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02.15.06 The Knives Sharpen
I: Wessex, England - Ancestral
Estate of the Lancastrians of Wessex
"James, get me some tea. It's
that time isn't it ya?"
3.00 pm, tea time indeed.
This German fop sits in the Grand Library with his feet up on a 17th
century side table, tapping away at his laptop. As the Duke and
Duchess' financial advisor, he practically has moved into the place
since he's relocated to England from the United States.
Paulus is a close friend - intimate friend, I should say - of the
Duchess. She got him this plum little job.
Most of the time he just sits there with an IPod, talking incessantly
on his cellular phone to God knows who, while charging the Duke his air
time and commission for the stock trades he does.
And he hasn't been very good at it. From what I've heard casually
from his conversations, he talks of huge losses in this and that stock,
or mutual fund.
"Very good sir." I
approach him. "What is
your pleasure today?"
"Vat?"
I gesture at him to take out an earbud. I hear "Rammstein"
blaring loudly when he removes it.
"I inquired as to what type of
tea you'd care for today, sir."
"Oh just whatever I'm thirsty
please bring it to me quickly." He waves his hand in the
air as if he owned the bloody place. I slightly bow and wander
off to the kitchen to prepare his tea.
Asshole. I should lace it with arsenic.
Simkins, whom I talk to on a semi-frequent basis, has told me to keep
an eye on him, and the other ongoings at the Estate during the Duke's
tenure in America as he used to do.
The burning down of the old pub just outside scared the daylights out
of me. I called the Duke immediately after I heard it was set a
light, but he seemed indifferent.
I have very deep suspicions. Not only about that.
First three paintings exit for "restoration work" according to what
Lili, the head maid told me. The German artist who will be in
charge of it came at some ungodly hour in the middle of the night to
pick up the paintings, and left just as quickly.
Second, I know this flippant twit talks often with the Duchess. I
know they're friends, but his expression is just...I just sense
something. More.
Adulterous.
The boiling kettle stirs me
from my conspiratorial misgivings, for now. On the sterling
silver tea service I place his tea in a Royal Doulton tea cup.
Daunting and loyal to my service, I bring him the tea to the Grand
Library, only to find him not there.
His IMac sat there, almost inviting, beckoning me to glance.
It requested, I acquiesced.
Setting the tray down, I looked onto to find him logged online, to a
banking site. The domain's letters: .ch
Switzerland.
I couldn't read much German, in which the site was written in, but I
could clearly see the surname: "Lancaster," the German words,
"Übertragung auf," which I translated as "transfer to" and then a
numbered Swiss bank account. A sum of money was clearly marked:
£1 000 000.
II: New York City, New York
- Trump International Hotel and Tower
"Paulus, how's it going babe."
The Duchess of Wessex, at her most
evil, her most cunning; in short, at her best.
"Ooo that much huh. Mmm
can't wait. Sure I've thought what I'm going to do, but fuck I'm
doing all right still even if it means putting up with this wrestling
shit."
"Oh just online on Ebay.
I must bid on like a dozen or more items a day. I get some things
for Mummy and Daddy, but for you too. Oh and I saw these boxers
that would look adorable on you so I got those too. I
can't wait to see you in them either."
She hears the door of the condo
slam shut.
"FUCK. He's home.
Okay I'll talk to you later. Mmm I love you too sexy. Bye
sweetie."
The lust in her voice is palpable.
"Marissah," he calls out. The Duke of Wessex
arriveth. One of my number one pupils.
But she excels even him. I
am so proud of her. She shall have a special place with me when
the time arrives.
The lust is replaced with disgust.
"I'm in the bedroom."
In he comes, trench coat open, his
scarf loose around his neck, his face slightly red from having been
outside for an afternoon constitutional.
"What are you doing. More
Ebay?"
"What do you mean, 'more
Ebay,'" she snaps back,
looking back down at her laptop screen.
She hurriedly logs out of the
Swiss banking site and closes her laptop shut.
"Where were you anyway."
"I told you I was going out for
a walk." He loosens
his scarf and tosses it on a near by chair, and throws his trench coat
off to follow.
"What the fuck is taking a
walk going to do when you're going to get your ass kicked by Phoenix
and Christenson."
Ooo. Choice words, watch
yourself my dear.
"And probably by the whole of
MU too. Why would you let yourself get involved in a match like
this."
He glares down. "It's a pleasure to be in this
bout. Besides, there's a lot on the line in this match. And
it won't be easy, even if it is four against two. I don't like
such stacked odds. But you know and I know that I will be out in
full force, and nobody shall stand in my way. Ever."
"If you lose what will that
say to you?" She
rolls onto her stomach and glances at him with an air of arrogance.
"That I married a loud mouthed
bitch?"
I love it. Excellent
retort. Her expressions are priceless.
"Anyway, I was on the phone
with our esteemed OLW Champion."
She doesn't like the sound of that.
"I invited him to a formal
dinner with yourself and I. A get to know you type affair."
"What the hell for!?" She says with more than a tinge of
outrage.
"I can't stand the mere site
of the stupid son of a bitch, and you're going to have my go out to
dinner with him?!"
"Yes, you are, with me, when
the time is right."
"Fuck you Robert, I am so not going."
She gets up off the bed and heads
out of the bedroom.
"You will if I say you will."
Marissah stands dead in her tracks
and turns around.
"Listen asshole, you don't
tell me what to do - EVER."
She is magnificent.
"What the hell is with you?"
"Ask yourself the same
question Robert, and tell me how'd you feel if I forced you to go to
dinner with some gutless bastard."
"I would at least hear you out
first. And then ask for an acceptable bribe to get me to come."
Greed has its place in every
marriage.
Her anger subsides at the offer of
payment.
"Let's hear it. And it
had better be a three star restaurant I won't settle for anything less."
She never settles for anything
less.
Whether he will or not.
We'll have to see.
I am become Death
The Destroyer
of Worlds
