Chapter 20

Mid-day at the Café Henri in Montmartre

Sebastian was there, feeling highly suspicious of a couple wanting a slave. Where had they heard of his ‘service’? It was not normal that fairly average people would be interested in something like this. He dealt mostly with pimps and sexual deviants, and yet you never knew these days. What was normal anyway? Sebastian was thinking all this over when a very meek and mild woman came over to ask him if he were Monsieur De Montfort.

As he affirmed he was, she was joined by Patrick and the two sat at his table ordered tea and then he began to ask the questions.

“I am not sure what you mean by a ‘slave’. My business is above board, I can hire you a housekeeper, albeit a live in one”. He paused,” how much are you willing to pay? Unfortunately this person probably will not be able to speak English or French as you require, however, basic housework is pretty much the same wherever you are”. He stopped looking at the odd couple in front of him. He hurried on, “I will have to have you checked out, of course”.

“Ah, no monsieur”, Patrick spoke up, “ we know, as do you, that we are engaged in a sub normal society activity, and just as I would not dream of checking you out, so too we would require to remain anonymous. To be frank, our initial enquiry is a bit of a ruse. We are actually research scientists who need access to bodies, live ones, to test certain drugs for our pharmaceutical masters. This is highly delicate and secret work do you understand, and would not bear scrutiny. If you can provide the bodies, we will simply pay you and move on. Ask us no questions and we will tell you no lies”.

Sebastian was quite aback taken. Never in a month of Sundays would he have thought that this pair, quiet, studious and reverent looking people, would have a finger in such a dangerous pie.

He leant forward and lowering his voice, he simply said. “We have much to discuss”. The three heads seemed to merge and go down as whispered words were spoken and murmured. The pair wrote down various instructions took their leave and left, leaving him to pay the bill.