Dennis Wheatley - Mayhem in Greece

'It's no good making promises unless you mean to keep them, and it's clear that this woman's got right under your skin. But say, now, could you honestly agree to this? Tell her that I'm C.I.A., and that we're going to work together; but don't disclose to her any information I may give you and keep her absolutely in the dark about any action that we may decide to take.'

'Yes,' said Robbie, 'that's fair enough. I'll agree to that.'

'Right, then, let's get moving. Since she's waiting for you, we'll have to put off our talk, because it's got to be a long one. I take it you are staying in Heraklion?' As the American asked the question, they headed for the track that led down the far side of the hill.

'Yes,' Robbie replied.

'Where about?'

That's my business.'

Mahogany Brown grinned. 'Afraid I'd make an unwelcome third in your love nest, eh? You needn't worry. It's you I'm interested in at the moment; not Julie, or whatever you care to call her. When I've left you, tell her that we are going to work together and that you are going to have dinner with me this evening at the Heraklion Club, so as to swop information. It's in King Constantine Avenue, so you'll have no difficulty in finding it. The premises and the cooking are not exactly k la Ritz, but they give you an edible meal there, and at the Candia Palace, where I'm staying, guests have to eat out. Be there at seven thirty and I'll be setting up the drinks.'

'How did you get out here?' Robbie asked.

'I hired a motor bike. It's down there among the bushes, just off the road.'

They came to the stream and crossed it in turn on the donkey. As they were walking along the path on its far side, the American said: 'Remember, as far as Julie is concerned, we've met again by chance. I don't want any talk of this and that while she is round. I'll just say that, after leaving Rhodes, I decided to fly down from Athens for a few days in Crete and came out this morning to take a look at Ayia Triada. Later, when you have her alone, you can tell her I'm C.I.A. That way she'll have no chance to ask me any questions to which I'd be put to the bother of thinking up lies for answers. Have you made any plans for lunch?'

'We meant to lunch at the Tourist Pavilion at Phaestos, but I spotted those two Czechs at Gortyne and followed them here.'

Mahogany Brown glanced at his wrist-watch. 'It's only just half after one, and Phaestos is less than six kilometres from here. There's nowhere else within miles where we'd get anything better than a slice of tough goat, olives and sour cheese, so we'd better

make for there. I'm told it's worth seeing, too.'

Two minutes later, they came out on the road. Stephanie was still sitting patiently at the wheel of the car. The moment Mahogany Brown came within sight of her, his personality changed back to that of the irrepressibly cheerful young man they had known in Rhodes. Raising his hand, he gave a loud cry.

'Hello! Hello! What d'you know! Just fancy seeing you again. Say, Julie, you're prettier than ever. What a bit of luck for me running into old Max here, while I was giving the once-over to those ruins. I've got a motor bike somewhere round in these bushes. Soon as I can find the darn thing we're all going on to Phaestos, and lunch there is on me.'

Stephanie had enjoyed dancing with him in Rhodes and had encouraged him, not with any view to making Robbie jealous but because his gay, inconsequential chatter helped to keep both her mind and Robbie's off the serious developments that might arise at any time through the police learning Robbie's real identity. Now she was far from pleased that he should have turned up again, since he might prove very difficult to throw off, and their situation in Crete was very different from what it had been in Rhodes. Nevertheless, she returned his greeting with a smile and called out: 'Why, Henry, what a lovely surprise to find you here.'

Henry found his motor cycle. Stephanie turned the car round and ten minutes later they were winding their way up the hill on which stood the ruins of Phaestos.

The situation of the Palace had been greatly superior to that of Knossos, as the hill that it crowned lay between two ranges of mountains, and it had been built in a series of terraces looking out on the long valley between them. The Tourist Pavilion was above the highest of these terraces; so while they ate a pleasant lunch on the shady verandah, they had the ruins just below them and could admire the splendid twenty-mile-long vista.

Over the meal, they talked of the international situation. The American said that he had found Athens almost empty of foreigners. The tourist season, which meant so much to Greece and which should now be in full swing, had been ruined, the Stock Markets had taken another plunge after the breakdown of the Delhi Conference, and many rich Greeks were leaving the capital, either for places in the country or the islands in the Aegean, because they thought that would give them a better chance of survival in the event of war. But he was still of the opinion that there would not be war.

The crew of the submarine was reported to be in good shape. Modern scientific devices in the ship would enable them to remain so for several weeks to come, without being compelled to surface for air. The United States had long since made a declaration that she would never be the first to launch a nuclear conflict, and the Russians would be mad to do so. There was still plenty of time for further negotiations and, in some way or other, a com-

m 349 promise would be reached. 'Anyhow,' the optimistic Mr. Mahogany Brown concluded, 'if the Russians do go crackers and start the big party, we couldn't be better situated than we are right now. No one's going to waste an I.C.B.M. on Crete.'

When they had finished lunch, they spent an hour wandering about the great open courts, broad imposing stairways and small rooms of the Palace. It was not so large as Knossos but, with its many terraces, must have been much more beautiful. It had been destroyed in the same great earthquake that had devastated the island from end to end somewhere about 1400 b.c.

A little before four o'clock, they set off back to Heraklion. As Mahogany Brown started up his motor bike, he gave a casual wave, shouted 'I'll be seeing you,' then roared away.

Stephanie let in the clutch of the car and, as it sped down the hill, said to Robbie: 'Fancy running into him again. How unlike him, though, not to have suggested our doing something together this evening. He didn't even ask where we were staying. Or did you fob him off by giving him a false address when you were up there with him at Ayia Triada?'

'No. But he gave me the fright of my life.' Robbie then told her how Mahogany Brown had held him up, and of their conversation afterwards.

She made no comment until he had finished, then she said: 'It was very loyal of you, Robbie, to have refused to co-operate with him without telling me. I take it you didn't deny that I was Mrs. Barak?'

'No. I saw no point in doing so. During the few days between your reported death and his coming upon us at Monolithos, the odds against my having found another woman who more or less answered your description and was willing to pose as my wife would be fantastic.'

'That's true; and, knowing me to be Vaclav's wife, it's perfectly understandable that he should be unwilling to trust me.'

'I didn't give him any particulars about what happened, but gave him simply to understand that you were on our side and that it was only by your help that I had so far kept out of the hands of the police.'

'He would put that down to the belief that we ran away from Athens together as lovers; but that doesn't make me any the less a Czech. You were absolutely right, though, to accept the compromise he suggested. Vaclav may not take the bait I offered, and this gives you another chance to justify your having killed Cepicka. That's the all-important thing. How about our plan, though? If Vaclav does come to Heraklion, do you intend to let Henry know?'