There was a long and virtually total silence. Eventually Hunter said,
'I've never been particularly keen on having to think about things. And on things that make you think about things. You know, like music and all that. Love's another one. I joined the Army specially to get away from them. I will say it worked jolly well for a time. But then quite recently I suddenly found I'd fallen in love with somebody in a more completely disastrous fashion than ever before. At first sight, too. I got as drunk as I could to try to put it behind me. No good. Then the somebody's best friend went and died, and I decided I'd better cry out before I was hurt, when somebody else was hurt, in fact. Hence the poem. Then the iove thing nearly turned out my way, but it didn't at all when it came to it, because the somebody was thinking of the dead friend. That really got me down. Hence the Anti-Death League. Then a friend of mine fell in love and his girl got cancer, as you heard. That more or less finished me off. Hence the rifle and the priory. As a way of voicing some sort of objection. Plus a bit of revenge thrown in.'
'It wasn't very practical,' said Jagger. 'Any of it.'
'No, it wasn't. But sometimes you've got to be impractical and illogical and a bit useless, because the only alternative is to do nothing at all, and that would be simply offensive. You just can't let things like this go sliding past without any kind of remark, as if nobody noticed or cared. It won't do.'
After another silence, Jagger said,
'How do you feel about it now?'
'A good question. It embarrasses me slightly, I think. It didn't altogether work the way I'd expected it to. On me, that is. I keep feeling I've gone too far in some way.'
'Then you don't really see yourself rushing off some fine morning and dynamiting Westminster Abbey?'
'No, not really. Far too repetitive, for one thing.'
'See you stick to that. If you get up to any more of your tricks you might land me in some bad trouble.'
'Any…'
'Yes,' said Jagger, nodding vigorously. 'That's right. You've got it. I'm not going to do anything about it. On account of several considerations. Consideration one. You saved my life just now. I take very kindly to that type of thing. Consideration two. It just so happens I've got it in for God the Father Almighty a bit on my own account. He took my daughter off me the year before last. Thing called disseminated L.E. A disease of the connective tissue. There's not a lot to see, except a red rash on the face that gets worse in the light, so she couldn't go out in the sun. Twenty, she was. Engaged. All that. You know, Hunter, if you ever get round to properly setting up your League you could do worse than rope me in. You can always find me via the Ministry.'
'Are you serious?'
'As serious as you.'
'Yes. Are there any other considerations?'
'Yes, there's consideration three, which is much more important than the other two. The case is closed. It's better all round that it stays closed. Even if Best recovers we wouldn't bring any charge against him. He was mad at the time of what he's supposed to have done. The real thing, though, is that to have the whole business stirred up all over again might just conceivably interfere with the tremendous success we've had with Operation Apollo.'
'Had?' said Hunter. 'Aren't you being a bit previous?'
'Oh no. It's succeeded already, old lad. I got the news about an hour ago, just before old Deering started cutting up. I'm afraid I can't say any more. You may find out what I'm talking about in due course. Anyway, we're all highly delighted at the way things have gone. Well. What are you going to do with yourself when this place packs up? I'll tell you what I think you ought to do. Do you mind? I think you ought to get out of the buggering Army and find yourself a nice, decent, steady young somebody and settle down with the somebody. It's been done before now.'
Hunter picked up the ewer and filled Jagger's glass.
'You know about style,' he said. 'But settle down? And throw away the marvelous career I've just opened up for myself? No. I'm going to decide on somewhere nasty, somewhere really very nasty indeed, and get myself sent there. It was being shot at like that that put the idea into my head. I didn't know what it was like before. I found it most interesting in some way I can't quite put my finger on for the moment.'
'Sooner you than me. I didn't enjoy myself on that roof one bit, I don't mind telling you. Well…'
After a couple of abortive tries and a bit of shrieking Jagger heaved a loudly ticking watch out of his top pocket and looked at it, then glared at it. He urged himself to his feet.
'Christ,' he muttered, 'I'll have to run if I'm going to get fed.'
'Off tonight, are you?'
'No, I've got a date up at that loony place. It's quite a way, isn't it?'
'Forgive my curiosity, but who's your date with?'
'If anyone wants to know, that fellow Mann, to ask after Best, but really those two pieces in leather who served you your coffee. I ran into them on their way out. I'm afraid I must have spent a bit of time chatting them up when I should have been finding out if you and Leonard needed a hand inside there. Sorry.'
'That's all right. You should have an entertaining evening.'
'You never know. I suppose you wouldn't fancy changing your mind and coming along to make up the number?'
'No thanks. The setting would be wrong, somehow.'
'I see what you mean.' Jagger's face became animated. 'Here,' he said, tapping Hunter on the
