The New Tutor

The New Tutor

March 24^th, 1962

Zurich

'The House of Lintorff stands on a frog and an imbecile. Befitting,' Karl Heinz von Lintorff thought darkly as he watched his four-year-old son unsuccessfully trying to hunt a toad in the pond, followed by the ten-year-old lanky figure of his brother, Karl Maria.

The over forty-something years old Duke of Wittstock sighed and watched how the younger child carried the leading voice of the two, even if he was not properly speaking yet, dominating and surpassing his older brother.

'I simply don't understand it. After Karl's birth, I thought it was my fault for being too old to have children, but Konrad's proves the opposite. He's very intelligent for his age. All his nannies say it. Why does his mother dislike him so much? She can't still be upset because I forced her to bear him. Konrad does everything he can to please her, and yet, she never liked him.

'Karl Maria could never be a Griffin. She has to accept it. I gave her ample time to face the truth, up to his fifth anniversary, but she's still too consumed by her love of her first born. Konrad has more of the Lintorffs' traits. Marianne has to understand that Karl Maria is too weak to rule. Konrad loves his older brother and will protect him once we are gone.'

Lost in his thoughts the tall man watched the boys. Konrad was hugged by his older brother to prevent him from falling head-first into the water as the small one was dangerously dangling from a branch to peer among the reeds, obstinately looking for an elusive toad.

“We'll get bread!” Konrad told his brother and the Duke smiled softly. 'Wait a little more before you start to bribe people, my son.'

“Why?” Karl Maria asked his brother genuinely puzzled.

“The toad will come to eat it and we will catch it,” the four-year-old answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

The brief exchange convinced the Duke of forwarding his plans.

* * *

Happy Birthday, Guntram!

It's finally here! Guntram turns thirty years old!

As I have less money than Konrad, my present is a book; Of Kindness and Compassion in Toads and Frogs. 

Perhaps if he reads it, he will understand many more things about his Konrad... or suffers a fit of jealousy.

The book will be released as paperback ($22,95) or hardcover ($37,95). Because of  one of these unexplainable astral conjunctions caused by Lulu and Amazon selling together, I can lower the price paperback only by 5% whereas the hardcover can be reduced by 25%

No, no e-book and that is final. Traditional publishing has given me more joys than going digital. Nevertheless, I will be posting in the blog one story per month so everybody can read them, and this time, it will be the final, edited version. No betas or epsilons making you suffer. If you start to enjoy them, you can buy the book later. Tomorrow,  the first one; The New Tutor.

There's a coupon at Lulu for saving in Ground Shipping (only for the States, I'm afraid) but Retailmenot, has other coupons at:

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/lulu.com

TS 2 Part V Chapter 13

Chapter 13

July 30^th, 2009

Zurich

The boys had literally hit the pillow and slept soundly in less than two minutes. 'How can they be two hurricanes till the last second until they fall dead on their beds?' Eberhard marvelled, secretly glad that his charges were sleeping so fast. 'Being a tutor is more exerting than teaching? Try better being a tutor is like running a marathon every day,' he thought as he closed the folder where were some of Guntram's discarded illustrations which the boys wanted him to use for inventing a story for them. With care he took the folder with him as he closed the door and had to let a long sigh out and lean against the door. 'How could Guntram do this with a heart condition? I've been running after them since 8 a.m and I'm about to collapse.'

He walked in the playroom and set pencils and exercise books in order, noticing that Birgitte had already taken the dirty clothes away. 'Guntram really kept them on a short leash,' he considered as the boys had not complained at all when he had asked them to put their toys away or throw the clothes in the basket. They had only wet each other while they were in the bathroom but nothing else. Klaus and Karl organised in no time their Legos in different boxes only arguing a little over if that window belonged to the white house or to the farm. In the morning they had done their homework and went to the garden with him, bombarding him with questions about the ducks in the pond, testing his knowledge. They had been served boiled fish and they have pouted for a little but finally ate it as Friederich intervened with a “you can have it as dinner if that is more to your liking.”

'My grandfather was more lenient than Guntram, but it saves me a lot of trouble.'

Of Kindness and Compassion in Toads and Frogs

Trailer designed and realised by Higashi

I hope (well, I am crossing my fingers) to release the book on October 19th to "celebrate" our Guntram's 30th Anniversary with style. The book is finished and edited by Higashi, who did a Herculean task fighting against bad grammar at the same time she gave me literary advise. There will be a hardback and a paperback edition. Regarding the e-book edition I am as clueless as Guntram in a bad day; I haven't made my mind up (and would love to have a Konrad to tell me what to do). 

TS 2 Part V Chapter 12

Chapter 12

July 23^rd, 2009

Wurzburg

The large Mercedes parked at the entrance of the Guttenberg Sachsen's old residence and the chauffeur hurried to open the back door for his superior, standing firm as he was more demanding than the Duke himself.

Standing at the balustrade the old baron, Udo von Guttenberg Sachsen awaited for his guest, accompanied by his eldest grandchild, Eberhard, leaning a bit on him as his health had significantly deteriorated since he had heard the news about his “grandchild” Guntram's disappearance. 'Why is the Tutor here? We are out since twenty years,' he pondered but kept his face straight when Friederich, dressed in a morning suit climbed up the stairs.

“It is an honour to receive you, Mr. Elsässer,” Udo said bowing his head to to his superior. 'Why was he never named Consort? Everyone knows that he and the Prince zu Löwenstein ran the Order much better than the old Duke.'