stroking Magic's flowing silken ear with her free hand, "I don't mind ministers boiling themselves into a stupor, but when they start fiddling around with my pension I get really mad." Her mother's pension from the foreign service was her sole source of income, and it wasn't much.
"You don't truly want a Labour government, now tell the truth, Mummy,'
Royan teased her. Her mother had always been the arch Conservative. Georgina wavered, and then avoided the choice, "All I say is, bring back Maggie."
Royan turned slightly in her seat and glanced through the dirty rear window again. The truck was still behind them, looming out of the fog and the trail of blue exhaust smoke that Georgina was laying behind her like the vapour trail of a jet aircraft. Up until now it had hung back, but suddenly it accelerated up behind them.
"I think he wants to pass you," Royan told Georgina mildly. The massive bonnet of the truck was only twenty feet from their rear bumper. The radiator was emblazoned with the chrome logo "MAN' and stood taller than the cab of the Land Rover, so that she could not see the face of the driver from where she sat.
"Everybody wants to pass me," lamented Georgina.
"Story of my life." She held the centre of the narrow road doggedly. Royan glanced back again, and saw that the truck was creeping still closer. It filled the rear window completely.
The driver declutched and revved the gigantic engine menacingly.
"You' better give over. I think he means business."
"Let him wait,' Georgina grunted around her cigarette butt. "Patience is a virtue. Anyway, can't let him through here. There is a narrow stone bridge ahead of us. Know this stretch of road like the way to my own bathroom." At that moment the truck-driver sounded his klaxon so close that it was deafening. Magic jumped up on the rear seat and barked in outrage.
"Stupid bastard," Georgina swore bitterly. "What does he think he is playing at? Write down his number plate. I am going to report him to the York police."
"His plates are covered with mud. Can't make it out, but it looks like a continental registration. German, I think."
As if the driver had heard her protest he slowed slightly and fell back until a gap of twenty yards opened between the two vehicles. Royan had swivelled right round in the seat to watch him.
"That's better," Georgina said smugly. "Ruddy Hun learning some manners." She peered ahead through the fog, "There is the bridge For the first time Royan was able to see up into the driver's cab of the truck. The driver wore a balactava helmet that covered all but his eyes and nose with dark blue wool. It gave him a sinister and evil aspect.
"Look outV Royan screamed suddenly. "He is coming straight at us!" The engine beat of the great truck rose to a bellow that engulfed them like the sound of a gale-driven sea. For a moment Royan saw'nothing but glittering steel and then the front of the truck smashed into them from behind. She was thrown half over the back of her seat by the impact. She dragged herself up and saw that the truck had picked them up like a fox with a bird in its jaws. It carried the Land Rover forward on the steel bull bars that protected the shining chromed radiator.
Georgina wrestled with the wheel, trying to maintain control, but the effort was futile. "Can't hold her. The bridge! Try and get clear-'
Royan hit the quick-release buckle on her safety-belt and reached for the door handle. The stone walls of the bridge were racing towards them at a terrifying pace. The Land Rover was slewing across the road, completely out of control.
The door burst open in Royan's grip, but she could not push it all the way before the Land Rover was flung into the solid stonework columns that guarded the approaches PI to the bridge, The two women screamed in unison as the vehicle crumpled, and the impact hurled them forward. The windscreen shattered as they bounced off the stone columns, and the body of the Land Rover flipped over as it
"You don't truly want a Labour government, now tell the truth, Mummy,'
Royan teased her. Her mother had always been the arch Conservative. Georgina wavered, and then avoided the choice, "All I say is, bring back Maggie."
Royan turned slightly in her seat and glanced through the dirty rear window again. The truck was still behind them, looming out of the fog and the trail of blue exhaust smoke that Georgina was laying behind her like the vapour trail of a jet aircraft. Up until now it had hung back, but suddenly it accelerated up behind them.
"I think he wants to pass you," Royan told Georgina mildly. The massive bonnet of the truck was only twenty feet from their rear bumper. The radiator was emblazoned with the chrome logo "MAN' and stood taller than the cab of the Land Rover, so that she could not see the face of the driver from where she sat.
"Everybody wants to pass me," lamented Georgina.
"Story of my life." She held the centre of the narrow road doggedly. Royan glanced back again, and saw that the truck was creeping still closer. It filled the rear window completely.
The driver declutched and revved the gigantic engine menacingly.
"You' better give over. I think he means business."
"Let him wait,' Georgina grunted around her cigarette butt. "Patience is a virtue. Anyway, can't let him through here. There is a narrow stone bridge ahead of us. Know this stretch of road like the way to my own bathroom." At that moment the truck-driver sounded his klaxon so close that it was deafening. Magic jumped up on the rear seat and barked in outrage.
"Stupid bastard," Georgina swore bitterly. "What does he think he is playing at? Write down his number plate. I am going to report him to the York police."
"His plates are covered with mud. Can't make it out, but it looks like a continental registration. German, I think."
As if the driver had heard her protest he slowed slightly and fell back until a gap of twenty yards opened between the two vehicles. Royan had swivelled right round in the seat to watch him.
"That's better," Georgina said smugly. "Ruddy Hun learning some manners." She peered ahead through the fog, "There is the bridge For the first time Royan was able to see up into the driver's cab of the truck. The driver wore a balactava helmet that covered all but his eyes and nose with dark blue wool. It gave him a sinister and evil aspect.
"Look outV Royan screamed suddenly. "He is coming straight at us!" The engine beat of the great truck rose to a bellow that engulfed them like the sound of a gale-driven sea. For a moment Royan saw'nothing but glittering steel and then the front of the truck smashed into them from behind. She was thrown half over the back of her seat by the impact. She dragged herself up and saw that the truck had picked them up like a fox with a bird in its jaws. It carried the Land Rover forward on the steel bull bars that protected the shining chromed radiator.
Georgina wrestled with the wheel, trying to maintain control, but the effort was futile. "Can't hold her. The bridge! Try and get clear-'
Royan hit the quick-release buckle on her safety-belt and reached for the door handle. The stone walls of the bridge were racing towards them at a terrifying pace. The Land Rover was slewing across the road, completely out of control.
The door burst open in Royan's grip, but she could not push it all the way before the Land Rover was flung into the solid stonework columns that guarded the approaches PI to the bridge, The two women screamed in unison as the vehicle crumpled, and the impact hurled them forward. The windscreen shattered as they bounced off the stone columns, and the body of the Land Rover flipped over as it
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