Europe in Winter (The Fractured Europe Sequence)(102)

“What the hell did I have to do with that?”

“Everyone did their bit.”

“Who elected you President of the World?”

Molson chuckled. “It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. I don’t put as much stock in our friend’s giant calculating machine as he does; I think there’s a chance to avert a war between my people and yours.”

Rudi tipped his head to one side.

“The Union gives everyone a breathing space, time to take stock,” said Molson. “What we’ve done,” he indicated the little group, “is give Europe and the Community an incentive to work together.”

“Or you’ll push the button again.”

“It’s not as easy as that. We’d rather not do it.”

Rudi looked around him. Seth and Crispin and Smith were chatting in low voices; the bodyguards and the driver were standing off to one side, attentive but professionally deaf in the way of henchmen down the ages.

“Who killed Mundt?”

Molson looked soberly at him. “We don’t actually know,” he said. “We certainly didn’t, and neither did the Community. We’re working on the assumption that it was the same people who tried to kill you in Estonia. The sniper’s mind is completely gone, erased by layers of psychosis; he doesn’t even know who he is, let alone who he was working for. I got there too late to stop him.”

“But not too late to use him to send a message to me.”

Molson beamed happily. “Anyway, the Community have Mundt’s research, and much good may it do them; all they can do is open and close borders, and without the Collective’s work that’s all they’ll be able to do.”

Rudi sighed. “It’s still enough to destabilise things, being able to open border crossings any time they want.”

“Well, yes,” Molson said. “That’s why we sent his research to The Guardian.”

“Oh, you didn’t,” Rudi said, aghast. “Are you insane?”

“It’s not Mutually Assured Destruction if only one side has it,” Molson said innocently.

“Jesus Maria,” Rudi muttered. “Who are you?”

In the lamplight, Molson’s face took on a sly expression. “Would it help if I told you my name was really Stephen?” He looked at Rudi and grinned. “No? Ah well, maybe you’ll work it out eventually.”

“Are we done?” asked Crispin.

Rudi looked from one to the other. “I wish you people would stop f*cking with my life,” he said.

“Hey, it wasn’t just us,” Crispin grumbled. “To be fair.” He looked around the little group. “Let’s go, yeah?

The bodyguards and the driver started to pick up bags and suitcases. Rudi looked about him and it suddenly occurred to him that he couldn’t see the lights of the houses any more, or hear the distant sound of traffic. He inhaled slowly through his nose, breathed out again. The air smelled of damp soil and foliage and nothing else. He looked up, but there was too much cloud cover to be able to see the stars. He wondered which constellations he would see, if he could.

Molson shouldered his rucksack and nodded to Smith, who gave Rudi a little wave and turned and walked away down the path. The guards and driver followed her.

Crispin held out a set of keys. “Here, have a car,” he said. “Or not. Get the Tube, I don’t care.” Rudi took the keys, and Crispin turned and strode after the others.

“He’s actually very charming when you get to know him,” Molson said.

“I’ve done all the getting to know him that I’m going to do,” Rudi told him, and Molson laughed. “You might mention to him that this borderless Utopia of his will still have a border with us,” Rudi added. “There are always borders.”

“And where there are borders there are always Coureurs. Yes, you make a fair point. And I believe one such scenario was war-gamed in Dresden. Your name came up quite a lot in those war-games, actually. He has quite a lot of respect for you.”

“He has a funny way of showing it.”

Molson smiled. “You’re still alive, no? Anyway, best get on. I’ll be seeing you.”

“You’ll have to find me.”

“That’s never been a problem.” Molson turned and followed the others, an agent who had apparently doubled himself so many times that he no longer had a country, finally going home. For a few seconds Rudi and Seth could see the light of his lantern through the overhanging branches and bushes, then it was gone.

“So,” Seth said. “What now?”

Rudi sighed. “I need a drink,” he said, and he turned and walked back towards Europe.





1.





AFTERWARD, THEY WENT over to Ka˙zimier˙z for the reading of the will. The notary’s office was up eight flights of stairs above a klezmer bar, and the sound of violins and dulcimers and clarinets drifted faintly up from below as the six of them, as per the deceased’s instructions, sat crammed into the poky little room.

The notary looked after the legal interests of half the restaurateurs around Florianska, and as such was the final repository of many secrets. She was a small grey woman in a dandruffy business suit, and she had the annoyed look of someone who cannot be surprised any more but still has to put up with people trying.