Phantom in the Morning

It was six-thirty when David stopped his bike in front of the main gate of the palace. It and the gate were locked with four triggers. So he rode up to the small gate through which he had entered the property at night. The lock, of course, was still broken, so he didn't even need to use a spare set of keys. He opened the gate and started working on the mechanism. After a few minutes, he decided that there was no way out, and it was necessary to replace more than just the spring. He will have to ask Meiden if he wishes to have a blacksmith make a copy of the old lock, or does he prefer something newer, harder to break into?

Leading the bike, the boy looked around the property. He needed to see if everything was in order, or if any adjustments needed to be made before the owner got up. He didn't want to pass off unfinished work. Here it was about their professionalism and reputation as a company. Normally it would have been his father who would have made such an inspection, but he had had his leg in a cast for two weeks, and all that time it had been David who had been handling the finishing touches, so he was best introduced to any ongoing issues.

So far, everything looked good. No plaster was falling off the main building, no boards left behind or empty cement bags or fertilizer bags falling over anywhere. Birds were singing happily and the air was filled with the intense scent of lilies and roses.

All right, he muttered to himself. Certainly not cleaned up is the tool case that fell out of his hand yesterday when Meiden knocked him to the ground. The tools belonged to his uncle's company and one of the employees forgot to take it. David planned to clean it up in the shed where all the tools were kept, and today before the owner's arrival they were to be taken away. The plan went a little awry, but the case had to be removed from the open space anyway. The boy put up his bike and threw the tools lifted from the ground into a nearby crib. The area had already been checked. All that was left to do was to check the house, but after all, he wouldn't hang around in the pale dawn when the owner is still asleep and knows nothing about possible work inside.

So that's probably it for now, he decided, and took one last look around the farmhouse.

Suddenly he froze. In the park, under a tree, stood a ghostly figure.

David blushed. A phantom? At this hour? Even if one believed in wraiths, it was not night after all. Someone was standing there, yes, but it had to be a man. A male silhouette in addition. It took David a moment, however, for his eyesight to break through the light and shadow. The man was wearing brown linen pants and a green and blue shirt with fine stripes. A light wind blew and the branch obscuring his face moved. The boy noticed light, slightly reddish hair and green eyes staring at him with disturbing intensity. That gaze was... as cold as an icicle of ice. Yes, that look could certainly have belonged to a hostile being from outside this world.

Shivers went through David, but less intense than yesterday. Could it be that he was already starting to get used to this strange Norwegian?

"Good morning, Mr. Meiden!" he called out, smiling despite himself and coming closer.

"What are you doing here?" came the sharp question. It was not only his eyes that were like icicles of ice. His voice was exactly the same only rough, as if rusty hinges were grating.

"Well, you know, in general, the renovation has already been completed, but we do not want to give the owner a mess, so I came to check that everything is fine and possibly... clean up...."

"..."

The Norwegian's face was unmoved and his eyes were very unpleasant. Meiden's face was not only hostile, but also pale as a ghost's face, unshaven, so that his beard was adorned with short golden red hair. He looked hostile and a little wild. Certainly dangerous. David suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to withdraw from the place.

What the hell, he thought, after all, yesterday this guy was unpleasant, but not so much! Did he get up with his left foot, or what? Or maybe he found some shortcomings and was angry with the contractors he hired.

"Uhm, if you noticed that something is wrong with the house or its ground..."

"Everything is fine," Meiden announced. "You can go home."

That's what David wanted most at the moment, but he also had some professional matters to discuss here.

"Em... as far as we know," he began, "you were very keen on recovering the old character of this place...."

"I am satisfied," he replied without changing his attitude.

"That's good," David smiled restrainedly, "but to keep the house and garden in good condition you will need workers...."

Norwegian slightly pulled down his eyebrows.

"You can do it," he replied after a while.

"I work for my father. You know, his company and my uncle's company are responsible for the whole renovation."

"And you?"

"I was mainly responsible for the park, but I was also my father's right-hand man, so I know virtually everything about the palace and its surroundings."

Meiden was silent again for a while.

"I don't care what kind of company it is. I don't like strangers hanging around my premises. Try to keep the number of people to a minimum. I'd rather you take care of everything yourself. Felix will handle the paperwork."

Does that mean they have the job? Or actually that he has it? Did David understand this correctly?

"Mr. Krauze will arrive today as planned?"

"I don't know," replied the Norwegian. "Ask him."

"But..."

What do you mean "ask him"? What do you mean Meiden didn't know? He came here without consulting anything with his attorney handling all matters related to this house? David decided that he was too stupid to understand this. I guess he will actually have to talk to Mr. Krauze....

The loud sound of a car horn tore the silence of the morning. David all the way jumped up in surprise. They both reflexively looked toward the entrance gate. Admittedly at an angle, but it was visible from here and they spotted the silver car behind it.

Meiden hissed.

"Let him in," he threw the boy the keys, "or he'll wake up the whole neighborhood."

With his eyebrows drawn together even more, the Norwegian moved toward the palace.

The horn kept sounding, so David jumped on his bike and rushed to open the gate. Apparently he was noticed, because the annoying sound stopped. The driver-side door opened and Meiden's attorney, Felix Krauze, got out.

"Has he arrived?" He asked nervously as soon as the boy stopped the bike.

"Mr. Meiden? Yes, he arrived yesterday."

"Damn, that bastard... I mean I wanted to say that he gave us all a surprise," he corrected himself immediately with apologetic smile.

David decided to pretend that he didn't hear anything of this statement and politely untied the chain that closes the gate. In his spirit, however, he thought he didn't understand something here.

"Didn't he make trouble for you?" was suddenly asked a surprising question.

"What trouble? No, none" he answered quickly feeling even more confused.

"That's good" Krauze breathed a sigh of relief. "Gustav, I mean Mr. Meiden, is a brilliant man, but he doesn't really know how to deal with people.

"Brilliant?" snapped out David.

"Yes. Anyway, never mind. Where is he? In the house?"

"Yes."

"All right. Thanks!"

Now what, wondered David as the attorney's car passed him. Meiden had sent him home, so maybe he should do just that and drive away? He shouldn't stick his nose in someone else's business. Although he was curious about the meeting between the two, because something told him it could be interesting. Unfortunately he had no reason to go to the palace, no excuse. If he had done so just like that, both of them could have been seriously annoyed. He had no choice but to go home.

Only when he got on his bike did he realize that he was still holding the keys Meiden had thrown him.

He smiled to himself very broadly like a cat that has just drunk all the cream.

Well, it looks like he will have to show up at Meiden's house after all.