Chapter 58

The PGS major carefully scraped this boots on the scraper besides the door of the Grace and Favour apartment attached to The Round Tower. He then just as carefully scraped them on the door mat before entering his home. Once inside he stood on the carpet square, removed his boots placing them in a box close to his hand, put on soft coverings and walked down to his sitting room. His wife was already seated and pouring his cup of tea to place it gently on the coffee table before him. It was a ritual she had established the day after their return from their honeymoon. Even when he was away on duty, she still followed the ritual – it was her quiet time. There were times when unplanned events caused him to be absent but whenever he could, he commed her. The timing had been moved about to fit in with his regular duties but not the event. They had made an incongruous couple when they had been walking out courting, the two metre solidly built private soldier with the hundred fifty five centimetre slender daughter of a cobbler. Nobody laughed at them for the private's reflexes were fast and his hands were the size of her head.

"Rupert, dinner will be the usual time," she said, "there are all the news faxes. There is a letter for you."

She passed over the letter not commenting in anyway about it; her husband has numerous friends scattered over the galaxy, but like her husband they were not writers; their wives on the other hand... !

The major picked up the missive, saw the Gregor mark of origin with a slight increase of interest which was raised by the FPO address. The name however did ring a bell and that did heighten his interest tinged with an apprehension. He opened it and found himself looking at the letter head of the Royal Amirant Hotel, Old Breslau. He was very upright in his seat. It was dated five days ago.

Dear Uncle Rupert,

I am writing in a quandary. I have known for years that the relationship between the Elders of the families of our cousins is soured.

I was doing some work here, the same sort of work that I was doing in my first job. Uncle Gus contacted me. We got together for drinks one afternoon and he became very curious about what I was doing. It was nothing that would really have alarmed or annoyed anyone but it was and is personal to our family.

At the time, Aunty Lillibet made me promise not to tell anyone.

I know Uncle Gus is a curmudgeon and can get upset out of all proportion but I had to fob him off. I could see that he was not happy but he didn't really push the issue.

I could tell he was a bit upset and he changed the subject to the female cousins. He seemed to approve of their being faithful to their boy friends and visiting as often as they could wherever the men's jobs took them. He said he had been told by his factors that they used the Junction quite frequently to stay at Gregor and Raffles.

Uncle Gus has certainly retained his interest in the family and I wonder if you would delicately approach Aunt Lillibet to permit me to explain to Uncle Gus and tell him of the benefits of my work to the families. I piously hope that giving him this information would improve the families' relationships.

As I don't know when I'll be back in Old Breslau, perhaps Uncle Silas could brief Uncle Gus. Please let me know.

Yours aye

Your nephew

Aggy.

Rupert sat there holding the letter in his hand. He did recall Aggy McCock. He did recall also that his Sovereign held him in high regard as did the Admiralty. He wanted something done very, very unofficially, - hence this approach to a fellow officer to whom he had only literally nodded in passing. McCock had not been in regular service at the time but the plan had been to send him off to Paracelsus. So what was he doing in Old Breslau? Nothing untoward or he would not have made this contact. The only thing concrete in his letter was his first job and school. Admiralty should have his pre service employment.

"Dinner, dear" called his wife.

"Coming dear," he refolded the letter and slipped it into his inside pocket. He always remained in uniform until using the fresher before retiring. His job did include unpredictable occasions.

Admiral Rowan was chatting to Shelly about a report on some work in the yard when the PGS Major arrived. Rowan had been expecting him and after shaking hands ushered him into the Dungeon. Shelly didn't pay any more attention and she had turned back to her work. Silas buzzed Shelly some ten minutes later,

"Shelly does Aggy have an Uncle Gus or an Aunt Lillibet? I thought he had only his parents left?"

"He does have some cousins on Grenoble, I think. But no close ones. He has never spoken of any and always said that here were only his parents on Mountserrat. Why?"

"Seems that ... that doesn't make any sense. Why would he write to PGS? Thanks Shell" and the link was broken.

There was almost the faint whiff of ozone as an electronic circuit closed. Shelly looked blankly over her desk for a moment, then rapidly used her 'puter, and smiled grimly at the information. She got up and held her hand down on the door buzzer to the 'Dungeon'. There was a click as the solenoid released and she marched into Rowan's office. Rowan was looking slightly alarmed as Shelly usually only pushed the buzzer and waited,

"What is it, Shell?"

Shelley saw the Major folding a sheet of note paper and was putting it in his top pocket. She strode over to him hand outstretched,

"You are PGS?"

The major nodded looking at Shelly and buttoning down the pocket.

"Gimme!" demanded Shelly and, when he hesitated, stamped her foot,

"Gimme!" she repeated.

The Major looked slightly stunned at Rowan who was looking thoughtfully at Shelly. Rowan looked at the Major and then nodded his head.

Shelly unfolded the note, read it quickly, gave a shake of her blonde hair and handed the letter back saying dismissively as she did so,

'It's easy!"

The Major looked at Shelly in confusion mixed with stunned.

"It's easy", Shelly repeated, "Augustus Amirant confronted Aggy for purchasing ships' stores. They were to be used in automating "Vance" to help with the under strength crew, and Augustus must have been quite curious about it. Augustus also knows about 'Mina and I using the Junction to have time with Denny and Cowboy. It's interesting he mentioned Raffles. Gregor is easy. Aggy thinks Mountserrat- Amiranti relations would be improved if Queen Elizabeth authorized Augustus be told."