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Chapter 174: Natale, Part 12
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Master's Child Chapter 175: Natale, Part 13
JamesCara...I'm still not over the novelty of having a baby daughter again; my lovely dark-eyed, bouncy, bubbly, smiling daughter.I should be working, but Cara's face, with her gummy, gurgling smile, blowing bubbles, floats in front of me.I can spare a few minutes...I'll just look in on her...Dropping the lid of my laptop, I head up to the nursery.The handle turns with an almost inaudible click, and I hover. Sometimes, Charlotte falls asleep while she is feeding Cara. If that's the case, I don't want to wake her.Instead, I find Mitch. Her back turned to me as she rocks Cara's cradle. Not that it's unusual, but normally I'd expect to hear her humming or singing.This time, she's silent...There's a sense of wrongness...Is she trembling?"Mitch?"She jolts and semi-turns, but without properly looking back at me. "James... I didn't know you were there." Still, she doesn't look at me.Moving softly over the thick carpet, I make my way around, until I ca
The Master's Child Chapter 176: Natale, Part 14
JamesThe elevator doors hiss open and, side by side, Richard and I stroll into the office."Good morning, Richard. James," smiles Francis. Reaching for a stack of mail, she passes a handful to Richard.He shuffles through, tossing most back into Francis' in-tray. "Forward those to the departmental heads, Francis. They can handle them...""Yes, Richard. And here's your post, James. There's also a package for you. It's was signed for and the courier was specific that it had to be given to you personally.""Really?" At my dry tone, Francis arches a brow. "Almost certainly some supplier sending me samples," I say. Still, as I open the package... Richard, slicing into an envelope, pauses. "Something wrong, James?""I'm just trying to make out the stamp. It's not local."Putting on my spectacles, I look more closely, then turn the package around to examine it from a different angle. "Francis, can you make it out? Your eyes are younger than mine."She peers in. "Nope. I
The Master's Child Chapter 177: Natale, Part 15
"Are you still there, Dakho?""I am here, Mr Alexanders...""Call me, James. It's less of a mouthful. Tell me, are you just a supplier of services to Klempner, or are you a friend?"A hesitation... "We respect each other's skills. I am aware that you regard yourself as a friend of Mr Klempner.""And how would you know that?"Dakho's voice is matter-of-fact. "For example, I read the message you sent him apologising for your behaviour the last time you and he met."My face heats..."... We both consider ourselves his friends, James. But between us, by our shared incompetence, we put him at risk.""Alright, fair answer. And now, tell us what you know.""As I said, I have worked for Mr Klempner for several years. However, I am not his employee. I simply perform services for him from time to time, as requested. His last request to me was to make the arrangements for his trip to Brazil...""Setting him up as this Harry Hughes?""Among other things, yes."Richard break
The Master's Child Chapter 178: Natale, Part 16
Richard drives while I call ahead. "Michael, can you talk? Are you private?""Um..." His voice drops... "Just give me a minute." In the background, Charlotte, Beth and Mitch are talking. One of the babies is crying...... The sound of footsteps... Behind the sound, the voices and the crying fade... Then silence. "Alright, I'm alone. What is it, James?""We've had news. Klempner may still be alive..." Michael's hissing response is quite audible... "... Certainly, he wasn't killed in the explosion as reported. We know that he was alive for certain three days later...""How the hell...?""I'll explain when I get there. But meanwhile, get the women together and prime Charlotte that she may have to hold her mother's hand.""I imagine she might need some hand-holding herself.""Yes, she might, but Charlotte can't miscarry..."*****Charlotte is waiting as we arrive, hovering in the hall by the door. "What...?"I forestall her, holding up a finger. "I'll tell you all toget
The Master's Child Chapter 179: Natale, Part 17
MichaelI've packed or listed everything I can immediately think of that might be useful, at least for a generalised Going-Where-We-Never-Went-Before kind of trip...Specifics...Best talk to James. Get some detail....James sits, transfixed by his laptop screen, reading, scanning, occasionally mousing over maps. Lost in thought, he plucks at his lower lip. Next to him, chewing a thumbnail, Charlotte does much the same.I take a look over their respective shoulders. "So, where is this place we're going to?""The city you mean?" says James. "Sao Paulo? Or the actual map reference?""I know about Sao Paulo. One of the largest cities in the world. No, I meant the reference this Dakho has given us."James waves me to a seat, swinging the screen to face me. Charlotte shuffles her seat closer."It's an interesting spot," begins James. "It's not a place I'd never heard of it until a few hours ago, but once I started researching it, there's plenty of information"Zooming ou
The Master's Child Chapter 180: Natale, Part 18
Michael"This is it, then?" Charlotte turns slowly, surveying the scatter of dismal buildings.James checks his screen. "Yes, Klempner's signal vanished from somewhere within five meters of where we're standing."It looks ideal Juliana territory: abandoned, mostly derelict; windows smashed, doors swinging. A casual inspection inside the nearest shack reveals nothing but the debris of years blown inside. At the edge of the reservoir only a few yards away, scummy water laps mud and concrete skinned with green.James pokes his head around the next door. "Nothing here. No footprints. Nothing looks like it's been disturbed in the last ten years."A car stands abandoned, the tires missing, door lock broken, radio gone.Charlotte cranes her neck, looking past it, then strides across cracked concrete. "Master... Michael..." She brushes dust and leaves away from a solar panel mounted on a wall. Despite the dirt, it looks far newer than anything around it."Doesn't look exactly
The Master's Child Chapter 181: Natale, Part 19
James"So, what's his condition?"The doctor blows air, puffing out her cheeks. "You reached your friend only just in time. A few more days and he would have been beyond saving. As it is, the signs are that you rescued him before his vital organs began to shut down. However, as you would imagine, he's suffering from massive loss of weight, including muscle mass. And he's severely dehydrated. We'll bring him back to normal levels using a drip..."... We'll keep Mr Smith sedated for a day or so, until his signs are more normal. After that, he's going to have to take it slowly before eating and drinking normally again, while his stomach readjusts..."There is also the damage to his leg from the shackle. While unpleasant and undoubtedly painful, the wound is not infected and should heal normally. However he has several bites, we think from rats. Some of these are infected and require treatment. Again, keeping him unconscious will assist in the healing process."We are treating hi
The Master's Child Chapter 182: Natale, Part 20
Klempner sits up in bed, well-propped, leaning back against pillows. A drip runs, plastic-tubed, to a dressing on his arm. A variety of other dressings, some heavier, some lighter, protect healing bites and injuries. His face, sunken as it still is, has lost some of that stretched-parchment look it had when we found him. His colour too is rather more normal, the yellow tinge less pronounced.The matted and stinking beard, now washed, has been combed out and while having a touch of the 'mountain man' about it, is no longer offensive. His hair is tied back in a neat ponytail. Klempner's eyes, although still heavily shadowed, are alert.The eyes follow me into the room. "Good morning, James." The words drag. The breathing is slow."Good morning. You slept well?""Yes, I slept extraordinarily well." With a claw of a hand, he lifts the edge of a sheet to his nostrils and inhales. "Fresh linen, clean sheets. I tell you, you don't appreciate life's simple luxuries until they're tak
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The Master's Child Chapter 193: Natale, Part 31
It's cold outside, but Klempner sits on the low terrace wall wearing no more than a thin pullover."Want one of these?" I proffer a coffee, heavily laced with whiskey, topped with thick cream.He startles, but then, "Thank you, James." He doesn't smile. His eyes are soft with melancholy as he stares down, watching October mist curling over the lake."Will you visit the grave?""Yes." The single word isn't followed by any others."When will you go?""Sooner rather than later." He breathes steam and fragrant alcohol. "I'm making arrangements now. The Canadian winter arrives early and in force. It'll be under six feet of snow there very soon, and for the next several months.""Would you mind some company?"He twists to face me. "You want to come?""I'd like to pay my respects to the brave woman for whom my daughter is named."He blinks, nodding as he casts his gaze down. "Thank you, James. I appreciate that.""Charlotte wants to go as well."And now he smiles. I
The Master's Child Chapter 192: Natale, Part 30
JamesFamily...All gathered together around the breakfast table: Michael to the left of Charlotte, I'm to her right, bouncing Cara on my knee while Charlotte takes a break to get some food down her throat. Beyond Michael, Beth feeds Adam, Richard flanking them.Klempner and Mitch sit side by side. She's turned discreetly away, feeding Vicky. Larry watches, still wearing that slightly spaced-out expression...Man-in-shock?For all the right reasons...Charlotte is very quiet. She eats, but her gaze sweeps the table and back again.Once she had nothing...Briefly, her eyes lock with her father's. He cocks his head, eyes full of question, but then her gaze moves on.What's he thinking?It's not hard to figure. Right from the time Klempner arrived back with us, although he's clearly content to be here, he's had an air of... waiting...The Rat-Tat! of the front door rattles down the hall.Michael pushes his chair back. "I'll go." A half-eaten slice of toast in one h
The Master's Child Chapter 191: Natale, Part 29
RichardMy intercom buzzes. "Yes, Francis?""I have the police commissioner on for you, Mr Haswell. He... doesn't sound very happy."I can guess what this is going to be about. I've been waiting for it. "Thanks for the warning, Francis. Put him through please..." The line clicks and reconnects. "Richard?""Good morning, Will. What can I do for you?""I think you can guess why I'm calling you. I'm hearing rumours I don't like. Disturbing rumours.""I believe, Will, that I know which rumours you mean. I've been wanting to discuss them with you. Perhaps you would like to meet for lunch to discuss the matter? Somewhere quiet? ""And away from the office? Yes, I think so."*****The waiter sets a plate in front of each of us, steak in pepper sauce for Will, a prawn souffle for me. He tops up the glasses of Cabernet. "Is there anything else, sir?""No, thank you. That's perfect." I wait until he is out of earshot before I speak. "So, Will...These disturbing rumours?
The Master's Child Chapter 190: Natale, Part 28
KlempnerThe view is restful. Living in Mitch's small apartment, hidden away from the world, does...... I suppose...... constitute 'domestic bliss'. But that's at night. For much of the day, we spend our time in the main family home of Jenny's Triad. The women chatter and gossip. The men alternate between business and banter. One or other of the babies always needs attention...It's exhausting.But when it comes to it, that's not the root of my problem.Retreating from noise and activity and 'family-fun' to the sanctuary of the terrace, I let the view wash away the anxiety gnawing at the back of my mind.It's always the waiting...Give me action and some lunatic with a gun every time...Stay calm...Mist curls over the lake far below. On the slopes close by, every blade of grass is etched with a rime of frost that will thaw to dew when the sun crests the mountain. Further down, the individual blades meld into a smooth sheet of silver that merge into haze and wa
The Master's Child Chapter 189: Natale, Part 27
Two coffeepots later, we've run out of croissants and moved onto toasted muffins. James slices one in two, dropping the halves into the toaster. He pauses, "Another one, Beth?"She's sitting up against the headboard, next to Charlotte, the two propped up against each other, eating from a shared plate. Beth slathers butter and blackberry jam onto what she has. "Thanks, but I'm fine with this, James. I'll not eat again 'til suppertime.""Charlotte?""Mmmm..." She nods, mumbling through a mouthful, wiping a smear of melted butter from the corner of her mouth. She swallows, then holds up half a muffin - minus two bites. "What is it about muffins and bad weather? I always want more of them."James rolls a look at her, then to me, shaking his head...A wise man says nothing...Richard sucks jam from his fingers, lips smacking. "On a complete change of subject... Elizabeth and I were talking..." Beth falls still, her shoulders slumping... "... Please don't take this the wrong way,
The Master's Child Chapter 188: Natale, Part 26
MichaelIt's dark...What woke me?Somewhere down and beside me, the sound of whining. "Scruffy? You need to go out, boy?"At this hour?What the hell time is it?I'm snug and comfortable, draped with a thick duvet. Charlotte, warm and fragrant, sleeps tucked in beside me. Through the curtains, it's pitch-black.Scruffy whines again, this time scratching at the bed.Wonder if he's eaten something he shouldn't?Stretching an arm blindly out beyond the cosy comfort of the blankets, I pat across the side-table, hunting for the light switch. When I find it, as it turns out, it's not Scruffy's habit of eating every bit of rubbish he comes across that is at fault. The clock tells me it's half past seven and my rag-tag mongrel is making a perfectly reasonable request to be let out to relieve the pressures of the night.But outside, there's no sign of daylight and, joys of joys, rain lashes against the window.Goodbye to summer...Scruffy's whining ups by half an octave
The Master's Child Chapter 187: Natale, Part 25
JamesAn orderly tries to block the way, arms outstretched in front of the door. "Sir, you can't..."Klempner simply brushes by him.From beyond, Mitch's voice. "Let him in..."The orderly spins, mouth open. "What? All of them?""Yes!!!! Ah... Fuccckkkk...."The monk's feet skid uselessly over the polished floor as he tries to resist his inexorable forward journey into the delivery room. His voice rises to a wail. "But I'm not a priest. I can't do this." Klempner growls, "I don't care if you're a priest, a rabbi, an imam, or if you ran the Bring-and-Buy at the church garden party. The lady here wants our child born in wedlock. You're going to marry us."Klempner turns his attention to Mitch, lying on her back on the delivery table, yelling her way through another contraction. She flings out an arm, grabbing at his wrist. He winces, but lays his other hand on top. "We'll just let this one pass..."The midwife, checking a bleeping monitor, flashes a look at Mitch. "Yo
The Master's Child Chapter 186: Natale, Part 24
RichardMy mobile bleeps: James.Landed. at airport now. home approx 90 mins. Tell Mitch he's keenElizabeth grins at me as I tap in the reply.don't go home. come city hospital. Mitch in labourThere's a short pause...Elizabeth holds up her hand, counting down silent fingers: Five... Four... Three... Two...... and my mobile bleeps again.When M go into labour?3 hrs doc and midwife say early but all normal all goodWith you ASAP K got taxi flying on wings of fire*****The corridor is painted the required institutional off-white, scraped black in long stripes at trolley-bed height. The lighting is the compulsory harsh fluorescent white. One strip blinks on and off. Signs point off down apparently identical corridors: Intensive Care... Reception... A & E... Chapel and Prayer Room... Radiology... Cardiology... Breast Screening...How many ways is it possible to be sick?Footsteps echo along the corridor; marching footsteps, almost stampeding footsteps.A
The Master's Child Chapter 185: Natale, Part 23
KlempnerAt last, I get some privacy with her. James ushers out Jenny, protesting all the way. Michael leaves too, turning as he exits to give me a kind of approving nod.Haswell poured glasses of champagne, passing them around at their side of the screen, although I did notice that he poured for Mitch from a different bottle. The top of the flute is just in view, spitting the odd bubble over the rim."Are you alone now?"She looks sidelong, off-screen. "Yes, they've gone.""What's Kirstie doing there?""I'm fitting her for her wedding dress. They've set the date for Christmas, remember.""I didn't know that.""Oh... no... Of course you wouldn't." She takes a sip of her bubbly, looking away. "It's been so long. They said you were dead. The police said there was a body.""There was, but not mine."She peers into the screen, searching my face. "How are you? What happened?""I'll tell you sometime, but not now. What's important, is how you are and..." I nod down, bel
