Dr Bairstow was in his office, at his desk. Mrs Partridge was seated behind him, scratchpad in hand. I don’t know why, but seeing her there caused a bit of a lump in my throat. I swallowed it down because this was not the moment to go all wobbly.
Initially, he wanted to talk about the memorial service. I hesitated because I still wasn’t that sure of my position at St Mary’s.
‘You should attend,’ he said. ‘I think it would be appreciated. And it will give you a chance to grieve for your own St Mary’s and the friends you will never see again.’
I couldn’t speak for a moment.
‘There are no words, Max, to thank you for the sacrifice you have made.’
‘It wasn’t really a sacrifice, sir. I would have died, otherwise.’
‘Then we should both be thankful you are here. Which leads me to my next question. Will you stay?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Do you miss St Mary’s?’
‘Yes, very much. But just recently, there’s been so much death …’
‘Yes, far too much death. But we’re historians and it’s part of the package.’
‘And after what she … Maxwell … did … at Troy …’
‘It wasn’t you. You didn’t do it. You must remember that. I know you identify very closely with the other Max and it’s not surprising that you should do so, but she wasn’t you and you’re not her.’
He moved some files on his desk.
‘Now, Dr Dowson and I have put our heads together and come up with the following, which we hope you will approve.
‘We can’t have two Madeleine Maxwells, so you are Lucy Maxwell. You are some sort of cousin to Madeleine Maxwell. You never met her so you’re not sure of the precise relationship. You studied at Thirsk, reading History, and have postgraduate qualifications in Archaeology and Anthropology.
‘You worked at various archaeological sites around the eastern Mediterranean. I leave it to you to decide how and when you met Chief Farrell. I leave it to you to decide how much to tell people, although I suspect no one will ask. And I leave it to you to decide your future, as well.’
He pushed an envelope across the desk. Inside, I saw a passport, a driving licence (didn’t they know I was the world’s worst driver?), an ID card, an NI number, credit and debit cards. A completely new identity. A completely new life.
I looked up, startled – and suspicious.
He smiled. ‘Let me make it clear. None of this is contingent upon you remaining at St Mary’s. This – all this – is yours to keep, whatever decision you make. I make no secret – I would like the both of you to return to St Mary’s and resume your lives here. However, I do accept that that is up to you and if you do decide to leave, my best wishes for your new life go with you.’
He paused and lined up the files on his desk again.
‘Let me help you come to a decision. If you do decide to remain here, I shall appoint you Chief Operations Officer. In fact, if you do leave, I shall have a problem, because Dr Peterson has already requested to return to his former position as Training Officer.’
I wondered whether that was anything to do with his new assistant, Miss Lee. Whom Dr Bairstow had reassigned. Had he foreseen Peterson’s request? I remembered Dr Dowson saying that Dr Bairstow always had a plan.
‘Furthermore, to mark your return, you may select whatever assignment you please. Your choice. Your team. Your mission. Take that away and think about it.’
‘As a reward?’
‘Good heavens, no. Please be perfectly clear about this, Dr Maxwell. It is a bribe.’
I looked at him. ‘Anything?’
He visibly braced himself. ‘That is what I said.’
Half a dozen crazy ideas flashed through my head, and then I remembered Helios and the price he paid for what we had done, and the lessons learned, and swallowed what I had been about to say.
Behind Dr Bairstow, Mrs Partridge lifted her eyes from her scratchpad, smiled in rare approval, and continued to take notes.
I remembered a recent conversation. Me, Tim, and a picnic … at Thermopylae.
‘Can I get back to you about that, sir?’
‘Of course.’
*
I really thought I deserved a drink. Apparently, so did the rest of St Mary’s. Think that they deserved a drink, I mean. The bar was packed and noisy.
I got myself a tonic water and lime and looked for somewhere to sit. Time to test the waters. Not without a little trepidation, I joined the group by the window. Nobody made a big thing of it, but everyone moved up to make room. I was accepted.