Authors: Harry Harrison

Queen Victoria's Revenge (22 page)

“Easy,” Tony called out, stepping back. “Would you please watch the artillery. Aren't you forgetting that I'm the one who recovered that money for you?”

Grudgingly, Stocker returned the gun to one of his bulging pockets, bulging with weapons as Tony well knew, and scowled a mean scowl in Tony's direction.

“Ahh know about that, but it was long enough bein' done. And some of the bills 'r soiled, got writin' on themâ¦”

“Come on, Stocker, they're still worth the same amount. Haven't you got one nice word about how we recovered the money?”

Apparently he hadn't for he stalked on by without even a friendly grunt, followed closely by two of his eagle-eyed colleagues. Tony stood aside to let them pass, then went on into the outer office where Esther was waiting, looking out of the window at the green trees in Grosvenor Square that partially obscured the statue of F.D.R. She turned quickly when Tony came out.

“You're going home,” she said, her voice carefully emotionless.

“Soon. But I would like to ask you a question or two if you don't mind?”

“I have been waiting for those questions.” She lowered her eyes.

“You knew all along that the police didn't want me for passing those bills. In fact it looks like you were working hand in glove with the police. Why didn't you tell me?”

“I wanted to, believe me. But the inspector insisted that you be allowed to go on in your own way. You were doing so well and were so deeply involved with the skyjackers that you did a better job of uncovering everything than anyone else could possibly have done. It was important to us, you must understand that. The police have not been all that kind to us here and it helped to co-operate with them to uncover the truth in this skyjacking affair. We take no credit, but they know we co-operated. They won't bother us as much in the future. Please understand, I had such divided loyalties. What else could I do? I did want to tell you andâ¦”

She turned away and pressed a small handkerchief to her face. He turned her back again and carefully kissed each salty eye.

“I don't blame you in the slightest. As that well-known Shakespearean scholar Ross Sones says, âAll's well that ends well.' And I'm not going right away. I may have as much as a whole week. Would you like to show me some of the sights of the city?”

“Would I!” She laughed. “There's the Tower of London, British Museumâ¦”

“Art museums are more in my line. Would you mind?”

“I'd love it. In fact there is an exhibition of Cuban revolutionary posters right now at the Royal Academyâ¦”

“Later perhaps, much later. First something safely in the sixteenth century, then we sneak up on the twentieth ever so slowly. Then dinner after. All right with you?”

“Couldn't be better, I agree completely.”

Arm in arm, laughing, they went down the stairs together and out into the pellucid joy of a London spring. Attenuated fallout from French atomic bombs filtered down around them, an overly expensive Concord supersonic airship thundered invisibly high above them, in distant places men of many colors fired weapons in anger at one another but, for the moment, they were unaware of this.

The door of the pub yawned invitingly and they entered, still laughing, eager to see what joys the future days would bring.

Also by Harry Harrison Published by Tor

50 in 50

Bill, the Galactic Hero

Galactic Dreams

The Hammer & the Cross

Homeworld

In Our Hands the Stars

The Jupiter Plague

King and Emperor

Make Room! Make Room!

Montezuma's Revenge

One King's Man

One Step from Earth

Planet of No Return

Planet of the Damned

QE2 Is Missing

Queen Victoria's Revenge

A Rebel in Time

Return to Eden

Skyfall

Stainless Steel Rat

Stainless Steel Rat Goes to Hell

Stainless Steel Rat Joins the Circus

Stainless Steel Rat Returns

Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge

Stainless Steel Trio

Starworld

Stonehedge

Technicolor Time Machine

A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!

Turing Option

West of Eden

Wheelworld

Winter in Eden

“Request came through, secret and urgent, for an agent with certain qualifications. You were the only name the computer produced.”

Tony hated the gross bulk of the omniscient machine. “Can't you tell it I have ulcers and ask for the runner-up? What are the qualifications?”

“That information is classified.” A deep buzzing sounded from his desk as though a giant captive bee were calling for release. “There's the signal. We go in now.”

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

QUEEN VICTORIA'S REVENGE

First Tor printing: December 1987

A TOR Book

Published by Tom Doherty Associates, Inc.

49 West 24 Street

New York, N.Y. 10010

ISBN: 0-812-50446-1

CAN. No.: 0-812-50447-X

eISBN 9781466823235

First eBook edition: July 2012