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"Hmm," Janice in a tone that suggested that she was really trying to be interested as well as sound it.
"Over here," Hamish said, plodding towards another table, "we have what are called the passivation glasses, related to the Borate glasses but made from zinc-silicoborate…»
"All I said was I'd like to see the factory," Janice whispered to Rory as they moved to follow Hamish. "The outside would have done."
"Tough shit," Rory said, and tickled her with both hands this time, producing a yelp.
Another man in a white coat came up to Hamish from the far end of the corridor. "Excuse me a moment," Hamish said to the others, and turned to talk to him.
Ke
"You don't have to stay." Rory gri
Ke
"Sorry about that," Hamish said, coming up behind them. They all smiled at him. Hamish moved one arm up to indicate they should move down the corridor to where they could see the exciting zinc-silicoborates. He took a pristine white handkerchief out of his pocket and rubbed at the faint hand-print Ke
"And to think, all that could have been mine." Ke
Janice and Rory were tucking into their salads; the terrace of the Achnaba Hotel was crowded with tourists, and on the road in front of the hotel cars, caravans and coaches hummed past, heading for Lochgilphead, Gallanach, or Kintyre. A brisk warm wind blew from the south west, laden with the vanilla smell of gorse blossom, mixed with pine off the forests and a salt hint from the sea.
"Well, that's just the way it goes, Ken," Rory said. "Hamish got to be manager of the factory and you didn't. No use crying over spilled boro-silicate…»
Ke
"Maybe crying over milk was unlucky," Rory suggested.
"It was years before I realised it was even common parlance," Ke
"But they might all have some… some basis in reality," Rory insisted. "Like crying over milk was bad news; spoiled it."
"Maybe it spoiled un-spilled milk," Ke
"Ah," Rory said. "Then maybe you were supposed to cry over milk, because it helped preserve it, or made it easier to turn into cheese. And so it was a waste crying over spilled milk."
"I think this is where we came in," Ke
"Racing green Jag; heading north."
"Is that what Ferg's driving these days?" Rory said, rising up in his seat a little to watch the car pass. It swept round the long bend that carried the road towards the forest. He sat back down and took up his fork again. "Yeah, looked like Ferg."
"This is Fergus Urvill, who owns the factory?" Janice asked. She sat back in the white plastic chair, fa
Ke
"No,'Janice said. "What's he like?"
Ke
Janice looked puzzled for a second, then said, "Oh; yes, of course; Fiona… " she looked embarrassed. Rory patted her hand on the table.
Ke
"Still," Rory said. "Not what you'd call a happy man."
"Well, of course," Janice said quietly, and bit her lip.
Ke
"A wife?" Rory suggested, and then sucked on one finger.
Ke
Rory rubbed a mark off the white table's surface. Janice lifted the scooped neck of her bright print dress and blew down.
"Want some shade?" Ke
"Did you know," Janice said to Rory, squeezing his hand. "In the Dewey Decimal System, glass-making comes under the code six six six?"
"Woo," Rory whistled. "Number of the beast! Spooky, eh?"
"Not many people know that," Janice said. She smiled.
Ke
"Really?'Janice said. "What is he? I mean what religion?"
Ke
"He's always had a soft spot for the royal family — " Rory began.
"Yes; his head," Ke
" — Maybe he could start the Royal Church of Scotland."
"Maybe he could start thinking like a rational human being instead of a cave-man frightened by lightning," Ke
"Oh, you're so cruel," Rory told him.
"I know," Ke
"My round," Janice said, rising.
"No," Ke
"Sit down," Janice told him, taking his glass from his hand. "Same again?"
Ke
The two men watched Janice head for the bar.
"What did Fergus ever say to you?" Ke
"What?" Rory said, blinking. "What about?"
"God, I hate it when you're mysterious!" Ke
"We talked," Rory said awkwardly, using his fork to push bits of lettuce around his plate. "He told me things, but… I don't want to go into it, Ken, it would only complicate matters. It's nothing that directly touches you."