How about those fuzes?"
"To what do you refer, may I ask?" said Mr. Faulks very blandly; but
his blood was boiling at the indignity of being lectured thus by a
young man altogether new to the office.
"It is all in this morning's _Times_. The siege is at a standstill;
the fuzes won't fit the shells. There are plenty of 10-inch fuzes, but
only 13-inch shells. Who is to blame for that?"
"Our ordnance branch, I fear. But it shall be seen to: I will address
a communication to the head, calling his attention to the error."
"And when will he get the letter?"
"In the course of the next two or three days."
"And his reply will take about the same time to reach you, I suppose?"
"Probably: more or less."
"Where is the office of the ordnance branch? In this house?"
"Oh, no!" replied Mr. Faulks, in a voice full of profound pity for the
lamentable ignorance of his chief. "It is at No. 14."
"Just round the corner--in fact, half-a-dozen yards off?"
"Yes, about that."
"Well, look here, Mr. Faulks: you just put on your hat and go round
the corner and see the head of the ordnance branch, and settle all
this with him in the next five minutes, d'ye hear?"
"What, I? personally? That would be altogether against precedent and
contrary to the rules of the office. I really must decline to
introduce such a radical change.
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