“I’ll see you tonight. I think perhaps at nine—perhaps later.”
With this final bit of mysterious information and a teasing smile, Than Shwe danced out of the room.
Gale’s head was in a whirl. Was the big moment near at hand? Were all her dreams to come true? She dared not hope.
She ate very little lunch. She was too excited to eat. She drank three pots of very strong coffee. Just as she was preparing to leave Isabelle joined her. There was a strangely sober look on her friend’s round, rosey face.
“Suppressed excitement,” Gale read it, and was at once more excited than ever.
“Colonel kept me overtime,” Isabelle explained, staring at the menu.
“Toast,” she ordered. “A banana. Some cookies and tea—a large pot of black tea.”
“What? You too?” Gale exclaimed. “Than Shwe has me all excited.” She spoke in a casual tone. “And now you seem lost in a dream. Than Shwe seems to have a secret. What about you?”
“A secret? Oh, yes,” said Isabelle, absentmindedly. “I shouldn’t wonder.”
Nothing more was said until Isabelle’s lunch arrived. Even then Isabelle appeared to be thinking out loud when she spoke.