The Industrial Elf Ch. 03

"Parts," she said, "My little rolling house here is a bit old. It has served me well and will travel, but needs a little work now. I thought to stop here and have the work done only and then go on. But I stayed and found work. I know now why I stayed," she smiled, touching his arm, "I did not want to buy a new one because this one is not so much for one's comfort as for travel and toughness. I learned that this kind is often used by workers like me who travel from one job to the next. I wanted something to take me to the mountains in time, and as far in as it would carry me."

He smiled at her, and she liked the gleam in his gray eyes. She saw her hope and maybe even a little excitement there as he spoke, "You said that you would work a little yet. I can do what your house here needs, and I have even a place to do it."

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Janet Dejardin had been torn with curiosity now for more than an hour after the cryptic phone call. A petite woman in her early thirties, she walked through her expensive home to answer the door and wondered what this was really about.

Opening the door, she found two people dressed casually in clothing that told her they were not near her own social standing, but the man's voice had been well-spoken and she recognized it as he spoke. They looked like they were house painters looking for work more than anything else. She wouldn't even have let them in, but he did mention a matter that had troubled her for a time and offered a solution, so she was prepared to listen if nothing else. She invited them in and pointed them to her kitchen.

"I must say, Mister, um.."

He smiled and she was instantly intrigued.

"Please call me Jack."

"All right then, Jack," she said, "what's this about?"

The smile remained, "Dejardin Group is a conglomerate with a long history," he said, "I could recite what I know of it, and you would think that I had gotten a lot of it from the company's website. But I know much more of it than that, likely more than you yourself know.

I'm here today to make you an offer. It concerns a long-standing agreement - one that I think you will be happy to see ended to your benefit. I can do that easily for you. There is a legend in your family that is handed down only from one corporate head to the next, since each one must be a family member in as direct a line as is possible.

You are the fourth in that line who has been told of it and the third who has tried to overturn it without success. I know this because I know of the document that you would have been presented with when you assumed leadership. It's about two of the original holdings in this area, and the legal protection that prevents you from developing those lands.

The law firm that protects the contract has been engaged until the stars fall and I am aware that you have planned uses for the lands, but have been unsuccessful at overturning and assuming the deeds. Yet you are saddled with paying the land taxes on them."

Janet's eyes opened wider, "You know a fair amount, Jack. I'm listening. Please continue."

He shrugged, "I'd love to, but I had asked when we spoke on the phone that you not use any means to record the meeting, and in this room alone I see a security camera and two webcams."

She looked a bit impatient, "I agreed to your request, Jack. They're not on right now."

He smiled and held up his hand. Janet watched his fingers move and stared at the tiny bright pearl of light that formed there. The room was lit oddly as he continued to look at her, and then spread his fingers wide. The pearl disappeared and there was a slight acrid odor which dissipated as soon as she noticed it.

"No, they're not," he said, "now."

"Sad that you think this way, Janet. It's cost you your home's security system and it's drives to this point. Your ancestor set the properties up in this way in perpetuity for the benefit of one who had loved her and cared for her in his own way, an individual who did not really - fit in - shall we say.

You have found that you can't divest yourself of the holdings as the living descendant of Madeleine Dejardin, and you cannot make use of them either while the agreement stands, for to do that costs you the corporation itself. There is one only who can help, since it requires your signature, his signature, both in blood only, and half of her old sketchbook. You hold the other half in your personal safe as demanded by the agreement.

You cannot use any other blood in the place of his blood since it would never match visibly, and it must match perfectly. You also know that if the agreement is to be ended, he would need to provide you with certain bona fides as proof that he is the one."

She sat intrigued now. At first, Janet had been a bit frightened, then disconcerted. But that gave way to surprise, since only her attorney and she herself knew of the agreement's existence and its terms.

She studied them both for a second, and thought that besides their clothing, they looked a bit odd the more she looked. The woman sat silent, looking mildly interested, but he returned her gaze with some intensity.

Janet collected her thoughts, "The agreement cannot be ended, Jack, as much as I want for it to be. The individual that you speak of is dead by now, and can't provide the bona fides that you mention, or the blood and the signature."

He shrugged, "What were you told of the nature of that individual - in the verbal instructions that you were given when you assumed control?"

She chuckled bitterly, "I was told that he was an elf, Jack. Old Madeleine was slipping a few gears when the agreement with this fictional character of hers was set up."

Her jaw fell open when he removed his hat. The woman next to him removed hers as well and smiled.

"They're quite real, Janet," he smiled, "I can provide all of the bona fides required and end the agreement to your satisfaction and benefit, and it won't cost you a nickel.

Like most people, you make some incorrect assumptions. You always make the same mistakes because humans are naturally arrogant, but I don't mind. I am the other party required to end this contract. I was there myself when it was drafted, Janet.

The reason that you could never forge the signature is because the blood required is not human. I am not human, Janet. We live a lot longer than you. I was with Madeleine when she passed on. She died in my arms, Janet, and it would sadden her to know that her own blood would try to cheat. I told her of this beforehand, but she had faith and only the first director, her nephew, did not try to surreptitiously bypass what had been set out.

The rest of you aren't worth your fine name."

Janet crossed her legs and shrugged, "Maybe you're right about that. But it takes a certain will and ability to run a corporation. I assume you're here to make me an offer. I will admit that I'm very curious, and until I sort out what tomfoolery you're using here to dazzle me, I'm at least prepared to listen to what you want."

He smiled coldly, "Over the years, I have helped your precious businesses many times to lay the golden eggs that the corporation is now built upon. I could have sat on my hands or even hindered it.

I did it out of the memory of Madeleine's love. I saved her life the day we met by killing three men without a thought - just as I could do that here and now - without a thought. I need only a little time from you and in return I promise to end the agreement, providing all of the things that are needed to do it, including my signature in blood.

I could easily part your life from your body instead. By the time the next relation assumed control, I'd have had more than the time I need. Again, I do this for her - not for you, Janet."

He sat forward, "I want three months or less. That's all I want. Three months to prepare to leave here where I was born long ago and have lived for centuries before you. When we're ready, we'll contact you again and then you and I can sign. We will leave, and you'll have what you want for nothing.

I want no one, not you, or anyone working for you, contracted by you, not even a personal friend, to come onto the lands in question during that time. I want no attempts made to document our passing, or our comings and goings there.

Abide by this, and you'll have an end to this at no cost. Try to hinder what I do, or interfere in any way, and you will begin to lose your precious golden goose - all of it - before I'm done. Are we agreed?"

"It would take me more than three months to keep trying to overturn this thing, Jack. I was going to have the lands surveyed and the building on one piece demolished, but I find that I can't even do that. I'm concerned for the ecological impact that the old place might have on the river there. I doubt you'd understand that if you're really an elf, but all right, you have your three months. To the day from today."

The two people stood up and he held out his hand. Janet offered her hand in return, but he clasped her forearm instead.

"If you believed what you've been told, you'd know to expect this instead of a handshake as is your custom today. So I know what I'm dealing with.

You presume to have knowledge and pretend to care for nature, Janet? Your ancestor cared deeply, but she was the only one that I ever really found here. That it how she and I met all those years ago. The rest of you care only about the possible liabilities that might get in the way of making a profit. Please show us the way out."

She led them to the front door and he turned.

Janet smiled, "I'm sorry to doubt you, but I believe that you'll keep your word, and I do agree. I think that under other circumstances, I'd be happy to get to know you better. I'm a bit sad that it can't happen. If you're who you say you are, then Madeleine was the richest of us all."

He turned, and pointed at the pole standing far away across the immaculately kept lawns and gardens. His hands were moving again. "It could have happened, Janet. Even we cannot predict events. But now after so long, we will leave here finally. I feel no enmity toward you, only sadness. But I am glad that you can see that you will have what you want if you can do as you've said."

He noticed that she stared at his arm and the portion of the tattoo there. He smiled, "Yes, that is the second bona fide that is required. So I assume that you believe a little more now perhaps. But like most of your kind, Janet, you're looking in the wrong place."

She looked at his face, and he indicated the distant pole with his head, "The largest part of Dejardin Corporation develops new power generation methods and sites. It is the largest golden egg that you have. If you cannot abide by what we have agreed upon here today, that will be the first one that I crack."

There was a bright flash followed by a loud bang as the transformer near the top of the distant pole exploded and the lines fell away to lie sparking on the road. All of the electric devices in the house fell silent. He turned to her and raised his eyebrows as she reached reflexively for her Blackberry. With a cry, she dropped the smoking mess that it had become to the floor.

"I apologize for that, but being human means that you naturally disbelieve the obvious for some reason. I wanted to show you that I use no tomfoolery as you have said."

Janet was surprised to find the pair gone the next instant. She hadn't seen them open the door, but heard the lock click as it closed behind them. Now she looked at them as they walked on the grass beside her long driveway holding hands.

When they reached the tall gate, they jumped it easily and walked away.