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.Please fasten your seat belts and prepare for takeoff.Flight attendants place cabin doors to automatic."The four jets rumbled into action and the plane inched forward before building up momentum as it sped along the tarmac.Then, quite suddenly, Charlie was thrown forward as the brakes were locked in place and the plane came to a screeching halt a few hundred yards from the end of the runway."This is your captain speaking.I am sorry to have to tell you that the hydraulic pumps that lift the undercarriage up and down at takeoff and landing are indicating red on the control panel and I am not willing to risk a takeoff at this time.We shall therefore have to taxi back to our stand and ask the local engineers to fix the problem as quickly as possible.Thank you for being so understanding."It was the word "local" that worried Charlie.Once they had disembarked from the plane, Charlie ran from airline counter to airline counter trying to find out if there were any flights bound for anywhere in Europe due out of New Delhi that night.He quickly discovered that the only flight due out that night was destined for Sydney.He began to pray for the speed and efficiency of Indian engineers.Charlie sat in a smoke-filled waiting lounge, leafing through magazine after magazine, sipping soft drink after soft drink, as he waited for any information he could garner on the fate of Flight 102.The first news he picked up was that the chief engineer had been sent for."Sent for?" said Charlie."What does that mean?""We have sent a car for him," explained a smiling airport official in a clipped staccato accent."Sent a car?" said Charlie."But why isn't he at the airport where he's needed?""It's his day off.""And haven't you got any other engineers?""Not for a job this big," admitted the harassed official.Charlie slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand."And where does the chief engineer live?""Somewhere in New Delhi," came back the reply."But don't you worry yourself, sir, we should have him back within the hour."The trouble with this country, thought Charlie, is they tell you exactly what they think you want to hear.For some reason the same official was unable to explain later why it had taken two hours to locate the chief engineer, a further hour to bring him back to the airport and yet another fifty minutes before he discovered the job would require a full team of three qualified engineers, who had themselves recently signed off for the evening.A rickety old bus delivered all the passengers from Flight 102 to the Taj Mahal Hotel in the center of the city where Charlie sat on his bed and spent most of the night once more attempting to make contact with Becky.When he eventually succeeded in reaching her he was cut off even before he had time to explain where he was.He didn't bother to try and sleep.When the bus dropped them back at the airport the following morning the Indian airport official was there to greet them, his large smile still in place."The plane will take off on time," he promised.On time, thought Charlie; in normal circumstances he would have laughed.The plane did take off an hour later and when Charlie inquired of the purser at what hour they expected to land at Heathrow he was told at some time Saturday midmorning: it was hard to be precise.When the aircraft made a further unscheduled landing at Leonardo da Vinci on Saturday morning Charlie telephoned Becky from the airport.He didn't even give her time to speak."I'm in Rome," he said, "and I'll need Stan to pick me up from Heathrow.As I can't be sure what time I'll arrive, tell him to go out to the airport right now and sit tight.Got that?""Yes," said Becky."And I'll also need Baverseock back in his office, so if he's already disappeared off to the country for the weekend ask him to drop everything and return to London.""You sound a little harassed, dear.""Sorry," said Charlie."It's not been the easiest of journeys."With the picture under one arm and no interest as to what was wrong with the aircraft this time or where his suitcase might end up, he took the first European flight available that afternoon for London, and once it had taken off checked his watch every ten minutes.When the pilot crossed the English Channel at eight o'clock that evening, Charlie felt confident that four hours would still be ample time for him to register Cathy's claim so long as Becky had cracked down Baverseock.As the plane began to circle London in a familiar holding pateem Charlie looked out of the little oval window and seared down at the snakelike Thames.It was another twenty minutes before the lights of the runway glared up in two straight lines at Charlie, followed by a puff of smoke as the wheels couched the ground and the plane taxied to its alloted gate.The doors of the aircraft were finally opened at eight twenty-nine.Charlie grabbed the picture and ran all the way to passport control and on through customs.He didn't stop until he saw a telephone box, but as he hadn't any coins to make a local call he told the operator his name and asked to transfer the charge.A moment later he was put through."Becky, I'm at Heathrow.Where's Baverstock?""On his way back from Tewkesbury.Expects to be in his office around nine-thirty, latest ten.""Good, then I'll come straight home.I should be with you in about forty minutes."Charlie slammed down the phone, checked his watch and realized that he hadn't left himself enough time to phone Dr.Atkins.He ran out onto the pavement, suddenly aware of the chill breeze.Stan was waiting by the car for him.Over the years the former sergeant major had become accustomed to Charlie's impatience and drove him smoothly through the outskirts of London ignoring the speed limit until they reached Chiswick after which only a motorbike could have been stopped for speeding.Despite the teeming rain he had his boss back at Eaton Square by nine-sixteen.Charlie was about halfway through telling a silent Becky all he had discovered in Australia when Baverstock phoned to say he was back at his office in High Holborn.Charlie thanked him, passed on his nephew's best wishes and then apologized for ruining his weekend."You won't have ruined it if your news is positive," said Baverstock
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