Charity , livre ebook

Andrews UK - Berry Ian

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140 pages

English

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What do you do if you want your Charity Ball to go without a hitch? You get Saskia and Saskia to organise it for you. The Ball itself will go without a hitch (probably) but getting there is far from straightforward. Yet another person discovers that the Saskias and the SuperTwins are the same people, but her response to the revelation surprises the girls. Sir James gets himself into a spot of bother, but is easily extracted by the twins, who then have to work quite hard to preserve their secret. Saskia discovers she has a maternal instinct, despite not really being a girl, which gives her a lot to think about. Having super powers AND being able to move in time proves useful when the plant next door is devastated by a huge explosion, the girls end up doing the whole day twice! Moving in time is getting to be routine as the girls are shifted back to 1757 to fix a problem with the timeline. A visit to the Russian plant sees Saskia changing to be James in case he gets shot, which is fine until this actually happens - and Saskia doesn't have super powers while she's being James. The girls are getting used to moving in time, but encounter a problem when time itself goes screwy and they get shunted sideways into a reality that has no future and no real past.

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Publié par	Andrews UK
Date de parution	17 juin 2014
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781783331093
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0100€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Title Page
CHARITY
by
Ian Berry

Publisher Information
Charity Published in 2013 by
Andrews UK Limited
www.andrewsuk.com
The right of Ian Berry to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998
Copyright © 2013 Ian Berry
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Any person who does so may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

One
It was raining. The wipers on the mini squeaked as they pushed the water aside. It was a miserable day but Saskia and I didn’t mind, we were warm and dry in our little car.
“This beats flying anyway. That’s the only bit I don’t like about our super powers, if you fly in the rain, you get wet,” I said.
“Would you sooner Voice hadn’t saved your life by giving them to you?”
“Don’t be silly. You know the answer to that as well as I do. Quite aside from the minor point about not being alive, I’d never have met you, you’d never have been changed as well and I’d never have been so happy.”
“Difficult to be happy when you’re dead. Run that sentence again and you’ll see what I mean.”
“You know what I mean!”
“Yeah. Ok. Will it make you happy if I say I’m happy too?”
“What’s this? Happy hour? Drive the car. We’ll be late for work.”
Saskia grinned but did as asked.
At the Robinson Corporation plant where we worked, we parked the car and ran through the rain across to the main entrance. Petra, the receptionist, collared us on our way in.
“Hi Saskias. Boss wants to see you soonest.”
“Is he in a good mood or the other?” asked Saskia.
“Seems ok. Not breathing fire anyway.”
“Thanks, Petra. See you later.”
Foregoing our usual trip to the cafeteria for hot chocolate, we went directly to James office. His secretary was expecting us. “Morning, Amanda, what’s going on?”
“Go in and see. I know nothing.”
We tapped on the connecting door. “Boss? You wanted us?”
“Ah. There you are. One of you stick your head round the door and tell Amanda I’m dying of thirst, then sit down.”
I did this. “Had your morning drink yet?” asked Amanda. “No? Want one?” I nodded and went to sit down.
“What’s going on, James,” said Saskia. “Another poor client or supplier to get the Saskia Going-over?”
“Not in so many words. If I can get a word in edgeways I’ll tell you.”
Although the words were said in an annoyed tone, James was grinning so whatever it was wasn’t bad.
“Remember the charity auction two years ago?” he said.
“How could we forget.” We’d never forget, we and the girls had raised twenty eight thousand pounds - just us alone.
“Mm. As you know, we’ve not done it since, I’ve been too busy. I’ve decided now is the time to do it again.”
“Do you want us to help?”
“No.”
“No?”
“No. I want you to arrange the whole thing.”
“James, you want what ?” I asked.
“What I said. I want you to be in charge of all of it. I know you and planning stuff.”
“But....we’re only teenage girls. We can’t do that.”
“Firstly, you can do it, I know you can, I’ve watched you plan other stuff. Eighteen or eighty, you can do it. Secondly, only one of you is a teenage girl. Secondly is nowhere near as important as Firstly but might play a part. By the way, how is Richie getting on in Australia?”
“Low blow, James,” I said. “Not fair.”
“I know, I’m sorry but that’s by way of a reminder to you to make sure you keep Rob informed of his new, even if entirely fictitious, life.”
“Do you mind if we discuss that for a minute before we go on to the charity ball?” I asked.
“Why, Twin? What’s on your mind?” asked Saskia.
“Richie isn’t supposed to be gone forever, he’s only working away. I need a reason for him to stay in Australia. I might have one - he’s going to get married and live out there.”
“Married!” said James.
“Why not? Won’t actually happen of course, I’m still here.”
Of course Richie wouldn’t really get married. Richie was me - Saskia - or at least he was me until I got Voice to make me exist properly as a young girl. I could still appear as Richie but there was no longer any need to, so we’d ‘sent’ him off to Australia.
“Hey, you could be Richie, I could be his new girlfriend, we could take photographs and send them to you, me and Dad,” said Saskia.
“That’s more or less what I had in mind. Think it’ll work?” I asked.
“Damn right it will. Brilliant idea,” said Saskia.
“Now do you see what I mean about planning?” said James. “Want to invade France? Get the Saskias to plan it for you. Run like clockwork.”
“Ok, ok, we give in. We’ll do it. Where? When? Other questions as yet not thought of,” I said.
“Entirely up to you. Just make sure we make money. Anything after expenses is for the cancer charity so it’s down to you.”
“Hm. So the more stuff we get people to donate, the more we finally make?” said Saskia.
“Special appearance by patrons of the event, Sir James Robinson and his wife Lydia,” I said.
“Need to speak to Holly at the hotel,” said Saskia.
“See? Planning already. Now take your hot chocolate and go do it in your own office, I have work to do in mine.”
“Sorry, James, we’re gone.”
In our office we said good morning to Melanie, then sat opposite each other at our desks to think about what James had given us to do.
“You two are plotting something,” said Melanie. There’s a sort of - air - about you when you’re up to something. Can you tell me? Or is it secret?”
“James didn’t say not to so I guess it’s ok. We’re organising the next Charity Auction. Hm. Going to need press releases and advance information arrangements. Melanie, you’re drafted. Don’t leave town.”
“Oh, goody. Something interesting to do instead of boring old PR about products and services. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here.”
“Thanks, Melanie. Not quite there yet, can we get back to you?” Melanie went about her normal business.
“Saskia, I want to involve the girls.”
“What, more singing and dancing? Aren’t we a bit old for that?” I asked.
“Yeah. Anyway we did that last time. Need something new.”
A flash of inspiration. “Fashion show.”
“What?”
“A fashion show. Catwalk sticking out onto the dance floor. Pretty girls modelling clothes.”
“Clothes. Yes. Yes! Get local shops to donate stuff. Or even just lend us stuff in exchange for advertising. ‘Ellie is wearing a dress in whatever kindly loaned by Bloggs and Co.’ That sort of thing?”
“That’s the idea. I wonder.....”
“What, Twin.”
“Think Edna would get involved? Maybe make us something to auction as the highlight of the show?”
“Brilliant idea. We can only ask.”
“We’re going to need a ton of stuff to auction,” I said. “Need to make a list.”
“Yes, and not just for us girls either. Need stuff for the menfolk as well.”
“Are you trying to tell me something in that roundabout way of yours? No matter. I shall use my unique and unusual background to make sure the poor men aren’t left out.”
“I think we should try for a free trackday, you know, like we went to with David for his birthday?”
“That’s supposed to be my department! But never let it be said I turned down a good idea. We shall see what might be done.”
“Clothes. Hm. What about getting the boys to help? Men wear clothes as well, you know,” said Saskia.
“Think they’d do it?”
“They’d do anything for us - especially if we’re holding their hands when we ask.”
“Ah. You mean make sure they feel nice and confident.”
“That’s the one. Works better with contact.”
“Isn’t that at touch - unethical?”
“You know they’d do it - if they feel confident enough. We’re not making them do the show, just giving them the confidence to say ‘yes’ when we ask them.”
“True. Point taken. Objections withdrawn.”
“Saskia, where do we start?”
“I think the very first thing needs to be the venue,” I said. “Let’s go see Holly and get her to introduce us to her boss.”
“Ok. Let’s take her to lunch, and maybe her boss?”
“That’s how it’s done. Are we in a go mode?”
“Yep. Let Melanie know where to find us and then - to horse.”
We checked Melanie did know how to contact us, told her where we were going and headed for the car park. The rain had stopped and the sun was thinking about coming out. “A good omen,” said Saskia.
Holly was best contacted by her radio or pager so we went to the hotel reception first. She appeared fairly quickly.
“Hello, Saskias. Haven’t seen you for a while. What are you doing with yourselves?”
Saskia waved her Robinson Corporation badge round her neck on its lanyard. “Working for a living. This is an official visit no less.”
“Phew. Better come into the office. Want some tea or coffee - no - you like hot chocolate don’t you? Let’s see what we can find.”
Holly’s ‘office’ was the control booth at the rear of the large hall. She cleared some space for us to sit down then said, “Now what can I do for the mighty Robinson Corporation?”
Saskia opened the batting, “Do you remember the Charity Auction a couple or so years ago? James, beg his pardon, Sir James, hasn’t had time to organise one since.”
“Aha. And he’s got you two to do some legwork for him?” Holly was quick.
“Not just the legwork, Holly, the whole damn thing,” I said.
“Oops. That’s a big deal.”
“You said it. We’d like to hold it here again, it was really brilliant last time. Ca