Dennis Wheatley - The Secret War

After that the discussion became heated. Valerie denounced the scheme as sheer madness, entailing

Christopher's certain death, while Lovelace backed her up with every argument he could think of, realising now that it was Valerie, not Christopher, whom he would be letting down by withdrawing from the affair unless he could turn the pale faced young fanatic from his purpose, From becoming a reluctant accomplice he found himself pressing the younger man to accept his further help, for it only needed Christopher's change of front and new desire to have them both safely out of it to spur him into a determination to save the boy from committing such a crazy action, whatever the risk might be to himself,

At last, after wrangling for nearly a quarter of an hour, Christopher agreed to postpone any definite decision until after breakfast and they moved into the dining room of the hotel. Valerie continued the discussion with him there on a lower note, using obscure phrases so that the garlic breathing waiter should not understand what they were talking about even if he knew English. Lovelace, meanwhile, dispatched a hearty breakfast almost in silence while he cudgeled his brains for some way out of the impasse.

By nine o'clock they were back in the deserted courtyard; Christopher still grimly determined to carry out his suicidal plan and Valerie very near to tears at the ill success of her attempts to turn him from it, when Lovelace suddenly intervened.

'Look here,' he said. `It's quite true you were supposed to do the job in Athens, but as long as the job's done before Zirrif reaches Addis Ababa that's all that really matters. As there is still the best part of three weeks to go before he's due there he's bound to be stopping off somewhere. Why shouldn't we follow? Then another chance may present itself where Christopher won't have to run this insane risk.'

`That's all very well,' Christopher muttered, 'but once he's left Athens what chance have we got of ever finding him again? His business may take him to any one of half a hundred places at the eastern end of the Mediterranean.'

`True, but you'll remember that Barrotet gave us the names of several of the Millers who live in that part of the world. There was that Italian in Cairo, and the Dane in Haifa, and the German in Alex. If Zirrif fetches up in any of those places these lads are almost certain to hear of it and be able to tip us off.'

Christopher shook his head. `We've only got eighteen days, remember. Even if we got in touch with them all by cable, by the time one of them reported that Zirrif had turned up in his area, and we managed to get there, the chances are that Zirrif would have moved on again. It's no good arguing; I've made up my mind and I'm going to do it when he leaves his car at the airport today.'

Lovelace knew that his next suggestion would entail a damnable risk to himself. He had thought of it at breakfast but dismissed it in the hope that some other way might be found. Now he saw that the time had come when he must play his last card if Valerie's young man was to be prevented from occupying a slab in the Athens morgue that evening.

`I don't think I told you,' he said, `that when I saw Zirrif last night he offered me a job, believing me to be Mr. Jeremiah Green, of course, and that I could give him all the latest dope about what's been going on in Abyssinia. He asked me to report to his secretary, Cassalis, at the airport at one thirty today so that I could go with them and be on hand if Zirrif wants to consult me. I agreed, imagining then that the old devil would be dead within an hour.'

Valerie's face lighted up with sudden hope. 'Then then, if you kept the appointment, you'd be able to leave Athens in Zarrif’s party and let us know where he is directly he arrives at his destination.'

`That's the idea,' Lovelace nodded. `What about it?' `I don't like it,' Christopher shook his head. `It means your running the most ghastly risk the whole time you're with them. If they found out you're not Jeremiah Green that bunch of thugs would be capable of killing you without the slightest compunction.' `They might have done that yesterday,' Lovelace shrugged, `but I got away with it. And now they've really accepted me as the unfortunate Mr. Green, the situation's far less dangerous. Anyhow, the risk is mine and I'm taking it with my eyes open. So that settles the matter.'

Valerie threw him a glance in which gratitude was mingled with a new fear. `I hate the thought of your doing this for us. Oh, Christopher! won't you please let Barrotet know that you haven't been able to manage the job, and get him to put one of the other Millers in the Near East on to tackling Zirrif when they pick him up again?'

Christopher shook his head. `No; it's now or never. Lovelace's scheme is sound enough, but I see no earthly reason why he should risk his neck for me. It's best for all of us that I should stick to my original plan.'

`You'll do nothing of the kind,' Lovelace said with quiet finality. 'You agree that my scheme's all right, so we'll adopt it; otherwise I shall come with you to the airport and take the far bigger risk of getting myself shot down when you do your heroics.. You don't want that, do you?'

Christopher smiled. 'You're a grand chap, Lovelace, and you've put me in a corner. I couldn't possibly let you do that, and you know it, so I'll accept this scheme of your going with Zirrif as Mr. Green if that's the only alternative.'

'There's one big snag to it,' Valerie remarked. 'You may find it impossible to communicate with us.'

`That's true, Lovelace nodded. 'But if I can't I'll manage to get in touch with one of the Millers whose address we have and you'll learn my whereabouts from him.'

`But time , . .' insisted Christopher, leaning forward, `... is the essential factor. By the time we learn where you are Zirrif may have moved on again.'

Suddenly Valerie laughed. 'There's only one thing for it then. We must all be ready to leave the airport at the same time as Zirrif, so that Christopher and I can follow you in the plane.'

`Good Lord!' Lovelace exclaimed. 'I thought we'd ruled you out at last. It's Christopher's wish as well as mine now that you should take no further hand in the affair.'

Another hectic argument ensued but Christopher was obsessed again with his mission. Valerie could help him to accomplish it far better than any hired pilot, he knew, and in his mind he minimized the risk which she might run by his old belief that she would have no hand in the actual business and was perfectly capable of taking care of herself wherever they might land and whatever might happen to himself and Lovelace. In the end the two of them over ruled Lovelace's objection and it was agreed that Valerie should have her way.

They spent an hour with their heads bent over an old atlas and a number of guide books which they borrowed from the manager of the hotel, marking out all the principal cities in which it was likely Zirrif might stop on his way out to Addis Ababa. In each they

agreed upon a small hotel where Valerie and Christopher should stay. Then Lovelace memorized the addresses in order that he might get in touch with them as rapidly as possible,

They had an early lunch and parted with subdued farewells, not knowing in what place or country they might meet again; it having been decided that it would be better for Lovelace to drive out to the airport independently.

At a little before one thirty he arrived at the bookstall to keep his appointment with Cassalis. It was only then that he realised he would have to show his passport before leaving.

If Cassalis asked to see it, or even caught sight of it when he produced it at the barrier, there would be an abrupt end to the fiction that he was Jeremiah Green, Ras Desoum's messenger to Zirrif from Abyssinia. With confused and miserable misgivings he stood there waiting for the secretary's arrival.