Snakehead

to spend them!”
    “Thanks, Mr. Smithers.”
    “And finally, I’ve got something that might come in very useful if you find yourself off the beaten track.” Smithers pulled open a drawer in the desk and took out an old belt with a heavy silver buckle. “You can slip it into your jeans. There’s a particularly sharp knife hidden inside the buckle. It’s actually made out of toughened plastic, and it’s rather cunningly designed so it won’t show up on x-ray machines if you go through an airport. And if you slice open the belt, you’ll find matches, medicine, water-purifying tablets, and knockout pills that are guaranteed to work on eleven different varieties of snake. I developed it for use in the jungle, and although you’re not heading that way, you never know.” He handed it across. “It’s a shame, really. I’d love to give you the pants that go with it. The legs are highly flammable.”
    “Exploding jeans?” Alex asked.
    “Flares,” Smithers replied. He reached out and shook Alex’s hand. “Good luck, my boy. And one last word of advice.” He leaned forward as if afraid of being overheard. “I wouldn’t trust these Australians if I were you. I mean, they’re not a bad lot. But they are a bit rough, if you know what I mean. They don’t play by the rules. Just keep your wits about you.” He tapped the side of his nose. “And call for help the moment you need us. That Ben Daniels is a good guy. He won’t let you down.”
    Alex gathered up his few weapons and left the room. As he left, he heard Smithers humming behind him. The song was that old Australian favorite, “Waltzing Matilda.” Alex wondered what Smithers had meant by his warning. Did he really know something that Alex didn’t, or was he just being mischievous?
    Ben Daniels was waiting on the other side.
    “Are you ready, Cub?” he asked.
    “Armed and dangerous,” Alex replied.
    The two of them left together.

12
    THE SILENT STREETS
    A SH WAS ALREADY IN the room when Alex got back. At first he was angry.
    “Where the hell have you been, Alex?” he growled. “I was worried about you. I told you to wait for me here.” Then his eyes narrowed. He glanced down at Alex’s waist. “That’s a nice belt. Where did you get it?”
    Alex was impressed. His godfather had spent half his life as a spy, and of course he had been trained to notice every detail. Despite everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, Ash had immediately picked up on this one tiny change in Alex’s appearance.
    “It was given to me,” Alex said.
    “Who by?”
    “I met some old friends…”
    Quickly Alex described what had happened: how he had seen Ben Daniels in the crowd, followed him to Wat Ho, and found himself in the MI6 stronghold. Mrs. Jones had given him permission to tell Ash about Royal Blue, and he mentioned the possible link between Major Yu and Scorpia. Ash’s eyes grew dark when he heard the name.
    “Nobody told me they were involved,” he muttered. “I don’t like this, Alex. And nor will Ethan Brooke. You and I are meant to be gathering information. Nothing more, nothing less. Now it’s getting messy.”
    “That’s not my fault, Ash.”
    “Maybe I should go to this temple, have a word with Mrs. Jones.” Ash thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No. There’s no point in arguing with her. Go on…”
    Alex went on with his story. It seemed that he was now working not for one but two secret services. He supposed Ash had a point. The mission had certainly been bent out of shape, and suddenly there was a ticking bomb at the heart of it. Why did Scorpia need Royal Blue? If Scorpia was involved, it was bound to be something big—and they wouldn’t care how many people died. But why this bomb? Why not any other?
    Alex tried to put it out of his head. He finished by describing how once again Smithers had equipped him.
    “So Smithers is still with MI6!” Ash smiled briefly. “He’s quite a character. And he supplied the belt? What does it do…besides keep your pants up?”
    “I haven’t had a chance to examine it yet,” Alex admitted. “But there’s a knife in the buckle. And there’s stuff hidden inside. Some sort of jungle survival kit.”
    “Who said you were heading into the jungle?”
    Alex shrugged.
    Ash shook his head. “I’m not sure you should keep it,” he said.
    “Why not?”
    “Because it may not fit in with your cover. It didn’t come from Afghanistan like everything else