Grand Days by Frank Moorhouse Page A

said, ‘At the start of the meeting I told you that Sir Eric is adamant that moving to the Annex should not be seen as derogatory.’
    â€˜It’s the way it will be seen. I have one other thing to say. Most of us here have heard that the Annex is damp and is not a particularly wholesome environment.’
    Lloyd broke in to say that maintenance work would be done to correct those problems.
    â€˜Be that as it may, two of our ladies have been seriously ill in the last two months. Mademoiselle Bonna is convalescing. Miss Elwood, whose health is never strong, is completely run down at present and has been under great nervous strain. She is threatened by breakdown. I must add that the rumours about the future of the Mandates Section have contributed to her condition. It would be a calamity for these two ladies to be housed in anything but satisfactory accommodation.’
    Edith bridled again. She suspected the men in Mandates were hiding behind a sickly women argument.
    This time she must have allowed an expression of irritation and incredulity to pass across her face.
    â€˜Does Edith Campbell Berry have a comment?’ Mandates said testily. ‘Perhaps Australian women are made of more rugged stuff?’
    â€˜I know nothing of the personnel problems of Mandates,’Edith came back, ‘and I know of no medical data supporting the argument that women necessarily suffer more than men from damp.’
    She would let the covert slight against the femininity of Australian women pass. For now.
    She saw Liverright pull a so-take-that face at Mandates. But she also began to fall apart inside. I am here less than a day and I have already made an enemy of Mandates, my favourite section. And I have behaved improperly as a minutes secretary by grimacing, and I have been made to look a fool about Zembla. Top day. First-rate beginning.
    Ambrose stepped in. ‘Berry is a member of section and she is entitled to an opinion and to courtesy.’
    â€˜Hear, hear,’ said Figgis.
    â€˜No,’ she said, gathering herself, ‘if I could add something, Major Westwood? I may be entitled to an opinion but I do apologise to Mandates. As minutes secretary, it is not my place to display unspoken snide reactions to what’s being said. I apologise to Mandates.’
    â€˜Apology accepted,’ Mandates said, ‘and apology extended.’
    â€˜Both of you, stand in the corner for five minutes,’ said Liverright.
    Ambrose tried to pull the meeting together. He asked around the table for the attitudes of the sections and services which had not spoken.
    Joshi leaned over to Liverright who seemed to be dozing off. ‘Wake up, Liverright. Suffering from the sleeping sickness?’ He winked at the others.
    Without opening his eyelids, Liverright replied, ‘It is not I who am suffering from sleeping sickness, Doctor. It is the rest of you who appear to suffer from insomnia.’
    He again won some laughter.
    â€˜I have the funny feeling,’ said Ambrose, ‘that no one wants to go to our new Annex. I’ll ask for volunteers. Who’d like to take over a fine new building and live happily ever after?’
    He looked around the committee. They either looked down at their notes, or shook their heads as his gaze reached them.
    â€˜No one?’
    As they all sat in adamant silence, Edith looked around at them. I can handle this crew, she thought, I am not fazed by these people. But it had not been a smooth beginning.
    â€˜We could draw lots,’ Dr Joshi said.
    â€˜Coward’s castle,’ said Ambrose. ‘I’ll report back to Sir Eric that his Papal commission having thoroughly investigated all evidence, rules that the souls of the blessed saints do come face to face with the Divine Essence at the moment of sainthood.’
    There were chuckles as people sat happily slumped in the impasse, as if it were an achievement.
    Edith thought that given that no section wanted to