The Cheese Shop Annotations & Transformation story: Comte is a code word for spies
The mysterious man walked into the shop, he was in a long black coat with his hair slicked back. He strolled casually towards the counter and murmured in a deep, husky voice "Do you have any er Comte cheese?" The assistant looked over the mans shoulder checking to see if there was any else behind him, to see if it was clear. After a slight pause, he looked directly into the man's eyes and pointing behind him made the signal and said "Comte? We've got some here sir" The customer looked around uncertainly and after a brief hesitation made a similar signal to the assistant and said "Er how much is that?" The assistant answered back looking at the weighing machine with "All this? It's quite a bit. £9.31" he made a tapping sound on the table followed by a sign message . It had been said. It was time. The customer thought for a moment and replied "£9.31? I'll have half of that", and then nodded. The customer had become cautious about this now. The assistant muttered quietly "half of that?" It was clear now; the date had been set it would happen on the 31st of September, 31.09. The door swung open, it was just the wind. The customer looked behind him and said casually "Yeah. I didn't think you used to you didn't sell it usually. Last time I came in you weren't selling it." The assistant was on edge now and sternly said"Must have run out." The customers expression changed, this news was new had the target mission changed? The customer insisted "No he said you sold Gruyere instead", this meant that the target used to be a man, in secrete he was called 'Gruyere'. The assistant looked puzzled "Yeah. When did he say that?" The customer leaned in closer "oh about six months ago." The assistants face changed he was shocked, but he quickly adjusted himself to this new information if the mission had changed it would have meant things needed clearing up about the 'Gruyere' mission "Paul here used to work for Gruyere but because they gave him so much of it he just got sick of it" The customer understood. "Ah. Well, we'll see anyway". The assistant desperate to tell him said "It's not like this Comte" The customer had become angry hearing this "No." The assistant couldn't tell him anymore, something's were just classified information "Anything else?" The customer had got the most of what he could get, the date was set and it was inevitably going to happen now "No that's it, thanks". The assistant realised he had forgotten to tell him what time it would happen "That'll be £4.52, please" he said wrapping the cheese; it was actually a MI5 weapon. The customer smiled handing him the money "£4.53, there we are." The assistant had one last thing he had to give him "Thank you very much. Do you need a bag for that?" Looking carefully at the assistant the customer replied "I wouldn't mind actually" The assistant picked up two bags, clearly jetpacks. "Do you want a paper or a carrier bag?" "Paper bag's fine" He was set now for the mission, he knew what he had to do. "Yeah there you go" said the assistant smiling; formalities had to be kept to protect his cover. "Thanks very much. Bye." Everything was done now 31.09 and at 4:52pm it would happen, he was equipped for the mission, his king black coat was the last thing the assistant ever saw.