Into the Lion's Den (50 page)

“Constantin never wanted to go against you. He's afraid of you! Can you not understand it? This man wanted to cause a war between you and him!”

“That's what your death's was for. So they could place the blame on me because of my representative's death in Georgia. They tortured you so it would look like a punishment from us. It wasn't that she hated you so much that she needed to vent her rage. For some reason, it went wrong and she had to give me something in exchange for my help. What she offered me was interesting and as I didn't want to lose it, I offered her some information about his accounts in Luxembourg and his creative tax declarations.”

“Constantin is an honourable man. He never went against you! There are so many stories about your brutality that no one would be as crazy as to clash with you!”

“People are more lunatic than you think Guntram and I have to prove them wrong. You're mistaken if you think this is not his fault. Morozov was under him and he should have controlled him better. No, he let this man advance against me to check if I could be defeated. He was testing my defences and paid a price for it. I don't take betrayal lightly.”

“Massaiev told me that you're a bloodthirsty monster, that once you're unleashed nothing stops you. My whole family was murdered. Those people in Chechnya were murdered because of you. He says you have killed with your own hands.”

“I only passed the information to the Russian Authorities. They decided to raid the village, a village harbouring terrorists and gangsters. As for your family, don't be unfair to me because you perfectly know that I was in a hospital because of a shooting organized by your own grandfather. Goran's father died saving my life. I'm merciless, that is true but I'm not bloodthirsty. I do what I have to do and use violence as the last resource, something that Repin can't say. My punishments are legendary because I want to set a good example so this is never repeated. It works most of the times and we are feared and respected.”

“You beheaded three men; with your own hands. You have a sword,” Guntram whispered.

“Who told you this? It's ridiculous!” Konrad protested, almost laughing.

“Did you?”

“Never! Do you think I carry an axe around, beheading enemies?” Konrad laughed. 'Down from five to three, the Russians are losing their respect for me. Time to show them something more.'

“Is it not true?”

“Sure it is. Did they also tell you that I nailed the heads on pikes and put them at the entrance? Very classical. Next time, I'll try impalement as I'm dealing with Russians,” he chortled.

“No,” Guntram whispered feeling very stupid for believing such a crazy story.

“Have they not told you about the time I hanged five men from their feet and let them there till they died? Took quite some time and finally the men gutted them alive to end the screaming.”

“No.”

“Russians must be losing their imagination. They used to tell better stories about me. Eating so much fast food can't be good for their brains,” Konrad smirked. “Now, you won't be able to sleep at all,” he laughed. “Let's go to bed, Guntram. Tomorrow we have to endure my cousin for the day. In the afternoon, his wife and children will arrive for the Easter Sunday Lunch with the employees from the bank.”

“Excuse me for believing these slanders, Konrad,” Guntram said very ashamed and offered his hand.

“It's all right. It's good to be feared when your opponent is a 6 feet long ugly black bear. I wouldn't like to be loved by one of them.” He laughed as he quickly took the small hand between his two much larger hands.

“Friends?”

“Friends.”

Easter Sunday

I'm dead on my feet. The party started early in the morning with a Mass at 11—big surprise—lunch in
the courtyard as it was sunny for 200 people (employees and their families about fifty children running around) and
some noble members from the Lintorff family. I was hoping to escape during the Mass but Konrad caught me the
minute I was scurrying myself toward the background and forced me to sit next to him, near Carolina von Lintorff,
Albert's wife and a very kind and elegant Italian woman. Elisabetta smiled at me and patted me on the shoulder as
she sat next to her son, doing his best to keep his two youngest children quiet; they're nine and eleven. Across the
nave, I saw Ferdinand von Kleist and his wife, Gertrud and his three children, Karl Otto, Johannes and Marie Amélie
a really good looking blonde girl. I'm not surprised that Albert's eldest son, Armin, follows her like a puppy. Goran
was also there and he briefly smiled me from the distance. He was again with the funny German, Michael Dähler.

After the service the children started to run like crazy all over the garden as the people were looking for
their assigned places at the tables. The young ones got a special area with people to look after them, toy's and brown
rabbits. Strangely, Konrad was nice to the many who came to greet him. I saw him standing with Ferdinand and
Albert, greeting most of the people after the Mass. I thought that it could be a good moment to escape but Goran
caught me and started to speak about the weather and that he had seen some of my pieces in London at Robertson's
before the exhibition ended two weeks ago.

“Are you able to chit chat? Goran, I'm shocked,” Michael interrupted us, almost laughing.

“Are you able to be quiet?” He growled back but the other was not impressed at all.

“No, only Monika van der Leyden has the ability to shut me up. You lack her charm. Monika is that tall
brunette standing over there, next to Cecilia Riganti. She's the Duke's secretary and our worst nightmare when we
screw up something or don't clean the shoes before entering the bank.” He explained to me, showing me a very
aristocratic woman with a stare that could freeze the sun.

“She looks impressive,” I mumbled.

“Hey, I saw her first. Besides, you're not her type. She likes them tall, intelligent, good looking, with a
doctor's degree, rich and funny.”

“Exactly like Albert von Lintorff, Guntram,” Goran clarified for me.

“Drop dead!” Michael shouted at him.

“You have just described him. Monika would never waste her time with a man like you Michael. She's a
woman of taste.”

“I prefer you mute.”

“I also.”

“Goran, do you know when Alexei Antonov would be back?” I decided to switch the topic because the
last part wasn't sounding like playing any longer.

“Holgersen has been nasty to you?”

“No, no. He's fine. A bit bossy but he's polite. I was only wondering about him.”

“Holgersen will stay with you for a month and then, we will see. He's good, unless you prefer some of
my own team's men. I thought you would prefer someone younger, more of your age.”

“He's all right, Goran. I think I should go now.”

“Why? You will sit at the Duke's table, next to Carolina von Lintorff and Armin, the Strolch,” Michael
told me. “It's a good place to be. I have to suffer Ferdinand and his uptight wife just to be near Monika.”

“Ten to one she will mop the floor with you, my friend,” Goran said very seriously.

“We'll see. Make it twenty to one if you're so sure.”

“Done.”

Lunch was very good and Jean Jacques is an incredible cook. He wasn't bragging about his titles and
stars. I've never eaten so well since I'm here and I'm going to miss him a lot when I'm gone. Carolina didn't pay much
attention to me as she was busy speaking with Konrad and the Head of Foreign Investments. Armin, on the other hand
was a funny guy, expansive as his father but with the air of superiority of someone who knows that he has been born
in the midst of real money.

“We are going to be room mates very soon,” Armin told me during the second dish.

“Excuse me?”

“The Duke wants that I move with him from September onwards. I'll be going to the University of Zurich
to study Economics and work at the bank. It's boot camp time for me. Too many parties for his taste and he wants ‘to
straighten me out.’”

“That sounds bad for you,” I sympathized with him.

“How's for you? Is he too stern? When is curfew time?”

“It's not that bad. He always has people around for diner, well two or three times per week and I'm
excused after eating. On normal days, we dine at eight and stay in the library till eleven, he working or reading and I
painting or studying. You'll eat very well here. The cook is great.”

“When do you go out?”

“I don't. I have a heart condition and the doctor forbade me to be under stress. I stay at home studying
for my finals in June or go to a teacher's study to paint. I'm mostly busy with my drawings. I have to start to work
again because my bank account is starving.”

“You don't get an allowance?”

“No, why would I get one?” I was shocked. “I'm glad for his support and hospitality.”

“Don't you go out? Discos, bars, cinemas? Do you know anyone?”

“Only CEO's or bodyguards. No one else. I help Pater Bruno on Saturdays. As I said, I can't run around
much,” I said, hoping that he would drop the subject as I didn't want to give him a long lecture about former jealous
mobster lovers, German secret societies' knights, high finance and loans. Obviously, the guy knew nothing about me
and that was fine for me.

“Well, time to shake this house a bit,” Armin shrugged. Sure, when your “uncle” is fighting in the early
morning with his sword, knives or hand style with the other boys. And they can hurt each other a lot. Nothing
comparable to what I've seen at Constantin's.

“The Duke dislikes any interruptions to his normal schedule, Armin.”

“Lord, this sounds like a real punishment for me. Do you know that I will have to cope with Dr. Dähler
too?”

“He's quite funny.”

“Funny? He's a bloody Navy captain with an elephant's sense of humour. Everybody knows he has a
short temper. He fired a whole traders team for not understanding his orders and my uncle supported his decision.

He's the one who plans all the strategy. Not even Marie Amélie is worth of this. Does she come here much?”

“This is the first time I see her,” I replied and he groaned. It seems that uncle Konrad is not the younger
generation's favourite. Armin really looked gloomy.

After lunch, there was a sort of commotion as all the children ran in stampede back to the garden for the
big Egg Hunt. I believe the flowers will have to be replaced on Monday. I saw many rabbits also running free, chased
by children. I tried to stay in a corner watching everything as I knew no one and so much people were making me very
nervous.

“There you are. I got you a customer.” Konrad found me and I was surprised that he was holding a
young girl, looking very sad in his arms. “Meet Gretel Morgenthau, she couldn't catch a rabbit and they're all already
taken. Could you draw one for her?”

“Yes, of course,” I said and he placed the blonde girl next to me. “I need some paper and pencils.”

“Ask the entertainers. They're well provided and perhaps you get some more clients. She doesn't speak
English. Good luck,” he told me and vanished while I was holding the hand of a small five or six year old, hoping that
I would get her a rabbit.

I sat at one of the tables and started to draw for her with pencils. She was very happy with what she was
getting and I told her to colour it with the crayons. Two minutes later, when she was busy with her own paper, another
boy came and asked for a lion, roaring so I would understand what he wanted to tell me in German. In a way, those
children reminded me of the ones I was looking after in Buenos Aires. They could be wearing clothes worth several
hundred Francs but they were reacting exactly as the ones from the slum. They all were looking in awe at the pencil
and seriously colouring the sketch once they got it. One of the babysitters took pity on me and translated all what they
wanted. I was so happy to be with them that for a moment I forgot where I was, enjoying their laughter. I just find
adorable how seriously they take things when they have a task like colouring and how important is for them
something so simple for us.

I think some of the grown ups also approached the table to check that we weren't planning a massive
bombing or something like that. Quiet children are always suspicious.

“Konrad,” I heard Gertrud's voice loud and clearly saying in English, “do you think it is a good idea to
let this person near the children? After all, his reputation precedes him and extends from Russia.”

The blood froze in my veins and a deafening silence—all conversations dead— numbed my ears. I
started to stand up to leave the table when Konrad's hand on my shoulder forcibly sat me back in my place. I don't
know when he had stood there. He barked something in German to Ferdinand and she turned red with fury. I gulped
and looked around trying to understand the meaning of his words through the people's faces. I saw a look of pure
hatred in Elisabetta's eyes directed at her niece, not at me.

“Gertrud, your reputation also precedes you but I trust my true friends good breeding to overlook it.”

Konrad translated for me and I wanted to die right there because the last I wanted was a fight because of me. I think
Elisabetta realised my awkward moment because she said very clearly, “Guntram, my youngest granddaughter wants
a “rondine” but I don't know the word in English.”