For the Good of the State

Naturally, with its funds and its forethought, the CIA always had an unlimited supply of Ordnance Survey large- scale masterpieces.

‘Brentiscombe Point is up the coast from here, towards Ilfracombe.

There’s a stream comes down to the sea there, and a few cottages.

And the Devon Coast Path runs along there, eastwards—there’s a

“Roman Fortlet” marked just inland from it.’ He could remember Audley’s voice in his ear. ‘It wasn’t really a fort, it was a signal station. You’ll find two others marked further east—this is the last of the three. On the path under the fort is where we’re meeting Price, Anthony - For the Good of the State him.’ He concentrated on her. ‘Tell your man I want back-up there.’ Now for the truth. ‘And you keep well away this time, Willy. Because if you’re there I shall only worry.’ That was the truth, and there was no way of wrapping it up, ‘You’ll just be in the way. Do you understand?’ And, anyway, it was best unwrapped. ‘Do I make myself clear?’

‘Oh sure! You make yourself very clear. All too clear!’ She almost ignited again, but caught her temper with a conscious effort.

‘Okay, Tom: message received.’ What she wanted to do, he could see, was look over her shoulder at Audley. But she controlled that desire also, and merely nodded. ‘Problems you’ve gotten yourself, but I’ll try not to be an extra one. It’s my bodyguard you want now, not my body. Message received. So off you go, then.’

She was so close to him that he could see the fine moisture of the wet wind on the finer golden down on her skin. And he knew then that of all the things in the world he wanted to do, ‘going off away from her was the last and worst. ’Willy—‘

‘No, Tom!’ She raised her hand, almost as though to touch him again; but then she drew it back, as if their polarities repelled each other.‘ “Stand not upon the order of your going—go at once!”—I learnt that at college, when we played Macbeth.’ She smiled up at him. Tom goggled at her. ‘You played Lady Macbeth—?’ ‘Hell, no! It was a ladies’ college—so I played Macbeth… Go on, Tom, for God’s sake!‘ The hand waved urgently at. him. ’But… just you be very careful out there, like Sergeant Esterhase says—okay?‘

Almost embarrassingly, Audley wasn’t fuming at the delay: he was Price, Anthony - For the Good of the State as avuncular as a bishop at a vicarage tea party.

‘I’m sorry, David!’ Still no sign of Panin’s man—any more than of Willy’s: the road was empty enough to risk a three-point turn across it.

‘Don’t be.’ What was worse than not-fuming was the big man’s unashamed interest; and, looking in all directions as he completed the manoeuvre, Tom observed Willy crossing the road ahead of him now; which would bring her to Audley’s side, for further inspection. ‘There’s no hurry, now that we know where to go—’

The car’s angry acceleration slammed him back into his seat as Tom put his foot down ‘—just take it easy! Because Major-General Zarubin will wait for us, Tom.’ As they reached her, Audley raised his hand in a parody of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s much-loved wave; and, what was worst of all, Wilhemina Groot returned the wave. ‘ Yes . . Major-General Gennadiy Zarubin will undoubtedly wait patiently on our coming, Tom.’ Audley settled himself back comfortably, even folding his arms to demonstrate his equanimity. ‘He has a name to give us. So he needs us.’

Tom became aware that his foot had the accelerator flat down; and that this was both unnecessary, because the damage was done, and dangerous, because they were already approaching the next corner too fast. ‘What name, David?’

‘What name?’ Audley jerked forward as the brakes began to do the best they could. ‘Now… would that have been Mosby Sheldon’s young woman, by any remote chance, Tom?’

Price, Anthony - For the Good of the State Tom cooled himself down, helped by the relief of getting round the bend on four wheels and on the road. ‘And if it was?’

‘Then he’s still running true to form. Because he had a very pretty woman in tow last time I met him. And she didn’t look the part either, as I recall…’ The old man twisted in order to observe him more closely. ‘But… what you omitted to tell me, young Tom… is that you already know her quite well. Or even better than that, perhaps?’

Tom forced himself to watch the speedometer. ‘What?’

‘Oh, come on, now!’ Audley’s voice teased him. I may be almost superannuated, but I still have some of my eyesight and all of my memory. And—apart from that—I wouldn’t for one moment question your taste, either. For she seems to be a spirited young woman, as well as a stylish one—am I right?‘

It was that damned return wave, thought Tom, But then that was Willy, to the life. ‘And if you are right?’

‘My dear Tom! Don’t snap at me so— I have never objected to such imaginative extensions of the “Special Relationship”—quite the opposite!’

‘I wasn’t snapping.’ As Tom cut him off be realized that he was making a fool of himself. ‘I didn’t expect her— not here. That’s all.’

‘Of course!’ Audley hastened to spread agreement on the subject.

‘But… what I meant to say, in my clumsy way… is that we take a somewhat more laid-back, view of friendly contacts with friendly powers in Research and Development. Much more so than your boss Henry Jaggard probably does, to take an example. Which is Price, Anthony - For the Good of the State not to say that he’s wrong, in taking a narrower view of his activities… But we are in the business of contacts and fair trading, without too much red tape, you understand… So some of my very best friends— real friends—the ones I can rely on to play honestly with me anyway, even though we both know that we salute a different flag every morning, and when the sun goes down, are Americans… or Germans.’ The old man sniffed. ‘At least, so long as we are of value to each other. Which makes life more interesting. But also sometimes even makes it safer, too.’

Tom had the feeling that he was tuned in to a commercial. But since Colonel Sheldon had despatched Willy and her helper to the Green Man last night it was a commercial with a demonstrably convincing sales story: because the CIA obviously cared for Dr David Audley’s skin. In fact, if anything, they cared rather more for it than Henry Jaggard seemed to do.

‘Hah-hmm…’ Audley cleared his throat. ‘So what did your young lady have to tell you then, Tom?’

So that was the object of the commercial break then, thought Tom bleakly: the old man was trying to talk his