Gareth's with surprising accuracy. 'It is Forty swales isn't it?'
Major Gareth Swales's composure seemed to fall away, leaving him
tottering mentally at the use of a nickname he had last heard twenty
years before. He had been so branded when his unexpected attack of
flatus had clapped and echoed from the vaulted ceiling and stone walls
of College Chapel. He had hoped never to hear it spoken again, and now
its use took him back to that moment when he had stood in the cold
stone chapel and the waves of suppressed laughter had broken over his
head like physical blows.
The Prince laughed now, and touched the knot of his necktie. For the
first time Jake realized that the diagonal stripes were identical to
those that Gareth Swales wore at his own throat.
'Eton 1915 Waynflete's. I was Captain of the House. I gave you six
for smoking in the bogs don't you remember?'
'My God,' gasped
Gareth. 'Toffee Sagud. My God. I just don't know what to say.'
'Try him with the old sign language, then,' murmured Jake helpfully.
'Shut up, damn you,' hissed Gareth, and then with a conscious effort he
resurrected the smile that lit the gloomy warehouse like the rising of
the sun.
'Your Excellency Toffee my dear fellow.' He hurried forward with hand
outstretched. 'What a great and unexpected pleasure.' They shook
hands laughing, and the solemn dark faces of the elderly advisers
lightened with sympathetic merriment.
'Let me introduce my partner, Mr. Jake Barton of Texas.
Mr. Barton is a brilliant engineer and financier Jake, this is
His Excellency Lij Mikhael Wasan Sagud, Deputy Governor of Shoo and an
old and dear friend of mine.' The Prince's hand was narrow-boned, cool
and firm. His gaze was quick and penetrating before he turned back
to
Gareth.
'When were you expelled? Summer of 1915 wasn't it?
Caught boffing one of the maids, as I recall.'
'Good Lord, no!'
Gareth was horrified. 'Never the hired help. Actually, it was the
house master's daughter.'
'That's right. I remember now. You were famous went out in a blaze of
glory. Talk about your feat lasted for months. They said you went to
France with the Duke's, and did jolly well for yourself.' Gareth made
a deprecating gesture, and Lij Mikhael asked, 'Since then what have you
been doing, old chap?' Which was a thoroughly embarrassing question
for Gareth. He made a few airy gestures with his cheroot.
This and that, you know. One thing and another.
Business, you understand. Importing, exporting, buying and selling.'
'Which brings us to the present business, does it not?' the
Prince asked gently.
'Indeed, it does,' agreed Gareth and took the Prince's arm. 'Now that
I realize who is buying, it only increases my pleasure in managing to
assemble a package of such high quality.' The wooden crates were
stacked neatly along one wall of the warehouse.
