THE FÜHRER'S DAUGHTER

THE FÜHRER'S DAUGHTER (Episode 2 of 5) Chapters 19, 20 & 21

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“HAVE YOU ANY IDEA what you’ve done?” Eli Marsden’s eyes flashed like lightning waiting to strike Jack down with angry bolts. He stood a head shorter than Jack, but his indignant stare was enough to make the young man stare at the floor boards. Grace stood outside of the study as Eli roared, feeling sorry for Jack. In some ways, it was her fault.

“I’m sorry, Eli,” Jack said with uncharacteristic meekness. “But there wasn’t another way to convince her.”

“That is not the point!” The elder stood right before him and pointed a finger right at Jack’s face. “You put her life in danger. Oh, your heart was in the right place, and I’ll admit, it probably saved a lot of time and discussion, but if anything had happened to her…Well, it would have all been for naught, wouldn’t it?”

Jack continued to hang his head. “Yes, Sir.”

For a good five seconds, Eli glowered at him and held his gaze in a vise grip.

Finally, he waved his hand. “Ah, whatever the case, she is safe now. But you must not be so reckless, especially with Grace’s safety. More rests upon her than you even know. Do I make myself clear?”

Jack nodded. After an appropriate pause, he said, “Eli, the tunnel and tower have been compromised.”

“You didn’t—?”

Jack proceeded to report the details of their escape from the guards. “It was the only way to get there safely. But they now know about the tunnel.”

Eli threw his hands up. “And now they’ll be searching out all of them. It won’t be long before they uncover our entire network.”

“I’m sorry,” Jack said, not so much out of fear of Eli’s ire, but that he’d disappointed him.

Finally, the elder’s countenance softened, as did his tone. He placed a hand on Jack’s shoulder, gripped it and gave it a shake. “You have the courage of a great warrior, Jack. Temper it with discretion.”

“Now, go on. Get some rest.”

Jack stepped out of the study and vanished into the hallway.

“Grace, won’t you please come in?” Eli said, his firm voice booming enough to intimidate, if not for its palpable warmth.

“Don’t be too hard on him,” she said, “It wasn’t completely his fault.”

Eli sat and waved her over to sit in the chair opposite him. “Not to worry, Jack’s suffered much worse than a scolding from an old man.”

She sank into the sofa, the tension ebbing from her mind. “He respects you. I can tell.”

“He’s a good boy, that one. Just needs to think before acting, sometimes. Though, he does accomplish things few people even dare attempt.”

“He almost died protecting me in that tunnel.”

He fixed a solemn pair of eyes on her. “He almost got you killed.”

“But the important thing is that I survived. And I saw it—the Belegshaft—for what it really is.

Steepling his fingers under his nose, the old sage shut his eyes, his lips moving silently in prayer.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and looked straight at her. “Do you understand now?”

“I’m beginning to,” Grace said. “What I don’t understand is why it was so important, why anyone went through such pains to reveal these horrendous truths to me. I’m just one person, what could I possibly do?”