Mouse trap

‘You look shattered.’

Charles dropped his hat on a chair.  ‘I’m not designed for diplomatic parties four nights a week.’

‘It’s a hard life serving one’s country,’ Stafford said, unsympathetically.   ‘Well?’

‘What?’ 

‘Kozlov.  MICE?’

Charles stared back blankly.

‘An acronym used by our American friends.  Money, ideology, coercion or excitement?’

‘Excitement?’

‘Women.  Men.  Perversions.’

‘Oh.  I’m not sure I’m suited to this spying business.’

‘A nice Cambridge man like yourself -- nonsense.’  Stafford poured a whisky and held it out.  ‘Kozlov?’

‘I’m not sure he’s for turning.’

‘He’s got too used to little luxuries.’

‘Money then?’

‘See, you’re a natural.’




A drabble is a story of exactly 100 words.