CYPRUS INTERLUDE l8l 



Papadopoulos of the Postal Department was written upon it and 

 sent through the post to the philatehst. Mr, Papadopoulos wrote 

 that he had noticed an increasing volume of letters addressed to 

 Lieutenant-Commander Gordon from the western districts where 

 Communism was taking some hold. This, he went on, aroused 

 suspicions and he reminded Gordon that it was illegal to use 

 His Majesty's Mails for seditious purposes. 



There were several officers in the mess when the letter was 

 opened. Gordon read it in silence and his expression became more 

 sullen as his eyes cast dovsTi the page. Bristling with rage, he 

 bustled off to his cabin to write a stinker to Mr. Papadopoulos in 

 reply. He told officialdom at Limassol that theirs was a case of 

 unwarranted interference with the freedom of the individual and 

 that if there were any more such accusations he would write to 

 the Postmaster General in Nicosia. 



The Postmaster at Limassol was equally indignant and replied 

 that there was no Mr. Papadopoulos on his staff and that as far 

 as he was concerned Gordon could write as many letters as 

 he liked to himself, if that was his particular form of amuse- 

 ment. 



Gordon realised now that his leg had been hauled well and 

 truly. But he said nothing, except that the postal authorities sus- 

 pected a hoax and were instituting police enquiries. A few days 

 later a chance for sweet revenge fell right into the General's lap. 

 He thought that the Medical Officer had been the ringleader of 

 the hoaxers and so when he saw the Limassol Police launch making 

 its way out to the ship at anchor he said, 'Hullo, Doc, here come 

 the police to investigate the postal hoax. I've told them 1 think 

 you were the instigator.' Doc tried not to appear alarmed, al- 

 though his heart was thumping, and he sneaked from the quarter- 

 deck before the two policemen came up the gangway. They said 

 they wished to see the Captain and after Gordon had taken them 

 up to the cuddy he went down to tell the Medical Officer where 

 they had gone and inferred that things looked pretty black. The 

 minutes ticked slowly by; Doc said nothing and became paler. 

 At last the Quartermaster came to the wardroom door, 'The 

 Captain wishes to see the Medical Officer in his cabin,' said he. 

 Even Gordon was surprised by this move and the Doctor moved 

 off to face the police. 



