This novel is something a little different for me. It is a satire set in the UK at the present moment. There are striking parallels between these days and the 1930s. There’s a lot of racist people around who are crawling out of the woodwork as they have been encouraged by the implications of the Brexit vote.
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“The damned impertinence of Ingram to come nosing around here, when his superior officer is away, how dare he do that?”
“I say, Tomcat, do you reckon someone tipped him off?”
“I hope not, Sandy, because that means we have a traitor in our midst, and that person wouldn’t like to meet me if that was the case. But wait a moment, shiver me timbers, they’re not the ones I spied earlier, who were nosing around the junction, I wonder where they are? Scan around with these,” said Tompkins handing the binoculars back to Sandy, “and I will have a scout around at the back.”
“Good idea, Tomcat,” replied Sandy, “I will give 5 coos if I spot anything.”
“Sounds wonderful,” said Tompkins. He leapt off the verandah and ran around to the back of the house quicker than an Olympic sprinter.
Tompkins crouched down and looked along the horizon to spot movement in the dunes or along the shoreline. He scanned the scene for two minutes as the mist wafted around and then, when it became clear for a few seconds, he thought the moonlight reflect off something in the dunes. Someone was using a telescope to watch the house. Tompkins gave 5 coos and then waited for his pals to arrive. He put on his gloves.
His four friends soon arrived. The GOM had vacated the premises and was heading back to London. The mist cleared for a few seconds and Tompkins pointed out the exact location of the watcher. He held up three fingers and indicated Toppy, Terry, and Sandy should go by the shore, whilst Dapper Dan and Tomcat headed over the dunes. This pincer movement should trap the watcher.
Tompkins scampered ahead and was soon behind the man, who was lying in the sand. Dapper Dan arrived too. An owl’s hoot showed the other three were in place. Tompkins returned two owl hoots and after ten seconds the five men converged on the watcher, who was taken completely by surprise.
