Cashback

by Duncan James

  ***

  Robin was able to get an early appointment with M. Gilbert, and returned to the hotel, having signed all the papers, agreed passwords and so on, to find Marian sitting on the edge of the bed, talking on the phone.

  "You were quicker than I thought," she said, as she hung up.

  "They seem to be quite efficient at the bank," claimed Robin, "and everything was ready for me when I arrived, so it didn't take long at all. How have you been getting on?"

  "Well, I'm quite efficient too!" she announced proudly. "To get to Nairobi from here, we have to go via Geneva, Zurich and Amsterdam if we go all the way by air - that's KLM, by the way - or we can go by Swiss International Airlines direct, but also via Zurich. It's quicker that way, too. I thought it would be rather a nice idea to go by train to Zurich, across the mountains, and spend the night there before catching an early flight the next morning. There's a train every hour from here via Lausanne, then direct to Zurich airport, and it takes about 3? hours. Every train has a restaurant car."

  "Sounds a good idea," agreed Robin.

  "I'm glad you think so," said Marian, "because I've booked everything! I've allowed a free day after the next bank meeting, then the next day we get an afternoon train, so that we can see the scenery in daylight, stay at the airport hotel, and catch the quarter to ten flight in the morning. That gets us to Nairobi and a quarter past seven in the evening."

  "Great! Then what?"

  "Well, my darling, I do hope you don't mind, but I've booked us in to the New Stanley for the night! I do so want to stay there," she pleaded, "and they run a little bus to the airport, so getting back there for the flight to Bulawayo will be no problem."

  "Well, why ever not, just this once!" said Robin.

  "Oh good, you are sweet and I knew you'd be pleased," she said. "Shall I ring Will and get him to meet us in Bulawayo?"

  "That would be a good idea," agreed Robin. "And he can book us into that little hotel we stayed in before - The Grey's Inn or something."

  "I've already done that," announced Marian. "He and Bonkers are already staying there."

  "My word, you have been busy!"

  "I told you I was efficient," said Marian.

  "So what shall we do now?" he enquired.

  "We could go on one of those paddle steamers you are so keen about. We can get one from just up the road, and go to the Chateau de Chillon. It only takes about fifteen minutes, and we could have lunch there after we've looked round the Chateau."

  "Fifteen minutes isn't long," complained Robin. "I was hoping for a good look round the engine room and things like that. Some of them are very old, you know, Marian."

  "We'll come back the long way round, then," she conceded, "down to the end of the lake past the mouth of the Rhone to Le Bouveret and back - or even on to Evian, where the bottled water comes from, if there's time. We shall be all right so long as we're back here in time for dinner, unless there's anything else you planned to do this afternoon?"

  "Nothing," he replied. "I might give Grudge a ring, perhaps, but that's all, and I can do that from the boat."

  "Right then, let's go! I've got the camera, and the timetable for the boats."

  "I must have a pee, first!" said Robin. "Too much coffee at the bank."

  "I'll try to get hold of Will, then," said Marian, taking the phone on to the balcony.