Oporto at Headquarters.

George paced the room trying to shake off the unpleasantness that still gripped him. Seeing some papers made him realise that with all the commotion he forgot to bring certain papers to the General. He picked them up, and after a moment's consideration took the invitations too.

The building was almost silent and felt as if everyone was in bed, but the sentries informed Hunter that the General was not to be disturbed under any circumstances, even though the man was still up and apparently talking to someone in the room he used as an office. Sighing George looked at the papers, trying not to crease them. He should really make sure they got to the General tonight. He walked down the corridor, and found the General's bedroom door.

The room was empty. There was a desk by the window where there were stacks of paper already. George put the papers he was carrying on top. Something attracted his attention. At first he thought it was just a shadow, but then he realised that it was a rather large and ugly spider. After a small pause he picked up a crumpled paper from the waste paper basket and transferred the spider onto it carefully.

It was childish, silly and unneccessary. He couldn't resist it. Anything more drastic would be too much. But this seemed almost natural. And really, human or particularly his involvement was minimal. Who knew, maybe the spider would have done the same thing without his prompting.

George shook the spider off into one of Sir Arhtur's boots, standing at the foot of the bed and left the bedroom with an almost obscenely satisfied smile.