The Legion of the Lost, стр. 31
In spite of the death of Ohlson, Palfrey felt lighter-hearted; it was no more than a partial failure.
The bearded man went on. ‘They are having breakfast in the cellar. There is a honey-comb of cellars and should there be any alarm then you can get through quite safely. You are Dr. Palfrey?’
‘Yes,’ said Palfrey.
‘Your evidence, please?’
‘You have a chromium-plated cigarette case here, recently delivered and bearing the initials “S.A.P.”,’ said Palfrey. ‘It cannot be unfastened except by opening it at what appears to be the hinge.’
The sober eyes smiled.
That is good,’ he said. ‘And I am Carlson.’ He took a cigarette case from his pocket, handing it to Palfrey, who thanked him and put it into his own. Five minutes later, Palfrey was in the cellar.
It was eleven o’clock when Palfrey took out the chromium-plated cigarette case. He had wanted to let things settle down before seeing what message had come from the Marquis, yet he knew the others had been waiting eagerly for the news. He opened the cigarette case at the hinges, then prised up a thin layer close to one of the sides; it stuck out like the page of a book. Beneath it was a thin piece of folded paper. He extracted and unfolded it, then Conroy came towards him, holding a match. Palfrey warmed the paper first at the match and then at a candle which Stefan lit. After what seemed a long time, black lettering showed up on it.
The message was in code.
Palfrey put it on the table so that they could all read it, but was the first to decipher the opening paragraph. Erikson would be taken off by submarine that night. There were full instructions, which were simple enough to follow in the second paragraph, but there was no suggestion that they should go with Erikson.
Palfrey started on the third paragraph and was halfway through when he felt his heart beating faster. His excitement increased as he came to the end. There was little enough there; Jan Machez, the Czech, and Ridzer, the Pole, were both in Berlin. The Marquis’s final words were: ‘If you think there is a reasonable chance, try. Full information will be brought to you in the submarine.’
Conroy was the first to break the silence, with a laconic: ‘We do go places, don’t we? What do you think, Sap?’
Chapter Fifteen
Arrangements for Four
He stood on the sea-washed beach of Trenborg, hearing the faint splash of oars in the water. Half an hour before, he had seen the two green flashes which had appeared some way out to sea in the Vejle Fjord. He knew that the Germans were less careful with regard to the inland seas and coastline, the defences at Fredericia and the east coast of Jutland being negligible compared with those of the North Sea Coast. He realised, too, that once through the Skagerrak and Catte-gat, the submarine’s course would be comparatively easy.
Two men had rowed Erikson away; there had been little time for farewells. Now the splash of muffled oars reached Palfrey’s ears. Two shadowy figures waded towards him.
A brief exchange of words, then a hushed request for him to help the boatmen to carry some packages which they had brought from the submarine. Palfrey expected two or three and was amazed to find that there were at least two dozen, none of them small and some requiring two men to handle.
‘A number of very useful things,’ said the old man of the inn. ‘Powdered milk, butter, a number of other things to help our women and children; some explosives and firearms. It is not often that we have a visit like this, but whenever there is one we are always sent gifts. It gives us hope, Doctor.’
They drew nearer the entrance to Trova, making no sound, for rags were tied over their boots and they walked cautiously. The quiet of the night was so profound that, when it was a long way off, they heard the sound of a car engine.
The car drew up, the headlights lending a strange beauty to the wooden houses and the little church.
‘They have gone to the Kommandant’s headquarters,’ said Carlson, not uneasily but in a more thoughtful voice than he had used before.
Three men appeared from the car, which had drawn up a little beyond the door of the house which the Kommandant was using; the three men were clear in the headlamps. Two were in uniform, both big men: the third was in mufti, and Palfrey would have thought little of that had not the light shone on his bare head. It had a reddish glint; and the civilian was much smaller than either of his fellows.
‘I think I recognise one of them,’ said Palfrey slowly. ‘If I do, I don’t like it at all. Can you get Debenham to come and join me?’
Nothing happened for some time, until at last he heard a door opening behind him, and a moment later Brian’s voice.
‘What’s the excitement, Sap?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Palfrey. ‘There’s a man I want you to get a good look at. He’ll probably show up again in a minute or two.’
Then the quiet was broken by footsteps. Two men left the Kommandant’s house, both moving at the double.
The confusion of sounds, voices, clatter of rifles and banging of doors threatened to distract their attention from the Kommandant’s house, but both were looking towards the door when it opened again and the little man reappeared. This time he was facing them and walked straight into the light.
‘Sap!’ gasped Brian hoarsely. ‘That’s—’ he drew a deep breath, Palfrey felt his arm quiver, there was an incredulous note in his whispering voice. ‘That’s the little swab on the motor-cycle!’
‘Yes,’ said Palfrey crisply. ‘Open the door, Bry!’
Brian obeyed, as more orders were barked at