Night Train to Paris by Manning Coles

Author:Manning Coles [Coles, Manning]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

12. Prayers For The Sergeant Major

papert’s taxi, driven as taxis are driven only in Paris, pulled up at the door of the St. Petersbourg, and Alphonse, telling the man to wait, rushed into the hotel. Logan was in his room; Papert took the stairs two at a time and knocked at the door.

“Come in!”

“He does not even lock his door,” said Papert, bolting into the room, turning the key and setting a chair under the door handle. “Are we, then, still in the Legion and compassed about with trigger-happy sentries?”

Logan, with half his face covered with lather, turned with his razor in his hand. “In the name of heaven, what bug has bitten you?”

“Pack your things and leave here instantly,” said Papert, putting tie suitcases on the bed and flinging the lids open; “those three Russians know where you are and have known for the past three hours. I have a taxi waiting.”

“It can wait until I have finished shaving. Besides, now I come to think of it, I don’t know that I want to leave this hotel. I am very comfortable here.”

Papert abandoned the shirt he was folding to shake both fists in the air.

“Doubtless the good God had something in His mind when He made the English as they are, but—”

“Let there be no flap,” said Logan. “Three Russians, so the third has arrived. Interesting, very. Where are they, have you seen them?”

Papert gave him a brief outline of what Vladimir had told him.

“I see,” said Logan, lifting a dripping face from his hand-basin, “They think I’m still alive and will hand them over to the police on sight. It’s a pity I wouldn’t know them from Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego if I met them face to face.”

“You need not leave this hotel for good,” argued Papert, resuming the packing. “It is only to go away for a day or two, then after they have asked here for you and been told you have left, you can return.”

“Umf,” said Logan from the folds of a towel. “Perhaps you are right.” He dropped the towel on the floor and packed the other case; in five minutes they were strapped and ready. Logan finished dressing and looked round the room for strays.

“We don’t seem to have left anything. Let’s go.

They ran down the stairs and Papert took the luggage out to the waiting taxi while Logan dashed into the office. “My bill, please. I have been unexpectedly called away, urgent business; I’ll let you know my address later in case there are any letters for me—”

“As for not knowing them,” said Papert as they drove away with Logan sitting well back in the taxi, “I have good descriptions of them.” He gave them.

“One unhurried glance is worth six pages of descriptions,’’ said Laurence sententiously. “By the way, where are we going?”

“I told the driver the Ambassador. If they are full we will go on somewhere else.”

“I wonder where Yudin—you said Yudin?—and supporting company are staying. If we picked on their hotel I suppose it would be their turn to pack up and leave, eh? I should laugh for a week.

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