Chapter 12

We were met in the terminal by a group of men who were obviously bodyguards and Duke Albert. As I expected, he was barely cordial to me. He obviously adored Alice though. He seemed troubled.

The only reason that I was still close to her was that she had grabbed and held on tightly to my hand as the bodyguards tried to separate us.

She shouted, “Arreter!” Everyone stopped moving. She then harangued all of them in French. Even Duke Albert looked abashed. She continued to speak angrily. Then she turned, still not having released my hand. “Sam, we’re going back to Alabama as fast as the jet can be prepared.”

Duke Albert paled. The bodyguards were scared. The Duke said, “Princess Alice, we can’t permit that. Your father gave me strict instructions to ensure that you came to the palace.”

Alice was angry. “So, you are instead guaranteeing that Sam and I will seek to escape forever from this place in any manner possible. My father is wrong in this and so are you. Shoot us and bring our dead bodies to my father for that is now the only way I will enter the palace again! Sam was right. You and my father are inhuman and terrible people. Sam should have killed you when you invaded his property!”

I could tell Duke Albert didn’t know what to do. I said quietly, “Now that you have found bullying won’t work. Perhaps you might call for different instructions or shoot us as you have been ordered to threaten to do. I felt coming here was a mistake. Your country is cruel and malicious in how it treats people even other members of its royalty. We’re leaving this inhospitable place.”

Duke Albert was angry and perplexed. The bodyguards really didn’t know what to do but had backed off. Alice guided us to a couch and we sat down. She looked at Duke Albert without any compromise in her eyes. He had just stood there as we had moved over to sit down. She looked back toward our exit area and saw our cases being brought into the area. She pointed at them and told the people to bring them to us and set them down.

Obviously, her intent was that we were at an impasse unless someone wanted to resort to violence. So far, that hadn’t occurred yet. I had no firearm with me and wouldn’t have used one if I had it unless and until someone had offered me violence first.

After a few moments of tenseness, Duke Albert moved away to make a call. He came back. He said, “Your father insists you come to the palace.”

Alice turned to one of the bodyguards. She said something in French and then gave an order. He reluctantly handed her his weapon. She took it, released the safety, and held it under her chin. “Either let us back on the plane, Uncle Albert, so we may return to the United States or I will pull the trigger. You can bring my dead body to my father if that’s what you two want.”

She looked at me with sorrowful eyes. ‘Sam, I’m sorry. I will probably not be alive much longer. I will tell you that I have come to love you and your land.”

I saw her finger tighten and I grabbed her hand pulling the pistol away from her head so that the shot went into the ceiling. I thought Albert was going to have a heart attack. I know I almost did. I said, “Alice, you’re better than this. Let it go. Go on to the palace. I’ll leave the country and go home by normal means.”

She said, “No, Sam. This is a face-off. I will forever be a slave to my father unless I carry this through. My father doesn’t understand. I think Albert is just beginning to realize how serious I am.”

I understood. She had just come an instant from killing herself. The Duke realized that the only reason her dead body wasn’t lying on the floor was that I had pulled the gun away. He walked slowly over to a chair and sat in it with a thump. The bodyguards didn’t know what to do. Alice spoke in French to them and they took seats in an adjacent seating area.

The Duke’s phone was out and he was talking on it worriedly. Finally, he said, “I have resigned from government service. Your Highness, I believe you are right and the King is wrong in this matter. Your father is coming to the terminal.” He bowed. “I am going to my home, Your Highness. I wish you good luck.”