Twenty-three.
She blew out words and smoke simultaneously: Meet me there in twenty minutes. Her voice returned to its normal speaking level: Dekuji.
Kendall bowed. She turned and walked to the bar. From the back she looked like a hedgehog in patent-leather high-heeled shoes.
The fat woman with the overpowering scent stood in the centre of the hot and ill-proportioned room which Hugh shared with his father. She jabbed her thumb towards Hugh and broke into a rapid stream of Czech.
His father replied haltingly in the same language, but she interrupted him before he could say more than a few words. As she spoke she gestured towards Hugh; he wished he could understand what she was saying.
At last his father shrugged. Hugh, I want you to go for a walk for an hour. You can take the guidebook. And make sure you behave yourself.
Hugh grabbed his coat, scarf and cap and almost ran out of the room. He was so relieved to get out of his fathers presence that he hardly bothered to wonder why he had been sent away. He ran down the stairs, through the lobby and into the street.
For a moment he stood at the head of the steps which led down from the revolving door, savouring the sights and sounds of freedom. It was the first time he had got away from his father since they had left London. At the far end of the broad road he could see a statue of a man on horseback. The strangeness of everything gave him a jolt of pleasure. He darted down the steps and began to run towards the statue.
The pavements were crowded and slippery. As he dodged between a linden tree and a stall selling spicy sausages, he skidded on a pile of dirty snow. At the last moment he clutched at the tree and saved himself from sprawling on the surface of the road. A car swerved to avoid him. A bicycle bell jangled angrily.
Hugh laughed aloud and ran on.
We could have talked in Czech, Kendall said peevishly. The boy wouldnt have understood.
Madame Hase settled herself in the only armchair that the room possessed. My English is much better than your Czech. Besides, if we talk in English, there is less chance that an ear at the keyhole would be able to understand. Her voice hardened. Why did you bring the boy? It is very foolish. I was not warned.
It was decided in London, Kendall said curtly. He was annoyed that his contact had proved to be a woman, largely because the fact surprised him. Her haughty attitude made things worse; he was damned if he was going to let a female talk to him like that.
You have brought the package? There was no trouble with customs?
Kendall nodded. He crossed the room to the basin in the corner and picked up the shaving brush which stood on the glass shelf above it. The handle was made of metal. He unscrewed the base and extracted the small chamois leather bundle.
Its stitched together. Do you want me to open it?
Of course.
He slit the neck of the bag with the blade of his penknife. Madame Hase snatched the bag from him and upended it over the palm of her hand. Seven cut diamonds, small but flawless, trickled out. She sucked in her breath sharply. For the first time she smiled.
Satisfied? Kendall asked with heavy sarcasm.
Perfectly. Her pudgy fingers clenched around the stones, as if she was trying to squeeze the virtue out of them. But we may have a problem at the other end of the transaction.
What do you mean? Kendall had assumed that she would hand over the papers now she had the diamonds; he knew nothing about possible problems. Now he came to think about it, he knew very little about this whole business. Stanhope-Smith hadnt been very informative.
I have not yet obtained the information. Madame Hases English might be fluent, but she pronounced it as if it was a dead language, with equal stress on each syllable and without inflections. The principals with whom I am dealing lack confidence, both in me and in London. They do not trust me because I am a woman and because my origins are bourgeois. And of course they have only my word that London is the source of these. She unclasped her hand and prodded the little pile of diamonds.
Kendall shrugged. Id have thought diamonds were diamonds wherever they come from.
Not if they come from Berlin. That is their worst fear, I think. But these men see enemies everywhere. Can you blame them? England and France were our allies; they guaranteed to maintain our borders; and then they betrayed us at Munich because of a ranting bully with a big stick. Or perhaps they think these diamonds come from closer home. The Deuxième Bureau has never loved us and Moravec is a man who likes to hold all the strings in his hand. No one trusts our government any more: those Fascist toadies dissolved the Communist Party just before Christmas.
Kendall took his time over filling and lighting a pipe. A familiar sense of helplessness swept over him; and that as usual made him angry. As far as he could see, the only course open to him was to return to London, empty-handed. He had a shrewd suspicion that Madame Hase meant to keep the diamonds whatever happened. He could hardly force her to return them; she would probably shriek the place down and accuse him of trying to rape her.
If he returned to London without those papers (whatever they were), he would be back to square one: he would have failed Stanhope-Smith; there would be no more lucrative little jobs. Worst of all, England would suffer because of his failure.
Is there nothing we can do to convince them that were all above board? He spoke more loudly than he had intended; Madame Hase looked at him sharply.
Perhaps, she said after a pause. We have one strong card in our hand: they need help from somewhere. Any resistance network needs money and it needs access to the outside world. We thought Moscow would provide both, but they are being dilatory and time is running out. You are here and you can offer what they want.
Would it help if I met them?
It might. But that would take time to arrange and there might have to be several meetings. A fit of coughing interrupted her. It would help if you were more important. They may consider that a mere messenger boy can have nothing useful to say to them.
Kendalls face became mottled. Madame Hase appeared not to notice.
But of course they do not know what your rank is, she continued. Nor do I. I simply draw inferences.
I fail to see
There was a tap on the door.
Madame Hase snapped open her handbag, dropped in the diamonds and pulled out something else. A sense of unreality caught Kendall by the throat, making him literally gasp for breath. She was holding an automatic pistol.
This time it wasnt a tap: it was an impatient double knock. Madame Hase concealed the pistol in the folds of her fur coat and signalled to him to open the door.
It was almost with a sense of anticlimax that he found one of the pageboys waiting in the corridor.
Pan Kendall? The youth held out a dented silverplated salver. On it was a flimsy grey envelope addressed to Kendall at the Hotel Palacky.
Kendall took the letter, dropped a tip on the tray and closed the door. He ripped open the envelope and extracted the single sheet of paper it contained. Madame Hase returned the automatic to her handbag.
Oh, my God. Kendall suddenly sat down on the edge of the bed. What the hell are we going to do?
When Hugh had looked at the statue, he went on to the end of Vaclavske Namesti. The broad avenue ended in a T-junction. He turned right, hoping eventually to reach the river.
When Hugh had looked at the statue, he went on to the end of Vaclavske Namesti. The broad avenue ended in a T-junction. He turned right, hoping eventually to reach the river.
Before he came to the Vltava, he emerged into a rectangular open space. He consulted the guidebook and decided he might be in Charles Square. The centre was laid out as a public park. The snow was still thick on the grass, contrasting bleakly with the bare branches of the trees.
A covered fiacre clopped past him; the nearside wheels of the carriage sprayed his legs with slush. Hugh wiped it off as best he could with his handkerchief. He was beginning to feel cold. He sidled nearer to a brazier on the corner of the park, hoping to steal a little heat. Chestnuts cracked and sizzled above the glowing charcoal. Hughs mouth watered. It was a long time since lunch. He wished his father had given him a little pocket money. Aunt Vidas half-crown wouldnt be much use here.
A small van pulled over to the kerb and parked. Two men got out, both wearing faded blue overalls. One of them opened the back of the van and appeared to be rummaging around inside. The other came over to the brazier and held his hands over the fire. He was tall and thin, with very large blue eyes. Hugh backed away: this looked like a real customer.
Dobry den, the newcomer said to the owner of the brazier.
That meant Good day in Czech, according to the list of useful phrases in the back of the guidebook. Hugh felt pleased: already he was learning to swim in strange waters.
The man said something else and was given a cone of newspaper filled with chestnuts that steamed in the cold air.
He paid for them and sauntered over to Hugh.
English? He held out the cone. For you. Take.
Hugh made a half-hearted attempt to explain in sign language that his parents had told him never to accept presents from strangers. But the man was insistent and it seemed easier to take the cone, just to keep him happy. Besides, Hugh told himself, this was Prague, not London: the old rules were no longer so important.
The first chestnut burned his fingers and scorched his mouth; but it tasted wonderful. Hugh politely offered the bag to his benefactor.
The man shook his head. He laid a hand on Hughs arm. Come. My friend speak English good. With his other arm he gestured to his friend at the back of the van.
Hugh hesitated: his parents had also told him never to go anywhere with strangers, either. But a few paces across a crowded pavement was surely a different matter. It seemed churlish to refuse.
The other man turned as they came up. He was built like a bull, with thick shoulders and a massive head. The van doors were open, but the interior was still sheltered by a pair of canvas curtains.
Hello, my friend. He smiled and pantomimed with finger and thumb that he would like a chestnut.
Hugh moved a step closer, holding out the cone. The first man was close behind him; on either side were the doors; in front was the van itself.
The smile vanished. Two hands grabbed him around the waist and threw him bodily through the curtains. Before he had time to think, he was sprawling on the ridged metal floor of the van. Chestnuts rattled around him like hailstones.
The doors slammed behind him. A few seconds later, the engine coughed into life and the van began to move. The floor vibrated uncomfortably beneath Hugh: they were going over cobbles and the rudimentary suspension of the van couldnt cope.
Hugh bit his lip in an effort to keep back the tears. For once his parents had been proved right. He pulled himself up, using the side of the van as a support. The van, now travelling at some speed, took a sharp turn to the left. Hugh lost his balance and careered over to the right. His fall was partially broken by a large, unyielding object that hung along the far side of the van. It was cold, firm and sticky.
Both his hands and one cheek felt clammy from its touch. Hugh lifted one hand to his nose and sniffed cautiously.
It smelled of blood.
Madame Hase hailed one of the taxi-cabs which lurked in wait outside the Palackys door. She pushed Kendall before her into the back and scrambled in after him. Her skirt far too short for Kendalls taste rode up, exposing sturdy legs; wiry black hairs poked through the flesh-coloured silk stockings.
She told the driver to take them to Nadrasi Dejvice, a suburban station on the other side of the river just north of the great hill of Hradcany.
We can walk from there, she whispered to Kendall. It would be foolish to drive straight to the shop.
Whose shop? Kendall was too angry to keep his voice down.
Madame Hase patted his knee reprovingly. Jans, of course, she said in an undertone. Your letter was in Belas handwriting so its the obvious place. Jan and Bela are on the Provisional Committee for Prague. She giggled incongruously. They do everything together, you see.
Its damnable, Kendall burst out. Do you Bolsheviks make a habit of kidnapping the sons of British subjects?
No, no, my friend. She patted his knee again and Kendall edged away. You dont understand: the fact they took your son is good. It means they think you are worth taking seriously. We have a proverb: in English it would be something like You dont mark the pack if you dont want to play cards.
Kendall looked blankly at her. I dont see why youre so cheerful. If theyre just going to give Hugh back, why bother to take him in the first place? Its perfectly obvious theyre going to use him as a lever to blackmail me.
She shook her head and leaned closer to him. First they did it to show you they are strong men, men you must respect. Next they did it to make sure your son is really English. But, most of all, they did it so that you would hand over the diamonds to them at a place which they choose, not you. Once you have exchanged the diamonds and the boy, we can all get down to business.
How did they know where I was staying? How did they know the one time that Hugh was going out by himself? It was your suggestion that he should go for a walk.
Madame Hase ignored the suspicion in his voice. I had to tell them your name and where you were staying. They wouldnt just take my word, you know. Theyve been watching you since you arrived. There will be plenty of Party members at the Palacky to act as their eyes and ears. Communism makes a simple emotional appeal to waiters and bellboys and that class of person. She squeezed his knee. Leave the talking to me, as much as possible. We will offer them two of the diamonds in exchange for the boy; they do not know how many you have brought.
What if they search you? Kendall objected.
This time she nudged him in the ribs. Two diamonds are in my bag. The others are in a hiding place only ladies have. She tittered and snuggled closer to Kendall. Jan and Bela are not the sort of men who enjoy searching the intimate parts of ladies.
Kendall blushed and cleared his throat. It was difficult to imagine anyone less like a lady than his present companion. To his great relief she pulled away from him.
You must say very little be cold and angry and very British gentlemanly. I want to make them feel that they have gone too far, that they have been rash in offending you so casually. She broke off and studied Kendall thoughtfully for a few seconds. Yes, I think I shall say you are the head of the Middle European network of SIS. That should impress them.