2

       Doctor Percival sat waiting in the hall of the Reform, near the great wide staircase, which looked as though it had been built to stand the heavy weight of old Liberal statesmen, those bearded or whiskered men of perpetual integrity. Only one other member was visible when Hargreaves came in and he was small and insignificant and short-sighted he was having difficulty in reading the ticker tape. Hargreaves said, 'I know it's my turn, Emmanuel, but the Travellers is closed. I hope you don't mind my asking Daintry to join us here.'

       'Well, he's not the gayest of companions,' Doctor Percival said. 'Security trouble?'

       'Yes.'

       'I hoped you would have a little peace after Washington.' 'One doesn't expect peace for long in this job. I don't suppose I'd enjoy it anyway, or why is it that I don't retire?'

       'Don't talk of retirement, John. God knows what Foreign Office type they might foist on us. What's troubling you?'

       'Let me have a drink first.' They moved up the staircase and took their seats at a table on the landing outside the restaurant. Hargreaves drank his Cutty Sark neat. He said, 'Suppose you killed the wrong man, Emmanuel?'

       Doctor Percival's eyes showed no surprise. He examined carefully the colour of his dry martini, smelt it, removed with a nail the nick of lemon peel as though he were making up his own prescription.

       'I'm confident I didn't,' he said.

       'Muller doesn't share your confidence.'

       'Oh, Muller! What does Muller know about it?' He knows nothing. But he has an intuition.'

       'If that's all...'

       'You've never been in Africa, Emmanuel. You get to trust an intuition in Africa.'

       'Daintry will expect a great deal more than intuition. He wasn't even satisfied with the facts about Davis.'

       'Facts?'

       'That business of the Zoo and the dentist to take only one example. And Porton. Porton was decisive.

       'What are you going to tell Daintry?'

       'My secretary tried to get Castle on the phone first thing this morning. There was no reply at all.'

       'He's probably gone away with his family for the weekend.'

       'Yes. But I've had his safe opened—Muller's notes aren't there. I know what you'll say. Anyone can be care-less. But I thought if Daintry went down to Berkhamstedwell, if he found nobody there, it would be an opportunity to have the house looked over discreetly, and if he's in... he'll be surprised to see Daintry, and if he's guilty... he'd he a bit on edge...'

       'Have you told 5?'

       'Yes, I've spoken to Philips. He's having Castle's phone monitored again. I hope to God nothing comes of all this. It would mean Davis was innocent.'

       'You shouldn't worry so much about Davis. He's no loss to the firm, John. He should never have been recruited. He was inefficient and careless and drank too much. He'd have been a problem sooner or later anyway. But if Muller should be right, Castle will be a serious headache. Aflatoxin can't be used. Everyone knows he's not a heavy drinker. It will have to be the law courts, John, unless we can think of something else. Counsel for the defence. Evidence in camera. How the journalists hate that. Sensational headlines. I suppose Daintry will be satisfied if no one else is. He's a great stickler for doing things the legal way.'

       'And here he comes at last,' Sir John Hargreaves said.

       Daintry came up the great staircase towards them, slowly. Perhaps he wished to test every tread in turn as though it were a circumstantial piece of evidence.

       'I wish I knew how to begin.'

       'Why not as you did with me a little brutally?'

       'Ah, but he hasn't your thick skin, Emmanuel.'