Revelations and Surprises
We arrived in England. FAB Two was berthed and we drove, in FAB One, out of the yacht and onto a coastal road.
It was an uneventful trip to Lady Penelope's house.
'Creighton-Ward Manor' the sign on the gate proclaimed. We pulled up outside the front door and, leaving Parker to bring in our bags, we entered the grand house.
As I stood in the main foyer gazing at the opulent surroundings I became aware that my mouth was hanging open. I shut it.
"Sorry." I apologised. "I've never seen anything like this before."
"Well take tea in the lounge." She led the way into a room, which, if anything, was more impressive than the one we'd just left.
Lady Penelope directed me to an ancient chair. I sat in it gingerly. A rather severe ancestor of Lady Penelope's glared at me from above the fireplace. I turned my back on him.
Lady Penelope pulled on an elegant bell pull and almost instantly Parker appeared at the door.
"You rang, M'Lady?"
"Tea please Parker."
"Yes M'Lady."
After tea Parker showed me to my room. He had put my bags on my bed and showed me where the guest bathroom was.
"Should you require hanything, please ring." He indicated the bell push by the bed.
"Thank you Parker." I was searching my pockets.
Parker noticed. "His somethin' wrong?"
"I've lost the key to my suitcase." I said, opening pockets in my bags and searching frantically.
"Hallow me." Parker removed something from his pocket and examined the lock. When he stood he had the lock in his hand. "There you are." He said as he handed it to me.
"Thanks Parker." I was impressed, and relieved.
"Hif you will take my advice," he turned back before exiting the room. "Hit would be wise to buy a stronger lock than that. That sort his child's play to an experienced burglar."
The way he was talking, I almost expected him to add 'like me'. Instead he bowed and left. I resolved to buy a new lock at the earliest opportunity.
It was as we had just finished another delicious meal that Lady Penelope dropped her bombshell.
"Would you care to be an agent for International Rescue?"
She said it so casually that for a moment I thought I'd misheard and she'd actually asked me to pass the sugar.
"Um. What? Pardon?"
"I've spoken to our, er, management and they are willing to employ you, if you are agreeable. The agent in your area wishes to take have an assistant. She says she's getting too old. It's not true of course, but it doesn't hurt to have backup."
"An agent? For International Rescue? But I've got no special skills! I can't do karate and as for using rescue equipment..."
"You will receive some training, but generally you wouldn't have to do much. Most of our agents keep their ears and eyes open and if they see or hear of any threat to International Rescue they report to me, and I make the decision as to what needs to be done. Do you remember when International Rescue was implicated in stealing the plans for that military plane?"
I nodded remembering the incredulous feeling I'd experienced upon hearing the news. I also remembered the relief and anger I felt when it was revealed that they'd been framed.
Lady Penelope continued. "The couple who discovered the real crooks were agents of ours. A 'hillbilly' couple. Jeremiah had been out hunting for their dinner and found aeroplane tracks and alerted our headquarters. He'd been going about his daily business, seen something out of the ordinary and reported to us. That is all we would expect of you."
"That's all?" I wasn't convinced.
"We would also have to outfit your home with communication and security equipment. It's very discrete."
Security was the word I latched onto. I wasn't looking forward to going home to an unprotected house.
"Okay." I said casually. And then with more feeling, "I'd be proud to be an agent."
"Good. I am glad. I'll let Jeff know, he's already done a security check on you, but he'd like to meet you personally."
"Jeff?"
"Jeff Tracy. The head of International Rescue."
"Jeff Tracy? Not the former astronaut, the head of Tracy Industries?"
"Yes. You've already met three of his sons."
"Let me guess - Gordon, Virgil and Scott. I thought I could see a family resemblance between them."
Parker came in carrying a silver teapot. "Hexcuse me M'Lady. There his a call for you."
"Thank you Parker." Lady Penelope took the teapot and twisted the ebony knob on top. "Lady Penelope speaking."
I jumped when a strange male voice seemingly came out of nowhere. "Hello Penny. How's things?"
"Fine Jeff." Lady Penelope was speaking into the teapot, which I now realised must be a hidden radio. "1 has agreed to join us."
"Great!" Jeff Tracy sounded pleased. "I've got some work to do first, but I should be at your place by midday tomorrow. I'm looking forward to meeting our newest agent."
"And I'm sure 1 is looking forward to meeting you Jeff." Lady Penelope was looking at me as she said this, and I nodded.
"Okay Penny. I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Goodnight Jeff." She twisted the knob again to disconnect the call.
We arrived in England. FAB Two was berthed and we drove, in FAB One, out of the yacht and onto a coastal road.
It was an uneventful trip to Lady Penelope's house.
'Creighton-Ward Manor' the sign on the gate proclaimed. We pulled up outside the front door and, leaving Parker to bring in our bags, we entered the grand house.
As I stood in the main foyer gazing at the opulent surroundings I became aware that my mouth was hanging open. I shut it.
"Sorry." I apologised. "I've never seen anything like this before."
"Well take tea in the lounge." She led the way into a room, which, if anything, was more impressive than the one we'd just left.
Lady Penelope directed me to an ancient chair. I sat in it gingerly. A rather severe ancestor of Lady Penelope's glared at me from above the fireplace. I turned my back on him.
Lady Penelope pulled on an elegant bell pull and almost instantly Parker appeared at the door.
"You rang, M'Lady?"
"Tea please Parker."
"Yes M'Lady."
After tea Parker showed me to my room. He had put my bags on my bed and showed me where the guest bathroom was.
"Should you require hanything, please ring." He indicated the bell push by the bed.
"Thank you Parker." I was searching my pockets.
Parker noticed. "His somethin' wrong?"
"I've lost the key to my suitcase." I said, opening pockets in my bags and searching frantically.
"Hallow me." Parker removed something from his pocket and examined the lock. When he stood he had the lock in his hand. "There you are." He said as he handed it to me.
"Thanks Parker." I was impressed, and relieved.
"Hif you will take my advice," he turned back before exiting the room. "Hit would be wise to buy a stronger lock than that. That sort his child's play to an experienced burglar."
The way he was talking, I almost expected him to add 'like me'. Instead he bowed and left. I resolved to buy a new lock at the earliest opportunity.
It was as we had just finished another delicious meal that Lady Penelope dropped her bombshell.
"Would you care to be an agent for International Rescue?"
She said it so casually that for a moment I thought I'd misheard and she'd actually asked me to pass the sugar.
"Um. What? Pardon?"
"I've spoken to our, er, management and they are willing to employ you, if you are agreeable. The agent in your area wishes to take have an assistant. She says she's getting too old. It's not true of course, but it doesn't hurt to have backup."
"An agent? For International Rescue? But I've got no special skills! I can't do karate and as for using rescue equipment..."
"You will receive some training, but generally you wouldn't have to do much. Most of our agents keep their ears and eyes open and if they see or hear of any threat to International Rescue they report to me, and I make the decision as to what needs to be done. Do you remember when International Rescue was implicated in stealing the plans for that military plane?"
I nodded remembering the incredulous feeling I'd experienced upon hearing the news. I also remembered the relief and anger I felt when it was revealed that they'd been framed.
Lady Penelope continued. "The couple who discovered the real crooks were agents of ours. A 'hillbilly' couple. Jeremiah had been out hunting for their dinner and found aeroplane tracks and alerted our headquarters. He'd been going about his daily business, seen something out of the ordinary and reported to us. That is all we would expect of you."
"That's all?" I wasn't convinced.
"We would also have to outfit your home with communication and security equipment. It's very discrete."
Security was the word I latched onto. I wasn't looking forward to going home to an unprotected house.
"Okay." I said casually. And then with more feeling, "I'd be proud to be an agent."
"Good. I am glad. I'll let Jeff know, he's already done a security check on you, but he'd like to meet you personally."
"Jeff?"
"Jeff Tracy. The head of International Rescue."
"Jeff Tracy? Not the former astronaut, the head of Tracy Industries?"
"Yes. You've already met three of his sons."
"Let me guess - Gordon, Virgil and Scott. I thought I could see a family resemblance between them."
Parker came in carrying a silver teapot. "Hexcuse me M'Lady. There his a call for you."
"Thank you Parker." Lady Penelope took the teapot and twisted the ebony knob on top. "Lady Penelope speaking."
I jumped when a strange male voice seemingly came out of nowhere. "Hello Penny. How's things?"
"Fine Jeff." Lady Penelope was speaking into the teapot, which I now realised must be a hidden radio. "1 has agreed to join us."
"Great!" Jeff Tracy sounded pleased. "I've got some work to do first, but I should be at your place by midday tomorrow. I'm looking forward to meeting our newest agent."
"And I'm sure 1 is looking forward to meeting you Jeff." Lady Penelope was looking at me as she said this, and I nodded.
"Okay Penny. I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Goodnight Jeff." She twisted the knob again to disconnect the call.