Page 90 of Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt

I shook my head. ‘No. When my father left me on that awful day in 1923, he told me he was going to Switzerland for help.’ I stood up, crossed to the shop entrance, and turned theopensign round toclosed. ‘I never knew where he intended to find help. Clearly he was trying to reach his mother.’ I sniffed.

Elle furrowed her brow. ‘Now there’s one thing I don’t understand. If Lapetus had such a wealthy mother, how was it that he found himself in such strife in Siberia?’

I shrugged. ‘I’ve told you who he was. As you’ve read in the letter, he was often seen with the Romanovs. After the revolution, keeping a low profile was a necessity to ensure our safety.’

Elle sat in one of the large wing-backed chairs we’d installed in the shop for customers. ‘I just can’t believe that this lawyer has tracked you down.’

I agreed. ‘Flora must have sent off some official documents to someone or other with our names on.’ I stroked my chin as I processed the chain of events which had led to my discovery. ‘It appears to have been an ironic stroke of fortune that I gave Archie Vaughan my real surname all those yearsago. Although, it does worry me that we were found so easily by Mr Kohler. As you have pointed out, now the war is over, Kreeg is free to roam wherever he likes.’

‘If he survived,’ Elle reminded me. ‘So many have not.’

I shook my head. ‘I doubt that I would be that fortunate.’

Elle gave me a sympathetic smile. ‘Will you meet with Mr Kohler?’ she asked.

‘Yes,’ I replied confidently. ‘When I set off into the snow as a boy, Switzerland was my destination. It’s finally time to end that journey.’

‘When will you go?’

‘As soon as Mr Kohler can manage.’ I cast my eyes over the shelves of Arthur Morston Books. ‘I have no idea how much money Agatha has in her estate, but imagine what we might be able to do with a significant sum? It could finally buy us safety.’ I dared to dream for a moment. ‘We could get a little house in the middle of nowhere. Elle, with enough money, and a little cleverness...’

‘We could protect ourselves from Kreeg forever.’

After making enquiries, I found the law firm Kohler & Schweikart to be legitimate, and boarded the ferry to France one week later. After three days of trains, I arrived to meet Eric Kohler in his grand building on Geneva’s Rue du Rhône. The imposing reception boasted, of all things, a water feature, and I watched it babble elegantly for twenty minutes whilst I waited for the lawyer. Eventually, a large walnut door opened, and an immaculately dressed man with coiffed blond hair appeared.

‘Mr Robert Tanit?’ I nodded, and he shook my hand. ‘Eric Kohler. Please, follow me.’ He led me through the walnut door to an office with an impressively high ceiling. His desk was set against enormous Palladian windows, which provided panoramic views of the stunning, still Lake Geneva. ‘Take aseat.’ He gestured to the green leather chair on the other side of his desk.

‘Thank you.’

Eric looked at me, I assume in an attempt to decide if I had a likeness to Agatha. ‘I trust your journey was pleasant?’ he asked.

‘Yes, thank you. I don’t think I’ve ever taken such an agreeable train journey. You really do have a beautiful country.’

Eric smiled. ‘I like to think so. Small, but perfectly formed.’ He turned to gesture out of the window. ‘With a big lake.’ I was put at ease by his amiable manner. ‘Although, I must confess, Mr Tanit, I am perplexed as to why you call itmycountry. It is yours, too, is it not?’

‘Oh.’ I thought for a moment. ‘I suppose it is, in the sense that it’s the land of my father. But I was not born here, and I have never visited.’

Eric nodded. ‘You were born in Russia, correct?’

I hesitated, unsure of what exactly the lawyer knew. ‘Yes.’

‘Hmm.’ Eric leant back in his chair. ‘We have much to discuss. But before we proceed, I do need to confirm your identity. Do you have your papers?’

I hesitated. ‘I have my British identity card, and a passport.’

‘Perfect!’ Mr Kohler clapped his hands together.

‘But, Mr Kohler, in the spirit of honesty, both were procured for me by my former employer, Archie Vaughan. He had connections high up in the British military, and so was generously able to source these documents for me and my partner.’ Mr Kohler narrowed his eyes. ‘What I am attempting to say is that the information, such as my birthplace and age, may not match your own records.’

Eric clasped his hands together and leant forward onto his desk. ‘May I ask why you possess no original documents, Mr Tanit?’

‘If my birth certificate does exist, it is buried under Siberian snow. I fled Russia as a young boy. I had no choice, Mr Kohler. I feared for my life. My father had left a long time before, and I thought—’

‘You had to run.’ Eric cut me off with a nod of acknowledgement. I watched a knowing smile appear on the lawyer’s face. Was he somehow aware of Kreeg Eszu’s mission to end my life? ‘I thought this may be the case, Mr Tanit,’ he continued. ‘Your grandmother prepared me for it.’

I proceeded carefully, gripped by a mix of nerves and intrigue. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Kohler, I’m not sure I understand.’

‘There are no secrets here, Mr Tanit. I know everything.’ I steeled myself. ‘Your father, Lapetus Tanit, was a member of Tsar Nicholas II’s royal household, before the revolution. Correct?’ I slowly nodded. ‘He taught Classics and Music to the tsarevich and his sisters. As a result, he was well known to the Bolsheviks, as were all those associated with the royal family. Following the October Revolution, when the tsar was overthrown and killed, your father feared for his safety and fled. Then, when he failed to return to you, you followed him, fearing for your life too.’ Eric looked a little smug. ‘Am I close?’