Page 105 of Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt

‘That’s quite all right, old man. I might have myopia, but I know trouble when I see it. However, after the bugger nearly wrung my neck, I rather think I’m owed an explanation.’

I gave Rupert and Louise the outline of the situation – that Kreeg believed I was responsible for his mother’s death, and had vowed revenge.

‘Oh, Mr Tanit,’ Louise said. ‘How frightful. I’m so very sorry. What a terrible situation.’

‘It is, Louise. We can never thank you enough for what you have just done. You put your own lives at risk to save ours...’ I was choked by their act of bravery. ‘I will never forget it. Please know that I would never have willingly put your family in danger. We thought that perhaps he had perished in the war.’

‘But no such luck,’ Elle added sadly.

‘So, what’s the plan?’ Rupert asked. ‘He knows you’re here. You can’t stay, it’s simply not safe.’

‘Should we go to Switzerland?’ Elle asked. ‘Remember, Mr Kohler expects your citizenship to be approved any day now.’

‘And what then?’ I asked. ‘Yes, I will be a Swiss citizen, but registered and living under my own name. He found us here, and will track us there.’ I put my head in my hands. ‘I can’t help but feel that the net is closing.’

‘How wedded are you to European life?’ Rupert asked.

‘I don’t think America will work, I’m afraid. I’ve thought about it many times, but with such developed communications and officious records, I worry that Kreeg would have no problem locating us.’

Rupert narrowed his eyes and nodded. ‘I wasn’t talkingabout America, actually.’ I looked quizzically at him. ‘I had an old school chum who lost his wife to pneumonia. Poor chap couldn’t bear to be here. Everything in his life reminded him of his loss. So he got on a boat to the end of the earth.’

‘The end of the earth?’ I asked.

‘Well, not quite,’ Rupert replied. ‘But it may as well be. I’m talking about Australia.’

‘Australia?’ Elle said.

Rupert put his hands behind his back and began to pace around the shop. ‘Wonderful country, apparently. Gorgeous weather, glorious wildlife... not to mention mile upon mile of isolated, uninhabited outback. I imagine, if one wanted to, one could completely disappear. Start afresh. That’s certainly the opinion I have as a member of His Majesty’s Security Service.’

Elle looked at me. ‘I know nothing about the country,’ she said. ‘But we have to do something. Like Rupert says, we can’t stay here.’

‘And if this fiend does decide to chase you,’ Louise added, ‘you may as well make him chase you a very long way.’ She smiled weakly.

‘If he comes back, we could... redirect him too,’ Rupert added. ‘Pretend to give you up. Maybe say you’ve fled to America? Really put him off the scent.’

‘That would be beyond kind of you,’ I confessed. ‘But this man... he’s not safe. You must be very careful around him.’

‘Understood, old boy. You seem to forget that I work for MI5. Despite my bookish appearance, I am rather used to dealing with shady characters. Speaking of which, I’m going to have him looked into immediately. Perhaps there’s something that might allow the government to arrest him, evendeport him. I can certainly have him banged up for a few days for trying to strangle me. I’d like to check the spelling of “Zeeker” with you...’

‘It’s a pseudonym. His real surname is Eszu. Kreeg Eszu. I doubt you’ll be able to find out much about him. I imagine, like me, he has trodden very lightly across this earth.’

‘Nonetheless, I promise to do my best, old boy. Until such a time, is it decided? A trip to Australia?’

Elle and I looked at each other, recognising the pain in one another’s eyes. It felt like we had come so close to a happy ending... only to have the rug cruelly pulled from under us once more. ‘It’s... so far away,’ I said eventually.

‘Forgive me, Robert, but isn’t that rather the point?’ Rupert replied gently.

‘We would have nothing,’ Elle muttered. ‘We’d have to start again.’

‘Now hang on,’ Rupert reasoned. ‘No one is suggesting that this need be a permanent solution. Think of it as a sabbatical. You pop abroad for a while – perhaps a few months, maybe a little longer – and I’ll see what I can do this end. Does that sound like a plan?’

I took Elle’s hand. ‘Yes,’ I said quietly.

Rupert put a hand on my shoulder. ‘Right. We need to get you to Tilbury. With any luck there’ll be a ship that leaves in the next forty-eight hours.’

‘You’re being so kind, Rupert, you really are,’ Elle said.

‘Oh, please, it’s the least we can do,’ he said.