The Legion of the Lost, стр. 56

Stolte was sitting on a chair absurdly small for him, gazing into Drusilla’s eyes. A fatuous smile of contentment spread, over his gross features, and once or twice he uttered a throaty laugh. Palfrey wondered how she had managed to charm him into acquiescence while keeping him at a distance.

Stolte looked round as Palfrey entered, and his expression altered.

‘Herr Professor, I am in great trouble,’ he said abruptly. ‘I have learned that you and the others of your party did not deliver up your passports—it should have been done, there has been negligence somewhere. There will be trouble because Herr Aarlack has left again with his, but perhaps it can be overlooked—if I have yours, the Fräulein’s and the others.’

There was nothing for it but to acquiesce. In real emergency they could obtain fakes, but as he surrendered his, and Drusilla gave hers to Stolte, he felt disturbed.

He left them together again, and had been in the bedroom for some time when he heard footsteps. Conroy and Brian were returning.

‘Hallo,’ said Palfrey. Conroy had closed the door. ‘Had a good trip?’

‘Fair to middling,’ said Brian, yawning. ‘It’s a place not unlike this, near the station, filthily dirty, with half the houses in the street knocked down. Railway stations can’t be healthy spots in Berlin. Two or three people went in and out,’ said Brian, ‘and we inquired for rooms. A woman nearly as fat as Olga Loffler told us that they were all taken, then banged the door in our faces. I don’t know how we’re going to gain entry there. Still, there’ll be some arrangements made, I suppose. Where’s Drusilla?’

‘Enthralling Herr Stolte,’ said Palfrey, with a vague smile. ‘Listen.’ He told them what Stefan had done, knowing that, however much it was against their inclinations, they would agree on its wisdom.

It was not long before Stolte, looking guilty because he was late, blundered into the room. They must hurry, for they had an appointment with the Fräulein Silversen for six o’clock.

It was still daylight when they reached a large concrete building on the Adolf Hitler Platz, a vast, wide thoroughfare nearly a hundred yards across, with great gaps in the buildings on either side. Two or three times they saw huge blocks of concrete, camouflaged green and grey, standing sixty or seventy feet high. All were without windows. On the corners of each squat block poked the muzzles of antiaircraft guns.

Near one of the blocks was the building to which Stolte led them. They went down two flights of stairs. Stolte rang the bell at a door which was illuminated by a tiny blue light. After a long pause it opened.

Hilde stood there.

‘She’s too young,’ thought Palfrey, ‘much too young!’

‘I have a message, Fräulein, from His Excellency,’ Stolte said ingratiatingly, handing her an envelope which he took from his pocket. It was heavily sealed with blue wax. Deliberately, offensively, she studied the seals and then broke them open. Palfrey was surprised; she had just the right air of condescension and she looked a German.

She read quickly, then looked up and said: ‘I shall talk to them, Stolte. You will return in three hours.’

Stolte mumbled something deep in his throat as he turned away. Palfrey smiled as the man disappeared and as Hilde led them into a narrow passage, crowded when all four of them were inside, with the door closed. She pushed open another door, stood at the threshold of a small, square room for them to pass. Only when that door closed, did she alter her expression. She did more – she flung herself at Brian and put her arms about him, kissed him warmly, turned away from him and treated Conroy in exactly the same fashion. She was about to descend upon Palfrey, her eyes glowing and her expression one of sheer delight, when she stopped, took his hands, and said demurely: ‘I must not forget Drusilla, of course!’

‘Er—certainly not!’ said Palfrey.

Drusilla smiled and embraced Hilde, who laughed. ‘But perhaps I should be forgiven for anything I did! Herr Professor—’ her eyes were pools of laughter, Palfrey had never seen a greater transformation. ‘Your leader, the Marquis, was there ever so wonderful a man? He arranged all this for me. I am now close to the men who are of importance in Germany! I feel that I have burst from the horrors that were on me, that I have a chance of working—and what a chance it is! What a chance!’ she repeated, still gripping Palfrey’s hands. ‘I feel that I can really make some contribution to the defeat of Germany. Now, please, sit down!’ There were low, comfortable easy chairs about the room, and when they were seated she perched herself on a stool, her linen skirt draped about her legs and touching the floor, the light shining on her braided hair. ‘Now, that is better. And I have news! I am friendly with von Otten’s aide, the charming Karl.’ She shot a quick mischievous glance at Brian, who coloured. ‘It was easy to discover that the Count has two weaknesses—Schnapps and women, pretty women! And I am pretty enough, it was quite easy for me to make him realise that!’

Brian said: ‘Look here—’

‘Please,’ said Hilde. Although she smiled, something in her eyes suggested that there were things she preferred not to discuss.

No one spoke, and she went on: ‘Forget that, please! It was two nights ago. I had come from Norway, they believed, and the Marquis had arranged for me to have most excellent credentials. I had met Karl, who warned me against von Otten. Poor Karl!’ she added, softly. ‘He is a nice child, in many ways. If he were not a Nazi I think I could like him.’ She paused, looked subdued, then shrugged her shoulders and clasped her hands about her knees. ‘It was at the Palace of Gold. There are many private rooms, and the Count held a private party. And he was so drunk! There