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History confides that every man will do his duty	By : luna65 Category: Singers/Bands/Musicians > Pink Floyd Views: 640 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not know the members of Pink Floyd. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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II: inelegant eavesdropping, or, what the birthday boy overheard

marchfirstnineteenseventynine
Going on six o’clock, and the light was waning. David stared at the front entrance of Britannia Row, specifically the window, which was the privacy type: pebbled to obscure an actual view. But visitors had to ring, and there was an intercom. Luckily they weren’t bothered much, as no one imagined such an important concern would be located in Islington of all places.

David was standing in the hallway, behind the door of the control room. James had propped it open, and for an hour David had listened to isolated snatches of music same as his engineer, but silently though the other talked to himself as he made notes. This made David smile, one of so many charming things he had observed.

The buzzer rang, David could see a petite dark-haired figure standing before the door. Arthur came out of his office to answer the summons, and the visitor identified herself to his satisfaction. David ducked behind the portion of the door which would not reveal his presence, though Arthur saw him all the same and after the visitor had walked through the doorway he came around.

“I didn’t expect –“ he began, whispering, and David held a finger to his lips, his expression thoroughly serious. Arthur made the same gesture and retreated to his assigned place.

David recognized the visitor as James’ girlfriend Rachel. They had met briefly at Steve’s Christmas party, though the couple had not stayed long. All he knew of her were the isolated anecdotes his engineer cared to share and he wanted to know more. She stood on the threshold and when the music stopped again she entered the room.

“Are you ready, Jamie?”

James was startled, his head turning suddenly. “Am I late? Wasn’t I s’posed to meet you?”

“Here. I reminded you not four hours ago.”

“Oh, sorry. Just need to finish the logs and lock the console, won’t be but a few minutes. Did you want to eat first?”

“There isn’t time.”

James looked at his watch. “I s’pose you’re right. After then?”

Rachel sighed. “Rather the obvious choice, wouldn’t you say?”

She was pretty, David thought, even in jeans and a jumper it was apparent she had a nice figure, creamy skin and lovely thick hair. Rachel leaned up against the mixing desk as James continued to fill out the daily logs, not looking up.

“So how was your day with Trevor?” he asked.

“Fine. He keeps changing the arrangement, though, so the way I learnt the song means bugger all now.”

“He likes to tinker, Trevor does, or at least that’s what I’ve heard.”

“Something interesting did happen today.”

“What?”

“Geoff made a pass at me.”

“You suspected he was stuck on you, isn’t that what you said?”

“So all you’re going to say is that it was a self-fulfilling prophecy?”

“Rachel, you’re a beautiful woman working in the music business, which is rife with slimy opportunistic gasbags, so what else would I say?”

“Y’coulda said something like how dare he?!”

“So it’s to be pistols at dawn with Geoff Downes, is that what you want?”

“Something other than diplomacy would be nice. It’s just like Andy says, all you lot ever care about are your buttons and knobs.”

I bet they’ve had this row more than once. David found himself smirking when he heard the reply.

“This again? Just promise me you’ll be done with your harangue by the time the film starts. So what did you tell him?”

“What do you think I told him? I told him to fuck off.”

“Sounds like you have it handled, then.”

“Do you even care?”

“Well of course I care. But unless I’m with you all the time, which is an impossibility, then what can I actually do?”

“You can go over to Olympia tomorrow and knock him on his arse!”

“Rach, if I had to come to your defense every time someone made a pass at you I wouldn’t have a job at all. And I’m not the sort to go ‘round punching people any road.”

“He’ll probably have me sacked.”

“Now if that happens we will have words, trust me. But I’m quite surprised you didn’t clock him yourself. That right hook of yours is wicked, y’know.”

As if in demonstration, Rachel socked James in the arm, her dark eyes wide with annoyance. “Oh piss off, Guthrie! And hurry up, don’t want to be late.”

James looked at his watch again as he rubbed his bicep. “We won’t be, Miss Brannock, the theatre is only two blocks away and it doesn’t start till twenty of.”

“I want to get a good seat, we always end up sitting in the back.”

“Because the sound is best in the back.”

“I don’t like sitting in the back.”

James checked the position of the faders against a sheet he had drawn up, flipped a series of switches on the console and found a sheet of paper, writing DO NOT DISTURB in large letters, his distinctive brand of block printing, with a black marking pen. He then taped it to the top of the console.

“I thought you said they always muck it up every morning.”

“Yes, but I continue to hope against hope that Griff will tire of sabotaging me.”

David watched as James put his arms around Rachel, touching her nose with his own.

“We’ll sit wherever you like.”

“And I want popcorn.”

“Yes milady.”

They kissed, but just briefly. There was a stilted quality to their affection, as if they were unused to the ritual. David ducked into an adjacent storage space, door just slightly ajar, as they exited the control room, James shrugging into his jacket and locking the door. After he had called goodnight to their caretaker, James held the front door open for Rachel on their departure. David slipped out as soon as the door closed, watched their warped silhouettes go down the stairs and into the street, holding hands.

David had been wondering what was amiss, because there was no mistaking the lexicon of certain expressions. He’d caught the other, chin resting in his fist, looking at him through the glass dreamy but intent. Never critical, blaming himself for whatever didn’t sound right. And he saw in those enthralling brown eyes the gravity of worship…hadn’t seen it for years but remembered it well enough to know it at first sight.

And now, David knew just what he wanted for his birthday and he was going to have it, circumstance be damned. As damned as he felt at that moment, caught between the wheel he was lashed to and the road which never ended, both carrying him into unknown territory.

“Are you happy?” he asked James the next day.

The other paused in his task, eyebrows raised.

“Right now, y’mean?”

“In general.”

James shrugged, but his expression remained unsure somehow.

“Yeah, I s’pose. Why?”

“Just wondered.”

Though David had his back to Roger, he asked loud enough for the other to hear, knew that he did, yet when he turned around in his chair his partner did not look up, continued to doodle upon a notepad, with some half-finished lyrics. But David could tell, by the set of Roger’s body, the tension of his hand as he held the pencil, that he was holding his tongue against some sour remark. His lips were even pursed, as if he could actually taste it. David turned back and regarded the contrast between James’ dark brows and pale skin. He was just a dewy lad, wasn’t he, and yet…there was something seasoned there, calm and self-assured as he did his job, never hesitating in his task. But still, so young. David tried to recall what it had been like to be twenty-five and the view was hazy, yet still preferred to the one from soon-to-be-thirty-three.

“You won’t duck my fete, will you Whiz Kid?” His voice was lower, nearly a whisper.

“No boss, we’ll be there.”

“Girlfriend gonna let you come, hmm?”

“As long as I bring her she has no objection.”

“I see.” But she has plenty of other objections, doesn’t she?

A plan was forming. A battle plan, because victory was not without skirmish when unconditional surrender was not guaranteed, as any good student of history is aware.
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History confides that every man will do his duty