Sheiks and Adders by Michael Innes Read Free Book Online

what are your men meant to do ?’
    ‘Keep an eye open.’ Colonel Pride was suddenly breathing rather heavily. ‘Believe me, John, those were the very words.’
    ‘I see.’ This time Appleby did see. ‘Your men are here so that – following some incident not communicated to you – their having been here can be pointed to by some wretched Minister as showing that all proper precautions had been taken?’
    ‘It may be no more than that. Arranging a presence, as they say – but denying me the information that could make it an effective presence. I can imagine one of those bloody leather-bottoms in Whitehall thinking up that one.’
    ‘One wonders why he should want to think it up.’
    ‘Quite so, John. And I’m here myself to try to find out. That’s a muddled notion, perhaps. But it’s the best I can manage.’
    ‘Has it occurred to you that this entire fête may be a cover for something else?’
    ‘Yes, it has. But I don’t think it is. Or not quite. I suspect it was all arranged as a piece of routine charitable endeavour by these damned Chitfields, and that then somebody has seen the chance of exploiting it to a different end. And I’m going to be gestured at if something goes wrong. “We alerted poor old Pride,” they’ll say, “and he did his best.”’
    ‘In fact, you’re standing by to carry the can?’
    ‘Well, to be fair, John, those button-headed desk-hoppers don’t see it quite that way. But the whole thing makes sense only in terms of some discreditable diplomatic equivocation. You know the kind of thing. Letting something happen because you don’t particularly see why it needn’t be let happen. But having some face-saving gesture to make. Not in public, of course. As part of a smooth confidential reply to an indignant aide-mémoire , or whatever they call it.’
    ‘Deep waters, Tommy. What about some sort of hush-hush conference or rendezvous going on here – one that other interested parties have been conceivably tipped off about with the chance of awkward and even violent consequences?’
    ‘Nothing more likely. Nothing more absurd and bizarre, and therefore nothing more likely. As the next thing to a kid in Military Intelligence during the war, you know, I brushed up against such lunacies often enough. They were incubated by crackpot dons recruited for the purpose and hatched in houses not unlike Drool Court.’
    ‘And very successfully at times.’
    ‘Well, that’s true.’ Pride, a fair-minded man, nodded gloomily. ‘And I have to admit I may be taking too dark a view of the thing. There is a suggestion that some sort of genuine action may be called for. Down there in the car park I have a fellow in uniform waiting for further instructions, if any, on the VHF. Not that they say “instructions”, you know. They say “briefing”, because they feel it’s more polite.’
    ‘Contingency planning,’ Appleby said. ‘There’s a mania for it.’
    ‘Just that. If we’re told in advance just what may happen, we may go gossiping round when it doesn’t happen – and somebody in some embassy or other is going to be offended. So the blasted contingency is kept like a cat in a bag till the last moment. And now, my dear John, let’s join the crush again, and keep that confounded eye on things.’
    But quite soon Appleby and Colonel Pride parted company. Two Robin Hoods walking shoulder to shoulder perhaps rather uncomfortably suggested to them the spectacle of a couple of police constables prudently twinned up in a particularly rowdy district. Not that Appleby – however it might be with his companion – had any wish to veil his true identity. His garments were a concession to the occasion, and not a disguise. He had been drawn to the fête by the sense of a small mystery. And now, if Pride was right, it seemed probable that it was harbouring a larger one as well. Even so, no retired top policeman could have dreamed of anything so indecorous as turning up at it in a feigned