Mightier Than the Sword Read Online Free PDF Page B

Shipping.”
    “I’d be delighted to second that,” said Bingham.
    “I confess that I’m embarrassed,” said Emma.
    “That will be a first,” said Giles, which helped lighten the mood.
    “Shall I call for a vote, chairman?” asked Webster. Emma nodded, and sat back in her chair. “Admiral Summers has proposed,” continued the company secretary, “and Mr. Bingham has seconded, that Mr. Sebastian Clifton be invited to join the board of Barrington’s.” He paused for a moment before asking, “Those in favor?” Every hand rose except Emma’s and Giles’s. “Those against?” No hands were raised. The round of applause that followed made Emma feel very proud.
    “I therefore declare that Mr. Sebastian Clifton has been elected as a member of the board of Barrington’s.”
    “Let’s pray there will be a board for Seb to join,” Emma whispered to her brother once the company secretary had declared the meeting closed.
    *   *   *
    “I’ve always considered he was up there with Lincoln and Jefferson.”
    A middle-aged man, dressed in an open-necked shirt and sports jacket, looked up but didn’t close his book. The few strands of wispy fair hair that were still in evidence had been carefully combed in an attempt to hide his premature baldness. A walking stick was propped against his chair.
    “I apologize,” said Giles. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”
    “No problem,” said the man in an unmistakable southern drawl, but he still didn’t close his book. “In fact I’m always embarrassed,” he added, “by how little we know of your country’s history, while you seem to be so well informed about ours.”
    “That’s because we no longer rule half the world,” said Giles, “and you look as if you are just about to. Mind you, I wonder if a man in a wheelchair could be elected as president in the second half of the twentieth century,” he added, glancing down at the man’s book.
    “I doubt it,” said the American with a sigh. “Kennedy beat Nixon because of a TV debate. If you’d heard it on the radio, you would have concluded that Nixon won.”
    “Nobody can see you sweat on the radio.”
    The American raised an eyebrow. “How come you’re so well informed about American politics?”
    “I’m a Member of Parliament. And you?”
    “I’m a state representative from Baton Rouge.”
    “And as you can’t be a day over forty, I presume you have your sights on Washington.”
    Rankin smiled, but revealed nothing. “My turn to ask you a question. What’s my wife’s name?”
    Giles knew when he was beaten. “Rosemary,” he said.
    “So now we’ve established that this meeting wasn’t a coincidence, Sir Giles, how can I help you?”
    “I need to talk to you about last night.”
    “I’m not surprised, as I have no doubt you’re among the handful of people on board who knows what really happened in the early hours of this morning.”
    Giles looked around. Satisfied no one could overhear them, he said, “The ship was the target of a terrorist attack, but fortunately we managed to—”
    The American waved a hand dismissively. “I don’t need to know the details. Just tell me how I can help.”
    “Try to convince your fellow countrymen on board that the Home Fleet were really out there. If you can manage that, I know someone who’d be eternally grateful.”
    “Your sister?”
    Giles nodded, no longer surprised.
    “I realized there had to be a serious problem when I saw her earlier, sitting on the upper deck looking as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Not the action of a confident chairman who I have a feeling isn’t all that interested in sunbathing.”
    “Mea culpa. But we’re up against—”
    “As I said, spare me the details. Like him,” he said, pointing to the photo on the cover of his book, “I’m not interested in tomorrow’s headlines. I’m in politics for the long game, so I’ll do as you ask. However, Sir Giles, that means you owe me one. And you