their files those papers which might be dangerous in enemy hands, and burn them. Just about anything in the files of an intelligence section might be dangerous in enemy hands. We might as well bum the whole damn lot, Vandam thought. And how would departments operate afterward? Clearly the brass thought the departments would not be operating at an for very much longer. Of course it was a precaution, but it was a very drastic one: they would not destroy the accumulated results of years of work unless they thought there was a very strong chance indeed of the Germans taking Egypt. It’s going to pieces, he thought; it’s falling apart. It was unthinkable. Vandam had given three years of his life to the defense of Egypt. Thousands of men had died in the desert. After all that, was it possible that we could lose? Actually give up, and turn and run away? It did not bear contemplating. He called Jakes in and watched him read the order. Jake& just nodded, as if he had been expecting it. Vandam said: “Bit drastic, isn’t it?” “It’s rather like what’s been happening in the desert, sir,” Jakes replied. “We establish huge supply dumps at enormous cost, then as we retreat we blow them up to keep them out of enemy hands.” Vandam nodded. “All right, you’d better get on with it. Try and play it down a bit, for the sake of morale-you know, brass getting the wind up unnecessarily, that sort of thing.,’ “Yes, sir. WeM have the bonfire in the yard at the back, shall we?” “Yes. Find an old dustbin and poke holes in its bottom. Make sure the stuff burns up properly.” “What about your own files?” “I’ll go through them now.” “Very good, sir.” Jakes went out. Vandam opened his file drawer and began to sort through his papers. Countless times over the last three years he had thought: I don’t need to remember that, I can always look it up. There were names and addresses, security reports on individuals, details of codes, systems of communication of orders, case notes and a little file of jottings about Alex Wolff. Jakes brought in a big cardboard box with “Lipton’s Tea” printed 226 Ken Follett
on its side, and Vandam began to dump papers into it, thinking: This is what it is like to be the losers. The box was half full when Vandam’s corporal opened the door and said: “Major Smith to see you, sir.” “Send him in.” Vandam did not know a Major Smith. ne major was a small, thin man in his forties with bulbous blue eyes and an air of being rather pleased with himself. He shook hands and said: “Sandy Smith, S.I.S.” . ,Vandam said: “What can I do for the Secret Intelligence Service?” “I’m sort of the liaison man between S.I.S. and the General Staff,” Smith explained. “You made an inquiry about a book called Rebecca . “Yes.,’ “The answer got routed through us.” Smith produced a piece of paper with a flourish. Vandarn read the message. The S.I.S. Head of Station in Portugal bad followed up the query about Rebecca by sending one of his men to visit all the English -language bookshops in the country. In the holiday area of Estoril he had found a bookseller who recalled selling his entire stock–six copiesof Rebecca to one woman. On further investigation the woman had turned out to be the wife of the German military attach6 in Lisbon. Vandarn said: “nis confirms something I suspected. Thank you for taking the trouble to bring it over.” “No trouble,” Smith said. “I’m over here every morning anyway Glad to be able to help.” He went out. Vandam reflected on the news while he went on with his work. There was only one plausible explonation of the fact that the book had found its way from Estoril to the Sahara. Undoubtedly it was the basis of a code and, unless there were two successful German spies in Cairo, it was Alex Wolff who was using that code. ne information would be useful, sooner or later. It was a pity the key to the code had not been captured along with the book and the decrypt. That thought reminded him of the importance of burning his secret papers, and he determined to be more ruthless about what he destroyed. At the end he considered his files on pay and promotion of subordinates, and decided to burn those too since they THE KEY TO REBECCA 227