“Whitby House?” Canidy asked. “The Dorchester?” Stevens asked simultaneously, obviously surprised. Canidy made a gesture, deferring to Colonel Stevens. “Colonel Donovan thought you would like that, Colonel,” Captain Doug lass said. “What’s the Dorchester?” Canidy asked. “It’s arguably the best hotel in London,” Stevens said.
“What’s behind this touching interest in our physical comfort?” Canidy asked. “We want to make sure that Admiral de Verbey is comfortable,” Dound that his arrival in England is not missed by certain glass said, “a people.”
“And what’s Whitby House?” Canidy asked. “for us to set up a “It’s been considered necessary,” Doug lass said, close working relationship with what the British call the Special Operations Executive, SOE being much like the OSS-except, as Colonel Donovan points out, they know what they’re doing. search and Development Station “They operate what they call SOE Re IX on a requisitioned estate near London. it’s sort of a combination of Summer Place and the estate; it houses their agent-training facilities and serves as a hotel or billet. It is our intention to set up a similar facility as soon as possible. Another estate-they call them country houses-has been made available to us.
It’s called Whitby House. It is the ancestral home of the dukes of Stan field.”
“And you’re going to move the admiral there?” Can idy asked. “You’re going to move him there, Dick,” Doug lass said.
“He remains a3a a W.R.B. antivirin your responsibility. You will report to Colonel Stevens. You know what is needed in the way of security and communications, and Colonel Stevens will arrange for you to get what you need, While you and Captain Whittaker are doing that, Lieutenants Martin and Fulmar win go through the SOE agent school at Station IX. SOE has also agreed to make available some of their staff to help us set up and operate our own training cour seat least for the time being.”
“Charity,’ Doug lass said after dinner was over, “do you think you could amuse Captain Whittaker and Lieutenants Fulmar and Martin while Cynthia and I go over some details with Colonel Stevens and Major Canidy?” When they had gone, Doug lass said, “There are some things the others don’t have the need to know.”
“No kidding?” Canidy asked in sarcastic innocence, Cynthia gave him a dirty look. Doug lass shook his head in resignation, but Stevens smiled.
Canidy saw it and smiled conspiratorially at him. =mg “Are we going to let the admiral try to steal the Jean Bart?” Canidy asked.
“There has been no decision about that,” Doug lass said, taking Canidy’s question at face value.
“What we’re up to is a little political blackmail. General de Gaulle is giving General Eisenhower fits, More than fits. Eisenhower believes that de Gaulle can cause enormous mischief during Operation Torch. If he gets away with that, Ike is certain he’ll raise even more trouble when we are ready to invade the European landmass. And if we decide to make the landing in France… Jesus! Eisenhower, therefore, wants very badly to get de Gaulle off his back. He has recommended that we withdraw our support from him entirely. The British rather strongly object.”
“May I ask why? What do they recommend? Do they side with de Gaulle?”
Colonel Stevens asked.
“If that came up in the briefings, I’m afraid I missed it,” “The British completely agree that de Gaulle spells more trouble than he is worth,” Doug lass said evenly. “They suggested that it would be most convenient if de Gaulle were to have a fatal accident.” 40 “My, my!”
Canidy said.
“Would they do it?”
“Certainly,” Doug lass said.
“But neither Eisenhower nor the President is willing to go that far.
At least not yet. Eisenhower has suggested and Roosevelt has approved-another tack, If General de Gaulle learns THE SECRET WARRIORS N a33 that we have ‘secretly’ brought the admiral to England, perhaps he win find it in himself to be a bit more cooperative. He just might realize that he is only the self-anointed head of the French government in exile.”
“Why bring in the admiral secretly?” Canidy asked. “If we officially imported the admiral, that would be a confrontation,” Doug lass explained.