UnConsequences

Sylvia leapt out of the transport ahead of the rest; she kicked off her shoes and ran through the mansion. “Gran Gran! Where are you?” She careened into the butler, “Where is she Michael?”

“Your Grandmother is in the study, she is waiting for you.”

The butler’s quiet matter of fact tone calmed Sylvia down, taking a few deep breaths; she ran her fingers through her unruly hair and walked into the study.

Belinda Leask was sitting calmly behind a massive antique mahogany desk, its tooled leather top clear of clutter, cradling a glass of tea in her hands.

“There you are my dear, come sit down, Michael bring some tea for my granddaughter”

“Of course Ma’am”

“And take our other guests into the drawing room I will speak with them shortly.”

Sylvia was still standing shifting her weight from foot to foot, clearly upset, her bottom lip quivered.

“Gran what’s happening? What did you mean back there? You’re not going to die are you?” It all came out in a rush her eyes full of tears. Belinda Leask rose and came out from behind the desk.

“No of course not Sylvia, I will live at least another fifty years; I just wanted to shake them up. It is time for change. Come now calm down.”

Belinda Leask adored her granddaughter, but she was also well aware of her strengths and weaknesses. After her only daughter and her husband were killed in a transport accident, she had devoted a considerable portion of her resources to ensuring Sylvia’s well being. However, despite the best care and education that money could buy, Sylvia always seemed rather shallow to her grandmother. She couldn’t tell her of her plans for this evening. Sylvia was no actress and her reaction had to be genuine. All had gone according to plan, right down to the “accidental” abduction of Sean. Belinda’s agents had ensured that he would be sitting next to Sylvia and brought along. He would provide a welcome distraction for Silvia while she conducted the next stage of her plan. Belinda’s staff knew very well that Sean had some unsavoury habits and this knowledge would keep him under her control. He would do exactly as he was told.

“I intend to have a long rest. I want to have some fun for a change. I may even travel a little.”

“But Gran, you scared me, I was so worried!”

Belinda patted her granddaughter on the arm. “I need a change, a big change, and it’s nothing to get upset about. I wanted to be sure that Leask Corp was in good hands and that you would be looked after irrespective of anything else.”

Belinda looked straight into her granddaughter’s eyes.

“Now I am sure you will be”

“But Gran!”

Firmly and perhaps sharper than she meant Belinda interrupted her granddaughter. “I’ll tell you the rest later, now go up to your room and get changed out of that ridiculous dress; I have a few pieces work to finish off. Now, off you go.”

She waved Sylvia out of the study just as Michael returned with the tea. “Take that up to Sylvia’s room please Michael.”

“Yes Ma’am, your guests are in the drawing room as you requested though there is one more than we expected.” he glanced at Sylvia.

“That’ll be Sean, he got kind of caught up in rush.” she said.

Belinda Leask gave a small smile. “Take Sean and get him settled into the guest wing, I won’t have it said we are unwelcoming.”

The butler gave a small dipping bow and backed out of the study.

A few minutes later, Belinda Leask strode into the drawing room. Norman Baker saluted her, raising a half filled crystal whisky glass.

“Magnificent, Belinda, you should have seen their faces, especially Campbell’s - worth it for that alone.”

“Pour me a large one of those Norman - and don’t gloat, it’s very unbecoming.”

Norman poured her a whisky from the crystal decanter on the sideboard and handed it across. The amber liquid gave of a magnificent aroma of peat and seaweed, a strong reminder of its Island of Islay origins. Belinda took a moment to savour it and delicately sipped before sitting in the winged back burgundy coloured leather chair next to the roaring fire. Norman remained leaning against the sideboard, drink in hand. He knew the heat of the fire would make him red faced and sweaty so he stayed away waiting for Belinda to break the silence.

She sat almost motionless staring into the fire, the whisky almost forgotten in her hand. Norman waited; he knew he had to be patient. The room itself was warm and stuffy, the furniture made up of antiques mainly from the eighteenth century. On the walls portraits of the Leask women going back over two hundred years. The pictures went as far back as an early photograph of Belinda’s namesake, who left Shetland during the First World War to become a nurse on the front line.

Belinda looked very much like her ancestor, small, slight, even featured with sharp eyes and thick ash blonde hair. Her ancestor, photographed at the age of twenty one, looked more careworn than Belinda at one hundred. Such was the advance in gene therapy and medicine since then that Belinda could expect at least a further fifty years of healthy youthful life while her namesake had died in childbirth at the age of twenty four. It crossed Norman’s mind at this point, where are all the men? He daren’t ask.

Belinda, very unBelinda like, knocked back the whisky and looked up.

“Has the shipment left for the Enclave?”

Norman put his glass down, business before pleasure. “It should be reaching the border about now, and we will hold it there until we get final confirmation from Short that the deal is on. Not that there is any doubt, I know how bad things are down there.”

Belinda’s secretary entered the room, pad in hand. ” I have about a thousand messages for you from all and sundry. Most I have acknowledged but there are a few you may want to deal with yourself”.

He handed over the pad. Apart from himself and Michael, the butler, Stephen Johnstone was the only other male on Belinda’s permanent staff. Tall and red headed he was one of the few people who really knew Belinda, she trusted him completely and in return received unwavering service and complete devotion to duty. He was secretary, helper, door keeper, body guard, friend and occasional lover, if you wanted to get anything from Belinda you had to go through him. Norman didn’t like or trust him one iota.

“Thank you Stephen. How is the First Minister taking it?”

“Not well, he has been on the TriV incessantly since you left Glasgow, weeping and bemoaning his and the Republic’s loss. It is not a comfortable spectacle.”

Belinda clearly satisfied with the answer stood. “Serves the little toad right, let him stew until midnight then tell him I expect him here for breakfast. And please use those exact words. Remind him that we have breakfast at seven thirty prompt.”

Belinda looked down at the tablet and scanned the messages.“As for this, reassurance to the Scandies, tell the Chinese I would like to visit. Ignore the Enclave for the moment; I’ll deal with that bunch tomorrow. Nothing from the Elite I note, that will need some thought. But I see AI-1 wants to converse. That’s unusual; it’s actually older than I am. Perhaps it’ll be worth it.”

She handed back the tablet. “That’ll do for now Stephen. Ten thirty in my study and we will review the rest.”

With a small nod of acknowledgement Stephen turned and left.

“You’re not really giving up are you? What was that phrase you used - discarding the cloak of usefulness?”

“Why should you worry, you’re getting the job you have always wanted.”

Baker bristled a little, Belinda had a habit of condescension that could irritate. “So, basically you are looking to replace one puppet Chairman with another - me, would that be right?”

“No, no, I’m sorry Norman” she laid an elegant hand on his arm. “I didn’t mean it that way, Leask Corp is now yours to look after, as we agreed, I am merely an advisor. I have no desire to, nor intention of pulling your strings.”

Norman was only somewhat mollified; yet somehow he couldn’t see Belinda Leask as a passenger, more a back seat driver.

“Norman, please understand, the day to day running of Leask Corp is now your responsibility. I want to be free of all that. I have other things I wish to do before, - before I -“

She rubbed her forehead clearly concerned and uncharacteristically hesitant. Norman put his hands on her shoulders. “Belinda, we have been friends for a long time. I have followed you, advised you, fought for you in the parliament, and supported you for more than a decade. But this - this is just not like you. Why now? The Republic is in good heart, our people are comfortable, Leask Corp is in rude health, we’re not at war, and nobody is starving in the streets. Explain to me please, why?”

Belinda looked up at her old friend, he was right, compared to most places the Republic was a small paradise. She had lived through its gestation, but she didn’t see how it could last. The pressures from all around were increasing, resources were increasingly limited and this had led to more restrictive legislation. Many of the citizens were just ticking over; too much time on their hands, drug use was on the up, childish bickering over trifles led to discord and violence. When the struggle for life and identity was at its height after the crash, people of the Republic pulled together worked incredibly hard for each other to hold on to what they had. But now, now it looked like a society in decline. Many of the people were lazy, lacking motivation, their creativity stifled; it was like the country was on auto-pilot. The AIs were taking over more and more of the work of day to day life, and as far as she could see the citizens of the Republic had nothing to strive for; nothing to give their lives meaning. All the extra leisure time was filled with soggy TriV dramas and increasingly absurd recreational pursuits; the triumph of the mediocre she had called it more than once.

They were becoming more and more inward looking, less involved, taking ephemeral pleasures in ever more extreme ways. The expansive helpful Republic immediately after the crash had become insular, self serving and petty. The leaders lived in closed loops of self indugence and personal agrandisement, and she was seeing the same in other parts of the world.

She searched his face for any sign of understanding, but saw only a friend’s concern.

“Norman, don’t be such a fusspot! I need you strong, confident and backing me up in the big wide world. Come on lets go through to the study, there’s something I want to show you”.

In the guest suite, Sean was feeling out of place. The butler had shown him to his suite, its four rooms bigger than his Edinburgh flat. Simply but luxuriously furnished, Sean was getting a taste of how the other half lived. No restrictions on the shower, a well stocked cocktail cabinet, an enormous bed with the finest linen, he guessed that some of the paintings on the main room’s walls were genuine masterpieces but he couldn’t place the artists. The Butler had shown him around including a dressing room with a full wardrobe.

“I think you will find Sir, that these are your size, I doubt if your present attire is particularly comfortable.”

Sean was speechless, the wardrobe seemed full to bursting with the best of tailoring, right down to shoes and socks, he wished he could bundle it all up and take it home; the butler seemed to have read his mind.

“The clothing is of course now yours. We will forward it on to your home address when you leave.”

Sean’s eyebrows shot even higher.

“For the moment please make yourself at home, the lady of the house will call for you later”. The butler turned to go.

“Thank you, thank you. Hmmm?” Sean spluttered forgetting the butler’s name.

“Michael sir, should you require anything please do not hesitate to call, the AI already knows where you are.”

This last was almost a threat and with a small bow Michael left, the door automatically locking behind him.

Sean looked around, “Wait till the guys hear about this” he thought. He could already see their jealous faces, green with envy as they fingered the fine material of the designer clothing that was now his. He stripped out of the formal wear and headed for the longest hot shower he had ever had in his life. He had rarely had a taste of the good life as portrayed on the TriV; he intended to enjoy it while it lasted.

“There Norman look at him!”

The TriV image of Sean in the shower hovered over Belinda’s desk.

“Look! Selfish, spoiled, self indulgent, shallow, uncaring. He spends his spare credit in some of the seedier dens of the Enclave. He has a minor talent that gives him a status well beyond his true abilities because of its relative rarity. And yet I have effectively bought him lock, stock and barrel for a few yards of designer cloth and a hot shower.”

Belinda waved off the TriV feed she was clearly angry.

“Was this what we struggled for - was it to give this creature a pampered life brim full of the mundane overflowing with mediocrity? The Republic is full of them, pointless people performing pointless tasks and patting themselves on the back for doing a great job.”

Two pink spots appeared on Belinda’s cheeks a rare indication of just how frustrated she felt. “We have created a nation of brattish children. Unchallenged they lack discipline, purpose, resilience - everything that got us through the crash!”

Norman was very unsure how to play this. On the one hand Belinda could just be displaying her age, letting off a bit of steam. On the other hand she could be very serious. He knew Belinda well enough to realise that if she was serious then she would worry at this like a dog with new bone, until she had sucked the marrow from it before moving on. Best be sympathetic he thought, don’t acknowledge it either way.

“What do you want me to do then Belinda?” he asked his tone neutral.

She was silent for a moment drumming her fingernails on the desk. “What I want Norman, as we agreed, is to have access to and control of 10% of Leask Corp profits, but you must hide this arrangement. I want it sealed off. It should look to the outside world that I have gracefully retired to enjoy my wealth. I will make a few public appearances to maintain the fiction, but this house and the surroundings will be off limits to all bar those I invite. I want some time to think.”

“I shall go then and begin my new job, I am sure I have plenty to do. Thank you Belinda, I’ll be in the comms room should you need me”.

Norman Baker turned and left the study, not much happier than when he went in. Still, he mused if that’s all she wants, and then it’ll keep her occupied and out of my way for a while. Norman Baker had big plans for Leask Corp, and with Belinda occupied he believed he could improve its profits and hence his own already considerable wealth. His slight smirk was noticed by Stephen Johnstone from behind his desk and he filed it away for the future use.

Elsewhere in the mansion, Sean was getting a little impatient, after showering for an inordinately long period and choosing an elegant lounge suit in deep blue, a paler blue turtle neck, cream light shoes and no socks. It was a great relief to be out of the absurd formal wear. After admiring himself for quite some time in the full length mirror, making sure he looked as good as thought he could be. It was time to meet his hostess he thought. He was heading for the door when it bust open and in tumbled Sylvia, breathless sweeping her hair back from her face.

“Phew, Sean, ” she panted “It’s all right, Gran is fine, better than fine, she wants to have some fun!”

She had changed into expensive casual wear and cleaned off her make-up she looked about fifteen. She was bubbling with excitement.

“She even wants to travel! For heaven’s sake, she’s rarely been out of the Republic since she was a little girl. Isn’t it great?”

“Easy! Easy now - calm down Sylvia what’s going on?”

“The whole Glasgow thing it’s - it’s just so wonderful.” She tugged at his arm “C’mon we must go see her!”

Sylvia dragged Sean into the hallway “Hurry UP! Sean”, she wasn’t looking where she was going and rushed straight into Michael. “OOPs, Sorry Michael” she giggled.

Unruffled, “Sean, Sylvia, your grandmother would like to see you both in the drawing room.”

Michael stood back allowing the two to pass. Sean glanced back to see him smoothing an imaginary crease from his immaculate suit before following along behind.

In the drawing room Belinda Leask was relaxing with another malt; she was very satisfied with her evenings work. Things were set in motion in the way she wanted and she could now at least see a way forward. Just one last detail and she could concentrate on the future.

Sylvia entered the drawing room just ahead of Sean; she skipped over to her grandmother and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Sean held back, hovering just inside the door. It had been a strange evening, the race through the city, the fantastic rooms, amazing clothes, and now this, standing in the same room as the nation’s grandmother, he had no clue what to do next. Belinda waved Sean into the room.

“Don’t just stand there young man, come here and sit down.”

Sean did as he was told. For the next ten minutes or so he sat nervously on the edge of an antique wing backed chair while Sylvia and her Grandmother discussed the latest gossip in the upper echelons of Greater Scotland. He learned of one senior politician’s clandestine affairs, the absurd goings on in the entertainment quarter and the latest fashion designs all rather trivial and uninteresting. He was alerted by a change of tone.

“Now Sylvia, I have a little chore to complete, Michael has a small gift for you from the Scandies, I think you’ll like it. Off you go.”

“OK Gran” Sylvia bounced out of the room and Sean rose to go.

“Sean, you stay where you are, I want to talk to you”

There was a strong undercurrent of steel in her voice, Sean resumed his seat. He wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers, leaving damp streaks on the expensive material, nervously stuttering. “I wanted to thank you for your amazing hospitality, and ... and these clothes ... and.”

“Be quiet!”

Belinda Leask’s steel blue eyes bored into Sean’s.

“You’re not here by accident. You are here because I wanted you to be. You are a shallow, vain young man, with nothing in that empty head of yours bar a wish for ever more fleshly pleasures. But for some bizarre reason my Granddaughter seems to trust you. Let me be clear I don’t! I have had you thoroughly investigated - I know more about you than you do.”

Her voice was hard.

“I know enough about you to have you expelled from the Republic. And even if I didn’t have evidence of your debaucheries in the Enclave, one word from me and security would throw you naked into the Inbetween without a second thought.”

Sean just sat stunned, open mouthed and sweating.

“You are now working for me, I have much to do, and your job is to keep my Granddaughter entertained while I do it. That does not give you licence to use your ridiculous genitalia!”

Sean closed his mouth and swallowed. “Of course, of course!” he managed to blurt out.

“Quiet! - Leask Security will be responsible for her safety; you will be responsible for her amusement. That is all - now get out of my sight!”

Sean scampered out, if he had a tail it would be between his legs.

As he scuttled away Stephen entered.

“Ma’am, we have confirmation from the Enclave of agreement and safe passage. Four Enclave security personnel met with the train at the York border crossing. They have taken over and are at present heading south at 70 klicks. We have full visibility and can retake control at a moments notice if necessary.”