The three men walked across the Horse Guards Quadrangle towards Downing
Street. The only words uttered were when Sir Lyster asked John Dene if
he had seen the pelicans.
John Dene looked at him in amazement. He had heard that in British
official circles it was considered bad taste to discuss the war except
officially, and he decided that he was now discovering what was really
the matter with the British Empire.
As the trio crossed the road to mount the steps leading to Downing
Street, the girl passed of whom John Dene had asked the way. Her eyes
widened slightly as she recognised John Dene's two companions; they
widened still more when John Dene lifted his hat, followed a second
later by Sir Lyster, whilst Admiral Heyworth saluted. In her surprise
she nearly ran into a little shifty-eyed man, in a grey suit, who, with
an elaborate flourish of his hat, hastened to apologise for her
carelessness.
"That's the girl who showed me the way to your back-door," John Dene
announced nonchalantly. Sir Lyster exchanged a rapid glance with the
Admiral. "If I was running this show," continued John Dene, "I'd get
that door enlarged a bit and splash some paint about;" and for the
first time since they had met John Dene smiled up at Sir Lyster, a
smile that entirely changed the sombre cast of his features.
On arriving at no, Downing Street, the three callers were conducted
straight into Mr. Llewellyn John's room. As they entered, he rose
quickly from his table littered with papers, and with a smile greeted
his colleagues. Sir Lyster then introduced John Dene.
Mr. Llewellyn John grasped John Dene's hand, and turned on him that
bewilderingly sunny smile which Mr. Chappeldale had once said ought in
itself to win the war.
"Sit down, Mr. Dene," said Mr. Llewellyn John, indicating a chair;
"it's always a pleasure to meet any one from Canada. What should we
have done without you Canadians?" he murmured half to himself.
"Mr. Dene tells us that he has solved the submarine problem," said Sir
Lyster, as he and Admiral Heyworth seated themselves.
Instantly Mr. Llewellyn John became alert. The social smile vanished
from his features, giving place to the look of a keen-witted Celt,
eager to pounce upon something that would further his schemes. He
turned to John Dene interrogatingly.
"Perhaps Mr. Dene will explain," suggested Sir Lyster.
"Sure," said John Dene, "your submarine isn't a submarine at all, it's
a submersible. Under water it's useless, because it can't see. As
well call a seal a fish. A submarine must be able to fight under
water, and until it can it won't be any more a submarine than I'm a
tunny fish."
Mr. Llewellyn John nodded in eager acquiescence.
"I've spent over a million dollars, and now I've got a boat that can
see under water and fight under water and do a lot of other fancy
tricks."
Mr. Llewellyn John sprang to his feet.
"You have. Tell me, where is it? This is wonderful, wonderful! It
takes us a year forward."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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