Magestic 2, page 27
He screamed with delight, a hundred soon reached. ‘Capital, Mister Holton, capital.’
I dropped him back safely, escorting him into the hotel, our future wartime leader still smiling.
He shook Jimmy’s hand. ‘The famous Mister Silo, I presume.’
‘The even more famous Winston Churchill.’
‘Only in my club, only in my club,’ he said as we walked in. We fetched his party drinks in the hotel bar, Churchill talking of fast cars and his flight here. He could not shut up about the flight here: tea and food on the plane, a toilet, reclining seats, newspapers! Capital, just capital!
He tired quickly and headed off to his room, and we met them again after breakfast the next morning. A bus transported our party to the tractor factory first, to see the jeeps; Churchill trying one for ten minutes. At the plane factory, two of the visitors eased into a Cessna and viewed the inlet for a pleasant twenty minutes. Back on the airfield, six of them clambered into a Dash-7 and viewed Vancouver.
Back on terra firma, lunch ordered, we spoke of aircraft costs and production times, of Africa - and Churchill’s adventures there. That evening, sat around the bar with Jimmy and myself, he asked, ‘What motivates you, Mister Silo – if you don’t mind me asking?’
‘Motivates me … in what area?’ Jimmy asked.
‘In helping poor dumb fools like me.’
‘You underestimate yourself. I have your speeches sent over, and read them all.’
‘I wondered why you slept so soundly,’ he joked. ‘They send me off, even when I’m giving them!’ We laughed. ‘They say you never knew your real parents,’ he broached. ‘Yet you go to great lengths to assist the empire, to the point of grand larceny.’
‘I firmly believe that my parents were British, and I grew up thinking so. As for the help I extend to your countrymen: I see the British Empire as … umpires in a cricket match, allowing fair play. If there is fair play in various regions, then I can do business there. The British influence … is one of roads, railways, and education. A foolish approach by you, but admirable nonetheless.’
‘Foolish … of us?’
‘If you educate a man, he’ll want his freedom. If he sees you drive a car, he’ll want one. Rub shoulders with a poor man and you turn on a light, the light of ambition.’
‘A very good point, Mister Silo, a very good point. And what do you see as the future of the British Empire?’
‘If you’re clever, you’ll change your spots to stripes. You’ll change from governors to business partners, letting the locals have the political power, whilst you own the majority stake in the businesses. Those businesses - hotels and railways - will always be more influential than old men in stuffy meeting rooms. Since you’re in many countries to earn a crust from them, business is the way … rather than political dominance. You need to dance with the girl … and touch her when she’s not looking, rather than approach her father.’
Churchill laughed, tipping his head back.
‘Tomorrow we’ll fly off early to see a new toy,’ Jimmy said. ‘Be up at 5am please.’
‘A few whiskies will send me off; just knock hard in the morning.’
At 5.30am we boarded a Goose, soon heading northeast and towards the secret airfield, chatting as we went, coffee made. It was a one-hour flight, and we landed in good weather, a clear sky afforded our visitors today. On the apron sat two prop fighters.
Clear of the Goose, Churchill said, ‘They look damned sporty.’
The pilots were already sat in the planes, starting them as we climbed to the tower roof. And the planes were armed. With cold drinks provided, flies and midges pestering us, the two planes took off in sequence, radio messages relayed via the loudspeaker.
‘Coming back around … slow fly past …’
They flew past.
‘That what you call slow?’ Churchill asked.
‘That’s what we call … crawling,’ I said, getting a look.
‘Coming back around … power up … two hundred … two fifty … three hundred … three fifty … four hundred … four fifty…’
They shot past at about two hundred feet.
‘Four hundred and fifty miles per hour,’ I said, our guests astonished, yet worried with it.
‘On attack run,’ crackled out of the radio.
‘Attack … run?’ Churchill repeated.
‘Watch the buildings over the airfield, where the red flag is,’ I said, pointing.
They peered across. Our two planes swooped in, modified RPGs fired down, the buildings blown to pieces. Our planes landed.
‘Most impressive,’ our guests said, but did so cautiously.
Churchill said, ‘These aircraft would be available to us to buy?’
‘They would,’ Jimmy confirmed. ‘If you were at war, attacked, or needed them. They would not be available to buy as toys, since playing with toys causes jealousy in others, and we don’t want other nations to know what toys we have to play with – till we stick them down their throats.’
Our guests exchanged looks.
The wine of jet engines starting could now be heard. ‘What in blazes is that?’ Churchill asked, looking around.
Jimmy stated, ‘The planes you just saw would give any nation a shock if they met them on the battlefield. This next aircraft would … finish them off.’
Now they could see the jet taxiing out.
‘That thing has no propeller,’ they noted.
‘The propeller … is on the inside,’ Jimmy explained. ‘A clever bit of design.’
The roar increased as Hal taxied the jet down to the end of the runway.
‘Lined up,’ crackled from the loudspeaker. ‘Flaps twenty … power up, sixty percent … twenty … forty … sixty … eighty … nose up … gear up.’
‘Gear up, Hal,’ the tower confirmed.
‘Flaps up … full power.’ He went vertical. ‘Two thousand feet … four … six … nine … twelve … fifteen … seventeen … nineteen … twenty thousand, levelling off.’
The visitors could see Hal’s vapour trail, all now craning their necks, hands over eyes.
‘He’s now at twenty thousand feet,’ Jimmy informed a stunned group.
‘Nose down … picking up speed … three hundred … three fifty … four hundred … five hundred … six hundred … seven hundred, supersonic … seven fifty … eight hundred … eight fifty.’
The sonic booms hit us, people glancing around to see what was making the noise.
‘Levelling out … power down.’
‘Nine hundred miles per hour,’ Jimmy informed the group.
‘Coming back around … attack run … lined up … flaps twenty … slowing.’ He fired a burst at the ruins of the buildings across the airfield before levelling off. ‘Power on … picking up speed … turning around … lining up … four hundred … five hundred … six hundred.’ He burst past, just a blur, people snapping their heads around, hands over eyes.
‘Dear god,’ someone said. These guys were still flying biplanes made of cloth and wood.
Hal landed, and we nudged people down and towards the jet. With the engine off, Hal clambered down and met us.
‘What does it feel like to ride that beast?’ Churchill asked.
‘Like having a rocket underneath you, sir.’
‘You’re an American?’
‘Yes, sir.’
Churchill turned. ‘And do the Americans know about these astonishing aircraft?’
‘Not yet,’ Jimmy said. ‘And I insist … that the details of these aircraft be kept very quiet. If others … knew of them, then others would be working hard to copy them. And then, someday, maybe the Germans and Italians would have them – and we would not want that, would we.’
Churchill took a moment, lighting a cigar. ‘They would be available to only us?’
‘If Britain was in a war – not of its own choosing - then yes. If America was in a war – not of its own choosing - then yes. For keeping down the natives in Africa? No.’
‘And the reason for this … demonstration?’ Churchill asked.
‘To open your eyes to what is possible, and what is available, and to remind you that if you don’t research better armaments that there are others out there who might. I did it, so maybe Germany could do so as well. And if they got there ahead of you it would be … most unfortunate. I hereby formally request that the Canadian Government go to whatever lengths it can to keep this place - and these planes - secret, and that both of your nations send me liaison officers, and a few pilots that I can train in the use of these aircraft. That way, should you find yourself in a war, you’d have pilots trained ready.’
Churchill took a moment. ‘Yet you would not release them ahead of time?’
‘If they’re here, and hidden, why would the Germans and others research better aircraft? They believe you to fly slow biplanes, and now crude and slow monoplanes. When playing poker, why show your hand, when deception is called for?’
‘The plane I flew here in impressed me greatly,’ Churchill stated. ‘How foolish I was to be satisfied with the first gift box opened. And that plane? Could it drop bombs?’
‘Yes, it could. It could fly at twenty-five thousand feet over Germany and drop bombs, or could fly from London to Cairo, drop bombs, and return without landing.’
‘And the cost of these aircraft?’ they asked.
‘Would be whatever they cost us to make,’ Jimmy responded. ‘We don’t aim to make a profit from you, but we may have a few favours to ask afterwards. The first of those favours, for allowing your people to study these planes, is to allow more Russian Jews to settle in Palestine, since they’ve fled the communists and are not welcome in Germany.’
‘An odd … arrangement,’ Churchill noted.
‘Humour me. Now, we have some other toys to show you.’
Churchill stood with an RPG on his shoulder, and checked the aim. Bang! A building in the distance disintegrated. ‘Capital!’
He tried a fifty calibre, hitting a target a thousand yards out, firing a mortar tube next. Finally he tried an AK47, blasting away at a wooden barrel full off water. ‘Capital! You make good toys, gentlemen.’
As we nudged them towards the waiting Goose it powered up, the tea soon on, our guests still a bit stunned. They spoke little on the way back, after all it was a propeller engine aircraft and still loud. I helped with the dispensing of tea and coffee, plus extra pillows. The guests stared down at the Canadian countryside, and I had to remind myself that passenger flying in this day and age was still rare.
Back at the hotel, we sat again with Churchill, the elderly War Minister off for a nap after the excitement. That War Minister was Churchill’s boss technically, the procurement committee answering to him; Churchill was now in the opposition.
‘You are a Zionist, Mister Silo?’ he asked.
‘No, a realist. The Jews are being expelled from Russia, or leaving of their own accord, and they’re not welcome in Germany. Some will drift back to their ancestral homeland, and a trickle will become a flood - so there’s no point in building a sandcastle of obstinacy when the tide is coming in. A great statesman moves with the tide, not against it.’
‘And you’ll twist our arms in a pleasant manner to get your way.’
‘I will, yes.’
‘I’ve been thinking about what you said at the airfield, and you’re right. If those planes were shown off we’d start a competition, the outcome of which would be a more determined effort on the part of our enemies to catch up. I can see that now. If we have submarines, so must they, and so on and so on. But a war might require a great many aircraft…’
‘We’d see a war coming a year or two ahead, and we’d be ready. Besides, you’d need few of these aircraft,’ Jimmy suggested. ‘We’re also working on other weapons, the likes of which would require more than a few whiskies to get you off to sleep.’
‘And why do you involve yourselves in these things?’
‘We build aircraft to ferry passengers and make money, but we can also see the potential for abuse and misuse of the advancement of ideas and engineering. If we can see it … so can others.’
‘We’ve not long placed an order with de Havilland over here, whose aircraft now appear as is mere paper toys,’ Churchill lamented.
‘We’ll be happy to supply you our basic aircraft at good rates,’ I offered.
‘Could they be made in Britain?’
‘No, the process is very complex … as well as our trade secret,’ I explained. ‘It’s our one great advantage.’
‘Advantage? How so?’
‘It’s damn hard to copy,’ I said. ‘Damned hard. So if our planes were taken apart by people like the Germans … they’d spend a long time scratching their heads and getting nowhere. The key to our security … is in the preparation of the metals used. Four hundred engineers and scientists working five years came up with it, and then it was damned hard.’
‘So it would take another power at least that amount of time,’ Churchill realised. ‘If we possessed them a year before a conflict -’
Jimmy cut in with, ‘My preferred approach ... would be surprise. If you had them, you may simply delay a potential conflict until such time as the enemy felt more confident. If you hit them hard on day one then the shock may just turn the tide of war. And our aircraft can fly from here to London in a day.’
‘A day?’ our guest scoffed.
‘A day,’ Jimmy insisted. ‘And should there be a wider conflict in China or the Far East, we’re well placed to get them to you in a day as well.’
‘Did you choose this place for its isolation?’
‘For its isolation, and its proximity to American markets for our aircraft,’ Jimmy explained.
Churchill lit up again, blowing out a fragrant grey pawl. ‘Given your very colourful tribal background – the stories of which I no longer doubt, not least about how rich you are - some see you as a threat to the stability of our African colonies.’
‘Was there a question in there?’ Jimmy nudged.
‘What are your views on our African colonies, given your sympathies for the blacks?’
‘Those blacks … are not yet ready to govern themselves. If and when they are I will assist them to prise away your grip. The tide is coming in for African blacks, but has at least twenty years to go. At least.’
‘And then?’
‘And then it would be wise for you to become business partners with the blacks, not bed fellows.’
Churchill blew out another fragrant pawl. ‘They say you own half of Kenya already.’
‘And that half is geared towards British staff, British companies, and will always be the case. I may have said it before, but think about business for the future, and be my partner in Africa rather than a colonial power. I make fridges in Africa, and that employs blacks – which helps the local economy. I sell the fridges to hotels, who benefit their customers, improving life in Kenya. I make money, and can spend it on rail track. Do you see the synergy?’
‘Three birds with one stone, if not four,’ our guest admitted.
I said, ‘If you can’t see at least three angles to something we do, then you’re missing something.’
‘Young Peter Forsyth gets a great deal of leeway because of his close connection to you,’ our host thought he should mentioned.
‘We grew up together,’ Jimmy explained. ‘And should he cable me that he needs those planes early, I would probably comply.’
Our host studied Jimmy intently for a moment. ‘You mentioned that you often bored yourself to sleep with my speeches…’
‘I see you as someone with great potential, and a kindred spirit in attitude, although not towards the recent miner’s strike. I am more … Labour than Tory. Still, you’re welcome here anytime, and you’ll always have my ear; telegram as often as you like. And when you fly aboard my aircraft you will always fly free, anywhere in the world.’
‘That’s good of you, too good. I might be suspicious of your motives – if I actually held any cards. Since you hold all of the cards I shall play at being a good underling. You not only have the aircraft, you have the cars and munitions. As a member for the procurement committee, I could justify regular visits here.’
‘We’ll always have toys for you to play with when you arrive,’ Jimmy said with a smile.
Churchill slowly nodded. ‘Any chance of seeing that flying car again?’
I smiled. ‘I’ll have it brought around.’
With our guest in the car, we sat with the Canadians, who were a little bemused as to why they were in on the meeting at all.
‘Gentlemen,’ Jimmy began. ‘We do not wish to involve ourselves in anything without your permission or kind co-operation. We’d also point out that we pay tax here, and employ a great many people. If we sell the British our armaments in the future then you will benefit greatly. You … are our business partners.’
‘Could we put a full-time liaison officer here?’
‘Of course you can, whenever you’re ready,’ Jimmy offered them.
The British contingent promised to house a procurement officer here as well, and to send us RAF pilots. Jimmy asked that the pilots be young, and that they receive at least five years experience with us. Saying our goodbyes outside the hotel, Hal flew by in the bedstead, the darn thing now a little more reliable. He hovered, waved, and flew off.
‘How much whisky was in my coffee?’ Churchill asked, making me smile.
The Canadian Government were allocated an office in the aircraft factory, three men to be sat in it permanently, and Canadian police officers and Mounties could soon be seen in the area. The only track leading towards our secret airfield in the middle of nowhere received a sign: “Government property, landmine testing ground, no entry.” Our secret factory received a few signs as well: “This is a restricted area by order of the government.”
A few days later I was called down to the aircraft factory, to the pilots’ office – but by Susan. There stood five pilots in smart new uniforms, and looking just like modern era British Airways pilots.
‘Very nice,’ I said, and our commercial pilots adopted the smart uniforms, soon turning the ladies’ heads.
