The next thing out of the lucky dip was a roll of papers held by a rubber band. The rubber snapped at a touch but the papers, long rolled, held their curvature and he unrolled them with difficulty. The first pages were written in Finnish in a tight handwriting and the first mathematical equation came on the fourth page. From then on they were more frequent until the final pages were solid mathematics.
How do we know what were looking for? asked Armstrong.
We dont we take the lot. Carey dived into the hole again and groped about. Within ten minutes he had cleared the box which proved to be only half full but, even so, the books and papers made a big stack.
Carey took some folded paper bags from his pocket. Fill that hole; Ill take care of the loot. He looked at his watch with worried eyes. We havent much time.
He filled three stout kraft-paper bags with documents and sealed them with sticky tape. Armstrong said, Theres not enough earth to go back. Its filling the trunk.
Ill see to that, said Carey. You nip along and fetch that wheelbarrow. You know where its planted.
The empty house at the end of the street. I hope young Virtanen parked it in the right place.
Youll soon find out. Get going. Carey began to fill in the hole and, as Armstrong had said, there was not enough earth, so he took more from other parts of the flower bed and took care not to pack it too tightly. It took him quite a while but when he had finished Armstrong had not yet returned.
He took the brown paper bags from where they had been lying among the long-stemmed flowers and hid them more securely in some shrubbery. His watch told him that time was running out; they had to get back to the paper mill and smuggle the papers aboard the bus. That had been arranged for but it would take time and there was little of that left.
Impatiently he went to the front gate and was relieved to see Armstrong trudging back with the wheelbarrow. What kept you?
The damn fool hid it, said Armstrong savagely. What did you tell him to do?
To put it just inside the wall and out of sight.
He put the bloody thing in the cellar, said Armstrong. I had to search the house to find it.
A misunderstanding but weve got it. Come on.
They put the documents into the wheelbarrow and covered the bags with dirty sacking. Armstrong put the spade and the detector on top and picked up the handles of the wheelbarrow. He was about to push off when he stopped. Someones coming.
Carey turned. A man was coming up the garden from the side of the house. His whole attitude was one of suspicion. What are you doing in my garden?
Carey stepped forward. Grazhdaninu Kunayev?
Yes.
Carey reeled out his story, then said, Your wife knows about it, of course. Weve made very little disturbance.
Youve been digging holes? Where?
Carey pointed. There on the lawn. He refrained from drawing attention to the flower bed.
Kunayev walked over and prodded at the turf with his toe. Youve been neat, I will say that. He stamped hard with his foot, and Armstrong winced, thinking of the bomb below. Does this mean youll be coming in earlier?
Carey frowned. How do you mean?
With the bulldozers.
Not that I know of, comrade. Thats not my department. Im concerned only with water pipes.
Kunayev looked at the house. Ive liked living here; its a good place. Now they want to pull it down and put up another damn factory. I ask you; is that right, comrade? Do you think its right?
Carey shrugged. Progress sometimes means sacrifice.
And Im doing the sacrificing. Kunayev snorted. Im being transferred to the new housing development on the other side of town. A cheap, rotten, new house. Not like this house, comrade; those Finns knew how to build houses.
And Im doing the sacrificing. Kunayev snorted. Im being transferred to the new housing development on the other side of town. A cheap, rotten, new house. Not like this house, comrade; those Finns knew how to build houses.
Meaning that Soviet workers dont? asked Carey suavely.
I didnt say that, said Kunayev. He walked towards the wheelbarrow and picked up the detector. Is this your water diviner?
Carey tightened his lips. Yes.
Like the mine detector I used during the war. I was at Stalingrad, comrade. Fourteen years old I was then. He strolled towards the fence separating his garden from the one next door, still holding the detector. Boris Ivanevitch, are you there?
For Christs sake! whispered Armstrong. What do we do now?
A woman called back. Hes just going on duty,
Good afternoon, Irina Alexandrovna; ask him to come round here. I have something to show him.
Lets just leave, urged Armstrong.
We cant leave without that detector, said Carey through his teeth. It would look too suspicious.
Kunayev came back from the fence. He had put on the earphones. Seems to work just like a mine detector, too. Not as big and heavy, of course; but theyre clever with their electronics these days.
It works on a different principle, said Carey. But weve finished here, Grazhdaninu Kunayev; we must go about our work.
No great hurry, comrade, said Kunayev carelessly. He walked over to the patch of relaid turf. You say you found your water pipe here?
A pipe junction, said Carey, gritting his teeth.
Kunayev nicked a switch and walked back and forth several times. It works, he said. I could find that junction blind-fold see if I cant. He closed his eyes and walked back and forward again. Am I there?
Right on the spot, said Armstrong.
Kunayev opened his eyes and looked past them. Ah, Boris Ivanevitch, he said. Youll be interested in this.
Carey turned around and felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Boris Ivanevitch was a policeman.
Thirty-One
The chief study here at Sompio is the ecology of wetland, said Dr Matti Mannermaa. In northern Finland we have many marshes caused by the slow drying out of the shallow lakes. Sompio was chosen as a nature preserve because it not only has such a marsh but also has high ground of an altitude of over five hundred metres and a small part of Lake Lokka. Thus we have a varied habitat for many creatures, especially birds.
Very interesting, said McCready, hoping the interest showed in his face. He was bored to death.
I am an ornithologist, of course, said Dr Mannermaa. My work here is similar to that done at your English research station at Slimbridge.
Ive been there, said Harding with enthusiasm.
So have I, said Dr Mannermaa. I spent many months there investigating British methods. We have adopted the rocket-driven net for use here. We ring a lot of birds for the study of migratory patterns.
McCready indicated the rack of shotguns on the wall of Mannermaas office. I see you shoot them, too.
We must, said Mannermaa. We have a continuing study in pesticide residues in body fat. We break a lot of eggs, too, Mr McCready to study the thickness of the shells. Decreasing shell thickness is mainly a problem with the raptors, of course. He laughed. I am not a sentimentalist about birds; I like roast duck just as much as anyone else.
Im a wildfowler, said Harding. We get good shooting in Norfolk.
I hope you dont take a shotgun into Sompio, said Mannermaa. There was a twinkle in his eye which belied the gravity of his voice. Well, now; let us look at the map and decide what is best for you to do.
He stood up and went to a wall map. For a few minutes they discussed routes and possibilities. Here there is a hut, said Mannermaa. On the edge of the marsh just below Nattaset thats the mountain here. Its equipped with bunks and cooking facilities rough living but better than tenting.
Most kind of you, said McCready. Thank you very much.
A lot of our technical equipment is stored there. Please try not to disturb it.
We wont touch anything, promised McCready. Thank you for everything, Dr Mannermaa.
As they shook hands Mannermaa said, I hope your companions are successful in their shopping here. Vuotso is a small place and the range of choice may be restricted.
All we need are basic rations.
If you run out youll find some tinned food in the hut, said Mannermaa. You can pay for it when you get back.
McCready and Harding left the office and emerged on to the main street of Vuotso. Harding said, Co-operative chap, isnt he? Those credentials Carey supplied must be really high-powered.
But we mustnt take a shotgun into Sompio, said McCready. I wish we could take a machine-gun.
Do you think well be followed here?
Its a certainty we left a trail like a bloody paper chase. Careys plan is working and thats just fine for Carey, but I have a feeling that were left holding the sticky end. McCready sounded angry. Its all very well for him to set us up as targets but who likes being shot at? His plan that I should be an outside guard has already broken down. I have to sleep some time. Its too big a job for one man.
Youll be with us this time, then?
McCready nodded. His brow was furrowed as he tried to cover all the angles. Another thing how will Denison hold out?
Hes got remarkable resilience, said Harding. That crack on the head stirred things up and a lot of the blocks on his memory have been shaken loose. Hes remembering more and more as time goes on, but he seems to have the ability to handle it.
What happens when he gets it all back? Does he crack up and go back on the bottle? asked McCready sourly.
I dont know. I tried him on whisky last night. He seems to have a positive aversion to it.
McCready grunted. I hope he stays that way.
In fact, Denison felt remarkably well. As they went on foot into the Sompio nature preserve he tried to analyse the reasons for his feeling of well-being and came to the conclusion that it was because of the absence of panic when he probed into the past. And then, of course, there was the immediate environment. He stopped and took a deep breath of the cool clean air and looked about him.
They were skirting the mountain called Nattaset and keeping to the high ground. Below there was a vista of the northern wilderness breathtaking in its beauty. Where there was firm ground the ever-present birches grew, but in between a multitude of islets there was a lacework intricacy of watercourses reflecting the blue of the sky, and in the distance an island-dotted lake shone like silver. Closer at hand white wreaths of last winters snow lay all about.