The Anvil by Ken McClure Read Free Book Online Page B

copies. He wouldn’t even tell me why he wanted them. He just informed me that I had my orders and that I should obey them. I’m afraid I got rather rude at this point.’
    ‘Oh dear,’ said Tansy.
    ‘The next day I was summoned to the Stagelplatz to explain myself. I decided to go on the offensive and went in to the meeting with all guns blazing. The Cytogerm project was the brainchild of my division I insisted and no petty bureaucrat was going to tell me to hand over my files without explaining why.’
    ‘How did they take that?’ asked Tansy.
    They smiled and nodded like these little dogs you see in the backs of cars. They were niceness itself and apologised for Von Jonek’s rudeness. It rather took the wind out of my sails. Von Jonek was the company archivist, they explained. It was unfortunate that he had such an abrupt manner but he simply wanted the information for the company’s records.’
    ‘I felt pretty stupid and to cover my discomfort I asked innocently where they kept these records. They took this as a sign of disbelief on my part. The temperature suddenly fell ten degrees and all the smiles round the table faded like snow in summer. One of the directors got up and came round from behind the table. He came right up to me and leaned down until his face was less than inches from mine. I could even admire the bridgework on his teeth when he spoke.
    ‘Dr MacLean,’ he said. ‘I think we’ve finished with you. Get out.’
    ‘What did you do?’
    ‘I got out.’
    ‘Did you have to give them the files?’ asked Tansy.
    MacLean smiled ruefully and said, ‘I didn’t get the chance. Shortly afterwards, there was a fire at the clinic. Officially, the records were destroyed.’
    ‘And unofficially?’
    ‘The fire was started deliberately.’
    ‘But why?’
    ‘To cover up the fact that the clinic had been broken into and all the files on Cytogerm removed.’
    ‘By the company?’ asked Tansy.
    ‘I was too stupid to realise that at the time. I thought some outside agency must be interested in Cytogerm. I even reported this to the directors.’
    ‘Oh dear,’ said Tansy.
    ‘Oh dear indeed,’ agreed MacLean.
    The silence grew long and Tansy said softly, ‘What happened then?’
    MacLean sat looking at the floor but not seeing anything as he was forced to rekindle memories that he would much rather have left undisturbed. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘No more.’
    Tansy put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. She said, ‘Occupational therapy Doctor.’
    ‘I’m sorry?’ said MacLean.
    ‘I’m prescribing occupational therapy for you … an igloo?’
    MacLean got the message and nodded. He got up and went out into the garden to help Carrie. Tansy was right about the therapeutic value of physical distraction. MacLean directed all his energy and concentration to the construction of Carrie’s igloo and she was delighted. Grown-ups usually got bored after half an hour and said that they were going for a cup of tea and, in her experience, they seldom came back. The pair of them stayed in the garden until the light became a leaden grey and the orange glow from inside the bungalow beckoned them indoors.
    Carrie went off to her room to change her wet clothes and MacLean joined Tansy in the kitchen. ‘I have to go,’ he said.
    Tansy did not turn round but she stopped what she was doing. ‘Why?’ she asked.
    ‘This is not my world,’ said MacLean.
    ‘Why not?’ asked Tansy.
    MacLean found the question difficult. He searched for an answer but only came up with, ‘Because it isn’t. You and Carrie are just two people I bumped into by accident yesterday.’
    ‘You saved Carrie’s life,’ said Tansy.
    ‘I happened to be there that’s all,’ said MacLean. ‘There is no obligation on you because of it.’
    ‘It has nothing to do with obligation,’ said Tansy. ‘You are welcome here in this house. You build snowmen in the garden with my daughter. You sit at our table and by the fire