H2G2 Storytime III: From Prussia with Love. Part XLVIII
Created | Updated Aug 15, 2006
As the train thundered through the tunnels at a collossal rate, it is worht picking out some of the finer points of detail. For instance the carriages were of a notably victorian character, wooden panels and black iron grills and railings, decorated the ornate surfaces and upholstery.
The Red-robed Cultist gripped the crystal doorknob on the outer door and peered through the shutters, across the gap between carriages to the lighted windown on the door of the opposite carriage. Seeing no movement in the car opposite, with and unsteady grip he turned the knob and opened the door gingerly.
Putting one foot carefully on the huge pin coupling, through which he could feel the vibrations of the trains shuddering journey along the track beneath.
A shadow, clutching on to the roof of the opposite carriage above him, watched him emerge. Sensing this the guard looked up. And saw only the passing over head of the tunnel roof.
The guard heard the huge Russian Sreka mutter something unpleasent, and feared waiting a moment longer would be a mistke, so hesitantly he approached the other carriage and stretched out his arm to open the door...
With a low pitched "Ugh!", "Ack!" followed by a sigh, the Cultist flopped over the side and disappeared. With precision the Agent hung from the roof and sidled along as a radio barked for men to check the roof.
While Von Trapp and Sreka were off chasing down the 4th member of the group, this left Arthur and Jamilla in the room with Mary, and two generations of The Daltmooreby family.
The first class carriages was lushly carpeted in blue fleur-de-lis and leather padded walls, a mini bar and sofas around the edges. Arthur Ody and Jamilla were made to stand in a small clearance of space where aisle seats had been removed to give the area a more spacious feel.
"Arthur" Mary said soothingly idly tracing a mantle with her fingertips. Arthur's eyes flicked towards the fullsome figure of the cult nun. "Andrei told me he'd left you for dead..." idly as if discussing the weather.
"I bounce" Arthur smirked and smiled sweetly back at her.
"So I see. Tragic news about the girl - what was her name?"
"DON'T YOU MENTION HER NAME!" Arthur roared furiously red and teary eyed. "YOU DON'T! - Datmooreby cut him off.
Slowly clapping his hands in mocking applause Daltmooreby walked slowly up to Arthur "Tut, Tut, Old Man. Bad Form. Sleeping with the Consort," giving a false frown.
Arthur looked up, he was angry but drawn. A seething contempt for Arthur flashed across Daltmooreby's face, recalling their shared history.
"Did you love her?"
"Yes." Arthur sunk to his knees.
"Not a good move, for people like us. My condolences." and he spat at Arthur feet.
Arthur lowered his head.
"Boys...Boys" Mary said with false conciliation.
"How - how could you?" Jamila exploded at Mary taking everyone quite by surprise. "You are a woman and you laugh at murder. You make me sick!"
"I keep bad company." Mary said dismissively "It rubs off on you after a while. For instance" - she grabbed Jamila by the scruff of her neck and dragged he into the far end of the carriage. Ody went to move but his father hand was already at his breast pocket a shake of the head stayed him.
"This is my train" Mary said threateningly "and you came on board without a ticket..."
Mary was stronger than she looked her voluptuous frame masked a hidden upper body strength and she lifted Jamila of her feet with surprising ease.
"I am perfectly within my rights therefore to throw you off!"
"Help me!" Jamilla cried out stretching out with one arm. Arthur didn't move, lost in some personal grief. Ody shuddered with aborted movement. Sean whipped out a revolver and pointed it at his son. "Don't force me to use this." He said flicking off the safety.
Mary slid open a carriage door, the blustery wind from inside the tunnel blew everyone's hair about in a mad dance.
"Save the girl Arthur?!" Daltmooreby looked down at the sunken agent and shouted above the noise.
Arthur didn't move.
Ody took this opportunity and in a swift movement unfurled a bullwhip Haziz had retrieved and which ody had strapped to his belt. He snapped it across his father's hand who dropped the gun and clutched his bleeding fist, looking at his son with a shocked mix of incredulity and rage.
Ody was fast; he closed the distance quickly and felled his dad with a hard right to the chin.
It was over so quickly. Mary saw Daltmooreby fall and said: "Out you go!" and let Jamilla fall from her grasp out of the train.
"nooooh - " she managed and was gone.
"NOOO!" Ody screamed and ran at Mary, and chocked himself against his own collar as he was seized from behind by Sreka returning from the other carriage.
"Perfect timing Andrei" she said slapping her hands together as if to remove dirt.
"Der wuz no sign of da odder one." he said cocking his head in the direction of Arthur still slumped on the floor.
"What happened to him?" he said nodding at the Daltmooreby's crumpled heap.
"His son hit him - that's who you’re holding."
Sreka grasping Ody's clothes in a bunched fist, raised him up a little for a better look. Ody turned a little redder. "'im?" not sure he believed it.
"Put him down Andrei and pick up Sean and both of you go join Vandeveer up front.."
"Yes Ma'am." He said dropping Ody to the floor where he gasped for air and picked Daltmooreby senior up like a dishevelled carpet bag and towed him across the floor and into the into the linking corridor of the next carriage.
Von trapp arrived a few moments later and followed Andrei into the forward cariage.
Outside the carriage Jamilla hung on to a small bar, all that saved her from a crushing death beneath the wheels of the carriage. There was an insignificant workmen's gangway around the edge of the carriage which if she could just get purchase on she could stand.
A sudden feeling of weightlessness came over her.
"I've got you" said a familiar voice. She looked up and saw X smiling back at her, gripping her by the collar.
"I know I'm climbing on top of a train but what are you doing out here?" he said trygn to emoliate the terror she must be feeling.
Jamilla looked horribly mute. X leant over the side and taking her weight held onto her while she hooked her leg onto a place onto the side of the carriage.
"Is Arthur in there?"
She nodded.
"Any others?" She shook her head.
"Oh I hope I'm going to live to regret this." X said making a promise to himself and swung over the side of the train, usign an outstretched foot to shatter the glass window, he exploded into the carriage, tucked and rolled and grabbed Ody's bull whip where he it lay on the floor; he expertly twirled it upwards and whiplashed Mary who amazingly caught the whip in her hands!
She gave it a sharp tug and pulled X off balance.
X fell onto hs face and looked up at her as Mary swept out of the carriage she closed the door and there wasa click, sealign them all inside.
X raised himself up to his feet and jogged into the rear carriage and slid open the door Jamilla's hand reached in and eased her back in to the train.
Ody was back to his feet now, and saw how distressed she was, he ran over to her and held her close to him. "You’re alive." He said gratefully.
"Just." she managed and slid into his arms and rested her head on his chest.
X walked into the doorway of the blue carpeted carriage and rested both arms either side of the frame.
"Arthur?" He prompted his friend and colleage.
Arthur did not move or say anything except to draw his knees up to himself as he sat hunched against the wall.
"Arthur?"
"I loved her," he croaked at last. "I couldn't help myself."
"Anna's gone old friend. You said so yourself."
"Too many dead bodies." Arthur mumbled mournfully. "That's my problem."
X had heard talk like this before - the old Agents the ones who never retired but went on missions never to come back. 'Bloody Captain Oates and his noble precident!' X thought woundedly.
He turned and let Arthur deal with his emotions on his own. "I'll just be next door X said. "Jamilla's alive by the way."
and he turned and left.
..."Jamilla's alive by the way."... the words settled through the fog of Arthur's rampaging mind. Sreka blasting open Anna's basket with the shotgun. He was falling... Anna!....
