innovate-issue-005

"You are comparing sources" the man said, with a twinkle in his eye, "Let me see"I could not very well resist and let him lift the Nicholson papers out of my hands."Ah, Nicholson" he smiled, "A true rogue, but what we needed back then.""I always had that impression" I managed, thinking of the Nicholson I knew leading the Delhi FieldForce during the Indian Mutiny"Being Governor did not come easy to him", the man picked out a communication from 1868 and read,"Once again I must protest at the diminution of the allowance for my men, and the reduction in trafficupon the Saint Petersburg line now that it has been handed back to Russian control. Urgently rectifythe situation, by cutter if necessary, but do not think we will be silent in our Fate""Mmm" I said, since something needed to be said"Of course, six months later he was relieved of command and replaced by the Duke of Devonshire""Military or civilian?" I asked what I hoped sounded like a neutral question"Both", the old man smiled, "But you are quite correct, Cavendish held the Governorship direct fromParliament whereas Nicholson had appropriated it as a result of his military endeavours""How long was Devonshire there?" I asked, wondering at how I could say such things when I knewfull well that Archangel had never been in British hands."Let me see", he folded the papers up and retied the string around them, "If memory serves me rightCavendish served as Governor a full ten years before being invalided home. He died soon after ofpneumonia, I seem to recall""What happened then?""Hmmm?" the fellow had reached down to return the papers to their correct shelf, "Then? Oh you mustmean in Archangel... Now you are asking.."He was quiet for a moment, head titled to one side as if accessing an internal data bank by this method"I know that Gordon was Governor in the 1880s, but who replaced Cavendish until then, I cannot quiterecall""I suppose it is quite obscure" I said, in what I hoped was a kind fashion"He probably was" the fellow agreed, "Sometimes non-entities get appointed to these important posts,do their stint then get replaced by the truly great."Important post, I thought, so Archangel was not just a leftover from some Russian war, as Nicholson'slater communiqués had appeared to suggest, but had been valued for itself."I trust you will not spread any more of the collection upon the floor?" he said, twinkle gone from hiseye"No of course" I stammered, "I will carry them to the table before opening them""Very well" he looked as if he was going to say something else, then nodded, "So be it" he said, andwalked offI stared after him. So be it? What was that supposed to mean ?