Part 7 (1/2)

He was pointing a gun at Ray.

He said, 'All right. Where is it?'45.

Chapter Four.

Lady Silk Ace's first thought as she stood there looking at Major Butcher pointing a gun was bitter self-reproach that she hadn't managed to at least drink some of her beer. No doubt the opportunity for that was long past now.

'What's she doing here?' said Butcher, nodding at Ace. Ray shrugged as well as he could with both his hands held high above his head.

'Beats me, man. She said the Doctor sent her.'

'Well forget her and forget the Doctor.' Major Butcher kept his gun aimed at Ray. 'Where is it?' There was a pause as Ray seemed to be formulating an answer. 'And don't try asking me what I'm talking about,' added Butcher in a dangerous voice. 'You know what I'm talking about.'

Ray shrugged his shoulders again and said, 'Over there in that box.'

'Over where in which box?'

'Can I put my hands down, man?' said Ray. Butcher gestured impatiently with the gun and Ray lowered his arms, went over to a box of records and took out the big square envelope he'd only just placed there.

'Open it,' said Butcher. 'Play it.' Ray shrugged once again, then tore open the envelope and extracted a record in a cardboard sleeve. He carefully took the Duke Ellington record off the turntable and lovingly restored it to its sleeve.

'Get on with it,' said Butcher.

Well at least I'm finally going to get to hear some music, thought Ace.

Ray took out the new record, which had a blank red label, and put it on the turntable. He switched the turntable on then lowered the tone arm and suddenly the room was full of music. Fast-moving boogie-woogie with an ethereal, insinuating female voice singing lush syllables above it. The voice was extraordinary, smooth and smoky, immediately catching and commanding the listener's attention. But before Ace could begin to make out the words being sung, Butcher barked, 'Turn it off!'

'Play it, turn it off,' muttered Ray. 'Make up your mind, man.' But he took the record off the player and returned it to its sleeve. He looked at it uncertainly for a moment, then reluctantly offered it to Butcher. The Major gestured with his gun for Ray to set the record down on a chair. Ray did so and now Butcher gestured for him to step away. Only when he had done so 47did Butcher step forward and pick up the record, which he tucked under his free arm.

'You're stealing his record?' said Ace. She was unable to contain herself any more. 'You barged in here at gunpoint to steal his record?'

'I'm confiscating it,' said Butcher.

'Why?'

'That woman you heard crooning on that record was Lady Silk. A j.a.panese propaganda singer.'

'She's American,' said Ray.

'She's a traitor seeking to subvert and undermine morale on the home front,'

said Butcher. 'And it's a criminal offence to be in possession of one of her recordings.'

'But she's got a great set of pipes, man.'

'It's illegal to play that record?' said Ace incredulously.

'To play it or own it,' said Major Butcher.

'But why?'

'I told you. Lady Silk is a saboteur in the pay of the j.a.panese. A sinister seductive siren warbling to America through the long night of the war. Trying to lead this country off course.'

'Sounds like the sort of tripe you put in one of your books, Major Butcher daddy-o.' Butcher flashed Ray a look of hatred at this insult, but the gun in his hand remained steady.

'I'm taking this record away for security a.n.a.lysis. What action will be taken against you for attempting to obtain it, you'll learn at a later date.'

'Baby, I can hardly wait for that later date. I've also got an autographed photo of Lady Silk, you know.'

Butcher grinned crookedly. 'I know. But that's not against the law. It's just her records that are banned. You can look as much as you like. Just don't let me catch you listening to her.'

Ace considered asking if they could hear some Duke Ellington instead, but decided against it. However, she did attempt to surrept.i.tiously lift to her lips the beer bottle that had nestled cool and ignored for so long in her hands.

Butcher immediately pointed his gun at her. 'Put that down and get out.' Ace sighed, set down the beer bottle and left.

She had closed the door behind her and was halfway down the corridor when she heard loud jazz begin to blast from the apartment. Ace listened for a moment. It was the Duke Ellington after all. Ace grinned and wondered how Ray had talked Major Butcher into letting him play it.

Ace was on the way out of the building, down the wooden stairs underneath the balcony, when she saw a familiar figure bustling towards her. It was the 48Doctor, and he seemed to be in a hurry. He was halfway up the stairs, moving in a brisk athletic lope, when he looked up and saw Ace. 'Ah,' he said. 'I was hoping to catch you here. How did your interview with Cosmic Ray go?'

'It was going just fine until Major Bulldog turned up.'

'Butcher? Here? What did he want?'

'To confiscate a record by some j.a.panese-American singer called Lady Silk.

She's a real looker and Ray says she's got a great set of pipes.'

'How baffling. Where's Butcher now?'

'Still inside, interrogating Ray. But Ray's giving as good as he gets, if the volume of that music is anything to go by.' The sound of jazz blasted from Ray's apartment, echoing through the hallway. Ace and the Doctor turned and started down the steps below the central balcony, back out into the daylight.

The Doctor had just reached the bottom step, moving slightly ahead of Ace, when there was a sudden sharp crack of sound.

'Get down!' shouted the Doctor. He threw himself on Ace and they both hit the ground a few yards from the steps, in the gra.s.s at the foot of an oak tree. Ace was winded but didn't resist as the Doctor pushed her behind the tree. He sheltered there with her, waited for a moment, flashed her a look and then poked his head out. He stared at the balcony of the building. It was a sunlit, empty s.p.a.ce. The music from Ray's apartment had stopped. The day was silent except for a rustling stir of breeze in the oak leaves above them.

Nothing moved in the quiet sunlight. 'What is it?' said Ace finally.

'Gun shot. Somebody was trying to shoot us. From up there. The Doctor indicated the deserted balcony. Ace stared at it for a moment, then started brus.h.i.+ng herself off. She had blades of gra.s.s all over her blouse.

'Well, they're gone now,' she said. There was a clatter of racing footsteps from inside the building and Major Butcher came running out, still clutching his gun. He paused halfway down the stairs and stared up at the balcony.

Then he looked at the tree where Ace and the Doctor were hiding.

'You two. Come out of there.' He lifted his gun.

'No need for weaponry, Major. Really.' The Doctor stepped out from behind the tree with Ace behind him. Butcher lowered his gun and squinted at them.