Daisy and Bernard (The Blind Sleuth Mysteries 3)

Chapter 11

"...during the whole month of September, the Monday demonstrations in Leipzig—and in other Eastern German cities—have been growing steadily. At the beginning of the month, we were still speaking about 1,200 to 1,500 demonstrators, many of whom were beaten or arrested by the police and the army. By September 25, the protests attracted 8,000 demonstrators. Then, the fifth successive Monday demonstration on 2 October attracted 10,000 protesters, and the Party leader Erich Honecker issued a shoot and kill order to the military. The communist authorities prepared a huge police, militia, Stasi, and troop presence and there were rumours of a Tiananmen Square-style massacre being planned for the following Monday's demonstration on 9 October.

"Now tell me, Harold, you were there in Leipzig and witnessed the outcome, the climax of this dramatic face-off. First, what was your take on this confrontation beforehand?"

"Well, Alastair, I thought the authorities were making a huge mistake by announcing this repression. If they thought people would stay at home because of it, they were wrong. They could only lose the moral high ground, either by beating down the protest or by backing down. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. And the opposition leaders, of course, were smart enough to see that. They didn't dream of calling off the whole thing..."

"So what happened on the ninth?"

"Well, in spite of the dramatic threats, a staggering 70,000 citizens turned up in Leipzig yesterday, and to make a long story short, the foot soldiers on the ground refused to open fire. Now this victory of the people facing down the communist guns is probably going to encourage even more citizens to take to the streets. So I'm really anxious to see what will happen next Monday..."

Daisy sighed, "Dramatic developments... We're witnessing the demise of communism, as I already told you."

"Still seems a bit doubtful to me, that," Bernard answered. "There have been similar upheavals before, you know."

"Yes, but this time it's the Soviets themselves who are stoking the unrest. That Gorbachev is incredible. For the first time the outcome seems wide open."

"I must admit that I don't understand that man's game..."

"You admit that, Bernard? You of all people?"

Bernard chuckled and stretched his arms and neck a little, while Daisy bounded over to his stereo tower and switched off the radio. Her favourite news magazine was over. Then she came back and sat down on her stool behind the wheelchair. With her arms around Bernard's shoulders and her hands enfolding his face, she started to palpate his features with her fingertips. "Now where were we?"

"The hollow between my left eye and the root of my nose?"

"Yes, your nose! What should I do with it, Bernard? You've only got one and it's badly damaged... Don't you have a cousin or something, who has the nose you'd have had without the accident?"

"Hmm, clever thinking. I have a cousin named Claire. Nice lady. Not a beauty, but she definitely has the Thistlehurst nose. So you want her to sit for you too?"

"You've got it in one! At least if you like the idea of your portrait having Claire's nose."

"Oh yes. Even Claire will like the idea, I'm sure."

Now Daisy let go of Bernard and turned to a modelling stand right next to his wheelchair. There was a life-size clay head set up on a steel armature. The clay had been allowed to go a bit leathery by letting the rags that kept it moist become progressively dryer and dryer. The modelling of Bernard's portrait was in its last stages now, and that sitting with Cousin Claire would have to be soon. Daisy enfolded the face of the portrait with her hands and started working on it from behind, exactly in the same way she probed the sitter's features. This was a brand new approach, never tried before, and only suitable for a blind artist, of course. Daisy thought that it worked like a charm. She was very enthusiastic.