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.
I waited until I thought my healer had taken care of any possible problems and then explained, more fully than I had with Edti. “So, I can only return to my family after I’ve died. My father will return in time to collect a cell from my body and bring me back.”
“You speak of such things…if anyone else had told me your story I would not have believed. I am tempted to run to my rabbi for him to reassure me the world is as I’ve known it till now.” He sank into his thoughts. “This man from your world, he worries me. What else could he do?”
“If I surrounded myself by twenty men? He could bring a bomb from our world that would kill everyone in London.” I paused. “Don’t worry, he would not do it, anything that creates an anomaly he knows would cause my father to return in time to examine it, defeating the purpose of his attacks. He has not attacked me personally because he fears me. He can see that I am faster in my reactions than he is and I have training in martial arts that he does not. I do not get the impression he is much of a fighter. He’ll have to continue using thugs, and them I can handle. My only worry is that he might bring someone else from my world to help him.”
“Someone who is a fighter?” I nodded. “Then you need something to distract him at a critical moment to give you an advantage.”
“Jakob, one thing I must make clear, I cannot kill, not even to save myself.”
“Tsk, that is a bad thing, no wonder they do not fear you. You should not limit yourself.”
“Actually, it’s not a limit, it can be an advantage.” He raised an eyebrow. “Killing is too easy. Not allowing myself to kill means I’m forced to think deeper and find non-lethal ways to defend myself. Also, if they knew I could kill, they would take more extreme action.”
“My son would have loved you. When he was called to fight he went, but it was against his beliefs, he thought it is wrong to kill for any reason.”
Robert, if you cannot bring me back, will you please bring back Jakob and his son? My family too. They not only cared for me, they are good people and their love gave meaning to my life in this time of exile.
We estimate it will take about a year or more before the new factory is ready and can start production. Within that time I must build up a network for delivering the stock in three cities. I had not thought of needing a transport company, but it was glaringly obvious. I would also need more products to justify running a fleet of trucks. I also had to find the money to buy them. I thought to myself, why not create the products myself? The question was, what products? The answer soon became obvious.
“In my world there are companies that specialise in publishing books for women. They are light romantic stories, some of them historical. I don’t see why they would not be a success here.”
“There is a magazine for women, but it does not sell many copies and they struggle to find advertisers.”
“That is foolish. Do they think it is the man who chooses which sewing machine to buy? What about food and cleaning materials? Their customers are women and I’ll press that point until they wake up. I’ve seen the magazine and to be honest, it is boring. I can borrow some ideas from my reality for creating something beautiful and interesting.” I briefly sketched out the various sections with a few ideas for the first articles. They thought it was foolish of me to include a couple of short stories but did not argue. The problem was where to find the staff I needed since I wanted women. I suggested we place an advertisement for women writers.
Jakob had to buy equipment for printing the magazine and I was touched at his willingness to do so for me. They do not have the same glossy paper I’m used to, but we bought the best that was available. We planned for the first printing to total five thousand. Because of the small number I decided not to charge for the advertisements as long as they paid for the artwork and signed up for future advertisements. Edti and I discussed it and I gave him detailed reasons why certain products need to be targeted at female customers and then left it to him to get us the business. I got on the train and went to visit our family.
“We want Minti to learn how to run a magazine with mums running a column of her own.”
Mums panicked. “I could not do that, I don’t know anything about writing!”
“Mums, we will have a page where people write to ask you for advice. Love problems or even how to get stains out of their clothes. We’ll find a woman who can use your advice to write the answer. You’ll sort of be an auntie to everyone, which is something you already are to many people.
Da, we need you to oversee the building of the factory so that they use the materials they should and to keep the pressure on them so that they finish in time.”
I described the home we’d rented for them and they agreed to come as soon as they found a buyer for the farm. They mostly agreed for the sake of having all the family together again. I know mums misses Edti a lot.
I’m glad I’m not in a hurry, for everything I set out to do takes a lot of time. We managed to put out our first issue four months later. Even our special offer to advertisers did not gain us much support. We reserved a number of the magazines for providing to hospitals, hotels, the offices of doctors. The next issue, two weeks later, sold about seven thousand and the next sold thirteen thousand. To have any real clout with advertisers we had to reach twenty five thousand. In the next issue we had on the cover ‘Competition: 5 prizes worth twenty pounds each.’ I guess it helped for it pushed up our circulation to nineteen thousand. People were also writing in with comments or asking ‘Mums’ for help. The stories, though not up to the standard I wanted, were a favourite feature so we upped the payment per word so as to induce good writers to submit to us. We later found out that some of them were actually men.
Jetrol joined us at our table. He bent over and kissed the back of my hand. “Not only do you grow lovelier each time I meet you, but it seems you are also becoming a power to be reckoned with.”
“I’m still a tiny fish in a very big pond. Jakob, do me a favour and refuse to provide Jetrol with lunch. If you like, order him some lettuce.” I turned to him. “We want to do an article about you, would you agree to an interview? You will be supplied with the questions from before so that you can prepare yourself. Please keep in mind that the readers are women, tell them of your ideas on women earning a fair wage for the job they do and what you think of women having the vote. Do not patronise them Jetrol, they have enough of that from their families, priests and other politicians. Speak about how wise you have found certain women are, your mother for instance, and what good advice they have given you. Tell them you do not think they are being treated fairly and that it is wrong to treat women like children. You are the government of all the people, which means you make decisions on behalf of women - let them have a say in how you affect their lives. Be their champion or lose out, in America women are winning the battle for equality of the sexes and if women win the vote thanks to you, you will have their vote.”
“I haven’t even agreed to the interview and you’re already dictating how I should respond! Jina, I cannot make such fundamental changes in the policies of our party without seeking their approval first. Why are you limiting me to lettuce? Is this a sadistic aspect of you I have not seen before?”
“You attracted a lot of support because you looked lean, now you are starting to look like a typical fat cat politician. Women are attracted to slim, healthy and good looking men - why waste an advantage you already have?”
Jakob laughed. “It looks like she’s decided to manage your career, I better prepare my friends for the day you become our Prime Minister. Waiter, one bowl of lettuce.”
Jetrol toned down what I’d suggested he say but still, this was the first time any politician had addressed himself to women and it caused a lot of controversy and we sold out all twenty five thousand copies we’d printed. I sent Edti back to the advertisers with our new circulation figures and we are now starting to make a profit. We announced in the next issue that we are looking for authors of novels of romantic interest to women. We gave a few suggestions and asked that they send in to us the first twenty pages. We received over two hundred out of which we chose the six most promising. Those who needed help to improve their writing we decided to re-write for them, but one of them was excellent and needed almost no changes. We advanced a small payment and demanded they keep us advised each week of how much they have written.
“I’m telling you, the ‘Heart of a Prince’ will be a huge seller. Jakob, have you seen the small books that are called pocket books? Ours must be like those, but a better quality and please find a longer-lasting glue for holding the pages. I want good artists for the covers, can you help?”
When it was time to advertise the books, we splashed across the cover of the magazine a notice that we have an important message for women and that is why we are offering with the magazine a set of free hair clips. We took the chance and printed an extra ten thousand copies and they were all sold. The orders for books poured in and the publishing world was shaken. We mailed forty two thousand books within the first month! I don’t know where they found the information, but the Observer newspaper wrote an article about me. Luckily they used the surname ‘Jonston’. Jetrol then let them know that I was the source of his information regarding the shell-shocked soldiers and the newspaper demanded I agree to an interview with some prominent doctors there to grill me. It was decided it would be less damaging if I agreed.
“Gentlemen, I am flattered that you came to speak to me, but I don’t understand why, since the facts have proven me right. Anyway, all you had to do was ask your own nurses. They would have told you of the number of soldiers who wake up screaming from nightmares, drenched with perspiration.”
“Are you a nurse?”
“Oh no, I’m just a businesswoman. It only was necessary for me to see how my brother suffered, I did not need to be a nurse.”
“A what? Young lady, you seem to be coining new words without regard for the proper usage of the language.”
I sighed. “Ask me any questions you wish regarding medical procedures.”
I must have given answers that were beyond their prior knowledge but that made sense to them, for they grew angrier and angrier with me and at the end declared me to be a fraud. Once they stormed out, the journalists and I had a long session and I thought they were trying to find out the truth and were well disposed towards me. I was in tears when I read the article the next day. They ridiculed everything I’d said.
Angrily Minti demanded I give her a synopsis of all I’d said. I gave her a word for word report and they edited it to make it shorter. They wrote across the front page of the next issue, ‘The Observer lied - because Jina is a woman. Read the exact words spoken.” Without telling me she ordered an extra ten thousand copies and when they sold out we received demands for more copies. The presses worked overnight and we sent out another six thousand copies. The Observer was flooded by angry letters from our readers demanding they apologise and suddenly I was on their second page as they printed patronising comments. Suddenly our subscription forms arrived in a torrent and we now had over five thousand regular readers. It sure helped Edti who had to calm down our advertisers. They have not realised yet that all publicity is good publicity.
Two days later, as I returned from visiting da at the factory site, three men shot at me. One hit my chest and destroyed my one heart, the other hit my right shoulder and the third one, from an angle, removed about a quarter of my face and hit Edti in the arm. He called for me to be taken home as fast as possible.
I woke up to the sight of grim faces surrounding me - every single person I love. Mums, da and Minti had argued for me to be taken to a hospital and were so angry that Edti would not allow them, that they were not speaking to him. It did not help Edti that Jakob timorously took his side.
Once I could speak, I asked Edti to let me touch him. “No, heal yourself first, mine is only a flesh wound.”
“Have I told you how much I love you?” I closed my eyes and slept through the next three hours. When I awoke it was to find mums and da and Minti terrified of me. Silently, his eyes still filled with awe, Jakob held a mirror before my face and I saw it was whole again.
I began to weep, needing to feel the arms of Alki around me as he fed me soup broth. Minti asked whether I was crying because I was in pain and when I said, “No, it’s because I want some chicken soup” they all thought I was in shock and had taken leave of my senses. Jakob rushed to make me some.
I noticed Seb was not with. “He could not stand the sight of all the blood and your torn face and went to the pub.”
“Jesu! What’s he going to say when he sees I’ve healed?”
“He’ll think you are a witch. He already half believes that.” She found the courage to ask, “Are you?”
“I only have the gift of healing - like with da, remember?”
Jakob asked to speak to me alone and Edti herded them out. “You have not told your family?”
“How could I Jakob?”
“You should have, they would have prevented Minti’s husband from seeing you. He will cause you trouble Jina.”
“What if we told him he only imagined it?”
“Your left cheekbone and cheek was torn off and we could see your teeth. It is not likely he’ll believe it.”
“Lawyers say that even if you were caught red-handed, deny, deny and deny. That’s all we can do.”
“Can Minti stick to the story?”
I shook my head. “No, she’ll break down and tell him the truth.”
“Can you order your healer not to heal you?”
“I could - before, I don’t know if it will obey now.”
“May I?” He opened a small penknife. I nodded and shut my eyes. I felt it prick my cheek as I concentrated and blood poured out. He dragged the blade at a different angle and peeled the skin a little. He sat back to watch and when I opened my eyes I saw the dismay in his. My healer fixed it so that not even a scar remained. I took his hand in mine.
“That was incredibly brave of you, thank you.”
“We have no choice, we’ll have to claim the blood was from Edti’s shoulder and he was hallucinating when he insists your face was partly blown away.”
“I’m not known for my acting abilities, the girls never chose me for the tellings.” I grinned. “I’ll pretend I’m enjoying myself.”
“This sharing of memories, if you ever recover the ability, will you share with me?”
“I have something else in mind for you my friend. Please do not ask.”
Seb returned drunk and when he saw me calmly sitting without a mark, he yelled, shouted and smashed things. He passed out and Minti cleaned him and put him to bed. Later she came to me. “What we are doing to him is not right! He does not deserve it.”
“I’m sorry.”
We experimented with various materials, Jakob using contacts to find out what the army had available, until we created a multi-layered shield that could stop the bullets of small fire arms. I had it contoured so that it covered the one heart with thongs holding it in place and another covering my head to protect my brain. It meant I had to shave my hair and always wear a scarf and hat. It was the best I could do, but it made me feel ugly and a freak.
Twelve years. Last year was a dramatic year in many ways, but the worst of it is that I’ve learnt to fear.
At least I am now officially an adult. The bank manager of our businesses has long since realised I play an important role in them, so he smoothed the paperwork to help me open an account.
Other publishers have started printing books for women so we asked them to provide us (the magazine) with copies for us to review. We were honest and praised the books we considered well written. It was a great day for us when they actually printed on the back cover our comments. We now have five books in our series and in total have sold over one hundred and forty thousand with orders still flowing in daily. I felt a mischievous grin on my face when I thought of our next range. We advertised for writers of stories for little girls and teenagers. There are already stories and books for boys and children in general, so we were warned by a columnist in a newspaper that we would fail. We only printed six thousand of each book and came out with seven books. Within weeks we were printing the second edition. Girls not only loved our stories, but also enjoyed the pictures. We started a page in our magazine for girls. I framed the prophesy of failure alongside a further article where they explained why our books for girls were so popular. An American publisher asked for the rights to print them and we signed a deal, reserving (much to their astonishment) all rights to the books being made into movies. I bet they won’t make that mistake again.
This year up to now has been extremely boring for me as I stay at home and never walk in public. I hope Robert gets the bastards. Not satisfied with making me miserable, they now try to destroy the small pleasures I need to make this time bearable.
The factory will begin production in four months. We secured financing for six trucks, two for each city and are using them to distribute our magazines and books with whatever other small parcels we find to transport. Seb has taken over that business and is showing an aptitude for it - though I’ll have to keep an eye on him, he might be working the drivers too many hours. At least the bookshops have agreed to place our books and bi-weekly magazine on their shelves.
I’ve started haunting (okay, pun was intended) seances and other displays of psychic powers in the hope of finding someone with real gifts. I go out secretly and disguised, but I know that if I’m being watched I’ll not fool them. What few interesting individuals I’ve found tend to be very weak and their gifts only manifesting sporadically.
I’ve booked passage for New York. Jakob refused to come along, so I convinced Minti it would be great to travel as two young women on our own. Four days before we left she discovered she was pregnant. There were no other cabins so I’m going on my own.
Robert, I’m doing this for you. I’ve been to visit D.C. Comics and I’ve asked for the agency. They were surprised to learn that I’d heard of Superman. I don’t think this will make much money for a few years, but they’ve also given me the strips that are printed in newspapers. I’ve asked them to bring out a Supergirl series so that I can include those in our magazine, expanding the pages for girls. I also managed to contact publishers with books for women and girls and will be publishing for them in London.
I did not like New York. It is nothing like the city of our world and I had to hire a bodyguard - I do not want reports of me fighting off thugs since they would give it prime space because of me being British. The Waldorf Astoria Hotel is amazing and oh so expensive!
Thirteen years. Mother, why haven’t you thought of the possibility of my being in the past? I know I’m being unfair, but it seems so obvious to me because of my being here. I guess I could not expect you to search all the realities in the past and the future. It’s sad how misery makes it easy for me to become unreasonable. If I could have chosen one man to accompany me on my exile, now that I’m an adult, I think I would choose Samuel King. I would want him to be Samuel Thorn here, for he can be very vicious (for a Cherinian) and I’d have felt safe, even if he had no powers like me. I’m glad I had to build up a financial empire so that I can afford to print my diary in millions of copies. All I seem to do is work and worry which helps keep my mind off my own thoughts that would have left me in permanent misery.
Isn’t it sickening how I cry like a baby throughout this diary? Please skip those parts.
The newspapers who’ve attacked me in the past have kept very quiet about my new venture, waiting to see whether the comics will be successful. Well, it just happens they are and kids are buying them. I’ve had to buy more trucks to supply most of the cities, even though the train would be cheaper, as growing the transport business brings down the costs. Now the papers are willing to discuss adding a comic page but they are also concentrating on British comics. Some of them are lovely, but they’ll never beat Superman, Supergirl and Captain Marvel. Perhaps I should look to expanding the agency for the Marvel range and secure the rights to Dick Tracy.
I’ve let my hair grow again and I’ve stopped wearing the protection. First I extracted promises from Edti and Jakob that if I do die, they will print my diary in as many copies as possible and distribute them every five years for as long as they live. I cannot live eternally in fear.
Mums keeps on cooking and bringing over food for Edti and I. We also visit them at least two times a week and Minti once a week with her coming over to see us now and then. She does not come more often for it is obvious that Seb has decided he does not like me. Instead of being grateful for the life and wealth he has, he complains to her that she and he are being cheated of their fair share. It makes Edti very angry with Minti. He feels she should not put up with his nonsense, but I understand her and try to show her that I still love her as much as ever. I’ve never forgotten the five quid she placed in my diary, because it was all the money she’d been given to spend on herself.
Seb has taken to drinking every evening and I’ve been warned that he is also drinking during working hours. When it starts to affect his work I’ll have a problem, so for the time being it is only Minti’s problem. She is giving birth in a few days and I hope it gives Seb a reason to stop drinking.
A tiny baby girl! Gosh, I’d never thought I would love her so much. I love her to bits! First thing I did is use my healer to ensure she is at peak health, I even tried telling it to bring her to the condition Cherinian babies are at this age, but it did or could not. Still, I’ll see to it that she is kept at prime health for as long as possible. I’ve told Minti to stay at home for the first three months and that afterwards, she should work less hours and take her daughter with her to work. This reminded me and I checked how many employees have small children and opened a crèche for their children at our ‘House of Minti’. We’ve also ordered medical equipment for handling minor trauma and illnesses for our employees and sent a circular that any employee with a direct family member having a health problem should go for treatment at our expense, after our in-house doctor has examined them. I’m starting to sound like Kiris and I must admit, I can understand his fascination with creating successful businesses, even if I’m cheating.
For the first time in years I’m really happy. Minti asked me to name her daughter. I asked whether she wanted to name her after our mums, Jasmin, but she said she did not. I asked mums whether she wanted her granddaughter to be named after her and she told me she did not mind my choosing a different name. I asked her if she would feel hurt if I named her after my biological mother and strained to sense her as she said she would not mind. She really did not, so I’ve chosen to call her Samantha. Minti does not feel comfortable taking her to work so she spends about four days a week with me. I’ve lost all interest in my work and spend all day cooing over my little niece. I don’t even mind changing her nappy. I’m so happy when I see her little face light up with a smile when her mother brings her over.
I was called to a meeting with the Cadbury directors. They informed me that they foresee the present facilities will not suffice as we are already straining them with our regular orders from all over the country and they asked whether I would like to quote for erecting a new and bigger factory. I met with Jakob and apprised him of the offer, but warned him that this time we would be putting our own money into the venture and wanted at least twenty five percent. He agrees it is a very good investment and called all the existing investors.
I have not written here for two months. Mother, my heart is broken and I can barely write as tears keep on filling my eyes. Our little Samantha is dead and it’s my fault. I knew that my enemy wants me dead, but I was selfish because I wanted her here with me and ignored the danger to her. They waited until we were in the livingroom that faces the street and a bomb exploded. Samantha was in my arms when shards of glass tore into her, shredding her tiny body. Oh god Vincent, why can’t you feel how I need you, what kind of protector are you?
Despite my wounds and losing both eyes, I sensed the blood was not all mine and the blankness as her soul departed. I screamed within my mind, demanding my healer let me die or at the very least leave me blind, but it did not obey me. For weeks I lay in my bed, not wanting to live. Mother, I’m shattered, all you loved in me is gone. When I realised that the only hope of bringing back Samantha was in surviving long enough to see my plan through, I forced myself back to the life that has no meaning for me anymore. Dad, perhaps you think I’m being weak, but it is not only the pain of losing someone I adore, the guilt is eating at me. Every time I have to face Minti or mums I feel their pain and it eats into my soul like acid.
A week after Samantha died, Seb got very drunk and attacked Minti. When she did not turn up for work Edti was told and he went to her house. He sent for me and the healer fixed her even as she screamed for me to leave her alone. Her eyes were filled with hate and I could not blame her, not even when she called me a monster. Seb has gone and I have a feeling he will not return.
I’m still doing whatever I do mechanically and if a memory from my past comes to me, I block it off. How can I return to memories of love and happiness after the misery and pain I’ve brought everyone. Edti dutifully returns to our home directly after work to sit with me. I have nothing to say so he spends his hours staring off into nothing, his thoughts his only companions and god knows what they are.
They still bring files of papers for me to sign or authorise expenditures and when the magazine is printed they bring me a copy to leaf through. I saw they’d printed a letter from a woman pleading for her baby daughter to be saved as she does not have money for the operation she needs. I asked Edti to get her address without Minti knowing. The next morning I disguised myself and caught the train. When the woman opened her door to stare at me suspiciously, I asked her where her daughter was. She led me to her. Gruffly I ordered her, as I touched the baby, “Do not disturb us until I’m finished.” She sat there the entire time just staring at her baby. When I sensed the healer was finished I turned and saw the husband had returned from work and was sitting by her. Without saying a word I walked out and wandered around for an hour before returning to the train station.
I think I have found a way to justify my staying alive. The woman wrote in about the miracle, describing me as a stern ‘presence’ and other women started to write about children who need to be healed and that they are praying the angel will come to them also. I’ve helped as many as I can, but as the numbers grow, the newspapers have picked up on it and now reporters hide by the houses to catch me, so I’ve had to stop for a while.
I only responded to one woman who asked for her husband to be helped. She wrote of him with such tender love that I could not resist. When she opened the door she did not wait for me to speak and led me to him. She took my hand and whispered ‘Thank you’. When I felt him, I was glad I’d come.
We had our first Sunday lunch at mums and da with the entire family present. After the meal Minti spoke.
“It is time I set things right. Jina, I’m sorry for all I said. I’ve never stopped loving you and I do not blame you for the death of Samantha, I know how much you loved her. As for Seb, I’ve come to see that his own weaknesses drove him away from me. I’ve applied for a divorce.” It has been a long time since I’ve been able to connect to my heart and allow myself to feel my pain again. I sobbed as mums and Minti held me.
Fourteen years. Although pain and grief leave a mark on the soul that changes it, I have recovered to an extent and am slowly coming to grips with life again. However, when I think that I still have at least another one hundred years to wait, it feels like an eternity. I’ve also realised I am now afraid to love. Losing someone I love again is not bearable.
We now have a fleet of fourteen trucks and I’m looking into the idea of buying a coastal ship for transporting the goods more cheaply. The ship can only carry about three hundred tons, but if I get cargo of about two hundred tons it will pay the expenses so that my cargo is transported at almost no cost.
I had not realised how profitable these little ships are, so I borrowed from the bank and bought a second one. I’m not certain when Hitler should put in an appearance, but there have been no signs of him yet. I still have more than twenty years to wait before Robert’s father is born. If he is, maybe I’ll dare hope.
Whatever business I do, Edti is always a full partner and I insist on either him or Jakob being the Managing Directors. I prefer to stay out of the limelight as much as possible. Jetrol invited us to his country home to meet the woman he is interested in. She is attractive in a sort of skinny and horsey way, but she has a lovely voice and I like the way her eyes look directly at yours when she talks. Her emoting convinced me she is a nice person and I told Jetrol. He smiled. “You only feel that way because you’re relieved.”
“I already love someone Jetrol, I just can’t have him during this life.”
“You are one weird girl.”
I grinned, “That’s why you like me. It would also make me the wrong person for a politician.”
He was shocked to learn that I know how to ride a horse but never ride, so they arranged we spend most of Sunday on horseback. I returned filled with determination to ride as often as I can. Maybe I should buy a country home with a stable.
Our mints are only bought by the more exclusive restaurants, clubs and hotels. The rest have fallen prey to makers of cheap boiled sweets. Since the same happened in my world I accepted it and sent salesmen to all the other cities to expand our customer base. I don’t want this business to die. It was our first and has financed much of what we have today.
I kept my face blank as I asked, “Minti, do you enjoy running the magazine?”
“If I’d known what it would do to my nerves I never would have agreed to run it for you. Now I love what I do and it is a good feeling knowing that I’m excellent at it.”
“Edti, what would you say to us giving her the magazine?”
She freaked. “You’re joking!”
I pretended an offended tone, “I never joke Minti!” It is the first time in years she has laughed when with me. She became excited when she realised I meant it and Edti promised to have our attorneys draw up the documents. If I have succeeded in giving her something to dream about and be happy, it was cheap at the price.
A Mr Willam asked for an appointment with me. Jakob asked around and found out that he owns a shipping company and owns and operates a fleet of small ships. Two of close to five hundred tons and one of eight hundred. The word is out that they are about to lose their ships. Both Edti and Jakob decided they should be present as they feel I might be a soft touch for anyone with a good tale of woe.
Fifteen years. Jakob does not have much in common with da and mums, what with them being country folk, but he makes a point of inviting them to his home and da to his club, as he claims they have a daughter in common. Mums sniffed when she heard, but they are both touched by his love for me.
Mr Willam looked uncomfortable, so it was obvious my partners were right. He did look tired and worn out and I did feel sorry for the old man. “Our family has been in shipping for three generations. I’d been hoping my son would take it to the fourth generation. Unfortunately my son is more interested in a small soccer club he started and has drained us of all funds. Our contracts and regular clients do provide our firm with a solid background, but I need some financial assistance to survive the immediate future. I’ve come to ask whether you would be interested in becoming shareholders.”
I nodded. “We’ve checked on your company. The ships are well maintained, but your operating expenses are far too high. Mr Willam, is your son married or likely to marry soon?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Then how do you plan for your company to pass on to the next generation? I presume that is why you are asking us to join you as minority shareholders?” I felt how humbled he felt at having to approach us and thought of what it must be like for a dignified man who’d lived his life according to traditions and morals his son had obviously abandoned, but I had to ask some questions.
“It is my hope that my son will come to his senses.”
“Not acceptable Mr Willam and to be honest, I think you are fooling yourself.”
He looked resigned. “I suppose you intend purchasing the ships at the auction. You’ll save a lot of money.”
“We do not do business by stepping over bodies, nor do we enjoy destroying others. We are considering how we could work together in a manner that benefits all of us. I was thinking that if your son married and had a son, we could be caretakers of the firm until he is of age and has been trained. The decision would have to rest solely at the discretion of the directors at that time. None of us want to see our assets squandered away. When is the auction and how much do you need?”
“In five days. An investment of eighty thousand pounds would be required to stop the auction.” We discussed the shareholding we would have and added to that a reasonable management fee. I explained we would have to have sole management.
I smiled at him. “I believe I have the reputation of being generous. You have made your offer and we accept on the terms we’ve discussed and on signing the documents our attorneys will draw up, but I must ask, why were you so generous in the percentage you offered us?”
“I cannot face losing my name.”
“Jakob, please give Mr Willam two thousand pounds. I’m guessing, but I think I’m right when I presume you’ve placed all your cash and assets in trying to save the company, so you must be short of cash for living expenses. Mr Willam, would an annual salary of six thousand pounds be satisfactory for the position of Chairman of the company? I promise you, your ships will continue to operate under the present name for the next twenty five years. If by then you do not have a grandson to be trained to take over as Managing Director, we will be free to decide what changes are necessary. Jakob, please arrange one hundred and fifty thousand pounds to be invested. Eighty as the price of the shares and the balance as a loan.” I smiled at him. “Let us hope the company will have grown much larger by then, as there is considerable money to be made from international shipping. We might even end up being forced to turn it into a public company to raise the large funds required.”
Once he’d left I teased the two, asking whether they minded me being such a soft touch. Jakob told Edti that I’m just as much of a soft touch as any self-respecting Jewish businessman.
Edti is in love! I’m so happy for him. He’s really fallen for the woman and he wants me to meet her. He’s talking about how we should all live together, but I have no intention of allowing that. I’ve told him to slow down and get to know her better first before popping the question. I’ve also put out some feelers for a nice house for him and his bride to be. It will be my gift to them.
I met Sandi today - Edti’s dream girl. She’s younger than I am (me, twenty four and her twenty two) but psychologically she is as innocent as a sixteen year old. She was shy with me and a bit in awe of me. God knows what Edti has been telling her. With her character still unformed I cannot tell what she will be like as she matures and hardens, as all people do, but I like what I see now. Perhaps Edti and I can influence what she becomes?
I’ve asked Jakob to gather for me the most articulate and knowledgeable stockbrokers, economists and investment bankers who have retired. I want them from here, Paris, Berlin and New York. He is to arrange their transport and accommodation at our expense at the Savoy. He blanched at the cost, but did not ask me my reasons.
Sixteen years. The wedding date has been set, Edti is getting married in four months time. We had a gorgeous party for their engagement and even I let my hair down and had too much to drink. I demanded to go with (luckily) when he went to buy her ring and everyone was dazzled by it. The papers and certain circles said it betrayed we are nouveau-riche, but I had Minti quote me in her magazine society pages, saying that it is fun being nouveau-riche, after all, who wants to be old money that was earned by looting, murder and treading on the backs of serfs. I’m not popular with the upper classes, but the common people seem to love me for the time being. Strangely I have not seen any signs of a Cabal existing, although the families do.
I felt I looked out of place in the very male boardroom with its expensive dark wood panelling and it was obvious our guests were surprised to see me take over the conference.
“Thank you for coming. We are here to put together a team of the best financial minds. You all have a history of being successful and are highly respected in your fields. You must be asking yourselves what I want you for. I intend launching an international business or financial newspaper. It will be printed simultaneously in French, German and English and will be sold in Europe, the United States and here. We will quote the stock exchange prices of four countries with conservative advise to investors. Companies will provide us with information about their prospects and projections and we’ll provide the business community with cautious but useful extrapolations that your experience shows you are realistic. We will not report any political news and no scandals or other gossip. All advertisements will be of a financial nature or for luxury items, such as Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Bentley, Patek Phillipe watches and so on - products only millionaires can afford. Most of you do not consider yourselves journalists and do not like the idea of trying to write for the public. We will hire the best journalists we can find to assist you.”
The meeting ran for hours and we secured enough of them to start with an important international team. Jakob and I joked privately about men of such substance agreeing because it appealed to their vanity, but we were grateful to have them. Some of them only agreed because of the fees we were offering. Retirement tends to leave most people who worked for a living, cash starved.
The ‘Financial Advisor’ needed the kind of money I do not have, but when the word went out that we were looking for backers, offers flooded in. We obtained the services of the most respected Financial Editor in London and soon all newspapers were predicting our success. Since they always get it wrong, it worried me. In the end, just the prepaid subscriptions covered most of our costs after advertising and we were in the black from the second month. We formed a holding company that we named Jonston Holding (Pty) Ltd and put in there all the shares that belong to Edti and I.
A sealed envelope was delivered to me. ‘Meet me in Green Park on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Come alone.’
I had two days to prepare. I wrote out my will and made certain Edti and Jakob knew where my diaries are. They faithfully swore to see that they are printed if I am killed. I refused to tell them what was going on. I visited mums and da and thanked them for adopting and loving me.
I was straining to sense all emoting, but did not feel anyone was there to attack me. I knew who ‘he’ was without having to recognise his face and stood before him without allowing my feelings to show.
“I’ve invited you here to discuss terms for all attacks to cease.”
“I’m listening.”
He wanted me to abandon my plans of publishing my diary, to sell out from all my businesses and retire in the country where I must keep a low profile. While he talked I looked at him and realised he has idealised his appearance, so I could not tell his character from his looks - though even the form chosen as ideal gives something away.
I kept my voice cold without being too haughty. “You have made your offer too late. Whatever you do, even should you kill me this instant, Robert will find me and then he’ll find you. I’ve made my mark on this world and I’ve made my arrangements.”
“You don’t think I would leave anyone who knows you alive? I have enough years to ensure all mention of you disappears and is forgotten.”
“If you think so, why the offer? I’m standing before you without a weapon, kill me.” I waited. “You know that my family never lie. Can you really be certain you have found all my markers? Do you know my family as I do? Face it, your only chance is that you unblock me, you know that Robert will not be vindictive if I return. No one would chase after you if you choose an unknown reality to hide in.”
I could see from his cold eyes that my bluff had not worked. “I don’t believe in leaving my fate to the goodwill of others. It is tempting to kill you.” He pulled out a laser for me to see and returned it to his pocket. “I know of all your arrangements, even those you made before coming here, but I need a few more days to be certain I have covered all methods you could have prepared. Don’t try to run, I’ll know exactly where you are.”
“How many days do you need? Three? Five? I’ll take a walk in the streets on my own in exactly one week. Kill me, I’ll have the last laugh - and you need not worry about Robert, he will not make you suffer, so I’ll come after you myself. You killed an innocent baby you bastard.” I walked away without a backward glance.
