XVII 1 Recompense

Rose was laying upside down in a big chair, her legs up against the back rest her head leaning on the corner of the armrest, a big book in her lap. "Illustrated history of windmills in Holland." Sussie was practising her violin, Karel was at the hockey club, probably. Rose didn't particularly care, she was having a quiet afternoon. There was a quite knock on the door, it was Dave. "Milady Oak, the Magistrate requests you in her office.". Rose rolled her eyes at Sussie, "I wish they'd stopped with the milady this and milady that." Sussie said just shrugged. "That's how they are taught." Rose sighed and climbed out of the chair. "Let's see what my favourite frying pan has to tell today." Sussie laughed.

As Rose turned into the corridor where the Magistrate's office was, another man just left trough the far door. Something about him seemed familiar. Probably just another Order of the Bee member she had met once before.

"Good afternoon Rosalind." The magistrate's voice was cold, it required special skills to make a 'good afternoon' greeting sound so insincere. "Hello Jennifer, how can I help you today?" Rose could see the magistrate flinch, she didn't like it to be called by her first name. One - nill for me. Rose thought.

"As you well know you've got an enormous track record of bad behaviour and criminal activities." The Magistrate started. She always did that, complaining about Rose her previous life. "Very un-lady-like, and a scar on the reputation of the Order." She continued.
-"Am I here to hear you complain or do you actually have anything new to tell me?" Rose interrupted.
"One day your rude mouth will be the end of you Rosalind, and don't come begging for my help when that happens." The magistrate snapped at her. Two - Nil.
"The Order pulled some strings and has done some hard work for you. I hope you realise that. But we managed to clear or lock away your criminal records. We got you off the wanted lists, worldwide. Here you got a new passport." The magistrate told her, she dropped the passport on the desk in front of Rose. Rose was a bit perplexed to be honest. Two - One. She had underestimated the power of the Order.
-"Thank you." Rose said, and she meant it.
"It should be without mentioning that we cannot do this every time. You better clean up your act." The magistrate continued in her usual way.
-"I understand and appreciate the hard work the Order did for me." Rose dodged the part about cleaning up.
"Now you have a future again, I strongly advise you to start looking for a partner to have children with. You need to continue your line."
There was the magistrate again that Rose had come to hate. "If I ever get children I will make sure they learn how fire a gun and how to sail. Thank you for your time." Rose was starting to get up to leave.
"There is also this, mail for you." The magistrate pointed to a brown envelope that lay on her desk. Rose picked it up. The envelope was still sealed. But there was only her name 'R.A. Oak', no address, no stamp. This had not come by mail, and that made her immediately suspicous. "Where did this come from?"
"I don't know." The magistrate said. She lied, Rose could tell.
-"Thank you for the passport and the work to clean it up." Rose concluded the conversation.
"You're we.. Get out, and remember what I told you about your lineage."

Hello Carl. Carl looked up at the person who spoke, he was just released, barely five steps out of the gate. He had not called anyone, nobody should be here waiting for him. "Who are you?" He asked, looking at the young woman, blond shoulder length hair, blue eyes , skinny jeans and a green sweater.
"Do you still know how to drive?" She asked him, while holding out the keys, presumably to the beat up Mustang she was leaning against. "Of course I know how to drive." He answered, slightly offended. "Then get in." She jingled the keys in her out stretched hand.

"Who are you?" Carl asked while starting the car. "Drive first." The woman instructed Carl in the route and after an hour or so they were parked near a park. From the glove box the woman grabbed an envelope.
"I've been waiting for you Carl, I know your story. And I have to say I'm sorry about what happened to you after the Sea Hawk sunk. They really didn't treat you properly.
"It was a freak accident." Carl said. The lady looked surprised. "Was it? Then what about that ship the Blue Swan That is recorded on the radio? Why were they never found." Carl was feeling quite warm now.
"Who are you?"
"It was the Admiral of the United States Coast Guard who ordered you locked up. He knew you spoke the truth, but told everyone you went crazy and locked you up. Then he lied to all the families of the sailors who died."
"Why are you telling me this. It was an accident. What do you want?"
"It was not an accident Carl."
"Who are you?"
"I got some pictures here, of the admiral, I want you to have them. What you do with them is up to you, but I believe in revenge."
Carl looked through the pictures, they were of the admiral there was no doubt about that. But he could guess that none of the numerous other unclothed woman in the picture were the admiral's wife, the admiral who was infamous for his good marriage. He heard the door open of the car and looked up to see the lady getting out. "Hey what do I do with this?" She leaned trough the open window.
"Whatever you want Carl. It was not an accident and you are not crazy."
"How do you know that. Who are you?!"
"I was there. I was the captain of the ship you were sent out to investigate, I ordered those guns to fire. I blew up the Sea Hawk. But I did not call you crazy and locked you up in the looney house. You can keep the car." She turned around and walked away. Carl sat there stunned, his shirt drenched in cold sweat. Pictures forgotten in his hands. "it was not an accident. it was not an accident. it was not an accident."

Rose was laying upside down in a big chair, her legs up against the back rest her head leaning on the corner of the armrest, a big book in her lap. "Illustrated history of windmills in Holland." Sussie was practising her violin. "Hey Rose where did you go to the past two days?" Sussie asked. Rose looked up from her book, her green eyes still red from a previous irritation, long brown hair falling down all the way to the floor. "I visited my father's grave." which wasn't a lie, she had visited it on the way back from the airport, it was just not,the complete truth.

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