A short story that I wrote some time ago.

 

A Business Affair

 
        “What time are you interviewing today?”  Fiona watched as her husband finished his breakfast.
       “The first applicant is due in at eleven,” Andrew replied.  “There are only three, Simon shortlisted them from the pile of hopefuls.”
       Andrew and his best friend Simon set up their I.T. Consultancy business five years ago and since then had worked hard shaping it into one of the most successful companies in their field.  Fiona was proud of Andrew, from the moment he and Simon decided to form their partnership she was in no doubt it would be a success.  Andrew was a very determined man, it was one of the things that attracted her to him in the first place.
        "I’m conducting all the interviews myself as Simon is busy supervising one of our contracts.  It will probably mean staying late to catch up on lost time.”
        Fiona got up from where she was sitting and wrapped her arms lovingly around his neck.
        “Don’t stay too late,” she whispered before kissing him passionately.
        They had been married for almost seven years and despite the myth about seven year itches she loved him dearly.
        Driving into work, Andrew thought about what they should do to celebrate their wedding anniversary, he’d heard somewhere that seven years was copper.  He knew of a restaurant called Copperfields perhaps that was where he could take her for a romantic meal. 
        Leaving his car in his allotted parking space, Andrew pushed open the door to AnSi I.T. Consultants Ltd.
        “Morning Angela,” he said.
        “Andrew, hello.  Would you like some coffee?  I’ve just brewed a fresh pot.”
        Angela, their heavily pregnant secretary come receptionist was the reason for him having to conduct interviews.  She would soon be taking maternity leave and he had to find a temporary replacement.
        “Yes please,” he replied as he paused at his office door then turning to face her, he continued.  “It’s my wedding anniversary on the twenty third of this month.  Could you arrange something, a meal at Copperfields perhaps?  Better order some flowers too, have them delivered to the table, I’ll leave the details to you.”
        She made a note on her pad.  It wasn’t unusual for Andrew to make such a request, It was often left to her to choose his wife’s birthday and Christmas gifts.  She wondered how her replacement would cope with such unorthodox demands.
        Waiting on his desk was a pile of documents that had arrived in the morning post.  On top was an unopened letter marked Private and Confidential.  Reaching for it, Andrew slipped his thumb under the flap and tore it open, it was from his solicitor.  Andrew had been adopted as a child and had no knowledge of his biological parents so he’d engaged the services of a solicitor to carry out an investigation.   The letter told him very little, but he was to attend a meeting in ten days time.  Slipping the letter into his desk drawer, he began to prepare for his first interview.
        Although sufficiently qualified, the first applicant lacked the enthusiasm that he expected.  The second interview did not go any better and with his mood in a downward spiral, he met Megan Griffiths.
        “Good afternoon,” Andrew greeted her warmly.  Maybe all was not lost after all.
        It wasn’t long before Andrew sensed that she was perfect for the job.  She was more than qualified, but it was everything else about her that excited him.  Megan was a very attractive young woman who had obviously made an effort with her appearance.  Her Welsh accent delighted him, he just loved the way she spoke.
        “I moved up from Cardiff recently,” she told him more about herself.  “I’m only a few minutes away in a little bedsit, but once I’m sorted I would like to get a flat or little house.”  Her smile was devastating and Andrew was hopelessly smitten.  It was as if he had been waiting for her his entire life and he was convinced that theirs would go far beyond a working relationship. 
        “Have you had any lunch?” he asked suddenly.
        “No, not yet,” she hesitated before going on.  “I was going to grab a sandwich or something after we have finished here.”
        “We can do better than that.  What say we continue our interview in a pub, grab a drink and have a bite to eat?”
        Megan stared at him before making up her mind.  It was not in her nature to flirt with strange men and certainly not a prospective employer, but Andrew was a very handsome man.  If it secured her a much needed job then what harm could it do? 
        “Could you start on Monday?”  Andrew asked as they finished their lunch.  He had heard enough, she was the woman for the job.
        Angela was due to leave in four weeks time and it was Simon’s intention to ask her replacement to start the week before she left.  That way the new secretary could be eased in gently with Angela on hand to help.  Andrew would have to come up with a very good reason for wanting Megan to start immediately.
        Monday couldn’t come quickly enough.  Andrew was at his desk early, he told Fiona that he would probably have to work late. 
​        Megan kept him supplied with coffee throughout the morning and Angela went through the basics, introducing her to the company before going into the specifics of the job.
        “Right,” Andrew said as he appeared suddenly at their desk.  “I’m off to survey the new office block.”
        Angela was familiar with this contract, Andrew or Simon would have to do a site visit, but what surprised her most was what he said next.
        “Megan can accompany me.  It will be the perfect opportunity for her to see firsthand what we are about.”
        The new clients office block was deserted, having been recently refurbished the next step was for the I.T. to be installed.
        “Wow,” Megan said as they entered the first office.  “How will they ever get any work done, the view is simply stunning.” 
        Andrew admired her profile as she stared out of the huge picture window.  She looked the part, immaculately turned out in a stylish trouser suit.  She smelt wonderful, her perfume was driving him wild and unable to resist any longer he pushed up against her.  She offered no resistance and turning to face him their lips met.
        At first, their lovemaking was urgent and moving from office to office, they giggled like naughty children. 
        “Let’s christen them all,” he whispered as he eased her gently against a desk.
        By the end of the afternoon, they were exhausted.  Megan sighed contentedly as they watched the sky turn crimson, the sun moving slowly behind the tall buildings.  Andrew had never done anything like this before but he had no regrets.  It felt so right being here with Megan.
        Over the next two weeks they saw each other every day and managed to sneak away to make love either during the afternoons or Andrew would make some excuse to work late.
        Angela could see what was going on, but it was not her place to question her boss.  She reminded Andrew about the arrangements for his wedding anniversary celebration and he acted out his part faultlessly.  He accompanied his wife to Copperfields where they spent a delightful evening.  Andrew was passionate and attentive and his wife did not suspect a thing.  He decided that it was hardly the moment to announce his intention to leave her.
        The day arrived for him to keep his appointment with his solicitor.  Luckily it was not busy in the office, Simon was going over some papers with Angela and Megan had the day off to attend to some personal issues. 
        Going up the steps to the entrance of the solicitor’s chambers, Andrew was directed towards an office by the receptionist.
William Hardcastle met him at the door before ushering him into his office.  Already seated was a woman, she had her back to him but when she stood up he was astonished to see that it was Megan.
        “Hello,” he said.  “What are you doing here?”
        “Oh, I see that you already know each other.” William raised his eyebrows.  “In that case I suppose you are already aware that you related, you are in fact brother and sister.”
 
© 2018 Kevin Marsh

Interview with Jerome Knowles, a leading character from The Torc Trilogy.

For those of you who have read my books, Jerry will be a familiar character.

He has quite a major role to play in the trilogy, featuring in all three books. 

This interview took place just after The Belgae Torc was published.  I hope it this brings this character alive and gives you a deeper insight into his thoughts.

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Interview with Jerome Knowles

Mr Knowles, do you mind if I start by asking you, how did you meet Dr Gairne?
 
Please call me Jerry and no, I don’t mind at all.  
Orlagh and I met just over a year ago.  She was giving a talk one evening at the museum on Life in Celtic Ireland or something like that and when it was finished, I took the opportunity to chat with her.  I enjoyed her talk and I certainly enjoyed her company.  We hit it off from the start and our relationship has developed from there.
 
You are a student at Trinity College here in Dublin.  Can you tell me a little more about your area of study?
 
I am a student of history but what I do is a little different.  I specialise in Neo-Pagan faiths such as Wicca, Neo-Druidism, Germanic Neo-Paganism and Slavic Neo-Paganism just to name a few.  My area of study includes Polytheism, Animism and Pantheism, but there are others.  These are mostly ancient ethnic religions as found in historical folklore sources.  One of my favourite quotes is by JRR Tolkein; ‘the distortion of Germanic mythology by the Nazi regime, Hitler’s corruption of that noble northern spirit,’ which I used as a title for one of my papers.
 
Wow, that is an unusual area of study.  Why did you choose this subject?
 
I have to admit that it’s quite a specialised subject.  It stems from my interest in ancient religions and once I began to dig deeper I discovered that my questions outnumbered the answers.  
There is no set curriculum.  I have to attend a number of lectures then research around the subjects.  My essays have to satisfy both my tutors and the awarding body.  It is quite a unique course but the guidelines are very strict.
 
I’m sure we could go discussing this fascinating subject all evening but unfortunately we have to move on.  From your accent, you are obviously an Englishman.  Where in England do you come from and why did you choose to study in Dublin?
 
I’m a Man of Kent and proud of it; that means I was born east of the River Medway.  We have a thing about that where I come from, you should look it up. 
There are of course some very good universities in London, but I wanted to move away from home and London was not far enough.  I did a little research and narrowed my choice to Edinburgh or Dublin, the frozen north or the emerald isle?  The choice was not an easy one to make, but I ended up in Dublin and as it turns out, I made the right choice.
 
You come from a family of historians.  Tell me a little about that.
 
My father teaches history in a secondary school, but it was my great grandfather Sir Geoffrey Knowles who was the family historian.  He became quite well known after the discovery of the Belgae Torc in 1912.  Of course, he didn’t do it all alone, his archaeological partner was Sir Cecil Mountjoy and their benefactor Lord Sevington-Smythe.  Unfortunately, both men died in strange circumstances during the dig.  Some say that the whole project was cursed, a bit like when Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen.  The Belgae Torc was a significant find, but the terrible tragedies did nothing to dampen public interest in British history.
 
It was indeed an exciting time for British history.  Being an historian yourself, does this affect your relationship with Dr Gairne?
 
Our fields of experience are very different and we do at times find ourselves at loggerheads.  Our academic disagreements can be rather intense.  You see, Orlagh is very passionate about her work and her beliefs are not always shall we say rational.  She likes to believe in animal allies and she swears that she has experienced a dream quest, but I’m afraid that I don’t share some of her ideas.  You might say that we agree to disagree.  At times, we have had some amazing discussions and we regularly bounce ideas off each other.  She is an amazing source of information and this can be invaluable.
 
Where do you see yourself going in the short term?
 
By this time next year, I should have completed my studies.  I don’t intend to become settled in a cosy research post at a university and I’m certainly not yet ready to teach.  I have one or two options developing but we will just have to wait and see.
 
Do you intend to return to England once you have completed your studies?
 
I can’t see myself going home, not just yet anyway.  I love it here in Ireland and intend to stick around for the foreseeable future.
 
Do you mind my asking; does your future include Dr Orlagh Gairne?
 
I very much hope so.
 
Would you care to elaborate?
 
No.  (Said with a cheeky grin).
 
Thank you to Jerome Knowles for talking with me so honestly.  
Katherine Kinsella in conjunction with the Peoples Independent Irish News.
May 2016
 

Interview with a main character.

For those of you who know the characters of my action adventure/historical novels The Torc Trilogy, you will be familiar with Dr Orlagh Gairne.

I thought it might be fun to bring this character to life through an interview and find out a bit more about her.  

Katherine Kinsella, another fictional character, goes to work in bringing us an insight into the life and thoughts of Dr Gairne.

This interview took place after the launch of the Belgae Torc but before the release of The Gordian Knot.

Interview with Dr Orlagh Gairne, Head of Archaeology at the National Museum of Ireland

You live in a beautiful Georgian house on the outskirts of Dublin.  Have you always lived there?
 
I moved into my house when I returned to Ireland from university.  I was very lucky to get a place there, as I was not technically a student.  Let me explain, in those days, it was converted into student lets but my grandmother knew the landlord so that’s how I got a place to live.
The building was not looked after very well but I did the best I could with my flat.  It seemed such a shame to let the grand old building go into decline so my grandmother persuaded the .landlord to sell it to her and gradually over the next few years as the students moved out we restored the house back to its original condition.  My grandmother was marvelous; she had an eye for detail and left nothing untouched, even the decoration and furniture is as it should be.  I’m so lucky to have inherited it when sadly she passed away.  I simply adore living there.  
 
It must be like living in a time capsule.  Do you like that period in history?
 
I love the elegance of the Regency period, but even though the house is true to the time, it does have modern conveniences.  The plumbing for example, there are a few more bathrooms and the kitchen is completely modern.  It has of course been remodeled sympathetically and even these modern rooms have the feel of the period.  We managed to create that with clever decoration and lighting.  All of the other rooms are as they should be with decor and furniture to match. 
 
Have you always lived in the city?
 
When I was a child, I lived in Sandycove in Dun Laoghaire.  My grandmother brought me up; my parents were both archaeologists and traveled a lot, their work taking them to far flung places, it was no life for a child.
 
Do you regret the fact that your parents were not there for you?
 
Not, not at all.  My childhood was idyllic; I spent most of my time outdoors exploring the shore along the bay.  I discovered my first fossils there when I was about ten years old. I loved living with my grandmother; she was always there for me.  She encouraged my ambitions, she was my inspiration.
 
Were you always interested in history?
 
Oh yes, for as long as I can remember.  My grandmother used to take me into Dublin on the DART or we’d catch a bus.  Her knowledge of architecture, churches and social history was amazing.  She was full of stories and she had the ability to make history come alive.  She kept me enthralled with tales of her childhood and was always reminding me of how things used to be.  She told me of when she was a young woman working in Bewley’s on Grafton street.  All the girls who worked there had to wear a uniform; a bit like a maid and it was there she met my grandfather.  She would take me into Bewley’s for a cup of coffee and a biscuit every time we went into Dublin.  One of my most vivid memories was when she took me to the National Museum for the first time; it was an amazing experience, one that I shall never forget.  Most kids of my age would drag their parents to Quinnworth’s or The Fun Factory, but for me it was always the museum.   
  
Working here at the museum must be your dream come true.
 
I am the luckiest person alive; I simply adore being associated with the museum.  I think that from my very first visit I knew that one day I would become part of what we have here.  I get to work on all kinds of projects in Ireland and Britain and we have links with museums and historical groups all over Europe.  
 
Did you ever want to do anything else?
 
I went through teenage phases just like everyone else but I always knew what I wanted to do.  I worked hard at school to get the grades I needed to secure a place at university.
 
You studied in London, why not Dublin? 
 
I wanted to move away for a while, experience life on my own, broaden my horizons so to speak so I chose London for many reasons.  I have a few cousins who live there and there is a large Irish community so I thought I would never be homesick.  I also wanted to see a city which boasts a population equal to that of all Ireland and it was certainly something of a culture shock.  London is truly amazing, it’s a city stuffed full of historical monuments and ancient buildings, it is diverse in its population and culture and it has the most amazing buzz. 
 
What have you been working on recently?
 
I have been organising an archaeological dig, which starts in County Meath next month but first Jerry, my boyfriend and I are off on holiday.  When we get back, I’m hoping to spend a few weeks working on the dig myself.  We have a number of student archaeologists working for us at the moment and it will be good to get stuck in with them.
 
Can you tell us more about this dig?
 
I’m afraid not, you see we have to keep these things confidential because unfortunately the moment we reveal where we are working it draws the attention of amateurs and metal detectorists.  I’m not saying that these people have no right to do what they do, often it’s their initial finds that develop into important archaeological sites.  We like to work in partnership with interested parties and I am dedicated to passing on what we learn by displaying the finds as soon as each dig is complete.
 
What about your long term future, do you see any major changes on the horizon?
 
 I don’t think so.  There are a few projects coming up within the organisation and of course, I am involved with promoting the Belgae Torc and all the other artifacts in our collection.  I will be giving more lectures in the theatre here at the museum and there is some discussion about taking those out into the colleges and universities around the country.  There seems to be a developing interest in history in general at the moment and that is a good thing.  My grandmother always used to say, ‘look after the past and the future will take care of itself.’
 
Thank you to Dr Orlagh Gairne for taking time out to talk to me, Katherine Kinsella working in partnership with the Peoples Independent Irish News.  May 2016 
 
  
 
 
 

Jack Harrington, a main character from Torc Trilogy.

 

Jack Harrington

This is a brief introduction to Jack Harrington.  He is one of the main characters who features throughout all three novels in The Torc Trilogy.  

I deliberately avoided including a name for Jack Harrington’s organisation, I focused mainly on the salvage side of the business and the security forces that he employs. 
Jacks business enterprises are huge, based in the United States, the head office is situated in New York but I chose not to become too involved with the details of this.  He is mainly concerned with searching out and retrieving treasures from crashed aircraft and sunken ships, and in The Belgae Torc, he uses his survey ship The Sea Quest to begin a salvage operation on a ship lost in the Bay of Biscay.
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Survey ship; The Sea Quest

The Hudson Bay was a ship that was lost in the Bay of Biscay in 1945, it was carrying treasure plundered from Europe by the Nazi regime during World War Two and the Belgae Torc appears on the inventory.
 
It is at this point that Orlagh and Jack are thrown together as she is sent to help identify the lost treasures from the sunken ship.  

Jack uses remotely operated underwater vehicles, (ROV) to help him locate and salvage items from the seabed.  They are used extensively throughout the salvage process in this novel. 

ROV being deployed over the side of the ship

ROV on its way to the bottom

ROV working on the bottom with its manipulator arms in operation

​One of his favourite and most valued vehicles is the Sikorsky S92 helicopter.  He loves to fly this aircraft and it features heavily in The Belgae Torc.  This story covers a huge area in the Mediterranean so this helicopter proved a useful tool. 

Map showing the area where much of the book was set.  The Bay of Biscay where the Hudson Bay was discovered and the coast of Portugal close to Porto. 

The coast of Morocco is where the fictional islands of Gog and Magog were situated.
Gibraltar also featured briefly.

The Belgae Torc, a brief history

 

The Belgae Torc

In 2012 I set out to write my first novel 'The Belgae Torc’.  It took nine months to write and was my first attempt at disciplined writing.  Most of this book was written at the end of the working day as then I had a full time job.  This wasn’t ideal as my most productive time is between 6am and midday.  The words I produce each evening were edited and knocked into shape at the weekends when I could work during my most artistic phase.

With ‘The Belgae Torc’, I had a plot in mind so I was able to focus my research and bring my characters to life.  The beginning or Part 1 is set in the Iron Age.  I pretty much knew what was going to happen in this part of the book and the characters were a joy to work with.  This is where the torc took shape and it features throughout the remainder of the book.

The Belgae people were a group of Gallo-Germanic tribes who lived in Gaul from at least the 3rd century BC.  They were later found in Britain and I chose to put them in what would eventually become Somerset.  The Belgae gave their name to the Roman province of Gallia Belgia, which evolved into the modern country of Belgium.

I enjoyed writing the Iron Age section and many readers have asked me if I intend to write more stories set in this period.  Maybe I shall but at the moment I have many other projects pending.  I have the Torc Trilogy to complete and also I’m planning a series of books that follow on from ‘The Witness’.
Part 2 is set in modern day England and Ireland.  At this stage my head was filling up with ideas and a story was beginning to take shape.  Principle characters were turning up and this helped me to develop the plot.  It’s strange how even though you might think you are in control and have a very rigid story line in mind, the characters take on a life of their own and suddenly everything changes.  I was constantly researching things that I knew nothing about in order to understand my characters and try to work out how to get them out of situations.

When I began writing about Orlagh, I had a pretty good picture of her in my head.  I knew she had a thick head of flame red hair and her eyes were a beautiful shade of green, but I deliberately refrained from describing her in detail.  When I read a book I prefer to make up my own mind about characters and their appearance and I often ignore detailed descriptions, so bearing that in mind I like to be economic with my own descriptions.
At first, I didn’t have a name for Orlagh, but being Irish she needed a suitably Irish name.   One day I was listening to the band the Corrs, and during the chorus of one of their songs they sing ‘all again’ repeatedly.  Their Irish accents made the words sound like Orlagh Gairne and it was then I realised that I had a splendid name for my main character.

Secondary characters popped up naturally and although I allowed the plot to flow I often found myself having to pull it back on track.  It’s amazing where your characters will lead you given half a chance.

I have always been interested in history so weaving intrigue with factual references came easily as my research revealed a multitude of interesting facts.  I did my best to maintain a mystical element throughout the story with the druids and the Phoenix Legion.  The Second World War element fitted in nicely with the German drive to produce a Master Race and eventual world domination.  This is another element of the story that prevails throughout the trilogy. 
 I didn’t set out to write a trilogy.  At first ‘The Belgae Torc’ was going to be a single novel, but as time went on ideas began to develop and it seemed a shame to stop.  There are some very strong characters in the book and I thought it would be a good idea to develop them whilst continuing the theme.  Book two, The Gordian Knot and three, Cutting the Gordian Knot (The final solution) are now complete.  

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The Starting Point

Introduction to the word ‘Celt’

The word ‘Celt’ comes from the Greek word Keltoi and seems to have been a convenient label used by the Victorians to describe Bronze and Iron Age people.
These ancient people would not have heard of the word so would certainly not have referred to themselves as being Celtic.

A brief history

The Belgae were an ancient tribe situated in Somerset in the south of England.  I chose to use this location in my novel, The Belgae Torc, as the place where Sir Geoffrey Knowles discovered the torc in the 1920’s.
The Belgae were also established in Europe in the area that is now known as Belgium.


Early development of the book

I wanted to use this period in history as a starting point in The Belgae Torc.  The moment I came up with the idea of a golden torc, I realised that I would have to do some research and include a chapter or two from this period at the introduction stage of the book.  Little did I know that it would develop into something more than simply a couple of chapters in fact, it remained the focus throughout all three novels.

Life in the Iron Age

These people were very highly developed, their farming methods were becoming established, they lived in communities feeding off each other’s strengths and skills, but they still had to protect themselves from attack.  The Romans had not yet arrived in my book, but fighting and raiding between tribes was frequent.
I had my village surrounded by a simple ditch and palisade made of timber which had to be maintained and re-enforced when an attack was expected.

​Roundhouses made from wattle and daub panels fixed to wooden frames made for a weatherproof structure which was roofed by thatch made from grasses gathered locally.  A hole to allow smoke to escape from central fireplaces was incorporated into the design.  When researching I discovered that in very dry conditions, fire was always a hazard from unattended cooking fires.  I used this in the book; a roundhouse suffered damage during a ‘boozy’ celebration.

One of the larger houses that was probably too old and dilapidated to be used as a dwelling was turned into a forge where basic metalwork was carried out.  It was here that the Belgae Torc was made. 

Clothing

My characters painted their bodies and decorated their hair as described in the book, but also the rough woollen clothes were highlighted.  A kind of tartan was woven on frames and made into trousers for the men and dresses for the women.  This coarse wool was hard wearing and kept out the chill of the winter months.

The men preferred to go into battle bare-chested or naked, displaying the swirling and colourful tattoos that were popular at the time.  The Roman’s would eventually find this practice of skin decorating and naked combat barbaric and heathen.

I enjoyed writing about this period in history.  Although it was very brief, about 10% of book one, it provides a sound foundation from which the rest of the story was developed. 

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