The Judas Boy Read online

  Fielding Gray, his face and mind scarred by a Cyprus terrorist's bomb, is sent back to the scene of his disaster to prepare a television feature on the liberated islanders. On the way he twice narrowly escapes violent death. Not even the lustfully inventive Angela Tuck can take his mind off the fact that someone is anxious to eliminate him before he digs too deeply into a squalid and explosive political scandal, but he refuses to be dissuaded - until he meets Nicos, golden-bodied young Greek bearing tempting gifts which Fielding has never been able to refuse ...

  'Ravenry of the highest order'

  Times Educational Supplement

  'An ingenious thriller with plenty of erotic sex'n'violence thrown in to spice up the brew'

  Observer

  'Particularly recommended is the account of the fiendishly ingenious torture by sexual titillation'

  Listener

  The critics on Alms for Oblivion

  'Simon Raven has always had a distinctive tone -confident, worldly-wise, insolently comic... a highly entertaining narrative style... Exciting, sleazy, cynical and funny... Indulgently bizarre sex scenes rub shoulders with sharply observed human dilemmas and relentlessly exposed psychological and political manipulation'

  Edwin Morgan, Sunday Times

  'Whereas Anthony Powell is indulgent to privilege and Lord Snow is indulgent to power, Mr Raven is savage to both... Mr Raven seems to me to have a far clearer perception of what is going on in the world than either Lord Snow or Mr Powell... His whole sequence is marvellously witty, intelligent and entertaining'

  Francis King, Sunday Telegraph

  'Nobody can complain of Simon Raven that he doesn't try to give his readers their money's worth ...

  It is a strangely humble and endearing performance: less silly, less nasty and less affected than its up-market equivalent, A Dance to the Music of Time by '

  Anthony Powell'

  Auberon Waugh. Evening Standard

  'The Raven charivari is as scandalously compelling as Evelyn Waugh's diaries. Vulgar, but not common (to borrow Waugh's phrase), it can accommodate a whore's parlour as readily as a smart cavalry mess'

  Michael Barber, Books and Bookmen

  A truly powerful vision of evil and corruption. This is an achievement which can hardly be dismissed as mere entertainment'

  D. A. N. Jones, Times Literary Supplement

  'Alms for Oblivion is... full of ingenuity, cunning codes and anagrams and bits of startling expertise ... Enormously enjoyable, a ready-made cult waiting to be discovered, a holiday bouquet asking to be picked, as invigorating in its irritations as in its satisfactions'

  In this Panther edition, the novels of the Alms for Oblivion sequence are arranged for the first time in chronological order, though each volume presents an independent story. The Judas Boy, set in 1962, is sixth in the series.

  Front cover photograph Michael Brammen

  FICTION

  0 586 02883 8

  UK. 95p REP OF IRELAND £1.04½ AUSTRALIA $3.25 NEW ZEALAND $2.95

  Simon Raven was born in London in 1927. He was educated at Charterhouse and King's College Cambridge where he read Classics. After university, he joined the army as a regular officer in the King's Shropshire Light Infantry and saw service in Germany and Kenya where he commanded a Rifle Company. In 1957 he resigned his commission and took up book reviewing. His first novel. The Feathers of Death, was published in 1959. Since then he has written many reviews, general essays, plays (which have been performed on both radio and television), plus a host of successful novels including the highly acclaimed ALMS FOR OBLIVION sequence, published for the first time in this Panther edition in chronological order. The sequence takes its title from a passage in Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, has been referred to as 'a latter-day Waugh report on another generation of Bright Young Things', and has been compared favourably with the romans fleuves of Anthony Powell and C. P, Snow. Simon Raven lives and works in Deal, Kent.

  Published by Granada Publishing Limited in Panther Books 1969 Reprinted 1971, 1979

  ISBN 0 586 02883 8

  First published in Great Britain by Anthony Blond Ltd 1968 Copyright Simon Raven 1968

  Granada Publishing Limited Frogmore, St Albans, Herts AL2 2NF and

  3 Upper James Street, London W1R 4BP

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  CML Centre, Queen & Wyndham, Auckland 1, New Zealand

  Made and printed in Great Britain by ,Bithard Clay (The Chaucer Press) Ltd Bungay, Suffolk

  Set in Linotype Times 4

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that In which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

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  Table of Contents

  PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS IN

  ALMS FOR OBLIVION

  Author's Note

  Prologue

  Part I: The Island of Love

  1: Envoi

  2: En Route

  3: Intimations and intimacies

  4: The Castle

  Part 2: Arcadia

  5: Appraisals

  6: Revivals

  7 : Diversions

  8: Journey's End

  9: Sweet Argos

  Contents

  List of Characters 6

  Author's Note 16

  Part One:

  THE ISLAND OF LOVE

  1 Envoi 17

  2 En Route 28

  3 Intimations and Intimacies 46

  4 The Castle 76

  Part Two:

  ARCADIA

  5 Appraisals 93

  6 Revivals 109

  7 Diversions 124

  8 Journey's End 138

  9 Sweet Argos 148

  PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS IN

  ALMS FOR OBLIVION

  The Alms for Oblivion sequence consists of ten novels. They are, in chronological order: Fielding Gray (FG), set in 1945; Sound the Retreat (SR), 1945-6; The Sabre Squadron (SS), 1952; The Rich Pay Late (RPL), 1955-6; Friends in Low Places (FLP), 1959; The Judas Boy (JB), 1962; Places Where They Sing (PWTS), 1967; Come Like Shadows (CLS), 1970; Bring Forth the Body (BFB), 1972; and The Survivors (TS), 1973. What follows is an alphabetical list of the more important characters, showing in which of the novels they have each appeared and briefly suggesting their roles.

  Albani, Euphemia: daughter of Fernando Albani q.v. (TS).

  Albani, Fernando: Venetial merchant of late 18th and early 19th centuries. Author of manuscripts researched by Fielding Gray q.v. in 1973 (TS).

  Albani, Maria: wife to Fernando (TS).

  Albani. Piero: son of Fernando (TS). Not to be confused with the Piero q.v. of no known surname who lives with Lykiadopoulos in Venice in 1973 (TS).

  Balliston, Hugh: an undergraduate of Lancaster College, Cambridge in 1967 (PWTS); retreats to a convent of Franciscan Friars near Venice, and is recognized in Venice by Daniel Mond in 1973 (TS).

  Beatty, Miss; a secretary in the firm of Salinger & Holbrook (RPL). 1956 (RPL).

  Beck, Tony: a young Fellow of Lancaster College, well known as a literary critic (PWTS).

  Beyfus, The Lord (life Peer): a social scientist. Fellow of Lancaster College (PWTS).

  Blakeney, Balbo: a biochemist. Fellow of Lancaster College (PWTS); still a Fellow of Lancaster and present at Daniel Mond's funeral in 1973 (TS).


  Blessington, Ivan: a school friend of Fielding Gray in 1945 (FG) later a regular officer in the 49th Earl Hamilton's Light Dragoons (Hamilton's Horse); ADC to his Divisional Commander in Germany in 1952 (SS): by 1955 an attaché at the British Embassy in Washington (RPL); by 1972 retired from the army and working at high level for a prominent merchant bank (BFB); pensioned off from the bank for indiscretion in 1973 (TS).

  von Bremke, Herr Doktor Aeneas: a prominent mathematician at the University of Göttingen (SS).

  Brockworthy, Lieutenant-Colonel: Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, the Wessex Fusiliers, at Berhampore in 1946 (SR).

  Bunce, Basil: Squadron Sergeant-Major of the 10th Sabre Squadron of Earl Hamilton's Light Dragoons at Göttingen in 1952 (SS), and on Santa Kytherea in 1955 (FG); present at Daniel Mond's funeral in 1973 (TS).

  Bungay, Piers: Subaltern officer of the 10th Sabre Squadron at Göttingen in 1952 (SS).

  Buttock. Mrs Tessie: owner of Buttock's Hotel in the Cromwell Road (RPL, FLP. JB. CLS), a convenient establishment much favoured by Tom Llewyllyn and Fielding Gray q.v.

  Canteloupe, The Marchioness (Molly): wife of The Marquis Canteloupe (FLP, SR).

  CANTELOUPE, The Most Honourable the Marquis: father of The Earl of Muscateer (SR); distant cousin of Captain Detterling q.v. and political associate of Somerset Lloyd-James q.v., successful operator of his 'Stately Home' and in 1959 Parliamentary Secretary for the Development of British Recreational Resources (FLP); Minister of Public Relations and Popular Media in 1962 (JB); Shadow Minister of Commerce in 1967 (PWTS); Minister of Commerce in the Conservative Government of 1970 (CLS); still Minister in 1972, though under heavy pressure (BFB). 1973 (TS).

  Carnavon, Angus: leading male star in Pandarus/Clytemnestra Him Production of The Odyssey on Corfu in 1970 (CLS).

  Camwath, Doctor: a Cambridge don and historian; an old friend of Provost Constable, and a member of the Lauderdale Committee: early 1950s (BFB).

  Chead, 'Corpy': Corporal-Major (i.e. Colour Sergeant) of the 10th Sabre Squadron at Göttingen (SS); present at Daniel Mond's funeral in 1973 (TS).

  Clewes, The Reverend Oliver: Chaplain to Lancaster College (PWTS).

  CONSTABLE, Robert Reculver (Major): demobilized with special priority in the summer of 1945 to take up appointment as Tutor of Lancaster College. Cambridge (FG); by 1955 Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salop, and ex officio member of the Board of Strix (RPL); elected Provost of Lancaster in 1959 (FLP): still Provost in 1962 (JB) and 1967 (PWTS) and 1972 (BFB): ennobled as Lord Constable of Reculver Castle in 1973 (TS).

  Corrington, Mona: an anthropologist. Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge. Chum of Lord Beyfus q.v. (PWTS).

  Cruxtable. Sergeant-Major: Company Sergeant-Major of Peter Morrison's Company at the O.T.S., Bangalore, in 1945-6 (SR); 'P.T. expert' at Canteloupe's physical fitness camp In the west country (FLP).

  DETTERLING, Captain: distant cousin of Lord Canteloupe; regular officer of The 49th Earl Hamilton's Light Dragoons (Hamilton's Horse) from 1937; in charge of recruiting for the Cavalry in 1945 (FG); instructor at the O.T.S., Bangalore, from late 1945 to summer 1946 (SR); by 1952 has retired from Hamilton's Horse and become a Member of Parliament (SS); still M.P. in 1955 and a political supporter of Peter Morrison q.v. (RPL); still M.P. in 1959, when he joins Gregory Stern q.v. as a partner in Stern's publishing house (FLP); still M.P. and publisher in 1962 (JB)and 1970 (CLS), and 1972, at which time he gives important assistance to those enquiring into the death of Somerset Lloyd-James (BFB); inherits his distant cousin Canteloupe's marquisate by special remainder in 1973 (TS), and insists that the spelling of the title now be changed to 'marquess'.

  Dexterside, Ashley: friend and employee of Donald Salinger (RPL).

  Dharaparam, H.H. The Maharajah of: an Indian Prince; Patron of the Cricket Club of the O.T.S., Bangalore (SR).

  Dilkes, Henry: Secretary to the Institute of Political and Economic Studies and a member of the Board of Strix (RPL, FLP).

  Dixon, Alastair: Member of Parliament for safe Conservative seat in the west country; about to retire in 1959 (FLP), thus creating a vacancy coveted both by Peter Morrison and Somerset Lloyd-James q.v.

  Dolly: maid of all work to Somerset Lloyd-James in his chambers in Albany (BFB).

  Drew, Vanessa: v. Salinger. Donald.

  Engineer, Margaret Rose: a Eurasian harlot who entertains Peter Morrison q.v. in Bangalore (SR).

  fitzAvon, Humbert: otherwise called Lord Rollesden-in-Silvis, the man with whom the manuscripts of Fernando Albani q.v. are principally concerned (TS).

  de FREVILLE, Max: gambler and connoisseur of human affairs; runs big chemin-de-fer games in the London of the fifties (RPL). maintaining a private spy-ring for protection from possible welshers and also for the sheer amusement of it (FLP); later goes abroad to Venice, Hydra, Cyprus and Corfu, where he engages in various enterprises (FLP, JB, CLS), often in partnership with Lykiadopoulos q.v. and usually attended by Angela Tuck q.v. His Corfiot interests include a share in the 1970 Pandarus/Clytemnestra production of The Odyssey (CLS); still active in Corfu in 1972 (BFB); still in partnership with Lykiadopoulos. whom he accompanies to Venice in the autumn of 1973 (TS).

  Frith, Hetta: girl friend of Hugh Bulliston q.v. (PWTS). 11967 (PWTS).

  Galahead, Foxe J. (Foxy): Producer for Pandarus and Clytemnestra Films of The Odyssey on Corfu in 1970 (CLS).

  Gamp, Jonathan: a not so young man about town (RPL, FLP, BFB).

  Gilzai Khan, Captain: an Indian officer (Moslem) holding the King's Commission; an instructor at the O.T.S.. Bangalore, 1945—6; resigns to become a political agitator (SR). 1946 (SR).

  Glastonbury, Major Giles: an old friend of Detterling q.v. and regular officer of Hamilton's Horse; temporary Lieutenant-Colonel on Lord Wavell's staff in India 1945-6 (SR); officer commanding the 10th Sabre Squadron of Hamilton's Horse at Göttingen in 1952 (SS).

  Grange, Lady Susan: marries Lord Philby (RPL).

  Gray. John Aloysius (Jack): Fielding Gray's father (FG). 1945.

  Gray, Mrs: Fielding Gray's mother (FG). c. 1948.

  GRAY, Major Fielding: senior schoolboy in 1945 (FG) with Peter Morrison and Somerset Lloyd-James q.v.; scholar elect of Lancaster College, but tangles with the authorities, is deprived of his scholarship before he can take it up (FG), and becomes a regular officer of Earl Hamilton's Light Dragoons; 2 i/c and then O.C. the 10th Sabre Squadron in Göttingen in 1952 (SS) and still commanding the Squadron on Santa Kytherea in 1955 (KG); badly mutilated in Cyprus in 1958 and leaves the Army to become critic and novelist with the help of Somerset Lloyd-James (FLP); achieves minor distinction, and in 1962 is sent out to Greece and Cyprus by Tom Llewyllyn q.v. to investigate Cypriot affairs, past and present, for BBC Television (JB); in Greece meets Harriet Ongley q.v.; by 1967 has won the Joseph Conrad Prize for Fiction (PWTS): goes to Corfu in 1970 to rewrite script for Pandaris/Clytemnestra's The Odyssey (CLS); in 1972 is engaged on a study of Joseph Conrad, which is to be published, as part of a new series, by Gregory Stern (BFB); derives considerable financial benefit from the Conrad book, and settles temporarily in Venice in the autumn of 1973 (TS). His researches into a by-water of Venetian history cause trouble among his friends and provide himself with the material for a new novel.

  Grimes, Sasha: a talented young actress playing in Pandarus/Clytemnestra's The Odyssey on Corfu (CLS).

  The Headmaster of Fielding Gray's School (FG): a man of conscience.

  Helmutt, Jacquiz: historian; research student at Lancaster College in 1952 (SS); later Fellow of Lancaster (PWTS); still a Fellow of Lancaster and present at Daniel Mond's funeral in 1973 (TS).

  Holbrook, Jude: partner of Donald Salinger q.v. 1949-56 (RPL); 'freelance' in 1959 (FLP); reported by Burke Lawrence q.v. (CLS) as having gone to live in Hong Kong in the sixties; discovered to have retired, with his mother, to a villa in the Veneto 1973 (TS), having apparently enriched himself in Hong Kong.

  Holbrook, Penelope: a model; wife of Jude Holbrook (RPL); by 1959, divor
ced from Jude and associated with Burke Lawrence (FLP); reported by Burke Lawrence (CLS) as still living in London and receiving alimony from Jude in Hong Kong.

  Holeworthy, R.S.M.: Regimental Sergeant-Major of the Wessex Fusiliers at Göttingen in 1952 (SS).

  Jacobson, Jules: old hand in the film world; Director of Pandarus/Clytemnestra's The Odyssey on Corfu in 1970 (CLS).

  James, Cornet Julian: Cambridge friend of Daniel Mond q.v. in 1952 a National Service officer of the 10th Sabre Squadron at Göttingen (SS).

  Joe: groundsman at Detterling's old school (BFB).

  Lamprey, Jack: a subaltern officer of the 10th Sabre Squadron (SS).

  La Soeur, Doctor: a confidential practitioner, physician to Fielding Gray (FG. RPL. CLS).

  Lawrence, Burke: 'film director' and advertising man (RPL); from c. 1956 to 1959 teams up with Penelope Holbrook q.v. in murky 'agency' (FLP); c. 1960 leaves England for Canada, and later becomes P.R.O. to Clytemnestra Films (CLS).

  Lewson, Felicity: born Contessina Felicula Maria Monteverdi; educated largely in England: wife of Mark Lewson (though several years his senior) and his assistant in his profession (RPL). 11959 (FLP).

  Lewson. Mark: a con man (RPL, FLP). 1959 (FLP).

  Lichfield, Margaret: star actress playing Penelope in the Pandarus/Clytemnestra production of The Odyssey on Corfu in 1970 (CLS).

  LLEWYLLYN, Tom: a 'scholarship boy' of low Welsh origin but superior education: author, journalist and contributor to Strix (RPL): same but far more successful by 1959, when he marries Patricia Turbot q.v. (FLP); given important contract by BBC Television in 1962 to produce Today is History, and later that year appointed Namier Fellow of Lancaster College (JB); renewed as Namier Fellow in 1965 and still at Lancaster in 1967 (PWTS); later made a permanent Fellow of the College (CLS); employed by Pandarus and Clytemnestra Films as 'Literary and Historical Adviser' to their production of The Odyssey on Corfu in 1970 (CLS); still a don at Lancaster in 1972, when he is reported to be winning esteem for the first volume of his magnum opus (published by the Cambridge University Press) on the subject of Power (BFB); comes to Venice in the autumn of 1973 (TS), nominally to do research but in fact to care for Daniel Mond.