“God,” said Woodford stupidly. “That clinches it.”
“It does nothing of the kind; it’s consistent with what we know. If they declare the area closed why shouldn’t they patrol it? They probably closed it for maneuvers, ground-air exercises. Why didn’t they force Lansen down? The whole thing is entirely inconclusive.”
Leclerc was standing in the doorway. He had put on a clean collar for the Minister and a black tie for Taylor.
“I came by car,” he said. “They’ve given us one from the Ministry pool on indefinite loan. The Minister was quite distressed to hear we hadn’t one. It’s a Humber, chauffeur-driven like Control’s. They tell me the chauffeur is a secure sort of person.” He looked at Haldane. “I’ve decided to form Special Section, Adrian. I want you to take it over. I’m giving Research to Sandford for the time being. The change will do him good.” His face broke into a smile as if he could contain himself no longer. He was very excited. “We’re putting a man in. The Minister’s given his consent. We go to work at once. I want to see Heads of Sections first thing tomorrow. Adrian, I’ll give you Woodford and Avery. Bruce, you keep in touch with the boys; get on to the old training people. The Minister will support three-month contracts for temporary staff. No peripheral liabilities, of course. The usual program: wireless, weapon training, ciphers, observation, unarmed combat and cover. Adrian, we’ll need a house. Perhaps Avery could go into that when he comes back. I’ll approach Control about documentation; the forgers all went over to him. We’ll want frontier records for the Lubeck area, refugee reports, details of minefields and obstructions.” He glanced at his watch. “Adrian, shall we have a word?”
“Tell me one thing,” Haldane said. “How much does the Circus know about this?”
“Whatever we choose to tell them. Why?”
“They know Taylor is dead. It’s all over Whitehall.”
“Possibly.”
“They know Avery’s picking up a film in Finland. They may very well have noticed the Air Safety Center report on Lansen’s plane. They have a way of noticing things.. . .”
“Well?”
“So it isn’t only a question of what we tell them, is it?”
“You’ll come to tomorrow’s meeting?” Leclerc asked a little pathetically.
“I think I have the meat of my instructions. If you have no objection I would like to make one or two inquiries. This evening and tomorrow perhaps.”
Leclerc, bewildered, said, “Excellent. Can we help you?”
“Perhaps I might have the use of your car for an hour?”
“Of course. I want us all to use it—to our common benefit. Adrian—this is for you.”
He handed him a green card in a cellophane folder.
“The Minister signed it, personally.” He implied that, like a Papal blessing, there were degrees of authenticity in a Ministerial signature. “Then you’ll do it, Adrian? You’ll take the job?”
Haldane might not have heard. He had reopened the file and was looking curiously at the photograph of a Polish boy who had fought the Germans twenty years ago. It was a young, strict face; humorless. It seemed to be concerned not with living but with survival.
“Why, Adrian,” Leclerc cried with sudden relief. “You’ve taken the second vow!”
Reluctantly Haldane smiled, as if the phrase had called to mind something that he had thought forgotten. “He seems to have a talent for survival,” he observed, finally indicating the file. “Not an easy man to kill.”
“As next of kin,” Sutherland began, “you have the right to state your wishes concerning the disposal of your brother’s body.”
“Yes.”
Sutherland’s house was a small building with a picture window full of potted plants. Only these distinguished it, either externally or internally, from its model in the dormitory areas of Aberdeen. As they walked down the drive, Avery caught sight of a middle-aged woman in the window. She wore an apron and was dusting something.
“I have an office at the back,” said Sutherland, as if to emphasize that the place was not wholly given over to luxury.
“I suggest we tie up the rest of the details now. I shan’t keep you long.” He was telling Avery he needn’t expect to stay to supper. “How do you propose to get him back to England?”