‘Best wishes to you in your new adventure,’ Jim replied.
Before leaving Michael asked Jim about his future plans.
‘I shall stay and be the Banker, of course! There is nothing else for me to do,’ Jim replied.
‘Do you have any family in the area?’ said Michael politely.
‘No,’ Jim replied. ‘What’s left of my family live in Wales.’
‘Good lord! Say it is not so!’ Michael cried in response. ‘What happened? were they sailors? Did they fall into the sea?’
‘No! Michael! I mean Wales - the country! Not whales the animal!’ said Jim.
When Michale heard this he swiftly apologised.
‘O bless me and forgive me, sir,’ Michael responded solemnly. ‘I was worried that your family had fallen victim to those pesky beasts of the sea! You remember the fourth Star Trek Movie? Ooooh. Gave me nightmares for years watching that as a child! But well, that’s enough of that kind of talk for one day.’ The mere mention of whales had turned him all pale and shaky. ‘I’d better be off!’ off he finished.
After that the two men shook hands and never met again.
When that bit of business had been settled Jim wandered the streets of Fenwick by himself.
He he had decided he was going to stay in the strange old town, forever.
There was nowhere else for him to go, really. Fenwick was the only place on Earth where he had prospects.
But it was ever so quiet in the town without the likes of Huey, Ted, Tipsy and Shaky about. He was going to miss that pack of oddballs and lunatics!
In fact as Jim walked he never saw anybody. Not a soul in fact.
The streets were quite empty indeed.
Strange.
There was no breeze, there were no sounds.
There was one house that Jim decided to examen out of boredom. The door was unlocked so out of boredom he decided to go inside and have a little gander.
The house was empty, and all its rooms, its floors walls and ceilings were one single colour.
Nothing interesting to see not at all.
So Jim just kept on walking.
It looked like he had the WHOLE town to himself!
How nice.
There was another building just round a corner.
The door leading into it was wide open - so Jim decided to walk in and take another nose about.
He could hear music playing faintly from somewhere, but from where he would never know.
There was a photo on a table, near a sink. It was a picture of a family, but Jim didn’t recognise anybody in it.
Jim had brought a bottle of G-Juice with him and he lifted it up and took a good long swig.
Jim stared into space, until he heard the sound of something wet and soggy slapping on the floor.
And all of a sudden there was a character standing in front of him who Jim had not seen in a long time:
It was Toddy the man who looked like a large strutting toad!
The last time he and Toddy talked the toad-like man was full of big talk, but that night the toad never said a word. Instead he handed Jim a package, and then he slowly walked away from view.
Jim opened the package.
There was a letter inside.
Jim read it.
It was an invitation to the castle!
So Jim left the building and walked towards the castle - where the gates were finally open to him…
THEN
EVERYTHING
GOES
DARK
Jim couldn’t remember what happened next.
The horrible sensation he was experiencing was similar to a blackout proceeding a very nasty binge drinking session he had long ago…
Where am I? What am I doing here?
Jim was standing in a room with no lights. If there were any windows they were blacked out.
Feeling utterly helpless Jim starting shouting in his loudest voice:
HELP!
He stopped shouting when he heard the sound of footsteps - the sound of the steps grew louder as they came closer till finally they stopped.
Then there came a light.
There was a man not far away from Jim and he was holding a torch.
He was shining the light of the torch up to his face.
Jim slowly started to recognise the man…
NO…
It was Ivan Gustav?
Jim stammered, utterly lost for words.
It took a few minutes before he could find the strength to speak - and it really did take all his strength. The sight of that man standing in front of him left Jim utterly shook:
‘How is this possible? I mean… the police… I thought they…’
‘I have been in prison for three months now,’ Ivan replied. ‘And NO. They did not let me go. I escaped. You want to know how? Luck, my dear Jim. Luck. Luck is one of those nice little commodities some people are lucky to have. A bomb went off not far from the prison. The Brazilians planted it there, probably hoping to kill off some of the Tailors locked up in the prison with me. It is very likely I was their intended target. If that was their plan it did not work. The walls came down and I got up and ran away. And here I am!’
‘And here you are indeed,’ Jim replied. ‘So, what do you want from me? I presume you sent the invitation?’
‘Yes. I would just like to have a conversation with my good old friend Jim,’ Ivan returned, calmly. ‘When I was rotting in my nice cold dark cell I often thought about you, my good old friend Jim. How have you been?’
‘Good, thank you. Better than that, really.’
‘I heard you have done well for yourself.’
‘Well yes I have! I am the Banker these days. And I am proud of my success.’
‘There are a lot of stories about you, Jim, floating around the streets of Fenwick,’ Ivan pressed on in his dour voice. ‘These stories were so interesting to me. Before I was arrested, Jim, you were just a doser, and a failure. But now you are an entrepreneur and an elected member of the elite… This story fascinates me! You have accomplished so much in such a short space of time. Some people live their whole lives trying to be what you are right now, and typically they fail. Yet here you are, a winner. How nice that must be for you, Jim’
‘Are you angry with me?’ Jim replied.
Jim could not tell Ivan’s mood.
Jim was actually starting to think, beyond hope, that Ivan had no idea that he sold him out to the police all those weeks ago…
It was a fools hope…
‘Why ask such a thing?’ Ivan returned. ‘I like you, Jim. That is why I brought you in. I woke you up and showed you my trade. I like what you have done with my G-Juice formula. Yes! I have heard about your business here in town. I know that you have done very well for yourself with my formula! And I imagine you have had a lot of fun along the road to success?’
‘Well, I wouldn’t call it fun, exactly. It has been a scary journey, I have almost been killed a couple of times. But I made it, as you say, with luck. I think you had it easier, Ivan, being in prison. At least you were out of the way. As you know there is a war going on in the streets. I have been a soldier in that war from the start! It’s been a nightmare if you want to know the truth. Being locked behind bars saved you form the war, Ivan.’
‘Until the bomb exploded almost killing me,’ Ivan spoke up.
‘Yes. Indeed. That is a sad business. But you benefited from it in the end. Look at you! You are free now!’
‘Yes. I am free,’ Ivan replied. ‘And now I am free, the fun ends for you Jim. G-Juice is mine. It is my recipe. I want full control of it again.’
‘Things have changed,’ Jim replied. ‘I have patented the recipe…’
‘In other words you have ripped me off…’
‘No. Well, maybe…’
‘Okay. Very well. I am about to make a proposal Jim, that will benefit both of us. I have examined the situation before our meeting tonight. I know about your deal with the Kings. I know your connection with the Tailors has granted you rights over the warehouse by the east dock and it is the perfect place to manufacture the juice. From what I can see the setup is all very fine and sound. In fact I like it. So this is what I propose, Jim. You give me 80% of the business. Agree and you will keep a cut of the profits, while I take what is rightfully mine as creator.’
‘That is a ridiculous proposal,’ Jim pipped up. ‘Damn you! I fought hard to build this business! I almost died! No. Make it 60% and we have a deal.’
‘But G-Juice is mine.’
‘On paper it is mine,’ Jim returned, violently. ‘I have fought for this, Ivan, while you lay perched in your cosy prison cell. While you have had it easy in his majesties service I have been out there fighting a war and building an empire. I am not going to hand my work over to you Ivan, not for nothing. Sure, you deserve credit for the recipe, and a decent cut of the business profits - I except that. But I deserve my share as well for all the pain I went through to make this business work. Without me this business would not exist. In a year G-Juice will be worth millions, and that is all because of me and my sacrifice. Do you know how much I have lost in this struggle? I have lost friends, Ivan. People I know have died. Building this business has been a struggle of life and death and I am not going to give it up!’
‘But G-Juice is my creation!’ Ivan said again, pressing the matter as hard as he could.
‘Only you and I know that,’ Jim replied, aggressively. ‘On paper, I own G-Juice. But I acknowledge your work… you are a genius, Ivan Gustav, and as a result I am willing to surrender 50% of the business. You will be a major share holder. You will be in charge. But I want a sizeable cut for all of my hard effort.’
‘Then it is a deal,’ Ivan replied, calmly. ‘I will take 50%’
Jim breathed a sigh of relief.
‘I will call for my solicitor and we will sign the paperwork tomorrow,’ said Ivan.
Jim agreed saying that it was a good plan. ‘We will meet at the Bankers House then,’ he said. ‘We will sign the papers there!’
‘I would prefer to sign them here in the Castle,’ Ivan replied.
Jim was surprised by Ivan’s response and he asked Ivan to explain himself.
‘I feel safer here,’ Ivan answered. ‘This is MY home. The Bankers House is YOUR home, and as far as I know, in the last week, five men have been found to be dead in that building. So I will not feel safe there, Jim, in your house. Weren’t the drinks poisoned? O yes. Not your fault, apparently but as the Banker I imagine you have the ability to shift the law about in your favour. And then there was that other fellow who hung himself - and he was an officer of the law, good gosh! No! Jim, we will not do business in your house. We will do it here, right in this very room, where I will be safe. Where I am in control…’
‘Very well,’ Jim returned. ‘I agree to that. We will do it here. Now. Can we toast the day? Ironically I have a spare bottle of G-Juice! Care to share?’
‘No,’ Ivan replied, solemnly. ‘Despite my trade I am non alcoholic.’
‘What a shame,’ said Jim. ‘Well, will you permit me a tipple? I feel a day as fine as this deserves a celebration?’
Ivan did not respond right away.
he looked so sad in the dim light of the room.
What was upsetting him so?
Jim dared to ask the man:
‘Something upsetting you Ivan old boy?’ he said. ‘Come on! Cheer up! We are friends now. Business partners in fact. We can talk freely with one another! So what ails you? Come on Ivan. Unburden yourself to dear old uncle Jim!’
‘I am grieving,’ Ivan replied, solemnly. ‘Forgive me, Jim. It is not often I open my heart to anyone. But to a friend, like you, I will let my guard down for a change. Seeing as we are going to be friends and business partners in the future, you might as well know a little bit about me. Well here goes: I created G-Juice as a weapon to help win the war. Thanks to you, my creation is funding the war, but my original plan was to poison our enemies! Make them weak and foolish. I read about it in the old books. Why did the Germans lose World War One? For many reasons, but one in particular: In their final push to drive the Allies out of their territory they found British rations of whiskey, alcohol that they had been denied up until that point by their masters. After drinking the said whiskey they all became drunks, and in their drunkenness quickly became easy targets for the Allies when they finally launched their counter offensive. So the mighty Germans lost the war because they became drunkards. Interesting fact, hey? So I applied the same logic to the present war - make the Brazilians drunk as fools and then we can drive them out of Fenwick for good. Seemed liked a fine plan. And my brother agreed with me…’
Jim, then a little tipsy from the G-Juice, dared to ask Ivan about his brother.
‘So where is your brother now?’ said Jim. ‘I bet he must be proud of your work right now.’
‘My brother was murdered,’ Ivan replied. ‘My brothers death has weakened my heart and soul. The old Ivan would have killed you Jim, there and then, knife in the throat for your betrayal against me. I know you gave my name to the police. I am not an idiot, funnily enough! I spent three months in jail because of your treachery, Jim. But I am willing to forgive you because I am so impressed by what you have accomplished in the meantime. I know your work will benefit the both of us. Together we will defeat the enemy, and avenge my brothers name. I have got a picture here,’ Ivan started moving his hand around his inner coat pocket.
Ivan finally drew the picture out, and showed it to Jim.
When Jim saw the photo he gasped with horror so much as so that he actually came within a hexadecimal of having a heart attack!
There was the photo - and there were two people in it:
Ivan and Mr Grey!
Jim did not know what to say…
But before he could become lost for words he decided to put on an act and talk whatever gibberish sprang into his mind:
‘Why you look so fine the both of you, so alike… sort of…’
‘He was killed in a bomb blast,’ Ivan responded. ‘He was a casualty of the war.’
‘Indeed! Sad business! Must be avenged without doubt!’ Jim replied, savagely.
‘I am going to avenge him, O yes indeed,’ said Ivan. ‘I am going to find the one who planted that damnable bomb on his train. And when I find that murderer, I will flay them!’
Jim gulped.
Ivan stared at him.
Jim didn’t know what to do.
It was time to go home I think…
Just then Jim woke up in his bed back in the Bankers House!
Thank gosh!
It had all been a dream?
Marvellous!
Time to sigh with relief, be happy and get on with things.
Jim got up, showered, changed, washed his teeth and prepared for breakfast.
What a day it was to be alive!
Jim turned on his computer to check his socials - such things were important to a man of his status.
The first thing he did was check his inbox.
There was a new message waiting for him.
Jim opened it.
Waiting to see you in front of the Gates - Ivan.
So it hadn’t been a dream…
Damn!
For the first time since a child after being told off for stealing from the sweet shop, Jim cried real tears of sadness and fear.
So Jim met Ivan later that day, by the gates, with a pen in hand ready to sign 50% of his business away.
As Jim’s hand swept the ink over the papers presented to him, Ivan stood and watched as calm as a gargoyle.
‘It’s good to be back in business again,’ said Ivan. ‘Now time to strike down our enemies, hey, Jim?’
‘Of course,’ Jim replied, shakily. Jim did not feel safe in the shadow of the Castle Gates with that man…
Ivan smiled, grimly. ‘Good to be in business,’ he said quietly.
‘Of course! And now it is a time for revenge!’ Ivan continued triumphantly. He was winning and he was happy about it. ‘We shall have revenge, my dear, Jim, Revenge for my dear beloved brother. And together we will make it possible, as one, united in darkness. We have a war to fight you and I. And yes, we may die in it, but such is life, hey? Winners and losers, all must turn to oblivion. So how about it? Will you take the walk, Jim?’
And so Ivan led Jim away back into the castle. They walked together, side by side, Jim with his thoughts and Ivan with his knife in his left hand hiding behind his back.
It was time to end the war.
And in darkness, end them ALL.
Goodnight Fenwick!
“May we never meet again…” - Ivan circa the year unknown.
THE END
(Remember! All spelling errors and grammatical mistakes are intentional - the author 😆)
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