Storm Centre by Clark Douglas

Author:Clark, Douglas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Endeavour Media
Published: 2019-07-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

“Excellent,” said Locke as Masters prepared to leave the lecture theatre a minute or two before seven o’clock.

“Thank you. I noticed you were sitting up high on the back tier this time, not within splashing range.”

“Do you spit as you talk, George? I hadn’t noticed it, but some do, you know. One chap we had here some years ago used to get little flecks of white foam at the corners of his mouth after he’d been going for a few minutes.”

Masters laughed. “As far as I know I don’t sprinkle even the front row.”

“They wouldn’t have noticed tonight even had you done so. Quite absorbing, made all the more remarkable by the fact that you had little or no time to prepare what you were going to say. I’m rapidly coming to the conclusion that you’re a born lecturer, George, and that we could do worse than having you here permanently.”

Masters shook his head. “You’re doing just what I’ve been warning your students against. Jumping to conclusions.”

“Erroneous ones, presumably?”

“I think so. You see, Bobby, for somebody like myself, a stint of a few weeks here is comparatively easy, if one is fairly capable of putting the stuff over. I am simply drawing on personal experience, and I can probably do so for the short time I am to be here. But ask me to prepare lectures for a year and I wouldn’t be able to live off my fat. I would most certainly have to get down to a good deal of preparation. Reminiscing would not carry me through.”

“I see what you mean, but the basic knowledge would still be there.”

“I’m better doing my real job,” replied Masters. “I prefer the practical work, much as I’m enjoying this break from it.”

“You’re right, of course. Your career opportunities would be limited here, whereas at the Yard . . . what’s the next step there, George? Commander?”

“I honestly don’t know. It could be, of course.”

“Meaning you expect to fly a little higher than that?”

“Meaning nothing at all. For the moment, administration does not appeal to me.”

Locke nodded his appreciation of this point and then looked at his watch. “I’ve been holding you up, George. You’ll be wanting to get back to your lovely wife and supper.”

“Always that. But I also want to hear what Bill Green has to say. He hadn’t got back to the house by the time I left to come over. We mustn’t forget our other purpose for being here, you know.”

“I’m really grateful for what you’re doing. You know that. Now, be off with you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Masters walked to the house in the last of the light. He wished he could feel as sanguine as Locke appeared to be concerning Andriessen. He found it disturbing that the Dean should believe him capable of so solving the problem of the disappearance of two youths that, without any official involvement in the case, he could free Andriessen from suspicion. He felt that he himself had probably been guilty of leading Locke to believe that, somehow, it could be done.

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