Page 249 of Fall of Giants (The Century 1)

Fitz pretended not to hear.

Fall of Giants

In London, Princess Bea screamed: "No!"

"Try to stay calm," said Maud, who had just told her the news.

"They cannot!" Bea screamed. "They cannot make our beloved tsar abdicate! He is the father of his people!"

"It may be for the best-"

"I don't believe you! It's a wicked lie!"

The door opened and Grout put his head in, looking worried.

Bea picked up a Japanese bottle-vase containing an arrangement of dried grasses and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall and smashed.

Maud patted Bea's shoulder. "There, there," she said. She was not sure what else to do. She herself was delighted that the tsar had been overthrown, but all the same she sympathized with Bea, for whom an entire way of life had been destroyed.

Grout crooked a finger and a maid came in, looking frightened. He pointed at the broken vase, and the maid began to pick up the pieces.

The tea things were on a table: cups, saucers, teapots, jugs of milk and cream, bowls of sugar. Bea swept them all violently to the floor. "Those revolutionaries are going to kill everyone!"

The butler knelt down and began to clear up the mess.

"Don't excite yourself," Maud said.

Bea began to cry. "The poor tsaritsa! And her children! What will become of them?"

"Perhaps you should lie down for a while," Maud said. "Come on, I'll

walk you to your room. " She took Bea's elbow, and Bea allowed herself to be led away.

"It's the end of everything," Bea sobbed.

"Never mind," said Maud. "Perhaps it's a new beginning. "

Fall of Giants

Ethel and Bernie were in Aberowen. It was a sort of honeymoon. Ethel was enjoying showing Bernie the places of her childhood: the pithead, the chapel, the school. She even showed him around Ty Gwyn-Fitz and Bea were not in residence-though she did not take him to the Gardenia Suite.

They were staying with the Griffiths family, who had again offered Ethel Tommy's room, which saved disturbing Gramper. They were in Mrs. Griffiths's kitchen when her husband, Len, atheist and revolutionary socialist, burst in waving a newspaper. "The tsar have abdicated!" he said.

They all cheered and clapped. For a week they had been hearing of riots in Petrograd, and Ethel had been wondering how it would end.

Bernie asked: "Who's took over?"

"Provisional government under Prince Lvov," said Len.

"Not quite a triumph for socialism, then," said Bernie.

"No. "

Ethel said: "Cheer up, you men-one thing at a time! Let's go to the Two Crowns and celebrate. I'll leave Lloyd with Mrs. Ponti for a while. "

The women put on their hats and they all went to the pub. Within an hour the place was crammed. Ethel was astonished to see her mother and father come in. Mrs. Griffiths saw them too, and said: "What the 'ell are they doing here?"

A few minutes later, Ethel's da stood on a chair and called for quiet. "I know some of you are surprised to see me here, but special occasions call for special actions. " He showed them a pint glass. "I haven't changed my habits of a lifetime, but the landlord has been kind enough to give me a glass of tap water. " They all laughed. "I'm here to share with my neighbors the triumph that have took place in Russia. " He held up his glass. "A toast-to the revolution!"

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