Doctor Who_ Byzantium! - Keith Topping [69]
She stopped and hoped that she did not sound as pathetic as she felt, 'I'm being rather childish, aren't I?' she asked. And, when she said out loud all of the things that were troubling her, she was forced to admit that it didn't sound like very much at all.
`That is because you are a child, my angel,' Papavasilliou told her. 'Oh, you try to obscure that. You like to think that you are old before your time. That you have had your childhood stolen by tragedy and circumstance. You have seen much that the likes of I shall never see. But, at heart, you are still blessed with the vigour of youth and the freedom that goes with it, To try and kick against the thorns of that eventuality is a betrayal of your own life. Do you understand?'
`Probably,’ said Vicki with a wry smile. 'But that doesn't make living my life any easier, does it?'
Papavasilliou agreed that it didn't. 'Try to be objective about situations,' he said.
'Objectivity is subjective,’ Vicki replied with a rather smug expression on her face 'Checkmate,' she continued; then a realisation seemed to dawn upon her and her face fell to the floor where it shattered into a million pieces. ‘That's an example of why I get everything that's coming to me and more besides, isn't it?' she asked.
The old man said nothing. He didn't need to. He merely smiled and stared up at the rising sun.
Ì don't mean to be such a smarty-pants,' Vicki bemoaned. Ì
try my best, really I do, but I can't help it if I'm in a world of simpleminded peasants!'
`Simple minds are closed minds,' Papavasilliou told her.
'What I am about to tell you is good advice. The differences between many people are mainly due to fear. Fear makes a slave of us all, Fear makes a whore out of woman and a thief out of man. Fear is why Rome occupies the world - because the Romans are afraid of how different the world would be if they didn't.'
Vicki almost started to applaud him. 'You know,' she said.
'So why don't they?'
'Because they are afraid,' replied Papavasilliou.
`But that's so unfair,' Vicki continued.
The old man tried to give Vicki a reassuring look. 'No one said that life is fair, little one. Only that it is life. Come, my angel,' he said, standing up. 'You and I should return to Georgiadis and Evangeline.'
For a moment, Vicki said nothing. Then she nodded.
Ì cannot promise that your return will be smooth or easy.
But at least I know, and you know, that you will understand them a little better, even if they do not understand you.'
'I can live with that,' said Vicki and she helped the old man to wade through the mud as they set off for home.
The library was deserted as Ian searched for some companionship. He felt alone and in need of someone to talk to.
Perhaps the realities of Byzantium were finally beginning to become clear to him
Protect yourself with friends, or you're dead. Watch what you say and to whom you say it, or you're dead. Guard your privacy, or you're dead.
First rule: don't die.
`You look lost and afraid, Briton,' Antonia Vinicius told him.
Ian spun around and did an impressively comedic slip and prat-fall onto his bottom. Feeling like Tommy Cooper at the London Palladium, Ian stood, his face flushing bright red, brushed himself down.
`Sneaking up on unsuspecting people is a cruel trick,' he said, wounded. 'I'm sure you find it greatly amusing, but it isn't.'
`Your boldness is intriguing,' said Antonia, ‘but it could become such a bore. Pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo.'
Now, having played the sad clown for far longer than he would have chosen, Ian turned into Ian Chesterton, schoolmaster again.
`You most certainly will not have me upstairs and downstairs, missus,’ he replied to Antonia's lewd suggestion. 'Stop this nonsense, Antonia,' he continued angrily. `You're used to people giving you what you want, and playing your devious games with the praefectus. Well, I'm sorry but I'm not inclined to join in.' Ian started to walk towards the door but Antonia caught him by the arm and he turned around, frothing with rage.
`You really are a selfish and stupid woman, aren't you?'