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'Yes! Did I tell you about the double-knit coot a spare pair in my sack You can have them e stop!'

'Your own personal pair?'

'Yes! Second-best but well darned!'

'No, thank you!'

'They've been washed!'

'Lu-Tze?'

'Yes?'

'Why can't we slice e're on this thing?' The toell past them The next one was pencil-sized already The black-and-white shutters on the boxes were twinkling in the sunlight 'Do you knohat happens if you slice ti at more than seventy miles an hour?'

'No!'

'Me neither! And I don't want to find out!' Tick Igor opened the door before the second knock An Igorcoffins with earth in the cellar, or up on the roof adjusting the lightning conductor, but a caller never had to knock twice 'Ladythip,' he ures behind her 'We have called to inspect progress,' said Lady LeJean 'And thethe ladieth and gentlemen, ladythip?'

'My associates,' said her ladyship, or's blank stare

'If you will be tho kind ath to thtep inthide, I will thee if thethe convention that a true butler never knows the whereabouts of anyone in the house until they decide they want it to be known He backed through the door into the workshop and then lurched into the kitchen, where Jere a spoonful of medicine down the sink 'That woht lawyerth' Jeremy held out a hand, palor?' he said 'Here we are, alreat work, and I remain absolutely calm You could build a house on my hand, it is so steady'

'Lawyerth, thur,' said Igor, giving the word some extra spin 'And?'

'Well, we have had a lot of or, with the conviction of a man who has inforold in his own bag 'And we have finished the clock,' said Jere his hand 'We've been nearly finithed for dayth,' said Igor darkly 'If it wathn't for her, I reckon we could've caught that thunderthtoror screwed up his face and banged his temple a couple of times with the pal fro with the thloppy weather you get here Hah, back ho ath thoon ath they thee you put up the iron pole Tho what do you want me to do about the lawyerth?'

'Show the to hide'

'Are you thure, thur?' said Igor, whose carpet bag could not in fact be lifted with one hand 'Please do it, Igor' Jereor disappeared into the shop and returned with the guests 'Lady LeJean, thur And thoood to see you, your ladyship,' said Jere he had read 'Won't you introduce ave him a nervous look Oh, yes huain It made it so hard to think 'Mr Jeremy, these are my associates,' she said 'Mr Black Mr Green Miss Brown Miss White Miss Yellow And Mr Blue' Jeremy held out his hand 'I am pleased to ly at the hand 'The custom here is to shake hands,' said her ladyship In unison, the Auditors extended a hand and wiggled it slowly in the air 'The hand of the other person,' said her ladyship She gave Jereners,' she said And she recognized the panic in their eyes, even if they didn't We can count the nu How can there be anything in here we cannot understand? Jere hand in his ' And you are Mr-?' The Auditor turned worried eyes on Lady LeJean 'Mr Black,' she said 'I understood that ere Mr Black,' said another male-shaped Auditor 'No, you are Mr Green'

'Nevertheless, ould prefer Mr Black We are the senior, and black is a nificant shade We do not wish to be Mr Green'

'The translation of your naave Jeremy another s on her part having suggested that this or?' said Jererie was concerned, accountants were probably worse news than lawyers 'Grey would be acceptable,' said Mr Green 'Nevertheless, you are Mr Green We are Mr Black It is a matter of status'

'If that is the case,' said Miss White, 'white is higher status than black Black is absence of colour'