Читать книгу Unconditional Surrender онлайн

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On this October evening they were expecting Virginia Troy, once an inmate, now rather a rare visitor.

"You'd better go out to Bellamy's or somewhere," said Kerstie, "I gathered on the telephone that Virginia wants a heart-to-hearter."

"Trimmer."

"I suppose so."

"I'm thinking of shipping him to America."

"It will be much the best thing."

"We've done pretty well all we can with him in this country. We've finished the film. The B.B.C. don't want to renew 'The Voice of Trimmer' Sunday-evening postscripts."

"I should think not."

"It seemed a good idea. Somehow it didn't catch on. Trimmer has to be seen as well as heard. Besides, there are a lot of rival heroes with rather better credentials."

"You think the Americans will swallow him?"

"He'll be something new. They're sick of fighter pilots. By the way, do you realise it was Trimmer who gave the monarch the idea for this Sword of Stalingrad? Indirectly, of course. In the big scene of Trimmer's landing I gave him a 'commander dagger' to brandish--I don't suppose you've even seen the things. They were an idea of Brides-in-the-Bath's early on. A few hundred were issued. To my certain knowledge none was ever used in action. A Glasgow policeman got a nasty poke with one. They were mostly given away to tarts. But they were beautifully made little things. Well, you know how sharp the royal eye is for any detail of equipment. He was given a preview of the Trimmer film and spotted the dagger at once. Had one sent round to him. Then the royal mind brooded a bit and the final result was that thing in the Abbey. An odd item of contemporary history?"