Dennis Wheatley - Unholy Crusade

For the defence, Ramon came forward and told how Adam had voluntarily agreed to assist the government by investigating the situation in towns near Mexico City, while making a tour of them. He added that he was convinced of Adam's innocence. Chela was then called. She was dressed in black and wearing a veil. Accompanying her was an older woman, also swathed in black. In a low but firm voice, Chela told the whole story of how she had suborned Adam to give his assistance in the plot.

A representative of the British Embassy then took the stand. He gave evidence that Adam was a well known author of respectable character, who had at no time involved himself in politics of any kind. Questioned by Senor Urquiza about the radio cigarette case, he testified that an office in Whitehall had confirmed that its number was that of one which had been issued to Hunterscombe; so Adam could have obtained it only from him.

The prosecution ignored Ramon, but recalled Chela. Under cross examination, her replies were frank. She admitted that since Adam's arrival in Mexico she had been frequently in his company; that they had stayed at the same hotels at both Oaxaca and Uxmal. Questioned about her villa at Acapulco and Adam's having stayed with her there, she became defiant and hysterical, acknowledged that she had been his mistress, swore that she had suborned him into playing the part of Quetzalcoatl, and took all the blame on herself for his present situation. It was a courageous effort, but had the unfortunate effect of conveying the impression that nothing she had said could be relied on, as she was simply making a desperate effort to save him.

Finally, the prosecution tackled the matter of the radio cigarette case. As Urquiza had feared might prove the case, the flaw in his argument was exposed. Admittedly, Adam had secured it from Hunterscombe; but the belief of the prosecution was that the Wing Commander had flown the helicopter off, only because he had a pistol at his back. Therefore, when they landed Adam had no doubt searched him and taken the radio cigarette case from him.

Adam knew then that his last hope was gone. Stoically, he listened to his sentence: as a dangerous disturber of the piece, through whose activities a number of people had lost their lives hard labour for life.

Rousing himself, he made the request that before being taken away he might have a few minutes' conversation in private with the Senorita Enriquez.

His request was granted. Five minutes later they stood facing each other in a bare room. But they were not alone. A warder stood by the door and the elderly, black robed woman who had accompanied Chela into Court was sitting in a corner, telling her beads.

When Chela lifted her veil, her eyes looked enormous and tears were running from them. `What can I say?' she murmured. `Oh, Adam, what can I say? I have ruined your life.'

He attempted a smile. `You couldn't help it, darling. It's just Fate. You hoped to bring happiness to many people. That you have failed, and that to lose one another has been the price of your failure is the will of the gods. Perhaps in our next lives they will be kinder to us.'

`Oh, I hope so.' She took his hands and pressed them. `But, even if you had been freed, there could have been nothing more for us in this life.'

He frowned. `I don't understand. You offered to marry me.' `I know. But that was before… before the culmination of that awful night.'

`Do you mean that you wouldn't have married me because I… of what happened to Alberuque?'

`No; evil as he was, it is still a terrible sin to kill a priest. But I might have done so myself when I shot at him after I had suddenly realised that you were right about his being a reincarnation of Itzechuatl. It's not that. When he declared his intention to

sacrifice you on the Chac Mool, I prayed to the Holy Virgin. I offered to become her handmaiden if only she would intercede with our Lord Jesus to save you. She did, and you were saved. I cannot go back on my pledge.'

For a moment he stared at her lovely face, then he exclaimed, 'Chela! Beloved! You can't mean that you're going to bury yourself alive and become a nun?'

She gestured to the black robed figure with downcast face in the corner. `Sister Maria there is waiting to take me back to the Convent, and I shall never leave it. Owing to my past, I may not be acceptable as a bride of Christ, but I could become a lay Sister and continue with my teaching. Even were you free that would still be my destiny for this life.'

Two minutes later they parted and Adam was taken down to his cell.

That night Adam knew the depths of black despair. His career ruined, his freedom gone, condemned for years to hard labour with only brutal felons for his companions; not a ray of hope to brighten his foreseeable future.

The following midday he was still at Police Headquarters, awaiting transfer to a prison to begin his sentence, when Wilkinson was shown into his cell.

The Embassy lawyer was smiling and clapped him on the shoulder. `Take it easy, old chap, but I've got a surprise for you, Hunterscombe isn't dead. A goatherd found him in that cave, brought up some other men and got him down. He couldn't be moved from their place for a week, but since then he's been in hospital. He kept mum because he thought you'd got away. But last night he heard over the radio about your trial. This morning he got through to us on the telephone. He'll swear an affidavit that will put you in the clear. The formalities may take a day or two, but you've got nothing more to worry about.'

Two days later Bernadino, Ramon, Wilkinson and Urquiza saw Adam off from the airport on his way back to England. He had lost his great love of this life, but he had regained his freedom. And he had plenty of material for a book on Mexico. Yes, plenty of material for a book.