Bokelskere.no

Despite received wisdom in such events being 'don't look down', he looked down, and regretted it terribly. Not because of the great height - he could barely see anything in the darkness and might have been a few metres above a mound of mattresses for all he knew - but because his dressing gown had come undone and he had neglected to put on anything beneath it, such had been the alacrity with which he had left his cabin. No, this view was not especially what he wanted for his last memory.

'You!' barked the officer, making everybody, Cabal included, freeze. The officer marched up to the purser, stamped to attention, and saluted. Even at this extreme, the purser returned the salute and even clicked his heels. The household guardsman opened his sabretache and produced an official-looking piece of paper. 'I'm looking for somebody,' he snapped, holding the piece of paper up to the purser's eyes to read. 'Do you have this man aboard? It could be anybody, thought Cabal. A country like this, Marechal's people must be constantly hunting down enemies of the state. There's no need to worry. Just remain calm and await developments. The purser read the piece of paper twice before turning and pointing directly at Cabal. All right, thought Cabal. I may be in trouble after all.