Free The Envoy by Edward Wilson Page B

blowing the tops off the waves. ‘Bracing,’ he said.
    ‘I love it. It clears the head.’ Jennifer pointed to a black hull that was rising and plunging against the stiff south-westerly gusts.
    Kit tightened his jacket against the cold wind. ‘What’s this desolate place called again?’
    ‘Dunwich. It used to be one of England’s biggest cities, but it fell into the sea. Coastal erosion.’
    ‘It is spooky here.’ Kit suddenly halted and pointed to the top of the sandy red cliff, ‘Look at that.’
    ‘Oh, no!’ Jennifer turned away and shut her eyes. ‘I’m not going to look.’
    Kit continued to regard the ribcage of a human skeleton that hung like a tree root out of the cliff face. ‘Should we tell anyone?’
    ‘No, it happens all the time. It’s the last remaining corner of the churchyard. One more winter of cliff-fall and all the graves will be gone.’
    ‘When Caddie was in her first year at medical school, they gave her a brown wooden box containing an entire skeleton. None of the bones were stuck together – it was like a jigsaw puzzle.’
    ‘I remember. She used to ask me to pick bones at random out of the box and hold them up so she could guess what they were. I hated it – but I wasn’t going to show her I was chicken.’
    ‘Remember that time she took us to the medical museum at Johns Hopkins – all those bottled foetuses …’
    ‘Please, Kit, that’s enough … not at a time like this.’
    Kit wondered what she meant, but didn’t ask.
    ‘Have you got much more work to do?’ said Jennie, changing the subject.
    ‘I’ve got to go back to the airbase tomorrow – boring ODA stuff.’
    ‘ODA?’
    ‘Office of the Defense Attaché. It’s not even my job – the assistant attaché who should be doing it has the flu.’
    ‘Have you got to count the atom bombs?’
    ‘God no, it would take too long. No, I’ve got to give a talk on the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement.’ Kit paused and pretended to look cross. ‘Who told you we’ve got atom bombs in the UK?’
    ‘No one, just a guess. So what is this visiting forces thing?’
    ‘It has to do with legal jurisdiction in matters concerning US military and indigenous personnel.’
    ‘Indigenous personnel?’
    ‘That’s anyone who isn’t an American. In this case, the British.’
    ‘So Brian is an “indigenous personnel”.’
    ‘That’s right.’
    ‘And when I have my ba…’ Jennifer stopped and faked a cough to cover her verbal slip.
    Kit took in what she had almost said, but pretended not to have noticed. Nonetheless, the half-spoken word hit him like a hammer between the eyes. He began to shake all over, but hoped that if Jennifer noticed she would think he was shivering because of the cold.
    ‘So what does the agreement mean for the poor Brits?’ said Jennifer.
    ‘Well, if an American airman runs over a dog or robs a shop or rapes a girl, he can only be handed over for trial in a British court if we agree.’
    ‘That doesn’t sound fair.’
    ‘Well, in most cases we would hand him over, but we keep a get-out-of-jail-free card, just in case. Like my own legal immunity as a diplomat.’
    ‘Have you had to use it yet?’
    ‘All the time – I’m the biggest villain you’ve ever met.’
    ‘Hmm, I thought you had a wicked heartless side.’ Jennifer looked at him sideways. ‘I bet that you can really be naughty when you put your mind to it.’
    ‘I don’t have to put my mind to it – it comes naturally.’
    ‘What are your plans for this evening?’
    ‘I’ve got a room in the BOQ at the Woodbridge airbase. I’ll probably eat in the officer’s club or wander into the town.’
    ‘That sounds awful. Let me cook you dinner. You can stay. I’ll make up a bed in the spare room.’
    ‘It’s too much trouble. I’ll be fine.’
    ‘And I’d be very disappointed.’
    ‘Well, I’ve got to be at the airbase pretty early.’ Kit felt his heart pounding. He didn’t want to stay with her: it was too