Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2006 10:35:13 +0000 (GMT)
From: Mike Arram <mikearram@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Henry in High Politics - 18

The Michael Arram stories are now beginning to appear together at:
http://www.iomfats.org/storyshelf/hosted/arram

This story contains graphic depictions of sex between young males.  If the
reading or possessing of such material as this is illegal in your place of
residence please leave this site immediately and do not proceed further.
If you are under the legal age to read this, please do not do so.


XVIII

So Christmas holidays came all too rapidly.  Henry was unpacking his locker
again, and about to say goodbye to Ed.  But at least he would see him the
week after Christmas, when Ed had petitioned -- in fact demanded -- that
Matt and Andy take him with them to the Rothenian Alps.  Rudi had likewise
demanded of the parents of his growing number of straight friends at
Medwardine -- including Mark Peters -- that they join him for his winter
stay at the castle of Zenden south of the capital.  David, though not
straight, was one of this group too, and his attendance was particularly
required in Rothenia as he was Rudi's study buddy for their business
studies course work.  As usual, Mum and Dad were joining the grandparents
somewhere sunny in the week after Christmas, so it was all working out
nicely.
  The grand finale for them all would be Rudi's New Year's Ball in the
capital.  The monarchy was living up to the people's hopes of providing a
focus for the nation's social as well as political life, and Oskar had
drafted a regular programme of major events and levees which would form a
stable social calendar for the nation and not disrupt the young king's
education too badly.  An ornate invitation card, gold embossed, from HM the
King of Rothenia to Henry Robert Atwood Esq OHL, was jammed in the edge of
the hall mirror at home, so that visiting parishioners could admire it.
  It was a nice Christmas, and Ricky, Henry's brother, was in a really good
mood, as he was reunited with his girlfriend, Helen Peters.  Henry could
hear the consequences of it if he paused outside Ricky's door and Helen was
sleeping over.  It has to be said that Henry, in his curiosity about the
heterosexual urges he did not possess lingered a little more than was
healthy outside Ricky's door straining to catch the groans and squeals.  He
sneaked off, ashamed of himself, in the end.
  Henry's Dad celebrated five services in different churches on Christmas
Day, and was lying unconscious on the sofa in the lounge in late afternoon.
Henry was going through his university options with Mum, and she agreed
with him that Cranwell was the best of the bunch.  The finances did not
look good.  Between them Mum and Dad earned enough to reduce the level of
maintenance grant he could hope for, but not enough to offer much support,
and during his first year Ricky would still be in his final year at
Manchester.
  `Face it,' said Mum, `we timed you two really badly.  But you are at
least going to get some sort of rebate on your fees if you get the grades
you expect, and Cranwell does offer the best deal.'
  `Cranwell McDonalds it is then,' sighed Henry.
  `I'm sorry Henry,' Mum said sadly, `but when you were born university
fees were not something we expected to have to pay, or we would have tried
to save for them.  But your university career isn't going to be as carefree
as ours was in the eighties.'
  Henry hugged his Mum, `I wasn't criticising, honest. I shall put my
shoulders to the wheel.  I want to do university and it'll pay off in the
end.'
  But Mum was not happy, and indeed a little resentful at other's luck,
`And it looks like Edward will be enjoying a very different university
career, with Peacher money behind him, and the high table of Trinity in
front of him.  Yet you don't seem envious, darling.  That says a lot about
you.'
  `It's the fact that we'll be in two different universities that bothers
me most.  Ours is such a staccato relationship ... on and off all the time.
I'd hoped that cohabiting at university would be the chance we would have
to find out how compatible we really are.'
  Mum gave him a narrow look.  `That sounds almost as if you had some
doubts.'
  Henry sighed once again. `Not about him, Mum.  It's me that is the
bother.  I've not been a good boy.  I played around with David Skipper, who
I fancied a bit, and I wonder if I can live up to the standards that Ed
expects of me.  If we're two hundred miles apart, the possibilities of
drifting away from each other are multiplied.  I don't think I'm good with
temptation.  If I have an itch I need to scratch it.'
  Mum gave Henry a calculating look.  `Then maybe you just have to give
each other time to grow a little.  Coming out so young has forced you two
to be more mature than your years might allow.  Maybe in this case
separation might be better.  You both need space to grow.  And, yes, I can
see the guilt building up in you Henry, because you two may have had a
rough time, but you are both loving boys and have learned a lot more about
love than most people your age.  The point is that you just haven't had a
chance to learn how exceptional your experiences have been.'
  Henry laughed, `It makes me think about poor Fritzy.  He's on his third
girlfriend now, and he's only fourteen.  All his little affairs seem to go
wrong, like clockwork.  But I see what you mean.  By the time he's my age,
he'll have more experience of relationships to draw on, and know better how
to value them when they go right.  Is that what you mean?'
  `Something like that, although it's complicated by you being gay, poor
Henry.  Life will never be easy for you.'

  `So it's to be Cranwell for you is it?' Matt White was smiling very
indulgently at Henry.
  `Looks like, Matt,' Henry nodded.
  `Good old Finkle Road, how I miss it,' Matt's smile widened.
  `Seriously?'
  `Well, yes.  It may look like a row of crummy terraces to you, but for me
it represented my discovery of life.  Finkle Road to me was what the Beagle
was to Charles Darwin, where I really began.'
  `That's an interesting way of putting it.  I hope it works out like that
for me.'
  `University is about all sorts of education, little Henry, not just
academic.  Cranwell was very good for me.  I still go down there from time
to time, I'm a research fellow of the history department.  Also my dad
still owns 25 Finkle Road, where I lived when I was a student.  That's what
I want to talk to you about.  One of the flats there falls vacant next
year, my dad says you can have it rent free if you'll take over the duty of
maintaining the house ... changing light bulbs and weeding the garden sort
of thing.'
  `Seriously?'
  `Seriously.  You'll miss out on life in hall, but hall's a mixed
blessing.  You're a confident, pleasant and funny kid.  You'll make lots of
friends without the hall experience.'
  `Matt ... that's brilliant.  It'll help no end.'
  `Thought so.  Good.  It's settled then.  But I do have an ulterior
motive.  Dad has deliberately emptied the house and we're carefully
refilling it for a reason.'
  Henry was intrigued, `And what would that reason be?'
  `Have you ever met Andy's youngest brother, Eddie?'
  `Yeah ... last new year at your house.'
  `Oh yes, I remember.  How did you get on?'
   `OK ... he's very dry and American.  We had a good couple of days.
What's this about?'
  `Andy's father, the great Richard Peacher, is moving back to the UK,
which is bad news for the Republican party.  He fell out with the President
over his middle eastern policies.  He's bought a place in Suffolk, quite
near Andy, and a big house in Mayfair here in London.  The point is that
Richard has decided to put Eddie through university in Britain, not the US,
and Eddie has not got the sort of grades that would interest the leading
universities, even with the Peacher money.  So he has decided on Cranwell.
Eddie is going to be the second Peacher to live in 25 Finkle Road, so you
see why we're vetting the other occupants.  You, we know we can trust,
Henry.'
  Henry smiled, `That's brilliant, Matt.'  All of a sudden the Cranwell
experience was beginning to look very interesting.
  `I'll give your number to my dad and you can sort out the details between
you.  Just get your A Levels.'  Henry couldn't resist doing a Henry thing,
and launching himself round Matt's neck and kissing that beautiful man, who
smiled and hugged Henry back.  `You know who you remind me of?' he asked.
  `Who?'
  `My little Andy when he was a teen.  You've got all the puppy-like
affection and humour ... as well as the shortness.'
  Henry laughed.  `Just need the money then, don't I?'
  He was staying briefly in Highgate before they flew out to Rothenia.  It
was great to be reunited with Ed and have his warm body next to him at
night.  But they both admitted that Matt's house had lost something now
Justin had moved out.  It may have been quieter but it had lost an aura of
cheerfulness.  To his astonishment, Henry heard Mrs Atkinson regretting
Justin's absence.
  `But he annoyed the hell out of you, Mrs Atkinson,' he protested.
  `Oh that was all on the surface.  He was smelly, noisy and
undomesticated, but he brought some life to the house.  Edward is a nice
boy, but quietness and politeness and -- save us -- tidiness, does not add
to life's interest.'
  `You're a complicated person, Mrs Atkinson.'
  Justin was at Ipswich between contracts for Terry, and was cheerfully
manning the tills and stocking shelves for Nathan at his garden centre.
Matt said Justin seemed to enjoy it very much, and his pet supplies idea
was paying off in a modest sort of way, which pleased Nathan, who was
trying to hike the profit margin for his uncle.  Haddesley Hall was not a
major stately home and needed all the income it could get, apart from
agriculture and tourism.
  The next day, a Wednesday, a row of vans was in front of Matt's house and
staff were loading bags.  Andy had come up from Suffolk and the two men
were happily sitting together over breakfast, facing Ed and Henry.  Matt
was going through the details.  They were taking a Peacher jet to the
airport at Rechtenstern and going from there up to a mountain chalet Matt
had rented above the city.  On Saturday they were to drive up to the palace
at Strelzen for the ball.  Matt was checking that the boys had the required
dress.
  It was then that Andy mentioned that Terry had announced his intention of
joining them.  `It surprised me,' he said, `because he's no great fan of
skiing.  He used to say that anything likely to give him a leg injury and
affect his dance practice was obviously not worth the trouble, but now, he
wants to join us for New Year.'
  Henry gave a noise between a snuffle and a giggle, Matt raised an
eyebrow, `What do you know that we don't, Henry?'
  `It's Davey.'
  `Davey being?'
  `Our friend, David Skipper.  Terry and him fell for each other big time
down in Cranwell when he gave us a lift for the open day.'
  `I don't believe it,' said Matt.
  `Well I do,' retorted Andy.  `When he went on the scent of pickups in the
old days, it was always slim and dark younger boys he chased, and your
Davey is just that, isn't he?  Slim and dark, and quite pretty too.'
  Henry pursued the point.  `Davey's gone to Zenden to join Rudi's house
party, so Terry's decided to come to Rothenia too.  I can't believe it's
coincidence, I bet they've planned a date.'
  Andy looked at Matt who said, `It's as well.  Poor Terry couldn't grieve
for ever ... but a teenager?  I'm not sure that that's such a good thing ...
saving your presence lads.'
  `No offence taken,' said Ed.  `But don't prejudge Davey.  He's very
sensitive - over- sensitive some might say - and he is very kind, when his
brain's working properly.  I think he might do Terry good.  It may only be
a temporary thing but I'm quite sure Davey will be the better for it.  He's
different with Terry, not so prickly and wayward, it's like Terry steadies
him and puts him on an even keel.'
  Andy said, `I'll keep my fingers crossed ... it's nice that you two boys
agree that it's an affair with mileage in it.  You obviously like your
friend.'
  Henry nodded, and felt a little troubled when he looked at the smiling
and relaxed face of his own boyfriend.  Was there still mileage in their
affair?

Rechtenberg airport was full of school parties from Britain returning from
and arriving for the skiing.  Six months of monarchy had made a noticeable
difference.  The post boxes had a crown above the postal horn.  Many things
were now `kungliche' or `Royal', the post office, the national airline, the
railways and the national bank.  The airport shops had a range of King
Rudolf wares: mugs, posters, postcards and tea cloths.  Henry resisted the
temptation to buy any.
  Vans and cars were waiting to take them up into the mountains, where
their `chalet' turned out to be more substantial than the word indicated;
it was more like a small hotel.  There was a ski instructor attached to the
property who took Henry in hand as a beginner and Edward as an
intermediate.  They had a good time, and although Henry doubted that he
would ever have any real talent for the sport, he did feel cool on the
piste, sipping his vin chaud and posing in the fashionable and expensive
gear Matt had bought him in London.
  Henry and Ed had a really good time on their own with Matt and Andy.  The
two men were an education to be around, and the depth of their relationship
was a little awesome to Henry, whose doubts about himself were not letting
up.  Of the two, he found Matt the easier to relate to, and so he
manoeuvred himself into a one-to-one encounter with him off the slope when
they went to get a coffee.
  Matt smiled at Henry, `You OK, little one?'
  `Is it that obvious?'
  `Mmm, to me anyway. You really are very like what Andy was as a boy.  You
could always read what was going on behind his eyes, especially when he was
uncomfortable ... so, spit it out, Henry.'
  `It's like this, then.  You know that me and Ed are most likely to go our
different ways when we go to university?' Matt nodded.  `I've got doubts,
Matt.  I don't think that I'm the stuff that long distance relationships
are made of.  To be honest, I think there's a bit of the tart in me.  I
haven't got the moral strength to turn the stopcock on my sex drive.  I've
already been in trouble once, and Ed forgave me, but he'll have a lot more
to forgive when we're two hundred miles apart.  I don't think he sees it.
I think he thinks I'm as steady a guy as he is.  But I know I'm not.  Tempt
me and I will fall.  But I hate the idea of disappointing him and worry
that he may learn to despise me.'
  `Oh Henry,' said Matt.  `You think I can advise you?  I'm the wrong
person.  It's Andy who has strayed away from our bed, not me.  And the real
authority on bedhopping is Terry.  Not that you're ever likely to be as
adventurous and wild as he was.  Or is it because I'm like Ed that you want
to see how I react?'
  `Maybe,' said Henry sadly.
  `Then what can I say?  Ed is a fine man ... I won't call him a boy any
more ... besides, he's eighteen now.  He is straightforward and steady, and
I have no doubt that a great life and career is ahead of him.  And that's
because he has recognised who he is, subdued himself and caged his
passions.  You said once that when you first met him, he was frustrated and
unpredictable, but he's conquered that and he has gone through fire with
his parents.  But Henry, you haven't.  You have a lovely family and have
had a wonderful upbringing.  What you haven't had is any real harsh
challenge in your life.  Even coming out at Medwardine seems to have been
easy for you.'
  Henry felt it necessary to assert that his decision to come out had not
been without its cost, but even as he began he realised that it was not so.
Somehow he had maintained his popularity amongst his peer group.  So he
faltered, and Matt continued.
  `You're a lovely, happy boy Henry,' he said, `and you I will call a
boy. And not just because you're still seventeen.  People like you
instinctively.  They see the charm and happiness of the boy you still are
and they love you for it.  What you have yet to find, little Henry, is a
platform of experience on which to build something more than the child you
still are.  Basically, little man, you've not needed to grow up and life
has been kind.  But you can't go on being a boy: being grown up is about
tough choices, and what'll happen next year is going to be the first big
trial of your life.'
  Henry's heart fell, he had hoped Matt would have an easy solution, but he
was instead telling him things about himself he did not really want to
know.  His woeful look touched Matt.
  `I'm sorry Henry, telling you this is like kicking a puppy, but it has to
be said.  And I have no solutions.  Someone's going to get hurt over this
university business, and it's in your hands who that person will be, and
how he will be hurt.  Scary isn't it, life?  All I will say is that, when
it comes down to it, you have to be your own man, if you're going to be a
man.'
  Terry turned up on the morning of New Year's Eve.  `Have I missed the
skiing? Shame.  Might have broken something interesting.  You OK Henry?
Brave little lad, doing this terrifying thing with snow.'
  `Nicely timed, Terry,' said Andy, who was a demon on the slopes, `you've
missed the last day's skiing.'
  `Aw shucks.  When we off to the party?'
  Matt smiled, `The helicopter's coming for us at four.  It's formal, so I
hope, as a knight of the order of the Rose, that you have your insignia.'
  Terry grinned a little sheepishly, `Well, I couldn't not bring it, could
I? ... poor Andy, you're the only one without a Rothenian gong.'
  Andy laughed, `Oh, give me a chance.  But I've brought my insignia from
my British knighthood so I may not be as colourful as you, but still I
shall not be out of place.  Rudi will be proud of us.'
  Flying in over Strelzen in the early evening was an experience.  The
helicopter pilot took them in an arc across the city at Matt's request so
that Henry could see the streetplan and buildings from above.  They landed
at a small, private airport north of the Spa where a big car was waiting.
They were already in full dress.  The car joined the long queue up the
Rodolferplaz as the social elite of Rothenia gathered for the first great
occasion of its new calendar.  Matt and Andy and their party rather stood
out when they went up the grand staircase as it didn't include females, but
it was such a crush that it hardly mattered.
  They were announced on the door of the ballroom by a stentorian
chamberlain who took their tickets and were swept into a world of colour
and music.  The dancing had not yet begun, and people were standing around
in groups.  Oskar, in full uniform, soon found Matt, Terry and Andy, and
dragged them to a side table to update them on events, leaving Ed and Henry
to find a glass of wine and stare around.  At eight the boom of a
chamberlain's staff rapping on the floor subdued the murmur, and an avenue
opened through the crowd as the king appeared at the door, with the
countess his mother on his arm.  The national anthem played, the room bowed
and curtseyed and the king made his way to two chairs placed on a dias.  He
spoke a few suitable words, took his mother on the floor, and the dancing
began.
  Rothenians are great dancers, and the Strausses in their day had worked
at the Ruritanian court.  It was exciting to see the couples moving and
spinning to the chamber orchestra.  Ed and Henry sat it out, as there was
no chance of male on male dancing here.  Terry stood by them for a while,
twitching with the need to get out there on the floor under the blazing
chandeliers, `Why couldn't you be a transvestite, Henry?' he cursed.
  `Sorry, I think,' Henry said.
  Finally Terry found an unattached lady who was willing to take the floor
with this dashing and handsome man with an order of chivalry across his
chest, and out they span.  They didn't see him again for hours.  In truth,
the ball soon became boring for the boys after the first excitement, and
they were glad when David found them and took them out into a side room
where food was laid out.
  `So, how's it been, Davey?' Ed asked.
  `Interesting.  There are two Rudis, y'know.  There's Medwardine Rudi who
chews the end of a pen when he's thinking and tells very risky jokes, and
then there's this other Rudi lurking inside: the king, cool and very
self-possessed.  He seems to switch from one to the other without any
problem.  I think he's a high level schizophrenic.'
  `That would account for a lot,' Ed reflected.  `What happened at Zenden?'
  `It was great ... Morton, Westenra, Ahmed and Peters were there too.  The
castle's amazing.  It's got this medieval fairy tale keep in the middle of
a lake, and this grand neo-Classical mansion next to it.  Christmas was
awesome.  Rudi threw this banquet for the foresters and their families:
roasted oxen, barrels of wine, flambeaux sort of thing in this big feudal
hall.  Then the next day we went out in Tyrolean hats with dogs to shoot
boar.  Thank God we didn't see any, I'm not sure what I would have done.
Peters let his gun off, cos he goes shooting with his dad, but it knocked
him flat and brought a tree branch down.'  He looked around expectantly,
`Seen Terry?'
  `We came with him ... he's out there in the ballroom lost in a world of
waltz.'
  `He's gonna teach me to dance.  He says I have the perfect body for it.'
  Henry laughed, `I'm sure he thinks you have the perfect body for a lot of
other things too.'
  David actually blushed. `We're going away for a few days after this is
over, and he'll get me back to England.'
  Henry had to ask, `Are you coming out to your parents, Davey?'
  David shook his head, `It's an open secret round school, but I'll leave
it till I go to university.  I'm not eighteen till March.  It'll save
problems.  Then me and Terry can go to the next stage.'
  `Which is?'
  `He's gonna buy a flat in Cranwell and we're gonna live together when
he's in town.'
  `That'll save costs too,' said Henry, a little enviously.  As he was
saying that a sudden stir in the crowd round the tables caused his neck to
prickle; he turned, Rudi was behind him and people were bowing and
curtseying.  Henry too gave the Rothenian bow, but he didn't take Rudi's
hand to kiss, as some Rothenians did.
  `Cool party, Your Majesty,' he said.
  `You're not dancing, Henry.'
  `I asked Westenra, sir, but he turned me down flat, the git.'
  `You're not his type, Outfield.  I have a proposal for you of another
sort.'
  `Sir?'
  `In two days, I have a date to keep in Glottenberh with the Black Virgin,
I want you to come with me.'