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I got to it, a man stepped out of the shadows and asked, “Cab free?” I quipped, “Only if you can pay the fare!” and we both laughed at the code phrase as he got in the back.

“Mind if I leave this on the back seat with you?” “Not at all; plenty of room.” and I laid the case on the seat.

“Where to, sir?” I enquired. “Elmore Mansions, if you know the place.” “Indeed I do.”

I pretended to set my meter for the fare, then we set off. Half a mile later, he tapped my shoulder and said to me, “On second thoughts, drop me at the next corner. It is a bit late for me to be calling on a friend.”

I slowed and stopped. “Here you are, sir. That will be a pound, as my minimum fare.” He handed me a pound coin and got out, carrying the suitcase with him.

“Thanks”, he said, and I told him as I placed a finger to my peaked hat in salute, “Just doing my job, sir,” and he chuckled at this double meaning as he strode off. I moved off to park the cab where I had found it, switched off and got out. I sat the ignition key on top of the front tyre, out of sight, knowing someone else would be taking away the cab within a few minutes.

I then headed to my favourite furniture store for a good night’s kip, wondering why that had all gone so easily and that I hadn’t really needed most of my skills to get it done. I was probably chosen for this job to see if I would carry it out efficiently. That made me suspect that a tougher challenge was on the way

Next day I was enjoying my freedom when my phone demanded my attention. I thought it was going to be Smith, but it was Phemie bothering me again.

“Mr Jones? Alec?” “Yes.” “Can I beg your help again? Come and do your talk about weapons, please; the boys in particular would love to hear what you have to say, though I suspect it will not be exactly what they expect.”

“When do you need me, Phemie? What are the choices?” She rattled off her schedule for that class, and I told her which day and time suited me best. In reality, all of them were fine, but I wanted to keep up the fiction of me being a busy man.

That fixed, she asked about my health, and whether I was eating well, and was there anything she could offer me apart from another home-cooked meal. I had to think about that offer, for it had undertones of something more personal, as did her concern about my health and eating pattern, so I plumped for the meal as my stated choice. That was always welcome and she could read into it whatever she liked. I was not willing to commit in words to anything more at the moment.

I now had to work on what I was going to say to her kids, with a particular slant to the boys with a military idea for their future. They needed to hear a bit of reality once again. What was needed primarily was to get them to think about getting better educated at school. That would be more beneficial for them in the long run, soldiering or not. I had to get them thinking about what they really wanted out of life, and first of all, the soldier’s option: to live or die.

Weapons now, how to start? To begin with, I had to get over that the best weapon a soldier has is his brain; thinking of what makes most sense in the facts of warfare. Dying quickly is not a good choice, not is dying slowly through being injured stupidly. I had to make this clear and unambiguous. After some more cogitation, I had my outline and then had to flesh it out. When I at last took my place in front of the class, I was ready.