Page 91 of Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt

Nothing he had said was untrue. He had merely missed out the key detail of Kreeg and the diamond. I deferred to him. ‘Yes, Mr Kohler. You are correct in all you have said.’

He stood up from his chair and began to slowly pace in front of the window, as if he were Poirot explaining a case. ‘For the reasons I have mentioned, you have been running your entire life, desperately afraid that a member of the Red Army might appear at any moment and slit your throat, as you were a member of the royal household.’ He raised his eyebrows at me. ‘In fear, you have travelled across Europe, changing occupations and, I venture, names too.’

His explanation really was close enough. ‘You are most astute, Mr Kohler,’ I said.

‘I’ve had a long time to piece together the narrative.’ He took a seat again and reached into a drawer. ‘Now that we’ve got everything out in the open, I want to start by having you confirm your birth name, for we both know that it is not “Robert”. I remained silent. ‘I assume you remember it?’ he said, somewhat sympathetically.

‘Yes,’ I stumbled. ‘I just... it was a different life.’

‘I understand. Well, one thing I wish to assure you of, Mr Tanit, is that you are quite safe from Soviet persecution. Their pursuit of royalists ended over a decade ago, and the child of a teacher would be of no interest to them. You are safe, I promise.’

‘That’s... reassuring to know. Thank you, Mr Kohler,’ I replied.

‘There will, therefore, be no need for all this running and name-changing. You are a Swiss citizen by birthright, and should you choose to settle here, you would be very welcome. Now, please, your first name?’

‘Atlas,’ I muttered.

‘A good start!’ said Eric cheerfully.

I have gone out of my way to avoid using my unique name throughout the years. The observant reader may, of course, recall my reticence in using it in this very diary. But Kreeg had tracked me down regardless.

‘As I mentioned, Mr Tanit,’ Eric continued, ‘your grandmother prepared me well. She told me that her son had been employed by the tsar after his musical studies led him to Russia. You have her to thank for all this, not me.’

‘I... only wish I could,’ was my honest reply. ‘You mentioned that I am a Swiss citizen and would be welcome to stay here. But I am without a passport or birth certificate. How could that work?’

Eric waved his hand. ‘If I can prove that you are Agatha Tanit’s grandson, which I intend to do in a moment, then the path to citizenship is relatively simple.’ Eric adjusted his tie. ‘With the backing of my firm – which is very well thought of – you could have documents processed with ease. Though it will, of course, take time.’

I was bemused by the idea of totally authentic citizenship. ‘Goodness.’

Eric reached into another desk drawer and took out a file. ‘The other Mr Tanits who have sat in that chair have all been able to provide identification, but this is the part of our conversation where they began to struggle. Knowing that you might be without formal proof of your ancestry, Agatha devised a series of questions, which she believed only her true grandson would know the answer to.’

‘How intriguing,’ I said, slightly unnerved at what was to come. ‘What if I am unable to answer the questions?’

Eric shrugged. ‘In that case, Mr Tanit, I’m afraid we will have to part ways, as per Agatha’s wishes.’

I gulped. ‘I see.’

‘There are only three questions, Mr Tanit. May I proceed?’

I moved to the very edge of my seat. ‘Please,’ I replied with bated breath.

‘Very good.’ Eric cleared his throat. ‘The first question is, together with the open star cluster of the Hyades, the Pleiades form what celestial entity?’

I replied without hesitancy. ‘The Golden Gate of the Ecliptic.’

A broad smile appeared on Eric’s face. ‘Correct. How exciting, Mr Tanit. I have never got to question two before.’ He leant in. ‘May I ask how you knew the answer?’

‘My father was fascinated by astronomy. He taught me everything I know about the night sky.’

Eric chuckled. ‘Just as his mother taught him everything she knew. Anyway, the second question is, who crafted Lapetus Tanit’s violin?’

‘Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, Mr Kohler.’

He grinned broadly. ‘Quite right, Mr Tanit. It was a gift from Agatha, given to him before he departed for Russia. Did you know that?’ I shook my head. ‘Well, you are correct nonetheless. So, on to the third and final question... can you tell mewhyLapetus Tanit owned a Guarneri violin?’

I furrowed my brow and shook my head. ‘Oh dear, Mr Kohler. I fear we may have come unstuck. My father used to say that he preferred the deeper resonance of Guarneri’s violins.’

‘Hmm,’ replied Mr Kohler, unsure of whether to accept my answer. ‘Lapetus preferred Guarneri’s violins rather than...’