"In fact, I believe we have met before."
josh
Initially I had tried to delicately shrug Clemence off, feigning ignorance and turning sharply away, but there was little room for negotiation in their statement.
While petrified, I stiffened my upper lip and stared the man down, aware of the tangential journeys I could embark on. I could come across as bewildered, befuddled and utterly loopy, or an all guns blazing offensive maniac. I settled on the former with the latter safely stowed in my back pocket.
“MR JIMINY!” His face slowly shrunk in horror. “MY GOOD LORD COULD IT BE YOU?”
“I, er…”
“Oh, wait - no, I’m sorry, good sir, my father was Mr Jiminy. You must be Saint Yves.”
“I believe…”
“Or are you from the third rank? Please do refresh my memory?”
“Come to think of it, I must have been mistaken,” he quickly backtracked. “I’ve never been so confused in my life.”
Against my hip, the weight of the revolver lessened. Keeping just a slight twinge of crazy in my left eye I allowed myself to exhale and release the tension in my neck.
Believing myself to be safe I turned away once more just in time to hear the click of the safety release.