Chapter 13
South of France
Between two
worlds life hovers like a star, twixt night and morn, upon the horizon's verge. – Lord Byron
Things have
their forms not only in space, but also in time.-Alan Moore
Marie
watched the landscape change through the car window. The Doctor had taken a cheek swab at Barry’s
suggestion, and they took their leave.
Now, the last of the Parisian suburbs faded into a patchwork of farm
fields and woods … in the distance hills and mountains loomed. Old farm houses, cottages, chalets dotted the
countryside, for that is what the view became much more quickly than she had
expected. She was so enthralled by the
sight that she forgot to be mad at her crazy driver. She didn’t really believe Barry Allen to be
crazy, but his story sure was. She
wondered if his name was really Barry Allen or not. Did it matter? He was taking her where she needed to go, and
he made her feel safe. For some reason,
she trusted him.
“Are
you hungry?” His question startled her out of her quiet contemplation of the
passing scenery.
“Yeah,
actually, I am.”
Barry
reached back and lifted a bag off the back seat, scarcely taking his eyes off
the road in doing so, and dropped it in Marie’s lap.
“Here,
there’s some stuff to eat in there.”
She
opened the bag, and found half a baguette, some cheese, a couple of apples and
a bottle of water. She hungrily removed
the baguette, broke off a piece, stuck it in her mouth and began chewing.
“Thank
you,” she said with food in her mouth.
“No
problem. I live to serve,” he responded
cheerfully.
Their
route took them through winding mountain roads, past vineyards that stretched
as far as you could see … into plains and more fields … of wheat, corn, and
soybeans … then hilly terrain pocked with olive trees. They drove past a large body of water,
shining blue, boats scattered across it.
“What
is that a bay of some kind?”
“That,
my dear Ms. Brabant, is the Mediterranean Sea.
You may have heard of it.”
She
gasped. “Wow, I didn’t think we’d see it
on our way down.”
“Sure,
Belziers and Monteplier are busy seaports, that’s why Languedoc became so
important a location so early in history.
We’re really not far now. I think
you fell asleep for a while there, without realizing it … probably a reaction
to the Doc’s supersonic vibrational cleansing.
It’s not uncommon. And a dash of
jet lag”
“So,
that wand thing cleared up my infection?”
“Hasn’t
failed yet, so I don’t imagine you would be the first. Plus the Doc said you were clean, and he
knows what he’s talking about.”
“Do
you really believe that this brain parasite is some kind of invasion thing,
like you said? It’s hard to believe something
like that isn’t it?”
“Yes,
I do, and yes it is. But I’ve seen too
many things that only make sense if you look at the Toxies in that light. Like Wally, for example.”
“So,
what happened to him?”
“Like
I said, Wallace Patel had a weakness for the young ladies, and they got him.”
“How
do you mean, they got him … I get you believe he was infected with this Toxo
stuff … but can you be more specific in how they use him, if that’s the right
way to put it?”
“It’s
a long story, that won’t make sense until you meet the team at the Chateau … and
see what exactly we’re up to down here.
But, I promise I will answer your every question to your satisfaction at
that time. Fair?”
“I
guess.”
Marie
ate quietly and stared at the changing scenery that passed by her window. The South of France, at last, she thought.
copyright 2017 Diana Hignutt
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