Daedalus Krane and the Hand of God

Chapter 7

'Tea is the product of a civilised nation, coffee the chattering classes.'  

Beetleback  

They sat in a lofty glass house for breakfast, around a small wooden table that had been placed there for the purpose. The early morning sunlight, thin and weak, filtered through the canopy of leaves before cascading down to form dappled pools of quicksilver which gently ebbed and flowed across the wall behind them. An elderly gardener shuffled to and fro with a small tin watering can cautiously dispensing small draughts here and there amongst the forest of banana plants and citrus fruits.  

Flo studied Daedalus. He looked remarkable, the swelling on his face had almost disappeared. His nose so bloodied yesterday now bore just a thin scar. He looked ruggedly handsome in the outfit Beetleback had prepared so attentively for him, a smart knee length frock coat elegantly draped over a red Chinese silk waistcoat and immaculately pressed white silk shirt. His arm had been bandaged up and now hung against his chest in a new cotton sling. No doubt Beetleback's work as well.  

Flo had dithered between a bodice dress laid out on her bed and the other option Beetleback had considerately left for her, a black hussar's jacket and neat white riding breeches which after little thought she'd plumped for.  

Flo sat back, her arms ached and eyes still stung from the acrid smoke of the fire. She closed her eyes and inhaled the sweet smell of lemon blossom that hung thick in the air. When she opened them she saw that Daedalus was deeply absorbed in a four day old edition of The Times thoughtfully placed on the table some moments earlier by Beetleback.  

'My father was a keen horticulturist once but lost interest. It's hard to keep the plants alive, the water from the lake is brackish so we have to water them sparingly, 'offered Azad genially across the lace tablecloth.  

'A cactus garden might be more appropriate perhaps.' Beetle stood attentively by the table holding a silver platter laden with fruit. 'Might I offer you some tea. We have a full bodied Assam, a first flush from Darjeeling you may enjoy or alternatively a rather pleasant Nilgiri. I'm afraid the Ceylon tea is no longer available, the island is suffering more than we are.'  

'Coffee?' Enquired Flo hopefully.  

Beetleback's owl like eyebrows raised themselves imperceptibly. 'The Earl Grey is particularly popular with our English visitors Miss.'  

'The Earl Grey it is then.' Flo responded diplomatically.  

'Doctor Krane?'  

Daedalus, engrossed in the thick print of the paper replied languorously, 'Eh? Oh the Ceylon I think.'  

Flo kicked him under the table  

'What ? Sorry.' He lowered the paper and peered at Beetleback over his bent wire rimmed glasses. 'Earl Grey would be fine, thank you Beetleback.'  

'Of course Sir.' Beetleback made his way off to the large table strategically positioned out of earshot at the end of the glass house.  

Azad leant forward and whispered conspiratorially to Flo, 'Beetleback disapproves of coffee for breakfast. Tea it must be otherwise it signifies the end of civilization as we know it.'  

'I guessed as much.'  

Daedalus had returned his attention to the Times and flipped methodically through the paper, stopping here and there as certain articles caught his attention.  

Foreign News -Cult members support food riots in Europe. The Times correspondent of France states that in common with unrest across Europe bought about by continued severe weather conditions over the last five years the recently reported food riots in Paris continued over the weekend. The Parisian crowd was swelled by the members of the Order of Ra Nesoti. Rioters built a number of stockades to prevent movement of the local city police. Shots were fired to disperse the crowd. Three rioters were killed and two members of the police were hurt in the disorder.