Oliver Benjamin
baroque coffee-table. It held two 18th-century pistols, so floridly
decorated it was hard to imagine they could be used to take a man’s
life.
“You’re a great fan of the dramatic, Roy,” Bidden said, “In
everything you imagine there’s a hidden poetry, that the world
somehow finds itself compelled to follow some literate law. Very well.
Then this is what I propose: Either you walk away from all this, leave
this country forever, or otherwise we fight a duel. If you win, you get
Ellie and the child. If you lose, of course, you die. If you’re the hero
of this story, you’ll win of course. If you don’t win, then you’re
obviously the villain. Let’s let literature decide, shall we?”
“That’s not how it works,” Roy said.
Bidden slammed his fist down on the table.
“I say how it goddamn works!” he shouted. “This is my drama
now! Decide, Roy! Are we parabolic or pedestrian? What do you
choose? Duel or deportation?”
“And if I choose neither?”
At a glace from Morris, Roy was pulled to his feet by the
bodyguards and made to follow him to the balcony. He put his finger
to his lips and pointed across the courtyard to a room where Ellie sat
breastfeeding a tiny coffee-colored baby .
A barely-audible moan tumbled out of Roy’s throat, but it was
enough to make Bidden react, “Yes, I know. Lovely. Like a painting.
A little too Dutch for my taste, though. Too dark.”
“How can this be?” Roy gasped, for Ellie and he had been
exceptionally careful during their affair. He had never planted his
seed in her furrow. Of course, accidents of this type were known to
happen, but he was certain they had taken adequate precautions.
“Don’t tell me I have to explain the birds and the bees to you,”
Bidden said. “She admitted the affair. She said she lovedyou.”
A rush of unexpected pleasure washed over Roy. She said that?
To Morris? He felt a sudden, uncomfortable empathy for the man.
“Of course she tried to lie to protect you, said it wasn’t yours.
Ha!” he laughed, “I didn’t get as far as I have by being a sap.”
“I’m sorry, Morris.”
“You know, I was so excited at first to have a new baby,” Bidden
said, “Especially since I’ve recently lost my other son.”
“Colin is dead?”
“No. He’s run away. For good it seems. Claims to have disowned
me as a father, though not before stealing a pile of cash. So I have no
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