THE FIRST ANGEL 4

‘You are right. Those bastards are going to put her in a breeding centre. I always felt the Australians were never fully on board, but I never imagined they would do something that brutal.’

It was about 6pm and Marge’s mood was as dark as it was outside. Sally fell asleep around 5 tucked up in her bed under a duvet covered with images of frolicking lambs. While Marge finished reading the last pages of the dossier she slugged down a couple of inches of imported JD before slamming her note book down.

‘I saw what it did to people before the EU banned it and forced the Bosnian and Slovenian governments to disband along with their disgusting repro-centres. Young men and women tricked into volunteering to be locked up in state sponsored, “fucking circuses.”’

I’d never heard Marge use any kind of dirty word in all the years I’d known her. I must have had a shocked expression.

‘Well what the hell else can you call it, and those poor wretches weren’t even fertile. The competition in there was so intense it drove them crazy with despair. Now the bloody Australians have a breeding mare. God knows whose semen she’ll be injected with, and how many times, before they strip her of all her remaining eggs before she’s forty. One thing’s certain it won’t be Uncle Yarra’s – they won’t want to re-generate ”Abbos.’”

‘I suppose that was the reason you applied to join my team.’

‘Damn right. Plus Inge of course.’

‘You felt you had to “do something.”’

‘Didn’t you?’

I fell a pang of guilt. Sure we had to find a way to prevent the possibility of extinction, but from a medical research point of view I’d seen it as a fantastic opportunity.

‘Of course I did, Marge.’

She fired a wry knowing smile at me and drained her big Swedish Whiskey glass. I felt myself avoiding her gaze. I tried looking on the bright side.

‘Maybe we’re overreacting. Perhaps the Aussies are embarrassed to admit they haven’t been able to fully evaluate Brenda because of her injuries and are just prevaricating.’

‘Maybe there are no injuries. We only have their word on it. Have you or anybody else seen images?’

‘Dunno, Marge. What I do know is if you keep wolfing down the JD you won’t be in a fit state to care for Sally tonight.’

Pouring a further inch, she sighed and leaned back in her chair.

‘Ja you are right, but this has really gotten to me.’

The alcohol appeared to have loosened her control over her Teutonic accent.

‘Maybe I should hang around.’

‘Yes that is a good idea I can finish the bottle then. . . . I’m Joking.’ (She wasn’t)

‘OK, but people might start talking about us.’

‘They already do.’