has got teeth on Foul Ball. Every damn fool knows that. They’re supposed to check for these things. Too late now she killed them all. But here’s your money, skinny man. You can see my brother for the chicken.
You’ll have to take Starburst cos it’s the only one left alive.’
‘I thought all bets were off.’
‘Bets through the tote. Not a little friendly side bet like we had. Killing Machine ain’t lost so you win the wager.’
Proton was all ears and wanted to be convinced.
‘Cormack, my boy, you see how divine providence works? You picked the sickest, weakest bird there and still it came through for you. I knew you were the one, Cormack! When I first laid my eyes on you, I knew you were the one!’
‘But I would have won whichever cock I bet on. Except perhaps Starburst, because she wasn’t a cock at all. But Stanton Bosch told me not to bet on her.’
‘True enough, skinny man. True enough,’ said Stanton Bosch, and he surveyed the Arena shiftily, as though he were hunting for someone in the crowd that might have been listening.
Chapter Eighteen
Geoffrey loomed large at the head of the table, gavel in hand, ready to bang them to order.
‘First point of order – approval of the minutes from our previous meeting.’
‘Is that really necessary?’
‘Yes, Mrs. Bellingham. If we are to maintain proper records in council.’
She sat distractedly, staring through the French windows at the garden beyond.
‘Approval of the minutes from our previous meeting. Show of hands. And approved. Moving on…’
‘Can I have an agenda please, Geoffrey?’
‘You didn’t get one, Douglas?’
‘No.’
‘Mrs. Bellingham – Douglas, didn’t get an agenda.’
‘Oh!’
She rose to the pile that she had copied and pulled one off the top.
‘Here you are, Douglas.’
‘Thank you so much, Pamela.’
‘Item one again…’
‘Traction, Traction…’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘A little sherry, I think. Anybody for a little sherry?’
‘Yes please, Pamela.’
‘Item one… again… Report on the torture of the Juval Councillor.’
‘Shouldn’t Finance report first?’
‘Oh, I’m sorry.’
‘It says the Juval Councillor is first on the agenda.’
‘But normally Finance reports first.’
‘Let’s go with the Juval Councillor seeing as that’s what it says on the agenda. Graham – your report please.’
‘We could go with Finance first if you want. It really doesn’t matter.’
‘No, I think, we’re agreed we want the Juval Councillor first.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Absolutely we’re sure.’
Silence, while Graham stared into space.
‘Go ahead, Graham.’
‘Oh! Well, I suppose I will come right out with it. Thing is the chaps got a little carried away. Not really used to this kind of thing. It requires a subtlety that they appreciably lack. I’m afraid they rather did her in.’
‘She’s dead?’ said Mrs Bellingham loudly.
‘Well, she wouldn’t be dead, would she, Graham?’ said Geoffrey.
‘Well, she is rather.’
‘Oh, my good God!’
‘Yes, so the rest of the agenda is probably going to have to change to suit. I see, item five for instance –
further methods of torturing the Juval Councillor – all that’s rather dependant on her coming out of item one alive, which she hasn’t.’
‘Did she contact the Pastry Chef before she died?’ asked Mrs. Bellingham.
‘Oh yes. That was all done. He was keen to cooperate in fact. And he’s asking for a certain poison. The balm from the Fractious Jub-Jub tree. He wants it sent. Apparently it’s his preferred methodology.’
‘The balm from the Fractious Jub-Jub tree? What in heaven’s name is a Fractious Jub-Jub tree?’ said Douglas.
‘Over there,’ said Mrs Bellingham, pointing through the French windows to a huge spreading tree with leaves of olive green and a boled trunk, twenty feet wide. It gave shade across most of the croquet lawn.
‘Nearest the hydrangeas.’
Chapter Nineteen
They
You’ll have to take Starburst cos it’s the only one left alive.’
‘I thought all bets were off.’
‘Bets through the tote. Not a little friendly side bet like we had. Killing Machine ain’t lost so you win the wager.’
Proton was all ears and wanted to be convinced.
‘Cormack, my boy, you see how divine providence works? You picked the sickest, weakest bird there and still it came through for you. I knew you were the one, Cormack! When I first laid my eyes on you, I knew you were the one!’
‘But I would have won whichever cock I bet on. Except perhaps Starburst, because she wasn’t a cock at all. But Stanton Bosch told me not to bet on her.’
‘True enough, skinny man. True enough,’ said Stanton Bosch, and he surveyed the Arena shiftily, as though he were hunting for someone in the crowd that might have been listening.
Chapter Eighteen
Geoffrey loomed large at the head of the table, gavel in hand, ready to bang them to order.
‘First point of order – approval of the minutes from our previous meeting.’
‘Is that really necessary?’
‘Yes, Mrs. Bellingham. If we are to maintain proper records in council.’
She sat distractedly, staring through the French windows at the garden beyond.
‘Approval of the minutes from our previous meeting. Show of hands. And approved. Moving on…’
‘Can I have an agenda please, Geoffrey?’
‘You didn’t get one, Douglas?’
‘No.’
‘Mrs. Bellingham – Douglas, didn’t get an agenda.’
‘Oh!’
She rose to the pile that she had copied and pulled one off the top.
‘Here you are, Douglas.’
‘Thank you so much, Pamela.’
‘Item one again…’
‘Traction, Traction…’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘A little sherry, I think. Anybody for a little sherry?’
‘Yes please, Pamela.’
‘Item one… again… Report on the torture of the Juval Councillor.’
‘Shouldn’t Finance report first?’
‘Oh, I’m sorry.’
‘It says the Juval Councillor is first on the agenda.’
‘But normally Finance reports first.’
‘Let’s go with the Juval Councillor seeing as that’s what it says on the agenda. Graham – your report please.’
‘We could go with Finance first if you want. It really doesn’t matter.’
‘No, I think, we’re agreed we want the Juval Councillor first.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Absolutely we’re sure.’
Silence, while Graham stared into space.
‘Go ahead, Graham.’
‘Oh! Well, I suppose I will come right out with it. Thing is the chaps got a little carried away. Not really used to this kind of thing. It requires a subtlety that they appreciably lack. I’m afraid they rather did her in.’
‘She’s dead?’ said Mrs Bellingham loudly.
‘Well, she wouldn’t be dead, would she, Graham?’ said Geoffrey.
‘Well, she is rather.’
‘Oh, my good God!’
‘Yes, so the rest of the agenda is probably going to have to change to suit. I see, item five for instance –
further methods of torturing the Juval Councillor – all that’s rather dependant on her coming out of item one alive, which she hasn’t.’
‘Did she contact the Pastry Chef before she died?’ asked Mrs. Bellingham.
‘Oh yes. That was all done. He was keen to cooperate in fact. And he’s asking for a certain poison. The balm from the Fractious Jub-Jub tree. He wants it sent. Apparently it’s his preferred methodology.’
‘The balm from the Fractious Jub-Jub tree? What in heaven’s name is a Fractious Jub-Jub tree?’ said Douglas.
‘Over there,’ said Mrs Bellingham, pointing through the French windows to a huge spreading tree with leaves of olive green and a boled trunk, twenty feet wide. It gave shade across most of the croquet lawn.
‘Nearest the hydrangeas.’
Chapter Nineteen
They
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