'A matter of opinion, Castelani. It was dark. No one will ever know
for certain how many there were.' The Count waved the objection aside
with a genial smile. 'It is merely an informed estimate read on. You
will find I have good things to say of your conduct.' And the Major
read on and blanched.
'Colonel, the enemy casualties were 126 dead, not 12,600.'
'Ah, a slip of the pen, Major, I will correct that before sending it to
headquarters.'
'Sir, you make no mention of the enemy possessing an armoured vehicle.'
And the Count frowned for the first time since the beginning of the
meeting.
'Armoured vehicle, Castelani, surely you mean an ambulance?' The
encounter with the strange machine was best forgotten, he had decided.
It reflected no credit on anybody particularly none upon himself It
would merely add a jarring note to the splendours of his report.
'It would be quite in the normal course of things for the enemy to have
some sort of medical service not worth mentioning. Read on! Read on!
Caro mio, you will find that I have recommended you for a decoration.'
eneral De Bono had summoned his staff to a lunchtime conference to
appraise the readiness of the expeditionary force to commence its
invasion of the Ethiopian highlands. These conferences were a weekly
affair, and the General's staff had not taken long to understand that
in exchange for a really superb luncheon, for the reputation of the
General's chef was international, they were expected to provide the
General with good reasons which he might relay to the Duce for delaying
the start of the offensive. The staff had fully entered into the
spirit of the game, and some of their offerings had been inspired.
However, even their fertile imaginations were now beginning to plough
barren land. The Inspector General of the Medical Corps had
tentatively diagnosed a straightforward case of gonorrhoca contracted
by an infantry man as 'suspected smallpox' and had written a very good
scare story warning of a possible epidemic but the General was not
certain whether it could be used or not. They needed aj something
better than that. They were discussing this now over the cigars and
liqueurs, when the door of the dining room was thrown open and Captain
Crespi hurried to the head of the table. His face was flushed, and his
eyes wild, his manner so agitated that an electric silence fell over
the roomful of very senior and slightly inebriated officers.
Crespi handed a message to the General, and he was so disturbed that
what was intended as a whisper came out as a strangled cry of
outrage.
'The clown!' he panted. 'The clown has done it!' The General,
alarmed by this enigmatic statement, snatched the message and his eyes
flew across the sheet before he handed it to the officer beside him and
covered his face with both hands.
'The idiot!' he wailed, while the message passed swiftly from hand to
hand, and a hubbub of raised voices followed it.
'At least, your Excellency, it is a great victory,' called an infantry
commander, and suddenly the entire mood of the assembly changed.
