Leggings - the stink of the beast...

Some days later Kitty was sitting in my house taking a few minutes break from work prior to going back to the college. I'd moved jobs, loving and hating the world of dress design for some time. I was working in a college – supporting students in their aims and life was good.

She patted the seat beside her and said, “I'm getting the hang of it all now. The bullies I mean. I even get who some of them are. I've bullied back – told one of them that I'd tell his wife the state of play.”

“Whatever does he do?” I asked amused.

“He comes around here all night long and appears to be sleeping with someone upstairs. He's from London. A cockney, typical, tall, broad and thick curly white hair. He shouts so loud I wake up when he leaves.”

“Do you know his wife?”

“Yes she's quite a pleasant soul. I don't believe she knows all of it. They don't live so far away.”

“Arh!” I replied wondering if she was contemplating the right move.

“Is it about money?”

“Yes, about old wills, social position, and monies. They seem to believe they have some handle on someone else.”

“What do you think they have?”

“Do you know what they said about you? They've put it about that when you were injured in the explosion in the mine locally, that one of their families contributed one of their babies faces. Before it was dead.”

I sat back. My toes twitched. “He wouldn't have done that.” I said quickly, “He'd never have touched a child like that. If it was true I'd offer it back if I could find another way of repairing my face.”

“See the evil?” Kitty replied. “Its as if… nothing is sacred or real or too scary to say. It doesn't matter if you have a family of your own, because they'd plan to exterminate it.”

“Why?” I asked her, “When did you hear that bit?”

“Today,” Kitty said softly, “Just before I came here. They had a child with them, and she started boasting loudly. My Gran is going to be you, she's got a wig and they only want her anyway. She's going to be a Princess...”

“Barbie?” I asked half smiling, half not.

“Yeah!” Kitty agreed half crying, “It ought to be funny only it's not… That man was here as well. The one that stinks like a goat.”

“An evil priest,” I told her, “I expect. It must be something like that. Unless it's blackmail. Do you know the Lord's Prayer by heart?”

“Will it work?” she asked.

“Yes, without doubt, concentrate on the words… It does stop evil.”

“Who do you think they once were?” she said softly, “I mean should they have had social position etc...” Her voice tailed off. She was uncomfortable with it all. I was too.

“I knew the other European Royals as a child,” I replied quietly, “They came a couple of times before Mr. Lee stopped it all. So did the Poison Pope's family… I must have known them all really well before I was hurt...”

“Someone said they were the Hitlers,” she confided painfully, “I don't fancy that. They are so dictatorial too.”

“Well I'm not knuckling under a pile of bones,” I told her firmly, “I'm never raising an arm, or wearing a brown shirt, or saying the salute to them… I couldn't even join the Brownies because of the shirt...”

“They said they were going to make sure you never got to do anything with your books, that they were going to put their people in as the authors...” She dabbled her face with a tissue. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't worry, I have people who collect the money.” I told her. “It's only one book so far that I've used a pen name on. It will be okay, I can soon dislodge them or the firm will...”

She grabbed the tissues and gave me one. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.”

I took one gingerly, I felt like I was exploding. “Did you see the TV show earlier, with the authoress of the 'Grey' books?”

“She mentioned you!” Kitty said, “Phyllis said so.”

“Yeah! At least I hope she meant me… It's lovely to be mentioned.”

“Pity they shut her up so quickly,” said Kitty.

“Never mind, she got it out.” I said nervously. “Once!”

“I'm gonna get that goat person one day.” she muttered, “And that guy in the helicopter…”

“Tell me if you need help.” I said, “I really want to help.”