As I reached the stairway I realised that Mister Brown had followed me.
'Let me help.' he said, and without waiting for my consent he siezed my arm and half carried me up the stairs.
'Who do you think took the books?'
'It has to be one of the students. I should have realised. I saw the girls in the dance studio - and really - well - I should have realised, and then later, I saw the young men going to the disco and indulging in horseplay - usually this far into the term they are rather more relaxed. Then Ian gets dressed up and goes to a disco where he exhausts himself dancing - he is called the McGeek - someone is probably handing round the little cheese bisuits with innocent looking dip with green bits in.'
'Why does he have to go back?'
'Well - whoever it is might decide to give him seconds - if they do we'll nab them, or rather the stewards and you will. It has to be the right one or there could be a diplomatic incident.'

'I'll be sure to ask if they made it themselves, or if someone gave it to them and suggested they bring it to Ian.'
'Good thinking.' I wheezed.
I grabbed my black kilt, a white shirt, and a grey belt from the wardrobe, then went to the drawers and pulled out the fawn socks which had had the accident with the blue things in the washer. They were going to be close enough to grey in the dark.
'Who are they for?'
'Ian.'
'Will they fit him?'
'Oh yes.'
Rather to my surprise they did. The stewards took an arm each and we all sallied forth into the Autumn night.
It was very cold now, and before we reached the Rotunda Ian was feeling much better. The music was still pounding away inside, and there was rather a lot of shouting and shrieking going on.
I waited in the corridor outside of the main hall, and ten minutes later the stewards appeared with Amber, and a tray. I sniffed the bowl.
'Where did you get this?'
Messrs Brown and McGreagor emerged behind them.
'Did you make this?' I persisted.
'I - thought it looked nice.'
'But the recipe - where did you get the recipe?'
'I - I..'
Her lower lip trembled.
'From the safe? Just nod if you did.' said Mister Brown.
She nodded.
'Can you hear all the noise in there?'
Her perfect brow furrowed. 'Surely you don't think that this could have caused it - it must be the punch - someone must have added something to the punch.'
'I rather think it was you and this.'
'But - Uncle Grant said that was just silly.'
'When was this?'
'In the summer, I made some desserts for him, and he liked them - he liked them very much and he said that I should let him have the recipes - he phoned every week, because somehow the recipes won't go in an email, and then when we started main courses I had no more recipes and he started to get nasty. He had some of his friends phone too. I thought that if I could send him copies of the books he's stop. He was like a crazy person.'
I nodded.
'Is there any more of this?'
She shook her head, her long golden hair shimmered.
'It's all been eaten. I saved that for Ian - Mister McGreagor. I think he likes it when I bring him things to eat.'
'I bet.'
'He talked to Uncle Grant, and his friends - when he was there and they phoned.'
'About desserts?'
'No, about kilts.'
'I think I am beginning to understand how it happened - but what is it about pink?'
'Oh yes, pink - Uncle Grant hates pink - he says it reminds him of pink punish, whatever that is - he gets really strange about anything pink.'
'But everyone is avoiding pink - even pink porridge.'
'Only children put jam in their porridge.'
'Really?'
'Everyone knows that, surely?'
'I think you better go back to the dance and encourage everyone to dance - until they are really tired.'
'But - what about the recipes?'
'That can probably wait until morning.'
Amber adjusted her strips of clashing tartan and returned to the hall, followed by the stewards.
'You look rather dashing, Mister McGreagor - how do you like the kilt?'
'I'm not sure. I like how it goes - ' he swayed from side to side to make the pleats dance.
'There's an inch under eight yards in it - though of course for this weather you really need wool - that is cotton - to cool you down quickly.'
'I think I'll go back and dance too.'
'If you are feeling up to it.'
'Oh yes - I feel quite alright now.'
I looked at Mister Brown.
'I believe there will be some dinner available in the south dining room if you care to eat.'
His eyebrows rose.
'Perfectly ordi - well not perfectly ordinary - rather good in fact.'
'I'd be delighted.'
'Then afterwards, I'm sure I have a cd of Under Siege - its about a cook.'
'I think I've seen it.'
'There was a sequel, I believe.'
'I've seen that as well.'
'I think we have Sky.'
'I'd settle for coffee.'
I thought about that.
'That is a very American expression.'
'Could be.' he admitted.