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The Vengeance of the Statue

Final story

Horne Fisher meets Marsh, the journalist, who is about to blow the lid off a scandal involving high ranking British politicians.  H-F convinces Marsh to come to a weekend meeting first.  The corrupt men are, in fact, contriving a way to save Britain.  Corrupt in their personal ways, they remain true to the English ideal.  Except for H-F's uncle.  H-F has to kill him to keep him from betraying England.  Then, in an apocalyptic finale, H-F shows the English/Irish where the invading Germans are, and dies in the process.

Quite a story . . . audacious on many levels.  Very much "England the greatest country in the world" in spite of the flaws of English individuals.  The group is much, much greater than the individuals.

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