Chapter 18a

“I beg your pardon?” Ben seethed. “Look, if you don't clear off I'll have you thrown in jail. Go away, you cretin, we're busy.”

“Such a pretty woman, you know. Herz Astrella is a lucky bugger.”

“I'll ignore your disrespectful familiarity that one last time time. Either leave or I'll throw you off the grounds myself.” Ben snarled.

“Disrespectful? Oh no! No I'd never be disrespectful! Hey, you're my first-cousin.”

“OK you were warned.” Ben sheathed his sword and picked the intruder clean off the floor by his clothing.

“You are! Fine way to treat family. Lily DeGaise is my cousin! Put me down!”

“Ben!” Herz appeared at the doorway. “Hell and damnation! Ben drag him in here, your mother's fainted.” He grabbed the skinny visitor from Ben and threw him into the drawing room. Ben ran in after them and went straight to his mother.

“When my mother wakes up, you're in the cells for illegal entry with menacing intent!” Ben growled at their visitor, who was curled up in a ball under the writing desk. “Dad? At least slap him or something!” Herz was just standing there staring at the man. “Right, I've had enough of today, and everything in it.” Ben made a grab under the desk.

“Ben! Ben leave him. I don't know how in black hell you got here or what you want but I promise you, I'll slay you before you leave this room and no one will know any different, if your intent is to cause any further distress to anyone here. Lily!” Lily was starting to wake up. “Don't fret yourself. Trust me, he won't harm anyone.”

“Would anyone like to tell me what's going on?” Ben said in bewilderment. “How can he harm anyone anyway? He's as daft as a loon and no bigger than that plant pot!”

“OK get out of there and introduce yourself to my son.” Lily said firmly, taking a few deep breaths. “I'll horsewhip you myself if you keep up such a preposterous pretence!” The man unfolded himself from underneath the table and straightened his baggy black blouson.

“And I get the insanity label!” He shrugged. “I already did introduce myself. General Astrella, my name is Loram DeGaise and I am your mother's full cousin.” Ben sat down heavily on a chair.

“What is this? Bring on a breakdown for Ben Day? The Loram DeGaise? As in 'incarcerated up at the very heavily guarded palace' Loram DeGaise?”

“The very same.” Loram bowed courteously. “Don't blame your guard, General. I've had a lot of time on my hands in which to explore the convolution of long forgotten passages that riddle the houses of the nobility of Azoria. Most of them were to facilitate illicit affairs, did you know that?”

“You took a very big risk in coming here.” Herz said flatly. “Do you honestly think everyone's forgotten you?”

“Certainly not! I'm very memorable.” Loram sniffed. “The risk was warranted.”

“You've had many years worth of opportunities to contact Lily. Why now?” Herz asked suspiciously.

“I didn't contact Lily.” Loram pointed out. “Lily you let-down, fainting all over the place. I hear the government has gone a bit of restructuring?”

“And how did you hear that?” Herz asked.

“Because I'm not deaf yet and Bonetti and Marx woke me up in my tunnel by bellowing and roaring about it.”

“Hang on!” Ben got to his feet. “You're a convicted criminal for shi ... er ... criminal. What has governmental structure to do with you? Absolutely nothing! I'm going to call the guard.”

“Well how rude!” Loram exclaimed. “I just want to know if Bonetti is still the government treasurer!” He handed a handful of papers to Herz. “Are these still correct?” They were the channelled transfer forms for money and assets from the DeGaise estate to the parliament coffers, via every rout imaginable, but ultimately endorsed by Bonetti. Herz went purple in pure anger. “I don't get many visitors, you understand, so Bonetti and Marx were the only people I could ask legitimately and I don't think they'd have told me. Do you?” Loram prattled on as Ben also looked over the papers with Lily.

“Loram there has been millions transferred over in the last decade.” Lily said in shock. “Did you never realise that there was nothing to show for it? I know your senses have been impaired over the years, but not to the extent you portray.”

“I told you he was a lucky bugger.” Loram said to Ben, nodding at Herz. “Oh my lovely, lovely, cousin of course there was something to show for it.” He sighed. “The fact that I was alive every day. I funded peace keeping measures and personal security measures of every sort. I lay awake at night, terrified in case I'd not paid enough and an Athulan gladiator was going to spring through my window and slit my throat. I took the skin from my hands trying to climb to the balconies to see if the defences were built to keep the advancing rebels controlled. I signed transfers to pay for journeys and conferences to and with your own governments in Tibrae to help protect Azoria from another War. I paid for the rebuilding of all three bridges when they were destroyed by Athulan gladiator anarchists, not twelve months ago. My sanity suffered due to my original crimes, fair cousin, I'd lose what little grip I have on reality altogether where I to allow my mistakes to be repeated.”