Sunset in Silvana (Da'ark Nocturne Book 1) Read Online Free

spare a pot of that?”
    The old lady nodded her agreement.  “I’m sure we can come to an arrangement,” she said with a smile.
    “For a pot of your chowder, whatever you wish to ask.” 
    She laughed.  It was a good system: she would supplement her wages by dealing with the co-operatives – and occasionally cooking her tenants some food – while freeing them from the need to go out to the vans early in the morning.
    A thought seemed to strike her and her face took on a troubled cast.  “Comrade Boris,” she said half hesitantly, “there’s something I feel I should tell you.”
    “Yes, little mother?” he replied, expecting some routine matter.
    “Major Drovsorsky’s assistant came to see me yesterday – and something about her manner chilled me.”
    “More than normal?”  Boris chuckled.  “Captain Reynard is the original Ice Queen.”
    The old lady didn’t smile.  He reached across and reassuringly patted her shaking hands, but she just shook her head.  “Comrade Boris,” she said, “there is never anything remotely funny about that woman, but this time she was so intense that it frightened me – it was as if she was a predator and I was her prey.”
    He started to speak but she waved him to silence and, having taken a sip of coffee, she continued.
    “The Captain was very interested in how you and the other Heroes were behaving.  She reminded me of the time that you and your friends spent in hospital last month.  She said that you had been suffering from paranoia brought on by a drugs imbalance and that she wanted to ensure that none of you were suffering any sort of relapse.  She actually seemed rather disappointed when I told her that you were all quite well.”
    “Surely she’s just doing her job,” he interjected.  “Isn’t it just an indication of the Republic’s solicitous care for us?”
    “Perhaps – but she insisted that I should report any odd behaviour directly to her, rather than to Major Drovsorsky, and there was something about the way that she said it that made my blood run cold.  What’s more, the Major had actually spoken to me about the same matter himself just last week.”  She paused.  “I thought I should tell you, that’s all.”
    “Thank you for your concern, Comrade Olga.  I know you find Captain Reynard unsettling, but perhaps it’s just the weight of her responsibilities that make her so intense?”
    “I don’t think so – the Major has greater responsibilities than she does, but he never seems threatening.  When he comes to see me, we just chat over coffee and he always pets any of my cats who are around, and sometimes he even brings them a tin of pluny – but when Captain Reynard visits, the cats all hide, and I feel like joining them.”  She paused and sipped her coffee.  “No, I never look forward to interviews with her, but there was something different about her this time – a focussed cruelty that I didn’t like – I didn’t like it at all.”
    They finished their coffee in silence and, having thanked her for her hospitality, Boris lifted a protesting Vanya from his knees and dumped him on the sofa.  He paid Olga for his group’s share of the food, and carried it upstairs.
    As was customary when Talia was not on early shift, Boris had been the first to rise, and had both coffee and tea brewed by the time she joined him.
    “Good morning, Talia.”
    “Morning, Boris.”  She yawned decorously, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.
    “How was your evening with Major Valentine?”
    “As pleasant as always – he’s very good company.”
    “Anything I should know?”
    Her brow furrowed.  “Anoushka’s doing well, and should be back with us any day now…  Oh, and I’ve arranged for us to have the dacha at Plune over the weekend…”
    “Good.  It will be nice to get away for a while.”
    “But in return, the Major wants us to do some school visits the day before.”
    “Of course – it’ll be better