'But you mean you think Dr. Best might be a spy,' said Lucy finally.
'Yes. What do you think of that idea?'
'Well… if I could swallow the idea of there being spies at all then I wouldn't have any trouble with the idea of Dr. Best being one. But as it is…'
'The spy is a uniquely characteristic and significant figure of our time,' said Leonard, quoting from the introduction of one of his manuals and trying to make it sound casually thrown off.
'Oh, I thought it was molders of the communal mind by means of manipulation of the mass media who were meant to be that. So somebody was saying in the newspaper on Sunday, anyway.'
'I suppose it depends on how you look at it. After all, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to have two characteristic and significant figures of our time at once. But we're getting off the point. Dr. Best could be a spy easily. Oh, I don't mean a Russian in disguise-what we call a non-transvasive defector. That means a man who goes over to the other side without actually going there. Our psychologists have done quite a lot of work on the personality patterns of people like that, and even their physical characteristics. Dr. Best corresponds pretty closely to one of them. To several of them, in fact,' he added after a moment's reflection.
'Would you like me to sort of keep my ears open when he comes to see me? Lead him on, kind of thing?'
'Yes, I think it might be a good idea.' Leonard got out of bed and began dressing in a preoccupied way. 'Then you could let me know how you get on when I come over again. Tomorrow, perhaps.'
'As soon as you like. Look, I've been dying to ask you. What was that noise that made you run out of the room earlier on?'
'This thing.' He held up his right wrist. 'It tells me when I'm wanted on the wireless.'
'Wanted on the wireless?'
'I've got a wireless set in my car so that the camp can get in touch with me if anything urgent comes up. But I can't be expected to sit by it all the time just in case, so they buzz me on this thing.'
'What did they want you for?'
'Nothing really. It was a mistake. The bloke at the camp said he fell against the thing that operates this thing. Skylarking about, I suppose. I'm going to give them a rocket for it in the morning.'
'It sounds rather like a joke to me.'
'A joke? I don't see any joke in it. Who would want to do a thing like that?'
'I don't know. No, it wouldn't be much of a joke, would it? I say, you have got dressed quickly.'
'It's one of the things you've got to learn how to do in this job. You have to be ready to go anywhere at a minute's notice.'
He finished tying his tie and came over to the bed.
'I'll see you tomorrow night, then. I do like you very much, Lucy. It's all right for me to call you Lucy, is it?'
'Oh yes, I think we know each other well enough now.'
'I wish you'd be my girl.'
'I am your girl.'
'No, I meant just my girl.'
'I'm sorry, Brian, but I explained to you about how I never be just somebody's girl. It isn't because it's you; I'd say the same to anybody.'
'I understand. You got my name and you can't have heard it more than once.'
'It's quite easy to get good at that if you get plenty of practice. You'd be surprised, honestly.'
'Mm. Well. Shall I tell Dr. Best he can come up?'
'Tell him to give it five minutes. And tell him I'm tired and he's not to stay long.'
'I'll remember. Well. Good night, Lucy.'
'Aren't you going to give me a kiss?'
'Oh, sorry.'
'Good night, Brian.'
As soon as she was alone Lucy jumped out of bed and went into the bathroom. When she came back she put on a pair of silk pajamas and a black satin bed-jacket with a scarlet lining and got back into bed. She wished Dr. Best had chosen another time to come and see her; she was marvelously tired now and felt she could sleep the clock round. In fact she did fall asleep, in a half lying, half sitting position against the pillows, her arms spread out on the covers.
She could not have slept for more than a few minutes, because when she awoke it was to hear a car, presumably Leonard's, driving away from in front of the house, and Dr. Best speaking to her from close by.
'A most interesting type. Not unfamiliar, but interesting.'
'What?' asked Lucy in a hoarser voice than usual.
'You needn't answer this, of course, but did he acquit himself satisfactorily?'
'Who? Do what?'
'Captain Leonard, who left you just now. Is he a person of average masculinity? I assure you most seriously I
