Chapter 5

On Monday morning I called in sick. This was all going too quickly for me and if I wasn't careful it would spiral out of control. After a relaxed and excellent breakfast produced by Charles, I headed for the bank.

"Just let me make sure I've got this straight," I thought at Charles before we went in. "All I have to do is talk to one of the tellers for a few minute while you do some sort of mental scouting. You'll be able to find out all about our system of money and then we leave."

"Yes," he sighed. "Simple, isn't it? Even a moron like you should be able to do that without messing up. Assuming, that is, that the people who run this bank actually know anything at all."

There was a queue, of course. After five minutes Charles said, "You can leave now."

"But I haven't spoken to anyone yet."

"Doesn't matter. I have what I need,"

"Well, if you're sure."

It looked as though I would be waiting at least another five minutes so I left.

As we walked down the street, I thought. "So you can make bank notes that will be guaranteed okay?"

"Yes. It was disappointingly simple when I found out how it was done. I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything else. Hold out your hand."

£1,000 in slightly used tenners appeared in my hand.

"Charles, you idiot. What are you playing at? Nobody walks around with that much money in cash in their hand." I stuffed the wad of notes hurriedly into my jacket pocket and glanced around to see if anyone had noticed.

With that much money in my pocket I was decidedly nervous and hurried off immediately. I wanted to get home as quickly as possible. As I turned a corner to take a short-cut to the bus stop, I was suddenly bundled up against the wall and given a sharp blow on the head. I reeled dizzily and was pushed to the ground. A hand reached into my jacket pocket and removed the money. It was about to search my other pockets when footsteps could be heard approaching. My attacker leapt up and ran off.

"Are you okay?" a man's voice enquired as I struggled to my feet.

"Yes. Yes, thanks."

"What happened?"

"I... I tripped over something and bashed my head against the wall. I'll be fine. Honestly."

"Well, if you're quite sure..." The man hurried away.

I leaned against the wall for a while trying to calm down. Other than a bump on the head I wasn't hurt but I was trembling all over. My heart was pounding and I was couldn't breathe properly. Eventually I got control of myself and stood up. My initial fright turned to anger. Anger at Charles.

"Well, I hope you're pleased with yourself. You don't think. You don't ask. You're so bloody superior you think you know everything. You produce a thousand pounds right out in the open and, what do you know, I get mugged."

"How was I supposed to know?" he wailed. "I did not sense an attack was imminent. I cannot protect you if I can't read the signals."

"Of course not," I snorted. "You're so busy feeling superior to us primitives that you refuse to learn. Oh, no, you know it all. Whatever it is, Charles knows best. Remind me not to depend on you in a real emergency."

"I admit I failed to protect you. But that person acted in a most uncivilised manner. It was a totally unprovoked attack."

"It wasn't unprovoked; I was standing in the street waving a huge wad of cash. What did you expect — a formal declaration of war? This is the 21st Century and these things happen. When are you going to start listening to me, for God's sake?"

"There's no need to be like that about it. I did admit I failed to protect you. Anyway, you weren't badly hurt and I can make as much money as you want."

"Oh, great. Thanks a bunch. For your information people have been killed for a good deal less than a thousand pounds. And it was no thanks to you I wasn't badly hurt. Get your head out of your arse, Charles."

"There's no more to be said, then."

I hoped his fit of pique was the result of a guilty conscience but, somehow, I doubted it. Never had I come across anyone quite so conceited. I could only hope his powers were as great as his opinion of himself.

I was still feeling shaky when I got home and my head hurt. I could have asked Charles to fix it but really couldn't face another round of sparring with him so I made a cup of coffee the old-fashioned way, took a couple of aspirin and went to bed.

When I awoke early on Tuesday I felt much better. Charles had obviously been thinking for her was all over himself with his apologies. Unfortunately I found these to be almost as tiresome as his arrogance; it seemed there were no half-measures with Charles. In the interests of peace, I resisted the temptation to rub his nose into the fact that he had failed and merely commented that he should regard this as a 'focus point' and keep a look out for anyone wishing to do me harm.