Forgiveness Has Its Sides.

Susan had as you remember decided to forgive the attempt of rape that George White had committed back in 1949. And as a token of her real forgiveness, she did not take that up with the Gárda when questioned next morning.

"We cannot keep him if we cannot prove he had no criminal intent against you."

"But burglary?"

"You said nothing was missing, right?"

"No."

"Did you see him pick things?"

"No. I just caught him where he should not be."

"And the earlier bad behaviour was not bad enough for you to lodge a complaint against him either?"

"As said, it was ugly, but as I have forgiven him, I do not delve into it."

"He walks, then. Just one moment for you to change your mind."

"No, I won't."

"Then he walks."

And he went down the corridors, turned a corner and after a minute or two came back with - George White.

"He generously said he would not file a complaint against you for violence, since you were a bit hysterical."

They went out. The Gárda man came back and said:

"Now you may walk too."

And Susan left the office. George - as in Georgina this time - was waiting outside.

"Well, I am glad he did not file a complaint," said she, as they started walking. "As I hurt him most, and since this does not count as self-defense, I might have, if not gone to prison, since I 'took him for a burglar' (as if he weren't), at least paid some fines for excess in defense and for the mistake."

"But how could he explain it?"

"He had lived in the house before you. He wanted to get a few old chests out. He tried to ask you in a friendly manner, but after your old history (the nature of which you would not tell) ... well, he got off with a warning too."

"And what did he say about our old history?"

"He slandered you."

"What did he say?"

"That you had had the hots for him and been sudden shy when he tried to go about it."

"That is also a way of putting it. I went out with him, and I liked him in a friendly fashion as long as he showed no too personal interests in me."

And they rounded a corner ... and there he was.

"Ah, my lady, you do hurt me as you say that you know!" (wonderful how much more suave he was when George was around thought Susan). "No, do not scowl! I will admit I went too far, and should not have taken up any kind of contact with you ever again. But ... I was put under pressure."

"Under pressure?" said both girls.

"Well, can I offer you a drink while we talk?"

"Not for me, please!" said Susan.

"Not for me neither," said George (or Georgina as we will call her when George White is along) with some solidarity for Su.

"Then let us sit, next park."

They did. He started explaining. It seems his father was being held hostage, while everyone believed he was away in Israel, which was not true. A hostage by the policeman who had sat in the car when Susan was taken to the judge, a hostage by the shrink Coon, a hostage by the guy who had wanted to bomb Dresden ... and a few others. So, in order to free his father, who by the way would have to swear on the Torah not to speak about it, if and when he was released, he had to do another dirty trick on Susan.

"Namely?" said Susan with a bit sharpness.

"Arrange some oddity about the electric lights. Make you doubt your sanity. Make others doubt it if you wouldn't."

"What kind of oddity is that?"

"Well, turning it up and down and on and off ... especially when you were sleeping, so as to wake you."

"And if I had said it was most certainly not me who turned it on and off?"

"Well, in the eyes of some doctors that would seem a bit odd. They might conclude you did it to yourself out of some kind of attention seeking ..."

"But that would be a lie!"

"And they have always been able to tell lies from truth in your own experience?"

She was silent for a moment before saying: "no."

"You see, what a plan that was."

"Are you going to try carrying it out now?"

"When I told you?" He paused. Then he added with a gleam in his eyes: "that would be pretty diabolical."

Susan looked at him as if he was something the cat had brought in, some dead rodent, which, being no cat, she had no appetite for.

"No, I will not. Father may be killed for me not serving them, but on the day of judgement he shan't have to be ashamed also."

"Something we could do to help him?" Susan asked.

"Na, not likely."

"Are you aware who George here is?"

"You mean Georgina?"

From her he got a frown and fro Su a "don't call her that."

"No, we did not really catch her back in that day, she went to hiding with the tinkers or something. Odd, we usually get to know who most people are."

"Heard of Famous Five?"

"No ... not really."

Then he went on: "oh, you mean the four kids with a dog who were the terror of criminals not to mention of constable .... in the early forties? The ones who snooped around where police would not? Julian, Richard, Anne and a Georgina who insisted on being called George? Plus a Tim who was more of use through his clumsiness than through ... wait, are you that 'George'?"

"I am."

"And your cousins are still alive and well and ... could you do something for my pa, please?"