Fall Out by M.N. Grenside

Author:M.N. Grenside [Grenside, M.N.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloodhound Books

43

HABKERN, SWITZERLAND

Nisten was arranged over three stories with a basement used as a wine cellar and a parking garage. Bright and modern in design, there were not many rooms, but each was enormous.

To the left of the front door was a chef ’s dream kitchen, brushed aluminum and steel with every conceivable electrical gadget and accessory. Many of these were hidden, sunk into the work surfaces, to be summoned by a flick from a bank of toggles to the right of the eight-ringed gas stove. Each switch was marked with the corresponding appliance. When summoned, the specified item would gracefully appear as an entrance hatch as the worktop slid from view and a silent lift from below brought the gadget to the surface.

Behind the kitchen and looking out over the valley was a beautifully decorated dining room, with sixteen straight, high back rosewood chairs, each decorated with carved symmetrical trellis work. These taishiyi or grandfather chairs also had arm rests at right angles to the backs, but the traditional hard flat seats were now covered with plum red silk cushions.

“The extra padding is something the originals would never have had, but no doubt improved the comfort at the dinner parties my parents gave,” explained Mako. In each corner of the room, standing silently to attention were four full-size Chinese warriors. “Meet John, Paul, George, and Ringo,” said Mako. “My mother bought three at an auction in London when I was a teenager. My father went ballistic as they were not cheap, but they formed the beginning of their serious Asian art collection. Before then most of the pieces were smaller and less valuable. My father later added one more and my mother nicknamed them after the Fab Four.”

Mako explained that the earliest suit of armor was simply a breastplate made from a tortoise shell tied together with leather cords and dating from about 1200 BC; the Shang Dynasty. She turned to the other three. One was a warrior in chain mail, complete with a large helmet and a fearsome black face mask.

“Now I know where Darth Vader’s look came from,” Marcus said. The resemblance was remarkable.

“Well, he didn’t come from a galaxy far far away. Tang Dynasty, 65 AD. And that dao he’s holding,” she said pointing to a spear with a large flat curved blade, “is still razor sharp.”

She turned to the next soldier. “This one’s a ceremonial suit from around 1600. Those intricate swirling patterns are actually painted on cloth and leather. Lift up the hem of the jacket.”

Marcus reached behind the beautifully engraved sword and raised the edge of the jacket. It was surprisingly heavy.

“It’s got metal plates concealed inside for protection.” The uniform was topped off with a pointed golden helmet complete with a magnificent black plume and held in place with a leather chinstrap. She turned to the final one. “He was the last one my father added. Came from a burial site,” she said. “One of the soldier’s arms has been broken, that club he is holding in the other is a shu, a weapon to guard an Emperor,” she added.

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