Into the Lion's Den (70 page)

“Carrying nitro glycerine is dangerous, Guntram. Carrying a bag full of diamonds in a war zone is dangerous. I'll take it and we leave everything in the car before we go for lunch.”

“Yes, I could eat,” Guntram smiled weakly as he put his father's letter in his own jacket's pocket and not into Goran's briefcase as it had been the Serb's idea. He helped the man with the boxes and the tube. “Should we take the catalogue too?”

“Yes, but any good house will repeat the procedure to identify and certify the work. It's customary.”

“I'm not going to sell it! I want to keep it with me. I thought it was lost when my father's flat in Buenos Aires was sold.”

“What happened to his money?”

“In my account for my school expenses. I don't remember how much money was it, but the school fees were very high. According to my lawyer what he left me plus the flat was barely enough to pay for the school, but not enough for the University and I should work. I had a capital of $50,000, but after the Argentinean government seized everything, it turned out to be $14,000, frozen in an account. My lawyer used part of the money to pay the notary to write the documents to return the flat Constantin gave in 2003. I thought it was wrong from me to keep it and the Duke agreed with me. Do you know that governments tax you even if you're donating something? Almost one percent of the fiscal value. Abusive.”

Goran said nothing but somehow Guntram's answer raised all his alarms. His father had many millions before his death and had only left enough money as to pay for some years of his child's support? And now in a box, allegedly meant to be opened after his 25th Anniversary were almost two million dollars in jewels and gold? That painting could be worth almost a million. Strange, very strange. Perhaps the lawyer in Argentina had taken some of the money, but not to that point. He would investigate all this as there were many loose ends for his taste.

Guntram de Lisle's diary

December 2nd, 2005

I'm studying at full pace as I have my tests on December 10th to 12th in London. I'll fly with Heindrik
there and stay at Konrad's house in Kensington. I have ready all my presentations and Ostermann checked them first
and said they're good. Three subjects, this time and if I pass them, I will have completed my second year of the BA.

I'm nervous but confident. I've made my practices with Konrad's furniture here and even the famous Lions Service
from Meissen could be photographed in detail and serve as model for a presentation. Friederich had a hard time, but
he agreed to let me do it. I guess it was a compensation for making me “baby sit” Armin and Marie Amélie for the
past month. Those two are something serious and hot. Two days ago, I caught them in the act under the table. Yes,
exactly. She was giving him a “foot job” under the huge oak table in the daily dinning room while she put her more
serious face pretending to be studying Statistics. Had I not dropped two of my pencils, I would have never realised
what they were doing. I blushed like a tomato and left the room. It's difficult to study with them around. Fortunately,
they only come twice per week and on Saturdays.

I left all the jewels from my father at Konrad's bank. I don't know what to do with them. They're
gathering dust after they were catalogued and appraised. I prefer to leave the gold where it's. I don't want to drive
once again with all those things in a trunk.

The visit card inside the letter was very strange. Only a name; Michel Lacroix and a mailbox address in
Brussels. I read it in the toilet of the restaurant we went with Goran and wrote down the address in my sketch pad. I
destroyed it because I don't want anything that could lead them to my uncle or whoever is in league with Constantin. I
wrote him a letter and asked Ostermann to post it for me when he was going out. He complained a lot even if I had
already glued the stamps! He will be furious when he sees that my contact address is his studio. I would like to know
someone who knew my father besides Nicholas Lefèbre. I told nothing to Konrad and I feel bad for it, but I think it's
for the best. If he writes me back, fine. I'll see what to do. If he never answers me, then I will forget the thing.

December 12th 2006

Today I did what I never thought I would ever do. I rejected 2.15 billion dollars in perfect good health.

There's always a first time for everything, but I would have preferred to try something else. Ivan Oblomov met me in
our offices at 2:00. Without any kind of preambles or niceties—should be glad if I got a “hello, Ferdinand”—he gave
me a memory stick and said: “open, check it and tell me if everything is fine for you.”

“I hope it has no viruses, Ivan Ivanovich,” I joked.

“Buy a real copy of Norton Antivirus,” I preferred to keep myself quiet or we would have had troubles.

Everything was there and the transfers done matched with our records. Repin had paid everything back before
February.

“Yes, but the interests should be recalculated. You have paid for a full year when it's only ten months.” I
was desperate to find an excuse to stop what was coming next. We never thought that he had been serious about
December. Hell, we didn't think Repin was able to meet February's deadline!

“We were thinking you would charge us for paying in advance,” he said ironically. “Boss says you can
keep it all. He wants that you give Guntram back to me tomorrow. I'm flying to Zurich this afternoon. No need to
pack.”

“I'm afraid it's not possible. Guntram is in London, taking his tests. Should finish in a week or so and I
have to ask the Duke his opinion on the matter. The doctor was not satisfied with his general condition. Flying for so
many hours might be taxing for him,” that was all I could think at the moment.

“We had a deal; the money is paid, we want the boy back. Repin will overlook that your boss was
playing with his boy.”

“Guntram is not a toy that can be moved just like that! He has made friends in Zurich, attended a studio
with a well known and respected teacher, has an exhibition in Berlin in a few weeks and has to finish several
commissions for the Vatican, if I see correctly. We had a deadline of February and we intend to respect it,” I said and
he was truly upset.

“Von Kleist, your Griffin is a son-of-a-bitch and an idiot if he thinks he can get away with this. Repin
will start to send you your precious associates and representatives in plastic bags if you don't return Guntram as soon
as possible.”

“It's not in my hands to “return” the lad! Take the money back and we'll speak in February as agreed.”

“We're perfectly aware of what you've done, naming him Consort and all that crazy chivalry shit of
yours. Repin saw him first and was always good to the boy. Give him back before we start to visit your territory.”

“The minute you cross the border, my people will repeat what we did to Mrs. Repin, Oblomov. Guntram
is one of us now and we have no intentions of betraying one of our kind. Lintorff will agree to renegotiate the terms of
the original contract as the guarantee does not want to return to Russia, as he already explained twice to that brick-head you call boss.”

“Kleist, this will be war for all of us!”

“We must find a new compromise; Oblomov, you and I don't want to fight and are sensible businessmen.

Our bosses are like to two children fighting for their candy and we must find a way so they stop bickering. Tell Repin
that Guntram has that Art show in Berlin and that he will return once it's finished. I'm sure he wouldn't like to ruin his
chances to be known. It's in a trendy place and I saw pictures of his works and they're good. One is already sold to the
Vatican. The exhibition opens after the holidays. I must have one of the catalogues right here.”

“You sound like a used car salesman, von Kleist.” He dared to use a derogative voice with me and I was
nearly throwing him out of my office, but for Konrad's sake, and our own, I ignored his lack of manners. What else
can you expect from a Russian?

“The lad does not want to come back to your employer,” there you have, Oblomov, remember that you're
nothing but his lap dog, “and between you and me, the boy was never a real guarantee, your oil wells in Georgia
were the real thing. The property deeds will be returned immediately. The documents could be ready in two days and
we can sign them here or in St. Petersburg if you prefer.”

“If you set a foot in Russia without the boy, the boss will shoot you dead and send your body in a box to
Lintorff.”

“Can we not be reasonable on this matter, Ivan Ivanovich? We can meet again, let’s say on the 15th, here
and I'll have the papers ready. I can offer to return half of the interests.”

“No!”

“Your boss should be glad. Guntram is practically useless for what you want him. Twice per week or
three if he's in an incredible good condition. Less than a wife! Repin gets rid of him and even gets compensation! The
boy is permanently distracted when he's painting. Loses his pencils all over the house and now, he has a horrible dog
and a flea infested teddy bear. Most of the time he doesn't know who he's speaking with or cares about it!”

“If he's such a nuisance, give him back to us. We all like him exactly as he is. We were all glad to have
him around, even after he was so sick.”

I have no doubts about that. Guntram is a fantastic lion tamer. In the year he has been with us, Konrad
is easier to deal with, and I dare say he's happy with the boy around. He has stopped seeing conspiracy plots
everywhere and looks for more proof before reacting to challenges. He comes in a good mood to work and Monika
has a very easy life nowadays. She only looks for art books and I've seen her running away for several hours to get
one when she could just order it by Amazon, and Konrad said nothing at all! Holgersen and his people loaf the whole
day and they don't have to get rid of lovers as in the past. Even Goran is nice and not so grouchy, musing the whole
day in his office; looking for better ways to dispose people or checking if we all are loyal to Konrad. That only costs
us a fifteen minute talk with the boy per week! Inadvertently, Guntram saved Albert's neck after the fiasco in Rome
when he told Konrad that Albert had been very kind with him in the hospital and was truly concerned about him.

Guntram lives in another galaxy, exactly as Oblomov told us, but he's great to have around and loyal to
Konrad (to the point of stupidity. If I were him, I would have never told him about the safe box… and he has even left
the most valuable things in Konrad's bank!) He's nothing like his bloody uncle or family! Must come from his
mother's side or the Guttenberg Sachsen. I assume, he's truly in love with Konrad—for some unknown reason—and I
caught him twice already, quickly hiding the notes the lad leaves in his briefcase. I wish I could do the same with my
Cecilia, but if Gertrud finds them, I'm dead in the courtroom!

“Is it really worth to start a real war between us just because of a boy?” Oblomov told me.

For this one, yes! He has even fixed the succession issue! “Not really, this is nonsense, Ivan Ivanovich.

Why don't you ask Repin how we could sort out this matter peacefully. Only with what he's saving from the interests
he could get a full harem!”

“He had already one and preferred Guntram over it.”

“A new Picasso or a Van Gogh!”

“The money is back into your accounts. I will come back on the 16th and the boy should be ready to
leave for Russia. If not, order several plastic bags in XL size.”

“The Hochmeister does not respond well to threats, Oblomov.”

“This is no threat, just a warning. Good afternoon, von Kleist.” He slammed my door, and I knew that
he was serious about it.

Konrad ordered me to keep the capital and return the rest. The lawyers are working full time to finish the
papers and have them ready for the 16th and this time, he will negotiate with Oblomov personally. It's very obvious, he
will not return Guntram under any circumstance and I wonder what he could have hidden in his sleeve. Repin is a
beast when crossed. Blowing up a metro station just because he had some troubles with someone in the Interior
Ministry! There were pieces of that journalist in a balcony after his car exploded!

The way he has been “cleaning his backyard” over the past year! Absolutely impossible! He killed all
Morozov's people and everyone who had a connection to him! He was going even after his former wife’s friends!

Majardze should get rid of the problem in Madrid as soon as possible. The less we need is the uncle
coming and telling Guntram that he loves him and wants to be a family again. The boy is so silly that he would
believe anything that snake could tell him!

Guntram de Lisle's Diary

December 14th 2005

I'm back from London. I passed all the tests and I'm promoted to the third year. I'm very relieved because
I was a pile of nerves the minute I was setting a foot out of Konrad's house. Heindrik asked me if I wanted to go to a
Museum and I said no. I had enough with the Rome experience. His answer? “Excellent, we go to Forbidden Planet.

It's in front of the British Museum and I could take a look at the Star Wars merchandising,” I tried to refuse and
impose myself but “… save me your tantrum, Guntram. You can choose something, too. I'll take you for an hour to the
mummies.”