Chapter 12. Quid pro quo

Gideon stared at himself, then at Finn, and tried to make

sense of what he was seeing.

"Hello Gideon."

He turned to see who was speaking.

Standing next to him was a tall woman who had

a strong attractive face.

"My name is Eurides."

She touched his shoulder as she walked past.

Lost for words he watched as Eurides looked around his office.

She picked up a framed photograph from his desk.

"You looked very handsome in your uniform."

"What is happening?" Gideon asked.

''It's probably best if think of this as a passing daydream."

"May I ask what are you then?" he said.

Eurides walked to the window and looked at the men

gathering in the street below. ''I am Finns' guardian Gideon,

and I have a favour to ask of you."

There was a sudden flap of wings and the office raven landed

on the window ledge.

Eurides reached out and stroked the birds' feathers.

"Finn wants to play his part in this war - and he will Gideon,

but not as a regular soldier."

Gideon looked at Finns' paperwork.

''He put down his preferred choice of regiment is the infantry."

Eurides took a piece of fruit from a shelf next to the window

and fed it to the raven. ''Yes he did."

Gideon thought for a moment.

"I could get Finn placed in the Army Medical Core if I make some

recommendations. Although I doubt he will thank me for it."

Eurides smiled. "He doesn't ever need to know."

"Quid pro quo." the raven churled.

Eurides laughed. The black bird bowed its head and she gently

ruffled its neck feathers. ''You are as clever as you are handsome."

"Something for something." Gideon repeated slowly,

looking at the raven with suspicion.

"Agreed." Eurides said." Something for something."

He wasn't sure of what kind of deal was being struck

and was about to say so, when the world beneath his feet

lurched forward.

*

Finn was surprised when Dr. Marchant dropped his stethoscope

and stumbled forward. He caught him and sat the Doctor back in

his chair.

"Are you alright Sir, do you want me to get some help."

The Doctor was pale.

"Thank you Finn. That won't be necessary, sometimes if I don't

eat enough by mid-morning I get a bit light headed."

Colour was slowly starting to return to his face. Gideon took a

cube of sugared turkish delight from a jar on his desk and put

it in his mouth. "I'll be right in a minute or two."

As Finn sat quietly waiting for Dr. Marchant to recover

he noticed a ring on the Doctors' hand.

"If you don't mind me asking, what sort of ring is that?"

Gideon looked at his hand first, then at the ring.

There was a look of surprise on his face.

"This has been a day of revelations." he said.

"I thought I'd lost it. I thought it was gone forever, but here it

is on my hand as plain as day."

Finn wondered if the Doctor was still dizzy.

Gideon closed his eyes. He could smell the cordite explosive that

was used to destroy the rail bridge. He could hear the screams for

help and the groans of the dying. That was when he had last seen

the ring - in the burning wreckage of the carriage, still being worn

on the hand of his own severed arm.

"Are you sure you don't want me call somebody." Finn said.

Gideon opened his eyes and sighed.

"My Mother gave me this ring the day I sailed for the War

in South Africa. She told me that I when I came back, I was to give it

to my sister Aida for her wedding day glory box.

My Mother was deeply upset that I was going, so I took it."

Gideon reached for another sweet,

''I suspect in her mind she was making a bargain with fate."

He offered a sweet to Finn.

"It's a Roman promise ring. My Father found it in Bath when

he was a boy, and he gave it to my Mother when they married."

"Do you know what the symbols mean?" Finn asked.

Gideon turned his hand over and looked at the ring.

" A twig and a flower usually represents Spring - the promise of

things to come, but I think it's closer in meaning to an agreement

that's already been honoured. Quid pro quo."

*

They shook hands and Gideon wished Finn luck.

After Finn was gone, Gideon looked at the ring again.

He made the necessary changes to Finns' enlistment papers,

then added some notes, before signing and putting them in a

tray to be processed.

The raven was perched on the window ledge watching him.

"You were in a daydream I had." Gideon said.

''Perhaps I'll see Eurides again as well."

The raven clacked its' beak and cawed. It went to fly off,

then turned to him and and spoke.

"Be careful what you wish for Gideon. "

*