change from Trimmer.’
‘Would you say Trimmer was human?’ They fell back on this problem, which in one form or another had been fully debated between them for three years. ‘D’you miss him at all?’
‘Pure joy and relief. Every morning for the last four days I’ve woken up to the thought “Trimmer’s gone”.’
At length after an hour’s discussion Kerstie said: ‘I suppose you’ll be looking for somewhere else to live now.’
‘Not unless you want to get rid of me.’
‘Of course it isn’t that, darling, only Ian …’
But Virginia was not listening. Instead she interrupted with: ‘Have you got a family doctor?’
‘We always go to an old boy in Sloane Street called Puttock. He’s very good with the children.’
‘I’ve never had a doctor,’ said Virginia, ‘not one I could call
my
doctor. It comes of moving about so much and being so healthy. I’ve sometimes been to a little man in Newport to get him to sign for sleeping pills, and there was a rather beastly Englishman in Venice who patched me up that time I fell downstairs at the Palazzo Corombona. But mostly I’ve relied on chemists. There is a magician in Monte Carlo. You just go to him and say you have a pain and he gives you a
cachet
which stops it at once. I think perhaps I’ll go and see your man in Sloane Street.’
‘Not ill?’
‘No. I just feel I ought to have what Mr Troy calls a “check-up”’
‘There’s a most luxurious sick-bay in HOO HQ. Every sort of apparatus and nothing to pay. General Whale goes there for “sun-rays” every afternoon. The top man is called Sir Somebody Something – a great swell in peacetime.’
‘I think I’d prefer your man. Not expensive?’
‘A guinea a visit I think.’
‘I might afford that.’
‘Virginia, talking of money: you remember Brenda and used to pay rent when they lived here?’
‘Yes, indeed. It’s awfully sweet of you to take me in free.’
‘I adore having you. It’s only Ian; he was saying tonight he wondered if you wouldn’t feel more comfortable if you paid something…’
‘I couldn’t be more comfortable as I am, darling, and anyway I couldn’t possibly afford to. Talk him round, Kerstie. Explain to him that I’m broke.’
‘Oh, he knows that.’
‘
Really
broke. That’s what no one understands. I’d talk to Ian myself only I think you’d do it better.’
‘I’ll
try
…’
2
THE processes of army postings were not yet adapted to the speed of the Electronic Personnel Selector. It was a week before Guy received any notification that his services might be needed by anyone for any purpose. Then a letter appeared in his ‘In’ tray addressed to him by name. It contained a summons to present himself for an interview with an officer who described himself as ‘GI Liberation of Italy’. He was not surprised to learn that this man inhabited the same building as himself, and when he presented himself he met a nondescript lieutenant-colonel whom he had seen off and on in the corridors of the building; with whom indeed he had on occasions exchanged words at the bar of the canteen.
The Liberator gave no sign of recognition. Instead he said: ‘Entrate e s’accomode.’
The noises thus issuing from him were so strange that Guy stood momentarily disconcerted, not knowing in what tongue he was being addressed.
‘Come in and sit down,’ said the colonel in English. ‘I thought you were supposed to speak Italian.’
‘I do.’
Looks as though you needed a refresher. Say something in Italian.’
Guy said rapidly and with slightly exaggerated accent: ‘Sono più abituato al dialetto genovese, ma di solito posso capire e capire dapertutto in Italia fuori Sicilia.’
The colonel caught only the last word and asked desperately and fatuously: ‘Siciliano lei?’
‘Ah, no, no, no.’ Guy gave a lively impersonation of an Italian gesture of dissent. ‘Ho visitato Sicilia, poi ho abitato per un bel pezzo sulla costa ligure. Ho
‘Would you say Trimmer was human?’ They fell back on this problem, which in one form or another had been fully debated between them for three years. ‘D’you miss him at all?’
‘Pure joy and relief. Every morning for the last four days I’ve woken up to the thought “Trimmer’s gone”.’
At length after an hour’s discussion Kerstie said: ‘I suppose you’ll be looking for somewhere else to live now.’
‘Not unless you want to get rid of me.’
‘Of course it isn’t that, darling, only Ian …’
But Virginia was not listening. Instead she interrupted with: ‘Have you got a family doctor?’
‘We always go to an old boy in Sloane Street called Puttock. He’s very good with the children.’
‘I’ve never had a doctor,’ said Virginia, ‘not one I could call
my
doctor. It comes of moving about so much and being so healthy. I’ve sometimes been to a little man in Newport to get him to sign for sleeping pills, and there was a rather beastly Englishman in Venice who patched me up that time I fell downstairs at the Palazzo Corombona. But mostly I’ve relied on chemists. There is a magician in Monte Carlo. You just go to him and say you have a pain and he gives you a
cachet
which stops it at once. I think perhaps I’ll go and see your man in Sloane Street.’
‘Not ill?’
‘No. I just feel I ought to have what Mr Troy calls a “check-up”’
‘There’s a most luxurious sick-bay in HOO HQ. Every sort of apparatus and nothing to pay. General Whale goes there for “sun-rays” every afternoon. The top man is called Sir Somebody Something – a great swell in peacetime.’
‘I think I’d prefer your man. Not expensive?’
‘A guinea a visit I think.’
‘I might afford that.’
‘Virginia, talking of money: you remember Brenda and used to pay rent when they lived here?’
‘Yes, indeed. It’s awfully sweet of you to take me in free.’
‘I adore having you. It’s only Ian; he was saying tonight he wondered if you wouldn’t feel more comfortable if you paid something…’
‘I couldn’t be more comfortable as I am, darling, and anyway I couldn’t possibly afford to. Talk him round, Kerstie. Explain to him that I’m broke.’
‘Oh, he knows that.’
‘
Really
broke. That’s what no one understands. I’d talk to Ian myself only I think you’d do it better.’
‘I’ll
try
…’
2
THE processes of army postings were not yet adapted to the speed of the Electronic Personnel Selector. It was a week before Guy received any notification that his services might be needed by anyone for any purpose. Then a letter appeared in his ‘In’ tray addressed to him by name. It contained a summons to present himself for an interview with an officer who described himself as ‘GI Liberation of Italy’. He was not surprised to learn that this man inhabited the same building as himself, and when he presented himself he met a nondescript lieutenant-colonel whom he had seen off and on in the corridors of the building; with whom indeed he had on occasions exchanged words at the bar of the canteen.
The Liberator gave no sign of recognition. Instead he said: ‘Entrate e s’accomode.’
The noises thus issuing from him were so strange that Guy stood momentarily disconcerted, not knowing in what tongue he was being addressed.
‘Come in and sit down,’ said the colonel in English. ‘I thought you were supposed to speak Italian.’
‘I do.’
Looks as though you needed a refresher. Say something in Italian.’
Guy said rapidly and with slightly exaggerated accent: ‘Sono più abituato al dialetto genovese, ma di solito posso capire e capire dapertutto in Italia fuori Sicilia.’
The colonel caught only the last word and asked desperately and fatuously: ‘Siciliano lei?’
‘Ah, no, no, no.’ Guy gave a lively impersonation of an Italian gesture of dissent. ‘Ho visitato Sicilia, poi ho abitato per un bel pezzo sulla costa ligure. Ho
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