**JE3 dvd scheduled for January 22, 2019 release! There may even be a 3-movie special edition. Mark your calendars and stock up.**

Part 9 of 18

London

Back once more at MI7 headquarters, Richard does his best to stay out of sight but he is spotted by several people who mistake him for Angus (naturally). He is reduced to scuttling about the halls, nodding and waving to people who call out to him. After the fourth or fifth incident of mistaken identity, he slips outside onto a side street and slouches against a wall to wait for his summons. He watches the crowds filtering in and out of a bookstore and just enjoys the non-spy peace and quiet.

Virtual Reality

So it is that Richard is in the perfect totally unexpected position of watching Johnny come out of MI7's south entrance wearing a most peculiar rig over his face. Richard has seen such tech while cruising on-line during slow periods at the station. That is a Virtual Reality headset, he thinks as he watches Johnny step out into traffic. His heart catches up with him as he darts out after Johnny and clears the way for him to proceed.

Richard is just mopping his brow and trying to get his heart rate back down under 100 when he sees Johnny enter the book store and disappear. Muffling a most uncharacteristic oath, he dashes in just in time to pick up a groggy man from the floor. A nearby patron points to the elevator and Richard sees the floor indicator falling to the next level down.

Thrusting a handkerchief into the dazed man's hands, Richard storms into the stairwell and comes crashing out and almost falls over another man down for the count. He hauls this man to his feet, hands him another handkerchief then sees a crowd of people, moms and children mostly, cowering on the floor in front of an overturned table amid scattered heaps of dark blue books with golden lettering. Another patron points to a second stairwell while helping the shaken author back to his feet.

Richard pauses for the barest nano-second. The author reminds him of someone… but who? No time to waste! Richard charges up the stairs, hearing stealthy footsteps then a closing door. Behind him, he hears a strident voice raised in angry rant, "Is this any way to run a bookstore? I'm telling you, once I'm back in the Cotswolds, you will never winkle me out again!"

Back on the street once more, there is no sign of Johnny. Seconds count so he closes his eyes and listens most carefully. The mayhem happening across the street at a bakery is plain to hear. Richard leaps over a leashed dog on his way across, vaulting in through the front door to see Johnny wrestling with a little old woman in a wheelchair. Reversing slick as an eel, Richard makes it to the side door just in time to catch the wheelchair as it shoots out at speed. He shoves yet another handkerchief into the shocked woman's hand and mumbles, "I'm most terribly sorry, ma'am. Do accept my most abject apologies."

There's no time for more. He races into the store only to see Johnny's back disappearing out onto the street. He has hardly enough time to drop a handkerchief onto the downed clerk's chest as he charges outside and manages to catch the bus as it pulls away.

Trembling with delayed reaction, Richard hauls himself onto the step and pushes through the crowd that is straining to look up the stairway to the top level. "Pardon me, excuse me, pardon me," he chants as he forces himself through the scrum. His head is barely above the top step on the roof level when his eyes flare in alarm and he dives back down the stairs without a word. Leaping the startled passengers, he catapults out the door and onto the sidewalk, almost falling to his knees.

He looks frantically about and sees the bus must have gone in a circle because they are right back where they'd started. Then he sees the wheelchair grandmother fanning herself with his handkerchief. He surges to his feet and rushes her, gently but swiftly lifting her to her feet and whisking the wheelchair right out from under her. He spins like an acrobat and speeds back to the bus just in time to catch the falling tour guide, surely saving him from serious injury.

He pulls the man to his feet, shoves a handkerchief into his hand, apologizes most sincerely then returns the wheelchair to the woman who is looking at him in wonder, "How did you know to do that?" she quavers.

Richard smiles as bravely as he can despite having no oxygen in his lungs, flips a nonchalant hand, "All in a day's work, ma'am." He reseats her then hears approaching sirens. Time to go. He checks all around. Plenty of witnesses but no casualties. He sees Johnny re-entering MI7 by the same door and huffs a huge sigh of relief. Then he sees people pointing at him and realizes it really is time to go! He dekes down an alley and fades from public view.

He is sitting at an outdoor café several streets over, his mustache in his pocket, savouring a true cup of real tea when the call comes in. It's time to meet up with his partners-in-crime and move on to the next leg of their mission. He tells them where to pick him up and finishes his tea with relish. No way does he want to meet up with any of the witnesses to his heroics of only minutes ago.

The Polite Man saga

The little story of 'the polite man' starts taking on steam; first southern France and now London! London witnesses are all a-twitter. French witnesses are tracked down and interviewed again. A very consistent description is starting to form. Several theories abound as to his motives but no one argues over his means. He's a hero, plain and simple, saving young and old alike. Where will The Polite Man strike next?

Back home, the team marvels.

"He's gonna go ballistic when he sees these articles," Dwayne laughs.

Camille is too busy clipping and gluing into a scrapbook to answer.

End – part 9