The Einstein Equation

33 Redemption

Nina was treated for all her injuries by a proper medical facility after she and the other survivors were plucked up by helicopter. It took her and Sam three weeks to make it back to Edinburgh, where their first stop was Wrichtishousis. Purdue, as a way to bond with his friends again, arranged for an exuberant catering company to host the evening’s food, so that he could dote on his guests.

Known for his eccentricity, Purdue set a precedent when he invited to the private dinner, his housekeeper and butler. Sam and Nina were still black and blue, but they were safe.

“I believe a toast is in order,” he said, lifting his crystal champagne glass. “To my hardworking and ever loyal slaves, Lily and Charles.”

Lily giggled while Charles kept his poker face. She shoved him in the ribs. “Smile.”

“Once a butler, always a butler, my dear Lillian,” he replied wryly, evoking laughter from the others.

“And to my friend, David,” Sam chipped in. “May he receive his medical treatment only in hospital and refuse home care forever!”

“Amen,” Purdue agreed with big eyes.

“Incidentally, did we miss anything in the time we were recuperating in Novosibirsk?” Nina asked through a mouthful of caviar and salt biscuit.

“I do not care,” Sam shrugged and swallowed down his champagne to top up with whiskey.

“You might find this interesting,” Purdue assured them with a gleam in his eye. “This was on the news after the report of the deaths and injuries of the train tragedy. I recorded it a day after you were admitted to the hospital there. Come see this.”

They turned to the screen of a laptop Purdue had on the still charred bar counter. Nina gasped and nudged Sam at the sight of the same reporter who did the story on the ghost train she recorded for Sam that time. It was subtitled.

‘After claims that a ghost train had killed two teenagers several weeks ago on a deserted railway track, this reporter brings you the unthinkable once again.’

Behind the woman, in the background, was a Russian town called Tomsk.

The mangled bodies of American tycoon Clifton Tuft, Belgian scientist Dr. Zelda Bessler and Scottish mayoral candidate Hon. Lance McFadden were discovered on a railroad track yesterday. Locals reported seeing a locomotive appear seemingly from nowhere, while the three visitors were reportedly walking on the tracks after their limousine had broken down.

“Electro magnetic pulses do that,” Purdue grinned from his station behind the bar.

Tomsk mayor, Vladimir Nelidov, condemned the tragedy, but explained that the so-called ghost train’s appearance was just the result of a train passing through in the heavy snow that was falling yesterday. He insisted that there was nothing odd about the terrible incident and that it was just an unfortunate accident because of low visibility.

Purdue switched it off and shook his head, smiling.

“Looks like Dr. Jacobs elicited the aid of Olga’s late uncle’s colleagues at the Russian Secret Society for Physics,” Purdue laughed, recalling that Kasper mentioned the failed physics experiment in Sam’s interview.

Nina sipped her sherry. “I wish I could say I was sorry, but I am not. Does that make me a bad person?”

“Nope,” Sam replied. “You are a saint, a saint who gets gifts from the Russian Bratva for killing their biggest opponent with a fucking dagger.” His statement caused more laughter than she thought.

“But all in all, I am delighted that Dr. Jacobs is now based in Belarus, away from the vultures of the Nazi elite,” Purdue sighed. He looked at Sam and Nina. “God knows he redeemed himself a thousand times over for his deeds when he called me, otherwise I would never have known you were in peril.”

“Don’t exclude yourself, Purdue,” Nina reminded him. “It is one thing that he alerted you, but you still made the biggest decision to redeem yourself.”

She winked, “You answered.”