Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:07:22 +0000
From: Jo Vincent <joad130@hotmail.com>
Subject: Mystery and Mayhem at St Mark's:   31

		      Mystery and Mayhem At St Mark's

				    by

				   Joel

             Some of the Characters Appearing or Mentioned:
Mark Henry Foster     The story-teller:  Pennefather Organ Scholar 2001+
Tristan (Tris) Price-Williams    His well-proportioned boyfriend
Francis [Toad] Foster    Mark's younger brother
Ivo Richie Carr     Mark's cousin:  chunky and cheeky with it
Adam Benjamin Carr  Ditto, as his twin
Oliver Jensen  A Musical undergraduate with allure
Charles Fane-Stuart   The Assistant Bursar and Research Student
Professor James Tanner   A formidable Mathematics don
Gabriel Pack   A most friendly Aussie
Raphael Pack  Gabe's younger, errant brother
Joshua Gibbons  Another friendly Aussie, Gabriel's cousin and minder
Jacob Van Zyl    A friendly solicitor but was badly crippled
Barry Hall   A young man with a past who is Mr Van Zyl's carer and caterer
Nathaniel Tempest  A church historian
The Duke of Edinburgh   The Chancellor of Cambridge University


     31.             Exams are Looming

     We still had to get through the rest of the term and lectures
continued right up to the end.  James Tanner didn't let me slack at all.  I
was glad of that.  I and the girls were punctilious in completing the set
assignments and we also struggled a bit with the extra work he set me.  One
blessing, it kept me from thinking about other things.  Although I had
experienced closure over the incidents, and I knew Tris realised I was OK,
it was difficult for some of the others to also come to that conclusion.
Oliver seemed the most upset but having seen me working and taking part in
all our activities he soon calmed down himself.  He was particularly
concerned in case I tried to overdo things for the Chapel music and he and
Ben did take on some more of the duties.  Adam also kept a 'cousinly' eye
on me as well and was very busy himself.

     During the weekend at Ulvescott Manor the two old gentlemen, the Sheik
and the Colonel, had talked to Adam some more about editing their Memoirs.
He had brought back several notebooks they had filled and he was busy
putting them onto computer as well as trawling through his own research on
the College history and writing the paper on Johannes Knottus and his
naughty ways as a lad.  I knew he had also had long talks with Safar and
his brother, Khaled, but their recollections of their early life before
they were kidnapped were very hazy.  Adam said that sometime he would ask
the Ulvescott pair if he could tell us the tale, or even let us read the
story.

     Charles was very helpful, too.  He didn't intrude but made sure that
College life went on around us without interfering with our more ordered
lives.  He was pleased also in that his initial excavation had yielded up
its own treasure.  Two battered boxes with even more battered pieces of
plate.  As had been mooted, probably a decoy.  The ring though was very
valuable and was written up in various places and exhibited widely. But not
only that, the archaeologists had also done soundings of the floor of his
set and there was evidence of a large cellar underneath. A trial
breakthrough was made and the cellar was there and had a collection of
statuary rescued from numerous churches in the vicinity before William
Dowsing the Puritan and his henchmen had a chance to destroy them in the
1640's.

     Then we heard that the damage to the Chapel roof had revealed another
Priest's Hole, the entrance of which had been bricked up in the tower
stairway.  Because of the money from the Finch-Hampton Bequest being used
to renovate Hampton House and to build further student accommodation, so
money would be forthcoming from the Pennefather funds to repair and make
the tower safe.  James Tanner put in a plea that one of the first things to
do would be to repair the clock mechanism so he could see if his tutorials
were over-running!

     The brightest thing though was that the operations that Jacob had
endured were so good he was getting about on crutches first and then just
using a walking stick.  He hoped that after Easter he might even dispense
with that.  Barry wouldn't be out of a job as he still had his catering
course to finish and had already been asked if he would like to join the
staff at Ulvescott Manor.

     Tris went with Gabe to sound out accommodation for Raphael with Brad
and he was highly amused hearing about his exploits.  Tony and Terry were
agreeable about having a younger lad in the house and we heard Raph would
be arriving during July.  He would be sorted out over the summer and could
carry on at the local Sixth Form College for his A levels. Gabe was
relieved but what was he going to do with him over the summer?  No problem.
Lorenzo had the standing invitation to stay at Rapallo and all four could
be easily accommodated as long as Josh didn't mind sharing with his cousin
and also being somewhat continent as his girlfriend would be doing a three
month Voluntary Service stint in Africa attached to a convent.

     As Easter approached we had to decide if we would stay in College and
work through.  No, we decided that at least a week of carefree abandon was
needed.  As Frankie would be taking his A/S exams and Laurent would be
doing things towards his Baccalaureate we three flew out to the Villa and
Laurent joined us there.  It was only a week but Uncle Francesco and Aldo
made us so welcome it was pure heaven as Guido, Ernesto and young Pietro
were there as well.  Laurent was even more the poised, French adolescent
and put up with all the teasing and banter with such good humour.  He and
Frankie even managed to get Grandma Matteoli to stump up for a restaurant
meal for the four of us as she thought they were such nice boys.  Uncle
wouldn't come.  He said his Mother was a pain in the 'culo' and he loved
her from a distance.  "How many of you are coming this summer?"  were his
parting words.

     The news when we arrived home was that Ivo and 'Tory on their visit to
Rothenia had announced their engagement.  The pair were smitten with the
country and Ivo found he was now quite fluent and would be spending three
more months consolidating his language skills and had heard he would be
posted there from October.  'Tory was offered a job there, too, teaching
English.

     That left our cellar.  Crispin Palfrey had sorted out a time schedule
to allow Nat Temple to be free to remove the whitewash covering the murals
with the help of an assistant.  When we returned we hoped all might be
revealed!

     When we arrived back there was a note from Nat.  'Still one wall to do
but don't be surprised with what you see.  I've left some information on
the table below.
  N'.

     We had the most tremendous fit of the giggles when we descended the
stairs and saw the opposite wall.  Sure, what we had seen before was there,
the young man's head, the hands fondling the youth's genitalia, but now
these small details were revealed as part of a whole complex picture.  It
was a Dionysian scene.  Men and youths surrounded the central pair, now
fully shown, and were dancing and looking exceedingly happy waving their
tambourines and partial erections.  The sheet of paper on the table with an
arrow pointing to the scene explained that it was based on a cup dating
from the mid-6th century BC which was now in a Munich museum.  It explained
that the men were the mentors of the youths.  Iin Greek they were 'erastes'
and the youths were 'eromenos'.  Nat had written that in many other
representations the youths didn't seem to be too pleased with the revels
but whoever had commissioned these paintings had made certain that all
looked happy in their involvement and the youths were all both well-endowed
and tumescent which was also different from the originals.

     Another piece of paper pointed to the back wall where the steps ended.
This had a very explicit representation of a tall seated man with a large
erection fingering a shorter youth carrying a net bag.  The details said
that in the original the lad did have a slight smile on his face and the
scene was originally depicted on a red-figure cup somewhere about 480BC.
Here he certainly looked as if he was enjoying every moment!

     The three panels of the wall leading to the treasure cellar each had a
cavorting satyr, one with a lyre, the next blowing through a pair of flutes
and the third with a tabour and drumstick shaped like a smaller version of
what appeared between his legs.  We could just make out a lascivious leer
on their rather blurred hairy faces, but their long waving tails and
prodigious erect penises were a bit more distinct.

     Tris and I looked at each other and heaved with laughter.  Even if we
charged only ten pence a visitor we would have queues from here to the
Market Place and would make our fortunes!  Frankie could be on the box
office!!  But!!!  Had anyone other than Nat and his assistant seen what had
been revealed?  What would the College authorities say?  Or do?  Insist
they were covered up again?

     We were upstairs unpacking and still giggling when a knock at the door
came.  It was Nat.  He was also grinning from ear to ear.

     "Well, what do you think?" he said as we let him in and dissolved into
laughter again.  "I can tell you it's a bit better than all those dreary
saints and doom pictures I've been uncovering in the churches."

     I asked if anyone else had inspected the pictures.  He nodded.  "The
Chaplain, the Dean, the Master, the Bursar, Professor Tanner, Mr Fullerton,
old Dr Cavendish...., ....do you want me to go on?"

     "And?"  I asked, wondering when they were to be painted over again.

     "They all wanted to know when I could clean off the big wall and I
haven't a clue yet what is there!"  He laughed.  "That Charles Fane-Stuart
has suggested we put a stair down from the back of his set where there is a
sort of broom cupboard.  We could then display the statuary and take out
what was obviously a bricked up doorway to the left where there is no
picture and open all of this up as a tourist attraction.  It would solve a
lot of the College's money problems and no one would be disturbed."

     "Charles?" Tris said, "Wait until I get hold of him!"

     "My dears," came the dulcet tones from the still open door, "Arrived
back so safe and sound.  Thank your dear brother for that delightful card
of the fat dwarf in Florence he sent me, Mark, it was most appreciated,
even though the Assistant Porter has given me funny looks ever since."  He
saw Nat.  "Ah, Nathaniel, I see you are in conversation with the happy
owner of such an invaluable collection of erotica as well as those other
priceless possessions....."

     Before he could go on Tris had stepped forward.  "....Charles what's
all this about tourists?"

     Charles actually simpered.  "Just a little quixotic whimsy of mine.  I
have discussed it at length with the Brigadier whose appreciation of the
murals is quite limited.  His good lady wife had to explain to him in words
of one syllable that even Monty was rather fond of a couple of his young
subalterns."  The hands were in full motion.  "I have suggested that the
walls of my cellar should be painted with some suitable representations for
the display of the statuary and the furthest chamber could have some
replicas of the treasures found.  I have suggested the title 'A Celebration
of the Sacred and Secular' and the Master has been most agreeable and has
contacted Mother whose artist friend might be amenable to complete the
grand design for a reasonable fee."

     "So, it's all been arranged?" I said.  "I thought the Pennefather
Scholar, i.e. me, had rights over the cellar here?"

     "Precious Mark," said Charles with a hint of sternness in his voice,
"I am sure neither you nor future Pennefather Scholars would stand in the
way of progress and prosperity for the College.  I envisage that even at a
modest two pounds a visitor there would be some hundreds every day and
those flocks of Japanese tourists alone would swell the College funds and
allow numerous plans to come to fruition."

     "Charles Fane-Stuart's plans?" asked Tris.

     Charles nodded.  "I have several ideas to allow the College to
develop.
  I have listed these and the Master and Dean have copies."

     "And the time schedule for all this to begin with?" I asked, thinking
privately that it did seem a good idea.

     Charles held up his right hand and counted off finger by finger.
"One.  Nathaniel says he would need another two weeks to reveal the final
murals.  That is so?"  Nathaniel nodded.  "Two. Mr Damien FitzArnold could
deal with one wall of the first cellar at the beginning of August after
suitable lighting, air conditioning and stairways have been installed.
That construction would be completed in July and is number three, then
number four..., Mother's contacts in the props department of Elstree
Studios would provide suitable mock-ups of the treasures and there would be
a display of the admirable Leonard's photographs.  During the rest of
August and during September Damien would be able to deal with the greater
part of the planned decoration.  Lastly, a suitable booth would need to be
set up by the wicket-gate which is adjacent to the proposed entrance to the
depths.  That takes us through September.  With a fair wind I can envisage
a grand opening for Freshers' week in October."  This last said with a
great note of triumph in his voice.

     "And if I say no?" I said, and Charles' face fell.  "But of course I
wouldn't as long as I get free entry!"

     "Bless you, dear soul," said Charles his animation back, "Here are the
full plans and the time schedule which I have prepared."  He flourished the
folder he was carrying.  "The Bursar has advanced the first installment to
pay for the stairway and lighting.  Mother is bearing the cost of the
painting until sufficient funds have accrued.  There are stone ducts from
some previous usage of the cellar under my set which would hide the pipes
for the installation of the air conditioning.  I have consulted the Fellow
in Marine Biology at Clare as he seemed nearest in expertise about effects
of human breath on cave paintings as at Lascaux and he was much amused and
has been most helpful....."

     ".....Charles! Charles!  Charles!," Tris said to stop him in his
tracks, "You're way ahead of us.  And you?"

     Charles smiled.  "The post of Assistant Bursar will be announced as
filled on the First of July."

     What more could be said?  We sat down and Charles outlined even more
of his grand design.  He was sure the old unused tennis courts adjacent to
the Fellows' rather ornate Garden could be refurbished or utilised for some
other purpose.  Then there was unused space behind the Dining Hall.
Perhaps a private Dining Club could be established.  It would keep money
the Hooray-Henrys spent elsewhere within the College. The Students'
Combination Room needed a new bar and the profits from the bar seemed to be
woeful.  He was certain money was being siphoned off.  New electronic tills
could be installed and the old Steward got rid of and a new one appointed.
As the old Steward was obnoxious he had our vote on that. He had also noted
the large roof spaces on the fourth floor of the various stairways.  His
reading of the Servants of the Chapel logs had indicated these had been
sleeping apartments for young male servants brought into the College by the
richer students in the eighteenth century and unused since then.  Properly
divided off, renovated with all mod cons, they would make more student
accommodation.  He had certainly been doing his homework.

     I had always, from my first meeting, thought Charles had more to him
than the image he had conveyed with his theatricality and rodomontade.  He
said he was really committed to the College and with the prospect of a job
he could get on with his plans and his research.

     "My dears," he said, as the final plan involving full installation of
computer wiring to all rooms was revealed, which had been promised by some
large computer firm he had contacted, "We will repair to some good
restaurant this evening as recompense for the shock of discovery of all
these plans.  Nathaniel, you will join us?  You can tell us more about the
originals of those rather salacious representations and how your research
is progressing.  I saw our handsome Adam on my way over so he will be
invited, too."

     It turned out to be both a convivial evening and a turning point for
Adam.  He and Nat had laughed again about the match where Ivo had lent Nat
those spare shorts.  They went off together as we said goodnight and I
surmised to Tris that Adam might be contemplating that bare arse again
within a very short time.  Whether I was correct I could only guess but
Adam and Nat hooked up together and on Dude's departure for London they
became committed boyfriends.  We all approved.  Nat was a delightful
character and he and Adam, we felt, would be a fine match for each other.
The mystery of Adam's leanings were solved and we were all so pleased for
his and Nat's future.

     I had a couple of tutorials with James Tanner that week before exams
started.  At the end of the first, with nothing having been mentioned, I
asked if he had approved of the wall paintings.  "I wondered when you would
ask," he said, "Come to lunch on Sunday and you can have a look at a couple
of original cups that Pauli bought at auction some years ago.  Bring Tris
and any of the others.  Just phone and tell Barry the numbers."

     Phone Barry!  I would see him on Friday at the Club.  I'd asked around
and with everyone being busy or having other arrangements it would be me,
Tris, Gabe and Charles.  Charles had never been to the bungalow but was
highly delighted to be invited.  Barry was full of news, too.  He had been
told he'd passed his year with flying colours.  He was going to spend the
summer at Ulvescott Manor and if he liked it then at the end of his second
year when he had his diploma he could join the staff.  It meant leaving the
haven of the bungalow but he had been encouraged to think about it and he
certainly wouldn't come to any harm.  A special roast he said for Sunday
and the carver in chief - me- would be there, too!

     Brad was at the Club on Friday.  I hadn't seen him since going to the
Police Station to sign the statement.  He had been kindness itself there
and in the privacy of his office had given me and Tris a hug and said it
had all been an awful business but all was resolved.  That evening he said
Dude would be getting a special commendation from the Chief Constable over
his handling of the situation on the tower and the CC had asked him to pass
on to me his best wishes.  He said he had been told by Dude about the
presence so I explained about my relationship with Piers and Ulvescott and
how we all felt his watchfulness over us all.  He nodded and said his
grandmother had been Scottish and had the 'second sight' and he had
experienced her foretelling of several incidents about family happenings
which were unexplainable any other way.  While we were chatting his son and
friend came along and I felt the more I got to know Tony and Terry the more
I liked them.  I thought they would also be good for Raphael, however he
turned out.  It was also evident there had been a change in relationship
between Terry and his brother Danny.  They were truly loving brothers now
and they, with Jonty and Tony, were planning a trip to Greece for sun, sea,
sand and, whispered, sex, in the summer.

     Our lunch on Sunday was a scream.  Charles had insisted on a taxi to
take us there.  His flamboyance was somewhat subdued but his descriptions
of past appearances in the revues had everyone in fits of laughter
especially when he did one of the routines, the one as Marie Antoinette
which I hadn't seen.  Both James and Paul had seen him perform in a
previous one but had no idea he was the famed Clarissa.  Gabe's droll
asides were much appreciated as well and he actually did the carving,
maintaining that a joint of beef was much easier to carve than a kangaroo's
leg.

     So exam time came starting the next week.  Four three-hour papers
spread over three days.  I had looked at old papers wondering if I would
ever cope.  As instructed I tackled as many of the long questions as
possible and found I could make headway on all I had a go at.  Things paid
off.  I'd had a real go at revising Bolzano-Weierstrauss, Green's Functions
and Cauchy Sequences and saw very nice questions on vector spaces and
complex methods.  In fact, in three of the papers I did more than was
necessary as I polished off several of the short questions as well.  Tris
found his tutorials with Mr Fullerton and his visits to his father's
Chambers paid off.  He said he had to make certain he answered the number
of questions required as he found he had to leave out material he thought
was relevant and only sketch in or mention it.

     I went with Tris to find his result at Senate House.  He made me look.
Tristan Price- Williams was in the First Class category.  He had succeeded
far in excess of his wildest dreams he said when I whispered the result and
hugged him and kissed him with all the other students around.  We, or I
hoped, he, got a cheer.  We hurried back to the set.  We locked the door
and spent the next two hours in the most glorious bout of love-making
imaginable.  We were shedding tears of joy, affection, exhilaration, relief
and boundless love as I entered him at his command.  We fucked so slowly we
managed that acme of sexual rapture as we spurted our precious seed
together, I in him and he over both of us as I fell onto him and clasped
him tightly to me.  My Tris, my love!

     That night the champagne flowed.  Charles insisted that Mother foresaw
the result in a dream and had commanded Mr Horrid of Harrods to deliver
sufficient of the divine essence in time to celebrate a dazzling conclusion
to Tris's University career.

     My results were posted two days later.  I shook my head in wonderment.
I had not only been placed in the First category, too, but there was a note
in my pigeon-hole from the Faculty stating I had been awarded an Exhibition
for my study for my Finals Year.  Admittedly the Exhibition was only worth
fifty pounds but it was an honour and would look good on my CV.

     In fact, all our staircase had achieved good results so we were able
to finish the champagne in high spirits.  High spirits?  Charles had
decided that he would make a final appearance as Clarissa at the May Ball
entertainments as he felt that soon his looks would fade.  We egged him on
and got him quite worked up as we all insisted he already needed a facelift
at least but, if not, he would just have to apply several layers of make-up
to cover the wrinkles and lines.

     "My dears, it will be a celebration of all things past.  I will be
Helen of Troy and I will need a good number of the most hunkiest amongst
you for all the tales I shall tell.  Perhaps not too historically exact.
Dear Homer will nod, I fear."

     Homer may have nodded but the assembled masses certainly didn't.  A
fiercesome crew of Greek soldiers battled for her attention as swathed in a
swirling mass of chiffon Clarissa strode the battlements of Troy, as in
Lord Leighton's painting, spouting the most profane but exquisitely funny
descriptions of all that was going on.  Adam was a very handsome Paris and
carried off Helen, not bodily but figuratively!  Achilles and Patroclus
were acted by Tris and Oliver while Gabe made a doughty Priam.  A Trojan
Horse was dragged on at one point which could only accommodate two hidden
bodies and they had to get back in to retrieve their swords.  'Only little
ones' was Helen's dubious comment.  It was all a glorious mix-up and
various minor characters had to be invented to take care of the twenty or
so volunteers.  The last bit involved Helen waving goodbye to the heaving
mass who, brandishing oars, ended up with a rather risque version of the
Eton Boating Song, as they, supposedly, were about to embark on the
homeward voyage to some unknown homeland.  The refrain 'We all pull
together' could have been interpreted in more than one way from the
uninhibited gestures of a number of the sweaty underdressed crew.  The hoi
polloi clapped and cheered and, once again, the champagne flowed freely
later.


     Towards the end of term there were two further excitements.  Firstly
the visit of the Chancellor for a Convocation so, during the morning before
that occurred, his small party came to the College.  A select band of
College worthies were in the welcoming party.  The Duke had said he
particularly wanted to see some of the treasures so these were displayed in
the Chapel.  But first he wanted to see the cellar.  My set had been not
only tidied and cleaned by the industrious duo of Liam and Sean, but also
inspected and searched and scanned for devices by a couple of very amused
Special Branch Officers whose faces were a picture when they emerged from
the cellar.  Nat had uncovered the final wall which was a representation,
he said, of another famous scene from a cup.  This time of courting men and
youths.  He said on the cup they were clothed.  On the wall the draperies
were minimal to say the least.

     I and Tris, with Nat Temple, me in my undergraduate gown, they in
their graduates' gowns, were introduced to the Duke as he came into the
set.  He had already been well- primed.  I wondered how he would be as I'd
heard he didn't suffer fools gladly and was rather short-tempered.  Not a
bit of it.  He shook my hand and said he'd heard I'd solved the puzzles.  I
said "Yes, sir, I had".  I explained about the stop knobs and the code
there was simple.  'Pull the Gambe'.  I asked if he would open the door.
He laughed.  "I'm glad you didn't say what you wanted to.  It would have
been in every newspaper, eh?"

     I led the way down to the cellar followed by him, the Master, Tris and
Nat, plus a couple of the University dignitaries and a Special Branch
officer.  There was a loud guffaw.  He looked at me and his face crumpled
into a grin.  What he said then is not for publication but all the party
were in fits.  He asked Nat about the details and there was a twinkle in
his eye as Nat explained the scenes had been copied from known sources.
The Master then said there was evidence that the cellar had been used as a
drinking club.  As a parting shot I pointed to a couple of barish patches
near a questing hand.  "I understand, sir, there may be some retouching
necessary."  He heaved with laughter.

     The next venue was the Chapel.  I had to explain the code here which
was displayed on a large board.  Again, he knew what he was looking at.  He
spent some time looking at the St Guthlac's Psalter and I heard him saying
to Dr Masterton that he valued one his mother had had.  As he left the
Chapel I got a very special handshake.  I hoped the Convocation meeting
wouldn't be too boring as he'd obviously enjoyed his visit to St Mark's.

     The other momentous occasion was the ceremony in Senate House when
Tris was awarded his degree.  His mother, father and Shelley were his
guests but Mum, Dad and Francis came as well.  We watched as the graduates
marched along Trinity Street to the Senate House quadrangle in their BA
gowns and white-furry-edged hoods.  He was handed his scroll and he was now
a graduate.

      Frankie was itching to tell me something as soon as we had met
earlier on.  He poked me in the back as Shelley gave her brother a kiss.
"Pugsy's OK now!" he whispered, "Don't tell Tris I told you."  He, of
course, was also itching to see the uncovered walls.  Toad could be kept
waiting, though.  He kept chuntering on and I knew Dad and Uncle Nick
wanted to see everything as well.  But, as Tris's was the morning ceremony
we all walked to the Garden House Hotel for lunch.  Toad couldn't finish
his fast enough but we had to sit while Shelley divulged that she had
decided to take a degree in Equine Studies as she wanted to have a riding
stables of her own.  Uncle Nick's face was passive.  At last, we all were
ready to walk back, replete, to the College.  Toad was sniggering.  "Equine
bloody Studies!  Learn how to shovel horseshit into neat piles I guess!"
Luckily we were walking several yards behind the rest of the party so that
was not overheard.

     "Tell me about Pugsy," I said as we lingered longer watching a rather
inept punter almost losing his pole.

     "Last weekend," he said and gave me a conspiratorial grin.  "Lent 'em
your bed...."

     "...You what!" I expostulated.

     "Don't get your knickers in a twist, Matey!" he said, "It's seen
enough other activity and there was no way them having it off otherwise."

     "You were the pimp, I suppose?"

     He nodded.  The grin grew wider.  "I like that.  Anyway, didn't take
them long and they're both satisfied now."  He snickered.  "You should have
heard her squeal...!"

     "Frankie!  You were listening?"

     "Well, I couldn't help it.  I had her friend Minky in my room."

     "So, number two, eh?  All OK?  I don't have to arrange Special
Treatment tests for you?"

     "Marky!"  He was nodding, though.  I assumed at noting it was his
second.

     "Minky?  I haven't heard of her."

     "That's what I call her.  She doesn't know.  Her name's Carey."

     There was more to it.  "Why Minky?"

     "You are bloody slow, sometimes," he shook his head.  Then whispered,
"Fucks like a mink!"

     "Frankie!  That's not the way to speak of a young lady especially if
she's your girlfriend."

     He shook his head.  "Not my girlfriend.  She just likes it and I'm
available any time."

     "Any time?"

     He was on a high.  "Yeah, three times last week.  Had to put her off
for tonight.  Round hers tomorrow night as she's baby-sitting her young
brother.  He's ten and it's costing me a fortune keeping his mouth shut!"

     I laughed.  "That and condoms!  Used up all that money Uncle Francesco
gave you?"

     "Not quite," he said, "May need a loan, though."

     I got out my wallet.  I'd been to the hole in the wall the previous
day.  I handed over three twenty-pound notes.  "Yours.  Keep it.  Should
keep his mouth shut for a couple of days."

     He grinned.  "Ta, thanks, Marky."  He sniggered again.  "Can't get
enough.  Want more every time.  Guess you're the same, eh?"

     "Fishing?"

     A typical Toad sneer.  "Don't need to.  You used to make Tris squeal
enough!"

     I gave him a poke in the back.  "Still do!"  Two brothers sharing a
confidence!

     But, I wondered how long Minky would last.  If she was as willing and
able and could put up with Frankie's no doubt incessant desires and that
well-formed prick of his she would be well satisfied.  I just hoped she was
on the Pill as well and no mishaps occurred.

     The cellar was next.  Dad was allowed to open the door.  We all filed
down, Frankie leading the way.  The screams were horrendous.  Mum and
Auntie Di were clutching each other looking and pointing at the dancing
scene.  Frankie was just giggling, especially at the lad having his balls
jiggled.  Dad and Uncle Nick were laughing at the satyrs where Nat had also
uncovered a motto underneath each.  It was the same in Greek, Latin and
English: 'spende bradeos'; 'festina lente'; 'hasten slowly'.

     Term was now officially over.  Next year would be my Finals year.
Tris would be at Law School.  I would need a new room-mate.  Someone we
could both trust.  Oliver.  And Gabe's brother Raphael was due.


To be Continued: