The hut would have been big enough to serve as a one-car garage, if the car were small enough. Three beds, a table, three chairs, a cooking stove and that was all: the radio room was a tiny office next door.
‘I am sad and disturbed,’ George said. ‘Profoundly disturbed.’ He poured himself a large glass of wine and drank half of it in one apparently endless gulp just to show how profoundly disturbed he was. ‘Sad, perhaps, is a better word. The realization that one’s life and one’s lifework has been a failure is a bitter pill to swallow. The damage to one’s pride and self-esteem is irreparable. The effect, overall, is crushing.’
‘I know what you mean,’ Petersen said sympathetically. ‘I’ve felt that myself.’
George might not have heard him. ‘You will not have forgotten the days when you were my student in Belgrade?’
‘Who could, ever? As you said yourself, not more than a hundred times, a walk with you through the rose-arboured groves of academe was an experience to remain with one always.’
‘Remember the precepts I preached, the eternal verities I cherished? Honour, honesty, straightforwardness, the pure in mind, the open heart, the outright contempt for deceit, deception, dishonesty: we were, remember, to go through the darkness of this world guided solely by the light of the everlasting flame of truth?’
‘Yes, George.’
‘I am a broken man.’
‘I’m sorry, George.’
SEVEN
There were six of them in all, and six tougher looking and more villainous characters it would have been almost impossible to imagine, far less find. There was a curious likeness about them. They were all just over medium height, all lean and broad-shouldered, all clad exactly alike: khaki trousers tucked into high boots, belted khaki canvas jacket over a khaki tunic, and khaki forage caps. They carried no badges, no identification marks. All were armed in precisely the same fashion: machine-pistols in hands, a revolver at waist level and hunting knives stuck into a sheath on the right boot. Their faces were dark and still, their eyes quiet and watchful. They were dangerous men.
Surprise had been complete, resistance- even the thought of a token resistance – unthinkable. The same company as had been in Harrison’s hut the previous evening, had been there just a few minutes before eight that evening when the outside door had burst open and three men had been inside the door with levelled guns before anyone could even react. Now there were six inside, and the door was closed. One of the intruders, a little shorter and a little broader than the others, took a pace forward.
!My name is Crai.’ It was the Serbo-Croat word for black. ‘You will take off your weapons, one by one, and place them on the floor.’ He nodded at Metrovic\ ‘You begin.’
Within a minute every gun in the room – at least every visible gun – was lying on the floor. Crni beckoned Lorraine.
‘Pick up those guns and put them on that table there. You will not, of course, be so stupid as to even think of firing any of them.’
Lorraine had no thought of firing any of them, her hands were shaking so much that she had some difficulty in picking them up. When they were on the table Crni said: ‘Are either of you two young ladies armed?’
‘They’re not,’ Petersen said. ‘I guarantee it. If you find a weapon on their persons or in their bags you can shoot me.’
Crni looked at him almost quizzically, reached under his canvas jacket and produced a piece of paper from his tunic. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Petersen.’
‘Ah! Major Peter Petersen. At the very top of the list. One can see they’re not carrying a weapon on their persons. But their bags?’
‘I’ve searched them.’
The two girls momentarily stopped being apprehensive and exchanged indignant glances. Crni smiled slightly.
‘You should have told them. I believe you. If any man here is carrying a gun on his person and conceals the fact, then if I find it I’ll shoot him. Through the heart.’ Crni’s matter-of-fact tone carried an unpleasant degree of conviction.
‘There’s no need to go around making all those ludicrous threats,’ George said complainingly. ‘If it’s co-operation you want, I’m your man.’ He produced an automatic from the depths of his clothing and nudged Alex in the ribs. ‘Don’t be foolish. I don’t think this fellow Crni has any sense of humour.’ Alex scowled and threw a similar automatic on the table.
Thank you.’ Crni consulted his list. ‘You, of course, have to be the learned Professor, number two on our list.’ He looked up at Alex. ‘And you must be number three. It says here “Alex brackets assassin”. Not much of a character reference. We’ll bear that in mind.’ He turned to one of his men. ‘Edvard. Those coats hanging there. Search them.’
‘No need,’ Petersen said. ‘Just the one on the left. That’s mine. Right-hand pocket.’
‘You are cooperative,’ Crni said.
‘I’m a professional, too.’
‘I know that. I know quite a lot about you. Rather, I’ve been told quite a lot.’ He looked at the gun Edvard had brought him. ‘I didn’t know they issued silenced Lugers to the Royal Yugoslav Army.’
‘They don’t. A friend gave it to me.’
‘Of course. I have five other names on this list.’ He looked at Harrison. ‘You must be Captain James Harrison.’
‘Why must I?’
‘There are two officers in Yugoslavia who wear monocles? And you must be Giacomo. Just the one name. Giacomo.’
‘Same question.’
‘Description.’
Giacomo smiled. ‘Flattering?’
‘No. Just accurate.’ He looked at Michael. ‘And you, by elimination, must be Michael von Karajan. Two ladies.’ He looked at Lorraine. ‘You’re Lorraine Chamberlain.’
‘Yes.’ She smiled wanly. ‘You have my description, too?’
‘Sarina von Karajan bears a remarkable resemblance to her twin brother,’ Crni said patiently. ‘You eight are coming with me.’
George said: ‘May I ask a question?’
‘No.’
‘I think that’s downright uncivil,’ George said plaintively. ‘And unfair. What if I wanted to go to the toilet?’
‘I take it you are the resident comedian,’ Crni said coldly. ‘I hope your sense of humour bears with you in the days to come. Major, I’m going to hold you personally responsible for the conduct of your group.’
Petersen smiled. ‘If anyone tries to run away, you’ll shoot me?’
‘I wouldn’t have put it as crudely as that. Major.’ ‘Major this. Major that. Major Crai? Captain Crni?’ ‘Captain,’ he said briefly. ‘I prefer Crni. Do I have to be an
“They don’t send a mess-boy to bring in apparently notorious criminals.’
‘Nobody’s said you’re a criminal. Not yet.’ He looked at the two Cetnick officers. ‘Your names?’
Metrovic; said: ‘I’m Major Metrovic”. This is Major Ranked.’
“I’ve heard of you.’ He turned to Petersen. ‘You eight will be taking your baggage with you.’
‘That’s nice,’ George said.
‘What is?’
‘Well,’ George said reasonably, ‘if we’re taking our baggage with us it’s hardly likely that you’re going to shoot us out of hand.’
‘To be a comedian is bad enough. To be a buffoon, insufferable.’ He turned back to Petersen. ‘How many of the eight have their baggage here? Men and women, I mean?’
‘Five. Three of us have our baggage in a hut about fifty yards away – myself and those two gentlemen here.’
‘Slavko. Sava.’ This to two of his men. This man Alex will show you where the hut is. Bring the baggage back. Search it very carefully first. And be just as careful in watching this man. He has an appalling record.’ For a fleeting moment the expression on Alex’s face made Crni’s statement more than credible. ‘Hurry nothing, watch everything.’ He looked at Ms watch. ‘We have forty minutes left.’
In less than half that time all the luggage had been packed and collected. George said: ‘I know I’m not allowed to ask a question so may I make a statement? Oh that’s a question, too. I want to make a statement.’
‘I’m thirsty.’
‘I see no harm.’
Thank you.’ George had opened a bottle and downed a glass of wine in what appeared near-impossible time.
‘Try that other bottle,’ Crni suggested. George blinked, frowned, but willingly did what he was told. ‘Seems satisfactory. My men could do with a specific against the cold.’
‘Seems satisfactory?’ George stared at him. ‘You suggest that I could have doctored some bottles, poisoned bottles, against just such an impossible eventuality? Me? A faculty dean? A learned academic? A – a -‘
‘Some academics are more learned than others. You’d have done the same.’ Three of his men took a glass: the other two held their unwavering guns. There was a discouraging certainty about everything Crni said and did: he seemed to take the minutest precautions against anything untoward, including, as George had said, the impossible eventuality.
Metrovic said: ‘What happens to Major Rankovic and myself?’
‘You remain behind.’
‘Dead?’
‘Alive. Bound and gagged but alive. We are not Cetniks. We do not murder helpless soldiers, far less helpless civilians.’