GUT – Chapter 5

Josinta Rena worked on Pippa’s floor in the Tusk. She had nothing to do with fishing for radio stations, although she knew all about them. Josinta knew about everything in the G.U.T. and was a cross between an institutional memory and a grey eminence in the area of legalese and confidential papers.

Other people in the G.U.T. were not aware of the extent of her knowledge of heavy and light detail, especially since she resembled an ageless Betty Boop without the high voice. She was also what one could call Pippa’s guardian angel, if such a thing could exist in the world of the G.U.T.

“Do you know where Theodor Saint’s office is?” Pippa asked a few days later when everyone had recovered from the heliport party. “He’s not on the phone list,” she added.

Josinta narrowed her large round eyes, which was no mean feat since they were very large and very round brown ones. “He’s not on the list,” she said curtly.

“I know that,” said Pippa. “I just said it.”

“Well, you can’t contact him then if he’s not on the list,” Josinta said and turned back to her box marked “CONFIDENTIAL” in such a way that her back blocked any curious peeks.

But Pippa wasn’t curious about what was in Josinta’s confidential box, she just wanted to know where to find The Saint.

Still with her back turned, Josinta muttered, “And I wouldn’t go looking for him if I were you.” Then she spun round, realising that she had said just the thing to set Pippa off on her way to look for Theodor Saint, and with a sweet smile added: “He doesn’t have an office in the G.U.T. anymore.”

Pippa looked puzzled. Yes, he does, she thought. And I’ll find it. “OK,” she said. “But he used to, didn’t he?”

Josinta shuffled some of the papers on her desk and keeping her eyes down she said softly. “He used to. He had some weird theories. The G.U.T. didn’t like them.”

“Like telepathy?” Pippa said.

“How do you know?”

“I met him one day,” Pippa said and then realised that she shouldn’t say anything for the time being. Maybe later when she had found out a bit more.

“You must never let anyone know that you met him, particularly not Dr Humid van Arroz. I can’t tell you anymore. Just trust me.”

Pippa smiled at Josinta. “No worries,” she said and went back to her own office where the fishing of stations was proceeding as ever. Pippa knew that The Saint held the keys to many a mystery in the G.U.T. and she also knew that he was inclined to give her at least one or two of them.