I want to see the sky from above

Chapter 3: Sir Samuel Vimes

There was something important to do and Susan knew that. Being Death's deputy was a hateful job. The shadow's presence made her think she was under her grandfather's wing again and that was not something she used to like. Being away from Death's reach and still under his strong arm… Despite of the fact that John was a person Susan could accept. He was silent most of the time, following and copying all her actions, he bothered Susan as much as she could accept it, but being her grandfather's copy was something she couldn't live with in this moment. It was hard to accept her grandfather's wish to stay with her at any cost. She knew what he wanted, when he imprisoned her in his domain and she agreed with that. After all Susan was in age that separated her youth from what was coming afterwards. But imprisonment…That was odd, whatever he says, even more, it was hard to believe he would go to such step.

It was her second week on Death's deputy position. Time passed faster when you are thirty three, even more, when you are in the world that lives, breaths and walks differently than in the invisible dark domain she had spend more years than she could admit.

The time had passed. Twenty years… Twenty years in Death's domain, where nothing changes, nothing is different than the day before. She thought that if she goes out in the real world it wouldn't be changed more than she could expect. But it did. Twenty years change many things, especially when you are accustomed with the world you used to live some moments before.

Ankh-Morpork hadn't change much, generally it was the same dirty smelly pot, the streets were the same, the building, even the people remained unchanged. Generally… But there were some majestic differences. She knew some people before, some of them she thought was some kind of friends. Now, twenty years after, most of them they were dead. Or extremely old, so old that they couldn't remember her face, not talking about her name.

When John gave her the next hourglass she took it with no interest. Another job to do. Then she looked at the label and her eyes opened widely. 'Samuel Vimes' was a name she couldn't forget. She gazed at the Shadow of Death and questioned her eyes in his deep stare. He lifted his shoulders and sighed. Susan looked at the label again. She hadn't seen His Grace since the formal occasion for her last birthday. He was still young, as young a fifty and some year old man could look like. He was one of Susan's friends, his wife was a lady she liked much, because of her genuine behaviour, her smiling nature, her tenderness… When she came to Ankh-Morpork after her compulsory exile, she never had the meaning to meet them both, although she knew they were both alive. Time had passed for them with more or less visual trace. Susan saw Lady Sybil some days before, she was almost the same, her face didn't change much, her strong figure too. She was with her daughter, Susan didn't know her name back then, although she was close enough to hear the telltale word coming from the young woman. She must have been about seventeen years old, quite beautiful, inheriting her father's facial problem. The next day Susan's curiosity overbeared her and she made her path by the Vimes-Ramkin estate.

It was getting darker, Susan knocked at the side door and waited. The shuffle came nearer, the door opened and an old man's face appeared.

'May I help you, young lady?' asked Willikins. Susan smiled. He hadn't change much, not watching at the walking stick and his shaking hands. The same polite person she knew twenty years ago.

'Yes, thank you.' she replied when the butler let her in. 'Is Lady Sybil here?'

The man nodded and produced a salver. Susan put her card there, the butler red it backwards and smiled, turning his back at her, snuffling to the door at the end of the entrance hall. There was a cry from the distance, the door opened and Lady Sybil's heavy figure rushed from there, stopping some meters from the young woman's position. Her face changed, when she glanced her eyes at Susan, she sighed deeply and smiled again.

'Oh, forgive me, young lady, I thought I would meet a friend I haven't seen for so many years.' She fixed her stare at her, rounding her tall body with interest for some time. 'You must be Susan's daughter' she pronounced thoughtfully. 'The similarity is… spectacular. Indeed… Oh, dear, I didn't know Susan had a daughter. You look so… mature…'

'I am thirty-three years old, milady' answered Susan, smiling with boredom.

'Thirty three?' Susan giggled. 'My god! Your mother must have produced you secretly. Twenty years ago I didn't even heard about her having a child. Oh, foxy Susan Sto Helit! Cheatings little foxy!'

She giggled again, grabbed her at her shoulders and led her to the door she just entered from. 'I have to introduce you to the family. Don't even oppose me, child. They have to meet you. Your mother was a good friend of ours, did you know? Such a surprise! Such a surprise, indeed!'

The family sat by the dinner table. Sir Samuel Vimes was on his leading place, watching at the door, a young man sat by his left side, another was on his right side. Two women sat at their next.

'Dear, you would never believe whom I brought for dinner!' cried Sybil, leading Susan through the door. The party turned to their direction. The young men stood up to welcome the new guest and bowed politely. Samuel Vimes nodded cautiously, staring at Susan and his wife.

'Presenting…' Lady Sybil giggled. '…Susan Stow.' She arched her eyebrows. 'Thirty three year old daughter of… guess who! Susan Sto Helit!'

Samuel Vimes laughed, lifting from his place with some difficulty.

'That foxy little thing!' giggled the old man, coming nearby. 'She must have hiding you from us! Well, well, well… Who could believe? Susan's daughter…'

He took her hand and shook it dramatically. His eyes observed her movement Susan felt uncomfortably and cleared her throat. Samuel Vimes smiled at her and led her to the table, pointing at the younger people around.

'Folks, let me introduce you our best friend's daughter. Susan, this is my eldest son, Sam.'

The dark haired man nodded politely, staring at Susan's direction. She smiled at him. It was not too back in time when she saw him for last time. He was fifteen years old, quite mature for his age and already handsome. He loved being around miss Susan, she was not only a acquaintance, she was a friend he used to spend much more of his time with, than he would admit. She was some kind of his teacher, but mostly, she was his confidante, he shared his childish secrets with. She smiled at him. He didn't change much. Maybe a little bit sad looking, grown up and still very alienated.

'My next son, Frederic.'

The other man smiled at her and took her hand to a gentle kiss. He lifted the woman at his left, embracing her tenderly. 'Your Grace, nay I introduce you my wife, Alexandra.'

The young woman smiled carefully, bowing with a simple curtsy. 'My pleasure, Your Grace.'

Susan bowed in reply and fixed her eyes in the last woman she remembered from the previous day. Sam Vimes followed her eyes.

'This is our daughter, Theresa, my little flower.' He giggled, lifting his hand to shake her shoulders. She smiled at her father and pressed him a tender childish kiss.

The girl came near, bowed with respect and smiled happily. Susan was in shock. She knew the family for long time, yes, they were endowed with Sam Jr., but she never expected the nature to be so kind to them again. Twice.

'Tell us everything, Susan!' said Lady Sybil, when the servants brought the new dinner set and placed it at her front. 'Who is your father? How are they? Would they visit us soon?'

Susan stared at Her Ladyship and sighed deeply. 'My parents are dead.'

Lady Sybil sighed soundly and took her hand. 'I'm sorry, Susan. I didn't know. I'm so sorry…'

Susan nodded politely and removed her hand from her hold. 'I have to go now' she said slowly, looking at the party around her. 'I just came to say…'

The butler came near her and pronounced gently. 'Excuse me, madam, there is a man at the door, he says he is your uncle.'

'He did?' jumped Susan. That was something new. The shadow was not talkative more than a mirror.

'Yes, madam, he did' answered Willikins. 'Shall I let him join you?' He looked at her, than at his master. Samuel Vimes leaned back and smiled questionably. 'Of course, let him in, Willikins. Susan, we didn't know you had an uncle.'

Susan sighed with boredom, explaining. 'I didn't know I have another relative two weeks ago. He just… appeared.'

'Oh, jolly!' smiled Sybil and turned to welcome the new guest. The Shadow appeared at the door, led by the butler. Susan felt the cold coming at the room, she tried not to shimmer, but she saw something very strange in the party around. They were not shimmering also, they were staring at the tall figure dressed in black, coming nearer. Susan felt the uncomfortable silence and the stares the party turned to her and her companion. She sighed invisibly and stood by the shadow.

'Uncle John, this is Lady Sybil, His Grace Sir Samuel Vimes, their sons Samuel and Frederic, Frederic's wife Alexandra, and this is Theresa, the youngest.'

The shadow stared at her with interest. He didn't know what to do, it was visible. Susan bowed her head, pointing the party with her eyes. The Death's shadow followed her mental lead and bowed politely, pronouncing with difficulty:

'NICE… TO… MEet… You…'

Susan stared at him. She didn't expect him talking. Nine days and nights she had teach him talking, but no success. Until now. And she couldn't miss the change in his voice timbre. She was astonished enough to let herself sit calmly in her chair, staring at his pale face.

The shadow unfixed his eyes from her face and looked at the Vimeses, his face lifted slowly in a polite smile and he bowed again, this time with less tense.

'I HAve… Heard… so many… things… about you… all…' he said slowly, still looking at the family. 'Susan had told me… a lot…' he stared at his companion. '…many polite… words…'

'Yes' sighed Lady Sybil, 'Such a loss for us all… Poor Susan…'

The shadow bowed gently and looked at Susan again. 'We have… to go… Susan' he pronounced calmly. 'We have a job… to do.'

'So soon?' jumped Lady Sybil.

'I'm sorry, Lady Sybil, but duty calls' answered Susan, looking at her direction. 'I was just coming by and I thought I should have welcome you. I'm sorry.'

Lady Sybil smiled and turned her face to her husband. 'We will have a party on Friday. Please, do come, dear. Starting at nine. Would you?'

Susan smiled nervously.

'And bring your uncle, dear. We would be glad to see you again. This time for longer.'

Susan smiled again and turned to the exit, followed by the shadow. When the front door closed behind them, Samuel Vimes stared at his wife, she stared him back and smiled. Then he looked at his eldest son and pronounced thoughtfully.

'Sam, do me the favour and check the assassins list for me.'

Sam Jr. nodded respectfully.

'Did you remember him good enough?' sighed Samuel Vimes. His younger copy squeezed his eyes and nodded again.

---

Susan looked at the shadow, he looked at her back.

The young woman took the hourglass and stared it again. She squeezed her eyes. She had to do Sir Samuel tonight. The ball evening… What would happen next? What would Lady Sybil feel knowing her husband was dead…?

John stared at her, he didn't have all of Death's perceptions, although he could read minds sometimes. When he red Susan's thoughts, he lifted his hands, putting them on his waist and whispered:

'SUSAN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO…'

She looked at him. He cleared his throat desperately.

'I COULD DO IT FOR YOU, IF YOU WISH…'

Susan shook her head, letting him know there will be no replacement this time. The shadow of Death sighed deeply and followed her out of the boarding house.

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Next to come: Chapter 4 where Susan makes her hard decision.

Review, please, I need to know if you like the story. Isn't it too dark?