A Dead Man in Athens by Michael Pearce

Author:Michael Pearce
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Soho Press
Published: 2009-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

Seymour did not know a lot about the diplomatic service. From what he had seen, in brief visits to Trieste and Istanbul and now Athens, British diplomats were a mixture of brilliance and battiness. When they were on international politics they were sometimes brilliant. But then there were the bicycle-racing Ottomans! And these were the guys who were trying to stop a Balkan war?

The idea that the young Greek flyers would sleep beside the Bl´eriots had brought tension to the Metaxas household.

‘Sleep?’ Dr Metaxas had said. ‘Or not sleep? Which is it to be? If sleep, you’re not going to be much use as a guard. If not sleep, you’re not going to be much use in classes next day.’

Andreas had replied hotly that the Bl´eriots were more important than classes. This had upset both his parents: his father because he thought that education was more important than flying and that Andreas had cut enough classes already, his mother because she was so opposed to war anyway. Stevens had attempted to calm her fears by saying hastily that there was no question of Andreas getting involved in the war. All they were talking about was guarding the Bl´eriot machines.

‘And after?’ Mrs Metaxas had said.

‘If Andreas flies at all,’ Stevens had said, ‘and George, too,’ he had added, turning to George’s parents, ‘it will be for purposes of general reconnaissance only. Aerial warfare will be left to the professional flyers when they arrive.’

This had not pleased Andreas or George, who had had far more exciting things in mind, and not convinced either Dr Metaxas or his wife.

‘It would hardly even be reconnaissance,’ Stevens had said. ‘Call it just taking a look-around.’

‘Yes, but do the Ottomans know the difference?’ Dr Metaxas had asked; and Mrs Metaxas had pursed her lips.

This was all very unfortunate as Andreas had invited Stevens to dinner in the hope that he would persuade them about his flying activities. He had also invited George and his parents. This, he had thought, was a cunning move, since George’s mother had been a friend of Mrs Metaxas since schooldays and could normally be relied on to support their cause.

He had overlooked, however, the fact that Dr Metaxas didn’t get on particularly well with George’s mother, whom he regarded as a foolish woman who spoiled her son, and absolutely detested George’s father, whom he saw as a rapacious businessman. To make matters worse, George’s father looked on the Bl´eriot he had bought his son as an investment to be protected and was all in favour of mounting the guard.

‘It will keep the machines in the air,’ said Andreas, pleased.

‘What a pity!’ said his father: and the rest of the evening, said Aphrodite, had gone like that.

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