Friday, the fifth. Afternoon.
The Home Secretary, with an air of finality, laid down the papers from which he had been reading and glanced round the table. He was struck, not for the first time, by the owlish solemnity of the other members of the Cabinet. âReally,â he thought, âwe look for all the world like a Cabinet Meeting in a cinema. We are too good to be true.â As if to confirm this impression, the Prime Minister flung himself back in his chair, laid the palms of his hands on the table, and cleared his throat.
âWell, gentlemen,â he said portentously, âthere we have it.â
âStrong!â said the Foreign Secretary. He folded his arms and stared at the ceiling.
âDrastic!â added the Lord Chancellor. âI venture to thinkâdrastic.â
âBut in my opinion,â the Postmaster-General said, âneither too strong nor too drastic.â He fidgeted with his tie and became almost human. âDamn it all,â he said irritably, âweâve got to do something.â
There was a pause. The Home Secretary drew in his breath sharply.
âWell,â repeated the Prime Minister, âwe have talked a great deal, gentlemen, and now weâve heard the proposed Bill. We have all the facts. To put it briefly, we are perfectly well aware of the activities of these anarchistic personages. We know what they are about and we know they mean to take definite action. We are agreed that the importance of the matter can hardly be overstated. The reports from the FO, the Secret Service and the CID are sufficiently conclusive. We have to deal with a definite menace and a growing menace. Itâs a bad business. This Billââhe made a gesture towards the Home Secretaryââmay be drastic. Does anyone think it too drastic? Should it be modified?â
âNo,â said the Postmaster-General. âNo.â
âI agree,â said the Attorney-General.
âHas it occurred to you,â asked the Lord Chancellor, looking across the table to the Home Secretary, âthat you yourself, Sir Derek, have most cause to hesitate?â
The others looked at him. The Home Secretary smiled faintly.
âAs sponsor for this Bill,â continued the Lord Chancellor, âyou will get a lot of limelight. We know what these people are capable of doing. Assassination is a word that occurs rather frequently in the reports.â The Home Secretaryâs smile broadened a little. âI think I do not exaggerate if I say their attention will be focused on yourself. Have you considered this possibility, my dear fellow?â
âI quite appreciate your point,â answered the Home Secretary. âThe Bill is my childâIâll not disclaim parentship and Iâll look after myself.â
âI think the Home Secretary should be given proper protection,â said the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
âCertainly,â agreed the Prime Minister warmly. âWe owe it to the country. Her valuable assets must be guarded. The Home Secretary is an extremely valuable asset.â
Sir Derek made a curious grimace.
âI can assure you,â he said, âthat Iâm in no hurry to play the heroâs part in a theatrical assassination. On the other hand, I really donât feel there is any necessity for me to walk down to the House surrounded by policemen dressed up as private secretaries and journalists.â
âI met Roderick Alleyn of the CID yesterday,â said the Prime Minister ponderously, âand discussed this business quite unofficially with him. Heâs had these gentry under his eye for some time. Heâs the last man on earth to exaggerate a position of this sort. He considers that the Minister who introduces a Bill to deal with them will be in real danger from the organisation. I strongly urge you to let the Yard take any measures it thinks necessary for your protection.â
âVery well,â said Sir Derek. He moved uneasily in his chair and passed his hand over his face. âI take it,â he added wearily, âthat the Cabinet approves the introduction of the Bill?â
They fell to discussing again the suggested measures. Their behaviour was weirdly solemn. They used parliamentary phrases and politiciansâ gestures. It was as though they had so saturated themselves with professional behaviourism that they had lost the knack of being natural. The Home Secretary sat with his eyes fixed on the papers before him, as though sunk in a profound and unwilling meditation.