Palm for Mrs. Pollifax (24 page)

“Monsieur Schoenbeck,” Mrs. Pollifax called after him
softly. “The plutonium is in the basement supply room, in the farthest corner hidden behind a sack of charcoal.”

He smiled. “Thank you, madame.”

“Odd duck,” said Bishop when he had gone. “On the whole, I believe Carstairs was a bit rough on him.” He, too, arose. “Well, Mrs. Pollifax,” he said, walking over to kiss her lightly on the cheek, “it’s time for me to fly away again. You’ve orders to stay through the week until you’ve thoroughly convalesced, you know. If you don’t, Carstairs will have my head for it.”

“But I’m delighted to stay,” said Mrs. Pollifax, “and actually quite relieved that I may. Can you imagine Miss Hartshorne’s reaction if I should go back to New Brunswick with my arm like this?” She shook her head at the thought. “She’ll be very difficult, at least until Christmas. She’ll say it’s exactly what I deserve for spending a dull week in Baltimore visiting an old friend.” With a small twinkle she added, “Miss Hartshorne feels I lack a sense of adventure.”

“Good God,” said Bishop with a shudder. “And if you’re still in a sling when you go home what will you tell her?”

“That I tripped over Adelaide’s cat, I think, and broke my arm.”

“A very large cat?” suggested Bishop, grinning.

“Oh, very,” she told him, smiling.

“Then I needn’t worry about you any more. By the way, I think you’ll find yourself in good company this week. Hafez and his grandmother will be staying a few days until Madame Parviz feels better. General Parviz will fly over on Friday to take them home and I imagine the general will be eager to meet you.”

From the door Hafez said, “Please, may we come in now, monsieur?”

“She’s all yours,” Bishop said, and blowing Mrs. Pollifax a kiss went out.

Hafez, Robin, and Court tiptoed in and stood at the end
of the bed beaming at her while she in turn beamed at them. She saw that Robin and Court were holding hands and she guessed that Robin, having unburdened himself to Interpol, had unburdened himself to Court as well. Mrs. Pollifax said mischievously,
“Ici la police. Sortez, les mains en l’air!”

Hafez broke into a laugh and hurled himself across the bed to sit near her, his face shining with happiness. “Madame,” he said, “we are all alive.”

“Isn’t it surprising?” she agreed.

“And, madame,” he continued eagerly, “I have been speaking to my father on the telephone—twice we have talked—and you will meet him on Friday because they say you cannot travel yet, and he wishes to thank you in person and—”

“Hafez is back to normal,” pointed out Robin, grinning.

“—and he is bringing from King Jarroud the Shepherd Isa Medal of Peace—”

“
Shepherd
Medal?” asked Court, sitting down.

“Yes, mademoiselle, named after the shepherd Isa, who saved our country from invasion in 1236. He threw himself from a cliff to warn the people in the valley that the enemy was on the hills, and when they saw his fall, with the enemy’s arrow piercing his heart, they knew their country was in danger. And my father says on Friday we will have a small party here at the Clinic to present to you this medal, the highest given in my country. Isn’t that magnificent, madame?”

“And you didn’t even have to throw yourself off a cliff,” pointed out Robin.

Court shivered. “You have all—the three of you—been in such danger and I didn’t even know. I didn’t
know
.”

Hafez turned and looked at her and was glad to hear the sadness in her voice.

Robin, too, turned to look at Court. “If I’m going to work for Interpol—now that Mrs. Pollifax has succeeded in making an honest man of me—you’ll have to grow accustomed
to a spot or two of danger, you know. That is, if you’re going to marry me.”

Court said softly, “
Am
I going to marry you, Robin?”

“I’m damned well hoping so.”

Her cheeks turned pink. “Well,” she said thoughtfully, and then, “Yes … I believe I am!” she said in astonishment.

“Bravo,” said Mrs. Pollifax.

Robin leaned down and kissed the top of Court’s dark head. “The wisest decision you’ve ever made, my dear, and it gives me a perfectly brilliant idea. If Hafez’s party is Friday it gives us just time to get a special license. We can be married right here at the Clinic.”

“And Mrs. Pollifax can be the matron of honor,” cried Court. “Oh you simply must be my matron of honor, Mrs. Pollifax. You will, won’t you?”

Mrs. Pollifax considered this with pleasure. “I can’t think of anything I’d enjoy more,” she confessed. “I can wear my drip-dry purple robe and my prayer beads. It’s been
such
a disappointment that I’ve been too busy to wear either of them.”

“That I can’t wait to see,” Robin said fervently.

“But who could be the best man?”

“Oh, no problem there,” Robin said, and placed a hand on Hafez’s shoulder. “There’s only one person at the Clinic or anywhere else who could possibly qualify.”

Hafez looked up at Robin and grinned.

With a blissful sigh Mrs. Pollifax leaned back against her pillows to watch them. She acknowledged that her arm was stiff and uncomfortable, and that ahead of her lay the greatest ordeal of all—Miss Hartshorne—but what is brought by the wind, she remembered, will be carried away by the wind. With this she dismissed all thoughts of the sheik and settled down to enjoy a really genuine convalescence.

THE UNEXPECTED MRS. POLLIFAX
THE AMAZING MRS. POLLIFAX
THE ELUSIVE MRS. POLLIFAX
A PALM FOR MRS. POLLIFAX
MRS. POLLIFAX ON SAFARI
MRS. POLLIFAX ON THE CHINA STATION
MRS. POLLIFAX AND THE HONG KONG BUDDHA
MRS. POLLIFAX AND THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE
MRS. POLLIFAX AND THE WHIRLING DERVISH
MRS. POLLIFAX AND THE SECOND THIEF
MRS. POLLIFAX PURSUED
MRS. POLLIFAX AND THE LION KILLER
MRS. POLLIFAX, INNOCENT TOURIST
MRS. POLLIFAX UNVEILED

Published by Fawcett Books.
Available wherever books are sold.