“I ain’t done nothin’ to ya!” Mr. Punch screamed. “I never done nothin’ to ya! Why do you have to torture me?”
“Sure, you done somethin’ to me, kindly Lord Fallbridge,” Arthur taunted Mr. Punch. “Don’t you recall tryin’ to throw me in the sea?”
“After ya poisoned me and me chum! Why? Why do ya hate me? What’d I ever do? Weren’t I good to ya when you were me master’s footman? All the while, you’re botherin’ Lady Barbara and makin’ her with child! All the while you’re takin’ what ain’t yours! And, then…” Punch yelped as Arthur kicked him in the side.
“Arthur!” Ulrika shouted. “Control yourself. This isn’t the way. Pick him up and take him into the mews.”
Arthur tried to lift Mr. Punch from the banquette, but Punch struggled, biting Arthur’s hand. Arthur slapped Julian across the face.
“No!” Ulrika screamed. “Don’t leave any marks on him.”
Before Arthur could respond, he was knocked the ground with one swift punch to the jaw—delivered by a panting Robert Halifax.
Arthur moaned, lying on the ground as Ulrika rushed to his side.
“He’s bleeding!” Ulrika said fiercely. “Dr. Halifax, you’re a brute!”
“Be quiet, bitch!” Robert spat, helping Mr. Punch to his feet. “Or you’ll get the same. Woman or not!”
“Yeah,” Mr. Punch mumbled as he leaned on Robert. “Shut yer gob!”
“I demand that you stay,” Ulrika bellowed. “You’ve hurt Arthur quite badly. Look at the blood!”
“I hope he chokes on it.” Robert grunted. He put his arm around Julian’s waist. “We’re going home.”
With that, he led Punch away from Arthur and Ulrika.
“Are you hurt?” Robert asked Punch as they walked.
“Not so much,” Mr. Punch said. “Coo. Ya got a wicked fist, don’t ya?” He smiled. “Nice to see it. That’s the way to do it!”
“As a rule, dear Punch, I don’t make a habit of striking people. However, in this instance, I feel it was quite justified.”
“You won’t get no argument from me.” Mr. Punch chuckled, wincing for a moment as his felt the throbbing in his side where Arthur had kicked him. “What do those folk got against me?”
“I don’t think they have anything against you personally—except for the fact that you’re alive and in their way. It’s greed that motivates them, Punch, not hatred.”
“Ain’t it the same thing?” Mr. Punch asked softly.
“It rather is—at its core.” Robert nodded.
“Here, how’d you find me?” Punch asked.
“Marjani said she had a feeling that you were in trouble. I was actually headed toward Iolanthe’s when I saw you with Arthur and Ulrika.”
“How’s Naasir?” Mr. Punch asked, leaning further on Robert.
“Not well.” Robert sighed.
“Is he gonna live?” Mr. Punch asked.
“I don’t know.” Robert shook his head. “I don’t know if he wants to.”
“Why not?” Punch asked. “Why not want to live? Sure, the world’s got wicked folk what’ll kick ya and call ya names, but it’s also got chums and dogs and sausages and pretty things to see. That’s worth livin’ for.”
Robert smiled, “Perhaps you can convince Naasir of that.”
He paused. “Mr. Punch, where’s the Duchess of Fallbridge?”
“Left her at Iolanthe’s.” Mr. Punch answered. “I realized somethin’, I did. Realized that you can’t help people what don’t want to be helped. Her Grace wants to be miserable, she does. She wants to be miserable so she can make folk even more miserable. Tryin’ to save her weren’t no good. Wouldn’t a done a bloody thing.”
“We just have to help ourselves, I suppose.” Robert said, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Ulrika and Arthur weren’t following them. He could still see them in the distance, Ulrika leaning over Arthur and trying to help him to his feet.
Robert sighed. “You’re right, dear Punch, you can’t help someone who doesn’t care to be helped.”
Meanwhile, in the house on Royal Street, Marjani applied more salve to Naasir’s terrible burns. Naasir reached for Marjani’s arm with his charred hand, shuddering with pain.
“Don’t try to move, Honey,” Marjani said.
“Help me,” Naasir croaked.
“That’s what we’re tryin’ to do,” Marjani smiled. “Come on, lemme give ya something that’ll take the pain away. Dr. Halifax done left this bottle here. I know it’ll help ya.”
“No.” Naasir rasped.
“How can I help ya, Honey?” Marjani asked gently.
“Kill me.” Naasir coughed. “Please.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-127? If so, you can read them here.
4 comments:
Interesting to ponder that where some people don't want help with the right things and there are others - even good people - who want help, like Naasir, for things that are just wrong.
Hooray for Robert! Arthur deserved that sock in the jaw and Ulrika might benefit from one too. She must be insane to think that Robert should help Arthur after he caught him beating Mr. Punch/Julian.
Poor Nassir suffering in so much pain feeling he has failed to meet his destiny. Maybe Marjani can convince him to try to heal, and that what destiny has in store for him is yet to come.
This is true, Dashwood. Poor Mr. Punch has had the task of figuring out how "people" function, but his struggle shows us how little we really understand about what makes individuals "tick."
I agree, Darcy, I also think Ulrika could benefit from a sock in the jaw. Robert, however, is too much of a gentleman to belt her. I think that as far as Naasir goes, he would be wise to listen to Marjani. Thanks for reading!
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