away before he could answer, or give any instructions to the cabbie.
He slid back the glass partition. “You know where I want to go, do you ?”
“Yes, guv’—once round the square an’ left an’ right an’ left again, an’ pick up y’friend, an’ Bob’s y’r’uncle!”
He couldn’t quite decide whether the fellow was trying to be cheeky or simply repeating what he’d learnt by heart— probably a bit of both. But evidently someone was still doing his thinking for him, and all he could do was to hope that this “friend” round the corner would lighten his darkness.
He shrugged and stretched—the grip of the tunic as well as the faint lavendery odour of mothballs reminded him how long it had been since he had worn it last—and sat back into the darkness.
Then the taxi decelerated sharply and cut in towards the kerb. The door was jerked open—
“Good God Almighty!” Butler barked. “I should have known!”
Audley rapped on the driver’s window and sank back into the seat beside him.
“Should have know what? That it was me? They didn’t tell you, then?” Audley sounded satisfied rather than inquisitive.
Butler nodded his head, but more to himself than to the man at his side. The armed truce between them was no special secret so perhaps they’d reckoned that even his celebrated obedience might have baulked at this.
“And why should you have known?” Audley repeated mildly.
They would have been wrong, of course. Personal likes and dislikes didn’t come into it. Only a man’s capabilities mattered, and no one doubted Dr David Audley’s capabilities. If anything, Audley was just a shade too capable for his own good.
But there was a question to answer—
“It had your mark on it, what little I’ve been allowed to pick up so far,” he said.
Audley gave a short laugh. “I’m complimented!”
“Don’t be! It’s another damned devious concoction you’ve mixed up!” Butler gestured in the darkness. “Even this.”
“Ah—now you must understand that I’m not supposed to be in London at all. As a matter of fact I’m in a cinema in Carlisle at this very moment, watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid I believe—an excellent film. The RAF kindly gave me a lift in a Harrier trainer—they do enjoy showing it off still—“
“For God’s sake, man!” spluttered Butler. “What the devil are you up to ? And what are we up to ? I tell you, you may be having great fun—I’m sure you are—but I was damn near burnt alive this morning!”
Audley’s head nodded soberly. “Yes, so I hear. And I’m sorry about that, Butler. But it wasn’t on the cards I do assure you,though.”
“So did Sir Frederick, but—“ Butler checked the run of tongue. Apologies and assurances of sympathy were the last things he wanted of Audley. “Damn it, I don’t object to the risk—it was my own fault. What I dislike is being in the dark.”
“Naturally. My dear chap, that’s exactly why I’m here. Fred could have put you in the picture, but I wanted to do it myself. Tell me first though—did things go well this evening?”
“I’ve been invited to Castleshields House, if that’s what you mean. Or Colonel John Butler has, if that ’ s what you mean.”
“Hah—very good! That’s exactly what I mean! And my congratulations on your promotion, Colonel.”
Butler snorted bitterly. “I presume that I’ve Hugh Roskill’s game leg to thank for that. He was your first choice, wasn’t he? Were you going to put him up to Group Captain?”
He despised himself for the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. The plain fact was that Roskill’s public school accent would have gone down better in academic circles than his own bark. It was childish to object to being second choice, when the first choice was self-evidently correct. As usual he was letting Audley nettle him, and if they were going to work in tandem that was something he would have to curb.
Starting now—with no
He slid back the glass partition. “You know where I want to go, do you ?”
“Yes, guv’—once round the square an’ left an’ right an’ left again, an’ pick up y’friend, an’ Bob’s y’r’uncle!”
He couldn’t quite decide whether the fellow was trying to be cheeky or simply repeating what he’d learnt by heart— probably a bit of both. But evidently someone was still doing his thinking for him, and all he could do was to hope that this “friend” round the corner would lighten his darkness.
He shrugged and stretched—the grip of the tunic as well as the faint lavendery odour of mothballs reminded him how long it had been since he had worn it last—and sat back into the darkness.
Then the taxi decelerated sharply and cut in towards the kerb. The door was jerked open—
“Good God Almighty!” Butler barked. “I should have known!”
Audley rapped on the driver’s window and sank back into the seat beside him.
“Should have know what? That it was me? They didn’t tell you, then?” Audley sounded satisfied rather than inquisitive.
Butler nodded his head, but more to himself than to the man at his side. The armed truce between them was no special secret so perhaps they’d reckoned that even his celebrated obedience might have baulked at this.
“And why should you have known?” Audley repeated mildly.
They would have been wrong, of course. Personal likes and dislikes didn’t come into it. Only a man’s capabilities mattered, and no one doubted Dr David Audley’s capabilities. If anything, Audley was just a shade too capable for his own good.
But there was a question to answer—
“It had your mark on it, what little I’ve been allowed to pick up so far,” he said.
Audley gave a short laugh. “I’m complimented!”
“Don’t be! It’s another damned devious concoction you’ve mixed up!” Butler gestured in the darkness. “Even this.”
“Ah—now you must understand that I’m not supposed to be in London at all. As a matter of fact I’m in a cinema in Carlisle at this very moment, watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid I believe—an excellent film. The RAF kindly gave me a lift in a Harrier trainer—they do enjoy showing it off still—“
“For God’s sake, man!” spluttered Butler. “What the devil are you up to ? And what are we up to ? I tell you, you may be having great fun—I’m sure you are—but I was damn near burnt alive this morning!”
Audley’s head nodded soberly. “Yes, so I hear. And I’m sorry about that, Butler. But it wasn’t on the cards I do assure you,though.”
“So did Sir Frederick, but—“ Butler checked the run of tongue. Apologies and assurances of sympathy were the last things he wanted of Audley. “Damn it, I don’t object to the risk—it was my own fault. What I dislike is being in the dark.”
“Naturally. My dear chap, that’s exactly why I’m here. Fred could have put you in the picture, but I wanted to do it myself. Tell me first though—did things go well this evening?”
“I’ve been invited to Castleshields House, if that’s what you mean. Or Colonel John Butler has, if that ’ s what you mean.”
“Hah—very good! That’s exactly what I mean! And my congratulations on your promotion, Colonel.”
Butler snorted bitterly. “I presume that I’ve Hugh Roskill’s game leg to thank for that. He was your first choice, wasn’t he? Were you going to put him up to Group Captain?”
He despised himself for the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. The plain fact was that Roskill’s public school accent would have gone down better in academic circles than his own bark. It was childish to object to being second choice, when the first choice was self-evidently correct. As usual he was letting Audley nettle him, and if they were going to work in tandem that was something he would have to curb.
Starting now—with no