Chapter Six


I awoke late the next morning with a buzzing and aching head. I suppose it was from all of the drinking I had done last night. I dressed and went downstairs.

Instead of having breakfast, I drove over to an armaments factory in Berlin that I owned. Around three in the afternoon Fidget came.

"Fidget, I want to talk to you about Montelupich-" I began.

"Professor, your cook said that…" He stopped, realizing he had interrupted me.

I gave him a quizzical look. "What did my cook say?"

"She... ah... she... ah... well.... she...."

"Fidget! Get to the point!"

"Ah, yeah... she wants to know if you... ah... intended to keep Meg Sarentis locked up in the attic all day-"

"What?" But before he could answer I was headed for the door. Fidget followed behind me. "Didn't Danka have the keys?"

"She..." Fidget trailed off, trying to catch his breath and keep pace with me, "...she said that she only had the key to the liquor cabinet."

"Damn it, I can't give those Jews anything! What about Josef?" (Josef was one of the guards I had guarding my house.)

"He thought you locked her in there for a reason."

We had reached my car, but I stopped. Instead I fumbled with my keys. Finally I found the key to the attic, as well as the key to my car. I handed them to Fidget. "Get that goddamn girl out of there! Then come back here immediately."

Fidget took the keys and my car and drove away. An early autumn breeze cooled off the band of sweat that had broken out on my forehead. The wench! If she had not said anything to me last night, I would never have locked her in there. I was angry with myself for letting the stupid girl in there for so long, but I could not explain why.

Any power I had left was being drained from me.


I did not get back that night until late. Meg met me at the door, ready to take my coat and hat. She had gone back to her silent, serf-like behavior. A part of me wanted to apologize to her, but another part of me wanted to keep her locked in her bedroom for a longer period of time, watching her behind the glass.

But what I did was probably more than Meg could have bore with under normal circumstances.

"Meg, have a drink with me," I said.

She tensed as she hung my coat up. "No thank you, sir," she said tersely.

"Are you sure?" I grinned when she looked at me.

"Yes, sir."

I went to the study and took out some cognac. I heard the patter of her feet as she climbed the staircase.

"Meg..." I called.

She stopped; paused on the stairs for a moment, then went back down the stairs to the study. She stood in the doorway. "Yes?"

"Come with me."

I led her up the stairs and to my bedroom.

Meg stopped at the door, as if the room was a monster that would consume her at any moment.

"Come here," I said impatiently.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, thought better of it, and closed it again. She stared at the floor.

"Come here."

Surprisingly enough, she stepped into the room. I closed the door behind her and noticed that she was trembling again.

I sat down on a couch. "Untie my tie, Meg."

Meg gave me an angry look but complied. She stood over me, leaning over so she would not have to get too close to me. Irritated, I reached an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She blushed furiously as she undid the knot.

I started to feel that sense of power come over me again. I could not stop. "My cufflinks next, darling."

She was angry. She took off the cufflinks, but accidentally jabbed herself with one. She instinctively put her finger to her mouth, but quickly took it out again when she realized what she was doing.

I took a sip of the cognac when she went to put the cufflinks and tie on the bureau. She came back and stood at attention before me, probably dreading my next command.

"Sit down," I said, motioning to spot next to me.

She appeared to be debating whether she should do it or not. Finally she sat down, hands in her lap, looking straight ahead.

"Unbutton my shirt."

Meg jumped at the command. "I- I- no!"

"Don't play around with me, Meg."

She got up to leave. I grabbed her arm and forced her back down.

"Now."

She turned shyly towards me. Making a grunt, I grabbed her hands and pulled them to the top button, interlocked her fingers in mine, and moved them to unbutton the first button. When that was done, I moved her fingers down for the next one. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably as they moved down to the next button.

I held onto her hands until all the buttons were unbuttoned. My undershirt was showing underneath. Meg blushed even more. I was still gripping her hands in mine.

I had the power again; that was all I needed. I released her. "You are dismissed." She got up and walked out of the room, still shaking.

I went to the closet and set up the ladder, then ascended through the trap door to my little room. Meg was on the bed, sobbing uncontrollably. I watched, enthralled at how upset I had made her.

She looked up at the ceiling and asked, "Why me? Why?"

"I've got you," I said smugly to myself, feeling like a god.