1935-09-13 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13,

Dictator And Double

(Continued from Page 9)

At first he was so glad to have regular meals of well-cooked food, unlimited cigarettes, good wines,! that Redevsky forgot the risks at- tached to his peculiar duties. Later, when he became, so accustomed to the good living that he would sometimes send a meal rocketing down the lift untouched with the complaint that it was not fit for a dog, he laughed at the risks; not the foolhardy laugh of the brave man or the arrogant laugh of the coward at heart, but the laugh of a man who had seen life and death and knew that of the two death was the less to be feared.

Men did not die by assassins" bullets or anarchists" bombs. Rel devsky thought. More likely they tripped at the top of the stairs. and broke their necks at the bot- tom. or they ate shellfish that was bot fresh

and a Dictator was as Ekely to do that as his dcuble.

For the most part. Redersky did not, think at all; chiefly because. well-fed and comfortably bedded, be had no need to do so. The time came when he began to complain -about the wearisome business of being dressed in the Dictator's uniform. He was acquiring the temperament of the artist what knew that he had become india- pensable.

Redevsky had pushed the dishes into the electric lift, given the signal for it to be lowered. `and] fung himself into a chair with a contented sigh to smoke a cigar- ette He was satisfied, not only) with the excellent meal he had finished, but with life in ren- eral

The door opened. Colonel Verte walked stiffly into the room, and

frowned. then

Redersky had never learned to stand and salute before his superiors... and yet! it was difficult to insist upon it since for hours at a time Redevsky was the Dictator, and Verte had ..to salute!

"You will get dressed as rapidly as possible." said the Colonel shortly. The Marshal's uniform.”

“Eh? This wasn't fixed!"--Re-¦ devsky was sulien.

"It is an emergency.”, replied{ Colonel Verte "although that: makes no difference. You are paid to serve the Dictator" he added. with a hint of scorn.

A thousand men like myself, would have considered it an honour to be allowed to take the Dictator's place when danger threatened. He bad tried to rouse Rodersky's patriotism on previous occasions and failed, for the simple reason that Redevsky had no patriotism. To be a patriot, you need a coun- try-Bedevsky had no country.

"But I must ride in the train. so that the people shall not think the Dictator is afraid,..

W

"Silence! The Dictator is afraid [of nothing

it is I who per- suaded him not to travel. His Heath would be a disaster not only for the country, but also for Europe. He goes by 'plane only! because he has already given his ife to the Cause.

“All right, all right!" Redevsky got up slowly. "I sit in the train

and look pretty, eh?”"

You will be required to show yourself at the window when we

ass through stations."

"Certainly! I accompany you” The Colonel was looking with a ritical eye at the uniform which Cedersky had taken from a cup- bard.

"They might shoot you, too. olonel, smiled Redevsky.

“It does not matter. You and we do not count. The Dicta-

r must be preserved at whatever] st. It is a duly we owe not only country, but to the

Our

orld.

Redevsky did not reply. He had 1 ard these tirades before and they it him cold... ..it was like a reman telling a labourer that to harder was a duty he owed to Kemployer.

The Dictator goes by plane, 2 he said presently, as be strug- d with the tight, braided collar. The Colonel nodded. ““Not even pikst knows the identity of his senger, he remarked "G ki is the best pilot we hay take risks

| O MIRELINIECENSE|

“MR. WILLIE DE BATĖ IS COMING

TO DINNER TONIGHT-AND I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO HIM, AS HE IS A VERY SMART MAN –

I LISTENED TO HIM THE OTHER NIGHT IN A CARD

· GAME - HE TOLD ME WHAT TO DO AND

I LOST

HE'S JUST PHONED AGAIN AND WHENI TOLD HIM YOU WERE. IN YOUR TUXEDO HE SAID YOU SHOULDN'T DRESS, AS IT'S

TOO WARM TONIGHT TO

"DOLLUP-

İVE ALWAYS WANTED YOU "TO SEE QUR

LIBRARY-

THIS IS A- NICE TIME TO TELL ME- AFTER I GIT

ALL FIXED -

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL ROOM- TOO NICE FOR A LIBRARY- BESIDES, THE BOOKCASE SHOULD BE ON THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM-

"ISN'T HE A WONDERFUL MAN ?

1. JUST HATED TO SEE HIM GO- NOW I WANT YOU TO GO DOWNİ TO THE CORNER DRUG-STORE. AND GET THESE THINGS FOR ME - THEY'RE ALL WRITTEN

DOWN HERE -

Rosie's

BEAU GERM MANUS

LU. S Patent Office

IS THAT All?

WHY DIDN'T YOU LET ME

GO WHILE HE WUZ HERE? I'D HAVE

·ENJOYED

GOING

Bringing Up Father

WHAT'S THE MATTER. DAL TER?

OH!MR DE BATE WAS. TALKING TO MY FRIEND, MR JERRY, COE,AND TOLD HIM HE SHOULDN'TGO. TO THE BASEBALL GAME! SO HE CALLED OFF-

OUR DATE÷

AH,MR.DE BATE- SO GLAD TO SEE YOU-LET ME PUT YOUR THINGS OVER

IN THE LIBRARY-

|OH!MRS JIG65-NEVER. [PUT YOUR GUEST'S THINGS IN THERE- THIS ROOM. HERE

IS HANDIER -

YOU HAVE A NICE. VOICE,

BUT YOU SHOULD' STUDY WITH AN ORGAN INSTEAD OF A PIANO- YOU ORDER AN ORGAN

TOMORROW-

ONE HOUR LATER-

© 1985. King

ROSIE THINKS. I DIDN'T. RECOGNIZE HER VOICE ON THE PHONE-Ï'LL BET THAT WORRIES HER THAT

J SAID 1 WAS OUT AND DINING AT THE RITZMORE-

DO YOU THINK} ONE WILL BE

ENOUGH?

ANY SPECIAL

KIND?

WHAT IN THE WORLD

IS ALL THIS TRASH 2. YOU HAVEN'T GOT ONE THING HERE THAT

LORDERED-

་ ། KNOW

·MR: PHONE HED HOUR IT'S BA AFTER

IST

AND SAID

ERE AN

IER AS

EAT

IGHT

OCK-

"OHLI DIDN'T

KNOW YOU SMOKE CIGARS- HOW MANY DO YOU SMOKE

A DAY?

WE HAD A LOVELY EVENING~DO ~ COME AGAIN- AND I DO WANT YOUTO COME TO MY LAWN- PARTY NEXT THURSDAY AFTERNOON-

YES-WHOEVER ANSWERED- THE PHONE SAID ARCHIE WAS OUT AND AT, THE RITIZMORE FOR LUNCH-ILL JUST BET N, HE IS WITH ANOTHER GIDËS

EATING

HE RITZMORE AND TONLY PAYSA HIM TWBĽVE DOL KAWEEK

WHAT DO YOU LEAVING THE OFFICE GO OUT AND HOW CAN YOU AFFORD TO EAT AT THE BEST HOTEL IN TOWN?

KLE FIND

OUT-

ROSIE

WHO

ANY GIVEN

WHY-HELL BE HERE ANY MINUTE

NOW

YES-1 SMOKE CIGARS- BUT YOUR HUSBAND SHOULD USE A HOLD ER AND NEVER.......... -NUMBERZ-|| SMOKE BEFORE HIS]

DINNER OR RIDING- IN AN AUTO-

DELIGHTED- BUT REALLY- YOU SHOULD HAVE THE AFFAIR IN THE

· EVENING-PLU CALL YOUUP. TOMORROW AND GNE YOU THE

· DETAILS WHY-

·ANY- THING ELSE. YOU CAN THINK OF?

YOUR FRIEND-MR.DE BATE, WAS“ IN THE DRUG STORE AND HE CHANGED EVERY ORDER THAT. I GAVE THE CLERK - AN' HES COMIN TO MY OFFICE TOMORROW TO TELL ME ABOUT MY:: BUSINESS.

(MINIS

818

IT'S THE GYPSY IN ME

WHAT MAKES

YOU THINK YOU'RE THE

MASTER OF

THE HOUSE?