It was 5:45 AM the next day. Number Four climbed out of the car and said to the driver - ‘Should be about an hour. Get some breakfast and meet me across the street at about 7.’ He slammed the door shut and crossed the sidewalk to the entrance - all 43 floors of the People’s Ministry of State Security and Policing towering above.

Number Four didn’t carry a firearm. His wallet with his ID was the only thing he carried with him.

He approached the security desk where a uniformed officer was sitting. He flashed his badge for the officer to see.

‘Where to sir?’ - Asked the uniformed officer.

‘16th’ - said Number Four.

The uniformed officer produced a visitors badge that Number Four clipped to his vest.

“Please go to reception on the 16th floor and they will direct you sir’ - instructed the uniformed officer.

Number Four walked through the metal detector and walked to the elevators.

Number Four punched the up button and waited. The elevator arrived and Number Four climbed inside along with a group of kempeitai heading into the office for the day.

Some of the kempeitai got out at 14, but most got out at 16. Number Four waited for the elevator to empty and then followed the last of the kempeitai out and into the Operations division reception.

‘Number Four for the Inspector’ - Number Four said to the receptionist.

‘Thank you, Take a seat comrade’ - said the receptionist

Number Four walked over to the seating area.

‘Yes Inspector...there is a Mr. Number Four to see you sir...yes...in reception...thank you’ - the receptionist said into the phone.

‘He will be with you shortly, comrade’ - the receptionist said, smiling.

‘Thank you comrade’ - said Number Four.

Number Four sat and waited. Various kempeitai walked through reception, each dressed the same. They were all either holding files or looking at them. Some were walking in pairs holding and looking at a file, and talking to each other about it.

‘Mr. Number Four comrade’ - said the Inspector, smiling at Number Four and the receptionist.

‘Inspector’ - said Number Four.

Number Four stood and shook the Inspector’s hand.

‘I am expecting the assistant deputy-minister. When he arrives please show him to the small meeting room’ - said the Inspector to the receptionist.

‘Yes sir’ - the receptionist nodded.

‘This way’ - said the Inspector, and led Number Four down the hallway.

‘We are in the small meeting room today - should be just the three of us. No note takers’ - said the Inspector

‘What about the invisible man?’ - Asked Number Four, talking about the prosecutor from the People’s Secret Court.

‘Maybe - but he won’t get in the way.’

‘Is everything set?’ - Number Four asked.

‘Yes, everything is set...I do hope you know what you are doing, Number Four’ - said the Inspector, stopping to look him in the eyes - ‘Remember, if this goes to rat shit, I won’t be joining you on your trip to the farm, comrade. This is a secret service operation - and I know nothing about it.’

‘It won’t go to rat shit Inspector. There is nothing to go to rat shit, and this is not an operation - all we are doing is having a meeting about Camelot. Just get me his fingerprints and a DNA sample’ - Number Four slapped the Inspector on the back and smiled - ‘Shall we?’

The small meeting room was shaped like a square with no windows. In the middle of the room was a round table with six chairs. At the rear of the room was a bench as wide as the room. On it were cups, saucers, glasses, a tea urn, sugar, napkins, a milk jug, a water jug, a bowl of lemon slices, and a pot of honey.

Number Four sat down and relaxed. He reminded himself, it was just a meeting.

‘Tea comrade?’ - Asked the Inspector.

‘No pain aux raisin?’ - Number Four said.

‘Unfortunately, the pan aux raisin only comes out when the Superintendent pays us a visit’ - said the Inspector, pouring himself a tea.

‘Milk no sugar, thank you comrade’ - said Number Four.

The Inspector poured a second cup of tea and placed it on a saucer. He added a splash of milk and walked around the table and then placed it in front of Number Four.

The Inspector walked back to the tea urn and picked up a napkin. He unfolded the napkin and then picked up a tea cup with the napkin, rubbing all of the surfaces to clean it and remove fingerprints. He then placed the tea cup - still holding the napkin - onto a saucer. The Inspector then sat himself down with his tea. Still holding the napkin, the Inspector wiped clean each of the ashtrays. He tossed the napkin into the waste paper basket in the corner, and then sat and waited.

‘Did you get the warm packages okay?’ - The Inspector asked.

‘Yes, they are settled in nicely. I am going to have a chat with them after I have finished here.’

6:05 AM - he was late - thought the Inspector. The Inspector sipped his tea, at the same time Number Four sipped his, and they waited together.

6:09 AM - the door opened and the receptionist showed the assistant deputy-minister into the room, with the handsome man.

The assistant deputy-minister and the handsome man were both carrying sports bags with a squash racket compartment.

‘The Assistant deputy-minister, Inspector’ - said the receptionist - ‘and…’

‘Don’t worry about me’ - said the handsome man.

The assistant deputy-minister and the handsome man entered the small meeting room.

‘Good morning assistant deputy-minister’ - said the Inspector, standing up.

The assistant deputy-minister didn’t respond. He walked into the small meeting room and sat on the closest chair to the door.

The receptionist closed the door behind her.

The handsome man sat in the chair between the assistant deputy-minister and Number Four.

‘Just to remind you both - I am not here’ - said the handsome man, smiling.

‘Roger that’ - said Number Four.

‘I’m sorry?’ - Said the handsome man.

There was a moment of silence.

‘What?’ - Number Four asked.

‘What did you just say?’

‘When? - Number Four said, looking lost.

‘Just now - I said “Just to remind you both - I am not here” - and you said…?’

‘What?’ - said Number Four, still confused.

‘What did you say, comrade?’ - Asked the handsome man, getting irate.

‘He said “Roger that”’ - said the Inspector.

‘That’s right’ - said the handsome man - ‘Why would you say that?’

‘Sorry - why did I say what?’ - said Number Four.

‘You said “Roger that” - why the fuck did you say that, comrade?’ - Asked the handsome man.

The assistant deputy-minister wasn’t paying much attention. He looked bored.

‘You said “Roger that” - is that supposed to be some fucking spy joke? Some subtle fucking nod to me that “we know who you fucking are Roger”? How did you know my name was Roger? Are you and that filthy monarchist Number Two spying on me?’ - The handsome man stood up and glowered at Number Four - ‘I am an officer of the People’s secret court - you...you are just some jumped up prole with a fucking badge!’

Number Four looked up at Roger - and then at the Inspector, and then the assistant deputy-minister. The assistant deputy-minister wasn’t paying any attention.

‘Comrade - my colleague from the SS doesn’t have you under surveillance. Do you have Rog..our comrade here under surveillance, Number Four?’ - Asked the Inspector in his most calming, Chief Inspectoresque voice.

‘Not yet’ - said Number Four, smiling.

‘“Roger that” is an expression used in our line of work comrade - it simply means “I understand” - said the Inspector.

‘I understand what “Roger that” means Inspector’ - said Roger - ‘what I don’t understand is why this...this...why he chose to use it when he did, and to me.’

‘Coincidence’ - said the Inspector, smiling with his arms wide open - ‘an unfortunate coincidence, comrade.’

Roger sat down. He crossed his legs and looked at Number Four and then at the assistant deputy-minister.

‘Okay’ - said the Inspector - ‘Maybe a cup of tea to calm us all down?’

The Inspector stood and moved to the bench behind him.

‘Assistant deputy-minister - if I remember correctly, you take your tea with lemon and honey?’ - The Inspector said, turning to the assistant deputy-minister, and smiling - ‘I had some fresh organic lemons and a delicious lemon blossom honey brought in, just for you.’

‘No’ - said the assistant deputy-minister.

The Inspector blinked. ‘Pardon?

‘Okay - I apologize about my little outburst a moment ago’ - said Roger - ‘But I just want to make this abundantly clear. Firstly, my name is not Roger. I don’t know why I said it was. Secondly, I am not an officer of the People’s secret court. I am unaware of the existence of - and have no connection to - a People’s secret court, if indeed one should exist. The existence of a People’s court is something of which I have no knowledge of presently, or in the past.’

‘Sorry?’ - Said the Inspector to the assistant deputy-minister, ignoring the man not named Roger.

‘Can we just get on with this - whatever this is?’ - The assistant deputy-minister said, throwing his arms up in the air.

‘So no tea?’ - Asked the Inspector.

‘No tea’ - said the assistant deputy-minister.

‘Comrade - the Inspector went to all the trouble of getting you some delicious fresh organic lemons, and some lemon blossom honey, just for your tea’ - said Number Four

‘No tea’ - the assistant deputy-minister insisted.

‘Are you sure?’ - The Inspector asked.

the assistant deputy-minister kept a straight face. ‘No tea.’

‘I am sure it is delicious!’ - Number Four said.

‘He doesn’t want any fucking tea!’ - Roared the man not named Roger.

‘Maybe a glass of water?’ - Offered the Inspector.

‘No water.’

‘Yes - have a glass of water. You look dehydrated’ - Number Four pressed.

‘What are you - a state security police operations Inspector charged with capturing the enemies of the People’s Republic, or a waiter in a cafeteria?’ - said the man not named Roger, getting irate again - ‘HE DOESN’T WANT ANY FUCKING TEA OR ANY FUCKING WATER!’

It was 6:25 AM.

‘I will have another cup of tea, comrade’ - said Number Four innocently.

The Inspector took Number Four’s tea cup and saucer and filled the cup from the tea urn. He splashed some milk in the cup and then passed the tea cup and saucer back to Number Four.

The Inspector sat down again.

‘Maybe you’d like to smoke a cigarette, comrade’ - said the Inspector to the assistant deputy-minister.

There was silence.

‘Smoking is permitted in this meeting room - in fact we encourage it!’ - The Inspector said, smiling.

There was silence.

‘Comrades - there has been a significant development in Operation Camelot’ - said the Inspector - ‘Secret service have located Bedivere. Bedivere was killed at his abode with a weapon linked to a number of political assassinations - many of whom were party members. We believe that Percival was behind the murder of Bedivere.’

Silence.

‘Any questions - assistant deputy-minister?’ - Asked the Inspector.

Silence…

‘Moving on’ - said the Inspector - ‘We have located and detained the Gawain suspects and they are presently in secret service custody awaiting questioning. Any questions?’

Silence…

‘Does anyone have any questions at this point?’ - Asked the Inspector.

Silence…it was 6:35 AM

‘Is that it - Are we done here?’ - Asked the man not named Roger.

The Inspector glanced at Number Four - ‘Unless anyone has any questions?’

“No offer of scrambled eggs with some fried mushrooms and some buttered toast, Inspector?’ - Asked the man not named Roger as he stood up.

The Assistant Deputy-Minister stood as well. Number Four sipped his tea.

‘Next time you want to waste our time Inspector - have the courtesy to maybe do it over the phone, instead of dragging us to your drab offices first thing in the morning’ - said the man not named Roger - ‘We will be speaking to the Deputy-Minister about this, and I am certain that you will be hearing from the Superintendent and Number Two about the Deputy-Minister’s concerns.’

The man not named Roger and the assistant deputy-minister picked up their sports bags and left the small meeting room. The assistant deputy-minister left without saying anything. The man not named Roger turned and walked back into the small meeting room - ‘It goes without saying, comrades. That what wasn’t said by me in this meeting room stays in this meeting room - do I make myself clear?’

‘Rog..’ - Number Four caught himself, and decided to say nothing instead.

‘Yes comrade - all forgotten’ - said the Inspector, smiling.

‘Very good’ - smiled the man not named Roger, turning to the assistant deputy-minister - ‘Squash?’

The assistant deputy-minister nodded to the man not named Roger and then walked away, back towards the reception.

‘Well - that went well’ - said Number Four, finishing his tea.

The Inspector stood and walked to the phone on the bench at the rear of the small meeting room. He picked the phone up and dialed a three-digit number.

‘Do we have any cars on the road near the Ministry?’ - The Inspector said into the phone, and waited again - ‘Good, there are two targets heading down from the 16th...both carrying sports bags...well dressed...follow them down and identify the vehicle they get into...have the car on the road follow the target’s vehicle and report back on activity...do it now!’

The Inspector hung up the phone.

‘Not all is lost, comrade’ - said the Inspector, sitting down again - ‘Get yourself back to the slaughterhouse Number Four, and start work on your guests. I will take care of the evidence collection.’