Ensemble [Book 1: SEKTOR V Trilogy]

Chapter 10: Rendezvous at the Rathskeller

Chapter 10: Rendezvous at the Rathskeller

Maddy arrived a bit before eight at the Rathskeller with the intent to get a drink under her belt and organize her thoughts before the Professor showed up. As soon as she stepped inside the establishment, she realized that plan wasn't going to work. There was the Professor at the bar, in the very seat she would have taken had he not been there already.

Slightly annoying right off the bat. She smiled. But it's okay. Keep it friendly, on point, and professional.

Professor Karak caught sight of her and rose from the stool. "Hi Maddy, you look fantastic as usual."

"Thanks, Professor, it's great to see you again as well," she said, as he hugged her.

It was obvious he'd cleaned up from the last time she saw him just a few hours earlier. She also smelled the presence of cologne, which also was a new development.

Okay, just get to the point of why I'm here and sidestep everything else. She sat down on the stool next to Karak. "I am glad you had time, Professor, to join me. I'd like to discuss a few things with you and get your thoughts."

"Maddy, I will always, I repeat, always have time for you. And please, it's Edward." He smiled at her.

"Of course. Thank you, Edward, I certainly appreciate it. Let me cut to the chase and—"

"Wait a moment," he said. "A drink first. It can't be that important, and that time-sensitive."

"Sure, okay, thank you." She ordered a glass of Pinot Noir from the bartender.

"That's better. Now, as you were saying?"

"Professor, I'm sorry... Edward, there are a lot of things I want to discuss with you but I also need to be prudent. Can I ask you a question I should already know the answer to?"

"By all means."

"Do you still retain Organizational top-tier clearance?" she asked.

He chuckled and looked down into his glass.

"Is that a no?" she asked, concerned.

The bartender returned with her glass of wine. Maddy thanked him and took a sip. Ahh... Perfect.

"No, of course I do," Karak finally answered. "I tried several times to lose that albatross but no one would let me. 'Too important,' they said. 'Too important for what?' I asked them. 'I'm a teacher, not an Underground spy.'"

This time she laughed. "You know better than that. It's for briefing purposes and so that your research and others at The Institute can either counter or stay ahead of whatever godforsaken activity the Ministry is involved in or planning next."

"Yes, I know, I know. It's just that I'm becoming an old man who wants to be left out of all that and just do the good work of a plain, old scientist."

She laughed again. "Now you're being ridiculous! You are one of the planet's best scientists on almost everything related to time travel theory and application. You're invaluable to us. You've always been and you'll always be."

He looked up and joined her laughter with a smile of his own.

Hmm, maybe a bit too thick, she thought. But what she'd said was 100 percent true, no embellishment whatsoever. Still, he was obviously in a different place than she was so she needed to tread a little more carefully. She continued before he could interject.