The Sleeping Army Awakes

Part 56 Flying high

Sir Percy took another large swig from his hip flask and eyed Vladimir with distaste.

"Good Lord I really hate peasants!" Sir Percy said, though in his present, brandy fuelled mood even peasants were less unpleasant. For the sake of form he forced such a saccharin grimace back at his guide that Vladimir got a pain in his stomach.

"Simply that man has smile that would scare float of crocodiles, you bullock, and make them run to their mothers crying." Vladimir said, "oh I can only hope that Grandpa Carp will swallow him whole."

Sir Percy looked so suspicious that Spencer felt obliged to explain

"Sir, Mr Horník says that one of the fish is reputed to be so large that it is able to swallow a human whole!" Spencer observed.

"Good God!" Sir Percy exclaimed. He knew who would be at the top of the list for fish food if he got the chance. He wondered if it was capable of swallowing Gilly whole? If not, it would still be amusing to see him try.

Boris gently eased the controls to lift the extended yellow and black Sikorsky HH-785 into the air, he hovered briefly assessing and compensating for the crosswind, before turning the craft towards its destination.

As the crow flew, not that there appeared to be many of those creatures around any more, the trip could have been less than three kilometres, but Sir Percy was determined to get a really good look at the progress on the building site being cleared from while he was in the helicopter. He wanted to do this all the more so, because he sensed that something about the changes really upset Spencer Butler. 

"Now this is what I call progress!"  Sir Percy exclaimed just so that Spencer could not miss the sheer wanton destruction of the habitat. "Within a couple of days you won't be able to recognise the place."

"Indeed sir!" Spencer managed and swallowed hard, "There is demonstrable change already!" 

None of the changes were to his liking and Sir Percy seemed to pick up on this. 

"You don't approve do you Butler?"Sir Percy asked.

"It is not my place to approve or disapprove sir," Spencer said, "my place is simply to serve." 

"Well at least you know your place!" Sir Percy admitted. "Butler I don't care a tortured blue Barnabas monkey's left testicle what you think, as long as you do your job is that clear!"

"Abundantly so sir!" Spencer replied. "I feel humbled that perhaps I do not share the clarity and depth of your vision. Yours is to command... mine simply to comply."

"Make sure that you remember that." Sir Percy asserted.

"I am unlikely to ever forget my place sir!" Spencer said, though the tone of his voice did not fully reflect the bitter nuances behind the comment.

Sir Percy was clearly impressed by the compliment. "Butler note down that bit about sharing the clarity and depth of my vision. I rather liked that!"

"I have already done so sir!" Spencer said. "and it is in your next speech!"

"Capital!" Sir Percy said.

"I try to always be one step ahead sir!" Spencer said and then realised that this could be misunderstood, "so that I can ease the burden of leadership from your shoulders and leave you to set the course like the captain of a great ship!"

"Don't over do it Butler!" Sir Percy warned. "You may get too far ahead and that would make me suspicious. A man in my position must be constantly aware of usurpers!" 

It amused Sir Percy to see Spencer look so uncomfortable. Prolonging Spencer's agony was the most fun he'd had in a long time.  

"Tell the pilot to do a couple of extra circuits." He commanded.