The Valley of Bones - Anthony Powell [85]
‘Fishcake,’ he said.
I was only half awake. It was almost as if the dream continued. As I have said, Maelgwyn-Jones’s temper was not of the best. He began to get very angry at once, as it turned out, with good reason.
‘Fishcake …’ he repeated. ‘Fishcake – fishcake – fishcake …’
Obviously ‘Fishcake’ was a codeword. The question was: what did it mean? I had no recollection ever of having heard it before.
‘I’m sorry, I—’
‘Fishcake!’
‘I heard Fishcake. I don’t know what it means.’
‘Fishcake, I tell you …’
‘I know Leather and Toadstool …’
‘Fishcake has taken the place of Leather – and Bathwater of Toadstool. What the hell are you dreaming about?’
‘I don’t think—’
‘You’ve bloody well forgotten.’
‘First I’ve heard of Fishcake.’
‘Rot.’
‘Sure it is.’
‘Do you mean to say Rowland hasn’t told you and Kedward? I gave him Bathwater a week ago – in person – when he came over to the Orderly Room to report.’
‘I don’t know about Fishcake or Bathwater.’
‘Oh, Christ, is this one of Rowland’s half-baked ideas about security? I suppose so. I told him the new code came into force in forty-eight hours from the day before yesterday. Didn’t he mention that?’
‘Not a word to me.’
‘Oh, Jesus. Was there ever such a bloody fool commanding a company. Go and get him, and look sharp about it.’
I went off with all speed to Gwatkin’s room, which was in the main part of the house. He was in deep sleep, lying on his side, almost at the position of attention. Only the half of his face above the moustache appeared over the grey-brown of the blanket. I agitated his shoulder. As usual, a lot of shaking was required to get him awake. Gwatkin always slept as if under an anaesthetic. He came to at last, rubbing his eyes.
‘The Adjutant’s on the line. He says it’s Fishcake. I don’t know what that means.’
‘Fishcake?’
‘Yes.’
Gwatkin sat upright in his camp-bed.
‘Fishcake?’ he repeated, as if he could hardly believe his ears.
‘Fishcake.’
‘But we were not to get Fishcake until we had been signalled Buttonhook.’
‘I’ve never heard of Buttonhook either – or Bathwater. All I know are Leather and Toadstool.’
Gwatkin stepped quickly out of bed. His pyjama trousers fell from him, revealing sexual parts and hairy brown thighs. The legs were small and boney, well made, their nakedness suggesting something savage and untaught, yet congruous to his nature. He grabbed the garments to him and held them there, standing scratching his head with the other hand.
‘I believe I’ve made a frightful balls,’ he said.
‘What’s to be done?’
‘Didn’t I mention the new codes to you and Idwal?’
‘Not a word.’
‘God, I remember now. I thought I’d leave it to the last moment for security reasons – and then I went out with Maureen, and forgot I’d never told either of you.’
‘Well, I should go along to the telephone now, or Maelgwyn-Jones will have apoplexy.’
Gwatkin ran off quickly down the passage, still holding up with one hand the untied pyjama trousers, his feet bare, his hair dishevelled. I followed him, also running. We reached the Company Office. Gwatkin took up the telephone.
‘Gwatkin ...’
There was the hum of the Adjutant’s voice at the other end. He sounded very angry, as well he might.
‘Jenkins didn’t know …’ Gwatkin said, ‘I thought it best not to tell junior officers until the last moment … I didn’t expect to get a signal the first day it came into operation … I was going to inform them this morning …’
This answer must have had a very irritating effect on Maelgwyn-Jones, whose voice crepitated for several minutes. I could tell he had begun to stutter, a sure sign of extreme rage with him. Whatever the Adjutant was asserting must have taken Gwatkin once more by surprise.
‘But Bathwater