Tango (38 page)

And now there was something else. Max had handed over a plain envelope at the end of his visit with Sally that morning. He had winked and grinned and said: ‘One of your eat-before-reading
messages. More problems for the folks back home.’

William took it from his pocket for the fourth time. He would read it aloud before Theresa’s quiet face. Security Section would presumably be horrified, though if she couldn’t take
it in, would it constitute an infringement? He didn’t mind. He took her hand and held the paper up before them both: ‘Further complications. Widow’s grant, first instalment of
widow’s pension, deceased’s terminal bonus and death-in-service lump sum all paid to Mrs B, but payments hazarded now by lack of proof of death. Legal position on re-claiming under
examination. Payments possibly further invalidated by following plain speech unclassified telegram received yesterday from unknown source in La Paz:
GONE TO GROUND STOP INJURIES
IMPROVING STOP NO NEWS SUCCESS OR FAILURE PLANS DUE TO INCAPACITATION COMA FLIGHT AND PRESENT PRIMITIVE CIRCS STOP POSSIBLY DEAD PARTNER HAD EXPENSES CLAIM WHICH SHOULD BE PAID WIDOW UNLESS HE
LIVES STOP TELL OWN WIFE BACK BEFORE XMAS STOP WILL SURFACE AGAIN THIS MEANS AFTER LOCAL HOLS STOP PLEASE REPLY SCHMIDT POST OFFICE STOP REGARDS ALL END.
Could this be the deceased? Grateful
your urgent views in view of possible court action by Mrs B. Missing eye of bearded corpse found. Any luck your end? Suggest you consider advertising. Please report soonest.’

William put the message carefully on the table. ‘Serious bureaucratic complications,’ he said to Theresa, grinning broadly. ‘Months of work for desk officers, huge legal fees,
adverse publicity, Mrs Box indignant and the cause of it all due for a triumphant return. All very serious. I think I’ll read it again.’

Afterwards he told her how that afternoon Carlos had asked if he would accept a decoration and stay on as British Consul. Carlos was fed up with the embassy people and wanted them withdrawn; a
consulate should be sufficient provided the consul was William. The Foreign Office might not like it but it was either that or no rights to cobalt or any other minerals that Britain was to be
allowed to share with the Americans. Carlos wanted an answer soon. William wasn’t sure. Being consul quite appealed, especially if he could combine it with oversight of his old job and with
representing Special Information Services. But he didn’t want to do any of them unless Theresa stayed with him as his wife. Not yet, of course, but one day, when she was ready.

‘If you feel you can,’ he said.

He stared at the section of the window she was staring at, not expecting an answer. Then, for the first time, he felt a pressure from her hand. It was almost nothing, so slight that he wondered
if he had imagined it. He looked again at her face. Her eyes were still vacant but she was moving her head, very slightly, to the music from the nurse’s radio. William clasped her hand more
firmly. One day, he thought, if Box could return from the dead, one day Theresa and he would tango again. He took both her hands in his, watching the tiny movements of her head. Perhaps it would
all turn out to have been worth it after all, and perhaps he would send in his expenses claim.