The Celestial Looking Glass
By Ray Drayton
“I finished The Celestial Looking Glass and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I didn’t see the twist coming and I love it when that happens.
Just beautifully woven together.”
Synopsis:
Alison endures an upbringing by parents who never wanted her.
She seeks solace with the one person Alison is closest to and who means everything to her. Madeleine is her grandmother who lives with a secret past.
During World War Two, Madeleine served with British led secret ‘S O E’ and parachuted into France to fight beside the French Resistance. Her dying wish is for Alison to locate her French husband’s grave and leave her gallantry medals on Francois’ headstone.
Alison eventually walks the old battlefields of France in the footsteps of Francois and Madeleine. Former family members step out of the shadows and guide Alison to the most unlikely secret of all. So secret that even Madeleine had not been aware of the shocking truth before she died.
The Celestial Looking Glass, the looking glass of life – and death…
There is a flash of anger in the Major’s eyes as he comes around the desk.
“Stand up, Miss Gibson.”
Madeleine gets to her feet. Her feeling of dread intensifies.
He slowly circles her while tapping his leg with a swagger stick. “Tell me Miss Gibson, have you ever known fear?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, sir.”
“When have you known fear, Miss Gibson?”
“When I first walked into this room, sir.”
The Major stops, standing directly in front of her. He nods his head slowly, apparently satisfied. “Sit down.” He abruptly turns away and sits at his desk.
“Allow me to enlighten you further, Miss Gibson. The ‘S O E ‘ or The Firm as it is known, recruits from nineteen countries. Now, why do you suppose that is?”
“I would imagine to use foreigners would have certain advantages, sir.”
“Such as?”
“To neutralise the effect of reprisals on the people in the area involved.”
“Quite so, Miss Gibson. A remarkable observation. Reprisals do happen, but as you indicate, a foreign agent is somewhat removed from the victims of reprisals. Afterall, it would not be your family executed, would it?”
“No, Major.” Madeleine’s throat is dry.
“That will be all in the meantime.” His head remains bowed over papers on the desk…
“Always aim for the body mass. Do not try to blow their head off because the chances are you will miss.” The Scottish instructor puts the recruits through various hand drills tirelessly. He watches each one load and fire their weapon at the targets while making adjustments to firing positions and how each one held their weapon. They were taught how to draw and fire when standing, sitting or lying down.
“Practise, Lassie, practise. One day your life will depend on it!” Jock screamed in her ear during one intense training session. Madeleine was most comfortable with the American Browning .45,and she handled the heavy automatic with confidence. “It is your weapon, Lassie. The balance suits ye.” Jock stood beside her as she crouched holding the big handgun in both hands, cocking and firing two shots in a smooth motion…
The question whether she would jump never occurred to Madeleine. She watches Brize Norton airfield slowly shrink in size as the Balloon reaches eight hundred feet.
“Righto, number one, let’s be having you.” The Parachute Jump instructor yells through a megaphone far below.
Madeleine keeps her eyes firmly on the horizon and steps into space. Suddenly a loud crack sounds above her as the canopy opens and she floats to the ground.
“Knees and ankles together! Tuck your elbows in, darling. They are not wings and you are not a ruddy aeroplane. Let the chute do the flying, it is much better at it than you!” The PJI bellows when she arrives at the landing point. “Toes up! Don’t forget to roll, you are no good to us with two broken legs.”
Before Madeleine knows it, she is rolling on the soft grass.
“On your feet, darling! This is no time for a rest. Get the canopy shucked before it takes you all the way back up there again!”
She starts giggling uncontrollably.
“Think that was amusing, do we?” The NCO glares at her.
“Sorry Sergeant.” She replies breathlessly, “no, it was fantastic.”
“Fantastic??” His eyes bulge. “Bloody fantastic?” A faint smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. ”Well then, we’ll have to do it again, won’t we?”…
“Bonjour, Francois.” Philippe bends down to embrace the frail old man warmly. “ I have bought someone to meet you.”
The giggling erupts into demonic laughter when his eyes fix on Alison. His twisted mouth breaks into a smile of recognition. Francois takes tentative steps towards her with his thin arms outstretched. “Madeleine, Madeleine!!”
Alison clutches the old man in an effort to keep him upright. She feels a sense of madness begin to consume her. There is no doubt who Francois is seeing.
Francois holds on tightly, relishing the feel of her arms around him.
Alison looks into his dark tear filled eyes knowing the old warrior’s mind is replaying fragments of a life shared during wartime with a woman he loved with all his heart. A woman who still loved him, even in death.
For a brief moment Alison is sharing a world endured by people of unquestionable courage. The wartime world of Francois and Madeleine…
She seeks solace with the one person Alison is closest to and who means everything to her. Madeleine is her grandmother who lives with a secret past.
During World War Two, Madeleine served with British led secret ‘S O E’ and parachuted into France to fight beside the French Resistance. Her dying wish is for Alison to locate her French husband’s grave and leave her gallantry medals on Francois’ headstone.
Alison eventually walks the old battlefields of France in the footsteps of Francois and Madeleine. Former family members step out of the shadows and guide Alison to the most unlikely secret of all. So secret that even Madeleine had not been aware of the shocking truth before she died.
The Celestial Looking Glass, the looking glass of life – and death…
There is a flash of anger in the Major’s eyes as he comes around the desk.
“Stand up, Miss Gibson.”
Madeleine gets to her feet. Her feeling of dread intensifies.
He slowly circles her while tapping his leg with a swagger stick. “Tell me Miss Gibson, have you ever known fear?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, sir.”
“When have you known fear, Miss Gibson?”
“When I first walked into this room, sir.”
The Major stops, standing directly in front of her. He nods his head slowly, apparently satisfied. “Sit down.” He abruptly turns away and sits at his desk.
“Allow me to enlighten you further, Miss Gibson. The ‘S O E ‘ or The Firm as it is known, recruits from nineteen countries. Now, why do you suppose that is?”
“I would imagine to use foreigners would have certain advantages, sir.”
“Such as?”
“To neutralise the effect of reprisals on the people in the area involved.”
“Quite so, Miss Gibson. A remarkable observation. Reprisals do happen, but as you indicate, a foreign agent is somewhat removed from the victims of reprisals. Afterall, it would not be your family executed, would it?”
“No, Major.” Madeleine’s throat is dry.
“That will be all in the meantime.” His head remains bowed over papers on the desk…
“Always aim for the body mass. Do not try to blow their head off because the chances are you will miss.” The Scottish instructor puts the recruits through various hand drills tirelessly. He watches each one load and fire their weapon at the targets while making adjustments to firing positions and how each one held their weapon. They were taught how to draw and fire when standing, sitting or lying down.
“Practise, Lassie, practise. One day your life will depend on it!” Jock screamed in her ear during one intense training session. Madeleine was most comfortable with the American Browning .45,and she handled the heavy automatic with confidence. “It is your weapon, Lassie. The balance suits ye.” Jock stood beside her as she crouched holding the big handgun in both hands, cocking and firing two shots in a smooth motion…
The question whether she would jump never occurred to Madeleine. She watches Brize Norton airfield slowly shrink in size as the Balloon reaches eight hundred feet.
“Righto, number one, let’s be having you.” The Parachute Jump instructor yells through a megaphone far below.
Madeleine keeps her eyes firmly on the horizon and steps into space. Suddenly a loud crack sounds above her as the canopy opens and she floats to the ground.
“Knees and ankles together! Tuck your elbows in, darling. They are not wings and you are not a ruddy aeroplane. Let the chute do the flying, it is much better at it than you!” The PJI bellows when she arrives at the landing point. “Toes up! Don’t forget to roll, you are no good to us with two broken legs.”
Before Madeleine knows it, she is rolling on the soft grass.
“On your feet, darling! This is no time for a rest. Get the canopy shucked before it takes you all the way back up there again!”
She starts giggling uncontrollably.
“Think that was amusing, do we?” The NCO glares at her.
“Sorry Sergeant.” She replies breathlessly, “no, it was fantastic.”
“Fantastic??” His eyes bulge. “Bloody fantastic?” A faint smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. ”Well then, we’ll have to do it again, won’t we?”…
“Bonjour, Francois.” Philippe bends down to embrace the frail old man warmly. “ I have bought someone to meet you.”
The giggling erupts into demonic laughter when his eyes fix on Alison. His twisted mouth breaks into a smile of recognition. Francois takes tentative steps towards her with his thin arms outstretched. “Madeleine, Madeleine!!”
Alison clutches the old man in an effort to keep him upright. She feels a sense of madness begin to consume her. There is no doubt who Francois is seeing.
Francois holds on tightly, relishing the feel of her arms around him.
Alison looks into his dark tear filled eyes knowing the old warrior’s mind is replaying fragments of a life shared during wartime with a woman he loved with all his heart. A woman who still loved him, even in death.
For a brief moment Alison is sharing a world endured by people of unquestionable courage. The wartime world of Francois and Madeleine…