Friday, September 14, 2012

Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square, Chapter 139


Chapter 139: 
A Fight 


What was that crashing I heard?” Robert shouted from the adjoining room.

“It’s nothing, Sir.” Charles called back, standing over the, again, unconscious body of the Duke of Fallbridge.

Charles turned and hurried to the door which separated the nursery from the Duke’s chamber. He opened it slightly. “I knocked something over.”

Robert rose from Gerard’s bedside. He wiped his bloody hands on a cloth. “Gamilla, would you please clean up Gerard a bit?”

Gamilla nodded.

“I’ve gotten the wound sutured. Now he needs rest.” Robert smiled.

“He ain’t gonna die, Sir?” Gamilla asked softly.

“No.” Robert shook his head. “However, he’ll need to stay in bed for quite some time so that he can regain his strength.”

“I’ll look after him, Sir.” Gamilla said, relief evident in her voice.

“I think we’ll assign Georgie to care for him.” Robert said. “I’d prefer that you continue to take care of Colin.”

“Yes, Sir.” Gamilla answered.

“Not to worry,” Robert said quickly. “You’ll have plenty of time with Gerard. After all, his Grace and I will wish to stay with Colin more closely now that…” Robert paused, recalling the horrors of the evening, but, most of all the fact that—as far as he knew—his companion was still in the same state in which Robert had left him.

He was still unconscious, yes. But, the Duke was hardly in the same state.

Robert, continuing to wipe his hands, walked across the room and pushed open the door to the nursery with his foot.

“Charles?” Robert whispered as he entered the nursery. “Is Colin quite all right? What was upset in here?”

Charles bit his lip as Robert entered the room.

Robert’s eyes grew wide when he spied the Duke’s body on the floor. “What in Hell…”

“Sir,” Charles began quickly.

Robert interrupted him. “What is the Duke doing on the floor?”

“I punched him in the jaw, Sir.” Charles flinched.

“You…you…what?”

“I had to.” Charles said softly.

Robert hurried to the Duke’s side and knelt down. “Let me understand this. His Grace regained consciousness and…and you struck him?”

“It wasn’t His Grace. It wasn’t Mr. Punch.” Charles shook his head. “It was another…someone else.”

“Guignol?” Robert asked. “He’s harmless. He appears to personify His Grace’s sense of anxiety and worry. Despite speaking only in French, he’s…well, he’s no threat to anyone.”

“Not Guignol, Sir.” Charles answered.

“Ah, it was Mr. Scaramouche.” Robert sighed. “Then, you did the right thing. Scaramouche is a creature of pure anger. He’s irritational…you recall in…”

“No.” Charles interrupted. “It wasn’t Scaramouche either.”

“Who, then?” Robert barked. “That’s all there is.” He clenched his eyes shut, hoping that such an action would help him control himself. “There was another voice, wasn’t there?”

Charles wasn’t sure what to say.

“Dear Punch mentioned once that…when…” Robert gulped, sinking a little further to the floor. “He once heard another voice from within, but that it faded…” Robert lowered his head. “It faded—long before we came back to England. I didn’t…”

“Sir.” Charles knelt down.

“What did it call itself?” Robert asked emotionally. “Himself? What name?”

“Kasperl.”

Robert shook his head. “German.”

“Yes, Sir.” Charles nodded.

“Mr. Punch told me of a time when he and his father had visited a small town in the North where they happened upon a German busker who called his puppet Kasperl. He was rather like Punchinello, I’m told. What’s this…entity…persona…” Robert trembled. “What’s he like?”

“Dangerous, Sir.” Charles answered softly. “Not at all like Mr. Punch. Cold. Authoritative. He told me that he wished to destroy the Duke’s body. I didn’t know what else to do. So…I struck him. I hoped that, perhaps, the blow to the head might…”

“Shake Mr. Punch loose again?”

“Perhaps.” Charles blushed.

“That’s not the way it works,” Robert muttered.

“How does it work?”

“I don’t exactly know, but I’m fairly certain that…well, that’s not the way to do it.”

“I couldn’t let him harm Mr. Punch…errrr…the Duke. Or, even Colin.”

“I don’t fault you, Charles.” Robert mumbled. He reached forward. “Help me up.”

Charles helped the doctor to his feet.

“Let’s get His Grace back to the sofa.” Robert pointed. Together, they lifted the Duke and carried him to the more comfortable spot.

“Will you leave me with him?” Robert asked, once the Duke had been made, at least, to look more comfortable.

“Where shall I go?”

“Check on Gamilla and Gerard. Just for a few moments.”

“Were you able to…”

“Yes. I sutured the wound. I believe he’ll be fine. The medicine which I have him to numb him should wear off soon. He’ll be glad to see you.”

“I’ll leave the door opened, Sir.”

“Yes.” Robert nodded. “I’ll call if I need you.”

Robert watched as Charles exited the room. Before leaving, Charles paused and said quietly. “I am sorry, Sir. You know I’d not hurt His Grace for the world.”

Robert nodded slowly.

Alone with his companion, Robert took a deep breath and looked at the bruise which angrily grew on the Duke’s face.

“I don’t know how,” Robert said aloud. “But, I’m not going to let this Kasperl nor anyone else take over my Punch’s body. So, whoever is listening in there—know that you’ve got a fight on your hands.”



Did you miss Chapters 1-138? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 140 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square.


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