'Nothing complicated.' The phone rang again and he said 'yes' to someone and hung up. 'I haven't met him yet, myself. He was rather wished on to me.' He sat back now, his donnish head tilted to watch me. The chilblains made red cobbles on the blue skin of his hands and I thought vaguely that as soon as I'd gone he would get up and hold them near the fire again. 'That's why I'm really most grateful to you for helping me out. Really most grateful'

'You haven't met him yet?'

'Not yet. I want you to go and see him first and size him up. He's been fully screened, of course, and given general briefing on security. Then I'll arrange for the three of us to talk before you fly out.'

'Where do I find him?'

'Personnel Section, Foreign Office.' He got up as I took my gloves off the arm of the chair. 'You don't want this little chore, I know, but don't blame Merrick. You're a veteran and he's only a raw recruit. Don't break the poor little devil up.'

2: MERRICK

I filled in the green card.

P. K. Longstreet. To see G. R. Merrick. By appointment.

'Thank you, Mr Longstreet.'

The hall had the dusty acoustics of a cathedral. The security doorkeeper at the desk by the stairs watched me, nibbling on a fingernail.

'Mr Merrick, please.' The two other girls stared disinterestedly at the doors. 'Will you try and find him? He's got a visitor.'

I went to the doors and came back.

'I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but he doesn't seem to be in. Are you sure there was — '

'He's in. I'll go on up.'

'I'm afraid you can't go up without an escort. We have to — '

The doorkeeper was out of his desk as I reached the stairs and I showed him my pass. It took a couple of seconds to register because this one wasn't seen too often: this was the one that could get you into the Houses of Parliament with a barrel under your arm even if the green card said G. Fawkes.