and causing him to check his watch and utter curses under his breath. When he finally pulled to their destination, Viktor jumped out of the taxi and handed the man a crisp hundred Euro note and told him to wait for his return. The taxi driver’s displeasure with the fare suddenly faded as he took the note and placed the taxi in Park.
Viktor went to the front of the curio shop and the bell rang above the door as he entered. He glanced around the shop, loo king for the curator. He found him, sitting behind the counter, an espresso in his withered hand, his round spectacles at the end of his nose and a copy of the Tribune de Geneve spread out before him. “Ah, Viktor, I was beginning to worry about you.”
“Alfonse, I would have called, but the plane would not a llow cell phone use,” Viktor replied. He approached the man and carefully embraced the aged man, a slight kiss to each cheek. The old man looked much worse than last Viktor had seen him, the wrinkles in his face more pronounced, the hair a duller shade of white, his eyes less of a gleam. Viktor knew that his years were catching up to him.
“I swear, Viktor, I don’t know how you do it.” Alfonse held him at arm’s length and eyed him head to toe. “You look exactly as you did back in the war.”
“You are too kind, my friend,” Viktor lied. He was sure that Alfonse suspected his supernatural secret, but he never dared ask. “I hate to rush you, but do you have it?”
The old man patted his shoulder reassuringly. “Never have I let you down, have I?” He motioned Viktor to the back of the shop where he kept his safes. “This was a bit of a rush job, you know, but I think you will be pleased with the quality.” He opened the larger of his safes and pulled out a small lock box. “I’m sure you’ll appreciate how difficult it is to replicate such things from drawings, no?”
“I understand, my friend, and I do appreciate the rush.” Viktor opened the lock box and with a jewelers loupe he inspected each piece. “These are exquisite.”
“But, of course.” The old man laughed. “You expected less? Viktor, you know me better than that.”
“Alfonse, I’m at a loss. You had merely a few days’ time and to work only from drawings…I am truly impressed.” Viktor was at a loss for words at the quality and craftsmanship that he was holding in his hands. “You have truly outdone yourself.”
“Anything for a friend,” Alfonse stated proudly. Viktor stood erect and closed the lock box. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an envelope.
He pressed it tightly into Alfonse’s hand. “Our agreed upon amount.”
Alfonse felt the thickness of the envelope in his hand. “U nless I am losing my mind, there is a considerable amount more in here.” He eyed Viktor cautiously. “Unless you have begun paying an old man in single Euros?”
“No, my friend.” Viktor smiled sadly at him. He caressed his cheek and felt his own eyes begin to mist. “I fear that I may never see you again. I wanted to ensure that your remaining years were comfortable. That is all.”
Alfonse nodded. “I do not know what you are up to these days, but I do hope you will be careful, Viktor. You and I have been friends for far too long for you to be taking wild chances.” Alfonse pulled his glasses down and looked at him over the rims. “And just because you look the same as you did during the war, does not mean that you are the same young man. It is a young man’s world out there. We are old men and we need to leave the dangerous things to the younger men.”
Viktor nodded, “I plan to, Alfonse. I just fear that I may not be able to travel much more and…”
“Do not try to kid me, Viktor,” he said emphatically. “We’ve been through too much together. Just promise me that whatever you have planned, you will be careful.”
Viktor stared at the old man before him and nodded. “I will. I give you my word.”
The two embraced one last time and
Viktor went to the front of the curio shop and the bell rang above the door as he entered. He glanced around the shop, loo king for the curator. He found him, sitting behind the counter, an espresso in his withered hand, his round spectacles at the end of his nose and a copy of the Tribune de Geneve spread out before him. “Ah, Viktor, I was beginning to worry about you.”
“Alfonse, I would have called, but the plane would not a llow cell phone use,” Viktor replied. He approached the man and carefully embraced the aged man, a slight kiss to each cheek. The old man looked much worse than last Viktor had seen him, the wrinkles in his face more pronounced, the hair a duller shade of white, his eyes less of a gleam. Viktor knew that his years were catching up to him.
“I swear, Viktor, I don’t know how you do it.” Alfonse held him at arm’s length and eyed him head to toe. “You look exactly as you did back in the war.”
“You are too kind, my friend,” Viktor lied. He was sure that Alfonse suspected his supernatural secret, but he never dared ask. “I hate to rush you, but do you have it?”
The old man patted his shoulder reassuringly. “Never have I let you down, have I?” He motioned Viktor to the back of the shop where he kept his safes. “This was a bit of a rush job, you know, but I think you will be pleased with the quality.” He opened the larger of his safes and pulled out a small lock box. “I’m sure you’ll appreciate how difficult it is to replicate such things from drawings, no?”
“I understand, my friend, and I do appreciate the rush.” Viktor opened the lock box and with a jewelers loupe he inspected each piece. “These are exquisite.”
“But, of course.” The old man laughed. “You expected less? Viktor, you know me better than that.”
“Alfonse, I’m at a loss. You had merely a few days’ time and to work only from drawings…I am truly impressed.” Viktor was at a loss for words at the quality and craftsmanship that he was holding in his hands. “You have truly outdone yourself.”
“Anything for a friend,” Alfonse stated proudly. Viktor stood erect and closed the lock box. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an envelope.
He pressed it tightly into Alfonse’s hand. “Our agreed upon amount.”
Alfonse felt the thickness of the envelope in his hand. “U nless I am losing my mind, there is a considerable amount more in here.” He eyed Viktor cautiously. “Unless you have begun paying an old man in single Euros?”
“No, my friend.” Viktor smiled sadly at him. He caressed his cheek and felt his own eyes begin to mist. “I fear that I may never see you again. I wanted to ensure that your remaining years were comfortable. That is all.”
Alfonse nodded. “I do not know what you are up to these days, but I do hope you will be careful, Viktor. You and I have been friends for far too long for you to be taking wild chances.” Alfonse pulled his glasses down and looked at him over the rims. “And just because you look the same as you did during the war, does not mean that you are the same young man. It is a young man’s world out there. We are old men and we need to leave the dangerous things to the younger men.”
Viktor nodded, “I plan to, Alfonse. I just fear that I may not be able to travel much more and…”
“Do not try to kid me, Viktor,” he said emphatically. “We’ve been through too much together. Just promise me that whatever you have planned, you will be careful.”
Viktor stared at the old man before him and nodded. “I will. I give you my word.”
The two embraced one last time and
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