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Innoright rule that meetings were, 'without prejudice', for human beings only. This was because some Innoright members had strong views on domestic pets - 'no better than Negro slaves on plantations' - and others equally strong views in the opposite direction. Monkey, while assuring Fox that Noel's presence at meetings had been perfectly acceptable to him personally, had delicately persuaded him to leave Noel behind for the cell meetings also, on grounds of Noel's noticeability.
    Tom was vaguely foreign looking - but the foreignness was sufficiently unspecific for him to merge into the vast confluence of youngish foreign looking men on the Underground who might be students or at least carrying students' cards. His complexion was darkish — but it was olive-dark, not brown, and might even be the product of a recent holiday in the sun. Spanish or Portuguese blood? Possibly. Not Asian, at least probably not Asian: Tom was tall. Iranian or an Arab of some sort? Could be. Something Middle Eastern was certainly plausible. In general Tom might have been the kind of actor who plays foreign parts on television, minor characters in established series, never more than half seen or half remembered by the general public. It was the fact that Tom could vary the racial impression which he gave, which had persuaded Monkey to enrol him when he was produced by Beagle (Monkey had had to reject the idea of recruiting a handsome black from East Ham, of Nigerian descent, a founder member of Innoright, because his ethnic origin was too easily identifiable).
    As for Monkey, Chicken, Lamb, their particular types, the City gent, the neatly if drably dressed woman of a certain age, the nice girl in her thoroughly Sloane-Ranger clothes, these types reproduced themselves endlessly around them.
    'Nothing exceptional about us.' It was Monkey's theme song.
    'Except what we're going to do, darling,' murmured Tom.
    'No connections between us.' It was Monkey's other constantly reiterated cry.
    'Except that we're all members of Innoright.' This time Tom spoke louder.
    'Correction. We all were members of Innoright. Beagle resigned in protest against current policy, on my instructions. As a matter of fact, Lamb never joined, only went to a couple of meetings and met Beagle. I'm a member, so is Pussy.'
    'I was a very early member, a founder member, I think you'll find, unlike Pussy,' put in Chicken in her comfortably firm voice, the voice of the teacher who will not be overlooked in the midst of the class. 'I have consistently voted against the amalgamation of Innoright with other groups on the grounds that -'
    'Absolutely, my dear Miss, or should I say Mrs, Chicken?'
    Monkey interrupted her hurriedly, this was no time for that hoary old Innoright issue concerning its links with other groups.
    'Absolutely. And Fox here was, like myself, a founder member. But he too has resigned. On my instructions.'
    The treatment of Noel —' began Fox in a mutinous voice; he had been becoming visibly restive during Chicken's speech.
    'Provided the perfect excuse,' finished Monkey neatly. 'So you see, Tom, no secrets about it, all carefully worked out, except we don't hand about our membership list in the first place. And you? It's news to me that you are a member. Are you a member? Under what name?'
    'I vouch for Tom.' Beagle, leaping to Tom's defence again.
    At recent meetings these frictions had been stronger than ever, as the date on which the Plan had to be carried out drew closer and could not of its very nature be postponed. And yet, as Lamb said privately to Beagle afterwards, these arguments, these niggling disagreements were ludicrous, really. She wi shed she could tell Beagle her w orry about Tom, the way he kept looking at her and other things. But she had to remember Tom was Beagle's friend.
    Instead she said: 'We all want the same thing.'
    'Innocent Rights,' said Beagle, and he took the lobe of Lamb's delicate ear in his fingers and gave it a little sharp nip.
    This