Have Your Cake and Eat It

[RAAF Spitfire Girl]

"Since you cannot possibly excuse your escapade," Biggles finally finished, "and continue to behave like a school boy rather than a responsible, commissioned officer, I shall treat you as one."

[Fairblue]

Taffy almost visibly trembled. He definitely hadn't foreseen that and only hoped Biggles wouldn't make him wear short trousers.

[RAAF Spitfire Girl]

But Biggles had more dire plans for Taffy's immediate future. He hid his satisfied grin as he watched the unfortunate younger man squirming.

[Fairblue]

"You're not serious, sir!" Taffy protested, as Biggles outlined what exactly that would mean.

[kylie_koyote]

Biggles assured Taffy that he was quite serious.

"But the other chaps will laugh at me!" Taffy cried.

A slow smile spread across Biggles' face. "Yes."

[Fairblue]

"Except when you're on Ops, of course," Biggles added, in a serious tone. "I rather think we need you to be Pilot Officer Hughes for those."

[RAAF Spitfire Girl]

“But...” Taffy’s further protest died on his lips as he saw the completely uncompromising expression on his C.O.’s face.

“When do I start?” He asked weakly.

[Fairblue]

"Right away," Biggles replied. He looked at his watch. "You might just have time to do those lines before you have an early tea."

[RAAF Spitfire Girl]

Taffy saluted and dolefully returned to the Mess, having retrieved a copy of the King’s Regulations relating to behaviour of commissioned officers in the RAF. He wondered if he could complete today’s number of lines without anyone noticing.

[kylie_koyote]

In this, he was doomed to disappointment.

Ginger, at least, was sympathetic.

[Fairblue]

Taffy confided to him what Biggles had lined up. "100 lines!'" he protested. "I have to copy this line 100 times ," he showed Ginger the appropriate reference from the King's Regulations. "In my neatest handwriting. And that's only the beginning, look you!"

[RAAF Spitfire Girl]

Ginger, although sympathetic, had difficulty hiding his grin. He also found it was very hard not to say, yet again, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Just then Tug walked in followed by the rest who had been called back to base from their exercise.

[Fairblue]

"What's this? Writing to your girlfriend?" Before Taffy knew what was happening Tug had whisked the sheet of paper away and was reading it avidly.

[StoneRoad]

"Give that back, now" snapped Ginger

[Fairblue]

"Who made you the boss?" Tug retorted to Ginger as he moved away from him.

[RAAF Spitfire Girl]

"Why on earth are you writing out the King's Regulations?" asked Tug after a few seconds of incredulous reading. He still held the paper annoyingly out of reach.

[Fairblue]

Taffy made an uncomplimentary reply just as Biggles walked in with the Air Commodore.

[kylie_koyote]

“My goodness, Mr Hughes,” Raymond said, stifling a smile with great difficulty. “Surely things aren’t that bad.”

[RAAF Spitfire Girl]

Tug handed the paper back to Taffy with alacrity as everyone in the room turned to face Raymond and Biggles. Taffy, for once, was lost for words and stared at the Air Commodore in dismay, the sheet of paper clutched in his hand.

[Fairblue]

"Er...no, sir," he managed to get out. "I was just teaching Tug the Welsh accent."

[RAAF Spitfire Girl]

“Rather colourfully, I see,”commented Raymond drily. He turned to Biggles. “Perhaps we can talk with Mr Hughes privately, Squadron Leader?”

[Fairblue]

All eyes in the Mess turned to Taffy, who was suddenly looking very alarmed. Earlier, if he had been given the choice, he would have said he'd rather have had an interview with the Air Commodore than Biggles in his present mood, but now he knew differently. Brass hats did not speak to Pilot Officers unless there was something seriously wrong. Still, at least the Air Commodore had made a joke, which meant things might not be too bad after all. Overall, he thought, he could trust Biggles to see fair play.

[StoneRoad]

"My Office, I think" Biggles said, keeping a straight face with some difficulty.
And promptly turned to usher Raymond in the required direction.

[RAAF Spitfire Girl]

“Right, Taffy,”said Biggles when all three were safely ensconced back in himself office, “now that Mr Fighis has gone, I’d like you to tell the Air Commodore everything that happened this morning from the time you broke through the fence until you arrived back at the guard house. We want to know everyons’ Names I found you know them, and full descriptions of everyone you met, and everything you talked about.”

[kylie_koyote]

Taffy looked properly embarrassed. “There’s a bit that’s fuzzy, look you, thanks to the couple o’pints I had.”

“That’s alright,” Raymond said, surprisingly gently. “Just go over everything as best you can recall.”

Taffy took a deep breath.