Ruby slip-up

Just after - and possibly partly due to - the last blog, Mike got arrested. The reason and explanation of which is probably another your-round job, sorry. The event could be recounted like a Len Deighton thriller, with daring paragraphs of my tailing of him and his escort through the side streets round Red Square and returning to the hotel to replace sandals with boots to better fit the mood, but before the sentence is complete it all begins to sound a bit ridiculous.

It is far better to leave you with the happy conclusion: circumstances gave us another chance to seek the marvelous services of the British Foreign and Commonweath Office who, despite mildly provoking the police officers by directly conveying our fears of bribery, were timely and efficient in killing the police laughter brought on by Mike's seemingly empty threat of "Consulate!". Their call to the unmarked station gave him the chance to utter the immortal line, "He wants to speak to you."