Happy New Year everyone. Sorry for the delay in getting this next installment out, RL has been getting in the way alot. You will not be surprised to learn that our hero's have been causing more havoc in Stockholm ahead of the Eurovision final. Hope you enjoy the chapter and as always welcome your thoughts.
James stared across the Stockholm skyline deep in thought. He was on the tenth floor of an office block being used as the administrative centre of the contest by the host broadcaster. The murmur of voices could be heard in the adjacent meeting room but there was no indication of the nature of the discussion. He had been asked to leave the room once he had given his statement, nearly half an hour previously, leaving Jonathan to represent the UK delegation in the resulting deliberations. At stake was their continued involvement in the competition following the press conference fiasco a couple of days before.
In the intervening period James and his troops had been keeping a low profile as the debate raged in the media about their conduct and its repercussions. James had berated himself for loosing control of the situation during their questioning, realising that the journalist had set out to provoke him and had succeeded spectacularly. The one saving grace was that his ill conceived exposure of Smurf as a zombie had been taken as a rather misjudged practical joke, and the soldiers true condition was not suspected.
"Thank your lucky stars that's happened" Jonathan had scolded James shortly after the incident "His exposure would have had untold repercussions not only for Smurf but for Kyung-sook and the Marfa zombies...what were you thinking dear?"
James shook his head and ran his Fingers through his hair "I wasn't" he eventually admitted "I let the man goad me and I lashed out, it was stupid...so stupid"
Jonathan frowned at James then let out a breath and placed a hand on his shoulder "Well its done now." He admitted "We'll just have to figure out a way of dealing with it"
"What are we going to do?" Asked James uncertainly
"I have no idea" admitted the head of delegation "But one thing is for sure. Its going to take more than a few indignant journalists and protestors to stop us singing in the final if I have anything to do with it"
From that point on Jonathan had taken control of the situation in no uncertain terms. He had packed James and his troops off to their hotel, staring down the gaggle of press who had tried to approach the group as they boarded their bus. He had then stood on the steps of the venue and held an impromptu press conference of his own, criticising opponents of the SZS for politicising the competition and going against its principles of mutual respect and understanding. He had characterised attacks on their song as an assault on their freedom of speech and artistic expression and explained that it was nothing more than a factual account of an actual incident.
James had watched the recorded highlights in his hotel room afterwards and had to admit that it was an impressive performance. It had also gone some way towards limiting the damage caused at the press conference although that hadn't made James feel any better about his error and he had remained brooding in his room for hours afterwards.
His men had obviously grown concerned for him since around mid afternoon there had been a tentative knock at the door of his hotel room. When James had reluctantly answered it he had found Kinders, Mansfield Mike, Fingers, Nude Nut and Baz Vegas at the door. The sergeant had been carrying a tray with tea things on it together with a plate of biscuits.
"Thought you might need a brew, sir" said Kinders tentatively "You know, after the morning you've had"
When James had frowned Mansfield had put in "Things always look better after a cuppa sir. C'mon give it a go"
James had blown out a breath then shook his head before grinning despite himself and beckoning them in.
"That's the way" commented Kinders as he had led the small group into the hotel room and set about making the tea.
Mansfield Mike had taken possession of the biscuit plate and sat down in an arm chair, his mouth full of digestive. "Biscuits are the best medicine after dropping a clanger I find" he said as he munched, crumbs flying in every direction.
'Blimey" said Nude Nut "If that's the case why ain't you the size of a bus, then?"
The others had all laughed while Mansfield took another biscuit and shrugged "Its 'cos it all goes on me manhood" he said and had grabbed his privates eliciting jeers from his comrades
"What the hell are you talking about?" Asked Fingers shaking his head
"Its true" said the corporal with a grin "I've got a high meaty bollock rate". He had then dissolved into laughter while the rest of the room groaned. "Get it? Meaty bollock, metabolic..."
"That's a crap joke" commented Kinders
"I'm here all week" replied Mansfield Mike
"I don't get it" said Baz Vegas uncertainly
"Don't worry, you ain't missed much" reassured Fingers
James had listened quietly to the banter but didn't join in. Kinders had noticed his officer's silence "How's the tea sir?"
"Spot on, thank you sergeant" replied James and raised the cup to his mouth to underline the point
Kinders nodded then said "Heard from the hospital sir. Georgie's wrists been reset and she should be out in a day or so"
"Ah, that's good news" said James but then lapsed into silence again.
The sargeant had frowned, then cleared his throat and continued "I wouldn't worry about the press thing sir. I'm sure it'll all sort itself out"
James smiled and nodded "I hope you're right Kinders"
"And it ain't as if you've made any big cock ups before" put in Baz Vegas helpfully, then paused in thought before adding "except that whole goat thing with Smurf back in Afghan..."
"Oh, and don't forget when we ended up in that porno film in Charlton..." Added Mansfield Mike
"Yer..." Put in Fingers "And what about trying to lasso that bull in Marfa..the one that ended up dragging us all through the shit"
Kinders had shot a nervous glance at James, whose face had fallen once more, then cleared his throat "Well I think that's enough reminiscing" he stated "Let's leave the Major in peace now". He had then risen to go, prompting the others to finish up their drinks rapidly and start tidying up the cups and other debris.
James had seemed to come to himself again at the sudden activity " Off so soon?" He asked
"Probably for the best" commented Kinders with conviction
James had nodded absently then showed them to the door. When they had gone he had sat alone for a while running over the events of the morning in his head. He was angry at himself and concerned about the future of the mission. He had been desperate to share his frustration and fears, to vent them so that he could clear his head and work out what to do next. However, the person who he normally turned to in such situations, his confidante, his best friend, his rock was not there.
Molly was due to be on an exercise that weekend on Salisbury Plain, out of reach of mobile phone signal for at least another couple of days. Even if he could have reach her, what was likely to ensue was another stilted conversation, one where she appeared reluctant to talk, her mind elsewhere, on the things.
James could feel a mounting distance between them, as if they were slowly but inevitably drifting apart on different, diverging currents. He wanted to reach out to her but felt constrained by her obvious longing for independence from the service, from him. He feared that if he addressed the problem with Molly head on, all he would succeed in doing was to push her away faster, so he waited in limbo for what seemed like the inevitable slow ending to occur.
Back in the present the same feeling of helplessness returned to James. In the adjacent room the murmur of voices continued unabated, deciding the fate of his mission. James checked his watch, then slumped in a chair and stared at the door through which his judges would eventually emerge to deliver their verdict.
Just then the muffled scrapping of chairs could be heard and James rose from his seat in expectation. Moments later a stream of officials issued from the meeting room singly or in pairs and disappeared down the corridor towards the lift. Last to emerge was a serious looking Jonathan.
"Well" Asked James nervously "What's the decision?"
"Its bad news I'm afraid" he said with a frown "They found against me"
"Oh God" said James turning pale "So that's it then"
"I'm afraid so" replied Jonathan with a heavy sigh "We're just going to have to put up with her"
"But that's just outrag...hang on" said James checking himself in mid stream "put up with who?"
"What do you mean who?" Asked Jonathan "Bloody Conchita Wurst"
James frowned in confusion "Sorry, what's she got to do with us?"
Jonathan looked at his friend absently "What?...Nothing, she's got nothing to do with us"
"Then why..." James started then hesitated "Wait a minute, can we rewind a bit? Are they letting us stay in the competition or not?"
"Oh that!" Said Jonathan, light eventually dawning "Yes, yes they're letting us stay in. We sorted that out ages ago"
"Well that's a relief" admitted James with a sigh "How did you manage it?"
"Oh it was easy really" explained Jonathan "The UKs one of the main financial contributors to Eurovision, they're always going to avoid upsetting us...at least until it comes to the voting on the night."
"I see" said James a little uncertainly
Jonathan then continued "No, they refused my application to have that bearded wonder kicked out of the competition"
"Really?" Asked James
"Yes" confirmed Jonathan "Apparently the fact that she is incredibly annoying doesn't constitute a good enough reason" he explained "They said if they applied that rule consistently they'd never let any of the entries compete"
"Indeed" replied the Major
"Anyway" said Jonathan "The show must go on as they say. We've got the civic reception tonight and then another rehearsal tomorrow."
"Oh good" mumbled James
Jonathan looked at his friend "Come on Charles, cheer up. I know you're not a fan of this whole thing but you would find it easier if you embraced it a bit more"
James nodded "I'll try"
"Good" nodded his friend "Oh and talking of fans, I wonder if you might arrange for someone to have a word with those majorettes of yours" he added "I think the organisers would feel a bit better if we could convince them not to be so...robust when it comes to the protestors"
James sighed "I'll have someone have a word" he promised...
Anatoly Alexandrov stared out of the window of the limousine as it drove across the Stadshus bridge towards Stockholm's austere brown brick City Hall. The Russian head of delegation was not looking forward to the impending civic reception, despite the opportunity to catch up with old friends from the across the European television industry. This was partly because he found his companion in the car, Glukov, to be a highly unpersonable man with little conversation. Anatoly had never had a government minder as part of any delegation he had been involved in, but the minister had insisted given the highly unusual nature of this years entry. The television man could not help but feel that the civil servant was there to keep an eye on him as well as oversee the zombies which put a further dampener on the coming evening.
If the presence of Glukov wasn't bad enough, the zombies were also among the party en route to the event, following in a car just behind. It was unheard of for the band to attend any kind of social gathering but their presence could not be avoided on this occassion without risking serious offence to the hosts of the competition. Since the incident at St Petersburg, where Anatoly had clearly seen one of the zombies display a terrifying carniverous intent, he had tried to avoid their presence if at all possible. It would be very difficult for him to do so during the reception especially as the organisers had arranged a private room for them all within the venue, and the prospect of being in close proximity to the band for any length of time filled him with dread.
However, there was a further reason why Anatoly viewed the coming evening with some trepidation. In his pocket sat a crumpled note, a slip of paper which had been pushed under his hotel room door that afternoon. On it was a short message:
'Meet me tonight in the Stadshusparken, 9pm. Vasily.'...
At that same moment James was exiting his own vehicle accompanied by the other members of the band and its retinue, but with the exception of Smurf, as it had been thought politic not to expose him to any further close scrutiny. When they walking down the red carpet which led to the civic building's main entrance, there was a noticeable increase in camera flashes as the press spotted the SZS while a number of questions were also shouted above the general hubbub. James and his men ignored the calls and headed for the welcoming party which included the mayor of Stockholm and other dignitaries.
After a brief round of handshake the soldiers were shown into a huge room with walls of brown brick and arcades running along three sides. The space was dotted with groups of people in evening dress while chamber music wafted softly from a small orchestra which sat in one corner of the large space.
"Wow" whispered Dangleberries staring around him. "Nice gaff"
"Its called the Blue Hall" commented Brains
"Sounds like my kind of place" grinned Mansfield Mike
"Its nothing to do with that" Brains corrected "It was originally supposed to be that colour but they went for the brown brick look instead."
"Well its certainly impressive" commented Jonathan
"It is that sir" continued Brains "They use it for the banquet following the Nobel Prize ceremony. Its also houses the biggest organ in Scandinavia" he added nodding towards the instrument at the far end of the hall.
"Not anymore it doesn't" put in Mansfield Mike triumphantly, spreading his legs.
Brains shook his head in resignation while James smiled at the private "l know, its hopeless" he commiserated.
Jonathan then beckoned all of them to gather around. "OK" he said "Best behaviour people. We don't want any more incidents. Remember its all about peace and harmony between nations"
"Right you are sir" replied Fingers "I certainly plan to get a piece of Harmony"
"Ooo yes Harmony D'amato the Maltese entry" said Nude Nut, "She is fit"
"Actually, I'm looking out for the Polish delegation" put in Dangleberries "They've got the same people as 2014"
"I didn't think Donatan and Cleo were in it again" queried Kinders
"Not the singers" clarified the private "the dancers"
"Ooooh" said Kinders distantly "Them..."
"What" joined in Baz Vegas "Those girls with the wash tubs"
"Yes indeed" said Dangleberries
Baz Vegas swallowed "The ones that used those plungers like they were..."
"The very same." Confirmed Dangleberries with a leer
"I'm loving this party already" smiled the private
Jonathan looked around the group of soldiers in dismay before staring at James imploringly "Charles, is there any possibility of you exercising even a modicum of control over this pack of rampant baboons?"
James grinned "We can but try" he replied. Then turning to his men he said "You can look but you can't touch. If anyone talks to you, its name, rank and serial number." James addressed Samuels and Kinders next "If you see anything more than that, let's have the offender on a charge"
"Sir" came the response
"Oh my God" exclaimed Mansfield Mike suddenly "The zombies have arrived"
James and the others tensed then slowly looked in the direction the corporal was staring
"Prick" exclaimed Fingers visibly relaxing "That's Daniel O'Donnell, the Irish entry. He's no more a zombie than you are"
Mansfield stared "But his face, that fixed grin... surely he can't be alive"
"I know its hard to believe" said Fingers
"OK, everyone" cut in James "Just relax and mingle. Oh and Brian's?"
"Sir?" Said the private
"Hadn't you better make contact or whatever it is you do?" Asked James
"Yes sir" replied Brains who promptly headed towards the main entrance.
The rest of the goup then dispersed in twos and threes, leaving James and Jonathan alone in the middle of the hall.
"Is it safe to let them wander dear?" asked Jonathan nervously
"Don't worry" reassured James "Samuels and Kinders will keep a weather eye out"
Jonathan looked unconvinced then caught his breath and hissed "Oh for goodness sake!"
James looked from side to side in concern "Bloody hell, they can't have done something already, can they?"
Jonathan shook his head "Not the men" he confirmed "Wurst"
James followed his companions distainful gaze and saw the Austrian delegation entering the hall, lead by Conchita who was wearing the most outlandish costume he had ever seen. The singer had donned what was best described as an inflatable metallic star costume with multiple projecting rays which bounced around as she teetered on a pair of enormous platform heels.
As soon as she caught sight of Jonathan the Austrian waved and started to make her way towards them.
"Oh God she's coming over" murmured Jonathan through a toothy grin which he had hastily assumed a moment before.
Conchita arrived in a confusion of swaying rubber arms several of which hit James across the head and upper body as she moved passed him to clasp Jonathan's outstretched hands.
"Conchita, dear you look...errr" Jonathan paused, searching for the right word
"Stunnink?" Suggested the Austrian gazing down at her outfit
"Well you have certainly stunned the good Major" confirmed Jonathan "I think the poor man may have mild concussion"
James batted one of the inflatable protuberances away from his face where it was in danger of lodging up his left nostril and nodded amicably at the singer
Conchita beamed at James then turned back to Jonathan "I couldn't resist it" she said "Its vun of a number of gowns I have inspired by Lady Gaga. Ve are so alike her and I in many vays...talented, groundbreaking..."
"Barking?" Suggested Jonathan
Conchita frowned "I do not know this vord" she said turning to James for help
"Its just an English expression meaning umm...eccentric" offered the Major
"Ah, exactly" nodded Conchita "Anyvay" she continued "I am saving my best gown for the final. It vill brink the house down"
"I'm sure it will" agreed Jonathan "Hopefully with you in it" he added in an undertone
Conchita narrowed her eyes for an instant but then quickly resumed her fixed grin "Lovely talking to you as alvays. Now I must be goink. Zo many people to zee." And so saying she turned unsteadily on her huge heels, causing James to duck as several arms swung towards him menacingly, then tottered off towards her entourage.
Jonathan watched her go then turned to James and rolled his eyes "I need a drink, would you be a dear Charles and get me something fizzy and expensive?"
"Of course" smiled James and made his way towards the bar. He was part way there when a commotion by the main entrance made James glance that way. As he watched the Russian delegation arrived, led by their head of delegation, a somewhat nervous looking middle aged man in a dark suit. Behind him and surrounded by several minders shuffled the zombies.
James was immediately struck by how sedate and passive they were, to the point where their companions seemed to be half carrying them into the hall. Once the delegation was clear of the entrance, an official directed them towards a room off of the main space and the group progressed slowly and steadily across the highly polished floor and disappeared through the open door.
James then saw the door closed firmly behind the zombies and a minder posted at the entrance. The Major stared thoughtfully at the man for a time before turning away, grabbing two drinks from a passing waiter and walking back towards Jonathan...
Brains leaned on the metal railing and stared out over the dark waters of Lake Malaren. Behind him the small green space of the Stadshusparken fronted the brick mass of the City Hall from which issued the distant sounds of the civic reception. A sudden noise close at hand made him turn in anticipation but the figure which emerged from the darkness was not who he was expecting. It was that of a youth in his late teens who stopped suddenly when he saw Brains and whispered "Gospodin Alexandrov?".
When Brains shrugged and said " Sorry mate, wrong person" the youth hurried off with a muttered "Prosti"
The soldier watched the figure merge into the darkness then looked at his watch impatiently "Come on, where are you?" He said to himself.
"Just waiting til we're alone" came a voice from behind him.
Brains span around and saw Misty emerge from behind a small shrub. "How long have you been there?" He asked angrily
"Oh not long" replied the majorette with a smile "I was about to call out to you when I heard that guy coming along. I thought you'd prefer our second date to be kept a secret"
Brains frowned "What you talking about? This is army business, as was our first..."
"Date?" Suggested Misty
"Meeting" corrected Brains emphatically
"OK" said Misty with a grin "Have it your own way. So what mess do I need to get you out of now?"
"Actually" countered Brains "Its you and your friends that are the issue this time"
"I find that hard to believe but carry on, what are we supposed to have done?" Asked Misty doubtfully
"You need to cool it with those protestors" explained the Private "Its imperilling the mission. We've got enough heat on us without you lot beating the crap out of anyone with a placard"
Misty laughed "Ah yes, the activists" she said "I don't think they'll be giving you much more trouble. They tend to start running as soon as they see us now"
"So there"ll be no more punch ups?" Pressed Brains
Misty shrugged "I'll have a word with our head of direct action, but..." Here the majorette paused, moved closer to Brains and looked him intensely in the eyes "you've got to understand we're intensely protective of those we care about."
Brains swallowed then licked his lips, his heart suddenly starting to pound hard in his chest "Errr, fair enough" he croaked then took a deep breath and asked "Why did you kiss me...last time we met?"
Misty continued to look unwaveringly into his eyes "You're called Brains, why do you think?"
The soldier frowned "I'm not called Brains because I'm clever. Its an anagram of my name...Brian S...Brian Smith"
The majorette smirked "Not a particularly cunning anagram is it?"
"Would you beleive it took Mansfield Mike nearly a month to come up with it?" asked Brains
Misty giggled "Actually yes I would"
Brains also laughed but then cleared his throat and looked serious "I thought it might be a wind up...the kiss I mean"
Misty's smile also faded and she bit her lip before eventually murmuring "Oh, I think your clever enough to realise that wasn't the case" She then moved forward and kissed him full on the lips. Brains, caught by surprise, froze for an instant but then responded in kind and for a long minute they were locked together. When they eventually surfaced the majorette pressed her hot cheek to his and whispered softly in his ear "I hope that's made things clear" before she turned and started walking away. "I'll talk to the others about the protesters" she called back and then she was gone leaving Brains staring breathlessly after her...
James prowled the large hall, avoiding conversation, his drink untasted in his hand. Despite his restless wanderings he never strayed far from the door through which the Russian delegation had disappeared almost an hour previously. He could not put his finger on what kept him hovering in the vicinity of that side room but the brief view he had had of the Russian zombies had left him with a feeling of deep unease which seemed to teather him to within a few metres of that closed door.
Now as he looked, he saw someone emerge from the room and the activity made him freeze in anticipation. It was their head of delegation who had appeared and was now speaking to the minder who had been left to guard the entrance. That man listened briefly to his superior then nodded and entered the room the other had just left. Once he had gone, the head of delegation looked around nervously before walking briskly towards the main entrance and disappearing outside.
With the door now unguarded James walked over to it and leaned against the frame, pretending to gaze out across the hall at the other guests but really straining his hearing to catch any sounds from the room beyond. At first he heard nothing but then he stated to discern the muffled noises of people talking and moving about. A short time later a new sound suggested a door being opened and closed and James realised that there must be another access to the room, connecting to an adjoining room or the outside.
As he listened further the murmur of voices grew louder and culminated in what sounded to James like a series of shouts and screams which caused him to discard all pretence and press his ear to the door. Within seconds a similar round of screaming had James moving into action. A quick scan of the room revealed Kinders and Samuels in close proximity and a few frantic gesticulations had them doubling over to to join their major.
James quickly outlined the situation and with their new antidote pens at the ready the three soldiers rushed through the door and fanned out in the room beyond, pens poised. James took in the scene at a glance then paused in confusion. The zombies were at the far end of the room surrounded by a group of excited young females who were sporting Z Factor t shirts and hats and taking selfies by the dozen. Every now and again one of them would emit a scream of excitement which James quickly realised was the source if the noise he had heard. As he watched one of the zombie minders started to usher the females towards a door at the other end of the room while another showed a new group in.
Samuels edged towards James "What shall we do sir?" He asked, but before the major could answer the three men were spotted by one of the zombie minders who approached them with a frown and an officious wave of the hand "Net Vkhoda" he said sternly.
James shrugged "Sorry, I don't understand"
The minder paused for a moment and then in a heavy Russian accent said "No entry. You want autograph, join queue outside"
James looked at the pen in his hand then shook his head "Oh we don't want autographs" he explained hastily returning it to the inside pocket of his jacket.
The minder shrugged "You want photo or kissy kiss, still queue outside"
"Errr, no really we are quite..." Began James but just then a gaunt looking man in a grey suit approached from the other side of the room "Thank you Bogdan" he said "I will look after Major James" The minder nodded and withdrew.
"Major James, I'm so pleased you have decided to come and apologise personally. My name is Glukov, come let me introduce you to the group" and with that the man turned on his heel and walked towards the zombies
"Actually, I haven't ..." Started James but Glukov was already leading the Z Factor members over, together with a number of press photographers.
"Gentlemen" began the Russian "may I introduce you to the famous Major James. Major James this is the Z Factor"
James nodded at the zombies who stared at him impassively. James then introduced Samuels and Kinders after which an awkward silence descended and stretched out for some time before being broken eventually by Glukov "I imagine you have come to say something Major?"
"You are mistaken" replied James firmly "We simply used the wrong door"
"Ah, I see" replied Glukov clearly unconvinced
Just then the faint sound of the reception in the adjacent hall was pierced by the deep resonating boom of a chord being played on a very large organ. The sound set glasses vibrating on a nearby table and made everyone turn towards the door. The chord was held for a number of seconds before finally being succeeded by a familiar tune.
"What the hell is that?" muttered James
"Err, I think it's Sex Bomb by Tom Jones" offered Kinders
James frowned "But why would anyone..." He began before a realisation struck him. "Oh God" he groaned and moved towards the door at speed, signaling Kinders and James to follow.
As he opened the door the sound of the organ rose significantly together with accompanying cheering, clapping and wolf whistling. James stepped into the hall and scanned the large room. At the organ sat Dangleberries striking the keys of the huge instrument with the flailing arm movements of a demented Wurlitzer player. Gathered around him were four buxom females in traditional Polish dresses laughing and pointing at Mansfield Mike, Fingers, Nude Nut and Baz Vegas as they each sat astride a stool and plunged a mop repeatedly into a bucket whilst writhing suggestively. Around the gyrating soldiers other guests stood and watched with expressions ranging from amusement to outrage.
James looked on in mortification before starting towards the spectacle with a strangled cry of "I'm going to bloody kill them!"...
Anatoly wondered across the manicured lawns of the Stadshusparken, staring into the darkness and quietly calling " Vasily, Vasily". When he saw no sign of the boy he stopped and put his hands on his hips "Where the hell is he?"
"I'm just here Mister Alexandrov" said Vasily
"Oh Jesus!" cried Anatoly jumping visibly in surprise, before clutching his chest and panting "What is it with you and scaring the shit out of people in public parks?"
"Sorry sir" replied the boy "I needed to be sure you were alone"
"Well I am, so what's this about?" Asked Anatoly
"I've got it" said Vasily "The evidence...about the zombies"
Anatoly raised his eyebrows "You have? Well let's see it"
The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a DVD case "It's all on here" he said
The head of delegation took the case and stared at it "What's this?"
"Its CCTV footage from the Moscow Metro. They used to busk at the stations" explained Vasily
"How the hell did you get this?" Asked Anatoly
The boy looked down in silence.
"Vasily, I need to know this is on the level" said Anatoly
"When I was on the streets" began the boy "... and I didn't make enough money from busking I used to do...other things"
"Other things?" Pressed Anatoly
"I... turned some tricks" mumbled Vasily uncomfortably
"Oh" exclaimed Anatoly "I didn't know you could do those! What sort?"
Vasily frowned at the response "Only a few hand jobs"
"Some what?" queried Anatoly
"You know" expanded Vasily "Five finger shuffles"
"Some sleight of hand hey? Well you'll have to show me some time, I do like a bit of prestidigitation. But what's that got to do with this?" asked Anatoly indicating the disc case "You didn't conjure it out of thin air did you?"
"No" said Vasily in some confusion "I got it from one of my old clients who works in the security office of the Metro; someone who didn't want his...preferences to be discovered"
Anatoly shook his head in disbelief "Being a fan of magic is nothing to be ashamed of" he stated
"Err...anyway" went on the boy uncertainly "It's got what you wanted on it, proof of what I told you."
The television executive looked at the case then at the boy before putting it in his inside pocket "I will have a look. Where can I reach you?"
"There is a newsagents on the Bergsgatan, just a couple of blocks from here. Tell the man in the shop that you want to meet and he'll get a message to me."
" OK" said Anatoly, then watched as the boy turned and walked quickly away...