"We're just celebrating Mouldy's acquisition of that bauble," he explained. "He's been having the time of his life at Buckingham Palace all the morning."
"Not 'arf," confirmed the hero modestly. "Proper day-off, I've been having!" He raised his voice. "Two more Martinis an' another plain soda, please, Bobby."
The First Lieutenant laughed.
"Who's the soda water for—me?"
Mouldy shook his head lugubriously.
"No," he replied, "me. There was another bird there this morning being lushed up to a bar to his D.S.O.—an R.N.R. Lieutenant called Gedge. What you'd call a broth of a boy. We had lunch together afterwards." The speaker sighed heavily and passed his hand across his forehead. "I think we must have had tea too," he added meditatively.
The Young Doctor looked round the laughing circle of faces. "Where is he? Did you bring him along with you?"
Mouldy Jakes shook his head and reached out for his soda water. "No … he went to sleep…."
The Young Doctor sat down on the fender beside the speaker. "How's the hand getting on, old lad?"
"Nicely, what's left of it. They let me out without a keeper now. Had a good leave? When d'you go back?"