Adam Faith, Fergus Finally and a low smarm count

One day a certain party by the name of Preference Purcell sends word he wishes to lunch with me.

Preference is not this man’s first name and never has been, but he is called Preference because it pleases him and he is such a man as you want to please, being permanently in the know and a good fixer.

Preference knows which first preferences were cast in any constituency in any election. This knowledge allows him to invite people like me to lunch and stick me with the bill, which he does twice a year or oftener, depending on how hungry he is feeling.