The Legion of the Lost, стр. 52
‘I forgot to give you this yesterday,’ said Palfrey with a smile. ‘You need it badly, don’t you?’
‘Badly, Herr Professor! It is unknown in Berlin—so many things have disappeared in Berlin since the Russian war.’ She sniffed. ‘But when it is over we shall have plenty of such things. Today—a moment, please!’ She dived into her room and came out with a rectangular piece of something that looked like stone. It was no larger than a matchbox. ‘Here!’ she said. ‘That is what is called soap. It must last me for one month for everything—everything!’
It was more like soft pumice-stone, thought Palfrey.
He chatted idly for a few moments, then asked whether she were a friend of Herr Stolte’s.
‘Friend!’ she exclaimed. ‘I would spit—’ quickly she stopped and her eyes grew shadowed. ‘Of course, he is an estimable man and a member of the Party, but I am not used to his ways, Herr Professor.’
Palfrey smiled grimly, understanding the reason for her change of manner.
‘Nor are we, Frau Witt. You will do us a service if you tell us when he comes in. It will give the Fräulein Berg an opportunity for going to her room; for some reason she does not take to him—but it is not wise to give offence. You understand?’
‘The pig-dog!’ exclaimed Frau Witt. ‘You shall be warned, Herr Professor.’
Satisfied that she would keep her word, while having no idea why they were anxious that Stolte should not put in an unexpected appearance, Palfrey went upstairs. The others were in the large room, talking desultorily. When Palfrey closed the door Conroy looked up with one eyebrow raised, giving him a Mephistophelian appearance which amused Palfrey.
‘The guy who nearly crashed us all,’ said Conroy.
‘Yes,’ said Palfrey with a smile. ‘Touch and go, wasn’t it? The lad was no fool.’ He stopped smiling at the thought of what was probably happening then to the club-footed youth. ‘Poor kid!’ he said. He shrugged his shoulders. ‘We might find a way of helping him.’
‘It is hardly likely,’ said Stefan. ‘Sap, we have to give our full attention to other matters, we cannot spend much time commiserating with him, we know what we feel, and it is just one of those things.’
‘Ye-es,’ said Palfrey.
‘We have to thank him for making us safer with von Often,’ said Stefan. ‘For the rest, we do not think a lot of his Excellency, who will be dangerous. You will hardly need telling that. But—what is he? What did he mean by his talk? Have we found what we are looking for?’
Palfrey said slowly: ‘I don’t know. I’ve two theories.’ He explained what had passed through his mind, then added: ‘It’s possible that Hilde will know more about the lost men, she seems to be doing very well. I wonder how the Marquis managed that?’
‘Does it matter?’ asked Brian easily. ‘She’s obviously hoodwinking them nicely—and didn’t von Otten say that she was to be our first tutor? It ought to be an interesting lesson!’
‘In holding hands?’ asked Conroy gently.
‘Don’t be an oaf,’ said Brian, grinning.
‘When this most interesting interchange of opinions is over,’ said Stefan a little heavily, ‘we have to remember two things—-we are looking for the Legion of the Lost, yes, but also for Ridzer and Machez. I have given them some thought, Sap. I like it less than ever.’
Palfrey said: ‘I haven’t forgotten it exactly. It goes without saying,’ he added after a pause, ‘that they’ll be pretty closely guarded, and that a special watch will be kept near them for us. A comforting thought in some ways. They’ll be concentrating on the search for us wherever Ridzer and Machez are being kept. We should be reasonably safe from general attention.’
‘How does it help?’ asked Conroy. ‘We want them, don’t we?’
‘We want plenty of time for preparations,’ said Palfrey thoughtfully. ‘With luck and help from Hilde we’ll get it. And there’s something else. The little club-foot gave me an address. Attanstrasse, Number 8. He also assured me that we wouldn’t be betrayed, which is helpful.’ It passed through his mind that, in a way, they were betraying the club-foot, but he put the thought aside, it would do no good. ‘Does anyone know the place?’
None of them had heard of it, but after recourse to a street guide of Berlin they found it in the working-class district near the Stettiner Station. It was a short road, one end of which debouched on to the wide road which passed the railway itself.
‘Who’s going there?’ asked Conroy.
‘It doesn’t much matter,’ said Palfrey. ‘Are you ready for a walk? An exploration only, nothing else!’
‘It suits me,’ said Conroy.
‘I think I could use some fresh air,’ said Brian. ‘Coming, ’Silla?’
‘I don’t think so,’ said Drusilla. ‘All the Palace of Gold gave me was a headache and an urgent desire for more sleep.’
Twenty minutes later Conroy and Brian were on their reconnaissance expedition. Drusilla was in the large bedroom – the camp-bed in the other room was too small for real comfort, she told them. Palfrey thought that she was quieter than usual, but did not ask her why. He sensed her moods more easily than anyone else’s, and when she went out of the dining-room-cum-lounge she sent him a smile which made him reflect on the two weeks they had spent near Penzance. That turned his thoughts to von Lichner; he ran swiftly over all the events that had followed their encounter with the German.
Stefan broke a five minutes’ silence. ‘Sap, I confess to an uncomfortable feeling of disquiet. Personal disquiet, Sap, I don’t wish to—what is it?—throw a cat to the chickens, but I am too conspicuous here. Had it not been so obvious that there is a widespread warning to look for us I would not be so perturbed, but now—you will pass unnoticed, also Brian and Conroy and