adityasam
07-17-2010, 04:30 AM
Can Anybody, Please Review my Novel?
All the images and logos in it are just for fun and visualisation.
Download Here the Full copy upto Chapter 2 (Till where i completed it):-
http://www.box.net/shared/xxs4kfiztp (http://www.box.net/shared/xxs4kfiztp)
Here's an Excerpt (Chapter One)
CHAPTER 1
THE DEVASTATION
1(A)
I
T WAS THE COLDEST WINTER MORNING AND OUR LITTLE VILLAGE, NALCHIK, IN THE SOUTH-WEST CONE OF ENGLAND WAS COMPLETELY ENVELOPED WITH WHITE AND SOFT SNOWS. IT WAS ONLY THE EARLY NOVEMBER OF 1920 AND THE WINTER WAS AT ITS FARINACEOUS BEST. IT WAS 8 AM IN THE MORNING AND MY FATHER, AS USUAL, WAS SITTING IN HIS OLD ARM CHAIR, WITH HIS DAILY DOSE OF BEVERAGE IN A DIAMOND-STUDDED CUP, GAZING AT THE WORKERS WHO WERE SPRINKLING SALT ON THE SNOW-LADEN ROADS. HE WAS IN A RELAXED MOOD. THE PAUCITY OF PEACE FOR HIM BEGAN WHEN ALFRED, OUR HOUSE KEEPER, CAME RUNNING HURRIEDLY THROUGH THE FOYER AND DELIVERED A TELEGRAM TO MY FATHER.
“THERE ‘S A TELEGRAM FOR YOU MR.LINEKER” SAID HE
“AND FROM WHOM DO I RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE ALFRED?”
“NEITHER DO I KNOW SIR” HE SAID FAITHFULLY
“FINE ALFRED, I WILL CALL YOU SHOULD YOUR NEED ARISE”
“YES SIR” HE SAID AND LEFT THE ROOM
AS MY FATHER WAS GLANCING THROUGH THE TELEGRAM, HE STARTED BECOMING RESTLESS AND SHAKY AND WAS IMMERSED IN DEEP THOUGHT. THEN HE JUST FLUNG THE TELEGRAM INTO THE DRAW OF THE TABLE THAT WAS CLOSE BY HIS HAND.
I WAS WATCHING ALL THIS FROM A FAIR DISTANCE HAVING MY BREAKFAST ALONG WITH MY BROTHER ANDREW. AFTER HAVING OUR BREAKFAST WE HAD TO LEAVE FOR SCHOOL.
JUST THEN MY FATHER IMMEDIATELY SUMMONED ALFRED,
“HOW MAY I HELP YOU SIR?” ASKED ALFRED
“ALFRED I WANT YOU TO FETCH ME MR.SOBERS, THE INSPECTOR, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE”
“WHERE CAN I FIND HIM, SIR?”
“YOU CAN FIND HIM IN THE CHERYL STREET, WHICH IS JUST A FEW FURLONGS AWAY, AND PLEASE MAKE IT QUICK ALFRED, HIS PRESENCE HERE IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR”
“AT YOUR COMMAND SIR” SAYING THIS HE HURRIED AWAY TO CALL THE OFFICER.
BUT JUST AS I HEARD THE WORD INSPECTOR, MY NERVES GOT A SHARP TINGLING AND THEN I SLOWLY APPROACHED MY FATHER
“FATHER, IS SOMETHING WRONG?” I ASKED IN A COWERY TONE
“THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY THOMAS, I JUST WANTED THE POLICEMAN FOR PERSONAL SECURITY” MY FATHER SAID
BUT JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO TAKE MY SATCHEL AND START OFF TO SCHOOL, MY FATHER SAID
“THOMAS, THERE WOULD BE NO WAGON TO DROP YOU TO SCHOOL, I INSIST YOU AND ANDREW GO TO SCHOOL BY WALK AND BETTER BE OFF RIGHT NOW FOR I DON’T WANT TO SEE THAT WRETCHED HEADMASTER OF YOURS FOR YOUR LATECOMINGS”
“YES FATHER, WE WILL START OFF TO SCHOOL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE”
MY FATHER ACTUALLY WANTED US TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE HE DIDN’T WANT US TO SEE THE INSPECTOR, FOR IT WOULD FRIGHTEN OUR LITTLE TENDER HEARTS. HOWEVER HE GAVE A GOOD JUSTIFICATION, FOR OUR HEADMASTER, WHY THE HEADMASTER OF ANY SCHOOL IN ENGLAND WAS HARSH, INHUMAN AND WRETCHED, RIGHTLY CALLED BY MY FATHER.
1(B)
J
UST AS MY CHILDREN LEFT FOR SCHOOL, ALFRED CAME IN WITH THE INSPECTOR.
“SIR, HERE IS MR.SOBERS” ALFRED SAID
“THANK YOU ALFRED, NOW YOU MAY LEAVE THE HALL” I SAID
“YES SIR” SAID HE
“PRAY TAKE A SEAT MR.SOBERS” I SAID
“THANK YOU MR.LINEKER AND MAY I KNOW THE REASONS FOR MY PRESENCE HERE IN THIS HUGE MANSION” HE SAID
I WALKED ACROSS TO THE TABLE WHERE I PUT THE TELEGRAM, PULLED OPEN THE DRAW AND PICKED IT AND HANDED IT OVER TO THE MAN.
AFTER SOBERS COMPLETED READING THE TELEGRAM
“HMMM….. SO HOW MAY I HELP YOU SIR?” HE SAID MILDLY.
“DID YOU SEE WHO SENT ME THE TELEGRAM……, ZACHARIAS QUELCH; I DON’T EVEN KNOW THIS MAN AND HOW COME HE GETS TO KNOW MY COMPLETE NAME TERENCE JACOB LINEKER” I EXCLAIMED
“I AGREE SIR, BUT ANY RICH MAN IN ENGLAND CANNOT BE BEREFT OF BOTH POPULARITY AND THREATS, SUCH AS THESE”HE SAID
“HOW CAN I BE POPULAR WHEN I LIVE IN THIS LITTLE VILLAGE MR.SOBERS” I HOLLERED
“IT IS BECAUSE YOU ARE A MAN WITH HUGE WEALTH AND THE RICHEST MAN IN THE VILLAGE, EVEN IF YOU LIVE IN THE DARKEST CORNER ON THIS PLANET”HE SAID
“THEN WHY WOULD THAT MAN THREATEN ME OF ROBBING ME OFF OR SHOOTING ME DOWN”
“THERE COULD SOMETHING WHICH YOU POSSESS WHICH ATTRACTS THIS MAN TO DO SUCH AN INSURGENT ACTIVITY”
“WELL, MY BUSINESS DEALINGS ARE ONLY WITH DAILY USED MEDICINES AND CERTAIN DRUGS”
“SIR, YOU MUST BE KNOWING THAT CRIMINALS, LIKE THIS MAN, ARE VERY MUCH ATTRACTED TO DRUGS AND ARE MOSTLY DRUG-ADDICTS”
“YES I KNOW THAT AND THE DRUG THAT I THINK, WOULD ATTRACT THESE VAGABONDS WOULD BE MY UNIQUE PRODUCT, MANTIQUINE”
“WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF THE DRUG, SIR?” SOBERS ASKED
“WELL, IT FASTENS THE SYNTHESIS OF THE SUBCUTANEOUS FAT IN THE BODY. THE NEWLY FORMED LAYER IS VERY HARD AND IMPERVIOUS….”
“AND IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO THE CRIMINALS FOR ITS BULLET RESISTANT NATURE, RIGHT MR.LINEKER” SOBERS INTERRUPTED
“YES YOU ARE RIGHT INSPECTOR. BUT IT HAS ITS OWN SIDE EFFECTS, THAT WILL AFFECT THE CONSUMER IN THE LONG RUN” I SAID
“WHO CARES SIR, ALL THEY WANT IS PROTECTION FROM THE POLICE FORCE, PARTICULARLY THE HARD BULLETS USED BY THE POLICE” HE SAID
“YES, BUT A DIPLOMATIC WAY OF ASKING ME WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER” I QUIPED
“I AGREE, BUT DRUGS LIKE THESE MIGHT REQUIRE PERMISSIONS AND LICENSES FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND IT CANNOT BE POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN ANY; FOR THESE PEOPLE” SOBERS SAID
“SO INSPECTOR, I REQUEST YOU TO INFORM IT TO THE COMMISSIONER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, I HAVE TO PROTECT MY FAMILY, MY CHILDREN WHO HAVE NO MOTHER, MY FACTORIES”
“I PITY FOR THE CHILDREN AND YOU SIR, PLEASE EXCUSE ME IF I AM TOO CURIOUS TO KNOW, BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHILDREN’S MOTHER, SIR?” SOBERS SAID
“SHE DIED 4 YEARS AGO DUE TO CHRONIC HEART TROUBLE” I SAID SADLY
“I AM VERY SORRY FOR THAT SIR (a small pause). BUT I AM SURE THE COMMISSIONER WILL LOOK INTO YOUR MATTER WITH UTMOST CARE, AS HE HAS NO HESITATION IN HELPING THE RICH” HE SAID
“THANK YOU INSPECTOR” I SAID
“YOUR MOST WELCOME SIR” AFTER SAYING THIS HE PLACED THE TELEGRAM ON THE NEARBY TABLE AND LEFT THE HALL.
1(C)
S
OBERS HAD INFORMED THE COMMISSIONER AND I GOT THE CASE REGISTRATION LETTER FROM THE COMMISSIONER. THE COMMISSIONER OF OUR VILLAGE WAS GEOFFREY LLOYD, THE MIGHTY GEOFFREY LLOYD I SHOULD SAY. HE WAS A MAN WITH GRIT AND INTELLIGENTLY FINE RATIOCINATION. HE WAS FULLY LOADED WITH THE PERFECT MANLY CHARACTERS, A DEMANDING VOICE, A STERN FACE WITH SHARP MOUSTACHE, WHICH WAS OF THE SAME LENGTH ON ANY GIVEN DAY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, A TALL MAN, WHO WAS NEITHER TOO FAT NOR TOO THIN BUT SLIGHTLY ON THE STOCKIER SIDE. HIS PRESENCE CAN BE FELT IF HE WAS NEARBY AND HIS APPEARANCE DEMANDED RESPECT, WHICH CAME INVOLUNTARILY FROM ANY PERSON.
THE NEXT DAY WHEN I WENT TO POLICE HEADQUARTERS IN THE CHERYL STREET. IT WAS A TALL AND MULTISTOREYED, AMELIORATED ON A SOLID FOUNDATION; THERE HUNG A BOARD JUST OUTSIDE THE FOYER, WHICH READ ‘POLICE HEADQUARTERS – NALCHIK’ IN NEWLY PAINTED LETTERS.
AS I WENT IN TO MEET THE COMMISSIONER, THE COMMISSIONER STOOD UP AND WELCOMED ME INTO HIS ROOM. HIS RESPECT TO ME BY STANDING UP CAME BECAUSE OF THE ASSETS AND MONEY I POSSESSED. HOWEVER MY INVOLUNTARY RESPECT TO HIM, AS HIS APPEARANCE HAD DEMANDED CAME BY JUST LIFTING MY BOWER CAP OVER MY HEAD AND HELD IT IN MY HAND UNTIL THE CONVERSATION WITH HIM WAS OVER.
I JUST ASKED HIM ABOUT THE CASE AND HE SAID THAT HE WOULD DEPLOY A FEW OF HIS MEN TO PROTECT MY 3 FACTORIES, ALL OF THEM PRESENT IN NALCHIK.
“MR.LINEKER, I ALSO ASSURE YOU THAT MY MEN WILL OUTFLANK THOSE FELONIES OF THE YARDIES” THE COMMISSIONER SAID
“HMMM….. SO THE GANG NAME IS THE YARDIES” I SAID
“YES MR.LINEKER, AND THIS MAN ZACHARIAS QUELCH HEADS THE GANG; A VICIOUS CRIMINAL WHO HAS 17 CRIMINAL RECORDS AGAINST HIS NAME; MURDERS, ABDUCTIONS, GANG WARS, WHAT NOT, EVERY CRIME AGAINST HIS NAME” HE CLAPPERCLAWED
“HOPE YOUR MEN CAN HANDLE THESE RUFFIANS; SIR YOU WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHERE MY FACTORIES ARE AND ESPECIALLY I WANT YOUR MEN TO PROTECT MY UNIQUE DRUG, MANTIQUINE”
“THERE WOULD BE ONLY A FEW MEN IN THE WHOLE OF ENGLAND WHO WOULDN’T KNOW THE CORRECT PLACES OF THE LINEKER INDUSTRIES. VEX NOT MR.LINEKER, MY MEN WILL MAKE SURE THAT EACH AND EVERY DRUG AND MEDICINE OF YOUR FACTORIES ARE PROTECTED”
“THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. I SEEK TO TAKE LEAVE FROM YOU, FOR I WANT TO ATTENT TO MY OTHER DUTIES”
“SURELY MR.LINEKER. I REASSURE SAFETY FOR YOUR FAMILY AND FACTORIES WITHOUT DISCREDIT” HE SAID
I LEFT THE ROOM PUTTING THE BOWER BACK ON MY HEAD. THE CONVERSATION WITH HIM WAS COMFORTING AND FIRMLY BELIEVABLE.
1(D)
A
FTER REACHING HOME IN A RELAXED MANNER, AS A REPERCUSSION OF THE CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER, I FOUND ALFRED WANTING ME
“HOW WAS YOUR DAY AT YOUR WORKPLACE, SIR?” ALFRED ASKED
“IT WAS FINE ALFRED” I REPLIED
“ALFRED, WHY THAT LONG FACE, IS SOMETHING WRONG?” I BESPOKE
“SIR, I HAVE A COGNITION THAT MY MOTHER IN BOURNEMOUTH IS UTMOST ILL AND MY PRESENCE THERE IS NEAR INDISPENSABLE”
“DO NOT WORRY ALFRED, AS I NEVER SPURNED TO SEND YOU TO YOUR PLACE AND NEITHER WILL I, EVEN THIS TIME” I ASSURED
“THANK YOU SIR” HE SAID
“BUT ALFRED, SINCE YOU KNOW THE PROVISO HERE IS QUITE THREATENING, YOUR QUICK RETURN WILL GIVE ME ‘AN EGG IN ONE’S BEER’” I SAID
“SURELY SIR, ABOUT A 2-DAY TARRIANCE WILL BE SUFFICIENT” A MIRTHFUL ALFRED SAID
“YOU MAY NOW LEAVE FOR BOURNEMOUTH AND TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF TOO, MAKE SURE YOU EQUIP YOURSELF WELL OR YOU MAY TAKE AN ACRID SUFFERING AGAINST THIS STINGING WINTER” I SAID
“YES SIR, GOODBYE FOR NOW SIR”
AFTER ALFRED’S BRIEF VISIT TO BOURNEMOUTH, HE RETURNED TO HIS ‘SECOND HOME’.
HE TOLD ME THAT HIS MOTHER WAS SUFFERING FROM ACUTE BRONCHITIS, WHICH CAUSED LESIONS TO HER RESPIRATORY ORGANS. SOON ALFRED SETTLED DOWN AND GOT DOWN TO BUSINESS.
ABOUT A WEEK LATER I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM MY DEBILITATED FRIEND, WAYNE PASEUS. THE LETTER FROM HIM ENQUIRED ABOUT MY HEALTH AND CHILDREN. WAYNE ALSO WROTE THAT HE WAS INAUGURATING A NEW FACTORY OF HIS, HIS 4TH EXTENTION OF THE PASEUS INDUSTRIES IN DORSET, WHICH WOULD PRODUCE APPAREL AND MY PRESENCE AT THE SACRAMENT WAS A MUST. BUT WITH SUCH PORTENTING FORTUITY HERE, IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO ATTEND. BUT FORBIDDING HIS SUMMONS WOULD HURT HIM AS WE WERE CHILDHOOD FRIENDS AND WERE BONDED INTIMATELY FOR UPTO TWO DECADES, AFTER WHICH WE PURSUED OUR LIVES INDIVIDUALLY WITH OUR OWN VOCATIONS AND I VALUED FRIENDSHIP PROFOUNDLY. I NEEDED TIME TO THINK. LATER I CALLED ALFRED AND NARRATED THE CIRCUMSTANCES TO HIM. HE SAID
“I RECKON GOING TO THE CEREMONY WOULD BE BETTER AS YOU CAN SEE YOUR FRIEND AFTER A LONG TIME AND I WILL BE HERE TO TAKE CARE OF THE HOUSE, SIR.”
“BUT ALFRED, WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN?” I ASKED
“I INSIST YOU TAKE ALONG THE CHILDREN SIR, SHOULD ANY IMPERILMENT OCCUR, IT WILL AFFECT ONLY ME AND THE QUIESCENT HOUSE, SIR” ALFRED SAID
“BUT WHAT ABOUT MY FACTORIES, ZACHARIAS SURELY WOULDN’T SPARE THEM” I SAID
“THE COMMISSIONER AND HIS MEN WILL BE UP TO THE TASK OF SAFEGUARDING YOUR FACTORIES. SO THERE IS NOTHING FOR YOU TO WORRY SIR, EXCEPT FOR GOING TO DORSET” SAID HE
“OH I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT THE POLICE FORCE GUARDING MY FACTORIES. HMMM…. SO I CAN SAFELY LEAVE FOR DORSET ALONG WITH ANDREW AND THOMAS”
“SIR, I WILL WRITE TO YOU ABOUT THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE HOUSE” ALFRED SAID
“SURELY ALFRED AND I WILL SEND A REPLY BACK TO YOU ABOUT THE CEREMONY” I SAID
THREE DAYS LATER WHEN WE WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE FOR DORSET, I WANTED TO VISIT THE COMMISSIONER AND INFORM HIM THAT I WOULD BE ABSENT IN THE VILLAGE FOR FOUR DAYS AND WOULD BE VISITING DORSET. ON INFORMING THE COMMISSIONER, HE WISHED ME A GOOD SOJOURN AND REASSURED ME THAT MY FACTORIES WOULD BE SAFE ON MY RETURN.
AFTER TAKING LEAVE OF THE COMMISSIONER, I RETURNED HOME AND TOOK MY GEAR ALONG WITH THE CHILDREN AND ENTERED THE CART. JUST BEFORE LEAVING
“ALFRED, TAKE GOOD CARE OF THE HOUSE, I AM LEAVING NOW” I SAID
“ABSOLUTELY SIR. HAVE A HAPPY VOYAGE SIRS” ALFRED SAID
ALFRED GAVE A WARM SEND-OFF AND WE LEFT FOR DORSET ON November THE 17TH, 1920.
1(E)
3
0 HOURS LATER, WHEN WE REACHED DORSET, WE WERE WARMLY WELCOMED BY MY FRIEND WAYNE PASEUS. HE WELCOMED US AND SHOWED US THE NEW FACTORY HE WAS SETTING UP, WHICH WAS ALMOST COMPLETE AND WAS PREPARING FOR IT’S OPENING CEREMONY WHICH WAS TO BE HELD ON November THE 21ST, 1920. AFTER WAYNE SHOWED US AROUND THE FACTORY, WE WERE LED TO OUR COTTAGE, ABOUT 15 KILOMETERS FROM THE MANUFACTORY, SITUATED JUST BESIDE THE STATUESQUE MOUNTAINS OF DORSET. WE HAD TO FACE EVEN COLDER CONDITIONS, THAN WE HAD FACED IN NALCHIK. WE SETTLED DOWN IN OUR COTTAGE AND WERE HAVING THE LOCAL SOUP, WHICH WAS CALLED AS MIXATILES (pronounced – MIX-AH-TI-LESS) . IT WAS QUITE PIQUANT AND WE DECIDED THAT TWO SERVINGS OF MIXATILES WAS A MUST. IT WAS LATE IN THE EVENING WHEN WE COMPLETED HAVING THE SOUP AND I WAS READING A BOOK AND THE CHILDREN WERE IN A TORPOR STATE AND WERE ABOUT TO SLEEP.
TWO HOURS HAD PASSED BY AND I WAS STILL READING THE BOOK AND THE CHILDREN WERE NOW IN DEEP SLUMBER. BUT WHEN I WAS READING, IT SUDDENLY STRUCK TO ME THAT ALFRED WOULD SEND A TELEGRAM ABOUT THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE HOUSE. EVEN IF THE TELEGRAM WAS JUST DELIVERED TO ANY PLACE IN DORSET, IT WOULD HAVE REACHED ME BECAUSE POSTMEN HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY LETTERS OR TELEGRAPHS TO THE RICH MUST BE DELIVERED TO THEM, NO MATTER WHERE THEY WOULD BE IN THAT TOWN. SO I DID NOT REGRET FOR FORGETTING TO TELL THE ADDRESS TO ALFRED. IF ALFRED WOULD HAVE WRITTEN THE LETTER, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO ME, BUT ITS NONDELIVERY, WALLOPED A RAY OF FEAR INTO MY HEART. OR I JUST SAID TO MYSELF THAT ALFRED, 76, MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN TO WRITE THE LETTER. BUT STILL THE FEAR ELEMENT IN MY HEART DID NOT DIE OUT.
THE OPENING CEREMONY WAS TO HELD AFTER 2 LONG DAYS. MY MIND WAS ALWAYS CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT THE YARDIES, THE FACTORIES, MY HOUSE AND EVERYTHING, FOR IT WERE MY POSSESSIONS THAT GAVE ME SUCH A STATUS AND DIGNITY IN THE SOCIETY AND ALSO THE BOUNTEOUS COMFORTS WHICH MY FAMILY COULD ENJOY BECAUSE OF THOSE HOLDINGS.
HOWEVER AFTER THE 2 LONG DAYS, THE CEREMONY WAS TO BE HELD ON THE THIRD DAY. BUT EVEN AFTER ALL THOSE LONG DAYS, I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY LETTER FROM ALFRED WHICH INVARIABLY AMPLIFIED MY WORST FEARS. HOWEVER WHEN THE CEREMONY TIME WAS NEARING AND WHEN WE WERE IN THE NUCLEUS OF THE CEREMONY MY FEARS HAD DISAPPEARED AS I WAS COMPLETELY ENGROSSED IN IT.
THE CEREMONY WAS A GRAND AFFAIR AND MANY PEOPLE OF THE RICH CLASSES ONLY WERE INVITED. THERE WERE VARIOUS PRESENTATIONS, FROM DIFFERENT BRANDS OF DANCES TO THE MOST POPULAR BRITISH GAME OF LOTTERY, CARD GAMES, SINGING AND A FEW GAMES WERE ALSO HELD FOR THE CHILDREN. IT WAS AN AUGUST MOMENT FOR ME WHEN BOTH ANDREW AND THOMAS WERE WINNERS OF SOME OF THE FEW GAMES THAT WERE CONDUCTED FOR THEM. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE WAS ONLY MISFORTUNE FOR ME AS AUGHT I DID NOT ACCOMPLISH IN ANY OF THE UMPTEEN NUMBER OF GAMES I PLAYED. EVEN HAVING THE WORST OF FEARS IN THE HEART BUT GETTING ABSORBED IN SUCH A DELIGHTFUL OCCASION CANNOT BE A SURPRISE BECAUSE THE MAGNITUDE OF JOY OF THE PARTY OUTWEIGHED THE FEARS.
1(F)
T
HE NEXT DAY WE WERE TO RETURN BACK TO NALCHIK, THE MOMENT I HAD BEEN WAITING FOR AS SOON AS THE PARTY WAS OVER. WAYNE HAD ACCOMPANIED US TO SEND US OFF.
“IT WAS A REALLY GREAT PARTY, WAYNE, THE DANCES, THE MUSIC, THE GAMES AND EVERYTHING…… ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING KEPT US CAPTIVATED IN THE PARTY TILL THE VERY END” I SAID
“OH, THANK YOU TERRY, IT WAS MY PLEASURE” WAYNE SAID
“THANK YOU FOR SUCH A COLOSSAL PARTY WAYNE, NOW I WISH TO TAKE LEAVE”
“MOST WELCOME TERRY. HOPE WE WILL MEET IN THE NEAREST OFFING. GOODBYE FOR NOW TERRY, GOODBYE ANDREW, GOODBYE THOMAS”
“GOODBYE WAYNE” I SAID
“GOODBYE MR.WAYNE” ANDREW AND THOMAS SAID
WE LEFT FOR NALCHIK FROM THE STATUESQUE MOUNTAINS OF DORSET, WHERE OUR COTTAGE WAS LOCATED. AFTER ABOUT 32 HOURS WE DISTANCED BACK TO OUR PLACE. BUT AS WE WERE NEARING OUR HOUSE, WE FOUND NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AT THE PLACE OF OUR HOUSE EXCEPT FOR A FEW WEAKENED BULWARKS, THERE WAS ANY SIGHT OF SLAVE, BUT THERE WAS A RICKETY AND TREMBLING ALFRED WHO RECEIVED US. HE WAS VERY DEJECTED AND WHIMPERING. MY DEADLIEST FEARS MIGHT HAVE COME TRUE.
“WHAT HAS HAPPENED ALFRED?” I ASKED IN A TRAUMATIZED STATE
“WHAT SHOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED HAS HAPPENED, SIR” ALFRED SAID
I WAS DUMBSTRUCK, TOTALLY OUT OF MY SENSES
“ALFRED, THEN WHAT IS THE PLIGHT OF MY FACTORIES, ARE THEY WHOLE?”
“I AM VERY SORRY SIR, ONE OF QUELCH’S MEN TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD STRIKE AND RAID THE FACTORIES ALSO. HOPE THE COMMISSIONER’S MEN ARE UPTO IT.” HE SAID SADLY
I COULD THINK OF NOTHING OTHER THAN GOING TO THE FACTORIES AND SCRUTINISE THEM. I IMMEDIATELY RUSHED TO THE FACTORIES, LEAVING THE CHILDREN BEHIND.
AFTER REACHING THE FACTORIES, ALL I COULD WATCH WAS A BLOODY SIGHT, DEAD POLICEMEN SCATTERED ON THE FIELD AND A CRUELY INJURED COMMISSIONER. I WAS JOLTED, DISCONSOLATE, AND WOEBEGONE AS I LOST EVERYTHING, MY HOUSE AND MY FACTORIES. THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT IN THE FACTORIES, NEITHER MANTIQUINE NOR ANY OTHER DRUG, NOT EVEN THE POWDERED FRITTER OF THE MEDICINES AND DRUGS. MY IDEAS OF RESISTING THE YARDIES BACKFIRED; IT ONLY ADDED FUEL TO THE FIRE TO ZACHARIAS AND HIS MEN.
I RUSHED BACK HOME TO TELL ALFRED ABOUT THE HAPPENING IN MY FACTORIES, AS HE WAS CONCERNED AS MUCH AS I WAS. ON TELLING HIM ABOUT THE CANONMENT AND RAID, HE WAS DUMBFOUNDED.
CONTROLLING ALL MY ANGER, FRUSTRATION AND SADNESS, I SAID WITH A HEAVYHEART
“ALFRED, I THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SERVICES FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS. I WISH YOU WILL GET EMPLOYED TO ANOTHER RICH NOBLE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE”
“NO SIR, I WISH TO REMAIN WITH YOU TILL I LAST”
ALFRED STILL CALLED ME SIR BECAUSE WE WERE INTIMATELY ATTACHED FOR ONE AND A HALF DECADES. ALFRED WORKED FOR ME, EVEN BEFORE ANDREW AND THOMAS WERE BORN. THIS INTIMATE ATTACHMENT WITH US NEVER LET HIM TO LEAVE US. HE WAS LIKE A MOTHER TO THE CHILDREN.
“ALFRED, BUT THE MISERIES, WE MUST GET ALONG WITH THE TAG OF PEASANTS, THE LOWEST RANK IN THE SOCIETY”
“AFTER ALL THE COMFORTS AND DIGNITY I GOT DURING MY TENURE, THERE SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM IN FACING THE MISERIES ALSO, SIR. I WISH TO COME ALONG AND HELP YOUR FAMILY SIR FOR I FIRMLY BELIEVE RECLAMATION OF A COMFORTABLE LIFE IS INEVITABLE” ALFRED SAID
ALFRED WAS WILLING SO MUCH TO HELP US THAT I COULD NOT DENY HIM FROM JOINING US. MY CHILDREN (Andrew Lineker – 10 and Thomas Oliver Lineker – 8) WHO WERE BESIDE ME DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING EXCEPT THAT THE HOUSE WAS DESTROYED. THEY DID NOT EVEN QUESTION ME OF ANYTHING, THEY MAINTAINED SILENCE AND ACCOMPANIED ME ALONGSIDE TO THE PUTRID TENEMENTS. WE HAD TO FACE COUNTLESS MISERIES BECAUSE THE DEVASTATION HAD OCCURRED.
All the images and logos in it are just for fun and visualisation.
Download Here the Full copy upto Chapter 2 (Till where i completed it):-
http://www.box.net/shared/xxs4kfiztp (http://www.box.net/shared/xxs4kfiztp)
Here's an Excerpt (Chapter One)
CHAPTER 1
THE DEVASTATION
1(A)
I
T WAS THE COLDEST WINTER MORNING AND OUR LITTLE VILLAGE, NALCHIK, IN THE SOUTH-WEST CONE OF ENGLAND WAS COMPLETELY ENVELOPED WITH WHITE AND SOFT SNOWS. IT WAS ONLY THE EARLY NOVEMBER OF 1920 AND THE WINTER WAS AT ITS FARINACEOUS BEST. IT WAS 8 AM IN THE MORNING AND MY FATHER, AS USUAL, WAS SITTING IN HIS OLD ARM CHAIR, WITH HIS DAILY DOSE OF BEVERAGE IN A DIAMOND-STUDDED CUP, GAZING AT THE WORKERS WHO WERE SPRINKLING SALT ON THE SNOW-LADEN ROADS. HE WAS IN A RELAXED MOOD. THE PAUCITY OF PEACE FOR HIM BEGAN WHEN ALFRED, OUR HOUSE KEEPER, CAME RUNNING HURRIEDLY THROUGH THE FOYER AND DELIVERED A TELEGRAM TO MY FATHER.
“THERE ‘S A TELEGRAM FOR YOU MR.LINEKER” SAID HE
“AND FROM WHOM DO I RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE ALFRED?”
“NEITHER DO I KNOW SIR” HE SAID FAITHFULLY
“FINE ALFRED, I WILL CALL YOU SHOULD YOUR NEED ARISE”
“YES SIR” HE SAID AND LEFT THE ROOM
AS MY FATHER WAS GLANCING THROUGH THE TELEGRAM, HE STARTED BECOMING RESTLESS AND SHAKY AND WAS IMMERSED IN DEEP THOUGHT. THEN HE JUST FLUNG THE TELEGRAM INTO THE DRAW OF THE TABLE THAT WAS CLOSE BY HIS HAND.
I WAS WATCHING ALL THIS FROM A FAIR DISTANCE HAVING MY BREAKFAST ALONG WITH MY BROTHER ANDREW. AFTER HAVING OUR BREAKFAST WE HAD TO LEAVE FOR SCHOOL.
JUST THEN MY FATHER IMMEDIATELY SUMMONED ALFRED,
“HOW MAY I HELP YOU SIR?” ASKED ALFRED
“ALFRED I WANT YOU TO FETCH ME MR.SOBERS, THE INSPECTOR, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE”
“WHERE CAN I FIND HIM, SIR?”
“YOU CAN FIND HIM IN THE CHERYL STREET, WHICH IS JUST A FEW FURLONGS AWAY, AND PLEASE MAKE IT QUICK ALFRED, HIS PRESENCE HERE IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR”
“AT YOUR COMMAND SIR” SAYING THIS HE HURRIED AWAY TO CALL THE OFFICER.
BUT JUST AS I HEARD THE WORD INSPECTOR, MY NERVES GOT A SHARP TINGLING AND THEN I SLOWLY APPROACHED MY FATHER
“FATHER, IS SOMETHING WRONG?” I ASKED IN A COWERY TONE
“THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY THOMAS, I JUST WANTED THE POLICEMAN FOR PERSONAL SECURITY” MY FATHER SAID
BUT JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO TAKE MY SATCHEL AND START OFF TO SCHOOL, MY FATHER SAID
“THOMAS, THERE WOULD BE NO WAGON TO DROP YOU TO SCHOOL, I INSIST YOU AND ANDREW GO TO SCHOOL BY WALK AND BETTER BE OFF RIGHT NOW FOR I DON’T WANT TO SEE THAT WRETCHED HEADMASTER OF YOURS FOR YOUR LATECOMINGS”
“YES FATHER, WE WILL START OFF TO SCHOOL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE”
MY FATHER ACTUALLY WANTED US TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE HE DIDN’T WANT US TO SEE THE INSPECTOR, FOR IT WOULD FRIGHTEN OUR LITTLE TENDER HEARTS. HOWEVER HE GAVE A GOOD JUSTIFICATION, FOR OUR HEADMASTER, WHY THE HEADMASTER OF ANY SCHOOL IN ENGLAND WAS HARSH, INHUMAN AND WRETCHED, RIGHTLY CALLED BY MY FATHER.
1(B)
J
UST AS MY CHILDREN LEFT FOR SCHOOL, ALFRED CAME IN WITH THE INSPECTOR.
“SIR, HERE IS MR.SOBERS” ALFRED SAID
“THANK YOU ALFRED, NOW YOU MAY LEAVE THE HALL” I SAID
“YES SIR” SAID HE
“PRAY TAKE A SEAT MR.SOBERS” I SAID
“THANK YOU MR.LINEKER AND MAY I KNOW THE REASONS FOR MY PRESENCE HERE IN THIS HUGE MANSION” HE SAID
I WALKED ACROSS TO THE TABLE WHERE I PUT THE TELEGRAM, PULLED OPEN THE DRAW AND PICKED IT AND HANDED IT OVER TO THE MAN.
AFTER SOBERS COMPLETED READING THE TELEGRAM
“HMMM….. SO HOW MAY I HELP YOU SIR?” HE SAID MILDLY.
“DID YOU SEE WHO SENT ME THE TELEGRAM……, ZACHARIAS QUELCH; I DON’T EVEN KNOW THIS MAN AND HOW COME HE GETS TO KNOW MY COMPLETE NAME TERENCE JACOB LINEKER” I EXCLAIMED
“I AGREE SIR, BUT ANY RICH MAN IN ENGLAND CANNOT BE BEREFT OF BOTH POPULARITY AND THREATS, SUCH AS THESE”HE SAID
“HOW CAN I BE POPULAR WHEN I LIVE IN THIS LITTLE VILLAGE MR.SOBERS” I HOLLERED
“IT IS BECAUSE YOU ARE A MAN WITH HUGE WEALTH AND THE RICHEST MAN IN THE VILLAGE, EVEN IF YOU LIVE IN THE DARKEST CORNER ON THIS PLANET”HE SAID
“THEN WHY WOULD THAT MAN THREATEN ME OF ROBBING ME OFF OR SHOOTING ME DOWN”
“THERE COULD SOMETHING WHICH YOU POSSESS WHICH ATTRACTS THIS MAN TO DO SUCH AN INSURGENT ACTIVITY”
“WELL, MY BUSINESS DEALINGS ARE ONLY WITH DAILY USED MEDICINES AND CERTAIN DRUGS”
“SIR, YOU MUST BE KNOWING THAT CRIMINALS, LIKE THIS MAN, ARE VERY MUCH ATTRACTED TO DRUGS AND ARE MOSTLY DRUG-ADDICTS”
“YES I KNOW THAT AND THE DRUG THAT I THINK, WOULD ATTRACT THESE VAGABONDS WOULD BE MY UNIQUE PRODUCT, MANTIQUINE”
“WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF THE DRUG, SIR?” SOBERS ASKED
“WELL, IT FASTENS THE SYNTHESIS OF THE SUBCUTANEOUS FAT IN THE BODY. THE NEWLY FORMED LAYER IS VERY HARD AND IMPERVIOUS….”
“AND IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO THE CRIMINALS FOR ITS BULLET RESISTANT NATURE, RIGHT MR.LINEKER” SOBERS INTERRUPTED
“YES YOU ARE RIGHT INSPECTOR. BUT IT HAS ITS OWN SIDE EFFECTS, THAT WILL AFFECT THE CONSUMER IN THE LONG RUN” I SAID
“WHO CARES SIR, ALL THEY WANT IS PROTECTION FROM THE POLICE FORCE, PARTICULARLY THE HARD BULLETS USED BY THE POLICE” HE SAID
“YES, BUT A DIPLOMATIC WAY OF ASKING ME WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER” I QUIPED
“I AGREE, BUT DRUGS LIKE THESE MIGHT REQUIRE PERMISSIONS AND LICENSES FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND IT CANNOT BE POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN ANY; FOR THESE PEOPLE” SOBERS SAID
“SO INSPECTOR, I REQUEST YOU TO INFORM IT TO THE COMMISSIONER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, I HAVE TO PROTECT MY FAMILY, MY CHILDREN WHO HAVE NO MOTHER, MY FACTORIES”
“I PITY FOR THE CHILDREN AND YOU SIR, PLEASE EXCUSE ME IF I AM TOO CURIOUS TO KNOW, BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHILDREN’S MOTHER, SIR?” SOBERS SAID
“SHE DIED 4 YEARS AGO DUE TO CHRONIC HEART TROUBLE” I SAID SADLY
“I AM VERY SORRY FOR THAT SIR (a small pause). BUT I AM SURE THE COMMISSIONER WILL LOOK INTO YOUR MATTER WITH UTMOST CARE, AS HE HAS NO HESITATION IN HELPING THE RICH” HE SAID
“THANK YOU INSPECTOR” I SAID
“YOUR MOST WELCOME SIR” AFTER SAYING THIS HE PLACED THE TELEGRAM ON THE NEARBY TABLE AND LEFT THE HALL.
1(C)
S
OBERS HAD INFORMED THE COMMISSIONER AND I GOT THE CASE REGISTRATION LETTER FROM THE COMMISSIONER. THE COMMISSIONER OF OUR VILLAGE WAS GEOFFREY LLOYD, THE MIGHTY GEOFFREY LLOYD I SHOULD SAY. HE WAS A MAN WITH GRIT AND INTELLIGENTLY FINE RATIOCINATION. HE WAS FULLY LOADED WITH THE PERFECT MANLY CHARACTERS, A DEMANDING VOICE, A STERN FACE WITH SHARP MOUSTACHE, WHICH WAS OF THE SAME LENGTH ON ANY GIVEN DAY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, A TALL MAN, WHO WAS NEITHER TOO FAT NOR TOO THIN BUT SLIGHTLY ON THE STOCKIER SIDE. HIS PRESENCE CAN BE FELT IF HE WAS NEARBY AND HIS APPEARANCE DEMANDED RESPECT, WHICH CAME INVOLUNTARILY FROM ANY PERSON.
THE NEXT DAY WHEN I WENT TO POLICE HEADQUARTERS IN THE CHERYL STREET. IT WAS A TALL AND MULTISTOREYED, AMELIORATED ON A SOLID FOUNDATION; THERE HUNG A BOARD JUST OUTSIDE THE FOYER, WHICH READ ‘POLICE HEADQUARTERS – NALCHIK’ IN NEWLY PAINTED LETTERS.
AS I WENT IN TO MEET THE COMMISSIONER, THE COMMISSIONER STOOD UP AND WELCOMED ME INTO HIS ROOM. HIS RESPECT TO ME BY STANDING UP CAME BECAUSE OF THE ASSETS AND MONEY I POSSESSED. HOWEVER MY INVOLUNTARY RESPECT TO HIM, AS HIS APPEARANCE HAD DEMANDED CAME BY JUST LIFTING MY BOWER CAP OVER MY HEAD AND HELD IT IN MY HAND UNTIL THE CONVERSATION WITH HIM WAS OVER.
I JUST ASKED HIM ABOUT THE CASE AND HE SAID THAT HE WOULD DEPLOY A FEW OF HIS MEN TO PROTECT MY 3 FACTORIES, ALL OF THEM PRESENT IN NALCHIK.
“MR.LINEKER, I ALSO ASSURE YOU THAT MY MEN WILL OUTFLANK THOSE FELONIES OF THE YARDIES” THE COMMISSIONER SAID
“HMMM….. SO THE GANG NAME IS THE YARDIES” I SAID
“YES MR.LINEKER, AND THIS MAN ZACHARIAS QUELCH HEADS THE GANG; A VICIOUS CRIMINAL WHO HAS 17 CRIMINAL RECORDS AGAINST HIS NAME; MURDERS, ABDUCTIONS, GANG WARS, WHAT NOT, EVERY CRIME AGAINST HIS NAME” HE CLAPPERCLAWED
“HOPE YOUR MEN CAN HANDLE THESE RUFFIANS; SIR YOU WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHERE MY FACTORIES ARE AND ESPECIALLY I WANT YOUR MEN TO PROTECT MY UNIQUE DRUG, MANTIQUINE”
“THERE WOULD BE ONLY A FEW MEN IN THE WHOLE OF ENGLAND WHO WOULDN’T KNOW THE CORRECT PLACES OF THE LINEKER INDUSTRIES. VEX NOT MR.LINEKER, MY MEN WILL MAKE SURE THAT EACH AND EVERY DRUG AND MEDICINE OF YOUR FACTORIES ARE PROTECTED”
“THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. I SEEK TO TAKE LEAVE FROM YOU, FOR I WANT TO ATTENT TO MY OTHER DUTIES”
“SURELY MR.LINEKER. I REASSURE SAFETY FOR YOUR FAMILY AND FACTORIES WITHOUT DISCREDIT” HE SAID
I LEFT THE ROOM PUTTING THE BOWER BACK ON MY HEAD. THE CONVERSATION WITH HIM WAS COMFORTING AND FIRMLY BELIEVABLE.
1(D)
A
FTER REACHING HOME IN A RELAXED MANNER, AS A REPERCUSSION OF THE CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER, I FOUND ALFRED WANTING ME
“HOW WAS YOUR DAY AT YOUR WORKPLACE, SIR?” ALFRED ASKED
“IT WAS FINE ALFRED” I REPLIED
“ALFRED, WHY THAT LONG FACE, IS SOMETHING WRONG?” I BESPOKE
“SIR, I HAVE A COGNITION THAT MY MOTHER IN BOURNEMOUTH IS UTMOST ILL AND MY PRESENCE THERE IS NEAR INDISPENSABLE”
“DO NOT WORRY ALFRED, AS I NEVER SPURNED TO SEND YOU TO YOUR PLACE AND NEITHER WILL I, EVEN THIS TIME” I ASSURED
“THANK YOU SIR” HE SAID
“BUT ALFRED, SINCE YOU KNOW THE PROVISO HERE IS QUITE THREATENING, YOUR QUICK RETURN WILL GIVE ME ‘AN EGG IN ONE’S BEER’” I SAID
“SURELY SIR, ABOUT A 2-DAY TARRIANCE WILL BE SUFFICIENT” A MIRTHFUL ALFRED SAID
“YOU MAY NOW LEAVE FOR BOURNEMOUTH AND TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF TOO, MAKE SURE YOU EQUIP YOURSELF WELL OR YOU MAY TAKE AN ACRID SUFFERING AGAINST THIS STINGING WINTER” I SAID
“YES SIR, GOODBYE FOR NOW SIR”
AFTER ALFRED’S BRIEF VISIT TO BOURNEMOUTH, HE RETURNED TO HIS ‘SECOND HOME’.
HE TOLD ME THAT HIS MOTHER WAS SUFFERING FROM ACUTE BRONCHITIS, WHICH CAUSED LESIONS TO HER RESPIRATORY ORGANS. SOON ALFRED SETTLED DOWN AND GOT DOWN TO BUSINESS.
ABOUT A WEEK LATER I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM MY DEBILITATED FRIEND, WAYNE PASEUS. THE LETTER FROM HIM ENQUIRED ABOUT MY HEALTH AND CHILDREN. WAYNE ALSO WROTE THAT HE WAS INAUGURATING A NEW FACTORY OF HIS, HIS 4TH EXTENTION OF THE PASEUS INDUSTRIES IN DORSET, WHICH WOULD PRODUCE APPAREL AND MY PRESENCE AT THE SACRAMENT WAS A MUST. BUT WITH SUCH PORTENTING FORTUITY HERE, IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO ATTEND. BUT FORBIDDING HIS SUMMONS WOULD HURT HIM AS WE WERE CHILDHOOD FRIENDS AND WERE BONDED INTIMATELY FOR UPTO TWO DECADES, AFTER WHICH WE PURSUED OUR LIVES INDIVIDUALLY WITH OUR OWN VOCATIONS AND I VALUED FRIENDSHIP PROFOUNDLY. I NEEDED TIME TO THINK. LATER I CALLED ALFRED AND NARRATED THE CIRCUMSTANCES TO HIM. HE SAID
“I RECKON GOING TO THE CEREMONY WOULD BE BETTER AS YOU CAN SEE YOUR FRIEND AFTER A LONG TIME AND I WILL BE HERE TO TAKE CARE OF THE HOUSE, SIR.”
“BUT ALFRED, WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN?” I ASKED
“I INSIST YOU TAKE ALONG THE CHILDREN SIR, SHOULD ANY IMPERILMENT OCCUR, IT WILL AFFECT ONLY ME AND THE QUIESCENT HOUSE, SIR” ALFRED SAID
“BUT WHAT ABOUT MY FACTORIES, ZACHARIAS SURELY WOULDN’T SPARE THEM” I SAID
“THE COMMISSIONER AND HIS MEN WILL BE UP TO THE TASK OF SAFEGUARDING YOUR FACTORIES. SO THERE IS NOTHING FOR YOU TO WORRY SIR, EXCEPT FOR GOING TO DORSET” SAID HE
“OH I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT THE POLICE FORCE GUARDING MY FACTORIES. HMMM…. SO I CAN SAFELY LEAVE FOR DORSET ALONG WITH ANDREW AND THOMAS”
“SIR, I WILL WRITE TO YOU ABOUT THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE HOUSE” ALFRED SAID
“SURELY ALFRED AND I WILL SEND A REPLY BACK TO YOU ABOUT THE CEREMONY” I SAID
THREE DAYS LATER WHEN WE WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE FOR DORSET, I WANTED TO VISIT THE COMMISSIONER AND INFORM HIM THAT I WOULD BE ABSENT IN THE VILLAGE FOR FOUR DAYS AND WOULD BE VISITING DORSET. ON INFORMING THE COMMISSIONER, HE WISHED ME A GOOD SOJOURN AND REASSURED ME THAT MY FACTORIES WOULD BE SAFE ON MY RETURN.
AFTER TAKING LEAVE OF THE COMMISSIONER, I RETURNED HOME AND TOOK MY GEAR ALONG WITH THE CHILDREN AND ENTERED THE CART. JUST BEFORE LEAVING
“ALFRED, TAKE GOOD CARE OF THE HOUSE, I AM LEAVING NOW” I SAID
“ABSOLUTELY SIR. HAVE A HAPPY VOYAGE SIRS” ALFRED SAID
ALFRED GAVE A WARM SEND-OFF AND WE LEFT FOR DORSET ON November THE 17TH, 1920.
1(E)
3
0 HOURS LATER, WHEN WE REACHED DORSET, WE WERE WARMLY WELCOMED BY MY FRIEND WAYNE PASEUS. HE WELCOMED US AND SHOWED US THE NEW FACTORY HE WAS SETTING UP, WHICH WAS ALMOST COMPLETE AND WAS PREPARING FOR IT’S OPENING CEREMONY WHICH WAS TO BE HELD ON November THE 21ST, 1920. AFTER WAYNE SHOWED US AROUND THE FACTORY, WE WERE LED TO OUR COTTAGE, ABOUT 15 KILOMETERS FROM THE MANUFACTORY, SITUATED JUST BESIDE THE STATUESQUE MOUNTAINS OF DORSET. WE HAD TO FACE EVEN COLDER CONDITIONS, THAN WE HAD FACED IN NALCHIK. WE SETTLED DOWN IN OUR COTTAGE AND WERE HAVING THE LOCAL SOUP, WHICH WAS CALLED AS MIXATILES (pronounced – MIX-AH-TI-LESS) . IT WAS QUITE PIQUANT AND WE DECIDED THAT TWO SERVINGS OF MIXATILES WAS A MUST. IT WAS LATE IN THE EVENING WHEN WE COMPLETED HAVING THE SOUP AND I WAS READING A BOOK AND THE CHILDREN WERE IN A TORPOR STATE AND WERE ABOUT TO SLEEP.
TWO HOURS HAD PASSED BY AND I WAS STILL READING THE BOOK AND THE CHILDREN WERE NOW IN DEEP SLUMBER. BUT WHEN I WAS READING, IT SUDDENLY STRUCK TO ME THAT ALFRED WOULD SEND A TELEGRAM ABOUT THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE HOUSE. EVEN IF THE TELEGRAM WAS JUST DELIVERED TO ANY PLACE IN DORSET, IT WOULD HAVE REACHED ME BECAUSE POSTMEN HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY LETTERS OR TELEGRAPHS TO THE RICH MUST BE DELIVERED TO THEM, NO MATTER WHERE THEY WOULD BE IN THAT TOWN. SO I DID NOT REGRET FOR FORGETTING TO TELL THE ADDRESS TO ALFRED. IF ALFRED WOULD HAVE WRITTEN THE LETTER, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO ME, BUT ITS NONDELIVERY, WALLOPED A RAY OF FEAR INTO MY HEART. OR I JUST SAID TO MYSELF THAT ALFRED, 76, MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN TO WRITE THE LETTER. BUT STILL THE FEAR ELEMENT IN MY HEART DID NOT DIE OUT.
THE OPENING CEREMONY WAS TO HELD AFTER 2 LONG DAYS. MY MIND WAS ALWAYS CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT THE YARDIES, THE FACTORIES, MY HOUSE AND EVERYTHING, FOR IT WERE MY POSSESSIONS THAT GAVE ME SUCH A STATUS AND DIGNITY IN THE SOCIETY AND ALSO THE BOUNTEOUS COMFORTS WHICH MY FAMILY COULD ENJOY BECAUSE OF THOSE HOLDINGS.
HOWEVER AFTER THE 2 LONG DAYS, THE CEREMONY WAS TO BE HELD ON THE THIRD DAY. BUT EVEN AFTER ALL THOSE LONG DAYS, I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY LETTER FROM ALFRED WHICH INVARIABLY AMPLIFIED MY WORST FEARS. HOWEVER WHEN THE CEREMONY TIME WAS NEARING AND WHEN WE WERE IN THE NUCLEUS OF THE CEREMONY MY FEARS HAD DISAPPEARED AS I WAS COMPLETELY ENGROSSED IN IT.
THE CEREMONY WAS A GRAND AFFAIR AND MANY PEOPLE OF THE RICH CLASSES ONLY WERE INVITED. THERE WERE VARIOUS PRESENTATIONS, FROM DIFFERENT BRANDS OF DANCES TO THE MOST POPULAR BRITISH GAME OF LOTTERY, CARD GAMES, SINGING AND A FEW GAMES WERE ALSO HELD FOR THE CHILDREN. IT WAS AN AUGUST MOMENT FOR ME WHEN BOTH ANDREW AND THOMAS WERE WINNERS OF SOME OF THE FEW GAMES THAT WERE CONDUCTED FOR THEM. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE WAS ONLY MISFORTUNE FOR ME AS AUGHT I DID NOT ACCOMPLISH IN ANY OF THE UMPTEEN NUMBER OF GAMES I PLAYED. EVEN HAVING THE WORST OF FEARS IN THE HEART BUT GETTING ABSORBED IN SUCH A DELIGHTFUL OCCASION CANNOT BE A SURPRISE BECAUSE THE MAGNITUDE OF JOY OF THE PARTY OUTWEIGHED THE FEARS.
1(F)
T
HE NEXT DAY WE WERE TO RETURN BACK TO NALCHIK, THE MOMENT I HAD BEEN WAITING FOR AS SOON AS THE PARTY WAS OVER. WAYNE HAD ACCOMPANIED US TO SEND US OFF.
“IT WAS A REALLY GREAT PARTY, WAYNE, THE DANCES, THE MUSIC, THE GAMES AND EVERYTHING…… ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING KEPT US CAPTIVATED IN THE PARTY TILL THE VERY END” I SAID
“OH, THANK YOU TERRY, IT WAS MY PLEASURE” WAYNE SAID
“THANK YOU FOR SUCH A COLOSSAL PARTY WAYNE, NOW I WISH TO TAKE LEAVE”
“MOST WELCOME TERRY. HOPE WE WILL MEET IN THE NEAREST OFFING. GOODBYE FOR NOW TERRY, GOODBYE ANDREW, GOODBYE THOMAS”
“GOODBYE WAYNE” I SAID
“GOODBYE MR.WAYNE” ANDREW AND THOMAS SAID
WE LEFT FOR NALCHIK FROM THE STATUESQUE MOUNTAINS OF DORSET, WHERE OUR COTTAGE WAS LOCATED. AFTER ABOUT 32 HOURS WE DISTANCED BACK TO OUR PLACE. BUT AS WE WERE NEARING OUR HOUSE, WE FOUND NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AT THE PLACE OF OUR HOUSE EXCEPT FOR A FEW WEAKENED BULWARKS, THERE WAS ANY SIGHT OF SLAVE, BUT THERE WAS A RICKETY AND TREMBLING ALFRED WHO RECEIVED US. HE WAS VERY DEJECTED AND WHIMPERING. MY DEADLIEST FEARS MIGHT HAVE COME TRUE.
“WHAT HAS HAPPENED ALFRED?” I ASKED IN A TRAUMATIZED STATE
“WHAT SHOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED HAS HAPPENED, SIR” ALFRED SAID
I WAS DUMBSTRUCK, TOTALLY OUT OF MY SENSES
“ALFRED, THEN WHAT IS THE PLIGHT OF MY FACTORIES, ARE THEY WHOLE?”
“I AM VERY SORRY SIR, ONE OF QUELCH’S MEN TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD STRIKE AND RAID THE FACTORIES ALSO. HOPE THE COMMISSIONER’S MEN ARE UPTO IT.” HE SAID SADLY
I COULD THINK OF NOTHING OTHER THAN GOING TO THE FACTORIES AND SCRUTINISE THEM. I IMMEDIATELY RUSHED TO THE FACTORIES, LEAVING THE CHILDREN BEHIND.
AFTER REACHING THE FACTORIES, ALL I COULD WATCH WAS A BLOODY SIGHT, DEAD POLICEMEN SCATTERED ON THE FIELD AND A CRUELY INJURED COMMISSIONER. I WAS JOLTED, DISCONSOLATE, AND WOEBEGONE AS I LOST EVERYTHING, MY HOUSE AND MY FACTORIES. THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT IN THE FACTORIES, NEITHER MANTIQUINE NOR ANY OTHER DRUG, NOT EVEN THE POWDERED FRITTER OF THE MEDICINES AND DRUGS. MY IDEAS OF RESISTING THE YARDIES BACKFIRED; IT ONLY ADDED FUEL TO THE FIRE TO ZACHARIAS AND HIS MEN.
I RUSHED BACK HOME TO TELL ALFRED ABOUT THE HAPPENING IN MY FACTORIES, AS HE WAS CONCERNED AS MUCH AS I WAS. ON TELLING HIM ABOUT THE CANONMENT AND RAID, HE WAS DUMBFOUNDED.
CONTROLLING ALL MY ANGER, FRUSTRATION AND SADNESS, I SAID WITH A HEAVYHEART
“ALFRED, I THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SERVICES FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS. I WISH YOU WILL GET EMPLOYED TO ANOTHER RICH NOBLE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE”
“NO SIR, I WISH TO REMAIN WITH YOU TILL I LAST”
ALFRED STILL CALLED ME SIR BECAUSE WE WERE INTIMATELY ATTACHED FOR ONE AND A HALF DECADES. ALFRED WORKED FOR ME, EVEN BEFORE ANDREW AND THOMAS WERE BORN. THIS INTIMATE ATTACHMENT WITH US NEVER LET HIM TO LEAVE US. HE WAS LIKE A MOTHER TO THE CHILDREN.
“ALFRED, BUT THE MISERIES, WE MUST GET ALONG WITH THE TAG OF PEASANTS, THE LOWEST RANK IN THE SOCIETY”
“AFTER ALL THE COMFORTS AND DIGNITY I GOT DURING MY TENURE, THERE SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM IN FACING THE MISERIES ALSO, SIR. I WISH TO COME ALONG AND HELP YOUR FAMILY SIR FOR I FIRMLY BELIEVE RECLAMATION OF A COMFORTABLE LIFE IS INEVITABLE” ALFRED SAID
ALFRED WAS WILLING SO MUCH TO HELP US THAT I COULD NOT DENY HIM FROM JOINING US. MY CHILDREN (Andrew Lineker – 10 and Thomas Oliver Lineker – 8) WHO WERE BESIDE ME DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING EXCEPT THAT THE HOUSE WAS DESTROYED. THEY DID NOT EVEN QUESTION ME OF ANYTHING, THEY MAINTAINED SILENCE AND ACCOMPANIED ME ALONGSIDE TO THE PUTRID TENEMENTS. WE HAD TO FACE COUNTLESS MISERIES BECAUSE THE DEVASTATION HAD OCCURRED.