THE POWER OF THE TOWER

The Prime Minister was being briefed by her private, confidential secretary.

“Prime Minister, I’ve just had a secret call on our secure line, from the secretary of the Minister of Defence.”

The busy Head of State, frowned. “What in heaven’s name is wrong now? Who has defected, or how many are now clamouring to be let in; we simply can’t take any more!”

“You were nearly right the first time, Prime Minister. Or, at least, that could be the answer to the puzzle.”

“What puzzle?”

“Well, St Bede’s hospital, in the London docks area, has received a half-drowned man, elderly, but British, theythink. He’d been found by the Coast Guard yesterday morning. It appears he’d been thrown from a boat earlier in the day.”

“Someone trying to enter illegally?”

“It could be, but that would be no problem; we’d fix him up and send him back from wherever he came from.

“However, the secretary said the Minister is worried, as close to where the man was found, the Coast Guard had to chase a Chinese Spy Ship back out; it had been in territorial waters. The Minister thinks the elderly man may have fallen, or been thrown, from the spy ship.”

“I see. Yes, that’s makes all the difference. Right! Inform the secretary to pass on to his Minister that my advice is to move the, possibly, elderly spy, into protective custody, until we can fully investigate the situation. We would most definitely need to discover his name, and where he actually came from. He should be moved to a secure facility as soon as possible – if hecan be moved.

“If he’s English, as is suggested, then it’s our own responsibility; if it’s another country, that’s easy; we just send him back with a curt note expressing our outrage etc. You know the drill, Robert; we’ve done this a hundred times.”

“One more thing, Robert. Let the Minister know that I must be kept informed as to where this man is, together with all information that has been extracted from him,at all times. I cannot be caught by the Press unaware of this character, just in case it turns out to be one of our own who has turned traitor. The Press would have a field day with that!”

The Prime Minister looked up. “Thank you, Robert’. The secretary left the room; the Prime Minister sighed heavily, then turned to the masses of documents on her desk.

She was longing for a good strong cup of tea. She had that tingling feeling, behind the eyes, which often presaged a bout of migraine.

* * *

“Doctor, do you have a minute?” Nurse Travers called softly as she saw the doctor hurrying past. He paused and looked at his patient.

“What is it? Any real change, Nurse?”

“Yes, in