Chapter 47

"Can I help you?"

Angie turned to a red haired woman about her age. 'Deity. Who is she? The way she holds herself;'

"The lounge? I was told ... directed to the lounge. I believe there is be a confidential discussion and I have yet to complete my business."

"I'm Sally McGraw, dogsbody and general factotum, the lounge is over here. Coffee?"

"Angie Merton. Thank you. Both please before you ask. Have you any idea how long they'll be?"

Sally shook her head, returned to her office and returned with a mug of coffee. Angie was flicking across her PDA screens as they heard raised voices muffled by several decks. Sally remarked,

"Ah, an intense scientific discussion.", and then closed the open door leading up to the Captain's Cabin

Angie had barely taken a mouthful of coffee, when Sally went past to the air lock being joined by another of the older males. The air lock disgorged four men all in business suits. The biggest and obviously the leader shook hand with the greeting male and nodded to Sally who regally acknowledged.

"This had better be good Bert! Avers have called in a lot of favours."

"Crew's Mess Hall, Joe" and the group went off in the direction the skinsuited males had come from. Sally went back into her office. Angie was consulting her PDA on the Patent Application, cross referencing, making notes and getting immersed in her work. She barely noticed several men who entered what she realized was the kitchen and began preparing a meal but she did notice the older man who hurried into the kitchen making the statement,

"Joe's staying for lunch" and then leading the frenzied activity that announcement caused. Her stomach growled. She realized she was hungry and it was midday. She saw the business suits approaching and they were grim faced. She could almost see the thunder clouds over their heads. Sally was there and the leader stopped.

"What do you know about this?"

"I was the coxswain, Admiral."

'Coxswain? Admiral?' this gets deeper thought Angie.

Higgins looked at Angie. Sally moved to her side,

"Angie, Admiral Higgins. Admiral, this is Angie Merton. She is the patent attorney form MFH". They shook hands. The Admiral noticed the papers and reached for them,

"Don't think about it Joe," Bert stopped him and then swept the papers up and gave them to Sally,

"Purser's Safe, lass. Joe, once you get your hands on them we'll never see them again. Oh, we'd got full credit and all the royalties but you'd hold those forever."

"But I'd hold them so tightly they'd never breathe."

There was movement behind the Admiral who turned to face the skin suited figures as they emerged.

"Hugh"

"Admiral"

"You know about this?"

"When they returned".

"We never got a bloody sniff of her. We've just done a comparison of the tapes and not a trace. Your passives are good, very good, but your actives! At that range we should have got detection levels that fried the screen! Aggy."

"Hello Joe. You're staying for lunch? Good. Will somebody set up the tables. The Admiral and I on one, we have some things to talk about. Excuse me Joe; Angie, the invention is to be the DENISLOW invention. The scientific credit to these two names and the patents to be held by GmBH."

He offered the chip which she pocketed as she asked,

"They aren't going to get additional royalties?"

"Don't ask. I've got bruises all over. They've got bruises from the Avers. I've got them from both groups. You'll stay for lunch? Good. Sally will you take care of Angie. Angie anything, anything at all, you have heard or will hear today or will deduce in the future is covered and you don't really want to find out how deep it is covered by the Official Secrets Act."

Admiral Higgins gently confirmed this. The Chef appeared

"Get your lunch, you horrible lot, no one spoils my food. Hello Admiral, get moving."

"Hello Wally, I heard you were at "The Green Man.""

"That's my other job, this is the real one!"

Angie joined the Flock plus one and despite the surly faces at the start, got along famously. Angie very professionally questioned her table mates and heard basically the whole story. The only complaint was that they were legally no longer 'Navy'. They were only slightly mollified when Sally pointed out that they were in the same boat as the Avers who were legends.

The whole day was spent by the time things had finished. Angie realized that she had heard a lot more than could have been good for her. She was able to deduce that another sortie(?) was planned to test the patentable equipment and this time the Navy was to know when HCL(?) was coming.

On the short shuttle ride back to MFH, she went quickly over the events of the day, made a quick decision and commed McCock to confirm it. She was made an offer which she accepted. She commed ahead and asked the MD for an urgent meeting as soon as she returned. The MD had literally been awaiting her return.

She was shown into the MD's suite by his P.S., offered coffee which she declined giving as her excuse that she was 'coffeed out' but in truth had been thoroughly spoilt by the "Traders" brew. Angie made herself comfortable and then briefed her MD.

"GmBH have indeed developed equipment based on a patentable invention by two of their employees. I have utilised access to all the sources of which I am aware and followed nearly every link found and they all confirm the oral information which I have received today some of which I assess as being very highly placed and knowledgeable. Knowledgeable on both the scientific aspects and what is currently available or in development. I have received an offer from McCock to personally act for GmBH and he has specified and I accept as an employee of MFH. GmBH's requirements are so diverse that the talents of many specialities are required but McCock believes they should rest with one person who has the most confidential access to consult with those other talents. Having today had literally a professional lifetime of shocks I agree with him. I have been officially informed that everything I know about GmBH is covered by the Official Secrets Act and the Treasons Act, and this conversation is so covered. I shall be moving my office, and I might add, my residence to their official residence for at least six months to complete and guide through the patent application."