Arthur just seems to get himself in deeper and deeper, no matter how much he would like to be out of it all ... contunied from the previous blog ...
"See dear, just what Sam said," said George. "Decisive thinking, cuts through the mess with a hot knife."
"Darling, let Arthur continue," said Sarah.
"Oh yes, yes, just so," said George with the thought of action and clarity obviously energising him. "Do go on, Arthur, please do."
"Well, we can either carry on being secretive, as we're now doing, everybody sneaking about in disguises and having whispered conversations in safe places," said Arthur, "or we can follow Mr Adams' example and go public. It seems, for him, that secrecy played into his aggressors' hands and his disclosure, his article, reduced any danger to him altogether."
"Hmm, right, so what do you propose we do?" asked George.
"Me? We do?" asked Arthur shocked, realising that a Lord of the realm should be asking for his advice - advice that could save or endanger a number of people. "Oh dear, I have to say I have no clear plan of action but, as I speak, I do keep having a picture of you standing up in the House of Lords where, I understand, you have a measure of legal immunity, and telling your complete story."
"By Jove, that sounds very cavalier and dashing" said George, laughing. Then he became serious. "But might it not endanger us in some way?"
"Well, they tried to endanger you when all this was in a cone of silence, so to speak," said Arthur. "I daresay they could have shot you in your own home, here, if they'd wanted to but they didn't, by choice."
"Yes, yes, I suppose you're right, old chap," said George. "Though it all sounds a mite dangerous … though, I must admit, it does get the blood boiling. A little bit of excitement, dear!"
"Mmm, yes dear, it might be fun but I really do think we'd need to plan it properly, cover all our bases as they say," said Sarah. "I'd hate it to go off half-cocked and it just ends in a fizzer."
"Absolutely m'lady … uh, Sarah," said Arthur. "Now, my son's a lawyer in the law firm, Shaftsbury Burton …"
"By gosh, that's our law firm," said George, interrupting, his palms on the arms of his chair, his elbows up as if he was about to launch himself somewhere. "Dashed good chaps, they are."
"Yes, I believe they're quite a prestigious law firm," said Arthur, "and I feel we need someone good at advertising or public relations … I'm not sure, but someone who can organise the publicity with the newspaper and television people properly."
"Oh George, how about Lord Blunt?" asked Sarah. "Doesn't he own the Herald or the Mirror or something … and that television station?"
"Yes, you're right my dear!" said George, still in launch position, eyes wide. "He's quite busy at the moment. He's buying up some American magazine or newspaper chain or something, but I'll certainly ask him. He may be a mite cynical about all this environmental, free-energy stuff, but he does love a good scrap, a good controversy, whatever it is."
"Hmm," said Arthur, his mind seeing all sorts of possibilities. "So, what else do we need? We should start amassing some evidence - we could get copies of that, ah, what was it, Next magazine?"
"Nexus magazine," corrected Sarah, helpfully.
"Oh, Nexus, thank you," said Arthur. "And can we contact this Mr Bruce Cathie - would your son-in-law be able to organise these things?"
"Why, yes Arthur, I'm sure he could," said George.
"In fact I know he could and, what's more, he'll be at it like a rat up a drain pipe, as he's wont to say!" said Sarah. "Oh, my gosh, of course, he's a publisher and will know others in the publishing world down under. This could spread like wildfire."
"Oh whew!" said Arthur, feeling like he'd grabbed at a small branch and found it was the tail of a snake. What was he getting into, he wondered with dread. "So, we have the start of a battle plan - you talk to your people, as they say, I'll talk to mine and we could perhaps get together somewhere as soon as we can."
"Right, Arthur, that's absolutely spiffing," said George, leaping up with more vigour than his age would indicate. "Gosh dear, I suddenly feel like a teenager again!"
Arthur stood up and had his hand shaken ruggedly and then Sarah had a turn with a strong and lengthy hug. She seemed to have tears in her eyes. She stood back a little with her hands on Arthur's shoulders as if she had something to say. He waited uncertainly, awkwardly.
"Oh Arthur, oh Arthur," said Sarah as tears rolled down her cheeks. I feel all choked up …"
"Yes, it's alright dear," said George, obviously embarrassed by her tears.
"George dear, I must say this. Please," said Sarah, not taking her eyes from Arthur's. "This probably sounds a bit weak or something … I don't know what you've done here, Arthur, today, but I feel so released, so clean, somehow. We've let the cat out of the bag, told a complete stranger, one we can trust, and that feels better, having it out. And now, at last, we have a plan of action, as you said, something to do."
"Oh but …" said Arthur, finding this all a little confronting.
"No Arthur, I must say this," said Sarah, wiping her tears and smiling. "I'm not one to beat about the bush and what must be said must be said - by me here, by George in the House, by all of us. We must have our secrets out, cleanse our souls, if you will, and, well, with this battle plan … I don't know, I've felt paralysed, helpless ever since we got those plans from John, three years ago, and more so since the burglary. I felt impotent, so useless and angry at that. Now, we all have something to do, a ray of hope."
"Absolutely dear!" said George, thumping Arthur on the back. "It's so dashed annoying to have the hope for a better world, of helping people, but no way to get it done …"
"Darling, let Arthur continue," said Sarah.
"Oh yes, yes, just so," said George with the thought of action and clarity obviously energising him. "Do go on, Arthur, please do."
"Well, we can either carry on being secretive, as we're now doing, everybody sneaking about in disguises and having whispered conversations in safe places," said Arthur, "or we can follow Mr Adams' example and go public. It seems, for him, that secrecy played into his aggressors' hands and his disclosure, his article, reduced any danger to him altogether."
"Hmm, right, so what do you propose we do?" asked George.
"Me? We do?" asked Arthur shocked, realising that a Lord of the realm should be asking for his advice - advice that could save or endanger a number of people. "Oh dear, I have to say I have no clear plan of action but, as I speak, I do keep having a picture of you standing up in the House of Lords where, I understand, you have a measure of legal immunity, and telling your complete story."
"By Jove, that sounds very cavalier and dashing" said George, laughing. Then he became serious. "But might it not endanger us in some way?"
"Well, they tried to endanger you when all this was in a cone of silence, so to speak," said Arthur. "I daresay they could have shot you in your own home, here, if they'd wanted to but they didn't, by choice."
"Yes, yes, I suppose you're right, old chap," said George. "Though it all sounds a mite dangerous … though, I must admit, it does get the blood boiling. A little bit of excitement, dear!"
"Mmm, yes dear, it might be fun but I really do think we'd need to plan it properly, cover all our bases as they say," said Sarah. "I'd hate it to go off half-cocked and it just ends in a fizzer."
"Absolutely m'lady … uh, Sarah," said Arthur. "Now, my son's a lawyer in the law firm, Shaftsbury Burton …"
"By gosh, that's our law firm," said George, interrupting, his palms on the arms of his chair, his elbows up as if he was about to launch himself somewhere. "Dashed good chaps, they are."
"Yes, I believe they're quite a prestigious law firm," said Arthur, "and I feel we need someone good at advertising or public relations … I'm not sure, but someone who can organise the publicity with the newspaper and television people properly."
"Oh George, how about Lord Blunt?" asked Sarah. "Doesn't he own the Herald or the Mirror or something … and that television station?"
"Yes, you're right my dear!" said George, still in launch position, eyes wide. "He's quite busy at the moment. He's buying up some American magazine or newspaper chain or something, but I'll certainly ask him. He may be a mite cynical about all this environmental, free-energy stuff, but he does love a good scrap, a good controversy, whatever it is."
"Hmm," said Arthur, his mind seeing all sorts of possibilities. "So, what else do we need? We should start amassing some evidence - we could get copies of that, ah, what was it, Next magazine?"
"Nexus magazine," corrected Sarah, helpfully.
"Oh, Nexus, thank you," said Arthur. "And can we contact this Mr Bruce Cathie - would your son-in-law be able to organise these things?"
"Why, yes Arthur, I'm sure he could," said George.
"In fact I know he could and, what's more, he'll be at it like a rat up a drain pipe, as he's wont to say!" said Sarah. "Oh, my gosh, of course, he's a publisher and will know others in the publishing world down under. This could spread like wildfire."
"Oh whew!" said Arthur, feeling like he'd grabbed at a small branch and found it was the tail of a snake. What was he getting into, he wondered with dread. "So, we have the start of a battle plan - you talk to your people, as they say, I'll talk to mine and we could perhaps get together somewhere as soon as we can."
"Right, Arthur, that's absolutely spiffing," said George, leaping up with more vigour than his age would indicate. "Gosh dear, I suddenly feel like a teenager again!"
Arthur stood up and had his hand shaken ruggedly and then Sarah had a turn with a strong and lengthy hug. She seemed to have tears in her eyes. She stood back a little with her hands on Arthur's shoulders as if she had something to say. He waited uncertainly, awkwardly.
"Oh Arthur, oh Arthur," said Sarah as tears rolled down her cheeks. I feel all choked up …"
"Yes, it's alright dear," said George, obviously embarrassed by her tears.
"George dear, I must say this. Please," said Sarah, not taking her eyes from Arthur's. "This probably sounds a bit weak or something … I don't know what you've done here, Arthur, today, but I feel so released, so clean, somehow. We've let the cat out of the bag, told a complete stranger, one we can trust, and that feels better, having it out. And now, at last, we have a plan of action, as you said, something to do."
"Oh but …" said Arthur, finding this all a little confronting.
"No Arthur, I must say this," said Sarah, wiping her tears and smiling. "I'm not one to beat about the bush and what must be said must be said - by me here, by George in the House, by all of us. We must have our secrets out, cleanse our souls, if you will, and, well, with this battle plan … I don't know, I've felt paralysed, helpless ever since we got those plans from John, three years ago, and more so since the burglary. I felt impotent, so useless and angry at that. Now, we all have something to do, a ray of hope."
"Absolutely dear!" said George, thumping Arthur on the back. "It's so dashed annoying to have the hope for a better world, of helping people, but no way to get it done …"
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