Clutch of Constables Read Online Free PDF Page A

dryly humorous. Miss Rickerby-Carrick broke into the conversation with confused cries of regret for the loss of Empire and of admiration for the Monarchy. “I know one’s not meant to talk like this,” she said with conspiratorial glances at Troy, Mr Pollock and Mr Bard. “But sometimes one can’t help it. I mean I’m
absolutely all
for freedom and civil rights and integ—” she broke of with an air of someone whose conversation has bolted with her, turned very red and madly leant towards Dr Natouche.
    “Do forgive me,” she gabbled. “I mean, of course, I don’t know. I mean, am I right in supposing—?”
    Dr Natouche folded his hands, waited a moment and then said: “Are you wondering if I am a British subject? I am. As you see, I belong to a minority group. I practise in Liverpool.” His voice was superbly tranquil and his manner entirely withdrawn.
    The silence that followed his little speech was broken by the Skipper who came crabwise down the companionway.
    “Well, ladies and gentlemen,” he said. “I hope you are comfortably settled. We’ll be on our way in a few minutes. You will find a certain amount of information in the brochures supplied. We don’t go in for mikes and loudspeakers in the
Zodiac
but I’m very much at your service to answer questions if I can. The weather forecast is good although at this time of year we sometimes get the Creeper, which is a local name for River fog. It usually comes up at night and can be heavy. During the afternoon we follow the upper reaches of The River through low-lying country to Ramsdyke Lock. We wind about and about quite a lot which some people find confusing. You may have noticed, by the way, that in these parts we don’t talk about The River by name. To the locals it’s always just The River. It was over this country that Archbishop Langton chased King John. But long before that the Romans made the Ramsdyke canal as an addition to The River itself. The waterways were busy in Roman times. We take a little while going through the lock at Ramsdyke and you might fancy a stroll up the field and a look at a hollow alongside the Dyke Way. The wapentake courts were held there in Plantagenet times. Forerunners of our Judges’ Circuits. You can’t miss the wapentake hollow. Matter of five minutes’ walk. Thank you.”
    He gave a crisp little nod and returned to the upper deck. An appreciative murmur broke out among the passengers.
    “Come,” Mr Bard exclaimed. “Here’s a sensible and heartening start. A handful of nice little facts and a fillip to the imagination. Splendid. Mrs Alleyn, you have finished your luncheon. Do come on deck and witness the departure.”
    “I think we should all go up,” Troy said.
    “Oh ra-
ther
!” cried Miss Rickerby-Carrick. “Come on, chaps!”
    She blew her nose vigorously and made a dash for the companionway. There was a printed warning at the top: “Please note deeper step” but she disregarded it, plunged headlong through the half-door at the top and could be heard floundering about with startled cries on the other side. Troy overheard Mr Hewson say to Miss Hewson: “To me she seems kind of fabulous,” and Miss Hewson reply: “Maybe she’s one of the Queen’s Beasts’ and they both looked dryly humorous.
    Illogically Troy felt irritated with them and exasperated by Miss Rickerby-Carrick who was clearly going to get on everybody’s nerves. Mr Pollock for instance, after contemplating her precipitate exit, muttered: “Isn’t it marvellous!” and Mr Bard, for Troy’s benefit, briefly cast up his eyes and followed the others to the upper deck. Mr Lazenby, who was still at his luncheon, waved his fork to indicate that he would follow later.
    Dr Natouche rose and looked out of the saloon windows at the wharf. Troy thought: “How very tall he is.” Taller, she decided, than her husband, who was over six feet. “He’s waiting,” she thought, “for all of us to go up first,” and she found herself