Second Afternoon
Siegfried was kneeling beside Tara in less than a nano-second. "Tara, please shpeak to me!"
Despite his entreaty, Tara King did not stir-she did not seem to hear. Seeing she was at least breathing, Siegfried examined her wounds. He gently felt the bruise on her head and was relieved to discover it was not bleeding. Since she was lying face down, he lifted her and cradled her in his arms. He was comforted in the fact that no sharp fragment of glass had imbedded itself into her body, especially in her face.
"Tara, mien liebli-freundchen, please revive!" The pain and desperation in Conrad's voice frightened Starker, who was not accustomed to his boss getting so emotional. "I'll finish the machine for free, no beer, no millions . . . okay, for several zousands."
Tara was in an inky blackness, struggling to get free. She was swimming quickly yet getting nowhere. Through the mugginess she heard Conrad's voice cajoling her to return to him, speaking softly and tenderly. Miss King was certain she was dreaming, for Siegfried would never speak to her in such a beseeching tone. Then she heard someone calling her liebling almost inaudibly. The voice belonged to Siegfried, but he wouldn't ever call her his "love!"
Tara was becoming irritated at the darkness that consumed her. She fought to get out, and finally with a gasp, she opened her eyes. Siegfried's face, all sober and rigid, was the first thing she saw. His swaggering and stammering, the effects of the alcohol, had vanished.
"Tara can you talk?" As the idea that Tara might be a vegetable crossed his mind, Siegfried gulped. He gripped her harder than before, panicking when she yelped from the pressure.
Tara found it difficult to believe that she was awake. She was in Conrad's arms once again, and he was actually concerned about her welfare. She closed her eyes, revelling in his strong hold.
"Gut Gott, you're going to die on me!" murmured Siegfried, trembling so that the words wobbled as they escaped his parched lips. "I'm sorry, so sorry, darlin-" He did not finish but choked on the word.
Miss King decided she'd ought to ease his mind. She was not dying; in fact she'd never felt more alive, regardless of the fact that there was an acute pain in her head. Her eyelids fluttered open again, and whether it was due to the joy in her heart, or because the smell of beer was still strong, she chose to play with Siegfried's mind. "Siegfried?" she whispered faintly.
Conrad leaned towards her face eagerly. "Yes, cookie?"
"You have beer breath!" Tara giggled.
Conard went into a temporary state of shock. He recovered and snapped, "You frighten me to deaz zen you tell me I have beer breaz? Vhat is vrong vith you?"
Tara gave him her most apologetic gaze. "Do forgive me, but I had to make sure you were really Siegfried. Some of your talk reminded me more of Starker than of you."
Realising the implication of her remark, Siegfried turned crimson. "It really is me, so shtop being annoying."
"Did you mean everything you said?" Tara whispered, hoping with all her heart for an affirmative answer.
Siegfried hesitated before replying, "Yes, especially the part about ze payment. I knew from ze very beginning zat I vas being greedy, but at ze time I couldn't help myself. Unt I apologise now for my misconduct."
"You what?" exclaimed Tara and Starker simultaneously.
Siegfried seemed to have just noticed Starker's presence. "Shtarker, fetch me zat first aid kit!"
"But vhy? She's not bleeding on her head, she has no cuts, she . . ."
"Do not ask questions, you insolent Gensidel! Just do vhat you're told, or else you might find zat you're ze vone in need of the first aid kit!"
Tara suppressed a smile as the bewildered Starker went in search of a kit. She shut her eyes and leaned her head against Siegfried's shoulder.
To Be Continued!
Author's Note: I AM SO SORRY THAT I HAVE NOT UPDATED FOR AGES! I promise I will try to finish this before I go to college in the fall.
Siegfried was kneeling beside Tara in less than a nano-second. "Tara, please shpeak to me!"
Despite his entreaty, Tara King did not stir-she did not seem to hear. Seeing she was at least breathing, Siegfried examined her wounds. He gently felt the bruise on her head and was relieved to discover it was not bleeding. Since she was lying face down, he lifted her and cradled her in his arms. He was comforted in the fact that no sharp fragment of glass had imbedded itself into her body, especially in her face.
"Tara, mien liebli-freundchen, please revive!" The pain and desperation in Conrad's voice frightened Starker, who was not accustomed to his boss getting so emotional. "I'll finish the machine for free, no beer, no millions . . . okay, for several zousands."
Tara was in an inky blackness, struggling to get free. She was swimming quickly yet getting nowhere. Through the mugginess she heard Conrad's voice cajoling her to return to him, speaking softly and tenderly. Miss King was certain she was dreaming, for Siegfried would never speak to her in such a beseeching tone. Then she heard someone calling her liebling almost inaudibly. The voice belonged to Siegfried, but he wouldn't ever call her his "love!"
Tara was becoming irritated at the darkness that consumed her. She fought to get out, and finally with a gasp, she opened her eyes. Siegfried's face, all sober and rigid, was the first thing she saw. His swaggering and stammering, the effects of the alcohol, had vanished.
"Tara can you talk?" As the idea that Tara might be a vegetable crossed his mind, Siegfried gulped. He gripped her harder than before, panicking when she yelped from the pressure.
Tara found it difficult to believe that she was awake. She was in Conrad's arms once again, and he was actually concerned about her welfare. She closed her eyes, revelling in his strong hold.
"Gut Gott, you're going to die on me!" murmured Siegfried, trembling so that the words wobbled as they escaped his parched lips. "I'm sorry, so sorry, darlin-" He did not finish but choked on the word.
Miss King decided she'd ought to ease his mind. She was not dying; in fact she'd never felt more alive, regardless of the fact that there was an acute pain in her head. Her eyelids fluttered open again, and whether it was due to the joy in her heart, or because the smell of beer was still strong, she chose to play with Siegfried's mind. "Siegfried?" she whispered faintly.
Conrad leaned towards her face eagerly. "Yes, cookie?"
"You have beer breath!" Tara giggled.
Conard went into a temporary state of shock. He recovered and snapped, "You frighten me to deaz zen you tell me I have beer breaz? Vhat is vrong vith you?"
Tara gave him her most apologetic gaze. "Do forgive me, but I had to make sure you were really Siegfried. Some of your talk reminded me more of Starker than of you."
Realising the implication of her remark, Siegfried turned crimson. "It really is me, so shtop being annoying."
"Did you mean everything you said?" Tara whispered, hoping with all her heart for an affirmative answer.
Siegfried hesitated before replying, "Yes, especially the part about ze payment. I knew from ze very beginning zat I vas being greedy, but at ze time I couldn't help myself. Unt I apologise now for my misconduct."
"You what?" exclaimed Tara and Starker simultaneously.
Siegfried seemed to have just noticed Starker's presence. "Shtarker, fetch me zat first aid kit!"
"But vhy? She's not bleeding on her head, she has no cuts, she . . ."
"Do not ask questions, you insolent Gensidel! Just do vhat you're told, or else you might find zat you're ze vone in need of the first aid kit!"
Tara suppressed a smile as the bewildered Starker went in search of a kit. She shut her eyes and leaned her head against Siegfried's shoulder.
To Be Continued!
Author's Note: I AM SO SORRY THAT I HAVE NOT UPDATED FOR AGES! I promise I will try to finish this before I go to college in the fall.