Chapter 5, Perqs and Plots Summary

Ryan is finally released from the hospital and is met by none other than the Duke of Edinburgh. Ryan is relieved at learning the hospital, but to now be taken to Buckingham Palace by the husband of the Queen of England makes him very uneasy. As an American, he finds the trappings of royalty boggling to the mind. He resents it on one hand and on the other hand, he marvels at the extent of it. He does not feel as intimidated by the Duke as much as he does by the Queen because they are both military men, but the wealth and splendor of the Palace render him speechless. As an historian, he views the belongings of the Royal Family as priceless mementos of the past; they see it as "home". The small dinner party put...