“What do you think of it?”
“Excellent thing,” said Winkles. “Bound to stop most of this clamour. Ventilate the whole affair. Shut up Caterham. But that’s not what I came round for, Redwood. The fact is—”
“I don’t like this Royal Commission,” said Bensington.
“I can assure you it will be all right. I may say—I don’t think it’s a breach of confidence—that very possibly I may have a place on the Commission—”
“Oom,” said Redwood, looking into the fire.
“I can put the whole thing right. I can make it perfectly clear, first, that the stuff is controllable, and, secondly, that nothing short of a miracle is needed before anything like that catastrophe at Hickleybrow can possibly happen again. That is just what is wanted, an authoritative assurance. Of course, I could speak with more confidence if I knew—But that’s quite by the way. And just at present there’s something else, another little matter, upon which I’m wanting to consult you. Ahem. The fact is—Well—I happen to be in a slight difficulty, and you can help me out.”
Redwood raised his eyebrows, and was secretly glad.
“The matter is—highly confidential.”
“Go on,” said Redwood. “Don’t worry about that.”
“I have recently been entrusted with a child—the child of—of an Exalted Personage.”