‘They say it was a young man from the Institute here.’

‘Really?’

‘Very bravely standing in at the last moment because the Queen couldn’t get here.’

‘Well, I think he was marvellous.’

‘So natural.’

‘And human.’

‘Not at all stuck up.’

‘Absolutely marvellous.’

‘You felt you could talk to him, somehow, didn’t you?’

‘Oh, he had a word for everyone. Did you notice?’

‘He said, “So pleased to meet you” to the woman standing next but one to me. Well, I could have died.’

‘Do you know what he said to me?’

‘No?’

‘He said: “Bloody hell.” ’

‘No!’

‘Isn’t it marvellous?’

‘So natural and uninhibited.’

‘So refreshingly un-stuffed-shirt.’

‘I think he’s marvellous.’

Nobbs was indeed looking radiant. In between celebratory glasses of champagne he kept nudging Chiddingfold in the ribs and asking merrily:

‘How was that then, eh?’

Chiddingfold kept his frozen smile going, restored by the success of the occasion to his normal level of unease. Nunn was in great form, signalling perpetually for the waiter to bring more champagne. He even remembered Zinnia, and sent a waiter to fetch her from the switchboard to join in the celebrations.

‘No calls?’ he asked.

‘Just the one you took, Mr. Nunn.’

‘Jolly good.’

Nothing since the call from the airport. It was extraordinarily jolly good luck that it had not occurred to Goldwasser to use the phone. Now that Zinnia was out here, of course, Goldwasser could phone away to his heart’s content. Nunn had a vague impression that he could hear a distant banging and shouting, but it was scarcely audible over the noise of the celebration. Banging and shouting indeed! It struck Nunn that he had perhaps over­estimated the intelligence of his adversary. Not a very bright man, Goldwasser, after all.

Riddle was looking for Goldwasser.

‘Why, isn’t he here?’ asked Rowe.

‘I can’t see him. I thought he was missing earlier on.’

‘Oh, he’ll be around somewhere,’ said Macintosh.

‘I couldn’t see him at the handshaking.’

‘Oh, I think I saw him,’ said Macintosh.

‘I’m sure I did, too,’ said Haugh.

‘I think I saw him at the tape-cutting,’ said Rowe.

‘So did I,’ said Haugh.

‘He’s around somewhere,’ said Macintosh.

Nobbs, who had started throwing his empty champagne glasses over his shoulder, was now shaking more hands. He shook Mr. and Mrs. Chiddingfold’s hands, and Mr. and Mrs. Vulgurian’s, and Mrs. Plushkov’s.

‘Pleased to meet you,’ he said. ‘Most interesting. I’m very glad to see the work you’re doing here. How very interesting.’

A stream of people kept coming up to Mrs. Plushkov and congratulating her on her organisation, and especially on finding Nobbs to play the Queen.

‘I believe your husband is here,’ they all said. ‘I do so hope you’ll introduce us. We’ve all wanted to meet him for such a long time.’