Nanny Asante and Edward "Eddie" Horniman in “Do You Reject Satan?”

Have you heard the news? The King is in.

Ah, swift work, Nanny. Thank you.

Charlotte’s raced up to tell Mama.

Hm. How are you?

All right, good.

Well, she’ll be very happy. We haven’t had a visit from a monarch since the 18th century, believe it or not.

Well, he’s particularly excited to meet you, Eddie. A duke done good in farming, no less. When I told him about how much you’re raking in on your various agricultural exploits, he was gagging to find out more.

I hope you didn’t build me up too much.

You won’t disappoint, Eddie. You won’t. You’ve changed since you left the army. In a good way, I hasten to add. Most people who’ve seen what you have will either disappear into a bottle or blow their brains out.

It’s certainly a struggle for many of our comrades. Some more than others.

Well, you, my friend, do seem to have grabbed life by the lapels.

That’s kind of you to say, Nanny. But I think, uh, it’s not 100% accurate.

You’ve never been any good at taking compliments, Eddie. Part of your charm, I suppose.

Hm.

Anyway, I’ll go and lend some moral support. Preparations for a royal visit can feel daunting to the uninitiated.