Here Be Monsters

Elizabeth came on, towards the left-hand lift, with its welcoming open doors, not daring to look farewell at General Razzak after that.

'David - who is Sir Peter? Sir Peter Barrie?' She entered the lift, and swivelled towards him.

'What has he got to do with Squadron Leader Thomas?'

He made a face. 'Don't keep calling him 'Squadron Leader', for God's sake, woman!'

'Why not?'

'How much do you know about him?' Audley searched the lift for controls. 'You know… I wonder which floor we want - ?'

'Hold on, David! I know practically nothing about him - and absolutely nothing about Sir Peter Barrie. So don't press the button yet.'

'You don't? Well, the presence of General Razzak should tell you something.' He scratched his head. 'There don't seem to be any buttons - just this one marked 'Emergency'. It must be controlled from the desk, by that woman.' He took a step back towards the doors, but they started to close and he was forced to retreat.

The lift began to move, and Elizabeth began to panic.

Audley grinned at her. 'She nearly got me. She was just waiting for that, I'll bet! Not that I blame her… You were saying - ?'

Mustn't panic. 'Where is that emergency button, David?'

'Just here - the red button - Christ, Elizabeth - !' , The lift stopped.

'For God's sake woman! What did you do that for?' exclaimed Audley.

'Because I have an emergency, David. I know practically nothing about Squadron Leader Thomas - whom I must not call 'Squadron Leader' - except that he was shot down on June 6th, 1944, and rescued by the late Major Thaddeus E. Parker on June 7th.' Elizabeth decided that she would hold on to the Deputy-Director's other revelations for the time being.

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Somewhere in the distance there was a bell ringing. Presumably it was an emergency bell.

'And I know nothing at all about Sir Peter Barrie, whom I am about to meet.' She faced him. 'And that is my emergency.'

He stared at her for a moment. Then his mouth opened.

' Executive floor lift?' The voice came out of a small speaker alongside the red button. ' You have a problem? Please speak into this receiver, alongside the emergency stop.'

Elizabeth pressed her bag tightly over the speaker. 'Solve my problem, David.'

He stared at her for another, much longer moment. 'I don't think you have any problem at all, young woman.' He shook his head. 'The problem is all mine.'

The speaker mumbled again, muffled by her bag.

'All right, Elizabeth - I give you best.' The shake became a nod. 'We vetted both of them, back in 1958. And cleared them both - Peter Barrie was a wronged man, and a victim… old Haddock was also a wronged man. But also a philanderer. It was a cross between a Feydeau comedy - or a Whitehall farce, or maybe a 'Carry On' film - and a James Bond novel. Everyone got egg on their faces.'

'What about Major Parker?'

Audley shook his head. 'What about him?'

'He was on the list too.'

His face hardened. 'You know what list you're talking about?'

Audley was usually so friendly that when he wasn't he was at once rather frightening. 'Mr Latimer has cleared me for it, David.'

'Oh, he has, has he?' She could almost feel the heat under his look. 'Well, we haven't the time - and this isn't the place - for Mr Oliver St John Latimer's list. And you can lean on your red button until hell freezes over, Miss Loftus.'

Elizabeth summoned her last reserves. 'So what is Sir Peter Barrie's connection with - with Thomas - '

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That's easy. He was Thomas's best friend, or near enough, back in '58. Until Barrie shopped him.' He relaxed slightly. 'So I thought you should begin with him. But I wouldn't advise you to delay him any longer. He's a busy man, as that woman said.'

She lowered her bag. 'Hullo? Hullo? Who is that?'

' Executive floor lift?' The voice seemed relieved. ' Please speak into the receiver, alongside the emergency stop - the red buttonr

'The red button?' She made herself sound flustered. And when she thought about David Audley and Sir Peter Barrie that wasn't too difficult. 'I think I pressed the button by mistake - the lift just stopped.'

Audley leaned forward. 'She pressed the red button by mistake,' he repeated grimly. 'So what do we do now?'

'You have a problem, caller?'

Audley gave Elizabeth an old-fashioned look. 'Our only problem is that the lift has stopped.'

'Please press the red button again, caller. The lift will proceed.'