Part 14 (2/2)

Cornelius looked up from the Rune of yesterday to see the Rune of today waving him to follow.

'Shall we join him?' asked Cornelius.

'Do you smell breakfast cooking?'

Cornelius wound down the window and flexed his sensitive nostrils. 'And then some,' he replied.

13.

The hall was 'baronial', with a hammerbeam roof. The design of this roof, however, differed from most other hammerbeam roofs, in that it carried the great arch-brace through the hammerbeams and hammer-posts, instead of under the point of junction of the hammerbeam and hammer-post. Thereby balancing the vertical and oblique thrusts so perfectly as to permit a large span. As an additional vanity, spandrels between the king post and the braces had been filled with cusping.

A long oak table, groaning with a veritable banquet, stood at the centre of this hall. And Hugo Rune spread out a great arm and said, 'Behold the beano.'

Cornelius had never seen such food, nor smelled such smells. The mingling fragrances rising from the exotic fare, as such it was, comprising dishes and delights to baffle the most seasoned gourmet, made music in his nose.

'Seat yourselves.' Rune took his place at the head of the table. 'And feast.'

Cornelius looked at Tuppe.

And Tuppe looked at Cornelius.

And they both sat down and feasted.

It took more than an hour for the three of them to get through it all. But they did. The spread was reduced to a desolation suggestive of a soldier ant march past.

Rune licked clean his plate, released the lower b.u.t.ton of his waistcoat and belched mightily.

'Ad-equate,' said he.

Tuppe grinned through a layer of chocolate cake.

And Cornelius said, 'Incredible.'

'Fair to middling.' Rune dabbed his mouth with a napkin. 'Shall we partake of cigars, before we gravitate to the main course?'

'Main course?' Cornelius made with the popping eyes.

'Unless you'd care for a little more starter.'

'No, I'm fine, thank you.'

Tuppe licked his fingers and thumbs. 'He likes his nosebag, does your daddy.'

'I'll take a cigar please,' said Cornelius. 'I think that we have much to speak of.'

'Correct in essence, but not in specific detail. I have much to speak of and you have much to listen to.' Rune plucked a long green cigar from a bound bra.s.s case and poked it into his mouth. He turned the case towards Cornelius.

'Thank you.' The tail boy took out a cigar, put it to his nose and breathed in its glory.

'Argentine,' Rune hit the end from his cigar and spat it the length of the room. 'Roiled upon the thigh of a dusky maiden. It recalls to me a time I spent in that fair land. I had been invited to stay with the president, old Juan Peron and his pa.s.sionate wife, Eva. The president wished to purchase the patent for a bullet-proof garment I had recently perfected. Have you ever heard of the Three-fold Law of Return?'

Cornelius nodded and so did Tuppe. But as Rune didn't trouble to look in their direction, he continued without pause.

'The Three-fold Law of Return is an occult law, whereby a magickal current, raised by an inadequate magician to attack some enemy, reflects, with a triple force, back upon him. And serves the b.u.g.g.e.r right. Incompetence in the Arts Magickal deserves no better reward. My bullet-proof garment, Rune's Patent Protector, functioned upon this principle. It reflected the a.s.sa.s.sin's bullet straight back at him with a triple force. Most effective.

'Unfortunately, I was unable to capitalize on this particular invention. There was some unpleasantness.'

'You mean it didn't work,' said Tuppe.

'Of course it worked. I invented it. The un-pleasantness to which I allude was of a personal nature.

The president took exception to the relations.h.i.+p I had formed with his wife.'

'What?' Tuppe fell back in his chair. 'You don't mean he caught you s.h.a.gging her?'

'Tuppe, really!' Cornelius took his cigar and stuck it into the small fellow's mouth.Rune fluttered his fat fingers. 's.h.a.gging is not the word I favour to describe an intimate congress be-tween two kindred spirits. Although it was the one Peron used when he burst into his bedchamber to find his wife and me ”taking tea with the parson”.'

'Stone me,' said Cornelius. 'What happened then?'

'The tardy fellow put me before the firing squad.

”Any final request?” he asked. ”Only that your men aim for my heart,” said I, ”for it has been my undoing.” Happily they did. Twelve shots rang out. Twelve men fell dead. Rune's Patent Protector, tried and tested. I left the country with my head held high and my reputation intact.

'And the bullet-proof vest?' Cornelius asked.

'Vanished into obscurity?' Tuppe suggested.

'Hardly that.' Rune sucked upon his cigar. It took flame, which was a neat enough trick, but no great shakes. 'Peron hung on to that. He intended to equip his entire armed force with it. And no doubt did. Woe betide any nation that dares to wage war upon Argentina.'

Tuppe opened his mouth to speak, but chose to suck upon his cigar instead. His didn't light.

'Where have you been for the last eighteen years?' Cornelius asked.

'Held prisoner within the Forbidden Zones. Waiting for you to release me. And last night you did.'

'I don't think I did.' Cornelius scratched his cap. 'I'm sure I would remember a thing like that.'

'You drove me out.' Rune puffed upon his cigar. 'In my own car.

Tuppe affected an expression of supreme en-lightenment. 'You were hiding in the boot.'

I certainly was not! Rune does not lurk in car boots like a spare wheel. I was sitting in the rear seat.'

'There was no-one in the rear seat,' said Cornelius.

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