Red Rainbow by G Johanson (best e reader for academics txt) 📕

us more,” Scrambler said keenly. “I’ve been saving a bottle of wine for when he gets out. If I water it down, we can still have a celebration now.”

“We can make it a double celebration if you hang fire for a few hours,” Florence said.

Marcella narrowed her eyes at this. “Thank you for letting us know. Do you not think they may come again?”

“No,” Florence chuckled. “I see you don’t understand how my power works.”

“I meant future waves. I’d appreciate it if you could return...”

“The factory has a nightwatchman. We won’t do that job for you. We’re offering to do something better for you. Your lover back in your bed.”

“We’ve been through this,” Marcella said tiredly.

Hilaire spoke to her, trying to make her understand that things had changed now that it was confirmed that César’s business had been targeted. “They tried to burn down his factory with the workers inside. I don’t think we can take it for granted that he’s safe with them. I think Florence is right, you do need to think about rescuing him.” Hilaire was careful to make this sound like it was Marcella’s decision to make. As Florence kept pointing out, this was not just her ally, this was her lover. That made it territorial.

“He won’t have met them. I’ve said from the start that there’s unrest amongst the rank and file, I’ve heard it. That’s what this was. Patience’s notes confirmed that,” Marcella said, unmoved by Hilaire’s argument. Patience felt she was being a little rigid – Hilaire made some very sage points.

“The Germans all love him – they want to burn down his business and execute his staff. The diners at the restaurant, our audience, all love him – one of them reports him to the Gestapo. The love for the Love Phantom doesn’t seem to be at full strength,” Florence gloated.

“He didn’t go out in disguise. He went out to be seen knowing that those dining would tell others who they saw. It was likely someone who wasn’t even there who told the Germans, somebody who didn’t even know him chasing the reward for your hide.”

“Or it was the waiter, the sommelier, or diner number 1, 2, 3 etc.,” Florence said cattily.

“It doesn’t matter who talked. He wanted the word to get out and knew it would. Secrets are a currency here...”

“Only to those willing to sell their own people out. The wretched. We’ll rescue his nibs first, but it does matter greatly who talked because they told on me.”

“Only because you were with him. He was the topic of conversation; your description obviously set off an alert with someone.”

Florence shook her head. “I don’t stand in anyone’s shadow.”

“I think that’s an issue for another day,” Hilaire said.

“I’ll ask Hector if he’s heard anything. That’s the best I can do,” Marcella said.

“We can do better,” Florence said. “We’re getting him back in your bed for you, and you’re the one who’s complaining?”

“He had a plan,” Marcella said, attempting to stand firm but wobbling.

“We appreciate that. But he has no way of communicating if that plan needs to change,” Hilaire said reasonably.

“Chablis has news too,” Patience said proudly. That was Marcella’s cue to share that her mission had been successful too. She adopted Maurice’s gimmick so Patience spoke for her. “She found out Maurice’s whereabouts. They arrested him and beat him badly, broke his bones, but he’s not with them now. He’s in prison.”

“I thought you were going to say hospital,” Hilaire said, her words a mix of disgust and anger. Patience wished that Marcella had relayed this news to them as she’d done a much better job of it than she had. Patience spoke with a positivity about proceedings that didn’t match the news that she shared. It was nice that Hilaire was so bothered about the suffering of a man she didn’t know beyond secretly observing him from a distance.

“They’ll open the gates straight away when this is over,” Patience said. “I’ll go and see him and ask him if there’s anything I can do for him.”

“Hey, you didn’t do it, I’m not mad at you,” Hilaire said.

“Stay mad,” Florence said. “I want that hellcat back who fought me for her life. Might come in handy on our rescue mission.”

“She’s still here, so don’t get too carried away.” Hilaire looked to Marcella and said earnestly, “We stopped them murdering a whole factory full of people today. We tried to do it as discreetly as possible, but if you know the area you’ll understand that such things aren’t really possible. We did talk to some of the staff afterwards. Production has stopped for now – they understand they’re safer at home.”

“Okay,” Marcella said, conceding, “I guess the vigil is less important now.”

“What happened will get out in some form. It’ll already be out there. It happened on his grounds. One of my group got herself arrested a couple of times. She wanted it that way, that was how she dealt with them. I know how hard it is not to know what they’re going through even if you do want to respect their wishes,” Hilaire said, the sugary attempt at persuasion over Florence’s bile.

Marcella’s eyes welled with tears which she was somehow holding back. “Patience – sorry, I didn’t mean to say your name...”

“We know her name already, it was on the fucking posters,” Florence snapped. “She was the laundress at my theatre.”

“Dresser,” Hilaire corrected.

“Both involve clothes, what’s the difference?”

Plenty, Patience thought. Both jobs involved clothes (and there were laundry duties in her role due to the small number of staff employed at the theatre), but Florence chose to diminish her position and, in the process, sounded very dismissive, of an honest job too. It didn’t bother her for she knew what Florence was like. “Yes, Chablis?”

“I think the time has come for you to be considered a full member of the Foundation. Are you happy to go with Oracle as a name?”

“An oracle is someone who knows all. That’s not me,