Allow me to introduce my daughter, Lyn.
Kääriänen came forward, his hands outstretched. And his granddaughter a great honour. But sit down, please. Would you like coffee?
Thank you; that would be very nice.
Kääriänen went to the door, spoke to the girl in the other office, and then came back. Your father was a great man, Dr er Meyrick.
Denison nodded. That is my name now. I reverted to the old family name.
The professor laughed. Ah, yes; I well remember Hannu telling me the story. He made it sound so romantic. And what are you doing here in Finland, Dr Meyrick?
I dont really know, said Denison cautiously. Perhaps its a need to get back to my origins. A delayed homesickness, if you like.
I understand, said Kääriänen. And you want to know something about your father thats why youve come to me?
I understand you worked with him before the war.
I did, much to my own profit. Your father was not only a great research worker he was also a great teacher. But I was not the only one. There were four of us, as I remember. You should remember that.
I was very young before the war, said Denison defensively. Not even into my teens.
And you dont remember me, said Kääriänen, his eyes twinkling. His hand patted his plump belly. Im not surprised; Ive changed quite a lot. But I remember you. You were a young rascal you upset one of my experiments.
Denison smiled. If guilty I plead sorrow.
Yes, said Kääriänen reminiscently. There were four of us with your father in those days. We made a good team. He frowned. You know; I think I am the only one left. He ticked them off with his fingers. Olavi Koivisto joined the army and was killed. Liisa Linnankivi she was also killed in the bombing of Viipuri; that was just before your father died, of course. Kaj Salojärvi survived the war; he died three years ago cancer, poor fellow. Yes, there is only me left of the old team.
Did you all work together on the same projects?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Kääriänen leaned forward. Sometimes we worked on our own projects with Hannu giving advice. As a scientist yourself, Dr Meyrick, you will understand the work of the laboratory.
Denison nodded. What was the main trend of my fathers thought in those days before the war?
Kääriänen spread his hands. What else but the atom? We were all thinking about the atom. Those were the great pioneering days, you know; it was very exciting. He paused, and added drily, Not long after that, of course, it became too exciting, but by that time no one in Finland had time to think about the atom.
He clasped his hands across his belly. I well remember the time Hannu showed me a paper written by Meitner and Frisch interpreting Hahns experiments. The paper showed clearly that a chain reaction could take place and that the generation of atomic energy was clearly possible. We were all excited you cannot imagine the excitement and all our work was put aside to concentrate on this new thing. He shrugged heavily. But that was 1939 the year of the Winter War. No time for frivolities like atoms. His tone was sardonic.
What was my father working on when this happened?
Ah here is the coffee, said Kääriänen. He fussed about with the coffee, and offered small cakes to Lyn. And what do you do, young lady? Are you a scientist like your father and your grandfather?
Im afraid not, said Lyn politely. Im a teacher.
We must have the teachers, too, said Kääriänen. What was that you asked, Doctor?
I was wondering what my father was working on at the time he read the paper on atomic fission.
Ah, yes, the professor said vaguely, and waved his hand a little helplessly. It was a long time ago, you know; so much has happened since it is difficult to remember. He picked up a cake and was about to bite into it when he said, I remember it was something to do with some aspects of the properties of X-rays.
Did you work on that project?
No that would be Liisa or was it Olavi?
So you dont know the nature of the work he was doing?
No. Kääriänens face broke into a smile, and he shook with laughter. But, knowing your father, I can tell you it had no practical application. He was very proud of being a pure research physicist. We were all like that in those days proud of being uncontaminated by the world. He shook his head sadly. A pity were not like that now.
The next hour and a half was spent in reminiscences from Kääriänen interspersed with Denisons desperate ploys to fend off his inquiries into Meyricks work. After allowing what he thought was a decent time he excused himself and he and Lyn took their leave of the professor with assurances that they would keep in professional contact.
They came out into Senate Square and made their way back to the hotel along Aleksanterinkatu, Helsinkis equivalent of Bond Street. Lyn was thoughtful and quiet, and Denison said, A penny for your thoughts.
I was just thinking, she said. It seemed at one time as though you were pumping Professor Kääriänen.
Did it, by God! thought Denison. Youre too bloody smart by half. Aloud he said, I just wanted to know about my father, the work he did and so on.
You didnt give much back, said Lyn tartly. Every time he asked a question you evaded it.
I had to, said Denison. Most of my work is in defence. I cant babble about that in a foreign country.
Of course, said Lyn colourlessly.
They were outside a jewellers shop and Denison pointed. What do you think of that?
She caught her breath. Oh, its beautiful!
It was a necklace chunky, rough-hewn gold of an intricate and yet natural shape. He felt reckless and took her arm. Come on, he said. Inside.
The necklace cost him £215 of Meyricks money which he paid by credit card. Apart from the fact that he thought that Meyrick ought to pay more attention to his daughter he thought it would take her mind off other things.
Your birthday present, he said.
Lyn was breathless with excitement. Oh, thank you, Da Harry. Impulsively she kissed him. But I have nothing to wear with it.
Then youll have to buy something, wont you? Lets go back to the hotel.
Yes, lets. She slipped her fingers into his. I have a surprise for you, too at the hotel.
Oh? What is it?
Well, I thought that now youre back in Finland you ought to become reacquainted with the sauna.
He laughed, and said cheerfully, Ive never been to a sauna in my life.
She stopped dead on the pavement and stared at him. But you must have. When you were a boy.
Oh, yes; I went then. He cursed himself for the slip. Carey had given him books to read about Finland; language was one thing but there was a minimum any Finn would know, expatriate or not. The sauna definitely fitted into that category. I tend to regard my years in Finland as another life. It was lame but it would have to do.
Its about time you were reintroduced to the sauna, she said firmly. I go often in London its great fun. Ive booked for us both in the hotel sauna for six oclock.
Its about time you were reintroduced to the sauna, she said firmly. I go often in London its great fun. Ive booked for us both in the hotel sauna for six oclock.
Great! he said hollowly.
FIFTEEN
In the hotel he escaped to his room and rang the number he had been given. When Carey answered he gave a report on his interview with Kääriänen, and Carey said, So it all comes to this: Merikken was working on X-rays at the time but no one can remember exactly what he was doing. Those who would know are dead. Thats encouraging.
Yes, said Denison.
You dont sound pleased, said Carey.
Its not that. I have something else on my mind.
Out with it.
Lyn has booked me in for the sauna this evening.
So?
Shes booked us both in.
So? There was a pause before Carey chuckled. My boy; I can see you have a wrong impression or an evil mind. This is not Hamburg nor is it the lower reaches of Soho; youre in Helsinki and the Finns are a decent people. I think youll find there is one sauna for gentlemen and another for ladies.
Oh! said Denison weakly. Its just that I dont know much about it. One gets the wrong impression.
Didnt you read the books I gave you?
I must have missed that one.
In any case, theres nothing wrong with a father joining his daughter in the sauna, said Carey judicially. It may be done in your own home but not, I think, in an international hotel. He paused. Youd better read up on it. Meyrick wouldnt have forgotten the sauna no Finn would.
Ill do that.
Have fun, said Carey, and rang off.
Denison put down the telephone and rummaged in his suitcase where he found a slim book on the sauna written for the benefit of English-speaking visitors to Finland. On studying it he was relieved to find that the sauna appeared to be little more than a Turkish bath in essence with differences.
He turned back the pages and read the introduction. There was, apparently, one sauna for every six Finns which, he reflected, was probably a greater incidence than bathrooms in Britain. A clean people, the Finns mens sana in corpore sauna. Stones were heated by birch logs or, in modern times, by electric elements. Humidity was introduced by löyly tossing water on the stones. The booklet managed to convey an air of mystic ritual about what was essentially a prosaic activity, and Denison came to the conclusion that the sauna was the Finnish equivalent of the Japanese tea ceremony.
At quarter to six Lyn rang him. Are you ready?
Yes, of course.
Ill meet you afterwards in the swimming pool. Have you got your trunks?
Denison mentally ran down a checklist of Meyricks clothing. Yes.
At half past six, then. She rang off.
He went up to the top floor of the hotel, found the sauna for men, and went into the change room where he took his time, taking his cue from the others who were there. He stripped and went into the ante-chamber to the sauna where he showered and then took a square of towelling from a pile and went into the sauna itself.
It was hot.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a man lay his towel on a slatted, wooden bench and sit on it, so he followed suit. The wood beneath his feet was almost unbearably hot and sweat was already beginning to start from his skin. A man left the sauna and another took a bucket of water and sluiced it along the wood on which his feet were resting. Tendrils of steam arose but his feet were cooler.
Another man left the sauna and Denison turned and found a thermometer on the wall by his head. It registered 115 degrees. Not too bad, he thought; I can stand that. Then he looked again and saw that the thermometer was calibrated in degrees Celsius. Christ Almighty! Water boils at 100°C.
He blinked the sweat out of his eyes and turned his head to find that there was just himself and another man left a broad-shouldered, deep-chested man, shaggy with hair. The man picked up a wooden dipper and filled it with water from a bucket. He paused with it in his hand, and said interrogatively, Löylyä?
Denison answered with one of the few Finnish words he had picked up. Kiitos.
The man tossed the dipperful of water on to the square tub of hot stones in the corner. A blast of heat hit Denison like a physical blow and he gasped involuntarily. The man shot a sudden spate of Finnish at him, and Denison shook his head. Im sorry; I have no Finnish.
Ah; first time in Finland?
Yes, said Denison, and added, since I was a boy.
The man nodded. A sheen of sweat covered his hairy torso. He grinned. First time in sauna?
Sweat dripped from Denisons nose. For a long time many years.
The man nodded and rose. He picked up the dipper again and, turning away from Denison, he filled it from the bucket, Denison gritted his teeth. Anything a bloody Finn can stand, I can; he thought.
With a casual flick of the wrist the man tossed the water on to the hot stones, then quickly went out of the sauna, slamming the door behind him. Again the wave of heat hit Denison, rising to an almost intolerable level so that he gasped and spluttered. A bloody practical joker baiting a beginner!
He felt his head swim and tried to stand up but found that his legs had gone rubbery beneath him. He rolled off the top bench and tried to crawl to the door and felt the hot wood burning his hands. Darkness closed in on him and the last thing he saw was his own hand groping for the door handle before he collapsed and passed out.
He did not see the door open, nor did he feel himself being lifted up and carried out.
SIXTEEN
He awoke to darkness.
For a long time he just lay there, unable to think because of the throbbing pain in his head. Then his head cleared a little and he stirred and knew he was lying on a bed. When he moved he heard a metallic clinking noise. He moved again and became aware that he was naked, and a recollection of the sauna came back.
His first thought was that he had collapsed of heat prostration and had been taken to his own room, but when he lifted his hand that theory disintegrated quickly. There was a tug on both wrists and he felt cold metal, and when he twisted his hands around he heard that clinking sound again and felt the handcuffs.
He lay quiet for a while before he levered himself up on one elbow to stare into the blackness, then he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. Tentatively he moved his feet apart; at least they were not manacled and he could walk. But walk where? He held his arms out before him and moved them sideways, first to the left and then to the right, until he encountered an object. It was flat with square edges and he concluded it was a bedside table. Exploring the top brought no joy; there was nothing on it.
Although his headache had eased he felt as weak as a kitten and he sat for a few moments to conserve his strength. Whether his weakness was a natural result of the heat of the sauna was debatable. He reasoned that if the sauna did that to everyone then it would not be so popular in Finland. Apart from that, he had no idea of how long he had been unconscious. He felt his skin and found it cool and with no moisture.