28-03-2019, 03:13 PM
The maid ran through the castle, frantically searching for La Contessa. She found her in the library, staring at a chessboard and seated opposite a bald Russian man. The Russian moved his bishop, took her pawn, and declared check.
Contessa Helena de San Finzione looked at the board, then looked up and smiled at him before asking a question in Russian. "Do you read Confucius, Mr. Kasparov?" The grandmaster shook his head no. "I do. I love his style: Simple, logical, things we all SHOULD be thinking about all the time, but life then intrudes. One of my favorite passages applies here." She looked at her king, staring down the barrel of his bishop. "Great Man may be deceived, but he is never..." She castled her king. "cornered."
The maid stood between two bookshelves a distance away and cleared her throat. Helena heard her and turned around. "Just a moment, Tovarich," Helena said to him before approaching the maid.
"Jeanne," Helen said when she was close enough to speak in a low tone, switching from Russian to French without missing a beat. "Do you know who that is at the table? Even for me, arranging a private game with Kasperov is a challenge."
"Oui, Contessa," the maid replied. "It is that urgent. Something has happened with Lady Maria's helicopter."
Helen mentally switched gears. "Garry, "she called to the man waiting at the chessboard. "Don't leave town, we're not finished." She walked out the door and the maid followed.
"Is she ok?"
"They do not know. They say that warlords have shot it down and her phone tracker has been found at the crash site but she has not."
"Where is my jet," Helena asked the girl.
"You sent it to Africa with her and Monsieur Stavro, Contessa."
"Right. Wake my pilot and tell him to have the helicopter ready in 20 minutes, then call the airport. Find a trans-continental flight that hasn't boarded yet and tell them they've been commandeered by the government. Tell the pilots to chart a new course for the People's Democratic Republic of Uongo."
Jeanne made the needed calls as they walked, arriving at the Study. Helena went to her desk and opened the safe next to it. She pulled a black Prada Arcade bag from the safe and inspected the contents: Her diplomatic credentials, 25,000 Euros in various bills, a few platinum and black credit cards, a small, black leather pouch, and a Ruger LC9 with an extra clip were inside. Helena turned to Jeanne.
"I'll need clothes for the jungle." Helena recalled that Jeanne had only been with her for two months and told her "Closet 4, second rack. Two outfits."
Once the maid was out of the room, Helena steadied herself against the desk. "You've got 30 seconds," she told the tears forming in her eyes, and sat down and allowed herself 30 seconds of crying at a picture of Maria on her desk before wiping the tears away, blowing her nose, and sticking the picture next to it into her bag. She picked up her phone and told Siri "Army," as she heard the helicopter on the roof powering up. The call connected on the first ring.
"Si," said the voice on the end.
"Generalissimo, my great-granddaughter's helicopter has been shot down in Uongo. I'm about to fly to the airport. I want two squads of commandos waiting for me. I'll text what gate."
"Si, Contessa. I have only now heard and was about to call. Per favore, The Lady Maria; two of my men were escorting her."
"The only information I have so far, Generalissimo is that Lady Maria was not found at the scene. You may want to tell the men to pack with vengeance in mind," she replied, checking her Ruger before returning it to the bag.
"Si, Contessa. They shall be ready." The call ended and she made her way to the roof.
La Contessa walked toward the waiting helicopter, Jeanne in tow with a packed shoulder bag. Helena took the bag from her maid and loaded it into the helicopter. As she was getting in, she stopped and turned to the girl, shouting over the whirling props overhead.
"I just ordered the world's highest ranked grandmaster of Chess not to leave San Finzione until we finish our game, didn't I?"
"You spoke in Russian, Contessa. I do not know what was said."
Helen thought for a second. There wasn't time to go tell Kasperov he could leave. She finally came to a decision.
"Jeanne, I want every effort to be made to insure that my guest is happy and comfortable." The maid nodded. Helen grabbed the maid by her chin and gazed into her eyes. "And if it calls for it, I want YOU to be happy and comfortable with making HIM happy and comfortable, do you understand me?"
The maid's cheeks flushed as she smiled and nodded.
"Oui, Contessa. I shall make him happy and comfortable." Helen gave her a brief kiss before getting into the helicopter.
"Vive La France," she said to the maid as the door closed and she flew off to the airport. That's what she loved about the French, one didn't have to explain innuendo to them.
* * *
Contessa Helena de San Finzione looked at the board, then looked up and smiled at him before asking a question in Russian. "Do you read Confucius, Mr. Kasparov?" The grandmaster shook his head no. "I do. I love his style: Simple, logical, things we all SHOULD be thinking about all the time, but life then intrudes. One of my favorite passages applies here." She looked at her king, staring down the barrel of his bishop. "Great Man may be deceived, but he is never..." She castled her king. "cornered."
The maid stood between two bookshelves a distance away and cleared her throat. Helena heard her and turned around. "Just a moment, Tovarich," Helena said to him before approaching the maid.
"Jeanne," Helen said when she was close enough to speak in a low tone, switching from Russian to French without missing a beat. "Do you know who that is at the table? Even for me, arranging a private game with Kasperov is a challenge."
"Oui, Contessa," the maid replied. "It is that urgent. Something has happened with Lady Maria's helicopter."
Helen mentally switched gears. "Garry, "she called to the man waiting at the chessboard. "Don't leave town, we're not finished." She walked out the door and the maid followed.
"Is she ok?"
"They do not know. They say that warlords have shot it down and her phone tracker has been found at the crash site but she has not."
"Where is my jet," Helena asked the girl.
"You sent it to Africa with her and Monsieur Stavro, Contessa."
"Right. Wake my pilot and tell him to have the helicopter ready in 20 minutes, then call the airport. Find a trans-continental flight that hasn't boarded yet and tell them they've been commandeered by the government. Tell the pilots to chart a new course for the People's Democratic Republic of Uongo."
Jeanne made the needed calls as they walked, arriving at the Study. Helena went to her desk and opened the safe next to it. She pulled a black Prada Arcade bag from the safe and inspected the contents: Her diplomatic credentials, 25,000 Euros in various bills, a few platinum and black credit cards, a small, black leather pouch, and a Ruger LC9 with an extra clip were inside. Helena turned to Jeanne.
"I'll need clothes for the jungle." Helena recalled that Jeanne had only been with her for two months and told her "Closet 4, second rack. Two outfits."
Once the maid was out of the room, Helena steadied herself against the desk. "You've got 30 seconds," she told the tears forming in her eyes, and sat down and allowed herself 30 seconds of crying at a picture of Maria on her desk before wiping the tears away, blowing her nose, and sticking the picture next to it into her bag. She picked up her phone and told Siri "Army," as she heard the helicopter on the roof powering up. The call connected on the first ring.
"Si," said the voice on the end.
"Generalissimo, my great-granddaughter's helicopter has been shot down in Uongo. I'm about to fly to the airport. I want two squads of commandos waiting for me. I'll text what gate."
"Si, Contessa. I have only now heard and was about to call. Per favore, The Lady Maria; two of my men were escorting her."
"The only information I have so far, Generalissimo is that Lady Maria was not found at the scene. You may want to tell the men to pack with vengeance in mind," she replied, checking her Ruger before returning it to the bag.
"Si, Contessa. They shall be ready." The call ended and she made her way to the roof.
La Contessa walked toward the waiting helicopter, Jeanne in tow with a packed shoulder bag. Helena took the bag from her maid and loaded it into the helicopter. As she was getting in, she stopped and turned to the girl, shouting over the whirling props overhead.
"I just ordered the world's highest ranked grandmaster of Chess not to leave San Finzione until we finish our game, didn't I?"
"You spoke in Russian, Contessa. I do not know what was said."
Helen thought for a second. There wasn't time to go tell Kasperov he could leave. She finally came to a decision.
"Jeanne, I want every effort to be made to insure that my guest is happy and comfortable." The maid nodded. Helen grabbed the maid by her chin and gazed into her eyes. "And if it calls for it, I want YOU to be happy and comfortable with making HIM happy and comfortable, do you understand me?"
The maid's cheeks flushed as she smiled and nodded.
"Oui, Contessa. I shall make him happy and comfortable." Helen gave her a brief kiss before getting into the helicopter.
"Vive La France," she said to the maid as the door closed and she flew off to the airport. That's what she loved about the French, one didn't have to explain innuendo to them.
* * *
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