I
Bharathy walked through the traffic at the railway station. She observed the people carefully. Even if Cooper changed his appearance, he would get caught by her hawk eyes. That she knew. Someone said that the 6 o'clock train was about to depart. She rushed after them and found Cooper quite easily. He was sitting by a window. He was looking out, as if gloomy. And then, she saw the brother. Christon Hunt. But just as soon as she spotted him, she climbed another train. The train was opposite to that of Cooper’s.
That Auxil, she thought, such a liar he was!
But she had to choose sides now. Either Cooper will survive, or his counterpart. And if Christon left…
No. Focus, Bharathy. Cooper’s train thumped and thumped. She climbed it, avoiding the few people standing at the gate. She chose the berth she had seen firsthand and opened its gate. There he was, sitting. He smiled at her sight.
‘It appears that I am to be joined by a beautiful guest.’ He said. Damning liar.
She smiled and slid into the opposite seat. The train in their opposite direction departed and so did Christon. He focused on Cooper now.
‘Are you Sir Cooper?’
‘Yes. But how do you recall -’
‘I have seen you somewhere. I just don’t seem to recall well.’
‘I would have certainly remembered you if we were acquainted. It appears quite fishy that we haven’t.’
‘We can acquaint now.’ She smiled.
‘Indeed. Let us start from the beginning.’ His window was open. If you push his dead body by a river. What river? No river in the way. But a ravine. Yes, she could push him in the Dam’s ravine. It was between the highway and the Well of Entonio. 16 Kilometres from here.
‘I am Bharathy Vyas. I work at the telephone exchange at Leavonia Park.’
‘I am Sir Cooper of the Resford house. It is pleasant to meet you.’
‘Indeed.’
‘What is your destination?’
‘To the city of Vespera. And yours.’
‘Of course, the elections.’
There is a silence.
‘And do you plan to go, dead or alive?’
With this, he takes out a knife and inches it towards her neck.
‘YOu thought I couldn’t recall you. Of course, I did, silly girl.’ He pushes the knife forward.
‘Sir Cooper I mean no harm -’
‘Stop your whining at once. And tell me, who sent you for me?’
‘No one did. And no one but me wants you dead.’
‘You cannot fool me.’
‘I am not fooling you.’
‘Are you going to tell me or…’
‘No! It was Sir Auxil. He sent for me.’
‘Don’t lie to me. He cannot think of hurting a fly.’
‘He said someone had photographs of you and him upon an illicit deal. Upon that someone’s wish, I have been chosen.’
‘And who is that someone?’
‘Umm…’ She kicks his knee and Cooper falls hard on the ground. She punches her wrist and acquires the knife. Cooper tries to get up, but seizing the opportunity, she slides her throat. In moments, the ground is a pool of blood.
At the gates stands the Ticket Collector.
II
Moore hits the ground with a thud.
‘And do you still believe I am not a threat to you, Ascendant?’ He has the gun in his hand. His men at the gate of the fort.
‘This is what will happen if you don’t obey me.’ He points at Moore who lays unconscious.
‘Let us talk, Sir Auxil.’
‘No. Listen, you child. I am not falling into your trap. YOu have fallen for mine! You will obey me. Now give me the photographs and die in peace.’
‘I don’t have them.’
‘Of course, you do, you liar. Give me those.’
‘In your dreams.’ I rush to my right and run for the stairs. They are quick to follow me. I look upwards. More of them are coming.
I jump from the gallery, instead of taking the stairs. And someone grabs me by my shirt. I am pulled forward. Someone carries me in their arms.
‘You thought you could run, huh? Philistine. You are just a philistine.’ I scratch his eyes and he cries in agony.
‘Kill him!’ They drop me with a thud and start kicking me. I scream.
Then he cries. Moore pulls the noose tight around his neck. ‘Release me and do as we say, or we will kill.’
They promptly obey and I stand up. Moore tightens and noose and Auxil jerks. He screams. His men inch forward.
‘Sir Cooper I mean no harm -’
‘Stop your whining at once. And tell me, who sent you for me?’
‘No one did. And no one but me wants you dead.’
‘You cannot fool me.’
‘I am not fooling you.’
‘Are you going to tell me or…’
‘No! It was Sir Auxil. He sent for me.’
‘Don’t lie to me. He cannot think of hurting a fly.’
‘He said someone had photographs of you and him upon an illicit deal. Upon that someone’s wish, I have been chosen.’
‘And who is that someone?’
‘Umm…’ She kicks his knee and Cooper falls hard on the ground. She punches her wrist and acquires the knife. Cooper tries to get up, but seizing the opportunity, she slides her throat. In moments, the ground is a pool of blood.
At the gates stands the Ticket Collector.
III
‘Then what did you do?’ Bharathy asks.
‘We? We… you tell first, what happened to the TC?’
‘I drove the knife straight to his thigh and he fell on the floor. The knife was in his mouth, the next second. Cooper whined and then I realized he had been alive. At the very moment, the ravine came. I dragged him to the window and shoved him hard. At first, he wouldn’t move and the next was a splash! He fell in the ravine and soon would be found in one of the tributaries of the Fluvius river.’ She smiles. ‘Now tell me.’
‘Auxil trapped us. His men caught us and kicked us, tried to kill too. At the very moment, Priscilla, along with the police as we had discussed, entered and grabbed Auxil. He was arrested. It was the headlines of Charta today.’
‘What happened to Christon?’
‘Nothing yet has come to my knowledge but almost certainly he isn’t alive any longer.’
‘Why that?’
‘The Sociologists Union burned the train with ammunition. It was a massacre.’
Oh, thought Bharathy, thank god I did not choose that train.
‘So what now?’
They were in the cemetery. Priscilla was praying at Bailey’s Grave Stone. Moore was enjoying a view of the damp green forest. They stood at the bent of the tree ahead.
‘Well, Lullaby gave us the Rosewood Estate, at the price of 1 Pecunia. Priscilla has resigned from the staff. Moore is going to Resford, for his law studies and would soon become the Earl. I am to be kept at Rosewood. You are to go back to your home country, as you have told me, that is, on the fourth of this month. To conclude my explanation: All is peace, and nothing now.’
They laughed.
THE END
