his
temper with some effort. Eventually, he touched his moustache. 'What are you suggesting, Clive?'
Rokeby-Taylor met Sir Darius's gaze and held it.
'It's been a long time, Darius. I wanted to see if you'd
changed.'
'And have I?'
'Not in this respect, it seems.' Rokeby-Taylor picked
up his cup and raised it to his lips.
'I'm glad,' Sir Darius said. 'If that's all, Clive, I think
I should offer you some advice.'
Rokeby-Taylor set his cup down in the saucer with a
clatter. 'No, actually, that's not all. I have a business proposition
for you.'
'I see. Like the one you put to me a few moments
ago?'
Rokeby-Taylor snorted. 'That was nothing. It never
happened. And if it did it was just a joke.'
'A joke,' Sir Darius said, and Aubrey wanted to warn
Rokeby-Taylor. When his father repeated someone's
words like that, the ice was getting extremely thin
underfoot.
But Aubrey was being discreet and trustworthy, and
doing his best to appear invisible.
'A joke,' Rokeby-Taylor echoed, oblivious to the
tension. 'Far more important is the chance for you to
make a substantial fortune.'
'I already have a substantial fortune.'
'And so do I. But who can stop at one, eh?'
'Your proposal?'
'You become a major shareholder of Rokeby-Taylor
Shipbuilding. We could use an injection of funds – a bit
of a cash-flow problem at the moment, especially after
that problem with the Electra – and you'd double your
investment in six months. In the current climate. Say that
you'll meet Ingles, my new financial manager. He's a
wizard with things like this.'
Sir Darius stood. 'No.'
'Think carefully, Darius. This is risk-free. And it's patriotic.
You'd be helping a project that will defend the nation.'
'Thank you for the tea, even though it wasn't yours.' Sir
Darius smiled a chilly smile. 'But that always was your
way, Clive, very free with things that didn't belong to you.'
'Wait. Before you go, I want to show you something.'
'Another opportunity?'
'Of course. No-one will ever say that Clive Rokeby-
Taylor missed an opportunity. Follow me.'
He bounded out of the room. Sir Darius frowned.
'Well, Aubrey?'
'Sorry, sir, but he seems like a scoundrel.'
'No doubt about that. But is he a good-hearted
scoundrel, or a black-hearted scoundrel?'
'I always thought that people generally fall somewhere
in between.'
'And that is something that a politician – and especially
a Prime Minister – should never forget. Shall we see
what he's up to now?'
Aubrey couldn't help it. He found Rokeby-Taylor
appealing, with his enthusiasms and his energy. He couldn't
see how the man managed in the world of business,
but his achievements were evidence that he succeeded,
despite his erratic behaviour.
They found him in the main banking chamber.
He stood right in the middle, under the cupola, while
those more intent on their financial matters hurried
past to the teller of their choice. 'Darius! Over here!'
he called, unmindful of heads turning his way.
'Look up there,' he said when Sir Darius and Aubrey
had joined him. 'This must appeal to you.'
He pointed. Evenly spaced around the base of the
dome were a number of black boxes. They were slightly
tilted, so they looked down on the great space below.
Featureless, they looked to be about the size and dimensions
of a small trunk.
'If I'm supposed to be impressed,' Sir Darius said,' then
I'm afraid you've failed.'
Rokeby-Taylor shook his head in mock disappointment.
'I'm sorry about that. I thought you would have
been more interested in the greatest advance in magical
security in the last hundred years.'
'A grand claim. What are they?'
'Magic suppressors.'
Sir Darius looked up sharply, but Aubrey couldn't help
himself. 'Magic suppressors? That small?'
'Ah, I seem to have genuine interest,' Rokeby-Taylor
said. 'From both of you.'
'I've heard something about them,' Sir Darius said.
'Experimental, aren't they?'
'I encourage all Rokeby-Taylor industries to be at the
forefront of development. You saw that with the
temper with some effort. Eventually, he touched his moustache. 'What are you suggesting, Clive?'
Rokeby-Taylor met Sir Darius's gaze and held it.
'It's been a long time, Darius. I wanted to see if you'd
changed.'
'And have I?'
'Not in this respect, it seems.' Rokeby-Taylor picked
up his cup and raised it to his lips.
'I'm glad,' Sir Darius said. 'If that's all, Clive, I think
I should offer you some advice.'
Rokeby-Taylor set his cup down in the saucer with a
clatter. 'No, actually, that's not all. I have a business proposition
for you.'
'I see. Like the one you put to me a few moments
ago?'
Rokeby-Taylor snorted. 'That was nothing. It never
happened. And if it did it was just a joke.'
'A joke,' Sir Darius said, and Aubrey wanted to warn
Rokeby-Taylor. When his father repeated someone's
words like that, the ice was getting extremely thin
underfoot.
But Aubrey was being discreet and trustworthy, and
doing his best to appear invisible.
'A joke,' Rokeby-Taylor echoed, oblivious to the
tension. 'Far more important is the chance for you to
make a substantial fortune.'
'I already have a substantial fortune.'
'And so do I. But who can stop at one, eh?'
'Your proposal?'
'You become a major shareholder of Rokeby-Taylor
Shipbuilding. We could use an injection of funds – a bit
of a cash-flow problem at the moment, especially after
that problem with the Electra – and you'd double your
investment in six months. In the current climate. Say that
you'll meet Ingles, my new financial manager. He's a
wizard with things like this.'
Sir Darius stood. 'No.'
'Think carefully, Darius. This is risk-free. And it's patriotic.
You'd be helping a project that will defend the nation.'
'Thank you for the tea, even though it wasn't yours.' Sir
Darius smiled a chilly smile. 'But that always was your
way, Clive, very free with things that didn't belong to you.'
'Wait. Before you go, I want to show you something.'
'Another opportunity?'
'Of course. No-one will ever say that Clive Rokeby-
Taylor missed an opportunity. Follow me.'
He bounded out of the room. Sir Darius frowned.
'Well, Aubrey?'
'Sorry, sir, but he seems like a scoundrel.'
'No doubt about that. But is he a good-hearted
scoundrel, or a black-hearted scoundrel?'
'I always thought that people generally fall somewhere
in between.'
'And that is something that a politician – and especially
a Prime Minister – should never forget. Shall we see
what he's up to now?'
Aubrey couldn't help it. He found Rokeby-Taylor
appealing, with his enthusiasms and his energy. He couldn't
see how the man managed in the world of business,
but his achievements were evidence that he succeeded,
despite his erratic behaviour.
They found him in the main banking chamber.
He stood right in the middle, under the cupola, while
those more intent on their financial matters hurried
past to the teller of their choice. 'Darius! Over here!'
he called, unmindful of heads turning his way.
'Look up there,' he said when Sir Darius and Aubrey
had joined him. 'This must appeal to you.'
He pointed. Evenly spaced around the base of the
dome were a number of black boxes. They were slightly
tilted, so they looked down on the great space below.
Featureless, they looked to be about the size and dimensions
of a small trunk.
'If I'm supposed to be impressed,' Sir Darius said,' then
I'm afraid you've failed.'
Rokeby-Taylor shook his head in mock disappointment.
'I'm sorry about that. I thought you would have
been more interested in the greatest advance in magical
security in the last hundred years.'
'A grand claim. What are they?'
'Magic suppressors.'
Sir Darius looked up sharply, but Aubrey couldn't help
himself. 'Magic suppressors? That small?'
'Ah, I seem to have genuine interest,' Rokeby-Taylor
said. 'From both of you.'
'I've heard something about them,' Sir Darius said.
'Experimental, aren't they?'
'I encourage all Rokeby-Taylor industries to be at the
forefront of development. You saw that with the
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