Kildare's Good Turn in Gorovaan

Wishart’s Lodge,

Da Marh,

Parhoon

 

Private Correspondence

 

My dear Kildare,

If all has gone to plan, you should now be reading this note safely ensconced in Gorovaan. I hope the stewards at the Cricket Club have replaced the soda - that last batch was quite simply, rancid vinegar. 

The mission you have undertaken is of the utmost importance not just to the Syrtis Major Trading Company, but indeed to Her Majesty and Her Majesty’s Government itself.

 

As we are all aware, Britain is now at war with the Empire of Oenotria, and I have to tell you that we are in for a hard time of it. We have barely enough forces here on Mars to look after things as it is, so Lord Folkestone will be heading our Martian Legion to bolster the Regular boys here around Syrtis. What we don’t need is another player on the pitch, and that old boy is where you come in to this great game.

We have reason to believe that a German couple, Herr and Frau Zenner, are actively engaged in matters very anti-British in and around Gorovaan. It’s quite possible that you may already have had a frosty reception from the Gorovaanese, if the spooks from Office 20, here in Syrtis, have got their intelligence and spying all ship shape.

 

Quite simply, we need to speak to the Zenners about what they have been getting up too, so we need them to be ‘persuaded’ by your self and your accompanying party to relocate their Trade Legation enquiries to Parhoon. We need to know their contacts, their supports and what they have achieved there, and on their intentions for the future. All manner of rumours abound as to who’s been dropping carbines into the Oenotrians laps, but the Office 20 boys have a sneak tip that the Germans are behind all of this. Whatever, we need the Zenners alive and able to answer questions and we need them back in Parhoon at the soonest opportunity.

Sorry to have kept you in the dark my good man, but the Zenners will be expecting you and your entourage to be doing glad-handing and back-slapping here in Gorovaan now there’s a war on. Had to maintain the façade for a quite a few of our ‘allies’ to see.

 

Good luck, and a speedy return, and if you need anything, your man Bough has a few of the 'Company' chitties.

 

Wishart