George's Grand Tour Read Online Free PDF Page A

cold.’
    â€˜Thérèse, what did you do with the phone directory?’
    Charles was hopping with excitement. Half an hour and a conversation with Franck later, he went over to George’s place.
    Justine smiled, showing her two teeth.
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    George was woken from his slumber by the sound of Charles’s footsteps in the garage, but they sounded different from normal. Had he really been asleep for that long? The clock next to the fridge was showing 1.30 p.m.
    Charles burst into the room and shouted confidently:
    â€˜George, there’s no need to worry. There’s a solution to the Adèle problem.’
    â€˜But isn’t it—?’ George began.
    â€˜What’s your mobile number?’
    George had to lever himself painfully out of his garden seat and walk out into the corridor to the telephone table. ‘There it is,’ he said to Charles, pointing at the notecard tacked to the wall next to the postcards of London, on which Françoise had written in her beautiful handwriting: ‘Your mobile number: 06 20 15 89 15.’
    Charles pulled a piece of paper covered in code out of hispocket, picked up the landline phone, and after very carefully keying in several different combinations of numbers, hashes and stars, he replaced the handset with an almost solemn expression on his face.
    â€˜Right,’ said Charles, who seemed to be waiting for something.
    â€˜Right,’ said George, who was wondering if Charles was going to give him an explanation or whether he was going to have to get it out of him himself. ‘Right, well, so that’s …’
    â€˜Where’s your mobile?’
    â€˜I think it’s in the chest of drawers in the living room, under the card set.’
    â€˜OK, here’s what you have to do,’ said Charles, who now seemed to know what he was doing. ‘You’re going to go and get it. I’m going to go back home and then I’m going to call you and we’ll see which of the two phones ring.’
    â€˜But what number are you going to ring me on?’
    â€˜The landline number.’
    â€˜So it’s the home phone that’s going to ring, then.’
    â€˜No, actually,’ answered Charles. ‘If it’s worked, the mobile should ring.’
    George looked at him with a slightly pitying expression.
    â€˜I see,’ he replied gently, deciding that it was better to say nothing than to worry everyone now. Still, it was a shame that Charles was losing his marbles. And at such a young age.
    Charles left, feeling gratified that his friend’s knowledge of telecommunications made his own seem fairly extensive. He was back in less than five minutes, only to find George sitting in his chair again.
    â€˜And? Which one rang?’
    â€˜Oh, neither of them.’
    Charles looked perplexed. ‘You weren’t asleep, were you?’
    â€˜Not a bit of it! I was wide awake and there was no ringing. But which number did you ring?’
    â€˜05 49 57 68 34.’
    â€˜Well, there you go,’ said George. ‘That’s the landline. What was all that stuff you were doing on it? Now it’s not working. Thanks a lot!’
    â€˜But I don’t understand,’ said Charles, sounding annoyed. ‘It’s the mobile that should have rung. Now I’ll have to get back on the phone to France Telecom …’
    â€˜But Charles,’ said George kindly, ‘of course the mobile didn’t ring, you called the landline. And anyway, the mobile wouldn’t ring even if you did call it: it’s switched off.’
    â€˜It’s switched off! Well that explains it! Where is it?’
    George handed him a brand-new phone inside a spotless plastic cover. It had clearly never been used.
    â€˜I’m going to take it with me. I’ll be back in a bit,’ said Charles, who was already halfway to the garage.
    George sat back down in his chair, reflecting that it was the fate of all