Things I Didn't Expect a Year Ago
Mid-July, Amber time
My meeting with the Constructors Guild, who were working on proposals for improving the roads in the City, was just breaking up when I felt the stirrings of a Trump call. Grateful for the excuse, I called a rapid halt and my principal private secretary, William Fitzhugh, showed them out, before I opened up to the contact to see Wolf. He didn't look happy.
"What's up?"
"Bring me through," he said, and offered his hand.
Surprised, I extended mine towards him and did as he asked. Moments later, Standartenführer Ulrich joined me in the Mayor's office, fully kitted out in feldgrau, sword and dagger/athame at his belt, and death's head ring on his finger.
I just cannot get comfortable with seeing my son dressed like that.
"What's happened?" I asked, looking at his grim expression.
"There's been an assassination attempt on Dieter."
"Bloody Hell. Who got him?"
"Elements of the Wehrmacht, apparently, and according to Geran there's a full-blown coup in process. There's also some hint of Lynx involvement. I've been asked to join them, to see if I can help."
"Who else is there?"
"Matthew, Jericho and Dave were all mentioned. Also Thorsten and Erik seem to have been dragged in, and neither seems to have come out of it unscathed."
"How badly is Dieter hurt?"
"Badly enough to have been evaced to Brandenburg. Geran's playing Führer at the moment, but I'm not sure how long that's going to convince anyone."
"And the youngsters?"
"Still on Germania as far as I know."
I looked at him, torn. In my gut, I knew I ought to do something to help my cousin, especially given our improving relations (the irony of the contrast with the last time I was involved in an assassination attempt against a Führer not passing me by). But my mind baulked at offering to help prop up a Nazi regime, even if the Lynx were involved. From Wolf's expression, he was following the play of emotions on my face.
"They need him back, Ian. As quickly as possible. Geran won't be able to hold it. You might be best served seeing if you can do anything to help him."
Thank you, my friend, for giving me an out.
"Let Geran know that I'll contact Jasra and work on things from that angle."
"I appreciate it," he answered, "I know how hard anything to do with Germania is for you to reconcile."
"Do me one favour."
"What?"
"Make sure Artur's okay. He's on Dieter's personal staff..."
"And could well have been caught in the assassination attempt?"
"Yes."
"I'll do what I can. Should I say why?"
"He's an intelligence officer with a speciality in Lynx activities. If there's any suspicion that they are involved, asking after him - maybe even suggesting he be consulted - would be a completely valid suggestion. I imagine it will become common knowledge that he's your brother eventually, but don't drop the Family on him any sooner than you have to."
"I'll see what I can find out as soon as I can once I get there."
"Are you going alone?"
"I'm sure has Hell not taking Armand, if that's what you're asking. If this is a Lynx coup, I don't want him within fifteen Shadow veils of the place. Capturing him again may quite possibly the one thing they would lay taking out Dieter and Germania aside for."
"Soren?"
"I've left him with Carmichael, and Tenterden should be running slow."
"I understand. Now go, and send me word about Artur if you can."
"I will," he answered. He started shuffling Geran's Trump out of his deck and began concentrating on it.
"And Wolf..."
"Yes?"
"May the gods stand between you and harm."
"Thank you, Mihai."
Moments late he connected and was gone.
I stood there in silence for a moment, contemplating the fact that I'd just sent my son - possibly both my sons - off to fight a war to support my old enemy, and hoping they'd win; and trying to take in what had just happened. Germania was Dieter's private playground, and I'd assumed he had the same control over it that I do over Tenterden. How did he drop the ball so badly that someone could attack him in his place of power?
"Mr Mayor? Is something wrong," asked Fitzhugh, looking back in through the door after seeing out the guildsmen.
"Cancel all my meetings for the rest of the day," I answered, grabbing my suit jacket off the back of my chair, and grabbing my briefcase, "no, best make it the next couple of days."
"Should I give a reason of anyone asks?"
"Matters of State is always a good one."
"Yes, Your Highness," he said, far more formally.
"And send the carriage back to the Palace: I won't need it this evening."
He bowed his head, and then backed out of my office. Once he was gone, I called Dad.
"Afternoon, son."
"Do you by any chance have a card of Jasra?"
"Why would you want to talk to the esteemed Queen of Brandenburg?"
"Not over a Trump," I answered, and he brought me through to him. He was sitting behind his desk, John close by feeding him paperwork. He seemed pleased at the distraction. My brother sighed at the interruption. Trying to get Bleys to do paperwork is about as rewarding as herding cats.
"Sorry, John," I said, with an apologetic shrug, "but I won't be long."
I glanced around me to see how many of the other staff were there - which dictated how formal I had to be - and was relieved to see that it was just the two of them. In the meantime, Dad opened the ornate silver card box he always carried and shuffled through it to find the one he wanted. As he handed it to me, I spotted that it had his back on it, rather than the Amber one.
"Can I borrow it for a couple of days?"
"I'll need it back. Those don't grow on trees you know."
"Understood."
"What's going on, Ian?"
"Germania just went critical. Lynxes and assorted opportunists by the sound of it. Various people are there helping out, but Dieter is hurt and with Jasra, and I want to see if I can help."
"Any details?"
"Only second-hand from Wolf. Geran may be your best bet for information as it sounds like he's been on the ground from Meltdown. But given that Dieter is one of your supporters..."
"No doubt I'll get the full story soon enough. Call me if you need anything."
"I will. Thanks Dad."
I headed out of his office, trying to hide the obsequious bows from the men guarding his office door, and went up to my quarters to change out of the suit and grab my go-bag. Then I went to a clear Trump area and concentrated on the card. After a short delay the Lady answered.
"Your Highness," she said formally.
"Your Majesty," I replied, with a slight bow, "May I join you? I may be of assistance."
She looked at me for a moment, then offered me her hand, and I went through to her. She was sitting in a wing-backed chair in a plush room, but the tang of disinfectant on the air immediately said hospital.
"I understand that my cousin Dieter is here. I'm a doctor and a healer. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"His situation is grave," she answered, "and he's not responding to treatment. I'm sure his brothers would appreciate any help you feel you can give him."
She got to her feet, and then called for an orderly who led us through the corridors towards the ICU. However, we stopped short beside a door just outside it, and went in. As hospital rooms go, it was clean and well equipped. The non sequitur was what looked like some kind of purple crystal coffin where the bed would be. Through the semi-transparent crystal I could see my cousin, his body swathed in bloody bandages. Beside him a nurse was checking readings on the monitor.
"Geran says it's some form of healing device," Jasra commented to me, as she saw my puzzled expression, "and whatever it is, it's kept him alive this long. He also appears to have been poisoned. The doctors think the bullets were coated with something."
"Any idea what?"
"The laboratory is working on discovering that. Do you think you can help him?"
"I'll certainly try," I answered.
"Then I will leave you to it. Inform me if you need anything."
"I will," I said, and she strode back out into the corridor.
I put my trauma surgeon's hat on, crossed to the side of the coffin-thing and asked the nurse to open it. I was shocked to see how weak and pale he looked. I asked the nurse to go and get the doctor who had attended my cousin thus far, and he arrived promptly. Then, with their help, I began trying to assess his situation in more detail.
I couldn't figure out what the crystal was doing, but it at least it wasn't doing any harm, so I left well alone as I worked on him to see what I could learn. However, it quickly became apparent that even my own peculiar form of healing wasn't going to make much difference to his condition. Whatever the poison was, it was inhibiting my ability to help him magically. In the end I sealed him back inside, and then asked to be taken to the lab, to see if I could help figure out what he'd been poisoned with.
* * * * * *
Jasra provided guest quarters for me in the palace, and was very polite throughout my stay. Initially, I was there for three days (hoping the place was running at least slightly fast relative to Germania), working with the lab during business hours and beyond, helped by another doctor and a young female assistant. However, I took the time to clear my head and look around the city when I stopped being able to focus on the task in hand. In return for Jasra's hospitality, I did my best to be a good guest: both because it was courteous to do so, and because even informally I was flying the Amber flag by being there.
In my wanderings around the city, however, I got the prickling on the back of my neck which I associate with being watched. I'd felt it on my visits to Germania, and also to the Tenterden GGR in the past. I soon came to the conclusion that however modern and clean the city looked, it had an underlying security operation to make sure no-one stepped out of line which would have made the Gestapo proud. In short, it was a far politer version of Germania, with more stress on arts and culture, and less fascist brutalist architecture.
I also spent some of the time when I wasn't exploring or working with my hostess. I'd met her once before, when Dad had brought me to Brandenburg for dinner one time, but we hadn't really had time to talk. We took tea one afternoon, and dinner another evening, and as I got to know her a bit, I found myself reminded of my mother. She was very proper, slightly formal, and very definitely knowing what she wanted out of life. It seemed to have been her influence that had softened the edges of what was underneath a basically fascist regime, to bring an extra dimension to the place. Maybe Dieter could learn from her on that, assuming he survived.
It was also obvious from our conversations that she loved her husband, whatever his flaws, and was fond of both Rinaldo and Jorrah, although I got the impression that she wished her son was a little less...financially motivated. I imagine I sounded equally fond of Wolf and Armand, and maybe even the enigmatic Artur. We also talked a little about Marina, although I didn't go into a great deal of detail as I had the impression that our irregular relationship might not find favour with the Queen of Brandenburg.
Marina. What the Hell was I going to tell her about her father?
As time passed, Dieter's condition didn't show a lot of signs of improvement. He was stable, at least, but he wasn't giving any indications of coming round, and his Glasgow Coma Scale readings didn't change. I attempted to heal him again, using my unique (as far as I'd ever met) ability in that area, but while it did a little for his physical injuries, it certainly wasn't working as well as it had when I'd tried it in the past.
It took three days to isolate the poison. An extract from an obscure plant, and when we tried to find out what the antidote might be, we came up with an equally obscure botanical solution. Red Striped Valerian Root. One of Jasra's various reference tomes had a hand drawn picture of it. However, it quickly became apparent that it wasn't something which was native to Brandenburg. Which meant someone was going to have to go into Shadow to find it.
Given the short list of possible candidates, I decided to volunteer.
My first call was to Dad, to see if he could provide me with some backup, as going into Shadow on my own didn't seem to be that good an idea, in the current climate. He didn't argue, instead telling me that a dozen of his Avernus Elite Guard would be available when I needed them.
My second call was to Marina, because she deserved to know what had happened to her father. Needless to say, she wasn't impressed at being kept in the dark. I brought her through to the hospital, and she was as horrified as I was to see the state Dieter was in. And this was after he'd been under treatment for three days.
I was all for leaving her to keep an eye on him. After all, she is a nominal Princess of Brandenburg, so I figured she'd be safe. But she flat out refused, instead insisting on coming with me to look for the antidote. I wasn't happy about it. After all, she was four months pregnant, and while she was very careful about how she dressed, it was beginning to become noticeable. The idea of taking her into Shadow didn't amuse me, and I argued against it.
I lost the argument.
We set off the following morning, and as soon as we were out of Brandenburg, I called Dad for his troops, as well as getting my own weaponry and armour sent through. (Paranoid? Not if there's a chance they actually are out to get you.) The only bright side with having Marina with me, was that it gave me the opportunity to actually show her some practical applications of the Pattern I'd taken her to walk, which I'd thus far been unable to do. And with Dad's guys watching our back, I was reasonably sure that we wouldn't be attacked the way Wolf and Armand had been.
We hadn't been travelling for long - a couple of hours - when I felt the stirrings of a Trump call. Sword in hand, just in case, I opened up to it to see Wolf. He looked tired and stressed, but unharmed.
"How goes it?"
"Artur's fine," he said as I answered, politely not mentioning the sword I was pointing in his general direction. I sheathed it and gave him my full attention.
"Thank the gods for that. Is he safe?"
"That's a completely different question. He and Matthew have been sent to help organise defences at the Wewelsburg. Apparently there are concerns that it either will be, or currently is, under siege. I couldn't quite work out which."
"Why him?"
"He's an occult specialist, and it's a place of importance to the SS. The Order Castle of the Thule Group."
He paused, and I finished the sentence so he wouldn't have to.
"And he's a Thule Group initiate..."
Wolf nodded.
"Hell, he probably has special jurisdiction there because of that, which makes him the logical one to go and protect its secrets. Would Geran know that?"
"I don't know...I think Matthew gave him the idea, maybe on the basis that it's the sort of thing Dieter should have ordered, and the two of them will be setting off shortly."
He paused again, before adding.
"He's making mistakes. Too much shouting. Not enough thinking. And soon his staff are going to realise that it's more than just a justifiable reaction to surviving an assassination attempt. Progress report?"
"We know what we're looking for, and I'm currently out in Shadow and hot on the trail."
"Make it quick, Mihai. For all of us."
"What about you?"
"I'm going with Edward to back Dalt up. And Jericho has something in mind as well, which I've offered to help with if he needs me. We're keeping busy."
"I'll let you know when I have any news from my side."
"Watch your back."
"I will," I answered, and broke off the call.
As I looked around, I could see Marina watching me with interest.
"Wolf," I explained, "come on. We need to find that bloody plant."
"How bad is it there?"
"Holding together, but it would be better if your father was there," I answered, and I began seeking for my target once more. I held the image in my mind and began to walk, and soon I realised that I had a direction to go in. I set off at a reasonable pace and was quickly sure that I was on the right trail. Not that it didn't take an overnight stop before we found it.
I found the plant in a small clearing near the side of a waterfall, on a temperate Shadow that reminded me of the Pacific Northwest. A decent sized clump of it, too. I'm not the plant specialist that Alison, the Group Priestess, is but my gut told me the moment I saw it that it was what I was looking for. That puzzled me, as I'd never felt confirmation of what I'd sought in Shadow so strongly before, but I decided that figuring that out could wait. Right now, the first priority was to dig some of it up with minimal disruption to the surrounding plants, in case we ever needed it again.
I found a spade which had been left carelessly beside a tree (another trick to show Marina) and started to dig, very cautiously, so I wouldn't break any of the root balls. As I worked, I could feel the disapproval of Dad's guards, who obviously thought that digging was beneath the Crown Prince of Amber. I ignored them. They were going to have to get used to how I do things, as I can't ever see myself as the dutiful Prince.
I uprooted half a dozen plants, as it occurred to me that given how difficult the stuff had been to find - and I wasn't sure how quickly I could get back here if I ever needed it again - it would be worth taking extra and trying to cultivate it nearer to home. Especially if this was something that the Lynx might use again. I decided to make sure I took some for Jasra, over and above what we'd use for Dieter, and I decided to see if it would take in the mock ruins at Wittersham House. With Dara's 'dead stick', which I'd planted the previous autumn and already looked to have put on a bit of height, albeit it hadn't shown any signs of leafing yet, I was beginning to establish an exotic plants nursery. And the fact that the whole place was warded because of the permanent protection I'd somehow managed to established a few months back, made it an even more logical place
"So is that it?" Marina asked as we finally looked down at what was, when all was said and done, a very humble looking botanical offering.
"As far as I can tell," I answered, "and I'm going to take some extra, just in case."
I pulled out my Trump deck and gave Carmichael a call. He barely batted an eyelid as he took in the fact that there was a sword over my back, my lover at my side, and we were surrounded by a dozen medieval guards.
"Yes, sir?"
"Could you take this for me..." I asked, passing half of the plants through to him, complete with roots, tuber and soil. After all, I didn't know which bit was most important.
"What would you like me to do with...these, sir?" he asked, as a few clumps of soil dropped to the ground by his feet. At least he looked to be in the kitchen, which had a wooden floor.
"For now, put them in water somewhere cool. I'll deal with them when I get home. But maybe you can ask Clifford for his advice on whether they might thrive in the Ruins. There's where I'm minded to plant them."
"As you wish," he replied, politely. It probably wasn't the oddest request I'd made of him lately, but it had to be up there.
"I appreciate it," I answered, and broke off the call. Then I called Dad and sent the troops home - guessing that Jasra would consider it impolite if I showed up with a squad of Bleys's Elite Guard - before picking up the other half of the plants and giving the lady herself a call.
"Do you have it?" she asked, without preamble. I didn't recognise the room behind her.
"I do," I replied, "may we come through?"
She moved somewhere neutral and then offered me her hand. I passed Marina to her first, before stepping through myself. As I dropped the contact, Marina and Jasra regarded each other: Her Majesty hadn't met my lover on her brief earlier visit, and it was obvious that the pair of them were weighing each other up.
"This is Dieter's daughter, Marina Acker," I explained.
"You have your father's look," Jasra commented, as I turned to my lover.
"May I present Queen Jasra of Brandenburg."
Marina smiled politely, but stopped short of actually curtseying, much to Jasra's displeasure, I suspect. I suggested that she go and see how Dieter was doing, while I tried to figure out what to do with the plants. The Queen snapped her fingers and one of her functionaries was immediately in attendance. He bowed deeply, and then indicated for Marina to follow him. She looked over at me, silently asking if she should go, and I nodded. At which point she fell into step beside the servant and was gone.
"She's pregnant," Jasra stated as she walked me back to the lab.
"I didn't think it was that obvious."
"It isn't, yet. But sometimes you just know. Are you planning on marrying her?"
"We're still deciding."
"Hmm," she muttered, and I had the impression that she didn't really approve, "More a love them and leave them kind, are you? Like my dear step-son Geran."
"Not intentionally," I answered, "Marina and I have been together a long time."
"The boy Dieter asked Geran to take to the Pattern a few months ago. His grandson. Artur I think his name was. Presumably she's his son. Is he yours as well?"
"Yes."
"Time you made an honest woman of her, then."
Thankfully, I was saved from answering as we reached the lab.
"Do what you can to make the antidote."
"I will," I promised, then breathed a sigh of relief as she departed, and looked around the lab. I just wished I had more of an idea what to do with my prize. Thankfully about five minutes later I was joined by the two people I'd been working with before. I ceded the plants over to them, and we got to work.
Some hours later, we had something which was worth trying. I let Jasra know, and she sent a flunky to guide us to Dieter's room. My cousin was still in the weird crystal coffin, and still looked weak and pale, Marina dozing in the chair beside him. I woke her gently, and suggested she go and get something to eat and some proper rest, while we tried the antidote. She nodded sleepily, and headed out of the room.
We'd made a number of doses, using maybe half the root, and as we had no idea how much was going to be needed to defeat the poison, we'd made a variety of strengths. So we started small and worked up, leaving enough time between doses to see if they were actually having any effect. Jasra called in occasionally, to supervise, but it was a while before we could report any progress.
After the first couple, which we administered at one hour intervals we didn't see much difference, and when I tried to see if my healing was working on him yet, it still wasn't having any effect. However, after the third dose, I felt something shift, and I got a reaction. At that point, I asked for privacy, then closed the door and set to work trying to heal him using my own method.
It was an odd experience. When I've healed before, it's felt as if I was doing all the work. This time, though, his body was helping me, as if it wanted to get well. Intellectually, I know about shape shifting and what it can do, and when I walked the proto-Logrus I actively changed form, albeit that's the only time it had happened. I hadn't realised Dieter had the ability, though, and wondered if he had any conscious control over it. Possibly, given that the face he wears with Geran is different to the one he wears with me. Either way, I decided to try to use that ability, along with my own, and soon I felt that the poison was being defeated.
A couple of hours later, I was exhausted, and he was sleeping. But it really was sleep now, rather than a coma. His breathing was different, and his body was reacting to external stimuli.
"How is he, Miska?" Marina asked from the doorway.
"I think he's going to be fine," I answered, and tried to get to my feet. But as I did, I reeled, and had to reach for the back of the chair to steady myself.
"Are you okay?" she said, stepping over to me and putting an arm around me to keep me upright, concern on her face.
"I may have overdone it."
"You look as white as a sheet. Your turn for food and rest."
"Give me a moment until I can stand on my own, and then I might listen."
I spoke a fatigue-banishing cantrip, then let myself centre, and then I let go of the chair. Vertical and not weaving too much. Progress.
"I'll sit with him," she said, firmly, "you need a break."
"Get him moved to a proper room, eh? That crystal thing can't be that comfortable."
"I'll see what I can do. You...go."
"Yes boss," I answered, and made my way out. I made it to the cafeteria and ate something substantial, and then enquired of the hospital staff if they had facilities for family to stay over when their kin were in ICU. A very young nurse directed me to a small room a short walk from where Dieter was resting. I thanked her politely, and looked around. It was clean and tidy, if little more than functional, with a bed and chair and a small shower room and toilet. A pair of generic hospital pyjamas was laid out on the bed. I stripped down, and crashed out.
I woke a couple of hours later. I grabbed a quick shower, then dressed and checked if Dieter had been moved or note. Apparently he had, two rooms to the left, so I made my way in that direction. As I approached, I could hear the murmuring of voices, one male, one female. I approached quietly, staying partly concealed by the door frame, and looked in.
Marina was sitting, her hand gently stroking Dieter's forehead. In turn, his hand was wrapped around hers as it rested on the bed. His eyes were open, and he was looking at her fondly. I'd never seen what was obviously a private moment between them before. But there they were, father and daughter, just enjoying each other's company. And every so often his hand moved and he laid it gently on her abdomen, where the twins were growing inside her.
If he hadn't known before, he did now.
"You might as well come in, Ian," he said, turning from her and letting her hand go, then looking towards the door.
"How are you feeling?" I asked as I came inside.
"Like someone tried to cut me in half with a machine gun."
"We've healed the damage as well as we can. You shouldn't be feeling it anymore."
"Physically, perhaps. Psychologically, I can feel every bullet. I truly hope that I don't end up always remembering it and ending up with the scars. Help me up will you?"
I moved to the side opposite where Marina was, and between us we gently lifted his back, plumped the pillows up behind him and then helped him shuffle backwards into a half sitting position.
"This is embarrassing," he said, with a sigh.
"Don't say that, Papa," she said, quietly, "we're happy to help."
"You have no idea how strange that sounds, little one."
"Why?"
"Because 'we' includes me, I imagine, eh Dieter?" I commented.
"Indeed, Mein Kusin," he answered, "indeed."
"Yeah, well. It's mutual."
"Marina says that you've been one of my physicians. That you've been helping me. She says you went into Shadow to find the antidote to the poison."
"Yes."
"Not something I would have anticipated a year ago."
"Me neither, believe me."
"How did you find out what had happened?"
"Wolf told me," I replied, "he'd been contacted by Geran. He's on Germania, along with some of the others, including Edward. He mentioned Dave and Jericho as well."
"That's hopeful. That bastard Rumpel was fighting rings around my people. Maybe Edward can give him a run for his money. What brought you here?"
"Wolf suggested it, and I agreed that my talents might best be served by coming here."
"You're a good general, Ian. I'm sure they would have appreciated your input."
"Perhaps...but I'm still not sure I could bring myself to walk into your military HQ and offer to lend a hand. Baby steps, and all that."
"I suppose I can understand that," he said, with a shrug, "Tell me. Did you help me for my daughter, or because you son asked you to...or because you wanted to?"
"Gods help me, I think it was because I wanted to," I answered, quietly.
"I wondered," he answered, then fell silent for a bit.
Marina gave him a drink of water and sat back down. I grabbed a chair from the hall and sat the other side of the bed,
"Couldn't one of you have told me before that that my little Marinella is expecting twins?" he said, finally.
"To be honest, I assumed you knew," I answered.
"I've been a little tied up on Germania," he replied, smoothly, "I haven't been back to Tenterden since your New Year, when I collected Artur. And neither of you have visited me."
"Sorry, Papa," Marina said, quietly, "I wasn't sure what to say."
"Because you remember what happened when I found out about last time?"
She looked at him and nodded.
"Ah, child. That was a very different time."
"You didn't have to take him from me," she said, quietly, and I could see that she was upset. I stood and walked around to her side, and put a protective arm over her shoulder.
"At the time, I believed I did. Just then, there was no-one in the world I hated more than Ian, here, with the possible exception of Caine. And there you were, pregnant with his child. I wasn't willing to let it grow up outside of my control."
"He was so tiny," she said, quietly, "and it wasn't his fault."
"I'm sorry, little one," he said, gently stroking the hair back from her forehead, where it had fallen, "both to you, and to Artur. Anger can make a person very petty, and I was so very, very angry...."
He smiled, weakly, then looked up at me.
"Have you heard if he's alright?"
"Wolf says he was fine when he last saw him. He was heading for the Castle."
I decided that it might be unwise to mention that he was going with Matthew.
"Makes sense," he answered, with an approving nod, "he'll know what needs to be done to protect it. He's good at what he does, even if you don't really approve of what that is, Mein Kusin."
He reached towards the table, and Marina got him another sip of water, before he lay back against the pillows again.
"You know, I'm actually impressed that despite everything, you two are still together. I've not made it easy for you."
She looked at him and shook her head.
"A few weeks ago, I asked you what your intentions towards my daughter were," he said, looking at me, "have you figured that out yet?"
"I'd like us to be a family," I answered, "I want to be there for the twins."
"Marinella? Is that how you feel as well?"
"Yes, Papa."
"Then you have my blessing. Both of you." And then he looked up at me again, "I'm glad you and I are no longer enemies, Ian.
"So am I," I answered, realising that I meant it.
"Finally!" Marina snorted and we both looked at her, surprised. She glanced from her father to me, with an expression which made us wonder if she thought we were both dumb-witted.
"Come on. Do you have any idea how long I've waited for the two men in my life to bury the hatchet somewhere other than in each other?"
Dieter and I glanced at her, and then at each other again, and I grinned.
"I suppose she has a point."
"I suppose she has," he replied, "tell me, do you think we'll ever become friends?"
"I don't know," I answered, "but I wouldn't rule it out."
"Neither would I... mein Englisch Freund...neither would I."
Marina glanced over at me, then back at her father, smiling.
And then the softer Dieter was gone, and Führer Dieter was back.
"I need to get back to Germania."
"Not until you're fit," I answered firmly.
"You say you've healed me. Surely that will be sufficient."
"I'd prescribe a couple of days actual rest first. Four hours ago, you were in a coma. Your body is readjusting, and you've already said your mind is still feeling the damage. The last thing you want is a relapse."
"He's right," Marina said, backing me up, "you're far from well."
"You told me we're in Brandenburg. Is Jasra here?"
"She has been."
"I would appreciate it if you would tell her I want a word. Perhaps she can find somewhere where I can recuperate at a slightly faster speed. Would that suit you, Herr Doktor Cushing."
"I think it would be sensible. You probably don't need more than a few days, but you should take the time. Geran, Wolf and the others can hold the fort for a bit longer. However bad things are there, you going back off your game will make them worse."
"Sadly, that makes a certain amount of sense," he said, with a sigh, "Good advice and the possibility of friendship...You and I have come a long way."
"Yes we have," I answered, "now, you two stay here, and I'll let our hostess know you're awake..."