I stayed where I was, looking up at the fluffy afternoon 
clouds and thinking about this and that -
        - until suddenly the shape of a woman in a dark business suit
appeared over me, freakisly distorted by the extremely unusual viewing
angle, and said in a clipped English voice,
        "Caitlin Sanders, SIS.  Would you come with me, please,
Mr. Hutchins?"
        I considered the request for a moment, then replied, "No."
        She blinked.  "... I'm sorry?
        "I said no," I told her.  Keeping my tone pleasant and
nonconfrontational, I explained, "It's the opposite of an affirmative
response.  In this context, it means I do not care to go anywhere with
you or any other SIS sonofabitch at this time.  As it were."
        "Rather thought you'd feel that way, old boy," said another,
familiar voice.  I turned my head to see Brigadier Alistair Gordon
Lethbridge-Stewart coming briskly toward me at a Batman camera angle,
looking out of place in a civilian suit and a camelhair overcoat.  For
the first time I noticed that it was getting a little chilly, the autumn
afternoon gathering toward dusk.
        "Brigadier," I said, surprised.  "I didn't expect they'd send
you if they wanted to talk to me again."
        Lethbridge-Stewart smiled, opened the gate, and reached down to
help lever me to my feet.
        "Let's take a walk," he said; then, turning to the SIS officer,
he added, "Wait here, Sanders.  He won't say a damn thing to me if
you're hovering around."
        "Sir," said Sanders, though she clearly didn't like it.
        "Where'd you get -her-?" I inquired as the Brigadier and I
walked down the street toward Elm Park.
        "The Evil Queen of Numbers insisted one of her own people come
with me in case I got up to anything," Lethbridge-Stewart replied,
speaking the uncomplimentary nickname as if it were an official title.
"Don't worry; if she tries to follow us, I'm sure Sgt. Benton will
think of some way to keep her busy."
        I arched an eyebrow.  "... 'The Evil Queen of Numbers'?"
        Lethbridge-Stewart chuckled.  "My little nickname for
the new M.  Rather caught on around Headquarters, I understand, much
to her ladyship's chagrin.  Bloody beancounter is all she is; if she'd
been in charge of UNIT back in the day, we'd all be speaking Zygonese
now, I expect.  But I digress."