Читать книгу An Affair of State онлайн

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"It's five-thirty. I've been out."

"I'll say you've been out. We had a party for you. A surprise going-away party. All the old gang. The surprise was you didn't turn up."

"I'm sorry," Jeff said.

"Woman?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, I guess you'll have to be excused. Who was she?"

Jeff was strapping the four-suiter. He grunted.

"If you wait a minute," Stud said, "I'll pull on my clothes and help you out with that stuff and take you to the airport."

"Oh, no. You stay in bed. I can handle it fine."

"She must be waiting downstairs," Stud said.

"Mind your own damn business."

"Why don't you take her with you?"

"You go to hell."

"I'll bet I know who it is," Stud said. "I'll bet I know!" He got out of bed and looked out at the sky. "Going to be good flying weather," he decided. "But I'm glad it's you, and not me. I hate airplanes. Airplanes are strictly for the birds. Man wasn't meant to fly. What are your stops?"

"Gander," Jeff said, "Shannon, Prague, Vienna."

"And sometimes," said Stud, "they stop in the middle of the ocean."