Free From London Far by Michael Innes

more or less unique to oneself. I suppose one was in as considerable physical danger on and off for years – but in group contexts, and that makes a world of difference.’
    ‘That – and the suddenness. To be pitched into a fear situation quite without warning is said to be particularly traumatic.’
    ‘Precisely so.’ Meredith, although aware of a faint and friendly mockery, was much pleased to find the girl possessed of a vocabulary of this sort. ‘On the other hand, one does recuperate. Granted food, clothing, and shelter, the average human being can carry on indefinitely.’
    ‘And a few familiar objects.’ The girl now gravely supplemented him. ‘One’s own pipe or powder-puff or fireside stool may hold enormous solace. Which is why people dived for and carried away such ridiculous objects in the blitz.’
    ‘That is very true.’ Meredith was so struck by the interest of this that he stopped dead in the middle of the pavement. Titian and Giotto lay down and appeared to listen attentively. ‘I remember once on an evening like this–’ Meredith glanced round in the gathering darkness. ‘But – dear me! – here we are. I had scarcely realized that we had arrived.’ He turned and moved up a short flight of steps. ‘Now, I have only to find my key – But, no – on second thoughts, I think we might ring the bell. It will bring Mrs Martin at once, and we can explain ourselves.’
    ‘Yes,’ said the girl, faintly amused again. ‘We can do that.’
    Mrs Martin had the proportions rather than the expression commonly thought of as motherly; she looked at Meredith with civil foreboding and at the girl not at all.
    ‘Good evening, Mrs Martin; I am afraid you expected me to dine at my club.’ Meredith, absent-mindedly endeavouring to remove an overcoat which he was not wearing, very effectively displayed the ravages perpetrated upon his veritable garments by the unregenerate Titian or Giotto of earlier in the evening. ‘But the fact is that my friend, Miss–’ Only at this moment did it occur to him that the girl’s name was unknown to him; and as she had retired some paces to the wardenship of the dogs there was no possibility of a convenient surreptitious prompting. ‘The fact is that my friend and I have been involved together–’
    ‘Um,’ said Mrs Martin.
    ‘–have been involved together in an exhausting incident–’
    ‘Well, well,’ said Mrs Martin.
    ‘–and, being uncommonly hungry, would be glad of whatever your celebrated skill in such matters can put before us.’
    ‘Well, well, well.’ Mrs Martin, however, was mollified. ‘There’ll be somefink, I dare say.’ She looked past Meredith and her expression became misdoubting. ‘And would those be your friend’s ’ounds?’
    Meredith considered this for a moment. ‘No,’ he said; ‘I hardly think that we may so describe them. On the contrary, indeed, they are my enemy’s.’ And he nodded innocently to Mrs Martin, who, presumably accustomed to obscure academic witticisms, let this enigmatic rejoinder pass. ‘It would be not inaccurate, I suppose, to describe them as prisoners – or conceivably as booty. It is probable that they would appreciate being found a bone. Or two bones. And no doubt they can pass the night in the area or the basement.’
    ‘Did you say pass the night?’
    ‘Oh, decidedly so.’ Meredith had an obscure feeling that there was something of chaperonage in the dogs; the evil constructions to which, as he feared, Mrs Martin was prone would be less colourable in the face of a party of four than of two. ‘And, of course, my friend as well. Perhaps you can manage something on the second floor. You see, she can’t get home tonight.’
    ‘A pity,’ said Mrs Martin.
    ‘Because she doesn’t live in London. She came to Town’ – it would be politic, it occurred to Meredith, a little to harrow Mrs Martin – ‘she came to Town squeezed up with an Adonis in a van.’
    ‘Is that so, now?’ It was