Anyways, on to this part, where Monty has a tendency to get easily distracted.
Part XXVI: Confession
Date: Amanela 19th, 114 A.U.
Monty twisted the wheel sharply and moved into his drive way. Parking the car next to Astrid’s, Monty got out and walked up to the front door, a bit concerned for why Astrid had been so eager to talk to him, and about the tone in her voice.
Entering the house, he came to his small living room to find Astrid sitting on a chair drinking a cup of tea. Monty noticed remnants of tears in her eyes, but what he was more concerned of was the tea. Tea! How in the world did she get tea? Monty knew for a fact that he hadn’t bought any tea, and he was pretty sure that Astrid hadn’t gone out to get some… The nearest place selling hot tea was twenty minutes away or so, and Monty didn’t think Astrid had brought it from her house, so how in the world…
“Monty,” Astrid said, acknowledging her brother’s presence, and her voice cracked.
Thoughts of where the tea had come from instantly left Monty’s mind. “Astrid,” Monty said, concerned. “What’s the matter?”
“You know that something’s the matter then,” Astrid said.
“It’s kind of obvious from your expression and how you’re acting,” Monty said, his line of sight drifting towards Astrid’s cup of tea. No. Don’t think about the tea.
“I guess so…” Astrid said, and stared at the cup of tea for a bit, Monty joining her in doing so. Did she bring little packets of tea with her and then she heated it up here? But she couldn’t have boiled hot water—the oven had nearly blown up after that kitchen experiment, and he still had to call a repairman for that, and the microwave, which had been broken for a year. Wait; no. Not tea. Don’t think about it. Astrid has a problem, and-
“I killed a man,” Astrid suddenly blurted out.
Monty sat up more upright. “You what?”
“I killed a man,” Astrid said, and Monty fell silent. “I secretly murdered him at the hospital.”
“But…” Monty began, his mind racing. “Why…”
“Two weeks ago,” Astrid said. “Two weeks ago, a man died at the hospital from a heart attack. And this heart attack wasn’t a normal attack.” Hold on… Thoughts began quickly connecting together inside Monty’s head. “I was going to report it to a head doctor, but before I could do it, a man threatened me.”
“You’re our informant?” Monty burst out, his mouth dropping open. “My own sister was the informant, and Oldin didn’t tell me? No wonder…”
“What?” Astrid asked, her train of thought obviously lost. “How do you know Oldin, and how did you know—wait—are you?”
“Suppose I just spilled the beans there,” Monty said. “Yeah; I’m not really a guard for Astrid, except at ceremonial times to maintain my illusion of being one.”
“You’re part of the FRI,” Astrid said.
“I am,” Monty confirmed. “But wait—why?”
“If you knew anything about my going-ins and going-outs as an informant, you would know that I offered the man that I would help him in order to get closer to what was really going on,” Astrid stated. “That was yesterday. And I got home to learn that he had accepted my offer. My first job was going to be to go into the hospital and to secretly kill a man with poison that they had failed to kill.”
Monty tried to keep a calm level composure and not flip out like he was tempted to do. That would make Astrid real mad for him to flip out like that. Monty bit his lip and tried not to show much of a reaction.
“I did it,” Astrid stated bluntly, and tears rose to her eyes. “I didn’t want to do it, Monty! I didn’t want to do it! But he said if I didn’t then he would kill me and then they’d go along and finish the job themselves, so it wasn’t like I’d be saving this man’s life, or anything, and—oh Monty…” Astrid burst into tears and her grip loosened on the cup of tea. Too late to do anything, Monty washed it fall, tea sloshing out of it, and then smash. It broke all over the carpet. And it was Monty’s favorite mug too.
Astrid stopped. “Oh…” she said. “I-“
“Never mind the tea,” Monty said. “So… What do you think then about this? If you don’t think there’s any higher being or reason for the morals-” Too late, Monty realized that that statement was unwise of him to say at this time.
“Shut up about the higher being stuff,” Astrid snapped, and then her composure slackened. “I feel awful, Monty!” she said. “At this point I wish that I hadn’t done it; I wished that they’d just have gone along and killed me. Would’ve been better then this.” She paused. “I’m going, Monty. Unless you can convince me otherwise—which you can’t—after talking with you, I’m leaving. I’m leaving Araelia and going who knows where. As far as I can away from here, the espionage, and the hospital. I’ll start a new life elsewhere. And you’ll never see me again.”
Monty was a bit shockened by this. “Where are you going?” he asked. “I mean, you’d kind of stick out like a sore thumb in all those dwarven cities.”
“I don’t care,” Astrid stated bluntly, and then she was silent.
“So…” Monty said, trying to think of what to say. “I mean, I can kind of sympathize with you, Astrid. Once you’re in that position when you know that the man’s going to die either way, and it’s up to you… It’s not a very good position to be in in the first place… and after having done the deed, your feeling of guilt is understandable… I… I don’t know what to say, Astrid.”
“You always have something to say about things like this,” Astrid said.
“Yeah, when it’s a random person in the paper that we’re discussing about in relation to theology,” Monty said. “But not when it’s my own sister, I…. I’m kind of speechless, Astrid, but…” He squinted. “No; you shouldn’t go.”
“Why not?” Astrid snapped.
“You can’t run away forever,” Monty said delicately. “You won’t be able to escape your remembrance of the deed, Astrid. It’s going to follow you like a ghost, continually haunting you. Even when you think you’ve escaped the guilt of your sin, you’re not going to be able to until you confront it head on. Until then, you’ll just be being chased by the remembrance of it. You might be fine in a new place for a couple weeks, or months at the most. But you won’t be able to escape it, Astrid. You can’t run away forever.”
“But then…” Astrid asked, looking desperate. “What can I do?”
“Repent,” Monty said. “Realize the guilt of your action, and –“ And, suddenly, Monty heard a foot step behind him. And then there was a sound of a gun being loaded.
“I suggest that you don’t try any funny moves, either of you,” a voice said. “Or else you’ll get a taste of this.”
Part XXVI: Confession
Date: Amanela 19th, 114 A.U.
Monty twisted the wheel sharply and moved into his drive way. Parking the car next to Astrid’s, Monty got out and walked up to the front door, a bit concerned for why Astrid had been so eager to talk to him, and about the tone in her voice.
Entering the house, he came to his small living room to find Astrid sitting on a chair drinking a cup of tea. Monty noticed remnants of tears in her eyes, but what he was more concerned of was the tea. Tea! How in the world did she get tea? Monty knew for a fact that he hadn’t bought any tea, and he was pretty sure that Astrid hadn’t gone out to get some… The nearest place selling hot tea was twenty minutes away or so, and Monty didn’t think Astrid had brought it from her house, so how in the world…
“Monty,” Astrid said, acknowledging her brother’s presence, and her voice cracked.
Thoughts of where the tea had come from instantly left Monty’s mind. “Astrid,” Monty said, concerned. “What’s the matter?”
“You know that something’s the matter then,” Astrid said.
“It’s kind of obvious from your expression and how you’re acting,” Monty said, his line of sight drifting towards Astrid’s cup of tea. No. Don’t think about the tea.
“I guess so…” Astrid said, and stared at the cup of tea for a bit, Monty joining her in doing so. Did she bring little packets of tea with her and then she heated it up here? But she couldn’t have boiled hot water—the oven had nearly blown up after that kitchen experiment, and he still had to call a repairman for that, and the microwave, which had been broken for a year. Wait; no. Not tea. Don’t think about it. Astrid has a problem, and-
“I killed a man,” Astrid suddenly blurted out.
Monty sat up more upright. “You what?”
“I killed a man,” Astrid said, and Monty fell silent. “I secretly murdered him at the hospital.”
“But…” Monty began, his mind racing. “Why…”
“Two weeks ago,” Astrid said. “Two weeks ago, a man died at the hospital from a heart attack. And this heart attack wasn’t a normal attack.” Hold on… Thoughts began quickly connecting together inside Monty’s head. “I was going to report it to a head doctor, but before I could do it, a man threatened me.”
“You’re our informant?” Monty burst out, his mouth dropping open. “My own sister was the informant, and Oldin didn’t tell me? No wonder…”
“What?” Astrid asked, her train of thought obviously lost. “How do you know Oldin, and how did you know—wait—are you?”
“Suppose I just spilled the beans there,” Monty said. “Yeah; I’m not really a guard for Astrid, except at ceremonial times to maintain my illusion of being one.”
“You’re part of the FRI,” Astrid said.
“I am,” Monty confirmed. “But wait—why?”
“If you knew anything about my going-ins and going-outs as an informant, you would know that I offered the man that I would help him in order to get closer to what was really going on,” Astrid stated. “That was yesterday. And I got home to learn that he had accepted my offer. My first job was going to be to go into the hospital and to secretly kill a man with poison that they had failed to kill.”
Monty tried to keep a calm level composure and not flip out like he was tempted to do. That would make Astrid real mad for him to flip out like that. Monty bit his lip and tried not to show much of a reaction.
“I did it,” Astrid stated bluntly, and tears rose to her eyes. “I didn’t want to do it, Monty! I didn’t want to do it! But he said if I didn’t then he would kill me and then they’d go along and finish the job themselves, so it wasn’t like I’d be saving this man’s life, or anything, and—oh Monty…” Astrid burst into tears and her grip loosened on the cup of tea. Too late to do anything, Monty washed it fall, tea sloshing out of it, and then smash. It broke all over the carpet. And it was Monty’s favorite mug too.
Astrid stopped. “Oh…” she said. “I-“
“Never mind the tea,” Monty said. “So… What do you think then about this? If you don’t think there’s any higher being or reason for the morals-” Too late, Monty realized that that statement was unwise of him to say at this time.
“Shut up about the higher being stuff,” Astrid snapped, and then her composure slackened. “I feel awful, Monty!” she said. “At this point I wish that I hadn’t done it; I wished that they’d just have gone along and killed me. Would’ve been better then this.” She paused. “I’m going, Monty. Unless you can convince me otherwise—which you can’t—after talking with you, I’m leaving. I’m leaving Araelia and going who knows where. As far as I can away from here, the espionage, and the hospital. I’ll start a new life elsewhere. And you’ll never see me again.”
Monty was a bit shockened by this. “Where are you going?” he asked. “I mean, you’d kind of stick out like a sore thumb in all those dwarven cities.”
“I don’t care,” Astrid stated bluntly, and then she was silent.
“So…” Monty said, trying to think of what to say. “I mean, I can kind of sympathize with you, Astrid. Once you’re in that position when you know that the man’s going to die either way, and it’s up to you… It’s not a very good position to be in in the first place… and after having done the deed, your feeling of guilt is understandable… I… I don’t know what to say, Astrid.”
“You always have something to say about things like this,” Astrid said.
“Yeah, when it’s a random person in the paper that we’re discussing about in relation to theology,” Monty said. “But not when it’s my own sister, I…. I’m kind of speechless, Astrid, but…” He squinted. “No; you shouldn’t go.”
“Why not?” Astrid snapped.
“You can’t run away forever,” Monty said delicately. “You won’t be able to escape your remembrance of the deed, Astrid. It’s going to follow you like a ghost, continually haunting you. Even when you think you’ve escaped the guilt of your sin, you’re not going to be able to until you confront it head on. Until then, you’ll just be being chased by the remembrance of it. You might be fine in a new place for a couple weeks, or months at the most. But you won’t be able to escape it, Astrid. You can’t run away forever.”
“But then…” Astrid asked, looking desperate. “What can I do?”
“Repent,” Monty said. “Realize the guilt of your action, and –“ And, suddenly, Monty heard a foot step behind him. And then there was a sound of a gun being loaded.
“I suggest that you don’t try any funny moves, either of you,” a voice said. “Or else you’ll get a taste of this.”
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