Eld grew more and more worked up as he spoke, and it was as if the stubble he had shaved clean that very morning was about to sprout from his chin all over again.
He had just been about to launch into the story of how General Nelson had personally handed his uncle a telescope, when he heard Arthur beside him say in a languid tone, "All right then. Since you're far too lofty to care about titles, the next time I go into Buckingham Palace I'll just pass along a message for you to Her Majesty the Queen and tell her you're not interested in the Royal Medal either."
Eld had been all ready to give Arthur a proper lecture on the Carter Family's glorious tradition of loyalty and sacrifice. He had just hit his stride with the lofty rhetoric, but as soon as Arthur finished speaking, he froze up as if struck by lightning, his whole body stuck in midair like a piece of wood.
"Wait a moment… what did you just say? What Medal?"
