‘I issued a directive of inquiry prior to my conference this afternoon. You
may void it now.’
‘Yes, sir…. Very good, sir.’
‘May I speak with the head cryptographer, please? A Mr. Ballard, I believe!
‘I’m … Ballard, sir.’
‘Sorry,’ said David curtly, ‘I didn’t recognize you, Ballard. Be ready to
send out the sealed code schedules I prepared for you. The green envelope;
open it and familiarize yourself with the progressions. When I give you the
word, I want it transmitted immediately. On a black-drape priority!
‘What … sirT
‘My authorization is black drape, Ballard. It’s in the lex, so clear all
scrambler channels. You’ll get no flak with that priority. 19H call you
back.’
Yes, sir. . . .’
David hung up, hoping to Christ that Ballard was as good at his job as
David thought he was. Or as good at parlour games as Henderson Granville
thought he was.
‘You’re very efficient,’ said Rhinemann.
‘I try to be,’ said David.
Ballard stared at the telephone. What was Spaulding trying to tell him?
Obviously that Jean was all right; that he and Lyons were all right, too.
At least for the time being.
Be ready to send out the sealed code schedules Iprepared…
David had not prepared any codes. He had. Spaulding had memorized the
progressions, that was true, but only as a contingency.
What goddamned green envelope?
400
There was no envelope, red, blue or green I
What the bell was that nonsense … black-drape priority?
What was a black drape? It didn’t make sense I
But it was a key.
It’s In the lex….
Lex…. Lexicon. The Lexicon of Cryptography!
Black drape…. He recalled something … something very obscure, way in
the past. Black drape was a very old term, long obsolete. But it meant
something.
Ballard got out of his swivel chair and went to the bookshelf on the other
side of the small radio room. He had not looked at The Lexicon of
Cryptography in years. It was a useless, and, academic tome…. Obsolete.
It was on the top shelf with the other useless reference books and, like
the others, had gathered dust.
He found the term on page 71. It was a single paragraph sandwiched between
equally meaningless paragraphs. But it had meaning now.
‘The Black Drape, otherwise known as Schwarzes Tuch, for it was first
employed by the German Imperial Army in 1916, is an entrapment device. It
is hazardous for it cannot be repeated in a sector twice. It is a signal to
proceed with a code, activating a given set of arrangements with intent to
terminate, canceling said arrangements. The termination factor is expressed
in minutes, specifically numbered. As a practice, it was abandoned in 1917
for it nullified . . .’
Proceed … with intent to terminate.
Ballard closed the book and returned to his chair in front of the dials.
Lyons kept turning the pages of the designs back and forth as if
double-checking his calculations. Rhinemann caRed down twice from the
balcony, inquiring if there were problems. Twice Lyons turned in his chair
and shook his head. Stoltz remained in the deck chair by the pool, smoking
cigarettes. AltmWler talked briefly with Rhinemann, the conversation
obviously unsatisfactory to both. Altindlier returned to the chair by the
glasstopped table and leafed through a Buenos Aires newspaper.
David and Jean remained at the far end of the terrace, talking quietly.
Every once in a while Spaulding let his voice carry across; if AltmQUer
listened, he heard references to New York,
40.1
to architectural firms, to vague postwar plans. Lovers’ plans.
But these references were non sequiturs.
‘At the Alvea Hotel,’ said David softly, holding Jean’s hand, ‘there’s a
man registered under the name of E. Pace. E. Pace. His real name is Asher
Feld. Identify yourself as the contact from me
. and a Fairfax agent named Barden. Ira Barden. Nothing else. Yeil him I’m
calling his … priorities. In precisely two hours from … the minute you
telephone from the embassy…. I nwan the mmute, Jean, he’ll understand. .
.
Only once did Jean Cameron gasp, an intake of breath that caused David to
glare at her and press her hand. She covered her shock with artificial
laughter.
Altmiffler looked up from the newspaper. Contempt was in his eyes; beyond
the contempt, and also obvious, was his anger.
Lyons got up from the chair and stretched his emaciated frame. He had spent
three hours and ten minutes at the table; he turned and looked up at the
balcony. At Spaulding.
He nodded.
‘Good,’ said Rhinemann, crossing to Franz AltmWer. ‘We’ll proceed. It will
be dark soon; we’ll conclude everything by early morning. No more delay I
Stoltz! Kommen Sie her I Bringen Sie &e Aktenmappe!’
Stoltz went to the table and began replacing the pages in the attach6 case.
David took Jean’s arm and guided her towards Rhinemann and Altmifller. The
Nazi spoke.
‘The plans comprise four hundred and sixty-odd pages of causal data and
progressive equations. No man can retain such information; the absence of
any part renders the designs useless. As soon as you contact the
cryptographer and relay the codes, Mrs. Cameron and the physicist are free
to leave.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Spaulding. ‘My agreement was to send the codes when they
were back at the embassy. That’s the way it has to be.’
‘Surely,’ interjected Rhinemann angrily, ‘you don’t think I would permit .
. .’
‘No, I don’t,’ broke in David. ‘But I’m not sure what you can control
outside the gates of Habichtsnest. This way, I know you’ll try harder.’
402
42
It was an hour and thirty-one minutes before the telephone rang. Nine
fifteen, exactly. The sun had descended behind the Lujin hills; the lights
along the distant riverbank ffickered in the enveloping darkness.
Rhinemann picked up the receiver, listened and nodded to David.
Spaulding got out of his chair and crossed to the financier, taking the
receiver. Rhinemann flicked a switch on the wall. The speakers were
activated.
‘We’re here, David.’ Jean’s words were amplified on the terrace.
Tine,’ answered Spaulding. ‘No problems thenT
‘Not really. After five miles or so I thought Doctor Lyons was going to be
sick. They drove so fast. . .
After … five ….
Asher … Feld ….
Jean had done it!
‘But he’s all right now?’
‘He’s resting. It’ll take some time before he feels himself. . .
Time.
Jean had given Asher Feld the precise time.
‘All right …. I
‘Genug! Genug!’said AltmOller,s tanding by the balcony.’That’s enough. You
have your proof; they are there. The codesl’
403
David looked over at the Nazi. It was an unhurried look, no at all
accommodating.
‘Yes?’
‘You’re in the radio room?’
‘Yes.’
‘Let me speak to that Ballard fellow.’
‘Here he is.’
Ballard’s voice was impersonal, efficient. ‘Colonel Spaulding?’
‘Ballard, have you cleared all scrambler channels?’
‘Yes, sir. Along with your priority. The drape’s confirmed, sir.’
‘Very good. Stand by for my call. It shouldn’t be more than a few minutes.’
David quickly hung up the phone.
‘What are you doing?l’yelled Altmilller furiously. ‘The codesl Send them I’
‘He’s betraying usl’ screamed Stoltz, jumping up from his chair.
‘I think you should explain yourself.’ Rhinemann spoke !oftly, his voice
conveying the punishment he intended to inflict.
‘Just last-minute details,’ said Spaulding, lighting a cigarette. ‘Only a
few minutes…. Shall we talk alone, Rhinemann?’
‘That is unnecessary. What is it?’ asked the financier. ‘Your method of
departure? It’s arranged. You’ll be driven to the Mendarro field with the
designs. It’s less than ten minutes from here. You won’t be airborne,
however, until we have confirmation of the Koening transfer.’
‘How long will that be?’
‘What difference does it make?’
Once the blackout starts I have no protection, that’s the difference.’
‘Ach!’Rhinemann was impatient. ‘For four hours you’ll have the best
protection in the world. I have no stomach for offending the men in
Washington!’
‘You see?’ said David to Franz AltmUller. ‘I told you we were liabilities.’
He turned back to Rhinemann. ‘All right. I accept that. You’ve got too much
to lose. Detail number one, crossed off. Now detail number two. My payment
from you.’
Rhinemann squinted his eyes. ‘You are a man of details. … The sum of five
hundred thousand American dollars will be
404
transferred to the Banque Louis Quatorze in Zilrich. It’s a nonnegotiable
figure and a generous one.’
‘Extremely. More than I would have asked for …. What’s my
guarantee?’
‘Come, colonel. We’re not salesmen. You know where I live; your abilities
are proven. I don’t wish the specter of the
from Lisbon on my personal horizon.’
‘You flatter me.’
‘The money will be deposited, the proper papers held in Zftrich for you. At
the bank; normal procedures.’
David crushed out his cigarette. ‘All right, Zilrich…. Now the last
detail. Those generous payments I’m going to receive right at home…. The
names, please. Write them on a piece of paper.’