"In here, Ellis," It. Colonel Edmund T. Stevens said, motioning with his hand.
"You're getting soaked."
Ellis got in the backseat, and a moment later Donovan got in beside him and closed the door.
Donovan gave Stevens his hand.
"Well, Ed," he said, "how are you?"
"Just fine, thank you, Bill," Stevens said.
"David said he hopes you will understand that he would have met you if he could."
Donovan's reply surprised Stevens. Donovan was usually not only polite but manifested the lawyer's ability to say the unpleasant in the nicest possible way.
Donovan said, "I didn't want to see him anyway. Not just now."
And then Donovan leaned forward and cranked down the divider separating the backseat from the chauffeur's compartment.
"Young lady, would you drive up to the terminal and get out, please? I'm sorry, but you're about to be put out in the rain."
"Yes, Sir," the driver, a WRAC sergeant, said.
"You call the office and have them send a car for you," Stevens said.
"There's a bus, Sir," the WRAC sergeant replied.
"I can take that."
"Do what Colonel Stevens said," Donovan said.
"The bus doesn't go near Berkeley Square."
The WRAC pulled the nose of the Princess close to a door of the terminal, pulled on the parking brake, jumped out, and ran into the building. Ellis climbed over Donovan and got in the front seat behind the wheel.
"She forgot her purse," Ellis announced.
"No problem," Donovan said.
"We'll probably be at Berkeley Square before she gets there. Get us off the field and drive in wide circles."
"Yes, Sir," Ellis said, and backed the Princess away from the terminal building.
"Colonel, you put the window down."
"It's all right, I want you to hear this anyway," Donovan said.
But then he didn't say anything else until they had left the field and were driving through Thorton Heath toward the Thames on Highway A2 3 5.
"Get off the highway, Ellis," he ordered.
Ellis made the next right turn.
"The ostensible purpose of my visit," Donovan said, "is to smooth things over between you and SOE.
"Representations have been made at the highest levels' to the effect that you are not only being uncooperative but are interfering with their smooth operation. All of which proves that you are doing what I told you to do."
"Anything specific, Colonel?