“Perhaps, but you were under no compulsion to adopt it. In any case, that’s all water under the bridge, and now, with the best will in the world, I just don’t see how I can help.”
Lord Sanderlake jerked a cigar from his case and bit off its end. “In other words, you’re taking a run-out powder? Is that it?”
“No, of course not. Surely you know me too well to think that. But what can I do? Or perhaps first you might explain exactly what the trouble is?”
Lord Sanderlake put a match to his cigar and glared balefully through the smoke. “The trouble, Mr. Keble-Keith, is this,” he said, in tones that were unnaturally calm. “You and I between us concocted a war-scare. We led the public to believe that the Antigeosians were about to invade us and we demanded total mobilisation. Well, the Coxes so
