Forthcoming Atrocities

1. Raposo: Myth, Magic and Mayhem

 Part One – The Question

 'You take your reading seriously.'

The voice was attached to a gloved hand that now caught my attention. It waved towards the Sunday papers stockpiled on the corner of my restaurant table.

'On Sundays I catch up with the madness we call mankind.' I didn't add that seventy percent of the pile would never get read.

The hand in question lowered and jutted in my direction. 'Charlie Fox.'

I half rose, shook the proffered hand and made to introduce myself but was interrupted.

'Oh I know who you are, Dr Karalis. I may have been mistaken but I thought I caught you scoping me out while I was sitting there.' Charlie pointed across the room of small circular white tables.

'Got me, Charlie,' I said. 'I'm shamefully aware how trite this sounds, but I know I've seen you before and I was trying to place you.'

'Prague.'

It came back, 'Ah, you asked that question at the end of my talk.'

'You've got a good memory.'

'Well, from memory, you asked, "How could we know the contents of Raposo's infamous books when every copy was destroyed hundreds of years ago?" I'm paraphrasing.'

'That wasn't paraphrasing, and the answer you gave wasn't as insightful as I'd hoped.'

'Sorry,' I said, 'the chairwoman had already given me the hurry-up. I'm always getting into trouble for over-running at these talks.' I gestured Charlie to the seat opposite me. I had been dining alone.

'They should give you more time,' Charlie sat. 'I also tried to ask you a question in Florence, but you only took three questions there.'

'You were at both Florence and Prague, I'm flattered.'

'Don't be. It wasn't my intention, but, now you mention it, I wasn't the only one. You have a following.'

'Luckily, literary stalkers are dogged but harmless,' I said.

'You always look so nervous before you start. As if you just woken up to find a crowd in front of you. I have twice expected you to bolt.'

'Imposter syndrome.' I tried to turn it into a joke, but the observation had been too insightful.

'Is it because half the audience at your talks has a crush on you?'

My too-frantic laugh spluttered to a halt. 'Oh dear, which half?'

Charlie considered my frivolous question seriously, eventually saying, 'The gay half.'

'Really? I had no idea I projected –'

'You don't. I was being childishly provocative.'

'Which half of my audience do you belong to?'

'The discerning half, I hope.' Charlie waved a red biro to attract the waiter's attention, before continuing. 'At least I've read two of your books.'

'Not sure that qualifies you as discerning, necessarily. Which two?'

'"Ten Books they Burned" of course, but that hardly puts me in a minority.'

'It does if you finished it.' I laughed, but it was probably true.

'Twice; cover to cover. I also recently read your book on Raposo.'