The Combined Operation by Youds Peter

Author:Youds, Peter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bicorn
Published: 2023-11-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

‘Have you come to join us for dinner, Colonel?’ asked Mr Dromgoole.

The professor and I had just sat down to our food at the yellow house when the colonel came in, looking something perplexed.

‘Eh? No, I thank you. But I will take a whet.’

He sat and I poured him a glass.

‘You do not object if Mr Devenish and I continue with our meal?’ asked the professor. ‘We have both had a long day.’

‘Gad, not at all, Dromgoole. I wouldn’t keep a fellow from his nose-bag. No, I’ve been hard at it myself, as it happens.’

I dared not look at him.

‘No, not that,’ the colonel said, nonetheless seeing my expression, ‘though it’s true there has been sport enough. But no, it is another thing, something altogether different. You fellows should know there is some damned fishy business afoot at the palace.’

‘Really?’ asked Mr Dromgoole.

‘Rum doings all round.’

‘Will you tell us, sir?’ I asked. I was intrigued, having so recently come across my own “fishy business” in that place in the form of Mr Poniriá’s questionable demand for a douceur. I was still unsure whether he planned to use it as he described or if, perhaps more likely, he intended the money for his own private exchequer.

‘I will if you pass that bottle across here. Right, that’s better, by God it is. I was as dry as a camel’s fart, I can tell you, not touched a drop in hours, been so busy.’

‘Your tale, Colonel?’ prompted Mr Dromgoole.

‘Well, yes, let’s see. It started this morning, I suppose. Vassy, the princess, that is, told me that she and that oily serpent Poniriá had city business to see to. She asked would I mind amusing myself elsewhere for a few hours while the pair of them did what dry stuff they must with licences and summonses and so forth. I could hardly refuse her that, could I? It’s fair to say we’ve seen a good deal of one another these last days and, after all, the girl has a state to run. Besides, you’ll know that a change is as good as a rest and, with all my duties, I had not been given leisure to have a proper look at the town. So, no great hand at ledgers and account books, I left ’em to it and took myself out for a stroll. There are one or two lively spots about the place, as it happens – it’s amazin’ what kind of joint is open in the middle of the day if you’ve got the blunt to interest ’em. Anyhow, once I’d spent a pleasant hour or two examining the sights, so to speak, I took myself back to the palace, ready for a little nap. That’s when it all began to get a bit gamey. I got in the front door alright, but the damned guards wouldn’t let me anywhere near the royal apartment. They were all sharp swords and disobliging looks. I was left to skulk about waiting for Vassy

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.