has to tie her knees together with her stay laces to stop them falling apart. Silly little bitch, she hasn’t seen the way he looks at his wife.”
“Milady Kara’s not one to turn her nose up at a lost cause. But what’s with milady the honorable Old Goose? What’s she doing with him?”
“Who the-knows, pardon my loewsprache, she’s being a witch again. Shamelessly talking to strange men.”
“What’s shameless about it? She’s got her chaperone-”
(Laughter.) “Red-Minge Kara is a chaperone? What color is the sky in your county, and do the fish have feathers to match the birds’ scales?”
“I’d like to know what she’s talking about, though.”
“I’ve got an idea. Wait here.”
(Click.)
“So? What’s the story?”
“Give me that.”
“Must be a long story to wet your throat like that.”
“Long? You haven’t heard the first of it-”
“Is she trying to fix Kara up with a paramour?”
“Is she-bah! Even Old Witchy-Goose isn’t that stupid, what would people say if her lady-in-waiting got pregnant? I’m sorry I asked. I thought it would be something like that. And the promises I had to make!”
“Promises?”
“Yes, I said I’d ask you to meet Oswelt-him with the belly-behind the marquee in half an hour for a midnight promenade.”
“Bitch!”
“Now now, mind your language! Remember I said you weren’t a whore? I didn’t promise you’d be there, just said I’d ask.”
“You did …”
“So if you want …”
“What about her ladyship? What did you find out?”
“Well, it’s as well I asked because something tells me we’ll be dragged hither and back in the next months, or I’m not a household hand.”
“Really? Why? What’s she want from him?”
“He’s not with the king’s wardrobe, he’s with the prince’s. And you know what that means.”
“Oh!”
“Yes.”
“The slut!”
“Absolutely wanton.”
“We’ll be back here three times a night before the month is out.”
“Indeed.”
“Hmm. So what else did you tell master Oswelt about me … ?”
(Click.)
transcript ends
5: Incorrect Assumptions
Twelve weeks ago (continued):
Mike Fleming leaned back in his chair and tried desperately to stifle a yawn. This is crazy, he told himself. How can you be tired at a time like this?
The air conditioner in the conference room wheezed, losing the battle to keep the heat of the summer evening at bay. He desperately needed another coffee.
Despite the couple of hours’ nap he’d caught back home before the spooks from NSA sucked him in, his eyes kept half-closing, threatening him with a sleep-deprivation shutdown.
“Agent Fleming?”
“Oh. Yeah? Sorry, what was the question?”
“How long have you been awake?” It was Smith, his expression unreadable.
Mike shook himself. “About fifty hours. Got about an hour’s sleep before your guys picked me up.”
“Ah-right.” Out of the corner of one eye Mike barely registered Herz from the FBI office looking sympathetic. “Okay, I’ll try not to keep you,” said Smith.
“We need you awake and alert for tomorrow. Meanwhile, can you give us a brief run-through on the background to Greensleeves? I’ve read Tony’s write-up of your report, but everyone else here needs to be put in the frame, and it’s probably better if they get it from the horse’s mouth first before they get the folder. How do you take your coffee?”
Mike yawned. “Milk, no sugar.” He stood up. “Shall I?”
“Be my guest.” Smith waved him toward the podium.
“Okay.” Mike forced himself to breathe deeply, suppressing another yawn, as Colonel Smith quietly picked up a white phone and ordered a round of coffees for the meeting. “Sorry, folks, but it’s been a long couple of days.”
Appreciative muttering. “Source Greensleeves. Don’t ask me who dreams up these stupid names. A couple of weeks ago Greensleeves, whoever he was, casually dropped the hammer on a ring operating out of Cambridge. At
“Milady Kara’s not one to turn her nose up at a lost cause. But what’s with milady the honorable Old Goose? What’s she doing with him?”
“Who the-knows, pardon my loewsprache, she’s being a witch again. Shamelessly talking to strange men.”
“What’s shameless about it? She’s got her chaperone-”
(Laughter.) “Red-Minge Kara is a chaperone? What color is the sky in your county, and do the fish have feathers to match the birds’ scales?”
“I’d like to know what she’s talking about, though.”
“I’ve got an idea. Wait here.”
(Click.)
“So? What’s the story?”
“Give me that.”
“Must be a long story to wet your throat like that.”
“Long? You haven’t heard the first of it-”
“Is she trying to fix Kara up with a paramour?”
“Is she-bah! Even Old Witchy-Goose isn’t that stupid, what would people say if her lady-in-waiting got pregnant? I’m sorry I asked. I thought it would be something like that. And the promises I had to make!”
“Promises?”
“Yes, I said I’d ask you to meet Oswelt-him with the belly-behind the marquee in half an hour for a midnight promenade.”
“Bitch!”
“Now now, mind your language! Remember I said you weren’t a whore? I didn’t promise you’d be there, just said I’d ask.”
“You did …”
“So if you want …”
“What about her ladyship? What did you find out?”
“Well, it’s as well I asked because something tells me we’ll be dragged hither and back in the next months, or I’m not a household hand.”
“Really? Why? What’s she want from him?”
“He’s not with the king’s wardrobe, he’s with the prince’s. And you know what that means.”
“Oh!”
“Yes.”
“The slut!”
“Absolutely wanton.”
“We’ll be back here three times a night before the month is out.”
“Indeed.”
“Hmm. So what else did you tell master Oswelt about me … ?”
(Click.)
transcript ends
5: Incorrect Assumptions
Twelve weeks ago (continued):
Mike Fleming leaned back in his chair and tried desperately to stifle a yawn. This is crazy, he told himself. How can you be tired at a time like this?
The air conditioner in the conference room wheezed, losing the battle to keep the heat of the summer evening at bay. He desperately needed another coffee.
Despite the couple of hours’ nap he’d caught back home before the spooks from NSA sucked him in, his eyes kept half-closing, threatening him with a sleep-deprivation shutdown.
“Agent Fleming?”
“Oh. Yeah? Sorry, what was the question?”
“How long have you been awake?” It was Smith, his expression unreadable.
Mike shook himself. “About fifty hours. Got about an hour’s sleep before your guys picked me up.”
“Ah-right.” Out of the corner of one eye Mike barely registered Herz from the FBI office looking sympathetic. “Okay, I’ll try not to keep you,” said Smith.
“We need you awake and alert for tomorrow. Meanwhile, can you give us a brief run-through on the background to Greensleeves? I’ve read Tony’s write-up of your report, but everyone else here needs to be put in the frame, and it’s probably better if they get it from the horse’s mouth first before they get the folder. How do you take your coffee?”
Mike yawned. “Milk, no sugar.” He stood up. “Shall I?”
“Be my guest.” Smith waved him toward the podium.
“Okay.” Mike forced himself to breathe deeply, suppressing another yawn, as Colonel Smith quietly picked up a white phone and ordered a round of coffees for the meeting. “Sorry, folks, but it’s been a long couple of days.”
Appreciative muttering. “Source Greensleeves. Don’t ask me who dreams up these stupid names. A couple of weeks ago Greensleeves, whoever he was, casually dropped the hammer on a ring operating out of Cambridge. At
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