The Collected Short Stories (67 page)
Read The Collected Short Stories Online
Authors: Jeffrey Archer
The highlight of the evening, however, came after the speeches when the king made two investitures. The first was the award of the Order of the Peacock (Second Class) to the foreign secretary. “The highest award a commoner can receive,” the king explained to the assembled audience, “as the Order of the Peacock (First Class) is reserved for royalty and heads of state.”
The king then announced a second investiture. The Order of the Peacock (Third Class) was to be awarded to Gerald Haskins, CBE, for his work on the drainage system of Teske. Gerald was surprised and delighted as he was conducted from his place on the top table to join the king, who leaned forward to put a large gold chain encrusted with gems of various colors and sizes over his visitor's head. Gerald took two respectful paces backward and bowed low, as the foreign secretary looked up from his seat and smiled encouragingly at him.
Gerald was the last foreign guest to leave the banquet that night. Angela, who had left on her own over two hours before, had already fallen asleep by the time he returned to their hotel room. He placed the chain on the bed, undressed, put on his pajamas, checked his wife was still asleep, and then placed the chain back over his head to rest on his shoulders.
Gerald stood and looked at himself in the bathroom mirror for several minutes. He could not wait to return home.
The moment Gerald got back to Hull he dictated a letter to the Foreign Office. He requested permission to be allowed
to wear his new award on those occasions when it stipulated on the bottom right-hand corner of invitation cards that decorations and medals should be worn. The Foreign Office duly referred the matter to the palace, where the queen, a distant cousin of King Alfons IV, agreed to the request.
to wear his new award on those occasions when it stipulated on the bottom right-hand corner of invitation cards that decorations and medals should be worn. The Foreign Office duly referred the matter to the palace, where the queen, a distant cousin of King Alfons IV, agreed to the request.
The next official occasion at which Gerald was given the opportunity to sport the Order of the Peacock was the mayor-making ceremony held in the chamber of Hull's City Hall, which was to be preceded by dinner at the Guildhall.
Gerald returned especially from Lagos for the occasion, and even before changing into his dinner jacket couldn't resist a glance at the Order of the Peacock (Third Class). He opened the box that held his prize possession and stared down in disbelief: the gold had become tarnished, and one of the stones looked as if it was coming loose. Mrs. Haskins stopped dressing in order to steal a glance at the order. “It's not gold,” she declared with a simplicity that would have stopped the IMF in its tracks.
Gerald offered no comment and quickly fixed the loose stone back in place with Krazy Glue but he had to admit to himself that the craftsmanship didn't bear careful scrutiny. Neither of them mentioned the subject again on their journey to Hull's City Hall.
Some of the guests during the mayor's dinner that night at the Guildhall enquired after the history of the Order of the Peacock (Third Class), and although it gave Gerald some considerable satisfaction to explain how he had come by the distinction and indeed the queen's permission to wear it on official occasions, he felt one or two of his colleagues had been less than awed by the tarnished peacock. Gerald also considered it was somewhat unfortunate that they had ended up on the same table as Walter Ramsbottom, now the deputy mayor.
“I suppose it would be hard to put a true value on it,” said Walter, staring disdainfully at the chain.
“It certainly would,” said Gerald firmly.
“I didn't mean a monetary value,” said the jeweler with a
smirk. “That would be only too easy to ascertain. I meant a sentimental value, of course.”
smirk. “That would be only too easy to ascertain. I meant a sentimental value, of course.”
“Of course,” said Gerald. “And are you expecting to be the mayor next year?” he asked, trying to change the subject.
“It is the tradition,” said Walter, “that the deputy succeeds the mayor if he doesn't serve for a second year. And be assured, Gerald, that I shall see to it that you are placed on the top table for that occasion.” Walter paused. “The mayor's chain, you know, is fourteen-carat gold.”
Gerald left the banquet early that evening, determined to do something about the Order of the Peacock before it was Walter's turn to be mayor.
None of Gerald's friends would have described him as an extravagant man, and even his wife was surprised at the whim of vanity that was to follow: At nine o'clock the next morning Gerald rang his office to say he would not be in to work that day. He then traveled by train to London, to visit Bond Street in general and a famed jeweler in particular.
The door of the Bond Street shop was opened for Gerald by a sergeant from the Corps of Commissionaires. Once he had stepped inside Gerald explained his problem to the tall, thin gentleman in a black suit who had come forward to welcome him. He was then led to a circular glass counter in the middle of the shop floor.
“Our Mr. Pullinger will be with you in a moment,” he was assured. Moments later Asprey's fine-gems expert arrived and happily agreed to Gerald's request to value the Order of the Peacock (Third Class). Mr Pullinger placed the chain on a black velvet cushion before closely studying the stones through a small eyeglass.
After a cursory glance he frowned with the disappointment of a man who has won third prize at a shooting range on Blackpool Pier.
“So, what's it worth?” asked Gerald bluntly after several minutes had elapsed.
“Hard to put a value on something so intricately”âPullinger hesitatedâ“unusual.”
“The stones are glass and the gold's brass, that's what you're trying to say, isn't it, lad?”
Mr. Pullinger gave a look that indicated that he could not have put it more succinctly himself.
“You might possibly be able to get a few hundred pounds from someone who collects such objects, but ⦔
“Oh, no,” said Gerald, quite offended. “I have no interest in selling it. My purpose in coming up to London was to find out if you can copy it.”
“Copy it?” said the expert in disbelief.
“Aye,” said Gerald. “First, I want every stone to be the correct gem according to its color. Second, I expect a setting that would impress a duchess. And third, I require the finest craftsman put to work on it in nothing less than eighteen-carat gold.”
The expert from Asprey's, despite years of dealing with Arab clients, was unable to conceal his surprise.
“It would not be cheap,” he uttered
sotto voce
: The word “cheap” was one of which Asprey's clearly disapproved.
sotto voce
: The word “cheap” was one of which Asprey's clearly disapproved.
“I never doubted that for one moment,” said Gerald. “But you must understand that this is a once-in-a-lifetime honor for me. Now, when could I hope to have an estimate?”
“A month, six weeks at the most,” replied the expert.
Gerald left the plush carpet of Asprey's for the sewers of Nigeria. When, a little over a month later, he flew back to London, he traveled in to the West End for his second meeting with Mr. Pullinger.
The jeweler had not forgotten Gerald Haskins and his strange request, and he quickly produced from his order book a neatly folded piece of paper. Gerald unfolded it and read the tender slowly. Requirement for customer's request: twelve diamonds, seven amethysts, three rubies, and a sapphire, all to be of the most perfect color and of the highest quality. A peacock to be sculpted in ivory and painted by a craftsman. The entire chain then to be molded in the finest eighteen-carat gold. The bottom line read: “Two hundred and eleven thousand poundsâexclusive of VAT.”
Gerald, who would have thought nothing of haggling
over an estimate of a few thousand pounds for roofing material or the rental of heavy equipment, or even a schedule of payments, simply asked, “When will I be able to collect it?”
over an estimate of a few thousand pounds for roofing material or the rental of heavy equipment, or even a schedule of payments, simply asked, “When will I be able to collect it?”
“One could not be certain how long it might take to put together such a fine piece,” said Mr Pullinger. “Finding stones of a perfect match and color will, I fear, take a little time.” He paused. “I am also hoping that our senior craftsman will be free to work on this particular commission. He has been rather taken up lately with gifts for the queen's forthcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, so I don't think it could be ready before the end of March.”
Well in time for next year's mayor's banquet, thought Gerald. Councillor Ramsbottom would not be able to mock him this time. Fourteen-carat gold, had he said?
Lagos and Rio de Janeiro both had their sewers up and running long before Gerald was able to return to Asprey's. And he only set his eyes on the unique prize a few weeks before mayor-making day.
When Mr. Pullinger first showed his client the finished work the Yorkshireman gasped with delight. The Order was so magnificent that Gerald found it necessary to purchase a string of pearls from Asprey's to ensure a silent wife.
On his return to Hull he waited until after dinner to open the green leather box from Asprey's and surprise her with the new Order. “Fit for a monarch, lass,” he assured his wife, but Angela seemed preoccupied with her pearls.
After Angela had left to wash up, her husband continued to stare for some time at the beautiful jewels so expertly crafted and superbly cut before he finally closed the box. The next morning he reluctantly took the piece around to the bank and explained that it must be kept safely locked in the vaults, as he would only be requiring to take it out once, perhaps twice, a year. He couldn't resist showing the object of his delight to the bank manager, Mr. Sedgley.
“You'll be wearing it for mayor-making day, no doubt?” Mr Sedgley enquired.
“If I'm invite said Gerald.
“Oh, I feel sure Ramsbottom will want all his old friends to witness the ceremony. Especially you, I suspect,” he added without explanation.
Gerald read the news item in the Court Circular of
The Times
to his wife over breakfast: “It has been announced from Buckingham Palace that King Alfons IV of Multavia will make a state visit to Britain between April 7th and 11th.”
The Times
to his wife over breakfast: “It has been announced from Buckingham Palace that King Alfons IV of Multavia will make a state visit to Britain between April 7th and 11th.”
“I wonder if we will have an opportunity to meet the king again,” said Angela.
Gerald offered no opinion.
In fact Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Haskins received two invitations connected with King Alfons's official visit, one to dine with the King at Claridge'sâMultavia's London Embassy not being large enough to cater for such an occasionâand the second arriving a day later by special delivery from Buckingham Palace.
Gerald was delighted. The Peacock, it seemed, was going to get three outings in one month, as their visit to the palace was ten days before Walter Ramsbottom would be installed as mayor.
The state dinner at Claridge's was memorable, and although there were several hundred other guests, Gerald still managed to catch a moment with his host, King Alfons IV, who, he found to his pleasure, could not take his eyes off the Order of the Peacock (Third Class).
The trip to Buckingham Palace a week later was Gerald and Angela's second, following Gerald's investiture in 1984 as a Commander of the British Empire. It took Gerald almost as long to dress for the state occasion as it did his wife. He took some time fiddling with his collar to be sure that his CBE could be seen to its full advantage while the Order of the Peacock still rested squarely on his shoulders. Gerald had asked his tailor to sew little loops into his tailcoat so that the Order did not have to be continually readjusted.
When the Haskinses arrived at Buckingham Palace they followed a throng of bemedaled men and tiaraed ladies
through to the state dining room, where a footman handed out seating cards to each of the guests. Gerald unfolded his to find an arrow pointing to his name. He took his wife by the arm and guided her to their places.
through to the state dining room, where a footman handed out seating cards to each of the guests. Gerald unfolded his to find an arrow pointing to his name. He took his wife by the arm and guided her to their places.
He noticed that Angela's head kept turning whenever she saw a tiara.
Although they were seated some distance away from Her Majesty at an offshoot of the main table, there was still a minor royal on Gerald's left and the minister of agriculture on his right. He was more than satisfied. In fact the whole evening went far too quickly, and Gerald was already beginning to feel that mayor-making day would be something of an anticlimax. Nevertheless, Gerald imagined a scene where Councillor Ramsbottom was admiring the Order of the Peacock (Third Class) while he was telling him about the dinner at the palace.
After two loyal toasts and two national anthems, the queen rose to her feet. She spoke warmly of Multavia as she addressed her three hundred guests, and affectionately of her distant cousin the king. Her Majesty added that she hoped to visit his kingdom at some time in the near future. This was greeted with considerable applause. She then concluded her speech by saying it was her intention to make two investitures.
The Queen created King Alfons IV a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO), and then Multavia's Ambassador to the Court of St. James's a commander of the same order (CVO), both being personal orders of the monarch. A box of royal blue was opened by the court chamberlain and the awards placed over the recipients' shoulders. As soon as the Queen had completed her formal duties, King Alfons rose to make his reply.
“Your Majesty,” he continued after the usual formalities and thanks had been completed, “I also would like to make two awards. The first is to an Englishman who has given great service to my country through his expertise and diligence”âthe king glanced in Gerald's direction. “A man,” he continued, “who completed a feat of sanitary engineering
that any nation on earth could be proud of and indeed, Your Majesty, it was opened by your own foreign secretary. We in the capital of Teske will remain in his debt for generations to come. We therefore bestow on Mr. Gerald Haskins, CBE, the Order of the Peacock (Second Class).”
that any nation on earth could be proud of and indeed, Your Majesty, it was opened by your own foreign secretary. We in the capital of Teske will remain in his debt for generations to come. We therefore bestow on Mr. Gerald Haskins, CBE, the Order of the Peacock (Second Class).”
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