Читать книгу The Crooked Olive Branch - Frederick Munn - Страница 17

Chapter 9

After lunch, there was little else the friends could do but to walk again in the garden and down to the river. The afternoon sun lit the distant hills which seemed to dance in the heat haze.

Hal began to sway to and fro as if mesmerised by the scene. This amused him.

Peter, still pre-occupied, sat down on the riverbank in silence.

A heron stalked the shallows, it froze loop necked, before spearing into an eddy. A fish flashed silver in the sunlight but only for a split second before disappearing into the bird.

“Jeepers Pete, did you see that? What a way to go, swimming happily one second then gone, never to be seen again.”

Peter didn’t answer or show any interest and continued staring at the river.

“Oh! Peter, I’m so sorry. That was crass of me. I wasn’t thinking about Dieter.”

After a short pause Peter replied. “Actually, I am thinking about the children. The little Kessler child, what is happening to her? Dieter knew he was swimming in pike-infested waters. The children what do they know? They are truly innocents.”

Hal got up and went to sit beside his friend. “I’m at a loss to find a word for these people. Bastards is unfair to the illegitimate. There is no word for them.”

“There is, Hal, it’s Nazi.” Peter murmured.

Hal nodded. “What are they doing to these countries and their people? How do they cope with losing all this? All they have built, their dreams, their family home, this great house. Why and for what?”

“I believe, Hal, that the owner of this house will be all right. Not only will they survive, they will survive well. It’s the children, the poor, the ordinary folk and the Kesslers. What a terrible time for them.” Peter stared into the river, which was much more turbulent than this morning.

The storm over the hills was already making its presence felt. The river level was building rapidly, driving debris which bounced along in the mainstream. To one side, in contrast, a gentle eddy circled carrying a single leaf round and round. Peter found this strangely calming.

He lay back and looked up into the sky at the clouds slowly changing shape as they moved across.

“You know, Hal.” He began unsure himself what he was going to say. Confused and conflicting emotions, the sharp edges of recent events, dulled by the peaceful scene. When he did speak, it was as though someone else was dictating.

“Thinking about this drama that we are caught in the middle of, I feel untouched by it, unemotional. Does that sound stupid?”

“I guess not, I figure it’s this place. It’s like being in a bubble of contentment. We are looking out at the world as if protected by its skin.”

Hal lay back and joined Peter staring at the clouds.

“You feel it too?” Peter was relieved to hear this.

“From the moment I woke. The world suddenly seemed right even though I know it’s not.”

“You are aware Hal just what we have let ourselves in for? That sometime soon, very soon, someone is going to prick this bubble?” Peter was fighting to keep their ‘feet on the ground’.

He was trying to alert Hal to the serious elements of that already agreed to.

“Yep, so we soak it up while we can,” Hal replied, seemingly unconcerned. “Forget what may be tomorrow and live for this moment. My conscience keeps saying to me, return to the house unpack, bathe and get shaved and changed. Then I think, why bother?”

Hal turned on to his stomach smiling reassuringly at Peter.

“What say Pete we shave and change for dinner? This afternoon let’s just live it up.”

Hal lay back down in the shade of a tree. “This is heaven.” He sighed.

This attempt to calm Peter was met with a sullen silence.

Bathed, shaved and changed, they dined on venison, fresh vegetables, fruit, cheeses and fine wines then took Calvados and coffee out on to the terrace.

They had been assured that the owner had given permission for them to use the ample larder.

And take whatever they wished from the wine cellar and drinks cabinet. They were making the most of this generous offer.

It was a lovely evening, warm, balmy, soporific.

“Let’s go sit under the tree and watch the stars come out,” suggested Hal, aware that his friend was still brooding.

They walked across the lawn away from the lights of the house to the rustic seat where that afternoon they had met Lulu. The tree seemed to draw them into its shade.

Hal picked up a fallen leafed twig and swept the day’s debris from the seat and sat down.

He looked out across the lawns over the river to the distant hills.

“This so, so beautiful, so peaceful. How could you cope with losing all this, all you have built and nurtured, your dreams, your family home with all its memories and for what?” He sighed again. “Envy, jealousy, greed, sadistic amusement, take your pick.”

“Give it a rest, Hal, I thought we were here to watch the stars come out,” said Peter, testily.

“Sorry Pete.” Hal apologised.

As if on cue, the evening star pricked into sight as the sky darkened with the sun finally sinking behind the hills rimming the crests with a golden glow which fingered up into the sky.

“Sunset and evening star,” Peter whispered.

“What’s that Pete?” Hal was relieved that his friend showed some animation having been locked away in his thoughts all evening.

“And one clear call for us,” said Peter as he connected with the day’s events.

“What?” Hal asked, realising that Peter was speaking of the commitment made earlier.

“Take no notice, Hal. It’s just a couple of lines from Tennyson which seem appropriate, that’s all.” Peter was clearly disturbed. This, despite his comment earlier about being untouched.

“O.K. Pete if you are in the mood. Give with the rest.”

“Perhaps not, it goes downhill from there.” Peter tried to close the topic.

“Why?” Hal countered, trying to keep him talking.

“It’s about death. So best left.” Peter, once more, clammed up tight.

That was as far as the conversation got. Gerda had quietly crept up behind the tree and was waiting for the right moment to announce her arrival. In the silence which followed, she took a deep breath and spoke out.

“Let there be no moaning at the Bar as we put out to sea.”

The friends spun around looking. Gerda added quickly.

“The Pilot has been here all the while but in the dark, you did not see her.”

Startled, Peter turned. “Lulu?”

“Gerda,” she corrected.

“Sorry.” Peter apologised.

“Pilot what Pilot?” Hal was confused.

“Take no notice Hal, Gerda was taking liberties with Alfred Lord Tennyson.”

Peter could have added. ‘She is also taking liberties with us.’ Aware that one man’s freedom can mean another man’s ‘incarceration’. That they had responsibilities however unwelcome.

“Chance would be a fine thing,” Gerda replied. She took another deep breath and returned to her intrusive errand. “Fellas I’m sorry but I am here on serious business.”

“Don’t concern yourself, Gerda. It’s this place, it brings out the whimsy in us, it is full of happy ghosts,” Peter replied. “I hope you are not here to spoil it.”

Gerda, anxious that her mission was being sabotaged, passed over the remark and turned to his friend.

“Hal, we have brought Miriam. Do you mind?”

“The Kessler girl, why tonight?”

“Yes. Big favour needed?” Gerda added anxiously.

“And that is?” Peter stood and walked into Gerda’s vision determined not to let Hal be railroaded as he was earlier.

Gerda ignored Peter and addressed Hal. “Miriam is very distressed.”

“Yes, you said so before.” Peter was determined not to be ignored.

Gerda, however, did ignore him, speaking to Hal. “We’ve brought her along to you. To her Papa Yo, in the hope that it might settle her. If it does, can we leave her with you, probably until Friday when we hope to move?”

“What? A three-year-old girl?” Clearly the prospect now was scaring Hal. “You mean overnight?”

“Easy Hal, we have brought a carer with her. A nanny who will deal with all the necessary. Hopefully, she will sleep.” Gerda added hoping to calm Hal.

Hal looked to Peter for inspiration. He received none.

“I suppose we could give it a go.”

The reality of the commitment now struck home. Their discomfort was obvious.

Hal’s answer gave Gerda the opening she was looking for. Aware of their reluctance, she took it immediately.

“Good. I’ll go get her.” Gerda turned on her heels and disappeared swiftly into the shadow of the house.

“Where’s she gone?”

“To get the little girl, Hal. Are we sure about this? It’s a huge commitment.”

Three figures appeared out of the darkness, Gerda, another woman and a very small child.

“There she is now.” Hal peered through the gloom trying picture the little girl.

Gerda called out, “Papa Yo.” Then she repeated in German and English. “Papa Yo, Wo bist du?

Are you there?”

Hal cleared his throat. “Who calls?”

The tiny figure detached herself from the others ran and launched herself at Hal clinging on to his leg like a baby Lemur to its mother.

“Papa Yo, Papa Yo. Wo warren du? Wo warren du? Ich war gans alien.”

Then burying her face in his leg, she sobbed and repeated.

“Gans alein.”

Hal needed no translation. He bent and swept the tiny girl into his arms. Holding her tightly he shuddered with every trembling sob of this little child, his face against hers their tears mingling until her sobs subsided. Hal sat down on the seat then cradled and rocked this tiny lost child.

Slowly, gradually she settled. Her head fell back against his arm and she slept.

The other woman came forward, reached out with her arms and spoke in German.

Hal turned and looked at Peter. “What did she say Pete?”

“Thank God, I will take her now.”

Hal handed her over. Immediately he felt bereft. Hal felt that he should say and do something more. The woman walked away taking Miriam into the house. Gerda came forward and embraced Hal.

“Thank you. Thank you, it worked.”

Gerda then hurriedly followed the nanny back into the house leaving Hal literally ‘holding the baby’. Hal, distraught, stood rock still. Sensing his distress Peter came forward. Finding it difficult to speak, he managed to croak.

“You all right Hal?”

Hal gathered himself.

“I think, old buddy, our bubble has just been burst.”

Neither moved for quite some time and when they did it was aimlessly. Hal wandered in circles looking at the ground, but here there was no eddy, no calm.

Peter, finding this silence oppressive, felt compelled to speak.

“Hal, what on earth have we let ourselves in for?” He was thinking that this situation had arisen because of his father and his stupid ideas. He felt somehow responsible, the shock of the last few minutes still drumming in his brain.

Hal sat down on the seat and looked out towards the hills. After almost a minute he whispered.

“We must get that little girl out of this stinking country. This is personal now.”

Peter, ever ‘the Job’s comforter’ replied.

“Easier said than done. I don’t think you understand the dangers. This is real. It is not really our problem. We never asked to get involved.”

Peter waited for his friend to answer. When he didn’t, he continued.

“Why can’t this girl go through with the others? Think about it? This could be all a fit up. We need to work this out before we commit further.”

Peter Barnes, used to being conned and manipulated, let down by others, was naturally suspicious. He did not make the same connection as his friend.

Hal suddenly stood up.

“What if she wakes up and asks where I am?” He started towards the house then he stopped and turned around. “Sorry Pete, see you later.”

Peter began to move after Henry, then thinking better of it, sat down on a terrace seat to sort out the confusion in his head. Some while later he gave up and made his way upstairs to their room.

He reached up to switch on the lights then stopped. Hal was sat on the edge of his bed head in hands.

Moonlight streamed through the tall windows picking up his shadow across the white of the pillows and bed sheets.

“You all right Hal?”

Receiving no answer, Peter left the lights off and sat on his bed opposite his friend.

Hal didn’t answer for some time. He just sat thinking before doing so.

“Sure! You are thinking we are being manoeuvred, Pete? I don’t blame you. We are.

We know so little about this outfit. The little girl virtually dumped here without our consent. Fitted up by this Lulu/ Gerda woman who is probably just a front because she knows you and your friend Dieter. What do we have? Hearsay as to what has gone on so far. Kidnapped, brought here as you say, without our leave and a distressed child.”

Hal let out a huge sigh.

“Whether or not they are pulling an emotional stunt, that kid is not acting. She is real.”

He paused. “And she needs me.”

“What happens now Hal?”

“We go along with it, old buddy. At least I do. I can’t let the kid down. I just can’t.”

“If that’s the way you feel, I’m with you.”

Hal sighed and removed his shoes letting them drop striking the wooden floor echoing briefly in the silence. “I am bushed Pete. Time to hit the hay.”