Free The Riddle of Sphinx Island by R. T. Raichev

of copyright … You are spoilt, do you know that? Like most hacks nowadays. Spoilt beyond redemption. Spoilt.’
    ‘In what way am I spoilt?’
    ‘You wanna know? You really wanna know? You have all the information you need at your fingertips, literally. You don’t have to go to libraries and put in orders for books and wait for ages and ages. That was how it used to be. The Internet practically writes your novels for you, doesn’t it?’
    ‘No, not quite.’ Romany managed a smile.
    ‘Don’t contradict me.’ Oswald shook his forefinger at her. ‘I hate being contradicted. Do you know what happens to females who contradict me? No, you wouldn’t want to know. Ask Ella. Saintly Ella knows . I particularly dislike females of the monitor lizard variety. Varanus komodoensis .’ He eyed Mrs Garrison-Gore fixedly. ‘All right, let me explain. In the olden days writers used to go on pilgrimages to public libraries. They used to put in orders for obscure reference books and then went back home and sat on their fat asses and waited to be notified that their book has arrived. Then another journey to the library –’
    ‘I am sorry but I need to work,’ she said.
    ‘You call this work?’ Oswald Ramskritt tapped the laptop screen. ‘What is the point of making a Cunningham into a Haverstock and Philippa into a Meredith? For some reason I am very interested in these changes. I can’t quite say why but I am. There’s something about changes that is always interesting.’
    ‘There is nothing special about them,’ Mrs Garrison-Gore said lightly. ‘Writers make changes all the time.’
    She was standing in the doorway, with her back to the corridor. She thought she heard a noise behind her – she heard someone give a little cough – but she didn’t turn to look.
    ‘Philippa is a particularly obnoxious character, isn’t she? One of those frigid women who turn into indefatigable bullies and make other people’s lives hell? I strongly disapprove of bullying of any sort. Why the heck does Grimmold Manor transmogrify into Cedar Court? For what reason, pray, does a “dickey” become a “gleaming shirt front”?’ Oswald Ramskritt went on firing questions at her. ‘Can’t you make up your bloody mind? Nothing irritates me as much as indecision. Are changes essential to your writing? Is it true that the nearest thing to writing a novel is travelling in a strange country?’
    He didn’t wait for an answer. As he rose to his feet, he seemed to lose his balance for a moment, but managed to pull himself together, then without so much as a glance in Mrs Garrison-Gore’s direction, he walked out of the small study.
    He stopped outside Maisie Lettering’s room and knocked loudly on the door. When she opened and let him in, he asked her to get back into bed. He then insisted on joining her. When she resisted, he pushed her back and slapped her face, the way he had done with Ella earlier on, only more viciously. When the girl started crying, he put his hand across her mouth. She went on struggling. ‘Don’t, please, oh don’t,’ she sobbed.
    ‘ Don’t, please, oh don’t ,’ Oswald mimicked. ‘Very well. I will let you continue to maintain your precious virginal status, if that indeed is the case, but you must promise to be more amenable next time.’
    ‘Please, Oswald, go to your room. Please . You are not well.’
    ‘I never felt better.’ He then asked her if he could come later. ‘Some time after midnight, perhaps? Was that a no?’
    Suddenly he relaxed his grip and stood up.
    She was crying. ‘Shut up,’ he said. ‘Haven’t you heard of girls who drown in their own tears?’ He then told her she was fired. He would make sure she became unemployable, he added. ‘As you know, I have many contacts. People listen to me. In some quarters my word is Law. So don’t be surprised when you start finding doors refusing to open for you.’ She could take the next boat to the mainland – unless someone was