The Call of Destiny (The Return of Arthur Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

here, can you help me or
not?’ asked Uther impatiently, making it clear by his expression and tone of
voice that he found the whole business frustrating, not to say demeaning.
    ‘There’s a couple I know who
would be happy to have the child,’ said Merlin, unperturbed. ‘They have a son
about a year old, but the lady can’t have any more children. They have been
thinking of adopting for some time.’
    ‘What kind of people are they?’
    ‘She is a social worker. He is a schoolmaster.’
    A social worker, a
schoolmaster. My god, thought Uther, these are real people, a real man and a
real woman with real jobs and a real son. And for all its strangeness, this was
a real conversation he was having. Suddenly he understood the meaning of what
he was doing; he was giving away his own son. Like the movement of some
prehistoric creature in the depths of an uncharted lake, an unaccustomed and
sombre emotion stirred the dark depths of his soul, and then was still. ‘Is it
a good home? I have to be sure. Good background and all that? Are they capable
of . . . I mean, you’re quite sure they’ll look after him properly?’
    ‘They are decent,
unpretentious people,’ said Merlin, ‘moral, well educated and loving. Above
all, loving.’
    ‘Where do they live?’
    A slight hesitation. ‘In a
small village in the Welsh countryside.’
    Uther could scarcely conceal his distaste.
    ‘In my opinion they would make
ideal parents for your son.’
    Feeling the need to regain the
moral high ground he had so clearly lost, Uther shook his head in sham sorrow.
‘Ideal? If only that were true. I fear the only ideal parents would be his own
natural father and mother. You simply cannot imagine the pain this causes me. I
wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. But then life isn’t fair, is it? Not on us,
not on him. We are to be deprived of the joy of bringing up a son, and he, poor
mite, will lose all those advantages I could have given him.’ An anguished look
was followed by another gloomy shake of the head. ‘Ah well,’ he continued with
resignation, ‘no sense in torturing oneself. The truth is, I’m too sensitive
for my own good. It’s a curse, you know, being tender-hearted. But then that’s
the way I am.’
    Whatever he was thinking,
Merlin’s face revealed nothing. ‘Do you want me to approach my friends?’
    ‘By all means. Naturally I
shall have to meet them to approve them – or not, as the case may be.’
    ‘No.’ The monosyllabic
response was surprisingly firm. ‘What do you mean, no?’
    ‘Meeting them would not be a good idea.’
    ‘My dear fellow,’ said Uther
imperiously, ‘you surely don’t expect me to hand over my son to complete
strangers?’
    ‘That is how it must be.’
    Uther flushed with anger. Who
the hell did this weirdo think he was, dictating terms to Uther Pendragon? He
thumped the table with clenched fist. ‘Not acceptable.’
    ‘A normal condition of
adoption,’ said Merlin calmly, ‘is that the adoptive parents and the birth
parents do not meet.’
    ‘This is hardly a normal adoption.’
    ‘Would you like the other
couple to know who you are?’ ‘None of their damn business.’ Uther was affronted
to observe the mini-disturbance at the corners of Merlin’s mouth. This was no
laughing matter. ‘You are not suggesting there is any comparison between my rights
and theirs?’
    Silence.
    To hell with it, thought
Uther, that did it; he was going to walk out. He laid his hands on the table,
pushed back his chair and prepared to leave. And if he left, what then? Where
would he go? To an adoption agency? He would never be able to rely on their
discretion. It would only be a matter of time before a greedy employee sold the
story to the editor of some sleazy tabloid. To whom then? To a friend? An
acquaintance? A colleague? Was there a person in the world he could trust apart
from Merlin? No. Aggravating though it was he really had no choice. Best get it
over with. That disturbing exchange