The Savages Read Online Free PDF Page B

a porter at Smithfield Meat Market, a son was born to the couple. By then, Oleg had changed the family surname to Savage. It sounded more comfortable to an English-speaking ear, and created some distance from their former life. Still, Oleg never forgot his origins. In particular, he and his wife continued to pursue the taste they had acquired during the Siege, and even passed it on to their young son. The food was carefully sourced, of course, and then effectively spirited away to be prepared for the table. With access to herbs, spices and other ingredients, and in the privacy of their kitchen, the couple embarked upon a culinary adventure like no other. They were careful not to overindulge, of course, by turning it into a rare and occasional treat. As a growing boy, it was something Titus came to relish. No other meal came close to stirring such a deep-seated craving in him.Like his parents, the lad found that every mouthful left him feeling blissfully alive. By the time Oleg decided to reveal the main ingredient, there was no going back for his son.
    â€˜It feeds the heart and soul,’ was how Titus would go on to sell it to Angelica. This was two decades later, shortly before their engagement, after the couple had spent many date nights at his flat simply eating in. ‘You feel it in your bones and in your blood,’ he went on, before tapping the side of his head. ‘Most of all, you feel it in your mind. Am I right?’
    Angelica had also reacted with some questions, of course, once she’d come round from her faint and stopped screaming. Yes, it was a shock for her to learn what he had been serving her all this time. It was only human nature, after all. By then, however, Angelica had come to crave the sense of sheer satisfaction delivered by such a feast. Bonded by a shared secret, and deeply in love with this food pioneer, it seemed there was only one thing she could say when Titus dropped down on one knee and asked for her hand in marriage. From that moment on, as the couple set out to build a family, it was clear to Titus that the Savages were a breed apart when it came to good taste. No matter what challenges they faced, he swore to his new bride and then later to Sasha and Ivan, that’s exactly how it would stay.
    â€˜But Daddy, eating people is wrong.’
    It was Sasha who had spoken up. Barely five years old at the time, she sat at the table with her feet swinging under the chair while her father explained where they had obtained the meat on their plates.
    â€˜Honey,’ he had said with a sigh. ‘People are in plentiful supply. Most free range for much of their lives, and enjoy a happy existence. We don’t just eat
anyone
!’
    Unlike his sister, Ivan responded to the revelation by asking for second helpings. He seemed completely unconcerned, which Titus put down to his tender age. The boy had only just turned three at the time, after all. As for Sasha, once she’d got down from the table she simply headed off to play with her doll’s house. Titus wasn’t worried, despite her protest. He knew from experience that once someone had tasted the ultimate in flesh, it became a part of who they were.
    â€˜So,’ said Sasha, in a bid to rouse her grandfather from his thoughts. ‘What am I going to do about Dad? I’m dating someone who chooses not to eat dead animal products. That doesn’t put him in the same category as a drug addict.’
    Oleg blinked as if in surprise at her presence in the room, and then squeezed his beard with one hand.
    â€˜Oh, my son is all bark and no bite,’ he assured her. ‘I’m sure if he meets this young man then his fears will ease. Why not invite him round?’
    Sasha sighed to herself.
    â€˜Why does everyone in this family want to meet Jack?’ she asked.
    â€˜Because everyone cares for you,’ he said. ‘We Savages look out for each other. If we didn’t, God alone knows what would