Page 15 of Geist Fleisch
“He’s been a sparkling conversationalist,” Anne tossed in, her ‘society’ affect back in place. “Oh, my goodness, tea! Would you like some, Frank?”
“No, thank you,” he said, keeping his eyes on Callum.
“I’m all right, thanks. A bit foggy.”
“I’ll bet. It looked worse than it was, if that makes you feel better. What on earth did you hit your head on?”
Callum slurped more of his tea. It had cooled with the window open. “The mirror. Maybe I had a few too many.”
“You said that before, but the mirrors were fine, weren’t they, Frank? Nothing broken except you, dear.”
Instead of answering her, Frank reached for Callum. “May I?”
Callum downed the last of his tea and set the cup aside, jutting his chin forward where Frank gently turned it. Looking him over, Frank’s face darkened with confusion.
“Am I all right?” Callum asked.
Frank appeared to shake off what had been bothering him, brushing Callum’s jaw with the back of his cool fingers. Whether it had been intentional or not, Callum couldn’t say. “Yes, I think so. Rest for today though. I’ll call in a favour with Karl. We can tour the Institute tomorrow.”
“Oh god, the Institute?” Anne asked. “After what’s just happened? Doesn’t Magnus have enough test subjects already?”
“Magnus is in Paris,” Frank said, making no hurry to get up. “Karl says he may not return for some time.”
“Yes, well Karl seems to be taking full advantage of the cat being away.”
“Sorry, Magnus?” Callum asked.
“Magnus Hirschfield runs the Institute of Sexology with several of his most trusted partners. Karl, the young man you saw me talking to last night is his closest.”
“His… closest?”
“I’m sure you understand.” Frank smiled as he stood. “I’ve put bread and a couple of sausages in the kitchen. Try to eat something, both of you.”
“Jawhol,” mocked Anne, saluting him from the window. “And thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure, and Callum?” The man gave him a stern, yet mischievous look. “Try to remember you’re among friends, now.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“So Frank is friends with this… Magnus, or Karl, who runs this institute for pansies?”
Anne rolled her eyes, making no effort to hide it. “You mean the place where you’re sitting, where they can hear you, run for people like us? Yes, Magnus has been running it for years. He used to give the most marvellous lectures, or so I’m told. Of course, that’s why he’s now going all over the world with them. Karl’s a bit serious, but he’s sweet.”
“And Frank fits into this, how? I mean obviously besides being… one of us.”
“So, it’s ‘obvious’ when it’s Frank, but you get to be coy about it?”
“I wasn’t coy.”
“A claim I could take far more seriously without that bandage on your head. I told you to wear a hat.”
“I’m fine,” protested Callum.
“If you say so, darling. And you promised me you’d eat.”
“I did!”
“Well, you still look positively green around the gills. Like a poster for that film,Frankenstein!I swear, if I unwrap that bandage, will I find stitching all around? A couple of bolts, perhaps?”
