'That'sh him.  Adrian G said he thought he'd sheen him in the Whitehall offish a couple of daysh ago.  Sheemed to find it mosht amuzhing that he might be doing the inveshtigating.'

'I doubt that.  Walker's one of Hazleton's people.  He's his chief of Security.  Well, more enforcement, in reality.'

'Enforshement? Oh, shit, ish thish shome department I haven't heard of?  Shomeshing not for ush Level Foursh?'

'No.  Officially Walker's Security.  It's just he's usually regarded as Hazleton's…muscle.'

'Mushle?  You mean like shum short of fucking henchman?'

'Henchman's a bit fifties B-movie-ish, don't you think?  But I believe you could call him a person of hench.  If we had hit-men, he'd be one.  In fact, he'd probably be their boss.'

I know a little more about this sort of thing than most execs at my level because I started out in Security.  That was before an interest in gadgets, technology and future trends got me angled across the company's career tracks and on to the plutocratic mainline.  Maintaining contacts in Security may well prove to be one of the more astute investments I've made in my own future.

'Hazhleton.  Shit.  Ish he azh shcary azh everybody shesh?'

'Not normally, but Walker is.  I wonder what he's doing in the country?'

'I heard a rumour zhere wash shome short of meeting nexsht week, at…umm, in Yorkshire.'

'Really?'

'Yesh.  Shumshing to do wish the Pashific shing.  Maybe he'sh here for zhat.  Maybe Hazhleton's coming over from the Shtates.  Advanshe guard.  Checking out the grim old pile before Hazhleton showsh.'

'Mmm.'

'Sho, izh zhere a meeting, Kate?'

'Where did you hear this rumour?'

'Izh zhere a meeting?'

'Where did you hear this rumour?'

'I ashked firsht.'

'What?'

'Oh, come on!  Ish zhere shome high-level meeting or not?'