My Little Pixie

Chapter Thirty-Seven - A Plan

Early the next evening, my pixie and I arrived home. The other two Musketeers had travelled separately so the two of us had the chance to enjoy a meal on our own. But, afterwards, I had to send her away. I needed to spend a couple of hours catching up on the work that I had missed whilst I had been on holiday.

However, within ten minutes, she came knocking at my office door, clutching her laptop. She looked distinctly worried.

"Whatever is the matter?" I asked.

"I've got my exam results!"

"And?"

"I don't know. I haven't dared open the email yet."

So I pulled her onto my lap, opened the laptop on the desk in front of me and wrapped my arms around her. She took a deep breath then clicked the button.

For several seconds she was silent then she let out an almighty squeal. "I did it!"

I wrapped her up in a hug and held her tight for a few seconds, rocking her from side to side in celebration. "Well done!" I said. "I had every confidence in you!"

Then she turned round and looked me in the eye. "Thank you for the whole bossy business," she said slightly formally, "and for making me do the work.

"May I?" I asked and, when she gave me a nod, I read the email over her shoulder.

"Only a lower second class pass," I observed slightly caustically.

"Yeah... I know. But before you took over my life, I was going to fail... and it does mean that I can drop that horrible literature stuff next year... and maybe take up French again."

"I suppose, when you look at it like that, it's not too disappointing," I said. "But next year I expect an upper second... and in your final year, I am not going to be satisfied with anything less than a first."

Her mouth fell open as she stared at me in shock and outrage - so I felt obliged to tickle her ribs. But then I said, "I will be understanding if you fail to meet these targets because you are genuinely incapable. However, as I said before, you are not going to fail through want of effort."

She thought about this as she nuzzled her head back into my shoulder. "Fair enough, I suppose."

We were disturbed by a ringing and, after giving her a slight smile of apology, I answered. It was Thomas on the special encrypted phone.

"Hi there, Boss," he said. "We've picked up some activity at the Warehouse. I've got a couple of photos for you."

I froze as the first picture began to scan, agonisingly slowly, up the screen. It took about ten seconds but then a familiar face could be seen. She looked older, of course, but that was a face that I was never going to forget.

"Is that..." my little pixie began but I hurriedly shook her into silence. And, when she turned to look at me, I put a finger to my lips. For a moment, her forehead wrinkled but, soon, her eyes were shining with understanding.

And I gave her a nod. We were looking at a picture of Zannale.

Then a second picture began to scan up the screen: a man... an older man.

And I suddenly realised that I was looking into the face of my implacable enemy - Nathaniel Mylar. The similarity with his brother was unmissable though he looked much younger and very much healthier.

I must have stared at that face for much too long because I was disturbed by a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for helping me to pass," my little pixie said, slightly formally, "I promise to try properly from the start of next term. Now please may I go and phone the others?"