condensed master

The Reluctant agent
A Compelling Story of Espionage
can rest assured that we won't be taking the matter any further, as far as you are
concerned."
As he departed towards the cabin door Will called out, "Thank you, Sir!"
What a relief! he thought, as the cabin finally became silent. His aches and
pains were now coming to the fore but the feeling of exhaustion soon took over
and he fell into a deep sleep. Awakening abruptly the following morning, he soon
discovered that his body had completely stiffened up. Painfully and slowly, he
made his way through to the dining-room for breakfast, where he was inundated
with questions. The chef, came through from the galley.
"Have you heard?" he called out loudly, "it's fairly definite that we will be
allowed ashore for the remainder of our stay here. Sorry you had to get beat up
Will, but we all think it was worth it!" Everyone roared with laughter. During
breakfast, a few remained around his table trying to extract all the details. Will just
gave them an outline of what had happened and from that point in time things
started to get back to normal.
Back in his cabin Will decided to write a letter home, he had hardly started
when he was interrupted. "There are people from ashore to see you, they are in
the captain's cabin." What now? he thought. I hope there's no further trouble as
he would dearly like to see the whole affair behind him.
Making his way up the stairway to the bridge he knocked on the captain's
cabin door, not knowing what he would encounter. Feeling the same sensation he
had experienced prior to his interrogation in Gourock, he tentatively opened the
door and stepped inside. Everyone looked up as he entered.
The second officer was busy talking to two ladies, and a wiry looking man, he
recognized instantly as the farmer who had shot him in the leg, standing to one
side, obviously dressed in his Sunday best for the occasion. The two ladies were
both dressed in floral costumes, one was of large stature, the other petite, wearing
glasses. Both Will estimated, were in their late forties or early fifties.
"These people have asked to have a word with you Brenner," and the second
officer gestured towards them as he left the room. Will was totally unprepared for
what was about to happen next.
The petite woman looked across the room at Will's swollen face and burst into
tears. She was quickly consoled by the other woman as Will stood transfixed, not
quite knowing what to do next. But the farmer approached him.
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