F001 Diary Entry

In this entry, I report the dialogue between Federico and his superior - in fact one of them - in the Satin Circle. He's been asked to lead the Sandon college and to live far from his wife in the next five years. The Satin is merciless and want to punish him for.. hmm, too long a story.

--------------------------
"If this is your idea of joke it's not fun." The words leave Federico's mouth slowly, his tongue heavy. The leather couch is more expressive than the man inside it, and Federico wonders if he's heard him. Silence fills the room like water.

It's all a part of the act, he knows it. Any movement would reveal his thought. So Federico keeps his heartbeat under check. Blinks at regular intervals. Keeps eyebrows and lips relaxed. Stops fingers from moving. Keeps his gaze focused on nothing.

He's not smarter than me, he thinks, I won't allow him to make a fool of me; he is a skilled professional but I will give him nothing to read. The silence lasts a few moments more. "It's not true. I'm not going to leave my wife for, what, five years? You know you cannot ask this of me. It's the only thing you cannot ask."

Finally the man shifts in his couch. Good, thinks Federico, now I know he's not a wax doll. The man's voice caresses his ear with the velvety rub of the professional hypnotist. "Orders. We need you there, that's all. Full benefits. It's not like you have to clean the classrooms."

"This was your idea, was it not? You're still holding it against me." His hands move then are stopped with an exhausting willpower effort. He gets no answer.

"I'll tell you what I'll do. I will do the work. And I will bring my wife with me." Using the name of Maci in front of him was unthinkable. "There's no reason I should not."

His words linger in the air for the time needed for to guess what the white bearded shrink is going to say. Finally he does. Federico has already guessed the sentence word by word.

"I'm not going to conclude that your wife is a problem for the circle. Do I?"

Federico' shoulders slump. He does not even need to word his answer.

"The college is a class A circle safehouse. You will always have three killers ready in town. Your decisions are final for what regards your college. The local lowlife is under our control and it will report to you through one of the teachers. In case of trouble, shock forces can arrive in two hours - in the unlikely case some organization decides to face us on that ground."

The older man rubs his beard. "You will like it. You always liked power. And you can go back home once a month. It's not a bad bargain. That will be all, Federico, I thank you for your patience."

Federico raises his eyes on him and adds with a detached tone "I could kill you now, here."

The answer is just "Yes. Undeniable." Followed by a simple "no." as the heavy door of rare wood closes with a soft click. It's only when he breathes again the street's air that Federico understand that last "no." That was not the shrink's idea. He was the sacrifiable pawn of someone higher. One problem at a time, he decided, sending this thought away, and he started to think about the immmediate one. How to tell Maci.