Chapter 63

Dan had been concentrating on the spy cameras and tape recorders. They had managed to make them smaller and they had been extensively tested. The hard work had been worth it when they were able to send Eric off to the party with equipment which would help him gather evidence.

Along with his inventing, Dan had got involved with The Military Times. He had helped with the first few Super Sergeant stories and he had written an article about the Ellis immobiliser. He had been interested in the mechanics of the printing press, the laborious process of typesetting had to be used, and the method for adding photographs to the newspaper.

His domestic life was good. Grace and Alex were flourishing in the care of Serena and Phyllis. They all ate together, Phyllis and Peter too, of an evening. The noisy chatter around the table was the sign of a happy united family. He would play with his kids before they went to bed and at weekends.

Toys were not a priority for the OWG and very few were made. There were dolls for girls and cars for boys. Children had bicycles and scooters, footballs and skipping ropes. Dan was glad that his children weren't playing computer games. They would sometimes sit and draw, but mainly they loved to be outside. The days when the weather stopped this were the most difficult to fill.

In his workroom at the army base Dan set about a new project. Sebastien watched as Dan fiddled with a small metal mould. Over a few weeks the rectangle was filled with various compounds until he found the right consistency. Dan triumphantly showed the item to Sebastien when he had perfected it.

A hard rubber shape which was an inch and a half long was presented to Sebastien. It had indentations in the bottom and protrusions on the top. He looked at Dan and shrugged. He had no idea what it was. Why had Dan spent so much time making it? A few hours later more blocks had been cast and Dan gave a demonstration of how they worked.

"They're like little bricks. You can build stuff with them." Sebastien had caught on and was now clicking the blocks together.

"It's a toy for the kids." Dan explained. "With enough of them they can make houses or cars or anything they like." Sebastien thought they were brilliant and he helped Dan make more moulds so that they could make hundreds of them.

"I will call them Ellis blocks." Dan declared to Sebastien.

The young soldier was a bit concerned about what the OWG would think of this latest project. Technically they were stealing the resources which had gone into making the blocks. It seemed that for the moment only Dan's children would be able to play with the new toy.

It would be nice to let all kids have the chance to get Ellis blocks. The OWG would not be remotely interested in his invention. Dan was hopeful that at some point the OWG would be changed. In the future there might be an opportunity for some free enterprise. He could make millions from his blocks. He knew that he had stolen the design but no one else did. He would make a lot of children happy, he decided in an attempt to assuage his guilt about appropriating the idea.

The blocks were given to Grace and Alex who just stared at them in bemusement. Dan demonstrated how they could be clicked together. Initially Grace put one on top of another and built a tall tower. Dan showed her that she could fit them so that they overlapped or went at right angles. Her eyes lit up with the possibilities.

Alex bashed the blocks with his chubby little fingers and seemed delighted with whatever shape he made. Each new construction was handed to Dan with much reverence. Dan looked astonished and thanked the boy whilst having no idea what it was supposed to be. It was not long before Serena, Phyllis and Peter were having a go too.

Dan had so many things from his other life that he could bring to this world. He was getting on with living his life with his girlfriend and children. He had learned to cope with what was available and the thoughts of what had been possible on the other Earth occurred less and less. He would have to start writing things down as he thought of them.

Some computer technology and anything with a microchip was out of the question at the moment. Many things had no real value in this spartan world. Coffee machines and food processors were not needed. He didn't think there would be much demand for a foot spa. Indulgent and frivolous items had no place at all.

He had thought about making an electric bike. He had owned one and travelled to and from his work using it on his other world. The people, mostly from the labour class, who relied on public transport would be able to move about more freely. Dan was not sure how the OWG would feel about greater mobility for the workers.

He would definitely start a list of things to "invent" in the future. As technology caught up he could make use of it accordingly. Dan was sure that there were scientists who would come up with the ideas too. He might have to re-introduce the concept of patents. At the moment all intellectual property belonged to the OWG.

His thoughts turned to Eric and his campaign to infiltrate Nicholas Salter's circle. He did not want his father in law to put himself in danger but they had to get some dirt on the inner cabinet. Eric had gone off to the party kitted out like a secret agent. What would he have on film and tape at the end of the night?

A meeting had been hastily arranged at Eric's insistence. The children had been packed off to bed and the adults were now sat around the dining table. Dan, Serena, Phyllis and Peter had prepared snacks and drinks. Ryan arrived with Sebastien and Derek pulled up in his small black car moments later.

Eric was the last to arrive. He placed the tape recorder and the camera on the table in front of him and took a deep breath.

"I need to tell you about the event which I attended. Some of what I have to report is rather unsavoury." He looked at Serena and Phyllis. "Ladies there are details which you might not want to hear."

Dan was charmed by Eric's, old fashioned attitude. Had it been his wife Samantha, he would understand the need to be careful. She had been nervous and uptight. Phyllis and Serena were made of sterner stuff. They thanked Eric for his concern and said that they were quite happy to listen to whatever he was about to say.

The scene was set. Eric told them about the remoteness of the hotel and the glamorous ladies who greeted him on his arrival. He told them about the sumptuous buffet.

"Lobster, foie gras, cured meats, dozens of cheeses, a turkey, ham, beef joint, pheasant and every other game bird, the list goes on and on."

He explained that there was enough food to feed 100 people not the 28 who were there. "It was obscene."

Eric produced a list from his pocket containing the names of all those at the party. The, free flowing, alcohol and the waitresses in their tiny dresses were described. As the guests continued drinking the behaviour became steadily worse.

"They were grabbing the girls. Putting their hands up their skirts. Touching their breasts."

Eric looked uncomfortable talking about what had happened. He glanced at Phyllis and Serena to make sure that they were okay before continuing.

"I took a number of photographs of ministers in compromising positions."

There was a chorus of congratulations that he had got some evidence. Eric held up his hand and everyone fell silent.

"Sadly, that wasn't the worst of the excesses."

Throughout the evening Nicholas Salter had been looking on but not partaking in the revelry. Their prime target had done nothing which would incriminate him apart from be at the party he explained.

"He was sat there like a king on his throne. Smiling that creepy smile and watching what was going on. It was like he was indulging his children by giving them the party."

Eric had taken pictures of Salter with the food in the background to show he was at the event. He was despairing of getting anything better on him.

The pause before Eric carried on seemed to last forever.

"I was taken upstairs to the bedrooms. The woman said I could have anything I wanted. She opened a door."

At this stage Eric asked for a brandy. Dan thought he was being a bit over dramatic but served him the drink. He took a gulp and then continued.

"A naked woman was lying on a bed. The next room held a naked man. The next room two women, the one after a teenage boy. The woman said that the boy was for Salter, but that I could have him later if I wanted." There was a stunned silence around the room as the information was absorbed.

"She then said that if I just wanted to watch that was alright. The rooms had, two way mirrors. She showed me how to get to them. I took photos."

It seemed wrong to ask for specifics. The things that Eric had seen had affected him deeply. Dan had to know though whether they had anything on Salter.

"Pictures and audio." Eric confirmed.

Everything hinged on the reel of film in the camera. Someone had been lined up to develop the photographs. Ryan took the fob watch and would deliver it by hand to his contact the next day. The tape recording was played and it was not pleasant. Salter could be clearly heard issuing instructions for what he wanted the boy to do.

Phyllis had reached her limit and she went to put the kettle on. Derek leaned across the table and switched the tape recorder off. Nervous glances were exchanged. If they had the images as well this would be everything that they needed. They would find out the next day what was on the film. Another meeting was scheduled for the weekend.

The man with the dark room handed the pictures to Ryan and told him that he never wanted to see him again. He said that the negatives and the pictures were in the envelope. No, he had no copies. Why would he want to look at such filth again? Of course, he wasn't going to tell anyone about what he had seen. He didn't have a death wish.

Back in his office at the army base Ryan looked at the photographs. Some were a little blurry and some he could not even interpret. There were others which were almost too graphic. Nicholas Salter looked like he was actually posing for the pictures. There were a couple of Alastair Barton which were nasty and two other members on the inner cabinet were compromised too.

Dan rushed over following Ryan's call. He looked at the images with a mixture of revulsion and satisfaction. They had got what they wanted. These would surely contribute to the downfall of Slater and his cronies. They had a means to distribute them to the public but it was not as easy as that. What would the repercussions be once the pictures were published?