At the hospital they let me see Edti. I reassured him that as soon as he returns to us I will fix his arm. He was pleased to see me, but beneath his pleasure he was depressed and did not believe me.
Edti returned home yesterday. I saw the pain in everyone and the looks of disappointment my sister and mums gave me as I sat without touching Edti. When everyone was asleep I quietly opened the door, carrying with me a platter filled with food and a jug of water. Edti sat up groggily.
Grouchily he complained, “I’m not hungry, sister.”
“I’ll leave this by your side to nibble as you need it. Move over.” I lay down beside him. “Whatever you do, don’t break the contact. When you eat and drink, do not move away from me.”
Neither of us slept that night. He moaned a few times when he felt as if he were being bitten by fiery ants, but he was careful in his movements. As his arm grew he sensed it and was torn by conflicting emotions; awe and wonder but also fear of me. I stared at the ceiling until morning, concentrating only on willing my healer. When it was over I turned to kiss his cheek.
“I’m going to bed. See you when I wake up.”
I spent the day in bed, even when I was awake and famished, my thoughts dark with the fear of the future that awaited me. Before they went to bed, mums came in with a plate of food and when she saw I was awake she hugged and thanked me.
We tend to be in bed and asleep by nine in the evening. I waited until ten, slowly packed a few things and at eleven I crept to the front door. I saw Edti sitting close to the door, obviously waiting for me. He came to his feet.
“Don’t try to stop me Edti, I have to leave.”
“I’ve worked that out. When they learn of what you can do, you will have no peace. Jina, it is not right that you leave because you helped me. Stay, I will go.”
I shook my head, tears close to spilling. “No, that will hurt mums.”
“It will also hurt her if you leave. I’ve discussed it with her. Look,” he pointed to the side and I saw a valise, “she helped me pack. I’m going to Birmingham where I hope to find a job. I’ve got my discharge papers so I won’t get into trouble.” He hugged me and then I stood by the window watching as he walked down the dark road, soon fading from my sight. I returned to my room and stood by the window again, my heart heavy. The door opened behind me and mums came to stand behind me. She put her arms around me, cradling me as I leant against her, the tears flowing now.
Six years. The school stopped for a few months, but then we returned since the war was no longer being fought within our country. The hours were less as most children had to help the remaining parent. A boy at school decided he was in love with me. Previously I’d felt and noticed from their behaviour that a small number of other boys had gone through the phase of having a crush on me, but I intimidated most of them so they quickly got over it. This boy was slightly older, close to the age when he would be called up to fight in Europe and he really was in love. I was distressed by the suffering I would be the cause of and cringed every time I found him staring at me.
Edti writes that he is doing well and is employed as a salesman for a large company. I find it difficult to reconcile the image I have of him as a country boy with the stereotype of a suave salesman. I hope he believes in the products he sells. Sometimes an out of date newspaper finds its way to us and I find it interesting how, thanks to the war, some wealthy people have become impoverished while others from poor backgrounds are suddenly wealthy. I hope Edti becomes one of them.
Seven years. I am now supposed to be sixteen and I was given a wonderful birthday party with Edti a surprise visitor. He brought me a dress (he must have asked mums or Minti my size) and I was horribly embarrassed. When I wore it they all saw it did not suit me so I pretended great enthusiasm and excitement. I wonder whether Robert would have thought it dishonest of me, but I could not bear to feel him hurt.
America declared themselves allies of France and are sending shiploads of soldiers and weapons to help defend them. The British have done a lot to help the French, but it is amazing how the French have managed to thwart the invading forces, holding them at various points, even if it is within their own country.
I think back on all the arguments about us Cherinian-born experiencing life as Normals and I must admit I’m glad I still have some gifts to see me through. Of course I’ve been lucky. If I’d arrived in a city I think I would have faced a lot of problems. On the other hand, after the life I’ve led, it has often been boring. In a way, boring is nice, so I’m not complaining. It has given me the time to learn to appreciate a different point of view that I never would have experienced as a Cherinian.
I had hoped the army would be a large customer of our can opener since they use a lot of tinned food, but I’d ignored the fact that as an institution they are extremely conservative and sending new gizmos into a battle field situation would be considered a risk by them. At least the public is starting to buy them and we get enough of an income out of the royalties to make a difference now that the cost of living has shot up so drastically.
Eight years. My last year at school, thank goodness. Spending so many years pretending to learn what I already know is not fun. I’m already trying to think of what I will do afterwards so that I earn enough to send home some money. I’m not needed on the farm as much as I was before since Minti started becoming serious about Seb. He moved into the house and helps with the chores because he cannot find a job.
The war has ended and da has returned. Thinking about it, I realised there is a good possibility there will not be a second world war or else it will be delayed be a number of years. How important was the second war to Cherine and Robert being born? I’ve been hoping they would be born and meet so that Cherine can link me. It is my only hope of returning before I die. I don’t know enough to try to influence events favourably.
School is finished. I passed with good enough grades to be accepted at any University but, first of all, it is very rare for a girl to be accepted and secondly, I need to earn money. This is the busy time of the year so I’ll stay at the farm a couple of months.
Why can’t I go to the void? We’ve seen millions of souls of dreamers come there. Something must be blocking me. It must have been troubling me more than I’d realised, for I did something very foolish. I was sitting in the kitchen with mums and Minti, the men out in the field.
Without planning it I suddenly said, “I lied to you mums, I do not have amnesia. I remember my family and my surname is Teller. I can’t tell you why, but I was forced to leave them.”
At times of crisis mums stays cool, but Minti had a hundred questions. Mums shushed her. “When she is ready she’ll explain. Jina, just one question. Did you leave them because of the gifts?”
“No.”
She shook her head. “‘Tis not right, a nine year old does not leave her family.” After that she changed the subject and did not refer to it again, but I found out she did ask our local bobby to try to trace my family.
My family don’t want me to leave, they say there is enough work at the farm - especially if Minti marries and leaves. I doubt she will do so, since Seb is happy here.
Edti came for a weekend. Mums and Minti fussed over him as he looks wan. On the second day he asked me to take a walk with him. We did not walk far, since I sensed he was soon tired, so we sat under a tree and I huddled up against him for my healer to fix him and to warm him. I saw a spot of colour return to his cheeks, but that was all, so I knew something was worrying him.
“You’re a special girl and I’m glad you became my sister. Jina, you are a cheerful soul, but something is eating at you, can I help?”
“No, nobody can, I just have to wait.”
“I swear to you on all I hold sacred, I will not tell anyone but, I must know Jina. Let me speak first then. You arrive from nowhere without anyone passing through the villages on either side of our home. You have an extraordinary beauty and as you grow into a woman it will become even more obvious. You have the gift of laying on of hands and yet you show total lack of interest in religion. You can move faster than anyone else and you never get tired. You have never shown any interest in sketching and yet you design a utensil because we are about to lose our farm. Nothing adds up and now I hear you’ve admitted you do not suffer from amnesia. You are vexing all of us, but I am also worried for you.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you for myself Edti. There are two other lives at stake and I don’t have the right to place them at risk.”
“If they are important to you, they will be just as important to me.” He smiled. “As a boy I did not have much time for girls and yet even then I played with you. Something about the way you looked bewildered and afraid that first time I saw you, but keeping a smile on your face for us, made me realise you are just as brave as any of the boys. Jina, I have given you my oath so ask for me to come home whenever you are ready to confide in me.”
“What if I told you that the two I spoke of, it is not their death I fear, it is their not being born because of something I do to change the events that will lead to their existing?”
He paled again, his cheeks tight against his bones. “When I was in the war, that fancy kept passing through my mind. The soldier I kill, it means he will not have a child he might have had and that child will not have children. I saw that I was not only shooting at the present man, but also at future generations who are innocent.”
“If you knew these two and what they mean…to us, you would be shattered at just the possibility of preventing their existence.”
“You are speaking of messiahs?”
“No, I am speaking of a world filled with empathy and love. Oh god Edti, I miss them so much!”
“The two unborn?”
“No, my family, the one I was taken away from. In a way they are the same. Edti, what do you know about alternate realities?” At this time in their evolution, science fiction is almost unheard of and the theory of alternate realities or probability worlds are not common knowledge - that is if their scientists have even thought of them. I kept my explanation simple and he seemed to be attracted by the innate sensibility of such a universe, until he thought about the impossibility of an infinite such realities. I told him I came from such a reality, that I had been attacked and sent back in time and that I would have to age and die before returning to my family. Then I gave him a very simplified version of our history, not mentioning the real names of Robert and Cherine and avoiding all mention of child sex and incest. It was difficult enough for him to believe without complicating matters by shocking him. It says much for him that he pulled me to him for a hug when he sensed the love flooding me for my family and my despair at having to spend so many years without them.
“This will remain between the two of us, I will not tell my family - not even the girl I marry someday…if I find such a girl to love after knowing someone as special as you. I can’t help comparing and seeing how they should be.”
“Love will make the girl be as special as you want her to be.”
He laughed. “You sound so naïve when you say things like that. No wonder Minti sometimes despairs of you.”
It was a letdown, knowing I had taken such a big risk in telling him, with the result that he thought I’d made up a story or was a ‘troubled’ mind that was trying to create a fantasy world to make up for losing my family. It is better this way. Despite that, I got into the habit of telling him a story now and then, some event from my ‘real’ life I thought he could understand and enjoy. He was struggling with his job so I told him about Kiris.
He smiled, “That could only happen in a story, not in real life.”
Nine years. I told my family I’ve decided to go to London. Mums and da pleaded with me to go to Birmingham if I insist on leaving. I do not want to go there. I feel I know London better. I can already feel how seeing familiar sights will affect me, but that is where I must go, it is the only city right now that offers many opportunities. A few days later Edti arrived and asked me to stay with him in Birmingham, telling me that if we share his rooms I won’t have rent to pay and can send more money home. I refused him. Edti sent a message to his work that he had family problems and asked to take his annual holiday now. They agreed.
Da made everyone wait at the table after supper. He placed before me fifty pounds. “I’ve been keeping your share for a rainy day. I’ll send you postal orders for ten pounds to tide you over every month. Make us proud girl.”
We took the train from Chelmsford to Victoria Station, Edti and Minti coming with me. As we travelled I brought my diary up to date.
“Are you writing your diary?”
“Yes.”
“Is it from before you came to us?”
“No.”
“Can I read it?”
I had not expected her request and stumbled as I tried to find a nice way of refusing her. Edti spoke and his voice was stern, “A diary is private Minti. How can she feel free to write her thoughts if you read it?”
When we arrived we walked across the bridge and searched for rooms on the other side of the Thames. We found a room at the right price, but it was filthy and the bathroom I had to share looked and smelled as if it had never been cleaned. It was disgusting and I was brave for all of three minutes before grabbing my things and walking out. When Edti saw that I was walking back across the bridge again, he tried reasoning with me, patiently explaining the prices are far too high on this side. I had no plan, but I insisted on searching while I clung to a vague hope.
This is not the London I love. A thick, unpleasant smog covers it and the city is grimy. We mostly took small side streets that were even worse off. In such a side street, I saw a tiny shop for rent and an idea came to me. Both of them tried to argue with me, but they only made me more determined to try, so we went to the landlord and Edti negotiated and rented it in his name. They were aghast at the thought of me living in there when we saw the interior. I put my things in a corner and cleaned the room as well as I could without a bucket, soap and cloths.
Minti was in despair. “You don’t even have a toilet!”
“I’ll make do, I’ll use the one at the station - and don’t you dare tell mums, she’ll just worry. Now we have to find a mattress, a couple of tables and some other things.”
“It doesn’t make sense Jina. You had enough for three months rent but now you won’t have enough for next month!”
“I will - by then. Come on.”
We found used tables which I scrubbed and going to the market I found the stock I wanted. I still had a little bit of cash for a few necessities so I felt cheerful. They accompanied me as I walked around noting down the names of restaurants and private clubs. Once I had seven restaurants and three clubs, we went looking for a cheap printer. I argued until I had exactly what I wanted and gave my order.
I’d decided to make after dinner mints as they do not need any cooking. The printing was for wrappers. They had the message in elegant script, ‘With the compliments of …’ with the name of my potential customer and my brand, which I chose in honour of my sister, ‘House of Minti’.
Each box fitted fifty mints. Once the printer supplied me, I made three boxes for each customer during that night - thanks to the help I had. The next morning Edti came along to help carry the boxes while Minti went to look at clothes. Edti was emanating waves of confounded disapproval as I entered each business, explained what the mints were for and gave them one box for free.
Once he’d gotten over being upset with me for not asking him to market the mints for me and earn some cash, he became thoughtful and asked, “Is this an idea from your world? Did it work there?”
I laughed, “If it catches on here as it has over there and if nobody else tries to steal my idea, we’ll end up the richest family in England.”
Minti stared at me with eyes huge and filled with disbelief when she heard I had just given away the sweets she had worked so hard to make and her lips trembled. Out of the ten customers, I received orders from seven of them the next day. I did not throw away the labels I’d printed for the three; as they see how popular my idea is with the customers, a couple of them might change their mind.
“You’re only making two and a half shillings profit per box. You’ll need to sell at least fifty per day to make ends meet. Sis, come back to Birmingham with me.” Minti agreed with him. I considered my options carefully before answering.
“If I have twenty customers before you leave, will you resign your job and come to do my marketing for me? You’ll be a fifty percent partner.”
He grinned. “You’ve got a deal. If you don’t make it, you have to return with me. There is no way you can get that many orders within two days.”
“Hit the streets with some samples. I bet I’ll return with more orders than you get.”
I returned to my customers and asked them whether they knew others to send me to. I returned with five orders while Edti only got one. He looked deflated and Minti was amused. The next day it was harder as I was cold canvassing - but I shamelessly made use of the names of the thirteen customers I had and secured two trial orders. Edti preened for he had three. Then he did his arithmetic and realised I only needed another two customers. He graciously did not wait for the next day and told me he would give notice, work the month and return to work with me.
My workshop/home felt so empty and lonely once they were gone. I’m not like Samantha, I don’t know how to be on my own and I feel miserable. I doubt any Cherinian has ever felt as lonely as I do. When I came to write in my diary I found Minti had slipped in a five pound note and it made me cry.
I now had to do all the work on my own. Make sweets, wrap them and deliver them, while also walking to the market for more stock and visit the printer on a regular basis, as I did not have money to give a large order. On top of all that, I had to spend more and more time canvassing for new customers as I had to go further afield to find new restaurants. I decided it was time to go to visit the hotels. When the Savoy Hotel saw that Le Coq d’Or of Piccadilly were my customers, they gave me an order. That opened the door to many other hotels. I had to employ a young man with his cart to deliver for me as I now had over a hundred boxes a day in orders. I was working over twenty hours a day and was dreaming of things going wrong with my business - the worst dream being that I unwrapped my mints and saw worms crawling out of them. I was forced to employ a woman to help me and then a second one a week later when another two hotels ordered. By now customers were seeking me out, making it a little bit easier for me. Edti wrote that he had to work an extra two weeks, but I was so busy I hardly noticed the time passing.
I found a nice apartment with two bedrooms, paid three rents in advance and confirmed my brother would sign an agreement as soon as he arrived, added a few knickknacks to make it more homey and went to Victoria Station to meet him. I could hardly wait to see his face when he saw our home. He was stunned when he heard how many customers I have.
We went for a meal and I could hear how excited my voice sounded as I explained that I wanted to start a new line to complement our mints. I wanted to dip my mint wafers in chocolate. They would be more expensive, but I thought they would sell well. “The hotels can place them on the pillow of their guests.”
We found bigger premises and moved the workshop. I hardly saw Edti at all during the day as he tried his best to bring in more customers and visit our existing customers to hear whether any had complaints and for repeat orders. I asked him not to tell me if any of them complain that they found worms in them and he asked why. When I told him about my nightmares he hugged me.
Now that we stay together, I’ve become aware of what is troubling Edti. He went through battles where he saw men he knew being killed and then he himself was wounded, losing an arm. Just because I helped his body heal itself, it does not mean that his mind is no longer traumatised. In our world, at the time of the first world war, they coined the term ‘shellshock’. He also suffers from ‘survivors guilt’. Here they don’t seem to be aware of these psychological problems so I’ll have to do something about it.
I asked around and found a printer who lost his son in the war. I went to visit him.
“Mr Jakob, I don’t make enough money to pay for what I want so I’ve come to ask whether you’ll print leaflets for me at cost.” I explained what the problem is and that I felt the government has to be made aware of the need to help those who fought for us. Without answering me he walked out of the room to call for an apprentice and rolled down his sleeves. He returned, put on his jacket and asked me to join him for lunch.
A young man, tall with almost black hair joined us at our table. “This is Jetrol, he is a politician, but he still has some principles. Join us my boy, this young lady has something interesting to tell you.”
When I finished explaining he nodded. “Some of the words you used I’m unfamiliar with, but I get the gist of it and it makes sense. Could you please write it down for me with as many details as you can? There is no need for leaflets, I’ll arrange for the newspapers to write about it. Miss Teller, you have not only helped make me aware of a problem it is our duty to take care of, but, you have also provided me with a cause that will give my career a boost. I’m in your debt on both accounts.” I could sense he was attracted to me, even if he thought I was younger than I am, but he controlled himself and did not make any overtures.
When he left Jakob smiled. “I think my young friend is quite taken by you.”
“Please do not encourage him, I’m not interested.”
He was as good as his word. Both of the biggest newspapers wrote articles, adding to my comments, opinions by the best doctors and professors. Jetrol did not disclose my name, but he admitted that most of the information was given to him by a young student. Everyone assumed he meant a man so it deflected all inquiries, ensuring me my privacy.
At his request I meet Jakob now and then, mostly joining him for a lunch and leisurely chat. When he can, Jetrol joins us at the end. He’ll tease me, asking if I have any other suggestions to build his political image. He always emotes a gentle friendliness, so I enjoy his company and am careful about the way I tease him. I enjoy the company of both men because London is so full of hard minds locked within their own bitter thoughts, that any mind that is pleasant provides me with relief.
I rushed over to Edti’s bedroom and gently woke him up. He was covered in perspiration and his eyes reflected the agony he was going through. I lay on top of the blanket and held him until I felt his breathing was even.
“Tomorrow you go for treatment.”
“I’m not insane!” It was the one reaction I had not anticipated from the soldiers. Many felt that going for treatment to rid themselves of their nightmares or fears was an admittance that they were not sane.
“I’m not asking Edti, you’re going.” He gave in.
It was in the middle of the day. I was walking back from a customer when three men surrounded me. I thought they wanted to rob me, but I was surprised to sense a cold pleasure in the two and nothing in the other. As one of them made to hit me I dropped to my knees, swirled and kicked out, knocking over the one man. I shot up, leaping as high as I could and kicked the other in the face. The one with the blank mind grabbed my leg and swung me around. I managed to land without hurting myself and swung to face him. He stared into my eyes for a brief moment and ran away. I was shocked at the hate and glee I’d seen in his look. Despite the streets being full of people, everyone had pretended not to see what was going on until I knocked the two men down. Trying to appear calm I walked back to our workshop.
Edti was in a good mood as he’d just finished doing our accounts for the month. “What is the name of that alien who became rich?”
“Kiris.”
“Yes, hmm, you’re not Kiris are you?”
I laughed. “If I was, I would be worth a couple of million by now.”
Sometimes Edti goes to the local pub for a beer and chat after work. This time he returned with a furious look on his face. “Why didn’t you tell me you were attacked?”
“I handled it, there was no point in worrying you.”
“You’re not going out again by yourself!”
I bristled at his ordering me, so my reply was a trifle arrogant, “Why? Do you expect me to protect my guardian?”
“There might be more of them next time Jina, you cannot handle a number of attackers at the same time.”
“There’s only one of them who can hurt me, I think he’s from my world and is nearly as fast as I am. Luckily he hasn’t had the training I have.”
I could feel the fear that flooded his being. “Jesu! You were telling me the truth, you really come from another world?”
Sadly I asked, “Does that make me a monster Edti, or am I still your sister?” He quickly forgot his fear and pulled me to him, but since then he is not as comfortable with me, always watching for what makes me different.
Ten years. A full ten years since I’ve seen my loves! I took the day off to walk on my own. I hired a boat and when I saw some open countryside I walked to some trees and sat to remember. Oh god, how I miss everyone. Even just to feel the arms of pappou Alki around me would help.
Well, I’ve had my day of sad thoughts. Now I have to continue to plan for the day I’ll be reunited with my loves.
The next step took place by accident. As I was dipping the mints in chocolate, in frustration I said to Edti, “I don’t understand why there are no Cadbury chocolates in your reality. This chocolate is no good, it’s tasteless!”
When he returned at the end of that day, with a flourish, he whipped out a bar of Cadbury chocolate. I must have squealed with joy for he laughed. The packaging was primitive to my eyes, but the blue colour and logo they use is the same as I’m used to seeing. The next morning I dressed up and taking Edti with, went to visit their London office.
The man I saw was in management, but not a Director of the company. I received the impression that it is still a family owned business. He agreed to sell us chocolate in bulk for our mints, even complimenting us on our product. Our conversation strayed and I asked whether they market their products over all of the United Kingdom.
“We are taking it slowly. At this time we have a small factory in Scotland and one here in London.”
Edti said, “I don’t see your chocolates in many grocery stores.”
“It will take time to convince them, but the larger shops stock our range.”
I asked, “What would you need from us to give us the exclusive agency for Birmingham, Newcastle and Liverpool?”
“We’d have to be convinced you have the financial capability plus the ability to market successfully. It is a moot point, as we are not capable of supplying such large quantities. We first have to expand our factory.”
He kept on looking at Edti, wondering why he was letting me do all the talking. He nearly did not take me seriously enough to answer when I asked whether they needed our assistance to build a new factory. With amusement showing in his eyes he asked whether I intended lending them the money.
“What would the profit in doing so be? No, I was thinking of building and equipping the factory for you if you lease it for twenty years.”
“Is she serious?”
“I’d take her seriously if I were you.”
“Please prepare for us an estimate of what would be needed to build a factory that is capable of supplying the entire country and we’ll return with an offer.”
We were barely out the door when Edti exploded, demanding to know how I planned to find that kind of money. I grinned at him without replying, really annoying him. The next morning I went to Jakob. He paid me the compliment of listening to me without laughing.
“Are you certain you don’t have Jewish blood in you?”
I answered in Hebrew, “I may not have Jewish blood in me, but I have a Jewish heart.” He sat frozen like a statue for a moment.
“If my son was alive I’d want him to marry you. How do you plan to find the money?”
“Me? I was hoping you would. Surely you have contacts within your community? If you put together a number of investors, we should be able to swing it with you and us keeping an interest in the project of about fifteen to twenty percent? Jakob, the suppliers of the equipment and the construction company should offer us a discount - that should be considered part of our contribution, the rest of it being due to us for finding the opportunity.”
“I’ll try, that’s all I can promise.”
The day we returned to Cadbury armed with an offer, Edti and Jakob came with. This time we were taken to see two of their Directors. Stonily they listened, but as they started working on the figures, I sensed their emoting quicken into a hidden excitement. Knowing they were hooked gave me the advantage I needed.
“There are a couple of small side benefits I want that come as part of the deal. I want the exclusive agency for the three cities plus I want you to agree to issue new shares at an agreed price for us to buy on option within twenty four months. I’d suggest about ten percent of existing shares, which means we’d have about nine percent of your company. You’ll have to go public later on, the market is too large for you to continue as a private company and I think we should also benefit from helping you grow.”
We walked out of there with only their promise to consider our offer and terms, and I knew it would take a month or two for negotiations to lead to an agreement. I told the other two and asked Jakob to handle the negotiations.
Edti touched the arm of Jakob. “How did you convince the investors to trust Jina?”
He told him what I’d said, stressing the point that I’d said it in Hebrew. “We have accepted her as part of our community and trust her.”
Once we were on our own, Edti said to me, “That was clever. Appointing Jakob to handle the negotiations will convince the investors.”
“If this goes through, do you think you could convince da, mums and Minti to join us? We can’t handle everything on our own. Tell Minti she will have ten percent in all our businesses. Whatever the balance, after we’ve handed out shares to Jakob and any others we need, you and I remain fifty - fifty partners.”
“I can’t accept that much!”
“Why, is it against your religion? Someday everything I own will be yours my sweet brother. I will not marry, nor will I have any children. I’ll leave a percentage to charities of my choice, but the rest will be yours - and I don’t want any arguments from you.”
We knew our ‘House of Minti’ was a serious business the day a message arrived asking us to be present the next day at Fortnum & Mason for a meeting. They wanted boxes for retailing and we promised to have samples with them within two weeks.
It is five days since our meeting and we arrived this morning to find someone had broken in and destroyed all our equipment and damaged our labels. I do not remember ever being this angry. We managed to repair or order replacements within the day, but it is a setback. At least the printers promised to work overnight to replace the labels.
Jakob came to visit for the purpose of updating us. He told us what was said at the latest meeting with Cadbury and it looks good. As he left us to walk back to his office, I followed him at a distance, because I’d suddenly become afraid that he may become a target of whoever it is that hates me. He arrived safely and I returned directly to our home for a long bath and to think.
Fortnum & Mason liked our products and prices and gave us an order! What is even more remarkable is that they included our mints in advertisements in the best newspapers and magazines. We went out to celebrate and Edti became slightly inebriated. I was laughing as I guided him back to our home.
As far as everyone else is concerned I’m only nineteen, close to turning twenty and I already am becoming known among the men as the ice queen. I wonder whether Robert would like to place an advert confirming what a hot little girl I am. I laughed at what I wrote and then wished I could erase it.
Eleven years. One more year and then I’m legally an adult, although society will persist in treating me as a feeble-minded child for the rest of my life if I allow it. How much of a suffragette do I want to be? Hello my Teller loves, are you reading my diary and wondering whether you should bring me back or have you decided I’m not worth it? I’m aware of the inflexible rules of time, but I sometimes feel as if I’ve been abandoned and forgotten. I know it’s not true but I feel that way when I’m at my loneliest.
We are almost making enough money to buy a home. I discussed it with Edti and he agreed that our parents and Minti should have their own home and we’ll share this rented home for a while longer. Later we’ll get Minti her own home if she prefers to live on her own. At least she’s not putting pressure on us by having babies.
It took nearly two months, as I’d estimated, but we have a deal. After everybody got a share, Edti and I only have a small percentage, but it still gives us an asset value on paper of close to thirty thousand pounds. Edti wanted to celebrate so I went with to make certain he arrives home safely.
It was just past ten when we walked home. As I’d been dreading, we were attacked on our way back. I pushed Edti away from me and he lay on the ground staring up at us. I saw the same man was among them. Desperately I tried to link to his mind so as to draw back some of my gifts, even if it was only temporarily. His block was too good, so I looked to defending myself. Robert always tells us that offence is the best defence, so I did not wait.
Within seconds I had two of the men lying on the ground, blood covering their faces and incapable of joining the fight again. I now faced one man plus my enemy. He moved too fast for me to stop him and held Edti by the throat.
“Your life for his. Resist and I’ll kill him.”
“You know my answer. At least tell me why.”
“You should have guessed by now.” He spoke to the man, “Kill her.”
I saw the angle of his knife as he swung down on me and bending forward allowed it to enter from above my collar bone, grazing my one heart. I screamed from the pain, but retained enough sense to plead with my healer to stop my hearts for a minute. I do not know whether it obeyed, for I blanked out. I’d hoped to end up in the void, but I do not recall going there. All I know is that I woke up in the arms of Edti who was weeping and a small crowd stood around us. Where my blood was flowing over my shoulder and upper chest I felt deliciously warm, but there was no pain. I sensed the healer closing the wound so I tugged at Edti’s arm. In shock he looked down at me.
“Help me get home, quick.”
He wanted to carry me, but he had been beaten up so he obeyed when I told him to help me stand. Another man came to my other side and between them they got me to my bed. Edti reassured the other man he would call for an ambulance and thanking him saw him out the front door. He returned to find me sitting up. Without a word he pulled at my dress by the neckline and saw the scar fading.
“I need a few more minutes. Run a hot bath for me please.”
I should have foreseen that the burden of his knowledge of me would be too great for him. He did not tell my secret, but he described in detail the assault to Jakob. Jakob is almost an Alki. He did not rush to me. He sent an invitation for me to meet him for lunch and without telling me sent three of his employees to watch over me until I arrived at the restaurant. Politely he stood up and pulled out my chair. After pushing the chair back in he sat down and steepled his fingers thoughtfully.
“Edti told me about the attack.”
“He should not have worried you, I’m well.”
“It was not the first time.”
“Jakob, I can handle myself. I’m only in danger when others try to help me.”
“So Edti tells me.” He added in Hebrew, “Is it not time to tell me the truth, daughter?”
Mentally I cursed Edti and then accepted it had been inevitable, if not now, then at sometime Jakob would have suspected. “After lunch I’ll explain if you agree to sit without moving for an hour.”
He nodded. “Agreed.”
I sighed melodramatically. “I thought I’d put an impossible condition, I’ve never seen you sit still for more than five minutes.” He laughed.
