‘So you’ve had your nose in archive records. What else have you dug up, that you shouldn’t see?’ Seeing that Frank wasn’t going to give out anything more beyond a cheeky smile, Goodblood went on. ‘Yeah, well, I was young enough, or maybe that should be dupe enough, then to challenge their moves on an interdepartmental chessboard, and so vain to not realise that the pawn very seldom reaches that last line and be promoted to higher station with a bigger punch.’ Goodblood sat back in his chair and gave a little sigh. ‘It dowses your enthusiasm. So that’s why I’m now sitting in this chair, and you’re sitting in that chair. Capisce?’
‘Sure,’ Frank nodded in soft affirmation of the other’s good sense.
The heavy silence that came over the room enabled them to suddenly become aware of the very f
