and enough in the bank to clothe and feed us for a year then he doesn''t care how nicely he holds his knife and fork, and he didn''t care how nicely he holds his knife and fork if I fall for someone penniless.¡±
¡°In other words, he doesn''t want his daughter to ever go hungry?¡± John asked.
¡°I guess not.¡±
¡°How much has Zach told you about me?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Not much. That you''d hired one of his cousins as truthsayer, and wanted to get the C.A.T set up to protect the reputation of truthsayers. And that you paid for him and his cousins to stay in the cabin.¡±
¡°All true. Did you notice him calling me his beloved matriarch?¡±
¡°I was going to ask about that, you accepted it but it''s so inappropriate....¡±
¡°It''s true, though. John and I got drafted into his clan by his great grandmother, Mama Ng, just before she died, and I''ve been appointed to be the clan''s matriarch.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°Which means I''ve got a responsibility for the likes of young Zach here. And if he''s serious about you, then he''s got a responsibility to let you know all about his clan and try to convince me you''re a good match. It should also mean that if I decide to approve of you, then I''ll tell his Dad and the rest of the clan that. His dad can then grump and moan a bit if he likes, but I''m pretty sure the clan''s going to persuade him to get over it pretty quickly.¡±
¡°And if Sarah doesn''t approve of you, then we might as well kill ourselves, Romeo and Juliet fashion.¡± Zach added.
¡°Zach, melodrama is uncalled for, and suicide is not an option.¡± Sarah rebuked him. ¡°Now, there''s something missing from this table. What is it?¡±
He surveyed the array of plates, silverware, condiments, napkins and empty serving dishes.
¡°I give up. Zara?¡±
¡°I see a table laid for soup, main course, dessert and cheese, with all appropriate utensils and everything. Wow, that was fast!¡±
¡°I''ve had practice, and John did help too.¡± Sarah said ¡°Don''t you see anything missing?¡±
¡°Salt, pepper, paprika, oil, vinegar, cutlery... Oh!¡± she laughed, ¡°enjoy your meal Zach.¡±
¡°Duh. You mean I should have said there''s no food? Sarah, that''s so sneeky it''s nasty.¡±
¡°This is a lesson.¡± Sarah said. ¡°It doesn''t matter how many sets of cutlery there are if there''s no food. Cutlery and crockery makes the meal civilised, but on it''s own they''re just so much useless metal and china.¡±
¡°And likewise manners?¡± Zach asked.
¡°Exactly.¡± Sarah replied.
¡°But without what?¡± Zara responded ¡°What''s the equivalent to food?¡±
¡°I''ll let you think on that for a while.¡± Sarah said. ¡°In the mean time, I hope you''re hungry.¡±
¡°So, that''s where we see the C.A.T. going in the future.¡± Sarah finished. ¡°Any questions?¡±
¡°Plenty, I expect, but as I understand what you''ve said, at the moment, everyone''s being given a check by I.H.M. so they know who''s a member, plus
you''ve also got access to the entire membership list. Is that right?¡±
¡°Sarah''s trustworthy, Zara.¡±
¡°Meaning no offence to your matriarch, Zach, but you''ve got to say that, haven''t you?¡± Zara pointed out.
¡°You''re right, Zara. I''ve got complete access. But someone has to.¡±
¡°Well, yes, and I know you''ve footed the bill so far, but why can''t someone from within the I.H.M. or the association run the I.D. device?¡±
¡°Or even both?¡± Sarah suggested, managing to avoid laughing.
¡°Well, yes, if that''s possible.¡±
¡°It is.¡± Sarah smiled, and held out her bare hand.
Zara pulled off her glove and made contact, her mind a mass of confusion. [You have the power?]
[Yes. And I work for the Institute.]
[Then... why do you need Zach''s cousin?]
[Because while it''s one thing to be an eccentric Christian multi-millionairess who employed the first truthsayer, it''s another thing entirely to be one who is a truthsayer, don''t you think? She''s going to help me decide how much I should trust people, but if I did it myself, then I''d have to trust people with a big secret before I even know they''re trustworthy.]
[Oh.... yes. OK.]
¡°Does that make more sense now?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Urm, I guess so.¡±
¡°So Zara, tell me about your faith. It doesn''t sound like your parents would naturally encourage you to go to church events.¡±
¡°Ah, no. A few years ago Mother thought it would be an excellent idea to send me to some kind of two weekends a month residential course for young ladies. I hated the idea, and my father was on my side due to the cost, but
he said I ought to do something at weekends instead, so mum couldn''t bring it up again. I had a friend who was in the choir at her church, and it struck me as an excellent trade: I''d sing a bit every Sunday, which I enjoyed doing, and in exchange I''d not loose two whole weekends a month. So I signed up for the choir, which of course was a very acceptable thing for a young lady to do, so mother was mollified, and I started going to Church.
¡°One day there was a visiting speaker who came early and spoke just to the choir. He seemed like a dear old man and we expected some of the normal platitudes, but instead he said that God wanted to tell us that if we came to church every Sunday, sang his praises with our lips and not with our hearts and paid no attention to the sermons or what we sang then we''d find ourselves in big trouble with no excuse come judgement day. My friend and I paid attention to the sermons and the hymns after that. A couple of weeks later there was a joint service where we were asked to sing, and the sermon was a straight gospel presentation, complete with an opportunity to pray for forgiveness. We both took it, and the next week the choir-master noticed: Suddenly we were singing with our whole hearts. He called us to the front and made us tell the others what had happened to our singing.¡±
¡°Wow.¡± Zach said. ¡°So he forced you to give your testimonies?¡±
¡°Well, not really forced, but he certainly gave us an opportunity to do it. My friend was a bit shy, but I felt I needed to tell it straight. So I told them about growing up where God''s name was only used in vain, and how I''d been listening since we were all warned to, and I''d listened last week, and obeyed God. I knew I was a sinner, and a daughter of sinners, and I''d turned from that and wanted to serve God with my whole life.¡± Then she added
¡°Mother wasn''t very pleased hear I''d called her a sinner in public.¡±
¡°She heard?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°A boy there''s mother was one of her associates. I won''t say friends, you understand.¡±
¡°And said associate had no qualms about dropping it into a conversation one day?¡±
¡°Exactly. Actually, she was pre-warned, since I''d told her what had happened. So, for probably the only time in her life, Mum quoted scripture.¡±
¡°All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God?¡± Zach asked.
¡°No, I didn''t know that then. I told her the one from 1John, which had been in the sermon: ''If we say we have not sinned, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.'' I suspect she enjoyed quoting that. I just wish she''d remember the next part also.¡±
¡°Zach, changing the subject slightly. How''s your prayer life doing these days?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I hope God doesn''t get bored.¡± he said with an embarrassed laugh. ¡°Much better, thank you.¡±
¡°What''s this?¡± Zara asked.
¡°When I was going up the ski-lift and Sarah grilled me about getting grounded, and I told her about you, John asked how my prayer life was and I said I''d been doing a lot more thinking about you than praying. Then Sarah, (no, was it you, John?) suggested I could thank God for our friendship when I thought of you.¡±
¡°Hold on, you were talking to John and Sarah going up the ski-lift? How did that work, you can only fit two people on a T-bar.¡±
¡°Oops.¡± Zach said, and clammed up.
¡°You didn''t talk about me by wrist-unit in front of your cousins, did you?¡±
¡°No, Zara, he didn''t, he was very discrete then, just not very discrete just now.¡± Sarah said with a sigh. ¡°Zara, I have a question for you, it''s a bit early, really, but I can''t see another way out. Think carefully please, before you answer.¡±
¡°This sounds serious.¡±
¡°Oh, it is. In fact, Zach, can you please go and help John with the washing up? You won''t hear much anyway.¡± Sarah took off her glove again.
Zara accepted her hand.
[What''s the big secret?]
[How serious are you about Zach? Do you think it''s probably going to end messily in a few weeks or months, or are you thinking that you''re building towards making a life-long commitment to him, barring anything unpleasant coming up?]
[Oh, yeah. It wouldn''t be good for Zach to hear some of those answers, would it? I''m serious, I think. We get on well, we''ve had good talks, we''re planning to go to university together.]
[OK, then the bigger one that it''s probably a bit early to ask. Do you think you''re certain enough about Zach that you''d like to get to know the clan, with Zach telling you all of it''s peculiarities, history, weird customs and so on, as well as introducing you to everyone? Technically, this is an invitation for you to learn enough to decide if you want to join the clan, well, more precisely the tribe, I guess, but people have got sloppy with the terminology. It''s rather expected that future husbands and wives will join somewhere along the line, but joining it doesn''t mean you''re making any kind of commitment to marry him, or anyone else, but there''s a strong implication that barring a falling out it''ll happen one day. Along the way you''d be learning personal stuff, clan secrets if you like, and you would be making a commitment to keep those secret. If you join, then you''ll be, roughly speaking, adopted as one of the cousins (though there won''t be any paperwork), and I or my successor will be available to give you advice or rap you over the knuckles as appropriate. Also, if you join, and then fall our with Zach, there are a couple of other boys roughly his age that''d probably see it as their prerogative to try and woo you ¡ª that''s just the way it goes.]
[wow]
[Like I said, it''s a fairly big decision, and it''s a bit soon.]
[And this has something to do with me asking about the ski-lift?]
[More to do with Zach almost blurting out clan secrets.]
[Zach''s mentioned the clan before, but...]
[You had no idea what he meant.]
[Yeah.]
[It''s the remainder of an African tribe that got mostly wiped out in some war a few centuries ago. Not everyone has stayed in the clan, of course.]
[If I decide I''m in...]
[Yes?]
[What can I tell my parents?]
[In general terms, everything. Not clan secrets, of course.]
[So I can tell them that Zach knows you because your his matriarch, and explain that side of things?]
[Yes.]
[Urm, Dad will probably ask...]
[If clan membership means I give handouts?]
[Urm, yes.]
[So far, no-one has asked.]
[OK.]
[But the clan is an unexpected, informal extended family. So... if Zach needs help to get to university, then he goes to university, but I won''t pay for him taking you out to expensive restaurants. He''ll have to earn luxuries himself, just like I did. And luxuries might mean eating anything other than pasta, lentils, seasonal vegetables and the cheapest tinned protein in the shop.]
[Does he know this?]
[No, but you can tell him if you like. By the way, if you join the clan and then your parents disown you for some reason, you get the same marvelous offer.]
[Urm, thanks. I hope that won''t happen.]
[Me too.]
[I''m dying with curiousity about that ski lift.]
[I noticed.] Sarah replied.
[And it seems a really silly reason to ask to learn about the clan.]
[It is.]
[But I want to.]
[Just because of the ski lift?]
[No. Mostly because of Zach.]
[Can I check on that?]
[What do you mean?]
[Your motivation.]
[Urm, OK. How?]
With the OK, Sarah felt justified in checking just below Zara''s skin. She was curious, but Sarah was pretty sure it wasn''t her main motivation.
[Having a nose around your thought processes.]
[I don''t understand.]
[Don''t tell outside the clan, but I don''t need us to be holding hands, Zara. Hence the ski-lift discussion.]
[You have the gift, not just the power!]
[I do. And now you know the big secret. Are you still interested in learning more about the clan?]
[Yes.] Zara thought, decisively.
[And will you give me full informed consent to me checking why you want to?]
[Yes. Zach was right, you''re trustworthy.]
[I try.]
Sarah took a quick look, and there was quite a lot to see. Zara was thinking of Zach. She''d come here thinking that it might just be possible for things to work out between them, but now it seemed impossible that they wouldn''t.
His clan was strange, unusual, but seemed much healthier than her mother''s group of acquaintances. Sarah having the gift had been no great surprise, since Zara had heard the speculation that IHM had almost certainly employed someone with the gift. To have Sarah as a moral/spiritual advisor would be good, and maybe Sarah''s business sense could help her turn her grand plan into reality, her being able to tell her father that Zach was under Sarah''s protective wing, if only so he could learn to stand on his own feet, would surely help her father accept Zach. Sometime, Zara would need to talk to Sarah about her father''s troubled plans, like he''d asked, but not today, it wasn''t fitting to bring it up, not now. Sarah skipped to the next thought: cousins! Zara had no siblings or cousins that she''d ever met, and the clan meant cousins galore. How could she refuse to join a clan full of cousins? Sarah looked at Zara and asked ¡°Would you like to tell Zach that he''s got to tell you all about the clan, or shall I?¡±
¡°Shouldn''t you?¡±
¡°Probably. Let''s make it official. Then tell me about your father''s request.¡±
Zarah looked pained. ¡°It''s not right to ask.¡±
¡°I saw that thought too. So, tell me.¡±
¡°Dad has a big building project, an office complex. He''d got customers lined up, he''s invested quite a lot in it. It''s not finished yet, but it''s beyond the foundations, and there was a schedule, and loans, of course. Then the impact got announced and the customers decided they''d pull out. Some said why wait for a new build when there are going to be empty buildings after the impact doesn''t happen. Others said there''s going to be so much rebuilding work they don''t believe it''d happen on schedule, and they''ll find somewhere else. Some said they didn''t think the staff would be there, and so on. It''s going to hurt if the impact happens, and hurt if it doesn''t.¡±
¡°I presume work is stopped, deliveries postponed, and the like?¡±
¡°Yes. And the bank is understanding, but still...¡±
¡°He''d banked on it all being finished and money in the bank before a certain date?¡±
¡°Yes. And he says the worst thing is the customers are right. There''s going to be no call for the office block if there''s no impact, and rebuilding homes and previously standing office buildings wiil probably take priority.¡±
¡°Does it have any ceilings?¡±
¡°No, it''s not that high yet. They were just starting to work on the walls when the impact was announced..¡±
¡°So it might survive undamaged.¡±
¡°That''d be nice, but....¡±
¡°A building can be re-purposed. If he can start building immediately, without any bulldozing, then he''d have an advantage over projects that need the sites cleared. Where is it? City centre, or edge? No sorry, let''s back up. What''s he hoping for? An investor?¡±
¡°Yes. He was hoping you''d be interested, specifically, since the only customer who''s not pulled out is GemSmith.¡±
¡°Oh! I didn''t think ¡ª the new local office! Of course. Right, first of all, free advice from physics: he should get his workers to fill it with earth. Don''t pack it down or anything, but he should put nice soft earth up to, above, even the current wall height. Earth, mind, at least mostly, not sand. I guess he''ll want to put sheeting over it to stop it getting really mucky, that''s fine. The earth will cushion the structure from the blast wave. Next, what I was saying about it being re-purposed. I don''t know the plans, exactly, but would it be suitable as, say, a school building or government offices, a police station or hospital? Or maybe even several of them ¡ª a civic centre, perhaps? All those things are going to be urgent, and I expect the authorities would be interested. As for investment, mostly I don''t handle it myself, but leave it to the experts. There are two options: For a venture capital type investment, he''ll need to talk to Colin Hilton, with a negotiating position, relevant documents, forecasts, etc.¡±
Sarah went to her desk and got one of Colin''s cards, and one of Ambrose''s. ¡°The other one is probably going to be more complex, but it depends what your father wants to do. Ambrose Jackson is GemSmith''s investment guy. If your Dad is interested in turning his pet project into a spin-off company in which he ends up with a minority holding, with everything done in accordance with GemSmith''s ethos, then Ambrose is the guy he needs to talk to.¡±
¡°I don''t think I''m going to remember all this.¡± Zara admitted.
¡°Don''t worry.¡± Sarah said, circling Colin''s name. ¡°Get your Dad to call Colin tomorrow, in the afternoon would be better, he tries to deal with other clients in the mornings. I''ll pre-warn Colin and he''ll explain the options when your Dad calls.¡±
¡°Thanks, Sarah.¡±
¡°No problem. But warn your dad: he''s not going to get an easy ride just because you''re thinking of joining the clan.¡±
There was a clatter from the kitchen as the pan Zach had been drying up dropped to the floor, ¡°Sorry.¡± Zach said, adding ¡°Did I just hear right, Sarah?¡±
¡°Eves-dropping is very impolite, young man.¡± Sarah warned. ¡°And admitting it is not the most cunning thing you''ve ever done. So as punishment you''ve got a difficult task.¡±
¡°Uh oh.¡±
¡°You''re going to walk Zara home, impress her parents, tell her Dad what I''ve just told Zara to tell him, and if they ask how you know me then you need to give them a brief introduction to the clan. Except I think you''re going to call it a tribe. The clan''s the core, really.¡±
¡°Not according to Mama.¡± Zach said, not sure if he should.
¡°Oh? I''m listening.¡± Sarah said.
¡°I asked her about it, a year or two ago. She said that tribe was a bad name, for a bad time, where people did stupid things from loyalty to an idea which wasn''t important. ''We had a tribe. The tribe had land and laws and a king. It went to war over those laws and that land and got wiped out. What''s left is the clan, and it should remain a clan. Clans can move, clans might have land but it doesn''t define who they are. People can join, people can leave, but we''re still a clan, a big family, equal whether we''re born or adopted.''¡±
Sarah took that in; it made sense. ¡°I stand corrected. Thanks, Zach, I almost made a bad mistake.¡±
He grinned, ¡°You''re human! Wow!¡±
¡°And don''t you forget it. Now the other part of your difficult job. Zara wants to know the clan. Don''t let anyone make the mistake of thinking that she''s coming in unattached.¡±
¡°I won''t, Maam.¡± he said with an enormous grin.
Sarah typed a number on the house phone. ¡°Hi, Kayla, Sarah here.¡±
¡°Hello, is everything all right?¡±
¡°I think so. Zach''s got something to tell you.¡±
Zach had gone pale just as soon as Sarah had said his mother''s name, but he didn''t bolt.
¡°Err. Hi, mum. Sarah''s got you on speaker. Is Dad there?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Can you tell him about Zara? She''s asked to get to know the clan.¡±
¡°Oh, no, I''m not doing your dirty work for you.¡± Kayla responded with a grin. ¡°Tell him yourself! Samuel, our son''s got something to tell you.¡±
¡°Whose window have you broken today?¡± Samuel asked.
¡°Urm, no one''s, I hope. But Dad..¡± he paused, drew his breath ¡°There''s this girl I know, Zara. I hope you''ll like her, she''s a lovely Christian and she wants to get to know the clan.¡±
¡°I see. Your mother said you had some motivation for losing track of time recently.¡±
¡°Urm, yes.¡±
¡°So, tell me more.¡±
¡°Dark hair, blue eyes deep enough to drown in, a wonderful sense of humour, and she''s blushing a beautiful pink colour at the moment.¡±
Samuel took a while to reply. ¡°And I presume that Sarah''s approved her request, or you wouldn''t be calling?¡± Samuel asked.
¡°Sarah called, not me, Dad.¡±
¡°Ha! You''re scared of your own shadow, sometimes, Zach. I don''t suppose you can turn on the video so we can have a sight of this young lady?¡±
¡°Zara?¡± Zach asked.
¡°Fine by me.¡± she replied, reaching to turn on the video. ¡°Hello, Mr Winner. Zach didn''t say, but I guess you''ve guessed, Zach and I have been doing quite a lot of holding hands in the past few weeks, so we''re fairly sure what we think about each other. The other thing he hasn''t said is that my mother is a bit of a snob, and sometimes it seems like my Dad thinks I shouldn''t marry anyone poorer than Sarah, so we''d really value your prayers that they don''t object to Zach too strongly.¡± It was a calculated move, to make it clear that while she thought her parents were unreasonable they might not think Zack was good enough for her, by which she hoped to divert any objection from Zach''s parents. Samuel saw through it.
¡°Zara, did Zach think we might have objections to you?¡±
Zara turned to Zach, who admitted ¡°Yes, Dad.¡±
¡°Hence the skulduggery.¡± Samuel summarised, and sighed. ¡°For the record, I''ve always thought it better to marry within a sub-culture, so that the two families aren''t pulling the couple in different directions. But I know I''m in the minority there, and logic doesn''t have much to do with love, does it? How much did you exaggerate, Zara?¡±
¡°Urm, I don''t know how rich Sarah is, but he''s said things like he hopes I fall in love with someone who owns his own house outright and has enough in the bank for both of us to live on for a year.¡±
¡°And what about your Mum?¡±
¡°My mother''s advice on dating: ''Zara, darling, you understand you just mustn''t even consider falling in love with some uncouth pleb who can''t join in polite society, you''ll make us all a laughing stock.''¡±
¡°I think I now know why Mama made me learn that etiquette book inside out, Dad.¡±
¡°OK, kids. We''ll pray.¡±
¡°Thanks, Dad.¡± Zach said, and dropped the connection.
¡°For the record, Zara.¡± Sarah said, ¡°John had been saving about twenty percent of his income for five years when I met him, and he owned this flat outright.¡±
¡°In other words, Dad''s requirement isn''t really so unreasonable?¡±
¡°Not if you''re interested in finding a thirty something year old, whose parents died suddenly and left him their home.¡± John said.
Zara pulled a face. ¡°No offence, but... not really.¡±
¡°So, changing back to a previous subject.¡± Sarah said, ¡°What do you think about the C.A.T?¡±
¡°I can see it being useful for the courts...¡±
¡°But you can''t see yourself ever working as a truthsayer in a courtroom?¡± Sarah suggested.
¡°Not really.¡±
¡°Personally, I''d recommend you think about it.¡± Sarah said ¡°Not necessarily courtroom stuff, or even any planned use of it, but if you become a registered truthsayer, then there''s training and it''s a professional qualification. It''d help you know what to do if you overhear someone planning something illegal, for example, and if you need to report a crime then you''d not be considered just some teenager telling stories but an expert witness. In my experience, that might have been useful.¡±
¡°And it''d maybe be a way to convince your Dad that you''d be able to cope on a building site.¡± Zach suggested.
¡°I don''t get it.¡± Zara replied.
¡°Well, if you suggest that you''d maybe do the court thing, checking up on criminals'' truthfulness, with all their evil thoughts...¡± Zach suggested.
¡°The he''d not be worried about me fainting at the builders'' language?¡± Zara asked.
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°Except that''s more mother''s concern. I don''t think she realises how much bad language some people use in their own thoughts. Not wearing gloves at one of her parties... yuck!¡±
¡°I expect you''ve never told your parents.¡± Sarah guessed.
¡°Of course not.¡±
¡°Can I ask, Zara, why you want to work on a building site?¡± John asked. ¡°I did a bit of work on one before I started out as a student and it''s not exactly fun, you know? It convinced me I wanted to keep on studying.¡±
Zara shrugged. ¡°I expect you''re probably going to decide it''s something like proving myself as good as a son to my Dad, or rejecting my mother''s idea of me as a ''proper lady'', by which she seems to mean someone who can''t do anything useful. But... I love building-sites. Dad used to take me when I was little, they look chaotic, but properly organised they''re creation in progress. I can see the order in the chaos, or at least I used to be able to. When I was twelve or so I could look at a a pile of bricks, and a heap of sand for the mortar and say, ''that sand''s going to run out before you''re half way through the wall''. And I''d look at how rough a wall was and tell the plasterer that he''d got an hour of plastering and he''d made up too little plaster. And he''d grin and tell me it was his lunchtime in half an hour. And I''d agree with him that he''d got it just right, almost, but if he was going to finish his plaster then he''d need to work about ten minutes into his lunch or do sloppy that work my Dad would make him do over. And I was right far more often than I was wrong, at least that''s what my dad tells me. It was just so... intuitively obvious. I don''t know if I''ve still got the knack for that. I hope so, and if it''s gone then I want it back. I want to be able to build, and more than just build, I want to know how the things I design can be made, to see it happening in my mind''s eye, and be able to tell any lazy workers who think they can run circles round me or get away with shoddy work that I''ve got it in my blood and if it wasn''t the fact that I''m the boss I''d be doing a better job than they are doing.¡±
John grinned. ¡°I think I understand. It''s your passion. So your mum banned you from going?¡±
¡°No, it was more subtle than that. First there was pony riding and then it was winter, and then there was me growing out of the right clothes and friend''s parties to go to. She kept me busy, in other words. Then she persuaded Dad it wasn''t right to take me because I was turning into an independently minded young woman and I wasn''t going to cling to him like I had when I was six. But I''ve still got the bug, he knows it too.¡±
¡°But he refuses to take you now?¡±
¡°He explained it to me very reasonably the summer before last. A pretty girl who isn''t one of the workers and so part of the scenery, walking onto a building site, is bound to attract attention, even if she''s beside her Dad all the time. Distracted workers is bad news. Fourteen or fifteen year olds aren''t old enough to be one of the workers. So, the best I could hope for while I''m at school is a job pushing paper and making tea in the site office. I did some of that last summer, and I did some sneaking around the site after the workers had gone.¡± she grinned ¡°But I''m sixteen now.¡±
¡°So, what''s your plan of campaign?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°Weekend job in the site-office, getting my face known. Plant ideas with the workers about me working with them when Dad lets me. Use every opportunity I can to run messages. See if I can snatch glances at buckets of plaster and know how much wall it''ll cover. Apply pester-power.¡±
Zach shook his head in wonder ¡°I thought you just wanted to get to know the materials for doing architecture.¡±
She bit her bottom lip. ¡°Sorry, Zach, that''s the socially acceptable explanation. Really I just want to be part of it all. Laying bricks, bending metal, applying plaster. Though, I must admit I''m probably not going to do much brickwork. Bricks get heavy after an hour or three, and I''m not planning on doing much concrete pouring, for instance.¡±
¡°So you don''t really have much time for being a truthsayer, do you?¡±
¡°Not really, but... I don''t like having a rusting talent. If I can do something, I don''t want to only be able to do it half-well.¡±
¡°What does your mother think about you getting back on a building site?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Not much.¡±
¡°So, she might see becoming a truthsayer as a role more befitting her daughter?¡± Sarah suggested.
¡°Anything is more befitting than building work. So, yeah, it''s probably going to get support from Mum.¡±
¡°Would there be any role for a truthsayer on a building site?¡± Zach asked.
¡°Giving job interviews, maybe. Disputes, possibly.¡± Zara answered, then asked, ¡°That reminds me. When a truthsayer''s involved in an interview...¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Is the truthsayer allowed to ask questions too?¡±
¡°Yes and no,¡± John answered. ¡°Not the sort of question that gives away what you''ve heard mind-to-mind just by you asking it, but depending on the context ¡ª not in a court, say, but in something like a job interview ¡ª you can ask questions that a truthful answer to would incriminate the subject.¡±
¡°So, in an interview if someone was asked if they''d ever stolen anything and they answered ''sweets'' but thought of jewelery, you could ask ''What about anything more valuable?'', but ''What sort of jewelery?'' would be giving things away?¡± Zach asked.
¡°Exactly.¡± Sarah said.
¡°And is it a yes-no answer, or would I be able to answer ''partial truth''?¡±
¡°It depends on the situation.¡± Sarah answered. ¡°If what they''re telling is the truth and what they''re hiding is relevant, then I''d say yes. If what they''re hiding is some kind of alibi they don''t want to use because it gets someone else in trouble, say, then it might be misleading to say ''partial truth''. Again, in a court you''d need to be more careful, since they''ve sworn to tell the whole truth. But the truthsayer''s role is not normally to dig out the truth, it''s to corroborate truth and unmask lies.¡±
¡°You say, not normally?¡±
¡°Well... as long as full and informed consent is given, then you could be asked to dig around and ask your own questions. But that puts a lot of responsibility in the truthsayer''s hands, and that''s not always a nice thing. It protects you if neither the subject nor the interviewer can blame you for the outcome. It''s much safer when you''re just confirming or denying, and then it''s the interviewer''s job to dig, and it''s not your fault if the relevant questions don''t get asked.¡±
¡°But if I''d just be saying yes or no, a machine could do just as good a job, surely.¡±
¡°Absolutely not. First of all, machines can''t do it at all yet. Secondly, even the best AI will never be as good at separating someone''s private thoughts from what''s relevant. The court''s don''t really want to hear the random rubbish about the judge''s dress sense, say, that an intelligent truthsayer would filter out naturally. While, of course, resisting the temptation to snigger at them.¡±
¡°I heard ¡ª I guess Zach''s unnamed cousin? ¡ª speaking about being tested out by IHM. What does that involve?¡±
¡°Procedure so far is: phase one you get hooked up to a lie detector and answer questions about your motivation for wanting to sign up, your history, your attitude towards truth and lies, ethical issues, how you''ve used the power in the past, and so on.¡± Sarah explained, ¡°Then if you get through that lot, then phase two is when someone with the power, probably me in your case, listens to your thoughts as you read some case studies. Phase three is that someone with the gift, again probably me, checks what you''re really thinking as you take an oath to protect people''s mental privacy, never let what you know to be a lie pass unchallenged or a truth unconfirmed, and protect the identity and privacy of your fellow truthsayers.¡±
¡°And let''s say I have some reservations, what then?¡±
¡°About what, precisely?¡± John asked.
¡°About Sarah looking at my thoughts. I''m just thinking that if she finds something unpleasant lurking in here,¡± she tapped her head ¡°then it might sour all sorts of things in the future.¡±
¡°Oh, well, it doesn''t need to be me. Not for any of it.¡± Sarah said. ¡°But what do you think I''ll find, that you''re after Zach for his money?¡±
Zach laughed, ¡°Maybe she''s afraid that you''ll see that she''s only going out with me because of your money. Sarah.¡±
¡°That''s not very funny, Zach.¡± Zara said, hiding her thoughts.
¡°What? It''s not as if I knew anything about Sarah being rich before May told us Sarah''d hired her to be her truthsayer. We were already been going out by then. Urm. Oops, I didn''t just say that, didn''t I?¡±
¡°Yes, Zach, you did.¡± Sarah confirmed. ¡°Zara, that''s another clan secret, and Zach, you''ve just committed a criminal offence, it''s a good job May probably won''t press charges. You really need to control your tongue a lot better.¡±
Zara immediately promised not to pass it on, and Zach was eventually reassured by May herself over the phone, that she didn''t mind Zara knowing (and of course she wouldn''t press charges). After that, the conversation moved on, and Sarah''s question remained unanswered.
Restoration, Ngbila house.
¡°Thank you for the lunch, it was delicious.¡± Cleo said.
¡°Oh, it''s a bit of a family favourite.¡± Arwood said.
¡°And it''s very simple to make.¡± Hannah added.
¡°I understand that it''s tradition for the children to occupy the lounge while the adults have all the thrills of the kitchen.¡± Francis said.
¡°Well, yes, for clan gatherings. But that''s mostly because I rope some of the others into preparing the food.¡± Hannah said. ¡°I''m more than happy to delegate the washing up.¡±
¡°Especially on Sundays.¡± May said, with a grin. ¡°Come on Q.Q. that''s our cue to get our fingers wet. Do you want to play in the water while I dry and put away?¡±
¡°What do I do?¡± Rhianna asked.
¡°Have a tea-towel.¡± Q.Q. said ''accidentally'' throwing one in her face.
¡°Hey!¡± she protested.
¡°Sorry, squirt.¡± he said, insincerely, ¡°I didn''t mean to.¡±
¡°You liar! I heard you think ''Let''s see if she can catch it in her teeth''.¡±
¡°Quentin!¡± reprimanded his father. ¡°I thought you were supposed to be impeccably truthful?¡±
¡°Sorry.¡± he said, humbly. Meaning it this time.
¡°Lying to sisters is still lying.¡± Rhianna observed, primly.
¡°I said sorry.¡±
¡°That should to be the end to it, children.¡± Cleo warned.
¡°Really? I thought he''d just violated his vows.¡± Rhianna pushed.
¡°Rhi, I never...!¡± Quentin protested.
¡°Shut up, Quentin.¡± May interrupted, diplomatically. ¡°You quite possibly did. And so did you, Rhianna by revealing what you heard Q.Q. think. So if you want to have the ethics committee look into it, then, urm, I guess we''ll need to ask Dad to set up a hearing. Otherwise, let''s get on with the washing up and forgive each other, OK?¡±
¡°But the vow says that I won''t tell a lie as a truthsayer!¡± Q.Q. protested, ignoring good advice ¡°I wasn''t in that role just now.¡±
¡°Oh, so you''re only a part time member?¡± Rhianna challenged, not knowing when to stop either. May chose the simple expedient of clapping her hands over both of their mouths.
¡°Ah, peace at last! Well done, May!¡± Cleo said.
¡°It''s at moments like these,¡± Arwood observed, to the world in general, ¡°that I''m very glad God is far more forgiving than a wronged teenager.¡±
¡°We could try knocking their heads together.¡± Francis said, ¡°It worked on me and my cousin Myra when we were about their age.¡±
¡°They''d probably declare that as a grand injustice, though.¡± Hannah pointed out.
¡°After all, all they''re doing is standing up for their rights.¡± Cleo agreed, ¡°Even though they''re both wrong.¡±
¡°I think May can handle it. This way, Cleo, Francis. Let us know when the kettle''s boiled, please, May.¡± Hannah asked, leading the way to the lounge.
¡°So what am I supposed to do with these two?¡± May asked, as Quentin kissed her hand.
¡°Urm, keep them away from sharp objects?¡± Arwood suggested.
¡°And blunt instruments.¡± Francis added over his shoulder.
¡°You two are just so embarrassing.¡± May declared.
Quentin grabbed her hand and kissed it again. ¡°Stop that! No kissing until you''ve made peace with each other! Even then you''re not supposed to be doing it.¡±
¡°Well, I think your May''s got them more or less under control.¡± Cleo said.
¡°She''s matured a lot in the last month or so.¡± Hannah said. ¡°Sarah took a risk, but I think it''s really paying off.¡±
¡°She''s got real responsibilities, real authority to spend Sarah''s money for her, and a career path.¡± Arwood said. ¡°I heard a long time ago that most teenagers were too immature for real responsibilities, but maybe May''s a rarity or maybe every teen would flourish if there were enough trusting millionaires around.¡±
¡°Somehow, I doubt it.¡± Cleo said. ¡°But on the other hand, in some cultures she''d be old enough to be running her own household, wouldn''t she?¡±
¡°Yes. Not ours, fortunately.¡± Hannah agreed. ¡°I''m not really sure I was really old enough for marriage, and I managed to fend Arwood off until we were twenty.¡±
¡°Fend me off?¡± Arwood queried, ¡°I seem to remember being pinned to the wall and asked whether I was ever planning to propose.¡±
¡°There you go again, ruining a good story.¡± Hannah smiled, ¡°And we won''t admit where, will we?¡±
¡°Ah, no.¡±
¡°Good.¡± Hannah said ¡°How old were you when you married?¡±
¡°Twenty one.¡± Cleo said, ¡°It was straight after we finished university.¡±
¡°You met there?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°No, at church, actually.¡± Francis admitted. ¡°I was a serious traditionalist without any faith, Cleo had heard there was a party.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Cleo turned to God, and ¡ª it''s no secret ¡ª after my best friend''s death I admitted that I was happier without pretending.¡±
¡°So, Cleo, you thought you were marrying a Christian?¡± Hannah asked.
¡°I got engaged to a man I thought was a Christian, and I refused to back out when I learned he wasn''t. God''s given me a lot of time to repent of that, but he''s also given me a loving husband and two lovely Christian kids.¡±
Francis pulled a face ¡°Who fight tooth and nail, making a mockery of their claimed faith.¡±
¡°I''m sure God would prefer it if they didn''t fight, but I think it''d only make a mockery of it if they claimed it was normal behaviour.¡± Cleo said.
¡°It looks normal to me.¡± Francis replied.
At that moment, May frog-marched Quentin and Rhianna into the room.
¡°Urm, the kettle''s boiled.¡± Quentin said ¡°And I''m really sorry for starting the fight, and for lying about it.¡±
¡°I think he even means that.¡± May affirmed.
¡°I know I''m sorry for my part.¡± Rhianna said.
¡°I''d like to say it won''t happen again...¡± Quentin said ¡°but it''s another weakness I''m struggling with.¡±
¡°He meant that.¡± May said.
¡°So, tell us all, what are the other ones?¡± Francis asked, flippantly.
Quentin blushed, ¡°Even more embarrassing.¡±
¡°But I see signs that he''s winning on those fronts.¡± May said.
¡°You''re helping him?¡± Cleo asked.
¡°No!¡± May exclsimed, turning red. ¡°That wouldn''t be right.¡± Seeing her father''s raised eyebrow she added, ¡°Stray thoughts, I''m not getting as many ah, relevant stray thoughts from Q.Q. as I was. If what comes out of our mouths is a reflection of our hearts, accidentally heard stray thoughts are even more so.¡±
Francis was intrigued. ¡°You''re saying everyone with your power ...err... accidentally picks up stray these thoughts?¡±
¡°Yes. Say, when I frog marched Q.Q. into the room, he noticed. Urm, Q.Q, OK if I say?¡± Q.Q. nodded. ¡°He noticed that Alice''s army of ornaments are all facing the wall for some reason today. I''ve got my gloves, but my wrist touched his neck. But, sometimes the thoughts aren''t so innocuous. So, yeah, we all know the truth in ''There''s no one righteous, not even one.''¡±
¡°You''re not telling me babies are like that too, are you?¡±
May laughed ¡°Of course they are. I was holding Michael ¡ª he''s two now ¡ª about a year and a half ago. It was a bit vague, since he was so young, but he was getting grouchy, and I heard him thinking something like ''When I''m hungry and cry, Mummy comes. Don''t like this one. I want Mummy, so I''ll cry like I''m hungry.''¡±
¡°You actually heard him decide to lie?¡± Cleo asked.
¡°Yes. My gran told me there are two sorts of people in the world: there are born sinners whose reaction to life is to sin, and born-again sinners whose reaction to sin is choosing repentance and life.¡±
¡°That''s a bit cynical, isn''t it?¡± Francis asked.
¡°Who was it that said the definition of death is to suddenly stop sinning?¡± Quentin asked. ¡°That''s cynical.¡±
¡°But true.¡± Arwood said. ¡°I''ve heard it before, I can''t remember what he was called, but he was a famous observer of the follies of humanity... I think he defined an accident as the inevitable consequence of the immutable laws of nature.¡±
¡°Then it was Ambrose Bierce.¡± Francis said. ¡°I''ve heard that one of his. I''m a bit surprised to hear a pastor quoting it though.¡±
¡°Why? It seems pretty accurate.¡± Arwood asked.
¡°But where''s the room for your God?¡±
¡°In the timing, and either maintaining the so-called laws of nature which help us plan and thrive or deciding that that general good is outweighed by all the consequences of a so-called miracle.¡±
¡°Interesting... so you''d lay the responsibility for the impact purely at the door of God?¡±
¡°Purely? No, it was set in motion purely by human pride, by human laziness, human error and human impatience. But it seems to be helping people to concentrate their thoughts on what''s important.¡±
¡°I presume you''re not just talking about what to pack up in and what to leave behind, or working out what combination of box sizes we need to pack things into for maximum efficiency.¡±
¡°No. I''m thinking about people reevaluating their lives and realising that stuff isn''t really as important as they thought it was.¡±
¡°And you''ll contend that if it breaks up then that''s evidence for God intervening, and if it wipes out this city then it''s still evidence for God, because some anonymous people had dreams about it.¡±
¡°Two anonymous but trustworthy people.¡± Arwood corrected, ¡°Who have no interest in publicity, and his Majesty.¡±
¡°You sound like you know who they are.¡± Francis said, almost an accusation.
Arwood shrugged, not wanting to play who knows who. ¡°His majesty said that he''d spoken to them, didn''t he? I don''t think you get an invitation to the palace without security checks, I know we got checked when May went up to the palace. But you''re right, I think there''s lots of evidence around at the moment that God is active in the world. I find that a little disturbing, but I''m sure God knows best.¡±
¡°Why do you say disturbing?¡± Francis asked, confused. ¡°Surely you''d be happy to see your church full to overflowing.¡±
¡°I would be, except that might mean there are people left out in the rain. But what I find disturbing is that when God speaks clearly, people have even less excuse for continuing to ignore him. And I''m sure there will be people who want to do that. That''s sad. The other thing that disturbs me is the thought of how many people after the impact will be so preoccupied with rebuilding their homes that they don''t have time for God any more.¡±
¡°You sound like you think it will happen.¡±
¡°His majesty called on the whole country to pray. I haven''t noticed wholesale obedience to that, even here in Restoration, and we''re on the receiving end. I think most people are so comfortable in this materialistic paradise that God just can''t get though to them, not even with the clearly announced destruction of a city. God, though Jonah, told the king of Nineveh that his city would be destroyed, the king repented and the whole city joined him in putting on mourning clothes. We, on the other hand, just moan about how hard it is to get size three packing boxes, and employ lawyers to see if we can get around the ban on selling houses, as though the only really important thing in our lives is making a profit. So... I think Nineveh would have been destroyed with the attitude I''ve seen outside of the Christian community. And roughly speaking, we have none of the excuses they would have had.¡±
¡°When you put it like that, it doesn''t sound too hopeful, does it?¡± Cleo said.
¡°Not really.¡±
¡°Maybe people will start to think a bit more clearly when they''re huddled in their emergency tents.¡± Hannah suggested. ¡°Better late than never.¡±
Francis didn''t say anything. He knew exactly how comfortable his home was, and how much work he''d put into getting it the way they wanted it.
The thought that it might be reduced to rubble just because people wouldn''t pray had made him angry, until he realised that he was one of them. May''s dismissal of innocence in one year olds had also given him something to ponder, and Arwood''s analysis of ''no excuse'' surely applied to him. But he just didn''t want to hand over control to God. ¡°Why should I?¡± he spoke aloud without wanting to.
Quentin looked at him strangely, ¡°Why should you what, Dad?¡±
¡°Stop peering into my thoughts, Quentin. It''s rude.¡±
¡°I didn''t! You said it.¡±
¡°I''m with Quentin this time, Dad.¡± Rhianna said.
¡°It was out loud, dear.¡± Cleo confirmed.
He looked at her, glanced at the kids, and said, ¡°It wasn''t meant to be.¡±
¡°Come on, Rhi, Q.Q.¡± May said, getting the hint. ¡°We''ve got washing up to do. What do you want me to do to the kettle, Mum?¡±
¡°Why don''t you take a count of teas and coffees?¡±
9pm. Sunday 14th Jan.
¡°Mum, what didn''t Dad want us to hear this afternoon?¡±
¡°You think I''m going to tell you, if Dad wants it kept private?¡±
¡°Does he?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because he''s got that right and he wants to exercise it! Just pray for him, OK?¡±
¡°Of course. What area?¡± Rhi tried once more.
Cleo looked meaningfully at her daughter. ¡°You ought to know better than that, young truthsayer.¡±
¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°Good. You mustn''t go digging for secrets and you don''t go gossipping about what you''ve heard by accident, do you?¡±
¡°No, Mummy.¡±
¡°Not even to Quentin or May or anyone, OK?¡±
¡°Yes Mummy.¡±
¡°Right. Now, sleep well.¡±
And Cleo gave her daughter a kiss while thinking about how she wished her husband would accept that God was loving. At the door she turned gave her a wink, and put her finger to her lips.
Cleo resolutely refused to break secrets. But it was hardly a secret that she wanted Francis to turn to God, was it?
10.30pm. Sunday 14th Jan.
Zarah lay on her bed, curled up, and murmured to herself sadly ¡°Let no lie pass...¡± Then was silent for a while then admitted to herself ¡°I did, though.¡± She saw it clearly in her mind, over and over. If she hadn''t been so scared, she could have turned to face Sarah and said ¡°Zach told me about his Grandmother''s death, full of years and surrounded by her family, plus some people he''d never met, called Sarah Smith and John Williams, who had been made instant clan members. And your aunt did know my mother, Sarah, and mother passed on the gossip about the rich little heiress orphan Sarah Smith who couldn''t stand crowds.¡± But she hadn''t said that. She''d been too scared or embarrassed or something.
Tears flowed down her cheeks onto her pillow, and imagined herself telling Zach, ¡°I was enough my father''s daughter to speculate that it might be the same Sarah Smith, wasn''t I? And I found that the rich Sarah Smith had married someone called John Williams. Your Sarah and rich Sarah had to be the same woman. And I had all out and stored it away for future reference, before you asked me out, Zach.¡± Her guilty conscience accused her. She''d had the chance, and she''d been too scared to admit it. And now... where was the joy she ought to have?
Zach delivering the message from Sarah had struck just the right note with her father and explaining a bit about the clan. Her dad was always someone to see the potential for links, and it was clear that Zach had good links with Sarah. And Zach had done wonderfully talking with her mother about the way that Sarah had tricked him with the table setting, adopting just the right tone of self-deprecation at falling for the trick, while making it clear that he had been a very long way from lost seeing the three sets of cutlery. In short, her parents weren''t opposed to them seeing each other, each seeing the potential for their version of Zara''s future.
It should have made her happy. But there was that little accusing thought nagging away at her. She''d let the lie pass, she''d been too embarrassed, too unsure of the truth. Was that why she''d accepted his unexpected offer? She''d never thought of him in romantic terms before he''d asked. He''d just been a good friend, or a possible route to a rich benefactress. She liked him, she really did, now. But what had been the biggest motivation to say yes? It surely wasn''t to escape from the teasing that she was too picky, although it had really irked her. Was it just that he had the power, or his winning smile, they way she liked his jokes, or had his link to Sarah played a part? Zara didn''t know, and it was cutting her up inside. She tossed and turned and failed to get to sleep.
Association / Ch. 16: Kept Secrets
Association / Ch. 16: Kept Secrets
7.30a.m. Monday 15th Jan.
Zach put on his wrist unit, and saw he had a message from Zara, sent at two A.M. ¡°Dear Zach ¡°, he read, ¡°''Needless secrets are silly'' you said. I did know Sarah was rich. That was the guilty secret. Please tell her, I don''t have her number. Hopefully I''ll feel less guilty now about letting your unwitting lie pass, and can sleep. But I just don''t know... did we start going out because of that? Hope it''s not true. I love you.¡±
Zach felt like he''d had a blow to the stomach. Zara might have started going out with him just because of Sarah''s wealth? No wonder she''d seemed a bit
preoccupied on the way to her house. He''d put it down to the nerves about what her parents would think. But, maybe it had been that, after all, she said she did love him. His mind went round in circles for a while, not knowing what to think. Then he called Sarah.
7.45am Monday 15th Jan.
[Hello, Zara. Sarah here.]
[I''m sorry. I''ve probably hurt Zach and broken everything, haven''t I?]
[Well, it might have been better to say it yesterday.] Sarah agreed.
[I was too scared. But I should have. I''m sorry.]
[Did you get enough sleep? Zach told me you sent the message to him at 2 A.M.]
[Not really. I couldn''t sleep because of feeling guilty before sending it, and then bitterly regretted sending it as soon as I had, worrying about what Zach might think. I do love him.]
[How much time have you got before school?]
[Urm, I''m not finished getting ready yet, and I need to leave in about ten minutes. Why?]
[Zach asked me to tell you; he said he was over the moon last night, but he feels like your message made him crash to the ground.]
[{regretpainsadness} I''ve hurt him. I didn''t want to.]
[He''d really like you to talk to a truthsayer, to get this sorted out. He''s pretty worried about what this means about your future together.]
[Me too. But I don''t know the truth! How can talking to a truthsayer help?]
[It depends how deeply you give me permission to look.]
[Oh! You''d do it? As deep as you can. I want to know and I want Zach to know.] Zara affirmed.
Sarah took that as a good sign. [From this distance, that''s not very deep... how about I do what I can now, and then we meet up later?]
[Lunchtime? Or after school? That''d be excellent! And tell Zach whatever you find, I don''t want him worrying needlessly.]
[Nor do I. So if what I find is reassuring I''ll tell him that. If it''s inconclusive then I''ll let him know we''re meeting at lunchtime. But no way am I''m going to give him a verbatim script of everything I find.]
[Oh, OK.]
[So, please think about why you want to still be going out with Zach next week.]
Sarah focussed on Zara''s heart. Zara was surprised at the question, but of course she wanted to go out with him next week and the one after that ad-infinitum. She loved him, and wanted his arms around her. Especially now, when they were both feeling so bruised. Sarah also saw Zara couldn''t imagine ever finding anyone she''d rather marry, and have to hug any time she wanted. Sarah also saw that Zara didn''t want Sarah''s money, since that wouldn''t give her four or five babies.
[Zara, just so you know, I am not telling him how many babies you want.] Sarah thought to her [You might change your mind later.]
[{guilt} my mind wandered, didn''t it? Sorry.]
[Your fantasies are getting ahead of themselves, certainly.] Sarah agreed.
[You''ll tell Zach?]
[Some of what I saw. We''ll look at your past at lunchtime. Where shall we meet?]
[Zach? Are you walking or on your bike?]
[Hi, Sarah. Walking.]
[Then get out of the road, you numbskull. Zara will be devastated if you get run over.]
Zach''s heart leapt at mention of Zara [The pavement was dug up...]
[Where you are now?]
[No.]
[Are you safe yet?]
[Yes, Sarah.]
[Good. Right, Zara and I are meeting for lunch at a caf¨¦ near her school. She said you discovered Brie and grape sandwiches there, so you should remember it.]
[I do.]
[Now, unsurprisingly, she''s feeling like she needs a hug, and that''s your assigned role, she also got even less sleep than you think. I''ll find out more about what she was thinking when you started going out at lunch-time, but I''ll tell you that when she thinks of the future she''s not thinking about my money, she''s thinking about marrying you and having you available to give hugs anytime she wants. My money would get her neither of those, so it''s irrelevant. Just how she''s going to manage twenty-four hour hug-access I''ve no idea, unless you both end up working at home, but never mind. Oh, she also has some other rather definite plans for your future together, but I''ll leave them unspecified.]
[Not babies again? She said she really doesn''t want to have just one or two, and hopes I won''t mind... I get the jitters even thinking about whether I''m ready to answer that question.]
[Maybe she''ll change her mind. But anyway, no matter how messy her thoughts were when you started your relationship, now I''d say she''s thinking roughly normal teenage girl thoughts about you as her serious boyfriend.]
[And will you allow me to give her the hug that you''ve told me she wants?]
Sarah knew what her aunt would have said to that: [What, in the middle of a restaurant? Where''s your sense of appropriate behaviour, young man? Are you planning to bring scandal and public censure on the girl you claim to love?]
[Urm, not really.]
[Good. I suggest you wait until you''re walking her back to her school. Oh, by the way, I fully expect to be finished with her by the time you get there. So don''t expect to eat at the caf¨¦. We''ll all just have a hot chocolate or something.]
[Oh. OK.]
[That ought to give you plenty of time to squash any rumours that she doesn''t really have a boyfriend.]
[You think there might be?]
[Zach, I''d say that Zara needs reassuring that you forgive her for dropping that bombshell on you. I imagine that if there are any such rumours, then they''ll hurt her more today than ever. Therefore, walking hand in hand to the gate of her school and a lingering farewell does not seem inappropriate to me, although of course her school regulations might not agree, I don''t know.]
[You don''t think it''ll make her an object of public disgrace and censure?]
[Not unless you act inappropriately, or someone''s really jealous.]
12:30 PM Monday 15th Jan.
¡°A hot chocolate, please.¡± Sarah ordered.
¡°Same here, please.¡± Zara added.
¡°Will you be paying separately, or jointly?¡± the waiter asked.
¡°I''ll pay for both.¡± Sarah said firmly.
¡°You don''t need to.¡± Zara protested as the waiter left.
¡°Actually, I think I do. Save your money for important things.¡±
¡°You don''t consider hot chocolate important?¡± Zara asked, straight-faced.
¡°Very, in some circumstances.¡± [Can we start? I promised Zach I''d be finished before he gets here.]
[Oh. OK. Will it take long?]
[Not as long as the hot chocolate.]
[They''re pretty fast.]
[Exactly.] Sarah said with a grin.
[Oh.]
[So, Zara, what made you decide to start going out with Zach?]
[I''m not really sure.]
Sarah focussed on Zara, found Zara''s original memories and took a mental snapshot of what was in Zara''s thoughts.
[No wonder.] Sarah thought, and warmed her hands on her cocoa, which had just arrived.
Zach had been a friend, a trusted friend, and the only boy she really felt was in that category. He''d been a sounding board to her on so many issues since they''d discovered they were both Christians. She hadn''t wanted to loose that friendship, and from what she''d seen and heard, friendship didn''t always survive breaking up. Also, he had that link to rich Sarah, who might be an important contact sometime. Zara hadn''t wanted to risk that either. But, she did like Zach as a friend, and didn''t the ''best friend who''s a boy'' at least suggest he was a good candidate for boyfriend? He was a Christian, he was nice, he was asking, and she couldn''t actually imagine saying no, despite her misgivings. The context he''d asked it made her not sure how seriously he took going out: she''d been expressing her frustration at the way people called her the ice maiden just because she''d never been out with anyone. People at school were so shallow, sometimes, as though not accepting every offer made her incapable of feelings. It was rubbish, she knew; she''d felt attracted to some boys before, but they hadn''t been Christians, so she''d fought to hide and ignore her feelings. Their thoughts were pretty horrible too, which helped. And most of the boys at her Church youth group were younger than her, and none had the power. Did any of that make her ice? Of course not, but it was frustrating. So, was Zach thinking ''let''s just break one another''s hearts for fun and the learning experience'', or was he serious? She thought he was serious, but it was a risk. Did she want to take it? Zara had prayed about it, long and hard, and her reluctance to say no had grown into a desire to say yes.
Sarah looked at Zara''s worried face. ¡°Lovely friends you''ve got at your school. How did they get the idea you were icy?¡±
¡°Oh, someone said I was giving him the cold shoulder, and I guess with my eyes...¡±
¡°They decided it fitted?¡±
¡°I guess so. I didn''t.¡±
¡°Did it work? I mean, you starting to go out with Zach?¡±
¡°No.¡± Zara laughed. ¡°It couldn''t: I didn''t tell anyone.¡±
¡°Oh dear.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°I thought you would have, so this morning I suggested that he walk you to your school gates for a lingering goodbye.¡±
¡°That would... urm... wow.¡± Zara''s mind worked quickly. ¡°You think so?¡±
¡°Your parents know, and approve. His parents, ditto. It''s not like you''re going to do anything stupid, I assume. So, a little bit of hand-holding in public and you can say goodbye to that particular insult. Especially if you say something like, ''Oh, that''s Zach, we''ve been falling in love for the past six months, that''s one reason I didn''t accept so and so, along with the fact he has bad breath'', or something like that."
¡°But we haven''t... have we?¡±
¡°You''ve known other boys for a longer time, but Zach became your best male friend, pretty quickly, didn''t he?¡±
¡°Of course. I mean... we get on well, he''s not that much younger than me, and...¡±
¡°And you think along the same lines on a number of different things.¡± Sarah stated for her. ¡°So, you could say that, or you could say that you''ve known him a long time and he asked you out a couple of months ago.¡± [and as for using him as a contact to me, it was part of the reason you didn''t want to say yes to him at first. So, I pronounce your love for him unsullied by finance from start to finish.] ¡°Now, let me put you straight on something, Zara, so your thinking doesn''t get confused about Zach. It''s a well known fact that basing business deals on friendship is bad news: something suffers, either the business or the friendship. So, you''ve heard of Colin; I''ll only invest on his recommendation, and not even on all of those. He deals with quite a lot of queries every month, and I only look at the ones he''s approved or isn''t sure about. If I tell him that I know the person he''s going to be less likely to suggest something that''s a bit risky, so that the friendship doesn''t come under strain. So, in summary, knowing me personally is probably a disadvantage in terms of getting money for a risky business venture.¡±
¡°Oh. So my Dad''s attitude...¡±
¡°Might work for a certain level of investor, who doesn''t invest very often, not for me. Colin and his predecessor have invested in something like twenty to thirty companies a year on my behalf ¡ª there''s a special pot of money that''s been built up over the years for that sort of thing. Of course, if you''re not asking for a business deal but advice, then knowing me might help. I expect I can find people to give you advice on most topics.¡±
¡°What about an emergency bail-out loan?¡± Zara asked, thinking of her Dad''s problems.
Sarah pulled a face. ¡°Most of those are bad news, caused by a total failure of management or planning somewhere. In the long term it''s often better to shut up shop or sell up and walk away without pouring any more money into something that''s not working. But... not always, it depends on the root cause. Take advice early enough to avoid that if you can.¡±
¡°Oh, I plan to.¡±
¡°Good.¡± Sarah checked where Zach was and thought [Speaking of advice, I suggest you briefly step out of the caf¨¦ about now. I''ll guard your cup.]
[Zach?]
Sarah just smiled.
Zara didn''t wait to put her coat on, but she didn''t run either. That would might have caused a stir. Walking out of the door, she saw him, about a hundred metres away. It was mainly a residential street, with small gardens at the front of all the houses. Most had waist high hedges, or low walls, maybe a tree or two. Anyone looking out of their window would have seen a girl in her late teens, wearing nothing warmer than a school cardigan, look down the road, see someone, wave, start walking towards them and then run to meet them, with her dark hair streaming out behind her. She almost knocked him over with her embrace. ¡°Sorry, for hurting you, Zach. I didn''t want to, but I couldn''t let the lie go. I love you.¡±
Her greeting had made that fairly clear, he said. ¡°I love you too, Zara.¡± and it felt entirely natural to punctuate that with a kiss on her cheek.
¡°Come along in, it''s cold.¡± She said, needlessly.
¡°So where''s your coat?¡±
¡°Inside.¡± she admitted.
Not foolish enough to try to give her his coat entirely, he did undo the front and wrap her in one wing of it. It made a good excuse to hold her tight. She, in turn put her arm behind his back, with her hand on his shoulder. Her thumb touched his neck.
[Did Sarah tell you?] She asked silently.
[No. What did she see?]
[I did think of Sarah''s money, but it was a reason to not go out with you, in case we ended up splitting up. So she pronounced my feelings for you totally unrelated to money. And then she clarified that knowing her won''t help with that, anyway.]
[No?]
[Business is one thing, friends are another. She told me she won''t lend without her lawyer''s recommendation, and he invests in twenty or thirty companies a year for her ¡ª I didn''t realise she was such a major investor.]
[That does sound a lot.]
[There''s apparently a special pot set aside for that sort of thing. But if each one of those deals is about a million, and lasts something like five years, that''s... that''s a truly massive amount she''s got wrapped up in venture capital.]
[You don''t think they might be smaller amounts?]
[Maybe. I don''t know. Somehow, I doubt any will be less than quarter of a million.]
As they reached the caf¨¦''s window, instinctively Zara dropped her arm.
¡°I saw that.¡± Sarah said to her when they sat down. ¡°It looked like you felt guilty.¡±
Zara blushed. ¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°So does that.¡± Sarah pointed out. ¡°Zara, you are allowed to have your arm around him, as long as you don''t trespass. Taking your own coat might have been a better idea though.¡±
¡°I didn''t think.¡± Zara admitted.
¡°Hmm. I rather think that you were only thinking of getting your hug.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡± Zara acknowledged Sarah''s engineering of that.
¡°Hot chocolate, Zach?¡± Sarah offered, as the waiter arrived. [I presume Zara''s told you she''s not been after you because of me?]
¡°Yes please.¡± [Yes. And that you invest in twenty to thirty companies a year, and she guesses that each deal is worth at least quarter of a million, probably more like one, and lasts five years, and the maths shocked us both.]
¡°I was always taught not to flaunt money. Sorry, Zara, for breaking that rule.¡±
¡°Thank you for trusting me with that information. It probably helps.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°It helps me understand why you need to be careful.¡±
¡°My bank account has the potential to ruin a lot of friendships, if that''s what you''re thinking.¡±
¡°And as long as everyone knows that friends don''t get special treatment...¡±
¡°Then the friendships can take care of themselves.¡±
¡°How does that apply to Martha?¡± Zach asked, ¡°I mean, I presume you''re going to support her?¡±
¡°I am, yes. Martha''s one of the cousins, Zara, planning to be a long term missionary, once she''s married her fianc¨¦.¡± Sarah said, debating how much to say. ¡°She didn''t actually ask for financial support, but while I can''t pray for everyone I support, I can certainly support everyone I pray for, and I agree with her that they need prayer support.¡±
¡°I presume you''re not planning to meet all their needs yourself, though?¡± Zara asked.
¡°No! It''s well known that for many people, there''s a link between giving and feeling properly involved and so praying regularly. I don''t want to deny their other supporters that, and I don''t want to make Simon and Martha so dependant on me that they don''t take raising supporters seriously. So, I''ve promised a set amount every month, I''m also supporting some of the mission''s office expenses, and I''ve given written notice about what sort of events might make me change the numbers.¡±
¡°Can I ask? What sort of events?¡± Zara asked.
¡°Emergency, beyond their control sort of things.¡± Sarah said, ¡°Like a church going through some kind of crisis which means they drop their support. Or if they just can''t manage to get firm promises for the last few percent of their support quota and waiting for it would make them miss the start of term. In other words, I''m supporting, but I''m entirely opposed to the idea of them relying on me instead of God.¡±
¡°Oh, that sounds fair enough.¡± Zara said.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°Next question.¡± Zach asked, somewhat hesitantly.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°What do you think we should be doing with our lives?¡±
¡°Right now, I think you should be walking Zara to school, or you''ll make her late. Longer term? Trust in the Lord, serve him whole-heartedly wherever you are and obey him if he calls you somewhere else. Also, think and pray about where your gifts, skills and abilities might be useful in His kingdom. That''s always a good starting point.¡±
[How did it go?] John asked, as Sarah started back to the Institute.
[I think it went very well indeed. No cause for concern at all, really. I''m not sure what''s behind it, but they were more than normally curious about my support for Martha. Zach raised the issue, Zara asked a couple of smart questions, and then Zach asked for my thoughts about what they should be doing with their lives.]
[You think they''re wondering about mission?]
[I''ve no idea, really. It certainly hasn''t come up yet. I just found it noticeable.]
[So what did you tell them?]
[Think about where they could be useful, serve God where they are, and obey him if he calls.]
[Good general advice.]
[Zara''s intent on becoming an architect as far as I can see. I can''t really imagine a missionary role as an architect.]
[Or truthsayers.]
[No. Unless they use either or both skills as a tent-makers.]
[You''re certain they''ve got a future together, then?] John asked.
[I can''t really see why not, for all that it''s early days.]
Secret government bunker, A rogue state.
¡°Sir, my people have gone over the calculations many times. If the foolish imperialists do not alter their published plans, and our experts tell us they cannot, we have a perfect opportunity.¡±
¡°Tell me more.¡± the great leader demanded.
¡°There will be a long chemical burn from the comet interceptor, from orbit. The interceptor''s plans are widely discussed, and the fuel matches that of the hydra missile, there will be no spectral difference. The foolish ones keep their launch detection satellites in strict pattern, they haven''t deviated from them in years, our trackers have confirmed this. Their sensitive cameras that look for our launches will be pointed straight at the chemical burn from the interceptor. They will be blinded by the rocket. Not only that, but if we position the launcher correctly, then the entire duration of the hydra''s launch phase will occur with the interceptor''s burn directly between the hydra and the detection satellite. It will be like trying to see a candle on the other side of a bonfire.¡±
¡°But there are other satellites, surely?¡±
¡°Yes, great leader. They boast of their overlapping views, but it is not a hundred percent, only in the high nineties. The affected satellite will be directly above us, having such a clear view, normally, that they didn''t consider it worth the extra expense. The others will be far from us, almost behind the earth, and we will outside of their field of view. To see the hydra''s launch they would need to be turned away from their primary targets, which of course they will not do. And even if they did, at that distance and angle... we could claim we saw our neighbour launch, or that it is merely an optical effect, the reflection of the interceptor''s rocket. There would be enough delay for doubt and for a successful decapitation strike on the worst of the capitalist imperialistic warmongers.¡±
¡°And the capitalist imperialists of the United Nations¡± the leader said the phrase with scorn, ¡°will be shown to be as united as a flock of headless chickens.¡±
¡°And our agent-scientists who work undercover in other nations could plant warnings the day before, that they have seen parts of the rock ejected, and coming this way. There will be much confusion. There would not be enough evidence for retaliatory strikes.¡±
¡°Yes, yes, it is a good plan. Such a great opportunity! The hydra is ready, then?¡±
¡°I am promised that it will be ready for a test flight. It is a complex machine. The individual components have been tested, but even the imperialists know that a true firing is necessary for any complex weapons system. But with such a golden opportunity, I wish to recommend that warheads are loaded, not just weights.¡±
¡°We do have such a large stockpile against that time our enemies invade that not loading them seems a wasted launch, does it not? Yes, I agree.¡±
¡°Great leader, I have thought of another idea. I do not know if it is good.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°We could announce, even perform, a test of one of our short range missiles. If the launch detection satellite shows anything from that distance, it will not arouse any concern.¡±
Staff meeting, 2pm, IHM Monday 15th Jan.
Kate called the meeting to order.
¡°Who can guess the reason for this meeting?¡±
¡°Impact planning?¡± Horace suggested.
¡°Exactly. I presume that you''ve sent in the hazard notice to the planning authorities?¡±
¡°Yes. One fusion generator and associated plant under the flower-bed, extensive underground cellars which ought to be bomb-proof, but who knows, and the path of the tunnels, also supposed to be bomb-proof, with accompanying note about them being covered under the UN embargo, which I''m sure will raise a headache for someone.¡±
¡°Well, that''s a problem they''ll have to face. We can''t have someone crashing through the tunnel roof just because they don''t know it''s there. Now, what about shifting non-essential stuff into the cellars? Horrace, you look like you''ve got a question?¡±
¡°What''s non-essential for the next month? Do I really need to move stuff down and then bring it up again when something breaks?¡±
¡°Depends how long it''ll take you, and how much you''ll need.¡± Kate answered. ¡°I suggest you put things into three or four categories, and shift the least likely to be needed down first. But don''t you dare move the fire extinguishers in the first lot. Any other questions?¡±
¡°Worst case scenario... Do we assume all records are backed up off-site?¡± Will asked.
¡°Yes, they are. At least, all computerised ones.¡± Sarah confirmed.
¡°Ivan, can you report on your little research project?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Yes, Kate.¡± Ivan said. ¡°As most of you know, down in the cellars we''ve got a ten megawatt fusion plant, half a megawatt of thermal generator, and a connection to the road deicing-network, into which we feed an average of five megawatts most winters. I''ve checked the specifications, and the heat exchanger we have is actually capable of accepting the full ten megawatts, but the city don''t want to buy that much heat.¡± He took an excited breath. ¡°As you might know, I''ve long been floating ideas about what we could do with that wasted capacity. But Kate has always said she couldn''t justify the installation costs of an extra generator and of course you can''t turn ten megawatts of heat into electricity without three megawatts of cooling capacity, even with the efficiency you get with a modern molten salt Stirling engine. But, let me show you some numbers.¡±
Excitedly he activated the screen. The first screen showed estimated costs for rebuilding various parts of the institute, it''s infrastructure, outbuildings, and so on. ¡°Based on the predictions from the dreams, we''re only looking at the new wing, but unfortunately, that''s where the computer is and if we lose the security system then bye-bye clients. Kate tells me that losing clients while we rebuild would mean that we''re in trouble. The good news is that we can protect the computer room with some force-fields for this much. The generator has the capacity. That would save the computer, but we''d still need to rebuild. So, we''ll call this the cost of preparing as little as possible. Installing the relevant forcefields inside the building will be messy and dusty and take a couple of weeks, so urm, we should have thought of these knock on effects earlier. Except, the good news is on this slide.¡±
The slide he came up with showed the costs of installing extra generating capacity and exterior forcefields. There were two amounts, depending on how much generating capacity was included. ¡°As you can see, it''s cheaper to install a bigger generator and some forcefields than rebuilding. We''re reliably informed that the fields will hold. Also... there have recently been tests on a forcefield dome sitting on top of a horizontal field. They were encouraging but there were some problems, in that the field generators for the dome skidded off the horizontal field, and the dome then cut the wires to the sensors inside it, not to mention the power cables. I''ve just been in contact with relevant people and they''re reporting the successful creation of a flanged dome, which today withstood an explosive blast bigger than the one we''re expecting from the comet. It would probably earn them a lot of money, except that they''re working for the army, so they probably get a medal and their choice of bunk-bed, or something like that. It''s classified exactly how they do it, because of the military implications. Anyway, if we can give them the power, they''re happy for us to be their first full sized test case. As a fall-back we can protect the main building with external forcefields as well. The flanged dome would protect all the buildings we''ve got.¡±
¡°Ivan,¡± Sarah asked, ¡°can you tell us about the power budget? Would we need the bigger generator for the dome?¡±
¡°Either of the options I''ve listed would cope with both. Actually, just another five hundred kilowatts of capacity would do for just the walls, but the cost difference would be trivial, and Kate agreed it wasn''t worth it. I thought it was interesting that when the crane-hire and everything else is taken into account we could actually install generators for the full capacity of the reactor for only five percent extra.¡±
¡°There''s space? I thought we''d need a bigger generator hall?¡± John asked.
¡°There''s been lots of progress in miniaturisation in the last few years, apparently. They would need to take out the current generator, to make space for the big one, but they''d buy it from us in since it''s still a good one. That''s included as a discount in the price, I should have said, sorry.¡±
¡°And installation time is really only a week and a half?¡± Horrace asked
¡°Apparently it''s slack season around here at the moment. I think it''s two weeks if we go for the big one, because of decommissioning the old one.¡±
¡°And you said the road network around here could cope with our reactor''s full output? We wouldn''t melt the pipes or anything?¡± Sarah asked, just checking.
¡°No question about it. We''d just be warming up the brine more than we do at the moment. There''s a big pipe under the road outside, and there''s a flow of something like half a cubic meter per second down it, which seems excessive to me, but I guess it stops it getting to freezing at the far end. Ten megawatts would only raise the temperature five degrees or so.¡±
¡°Thanks, Ivan.¡± Kate said. ¡°So, is there any moral imperative or technical reason that we should keep our green-house undamaged while our neighbours'' homes are reduced to rubble?¡±
There was a silence, until Kate asked ¡°Putting it another way, what are the limits of the system, Ivan, if we had the reactor running on full?¡±
¡°I don''t know, but I''ll find out. They did say they couldn''t make it work for the whole city, however much power they pushed into it. And obviously the bigger it is then the more likely the structure is to break. We''re going to gain force from the blast wave as radius-squared, while the supporting flange is only growing proportionally to the radius. If we spread it too big then it''ll start sinking into the ground enough to cause an internal over-pressure.¡±
¡°Acknowledged. But the area covered does need to be a perfect circle?¡± Kate asked.
Ivan paused. ¡°Actually, no, as long as it''s not concave anywhere. The ends do need to be circular, of course. Power goes up proportionally to the square of the length of the perimeter, so normally you''d make it circular, but yes, if we just covered the houses, with a half-sausage shape, that''d mean we''re back to linearly increasing area. I wonder how hard it is to produce that emitter array. That might be a factor.¡±
¡°Can you find out?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°And since we''ve got all the rest of the infrastructure, does anyone object to me telling Ivan to get the big generator even if we can''t use it for this? I do like the long-term security benefits of the area being drone-proof, like you were suggesting in the summer, Sarah, not to mention the option of installing other defensive measures if we ever need them.¡±
There weren''t any.
¡°Someone''s going to need to talk to the neighbours.¡± Janet pointed out.
¡°Yes, that''s probably you and me. Ivan, I''m relying on you to get answers out of your military friends. If they''re happy to have a sausage, covering civilian homes as well as us, then find out how many we can cover with the big generator. We''ll talk to them, and see if anyone objects to their home surviving the impact. Also, can you please confirm with the generator people that we''d like the ten megawatt generator, fully operational by the end of this month.
¡°My pleasure!¡± Ivan said, rubbing his hands in glee.
¡°Ed,¡± Kate added ¡°We''re going to need to talk to the trustees about the budget for this. I''ve got spending authority, and we''ve got the money, but it''s not exactly in the right budget. However, it''ll still costs less than the repair bill for the old wing, so hopefully they''ll agree.¡±
¡°You''re going to tap into the ring-fenced investigation budget?¡± Ed asked, blanching.
¡°Yes. It all comes down to the computer and the security system. If we can''t protect them, then we can''t protect our clients and we might as well shut down the institute. Also, of course, I''d love to investigate how well a big forcefield transmits thoughts.¡±
¡°OK, Kate. You don''t need to convince me.¡±
¡°Good. Oh, Ivan?¡±
¡°Yes, Kate?¡±
¡°Don''t make any plans about asking for lightning generators or anything like that.¡±
¡°You wound me.¡± Ivan replied, scrapping that idea.
¡°She knows you.¡± Janet corrected with a smile. ¡°But Kate, there was a proposal on your desk once for a liquid nitrogen generator. If I remember correctly at least part of the problem was the power consumption.¡±
Sara looked puzzled. ¡°How much do you use? It''s not that hard to make liquid nitrogen.¡±
¡°I remember the proposal.¡± Ivan said ¡°But... I''m sure I worked it all out for liquid Helium. I remember being a bit surprised, since I didn''t think we used it.¡±
¡°Where on earth...¡± Sarah started ¡°Oh, you''d extract it from the reaction products? No, surely there''s not enough.¡±
¡°Not really, we''d need to buy in the Helium as gas.¡±
¡°But I wasn''t asking for Helium!¡± Janet exclaimed, ¡°I was asking wouldn''t it be cheaper to make our own liquid Nitrogen than to buy it in every week, since we''ve got the generator.¡±
¡°Oh, probably.¡± Ivan agreed. ¡°Do you need oxygen-free Nitrogen or just liquid air?¡±
¡°Let''s not get any more distracted, please.¡± Kate said. ¡°Ivan, please find out how many neighbours we can protect from the impact. Will, could you please talk to the gardening team? We''re going to need to open the flowerbed, and it''s going to be a lot less messy if the soil is cleared away from the opening. Everyone... I predict a perfect opportunity to build relationships and muscles at the same time.¡±
¡°Build sore muscles.¡± John corrected. ¡°I wonder how deep the frost is.¡±
5pm. IHM Monday 15th Jan.
¡°Kate?¡± Ivan knocked at her door.
¡°Yes, Ivan?¡±
¡°The contract from the generator people should be with you first thing tomorrow morning. Military people sucked their teeth, hummed and hah''d looked up some satellite images and said if we really had seven megawatts of electricity then we could probably get the whole street in. I said we couldn''t turn off the computer, and they said, oh, five or six ought to do if we bring it up in stages, and it''d be a very good test. By which I think they meant that they weren''t at all sure it''d work. I said that we hoped to have the power available by the end of the month and they said great, they''d be in touch.¡±
¡°I see. Do they need to clear this with anyone?¡±
¡°They''ve got approval. Apparently their majesties have just visited.¡±
¡°And they can get enough of this revolutionary new forcefield generator?¡±
¡°They claim it should be OK. I guess there''s a very happy manufacturer somewhere. Oh, I didn''t say....¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°We''re not going to be the only test. Their majesties were very impressed: they got a bigger scale test rigged up which protected a garden shed from a blast that ought to have smashed it flat. See news channels this evening. So, they''re hoping to set these flanged forcefield domes up over power stations, hospitals, schools and so on. The university is too big for a single dome, but they''re hoping to at least get a couple of domes up over their most critical buildings. The power grid is going to be glowing, I expect.¡±
¡°And it''s on the news tonight?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Wonderful!¡±
9pm. IHM, large conference room. Monday 15th Jan.
¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, thank-you for coming at such short notice.¡± Kate started. ¡°John, is everyone here?¡±
¡°Apologies received from numbers five and twenty-seven, otherwise, yes.¡± John reported.
¡°Wonderful! Now, I expect you''re wondering why we''ve invited you here.¡±
¡°Something to do with these domes? The young lady asked us to watch the news.¡± one neighbour asked.
¡°Exactly. Now, I expect some of you know we used to have a big diesel generator under the flowerbeds. I know we used to get complaints about it being noisy when we tested it.¡± There were nods from the long-standing residents. ¡°What you may not know is that, ohh, ten years ago, maybe, we replaced it with a fusion plant and generator. My predecessor made what everyone since has thought was a big mistake and ordered a fusion plant that was about ten times bigger than we needed, and that''s why the roads near here stay nice and ice-free in winters ¡ª about the only time it runs at more than a tenth of capacity is when we''re feeding heat into the deicing networks. The generator that the fusion plant fed was only a little one, so we couldn''t do much else with the reactor. Generator sizes have shrunk, and we''ve now got space to put in a generator that''ll actually cope with the full power from the fusion plant. Of course we don''t want a great big cooling tower, so we''ll only be able to use the system on full when we can put the residual heat into the deicing network.
¡°Now, you might wonder why I''m telling you all this. Well, it''s because that fusion plant along with the new generator will let us put up a dome, well, actually more of a half-sausage, over the whole street. The force-field is experimental, it might not work, but we hope that the field will hold up and the impact will leave your homes undamaged. It does mean that if you agree to this, some soldiers will be trampling all over your gardens, and probably knocking down fences and the like, I''m not sure what exactly, in order to put the field generators in place. If someone doesn''t agree, then it would mean that houses further from us can''t be under the dome. This thing can''t skip anyone. On the other hand, as I''ve said, if everyone agrees, then our friends in the army tell us that our new generator should be able to make a sausage shaped field over every house in the road. Any questions?¡±
¡°Did I understand you to say you''ll be taking apart your fusion generator? That sounds scary!¡±
¡°Good question, and the answer is no. The fusion plant is separate from the generator. The fusion plant was delivered in one piece, and it will stay in one piece, and when it gets old they''ll take it away in one piece. What they''ll be doing is turning it off, turning off some valves, disconnecting the wires and the high temperature pipes from the old generator, lifting that out with a great big crane, taking it away and then connecting up a new on in its place.¡±
¡°What are the disadvantages to having this forcefield set up?¡±
Sarah answered that one, ticking off the points on her fingers: ¡°If it works, then the rest of the city might hate you. Whether it works or not, then quite frankly I''d expect a one or two metre wide bit of your front and back gardens are going to be ripped up and churned into mud. Maybe even more. If it doesn''t work, then potentially there''s any number of things that might go wrong. Imagine hiding behind a big sheet of metal in a storm. Maybe the sheet protects you, or maybe it does even more damage to you. The force field might cut down trees that might have otherwise survived. It might drag your house somewhere, like a big sail, I really don''t know. I can''t think why, but there might be some kind of fire which wouldn''t have happened without the forcefield there. You might get back after the impact and find that the shock-wave caused some kind of mud or even sewage flow between the outside and the inside of the sausage and you wish that all there was to clean up was some bricks. I''m sorry, I can''t tell you how likely these are, I''m just making these up off the top of my head.¡± She shrugged ¡°There''s a lot of things that might happen. We think it''s worth trying, their majesties thought it was worth trying for hospitals, schools and the like. But we''re not aware of any of them having a ten megawatt generator in such a small facility.¡± She shrugged ¡°They probably listened to more accountants than our previous director.¡±
¡°What happens after the impact?¡± Someone asked ¡°Do we get our gardens back?¡±
¡°As far as I understand it, the field generator will remain military property, and we''re just allowing them to test it around our buildings.¡±
Kate said, ¡°So absolutely, we''re not expecting it to stay. With the extra generating capacity we might be putting up some kind of semi-permanent forcefield, not anything that would keep out the rain or the bees, though, or the gardens would suffer. Or we might just talk to the electric company about buying some power from us in winter time.¡±
An elderly man who Sarah knew lived about four houses away asked ¡°Am I right in thinking that your generator just drinks water and the problem for you is getting rid of the heat?¡±
¡°Well, it''s a little more complicated than that, but pretty much.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Well, I for one would happily take some off your hands!¡± There was a chorus of agreement at the thought of free winter heating.
¡°That can be arranged.¡± Sarah said. ¡°The problem is, sir, that pumping the heat around takes pumps which eat power, plus of course, by the time it''s come out of the generator, it''s not really very hot. We want it to not be very hot. Eventually, in any combined heat and power system you end up spending more energy pumping the heat around then you get in returns of efficiency. Plus of course it means lots of re-plumbing. I haven''t done the maths, so I don''t know if it would help us or not. But yes, we could supply you with some heat.¡±
¡°There''s a problem though.¡± Kate chipped in. ¡°We can''t just grant general access to cooling circuit of the generator, that''s a critical system.¡±
Sarah nodded. ¡°We''d need to install a heat exchanger, so that if there was a problem, and say someone accidentally dug through the pipes half way down the street then that wouldn''t mean that our generator suddenly died. And of course the best time to install such a heat exchanger is at the same time as the new generator. I don''t know who''d pay.¡± Sarah looked to Kate.
¡°I terms of what comes out of the generator, sometimes it''s quite hot, sometimes it''s not much above room temperature, depending on what''s running at the time. If you wanted that, so that sometimes you''d get free heat and other times you''d need your current heating, I''ve no objections to paying at least part of the costs for the exchanger, since it''d be to everyone''s benefit. Actually, if we''re able to sell spare electricity to the grid, it might even be relatively consistent warmth and it might be very much to our advantage, but we''ll need to look at the numbers. Another option that I expect we''d be able to get is a similar system to what we have for our heating. In that, once the water''s been heated as much as it can from the generator''s cooling loop, it gets brought up to a consistent temperature with a bit of output from the reactor. At that point it starts costing us extra fuel, which does cost a lot more more than just tap water, I assure you. It would make it more useful as a main heat source, I expect and of course it would be more expensive. But anyway, on the assumption you''re not asking us to re-plumb your houses, but just lay a couple of big pipes down the road with taps on them for every house, which you could then connect to, I think we can come up with some numbers. Now, would you, the residents of this street, like us to do that, or at least make enquiries? We''ve placed the order for the generator and they''re coming out tomorrow to measure everything up, so we''re talking about making the decision in a couple of days at most.¡±
¡°You''re saying we''d need to have another meeting tomorrow or the next day?¡± a woman asked. ¡°I afraid can''t arrange that.¡±
¡°How about we send everyone a message about the options, once we find them out?¡± Jon suggested. ¡°I don''t think we know what anything costs at the moment, or if it''s even possible in the space available.¡±
¡°I can get you a price for how much laying that sort of pipe will cost, it''s my trade.¡± a man Sarah didn''t recognise said. ¡°But you''ll need a big pump too, and expansion tanks, and all those good things. Costs are going to add up. Though not as much as a generator, I assume. And if the military sausage fails and the whole place is flattened, then that''s just so much cash down the drain, isn''t it?¡±
¡°I don''t suppose you could hazard a guess on what a heat exchanger that would be capable of heating everyone''s house would cost, could you?¡± Kate asked.
¡°Hmmm. I guess we''ve all got about twenty or thirty kilowatt heat-pumps, thirty houses in the road... nine hundred kilowatts, let''s call that a thousand kW to allow for some losses. Hmmm, that''s a pretty big one, maybe two metres tall, and this big.¡± He gestured with his hands. ¡°I think I''d be able to find one for something like a thousand, fifteen hundred tops. Pump, pipes, and so on, roughly twice that, I''d guess.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡± Kate said. ¡°But as you say, pumps and pipes aren''t worth doing until we''ve survived the impact. I think I''d like to put them into the hands of a residents'' committee or something, if that''s OK. So, let''s say the institute provides the heat exchanger, we''re talking about a hundred per house for the infrastructure, plus the cost of connections to homes and any extra plumbing of course. So, assuming your homes have survived the impact , if you knew it would cost you at least a hundred plus pipes and plumbing to use our waste heat, would everyone be interested?¡±
Sarah added ¡°Or if the Institute survives the impact but your homes don''t would you be interested then?¡±
¡°If our homes don''t survive,¡± the plumber-builder asked ¡°you''d have no objections to us heating tents or shacks or even open-to-the-sky concrete with your heat?¡±
¡°None at all.¡± Kate replied.
¡°Then I''m in!¡± he declared ¡°I was thinking it''ll be a couple of months before it''s warm enough to do much other than site preparation without running up a massive heating bill, even assuming the heat pump survives. If you can give me thirty kilowatts for a hundred plus some pipework...¡± he shook his head in wonder. ¡°That''d be wonderful!¡±
¡°How likely is the institute to survive?¡± a lady in the front row asked.
¡°Very.¡± Kate replied. ¡°The reactor room is protected by forcefields anyway -- it has to be by law. We''re not particularly worried about the portion we''re in now, it was built to withstand a nuclear blast. The newer portion was supposed to be too, but the builder was a bit of a cowboy and didn''t do the reinforcing right, apparently. So, we''re going to put in some simple forcefields to reinforce that, it still comes out to less than the cost of rebuilding, especially if you add in the cost of turning away customers.¡±
¡°So you''re sitting pretty, here.¡± a man at the back said.
¡°Well, our workplace will survive, but none of us actually live here, you know? We''re getting our boxes packed and waiting for the container to arrive.¡± Kate replied. ¡°Is there anyone who doesn''t want to be under the sausage? If not, then I think we''ve reached the end of this meeting, and I know I''ve still got packing to do.¡± Kate and Pete''s container was due late on Friday. Sarah and John''s on the following Monday.
It had been decided that the fastest way to load containers was for most people to load their own one. It would be parked outside their home for six hours, or eight hours during the night. During that time the occupants (if they were young and fit) would have to load everything, in the various sizes of boxes. For heavy items, such as pianos, a fork-lift was available for one hour of that time, moving from house to house in a neighbourhood.
The container-lorries would be busy for the next twenty-one days, day and night, making eleven thousand pickups and set-downs between them each day.
It had all been worked out with military precision, which was hardly surprising since the military logistics arm had been put in charge. The elderly or infirm had been instructed to register for special help ¡ª a large portion of the army had been assigned to help them and there were also volunteer teams, but of course, not everyone had registered, so there were several squads of soldiers on standby. Some couples were well organised and efficient and loaded their container quickly. Others were slow, and took too long. There was some flexibility in the system ¡ª it didn''t really matter if a given container wasn''t picked up on time and another was early; what mattered was that the lorries didn''t get delayed, and that a backlog of containers didn''t build up ¡ª there weren''t very many spare trailers for moving the shipping containers around.
10.30pm. Monday 15th Jan.
¡°So, the institute''s got lots of happy neighbours?¡± Pete asked.
¡°Indeed.¡± Kate agreed, ¡°Though there were some who were a bit upset at the thought we could have been pumping heat to them for the last few years.¡±
¡°Well, yes, but if you''d offered, they probably wouldn''t have wanted the disturbance, would they?¡±
¡°Probably not. But if the army are going to be taking a bulldozer through their lawns for the sausage anyway, then, well, priorities change.¡± Kate agreed.
¡°Of course. Like, right now we might normally be expected to have a priority of having a nice romantic meal for two and a night in, but actually we''ve got to pack.¡±
¡°Spoilsport.¡± Kate accused, then with a smile she added, ¡°But, we do need to eat and rest sometime.¡±
Association / Ch. 17: Countdown to launch
Association / Ch. 17:Countdown to launch
Government office, rogue state. Wednesday, 17th Jan, 2272.
The minister for foreign relations for the People''s State of the Beautiful Peninsula usually enjoyed a peaceful life, once he''d approved the week''s propaganda output; after all, they didn''t exactly have many countries they were talking to. So it was with some trepidation that he raised his hand. ¡°Great leader, the capitalist imperialists have published some new data concerning the dreams about the impact. I do not understand the significance, but I have had contacts from many imperialist countries drawing my attention to these details, saying things like ''Isn''t this interesting?''. Several even asked if you had seen the details.¡±
¡°What do the details say?¡±
¡°There are two items. One of the dreams shows the interceptor being launched, from the satellite-launcher, hitting something, and starting to tumble. They say they do not know if what it struck was debris, a satellite or a rock.¡±
¡°Why is that so important?¡±
¡°I don''t know.¡± the minister said.
¡°And the other one?¡±
¡°A ground-based missile is launched, goes off course and is aborted.¡± He checked the notes ¡°They say it is launched from a GRDV-32 launch platform, and has approximate dimensions of three to three and a half metres diameter, and about thirty five metres tall. I don''t know why that is significant either. None of our current missiles fit those dimensions, do they?¡±
The great leader smiled inwardly. Of course the minister didn''t know about the Hydra; he could barely tie his own shoelaces. ¡°No. None of our current missiles. But do pass the report on to the war ministry. Perhaps it will be of interest to them. There was no other communication?¡±
¡°Again, I do not know why, great leader, but several of them sent me an agenda for today''s UN meeting. It seems to be the normal talk talk talk. Report on such and such an intervention, plans for the launch of the interceptor, proposal for repositioning this and that Earth observation satellite.¡±
¡°Ah. I think perhaps you should show that to your counterpart in the war ministry also. Perhaps they can make sense of it.¡±
¡°Yes, great leader, at once, great leader.¡±
The great leader sighed. There were many benefits accrued from keeping an ignorant man in charge of foreign relations, but sometimes it could be problematic. Perhaps it was time for a new foreign minister. If the enemy saw the hydra launch, then it would certainly be necessary to purge the war ministry of people who''d ''stepped beyond their authority''. Likewise, of course, if radioactive materials were to be scattered over the citizens of his peace-loving country, who had enough problems feeding themselves while working day and night in the arms factories. They surely didn''t need any radiation-related problems as well.
International Space Guard H.Q. Wed. 16th Jan
¡°That''s just so typical!¡± the launch director exclaimed, on seeing the briefing document. ¡°Just what is the point in releasing this today of all days?¡±
¡°I''ve no idea. Unfortunately their ambassador claims it came straight from the palace and he''s not been briefed yet.¡± his assistant-cum-political advisor replied.
¡°You realise what they''re doing, don''t you? They''re not only undermining the entirety of our whole approval campaign, they''re calling into question the continued existence of Space Guard.¡±
¡°How do you get that?¡±
¡°Well, first they claim they set us on the trail of the asteroid in the first place,¡±
¡°They did.¡± his assistant added, unhelpfully. ¡°Dr Green''s admitted it.¡±
The director waved that aside, ¡°and then they make a lucky guess and say it''s going to hit Restoration before they had any real evidence about it, and now they say that the interceptor isn''t going to work before we''ve even launched it. And what''s this about this other missile?¡±
¡°Not one of ours, that one. I''ve no idea what the connection is. That launcher is a standard military portable gantry, according to my postgraduates.¡±
¡°So it''s totally irrelevant!¡± the director stormed.
¡°To us. Pretty relevant to whoever is planning to test-fire an I.C.B.M.¡±
¡°I.C.B.M?¡± the director went cold. Those weren''t letters to mess about with.
¡°That''s about all it could be at that size, according to same postgrad. He''s obviously got an unhealthy interest in such things. Do you think someone might try to launch one against the rock?¡±
¡°I hope not. All the wrong parameters.¡± the director said.
¡°But, the first manned missions...¡±
¡°Were on converted I.C.B.M.s, yes, and they barely made it to orbit. Do you know what a nuclear explosion in the ionosphere would do?¡±
¡°Not precisely sir. I don''t know the theory''s ever been tested.¡±
The director looked at his assistant. ¡°Well said. I understand that it was tested, back in the twentieth century, but just the theory''s scary enough, don''t you think?¡±
¡°Oh, yes, certainly.¡± the assistant replied. ¡°But anyway, no one would be crazy enough to do that, would they?¡±
¡°We can hope not. Our friends in radio astronomy wouldn''t be amused at all. But anyway, I presume this bit of scare-mongering means that they''re going to say they don''t think we should launch. That''s just typical, they let us get everything ready...¡±
¡°Not a bit sir. If you see the last line of the third paragraph?¡±
¡°What?¡± He re-read the bit he''d skipped. ¡°''The predicted successful launch combined with doubt about the outcome of the navigational incident leads us to endorse the launch.'' I don''t get it. They say the interceptor''s going to get smashed but go ahead and launch?¡±
¡°They say the interceptors going to get to space, and in one piece sir. That''s what they''ve been worried about ¡ª that we''d accidentally drop the warheads on someone else''s head. The ambassador wanted us to understand that. He kept saying, ''at least the rock''s not going to make anywhere glow in the dark.'' They''re saying that this reanalysis of the dreams convinces them that the launch works OK, so it''s up to us whether we want to risk hitting the wrong rock. They''re not even sure if the debris is from the interceptor or from what they dreamt it would hit.¡±
¡°I guess I need to read this more thoroughly. Do they say when it happens?¡±
¡°They said it was just after the interceptor''s main engine cut-out.¡±
¡°Which one?¡± Three boosts were planned, along with a gravitational slingshot around the moon.
¡°I''d guess first. The dream sequence starts with release from the heavy lift rocket.¡±
¡°Oh, great. If it''s before the second burn then there''s ample time to correct, as long as we get attitude control back.¡± The launch director sighed, ¡°I hate this hocus-pocus ''I had this dream'' rubbish but our success margins are so small, if there''s any truth in them we''d be fools to ignore them.¡±
¡°I don''t understand, sir.¡±
¡°We''ve stopped trying the systems checks; too much on that probe is obsolete, we can''t verify everything. We need it to work, but, you know, there''s a reason it was in the museum.¡±
¡°So, it might all go horribly wrong?¡±
¡°Not horribly wrong. The navigation system works fine, but... the radar sometimes skips reading for a few minutes, the telemetry computer can get a bit confused sometimes and when it does then it sends the same data ten times in a row, and so on. So we''re not likely to miss, but we might just not send back the pictures we want to and there''s a chance that we fail to ignite the warhead.
It''s an antique, we need to work with what we''ve got, but when you add everything up, there''s a big chance it might not work. But if it does then we say it was a worthwhile investment, let us build a new one. If it doesn''t we can say that what do you expect for an antique, give us funding for a modern replacement. What we can''t afford is to be written off as irrelevant. If that happens then we might as well all go look for jobs at a planetarium or something.¡±
¡°If the warhead doesn''t explode, doesn''t that mean delivering radioactives to Restoration?¡±
¡°There''s not actually much radioactivity in that warhead, not like in the old days. Modelling predicts that even if we do coat the rock with the warhead, then even in the worst case scenario three quarters of it gets ablated off into the atmosphere where it''ll be as significant as the dose you get from an extra thirty seconds flying time, and the rest gives the residents of Restoration a dose roughly like they were living near some granite. It''s not a dangerous level at all.¡±
¡°Great. So, shall we go and battle to get the green light from the U.N. then?¡±
The launch director looked at his wrist unit, they had plenty of time but he''d been warned that getting a transport might be tricky. ¡°We''d better.¡±
10pm, Wednesday, 16th Jan.
There was a discrete chime on the king''s wrist unit. He answered the call immediately.
It was Ralph Trinket of the diplomatic service. ¡°Your majesty, you asked to be informed when the vote at the U.N. had been held. Launch permission has been granted.¡±
¡°Thank you Ralph. Any upsets?¡±
¡°No. There was a lot of close questioning about safety interlocks and the like. The only potential hitch is that the committee decreed that arming codes for the bomb will only be delivered to the interceptor after it''s on a successful flight plan, and there''s not enough fuel on-board for it to be turned round. Space Guard had planned to have them in on-board hardware, only to be loaded at the right time. I think someone invented a horror scenario where the interceptor gets confused or hacked and heads back to Earth. It doesn''t seem very likely, but it was deemed significant enough to stipulate. Space-Guard agreed that they ought to be in contact with the interceptor, so there was no real need to store them on-board.¡±
¡°So why do you say it''s a hitch?¡±
¡°What if all is well, except radio contact? Apparently, the engineers at Space Guard had been concentrating on ironing out problems in other bits of ageing hardware, thinking that a reliable radio wasn''t mission-critical, but now it is.¡±
¡°Ah. So they don''t have a working radio?¡±
¡°They believe there''s one piece of the computer-to-radio interface''s memory which is a little bit unreliable, and glitches about once an hour under stress-testing. Since it''s all ancient, they''ve not been able to find a replacement unit. But they''ll have a few days'' cruise time so they''re not really worried.¡±
¡°And this is all going to be a matter of public record?¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
¡°I wonder what the news outlets will make of it.¡±
¡°I''m not sure, sir. But they''ve got launch permission, so I''m sure they will launch. And they''re already mounting a campaign for increased regular funding, so that they can do have a better one next time, and keep it up to date.¡±
¡°Hmm, yes, I''m sure they will be. If they manage to save Restoration they might even have a point, not that our nation really deserves it.¡±
11.55pm, Quy household
Francis Quy looked up at the dancing shadows on the dim ceiling of his bedroom. He''d worked out that there were two separate sources of light: passing cars and transports on the road outside, and the occasional train going past. The trains'' lights had confused him at first, but he''d worked it out when the second one came. He''d seen lights from three trains so far. He had an early start the next morning, but he couldn''t sleep. Their home was on the edge of the predicted damage area, they''d been quoted a sixty percent chance of roof and window damage, but only ten percent chance of more significant structural damage. They''d still have to evacuate, of course. But he didn''t want his home damaged at all. Nor did he want to pray to an all-powerful dictator in the sky. God was made up, he had to be, didn''t he? The alternative was too scary. Francis turned over and tried shutting his eyes again. He really wanted his home to survive; he and Cleo had poured so much time and effort into it, but it wasn''t his decision. Cleo seemed so unbelievably unconcerned, as though their home was the least important thing in the whole equation. He couldn''t understand that. Nor could he bring himself to adopt her advice: `If it''s so important to you, then remember that God loves us more than we love this house, and pray! Worrying won''t help anyone.'' She''d been right about the last bit, of course, but that didn''t help. He wasn''t going to pray, not unless he had some clear evidence that God wasn''t a complete spoilsport.
Lunchtime, Thursday 18th Jan.
¡°Celebration time.¡± George declared, kissing Karen soundly as she came out of the exam hall and giving her a bunch of flowers.
¡°Thank you for the flowers, George, but that wasn''t my last exam.¡± Karen pointed out. ¡°I''ve still got another one tomorrow.¡±
¡°I know. However, today is still a very important day. Thank-you for deciding I wasn''t paranoid, six months ago, Mrs Kray.¡±
¡°Oh, wow. That was six months ago today? I''d lost track. It seems like a lifetime!¡±
¡°Lots has happened since then, moving house a few times, international travel... getting people arrested and convicted...¡± George pointed out.
¡°Not to mention lots of weddings, including our own, and signing our lives away to serve our King and country. So, how would you like to celebrate?¡±
¡°How much revision do you need to do?¡± George asked.
¡°Quite a bit.¡± Karen said regretfully, ¡°Sorry if that ruins your plans.¡±
¡°It''s OK. I just get to keep more ideas for celebrating tomorrow.¡±
¡°It must be nice to have finished them all.¡±
¡°Oh, I just love packing. Come on, this way.¡±
¡°That''s not the way home.¡±
¡°I know. It is the way to lunch though.¡±
¡°George, we are on a limited budget!¡±
¡°I know, fear not, we''re not going to a restaurant.¡±
¡°Now I''m getting very confused.¡±
He smiled, ¡°You won''t be for long, beloved.¡±
¡°Thanks, Sarah, for letting me use your kitchen.¡± George said, as he served the meal.
¡°No problem at all, George. Thank you for inviting us. You didn''t suspect a thing, Karen?¡±
¡°Nothing at all! Well, I knew he''d been planning something he didn''t want me peaking at, but I thought it was to celebrate my final exam, tomorrow.¡±
¡°She''s been a very dedicated student.¡± George said.
¡°And I wish I''d had George''s exam load. Why did I end up with so many subjects needing final exams? You had, what, half the number I had?¡±
¡°Roughly. I did have a lot of continuous assessment work, remember.¡±
¡°Yes. You did. Oh, I forgot, John or Sarah, is there a trick to turn the bathroom tap off properly?¡±
¡°Allegedly, there are people in this country called plumbers.¡± John said. ¡°But not in this city at the moment.¡±
¡°John, don''t exaggerate.¡± Sarah chided him. ¡°If we had water gushing everywhere then we could get it fixed, but the do-it-yourself shops are long gone, of course, and the advice from the plumber''s secretary is just collect the drips and use them to refill the toilet cistern right after you flush it, or water plants or something. There''s no point in spending money on something that going to be rubble in three weeks time, and most of the city''s plumbers are working on the evacuation sites.¡±
¡°Oh! I hadn''t thought of that!¡± Karen exclaimed ¡°I expect nothing is going to be repaired, is it?¡±
¡°Not much, unless it''s life-threatening.¡± John replied.
¡°How''s your packing going?¡± George asked.
¡°The house is empty, the house-computer is packed away safely in the institute''s vaults, and the security system is being decommissioned.¡± Sarah said. ¡°They''ve got the sleep-gas out, so now it''s just things like cameras and such like.¡±
¡°Wow, that was pretty fast.¡± Karen replied.
¡°Well, they''ve been at it for a while. Otherwise, well, as you see, we''ve got a lot of full boxes and half-full boxes.¡±
¡°Have you come to any conclusions about what you''ll do after the impact?¡± Karen asked.
Sarah nodded, and reached for John''s hand. He said ¡°This flat is nice for a couple of newly-weds, but we don''t really need two homes, and thinking of the future we''re thinking that a garden would be a good idea.¡±
¡°So you''re going to rebuild the house?¡±
¡°Actually, no.¡± Sarah said. ¡°We''re going to build on the land the house is on, but much as I loved my home there were things that weren''t that great about the design. So, assuming the impact happens we''re going to be starting with the basic prefabricated room and then start getting adventurous.¡±
¡°You''ll build yourselves?¡±
¡°I''m mostly designing it myself. But no, I''m more than happy to pay for someone else''s muscle power.¡±
¡°What do you think of this instant wall stuff they''ve got coming?¡± George asked.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
¡°I''m in two minds about it, and I''m really glad their majesties have declared it optional. It just seems much too easy to end up with a wall which will be all wavy because the wind blew or you couldn''t get it tight in the right directions.¡±
¡°But what about using it as using it as a temporary shelter, and then building adobe or foamed concrete around it?¡± George asked.
¡°You can''t do adobe.¡± Sarah pointed out, ¡°The forces in ramming that down would smash it. But yes, it might work with the foamed concrete.¡±
¡°I like the idea of the forcefield-poured, foamed geo-polymer, myself.¡± Karen said. ¡°More insulating than adobe, and waterproof.¡±
¡°What is a geo-polymer?¡± John asked.
¡°Roughly speaking, it''s like concrete, but you make it with local ingredients and some strong chemicals. Not topsoil, of course, but there''s some suitable clays a few metres under our feet. The chemical processing makes it concrete-hard.¡±
¡°But where do you get it from?¡±
¡°If you really want it local, then you dig.¡± Karen replied ¡°You dig out a cellar-shaped hole, about a four metres deep, make some of it a rain-water tank, and fill to a sensible depth with the topsoil you can''t use anyway and ram that down really well. The rest of the diggings you put into a big thing a bit like an over-complicated concrete mixer which is chugging away in the road. That then pipes nice hot foamy mixture a bit like brown whipped cream into your forms, and after a few days you''re done. And because it''s foamy, you get about five cubic metres of building material for every one cubic metre of clay you put in.¡±
¡°And the forcefields give you perfectly flat walls.¡± Sarah said, ¡°Unlike the instant wall material.¡±
¡°But it''s slower?¡± John asked
¡°Yes, and much messier, and I imagine it takes a team of experts to set up all the forcefields. But it''s nowhere nearly as slow or messy as building with bricks or blocks, of course.¡± Sarah replied.
¡°I imagine that by the time the city''s finished,¡± George suggested ¡°they''ll have some kind of automated system to set up the forcefields straight from blueprints, and be able to pour a whole house in one go.¡±
¡°What about pipes and things?¡± Sarah asked.
George opened his mouth to suggest they could just be put in place after the forcefields were put up, but then realised that wouldn''t work; the ¡°hard¡± forcefields for construction work didn''t allow things to be pushed through them, or the concrete would push itself out. They''d also try to burn their way through anything in their way, so you couldn''t even put the pipes up first. ¡°Tricky.¡±
¡°I''d guess you either have a very complicated forcefield arrangement or you just have to carve channels out of the finished shell.¡± John said.
¡°How messy!¡± Sarah exclaimed.
¡°But maybe builders know another way of doing it.¡± John added.
¡°I hope so. If not, maybe someone will have to invent a better way.¡± Sarah said.
John looked at his beloved wife and recognised her expression. ¡°You don''t need to solve all the world''s problems personally, Sarah.¡±
¡°Not personally, no.¡±
¡°Out of interest, Sarah.¡± Karen asked, ¡°What''s the news on that stove company?¡±
Sarah grinned ¡°I can say with a clear conscience that I didn''t pull any strings at all.¡±
¡°Go on, what''s happening?¡±
¡°They''ve just signed a licensing deal with the ministry for planning and reconstruction and a manufacturer of cardboard boxes.¡±
¡°Really? What''s with the boxes?¡±
¡°Once they''ve finalised the details, the boxes will be flat-pack disposable molds of the right dimensions to make portable, wood-burning cooking stoves with the insulated fire-box and heat-riser we know and love. The ministry will then distribute the boxes, dry ingredients needed, along with instructions, which basically are add water and put the resulting mud around the form to make a nice thick layer without any thin bits, and which will stand up nicely. Then let it dry. Every household in the tent camps will get one, along with instructions on how to cook with it when it''s dry. They''ll also run some workshops for people who are feeling a bit nervous about playing with special mud.¡±
¡°So everyone''s going to be cooking with wood?¡± Karen asked ¡°I''m sure we''ve had stuff, but I''ve put it on the ''Read after the exams'' pile.¡±
George shook his head. ¡°They''re going to have bread and the like delivered by the truck-load, the army and various others used to outside catering will be selling hot meals, and free hot water will be available at central points for drinks and packet soups. But at least before the impact they''re not putting in electricity, except for lighting and at the toilet blocks. If anyone wants to cook for themselves, then they can either get little solid fuel blocks that will also go in the burner, or wood. The factories making the solid fuel blocks don''t expect to be able to keep up with demand.
They get sold to occasional campers and model makers normally, along with some to the army. It''s a specialist product, with only a couple of producers globally, who don''t have that much spare capacity. So the information pack said that we should assume the solid fuel blocks are going to get rare, and the government will be providing the stoves and selling wood as an alternative cooking fuel. I didn''t realise you had a connection with the stoves, Sarah.¡±
¡°Well, I became a shareholder in the company just after Christmas.¡±
¡°And you''re not afraid of what this''ll do to their main product line?¡±
¡°No, not at all.¡± Sarah shook her head. ¡°They''ve been doing something similar for years, not quite a promotional item, but it''s hardly worth their while in making them.¡±
¡°It''s going to be pretty cold and wet, isn''t it? Camping in February.¡± Karen asked.
¡°Well, yes. But for a night or three I think we can cope.¡± Sarah said. ¡°With multiple layers of blankets, and the underground heating, it shouldn''t be too cold.¡±
¡°Underground heating?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Someone had the bright idea of connecting one of the army''s mobile fusion cores up to a network of underground pipes at each evacuation site.¡± George said, ¡°Each tent has some loops of hot pipe under it. It''s not going to be room temperature in the tents, but as long as people keep their flaps shut it should stay nicely above freezing.¡±
¡°Ooh, luxury.¡± Karen said.
¡°As long as no one puts a spike through the heating pipe.¡± John warned. ¡°Just make sure you wrap up warm.¡±
¡°I plan to.¡±
¡°By the way, Karen.¡± Sarah said, ¡°I hope you don''t mind, but I agreed with Eliza that we probably should be split between sites, just in case. I''m not sure what we''d be checking for, beyond lost children, but...¡±
¡°Oh, yes, that makes sense. You''re thinking we''d go in truth-sayer masks?¡±
¡°Yes. We don''t need to admit that we''ve got the gift ¡ª we could just say that we''ve a number to get in contact with someone with the gift.¡±
¡°Which is perfectly true. Yes, that sounds fine. George have you heard of this plan?¡±
¡°Yes. All is agreed with the service.¡±
¡°Oh, of course. You''re officially civil service by then, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Yes. But we''ve not gone through training, so they''re happy for us to help as truthsayers.¡±
¡°And do you have any idea where you''re going to be working?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°We have a preliminary guess.¡± Karen said. ¡°But first we''ve got to do the training, take some aptitude tests, and so on.¡±
¡°And you can''t say until then?¡± John asked.
¡°Not really.¡± Karen agreed. ¡°The being truthsayers thing at the camp? How will that work? We just sit around in a room behind the information desk waiting to be called on?¡±
¡°Not quite.¡± George replied. ¡°It''s going to be a pain, but we''re going to be on staff at the information desk. Wearing our masks all day long, in other words, plus being on-call all other times.¡±
¡°Oh, wow.¡± Karen said, ¡°I know I said I didn''t want to think about impact stuff until exams were over, but I didn''t think... Oh well. Tell me everything.¡±
¡°We get orientation on the seventh. People can start moving into the camp on the eighth, if they want to, though the real rush is expected on the twelfth. By lunchtime on the thirteenth, the city should be empty except for solders, who''ll be clearing out people who shouldn''t be there.¡±
¡°So, we''re there from the seventh?¡±
¡°Yes, sorry, love, lots of camping for us.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s OK, I don''t mind the camping, I just thought we''d got more time than that, I''d been having thoughts of things we might do before the impact.¡±
¡°Oh. I''m sorry.¡±
¡°Stop apologising, George! It''s my fault; I should have known the Service wasn''t going to let us sit idle that long.¡±
Thursday evening, 18th Jan. Space-guard H.Q.
The launch director sat at his desk, his eyes gazing past statistics on his screen, as he listened to the earnest young student on his wrist unit. ¡°Right, let me clarify what you''ve just said. You''re actually claiming that we''ve got a piece of debris in our launch trajectory?¡±
¡°Yes sir.¡± the PhD student said, gulping on the other end of the connection.
¡°But all known objects are catalogued in the database, and the database has nothing in it that intersects,¡± the director said.
¡°Yes, sir. But the database relies on radar and lidar observations, and as we know, not every piece is detected every orbit. And if an object isn''t detected after ten orbits then it''s removed from the database, irrespective of how hard it was to detect previously. We know certain satellites have been made with stealth coatings or materials. That''s my research topic, sir, identifying potential gaps in the database, and false-removals, and coming up with a methodology to fill in those gaps. According to the launch-linked debris catalogue the best launch candidate for the low-detectability object I''ve found is a disposable military launcher, I''ve sent you details of the launch. It carried either a highly unusual payload with no housing at all, or the housing came off half-way through the launch, without causing any trouble to the mission, which seems equally unlikely or the housing was being used as part of a test of stealth materials. I believe the latter, sir. There have been brief sightings on radar of an object, and unpredicted occultations of stellar and galactic sources which would correspond to the orbital parameters I''ve indicated. We got another sighting of this mystery object last night, both radar and lidar detected in the same place which would have been attributed to random noise without my coincidence detection logic. I showed my professor the data and he said I should contact you, sir.
¡°Tell me about the noise statistics.¡± The professor demanded.
¡°Pardon, sir?¡±
¡°You said the individual radar and lidar detections would have been attributed to noise. How often do you get such noise events?¡±
¡°Urm, about once an hour on the radar sir. Once every three on the lidar.¡±
¡°I see, so you''re correlating two noisy signals and think we should reprogramme the launch because you got two noise spikes at about same time?¡±
¡°Down to the second, sir. And the scanning of that patch of space was directed by earlier data. Examining the historical data, this object shows up about one orbit in fifty, well below the detection rate for the tracked object database, but I''m convinced it''s there sir. With the published launch data, the orbit I now have puts it less than a kilometre from the interceptor.¡±
One radar intercept in fifty! You could draw a lot of orbits through that sort of sporadic data. ¡°And your supervisor, what does he or she think?¡±
¡°He found the data convincing and directed me to contact you, sir.¡±
¡°But he isn''t as convinced as you, I presume.¡± the director said, mentatlly appending cynical thought: otherwise he''d be on the other end of this connection, claiming the glory.
¡°He said he was fully convinced, sir, but felt, that since I was closer to the data, I could be more convincing.¡±
¡°I see.¡± Yeah, much more convincing than someone who didn''t have a reputation to ruin. Had the boy even said who his professor was? No note about it, anyway, lets see whose student he was dealing with, he didn''t want to upset a powerful rival or a friend by dismissing this young man''s scary nightmare. ¡°I don''t seem to have made a note you''ve said who you''re studying under.¡±
¡°Professor Sam McGuinness, sir.¡±
It came as a shock, and a relief; Sam McGuinness! The man who, fifteen years ago had raised so many false-alarms about an impending Earth impact that even sensationalist newspapers had given up on him, and had been drummed out of SpaceGuard before he could do more damage to project. ¡°You hadn''t told me that, had you, young man? Well, Scared Sam McGuinness is still dabbling in orbital mechanics and other things he doesn''t understand, is he? I thought he''d retired or taken up life as T.V. comedian. Well that''s a relief!¡±
¡°Sir, the data stands on its own merits! Professor McGuinness said the data was entirely sound.¡±
¡°Sorry, lad, if Sam McGuinness told me he had sound data the sun was going to come up tomorrow, I''d want it peer reviewed three times. I hope you can shake off his reputation eventually, lad, but whatever you do, get someone more reliable to check your data before you go off half-cocked again. Your coincidence detection is most likely just that, and a radar detection of one orbit in fifty is about what you get from passing traffic. Good-bye.¡±
At the university, the student looked at his wrist unit in disappointment, and shook his head.
¡°Sorry, I did warn you.¡± Sam said.
¡°I didn''t even get to tell him when the impact was due, professor. An exact correlation with the evidence from the dreams.¡±
¡°He wasn''t ever going to listen to you, once you''d said my name. I made a big mess of my reputation by straying out of my field, fifteen years ago. You''ll remember that I did warn that you''d have a hard time escaping that.¡±
¡°But you''ve got an excellent reputation in the field of small-signal observational data, sir.¡±
¡°Thank-you for saying so. But you''ve crossed into orbital mechanics, and I''ve got a terrible reputation in that field. The best you can do is submit your data for publication, before midnight if you can. Include all the evidence, and the statistical analyses you''ve done. There''s a chance that it''ll get fast-tracked and reviewed in time to affect the launch window. If not, then then at least you''ve got it submitted before the launch date and if something does go wrong at least there''s the ''I told you so'' factor. Make sure you don''t claim a collision is certain, you know it''s not.¡±
¡°No, only ten percent probable.¡±
¡°So, headline on that, it''d be enough to adjust the launch window for most things.¡± then he shook his head, ¡°No, that''s the way I''d have done it a decade ago. Don''t do that. I don''t know how to play this. Sorry.¡±
¡°Professor, how about I present the data I have, the detected altitude, vector, orbital period, orbital stability, and of course error bars, and then say a Monte-Carlo analysis using a simplistic extrapolation puts the debris on a near miss with the interceptor, but that more detailed modelling is out of my area of expertise, and I present that data hoping someone can do a more detailed analysis?¡±
Professor McGuinness clapped his hands. ¡°That sounds a very good approach, and assuming anyone publishes, you get some nice citations too.¡±
¡°We, professor. Surely you should be co-author?¡±
¡°No, no, don''t include me as a co-author, you heard how well regarded I am by SpaceGuard. You can cite some of my instrumentation papers if you like, but don''t tarnish this paper with my bad reputation.¡±
¡°You really think I can get it publishable this fast, professor?¡±
¡°Of course. No one expects perfection in a ''hot-news'' observations paper. Just make sure there are no errors in your data.¡±
Friday, 19th Jan, 9am
Dr Green looked at the student''s paper. Yes, the detection method looked entirely sound. There was something there, or rather there had been something there. So where was it now? He ran his own orbital simulation, and scratched his head. How could the orbit be stable? The problem was that the perigee, the closest approach to Earth, meant it was encountering quite a lot of atmosphere. There would be far too much drag for it to still be in the same orbit after so long if the object was some sort of panel that had been part of the rocket housing, those had a massive area to mass ratio. If it were more like a sphere, then the student''s analysis had a chance to hold up. Hmmm. Maybe it was a nut or bolt? He calculated the drag parameters. No, surely not, who''d use a two kilogram nut on a launcher?
He wrote up his review. ¡°The detection methodology is well-presented and I have no doubt that this is a valid method of confirming low signal data. The author should be encouraged to continue with publication of this data as a contribution to instrumentation techniques. However, the rest of the paper contains anomalies that need further study. The reviewer considers the speculative identification of the debris source to be unsupportable, as atmospheric drag would not leave the orbit unmodified over the interval required. The perigee is sufficiently low that the orbit indicated cannot be considered stable. It is truly unfortunate that resource allocation did not allow for two or more successive orbits to be measured, and orbital degradation rates determined.¡± Dr Green wasn''t going to speculate what those numbers might be. That wasn''t his task. He forwarded his review to SpaceWatch as well as the journal and left his office. He had a plane to catch.
His colleagues in Launch control read his conclusion with relief, and decided that they could ignore the warning. With their prejudices against the source, they didn''t bother asking how unstable the orbit was. And without knowing the shape of the object, Dr Green wouldn''t have told them a clear number on the expected orbital decay; he was too careful. If they''d thought to ask him about the safety of the launch, he''d have been shocked. Of course it should be adjusted; surely no one would deliberately launch anywhere near an item or a cloud of potential debris.
Saturday 20th Jan
The Hydra missile had already been fueled by the time the change of instructions had come. There was a lot of scratching of heads at that point: the designers hadn''t provided any way for removing the fuel rapidly: no one had told them to, and now it was far too dangerous to do something as simple as uncouple a hose. Eventually it was decided to make the necessary changes on the fully fueled rocket. There were a lot to do, and the men and women assigned to work on it were promised a double pension for their families if anything went wrong ¡ª which meant more or less instant fiery death, they all knew ¡ª and public acclamation and a long government-sponsored vacation in the surprising event that nothing did. They expressed their love and thanks for their great leader, and that morning they''d tearfully kissed their loved ones goodbye. Quite a few had quietly prayed illegal prayers, unlike the thanks to their great leader, these were heartfelt. Certain absences were noted, the workers realised: none of the government informers had been selected to do this work. Prayers were spoken more openly than ever before, particularly during the most dangerous parts of the work.
Changes had had to be made to the Hydra''s payload and flight-path. The nuclear warheads were removed, and replaced with weights. With the fuel loaded, it almost had to be a full test, including a test of the stealth scram-jet system. Assuming they could still launch in the shadow of the interceptor''s flare. The changes to the flightpath were rushed, and no one realised that two digits had been transposed: 32.95 had been entered as 23.95
Saturday 20th Jan
The student had got it wrong; he hadn''t seen a single object. Five black, radar absorbing, composite panels floated through space in very similar orbits. All had started off from the same launch, dropping away from the rocket as it boosted on its way to geostationary orbit. The initial small separation and tiny differences in initial velocity had added up over the months and years, with radiation pressure and atmospheric drag doing their respective parts to separate them even more. Now, at some points in their orbit, they were hundreds of kilometres apart, but as things do in orbits in space, they came back close together at the place they''d started off. Not entirely perfectly, of course, the orbits weren''t very stable, but close enough. Their dance around the earth continued, sometimes far apart, occasionally almost within touching distance. This last orbit, the outer edges of the atmosphere had been a little higher and denser than usual, heated by an aurora. The piece with a closest approach to earth was most affected, of course, and as it dipped into the tenuous atmosphere; it had lost more velocity than the others, lowering its apogee and making the orbit more circular. At the same time, the increased bombardment of atomic oxygen had eaten away a little more of its surface. Another hundred orbits and the Fluoride coating would be gone, leaving the unprotected plastic core exposed to the aggressive upper limits of the atmosphere and the ravages of ultra-violet radiation. Hydrocarbon bonds stood no chance, it would only take about fifty orbits after that for the debris to break up and be dissipated in the atmosphere. But it didn''t have another hundred orbits like its fellow panels in their stately dance.
The reusable launch vehicle released the interceptor probe without a hitch. Latches disengaged correctly on iime, and compressed gas flooded down pipes to activate the ¡°springs¡± that would push the two craft apart. Everything worked perfectly, and after a suitable time to drift safely apart, the launcher fired its orbital maneuvering system to prepare for reentry. A little later, with microsecond accuracy, the interceptor started its main engine. This was the longest of the three burns, a full fifteen tonnes of fuel. There wasn''t anything at all subtle or elegant about the engine, this engine was all about generating lots and lots of thrust. An engineer from the Apollo era missions would have been able to recognise all the parts and exactly what they did. They might have been a bit surprised at the pressures the pumps developed, and at the temperature of the exhaust gasses, but pumps were still pumps, and there was still a rocket nozzle being cooled by the fuel and oxidiser and there were still gimbals to make sure the force was all properly lined up with the centre of mass. And there was a lot of force. The rocket turned hot fuel and oxidiser into even hotter gas by the most basic of technologies: fire. The burning mixture of gasses was trapped in a small hollow sphere, called the reaction chamber, and it wanted out. Out meant going through the nozzle, and doing so very quickly, because there was more fuel and more oxidiser being pumped in. It left as fast as it could, at speeds measured in kilometres per second. Newton would have recognised it: mass, in this case, lots of glowing gas, was accelerating, which required force. And where there''s a force, there has to be an equal and opposite reaction. The reaction force was being applied to a mass ¡ª the spaceship ¡ª and since there were no other significant forces around, that had to accelerate. Not as fast as the gas, of course, but easily enough to escape the gravity-well of the Earth. The spacecraft didn''t follow what a mathematician would call a straight line, but it was close enough to one for an engineer to say the difference didn''t matter much. The interceptor was going in the direction it was pointed in, gravity didn''t really have much say in the matter at all.
Much to the workers'' relief, they got home in one piece, and were too busy packing for their vacation to watch the launch. They didn''t know about it anyway. The Hydra functioned perfectly, exactly as instructed, which of course wasn''t exactly as the instructions had been written down. As the rocket went off course, it would soon become visible to the nearest satellite. If it did, then the high definition camera would be brought to bear. But they could not allow any detailed recording of the scram rocket initiation; that was too sensitive, too unique. There was no sign of the hydra taking its planned course. The destruct button was pressed.
Hitting the panel, just after the main engine turned off, didn''t significantly change the direction that the interceptor was going, any more than gravity had. It was a glancing blow at a combined velocity of more than ten kilometres per second, so what it did was quite dramatic. In far less than the blink of an eye, it was all over. The panel, one antenna and a lot of the outer skin of the interceptor were turned into so much glowing plasma, leaving a trail of impact craters down one side. It looked a little like the surface of the moon, except that the lips of the crates turned over, and some of the holes went all the way through, leaving long gashes in the skin. One of the cameras that focussed on stars to help stabilise the ship was blinded, its outer shield destroyed and its lens smashed by secondary impacts. The force of the impact combined with the ejection of debris set the interceptor spinning, tumbling in space.
The telescopes of the launcher had caught the impact flash on camera, and the telemetry stopped; launch control fell silent. Dr Green stood from the visitors gallery, looking in shock at the launch director, his horrified voice cut across the silence ¡°You knew there was debris there! Didn''t you adjust the launch parameters at all?¡±
¡°It shouldn''t have been there! You wrote that it was an unstable orbit!¡±
¡°It was. There''s no way it could have kept that orbit for more than a few months!¡±
The interceptor tumbled on. Its computers were well programmed, and the entire device had been designed to withstand impacts. Comets are well known for being surrounded by dust, debris and rocks, after all. It only took the computers five minutes to regain attitude control and work out that it had lost one of the high gain antennae. It rotated the craft to point the other one at Earth. All the time, from when the gyroscopes and acoustic impact sensors and identified that something very bad happening, and where, the omnidirectional antennae at the most protected rear of the spacecraft had been broadcasting status reports. There had only been a total loss of telemetry data for thirty seconds, although of course there were significant periods when the signals from the antennae were blocked by the body of the spacecraft. The interceptor continued on its way. It would take another few minutes before the telemetry controller would realise that the pressure in the fuel and oxidiser tanks were slowly decreasing, as fuel leaked out of the pinholes punched by debris from the outer skin. The interceptor was on its way towards the moon. By the time it got there, it would only have half the fuel needed to complete the planned maneuvers.
Association / Ch. 18: Repercussions
Association / Ch. 18:Repercussions
Saturday, 20th Jan, 2292
The most uninformed and uninterested news channels said ¡°Interceptor intercepted!¡± and spoke about the way that the scientists had ignored the God-given warnings and launched anyway, but at least there wasn''t any radioactive material falling to Earth and then moved on to a story about a rabbit with two heads, and gossip about the latest stars and how he said she said he said such and such, and how it was sure to end in wedding bells.
Those who''d at least listened to someone who''d been listening to the broadcast from launch control got the real story, and their headlines shouted things like ¡°SpaceGuard ignores its own experts, runs into known debris.¡°, and ¡°SpaceGuard forgets to look both ways before starting out!¡±
Others with a little more foresight ran stories predicting a future shake-up in SpaceGuard personnel, one had a headline of ¡°Willful ignorance destroys SpaceGuard''s future!¡± pointing out that if their entire reason for existence was to divert a comet, they ought to take better care of their tools.
A better informed channel declared it to be ¡°Nuclear-tipped, pig-headed arrogance!¡± and the very best informed, whose reporters had secured an interview with the publicity-shy student, and had also learned that the ex-launch director had been escorted off SpaceGuard property, simply stated ¡°Interceptor''s ex-launch director also denies evidence that sun will come up tomorrow.¡±
Legal experts asked whether land owners in Restoration had any case to make against SpaceGuard, psychological experts talked about the stress of the situation. People made wild guesses about what might happen to the interceptor now. None of the papers paid any attention to a test-launch of a missile which ended in a fireball; especially not in the country where it was launched from.
Space Watch, Saturday, 20th Jan, 2292
As the interceptor continued to lose fuel, there was a heated debate within Space-Watch. There were opportunities to intercept the rock, closer to Earth. The targeting would not be as ideal, and with the dwindling fuel reserves there was uncertainty about how to best use it. Two camps developed. One pointed out that if they ''just'' changed their approach vector to the moon so they went closer to its surface, then they''d get the same speed boost and deflection they wanted with a much shorter burn. Then they could follow the original intercept path, with a 90% probability that there''d be enough fuel for the final correcting burn.
The other camp said there were good reasons they weren''t skimming the surface of the moon, it was too error prone, and that the best option was a long burn that would put the interceptor at an angled intercept course, without the need for a second burn. The first group balked at the thought of not being on the well-planned flight path when it came to intercept. Some argued it didn''t matter, there was no preferred direction in space: if the two objects were on a collision course, then they''d crash, if they weren''t they wouldn''t. Others argued it mattered enormously, they wanted a head-on collision where bad timing meant nothing.
The fact was, of course, pointed out a third group, that without perfect timing from any method, the interceptor would miss, and how much weight did they want to put on the estimates of how fast the fuel was going to be leaking? Might it not speed up?
The newly appointed flight-director dithered, asked for guarantees there were no debris on either flight-plan, and tried to maintain a level head. His gut instinct told him that the modified three-burn strategy was better, but he knew running out of fuel was going to be a disaster. Also, the close lunar flyby was risky. He asked how risky. In the end, the clock decided. They had to go for the direct intercept, as there wasn''t time for anything else.
Data was sent, after it had been verified by multiple sets of eyes and by computers. Cryptographic checksums were sent and cross-checked matched and double checked. The interceptor''s computer was asked where it thought it would end up going with those data, and the answer checked with ground-based computers. Everything checked out correctly. Navigation hazards were rigorously sought, warnings to other spacecraft operators were sent. The command was given. Now it was simply a case of waiting.
At the exact time specified, turbopumps span into life, valves opened, high pressure sprays of oxidizer and fuel mixed, combined chemically and released energy. The interceptor went from floating through space in silence to accelerating on a tail of hot gasses. Vibrations went through the spacecraft and the damaged pipes resisted, at least for now. The wounded craft with its rockets blazing, was tracked by remote observation stations on the far side of the moon. Telemetry figures showed the fuel pressure, acceleration, gimble angles and status of the star sensors. All seemed to be going well. Then the damaged feed-pipe fractured under the vibration. A post-mortem of the telemetry saw first one number ¡ª fuel pressure ¡ª dropping quickly, and then the numbers from the accelerometer dropped off rapidly, but not to zero, and then there was a sudden lurch sideways. They didn''t hear anything after that.
Observation videos showed a flash from the interceptor, as leaking fuel and oxidiser combined in the body of the spacecraft. The explosion tore through panels and wires including those that sent power to the radio unit. The computer registered that its connection to that, unreliable at the best of times, was lost entirely. It further registered that the main fuel was gone. Options were limited. It had no backup communication with Mission Control, no self-destruct capability, The computer tried to do what it could; it regained stability and by comparing the apparent position of the Sun, Earth and Moon to fixed stars, it calculated its course and position. It was going to miss the target, and the remaining maneuvering fuel was insufficient for it to reach the planned intercept point, or, indeed, any other intercept. Perhaps the radio would start working again sometime. It switched into hibernation mode, awaiting that signal; it would never come.
The Palace, informal ministerial meeting, Saturday evening, 20th Jan, 2292>
¡°So, SpaceWatch''s last best hope is now so much nuclear-tipped space debris?¡±
¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡± the science minister confirmed.
¡°Well, they can''t say they weren''t warned about the risk. Twice.¡± the Queen added, shaking her head.
¡°No. It looked like it might still work for a bit, until the fuel tank blew up or whatever happened.¡± the minister for rocketry added.
¡°Do they know why it did that?¡± the King asked.
¡°Telemetry apparently recorded a loss of fuel pressure.¡± she replied, ¡°Presumably it was damage during the debris strike.¡±
¡°And the other launch?¡± the queen asked.
¡°According to this report, it got near to where the closest detector would have seen it around the edge of the interceptor''s plume, and blew up.¡± the minister for rocketry responded. ¡°The satellite-based monitoring reported a high power transmission pulse about a hundred milliseconds before the explosion, it came from the general area of their launch control system, but that''s very hard to pinpoint. But I''d say it''s a hundred percent accuracy for the dreams.¡±
¡°Any signs of radioactive release?¡± the King asked.
¡°Not so far.¡± the science minister replied.
¡°We did send them the specification of the rockets seen in the dream, after all.¡± the queen pointed out. ¡°Maybe it was just a test launch.¡±
Maria pulled a face. ¡°Except that the satellite footage of the launchpad prior to firing the interceptor shows a lot of activity. Including swapping of things that could have been warheads with other things which look suspiciously like bags being filled from a lorry load of sand or gravel.¡±
Tasha added ¡°We also note a distinct lack of messages going to or from their chief of military, post-launch. That might just be that he''s changed wrist unit, but...¡±
¡°So, why did they go ahead and launch?¡± the queen asked, and seeing no reply was going to come from Maria or Tasha, she looked at the head of the diplomatic service, ¡°any ideas, Ralph?¡±
¡°None of my counterparts claim that they know for sure.¡± Ralph Trinket said with a shrug. ¡°There are some guesses, but it could have just been a show of defiance.¡±
¡°Either way, it does look rather like they were planning at firing more than just angry words.¡± the King said. ¡°I wonder if the time has come for more direct intervention. If that weapon system is really ready enough that they thought they could launch a sneak attack, that''s a truly scary development.¡±
¡°Is there any point in talking to their ambassador?¡± Maria asked.
¡°Not really.¡± Ralph replied ¡°Not unless you want to listen to a lot of regurgitated denials. Their ''Great Leader'' isn''t exactly known for changing policy in response to pressure on his ambassadors.¡±
¡°What would be the chances of talking to him directly?¡± the minister for rocketry asked, then blushed at speaking out of turn.
¡°Would you want to?¡± the minister for foreign affairs answered dismissively.
¡°Hold on, minister.¡± the king said, ¡°Direct talks might actually be a good idea. And for all their paranoia, we''ve historically had a better relationship with them than many countries.¡±
¡°Well, certainly better than certain countries, your Majesty.¡± the minister for foreign affairs agreed, ¡°I expect some are probably considering the relative benefits of sending in some assassination squads, compared to facing a surprise attack.¡±
Ralph suddenly said, ¡°Oh, my sincere apologies, your majesties. I don''t know if anyone can make sense of this...¡± he handed out a few copies of part of a blueprint. ¡°I presume it''s some kind of hint about something. Our ambassador there was called to a meeting which got cancelled. That''s not unusual, but while he was waiting, one of the secretaries gave him a picture of the great leader her six year old son had drawn. That sort of thing isn''t unusual either. It was framed, but she explicitly told him she expected he''d need to take it out of the frame to send home. This was on the back of a picture.¡±
¡°Does that sound like an official leak to you, Ralph?¡± Maria asked.
¡°I''m not sure. It''s certainly not a method they''ve used before. Well, not the whole thing. The message on the back of a child''s drawing is fairly standard, but not the secretary delivering it. Normally its a senior official.¡±
¡°It seems to be the fuel system of the launcher.¡± the minister for rocketry volunteered.
¡°Anything unusual about it?¡± the King asked.
¡°Did the ambassador happen to tell you what this annotation means?¡± she pointed at a piece of hand-writing.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°Oh, yes, sorry.¡± Ralph fumbled with is notepad, still flustered about forgetting the blueprint. ¡°The rough translation says ''As war-minister''s future; absent on prototype.'' It''s a poetic form, and he''s not sure if it means on prototype, or because of prototype, or both.¡±
The rocketry minister passed her copy to the science minister, ¡°What do you think, might it be a defueling valve?¡±
After a little while he nodded his head. ¡°Quite possible. Quite quite possible. I can''t see any alternative. How embarrassing for them.¡±
¡°Could you elaborate?¡± the queen asked.
¡°There needs to be a way of getting the fuel out of a rocket as well as in, your majesty, in case you decide not to launch. It looks like someone forgot that. The reason they launched was that the alternative was to keep a ticking bomb on the launchpad, with no way to defuse it safely.¡±
¡°Ah. So, not ''we can still launch it as a test'', more ''we have to launch it, make it a test?''¡± the king summarised.
¡°Yes, your majesty.¡±
¡°I think a confidential briefing to our allies that ''we have good reason to believe...'' might be in order, Ralph. Since we don''t know what sort of leak this was then it would be best if we don''t say how we know. But it might calm some of them to learn that a redesign is in the works.¡±
¡°Would it be a huge amount of work, minister?¡± he asked the minister for rocketry.
¡°I doubt it, your majesty. Should I ask my colleagues?¡±
¡°If it wasn''t an official leak, it might be better if the document wasn''t spread about.¡± Maria offered, hesitantly, thinking that having even an occasional informant in the leader''s office could be very helpful.
¡°We take your misgivings seriously, Maria.¡± the Queen said.
¡°Absolutely.¡± her husband agreed. ¡°Ralph, one copy to remain on file, other copies to be destroyed.¡±
¡°Certainly, your majesty.¡±
¡°Now, minister,¡± the king turned to the foreign affairs minister, ¡°I would like you to arrange for direct talks between my wife and I and their great leader and his, ah, prime consort, I believe the correct term is. Perhaps on no-one''s home territory. The topic would be de-escalation of the present tension.¡±
¡°Very well, sir. What approach should I take? Last chance to avoid an assassination squad?¡± the minister asked.
¡°Nothing that threatening, I''m certain!¡± rebuked the queen.
¡°I''d suggest you start by asking about the ambassador''s family, is his daughter still at the school near the U.N. headquarters?¡± Ralph suggested, ¡°Then ask, by the way, if his government felt like disclosing the target list for the missile they almost launched.¡± He looked at their majesties to see if he should continue. They nodded in encouragement, Ralph was good at this sort of thing. ¡°Then say it doesn''t really matter but you were very pleased they''d decided against it, and then sympathise about how distressing it must have been to hear that loved ones might be at risk, and would it be possible to arrange a face to face discussion between their majesties and their great leader and his primary consort?¡±
The minister for foreign affairs shook his head in admiration. ¡°Your majesties, might I nominate Ralph for this task? As a mere politician I don''t think I''m quite as able to serve in this delicate task as well as he is.¡±
¡°Nonsense, minister!¡± exclaimed the king, ¡°We have total confidence in you. You may of course borrow one of Ralph''s junior colleagues for the initial chit-chat if you like. I''m sure Ralph can recommend someone?¡±
¡°Oh, certainly, your Majesty.¡±
<9am Monday 22nd Jan, Embassy of the People''s State of the Beautiful Peninsula>
¡°Your Excellency, it''s so nice to see you.¡± Edward, Ralph''s nominee substitute enthused. ¡°We must catch up some time! How is your family? They are well? Your daughter is still at that college near the United Nations headquarters?¡±
The ambassador was a little taken aback at the greeting, since he was fairly sure that this man loathed him. But all was fair in diplomacy and war. ¡°Yes, yes, all is fine. My daughter has a job at the United Nations now, can you believe it?¡±
¡°Ah, how our children grow! And what beautiful irony! She must tell you so much about what goes on behind closed doors, I''m sure. Or does she work to cause division from within?¡±
¡°She is a dutiful daughter.¡± the Ambassador said, wondering why there was so much talk about Lilly, was she under threat?
¡°I''m sure you were as relieved as we were that your government decided not to launch the missile with real warheads on it. We have the most beautiful pictures of them being removed and replaced by sandbags, have you seen them? They''re circulating at the U.N., perhaps your daughter will get you copies.
"Oh, has your government released the list of lucky cities that would have been hit? I''m sure it would have included the U.N. headquarters, wouldn''t it? Such a fortuitous change of foreign policy, I must say we''re all glad! But I''m sorry, I''m babbling on and I must introduce you to our minister of foreign affairs."
¡°Your Excellency.¡± the minister leapt in, and offered his hand.
¡°Minister.¡± the ambassador responded quickly, though his mind was struggling to process what had just been said. Not a threat from them but from his own state? Is that what was being said? What was this about a missile? ¡°I''m afraid that I don''t know what missile is being referred to.¡±
¡°Oh, so you weren''t aware of that risk to your daughter? Well, we''d guessed she was at risk, we don''t know. But no matter, your Excellency, since it seems to have passed now. Perhaps you can ask your government about it; I''m sure they''ll be able to fill you in. But I''m here on a somewhat different note. Their majesties, in view of the current, ah, tension, shall we say, regarding your country''s dangerous new rocket, have expressed a desire to meet with your great leader and his principle consort, face to face, perhaps in a third country? I know these things normally take years to organise, but their majesties would really like to discuss de-escalation of present tension quite quickly. It would be, ah, most unfortunate if the more hot-headed countries of the world felt that the time for diplomacy was over, wouldn''t it?¡±
¡°You bring a request for direct talks? Between your King and our Great Leader?¡±
¡°Yes, yes. I''m sorry, was I speaking too quickly? Our King and Queen, and your leader and his principle consort.¡±
¡°No, not too quickly, but... I am not aware of a new missile or photographs, or any great change in international tensions, so I''m rather at a loss. But I will certainly convey your request to my government.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s quite all right. I do have one still photo from the films, for you.¡± He handed over the picture, clearly showing the missile on its launcher, with workers around it. ¡°But, as Edward has said, the films are circulating quite freely at the United Nations.¡±
¡°The Beautiful State does not have an official presence at that capitalist imperialist organisation. Although of course they do pay my daughter a good salary.¡±
¡°I''m just personally curious, how does that work? She works there with the approval of your government that she is there?¡±
¡°Yes, yes, it is fully approved. She learns English, she learns how you capitalists exploit their workers, she learns how you think, and after she is called home, she will talk about what trauma she has encountered there and her mother and I hope that she will either become an ambassador for our people or will educate others.¡±
¡°Ah, I understand. She has a menial job then?¡±
¡°I honestly do not know, she talks more to her mother than to me. But when I went through this system I worked as a cleaner of toilets. It was not pleasant, but I endured it for the sake of my country. I presume she must have a similar job. She is a bright girl, but what capitalist oppressor would give a freedom-loving girl from the Beautiful Peninsula a better job?¡±
Monday evening.
Lilly closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. The office party had be such great fun, but now she needed to call home. Calm down, girl, or the party''s over for ever. She had so much she couldn''t tell her parents! Not least about her job. Well, not yet, anyway. She wiped off her makeup, adjusted her hair and faced the camera. Had any of the make-up escaped? No. Closing her eyes once more, she mentally prepared herself. She was a dutiful daughter, and a loyal citizen of the Beautiful State. She needed to ask about the rocket. Did they know there had almost been war? Did they know the Beautiful Peninsula was on the verge of destruction? Did they know the ''Great Leader'' was a madman who''d almost sparked a nuclear war? NO! She couldn''t ask that! Did they know that some countries were talking of assassination squads or invading? That was safe ground. Perhaps she''d have to tell them about her job, translating the Great Leader''s speeches and other material from home into English. She''d been a little economical with the truth to most of her colleagues, saying that her parents had been born in the Beautiful State, and that''s how she spoke the language. Some people knew the truth, of course. And now she was being offered a new passport. So tempting, especially if the Great Leader really planned to launch that terror weapon. But she was a dutiful daughter and a good citizen. She couldn''t wait to come home and tell people all about the horrors of capitalism. Yeah, right. Well, maybe if that involved telling them how to beat the system and get out! Especially if she could get her little brother out too. Maybe she''d be able to make contact with the underground church. Oh, stop going off script, Lilly! You''ll get in deep trouble, and need that passport. Dutiful, good citizen, down-trodden worker on a good salary in a lovely work-provided apartment. Ha! Who are you trying to fool? You love it here, you just want your little brother out, too. She hadn''t seen him in two years.
Dutiful daughter Lilly calmed her mind again, and called her mother. She was shocked to see her father''s face.
¡°Lilly, you must tell me. Your salary, it is really from the United Nations?¡±
¡°Yes, father. The capitalists want me to stay, so pay me well.¡±
¡°So, you are not doing the menial task, like that of a cleaner.¡± It wasn''t a question, not really, but it called for a response.
¡°No father. I tell my colleagues a half-truth, that my parents left the Beautiful Peninsula when they were young, but taught me the language.¡±
¡°Ah, Lilly. You make people think we are not good citizens?¡±
¡°Is it disloyal, father? It was a mistake at first, I was misunderstood. But it is very convenient. No one asks why I am working there, they think they know.¡±
¡°It is surely not disloyal to infiltrate the seat of enemy power. What is your role? You have access to their secrets?¡±
¡°Mother has not told you? I am a translator, father. I translate the speeches of the Great Leader, and the reports in the papers into English.¡± She could never speak to her parents about the other translation tasks she had, into her mother tongue, and the training for actors to speak the words she wrote.
¡°Ah, what a good job! To be paid to learn of home! So much better than cleaning toilets! Lilly, I must ask. I have had disturbing news, not from home, but from here. About a rocket, and great tension.¡±
¡°I was going to ask you, father. Is it true? There is nothing in the press, yet, but the politicians talk to me of little else.¡±
¡°I am told there is a video circulating there. You have seen it?¡±
¡°Yes, father. I even have a copy of it.¡±
¡°You have stolen a copy? That is excellent spy-work, my daughter! You will send it?¡±
Lilly took a breath. The only copy she had was the one she was providing a voice-over for. Maybe she''d need that passport they''d offered, after all. ¡°Father, I will not lie to you, I did not steal it. It was given to me, I was required to watch it, even.¡±
¡°Required?¡±
¡°Yes, father. Tonight I will be working on it more, I have to translate into our language, explain what they think it shows. You will hear my voice, and that of a man, discussing it. I do not know how, but they will replace that sound-track with what I record tonight.¡± Her father was not stupid, but he could be led, perhaps? ¡°Father, that is fact, but I also have guesses, I think they will soon ask me to make propaganda, as though I were not a loyal citizen. At mealtimes today, the imperialist politicians argued openly of the merits of assassination, preemptive strike or invasion of our home. I think there might be war soon. Is my brother safe? What should I do? Can I be most useful here, however distasteful the work is, or should I return home to fight for our homeland?¡±
Her mother''s voice and face joined her father. ¡°Have no fear for your brother, bright one. He is with us, and the government here want to hold talks, not drop bombs.¡±
Lilly felt the stress drain out of her. Her brother safe! That was so good! She almost praised God aloud. Her mother, in her role as spy controller, then said ¡°Now, as for you, if they want you to make propaganda, that is a big request. I assume that not everyone thinks you''re already a citizen?¡±
¡°No, not everyone, not the ones who ask, in fact.¡±
¡°That''s good. Then surely they must know that if you entered into this of your own accord, then it would ban you from ever returning home. So, my instructions to you, as a dutiful daughter of our Beautiful State, are these: although it would be an ideal position to report on their decadent plots from, you should act as they expect you to, do not draw attention to yourself by seeming eager to make propaganda against your homeland, there will be risks, you should seem scared for the future. The Great Leader will surely not worry if you must say things against himself to convince them to put you in this ideal place, but what they ask will cut you off from your homeland, your friends, your family back home. Or would if you were deciding this alone. So, they must think they buy your loyalty, and you only agree reluctantly. To keep your cover, you must hold out for a new passport, full citizenship. But not only for yourself, also for your brother. You can tell them that he is visiting us, and so is not at home. It is not an opportunity to be missed, to have him also as a loyal agent of the Beautiful State, studying there. He is due to stay with us only until May. It would be natural for him to visit you before he returns home, so I think you must act quickly, convince them it is the only way you will accept their task, for fear for his life. Tell them you have thought about these things, and can see where they are asking you to go. Do not be bashful, they must believe that this is important to you.¡±
¡°I will be convincing, for the sake of the state.¡±
¡°Most dutiful daughter, you will make me proud. You will send the video?¡±
¡°Of course, honoured mother, along with other pictures from this week. I hope they are of use.¡±
Association / Ch. 19: Lillys evening.
Association / Ch. 19:Lilly''s evening.
Monday evening, 22nd Jan. Lilly''s apartment, Near UN offices.
Lilly closed the connection to her mother. Instructed to join the propaganda department! Instructed to be a double agent. Of course, she was one already, but now her controller was telling her to be one too! Well, almost. And her little brother was safe!
Oh praise God! She quickly rang her other contact person. With extra encryption of course. ¡°Hi, Dwight. Me.¡±
¡°Lilly! What a pleasure! And it''s been so long! What? Three whole hours since we last talked? Is my charm so powerful?¡±
¡°Stop flirting, this is work. News: my parents wanted to see the video; they''d heard of it from that end. Nothing from home. And the passport? Two please. Me and my little brother.¡±
¡°We can''t help you get him out, Lilly. You know that.¡±
¡°Dwight, God is good. I''ve told you that. My mum has just instructed me to join the propaganda team, so that I can be some kind of permanent agent, but said I should hold out for two passports. He''s not in-country at the moment, he''s visiting them until May, but they want him here too, long term. Can it be done?¡±
¡°I''m a bit confused, Lil. Can you back up a bit. What''s that about your mum?¡±
¡°Dwight, I must have told you my controller from home is Mum?¡±
¡°Ah, no, I don''t think so, or if you did it didn''t register.¡±
¡°She is, and I''m her star pupil in spycraft, got myself a good job at the center of imperialist capitalist power, overhearing politicians at lunch and so on. And it seems she doesn''t suspect a thing. She''s obviously decided I''m too potentially useful to pull home, and she agrees with my hint that if you had me doing the video then the next thing would be more overt propaganda. So, she''d like to use the ''I can see where this is going but if I do that...'' card to get me and my little brother permanently established here.¡±
¡°So you''d be added to the list of so-called loyal emigrants?¡±
¡°I guess so. What do you think?¡±
¡°What do you think, Lilly? You''ve been humming and haahing every time I mentioned getting you a passport. I didn''t think you wanted to stay.¡±
¡°Dwight, I like it here. I just didn''t want to take any permanent steps without my little brother. He was the draw.¡±
¡°You love him a lot, don''t you?¡±
¡°Of course!¡±
¡°And you really think your brother can get here?¡±
¡°My parents are planning to send him, or bring him, and he''s with them already. I really don''t know how they arranged that. It''s supposed to be impossible for the whole family to leave at once.¡±
¡°Well, you get a recent photo of him, say with sky behind him, I''ll arrange the rest. You sent the video?¡±
¡°Yes. I was a bit careless; I told Dad I had a copy.¡±
¡°Well, we wanted to get it there. It might stop Armageddon.¡±
¡°But it''s got us talking on it about what''s what.¡±
¡°There''s nothing too incriminating on there is there?¡±
¡°Not really. But there''ll probably be the odd question about who I''m joking around with.¡±
¡°And you''ll respond just how?¡±
¡°That it is how people are expected to behave here, I am working to fit in. But my Dad might think he knows better.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°He did spend a few years here cleaning toilets, learning what being a down-trodden labourer in this evil empire was like.¡±
¡°That''s not a pleasant job in any country.¡±
¡°It''s worse back home, I assure you. At least here you''re not expected to thank people for giving you extra work to do, unless it''s paid overtime, of course.¡±
¡°Of course. But what do you mean, Lilly, about your Dad thinking he knows better?¡±
¡°I think he''ll notice you''re trying get me out on a date, Dwight.¡±
¡°Who, me?¡± he almost sounded shocked. Good, Lilly thought.
¡°You''re not going to try to deny it are you?¡±
¡°No comment.¡±
¡°I could conduct an opinion poll if you like, play dumb and see if the other girls think you''re hot on me.¡± she teased.
¡°I do like you Lilly, but urm, dating would sure complicate things.¡±
¡°I know. So, stop flirting with me, my life is complicated enough as it is, and we both know I''m off limits. Get your head in gear and do not let Laura know I mentioned her name in this conversation.¡±
¡°Laura? The quiet one?¡±
¡°Warm, stable, caring, and with a wicked sense of humour, and only quiet around you.¡±
¡°You''re sure?¡± Lilly heard the hope in his voice. It was pathetic really, she thought, how fickle mens'' hearts were.
¡°Please, Dwight! I''ve been trained to watch people, notice things, since I was like, seven years old. She might as well have your photo in a locket round her neck. Maybe she does, I don''t know. She also likes Mexican food, like someone else I could mention. Do you want me to set the two of you up, or do you want to try to handle it yourself?¡±
¡°I don''t think I ever managed to get more than two words out of her, Lilly.¡±
¡°So, you''re saying you''re interested?¡±
¡°I tried, Lilly. I''d sort of given up.¡±
¡°You''re saying that you''ve been flirting with me for the last few months on the rebound from her?¡±
¡°I''ve not been flirting with you! I''ve just been trying to act naturally, and make it sort of natural that we''d be seen talking, to preserve your cover.¡±
¡°May the good Lord give me strength! Can I call her now?¡±
¡°What would you say?¡±
¡°Leave that to me. Have you eaten yet?¡±
¡°Well, a few sandwiches at the party.¡±
¡°Right. Please allow matchmaker Lilly to arrange your love-life, and keep the rest of your evening free, and your stomach empty.¡±
¡°It''s gone nine O''clock, Lilly!¡±
¡°So stop delaying me! I''ve got an important call to make.¡±
¡°Hi, Laura!¡±
¡°Hi, Lilly. What''s up?¡±
¡°First question, have you eaten, and second question, how do you feel about missions of mercy?¡±
¡°I was just about to fix myself something. How can I help?¡±
¡°It''s really big favour, so feel free to tell me to get lost... Dwight.¡±
¡°Dwight? What about him?¡±
¡°You do like him, don''t you?¡±
Laura was quiet, ¡°Don''t you?¡±
¡°Oh, he can be funny, but no. Not like that. I''ve just burst his bubble, told him to stop flirting. He claimed he hadn''t been, not really.¡±
¡°Oh? That''s news to me!¡±
¡°So, Laura, will you please do me a favour and let him buy you a Mexican tonight?¡±
¡°How does that do you a favour?¡±
¡°Stops him being confused, keeps him a colleague without him trying to work out how to mess up my future.¡±
¡°You''re not saying you think he''s vindictive, are you, Lilly? I don''t think he''s got a vindictive bone in his body.¡±
¡°No, I don''t think that, sorry, it didn''t come out right. It''s just... my life''s a whole lot more complicated than you think. Dwight and me getting involved might wreck things entirely. He knows that and I know that, but that didn''t stop him acting like he did.¡±
¡°So, the secret meeting you two had during the party wasn''t for kissing and cuddling?¡±
¡°Ha! I told him! No. No they weren''t. He gave me some work to do. I''m working part time for his department, he''s sort of my boss in that, has been since before I started working in the office.¡±
¡°So you''ve told him to give up on you and you want me to... what, pick up the pieces of his broken heart?¡±
¡°Not really broken. Like I say, he knows I''m off limits. Really, I''m just match-making, and helping him separate work from romance.¡±
¡°I really don''t understand why you''re ''off limits'', Lilly.¡±
¡°Well, for starters, but don''t share this around, please, I''m a citizen of the People''s State of the Beautiful Peninsula, sent here by will of the Great Leader to learn the deceitful and oppressive ways of you capitalist imperialists, in the same programme my parents were.¡±
¡°I thought... But... you just said you''re working with Dwight''s department?¡±
¡°Yes. Don''t spread that around either, please. That little fact getting to the wrong ears might earn me a bullet in the head.¡±
¡°You''re like... defecting?¡±
¡°Shhh. Dangerous word.¡±
¡°And he knows all this?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Wow. That''s quite a lot of trust you''ve just dumped on me.¡±
¡°You''re a friend, Dwight''s a friend, and in case you''re wondering, he doesn''t mind me matchmaking.¡±
¡°I never know what to say to him.¡±
¡°So, get him talking, gaze into his eyes...¡±
¡°Lilly!¡±
¡°Look, I''m really not the one to ask, you know. But you could try teasing him.¡±
¡°What about?¡±
¡°Laura, you are the expert at the well aimed jibe. Dwight''s got a brain, let him meet yours.¡±
¡°I don''t think I can go through with this, Lilly. I''m going to get tongue-tied like I always do.¡±
Mexican Restaurant, near U.N. offices. 9.30pm
¡°You two owe me one huge favour.¡± Lilly said, looking at the menu she was expected to pick from. ¡°I don''t know how you managed to talk me into this.¡±
¡°Look, you said you were matchmaking, and you did name the restaurant.¡± Laura pointed out.
¡°Yes. So, I made the match, set you up on the date, you were supposed to leave me out of it entirely.¡±
¡°Oh, don''t worry, Lilly, we''ll only force you to eat Mexican a few more times.¡± Laura said.
¡°Don''t you like Mexican food, Lilly?¡± Dwight said.
¡°I thought you two had, like, known each other for years!¡± Laura asked.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
¡°We have.¡± Dwight answered. ¡°How can anyone not like Mexican?¡±
¡°Dwight, it''s about the first thing I learned about Lilly! This is Lilly, she likes potatoes, not rice, not corn.¡±
¡°I don''t even see any chips.¡± Lilly said.
¡°Tortilla?¡±
¡°''All our tortillas are freshly hand-made from the finest corn''¡± Lilly quoted the menu. ¡°Don''t potatoes grow in Mexico? They must.¡±
¡°Of course they do.¡± Laura asked.
¡°So where are they? I can''t see a single thing with potatoes.¡±
¡°Why come to a Mexican restaurant and order potatoes? You can get them everywhere.¡± Dwight asked.
¡°You can get rice everywhere. To be precise, in some places you can''t get away from rice. I''ve been there. Rice for breakfast, rice with rice for lunch, rice and rice for dinner, or on a good day, rice and fish. Fish I can handle, assuming it''s been cooked properly. Rice? No thanks. Here, I notice, you can get rice. It''s not native to Mexico, but they seem to like it. Potatoes, being a South American crop, if I remember my geography lessons, ought to be native to Mexico, therefore they should figure in Mexican cooking, therefore potatoes should be on the menu, no?¡±
¡°OK, now, calm down Lilly.¡± Dwight said, making calming gestures.
¡°Really, Lilly, you know you''re making too much of a fuss, aren''t you?¡± Laura said.
¡°Of course I am. Spicy Mexican chicken with rice, spicy Mexican beef with rice, spicy Mexican pork with rice, Chilli con carne with rice, or corn and don''t get me started on corn. Where''s the nice slice of Un-spicy mexican beef with Mexican potatoes?¡±
¡°Fajitas aren''t usually spicy. What''s wrong with corn?¡± Dwight asked, inadvisedly.
¡°Dwight!¡± Laura said ¡°I''m sure Lilly has her reasons, and we don''t really want her telling the whole restaurant, do we?¡±
¡°No we don''t. So, Dwight, distract me from the violence I''m tempted towards and tell Laura all about your most embarrassing moment.¡±
¡°Well, I was on this first date with a beautiful girl I really like and she brought this friend of us both as a chaperone, only it turns out the friend really hates rice and corn.¡±
¡°You forgot chilli powder.¡± Lilly added, ¡°One time in three it brings me out in a rash. Before today, Dwight.¡±
¡°It''s embarrassing.¡±
¡°That''s why you''re supposed to share it on your first date. After that it means you can talk about anything. Well known fact.¡± Laura lied confidently.
¡°Gulp.¡±
¡°I could tell Laura about the Pizza Incident.¡± Lilly offered.
Dwight blushed, looking around, ¡°Urm, you don''t need to, Lilly. Let''s save that for somewhere less public. OK, Urm, my most embarrassing event I can share in public... I think that would be the high school summer ball.¡±
He told the tale in all its gory details, and had them both in fits of laughter by the end of it. Red faced, he said, ¡°OK, Laura, your turn.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Lilly interposed, ¡°You don''t want to embarrass your date, do you?¡±
¡°What about the well known fact? Sharing your most embarrassing thing so you can talk about anything?¡± Dwight asked.
¡°Oh, I just made that up.¡± Laura said, with a sweet smile.
¡°You made it up?¡±
¡°Good story though, you''re a very good story teller. Did it really happen like that?¡±
He looked hurt ¡°It did. And I''ve never told anyone all those details.¡±
¡°Oops.¡± Lilly said. ¡°I think, Laura, maybe you should...¡±
¡°Sorry, Dwight.¡± Laura said waving at Lilly to stop, ¡°I''ll share something. Not because I have to follow some kind of invented advice, but because I do want to be able to talk about anything. Heaven knows, I''ve been embarrassed about asking you the time before. So maybe it will help.¡±
At that moment, the waiter came to take orders, and Lilly heard him think [I must ask her.] But it wasn''t thought in English. She hid her thoughts, just in case. What a complication! Was he a loyal servant on the program, or had he left home the other way? She decided she''d have to test him. That settled, she asked him. ¡°Do you have anything without chilli powder, rice or corn?¡±
¡°They are allergies?¡± he asked. He''d had strange questions like this before.
¡°The chilli powder is a mild allergy. Rice, I''ve eaten enough of for three lifetimes, corn brings back memories of bad times.¡±
¡°Corn was the same for me.¡± He said then switched languages, ¡°You are from the Beautiful Peninsula?¡±
¡°I am.¡± there wasn''t much point denying it. ¡°I own my life to the corn, but it was not a good time.¡±
Ten years ago, the rice harvest had failed badly, with rice expensive, the government had bought the cheapest alternative for the starving population: maize destined to be cattle feed. They had declared it to be all the fault of the capitalists, of course, nothing to do with an over-stressed monoculture, a command economy, and someone in the ministry experimenting with skimping on fertilizer.
¡°I will talk to the chef, I am sure the fajitas can be without the chilli, and we have fried potatoes on the children''s menu.¡±
¡°Excellent, yes please!¡± Lilly exclaimed, then added as she would have at home, ¡°I thank you for your generous service to your fellow servant of our great leader.¡±
His expression showed his surprise, which didn''t give much away, though his face paled a little. But his thoughts! Oh the decisions in his thoughts were very clear. First he decided if she was calling herself that, she must be his worst nightmare ¡ª a loyal servant in the spy programme. Next he decided he didn''t want to go out with this girl after all.
¡°I thank you for giving me the chance to serve.¡± he replied the standard reply, belatedly, but either forgot to add ''a fellow servant.'' or perhaps he just couldn''t bring himself to complete the lie.
After he''d left, Dwight asked quietly, ¡°What did you say to the poor guy, Lilly?¡±
¡°You want the whole conversation?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡± Laura asked.
¡°He asked if I was from home, I said yes, he commiserated about the memories corn brings back, you heard him make a wonderful recommendation, and I thanked him for serving me. Which is probably the bit you''re thinking of. He didn''t quite go as white as a sheet, but...¡±
¡°What''s wrong with you thanking him?¡± Laura asked.
¡°Not everyone from Lilly''s home is here with their great leader''s blessing. Dwight said, perceptively. ¡°I did hear you mention him, didn''t I?¡±
¡°Standard thank-you:''I thank you for your generous service to your fellow servant of our great leader.'' Maybe it reminded him too much of home. But like Dwight says, maybe it was a bit of a nasty shock for him.¡± Then Lilly thought of something else. ¡°Dwight, his pronunciation''s perfect. No accent.¡±
Dwight got the hint immediately, and nodded. Maybe the waiter would like an occasional job in the propaganda department.
In the kitchen, the waiter delivered the order and, that task done, he found a quiet corner, sank to squat on his heels, and buried his head in his hands, as panic set in. If he ran, she''d notice, and she''d probably report him. If he stayed, she might question him more, ask where he was from, find out his name. Why had he spoken to her? A pretty face from home? Was that all it was? What a reason to need to flee.
¡°Hey, youngster, what''s up?¡± It was the manageress.
¡°Client outside, from home.¡± as if that explained everything. ¡°I don''t know what to do.¡±
¡°The one I saw you chatting to? Ask her out, boy.¡±
¡°You don''t understand. She''s one of them. A party member.¡±
¡°What''s her politics got to do with anything?¡±
He shook his head. ¡°You don''t understand. She''s dangerous.¡±
The manageress wasn''t totally dumb. ¡°Look, youngster, you''re not at home now. You''re safe.¡±
¡°Not very.¡±
¡°You think she''s going to kill you, or something? She looks harmless to me, just a girl out with her friends.¡±
¡°Maybe not herself, she could send someone.¡±
¡°Has she threatened you? Should I get the police?¡±
¡°No! It would just confirm everything to her!¡±
¡°Then go back to work!¡±
¡°She''ll question me. I reacted badly.¡±
¡°I''m not giving up on you, kiddo, but you can''t stay here. Stop cluttering up the space here and wait in my office a bit, OK?¡±
She''d recognised Dwight: he was a regular customer, and she knew he had some kind of official status ¡ª he''d sometimes come in with a UN badge on.
¡°Excuse me, sir, I''m the manager, I''m very sorry to interrupt your evening, but I''ve got a little problem I think you can help me with.¡±
¡°Let me guess.¡± Lilly said, before Dwight could answer. ¡°Your waiter is quivering in terror and indecision, because of what I said to him.¡±
She''d been doodling something on her serviette since the waiter had left. ¡°Dwight, go with the good lady. I think this might help calm him down.¡±
¡°What is it?¡± Dwight asked as he got up.
Lilly smiled, ¡°These things are letters, and they go together to make words, and put them together there''s something called a message. And this bit here is a little picture of a man serving fish on rice.¡±
Dwight shook his head, and accepted the note. He''d met Lilly''s cryptic ways before. She knew far better than he did how to not get herself in trouble. He followed the manager into her office.
¡°Jo, this is one of our regular customers, I know he sometimes wears a UN badge, OK? I really doubt that he''s going to get you killed. Maybe you can talk to him.¡±
¡°Hi, I''m Dwight, your manager''s right, I do work at the UN. My colleague thinks she might have scared you, and sends you this.¡±
Jo, the waiter, looked at the Lilly''s note. It was puzzling, but not threatening. ¡°Dwight''s OK. He doesn''t give me rice or corn. Oh, and there''s no way I''m dating you, until I know you better, sorry. No one can give-food two at once.¡± Then, at the bottom, there was a symbol he sort of recognised: A man carrying some fish on what was meant to be two plates of rice. To people not in the know, it was a variation on the symbol of a fishing fleet. He''d never seen it drawn with two plates, but to those who did know, like him, he could see one of the plates was heart shaped. In a heart ¡ª her''s she presumed ¡ª fish: Icthus, Jesus Christ, God''s Son, Saviour. So why two plates? What was this about ''give-food two'' It wasn''t even grammatical? Was she using the symbol differently?
¡°Do you know what it means?¡± Jo asked.
¡°Probably something cryptic. She likes to be cryptic.¡±
¡°I think one thing it says is she''s a Christian.¡±
¡°You''d have to ask her.¡± Dwight said.
¡°You said she was a colleague?¡±
¡°Yes. She''s a translator at the U.N. I''ve known her a few years. I''m pretty sure she''s not going to try to get you killed or abducted or anything.¡±
¡°She used the greeting as though she were a follower of the great leader, if she''s a Christian, she can''t be a party member.¡±
¡°Why not?¡± Dwight asked.
¡°Because Christianity''s illegal.¡±
¡°She''s lived in this country quite a long time. Six or seven years.¡±
Jo looked at Dwight, trying to understand what he was or wasn''t saying. ¡°She came fresh out of indoctrination camp, you mean?¡±
¡°She''s mentioned it. I don''t know the exact timing.¡±
¡°So she is a party member.¡± the fear came back.
Dwight shrugged and took another line. ¡°She said you''ve got a perfect accent. If you''d like to earn some money, sometimes the U.N. produces films in your language. Here''s my card, if you''re interested, get in contact, OK?¡±
¡°She knows this?¡± Jo looked at Dwight in shock.
¡°What?¡±
¡°That you make propaganda.¡±
¡°Oh, that''s an ugly word. We make informational films.¡±
¡°And she knows?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°This is complicated.¡±
¡°Oh, she''s probably one of the most complicated people you''re likely to meet. But given what you now know what I''ve told you, you can see why, when meeting someone from home, she has to use the expected greeting.¡±
¡°She writes that she''s not going to go out with me until she knows me a lot better. Is that some kind of code?¡±
¡°It''s certainly not one that I recognise. Today she told me she wasn''t going to go out with me, full stop. Maybe she thinks the world is full of people who think she''s attractive.¡±
¡°She is.¡± Jo said, looking through the half-silvered glass of the office at Lilly laughing with Laura.
¡°I know.¡±
¡°So, if I came and helped on these films of yours, would I meet her again?¡±
¡°It''s possible.¡±
¡°So that might be why she wrote it? To encourage me to start work with you?¡±
¡°I wouldn''t dare to say for definite, but it doesn''t sound like her.¡±
¡°But if it''s not that, and it''s not code, then why would she write it?¡±
¡°Does it leave you with the thought that she''s going to kill you?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°So maybe that is all it''s meant to do. Be reassuring like that.¡±
Jo stopped to think for a while before asking, ¡°If a beautiful woman you''d first met five minutes before sent you a message saying that she''s not going to go out with you unless you get to know her better, would you find that reassuring?¡±
Dwight tried to put himself in that position. ¡°Well, not in general, but I''m pretty sure she''s not planning to get anyone killed. Is that all she wrote?¡±
¡°No. She said you''re OK, you don''t give her rice and corn. Which I didn''t understand before, I thought it was her not liking them. But it''s more subtle and clever than that, I think.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
¡°You''re not like the ''great leader'' back home who gives us subsistence food and expects us to be grateful for it.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
¡°And then there''s the bit where she writes that you can''t give food, I guess serve is the best translation. You can''t serve two... Oh, I''m stupid! I get it.¡± It was a quote, obscured by mis-translation: ''You cannot serve two masters'' Jesus said. The man with two plates was serving two, you can''t do it. He looked and saw what he''d thought was the man''s teeth were cutlery. It all fit together. A party member wouldn''t quote scripture.
¡°That''s good. I don''t.¡±
¡°She''s not going to get me killed.¡±
¡°I told you that.¡±
Then Jo remembered the rest of the quote. ''You will love one and hate the other.'' She was God''s servant and the great leader''s, and she hated the latter. Jo looked at the piece of paper, in horror. It was deadly.
¡°You are her friend. You should take this, destroy it.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Dwight was surprised.
¡°If I understand it right, it''s her death to write such things.¡±
¡°But you might not understand it properly.¡±
¡°It all fits, well, most of it.¡±
¡°But your crisis is over?¡± Dwight asked.
¡°Except for this note.¡±
¡°Come. Why don''t you give it back to her yourself?¡±
¡°I thank you for your message and return it to you.¡± Jo said.
¡°Keep it.¡± Lilly said, closing his hand over it. [I don''t suppose you hear me?] he didn''t.
¡°But...¡± he was shocked.
¡°It''s just some doodles.¡± she pointed out.
Jo said, ¡°But to even imply...¡± Lilly heard him think: you can''t say you hate the great leader. She let go of his hand and pointedly pulled her lace glove back on.
In her mother tongue she said, ¡°I didn''t say that. It''s all just in your thoughts.¡± then she switched back to English ¡°I thought you''d find some comfort in my doodles, that''s all. I''m glad I was right.¡±
¡°Your doodle mentioned getting to know each other better.¡± he stuttered. Had she just replied to his unspoken thoughts?
¡°Well, such things are possible, aren''t they?¡± she said, non-committally. ¡°I expect I''m going to be rather busy for the next few months.¡±
¡°Might I know your name?¡± he asked.
¡°That''s a bit forward isn''t it?¡± she asked pointedly. ¡°I don''t normally tell waiters my name.¡±
¡°I''d like to pray for you.¡± he said, by way of explanation.
¡°And do you do that often? Offer to pray for people?¡± she asked.
¡°No. I''m used to not being open about my faith in Jesus.¡±
¡°Dangerous thing to do, where we come from.¡±
¡°Not as dangerous as some other things.¡± He glanced at the note in his hand.
¡°Jo!¡± the manager called, ¡°Do I need to deliver these myself?¡±
He tore himself away from their table and went back to work.
After they were leaving the restaurant, Dwight asked Lilly ¡°Why didn''t you tell him your name?¡±
¡°Because I don''t know him.¡±
¡°But you wrote about going out with him.¡±
¡°He brought up the subject.¡±
¡°I didn''t hear him say anything about that.¡±
¡°I did.¡± Lilly said.
¡°When?¡±
¡°Just after he''d decided I was his worst nightmare.¡±
¡°Lilly, sometimes you really confuse me, you know.¡±
¡°He doesn''t know, does he, Lilly?¡± Laura asked.
¡°It doesn''t look like it, no.¡± Lilly agreed. ¡°He''s not a very observant man.¡±
¡°I still like him though.¡± Laura said.
¡°That''s entirely up to you.¡±
¡°Hey, I''m still here!¡± Dwight pointed out. ¡°So what was that about him keeping the note? And why was he so worried about it?¡±
¡°Too public.¡± Lilly declared.
¡°OK. Tell me sometime, OK?¡±
¡°Sure.¡±
Jo got back to his flat late. The manager had wanted to talk to him. She was a good woman, concerned for her staff, and wanted to know what had worried him so much. It had taken a lot of explaining.
He looked at the paper serviette again, trying to recreate the events of the evening. The beautiful, complicated girl must be a thought-hearer. She''d heard him decide he wasn''t going to ask her out; that had to be it. That had triggered her writing that she wasn''t going to go out with him. He hadn''t ever learned her name, but it didn''t really matter, he supposed. He could still pray for her.
After that, he looked at the serviette once more. She''d said keep it, but it was too dangerous to keep. It might have some of her DNA on it. He took it outside his home, burned it, and ground the ashes to powder. As he did, he prayed that she might stay safe, and that he might meet her again.
Lilly finished the voice over at about midnight, and crashed into bed. Why had she told Jo to keep that note? He''d been right, it was dangerous.
Too late to work that out tonight though.
Monday evening, Embassy of the People''s State of the Beautiful Peninsula
¡°Lilly is a dutiful daughter.¡± the ambassador repeated to his wife, after he''d watched the video.
¡°The voice-over provides a lot of information.¡± his wife said, with a sparkle in her eye. ¡°I wonder who the male voice is.¡±
¡°He is certainly very sure of himself.¡± the ambassador said.
¡°So is our daughter. If I understand well, I think she is resisting his banter.¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°But her cover would be stronger if she does not stay aloof forever.¡±
¡°But this man could be the one who she will need to ask for the passports,¡± he warned.
¡°An excellent catch, then.¡± she said.
¡°No, no, it does not work like that there, or here, for that matter. If there is romance he probably could not get the passports. It would be seen badly.¡±
¡°Oh yes, this stupid regard for fairness?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So, she resists him for good reasons then.¡±
¡°Very good reasons.¡± he agreed ¡°You think it will work?¡±
¡°I don''t see why not.¡±
Association / Ch. 20: Interview
Association / Ch. 20: Interview.
Wednesday, 24th Jan.
Ralph knocked at Maria''s office door.
¡°Come in, Ralph, how can I be of service?¡±
¡°Slightly unusual request from the U.N.''s information department.¡±
¡°Oh, yes? What do U.N. propaganda want from us this time?¡±
¡°A truth-sayer.¡±
¡°Really Don''t they have any there?¡±
¡°They don''t know, and they''re not particularly happy about that. They know we''re a lot more organised than they are in that respect, and they''ve got an interesting case. Passport application. And actually we know a bit more about it than they do, or at least, more than they''re telling, based on joining a few dots. Here''s the brief.¡±
Maria read the report. ¡°Thought-hearer already acting as a double agent, eh? No wonder it''s tricky.¡±
¡°Yes. The People''s State ambassador''s just been gloating about his dutiful daughter being a translator at the U.N., and we know his son is visiting him, too. So its almost certainly her.¡±
¡°So, the U.N. would like us to provide someone to question her and see which handler she''s really loyal to?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I think we can probably help out there. How soon do they want the interview?¡±
¡°Well, as soon as possible, really. There''s the other question.¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Whose passport does she actually want. U.N. doesn''t care, she might not know she''s got an option. If she wants ours, which might make sense, given the politics, having someone able to interview her on the spot would be good, too.¡±
¡°Someone from auditing would be best, don''t you think, if there happened to be one nearby?¡±
¡°Oh, certainly! I didn''t think they travelled.¡±
¡°Some do. I''ll just talk to the threesome, see if we can borrow one of their rising stars. Can you wait outside?¡±
¡°Oh, of course.¡±
Maria rang the triumvirate''s office and got Helen Pew.
¡°Hi Helen. Question for you; about one of your rising stars.¡±
¡°Oh, yes?¡±
¡°Name begins with V. Truthsayer. She''s arrived, I presume?¡±
¡°Yes. We''re giving her some days to get over jet-lag before she starts on the exchange programme.¡±
¡°Excellent! Can the U.N. borrow her to interview someone? They want a truthsayer.¡±
¡°Is she one? Officially, I mean.¡±
¡°No idea. I know I asked that everyone in Security get themselves registered. Whether she had time or not, I don''t know.¡±
¡°You''re happy with the security of their database and procedures, I presume?¡±
¡°Yes. I know most of the founding members, they''ve had the right training, they''re suitably paranoid and they won''t let me see who''s on the membership list, for example.¡±
Helen laughed. ¡°Doesn''t that irk?¡±
¡°Not really. It shows they''re applying need to know. What I''m not sure about is if one of us should put the request to her directly, or if it should go via their channels. I tend to think the former, since we''re not just requesting any truthsayer.¡±
¡°Oh, certainly. There''s a particular reason it needs to be her?¡±
¡°It needs to be someone who can keep secrets. We know she can. Full briefing is also need-to-know, but the interviewee is female.¡±
¡°Our info, or U.N?¡±
¡°Mixture, but they''re sharing, at least partially, and forgot to ask us if we could add anything. Not that ours is particularly secret.¡±
¡°Oh lovely! Yes, good call. I presume you''re going to feed her the info somehow, so you might as well handle the assignment.¡±
¡°I will, assuming you can let me know contact details for her.¡±
¡°I thought you knew everything, Maria.¡±
¡°I try not to, Helen. That''s your job.¡±
Helen laughed, and forwarded the information.
¡°Thanks.¡±
¡°It''s not going to be traumatic, is it?¡±
¡°Shouldn''t be. She''s just hoping for a new passport country.¡±
Vivian looked blearily at her ringing wrist unit. She recognised the number: Security. She also looked at the clock so much for only having half an hour''s nap.
¡°Hello?¡±
¡°Hello, Vivian. Maria here, sorry for waking you up.¡±
¡°How did you know I was asleep?¡±
¡°Your voice. Was it a rough night?¡±
¡°Oh. Yes, it was, well, short. I''ve just slept two hours when I planned to grab thirty minutes doze.¡±
¡°I presume you''re in a secure place, then.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Great. U.N. want a truthsayer. First question, did you get a mask, and second one, would I be able to persuade you to go have a little chat with a young lady down at the UN headquarters?¡±
¡°Yes, and when?¡±
¡°Sometime in the next twenty-four hours, soon as possible really.¡±
¡°OK. So, excuse my confusion, is an official truthsayer outing, or something for Internal Security?¡±
¡°Yes, both. Well, it''s pretty much an Auditing interview really. She''s planning on transferring her allegiance, getting a passport in a free country. She''s strongly suspected of being a thought hearer, and this is where it gets exciting, she''s been at the U.N. with the blessings of her current passport country as spy-cum-ambassador in training, but has actually been covertly working on U.N. propaganda. But her spy-handler has just told her to drop the ambassador idea, get involved in the propaganda side of things and get a passport for herself and her eighteen year old brother, and be a permanent spy. She''s apparently been quite open about this with her boss in the propaganda department, but since her spy handler''s her mother, there''s not exactly going to be a clean break with her past. U.N would really like to know where her loyalties really lie. Oh, the other bit of news is that her dad is the ambassador here, and her brother''s here at the moment. It''s entirely possible that this is an attempt by the parents to get the whole family to defect, when they think the kids might still be loyal, alternatively it might be a way to keep the kids out of a future war. Either way, it''s complicated by them growing up in a country where hiding true emotions, pretending to be loyal when you''re not and so on is very much a survival skill. Having been through their spy school she''s probably even better than most.¡±
¡°Wow! That is a challenge!¡±
¡°So, like I said, it seems like a job for an Auditor, who also happens to be a truthsayer.¡±
¡°It does. Anything else I should know?¡±
¡°Probably. Oh! I''m just being reminded: she may not realise this, but since it''s a U.N. guy she''s talking to, she can ask for a passport from pretty much any free country. If you pass her, then offer her one of ours, it''d save her an interview. If there is going to be a war, then given that we''ve got one of the better relationships with her home country, she might be prefer us to some of the other countries, who are probably suggesting turning her homeland into a radioactive wasteland about now.¡±
¡°Have I missed something dramatic on the news?¡±
¡°Not made it to the news yet, praise God. Intelligence reports are that there was almost an attempt at a first strike while the world was watching the interceptor go off course.¡±
¡°Eeek.¡±
¡°Exactly. The dreams gave us enough clue to let them know they wouldn''t get away with it. But she knows about some of it at least, so you can talk to her about it too, if it helps.¡±
¡°Thank you. So, all I need to do is make sure she''s telling her contacts at the UN the truth, then if she passes, offer her and her brother a passport, and of course talk about the chartered association of truthsayers, and how we''re a friendly people?¡±
¡°Exactly. Personally, I''d take about a month on part one and still not be sure. I''ll give you the contact details for the right person at the U.N.¡±
¡°What would the U.N. guards think about me turning up in my mask?¡±
¡°I have absolutely no idea. You can name an alternative location if you like, but given how sensitive the discussion is going to be...¡±
¡°Yes. I''d like a nice safe interview room.¡±
Wednesday, late afternoon.
¡°Lilly? Can I have word?¡± Dwight asked.
¡°How about ''orange?''.¡± Lilly replied.
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°You wanted a word, that''s one.¡±
Was she teasing? He tried again ¡°Can you and I please have a private discussion?¡±
¡°Oh? Why didn''t you say?¡±
¡°I did.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± she replied, keeping a straight face.
When she was in his office, he said ¡°Your application for a passport...¡±
¡°Refused?¡± she asked, going pale.
¡°No, but I got grilled yesterday. Summary is you''re too good at keeping me guessing, and running circles round me. Like the orange.¡±
¡°Sorry. It was a joke.¡±
¡°I thought so. But I wasn''t sure.¡± He shrugged. ¡°So you''re going to be interviewed by someone else in excruciating detail, I''m afraid. It''s out of my hands. An expert''s coming to try and analyse where your loyalties really lie.¡±
¡°Excruciating detail doesn''t sound pleasant. It means torture, back home.¡±
¡°No! They won''t torture you.¡±
¡°So, some kind of long complex lie detector test?¡± she asked.
He shook his head. ¡°Too easily fooled. Your own fault really. They''re going to set one of your sort on you.¡±
¡°What, a woman?¡±
¡°That too. A thought hearer.¡±
¡°Oh, you worked that out, finally?¡± a smile crept to her lips.
¡°Yes. They''re apparently sending a fully-fledged truthsayer, complete with ''let no lies pass'' mask, and she knows you have that capability too.¡±
¡°Do you think I''ve been lying?¡±
¡°I think you''ve been ridiculously open with me, but your mother thinks you''re her dutiful daughter. You''re convincing one of us a pile of lies. In other words, you''re a double-agent. I''m pretty sure it''s her that''s getting fooled, but... You know?¡±
¡°Yeah, I''m too good at hiding things, aren''t I? From myself too. Like why did I leave the waiter that serviette?¡±
¡°The waiter? Don''t know. He wanted to give it to me, you know. I thought he should give it back to you.¡±
¡°So, after I went home, what happened?¡±
¡°Ask Laura.¡±
¡°She''s not here.¡±
¡°I walked her home.¡±
¡°Romantic. And then?¡±
¡°Then I went home.¡±
¡°What, she didn''t invite you in for a coffee?¡± Lilly teased.
¡°No!¡±
¡°No lingering kiss on the doorstep?¡±
¡°Lilly!¡±
¡°Not even a `let''s do this again?''¡± she asked, in desperate tones.
¡°Actually...¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°There''s an opening for a chaperone this evening.¡±
¡°Why do you need a chaperone? Afraid that Laura''s going to ply you with her feminine charms, clutch you to her ample bosom and lead you to ecstatic union?¡± she teased.
¡°It''s times like this when I don''t know if you''re a Christian or not.¡±
He could have slapped her with less effect. Far less, he was sure. ¡°I''m a Christian.¡± she said in a small voice. ¡°I''m a Christian who''s so used to acting that I confuse my friends and dishonour my God. Sorry. No wonder you don''t trust me.¡±
¡°I trust you, Lilly. I just...¡±
¡°Can''t work out when you''re seeing the real me?¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°And tomorrow, within a couple of hours, I''m supposed to convince someone with ''yes be yes, no be no'' on their face that I''m not deceiving anyone except my parents. And if I can''t convince them, then I''m in serious trouble, aren''t I?¡±
¡°The interview has no set end time, the interview room has been booked for the whole day. You have the whole day off translating. If further days are necessary, that can be arranged.¡±
¡°Is that supposed to reassure me?¡±
¡°I hope so. We know you''re complicated, Lilly. We''re giving the truthsayer time to do her work.¡±
¡°I hope you''re paying her well.¡±
Thursday morning, 25th Jan.
One thing that Vivian had decided was that civil service black just did not go with the mask. She tried another outfit entirely. A modest, full skirted dress in a toning blue, with it she tried a warm hooded cape in dark-red wool that she''d found at the market the day before, and black leather gloves. She looked in the mirror. Yes, it was very much the look she wanted: the mysterious lady of power.
On the way, she''d attracted a lot of stares, and a little boy, egged on by his big sister came up to her and ask her ¡°Can you really read my mind?¡±
¡°If you decide something about me, I''ll hear it. If we touched, I''d hear what you''re thinking.¡±
¡°Where are you going?¡±
¡°Some important people want to know if someone is lying or telling the truth. I''m going to help them know the truth.¡±
¡°I like your dress, but how can you see out?¡± he asked.
¡°It''s not a full mirror, I can see through them.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°Any more questions?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°And you don''t want me to listen to what you''re thinking?¡±
He shook his head violently.
¡°''Bye then!¡±
The gate guard had been forewarned, but his eyes still popped out of their sockets when she rounded the corner. ¡°Hello, Ms. I understand you won''t give me a name, but I do need to verify your identity.¡±
Vivian handed over her truthsayer I.D. ¡°I''m registered truthsayer 415.¡±
¡°There''s five hundred of you?¡± he asked, in horror.
¡°Not yet. It''s more random than that.¡± she scanned her fingerprint. It verified correctly, of course.
¡°Oh. That''s a relief.¡± he said, returning her I.D. to her.
¡°Is it? Do I intimidate you?¡±
¡°Not at all, Ms.¡± he fibbed.
¡°You just decided to lie to me.¡± she said, shaking her head in sadness. ¡°May I go in?¡±
¡°Yes, Ms. Entrance three, level two, you''ll be in interview room thirty five, but there should be someone waiting to show you the way.¡±
¡°Do I need a visitor''s badge?¡±
¡°Oh! Yes, sorry.¡± He handed it to her.
¡°Do you believe in God?¡± she asked.
¡°Yes, Ms.¡±
¡°I''d appreciate your prayers. If I make a mistake today, it could ruin an innocent person''s life.¡±
¡°I''ll pray, Ms.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
She swept on, and he watched her go, before remembering that he needed to ring the receptionist at Information.
¡°There are two ways this can work.¡± Vivian said, as she sat down opposite Lilly. ¡°The normal way is that someone else asks the questions, and I say whether you''re telling the truth or not.¡±
Lilly looked around the room, the receptionist had left them alone. ¡°Are they hiding?¡±
¡°No. They want me to do it the other way. I have to ask the questions too. According to the pay-scale, that puts my fee up by a factor of five, and they have to sign a disclaimer that it''s not my fault if I don''t ask a critical question.¡±
¡°Wow. So, today could make you rich?¡±
¡°Unfortunately, I''m a civil servant, and I''m here at the request of my government.¡±
¡°No big pile of money?¡±
¡°None at all.¡± Vivian said, then added. ¡°And I was supposed to have today off, too.¡±
¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°Not your fault.¡±
¡°Is that normal civil service uniform?¡±
¡°No. I thought it went well with the mask, though.¡±
¡°It does.¡±
¡°So, tell me about your emotional state.¡±
¡°My emotional state?¡±
¡°Yes. Are you stressed, worried, dreaming up ways of trying to mislead me, thinking you can hide your thoughts until you lose the power?¡±
¡°How do you know I''m hiding?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°I''m pretty sure I would be, in your situation.¡±
¡°That''s why you''re not making contact?¡±
Vivian shrugged, ¡°There''s not much point, is there?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°I expect you can control your expression, can''t you? Decide whether to react to shock or not, decide whether your eyes dilate or not when you hear something surprising? If you can do that, you can almost certainly control almost all of your surface thoughts too.¡±
¡°How do you know I can do that?¡±
¡°I know I can. And your life depended on that sort of control far more than mine ever did.¡±
¡°You''ve been briefed about me.¡± Lilly said.
¡°A little. I got about one page of information about you. I didn''t read it all.¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Is it all true?¡±
¡°I don''t know what they wrote. Maybe not.¡±
¡°So, tell me.¡±
¡°Tell you what?¡±
¡°Who is Lilly? But first, there''s not much point hiding, so come out of the mud.¡±
¡°Mud?¡±
¡°How do you think of where you are when you hide?¡±
¡°I crouch in darkness.¡±
¡°Interesting. The ground swallows us. Have you ever been stuck?¡±
¡°Yes. It is terrible. The darkness holds on to me, and I have to fight for the light. I pray for God to give me light, and he has answered my cry. But if my heart is full of darkness, like now, I doubt, and I cannot bring myself to pray.¡±
¡°If you are trapped in the mud, you make a bubble around yourself. The bubble is shiny, and the mud cannot stick to it. By itself it floats to the surface.¡± She paused ten seconds, ¡°Are you still hiding?¡±
¡°I am stuck.¡± Lilly said, fear in her voice, and her heart. She''d never been stuck when feeling so far from God.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
¡°You think the darkness clings to you?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°No. You are a bubble, surrounded by the light of God.¡±
¡°There is darkness in me, I sin too easily, I shame Jesus.¡±
¡°Have you trusted him with your life? Repented of your sins, and asked him to be your Lord?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Then do not believe the devil''s lies, sister. If you have repented of your sins and trusted in the name of Jesus, then God has removed your sins from you as far as East is from the West, and the Lord of Light lives in you.
"The darkness cannot overcome light, the light in you repels the darkness. You are the light of the world, you have no business hiding under a basket.¡±
¡°I am out, thank you.¡±
Vivian held out her hands. Lilly didn''t hesitate to accept them.
[I saw the true Lilly, she was scared, and ashamed.]
[Truth.]
[Is she ever anything else?]
[I don''t know.]
[You think perhaps you live the masks you make for yourself?]
[Yes.]
[My poor sister, you have my compassion.]
[They think you can tell who I am, which is the real me? Dutiful daughter or care-free cryptic defector? Here I am one, talking to my parents I am the other. How can you tell, when I do not know myself?]
¡°Let''s start at the beginning.¡± Vivian said, breaking hands. ¡°Tell me about your family, your childhood, but first, let''s talk to God who knows all and reveals mysteries.¡± Vivian prayed, thanking God for Lilly''s faith in the cross as well as her own and that they had this time together to talk about important things, then asking that God would make clear to both of them who Lilly was at heart.
¡°I... I didn''t expect this.¡± Lilly said, close to tears.
¡°That I''d be a Christian?¡±
¡°That too, but even if you were, that you''d be so... blatant about it. If someone told me this room had never had an interview in it that had started with prayer I think I''d believe them.¡±
¡°I guess the culture here and in my home are little different, I''ve only been here a few days, and I''ve already shocked people by talking about God at the place I will be working. So far, I''m able to excuse myself by saying that I''m a new Christian. But I don''t want to bottle up what I believe.¡±
¡°How new?¡±
¡°I turned from all my sins on New Year''s eve.¡±
¡°Wow. That is new. But you seem really confident in your faith.¡±
¡°God is real, why shouldn''t I be?¡±
¡°Sorry, I mean, you''re not hesitant to claim promises for me.¡±
¡°Should I be?¡±
¡°No. Just... I don''t know. Did you grow up in Church?¡±
¡°Not at all. But I was very familiar with the power of the spirit world.... I turned from darkness to light, and I''ve seen God at work.¡±
¡°At home, it is frowned upon to believe in spirits, and illegal to claim they have power or to be a Christian.¡±
¡°But you became one there?¡±
¡°No, no. But my little brother did. My first rebellious act: I didn''t denounce him, or his classmate who convinced him of the truth.¡±
¡°So, how did you become a Christian?¡±
¡°Fresh out of indoctrination camp, age sixteen, I was sent here, to see for myself the decadent lives of you capitalistic imperialists, how you treat one another with contempt and the poor and foreign are downtrodden. But I was met with love and acceptance and curiosity by classmates. I''d been taught to listen without showing disapproval, as befits a spy or an ambassador, and so I listened. I was here to learn, and I learned. They invited me to a church meeting, and claiming to myself that I was being brave to expose myself to such poisonous teaching, I went. But I also knew I wanted to hear what had made my brother take such a risk.¡±
¡°And?¡±
¡°The speaker was a visiting speaker originally from home. I guess they knew that, so I won''t claim it was a coincidence. He contrasted the regime I knew with the kingdom of God. He wasn''t denouncing the regime, or demonising it, like I''ve since heard some people do, or attacking it even, he merely used it as an illustration, and he also tried to show people the good in it as well as the bad. I found myself agreeing with everything he said about home, and I was persuaded that I wanted to me a citizen of heaven.¡± Lilly laughed, ¡°The people who took me were openly disappointed in his style. I think they''d expected more thunder and condemnation. It was actually rather hard to tell these keen Christians that he''d convinced me to pray the prayer by the end of the sermon. But it certainly shut them up when I did.¡±
¡°So here you were, with your illegal faith?¡±
¡°And my brother stuck back home.¡±
¡°You love him a lot, don''t you?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°But... I don''t understand something, your government sent you out here alone?¡± Vivian asked, and touched fingers with Lilly.
¡°No. There were four of us. There always are, each year, the top four are chosen, each to keep an eye on the others.¡±
¡°No one older?¡±
¡°No. It is a test of leadership and loyalty as well as an education. They do not want to have an obvious leader, so they send out the four best and brightest, each vying to show themselves the most loyal, the most dedicated to the cause.¡±
¡°What happened to the other three?¡±
¡°Two of us very secretly became Christians, the other two secretly became lovers, and neglected their studies. They took too many risks, in all respects. She became pregnant, and I noticed. I had no choice, not really, I had to denounce them. But I talked it through with them, and convinced them they must denounce themselves too. So, before I finished talking to my controller, they did to her controller, sought forgiveness from the great leader and honourable marriage. So they went home in semi-disgrace, not total. Although they were in disgrace they were still loyal, and stupidly, the other Christian hadn''t foreseen that they might be sent home. He''d been trying to convince them to turn to God too. When they got home, they denounced him. I got instructions to execute him.¡±
Lilly stopped, surprised that there''d been no reaction from Vivian at all. ¡°You do have a lot of self control, don''t you?¡±
¡°Yes. What did you do?¡±
¡°In my mother''s eyes, I was still a dutiful daughter, dedicated to the great leader, but, there were suspicions. Why had I confronted them before I denounced them? So I had to take a video of the execution. But he didn''t know he was in danger, and he was stronger than I, so there was time to prepare. I talked it all through with Mother, and she told me which drugs to buy to make him compliant. We agreed that I was to take him to beside a river, one dark night, give him the drugs, make him get in a big sack with weights in, shoot him in the head, through a pillow to muffle the sound and push him into the river. It all took quite a lot of arranging.¡±
¡°But you made a convincing video?¡±
¡°Very. Lots of mess on the pillow to show mother. Getting the pig into the bag and stay there was difficult, but it certainly thrashed appropriately when shot.¡±
¡°Where is he now?¡±
¡°I''ve no idea. He hadn''t known what was happening, you see. Total realism.¡±
¡°How did you substitute the pig for him?¡±
¡°I''d prepared everything before-hand, of course. I''d told him that we needed to talk, out by the river where no one could hear us. I was waiting for him just where I''d got the pig. But it was dark, and I had the torch. I''d set up my wrist unit so it could video me drugging him with a cup of hot chocolate, him getting all woozy and obedient, me sentencing him, then I kicked him out of the shot, saying I didn''t want to hear another word from him, picked up my wrist unit and took it to the pig instead of him.¡±
¡°What happened next?¡±
¡°Well, I did a convincing job of being about to throw up just before closing down the link to mother, and then I helped the poor guy get his clothes back on, and explained the realities of life to him: he had been executed for his faith, added to the ranks of martyrs, at least in the minds of the party members back home and the video would probably be shown to his family, too. So he needed to disappear or we''d both be executed properly. He got the idea immediately. But... if something had gone wrong, if the pig had somehow not been there... would I have killed him? I don''t know. What kind of monster am I?¡±
¡°A scared young woman, forced to do terrible things. You are no kind of monster, Lilly. So that is why your mother is sure about you? Because in her eyes, you denounced one friend and executed another?¡±
¡°I think so.¡±
¡°Does anyone here know these things about you?¡±
¡°Urm, probably not. I told one person when I started working here, but whether it went on file, I''ve no idea. She''s not on staff any more.¡±
¡°So far, Lilly, I can say that you are loyal to your brother, loyal to yourself, and loyal to God. I can also say that you are disloyal to your upbringing, at least where it conflicts with one of these.¡±
¡°How do you know that''s not just a story I''m telling you?¡± Lilly asked.
Touching Lily''s hand, watching her eyes, but focussed on her heart too, Vivian asked, ¡°Is it just a story?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Truth.¡± Vivian declared, to any microphones listening.
¡°I might have been lying in my mind.¡±
¡°But you weren''t.¡±
¡°How could you tell?¡±
¡°Because I''m good at this. One of the best.¡±
¡°You don''t sound very proud about that.¡±
¡°Not much to be proud of. I have a past in which my actions were far worse than anything you''ve confessed to so far. God understands, Lilly, the depth of sin in the hearts of men. Weeps with us when we find ourselves caught in temptation, and he answered your prayer about the pig not grunting.¡±
Lilly looked at her in amazement ¡°I thought of that?¡±
¡°I think I just caught the edges of it. But I would have guessed that you''d pray that anyway. The only sensible thing to do.¡±
¡°So, where does that leave us?¡±
¡°Exploring your attitude to your home, I think. And your attitude to this country, and your attitude to other countries within the U.N.¡±
¡°Why the latter?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°Because assuming I pass you, you don''t need to ask for a passport from this country.
"You might not realise it, but you''re applying for U.N. asylum, not a particular country. If I pass you, then, for instance, you could decide that the capitalist imperialists here are a right bunch of godless warmongers, whereas the nice people where I come from are a peace-loving people who don''t want to see your homeland reduced to radioactive rubble.¡±
¡°You''ve heard about that, then?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°I presume your father told you my king is hoping for direct talks with your great leader.¡±
¡°Please don''t call him my great leader.¡± Lilly asked. ¡°Yes, father did tell me. I didn''t realise any of that.¡±
¡°Nor did I, until I was told. Just so you know, I am authorised to offer you and your brother a passport if you pass my interview. Also, if you pass my interview, I''m expected to offer you the possibility of applying to join our little club of people with blue masks. Though, of course, what you wear or not is up to you. You''d have some more interviews, but I don''t think they''d be very hard for you to pass.¡±
¡°Slow down, please. You''re saying that you think I might become a truthsayer?¡±
¡°Why not?¡±
¡°Because half my life is a lie.¡±
¡°Ah, well, now. Is it? Is it really? You''ve been hiding certain things from your mother. But that''s hard for you, isn''t it? I think you actually love truth, and thats why the thought that you''re living behind a mask is so painful for you.¡±
Lilly shook her head in amazement. How did this woman know her so well? ¡°You''re not going to tell me that you''ve heard me think that, surely?¡±
¡°Does it sound true?¡±
¡°It does.¡±
¡°How many lies have you told me?¡±
¡°None.¡±
¡°Why not, if your life is all lies?¡±
¡°Because... you''re anonymous, maybe? I don''t know.¡±
¡°There are advantages to this mask.¡±
¡°I think I''d like to be friends, where no masks are needed.¡±
¡°Would it disturb you if I took mine off?¡±
¡°What about your disguise?¡±
¡°It''s more there to protect you than me. If you don''t think you need its protection, nor do I, at least, not in here, with you. I think I''d like to keep my abilities a secret, normally, in case I end up working with people from here, and what I can do make them feel uncomfortable.¡±
¡°I don''t understand. How does your disguise protect me?¡±
¡°It means we can meet in the street, or at church, or anywhere, and you won''t ever know it was me that knows all about you, when you don''t even know my name. Which, by the way, I won''t say aloud, here, because I''m assuming there are microphones.¡±
¡°That makes sense.¡±
¡°But they might not be turned on, you never know. I forgot to ask.¡±
¡°You don''t find microphones inhibiting?¡±
¡°No, I''m used to them. I find them reassuring, actually.¡±
¡°You do? Why?¡±
¡°Because, in my normal line of work, it''s very nice to be able to say ''shall we check the recordings, so we can see what I actually said?''¡±
¡°What''s your normal line of work?¡±
¡°Probably better if I don''t tell you. If someone wanted to check how many people there are, in this country from mine, doing my job...¡± she shrugged, ¡°It''s not a long list at all.¡±
¡°And we then cut it down to young women...¡±
¡°Exactly.¡± Vivian agreed. ¡°So, Lilly, would you like me to stay anonymous?¡±
¡°I think so.¡±
¡°OK.¡±
¡°Any questions?¡±
¡°Your King is really a Christian?¡±
¡°Yes. As is his wife, the next in line, Prince Albert, and his wife, Eliza. And I don''t know if you heard, but the king''s father could hear thoughts, as can Eliza''s father. From which we''re supposed to predict that there won''t be any laws which makes it uncomfortable to be a thought-hearer.¡±
¡°You said Eliza''s father can hear thoughts? I thought I read that God had removed it from him.¡±
¡°Yes, to both. But he turned from his sins and God restored the power to him.¡±
¡°Wow. He turned... That must have been something to witness.¡±
Vivian shrugged. ¡°It was a bit pitiful, really. He realised his whole life had been built on a lie, that he''d ruined his life, his lover''s life, his relationship with his daughter, all for nothing at all. All that pride, turning to ashes. He thought he was special, but found out that he wasn''t so very special at all.¡±
¡°You sound like you were there.¡±
Vivian touched fingers [I was, almost. I told ancient truths that convinced him that I was more steeped in evil than he ever was, made him grovel before me and mercilessly smashed his pride. You lied to save a man, I spoke of my days as a witch as though they were still present, concealed my faith and boasted of my past sins to disarm a monster and purge my government of people he had corrupted. I did not deny my faith, nor pretend I had none for long, but he did not initially believe my profession of faith. I tell you this, so that you know I understand the lure and power of darkness and masks. You do not need to think of me as a friend, I will understand.]
[You were a witch?]
[I was proud, vain and callous. I cursed, and people died. I chanted spells and fires rose. I was corrupt and I corrupted others, and will bear the scars on my body and soul until I die. But God in his mercy saved me. Blessed be the name of the Lord.]
[Amen.]
[So... it''s not coincidence my government sent me. They knew you were unlikely to shock me.]
[Can I ask... you are very sure that God has forgiven you.]
[I am. He granted me... what you might call undeniable evidence.]
[A personal miracle?]
[Yes.]
[No wonder you are confident in Him.]
[It is confidence-building, but it is also a temptation to laziness. I know God loves me, I know he''s real. Do I really need to go to a church, to mix with people I don''t know? To shake their sweaty hands and listen to their ignorant decisions that I must be a visitor or that I''m worth getting to know, or in one or two cases maybe I''d make a good wife for their son?]
[I''ve had the same. It''s not nice being new, is it?]
[No.]
[I invite you to my church, truthsayer whose name I do not know. It is bigger than I would like, but does not have thousands.]
[You are sure?]
[I am sure.]
[Would I make them flee if I shared my past?]
[I hope not. I don''t know. I am not scared of a sister in Christ.]
Vivian broke contact and tried to wipe her eyes; Lilly''s open acceptance of her brought tears to Vivian''s eyes. She realised this was a design flaw in the masks. ¡°This mask isn''t meant for people who cry easily.¡± She remarked.
¡°I don''t think you do.¡±
¡°Wait a moment, please.¡± Vivian turned away and, while she wiped her eyes, she decided to cheat. She had no real doubts, but she checked for Christians in the room. Two. So, unless Lilly had a clear reason to risk martyrdom, she shouldn''t go home. So, why make Lilly go through any more of this uncertainty? Well, unless it was helpful to her. Sitting down and linking hands, she asked ¡°Lilly is talking like this helpful to you?¡±
¡°Urm, maybe. Why?¡±
¡°I''m utterly convinced you''re a Christian. I''m therefore convinced you have lots of reasons not to want to go home. That''s not quite enough for what I''ve been asked to check up on. I''m just thinking, I could just set you some difficult moral challenges, and listen to you working your way through them, in which case we might be finished with that side of things in half an hour, maybe, and then maybe there''s be another half an hour''s questioning. Or if you prefer we could carry on exploring your past and your different reactions to things that have happened while you''ve been working here, your thoughts about all sorts of issues, that sort of thing. More of a counselling session if you like. That might help you more, I don''t know. I''m happy either way. Or we could pick and mix.¡±
¡°Either way you work out how Lilly thinks?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°But the second way, I get to learn it too, in a more solid way than I do now?¡±
¡°I''d hope so. I''m not an expert, so I might need a bit of help, but that''s no problem.¡±
¡°How...¡±
Vivian gestured to her wrist unit. ¡°I know a number which would let us bring a psych-counsellor on line. I''m sure they wouldn''t mind chatting, assuming they''re free, if you don''t mind the invasion.¡±
¡°The invasion?¡±
¡°They wouldn''t be asking you to blurt your innermost thoughts across the international network.¡±
¡°I''m not sure you''re making much sense.¡±
¡°Think of a number between fifty five and fifty eight.¡± Vivian asked with a smile.
¡°Fifty seven.¡±
¡°Very well done, you''re up to date.¡±
¡°I don''t get it. Hold on... you''re saying the fifty-six is now fifty seven?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And you have their contact number?¡±
¡°Privilege of having the blue mask, Lilly.¡±
¡°Ooh, envy envy! No, maybe not, actually. Not the sort of thing you want to misuse, that sort of access.¡±
¡°Not really.¡±
¡°But it would be nice, occasionally, to have someone peer inside my brain to find out what''s going on there.¡±
¡°Shall we talk about that, might it help?¡±
¡°OK.¡± Lilly talked about her discussion with Jo, and her refusing to take the note back.
¡°So, on one level, you needed to touch his hand to know if he could hear thoughts?¡±
¡°Well, needed is a bit strong. I wanted to. But, why didn''t I let him give it back when he argued?¡±
¡°Pure pig-headed stubbornness?¡±
Lilly laughed, ¡°Maybe. That makes as much sense as anything else.¡±
¡°So, for some reason you felt you wanted to be vulnerable, like you''d made him feel? A sort of self-destructive repentance?¡±
Lilly shook her head. ¡°I don''t think I''m suicidal.¡±
¡°So, are you a romantic? The beautiful spy sends a cryptic note which could doom her...¡±
¡°If I was after him, why would I not tell my name?¡±
¡°Ah, now that might have been self-defence reasserting itself, don''t you think?¡±
Vivian cheated and saw what had been going on: wary attraction, and wanting... fairness in their relationship, if there ever was going to be one.
¡°Possibly.¡± Lilly said.
¡°OK, look at it this way: You shattered his emotional balance, shook him up terribly, and to reassure him, you made yourself utterly vulnerable and placed your life in his hands. Your note hinted at a future together and yet, when you saw he might be falling in love with the mystery lady, you pushed him away. What does that say?¡±
¡°I don''t know.¡±
¡°Might it not be rationality reasserting itself? You''re emotionally not ready to start a relationship with this guy you''ve hardly met, and you''re saying ''Don''t rush me dude, I did write that you''d need to get to know me much better.''¡±
¡°But he can''t get to know me better, can he?¡±
¡°Not unless you meet him again. But that note plus your name? That sounds really dangerous to me.¡±
¡°So, I''m not falling in love with him.¡± Lilly sounded relieved.
¡°Oh, you might be, but I think the note was about saying, yes we both know I can get you dead, now you can reciprocate. In other words, a certain level of trust, but withholding your name was displaying good sense.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°All part of the service.¡± Vivian quipped.
¡°You know, I''m really confused about something.¡±
¡°Ask away.¡±
¡°Your country... Are you capitalists or are you not capitalists. I mean, here, it seems like everyone is doing it for the money. OK, maybe not their king, but pretty much every one else, even the staff here.¡±
¡°Ah, well, the staff here aren''t technically part of their government, but yes, it does seem a little different here. They haven''t quite got the same commitment to service we have.¡±
¡°Could you explain?¡±
¡°I can try... Here, you sign up to the army or the civil service for five or ten years, I don''t know exactly how long it is in different parts of government, and for those years you serve your country. You''re supposed to stay entirely at their disposal, not really form any links to anywhere, and they move you around a lot, so you can''t, not really. They work hard, since there''s not much else to do, since they only have work-friends, but they''re on the look-out for relationships and places where they might be able to settle down eventually. After they''ve done their however many years, the government says thank you very much, you can get on with your life now.
Some people stay longer, but no one expects it to be for their entire life. So, they''re thinking about what they can do when they leave, and how much money they can earn and so on. Except for the people who thrive on change, it''s a step on the way somewhere else, and the people who thrive on change keep the whole system going. Does that make sense?¡±
¡°Yes, I think so. What about you?¡±
¡°We prefer stability, I guess. When I joined our civil service, then I got to choose roughly where I''d live, and what I''d do, within reason. Though I must admit some parts of the service aren''t nearly as flexible about location as my department. We look on the relationship as interwoven duties: I have a duty to do my job, the government has the duty to feed and clothe me, provide me with housing, and so on.¡±
¡°And money doesn''t matter?¡±
¡°No much. Oh, I don''t get as much money as my counterparts here, but almost all of mine is disposable income. Unless I don''t look after my flat, in which case it gets cleaned for me and I get charged, and so on, but as long as I''m not damaging state property, my pay is pretty much for extras, hobbies, giving away, holidays, that sort of thing.¡±
¡°And what about saving for when your time is up?¡±
¡°Retirement you mean? The state continues to look after my needs.¡±
¡°You''re saying that it''s a permanent position?¡±
¡°Yes. Well, I can move department if I or my supervisor thinks its a good idea. But I expect to be in the civil service until I retire or die.¡±
¡°That sounds decidedly socialist.¡±
¡°Is that a bad word? It''s a contract, I serve, they meet my needs. If I don''t serve well, then I get in trouble, possibly moved to another job without so many responsibilities, less money, and so on. If I really fail, then I might be sent to prison for breach of oath. But other than that, they have a loyal worker and I have peace of mind.¡±
¡°So the money element is there, there is reward, but it''s not like you need to think what happens when you finish, because you don''t?¡±
¡°Exactly. We don''t have a very large civil service, most people like the idea of deciding where they''ll live, being able to swap jobs when they want to and so on. I''ve traded some of those freedoms for security. It was my choice and I''m happy with it.¡±
¡°OK, and the U.N. system is a bit of a hybrid, I guess. We get reasonable pay, a flat, and the job is mine for as long as I keep doing it well.¡±
¡°After which you''re thrown on the rubbish pile?¡± Vivian prompted.
Lilly looked at her, a new thought dawning. ¡°OK, so maybe I am a downtrodden worker after all, I''m just blinded by the nice home and the pay-packet.¡±
¡°I think you''ll find the U.N. system is pretty much a standard employment contract, Lilly, but with a home included in the package. In other words, it''s competing in a capitalist-style job market. There''s nothing holding you to your job, not really, you could tell them you''ve found a better one, move out of your flat and on one would be sent to prison. If I wanted out of the civil service... Well, it''s possible, but it involves a very very complex procedure, including calculating how many hours you''ve worked compared to the value of your home and your pay and your training, and paying the state for your training if you''ve not done enough hours. Or I could commit an appropriate crime and lose it all very quickly indeed.¡±
¡°You know, I can understand your system a lot better than I can the one here.¡±
¡°You''re used to a socialist system.¡±
¡°But your system is a mixture?¡±
¡°Sort of. In some ways, they''re both actually a throw back to an even earlier system: slavery, but without the bad bits. I think the difference between all three systems comes down to the rights of the worker. Under extreme slavery, the worker had no rights to property, life or even over their body, but they could expect food and shelter, and often had freedom of religion. Under age of chaos socialism, the workers normally had some kind of property rights, some kind of right to life, no choice of where they worked, and only limited freedom of religion, but could expect food, shelter and health-care. Under every U.N. recognised system, people have full rights to property, life, religion, and so on, but the question of food, shelter, healthcare and choice of work are a bit variable. Here in capitalism central, you''ve got no right to expect food, shelter, medical treatment beyond absolute emergencies and total freedom of where you work. I''ve chosen to swap freedom of work for a more socialist care package.¡±
¡°But I don''t have that ''care package'' do I?¡±
¡°No. If you stay here, you need to think about putting money into insurance schemes for health problems or accidents, and saving for future problems like losing your job, and getting old, because the state won''t help you much if at all. If you joined up to the state system here, the state will only help you as long as you''re in the system, and again you need to plan for old age and the rest. I expect you were supposed to learn the horror of this for the old and infirm and run back home where you knew you could retire in dignity.¡±
¡°I was. I thought I''d escaped because this job comes with health care and a nice flat, but I was na?ve about the future, wasn''t I? That''s scary.¡±
¡°Why? You''re what, twenty one?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Many people don''t start saving for retirement until they''re much older than you.¡±
¡°Yes, but what of my little brother? I was thinking that he could stay with me, and I could provide for him at college, but I''d forgotten about the medical insurance side of things, and needing to save for the future. I''m not sure how good his English is either, so he might need language courses when he gets here. I''ve got enough saved for that but that would mean I have no reserves...¡±
¡°Welcome to the worrying world of capitalism, Lilly. You have maximum freedom and maximum worry.¡±
¡°If I asked your country for a passport, might there be an opening for a spy-trained translator in your civil service?¡±
¡°I don''t know. You really want to leave your current job?¡±
¡°Not really. But if I did, what would that mean for my brother?¡±
¡°If you did get accepted for the civil service, then for as long as your brother is dependant on you ¡ª which normally means until he''s finished university or has got a full time job ¡ª then he''d be able to stay in your state-provided flat, get state-provided health care and so on. But it all depends how much you like your freedoms.¡±
¡°I''ve never had freedom to choose my job ¡ª I was instructed to get this one if I could, and I don''t like the thought of having the freedom to lose it.¡±
¡°But you''re also working for the information department.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So if for some reason the U.N. stopped being interested in what''s happening in your home, then perhaps you''d still have a role there?¡±
¡°I doubt it.¡± Lilly said. ¡°If they''re not interested in home because it''s been turned into a radioactive disaster area, then they''re not going to want to send propaganda there either, are they?¡±
¡°Lilly, the U.N. doesn''t work that way.¡±
¡°No?¡±
¡°There hasn''t been a U.N. sponsored war since the end of the age of chaos.¡±
¡°But the country attacked then was a paranoid socialist state just like home, as I''ve heard many times in the dining room here.¡±
¡°True. But I still don''t think anyone''s going to drop any nuclear weapons from the U.N. side. But I do need to talk to you about your attitude to the place you keep calling home.¡± Vivian cheated once more. It was an important question. She saw all she needed to to offer Lilly the passport, and some dangerous things for Lilly''s faith.
¡°That''s an emotive word, isn''t it? Is it wrong to love a country, when you hate it''s leadership?¡±
¡°Hate is a very strong word for a Christian, Lilly.¡±
¡°The leader is evil, the system is evil, the people who serve the system... are trying to survive.¡±
¡°Might the leader himself not also be trying to survive?¡± Vivian suggested.
¡°He has set himself up as a god, and accepts no rival, regularly people are killed, taking the blame for things he himself suggested.¡±
¡°Does that sound to you like he lives in terror of then the people discover he is not perfect? Just a thought. So, let me ask you some questions.¡±
¡°Go ahead.¡±
¡°Suppose you found out that there was a plan to assassinate the great leader while he was on a visit to, say, a fertiliser factory.¡±
¡°Explosives factory, you mean.¡± Lilly corrected.
Vivian shrugged. ¡°Let''s suppose there''s actually one that only makes fertiliser.¡±
¡°OK.¡±
¡°Your controller says she''s heard of an assassination plan, but not where.¡±
¡°I''d say, yes, there is a plan, I''d tell them I have been learning about it. I have just found out that the assassination will take place when he visits the bicycle factory where most of the time they make long thin bicycles with just one thick-walled straight tube, a trigger and no wheels.¡± she mimicked shooting. ¡°I''d tell her ''You might hear about a plot where the assassination will take place at the fertiliser factory. That''s a decoy, in case someone finds something out, but a week ago I helped them translate the plans for that so called fertilizer factory. Someone had even written fertiliser factory on the top of the plans. I didn''t know what it was about then, and I do not know where they got them from. But this so-called fertiliser factory has a factory floor with a lot of lathes, and other machines for working with metal and no vats of chemicals. I pointed this out to them, and they said they know, it was a joke, but they were annoyed that I''d seen it.''¡±
Vivian was impressed. ¡°The stuff about the decoy, that was self-defence?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Your face showed no signs that your were making that up on the spot.¡±
¡°Thank-you.¡±
¡°OK. Next one, last thing I''m required to do by the system here. Oh, does your mother know of your ability?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°OK. You get told you have a special mission to serve the great leader. You must take a certain ferry on a certain date, and will be met by a courier. I will play the courier.¡±
¡°I understand.¡± Lily said.
¡°No, you don''t. I am sorry, I don''t like it, but I have to try to make this realistic.¡± Vivian said.
¡°You mean you will be aggressive, try my dedication?¡±
¡°I will try to make it realistic, you have no information about the meeting. You must try to react as you would in a real situation. If that means you''d decide to kill me, then I''d appreciate it if you didn''t actually strike the killing blow, but I''m prepared for some bruising. You''ll have time to prepare yourself. It is cold, the deck of the ferry is empty except for you, everyone else is inside. You have been told to wait beside the railing near the front. Can you help turn the table over? We''ll turn the legs to the wall and it''ll be the railing.¡±
Vivian had argued this through with the UN representative the day before. She wasn''t happy about doing it, but they had more experience with double agents than she had, and felt such a crisis-confrontation was the only reliable test. They wouldn''t be satisfied with anything else. It would either be Vivian or one of their agents. They''d thought Vivian might be able to add an extra level of assurance, and when she''d agreed, they''d provided a rather gruesome video sequence to back up what she had to say. But mostly she wasn''t going to rely on those.
¡°So I must treat this as absolute a test as at indoctrination camp?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°I don''t know what those were like, but I expect so. Now, as you prepare yourself, imagine it is just two weeks from today, not much has changed. You have passed this interview, and been granted the passports, your mother still thinks you are her loyal daughter, your brother is still staying with your parents and you are starting to work on a script for a propaganda film that will detail all the errors of judgement that the ''great leader'' has made over the past decades, and who has paid the price.¡±
¡°Sounds like a good film.¡±
Vivian shrugged. ¡°I''m going to pray for a bit, as I prepare to be someone I''m not. You prepare however you like. You need to be yourself, of course.¡±
¡°But if you''re an agent from home, then...¡±
¡°You need to react as you would to such an agent, but you need to live it like it''s real.¡±
¡°You''re going to tell me my brother''s a defector and things like that.¡± Lilly accused.
¡°I''m giving away nothing.¡± Vivian said, exercising perfect muscle control.
¡°It''s a standard test for double agents. You''ll show me faked pictures of my loved ones dead or in trouble, try to make me reveal who else is a defector, and so on, and you''ll be doing it in English so I''ll know it''s not real. Which way do you want me to play it? I passed it both ways when I was at home.¡±
¡°Against a truthsayer?¡±
¡°No, that adds an extra twist.¡±
¡°So, you may play it any way you feel appropriate. I will of course, on one level be seeing if I can catch you being disloyal to the great leader. On the other level, any secrets you reveal will be counted against you.¡±
¡°I need to play it both ways, you mean?¡±
¡°Isn''t that just life for a double agent?¡±
Lilly sighed. ¡°Yes. OK, so, I''m going on a boat ride. I hate boats.¡±
Association / Ch. 21: All part of the Service.
Association / Ch. 21:All part of the Service.
Thursday morning, 25th Jan. Interview room, U.N.
Vivian grabbed Lilly''s right arm, violently. [You are very convincing as a defector, Traitor!] she thought to her, in Lilly''s mother tongue. Vivian had been asked to to start this part of the interview with the phrase, but although she had a good ear, her tongue wasn''t as cooperative. Mind to mind, though, it was quite easy to repeat something she couldn''t have said; there weren''t all the normal problems of getting her tongue to move in the right places. They''d sent her recordings of other phrases as well, and she''d memorised them last night, and revised them again on the way here.
Lilly was too stunned at hearing the opening lines, in her mother tongue, with perfect accent, to think coherently.
Switching back to English, Vivian thought to her, [Or are you going to say that it was all lies? And can convince me of that?]. She continued [We''ve been suspicious since someone thought they''d seen that traitor Lee alive. So much for the supposed proof of your loyalty, and now you''ve confirmed you didn''t kill him, and share his treachery.] Lilly had given the name of her ''victim'' at her first interview. [Thank you for confirming that your mother was still loyal. I saw more proof of that recently, of course.] Switching back to Lilly''s mother tongue she thought another prepared phrase to her: [Do you really think an agent can''t pass herself off as a Christian? Foolish girl!] Back to English [I fooled people at the Truthsayer Association too, of course... It was ever so easy, they''re just so trusting! And the great thing about the mask is you didn''t even suspect! So, can you convince me you''re loyal?]
Lilly didn''t answer, Vivian could hear spurts of thought, but nothing coherent. Vivian laughed, scornfully and thought [Poor, poor, traitor Lilly! So, tell me, where''s that waiter and what''s his name? I think you''ve told me everything else. Oh, I forgot, you needed to see this first, didn''t you? True evidence of your mother''s loyalty!] Vivian was ready to send Lilly her memory of the video clip they''d wanted her to send or show, depending whether Lilly could hear thoughts or not. The sequence showed Lilly''s mother leveling a pistol to the head of her brother, him crying ''Mother, please, No!'' the gun firing, him falling dead. It was a terrible thought and Vivian had a moment of clarity, imagined Lilly''s anguished pain at the image, how it might damage her, and didn''t send it; she couldn''t bear to. Instead she checked Lilly''s thoughts, saw the sense of betrayal, and absolute terror at Vivian, who she''d trusted, turning out to be her worst enemy. Lilly was doubting everything, and Vivian saw that the darkness Lilly had battled with earlier was gaining strength, threatening to overwhelm her sanity. To send those images, she realised would be the most terrible thing she could send to Lilly, applying the torture method of a thought-stealer, and leave her wounded, possibly for life. Vivian recoiled from the hurt she''d caused. She was a TRUTHsayer! She had taken a vow!
¡°NO.¡± Vivian said aloud, snatching her hand from Lilly. ¡°This is a lie, and I am a TRUTH-sayer. Let NO lie pass! I will NOT continue with this. Sorry, Lilly, I didn''t want to, but they told me I had to, and I almost tortured you more, all for their silly forms. It was just some memorised phrases to jolt you off guard, and lies.¡±
Tears ran down Lilly''s cheeks, shaking her head in confusion. ¡°More lies! How did you know Lee''s name?¡±
¡°Your first interview. You gave his name that time, and the person you told wrote it all down.¡±
Lilly stared at her, terror behind the tears in her eyes.
Vivian pulled off her mask. ¡°Lilly, look at my face. Does anyone from your home look like me? I shocked you with a words you weren''t expecting, and then almost fed you a nightmare. I will not torture you like that. It''s needless. By the way, the self defence from that situation is to hide your thoughts. If you''d hidden your thoughts it wouldn''t have worked at all, you know: I can''t make my mouth pronounce the words I thought to you.¡±
¡°Nice explanation. How do I know it''s true?¡± Lilly asked, beginning to calm down.
¡°My face isn''t evidence enough?¡±
¡°No.¡± Lilly said.
¡°I didn''t think it would be, somehow.¡± Vivian said. ¡°I argued with them that if I was convinced by what I heard, that should be good enough. They said no, you needed to be brought to a crisis point, where if you were loyal to home you''d seek to prove it. I was supposed to show you a fake-memory picture of your mother killing your brother. I''m not going to do that. I''ve already hurt you enough.¡±
¡°I''d probably have killed you.¡±
¡°You''d have tried. I had your wrist, remember?¡±
Lilly looked at her, still looking like a betrayed animal in a cage. ¡°I can''t trust anything you say. Get away from me.¡±
¡°What I obviously could do is walk out of your life, but you''ll have a nagging doubts, I expect, at least until your brother is safe in your hands. Not to mention nightmares. I''m sure you''d have nightmares if I had hit you with that picture.¡±
¡°I was ready to kill you.¡± Lilly repeated.
¡°You can still try if you really like.¡± Vivian offered, shaking her head. ¡°I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have even started it. I''m here in my role as a truthsayer, not as a liar and thought-stealer. And it''s a pointless test. It doesn''t prove anything! I know you''re no agent for back home. I also don''t want you making a decision on what passport you get based on being afraid of me. In reality I''m only scary to the bad guys.¡±
¡°You sure scared me.¡±
¡°I know. And I''m very sad I did it, and glad I stopped it before I sent that image. They don''t trust my abilities, so they send me to torture you. I won''t.¡±
¡°You said yourself, I could trick you.¡±
¡°Not quite. I just said there wasn''t much point holding hands all the time.
I have no doubts that your faith is real, Lilly. And the greatest lie in what I said to you was that you can''t tell when you''re talking to another believer. That should have alerted you, actually.¡±
¡°It was so unexpected, you thinking those words at me.¡±
¡°I know. That''s part of their method, to set you up for one situation, and then throw a totally unexpected one at you.¡±
¡°I don''t know if I can trust anything you say.¡±
¡°Trust this.¡± Vivian closed her eyes, and prayed aloud. ¡°Father God, I don''t know if I sinned against you in testing Lilly as I just did. But I know I sinned against the trust that had grown between us. I know I hurt her. You know my reasons for doing it that way, Lord, my hope that it would hurt her less, coming from me. Help her forgive me, for her sake, not for mine. Don''t let that bitter root grow up. Forgive me for not being braver and rejecting the test entirely. Thank you that I have no doubts about her faith in you, or about her dislike of the way her country is governed. I pray Lord, that you''ll strengthen her faith, watch over her heart, soul and mind, and help her find...¡± Vivian hesitated ¡°... true wisdom for all her decisions.¡±
Lilly listened to Vivian''s heart-felt prayer. She could trust it, she realised. But also, she was puzzled. ¡°You didn''t pray for peace.¡± she observed.
¡°No. I didn''t. I almost did,¡± Vivian admitted, ¡°but It''s actually something I try to be rather careful about. May you present you needs to God with prayer and supplication, Lilly, and may He guard your heart and mind from every attack and scary thought.¡±
¡°I''d really like to know what''s wrong with praying someone with an incredibly troubled mind finds peace.¡±
¡°I guess.... I guess it all ties into me being a bit of a coward, to not standing up to people who have authority and no faith. I''m sorry, I can''t explain the link, really. And how can I pray you''ll have peace when it was my decision that lead to you not having it? But there''s more than that.¡±
¡°You''re saying that if you were braver you could have avoided putting me though that... nightmare?¡±
Vivian nodded. ¡°Maybe. I don''t know. They acted as though they have their forms and rules and they wouldn''t have paid me any attention to my evidence unless I leapt through their hoops. It was either me, or someone else. And that''s what I told myself. But... I could have tried talking to someone face to face, or to someone else. If there was someone else. I just don''t know.
But if I''d hit you with that sequence I''d have to turn myself in for torture. I''ve broken my vow as a truthsayer, going that far into it.¡±
¡°You stopped the lie.¡±
¡°It occurs to me now that I should have just refused to even start it.¡±
¡°But there would have been doubt about me. They want certainty.¡±
¡°They''ll have only a partial record of what happened, Lilly. Even if they have been recording. They accepted that I''d be using mind-to-mind communication. No, they suggested it! But I wonder if they''d thought it through. How could they see what I saw? Your terror at what I was saying? If they want a repeat performance...¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°Claim political asylum from our embassy. You don''t need to go through another version of that again, or any other loyalty test.¡±
¡°You''re certain.¡±
¡°Lilly, you were almost ready to kill me because you thought I was a genuine agent of your homeland and I''d heard all you said, and yet still wanted more out of you. Even you must accept that if you''d been a real agent yourself, you''d have told me the name of the guy, for all that I''d called you a traitor.¡±
¡°True.¡±
¡°But I''d already established that you weren''t loyal to your home regime, see?¡±
¡°But they wouldn''t accept your testimony.¡±
¡°Exactly.¡± Vivian agreed. ¡°They called for a truthsayer, but when they got me, I''ve just worked out that basically they said they''d only accept my testimony if it was against you, unless I smashed my vows, acted like the very opposite of a truthsayer, and then tortured you for their entertainment. I''m really really sorry, I should have been braver, made far more of a fuss. Called my supervisor back home or ambassador or something. I''m really really sorry, for putting you through any of that, Lilly.¡±
¡°I forgive you.¡± Lilly said.
¡°I should have known better.¡± Vivian hung her head.
¡°Hey, Truthsayer friend, It''s OK. You didn''t let the lie pass, and you didn''t hit me with the image. I''ve been through worse, really.¡±
¡°So have I, I guess, but that doesn''t make it right to put you through it.¡±
¡°What was your worse time?¡± Lilly asked, curious.
¡°Hmm. Probably the time just before I came to faith. I knew I''d upset the demons I''d been worshipping as ''spirit guides''. I went to start my car, the doors locked and the engine didn''t start. That''s how people died who left the coven. I''d heard rumours, it gets diagnosed as poor maintenance: an electrical fault. The car doesn''t start, then you unlock the doors and boom. You open the windows, boom. You do anything. Boom.¡±
¡°What happened?¡±
¡°One of the fifty-six led me to Christ, remotely, while a guy who''d ''just happened to come along'' who knew car mechanics and had a full tool box tied a glass-breaking tool spike onto a long pole. When he was finished with his long-distance glass-breaker, I was a new Christian, not nearly as afraid of death. He broke the glass and I dived out and we both rolled to safety.¡±
¡°Wow. And your car didn''t go boom?¡±
¡°Sorry, I forgot, he also decided to clamp the fuel-line while I was converting. So, the explosion wasn''t as big as it might have been and it wasn''t immediate, just... very soon afterwards.¡±
¡°So... you faced imminent almost certain death, and lived because of a miracle.¡± Lilly summarised.
¡°Yes. Do you want to share your worst moment?¡±
¡°I guess... spy training. All of it in general and specific highlights, like practicing withstanding torture.¡± She massaged her arm. ¡°I notice you''ve got a good strong grip. And you said I''d have tried to kill you. Combat training?¡±
¡°Yes. Mostly concentrating on restraint, like I expected to use on you. No torture training though, unless you count what I went through to advance in the coven. That was... self imposed, and voluntary.¡±
¡°And not fatal.¡±
¡°Frequently fatal, if you weren''t ready. ''Late teen dies in mountains due to...'' Not passing the test which would have given him the tent or rope or whatever else he needed to survive.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Lilly asked, shocked. ¡°Why do people do that?¡±
¡°Power over people, greater spells, authority, position, pride, I''m better than you, that sort of thing.¡±
¡°Another evil system.¡±
¡°Yes. You were born into it, I chose to enter it for selfish reasons. Praise God we''re both out.¡±
¡°Am I? I''m still a double agent.¡±
¡°What would happen if you told your mother the truth?¡±
¡°They might try to assassinate me. She would be blamed, maybe executed.¡±
¡°So, what if your whole family defects?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Assassination? I can''t believe my parents would though.¡±
¡°Ah, but maybe they don''t believe you would either. But you''ve been instructed to get your brother safely out, no strings attached. I presume he''s not going through spy school?¡±
¡°No. He wants to study engineering but his English isn''t good enough, that''s why he''s there with them.¡±
¡°So, perhaps it''s possible to think that maternal feelings are nearly as strong or maybe even stronger than party loyalty, that she helps him on his road to defecting.¡±
¡°I pray it might be so.¡±
¡°What if the ''great leader'' defected?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Just a crazy thought. If your leader recognised the system was evil, if he was running scared of the young idealists who''d see change of policy as a great betrayal? Of the parents whose children he''s had executed? If he realised that he couldn''t hang on to power without either getting someone''s knife in his back or a bullet in his head because he accepted change or a personally targeted bomb in his bedroom if he didn''t? Where might he go to be safe?¡±
¡°You think he might accept maximum security prison, or at least house arrest, rather than death?¡±
¡°You have a better cultural insight than I do.¡±
Lilly shook her head. ¡°I really can''t guess.¡±
¡°Shall we go and tell people you qualify for a passport?¡±
¡°Don''t forget your mask.¡±
¡°Thank-you sister, I almost did.¡± Vivian said. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot something else: She addressed the microphone.
¡°If any video or audio recording has occurred during this interview, then according to my rights under the United Nations charter, I hereby claim privacy on our conversation. No material from this interview may be passed on by a viewer or listener without my prior approval. No access to the recording may be granted without my prior approval, on a case by case basis. Do you also claim this right, Lilly?¡±
¡°You can do that?¡± Lilly was stunned.
¡°I just have. It is my right, and yours also. Do you also claim this right?¡±
¡°Yes, I claim that right.¡±
Vivian checked her wrist unit ¡°This interview is terminated at five to one.¡±
Vivian stepped up to the reception desk. ¡°Hello, I''ve just concluded an official interview in room thirty five. Was there a recording being made?¡±
¡°Yes, Ms. There''ll be someone coming to collect it soon for appraisal.¡± the receptionist replied.
¡°I would like it noted that myself and my interviewee were not informed of this prior to beginning the interview and have claimed the right of privacy.¡±
¡°You can''t...¡± the receptionist swallowed, cleared his throat and said ¡°... you obviously have. Sorry for implying you didn''t have that right. Urm, that makes life difficult.¡±
¡°Was the recording video or audio?¡±
¡°Video.¡±
¡°I suspected it might be. It was necessary for me to remove my mask during part of the interview. Therefore, I had no alternative but to claim privacy.
"Also of course, matters of a personal nature were discussed by my interviewee, which could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.¡±
Lilly helpfully added ¡°We have no objection to it being reviewed by relevant people with all due precaution.¡±
¡°But of course we cannot allow unrestricted circulation.¡± Vivian stated firmly, ¡°So all access will be on a case by case basis. I will want to know the name, nationality, position and security clearance of the individual concerned prior to granting access or partial access, as well as their formal need to know. I presume that Lilly here will want similar information in order to decide.¡± Lilly just nodded.
¡°Ms, I do not have the authority...¡±
¡°You do have the master recording?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Then it is a simple matter for you to hand it over so we can lock it to our I.D.s, is it not? And of course it''s also our right to demand that.¡± Vivian asked.
¡°Yes, Ms. You are well informed of your rights, Ms.¡±
¡°I''m disappointed that here of all places they''re not posted clearly for all to see.¡± Vivian stated in a disapproving tone.
She noted that the data-crystal had still not appeared, and the receptionist seemed to be looking around hoping someone would come.
¡°The crystal?¡± Vivian insisted.
¡°Here, Ms.¡± he said, handing over the crystal while still hoping someone with more nerve would come and face her down.
¡°For your information it''s Miss, but the culturally appropriate honorific is Maam.¡± Vivian said, quickly instructing her wrist unit she wanted to lock the recording, not play the thing.
¡°Thank you for the information, Maam.¡±
¡°Lilly, can you give me your I.D.?¡±
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
¡°Here.¡±
¡°So, for the moment, both of us need to give access, and since the young man here can''t allow us to access the editing station I see he has unused behind him, and it is too public anyway, we''ll have to just encrypt the whole thing. No, actually we can encrypt the audio and video separately. When someone needs access, we''ll have to find some private editing station and let them have the bits they need to see or hear.¡±
¡°I''m glad you thought of this.¡± Lilly said.
¡°Oh, I was warned by my supervisor that things might be a bit lax here. I didn''t think they''d be quite this bad.¡±
¡°Urm it''s normal government procedure Maam, to call someone in every time...¡±
the receptionist floundered.
¡°Yes, I see. Much too inconvenient to protect people''s fundamental rights, is it? The United Nations, however should have better standards that ''It''s easier this way''. Well, at home your supervisor would be on report, but I guess things are different here. By the way, Lilly, now you''ve passed interview, any thoughts about that paperwork I mentioned?¡±
¡°Paperwork? Oh! Well, I presume I need to sign some complicated form, or something.¡±
¡°Why? We''ve got your details. Oh, sorry, you don''t know. As an officer of the crown your statement to me in such matters is binding and irrevocable. But there''s no need to feel rushed.¡±
¡°I''m sorry, Maam.¡± The receptionist interrupted ¡°Did I just hear you state that the interviewee has passed interview? That''s not your decision to make, Maam. The interview needs reviewing and...¡±
¡°I''m sorry, you seem to be thinking that your bureaucratic yet lax procedures apply universally. I know you have your systems, but I''ve interviewed the interviewee on behalf of the United Nations and my Government. I leapt through the frankly disturbing hoops laid down by the U.N. functionaries to keep you happy, but as an Officer of the Crown, I declare that she has passed all requirements necessary for my government. That declaration could be challenged in the supreme court, but has similar legal weight to a court ruling, so I do not make it lightly. You sir, have no authority to prevent me from extending to her my government''s offer, nor does any other official in your chain of command.¡±
¡°I possibly do.¡± said a voice behind her. ¡°Depending on who instructed her to make that offer.¡±
Vivian turned, and recognised the man behind her. She bowed ¡°Mr Ambassador.¡±
¡°Truthsayer. Welcome, I''m sorry I missed you when you arrived.¡± he turned to the receptionist ¡°As I was saying, I might have the authority, but since I''m here to implement the offer, if accepted, there''s no way I''m going to prevent her from offering it.¡± He turned back to Vivian ¡°Was your identity compromised at all? Any information shared that might help identify you, I mean?"
¡°Yes, sir. And we have both claimed privacy."
¡°Well done. We can''t have people accidentally breaking our laws and revealing your identity or abilities to anyone else, can we?¡±
¡°My thoughts exactly, sir. I''ve decided I would like to raise a formal protest at the final element of what I was asked to do as part of the interview process. I complied, partially anyway, thinking it was no more than an extension of an interview technique I''ve used before. But having done it....¡± she shuddered. ¡°I should have terminated the interview beforehand. It infringed on my oath as a truthsayer.¡±
¡°This is obviously something to discuss elsewhere. But, Lilly, do you agree with the truthsayer''s assessment?¡±
¡°It was not pleasant, sir.¡± Lilly said ¡°The Truthsayer is adamant that it was not necessary, but... I do not fully understand her logic. I also wonder if it was sufficient for the purposes it was intended.¡±
¡°Very well. Do I understand a formal offer has been made to you?¡±
¡°Yes sir. I acc..¡±
He interrupted. ¡°Before you say anything, I would like to be convinced you know that you''re aware of all the options. Might I invite you both to our embassy for lunch?¡±
¡°Thank you, sir, urm, I wonder if we should authorise access to the recording for someone?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°Oh, I don''t know if that''s necessary, or is it? Oh probably, let them have their procedures.¡± He turned to the receptionist. ¡°I presume we''re waiting for someone from assessment to turn up?¡±
¡°Yes sir.¡±
¡°And then the ladies here will need to select the relevant portions of the interview, and so on. Could they not have access to an editing station now?¡±
¡°I don''t have the authority to allow that, sir.¡±
¡°Then call someone who does, young man. I assure you that an officer of my country''s crown is not going to destroy evidence, if that''s what you''re worried about.¡±
An official from the assessment department eventually arrived and, once everything had been explained to him they were led down the maze of corridors to that department''s domain.
The man, a ''Grade 4 assessor'' according to his badge quickly agreed that he had no need to see the part of the recording where Vivian had revealed her face, attempting to regain Lilly''s trust, and nor did he need the general discussion leading up to the test. He asked to be shown the video from when they were talking about the final test to when Lilly reacted. Watching it, and asking some pertinent questions, he finally said ¡°The test was, ah, mostly well administered, Ms. I agree there is no doubt that the subject¡± (Vivian and the ambassador winced at his choice of words) ¡°was in a state of panic. I don''t know if I can say one hundred percent certain that she has fully rejected the role which her sending state considers her to have, I''ll have to consult my superiors. I fully reject your assertion that the technique you administered was needlessly brutal, Ms. I saw no evidence of excessive force or other abuse. Actually, I think you were rather gentle with the subject, and you calling off the test before the breaking point was reached might be determined to invalidate it. The deception and shock tactics were entirely necessary in the circumstances. You were obviously distressed by the situation, but you are in no position to assess the necessity of such shock tactics when dealing with a double agent, or the level of realism necessary for such a simulation to be effective.¡±
The ambassador was quick to intervene ¡°Before you respond to that, Truthsayer, may I ask which division of Internal Security you are an officer in?¡±
Vivian calmly replied ¡°Auditing, sir.¡±
He let out his breath, which he didn''t know he''d been holding. She did know what she was talking about. ¡°And your exact position?¡±
¡°Junior analyst, sir.¡±
He nodded, she didn''t come across as a trainee or apprentice. ¡°Mr assessor, I appreciate you have no knowledge of our system. But I suggest you withdraw your statement that the Truthsayer is not in a position to assess the necessity of the tactics. She holds an equivalent rank to an internal investigation officer of approximately sixth grade. If it is her considered opinion that the technique was needlessly brutal, I''d say she knows exactly what she''s saying.¡±
¡°I saw...¡±
¡°You saw precisely nothing of the mental anguish to which I subjected this young woman. You saw precisely nothing of the absolute chaos I caused in her mind. You have no appreciation of how deeply the forged memory I was asked to force onto her would have resonated with her well founded fears in a way that could give her nightmares for years to come. You are not equipped to ever understand how quickly such an attack can be made, how stunning it can be. With the shock tactics I''d used on her it was utterly impossible for her to avoid it. Hitting someone with such a memory takes much less than a second. It would be impossible for her to look away, shut her eyes, or apply any of the mental protections that her training has given her. The instructions I was given on arrival said I should use mind-to-mind communication for delivering the opening message and showing the forged film. I was told this was felt to be advisable as she was a hardened spy, able to see through forgeries. As I have never dealt with a spy before, I trusted that advice but in the second part I thank God that I saw how wrong it was before I complied, and I''d like to see the person who suggested it questioned about what they thought they were suggesting. I can see the reason for the first: I would have been entirely unconvincing as a native speaker. Whereas mentally, it is far easier to have perfect pronunciation.¡± Lilly nodded her agreement, and Vivian continued, ¡°But I should have never been told to use anything but traditional methods to show the forged film. Can you tell me what you would call a method of deliberately causing pain and possible long term injury? It''s my opinion that showing mental falsifications such as I was asked to show her ought to listed alongside red hot needles under fingernails. Furthermore, as I tried to point out yesterday, the whole exercise was needless. It has accomplished nothing positive, and even if I had gone through with torturing her, it would still have done nothing except allowing you to tick some boxes on your forms and subjecting her to abuse. If I''d been thinking more clearly yesterday you''d never have got me to agree to it, I am a truthsayer, not a liar or a torturer.¡±
¡°Ms, I acknowledge your expertise in the effects of the mental images. I assure you it would have accomplish something: it removed all trace of doubt that she was hiding something from you.¡±
¡°But that doubt is in your minds, not mine, sir. You called for a truthsayer, but you then ask me to lie, a thing I am sworn never to do in my role. You refuse to allow me to make the judgement of my profession. You''d have believed me if I said she was hiding something, but you do not when I tell you she hides nothing. You ask for her human rights to be abused, for no purpose at all.¡±
¡°Truthsayer,¡± the ambassador asked. ¡°As a junior analyst, what is the probability that I am corrupt in some manner?¡±
¡°I don''t know the exact statistics for ambassadors, sir, but for high civil servants the statistic is about quarter of one percent, sir.¡±
¡°What about this man, who seems to believe he holds the keys to life and death? Level four assessment is roughly equivalent grade to someone with two years of fieldcraft behind them.¡±
¡°About one percent, sir.¡±
¡°The probability that Lilly is a really working for her home government, and deceiving us all?¡±
¡°I could lie, and say it is a zero point zero one percent, sir. But I''ve lied enough today, it''s not. If I said that the probability that the moon is made from cheese, Elvis is still alive and serving pizza on the corner just down the road, or that Pontius Pilate was crucified by Jesus were all zero, I guess I can''t quite go that low. I''d say the probability that Lilly is working for her home government are roughly the same as the probability that Prince Albert is. I admit I''m guessing at his Royal Highness, as I haven''t interviewed him on this matter, but I don''t think he''s had much interaction with Lilly''s government, so I think it probably balances out. That, sir, is the truth.¡±
¡°I don''t understand how you can be so sure.¡± The ambassador said.
¡°I find it rather suspicious that you are so certain.¡± The grade four assessor said.
Vivian looked at him, and noticed a little tell-tale mark on the lapel of his jacket. Yes. She could use that. She decided to count dots again, to be sure. Number of Christians in the room: three, her, Lilly and the man behind the desk.
¡°I am a truthsayer, Mr Assessor. But first and foremost I am also a servant of the Almighty God who will judge the living and the dead: Jesus Christ who has paid the blood-price that bought your salvation. Upon my faith in God I swear to you that my sister in faith Lilly shares our faith and serves Christ wholeheartedly, the U.N. with little reservation, and does not serve the godless regime that sent her here one bit. I doubt my assessment of her loyalties only as much as I doubt the existence of God who saved me. That is to say, I do not doubt her at all. But I know there are those who doubt even though they are saved, and many who doubt that God has the power to save or the will to do so. The U.N. asked for my assessment of this woman. I have given it verbally, and I will give it in long-hand triplicate if that is required. I was also instructed to offer citizenship to her and her brother if she passed my interview, which she did, and that duty I have also fulfilled. So can we please terminate this little farce?¡±
¡°Did you just base your assessment on my faith?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°No Lilly, I based my assessment on what I heard you thinking, and your body language too, once you''d relaxed.¡± Vivian said, then adding silently, [And just to be sure, I double-checked on what I could see you thinking, too. So please try to stop playing devil''s advocate. He doesn''t need one, I know you''re not lying to me.] aloud she added ¡°You want God to make the ground open up and swallow your country''s Great Leader and his entire regime, so they can roast in Hell for all eternity. If you remember I''ve been trying to persuade you to wish for them to repent of their sins in sack-cloth and ashes instead, which is more in line with Scripture.¡±
The assessor was looking at her with a mixture of emotions on his open face, as he tried to work out how she''d known he was a Christian. ¡°OK, I give up. How did you know I''m a Christian?¡±
¡°Your lapel badge has fallen off or you''ve taken it off. I guessed it might be a fish symbol. When I mentioned Jesus, you nodded slightly in agreement. I notice such things, which is something I was trained to do in my role for Auditing. You also decided I couldn''t be too bad if I was glorifying God, which I heard of course. Just now, you also decided that you couldn''t work out if I was one of the fifty six. Just for your information, according to my sources, the number''s fifty seven right now. Are you still suspicious about how certain I can be about Lilly after spending the whole morning with her?¡±
¡°No, Ms, I guess not.¡±
¡°Do you accept that I can actually do my job, and tell truth from fiction?¡±
¡°Yes, Ms.¡±
¡°I''m so glad. I hope you can convince your supervisors of this also, if not I''ll just have to convince them as well.¡±
¡°So, what shocked Lilly?¡± the ambassador asked Vivian.
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°When you were telling Lilly how you''d decided she was innocent, you paused for a breath and something rocked her back on her feet so badly she forgot to hide it.¡±
¡°Oh, that? I decided to tell her something. All thought hearers hear decisions that affect them, you know, within a few metres. I''m reliably informed that it''s something the diplomatic service are planning to make use of: the diplomat or whoever can walk within a couple of metres of the thought-hearer they know and decide ''I must tell Fred ¡ª the thought hearer ¡ª that Jim needs to leave now, his cover''s in trouble.'' And with the decision, the message is passed. In this case I decided to tell Lilly that she should stop playing devil''s advocate. Maybe she hadn''t realised that she was, or wasn''t familiar with the expression.¡±
This time, Lilly managed complete control of her expression, and nodded, ¡°That''s what she thought to me. Is the expression common here?¡± she asked the assessor.
¡°Not very, I guess.¡± he replied.
¡°So, is everything settled?¡± The ambassador asked.
¡°Not if the Truthsayer is serious about her allegation that she was asked to torture someone.¡± the assessor replied.
¡°I am. I also find it... concerning that the suggestion was made at all.¡± Vivian replied.
¡°Could you explain that?¡± the ambassador asked.
¡°The sending of images is not the most well known ability of a thought-hearer. I believe it''s been reported somewhere, but it''s not widely discussed as far as I know. It''s almost insider information, and what was suggested to me is known in insider circles, as a torture method used by criminal thought-hearers to extract information from thought-hearing victims. It was that realisation that made me refuse to continue.¡±
¡°So, you''d like to know how the person making the suggestion came up with it?¡± the ambassador asked.
¡°If I was conducting the investigation, yes.¡±
¡°That''s not my department.¡± the assessor said, ¡°But you can write in your concerns. Here''s the form.¡± He handed her a pen and an actual paper form.
¡°Really?¡± she asked.
¡°Ms?¡±
¡°I really need to write it longhand? There''s no opportunity to type it or anything more... digital?¡±
¡°Sorry, Ms. Pen and paper it is.¡±
¡°Very well,¡± she started writing. As she got to the relevant boxes she said, ¡°Of course, I have no signature in my role as Truthsayer, and my true identity is protected by my homeland''s law, so I''m not planning to negate that by signing it under my personal name, or giving my address other than via the Association of Truthsayers.¡±
¡°How about a digital signature on a photograph of the written form?¡± suggested the ambassador, who''d met similar complications before.
¡°That would be acceptable, Ms.¡± the assessor agreed.
Vivian shook her head in amazement, and finished the form.
¡°Thank you for your assistance, Mr Ambassador.¡± Vivian said as they left the building.
¡°All part of the service, Truthsayer. You realise I was there officially.¡±
¡°I assumed so. I was some part of an experiment, I presume?¡±
¡°Yes. You also realise that I know who you are, since there aren''t many junior analysts from Auditing assigned here, and I''ve met the others.¡±
¡°That''s not a surprise, no. But since Lilly''s invited me to her Church, and I fully intend to accept, there''s not much harm her knowing my name.¡± Vivian touched hands with Lilly and thought [It''s Vivian Trevithick. I know you can keep secrets.]
[Nice to know your name, Vivian! And you are number fifty seven?]
[Well, it''s not like God assigns us numbers, you know?]
¡°And, now she knows it.¡± Vivian concluded, ¡°But while I''m wearing this mask I''d prefer no one used it.¡±
They''d been crossing a small park at the front of the U.N. building, and had arrived at the boundary, where some trees provided a little shelter from the wind. ¡°Can we wait here for a little?¡± the ambassador asked, ¡°I''m expecting to meet someone I hope Lilly trusts.¡±
¡°Oh? More people looking after me?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°Exactly. Now I know you almost accepted our government''s offer, but we don''t really want you deciding something and then having second thoughts.¡±
¡°Was what we went through typical of U.N. bureaucracy, or this country''s?¡±
¡°A bit of both. But don''t worry, every country has its own sillinesses,¡± the ambassador said.
¡°And yours is expecting a rock from space, and has been accused of becoming a theocratic state.¡±
¡°Oh don''t, please, not that total misunderstanding again.¡± the ambassador groaned.
¡°It''s OK, I read your explanation carefully.¡± Lilly reassured him.
¡°Oh good.¡±
¡°I don''t think you''re right, but I listened.¡±
Vivian turned to Lilly, ¡°In what way don''t you think the explanation is right?¡±
¡°The ambassador spoke about all religions as being equally valid, equally helpful. As someone who has escaped from a personality cult ¡ª a religion centered on one flawed individual, which might still come after me with lethal intent, then I very much reject that axiom.¡±
¡°Ah, well.¡± he replied ¡°The religion Vivian so forcefully claimed earlier for the two of you is centred on one individual too, isn''t it?¡±
¡°I''m glad you didn''t say flawed, sir.¡± Vivian said. ¡°It gives me hope for you.¡±
¡°I have no intention of crossing words with you, Truthsayer. I suspect I wouldn''t win.¡±
¡°Well, it''s not quite the fear of the Lord.¡± Lilly said, ¡°But I think I see some wisdom in that.¡±
¡°Are you quoting? You''ve lost me.¡± Vivian said.
¡°Oh, sorry. It''s from Proverbs, I think, ''The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.''¡±
¡°I haven''t got to that book yet.¡±
The ambassador looked at Vivian curiously. ¡°Do I understand you''re new to your faith?¡±
¡°I rejected my old religion and turned to God on New Year''s Eve, sir. I''ve had some good people around me to answer my questions, though.¡±
¡°Might I ask what that religion was?¡± he asked, curiously.
¡°I used to be a witch, a worker of spells, sayer of curses, corrupter of youth, destroyer of innocence, summoner of demonic power, and arrogance incarnate. And don''t think it was all smoke and mirrors and slight of hand, it wasn''t, not at all. That''s another religion to add to the list of ones that don''t contribute much to a caring society.¡±
He was taken aback. ¡°I, urm, had no idea...¡±
¡°So, please don''t tell either of us that all religions are equal. My old one pretended to be about being in control. Control of myself, control of others, control of nature.¡± She shuddered ¡°All lies of course. By the time I left it was all about dancing to the tune of demons ¡ª though of course they pretended to be beneficial spirits ¡ª and slowly destroying my humanity. I really must write to thank that girl again.¡±
¡°Who?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°A teenager who laughed in my face when I told her that the spirits I served were more powerful than God.¡±
The ambassador was saved any further discussion along these lines by the arrival of Dwight, with a hesitant Laura tagging along.
¡°Hi, Lilly. Welcome to the free world.¡± Dwight said.
¡°Thanks Dwight, I thought I''d been here for a while.¡±
Laura spoke ¡°I''m sure it''s not the right word, Lilly, but congratulations on passing.¡± Laura said.
¡°Thanks.¡± Lilly looked at Vivian ¡°I won''t say it was easy, but I''ve got a new friend.¡±
¡°Hello.¡± Vivian said. ¡°Oh, this is awkward!¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°So, how do I keep my anonymity if I go around getting introduced as your new friend when I''m wearing this truthsayer mask, eh? Is there anyone watching us, do you think?¡±
¡°We''re shielded from the building.¡± Lilly offered.
¡°Not much traffic, either.¡± Dwight agreed.
Vivian checked for anyone actively watching her and found no-one. ¡°Right, here goes.¡± She removed her mask and Lilly saw her do something complicated, reaching up inside the cape. By the time Vivian had finished ¡ª only half a minute, she no longer had a dark red woolen cape with a black silken lining, she now had a black woolen cape with a scarlet trimmed hood and lining.
It had been why she bought it ¡ª the cloak had been made with four layers.
¡°Ta-da.¡± she said, also pulling off the wig she''d worn and hiding it away with the mask. Letting her own hair out, she said, ¡°Please don''t call me anything other than my name now, or all this was in vain. I''m Vivian, pleased to meet you!¡±
¡°Dwight and Laura, as of the restaurant experience.¡± Lilly introduced.
¡°I''d guessed.¡± Vivian said.
¡°I''d best be going.¡± Laura said, ¡°Just, when Dwight said he''d be meeting you here, Lilly, I thought I ought to come out.¡±
¡°Thanks Laura. Very much appreciated.¡±
¡°If you''ve no other plans, you''re welcome to join us at the embassy.¡± the ambassador said. ¡°I can even clear it with your head of department if you like. I''d like Lilly to have a free and fair choice when it comes to passport selection.¡±
¡°Oh! You mean it''s not automatic?¡± Laura asked.
¡°She applied to the U.N.¡± the ambassador said ¡°Technically she could choose to be a citizen of any U.N. country she likes. I suspect Vivian has been doing a bit of recruiting already, but we wouldn''t like Lilly to get her nice new passport without having heard at least a few other people extolling the virtues of their political system, would we?¡±
¡°Or their social care model, education system, and so on.¡± Dwight added. ¡°I have a lot of reading material for you, Lilly, if you like, as well as a nice colour-coded chart and even a preference-based selection system. See ¡ª we''re not just propaganda, Laura, we do make other information available too.¡±
¡°So, if I said I wanted free university education for my brother plus good medical and retirement care irrespective of personal wealth, what would your scoring system recommend?¡± Lilly challenged. ¡°Not forgetting freedom of religion, association, respect for privacy, and so on, of course.¡±
Dwight scratched his head, ¡°Doesn''t sound very capitalist to me.¡± he said unenthusiastically, ¡°You certainly don''t get that lot here. I''m not really sure.¡±
Laura added, ¡°If you find such a place, let me know, Lilly, I might want to ask about emigrating, as long as they speak English.¡±
¡°Oh yes!¡± Dwight asked ¡°How do you feel about language learning? You''ve learned English really well.¡±
¡°I''d put up with it, but if you asked my brother that, he''d probably ask you how you felt about another hole in your head.¡± Lilly said, ¡°My parents decided they needed to give him intensive English exposure because he was falling behind, apparently.¡±
¡°O.K. So... English speaking, with a welfare system and...¡± Dwight racked his brains.
¡°Dwight, have you noticed that Vivian and her ambassador are grinning all over their faces?¡± Laura asked.
¡°What is this, a put-up job?¡±
¡°Not at all, Dwight.¡± Vivian said, ¡°But as civil servants from our part of the world have a habit of saying, ''It all comes as part of the Service.''¡±
¡°Well, yes, yes, you get benefits while you serve, certainly. But how many of your civil servants stay until retirement?¡±
¡°You haven''t kicked out that many, have you Vivian?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°No. One or two bad apples, but not many at all.¡± Vivian noticed their confused looks. ¡°Sorry, I work for the internal investigations part of the Service. Our oath of service is for a lifetime, Dwight. Without so much shuffling people around as I''ve heard about here, either.¡±
¡°So, Dwight.¡± Lilly said, ¡°Thanks for bringing the information, but maybe I''ve already got an answer that suits me fairly well. Assuming I have a chance of entering your Civil Service?¡±
¡°I''m presuming you''re not thinking of continuing as a spy, are you?¡± the ambassador asked.
¡°I don''t think that''d be a particularly healthy choice, no.¡± Lilly agreed.
¡°I really don''t know. Except, of course, if you continued in your current roles, but from within the civil service, then that could be negotiated to form part of our contribution to the U.N.¡±
¡°I''ll admit to being a little confused, but it sounds interesting.¡±
¡°OK, so, let''s talk in practical terms what it would mean for you, other than a cut in your salary. Laura, would you be able to help in our deliberations?¡±
¡°Urm, yes, sure, assuming you can arrange it with my boss.¡±
As the transport arrived and they got in, the ambassador, Jim Right, said ¡°Ah, Vivian? ¡°.
¡°Yes, Sir?¡±
¡°Call me Jim, please. As far as I know, the staff don''t know anything about who I''m inviting, but my wife knows I''ve invited a trustworthy ex-spy and a truthsayer. I don''t think she''ll have too many problems guessing who''s who.¡±
¡°So, I can put my mask back on and preserve my anonymity, until someone mentions auditing, investigations, or similar, or I can say oh well one more person in the Service who knows my abilities. I presume she''s in the civil service?¡±
¡°Yes she is.¡± he said, deciding that he ought not to tell them what branch she was in.
¡°Did you hear that, Vivian?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°I did. You need to be careful what you decide around us, sir.¡±
¡°I knew that. It''s hard doing it though, isn''t it?¡±
¡°I''m reliably informed the trick is to merely toy with ideas without actually making the decision. I''ve no idea how well that works in practice. But if your wife''s superior should happen to have a daughter that recently got married, I''m sure she''d say ''hi''. She''s the one who I need to thank for meeting Lilly.¡±
¡°Which one? The daughter or the mother?¡± the ambassador asked.
¡°Well, I''m sure they''d both say ''hi'', but I was thinking of the mother.¡±
¡°Oh, you know both then?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Vivian said, then realised that maybe she shouldn''t say too much about talking to Karen since her conversion. ¡°It just so happened that I sort of gate-crashed a New-Year''s Eve party the daughter had been invited to. I''m not quite sure what they were planning for their midnight celebration, but we were part-way through the three lads in the fiery furnace when we realised we''d missed midnight.¡±
¡°This is after the boom?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°Yes, I guess an hour after, maybe a bit more.¡± Vivian agreed.
¡°''The boom''?¡± Laura asked.
¡°After my car went boom, which was about one minute after I became a Christian,¡± she saw they had almost arrived at the embassy, ¡°But I guess I might as well tell everyone at once if you think your wife might be interested, sir.¡±
¡°Why won''t you call me by name, Maam?¡± the ambassador asked.
¡°I don''t know, Jim.¡± Vivian replied, with a little smile.
Association / Ch. 22: Challenge
Association / Ch. 22:Challenge
Embassy, Near U.N. Head Quarters, Thurs 25th Jan.
¡°So you''ve requested a formal investigation?¡± Maggie, the ambassador''s wife asked as lunch was drawing to a close.
¡°Yes, Maam.¡± Lilly replied.
¡°She''s doing it again.¡± Jim moaned.
¡°I''m sorry. I did only get out of training three weeks ago.¡±
¡°And a junior analyst already!¡± Jim pointed out, with a smile.
¡°They tricked me.¡± Vivian complained.
¡°They being the triumvirate?¡± Maggie asked.
¡°Yes, Maa...Maggie.¡±
¡°Triumvirate?¡± Laura asked, getting lost.
¡°Our internal investigations division is governed by three people who work together. It''s one of those ''who watches the watch-men'' things.¡± Jim explained ¡°All very trustworthy and trusted people who want to be known as trustworthy.¡±
¡°So it''s a checks and balances sort of system?¡±
¡°Sort of. Oh, they make some decisions individually, but they always are looking over each other''s shoulders making sure that there''s no favouritism or overlooking of discrepancies. If they find something they can''t all agree on, then it goes to their Majesties and the prime-minister. So there''s three again.¡±
¡°And which of them does have the best views from their office windows?¡± Maggie asked, ¡°Do you know?¡±
¡°Yes, but I''m afraid I''m sworn to secrecy.¡± Vivian said, grinning as she noticed Maggie''s eyes dancing at the shared joke.
¡°Is this some kind of in-joke?¡± Jim asked.
¡°Oh no, Jim, you should know that no one ever jokes in Auditing.¡± Vivian replied, dead-pan.
¡°Oh. Like that, is it? On the way here, Vivian was about to tell us about how she gate-crashed young Karen''s honeymoon.¡±
¡°You what?¡± Maggie asked.
¡°I did not!¡± Vivian denied, hotly. ¡°I sort of gatecrashed a New-Year''s eve party they''d been invited to by her, urm, third-cousin I think I was told. And only sort of gate-crashed it because I was invited, just... only quite late on, after talking to the police about why my car had blown up with me almost in it.¡±
¡°That sounds scary.¡± Laura said.
Lilly shook her head, ¡°I''ve heard the reason it blew up. That''s scarier.¡±
¡°Anyway, continuing with the tail-end of the story, the cousin had been a witness to the car going bang, and then invited me to the house, where I met Karen and her new husband, and they gave me a crash-course in bits of the Bible where God demonstrates his power over... everything from magicians and despotic rulers, to the forces of nature, life, death, demons and chaos.¡±
¡°Everything, seen and unseen, in fact.¡± Lilly agreed.
¡°And as I told Jim, we were reading about three young men walking around in a lit furnace when we realised that midnight had passed us by.¡±
¡°There was some reason for this, I presume?¡± Dwight asked.
¡°Yes. Do you really want to know about my pre-Christian life? It''s not a nice story.¡±
¡°I think it might help them understand how convincingly you can pretend to be scary, Vivian,¡± Lilly said, ¡°and why, when you''re convinced of something, you''re not going to back down and hide in a corner.¡±
¡°You mean you don''t think she''s going to calm down after a few months or years, burdened by the cares of this world?¡± Dwight asked.
¡°I seriously doubt it.¡± Lilly replied, ¡°I think she''s just going to be more comfortable calling high officials by their first names.¡±
Vivian decided to ignore that jibe. ¡°OK. Quick version is that I used to be a witch, I knew that spiritual powers answered spells with power, I knew that people who left the coven tended to die when their cars had an electrical fault. I knew that I''d upset the spirits, and I''d just been told they were demons. I got into my car, and it didn''t start. Part one of the electrical fault. Part two is that when you try to get out it goes bang. God provided a guy to help me get out and while he was working on making that possible, I turned to God, helped by one of the fifty-six. He smashed a window, I dove through it and the car went bang about a second later. Electrical fault which lead to the overheating and rupture of the fuel-cell, somehow triggered by the car''s alarm circuit, which of course should have been inactive. So yes, they thought I needed some reassurance of the power of God to limit evil.¡±
¡°And you''re not worried about them trying to kill you, now that you''ve left?¡±
¡°I''m told the leader of the coven tried to curse me, and it blew up in his face.¡±
¡°Literally, or metaphorically?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°I''m not sure, I wasn''t there. But he''s apparently gone blind.¡± Vivian shrugged, ¡°I don''t know if that''s permanent or not, but it certainly helped some others to listen when a very brave old lady walked into a meeting of the coven, told them that the Lord God Almighty was mercifully stopping their spells from working for a while, so maybe they should go home and read their Bibles if they wanted to learn about real power and authority. She gave them little individualised notes about the dangers of their favourite spells and the verses they might find the most helpful, apparently, and then walked out.¡±
¡°How... Oh, she was one of the fifty-six?¡± Laura asked.
¡°Yes.¡± Vivian agreed.
¡°Was it the fifty-six or the fifty-seven by then?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°Fifty seven.¡±
¡°What''s this?¡± Maggie asked.
¡°Said old lady, as you can probably guess, has been talking to Vivian quite a lot, and. God apparently doesn''t have a fixed number in mind.¡± Lilly replied.
¡°It must be so nice to be beyond temptation.¡± Maggie said wistfully.
Vivian looked at her curiously, ¡°Do you mean in glory, in which case amen, but how does that fit into the conversation? Or am I about to burst your bubble?¡±
¡°You mean that they''re not?¡±
¡°People with the gift are just as challenged by the temptations of the flesh as the rest of humanity, are just as prone to believing lies and can be just as confused in their thinking as anyone else, and then they''ve also got this extra little challenge of having access to every thought on the planet. Sorry, according to what I know, they''re not immune to temptation at all.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°But they do know God is real, and powerful.¡± Lilly said.
¡°And that he''s compassionate and merciful, slow to anger and quick to forgive.¡± Vivian added, ¡°Just like everyone else who''s been reading their Bibles.¡±
¡°But...¡± Maggie said, then thought better of it. ¡°Oh well. But, Vivian, you''re actually in contact with them?¡±
¡°Some of them are involved in the Chartered Association. It cuts down the interview time a lot, and of course the Institute for the Human Mind can contact them too. You need to get in contact?¡±
¡°Your experience with what the U.N. asked you to do... Well it''s more fuel to the fire. It''s possible that there''s a thought-stealer or two somewhere on staff. Certain things are leaking which shouldn''t, that sort of thing.¡±
¡°Sorry, what''s a thought-stealer?¡± Dwight asked.
¡°You can divide thought-hearers into about four broad categories:¡± Vivian explained, ¡°Do they hide their ability, and do they use it for gain. If you''ve got someone who doesn''t hide it, but doesn''t really make use of it, then you''ve got Lilly, here. Someone who does hide it and doesn''t use it, well that''s up to them. I don''t hide it, never have, really ¡ª I used to mix recruiting for the coven with making a bit of spare cash being ''Elvira the witch'' at various events, telling people what they wanted to hear. But once I became a Christian I decided I would use it in a more honourable and professional way. Both side-show and truthsayer are in the same quadrant though. Hiding it and making money from it though, and you''re into things like espionage, extortion. Stealing thoughts from people for fun and profit. I''m serious about the fun: some of them are really sick and enjoy causing people mental pain, especially other thought-hearers.¡±
¡°The rumour that there might be people like that... that could really start a witch-hunt, couldn''t it?¡± Laura asked.
¡°It could, yes.¡± Lilly agreed.
Vivian asked ¡°What''s the legal status of being a thought-hearer here? I forgot to find out.¡±
¡°No legislation enacted.¡± Jim replied ¡°They were thinking of borrowing ours as a model, last I heard, but that was before the King gave his famous ''repent or we''re going to be hit'' speech.¡±
¡°I haven''t noticed many people obeying their king''s plea in that respect, and the last I heard, the rock''s still coming.¡± Vivian pointed out. ¡°But I also notice a distinct lack of enforcement on that plea. So I guess you can use that as evidence that we''re not a theocracy.¡±
¡°Thanks, Vivian. I''m not sure anyone''s really suggested we are. But Maggie, would I be right to say about the only legal framework is generic privacy legislation, which may or may not apply, based on how the judge takes the exact phrasing?¡±
¡°Pretty much.¡± Maggie agreed.
Vivian pulled a face ¡°So the only evidence is going to be someone being caught using knowledge they haven''t got a right to, and if the case ever does come to court they can just say that they heard it from someone who knew, and it becomes an accusation of careless lips.¡±
¡°That''s about the case, yes.¡± Maggie agreed. ¡°Unless they engage in blackmail or similar crimes, of course.¡±
¡°I''d hate to investigate a case like that.¡± Vivian said. ¡°Unless they''re caught ''passing secrets to an enemy state'', then about the best result is that the thought-stealer gets an official ''don''t do it again'' warning.¡±
¡°And this is the U.N. we''re talking about. I''m not sure the U.N. has any concept of an enemy state. It''s just down to breaching privacy rules.¡± Jim pointed out.
¡°Which seem to be treated very laxly here, I''ve noticed.¡± Vivian said.
¡°Yes. I guess everyone expects to be bugged by someone.¡± Jim replied.
¡°So why put the blame on thought-stealers?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°Because we scan for bugs, and still secrets are getting out.¡±
¡°And there''s no sign of lip-readers with telescopes?¡± Vivian quipped.
¡°Not recently, no. Nor of any undetectable bugs.¡±
¡°Well, if there''s real evidence that there''s someone like that, I could ask... I presume you''ve seen the ethics statement: you''re not going to get a list of names back. I must admit curiosity though. I didn''t think the U.N. was a place to find important national secrets. Decisions, yes, but secrets?¡±
¡°Other than who''s a spy?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°Good point. Sorry, Lilly.¡± Vivian apologised.
¡°There are some other ones.¡± Dwight said ¡°For example, let''s say that we were working on a film that was going to prove effective against a certain regime. If that regime learned about it, then they could ruin its effect. Or if a decision was being made to send in a force to arrest an individual, that information could let them go into hiding, and so escape justice.¡±
¡°OK, so there is some sensitive information.¡±
¡°Quite a lot.¡± he replied. ¡°Not least, the secret we all want to know. Lilly have you made up your mind up about passport country, yet?¡±
¡°I think what I ought to do is speak to my mother.¡± Lilly said, ¡°Well, I see three options, actually. I don''t say a thing to her and only show her the passport when they get here with my brother. Alternatively, I tell her I have a choice and get her opinion, or I tell her that I had to prove I wasn''t loyal to home any more, sorry.¡±
¡°If you say it like that, she might think you failed.¡± Laura pointed out.
¡°There''s no way you could talk to your brother, is there?¡± Vivian asked. ¡°After all, it affects him too.¡±
¡°I''m not sure how to, unless my parents think I should ask him too. Which is about as likely as them sprouting wings.¡±
¡°Hmm. There''s also the question of whether it would be a good point or a bad point for your passport country to be where your father is the ambassador.¡± Vivian pointed out.
¡°He''s what?¡± Dwight exclaimed, ¡°I thought you said he was a diplomat.¡±
¡°Well? An ambassador is a diplomat, isn''t he?¡±
¡°I''d thought... oh, wow. It gets trickier by the minute.¡±
¡°If only I knew where they really stood!¡± Lilly exclaimed.
¡°Don''t ask me for wise advice.¡± Laura said, ¡°About all I can think of is that sooner or later your parents are going to work out that you''re applying to the U.N. and about the choice that gives you.¡±
Embassy of the Beautiful Peninsula, Thursday, 25th Jan.
¡°You have discussed Lilly''s predicament with home, I presume?¡±
¡°No, husband.¡±
¡°But you have reported it?¡±
¡°No, my husband, you really think our beloved leader is concerned with our daughter''s career move? She was a spy in this department of the U.N., now she is a spy in another one? Irrelevant! I''ll put it in my monthly report, of course. OK, so maybe she won''t ever be ambassador, now, but really, the great leader has more important things to think about in connection with us, does he not? Will there be talks?¡±
¡°I am sure there will be. Maybe not very soon.¡±
¡°But Lilly''s information: the threat of final war?¡±
¡°You think it will come?¡±
¡°Of course it will come, husband. Our great leader has foreseen it, and wisely guided our country in preparation for the day, so that when it comes we will be ready. But the question is when our war-mongering adversaries will bring war to our peace-loving country, is it not?¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡±
¡°You seem doubtful.¡±
¡°I do notice that the present tension appears to have been of our making.¡±
¡°I am sure that the propaganda department of the U.N. will be pleased that you believe so.¡± Her words were rather belied by the smile on her face and the twinkle in her eyes. She enjoyed this sort of confusing word-play. If only it weren''t so serious!
¡°Ah, I see you have seen through the lies. Was it the way that the shadows fell that alerted you?¡±
¡°That was part of it, yes. Anyone could see that on an overcast day like that, the shadows should not have been that crisp. Nor should the image have been so clear. We know it was raining on that day, do we not, husband?¡±
¡°Raining? No, I quite clearly remember being almost hit by a snowball.¡±
¡°Yes! You are right, and all the world knows that you cannot take pictures through snow clouds. And the way that the men carrying the supposed warhead were wearing those special costumes that are invisible to the satellite''s cameras, so they would not be exposed to any dangerous radiation. Clearly this was made by these decadent capitalists who can afford such expensive transparent outfits. Everyone knows our nation''s two special handling costumes are white, like the ones the faked images showed that overseer and the general who went to hide in the bunker putting on. Clearly they think we will believe any such rubbish. No one would believe such a thing.¡± No, you''d have to be a complete cynic to believe that the valuable protective clothing would go to the man with all the authority that wasn''t taking the risks. Oh, his poor country.
¡°And did you see the young man in the picture, the one who walked with a limp just like our son''s old school-mate?¡± Lilly''s father asked.
¡°Yes! Everyone knows he is an engineering student. He would not be moving dangerous loads on some rocket base. It is an obvious fraud!¡±
¡°Ah, it is sad that our dutiful daughter can only find such falsified materials to send to us, but at least she is safe. I am sure that none of the decadent imperialist war-mongers would attack their drinking-partners at the United Nations.¡±
¡°That is true. Or their friends here, either, of course.¡±
¡°Yes. Our children are safe from those war-mongers. It is a shame that Lilly has to be so far from us.¡±
¡°But it is necessary, husband. Although our Lilly is not as wise to the ways of this world as we are, we can be sure she will protect our son better than even we can from undesirable influences.¡±
¡°I''m glad about that, my wife.¡± he said. But he wasn''t quite sure what she meant. Did she mean that Lilly would defend her almost-certainly Christian brother from other Christians encouraging him? Did she mean that she was sure Lilly''s loyalty didn''t stretch to harming her brother, no matter what Lilly thought of his faith? Or did his beloved wife mean that, with a foreign passport and living in a foreign land, their son would be free from the regime that had sent his old-schoolmate to take leaky nuclear weapons from a fully fueled experimental missile? Maybe she meant all three?
Selina''s home
Selina stopped listening in to the ambassador''s thoughts. ¡°Well, Vivian, you''re still not going to convince me to agree to that ethics statement, but I don''t think I''ve learned anything very new.¡±
¡°I ought to say that I''m not interested. But that would be dishonest.¡±
¡°That''s good. I was going to tell you anyway. Your new friend''s dad is entirely confused about what his wife really thinks, but there''s a lot of cynicism about their regime from both of them. Her dad is also fairly certain that his son''s a Christian, and doesn''t want him going back home.¡±
¡°It must be terrible to live like that, not being able to criticise your government, or really share what you think.¡±
¡°I agree. But you and I can''t really be totally open, can we?¡±
¡°No, but that''s us protecting others'' innocence, not protecting ourselves.¡±
¡°Except, of course, that when we protect someone''s innocence, we also keep their friendship.¡± Selina pointed out.
¡°Do you really think that?¡±
¡°No, Vivian. No, I don''t. It''s just a fear I lived with a long time, like the fear I had when I was about your age, that I''d never marry, after all I''d done to myself. But singleness turned out not to be such a big problem.¡±
¡°Can I ask about that?¡±
¡°Of course you can. Well now, for the longest time, I guess from maybe three years after I became a Christian, there was this man I had my hopes set on. He seemed like a real possibility, but he said he had issues he wanted to deal with before he''d consider marriage. So, we were good friends, but it never went anywhere. In the end...¡± Selina shrugged ¡°...he never did sort out his issues, and by the time he admitted that he wasn''t going to be able to sort them out this side of glory, I was involved in the Church and had all the others to think to, so I wasn''t lonely.¡±
Vivian couldn''t work out what the issues might be, but decided it wasn''t any of her business.
¡°Good call, girl, it''s not. But to answer your curiosity, it was a sort of mental instability. He kept on having phases when he''d go for a few days, sometimes even weeks thinking his friends ¡ª including me ¡ª were out to kill him, God wasn''t real, and so on. Then he''d be shopping or walking or anything and click, he was back to normal, very sorry for everything, determined it wouldn''t happen again. But of course it did. But no one could tell him what was really happening or what the cure was, or whether it would stop. I could tell him it wasn''t spiritual, doctors really struggled because short of locking him up in a hospital there was no way they''d be able to test him when he was like it ¡ª he ran away from everyone he knew ¡ª but there was nothing wrong when he wasn''t.¡± she shrugged.
¡°Other than that he was the loveliest man I ever knew: kind, considerate, forgiving, intelligent. Just...¡±
¡°Not trusting himself not to run off screaming on your wedding day or honeymoon?¡±
¡°Yes, exactly. So, what are you going to do about your friend Lilly''s dilemma?¡±
¡°I don''t know. I''ve prayed about it, she''s prayed about it. My only idea was to talk to you.¡±
¡°I don''t suppose her brother has the power?¡±
¡°I never thought to ask. You think I should call him if he does?¡±
¡°Not yourself, let Lilly.¡± Selina corrected.
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°It''s not too hard ¡ª you hold Lilly''s hand, and send what she thinks to him, and let her hear what he thinks to you. Not repeating, but just letting the thoughts pass through you.¡±
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°Hearing his sister across continents could really make him jump out of his skin.¡±
¡°I know. Good, isn''t it? Make sure he''s alone. Preferably lying down, that way the shock''s not going to make him fall too far.¡±
¡°So how do I do this?¡±
¡°Let''s practice: how about I be a pipe to Lilly, then you can see what I do, and we can kill two birds with one stone. When you''ve seen me do it, you can call Sarah for me, say. Does that work?¡±
[Hi, Sarah! Selina here.]
[Hi, Selina. Oooh, why do I sound so echo-y? Do you know?]
[Yes, Vivian''s learning to do something. She''s actually sending for me, and of course you are sending back. Pretend you''ve just got the power for a moment can you?]
[Like this?] Sarah asked.
[I heard it.]
[So we can act as relays, and then we don''t need to say ''She says...'' and so on?]
[Exactly! Vivian''s going to be doing it for a friend: they''ll come and hold her hand, then she''ll just be the switchboard operator who lets them talk to each other.]
[Wow. Do you know if we could link two people where neither of them are touching?]
[Probably. I''ve never tried. It might be tiring.]
[I expect so, but... possibly handy, anyway.]
[I''m sure you can think of a motivation, Sarah, just don''t relegate yourself to switchboard operator for any old reason. But in this case... we think it''s appropriate.]
[Do Enoch and the others know about this part of the gift?] Sarah asked.
[I''m not at all sure.]
[And the other question is, is there there any other part of the gift that we don''t know about?]
[I''m sure there is, Sarah. But whether I know about it is another issue. Anyway, can we discuss it later? I just thought you were a good target for Vivian to try this on.]
[OK, that''s fine. Thanks for telling me about it.]
[My pleasure.]
Friday 26th Jan.
[Hey, Sprog! Think to me!] Lilly thought, while holding Vivian''s hands. He wasn''t called Sprog, of course. Sprog was her nick-name for her brother, which was really Ree. Perhaps, in retrospect, calling him while he''d been lying on the sofa watching a boring film he wasn''t following hadn''t been the best idea. But, oh well, it would be something to laugh about together eventually. He fell off the sofa in surprise.
[I must have fallen asleep. Wow, that really sounded like Lilly! What have I bruised, I wonder?]
[Your bruises will heal.] Lilly thought, [Now get up, sort yourself out, or our parents will start asking embarrassing questions.]
[Hey! I''m awake, why am I having dreams still?]
[Look, Sprog, you''re awake, OK? I''ve got a friend with the mind-reading gift who''s letting us think to each other as a special favour. Please don''t tire her out while you contemplate your bruised tail-bone.]
[You.... how... It''s a trick, isn''t it?]
[How much have our parents told you, Sprog, what have you found out yourself, and how much do they know?]
[No way am I thinking those things. Where''s the wire? There must be a wire or something. Who is this?]
[Look, Sprog, this is me, your big sister, OK? Stand up, walk around. See!
No wire. I''m the one who didn''t tell about you keeping a copy of the Bible hidden in your collection of old films, remember? And told you to hide it better. You set a password of ''Lilly is freezing'', because you got ''freezing'' and ''cool'' confused, and I told you that three words even at random were way too short for a password, let alone a password involving me.]
That piece of very personal knowledge sank in. He asked: [You''ve really got a friend with the gift, who''s linking our minds?]
[Yes.]
[So I could be anywhere? Even past Jupiter?]
[Yes. But you''re not. You''re in the embassy watching a boring film from the sofa, or you were before you fell off. Did you see the film I sent Dad? The warheads being taken out of the missile?]
[Yes. Scary.]
[Do you know what else I told Mum and Dad?]
[I urm... heard Mum telling you to get me a passport, and work on propaganda films.]
[Excellent! So, important question one, what do you think about the country you''re currently in? Have you seen much of it?]
[Not much. What do I think? There''s so many choices in the shops, it''s hard to decide what to get. No one''s forced to eat mouldy corn. And it''s odd, Lilly, I read recently of an openly dissident couple getting invited to the palace, and then writing about the King and Queen needing a new carpet. It''s not that they have no sense of propriety or duty. They''ve got it in bucket loads, but... they''re free here, really free. And I think they love their royal family, they just don''t say it.] He didn''t need to say how different that was to home, in both respects.
[So, good place to live?]
[I''m sure. Where are you going with this?]
[You''ll get there. Question two: do Mum and Dad know about you being a believer?]
[I''ve not told them, but urm, I''m not probably not hiding it very well. I think Dad suspects. Mum is better at keeping secrets than you are, so I''ve no idea.]
[OK. Question three, do you know what they''re thinking of for your future?]
[Well, if you get me a passport, then I guess they''re thinking I''ll be some kind of agent, or something, safely away from home.]
[I doubt that ¡ª the agent bit ¡ª you''ve never done spy-school, have you?]
[No. It sounded horrible.]
[It was. So, maybe Mum''s expecting me to make sure you don''t defect, but stay a loyal little boy. Or she''s thinking you''ll defect and doesn''t mind. I''d love to know which one. Any guesses?]
[Lilly!] Some things were too sensitive to even think about.
[Sprog, when you''ve got time and you''re alone, ponder on this: I''m currently at the home of a woman who''s one of the fifty-six, except there''s fifty seven at the moment. But, right now, should I call Mum or Dad about having a choice of passports? Guess where I''m really tempted by?]
[Here?]
[Got it in one.]
[Dad might get the blame.]
[Good thought. I don''t want bad things to happen. Any other good thoughts? If I apply here then it''d be OK, I guess, but I like the attitude of the people from there, and the total package they''re offering.]
[Urm, nothing much to add. But aren''t the salaries there better?]
[Probably. But there''s a chance I could sign up to work as a civil servant there which is as secure a position as at home, but without the bad bits. The civil servants here are just doing a fixed-term government job, by the sound of it. I''d still have to save for my own pension, health-care, and everything.]
[Lilly... how do I ask this...]
[Maybe you don''t.]
[OK. But aren''t they going to interview you and things?]
[Done, I passed.]
[Wow.]
[So, I''ll talk to Dad, I guess. Is he there?]
[I think so. Last I heard he was filling out reports on the staff. You know how he loves that.]
[Thanks, Sprog. What about Mum?]
[Terrorizing the local vegetable sellers, I think. So yeah, strike while the iron is hot, like they say here.]
[I will. Take care!]
[If you get me a passport for here, does that mean I stay with you or not?]
[You could. Assuming I do take the government job, they''d list you as my dependant, since you''ll be down as having been given religious asylum. And as such you''d qualify for housing while you stay with me, and some sort of mostly subsidised university place, too. That''d mean living separately, of course.]
[Oh, wow! What if you get a passport from there?]
[Then I get more income, but your university fees would leave me starving and homeless. So... we''d save really hard for a few years, with you earning too, and live on rice and the odd bit of fish and corn, and whatever vegetables we can grow, just like home. But of course it would be our free choice and therefore all worth it, or something. And then you''d start university while still working part time. Alternatively, you can take out a loan you might have some hope of repaying in a decade, depending how well paid a job you get.]
[So... it is the land of the free but down-trodden workers?]
[Something like that, yes. Working like slaves because they are making expensive choices. Unless of course, you enter government service, where you work like a slave for your country, for a decade or so, and in thanks the government feeds you and pays off your student debts.]
[It sounds awfully complicated. Not to mention painful.]
[See why I like the state system there?]
[Yes. What''s the non-state system like here?]
[Salaries are a bit lower, health-care is a bit cheaper, university is a bit cheaper. Oh, I didn''t say: in both places there are some employers who''ll pay a chunk of your student loan each year if you work for them. Apparently it''s cheaper for them to do that than to give you the money to do it yourself.]
[Stop, Lilly, it''s worse than the toothpaste aisle in the supermarket!]
[{Grin} Shocking, isn''t it? I''ll stop. I''d better call Dad. Take care, Sprog.]
Lilly called her father. Once she''d ensured that everything was suitably tripple-encrypted, she spoke. ¡°Father, I have a question for you, of some significance.¡±
¡°Yes, my dutiful daughter?¡±
¡°I followed Mother''s instructions to press for two passports. But I must choose which country. Would it cause you problems if it were there? Some of the politicians here are in favour of starting the final war, it seems. Plus, as I look at things... my salary is not going to be able to send my brother to university easily.¡±
¡°It is a similar system here, my daughter. The workers are shown the appearance of freedom so they enslave themselves voluntarily.¡±
¡°Yes, it is true, father. But the numbers there seem to work out better. Plus, there is another option. I am told that I could seek to be a government worker. My income would be less, but university for my dependant brother would become very cheap. He could study engineering as he''s always wanted, and we would not need to live in a box of cardboard and eat mouldy corn.¡±
¡°So, they are convinced of your cover?¡±
¡°Yes, father, I need only to name the country. They have given me a description of all my options. I could even choose to become a citizen of a small tropical island somewhere. But apparently the university options are not good unless Ree is interested in banana-based products. That might have been partly a joke, though. But to be a state worker there... the system is almost socialist, father, a job for life.¡±
¡°Yes, yes, I see the attraction. It would be a good option for you, if you could manage it. But to enter their civil service, though? I think it would be a very difficult test, my daughter.¡±
¡°I am not afraid of studying.¡±
¡°No, daughter, I mean you would have to convince them of your loyalty.¡±
¡°And of my disloyalty to home. Would it cause problems for you, father, if I were to accomplish this?¡±
¡°You are expected to do this, Lilly. It would not cause me trouble, but if you were caught...¡±
¡°Do you know of the section they call Auditing there, Father?¡±
¡°Their internal investigations section? You''re not thinking of applying there surely?¡±
¡°No, no. The ambassador suggests I could continue in my present job, well, with the extra propaganda parts, too, of course. No, I ask about Auditing because the woman who interviewed me today worked for them. It was not hard to give her answers she liked. She has told me and everyone she met she is utterly convinced. So, I ask again, Father: Ree has never been to spy school, he will probably be granted asylum on political or religious grounds, very few will believe he is not defecting. If I help him, everyone will think I truly defect also. The consequences for myself, I understand and accept, but what about you and mother? Will it not look like you and mother helped us defect? Especially if we have passports from the government you talk to every day?¡±
The idea of speaking of his children defecting came as a shock. Is that what his wife was planning? Lilly''s analysis seemed undeniable, she''d clearly inherited his wife''s mental agility. Unfortunately it wasn''t contagious. But he could catch her on one thing: ¡°Not every day, don''t exaggerate, Lilly. You are considerate to ask these things, my loyal daughter. Perhaps you are right. Especially if we arrange for your brother to visit you.¡±
¡°So, I was thinking, father. He does leave the embassy occasionally, doesn''t he?¡±
¡°Yes, of course. He has his language lessons, and so on.¡±
¡°And is he always guarded, locked in?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Then, how about if you do not arrange for him to meet me, father? That would look suspicious to anyone, after all. It would not be hard, I believe, for him to follow... other plans.¡±
¡°You would take the full blame on yourself, daughter?¡±
¡°Is there blame, father? There are consequences, surely, but blame surely implies wrong-doing.¡±
¡°You do not see it as wrong to allow your brother to defect?¡±
¡°Mother''s plan, I believe, is to have him listed as a loyal overseas worker, father. That is not defecting, surely? But if her plan is not successful, I do not see it as wrong to protect my family, and I am sure that helping my brother get through university will only assist my cover.¡±
¡°Yes, Lilly. I''m sure you''re right. It would surely be bad for your cover if you did not support your brother. I just hope that your love for your country is never made to oppose your love for your family.¡±
¡°Nor yours either, Father.¡±
He pondered a little, still not really knowing where Lilly''s loyalties lay, but then... he wasn''t really sure where anyone''s did, including his own. He loved his family, his country. He hoped he was doing his best for both. ¡°It would be bad for your cover if you chose a passport that held no logic. I do not see any clear risk to your mother and I, whichever you choose. And I am sure it would not be comfortable for either of you if you had to swear loyalty to a country intent on war. This country is not one of those: they claim they have enough problems with meteors to pick other fights, and I am sure they speak truth.¡±
¡°Thank you, Father.¡±
¡°Keep safe, my daughter, and look after your brother.¡±
¡°I will, father.¡±
People''s State of the Beautiful Peninsula, Friday 26th Jan.
¡°So, while others lovingly polish the noses of their missiles, they offer face-to-face talks?¡±
¡°Yes, great leader.¡± the minister for external relations agreed.
¡°What is your assessment?¡±
¡°We have had... shall we say, reasonable relations with them for a long time. They expect to rebuild a city, which is surely expensive, as is war, of course, so not having a war is to their advantage. I do not believe there is anything to be gained by refusing, and perhaps... well, they must think they have something to interest us.¡±
¡°Unless it is a plot.¡±
¡°At the moment, great leader, there is no warrant for your arrest. Our ambassador there assures me that they would not be a party to international actions with or without one. It is in their constitution: once a member of their royal family has given a promise, it cannot be broken.¡±
¡°A nice little piece of propaganda, I''m sure.¡±
¡°It happened once, two hundred years ago. Someone complained that the crown prince in question was not keeping up their end of a deal. The prince was given a choice: keep your promise or spend a lot of the rest of your life in jail and the rest as an ordinary worker. Our ambassador insists that if they offer safe conduct, their military will be protecting you from all attack.¡±
¡°Ah? Interesting! So, have they offered safe conduct?¡±
¡°Not as such. Yet. But our ambassador is certain that if we ask for it they would not refuse. Although, of course, they might require other concessions in exchange.¡±
Blackwood Cabins, Friday Evening, 26th Jan.
¡°How are your bruises?¡± Albert asked when they''d finished getting the fire going in the stove.
¡°Not too bad at all.¡± Eliza asked ¡°It wasn''t that bad a fall.¡±
¡°I''m glad. You had us all worried for a while there, shooting off into the distance like that.¡±
¡°I just got my feet a bit confused....¡±
¡°... then crashed into that couple on the ski-lift and ended up in a tangled heap. I saw it, my love.¡±
¡°They were very kind about it.¡±
¡°Yes. They were.¡± Albert shook his head. Eliza was a wonderful person, but not a natural skier.
¡°I tried to stop. I practically was stopped by the time of the collision.
¡°I know, Eliza. It''s a shame you managed to find the one place where the netting was broken.¡±
¡°Have I severely damaged the image of the monarchy, or something?¡± she asked.
¡°No. But it''s a good thing our honeymoon is almost over. I''m not saying you should have refused the photograph, but... I expect the press will be all over this lovely place tomorrow.¡±
¡°It is a lovely place.¡± Eliza agreed. ¡°And I like that word almost,¡± she said, wrapping her arms around Albert''s neck and kissing him.
¡°Oh yes?¡± he asked, when that was possible.
¡°Hmm. How hungry are you?¡±
The Palace, Monday 29th Jan.
¡°So, let me get this straight. The architects want a re-design of the entire centre of Restoration?¡± the Queen asked.
The Prime-minister pulled a face, ¡°Well, the entire city, really, but they''ll settle for the city centre. They say it''s too important an opportunity to waste, on a par with the opportunity Sir Christopher Wren had after the great fire of London, and that rebuilding like for like in haste will be, I quote, ''a disaster of civic planning that will be remembered with shame for generations, when for minimal cost and disruption we can build a modern city centre we can be proud of.'' They have a point, or at least, the city''s planning officer agrees at least that the last re-design of the city centre was when masses went by train or drove in using private cars, which then stayed static for most of the day. That apparently dictated a lot of the design elements. With the current flow of people and uses of space, the elements are familiar but don''t really have much logic behind them any more.¡±
¡°Could you be a little more explicit, prime-minister?¡± the King asked.
¡°Yes, sir.¡± He displayed a map ¡°Everywhere you look, there''s lots of spaces beside roads, or linked to loading areas and so on. They''ve highlighted them in purple, in this one ¡ª these spaces were to provide space for static vehicles, both for staff and customers ¡ª most of it''s been converted to other purposes like restaurant terraces in the summer, but lots of it still doesn''t connect.¡± He pointed how the old car-parks linked to the road but little else, even when there were two that almost connected from different roads. ¡°That was a design decision because if one company owned the parking space they didn''t want people using it to reach their competitors, but really it''s a waste of space.¡±
¡°So they''re proposing that these open spaces be linked up or that they could be built on?¡± the queen asked. ¡°I don''t think we''d want to increase the building density.¡±
¡°Linked up, Maam. If we were designing now, it would be far better to make more pedestrian links between roads, indeed there''d maybe even be advantages to traders as people would be more likely to walk past them, and all in all the city could be made far more pedestrian-friendly.¡±
The king nodded in agreement. ¡°So, they''re not actually suggesting re-designing the infrastructure, just the land-use entirely within the existing grid?¡±
The prime-minister pulled a face ¡°Ah, unfortunately not entirely, sir.¡±
¡°I guess talking of Christopher Wren, it got them thinking of his great cathedral. They''d like a centre-piece.¡±
¡°I don''t think we''re really into state-funded building of cathedrals these days, are we?¡± the queen asked, with a wry smile.
¡°Ah, no maam. Nor are we into building state-funded mosques, synagogues, multi-faith religions centres, opera-houses or transport hubs, to name a few other options they toyed with.¡±
¡°So, what are they proposing?¡± the king asked.
¡°They''ve submitted plans for several options, sir. They include an art gallery or museum, a court-building, government offices, or my personal favourite: a combined-purpose building where almost all the functions of the state are represented.¡±
¡°So, a school next to a prison?¡± the King asked, with a sardonic smile, ¡°I can see that being a big hit with everyone concerned.¡±
The prime-minister looked pained ¡°I did say almost all, sir.¡±
¡°So, people visiting the tax offices or attending council sessions need to duck to avoid low-flying balls?¡± the queen asked, getting into the spirit.
¡°Explicitly, sir, maam, they''re suggesting local police, courtroom, constituency office for elected representatives, public records, and yes, maam, tax offices and local council offices.¡± He displayed the the plans for the octagonal building.
¡°I see. It looks an impressive building, I''m sure, but, and, excuse my continued scepticism, Prime-minister.¡± the queen started ¡°But will this lavish centre-piece of civic pride bring any actual cost savings either in use or building costs, or will it merely provide a lot of kudos to an architect or three?¡±
¡°Ah. Well, it might, but I''ve not been specifically briefed on any cost savings, maam.¡±
The King spoke, ¡°I think, prime-minister that we can certainly encourage land-owners to take into account the architect''s suggestions about pedestrian access. That seems to be a most sensible suggestion. Probably, the correct avenue for that is via the city''s planning office, who I presume would be involved anyway.¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
¡°As to the other... I presume the land they intend to build it on is not actually government property at the moment, is it?¡±
¡°Ah, no, sir. There is a single land-owner though, according to the planning office. I''m not quite sure of the history, but it actually belongs to the Institute for the Human Mind. Quite what they''re doing in property speculation, I''ve no idea.¡±
¡°I can guess.¡± her majesty said. ¡°Can you overlay a satellite view?¡±
¡°Yes, maam. I had a look myself. It seems to be a some kind of high-rise building, with a helipad on top.¡±
¡°Hmm. Yes. I thought it might have been there. I''m afraid there might be some legal issues surrounding a change of land-use there.¡±
¡°Could you be more explicit, maam?¡± the Prime-minister asked.
¡°I''m not sure I can, no.¡± She didn''t want to get close to discussing ¡ª and thus breaking ¡ª U.N. resolutions, ¡°But I do know that just under that helipad is a high security room where Albert formally proposed to Eliza. Underneath that is a large department store. And of course all the land around the building that seems to be parkland on these plans is also shops. Your friendly architects are talking about the commercial centre of the city, Mr Prime-minister. That''d certainly make quite a significant change to the city, don''t you think?¡±
¡°Ah, yes, maam.¡±
¡°And the whole area is owned by the Institute?¡± the king asked, seeking clarification.
¡°I''m not sure, actually, your majesty. I asked about the building itself.¡±
¡°So we''re potentially talking about the compulsory purchase of prime commercial property from multiple major retailers who we''d like to see rebuilding their businesses in the heart of the city, aren''t we? It doesn''t sound like a particularly low-cost option in financial or political terms.¡±
¡°I believe I''ll discuss these issues with the guild of architects, sir.¡±
¡°Do, Mr Prime-minister. I''m not opposed to building a new modern centre to the city, indeed it''s got a lot going for it. But...¡±
¡°It might break the state budget, sir?¡±
¡°Oh, probably not even that, but we don''t want to do anything that makes it look like the civil servants are getting a big impressive building while people are struggling to rebuild their homes, and nor do we want to do anything that might make it harder for businesses to re-open.¡±
¡°I understand, sir.¡±
¡°You should also talk to the Institute, Prime-minister, if the architects manage to convince you that it might work.¡± the queen said ¡°I believe there are complications with that particular site.¡±
Tuesday 30th Jan, I.H.M.
Kate shook the prime-minister''s hand and ushered him into her office.
¡°Thank-you for seeing me at such short notice, Mrs West.¡±
¡°You''re welcome, sir. Sorry about the building work.¡± Kate said ¡°What can I do for you? Your secretary spoke of plans for the city centre? I don''t quite understand where we fit in.¡±
¡°Maam, the guild of architects would like to make their mark on the rebuilding of the city. They are speaking of what a wasted opportunity it would be not to, and such like. I must say, they had me very convinced and I spoke to their majesties about it yesterday. Their Majesties pointed out some holes in my knowledge and dampened my enthusiasm a little, but I''ve filled in those gaps I think their objections are not insurmountable. But her majesty was most insistent that I talk to you about the plans.¡±
¡°Oh, so they affect us?¡±
¡°The land the architects have suggested building on is owned by the institute, but I had the impression that her majesty seemed to think there were reasons that it might not be possible, even before any discussion of compensation could be entered into.¡±
¡°Oh?¡± Kate said non-committally. ¡°Well, the Institute was left certain pieces of land by one of its founders, we get a little rent from them which helps pay the bills. Without breaching confidences, could you tell me about the exact land we''re talking of?¡±
¡°Yes, maam. It''s currently the site of a department store....¡±
¡°Oh! Yes, that would be awkward. But perhaps not insurmountable.¡± she looked at him speculatively. ¡°No wonder her majesty didn''t feel able to comment further.¡±
¡°I''m quite sure I don''t understand, Maam.¡±
¡°Well, I''m sure that you can keep a secret, Mr Prime-minister. Especially one that would get you put in jail. Do you happen to have a map showing the building we''re talking about? Just so I don''t leap to conclusions?¡±
¡°Yes, Maam. It is on here.¡± He handed her a data-crystal, and explained the architect''s plans for a multi-purpose civic centre and reasons for suggesting the centre go on the institute''s land. ¡°I''ve no idea what the owners of the store itself would think to moving, of course, Maam.¡±
¡°I do. The minority share-holders would love it.¡± Kate said, ¡°We''ve had to block them a number of times over the years. The institute owns just over half of the stock, sir. But we''ve had to block because that store happens to conceal our back exit, and thus is covered under the U.N. reporting embargo.¡±
¡°Oh!¡±
¡°Yes, and the terms of the will are quite explicit: we own the shares in the store, but we can''t sell them or allow the store to be moved. Now I''d have to consult legal advice, but I presume that the crown has the authority to strike down such conditions.¡±
¡°Oh, certainly.¡±
¡°So, assuming that some arrangement could be made concerning unfettered access to the tunnel, I''d imagine that we wouldn''t have any objection in principle.¡±
¡°But at the moment the tunnel goes into the shop? So that must be strictly business hours only?¡± he asked.
¡°No, sorry, it connects to an externally accessed staff elevator, so it''s all hours, and since there are a few hundred staff coming and going at all hours it''s quite well disguised. I think we would need something similar.¡±
¡°Oh. Oh, I see.¡± the prime-minister did see. It was actually quite a problem. He sat down. ¡°I don''t actually imagine that''d work, then. I think we''d probably be talking about an almost empty building after about six P.M. Anyone coming or going after that would be rather noticeable, except for police, assuming they were part of the complex.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
¡°And even if we let out part of it as a theatre or function room, that would present difficulties too, wouldn''t it? You wouldn''t want people trying to leave discreetly having to negotiate their way past a hoard of would-be party-goers or photographers trying to catch a glimpse of some star.¡±
¡°No, that wouldn''t be good either.¡± Kate agreed ¡°I''m quite sure the lawyers would see that as a definite breach of the U.N. resolution.¡±
¡°It''s quite a challenge. And also, I wonder if your tunnel even links up to the planned location of the civic centre.¡±
¡°Hmm.¡± Kate looked at the map. ¡°Not quite, according to this. It''s quite a tricky one, isn''t it? And you can''t exactly ask too many people about how to solve it, can you? Do you mind if I get some of my staff members to think about options?¡±
¡°Of course not, Maam.¡±
¡°And then there is the issue of where exactly you''re suggesting the store move to. I wouldn''t want to leave you with the impression that the shareholders wanted to abandon the city centre. They were mostly seeking somewhere with a little more shop-front to tempt people inside.¡±
¡°Oh. I understand. But I presume the Institute has been charging a commercial rate for the land, so....¡± he cut himself off as he saw Kate shaking her head.
¡°I''m afraid to say that when the original owner of the store sold off shares he didn''t take very good legal advice. The contracts drawn up make it clear that he''s keeping the land in his own name, but it seems he never thought about charging land rental.¡±
¡°So the Institute derives no income from the site?¡±
¡°Oh, I wouldn''t say that. We get quite a nice income from the operating profits of the store, which I''m sure are a little higher because of the rent issue. But there certainly would be an on-going commercial impact to the store moving, unless that move included title to the land.¡±
¡°But the government purchasing the land from the institute would not compensate for that.¡±
¡°Not from the other shareholder''s point of view. And of course, the issue of the tunnel would continue, whoever owned the land. We do make use of that tunnel, it is connected to our security system. In fact our security system runs the store''s security system too, so I suppose I might even say that the store is an extension of the institute''s facility.¡± Kate thought for a little. ¡°Perhaps I should say that, in fact. I''m not opposed to separating the store from the institute, sir, but I would be opposed to anything that reduced our current level of security. I expect Internal Security would have an opinion on that too.¡±
¡°I quite understand, Maam. I have no desire to reduce your security, nor to fall foul of the law. Could you give me a list of people I could discuss this issue with without doing so?¡±
¡°Of course. Our staff, of course. Prince Albert and Eliza have both used the tunnel I believe, they certainly know about it. I know Eliza''s protection officer, Bella, has. Various other people in Internal Security too ¡ª Maria, Priscilla Robertson, Dirk and Eliza Smythe.¡±
The prime-minister held up his hand to slow her down. ¡°Sorry, can I take notes?¡±
¡°Yes, of course. But actually, I think Eliza and Bella between them know everyone who has learned about it recently. But there are certain documents I can point you to, already published which would help you to discuss the issue with people without letting them know for sure.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Nothing conclusive, you understand. There were newspaper publications around the time of the digging. And then there''s the court hearing from about twenty years ago, declaring that investigating the tunnels for a school project was going to be in breach of the law. That''s also a matter of public record.¡±
¡°Oh, I see, so while it''s not conclusive...¡±
¡°It certainly indicates that the institute has an interest in there not being an obvious change in status.¡± Kate finished for him.
¡°It seems odd to think of there being tunnels under the city that no one knows about.¡±
¡°Well, there are the old rail tunnels as well. Lots of people don''t know much about them either.¡± Kate pointed out.
¡°Rail tunnels?¡±
¡°Yes, sir. There are apparently about thirty kilometres of an old mass-transit system somewhere under our feet. I heard there was some suggestion of using them for temporary shelter if they survive the impact and the weather gets too bad, but I don''t know how seriously they decided to take that. I guess structural survey waits until after the impact.¡±
¡°That sounds sensible, yes.¡± the Prime-minister agreed.
Association / Ch. 23: Plans
Association / Ch. 23:Plans
U.N. offices, assessment department, Tuesday, 30th, Jan.
¡°Yes, I am sure that a internal investigation is appropriate.¡± Vivian said from behind her truthsayer mask.
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because I was asked to torture.¡±
¡°No, Maam, you were not.¡±
¡°No?¡±
¡°The internationally agreed definition of torture does not include misinforming someone, or misleading someone, or showing someone nasty pictures. If the things you were asked to do left any visible scarring, or physical disability, then we would not have asked you do do them. You were dealing with an acknowledged agent. She''s had training in dealing with such things.¡±
¡°Not administered mind-to-mind.¡±
¡°OK, so it''s more effective that way, but that doesn''t matter.¡±
¡°It would have given her nightmares for weeks if not forever.¡±
¡°So what?¡± he asked callously.
¡°Pardon?¡± Vivian let her voice express the shock she felt.
¡°She''s selling out her country, she''s lying to everyone who cares for her back home. I don''t care if she gets a few extra nightmares. It''d probably do her some good. You can''t come in here, hiding behind that silly mask and tell me how to do my job, miss, I''m a professional at this. You have /no idea/ what it takes to crack a spy''s persona. She probably just took you in, girl. If your country wants to give a spy a passport that''s your business, but there''s no need to investigate. Application refused.¡±
Vivian heard his lies and bravado, along with the decision ''I should have sent her those pictures myself, instead of calling for this do-gooder woman. That would have that little traitor squirm.'' She hid her thoughts, not wanting to hear more. He was head of assessment, and obviously a thought-hearer. Vivian was sure it would have helped him in reaching his position..
She feigned resignation.
¡°I requested a formal investigation about who decided to hire a truth-sayer to play the thought-stealer who tortures victims, but it''s obvious that you are that person. So, I suppose my curiosity is satisfied, and since you think such behaviour is entirely reasonable, I''ll have to think about another approach.¡± she turned to go then turned back ¡°Oh, you need to sign a piece of paper to say my application is rejected as unfounded, don''t you?¡±
He grinned at her viciously, and handed it to her with bare fingers, she was pleased to note. ¡°Already done.¡±
Carefully folding the paper to preserve his finger-prints, Vivian turned to go then said, ¡°By the way, she didn''t, ''take me in''. She spoke truth. She reacted with unfeigned terror when she thought I was a counter-agent. She was entirely honest with me during the entire interview, unlike certain people who can''t even control their thoughts in-front of another thought-hearer, and who idly gloats over the terror he''d have caused an innocent. So, the question in my mind is, are you an amoral spy catcher who has lost any sense of compassion, or are you actually a thought-stealer, abusing your power for profit and control whenever you can? You have the right to remain silent, but anything you do allow me to hear can be used in a court of law should you ever enter my jurisdiction.¡±
¡°I''m no criminal, woman.¡± he growled.
¡°That''s good. So, why are you encouraging people, nay, commissioning them to torture?¡±
¡°We''ve been here before. Showing people disturbing images is a legitimate interrogation technique, not torture!¡±
¡°I see. In other words, when you do it, it''s not torture, but if someone did it to your daughter it would be?¡±
¡°If my daughter were a professional spy, she''d be used to it.¡±
¡°I firmly believe you''re wrong about that. I''m not aware of any country preparing thought-hearing agents for that kind of direct, believable attack. The other point I wish to raise is that most truthsayers are not expert interrogators, and the truthsayer vow specifically excludes the use of lies and deception. If I had been more awake when I received your briefing I would have refused it. It is entirely inappropriate to ask a truthsayer to do what you asked me to do.¡±
¡°Yes. You''re not up to the job.¡±
¡°I do wish you''d stop lying to yourself and me. The only people that young woman is deliberately deceiving are the fanatics in her home country. I''m fifty-five percent sure that even her handler knows she''s not loyal. Lilly herself doesn''t think that, but I''ve got other sources of information.¡±
¡°I wish I was as na?ve as you.¡± he said. Then he processed what she''d said a little more ¡°What do you mean other sources?¡±
¡°I don''t trust you, and the information you requested is on a need-to-know basis. Good-bye.¡± Vivian said.
¡°If you have evidence in this case then I absolutely have a need to know. I don''t have the men to spare following her if you''ve got real evidence that she''s not tricked you.¡±
¡°Lilly has failed to report her brother''s faith since she found out he was a Christian years ago. The Christian who''s execution she fabricated and you couldn''t find is living in Alaska. One of the fifty-seven has verified that Lilly is a committed Christian. I witnessed her absolute hatred for the regime in her home country. What more do you want? Read my lips, I speak truth. Not unfounded guesses.¡±
¡°What do you mean ''the fifty-seven''? Who are they?¡±
¡°You might have heard of the fifty-six? You''re out of date, God''s added another one.¡±
¡°Alaska?¡±
¡°Yes. I know the name of the town/city/whatever but I don''t trust you with that much information.¡±
¡°You''ve spoken to him?¡± he asked.
¡°Not personally. Unsurprisingly he''s a little wary of talking to strangers about his past. I can get a message to a member the church he''s part of if you really need it.¡±
¡°I need it.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Proof! Evidence, required paperwork. I can''t close the file otherwise.¡±
Vivian considered. ¡°OK. What''s the message?¡±
¡°You know too much to be the delivery agent.¡±
She smiled. ¡°Consider what you''re asking. You want me to tell you who to give a message to, but you don''t trust me to be involved in it''s delivery. A little circular, isn''t it?¡±
He had the honesty to look uncomfortable. ¡°I''ve got to trust someone a bit. But you''re on Lilly''s side, and you know her side of it. That pollutes the evidence.¡±
¡°Hmm. But I certainly don''t trust you to give you access to my sources. So, do you trust the man I handed my assessment to?¡±
¡°He''s a good worker.¡± he nodded.
¡°I tend to agree. You come up with the question, I''ll tell him who to call to deliver the message to someone else. Don''t bother trying to get him to think of who he called. He''s just going to get a phone number.¡±
Ministry for foreign affairs, Wednesday 31st Jan
¡°How much lee-way do you actually have in negotiations, Mr Ambassador?¡± the minister for foreign affairs asked, as soon as he''d entered. It was characteristically blunt, but still, the ambassador for the Beautiful Peninsula winced inwardly, and he appreciated Ralph Trinket''s look of dismay at his minister''s approach; it was too soon to ask such questions.
The ambassador tried not to react badly. ¡°I have a free hand over all matters of provisional planning, minister. But nothing I agree to will be final until the Great Leader agrees.¡±
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
¡°Oh, I understand. But I presume you have certain parameters that would make such agreement unlikely.¡±
¡°Of course. But I think my superior and I have reassured the Great Leader that talks could be advantageous. Although I cannot promise anything until it is confirmed. Actually, with politics being what it is I cannot promise anything even when it is confirmed. Nothing is final until it happens.¡±
¡°Your ruler is noted for his spontaneity.¡± Ralph commented.
¡°Spoken as a true diplomat, Mr Trinket.¡± the ambassador acknowledged, thinking that total unpredictability might be a more accurate description.
¡°Would you like to lead the way into the discussion, then Mr Ambassador?¡± the minister asked, keen to press on to the meat of the agenda.
This minister was acting as though he was new to his job: too keen, too rushed. What was eating the man? Had he personally suggested this meeting? The ambassador''s sources had suggested otherwise. It was most odd, the ambassador pondered. Was he due somewhere else soon?
¡°Obviously, the question of when and where should figure in our discussion. However, I think there are a few... shall we say, concerns that we should probably address first. Our great leader is not entirely convinced of the good intentions of any nation which might offer a meeting place. The noises coming out of the United Nations are not encouraging. He obviously has no desire to step into a trap.¡± Seeing the minister draw in his breath in indignation he quickly added ¡°Not from their majesties, of course, but perhaps others? Perhaps the host nation might see it as scoring some points with powerful interests, and would look the other way as some U.N force move against the Great Leader? Stranger things have happened.¡±
¡°The suggestion was that the host country should be an ally of yours.¡±
¡°Ah well, allies and allegiances... The rulers of small nations, sometimes they feel the pressure of international focus a little differently than we might hope.¡±
¡°Sorry, Mr Ambassador, I have a bad tooth and the both the pain and the medication are affecting my ability to think clearly.¡± the minister said. ¡°Am I right in understanding you to say that you don''t actually trust your allies?¡±
¡°I sorrow for your pain, minister.¡± Pain, yes, that might explain it. He obviously wanted the meeting to be over. ¡°Please allow me to simply state that finding an ally you can put your trust in for every circumstance is not a very common occurrence. And at the moment...¡± he shrugged. At the moment there had been angry messages from each and every ally, asking why they''d thought to start a world war without any warning to them. The Great Leader wouldn''t trust any of them them not to be angry enough to make a deal with another country.
¡°So, your government are happy to accept the idea of a meeting, but you can''t actually name a location?¡±
¡°Let us say, rather, that my Great Leader would like some guarantees. Principally, I expect that he''d like to return home without anything untoward happening.¡±
¡°I''m fairly sure their majesties can not guarantee that when the meeting occurs on someone else''s sovereign territory.¡± Ralph pointed out, after the minister looked at him for help.
¡°That was our conclusion, also,¡± the ambassador agreed. ¡°Which leaves us with just two locations, doesn''t it? But hosting a state visit is an expense our poor nation can ill-afford. I have stated to the Great Leader that the King''s word is entirely trustworthy, and the Great Leader''s primary consort has often expressed her desire to travel more.¡±
¡°I will discuss this with their majesties, Mr Ambassador, but I expect they will agree to your leader coming here.¡± The minister paused, ¡°You mentioned a state visit.... ahh, I''m sorry.¡± he shook his head, and clutched at his face. ¡°I must see my dentist really soon. Ralph, please?¡±
¡°I think what the minister wanted to ask was whether the, ah, level of formality of a state visit was necessary? Their majesties were interested in a meeting that would be easy to arrange, and would cover real issues, not one that would look good for the media.¡±
¡°I think we can negotiate, Minister. An informal state visit is still a state visit. The most important point, really is genuine protection, publicly promised by your monarch. Now, I think that perhaps you''d like to cut short this meeting, and see what your dentist says?¡±
¡°I think I''d better, I''m sorry.¡±
I.H.M. 5pm, Wed. 31st Jan.
The installation engineer handed Kate the test certificates. ¡°Well, Maam, the generator is functioning normally, it''s live, it reacts well to changes in loads and the automatic full systems check will take another thirty six hours or so. We''ll be back on Friday to make sure the results all look good, if that''s all right?¡±
¡°Very. Thank you very much.¡±
¡°Should anything seem out of the ordinary, feel free to call us, any time of day.¡±
¡°Have no fear, I will.¡± Kate said.
¡°Everyone says that. It must be the thought of molten salts spraying across their facility like a private volcano that does it.¡±
¡°Yes, probably. Is that just film industry, or might it really happen?¡±
¡°Film industry''s special effects, Maam. I mean, yes it''s hot, yes it''s dangerous, but it''s not white hot, or even orange, like they like to show in the films and it''s not under much pressure either. It doesn''t need to be, see.¡±
¡°That''s reassuring.¡±
¡°Thought it might be. But on the other hand, if it does start leaking then your reactor would shut down pretty quickly, and you''d loose power. I''m sure you don''t want that to happen.¡±
¡°No. Does it happen often?¡± she asked curiously.
¡°No, Maam. We try do it properly the first time. That''s called professional pride.¡±
¡°Good for you.¡± Kate agreed.
¡°I''ve spoken to some of your staff members about your urm... cooling circuit. I understand you intend to pipe heat to your neighbours eventually?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Good. But even then...¡± he shook his head ¡°you''re not going to dump much heat during the summer months.¡±
¡°I know. We are only thinking of short term loads, not long term.¡±
¡°Fair enough, just thought I ought to mention it. We can offer some cooling solutions, if you''d be interested.¡±
¡°Thank you, maybe after we''ve seen how well the experimental forcefields protect us against the impact.¡±
¡°Of course, Maam.¡±
Embassy, Near U.N.H.Q. 6pm, Wed 31st Jan.
Maggie Right happened to look out of the window to see Vivian speaking to the embassy guard, and leaving. Calling the guard-post, she asked.
¡°The young woman who''s just left...¡±
¡°Yes, Maam, she left a message for you.¡±
¡°Oh, she didn''t ask to enter?¡±
¡°No, Maam, just delivered a message.¡±
¡°Well, out with it? What did she say?¡±
¡°I can''t leave my post, Maam, my colleague''s escorting another visitor.¡±
¡°Oh, she left a crystal?¡±
¡°A piece of paper, Maam. It''s actually sealed with wax.¡±
¡°How very unusual.¡±
¡°My thoughts exactly, Maam.¡±
¡°I''ll come and get it.¡±
Maggie read the note. It wasn''t long.
¡°Dear Maggie, the other day you asked a question. Wear gloves. The reply is: not as such; a patriot with very low morals.¡± Not a thought-stealer, she guessed the answer meant, but she should be wearing gloves. There was someone listening in to other''s thoughts. Someone who was doing it for their country, not for personal gain. It was a subtle but important difference, Maggie knew. So, why the wax-sealed envelope? Why had Vivian sent that? Maggie looked again at the seal, and realised there was a second piece of paper within the wax. Curiouser and curiouser!
She took the paper into the embassy, and to her study.
Was this some kind of clue? Why was Vivian leaving clues, rather than just telling her things? So... was ''wear gloves'' talking about the thought-hearing spy, or what was in the wax?
I.H.M.
¡°Hello, Institute for the Human Mind. How can I help you?¡± Sarah answered the phone.
Regan, assessor grade four, hadn''t known he''d be talking to the Institute. ¡°Hello, I''m calling from the United Nations, I have a message to send, and I''m told I need to send it via a rich Christian with initial S. I err, don''t know if that person is staff or a client.¡±
¡°That''s OK, I''ll see the message gets through.¡±
¡°Thank-you, Ms. Sorry, I mean Maam. The message is for an assistant-pastor in Alaska ¡ª Anchorage to be precise ¡ª who knows an employee of that person.¡±
¡°Do you know this employee''s name?¡± Sarah asked, curiously.
¡°No, sorry, nor the name the assistant-pastor is using, either.¡±
¡°Let''s hope it doesn''t matter.¡± Sarah said.
¡°The message is: ''Someone tells me you owe a lot to a flower and a pig in a sack. If that''s true, please contact me.''¡±
¡°That''s a little cryptic.¡± Sarah said.
¡°I think that''s the intention.¡±
¡°When you say ''contact me.'' that means they should send a message to you directly, at the number you''re calling from?¡±
¡°Yes. Well, it should probably be via an intermediary. There''ll need to be a little bit of dialogue.¡±
¡°But you don''t know who the message is for?¡±
¡°I don''t know the name he''s using now.¡±
¡°I''d be a bit suspicious if I heard my pastor was lying about his name,¡± Sarah pointed out.
¡°I''m sorry. Urm, I''m permitted to say that he''s got very good reasons for it - there are people who think he shouldn''t profess his faith. Also, we''re just confirming the truth of that story, it would let us leave someone else alone. We''re not interested in him at all.¡±
¡°I see. So, you wouldn''t mind if I called you back, as long as I had the pastor on another line?¡±
¡°Not at all, Maam. Or even if you had someone the pastor trusts on the other line.¡±
¡°Did you say which branch of the United Nations you''re in?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I''m in what we call assessment, Maam. We mainly assess risks, in this case, we''d like to decide that someone isn''t one.¡±
¡°Oh, OK. May I pass that on?¡±
¡°Yes, Maam. If you can get the pastor on line, then please call me any time, night or day.¡±
¡°I''ll take you at your word on that.¡±
Embassy, Near U.N.H.Q.
¡°You''re certain of the fingerprint match?¡± Maggie asked her assistant.
¡°Absolutely, Maam.¡±
¡°That is a very interesting result.¡± Maggie mused.
¡°Can I ask why, maam? Why would someone send us a fingerprint of the U.N.''s head of assessment? Was there more than scrap of paper on the wax?¡± the assistant asked.
¡°What would your guess be, Jane?¡±
¡°I''d guess the wax was stuck to something, which had more information.¡±
¡°It was. It was a note concerning thought-stealers. It informed me that there are none at the United Nations, but there is a ''patriot'' with low morals. So, there is an implied link, but it it not a clear statement, which is just as well, since a clear statement would be violating the privacy of the head of assessment. And while we don''t know, gloves would be very appropriate if you''re discussing anything with him.¡±
¡°Oh. Oh wow. So I might have been the source of the leak?¡±
¡°Not entirely. I can''t think why the U.N.''s head of assessment would have passed on everything. But... advice I got from someone who knows: don''t make decisions around him. Play with ideas, weigh pros and cons, but don''t actually decide. If you decide not to tell a thought-hearer something, apparently they hear it. If you have to decide, then make sure you''re thinking of ''item three'' and that sort of thing, not the actual information. Thought-hearing is not magic ¡ª if you don''t think it then they don''t hear it. Wear gloves, and watch out for any metal surfaces.¡±
¡°I wish there could be some kind of training for this!¡± Jane moaned.
¡°There can be. Interested?¡±
¡°Very!¡±
¡°Good. Your name''s already third on the list along-side mine and my husband''s.¡±
Association / Ch. 24: Contacts
Association / Ch. 24:Contacts
7pm Anchorage time, 31st Jan.
¡°Hi, Maddie. Sarah here.¡±
¡°Oh, Wow! Hi, Sarah.¡±
¡°I''ve got a really odd request for you and / or Robert.¡±
¡°What, odder than an unexpected wedding? Shall I put you on speaker?¡±
¡°Yes, please.¡±
¡°Robbie! It''s Sarah with a request for us.¡± Maddie called, then said ¡°He''s just washing up.¡±
A little later Sarah heard footsteps and a ¡°Hello!¡± from Robbie.
¡°Odd request is as follows. Someone who claims to work at the United Nations has been told that the assistant pastor of one of my employees in Anchorage had an... urm... eventful youth or something, and quite possibly still has enemies. I''ve got my own guesses about how I ended up getting that call, but I''ve not confirmed them. But... does it sound possible to you?¡±
¡°Urm... maybe.¡± Robbie agreed, carefully.
¡°It''s all very cryptic and not saying much. But the person who rang me at work, apparently without knowing my name, claims to work at the U.N. checking up on threats, and he''d like to know someone there isn''t one, if that makes any sense to you. He says has a story that he''d like to confirm. But it''s all so vague that it might be someone else entirely. All I''ve actually been told that the person is the assistant pastor of someone I employ in Anchorage, so I''m guessing it''s your pastor... Confusing eh? No names mentioned, and so on.¡±
¡°It sounds like one of your old stories, Maddie!¡± Robbie offered ¡°Top secret messages from spies...¡±
¡°So, you''d like us to go talk to him?¡± Maddie asked.
¡°Yes please. Can I give you the message?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
¡°The message is: ''Someone tells me you owe a lot to a flower and a pig in a sack. If that''s true, please contact me.''¡±
¡°Can you repeat it Sarah?¡± Maddie asked ¡°I only got the first part down.¡±
¡°No problem. ''Someone tells me you owe a lot to a flower and a pig in a sack. If that''s true, please contact me.'' The me is the guy at the U.N., but he said that it doesn''t need to be direct. I''m guessing it''s safer for your pastor if it isn''t.¡±
¡°And do you know this guy is legitimate?¡± Robbie asked.
¡°It was a phone-call out of the blue. I''ll check up on things my end to see how he got in contact. There aren''t that many people who know I''ve got contacts in Anchorage, let alone who know where I work.¡±
¡°OK. Well, we''ll go and deliver the scary cryptic message.¡±
After hitting a dead loss with Karen and Eliza, Sarah tried calling Enoch.
[Enoch, are you free?]
[Hi, Sarah, what''s up, other than you?]
[Someone has been giving my work number to someone at the U.N., and obviously knows some not very well known information about who I''m in contact with in Alaska. I don''t know who it might have been. Not Karen, John, Eliza or Kate. I''m guessing it''s not you.]
[You''re right there.]
[So... I can''t think of anyone else that I might have mentioned Alaska to. Any idea how I find out who''s been giving my number away?]
[It sounds like you''ve got a pretty small category there. Why not ''spot the dot?'']
[Why didn''t I think of that? Don''t answer.]
[OK. I won''t answer. You''ve got contacts in Alaska?]
[Yes.]
[Sounds exotic.]
[Ha! You should hear the message I was supposed to deliver! But it''s probably top secret or something. When I find out more, I''ll let you know, if I can.]
[OK.]
[Vivian, could I request a little background information, please?] Sarah demanded.
[Oh, hi, Sarah! He''s called you already? Mr Assessor fourth grade?]
[If that''s his grade. So, he''s legitimate, some kind of investigation division?]
[Pretty much. Sorry for not filling you in, I had a busy day: one interview after another. Basic run-down as follows: I don''t trust his boss, he''s border-line thought-stealer, but the guy I gave the institute''s number to is OK. He''s a Christian, has a sense of right and wrong, just not much authority. The boss has the authority but... well, like I said. And they''re both tied up by stupid forms. On actual paper, would you believe it? It''s crazy! And they can''t take my word for it that Lilly''s not a threat.]
[Oh, Lilly being the flower in the message?]
[I know nothing about the message. Deliberate separation of information streams ¡ª they don''t trust me either, partly because I told them Lilly was OK without following the boss''s plan to give her nightmares for the rest of her life.]
[Sounds nasty.]
[Like I said, the boss is a border-line thought-stealer. He declared that as part of assessing Lilly''s truthfulness I needed to squirt a picture of her mum killing her brother at her. Sorry, urm, Lilly got sent here to be a spy, Mum is her controller. Both Lilly and her brother are Christians, but that''s an instant death sentence if anyone finds out back home. So, Mum killing her son is quite a realistic possibility, for all Lilly knows.]
[Oh, wow. So, how did you know about Alaska. I don''t remember mentioning it to you.]
[No. Interesting use of the gift, Selina told me about it. You know how to find someone, that''s easy. Then you think about who should it be that should contact them, nice small category there, and so on, back to someone you know. That''s how I found out about Robert and Madeline.]
[How did you know they were employees?]
[I guessed they might be, and sure enough they glowed.]
[Oh, OK. Thanks, and how did you find out that the guy you were looking for was their assistant pastor, more guessing?]
[No. I looked at his clothes.]
[His clothes?]
[Yes. Another one from Selina. Didn''t you know?]
[No. And you find out what their job is?]
[Yes. It''s a bit like names, you can dig deeper and get the exact job title, but otherwise you get if someone''s a farmer or a merchant, or whatever.]
[Handy.]
[Yes. Selina says the general terms are all the sort of thing that people have always done, and can be a bit surprising for modern jobs. She looked at a biologist friend once, and got the response ''learned man'', and secretaries usually come up as scribe. I had a look at you, by the way, since you''re one of the most complicated people I know.]
[Oh yes? Do I want to know what it says am I?]
[I''m not going to leave you guessing. You''re a ''wife of noble character'', at the top level. I had to ask Selina about it, but it fits, I think.]
[{surprise} That is... wow. OK. I guess that''s what I try to be. I wonder what you are.]
[I asked Selina. She told me that I''m a judge these days, which fits me too, I think. It''s fascinating, but... you know. We shouldn''t abuse it.]
[No. But I will tell the others about it.] Sarah said, firmly.
[Good.] Vivian agreed.
[So, back to the guy at the UN. The pastor can trust him?]
[He''s a Christian, but the man he''s working for is certainly not. Neither of them are working for where the pastor came from, and I don''t think there''s any risk of them talking. But even so, I''d say he shouldn''t give away too much, but just confirm things without exposing himself, if he''s happy to do so.]
[But Lilly needs him to talk?]
[Not at all. It''s just so they can formally close the case and reallocate the people who check up on her from time to time.]
[Oh. Well, thanks, Vivian.]
8pm, Anchorage time.
¡°Hi, Sarah, you''re on speaker. Did you find out any more?¡±
¡°Yes. The man who contacted me is a believer. His boss is not, and I now know who put him in touch with me, and why. I''m entirely convinced that no one is going to come knocking on any doors.¡±
¡°But... how was I found?¡± Frank, the assistant pastor asked. ¡°That is what scares me.¡±
Sarah answered. ¡°Pastor ¡ª don''t tell me your name, I don''t need to know it ¡ª the reason you were found was in order to convince the U.N. that a certain woman who serves the same Lord we do is not a threat. No one wants there to be any additional threat to you. The how is supernatural knowledge; the woman who gave the investigator my number knows someone who has the gift from God that lets her find people. In fact, that gifted person sought you out, and then person who was the closest link to my friend in contact with you and so on. And that''s why I''m talking to you now, and why I asked Robert and Maddie to call you. That same person who found you confirms that the man who asks is a true believer, working at the department of the United Nations he says he is, no one at or near the UN is hunting you, and also confirms the faith and trustworthiness of the woman I mentioned earlier, but I suspect you know that.¡±
¡°And you trust that person who put the man in contact with you is not deceived about the one who claims this astounding gift?¡± The pastor asked.
¡°Oh, I should have said... I know her also. I am convinced her gift is real and from God.¡±
¡°Personally... I am not at all certain about it. It is outside my experience, and certainly wasn''t covered in my training.¡±
¡°I''m not surprised about the latter, Pastor. I expect that it will take some theological schools a very long time to include anything about it in their studies. With only fifty-seven having the gift, it is not something many come in contact with.¡±
¡°No. I admit I had rather hoped I never would be confronted with it.¡±
¡°Pastor, you already have.¡± Maddie pointed out. ¡°Robbie would be in prison or worse if he hadn''t received warning that the secret police knew of him.¡±
¡°But, you see, that sort of evidence is no good.¡± the assistant pastor pointed out, ¡°You cannot know the truth of it, only that Robbie left. Perhaps it was not true knowledge. And even this conversation... it could be deception, couldn''t it?¡±
¡°All miracles can be explained away, pastor.¡± Sarah pointed out. ¡°But I choose to believe that Jesus indeed walked on water, fed the five thousand, rose from the dead, and gave a certain friend of mine this gift, unasked-for when she repented of her rejection of God and chose to follow Jesus as I led her in prayer.¡±
¡°You actually witnessed her receiving the mind-reading gift?¡± Maddie asked.
¡°Before she turned to Christ, she was an atheist without any ability to hear thoughts. After she had given her life to God, he blessed her with both the humanly explainable power of thought-hearing and the mind-reading gift too, and she immediately went and boldly told the staff where we work that she''d been saved, that God was real and had worked a miracle, then she went on to give her testimony.¡±
¡°And she didn''t get a reprimand about talking about faith at work?¡± Robbie asked, a little surprised.
¡°Oh, it was at a special event anyway ¡ª she wasn''t stopping any of us from working, or anything like that.¡±
¡°I''m a little confused, Sarah.¡± the pastor asked ¡°How is it that you''re talking about having a job, when I understood from Robbie and Maddie that you were the owner of the international corporation they worked for.¡±
¡°Oh well, that''s easy.¡± Sarah said. ¡°I might have inherited the family firm a few months ago, but I still want to make every effort to work with my hands, as Paul says. My husband and I have made the decision to keep the two areas of my life separate. Like my parents, I don''t give myself an income from my inheritance, but we live on our earnings.¡±
¡°Oh! But it must be a temptation, surely?¡±
Sarah laughed. ¡°Not really, pastor; we don''t spend our salaries as it is. But can I turn the conversation back to this request from the United Nations man? I''m happy to act as intermediary, but you don''t need to respond at all.¡±
¡°Except that it''s true. I do owe a lot to that woman, if I can help her, I must.¡±
¡°The information I have is that she, herself, is not in any real trouble, it''s more that certain people have been told she''s not a risk but don''t believe it, and proof would let them reallocate staff.¡±
¡°So, conclusive proof would change the attitudes to her?¡± the pastor said.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And thus the security presence around her.¡±
¡°I presume so.¡± Sarah agreed.
¡°Which in turn might put her at risk, if someone is watching.¡±
¡°That''s an... insightful comment. Will you decline the interview, then?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I think I will. I think there are risks to both her and to me.¡±
¡°May I tell the man anything?¡±
¡°Yes. Tell him... I owe my compatriot too much to confirm or deny any rumours about her past. No, that''s no good. Tell him I owe it to my compatriot to avoid any risk to her. And tell him he should believe people he trusts and trust God''s people.¡±
¡°You don''t think that''s too much, even?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Not if they''d need to prove who I am.¡±
¡°Hello. I have a message for you.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Oh! The assistant pastor?¡±
¡°Yes. Interview declined.¡±
¡°Declined? It wasn''t the right person?¡±
¡°He says, quote: ''I owe it to my compatriot to avoid any possible risk to her. You should believe people you trust and should trust God''s people.''¡±
¡°Oh great. So, he recognises himself, but doesn''t want to confirm it? What''s this about risk to her?¡±
¡°He felt that there might be a threat in upsetting the status quo. I tend to agree with him. I don''t think I should say more.¡±
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
¡°So he''s scared of being confirmed alive.¡±
¡°No. A possible threat to her. Do you want me to repeat the message?¡±
¡°Urm, no. Sorry, I got it down. I''m just trying to make sense of it.¡±
¡°If it helps, I believe the second part of the message is to you, personally.¡±
¡°I should believe people I trust, and trust God''s people.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°In other words, I should trust believers and believe what they say.¡±
¡°That sounds like a good plan.¡± Sarah agreed.
¡°If I follow that advice, then according to the truthsayer I should be very wary of my superiors.¡±
¡°Truthsayers do try not to lie. Who would you rather pray with?¡±
¡°Point taken, Maam.¡±
8.30pm, Anchorage time.
¡°Thank-you, Robbie, Maddie, for letting the phone-call come from here,¡± the assistant pastor said.
¡°No problem.¡± Robbie said ¡°though I must admit a big portion of curiosity.¡±
¡°Is this something to do with your getting asylum?¡± Maddie asked.
¡°Yes. The woman was a colleague, we''d known each other for years, trained together and so on. It became known that I was a Christian, and so she got instructed to execute me as a traitor, on live video. She kicked me out of the frame and ''executed'' a pig instead.¡±
¡°Wow. That took some arranging. You helped, I presume?¡± Robbie asked.
¡°No. She arranged it all herself. I was a bit woozy ¡ª she had to drug me, but I understood enough to know she''d just told me my death sentence and I was fully expecting the bullet, but I was alert enough to stop gibbering in terror when she yelled ''Shut up with that snivelling!'' when she pulled the trigger. She risked her life to give me mine, to let me escape.¡±
¡°Wow. That''s quite a story.¡±
¡°Yes. One day, maybe I can preach something based on it. Right now, if I did that, it would probably be a death sentence on both of us. But... can we talk more of your experience with this Sarah? You said that you probably owed her your life, Robbie?¡±
¡°Not quite as dramatically.¡± he replied.
¡°I''m not so sure.¡± Maddie corrected, looking at Robbie to tell the story.
¡°OK, well, you know I was a missionary?¡± Robert asked ¡°Well, I was out of funds and my prayer letters had turned into ''Please pray I can get out of here alive, and help if you can.'' letters. Sarah was looking for people to support ¡ª apparently something had gone wrong and her inheritance had ended up behind on tithing. She saw my letters on the net, Praise God, and called my brother to say I was in even more trouble that I thought: according to someone with the mind-reading gift the secret police had my apartment bugged, and I should just catch the next plane out. She then arranged for the funds for me to get here to land in my brother''s bank account while she was talking to him. So, I packed what I could without it looking too suspicious, jumped on a bus and caught the plane, after a rather nasty interview with the security guard who told me my visa had been cancelled when I lost my job.¡±
¡°And eventually he landed on my doorstep in such a bedraggled state and I just had to marry him.¡± Maddie teased.
¡°Maddie!¡± Robbie replied.
¡°Sorry. We''d been engaged for years, and, well, I wasn''t going to let him walk out on me again.¡±
¡°I really thought she hated me, you know?¡± Robbie said.
¡°Just because I spat in his face and told him I never wanted to see his ugly face again. He takes things so literally, sometimes.¡±
¡°When was that?¡± the pastor asked.
¡°Just before he left, about a year and a half earlier. I''d been expecting him to ask my Dad if he could marry me on my eighteenth birthday, rather than waiting for my nineteenth, and instead he announces that he''d decided to go and be a teacher in a scary place for two years, and then embarrassed me by asking for a kiss in public. I urm... wasn''t very pleased.¡±
¡°Your people don''t kiss in public?¡±
¡°It''s... sort of a tradition, but more of an assumption. A girl who publicly looks forward to her wedding day obviously hasn''t been good.¡± Maddie said.
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°So Robbie, in his thick-headed not-so-traditional way, asked me to show affection for him in front of my Gran, the most traditional traditionalist in the family. Now I''m allowed to kiss him, but we''ve been wed for more than a month now.¡±
¡°I heard a little about your wedding. It sounded... memorable. Sorry I wasn''t here for it.¡±
¡°That''s OK.¡± Robbert replied. ¡°The date for your graduation ceremony was set quite a bit before the one for our wedding.¡±
¡°So, pastor Frank. You told that guy to trust God''s people....¡± Maddie left it hanging.
¡°You think I should trust your Sarah?¡± Frank asked.
¡°I''m convinced she''s on God''s side.¡±
¡°God is good, but the devil can be deceptive. It was supernatural knowledge, I agree. And Sarah seems like a good woman...¡±
¡°But you have a problem with miracles?¡± Robbie asked.
¡°Not as such.¡± Frank said. ¡°I believe God can do whatever he wills... but I was taught the time for gifts was finished, and he has chosen not to give such gifts to man now.¡±
¡°Except the gift of preaching.¡± Robbie said.
¡°Not to mention evangelism, teaching, administration.¡± Maddie chipped in.
¡°I guess I need to speak to Abner about this.¡±
¡°If it helps, the last time we spoke to him he was pretty confused about this, too.¡± Maddie said, with an encouraging smile.
¡°Maddie, Sarah must have had lots of thoughts about this, don''t you think, if she''s got the confusing situation of a friend who seems to work miracles on-demand? Why not call her? She did say we could if we wanted advice.¡±
¡°Would you like me to, Frank?¡±
¡°Maybe... I don''t know. I think I''ll talk to Abner and pray about it.¡±
Friday, 2nd Feb
¡°Abner, can I have a word?¡± Frank asked.
¡°The dilemma, again?¡± Frank had explained it to him earlier.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I don''t think we should talk to this Sarah, if that helps.¡± Abner said, ¡°She''s too close.¡±
¡°For some reason, I keep thinking of Maddie''s grandmother, which is really odd, since I''ve hardly spoken to her.¡±
¡°Longest serving member of the congregation.¡± Abner nodded, ¡°And when I say serving, I mean it. She''s got a real servant heart, and is very firm in her faith, and not afraid to speak her mind even if it upsets people, even me. Good call.¡±
¡°But... shouldn''t we be asking a theologian?¡±
¡°What sort of theology do you need, most, Frank?¡± Abner asked ¡°The sort that ends up as books hardly anyone reads, or the sort that raises two generations of firm Christians, and is still praising God after seeing her husband die a long painful death?¡±
¡°Hello, Mrs Stammers. May we come in?¡±
¡°Hello, Frank, Abner, of course! Take a seat. My informant here tells me that you''ve been struggling with a tricky problem.¡±
¡°Did she tell you what it was?¡± Frank asked.
¡°Not much, she seemed to think you might want some privacy; just said her employer had fed you some theology that was hard to swallow.¡±
¡°That''s a good way of putting it.¡± Abner agreed.
¡°So, do we send her out, or keep her here to keep me in line?¡±
¡°Gran!¡± Maddie protested, not used to her grandmother teasing people.
¡°Well, two handsome young men...¡±
¡°I''m going to set Dad on you if you''re not careful, Gran. You''re embarrassing Frank. What''s come over you?¡±
¡°Shh. Don''t tell the kids, Maddie. But when are you going to get married, Frank? You''re what? Twenty-five? It''s time you picked a bride. I''m sure we can work out a good discount for you for one of Maddie''s sisters.¡±
¡°Gran, we don''t do bride-price any more!¡±
¡°Shame.¡±
¡°Were you sold?¡± Maddie asked pointedly.
¡°Me? Of course not. Who''d pay good money for a flighty thing like me?¡±
¡°I think Grandad would have.¡±
¡°Of course he would have, but he didn''t have the cash, see, and he was worth more than any money could pay, so I got the best end of the deal anyway. But don''t go raking up ancient history. What''s the big issue, Abner? You''ve not come to ask me for advice since you-know-who did you-know-what.¡±
¡°This one''s bigger. And it does involve Maddie, well her employer really, so I''m happy for her to be around.¡±
¡°So, what''s Maddie''s employer gone and done? Mr Winters, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Oh, not him, Gran. His boss, the woman who paid for Robbie''s ticket home.¡±
¡°I never did get that straight all in my mind.¡± Mrs Stammers said, ¡°Go ahead, Abner, don''t mind me.¡±
¡°OK. Well, at the seminary we were taught that with the closing of the Canon, God''s complete revelation, there wasn''t a need for spectacular gifts, and they stopped.¡±
¡°Oh, that old one.¡±
¡°And from then until the twentieth century there weren''t any Churches that practiced them.¡± Abner pointed out.
Mrs Stammers waved a finger at him ¡°Wrong, there, pastor. Nineteenth Century is when modern Pentecostalism started, and those so-called stopped gifts have a habit of turning up in history, you know? I once heard someone say that you might as well say that personal Bible study is something new and not desired by God because it didn''t happen much before the reformation.¡±
Frank was about to protest but Abner waved him down.
¡°Thankyou for your honesty, Mrs Stammers.¡± he said and summarised ¡°So... you don''t have any problem with the idea of people being given gifts?¡±
¡°Not at all. I like flowers, for instance.¡± she said with a grin.
¡°Gran!¡± Maddie protested.
Gran winked at Maddie and asked ¡°But what''s this got to do with Maddie''s boss?¡±
¡°Sarah, that''s the woman who owns the company, has got a friend with the mind-reading gift, Gran. That''s how she knew Robbie needed to get out quick, and that''s how she gave us a message for Frank.¡±
¡°Oh? Sarah''s your boss, you say? Well, yes, she is certainly one who seems to like stirring things up. Lovely girl, but wow, what a stirrer!¡± Maddie looked at her Gran in confusion.
¡°Gran, you can''t know Sarah, surely!¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t. I often chat to someone who knows her though. If you talk to her any time soon, ask her to give Selina a nudge from me if it''s not too much trouble, it''s been weeks since we''ve had decent a chin-wag.¡±
¡°Gran, you don''t hardly ever leave the room.¡± Maddie pointed out.
¡°Who needs to leave the room to talk to a friend?¡±
¡°And you don''t have a wrist-unit.¡± Maddie added.
¡°Unreliable technology. Who knows who''s listening in. Why would I want one of those?¡±
Maddie lifted up her hands in despair, ¡°How else do you talk to your friend Selina then?¡±
¡°She gives me a shout, of course.¡± Mrs Stammers replied, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. But her eyes held a sparkle.
¡°Pastor Abner, can you make any sense out of this?¡± Maddie asked, shaking her head.
¡°Mrs Stammers, I think we''re all confused.¡±
¡°Young Frank here isn''t. He''s been jumping to conclusions.¡±
¡°You... you heard me?¡± Frank asked.
¡°Yes, lad.¡± she turned to Maddie, ¡°Your Sarah''s probably done a lot of good, but she and her colleagues took a big big risk, sharing that secret. That must have taken a lot of faith.¡±
¡°I don''t understand, Gran.¡±
¡°You don''t know where she works?¡±
¡°No, Gran. All I know about her work is she''s got a friend there with the mind-reading gift, who keeps being helpful.¡±
¡°Oh dear! Well, I hope I''m not going to be arrested at my age, if you do work it out. Sarah knows a lot of people with the gift, dear, so don''t assume it''s always the same person. Your Grandad had the same gift, and Bill''s friends where a great comfort when he was dying, I''m telling you. I''ve just got the normal version.¡± she gave a little laugh, which was almost a cackle ¡°Which is probably a good thing or I''d really have known what you kids had been getting up to.¡± turning to the pastor, she said ¡°Pastor Abner, I don''t know who came up with that idea about the gifts stopping forever. I dare say God did stop them for a time, so people could get used to the idea that Scripture was closed. But God''s always given his people the odd bit of healing and guidance, so I know you won''t say that miracles have stopped entirely.¡±
¡°No, Maam.¡± Abner agreed.
¡°Well, Bill, Maddie''s Grandad, he got the gift when his Great-grandad prayed someone would come along to take over the burden, preferably someone he knew, since he couldn''t travel much. Apparently he learned he''d been given it when his neighbour told him she was right embarrassed because she''d been praying for years that someone would be there to take over from her when she died and look here he was all the time. I guess what I''m saying is it''s not something very new. But until Sarah and her friends at the Institute decided to tell the world, it was an even bigger secret than anyone being able to hear thoughts.¡± She shrugged, ¡°No-one ever said the world couldn''t change in a lifetime, did they? Do thank Sarah from me for being the answer to our prayers for Robbie, Maddie. She''s not the first person with a bank balance to have the gift, but I must say it''s been a long time from what my Bill told me.¡±
Maddie looked at her Gran sharply. ¡°Gran! So phendyan?¡±
¡°Oh dear, my wandering mind! I did say that didn''t I? My Bill''d have a fit, blabbing secrets like that. Oh dear, oh dear! Maddie, say sorry to her please! You won''t say anything will you? Abner, Frank?¡±
¡°No, Mrs Stammers, we won''t, will we Frank?¡±
¡°Of course not, Mrs Stammers.¡±
¡°Gran''s really really sorry, Sarah. It just slipped out.¡± Maddie said.
Sarah''s mind raced, but couldn''t fix on anything. ¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°She''s still in tears.¡± Maddie gabbled on, ¡°She''d said that she''d like you to give someone called Selina a prod since she''s not heard from her for a while, her name''s Yvette, by the way, Yvette Stammers. Then she was talking about Bill, her husband, and how it had all been a massive secret, but how Bill''s friends had been a great support when he''d died, and how grateful she was that you''d answered our prayers for Robbie, and then... it slipped out, you having the gift.¡±
¡°Oh! Selina''s been talking has she?¡±
¡°I guess so.¡±
¡°And now you know. Anyone else?¡±
¡°Paster Abner, and Pastor Frank.¡±
¡°Abner married you, right?¡±
¡°Yes. And you''ve talked to Frank about not saying who he is. Oh! Now I''m doing it, aren''t I?¡±
¡°I''m pretty sure Frank can keep secrets, Maddie. And come to think of it, you managed to hide your feelings for Robbie pretty well, didn''t you?¡±
¡°Urm, yes.¡±
¡°So, you can keep secrets too. Pastor Abner''s no blabbermouth, I hope?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°So, there''s no real harm done, I expect. I''ll just talk to your Gran, though.¡±
¡°Of course. I''ll take my wrist unit to her.¡±
¡°Don''t bother, Maddie.¡± Sarah said, and called Yvette Stammers. [Hello, Mrs Stammers. Maddie''s just told me what happened; I''m pretty sure there''s no harm done.]
[I''m sorry, it just slipped out.]
Sarah widened the conversation. [And it couldn''t have slipped out unless you''d heard my name from someone, could it, Selina?]
[Did I hear my name thought in vain?] Selina asked.
[Not vain, just doing a bit of blame-shifting. Mrs Stammers is feeling all responsible, but there''s not much harm done, we can hope.] Sarah said.
[It just slipped out.] Yvette repeated.
[What slipped out, to whom, Yvette?]
[Sarah''s gift, to Pastor Abner.]
[Good man.] Selina summarised.
[And to Pastor Frank.] Yvette added.
[A good man with a scary past, if ever there was one.] Selina summarised.
[And to Maddie,] Sarah concluded, [who already has my contact number, knows about my inheritance and hasn''t tried to take advantage. So, does anyone see a problem here?]
[My Bill would hit the roof, breaking trust like that.] Yvette said.
[Yvette, if you remember, he told you what my address was, didn''t he? He forgot to ask me first. What I''m saying is it happens to us all. You don''t need to worry about it, God''s in charge.]
Eventually Selina and Sarah managed to convince her it was all right.
¡°Maddie! Is everything all right?¡± Robbie asked, seeing his wife looking distinctly preoccupied.
¡°Urm, mostly. Gran''s pretty sad.¡± Maddie answered.
¡°What about?¡±
¡°She feels she let Grandad down; she let out a secret.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°So now I know something, and I really wish I didn''t. And no, I probably shouldn''t tell you.¡±
¡°Oh. Bad?¡±
¡°Not really. Just... entirely unforgettable.¡±
¡°Oh.¡± Robbie, the master of eloquent responses, replied.
¡°When I was very very little, Gran told me a story. What I heard today, it makes me wonder.¡±
¡°What about?¡±
¡°What it was like when she was young, how she met Grandad.¡±
¡°I like stories. Can you tell it to me?¡±
¡°If it''s true, then probably not. I remember her telling him ''She''s not going to remember it, Bill.'' But I did.¡±
¡°Oh. No dragon or librarian then?¡±
¡°No. No dragons, but there were sharks.¡± she shuddered, ¡°Sharks trying to eat people.¡±
¡°That doesn''t sound like a very Romani story.¡±
¡°It wasn''t. But then, according to the story, she married in.¡±
¡°But you''ve always said your gran is really traditional.¡±
¡°Oh, she is.¡± Maddie agreed.
¡°Why would she uphold Romani traditions if she married in?¡±
Maddie shrugged. ¡°I have no idea. Maybe she didn''t, and it''s all a story.¡±
¡°Are you going to ask her about it?¡±
¡°I don''t know.¡± Maddie said. ¡°Maybe.¡±
Sunday 4th Feb.
¡°Maddie? Walk me home, will you?¡± Yvette asked as church was ending.
¡°Are you OK, Gran?¡±
¡°Yes, dear, I''m fine. But I''m not staying for tea today.¡±
¡°You''re avoiding people?¡± Maddie guessed.
¡°Hah! ''course I am.¡±
¡°Gran, you''re forgiven.¡±
¡°I know. Anyway, you want to talk too, don''t you?¡±
¡°Yes, Gran.¡± Maddie agreed. She did want to ask about that story, and about the gift.
Yvette looked at her grand-daughter. ¡°Tradition is important. So is keeping vows, girl. Remember that,¡± and she said nothing until they reached the house.
The house was empty, of course when they arrived, but even so, Yvette checked, and then to Maddie''s surprise she settled down in a seat in the hallway.
¡°Why here, Gran?¡±
¡°So no one comes in without me noticing, of course.¡±
¡°Urm, OK.¡±
¡°So... Abner''s sermon was obviously aimed at you, himself and Frank. What did you think?¡±
¡°It sounded very wise.¡±
¡°Yes. But, since you''re already holding my shame, my honour and my trust in the palm of your hand, to quote Abner, what do you want to ask me?¡±
¡°I don''t remember much. But... when I was little, you told me a story, about how you used to be a mermaid and that you killed a shark that was after Grandad when he was surfing.¡±
¡°Oh, you remember that? Is that all you remember?¡±
¡°No. You tried to swim away, but he knew where you were and paddled after you on his board and was there when you came up for air, and while you were telling him to go away and leave you in peace then there was another shark, and he killed that one for you.¡±
¡°You''ve got a good memory, girl. You must have only been two or three when I told you that.¡±
¡°And Grandad asked you about it and you said I''d never remember it.¡±
¡°Hmm. I was obviously wrong, wasn''t I?¡±
¡°Yes. Is it true?¡±
¡°You saw the scars on my leg. That''s why I told you the story.¡±
¡°Oh! I''d forgotten that was why. Yes.¡±
¡°Your Grandad, he bound my leg as best he could and took me to the hospital.¡±
¡°And you got married.¡±
¡°Yes. He courted me, kept on visiting me in hospital, you know?¡± Yvette smiled at the memory.
¡°So... of course the bit about you being a mermaid was just made up, but... you married in? Why didn''t Grandad want me to know?¡±
Yvette looked at her a bit strangely. ¡°You could say that I married in, I suppose, but I''ve got a bit of Roma blood in me, too. But your Grandad didn''t want too many questions asked about how we met, how he followed me with his gift, you know?¡±
¡°Oh! Of course.¡± Maddie nodded then asked, ¡°How long did he follow you?¡±
¡°Oh, I don''t remember. But there was no way he should have been able to follow me as well as he did if he didn''t have the gift. I knew I''d gone deep enough to be out of sight. I was just challenging him about whether chasing girls was really a good use of supernatural knowledge when the shark decided it wanted a chunk out of me.
¡°You were challenging him about how he used the gift? He''d told you about it?¡±
¡°No, of course not. But I knew someone else with it, see?¡±
¡°And then he stopped you being swallowed by a shark?¡±
¡°Well, it wasn''t a big shark. It was just after a leg or something. But yes, Bill came to my rescue, stopped the bleeding as well as he could and took me to the first aid hut on the beach, where they patched me up, and sent me on to the hospital. Then he visited me every day, which was really sweet of him, and he spoke to my mum, using his gift, and told her I was safe.¡±
¡°She could hear thoughts too, then?¡±
¡°Yes. I''ve no idea why not one of you can.¡±
¡°Gran it''s a bit rude, but can I ask... ¡±
¡°How is it that I''m so much more traditionalist thinking than anyone else, when I married in?¡± Yvette asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Because to you, they''re just traditions, to be obeyed, passed on, but mostly you don''t think about why you keep them. But I learned them as an adult, and I spoke to Bill''s parents and aunts and uncles and grandparents and I worked out some reasons. They still seem good to me. Plus of course I was quite a traditionalist in my own way, before I met Bill.¡±
¡°How old were you?¡±
¡°When I met Bill? I was twenty. But we didn''t get married for quite a few years.¡±
¡°For some reason I thought it was as soon as you left hospital.¡±
¡°What? No. But his mum took me in. Commuting to the hospital from home would have been really complicated.¡±
¡°Where was your home?¡±
¡°Oh, Maddie, some things are so lost in the past, it''s not worth bringing them up again. My home is here. Leave an old woman some secrets, dear. I don''t think I''m going to die soon, but vow to me, Maddie, just in case, that you''ll make sure your children don''t marry close relatives, and try to keep your nieces and nephews on the straight and narrow too.¡±
¡°Of course, Gran.¡±
¡°It''s not of course, Maddie; the law here allows first cousins to marry. That''s far too close, and the doctors have known even second cousin marriage is risky for years but still people don''t want to change it. So, look after that red book I keep beside my bed, it''s got the family line written in it, and those of husbands and wives. Second cousins is dangerous, even fourth isn''t good, not in a small community. That far back, memories get sketchy, and you need records. You love words, so I can trust it to you. Don''t let third cousins marry, please. Teach it to your kids, too.¡±
¡°Third cousins?¡± Maddie''s mind worked out the implications of that. First cousins would be her and Robie''s parents'' grandchildren, second would be her grandparents great-grandchildren. To prevent her children marrying third cousins, she''d need to know about her and Robbie''s grandparents'' siblings. ¡°Do you have any siblings?¡±
¡°Yes, dear. Exactly the right question. All written in the book.¡±
¡°That sounds like quite a project.¡±
¡°Yes, it is. Luckily for you, I was able to quiz Robbie''s parents a long time ago.¡±
Association / Ch. 25: Asylum
Association / Ch. 25:Asylum
Shopping centre, near the embassy of the People''s state. 10.A.M. Mon 5th Feb.
Ree was staring at the toothpaste aisle, again. How could he sample every one of the hundred choices? It was impossible to choose! A shop assistant he recognised came up to him. ¡°Hello again.¡± she said, ¡°Still the same dilemma?¡±
¡°Yes. Can I ask you a personal question?¡±
¡°That depends how personal.¡± She replied guardedly.
¡°How do you decide?¡±
¡°Well, my parents always bought one particular brand. I''ve tried a few others, but they don''t taste right.¡±
¡°So... just whatever you''re familiar with?¡± Ree asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
He shook his head. ¡°It still seems crazy.¡±
¡°What does?¡±
¡°All this choice. Back home there''s only one type of toothpaste, and it tastes foul. But here! There''s so many sorts within each brand!¡±
¡°Yes. Do you prefer peppermint or spearmint?¡±
¡°I don''t know.¡±
¡°Urm, do you prefer the gel sort or the paste? The paste is a bit more abrasive, so it''s better at cleaning, but not as gentle on your teeth. Or if you''ve got stained teeth or sensitive gums or damaged teeth there''s special versions for each of those. You don''t need the children''s versions.¡±
¡°What would you buy?¡±
¡°I''m not allowed to say, sorry.¡±
¡°Bother.¡±
¡°Do you struggle this much with every purchase?¡± she asked.
¡°No. For some reason, toothpaste is the worst. No, actually, shampoo is just as bad. I''ll be going there next.¡±
Her wrist unit buzzed, and she checked what it said. ¡°Oh, sorry, the manager wants me. You could just try a small tube.¡±
¡°They cost more.¡± Ree pointed out.
¡°I know.¡± she said, sympathetically, over her shoulder.
The Internal Security agent who greeted her in the manager''s office showed her Ree''s picture, and asked ¡°Do you speak to him often?¡±
¡°He seems a nice enough lad. He just spends ages trying to choose toothpaste every time he''s here.¡±
¡°He''s a regular customer?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Have you ever noticed anyone following him?¡±
¡°What, like a tail in the movies? No, I don''t think so.¡±
¡°Good. Nor have we, for the record. But for his safety, and also so he doesn''t panic, we''d rather not approach him directly. When he leaves the shop, give him this bag, telling him it''s a bag of samples from the management. Either then, or before if he''s still looking stunned at the variety of shampoos, quietly let him know there''s also a note in it from Security.¡±
¡°He''s in trouble?¡± she asked.
¡°No. And you don''t need to know more.¡±
Carrying his purchases and his free samples bag, Ree felt really conspicuous.
He''d found the note, and read it locked in one of the shopping centre''s toilets. It was a very simple message: tickets and documents were waiting for him. Did he have anything he needed to collect of sentimental value or that would incriminate others? He thought about it; yes, he did. So he read plan ''B''. He should return to the shopping centre when he was ready to leave, not before. When he did return, company did not matter, as he would be accused of shop-lifting and interviewed privately. That was just the way of separating him from anyone he might be with, and he shouldn''t let it worry him too much, but if he could act scared and confused, that would be good.
He gulped at the thought of that. It wasn''t going to hard to act scared and confused; scared and confused matched his mood most of the time he faced any kind of authority.
Embassy of the People''s State. Mon. 5th Feb.
¡°Ree, how was your shopping?¡± his mother asked.
¡°Confusing.¡±
¡°Still?¡±
¡°More than normal. Look, mother!¡± he held up the bag of samples. ¡°They said that since I was so uncertain about which brand of toothpaste, they would like me to try each of these types for a week, and give it marks out of ten.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°I spoke to a lady who works there, she said that she just buys the same
toothpaste her parents did. I guess they want to know which one really
tastes better, rather than just familiar.¡±
¡°Ah. The decadence of choice! And you have promised to tell them?¡±
¡°I said I would if I could. But think of the waste, mother! Each of these tubes is enough for more than a month, surely!¡±
¡°More decadence! They give you too much so that through you they can corrupt more of us, and encourage us to consume their over-flavoured toothpastes, rather than the wholesome product of our homeland.¡±
¡°Which does not taste good, you must admit, mother.¡±
¡°I admit no such thing!¡± she replied, with a smile.
¡°So will you try this taste test, mother?¡±
¡°It would be a waste not to, wouldn''t it? But it would be unfair to our staff to keep this taste test in our family. Why should we have free toothpaste for two months when the staff must pay for their own? And where is the scientific rigour of a test of one?¡±
¡°I... What do you propose, Mother?¡±
¡°You must go back, and explain the situation to them. Show solidarity with the staff, and do not think only of yourself. Ask if all can have free samples too.¡±
¡°You do not fear that the staff will be corrupted, mother?¡±
She tousled his hair, a sign of affection he''d always found annoying, but he realised that he''d miss it. ¡°We can stand strong against this corrupting influence together, my beloved son!¡±
¡°I love you too, mother.¡± he responded. It wasn''t the sort of thing he normally said, but since it might be almost the last thing he said to her, it felt appropriate. ¡°Should I go after lunch?¡±
¡°No, Ree.¡± she replied ¡°You have your lessons.¡±
¡°Husband, either our son is in love or he is about to leave us.¡± The ambassador''s wife told him as prepared for sleep that night.
¡°Those seem rather different things.¡±
¡°Yes. But they both mean that his relationship with his mother changes. I tousled his hair, he did not react with frustration, and then soon after told me he loved me. I haven''t heard that from him since he grew spots.¡±
¡°Ah. You don''t think he''s just growing up?¡±
¡°Well? What do you think?¡±
¡°Our loyal daughter is a resourceful girl.¡± the ambassador pointed out.
¡°Exactly. And she''s always been loyal most of all to her brother.¡±
¡°You think so?¡±
¡°I know so, husband.¡±
¡°This is something I should know, is it not?¡±
¡°Of course not. Shades of loyalty are best left in the hands of the secret service, husband. We know that our daughter is loyal to her people.¡±
¡°Of course.¡± the ambassador agreed, wondering what ''her people'' meant when it concerned Lilly. Her statement that it hadn''t been hard to tell the person from Auditing what she wanted to hear was as double edged as everything else. Ignorance might not be bliss, but it helped. ¡°Lilly suggested that you would add Ree''s name added to the catalogue of loyal workers.¡±
¡°That should be possible, yes.¡± his wife said. ¡°I will give him instructions in this tomorrow.¡±
Shopping centre, near the embassy of the People''s state. 10.A.M. Tues 6th Feb.
¡°Excuse me, sir.¡± The agent approached Ree. ¡°The computer thinks you need to answer some questions about some missing stock from one of the stores here. There are often false matches so you''re not under arrest. If you''d come this way?¡±
¡°If I''m not under arrest, does that mean I''m free not to?¡± Ree asked, curiously.
¡°Ah, now, refusing to answer allegations might mean I need to arrest you.¡±
¡°I''ll come.¡± he decided.
¡°My son has diplomatic immunity.¡± Ree''s mother said, coming up from where she''d been walking a few meters behind him. He''d been surprised that she''d said she would go with him to the shop, but then he''d been even more surprised at breakfast when she''d told him that if he had the opportunity he should try to claim some kind of asylum too, and that perhaps religious would be the easiest to claim.
¡°That would need to be verified, Maam.¡±
¡°It will take you about ten seconds.¡±
¡°Less, actually.¡± the agent agreed. ¡°But personally, if your son is innocent, I would much prefer that we focus on catching the genuine culprit, than leave it that we think your son is guilty but we can''t touch him.¡±
¡°I agree.¡± Ree said ¡°It''s all right, mother. I know I didn''t steal anything.¡±
¡°The interview room is just this way, sir, maam.¡± the agent said. He''d been warned that the boy might have a tail, but not that his mother might be with him; that was a complication.
¡°Do Internal Security officers often get involved in catching petty criminals?¡± Ree''s mother asked, conversationally. The agent groaned inwardly how had she known? He decided to play dumb.
¡°Not very often, no, maam. Why do you ask?¡±
¡°Store detectives do not have powers of arrest or that style of stunner holster. You did not show a warrant card, or offer to show one; police do. You are Internal Security, aren''t you?¡±
¡°Yes, Maam.¡± the tell-tale chimed as they entered the corridor to the interview room. Not once but twice, on different notes. One stunner and something more lethal. ¡°And you are armed.¡±
¡°Of course.¡± she agreed.
¡°I will not risk a diplomatic incident you by asking you to surrender your weapon, maam. But I do point out that you are in a part of the building equipped with sleep-gas projectors.¡±
¡°I''d noticed.¡± she agreed.
¡°And also that the weapon detector will have automatically enabled a forcefield at the entrance. And not the sort you can walk through, either.¡±
¡°All this for a shopping centre! I''m impressed.¡±
¡°Might I ask you to remain outside, Maam?¡± he asked opening the door to the interview room.
¡°Oh, I don''t know that''s necessary.¡±
¡°Mother, please don''t make a scene.¡± Ree said, stepping into the room, and seeing there were two more agents inside.
¡°Why on earth would I make a scene?¡± she asked, curiously. She tried to follow into the interview room, but the first agent moved to block her.
¡°Because, keeping things hypothetical, it''d almost certainly be your duty as a loyal secret service agent to try to kill me if I tell the agent here that I''m claiming asylum.¡± Ree replied.
The agent agreed, ¡°Yes, Maam. Trying to kill someone who''s claimed asylum would certainly cause a diplomatic incident.¡±
¡°Then you should hope you''ve got a forcefield on this doorway too, young man.¡± she replied ¡°Because while I don''t want to kill my son, he''s right. It is my duty to execute any who try to defect. It''s also my duty to make sure that I keep someone who I suspect of intending to defect under close observation.¡±
¡°There is indeed a forcefield.¡± the agent confirmed.
In his native tongue, Ree spoke one last time to his mother ¡°Beloved mother, I beg you to turn from your past and accept the forgiveness of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Let him wash away your sins, which are red as scarlet, so you might be washed white as snow. He is King of kings and Lord of lords, and He deserves your loyalty and obedience far more than the cruel and selfish current leader of our people.¡± Hearing her decision to shoot, he threw himself sideways, even as the bullet bounced harmlessly off the forcefield. It would have missed anyway, just.
The sleep-gas hit his mother in the face. ¡°Keep on surviving, Ree.¡± she said as she collapsed. The agent in the corridor collapsed also.
¡°Urm. I''d like to claim asylum.¡± Ree said to the agents in the room from the floor.
¡°What did you say to her?¡± the agent on the left asked.
¡°I begged her to turn from her sins and serve Christ instead of my homeland''s corrupt leader. I knew it was the last thing I''d say to her face to face and wanted it to be important.¡±
¡°You knew she''d shoot?¡± the other agent, a woman, asked.
¡°Penalty for disloyalty to the great leader: death. Penalty for seeking to persuade a citizen to be disloyal to the great leader: death. Penalty for following or spreading the Christian religion: death. I was pretty sure she''d shoot, yes. If she just walked away, and somehow another agent found out what I said, she''d be executed for dereliction of duty. There''s no penalty I know of for getting sleep-gassed in the execution of your duty.¡±
¡°Well, as you know, asylum''s been granted.¡± the woman said. ¡°Do you think she suspected you were seeking to defect?¡±
¡°Suspected? She told my sister to ask for a passport for me. She always calls my sister her loyal daughter, me she always called her beloved son.¡±
¡°You mean that she loves you more than your sister?¡± the man asked.
¡°No. I mean she doesn''t think I''m loyal. I think I''m loyal, just not to many of the things she''s loyal to.¡±
¡°And your sister?¡±
¡°My sister? She''s known me to be a Christian for a long long time.¡±
¡°But your mother actually engineered this?¡± the woman asked, with a puzzled expression.
¡°Not entirely. But Lilly and I allowed her to think she did, or at least to play-act that she did. Thus, I will be falsely recorded as a loyal member of the elite, serving here under cover.¡±
¡°I don''t understand. Why did she try to shoot you, then?¡± the female agent asked.
¡°She checked that there was a forcefield first, remember, Eliza?¡± the man pointed out.
¡°There''s so many layers here, I think I''m going to go crazy.¡± Eliza Smythe replied ¡°But at least now I know why I was sent here. It''s another learning experience.¡±
The man grinned ¡°That''s what you get for being such a high flyer. Me, I''m happy following a slower career path. Come on, let''s deliver some antidote to our fallen colleague.¡±
¡°I think I''d better inform H.Q. that there''s a diplomatic incident unconscious outside this interview room.¡±
¡°Rather you than me.¡±
¡°I need to speak to his Excellency the Ambassador.¡± Ralph Trinket told the embassy receptionist, once he''d identified himself. ¡°I am on my way, but it is on a personal matter of great urgency.¡±
¡°You may enter on arrival.¡±
¡°I believe, that the ambassador will wish to accompany me, and perhaps embassy medical staff? It concerns his wife; I am sure she will recover, but she is currently receiving medical attention.¡±
¡°Her Excellency was shopping with their son.¡± the question was implicit.
¡°He continues in good health. I will be at the embassy gate in one minute, the ambassador can contact me for more details.¡±
The ambassador wasted no time in returning the call. ¡°Details!¡± he demanded.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
¡°Your wife collapsed at the shopping centre, your excellency, due to the effects of inhaling of sleep-gas. Your son was unharmed in the incident.¡±
¡°He was not near?¡±
¡°Your excellency, this line is not very secure.¡±
¡°Speak.¡±
¡°He has claimed religious asylum, and your wife took exception to this. He was separated from her by a forcefield, and her bullet did not strike him. There is no doubt that she aimed to hit, sir.¡±
¡°She has done her duty, then.¡±
That wasn''t the response Ralph had expected. ¡°The fact that she she had been told of the presence of the forcefield possibly counts in her favour, but it could be considered attempted murder. Because of diplomatic immunity she is free to leave, but there will be discussions on this matter, I assure you.¡±
¡°I anticipated that, of course. An antidote has been administered?¡±
¡°Yes, sir. A female officer disarmed her and checked her for other weapons. For the safety of the medical staff they also tied her hands and feet.¡±
¡°I understand.¡±
¡°Do you, sir? We do not understand what would cause a mother to try to kill her own son.¡±
Internal Security offices. 3pm, Tue 6th Feb
¡°Now,¡± Eliza said, ¡°Can you let me get this straight once more. Your mother instructed you to return to the shopping centre, and then told you she would come too?¡±
¡°Yes, agent Smythe. She stated that it was just not scientifically justified to carry out an opinion poll of just one person, and I should ask the shop for enough free samples for the whole embassy staff, and said she would come too to help explain things to the manager if needed.¡±
¡°And as far as you know, she didn''t know about today''s plan?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°No. But she might have suspected. I probably reacted a bit differently to normal last night.¡±
¡°Like?¡±
¡°I told her I loved her, for instance. It''s urm, been a while since I did that.¡±
¡°I expect so.¡± Eliza agreed. ¡°And you knew that your sister had been told to get you a passport, and somehow you discussed it with her as well?¡±
¡°Yes. I told her various things I''d noticed, or read about here. Like the dissidents getting invited to the palace.¡± Ree said.
¡°Dissidents?¡± Eliza queried.
¡°Republicans, I think you call them. Journalists, they wrote about their majesties'' carpets.¡±
¡°Oh! OK I know who you mean. Wasn''t having that sort of conversation a big risk?¡±
¡°Normally, but it was a very private conversation.¡±
¡°Could you fill me in on how? Surely she didn''t risk using the embassy systems?¡±
¡°No. Urm. Is it necessary that I tell you?¡±
¡°It''s necessary that I ask. And I know that others will ask until they work out what sort of technology was used and how to eavesdrop on it.¡±
¡°Good luck on that! Someone with the mind-reading gift made it possible for us to think to each other.¡±
Eliza processed that for half a second ¡°I didn''t know they could do that. You also hear thoughts?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°That explains how you reacted so fast to your mother''s shot. Did she know?¡±
¡°I don''t know. Mother doesn''t discuss things like that. Ha! No one discusses anything personal; it might be taken as an accusation of disloyalty to the party.¡±
¡°But you''ve no doubts about your sister''s disloyalty?¡±
¡°I know she hated all the double-think. And she protected me all my life, including helping me hide my Bible from discovery by my parents. And she spoke to me from the home of one of the fifty-seven. That tells me I''m not the only one who thinks she''s trustworthy.¡±
¡°It does.¡± Eliza agreed. ¡°Does your mother hear thoughts?¡±
¡°No. Or if she does, she hid it from me and Lilly.¡±
¡°Is that possible? And what did you mean by doublethink?¡±
¡°Everyone in the Beautiful Peninsula is either loyal, dead, in prison or incredibly self-disciplined. We don''t share what we think without first deciding how it might be interpreted, and then rephrasing it so it sounds loyal even if you''re not loyal. When I was little, Mother was mentally working out a list of chores for us to do, and Lilly thought some things that ought to have been shocking, and got no response. Is mother self-disciplined enough to carry on reciting a list verbally and file away something said? Certainly. But I don''t know if anyone could be self-disciplined enough to do that mentally though.¡±
¡°Can you give an example of how you might make something sound loyal when it''s not?¡±
¡°Easy. When I was growing up, often the shops were empty of bread rice or meat. Sometimes of everything. Someone might say ''Our Leader has provided us with a regular supply of corn.''¡±
¡°Isn''t that a good thing?¡±
¡°Regular doesn''t mean consistent or sufficient, agent Smythe. Some other things I heard at the time: ''It is important that the army has enough men.'' ''Farming is an inefficient use of man-power'' ''The imperialist capitalists have supplied us with mouldy animal feed rather than the good corn the Beloved Leader desired to buy his people.''¡±
¡°Can you explain the disloyal thoughts that might lie behind those?¡±possibly
¡°The rice crops failed because the people who should have been planting the rice were forced into the army. The leader, who we presume at least his mother loved, either got swindled or isn''t the great negotiator he claims to be. But if you say the last one together with ''the needs of the military must come first,'' then it becomes that he decided he could buy some extra weapons and still feed people if he got mouldy animal feed instead of good corn.¡± Ree stopped short ¡°Wow! I can''t believe I just said that aloud! I really hope you''re not recording this interview.¡±
¡°No. Problem?¡±
Ree breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°You must have heard of the phrase ''guilt by association.'' Mothers colleagues would assume that there''s no way that the son of loyal parents could think those thoughts, so my parents must be guilty of teaching me treasonous sedition. No trial necessary.¡±
¡°But they didn''t?¡±
¡°No. Urm... was what happened in the corridor recorded?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Oh dear. Could it be deleted? What I said to mother could get her in the same sort of trouble.¡±
¡°It''s going to be counted as evidence concerning her shooting at you.¡±
¡°Not published surely?¡±
¡°Not if you claim privacy on it. You''re referring to what you said in your mother tongue?¡±
¡°Yes. It might get my parents executed. I certainly claim as much privacy on it as I can.¡±
¡°I''ll pass on the word that you''ve claimed privacy on it.¡± Eliza made a call. ¡°Hi, Eliza here, mid-interview. Don''t get what Ree said in his mother tongue translated, he''s claimed privacy on it.¡±
Ree heard the voice at the other end say ¡°We''ve just arranged for a translator.¡±
¡°Cancel that.¡± Eliza said, ¡°Total and absolute privacy. He has no desire to see his parents executed because of his parting words to his mum.¡± Ree nodded.
¡°You''re calling for that evidence to be excluded?¡± the voice at the end of the call asked. ¡°She could call a mis-trial if we tamper with evidence!¡±
¡°Awkward, isn''t it? But it''s not going to get to a trial anyway, is it, given there''s diplomatic immunity? I''ll bring him to the editing suite in a bit, see if we can leave some of it in, how''s that?¡±
¡°I suppose that''s all I can ask for. And you are clearing it with Maria.¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Eliza replied, ending the call. ¡°So, your parents, are they actually loyal to the state?¡±
¡°Who can tell? Did you happen to see the film of the warhead being changed on that missile?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I overheard them discussing it. Mother was pointing out it must be a fake, since there''s no way the government would send an engineering student friend of mine to handle a nuclear weapon, and nor could our poor country afford transparent radiation suits.¡±
¡°Transparent radiation suits?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°She said something like no-one would ever accuse one of my homeland''s honourable generals of commandeering the only radiation suit, while hiding safely away in a bunker. It''s obvious that the people forging the video must have equipped the actors with expensive transparent radiation suits of a sort we couldn''t afford.¡±
¡°Oh. No one would accuse them because it would be disloyal?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°For the record, I don''t think we''ve got transparent radiation suits either. You recognised your friend?¡±
¡°Yes. He''s got a very distinctive walk.¡±
¡°So, horror can be expressed, sort of, but only in such a way that you don''t actually say what you think, and lay the blame on the outside.¡±
¡°If you''re as clever with words as my mum, yes. Most people aren''t.¡±
¡°Oh, right. Now, getting back to this morning''s events, you guess that your mother doesn''t think you''re very loyal but under the guise you were, gave you instructions to pretend to be a Christian so you could claim asylum, and orders to your sister to try to get you a passport?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°So, why did she shoot at you?¡±
¡°It would have been suicide for her not to.¡±
¡°And how do I know that you''re not pretending to be a Christian and a real defector?¡±
¡°Anything I say could just be proper training. So instead, I''ll tell you ''all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.'' ''If anyone claims to be without sin, they deceive themselves and the truth is not in them.'' ''The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.'' ''God demonstrates his love for us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.'' ''And he was buried, and on the third day, he rose again according to the scriptures.'' ''And he was led into the presence of the ancient of days, and was given rule and glory and urm, various other things, and his kingdom shall never be destroyed.'' ''and the souls beneath the altar cry out with a loud voice ¡°How long, oh Lord? ¡°'' And those of us left on Earth mourn at the deaths of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and also cry out, ''How long?'' and ''Come, Lord Jesus, Come!''¡±
¡°Amen.¡± Eliza agreed.
¡°You''re a Christian?¡±
¡°Yes. Only a few months old in my faith, so I didn''t recognise all your quotes. The last few were from the book of Revelation, yes?¡±
¡°The Ancient of days one was Daniel chapter seven.¡±
¡°Oh. How did you learn about them, and link them up, and so on?¡±
¡°Secretly. Lists of references, suggested readings, that sort of thing, passed hand to hand. And you try to commit them to memory because you know that your Bible might be lost and you might be imprisoned for your faith.¡±
¡°You and other believers from your country have my wholehearted respect.¡± Eliza said.
Tue 6th Feb, 8pm
¡°Our son was brave, at the end.¡± The ambassador''s wife informed him. They were walking through a mostly empty park neither of them had been before. Their host country''s Internal Security officers were keeping a careful watch on their movements, but also giving them some privacy.
¡°How so?¡±
¡°He raised the issue of defection, asked me not to make a scene, publicised my status, and spoke other words I will not fully repeat.¡±
¡°Dangerous words?¡±
¡°Words which I had to respond to. If there is a recording, and I presume that there is, and it comes into the hands of our compatriots... questions will be asked.¡±
That was a dangerous word in itself; he queried it. ¡°Questions?¡±
¡°He is not ignorant about things he should be. So, it will be asked, did I tell him of these things for his application, or how did he find them out?¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°And I have no satisfactory answers.¡±
The ambassador stopped, and looked at his wife. ¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°I mean that if I say I told him those things, then I am guilty of a crime. If I did not, then... if he meant what he said, he is on the wrong list.¡±
¡°The wrong... What did he say?¡±
¡°That I am loyal to the wrong master. That is safe enough to repeat.¡±
¡°Who did he say you should serve, the United Nations?¡±
¡°No! He applies for a religious visa, husband. No, he used phrases I''ve heard from Christians and said God deserves loyalty and obedience. I will not repeat what he said about the Great Leader.¡±
¡°Ah, so he made inflammatory statements, surely that would be normal to anyone seeking for asylum? He might have heard Christian phrases from people, somewhere, surely that is easy to explain away, my wife.¡±
¡°He did not make a statement, husband. He pleaded with me, personally, in our language. What he said was not for the people of this country. It was for me. He, knowing I was armed, and surely not a hundred percent sure that there was indeed a forcefield between us, pleaded with me to do something which he knew would mean I throw away my position, my freedom, my life. I have no answer as to why he would do such a thing, I have no answer to why he chose to use such words as his last communication with me, and I have no answer as to how he learned them. He knew that there is another list on which his name could be placed at home but still, he chose to say things which mean his name should be on it. Why would he take such a risk with his own life, when this was supposed to place him in a safer place?¡±
¡°Might he be testing your loyalty?¡±
¡°We are not at home. Who could instruct him thus? Who could instruct him in such dangerous phrases?¡±
¡°Lilly? She has clearly been arranging his passport, and surely she arranged for a message to him ¡ª he was expecting the arrest, was he not?¡± his wife nodded, and he continued, ¡°Surely, she has had opportunity to learn the terms, the phrases. Could she not have asked them to deliver a script?¡±
¡°She could have. You are right. But... Does our daughter hate us so?¡±
¡°No. She does not hate us.¡±
¡°You are sure?¡±
¡°She asked, my wife, if it would cause trouble for us if she sought a passport from this country. She explained how it was advantageous to her. I reassured her.¡±
¡°There is a risk.¡±
¡°Also with breathing, sometimes. It was best for her and her brother, I said it would undermine her cover story if she ignored those advantages.¡±
She nodded. ¡°Why did you not ask me?¡±
¡°Because I was not certain, my wife, of my motives. Was I putting her needs above those of the state? We speak a lot, but...¡±
¡°We are rarely so honest with each other. Let me be honest, husband; our son goes to our loyal daughter, she who knows him best and who has executed a Christian before now. If I ask her if his words were from her, and they were not, I condemn myself and him. If I do not ask, and it is not a test, then I am an accomplice unless I report his words. Knowing he has fast reactions, knowing they said there was a forcefield, as he insulted the Great Leader, I shot at him in the heat of the moment, But, husband, ...¡± She shook her head, unable to speak the words.
He looked into her eyes, and gathered her into his arms. His mouth hidden by her hair from any observers, he said ¡°You are too much his mother to report him, my beloved? Let my own mouth condemn me: I am glad. I am too much his father and your husband to report you for this.¡±
¡°So, we are also rebels.¡±
¡°We are parents.¡± he corrected.
¡°There is nothing we can do to protect him from our loyal daughter, is there?¡±
¡°No, but she is loyal to her family. I think that is why she asked me, not you, if there were risks. Perhaps she will be able to pretend she does not notice.¡±
Suddenly, Lilly''s mother made a decision. ¡°I will tell her that Ree has defected.¡±
¡°We are a long way from the embassy, my beloved.¡±
¡°I expect one of our discrete followers will let me call my daughter.¡±
Lilly looked at her wrist unit once more. Who was calling this time? She didn''t recognise the caller at all.
¡°Hello?¡±
¡°My dutiful daughter, your brother has claimed asylum.¡±
¡°And your shot missed. He told me.¡±
¡°Oh! So you know!¡±
¡°Yes. I also know something else, Mother, but I do not recognise the number you are calling from.¡±
¡°We''re having a walk with some nice people from Security making sure I don''t shoot anyone else. I just realised I hadn''t called you, and so I''m talking to one of their wrists.¡±
¡°Do you agree it has a low interception risk then?¡±
Lilly''s mother was about to reply when the wrist unit''s owner said ¡°I can add extra encryption if you wish, maam.¡±
¡°Yes please.¡± Lilly replied.
¡°Lilly!¡± her mother pointed out reasonably, ¡°How does that keep what we''re saying from being recorded on this agent''s device?¡±
¡°Please encrypt.¡± Lilly repeated.
¡°Enabling.¡± the agent reported.
¡°Much better.¡± Lilly commented. ¡°Mother, I''m not afraid of the agent''s device; I don''t want anyone else from home hearing that Ree told me; he''s claimed secrecy on what he said to you. You need not fear the recording from the corridor, it now contains silence during his plea to you.¡±
¡°He... he spoke to you about that?¡±
¡°Yes, mother. He sends his love, and did not want you or father found guilty by association. He also asks that you think about what he said.¡±
¡°Do you know what he said?¡±
¡°Not exactly, but I can guess it was something he''s wanted to say to you a long time.¡±
¡°How long?¡±
¡°We thought you would know, but perhaps you only found out today. It must have been a shock. He once used a password ''Lilly is freezing'' to hide something important and dangerous to him, because he confused ''cool'' and ''freezing''; a stupidly weak password. I taught him better password selection. I was still at spy-school then.¡±
¡°What sort of something?¡±
¡°I am not as brave as my little brother.¡± Lilly admitted, not wanting to say outright that she knew he had a Bible all these years. ¡°But I will try to keep him safe. I wonder how hard that will be, given there is no recording.¡± Would her mother speak out against him?
¡°I discover that I am his mother.¡±
¡°Thank you, mummy.¡± Lilly said ¡°Did you understand everything he told you?¡±
¡°Enough, but not much.¡±
¡°Thirty-nine plus twenty-seven makes sixty-six. Of the thirty-nine, one, sections one to four, also two, part twenty. Of the twenty-seven: four, section three, sixteen to eighteen.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°Numbers can be dangerous things, mother. Be careful, as you know, asking the wrong person can get you in trouble.¡±
¡°For the record, I understand the reference.¡± the agent said.
¡°Let knowledge be my mother''s decision, please.¡± Lilly replied.
¡°Your father''s too. We have been talking, openly.¡±
¡°I am glad, mother. You hide too well. I think none of us really know what you think.¡±
¡°I thought we were both loyal, Lilly.¡±
¡°Loyalty, mother, is love and family and people, and pigs in sacks.¡±
¡°I don''t understand.¡±
¡°One day, I might be braver, mother.¡±
¡°I have had a confusing conversation with our daughter. But... I am no longer scared. She has talked to Ree. There is no recording of what he said, it has been erased. She knew.¡±
¡°She knew what?¡±
¡°She described Ree as brave. She also said that she would try to protect him as she has for years. She taught him password choice when she was at spy school to hide something. I presume from us. So I say it again; Lilly knew.¡±
¡°But... she is loyal!¡±
¡°Loyalty, our daughter said, ''is love and family and people and pigs in sacks.''¡±
¡°Pigs in sacks?¡±
¡°Yes. She didn''t explain.¡±
¡°Alive or dead?¡±
She looked at her husband in shock. ¡°What if it was executed in a sack?¡±
¡°She said that?¡±
¡°No, of course not.¡±
¡°Love and family and people and convincing deception?¡±
¡°Showing people something they can believe is what they want to see. Perhaps. We do not know.¡±
¡°But we know none of us is inhumanly loyal to the state, but that we are loyal to our family. Did Lilly say anything else?¡±
¡°Yes. She said she was pleased we were talking openly together, and she spoke some numbers which mean nothing to me.¡±
¡°Numbers?¡±
¡°Thirty-nine plus twenty-seven makes sixty-six. Of the thirty nine, one sections one to four, also two, part twenty. Of the twenty-seven: four, section three, sixteen to eighteen. She said they were dangerous, and I should be careful who I asked about them. But the agent recognised them, Lilly asked him to keep the knowledge to himself unless we asked.¡±
¡°Shall we ask the agent?¡±
¡°Do we want to know?¡±
¡°Is it another puzzle, or is it more uncomfortable certainty?¡±
¡°Lilly was not worried about the agent hearing. Only about people from home. She asked if I understood what Ree had said to me, I said, not much of it. Then she told me those numbers. Dangerous numbers.¡±
¡°Today, we are living more dangerously than we have done for a long time.¡±
Lilly called Maggie Right. ¡°Maggie, Lilly here.¡±
¡°Hello, Lilly. How can I help?¡±
¡°My mother is finding out some dangerous truths today, about her son, and herself. I''ve added some dangerous hints about myself too.¡±
¡°What sort of dangerous truths?¡±
¡°She had no idea of Ree''s faith, it seems.¡±
¡°Oh wow.¡±
¡°Nor did she understand much of what he said. I gave her some fairly obvious pointers, just cryptic enough that she could ignore them if she chose. If she starts asking questions...¡±
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°It''s a big request, but is there any chance that whoever interviews Mum about the shooting could be a Christian? If the incident means she gets sent home, it might be the only time in her life that she''s going to be in a situation where someone can present the gospel to her openly.¡±
¡°I''ll pass it on.¡±
¡°You told my wife you understood the numbers?¡± the ambassador asked the agent.
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
¡°Could you explain?¡±
¡°There are sixty-six books in the Bible, sir. I''m not a Christian, I just remember that from school. I''m guessing that the other numbers that make it up are how many books there are in the Old and New Testaments.¡± he looked around to see where one of his colleagues was, and waved him over.
¡°I thought the Bible was the Christian holy book. You say it''s lots of books?¡± the Ambassador asked.
¡°Yes sir. Urm, there''s different divisions within the Bible. For instance the first five books are called the pentagram, no, that''s something else, they''re called the penta-something. Sorry, I''m getting lost already. But anyway, there are different books in the Bible, and they''re divided into sections or chapters, and the chapters are divided in to verses. And there''s two big divisions, the so-called Old Testament, which is the first bit, and then there''s the New Testament, which is the second part. So I think your daughter was talking about some chapters in the Old Testament and a few verses in the New Testament.¡± Seeing his colleague arrive he happily passed the buck ¡°Bill, this is your stuff, can you explain all this?¡±
¡°Very much depends what the question is.¡± Bill pointed out.
¡°Cryptic message from their excellencies'' daughter. Thirty-nine plus twenty-seven equals sixty-six.¡± the first agent said. ¡°That''s Old and New Testaments, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Certainly sounds like it.¡± Bill agreed.
¡°Right, I''ll leave you with the details then, and beat a hasty retreat.¡±
The ambassador watched him flee. ¡°Why does he run?¡±
¡°Because he prefers not to hear, in case what he hears challenges him.¡±
¡°Of the thirty nine, one, sections one to four.¡± Lilly''s mother said. ¡°Do you know what that means?¡±
¡°The first book of the Old Testament, Genesis, talks about the creation of the world. There are two different viewpoints, one in chapter one, where God speaks and separates light and darkness, land and sea and sky, and then makes all creatures and finally mankind. Then in chapter two, we look closer at the creation of humanity, and at the end of the chapter, all is right with the world. In chapter three things start to go wrong, when the first humans listen to a snake and not to God, and they disobey God. God warns them of death, struggle and pain because of it, but also promises that one day a descendant of the woman will kill the snake, the cause of evil and human trouble. In chapter four one brother becomes jealous of another. God warns him that sin is waiting to ambush him, and the man, Cain, ignores God and murders his brother.¡±
¡°Also of the thirty-nine, two, part twenty.¡± Lilly''s mother said.
¡°A long time later, God has rescued a group of people from slavery in Egypt. He gives them a set of laws, that we call the ten commandments: He forbids worshipping other gods, making images for worship, and misusing God''s name. He decrees that the seventh day is for resting, even for animals. He commands honour of parents, and forbids murder, adultery, theft, false testimony, and every form of jealousy.¡±
¡°Of the twenty six, four, section three.¡±
¡°Sixteen?¡± Bill interrupted.
¡°Sixteen to eighteen. You know it?¡±
¡°Yes. This is a verse about Jesus, who we date our calendar from. Verse sixteen is ''For God so loved the world, that he sent his only son, that whoever believes in him should not die, but have eternal life.'' I''m not exactly sure what seventeen and eighteen are, but I think they say that God sent His Son to save the world from sin, so anyone who believes in the Son will be saved, but if anyone does not believe, they are already condemned, because they have not believed the only Son of God. Urm, I think I should point out that whatever sense of ''son'' you take here, no Christian believes it means that God had sex with Jesus'' mother.¡±
¡°So my son risking his life to plead with me to believe in Jesus is because according to this verse I am a condemned woman?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And your colleague?¡±
¡°Does not want to hear that he is condemned, or how he can be rescued.¡±
¡°And your God would forgive a woman who has executed Christians because of their belief?¡± she asked.
¡°About half of the New Testament was written by a man called Paul. Before he turned to Christ, he did the same.¡±
¡°You seem to have a very forgiving God.¡±
¡°All have sinned and fallen short of the standards justice demands. But his gift to all who accept it is eternal life. There is no one righteous, not even one. Only by trusting Jesus can people be saved.¡±
¡°What about those who died before this Jesus was around?¡±
The agent shrugged. ¡°Those who turned from their sins and trusted God, he saved, they didn''t really know how the judge of all the world could forgive, but they knew he did. His majesty, power, and authority have been on display through creation. We might suppress the truth, but it remains true.¡±
¡°The judge of all the world?¡± the ambassador asked.
¡°Yes, it is one of his titles.¡±
¡°Thank you. Now I understand my son''s motives a little better.¡± She turned away, ¡°Come, husband. We have learned enough of these dangerous numbers.¡±
Association / Ch. 26:Rules
Association / Ch. 26:Rules
Foreign affairs office. 9am Wed 7th Feb 2272,
¡°Mr Ambassador, there are diplomatic conventions.¡± the foreign affairs minister said. Bluntly, as usual.
¡°I am aware of them, sir. Normally it is considered polite to enquire after one another''s health, for instance.¡±
¡°And that of one another''s children.¡± the minister growled.
¡°Touch¨¦.¡± the ambassador acknowledged.
¡°We have made some... informed guesses, shall we say, about the probable motive for your wife''s actions.¡±
¡°My son insulted our great leader.¡±
¡°Yes, that was one of the motives.¡±
¡°It is a capital offence.¡±
¡°Not here it is not.¡±
¡°For my wife not to react as she did would have been a failing in her duty, and committing a capital crime.¡±
¡°Yes. We understand that also. Again, not here.¡±
¡°Let me make it clearer. If she had obeyed your laws, she would have been liable for execution once she stepped foot on our home soil. Your agents had stated that there was a forcefield between them.¡±
¡°So you claim there was no intent to kill?¡±
¡°I claim that my wife had no alternative.¡± the ambassador replied.
¡°There is always an alternative, Mr Ambassador. She could have declared that the presence of a forcefield meant there was no point in firing.¡±
¡°The prosecution case at home would not make allowances for that kind of reasoning. Someone would say she should have tested it, to make sure there was no bluff, or followed him and fired point-blank.¡±
¡°The judge would have seen better sense, surely.¡±
¡°You clearly speak of things you do not understand, minister. There is no judge in such cases, beyond the higher ranking agent who would present the prosecution case.¡±
¡°Your security service runs out of control.¡±
The ambassador shrugged. What could he, a mere ambassador, do about that? He said as much.
¡°This clearly will have implications.¡± Ralph, who had been silent until now, said. ¡°On behalf of their Majesties, I thank you, Mr Ambassador, for your honest confirmation of our assessment. His majesty has decided that if this is the attitude and training of your security service, that they can, indeed feel they must ignore the laws of this land; and the added fact that they consider it their sworn duty to carry out extra-judicial murders wherever they may be, then any person suspected or known to be a member of your security services is no longer welcome. It is expected they will be out of our territory within forty eight hours. Deportations will be enforced if necessary.¡±
¡°My wife''s status....¡± the ambassador started but Ralph hadn''t finished, and ploughed on, ignoring the interruption.
¡°His majesty has been informed that your security services are likely to assume she''s guilty by association of her son''s defection. For this reason, your wife will be permitted to stay, so long as she remains unarmed, and as long as within twenty four hours she is stripped of diplomatic immunity.¡±
¡°You ask me to allow you to put my wife on trial?¡±
¡°You have three options. The status quo of her being here, with diplomatic immunity and being an armed assassin in the service of the cult of your leader is not acceptable.¡±
¡°Three options?¡± He''d only heard two, surely?
Ralph ignored the question ¡°Moving on to the visit of your nations'' leader and his primary consort. We understand that she is not an active member of your security services. Her presence in accompanying your leader is thus acceptable.¡± he deferred to the minister.
¡°The view of his majesty''s government, however, is that given your leader is placing his trust in the promises of his Majesty, and given that your security services are not welcome and indeed are considered a threat to law and order, it would be inappropriate for your leader to bring with him any armed bodyguard. An unarmed honour-guard of up to six would be acceptable but diplomatic immunity will not be extended to them.¡±
¡°The Great Leader may not find those conditions acceptable.¡±
¡°We acknowledge this.¡± Ralph said ¡°We do not wish to have the meeting cancelled, however we cannot ignore the flagrant disregard for our laws. Your wife, you and your son have made clear, was acting as any member of your security services would. Until such time as we can be sure there will be no repeat, we will not tolerate their presence. Our constitution requires that law-abiding citizens and visitors from any country of origin, must be able to freely exercise their legal rights in safety. Those rights includes the freedom to express political and religious opinions and the freedom to urge others to consider them. His majesty has no alternative.¡±
¡°I understand that,¡± the ambassador said. ¡°But I do not understand what the third option might be.¡±
¡°He''s got a point, Ralph.¡± the minister agreed ¡°You only mentioned two choices: he sends his wife home or strips her of weaponry and her diplomatic immunity.¡±
¡°The second choice can be split into two, possibly more, depending on other factors, minister. Some obvious factors are are who might need to not return home for a certain amount of time, because of the risk of summary execution, and how long that time might be.¡±
The ambassador looked at Ralph in surprise. From their point of view, of course, it was quite a reasonable presupposition. A defecting son and daughter were not the best entries on one''s curriculum vitae.
¡°I thank his majesty''s government and civil service for their concerns.¡±
¡°All our guests must benefit from the protection of our law, your excellency.¡±
Evacuation site two. 9am, Wed 7th February.
¡°Registered truthsayers 212 and 112.¡± George said, presenting their truthsayer I.D.s to the bemused guard at the site entrance.
¡°We''re supposed to be getting orientation and then helping set up the information desk.¡±
¡°Why does the information desk need truthsayers?¡± the soldier asked.
¡°We''re going to be helping find lost kids, that sort of thing. Plus, of course, if there''s any disputes we''re happy to keep everyone from exaggerating.¡± George supplied.
Karen added: ¡°And if things go really really wrong, and say radio stops working, then since we can be contacted by someone with the Gift, we play a part of your backup-emergency communication system.¡±
¡°Oh, right. So you''re here just in case?¡±
¡°From what we''ve been told, we expect to be busy.¡± George said.
¡°I won''t keep you then. Down this track for about three hundred metres, then look for the big flag-pole. That''s going to mark the information tent when it''s set up, and it''s where the orientation will start. That''s not ''till half past.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡± George and Karen said, picking up their rucksacks.
¡°Oh, Do you know your tent numbers?¡±
¡°Yes, thanks.¡±
¡°That''s good. There''s some kind of systems fault at the moment, so there''s no info at the information tent, last time I heard.¡±
¡°Hardware or software?¡± George asked.
¡°Does it make a difference? It''s broke, that''s all I''ve heard.¡±
¡°I''m not bad with hardware, he''s great with software.¡± Karen supplied.
¡°Oh? That''s great!¡± Karen heard him decide they''d be really useful after all.
¡°Are you saying that there''s no network access for wrist units either?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Wrist units work, just. But we''re in a bit of a valley, reception isn''t great.¡±
¡°And fifty thousand people are about to arrive, about half of whom are planning to spend their entire time watching video on their wrist units?¡± George asked.
¡°They''ve put up a proper tower.¡± the soldier volunteered.
¡°Good.¡±
¡°But just one, so data rates are going to be restricted, so people wanting to watch videos over the net are going to be disappointed. You''ll hear all this in orientation.¡±
¡°You''d need ten towers for as many people as we''re having turn up here.¡±
Karen agreed, ¡°Has anyone thought to tell the press about this?¡± Karen asked.
¡°Pass.¡±
¡°And is network access better here or at the tent?¡± she asked.
¡°Here. Why?¡±
¡°I think we need some reporters. Are any due to turn up to orientation?¡±
¡°No, it''s just for information people.¡±
¡°What are reporters, then?¡± George asked.
¡°I''m going to make some calls, and try to get that changed,¡± Karen said.
¡°You''ll need to get that cleared.¡±
¡°That''s why I''m going to start with the site commander, and escalate to the palace if necessary. Tell people now, they can pick their viewing pleasure from home. Tell people when they get here and you''ve got a load of angry people yelling ''why weren''t we told?''¡±
¡°Yeah. OK, I see your point.¡±
¡°It''s going to be the same at all the sites, isn''t it?¡±
¡°They''ve all got their quirks. Network access is a common one, except at site one where there''s great network access but the rumour mill suggests the water supply might be a bit tight.¡±
Karen called the site commander. ¡°Commander, Truthsayer 112 here, sorry for interrupting whatever your doing, but I think this is urgent and important.¡±
¡°Hello, Truthsayer, go ahead.¡±
¡°I''ve just heard that there are no reporters coming to the orientation. Do I have your permission to correct that oversight, or is that a policy decision I need to try to get changed? This morning''s news said that about half the population are planning to spend most of their time at the camp huddled under blankets watching videos. I predict a near-riot if we don''t tell them quickly they won''t be able to view on demand. I''m sure there are other things that are common knowledge on site but will come as a shock to people who arrive in the next few days.¡±
¡°Hmm, no one asked to come. Let me check... key dates for the press. The document I see on the palace press site says reporters are welcome the day before the camp opens, but it is out of date, since it also states that the camps open on Saturday. Consider it an oversight from shifting timetables.¡±
¡°Thank you, sir. I''ll contact the palace press office and while I''m doing that my husband will call some reporters we know.¡±
¡°Hi, Tony.¡± George said ¡°Palace press office mix-up. Orientation at the evacuation sites is happening this morning, nominally half past nine, but it used to be scheduled for Friday, and the old info is still on the palace press office site, apparently. No reporters expected at site two''s orientation, so far. Can you pass on the message to whoever ought to know?¡±
¡°Of course. How flexible is the start time?¡±
¡°No idea, I''ll be suggest it might be sensible for it to be delayed when we get there.¡±
¡°Anything headline-worthy?¡±
¡°Not much network access, certainly not enough for network film watching. Except at there''s a rumour that at site one, I think it was, there''s plenty of network access but water might be an issue.¡±
¡°For drinking, or washing?¡±
¡°Pass, sorry.¡±
¡°Never mind. I''ll tell my editor.¡±
Karen meanwhile was still trying to get through to the palace press office. The system at the other end had gone through the normal triage questions: was she a journalist? No. Was she calling about the colour Prince Albert''s socks? No. Was she calling about information on the press office site? Yes. Did she need more information? No. Was there a problems with the information on it? YES! Was there personal information? No. Was there missing information? No. Was there inaccurate information? Yes. Had she provided information that had been badly summarised? No. Was she an organiser of an event about which there was inaccurate information? No. Was she involved in an event about which there was inaccurate information? Yes. Was the event this week? Yes. Was the event today? Yes. Pick from these events ..... 9 Some other event. We''re sorry we don''t have any other events for today. Is the event listed for another day? YES. You are now being connected to an A.I. system.
Please state the name of the event.
Karen said ¡°Press briefing at evacuation sites.¡±
The A.I replied ¡°Sorry the database does not have that event listed. Could you try again please? You may state the misinformation in full.¡±
¡°The evacuation sites open tomorrow. Reporters should be at orientation meeting today, at half past nine.¡±
¡°Thank you. You have supplied information about the opening times of the evacuation sites, which were listed as opening on Saturday. Your information will need to be confirmed, but the old information will be marked as suspect. This system did not understand the rest of what you said, but it will be reviewed by a human in due time. Do you still need to speak to a human?¡±
¡°Yes. Urgently.¡±
¡°Thank you for calling. Please wait.¡±
She''d been waiting for several minutes now. Part way through the A.I had told her that everyone was busy, and to save time could she identify herself, if she was willing to do so. She did, then called to her cousin.
[Eliza, is there some sort of problem at the palace press office? I''m failing to get through to a human, and even five minutes ago this was urgent. Ha! It was urgent before I got up this morning, if only anyone had realised.]
[Well, I know the normal receptionist is on maternity leave. There should be a temporary replacement there, and that shouldn''t make much difference. What''s up?]
[The press office site still lists the evacuation sites as opening on Saturday, and tells journalists they can come the day before, ''more information later''.]
[Uh oh. I bet that one stayed on the receptionist''s mental to-do list.]
[The maternity leave was unexpected?]
[She''d previously planned to be working until after the impact, I know that.]
[That''s probably not good news then, poor thing. The orientation they should be at is in twenty minutes, and there is certainly information that needs to be made public, like network access is not going to great, so people shouldn''t assume they can view video on demand, as half the population of Restoration is planning, according to a survey we saw today.]
[I''m not doing anything right now, so I''ll go down there in person. I''ll get someone to call some editors, too.]
[George has called Tony, so you can assume N.W.N. know, at least.]
[Thanks.]
[I''ll carry on trying to get through, just in case.]
[Do that. You might as well get the glory.]
[Well, Truthsayer 112, anyway.]
[Oh, I won''t say who told me then.]
Foreign affairs office. 11am Wed 7th Feb 2272,
Lilly''s mother looked at the investigating officer, a woman her daughter''s age, and vaguely familiar. ¡°So far, I still have diplomatic immunity.¡±
¡°Yes. And you''re leaving soon if it isn''t revoked.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because you ignored our laws and shot at your own son.¡± Eliza replied, simply.
¡°No, I mean why do I recognise you? Why have they sent someone so junior? Why do you remind me that I face separation from my husband either because of distance or jail?¡±
¡°You do have other alternatives.¡± Eliza pointed out.
¡°Such as?¡±
¡°You''re a highly intelligent woman, you don''t need me to point out the obvious, surely? As to why you recognise me, you might have fallen for the ruse earlier this year that Prince Albert was interested in me.¡±
¡°Ah. Yes! Of course, you are Agent Eliza Smythe, the ''Prince''s red-head''.¡±
¡°Now the Prince''s body-guard''s red-head, when I''ve got my wig on. Or you could say I share a body-guard with the prince. But I''ve been watching videos. We''re not going to release it, by the way, but did you worry at all that your son would dive the wrong way?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Would you like to tell me about the shot you fired at your son? Did you worry that he might dive into the path of the bullet?¡±
¡°I aimed to kill him.¡±
¡°That''s a rather poor line to take if you''re going to tell it to a court. Especially since it''s not true.¡±
¡°You can''t tell that.¡±
¡°It''s amazing what top of the range security cameras can do these days. We''ve got three frames showing the bullet in flight. You aimed remarkably poorly for an expert of your calibre trying to kill someone.¡±
¡°I''m sure we can blame that on the stress of the moment.¡±
¡°Mrs Ambassador, please consider the following facts: one, we''re not in your country; two, I''m not in the service of your security agency, or otherwise linked to your government; three, this interview is not being recorded as evidence for a court-case, and will be erased in a week as long as neither of us make a complaint against the other, only my written notes might be used in court, if necessary, and as you see, my paper is blank at the moment; four, I''m here for multiple reasons but I''m certainly not interested in separating you from your husband.¡±
¡°You''re not?¡±
¡°No. I''m interested in the inner workings of your mind, what you knew or didn''t know when, how likely you are to want to stay, and so on.¡±
¡°I know how these things work. There will be a show-trial, I will be locked away for a decade or three more as an excuse to ruin the relationship between our two countries.¡±
¡°You really have no idea, do you, maam?¡± Eliza asked, surprised.
¡°What?¡±
¡°No mention has yet been made of your diplomatic immunity being removed retrospectively. Furthermore, there is no reason for it to be spoken of, as long as you don''t keep on lying that you aimed to kill your son, and can convince me of what Ree told me ¡ª that there was no other course of action you could take, given the mental framework you were under and what he''d said, then we can blame your actions on the system and pressures you were under as an agent. The removal of diplomatic immunity is first and foremost to ensure that if you stay here you have no special status to hide behind for your future acts, while you adapt to life here, and to thus protect the public safety. If you stay, you will of course be watched, carefully, and if you make any move to acquire any firearm or otherwise engage in a hostile act then you should expect to face every penalty you deserve.¡±
¡°I don''t understand.¡±
¡°Perhaps you can understand that his majesty appreciates your husband''s efforts, Maam, and that he would rather not have his concentration split in even more directions than they must be already, or have him replaced by a new ambassador who does not understand us nearly as well. So... will you please give me your honest appraisal of you aim?¡±
¡°I believe my bullet was heading towards his left shoulder.¡±
¡°Correct. He threw himself to his right. The forcefield caught the bullet, but it hardly needed to: the bullet would have barely scraped his skin.¡±
¡°No one can react that fast!¡±
¡°Your son did. He was convinced you would shoot, of course, so he was prepared. And perhaps you drew a little more slowly than you might normally, but if so there wasn''t any noticeable hesitation.¡±
Eliza didn''t say that his leg and back muscles had moved at almost the same instant as his mother''s hands. ¡°If he''d moved the other way, of course, it would have been a different story. Had you discussed it? He told me that you''d instructed him to defect.¡±
¡°He told you that?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°The foolish boy.¡±
¡°Why do you call him foolish?¡±
¡°He tells everyone he''s on the wrong list!¡±
¡°Ah. You want him to pretend he''s on the list of fake asylum seekers and deep-cover agents? You think he''s putting himself at risk?¡±
¡°Isn''t he?¡±
¡°It depends what perspective you look at it from. As I see it, he''s fed up with deception and decided he could trust me.¡±
¡°But why then do you trust me with the fact he trusted you? You put him at risk!¡±
¡°Because you''ve been working very hard for a long time to keep your children safe, Mrs Ambassador. Because your loyalty to your children is making itself evident, no matter how you try to wrap it up and hide it. Other than asking the agent last night, did you look up the explanatory Bible verses that Lilly told you about?¡±
¡°No. There is no Bible in our embassy.¡±
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
¡°There used to be. I understand that Ree took his with him.¡± Eliza put a crystal on the interview table, and a piece of rice-paper. ¡°I asked him to make a copy. The ink and rice-paper are edible or you can just put it in the document destroyer in the corner, there.¡± Eliza pointed. The passphrase was '' ¡°Tulip Icecream, I love you and cabbages, too!¡± said the caterpillar.''
¡°Not the most secure pass-phrase.¡±
¡°Not bad for an eight-year old. And it kept you out.¡±
¡°He encrypted half his collection of old films. I asked him about it once.¡±
¡°What did he reply?¡±
¡°That Lilly had told him all about encrypting things and it sounded a fun idea.¡±
¡°Did you try to decrypt them?¡±
¡°Yes, of course. I obviously didn''t get to this one, though.¡±
¡°You might have.¡± Eliza handed over another piece of rice-paper which read ''Lilly is cool!''. ¡°This is the password that encrypted the film. The first clause of the other password retrieves a data stream buried in the film with keyed steganography. The stream is mostly noise, but starts with an encrypted photograph of an actress. Ree couldn''t remember who, and he didn''t bother remembering the key. The second clause retrieves the cyphertext from the data stream. The entire phrase will give you the plaintext.¡±
¡°Ah. Layers within layers! He did this when he was eight?¡±
¡°I understand he had some training from Lilly while she was at spy school. You don''t need to take this, but you may. I think I would consider it quite secure from unwanted attention.¡±
¡°I too, especially as part of my son''s film collection. But why might I want it?¡±
¡°You are not curious about the faith of your son? The context for the verses Lilly sent?¡±
¡°I admit some curiosity. Lilly warned me the verses were dangerous though.¡±
¡°Ah. But in what sense?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°What sense are you considering them dangerous? That they might cause you trouble if you were known to be holding them, or dangerous to your position in your society? Or perhaps dangerous to ignore, dealing with matters of eternal life and eternal punishment, as they do.¡±
¡°Do you know where my daughter''s loyalty lies?¡±
¡°Don''t you?¡± Eliza replied.
¡°No.¡±
¡°That''s sad,¡±
¡°That''s safe. For a while, before we spoke last night, I wondered if I need to fear her, for her brother''s sake, and for my own, that she might denounce us. Now... now I know enough that I could easily denounce both her and her brother for crimes against the state, especially with this piece of evidence you''ve just given me.¡± she pointed at the crystal. ¡°If I knew she had no loyalty to the state... I would interpret something she said to me in a certain way, and be most tempted to think I have protected both a counter-agent and a Christian, and that it would be far safer for me to never set foot on home soil ever again. If I knew she remained loyal to the state, although she is loyal to her family more, then I would remain uncertain about what she meant about that other thing, but to think about these things she has called dangerous would be to ignore a well-given warning. And you sit there, knowing which I should do.¡±
¡°I have not spoken to Lilly, but Ree who you failed to try to kill out of love, pleaded with you to listen. Risked his life, because to him telling you the most important words he knew was more important than the risk that you kill him. I will not hide from you that I am a Christian, maam, nor will I hide from you the admiration I have for your son that he take such a risk to share his faith with you. I am here for several reasons, as I''ve said, one is to help you understand the faith I share with your son.¡±
The response to that surprised Eliza ¡°This is not how it is supposed to be!¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°It was all planned out perfectly: Lilly went to a top secret school for spies, and then becomes part of the programme to infiltrate our enemy organisations.
You seem to talk about her being at spy school as though it was common knowledge! Has she shared that, or has her brother compromised her as a spy? She infiltrates so well they ask her to work in their propaganda department, wonderful. I tell her to hold out for a passport for Ree, so that he is somewhere that food is regular and his studies do not mean the military decide he can be used as an expendable slave. But that''s not disloyalty! That is making use of natural links and your soft-hearted approach to emotional ties to get both of my children into your system where they can work for the country from outside it! Now I find out that my son is a Christian, my own loyalty is suspect, and even my daughter''s is too! She who I thought was loyal beyond question! Now here you sit, telling me that your decadent capitalist society is willing to forget that I almost killed my son because I couldn''t bring myself to aim straight, and you''re even hoping to explain to me just why I should follow the same God my son does, when you ought to be quizzing me about who''s a member of our security forces!¡±
¡°Ah. You can tell me if you like, cooperation will certainly help convince his Majesty that your loyalty to your system is even further away from total than I can say now.¡±
¡°What sort of interrogation technique is that, girl? /''You can tell me if you like!''/ Oh!¡± she looked at the door ¡°You have a colleague outside who''s about to burst in and attack me, once you''ve been all friendly, don''t you? I know that technique.¡±
¡°No. At the end of the interview, you will be escorted back to the Embassy. If at any time you feel you have been entrapped, humiliated, threatened, put under undue pressure, beaten or tortured you may request a copy of the video recording of this interview, and make a formal complaint. Such a copy and complaint can be made by any legal representative, but due diligence will be made to ensure that the representative truly represents you, and is not some other person seeking to invade your privacy.¡±
Lilly''s mother shook her head. ¡°This is how you treat all your prisoners?¡±
¡°These basic rights apply in all cases of investigation by the police and Internal Security field agents. Certain aspects do not apply in exactly the same way during interviews by members of Auditing, however, Auditing only have powers of arrest over civil servants, and the information they gather during an interview of anyone not in the civil service may not be used in a court of law or passed on to other agencies in any form which would make the interviewee identifiable.¡±
¡°But they are allowed to pressure, threaten, beat and torture?¡±
¡°They are not allowed to torture or to physically harm any person. Deception and entrapment may be used.¡±
¡°But you will not tell me about my daughter?¡±
¡°I will not breach her absolute right to privacy, no. You may of course ask her.¡±
¡°During this interview?¡±
Eliza shrugged. ¡°I''m not sure what time it is there, but if you like. What are you planning to say to her?¡±
¡°That I am less certain of her loyalty and my loyalty than I used to be, and find my loyalty to my family is greater than my loyalty to my country. So I do not know if I should act on my curiosity about what Ree believes or listen to her warnings. Or something like that.¡±
¡°Before you call, what sort of curiosity do you have about Ree''s faith? The detached intellectual curiosity that will, at the end of the day, think ''now my desire for knowledge is satisfied, I think I understand his behaviour.'' Or the genuine curiosity that will say if this is truth, I must respond to it.¡±
¡°How can I know, when I know so little about it?¡±
¡°Will you tell me what you do know, and what you are curious about?¡±
¡°You call your God the judge of all the world. I am curious about what that means. You speak of Jesus as God''s son, but not his son in the normal way, and also as God; that''s just confusing. Why do you smile?¡±
¡°I smile because you''re right, it is confusing, can I try to explain?¡±
¡°You may.¡±
¡°The Bible promises that a human would defeat the forces of evil. Abraham, who you might have heard of as the ancestor of the Israelite people, was promised that through his seed, all the nations of the world would be blessed. Moses, who was pretty much the first religious leader of the Israelites as a people that we know of, and who is traditionally credited with writing down the first five books of the Bible, said that after him, God would send another prophet and law-giver. King David, who had a really important role in the development of Israel as a centralised monarchy was promised that one of his descendants would have an everlasting kingdom. Also around this time, the phrase ''son of God'' enters the Bible, meaning a king, a royal figure. But Israel as a people and a political entity was as big a bunch of sinners as the other nations around them, although they claimed a special relationship with God, and they suffered a similar fate. A few hundred years later, as the people were being exiled and enslaved by the Babylonian empire, God''s prophets repeated those promises and made some more to go with them, that God''s representative would suffer and die to save everyone. Roll on about seven hundred years later and Israel is a rebellious little province in the Roman empire, buzzing with the idea that maybe now God was going to send the promised anointed king. There hadn''t been a major prophet for a long long time, but suddenly an elderly priest with a barren wife gets told by God that they are going to have a son, who will prepare the way for God to come to his people.¡±
¡°This is your Jesus?¡±
¡°No. That was his relative, John the Baptist. While Elizabeth was pregnant, her unmarried cousin Mary got visited by an angel and told that although she''s a virgin, she''s going to be pregnant with God''s promised saviour. Joseph, her fianc¨¦, was a bit worried, as you might expect, about what she''d been up to, but he got visited by an angel too.¡±
¡°What''s an angel?¡±
¡°Supernatural messenger and servant of God. They get drawn with wings in art but according to the Bible they look just like people but don''t normally bother with normal things like walking away, but just disappear.¡±
¡°Oh, spirit beings.¡±
¡°Yes. But they are not to be confused with ghosts.¡±
¡°You believe in ghosts?¡±
¡°There is nothing in the Bible that says they exist, but nothing that says they don''t. There are clear verses in the Bible that talk of people living one life, dying, and staying dead or asleep until they are raised to life at the end of time, to face judgement for what they have or haven''t done.¡±
¡°Ah, that is where the Judge of all the world will act?¡±
¡°Then as well. God is all powerful, and if he decides to give a certain day twenty six hours, then that will happen. You have free will, but only within the parameters he has set. Your choices are important, but as far as I know, no-one can choose to fly. You felt you had to shoot, but you choose not to aim for Ree''s chest. You exercised your free will, but actually you were freer than you thought ¡ª you could have not shot him at all.
"But perhaps you didn''t think of that, perhaps God limited your thoughts so you didn''t, in order that we might have this conversation. I don''t know.¡±
She considered that enormous challenge to her philosophy for a while and then said ¡°Tell me more of your Jesus.¡±
¡°I will confuse you first, do not allow anyone to tell you that Jesus was a good man.¡±
¡°But...¡± she gave up ¡°Oh, carry on.¡±
¡°He said things which if they were false were either the ravings of a mad-man, or he was the worst kind of deceiver. He made claims to be equal to God. He lived a life without sin, he astounded people with depth and understanding that he had about God and God''s law, he demonstrated that he had power over nature, power over sickness, power over evil spirits. He called people to live revolutionary lives, putting God at the absolute centre of all they said and did. To a few people he revealed that he was the Christ, which meant by then the anointed king, the promised descendent of king David. He claimed that he was alive before Abraham, thousands of years before. It is impossible to say that he was a good man, a teacher. For his claims to be true he must be more than that. The religious leaders hated him, and had him executed by the Romans, as he''d told people would happen. On the third day, like he''d told people, God raised him back to life. But somehow changed, different, and after forty days he was taken up into heaven.
¡°He was born and died a human being, of that we should be sure; but his followers realised that he was not only the son of God in the royal sense, but also in the literal sense: God the Son, the pre-existant God who made the universe had been walking with them, getting his feet dirty in the mud, healing the sick, making the blind see, sharing fish with them, living the live of a homeless preacher. Eventually we Christians came up with the idea of trinity, which affirms at the same time that there is only one God, but that when Jesus prayed to God, and called him his father, he wasn''t just talking to himself. There is only one God. God the Father is God, God the Son is God, God the Holy Spirit is God. The Father is not the son, nor is the Son the Spirit. It''s confusing, and you can make analogies, though they''re a long way from perfect, like ice, water and steam are all hydrogen oxide, but water isn''t ice, and ice isn''t steam. Or a leaf with three lobes. Nothing will make the left hand lobe the right hand one, but they are still the same leaf.¡±
¡°You''re right. It is confusing. When Ree told me to let Jesus wash away my sins, what did he mean?¡±
¡°When Jesus died, he died the death of a criminal. He was innocent, innocent of every single sin. He is the only human who has loved God will all his heart, every minute of his life. He is the only human who, by God''s accounting, had not earned death. And he choose to die so that in his death he could take our sins on himself. No one else can accept anyone else''s sins, since we each have earned death. How can one criminal take the punishment for another? He was without sin, but he became sin for us, taking the punishment we deserve. There is no other method for getting rid of sin than to ask God to forgive it. And there is no basis on which God will forgive except that Jesus died in your place. Only his death, his blood, can wash away sins. And you cannot earn that forgiveness. All you can do is turn away from your old life, accept forgiveness, and then trust in Jesus. The Bible says, I can give you the reference if you like, ''The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.''¡±
¡°And if I did that, accepted this gift, I would be a Christian?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°No other ritual required?¡±
¡°It is normal to be baptised, which is a symbolic washing, a public declaration of what Jesus has done for you. But while it is obedient to God, and so normal, it does not make you a Christian.¡±
¡°No wonder it has been so hard to get rid of you. You offer eternal life, hope, forgiveness!¡±
¡°Not us, God.¡±
¡°And once forgiveness is granted, you could pretend nothing has changed.¡±
¡°Up to a limit, attitudes change, especially towards sin.¡±
¡°But you could pretend... or could you? Would you actually deny you had any links to Jesus?¡±
¡°It would be a sin, a very grave sin. Jesus said that if anyone disowned him in front of men, Jesus would disown that person in front of the angels. But, one of Jesus'' first followers did deny knowing Jesus, and he was forgiven. It is one of greatest tests a Christian can think of: would I deny knowing Jesus if I knew it would mean my torture or death if I didn''t? I hope I would choose torture or death, rather than deny the Lord who saved me.¡±
¡°Foolish young woman, you should not have told me that. I am charged to purge your kind from my country.¡±
¡°May the Lord of life and death grant that you use the well-known knowledge I have told you only for good and not for evil. If you intend evil, may he stay your hand and protect the lives of those he has called to himself. May he also call you, that you will know the power of Jesus'' blood to change lives and destinies.¡±
¡°I will use what you have told me. But.... I hope it is not for evil. It had not occurred to me to ask Lilly straight out if she is a follower of Jesus. I may do so?¡±
¡°You have said that it will affect your decision making process. I am sure that it will be safer for both of you to have that conversation here than at the Embassy. You may do so, and I will make the call. But... is there any chance that your wrist unit might act as a bug?¡±
¡°You should have asked that a long time ago. My original wrist unit suffered an unfortunate accident some months ago. I had to replace it.¡±
¡°How regrettable.¡± Eliza said, with a straight face.
¡°Not particularly. I didn''t like the colour.¡± It had been white, just like the one she was wearing now. It was the colour of the lights on her bug-detector when the previous wrist-unit was officially off that she really hadn''t liked.
Eliza made the call. ¡°Your mother wishes to speak to you.¡±
¡°She must like the sound of my voice.¡± Lilly joked.
¡°Are you in a secure location?¡± Eliza asked.
¡°Fairly.¡± Lilly replied, she was at home.
¡°Your mother and I are in a secure interview room. I''ll be initiating encryption. Do you have a wired earpiece?¡± Eliza said.
¡°Yes, I''ll get it. Sounds serious.¡±
Eliza enabled a second layer of encryption, and then instructed her wrist unit to initiate a third layer, send a series of a thousand genuinely random keys, and use them in rotation, swapping every second. It would be quite a while before her wrist unit had collected enough randomness to generate that many keys, but it was as secure as she could make it. ¡°As far as I can make it, this is now a fully secure channel. The random keys will be repeating after a thousand seconds, at which point security will be degraded.¡±
¡°I thank you.¡± Lilly''s mother said, ¡°I doubt that we will need that long.¡±
¡°I am at my home, I swept for bugs last night.¡± Lilly reported.
¡°If you wish to re-sweep before giving any answer, I''m sure your mother will be patient.¡± Eliza said.
¡°Lilly, you spoke of danger in those numbers.¡±
¡°That is true, mother.¡±
¡°There was one of our tails who was able to explain them, far from any listener. But I wonder which danger you were speaking of.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
¡°Agent Smythe here even suggests that one danger might be that I listen but do not respond.¡±
¡°And you have been listening, mother?¡±
¡°I have been listening, but there is a question in my mind regarding loyalty.¡±
¡°Whose, mother?¡±
¡°Yes. I find that I am unsure of your loyalty and also of my loyalty. Love, family, people and confusing pigs in sacks.¡±
¡°My fault then?¡±
¡°Or your brother''s. You are alone?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°You may blame Agent Smythe for the next question, who somehow knows you went to spy school. She has explained to me her faith, and her greatest fear, that if she were put in the position, she might not have the courage to choose torture and death rather than deny Jesus. Do you also feel you owe so much to Jesus?¡±
Lilly was quiet for a while, struggling against the urge to drop the connection or cop-out by pointing out what a dangerous question that was. But she''d been praying she might talk to her mother about Jesus one day. ¡°Jesus died to save sinners, mother. I know I''m one, how could I refuse such a generous offer? Can I tell you how I came to believe?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°It was my first year here. I had been through indoctrination camp, and as you know, I was sent to see how the capitalist-imperialists treat one another with contempt and tread the poor and foreign underfoot. But my classmates showed me acceptance, curiosity and love. I was here to learn, and I listened without showing disapproval as I''d been taught. They invited me to church, these classmates of mine, and I was curious about what had prompted Ree''s risk-taking. I convinced myself I could listen and sift out the lies and see the credulous fooling themselves, and also thought that it might help me understand some parts of their vocabulary I didn''t understand. So, anyway, I went. There was a visiting speaker, from home. That''s what had prompted them to invite me, I think. He talked about home, about the good parts and the not so good parts, and he spoke about how God''s kingdom was better than the good parts. I agreed with everything he said about home, and agreed that God''s kingdom sounded better. He spoke about how God''s kingdom was different to the society here, and he called upon these capitalist imperialists to listen to their God, and not their wallets, to learn that what we had right at home showed it is possible for humans to care for one another without expecting repayment. He spoke about how much more the Church ought not to just be happy to be a little bit more of a caring community than the community they were in, but should be genuinely caring, like Jesus had been. Genuinely putting God first, like Jesus did.
"He also challenged people that they weren''t particularly thankful for the good things they had, and that at meal times they should be truly thankful for the food on their plates, and rejoice that they''ve never gone shopping from a house with no food on the shelves and returned with half-mouldy maize. And I agreed with that too. Then he invited people to pray that God would change them, and make them new in their attitudes and their lives, that he would free them of their sins and enable them to trust Him with their future, not just their eternal future, which is the way it''s often put here, but also for everyday things like food and drink and housing. I agreed to what he said in the prayer too, and prayed it in my heart. Afterwards I heard my class-mates moaning about all the negative things he''d said about their culture, and how it wasn''t that bad, and asking why he had painted such a rosy picture of our system. And someone asked how was that supposed to convince me about Jesus. I plucked up the courage to tell them I''d agreed with everything he said about home, and that God''s kingdom sounded like something I really wanted to be part of and that I''d prayed the prayer at the end too. That stopped them moaning, and eventually I think I convinced them that he''d been at least partly right on other things too. I remain loyal to our people, mother, but not to the way the people are mistreated. My God, the God who will judge all people, is against those who use their power to abuse the poor, the weak and the fatherless, and I am sure that he will grant them relief from their real oppressors. And one day he will judge the dead for their deeds, and those who have decided to seek forgiveness in this life will be saved from eternal punishment in the next.¡± Lilly listened for a moment to the silence on the other end of the connection before adding, ¡°Thank-you for taking the risk of giving me the chance to tell you this, mother.¡±
¡°Rightly, I would now report you.¡±
¡°Rightly mother? Is it right to put you, any mother, in that position? Is it really right that the proper obedience to the God who created the whole universe should be banned overnight because one man decided it on it?
"I often struggle with God that he allowed him to continue breathing as long as he did. Is it really right that a man sets himself and then his son in God''s place? Is it right that ''the needs of the military come first'' when children are starving? Did we really need those extra weapons? What for? I saw the caches in spy school. I saw the delivery dates on the unopened boxes that were sitting in pools of rust-coloured water under the leaking roof.¡±
¡°You did not say.¡±
¡°How could I? It might have been a loyalty test. All I could do is raise the issue of the leaking roof, and the water on the floor.¡±
¡°And you did?¡±
¡°Yes. I wrote that it seemed the capitalist-imperialists had now trained pigeons in damaging the roofing tiles made by our hard-working labourers, and somehow concealing their damage during inspections of the roof. I added that perhaps these destructive pests would make good targets for our marksmanship training sessions.¡±
¡°Was there a reply?¡±
¡°That a stray bullet might do the sabotage work of the pigeons, so they would not be forwarding my suggestion, but that we would be climbing the roof during our mountaineering practice, and could practice interrogation techniques on any such avian spies we could catch while replacing the broken tiles.¡±
¡°Oh, yes, I remember, there were a lot of broken tiles.¡±
¡°We had no training in crossing the roof, and broke as many tiles as had needed to be replaced before we got there. One bundle of replacement tiles had not been fired properly, and started to crumble as soon as it got wet. One of my classmates recognised the warning signs before we had put any up, and suggested that we wash the tiles so that they would not drop tile dust onto the clean courtyard.¡±
¡°The courtyard was mud, wasn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes. We worked out why he''d suggested it fast enough though, when we got that bundle wet and saw what happened to the tiles. Of course, in another culture he could have simply said ''these might need to go back to the kiln to be fired properly.'' without being arrested for unwittingly insulting some party official who wasn''t doing their job.¡±
¡°True.¡±
There was another pause. ¡°So. Now you know, mother, that both of your children are Christians, you presumably have worked out what I hinted earlier, about executing a pig on live video.¡±
¡°Yes. Your intended victim acted well.¡±
¡°He didn''t know. I''d prepared the pig earlier, it was entirely real for him. I couldn''t risk it not being.¡±
¡°As your mother, I''m proud of your ingenuity. I was totally deceived, as were others.¡±
¡°So, mother, should I hide, or shall we continue the pretence?¡±
¡°If I return home, it would be difficult for your father, and I understand that the king here does not want to lose your father as ambassador. It would also, quite honestly, be difficult for me, even if he was with me. If I remain here, my role will be limited, but I think that I can argue that they will find it most suspicious for me to stop communicating with you and someone else take over.¡±
¡°I am your loyal daughter, as always, mother.¡±
¡°Yes, daughter. I see you are indeed most loyal. Though it seems your loyalties are placed differently than I used to think.¡±
¡°When is father due to return home?¡±
¡°Three more years.¡±
¡°I''m sure that might be extended if there were some suitably complex negotiation in progress.¡±
¡°That is... possible, daughter.¡±
¡°Alternatively, of course, you could tell Agent Smythe that you''d like a more permanent arrangement, but I assume you''d need to move house for that to work out.¡± Lilly said, hinting that they could seek asylum too.
¡°I doubt that would be an individual decision.¡± Eliza said, getting the hint immediately.
¡°And I don''t know how to contact Agent Smythe.¡±
¡°Prince Albert does, I''m sure.¡± Lilly pointed out. ¡°Or perhaps you''d like to practice your archery, mother, if that''s allowed.¡±
¡°Daughter, I don''t understand that reference one little bit.¡±
¡°Perhaps you should ask Eliza when she''ll next wear her wig then. It would be a cultural event, mother. I''m sure father would not mind attending. He likes swords and things, doesn''t he?¡±
¡°Some people I could mention seem to know far more about me than they ought to.¡± Eliza commented. She wasn''t worried though, it was all public information, after all. ¡°But the answer is that, God-willing, there will be a grand fair this twenty fourth of February, but I don''t know if I''ll be able to get there. You are practiced with a bow?¡±
¡°It has been a while. But does it not count as a weapon?¡±
¡°I don''t know if borrowing a bow to shoot at straw targets at a cultural event counts as acquiring a firearm. I will ask my superiors.¡±
Eliza reported soon after the interview, ¡°Quick summary: I''m pretty sure she''s not going home, but I don''t think she''s going to be a threat, Maria. She''s been an obedient cog in the system, hadn''t realised at all that we weren''t planning some kind of show-trial and she claimed that Lilly''s pig trick had entirely convinced her and others.¡±
¡°You believed her?¡±
¡°Yes. Her words were entirely controlled the whole time, of course, but I think I saw a lot of tension go out of her shoulders when she heard her daughter claiming Christ as Lord.¡±
¡°I''d have thought that would worry her more.¡±
¡°She listened when I told her the gospel, and she listened even better when Lilly told her her testimony. I get the impression that she''s discovered that her family matters to her far more than the regime she''s been supporting, and it''s all a strange world now.¡±
¡°So, you think she''s staying?¡±
¡°Yes. She said it would be difficult to return home, even together. Oh, I don''t know if it''s new information, but her husband is only supposed to be ambassador for another three years.¡±
¡°I knew there was a maximum term. That ought to be plenty of time for them to work out everything. Anything else to report?¡±
¡°Lilly''s been reading up on me. She basically suggested to her mother that if she wants to talk to me some more then she could contact me by turning up to one of the reenactment events. Apparently archery would make a natural point of contact. I promised to check if a bow counts as ''stunner or firearm''.¡±
¡°Hmmm. You couldn''t take up crochet instead? We''re talking about a lethal range of a fifty meters?¡±
¡°With my bow, I''m sure I could pick out a target at a hundred, no problem. General mayhem type range is more like two hundred plus, depending on the draw-weight of the bow.¡±
¡°But aiming and rate of fire....¡±
¡°An expert archer can beat a muzzle-loading musket at both, but not any sort of rifle, of course. I don''t know how expert she is. Perhaps we should be limiting the power of any bow she uses? That''d limit the range and danger.¡±
¡°Sounds sensible. Is that easy to tell how powerful a bow is?¡±
¡°Not unless you''re there to pull on it.¡±
¡°So, target-shooting with a tested low-power bow, and someone with a stunner watching in case she points the thing the wrong way, maybe. Anything else, no.¡±
3pm, Wed 7th February.
¡°Husband, I am returned to your side.¡±
¡°For how long, though, Min? That is the question, is it not? Have they said?¡± the ambassador asked.
¡°I was interviewed by a girl who had interviewed Ree. She said no one has said ''retrospectively'' concerning my immunity. His majesty appreciates your efforts, and does not want you distracted or replaced.¡±
¡°It is not a trap?¡±
¡°I don''t think so. She was quite clear, our son has convinced them that I had no choice once he''d said he would defect. They ask my immunity to be removed for my future actions, not my past ones.¡±
¡°That is news that warms my heart. This news is not so good.¡± he handed her a document reader.
¡°From home?¡± Min asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
She read the first line. ¡°Both your parents?¡±
¡°The computer recorded them as present for an appointment at the clinic just as the building collapsed. It will have been mercifully quick, we can hope.¡±
¡°They are sure?¡±
He shrugged, managing to not give way to tears. ¡°The entire block fell.¡±
¡°Do they know why?¡±
¡°Bad weather, they say. Construction work was happening next door, deep construction work, for a citizen''s bunker. There has been heavy rain.¡±
¡°The foundations failed?¡± Min asked.
¡°Yes.¡± he replied.
¡°Have you told our loyal daughter?¡±
¡°Not yet, I only finished reading it just now.¡±
¡°Shall I?¡± she asked, knowing how distressed he was.
¡°I will do it.¡± he said.
¡°They told me once they wanted to be together until they died and ideally die together.¡± Lily told her father, not trying to hold back the tears. ¡°They loved each other a lot, didn''t they?¡±
¡°Yes, they did.¡±
¡°I will call a number I know. There may be someone trapped in the rubble, but still alive. If there is, someone from the truthsayer association will call the embassy.¡±
¡°You know such a number?¡±
¡°I do work at the information office, father. We have numbers there for all sorts of things. There aren''t any direct lines listed of course.¡±
[Honoured and loved grandmother of my friend Lilly, I greet you.] Vivian thought across the planet to the trapped, dying woman. She''d passed on the word to others, who would contact the embassy; there were currently fifteen survivors in the rubble, including two elderly people, a husband and wife, who probably wouldn''t survive until a rescue team could reach them.
[I am dead aren''t I? Imagining things, talking to angels....]
[You are seriously injured, but you''re not dead, maam. And I''m not an angel, just human, a Christian with a gift from God. Is the pain bad?]
[Not so bad. You know Lilly?]
[Yes. Your son called Lilly, about the collapse. She called me.]
[And... she knew you have that gift?]
[Yes.]
[No, that''s dangerous! My grand-daughter is a spy. Don''t trust her! She executed someone for being a Christian.]
Vivian checked. Yes, this woman was a Christian, and also her husband.
[Lilly''s very good at keeping some secrets. Like her brother''s faith, her own faith, how she faked the execution. The man she ''executed'' is in Alaska now, he''s a pastor. I know: I checked.]
[Lilly''s a Christian?] She spoke it aloud, and explained to her husband. [Yes.]
[We''ve been praying for her to turn to Christ so long!]
[Your prayers were answered soon after she got here. She told her testimony to her mother earlier today.]
[Her too? Even Min, our daughter in law, has become obedient to the Gospel?]
[Not yet. Not yet, but she knows of her children''s faith, is not willing to betray them, and has heard the gospel.]
[Glory be to God on high!]
[Amen.]
[And our son? Do you know where he stands before God?]
[I do not, but I know they have been talking. You have a very brave grandson - his mother had told him to pretend to defect, and as he defected he begged her to turn to Christ. She started to worry about Ree''s safety with Lilly, that''s what started her doubts about the system, and persuaded Lilly to openly tell her of her own faith.]
[It is getting cold. Death will not be long, will it?]
[The future is in God''s hands, but... I expect not.]
[We wondered, why God had not let us die quickly. Now maybe now we know. Somehow, please get word to our son... remind him that when he was young he prayed and God answered. That God always answers! He has a daughter and a son he can be proud of, a good wife he can talk to, and a home amongst good people.]
[I will tell him.]
[And tell Lilly and Ree of our love and prayers. Please... leave us now. It would be good for us to pray and praise God.]
[Of course, honoured one. May the love of God surround you and protect your hearts and minds.]
[Lilly, Ree, I have just been thinking to your grandmother. I''m sorry, she and your grandfather are dying, but they do so praising God to hear of your faith.]
[They are together?] Lilly asked.
[Yes. They are together, and the pain is not too bad. I have a final message for your father from his mother.]
Association / Ch. 27:Changes
Association / Ch. 27:Changes
<9am, Thursday 8th February, 2272 Embassy of the People''s State of the Beautiful Peninsula>
¡°Your report about your son''s insertion, as an undercover loyal citizen.¡±
¡°Yes sir?¡± Lilly''s mother replied to her supervisor.
¡°Your actions need more explanation.¡±
¡°My actions?¡±
¡°Of course. You have caused a diplomatic incident, if they had been bluffing about the field, you could have killed your son. Why shoot?¡±
¡°It was partly surprise, sir. Also, my shot would not have been fatal, and it has added to his cover. I think the easily fooled capitalists are fully convinced about him.¡±
¡°Surprise?¡±
¡°I knew that my daughter, in support of her own mission, was using him to deepen her cover and evidence to them that she was severing ties with us. But I was caught by surprise when he told them he wanted religious asylum. Obviously Lilly had been in contact with him, he seemed to be expecting what happened, whereas I was not.¡±
¡°Religious asylum?¡±
¡°Yes, I presume it was what Lilly requested for him, neither his father nor I have seen any evidence that he was anything other than a loyal son, so it is clearly a fabrication. But when he declared that he sought religious asylum, because he was a Christian, I was shocked, it seemed so real! So drew my weapon to fire as surely any loyal officer would at such a declaration.¡±
¡°And yet you aimed to miss?¡±
¡°I aimed to wound, not kill, yes sir. I realised, as my gun left the holster, that although it came without warning, it must have been part of the plan. I mean! My son, a Christian? But it would have surely been looked on with great suspicion if I drew my weapon but did not fire, or aimed to miss. I did not want any to probe into his claim of religion.¡±
¡°You do not think that it might be that your son and daughter might actually be Christians?¡±
¡°Really sir, I would find it hard to think that these Christians would claim their God was happy to accept someone who had executed his followers!¡±
That was true. She struggled with the idea, but she''d been assured He did. It was also a shrewd move. If her supervisor corrected that, he''d be in big trouble, since spreading knowledge of the banned religion was itself a capital offence.
¡°Yet your daughter has attended a church.¡±
¡°Yes sir. As you know, sir, she is an approved deep-cover agent. I have no doubts about her loyalty.¡±
¡°Moving on to the next topic. You have elected to stay, I understand, exposing yourself to a trial, maybe even a show-trial. How can you maintain your son''s cover and still give an account of your actions? Neither the great leader nor I understand your motives.¡±
¡°They do not ask for the lifting of immunity for past events, sir. There will be no show trial. They wish to keep diplomatic channels open.¡±
¡°So they overlook your actions?¡±
¡°Hardly, sir. I may not be armed, I will have no immunity, and I will be watched, closely. They expel all other members of our security services, suspected and proven. We must replace the embassy guards with regular soldiers.¡±
¡°How will they tell regular soldiers from security guards?¡±
¡°They plan to use truthsayers, sir.¡±
¡°So we can send agents as long as they do not think in English?¡±
¡°Today our embassy passed on information about survivors in the clinic collapse, it was accurate?¡±
¡°It was.¡±
¡°I think the same information sources might be asked to check up on us. But I have not told you the most humiliating part yet. My husband has just learned of it.¡±
¡°Speak.¡±
¡°Our embassy guards may not step outside the embassy grounds while armed or face arrest. That was only to be expected. Moreover, they may not be armed with any distance weapon until a forcefield has been installed to make sure we don''t shoot anyone passing the embassy. They also say that with the impact coming, and then clearing up the city, this will not be a high priority for them. Until then, they may only be armed with knifes and swords, and polearms.¡±
¡°Swords?¡±
¡°Yes, sir. So I was informed.¡±
¡°What is a polearm?¡±
¡°A medieval weapon sir. Long stick with an axe-head or blade on the end. As long as it''s not for throwing.¡±
¡°Swords, knives, stabbing spears?¡±
¡°And I presume axes also, if we so desire.¡±
¡°But not throwing axes.¡±
¡°Exactly. All very intimidating, and lethal if used properly, of course, but it would require training, and practice.¡±
¡°I am sure that our rural recruits can wield an axe. And of course, there are martial arts specialists.¡±
¡°My thoughts exactly, sir. So they do not leave us undefended, and thus keep the rules of diplomacy, but they ensure that we are no threat to anyone outside our gates. But sir, with neither full agents nor informants... I am effectively retired, except for my communication with my daughter.¡±
¡°No informants either?¡±
¡°I will have no immunity, I have their permission to stay with my husband, because they wish to keep him. But if I recruit informants to an organisation they have listed as quasi-terrorist? I expect I would be jailed within a week. And anyway,¡± she lifted a finger to a junior staff member who''d brought her a cup of tea, indicating she should stay. ¡°Since they will deport anyone suspected of being a member of the Security service, surely it will only take a whisper to one of their agents that such and such a person is an informant and they will be deported.¡±
¡°You expect that staff there will be so disloyal?¡±
¡°We both know how people think, sir. A known informant is not a popular person. Is not much of our junior recruit''s work checking up on accusations to weed out the ones made from jealousy or antagonism? Will these capitalist imperialists bother to do that? I do not believe my husband''s effectiveness as ambassador will be served by a constant turn-over of staff, so with your permission sir, I will not be seeking informants.¡±
¡°You retire from active service?¡±
¡°I am disarmed, watched and my staff are sent home. If I recruit anyone, they will be sent home and I may be jailed. My role here was always secondary to my husband''s, and I believe that retirement from active service is the best way to serve our people. My hands are tied, and I have no need of the rank, or status. Allow someone more able to serve have my place and salary.
"I will of course, continue to add reports from Lilly and Ree to the diplomatic pouch, and my summaries of the press here.¡±
¡°But what of the staff there?¡± her supervisor asked. ¡°Who will keep them in line?¡±
¡°If I become aware of disloyalty to our country, of course I will report it as would any loyal citizen, sir. And of course I will not discourage staff members with concerns from bringing them to me, but as I said, I cannot recruit, and nor can my eyes be everywhere. I hope it will not happen, but there may even be defections, and as I will not be able to respond appropriately....¡±
¡°Ah, I understand your concerns. Yes, it would be better to not be on active service in that case. I accept your resignation from active service. I look forward to any informal reports you might send, of course.¡±
¡°Of course, sir.¡±
Her supervisor, former supervisor now, closed the connection.
The junior staff member tried not to respond; it wasn''t appropriate to listen to the conversations of one''s superiors.
¡°Three items, Tina.¡±
¡°Yes, maam?¡±
¡°Firstly, you heard that conversation, but you will not repeat any part of it to anyone until this time tomorrow. You understand?¡± The agents would be gone by then. She had good reason to think that even the ones she didn''t know about would be on that plane.
¡°Yes, Maam.¡±
¡°Second issue. I would like you to prepare a report for me by tomorrow morning, summarising these newspaper articles, and others you can find on related subjects.¡± She handed a data crystal, with articles about the power and the gift on it, to this pretty girl she''d noticed touching hands with Ree. The message about the conversation with her husband''s mother had made her think about some other reasons that people might want to touch.
¡°Third issue, Tina, while you''re here. You have had... occasional encounters with my son, to which I turned a blind eye. I''m now wondering if I was right to think they were romantic or if they had some other purpose.¡± Tina went white and began to tremble. ¡°So, sometime, I''d like to know what they were about. But not today, I''m going to be quite busy. Oh don''t look like that, girl, it''s just a mother''s curiosity.¡±
It might be useful, she decided, to have a thought-hearer on the staff, especially one who didn''t mind undergoing testing to be a truthsayer.
Tina heard and her fear turned to surprise.
¡°Now, Tina, as a routine measure, do allow me to lend you something for a few days.¡± It was the bug detector.
9am, Thursday 8th February, Evacuation site two.
¡°Hardware connection?¡± Karen asked George from under the table.
¡°Connected.¡± George replied.
¡°Signal strength?¡±
¡°OK. Well, marginal but OK.¡±
¡°Data Errors?¡±
¡°Zero so far.¡±
¡°Good packets?¡±
¡°Ten thousand and counting¡±
¡°So why isn''t it working?¡±
¡°It is now.¡±
¡°Why didn''t you say so?¡±
¡°I''ve only just checked.¡±
¡°And... what changed?¡±
¡°You moved something?¡±
¡°I probably moved everything when I hit my head getting under here. Help me out, will you, love?¡±
¡°My pleasure. Uh. Oh. Did you touch anything?¡±
¡°No. What''s it saying now?¡±
¡°No data, no signal, no connection.¡±
¡°None at all? Look at the data dump, can you? What does last status packet say?¡±
¡°Urm, here we go. Signal OK, voltage zero.¡±
¡°So why am I under the bench, when there''s no volts getting to the mast-head receiver?¡±
¡°Doesn''t that come from under there?¡± George asked.
¡°No. The power connector ought to be somewhere nearer the tower. Its only low voltage, you don''t want too much lost on the cable.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°So, as I said earlier, get me out of here please.¡±
¡°Your wish is my command.¡±
¡°Urm, excuse me?¡± the first customer of the day asked ¡°We seem to have lost the network connection.¡±
¡°Yes. So have we.¡± Karen said. ¡°I think there''s a problem by the mast.¡±
¡°Oh. I was just checking where our tent is.¡± a woman said.
Karen stuck her head above the table, and looked up. She saw man, pregnant wife, and a small child of undetermined gender. The wife, Karen guessed, was about a month away from giving birth, and tired. She hoped birth was a month away, anyway, as she struggled to her feet, with George''s help. The husband had a rucksack on his back, a suitcase in one hand an was steadying the child on his neck with his other hand. Karen noticed that the child''s white trousers were growing a yellow stain and dampness around the father''s neck. She decided the computer was not the highest priority.
¡°Firstly, put down the bags and have some rest, it''s going to be a while, whatever happens. There''s a toilet block just round the corner, complete with baby changing area. My husband can you show the way. It looks urgent from here.¡±
¡°Didn''t you change Mollie before we left?¡± the husband asked his wife, noticing that the dampness at his neck wasn''t sweat.
¡°I was packing the bags. I thought you were going to.¡± she replied.
¡°You''re pretty much the first ones here, so feel free to wash out her clothes if you want to. You won''t get in anyone''s way.¡± George offered.
¡°And there''s warm water?¡± the mother asked.
¡°Plenty. There''s also tea, fruit tea and coffee by the gallon too in what the soldiers call the mess tent, which is the big one you get to past the toilet block. Oh, and if you feel the need, as a pregnant mum you get access to a bath too. There''s only a few though, near the medical tent, you''ll need to get a token from the nurses'' desk.¡±
¡°Oh, bliss, thankyou.¡±
¡°And if we can''t solve the network problem in about half an hour, one of the soldiers is going to climb the tower and implement plan B, and fill a data crystal with the final tent allocations, and mark the network copy as out of date. At that point we will have the definitive version, heaven help us.¡±
¡°I don''t understand why it needs to be able to change.¡± the woman said, as her husband followed George towards a clean toddler and a clean neck.¡±
¡°Just in case someone got something wrong and the computer''s got down that they are perfectly healthy but they actually can''t walk more than fifty meters without a rest. Or the computer put someone who''s starting contractions as far from the medical tent as possible.¡±
¡°Right. Well, hopefully I''ve got a fortnight to go.¡±
¡°Now, that puts you in the priority category, so you ought to have two options. You can be on the edges of the camp so that... (was it Mollie?) is less disturbed by the noise of passing people, or, now you''ve got here and maybe seen a bit about how big the place is, you can choose to be closer to the medical tent just in case, and the baths of course. Bear in mind that there''s no sign so far that the asteroid isn''t going to hit, so you ought to think of being here more than a few days.¡± Karen saw the colour drain from the woman''s face.
¡°So my husband was right? Moving now is easy, and moving later is much harder?¡±
¡°Absolutely.¡±
¡°If we''re spending weeks here...¡±
¡°Close to the hospital tent?¡±
¡°I think so. Is it a hospital tent, or is it more of a first aid post?¡±
¡°In army speak, it''s a pair of field surgery units with ancillary rehabilitation units. In layman''s terms...¡±
¡°As close to a hospital as you can get. Mum used to be military. Thank you, that''s a big relief. When you were saying medical tent, I was imagining a grass floor and a few bandages.¡±
¡°Hmm. What I think I''m going to do, once we''ve got the system fixed, is make sure we''ve got all the very pregnant mums in roughly the same area. And the midwives. And then I''m going to see if anyone thought of having a labour ward area, and if not talk nicely to the soldiers.¡±
¡°You can do that?¡±
¡°Yes, because as was drummed into us, we''re here to make sure everything works. And a midwife splitting her time between women in labour at opposite ends of the camp does not work.¡±
¡°Not really.¡±
¡°But if you''ll excuse me, I''ll try and find some soldiers to help fix this problem with the network.¡±
¡°Be my guest.¡±
Karen talked into her radio.
¡°That''s right, that little box at the bottom of the tower. It''s supposed to be injecting power to the receiver up there, but it''s not reliable. Can you check everything''s plugged in properly, and no one''s been using it as a punch-bag or something? There should be data to tower, data to network and a power cable.¡±
While she was waiting for the reply, she also called Sarah, Kate and Eliza. [We''ve planned the sites wrong.]
[What!] Eliza exclaimed.
[I''ve got a two-weeks-till due-date mother here, she was thinking it''ll be all over in a few days, and they''re expecting to be out on the edge of the camp for peace and quiet. I''m sure others have done the same. It''s actually a good idea once she''s had the kid, but we need an area for mothers having contractions, at least. And I wouldn''t fancy walking there all the way from one end of the camp to the other.]
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
[We thought about chronic problems of the aged, and acute ones like broken bones. We forgot about the whole impending crisis thing.] agreed Sarah.
[Commandeer a midwife to help work out what needs to change, that''s my suggestion.] Kate said. [How''s your network problem Karen?]
[Up and down, still. Diagnostics say the problem''s power to the antenna. Someone''s checking the plugs. I hope it''s not on the board itself.]
[Would that be a hard problem to solve?]
[No. Just time-consuming.] Karen replied [So don''t send a midwife here. I guess Sarah''s camp is nearest to the city.]
Her radio crackled. ¡°Two problems, maam.¡±
¡°Tell me.¡±
¡°It wasn''t plugged into the box properly, and someone''s had the bright idea of using the power cable as a washing line. There''s clothes on it still.¡±
¡°You are kidding me.¡±
¡°No, maam. It does look like one, sort of. There''s a washing line prop holding up in middle, and no signs, nothing. Uh oh, I think it looks like the wire might be pulling out of the power plug a bit.¡±
¡°Is there a replacement cable? I don''t want anyone fried.¡±
¡°I''m sure there is, Maam. I''ll send someone to find one.¡±
¡°I don''t suppose it could go underground, could it?¡±
¡°Oh! I remember. That was the original plan, but the ground was too hard when we were preparing everything last week.¡±
¡°Is it still? It''s been warmer the last few days.¡±
¡°I don''t think so. I''ll get some of the lads to try.¡±
¡°Thank you, Lieutenant. I suggest the clothes be delivered to the information tent, then I can have a word with the owners.¡±
He laughed. ¡°Right you are, maam.¡±
11am, Evacuation site three.
¡°I heard someone urgently needs a midwife?¡± a woman in her forties rushed up to Sarah, carrying a bag.
¡°Urgent, but not delivery-urgent, yes, so please have a seat. Sorry if that bit didn''t get through, but thankyou so much for coming. Everyone forgot about pregnancy when planning the camps. We need to redesign things without moving any tents, before we go and allocate people to tents we need for the mums to be.¡±
¡°How many pregnancies are we talking about?¡±
¡°Sixty percent of pregnant women in Restoration have decided to go to some other town. The others are split across three camps.¡±
¡°Is that all pregnant women, or a bias against the really expectant ones? Can I see numbers?¡±
¡°Yes. But no one thought to ask how pregnant they were.¡±
¡°But you''ve got names? I can get due dates out of the medical data.¡±
¡°We have names. If you can access the medical records?¡±
¡°Not a problem. But I don''t suppose you know how to get the computer to collect the data? I know it''s wrong and I''m ignorant, but I''d do it by typing...¡±
Sarah smiled ¡°You make sure new life comes into the world safely, I can tame computers. I know which of our jobs I''d rather see done poorly.¡±
¡°It''s very nice of you to say so.¡±
¡°No it''s not, it''s simple fact. Human kind survived quite happily without computers for a long long time. They''re all very useful, of course, but like you say, you could do this with pen and paper, just not as fast.¡±
A few minutes'' typing later, Sarah asked ¡°Does that look like what you want to know?¡±
¡°Yes. Oh dear. It''s very uneven isn''t it? Half of them here? What were they thinking? Can you tell me what medical provision there is?¡±
¡°Certainly. Would you like to see it?¡±
¡°Even better. The hospitals are evacuated, did the medical staff get transferred with their patients?¡±
¡°Quite a lot, yes. About seventy percent.¡±
¡°Lets hope it was mostly the consultants, then. With that number, we''re going to need a surgical team on standby for emergency caesareans round the clock. It looks like all the planned caesareans have gone away, so that''s good.
¡°Only for the next two weeks.¡± Sarah pointed out, from the data.
¡°Well, they can go somewhere else in that long, surely?¡±
¡°I hope so. The army field hospital, with two operating theatres, is this way.¡± Sarah said, leading the way.
¡°But there''s no special maternity wing and no labour ward?¡±
¡°Not so far. We''re hoping you can tell us what we''d need to do to make this work.¡±
¡°Assuming we''re talking about this being home for the next few months for those women on the list?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Let''s go talk to the military guys. I wonder how many caesareans they''ve done. I can''t move tents, you said?¡±
¡°You can say they need to be taken down and replaced with something else, but there''s heating pipes and things under them, all carefully laid out so no one would put a peg through a pipe. Hence the really regular grid. You''re going to need to?¡±
¡°It depends what I learn from the medics.¡±
9am, Friday 9th February, Embassy of the People''s State of the Beautiful Peninsula
¡°The report you wanted, maam?¡± Tina offered, handing her the report.
Min smiled; Tina had been very prompt, and had a new wrist-unit. ¡°Thank-you. You have a new wrist unit?¡±
¡°Yes, maam. I don''t know how it happened, I was cleaning the toilet and it dropped from my wrist. The strap must have broken, or come undone somehow.¡±
¡°Oh, so it is drying?¡±
¡°It fell just as I flushed maam. I had to go and buy a new one.¡±
¡°Ah. A pity. What did you learn?¡±
¡°Urm, quite a lot, maam.¡± Tina said. For example that the former head of security at the embassy didn''t like bugs, even from home.
¡°Well? Tell me! What did you learn about the thought hearers, and such like.¡±
¡°That, urm, thought hearing is rare, but not as rare as what they call the gift, and that while someone with the gift can hear anyone''s thoughts wherever they are, they can only talk to someone who hears thoughts.¡±
¡°That was in the first article, yes.¡±
¡°Urm, in other articles, I read I learned about the truthsayer association, and how a thought-hearer joins: the lie-detector tests, and interviews, and so on. Also about the capitalist who was behind it being formed. She wanted to have an organisation of respectable truthsayers, not just so she would not be bothered by liars after her money, but also to give evidence in courts and things like that.¡±
¡°Would you consider such a role useful for a state?¡±
¡°That is a difficult question, maam. At home, I have my suspicions that the security services would not like people who can find things out secretly, who have taken a vow to not pass on everything they learn, or having a means of communication that cannot be tapped.¡±
¡°But such people exist, except for the vows, don''t they. Otherwise?¡±
¡°Any court interested in the truth would surely be interested in the workings of the defendant''s mind, or those of a witness.¡± Tina replied carefully.
Min smiled, Tina had chosen that response well. ¡°And here in the embassy?¡±
¡°Well, maam, there are allegations made, and visa applications.¡±
¡°Yes. You''ll have noticed there are less staff here than yesterday, and I myself was surprised about some who were told to leave. Our hosts do not want dangerous agents among our staff.¡±
¡°It would surely be our duty to keep such agents a secret, maam?¡±
¡°We could ask my husband about it. It would surely sour diplomatic relationships if we were knowingly to be harbouring one such.¡±
¡°Maam, are you suggesting...?¡±
Min held up her hand to stop Tina''s question. ¡°We merely speculate. Of course if we were ordered to give assistance that would be different.¡±
¡°Isn''t it a standing order?¡±
¡°But one standing order to all embassy staff is to make sure that the behaviour of other embassy staff does not cause a problem with the host government.¡± Min smiled at the irony of her saying that. ¡°As you are aware, I''ve done a little on the wrong side of that myself.¡±
¡°Yes, Maam.¡±
¡°So, it occurred to me that our hosts might be very pleased if we could provide, on an occasional basis, of course, a truthsayer who would understand the thoughts of people whose thoughts were in our language.¡±
¡°Would they trust such a person?¡±
¡°I expect the truthsayer association would be insulted by such a thought, Tina.¡±
¡°Maam, I don''t think I understand.¡±
Min decided she wanted Tina to know she didn''t think there were bugs but she might be wrong. She desperately wanted to ask Tina if her guess was right, that Tina had been holding hands with Ree because she was a thought-hearer. Tina nodded.
¡°Now... I am sure you are loyal to your country, Tina. That is not in question, and I do not wish to test your loyalty. But the situation has changed. There are no members of the Security services here now, except for me.¡±
¡°I understand that you felt obliged to comply, Maam.¡±
¡°Do you? I had nothing to do with it, and I am quite sure in my own mind that the expulsions were done with the help of someone with the gift, since, as I said, even people who didn''t report to me were sent home. None made more than token protests, either. And as you heard yesterday, my position here is precarious.¡±
¡°Yes, Maam?¡±
¡°Our hosts would like me to stay, they''ve said, as long as I behave well by their standards, I am not entirely sure what those standards are. But if there were a staff member able to join their truthsayer association, then I can see them considering that to be a conciliatory gesture, which might well improve the rather frosty state of diplomatic relationships. The truthsayer association is not a branch of their government, but still... word will travel, I''m sure.¡±
¡°Oh! You feel that an embassy worker, applying with the approval of the embassy, could make your position more secure?¡±
¡°Yes, it would. And as you''ve noted, a truthsayer on staff would also be useful.¡±
¡°But without approval from home, and if it were suggested that the truthsayer worked against the loyal members of the security services...¡±
¡°Some people might misinterpret it as a move disloyal to the party, yes. But the government here clearly has a good relationship with people with the gift. I predict the net effect on the security officers would be exactly zero.¡±
¡°Yes. Even before publication, they were working together.¡± Tina remembered.
¡°Exactly. But of course this is merely idle speculation. We don''t know of a thought hearer in the embassy.¡±
¡°Would authorisation from home be sought for such a course of action, should someone come forward?¡±
¡°My thought is that such a person, known of at home, might be called upon by people ignorant of the vow, to actions that ran counter to its principles.¡±
Tina''s mind raced. Had destroying her wrist-unit been a rebellious act? Of course, it had been, of a low level. But was the ambassador''s wife now actually suggesting that she secretly sign up to an organisation that wasn''t banned but was so politically sensitive it could easily be banned in the next few days? Tina had heard her say yesterday that a certain number of defections might occur. Was she suggesting that Tina defect? Was this actually a loyalty test? Or... did madam Min think that Ree was in love with her and wanted to send her after him? The only other possibility she could think of... no... surely she wasn''t deliberately sending Tina to be in a position to be contacted by someone with the gift? She realised that she''d been thinking a long time.
¡°I really don''t see a solution, then, Maam. It would surely not be loyal to keep such a vow secret.¡±
¡°Loyalty is a complex, many-stranded thing, young one. Sometimes using resources in a way that might raise eyebrows in some quarters is the only way to use those resources to the benefit of the people of our beautiful state. Take my son, for instance, I have no doubts about his loyalty, but he now has religious asylum. How is that a good use of his engineering talents? Could not they be used for the betterment of the people? Possibly, but would they have been? He does not have the muscles to assist in the army, certainly. Whereas now, he will be educated by the state here at no cost to our education programme, his asylum supports his sister''s cover at the United Nations. It will be years before he might be of aid to his people, I expect, but while our engineers are good, the facilities at home are not as good as here.¡±
Tina had no doubts about Ree''s loyalty either. They''d shared prayer requests a few times. ¡°You expect that he will renounce his asylum and return home, after university, Maam?¡±
¡°What would be the use in that? No, I expect that he will qualify as an engineer, and perhaps after five or ten years infiltrating their system, then one day be able to report on the project he is involved in, providing inside information that will help our nation prepare for the final war, or improve our defences or solve some other problem that faces our nation. Perhaps he will not even need to deliver information covertly, but work towards opening up of their secrets, or perhaps translate papers for our engineers, so that knowledge may spread and all may benefit. I know that he loves his people, Tina, and is a brave young man of principle. He knew I would shoot, you realise.¡±
¡°I.. had wondered, Maam.¡±
¡°Was there romance, between you?¡±
¡°No, Maam.¡±
¡°I thought it was possible, despite the age difference. But it was just other things in common. You were at the same school, learned from some of the same teachers, is that right?¡±
¡°Yes, maam.¡± Tina agreed. She hadn''t known Ree at school, but they''d worked it out.
¡°As I say, he knew that with what he said, I would have no option but to shoot.¡±
¡°What exactly did he say, Maam?¡± Tina asked. Then realised it was an incredibly dangerous question. She apologised.
Min smiled, and lied ¡°It doesn''t matter. It got him asylum, and got me retired from active duty.¡±
Later that day, as she was running an errand, Tina realised two things: firstly that this errand was going to take her straight past the address she''d seen as an office of the truthsayer association, and secondly the only person who might report her for going into the office was the one who''d said it would be a great idea if she went, and never mind what people at home might think. If it was a loyalty test... she''d probably failed already, anyway.
¡°Hello.¡± Tina said nervously. ¡°My boss sort of hinted that I should join.¡±
¡°Oh? You don''t want to yourself?¡± the elderly woman behind the mask asked.
¡°Well, it could get me executed back home. Otherwise, maybe.¡±
¡°Then you''d better flip that sign to ''shut'' and come into the back.¡± the receptionist said. ¡°You''re a foreign worker?¡±
¡°Embassy staff.¡±
¡°Whooo.¡± Helen exclaimed, ¡°And the ambassador thought you should come along for a chat?¡±
¡°His wife.¡±
¡°Interesting. Perhaps I should disclose that I''m just manning the office today while everyone younger and fitter is out chasing people hiding in Restoration. And that I haven''t been a government spy for about a decade, but for my day-job I train people your age. You''re from the Beautiful Peninsula?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Tina answered. Shocked at what the woman was telling her.
¡°Any idea why your ambassador''s wife might want you here?¡±
¡°I haven''t seen any news reports about it but urm...¡±
¡°She''s just made sure you don''t have any security service people on staff.¡± Helen supplied.
¡°Yes. You know, then.¡±
¡°I know that she shot at someone because of what he said, and his majesty was convinced that anyone else in your security services would have done the same, so they''ve gone home. Don''t tell me more, I have enough form-filling as it is.¡±
Tina grinned. It was hard not to like this woman. ¡°The other part of it is that I think she thinks I''m a Christian.¡±
¡°Shouldn''t that earn you a bullet from her gun too?¡±
¡°She''s not on active service now, and you''ve disarmed her. But yes. I''m pretty sure that last week it would have.¡±
¡°A week''s a long time, sometimes. So, why does her almost getting herself kicked out of the country get you here?¡±
¡°She said that maybe it would be taken as a conciliatory gesture. She was talking hypothetically, if there was a truthsayer from the embassy, helping out occasionally at the airport, interviewing new guards, so they couldn''t trick their way in, and so on.¡±
¡°Wheee, sacrifice your skin to solve a diplomatic crisis? That sounds unfriendly.¡±
¡°And she thought that me being a truthsayer might be useful in the embassy.¡±
¡°Would it?¡±
¡°I don''t know how, but... maybe. Visa applications, for example. If it wasn''t a secret. Which of course it ought to be if I''m ever going home.¡±
¡°So why on Earth would you want to sign up?¡±
¡°I think for me the key word is ... fellowship.¡± Tina admitted. ¡°It was so great having someone to pray with, but now he''s gone.¡±
¡°Let''s pray now, then for wisdom for us both. Then I''ll make a call to see who I need to call. Can you tell me your name?¡±
¡°Oh, sorry, I''m Tina.¡±
¡°In this mask, I''m Truthsayer 216. But you can call me Helen.¡±
¡°And you''re a Christian?¡±
¡°Yes. Almost everyone in the association is.¡±
¡°Wow!¡±
¡°So, let''s pray.¡±
¡°Hi. Truthsayer 216 here. I''ve got an almost applicant, for whom joining might be a death-sentence back home, add in diplomatic status, and even more complicated secret stuff. I think I need expert help!¡±
¡°Aren''t you the lucky one?¡± Kate said ¡°Expect to be called sometime soonish.¡±
¡°Thanks.¡±
¡°No problem.¡±
[Hello Helen.] Eliza thought. [I hear you need help.]
[Mystery Voice! Just the person! Tina here needs the help really. Christian, People''s State of the Beautiful Peninsula, and Mrs ambassador has dropped some clear hints about popping over and signing up. The poor girl''s lonely, missing fellowship, and I think she''s pretty confused.]
[OK. I''ll take it from here, then. Want to introduce me?]
[Of course!]
¡°Tina, someone with the gift is about to call you. She''s not with Security, but she''s sort of attached to the palace staff, from what I understand.¡±
[Hi, Tina.]
[Hello.]
[I understand you''re in a confusing and dangerous position.]
[Yes.]
[And, you are a Christian, from the People''s State, and you work at the embassy?]
[Yes.]
[Well, I suggest that the first thing you do, is leave the office, and carry on your normal business. Hopefully that''ll reduce any danger. But wait a bit.... No, no one is going to spot you leaving, even remotely, unless they''re doing it from a third country I didn''t check. And there still aren''t any agents, former agents or informers in this country except your boss.]
[Thank you.] Tina said. Eliza had included Helen in that, so Helen ushered her out of the office, flipped the sign back to open, and sat back down to work on her lecture notes.
[Now, Tina, do you want to join the truthsayers, or not?]
[I don''t know. I don''t know why Mrs Ambassador suggested I join. She spoke about it helping with diplomatic relations, helping links between our countries, and being an act of loyalty. But.. it doesn''t actually make sense really.]
[Well, putting you in contact with me is a rather different response than shooting her son.]
[You know about that, then?]
[Yes. Does she suspect you''re a Christian?]
[She might. I was terrified yesterday. She said she''d seen me holding Ree''s hands, and had thought it was romance, but she''d realised it might not be. I thought she was about to denounce me, but she''d dismissed it as a mother''s curiosity and told me to write a report on a whole lot of articles about the power, the gift, and truthsayers.]
[And you found out that part of the truthsayer application would be an interview with someone with the gift?]
[Yes.]
[Was it something that she knew about, do you think?]
[I don''t think so. It wasn''t in any of the articles she gave me.]
[And how did that sound? Scary?]
[No, wonderful! Thank you for talking to me, even without me deciding to join.]
[Not a problem, Tina. But can you help me understand why someone invading the privacy of your thoughts is wonderful?]
[It was so great being able to think to Ree, to think about Christian things. Madam Min thought it might be romance. Well, perhaps it might have gone that way, even though he''s so much younger than I am, because we could share so openly. And then he defected.]
[Yes. Of course, you could too.]
[One thing I considered was if she was suggesting I should and giving me a way to, but she seemed to want me helping at the airport.]
[The airport?]
[Sorry, I thought Helen had told you. Madam Min said that she''d hurt relations between the embassy and the host government, which was the opposite of what should be happening. She said that perhaps if there was a truthsayer who understood our language checking up on the new guards, that would... show good intent, or something, and make her position here more stable.]
[And how would that be viewed at home?]
[Just being a truthsayer would probably be disloyal, unless I was going to break the vow.]
[And helping unmask agents to a foreign power?]
[I think that''d make me an enemy of the state. She said it wouldn''t matter, that she expected someone with the gift would be checking on them anyway. But I don''t think that would count much. She wrapped it up to make it sound like keeping her here was the most loyal thing I could do, since she was the only member of the security service here now. But... I don''t understand her reasoning well enough.]
[Well, there are some members of your security services on the plane bringing the soldiers.] Eliza supplied [I don''t know how many of them are planning to stay, and how many are there to give final briefings about our dangerous country. But you don''t have enough time to join before this batch arrives. Do you have any idea about why she might want you to be in a position where you can never go home?]
[Not really. Well, if it was a loyalty test, I''m going to be dead soon, but I didn''t hear any hostile intent from her.]
[Did you talk about anything else with her?]
[She spoke about how loyalty was complicated, and how she imagined Ree serving his people as a defector. She thinks his defection is a pretence.]
[Or she wants you to think she does. Did she tell you what made her shoot him?]
[No. She seemed proud of him. Called him brave, loyal, and principled and said he knew she''d shoot him for what he said but said it anyway.]
[{agreement} Ree is a very brave young man, Tina.]
[You know what he said?]
[Yes. Hold on a moment, I''ll just ask him if I can tell you. Can I tell him about what his mother''s pushing you towards?]
[Yes, that''s fine. I need to get something from a shop somewhere here, anyway.]
[Tina, are you finished?]
[Yes.]
[Ree sends greetings, and says he''s praying for you. But he doesn''t really want me to say, since it might be bad for his mother. But he reminds you of thinking what-if one lunchtime.]
[What-if? I don''t think I''ve thought that since school.]
[He said you went to the same school.]
[He recognised me from there?]
[Yes. Apparently at least one of your ''what-if''s made a big impression on him.]
[{shock} I didn''t really understand about iron back then. Then someone thought ''Careful, I heard that. Thoughts go through metal.'' It was him?]
[I don''t know, it sounds possible.]
[He called on her to repent, didn''t he?]
[I can''t answer that, sorry. He''s asked me not to, you can understand why, I expect.]
[If he did, but she''s still maintaining the fiction that he''s loyal to the country...]
[Can one not be loyal to a country while being disloyal to its government?]
[{revelation} She said my loyalty to my country wasn''t in doubt. Oh! And yesterday she decided it would be useful to have a thought-hearer on staff, especially one who was willing to be tested as a truthsayer.]
[Does that get you very far?]
[I think she''s worried about it being found out that she''s not fully loyal to the party any more. That is why she doesn''t want staff rotation or any other people from the Security Services around!]
[Remember this is all just guesswork.] Eliza thought. [And I don''t know how you can safely confront her about it.]
[Do I need to confront her about it? I think what I need to do is decide if I want to live a comfortable life where I can worship God openly, if I hide my faith for a while, or if God decides he wants me back home. The thought of defecting... that''s really tempting.]
[You need to pray. But, Tina, if you do return home, you will not be alone.]
[God will be with me, I know.]
[And I can point you in the direction of other believers, if you know none.]
[I know some. Thank you. That answers a question I didn''t quite form.]
[You''re wondering if I''d bother you again some time?]
[I wouldn''t put it like that. I don''t even know your name.]
[It''s safer that way.] Eliza pointed out.
[Do you think I should join the truthsayers?]
[It''s entirely up to you. Let me know when you decide.]
[And you''ll check me from wherever you are?]
[Well, distance is a factor at the level I''ll want to check you out at. So no. But, on the other hand, it doesn''t take long. We could probably do it when I''m passing the embassy one day, or something like that.]
[Do you pass the embassy often?]
[I don''t think so, where is it?]
Tina told her the address.
Eliza thought for a moment, [Hmm. I don''t think I''ve ever been along that road. I guess I''ll work out something else.]
[{panic} What do I say if she asks me about my application?]
[Tell her you''re past the first test, but they''ve told you to come up with a more convincing motive for joining than ''this could get me killed''. Oh, and if you want to, tell her there are four of her colleagues coming on the plane, pretending to be soldiers. I''ve just checked up on them.]
Min greeted Tina as she returned with her shopping. ¡°Did you have a successful trip, Tina?¡±
¡°Yes, Maam. Well, partially.¡±
¡°Partially?¡±
¡°Yes, maam. I guess I need to do work on my eyesight, my vision isn''t very clear at the moment. But I was told that four apples will be sent back today.¡±
¡°Four apples?¡± Min had got the bit about the vision, but the apples was beyond her.
¡°From the consignment. They look the part, but apparently they''re not the right sort.¡±
¡°Oh, rotten in the core?¡± Min asked.
¡°I don''t know about rotten, maam, but certainly not very sweet.¡±
¡°You learned this... between the shops?¡±
¡°Yes. Walking down the road on my own, actually. Isn''t it funny that hearing voices in your head used to be considered a sure sign of madness?¡±
¡°Admitting it certainly would be at home.¡± Min whispered. Tina agreed.
Association / Ch. 28:Immigration checks
Association / Ch. 28:Immigration checks
5pm, Friday 9th February, 2272, a military airbase
The foreign military transport touched down at the airport, and taxied to where a small group waited, beside an armoured car which was clearly built with action in mind. An immigration officer, along with two extremely alert-looking soldiers and a well built man in a smart suit and a blue mask boarded. The twelve soldiers on the plane looked tired from their journey on the uncomfortable seats. There was plenty of space, though, which was just as well.
¡°You are soon going to be on my country''s soil.¡± The man in the mask said. ¡°In your home country you have laws we do not have, and we have laws here you do not have at home. Soon there will be someone from your embassy here, but I will tell you this now: we have freedom of speech and freedom of religion in this country. The law says that you may speak your mind as long as you do not make up lies about people, it also says you may change your mind. There are some religions we do not like, but we still accept them, as long as they hurt no one. So, you may continue to worship your leader if you want to. I know you have friends and relatives at home, and security officers who can make their lives and yours unpleasant. I expect some officers even are among you, you probably know who they are, even. And because I have been told how unpleasant they can be, I will not ask anyone to publicly point out who''s a member of your security service. I wear this mask as a mark of my status, and my abilities. I am a thought-hearer, a truthsayer. I will interview each of you, and we will be sending home any who are security service staff.¡±
Aware of the whispering from the ranks, he had a thought. ¡°Raise your hand if you understood everything I said.¡±
Three hands were raised, one part way.
¡°Who understood almost everything?¡±
The part way-up hand went up, and another few joined it.
¡°Who understands me at all?¡± Everyone put up their hand, some were rather late.
¡°Keep your hand up if you are a woman.¡± Since a third of them were, it seemed a good test. There was some laughter when two of the men kept their hands up, and one of the women put hers down.
¡°So much for my little speech.¡± he commented to the immigration officer.
¡°Weapons check, sir?¡± asked one of the soldiers.
¡°Good idea. Then paperwork.¡± the man in the blue mask said. He looked at one of the ones who''d claimed to understand everything. ¡°Please tell your colleagues that we will put any weapons they have into these bags. Any guns go in the red bags, stay on the plane and return to your home country. Knives and other weapons will travel in the green bags, and stay in the bags until you reach your embassy compound.¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡± He explained the message and added ¡°The blue-faced monkey in the mask said we can speak freely here, so perhaps he will not mind a few insults.¡±
That earned him a few smiles which were quickly cut off at a reprimand from his officer.
As the soldiers moved down the rows, there were an interesting array of weapons, with lots of sharp edges, including some throwing knives. Someone had a set of grenades at his belt. ¡°Throwing knives, grenades and other distance weapons go into the red bag with the guns.¡± the soldiers repeated. ¡°And then you get interviewed to see if you follow the red bags or the green ones.¡±
¡°So, first you take our weapons, then you take our comrades. What then? Our clothes?¡± asked a woman soldier with a badge on her uniform that was probably indicating rank.
¡°I will take your sworn testimony, maam, that you are not a member of your country''s security service. And if you lie, you go home, and if you will not give it, you go home. But first, my friend here will check your papers. And give them back to you, just like we''re giving back the weapon bags.¡±
The bags were sealed by the time they were returned, and they were military grade, steel-wire reinforced bags. The weapons would not be harming anyone on the journey, unless someone used their bag as a trip hazard or a blunt instrument.
[Bob.] Eliza called to him. [She''s not in security, the guy on her right is though.]
[Thanks. It''s a bit early to prejudice my investigation of them, isn''t it?]
[I don''t know about that, I just thought I''d say ''hi''. There''s also another thought-hearer on the plane, by the way, almost certainly a secret one. I won''t say who, just watch your own thoughts.]
Eventually, the embassy vehicle arrived. [Passenger is the ambassador''s wife, Bob.] Eliza informed him.
[Really? Why isn''t she on the way home?]
[Because she shot out of duty, and his majesty decided he wanted the ambassador to stay. Plus she''s retired now, so be polite.]
¡°Can these loyal soldiers not get up and stretch their legs?¡± Min asked when she arrived.
¡°We wished to avoid an unpleasant incident, maam.¡± Bob explained. ¡°Your guards came over-equipped, and we didn''t want to have to arrest them.¡±
¡°Over-equipped?¡±
¡°Hand grenades, throwing knives, and even a machine gun.¡±
¡°Ah.¡± She spoke to the troop commander, in her mother tongue. ¡°Captain, these soldiers were fully equipped for patrol duty?¡±
¡°Yes, maam... Instructions were limited, and speed was of the essence.¡±
¡°I''m not surprised. The final details were only communicated to my husband yesterday. As movement orders usually arrive faster than details, I expect they arrived after you were on the way to the plane.¡±
¡°After lift-off, maam.¡±
She raised her voice. ¡°This will be a nominal three month tour. There will be an opportunity for some of you to volunteer to stay longer, you might have come to expect this to be for everyone. It will not be.
¡°There will be no members of the Security Services within your forces. I am available if anyone has concerns they feel must be addressed, but I am no longer on active service, and I will be recruiting no informants. I have no immunity, and face arrest if I am seen with a weapon, so what would be the point? My husband and I will thus be relying upon your military discipline, and your innate loyalty to our country. If you feel you cannot remain loyal without the factor of fear of denunciation and a pistol behind your ear, perhaps you should apply to your political officer to be excused this posting. I am of course, in regular correspondence with home, as I''m sure your officers will be. Actions that harm the people of our Beautiful State, or bring them into disrepute, will not be tolerated.
¡°We are also a small embassy. We do not have staff dedicated to purchasing food and toiletries, but rely upon the shops near-by. Embassy staff will be available to guide you to these decadent places, where you will face a paralysing choice. When you are off the embassy compound you will be unarmed, and dressed as civilians. Here, the needs of the military do not come first. Prices will seem expensive and you will have to pay the full marked price. Bargaining is not acceptable except in a very few situations. You will have no immunity from prosecution, there will be no one in authority to get you out of trouble, in fact you will be in greater trouble if anyone has to come and help. If you spread fear, you will bring shame. This will be a difficult posting for some of you. For these reasons, not everyone who volunteers for an extended posting will be permitted to stay, only those who have demonstrated that they can cope in this strange place without bringing shame on their country. As I said, if you think you should stay on the plane with your political officer, do so. It is better to honourably withdraw than to bring shame on your country and be returned home in disgrace. Many of you will not understand the meaning of the blue mask this man wears. If you decide something about him, he will hear it. If you touch his skin, or both you and he touch the same piece of metal, he will hear what you think. But that is not the worst of it. There are also a few who can communicate with him, and read your thoughts wherever you are. If their claims are correct, they can also, ever so easily, identify who on this plane is working for our security service. Every so often, they pick some particular serious crime, (last week it was trafficking in endangered animals, the week before it was kidnapping), and they hand a list of tip-offs to the police where to look. I understand that the arrest rate is only limited by the speed of the police reactions. That is general crime. The government has made working for our security services punishable by deportation, and my staff and I suspect that one of these people will be working with this man in the blue mask. By all means try to deceive him if this means you, but... don''t be surprised if you fail, nor should you blame yourself or any of these other loyal servants of our country if you are discovered.¡±
¡°When not if.¡± Bob corrected. Min looked at him stunned. Did this man understand her language?
He grinned, and tapped his earpiece. ¡°Sorry, I didn''t say, did I? We''re getting translation. And after some arguing, the interfering God-botherer now agrees she''s going to keep her mouth shut at least long enough to see if I have any hope of detecting liars who think in another language. She''s just there for backup.¡±
¡°So, you claim you are in contact now with one who has the gift?¡±
¡°I am, maam.¡±
¡°And would your invisible friend like to demonstrate her abilities to the doubting here?¡±
¡°That probably depends on what you have in mind, Maam. She says she''s not going to identify any people likely to defect for you.¡±
¡°I didn''t expect she would. Since guards are not allowed distance weapons, what about who can use a sword properly?¡± Min said.
¡°She says the lady here and the man on the end on the left know how to use a sword well enough to train others.¡±
¡°Useful information. Is it true?¡± Min asked the woman.
¡°I suppose it might be, Mrs Ambassador. I''ve never trained anyone, but I''ve been in competitions.¡±
¡°And you?¡± she asked the man at the end.
¡°I was regional fencing champion when I was at school, Mrs Ambassador.¡±
Min turned to the political officer. ¡°You know everything on file about these soldiers.¡±
¡°Of course, Mrs ambassador.¡±
¡°Did you know that?¡±
¡°I knew about the fencing champion. I will record a complaint that I didn''t even know the lieutenant knew which end of a sword to hold. Valuable information like that must be kept on record! But I do not understand how this man arrived at this information. It is not reasonable.¡±
¡°You will not like the answer to that question.¡± Min warned.
¡°Me neither, for the record.¡± Bob said, ¡°But the information seems to be a hundred percent correct, even if they do claim it comes from God.¡± But Bob couldn''t resist getting a dig in at this officer who thought he needed to know everything about everyone. ¡°Congratulations, officer. You''ve just confirmed a miracle.¡±
[So have you, Bob.] Eliza pointed out.
[Don''t bug me about it, please!]
[You must admit, me bugging you about it in the first place is a miracle too.]
[Like I needed to be reminded about that? Can''t you keep to important things?]
[Your eternal fate isn''t important to you? Maybe you need to prioritise better, Bob.]
[Please stop interfering with my ability to do my duty, woman!] the ambassador''s wife had asked him something, but he hadn''t caught it.
[Certainly officer. I''m here to help. Mrs Ambassador just asked you if the soldiers could leave the plane.]
¡°The soldiers may leave. Even the political officer may leave if he wants to breathe the fresh air for a little. But weapons in the red bags stay, and any weapons not in the green bags will be confiscated.¡±
¡°Including our hands and feet?¡± the female lieutenant asked.
¡°That can be arranged, yes, lieutenant. Lads, got a scalpel?¡± Bob asked his soldiers who grinned and patted their pockets as if looking. ¡°Oh, no, actually I think the person who cleans the tarmac wouldn''t be happy.¡±
[Nor would their Majesties.] Eliza thought, widening the area to include the thought-hearer. [Remember, Truthsayer, it might sound funny to you, but these soldiers have probably been told worse things about us.]
Bob pulled a face. ¡°I have just been reminded I represent our government, and should not joke about things that might not be understood as a joke. We do not carry out surgery or mutilation for such purposes, lieutenant.¡±
¡°For what purposes do you mutilate, then?¡± she asked.
Bob groaned. ¡°I walked into that one, didn''t I? Our government, police and security services do not deliberately mutilate for any purpose, maam. That is a highly illegal act and as an officer of the crown I''m duty bound to stop that sort of thing when criminals try it. Even if that is to other criminals.¡± This lieutenant had a brain and was also an attractive woman, he decided. He wondered how many rules he''d break by asking her out. He then realised that his brain was being bugged. [I await a suitably cutting comment with baited breath.] he thought.
[Interview her later on, and I''ll try and find out.] Eliza replied.
In the little sound-proofed interview room, Bob addressed the first person he''d decided to interview, the one who understood very little English. The ambassador''s wife was there as witness and interpreter.
¡°Do you want my questions interpreted?¡± he asked.
A quick exchange in the soldier''s mother tongue later, Min said ¡°I''ll interpret.¡±
¡°Name?¡±
He made an attempt at writing down the name.
¡°Military rank?¡±
¡°Pond Scum.¡± Min replied, after a conversation.
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°He was a private, but got demoted for lack of fitness, apparently.¡± Bob was suspicious. This man was in his mid-thirties.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
¡°How many siblings do you have?¡±
¡°None.¡±
After a few more questions about his family, and did he get on well with the rest of the soldiers (to which the alarm-bell raising answer had been ''Yes, exceedingly well.''), Bob asked ¡°Rank in the security services?¡±
¡°He is not in the security services.¡± Min said.
Bob tried to pronounce the word he''d heard in the man''s thoughts. ¡°What rank might sound something like that, allowing for me getting the pronunciation wrong?¡±
Min smiled ¡°Might the word you wanted to pronounce sound like this?¡± she said one word, ¡°Or this?¡± she said a second.
¡°The second.¡± Bob said, hearing frustration in the thoughts of the soldier.
¡°I wondered. The first was closer to what you said, and means something entirely different. The second means captain.¡±
The interpreter in his ear agreed.
¡°Enjoy your flight home, captain.¡± Bob said.
[Well done, Bob.] Eliza commented.
Half an hour later, Bob had had an interesting chat to the political officer about what his role was before sending him home, had identified one more security officer, and was failing to get the regional fencing champion to incriminate himself. [Well?] he thought to Eliza.
[What, you actually want me to tell you?]
[I''m fairly convinced he''s bad news, but I can''t prove it.]
[You don''t need to. Suspicion is enough.]
[I want to.]
[Then ask him more about his sword-play, you know he''s too happy about it.]
[You think he uses it on people?]
[If you were the sort of egotistical power-seeker he seems to be...]
¡°How many lives has your sword taken?¡± Bob asked.
¡°Somewhere between twelve and fifteen. I lost count of the children when I broke up that gathering of Christians.¡±
Bob felt sick. ¡°Get back on the plane.¡±
¡°I was told there were four.¡± Min said, ¡°So that was the last interview?¡±
¡°I wasn''t told any such thing, maam.¡± Bob said [And I don''t want to be!]
¡°So you will continue?¡±
¡°Yes, Maam.¡±
Bob had decided that he''d leave the pretty lieutenant until the very last. He''d also realised that the chances of her being the thought-hearer were rather high now.
¡°Lieutenant?¡± he asked, putting his head round the door.
¡°Ah, I wondered if you had forgotten me.¡±
¡°No, maam.¡±
¡°And so what questions will you ask me?¡±
¡°Name?¡±
Her first name, he found out, was ''Su-Ki''.
¡°Age?¡±
¡°Twenty-seven.¡±
¡°Favourite colour?¡±
¡°Blue.¡±
¡°Favourite European food?¡±
¡°I''ve never eaten any, as far as I know. Does he ask everyone these things, Mrs Ambassador?¡±
¡°He asks different questions to everyone, Lieutenant.¡±
¡°And shouldn''t he be holding my hand?¡± she asked pointedly.
¡°I will if you like.¡± Bob replied.
[Hey, Romeo, you''re giving the game away.] Eliza thought. [No rules on our side against dating a foreign military service person. Lots of them against marriage or cohabitation, unless she decides to defect, or we become formal allies. But I am now signing off, enjoy your head-to-head in private.]
[Wait a bit, please.]
[Really?]
[I''m not going to do more than ask her out, and there might be something I want to ask you.]
[Fine.]
¡°Are you in any way linked to your security services?¡± he asked.
¡°I am not. My mother was. She died.¡± he heard her sadness.
¡°Do you have any brothers or sisters?¡±
¡°I had an older brother. He died also.¡±
[I sorrow with you.] Bob thought to her.
[Thank you. I was away, there was a fire.] she thought [Next question?]
¡°Do you know anyone else in your security services?¡±
¡°The political officer. The man you called in first who I saw going to the plane. The champion swordsman, also.¡±
¡°What is your favourite flower?¡±
¡°I don''t know the word in English.¡± [It looks like this {image}]
[Pretty. I''ve seen them, but I don''t know the name either.]
[Where is this line of questioning going? My favourite colour, my favourite flower?]
¡°What''s your marital status?¡± Bob asked letting go of her hand.
¡°Not married.¡±
¡°No boyfriend or fianc¨¦?¡±
¡°No.¡± he saw the laughter in her eyes.
¡°Should I start listening to your thoughts, again?¡± Bob asked.
¡°No!¡± She laughed, blushing.
¡°I wish to apologise for offering to cut off your hands and feet. Is there any official or cultural rule against you accepting an offer of a meal?¡±
¡°Mrs Ambassador?¡± Su-Ki asked, blushing.
¡°It depends upon your motives, lieutenant. If you are only accepting a single meal, to allow him to compensate for the insult, make sure it costs him a lot, and it will be a more effective teaching tool. If you are seeking to form an alliance with this intelligence officer in order to extract information from him useful to the state, then I remind you there are no active security agents to commend you for your sacrifice.¡±
¡°I''m normally on witness protection, maam, not intelligence.¡± Bob said.
Min ignored the interruption ¡°If you seek to learn more about this culture, to see where the poor and needy are downtrodden, and how the workers barely have sufficient housing, then perhaps it might be acceptable. If, however, you accept food and company, merely because you find this man charming and attractive in his blue face, then your political officer would certainly warn you most sternly against such a course, as romantic entanglement might lead you to question your loyalty to the People''s state.¡±
¡°As I understand it, maam, her political officer is on the plane.¡±
¡°Let me make it clear, young man. If you in any way persuade this soldier to break her vows of allegiance you make her into a criminal in her own homeland. The punishment for the crime of breaking an oath is harsh here, I believe. At home it is considerably harsher. Even if you make people think she might have, you cause her danger. Possibly the fact she even considers accepting is risky.¡±
[Bob, before you say anything, have you got a bug wand?] Eliza thought belatedly.
¡°Ooops.¡± He got out one of his tools in trade.
¡°What''s that?¡± Su-Ki asked. Min motioned her to silence.
The bug detector flashed as it approached Su-Ki''s wrist.
¡°Lieutenant?¡± Bob asked, pointedly, holding out his hand.
Su-Ki looked towards Min for guidance, who nodded.
¡°I will return shortly.¡± Bob said, tapping a message on his wrist unit.
¡°Newly issued?¡± Min asked, after he''d left.
¡°Yes, Mrs Ambassador.¡±
¡°The capitalist-imperialists seem to have infiltrated our production facilities. It is not right that they monitor every motion and conversation of our loyal embassy staff.¡±
¡°That is most serious, Mrs Ambassador. You believe it to be them?¡±
¡°You surely do not suggest it is our own beloved government, young one.¡±
¡°Of course not. I wondered if it might be our untrustworthy allies, perhaps. It would be most advantageous to them to know our troop movements if they were planning to launch a secret attack.¡±
¡°Ah. That is possible. Personally, I had thought the espionage was aimed at our embassy.¡±
¡°There have been other instances of such espionage?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
Bob returned, much relieved. ¡°The suppression system is working. The signal was not detectable outside the building. My colleagues will be collecting other units.¡±
¡°You are sure?¡±
¡°Yes, maam. It does not transmit using the normal data connection. We are familiar with the design, and it has been fully reverse engineered. Whoever designed it also made an error in the cryptography.¡±
¡°Ah! So it was one of yours.¡± Su-Ki said. ¡°Mrs Ambassador has said others have been found at the embassy.¡±
¡°No, maam. I''m told it is only produced in a certain country which will remain nameless, but has been available on the international black market for some years.¡±
¡°What error in cryptography?¡± Min asked, curious if he would tell her.
¡°It uses a seeded random number generator, maam for the frequency hopping and the voice scrambling. The seed is derived from the temperature sensor, instead of the packet count, time and temperature. A programming error; the wrong variable is used. The temperature sensor is not very accurate. If the wrist unit is worn for more than an hour, the seed will be one of only about twenty, even if not, there are only a thousand options. Transmission is started by a certain network packet, at which point it replies with the seed. There are protocol errors on that side as well. It is very easy to eavesdrop on, with the right device.¡±
¡°Effective range?¡± Min asked.
¡°Outside? Perhaps ten miles with a specialist receiver. Make sure you buy your wrist unit from a reputable supplier.¡±
¡°Can this bug access the data on the wrist unit?¡± Min asked.
¡°No. It only transmits audio. And in fact the transmitter unit can often be removed. If you know where the medical insert goes, Maam, it uses that space.¡±
¡°Often, but not always?¡±
¡°There do seem to be some which use the same system but are built into the main board. A colleague will check which type yours is, Lieutenant. Do you have data on it?¡±
¡°Some, nothing too important.¡±
¡°Thank you for your openness, but there is a problem with your analysis.¡± Min said. ¡°Su-Ki''s wrist unit was government issued, as was mine.¡±
¡°Ah. So, either someone knew what they were buying, or they didn''t.¡±
¡°But someone has been activating them, also, so someone must be spying on us.¡±
Bob shook his head ¡°Not necessarily, maam. I spoke of the network packet which activates them? It is listed as a ''beacon'' signal. In the country of manufacture it is not used, I understand. Here, the law requires that the transmitter broadcast this beacon packet every five minutes. It allows the engineers, and even the customers, to identify if there are problems with a tower.¡±
¡°I wonder if home uses this beacon signal.¡± Min asked.
¡°I expect not, maam.¡± Bob said. [Bob, a request from field operations: do dissuade them from passing this upstream.]
[What?]
[Just imagine how useful it could be to any of our operatives there! But also, it is probably a top secret tool. Their government has obviously bought hundreds of them to issue them to overseas staff, or maybe thousands. Discussing a top secret government project with you? That''d be bad news.]
¡°Oh.¡± Bob said aloud. ¡°I''ve just had it pointed out to me that your government has probably invested significantly in these, and might not appreciate being told their top secret surveillance program had been unmasked. Or that you revealed to me that they''re issuing these to your overseas staff.¡±
Su-Ki decided not to tell him they''d been issued them two weeks ago, before anyone knew they''d be coming. Bob heard her and, looking her in the eyes, decided not to comment on that aloud.
Su-Ki, blushing, asked ¡°I wonder if the truthsayer will reveal to his superiors what I''ve just accidentally decided in his presence.¡±
¡°That would be breaking my vow, Lieutenant.¡±
¡°What''s this?¡± Min asked.
¡°The subject of this interview decided not to tell me something, Maam.¡± Bob said. ¡°My vow does not allow me to repeat it, so it will remain secret unless of course you pressure the Lieutenant to reveal her thought verbally.¡±
¡°I see. And what of the unseen fourth member of this conversation?¡±
[I am bound by the same vows, and stricter ones.] Eliza thought, and as Bob repeated that, she thought to Su-Ki only [Su-Ki, I have not been listening to your thoughts, only to the Truthsayer''s. May I converse with you? If you agree, ask if the interview will continue longer.]
¡°I wonder how much longer this interview will continue.¡± Su-Ki said, ¡°It seems to me that we have moved a long way from the question of whether I should be sent back on the plane or not.¡±
¡°That was not in much doubt, Lieutenant, since the interfering god-botherer decided to tell me you were not in your security forces while we were still on the plane.¡±
¡°Why do you call her a ''God-botherer?''¡± Su-Ki asked.
¡°Because her type are always bothering about what God thinks, and bothering him with their silly little requests. Not to mention bothering atheists like me with ideas about immortal souls, and the like.¡±
¡°Her type?¡± Su-Ki asked.
¡°Christians. Every single one of these walking miracles is a Christian.¡±
[Is that true?] Su-Ki thought.
[Yes.]
[And you do not drink human blood, am I right?]
[We drink red wine, or grape juice, to symbolise our dependence on the death of Jesus. It is something he commanded his followers to do, before he was executed. Three days later, God returned him to life, as Jesus had predicted. We believe his death paid the penalty we could not pay for our rebellion against God, so all Christians take part in this ritual.]
[So, there is some truth behind the lie.]
[It is an old lie, with some truth. But that does not make it true. I''d be very happy to tell you more.]
[I''d like to hear more. Secretly.]
[Not a problem. But Bob wonders why you''re not responding. And what I wanted to tell you is that I am sure Mrs Ambassador would be interested to know your ability to hear me.]
[I''m sure. So she can put it into my file.]
[I do not believe she would do that. Are you loyal to your country? Are you loyal to the system? The two are not synonyms. Some are very loyal to their privilege in the system, and not at all loyal to the country.]
[Dangerous thoughts.]
[As you heard, she is no longer in active service, but has promised to report on any who are disloyal to their country.]
[{Shock} You are saying the ambassador''s wife is disloyal to the party?]
[No. I merely point out what she''s said.]
[With a strong implication.]
[I do not know, I have not checked. I know more than I''m telling, of course, but don''t we all?]
[You offer me more dangerous thoughts, and I do not even know your name.]
[The truthsayer knows me as ''Mystery Voice'' or ''Mystery''.]
[That sounds a good name.]
¡°Lieutenant, you seem lost in thought?¡± Min asked.
[You''re sure I won''t be reported?]
[Ninety five percent.] Eliza replied. [You will not be the only thought-hearer at the embassy.]
¡°I have been discussing some things, Mrs Ambassador.¡±
¡°Discussing?¡±
¡°With Mystery, the fourth person in this interview. Mostly we were discussing loyalty and trust.¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡± Min said, ¡°Those are a deep question, with so many facets. Loyalty can be to people, ideals, systems, beliefs, abstract things like the good of our people. Sometimes silence is the most loyal response, especially when one is given the gift of trust. But is it this Mystery who indirectly told me to expect four would return?¡±
¡°That sounds like her.¡± Bob said grumpily, ¡°Showing off.¡±
[I prefer the term ''establishing credibility.''] Eliza replied primly.
Su-Ki smiled ¡°She prefers the term ''establishing credibility'', apparently, Mrs Ambassador.¡±
¡°Mmm, yes. She has done that. It seems she is a benign spirit, at least, but I expect she is after your soul anyway, Lieutenant. Whereas this truthsayer is probably typical of his gender and mainly interested in your body. You have stepped into a dangerous world. Be careful you do not collect too many secrets to keep, or when you return home in a few months it might destroy you.¡±
¡°There would be no possibility of extending then?¡±
¡°Beware! Either one of these dangerous ones you''ve just met could tempt you to defect. If our embassy suffers two defections in a short time, serious questions would be asked, with serious consequences for all. I think the time for this meeting is over, Truthsayer.¡±
¡°I have no real reason for it not to be, Maam.¡±
[She has a point, Bob.] Eliza said, as he ushered them to where the rest of the soldiers were waiting. [Don''t go falling in love with the lady. It''s almost certain to lead to heart-break.]
[So you warn me off, but will not leave her in peace yourself?] Bob thought back, angrily, looking at the shapely back retreating from him.
[I have a loving husband, Bob, and I can offer her friendship wherever she lives. Love and marriage needs a closer proximity than that.]
[I know that.]
[Then why so angry, Bob?] Eliza asked.
[Pass] He hid his thoughts for a bit while he processed what lay behind his reaction. And he came to the conclusion it might be too late to tell him not to fall in love. It was crazy, he didn''t know her. But she was pretty, vulnerable, strong, witty, heard thoughts....
[I hope this is a private connection.]
[As long as you don''t decide anything about her in range.]
[OK, Mrs Mystery, why the anger? So far, she ticks all the boxes except one ¡ª nationality. And no, I didn''t used to believe in love at first sight, any more than I believed in father Christmas, God, or lesser spotted Loch-ness monster. Admittedly, I haven''t checked if she plays the piano, yet, but otherwise, she''s going to have the full set of ''am I attracted before getting to know her'' things, and some of those were meant to be contradictory. So, what am I supposed to do? Walk away from my ideal woman?]
[In your position, I''d probably pray really hard.]
[I don''t suppose your gift will tell me if there''s any future for us?]
[You complain about me being a know-it-all, then ask me to be your fortune teller? It is possible that my gift could tell me. I don''t want to trespass there, though. Let the future work itself out. I know you don''t agree, but God is in charge. Talk to Him about it. You meeting her didn''t surprise Him, after all.]
[I don''t suppose you caught what she thinks about me?]
[Not much.]
[....did you mean she doesn''t think much of me, or you didn''t get much?]
[Sorry. I think she''s pretty amazed to think she''s got an admirer before she was even off the plane. But... Bob, would you mind me checking your check-list? How unique is she really?]
[Height, eye-colour, hair colour, strong but also vulnerable, thought-hearer, intelligent, pretty, witty, favourite colour blue, plays the piano.] He admitted to himself that it wasn''t such a conclusive list.
[Anything else?]
[Urm. No.]
[Bob, sorry to pour cold water on incipient romance, but apart from colour playing the piano, and hearing thoughts, you''ve probably just described a very significant proportion of the female population of the Beautiful Peninsula. They are all strong and vulnerable, if they''ve survived under that regime. Height, hair colour and eye colour... don''t you think you might just be attracted to women from there, Bob?]
Bob felt like he''d lost hold of something quite precious and didn''t respond.
[Sorry, Bob.]
[Mystery, you''re a complete spoil-sport.]
[I don''t mean to be, honest. Hold on, let''s try something. What do you think of this recent recruit to our civil service? {image}]
[Urm. Quite gorgeous. Who is she?]
[Out of all the people you''ve ever protected, which category is the biggest, longest term, assassination risk?]
[Urm, the people who the bad guys still think is on their side, but isn''t.]
[I''d agree with you. You want vulnerable? If I told you who she is and you let it slip to anyone that she wasn''t on their side any more, they''d probably try to send a few assassination squads after her every month. You want strong? Certainly emotionally, probably physically too. Witty? I''m told she''s that too.]
[Any chance of meeting her?]
[Hey, Mr Fickle! Stop drooling. You''ve got to arrange a date with the gorgeous girl of your dreams five minutes ago, remember?]
[I know. And I''ve been warned off, and smashed to the ground and successfully distracted. So, one date, as offered. Am I going to meet the girl in the picture?]
[I won''t say never, but don''t get your hopes up any time soon.]
[She''s a thought-hearer though?]
[Yes. And resolutely single, given her situation. And of course she won''t look at you twice if you''re not a Christian by the time you meet.]
[You are a manipulative woman. I might accept that challenge.]
[You''re not seriously going to set aside all your objections to God in the vague hope of one day running into that girl by chance are you?]
[No. I''m going to investigate your faith and you''re going to promise to introduce me to her one day if I decide I can sign up.]
[How long are you prepared to wait?]
[Until her thirtieth birthday.] He didn''t want to rush things.
[I hereby vow, that assuming all three of us are still alive and you two are both single, and that you''re walking with the Lord, that I''ll introduce you before she turns thirty.]
[Thank you, Mystery.]
[That gives you about two years to investigate, and I''ve still got another three or four to come good on the promise. Hopefully that ought to be plenty of time for me to arrange something.]
[Hey! She''s that young? You didn''t say!]
[You didn''t ask. I''ll try to arrange it sooner, Bob. Just, we''re talking about the Service here. Getting you both in the same place long enough to get to know each other might be tricky. Especially since we don''t want the People''s State to worry about her being loyal.]
Association / Ch. 29: Settling in
Association / Ch. 29:Settling in
9am, Saturday 10th Feb, 2272, Evacuation site two
¡°Excuse me?¡± Karen said to a young man heading for a tent that was reserved for the maternity wing. ¡°You''re in the wrong tent.¡±
¡°I can''t be. That''s where I slept last night!¡±
¡°When did you last check your allocation?¡±
¡°Urm, when was it? Tuesday, Wednesday? I wrote it down in case there was a network problem...¡±
¡°The allocations were marked as provisional. I''m afraid you''re now in the middle of the maternity wing.¡±
¡°Maternity wing?¡±
¡°Yes. You know, pregnant women groaning in pain every so often, nervous husbands? This is where they''ll be as they await the big event.¡±
¡°Urm.¡±
¡°Didn''t you see a big sign as you arrived? ''Tent allocations may have changed, please check on network or at information tent.''¡±
¡°I saw something, but it was crowded, and I was with friends, you know?¡±
¡°Please re-check your allocation, pack up, and leave your tent in exactly the condition you found it in, otherwise I''ll have to send some soldiers to help you.¡±
¡°Yes, maam. I''ll tell my friend too.¡±
¡°You do that.¡± Karen said. ¡°I''ll be sending some soldiers to cordon this area off in about half an hour, so you''ve got until they get here, OK?¡±
¡°Yes, maam.¡±
It was inevitable, Karen realised. Any last minute change caused trouble. There''d be knock-on effects too. She decided she''d need a list of tents where people''s assignments had been changed. And that sign obviously needed to be moved. She warned Kate and Sarah.
11am.
Teresa and Tony strolled hand in hand towards the gateway to the camp, with their rucksacks on.
¡°Good morning! The urgent message of the day is: Please read that important sign.¡± greeted the guard.
¡°How''s the network today?¡± Tony asked.
¡°Oh, you''re that reporter, aren''t you? Hello. Much better now. But do check your tent allocation, there have been some changes, even this morning.¡±
¡°Really? That sounds tricky with the tents filling up.¡±
¡°Exactly. So the next bit of the notice says register your presence.¡±
¡°I''d seen that.¡± Teresa volunteered.
¡°Sounds like you need a notice stuck to every tent.¡± Tony suggested.
¡°They''ve gone one better.¡± Teresa said. ¡°I saw the other notice. Free hot drink at the mess hall, if you''ve registered.¡±
¡°It was going to be free anyway!¡± Tony said.
¡°Not for people who aren''t resident here, they''re not.¡± the guard said.
¡°Cunning.¡± Tony agreed.
11.30 am
George was at the front desk when an irate man in his forties got to the front of the queue. ¡°I want to speak to whoever''s in charge!¡±
¡°Ultimately that would be his majesty, sir. Could I try to be of help and then we''ll see how far up the chain of command we need to go?¡±
¡°Nothing''s working! The scanner at the mess hall won''t acknowledge me, says I''m not registered. Well, there''s a reason for that! It won''t let me register! I''ve moved into the tent the system told me to, and now it won''t let me register that I''ve done it. Who do I need to talk to?¡±
¡°That would probably be me, sir, since right now I''m in charge of allocations. Can I check your I.D.?¡±
¡°Here.¡±
¡°Hmmm. Let''s see. Yes, it''s recorded your six failed attempts at registering. It''s quite simple, sir, you''re not allocated to that tent, as the computer probably told you each time.¡±
¡°But that''s the tent it told me to go to!¡±
¡°When, sir?¡±
¡°Yesterday!¡±
¡°And you tried to register today?¡±
¡°Yes!¡±
¡°Well, sir, it''s quite simple, really. The computer didn''t know you were there and has allocated someone else to that tent.¡±
¡°I was there first, allocate it back to me!¡±
¡°Sorry, sir, the rules are very simple. You go to your tent, determine there is no problem, and register your presence. Until that happens you are not in the system. There is a two hour period after any adjustment happens that allows registration to occur. This particular switch happened more than twenty four hours ago.¡±
¡°Why do you need to move people? Why can''t you just let things be?¡±
¡°There was a higher priority need, sir. I''m sorry, but people aren''t very good at registering, and people don''t register or mistakes happen. For example, although your medical certificate has not yet been received, I notice that you''re registered as needing a wheel-chair for distances of more than a hundred meters.¡±
The man decided to bluff ¡°I do, sometimes.¡±
¡°Sir, I''m sure you''ve noticed, I''m a truthsayer. As I said, mistakes happen, and doctors are not always available. For that reason I''m available to act as expert witness to your truthfulness, if you wish to self-certify as disabled, then a formal interview to that purpose can take place with my colleague. I warn you that the interview will occur under oath, and that any untruthfulness may be counted as perjury. I will also inform you that the wheel-chair bound person allocated to that tent has requested assistance, and that a squad of soldiers will shortly be emptying the tent.¡±
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°What! They can''t go through my private things! This is disgraceful!¡± the man shouted.
¡°Yes sir. It is entirely disgraceful when a citizen decides to lie about his medical status and then seeks to gain advantage through deception. I believe it is technically a variety of fraud.¡± George replied calmly.
¡°Are you calling me a liar?¡± the man demanded.
¡°Do you request a self-certifying interview, sir?¡± George asked.
¡°No.¡± the man said grumpily.
¡°Thank you for saving me the effort.¡± George said, thinking of the effort of arranging such a (pointless) meeting. He managed to duck the punch the man threw; it seemed the man had understood George to be talking about the effort of calling him liar.
The plain clothes policeman who''d made is way to the desk at the sound of a raised voice neatly restrained the man before he could have another go.
¡°You, sir, are now under arrest for disorderly conduct and attacking a civil servant in the course of their duty. You have the right to remain silent, anything you do say will be recored and may be used against you in court. You may appoint a lawyer yourself or one will be appointed for you. Scrub his allocation, Truthsayer.¡±
¡°Of course, officer.¡± George agreed.
¡°What?¡± the man demanded, ¡°You can''t do that!¡±
¡°Depending on the magistrate''s decision, you may or may not be released in time for the impact. Therefore, at present you have no need of an allocated tent.¡± the policeman replied.
George added, ¡°Your possessions will eventually join you at the police station.¡±
¡°He provoked me!¡± the man claimed.
¡°I''m sure the camera will tell the judge all he needs to know.¡±
¡°Officer?¡± George asked. ¡°You might like to notice the tattoo on the inside of his wrist, where his sweat-band doesn''t quite cover it.¡± It was a gang mark. Not all gang members were young; some survived in related ''trades'' such as handling of stolen goods.
¡°Tattoo?¡± the policeman asked. ¡°Oh, that tattoo! Yes indeed! Well spotted, Truthsayer.¡±
3pm Evacuation site two.
¡°Hello, Truthsayer!¡± Tony greeted George.
¡°Hello. Is this an interview, a problem, or just ''hello''?¡±
¡°How about all three?¡±
¡°That''s economical.¡± George commented.
¡°The problem is that of my camera, which I''ve got with me, but don''t particularly want to share a bed with. Teresa''s much nicer to hug.¡±
¡°Ah, you want a safety deposit box!¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°There has, unfortunately been a rather high demand for them.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
¡°So we''re almost out, and we''re therefore asking people to group together with friends and share one, at least until we get another delivery.¡±
¡°And you''ve got spare keys?¡±
¡°They''re electronic. Unlock with your I.D., or a secure code from your wrist unit and a pass-code.¡±
¡°I was about to ask what happens to people who want to put their I.D. in one. Why the pass-code?¡±
¡°We don''t want people stealing wrist units.¡±
¡°But... don''t they have theft protection built in?¡± Tony asked.
¡°Yes, but it''s not a hundred percent trustworthy ¡ª it relies on sensing temperature. You tell me the difference between taking off your wrist unit and washing in cold water.¡±
¡°It cools down faster in cold water?¡±
¡°Yes. And people don''t want their wrist unit deciding it''s been stolen just because they have a wash, do they? So some clever Charlie worked out that if you steal a wrist unit and immediately put it somewhere cold, for example, next to some snow, or drop it in a puddle, then it doesn''t decide it''s been taken off, and doesn''t lock itself.¡±
¡°Oh. Is this well known?¡±
¡°It is to the people who knew Charlie Kray. I presume it is, but I''ve never checked. It''s probably not the sort of thing a responsible journalist would publish in any detail. In the circumstances of lots of people, puddles, and a risk of snow next week, I suggested that pass-codes might be a good idea.¡±
¡°Snow next week?¡±
¡°Small chance, on Wednesday. Possibly dependant on how the weather gets affected by an atmospheric disturbance.¡±
¡°An... oh. Do I presume that means that we don''t see much of the impact?¡±
¡°We shouldn''t be looking, with a naked eye.¡±
¡°No. I was thinking that there''d be drone cameras, big displays, scientists hogging the cameras, and so on.¡±
¡°I think there might be. That doesn''t mean there will be much to see.¡±
¡°Oh well. Next question, any lost children or similar human interest stories so far?¡±
¡°No lost children. They all seem to be doing a very good job of clinging to mummy and daddy.¡±
¡°Other human interest events?¡±
¡°One attack on a civil servant by someone who thought he''d been called a liar. No harm done, arrest was immediate.¡±
¡°More details?¡±
¡°Feel free to ask at the local police station.¡±
¡°Where was the civil servant?¡±
¡°At the desk here.¡± George said.
¡°You''re not going to say more?¡±
¡°Before I''ve even given the police a statement? I don''t think so.¡±
¡°You saw it?¡±
¡°I''m saying no more.¡± George said resolutely.
¡°Oh all right. When was it?¡±
¡°I''m saying no more.¡± George repeated.
¡°Fine. Next question, how many people are in tents without registering their presence?¡±
¡°Good question. As far as I know no one''s checked. But people do need to register, because we''re getting reallocation requests all the time. We''re going to try really really hard not to move people who are registered as present, but not people who aren''t.¡±
¡°So people might be all set up, ready for the night, and find what used to be their tent isn''t theirs any more?¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°What''s to stop people registering as present before they get here?¡±
¡°The registration will not process unless they''re on site. If they register as soon as they''re through the gate and then find there''s a problem... well they''re going to be found out when they ask for assistance, aren''t they?¡±
¡°What sort of problems have there been so far?¡±
¡°Mostly what the soldiers are calling the goldilocks cases. ''Somebody''s been sleeping in my tent.''¡±
¡°And there''s no first-come-first-served rule?¡±
¡°Not really. Even people who''ve registered properly might find themselves being asked to move, if too many really high priority cases come along late. In that case we are putting a first-come-first-served rule between equal options, so the people who''ve been here longest are the least likely to be moved. And there are also people who''ve made false claims about their priority. They''re going to be moved out before properly registered people are moved.¡±
¡°How will you find them? Go out and knock on tents with a doctor and a pack of soldiers at your back?¡±
¡°Pretty much, yes. Plus some clear information about who to talk to.¡±
¡°You mean you''re asking people to volunteer information about their neighbours?¡±
¡°No. Not every high priority case is visibly ill. But we can easily check on people who''ve failed to submit medical certificates, for instance. Plus there are other ways.¡±
¡°You''re talking about... someone with the gift?¡±
¡°Yes. A false registration is fraud and if they''re keeping a high priority case out of a tent they need to be in, then there''s at least one victim to their fraud.¡±
¡°What sort of penalties could they expect?¡±
¡°It depends on the exact nature of the case, of course. But it might include fines, a jail sentence, and even expulsion from the evacuation camp system.¡±
¡°Expulsion from the system... where would they end up then?¡±
¡°Up to them. Perhaps staying as an unwelcome guest in a relative''s living room, or paying hotel bills.¡±
¡°Or even on the streets?¡± Tony asked.
¡°As I understand it, social services have a small number of tents available for people in that situation.¡±
¡°But they wouldn''t be at an evacuation site?¡±
¡°No. I''m not sure where they''d site them. Sorry, I need to deal with this lady.¡±
¡°Thank you for your time, Truthsayer.¡± Tony said, and went in search of more information about the attack.
¡°Yes, Maam?¡± George prompted the elderly woman.
¡°I''ve been here since the first day, and I''m registered and everything, but I wonder if I maybe ticked the wrong boxes on my application form, I know I got confused a few times.... But all my neighbours are in wheelchairs! I''m fitter than that!¡± she said.
¡°Thank you for coming forward, maam.¡± George replied and beckoned to a matronly woman from social services, ¡°Would you like to talk to my colleague here and she''ll help you work everything out.¡±
¡°Oh, thank you! I won''t get in trouble, will I?¡±
¡°No, maam. Honest mistakes aren''t a crime.¡± George reassured her.
Ten minutes later the social worker came and told George there''d been no mistake. She just didn''t believe that her hip problem and heart condition might put her in the same category as the wheel-chair bound. They didn''t really; ideally she should have been nearer to the mess hall.
Association / Ch. 30: State visit
Association / Ch. 30:State visit
Monday, 12th Feb.
The Great Leader of the People''s State of the Beautiful Peninsula descended from the plane, accompanied by the woman who was officially considered his prime consort. She wasn''t the first in this post; her predecessor had been heard by a junior spy to say something that might be critical of the leader, and so had fallen out of favour, and into an executioner''s ''care''. That had been five years earlier. The present prime consort had learned that lesson and was therefore very circumspect about speaking her mind in front of anyone but him. For peace of mind, she also made every effort to make sure she was his only consort, not just his prime. Almost everyone on the Beautiful Peninsula and outside would have been surprised that she was able to speak her mind freely to the Great Leader. But in a private selection interview, he had told her that if she was to be given the post, then for the good of the people she would have the responsibility to aid his decision making processes in every way possible. She''d been surprised, but had obeyed. Recently, that part of her role had included telling him that going ahead with this meeting was more important than getting upset that there weren''t going to be any of their security forces with them. She had a difficult job, but it had its perks, like power, for instance. Over the years she''d even become fond of this man whose bed she shared.
The ambassador and his wife, the Prime Consort''s cousin, were waiting and ushered them into the car. There would be a briefing session at the embassy before the meetings began.
¡°Their head of the diplomatic service is a courteous man, Great Leader, but the foreign minister seems to think that diplomatic courtesy is of no value.¡±
¡°He''s rude?¡±
¡°He''s unrefined, but honest. You do not need to look for hidden meanings. If he says he likes something, that is because he likes it. If he does not like something, he will tell you. He may declare that he does not like our policies, for instance. The head of their diplomatic service often appears like he would like to sew his lips together.¡±
¡°Ah. Can this internal tension work for us?¡±
¡°Probably not, sir. The diplomatic service are civil servants, the minister is a politician. Some of what he says is to keep voters happy.¡±
¡°Ah. A yapping dog, with no teeth?¡±
¡°Unfortunately, he has teeth as well. It is a complicated system, the more complicated the more one looks. The king makes the decisions of policy, but he first listens to the ministers and the civil servants. The civil servants work to implement the laws and will study them for potential problems, but it is the politicians who write them.¡±
¡°It sounds cumbersome.¡±
¡°I can be. Especially if the politicians are opposed to the policy. It rarely happens, but it is possible. The king can override them, but that is even more rare. More often, the decision will be postponed until consensus is reached.¡±
¡°Ah. And such is the position now?¡±
¡°There are areas of agreement and areas of disagreement, Great Leader. They agree that they do not like our security service. I was almost convinced that they had their response prepared, they moved so quickly, but I believe that is to misunderstand them. They have a great number of laws which normally have no effect, and lie semi-forgotten. But if an incident occurs, the civil servants look up the old law and it simply becomes a question of ''does this fit?'' If so, then the course is clear, dictated by that law.¡±
¡°Ah. So your wife crossed a line, and so the fences come up?¡±
¡°Yes, sir. For them, the punishment must be decided by a judge who was not a witness. They do not approve of instant justice, and decided that our security service acted with no respect for the law. Once they had done that...¡± he shrugged. ¡°They told me that their law allowed no alternative action.¡±
¡°And yet they allow your wife to stay.¡±
¡°Yes, Great Leader. They put great store in families. It is part of their religion, I think, but I have not examined their motivation in this regard deeply, but in any case, they do not believe I could function well without her, and thus they have made it so instead she cannot function in her previous office, and allowed her to stay.¡±
¡°I find it intriguing that they took that attitude.¡±
¡°They also suggested that they could not send her back.¡±
¡°They could not? Why not?¡±
¡°They do not think to question that my son''s defection was genuine, so they think my wife is at risk for not stopping it. Under their laws, they cannot send her away if she might face execution for the actions of another.¡±
¡°Yes. I understand that, but, Mr Ambassador, you have a problem there.¡±
¡°I do, Great Leader?¡±
¡°Do they not have people who can identify agents? Why then did they not identify your son as an agent? Is it not the case that his defection was genuine?¡±
It was not entirely expected, but the ambassador had been well prepared. ¡°Ah, Great Leader! That is the beauty of the system here for an outsider. We do not need to speculate, they explain much and tell more. It has been widely stated in their newspapers that when the people who can do this strange thing search, they must phrase who they are looking for very specifically. The list of deportees they sent stated that it was a list of people holding office in our security services or their informants from our Beautiful State. A specific category, and we can presume that they phrased it this way. My son is neither! They did not look for loyal citizens living here undercover, and so they found none.¡±
¡°So you are sure that his asylum was falsely claimed?¡±
¡°Great Leader, I have seen not one shred of evidence that he is anything except a young man with a love of his country and a dream of becoming an engineer, who collected too many old films when he was young.¡±
¡°Ah. What sort of films?¡±
¡°Mostly those from your late father''s rule, sir.¡±
¡°Ah, patriotic titles?¡±
¡°Yes, Great Leader. I could show them to you, but I would need my wife''s help. When he was, ten or twelve, I think it was, his sister taught him about encryption one summer holiday, and he encrypted almost all his films.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Why does a young boy do anything under pretense of having a lot of homework, Great Leader? Because he was fed up with his classmates borrowing his films and messing up his library, I expect.¡±
The Great Leader nodded. It seemed a sensible motive; tidiness was important, just like loose ends that needed to be cleared up. He was satisfied.
¡°Cousin Min.¡± the Prime Consort greeted the older woman. ¡°Your nest is empty, and will remain so, it seems.¡±
¡°I am a proud mother, whose loyal chicks have flown into danger for their country. There will be a price to pay, of course. I cannot return home for some years, without compromising their cover.¡±
¡°How so?¡±
¡°If the defections were genuine, then my own loyalty would be suspect, would it not? Our hosts are not so ignorant as that.¡±
¡°Ah! So the best thing we could do to ensure your offspring are beyond question would be call you home and execute you?¡± It was not really a joke, more a statement of power.
¡°If I went willingly, cousin, they would surely suspect something.¡±
¡°If you would not go willingly, but we called you, what would you do?¡±
¡°Our hosts have... hinted that they would expect me to defect too, for my own protection. I would of course prefer not to face that interview, but compared to a promised bullet or a knife when I do not feel my duty lies in that direction? I''m not at all sure. But of course, who knows what might come out if they use one of their truthsayers on me. And surely they would.¡±
¡°Ah. So, for the sake of your offspring''s cover, we should perhaps execute you here, somehow? Or perhaps it would be better to allow your husband to convince us to allow him to volunteer for another term?¡±
¡°I do not know what reason he could give that would sound convincing to our hosts, honoured Prime Consort. Perhaps if there were some complicated negotiation?¡±
¡°Such things are not in the habit coming up in a stable relationship.¡±
¡°Our hosts are neither allies nor the worst imperialists in the United Nations by a long way. Perhaps they would welcome some discussion on something they can wave at their allies and say ''See, we were right, talking is preferable to shouting insults.''¡±
¡°Did you have anything in mind?¡±
¡°The missile which sparked this meeting, is the programme a total success and under budget?¡±
¡°The secret is known and the budget has grown, of course. Such things go without saying. You have a plan.¡±
¡°I wonder what might be obtained in exchange for ceasing development on it, or, if it is more successful than our hosts believe, reduce our other missiles that it would replace anyway. I can think of few things more complex than the dance which is a disarmament treaty, unless it is a schools exchange programme.¡±
¡°What is so complex about a schools exchange programme?¡±
¡°Ah, my young cousin! Such things await you, I hope ¡ª the Great Leader must have an heir, after all, and time is running out for you ¡ª But I digress. A schools exchange program... there is the academic issue, what age of children, repetition rates, the issues of safety and ensuring that they do not receive inappropriate teaching, but that it is relevant for their studies. There are issues of what sporting activities will they undertake, what foods they will be served, procedures in case of illness or dispute. Will the children be hosted by families and who will ensure they are safe? Compared to this, I think disarmament talks are relatively simple, the main question there is how far do we trust each other and the rest of the world. Since we don''t, I''d actually be surprised if such discussion would go very far.¡±
¡°You do not think you go too far, cousin?¡±
¡°In what respect, honoured consort?¡±
¡°You speculate about matters of high policy, you speculate about defecting? In what area do you not go too far?¡±
¡°Do I go too far in pointing out that you have been with the Great Leader these four years, with no heir in sight, and that his father had a policy in that regard.¡± None of that man''s consorts had survived five years of childlessness, and there had been some who''d sought other lovers in desperation. That had led to another spate of executions.
The response was icy. ¡°Yes, you most certainly do, cousin.¡±
¡°I thought I might. So cousin, what do you really want to talk about? My teetering on the edge of execution, you getting dangerously close at least to our previous Beloved Leader''s limit, how to prevent either unpleasant eventuality, or something else entirely?¡±
¡°You play with danger, as though it is a slap on the wrist!¡±
¡°As you have pointed out, dear cousin, my chicks have flown the nest. They no longer depend on me, and if I die, I make my children''s position safer. I have no questions about their loyalty, about my own, I remain in two minds.¡±
¡°You question your own loyalty?¡±
¡°Would it be loyal of me to plot with my cousin about how she can keep enticing the Great Leader to her bed even while she remains childless? Is that for the good of the country? I don''t know, even though I''m sure that generals fighting for the leadership would be as disastrous for our country as the final war. Thus I prompt my cousin to think of what is bad for the country as bad for herself also, but she does not want to discuss it. Is it loyal to our people to listen to her and obey her in this? Is it loyal to the country to ignore the wishes of the most powerful woman in the party? Or is it more loyal to tell her how to conceive even if the Great Leader himself wants her to remain childless? These things, here isolated as I am, cross my mind. Where is my loyalty ultimately? To the party, my cousin, or my country?¡±
¡°You speak dangerous words, cousin.¡±
¡°Oh, I know, outrageously dangerous. I also know that to be loyal to the people should mean loyalty to the leaders of the people, i.e. the party. But here, knowing there are no agents or informers, and with my life on a knife edge already, I speak dangerous thoughts, and I press my cousin to put the needs of the country first.¡±
¡°You do not consider me an agent or informer?¡± her cousin asked her with a smirk on her face.
¡°No more than I am, cousin dear. We are both retired, are we not? Of course, I have promised to raise concerns about anyone I saw being disloyal to our beloved country.¡± The whole conversation was a high stakes gamble, and this was the highest of all: such a denouncement of her cousin would have serious consequences indeed ¡ª for both of them ¡ª and even the veiled threat of it was probably enough to get her killed if she had been at home. But she wasn''t at home.
¡°You are not after my position, nor after improving your own.¡± the Prime Consort stated, shocked by this escalation.
It hadn''t a question, but Min answered it anyway. ¡°Of course not.¡±
¡°Apart from my support of you and your husband there is nothing I could offer you, and you have a strange way of getting it if that is what you desire.¡±
¡°I do not desire your support, cousin. I would not reject it if you were determined to give it, but I do not feel your involvement in my case would be a good thing for our country. If I fall, and you have supported me, that would not be good.¡±
¡°So why do you tread this dangerous road, issue threats and risk my anger?¡±
¡°I have told you cousin; the country needs an heir. The Great Leader is thirty-five. A child conceived now has the chance of being an adult when the succession is next discussed. Wait another five years, and that might not be the case. Unless there is a change of regime, like our enemies so desire, your decision in this matter affects the good of the country.¡±
¡°And if it is not my decision?¡±
¡°Neither yours nor the Great Leader''s? Or are you saying that he does not want you changing shape?¡±
¡°The Great Leader would be happy to see me change shape, cousin.¡± she whispered.
¡°I misjudged the situation.¡± Min bowed deeply. ¡°I am sorry.¡±
¡°So, cousin, since you now know my situation, do you have more dangerous words for me? Do I share this man I sought for power but have grown truly fond of? Do I cut out my heart or put a bullet in my own head for the good of the country?¡±
¡°There are no guarantees in this life, cousin, except death. And that is either the end of hope or the hoped for end, depending on your perspective. I do not think you hope for an end. So I say, do not give up on hope, my dear cousin. Do not cut out your heart literally or metaphorically.¡±
¡°And what of the succession? You were threatening to denounce me over it just now. Is it suddenly less important?¡±
¡°No, but it is not a question of disloyalty either, is it? It would be wrong to denounce you over matters you have no control over. But I will plant one last dangerous idea in your mind, cousin, if you will allow me.¡±
¡°Say it, cousin.¡±
¡°I would rather that the party change than implode. I would rather the system change than the generals fight. History shows that strong leaders can change the system. If the system does not invest all power in one person but power is given to judges and courts, then perhaps there need be no succession war. Here, they have a mechanism where all know who will be the king next, and who it will be if something happens to him, and so on. The Great Leader could instigate such a succession, if he so desired. One without an heir might be ideally placed to make such a move, for the good of the people. But it ought to be soon, rather than later, because by the time that this change is needed there should be no thought in people''s minds that it would be settled any other way.¡±
¡°To voluntarily put power permanently into the hand of others...¡±
¡°It is a dangerous idea, is it not?¡±
¡°Very. Our Beloved Great Leader is not fond of rivals.¡±
¡°It is surely true greatness to put the needs of the country above ones own preferences.¡±
¡°Cousin... are you drunk? Do you hope for an ending? Why do you flirt with danger so?¡±
¡°Because I am far from my home, but still loyal to the people who live there.¡±
¡°That is not enough motivation, cousin, for such flirting with danger.¡±
¡°I know.¡±
¡°Then why?¡±
¡°There are dangers, cousin, at every turn of my life now, it seems. Why not take some risks to do some good? Do you wish to know the dangerous questions I ask myself as I toss and turn at night?¡±
¡°If you will share them, I will listen.¡±
¡°How do they expel the security officers and informers? How does a human being know which solders are agents in disguise, when even the soldiers in the squad do not know. How does a human being know things about a soldier they have never met, that even her political officer does not know?¡±
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
¡°Spies, and better record keeping?¡± the Prime Consort suggested.
¡°Cousin, I asked who could use a sword, on that plane delivering our new embassy guards. The answer was more specific: who could use a sword well enough to train others, and it came back in the blink of an eye. There were two on the plane. One was no surprise to any, but one of the soldiers, Lieutenant Su-Ki, was surprised. She had never considered this about herself, but hesitantly acknowledged it as true. And it has proven true indeed, she has started to train our soldiers in the most effective weapon we can use here. Someone knew, better than she knew herself, that she still possessed skills she''d not practiced since being at school. The atheist truthsayer who relayed this jibed to the expert swordsman, ''Congratulations, you''ve just confirmed a miracle.'' But it was not really the expert who confirmed this in my mind, it was the Lieutenant, when she picked up a sword on Saturday, and found the memories of what she learned at school, her teachers words even, all coming back in a flood.¡±
¡°But of course the services here set the limit of using distance weapons, cousin Min. They had time to guess what question you might ask beforehand. It could all be a trick with radios and hidden microphones, could it not?¡±
¡°I almost asked who on the plane liked roses. But, yes, it could be, cousin, if they have a more complete idea of what goes on in the Beautiful Peninsula than even our own security service does, recording even the school reports of every soldier, not to mention knowing who is assigned to guard the embassy when the soldiers themselves did not know enough to pack correct equipment.¡±
Min shook her head in remembered amazement. ¡°They carried grenades and a machine gun, cousin! Can you imagine! To police tourists and business-men interested in a visa, and the occasional student group protesting for freedom of speech! I do not believe that their intelligence gathering and processing is so far ahead, cousin. If it were, then we would never keep any secret from them.¡±
¡°Like your children''s cover?¡±
¡°Exactly. I much prefer to believe what they say, that they can look into such things, but only do so occasionally. The alternative is that they have so compromised our systems that all that information is sitting in a database, waiting for some computer to flag up a warning, and I would find that level of data collection, from their security apparatus, far far beyond comprehension. But that does have implications.¡±
¡°You mean that you find yourself preferring supernatural knowledge to improbably heroic information gathering?¡±
¡°It is not just for your exquisite face and body-shape that you have your position, cousin.¡± Min acknowledged.
¡°I know.¡± But the compliment still made the Prime Consort smile. ¡°So, you find yourself flirting with so many dangerous ideas, that you can''t hold some of them in?¡±
¡°Oh no, cousin. I can hold them in, but I is merely that I felt you might as well know them. I expect that in your discussions with their majesties the topic might come up. Proof beyond your ability to doubt might even be offered, and it is important to know what is most important to us in such a situation.¡±
¡°I do not understand what you are saying, cousin.¡±
¡°Then I will speak clearly. Is your principle loyalty to yourself, your husband in all but name, the party, the system, or the country or the people?¡±
The Prime Consort sucked in her breath at such thinking, but Mim continued. ¡°If it is the country, then you will accept that perhaps the system might need to change, if it to the people, then the country''s boarders might need to change, to reduce the chance of war, where it is always the people who suffer. If it is to the man, then in a surprisingly short time you''ll find yourself asking whether continuing his rule at all expense is actually good for him, or if he should retire. If it is to yourself, then where will you stand, if you find that you become convinced that the ideology that a free and enlightened people have no need of ''the opiate of the people'' does not in and of itself preclude the existence of the supernatural? And then consequently where do you stand if that supernatural then makes claims to jurisdiction over human affairs?¡±
¡°Cousin Min! Are you mad?¡±
¡°Cousin Prime Consort, these things disturb my sleep. If we admit to ourselves that there might be a judge and caring king over us who we nevertheless refuse to acknowledge, does that make us mad, or merely evil?¡±
¡°Expressing such thoughts should get you shot, cousin.¡±
¡°Or asylum, yes, depending where one lives. Is it not odd how my son''s loyal claim of asylum in support of his sister''s deepening her cover has ended up bringing me such thoughts to disturb my night? Perhaps it is the stress. Beware the dangers of this country, my cousin. They expect all to have freedom of thought, and throw out such challenges to our thinking with hardly any concern or forethought. I hope my nightmares have not disturbed you unduly.¡±
¡°And where does your loyalty, lie, cousin?¡±
¡°Ah, cousin, my loyalty? I''ve spoken of it already, shall we waste time and go there again? I am a spent cartridge, marveling at how much has changed in the last weeks. Is it not more important to explore where yours lies? I think you must realise that I will not report anything you say, cousin. I see your role as far too important to our Great Leader, our country, our people for me to do that.¡±
¡°You are too philosophical for my liking, cousin Min. Are you sick?¡±
¡°Only of tiptoeing around the truth. You know that not every decision is made for the good of the people. You know that our people have starved in the past, before you attained your present role, and the guns bought then will probably never be fired, as no one dared suggest they be stored properly.¡±
¡°Who have you been talking to?¡±
¡°I am right, am I not? The students probably thought it was a loyalty test, but even it it was, it was incompetence.¡±
¡°I have ensured the incompetent one no longer ruins weapons.¡±
¡°But what is wrong with the system that no one dared to report it, cousin? I think it is that loyalties are misplaced. People are often loyal to keeping their place, to themselves, to the people they feel could hurt them, and not to the country they serve. Fear has grown and loyalty has shrunk. Here... you will find that the royal family greet you in lavish surroundings. Do not make the mistake of thinking that is their home. Perhaps, if you act offended at such lavishness, you might be invited to their personal rooms, I don''t know.¡±
¡°You suggest that the king of this rich country lives like a poor peasant?¡±
¡°No, but a pair of republican journalists found themselves invited to a meal with the royal family a while ago; they published that the royal family live like civil servants. I find it entirely believable, certainly they speak often of their duty to their people.¡±
¡°Republican? I am not sure I understand the word in this context.¡±
¡°Dissidents, if you like. They reject the idea that who your parents are should be important in choosing a country''s leader.¡±
¡°And they were invited to ... discuss their views?¡±
¡°Not explicitly, and certainly not in the threatening sense. The man asked his colleague for a date and she said ''Only when you get me an invitation to discuss the constitution with the king.'' Little did she know that the prince apparently reads their articles.¡±
¡°I am confused. Why does the heir to the throne read articles by those who think he should not be heir?¡±
¡°I expect you may ask him about it, Prime Consort. I think it is that he values honesty.¡±
¡°This is a strange place that you live. And I come to see some of these values have rubbed off on you.¡±
¡°I would not be surprised.¡±
¡°And I should take that into account in what you have said, I suppose.¡±
¡°I wonder you doubt my words at all, cousin. Do you think, perhaps, I worship their god? No, I do not. But I find it interesting that they accuse us of worshipping the Great Leader. Do you worship him, cousin?¡±
¡°Worship? No.¡±
¡°I''m glad the accusation is false.¡± Min said. ¡°For I am sure that he is a man like any other. Sometimes thinking with the brain between his ears, sometimes with the spare pair between his legs.¡±
¡°It is the prime consort''s role to assist his brains to function well, cousin.¡± she acknowledged, ¡°All three of them.¡±
The palace, 3pm
After some time on diplomatic pleasantries, during which it was agreed that dropping titles would not cause any offence, the Great Leader said, via Tina who to her absolute terror had been nominated as translator,
¡°You asked for a face to face talk.¡±
¡°I did, yes. And thank you for agreeing to it.¡± the King replied, ¡°I wish to make something clear, right from the beginning, if I may.¡±
¡°We are your guests and we are here to talk.¡±
¡°Exactly. If there is anything that would make your stay more comfortable, please, do say.¡±
The Prime consort smiled and said in English, ¡°If I might make one request, I do find this room with all it''s wood panels too reminiscent of the headmaster''s office at the school I was at here for a year. I am sure the headmaster meant well, but I found the meetings intimidating.¡±
¡°We would certainly not want to intimidate you.¡± the Queen said. ¡°I must say it''s not my favourite room either. I don''t like all the gold.¡±
¡°Might I ask which is your favourite room?¡±
¡°Well, of the state rooms, I prefer next door, but I''m afraid there is a problem with the heating in there at the moment.¡±
Tina asked for help, ¡°I''m sorry, what are State rooms?¡±
¡°The formal rooms in the palace, deemed suitable for official business.¡±
Tina translated that, and her leader''s reply ¡°Ah, so you prefer one of the unsuitable rooms?¡±
¡°Our living room has a good view of the gardens, which I love, for instance.¡± the Queen said.
¡°And no wood panels?¡±
¡°None. I''d never have time to clean them properly.¡±
¡°Did I understand you clean your own rooms?¡± Tina asked nervously.
¡°As much as possible, yes. Sometimes when we are very busy we pay for a cleaner, but hiring a security-cleared cleaner for everyday cleaning would get quite expensive.¡±
¡°Perhaps you should just award yourselves a pay-rise.¡± the Prime consort suggested.
The king shook his head with a smile, ¡°There are too many others linked to the same pay scale as us. And anyway, we don''t set the pay scale.¡±
¡°But you are their king!¡± the leader objected.
¡°Yes. I am king, a specific type of civil servant. If you want good pay and short hours, don''t accept the job.¡±
¡°So, I was informed truly?¡± the Prime consort asked. ¡°This is not your home?¡±
¡°No. This is part of the our work-place.¡± the Queen agreed. ¡°Like many people who work here, our home is in another part of the palace complex.¡± Seeing the consort about to respond, she added ¡°And we are part way through repainting the walls and ceiling, so please don''t ask to see it. It''s a mess.¡±
¡°Ah. So we must confine ourselves to the state rooms.¡±
¡°Unless you would prefer a staff meeting room?¡± suggested the king. ¡°I warn you, though, they mostly have no windows, at all.¡±
¡°I expect I should just get used to the wood.¡±
¡°Yes, you should.¡± the Great Leader said, wondering what this had been all about. He''d have to ask later.
The king spoke, ¡°Then moving to the reason I asked to talk. I fully agree that every country has the right, no the duty, to protect itself and it''s citizens. And I''m sure you''ll agree that taken to extremes that can lead to arms-races like in the age of chaos. Some of our more volatile allies believe that they need to respond to your missile programme with increased spending on programmes of their own. We do not want to see such an arms race develop, for the world to descend once more into chaos.¡±
¡°The peace-loving people of the Beautiful Peninsula have no such desire either. But we are a small country with powerful enemies.¡±
¡°Yes. And by developing the Hydra missile, you cause fear in your enemies, and some suggest it would be better to attack before the missile is finished. We have pointed out to them that such talk causes fear on the Peninsula which has promoted the hydra missile.¡±
¡°They do not like socialist states.¡±
¡°They see the age of chaos returning. We too, in their attitude, your reaction, their reaction to your reaction. I asked for this talk to see if we can stop this cycle, which causes people to live in fear and alters government policies so that important things are left un-done because of military expenditure.¡±
¡°If you seek to get us to join the United Nations, do not expect a solution which deprives us of our sovereignty will be acceptable.¡±
¡°Of course not. But talking is cheaper than shooting missiles. Starting to talk to the United Nations might go some way to reduce tensions.¡±
¡°The United Nations is a talking shop for capitalist-imperialists. Why would we want to waste our time talking to them?¡±
¡°Perhaps you could give us support in promoting the cause of the poor?¡± the King suggested.
The Queen added as an aside, to the Prime Consort, ¡°It might also be advantageous on a number of fronts if they don''t decide that the only way they can start even talks about talks is by invading.¡±
The Great Leader waved that argument away, and asked ¡°Your representatives are at the United Nations, do you get listened to about the needs of the poor?¡±
¡°Oh yes. They listen. They do not always agree, of course, but they listen. And sometimes the votes are very close. Sometimes the decision is chosen to be the centre ground, and we are the furthest left. We know you''d class us as compromised centrists ourselves, so imagine how far right that decision is. Is it any wonder that the decisions of the United Nations are biased towards extreme forms of capitalism, when there is a total lack of involvement in such discussions from anyone from the Marxist end of the political spectrum?¡±
The Prime Consort leaned forwards, ¡°Interesting. You say our absenting ourselves from the discussions condemns world policies to those that support the most oppressive forms of capitalism?¡±
¡°I thought that was well known from history.¡± The Queen commented. ¡°World policy lurched significantly to the right when the left-leaning countries abandoned even their advisory missions to the United Nations.¡±
¡°And your feeling is that even without full voting membership, which of course the U.N. denies us because of internal policy matters, international tensions would in fact be reduced by our representatives voicing unpopular comments?¡±
¡°I believe so, yes.¡± the king agreed. ¡°Because as well as your comments being taken into account, at least to some extent, your representatives would be available for informal discussions outside the debate proper.¡±
The Queen added ¡°I am aware of your concern about undue interference in internal matters, but I believe I should state this: another way to reduce tensions might be to remove, or at least reduce the penalties for certain activities.¡±
¡°I understand you recently invited some dissidents for dinner.¡± the Prime consort said to the Queen, deflecting that issue onto safer ground. "Republicans."
¡°Yes. Two reporters, plus the niece and nephew of one of them, in fact.¡±
¡°And they walked away free afterwards.¡±
¡°Even better, they walked away friends afterwards. They were reassured that our country is not the sort of monarchy they had thought it might be.¡±
¡°But you do make the decisions?¡± The Great Leader asked.
¡°I do.¡± The king acknowledged. ¡°I have any number of advisors and people reporting to me, but the decisions are mine. But my hands are tied in some respects. I could never order an individual executed just because they upset me. I could outlaw a religion, but only if I can convince the government it was a danger to the public. Not a danger to the state, you understand, but to the people. And even if I could, it would be quite difficult. A publicity campaign against it, or a ban on foreign visitors promoting it would be the practical limit.¡±
¡°Are you referring to any particular religion?¡± the Prime Consort asked.
¡°I am thinking of way that the my religion in is banned in your country, lady Consort, and also how the religious-like fervour of your security services in opposing its spread has led to them being expelled.¡±
¡°Ah. You think that displaying disrespect to the ruler of his people is a minor thing.¡± she replied.
¡°I enjoyed our discussion with our distrusting critics.¡± the king said ¡°They were a godsend in some respects.¡±
¡°I cannot translate ''godsend'', your majesty.¡± Tina said, after translating the first part.
¡°You do not understand? It means someone who is miraculously sent to help.¡±
¡°I understand... but could you use a word or expression without religious overtones?¡±
¡°I will translate, young one.¡± The Prime Consort said, then told the Great Leader, ¡°The young one fears to translate that the king considers the journalists to have been as useful as one sent by his God for some specific circumstance.¡±
¡°Ah. He considers this a high accolade?¡± the Leader asked Tina.
¡°He expanded it as a miraculous provision.¡± Tina replied, nervously, ¡°I think he means very appropriate for something.¡±
¡°So is this phrase in common usage, or does he mean that it was a act of his God?¡±
Tina asked the question.
¡°The phrase is in common usage.¡± The King said, then added ¡°I understand that the young couple themselves count our inviting them to the palace as influenced by God.¡±
¡°Some people are easily impressed.¡± The Prime Consort said. ¡°For many reasons, I find I am not at all easy to impress.¡±
¡°That sounds like a challenge.¡± The King said. ¡°I wonder what it would take to convince you there was enough truth in our belief in God that it should not be illegal?¡±
¡°You think we ban your religion because it is false?¡± the Great Leader asked, ¡°No that is not the case. We have no interest in your religion''s claim to produce miracles, healings, control evil spirits or do party tricks with bread and fish. We reject it because it is a claim to authority, and all authority lies in the state. We accept private superstitions that make no claim to authority, we accept any religion that at centre is based upon the idea of not stirring up trouble for yourself and living peacefully with your situation in life. But any religion that claims a special relationship to a supreme being must be rejected, because such a religion claims that there is an independent source of right and wrong apart from what the state says. Life and death lie in the power and authority of the state, and there is no other authority on the Beautiful Peninsula.¡± Tina struggled to speak the hateful, blasphemous words with a neutral tone and was glad that she''d prefaced the statement with ''this is what the Great Leader said.''
¡°I see.¡± the queen said, quietly. ¡°We will, I think leave this topic. I am tempted to speak of the authority of God to judge any who stand so fully against him, but perhaps this is not the time.¡±
Discussion moved on to political matters, and nothing more was said. But there was a tension that had not been there previously, and Tina was even more careful than before to repeat her preface to every statement.
[Tina! I did not know you were going to be at the palace!] Eliza thought.
[Now, praise God, I am allowed to eat. I''ve been translating for the so-called Great Leader.]
[That sounds like a rebellious thought.]
[He does not oppose Christ because he has not been convinced. He does not care about ''tricks with bread and fish''. He opposes Christ because if God is real then he is an authority outside the state''s control, and he thinks the state must have all authority, over life and death. And by the state he meant himself. Am I allowed to hate? I do.]
[Demonic pride should be hated, I''m sure. It is hard not to hate the man, but the Bible says that Christ''s blood would be enough even for him.]
[It says pray for those over us, Mystery. How can I pray for such a monster, who cares nothing about right or wrong?]
[Could you pray for his pride to be broken, that he will bend his knee to God''s authority?] Eliza asked.
[I think so... yes. Yes, I can pray that.]
[I was going to ask you if you wanted to be a truthsayer, you''re close enough for me to scan now.]
[I do.]
[You''ve thought about it, or are you reacting against your head of state?]
[A bit of both. But I am sure. I also ask, Mystery, that as you search my mind, answer a question for me. Do I want to defect, or to return home to tell people about what I had to translate?]
[I will not be able to tell you which, if you do not know, but perhaps I can tell you what lies behind each thought.]
[Thank you.]
Later, as the ''Great Leader'' left the dining room to fill his lungs with poisonous smoke, as was his habit, the Queen found a private moment to speak to the Prime Consort. ¡°I do not know if you agree in your heart with what has been said, but I think you will understand why I will not be praying that you have a child with that man.¡±
¡°I did not realise. I have enjoyed exercising power, but not... not to the exclusion of truth. That, I find distasteful.¡± She had not experienced a miracle, but she had experienced a revelation: she shared her bed with a power-hungry monster. The reforms Min had talked of were out of the question, and she wondered how long it would be that she would survive. There was probably far more of his father in him than she''d thought, which meant she probably had another three months of life. Unless she struck first, of course. But Min''s warning had a lot of truth in it: a power struggle between the generals would be a disaster, especially while the country was so close to war. She supposed she might defect, but no, that would taint the ideas spoken here, which were good. If she was loyal to her people, then she was stuck in her post. But it would be good, she decided, to find out more about what Christians thought. They seemed to be good at coping in impossible situations.
Tina, who had been waiting beside her as she thought this, heard and found her thoughts crystallize. Now she knew how she would respond to the knowledge she would return home. She bowed formally, and whispered ¡°Madam Prime Consort, am I correct in thinking that you have the authority to reassign people?¡±
¡°I have. You wish reassignment away from here?¡±
¡°I am a truthsayer. You decided you wish to talk to me, maam. And I am not opposed to returning home, no matter what the cost to myself.¡±
¡°A truthsayer?¡±
¡°I have just taken my vow, between spoonfuls of dessert, to one with the gift.¡±
¡°Do you understand what you do?¡± the Prime Consort whispered in surprise.
¡°I obey the one who has authority to destroy souls, not just take lives.¡±
Tuesday, 13th Feb. 9am
¡°You take my assistant, cousin?¡± Min asked, ¡°Might I ask why?¡± They were travelling together towards the airport, with only Tina with them in the vehicle.
¡°Her own suicidal request, Min. The matter you raised with me, you may be right, I would not be surprised now. But I find I am more loyal to the people than myself. I would not have the generals fighting over an action of mine.¡±
¡°I do not understand, cousin.¡±
¡°He has more of his father in him than I saw previously.¡±
Tina calmly expanded ¡°The Leader of our country declared in his pride that he will allow no authority in the Peninsula except his own, and that he cares nothing about truth. I go to help the lady Prime Consort prepare for what might happen, and hope I can prepare others for the time when the limited authority he presently has is revoked.¡±
¡°Tina, you speak no sense. Who can revoke authority from the supreme ruler of our country?¡± Min asked.
¡°He at whose word storms are stilled and mountains tremble, Maam. The judge of all the world.¡±
¡°By saying such things, you put your life in our hands, Tina.¡± the Prime Consort pointed out ¡°You give us evidence against yourself.¡±
¡°Those with authority, lady Prime Consort, have no need of evidence. My life has never been safe from you. But you would not want talk to me if I did not serve the risen Lord.¡±
¡°But you give us evidence against yourself! And against each other too.¡± Min said.
¡°You will not hand me over, Maam. I go from loyalty to our people as well as to God. Even though you do not yet trust in Him, you value such loyalty to others.¡±
¡°Now you have her testimony against me too, cousin.¡± Min said.
¡°And you have the fact that she heard me deciding I wanted to talk to a Christian. I will add this, since our time is short. His dismissal of truth repelled me, his pride scared me. But I will not plot against that man, for I agree that the generals fighting for succession would destroy our country, and there are too many of equal standing.¡±
Min''s mind raced. ¡°The general who figured on the film of the rocket is still in his place?¡±
¡°You think I could weed enough out that I could make a preemptive defence? It is an idea. But I also clutch at other thin straws, such as discussions with Tina.¡±
¡°May you find many opportunities to talk as you go to interview people with her aid, cousin. Weed out those who have only loyalty to themselves, and no loyalty to those under them, cousin. That is surely a sign of disloyalty to our people, and thus to the People''s State.¡±
¡°You suggest I use her as a truthsayer, then?¡±
¡°I assumed that was part of your reasoning.¡±
Tina stated, ¡°I am determined to abide by my vow, but I am happy to help root out those who abuse power with no thought for their country.¡±
¡°Please tell me of your vow, fearless one.¡±
Association / Ch. 31: Countdown
Association / Ch. 31:Countdown
The fractures in the surface of the asteroid had been initiated by the abuse from the propulsion unit and expanded under gravitational stresses from the swing past Jupiter. The meteor had then plunged in towards the heat of the sun along its hyperbolic orbit, spending a few days even within the orbit of mercury, by which time it had shed its collected crust of ice. The surface of the asteroid had been repeatedly grilled and frozen as it rotated, the heating and cooling of had done its work. The outer layers had in part been broken off, and blown by the solar wind and radiation pressure now went in front of the asteroid like heralds. The parts that had not broken off, instead fused together from the intense heat. The largest crack, which went deep through the center of the asteroid, hadn''t grown fast enough or large enough to make the asteroid split. If anything, the solar approach had made the asteroid stronger.
2pm, Tuesday, 13th Feb, 2272
Pris and her squad of trainees trotted through the city; it was spooky.
¡°Ever been in a city this empty, people?¡± Pris asked.
¡°No maam.¡± came the chorus of replies.
¡°Me neither. Funny feeling, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Very.¡±
¡°How''s that data coming?¡± Pris asked. They were on the lookout for stay-behinds, people who shouldn''t be in the city. Someone, Pris wasn''t sure who, was entering spots into a database, they were one of many search squads, going from house to house, putting people into specially programmed transports. Mostly the police or army were doing it, depending on what category or person it was. Criminals got armed police, most people got a squad of soldiers. Pris and her squad were dealing with the medium-hard cases which someone had decided could be dealt with via radio. The squads dealing with really hard cases had a truthsayer attached to their team. Right now, they were after a teenager who''d sprinted away faster than the pair of soldiers sent after him could, and they''d lost him. And gained a lot of embarrassment.
¡°He is moving around a bit.¡± reported the agent with the map display.
¡°And?¡± Pris asked.
¡°We''re close. Last update, north three hundred meters, a minute ago. I don''t know if he or she''s moved. I''ve requested an update.¡±
¡°What ever happened to just looking first?¡±
¡°Sorry, Maam.¡±
Kate looked at the display, flashing in front of her ¡°Oh all right! Hold on!¡± she muttered to herself. [Sarah! This database is a lovely idea but I''ve now got five squads all wanting updates, and I''m going to need a rest at this rate. I''ve just checked one, and the guy was still in exactly the same place he was last time!]
[I know the feeling. Any ideas?]
[Yes, I''m going to tell them they get one more request, and keep it for when they really need it.]
[Good idea. Preface it with ''I''m not a machine, and am nearing my limits.'' Actually, I''ll put it system-wide.]
Pris watched the squad deploy. It was a well planned manoeuvre. One agent watched the cellar-stairwell that the boy thought he was hiding in. His hair was just visible. Other agents spread out to cover all the exits from the square. The agent with the loud-hailer called ¡°You are in violation of the evacuation law. Come out with your hands clearly visible. If you run, you will be stunned.¡± No response.
Pris approached the hiding place, not trying to be silent. There was no response. ¡°Hey, we know where you''re hiding.¡± she shouted. Still no response. At about ten meters away, she repeated her shout. The boy didn''t even flinch. She took out her warrant card, then picked up a small pebble and threw it to land on his head. The reaction was immediate. He looked up, saw her and throwing himself up the stairs, he sprinted away. Then, as he saw the agent step out of the shop doorway alcove and point a stunner at him, he turned towards another road. Another agent stepped out. The boy, probably thirteen, looked around in panic. He then surprised almost everyone, and sprinted back towards Pris. She had no stunner. He practically fell at her feet, and curled up in a foetal position, trembling in terror.
¡°Can you hear?¡± Pris said. He didn''t respond.
She crouched beside him, gently touched his shoulder, and repeated her question when he looked up at her.
He shook his head, touched his ear and made a thumbs down signal.
¡°Can you read my lips?¡± she asked, pointing to him, and then her lips in turn.
He replied something in sign-language.
Pris looked at her hands and shook her head ¡°Sorry. I don''t know how to sign.¡± She shouted to the other members of the squad. ¡°Fall in! By any chance do any of you know sign language?¡±
¡°Which one?¡± came a reply. ¡°That''s almost as vague as asking if we speak something European.¡±
¡°Come and find out.¡±
¡°Sorry, I can''t sign myself,¡± said the trainee. ¡°I only know that because I once dated a girl who could.¡±
Pris groaned, then had an idea. ¡°There''s nothing useful like a missing person report for the lad is there?¡±
It turned out there was, he''d been on a school trip to Restoration that weekend, and for some reason had bolted as soon as everyone had got off the bus. Pris had some thoughts about people who organised a school-trip to a city mid-evacuation. She managed to keep them private. While that had been happening, the boy had squatted down and started drawing on the pavement with a fallen twig.
It gave her an idea. She squatted down beside him and typed on her wrist unit. ¡°Can''t talk/sign, write?¡±
He nodded, with a big smile. Pris typed her big question, ¡°Why did you run?¡±
¡°Ran home, hate school. Everyone''s gone!¡± he typed in reply.
¡°Yes. Everyone needs to be gone. Meteor coming, tomorrow.¡±
¡°I want mum.¡±
¡°Do you know her number?¡± Pris asked.
He shook his head. ¡°Forgotten.¡± he typed.
¡°I expect computer does.¡±
¡°I tried. Not public.¡±
Pris smiled. ¡°I''m SECURITY, not public. Try!¡±
He typed his mother''s name. Pris indicated the address line too, since there were several people of that name listed in Restoration.
He typed it in, and Pris''s wrist unit made the connection. The worried looking woman who answered the call didn''t speak at all clearly; Pris guessed it was ''who are you?'', and signed something. Pris pointed her camera at the boy, and heard what was probably ''Oh, thank-you!''. A silent conversation ensued, as they reassured each other that they were both alive and well.
¡°Right,¡± Pris said, to her squad, deciding to take advantage of this training opportunity, ¡°What do we learn from this?¡±
¡°Urm, it''d be good to be able to sign?¡± suggested one.
¡°We need to wring the necks of whoever organised that school trip?¡±
¡°Nope, though it''s tempting. It''s not the most impressive sign of care for the kids in their care, is it? The missing persons report doesn''t even say the lad is deaf. We learn that it''d be good to have a download of any other recently-missing people in the city. And also, we get reminded that communication is really important. When does H.Q. say we''ll get someone to look after the lad?¡±
¡°Urm. I think we also learn to keep H.Q. informed.¡± said the red-faced trainee who''d been assigned that role, quickly typing something into his wrist unit.
¡°Tell them my wrist unit is talking to his mum at the moment. If she''s near, they should get her along for the pick-up, not a teacher from the school.¡±
Pris said, ¡°Otherwise, suggestions about what to do are welcome. I''m not just putting him in a transport unaccompanied, unless they''ve got one set up for a two-way video link. Voice-only information just isn''t going to go very far, is it?¡±
¡°No, maam.¡±
The boy attracted her attention, and typed ¡°Not back to school, Please!¡± His mother saw it, of course, but Pris thought that was fine. She typed, ¡°No. Is your mother near?¡±
¡°Evacuation site one.¡± came the reply.
¡°Is there space in your tent?¡± Pris asked.
¡°Yes!¡± his mother replied.
¡°Good solution?¡± Pris typed. His mother nodded, all smiles; the boy likewise.
The agent in charge of communications said, from about five meters away, ¡°H.Q. say that someone''s going to bring his mother from camp one. That''s where she is.¡±
¡°Bring that link here!¡± Pris ordered, ¡°H.Q? I''ve got a typed conversation with the mum at the moment. Should she go to the information tent?¡±
¡°If she can, that''d be great.¡± H.Q. replied.
¡°I''ll ask.¡± a little later, she got back in touch. ¡°OK, I''ve told her to go and jump the queue at the tent if she needs to, and ideally think to the truthsayer on duty there ''Pris sent me.'' So I hope there''ll be one on duty by the time she gets there.¡±
¡°Good call, I''ll warn them.¡±
John was patiently dealing with a woman who seemed determined to tell her whole life-story before getting to the point, when he saw a woman ignoring protests about queue-jumping and struggling towards the front of the queue. [Sarah, I think she''s here.] he thought. Just then, one large woman deliberately blocked the deaf woman''s way, and ignored her desperate gesticulations.
Sarah stepped out from her desk and quickly realised what was happening. ¡°Excuse me maam, if that woman behind you is who I think she is, firstly she''s deaf, so turning your back on her like that is even ruder than you think, secondly she''s been told to queue-jump, and the reason for that is you''re wasting about ten Security officer''s time by blocking her from getting here.¡± She called to her. The fat woman either didn''t hear too well herself, or pretended not to hear, and continued in her conversation with her companion.
Sarah shook her head in disgust. ¡°Coming through!¡± She yelled, and jumped onto the desk, and over the other side. She strode up the line, until she reached the still talking fat woman. ¡°I asked politely, now I''m demanding.¡± Sarah said ¡°Move to one side before I have you arrested for wasting crown agent''s time.¡±
¡°Well I never!¡± the woman exclaimed ¡°I''ve a good mind...¡±
¡°Then use it please, and move!¡± Sarah said, and finally made contact with the deaf woman.
[Pris sent me, I could not pass the fat one.] Sarah nodded, unhooked the nearest rope cordon, and took her out of the queue, sideways.
Sarah put her wrist unit into voice recognition mode, and showing it to the woman, said, ¡°The fat one is in trouble. She wastes the time of busy Security officers.¡±
[My son ran away from school.] the woman thought, [But I was packed, so I came here already.]
¡°Pris told me. He does not like his school?¡±
[No. He likes some of the teachers, hates others.]
¡°It is a boarding school?¡±
[Yes. They are quite strict, they like order. He prefers chaos, which is not good.]
¡°What did he do when he found you had left?¡±
[He went back to where the bus had left him. But he was late, they had moved on.]
¡°No one waited?¡±
[I think they assumed he would find me at home, and only contacted me at the end of they day to complain that he had not had permission to go home.]
¡°A dangerous assumption. Pris asks why they went on a school trip to an evacuated city at all.¡±
[It was planned since last year. The school does not like to be flexible.]
¡°They mix inflexibility and a failure to follow sensible procedure, it seems. I expect they broke laws.¡±
[I expect his father will sue. I am just glad my son is safe. You know Pris?]
¡°She is a good woman, almost like a sister to a relation of mine. Here is the transport for you. It has keyboard control, if there is a problem.¡±
[Thank you, truthsayer. My son''s father will want to thank Pris and you, give you both some gift.]
¡°He cannot. You do not know my name, and Pris is a civil servant.¡±
[You will not tell me your name?]
¡°No. Nor my truthsayer registration, not to receive a gift. Go, your son needs you, and you must not waste the officer''s time.¡±
[The computer got that apostrophe wrong.]
¡°I am not surprised. God be with you.¡±
Sarah''s wrist unit buzzed as the transport moved away. It was May.
¡°Hi, May. Is there a problem?¡±
¡°Not if you''re on your way to the interview room.¡±
¡°Already?¡± Sarah checked her wrist-unit for the time, ¡°Oops, it''s later than I thought, isn''t it? Sorry, I''m out by the transport pool, dealing with a little emergency. Many applicants today?¡± Sarah''s plans of helping her in-debt workers had finally got moving ten days before. Minor factors like a change of location didn''t mean that she was planning to stop interviewing people.
¡°Roughly the same as last week. But the walls are much thinner.¡± In other words, she didn''t want to discuss how many she''d turned away in the first phase with one or more successful interviewees outside the make-shift office.
¡°Yes. Please apologise, and tell them I''m on my way. Urm...¡± She''d need to talk to Pris and change, too. Just taking off her mask wasn''t going to be sufficient. Bother! ¡°OK, can you let all the last-phase applicants know I''ve been unavoidably detained and I''m going to be running about quarter of an hour, twenty minutes late?¡± That ought to give her enough time.
¡°Certainly, Mrs Williams.¡±
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°Hrumph.¡± protested the woman who was first on the list. ¡°I thought she''d be more punctual than this!¡±
May had decided early on that this woman wasn''t the prototypical needy case, but as her paperwork was all in order and she''d passed May''s initial interview, she couldn''t dismiss her simply because she acted as though May should thank her for granting her some of her time.
¡°Mrs Williams is a busy woman, maam. I assure you this delay is not merely because she spent too long chatting to an acquaintance. You''re welcome to return in quarter of an hour if you like.¡±
The woman decided she''d stay. To May''s annoyance, she then proceeded to have the same conversation with five of her friends by over-loud conversation via her wrist unit, about how she might be late for bridge because she had an interview with a young woman with no sense of how valuable peoples'' time was.
Truthsayer number 108 entered her tent, picked up a bag, and went to the shower block. The old superheros might have been able to change in a telephone kiosk, but Sarah needed a little more time and space. She also wanted to change her perfume and her hairstyle, to ensure she left no hint of what she was doing most of the day. As she changed she checked with May,
[So May, want to tell me all about them?]
[I''m just trying not to listen to the third retelling of how you''re wasting the first applicant''s important time, and so she''s going to be late for her bridge meeting.]
[As my personal assistant you do have authority to move her to another day if that''d be more convenient for her.]
[Should I offer?]
[What''s your impression of her?]
[She seems to think she''s doing us a favour by gracing us with her time.]
[What a lovely humble attitude. Go ahead.]
May spoke up, ¡°Excuse me, Ms Fortescue, I''ve tried to not be distracted from my work by your telephone calls, but I''m afraid I have not really succeeded. If you''d like to move your appointment with Mrs Williams to another day, I can easily do that for you.¡±
¡°You shouldn''t pay attention to another''s conversation, girl, that''s most rude.¡± Ms Fortescue responded, arrogantly.
¡°Would you like me to move your appointment?¡±
¡°No, of course not! I will of course be having words with your employer about this.¡±
¡°Ms Fortescue, quite soon I will be listening to your unintentional thoughts as our employer interviews you, and you have explicitly agreed to this. I think she will be entirely at peace with the idea of me responding to your loudly spoken complaints about her being unavoidably detained.¡±
[I am.] Sarah agreed [You can also tell her you''ll tell me about them if she caries on.]
¡°Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to do. If you do not wish me to report that you continued to have loud phone conversations with your bridge partners after I pointed out that you were distracting me, please do not resume them here.¡±
¡°You haven''t heard the last of this, you teenager.¡± Ms Fortescue said.
[Well done. So, Ms Fortescue is a bullying snob, who else have I got to look forward to meeting, and who have you rejected?]
[Number two is a mother of three, all under ten, whose middle kid has been in and out of hospital for over the past three years. She''s another part time worker, and has big debts from before she started working for you, four years ago, but she''s sort of cagey about how she''s answered some questions.]
[OK. Next?]
[I''ve told a drug addict that he probably doesn''t qualify, but he wants to try anyway, because of how he got addicted, says it wasn''t self-inflicted, and his drug habit isn''t the direct cause of his debt.]
[It''s ''just'' eating his income?]
[Something like that.]
[Hmm. And then?]
[I confronted a woman who couldn''t remember what she''d put on her form, and asked her if she wanted me to delete her application, bearing in mind the big warning at the top about fraud. She said her boyfriend made her do it, yes please.]
[Note on her file?]
[Absolutely. Domineering boyfriend, watch for signs of maltreatment and report to police.]
[Good. Anyone else?]
[Lovely near-retired man, who ''can''t complain'' but doesn''t want to leave his wife in debt if he ''pops his clogs'', and they can''t make their debt go down as fast as they''d hoped it would.]
[How near-retired?]
[Five years minimum. Debt incurred five years ago, to support son-in-law''s business, which then collapsed when he was killed in an accident. Their daughter also inherited her part of the debt, but she doesn''t want to make a fuss either, thinks she can cope. By the sound of it she''s not really.]
[OK. Now, how was Ms Fortescue''s debt incurred?]
[Hospital bills. I asked who for and what for. Quoth she: ''That''s a private matter, you nosey girl, I''ll tell Mrs Williams in person.'']
[I don''t remember leaving that option open.]
[No. She thinks she''s a special case. But the rest of her paperwork checks out mostly OK.]
[Want to make a guess?]
[She''s older than she looks. I think she''s had lots of cosmetic surgery in the past.]
[That doesn''t qualify.]
[I know. I don''t know how much she''s cut back either. She just wrote ''Significantly''. Oh. She likes wearing fake diamonds. I assume they''re fake, anyway with a debt that size.]
¡°Ms Fortescue.¡± Sarah said as her opening line, ¡°Tell me about your attempts to pay off your debt.¡±
¡°Since I''ve had the debt, I''ve cut back on my expenses a lot.¡±
¡°For example?¡±
¡°I''ve not bought a new dress in simply ages, I haven''t bought myself any jewelery at all.¡±
¡°Have you moved into a smaller house?¡±
¡°No, my husband inherited it. We couldn''t.¡±
¡°Have you not taken holidays you would have normally?¡±
¡°Yes, certainly.¡±
¡°Have you taken any holidays?¡±
¡°Only one a year.¡±
¡°That''s all most people manage.¡±
¡°My husband insists. They come from his income, not mine.¡±
¡°How long have you worked for GemSmith?¡±
¡°Three years.¡±
¡°And when was your debt incurred?¡±
¡°Four years ago.¡±
¡°And before then, you lived on your husband''s income?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And how long will it take you to pay off the loan at at the current rate?¡±
¡°Ten years. It''s terrible!¡±
¡°And the jewelery you''re wearing were a gift from your husband?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And how much of your jewelery collection have you sold?¡±
¡°Pardon? I didn''t hear.¡±
¡°She heard.¡± May took some delight in reporting.
¡°None, I couldn''t!¡±
¡°Fortescue. I presume that''s your maiden name?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°What''s your husband''s name?¡±
¡°Balford.¡± she admitted, though she didn''t want to. May nodded. Sarah nodded, one of the richest men in the country.
¡°One final question. Do you take me for a complete idiot?¡±
¡°A little rude.¡± Mrs Balford replied. ¡°Of course not.¡±
¡°Lie.¡± May said.
¡°Ms Fortescue, or should I say Mrs Balford, you''re wearing a diamond necklace, and your debt is in no way crippling. Sell that necklace and your debt is probably half-gone, even though the stones don''t look very good quality from here. Alternatively, get your husband to pay it off for you. A million is hardly more than small change to him, after all.¡±
¡°He won''t! Says it was my own decision, not his, and a waste of money.¡±
¡°Ah. Well, then you''ll need to work longer hours, won''t you? I mean, you are only part time. Money needs to be earned, it doesn''t grow on trees, Mrs Balford, Certainly not for people who consider their employer stupid and try to bully her personal assistant. Stop wasting other people''s time, you are not more important than them in anyone''s eyes except your own.¡±
Ms Fortescue left embarrassed and angry.
May called in the next interviewee, who was called Isabel, and said ¡°Please sit with your hands on the table at all times.¡±
¡°There''s no point.¡± she said glumly.
¡°Why not?¡± May asked.
¡°I''m not going to get anything, am I?¡±
¡°Why do you say that?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Because I''m a single mum with a scandalous past and you''re not going to approve of how I got into debt.¡±
¡°Then why are you here?¡±
¡°Desperation? I can''t see another way.¡±
¡°Partial truth.¡± May reported, sadly.
¡°OK. I can see another way. But I don''t want to go back there.¡±
¡°Truth.¡± May reported.
¡°What''s the other way?¡± Sarah asked, pretty sure she could guess.
¡°Pretending I''m twenty and brainless, like I was then.¡±
¡°How did you get in debt?¡±
¡°Get rich quick scheme.¡± she said.
¡°You got conned?¡±
¡°Stupider than that. I thought I''d got it all worked out, see, people''d pay to join and stay in the scheme, and I''d pay people to start with, and then when a hundred people were in I''d be raking in the money.¡±
¡°You actually tried to defraud people?¡± Sarah was aghast.
¡°Told you you wouldn''t approve.¡±
¡°What happened?¡±
¡°I''d taken out a loan to get it started. Printing costs, membership packs, you know? Make it look genuine. That lot was ten thousand. Then my son got sick, more debt, and the next thing I knew the police were knocking at the door saying there''d been complaints I was trying to start up a pyramid scheme. I''d paid out two thousand out to the first people, as a sweetener, you know? Then the scheme was stopped, I got fined another ten thousand, and this nice loans company said that they''d let me keep the house if I consolidated all my debts with them. Like an idiot I listened.¡±
¡°Steep interest rates?¡±
¡°They said one percent. I thought, that sounds good. I didn''t see the small print that said per week, compound. I only found out after a year.¡±
¡°That''s illegal, isn''t it?¡±
¡°Yes. I got out quickly, once I knew, but the fastest way out was to go begging to the bank and get enough from them to pay it off quickly. Otherwise I was told it might take a year to get them closed down. Maybe one day the courts will get through the mess of shell companies to get to the real owner, and I might get my interest back, but last I heard that was five years away.¡±
¡°So, when in this did you start working for me?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I realised I needed a proper job, right about when the cops knocked on my door, and my kid was sick. Your people were right good, Mrs Williams, they''ve trusted me with a job when I didn''t deserve one, even though I''ve been a whore and a con-woman. They''ve helped me turn straight, but what with the loan, and the rent... It was OK when the kids were little, but they''re eating more now. It''s getting so I just can''t feed my boys, even with me just paying the interest now.¡±
¡°Haven''t you talked to social services?¡±
¡°Yes. As a convicted fraudster, I don''t qualify for state aid for another four years. No exceptions. They say the only thing I can do, if I can''t feed my boys, is put them into the state''s care. Then the state might decide to feed them, either directly or with food stamps or it might decide to put them in foster care. I saw your note to all the staff, and I thought, it''s not much hope, but it''s some. I can''t let them take my boys, Mrs Williams, you''ve got to understand that.¡±
¡°You''re part time so you can look after them after school?¡±
¡°Yes. Childcare''s a killer. I couldn''t afford childcare for three.¡±
¡°No relatives?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°I don''t have your file open, is there any part of your work you could do working from home?¡±
¡°Urm, maybe an hour or so a day.¡±
¡°Want me to strongly suggest to your immediate superior that you do that part at home, so at work you can concentrate on what you need to do there, and have a few more hours a week?¡±
¡°Oh, wow! Please! That''d be wonderful!¡±
[What''s she really think of that?] Sarah silently asked May.
[That you''ve answered her prayers. With another hour a day''s paid work, she won''t need to go back on the street. No loan support?]
¡°Would you call yourself a reformed character, Isabel?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I try.¡±
¡°How hard?¡±
¡°I''ve not tried to con anyone since I got caught. I don''t want to go back on the streets, getting beaten up and used like that, but I thought I might have to. I hated myself for thinking it, prayed I wouldn''t have to, but I just couldn''t see another way.¡±
¡°Have you? Gone back, I mean?¡±
¡°No. Not since before my youngest was born.¡±
¡°I think you''ve reformed then, haven''t you? What about drink, cigarettes?¡±
¡°Would I smoke or drink my boys away? Never!¡±
¡°I guess I was wondering if they''re going to be a temptation, with a bit more cash in your pocket from the extra hours.¡±
¡°I''ve not had a drink in almost a decade. Since my boy went into hospital the first time. I was almost drunk then, when he first got sick... I needed my wits about me, and I was almost drunk. Never again!¡±
¡°Your boys are really important to you, aren''t they?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Did you promise God anything?¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Did you promise God anything, when you prayed that you wouldn''t have to go back on the streets? People sometimes do.¡±
¡°I... yeah. Yeah, I did.¡±
¡°And you''re going to keep your promise?¡±
¡°I''ll try.¡±
¡°What was it?¡±
¡°That I''d go to church every week, and take my boys.¡±
¡°What''d your dad think about that sort of promise, Truthsayer?¡±
¡°He''d probably say it''s a good start, you won''t manage to keep it, but since going to church isn''t what God really wants, he won''t mind if you don''t manage every week. Dad''s a pastor.¡±
¡°Do you think Kayla might be able to offer some low-cost baby sitting occasionally?¡±
¡°Urm, maybe. I can ask.¡±
¡°Who''s Kayla?¡± Isabel asked.
¡°A relative. She''s used to kids.¡±
¡°I''m not sure... my boys are a bit of a handful... I don''t think I''d trust them to anyone who''s not....¡±
¡°She''s older than you, Isabel.¡± Sarah supplied ¡°A full time mum with six of her own.¡±
¡°Oh! Six?¡±
¡°So far.¡± May added.
¡°What I''m suggesting, Isabel, just to make it clear... Keep your promise, get to know God, and then take time to get to know people at church too.¡± Sarah said. ¡°You don''t need to solve all your problems on your own.¡±
¡°Yeah. Been there, tried that. It makes things worse.¡±
¡°Just make sure you don''t forget the lesson when life gets easier.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Thank you, Mrs Williams.¡± Isabel said, standing up, ¡°You''ll really ask for me to get some work to do at home?¡±
¡°Of course.¡± Sarah said. ¡°But don''t forget this to fill in form when you''ve time.¡± Sarah handed her a data crystal.
¡°What form?¡± Isabel was confused.
¡°Loan assistance contract.¡±
Isabel sat down heavily. ¡°I don''t understand. You don''t want to reward me for what I''ve done. You can''t.¡±
¡°You''re almost exactly the sort of person I want to help, Isabel. You''ve made some pretty big mistakes, but you''ve learned from them. Some of your debt was honest care for your son and the loan-shark thing of it wasn''t particularly clever, but it wasn''t dishonest either. These loans came about because I wanted to help people not do crazy, illegal things. There''s no question in my mind that you qualify.¡±
5pm, Evacuation site one.
¡°Hi, Pris.¡± Sarah called, ¡°Me again. Any news on that kid''s school? He and his mother are here, said you thought they might need to give evidence?¡±
¡°Yes. The school will probably survive, but a few of the teachers might not teach again without some retraining. I don''t think there''ll be anyone along today, there are too many people still in the city. I don''t suppose they''ve adjusted the impact time, have they?¡±
¡°What? No, they couldn''t without it missing Restoration. Or the planet.¡±
¡°Bother. I thought it might be something like that. For what it''s worth, it''s not working.¡±
¡°You can''t get everyone out?¡±
¡°Communication is too slow, movement is too slow, shipping people out is too slow, everyone is getting tired. We''d hoped to have everyone out by now, but there''s still fifty people on the list.¡±
¡°You need to prioritise? Concentrate on the people who are not actively planning to stay?¡±
¡°That might help, but overall it''d probably be even less efficient. We''re just rushing from place to place. Hey, you''re good with computers, can you get that list sorted better?¡±
¡°Probably. But there are what ten, twenty teams? Fifty people shouldn''t be that hard, surely?¡±
¡°Fifty people on our list.¡±
¡°Oh Pris! That''s crazy!¡± Sarah exclaimed.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I didn''t realise. I''ll have a look at it.¡±
Five minutes later, Sarah called Kate, Karen, George and Eliza.
[Hey, people! What''s going on with the lists? There are ten people on the entire army''s list, they think they''re almost done, but there''s fifty for Pris''s team. They''re supposed to get the really hard ones, not ''we can''t be bothered to chase them''.]
[That''s crazy!] Eliza objected.
[Exactly.]
[I''ll look into it. Hmm. Right, since lunchtime, someone''s been dumping army-assigned people onto Pris''s list. For example, William Stickers, poor guy, with a name like that, anyone know why?]
[I helped them find him.] Kate said.
[So he''s not in the city?]
[I''ll check.] Sarah volunteered. [He''s in the camp three holding pen.]
[Someone can''t drive the lists?]
[Hope so. So do we check each and every person on the list, or do we look to see who''s still in the city?]
[I''ll count dots in the city.] Eliza volunteered. She wanted to give Kate a rest too. Soon she came back with the answer. [Ten should be on the army''s list, two on the police list, three on Pris''s.] She listed the names.
[I''m disabling list swapping.] George decided. [Someone obviously thinks that''s how to mark someone as done.]
[Pris''ll be happy.] Karen said.
[Who gets to tell her the good news?] Kate asked.
[Sarah, can you do it?] Karen asked. [You brought it to our attention, let''s not make it too obvious we''ve got the gift.]
[OK.]
Sarah called Pris. ¡°Hi, your list should be three people long now. Someone over at army can''t drive their user-interface. The people on the bottom of your list were all collected.¡±
¡°Praise God!¡±
¡°Will do. Please remind your squad to stop to pray in ten minutes.¡± The king had once again called for national prayer, this time specifying a time. In Churches and the evacuation camps there would be longer prayer times.
¡°Certainly. They''re looking forward to it.¡±
¡°Really? All of them?¡±
¡°Yes. They get a drink before and a snack after. We''ve just sent one packing. Any thoughts on who to chase next?¡±
¡°Hmm. Go for Mr Mishraf Urduga. He''s not the closest, but you can then get the others pretty much in a line without doubling back.¡±
¡°Thanks. Makes sense.¡±
7pm, the Palace
¡°Restoration is now empty of people.¡± Maria reported, ¡°And based on some survey results done for a press report, about half of the population stopped to pray, the other half said something like ''oops, I forgot'', ''I was too busy,'' or ''I don''t believe in God, so what''s the point''.¡±
¡°Hmm. Not encouraging, is it?¡±
¡°Not really your majesty. I''d hoped it would be higher. Maybe God will be merciful.¡±
¡°I''m not sure we deserve it.¡± the King said philosophically.
¡°Your majesty, have we ever done anything to deserve God''s mercy?¡±
¡°No. But, the Bible does say, if God threatens disaster and the people repent God will be merciful.¡±
¡°I''m not sure this is that big a disaster though, Father.¡± Albert chipped in. ¡°It would have been if we had done nothing, but we responded to God''s warning. As it is... It''s going to be expensive, but not a disaster.¡±
¡°Also, your Majesty, on the geopolitical side of things, that rock landing and the damage matching the described dreams further strengthens your credibility, and the dignity with which we face this probably helps quite a lot.¡± Maria added.
¡°So we should be praying for five hundred thousand people''s homes to be destroyed?¡±
¡°No, your majesty. But I am thinking that God''s economy is often not ours. It could easily be for the best that we get hit. Maybe the prayer dream was an alternative if no-one moved, like Space-Watch wanted.¡±
9pm, Evacuation site one.
[Sarah, love, how did your interviews go, you didn''t say?] John asked.
[Interesting. One woman I felt like throwing out, certainly not a needy case, The one after was complete opposite, almost losing her kids because feeding them was so hard. Number three, I''ve decided to help a bit. A lot of his income goes to feed an addiction, but he''s getting the drug under medical supervision, and he got addicted while in hospital, so it''s not really self-inflicted. On the other hand, he''s not trying very hard to kick the habit, either.]
[Why are you helping at all?]
[Because he''s got a wife and she is suffering from things the way they stand, and I don''t want the marriage to fail. I''ve also told him I''m going to help him more if he manages to reduce his intake. There was also a man who''d taken on debt to support his son-in-law''s business. It turns out his daughter is also an employee, but didn''t want to fill in the forms since, quote ''Why should Mrs Williams want to hear about my troubles?'' Since she''s got the bulk of the debt, and he''s struggling because he''s been helping her pay off hers, it makes much more sense to help her. So I''ve told her in no uncertain terms to file paperwork with May A.S.A.P, and I''ll try to interview her next week.]
[Do you think that comment of hers is an indication she needs other help?]
[You think she might be a suicide risk?]
[You''ve talked to her.]
[Not much. Just to tell her that I''d been talking to her father, and I thought it made more sense to talk to her.]
[She didn''t seem depressed to you?]
[She has a very professional telephone manner, so it''s probably impossible to tell.]
[She didn''t think it was some kind of trick by her dad?]
[Not once I got May to send her a digitally signed request to fill in the attached forms, no. That convinced her for some reason. I still think the real excitement of the day was five births in one day.]
[Yes, except the midwife thought that was about what she''d expect. I really hope the dad who said he''d call his daughter ''Evacuina'' was joking.]
[Me too. I much prefer ''Hope''.]
Association / Ch. 32: Impact
Association / Ch. 32:Impact
6am, Wednesday 14th Feb, 2272
¡°Happy Valentine''s day, Bella.¡± Trevor said, handing her a deep red rose, as she came to the mess hall. ¡°I hoped we''d meet.¡±
¡°Thank you! Happy impact day doesn''t quite have the same ring, does it?¡± Bella replied.
¡°No.¡±
¡°Sorry, I''m really not looking forward to seeing that city devastated for real.¡±
¡°Are you on stand-by again today?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°Yes. You too?¡±
¡°Yes. I asked about how much time we''d have to get out just now, and the guy at the desk said he couldn''t answer for sure, but ''Don''t worry, there are helicopters on call and we''ll get you to a safe distance on time.'' It doesn''t really reassure me, you know; I''m not flying.¡±
¡°I thought that was all sorted?¡±
¡°It is, within Security. But we''re lent to the military for this, aren''t we?¡±
Bella realised what Trevor was saying. ¡°You mean they''re expecting to fly us all out?¡±
¡°I hope not. I''ve just made it clear that I''m not flying anywhere. I love you Bella, I don''t know why I mustn''t fly, but...¡±
¡°Don''t you go dying on me, Trevor. Or disobeying God.¡± She grabbed him in a powerful embrace.
[Bella, Trevor] Eliza called, [Sorry to interrupt, but there are idiots in the city.]
[Eliza, what Trevor''s just heard from the military sounded like they''re planning to put him somewhere they might need to fly him out. That''s not going to work.]
[Not at all.] Trevor agreed.
[That''s bad.] agreed Eliza, [Someone didn''t pass on orders or something. Right, I''m going to team you up with Samantha, just in case, Trevor.]
[Samantha?]
[Has the power, but it''s mostly secret. She''s one of the APC drivers, a good one. You get separated, I can get her to you, and you to her.]
[Thank you, Eliza.]
[And she knows me.] Eliza added.
[As in...?] asked Trevor.
[As in she was the first person I ever met with the power. I don''t know if she knows Mystery Voice is also known as Princess Eliza these days, but she certainly knows Eliza has the power.]
[Why haven''t I heard of her before now?] Bella asked.
[She''s just finished a six month tour in Maria''s part of the world. She and Henry, her husband, did too well at language learning, so they''ve been assigned back here early to help train up the next bunch of soldiers. Then they''ll rotate back with them.]
[With a promotion?] Bella asked.
[Oh, they''ve already got that. She''s a corporal.]
[Sam, ''Mystery Voice'' here. Hi to Henry too, if he''s awake.]
[Hello. He''s not. {Concern} You''re not going to make me play contact person, are you Maam?]
[Not if I can help it. You''re getting an official truthsayer for that.]
[That''s a relief, Maam.]
[But please don''t ''Maam'' me. Hopefully you''re going to be bussing him and the squad around, and not going to be separated, but please don''t go volunteering for other runs. He can''t be air-lifted out, so you''re going to need to get him out if time gets short.]
[{Confusion} Why can''t he be air-lifted. Something medical?]
[No, he''s fit as a fiddle, even climbs mountains for fun, apparently. But he''d rather stay for the impact than fly.]
[{Shock} That''s quite a powerful phobia.]
[Actually, in some ways its stronger than just a phobia. He''s in Security, and his file says ''Under no circumstances is this man to be put in a situation where he will need to fly.'']
[But that file isn''t accessible to military?]
[Not the guys running the clean up, no. There are orders on file concerning him, but last he heard someone hadn''t read them.]
[And I take it there are people in the city to move out?]
[About two dozen slipped in over night. Expect your orders any time now.]
[Thanks for the warning. Can I ask something? Not you Henry, Mystery Voice. I''m just getting briefed.]
[Morning Henry. Yes, you can ask, Sam.]
[I know what I was officially told about you, and not to speculate, but urm... I think I recognise your mental voice. Have we met?]
[Yes, Sam. You were the first thought-hearer I met. When I''m doing this talking to thought-hearers in Security and the military thing, most people prefer to think of me as ''Mystery Voice'' rather than Eliza. Helps them keep what my father-in-law declared to be a class-epsilon state secret.]
[Gulp.]
[Did I need to not hear this?] Henry asked.
[Hey, you''ve done fine with the class delta you already knew about me having the power, Sam. Don''t worry about it the extra grade. Yes, Henry, because you''re sharing thoughts with Sam, and we don''t want her to go breaking state secrets, do we?]
[I didn''t know it was a class delta state secret, Maam.] Sam protested.
[Call me Eliza, or Mystery if you prefer; lots of people know me by that name but not the other.]
[Including the truthsayer I''m about to give a ride to?]
[He knows me by both names too, so don''t worry about it Sam. Just concentrate on driving safely and keeping him off a plane.]
[That''s a royal order, Maam?]
[Absolutely. As is not calling me Maam, Sam. His majesty has told the truthsayer that he doesn''t need to fly. Count that as a royal promise it''s your duty to help fulfil.]
[Thank you, Maam.]
[Sam. Will you please call me by name?] Eliza demanded.
[But Eliza, it''s my duty to call my superiors Sir or Maam.]
[When on duty.]
[I''ve just had a briefing, aren''t I on duty?]
[Are you two out of bed yet?]
[Hey!] Henry protested.
[I didn''t want to distract Sam if she was driving or talking to someone.]
[Hmm, likely story.] Henry grumbled.
[It''s not like I get to see your bedroom in full technicolour or anything like that. I get a vague splodge where people are in the room and if I try hard then I can get a sense of what they''re doing. You were dreaming and Sam was admiring your profile. When I don''t know people I get a glimpse of their face.]
[I didn''t know that.]
[Well, now you do. Anyway, get dressed if you''re not already, Sam. Your captain is on his way down the corridor with orders.]
Briefing. 6.30am.
¡°Right, ladies and gentlemen. You''re in eight groups. Your deployments are mostly but not totally the same as yesterday, so check. There are twenty six individuals in the city. Find them, arrest them, tie them up, send them to the processing centre, or take them. The rules of engagement are as follows: no polite knocking, everyone who you find has reentered the city illegally. Stunners or sleep gas may be used unless they come immediately when you call them. Impact is due at precisely twenty-three minutes past noon. Astronomers say there may be some small fragments coming a bit sooner, so we''re not planning on flying anywhere after noon. Therefore, any of you in the danger area at eleven fifty had better have called for evacuation already, or you''re too late. Ideally, of course, we''ll all be done in the city by eleven. APCs ought to be leaving in time to be the seventy five kilometers away from the city that is considered entirely safe from the impact. ¡°Water has already been turned off to the city, liquifuel tanks should have been drained. Electricity will be going off now. Once it goes off, there will be approximately four hours of battery backup from the network towers, the last two of which will be in power-saving mode: no video, low speed data and speech only. After that, there ought to be an extreme-power saving mode, which would provide cover for panic buttons and ultra small data packets. We''re talking fifty something characters maximum. Apparently no one''s bothered testing that the battery monitors are accurate enough for that to work recently, so who knows, they might be, or they might not. Equally, it might not be four hours, it might only be three, or something like that. So there''s a risk you''re going to be out of communications just as you need evacuation, except for radios. You know how slow they are for data.
In other words if you''re not on your way home by eleven, keep your truthsayer close. Questions?¡±
¡°Are any of the criminals armed?¡±
¡°Pass.¡± the Captain said, and looked at the gathered truthsayers.
[Too vague a question.] George told the truthsayers there. [Baseball bats and lumps of wood somewhere nearby, or armed as in they''ve got a gun in their hand right at the moment?]
[How about looking for people who know where to get a gun, and can do so within ten minutes.] Trevor suggested.
[Good one, Trevor. And the answer is... three of them, in different gangs'' heartlands.]
¡°I''m told there are three people can get a gun within ten minutes and know it.¡± Trevor announced. ¡°I''m also told they''re in different gang districts.¡±
¡°Are all of them intending to stay, or are there any we don''t need to round up because they''re about to leave anyway?¡±
¡°Good question, any answers?¡± the captain again looked at the truthsayers.
[There might be more than the twenty six in the city, I only looked for people intending to stay or needing help to leave.] Eliza informed Bella, [Also, in case anyone asks, that''s both inside the city boundary, and in the fifty km limit.]
[I was about to, so congratulations.] Bella thought, and passed on that information.
¡°With the power to the net going out, what does that do to transports?¡± Sam asked.
¡°They''ll stop when they can''t get data. Don''t try putting anyone in a transport after about ten, it might kill them. After that, then they''ll need to go inside or outside the APCs.¡±
¡°What do rules of engagement say about people behind locked or barricaded doors, sir?¡± a soldier asked.
¡°Loud-hailer, sleep gas, then all necessary force, just remember you''re trying to get them out alive and in one piece, and you don''t have time to pick up detached limbs, so don''t detach any.¡± came the reply.
[In case anyone''s wondering, none of the people you need to fetch are deaf.] Sarah chipped in, [Unlike yesterday.]
¡°What happens if we can''t get to everyone on time, sir?¡±
¡°You leave.¡±
¡°What''s the prioritisation?¡±
[Purely geographical.] George supplied, [Optimised routes, starting at the edges of the city, going towards the centre. That way, you''re closer to each other in case of problems and if some groups finish first they can help out without much time lost in travel. It wasn''t planned that way, but it just so happens that the armed gang members are last on the list.]
Trevor relayed that, and processed it all in his mind. Eight groups, twenty six people. Three or four people to move in the city, by eleven.
Yesterday it had averaged twenty minutes per person to get them out and packaged off, and another ten minutes to get to the next place, so if it took one hour to get to the city they ought to be finished at ten.
So, it ought to work out, if everyone was average. But these people were tough cases, deliberately returning presumably for their own nefarious purposes. Maybe robbing and looting, almost certainly not staying still. It''d take longer to grab them. Hopefully, the sorting algorithm made up for that within the city though.
[With the APCs, and the sorting algorithm, it shouldn''t take more than five minutes between people in the city.] George thought to everyone able to hear him in the room.
¡°Right squads, find your driver and move out. Time is precious.¡±
Sam asked ¡°Sir, what speed limits apply?¡±
The captain grinned. ¡°You''re on live-saving work, Corporal. Klaxon and strobes when you go, and remember to respect the laws of physics.¡±
Trevor noticed the signs of anticipation that seemed to be present in all the drivers. ¡°Why do you look so happy at that news?¡± he asked Sam.
¡°We get to press the little button which turns off economical driving mode.¡±
¡°Meaning you can accelerate a bit faster?¡±
¡°Is one G fast enough for you?¡± Sam asked, grinning.
¡°In an APC?¡± Trevor was surprised.
¡°Yes. They specified the same power train as for a hundred tonne tank, and an APC weighs quite a lot less. It''s a bit tough on the tyres, of course, not to mention the landscape.¡±
¡°Top speed?¡±
¡°About three hundred on a nice straight road. But an APC is a just a tiny bit taller and more top-heavy than a sports car, hence the remarks about physics. We''ll need to slow down in plenty of time for corners. The good news is the road is nice and straight on the way to Restoration.¡±
It wasn''t quite a race to the city. The APCs thundered along the empty roads at a nice ''sedate'' hundred and eighty kilometers an hour. The APC wasn''t exactly built for aerodynamics, and the geekiest drivers had pointed out to the others that if they tried to go at top speed both ways, they''d be getting out and pushing about half the way home, and that was without any fuel for moving around in the city.
It certainly made more sense to keep top speed as an option for getting away from the impact. The geeks had also pointed out that with what bends there were in the road, they''d need to slow down to about one-eighty anyway, from time to time. Why waste fuel in heating up the brakes?
Sam used the intercom to address the soldiers in the back. ¡°Hey, people, you know what the captain said about no-fly times and the like?¡±
¡°Yes, Corporal?¡±
¡°I''d like to point out that an APC is a lot safer than a flying egg-beater if there''s rocks coming from space, and our travel time at top speed is only a smidgen slower, so there''s no way I''m abandoning this little baby just to get air-sick. I also got informed pre-briefing that our truthsayer''s got a royal promise that he''s not flying anywhere either. So, that''s two of us staying close together.¡±
¡°Phobia?¡± asked the lance-corporal.
¡°Not exactly.¡± Trevor replied. ¡°Though you could think of it that way. God told me never to fly. I don''t know if that''s meant to save me from something specific or several somethings, or to make sure I''m in the right place at the right time. But if it is something specific, then I''d have thought a day when the weather forecast includes rocks falling from the sky was pretty high on the list of possibilities.¡±
¡°Urm. Yeah. OK if we catch a lift home with you, Corporal?¡± one of the soldiers asked.
¡°That''s what I''m here for, Private.¡±
Trevor spent most of the rest of the journey there praying that no one would fly out, especially not Bella, unless it was perfectly safe.
¡°Our first target is called Janice Whitby, registered as missing yesterday, age fifteen.¡± Trevor read from his wrist unit. ¡°Last seen sitting beside the main road.¡± He fed the destination to the APC''s navigation unit.
¡°Sounds like an easy pick-up, then.¡± Sam commented.
¡°I hope so. Just don''t scare her off.¡±
[She''s frustrated, and worried, and fussing what I guess is some animal.] George thought to Trevor.
[Came in after a lost pet?]
[I guess so.]
¡°More information, it looks like she''s a pet-rescuer.¡± Trevor reported, to groans from the back. ¡°I hope the pet doesn''t run off when we arrive or it''ll probably go from dead easy to wild goose-chase.¡±
¡°Right, let''s not waste time calling a transport if she comes willingly, make space in the back please, furthest from the door so you don''t trip on her later.¡± Sam decided. ¡°There she is; girl, smallish dog and upside-down bike.¡±
She slowed the APC, and opened the window. ¡°Janice Whitby?¡±
¡°I had to rescue William. Then I got a puncture.¡± Janice said.
¡°You''re getting on board. Now.¡±
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
¡°What about my bike? Its new!¡±
¡°Oh, for crying out loud! Get in Janice, there''s an asteroid coming and we''ve got a busy schedule! Someone put the bike on top and throw a strap on it! We don''t have time for more this end of the day.¡±
Janice got in, and passed the soldiers to where she was told to sit. fortunately the dog, a boarder collie, seemed friendly.
¡°Right Janice. What we''re supposed to do is handcuff you, call up a transport, and put you in it.¡± the lance-corporal said. ¡°That takes time we''d rather keep for the other people, who might need gassing or stunning before they''ll come quietly. You will not leave that seat, if you try, we''ll handcuff you. If your dog runs away, we can try to stun it, which might be fatal, we can sleep gas it, which usually is fatal for dogs his size, or we can let it go. We will not stop to chase after it. Do you understand? Keep the dog on his lead, and if you think he might slip his collar, then we can give you some straps to make a harness for him.¡±
¡°I''m in trouble, aren''t I?¡±
The lance corporal said, in friendly tones. ¡°You''re under arrest for breaking the evacuation order. Anything you say might be written down if we can spare the time and might get used as evidence in a court of law if they can read our handwriting. You have the right to choose between sitting still and keeping your dog under control and being handcuffed and/or dosed with sleep-gas.¡±
Janice decided to sit still.
Trevor reported ¡°Next target, Henry Kray. Petty thief, repeat offender, not armed, last seen breaking into a shop my map says sells fine furniture.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Sam asked, ¡°He''s planning to make off with a dining room set?¡±
George knew: Henry had a habit of hiding in cellars when he was running from police, and trying to hide his stolen goods as he did so. [He''s in the cellar, I guess he left something valuable down there.]
[In a shop?] Trevor was confused.
[There''s a note on his file. Basements, cellars and boiler rooms are his favourite place to hide stolen goods when the police are after him.] There was a note there now, anyway; George had just added it.
¡°I''m told he''s probably picking up stolen goods he hid earlier.¡±
The lance-corporal thought for a moment. ¡°I expect that having to chase him round a shop he obviously knows better than we do is going to be much slower than waiting for him to come out peacefully.¡±
¡°Sounds reasonable.¡± Sam agreed. ¡°Right, I''ll stop a hundred meters from the shop, and you guys get to lay in ambush. Truthsayer, stay safe.¡±
¡°Yes, Maam!¡±
Henry was in the cellar longer than anyone had expected, but George passed on that he was moving just as they were about to go in after him. Everyone was back in position when Henry gave a quick look left and right and he left the shop. No one in sight, time to visit his other little caches. Five steps later there was a thump behind him, as a soldier jumped from the shop''s porch. ¡°Halt! Henry Kray, you''re under arrest for breach of evacuation laws. Move and you''ll be stunned.¡±
Henry ran as soon has his mind had processed the word ''Halt''. It was almost a Pavlovian reaction. The stunner blast missed him, and he turned into a side street next to the shop. His legs collapsed as he ran into a cloud of sleep-gas.
Collection time: eleven minutes. They were ahead of schedule. At the same time as they called for a transport for Henry, they called one for Janice. She and William were sent off first. Her bicycle would stay strapped on top of the APC.
Half an hour later, Henry woke up to find himself handcuffed in a transport. He swore, and heard a voice he recognised. ¡°Hello Henry, It sounds like you''re awake. You''ve just broken probation, which means another year or so inside, at least.¡± It was his probation officer. ¡°Now, you know and I know that little bag of jewelery you''ve got doesn''t belong to you. Which particular robbery are they from, or is it one you''ve not done time for yet?¡±
9.15am
In a flash of plasma, Geostationary broadcast satellite Telstar-549 suddenly lost 50% of its power, attitudinal control and signal lock to the ground station. One of its solar wings floated off into the distance. The lump of asteroid that had hit it continued on, albeit now a cluster of shards, shattered by the shock of the impact. On Earth, tens of millions of people wondered what had happened to their favorite soap opera and then shrugged and tried to switch to another channel. That one wasn''t working either. Some were bereft at the thought that they had nothing to watch at all. The engineers at flight control looked at the line of red indicators on the status board, and called for backup.
After some minutes, the cluster of further shattered asteroid fragments hit the atmosphere, where they burned up as a fireball. Hundreds awestruck people took photos. Space-Guard scientists analysed the track, and realised they''d made a mistake. The debris cloud stretching in front of and behind the asteroid heading for Restoration was considerably more extensive than expected. They were entirely unsure if that was good news or not. If the debris was smaller, that was good, but if it was going to mean meteorites hitting the surface across the whole planet, that was without a doubt a bad thing.
A tentative press release was put out.
10.25 am
The earlier successes for Trevor''s team had evaporated with their third target, ''Jimbo Wizard'' He had a bike, he knew the area well, there seemed to be plenty of escape routes for him and he obviously knew he was being hunted. Even with George giving directions and Trevor relaying them by radio, the squad kept getting into places to ambush him and he''d manage to get past them.
[Trevor, I''ve just checked. He''s hearing your instructions to the troops.]
[How? This thing is encrypted isn''t it?]
[You''ll have to ask someone.]
[Thanks, I will.]
It turned out that no one had thought they''d need to encrypt. Once they did, the capture only took another ten minutes. They stunned him, and cuffed him. It was clear that he was a gang member, as well as a drug addict. He''d been look-out for the gang member that was their next target, who was guarding the gang''s headquarters against all-comers.
¡°Why?¡± Sam asked him as soon as he came round.
¡°Why what?¡± the gang member replied, looking around. Trevor was looking at a map, the gang-member saw it was of the streets around the headquarters.
¡°Why guard what''s going to be a pile of rubble soon?¡± Sam asked.
¡°Good question.¡± Trevor agreed. ¡°You will answer the Corporal clearly, quickly and without lies.¡± He grabbed the man''s wrist with his hand.
¡°Hey, you can''t do that!¡±
¡°You are under arrest for breaking of evacuation laws. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. We are leaving in fifteen minutes. I will grant you mental privacy as long as that does not endanger anyone or hide a crime. I will tell when you are lying, confirm when you''re telling the truth, and not breach your mental privacy. What''s so special about the head-quarters?¡±
¡°The armoury, the stash, you name it.¡± came the reply.
¡°What stash? Drugs?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°Naah. Can''t keep that stuff around.¡±
¡°Truth.¡± Trevor reported
¡°So, what is it? Money?¡± Sam asked.
¡°You joking? Who''d leave money lying around? It''d walk quicker than drugs.¡±
¡°Data?¡± she probed again.
¡°Yeah, got it in one, chick. Can I go now?¡±
¡°Partial answer.¡±
¡°What sort of data?¡±
¡°Not going to tell you.¡± the gang member said.
¡°He''ll talk.¡± Trevor disagreed.
¡°So, valuable data. Worth dying for?¡±
¡°Who''s going to die, we''re bomb proof!¡±
¡°What sort of bomb? Nuke? How many megatons? What distance? What overpressure?¡± Sam asked.
¡°Dunno.¡±
¡°Truth. He''s got no idea. And he hasn''t even heard of the word overpressure.¡±
¡°So, your friend is in a nice safe bunker with half-meter thick walls and a great big door like you''ve seen on films?¡±
¡°Yeah! Just like one.¡±
¡°Lie.¡±
¡°Or has he got a few metal plates and mattresses against the walls, like someone found on the network?¡± Sam asked.
¡°Mick worked it out. It''s bomb proof!¡±
Trevor shook his head. ¡°Answer the lady, kiddo. Where were the plans from?¡±
¡°Off the net.¡± The youth hung his head wondered what would happen to his friend.
¡°Truth. My partially informed guess is strawberry jam, only the lumpy bits will not be fruit.¡± The teenager looked sick.
Sam looked curiously at Trevor but didn''t ask. She really wasn''t sure she wanted to know. ¡°Now, tell the nice corporal about your stash, and then we can go and sleep-gas your friend without anyone getting hurt.¡± Trevor said.
¡°Or maybe you should come along to show the way to him?¡±
¡°Her.¡± He replied.
¡°I stand corrected. So, are you''re going to help get Linsey Fisher out? Shall we just leave her there, or will you tell us where the booby-traps are?¡±
¡°And what sort of data?¡± Sam persisted.
¡°Insurance.¡± the youth said.
¡°Partial truth.¡±
¡°Blackmail data?¡±
¡°Not saying.¡±
¡°He''s not thinking it either, just thinking ''I will not say, I will not say.'' I think it''s probably stuff to keep the gang members in order. Hmm. He faltered a bit there. Lovely habit, keeping a list of your member''s crimes from year to year. It must show a real trust of one another.¡±
¡°Sorry, time''s up, and I''m not going to send soldiers in past boobytraps for an idiot that thinks a few mattresses will protect her from a shockwave that''ll smash concrete.¡±
¡°Mick said it was bomb-proof!¡±
¡°I notice Mick''s not there, though is he?¡± Trevor pointed out.
¡°Load him up, let''s leave.¡± Sam said, turning away.
¡°NO!¡± Jimbo screamed. ¡°You can''t! Lin''s my girl-friend, you can''t just leave her to die! At least let me call her!¡±
¡°Go ahead.¡± Sam said.
[Hello, can you suggest to Security they might want to send someone or something to have a look in there after the impact?]
[Already done. Get him to say what sort of booby traps, can you?]
¡°''Scuse me.¡± Trevor interrupted Jimbo''s phone call, ¡°Just so we don''t add accomplice to murder to your charge sheet, when someone goes through the rubble, what sort of booby-traps are we talking about here? Trip-wired explosives, motion-detector machine-guns, or buckets of water above door-ways?¡±
¡°Pressure pads, motion detectors, high voltage generators.¡± Linsey said over Jimbo''s wrist unit. ¡°All stone cold dead with the electricity off.¡±
¡°You know that for a fact?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°The back-up batteries must have been dud. If not for my wrist unit, I''d be sitting in the dark here, it''s all the same system, along with the so-called ventilation system. That lying toad Mick said they''d last a week; I''m coming out.¡±
¡°Were you lying about the strawberry jam?¡± Sam asked as they were waiting for Linsey.
¡°I don''t think so. The blast is supposed to be pretty much from overhead. Never mind what the shock wave does, the floors of the building she''s hiding in would smash down straight on top of her.
Linsey came to the doorway, carrying a rucksack. Jimbo did a double-take at her burden and slammed his mouth shut.
¡°Do I get time off for good behaviour?¡± she shouted.
¡°Probably.¡± Sam replied ¡°Why?¡±
¡°Lin, what are you doing?¡± Jimbo demanded.
¡°Mick''s a stinking toad, and he wanted us dead.¡± she said. ¡°This is called making the best out of a bad situation. I want guarantees of reduced sentences for Dimbo Jimbo and me, or I''ll drop a match in this. It''s already got rifle powder in it so it''ll burn well.¡±
¡°That''s the stash?¡± Sam asked Jimbo.
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°And why did she call you ''Dimbo''?¡±
¡°Coz she doesn''t like me doing drugs.¡±
¡°Sounds like she''s got a brain.¡± Sam commented then shouted ¡°We''re just soldiers. We can''t negotiate that sort of thing.¡±
¡°Can you get an answer soon? I''m not grassing up the whole gang for nothing.¡±
¡°That''s what you''d be doing?¡± Trevor asked.
¡°Yeah.¡±
¡°No negotiation needed.¡± Trevor shouted. ¡°Turning king''s evidence is guaranteed to reduce the sentence.¡±
¡°You sure?¡±
¡°Crown officer''s word.¡± Trevor said, wondering to himself what was making the strange double shadows in Linsey''s doorway.
¡°Good enough for me.¡± Linsey declared, and picked up the stash.
At that moment, there was a sound like a powerful detonation above them, to be more precise, it was a sonic boom. The shadows had been from the light of the approaching meteor. Another boom came from nearby. Glass fell from windows all around. A wicked looking fragment fell past Linsey''s nose. She yelped, and leapt backwards and tripped over the rucksack.
¡°Get on board. Now!¡± Sam ordered.
There were more double-shadows. ¡°Incoming!¡± Trevor shouted.
Linsey sprinted to the A.P.C, and lept in, only just after the soldiers had put Jimbo in. He was quivering in terror.
There was a flash, followed by a sonic boom. More glass fell and Sam saw the road in front of them had vanished in a cloud of smoke and dust.
¡°Looks like a ground impact, three hundred meters from us.¡± Sam called in over the radio.
¡°Acknowledged. All units, number off, with status.¡±
Everyone was mainly OK, some had injuries from falling glass.
Linsey swore loudly. ¡°I left the stash.¡± She moved to get up, got told to stay put by a soldier. Her foot slipped as she tried to ignore him, and she sat back down heavily. There was blood on the floor. ¡°Ow. Own up, who''s been bleeding all over the floor, and making it all slippery?¡± she asked.
¡°Your leg.¡± said the solder opposite who''d told her to stay put.
Jimbo looked at the blood and passed out. Linsey shook her head in disgust, while stripping back her combat trousers to look at the wound. ¡°Typical. I''m bleeding, and he passes out at the sight.¡±
¡°That happen often?¡±
¡°Jimbo gets road rash all the time falling off his bike, but he can''t stand the sight of other people''s blood. Last time I told him I''d dump him if it happened again.¡± It was a straight cut, from a piece of glass. She knew that for a fact, because the glass was still embedded in her calf-muscle. ¡°I''ve had worse, but I think I need a medic.¡±
The soldier opposite agreed. ¡°OK if we leave that glass in there, in case it bleeds worse with it out?¡±
¡°Absolutely.¡±
¡°Everyone strapped in?¡± Sam asked from the front. ¡°We''re going somewhere safer.¡±
¡°Any chance of getting the stash?¡± Linsey asked the soldier. ¡°I need that reduced sentence.¡±
¡°Corporal? Did you hear? Prisoner has a puncture wound, needs a medic. She also says she needs that stash.¡±
¡°Fair enough. I''ll back in and someone can pick it up. Stay on board. And everyone check your neighbour for wounds.¡±
¡°Base, squad two''s target list is clear.¡± Sam reported, as she reversed the APC towards the building.
¡°Acknowledged, squad two. Squad three, status update?¡±
¡°All under control, base.¡±
¡°Squad two, head for home.¡±
¡°Acknowledged. Please have medics on standby, target four suffered puncture wound from falling glass. It looks fairly deep, but blood loss is currently minimal.¡±
¡°Foreign object is still in the wound?¡±
¡°Affirmative. We didn''t want to move it, just in case.¡±
¡°No need for air support?¡±
¡°With respect, base, there''s supersonic rocks in the air above this city.¡±
¡°Seemingly across the whole planet, corporal. Ten ground-strikes recorded, more tracks, one crippled satellite. So far no fatalities.¡±
¡°The asteroid''s not breaking up is it?¡± Sam asked hopefully.
¡°Negative, the astronomers think it''s just debris from it''s adventures on the way here.¡±
¡°Understood.¡± Sam reported, ¡°And homeward bound.¡±
Evacuation site two. 11 am
Another herald of destruction skimmed through the upper reaches of the atmosphere and exploded beautifully above the evacuation site.
¡°Just how dangerous are these shooting stars?¡± a mother asked Karen as her children oohed and aahed at the pretty fireworks.
¡°As long as they explode up there, they''re safe, Maam. But I do suggest that you stay undercover as much as possible. There have been some reports of them reaching the ground.¡±
¡°The tents won''t protect us, surely?¡±
¡°No, maam. But the public tents are under forcefields. It''s going to be crowded, of course, but that''s why we''ve recommended people don''t stay in their individual tents for the impact itself. No one predicted so many meteors, so I think it''d be safer to be stay in the public tents from now on as much as possible.¡±
SpaceGuard debris-tracking telescope 11.30 am
On a hill-top, which coincidentally was over-looking evacuation site one,
Dr Green fiddled with the settings on the spectrometer. It was an amazing opportunity, all these fireballs. It would have been easy at night, of course, but even in daylight they were a wonderful source of data. He''d process it later, of course. Well, his students would, now it was simply a case of ensuring the data was collected, and that the telescope didn''t ever actually aim itself at the Sun. He squeezed out from where he''d been, in the narrow gap between the telescope and the dome, and engaged the drive mechanism. The tracking scope could move fast, it had to, if it was going to photograph debris. It was a perfect tool for this job, and as long as nature gave him a few good opportunities now that he''d hopefully got the settings right, there''d surely be be a paper in it or two.
The telescope suddenly swung to point at at target, informed by the space-watch radar that one was coming. Then, contrary to his expectations, it remained in a fixed position. Had something broken?
Dr Green realised too late that when an approaching object doesn''t alter it''s apparent position it means it is on a collision course. The meteorite didn''t explode mid-air, but hit just in front of the telescope''s dome. The telescope needed a little realignment afterwards, but otherwise escaped without significant damage. Dr Green wasn''t so fortunate. The half-kilo meteorite wasn''t stopped by him holding his arms over head as he tried to run from the building.
11.45am, Evacuation site one
¡°This is yet another public safety announcement.¡± Sarah said into the public address system. ¡°Will everyone, including all military and civil service personnel, please get to one of the public tents, and so under a forcefield cover, immediately. Your life could be at risk. You might have noticed the loud bang just now, and the cloud of dust up by the telescope. That was probably a meteorite hitting the ground.¡±
Five minutes later, a worried-looking young man came to the information desk. ¡°I can''t contact Dr Green.¡± he said.
¡°The network tower is really busy. There are a lot of calls not getting through because of it. Have you been trying long?¡±
¡°No, you don''t understand, he should have had a radio with him, he was going up to the telescope. I''ve tried his wrist unit, and like you say it won''t connect, but I''ve tried the radio, too.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°I was hoping you could ask someone if he''s been injured or... or if there''s no point in sending a rescue party.¡±
¡°Yes. That''s possible. This is the Dr Green that Prince Albert talked to about the asteroid?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°OK, I''ll get someone to make contact.¡± Sarah sent a short text message ''Call me?'' They''d decided that although it added delay, they ought to be doing exactly what their cover story said they''d do, except for emergencies. She told the young man ¡°Messages get through better than voice, but there might be a delay.¡±
¡°We tried that too. No reply.¡±
[Yes, Sarah?] Kate asked.
[Worried student or post-doc here. There''s just been a ground-strike up by the telescope where Dr Green of Space-Guard fame was. No contact since. Question is, should a rescue party go up, or is it too late anyway.]
[I''ll look.] Kate looked at Dr Green''s feet, and saw ugliness, distortion, darkness. She pulled away quickly. [He''s gone to a bad place.]
Sarah heard the tension in Kate''s mental voice. [You OK, Kate?]
[I''m going to spend some time in the peace. Don''t look at maybe-dead non-Christian''s feet, Sarah. It''s not a nice place.]
[I''ll bear that in mind.]
[I wish I didn''t have to.]
[Remember when John looked at Roland''s evil? Maybe you don''t need to.]
[I''m going to hang on to God''s peace anyway.]
[May God bless you, with forgetfulness, Kate.]
[Amen.]
Sarah looked at the young man, hovering anxiously. ¡°Don''t bother sending the search party. He''s dead.¡±
¡°You''re sure?¡± was his automatic response.
Sarah considered telling him that Kate had seem him on his way to hell, but she didn''t know that for fact; it might have been Sheol. But in any case, maybe compassionate silence was the best. ¡°Yes, the person I talked to was very sure.¡±
Sarah was a little surprised to see relief on his face, and thinking back, his intonation when he''d asked her hadn''t been concern. ¡°You don''t seem particularly sad.¡±
¡°Selfish of me, but my girlfriend was saying one or both of us should lead a rescue team up there. The track''s quite hard to find, and if you miss it the path just takes you to a lookout spot after about half an hour''s slog. I didn''t want to do that while there''s an increasing number of meteorites coming down on us.¡±
¡°I understand.¡± Sarah said.
¡°I''ve heard that a lot of truthsayers are Christians. Are you one?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Sarah said.
¡°Is it a sin to be glad that someone''s dead? Bearing in mind that man has ruined lives and made fun of the name of Jesus?¡±
¡°Dr Green?¡±
¡°He thought it was funny that the king said we should pray, and repent of our pride. He had a relative, great-great-grand-father or something, who was supposedly an expert in the field, helped set up SpaceGuard, loved by his fellow-staff and students, and so on. None of us loved Dr Green. He worshipped his career and students were sacrificed to that idol.¡±
¡°I presume you don''t mean literally.¡±
¡°I don''t know. He piles on the pressure big-time. Lots of his postgraduates don''t finish. A few years ago one student killed herself after he demolished her experiment ¡ª literally ¡ª because she wasn''t working on his papers. My girlfriend''s got a big forgiving heart and thought we should check when we heard, but I thought, Oh, I just hope God''s got a good aim. Is that a sin?¡±
¡°I don''t think it''s a sin to hope God can aim straight. Doubting it might be. As for whether you should be hoping that a person should die...
"Well there''s a lot of Psalms expressing similar sentiments. It''s not like you were planning to kill him.¡±
¡°If you''d told me he lived, but was wounded, and I''d lied to her, so the rescue squad went the wrong way, and he died, would that have counted as killing him?¡±
¡°What do you think?¡±
¡°I''m glad God has a good aim, and I consider it appropriate that he died from a meteorite strike when he''d said that he had more chances of dying from a meteorite strike than the asteroid had of hitting Earth, no matter what God thought would happen.¡±
¡°He said that?¡±
¡°Yes, regularly for the first few weeks or so. He thought it was a good joke.¡±
¡°I guess God accepted the challenge. And you can thank God that you did not face that temptation, nor have that guilt for the accuser to use against you. But don''t you think you should contact your girlfriend, and tell her he''s beyond saving?¡±
¡°Yes. And I''d better tell the authorities, I guess.¡±
¡°That''s pretty easy.¡± Sarah said. ¡°Dirk!¡±
Dirk looked up from where he was chatting to Pris. ¡°Yes, Truthsayer?¡±
¡°Sorry to interrupt, but it seems there was someone up at the telescope when the meteorite hit. Now deceased, so it''s not urgent enough to put anyone in danger.¡±
¡°Oh, paperwork. I love not doing much paperwork.¡± Pris commented.
¡°Before you get to the paperwork,¡± Sarah said to the young man, ¡°you''ve still got a call to make.¡±
¡°Yes, Maam.¡±
12:23pm, Feb 14th, 2272
The shock-wave from the asteroid as it plunged through the thin air heated the air molecules to plasma. Another fifty kilometers later, when there was bright meteor trail of ionised gas glowing behind it, the forces involved had started to have a more significant effect on the asteroid. It was being heated and squashed at the front, and had a vacuum behind it.
Eventually, at a little over sixteen kilometers above the city whose heart it was aiming towards, these forces became too much. The metal couldn''t withstand them any more and broke up. The smaller fragments leaving the protection of the parent body broke still further too. The entire energy of the projectile, amounting to about five megatons of TNT was transferred to moving and heating the atmosphere.
The closest remotely operated vehicles sent aloft to watch it''s progress for science transmitted their streams of data just before being burned up by the blast of thermal radiation, but that had diminished significantly by the time it reached the ground, and only burned out the detectors of cameras that were trained in its direction. The focussed shock-wave however still had considerable force when it reached the ground.
The atmosphere above our heads normally weighs a little over ten tones per square meter. If you suddenly add even one atmosphere of pressure to one side of the wall of a house, then it will move, quite quickly. The shock wave at its peak was more than that.
Some houses imploded, in others the roof and floors were sheared off and slammed to the ground, while the mangled walls remained standing for a little while. In places where shocked air became trapped, the air then expanded out again as the shock rebounded. Animals and birds died, as their lungs were first crushed and then tried to expand to more than double their normal size.
In evacuation camp three, totally unrelated to the impact, a woman in labour began haemorrhaging, and what had been a routine labour suddenly became an emergency. The surgeons tried to stem the blood-flow while performing an emergency caesarian. They thought they''d succeeded, but just as they presented the little boy to his relived father and mother still woozy from the drugs, the bleeding restarted. The second time, they weren''t able to stop the flow.
The forcefield over the houses beside the Institute for the Human Mind worked almost exactly as intended and survived the impact. Unfortunately, its anchoring to the ground wasn''t sufficient. It moved sideways under the massive forces from the shockwave, severely damaging the row of houses. As it did so, it cut power the power cables to the exterior forcefield put on the institute. The instrumentation showed later on that without the forcefield, the new wing of the institute would have been smashed, and the old wing damaged. As it was the new wing suffered exactly the damage predicted in the visions, which was actually less significant than it had looked.
The hospital building hadn''t been seen in any of the visions. There the forcefield functioned correctly; it survived almost entirely intact. The only damage caused was to the antenna mast that hadn''t been spotted when the height of the forcefield was set. The mast was cut off by the action of the forcefield.
The friends and relatives of the new widower mourned with him, and comforted him. His sister-in-law announced that she''d help look after her deceased sister''s baby. A few weeks later, the bereft widower would realise that she had made long term plans to look after him also.
The dust settled; the city was ruined, but almost everyone had survived. It was time to rebuild.
Association / Ch. 33:Aftermath
Association / Ch. 33:Aftermath
I.H.M. Virtual Staff Meeting, Feb 21st, 2272
¡°Structural survey says OK, security survey says OK.¡± Kate reported to the staff. ¡°And the pipework for the neighbourhood loop is being laid as we speak, but they''ve finished with the Institute bits. In other words, we''re open for business.¡±
¡°What about transport?¡± Ivan asked.
¡°Well, the hypersonic link is going to take a lot of fixing, of course. That''ll probably be a year. Otherwise, the bulldozers have cleared the roads, and transports are up along main routes. So far, they''ve not seen any problems, but they''re testing the sensor networks, just in case.¡±
¡°Wonderful.¡±
¡°I''ve also got a full analysis of what happened during the impact, if anyone wants to know exactly what went wrong with the forcefields,¡± Ivan reported.
¡°Can you give us a one sentence version?¡± Ed asked. ¡°Was it a complete waste of money?¡±
¡°Not at all. Without the fields, we''d have to bulldoze the site. The blastwave was about forty percent stronger than we expected. Bearing in mind that the guess came from what the institute looked like in the visions, and that damage is what we got, that''s not really very surprising. Everyone''s apologizing to a PhD student who predicted it pretty much spot on for not taking his analysis seriously.¡±
¡°But it was too much for the fields?¡±
¡°It was too much for the tent pegs they used. And if they''d used bigger tent pegs then that wouldn''t have helped much, since the metalwork on the emitter array wouldn''t have been strong enough. Basically, it failed because we tried to protect the whole road. But the military guys are pretty happy.¡±
¡°They''re happy that it failed?¡±
¡°They''re happy that it wasn''t the forcefield or the emitter array that failed, but just bits of metal. They said they know where they are with bits of metal.¡±
¡°So, if the forcefield coped, what happed to our wall?¡±
¡°Power came from the plug in the outside wall that the gardeners use. The cable went down that recessed channel, past the front steps, and then round the corner to the emitter array. Health and safety rules meant it had to be screwed to the front of the steps, rather than going along the top of them, so it wouldn''t trip anyone up. We failed to think about what would happen to a piece of cable trapped between a forcefield being dragged along by a pressure wave and a nice concrete step. The cable got cut, no more protection for the wall, so the forcefield just kept on bulldozering more until it had smashed up the dodgy concrete a bit.¡±
¡°What stopped it?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°I''m not sure if it was that the shockwave stopped pushing or the concrete didn''t want to budge mores,¡± Ivan said with a shrug.
¡°And how many of the neighbours'' houses stayed up?¡± John asked.
¡°The ones might have seen standing right after the impact were damaged more badly than you thought. They collapsed when the forcefield was turned off.¡±
¡°So, in other words, the prophesy was fulfilled?¡± John asked.
¡°Yes. A death at the camps, but not related to one tent ruined by a meteorite. Two other meteorites caught by the camp''s forcefields. The institute damaged. Our attempts to beat our underestimated understanding of the problem made the predictions a reality.¡±
¡°Let me state that here and now, I don''t want this to turn into a discussion on my freedom.¡± Will said. There were appreciative groans, and Kate made moved the discussion onto the issue of reopening the Institute.
The Beautiful Peninsula, 1 March 2273
¡°Honoured party member.¡± Tina said to the person being interviewed. ¡°Would you like to reconsider your answer?¡±
¡°Reconsider?¡± the party official acted shocked at the suggestion.
¡°As the Great Leader''s loyal Prime Consort has explained, sir, I am here to verify the truthfulness of responses given. It is not generally prudent to cover up things that will later come to light, and I would much prefer not to give the honourable lady a bad report about your answer.¡±
¡°Perhaps you would like some time to reconsider?¡± the Prime Consort suggested.
¡°I need no more time, lady consort.¡±
¡°Oh, good. So, how often have you used your position to benefit yourself, instead of to your country, or deprived others of what they should have?¡±
¡°Once or twice, lady consort.¡±
Tina frowned. She''d heard ''per week.'' on the end of that. ¡°Seeking to mislead a high party official is a most perilous step.¡±
¡°It is indeed. Explain, quickly.¡±
¡°My son is a teenager, lady consort. He could eat our entire family ration so easily! I have taken extra rations for him.¡± The official admitted, holding his head in shame. ¡°I have stolen from the poor and needy for my son.¡±
¡°Truth.¡± Tina agreed.
¡°Ah. Loyalty to family, it is a powerful motivator, is it not?¡± she was sympathetic. This was not the master criminal who was starving the people of his village. ¡°So, you are in charge of food distribution and one extra portion of rice out of ten thousand does not make so much difference, does it?¡±
¡°That is how I justified it to myself, lady consort.¡±
¡°But there is a bigger problem, is there not?¡±
¡°A bigger problem?¡±
¡°The portion sizes you receive? Are they adequate?¡±
¡°Lady consort, I would not wish to level unjust accusations against those above me...¡±
¡°Sensible policy. So, tell me truth. You have to divide the ration between ten thousand? How large is the portion, normally?¡±
¡°The exact number of portions is ten thousand one hundred and fifty seven. The amount varies, lady consort.¡±
¡°I expect so. How large?¡± There was steel in her voice, and he sensed he should not try to avoid answering. He told her, some days it was three hundred grammes, some days it was four hundred and fifty, but that was rare. Normally it was four hundred grammes per day for adults.
¡°The great leader has decreed that there should always be four hundred and fifty grammes of rice a day for adults, as well as other foods.¡±
¡°I have heard this, lady consort.¡±
¡°Heard, but not seen. You are not consuming the missing tonnes of food. Who is?¡±
¡°I do not know.¡± He added ¡°Rice and other foods can be bought on the black market.¡±
¡°You have done so.¡±
It wasn''t a question, but he answered it anyway. ¡°My son was hungry, lady consort.¡±
¡°Of course he was. He was not getting his allowance. I expect you were too, and many of the other ten thousand one hundred people. Someone had stolen this food you paid for from the delivery to your depot.¡±
¡°I do not know who would do such a thing, lady consort.¡±
¡°I expect it was not your black-market supplier, not directly.¡±
¡°No, lady consort.¡±
¡°I expect he is an honest delivery driver, who knows someone who can exchange some money for food. But of course such a trade is dangerous and he must add to his costs.¡±
¡°No, lady consort. I do not believe he does. He is a not a rich man.¡±
¡°But perhaps he has a hungry son too?¡±
¡°Yes, lady consort. ¡°He could not afford food for his son without the custom of others.¡±
¡°Some party officers would extract his name from you and throw you and him in jail. Instead, I ask you to keep accurate records. Record the amount you receive in your warehouse.¡±
¡°Accurate records, lady consort?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°But...¡±
¡°You have been told that such records would cause you problems?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Who told you this? Your supervisor or your predecessor?¡±
¡°My predecessor, honourable lady, was removed from his position for writing fabrications in the official records. He told me, ''I should have written the official grammes per person.''¡±
¡°I see. You have been in your post for four years?¡±
¡°Yes, honourable lady.¡±
¡°And you have never recorded the true amount?¡±
¡°No.¡±
¡°Reconsider your answer.¡± Tina warned.
¡°Not in the official records, honourable lady. But I must calculate somewhere. I calculate in my diary.¡±
¡°You say you have accurate records, in your diary?¡±
¡°Yes, lady consort.¡± he answered nervously.
¡°Wonderful. Is it here?¡±
¡°It is, honoured lady.¡± his fear growing.
Tina took mercy on him. ¡°Does your diary, perhaps contain more personal material also?¡±
¡°It does.¡± he replied.
¡°Honorable party member.¡± the Prime Consort said, ¡°I''m not interested in your secret plans for correcting the injustices of this world, secret meetings or comments about party officials. I''m interested in collecting enough data to have a public trial that will put an end to this abuse of our people. Your personal records will not be exposed to public scrutiny. But you will now begin the process of writing down the deliveries this past month, starting yesterday and working backwards. If there is a day you do not have a record for, mark it as having no record.¡±
¡°As you wish, honoured lady.¡± the official replied.
Ten minutes later, he''d finished, and the Prime Consort said ¡°And now, so as not to embarrass you too much, my assistant here will check what you''ve written and certify it as a true record.¡±
He turned pale. Tina heard the terror in his thoughts about her recognising the notes he''d done at Church as what they were. ¡°Do not fear me, I''m merely a clerk.¡± she said, holding out her hand for the diary.
The margins, she saw, were filled of his calculations in a neat precise hand.
She paid little attention to his notes, but as she checked his copying, she made dots on the page beside each line. Sometimes she underlined a number as well, sometimes she left out the dots. It wasn''t the most complex code. He should ignore the underlines with dots. If he did, then he''d probably realise they were verses to encourage him, and one to pray for those in authority. Tina wrote that she''d checked it was a true copy, and signed it. The Prime Consort witnessed it, and added a note that the perpetrator had confessed to submitting false records while retaining these correct ones, and was being duly punished for his crime.
¡°Your punishment for your involvement in this crime shall be as follows.¡± She said. ¡°Firstly, you will only submit true records in the future. Secondly, in your own time, you will perform a detailed statistical analysis of the correct records, as far back as you have data, determining if there is any period or pattern to the amounts missing.¡±
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
¡°This is my punishment?¡±
¡°That is part of your punishment. You will be ready to submit it to me when I visit next, probably next week.¡±
¡°I do not understand, great lady, but I will comply.¡±
¡°Good. Now hear the final part of your punishment. You will serve the People of this Beautiful Peninsula to the best of your ability, even when that carries a risk of angering those with power. You will be strong and courageous, and do what you know is right. You will remember that you serve the people, even if there are those in the party who do not. The state is not served by our people suffering from corrupt rice thieves.¡±
He bowed his head, amazed at this mercy from a woman who could have executed him. ¡°I will obey.¡±
¡°My wife, I am still alive.¡± he said, whispering into his wife''s ear.
¡°I''d noticed. Why is this news?¡± she replied in a normal tone.
¡°Because the most honourable lady the Prime Consort visited, and questioned me, with one who knows lies. I was forced to confess my crimes. She was... sympathetic.¡±
¡°Sympathetic?¡± This time, she did whisper.
¡°Yes. And see these blue marks in my diary. The one who knows lies made them.¡±
¡°Odd marks. Why?¡±
¡°She checked my calculations. But look at the numbers where there is no dot.¡±
¡°Four, three, one, six?¡±
¡°Read the numbers together, where there is no gap.¡±
¡°Three sixteen? John?¡±
¡°Yes. It cannot be a conincidence, surely?¡±
¡°What is this last one? I do not recognise it.¡±
¡°Nor do I.¡±
¡°Later, we must find out. But for a sister, to be serving in such a position, it is amazing!¡±
¡°What was she like, the Prime Consort?¡±
¡°She demanded truth, and real numbers. She is certain. She is planning to publicly destroy someone for stealing rice. Your brother should not make a trip soon, I think, he might be caught.¡±
¡°I have told him he should not many times.¡±
¡°The Prime Consort will not be intimidated. The law and party policy is being floulted.¡±
¡°Someone will be dead soon?¡±
¡°I think we should expect a trial. A big one.¡±
¡°Twenty villages, Tina. Twenty villages across the country, and not one receives its correct quota.¡±
¡°Is everyone doing it? Or are they so high they think they have impunity?¡±
¡°Perhaps both. But they are wrong.¡±
¡°Another village?¡±
¡°No. The nearest regional warehouse.¡±
[Tina, how are you?] Eliza asked.
[I am... amazed at the corruption in my country. With the Prime Consort, I have checked. It seems like no village receives the correct amount of food.]
[Becasue town-dwellers or soldiers receive too much?]
[That is possible, but perhaps someone, or many people make themselves rich. Food is being sold on the black market.]
[That bad? Want some help?]
Tina was surprised. [You... offer to help stop corruption here? How?]
[It could be a bad day to redirect massive amounts of rice. Ask the Prime Consort if she wishes for help. She knows you have the power, does she not?]
¡°Lady consort... I have just been asked a surprising question.¡±
¡°Who, in the last village?¡±
¡°No, just now, while I was driving. One who can know too much.¡±
¡°And you wish me to help you answer it?¡±
¡°The question is actually for you. It was an offer of help.¡±
¡°Help?¡±
¡°Yes, honorable lady.¡±
¡°What sort of help?¡±
¡°Just as it there have been bad days in her country to serve in our security force, so it could be a bad day here to steal much rice.¡±
¡°You know this one who contacts you, then?¡±
¡°Yes, she interviewed me to be truthsayer.¡±
¡°She would tell you names?¡±
¡°I do not know.¡±
[No, I will not name names. I will tell you where such people are, which building, which office even, but you must still investigate: they might not be in their own office when I look at them. As here, I''ll assist in that limited way, but I will not do the job of the police or security services.] Tina passed this on.
[And I only offer this because there will be a propper trial.] Eliza added.
[You know this?]
[I know it is her intention. I''m telling you this, but leave it up to you to see if it would be good to pass it on.]
¡°She knows I have executed Christians in the past.¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Tina agreed. ¡°But now you follow a path she approves of.¡±
¡°Ah. And she does not worry that I will use the time she saves me to persecute those she would like to protect?¡±
[If she wants to tempt me to look at what she''s really thinking, she''s going about it the right way.] Tina managed not to laugh, but did smile. [I''m pretty sure she''s just testing.]
¡°What did she respond to that?¡± the Prime Consort asked.
¡°That if you want to tempt her to look at what you''re really thinking, then that is a good way.¡±
¡°And that is funny?¡± the Consort asked.
¡°Not really, respected lady. Temptation to sin is not funny, but temptation acknowledged is usually resisted, and that is a good thing.¡±
¡°You have a strange belief system.¡±
¡°We have a God who is slow to anger, rich in compasion and abounding in love.¡±
Tina said. ¡°It is good to see the enemy defeated.¡±
¡°I am not defeated.¡±
¡°You are not the enemy, compassionate lady. Temptation and doing wrong, they are the enemies. Death is also an enemy, but for those who serve God, it is also a path from this world of pain and horror to a better place, where there are no more tears or pain.¡±
¡°And to those who do not serve your God?¡±
¡°Will you permit me to quote from the Bible?¡±
¡°Ah, clever one. By asking me you share the blame.¡±
¡°No, Lady Consort. I do not seek to share the blame, it is only that I do not know if you are ready to listen to the answer, and hearing the answer means you cannot plead ignorance before the judge of all the world.¡±
¡°I do not want to be ignorant, young one, or I would not ask. Tell me what my elder cousin considers and my driver risks death for.¡±
[Tina, I have to go.] Eliza thought to her. [There are many who grow rich by taking food intended for others, perhaps twenty. The nearest three are in these places {image, image, image}, the one you are heading towards now is in this office here {image}.]
[Thank you.] Tina thought, and then explained the gospel to the most dangerous woman in the country.
Friday, 6 September 2272, 10pm
¡°You have been a busy woman.¡± The Great Leader said to his consort. ¡°Freeing our loyal workers from many corrupt officials.¡±
¡°I have tried.¡±
¡°You have become very popular.¡±
¡°That was not my intention, I was outraged by what I saw. As you were.¡±
¡°But now you have become a power to be reckoned with.¡±
¡°Not independent of you.¡± the consort said ¡°All I did was in your name.¡±
¡°Yes. But still, the corrupt fear you more than me. Because of your pet truthsayer.¡±
¡°She is a loyal worker.¡±
¡°She is also sufficiently pretty, and would make a fitting secondary consort, I think. You have got on well, that friendship would continue. I insist.¡±
It had been Tina''s fear, and the Prime Consort was fore-armed. ¡°She would hear your every thought, even those when you become distracted by matters of policy. If you sleep beside her, she would hear your thoughts then also. She would not be able to avoid it unless you never touched her.¡±
¡°You are not in favour, then.¡±
¡°You have never discussed your every thought with me, in all our time together. There are reasons for that. Do you trust her so much as that? Is she so desirable that you ignore all caution?¡±
¡°You have never wanted me to take another consort.¡± It was as much a challenge as simple truth.
¡°An heir is necessary. I understand that need. I will not object to another, but you would really share your intimate thoughts, your plans, all with her?¡±
¡°Yet you trust her.¡±
¡°Trust? I understand her motives, and I do not use her in ways she would object to, so I keep her tame. But to call her a pet is a good analogy. She is like a bear on a leash, so easily she could be dangerous, so easily she could be a spy. And you would never, ever, find out.¡±
¡°A spy?¡±
¡°She can pass a message or an image in a touch. Even without that, to one of those who found our agents in February.¡±
¡°But why would such a one contact her?¡±
¡°If she becomes your consort, why should they not? It is not like she is unknown to them.¡±
¡°What do you say?¡±
¡°I thought you knew, all truthsayers are vetted by them, have their motivations examined, at all levels of thought. The one who vetted her contacts her from time to time. This I know, and so I keep her from secrets and use her to terrorise the corrupt. They do not think of national secrets when they believe their lives are in danger.¡±
¡°She is not to be trusted, then.¡±
¡°Not beyond my present use of her.¡±
¡°You have known this about her, that she is in contact with these foreign powers long?¡±
¡°She made no secret of it to me. The foreign power, as you name that one, has also helped. Giving hints of where else I might look for corruption.¡±
¡°You have been unwise, my consort.¡±
¡°I am yours to correct.¡±
¡°Your pursuit of this goal, instructed by this unfriendly power, has removed some of our top generals.¡±
¡°Corrupt generals, Great One, those who severely abused their power. And I have interviewed all generals. Most have abused their position in some way, of course, but I only removed those whose crimes were the greatest, and only with your consent.¡±
¡°Most are corrupt?¡±
¡°I did not want to bother you with all their problems. They have been warned, and their behaviour improves. Our soldiers and workers better fed, the generals are not drunk as often on illegally bought drinks. I hope that if I can continue in this task, then people will be more afraid of the consequences of failing to report stupidities than the consequences of insulting a party member who has failed in their duty.¡±
¡°But you use a tainted tool, this untrustworthy truthsayer.¡±
¡°Are not all powerful tools tainted?¡±
¡°You speak ill of yourself, too?¡±
She laughed, bitterly. ¡°Oh yes, my lover. Is it not a fault in me that I have borne no child?¡±
¡°It is. Do you have a counter-solution to the one you warn me against?¡±
She''d considered this too. She didn''t want to saddle an innocent with this monster, it would be better to pick someone who had already ruined themselves for marriage. Perhaps they''d even consider themselves fortunate. ¡°I do: look to the abortion clinics and pick a foolish girl who has a proven track record of conceiving.¡±
¡°Why the abortion clinics?¡±
¡°You do not want to raise another''s child, surely? You could pick one who did not know who the father was, or whose lover has died. Those are common reasons for such visits in the villages.¡±
¡°I could of course simply pick any pretty mother, and kill any children and lovers or husbands. Why do you suggest one whose lover is dead?¡±
¡°Because having you wake up with a knife in the heart is not part of the plan. You want someone who looks on you as a benefactor, do you not?¡±
¡°Ah. Once more you are several steps ahead of me.¡±
¡°I have considered the problem.¡±
¡°But you said nothing.¡±
¡°I had my hopes this conversation would not happen.¡±
¡°You should have suggested it to me earlier.¡±
¡°I am at your service.¡±
¡°You think too independently, Prime Consort. Come closer.¡± He stroked her body familiarly, and then clamped his right hand around her neck. ¡°It is a good suggestion. I will take it, with some modifications of my own. One is too risky, there will be three, in competition for my affections and to bear my progeny. Now, what about you? Shall I kill you myself? You deserve it, making your secret plans and harbouring one who is so dangerous close to me. But I would not want to make the corrupt think they have my favour. So... I will not kill you.¡± He released his grip a little, and she struggled to draw a breath. ¡°But of course you must be punished. You are now... justice minister. Continue your purges after you recover from being brutally raped.¡±
Tina was wakened just past midnight by a loud thud on the door of her apartment. There was then the sound of coarse laughter and heavy boots leaving. Then, a whimper, it might have been her name. Hesitantly, she opened the door. She gasped at the broken figure, covered in drying blood.
¡°Lady Consort!¡± Tina whispered, in shock.
[No more. I will be justice minister.] she replied, trying to not move her broken jaw.
The sound of machine gun fire cut through the night. Tina started, drawing a wince from her friend [I expected that, no witnesses. Our prayers are answered, I no longer need to suffer his touch, and nor will you. He is clever, diabolically clever. He wants to keep us together, continue the purge. So I have been brutally raped and disfigured and so can no longer be prime consort.]
¡°Who did this to you?¡±
[He beat me, cut me with a nice clean scalpel. Then he rubbed me with salt, raped me and handed me to those soldiers who are now dead, telling them to bring me here, afterwards. Stupid boys didn''t think what would come next. One was decent, didn''t rape me, tried to carry me gently. He should have run. Maybe he did, I told him to.]
¡°You need an ambulance.¡±
[Not yet, pray he got away first.]
A concerned soldier crept through the outer door, concentrating on checking that no one was following him. He turned, saw Tina, and froze. ¡°I.... I had to check the lady had help.¡±
¡°She has help.¡± Tina confirmed.
¡°He told me... us...¡±
¡°I know. And now you should be dead.¡±
¡°The others are.¡±
¡°Justice.¡± the former Prime Consort whispered.
¡°I''m sorry, lady. I couldn''t protect you. Shall I get help?¡±
¡°You should go, flee.¡± Tina said ¡°When they find you''re not with the rest of your squad...¡±
¡°They''re not my squad. We were just returning to barracks at the same time. They had been drinking.¡±
¡°But not you?¡± Tina asked.
¡°No. I... I pretended I had been. You are the truthsayer?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°My father says good things of you. Please, let me help. If I am to suffer, let it be for doing good.¡±
He had no wrist unit on. ¡°Call an ambulance.¡± Tina instructed, nodding towards her open door. He came out, shortly afterwards, and silently handed Tina her Bible. She had dangerously left it on her desk, beside the phone. She put it in her dressing gown pocket. Undoubtedly the police would search her house.
¡°I am sorry, they asked how I came to be here.¡± he flushed. ¡°I said I was visiting you, and we heard a disturbance outside.¡±
[A good excuse. But he is far too well dressed.]
¡°Put your boots and jacket inside.¡± Tina told him.
¡°You are not angry?¡± he asked, after he had complied. He offered a cushion for the wounded ex-consort, allowing Tina to stand.
¡°It is a good excuse, let''s make it more realistic. Come here.¡± She untucked his shirt, and undid his top collar. Then, grabbing her lipstick from the cubby hole beside the door, she applied a very thin layer to her lips, and much to his surprise kissed him on the neck.
¡°We kissed, and held one another.¡± she said. ¡°No more.¡±
¡°There has never been more.¡± he agreed. ¡°It was our first evening together. But.. your bed. You were asleep?¡±
¡°Yes... That was earlier, before you came.¡±
¡°You''d thought I wasn''t coming?¡±
¡°I''d had a busy day, and had forgotten. We only met yesterday.¡±
¡°No good. I was on exercises. Last week?¡±
¡°Much better. So, I thought you were coming back tomorrow, and fell asleep early. You waited for me, and then came to visit when I didn''t turn up, and woke me up. What do we have in common?¡±
¡°The same God, I think.¡± he whispered.
¡°You are a Christian?¡± It made sense, but she hadn''t wanted to ask.
¡°Yes. That''s why I pretended to be drunk ¡ª I''d been at a meeting.¡±
¡°Praise God!¡± the ex-consort murmured.
¡°My name is Tina.¡±
¡°Lee.¡±
¡°We bumped into each other, literally. I was carrying some papers, you helped me pick them up.¡±
¡°I invited you out.¡±
¡°I heard your good intentions and accepted.¡±
¡°We had no intention of going to bed together tonight. You are not that sort of woman. We merely talked.¡±
¡°Absolutely. Except I kissed you. I was all embarrassed for getting the day wrong, and then embarrassed at kissing you as soon as I saw you.¡± An idea struck her. ¡°You said I''d met your family?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Where? When?¡±
¡°A month ago.¡± he named the village.
¡°With the waterfall?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Good. Hold my hand and think of images of home, of your family.¡±
¡°Like this?¡±
¡°Imagine you''re giving them to me. Yes. That''s good. More, it can be faster.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Thoughts are fast.¡± He thought of a place, then a girl, then the feeling of Tina kissing him. ¡°Stop getting distracted. The girl is your sister?¡±
¡°First girlfriend,¡± he said, and Tina saw his memory of the sun in her hair as they shared a first kiss. ¡°She was killed.¡± Executed for her faith, in a raid on her church when he wasn''t there.
¡°We talked about her too. You kissed her under a tree full of blossom.¡±
¡°You saw that, too?¡±
¡°Yes. I asked you about her, you miss her still.¡±
¡°I do.¡± This Tina was a kind person, and pretty.
¡°I sympathised with you. That should be enough. Thank you.¡±
¡°What for?¡±
¡°The compliments.¡± Tina replied, and settled down beside her wounded friend once more, touching her hand.
[You haven''t set your next date.]
¡°Lady...¡±
[Hope does not fail, even though I don''t know what they broke. And God wills that life continue, does he not?]
Tina sighed. ¡°The lady asks, when will we next meet?¡±
¡°Tomorrow?¡±
¡°Yes. And what time?¡±
¡°I will be off-duty at six. Does meeting you here work?¡± He asked. Then, when she said of course, he did a double check. ¡°Really? I mean this isn''t just to tell the police?¡±
¡°We must meet at the time we tell the police, and also afterwards. They will watch.¡±
¡°That is true. I''m sorry, I should have said something else.¡±
¡°God is sovereign.¡± Tina pointed out.
Association / Ch. 34:Epilogue (flash-foward five years.)
Association / Ch. 34:Epilogue (flash-foward five years.)
Wednesday 12th December 2277, 8.30am.
Maggie Right was waiting for Lilly as she arrived at work, and dragged her to a private corner.
¡°Lilly, given the recent regime change you played reporter for, among other roles, of course, and the consequential reduction in threat to you, it looks like you''re going to be a busy woman for the next month or two. Quite possibly longer.¡±
¡°And there I thought I was out of that stuff and back to normal work. Do I laugh or cry?¡±
¡°A bit of both, I expect. But you''ll have a change of scenes, anyway. You''ve been assigned to the diplomatic corps. And I don''t know if it''s good news or not, but as part of it, you''re finally going to spend some time in your passport country. Shocking, eh? Departure is on Saturday.¡±
¡°Oh! Wow. Jet-lag for an early Christmas present. Any other bomb-shells?¡±
¡°It doesn''t make much sense to me, but it said ''First impressions count. Enjoy using the piano.''¡±
¡°What does that mean?¡±
¡°No idea, except that I guess there''s a piano there.¡±
¡°I meant the first bit.¡±
¡°Maybe that you''ve got to be on your best behaviour, or something?¡±
¡°Maybe. Dress smartly?¡±
¡°That goes without saying, diplomatic corps being what they are. But might it mean that you really should use the piano?¡±
¡°I can do that. But I hate it when H.Q. gets this mysterious.¡±
¡°Oh, this didn''t come from H.Q. See the little crown? This came from the palace.¡±
¡°Oh, and see the ''M'' beside it?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°Yes? From Maria, surely?¡±
¡°She always puts a dot after her initial. My guess is it''s from my anonymous voice, Mystery. It''s her style.¡±
¡°So what does it mean?¡±
¡°That she''s plotting something. There''s a surprise.¡± her voice dripped sarcasm. ¡°Hmm. It doesn''t say how long the temporary posting is, just ''minimum 3 weeks''.¡±
¡°My advice: put your stuff into boxes. That way shipping them is easy if someone decides it''s going to be years instead of weeks.¡±
Saturday 15th December 2277, 5pm
Bleary eyed from sleep ¡ª he''d been on night duty, Bob picked up the phone.
¡°Sorry to wake you up Bob, special assignment for you, just come in.¡± his supervisor said ¡°You''re going to be on diplomatic protection duty.¡±
¡°Diplomatic protection?¡±
¡°Yep. Your special skills have come to the notice of the palace, apparently. Plus of course, rumour has it you''re not as fit as you used to be.¡± He waved down Bob''s protest. ¡°So, you''re going to be guide, nursemaid, bodyguard and so on to some of our diplomatic staff as they scout out a potential conference venue and the surrounding facilities. Lots of bug hunting, checking out everything is safe, and you''ve got about two hours to pack your bags.¡±
¡°But.... I''ve had this evening and all day tomorrow booked off for a month! I''m supposed to be leading worship at Church.¡±
¡°Sorry. You''ll have to call in a favour or three. You''re going to be away until well into the new year.¡±
Bob opened his mouth to object, but heard a voice.
[Finally he''s awake and already protesting! I''ve been trying to warn you on and off for hours, Bob, but you didn''t want to wake up.]
[Hello, Mystery, you are involved in this?]
[Don''t protest too much, Bob, please. I need you to go there.] Eliza thought.
[What for?]
[You''ll see.] was all the reply he got.
¡°You OK, Bob?¡± his supervisor asked.
¡°Urm, yeah. Just... Oh well, there''s not much point in objecting is there?¡±
¡°Not when the origin is the palace, no.¡±
¡°I''d better pack. So much for an extra hour''s sleep.¡±
¡°I let you sleep as long as I dared, but you''re packing for three weeks minimum.¡±
It was, Bob saw from the briefing notes, quite a complex site. A hotel, a number of restaurants, plus the ones in the town, and there were also ample opportunities for getting fit ¡ª a weights room, pool, running track, and even a mountain to walk up. That sounded tempting for his time off. He admitted he hadn''t been as active as he should have been recently, but then who could be when you were stuck playing protection officer? So maybe that was where that jibe had come from. He''d certainly plan to make use of those facilities.
Of course, all those locations gave ample opportunities to get assassinated or bugged too, if they were serious about this being a venue for a conference. No wonder Mystery was going to get involved; he''d have his work cut out when he was on duty.
Saturday 15th December 2277, 7pm
Lilly was met by an agent from Internal Security as she got off the plane, and was guided to a waiting vehicle. So much for exploring the arrivals hall with the rest of the passengers, she thought.
¡°Get in quickly, please, maam.¡±
¡°My bags?¡±
¡°If you could identify them as it comes off the luggage transport, that''d be perfect.¡±
¡°I wasn''t expecting this. Is there some kind of security alert?¡±
¡°Don''t worry, we''re just using you to practice on. You get a form to fill in later about what worked well and what didn''t.¡±
What didn''t work was the airport staff had been more efficient than expected.
¡°That might have been one of my bags, disappearing now.¡± Lilly said as they got to the handling area.
¡°Wonderful. That happened last week too.¡± the agent groaned. ¡°The good news is I know what to do. Can I have your luggage receipt?¡±
He took it to a scanner and then entered a code.
¡°Special treatment for my luggage as well?¡±
¡°Yes. I think we''ll just plan on it working this way.¡±
After the journey to the conference facility, Lilly and the other diplomatic staff were shown the small kitchen where they could find food if their body-clocks needed it, and then to their rooms. Lilly grabbed a slice of bread and decided it was time to sleep, no matter what the clock said.
Sunday 16th December 2277, 6am
It didn''t make sense in any time zone she could think of, but Lilly was awake. She decided that she''d put her alertness to use, and explore the facilities. She went to the kitchen, and made herself a drink. Meals, she decided should happen at the right time, but she was thirsty. From there she found the meeting room, and saw in the corner what must have been the piano mentioned in the message. She''d assumed it would be an electric piano, though more impressive than the one than she had in her flat, of course. Immediately, she realised she had been wrong. It was full concert-sized grand piano. Someone had left it open, and she could see it wasn''t electrical. The strings glittered in the light. The wood just begged to be touched, and she couldn''t resist. Nor, having touched the wood, and having run her fingers over the curves, could she resist sitting on the stool, and stroking the keys. It was a beautiful, magnificent instrument, and she very very softly played a few notes, then a few more. The sound was amazing, and she played on, losing herself in the music.
¡°That was beautiful,¡± a voice, male, said behind her. ¡°and also my favourite hymn.¡±
Lilly blushed ¡°I hope I didn''t wake anyone. I wasn''t going to play anything but...¡±
¡°I can''t play the piano, but... it just begs you to sit down and try, doesn''t it?¡± Bob replied. ¡°I''m Bob, by the way. I guess I''m here to keep you safe, assuming you''re diplomatic corps.¡±
¡°Lilly. Yes, I''m diplomatic corps.¡± she offered her hand and he shook it, noticing it was gloved, like his.
He decided it would be interesting to know if she wore gloves for peace of mind or just for peace and quiet. She, in turn decided she might tell him if he heard her.
¡°It looks like we have something else in common, beyond liking the way this piano sounds.¡± he said, grinning at her. He realised she looked familiar, very familiar, and he hid his thoughts in surprise. ¡°I urm, don''t suppose you''re from the Beautiful Peninsula, are you?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°And you''re a Christian, hear thoughts, and you joined the Service just before the impact?¡±
¡°I''m sure we''ve never met, but... yes.¡±
¡°Then I need to thank you for getting me to Church, making me listen for the first time in my life to what Christians were saying, and so ultimately being saved.¡±
¡°But we''ve never met!¡± Lilly protested.
¡°I know. I''ve been hoping to meet you for a long time though. Have you thought-spoken to Mystery Voice?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°You can blame her.¡±
¡°What for?¡±
¡°Convincing me that if I ever met you, it would be nice to be a Christian rather than an atheist.¡±
Lilly looked at him strangely. ¡°You''re not making a whole lot of sense.¡±
¡°Want the whole story? I am off duty now, by the way.¡±
¡°You''ve been on night-shift?¡±
¡°Yes. And you''ve got jetlag?¡±
¡°Yes. How did you know?¡±
¡°Well, most people aren''t bright and alert at this time of a Sunday morning, and Mystery did say you needed to stay where the People''s State thought you ought to be.¡±
¡°You seem to know a lot about me.¡±
¡°Not much more than that. I didn''t know your name, even,¡± he shook his head. ¡°I can''t believe we''re finally meeting.¡±
¡°So what else did you know?¡± Lilly asked.
¡°Intelligent, emotionally strong like pretty much everyone I''ve met from there, and she strongly hinted that you used to work with their intelligence services. And could expect to be assassinated if I let on about that. She didn''t tell me you played the piano though.¡±
¡°Hmm. Is that important?¡± It had sounded like it was, which was seriously worrying.
¡°It''s probably a good thing, actually.¡±
She thought a bit about that and said ¡°I really hope you''re not going to tell me you''ve been mooning after me since you first heard of me or something brain-dead like that are you?¡±
¡°Not quite. But if Mrs interfering Mystery Voice had told me you did, then I might have been.¡±
¡°Mrs?¡±
¡°She''s married.¡±
¡°And why do you call her interfering?¡±
¡°My first job as a real truthsayer. ''Hello Bob, this soldier isn''t an agent, but the guy next to her is.'' Is that interfering or what?¡±
¡°You''re the truthsayer who''s been checking the People''s State soldiers?¡±
¡°Yes. Why?¡±
¡°My mum''s been telling me all about you.¡±
¡°Your mum? Hold on, you''re not going to tell me your mum is Mrs Ambassador?¡±
¡°That''s her.¡±
¡°So, urm, what did she say about me?¡±
¡°That you really worried her the first day, but after that you settled down and stopped asking all the pretty soldier-girls out.¡±
¡°Hey, it was only the one, and I had just offered to cut off her hands and feet.¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°The rules said weapons needed to go in the bag, She said they were weapons, I made a joke, Mystery pointed out it might not be funny.¡±
¡°And then you asked her on a date?¡±
¡°When I found out she was a thought-hearer. It used to be a policy of mine, when I met a pretty thought-hearer. And she wasn''t just pretty, she was funny too.¡±
¡°What happened then?¡±
¡°Your mum and Mystery both seriously got on my case, pointed out that it wasn''t exactly going to be safe for anyone at the embassy if there was another defection.¡±
The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°Mum actually said another defection?¡±
¡°I think she did, yes.¡±
¡°Who heard her?¡±
¡°Just me and Su-Ki.¡±
¡°And Su-Ki wasn''t going to say anything by the time she got home.¡±
¡°You know things I don''t, obviously.¡±
¡°Oh, I know loads of things you don''t, Bob. It comes of being a spy, infiltrator, systems hacker, counter-agent, and various other things.¡±
¡°Sounds like an adrenaline-packed life.¡± The way he said it, she got the feeling that he didn''t like adrenaline.
¡°I''m really looking forward to not needing to look over my shoulder.¡±
¡°I bet. At least in witness protection I can be fairly sure that once I retire no one''s going to be aiming anything at me, and that when I''m being shot at its not really personal.¡±
¡°You get shot at often?¡±
¡°Only a few times a year. Wounded one attack in four or five, I guess. So far it''s not been serious or the medics have got to me on time.¡±
He went up a few notches in her estimation with that. He obviously didn''t panic in the face of danger. ¡°So you know all about adrenaline too.¡±
¡°Wears after a while, doesn''t it?¡±
¡°Indeed. So, Su-Ki ditched you?¡±
¡°No. We agreed it would only be a one-off meal. I showed her some sights, took her to a nice restaurant, and told her she''d better not kiss me at the end of the evening or it''d get really difficult.¡±
¡°You liked her, then.¡±
¡°Of course. I mean, she got a tick in all my boxes except the piano. Mystery rather dumped cold water on my hormones by pointing out that a lot of things I find really attractive in women come together in your part of the planet, so it wasn''t exactly that she was unique in the world. Then, she didn''t kiss me, I was able to control myself, and we said goodbye, thanks, it''s been fun.¡±
¡°And while you were crying yourself to sleep, Mystery told you about me?¡±
¡°Urm, no, actually. That''d been earlier.¡±
¡°Earlier?¡±
¡°When I was on my emotional roller-coaster: ''Oh wow, she''s perfect, I didn''t used to believe in love at first sight, but this is it, she''s the one, and both Mystery and Mrs Ambassador are trying to separate us.'' That''s when she pointed out my boxes weren''t that special, and she thought me a picture of you to make her point.¡±
¡°Hold on. I don''t get the logic. I''ve seen Su-Ki''s picture, she''s a beautiful woman. You''re saying that Mystery showed you a picture of me and said see, there''s other women who aren''t quite as pretty but you might meet her one day?¡±
¡°She didn''t say you weren''t as pretty, Lilly. She asked me what I thought on the matter, and I made her promise she''d arrange for us to meet.¡±
¡°And in return you promised you''d become a Christian?¡±
¡°In return I promised I''d listen. And I did, too, and obeyed the truth.¡±
¡°I shouldn''t ask this.¡± Lilly started, then changed her mind ¡°No I won''t.¡±
¡°You don''t think you''re beautiful?¡± he asked, surprised.
¡°Oh! I can hardly breathe because of all the suitors who surround me.¡± Lilly said, dramatically, then looked around. ¡°Oh look, they''re invisible, no, I forgot, there hasn''t been one in years.¡±
¡°Nice to know I''m at the head of the queue then.¡± Switching to her mother tongue he asked ¡°Light of my dawn, will you offer me some hope? Will you eat with me one meal, and then allow me to ask this again?¡±
Lilly aimed a finger at him and said in English, ¡°You, sir, have been seriously living in a fantasy world if you''ve committed that to memory just on the off-chance you''d meet me.¡±
He replied in her mother tongue ¡°I have been truthsayer for immigration these past five years. It is good for a truthsayer to know the language of the client, is it not? There is often a lot of time to waste in witness protection. And your father allowed me to practice with the soldiers when I was not on duty.¡±
¡°He is cunning, this one, who flatters me in this way. How can a girl in a foreign land refuse to talk her mother tongue to a friend of her father''s?¡±
¡°Is that a ''yes''?¡±
¡°One meal.¡± Lilly agreed.
¡°Then I can ask again?¡±
¡°I''m sure you can.¡±
¡°Would you like that first meal to be breakfast, or a trip to a proper restaurant? Which, I at least, am required to visit by my duties.¡±
¡°Breakfast at the canteen is hardly a date.¡±
¡°That''s what I was thinking, but, still, it needs to be eaten.¡±
¡°So... just how long have you been awake?¡±
¡°I''ve been on nights a while. I got about five hour''s sleep yesterday afternoon, rudely awakened and told I needed to come here, and then I got another hour''s nap on the train yesterday.¡±
¡°And then straight on duty?¡±
¡°Pretty much.¡±
¡°And when are you next on duty? Ten tonight?¡±
He grinned. ¡°It just so happens that I''m getting switched to daytime, so I''m not on duty until tomorrow morning.¡±
¡°But you do need to catch up on sleep sometime.¡± she pointed out.
He shrugged. ¡°I''m used to it, I adjust pretty quickly. Especially if I keep active. What are your plans for the day?¡±
¡°Eat breakfast, find a church. I was wondering about how hard it would be to get up that little mountain over there.¡±
¡°According to the guide book, it''s ''an energetic four hour climb to the top, not suitable for the very young or those who can''t climb stiles''. I already looked.¡±
¡°And memorised it too. That doesn''t quite fit into the after-lunch slot, does it?¡±
¡°Not if you want to walk home in the light, no.¡±
¡°Bother.¡±
¡°There is however, the option of a packed lunch, and one of the local churches runs two services, with the first meeting starting at nine, finishes at ten thirty. That was my plan, and I would not object to company at all.¡±
¡°You really are pushing your luck, aren''t you? You think that just because you want to climb the same mountain as me, know how do to it today, and I''ve agreed to a nice meal in and expensive restaurant that I''m willing to spend the whole day with you?¡±
¡°I thought it was a God-given opportunity, and I''d be a fool not to suggest it. We could climb up separately, of course.¡±
¡°What? Don''t you know anything about mountain safety?¡± Lilly accused ¡°You should always go in a group.¡±
¡°And of course your safety is my responsibility.¡± Bob pointed out reasonably.
¡°What happened to being off duty?¡±
¡°Oh, that''s going to be a wonderful defence. ''Sorry your majesties, but I was off duty so I didn''t object to her sprinting off up the mountain on her own.''¡±
¡°What are the protection rules here? Not to mention the risks?¡±
¡°Protection rules are that if you''re off site, and going to somewhere declared entirely safe, then you tell someone and check in regularly. Otherwise, you get accompanied. Risks? I''ve no idea, except we''re not planning for a nuclear strike as far as I can tell.¡±
¡°And on-site is safe?¡±
¡°Not entirely. There are too many corners, not to mention un-scanned areas. That''s what I was doing last night ¡ª bug hunting.¡±
¡°Find any?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Where?¡±
¡°But they all had six legs. No, I tell a lie, there were some spiders too.¡±
She hid her thoughts and thumped him.
¡°Hey!¡±
¡°No adrenaline at six-thirty A.M. It''s not funny.¡±
¡°Sorry.¡±
¡°Actually, it was, but there was too long a delay.¡±
¡°I''ll remember that.¡±
¡°You''ve got a good memory.¡±
¡°I try.¡±
¡°So... Mystery showed you my picture?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I wonder where she got it from.¡±
¡°I guessed was a passport or I.D. picture, you know, neutral expression. I think the question is more how. She said you were one of the latest civil service members, told me you were a thought-hearer, and it seemed like she was looking you up before she showed me your picture.¡±
¡°You knew she was married. How?¡±
¡°She said so, when I was all furious about being told to back away from Su-Ki.¡±
¡°And she''s Security, obviously.¡±
¡°Not when I was introduced to her.¡±
¡°No?¡±
¡°I think the description was not in Security, not in the Royal family, but trusted. And of course, in the palace a lot.¡±
¡°Maybe someone high up in Auditing, then?¡±
¡°I''m sure Maria would count Auditing as Security.¡±
¡°Maria gave you that description?¡±
¡°Yes. Gave everyone in Security with the power that description, actually. Mystery made sure that not even the royal family knew who she was contacting to invite them to that meeting, apparently. Protecting our privacy.¡±
¡°I do wonder who she is.¡± Lilly said.
¡°For all I know, she''s the queen''s chief lady in waiting or something like that.¡±
¡°With access to top level security stuff. Like my file. That''s worrying.¡±
¡°Lilly, she''s got the gift. I guess their Majesties decided that if they weren''t going to banish her from the palace, they needed to trust her.¡±
¡°Bob, I''ve got a friend with the gift. A good friend, as in, knock on her door and slouch on her sofa to watch films or pray about things. She doesn''t have immediate access to my file as far as I know. And I don''t think she could pull strings to get us assigned to the same place. That''s all I''m saying.¡±
¡°You think she did?¡±
¡°You did say you made her promise to arrange for us to meet.¡±
¡°True, I hadn''t thought this might be because of her. It seems too... well, sensible that we both be here. So, she''s got access to surprising things, and maybe she can request things get done too.¡±
¡°Yes. I didn''t think you''d got anyone in your government or civil service with access like that, like some grand vizier. It''s... a bit scary, I guess.¡±
¡°Well, Maria has, and the other heads of department.¡±
¡°But they are in Security. People know who they are. Mystery seems to be some power beside the throne.¡± Lilly pointed out.
¡°So maybe Mystery is someone we know about, but her having the gift isn''t known.¡±
¡°Yes, but who? I can''t think of anyone.¡±
¡°You don''t like my idea of the queen''s chief lady in waiting?¡± Bob asked.
¡°No. For one thing, she sounds too young. For the other, my friend with the gift has told me that (a) I don''t need to know and (b) I''ve heard of her. I don''t know if the queen has a chief lady in waiting.¡±
¡°Nor do I, actually.¡± Bob admitted. ¡°But as your friend has pointed out, you don''t really have a need to know.¡±
¡°But what clearance level does she have? What gives her the right to go flipping through what''s in my file, and decide to share it with a slightly deranged witness protection officer?¡±
¡°Slightly deranged?¡± Bob asked.
¡°Well? You''ve been hanging onto the idea that we''d meet for the past five years, not looking at other girls, changing your religion, even learning my language for goodness sake! That''s a serious obsession, you''ve got there, Bob.¡±
¡°Oh look who''s got an over-inflated opinion of herself! I said, I learnt your language for work. I didn''t want to have to rely on your mum or Mystery as interpreter, it was too uncertain. And who said I''d not looked at other girls?¡±
¡°You have?¡±
¡°Well, there was Su-Ki, if you remember, who it was very very hard to say goodbye to, even after I''d seen your photo. And I went out with a woman called Pam for a while, but it didn''t work out very well. We decided it wasn''t going to work last Easter.¡±
¡°Oh. Sorry. OK, so you''re not a complete obsessive.¡± Lilly felt relieved, he did seem a nice person, and her mother had spoken well of him. ¡°But still... the point remains...¡±
[That I shouldn''t have authority to know and trust?] Mystery asked [Sorry for butting in, I was going to talk to Bob about something. Lilly, I did get given that authority, though, and it wasn''t something I asked for. And if you two would only get in a position where you can hear each others thoughts, then a proper conversation would be much easier. No, Lilly, that''s not what I had in mind, and you''ll really get Bob''s hopes up if you do. Bob, do remember Lilly is quite capable of putting you back in hospital, so be good. Go find a metal railing or something!]
[Yes, mum.] Bob thought.
[He calls that being good?] Eliza responded.
[What did he do?] Lilly asked.
[Replied ''yes, mum''. Oh well, I suppose it''s better than ''interfering God-botherer''.]
Bob led the way to a glass-walled staircase with a stainless steel banister. Since it was facing the dawn they even had a reason to stay there. It looked like the sunrise would be pretty.
[So did you interfere to arrange that we meet?] Lilly asked.
[If you call it interfering to ask ''Why isn''t Bob being sent?'' But I must admit asking God to make it possible to keep my promise a few months ago.]
[Just how long were you eves-dropping?] Lilly asked.
[You were saying that our mutual friend told you you didn''t need to know, and imaging me to be a shadowy figure behind the scenes.]
[Well, you are aren''t you?] Lilly pointed out.
[No. I feature in the news quite enough thank you.] Eliza said.
[Bob said you weren''t in the royal family, weren''t in Security. You''re a politician?]
[Lilly, can I look deeper? Find out why this is so important to you? Do you like knowing secrets that could get you arrested if you mis-speak? I thought you''d been really relieved that you didn''t need to be scared of speaking some of them any more? It is not publicly known that I have the power, let alone the gift.]
[Your secrecy about your real name is for our benefit?] Bob asked.
[Of course! I don''t want my friends vanished to a think-tank. Oh Bother!]
[You didn''t want to say that?] Lilly thought.
[Exactly. Auditing will have very strong words with you if you tell that knowing my identity and having loose lips will get to a one-way trip to a think tank. I know neither of you have loose lips, and I''ve obviously decided to trust you with that much dangerous information, you poor things.]
[If we value our freedom, we now try to forget we learned that, Lilly.] Bob said. Sensing some confusion from Lilly, he thought [Mystery, I am right in thinking that Auditing would not be involved if Lilly thought her friend''s name to me, aren''t I?]
[Not in the same way, Bob. They might want to take an interest for reasons Lilly knows, but not in the same sledgehammer way. So, Lilly? Do you want to take Bob''s advice?]
[It''s going to keep on nagging at me, Mystery. I trust you but for some reason I feel really uncomfortable not knowing. Feel free to find out why.]
Eliza looked at Lilly''s heart. Lilly''s concerns made perfect sense.
[Bob, would you like to hazard a guess why Lilly finds it really uncomfortable not knowing who can read her record? Actually Lilly, it was your asylum application, but the principle''s the same.]
[I guess she''s worried about a secret system behind the public state.] Bob said. [She''s afraid she''s misjudged our system, that we''re more like home than she thought she knew.]
[And the discussion of auditing has done nothing to calm her fears.] Eliza added. [Bob, sorry. Lilly has a psychological need to know, and you''re going to hear too.]
[Hey! Keep me out of this!] Bob objected.
[Really? You''re going to keep your thoughts entirely hidden every time you watch a sunrise beside Lilly, or spend any time together? You''re going to decide never to share thoughts? Bob, either you keep well away from Lilly, or I tell you together. I don''t get in trouble for deciding to trust. You two don''t have that privilege.]
[Can you at least let us have breakfast first?¡± Bob asked. ¡°I really hate learning official secrets on an empty stomach, not to mention having to queue up in a canteen just after hearing them.¡±
[Official secrets?] Lilly asked.
[That''s the only thing that fits Mystery''s description of Auditing''s reaction, Lilly] Bob thought. [Mystery''s name has been declared an official secret.]
[Enjoy your breakfast together, you two.] Eliza thought.
[Who said it''d be together?] Lilly asked, in mock ire [The presumption!].
[You thought it, Lilly. And Bob''s right, by the way. Well, sort of. My name''s fairly well known, but that I have the gift isn''t.]
[Thank you for saying you''ll tell me, Mystery.] Lilly said [Perhaps it would be better if you waited until after Church, too. Bob and I are hoping to go up a mountain after that, so we''ll have more time to get over the shock before we''re in public. Though, I did think that perhaps we ought to invite others too. It looks like it might be a beautifully clear day.]
[Well, I''ll try. I''m not sure how busy I''ll be later on. If I can''t call, I''ll tell you later, OK? Have a lovely walk up the mountain. I must say I am glad you two have met. Oh, what do you think of that piano, Lilly?]
[It''s beautiful, and the tone! It''s fantastic!]
[You''ve played it already?] Eliza asked.
[Only my favourite hymn.] Bob answered.
[And have you played for her, Bob?]
[Not yet, Mystery.]
[{Curiosity} You play an instrument too?] Lilly asked.
[Saxophone.] Bob replied.
[{Suspicion} Mystery... did you set this up?] Lilly asked.
[What?]
[Do you play jazz, Bob?] Lilly asked. It sounded like an accusation.
[It has been known to happen.] Bob replied, deliberately vaguely.
[Because I love listening to jazz sax.]
[Oh. Perhaps I ought to admit that I fibbed a little then.]
[Oh. {disappointment}]
[It has been known to happen that I play something else. But not very often.]
[So... what are the chances of a little recital sometime?]
[Quite high if you ask nicely. That also rather settles where I''d like to take you to.]
[Don''t tell me there''s somewhere that has live Jaz!]
[OK. I won''t.] Bob said, with a grin.
[Is there?]
[You just said not to tell you!]
[I could get upset.]
[There''s a restaurant in town that apparently offers a discount for musicians prepared to play, depending how good they are, and how many pieces they play. Tonight just happens to be Jazz night. It''s a bit of a rip-off, of course, since if they hired musicians they''d get more than a meal out of it. But still, we could go.]
[You were planning to just listen, or play?]
[I thought maybe I''d listen to the quality and then decide. I don''t want to upset anyone, you know what musicians are like.]
[You mean, they might get cross if you''re not up to standard?] Lilly asked, confused.
[Urm, no, not quite.]
[Bob, how good are you?] Lilly asked.
[How about you tell me, after breakfast?] he suggested, then, pushing his luck he asked [And then maybe, we could try a duet?]
Evening
¡°Please answer honestly, Lilly. What did you think of today?¡±
¡°Today as a whole... I think I''m going to remember it a long long time. It''s not everyday you find out... what Mystery told us.¡±
¡°No, it''s not.¡±
¡°But I don''t think it''s right to talk about the day as a whole. There were good bits and bad bits. Like that church service for instance.¡±
¡°Hmm. Sorry about that.¡± Bob said.
¡°I presume you didn''t know.¡±
¡°Not at all. I thought the two services meant it was popular.¡±
¡°And twisting my ankle on that curb after successfully going up and down the mountain... that was a definite low point, and meant I can''t count the walk as perfect. Thanks for helping me hobble back here.¡±
¡°My pleasure.¡±
¡°Yes, I noticed that, too.¡± she teased. ¡°It made a wonderful excuse to put your arm round my waist, didn''t it? I''d have probably enjoyed it too if it hadn''t been for the pain. Thank you for a lovely day, Bob.¡±
¡°Thank you, Lilly. You were the best company I could imagine. We have eaten our meal together, light of my dawn. Will you offer me some hope? Will you eat with me one meal, and then allow me to ask this again?¡±
¡°First, one question: Why do you call me light of your dawn? I mean it''s poetic, but, I get the feeling there''s more to it than you''re blinded by my smile.¡±
¡°Learning what I did about you from Mystery, the thought that I''d never have any hope with you if I kept pushing God away. Well, Jesus is the light of the world, but to me you''ll always be the first light of dawn that made me realise that living in darkness might not be so great, and that stepping from darkness to light might even be possible.¡±
¡°I''m going to work out what I think about that later, but thank you for telling me... Poet and musician, strong armed defender, I will offer you the hope you ask for if you will offer me this one. Will you play with me one more duet, and then allow me to ask this again?¡±
¡°Whole-heartedly. I can think of no reason I''d refuse.¡±
¡°I can''t think of a reason I''d refuse a meal, either. But let''s take our hopes one step at a time.¡±
¡°Eminently sensible.¡± He agreed.
¡°I thought so.¡± Lilly said.
¡°I''m not sure I feel sensible, but at least I can still recognise it.¡±
¡°I probably shouldn''t explore what that meant, should I? Sleep well, Bob.¡±
¡°Sleep well, Lilly.¡±
Lilly was wondering how she''d react if Bob asked to give her a parting kiss, but he didn''t ask. Maybe he felt it was too early, didn''t want to scare her off, or just didn''t want to get a refusal. But there was one thing she was fairly certain of: she was glad she''d taken Maggie''s advice. Getting back to her flat was sliding down her list of priorities.
THE END of Series 1
Next series: The Other Big Secret