Page 184 of Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt

Georg didn’t answer her question. Instead, he took a moment to steel himself, and separate his feelings from his duty. ‘What you have before you is the true story of your father’s final days, and how they relate to his beginnings. I must warn you that as soon as you begin to read, you will be faced with information thatwilldiffer from the account given to you by myself, and by Marina.’

‘Ma?’ Tiggy asked, sounding wounded.

‘Please,chérie, listen to Georg.’

‘I wish you to know that Ma and I never set out to deceive you. Everything we have done over the course of the last year was designed by your pa, and Marina and I have merely executed his plan.’

‘Oh God,’ moaned Electra.

The tension at the table was palpable. Georg continued resolutely. ‘You have all read his diary, and are aware that Marina and I owe everything to him. He inspired in us an...’ – Georg considered his next words – ‘... unending loyalty. As you will shortly read, everything we have done was in an attempt to ensure your continued safety.’

‘It’s one twist after another,’ whispered Maia, shaking her head.

‘I know,chérie, I know,’ said Ma, tears in her eyes. ‘But this is it. The ultimate truth is within these last pages.’

Georg exhaled deeply. ‘I must tell you that I was under strict instructions from your pa not to present you with these final pages until... a particular moment... but, after conversing with Ally earlier, I decided that this would be the right thing to do instead.’

Star looked distraught. ‘Georg... what are we going to find out?’ she asked. Georg simply shook his head. ‘Ally?’

‘I haven’t read any of this. I just have an outline from Georg,’ she replied. Boldly, Jack put his arm around her, in a show of protection.

Georg put his hands behind his back and formulated his thoughts. ‘As you now know, your pa’s heart began to fail in his mid-eighties, a fact of which you were all then largely unaware. The last thing on earth that he wished to do was cause any of you pain.’ The entire table was on tenterhooks, hanging on his every word. ‘Having read his diary, you also now know of the lifelong threat Kreeg Eszu presented, which...’ – Georg bowed his head – ‘seems to have continued down the generations. When your father realised that his time was getting short, and that he would no longer be on earth to protect you himself, he devised a plan to save his girls from future persecution by either Kreeg himself, or his son Zed.’

‘What was that plan, Georg?’ Tiggy asked nervously.

‘To confront him.’

‘Oh my God,’ Merry murmured.

‘They died on the same day...’ Maia breathed. ‘Ally, when you saw theTitanthat day, you said there were reports of theOlympusnearby?’ Ally nodded.

‘So wait, he didn’t die at Atlantis like you said?’ CeCe asked frantically.

‘No, CeCe, he did not.’

‘Holy shit, Georg! And I suppose you knew about this too, Ma? How could you betray us like this?’ cried Electra.

‘I know it’s upsetting,’ said Ally, ‘but you mustn’t blame them. There’s much more to the story.’

‘Did Kreeg kill him? Didhekill Kreeg? Jesus!’ cried CeCe.

‘Please, girls, you must read,’ Georg pleaded.

‘We can’t all just sit here and read, that’s ridiculous,’ said CeCe. ‘Star’ – she turned to her sister – ‘would you read these pages to all of us? As you’ve been doing for me?’

‘Oh. Is that what everyone wants?’

There was general agreement around the table.

Star looked terribly nervous at being handed such a responsibility. Mouse placed a gentle hand on her back. She took a deep breath and swallowed hard. ‘All right then,’ Star replied.

‘Are you girls all right with the other halves here?’ Chrissie asked. ‘Or shall we scarper?’

‘No, stay. All of you,’ Maia said, making sure to look at Mary-Kate and Jack, too. ‘Everyone here is part of the story, in one way or another. I think we should all be here to understand its ending.’

‘Agreed,’ said Ally, leaning into Jack’s shoulder. The table didn’t possess the mental capacity to comment on that particular revelation in the middle of the whirlwind.

‘Before we start,’ Electra said. ‘Miles, make yourself useful and grab a few more bottles of wine from downstairs.’