Jackdaws by Ken Follett Read Free Book Online Page B

a student and he a lecturer, by challenging him in
class—French students were deferential by comparison with their English
counterparts, and on top of that Flick was by nature disrespectful of
authority. If someone similar had seduced Michel—perhaps Geneviève, a woman who
would have been his equal—she could have borne it better. It was more hurtful
that he had chosen Gilberte, a girl with nothing on her mind more interesting
than nail polish.
    "I was lonely," Michel
said pathetically.
    "Spare me the sob story. You
weren't lonely—you were weak, dishonest, and faithless."
    "Flick, my darling, let's not
quarrel. Half our friends have just been killed. You're going back to England.
We could both die soon. Don't go away angry."
    "How can I not be angry? I'm
leaving you in the arms of your floozie!"
    "She's not a floozie—"
    "Skip the technicalities. I'm
your wife, but you're sharing her bed."
    Michel moved in his chair and winced
with pain; then he fixed Flick with his intense blue eyes."I plead
guilty," he said "I'm a louse. But I'm a louse who loves you, and I'm
just asking you to forgive me, this once, in case I never see you again."
    It was hard to resist. Flick weighed
five years of marriage against a fling with a popsie and gave in. She moved a
step toward him. He put his arms around her legs and pressed his face into the
worn cotton of her dress. She stroked his hair. "All right," she
said. "All right."
    "I'm so sorry," he said.
"I feel awful. You're the most wonderful woman I ever met, or even heard
of. I won't do it any more, I promise."
    The door opened, and Gilberte came
in with Claude. Flick gave a guilty start and released Michel's head from her
embrace. Then she felt stupid. He was her husband, not Gilberte's. Why should
she feel guilty about hugging him, even in Gilberte's apartment? She was angry
with herself.
    Gilberte looked shocked to see her
lover embracing his wife here, but she swiftly recovered her composure, and her
face assumed a frozen expression of indifference.
    Claude, a handsome young doctor,
followed her in, looking anxious.
    Flick went to Claude and kissed him
on both cheeks. "Thank you for coming," she said. "We're truly
grateful."
    Claude looked at Michel. "How
do you feel, old buddy?"
    "I've got a bullet in my
arse."
    "Then I'd better take it
out." He lost his worried air and became briskly professional. Turning to
Flick, he said, "Put some towels on the bed to soak up the blood, then get
his trousers off and lay him facedown. I'll wash my hands."
    Gilberte put old magazines on her
bed and towels over the paper while Flick got Michel up and helped him hobble
to the bed. As he lay down, she could not help wondering how many other times
he had lain here.
    Claude inserted a metal instrument
into the wound and felt around for the slug. Michel cried out with pain.
    "I'm sorry, old friend,"
Claude said solicitously.
    Flick almost took pleasure in the
sight of Michel in agony on the bed where he had formerly cried out with guilty
pleasure. She hoped he would always remember Gilberte's bedroom this way.
    Michel said, "Just get it over
with."
    Flick's vengeful feeling passed
quickly, and she felt sorry for Michel. She moved the pillow closer to his
face, saying, "Bite on this, it will help."
    Michel stuffed the pillow into his
mouth.
    Claude probed again, and this time
got the bullet out. Blood flowed freely for a few seconds, then slowed, and
Claude put a dressing on.
    "Keep as still as you can for a
few days," he advised Michel. That meant Michel would have to stay at
Gilberte's place. However, he would be too sore for sex, Flick thought with
grim satisfaction.
    "Thank you, Claude," she
said.
    "Glad to be able to help."
    "I have another request."
    Claude looked scared.
"What?"
    "I'm meeting a plane at a
quarter to midnight. I need you to drive me to Chatelle."
    "Why can't Gilberte take you,
in the car she used to come to my place?"
    "Because of the curfew. But
we'll be safe with you, you're a