A Ring of Roses by John Blackburn

Author:John Blackburn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Valancourt Books
Published: 2021-09-11T00:00:00+00:00

Eleven

‘This is Captain Hanks again, ladies and gentlemen, and once more I do apologize for having to ask you to keep your seat belts fastened a little longer.’ The pilot’s voice on the loudspeakers was breezy and self-assured. ‘There’s still a bit of bad weather in front of us, but nothing to be alarmed about. We’re not going through it, but just taking a look-see, as one might say.’ He chuckled but, as though in answer, the plane bucked violently and Kirk swayed across the seat, his shoulder colliding with Marcus Levin’s.

‘Sorry about that, ladies and gentlemen. My fault really. I should have kept above it, but I was hoping to get you to Tempelhof on time.’

‘Why can’t the fellow keep quiet and concentrate on flying his blasted aeroplane?’ Kirk scowled and mopped his forehead. His face was an unhealthy, mottled green. ‘On time indeed! We’re fifteen minutes late already, and my appointment is for noon sharp.

‘No, no, none of your pills, Doctor. I’m just going to bear it, though I can’t say I feel like grinning.’ He brushed aside Marcus’s offer and turned to von Zuler, who had joined them at Hanover.

‘And before I keep that appointment, Herr von Zuler, I must have more facts. This man Petrov has offered to see us personally, which proves, to my satisfaction at least, that the Russians are prepared to co-operate with us if we are able to give them certain assurances.’ He tucked away his handkerchief and stared gloomily out of the port-hole at the swirling mist.

‘But what assurance can I give them? What can I say to Petrov? We think that the Fenwick boy fell from the train somewhere between Magdeburg and the border. We think that he picked up the bug somewhere in East Germany and was smuggled into Berlin by one of the escape routes, but we can’t prove anything. Since your people went and killed that sleeping-car attendant, we haven’t even got one witness.’

‘I know that, Herr General, and the officer responsible for Loser’s death will stand trial for murder.’ Von Zuler sat slumped far back in the seat with his metal leg stretched out in front of him. ‘Whatever you say, though, I don’t think we should presume that he was taken into West Berlin by one of the escape routes. At this stage we can’t really be sure about anything.’

‘No, we can’t be sure, but in my mind there’s very little doubt about it.’ There was a sudden break in the cloud and through it Kirk could make out the line of the Berlin–Helmstedt autobahn. ‘We know that that woman, Ruth Eulenburg, was a member of the Freiheit Organization which exists for the purpose of smuggling out refugees from the East. We know that she could have been infected by Billy Fenwick and, to me, it appears likely the name she kept repeating, Clever Gretel, was a code name for her contact in the East who brought the boy through. Doesn’t that sound feasible to you?’

‘Feasible, but not certain, General.

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