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Topkapi:TheLightofDay

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AbouttheAuthor

EricCliffordAmblerwasborninLondon1909,theeldestchildofaparttime entertainer and advertising executive father who hadmoved fromLancashire. His mother was the daughter of a London cabinet maker.Agedeight,hewonascholarship toasouth-LondonGrammarSchool,whichhe lateradmittedto loathing.Hedidenjoyscience,however,andaged fifteen won an engineering scholarship to a college in Islington,which was associated with London University, but left without taking adegree to work as a technical trainee in the Edison Swan ElectricalCompany.Progressiontothepublicitydepartmentofthecompanyledtoapositionwiththeitsadvertisingagency,wherehedidwellandbecameadirectoragedtwentysix.

He also took to writing; plays initially as he had maintained afascinationwiththetheatregivenhisparent’sinterests.These,however,failedtofindanappreciativeaudienceandremainedlargelyunpublishedand so he turned his talents to a novel; The Dark Frontier, followedquickly by Uncommon Danger, which was published in 1937. Neitherwereparticularlywellreceivedbythecritics.Theywerethrillers,butnotoftheilkcriticswereusedto.Amblerhaddevelopeddecidedlyleftwingtendenciesandalikecircleoffriendsandhesoughttobringwhathesawassocialrealismtohiswork.HeregardedthelikesofSapperandotherauthorsofthetimeaswritingaboutestablishmentfigureswhoinhabitedaworldverydifferentfromreality.

Nonetheless, the two novels were enough to gain him a contract toproducetwobooksayearforasmallstipend.HemovedtoFrance,soastomakeendsmeetmoreeasilyandalsobecausehefelt itwasamorestimulatingenvironment. Inhisownwords: ‘Francewas fullofemigrés,

somelivingontheirwits,otherswiththemostluridofpasts.Thesewerethesortofpeople Iwantedtowriteabout’.TheresultwasTheMaskofDimitrios,whichisregardedasthefirstofmanynovelswhichestablishedAmblerasthe‘fatherofthemodernspynovel’andleadJohnLeCarretolaterclaimAmblerwasthe‘onetheyallfollowed’.In1939AmblermarriedHarriet,anAmericanfashionartist,beforegoingofftowartoserveintheRoyalArtillery.Fromthere,hewastransferredtothearmyfilmunitwhereheprogressedtotherankof lieutenant-colonelandbegana longassociationwiththebigscreen.Hemadeoverninetyfilms for the army, for both information and propaganda purposes, butsomewerenotableandhavesurvivedthetestoftime,includingTheWayAheadwithDavidNivenandPeterUstinov.DuringaspellinItaly,hemetHumphreyBogartwhowasentertainingthetroopsnearNaples,andalsothedirectorJohnHuston.

Afterthewar,Amblerworkedasascreenwriter,mostlyinAmericafortheRankOrganisationwherehehadaverysuccessfulcareer,receivinganAcademyAwardforhisworkon‘TheCruelSea’in1953.Thereweresome commercial failures, however, David Lean’s Passionate Friends(1949) which was based on the novel by H.G. Wells, andMadeleine(1950), being examples. However, Ambler's adaptation of ArnoldBennett'snovelTheCard,starringAlecGuinnessandGlynisJohns,wasahitin1952.

It was in Hollywood hemet his second wife, the film and televisionproducerJoanHarrison,havingbeendivorcedfromHarrietin1958.Joanwas producing a very successful television series, Alfred HitchcockPresents, and hired Ambler as one of the writers. At the turn of thedecade,AmblercreatedaTVshowofhisown,Checkmate, set inSanFranciscoandfeaturingtheexploitsofthreeprivatedetectives.Between 1940 and 1951 Ambler wrote no novels, but then penned aseriesof thrillerswithCharlesRoddaunder thepseudonymEliotReed,whichhavenowbeenre-publishedunderthe'Amblerumbrella'.Hethenreturned to writing under his own name with Judgement on Deltchev,whichmarkedaseedchangeinphilosophicalstyle.Bynowhispoliticalviews had moved away from the left, perhaps through Americaninfluence, or maybe a realisation the various socialist experiments in

government in the world had simply resulted in old fashioneddictatorships. Deltchev reflected this ideological change in effectivelymockingStalinistgovernmentthroughthestoryofatypicalshowtrialsetintheBalkans,albeitwithmanythrillingaspectstointerestthereader.By 1969, Ambler was bored with screen writing and increasinglyfrustratedwith being asked to produce specific results so as to ensureHollywood stars took the lead whatever the storyline. This came to ahead after many re-writes of Mutiny on the Bounty which eventuallystarredMarlon Brando as Fletcher Christian, whom Ambler was beingpushedtoshowasafarmoredominantcharacterthanCaptainBligh.

He moved to Switzerland where he continued to write novels, untilreturningtoEnglandin1985.Theonefacetofhisearlierworkretainedinall later novelswas that the central character remainednot necessarilywell connected, or found to be harbouring aspirations to become amemberof theestablishment.Usually,hewasawellmeaningamateurunderdogwhosomehowovercamesometimesextremeadversity towinthrough. Indeed,asheprogressed throughhiscanon,Amblergraduallydropped any attempt at portraying a political, or social, message andsimplyconcentratedonwellformulatedstoriescentredonacomplexwebof intrigues. These might be set against political, or criminal,backgrounds,orboth,butwithoutanyparticularideologicalintent.Thisisseen, at least in part, in his much admired Dr Frigo, where ErnestoCastillo,adoctorinacivilhospitalonasmallislandintheFrenchAntillesand the son of an assassinated political leader, is drawn into politicsagainst his better judgment, and in the process has his own idealismdestroyed.Thelaternovels,however,werethecommercialequalsoftheearlierones,ifnottheirbetters,andanumbersuchasLightofDay(alsopublishedasTopkapi)andTheLevanteralsobroughtAmblerwidecriticalacclaim.

IntheyearthathereturnedtoEnglandAmbler’sautobiography,HereLies Eric Ambler, was published. This only covered his life up to andincluding the War. Included is one fascinating story he recounts from1934whilststillworkinginadvertising.VacationinginMarseilles,Amblerwascheatedoutofmoneywhilstplayingpokerdicewithabartender.Atastreet crossing in the city he then fantasised aboutmurdering themanwitharifle.Uponthesamespot,oneyearlater,aCroatianassassinshot

andkilledKingAlexanderofYugoslavia.Helaterrecalled:'IfeltIhadafreshbitofmycharacter,whichwasan

assassin.And I felt therewerepeoplealloverEurope just likeme, justready for the word to kill…. I felt oddly guilty, but also pleased. In theMediterraneansunshinetherewerestrangeandviolentmenwithwhomIcouldidentify,andwithwhom,inaway,Iwasnowintouch.'ManyofAmbler’sownworkshavebeenfilmed,notablyTheLightofDay(Topkapi),whichstarredPeterUstinovasthepettythief,ArthurSimpson.There iscurrentlyanotherversionof this indevelopment, tobeentitledTheTopkapiAffairandstarringPiersBrosnan,inwhichthenowfamouscharacterThomasCrownisscheduledtobewrittenintotheplot.Ambler was awarded four Gold Dagger Awards by the British CrimeWriters Association and aDiamondDagger for lifetime achievement in1986.HealsoreceivedanEdgarfromTheMysteryWritersofAmericain1964 and was named as Grand Master in 1975. Many other literaryawardsfromaroundtheglobewerealsogainedandhereceivedanOBEin1981.HediedinLondonin1998,fouryearsafterthedeathofhiswife.

‘Ourgreatestthrillerwriter...’-GrahamGreene

‘Amblerisincapableofwritingadullparagraph...’-TheSundayTimes

‘Ambleris,quitesimply,thebest...’-TheNewYorker

‘Theforemostthrillerwriterofourtime...’-Time

‘MrAmblerisaphenomenon...’-AlfredHitchcock

‘Thegreatestspynovelistofalltime...’-SanFranciscoChronicle

‘Amblertowersovermostofhisnewerimitators’-LosAngelesTimes

‘Amblermaywell be thebestwriter of suspense stories ..He is themastercraftsman’-Life

Maps

1:Terrain

2:Topkapi

1

ITCAMEDOWNtothis:ifIhadnotbeenarrestedbytheTurkishpolice,IwouldhavebeenarrestedbytheGreekpolice.Ihadnochoicebuttodoas this man Harper told me. He was entirely responsible for whathappenedtome.

IthoughthewasanAmerican.HelookedlikeanAmerican-tall,withthe loose, light suit, thenarrow tieandbutton-downcollar, the smooth,old-young,young-oldfaceandthecrewcut.HespokelikeanAmerican,too;oratleastlikeaGermanwhohaslivedinAmericaforalongtime.Ofcourse,InowknowthatheisnotanAmerican,buthecertainlygavethatimpression. His luggage, for instance, was definitely American; plasticleatherandimitationgoldlocks.IknowAmericanluggagewhenIseeit.Ididn’tseehispassport.

He arrived at the Athens airport on a plane from Vienna. He couldhavecomefromNewYorkorLondonorFrankfurtorMoscowandarrivedbythatplane-orjustfromVienna.Itwasimpossibletotell.Therewerenohotel labelson the luggage. I justassumed thathecame fromNewYork.Itwasamistakeanyonemighthavemade.

Thiswillnotdo.Icanalreadyhearmyselfprotestingtoomuch,asifIhadsomethingtobeashamedof;butIamsimplytryingtoexplainwhathappened,tobecompletelyfrankandopen.

I reallydidnotsuspect thathewasnotwhatheseemed.Naturally, Iapproachedhimattheairport.Thecar-hirebusinessisonlyatemporarysidelinewithme,of course - I ama journalist byprofession -butNickihadbeencomplainingaboutneedingmorenewclothes,andtherentwasdueontheflatthatweek.Ineededmoney,andthismanlookedasifhehadsome.Isitacrimetoearnmoney?Thewaysomepeoplegoonyouwouldthinkitwas.ThelawisthelawandIamcertainlynotcomplaining,butwhatIcan’tstandisallthehumbugandhypocrisy.Ifamangoestotheredlightdistrictonhisown,nobodysaysanything.Butifhewantstodoanother chap, a friendor anacquaintance, a good turn by showinghimthewaytothebesthouse,everyonestartsscreamingbluemurder.Ihavenopatiencewith it. If there isone thing Ipridemyselfon it ismycommonsense-thatandmysenseofhumour.

MycorrectnameisArthurSimpson.No!IsaidIwouldbecompletelyfrankandopenandIamgoingtobe.

MycorrectfullnameisArthurAbdelSimpson.TheAbdelisbecausemymotherwasEgyptian. In fact, Iwasborn inCairo.Butmy fatherwasaBritish officer, a regular, and I myself am British to the core. EvenmybackgroundistypicallyBritish.

Myfatherrosefromtheranks.HewasaRegimentalSergeantMajorinthe Buffs when I was born; but in 1916 he was commissioned as aLieutenantQuartermaster in theArmyServiceCorps.Wewere living inofficers’marriedquartersinIsmailiawhenhewaskilledayearlater.Iwastooyoungat the time tobe told thedetails. I thought,naturally, thathemusthavebeenkilledby theTurks;butMumtoldme later thathehadbeenrunoverbyanarmylorryashewaswalkinghomeonenightfromtheofficers’mess.

Mumhadhispension,ofcourse,butsomeonetoldhertowritetotheArmyBenevolent Association for the Sons of FallenOfficers, and theygotme into theBritishschool inCairo.Shestillkeptonwriting to themaboutme, though.When Iwasnine, they said that if therewere somerelative in England I could live with, they would pay for my schoolingthere. There was a married sister of father’s living at Hither Green inSouth-East London. When the Benevolent Association said that theywouldpay twelve-and-sixaweek formykeep,sheagreed tohaveme.ThiswasagreatrelieftoMumbecauseitmeantthatshecouldmarryMr.Hafiz,whohadneverlikedmeafterthedayIcaughttheminbedtogetherandtoldtheImamaboutit.Mr.Hafizwasintherestaurantbusinessandwasasfatasapig. ItwasdisgustingforamanofhisagetobeinbedwithMum.

IwenttoEnglandonanarmytroopshipincareofthesickbaymatron.Iwasgladtogo.IhaveneverlikedbeingwhereIamnotwanted.Mostofthemen in the sick baywereV.D. cases, and I used to listen to themtalking. I pickedupquitea lot of useful information,before thematron,whowas (there is no other word) an old bitch, found out about it andhandedmeovertotheP.T.instructorfortherestofthevoyage.MyauntinHitherGreenwasabitch,too,butIwaswantedthereallright.Shewasmarriedtoabookkeeperwhospenthalfhistimeoutofwork.Mytwelve-and-sixaweekcameinveryhandy.Shedidn’tdaregettoobitchy.Everyso often, aman from theBenevolentAssociationwould comedown to

seehowIwasgettingon.IfIhadtoldhimthetaletheywouldhavetakenme away. Likemost boys of that age, I suppose I waswhat is knownnowadaysas“abitofahandful.”

The schoolwas on the Lewishamside ofBlackheath and had a bigboardoutsidewithgoldletteringonit:

CORAM’SGRAMMARSCHOOLFortheSonsofGentlemenFOUNDED1781

On top of the board there was the school coat of arms and motto,

Mensaequainarduis.TheLatinmastersaiditwasfromHorace;buttheEnglishmaster liked to translate it in Kipling’swords: “If you can keepyour headwhen all about you are losing theirs ... you’ll be aMan,myson!”

ItwasnotexactlyapublicschoollikeEtonorWinchester;therewerenoboarders,wewerealldayboys;butitwasrunonthesamelines.Yourparents,or(asinmycase)guardian,hadtopaytosendyouthere.Therewerea fewscholarshipboys from the localcouncilschools - I thinkwehadtohavethembecauseoftheBoardofEducationsubsidy-butnevermore than twenty or so in thewhole school. In 1920a newHeadwasappointed. His name was Brush and we nicknamed him “The Bristle.”He’dbeenamasteratabigpublic schoolandsoheknewhow thingsshould be done.Hemadea lot of changes.After he came,we playedrugger instead of soccer, sat in forms instead of in classes, and weretaughthowtospeaklikegentlemen.Oneortwooftheoldermastersgotthesack,whichwasagoodthing;andTheBristlemadeall themasterswear their university gowns at prayers in the morning. As he said,Coram’swasaschoolwithagoodtradition,andalthoughwemightnotbe as old as Eton or Winchester, we were a good deal older thanBrightonorClifton.Alltheswottingintheworldwasnogoodifyoudidn’thavecharacterandtradition.HemadeusstopreadingtrashliketheGemandMagnetandturntoworthwhilebooksbyauthorslikeStevensonandTalbotBainesReed.

Iwastooyoungwhenmyfatherwaskilledtohaveknownhimwell;butone or two of his pet sayings have always remained in my memory;perhapsbecauseIheardhimrepeatthemsooftentoMumortohisarmy

friends. One, I remember, was “Never volunteer for anything,” andanotherwas“Bullshitbafflesbrains.”

Hardlytheguidingprinciplesofanofficerandagentleman,yousay?Well, Iamnotsosureabout that;but Iwon’targue. Icanonlysaythattheywere theguidingprinciplesofapractical,professionalsoldier,andthatatCoram’stheyworked.Forexample,Ifoundoutveryearlyonthatnothingannoyedthemastersmorethanuntidyhandwriting.Withsomeofthem, in fact, thewrong answer to a question neatlywrittenwould getalmostasmanymarksastherightanswerbadlywrittenorcoveredwithsmears and blots. I have always written very neatly. Again, when amasteraskedsomethingandthensaid“Handsupwhoknows,”youcouldalwaysputyourhandupevenifyoudidnotknow,aslongasyoulettheeagerbeaversputtheirhandsupfirst,andaslongasyousmiled.Smiling-pleasantly, Imean,notgrinningorsmirking-wasvery importantatalltimes.Themastersdidnotbotheraboutyousomuchifyoulookedasifyouhadaclearconscience.

Igoton fairlywellwith theotherchaps.Because Ihadbeenborn inEgypt,ofcourse,theycalledme“Wog,”but,asIwasfair-hairedlikemyfather,Ididnotmindthat.Myvoicebrokequiteearly,whenIwastwelve.Afterawhile,IstartedgoinguptoHillyFieldsatnightwithafifth-formernamedJonesiv,whowasfifteen,andweusedtopickupgirls-"square-pushing,” as they say in the army. I soon found that some of the girlsdidn’tmindabit ifyouputyourhandup theirskirts,andevendidabitmore.Sometimeswewouldstayoutlate.ThatmeantthatIusedtohavetogetupearlyanddomyhomework,ormakemyauntwriteanexcusenoteformetotaketoschoolsayingthatIhadbeensenttobedafterteawithafeverishheadache.Iftheworsecametotheworst,IcouldalwayscribfromaboynamedReeseanddothewrittenworkinthelavatory.Hehadverybadacneandneverminded if youcribbed fromhim; in fact Ithinkhelikedit.Butyouhadtobecareful.Hewasoneofthebookwormsandusuallygoteverything right. If youcribbed fromhimword forwordyouriskedgettingfullmarks.

Withme, thatwouldmakethemastersuspicious. Igot tenoutof tenforachemistrypaperonce,andthemastercanedmeforcheating.Ihadnever really liked themanand Igotmyrevenge laterbypouringa testtubeof sulphuricacid (conc.)over thesaddleofhisbicycle;but Ihavealways remembered the lesson that incident taught me. Never try to

pretendthatyou’rebetterthanyouare.IthinkIcanfairlysaythatIneverhave.

Of course, anEnglish public-school education ismainly designed tobuildcharacter,togiveaboyasenseoffairplayandsoundvalues,teachhimtotaketheroughwiththesmooth,andmakehimlookandsoundlikeagentleman.

Coram’satleastdidthosethingsforme;andlookingback,Isupposethat I shouldbegrateful. I can’t say that Ienjoyed theprocess though.Fighting,forinstance:thatwassupposedtobeverymanly,andifyoudidnotenjoyittheycalledyou“cowardlycustard.”Idon’tthinkitiscowardlynot towantsomeonetohityouwithhis fistandmakeyournosebleed.ThetroublewasthatwhenIusedtohitbackIalwayssprainedmythumborgrazedmyknuckles.Intheend,Ifoundthebestwaytohitbackwaswithasatchel,especially ifyouhadapenor thesharpedgeofa rulerstickingout through the flap;but Ihavealwaysdislikedviolenceofanykind.

AlmostasmuchasIdislikeinjustice.MylasttermatCoram’s,whichIshouldhavebeenabletoenjoybecauseitwasthelast,wascompletelyspoiled.

Jonesivwasresponsibleforthat.Hehadleftschoolbythen,andwasworking for his father,who owned a garage, but I still went up toHillyFields with him sometimes. One evening he showedme a long poemtypedoutonfourfoolscappages.Acustomeratthegaragehadgivenittohim.ItwascalledTheEnchantmentandwassupposedtohavebeenwrittenbyLordByron.Itbegan:

Upononedarkandsultryday,AsonmygarretbedIlay,Mythoughts,forIwasdreaminghalf,Werebrokenbyasilverylaugh,Whichfelluponmystartledear,Fullloudandclearandverynear.

Well,itturnedoutthatthelaughwascomingthroughaholeinthewall

behindhisbed,sohelookedthroughthehole.

Ayouthandmaidwereintheroom,

Andeachinyouth’smostbeauteousbloom.

It thenwenton todescribewhat theyouthandmaiddid together forthenexthalfhour -verypoetically,ofcourse,but indetail. Itwasreallyhotstuff.

I made copies and let some of the chaps at school read it. Then Icharged them fourpence a time to be allowed to copy it out forthemselves. Iwasmakingquitea lotofmoney,whensome fourth-formboyleftacopyinthepocketofhiscricketblazerandhismotherfoundit.Herhusbandsent itwitha letterof complaint toTheBristle.He beganquestioning theboysonebyone to findoutwhohadstarted it,and,ofcourse,heeventuallygotbacktome.IsaidIhadbeengivenitbyaboywhohadleftthetermbefore-TheBristlecouldn’ttouchhim-butIdon’tthinkhebelievedme.Hesattappinghisdeskwithhispencilandsaying“filthysmut”overandoveragain.Helookedveryredintheface,almostas if hewereembarrassed. I rememberwondering if he couldbeabit“queer.”Finally,hesaid thatas itwasmy last termhewouldnotexpelme,butthatIwasnottoassociatewithanyoftheyoungerboysfortherest of my time there. He did not caneme or write to the BenevolentAssociation,whichwasarelief.Butitwasabadexperienceallthesameand I was quite upset. In fact, I think that was the reason I failedmymatriculation.

AtCoram’stheymadeafetishoutofpassingyourmatric.Apparently,you couldn’t get a respectable job in a bank or an insurance companywithout it. Ididnotwanta job inabankoran insurancecompany-Mr.HafizhaddiedandMumwantedmetogobackandlearntherestaurantbusiness - but itwasadisappointment all the same. I think that ifTheBristle hadbeenmorebroadmindedandunderstanding, notmademefeel as if I had committed some sort of crime, thingswould havebeendifferent. IwasasensitiveboyandI felt thatCoram’shadsomehowletmedown.ThatwasthereasonIneverappliedtojointheOldCoramiansClub.

Now,ofcourse,Icanlookbackonthewholethingandsmileaboutit.ThepointIammakingisthatpersonsinauthority-headmasters,policeofficials-candoagreatdealofdamagesimplybyfailingtounderstandtheotherfellow’spointofview.

HowcouldIhavepossiblyknownwhatkindofmanthisHarperwas?

AsIexplained,IhadsimplydrivenouttotheAthensairportlookingforbusiness.Ispottedthismangoingthroughcustomsandsawthathewascarrying his ticket in an American Express folder. I gave one of theporters two drachmas to get me the man’s name from his customsdeclaration. Then I had one of the uniformed airline girls give himmycardandthemessage:“CarwaitingoutsideforMr.Harper.”

ItisatrickIhaveusedlotsoftimesandithasalmostalwaysworked.Notmany Americans or British speak demotic Greek; and by the timethey have been through the airport customs, especially in the hotweather,andbeenjostledbytheportersandelbowedrightandleft,theyareonlytooreadytogowithsomeonewhocanunderstandwhatthey’retalkingaboutandtakecareofthetipping.Thatdayitwasreallyveryhotandhumid.

AshecamethroughtheexitfromthecustomsIwentuptohim.“Thisway,Mr.Harper.”Hestoppedandlookedmeover.Igavehimahelpfulsmile,whichhe

didnotreturn.“Waitaminute,”hesaidcurtly.“Ididn’torderanycar".I lookedpuzzled.“TheAmericanExpresssentme,sir.Theysaidyou

wantedanEnglishspeakingdriver.”He staredatmeagain, then shrugged. “Well, okay. I’mgoing to the

HotelGrande-Bretagne.”“Certainly,sir.Isthisallyourluggage?”SoonafterweturnedoffthecoastroadbyGlyphadahebegantoask

questions.Was IBritish? I sidestepped thatoneasusual.Was thecarmyown?Theyalwayswanttoknowthat.Itismyowncar,asithappens,andIhavetwospeechesaboutit.Thecaritselfisa1954Plymouth.Withan American I brag about how many thousands of miles it has donewithoutany trouble.For theBritishers I haveastiff-upper-lip lineaboutpart-exchanging it, as soon as I can save enough extra cash, for anAustin Princess, or an oldRolls-Royce, or some other real quality car.Whyshouldn’tpeoplebetoldwhattheywanttohear?

ThisHarpermanseemedmuchliketherest.HelistenedandgruntedoccasionallyasItoldhimthetale.Whenyouknowthatyouarebeginningto bore them, you usually know that everything is going to be all right.Then, you stop. He did not ask how I happened to live and work inGreece,astheyusuallydo.Ithoughtthatwouldprobablycomelater;that

is,ifthereweregoingtobealaterwithhim.Ihadtofindout.“AreyouinAthensonbusiness,sir?”“Couldbe.”Histoneasgoodastoldmetomindmyownbusiness,butIpretended

nottonotice.“Iask,sir,”Iwenton,“becauseifyoushouldneedacaranddriver while you are here I could arrange to place myself at yourdisposal.”

“Yes?”It wasn’t exactly encouraging, but I told him the daily rate and the

varioustripswecouldtakeifhewantedtodosomesightseeing-Delphiandtherest.

“I’llthinkaboutit,”hesaid.“What’syourname?”Ihandedhimoneofmycardsovermyshoulderandwatchedhim in

thedrivingmirrorwhilehereadit.Thenheslippeditintohispocket.“Areyoumarried,Arthur?”The question tookme by surprise. They don’t usually want to know

about your private life. I told him aboutmy firstwife and how she hadbeen killed by a bomb in theSuez troubles in 1956. I did notmentionNicki. I don’t knowwhy;perhapsbecause Ididnotwant to thinkaboutherjustthen.

“YoudidsayyouwereBritish,didn’tyou?”heasked.“MyfatherwasBritish,sir,andIwaseducatedinEngland.”Isaidita

littledistantly. Idislikebeingcross-examined in thatsortofway.Buthepersistedjustthesame.

“Well,whatnationalityareyou?”“IhaveanEgyptianpassport.”Thatwasperfectlytrue,althoughitwas

noneofhisbusiness.“WasyourwifeEgyptian?”“No,French.”“Didyouhaveanychildren?”“Unfortunatelyno,sir.”Iwasdefinitelycoldnow.“Isee.”Hesatbackstaringoutof thewindow,and Ihad the feeling thathe

hadsuddenlyputmeoutofhismindaltogether.IthoughtaboutAnnetteand how used I had become to saying that she had been killed by abomb. Iwasalmostbeginning tobelieve itmyself.As Istopped for thetraffic lights inOmoniasSquare,Iwonderedwhathadhappenedtoher,

andifthegallantgentlemenshehadpreferredtomehadevermanagedtogiveherthechildrenshehadsaidshewanted.Iamnotonetobearagrudge,butIcouldnothelphopingthatshebelievednowthatthesterilityhadbeenhersnotmine.

IpulledupattheGrande-Bretagne.WhiletheportersweregettingthebagsoutofthecarHarperturnedtome.

“Okay,Arthur,it’sadeal.Iexpecttobeherethreeorfourdays.”Iwassurprisedandrelieved.“Thankyou,sir.Wouldyouliketogoto

Delphitomorrow?Ontheweekendsitgetsverycrowdedwithtourists.”“We’lltalkaboutthatlater.”Hestaredatmeforamomentandsmiled

slightly.“TonightIthinkIfeellikegoingoutonthetown.Youknowsomegoodplaces?”

Ashesaidittherewasjustthesuggestionofawink.Iamsureofthat.Ismileddiscreetly.“Icertainlydo,sir.”“Ithoughtyoumight.Pickmeupatnineo’clock.Allright?”“Nineo’clock,sir.Iwillhavetheconciergetelephonetoyourroomthat

Iamhere.”It was four thirty then. I drove to my flat, parked the car in the

courtyard,andwentup.Nickiwasout,ofcourse.Sheusuallyspenttheafternoonwithfriends-

orsaidshedid. Ididnotknowwhothe friendswereandIneveraskedtoomanyquestions.Ididnotwanthertolietome,and,ifshehadpickedupa loverat theClub, Ididnotwant toknowabout it.Whenamiddle-agedmanmarriesanattractivegirlhalfhisage,hehastoacceptcertainpossibilities philosophically. The clothes she had changed out of werelyingalloverthebedandshehadspilledsomescent,sothattheplacesmelledmorestronglyofherthanusual.

TherewasaletterformefromaBritishtravelmagazineIhadwrittento.Theywantedmetosubmitsamplesofmyworkfortheirconsideration.Itoretheletterup.Practicallythirtyyearsinthemagazinegameandtheytreatyoulikeanamateur!Sendsamplesofyourwork,andthenextthingyouknowisthatthey’vestolenallyourideaswithoutpayingyouapenny-piece.Ithashappenedtomeagainandagain,andIamnotbeingcaughtthatwayanymore.Iftheywantmetowriteforthem,letthemsaysowithafirmofferofcashondelivery,plusexpensesinadvance.

ImadeafewtelephonecallstomakesurethatHarper’seveningoutwouldgosmoothly, and thenwentdown to thecafe foradrinkor two.

When I got backNickiwas there, changing again to go towork at theClub.

It was no wish of mine that she should go on working after ourmarriage. She chose to do so herself. I suppose somemenwould bejealousattheideaoftheirwivesbellydancingwithpracticallynoclothesoninfrontofothermen;but Iamnotnarrow-mindedinthatway.Ifshechoosestoearnalittleextrapocketmoneyforherself,thatisheraffair.

Whileshedressed,ItoldheraboutHarperandmadeajokeaboutallhisquestions.Shedidnotsmile.

“Hedoesnotsoundeasy,papa,”shesaid.Whenshecallsme“papa”likethatitmeansthatsheisinafriendlymoodwithme.

“Hehasmoneytospend.”“Howdoyouknow?”“ItelephonedthehotelandaskedforhiminRoom230.Theoperator

correctedmeandsoIgothisrealroomnumber.Iknowit.Itisabigair-conditionedsuite.”

She looked atmewith a slight smile and sighed. “You do somuchenjoyit,don’tyou?”

“Enjoywhat?”“Findingoutaboutpeople.”“Thatismynewspapertraining,chérie,mynosefornews.”She looked at me doubtfully, and I wished I had given a different

answer. Ithasalwaysbeendifficult formetoexplain toherwhycertaindoorsarenowclosedtome.Re-openingoldwoundsissenselessaswellaspainful.

She shruggedandwent onwithher dressing. “Will youbringhim totheClub?”

“Ithinkso.”Ipouredheraglassofwineandoneformyself.Shedrankherswhile

she finisheddressingand thenwent out.Shepattedmy cheekas shewent, but did not kiss me. The “papa” mood was over. “One day,” Ithought,“shewillgooutandnotcomeback.”

But Iamneverone tomope. If thathappened, Idecided, thengoodriddancetobadrubbish.Ipouredmyselfanotherglassofwine,smokedacigarette, and worked out a tactful way of finding out what sort ofbusiness Harper was in. I think I must have sensed that there wassomethingnotquiterightabouthim.

AtfivetonineIfoundaparkingplaceonVenizelosAvenuejustroundthecornerfromtheGrande-Bretagne,andwenttoletHarperknowthatIwaswaiting.

Hecamedownafter tenminutesand I tookhim round thecorner tothecar.Iexplainedthat itwasdifficult forprivatecarstoparkinfrontofthehotel.

Hesaid,ratherdisagreeablyIthought:“Whocares?”Iwonderedifhehadbeendrinking.Quitealotoftouristswho,intheir

owncountries,areusedtodiningearlyintheevening,startdrinkingouzoto pass the time. By ten o’clock, when most Athenians begin to thinkaboutdinner,thetouristsaresometimestootighttocarewhattheysayordo.Harper,however,wasalltoosober.Isoonfoundthatout.

Whenwe reached the car I opened the rear door for him to get in.Ignoringme,heopenedtheotherdoorandgot intothefrontpassengerseat. Very democratic. Only I happen to prefer my passengers in thebackseatwhereIcankeepmyeyeonthemthroughthemirror.

Iwentroundandgotintothedriver’sseat.“Well,Arthur,”heasked,“whereareyoutakingme?”“Dinnerfirst,sir?”“Howaboutsomeseafood?”“I’lltakeyoutothebest,sir.”I drove him out to the yacht harbour at Tourcolimano. One of the

restaurants theregivesmeagoodcommission.Thewaterfront is reallyverypicturesque,andhenoddedapprovinglyashelookedaround.Then,I tookhim into therestaurantand introducedhimto thecook.WhenhehadchosenhisfoodandabottleofdryPatraswinehelookedatme.

“Youeatenyet,Arthur?”“Oh, I will have something in the kitchen, sir.” That way my dinner

wouldgoonhisbillwithouthisknowingit,aswellasmycommission.“Youcomeandeatwithme.”“Itisnotnecessary,sir.”“Whosaiditwas?Iaskedyoutoeatwithme.”“Thankyou,sir.Iwouldliketo.”Moredemocracy.Wesatatatableontheterracebythewater’sedge

andhebegantoaskmeabouttheyachtsanchoredintheharbour.Whichwereprivatelyowned,whichwere forcharter?Whatwerecharter rateslike?

I happened to know about one of the charter yachts, an eighteen-metreketchwith twindiesels,and toldhim the rate -onehundredandforty dollarsU.S. per day, includinga crewof two, fuel for eight hours’steamingaday,andeverythingexceptcharterer’sandpassengers’food.The real rate was a hundred and thirty, but I thought that, if by anychancehewasserious,Icouldgetthedifferenceascommissionfromthebroker. I also wanted to see how he felt about that kind of money;whether he would laugh as an ordinary salaried man would, or beginaskingaboutthenumberofpersonsitwouldsleep.Hejustnodded,andthenaskedaboutfast,sea-goingmotorboatswithoutcrew.

InthelightofwhathappenedIthinkthatpointisspeciallysignificant.I said that Iwould findout.Heaskedmeabout the yacht brokers. I

gavehim thenameof theone I knewpersonally,and toldhim the restwerenogood.IalsosaidthatIdidnotthinkthattheownersofthebiggerboatslikedcharteringthemwithouttheirowncrewmenonboard.Hedidnotcommentonthat.Later,heaskedmeifIknewwhetheryachtcharterpartiesoutofTourcolimanoorthePiraeuscoveredGreekwatersonly,orwhetheryoucould“goforeign,”sayacrosstheAdriatictoItaly.Significantagain.ItoldhimIdidnotknow,whichwastrue.

Whenthebillcame,heaskedifhecouldchangeanAmericanExpresstraveller'schequeforfiftydollars.Thatwasmoretothepoint. I toldhimthathecould,andbetorethefifty-dollarchequeoutofabookof ten. ItwasthebestthingIhadseenthatday.

Justbeforeeleveno’clockweleft,andIdrovehimtotheClub.The Club is practically a copy of the Lido night club in Paris, only

smaller.IintroducedhimtoJohn,whoownstheplace,andtriedtoleavehimthereforawhile.Hewasstillabsolutelysober,andI thoughtthat ifhewerebyhimselfhewoulddrinkmore;butitwasnogood.Ihadtogoinandsitanddrinkwithhim.Hewasaspossessiveasawoman.Iwaspuzzled.IfIhadbeenafresh-lookingyoungmaninsteadof,well,frankly,a potbellied journalist, I would have understood it - not approved, ofcourse,butunderstood.Buthewasatleasttenorfifteenyearsyoungerthanme.

Theyhavecandlesonthetablesat theClubandyoucanseefaces.Whenthefloorshowcameon,Iwatchedhimwatchit.Helookedatthegirls, Nicki among them, as if they were flies on the other side of awindow.Iaskedhimhowhelikedthethirdfromtheleft-thatwasNicki.

“Legstooshort,”hesaid.“Ilikethemwithlongerlegs.Isthattheoneyouhadinmind?”

“In mind? I don’t understand, sir.” I was beginning to dislike himintensely.

Heeyedme.“Shoveit,”hesaidunpleasantly.WeweredrinkingGreekbrandy.Hereachedforthebottleandpoured

himself another. I could see themuscles in his jaw twitching as if withanger.Evidently something I had said, orwhichhe thought I had said,hadannoyedhim. Itwason the tipofmy tongue tomention thatNickiwasmywife,butIdidn’t.Iremembered,justintime,thatIhadonlytoldhimaboutAnnette,andaboutherbeingkilledbyabomb.

Hedrankthebrandydownquicklyandtoldmetogetthebill.“Youdon’tlikeithere,sir?”“Whatmoreistheretosee?Dotheystartstrippinglater?”Ismiled.Itistheonlypossibleresponsetothatsortofboorishness.In

anycase,Ihadnoobjectiontospeedingupmyprogramfortheevening.“Thereisanotherplace,”Isaid.“Likethis?”“Theentertainment,sir,isalittlemoreindividualandprivate.”Ipicked

thewordscarefully.“Youmeanacathouse?”“Iwouldn’tputitquitelikethat,sir.”Hesmirked,“I’llbetyouwouldn’t.Howabout‘maisonderendezvous’?

Doesthatcoverit?”“MadameIrma’sisverydiscreetandeverythingisinthebestoftaste,

sir.”Heshookwithamusement.“Knowsomething,Arthur?”hesaid.“Ifyou

shavedabitcloserandhadyourselfagoodhaircut,youcouldhireoutasabutleranytime.”

FromhisexpressionIcouldnottellwhetherhewasbeingdeliberatelyinsulting ormaking a clumsy joke. It seemed advisable to assume thelatter.

“IsthatwhatAmericanscall‘ribbing,’sir?”Iaskedpolitely.Thisseemedtoamusehimevenmore.Hechuckledfatuously.“Okay,

Arthur,”hesaidatlast,“okay.We’llplayityourway.Let’sgotoseeyourMadameIrma.”

Ididn’tlikethe“yourMadameIrma”wayofputtingit,butIpretended

nottonotice.Irma has a very nice house standing in its own grounds just off the

roadouttoKephisia.Sheneverhasmorethansixgirlsatanyonetimeandchangesthemeveryfewmonths.Herpricesarehigh,ofcourse,buteverything is very well arranged. Clients enter and leave by differentdoors to avoid embarrassing encounters. The only persons the clientsees are Irma herself, Kira, the manageress who takes care of thefinancialside,andnaturally,theladyofhischoice.

Harperseemedtobeimpressed,Isay“seemed”becausehewasverypolite to Irma when I introduced them, and complimented her on thedecorations.Irmaisnotunattractiveherselfandlikespresentable-lookingclients.AsIhadexpected,therewasnononsenseaboutmyjoininghimatthattable.AssoonasIrmaofferedhimadrink,heglancedatmeandmadeagestureofdismissal.

“Seeyoulater,”hesaid.Iwassurethenthateverythingwasallright.IwentintoKira’sroomto

collectmycommissionand tellherhowmuchmoneyhehadonhim. Itwasaftermidnightthen.IsaidthatIhadhadnodinnerandwouldgoandgetsome.Shetoldmethattheywerenotparticularlybusythatnightandthatthereneedbenohurry.

I drove immediately to the Grande-Bretagne, parked the car at theside,walkedroundtothebar,andwentinandorderedadrink.Ifanyonehappened tonoticemeandremember later, Ihadasimpleexplanationforbeingthere.

I finished the drink, gave thewaiter a good tip, andwalked throughacross the foyer to the lifts. They are fully automatic; you work themyourselfwithpushbuttons.Iwentuptothethirdfloor.

Harper’s suite was on the inner court, away from the noise ofSyntagmaiosSquare,andthedoorstoitwereoutofsightofthelanding.Thefloorservantshadgoneoffdutyforthenight.Itwasallquiteeasy.Asusual, I had my pass key hidden inside an old change purse; but, asusual,Ididnotneedit.Quiteanumberofthesitting-roomdoorstosuitesintheolderpartof thehotelcanbeopenedfromoutsidewithoutakey,unless they have been specially locked, that is; it makes it easier forroom-servicewaiterscarryingtrays.Oftenthemaidwhoturnsdownthebeds last thingcan’tbebotheredto lockupafterher.Whyshouldshe?TheGreeksareaparticularlyhonestpeopleandtheytrustoneanother.

Hisluggagewasallinthebedroom.Ihadalreadyhandleditoncethatday,stowingit inthecarat theairport,soIdidnothavetoworryaboutleavingfingerprints.

Iwenttohisbriefcasefirst.Therewerealotofbusinesspapersinit-something to do with a Swiss company named Tekelek, who madeaccountingmachines- Ididnotpaymuchattentiontothem.Therewasalsoawalletwithmoneyinit-Swissfrancs,

Americandollars,andWestGermanmarks-togetherwiththeyellownumberslipsofover two thousanddollars’worthof traveller'scheques.Thenumberslipsare for recordpurposes incase thechequesare lostandyouwanttostoppaymentonthem.Ileftthemoneywhereitwasandtook theslips.Thecheques themselves I found in thesidepocketofasuitcase. There were thirty-five of them, each for fifty dollars. His firstnamewasWalter,middleinitialK.

Inmyexperience,mostpeopleareextraordinarilycarelessabout theway they look after traveller’s cheques. Just because their counter-signatureisrequiredbeforeachequecanbecashed,theyassumethatonlytheycannegotiateit.Yetanyonewitheyesinhisheadcancopytheoriginal signature.Noparticular skill is required;haste,heat,adifferentpen,acounterofanawkwardheight,writingstandingupinsteadofsitting-adozenthingscanaccountforsmallvariationsinthesecondsignature.Itisnotgoingtobeexaminedbyahandwritingexpert,notatthetimethatitiscashedanyway;andusuallyitisonlyatbanksthatthecashieraskstoseeapassport.

Anotherthing:ifyouhaveordinarymoneyinyourpocket,youusuallyknow,atleastapproximately,howmuchyouhave.Everytimeyoupayforsomething,youreceiveareminder;youcanseeandfeelwhatyouhave.Notsowithtraveller'scheques.Whatyousee,ifandwhenyoulook,isabluefolderwithchequesinside.Howoftendoyoucountthechequestomakesurethat theyareall there?Supposingsomeoneweretoremovethebottomchequeinafolder.Whenwouldyoufindoutthatithadgone?Ahundredtooneitwouldnotbeuntilyouhadusedupall thechequeswhichhadbeenontopofit.Therefore,youwouldnotknowexactlywhenithadbeentaken;and,ifyouhadbeendoinganytravailing,youprobablywould not even knowwhere. If you did not knowwhen or where, howcouldyoupossiblyguesswho?Inanycaseyouwouldbetoolatetostopitsbeingcashed.

Peoplewholeavetraveller'schequesaboutdeservetolosethem.I took just six cheques, the bottomones from the folder. Thatmade

threehundreddollars,andlefthimfifteenhundredorso.Itisamistake,Ialwaysthink,tobegreedy;butunfortunatelyIhesitated.ForamomentIwonderedifhewouldmissthemallthatmuchsoonerifItooktwomore.

SoIwasstandingtherelikeafool,withthechequesrightinmyhands,whenHarperwalkedintotheroom.

2

IWASINthebedroomandhecamethroughfromthesittingroom.Allthesamehemusthaveopenedtheouterdoorveryquietlyindeed,orIwouldcertainly have heard the latch. I think he expected to findme there. Inthatcase,thewholethingwasjustacunninglyplannedtrap.

Iwasstandingatthefootofoneofthebeds,soIcouldn’tmoveawayfromhim.Foramomenthejuststoodtheregrinningatme,asifhewereenjoyinghimself.

“Wellnow,Arthur,”hesaid,“yououghttohavewaitedforme,oughtn’tyou?”

“Iwasgoingback.”Itwasastupidthingtosay,Isuppose;butalmostanythingIhadsaidwouldhavesoundedstupidatthatpoint.

And then, suddenly, he hit me across the face with the back of hishand.

Itwaslikebeingkicked.MyglassesfelloffandIlurchedbackagainstthebed.AsIraisedmyarmstoprotectmyselfhehitmeagainwiththeotherhand.When Istarted to fall tomyknees,hedraggedmeupandkeptonhittingme.Hewaslikeasavage.

Ifelldownagainandthistimeheletmebe.Myearsweresinging,myhead felt likebursting, and I couldnot seeproperly.Mynosebegan tobleed. Igotmyhandkerchiefout tostop theblood fromgettingallovermyclothes,andfeltaboutamongthechequeslyingonthecarpetformyglasses. I found themeventually. Theywere bent a bit but not broken.WhenIputthemon,Isawthesolesofhisshoesaboutayardfrommyface.

Hewassittinginthearmchair,leaningback,watchingme.“Getup,”hesaid,“andwatchthatblood.Keepitofftherug.”AsIgottomyfeet,hestoodupquicklyhimself.Ithoughthewasgoing

to start hitting me again. Instead, he caught hold of one lapel of myjacket.

“Doyouhaveagun?”Ishookmyhead.He slappedmy pockets, to make sure, I suppose, then shovedme

away.

“There are some tissues in the bathroom,” he said. “Go clean yourface.Butleavethedooropen.”

IdidasIwastold.Therewasawindowinthebathroom;butevenifithadbeenpossibletoescapethatwaywithoutbreakingmyneck,Idon’tsupposeIwouldhavetriedit.Hewouldhaveheardme.Besides,wherecouldIhaveescapedto?Allhewouldhavehadtodowascalldowntothe night concierge, and the police would have been there in fiveminutes. The fact that he had not called down already was at leastsomething.Perhaps,asaforeigner,hedidnotwanttogetinvolvedasawitnessinacourtcase.Afterall,hehadnotactuallylostanything;andifIweretoeatenoughhumblepie,perhapsevencryabit,hemightdecidetoforgetthewholething;especiallyafterthebrutalwayinwhichhehadattackedme.Thatwasmy reasoning. I shouldhaveknownbetter.YoucannotexpectcommondecencyfromamanlikeHarper.

When I cameout of the bathroom, I saw that he had picked up thechequefolderandwasputtingitbackinthesuitcase.ThechequesIhadtorn out, however, were lying on the bed. He gathered them up andmotionedmetowardsthesittingroom.

“Inthere.”AsIwentin,hemovedpastmetothedoorandboltedit.Therewas amarble-topped commode against the sidewall.On the

commodewas a traywith an ice bucket, a bottle of brandy, and someglasses.Hepickedupaglass,thenlookedatme.

“Sitdownrightthere,”hesaid.Thechairhemotioned towasbyawriting tableunder thewindow. I

obeyedorders; theredidnot seem tobeanythingelse todo.Mynosewasstillbleeding,andIhadaheadache.

Hesloppedsomebrandyintotheglassandputitonthetablebesideme.Foramomentor two I feltencouraged. Ifyouaregoing tohaveamanarrestedyoudon’tsithimdownfirstandgivehimadrink.Perhapsitwas justgoing tobeaman-to-manchat inwhich I toldhimahard-luckstory and said how sorry I was, while he got dewy-eyed over his ownmagnanimityanddecidedtogivemeanotherchance.

Thatonedidnotlastlong.Hepouredhimselfadrinkandthenglancedacrossatmeasheputice

intheglass.“Firsttimeyou’vebeencaughtatit,Arthur?”

I blewmynosea little tokeep theblood runningbefore Ianswered.“It’s the first time I’ve even been tempted, sir. I don’t knowwhat cameoverme.PerhapsitwasthebrandyIhadwithyou.I’mnotreallyusedtoit.”

Heturnedandstaredatme.Allatoncehisfacewasneitherold-youngnoryoung-old.Itwaswhiteandpinchedandhismouthworkedinanoddway. I have seen faces go like that before and I bracedmyself. Therewasametal lampon thewriting tablebesideme. Iwondered if Icouldpossiblyhithimwithitbeforehegottome.

Buthedidnotmove.Hiseyesflickeredtowardsthebedroomandthenbacktome.

“You’dbettergetsomethingstraight,Arthur,”hesaidslowly.“Thatwasjustalittleroughingupyouhadinthere.IfIreallystartgivingyouagoingover,you’llleavehereonastretcher.Nobody’sgoingtomindaboutthatexceptyou.Icamebackandcaughtyoustealing.YoutriedtostrongarmyourwayoutofitandIhadtodefendmyself.That’showit’llbe.Socutoutthebull,andthelies.Right?”

“I’msorry,sir.”“Emptyyourpockets.Onthistablehere.”IdidasIwastold.Helookedateverything,mydrivinglicense,mypermisdeséjour,and

he touchedeverything.Finally,of course,he found thepasskey in thechangepurse.IhadsawnofftheshankofitandcutaslotintheendsothatIcoulduseasmallcointoturnit,butitwasstillovertwoincheslong,andheavy.Theweightgaveitaway.Helookedatitcuriously.

“Youmakethis?”“Notthekeypart.Ijustcutitdown.”Thereseemednopointintryingto

lieaboutthat.He nodded. “That’s better. Okay, well start over.We know you’re a

two-bit ponce and we know you heist traveller's cheques from hotelrooms when you get the chance. Do you write the counter-signatureyourself?”

“Yes.”“Sothat’sforgery.Now,I’maskingagain.Haveyoueverbeencaught

before?”“No,sir.”“Sure?”

“Yes.”“Doyouhaveanysortofpolicerecord?”“HereinAthens?”“WellstartwithAthens.”I hesitated. “Well, not exactly a police record. Do you mean traffic

offences?”“YouknowwhatImean.Quitstalling.”I sneezed, quite unintentionally, andmynosebeganbleedingagain.

Hesighed impatientlyandthrewmeabunchofpapernapkinsfromthedrinktray.

“I had you pretty well figured out at the airport,” he went on; “but Ididn’t thinkyou’dbequitesostupid.Whydidyouhave to tell thatKiradamethatyou’dhadnodinner?”

Ishruggedhelplessly.“SothatIcouldcomehere.”“Whydidn’tyoutellheryou’dgonetogasupthecar?Ijustmighthave

boughtthatone.”“Itdidn’tseemimportant.Whyshouldyoususpectme?”Helaughed.“Ohbrother!Iknowwhatthatcaryouhavesellsforhere,

and I know that gasoline costs sixty cents a gallon. At the rates youcharge you couldn’t break even. Okay, you get your payoffs - therestaurant,theclipjoint,thecathouse-buttheycan’tamounttomuch,so theremustbesomethingelse.Kiradoesn’t knowwhat it is,butsheknows there’ssomethingbecauseyou’vecashedquitea few traveller'schequesthroughher.”

“She told you that?” This really upsetme; the least one can expectfromabrothelkeeperisdiscretion.

“Whyshouldn’t she tellme?Youdidn’t tell her theywere stolen, didyou?”Hedrankhisbrandydown.“Idon’thappento likepayingforsex,but Iwantedtofindoutabitmoreaboutyou. Idid.Whentheyrealizedthat Iwasn’tgoing to leavewithoutpaying, theywerebothreal friendly.Calledmeacabandeverything.Now,supposingyoustarttalking.”

Itookasipofbrandy.“Verywell.Ihavehadthreeconvictions.”“Whatfor?”“Thechargeineachcasewasrepresentingmyselfasanofficialguide.

In fact,all Ididwas to try tosaveoneor twoclients from thoseboringarchaeological set speeches.Theofficial guideshave to learn thembyheartbefore theycanpass theexamination.Tourists like to knowwhat

theyarelookingat,buttheydonotwanttobebored.”“Whathappened?Didyougotojail?”“Ofcoursenot.Iwasfined.”He nodded approvingly. “Thatwaswhat Irma thought. Now you just

keeponplayingitstraightlikethatandmaybewecankeepthepoliceoutofthis.Haveyoueverbeenjailedanywhere,toservetime,Imean?”

“IdonotseewhyIshould...”“Okay,skipit,”hebrokein.“WhataboutTurkey?”“Turkey?Whydoyouask?”“Haveyoubeenthere?”“Yes.”“Anypolicerecordthere?”“IwasfinedinIstanbulforshowingsomepeopleroundamuseum.”“Whichmuseum?”“TheTopkapi.”“Wereyouposingasanofficialguidethattime?’“Guidesmustbelicensedthere.Ididnothavealicense.”“HaveyoueverdrivenfromheretoIstanbul?”“Isthatacriminaloffence?”“Justanswer.Haveyou?”“Occasionally.Sometouristsliketotravelbyroad.Why?”Hedidnotanswer.Instead,hetookanenvelopefromthewritingdesk

and began to scribble something in pencil. I desperately needed acigarette,butwasafraidtolightoneincaseitmightlookasifIwerenolongerworried.Iwasworried,andconfused,too;butIwantedtobesureIlookedthatway.Idrankthebrandyinstead.

He finished his scribbling at last and looked up. “All right, Arthur.There’sapadofplainpaper thereandapen. I’mgoing todictate.Youstartwriting.No,don’tgivemeanyarguments.JustdoasItellyou.”

Iwashopelesslybewilderednow.Ipickedupthepen.“Ready?”“Yes.”“Headit:TotheChiefofPolice,Athens.Gotthat?Nowgoon.I,Arthur

A.Simpson,of -put inyouraddress -doherebyconfess thatonJunefifteenth using an illegal pass key, I entered the suite ofMr.Walter K.Harper in the Hotel Grande-Bretagne and stole American Expresstraveller'schequestothevalueofthreehundreddollars.Thenumbersof

thechequeswere...”Ashefeltinhispocketfortheloosecheques,Istartedtoprotest.“Mr.Harper, Ican’tpossiblywrite this. Itwouldconvictme. Icouldn’t

defendmyself.”“Would you sooner defend yourself right now? If so, I can call the

police, and you canexplainabout that pass key.”Hepausedand thenwentonmorepatiently.“Look,dad,maybeyouandIwillbetheonlyoneswhowilleverreadit.Maybeinaweek’stimeitwon’tevenexist.I’mjustgiving you a chance to get off the hook.Why don’t you take it and bethankful?”

“WhatdoIhavetodoforit?”“We’ll get to that later. Just you keep writing. The numbers of the

chequeswereP89.664.572throughP89.664.577,allinfifty-dollarunits.Iintended to forgeMr. Harper’s signature on them so that I could cashthem illegally. I have stolen, forged, and cashed other cheques in thatway.Shutupandkeepwriting!ButnowIfindIcannotgothroughwithit.BecauseofMr.Harper’sgreatkindnesstomeduringhisvisittoAthens,and his Christian charity, I feel that I cannot rob him. I am, therefore,sendingthechequesIstolefromhimbackwiththisletter.Bytakingthisdecision,IfeelthatIhavecomeoutofthedarknessintothelightofday.Iknownowthat,asasinneroftheworsttype,myonlychanceistomakerestitution, to confess everything, and to pay the penalties the lawdemands.OnlyinthiswaycanIhopeforsalvationintheworldtocome.Nowsignit.”

Isignedit.“Nowdateitaweekfromtoday.No,bettermakeitthetwenty-third.”Idatedit.“Giveittome.”Igaveittohimandhereaditthroughtwice.Thenhelookedatmeand

grinned.“Nottalkinganymore,Arthur?”“Iwrotedownwhatyoudictated.”“Sure.Andnowyou’retryingtofigureoutwhatwouldhappenifIsent

ittothepolice.”Ishrugged.“Allright,I’lltellyouwhatwouldhappen.Firstthey’dthinkyouwerea

nut. They’d probably think that Iwas somekind of a nut, too, but they

wouldn’tbeinterestedinme.Iwouldn’tbearoundanyway.Ontheotherhand, they couldn’t ignore the whole thing, because of the cheques.Threehundreddollars!They’dhavetotakethatseriously.Sothey’dstartbygettingontoAmericanExpressandfindingoutaboutall thechequeforgeriesthathavebeentracedbacktoaccountsinAthensbanks.Thenthey’d pull you in and grill you.What would you do, Arthur? Tell themaboutmeandwhat reallyhappened?You’dbesilly todo that,wouldn’tyou?They’dthrowthebookatyou.No,you’retoosmart for that.You’dgoalongwiththereformationjazz.Thatway,you’dhavearealdefence-voluntary confession, restitution, sincere repentance. I’ll bet you’d getawaywithjustanominalsentence,maybenomorethanayear.”

“Thankyou.”Hegrinnedagain.“Don’tyouworry,Arthur.You’renotgoingtodoany

timeatall.”HewavedthepaperIhadwrittenandthecheques.“Thisisjust a little insurance.” He picked up the brandy bottle and refilled myglass. “You see, a friend of mine is going to trust you with somethingvaluable.”

“What?”“A car. You’re going to drive it to Istanbul. You’ll be paid a hundred

bucksandexpenses.That’sallthereistoit.”Imanagedtosmile.“Ifthat’sallthereistoit,Idon’tseewhyyouhave

toblackmailme.Iwouldgladlydothejobeveryweekforthatmoney.”He looked pained. “Who said anything about blackmail? I said

insurance.Thisisaseven-thousand-dollarLincoln,Arthur.Doyouknowwhatit’sworthnowinTurkey?”

“Fourteenthousand.”“Wellthen,isn’titobvious?Supposingyoudroveitintothefirstgarage

youcametoandsoldit”“Itwouldn’tbesoeasy.”“Arthur,youtookahellofarisktonightforjustthreehundreddollars.

For fourteenthousandyou’ddoprettywellanything,nowwouldn’tyou?Beyourage!

Asitis,Idon’thavetoworry,andmyfrienddoesn’thavetoworry.Assoonas I know thecar’sdelivered, this little confessionwill be tornupandthecheques’llgobackinmypocket.”

Iwassilent.Ididn’tbelieveawordhewassayingandheknewit.Hedidn’t care. He was watching me, enjoying himself. “All right,” I said

finally;“buttherearejustoneortwoquestionsI’dliketoask.”Henodded.“Surethereare.Onlythat’stheoneconditionthereison

thejob,Arthur-noquestions.”Iwouldhavebeensurprisedifhesaidanythingelse.“Verywell.When

doIstart?”“Tomorrow.HowlongdoesittaketodrivetoSalonika?”“Aboutsixorsevenhours.”“Let’ssee.Tomorrow’sTuesday.Ifyoustartaboutnoonyoucanspend

the night there. Then Wednesday night in Edirne. You should makeIstanbulThursdayafternoon.That’llbeokay.”Hethoughtforamoment.“I’lltellyouwhatyoudo.Inthemorning,youpackanovernightbagandcomeherebycaborstreetcar.Bedownstairsatten.”

“WheredoIpickupthecar?”“I’llshowyouinthemorning.”“Whateveryousay.”Heunbolted thedoor. “Gooddeal.Now takeyour junkandbeat it. I

havetogetsomesleep.”Iputmybelongingsbackinmypocketsandwenttothedoor.“Hey!”AsIturned,somethinghitmeinthechestandthenfellatmyfeet.“You’veforgottenyourpasskey,”hesaid.I picked it up and left. I didn’t say good night or anything.He didn’t

notice.Hewasfinishinghisdrink.Theworstthingatschoolwasbeingcaned.Therewasaritualaboutit.

Themasterwhohadlosthistemperwithyouwouldstopranting,or,ifitwas one of the quiet ones, stop clenching his teeth, and say: “Take anote to the Headmaster.” That meant you were for it. The note wasalwaysthesame,Requestpermissiontopunish, followedbyhis initials;buthewouldalwaysfoldittwicebeforehegaveittoyou.Youwerenotsupposedtoread it. Idon’tknowwhy;perhapsbecausetheydidn’t likehavingtoaskforpermission.

Well, thenyouhadtogoandfindTheBristle.Sometimes,ofcourse,hewould be in his study; butmore often hewould be taking the sixthform in trigonometry or Latin. That meant you had to go in and standthereuntilhedecided tonoticeyou.Youwouldhave towait fiveor tenminutessometimes; itdependedonthemoodhewasin.Hewasatall,thickmanwithalotofblackhaironthebacksofhishands,andapurple

face.Hespokevery fastwhilehewas teaching,andafter awhile littleflecksofwhitestuffwouldgatherat thecornersofhismouth.Whenhewasinagoodmood,hewouldbreakoffalmostassoonasyoucameinand startmaking jokes. “Ah, the goodSimpson, or perhapswe shouldsaytheinsufficientlygoodSimpson,whatcanwedoforyou?”Whateverhe said, the sixth formalways rockedwith laughter, because themorethey laughed, the longer hewouldgoonwasting time. “Andhowhaveyoutransgressed,Simpson,howhaveyoutransgressed?Pleasetellus.”

Youalwayshadtosaywhatyou’ddoneornotdone-badhomework,lying,flickinginkpellets-andyouhadtobetruthful,incaseheaskedthemasterlater.Whenhehadmadesomemorejokes,heinitialledthenoteandyouwent.Before thatEnchantmentbusiness I thinkhe rather likedme,becauseIpretendednottobeabletohelplaughingathisjokeseventhoughIwasgoingtobecaned.Whenhewasinabadmoodheusedtocallyou “sir,”which Ialways thoughtabitstupid. “Well,sir,what is thisfor?Cribbingunderthedesk?Apauperspirit,sir,apauperspirit!Work,forthenightcometh!Nowgetoutandstopwastingmytime.”

Whenyoureturnedtotheformroomyougavethemastertheinitiallednote.Then,hetookhisgownoff,sothathisarmswerefree,andgotthecaneoutofhisdesk.Thecaneswereall thesame,about thirty incheslongandquitethick.Somemasterswouldtakeyououtsideintothecoatlobbytodoit,butotherswoulddoitinfrontoftheform.Youhadtobenddownandtouchyourtoesandthenhewouldhityouashardashecould,as ifhewere trying tobreak thecane. It felt likeahot ironacrossyourbackside,andifhehappenedtohittwiceinexactlythesameplace,likeaheavyclubwith spikeson it.Thegreat thingwasnot to cryormakeafuss.Irememberaboyoncewhowethimselfafteritandhadtobesenthome; and there was another one who came back into the room andthrewup,sothatthemasterhadtosendfortheschoolportertocleanupthemess.(Theyalwayssentfortheporterwhenaboythrewup,andhealwayssaidthesamethingwhenhecameinwithhisbucketandmop-”Isthisall?”-asifheweredisappointeditwasn’tblood.)

Mostboys,though,whentheywerecaned,justgotveryredinthefaceand tried to walk to their places as if nothing had happened. It wasn’tpride; itwas theonlyway to get any sympathy.Whenaboy cried youdidn’t feel sorry forhim,merelyembarrassedbecausehewassosorryfor himself, and resentful because the master would feel that he had

donesomethingeffective.Oneof themost valuable things I learnedatCoram’swashow tohate;and itwas thecane that taughtme. I neverforgotandneverbegantoforgiveacaninguntil Ihadsomehowevenedthescorewith themasterwhohadgiven it tome. Ifheweremarried, Iwould write an anonymous letter to his wife saving that he was asodomiteandthathehadbeentryingtointerferewithyoungboys.Ifhewereabachelor, Iwouldsend itasawarning tooneof theotherboys’parents.MostlyIneverheardwhathappened,ofcourse;butonatleasttwo occasions I heard that the parents had questioned their boys andthenforwardedmyletterstoTheBristle. Inever toldanyone,becauseIdid not want the others copying my idea; and as I was very good atdisguisingmywriting,themastersneverknewforcertainwhohaddoneit. Just as long as they had a suspicion they could not prove, I wassatisfied.ItmeantthattheyknewIcouldhitback,thatIwasagoodfriendbutabadenemy.

MyattitudetoHarperwasthesame.Hehadgivenmea“caning”;butinsteadofwallowing inself-pity,asanyotherman inmypositionmighthavedone,IbegantothinkofwaysinwhichIcouldhitback.

Obviously, there was nothing much I could do while he had that“confession”; but I knew one thing - hewas a crook. I didn’t know yetwhatkindofacrook-althoughIhadsomeideas-butIwouldfindoutforcertainsoonerorlater.Then,whenitwassafetodoso,Iwouldexposehimtothepolice.

Nicki was in bed when I got back to the flat. I had hoped that shewouldbeasleep,becauseonesideofmy facewasvery redwherehehadhitmeandIdidn’twanttohavetodoanyexplaining;butshehadthelightonandwasreadingsomeFrenchfashionmagazine.

“Hullo,papa,”shesaid.I said hullo back and went to the bathroom to get rid of the

handkerchief with all the blood on it. Then I went in and began to getundressed.

“Youdidn’tstaylongattheClub,”shesaid.“HewantedtogoontoIrma’s.”Shedidnotlikethat,ofcourse.“Didyoufindoutanymoreabouthim?”“Heisabusinessman-accountingmachines,Ithink.Hehasafriend

whoownsaLincoln.Hewantsme todrive it to Istanbul forhim. Istarttomorrow.He’spayingquitewell-ahundreddollarsAmerican.”

Shesatupatthat.“That’sverygood,isn’tit?”Andthen,inevitably,shesawmyface.“Whathaveyoudonetoyourself?”

“I had a bit of an accident. Some fool in a Simca. I had to stopsuddenly.”

“Didthepolicecome?”Shehada tiresomehabitofassuming that, justbecause Iwasonce

accusedfalselyofcausinganaccidentthroughdrivingwhiledrunk,everylittletrafficaccidentinwhichIaminvolvedisgoingtoresultinmybeingprosecutedbythepolice.

“Itwasn’timportant,”Isaid.Iturnedawaytohangupmysuit.“Will you be long away?” She sounded as if she had accepted the

accident.“Twoorthreedays.Ishallcomebacksuddenlybyairandsurpriseyou

withalover.”Ithoughtthatwouldamuseher,butshedidnotevensmile.Igotinto

bedbesideherandsheputthelightout.Afterafewmomentsshesaid:“WhydoesamanlikeMr.Harperwanttogotoahouse?”

“Probablybecauseheisimpotentanywhereelse.”Shewassilent for a time.Thensheput upahandand touchedmy

face.“Whatreallyhappened,papa?”I considered tellingher; but thatwouldhavemeant admittingopenly

thatIhadliedabouttheaccident,soIdidnotanswer.Afterawhile,sheturnedawayfrommeandwenttosleep.

Shewasstillasleep,orpretendingtobe,whenIleftinthemorning.Harper kept me waiting ten minutes; just long enough for me to

rememberthatIhadforgottentodisconnectthebatteryonmycar.Itdidnothold itschargeverywellanyway,and theelectricclockwouldhaverunitdownbythetimeIreturned.IwaswonderingifIwouldhavetimetotelephone Nicki and tell her to ask the concierge to disconnect thebattery,whenHarpercamedown.

“Allset?”heasked.“Yes.”“We’llgetacab.”HetoldthedrivertogotoSteleStreetoutinthePiraeus.Assoonaswewereontheway,heopenedthebriefcaseandtookout

a large envelope. It had not been there the night before; of that I am

certain.Hegaveittome.“There’severythingyou’llneedthere,”hesaid;“carnetdetourismefor

the car, insuranceGreenCard, a thousandGreekdrachma, a hundredTurkish lira,and fiftyAmericandollars foremergencies.Thecarnethasbeencountersignedauthorizingyoutotakeitthroughcustoms,butyou’dbettercheckeverythingoutyourself.”

Ididso.ThecarnetshowedthatthecarwasregisteredinZurich,andthat the owner, or at any rate the person in legal charge of it, was aFräuleinElizabethLipp.HeraddresswasHotelExcelsior,Laufen,Zurich.

“IsMissLippyourfriend?”Iasked.“That’sright.”“Arewegoingtomeethernow?”“No,butmaybeyou’llmeetherinIstanbul.Ifthecustomsshouldask,

tell them she doesn’t like eight-hundred-and-fifty-mile drives, andpreferredtogotoIstanbulbyboat.”

“Issheatourist?”“Whatelse?She’s thedaughterofabusinessassociateofmine. I’m

just doing hima favour.And by theway, if shewants you to drive heraround in Turkey you’ll be able to pick up some extra dough. Maybeshe’llwantyoutodrivethecarbackherelater.Idon’tknowyetwhatherfutureplansare.”

“Isee.”ForsomeonewhohadtoldmethatIwasn’ttoaskquestions,hewasbeingcuriouslyoutgoing.“WheredoIdeliverthecarinIstanbul?”

“Youdon’t.YougototheParkHotel.There’llbearoomreservationforyouthere.JustcheckinonThursdayandwaitforinstructions.”

“Verywell.WhendoIgetthatletterIsigned?”“Whenyou’repaidoffattheendofthejob.”SteleStreetwasdownat

the docks. By an odd coincidence there happened to be a ship of theDenizyollari Line berthed right opposite; and it was taking on a carthroughoneofthesideentryports.IcouldnothelpglancingatHarpertoseeifhehadnoticed;butifhehadhegavenosignofthefact.Imadenocomment.Ifheweresimplyignorant,Iwasnotgoingtoenlightenhim.Ifhestill really thought that Iwas foolishenoughtobelievehisversionofFräulein Lipp’s travel needs and arrangements, so much the better. Icouldlookaftermyself.OrsoIthought.

Therewasagaragehalfwayalongthestreet,withanoldMichelintiresignabove it.He told thecabdriver tostop thereandwait.Wegotout

andwenttowardstheoffice.Therewasamaninside,andwhenhesawHarperthroughthewindowhecameout.Hewasthinanddarkandworeagreasybluesuit. IdidnothearHarperaddresshimbyanyname,buttheyappearedtoknowoneanotherquitewell.Unfortunately,theyspoketogetherinGerman,whichisalanguageIhaveneverlearned.

After amoment or two, theman led theway through a small repairshopandacrossascrapyard toa rowof lock-upgarages.Heopenedone of them and there was the Lincoln. It was a grey four-doorContinental,andlookedtomeaboutayearold.ThemanhandedHarperthe keys.Hegot in, startedup, anddrove it out of thegarage into theyard.Thecarseemedamilelong.Harpergotout.

“Okay,” he said, “She’s all gassed up and everything. You can startrolling.”

“Verywell.”Iputmybagonthebackseat.“Iwouldjustliketomakeaphonecallfirst.”

Hewasinstantlywary.“Whoto?”“Theconciergeatmyapartment.IwanttolethimknowthatImaybe

away longer than I said, and ask him to disconnect the battery onmycar.”

Hehesitated, thennodded. “Okay.Youcando it from theoffice.”Hesaidsomethingtothemaninthebluesuitandweallwentbackinside.

Nickianswered the telephoneand I toldherabout thebattery.Whenshe started to complain that I had not wakened her to say goodbye, Ihungup.IhadspokeninGreek,butHarperhadbeenlistening.

“Thatwasawoman’svoice,”hesaid.“Theconcierge’swife.Istheresomethingwrong?”Hesaidsomething to theman in thebluesuitofwhich Iunderstood

oneword.Adressat.IguessedthathehadwantedtoknowifIhadgiventheaddressofthegarage.

Harper looked atme. “No, nothingwrong.But just remember you’reworkingformenow.”

“WillIseeyouinIstanbulorbackhere?”“You’llfindout.Nowgetgoing.”IspentaminuteortwomakingsurethatIknewwhereallthecontrols

were,whileHarperand theothermanstoodwatching.Then IdroveoffandheadedbacktowardsAthensandtheThebes-Larissa-Salonikaroad.

AfterabouthalfamileInoticedthatthetaxiwehadusedonthedrive

outtherewasbehindme.Iwasdrivingslowly,gettingusedtothefeelofthe car, and the taxi would normally have passed me; but it stayedbehind.Harperwasseeingmeonmyway.

About fivemiles beyondAthens I saw the taxi pull off the road andstart to turn around. I was on my own. I drove on for another fortyminutesorso,untilIreachedthefirstofthecottonfields,thenturnedoffdownasideroadandstoppedintheshadeofsomeacacias.

I spent a good half hour searching that car. First I looked in theobviousplaces: in thebackof thesparewheelcompartment,under theseatcushions,upbehindthedashboard.ThenItookoffallthehubcaps.It’ssurprisinghowbig thecavitiesarebehindsomeof them,especiallyonAmericancars. Iknewofamanwhohadregularlysmugglednearlytwokilosofheroinatimethatway.Thesehadnothinginthem,however.SoI tried thetank,pokingaboutwitha longtwig tosee ifanysortofacompartment had been built into or onto it; that has been done, too.AgainIdrewablank.Iwouldhavelikedtocrawlunderneathtoseeifanynew welding had been done, but there was not enough clearance. Idecided to put the car into a garage greasing bay in Salonika andexamine the underside from below. Meanwhile, there was an air-conditioner in the car, so I unscrewed the cover and had a look insidethat.Anotherblank.

The trouble was that I did not have the slightest idea what I waslookingfor-jewellery,drugs,gold,orcurrency.Ijustfeltthattheremustbe something. After a bit, I gave up searching and sat and smoked acigarette while I tried to work out what would be worth smuggling intoTurkeyfromGreece.Icouldnotthinkofanything.Igotthecarnetoutandcheckedthecar’sroute. IthadcomefromSwitzerland,viaItalyandtheBrindisi ferry, toPatras.Thecounterfoilsshowed thatFräuleinLipphadbeenwiththecarherselfthen.Sheatleastdidknowaboutferryingcarsbysea.However,thatonlymadethewholethingmoremysterious.

And then I remembered something. Harper had spoken of thepossibilityofareturn journey,ofmybeingwanted todrive thecarbackfromIstanbul toAthens.Supposing thatwastherealpointof thewholething. Idrive fromGreece intoTurkey.Everything isperfectlyopenandaboveboard.BothGreekandTurkishcustomswouldseeandremembercarandchauffeur.Somedays later, thesamecarandchauffeur return.“Howwas Istanbul, friend? Is your stomach still with you? Anything to

declare?Nofat-tailedsheephiddenintheback?Pass,friend,pass.”Andthenthecargoesbackto thegarage in thePiraeus, for theman in theblue suit to recover the packages of heroin concealed along the innerrecessesof thechassismembers,under thewheelarchesof thebody,andinsidethecowlingbesidetheautomatictransmission.Unless,thatis,thereisaMacedoniansonofabitchontheGreeksidewho’souttowinhimselfamedal. In thatevent,whatyouget is thestrangecaseof therespectable Swiss lady’s disreputable chauffeur who gets caughtsmugglingheroin;andYoursTrulyisupthecreek.

AllIcoulddowasplayitbyear.I got the Lincoln back on the road again and drove on. I reached

Salonikasoonaftersixthatevening.Justtobeonthesafeside,Ipulledintoabiggarageandgavetheboyacoupleofdrachmastoputthecarupon thehydraulic lift. I said Iwas looking fora rattle.Therewerenosignsofnewwelding.Iwasnotsurprised.BythenIhadprettywellmadeupmymindthatitwouldbethereturnjourneythatmattered.

Ifoundasmallcomfortablehotel,treatedmyselftoagooddinnerandabottleofwineatHarper’sexpense,andwent tobedearly. Imadeanearlystartthefollowingmorning,too.Itisaneight-hourrunfromSalonikaacrossThracetotheTurkishfrontiernearEdirne(Adrianople,asitusedto be called), and if you arrive late, you sometimes find that the road-trafficcustomsposthasclosedforthenight.

I arrived at about four-thirty and went through the Greek controlwithout difficulty. At Karaagac, on the Turkish side, I had to wait whiletheyclearedsomefarmtrucksaheadofme.Afterabouttwentyminutes,however, I was able to drive up to the barrier. When I went into thecustoms post with the carnet and my other papers, the place waspracticallyempty.

Naturally, Iwasmoreconcernedabout thecar thanwithmyself,so Isimply leftmypassportandcurrencydeclarationwith thesecurityman,andwentstraightovertothecustomsdesktohandinthecarnet.

Everythingseemedtobegoingallright.Acustomsinspectorwentouttothecarwithme,lookedinmybag,andmerelyglancedinthecar.Hewasboredandlookingforwardtohissupper.

“Tourisme?”heasked.“Yes.”“We went back inside and he proceeded to stamp and validate the

carnetforthecar’sentry,andtearouthispartofthecounterfoil.HewasjustfoldingthecarnetandhandingitbackwhenIfeltasharptaponmyshoulder.

It was the securityman.He hadmy passport in his hand. I went totake it,butheshookhisheadandbeganwaving itundermynoseandsayingsomethinginTurkish.

IspeakEgyptianArabicandtherearemanyArabicwordsinTurkish;but theTurkspronounce them ina funnywayandusea lotofPersianandoldTurkishwordsmixedupwith them. Ishruggedhelplessly.ThenhesaiditinFrenchandIunderstood.

Mypassportwasthreemonthsoutofdate.I knew at once how it had happened. Earlier in the year I had had

some differences with the Egyptian consular people (or “United ArabRepublic,” as they preferred to call themselves) and had allowed thewholequestionofmypassporttoslide.Infact,Ihadmadeupmymindtotell theEgyptianswhat theycoulddowith theirpassport,andapproachtheBritishwith a view to reclaimingmyUnitedKingdomcitizenship, towhich,Iwanttomakeitclear,Iamperfectlyentitled.Thethingwasthat,beingsobusy,Ihadjustnotbotheredtofillinallthenecessaryforms.MyGreekpermisdeséjourwasinorder,andthatwasallInormallyneededinthewayofpapers.Frankly,Ifindallthispaperregimentationwehavetogothroughnowadaysextremelyboring.Naturally,withalltheanxietyIhad had over Harper, I had not thought to look at the date on mypassport. If Ihadknownthat itwasoutofdate,obviously Iwouldhavetakenmoretroublewiththesecurityman,kepthiminconversationwhilehewasdoingthestampingorsomethinglikethat.Ihaveneverhadanybotherlikethatbefore.

Asitwas,thewholethingbecameutterlydisastrous;certainlythroughnofaultofmine.Thesecuritymanrefusedtostampthepassport.Hesaidthat Ihad todriveback toSalonikaandhave thepassport renewedbytheEgyptianvice-consultherebeforeIcouldbeadmitted.

Thatwouldhavebeen impossibleas ithappened;but Ididnotevenhavetotrytoexplainwhy.Thecustomsinspectorchimedinatthatpoint,wavingthecarnetandshoutingthatthecarhadbeenadmittedandwasnowlegallyinTurkey.AsIhadnotbeenadmittedandwasnot,therefore,legallyinTurkey,howwasI,legally,totakethecaroutagain?Whatdiditmatter if the passport was out of date? It was only a matter of three

months.Whydidhenot just stamp thepassport, admitme, and forgetaboutit?

At least thatwaswhat I thinkhesaid.Theyhad lapsed intoTurkishnowandwerebawlingatoneanotherasifIdidnotexist.IfIcouldhavegotthesecuritymanalone,Iwouldhavetriedtobribehim;butwiththeotherone there itwas toodangerous.Finally, theybothwentoff toseesome superior officer and left me standing there, without carnet orpassport,butwith,Iadmit itfrankly,abadcaseofthejitters.Really,myonly hope at that point was that they would do what the customsinspectorwantedandoverlookthedateonthepassport.

With any luck, that might have happened. I say “with any luck,”although thingswould still havebeenawkwardeven if theyhad letmethrough.IwouldhavehadsomehowtobuyanEgyptianconsularstampin Istanbuland forge therenewal in thepassport -noteasy.Or IwouldhavehadtohavegonetotheBritishConsulate-General,reportedalostBritishpassport,and tried towinklea temporary traveldocumentoutofthembeforetheyhadhadtimetocheckup-noteasyeither.Butatleastthosewould have been the sort of difficulties aman inmy anomalouspositionwould understand and could copewith. The difficulties that, infact, I did have to face were quite outside anything I had ever beforeexperienced.

Istood there in thecustomsshed forabout tenminutes,watchedbyanarmedguardonthedoorwholookedasifhewouldhavelikednothingbetterthananexcuseforshootingme.Ipretendednottonoticehim;buthispresencedidnot improvematters.Infact, Iwasbeginningtogetanattackofmyindigestion.

Afterawhile,thesecuritymancamebackandbeckonedtome.Iwentwithhim,alongapassagewithasmallbarrackroomoff it, toadoorattheend.

“Whatnow?”IaskedinFrench.“YoumustseetheCommandantofthepost.”Heknockedatthedoorandusheredmein.Inside was a small bare office with some hard chairs and a green

baizetrestletableinthecentre.Thecustomsinspectorstoodbesidethetable.Seatedat itwasamanofaboutmyownagewitha lined,sallowface.Heworesomesortofofficer’suniform. I thinkhebelonged to themilitarysecuritypolice.Hehadthecarnetandmypassportonthetablein

frontofhim.He lookedupatmedisagreeably. “This isyourpassport?”Hespoke

goodFrench.“Yes,sir.AndIcanonlysaythatIregretextremelythatIdidnotnotice

thatitwasnotrenewed.”“Youhavecausedalotoftrouble.”“Irealizethat,sir.Imustexplain,however,thatitwasonlyonMonday

evening that I was asked to make this journey. I left early yesterdaymorning.Iwasinahurry.Ididnotthinktocheckmypapers.”

Helookeddownatthepassport.“Itsaysherethatyouroccupationisthat of journalist. You told the customs inspector that you were achauffeur.”

Sohehadaninquiringmind;myheartsank.“Iamactingasachauffeur,sir.Iwas,Iamajournalist,butonemust

liveandthingsarenotalwayseasyinthatprofession.”“So now you are a chauffeur, and the passport is incorrect in yet

anotherparticular,eh?”Itwasaveryunfairwayofputtingit,butIthoughtitaswelltolethimhavehismoment.

“One’sfortuneschange,sir.InAthensIhavemyowncar,whichIdriveforhire.”

Hepeered, frowning, at thecarnet. “This car here is the property ofElizabethLipp.Issheyouremployer?”

“Temporarily,sir.”“Whereisshe?”“InIstanbul,Ibelieve,sir.”“Youdonotknow?”“Heragentengagedme,sir-todrivehercartoIstanbul,wheresheis

goingasatourist.ShepreferstomakethejourneytoIstanbulbysea.”Therewasanunpleasantpause.Helookedthroughthecarnetagain

andthenupatmeabruptly.“Whatnationalityisthiswoman?”“Idon’tknow,sir.”“Whatage?Whatsortofwoman?”“Ihaveneverseenher,sir.Heragentarrangedeverything.”“AndsheisgoingfromAthenstoIstanbulbysea,whichtakestwenty-

fourhours,butshesendshercarfourteenhundredkilometresandthreedaysbyroad.IfshewantsthecarinIstanbul,whydidn’tshetakethecarontheboatwithher?Itissimpleenoughandcostspracticallynothing.”

Iwasonlytoowellawareofit.Ishrugged.“Iwaspaidtodrive,sir,andwellpaid.Itwasnotformetoquestionthelady’splans.”

Heconsideredmeforamoment,thendrewasheetofpapertowardshim and scribbled a few words. He handed the result to the customsinspector,whoread,nodded,andwentoutquickly.

TheCommandantseemedtorelax.“Yousayyouknownothingaboutthewomanwhoownsthecar,”hesaid.“Tellmeaboutheragent.Isitatravelbureau?”

“No, sir, a man, an American, a friend of Fräulein Lipp’s father hesaid.”

“What’shisname?Whereishe?”I told him everything I knew about Harper, and the nature of my

relationship with him. I did not mention the disagreement over thetraveller'scheques.Thatcouldhavebeenofnointeresttohim.

Helistenedinsilence,noddingoccasionally.BythetimeIhadfinished,his manner had changed considerably. His expression had becomealmostamiable.

“Haveyoudriventhiswaybefore?”heasked.“Severaltimes,sir.”“Withtourists?”“Yes,sir.”“Everwithouttourists?”“No, sir. They like to visitOlympus,Salonika, andAlexandropolis on

theirwaytoIstanbul.”“ThendidyounotthinkthisproposalofMr.Harper’sstrange?”I permitted myself to smile. “Monsieur le Commandant” I said, “I

thoughtitsostrangethattherecouldbeonlytwopossiblereasonsforit.The first was that Mr. Harper was so much concerned to impress thedaughter of a valuable business associate with his savoir-faire that heneglectedtoaskanyone’sadvicebeforehemadehisarrangements.”

“Andthesecond?”“That he knew that uncrated cars carried in Denizyollari ships to

Istanbulmustbeaccompaniedby theownersasapassenger,and thathedidnotwishtobepresentwhenthecarwasinspectedbycustomsforfear that somethingmight be discovered in the car that should not bethere.”

“Isee.”Hesmiledslightly.“Butyouhadnosuchfear.”

Wewere getting cosier by theminute. “Monsieur leCommandant” Isaid,“Imaybeatriflecarelessabouthavingmypassportrenewed,butIam not a fool. The moment I left Athens yesterday, I stopped andsearched thecar thoroughly,underneathaswellason top, thewheels,everywhere.”

Therewasaknockonthedoorandthecustomsinspectorcameback.He put a sheet of paper down in front of the Commandant. TheCommandant read it and his face suddenly tightened. He looked upagainatme.

“Yousayyousearchedeverywhereinthecar?”“Yes,sir.Everywhere.”“Didyousearchinsidethedoors”“Well,no,sir.Theyaresealed.Iwouldhavedamaged...”He said something quickly in Turkish. Suddenly the security man

lockedanarm roundmyneckand ranhis freehandovermypockets.Thenheshovedmedownviolentlyontoachair.

IstaredattheCommandantdumbly.“Inside the doors there are” - he referred to the paper in his hand -

”twelve tear-gas grenades, twelve concussion grenades, twelve smokegrenades, six gas respirators, sixParabellumpistols, and onehundredandtwentyroundsofnine-millimetrepistolammunition.”Heputthepaperdownandstoodup.“Youareunderarrest.”

3

THEPOSTHADnofacilitiesforhousingprisoners,andIwasputinthelavatory under guard while the Commandant reported my arrest toheadquarters and awaited orders. The lavatory was only a few yardsfromhisoffice,andduring thenext twentyminutes the telephone thererangfourtimes.Icouldheartherumbleofhisvoicewhenheanswered.Thetoneofitbecamemorerespectfulwitheachcall.

IwasuncertainwhetherIshouldallowmyselftobeencouragedbythisornot.Policebehaviour isalwaysdifficult toanticipate,evenwhenyouknowacountrywell.SometimesHighAuthority ismoreresponsivetoareasonableexplanationof themisunderstanding,andmoredisposed toaccept a dignified expression of regret for inconvenience caused, thansomeself-importantorsadisticminorofficialwhoisouttomakethemostoftheoccasion.Ontheotherhand,theHigherAuthorityhasmorepowertoabuse, and, if it comes to the simplematter of abribe, bigger ideasabouthisnuisancevalue.

Imustadmit, though,thatwhatIwasmainlyconcernedaboutatthatpointwasthekindofphysicaltreatmentIwouldreceive.Ofcourse,everypolice authority, high or low, considers its behaviour “correct” on alloccasions; but in my experience (although I have only really beenarrestedtenortwelvetimesinmywholelife)theword“correct”canmeanalmostanythingfromhotmealsbroughtinfromanearbyrestaurantandplentyofcigarettes,totight-handcuffinginthecellandakneeinthegroinifyoudare tocomplain.Mypreviousencounterswith theTurkishpolicehad been uncomfortable only in the sense that they had beeninconvenientandhumiliating;butthen,themattersindisputehadbeenofa more or less technical nature. I had to face the fact that “being inpossessionofarms,explosives,andotheroffensiveweapons,attemptingtosmuggle them into theTurkishRepublic,carryingconcealed firearmsand illegal entry without valid identification papers”, were rather moreserious charges. My complete and absolute innocence of them wouldtaketimetoestablish,andalotofquiteunpleasantthingscouldhappenintheinterim.

The possibility that my innocence might not be established was

something that, realist though I am, I was not just then prepared tocontemplate.

Afterthefourthtelephonecall,theCommandantcameoutofhisoffice,gave some orders to the security man who had been waiting in thepassage,andthencameintothelavatory.

“YouarebeingsentatoncetothegarrisonjailinEdirne,”hesaid.“AndthecarIwasdriving,sir?”He hesitated. “I have no orders about that yet. No doubt it will be

wantedasevidence.”DirectcommunicationwithHigherAuthorityseemedtohavesappeda

little of his earlier self-confidence. I decided to have onemore shot atbluffingmywayout. “Imust remind you, sir,” I said loudly, “that I havealreadyprotestedformallytoyouagainstmydetentionhere.Irepeatthatprotest.Thecarand its contentsarewithinyour legal jurisdiction. I amnot.Iwasrefusedentrybecausemypaperswerenotinorder.Therefore,legally,IwasnotinTurkeyandshouldhavebeenatoncereturnedtotheGreeksideoftheborder.InGreece,Ihaveapermisdeséjourwhichisinorder.Ithinkthatwhenyoursuperiorslearnthesefacts,youwillfindthatyouhavealottoanswerfor.”

Itwasquitewellsaid.Unfortunately,itseemedtoamusehim.“Soyouarealawyer,aswellasajournalist,achauffeur,andanarms

smuggler.”“Iamsimplywarningyou.”His smile faded. “Then let me give you a word of warning, too. In

Edirne youwill not be dealing with the ordinary police authorities. It isconsidered that theremay be political aspects to your case and it hasbeenplacedunderthejurisdictionoftheSecondSection,theIkinciBüro.”

“Political aspects? What political aspects?” I tried, not verysuccessfully,tosoundangryinsteadofalarmed.

“That is not forme to say. Imerelywarn you. TheDirector,SecondSection,isGeneralHaki.Itwillbehismenwhowillinterrogateyou.Youwillcertainlyendbyco-operatingwiththem.Youwouldbewelladvisedtobeginbydoingso.Theirpatience,Ihear,isquitelimited.Thatisall.”

Hewent.Amomentortwolaterthesecuritymancamein.Iwasdriven to thegarrison jail inacovered jeepwithmy rightwrist

handcuffedtoagrabrail,andanescortoftwosoldiers.Thejailwasanoldstonebuildingontheoutskirtsofthetown.Ithadawalledcourtyard,

and there were expanded metal screens as well as bars over thewindows.

One of the soldiers, an N.C.O., reported to the guard on the innergate, and after a few moments two men in a different sort of uniformcameoutthroughasmallersidedoor.OneofthemhadapaperwhichhehandedtotheN.C.O.Igatheredthatitwasareceiptforme.TheN.C.O.immediatelyunlockedthehandcuffsandwavedmeoutofthejeep.Thenewescort-in-chargeproddedmetowardsthesidedoor.

“Girmek,girmek!”hesaidsharply.All jailsseemtosmellofdisinfectants,urine,sweat,andleather.This

wasnoexception. Iwentupsomewoodenstairs toasteelgate,whichwasopenedbyamanwithalongchainofkeysfromtheinside.Beyonditandto therightwasasortofreceptionroomwithamanatadeskandtwo cubicles at the back. The guard shoved me up to the desk andrappedoutanorder.IsaidinFrenchthatIdidn’tunderstand.Themanatthedesksaid:“Videlespoches.”

IdidasIwastold.Theyhadtakenallmypapersandkeysfrommeatthefrontierpost.AllIhadleftinmypocketswasmymoney,mywatch,apacket of cigarettes, and matches. The desk man gave me back thewatch and the cigarettes, and put themoney and thematches into anenvelope.Amaninagrubbywhitecoatnowarrivedandwentintooneofthecubicles.Hewascarryingathinyellowfilefolder.AfteramomentortwohecalledoutanorderandIwassentintohim.

Thecubiclecontainedasmalltableandachairandacoveredbucket.In one corner there was a washbasin, and on the wall a white metalcabinet.Thewhite-coatedmanwasatthetablepreparinganinkingplateof the kind used for fingerprinting. He glanced up at me and said inFrench:“Takeyourclothesoff.”

Peoplewhorunjailsareallthesame.WhenIwasnaked,hesearchedtheinsideoftheclothesandtheshoes.Nexthelookedinmymouthandearswithaflashlight.Thenhetookarubbergloveandajarofpetroleumjellyfromthewallcabinetandsearchedmyrectum.Ihavealwaysdeeplyresented that indignity. Finally he took my fingerprints. He was verybusinesslikeaboutitall;heevengavemeapieceoftoiletpapertowipethe ink off my hands before he toldme to dress and go into the nextcubicle.Inthere,wasacamera,setupwithphotofloodsandafixedfocusbar.WhenIhadbeenphotographed,Iwastakenalongsomecorridorsto

a green wooden door with the word ISTIFHAM lettered on it in whitepaint.IstifhamisaTurkishwordIknow;itmeans“interrogation”.

Therewasonlyonesmallscreenedandbarredwindow in the room;thesunwasbeginningtosetanditwasalreadyquitedarkinthere.AsIwent in, one of the guards followedme and switched on the light. Hisfriendshutandlockedthedoorfromtheoutside.Theguardwhowastostaywithmesatdownonabenchagainstthewallandyawnednoisily.

Theroomwasabouteighteenfeetsquare.Offonecornertherewasawashroom with no door on it. Apart from the bench, the furnitureconsisted of a solid looking table bolted to the floor and half a dozenchairs.On thewallwasa telephoneanda framed lithographofKemalAtatürk.Thefloorwascoveredwithwornbrownlinoleum.

I got outmy cigarettes and offered one to the guard. He shook hishead and looked contemptuous, as if I had offered him an inadequatebribe.Ishruggedand,puttingthecigaretteinmyownmouth,madesignsthat Iwanteda light.Heshookhisheadagain. Iput thecigaretteawayandsatdownat the table. Ihad toassume thatatanymomentnowarepresentativeof theSecondSectionwouldarriveandstartquestioningme.WhatIneeded,verybadly,wassomethingtotellhim.

Itisalwaysthesamewithinterrogation.Iremembermyfathertryingtoexplain it toMumonenight, justbeforehewaskilled.It’snogoodforasoldierwhoisuponachargebeforehisC.O.justtellingthetruth;hehastohavesomethingmore,somethingfancytogowithit.Ifhegotbacktobarracks half an hour after lights-out just because he’d had too muchbeer and missed the last bus, who cares about him? He’s simply acarelessbloodyfool-sevendaysconfinedtobarracks,nextcase.Butif,whenhe’saskedifhehasanythingtosay,hecantellthetalesothattheC.O.getsabit of funoutofhearing it, thingsaredifferent.Hemaybeonly admonished. My father said that there was a corporal in his oldregimentwhowassogoodatmakingupyarnsfortheorderlyroomthatheusedtosellthemforhalf-a-crownapiece.Theywereknownas“well-sirs.” My father bought a well-sir once when he was “crimed” foroverstayinganeveningpass.Itwentlikethis:Well,sir,Iwasproceedingback along Cantonment Road towards the barracks in good time forlights-outandinasoldierlymanner.Then,sir, justasIwaspassingtheshoppingarcadebyOrdnanceAvenue,Iheardawomanscream.Pause.Well,sir,Istoppedtolistenandheardherscreamagain.Therewerealso

someconfusedcries.Thesoundwascoming fromoneof theshops inthe arcade, so I went to investigate. Pause again, then go on slowly.Well,sir,whatIfoundwasoneoftheseWogs-begpardon,sir,anative-molestingawhitewomaninadoorway. Icouldseeshewasa lady,sir.Let that sink in a bit. Well, sir, the moment this lady saw me, sheappealed tome forhelp.Shesaidshe’dbeenonherwayhome tohermother’shouse,whichwasoverontheothersideofArtilleryPark,whenthisnativehadattempted to -well, interferewithher. I toldhimtoclearout.Inreply,sir,hebecameabusive,callingmesomeverydirtynamesinhisown lingoandusing insulting languageabout theRegiment.Takeadeep breath.Well, sir, for the lady’s sake Imanaged to hold on tomytemper.Asamatteroffact,sir,Ithinkthemanmusthavebeendrunkorundertheinfluenceofdrugs.Hehadsenseenoughtokeephisdistance,but themoment Iescorted the ladyoutof thearcade I realized thathewasfollowingus.Justwaitingforachancetomolestheragain,sir.Sheknew it, too. I’ve never seen a lady more frightened, sir. When sheappealedtometoescorthertohermother’shouse,sir,Irealizedthatitwould make me late. But if I’d just gone on my way and somethingterriblehadhappened toher, I’dhavenever forgivenmyself,sir.Stiffenupandlookwithoutblinkingat thewallspaceovertheC.O.‘shead.Noexcusetooffer,sir, I’ll takemymedicine.C.O.can’t thinkofanythingtosayexcept:“Don’tletithappenagain.”Chargedismissed.

Theonlytroubleisthat, inthearmy,unlessyouarealwaysmakingadamnednuisanceofyourself, theywouldsoonergiveyouthebenefitofthedoubt thannot,because it’seasier for themthatway.Besides, theyknowthatevenifyouhavemadethewholethingup,atleastthey’vehadyou sweating over it. The police aremuchmore difficult. Theywant tostartcheckinganddouble-checkingyourstory,andgettingwitnessesandevidence, so that there is no doubt. “What was the lady’s name?Describeher.Exactlywherewas thehouse towhichyouescortedher?Was her mother in fact there? Did you see her? It takes twenty-twominutes towalk from the shopping arcade to the other side of ArtilleryPark,andafurtherthirtyminutestowalkfromtheretothebarracks.Thatmakes fifty-twominutes.Butyouwere twohours lategetting in.Wheredidyouspendtheotherhourandeightminutes?Wehaveawitnesswhosaysthathesawyou...”Andsoon.Youcan’tbuywell-sirsgoodenoughfor thepoliceforhalf-a-crown. Intelligencepeopleareevenworse.Nine

timesoutoftentheydon’tevenhavetoworryaboutbuildingupacaseagainst you to go into court. They are the court - judge, jury, andprosecutor,allinone.

I did not know anything about this “Second Section” which theCommandanthadmentioned;but itwasnothard toguesswhat itwas.The Turks have always been great borrowers of French words andphrases.The IkinciBüro sounded tome like theTurkishcounterpartoftheDeuxièmeBureau.Iwasn’tfarwrong.

IthinkthatifIwereaskedtosingleoutonespecificgroupofmen,onetype, one category, as being the most suspicious, unbelieving,unreasonable,petty,inhuman,sadistic,double-crosssingsetofbastardsinanylanguage,Iwouldsaywithoutanyhesitation:“thepeoplewhoruncounter-espionagedepartments.”Withthem,itisnousehavingjustonestory;andespeciallynota truestory; theyautomaticallydisbelievethat.Whatyoumusthaveisaseriesofstories,sothatwhentheyknockthefirstonedownyoucanbringoutthesecond,andthen,whentheyscrubthat out, come up with a third. That way they think they are makingprogressandkeep theirhandsoffyou,whileyougradually findout thestorytheyreallywantyoutotell.

MypositionatEdirnewashopelessfromthestart.IfIhadknownwhatwas hidden in the car before the post Commandant had startedquestioning me, I wouldn’t have told him about Harper. I would havepretendedtobestupid,orjustrefusedtosayanything.Thenlater,whenIhadfinallybrokendownand“toldall,”theywouldhavebelievedatleastsomeofwhatIhadsaid.Asitwas,Ihadtoldastorythathappenedtobetrue,butsoundedas if I thoughttheywerehalf-witted.Youcanimaginehow I feltas Iwaited.Withno roomatall formanoeuvre, Iknew that Imustbeinforabadtime.

Thesunwentdownandthewindowturnedblack.Itwasveryquiet.Icould hear no sounds at all from other parts of the jail. Presumably,thingswerearrangedso that there theycouldhearnosoundsmade intheinterrogationroom-screams,etc.WhenIhadbeentheretwohours,therewerefootstepsinthecorridoroutside,thedoorwasunlocked,andanewguardcameinwithatinbowlofmuttonsoupandahunkofbread.Heputtheseonthetableinfrontofme,thennoddedtohisfriend,whowent out and relocked the door. The new man took his place on thebench.

Therewasnospoon.Idippedapieceofbreadinthesoupandtastedit.Itwaslukewarmandfullofcongealedfat.EvenwithoutmyindigestionIcouldnothaveeaten it.Now, thesmellalonemademewant to throwup.

Ilookedattheguard.“Su?”Iasked.He motioned to the washroom. Evidently, if I wanted water I would

havetodrinkfromthetap.Ididnotrelishtheidea.Indigestionwasbadenough; I did not want dysentery, too. I mademyself eat some of thebread and then took outmy cigarettes again in the hope that the newmanmightbereadytogivemeamatch.Heshookhishead.Ipointedtoa plastic ash tray on the table to remind him that smoking was notnecessarilyprohibited.Hestillshookhishead.

A little before nine, a twin-engined plane flew over the jail and thencircledasifonalandingpattern.Thesoundseemedtomeansomethingto the guard. He looked at his watch, and then absently ran his handdown the front of his tunicas if tomakesure that thebuttonswerealldoneup.

More to break the interminable silence in the room than because Iwantedtoknow,Iasked:“IsthereabigairportatEdirne?”

IspokeinFrench,butitmeantnothingtohim.Imadesigns,whichhemisunderstood.

“Askeriucak,”hesaidbriefly.Anarmyplane.Thatconcludedthatconversation;butInoticedthathe

kept glancingat hiswatchnow.Probably, I thought, itwas time for hisreliefandhewasbecomingimpatient.

Twenty minutes later there was the distant sound of a car doorslamming.Theguardheardit,too,andpromptlystoodup.Istaredathimandhegloweredback.

“Hazirol!”hesnapped,andthenexasperatedly:“Debout!Debout!”Istoodup. Icouldhearapproachingfootstepsandvoicesnow.Then

thedoorwasunlockedandflungopen.For amoment nothingmore happened, except that someone in the

corridor, whom I could not see, went on speaking. He had a harsh,peremptory voicewhich seemed to be giving orders that another voicekeptacknowledgingdeferentially-”Evet,evet,ejendim,derhal.”Thentheorders ceased and theman who had been giving them came into theroom.

Hewasaboutthirty-five,Iwouldthink,perhapsyounger,tallandquiteslim.Therewerehighcheekbones,greyeyes,andshortbrownhair.Hewashandsome,Isuppose,inathin-lippedsortofway.HewaswearingadarkciviliansuitthatlookedasifithadbeencutbyagoodRomantailor,and a dark-grey silk tie. He looked as if he had just come from adiplomaticcorpscocktailparty;andforallIknowhemayhavedoneso.Onhis rightwrist therewasagold identitybracelet.Thehandbelow itwasholdingalargemanilaenvelope.

Heexaminedmebleaklyforamoment,thennodded.“IamMajorTufan,DeputyDirector,SecondSection.”“Goodevening,sir.”He glanced at the guard, who was staring at him round-eyed, and

suddenlysnappedoutanorder.“Defol!”Theguardnearlyfelloverhimselfgettingoutoftheroom.Assoonas thedoorclosed, themajorpulledachairup to the table

andsatdown.Thenhewavedmebacktomyseatbythebread.“Sit down, Simpson. I believe that you speak French easily, but not

Turkish.”“Yes,sir.”“Thenwewillspeak inFrench insteadofEnglish.Thatwillbeeasier

forme.”IansweredinFrench.“Asyouwish,sir.”Hetookcigarettesandmatchesfromhispocketandtossedthemon

thetableinfrontofme.“Youmaysmoke.”“Thankyou.”Iwasgladof theconcession, thoughnot in the leastreassuredby it.

Whenapolicemangivesyouacigaretteitisusuallythefirstmoveinoneof those “let’s see if we can’t talk sensibly as man to man” games inwhichheprovides the ropeandyouhangyourself. I lit a cigaretteandwaitedforthenextmove.

Heseemedinnohurrytomake it.Hehadopenedtheenvelopeandtaken from it a file of papers which he was searching through andrearranging,asifhehadjustdroppedthemallandwastryingtogetthembackintotherightorder.

Therewasaknockatthedoor.Hetooknonotice.Afteramomentor two, thedooropenedandaguardcameinwitha

bottleofrakiandtwoglasses.Tufanmotionedtohimtoputthemonthe

table,andthennoticedthesoup.“Doyouwantanymoreofthat?”heasked.“Nothankyou,sir.”Hesaidsomething to theguard,who took thesoupandbreadaway

andlockedthedooragain.Tufanrestedthefileonhiskneesandpouredhimselfaglassofraki.

“TheflightfromIstanbulwasanythingbutsmooth,”hesaid;“wearestillusingpiston-enginedplanesontheseshortruns.”Heswallowedthedrinkasifhewerewashingdownapill,andpushedthebottleaninchortwoinmydirection.“You’dbetterhaveadrink,Simpson.Itmaymakeyoufeelbetter.”

“Andalsomakememoretalkative,sir?”IthoughtthelighttouchmightmakehimthinkthatIwasnotafraid.

Helookedupandhisgreyeyesmetmine.“Ihopenot,”hesaidcoldly;“Ihavenotimetowaste.”Heshutthefilewithasnapandput itonthetableinfrontofhim.

“Now then,” he went on, “let us examine your position. First, theoffenceswithwhichyouarechargedrenderyouliableuponconvictiontotermsofimprisonmentofatleasttwentyyears.Dependingonthedegreeofyour involvement in thepoliticalaspectsof thisaffair,wemightevenconsiderpressingforadeathsentence.”

“But I am not involved at all, Major, I assure you. I am a victim ofcircumstances - an innocent victim.” Of course, he could have beenbluffingaboutthedeathsentence,butIcouldnotbesure.Therewasthatphrase “politicalaspects”again. Ihad read that theyhadbeenhangingmembersoftheformergovernmentforpoliticalcrimes.IwishednowthatI had taken the drink when he had offered it. Now, my hands wereshaking,andIknewthat, if Ireachedforthebottleandglass,hewouldseethattheywere.

Apparently,however,hedidnothave tosee them;heknewwhathewasdoingtome,andwantedmetoknowthatheknew.Quitecasually,he picked up the bottle, pouredme half a glass of raki, and pushed itacrosstome.

“Wewilltalkabouttheextentofyourinvolvementinaminute,”hesaid.“First,letusconsiderthematterofyourpassport.”

“It isoutofdate.Iadmitthat.Butitwasamereoversight.IfthepostCommandanthadbehavedcorrectlyIwouldhavebeensentbacktothe

Greekpost.”Heshruggedimpatiently:“Letusbeclearaboutthis.Youhadalready

committedseriouscriminaloffencesonTurkishsoil.Wouldyouexpecttoescape the consequences because your papers are not in order? Youknowbetter. You also know that your passportwas not invalid throughanyoversight.TheEgyptiangovernmenthadrefusedtorenewit.Infact,they revoked your citizenship two years ago on the grounds that youmadefalsestatementsonyournaturalizationpapers.”Heglancedinthefile.“Youstatedthatyouhadneverbeenconvictedofacriminaloffenceandthatyouhadneverservedaprisonsentence.Bothstatementswerelies.”

ThiswassuchanunfairdistortionofthefactsthatIcouldonlyassumethat hehadgot it from theEgyptians. I said: “I havebeen fighting thatdecision.”

“And also using a passport to which you were not entitled and hadfailedtosurrender.”

“My case was still sub judice. Anyway, I have already applied forrestorationofmyBritishcitizenship,towhichIamentitledasthesonofaservingBritishofficer.Infact,IamBritish.”

“The British don’t take that view. After what happened you canscarcelyblamethem.”

“Under the provisions of the BritishNationality Act of 1948 I remainBritishunlessIhavespecificallyrenouncedthatnationality.Ihaveneverformallyrenouncedit.”

“That is unimportant. We are talking about your case here and theextentofyourinvolvement.ThepointIwishtomakeisthatouractioninyourcaseisnotgoingtobegovernedinanywaybythefactthatyouarea foreigner. No consul is going to intercede on your behalf. You havenone. You are stateless. The only person who can help you is myDirector.”Hepaused.“Buthewillhavetobepersuaded.Youunderstandme?”

“Ihavenomoney.”It seemed a perfectly sensible reply to me, but for some reason it

appearedto irritatehim.HiseyesnarrowedandforamomentI thoughthe was going to throw the glass he was holding in my face. Then hesighed.“Youareover fifty,”hesaid, “yetyouhave learnednothing.Youstillseeothermeninyourownabsurdimage.DoyoureallybelievethatI

couldbebought,orthat, if Icouldbe,amanlikeyoucouldeverdothebuying?”

Itwasonthetipofmytonguetoretortthatthatwoulddependontheprice he was asking; but if he wanted to take this high-and-mightyattitude,therewasnosenseinarguing.Obviously,Ihadtouchedhiminasensitivearea.

Helitacigaretteasifhewereconsciouslyputtingasidehisirritation.Itooktheopportunitytodrinksomeoftheraki.

“Verywell.”Hewasallbusinessagain.“Youunderstandyourposition,whichisthatyouhavenoposition.WecomenowtothestoryyoutoldtothepostCommandantbeforeyourarrest.”

“EverywordItoldtheCommandantwasthetruth.”Heopenedthefile.“Onthefaceofitthatseemshighlyunlikely.Letus

see.YoustatedthatyouwereaskedbythisAmerican,Harper,todriveacarbelongingtoaFräuleinLippfromAthenstoIstanbul.Youweretobepaidonehundreddollars.Youagreed.AmIright?”

“Quiteright.”“Youagreed,eventhoughthepassportinyourpossessionwasnotin

order?”“Ididnotrealizeitwasoutofdate.IthasbeenmonthssinceIusedit.

Thewholethingwasarrangedwithinafewhours.Iscarcelyhadtimetopack a bag. People are using out-of-date passports all the time. Askanyone at any international airline. Theywill tell you. That iswhy theyalways check passengers’ passports when they weigh their baggage.Theydonotwantdifficultiesattheotherend.Ihadnobodytocheck.TheGreekcontrolscarcelylookedatthepassport.Iwasleavingthecountry.Theywerenotinterested.”

IknewIwasonsafegroundhere,andIspokewithfeeling.Hethoughtforamoment,thennodded.“Itispossible,and,ofcourse,

you had good reason not to think too much about the date on yourpassport. The Egyptians were not going to renew it anyway. Thatexplanationisacceptable,Ithink.Wewillgoon.”Hereferredagaintothefile. “You told theCommandant that you suspected thismanHarper ofbeinganarcoticssmuggler.”

“Idid.”“TotheextentofsearchingthecarafteryouleftAthens.”“Yes.”

“Yetyoustillagreedtomakethejourney.”“Iwasbeingpaidonehundreddollars.”“Thatwastheonlyreason?”“Yes.”Heshookhishead.“Itreallywillnotdo.”“Iamtellingyouthetruth.”He tooka clip of papers from the file. “Your history doesnot inspire

confidence.”“Giveadogabadname.”“You seem to have earned one. Our dossier on you begins in fifty-

seven.Youwerearrestedonvariouschargesandfinedonaminorcount.Therestwereabandonedbythepoliceforlackofevidence.”

“Theyshouldneverhavebeenbroughtinthefirstplace.”Heignoredthis.“Wedid,however,askInterpol if theyknewanything

aboutyou. Itseemed theyknewa lot.Apparentlyyouwereonce in therestaurantbusiness.”

“MymotherownedarestaurantinCairo.Isthatanoffence?”“Fraud is an offence. Your mother was part owner of a restaurant.

Whenshedied,yousoldittoabuyerwhobelievedthatyounowownedall of it. In fact, therewere twoother shareholders.Thebuyer chargedyouwithfraud,butwithdrewhiscomplaintwhenthepoliceallowedyoutoregularizethetransaction.”

“Ididn’tknowoftheexistenceoftheseothershareholders.Mymotherhadnevertoldmethatshehadsoldtheshares.”Thiswasperfectlytrue.MumwasentirelyresponsibleforthetroubleIgotintooverthat.

“In 1951 you bought a partnership in a small publishing business inCairo. Outwardly it concerned itself with distributing foreignmagazinesandperiodicals. ItsrealbusinesswastheproductionofpornographyfortheSpanishandEnglish-speakingmarkets.And that becameyour realbusiness.”

“Thatisabsolutelyuntrue.”“TheinformationwassuppliedthroughInterpolinfifty-fourbyScotland

Yard. It was given in response to an inquiry by the New York police.ScotlandYardmusthaveknownaboutyouforalongtime.”

Iknewitwoulddonogoodformetobecomeangry.“Ihaveeditedandsometimeswrittenforanumberofmagazinesofaliterarynatureovertheyears,” I saidquietly. “Sometimes theymayhavebeena littledaring in

theirapproachandhavebeenbannedbyvariouscensoringauthorities.But I would remind you that books likeUlysses and Lady Chatterley’sLover, which were once described by those same authorities aspornographicorobscene,arenowacceptedasliteraryworksofartandpublishedquiteopenly.”

Helookedathispapersagain.“InJanuaryfifty-fiveyouwerearrestedinLondon.Inyourpossessionweresamplesofthevariousobsceneandpornographicperiodicalswhichyouhadbeenattempting tosell inbulk.Among them was a book calledGents Only and a monthly magazinecalledEnchantment.AllwereproducedbyyourEgyptiancompany.YouwerechargedundertheBritishlawgoverningsuchpublications,andalsowith smuggling them. At your trial you said nothing about their beingliterary works of art. You pleaded guilty andwere sentenced to twelvemonths’imprisonment.”

“Thatwasatravestyofjustice.”“Thenwhydidyoupleadguilty?”“Becausemylawyeradvisedmeto.” In fact, theC.I.D. Inspectorhad

trickedmeintoit.HehadasgoodaspromisedmethatifIpleadedguiltyIwouldgetoffwithafine.

He stared at me thoughtfully for amoment, then shut the file. “Youmustbeaverystupidman,Simpson.Yousaytome:‘Iamtellingyouthetruth,’ and yet when I try to test that statement all I hear from you iswhiningandprotestation.Iamnotinterestedinhowyouexplainawaythepast,or inanyillusionsaboutyourself thatyoumaywishtopreserve.Ifyoucannoteventellthetruthwhenthereisnothingtobegainedbylying,then I can believe nothing you tellme.Youwere caught by theBritishsmugglingpornographyandtryingtopeddle it.Whynotadmit it?Then,whenyou tellme that youdidnot know that youweresmugglingarmsandammunitionthisafternoon,Imightatleastthink:‘Thismanisapettycriminal,butitisremotelypossiblethatforonceheisbeingtruthful.’Asitis,IcanonlyassumethatyouarelyingandthatImustgetthetruthfromyouinsomeotherway.”

I admit that “some otherway” gaveme a jolt. After all, fiveminutesearlierhehadbeenpouringmeaglassofraki.HemeanttoputthefearofGod intome,ofcourse,andmakemepanic.Unfortunately,andonlybecauseIwastired,upset,andsufferingfromindigestion,hesucceeded.

“Iamtellingyouthetruth,sir.”Icouldhearmyownvoicecrackingand

quaveringbutcoulddonothingtocontrol it.“IsweartoGodIamtellingyouthetruth.MyonlywishistotellyouallIcan,tobringeverythingoutofthedarknessintothelightofday.”

Hestaredatmecuriously;andthen,asIrealizedwhatIhadsaid,Ifeltmyself reddening. Itwasawful. I hadused thoseabsurdwordsHarperhadmademewriteinthatconfessionaboutthecheques.

Asoursmile touchedhis lips foran instant. “Ahyes,”hesaid “Iwasforgetting that you have been a journalist.Wewill try oncemore then.Just remember that I do not want speeches in mitigation, only plainstatements.”

“Ofcourse.”Iwastooconfusedtothinkstraightnow.“Why did you go to London in fifty-five? Youmust have known that

ScotlandYardknewallaboutyou.”“HowcouldIknow?Ihadn’tbeeninEnglandforyears.”“Wherewereyouduringthewar?”“InCairodoingwarwork.”“Whatwork?”“Iwasaninterpreter.”“WhydidyougotoLondon?”Iclearedmythroatandtookasipofraki.“Answerme!”“Iwasgoingtoanswer,sir.”Therewasnothingelseforit.“TheBritish

distributorofourpublicationssuddenlyceasedmakingpaymentsandwecould get no replies from him to our letters. I went to England toinvestigate,andfoundhisofficesclosed.Iassumedthathehadgoneoutof business, and began to look for another distributor. The man IeventuallydiscussedthepossibilitywithturnedouttobeaScotlandYarddetective.WeusedtosendourshipmentstoLiverpoolincottonbales.Itseemsthatthecustomshaddiscoveredthisandinformedthepolice.Ourdistributorhadbeenarrestedandsent toprison.Thepolicehadkept itoutofthepaperssomehow.Ijustwalkedintoatrap.”

“Better,muchbetter,” he said.He lookedalmost amused. “Naturally,though,youfeltbittertowardstheBritishauthorities.”

Ishouldhaverememberedsomethinghehadletdropearlier,butIwasstillconfused,Itriedtoheadhimoff.

“Iwasbitteratthetime,ofcourse,sir. IdidnotthinkIhadhadafairtrial. But afterwards I realized that the police had their job to do” - I

thoughtthatwouldappealtohim-”andthattheyweren’tresponsibleformakingthelaws.SoItriedtobeamodelprisoner.IthinkIwas.Anyway,Ireceivedthemaximumremissionforgoodbehaviour.Icertainlycouldn’tcomplainofthetreatmentIhadinMaidstone.Infact,theGovernorshookhandswithmewhenIleftandwishedmewell.”

“AndthenyoureturnedtoEgypt?”“Assoonasmyprobationaryperiodwasup,yes.IwentbacktoCairo,

sir.”“Where you proceeded to denounce a British businessman named

ColbyEvanstotheEgyptianauthoritiesasaBritishsecretagent.”Itwaslikeaslapintheface,butImanagedtokeepmyheadthistime.

“Notimmediately,sir.Thatwaslater,duringtheSuezcrisis.”“Whydidyoudoit?”Ididn’tknowwhattosay.HowcouldIexplaintoamanlikethatthatI

hadtopaybackthecaningtheyhadgivenme.Isaidnothing.“Was it because you needed to prove somehow to the Egyptian

authoritiesthatyouwereanti-British,orbecauseyoudidn’tliketheman,orbecauseyouweresincerelyanti-British?”

It was all three, I suppose; I am not really sure. I answered almostwithoutthinking.

“MymotherwasEgyptian.MywifewaskilledbyaBritishbombintheattacktheymadeonus.Whyshouldn’tIfeelsincerelyanti-British?”

Itwasprobably the best answer I hadgiven so far; it sounded true,eventhoughitwasn’tquite.

“Didyoureallybelievethismanwasanagent?”“Yes,sir.”“AndthenyouappliedforEgyptiancitizenship.”“Yes,sir.”“You stayed in Egypt until fifty-eight. Was that when they finally

decided thatEvanshadnot beenaBritishagent after all and releasedhim?”

“Hewasconvictedathistrial.Hisreleasewasanactofclemency.”“But theEgyptiansdid start to investigateyouat that time.” Itwasa

statement.“Isupposeso.”“Isee.”He refilledmyglass. “I thinkwearebeginning tounderstand

oneanother,Simpson.Younowrealizethatitisneithermybusinessnor

my inclination to make moral judgments. I, on the other hand, ambeginningtoseehowyourmindworksintheareaswearediscussing-whatholdsthepiecestogether.SonowletusgobacktoyourstoryaboutMr.HarperandFräuleinLipp.”Heglancedagainatthefile.“Yousee,foramanofyourexperience it isquite incredible.Yoususpect thatHarpermaybeusingyouforsomeillegalpurposewhichwillbehighlyprofitabletohim,yetyoudoasheasks,foramerehundreddollars.”

“ItwasthereturnjourneyIwasthinkingof,sir.IthoughtthatwhenherealizedthatIhadguessedwhathewasupto,hewouldhavetopaymetotaketherisk.”

He sat back, smiling. “But you had accepted the hundred dollarsbeforethatpossibilityhadoccurredtoyou.YouwouldnothavesearchedthecaroutsideAthensotherwise.Youseethedifficulty?”

Idid.WhatIdidn’tseewasthewayoutofit.He lit another cigarette. “Come now, Simpson, you were emerging

verysensibly fromthedarknessa fewminutesago.Whynotcontinue?Eitheryourwholestoryisalie,oryouhaveleftsomethingofimportanceout.Whichisit?Iamgoingtofindoutanyway.Itwillbeeasierforbothofusifyoujusttellmenow.”

IknowwhenIambeaten.Idranksomemoreraki.“Allright.IhadnomorechoicewithhimthanIhavewithyou.Hewas

blackmailingme.”“How?”“HaveyougotanextraditiontreatywithGreece?”“Nevermindaboutthat.Iamnotthepolice.”SoIhadtotellhimaboutthetraveller'schequesafterall.When I had finished, he nodded. “I see” was all he said. After a

moment, he got up and went to the door. It opened the instant heknockedonit.Hebegantogiveorders.

I was quite sure that he had finished with me and was telling theguardstotakemeawaytoacell,soIswallowedtherestoftherakiinmyglassandputthematchesinmypocketontheoffchancethatImightgetawaywiththem.

Iwaswrongabout thecell.Whenhehad finishedspeaking,heshutthedoorandcameback.

“Ihavesentforsomeeatablefood,”hesaid.Hedidnotstopat the table,butwentacross to the telephone. I lita

cigaretteandreturnedthematchestothetable.Idon’tthinkhenoticed.He was asking for an Istanbul number andmaking a lot of important-soundingnoiseaboutit.Thenhehungupandcamebacktothetable.

“Now tell me everything you remember about this man Harper,” hesaid.

Istarted to tellhim thewholestoryagain from thebeginning,buthewanteddetailsnow.

“You say that he spoke like aGermanwhohas lived inAmerica forsomeyears.Whendidyou reach that conclusion?After youheardhimspeakGermantothemanatthegarage?”

“No.HearinghimspeakGermanonlyconfirmedtheimpressionIhadhad.”

“IfyouweretohearmespeakGermanfluentlycouldyoutellwhetheritwasmymothertongueornot?”

“No.”“HowdidhepronouncetheEnglishword‘later,’forexample?”Itriedtotellhim.“Youknow, theGerman ‘I’ ismore frontal than that,” hesaid; “but in

Turkish, before certain vowels, the ‘I’ is like theEnglish consonant youwere pronouncing. If you were told that this man had a Turkishbackground,wouldyoudisbelieveit?”

“NotifIweretolditwastrueperhaps.ButisHarperaTurkishname?”“IsitaGermanone?”“ItcouldbeananglicizationofHipper.”“It could also be an anglicization of Harbak.” He shrugged. “It could

alsobeanalias. Itmostprobably is.All Iamtrying todiscover is if themancouldbeTurkish.”

“Becauseofthepoliticalaspectsyoumentioned?”“Obviously. Tear-gas grenades, concussion grenades, smoke

grenades, six pistols, six times twenty rounds of ammunition. Sixdeterminedmenequippedwiththatmaterialmakingasurpriseattackonsome important person or group of persons could accomplish a greatdeal.Therearestillmanysupportersof theformerregime.Theydonotlikethearmy’sfirmhands.”

I refrained from telling him that I wasn’t so very fond of those firmhandsmyself.

“But, of course,” he went on, “we keep our eyes on them. If they

wishedtoattemptanythingtheywouldneedhelpfromoutside.YousayhehadSwissfrancsandWestGermanmarksaswellasdollars?”

“Yes.”“Naturally it is possible that what we have here is only one small

cornerofamuchlargerplan.Ifso,thereisalotofmoneybehindit.Thisman Harper went to a great deal of trouble and expense to get thatmaterialthrough.Perhaps...”

Thetelephonerangandhebrokeofftoanswerit.HiscalltoIstanbulhadcomethrough.Iunderstoodaboutonewordintenofhissideoftheconversation. He was reporting to his boss; that much was easilygathered.My namewasmentioned several times. After that hemostlylistened,justputtinginanoccasionalevettoshowthathewasgettingthepoint.Icouldhearthefaintquackingofthevoiceattheotherendoftheline.Finallyitstopped.Tufanaskedaquestionandreceivedabriefreply.Thatwasall.Tufanmadea respectfulsound, thenhungupand lookedacrossatme.

“Bad news for you, Simpson,” he said. “The Director does not feeldisposedtohelpyouinanyway.Heregardsthechargesagainstyouastooserious.”

“I’msorry.”Thereseemednothingmoretosay.Idownedanotherrakitotrytosettlemystomach.

“Heconsiders thatyouhavenotbeensufficientlyhelpful tous. Iwasunabletopersuadehim.”

“I’vetoldyoueverythingIknow.”“It is not enough. What we need to know is more about this man

Harper,whohisassociatesandcontactsare,who thisFräuleinLipp is,where thearmsandammunitionaregoing,how theyare tobeused. Ifyou could supply that information or help to supply it, of course, yourcasemightbereconsidered.”

“The only way I could possibly get information like that would be todriveontoIstanbultomorrowasifnothinghadhappened,gototheParkHotel, andwait for somebody to contactme as arranged. Is that whatyou’retellingmeIhavetodo?”

He sat down facing me. “It is what we might tell you to do, if wethought thatwecould trustyou.MyDirector isdoubtful.Naturally,he isthinkingofyourpastrecord.”

“Whathasthattodowithit?”

“Isn’t it obvious?Supposingyouwarn thesepeople that thecarwassearched.Perhapstheywouldrewardyou.”

“Rewardme?”I laughedloudly;IthinkImusthavebeengettingabittight. “Rewardmefor telling themthat theyareundersurveillance?Areyouserious?Youweretalkingaboutagroupofmendeterminedenoughtorisktheirlives.Atthemoment,theonlycontactIcanidentifyisHarper.HemayormaynotbeinIstanbul.Supposinghe’snot.Someonehastocontactmetogetatthecar.WhatdoIdo?Whisper‘Fly,allisdiscovered’intohisear,andexpecthimtotipmebeforeheleaves?OrdoIwaituntilI’vemadeafewmorecontactsbeforeItellthemthegoodnews,sothattheycanpass thehat round?Don’tbe ridiculous!They’dknowatoncethattheywouldn’tgetfar,becauseyou’dpickmeupagainandmakemetalk.Reward?I’dbeluckyiftheyletmestayalive.”

Hesmiled.“TheDirectorwonderedifyouwouldhavethesensetoseethat.”

ButIwastooannoyedbywhatIthoughtwashisstupiditytograsptheimplication ofwhat he had said. Iwent on inEnglish. I didn’t care anymorewhetherheunderstoodmeornot.Isaid:“Inanycase,whathaveyougot to lose?If Idon’t turnup in Istanbul tomorrow, they’llknowthatsomething’s gonewrong, and all you’ll have is a couple of names thatdon’tmeananythingtoyou,andasecondhandLincoln.You’llhaveme,too, of course, but you already know all I know about this, and you’regoing to lookdamnsilly standingup in court trying to prove that Iwasgoing tocarryoutaone-mancoupd’etat.YourbloodyDirectormaybeone of those fine, upstanding, crap-packed bastards who thinks thateverybodywhodoesn’tsmelltohighheavenofsweetnessandrosesisn’tworthasecondthought,but ifhisbrainisn’twherehisarseoughttobehemustknowhe’sgottotrustme.Hehasnobloodyalternative.”

Tufannoddedcalmlyandmovedtherakibottle justoutofmyreach.“ThoseweremoreorlesstheDirector’sownwords,”hesaid.

4

IWOKEUPthenextmorningwithahangover;andnot justbecauseoftheraki.Nervous strainalwayshas that effect onme. ItwasawonderthatIhadbeenabletosleepatall.

The “eatable food” that Tufan had ordered had turned out to beyoghurt(whichIdetest)andsomesortofsheep’smilkcheese.IhadjusteatensomemorebreadwhileTufanmadetelephonecalls.

The Lincoln had been left out at the Karaagac customs post, whichwasclosedforthenight.HehadhadtogettheCommandantoutofbedtoopentheplaceup,andarrangeforanarmydrivertotakethecartothegarrison repair shop. The grenades and arms, andmy bag, had beenremoved to the localarmyH.Q. forexamination.Thatmeant thatmorepeople, including thecustoms inspectorwhohadsearched thecar,hadthenhadtoberoundedupsothatthestuffcouldbeputbackinsidethedoorsagainexactlyasithadbeenfound.

Evenwithalltheauthorityhehad,ithadtakenanhourjusttoorganizethework.Thenthequestionofahotelroomformehadcomeup.Iwassoexhaustedby then that Iwouldnothavemindedsleeping inacell. Ihadtoldhimso;but,ofcourse,ithadnotbeenmycomforthehadbeenthinkingabout.Ihadhadtolistentoalecture.SupposingHarperaskedmewhereIhadspentthenight;supposingthis,supposingthat.Anagentsometimes had to take risks, but he should never take unnecessaryones; to be caught out through carelessness over trifles wasunforgivable;andsoonandsoon.Thathadbeenthefirst timehehadreferredtomeasan“agent”.Ithadgivenmeanuncomfortablefeeling.

Hehadtoldmetomeethimoutsideanewapartmentbuildingnearthehotel at nineo’clock.Hewasalready therewhen I arrived.His clotheswerestill quiteneat,buthehadn’t shavedandhiseyeswerepuffy.Helooked as if he had been up all night. Without even saying “goodmorning”hemotionedtometofollowhim,andledthewaydownaramptoasmallgarageinthebasementofthebuilding.

TheLincolnwasthereandlookingveryclean.“Ihaditwashed,”hesaid.“Ithadtoomanyfingermarksonit.It’llbe

dustyagainby the timeyouget to Istanbul.Youhadbetter lookat the

doors.”I hadwarned him to be careful about the interior door panels. They

wereleatherandhadbeenquitecleanwhenIhadtakenthecaroverinAthens. If some clumsy lout of an army fitter had made scratches ormarkswhenreplacingthem,Harperwouldbeboundtonotice.

Icouldseenothingwrong,however.IfIhadnotbeentold,Iwouldnothaveknownthatthepanelshadeverbeentakenoff.

“It’sallinsidethere,justasitwasbefore?”Iasked.“Thecustomsinspectorsaysso.Alltheobjectsweretapedoutofthe

wayof thewindowglassesagainst themetal.Photographswere takenbeforetheywereremoved.”

Hehadasetofprintsinhispocketandheshowedthemtome.Theydidn’tconveymuch.Theylookedlikepicturesofhibernatingbats.

“Haveyouanyideawherethestuffwasbought?”Iasked.“Agoodquestion.ThepistolsandammunitionareGerman,ofcourse.

Thegrenades,allkinds,areFrench.Thatdoesn’thelpusmuch.WedoknowthatthepackingwasdoneinGreece.”

“How?”“Itwaspaddedwithnewspaperstostopanyrattling.Therearebitsof

Athenspapersdatedaweekago.”Hetookasealedenvelopefromthefrontseatof thecarandopened itup. “Theseare the things thatweretaken from you at the frontier post,” he said. “You had better put themback in your pockets now and I will keep the envelope. I have had aspecial tourist visa stamped in the passport validating it as a traveldocument within Turkey for onemonth. That is in case the hotel clerkshouldnoticetheexpirydate,orifyouarestoppedbythetrafficpoliceforany reason. IfHarperoranyoneelseshouldhappen tosee it,youwillsimply say that the security control made no difficulties when youpromisedtogetthepassportrenewedinIstanbul.Thecarnetisinorder,ofcourse,andthereareyourotherpersonalpapers.”Hehandedthemtome,thentoretheenvelopeinfourandputthepiecesinhispocket.

“Now,”hewenton, “as toyourorders.Youknow the informationwewant.First, thenamesandaddressesofallcontacts, theirdescriptions,what theysayanddo.Secondly,youwillattempt,bykeepingyourearsandeyesopen,todiscoverwhereandhowthesearmsaretobeused.Inthat connection you will take particular note of any place namesmentioned,nomatter inwhatcontext.Buildingsorparticularareas, too,

Doyouunderstandthat?”“Iunderstand.HowdoIreport?”“Iamcomingtothat.First,fromthemomentyouleavehereyouwillbe

under surveillance. The persons allocated to this duty will be changedfrequently, but if you should happen to recognize any of them youwillpretendnot to.Only inanemergency,or inacaseofextremeurgency,will you approach them. In that event theywill help you if you saymyname. Youwill report normally by telephone, but not from a telephonethatgoesthroughaprivateswitchboard.Certainlynotfromthetelephonein a hotel room. Use café telephones. Unless, for physical or securityreasons,itisimpossible,youwillreportatteneverynight,orateightthefollowingmorningifyouhavemissedtheteno’clockcall.”Hetookaboxofmatchesfromhispocket.“Thenumberiswrittenhereunderneaththematches.Assoonasyouarecertainyouwillnotforgetit,throwtheboxaway.Ifyouwanttocommunicateotherthanatthedailyreporttimes,adutyofficerwillpassyourcallorgiveyouanothernumberatwhichIcanbereached.Isthatallclear?”

“Yes.”Itookthematchesandlookedatthenumber.“Just one more thing,” he said. “The Director is not an amiable or

kindlyman.Youwill keep faithwithusbecause itwouldnotbe inyourintereststodootherwise.Heknowsthat,ofcourse.But,forhim,stupidityorclumsinessincarryingoutordersarejustasunacceptableasbadfaithand have the same consequences. I would strongly advise you to besuccessful.Thatisall,Ithink,unlessyouhaveanyquestions.”

“No.Noquestions.”Withanod,heturnedawayandwalkeduptheramptothestreet.Iput

my bag in the back of the car again. Tenminutes later I was clear ofEdirneandontheIstanbulroad.

After a fewmiles I identified the surveillance car as a sand-coloredPeugeot two or three hundred yards behind me. It kept that distance,moreor less,evenwhen trucksorothercarsgotbetweenus,orgoingthroughtowns.Itneverclosedupenoughformetoseethedriverclearly.WhenIstoppedatCorluforlunchhedidnotovertakeme.IdidnotseethePeugeotwhileIwasthere.

Therestaurantwasacaféwithafewshakytablesunderasmallvine-covered terrace outside. I had a glass or two of raki and some stuffedpeppers.Mystomachbegan to feel abit better. I sat there for overan

hour.Iwouldhavelikedtostaylonger.Thereweremomentslikethatatschool, too; when one bad time has ended and the next has not yetbegun.There canbedaysof it also, thedayswhenone is on remandawaitingtrial-notinnocent,notguilty,notresponsible,outofthegame.IoftenwishthatIcouldhaveanoperation-notapainfulorseriousone,ofcourse-justsoastobeconvalescentforawhileafterit.

The Peugeot picked me up again three minutes after I left Corlu. Istoppedagainonlyonce,forpetrol.IreachedIstanbulsoonafterfour.

IputtheLincoln inagaragejustoffTaximSquareandwalkedtothehotelcarryingmybag.

The Park Hotel is built against the side of a hill overlooking theBosphorus. It is theonlyhotel that Iknowofwhichhasthefoyerat thetop,sothatthelifttakesyoudowntoyourroominsteadofup.Myroomwasquitealongwaydownonacorneroverlookingastreetwithacaféinit. The café had a gramophone and an inexhaustible supply of Turkishcazrecords.Almostlevelwiththewindowandaboutfiftyyardsawaywasthe topof aminaret belonging to amosque lower down thehill. It hadloudspeakers in it to amplify the voice of the muezzin, and his call toprayerwasdeafening.WhenHarperhadmade the reservation,hehadobviouslyaskedforthecheapestroominthehotel.

Ichangedintoacleanshirtandsatdowntowait.Atsixo’clockthetelephonerang.“MonsieurSimpson?”Itwasaman’svoicewithacondescendingliltto

itandanunidentifiableaccent.Hewasn’tanEnglishmanoranAmerican.“ThisisSimpson,”Ianswered.“MissLipp’scar isallright?Youhavehadnoaccidentsortroubleon

thejourneyfromAthens?”“No.Thecarisfine.”“Good.MissLipphasapressingengagement.Thisiswhatyouareto

do.YouknowtheHiltonHotel?”“Yes.”“DrivethecartotheHiltonatonceandputitinthecarparkopposite

theentranceto thehotelandbehindtheKervansaraynightclub.Leavethe carnet and insurance papers in the glove compartment and theignitionkeybesidethedriver’sseatonthefloor.Isitunderstood?”

“Itisunderstood,yes.Butwhoisthatspeaking?”“A friend ofMiss Lipp. The car should be there in tenminutes.” He

rangoffabruptlyasifmyquestionhadbeenimpertinent.Isat therewonderingwhat Iought todo. Iwascertainlynotgoingto

do as he had toldme. The only hope I had ofmymaking any sort ofcontactwiththepeopleTufanwasinterestedinwasthroughthecar.IfIjustletitgolikethatIwouldbehelpless.EvenwithoutTufan’sorderstocarryoutIwouldhaverefused.HarperhadsaidthatIwouldbepaidandgetmyletterbackwhenthejobwasdone.He,orsomeoneonhisbehalf,wouldhave to fulfil thoseconditionsbefore I surrenderedcontrolof thecar.Hemusthaveknownthat, too.Afterwhathadhappened inAthenshecouldscarcelyhaveexpectedmetotrusttohisgoodnature.Andwhathad happened to all that talk of driving forMiss Lippwhile shewas inTurkey?

Ihidthecarnetundersomeshelf liningpaperontopofthewardrobeandwentout.IttookmeabouttenminutestowalktotheHilton.

Iapproachedthecarparkbriskly,swingingmykeysinmyhandasifIweregoingtopickupacaralreadythere.Iguessedthateitherthemanwho had telephoned or someone acting on his instructions would bewaitingfortheLincolntoarrive,allreadytodriveitawaytheinstantIhadgone.InIstanbul,itisunwisetoleaveeventhepoorestcarunlockedandunattendedforverylong.

Ispottedhimalmostimmediately.Hewasstandingattheouterendofthe Hilton driveway smoking a cigarette and staring into the middledistance,asifheweretryingtodecidewhethertogostraighthometohiswife or visit his girlfriend first. Remembering that I would have to giveTufanhisdescription,Itookverycarefulnoteofhim.Hewasaboutforty-fiveandthickset,withabarrelchestandamopofcrinklygreyhairabovea brownpuffy face. The eyeswere brown, too.Hewaswearing a thinlight-grey suit, yellow socks, and plaited leather sandals. Height aboutfiveten,Ithought.

Iwalked through thecarpark tomakesure that therewerenootherpossibilities there, thencameout theothersideandwalkedbackalongthestreetforanotherglimpseofhim.

IwalkedstraightbacktotheParkHotel.AsIunlockedthedoortomyroomIcouldhearthetelephoneinsideringing.

Itwasthesamevoiceagain,butperemptorynow.“Simpson?Iunderstandthatthecarisnotyetdelivered.Whatareyou

doing?”

“Whoisthatspeaking?”“The friend ofMiss Lipp.Answermy question, please.Where is the

car?”“Thecarisquitesafeandwillremainso.”“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”“Thecarnet is in thehotelstrong-roomandthecar isgaraged. Itwill

remain that way until I hand it over toMr. Harper or someone holdingcredentialsfromMr.Harper.”

“ThecaristhepropertyofMissLipp.”“ThecarnetisinthenameofMissLipp,”Ianswered;“butthecarwas

placedinmycarebyMr.Harper.Iamresponsibleforit.Idon’tknowMissLipp except by name. I don’t know you even by name. You see thedifficulty?”

“Wait.”Iheardhimstarttosaysomethingtosomeonewithhim:“Ilditque...”

Andthenheclampedahandoverthetelephone.I waited. After a fewmoments he spoke again. “I will come to your

hotel.Remainthere.”Withoutwaitingformyagreement,hehungup.IwentupstairstothefoyerandtoldtheclerkthatIwouldbeoutonthe

terrace if I were wanted. The terrace was crowded, but I eventuallymanagedtofindatableandorderadrink.Iwasquitepreparedtomakethecontact;but Ihadnot liked thesoundof themanon the telephone,andpreferredtoencounterhiminapublicplaceratherthanintheprivacyofmyroom.

I had left my name with the head waiter, and after about twentyminutes I saw him pointing me out to a tall, cadaverous man with anarrow,baldheadandlargeprojectingears.Themancameover.Hewaswearingacream-and-brown-stripedsportsshirtandtanlinenslacks.Hehadalong,petulantupperlipandamouththatdroopedatthecorners.

“Simpson?”“Yes.”Hesatdownfacingme.Browneyes,onegoldtoothleftsidelowerjaw,

gold-and-onyx signet ring on little finger of left hand; I made mentalnotes.

“Whoareyou?”“MynameisFischer.”“Willyouhaveadrink,Mr.Fischer?”

“No.IwishtoclearthismisunderstandingrelativetoMissLipp’scar.”“There isnomisunderstanding inmymind,Mr.Fischer,” Ianswered.

“MyordersfromMr.Harperwerequiteexplicit.”“Yourordersweretoawaitordersatthehotel,”hesnapped.“Youhave

notcompliedwiththem.”I looked respectfully apologetic. “I am not doubting that you have a

perfect right togive thoseorders,Mr.Fischer,but Iassumed,naturally,thatMr.Harperwould be here, or if not here in person, that hewouldhavegivenawrittenauthorization.ThatisaveryvaluablecarandI...”

“Yes,yes.”Hebrokeinimpatiently.“Iunderstand.ThepointisthatMr.HarperhasbeendelayeduntiltomorrowafternoonandMissLippwisheshercaratonce.”

“I’msorry.”He leanedacrossthetable towardsmeandIcaughtawhiffofafter-

shavelotion.“Mr.HarperwouldnotbepleasedthatyouputMissLipptothe trouble of coming to Istanbul herself to claim her car,” he saidmenacingly.

“IthoughtMissLippwasinIstanbul.”“Sheisatthevilla,”hesaidshortly.“Nowwewillhavenomoreofthis

nonsense,please.YouandIwillgoandgetthecarimmediately.”“IfyouhaveMr.Harper’swrittenauthority,ofcourse.”“IhaveMr.Harper’sauthority.”“MayIseeit,sir?”“Thatisnotnecessary.”“I’mafraidthatisformetodecide.”Hesatbackbreathingdeeply. “Iwill give youonemorechance,” he

saidafterapause.“Eitheryouhandoverthecarimmediatelyorstepswillbetakentocompelyoutodoso.”

Ashesaidtheword“compel,”hisrighthandcameoutanddeliberatelyflickedthedrinkinfrontofmeintomylap.

At thatmoment something happened tome. I had been through anawful twenty-four hours, of course; but I don’t think it was only that. Isuddenlyfeltas ifmywhole lifehadbeenspenttryingtodefendmyselfagainstpeoplecompellingmetodothisorthat,andalwayssucceedingbecausetheyhadallthepowerontheirside;andthen,justassuddenly,Irealizedthatforoncethepowerwasmine;foronceIwasn’tonmyown.

I picked up the glass, set it back on the table, and dabbed at my

trousers with my handkerchief. He watched me intently, like a boxerwaiting for the other man to get his feet after a knockdown, ready tomoveinforthekill.

I called the waiter over. “If this gentleman wished to make a reportaboutamissingcartothepolice,whereshouldhego?”

“ThereisapolicepostinTaximSquare,sir.”“Thankyou. Ispilledmydrink.Wipe the tableandbringmeanother,

please.”Asthewaitergotbusywithhiscloth, I lookedacrossatFischer.“We

could go there together,” I said. “Or, if you would prefer it, I could goaloneandexplainthesituation.Ofcourse,Iexpectthepolicewouldwanttogetintouchwithyou.WhereshouldItellthemtofindyou?”

The waiter had finished wiping the table and was moving away.Fischerwasstaringatmeuncertainly.

“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”hesaid. “Whosaidanythingabout thepolice?”

“Youweretalkingofcompellingmetohandoverthecartoyou.Onlythepolice couldmakemedo that.” I paused. “Unless, that is, youhadsomeothersortofcompulsioninmind.Inthatcase,perhapsIshouldgotothepoliceanyway.”

Hedidnotknowwhattosaytothat.Hejuststared.ItwasallIcoulddonottosmile.Itwasquiteobviousthatheknewperfectlywellwhatwashidden in thecar,andthat thevery last thinghewantedwasthepolicetakinganinterestinit.NowhehadtomakesurethatIdidn’tgotothem.

“Thereisnoneedforthat,”hesaidfinally.“I’mnotsosure.”Thewaiterbroughtme thedrinkand Imotioned to

Fischer.“Thisgentlemanwillpay.”Fischerhesitated,thenthrewsomemoneyonthetableandstoodup.

Hewasdoinghisbesttoregaincontrolofthesituationbytryingtolookinsulted.

“Very well,” he said stiffly, “we shall have to wait for Mr. Harper’sarrival. It is very inconvenient and I shall report your insubordinatebehaviourtohim.Hewillnotemployyouagain.”

Andthen,ofcourse,Ihadtogotoofar.“Whenheknowshowcarelessyoucanbe,maybehewon’thavemuchuseforyoueither.”

It was a silly thing to say, because it implied that I knew that thesituationwasnotwhatitappearedonthesurface,andIwasn’tsupposed

toknow.Hiseyesnarrowed.“WhatdidHarpertellyouaboutme?”“UntiltonightIdidn’tevenknowyouexisted.Whatshouldhehavetold

me?”Withoutansweringheturnedandwent.Ifinishedmydrinkslowlyandplannedmymovementsfortheevening.

Itwouldbebest, I thought, todine in thehotel.Apart fromthe fact thatthecostofthemealwouldgoonthebill,whichHarperwouldbepaying,Iwasn’ttookeenongoingoutjustthen.Fischerhadseemedtoacceptthesituation;buttherewasjustachancethathemightchangehismindanddecide to get rough after all. Tufan’s men would be covering me,presumably,butIdidn’tknowwhattheirorderswere.Ifsomeoneweretobeat me up, it wouldn’t be much consolation to know that they werestanding by taking notes. It was certainly better to stay in. The onlyproblemwastheteno’clocktelephonereport.Ihadalreadynoticedthatthepublictelephonesinthefoyerwerehandledbyanoperatorwhoputthecallsthroughthehotelswitchboard,soIwouldhavetoriskgoingoutlater. Unless, that is, I missed the ten o’clock call and left it until themorningateight.TheonlytroublewasthatIwouldthenhavetoexplaintoTufanwhyIhaddoneso,andIdidnotwanttohavetoexplainthatIwasafraidofanythingthatFischermightdo.Mytrouserswerestilldampwherehehadupsetthedrinkoverme,andIwasstillrememberinghowgoodithadfelttomakehimclimbdownanddowhatIwanted.IcouldnotexpectTufantorealizehowsuccessfullyIhadhandledFischerifIhadtostart by admitting that I had been too nervous to leave the hotelafterwards.

AllIcoulddowastominimizetherisk.ThenearestcafeIknewofwasthe one on the side street belowmy room.With somany lighted hotelwindows above, the street would not be too dark for safety. Thetelephonewouldprobablybeon thebar,butwithany luck thenoiseofthe music would compensate for the lack of privacy. Anyway, it wouldhavetodo.

By the time I had finished dinner I was feeling so tired that I couldhardlykeepmyeyesopen.Iwentbacktotheterraceanddrankbrandyuntilitwastimeforthecall.

AsIwalkedfromthehotelentrancetotheroadIhadtogetoutofthewayofataxiandwasabletoglanceovermyshouldercasuallyas if to

makesureitwassafetowalkon.Therewasamaninachauffeur’scapabouttwentyyardsbehindme.

BecauseofthecontoursofthehillandthewaythestreettwistedandturnedittookmelongerthanIhadexpectedtogettothecafé.Themanin the chauffeur’s cap stayed behind me. I listened carefully to hisfootsteps.Ifhehadstartedtoclosein,Iwouldhavemadeadashforthecafe;buthekepthisdistance,soIassumedthathewasoneofTufan’smen.Allthesameitwasnotaverypleasantwalk.

Thetelephonewasonthewallbehindthebar.Therewasnocoinboxandyouhadtoasktheproprietortogetthenumbersothatheknewwhatto charge you. He couldn’t speak anything but Turkish, so I wrote thenumber down andmade signs. The noise of themusic wasn’t as badinsidetheplaceasitsoundedfrommyroom,butitwasloudenough.

Tufanansweredimmediatelyandcharacteristically.“Youarelate.”“I’msorry.Youtoldmenottocallthroughthehotelswitchboard.Iam

inacafe.”“YouwenttotheHiltonHoteljustaftersix.Why?Makeyourreport.”I toldhimwhathadhappened. Ihad to repeat thedescriptionof the

man at theHilton car park and of Fischer so that he couldwrite themdown.My report on themeetingwithFischer seemed toamusehimatfirst.Idon’tknowwhy.Ihadnotexpectedanythanks,butIfeltthatIhadearned at least a grunt of approval for my quick thinking. Instead, hemademerepeat theconversationand thenbeganharpingonFischer’sreference to a villa outside Istanbul and asking a lot of questions forwhichIhadnoanswers.Itwasveryirritating;although,ofcourse,Ididn’tsayso.Ijustaskedifhehadanyadditionalordersforme.

“No,but I havesome information.Harperand theLippwomanhavereservations on an Olympic Airways plane from Athens tomorrowafternoon.Itarrivesatfour.Theearliestyouwillhearfromhimprobablywillbeanhourafterthat.”

“SupposinghegivesmethesameordersasFischer-tohandoverthecarwithitspapers-whatdoIdo?”

“Askforyourwagesandtheletterhewrote.”“Supposinghegivesthemtome.”“Thenyoumustgiveupthecar,butforgettobringthecarnetandthe

insurancepapers.Orremindhimofhispromisethatyoucouldworkfor

Miss Lipp. Be persistent. Use your intelligence. Imagine that he is anordinary tourist whom you are trying to cheat. Now, if there is nothingmore,youcangotobed.Reporttomeagaintomorrownight.”

“Onemoment,sir.Thereissomething.”Ihadhadanidea.“Whatisit?”“Thereissomethingthatyoucoulddo,sir.If,beforeIspeaktoHarper,

Icouldhavealicenseasanofficialguidewithtomorrow’sdateonit- itmighthelp.”

“How?”“ItwouldshowthatintheexpectationofdrivingMissLipponhertour,I

hadgone to the trouble andexpenseof obtaining the license. ItwouldlookasifIhadtakenhimseriously.Ifheorshereallywantedadriverforthecaritmightmakeadifference.”

Hedidnotanswermeimmediately.Thenhesaid:“Good,verygood.”“Thankyou,sir.”“Yousee,Simpson,whenyouapply your intelligence to carryingout

orders instead of seeing only the difficulties, you become effective.” Itwas just likeTheBristle in one of his goodmoods. “You remember, ofcourse,”hewenton, “that,asa foreigner, youcouldnotholdaguide’slicense.DoyouthinkHarpermightknowthat?”

“I’m almost sure he doesn’t. If he does, I can say that I bribedsomeonetogetit.Hewouldbelieveme.”

“I would believe you myself, Simpson.” He chuckled fatuously,enchanted by his own joke. “Very well, you shall have it by noon,deliveredtothehotel.”

“Youwillneedaphotographofmeforit.”“Wehaveone.Don’ttellmeyouhaveforgottensosoon.Andaword

ofcaution.YouknowonlyafewwordsofTurkish.Don’tattractattentionto yourself so that you are asked to show the license. It might causetroublewithmuseumguards.Youunderstand?”

Hehungup.Ipaidtheproprietorforthecallandleft.Outside,themaninthechauffeur’scapwaswaitingupthestreet.He

walkedaheadofmebacktothehotel.IsupposeheknewwhyIhadbeentothecafe.

TherewasaguidetoIstanbulonsaleattheconcierge’sdesk.Iboughtone with the idea of brushing up on my knowledge of the Places ofInterestandhowtoget to them.OnmywaydowntomyroomIhadto

laughtomyself.“Nevervolunteerforanything,”myfatherhadsaid.Well,Ihadn’texactlyvolunteered forwhat Iwasdoingnow,but itseemed tomethatIwassuddenlygettingbloodyconscientiousaboutit.

I spentmost of the followingmorning in bed. Just beforenoon I gotdressedandwentuptothefoyertoseeifTufanhadrememberedaboutthe guide’s license. He had; it was in a sealed Ministry of Tourismenvelopeinmymailbox.

ForafewminutesIfeltquitegoodaboutthat.Itshowed,Ithought,thatTufankepthispromisesandthatIcouldrelyonhimtobackme.ThenIrealized that therewas anotherway of looking at it. I had asked for alicense and I had promptly received one; Tufan expected results andwasn’tgivingmethesmallestexcusefornotgettingthem.

Ihadmadeupmymindnottohaveanydrinksthatdaysoastokeepaclearhead forHarper;butnow Ichangedmymind.Youcan’thaveaclear headwhen there’s a sword hanging over it. Iwas careful thoughand only had three or four rakis. I feltmuch better for them, and afterlunchIwentdowntomyroomtotakeanap.

Imusthaveneededitbadly,forIwasstillasleepwhenthephonerangatfive.Ialmostfelloffthebedinmyhastetopickitup,andthestartthatitgavememademyheadache.

“Arthur?”ItwasHarper’svoice.“Yes.”“Youknowwhothisis?”“Yes.”“Carokay?”“Yes.”“Thenwhathaveyoubeenstallingfor?”“Ihaven’tbeenstalling.”“Fischersaysyourefusedtodeliverthecar.”“Youtoldmetowaitforyourinstructions,soIwaited.Youdidn’ttellme

to hand the car over to a perfect stranger without any proof of hisauthority...”

“Allright,allright,skipit!Whereisthecar?”“Inagaragenearhere.”“DoyouknowwhereSariyeris?”“Yes.”“Get the car right away and hit the Sariyer road. When you get to

Yeniköy lookatyourmileagereading, thendriveon towardsSariyer forexactly fourmoremiles.On your right you’ll come to a small pierwithsomeboatstiedupalongsideit.Ontheleftoftheroadoppositethepieryou’llseeadrivewayentrancebelongingtoavilla.ThenameofthevillaisSardunya.Haveyougotthat?”

“Yes.”“Youshouldbehereinaboutfortyminutes.Right?”“Iwillleavenow.”SariyerisasmallfishingportattheotherendoftheBosphoruswhere

itwidensouttotheBlackSea,andtheroadtoitfromIstanbulrunsalongtheEuropeanshore. Iwonderedif IshouldtrytocontactTufanbeforeIleft and report the address I had been given, then decided against it.Almostcertainly,hehadhadHarperfollowedfromtheairport,andinanycaseIwouldbefollowedtothevilla.Therewouldbenopointinreporting.

Iwenttothegarage,paidthebill,andgotthecar.Theearly-eveningtrafficwasheavyand it tookmetwentyminutes togetoutof thecity. Itwasaquarter tosixwhenI reachedYeniköy.ThesamePeugeotwhichhadfollowedmedownfromEdirnewasfollowingmeagain.Islowedforamomenttocheckthemileageandthenpushedon.

ThevillasontheBosphorusvaryfromsmallwaterfrontholidayplaces,withwindowboxesand littleboathouses, to things likepalaces.Quitealotof themwerepalacesonce;andbefore thecapitalwasmoved fromIstanbul toAnkara thediplomaticcorpsused tohavesummerembassybuildings out along the Bosphorus, where there are cool Black Seabreezesevenwhenthecityissweltering.TheKöskSardunyalookedasifithadstartedoutinsomesuchway.

The entrance to the drive was flanked by huge stone pillars withwrought-irongates.Thedriveitselfwasseveralhundredyardslongandwoundupthehillsidethroughanavenueofbigtreeswhichalsoservedtoscreentheplacefromtheroadbelow.Finally, it leftthetreesandsweptintothegravelcourtyardinfrontofthevilla.

Itwasoneof thosewhite stuccowedding-cakebuildingsof the kindyou see in the older parts of Nice and Monte Carlo. Some French orItalianarchitectmusthavebeenimportedaroundtheturnofthecenturytodo the job. Ithadeverything -a terracewithpillarsandbalustrades,balconies, marble steps up to the front portico, a fountain in thecourtyard,statuary,awonderfulviewoutovertheBosphorus-anditwas

huge.Itwasalsorundown.Thestuccowaspeelinginplacesandsomeofthecornicemoldingshadcrumbledorbrokenaway.Thefountainbasinhadnowaterinit.Thecourtyardwasfringedwithweeds.

AsIdrovein,IsawFischergetupfromachairontheterraceandgothroughafrenchwindowintothehouse.SoIjustpulledupatthefootofthemarble stepsandwaited.After amomentor two,HarperappearedundertheporticoandIgotoutofthecar.Hecamedownthesteps.

“Whattookyousolong?”“They had tomake out a bill at the garage, and then therewas the

eveningtraffic.”“Well...”Hebrokeoffashenoticedmelookingpasthimandoverhis

shoulder.Awomanwascomingdownthesteps.He smiled slightly. “Ah yes. I was forgetting. You haven’t met your

employer.Honey,thisisArthurSimpson.Arthur,thisisMissLipp.”

5

SOMEMENCANmakeagoodguessatawoman’sagejustbylookingather faceand figure. Inevercan. I think that thismaybebecause, inspiteofMum,Ifundamentallyrespectwomen.Yes,itmustbethat.Ifsheisveryattractive,butobviouslynotayounggirl,Ialwaysthinkoftwenty-eight.Ifshehasletherselfgoabit,butisobviouslynotelderly,Ithinkofforty-five.ForsomereasonIneverthinkofanyagesinbetweenthose-oroutsidethem,forthatmatter-exceptmyown,thatis.

MissLippmademethinkoftwenty-eight.Infactshewasthirty-six;butIonly found thatout later.She looked twenty-eight tome.Shewas tallwith short brownish-blond hair, and the kind of figure that you have tonotice, nomatter what dress covers it. She also had the sort of eyes,insolent,sleepy,andamused,and the fullgood-humouredmouthwhichtellyouthatsheknowsyoucan’thelpwatchingthewayherbodymoves,andthatshedoesn’tgiveadamnwhetheryoudosoornot;watchingisnotgoingtogetyouanywhereanyway.Shewasn’twearingadressthatfirst time; just white slacks and sandals, and a loose white shirt. Hercomplexionwas golden brown and the onlymake-up shewaswearingwaslipstick.Obviously,shehadjustbathedandchanged.

Shenoddedtome.“Hullo.Notroublewiththecar?”ShehadthesamecombinationofaccentsasHarper.

“No,madam.”“That’sgood.”Shedidnotseemsurprised.Fischer was coming down the steps behind her. Harper glanced at

him.“Okay,Hans,you’dbetterrunArthurintoSariyer.”Tomehesaid:“You

can take the ferryboatback to town.Are thecarnetandGreenCard intheglovecompartment?”

“Ofcoursenot.Theyareinthehotelsafe.”“Itoldyoutoputthemintheglovecompartment,”saidFischerangrily.IkeptmyeyesonHarper.“Youdidn’t tellme,” Isaid;“andyoudidn’t

tellmetotakeordersfromyourservant.”FischersworeangrilyinGerman,andMissLippburstoutlaughing.“Butisn’theaservant?”Iaskedblandly;“hebehavedlikeone,though

notaverygoodone,perhaps.”Harperraisedarepressivehand.“Okay,Arthur,youcancut thatout.

Mr.Fischerisaguesthereandheonlymeanttobehelpful.I’llarrangetohave the documents picked up from you tomorrow before you leave.You’llgetpaidoffwhenyouhandthemover.”

Mystomachheaved. “But Iunderstood,sir, that Iwas toactasMissLipp’sdriverwhilesheisinTurkey.”

“That’sokay,Arthur.I’llhiresomeonelocally.”“Icandrivethecar,”saidFischerimpatiently.Harper and Miss Lipp both turned on him. Harper said something

sharply inGermanandsheadded inEnglish: “Besides,youdon’tknowtheroads.”

“AndIdoknowtheroads,madam.”Iwastryinghardtomakemyinnerpaniccomeoutsoundinglikerespectfulindignation.“OnlytodayIwenttothetroubleandexpenseofobtaininganofficialguide’s licensesothat Icoulddothejobwithoutinconveniencetoyou.IwasaguideinIstanbulbefore.”IturnedtoHarperandthrustthelicenseunderhisnose.“Look,sir!”

Hefrownedatitandmeincredulously.“Youmeanyoureallywant thejob?”hedemanded.“Ithoughtallyouwantedwasthis.”Hetookmyletteroutofhispocket.

“Certainly, I want that, sir.” It was all I could do to stopmyself fromreaching out for it. “But you are also payingme a hundred dollars forthreeorfourdays’work.”Ididmybesttoproduceagrin.“AsItoldyouinAthens,sir,forthatmoneyIdonothavetobepersuadedtowork.”

He glanced at her and she answered, with a shrug, in German. Iunderstoodthelastthreewords:“...manEnglishspeaks.”

Hiseyescametomeagain. “Youknow,Arthur,”hesaid thoughtfully,“you’vechanged.Youcouldbeoff thehook ifyouwanted,butnowyoudon’twanttobeoff.Why?”

Thiswasjustanswerable.Ilookedattheletterinhishand.“Youdidn’tsendthat.Iwasafraidallthetimethatyou’dsentitanyway,outofspite.”

“Eventhoughitwouldhavecostmethreehundreddollars?”“It wouldn’t have cost you anything. The cheques would have been

returnedtoyoueventually.”“That’s true.” He nodded. “Not bad, Arthur. Now tell me what you

meantwhenyoutoldMr.Fischerthathe’dbeencareless.Whatdidyou

thinkhe’dbeencarelessabout?”Theywereallthreewaitingformyanswertothat.Themen’ssuspicion

ofme was in the air andMiss Lipp had smelled it as well.What wasmore, she didn’t look in the least puzzled bywhatHarperwas saying.Whateverthegamewas,theywereallinit.

I did the best I could. “Why? Because of the way he’d behaved, ofcourse.Becausehehadbeencareless.Oh,heknewyournameallrightandheknewenoughtoget intouchwithme,butIknewhecouldn’tbeactingonyourorders.”

“Howdidyouknow?”I pointed to the letter. “Because of that. You’d told me it was your

insurance.You’dknowIwouldn’tturnthecarovertoacompletestrangerwithoutgettingmyletterback.Hedidn’tevenmentionit.”

HarperlookedatFischer.“Yousee?”“Iwasonly trying tosave time,”saidFischerangrily. “Ihavesaidso.

Thisdoesnotexplainwhyheusedthatword.”“No, itdoesn’t,” I said.Theonlywaywas tobull it through. “But this

does.When he started threateningme I offered to go with him to thepoliceandsettlethematter.I’veneverseenanyonebackdownsofastinmylife.”

“That’salie!”Fischershouted;buthewasn’tsosureofhimselfnow.IlookedatHarper.“Anyonewhopullsthatsortofbluffwithoutknowing

what to do when it’s called, is careless to my way of thinking. If Mr.Fischerhadbeenadishonestservantinsteadofyourhelpfulguest,you’dhave said I’d beenpretty careless to let himget awaywith a fourteen-thousand-dollarcar.I’dbeluckyifthatwasallyousaid.”

Therewasabriefsilence,thenHarpernodded.“Well,Arthur,IguessMr. Fischer won’t mind accepting your apology. Let’s say it was amisunderstanding.”

Fischershrugged.Just what Harper thought I was making of the situation I cannot

imagine.EvenifIhadn’tknownwhatwashiddeninthecar,Iwouldhaverealized by now that there was something really fishy going on. MissLipp,inTurkeyforalittleten-daytouristtripwithaLincolnandavillathesizeoftheTajMahal,wassufficientlyimprobable.Theshenanigansoverthedeliveryofthecarhadbeenpositivelygrotesque.

However, itwas soonapparent that nothing Imight think or suspect

wasgoingtogiveHarperanysleeplessnights.“Allright,Arthur,”hesaid,“you’vegottenyourselfadeal.Ahundreda

week.YoustillhavethatfiftydollarsIgaveyou?”“Yes,sir.”“WillthattakecareofthebillatthePark?”“Ithinkso.”“Right.Here’sthehundredyouhavecomingforthetripdown.Goback

totownnow.Inthemorningcheckoutofthehotel.Thentakeaferryboatback toSariyerpierso thatyouget therearoundeleven.Someonewillmeetyou.We’llfindaroomforyouhere.”

“Thankyou,sir,butIcanfindaroominahotel.”“Thereisn’tahotelnearerthanSariyer,andthat’stoofaraway.You’d

havetousethecartogettoandfro,andit’dalwaysbetherewhenwewantedithere.Besides,we’vegotplentyofrooms.”

“Verywell,sir.MayIhavemyletter?”Heputitbackinhispocket.“Sure.Whenyou’repaidoffattheendof

thejob.Thatwasthedeal,remember?”“Iremember,”Isaidgrimly.Ofcourse,hethoughtthat,bystillholdingtheletteroverme,hewas

makingsure that I toed the line,and that, if I happened toseeorhearanythingthatIshouldn’t, Iwouldbetooscaredtodoanythingbutkeepmymouth shut about it. The fact that hewasn’t being as clever as hethoughtwasnoconsolation tome. Iwanted togetback toAthensandNicki,butIwantedthatletterfirst.

“Youwilldrive,”saidFischer.Isaid“Goodnight,madam,”toMissLipp,butshedidn’tseemtohear.

ShewasalreadywalkingbackupthestepswithHarper.Fischer got into the back seat. I thought at first that he merely

intended,inapettyway,toshowmewhowasboss;but,asIdrovebackdown to the road, I saw him looking over the door panels. He wasobviouslystillsuspicious. I thankedmystars that thepackinghadbeencarefully done. It was almost comforting to see the sand-colouredPeugeotinthedrivingmirror.

Hedidn’tsayanythingtomeontheway. InSariyer, Istoppedat thepierapproachandturnedthecarforhim.ThenIgotoutandopenedthedoorasifhewereroyalty.I’dhopeditwouldmakehimfeelabitsilly,butitdidn’tseemto.Withoutawordhegotinbehindthewheel,gavemea

blacklook,andtoreoffbackalongthecoastroadlikeamaniac.The Peugeot had stopped and turned about a hundred yards back,

andamanwasscramblingoutof itsfrontpassengerseat.Heslammedthe door and the Peugeot shot away after the Lincoln. There was aferryboatalreadyatthepier,andIdidnotwaittoseeifthemanwhohadgotoutfollowedme.Isupposehedid.

I was back at the Kabatas ferry pier soon after eight and shared adolmuscabgoinguptoTaximSquare.ThenIwalkeddowntothehotelandhadadrinkortwo.

Ineededthem.IhadmanagedtodowhatTufanwanted,uptoapoint.IwasintouchwithHarperandwouldforthemomentremainso.Ontheotherhand,byagreeingtostayatthevilla,Ihadputmyselfvirtuallyoutof touch with Tufan; at least as far as regular contact was concerned.Therewasnowayofknowingwhatlifeatthevillawasgoingtobelike,norwhatwouldbeexpectedofmethere.Itmightbeeasyformetogetout to a safe telephone, or it might be quite difficult. If I were seentelephoning,Harperwouldimmediatelygetsuspicious.WhodidIknowinIstanbul?

Whatwasthenumber?Callitagain.Andsoon.YetIdidn’tseehowIcould have refused to stay there. If I had argued the point any further,Harper might have changed his mind about keeping me on. Tufancouldn’thaveitbothways;andImademymindtotellhimsoifhestartedmoaningatme.

Ihadsomedinnerandwentdowntothecafebesidethehotel.Amanwithaporter’sharnessonhisbackfollowedmethistime.

Tufandidnotmoanatmeasamatteroffact;butwhenIhadfinishedmy reporthewassilent for so long that I thoughthe’dhungup. I said:“Hullo.”

“Iwas thinking,”hesaid; “itwillbenecessary forus tomeet tonight.Areyouinthecafeinthestreetbythehotel?”

“Yes.”“Wait fiveminutes, thengoup to thehotelandwalkalong thestreet

pastitforaboutahundredyards.Youwillseeasmallbrowncarparkedthere.”

“ThePeugeotthat’sbeenfollowingme?”“Yes.Openthedoorandgetinbesidethedriver.Hewillknowwhere

totakeyou.Isthatclear?”

“Yes.”Ipaidforthetelephonecallandboughtadrink.Whenthefiveminutes

wereupIleft.As I approached the Peugeot, the driver leaned across and pushed

openthedoorformetogetin.ThenhedroveoffpastthehotelanddownthehilltowardstheNecatiBeyAvenue.

Hewasayoung,plump,darkman.Thecarsmelledofcigarettes,hairoil,andstalefood.Inhisjob,Isupposed,hehadtoeatmostofhismealssitting in thecar.TherewasaV.H.F. two-way taxi radio fittedunder thedash,andeverynowandagainTurkishvoiceswouldsquawkthroughtheloudspeaker.Heappearednottobelisteningtothem.AfteraminuteorsohebegantotalktomeinFrench.

“DidyoulikedrivingtheLincoln?”heasked.“Yes,it’sagoodcar.”“Buttoobigandlong.Isawthetroubleyouhadinthenarrowstreets

thisafternoon.”“It’s very fast though.Were you able to keep up with him when he

drovebacktothevilla?”“Oh,hestoppedaboutakilometreup theroadandbegan lookingat

thedoors.Didtheyrattle?”“NotthatInoticed.Didhestoplong?”“Aminuteortwo.Afterthathedidnotgosofast.Butthislittle...”Hebrokeoff andpickedupamicrophoneasa fresh lot of squawks

cameovertheradio.“Evet,effendi,evet,”heanswered,thenputthemicrophoneback.“But

thislittlemachinecanshowthosebigonesathingortwo.OnanarrowhillwithcornersIcanleavethemstanding.”

“Wherearewegoing?”Iasked.“Iamnotpermittedtoanswerquestions.”WewerepassingthestateentrancetotheDolmabahçePalacenow.ItwasbuiltinthelastcenturywhentheSultansgaveupwearingrobes

and turbansand took toblack frockcoatsand the fez.From thesea itlookslikealakesidegrandhotelimportedfromSwitzerland;butfromtheroad,becauseoftheveryhighstonewallenclosingthegrounds,itlookslike a prison. There is about half amile of this wall running along theright-hand side of the road, and just to look up at it gave me anuncomfortablefeeling.ItremindedmeoftheyardatMaidstone.

ThenIsawalighthighuponthewallahead,andthedriverbegantoslowdown.

“Whatarewestoppingherefor?”Iasked.Hedidnotanswer.Thelightcamefromareflectorfloodandthebeamof itshowndown

vertically onto an armed sentry. Behind him was a pair of huge iron-boundwoodengates.Oneofthemwashalfopen.

Thecarstoppedjustshortofthegatesandthedriveropenedhisdoor.“Wegetout,”hesaid.I joinedhimon the roadwayandhe led thewayup to thegates.He

saidsomethingtothesentry,whomotioneduson.Wewentthroughthegapbetweenthegatesandturnedleft.TherewasalightburninginwhatIassumedwastheguardroom.Heledthewayupalowflightofstepstothe door. Inside was a bare room with a table and chair. A younglieutenant-Isupposehewasorderlyofficeroftheday-satonthetabletalkingtothesergeantof theguard,whowasstanding.Aswecamein,theofficerstoodup,too,andsaidsomethingtothedriver.

He turned tome. “You have a guide’s license,” he said “You are toshowittothisofficer.”

Ididso.Hehandeditbacktome,pickedupaflashlight,andsaid inFrench:“Followme,please.”

The driver stayed behind the sergeant of the guard. I followed thelieutenantdownthestepsagainandacrosssomeunevencobblestonestoanarrowroadwayrunningalongthesideofabuildingwhichseemedtobeabarracks.ThewindowsshowedlightsandIcouldhearthesoundofvoicesandaradioplayingcaz.Therewerelightpostsatintervals,and,although the surface of the road was broken in places, it was justpossible to seewhere onewaswalking. Thenwewent through a higharchwayoutof thebarracksarea intosomesortofgarden.Here itwasverydark.TherewassomemoonlightandIcouldseepartsofthewhitebulk of the palace looming to the left of us, but trees shadowed theground. The lieutenant switched on his flashlight and told me to becareful where I walked. It was necessary advice. Restoration workseemed to be in progress. There were loose flagstones and masonryrubble everywhere. Finally, however,we came to a solidly pavedwalk.Aheadwasadoorwayand,besideit,alightedwindow.

The lieutenant opened the door andwent in. The light came froma

janitor’sroomjustinside,and,asthelieutenantentered,amaninadrabblue uniform cameout.He had some keys in his hand. The lieutenantsaid something to him. The janitor answered briefly, and then, with acurious glance at me, led the way across a hall and up a staircase,switchingonlightsashewent.Atthelandingheturnedoffdownalongcorridorwithalotofcloseddoorsalongonesideandgrilled,uncurtainedwindows on the other. There was carpet on the floor with a narrowdruggetalongthemiddletosavewear.

Fromtheproportionsof thestaircaseandtheheightof theceilings itwas obvious that we were in a large building; but there was nothingnoticeably palatial about that part of it. We might have been in aprovincial town hall. The walls were covered with dingy oil paintings.Thereseemedtobehundredsofthem,mostlylandscapeswithcattleorbattlescenes,andallwiththesameyellowy-brownvarnishcolour.Idon’tknowanythingaboutpaintings.Isupposetheymusthavebeenvaluableor theywouldnothavebeen inapalace;but I found themdepressing,likethesmellofmothballs.

Therewasapairofheavymetaldoorsattheendofthatcorridor,andbeyonditmorecorridorsandmorepaintings.

“Weareinwhatusedtobethepalaceharemnow,”thelieutenantsaidimpressively.“Thesteeldoorsguardedit.Eachwomanhadherownsuiteof rooms. Now certain important government departments have theirofficeshere.”

Iwasabout tosay: “Ah, takenoverby theeunuchs,youmean,”butthoughtbetterofit.Hedidnotlookasifhecaredforjokes.Besides,Ihadhadalongdayandwasfeelingtired.Wewentonthroughanotherlotofsteeldoors. Iwas resigned tomorecorridors,when the janitorstoppedandunlockedthedoorofoneoftherooms.Thelieutenantturnedonthelightsandmotionedmein.

It was notmuch larger thanmy room at the Park, but probably theheightoftheceilingandtheheavyred-and-goldcurtainsoverthewindowmade itseemsmaller.Thewallswerehungwithpatterned redsilkandseveral large paintings. There was a parquet floor and a whitemarblefireplace.Adozengiltarmchairsstoodaround thewalls,as if the roomhadjustbeenclearedfordancing.Theofficedeskandchairsstandinginthecentrelookedlikeapartyofbadlydressedgatecrashers.

“You may sit down and you may smoke,” the lieutenant said; “but

pleasebecarefulifyousmoketoputoutyourcigarettesinthefireplace.”Thejanitorleft,shuttingthedoorbehindhim.Thelieutenantsatdown

atthedeskandbegantousethetelephone.Thepaintingsintheroomwere,withoneexception,ofthekindIhad

seeninthecorridors,onlybigger.OnonewallwasaDutchfishingboatinastorm;facingit,alongsideamostun-Turkishgroupofnymphsbathinginawoodlandstream,wasaRussiancavalrycharge.Thepaintingoverthe fireplace, however, was undoubtedly Turkish. It showed a beardedman ina frockcoatand fez facing threeotherbeardedmenwhowerelookingathimasifhehadB.O.orhadsaidsomethingdisgusting.Twoofthegroupworeglitteringuniforms.

When the lieutenant had finished telephoning, I asked himwhat thepaintingwasabout.

“That istheleadersofthenationdemandingtheabdicationofSultanAbdulHamidtheSecond.”

“Isn’tthatratherastrangepicturetohaveinaSultan’spalace?”“Not in thispalace.Agreatermanthananyof theSultansdiedhere,

greater even than Suleiman.” He gave me a hard, challenging look,daringmetodenyit.

Iagreedhastily.HewentintoalongramblingaccountoftheiniquitiesoftheBayar-Menderesgovernmentandofthereasonswhyithadbeennecessary for the army to clean out the rats’ nest and form theCommittee of National Union. Over the need to shoot down withoutmercy all who were trying to wreck the Committee’s work, especiallythosemembersof theDemocraticpartywhohadescapedjusticeatthearmy’shands,hebecamesovehementthathewasstillharanguingmewhenMajorTufanwalkedintotheroom.

I felt almost sorry for the lieutenant. He snapped to attention,mumblingapologies likea litany.Tufanhadbeen impressiveenough incivilianclothes;inuniformandwithapistolonhisbelthelookedasifhewereonhisway to takechargeofa firingsquad -and looking forwardkeenly to the job. He listened to the lieutenant for about five seconds,thendismissedhimwithaflickofahand.

As the door closed on the lieutenant, Tufan appeared to noticeme.“Do you know that President Kernel Atatürk died in this palace?” heasked.

“Igatheredsofromthelieutenant.”

“Itwas in1938.TheDirectorwasmuchwithhimbefore theendandthe President talked freely. One thing he said the Director has alwaysremembered. ‘If I can live another fifteen years, I can make Turkey ademocracy. If I die sooner, it will take three generations.’ That youngofficerprobablyrepresents thetypeofdifficultyhehad inmind.”Heputhisbriefcaseonthedeskandsatdown.“Now,astoyourdifficulties.Wehavebothhadtimetothink.Whatdoyoupropose?”

“UntilIknowwhatit’sgoingtobelikeatthevilla,Idon’tseehowIcanproposeanything.”

“As you are their chauffeur, itwill obviously be necessary for you toattendtothefuellingofthecar.

ThereisagarageoutsideSariyerthatyougoto.Ithasatelephone.”“I had thoughtof that, but itmaynot be reliable. It dependsonhow

muchthecarisused.Forexample,ifIonlydriveintoIstanbulandback,Ican’tpretendtoneedpetrol immediately.Thatcartakesoverahundredlitres. If I were always going to the garage at a fixed time to fill up nomatterwhatmileageIhaddriven,theywouldbecomesuspicious.”

“Wecandispensewith the fixed time. I havearranged for a twenty-four-hourwatch.Andevenifyouforeseefuturedifficulties,youshouldbeabletomakeonesinglecalltoreportonthem.Afterthat,ifnecessary,wewilluseadifferentmethod.Itwillentailmoreriskforyou,butthatcannotbe avoided. You will have to write your reports. Then you will put thereportinsideanemptycigarettepacket.Thepersonfollowingyouatthetime-Ihavearrangedtohavethecarchangedeveryday-willthenpickthereportsup.”

“Youmeanyouexpectmetothrowthemoutofthewindowandhopetheywon’tnotice?”

“Of course not. You will drop them whenever you find a suitablemomentwhenyouhavestoppedandareoutsidethecar.”

Ithoughtitover;thatpartofitmightnotbesobad.IwouldjusthavetomakesurethatIhadplentyofcigarettepackets.WhatIdidnotlikewashavingtowriteoutthereports.Isaidso.

“There isaslight risk, Iagree,”hesaid; “butyouwillhave to take it.Remember, theywill onlysearchyou if youhavegiven them reason tosuspectyou.Youmustbecarefulnotto.”

“Istillhavetowritethereports.”“You cando that in the toilet. I donot imagine youwill beobserved

there.Now,astoourcommunicatinginformationandorderstoyou.”HeopenedhisbriefcaseandtookoutasmallportabletransistorradioofthetypeIhadseenGermantouristscarrying.“Youwillcarrythisinyourbag.If itshouldbeseen,oryoushouldbeheardusing it,youwillsaythat itwasgiventoyoubyaGermanclient.Normallyitreceivesonlystandardbroadcastfrequencies,butthisonehasbeenmodified.Iwillshowyou.”Heslippeditoutofthecarryingcase,tookthebackoff,andpointedtoasmallswitchjustbythebatterycompartment.“Ifyouoperatethatswitchitwill receiveV.H.F. transmissionsona fixed frequency fromup tohalf amileaway.Thetransmissionswillbemadetoyoufromasurveillancecar.It is a system we have tried out, and providing there are no largeobstacles such as buildings between the two points, it works. Yourlistening timeswillbeseven in themorningandelevenatnight. Is thatclear?Forsecurityitwillbebetterifyouusetheearphoneattachment.”

“I see. You say it has been modified. Does that mean that it won’treceiveordinarybroadcasts?BecauseifsoIcouldn’texplainit...”

“It will work normally unless youmove this switch.”He replaced theback.“Nowthen,Ihavesomeinformationforyou.BothHarperandMissLipparetravailingonSwisspassports.Wehadnotimeat theairport todiscover, without arousing suspicion, if the passports were genuine ornot. The relevant particulars are as follows: Walter Karl Harper, agedthirty-eight,describedasanengineer,placeofbirthBerne,andElizabethMaria Lipp, aged thirty-six, described as a student, place of birthSchaffhausen.”

“Astudent?”“Anyonecanbedescribedasastudent.Itismeaningless.Now,asto

the Kösk Sardunya.” He referred to a paper in the briefcase. “It is thepropertyofthewidowofaformerministerinthegovernmentofPresidentInönü.Sheisnearlyeightynowandhasforsomeyearslivedquietlywithherdaughter in Izmir.Shehas from time to time tried tosellSardunya,but nobody haswished to buy at the price she asks. For the past twoyears, shehas leased it furnished toaNATOnavalmissionwhichhadbusinessinthezone.Themission’sworkendedat thebeginningof theyear.Heragenthere in Istanbulwasunable to findanother tenantuntilthreemonthsago.ThenhereceivedaninquiryfromanAustriannamedFischer - yes, exactly - who was staying at the Hilton Hotel. Fischer’sothernamesareHansAndreas,andhegaveanaddressinVienna.He

wantedafurnishedvillafortwomonths,notaparticularvilla,butoneinthatneighbourhoodandneartotheshore.Hewaswillingtopaywellforashortlease,andgaveadepositinSwissfrancs.Onthelease,whichisin his name, his occupation is given asmanufacturer.He arrived threeweeksago,whentheleasebegan,andhasnotregisteredwiththepolice.We have not yet traced the record of his entry, sowe do not have allpassportparticularsabouthim.”

“Whatisheamanufacturerof?”“Wedonotknow.Wehavesentan inquiry to Interpol,but Iexpecta

negative reply.We received negative replies on bothHarper and Lipp.Thatincreasestheprobabilitythattheyarepoliticals.”

“Orthattheyareusingaliases.”“Perhaps.Now,theotherpersonnelatthevilla.Thereareahusband

andwifewholiveoverwhatwasthestabling.TheirnameisHamulandtheyareoldservantswhohavebeenthereforsomeyearsascaretakersandwhodocleaningwork.Thenthereisthecook.Throughtheowner’sagent,Fischerrequestedacookwithexperienceof Italiancooking.Theagent found a Turkish Cypriot namedGeven who had worked in Italy.The police here have had troublewith him.He is a good cook, but hegets drunk and attacks people. He served a short prison sentence forwoundingawaiter.ItisbelievedthattheagentdidnotknowthiswhenherecommendedthemantoFischer.”

“Isthereanythingagainstthecouple?”“No.Theyarehonestenough.”Heputhispapersaway.“Thatisallwe

knowsofar,but,asyousee,theshapeofaconspiracybeginstounfold.One person goes ahead to establish a base of operations, a secondperson arranges for the purchase of weapons, a third arrives with themeans of transporting them and a prepared cover story. Probably, thereal leadershavenot yet arrived.When theydo, itwill be yourduty toreportthefact.Meanwhile,yourordersare,specifically,firsttoascertainwhether the weapons have been removed from the car or not, andsecondly, if theyhavebeen removed,where theyarecached.The firstwillbeeasy,thesecondmaybedifficult.”

“Ifnotimpossible.”Heshrugged. “Well,youmust runno risksat thisstage.Thirdly,you

will continue to listen for anymentionof names - namesof personsorplaces-andreportmovements.Finally,youwilllistenparticularlyforany

political content in their conversation. The smallest hint may be ofimportance in that connection. That is all, I think. Have you anyquestions?”

“Dozens,”Isaid;“onlyIdon’tknowwhattheyareatthemoment.”Icouldseehehadn’tlikedthatatonce.Itwasabitcheeky,Isuppose;

butIwasreallytiredofhim.Hepursedhislipsatme.“TheDirectorisverypleasedwithyousofar,

Simpson,” he said. “He even spoke of the possibility of helping you insomewaybeyondthewithdrawalofthechargesagainstyou,perhapsinconnection with your papers, if your co-operation brought about asuccessfuldisposalofthismatter.It isyourchance.Whydon’tyoutakeit?”

Thisboycoulddobetter.Heshouldbeencouragedtoadoptamorepositiveattitudetowardshisschoolwork.Athletics:Fair.Punctuality:Fair.Conduct:Hasleftmuchtobedesiredthisterm.Signed:G.D.Brush,MA.(Oxon.),Headmaster.

Ididmybest.“Whatdoyoumeanby‘politicalcontext’?”Iasked.“Do

youmeanare they in favourofdemocratic ideals?Oragainstamilitarydictatorship?-that’swhatsomepeoplecallyourgovernment,isn’tit?DotheytalkaboutcapitalistoppressionorSovietdominationor thewelfareofmankind?Thingslikethat?Because,ifso,IcantellyounowthattheonlysectionofmankindthatHarperisinterestedinisthebitrepresentedbyhimself.”

“Thatcouldbesaidofagreatmanypoliticalconspirators.Obviously,what we are concerned with is their attitudes to the political situationhere,wherethearmyactsatpresentasatrusteefor theRepublic.”Hesaidthatstiffly;ashehadn’tlikedthebitaboutmilitarydictatorshipeither.“AsIhavesaid,Harpermaybemerelyahiredoperative,butwecannotsayyet.Remember,therearesixpistolsandammunitionforsix.”

“That’sanother thing Idon’tunderstand,sir. Iknow that thereareallthosegrenades,too-butpistols?Isthatenoughforacoupd’etat?Iftheyweremachinegunsnow...”

“My dear Simpson, the head of a secret political organization inBelgradeoncehandedout fourpistols to four ratherstupidstudents. Inthe event, only one was used, but it was used to assassinate the

ArchdukeFerdinandofAustriaanditstartedaEuropeanwar.Pistolscanbecarriedinthepocket.Machinegunscannot”

“Youthinkthesepeopleareouttoassassinatesomebody?”“Thatisforyoutohelpusdiscover.Haveyouanymorequestions?”“Is there any information yet about this business-machine company,

Tekelek?Harperseemedtobeusingitasacover.”“WearestillawaitingwordfromSwitzerland.IfitisofinterestIwilllet

youknow.”Hehandedmetheportableradio;then,asIgotuptogo,hewentto

thedoorandgaveanordertothelieutenantwaitingoutsideabouttakingmebacktothegate.Ihadstartedtomovewhenhehadanafterthoughtandstoppedme.

“Onemorething,”hesaid.“Idonotwishyoutotakefoolishrisks,butIdo wish you to feel confidence in yourself if you are obliged to takenecessaryones.Somemenhavemoreconfidenceinthemselvesiftheyarearmed.”

Icouldn’thelpglancingat thepolishedholsteronhisbelt.Hesmiledthinly.“Thispistolispartofanofficer’suniform.Youmayborrowitifyouwish.Youcouldputitinyourbagwiththeradio.”

I shook my head. “No, thank you. It wouldn’t make me feel better.Worse,more likely. I’d be wondering how to explain it away if anyonehappenedtoseeit.”

“Youareprobablywise.Verywell,thatisall.”Ofcourse, Ihadn’t theslightest intentionof takinganysortofrisk if I

couldhelp it.All I intended todowas togo through themotionsof co-operatingsoas tokeepTufanhappy,andsomehowgetmy letterbackfromHarperbeforeTufan’speoplepulledhimin.Ofcourse, Iwasquitecertainthathewasgoingtobepulledin.Hehadtobe!

Tufanstayedbehind telephoning.As Iwentbackalong thecorridorswiththelieutenant,Isawhimglancingatme,wonderingifitwerebettertomake polite conversationwith someonewho seemed on such goodtermswiththepowerfulMajorTufan,ortosaynothingandkeephisnoseclean.Intheend,allhesaidwasacourteousgoodnight.

ThePeugeotwasstill outside.Thedriverglancedat the radio Iwascarrying.Iwonderedifheknewaboutthemodification,buthemadenocommentonit.Wedrovebacktothehotelinsilence.Ithankedhimandhe nodded amiably, patting thewheel of his car. “Better on the narrow

roads,”hesaid.Theterracewasclosed.Iwenttothebarforadrink.IhadtogetthetasteoftheDolmabahçeoutofmymouth.“Conspiracy,” Tufan had said. Well, that much I was prepared to

concede.ThewholeHarper-Lipp-Fischersetupwasobviouslyacoverforsomething; but all this cloak-and-dagger stuff about coups d’etat andassassination plots I really couldn’t swallow. Even sitting in the palacewithapaintingaboutaSultanbeingdeposedstaringdownfromthewall,it hadbotheredme.Sitting inahotelbarwithaglassofbrandy -well,franklyIdidn’tbelieveabloodywordofit.ThepointwasthatIknewthepeopleconcerned-or,anyway,Ihadmetthem-andTufandidn’tknowand hadn’t met any of them. “Political context,” for heaven’s sake!SuddenlyMajorTufanappearedinmymind’seyenotasamaninchargeof a firing squad, but as a military old maid always looking for secretagentsandassassinsunderherbed-atypicalcounter-espionagemaninfact.

ForamomentortwoIalmostenjoyedmyself.ThenIrememberedthedoorsofthecarandthearmsandtherespiratorsandthegrenades,andwentbacktozero.

If it hadn’t been for those things, I thought, I could havemade twogoodguessesabout theHarpersetup,andoneof themwouldcertainlyhavebeenright.Myfirstguesswouldhavebeennarcotics.Turkeyisanopium-producingcountry.Ifyouhadthenecessarytechnicalpersonnel-Fischer, the “manufacturer,” Lipp, the “student” - all you would needwouldbeaquiet,secludedplaceliketheKöskSardunyainwhichtosetupasmallprocessingplanttomakeheroin,andanorganizer-Harper,ofcourse-tohandledistributionandsales.

Mysecondguesswouldhavebeensomedeluxevariationof theoldbadgergame.ItbeginsintheromanticvillaontheBosphorusgracedbythebeautiful,blue-bloodedPrincessLipp,whosefamilyonceownedvastestates in Rumania, her faithful servitor Andreas (Fischer), and amultimillionaire sucker enslavedby the lady’s beauty.Then, just as themillionaireispreparingtodiphiswick,incomesthemad,bad,dangeroushusbandPrince (Harper)Lipp,who threatens tospread thewholestory(withpictures,nodoubt)over the frontpagesofeverynewspaper fromIstanbultoLosAngeles,unless...Themillionairecan’twaittopayupandgetout.Curtain.

On thewhole, though, Iwould havemadenarcotics the first choice.NotthatIdidn’tseeHarperasaconman,orintheroleofblackmailer(Iknewall toowell thathecouldplaythat),but thecostandextentof thepreparatory work suggested that big profits were expected. Unless thesupply of gullible millionaires had suddenly increased in the Istanbularea, it seemed more likely that the expectation was based on thepromiseofasuccessfulnarcoticsoperation.

It seemed tome so obviously the right answer that I began to thinkagain about the grenades and pistols. Supposing they did fit into thenarcoticspictureafterall;butinasubsidiarysortofway.SupposingtheyhadnodirectrelationshipwithHarper,buthadbeencarriedforsomeoneoutside thevillagroup -someoneTurkishwithpolitical intentionsof thekindinwhichTufanwasinterested.Thenarcoticspicturehadtoincludeasupplier of illicit raw opium. Almost certainly that supplier would beTurkish.Whyshouldn’tthepriceforhisillicitopiumhaveincludedasmallshipment of illicit arms? No reason at all. Or the delivery of the armsmightmerelyhavebeenoneofthoselittlegesturesofgoodwillwithwhichbusinessmen sometimes like to sweeten their contractual relationships.“I’mbringingacarinanyway.Whynotletmetakecareofthatotherlittlematterforyou?JustgivemealettertoyourmaninAthens.”

There was only one thing that I could see that was not quite rightaboutit-thetimefactor.Thevillahadbeentakenonashortlease.Thecarhadbeenimportedonatouristcarnet.Ididn’tknowhowlongittooktosetupalaboratoryandprocessenoughherointomakeakillinginthedopemarket; but, on the face of it, twomonths seemed a bit short. Idecided in the end that, for safety, they might well want to avoidremaining for too long in any one place and intended to keep thelaboratoryonthemove.

I think Iknew,secretly, that itwasn’tahighlyconvincingexplanation;but,atthatmoment,itwasthebestthatIcouldthinkof,anduntilabetteroneoccurredtomeIwaspreparedtobeuncritical. I likedmyarms-for-opium theory. At least it held out a promise of release. When Tufanrealized that, as far as the armswere concerned, Harper was only anintermediary, his interest must shift from the villa group to someonesomewhere else. My usefulness would be at an end. Harper wouldaccept my resignation with a shrug, return my letter, and pay me off.Tufan’sdelightedDirectorwouldhelpmeovermypapers.A fewhours

laterIwouldbebackinAthens,safeandsound.IrememberedthatIhadn’tyetwrittentoNicki.BeforeIwenttobed,Iboughtapostcardfromtheconciergeandwrote

a few lines.Still on Lincoln job. Money good. Should last a fewmoredays.Homemid-weeklatest.Begood.Love,Papa.

I didn’t put the villa address, because that would have made hercurious. I didn’t want to have to answer a lot of questions when I gotback.EvenwhenI’vehadagoodtime,Idon’tlikehavingtotalkaboutit.Good or bad, what’s over’s done with. Anyway, there was no point ingivinganaddress.Iknewshewouldn’twritebacktome.

The following morning I went out early, bought a dozen packets ofcigarettes,andthenlookedforashopwhichsoldtools.IfIweretomakesurethatthestuffhadbeenremovedfromthecardoors,Iwouldhavetolook inside at least one of them. The only troublewas that the screwswhichfastenedtheleatherpanelshadPhillipsheads.IfItriedtouseanordinaryscrewdriveronthem,therewouldbeariskofmakingmarksorpossiblyscratchingtheleather.

I could not find a tool shop, so, in the end. Iwent to the garageoffTaximSquare,wheretheyknewme,andpersuadedthemechanictheretosellmeaPhillips.ThenIwentbacktothehotel,paidmybill,andtookataxitotheferrypier.TherewasnosignofthePeugeotfollowing.

AferryboatcameinalmostimmediatelyandIknewthatIwasgoingtobeearlyatSariyer. In fact, Iwas twentyminutesearly,so Iwasall themore surprised to see the Lincoln coming along the road as the boatedgedintothepier.

MissLippwasdriving.

6

ASICAMEoff thepier,shegotoutof thecar.Shewaswearinga lightyellowcottondressthatdidevenlesstoobscuretheshapeofherbodythantheslacksandshirt Ihadseenher inthedaybefore.Shehadthekeysofthecarinherhand,and,asIcameup,shehandedthemtomewithafriendlysmile.

“Goodmorning,Arthur.”“Goodmorning,madam.It’sgoodofyoutomeetme.”“I want to do some sightseeing.Why don’t you put your bag in the

trunkfornow,thenwewon’thavetostopoffatthevilla.”“Whateveryousay,madam.”Iputmybagdownandwenttoholdthe

rear door open for her, but shewas alreadywalking round to the frontpassengerseat,soIhadtoscuttleroundtogettothatdooraheadofher.

When she was installed, I hurriedly put my bag in the luggagecompartmentandgot into thedriver’s seat. Iwas sweating slightly, notonlybecauseitwasawarmdaybutalsobecauseIwasflustered.IhadexpectedFischertomeetmewiththecar;Ihadexpectedtogostraighttothevilla,tobetoldwhereIwouldsleep,tobegivenamomenttoorientmyself,achancetothinkandtimetoplan.Instead,IwasonmyownwithMissLipp,sittingwhereshehadbeensittinguntil a fewmomentsago,and smelling the scent she used. My hand shook a little as I put theignitionkeyin,andIfeltIhadtosaysomethingtocovermynerves.

“Isn’tMr.Harperjoiningyou,madam?”“He had some business to attend to.” She was lighting a cigarette.

“Andbytheway,Arthur,”shewenton,“don’tcallmemadam.Ifyouhavetocallmesomething, thename’sLipp.Now, tellmewhatyouhaveonthetourmenu.”

“IsthisyourfirsttimeinTurkey,MissLipp?”“First ina long time.All I remember frombefore ismosques. I don’t

thinkIwanttoseeanymoremosques.”“ButyouwouldliketobeginwithIstanbul?”“Ohyes.”“DidyouseetheSeraglio?”“IsthattheoldpalacewheretheSultans’haremusedtobe?”

“That’s it.” I smiled inwardly. When I had been a guide in Istanbulbefore,ithadbeenthesame.Everywomantouristwasalwaysinterestedintheharem.MissLipp,Ithoughttomyself,wasnodifferent.

“Allright,”shesaid,“let’sgoseetheSeraglio.”Iwasregainingmycomposurenow.“IfImaymakeasuggestion.”“Goahead.”“TheSeraglio isorganizedasamuseumnow.Ifwegostraight there

we shall arrive before it opens. I suggest that I drive you first to thefamousPierreLoti café,which ishighuponahill justoutside thecity.There,youcouldhavealightlunchinpleasantsurroundingsandIcouldtakeyoutotheSeraglioafterwards.”

“Whattimewouldwegetthere?”“Wecanbetheresoonafteroneo’clock.”“Okay,butIdon’twanttobelater.”Thatstruckmeasratherodd,but Ipaidnoattention.Youdoget the

occasionaltouristwhowantstodoeverythingbytheclock.Shejusthadnotimpressedmeasbeingofthattype.

I started up and drove back along the coast road. I looked for thePeugeot,butitwasn’ttherethatday.Instead,therewasagreyOpelwiththreemeninit.WhenwegottotheoldcastleatRumelihisari,Istoppedand told her about the blockade of Constantinople by Sultan MehmetFatihin1453,andhowhehadstretchedagreatchainboomacrosstheBosphorustheretocutoffthecity.Ididn’ttellherthatitwaspossibletogo up to themain keep of the castle because I didn’twant to exhaustmyself climbingupall thosepathsandstairs;but shedidn’t seemveryinterestedanyway,so, in theend, Icut thepattershortandpushedon.After a while, it became pretty obvious that she wasn’t really muchinterestedinanythinginthewayofordinarysightseeing.Atleastthatwashow it seemed at the time. I don’t think she was bored, but when Ipointedplacesouttoher,sheonlynodded.Sheaskednoquestions.

Itwasdifferentatthecafe.Shemademesitwithheratatableoutsideunderatreeandorderrakiforusboth;thenshebeganaskingquestionsbythedozen;notaboutPierreLoti,theTurkophileFrenchman,butabouttheSeraglio.

Ididmybest toexplain.Tomostpeople, theword“palace”meansasingleverybigbuildingplannedtohouseamonarch.Ofcourse,thereareusually a few smaller buildings around it, but the big building is The

Palace.Althoughtheword“Seraglio”reallymeans“palace,”it isn’tatalllike one. It is an oval-shaped walled area over two miles incircumference, standing on top of the hill above Seraglio Point at theentrance to theBosphorus;and it isacitywithinacity.Originally,oratleast fromthetimeofSuleimantheMagnificentuntil themid-nineteenthcentury, thewholecentralgovernment,ministersandhighcivilservantsas well as the Sultan of the time, lived and worked in it. There werehouseholdtroopsandacadetschoolaswellastheSultan’shareminsidethe walls. The population was generally over five thousand, and therewasalwaysnewbuildinggoingon.Onereasonforthiswasacustomofthe Ottomans. When a new Sultan came to the throne, he naturallyinherited all thewealth and property accumulated by his father; but hecouldnottakethepersonalizedpropertyforhisownpersonalusewithoutlosingface.Consequently,alltheoldregaliahadtobestoredawayandnewpiecesmade,anewsummerpalacehadtobebuiltand,ofcourse,newprivateapartmentsinsidetheSeraglio,andanewmosque.AsIsay,thiswentonwell intothenineteenthcentury.SotheSeraglio today isavast rabbit warren of reception rooms, private apartments, pavilions,mosques, libraries, gateways, armouries, barracks, and so on,interspersed by a few open courtyards and gardens. There are no bigbuildingsinthe“palace”sense.Thetwobiggestsinglestructureshappentobethekitchensandthestables.

Although the guidebooks try to explain all this, most tourists don’tseemtounderstandit.Theythink“Seraglio”means“harem”anywayandall they are interested in apart from that is the “Golden Road,” thepassage that the chosengirlswentalong toget from theharem to theSultan’sbed.Theharemareaisn’topentothepublicasamatteroffact;but Ialwaysused to take the tourists Ihad through theMustafaPashapavilionat thebackandtell themthat thatwaspartof theharem.Theynever knew the difference, and it was something they could tell theirfriends.

MissLippsoongottheidea,though.Ifoundthatsheknewsomethingabout Turkish history; for instance, who the Janissaries had been. Forsomeonewho,onlyanhourorsoearlier,hadbeenaskingiftheSeragliowastheoldpalace, thatwasa littlesurprising.At thetime, Isuppose, Iwastoobusytryingtoanswerherotherquestionstopaymuchattention.Ihadshownher theguidebookplanandshewasgoing throughall the

buildingsmarkedonit.“TheWhiteEunuchs’quartersalonghere,aretheyopen?”“OnlytheseroomsneartheGateofFelicityinthemiddle.”“TheBathsofSelimtheSecond,canweseethem?”“That is part of themuseumnow.There is a collection of glass and

silverwarethere,Ithink.”“WhatabouttheHallofthePantry?”“Ithinkthatbuildinghastheadministrationofficesinitnow.”SomeofthequestionsIcouldn’tansweratall,evenvaguely,butshe

stillkepton.Finally,shebrokeoff,swallowedhersecondrakiatagulp,andlookedacrossatme.

“Areyouhungry,Arthur?”“Hungry?No,MissLipp,notparticularly.”“Whydon’twegotothepalacerightnowthen?”“Certainly,ifyouwish.”“Okay.Youtakecareofthecheckhere.We’llsettlelater.”Isawtheeyesofoneortwomensittinginthecafefollowherasshe

wentbacktothecar,andInoticedthemglancingatmeasIpaidforthedrinks.Obviouslytheywerewonderingwhattherelationshipwas-father,uncle,orwhat? Itwasoddlyembarrassing.The troublewas,ofcourse,that I didn’t knowwhat tomake ofMiss Lipp and couldn’t decidewhatsortofattitude toadopt towardsher.Toadd to theconfusion,a remarkHarper had made at the Club in Athens, about Nicki’s legs being tooshort,keptcomingintomymind.MissLipp’slegswereparticularlylong,and, for some reason, that was irritating as well as exciting; excitingbecauseIcouldn’thelpwonderingwhatdifferencelonglegswouldmakeinbed;irritatingbecauseIknewdamnwellthatIwasn’tgoingtobegiventhechancetofindout.

I drove her to the Seraglio and parked in what used to be theCourtyard of the Janissaries, just outside the Ortakapi Gate by theexecutioner’sblock.Asitwassoearly,therewereonlytwoorthreeothercarsbesidestheLincoln.IwasgladofthatbecauseIwasabletogetoffmypieceabout thegatewithoutbeingoverheardbyofficialguideswithother parties. The last thing I wanted at thatmoment was to havemyguide’slicenseaskedforandchallenged.

TheOrtakapiGateisagoodintroductiontothe“feel”oftheSeraglio.“It was here at this gate that the Sultans used to stand to watch the

weeklyexecutions.TheSultanstoodjustthere.Youseetheblockwherethe beheading was done. Now, see that little fountain built in the wallthere?Thatwasfor theexecutioner towashthebloodoffhimselfwhenhehad finished.Hewasalso theChiefGardener.By theway, thiswasknownastheGateofSalvation.Ratherironic,don’tyouthink?Ofcourse,onlyhighpalacedignitarieswhohadoffendedtheSultanwerebeheadedhere. When princes of the royal house were executed - for instance,when a new Sultan had all his younger brothers killed off to preventargumentsaboutthesuccession-theirbloodcouldnotbeshed,sotheywerestrangledwithasilkcord.Womenwhohadoffendedweretreatedinadifferentway.Theywere tiedup inweighted sacksanddropped intotheBosphorus.Shallwegoinsidenow?”

UntilMissLipp,Ihadneverknownittofail.Shegavemeablankstare,“Isanyofthattrue,Arthur?”“Everywordofit.”Itistrue,too.“Howdoyouknow?”“Thosearehistoricfacts.MissLipp.”Ihadanothergo.“Infact,oneof

theSultans got boredwith hiswhole haremand had themall dumpedintotheBosphorus.TherewasashipwreckoffSeraglioPointsoonafter,and a diver was sent down.What he saw there almost scared him todeath. There were all those weighted sacks standing in a row on thebottomandswayingtoandfrowiththecurrent.”

“WhichSultan?”Naturally,Ithoughtitwassafetoguess.“ItwasMuradtheSecond.”“ItwasSultanIbrahim,”shesaid.“Nooffence,Arthur,butIthinkwe’d

betterhireaguide.”“Whateveryousay,MissLipp.”ItriedtolookasifIthoughtitagoodidea,butIwasreallyquiteangry.

If shehadaskedme right outwhether Iwasa historical expert on theSeraglio, Iwouldhave toldher, quite frankly, that Iwasnot. Itwas theunderhandwayinwhichshehadsetouttotrapmethatIdidn’tlike.

Wewentthroughthegate,andIpaidforouradmissionsandselectedanEnglish-speakingguide.Hewassolemnandpedantic,ofcourse,andtoldherallthethingsIhadalreadyexplainedalloveragain;butshedidnotseemtomind.Fromthewayshebombardedhimwithquestionsyouwouldhave thoughtshewasgoing towriteabookabout theplace.Ofcourse,thatflatteredhim.Hehadagrinlikeanape.

Personally, I find the Seraglio rather depressing. In Greece, the oldbuildings,evenwhentheyareinruinsandnothingmuchhasbeendonein the way of restoration, always seem to have a clean, washed lookabout them.TheSeraglio is stained, greasy, anddilapidated.Even thetreesandshrubsinthemaincourtyardsareneglected,andtheso-calledTulipGardenisnothingbutascrubbypatchofdirt.

AsfarasMissLippwasconcernedthough,theplacemighthavebeenVersailles. She went everywhere, through the kitchens, through themuseum rooms, the exhibition of saddles, this kiosk, that pavilion,laughing at the guide’s standard jokes and scuffing her shoes on thebrokenpavingstones.IfIhadknownwhatwasgoingoninhermind,ofcourse,Iwouldhavefeltdifferently;butasitwas,Ibecamebored.Afterabit,Igaveupfollowingthemeverywhereandjusttooktheshortcuts.

Iwaslookingforwardtoasit-downbytheGateoftheFountainwhilethey“did”thetextilesexhibition,whenshecalledmeover.

“Arthur,howlongwillittakeustogettotheairportfromhere?”Iwassosurprised that Imusthave lookedatherabitblankly. “The

airport?”She put on a slight heaven-give-me-patience look. “Yes, Arthur, the

airport.Wheretheplanesarrive.Howlongfromhere?”Theguide,whohadn’tbeenasked,said:“Fortyminutes,madame.”“Betterallowforty-five,MissLipp,”Isaid,ignoringhim.She lookedatherwatch. “Theplanegets inat four,”shesaid. “I tell

youwhat,Arthur.Yougogetyourselfasandwichorsomething.I’llmeetyouwhereyouparkedthecarinanhour.Right?”

“Asyouwish,MissLipp.Arewemeetingsomeoneattheairport?”“Ifthat’sallrightwithyou.”Hertonewascurt.“IonlymeantthatifIknewthelineandflightnumberIcouldcheckif

theplaneisgoingtobeontime.”“So you could, Arthur. I didn’t think of that. It’s Air France from

Geneva.”Iwasinthesunshineofhersmileagain,thebitch.TherewasarestaurantofsortsneartheBlueMosque,andwhenIhad

orderedsomefoodItelephonedTufan.He listened tomy reportwithout comment until I had finished. “Very

well,” he said then, “I will see that the passports of the Genevapassengersareparticularlynoted.Isthatall?”

“No.” I started to tellhimmy theoryabout thedrugoperationand itsnecessary linkwitha raw-opiumsupplier, butalmostatoncehebeganinterrupting.

“Haveyounewfactstosupportthis?”“Itfitstheinformationwehave.”“Any imbecile could think of ways of interpreting the information we

have. It is the informationwedonothave that I am interested in.Yourbusinessistogetit,andthatisallyoushouldbethinkingabout.”

“Nevertheless...”“Youarewastingtime.Reportbytelephone,orasotherwisearranged,

and remember your listening times. Now, if that is all, I havearrangementstomake.”

Themilitarymindatwork!Whetherhewasrightorwrong(and,as ithappens,hewasboth rightandwrong)madenodifference. Itwas thearroganceofthemanIcouldn’tstand.

Iateadisgustingmealoflukewarmmuttonstewandwentbacktothecar.Iwasangrywithmyself,too.

Ihave toadmit it;whathad reallyexasperatedmewasnotsomuchTufan’sanxiety-bredoffensivenessasmyownrealizationthatthetrainofthoughtwhichhadseemedsologicalandreasonablethepreviousnight,wasnotlookingaslogicalandreasonableinthemorning.Myconceptionof the “student” Miss Lipp as a laboratory technician was troublesomeenough;but speakingagainwithTufanhad remindedme that thevilla,whichIhadsoblithelyendowedwithaclandestineheroin-manufacturingplant, also housed an elderly married couple and a cook. So that, inaddition to the time-factor improbability, I now had to accept another:eithertheplantwastobesosmallthattheservantswouldnotnoticeitorHarpercountedonbuyingtheirdiscretion.

Then,insheerdesperation,Ididsomethingrathersilly.IfeltthatIhadtoknowifthegrenadesandpistolswerestillinthecar.Iftheyhadbeentaken out, at least one bit of my theory was still just tenable. I couldassumethattheyhadbeendeliveredorwereinprocessofdeliverytothepersonwhowantedthem.

IhadabouttwentyminutestosparebeforeMissLippcameoutoftheSeraglio;butincaseshewasearlyIdrovethecartotheotherendofthecourtyardundersometreesoppositetheChurchofSt.Irene.ThenIgotthePhillipsscrewdriveroutofmybagandwent toworkon thedoorby

thedriver’sseat.Iwasn’tworriedaboutanyoneseeingme.Afterall,Iwasonlycarrying

outTufan’sorders.Themen in theOpelwouldn’t interfere;and ifsomecabdriverbecame inquisitive, Icouldalwayspretend that Iwashavingtroublewithadoorlock.Allthatmatteredwasthetime,becauseIhadtodoitcarefullytoavoidmakingmarks.

I loosened all the screws carefully first, and then began to removethem.Itseemedtotakeanage.Andthenahorriblethinghappened.JustasIwastakingoutthelastscrewbutone,Ihappenedtoglanceupandsaw Miss Lipp with the guide walking across the courtyard from thealleywayleadingtotheArchaeologicalMuseum.

I knewatonce that shehadseen thecarbecauseshewaswalkingstraight towards it.Shewasabout twohundredyardsaway,andontheoppositesideof thecar to thedoor Ihadbeenworkingon,but I knewthatIcouldn’tgetevenoneofthescrewsbackintime.Besides,Iwasnotintheplaceshehadtoldmetobe.TherewasonlyonethingIcoulddo:stuff the screws and screw driver into my pocket, start the car, drivearoundthecourtyardtomeether,andhopetoGodthetwoloosescrewswouldholdthepanelinplacewhenIopenedthedoortogetout.

Ihadonepieceofluck.Theguidepracticallyfelloverhimselfopeningherdoorforher,soIdidn’thavetoopentheoneonmyside.Iwasabletogetmyapologyinatthesametime.

“I’msosorry;MissLipp. I thoughtyoumightbevisiting theSt. IreneChurchandIwantedtosaveyouthewalkback.”

Thatgotbyallrightbecauseshecouldn’tthanktheguideandanswerme at the same time. The guide was an unexpected help, too, as heimmediately asked her if she would like to see the church, “pureByzantine,builtinthereignofJustinian,andofgreathistoricalinterest.”

“I’llleavethatforanothertime,”shesaid.“Butyouwillbeheretomorrow,madame,whentheTreasuryMuseum

isonview?”“Well,maybe.”“Otherwise,itmustbeThursday,madame.Thatpartandthepictures

are on view only two days in the week, when all the other rooms areclosed.”Hewasobviouslypantingforhertocomeagain.Iwonderedhowmuchshehadtippedhim.

“I’ll try andmake it tomorrow. Thank you again.” She gave him the

smile.Tome,shesaid:“Let’sgo.”Idroveoff.Assoonaswegotonto thecobbles thepanelstarted to

vibrate. I immediately pressed my knee against it and the vibrationstopped;butIwasreallyscarednow.Ididn’tthinkthatshewouldnoticethatthescrewswereout;butFischerorHarpercertainlywould;andtherewasthisunknownweweregoingtomeet.IknewthatIhadsomehowtoreplacethescrewswhilethecarwasattheairport.

“Istheplaneontime?”sheasked.Adonkeycartcamerattlingoutofasidestreetatthatmoment,andI

madeabigthingofbrakingandswervingoutofitsway.Ididn’thavetopretendthatthecarthadshakenmeup.Iwasshakenupallright.Mycallto Tufan and the argument with him had made me forget completelyaboutcallingtheairline.IdidthebestIcould.

“Theydidn’tknowofanydelay,”Isaid;“buttheplanewasmakinganintermediatestop.Wouldyoulikemetocheckagain?”

“No.It’snotworthitnow.”“Did you enjoy theSeraglio,Miss Lipp?” I thought if I kept talking it

mightquietenmystomachdownabit.“Itwasinteresting.”“TheTreasury isworthseeing, too.Everything theSultansusedwas

coveredwithjewels.Ofcourse,agreatmanyofthethingsweregiftsfromkings and emperors who wanted to impress the Sultans with theirgreatness.EvenQueenVictoriasentthings.”

“Iknow.”Shechuckled“Clocksandcutglass.”“But some of the things are really incredible, Miss Lipp. There are

coffeecupssculpturedoutofsolidamethyst,and,youknow,thelargestemeraldintheworldisthereonthecanopyofoneofthethrones.Theyevendidmosaicworkwithrubiesandemeraldsinsteadofmarble.”Iwenton to tell her about the gem-encrusted baldrics. I gave her the fulltreatment. In my experience every normal woman likes talking aboutjewels.Butshedidn’tseemmuchinterested.

“Well,”shesaid,“theycan’tbeworthmuch.”“All thosehundredsandthousandsof jewels,MissLipp!”Mylegwas

getting stiff trying to stop the panel from vibrating. I wriggledsurreptitiouslyintoanewposition.

Sheshrugged.“Theguidetoldmethatthereasontheyhavetoclosesome rooms on the days they open up the others is because they’re

understaffed. The reason they’re understaffed is because thegovernment hasn’t the money to spend. That’s why the place is soshabby, too.Prettywellallof themoney theyhave for restorationgoesinto theolder, theByzantinebuildings.Besides, ifall thosestoneswererealgemsthey’dbeinastrong-room,notamuseum.Youknow,Arthur,quitealotoftheseoldbaublesturnoutintheendtobejustobsidianandgarnet.”

“Oh,thesearerealgems,MissLipp.”“What’sthebiggestemeraldintheworldlooklike,Arthur?”“Well,it’spear-shaped,andaboutthesizeofapear,too.”“Smoothorcut?”“Smooth.”“Couldn’titbegreentourmaline?”“Well,IsupposeIdon’tknowreally,MissLipp.I’mnotanexpert.”“Doyoucarewhichitis?”Iwas getting boredwith this. “Notmuch,Miss Lipp,” I answered. “It

justmakesamoreinterestingstoryifitsanemerald.”Shesmiled.“Itmakesamoreamusingstoryif itsnot.Haveyouever

beentothemysteriousEast?”“No,MissLipp.”“But you’ve seen pictures. Do you know what makes those tall

pagodasglittersobeautifullyinthemoonlight?”“No,MissLipp.”“They’re covered with little pieces of broken bottle glass. And the

famousemeraldBuddhainBangkokisn’temeraldatall,it’scarvedfromablockofordinarygreenjasper.”

“Little-known facts,” I thought. “Why don’t you send it in toReadersDigest?”Ididn’tsayitthough.

ShetookacigarettefromthegoldcaseinherbagandIfumbledinmypocketformatches;butshehadagoldlighter,too,anddidn’tnoticethematchesIheldouttoher.“Haveyoualwaysdonethissortofwork?”sheaskedsuddenly.

“Driving?No,MissLipp.MostofmylifeIhavebeenajournalist.Thatwas in Egypt. When the Nasser crowd took over, things becameimpossible.Itwasamatterofstartingagain.”Simple,straightforward-amanwhohas suffered the slingsandarrowsof outrageous fortunebutwasn’tlookingforanyone’sshouldertoweepon.

“Iwas thinkingabout the traveller'scheques,”shesaid. “Is thatwhatyoumeantby‘startingagain’?”

“I’msorryMr.Harperhadtotellyouaboutthat.”Itwasnosurprise,ofcourse, thatHarper had told her; butwith somanyother thingsonmymind-driving,keepingthedoorpanelfromrattling,crampinmylegandwondering how the hell Iwas going to replace the screws - all I couldthinkofwasthatobviousreply.

“Didyouthinkhewouldn’ttellme?”shewenton.“Ididn’tthinkaboutiteitherway.MissLipp.”“But sincehedid tellmeandsinceyou’redriving this car, thatmust

meanthatIdon’tmindtoomuchaboutthingslikethat,mustn’tit?”Forone idioticmoment Iwondered if sheweremakingsomesortof

passatme;butitwasabriefmoment.“Isupposeso,”Ianswered.“AndthatMr.Harperdoesn’tmindeither?”“Yes.”“Andthat,infact,we’reallverysensible,tolerantpersons?”Icouldn’thelpglancingather.Shewaswatchingme inheramused,

consideringway,buttherewasnothingsleepyabouthereyesnow.Theyweresteadilyintent.

AndthenIgot themessage. Iwasbeingsounded,either todiscoverwhatIhadmadeofthesetupandiftheyhadleftanyshirt-tailsshowing,ortofindoutifIcouldbetrustedinsomeparticularway.IknewthathowIansweredwouldbeveryimportant indeedtome;butIdidn’tknowwhattosay.Itwasnousepretendingtobestupidanymore,ortryingtoavoidthe issue. A test was being applied. If I failed it, I was out - out withHarper, out with Tufan and his Director, out with the Turkish customs,and,inallprobability,outwiththeGreekpoliceaswell.

Ifeltmyfacegettingredandknewthatshewouldnotice.Thatdecidedme.Peoplegetredwhentheyfeelguiltyornervous;buttheyalsogetredwhentheyareangry.Inordernottoseemnervousorguilty,allIcoulddowastoseemangry.

“IncludingMr.Fischer?”Iasked.“WhataboutMr.Fischer?”“Ishesensible,too,MissLipp?”“Doesthatmatter?”Iglancedatheragain.“Ifmypersonalsafety-safetyfromsomesort

of bad luck, let us say - depended on Fischer’s being sensible, I’d bequiteworried.”

“Becauseheupsetadrinkoveryou?”“Ah,hetoldyouthat,didhe?No,thatwasonlystupid.I’dbeworried

becausehewascareless,becausehegavehimselfaway.”“Onlyhimself?”Therewasquiteanedgetohervoicenow.Iknewthat

Ihadgonefarenough.“What else is there to give away, Miss Lipp?” I am wary but not

treacherous,MissLipp.Iwatchmyowninterests,MissLipp,butIknowhowtobediscreet,too,nomatterhowphonythesetuplooks.

“Whatindeed?”shesaidshortly.She said nomore. The testwasover. I did not knowwhether I had

passedornot;buttherewasnothingmorethatIcoulddo,andIwasgladoftherelief.IhopedshewouldnotnoticethatIwassweating.

Wearrivedat theairport tenminutesbefore theplanewasdue.Shegotoutandwent into thearrivalssection, leavingme to findaplace topark.IquicklydidthetwoloosescrewsupbeforeIwenttojoinher.

ShewasattheAirFrancecounter.“Fifteenminutestowait,”shesaid.“And at least another fifteen before they get through customs,” I

remindedher.“MissLipp,youhavehadnolunch.Thecaféhereisquiteclean.Whynotwait thereandhavesomecakesand tea? Iwillkeepacheck on the plane and arrange for a porter to be ready. When thepassengersareincustomsIwillletyouknow.”

Shehesitated,then,tomyrelief,nodded.“Allright,youdothat.”“MayIaskwhoitisthatwearemeeting?”“Mr.Miller.”“Iwilltakecareofeverything.”Ishowedherwherethecaféwas,hungaroundlongenoughtomake

surethatshewasgoingtostaythere,andthenhurriedbacktothecar.Iwassweatingsomuchbythis timethatmyfingerskeptslippingon

thescrewdriver.Infact,IdidwhatIhadbeentryinghardtoavoiddoingandscratched the leather;but itcouldn’tbehelped. I rubbedsomespitontheplaceandhopedforthebest.TheOpelwasparkedaboutadozenyards away and I could see themen in itwatchingme. They probablythoughtI’dgonemad.

When the last screwwas in place, I put the screwdriver back inmy

bagandwentinsideagaintotheAirFrancecounter.Theplanewasjustlanding.Ifoundaporter,gavehimfivelira,andtoldhimaboutMr.Miller.ThenIwenttothemen’sroomandtriedtostopmyselffromsweatingbyrunningcoldwaterovermywrists. Ithelpeda little. Icleanedmyselfupandwentbacktothecafé.

“Thepassengersarebeginningtocomethroughnow,MissLipp.”Shepickedupherbag.“Takecareofthecheck,willyou,Arthur?”Ittookmeaminuteortwotogetthewaiter’sattention,soImissedthe

meetingbetweenMissLippandMr.Miller.Theywerealreadyonthewayout to thecarwhen Isaw them.Theporterwascarrying twopiecesofluggage, one suitcase and one smaller bag. I went ahead and got theluggagecompartmentopen.

Mr. Miller was about sixty with a long neck and nose, lined greycheeks,andabaldheadwithbrownblotchesontheskin.Thebacksofhishandshadblotches, too.Hewasvery thinandhis light tussoresuitflappedashewalkedasifithadbeenmadeforsomeonewithmorefleshtocover.Hehadrimlessglasses,palelips,atoothysmile,andthatfixedstare ahead which says: “You’ll have to get out ofmy way, I’m afraid,becauseIhaven’tthetimetogetoutofyours.”

As theycameup to thecarMissLippsaid: “This isArthurSimpson,who’sdrivingforus,Leo.”

Before I could even say “good afternoon” he had handed me theraincoathehadbeencarryingoverhisarm.“Good,good,”hesaid,andclimbed into thebackseat.Shesmiledslightlyasshegot inafterhim,thoughnotatme,toherself.

Thecoatsmelledoflavenderwater.Iputitwiththeluggage,tippedtheporteragain,andgotintothedriver’sseat.

“Tothevilla,MissLipp?”Iasked.“Yes,Arthur.”“Waitaminute.”ItwasMiller.“Whereismycoat?”“Withyourluggage,sir.”“Itwillgetdirtyinthere.Itshouldbeonaseatinhere.”“Yes,sir.”Igotoutagainandretrievedthecoat.“Whatafussyoumake,Leo,”Iheardhersay.“Thecar’squiteclean.”“Thebaggageinthereisnotclean.Ithasbeeninthebellyofaplane

with other baggage. It has been on the floor and table of the customs

place.Ithasbeenhandledbythemanwhosearchedit,handledagainbytheporter.Nothingisclean.”HisaccenthadnoAmericaninflections,andhecouldn’tpronouncehisth’s.IthoughthemightbeFrench.

Idrapedthecoatoverthebackoftheseatinfrontofhim.“Willthatbeallright,sir?”

“Yes,ofcourse,”hesaidimpatiently.That type is always the same. They make the difficulties and then

behaveasifyou’retheonewho’sbeingthenuisance.“Let’s go, Arthur,” said Miss Lipp. Her tone was noncommittal. I

couldn’ttellwhethershefoundhimtiresomeornot.Iwatchedtheminthedrivingmirror.

Assoonaswewereclearof theairport,hesettledbackand lookedheroverinafatherlyway.

“Well,mydear,you’relookinghealthy.HowareKarlandGiulio?”“Karl’s fine.Giuliowehaven’t seenyet.He’swith theboat.Karlwas

thinkingofgoingovertheretomorrow.”“Haveyouanythingplannedforthen?”“We thought youmight like to do a little sightseeing. That is unless

you’retired.”“Youaremoreconsideratethanadaughter,mydear.”Theteethleered

atherandthepaleeyesbehindtherimlessglassesflickeredtowardsmyback.

I hadalready realized that thiswasa conversation conducted solelyfor my benefit, but now I saw her face stiffen. She knew that I waslisteninghardandwasafraidthathewasoverdoingit.

“YoumustpersuadeArthurtoshowyouaroundtheSeraglioPalace,”shesaid.“Heisquiteanauthorityonit.Isn’tthatright,Arthur?”

That was as good as tellingme that the old fool would believe anycock-and-bull story I cared to tell him. On the other hand, it must betelling him something, too; perhaps warning him that the driver wasn’tsuchafoolashelooked.Ihadtobecareful.

“IwouldbehappytoshowMr.Millerwhatthereistosee,”Isaid.“Well, we must certainly think about that,” he replied; “certainly, we

mustthinkaboutit.”Heglancedathertoseeifhehadsaidtherightthing.Asentenceof

myfather’scameintomymind.“Onemomentthey’reallfullofpissandwindand thenextmoment...”At that point hewouldmakea raspberry

soundwithhistongue.Vulgar,ofcourse,buttherewasneveranydoubtaboutthekindofmanhemeant.

Mr.Millerkeptquietafterthat.Onceortwiceshepointedoutplacesofinterest, in themannerofahostesswithanewlyarrivedguest;but theonly thingheaskedaboutwas the tapwaterat thevilla.Was itsafe todrinkorwastherebottledwateravailable?Therewasbottledwater,shetoldhim.Henodded,as if thathadconfirmedhisworst fears;andsaidthathehadbroughtplentyofEnteroVioformforintestinalprophylaxis.

Wereachedthevillaalittleafterfive.MissLipptoldmetosoundthehornasIwentupthedrive.

ThereceptioncommitteeconsistedofHarperandFischer.Hoveringinthe background, ready to carry luggage, was an old man wearing anapronwhomItooktobeHamul,theresidentcaretaker.

TufanhadsaidthatFischerwasthe lesseeof thevillabut therewasno doubt who was the real host there. All Fischer received from theincomingguestwasanodofrecognition.Harpergotasmileandan“Ah,mydearKarl.” They shookhandswith businesslike cordiality, and thenHarper, Miller, and Miss Lipp went straight into the house. To FischerwereleftthemenialtasksoftellingHamulwhereMiller’sbagsweretogo,andofshowingmewheretoputthecarandwhereIwastosleep.

At the back of the villa there was a walled stable yard. Part of thestablinghadbeenconvertedintoagaragewithroomfortwocars.ItwasemptyexceptforaLambrettamotorscooter.

“TheLambrettabelongstothecook,”Fischersaid;“seethathedoesnotstealgasolinefromthecar.”

Ifollowedhimacrosstheyardtotherearentranceofthehouse.Inside,Ihadabriefglimpseofthepolishedwoodflooringofapassage

beyond the small tiled hallway, before he led the way up a narrowstaircase to the top floor.All tooobviouslywewere in theoldservants’quarters.Thereweresixsmallatticcubicleswithbarewoodfloors,barewoodpartitionwalls,andasingleskylightintheroofforallofthem.Thesanitaryarrangementsconsistedofanearthenwaresinkwithawatertaponthewallattheheadofthestairs.Itwasstiflinghotunderthelowroofand there were dust and cobwebs everywhere. Two of the cubiclesshowedsignsofhavingbeensweptoutrecently.Eachcontainedanironbedsteadwithamattressandgreyblankets.Inone,therewasabatteredcomposition-leathersuitcase.Fischershowedmetotheother.

“Youwillsleephere,”hesaid.“Thechefhasthenextbed.Youwilleatyourmealswithhiminthekitchen.”

“Whereisthetoilet?”“Thereisapissoiracrosstheyardinthestables.”“Andthebathroom?”Hewavedhishand towards thesink.Hewaswatchingmy faceand

enjoyinghimselfjustabittooobviously.Iguessedthatthishadbeenhisown wonderful idea of a punishment for the crime of calling him aservant,andthatHarperprobablydidnotknowofit.Inanycase,Ihadtoprotest.Withoutsomeprivacy,especiallyatnight,Icouldneitherusetheradionorwritereports.

Ihadputmybagdownonthefloortorestmyarm.NowIpickeditupandstartedtowalkbackthewaywehadcome.

“Whereareyougoing?”“TotellMr.HarperthatI’mnotsleepinghere.”“Whynot?Ifitisgoodenoughforthechefitisgoodenoughforyou,a

driver.”“ItwillnotbegoodenoughforMissLippifIsmellbecauseIamunable

totakeabath.”“Whatdidyouexpect-theroyalapartment?”“IcanstillfindahotelroominSariyer.Oryoucangetanotherdriver.”Ifeltfairlysafeinsayingthat.IfheweretocallmybluffIcouldalways

backdown;butIthoughtitmorelikelythatIhadalreadycalledhis.Theveryfactthathewasarguingwithmesuggestedweakness.

Heglaredatmeforamoment,thenwalkedtothestairs.“Putthecaraway,”hesaid.“Itwillbedecidedlaterwhatistobedone

withyou.”I followedhimdown thestairs.At the footof them,he turnedoff left

into the house. I went out to the yard, leftmy bag in the garage, andwalkedbacktothecar.WhenIhadputitaway,Iwentintothehouseandsetaboutfindingthekitchen.Itwasn’tdifficult.ThepassagewhichIhadglimpsed from the back entrance ran along the whole length of thehouse, with a servants’ stairway leading to the bedroom floor, on theright,aseriesofdoorswhichpresumablygavetheservantsaccesstothevarious reception rooms in front. There was a smell of garlic-ladencooking.Ifollowedthesmell.

Thekitchenwasabigstone-flooredroomontheleftofthepassage.It

hadanoldcharcoal rangealong the rearwallwith threebattered fluesoverit,andaheavypinewoodtablewithbenchesinthemiddle.Thetablewasclutteredwithcookingdebrisandbottles,andscarredfromyearsofuseasachoppingblock.Emptybutcher’shookshungfromthebeams.There was a barrel on a trestle, and beside it a sinister-looking zincicebox.Adoorwaytoonesidegaveontowhatappearedtobeascullery.Ashortman inadirtybluedenimsmockstoodby the rangestirringaniron pot. This was Geven, the cook. As I came in he looked up andstared.

Hewasadark,moon-faced,middle-agedmanwithanupturnednoseand large nostrils. The mouth was wide and full with a lower lip thatquiveredmuchofthetimeasifhewereonthevergeoftears.Thethick,narrowchestmerged intoahighpaunch.Hehadathree-daygrowthofbeard, which was hardly surprising in view of the fact that he hadnowheretoshave.

I remembered that he was a Cypriot and spoke to him in English.“Goodevening.Iamthechauffeur,Simpson.Mr.Geven?”

“Geven, yes.” He stopped stirring and we shook hands. His handswere filthy and it occurred tome thatMr.Miller was probably going toneedhisEnteroVioform.“Adrink,eh?”hesaid.

“Thanks.”He pulled a glass out of a bowl of dirty water by the sink, shook it

once, and poured some konyak from an already opened bottle on thetable.Healsorefilledhisownhalf-emptyglass,whichwasconvenientlytohand.

“Here’scheers!”hesaid,andswallowedthirstily.AsentenceofTufan’scame into my mind - ”He gets drunk and attacks people.” I had notthought toaskwhatsortofpeopleheusuallyattacked, thepersonwithwhomhewasdrinkingorsomecasualbystander.

“AreyouBritish?”heasked.“Yes.”“HowyouknowIspeakEnglish?”Anawkwardquestion.“Ididn’tknow,butIdon’tspeakTurkish.”He nodded, apparently satisfied. “You worked for these people

before?”“A little. I drove the car fromAthens.Normally, Iwork therewithmy

owncar.”

“Drivingtourists?”“Yes.”“Arethesepeopletourists?”Histonewasheavilyironical.“Idon’tknow.Theysayso.”“Ah!”Hewinked knowingly andwent back to his stirring again. “Are

youbytheweek?”“Paidyoumean?Yes.”“Youhadsomemoneyfromthem?”“ForthetripfromAthens.”“Whopaid?TheFischerman?”“TheHarperman.Youdon’tthinktheyreallyaretourists?”He made a face and rocked his head from side to side as if the

questionweretoosillytoneedananswer.“Whatarethey,then?”Heshrugged. “Spies,Russiaspies.Everyoneknow -Hamulandhis

wife,thefishermendownbelow,everyone.Youwantsomethingtoeat?”“Thatsmellsgood.”“Itisgood.Itisforus.Hamul’swifecooksforhimintheirroombefore

they come towait table in the dining room.Then, I cook for the spies.Maybe,ifIfeellikeit,Igivethemwhatisleftafterweeat,butthebestisforus.Gettwodishes,fromtheshelfthere.”

It was a chicken and vegetable soup and was the first thing I hadeatenwith any pleasure for days.Of course, I knew that Iwould havetroublewith thegarlic later; butwithmystomachknottedupbynervesthewayitwas,Iwouldhavehadtroublewithanything.Gevendidnoteatmuch.Hewentondrinkingbrandy;buthesmiledapprovinglywhenItookasecondhelpingofthesoup.

“Always I like theBritish,” he said. “Evenwhen you are backing theGreeksinCyprusagainstus,IliketheBritish.Itisgoodyouarehere.Amandoesnot likedrinkingalone.Wecan takeabottleupstairswithuseverynight.”Hesmiledwetlyattheprospect.

I returned the smile. It was not themoment, I felt, to tell him that Ihopednottobesharingtheservants’quarterswithhim.

AndthenFischerhadtocomein.He lookedat thebrandybottledisapprovingly,and thenatme. “Iwill

showyouyourroom,”hesaid.Gevenheldupanunsteadily protestinghand. “Effendi, let him finish

hisdinner.Iwillshowhimwheretosleep.”ItwasFischer’sopportunity.“Ahno,chef,”hesaid;“hethinkshimself

toogoodtosleepwithyou.”Henoddedtome.“Come.”Geven’slowerlipquiveredsoviolentlythatIwassurehewasaboutto

burstintotears;buthishandalsowenttothebottleasifhewereabouttothrow it atme. Itwaspossible, I thought, thathemightbegoing todoboththings.

Iwhisperedhurriedly:. “Harper’s orders, nothing to dowithme,” andgotoutoftheroomasquicklyasIcould.

Fischerwasalreadyatthestaircaseinthepassage.“You will use these stairs,” he said; “not those in the front of the

house.”Theroomtowhichhenowshowedmewasatthesideofthehouseon

thebedroomfloor.Hepointedtothedoorofit.“There is theroom,”hesaid,and thenpointed toanotherdooralong

the corridor; “and there is a bath room. The car will be wanted in themorningateleven.”Withthatheleft,turningoffthelightsinthecorridorashewent.

When he had gone, I turned the lights on again. The corridor hadcreamlincrustadadoeswithfloweredwallpaperabove.Ihadalookatthebathroom.Itwasamostpeculiarshapeandhadobviouslybeeninstalled,as an afterthought, in a disused storage closet. Therewas nowindow.TheplumbingfixtureswereGerman,circa1905.Onlythecold-watertapsworked.

Thebedroomwasn’ttoobad.Ithadapairoffrenchwindows,abrassbedstead,achestofdrawers,andabigwardrobe.Therewasalsoadealtablewith an ancient hand-operated sewingmachine on it. At the timewhenwomenguestsinbighousesalwaysbroughttheirlady’smaidswiththem to stay, the room had probably been given to one of the visitingmaids.

Therewasamattressonthebed,butnosheetsorblankets.Iknewitwouldbeunwisetocomplainagain.BeforeIgotmybagfromthegarage,Iwentbackup to theservants’quartersand took theblankets fromthecubiclewhichFischerhadallocatedtome.ThenIreturnedtotheroom.The car radio transmissionwasn’t due until eleven; I had time to kill. Ibeganbysearchingtheroom.

Ialwayslikelookinginsideotherpeople’sdrawersandcupboards.You

can find strange things. I remember once,when Iwas atCoram’s,myaunt had pleurisy and the District Nurse said that I would have to beboarded out for a month. Some people with an old house off theLewishamHighRoadtookmein.Thehousehadthicklaurelbushesallrounditandbigchestnuttreesthatmadeitverydark.Ihatedgoingpastthelaurelbushesatnight,becauseatthattimeIbelieved(inthewayaboy does) that amadmanwith aGermanbayonetwas always lying inwaitreadytopounceonmefrombehindandmurderme.Butinsidethehouse itwasall right.TherewasasmellofLifebuoysoapandfurniturepolish.Thepeoplehadhadasonwhohadbeenkilledon theSomme,and theygavemehis room. I foundallsortsof things in thecupboard.Therewasastampcollection,forinstance.Ihadnevercollectedstamps,butalotofchapsatschooldidandItookoneortwoofthestampsandsold them.After all, hewas dead, so he didn’t need them.The thing Ilikedmostthoughwashiscollectionofminerals.Itwasinaflatwoodencasedividedupintosquareswithadifferentpieceofmineralineachoneand labels sayingwhat theywere - graphite, galena,mica, quartz, ironpyrites,chalcocite,fluorite,wolfram,andsoon.Therewereexactlysixty-foursquaresandexactlysixty-fourpiecesofmineral,soatfirstIcouldn’tseehowtokeepanyofthemformyselfbecausetheemptysquarewouldhaveshownthatsomethingwasmissing.Ididtakeoneortwoofthemtoschooltoshowthechemistrymasterandtrytogetinhisgoodbooks;butheonlygotsuspiciousandaskedmewhere Ihad foundthem. Ihad totellhimthatanunclehadlent themtomebeforehewould letmehavethemback.Afterthat,Ijustkeptthemintheboxandlookedatthem;untilIwentbacktomyaunt’s that is,whenI tookthe ironpyritesbecause itlooked as if it had gold in it. I left a small piece of coal in the squareinstead.Idon’tthinktheyevernoticed.Ikeptthatpieceofironpyritesforyears.“Fool’sgold”somepeoplecallit.

AllIfoundintheroomatSardunyawasanoldRussiancalendarmadeofcardboardintheshapeofanicon.Therewasadark-brownpictureofChrist on it. I don’t read Russian, so I couldn’t make out the date. Itwasn’tworthtaking.

Ihadthewindowswideopen.ItwassoquietuptherethatIcouldhearthediesels of a ship chuggingupstreamagainst theBlackSea currenttowards theboomacross thenarrowsaboveSariyer.Until abouteight-thirty therewasafaintmurmurofvoicesfromtheterrace in front.Then

theywentintodinner.Sometimeafternine,Ibecamerestless.Afterall,nobodyhadtoldmetostayinmyroom.Idecidedtogoforastroll.

Justtobeonthesafeside,incaseanyonetookitintohisheadtogothroughmy things, I hid the radioon topof thewardrobe.Then Iwentdown, out through the rear door, and skirted the front courtyard to thedrive.

ItwassodarkthereunderthetreesthatIcouldn’treallyseewhereIwas going, and after I had gone a hundred yards or so I turned back.MissLipp,Harper,Miller,andFischerwerecomingoutonto the terraceagainwhenIreachedthecourtyard,andHamulwaslightingcandlesonthetables.

Alongthesideofthecourtyarditwasquitedark,andtheweedsmadeiteasytomovequietlyoverthegravel.AttheentrancetothestableyardIstoppedbythewalltoseeifIcouldhearanythingtheysaid.

Imust havewaited there for twentyminutes ormore before I heardanything but an indistinctmumble. Then, one of them laughed loudly -Miller itwas - and I heardhimsayingsevenwordsas if theywere theclimaxofajoke.

“Let thedogsbe fedandclothed!”hecackled,and then repeated it.“Letthedogsbefedandclothed!”

Theothers laughedwithhim,and then themumblingbeganagain. Iwentoninanduptomyroom.

ImadethebedascomfortableasIcouldwiththeblankets,andthenshavedtosavemyselfthetroubleofdoingsointhemorning.

Justbeforeeleven, I tooktheradiooutof itscase,openedtheback,andturnedthesmallswitch.AllIgotwasahissingsound.Iwaited.Ididnot trouble to use the earphone, because I did not see any reason tothen.Ihadnotevenshutthewindows.

On the stroke of eleven, the set made a harsh clacking noise. Amoment later, a voice crackled through the tiny loudspeaker at such ahighvolumelevelthatIcouldfeelthewholesetvibratinginmyhands.Itriedtoturnthethingdown,but,withtheV.H.F.on,thecontrolseemedtohavenoeffect.AllIcoulddowasstuffthesetundertheblankets.Eventhereitseemedlikeapublic-addresssystem.Iscrambledtothewindowsandshutthem.Theloudspeakerbeganrepeatingitsmessage.

Attention period report. Attention period report. New arrival isLeopold Axel Miller. Belgian passport gives following data: Agesixty-three,describedasimporter,placeofbirthAntwerp.Datanowalso received concerning Tekelek S.A., a Swiss corporationregistered in Berne. Nominal capital fifty thousand Swiss francs.DirectorsareK.W.Hoffman,R.E.Kohner,G.D.Bernadi,andL.A.Mathis, all ofwhomarebelieved to havepersonal numberedandsecret accounts at Banque Crédit Suisse, Zurich. Business ofTekelek said to be sale of electronic accounting machinesmanufactured in West Germany. Urgent you report progress.Attentionperiodreport...

I fumbled under the blankets, turned the V.H.F. switch off, and

replaced thebackon theset.Then I tuned inaTurkishstation incaseanyonehadheardthenoiseandcametoinvestigate.

Nobodydid.“Urgentyoureportprogress.”Ihadacigarettepacketwith twocigarettes left in it. I litone,put the

otherinmypocket,andwenttothebathroomforapieceoftoiletpaper.WhenIreturnedIlockedthedoorandsatdowntowritemyprogress

report.Itwasquiteshort.

Cook, caretaker, and local fishermen all believe suspects to beRussianspies.

Ifoldedthetoiletpaper,putitinsidethecigarettepacket,crumpledthe

packet,andputtheresultinmypocketreadyfordisposalinthemorning.IfeltIhaddonemydutyforthatday.

7

IWOKEUPveryearlyinthemorningandwiththatnastysickfeelingthatIusedtohavewhenitwasaschooldayandIhadn’tdonemyhomeworkproperlythenightbefore.

Igotthecigarettepacketoutofmypocketandhadanotherlookatmytoilet-paperreport.Itreallywasnotgoodenough.UnlessIcouldthinkofsomethingelsetosay,TufanwouldthinkthatIwastryingtobefunny.Iwent and had an extremely uncomfortable cold bath, collected somemoresheetsoftoiletpaper,andstartedagain.

Periodreportheard.Attemptstocheckdoorcontentsfrustrated.Willtryagaintoday,Iwrote.

I thought about the “today”. Fischer had ordered the car for eleven

o’clock.Withthatinstructiontorelyupon,itwouldbeperfectlynaturalforme to go and fill up the car with petrol without asking anyone’spermission;and,as longas Ididn’tkeep themwaiting, Icould takemytimeabout it. If,when Igotback, theyobjected tomyhaving taken thecaroutbymyselforwantedtoknowwhyIhadbeensolong,Icouldsaythat I had been to buy razor blades or something, and be the injuredinnocent.

Itwassixforty-fivebythenandinafewminutesIwouldhavetogetreadyfortheseveno’clockradiocontact.TwoothersthingsoccurredtomethatImightaddtomyreport.

Will telephone you from garage after Inspecting if time andcircumstancesallow,orwilladdtothisreport.DuringconversationLipp-Milleryesterdayname“Giulio”wasmentionedinconnectionwithaboat.Nootherdetails.

Then I added thebit about theRussian spies. It didn’t lookquite so

baldandstupidnow.Ihidthereportundertheliningpaperofoneofthedrawers,shutthe

french windows tight, and got the radio ready with the earphone

attachmentpluggedin.Promptlyatseventheitbegantransmitting.

Attention period report. Attention period report. Advice receivedfromSwiss source that no passports have been legally issued toHarper and Lipp. In view Miller contact and Tekelek papers withHarper,possibilitymustbeconsideredthatcorrectnamesofHarperand Lipp and Hoffman and Kohner or vice versa. Miller may beMathis.Imperativeyoureportprogress.

As thevoicebegan repeating Iswitchedoff.When Ihadpacked the

setaway,Igotthereport;outandaddedfivewords.

Hoffman,Kohner,andMathisnamesnoted.

At least, I ought to get an “E” for Effort. I put the new report in thecigarettepacket,burnedtheearlierone,andstartedtogetdressed.AsIdidso,IheardtheLambrettastartupandthengowhiningoffdownthedrive. About twenty minutes later, I heard the sound of it returning. Ilooked out of thewindow and saw it disappearing into the stable yardwithabundleofpartiallywrappedloavesstrappedtotherearseat.

Geven was back in the kitchen when I went down. He gave me asullen look and did not answer when I said “good morning.” He wasprobablyhungoveraswellasdisgustedwithme;buthelookedsuchamessanywaythatitwashardtotell.

Therewas a pot of coffee on the range and I looked from it to himinquiringly. He shrugged, so I got a cup and helped myself. He wasslicingthebreadbyhackingat itwithaheavychoppingknife.FromtheneatwaytheslicesfellIknewthatthechoppingknifewasassharpasarazor.AsIhadnodesiretoloseanyfingers,Iwaiteduntilhehadput itasidebeforetakingapieceofbread.

Thecoffeedidnot tastemuch likecoffee,but thebreadwasgood. Iconsideredattempting toheal thebreachbyofferinghim theuseofmybathroom;butIonlyhadonetowelandthethoughtofwhatitwouldlooklikeby the timehehad finishedwith itkeptmesilent. Instead, Iofferedhimacigarette.

Hetookitandmotionedtoabasketofapricotsonthetable.Idon’tlikeapricots, but it seemed as well to accept the offer. Soon he began to

mutteraboutthebreakfastswhichhadtobeserved,eachonaseparatetray to the four “lordsand ladies” above. I offered to lay the traysand,although he waved away the offer, friendly relations seemed to be re-established. After a while, Mr. and Mrs. Hamul arrived and wereintroduced.Mrs.Hamulwasasmall,stout,sad-lookingoldwomanwiththe black dress and head scarf of the conservativeTurkishmatron.AsneithershenorherhusbandspokeawordofanythingbutTurkish, theformalitieswerebrief.I lingeredthere,though,andhadanotherpieceofbread.Thebesttimetoleavewithoutattractingattention,Ihaddecided,wouldbewhileHarperandtherestwerehavingtheirbreakfasts.

Assoonasthetraysstartedgoingup, I toldGeventhat IhadtobuypetrolandaskediftherewasanythingIcouldgetforhimwhileIwasintown.Atoncehewantedtocomewithme.IgotoutofthatbysayingthatIhadtogoimmediatelyinordertobebackatthetimeforwhichthecarhadbeenordered. I lefthim,sulking,pickedup thePhillipsscrewdriverfrommyroom,andwenttothegarage.

TheLincolnwasaquietcar,and Iknewthatall theywouldprobablyhear ofmy goingwould be the sound of the tires on the gravel of thecourtyard;butIwassoafraidofHarperorFischersuddenlyappearingononeofthebedroombalconiesandyellingatmetostop,thatinmyhastetoreachthedriveIalmosthitthebasinofthefountain.AsIwentondownthe drive I broke into a sweat and my legs felt weak and peculiar. Iwantedtostopandbesick.Thatmaysoundverystupid;butwhenyouarelikeIam,thebadthingsthatnearlyhappenarejustashard,inaway,asthebadthingsthatactuallydohappen.Theyarecertainlynoeasiertoforget.IalwaysenviedthosecharactersinAlicewhoonlyfeltpainbeforetheywere hurt. I seem to feel things before, during, and after aswell;nothingevergoescompletelyaway.Ihaveoftenthoughtofkillingmyself,sothat Iwouldn’thaveto thinkor feelorrememberanymore,sothat Icould rest;but then Ihavealwaysstartedworrying incase thisafterlifetheypreachaboutreallyexists.Itmightturnouttobeevenbloodierthantheoldone.

The Peugeot was back on duty again. I drove towards Sariyer forabouthalfamile,andthenturnedleftontooneoftheroadsleadinguptotheforest.ItwasSundaymorningandfamiliesfromIstanbulwouldsoonbearrivingatthemunicipalpicnicgroundstospendtheday;butatthatearly hour the car-parking areas were still fairly empty, and I had no

difficultyinfindingasecludedplaceunderthetrees.Idecidedtotrythesamedooragain.Ihadscratchedtheleatheronit

oncealready;butifIwereverycarefulitneednotbescratchedagain.Inanycase,asIdrovethecar,scratcheswouldbelessnoticeableonthatdoor thanon theothers.Theearlierattempthad taughtmesomething,too.IfIremovedallthescrewsonthehingesideofthedoorfirstandonlyloosenedtheothers,Ithoughtitmightbepossibletoeasethepanelbackenoughtoseeinsidethedoorwithouttakingthewholepanelandelectricwindowmechanismcompletelyaway.

IttookmetwentyminutestofindoutthatIwasrightaboutthepanel,and a further five seconds to learn that I had been completely wrongaboutthestuffhavingbeenremoved.Thereitstillwas,justasIhadseenit in the photographs Tufan had shownme at Edirne. In this particulardoor there were twelve small, paper-wrapped cylinders - probablygrenades.

I screwed the panel back into place, and then sat there for a whilethinking.ThePeugeotwasparkedaboutahundredyardsaway-Icouldseeitinthemirror-andIverynearlygotoutandwalkedbacktotellthedriverwhatIhadfound.Iwantedbadlytotalktosomeone.ThenIpulledmyselftogether.Therewasnopointintalkingtosomeonewhowouldn’t,or couldn’t, usefully talk back. The sensible thing would be to obeyorders.

Itookmyreportoutofthecigarettepacketandaddedtoit.

9:20a.m. inspected interior frontdoordriver’sside.Materialstill inplaceasperphoto.Inviewoftimeabsentfromvillaandinabilitytoaddtothisreport,willnottelephonefromgaragenow.

I replaced the toiletpaper in thepacket, tossed itoutof thewindow,

anddrovebackonto the road. Iwaited just longenough toseeamanfromthePeugeotpickup thereport, then Idrove intoSariyerand filledthetank.Iarrivedbackatthevillajustbeforeten.

I half expected to find an angry Fischer pacing the courtyard anddemandingtoknowwherethehell I’dbeen.Therewasnobody. Idrovethe car into the stable yard, emptied the ash trays, brushed the floorcarpeting,andranadusteroverthebody.ThePhillipsscrewdriverinmypocketworriedme.Now that Iknew that thestuffwasstill in thecar, it

seemedan incriminating thing tohave. I certainlydidnotwant toput itbackinmyroom.Itmightbeneededagain,soIcouldnotthrowitaway.Intheend,Ihiditinsidethecoverofanoldtirehangingonthewallofthegarage.ThenIwentandtidiedmyselfup.Shortlybeforeeleveno’clockIdrovethecarroundtothemarblestepsinthefrontcourtyard.

After about ten minutes Harper came out. He was wearing a bluesportsshirtwithblueslacks,andhehadamapinhishand.Henoddedinresponsetomygreeting.

“Areweallrightforgas,Arthur?”“Ifilleditthismorning,sir.”“Oh, you did.”He lookedagreeably surprised. “Well, do you knowa

placecalledPendik?”“I’veheard thename.On theothersidesomewhere, isn’t it?There’s

supposedtobeagoodrestaurantthere,Ithink.”“That’s the place.On theSea ofMarmara.”He spread themap out

and pointed to the place. From Uskudar, on the Asian side of theBosphorus,itwastwenty-oddmilessouthalongthecoast.“Howlongwillittakeustogetthere?”

“Ifwehaveluckwiththecarferryaboutanhourandahalffromhere,sir.”

“Andifwedon’thaveluck?”“Perhapstenortwentyminutesmore.”“Allright.Here’swhatwedo.First,wegointotownanddropMissLipp

andMr.MilleroffattheHiltonHotel.Then,youdriveMr.FischerandmetoPendik.We’llbethereacoupleofhours.OnthewaybackwestopoffattheHiltontopicktheothersup.Clear?”

“Yes,sir.”“Whopaidforthegas?”“Idid,sir.IstillhavesomeoftheTurkishmoneyyougaveme.Ihave

thegaragereceipthere.”Hewaveditaside.“Doyouhaveanymoneyleft?”“Onlyafewliranow.”Hegavemetwofifty-liranotes,“That’sforexpenses.Youpickedupa

coupleofchecksforMissLipp,too.Takethemoneyoutofthat.”“Verywell,sir.”“And,Arthur-stopneedlingMr.Fischer,willyou?”“Iratherthoughtthatheintendedtoneedleme,sir.”

“Yougottheroomandbathroomyouaskedfor,didn’tyou?”“Yes,sir.”“Wellthen,cutitout.”I started to point out that since I had been shown to the room the

previousnight IhadnotevenseteyesonFischer,much less“needled”him,buthewasalreadywalkingbacktothehouse.

They all came out five minutes later. Miss Lipp was in white linen.Miller,drapedwithcameraandlensattachmentcase,lookedverymuchthe tourist; Fischer, inmaillot,white jeans, and sandals, looked like anelderlybeachboyfromAntibes.

Harper sat in front with me. The others got into the back. NobodytalkedonthewayintoIstanbul.Evenatthetime,Ididn’tfeelthatitwasmypresencetherethatkeptthemsilent.Theyallhadtheself-containedairofpersonsonthewaytoanimportantbusinessconferencewhohavealready explored every conceivable aspect of the negotiations that lieahead,andcanonlywait now to learnwhat theother side’sattitude isgoingtobe.Yet,twoofthemseemedheadedforasightseeingtour,andthe others for a seaside lunch. It was all rather odd. However, thePeugeotwasfollowingand,presumably,thoseinitwouldbeabletocopewiththesituationwhenthepartysplitup.TherewasnothingmoreIcoulddo.

Miss Lipp andMiller got out at the door of the Hilton. A tourist busblockedthedrivewaylongenoughformetoseethattheywentinsidethehotel,andthatamanfromthePeugeotwentinafterthem.Thenarcoticsoperationsuddenlymadesenseagain.Theraw-opiumsupplierwouldbewaitinginhisroomwithsampleswhichMiller,theskilledchemist,wouldproceed to test and evaluate. Later, if the samples proved satisfactory,and only if they did, Harper would consummate the deal. In themeantime,agoodlunchseemedtobeinorder.

Wehad towaita fewminutes for thecar ferry toUskudar.From theferrypier it iseasy to seeacross thewater themilitarybarrackswhichbecameFlorenceNightingale’shospitalduringtheCrimeanWar.Justforthesakeofsomethingtosay,IpointeditouttoHarper.

“Whataboutit?”hesaidrudely.“Nothing, sir. It’s just that that was Florence Nightingale’s hospital.

Scutaritheplacewascalledthen.”“Look,Arthur,weknowyouhaveaguide’slicense,butdon’ttakeittoo

seriously,huh?”Fischerlaughed.“Ithoughtyoumightbeinterested,sir.”“Allwe’reinterestedinisgettingtoPendik.Where’sthisgoddamferry

youtalkedabout?”Ididn’ttroubletoanswerthat.Theferryboatwasjustcomingintothe

pier, and he was merely being offensive - for Fischer’s benefit, Isuspected.IwonderedwhattheywouldhavesaidifIhadtoldthemwhatthesand-colouredPeugeot just behindus in the lineof carswas therefor, and whose orders its driver was obeying. The thought kept meamusedforquiteawhile.

From Uskudar I took the Ankara road, which is wide and fast, anddrove for about eighteen miles before I came to the secondary roadwhich led off on the right to Pendik.We arrived there just before oneo’clock.

Itprovedtobeasmallfishingportintheshelterofaheadland.Therewere several yachts anchored in the harbour. Twowooden piers juttedout from the road which ran parallel to the foreshore; one had arestaurantbuiltonit,theotherservedthesmallerboatsanddinghiesasalandingstage.Theplaceswarmedwithchildren.

I was edgingmyway along the narrow road towards the restaurantwhenHarpertoldmetostop.

Wewerelevelwiththelandingstageandamanwasapproachingtheroadalongit.Hewaswearingayachtingcapnow,butIrecognizedhim.ItwasthemanwhohadbeenwaitingattheHiltoncarparkonthenightIhadarrivedinIstanbul.

Hehadobviously recognized thecarandraisedhishand ingreetingasHarperandFischergotout.

“Park thecarandgetyourselfsomething toeat,”Harpersaid tome.“Meetusbackhereinanhour.”

“Verygood,sir.”The man in the yachting cap had reached the road and I heard

Harper’sgreetingasthethreemet.“HiGiulio,Stabene?”And then they were walking back along the landing stage. In the

drivingmirror, I could seeaman from thePeugeot saunteringdown tothequaysidetoseewhathappenednext.

Attheendofthelandingstagetheyclimbedintoanoutboarddinghy.Giulio started it up and they shot away towards a group of yachtsanchoredabouttwohundredyardsout.Theywentalongsideasixty-footcabin cruiserwith a squat funnel. The hullwas black, the upperworkswhite,andthefunnelhadasinglebandofyellowroundit.ATurkishflagdrooped from thestaffat thestern.Therewasasmall gangwaydown,andadeckhandwithaboathooktoholdthedinghyasthethreewentonboard.Itwastoofarawayformetoseethenameonthehull.

Iparkedthecarandwentintotherestaurant.Theplacewasfairlyfull,butImanagedtogetatablenearawindowfromwhichIcouldkeepaneye on the cruiser. I asked the headwaiter about her and learned hername,Bulut, and the fact that shewas on charter to a wealthy Italiangentleman,SignorGiulio,whocouldeattwowholelobstersatasitting.

Ididnotpursuemy inquiries;Tufan’smenwoulddoubtlessgetwhatinformationwastobehadfromthelocalpolice.AtleastIknewnowwhatGuiliolookedlike,andwheretheboatwhichMissLipphadmentionedtoMillerwas based. I could also guess thatGiuliowas nomore the truecharterer of the Bulut than was Fischer the true lessee of the KöskSardunya. Wealthy Italian gentlemen with yachts do not lurk in theIstanbul Hilton car park waiting to drive away cars stuffed withcontrabandarms;theyemployunderlingstodosuchthings.

Just asmy grilled swordfish cutlet arrived, I saw that theBulutwasmoving.Aminuteortwolater,herbowanchorcameoutofthewaterandtherewasaswirlofwhiteatherstern.Thedinghyhadbeenleftmooredtoabuoy.Theonlypeopleonthedeckofthecabincruiserwerethetwohands at the winches. She headed out across the bay towards anoffshore island just visible in the distant haze. I wonderedwhether thePeugeotmenwouldcommandeeramotorboatand follow;butnootherboatofanykindlefttheharbour.Afteraboutanhour,theBulut returnedandanchoredinthesameplaceasbefore.Ipaidmybillandwenttothecar.

Giulio brought Harper and Fischer back to the landing stage in thedinghy,butdidnot landwiththem.Therewasanexchangeof farewellsthat I could see but not hear, and then theywalked ashore to the car.Harper was carrying a flat cardboard box about two feet long by sixincheswide.Itwasroughlytiedwithstring.

“Okay,Arthur,”hesaidashegotintothecar.“BacktotheHilton.”

“Verygood,sir.”AsIdroveoffheglancedbackatthepiers.“Wheredidyoulunch?”heasked.“Thatrestaurantthere?”“Yes,sir.”“Goodfood?”“Excellent,sir.”HegrinnedoverhisshoulderatFischer.“TrustGiulio!”“OurmanGevencancookwell,”saidFischerdefensively,“andIintend

toproveittoyou.”“He’salush,”Harpersaidshortly.“Hecookedacastradinabeforeyouarrivedwhichwouldhavemade

you think that youwere in theQuadri.” Fischerwas gettingworked upnow and leaning forward over the back of the front seat. His breathsmelledofgarlicandwine.

Icouldnotresisttheopportunity.“Ifyoudon’tmindmysayingso,sir,”Isaid toHarper, “I thinkMr.Fischer is right.Geven isanexcellentcook.Thechickensouphegavemelastnightwasperfect.”

“Whatsoup,”Fischerdemanded.“Wedidnotgetsoup.”“Hewasupset,”Isaid.“Youremember,Mr.Fischer,thatyoutoldhim

thathewasnotgoodenoughtohaveabathroom.Hewasupset.Ithinkhethrewawaythesouphehadmade.”

“Itoldhimnosuchthing!”Fischerwasbecomingshrill.“Waitaminute,”saidHarper.“Thecookdoesn’thaveabathroom?”“Hehasthewholeoftheservants’roomsforhimself,”Fischersaid.“Butnobathroom?”“Thereisnobathroomthere.”“Whatareyoutryingtodo,Hans-poisonus?”Fischerflunghimselfagainstthebackseatwithaforcethatmadethe

car lurch. “I am tired,” he declared loudly, “of trying to arrange everymatterasitshouldbearrangedandthentoreceivenothingbutcriticism.Iwillnotso tobeaccused, thus ...”HisEnglishbrokedowncompletelyandhewentintoGerman.

Harperansweredhimbrieflyinthesamelanguage.Idon’tknowwhathesaid,but itshutFischerup.Harper litacigarette.Afteramomentortwohesaid:“You’reastupidcrook,aren’tyou,Arthur?”

“Sir?”“If youwere a smart one, all you’d be thinking aboutwould be how

muchdoughyoucouldscrewoutofthisdealwithoutgettingyourfingerscaught in the till.But not you.Thatmiserable little egoof yourshas tohaveitskicks,too,doesn’tit?”

“Idon’tunderstand,sir.”“Yes you do. I don’t like stupid people around me. They make me

nervous.Iwarnedyouoncebefore.I’mnotwarningyouagain.Nexttimeyou see a chance of getting cute, you forget it, quick; because if youdon’t,thatego’sliabletogetdamagedpermanently.”

Itseemedwisertosaynothing.“You’renotstill saying thatyoudon’tunderstand,Arthur?”He flicked

mykneeviciouslywiththebackofhishand.ThepainstartledmeandIswerved. He flickedme again. “Watch where you’re going.What’s thematter? Can’t you talk while you’re driving, or has the cat got yourtongue?”

“Iunderstand,sir.”“That’sbetter.Nowyouapologize, likea littleEgyptiangentleman, to

Mr.Fischer.”“I’mverysorry,sir.”Fischer,appeased,signifiedhisforgivenesswithashortlaugh.TheferryfromUskudarwascrowdedwithreturningSundaymotorists

and it took half an hour to get on a boat. Miss Lipp and Miller werewaitingatthehotelentrancewhenIpulledup.Millergaveawolfishgrinand,asusual,leapedintothecaraheadofMissLipp.

“Youtookyourtime,”hesaidtonooneinparticular.“The ferry was crowded,” Harper replied. “Did you have a good

afternoon?”ItwasMissLippwhoansweredhim.“Letthedogsbefedandclothed,”

shesaid.ItwasthesamesentencethatIhadheardMillercacklingoverthepreviousnight,andIwonderedidlywhatitcouldmean.

Harpernoddedtoher.“Let’sgetbacktothevilla,Arthur,”hesaid.Noneofthemutteredawordonthedriveback.Isensedafeelingof

tension between them, and wondered who was waiting to report towhom.Astheygotoutofthecar,Harperpickedthecardboardboxupoffthefloorandturnedtome.

“That’sitfortoday,Arthur.”“Whattimetomorrow,sir?”“I’llletyouknow.”

“Thecar isverydusty,sir,and there isnoproperhosehere. Iwouldliketogetitwashedatagarage.”

“Youdothat.”HecouldnothavecaredlesswhatIdid.I drove intoSariyerand foundagaragewhere theywouldwash the

car. I left it thereandwent toacafé. Ihadadrinkbefore I telephonedTufan.

Thewrittenreportof themorninghadbeensupplementedbyreportsfromthesurveillancesquadandhehadmoretotellmethanIhadtotellhim. Giulio’s other name was Corzo, and his Swiss passport gave hisoccupationas“industrialdesigner.”Hisagewas forty-fiveandhisplaceofbirthLugano.Thecabincruiserhadbeencharteredaweekearlier,foronemonth, through a yacht broker inAntalya. The crewof threewerelocal men of good reputation. As for Miss Lipp and Miller, they hadlunchedintheHiltongrillroom,thenhiredacar.Theyhadspentforty-fiveminutes sightseeing and returned to the Hilton, where Miss Lipp hadvisited the hairdresser. She had had a shampoo and set. Miller hadpassedthetimereadingFrenchnewspapersontheterrace.

“ThenitmusthavebeenthemeetingwithGiuliotheywantedtohearabout,”Isaid.

“Whatdoyoumean?”ItoldhimofthefeelingIhadhadonthewaybackthattheyhadbeen

impatientforachancetotalkprivately.“Thenwhyareyounotatthevilla?Gobackthereimmediately.”“IftheywishtohaveprivatetalkthereisnothingIcandotooverhear

it.Theirpartofthehouseonthegroundfloorisseparate.Ihavenotevenseenthoserooms.

“Aretherenowindows?”“Giving on to their private terrace, yes. I could have no excuse for

beingevennearit,letaloneonit.”“Thendowithoutanexcuse.”“Youtoldmetotakenorisks.”“Nounnecessaryrisks.Animportantdiscussionjustifiesrisk.”“Idon’tknowthatitisimportant.Ijusthadafeeling.Idon’tknowthat

it’sadiscussioneither.Harpermayjusthavewantedtopassonapieceof private information he had received from Giulio to the others. Thewholethingcouldhavebeenoverinaminute.”

“ThemeetingatPendikwasobviouslyimportant.Wemustknowwhy.

Sofarallyouhavelearnedisgossipfromafoolofacook.Whatdothesepeoplewitharmsandammunitionhiddenintheircarandfalsepassportsdiscusswhentheyarealone?Whatdotheysay?Itisforyoutofindout.”

“Icantellyouonethingtheysay-’Letthedogsbefedandclothed.’Ioverhearditfirstlastnight.Itseemedtobesomesortofprivatejoke.”

Hewassilent foramomentand Iwaited foranotherangryoutburst.None came. Instead he said thoughtfully: “That is quite an interestingjoke.”

“Whatdoesitmean?”“WhenoneoftheoldSultanswaspreparingtoreceiveacertainclass

ofpersons,hewouldalwayskeep themwaitinga long time,perhapsawhole day. Then, when he thought that they had been sufficientlyhumbled, hewould give that order - ’Let the dogsbe fedand clothed.’After that, theywould be admitted to the chamber of theGrandVizier,givenfood,androbedincaftans.”

“Whatclassofpersons?”“Theambassadorsofforeignpowers.”Hepaused.Obviously,hewas

still thinking about it. Then he dismissed me curtly. “You have yourorders.Reportasarranged.”

Iwentandgotthecar.Themanatthegaragewhohadthekeytothepetrolpumphadgonehome,and therewasonly theoldmanwhohadwashed the car waiting for me. I wasn’t too pleased about that, as itmeantthatIwouldhavetofill thetankinthemorning.OpportunitiesformakingtelephonereportstoTufandidnotseemparticularlydesirableatthatmoment.

WhenIgotbacktothevillaitwasalmostdarkandthelightswereonintheterracerooms.Iputthecarawayandwenttothekitchen.

Gevenwas in a jovialmood. Fischer hadmoved him to a bedroomnearmineandtoldhimtosharemybathroom.WhetherthiswasduetospiteonFischer’spartorashortageofbathrooms,Icouldn’ttell.Geven,through someobscure reasoningprocessof his own, haddecided thatthewholethinghadbeenmyidea.Inaway,Isuppose,hewasright;buttherewasnothingtobedoneaboutit.ItookatumblerofbrandyfromhimandbeamedlikeanidiotasifIhadearnedeverydrop.HehadcookedaspaghettiBologneseforthekitchen.Thespieswerehavingcannedsoupandashishkebabmadewithmuttonwhich,heproudlyassuredme,wasastoughasnewleather.Thespaghettiwasreallygood.Ihadadouble

helping of it. As soon as theHamuls arrived, I got away, giving as anexcusethatIhadworktodoonthecar.Iwentouttotheyard.

The terrace ran along the front and right side of the house; I hadnoticedadoorinthewallbesidethegarage.Therewasanorchardoffigtrees beyond and I thought it possible that the side terrace might beaccessiblefromthere.

Thedoorhadnolock,onlyalatch,buttheoldhingeswererustyandIused the dip stick from the car to run some oil into them before Iattempted toopen it. Itswung inwardsilentlyand Ishut itbehindme. Iwaited then, not only so thatmy eyes would get used to the dark butbecausethespieshadnotyetgoneintodinner.Icouldheartheirvoicesfaintly. I knew thatTufanwouldhavewantedme togocloserandhearwhattheyweresaying;butIdidn’t.ThegroundwasunevenandIwouldhavetofeelmywaytowardstheterracebalustrade.Ipreferredtodothatwhile theywerewellaway from the terraceand trying toget their teethintoGeven’sshishkebab.

Afterfifteenortwentyminutes,dinnerwasservedandIedgedforwardslowlytotheterrace.AssoonasIreacheditandwasabletoseethroughthebalustrade,Irealizedthatitwouldbeimpossibleformetogetcloseenough to the windows of the room they had been using to hearanything.Therewastoomuchlightcomingfromthem.Isupposeoneofthesedaredevilagentsyouhearaboutwouldhaveconcealedhimself inthe shadows; but that looked too risky forme.Getting to the shadowswould have been easy enough; but if Harper and Co. decided to sitoutside, as they had done the night before, therewould have been nowayofgettingbackwithoutbeingseen.

Iwalkedonthroughtheorcharduntil Icametotheouteredgeofthefrontcourtyard.Thiswas thesidewhichoverlooked theBosphorusandtherewerenotreestoobstructtheview.Alowstonebalustraderanalongtheedgewithastatueonaplinthateachend.Thefirstofthesestatueswasoverthirtyfeetfromthecorneroftheterrace,butitwasthenearestIcouldgetandstillremainincover.Thetopoftheplinthwaschest-high.Using thebalustradeasastepping-stone, itwasn’tdifficult toclimbup.Thestatue,alargerthanlife-sizeVestalvirginwithbird-droppingsalloverher, seemed quite steady, and I was able to hold on to her draperies.FromtheplinthIcouldseeovertheterracebalustradingandthroughthewindows of the corner drawing room. It was not much, but it was

something.Iftheydiddecidetocomeoutontotheterrace,Imightevencatchawordortwoofwhattheysaid.

Afterabouttwentyminutes,theycamebackintotheroom.ThebitsofitthatIcouldseecontainedanoldleather-toppedlibrarytable,partofafadedgreensettee,partofawallmirror,a lowround table,andoneortwo gilt chairs. The only person I could actually see at firstwasMiller,whotookacornerofthesettee;buthewastalkingnineteentothedozenandwaving his hands about, so he obviouslywasn’t alone. ThenMrs.Hamulcameinwithacoffeetray,whichsheputontheroundtable,andIsawbitsoftheothersastheyhelpedthemselves.SomebodygaveMilleraglassofbrandy,whichhedrankasifheneededit;hecouldhavebeentryingtowashawaythetasteofhisdinner.Afterabit,hestoppedtalkingandappearedtobe listening,hisheadmovingslightlyasheshiftedhisattentionfromonespeakertoanother.Then,therewasaflashofwhiteinthemirrorandhisheadturned.Foramoment,IsawMissLipp.Shehadchangedintoagreendress,though;thewhitebelongedtoalargesheetofpaper.Almostimmediatelyitdisappearedfromview.Miller’sheadliftedashebegantolistentosomeonewhowasstandingup.Aminuteorsowentby, and then thepaper reappeared, as if put aside, on the librarytable. I could see now that it was amap. At that distance and at thatangle itwasimpossibletotellwhat itwasamapof,but it lookedtomelikearoughlytriangularisland.IwasstillstaringatitwhenHarpermovedinandfoldeditintofour.

Afterthat,nothingseemedtohappenuntil,suddenly,HarperandMissLipp cameout onto the terrace fromawindowmuch farther away andwalkeddownthemarblesteps.Therewasnothingpurposefulabouttheirmovements-theywereobviouslyjustgoingforastroll-butIthought itaswelltogetoutoftheway.Iftheyweregoingtoadmiretheviewfromthebalustrade,Iwouldbeinanawkwardspot.

Igotdown fromtheplinthandmovedback into theshelterof the figtrees.Sureenough,theymadetheirwayroundtothebalustrade.Whenthey turned to go back I was only twenty-five feet away from them. Iheardasnatchofconversation.

“...ifItookover?”ThatwasMissLipp.“Hewas Leo’s idea,” he answered. “Let Leo take care of him. After

tomorrow,hedoesn’tmattertoomuchanyway.EvenArthurcoulddotherestofthatjob.”

She laughed. “The indignant sheep? With his breath you wouldn’tevenneedthegrenades,Iguess.You’dgetamasssurrender.”

Helaughed.Shesaid:“WhendoesGiulio’smanarrive?”“Sometimetoday.Ididn’twait.Giulioknows...”Iheardnomore.Assoonas theywerewell clear, Iwentback through theorchard to

theyard,andthenuptomyroom.Ilockedthedoor.Gevenwouldbefreeofthekitchenatanymoment,andIdidnotwanttobebotheredwithhim.

I had to think about what they had said and it was hard to do so,because all I could think about was her laugh and thewords she hadusedaboutme.Ifeltsick.Therewasanothertimewhenithadbeenlikethat,too.JonesivandIhadgoneuptoHillyFieldstomeetacoupleofgirls we knew.One of themwas namedMuriel, the other wasMadge.Madgedidn’t turnupbecause,soMurielsaid,shehadacold.Sotherewerejustthethreeofus.MurielwasreallyJones’girl,soIwasmoreorless out of it. I tried to pick up another girl, but that wasmore difficultwhenyouwerealoneandIdidn’thaveanyluck.Afterawhile,IgaveupandwentbacktowhereIhadlefttheothertwoneckingonaseatunderthetrees.IthoughtI’dcomeupquietlyandgivethemasurprise.Thatishow Ioverheard it.Shewassaying thatshehad togethomeearly, forsomereasonorother,andhewasaskingheraboutSaturdaynight.

“WithArthur,too?”shesaid.“Isupposeso.”“Well,Madgewon’tcome.”“She’llbeoverhercoldbythen.”“Shehasn’tgotacold.Shejustdidn’twanttocome.ShesaysArthur’s

alittletwerpandgivesherthecreeps.”I went away and they didn’t know that I’d heard. Then I was sick

behind the bushes. I hated that girl Madge somuch that it was like apain.

Geven cameupand I heardhimgo into thebathroom.A littlewhileafterwards he came out and knocked on my door. I had taken theprecaution of switching off the light so that it wouldn’t show undermydoorandhewouldthinkthatIwasasleep.Heknockedagain.AfterafewmomentsIheardhimmutteringtohimself.Thenhewentaway.

Inearlychangedmymindandcalledhimin.Icouldhavedonewitha

drinkjustthen,andsomeonetotalkto.ButthenIthoughtofhowdirtyhewasandhowthestinkofhisbodywouldstayintheroom-the“perfumeofthegreatunwashed,”asmyfatherwouldhavesaid.Besides,Icouldn’tbe sure of getting rid of him when I wanted to, and I had the eleveno’clockradiocalltotake.

Itcameatlast.

Attentionperiodreport.Attentionperiodreport.PassengerforyachtBulutarrivedPendikseventeenhundredhourstoday.NameEnrico,othernamesunknownsofar.Description:short,stocky,blackhair,browneyes,ageaboutthirty-five.Casualobservationofsubjectandhand luggage suggests workman rather than guest of chartererCorzo. Are you able to identify this man? Important that writtennotesofallconversations,withparticularcareastopoliticalcontent,shouldbemade.Essentialyoureportprogress.Repeat.Essential.

The outside of the body can be washed of sweat and grease; but

inside there are processes which produce other substances. Some ofthesesmell.Howdoyouwashawaythesmellsoftheinsideofthebody?

8

THEMORNINGCALLwasarepetitionofthatofthepreviousnight,andmadenomoresenseat7a.m.thanithadat11.Igotupandwenttothebathroom. Luckily, I had had the sense to remove my towel to mybedroom;butGevenhadleftafilthymess.Therewasgreyscuminthebathandshavingsoapinthebasin.Patiencewasnecessaryinordertoflushthetoiletsuccessfully,andhehadgivenuptoosoon.

Shaved,he lookedmorebleary-eyed thanhehadwith the three-daygrowth,buthismoodwasoneofjovialaggression.Fischer’scomplaintsabout theshishkebab, it seemed,hadbeen loudand insolent.But thereprisalhadalreadybeenplanned-thespies’dinnerthatnightwouldbeboiledmuttoninyoghurtàlaTurque.Fischerwouldlearntohiscostwhowasmasterinthekitchen;andifhedidn’tliketheknowledge,wellthen,thespiescouldgooneatingpigswillorfindthemselvesanotherchef.

Ihadbreakfast,gotthecarout,anddrovetothegarageforpetrol.Tufan answered promptly. I made my report about the overheard

conversationfirst,editingonlyslightly.“IfItookover.HewasLeo’sidea,let Leo take care of him. After tomorrow he doesn’t matter too muchanyway.Grenades...masssurrender.”

Hemademerepeatitslowly.Whenhestartedtocomplainthattherewasn’tmoreofit,Itoldhimaboutthemap.Ihadguessedthatthiswouldexcitehisinterest,anditdid.

“Yousayitlookedlikeamapofanisland?”“Ithoughtso.Theshapewasroughlytriangular.”“Wasitacolouredmap?”“No,blackandwhite.”“Thenitcouldhavebeenamarinechart?”“Isupposeso.”He said thoughtfully: “A boat, the chart of an island, grenades,

respirators,guns,surrender...”“AndsomethingthatFischeristodotoday,”Iremindedhim.Heignoredtheinterruption.“Youaresurethis islandhadatriangular

shape?”“Ithoughtso,butthemapwasn’tabsolutelyflat.Itwashardtosee.It

couldhavebeenadesignforaswimmingpool.”Heignoredthefrivolity.“Couldithavebeenkidney-shaped?”“Perhaps.Wouldthatmeansomething?”“That is the shape of the island of Yassiada, where certain political

prisonersareheldawaitingtrial.ItisonlyfifteenkilometresfromPendik.HaveyouheardthenameYassiadamentioned?”

“No.”“OrImrali?”“No.Isthatanisland,too?”“It is a townonan islandsixty kilometres fromPendik. It is also the

placewhereMendereswashanged.”“Howisthatislandshaped?”“Like the head of a dog. I must have another report from you this

eveningwithoutfail,evenifitisonlynegative.”“IwilldowhatIcan.”“Aboveall,youmustsearchforthischart.”“HowcanI?”“Youcansearchatnight.Inanycaseyoumustobtainacloserlookat

it.”“Idon’tseehowIcandothat.Eveniftheybringitoutagain.Iwon’tbe

abletogetanycloser.”“Withbinocularsyoucould.”“Ihavenobinoculars.”“On the way back to the villa, stop on the road. The Opel is on

surveillancedutytoday.Anagentfromthecarwillgiveyoubinoculars.”“SupposingHarperseesthem.HowdoIexplainthem?”“Donot lethimsee them. Iexpecta report tonight. Ifnecessaryyou

willmakedirectcontactwiththesurveillancepersonnel.Isthatclear?”Hehungup.

Idrovebacktowardsthevilla.JustoutsideSariyeronthecoastroadIpulledup.TheOpelstoppedahundredyardsbehindme.Afteraminuteor two, a man got out of it and walked towards the Lincoln. He wascarryingaleatherbinocularcase.HehandedittomewithoutawordandwentbacktotheOpel.

Iputthebinocularsontheseatanddroveon.Theyweretoobigtoputin my pocket. I would either have to smuggle them up to my roomsomehow, or hide them in the garage. I was annoyed with myself. I

should have known better. Any sort of map is catnip to intelligencepeople.Ishouldhavekeptquietaboutit.

Evenwithoutthebinoculars,though,Iwouldhavebeenirritated,andIdid have sense enough to realize that. The binoculars were only anuisance.Itwasreallytheconclusionhehadcometothatbotheredme.

Whathe’dwantedtoseeallalong,and,quiteevidently,whathenowdid see,wasyetanotherconspiracyagainst theCommitteeofNationalUnion,yetanothercoupinpreparation.ThelastattempttooverthrowtheCommitteehadbeenmadebyagroupofdissidentarmyofficers insidethecountry.Whatmorelikelythanthatthenextattemptwouldbemadewith the help of money and hired terrorists from outside the country?Whatmore likely thanthat itwouldbeginwithadaringrescueofofficerprisonersawaitingtrial?Ashehadsaid:“Aboat, thechartofan island,grenades,respirators,guns,surrender.”Italladdedupsoneatly.

The trouble was, as it had been all along, that he didn’t know thepeopleconcerned.Idid.Iknewhowviletheywere,too.Infact,therewasnothingIwantedmoreatthatmomentthantoseethemgethell.Buttheyjustdidn’tstrikemeasthesortofpeoplewhowouldbehiredterrorists.Icouldnothavesaidwhy.IfhehadcounteredbyaskingmewhatsortofpeoplewerehiredterroristsandhowmanyIhadmet,Iwouldhavehadno sensible answer. All I could have said would have been: “Thesepeoplewouldn’ttakethatkindofrisk.”

WhenIgotbacktothevilla,Fischerwasstandingontheterraceatthetopofthesteps.Hemotionedtometopullupthere.Ashecamedownthesteps, I remembered, just in time, to shove thebinocularsonto thefloorbymyfeet.

“Youwillnotbewantedtoday,Simpson,”hesaid.“Wearegoingonaprivateexcursion.Iwilldrivethecar.”

“Verygood,sir. It isfullofpetrol,butIwasgoingtodust it.” Iwasallsmilesabove,andallbinocularsbelow.

“Verywell.”Hewavedmeoffinhishighhandedway.“Thecarmustbehereinhalfanhour.”

“Yes,sir.”I drove round the courtyard into the garage, and hid the binoculars

behindanempty oil drumbefore I gave the car a flick-overwith awetduster.

Just before ten I drove it to the courtyard and left it there with the

ignitionkey in.Then, Iwentback to theyard, through thedoor into theorchard,andfoundaplacefromwhichIcouldseethecarwithoutbeingseen.Whentheywentout,Iwantedtomakesurethattheyhadallgone-Fischer,Harper,MissLipp,andMiller.

Afterfortyminutesorso,allfourcameoutandgotinthecar.Assoonastheyhadgone,Iwenttothekitchen.Gevenwastherechoppingmeatand sipping brandy. I had a drink myself and let him talk for a whilebeforeaskingwhethertheywereexpectedbackforlunch.Theywerenot.Hewouldmakeanomelettepourlepersonnel.

Iwentupstairstothebedroomfloor.Attheheadofthebackstairsthecorridorranleftandright,paralleltotherearwallofthevilla.Ifyouturnedright, you came tomy roomandGeven’s, among others; if you turnedleft, youwere faced by a pair of double doors. Beyond themwere themasterbedroomsandguestsuites.

The double doors were half open when I went up. Through theopening,Icaughtaglimpseofawicker-worktrolleyfullofdirtylinen,andofoldHamulworkingonthefloorof thecorridorwithacarpetsweeper.Mrs.Hamulwaspresumablychangingthesheetsonthebeds.

Iwent tomy room,waitedanhour,and thenstrolledbackalong thecorridor.

ThedoorwasstillopenandtheHamulswerestillmessingaboutinthebedrooms.IwentdowntothekitchenandhadanotherdrinkwithGeven.He was busy with the stew pot and another hour went by before hedecidedtomaketheomelette. IheardtheHamulscomedownataboutthesametimeandgothroughtothelaundry.AssoonasIhadfinishedeating, I toldGeventhat Iwasgoingtohaveasleepandwentupstairsagain.

First,IlockedmyroomfromtheoutsideincasehelookedintoseeifIwerethere;thenIwentthroughthedoubledoorsandshutthembehindme.

WhatIwaslookingforwasthemap,anditwasdifficulttoknowwhereto start. There were about eighteen rooms there, and they were of allshapesandsizes.Somewerebedrooms,somesittingrooms;someweresosparselyfurnishedthatitwashardtotellwhattheyhadbeen.Wheretherewas furniture, it was all in the same bilious looking French hotelstyle.Theonly thingsnot inshortsupplyweremirrorsandchandeliers;everyroomhadthose.

I identifiedMiller’s room first, becausehis suitcasewasopenon thebed, thenFischer’sbecauseof theshirts inoneof thedrawers. I foundnomapineitherroom.MissLipp’ssuitewasoverthecentreportico,withHarper’snexttoitonthecorner.Therewasaconnectingdoor.I lookedthroughall thedrawersand cupboards, I looked inside the suitcases, Ilookedaboveandbeloweverypieceoffurniture.TheonlymapsIfoundwere inacopyofEuropaTouring thatwasonMissLipp’swritingdesk,alongwithsomeItalianpaperbacknovels.

BeyondHarper’ssuite,andonthesideofthebuildingoverlookingtheorchard,therewasaroomthathadbeenfittedupasastudio.Architect’sdrawershadbeenbuiltalongonewall.Itseemedagoodplacetolookforalargeflatmap,andIwascarefullygoingthrougheverydrawerwhenIheardthesoundofcardoorsslamming.

Iscrambled throughHarper’sbedroom,whichhadwindowsonto thecourtyard,andsawtheroofof theLincoln in frontof theportico.ThenIpanicked. Imissed the doorwhich led to the passage and got into hisbathroom instead. By the time I had found the right door, I could hearFischer’s voice from the stairs. It was hopeless to try to dodge roundthroughtherooms.Ididn’tknowthewaywellenough.AllIcoulddowasretreatbackthroughHarper’sbedroomintothestudioandshutthedoor.Fromthere,therewasnootherwayout,exceptthroughthewindow;butitwastheonlyhidingplaceIcouldfind.

Iheardhimcomeintotheroom,thenaclinkofmoney,thenasortofslap.Hewasemptyinghispocketsonto thetable.Thedoordidn’t latchproperly and I could hear everymove hemade. I knew that hewouldhearanymoveImade,too.Ifrozethere.

“MyGod,thatcity’sworsethanNewYorkinAugust,”hesaid.IheardMissLippanswerhim.Thedoorconnectingthesuites,whichI

hadshut,musthavebeenopenedbyher.“IwonderifHamulfixedthatwater.Undome,willyou,Liebchen?”Hemovedaway. I tiptoedover to thestudiowindowand lookedout.

Therewasasmallbalconyoutsideand,afewfeetbelow,theroofoftheterrace.IfIcouldgetdownthere,Ithoughtitmightbepossibletoreachtheorchardwithoutbreakingmyneck.ThetroublewasthatIwouldhavetoopenthefrenchwindowtogettothebalcony.Ithadoneofthoselongdoublebolts thatyouworkby twistingahandle in thecentre.Theycanmakeaclatteringnoisewhentheyspringopen,andthisonelookedasif

itwould.Iwentbacktothedoor.Itsoundedas if theywere inhissitting room. Iheardhergiveasoft

chuckle.“Toomanyclotheson,”shesaid.He came back into the bedroom and, then, after amoment or two,

wentintothebathroom.Waterbegantorun.Iwenttothewindowagainandgingerly tried thehandle. Itmovedeasily enough.Thebottomboltslidoutandthedoorspranginwardwithaslightthud;butthenIsawthatonesideof theconnecting linkwasbrokenand that the topbolthadn’tmoved.Itriedtopullitdownbyhand,butitwastoostiff.Iwouldhavetopushitdownthroughtheslotatthetop.IputachairagainstthewindowandlookedaboutforsomethingmetalIcouldusetopushwith.

The noise of runningwater from the bathroom stopped, and I stoodstillagain. I triedto thinkwhat Ihad inmypocketsthatmightmovethebolt;akeyperhaps.

“I will have to do something aboutmy tanwhenwe get back,” saidMissLipp.Shewasinthenextroomnow.

“It’sholdingup.”“Yourhair’swet.”Silence,thenadeepsighfromherandthebedcreaked.ForabouttwominutesIclungtothehopethattheyweregoingtohave

a siesta. Then movements began. After a while I could hear theirbreathinganditwasn’tthebreathingofsleep.Moreminuteswentbyandtherewereother sounds.Then, thebeastwith twobuckswasatwork,and soon it was making its usual noises, panting and grunting andmoaning,while I stood there likeahalf-wit, picturingher long legsandslimthighsandwonderinghowonearth Iwasgoing togetoutof therewithoutanybodyseeingme.Iwassweatingsomuchthatitwasrunningintomyeyesandmistingmyglasses.Icouldn’thaveseentogettheboltopenjustthen,evenifIhaddaredtotry.

They seemed to go on interminably; but the noisy finales arrived atlast.Iwaited,hopefully,forthemtogototheirbathrooms;buttheydidn’t.Therewasjustalongsilence,untilIheardhimsay:“Here,”andalighterclicked.Anothersilence,untilhebrokeit.

“Whereshallweeattonight?”“LesBaux.Iwillhavethefeullietéderisdeveau.You?""Avallon,MoulindesRuats,thecoqauvin."

"WiththeCuvéeduDoctour?"“Of course. Though right now, frankly, I’d settle for a ham sandwich

andaglassofbeer.”“It’snotforlong,Liebchen.IwonderwhotoldHansthatthismancould

cook.”“He can cook all right, but he’s one of those lushes who has to be

wooed.Ifheisn’t,hegetsintoawhiterageandsays‘Thehellwithyou.’Hansdoesn’tknowhowtohandlehim.I’llbetArthureatsbetterthanwedo.Infact,Iknowdamnwellhedoes.Where’stheashtray?”

“Here.”Shegiggled.“Careful!”“Merde,alors!”“Thatisnottheplaceforanashtray.”Soon itbeganalloveragain.Eventually,when theywereexhausted,

theydidhavethedecencytogotothebathrooms.Whilethewaterwasrunning.Igotupontothechairandworkedontheboltwithmyroomkey.Bythetimehehadfinishedinthebathroom,Ihadthewindowunlatched.Ihadtowaitthentilltheywereasleep;thoughitwasnotuntilIheardhervoiceagainthatIknewthatshehadreturnedtohisbed.

“Liebchen”shesaiddrowsily.“Whatisit?”Hewashalfasleep,too.“Becareful,please,tomorrow.”“Entendu.”Therewas the soundof a kiss. I lookedatmywatch. Itwas twenty

past three. I gave them ten minutes, then carefully edged over to thewindowandpulledonesideopen.IdiditveryslowlybecausetherewasaslightbreezeoutsideandIdidnotwantthedrafttoopenthebedroomdoorwhileIwasstillthere.ThenIedgedmywayoutontothebalcony.

Itwasa four-footdropto theroofof theterraceandImadescarcelyanynoisegettingdown.Ihadmoretroubleattheendoftheterrace.Iamreally not built for climbing, and I tried to use the trelliswork as astepladder. It gave way, and I slithered to the ground clutching at thebranchesofanespalieredpeachtree.

ImanagedtogettomyroomwithoutanyoneseeingthemessIwasin.WhenIhadcleanedupandchangedmyshirt,Iwentdowntothecarandputitawayinthegarage.

IfIhadnoticedthatthedoorpanelshadbeentakenoff,thingswouldhave turnedout verydifferently forHarper,Lipp,andMiller;but I didn’t

notice.Itdidn’tevenoccurtometolookatthem.Iwasstilltooflusteredtodoanythingexcepttrytobehavenaturally.Garagingthecarwasjustawayofshowingmyselfoutsideandonthejob.

Iwentbackintothekitchen.Therewasnobodythere.IfoundabottleofGeven’s brandy and had a drink and a cigarette.When I was quitecalmagain,Iwentoutandwalkeddownthedrivetotheroad.

TheOpelwasparkednearthefishing-boatpier.Istrolledacrosstoitandsawthemeninsidewatchingme.AsIpassed,Isaid:“Tufan.”

WhenIhadgoneonafewpacesIheardacardooropen.Amomentorsolateramanfellinstepbesideme.

“What is it?” He was a dark, hard-eyed police type in an oatmeal-colouredshirtwithbuttonedpockets.HespokeinFrench.

“Somethingdangerous is tobeattemptedtomorrow,” Isaid.“Idonotknowwhat. I overheard part of a conversation.Major Tufan should beinformed.”

“Verywell.Whydidyounotdrivetoday?”“TheytoldmeIwasn’tneeded.Wheredidtheygo?”“To Istanbul, Beyoglu. They drove to a garage by the Spanish

Consulate. It is a garage that has spare parts for American cars. Thedriver,Fischer,remainedtherewiththecarfortenminutes.Theothertwomenand thewomanwalked to theDivanHotel.Theyhad lunch there.Fischerjoinedthemthereandalsohadlunch.Thentheywalkedbacktothegarage,pickedupthecar,andreturnedhere.MajorTufansaysthatyouaretoreportonachartlater.”

“If I can.Tell him Imadea searchof thebedroomswhile theywereout, but could not find the chart. I will try to search the living roomstonight.ItmaybequitelatebeforeIcanreport.Willyoubehere?”

“Someonewillbe.”“Allright.”Aswe turnedandwalkedback towards theOpel, Icrossed the road

andre-enteredthedrive.Ihadsomethingtothinkaboutnow.FromwhatIhadoverheardinthecourtyardthenightbefore,IknewthatFischerhadsomespecial task toperform thatday.Hadhealreadyperformed it, orwas ityet tobeperformed?Driving thecar into Istanbulso thatheandthe others could have someeatable food didn’t seemvery special.Ontheotherhand, itwasodd that Ishouldhavebeen told tostaybehind,andoddaboutthatvisittothegarage.Therewasnothingwrongwiththe

caranditneedednospareparts.AndwhyhadFishernotwalkedtotheDivanwiththeotherthree?Whyhadhestayedbehind?

ItisobviousthatIshouldhavethoughtofthecardoorsfirst.Ididn’tdosoforaverysimplereason:Iknewfrompersonalexperiencehowlongittooktoremoveandreplaceonepanel,andFischerhadnotbeenatthegaragelongenoughtoemptyonedoor,letalonefour.Thepossibilitythathis functionmighthavebeen togiveorders insteadofdoing theactualworkdidn’toccurtome,then.And,Imaysay,itdidn’toccurtoTufanatall.Ifithad,Ishouldhavebeensparedaghastlyexperience.

Anyway,whenIwentbackthroughtheyardtotakealookatthecar,mymindwasonspareparts.Ilookedintheluggagecompartmentfirsttoseeifanythinghadbeenstowedawaythere;thenIexaminedtheengine.Youcanusuallytellbythesmudgesandoilsmearswhenworkhasbeendoneonanengine.Idrewablank,ofcourse.Itwasn’tuntilIopenedthedoortoseeifanythinghadbeenleftintheglovecompartmentthatIsawthescratches.

Whoeverhad taken thepanelsoff hadmade theverymistake I hadbeen so careful to avoid; he had used an ordinary screwdriver on thePhillipsheads.Therewerescratchesandbrightmarkson themetalaswellascutsintheleatherwherethetoolhadslipped.Ofcourse,nobodywouldhavenoticedthemonacasualinspection,butIwassoconsciousof thepanelsandwhat Ihadseenbehind them that theslightestmarkstoodout. Iwentoverall fourandknewatonce that theyhadallbeentakenoffand replaced. Ialsoknew, from thedifferent feelof thedoorswhenIswungthemontheirhinges,thattheheavythingswhichhadbeenconcealed inside were no longer there. Presumably, they had beenremovedinthegarageneartheSpanishConsulate.Wheretheywereatthatmomentwasanybody’sguess.

Iwonderedwhether Ishouldgodown to the roadagain immediatelyandreporttothesurveillancecar,orwaituntil Ireportedlateraboutthemap. I decided to wait. If the stuff was still in the garage, it wouldprobably still be there in themorning. If, as seemedmore likely, it hadalreadybeenmovedsomewhereelse, then thedamagewasdoneandtwoorthreehourswouldmakenodifference.Anyway,Ididn’twanttogoback down to the road. I felt that I had run enough risks for one dayalready;andIstillhadtogolookingforthatdamnedmap.IthinkIdidthesensible thing. I can’t standpeoplewhoarewiseafter theevent,but it

mustbeobviousnowthatitwasTufanwhomadetherealmistakes,notme.

ThetroublewithGevenbeganwhilewewereinthekitcheneatingourdinner; or, rather, while I was eating and he was putting away morebrandy. It was about seven o’clock, and he had been drinking steadilysince six. In that hour hemust have had nearly a third of a bottle.Hewasn’tyetquitedrunk;buthewascertainlyfarfromsober.

Hehadmadeaperfectlydeliciousrisottowithfinelychoppedchickenlivers and pimientos in it. I was on my second helping and trying topersuadehimtoeatwhathehadonhisplate,whenFischercamein.

“Geven!”Gevenlookedupandgavehimhiswetsmile.“Vivelacompagnie,”he

saidconvivially,andreachedforadirtyglass.“Unpetitverre,monsieur?”Fisher ignored the invitation. “Iwish toknowwhatyouarepreparing

fordinnertonight,”hesaid.“It isprepared.”Gevengavehimadismissivewaveofhishandand

turnedtomeagain.“Thenyoucantellmewhatitis.”AtthatmomentFischercaughtsight

ofmyplate.“Ah,Isee.Arisotto,eh?”Geven’slipquivered.“Thatisforusservants.Forthemasterandhis

gueststhereisamoreimportantdishinthemannerofthecountry.”“Whatdish?”“Youwouldnotunderstand.”“Iwishtoknow.”Gevenanswered inTurkish. Iunderstoodonewordofwhathesaid:

kuzu,babylamb.Tomysurprise,andtoGeven’s, too, I think,Fischeranswered in the

samelanguage.Gevenstoodupandshoutedsomething.Fischershoutedback,and thenwalked fromthe roombeforeGeven

hadtimetoanswer.Gevensatdownagain,his lower lipquiveringsoviolently that,when

he tried to drain his glass, most of the brandy ran down his chin. Herefilledtheglassandgloweredatme.

“Pislik!”hesaid.“Domuz!”ThosearerudewordsinTurkish.Igatheredthattheyweremeantfor

Fischer,soIsaidnothingandgotonwithmyfood.

Herefilledmyglassandshovedittowardsme.“Atoast,”hesaid.“Allright.”“There’llbenopromotionthissideoftheocean,sodrinkup,mylads,

bless‘emall!”Onlyhedidn’tsay“bless.”Ihadforgottenthathehadbeeneducated

inCypruswhenitwasunderBritishrule.“Drink!”Idrank.“Bless‘emall.”Hebegantosing.“BlessallthesergeantsandW.O.ones,blessallthe

corporalsandtheirbleedingsons!Drink!”Isipped.“Bless‘emall.”He drained the glass again and leaned across the chopping table

breathing heavily. “I tell you,” he saidmenacingly; “if that bastard saysonemoreword,Ikillhim.”

“He’sjustafool.”“Youdefendhim?”thelowerlipquivered.“No,no.Butisheworthkilling?”Hepouredhimselfanotherdrink.Bothlipswereworkingnow,asifhe

hadbroughtanotherthoughtagencyintoplayinordertograpplewiththeunfamiliardilemmamyquestionhadcreated.

TheHamulsarrivedjustthentopreparefortheserviceoftheeveningmeal, and I saw the old man’s eyes take in the situation. He begantalkingtoGeven.HespokeacountrydialectandIcouldn’tevengetthedrift of what he was saying; but it seemed to improve matters a little.Geven grinned occasionally and even laughed once. However, he stillwentondrinking,and,whenItriedtoslipawaytomyroom,therewasasuddenflareoftemper.

“Whereyougo?”“Youhaveworktodohere.Iamintheway.”“You sit down. You are my guest in the kitchen. You drink nothing.

Why?”Ihadawholetumblerfulofbrandyinfrontofmebynow.Itookanother

sip.“Drink!”IdrankandtriedtolookasifIwereenjoyingmyself.Whenhewasn’t

looking, Imanaged to tip half thebrandy inmyglassdown the sink. Itdidn’t do much good. As soon as he noticed the half-empty glass, he

filleditupagain.Dinnerhadbeenorderedforeight-thirty,andbythenhewasweaving.

ItwasMrs.Hamulwhodidthedishingup.Heleanedagainsttherange,glass in hand, smiling benignly on her while she ladled the loathsomecontents of the stew pot onto the service platters. Dinner was finallyserved.

“Bless‘emall!”“Bless‘emall!”“Drink!”Atthatmomenttherewasanindistinctshoutfromthedirectionofthe

diningroom.Thenadooralongthepassagewasflungopen,andtherewere quick footsteps. I heardMiss Lipp call out: “Hans!” Then Fischercameintothekitchen.Hewascarryingaplatefuloffood.

AsGeventurnedunsteadilytoconfronthim,FischeryelledsomethinginTurkishandthenflungtheplatestraightathishead.

TheplatehitGevenontheshoulderandthencrashedtothefloor;butquitealotoffoodwentontohisface.Gravyrandownhissmock.

Fischer was still shouting. Geven stared at him stupidly. Then, asFischer flunga final insultandturnedtogo,amostpeculiarexpressioncameoverGeven’sface.Itwasalmostlikeawide-eyedsmile.“Monsieurestservi,”hesaid.At thesame instant, I sawhishanddartout for thechoppingknife.

IshoutedawarningtoFischer,buthewasalreadyoutinthepassage.Geven was after him in a flash. By the time I got through the door,Fischerwasalreadybackingawayandyellingforhelp.Therewasbloodstreaming from a gash on his face and he had his hands up trying toprotecthimself.Gevenwashackingandslashingathimlikeamadman.

AsI ranforwardandclungonto thearmwieldingthechoppingknife,Harpercameintothepassagefromthediningroom.

“Sendenillâllah!”bawledGeven.ThenHarperhithiminthesideoftheneckandhewentdownlikean

emptysack.Fischer’sarmsandhandswerepouringbloodnow,andhestoodthere

lookingdownatthemasiftheydidnotbelongtohim.Harperglancedatme.“Getthecararound,quick.”Istoppedthecaratthefootofthestepsandwentinthroughthefront

ofthehouse.Itdidnotseemtobeamomentforstandingonceremony.

Fischerwassittinginamarble-flooredwashroomjustoffthemainhall.HarperandMissLippwerewrappinghishandsandarmsintowels;Millerwastryingtostanchthefacewound.TheHamulswererunningroundincircles.

Harpersawmeandmotioned toHamul. “Ask theoldguywhere thenearestdoctoris.Notahospital,aprivatedoctor.”

“Iwillaskhim,”mutteredFischer.Hisfacewasadirtygrey.IcaughtHamul’sarmandshovedhimforward.There were two doctors in Sariyer, he said, but the nearest was

outsideBülyükdere in theother direction.Hewould come to the villa ifcalledbytelephone.

HarpershookhisheadwhenFischertoldhimthis.“We’llgotohim,”hesaid. “We’ll give him five hundred lira and tell him you tripped over anelectricfan.Thatshouldfixit.”HelookedatMissLipp.“YouandLeohadbetterstayhere,honey.Thefewer,thebetter.”

Shenodded.“I don’t know the way to this doctor’s house,” I said. “May we take

Hamulasaguide?”“Okay.”Harper sat in the back with Fischer and a supply of fresh towels;

Hamulcameinfrontwithme.Thedoctor’shousewastwomilesalongthecoastroad.Whenwegot

there,FischertoldHamultowaitoutsideinthecarwithme;soitwasnotpossibleformetowalkbackandtellthemenintheOpelwhatwasgoingon. Presumably, they would find out from the doctor later on. Hamulfingeredtheleatheroftheseatforawhile,thencurleduponitandwenttosleep.ItriedtoseeifIcouldgetoutwithoutwakinghim,butthesoundofthedooropeningmadehimsitupinstantly.Afterthat, I justsatthereand smoked. I suppose that I should have written a cigarette packetmessageaboutthecardoorsanddroppeditthen-Hamulwouldn’thavenoticedthat-butatthatpointIstillthoughtthatIwasgoingtobeabletomakeaverbalreportlater.

Theywereinsidewelloveranhour.Whenhecameout,Fischerdidn’tlooktoobadatfirstsight.Thecutonhisfacehadalintdressingneatlytapedoverit,andhisleftarmwasrestinginasmallslingofthekindthatsuggestscomfortforaminorsprainratherthanaseriousinjury.Butwhenhegot closer I could see that both his hands and forearmswere quite

extensivelybandaged,and that the lefthandwascupped rounda thickpadtapedsoastoimmobilizethefingers.Igotoutandopenedthedoorforhim.Hesmelledofdisinfectantandsurgicalspirit.

HeandHarpergotinwithoutaword,andremainedsilentonthewaybacktothevilla.

MillerandMissLippwerewaitingontheterrace.AsIpulledupintothecourtyard,theycamedownthesteps.IopenedthedoorforFischer.Hegot out and walked past them into the house. Still, nothing was said.Hamulwasalreadymaking forhisownquartersat theback.MillerandMissLippcameuptoHarper.

“How is he?” Miller asked. There was nothing solicitous about thequestion.Itwasagrimrequestforinformation.

“The left handhassevenstitchesononecut, fouronanother,morestitchesonthearm.Therightforearmhassevenstitches.Theothercutsweren’t so deep. The doctor was able to tape those up. He gave himsomeshots anda sedative.”His eyeswent toMiss Lipp. “Where’s thecook?”

“Gone,”shesaid. “Whenhewokeup,heasked ifhecouldgo tohisroom.Welethim.Hejustpackedhisthingsandwentoffonthatscooterofhis.Wedidn’ttrytostophim.”

Henodded.“ButaboutFischer...”Millerbegan,histeethshowingasifhewanted

toeatsomeone.Harper broke in firmly. “Let’s go inside, Leo.”He turned tome. “You

canputthecarawayfornow,Arthur,butImaywantitagainlatertodrivetoPendik,soyoustickaround.Makeyourselfsomecoffeeinthekitchen,thenI’llknowwheretofindyou.”

“Verygood,sir.”WhenIgottothekitchenIfoundthatsomeone,Mrs.Hamulnodoubt,

hadwashedthedishesandcleanedtheplaceup.Thecharcoalfiresonthe rangewere not quite dead, but Imade no attempt to revive one. Ifoundabottleofredwineandopenedthat.

Iwasgetting anxious. Itwasnearly ten-thirty and the radio callwasdueateleven;but Ididn’tsomuchmindmissinganotherEssentialyoureport progress; it was the undelivered report on the car doors thatbotheredme.Obviously,Fischer’sgettinghurthad thrownsomesortofwrench into theworks and changes of planwere beingmade. If those

changes meant that I was going to be up all night driving Harper toPendik and back, I would have to deliver themessage via a cigarettepacketafterall. Iwent intothescullery, incaseHarpershouldsuddenlycome into thekitchen,andwrote themessage -Cardoorsnowempty,checkgaragenearSpanishConsulate - on a piece of paper torn off ashelf lining. I feltbetterwhen Ihaddone that.Myotherassignment forthe night, the search for themysteriousmap, didn’tworrymeat all. Infact,thoughitmayseemfunnynow,atthatpointintheproceedingsIhadcompletelyforgottenaboutit.

Itwasaftereleven-thirtyandIhadfinishedthelastofthewine,whentherewas thesoundofadooropeningandHarpercame through fromthediningroom.Igottomyfeet.

“Sorry tokeepyouup this late,Arthur,”hesaid; “butMr.Millerand Iarehavingafriendlyargument,andwewantyoutohelpusdecidewho’sright.Comein.”

I followedhim through the dining room, and along a passage to theroominwhichIhadseenthemthepreviousnight.

It was L-shaped and even bigger than I had thought. When I hadlookedthroughthewindows,allIhadseenhadbeentheshortarmoftheL.Thelongarmwentallthewaytothemainentrancehall.Therewasalowplatformwithaconcert-sizegrandpianoonit.Theroomlookedasifithadbeenusedatsometimefor“musicalsoirées.”

MissLipp,andMillerweresittingatthelibrarydesk.Fischerwasinthebackground,sittinginanarmchairwithhisheadthrownbacksothathestaredattheceiling.Ithoughtforamomentthathehadpassedout,butas I came in he slowly raised his head and stared at me. He lookedterrible.

“Sitdown,Arthur.”HarpermotionedmetoachairfacingMiller.I sat down. Miss Lipp was watching Miller. Miller was watching me

throughhis rimless glasses.The toothy smilewas there as ever, but itwas the most unamused smile I have ever seen; it was more like agrimace.

Harperleanedagainstthebackofthesettee.“It’sreallytwoproblems,Arthur,”hesaid.“Tellmethis.Howlongdoes

it take to get to Pendik at this time of night? The same as during theday?”

“Less,perhaps;butitwoulddependontheferrytoUskudar.”

“Howoftendoesthatrunatnight?”“Everyhour,sir.”“Soifwemissedoneitcouldtakeuswellovertwohours?”“Yes.”He looked at Miller. “Two hours to Pendik, two hours to persuade

Guilio,twomorehourstopersuadeEnrico...”“Ifhewouldbepersuaded,”MissLippputin.Harpernodded“Ofcourse.Andthentwohoursback.Notaveryrestful

night,Leo.”“Thenpostpone,”Millersnapped.Harpershookhishead.“Theoverheads,Leo.Ifwepostpone,itmeans

abandon.Whatwillourfriendssaytothat?”“It isnot theirnecks.”Miller looked resentfullyatFischer. “Ifyouhad

not...”hebegan,butHarpercuthimoffsharply.“We’vebeenoverall that,Leo.Now,whydon’tyouat leastgive ita

whirl?”Millershrugged.Harperlookedatme.“Wewanttomakeanexperiment,Arthur.Doyou

mind going over there and standing against the wall with your backagainstit?”

“Overhere?”“That’s right. Your back touching thewall.” Hewent over to Fischer,

picked up a length of thick cordwhichwas lying across the bandagedhands, and threw one end of it to me. I saw that the other end wasattachedtoalegofthesettee.“Nowhere’swhatitis,Arthur,”hewenton;“I’vetoldMr.Millerthatyoucanpullthatsetteesixfeettowardsyoujustwiththestrengthofyourarms.Ofcourse,yourback’sleaningagainstthewall,soyoucan’tuseyourweighttohelpyou.Ithastobejustyourarms.Mr.Millersaysyoucan’tdoit,andhe’sgotahundred-dollarbillthatsayshe’sright.I’vegotonethatsayshe’swrong.Ifhewins,Ipay.IfIwin,youandIsplitfifty-fifty.Howaboutit?”

“I’lltry,”Isaid.“Verywell, begin,” saidMiller. “Your shoulders against thewall, your

heelsnotmorethantencentimetresfromitandtogether.”HemovedoversothathecouldseethatIdidn’tcheat.

Ihavealwaysdetested thatkindofparlour trick; in fact, Idislikeanysortoftrialofphysicalstrength.TheyalwaysremindmeofalotofboysI

oncesaw in theschool lavatories.Theywerestanding ina rowseeingwhocouldurinatethefarthest.Suddenlytheystarted laughingandthenbegantoaimateachother.Ihappenedtogetinthewayanditwasveryunpleasant.Inmyopinion,ruggeristhesamekindofthing-justchildish,smelly, homosexual horseplay. I always got out of it whenever I could.Today,anysortofexercisebringsonmyindigestionimmediately.

Frankly, then, Ididn’t think that therewas theslightestchanceofmybeing able to pull that heavy settee one foot, much less six. I am notparticularlystronginthearmsanyway.WhyshouldIbe?Ihaveenoughstrengthtoliftasuitcaseanddriveacar;whatmoredoIwant?

“Goon,”saidMiller.“Pullwithallyourstrength!”Ishouldhavedoneashesaidandfallenflatonmyface.Then,Harper

wouldhave lost ahundreddollars, and I shouldhavebeen spared theordeal.ButMissLipphadtointerfere.

“Justaminute,Arthur,”shesaid; “I tried thisand Icouldn’tdo it.Butyou’reamanwithagoodpairofshouldersonyou,andIthinkyoucandoit.”

EvenifIhadneverheardherusethephrase“indignantsheep”aboutme,Iwouldhaveknownthisheavy-handedguileforwhatitwas.Idonothave a good pair of shoulders on me. I have narrow, sloping ones.Women who think they can get away with that childish sort of flatterymakemesick.Iwasreallyannoyed.Unfortunately,thatmademegored.Shesmiled.IsupposeshethoughtIwasblushingbecauseofherbloodycompliment.

“I’mnotmuchgoodatthissortofgame,”Isaid.“The thing is to pull on the cord steadily, Arthur. Don’t jerk it. Pull

steadily,andwhenitstartsmoving,keeppullingsteadilyhandoverhand,It’saneasyfiftydollars.Iknowyoucandoit.”

Iwasgetting really brownedoffwithhernow. “All right, youbitch,” Ithought to myself; “I’ll show you!” So I did the exact opposite of whatshe’dsaid.IjerkedonthecordashardasIcould.

The settee moved a few inches; but, of course, what I’d done byjerkingit,wastogetthefeetoutofthedentsthey’dmadeforthemselvesinthethickcarpet.Afterthat,Ijustkeptonpullinganditslidsomemore.As it got nearer it became easier because I was pulling up aswell asalong.

HarperlookedatMiller.“Whataboutit,Leo?”

Millerfeltmyarmsandshouldersasifhewerebuyingahorse.“Heisflabby,outofcondition,”hesaidsourly.

“Buthedidthetrick,”Harperremindedhim.Millerspreadouthishandsasiftoabandontheargument.Harper took a note from his wallet. “Here, Arthur,” he said, “fifty

dollars,” He paused and then went on quietly; “How would you like toearntwothousand?”

Istaredathim.“Sitdown,”hesaid.Isatdownandwasglad todoso.My legswere trembling.With two

thousanddollarsIcouldbuyaCentralAmericanpassportthatwouldbegood foryears;and itwouldbea realpassport, too. I know,because Ihave looked into suchmatters.As longas youdon’t actually go to thecountry concerned, there’s no trouble at all. You just buy the passport.That’sthewaytheirconsulsabroadlinetheirpockets.Ofcourse,Iknewitwasallapipedream.EvenifIdidwhateveritwastheywanted,Harperwasn’t going tobe inaposition topayme,because thechanceswerethatTufanwouldhavehiminjailbythen.Still,itwasagooddream.

“I’dlikethatverymuch,”Isaid.Theywereallwatchingmeintentlynow.“Don’tyouwanttoknowwhatyouhavetodoforit?”Harperasked.Iwasn’tgoingtolethimwalkalloverme.Isatback.“WhatMr.Fischerwasgoingtodo,Isuppose,”Ianswered;“thatis,if

hehadn’thadthatlittleaccidentthisevening.”Miss Lipp laughed. “I told youArthurwasn’t as simple as he looks,”

shesaid.“Whatelsedoyouknow,Arthur?”ThiswasHarperagain.“Only what Miss Lipp told me, sir - that you are all very sensible,

tolerant persons,whoare very broadmindedabout things that the lawdoesn’talwaysapproveof,butwhodon’tliketakingrisks.”

“Itoldyouallthat,Arthur?”Shepretendedtobesurprised.“ItwaswhatIgathered,MissLipp.”Harper smiled. “All right, Arthur,” he said; suppose we just leave it

there.Wehaveadeal.”“IthinkI’mentitledtoknowalittlemorethanthat.”“Andyouwill,Arthur.We’llbeleavingheretomorrowafternoonaround

three, bagspackedandeverythingbecausewewon’t be comingback.

Beforewe go you’ll have a complete briefing. And don’t worry. All youhave todo is justpullona ropeat therightplaceand time.Everythingelseistakencareof.”

“Isthisapolicematter?”“Itwouldbeiftheyknewaboutit,buttheydon’t.Itoldyou,youdon’t

have toworry.Believeme,you’ve takenbigger risks inAthens fora lotlessthantwothousand.”

“Onthatsubject,sir,IthinkIamnowentitledtohavemyletterback.”HarperlookedquestioninglyatMillerandFischer.Thelatterbeganto

talkinGerman.Hespokeslowlyandwearilynow,andIguessedthatthesedative had taken effect, but his attitude was clear enough. So wasMiller’s.Harperturnedtomeandshookhisheadregretfully.

“I’msorry,Arthur, that’llhavetowait. In fact,myfriendsseemto feelthatyoumaybequiteasecurityriskforthenexttwelvehoursorso.”

“Idon’tunderstand.”“Sureyoudo.”Hegrinned.“I’llbettheidea’sbeenchurningaroundin

thatcutelittlebrainofyoursforthelastfiveminutes.“Iftwohandsonaropeareworthtwothousanddollarstothesepeople,whatwouldatip-offbeworthtothepolice?”

“Iassureyou...”“Of course you do, Arthur. I was only kidding.” His tone was quite

friendly. “Butyousee theproblem.We like to feelsafe.Even that letterdoesn’tmeanmuchhere.Doyouhavethecarkeys?”

“Yes.”“Letmehavethem.”Ihandedthemtohim.“Youseewewouldn’twantyou tohavesecond thoughtsandmaybe

walkoutonus,”heexplained.“Andwewouldnotlikehimtousethetelephone,”saidMiller.“That’s right.” Harper thought for amoment. “Hans is going to need

helpundressing,”hesaid;“andthedoctor’sgivenhimanotherantibiotichehastotake.IthinkitwouldbebestifwemadeupanextrabedinhisroomandArthursleptthere.”

“So that he can kill me when I am helpless and get out by thewindow?”Fischerdemandedthickly.

“Oh,Idon’tthinkArthurwoulddothat.Wouldyou,Arthur?”“Ofcoursenot.”

“That’s right. But we don’t want Hans to be worrying, do we? Thedoctorsayshereallyneedstosleep.Andyoushouldhaveagoodnight’ssleep,too,Arthur.Youwon’tgetanytomorrow,night.Youwouldn’tmindtakingacoupleofgoodstrongsleepingpills,wouldyou?Ormaybeeventhree?”

Ihesitated.“Oh,theywon’thurtyou,Arthur.”MissLippgavemeafondsmile.“I’ll

tellyouwhat.Ifyou’llbeagoodboyandtakeyourpills,I’lltakeone,too.We’llallneedoursleeptomorrow.”

WhatcouldIsay?

9

Myheadfeltasif ithadbeenstuffedwithsteelwool.Therewasevenametallic taste inmymouth. It tookmesome time to rememberwhere Iwas.Icouldhearaloudbuzzingnoise.When,atlast,Imanagedtoopenmyeyes,IsawFischer.Thebuzzingcamefromanelectricshaverwhichhewasholding,awkwardly,inhisrighthand.

Mybedconsistedofamattressonthefloorandtheblanketsfrommyoldroom.Irolledoffthemattressandgottomyfeetunsteadily.Fischergavemeadisagreeablelook.

“Yousnorelikeapig,”hesaid.Hehadashirtandslackson,Iwasgladtosee;HarperorMillermust

have helped him. Undressing him, the night before, had been anunpleasanttask.Ithadmeanttouchinghim,andIhatetouchinganyoneIdislike-anothermanespecially.

“What’sthetime?”Iasked.Theyhadtakeneverythingfrommeaftertheyhadmademeswallow

thesleepingpills,evenmywatch.All Ihadbeenallowedhadbeenmypyjamacoat.

“Abouteleven,” heanswered. “Your clotheshavebeenput in there.”Heindicatedadoor.

IwentthroughandfoundmyselfinoneofthepartlyfurnishedroomsIhad seen the day before. My things were piled on a brown cut-velvetchaise longue. I disposedof aminor anxiety first. The cigarette packetwith the message inside it was still in my hip pocket and apparentlyundetected.Ileftitwhereitwas.Withanyluck,Ithought,Imightbeabletoaddtoit.Mypaperswerethere.Theradiowasinitscase.

From thebedroomFischer said: “I have finishedwith this bathroom.Youmayuseit.”

“IthinkIwillgoandgetsomecoffeefirst.”“Thenbringallyourpapersandmoneyinhere.”Therewasnopointinarguing.Ididashesaid,putsometrouserson,

andfoundmywaydownstairstothekitchen.Mrs. Hamul was there. The sight of the hired driver unshaven and

wearingapyjamajacketateleveninthemorningmusthaveseemedodd

toher.ShelookedatmeasifIwereravingmad.Iaskedherforcoffee.Shegavemetea,andsomeofthepreviousday’sbreadtoasted.Theteawasn’tbad.Myheadbegan toclear.As Iate the toast, Iwondered if IcouldmusterenoughTurkish topersuadeherorherhusbandto takeamessagetothesurveillancepeopleontheroad.ThenMissLippcamein,wellgroomedandverychicinwhiteandyellowstripes.

“Goodmorning,Arthur.Howdoyoufeel?”“Goodmorning,MissLipp.Ifeelterrible,thankyou.”“Yes,youlookit,butIexpectyou’llfeelbetterwhenyou’vecleanedup

abit.What’stheTurkishfor‘eggs’?”“Yumurta,Ithink.”Mrs. Hamul heard the word and they began a sign-language

conversationabouteggs.Iwentbackupstairs.MillerwashelpingFischertopack.Islippedtheemptycigarettepacket

andapencilintomyshavingkitandwentintothebathroom.Therewasalockonthedoor.Whilemybathwasrunning, IaddedtothemessageIhad written the previous night.Am forced replace injured Fischer andcloselywatched.Eventplannedfortonight.Detailsunknown.Millermaybekeyperson.

ThebedroomwasemptywhenIreturnedto it. Idressed,packedmybag,andwentdowntothekitchen.

Miss Lipp was supervising the Hamuls’ preparations for lunch. ShelookedupasIcamein.

“Theothersareouton the terrace,Arthur,”shesaid. “Whydon’tyougooutthereandgetyourselfadrink?”

“Verywell.”Iwentthroughthediningroomintothemainhall.There,Ihesitated.I

was still trying to think of away of getting down to the road and backwithout their knowing. As they were on the terrace, it was, of course,hopeless to attempt to cross the courtyard. I would have to find someway round the back and down through the trees. But that might taketwenty minutes or more. And supposing Miss Lipp came out to theterrace and asked where I was? I gave up, and decided to rely upondroppingthecigarettepacket.

The first thing I saw on the terrace was the cardboard box whichHarper had brought back with him from Pendik. It was open anddiscardedonachair.

Harper, Fischer, and Miller were contemplating something laid outacrosstwotables.

It was a block and tackle, but of a kind I had not seen before. Theblocks were triple-sheaved and made of some light metal alloy. Theyweresosmallthatyoucouldholdbothoftheminonehand.The“rope”wasawhitecordaboutaquarterofaninchindiameterandtherewasalotofit.Onanothertabletherewasathingthatlookedlikeabroadbeltwithhooksateachend,likethoseyouseeondogleashes.

Fischerlookedupandstaredatmehaughtily.“MissLipptoldmetocomehereandhaveadrink,”Isaid.Harperwavedtoatablewithbottlesandglassesonit.“Helpyourself.

Thenyou’dbetterhavealookatthis.”Igavemyselfsomerakiandlookedatthecordofthetackle.Itwaslike

silk.“Nylon,” Harper said; “breaking strain over a ton.What you have to

rememberaboutit isthatit’salsoslightlyelastic.There’salotofgiveinthistackle.Youknowhowthesethingswork?”

“Yes.”“Show,me,” saidMiller.Hepickedup thebelt andhooked it around

oneoftheterracepillars.“Showmehowyouwouldpullthispillardown.”I hooked one block to the belt, tied the other to the balustrade, and

pulledonthetackle.“Okay,” said Harper, “that’ll do. Leo, I think you’d better carry the

tackle.Arthur’s too fat. It’ll showonhim.Hecan take theslingand theanchorrope.Idon’tthinkHansshouldcarryanythingexcepthisgunandthewaterflask.”

“ItisonlybecausemyskinisverysensitivethatIobject,”saidMiller.“Well,itwon’tbeforlong.Assoonasyou’reinsideyoucantakeitoff.”Millersighedirritablybutsaidnomore.“MayIknowwhatitisIhavetodo?”Iasked.“Justpullon this tackle,Arthur.Oh,youmeanabout taking thisgear

along?Well,you’llhavetocarrythatsling”-heindicatedthebelt-”andthis extra rope here, wound around that beautiful body of yours underyourshirt, so thatnobodycansee it. It’llbeabitwarm forawhile,butyou’llhaveplentyoftimetocooloff.Anyotherquestions?”

Ihadadozenandheknewit,butthereisn’tanysenseinaskingwhenyouknowyou’renotgoingtobeanswered.

“Whoisgoingtocarrythebag?”askedMiller.“You’dbettertakethat,foldedinyourpocket.”MissLippcameout.“Lunchinthirtyminutes,”shesaid.“Lunch!”Millerlookedsour.“You caneat eggs, Leo.You’vegot to eat something.”She took the

drinkHarperhandedher. “DoesArthurknow thathe’sgoing tohave towaitforhisdinnertonight?”

“Idon’tknowanything,MissLipp,” Isaidcalmly; “but Iwillsay this. Iwas told that Iwould begivenabriefing today.So far, all I havebeengivenisabadattackofnervousindigestion.WhetherIeatdinnerornot,and,for thatmatter,whetherIeat lunchornot,aremattersofcompleteindifferencetome.”

Shewentquiteredintheface,andIwonderedforamomentifIhadsaid anything offensive; then I realized that the damned woman wastryingnottolaugh.ShelookedatHarper.

“Okay,” he said. “Come in here.” He led the way through a frenchwindowintothedrawingroom.OnlyMissLippfollowedwithme.IheardFischeraskingMillertopourhimanotherdrinkandMillertellinghimthatheoughttoexercisethehand,notpamperit.Then,Inolongerlistened.Harperhadwalkedtothelibrarytable,openedadrawerinit,andpulledoutthemap.

“Recognizethisplace?”heasked.“Yes.”ItwasaplanofpartoftheSeraglioareaandoftheroadsadjacentto

thewalls.ThetriangularshapeIhadnotedwasformedbythecoastline.“Thisiswhatwearegoingtodo,”hewenton.“Whenweleavehere,

wewilldrivetoagarageinIstanbul.OurbagswillbeinthetrunkoftheLincoln.Atthegarage,Mr.Miller,Mr.Fischer,you,andIwillgetoutoftheLincoln and into a different car, which will be waiting there. I will thendriveyoutotheSeraglioPalace.There,Mr.Miller,Mr.Fischer,andyouwillgetout.ThePalaceisopentothepublicuntilfive.Thethreeofyouwill buy tickets and enter in the ordinaryway as tourists. Youwill thencross theSecondCourtyard to theGateofFelicity.Whenyouaresurethattheguideshavelostinterestinyou,youwillgothroughintotheThirdCourtyardandturnleft.Youthenhaveashortwalk-exactlysixtypaces-before you come to a big bronze gate in a courtyard to the left with asmalldoorbeside it.Bothgateanddoorarekept locked,butMr.Miller

willhaveakeytothedoor.BeyondthedoorisapassagewithastairwayleadinguptotheroofoftheWhiteEunuchs’apartments”-hepointedtotheplan - "here.Thenyou lock thedoorbehindyouandwait.Clearsofar?”

“Quiteclear,exceptaboutwhywe’redoingallthis.”“Oh,Ithoughtyou’dhaveguessedthat.”Hegrinned.“We’rejustgoing

tohaveourselvesapieceoftheoldSultan'sloot.Justalittlepiece,that’sall-aboutamilliondollars’worth.”

IlookedatMissLipp.“I was being cagey. Arthur,” she said. “There is some obsidian and

garnet there,andgreen tourmaline, too.Buta lotof thatstuffs the realthing.Therearesixpigeon’sbloodrubies in that throneroomthatmustbeovertwentycaretsapiece.Doyouknowwhatjustonerubylikethatisworth,Arthur?AndtheemeraldsonthoseKorancaskets!MyGod!”

Harperlaughed.“Allright,honey,IthinkArthurhasthepicture.Now”-heturnedagaintotheplan-“therearecivilianwatchmenonduty,butnotverymanyofthem,andthenightshiftcomesonateight.Yougivethemanhourtosettledown.Atnineyoumove.Yougoupthestairstotheroofandturn left.Thereare three littledomes-cupolas, theycall them-ontheroofthere,andyouwalkalongtotherightofthem.Afterthattheroofismoreorlessflatuntilyougettothegatearch.YougoaroundthatovertheroofoftheAudienceChamberandonuntilyouseethechimneysofthekitchensonyourright.Thenyouturnleftagain,crosstheroofoftheplace where they have the miniatures and tapestries. At the end of itthere’s a three-foot drop onto the roof of theTreasuryMuseum.That’swhereyouhave tobecareful.TheTreasury roof is thirty-five feetwide,but it’s vaulted. There is a flat area around the cupola though, so youclimbdown there.Allquitesafe.Thecupola is ten feet indiameterandthat’ll be your anchor for the tackle. Mr. Miller’ll tie the knots for you.Whenhe’sgottheslinghookedup,he’llsitinit.Thenallyouhavetodoislowerhimoverthesideuntilhe’slevelwithasteelshuttereighteenfeetbelow.He’lldotherest.”

“Mr.Millerwill?”Helookedatmewithamusement.“Youthinkhe’stoooldforthatsort

ofthing?Arthur,whenMr.Millergetsbusyhemakesaflylooklikeamanindivingboots.”

“Yousaidtherewasasteelshutter?”

“Youcouldopenitwithatoothpick.Thewall’sfourfeetthickandsolidstone.Iguessit’dstanduptoasixinchshell.Buttheshuttersoverthewindowaperturesarejustquarter-inchplatewithordinarydrawboltsonthem.Theydon’tevenfitproperly.Andnoalarmsystem.”

“Butifthisjewelleryissovaluable...”“Have you ever looked through one of those window apertures,

Arthur? There’s a sheer drop of three hundred feet below. It’s quiteimpossible to get up or down there. That’s why we’re going in fromabove.Thetrickisgettingoutagain.Whattheirsecuritysetupreliesonisthefactthatthewholeareaiswalledlikeafortress.Therearegates,ofcourse,andthegateshavetroopsguardingthematnight;butgatescanbeopenedifyouknowhow.That’llallbetakencareof.

You’llwalkoutoftherejustaseasilyasyouwalkedin.”Hiseyesfoundmineandheldthem.“Yousee,Arthur,we’reprofessionals.”

I forcedmyself to lookaway. I lookedatMissLipp;buthereyeshadthesameintentlookashis.“I’msorry,”Isaid;“I’mnotaprofessional.”

“Youdon’thavetobe,”shesaid.“Ican’tdoit.Mr.Harper.”“Whynot?”“BecauseI’dbetooafraid.”Hesmiled. “That’s thebest thing I’veheardyousay,Arthur.Youhad

mequiteworriedforamoment.”"Imeanit."“Sure you do.Whowouldn’t be scared? I’m scared. In a few hours’

timeI’llbeevenmorescared.That’sgood.Ifyouaren’tabitscaredyoudon’tstayonyourtoes.”

“I’mnottalkingaboutbeingabitscared,Mr.Harper,I’mtalkingaboutbeingtooscared.I’dbenousetoyou.”AndImeantit.Iwasthinkingofmyself on top of that roof with a three-hundred-foot drop down to theroad.Ican’tstandheights.

There was a silence, and then she laughed. “I don’t believe you,Arthur,” shesaid. “You?Youwith twogoodarmsandhands toholdonwith,scaredofgoingwhereHansFischerisn’tafraidtogowithonlyhalfahand?Itdoesn’tmakesense.”

“I’msorry,”Isaidagain.Therewasanothersilenceandthenheglancedatherandmovedhis

headslightly.Shewalkedoutontotheterrace.

“Let’sgetacoupleof thingsstraight,Arthur,”hesaid. “All I’maskingyoutodoistakealittlerideandthenalittlewalk,andthenhandlearopefor twentyminutes. You’ll be in no danger. Nobody’s going to take potshotsatyou.Andwhenit’sdoneyougettwothousandbucks.Right?”

“Yes,but...”“Letmefinish.Now,supposingyouchickenout,whatdowedo?”“Getsomeoneelse,Isuppose.”“Yes,butwhatdowedoaboutyou?”Hepaused.“Yousee,Arthur,it’s

notjustaquestionofgettingthejobdone.Youknowtoomuchnownottobe a part of it. If you’re going to be on the outside,well, we’ll have toprotectourselvesanotherway.Youfollowme?”

HecouldseethatIdid.Ihadachoice:Icouldeitherfrightenmyselftodeathon the roofof theSeraglioor takeashorter,quicker route to thepolicemortuary.

“Nowgogetyourselfanotherdrinkandstopworrying,”hesaid, “justthinkofthetwothousandbucks.”

Ishrugged.“Allright.I’mmerelytellingyouhowIfeel,that’sall.”“You’llbeokay,Arthur.”Heledthewaybackontotheterrace.ItwasonthetipofmytonguetoaskhimhowokayMr.Millerwouldbe

if the height got me down and I passed out while I was handling thetackle; but I thought better of it. If he realized that I really wasn’t justbeingtimid,thatIreallycouldn’tstandheights,hemightdecidethatIwastoo dangerous a liability in every way. Besides, I was coming to mysenses again now. Tufan’s “politicals” had turned out to be big-timecrooksafterall. Ihadbeenrightallalong,andhehadbeenhopelesslywrong;buthewasstillapowerfulally,and Istillhadagoodchanceofbeing able to stop the whole thing. All I had to do was add just threewords-raidingSeragliotreasury-tothenoteinthecigarettepacketanddropit forthesurveillancepeople.Afterthat,myworrieswouldbeover,and Harper’s would begin. I had a pleasing vision of the lot of them,rounded up and in handcuffs, watching Tufan hand me a brand-newBritishpassport.

“Whatareyougrinningat,Arthur?”Harperasked.Iwaspouringmyselftheseconddrinkhehadprescribed.“Youtoldme

tothinkofthetwothousanddollars,Mr.Harper,”Ianswered.“Iwasjustcarryingoutorders.”

“You’reascrewball,Arthur,”hesaidamiably;butIsawareflectivelook

inhiseyesanddecided that I hadbetterwatchmyself.All thesame, Icouldn’t help wondering what he would have said and done if he hadbeen warned, at that moment, that the customs people in Edrine hadlooked inside the doors of the car, and that everymove he hadmadesince had been made with the knowledge and by permission of thesecuritypolice - if, inotherwords,hehadbeen toldhowvulnerablehewas.NotthatIhadtheslightestdesiretowarnhim;Ihadn’tforgottenthecaning he had givenme in Athens; but if it had been safe to do so, Iwould have liked to tell him that it was my lousy out-of-date Egyptianpassport that had done the job. I would have liked to have seen thebastard’sface.

Hamul shuffled out and made signs to Miss Lipp that lunch wasserved.Sheglancedatme.“Bringyourdrinkinwithyou,Arthur.”

Presumably I was being promoted to eating with the gentry so thattheycouldkeepaneyeonme.

Miller was a gloomy feeder, andmade the omelette less appetizingthanitcouldhavebeenbytalkingaboutinfectiousdiseasesallthetime.Howdidtheygrowvirusculturesinlaboratories?Why,ineggs,ofcourse!Hediscussed thepossibleconsequencesat length.Theothers tooknonotice;evidentlytheywereusedtohim;butitgotmedown.Ihadn’tfeltmuchlikeeatinganyway.

When the fruit came Harper looked across at me. “As soon as theHamuls have cleared away,” he said, “you had better start getting thebagsdown.Theythinkwe’regoingtoAnkaraforacoupleofdays,soitdoesn’t matter if they see us. The important thing is that we leaveourselvestimetocleanuptherooms.”

“Cleanthemup?”“For fingerprints. With any luck we’ll never be connected with this

place.Therentwaspaidinadvanceandtheownercouldn’tcarelessifwedon’tshowupagain.TheHamulswilldustoffmostofitautomatically.They’re great polishers, I’ve noticed. But things they could miss, likewindowhandlesandclosetmirrors,weshould takecareofourselves -justincase.”

Bytwoo’clockIhadallthebagsdownandaskedHarperifIcouldgotomyoldroomtocleanupthere.Henodded.“Okay,Arthur,butdon’tbelong.IwantyoutogiveMr.Fischerahand.”

Ihurriedupstairs.Inthebathroom,Icompletedthecigarette-package

message. Then I went through the motions of “cleaning up” - Tufanalreadyhadmyfingerprints-andreturnedtoFischer’sroom.

At a quarter to three Harper drove the car from the garage to thecourtyardandIloadedthebags.

There wasn’t room for all of them in the luggage compartment, sosomehadtogoonthefloorbythebackseat.

At three,Harper,Miller, and Iwentup toMiller’s room.There,Millerand I took our shirts off and swathed ourselves in the tackle, Harperassistingandrearrangingthingsuntilhewassatisfiedthatnothingwouldshow.Ihadthespringhooksoftheslinghangingdowninsidemytrouserlegs. It was dreadfully uncomfortable. Harper made me walk up anddownsothathecouldseethatallwasinorder.

“Youlookasifyou’vewetyourpants,”hecomplained.“Can’tyouwalkmorenaturally?”

“Thehookskeephittingoneanother.”“Well,wearonehigherandonelower.”Afterfurtheradjustments,hewassatisfiedandwewentdownstairsto

be inspected by Miss Lipp. She had fault to find with Miller - he haddevelopedthesametroublewiththeblocksasIhadhadwiththehooks-andwhile theywere putting it right Imanaged to transfer the cigarettepacketfrommyhiptomyshirtpocket,sothatitwouldbeeasiertogetatwhenthetimecame.

Fischerwasgettingedgynow.ThebandagespreventedhiswearingawristwatchandhekeptlookingatMiller’s.Millersuddenlygotirritated.

“Youcannothelp,sodonotgetintheway,”hesnapped.“It is time we were leaving. After four-thirty, they count the people

goingin.”“I’lltellyouwhenit’stimetoleave,”Harpersaid.“Ifyoucan’tkeepstill,

Hans,gositinthecar.”Fischer sulked, while Muller returned to his bedroom for final

adjustments.Harperturnedtome.“You’re lookingwarm,Arthur.Better youdon’tdrivewithall that junk

under your shirt. You’ll only getwarmer. Besides,Miss Lipp knows theway.You’llrideintheback.”

“Verywell.”IhadhopedthatImightbeabletodropthepacketwhileIwasmakingahandsignal;butIknewitwasnousearguingwithhim.

At three-thirtyweallwent out andgot into the car.Miller, of course,

was first in theback.Harpermotionedme to follow, thenFischergot inaftermeandHarpershutthedoor.SoIwasn’tevennexttoawindow.

MissLippdrovewithHarperbesideher.From where I was sitting, the drivingmirror did not reflect the road

behind.Afteraminuteortwo,andonthepretextofgivingFischermoreroomforthearmthatwasinthesling,Imanagedtomakeahalfturnandglancethroughtherearwindow.ThePeugeotwasfollowing.

Miss Lipp drove steadily and very carefully, but there wasn’t muchtraffic and we made good time. At ten to four we were past theDolmabahçe Palace and following the tram lines up towards TaximSquare.IhadassumedthatthegarageHarperhadspokenofwouldbetheonenear theSpanishConsulate,andwithinwalkingdistanceof theDivanHotel,whichIhadheardaboutfromthesurveillanceman.Itlookedat that point as if the assumption were correct. Then, quite suddenly,everythingseemedtogowrong.

InsteadofturningrightatTaximSquare,shewentstraightonacrossitanddownthehilltowardsGalata.IwassosurprisedthatInearlylostmyhead and told her she was going the wrong way. Just in time Iremembered that I wasn’t supposed to know the way. But Miller hadnoticedmyinvoluntarymovement.

“Whatisthematter?”“Thatpedestrianbackthere- I thoughthewasgoingtowalkstraight

intous.”ItisaremarkthatforeignersdrivinginIstanbulmakeeveryotherminute.

He snorted. “They are peasants. They deny the existence ofmachinery.”

Atthatmoment,MissLippturnedsharplyleftandweplungeddownarampbehindaservicestation.

It wasn’t a large place underground. There was garage space forabouttwentycarsandagreasingbaywithaninspectionpit.Overthepitstood aVolkswagenMinibus van. In front of it stood aman in overallswithafilthyraginhishand.

MissLipppulledtheLincolnovertotheleftandstopped.Harpersaid:“Hereweare!Out!”

Miller andHarper already had their doors open, andHarper openedFischer’ssideaswell.AsIslidoutafterMiller,Igotthecigarettepackagefrommyshirtpocketintothepalmofmyhand.

NowHarperwasclimbingupintothedriver’sseatofthevan.“Moveyourselves,”hesaid,andpressedthestarter.Theotherdoorofthevanwasattheside.Millerwrencheditopenand

got in. As I followed, I pretended to stumble and then dropped thecigarettepacket.

Isawitlandonthegreasyconcreteandclimbedonin.ThenthedoorswungtobehindmeandIheardFischerswearas itcaughthimontheshoulder.Ileanedbacktoholditopenforhim,soIwaslookingdownandsaw it happen.As heput out his goodhand to grasp the handrail andclimb in,his left footcaught thecigarettepacketandswept itunder thevanintothepit.Itwasn’tintentional.Hewasn’tevenlookingdown.

Millershutthedoorandlatchedit.“Holdtight,”Harpersaid,andletintheclutch.As the van lurched forward, the back of my legs hit the edge of a

packingcaseandIsatdownonit.Myfacewasrightupagainstthesmallwindowattheback.

Wewentuptothetopoftherampagain,waitedamomentortwoforabus to go by, and then made a left turn on down towards the GalataBridge.ThroughthewindowIcouldseethePeugeotparkedoppositethegarage.

ItwasstilltherewhenIlostsightofit.Ithadn’tmoved.Itwaswaiting,faithfuluntodeath,fortheLincolntocomeout.

10

FORAMINUTEortwoIcouldn’tbelievethatithadhappened,andkeptlookingbackthroughthewindowexpectingtoseethatthePeugeotwasfollowingafterall.Itwasn’t.Fischerwasswearingandmassaginghisleftshoulderwhere thedoorhadcaughthim.Millerwasgrinning tohimselfas ifatsomeprivate joke.Aswebouncedover the tram linesonto theGalataBridge,Igaveuplookingbackandstaredatthefloor.Atmyfeet,amid some wood shavings, there were torn pieces of an Athensnewspaper.

Ofthesixpackingcasesinthevan,threewerebeingusedasseats.Fromthewaytheotherthreevibratedandslidabouttheyappearedtobeempty.FromthewayMillerandFischerwerehavingtoholdontosteadythemselveson the corners, it lookedas if their caseswereempty, too.Minewasmoresteady.ItseemedlikelythatthecasethatIwassittingonnowheld thegrenades, thepistols,and theammunition thathadcomefromAthensinsidethedoorsofthecar.Iwishedthewholelotwouldblowupthenandthere.Itdidn’tevenoccurtome,then,towonderhowtheyweregoingtobeused.Ihadenoughtothinkofwithmyowntroubles.

AsHarperdrovepastAyaSophiaandheadedtowardsthegateintheoldSeragliowall,hebegantotalkoverhisshouldertous.

“Leogoesfirst.HansandArthurtogetherahundredyardsbehindhim.Arthur, you pay forHans so that he doesn’t have to fumble formoneywiththosebandageson.Right?”

“Yes.”HedrovethroughintotheCourtyardoftheJanissariesandpulledup

underthetreesoppositeSt.Irene.“I’mnot takingyouanynearer to theentrance,”hesaid. “There’llbe

guideshangingaroundandwedon’twantthemidentifyingyouwiththisvan.Onyourway,Leo.Seeyoutonight.”

MillergotoutandwalkedtowardstheOrtakapiGate.Hehadaboutahundredandfiftyyardstogo.

Whenhehadcoveredhalfthedistance,Harpersaid:“Okay,youtwo.Get ready. And, Arthur, you watch yourself. Leo and Hans both havegunsandthey’llusethemifyoustartgettingoutoflineinanyway.”

“Iwillthinkofthetwothousanddollars.”“Youdothat.I’llberightbehindyounow,justtoseethatyoumakeit

inside.”“We’llmakeit.”I wanted to appear as co-operative as I could just then, because,

althoughIwassickwithpanic,Ihadthoughtofawayofstoppingthemthattheycouldn’tblameonme-at least inadangerousway. Istillhadmyguide’s license.Tufanhadwarnedmeagainstattractingattentiontomyselfasaguide incaseIwaschallengedandhadtoshowit.Hehadsaid that, because I was a foreigner, that would cause trouble withmuseumguards.Well,troublewithmuseumguardswastheonekindoftroubleIneededatthatmoment;andthemorethebetter.

FischerandIbegantowalktowardsthegate.Millerwaswithinafewyardsofit,andIsawaguideapproachhim.Millerwalkedstraightoninwithoutaglanceattheman.

“That’stheway,”Fischersaid,andbegantowalkalittlefaster.Thehooksbegan to thumpagainstmy legs. “Not so fast,” I said; “if

thesehooksswingtoomuchthey’llshow.”Hesloweddownagainimmediately.“Youneedn’tworryabouttheguides,”Isaid.“I’vegotmylicense.I’llbe

yourguide.”AswegotneartheGate,Ibegantogivehimthesetspeech,allabout

theweeklyexecutions,theblock,thefountain,theExecutionerwhowasalsotheChiefGardener.

TheguidewhohadapproachedMillerwaswatchingus,soIraisedmyvoiceslightlytomakesurethatheheardmeandknewwhatIwasupto.WhatIhopedwasthathewouldfollowusandcomplainaboutmetotheguardatthegate.Instead,helostinterestandturnedaway.

Itwasdisappointing,butIhadanotherplanworkedoutbythen.Justinsidethegatehousethereisthecounterwhereyoupaytogoin.

When I got to it, I handed theman three separate lira and said: “Twotickets,please.”AtthesametimeIshowedhimmyguide’slicense.

FromhispointofviewIhaddonethreewrongthings. Ihadshownaguide’s license,andyet,byasking for two tickets, revealed that Ididn’tknowtheguideswereadmittedfree; Ihadgivenhimthree lira,whicharealguidewouldhaveknownwasenough tobuysix tickets;and IhadspokentohiminEnglish.

He was a haggard man with a small black moustache and adisagreeable expression. I waited for trouble. It never came. He didabsolutelynothingbutglanceatthelicense,pushacrossoneticket,takeone of the lira, and giveme sixty kurush change. It wasmaddening. Ipickedthechangeupveryslowly,hopinghewouldstarttothink,buthewasgazingintospace,boredtodeath.

“Let’sgo,”Fischersaid.OutofthecornerofmyeyeIcouldseeHarperapproachingthegate.

Therewasnothingforitbuttogoon.Usuallythereareoneortwoguidestouting for customers inside theSecondCourtyard. In fact, it hadbeenthere that I had been challenged three years previously.That episodehadendedup inmybeing jailedfor thenight. Icouldonlycountonthesamethinghappeningagain.

Ofcourse, thesamethingdidnothappenagain.Because itwas thelasthourofthemuseumday,allthecourtyardguideswereeitheroutwithpartiesofsuckerscompletingtoursofthepalaceorcoolingtheirfatarsesinthenearestcafé

I didmy best. As wewalked on along the right side of the SecondCourtyard, I gaveFischer the set speechon theSeraglio kitchens - allabout the Sung, Yuna, andMing porcelains - but nobody asmuch aslooked at us. Miller had already reached the Gate of Felicity and wasstanding theregawkingat it likea tourist.Whenheheardour footstepsbehindhim,hewalkedthroughintotheThirdCourtyard.

I hesitated.Oncewewere through thegate, theAudienceChamberand theLibraryofAhmed theThirdwouldscreenus from thebuildingsacrossthecourtyardthatwereopentothepubic.Unlessaguardcameoutof themanuscript library,andtherewasnoreasonwhyoneshould,therewouldbenothingtostopusfromgettingtothedoortowhichMillerhadthekey.

“Whyareyoustopping?”Fischerasked.“Hesaidthatweweretostophere.”“Onlyiftherewereguideswatching.”There were footsteps on the paving stones behind us. I turned my

head.ItwasHarper.“Keepgoing.Arthur,” he said; “just keepgoing.”His voicewasquite

low,butithadanedgetoit.Hewasonlyaboutsixpacesawaynow,andIknewsuddenlyfromthe

lookonhisfacethatIdarenotlethimreachme.SoIwentonwithFischerthroughtheGateofFelicity.Isupposethat

obedience to Harper had become almost as instinctive with me asbreathing.

Ashehadsaid,thewalkwasexactlysixtypaces.Nobodystoppedus.Nobodynoticedus.MilleralreadyhadthedooropenwhenFischerandIgot there.All I rememberabout theoutsideof thedoorwas that ithadwoodmoldingsonitarrangedinanoctagonpattern.Then,withFischerbehind me, I was standing in a narrow stone passage with a vaultedceilingandMillerwasrelockingthedoor.

The passagewas about twenty feet long and ended in a blankwallwithacoiledfirehoseinsideaglass-frontedboxfastenedtoit.ThespiralstairwaytotheroofwasofironandhadthenameofaGermancompanyonit.Thesamecompanyhadsuppliedthefirehose.Millerwalkedtothebottomofthestaircaseandlookedupat itappreciatively.“Averyclevergirl,”hesaid.

Fischer shrugged. “For someone who interpreted air photos for theLuftwaffeitwasnotdifficult,”hesaid.“Ablindmancouldhaveseenthisontheenlargedphotoshehad.ItwasIwhohadtofindthewaytoit,andIwhohadtogetakeyandmakealltheotherarrangements.”

Miller chuckled. “It was she who had the idea, Hans, and Karl whoworkedoutthearrangements.Weareonlythetechnicians.Theyaretheartists.”

Heseemedtobeenjoyinghimselfthoroughly,andlookedmorewolfishthanever.Ifeltlikebeingsick.

Fischersatonthestairs.Millertookoffhiscoatandshirtandunwoundthe tackle from about his skinnywaist. There didn’t seem any point inbeinguncomfortableaswellasfrightened,soIunbuttoned,too,andgotridoftheslingandanchorrope.Heattachedthemtothetackle.Then,hetookablackvelvetbagfromhispocket.Itwasaboutthesizeofaman’ssockandhadadrawstringatthetopandaspringclip.Heattachedthecliptooneofthehooksonthesling.

“Now,”hesaid,“weareready.”Helookedathiswatch.“InanhourorsoGiulioandEnricowillbeontheirway.”

“Whoarethey?”Iasked.“Friendswhowillbringtheboatforus,”saidMiller.“Aboat?Howcanaboatreachus?”

“It doesn’t,” said Fischer. “We reach the boat. You know the yardsalongtheshorebytheoldcitywall,wheretheboatslandthefirewood?”

I did. Istanbul is a wood-burning city in winter. The firewood yardsstretchfornearlyamilealongthecoastroadsoutheastofSeraglioPoint,wherethewaterisdeepenoughforcoasterstocomecloseinshore.Butweweretwomilesfromthere.

“Dowefly?”“TheVolkswagenwillcallforus.”HegrinnedatMiller.“Hadn’tyoubettertellmemorethanthat?”“That is not our part of the operation,” Miller said. “Our part is this.

Whenwe leave theTreasurywegoquietlybackover thekitchensuntilwecometothewalloftheCourtyardoftheJanissariesabovetheplacewherethecarsparkduringtheday.Thewallisonlytwentyfeethighandtherearetreestheretoscreenuswhenwelowerourselvestothegroundwiththetackle.Then...”

“Then,” Fischer broke in, “we take a little walk to where theVolkswagenwillbewaiting.”

IansweredMiller. “IsMr.Fischer to lowerhimself to thegroundwithonehand?”

“Hewillseathimselfinthesling.Onlyonehandisneededtoholdontothebuckles.”

“Evenintheoutercourtyardwearestillinsidethewalls.”“Therewillbeawaythroughthem.”Hedismissedthesubjectwithan

impatientwaveofhishandandlookedabouthimforaplacetositdown.There was only the iron staircase. He examined the steps of it.“Everythinghereisverydirty,”hecomplained.“Thatthesepeopledonotalldieofdiseaseisincredible.Immunity,perhaps.TherewasacityhereevenbeforeConstantine’s.Twothousandyearsormoreofplagueareinthisplace-cholera,bubonic,lavérole,dysentery.”

“Not any more, Leo,” said Fischer; “they have even cleaned thedrains.”

“Itisallwaitinginthedust,”Millerinsistedgloomily.Hearrangedthenylonropesoastomakeaseatonthestairsbefore

he sat down. His exuberance had gone. He had remembered aboutgermsandbacteria.

IsatonthebottomstepwishingthatIhadanirrationalanxietylikehistooccupymymind,insteadoftherealandimmediatefearsthatoccupied

mylungs,myheart,andmystomach.At fiveo’clock,bellsweresounded in thecourtyardsand therewere

one or two distant shouts. The guardswere herding everyone out andclosingupforthenight.

Istartedtolightacigarette,butMillerstoppedme.“Notuntilitisdark,”he said. “The sun might happen to illuminate the smoke before itdispersed above the roof. It is better also that we talk nomore. It willbecameveryquietoutsideandwedonotknowhow theacousticsofaplacelikethismaywork.Nounnecessaryrisks.”

That was what Tufan had said. I wondered what he was doing. Hemust,Ithought,alreadyknowthathehadlosteveryoneandeverything,exceptMissLippand theLincoln.ThePeugeotwouldhave radioed in.ThequestionwaswhetherthesurveillancepeoplehadrememberedtheVolkswagenvanornot. If theyhad, therewouldbea faintpossibilityofTufan’sbeingabletotraceitusingthepolice;butitseemedveryfaint.Iwondered how many thousand Volkswagen vans there were in theIstanbularea.Ofcourse, if theyhadhappenedtonoticetheregistrationnumber-ifthis,ifthat.FischerbegantosnoreandMillertappedhisleguntilhestopped.

Thepatchofskyatthetopofthestaircaseturnedredandthengreyand then blue-black. I lit a cigarette and saw Miller’s teeth gleamingyellowlyinthelightofthematch.

“What about flashlights?” I whispered. “We won’t be able to see athing.”

“Therewillbeathird-quartermoon.”Atabouteighttherewasamurmurofvoicesfromoneorotherofthe

courtyards-inthereitwasimpossibletotellwhich-andamanlaughed.Presumably, the night watchmen were taking over. Then there wassilenceagain.Aplanegoingoverbecameanevent,something to thinkabout.WasitpreparingtolandatYesilköyairportorhaditjusttakenoff?

Fischerproduceda flaskofwaterwithametalcupon thebase,andwe each had a drink. Another age went by. Then there was the faintsoundofatrainpullingoutoftheSirkecistationandchuggingroundthesharp curve at Seraglio Point below. Its whistle sounded shrilly, like aFrenchtrain,andthenitbegantogatherspeed.Asthesounddiedaway,alightglared,almostblindingme.Millerhadapenlightinhishandandwaslookingathiswatch.Hesighedcontentedly.

“Wecango,”hewhispered.“Thelightamoment,Leo,”Fischersaid.Millerheld the lightup forhim.Withhisgoodhand,Fischereaseda

small snub-nosed revolver from his breast pocket, worked the safetycatch, and then transferred the thing to a side pocket. He gaveme ameaninglookashepattedit.

Miller got up, so I stood up, too. He came down the steps with thetackleandloopeditaroundoneshoulderlikeabandolier.“Iwillgofirst,”hesaid; “Arthurwill followme.Thenyou,Hans. Is thereanythingelse?Ahyes,thereis.”

Hewentandrelievedhimselfinthecornerbythefirehose.WhenhehadfinishedFischerdidthesametiling.

Iwassmoking. “Put thatoutnow,”Miller said.He lookedatFischer.“Areyouready?”

Fischernodded; then,an instantbefore the lightwentout, Isawhimcross himself. That is something I don’t understand. I mean, he wasaskingablessing,orwhateveritis,whenhewasgoingtocommitasin.

Miller went up the stairs slowly. At the top he paused, looking allaround,gettinghisbearings.Thenhebenthisheaddowntomine.

“Karlsaidthatyoumayhavevertigo,”hesaidsoftly;“butitisallquitesimple. Followme at three paces. Do not look sideways or back, onlyahead. There is one step down from the ironwork. Then there is leadsheet.Iwillstepdown,gothreepaces,andwaitalittlesothatyoureyescanadjustthemselves.”

I had been so long in the darkness that the intermittent glare of thepen light had been almost painful. Outside on the roof, the moonlightseemed tomakeeverythingasbrightasday; toobright formy liking; Iwas certain that someone would see us from the ground and startshooting. Fischermust have had the same feeling. I heard him swearunderhisbreathbehindme.

Miller’steethgleamedforaninstant;thenhestartedtomoveforwardpast the three cupolas over the quarters of theWhite Eunuchs. Therewasaspaceofaboutfivefeetbetweenthecupolasandtheedgeoftheroof.Stayingclose to thecupolasand lookingonlyaheadasMillerhadinstructedme, Ihadnosensationatallofbeingonahighplace.Forawhile,myonlyproblemwaskeepingupwithhim.Harperhadcomparedhimtoafly.Tomehelookedmorelikeanearwigasheslitheredround

the last of the three cupolas and scuttled on, leaning, inward over theslight hump in the centre of the roof. He stopped only once. He hadcrossed the roof of the Audience Chamber, to avoid what looked likethree large fanlights over theGate of Felicity, andwas returning to theEunuchs’ roof when another fanlight appeared and the flat surfacenarrowedsuddenly.Thewayacrosswasonlyabouttwofeetwide.

Isawthegroundbelowandstartedtogodownonmyknees-Imightjust have been able to crawl across by myself, I suppose - when hereachedback,grippedmyforearm,anddrewmetohim.Itwasdonesoquickly that I hadno time to get sick and losemybalance.His fingerswerelikesteelclamps.

Then, we were level with the kitchens and I could see the conicalbasesoftheirtensquatchimneysstretchingawaytotheright.Millerledthewaytotheleft.TheflatspaceherewasoverthirtyfeetwideandIhadnotrouble.Therewasafour-footrisethen,whichbroughtusoverthebigroomwiththeexhibitionofminiaturesandglassinit.Ahead,Icouldseethewholeofonecupolaand,beyond it, thetopofanothersmallerone.The smaller one, I knew, was the one on the roof of the TreasuryMuseum.

Millerbegan tomovemoreslowlyandcarefullyasheskirted thebigcupola.Everynowandagainhestopped.ThenIsawhimlowerhimselfover a ledge.When his feet foundwhatever therewas below, only hisheadandshoulderswereshowing.

Iwas following round thebigcupola,andhadstarted tomoveawayfrom it towards the ledge,whenMiller turnedandbeckoned tome.Hehad moved a yard or two towards the outer edge of the roof, so Ichangeddirection towardshim.That ishow itwas thatwhen Icame totheledgeIsawtoomuch.

TherewasthevaultedroofoftheTreasury,andthecupolawithaflatspaceaboutfourfeetwideallaroundthebaseofit.ThatiswhereMillerwas standing. But beyond him there was nothing, just a great blackemptiness,andthen,horriblyfarawaybelow,thefaintwhitehairlineofaroadinthemoonlight.

Ifeltmyselfstartingtolosemybalanceandfall,soIkneltdownquicklyandclungtotheleadsurfaceoftheroof.ThenIbeganretching.Icouldn’thelpit;I’veneverbeenabletohelpit.FromwhatI’veheardfrompeoplewhogotseasick, thatmustbe thesamesortof feeling;onlymy feeling

aboutheightsisworse.I had nothing in my stomach to throw up, but that didn’t make any

difference.Mystomachwentontryingtothrowup.Fischer began kicking me and hissing at me to be silent. Miller

reached up and draggedme by the ankles down over the ledge, thenmademesitwithmyback,againstthesideofthecupola.Heshovedmyhead hard between my knees. I heard a scuffling noise as he helpedFischerdownofftheledge,thentheirwhispering.

“Willhebeallright?”“Hewillhavetobe.”“Thefatfool.”FischerkickedmeasIstartedtoretchagain.Miller stopped him. “Thatwill do no good. Youwill have to help. As

longashegetsnonearertheedgeitmaybepossible.”IopenedmyeyesjustenoughtoseeMiller’sfeet.Hewaslayingout

theanchor roperound thecupolaandpresentlyhepulledoneendof itdownbetweenmybackandthepartIwasleaningagainst.Amomentortwolater,hecroucheddowninfrontofmeandbeganknottingtherope.Whenthatwasdone,heslippedontheupperblockof the liftingtackle.Thenhebroughthisheadclosetomine.

“Canyouhearme,Arthur?”“Yes.”“Ifyoudidn’thavetomove,you’dfeelsafehere,wouldn’tyou?”“Idon’tknow.”“Youaresafenow,aren’tyou?”“Yes.”“Thenlisten.Youcanhandlethetacklefromhere.Openyoureyesand

lookupatme.”Imanagedtodoso.Hehadtakenhiscoatoffandlookedskinnierthan

ever.“Hanswillbeattheedge,”hewenton,“andwithhisgoodhandwillholdmycoatinplacethere.Inthatwaytheropeswillrunsmoothlyoveritandnotbecut.Youunderstand?”

“Yes.”“Andyouwillnothavetogoneartheedge-onlyletoutropeandpull

inwhenyouaretold.”“Idon’tknow.SupposingIletitslip.”“Well,thatwouldbebad,becausethenyouwouldhaveonlyHansto

dealwith,andhewouldcertainlymakesurethatyouslipped,too.”

Theteeth,ashesmiled,were likerowsofgravestones.Suddenlyhepickedupacoilofropefromtheleadbesidehimandputitinmyhands.

“Getreadytotakethestrain,”hesaid,“andrememberthatitstretches.Idon’tmindhowslowly Igodownorhowquickly Icomeup.Hanswillgiveyouthesignalstolower,stop,andraise.”Hepointedtoaridgeinthelead.“Braceyourfeetagainstthis.So.”

The day Mum died, the Imam came and intoned verses from theKoran.Nowtastethetormentofthefireyoucalledalie.

Millerslippedtheendoftheropearoundmychestandknotteditfirmly.Thenhehauledintheslack.“Areyouready,Arthur?”

Inodded.“ThenlookatHans.”IletmyeyesgotoFischer’slegsandthenhisbody.Hewaslyingon

hisrightsidewithhisshoulderonMiller’scoatandhisrighthandonthetacklereadytoguideit.Idared

notlookanynearertheedge.IknewIwouldpassoutifIdid.I sawMiller put a pair of gloves on, step into the sling, then crouch

downandmoveoutofsight.“Now,”Fischerwhispered.The strain didn’t come suddenly; the stretch in the nylon had to be

takenup first.Myhandswereslipperywithsweatand Ihad looped therope round thesleeveofmy leftarm togivememorepurchase.Whenthe full strain came, the loop tightened like a tourniquet. Then thepressure fluctuated and I could feelMiller bouncing in the sling as thetacklesettleddown.

“Steady.”Fischerheldhisrighthandpalmdownwardsoverthetackle.Themovementintheblockbytheanchorropebesidemeceased.“Lowerslowly.”Ilettheropeslideroundmyarmandthebouncingbeganagain.“Keepgoing,smoothly.”Iwentonpayingout therope.Therewas lessbouncingnow, justan

occasional vibration.Millerwasusinghis feet tosteadyhimselfagainstthewallashedescended.Iwatchedthecoilofropebesidemegrowingsmaller and had another terror to fight. The end of the rope was tiedroundmychest.Icouldn’tuntieitnowwithoutlettinggo.Iftherewerenotenoughrope in thecoil toreachtheshutterbelow,Fischerwouldmakememovenearertotheedge.

Therewas about six feet left to gowhen he raised his hand. “Stop.Holdstill.”

I was so relieved that I didn’t notice the pain in my arm from thetightenedloop;Ijustclosedmyeyesandkeptmyheaddown.

Therewereslightmovementsontherope,and,afteramomentortwo,faintclickingsoundsashewent toworkon themetalshutters.Minuteswentby.Myleftarmbegantogonumb.Then,therewasanothersoundfrom below, a sort of hollow tapping. It only lasted a moment, beforeFischerhissedatme.Iopenedmyeyesagain.

“Loweralittle,veryslowly.”AsIobeyedIfeltthetensionintheropesuddenlyslacken.Millerwas

inside.“Rest”I loosened the rope onmy arm andmassaged it until the pins and

needlesbegan.Ididn’ttrytomassagethemaway.Theykeptmymindonmyarmandawayfromotherthings,suchasthedaythegamesmasterhadmademedive.Whenyougotintothecadetcorpsyouhadtobeabletoswim,and,onceaweek,alltheboysineachsquadwhocouldn’tdosoweremarchedtotheLewishamPublicBathstotakelessons.Whenyouhadlearnedtoswimyouhadtodive.Ididn’tmindtheswimmingpart,butwhenmyheadwentunderwaterIwasalwaysafraidofdrowning.ForatimeIdidn’thaveto,becauseIkepttellingthegamesmasterthatIhadbadears;butthenhesaidthatIwouldhavetogetadoctor’scertificate.Itriedtowriteonemyself,butIdidn’tknowtheproperwordstouseandhecaughtmeout.IexpectedhimtosendmewithanotetoTheBristle,butinsteadhemademedive. Isay“dive.”Whathedidwaspickmeupbyonearmandalegandthrowmeinthedeepend;andhekeptondoingit.EverytimeImanagedtogetout,evenwhileIwasstillchokingupwater,hewould throwme inagain.Oneof theattendantsat theBathshad tostophimintheend.Hewasmarried,soIwrotealettertohiswifetellingherhowhemessedaboutwithcertainboysinthechangingcubiclesandpestered them to feel him. I was careless though, because I used thesame handwriting as I had used on the certificate, and he knew forcertainitwasme.Hecouldn’tproveit,ofcourse,becausehehadtornupthecertificate.Hetookmeintoalobbyandaccusedmeandcalledmean“unspeakable little cad”; but thatwasall hedid.Hewas really shaken.When I realized it, I could have kickedmyself. If I had known that he

actuallyhadbeenmessingaboutwithboysinthecubicles,Icouldhaveput thepoliceontohim.As itwas, Ihadsimplywarnedhimtobemorecareful.He had thin, curly brown hairwith an officer’smoustache, andwalkedasifhehadspringsonthesolesofhisfeet.Thetermafterthatheleftandwenttoanotherschool.

FischerhissedatmeandIopenedmyeyes.“Takethestrain.”Iwrapped the rope roundmywaist this time so that I couldusemy

weighttopushawayfromtheedgeifnecessary.“Ready?”Inoddedandheldontight.Therewasa jerkasMillergothisweight

intotheslingagain.ThenFischernodded.“Up.”Istartedtopull.Thefrictionoftheropeagainstthecoatontheedgeof

theroofmadeitterriblyhard.Thesweatranintomyeyes.TwiceIhadtostopandknottheroperoundmywaistsothatIcouldwipemyhandsandease the cramp in my finger; but the coil got larger again and thenFischerbegantousehisgoodhandononeoftheropesinthetackle.

“Slow...slower...stop.”SuddenlythetackleranfreeandMiller,grinning,wascrawlingacross

therooftowardsme.Hepattedmyleg.“Merci,monchercollégue,”hesaid.I shutmy eyes and nodded. Through the ringing inmy ears I could

hearhimreportingtoFischerashegatheredinthetackle.“All thosewecountedonanda fewmore togarnish thedish. Ieven

fastenedtheshuttersagain.”Ifelthimuntyingtheropefrommychest.WhenIopenedmyeyeshe

was clipping the velvet bag to his belt. Fischer was fumbling with theknots in the anchor rope. I crawled over and began to help him. All Iwantedwastogetaway,andIknewthattheywouldhavetohelpme.

Fischerwithhisinjuredhandneededhelptogetbackontotheupperrooflevel.Then,Millersomehowmanagedtoheavemeuphighenoughformetoclawmywayovertheledge.Icrawledthenonmyhandsandknees to theshelterof thebigcupola.By the timeMiller reachedme, Iwasabletostandup.

Westartedback,aswehadstartedout,withMiller in the lead.Thistime, however, therewasno turn tomake.We left theWhiteEunuchs’

quartersonourrightandwentonoverthekitchenroofstothewallbytheGateofSalvation.Therewasoneawkwardplace-forme,thatis-bytheoldwatertower,butIsomehowgotpastitonmyhandsandknees;thenwewereonthewalloverlookingtheCourtyardoftheJanissaries.

Therewasarowof tallplanetreesclosetothewall,andMillerusedanoverhangingbranchasananchorfor thetackle.He loweredFischerfirst, in the sling, and then me; but he wouldn’t use the sling himself,becausethatwouldhavemeantleavingthetackleinthetree.Itwasnotthe tackle itself he cared about, he said; he didn’t want to leave anytraces behind of how the job had been done. He got off the wall byloopingtheanchorropeoverthebranchandslidingdownit.Doubledlikethat,itwasn’tquitelongenoughtoreachtheground,sohedroppedthelastsixfeet,pullingoneendoftheropewithhim.Helandedaslightlyasacatandbegangathering in therope.Afterallhehaddone,hewasn’tevenoutofbreath.

Fischertookovertheleadnow,andheadedfortheouterwallonalineparallelwith the road the tourist carusedduring theday.Millerwalkedbehindme.Afteraminuteor two,wecouldsee the lightsof theguardroombeside the hugeBab-i-HümayunGate andFischer sloweddown.Wehadbeenwalkingintheshadowofarowoftrees,butnowtheycameto an end. Fifty yards across the road to the right was the bulk of St.Irene;ahead the road forked, the rightpronggoing to thegate, the leftprongnarrowingandcurvinginwarddownthehilltowardsthesea.

Fischerstopped,staringatthegate.Itwasnomore than fifty yardsawayand I could see thesentry.He

hadhiscarbineslungoverhisshoulderandwaspickinghisnose.Fischerputhismouthtomyear.“Whattimeisit?”“Fivetoten.”“Wehavetimetowait.”“Waitforwhat?”“Wehavetogoleftdownthehill.Theguardchangesinfiveminutes.It

willbesaferthen.”“Wherearewegoingto?”“Therailroad-whereitbridgesthewall.”Asectionoftherailwayranalongtheshorelinejustinsidethebigwall

foraboutthreequartersofamile;butIknewthattherewereguardpostsatbothendsofit.Isaidso.

Hegrinned.“Guardposts,yes.Butnogates.”Millerhissedawarning.Anoblongoflightglowedasthedooroftheguardroomopened.For

aninstanttwomenwereoutlinedinthedoorway.Then,asthebusinessofchangingsentriesbegan,Fischertouchedmyarm.

“Now.”Hemoved forward out of the shadow of the trees and cut across a

patchofroughgrasstotheroad.Itdescendedsharplyandnarrowedtolittlemorethanatrack.Withinthirtysecondsthetopoftheslopehidusfrom the sentries. Fischer glanced back to see thatwewerewith him,andthenwalkedonatamoreleisurelypace.

Ahead was a strip of sea and beyond it the lights of Selimiye andHaydarpasarontheAsianside.Otherlightsmovedacrossthewater-aferryandsmallfishingboats.Inthedaylight,touristswithmoviecameraswastehundredsof feetof filmontheview. Isuppose it’sverybeautiful.Personally,Ineverwanttoseeitagain-inanysortoflight.

Afteracoupleofminutes’walkingwecametoanothertrack,whichledofftotherighttowardstheouterwall.Fischercrosseditandwentstraighton down over a stretch of wasteland. There were piles of rubble fromarchaeologicaldiggings,andpartwasterracedasif ithadatsometimebeen cultivated as a vineyard. At the bottom was the railwayembankment.

There was a wooden fence running alongside it, and Miller and IwaitedwhileFischerfoundthedamagedsectionwhichhehadchosenonan earlier reconnaissance as the bestway through. It was about thirtyyardstotheright.Weclamberedoversomebrokenboardstothesideoftheembankmentandwalkedalongthedrainageditch.Fiveminuteslateritwaspossibletoseethebigwallagain.Wewalkedonanotherhundredfeet,andtheretheembankmentended.Ifweweretogoanyfartherwehadtoclimbupandwalkalongthetrackoverthebridge.

“Fischerstoppedandturned.“Whatisthetime?”“Ten-fifteen,”saidMiller.“Whereistheguardpostexactly?”“On the other side of the bridge, a hundred metres from here.” He

turnedtome.“Nowlisten.Atrainwillbecomingsoon.Whenitstartstocrossthebridgewegotothetopoftheembankment.Assoonasthelastwagon has passed us, we start to follow along the tracks at walkingspeed.When we have gone about twenty metres we will hear a loud

explosionahead.Thenwestart to run,butnot too fast.Haveyoueversmelledteargas?”

“Yes.”“Youwillsmell itagain,butdonotworry.It isourteargas,nottheirs.

And there will be smoke, too, also ours. The train will have just gonethrough.Theguardpostwillnotknowwhatishappening.Theymaythinkthe trainhasblownup. Itdoesnotmatter.The teargasand thesmokewillmakeithardforthemtothink,orsee.Ifanyofthemtriestoohardhewillgetabulletoraplasticgrenadetodiscouragehim.Intheconfusionwerun through.Andthen,as I toldyou, theVolkswagenwillbewaitingforus.”

“Whataboutourconfusion?”Isaid.“Howdoweseewheretogowithteargasandsmoke?”

Millernodded.“Iaskedthesamequestion,myfriend.Weshouldhavehadrespirators.ButKarl’sargumentwasgood.Withsomuchtoconceal,howcouldwecarryrespirators,too?”

“I made the experiment,” Fischer said defensively. “I tried to take arespiratorin.Theystoppedmebecauseofthebulgeinmypocket.Theythought I was trying to smuggle a camera into the Seraglio. They arestrictaboutthat,asyouknow.Itwasembarrassing.”

“Howdidyouexplainit?”Millerasked.“IsaidIwasadoctor.”“Theybelievedyou?”“Ifyousayyouareadoctor,peoplewillbelieveanything.Weneednot

worrywheretogo.WesimplyfollowtherailtracksandleaveeverythingtoKarl.Wehavedoneourworkforthisevening.Nowweonlywaitforourtrain.”

Wewaitedtwenty-fiveminutes.It was a mixed train, Fischer said, carrying newspapers, mailbags,

localfreight,andafewpassengerstothesmalltownsbetweenIstanbulandPehlivanköy.ItchuffedtowardsthebridgeasnoisilyandimportantlyastheOrientExpress.Therewasaslightoffshorebreezeblowing.Thethick black smoke from the engine rolled along our side of theembankmentandengulfedus.

“Los!Vorwärts!”Fischershouted,and,coughingandsputtering,MillerandIscrambledafterhimuptheembankment.

Forhalfaminutewestayedtherewiththetrainwheelsclackingovera

jointintherailsaboutthreefeetfromournoses.Then,thelastaxleboxwentby.

“Los!”saidFischeragain,andwewerestumblingalongthesideofthetracksbetweenthejuttingendsofthetiesandtheparapetofthebridge.

Wemust have beenabout seventy yards from the guard postwhenthe concussion grenade went off, and even at that distance thedetonation made my ears sing. In front of me Fischer began to trot.Almostimmediatelyhetrippedoversomethingandfell.Iheardhimgaspwithpainashisleftarmhitatie;buthewasonhisfeetandmovingagainbeforeIgottohim.

Therewasshoutingaheadnow,andIcouldheartheplunking,sizzlingnoiseoftear-gasandsmokegrenadesdetonating.Thetrainsmokewasstillbillowingaround,butamoment later Igot thefirstwhiffofchemicalsmoke.ThreeyardsmoreandIsawthewhitebandageonFischer’srighthandgo tohis forehead.Then, Iwas in the teargas, too,and the firstexcruciating reaction of the sinuses began to spread into my eyes. Iblundered on, choking. As the tears began to blind me, anotherconcussiongrenadewentoff.Then,ashapeloomedupoutofthesmokeandarespiratorgoggledatme;ahandgrippedmyarmsandsteeredmetotheright.Ihadavague,tear-blurredimpressionofalightedroomandamaninuniformwithhishandsabovehisdroopingheadleaningagainsta wall. Then, the arm belonging to the hand was supporting me as Istumbleddownalongfightofsteps.

I was out of the smoke now and I could just see the door of theVolkswagen van. The arm shoved me towards it. I almost fell inside.Fischerwasalreadythere,hawkingandcoughing.Moregrenadeswereexploding on the bridge above as Miller scrambled in after me. Thentherewasasoundofrunningfeetandthemenintherespiratorspiledin.Someonepressedthestarter.Amomentlaterthevanwasonthemove.Iwascrouchedon the flooragainstoneof theemptypackingcasesandsomebody was treading on my feet. The stink of tear gas waseverywhere.IheardHarper’svoicefromthefrontpassengerseat.

“Everythingokay,Leo?”Millerwascoughingandchuckingat thesame time. “Thedogshave

fedandclothedthemselves,”hewheezed.

11

THEREWEREFIVEmenbesidesHarperintherespirators,butmyeyeswerestillsopainfulthatIdidn’tseeanyoftheirfaceswellenoughtobeable to identify them. One of them was named Franz and he spokeGerman as well as Turkish. I know, because I heard him use bothlanguages-theGermantoFischer.TheotherfouronlyspokeTurkish,Ithink.Ican’tbecertain,becauseIwasonlywiththemafewminutes,andIwascoughingmostofthetime.

The van must have gone about three miles when it slowed down,madeawideUturn,andstopped.

Harperopenedthedoorfromtheoutside.Millerwasnearestthedoorandhegotoutfirst.Ifollowed,withFischer

behindme.Theothermenjustmovedenoughtomakewayforus.ThenHarpershutthedooragainandthevanwasdrivenoff.

“Thisway,”Harpersaid.Wewereoppositeoneofthebigwoodyardsbyanunloadingpierand

somebeachedcaïques.Heledthewayalongthepier.IwasbeginningtoseewellenoughagainnowtorecognizeGiuliostandingupintheBulut’soutboard dinghy.We climbed down into it. I heardGiulio askingwho Iwasandbeingtoldthathewouldfindout later.Thenthemotorstarted,andweshotawayfromthepier.

TheBulutwasanchoredaquarterofamileaway,andamanondeck,Enrico presumably, was at the small gangway waiting to help us onboard.Ifollowedtheotherstothesaloon.

BythetimeIreachedthebottomofthenarrowcompanionwaythatleddown to it,Harperwasalreadyuntying thedrawstringofMiller’s velvetbag,whiletheotherscrowdedroundtolook.IsawtheglitterofdozensofgreenandredstonesandIheardGiuliodrawinhisbreath.Thestonesdidn’t look all that large to me; but, of course, I am no judge of suchthings.

Harperwasgrinninghisheadoff.“Nothingbutthebest,Leo,”hesaid.“You’reagreatman.”

“Howmuch?”saidFischer.“Betterthanamillionandahalf,”Harperreplied.“Let’sbeonourway

assoonaswecan,Giulio.”“Pronto.”Giuliobrushedpastmeandwentup thecompanionway.Therewere

sandwichesanddrinkssetoutat theotherendof the table.While theydrooledoverthestones,Ipouredmyselfalargewhisky.

Harperlookedacrossatme.“Aren’tyouinterestedintheloot,Arthur?”I had a sudden desire to hit him. I shrugged indifferently. “I’m not

interested in counting chickens,” I said. “I’ll settle for two thousanddollars,cashonthebarrel.”

They all stared at me in silence for a moment. The deck began tovibrateastheboat’sdieselsstartedup.

Harper glanced at Miller. “I take it Arthur behaved himself thisevening.”

“Hewasadamnednuisance,”Fischersaidspitefully.Harperignoredhim.“Well,Leo?”“Hewasafraid,”Milleranswered;“butwhathedidwasenough.Under

thecircumstancesIthinkhedidwell.”Harper looked at me again. “Why the cracks, Arthur? What’s the

problem?”“Howdoyouimagineyou’regoingtogetawaywithit?”“Oh,Isee.”Herelaxedagain,allsmiles.“SoourArthur’sworriedthat

the bloodhounds are going to start snapping at his butt, is he? Well,forgetit.Theywon’t.AlltheyknowsofaristhatabunchofarmedmeninaVolkswagenvanrougheduponeoftheirguardposts.Sothefirstthingthey’lldoissetupblocksonalltheroadsleadingoutofthecityandlookfor thevan.They’ll find it,abandoned,over inGalata.Then they’ll starttheusualroutine-Who’stheowner?Whereishe?Whatdidhelooklike?-andgetnoplace.Bythen,though,they’llhavedonesomethinking,too,and some big brain will be starting to wonder why it had to be thatparticularpostandwhynobodygotkilled -whya lotof things.Hemayeven thinkof checkingout theTreasuryMuseumandsocomeupwiththerightanswer.Whenhedoes,they’lldoubleupontheroadblocksandthrowoutthedragnet.Onlywewon’tbeinsideit.We’llbegoingashoreat a little place sixtymiles from here and two hours’ easy driving fromEdirneand the frontier.”Hepattedmyarm. “Andwherewegoashore,Arthur,MissLippwillbewaitingtopickusup.”

“WiththeLincoln?”

“Whatelse?Wewouldn’twanttowalk,wouldwe,orleavewithoutourbags?”

Ihadto laugh. Icouldn’thelp it.And itdidn’tmatter,becauseHarperthoughtthatitwasthebeautyofhisplanthatIfoundsoamusing,andnotthebloodygreatholeinit.Ithoughtofthecustomsinspector’sfacewhentheLincolndroveupforclearance-ifTufanallowedittogetthatfar-andwhenhesawmeagain.IlaughedsomuchthatFischerbegantolaugh,too. Itwas thebestmoment Ihad indays. Iatesomesandwichesandhad another drink. There was garlic sausage in the sandwiches, but Ididn’tevenhaveatwingeofindigestion.Ithoughtmyworrieswereover.

TheplaceweweretogoashorewasaportcalledSereffi,afewmilessouth ofCorlu.Harper said that itwould take five hours to get there. IcleanedoffthefilthIhadcollectedfromtheSeraglioroofasbestIcouldandwenttosleepinthesaloon.Theothersusedthecabins.GiulioandEnricorantheboatbetweenthem.Ifoundoutlaterthattheyhadsenttheboat’s regular crew ashore at Pendik for an evening on the town, andthen slipped out of the harbour after dark. The patrol boat that wassupposedtobekeepinganeyeontheBulutmisseditcompletely.

Itwas getting lightwhen voices in the saloonwokeme.Harper andMiller were drinking coffee, and Fischer was trying to make his dirtybandages lookmore presentable by brushing them. He seemed to behavingasortofdiscussionwithHarper.As itwas inGerman, Icouldn’tunderstand.ThenHarperlookedatmeandsawthatIwasawake.

“Arthurcanuseascrewdriver,”hesaid,“ifyoujustshowhimwhattodo.”

“Whichdoor?”Fischerasked.“Doesitmatter?Howabouttherightrear?”“Weweretalkingaboutasafeplacefor the loot,”Harpersaid tome.

“Insideoneofthecardoorsseemsagoodplaceforthecustomspeopletoforgetabout.”

“Arthurwouldnotknowaboutsuchthings,”Millersaidwaggishly.They had a good laugh over that gem of wit, while I tried to look

mystified. Luckily, Enrico came in just then and said that wewould beenteringportintenminutes.

Ihadsomeofthecoffeeandastalesandwich.Harperwentuptothewheelhouse. Half an hour later, the sun was up and we weremooredalongsideastonejetty.

Fishermen are early risers and the harbour was already busy.Cuttlefish boats were unloading the night’s catch at the quayside.Caïqueswith single-cylinder engineswere chugging out to sea. A portofficial came aboard to collect dues. After a while, Harper came downand said that he was going ashore to make sure that Miss Lipp wasthere.HeleftthevelvetbagwithFischer.

He returned fifteen minutes later and reported that the Lincoln wasparkedinasidestreetbesideacaférestaurantonthemainsquare.MissLippwas in therestauranteatingbreakfast.Thesidestreetwasaquietone.FischerandIcouldgetbusyonthedoor.Wewouldbeallowedhalfanhourtocompletethejob.

Fischer borrowed a screwdriver from Enrico and we went ashore.Nobodyseemedtotakeanynoticeofus,probablybecausewelookedsoscruffy.Icouldn’tseetheOpelorthePeugeotanywhereabout;butthatdidn’tworryme. Iknew thatoneorotherof themwouldbeon tap.Wefound the car without difficulty and I started on the door. It was anordinary screwdriver I had toworkwith, but theearlier removalsof thepanel had eased the screws and I didn’t do any more damage to theleather. It took me ten minutes to take the panel off, five seconds forFischertowedgethevelvetbaginclearofthewindowmechanism,andfifteenminutes forme to replace thepanel.ThenFischerand Igot intothebackseat.Twominutes later,MissLippcameoutof the restaurantandgotbehindthewheel.IfshehadsleptthepreviousnightitwouldonlyhavebeenattheinninCorlu;butshelookedasfreshasshealwaysdid.

“Good morning, Hans. Good morning, Arthur. The others are justcomingacrossthesquarenow,”shesaid.

They arrived a moment after. Harper got in the front seat with her.Millersatonmyleft.Shesaid“goodmorning”toMiller,anddroveoffthemomentsheheardthedoorclose.

FromSereffi toCorlu,wherewewould join themain Istanbul-Edirneroad, therearetwelvemilesofnarrowsecondaryroad.Thefirstmileorsoiswinding,andIwaiteduntilwegottoastraighterpartbeforeIriskedalookback.

ThePeugeotwasthere,andIcaughtaglimpseofanothercarbehindit.TheOpelwasonthejobaswell.

Harper had started tellingMiss Lipp about the night’s work and thesizeof thehaul.Millerwasputting inhisword, too.Therewasa lot of

mutual congratulation. It was like being in the winning team’s bus. Iwasn’tneededintheconversation,anddidn’thavetolistentoiteither.Icouldthink.

Therewereseveralpossibleexplanationsforthetwocarsbeingthere.Miss Lipp had probably driven straight to Corlu from the garage, afterdroppingusthepreviousafternoon.BythetimeshehadlefttheIstanbularea,Tufanmusthavebeentoldthatthemenwerenolongerinthecar,andrealized thathisonlyhopeof re-establishingcontact lay inkeepingtrackof theLincoln.TheOpel couldhavebeensent tomakesure thattherewerenofurthermistakes.Or itmayhavebeentocompensateforlack of radio communication outside the Istanbul area. The two carscouldtalktooneanother;ifanurgentreportbecamenecessary,onecarcouldstopandreachIstanbulbytelephonewhiletheothercontinuedthesurveillance. Then a third possibility occurred tome. Tufanmust havebeen toldabout theattackon theguardpost.Assoonasheheard thedetails-smoke,teargas,concussiongrenades,sixmeninrespirators-hewould know that the attack and the Lincolnwere related. If he alsoknewthattheBuluthad leftPendikandthat theLincolnhadstoppedatCorlu,hemighthavedecidedthatreinforcementswerenecessaryinthatarea.

Theonlycertainty, Idecidedsourly,was thatTufanwouldnotbe the“bigbrain”whowouldthinkofcheckingtheTreasuryMuseum.Hewouldstill beoff onhispoliticalwild-goosechase.Well, hewouldhavesomesurprisescoming.

AtthatmomentMissLippsaidsharply:“Karl!”Miller had been in themiddle of saying something and he broke off

abruptly.“Whatisit?”Harpersaid.Thatbrowncarbehindus. Itwasbehindmeyesterdaywhen Idrove

out from Istanbul. I thought then that I’dnoticed itbefore,earlier in theday.Infact,IwassosurethatwhenIstoppedatCorluIwaitedtogetalookat it.When itdidn’tshowup I figured ithad turnedoffsomewhereandthoughtnomoreaboutit.”

“Don’t look around, anyone,” Harper said. He swivelled the drivingmirrorsothathecouldlookbehind.Afteramoment,hesaid:“Tryslowingdown.”

Shedidso. Iknewwhatwouldhappen.ThePeugeotwouldkeep its

distance. After about a minute, Harper twisted the mirror back intoposition.“Doyouthinkyoucouldloseit?”hesaid.

“Notontheseroads.”“Okay.Justkeepgoing.Doesn’tlooklikeapolicecar.Iwonder...”“Franz!”Fischersaidsuddenly.“Allsetforalittlehijackingoperation,youmean?”“Whynot?”“Hecouldhavedonethatbetterlastnightwhenhehadusinthevan,”

saidMuller.“I’mnotsosure,”saidHarper.“Hemighthavefiguredthatitwouldbe

safertowaituntilwewerealloutsidethecity.”“ButFranzdidn’tknowthisendoftheplan,”MissLippobjected.“Ifheputatailonyou,”Fischersaid,“hecouldhaveguessed.”“Well,we’llsoon findout,”Harpersaidgrimly. “Thereareonly twoof

theminthatcar.Ifit’sFranzwe’redealingwith,thatprobablymeansthathe’ssetupanambushsomewhereaheadwithhisothertwomugs.Thatmakesfive.Weonlyhavethreeguns,sowe’dbettertakecareofthislotfirst.We’llpickaspotwithsometreesandthenpullofftheroad.Okay?”

“MayIlookroundatthiscar?”Iasked.“Why?”“ToseeifIrecognizeit.”Iknewthat Ihadtodosomething. If theystartedshootingatTurkish

securityagents,Turkishsecurityagentsweregoingtostartshootingback-andtheyweren’tgoingtostoptoaskquestionsorworryaboutwhogothit.

“Okay,”besaid;“butmakeitcasual.”Ilookedback.“Well?”heasked.“I don’t recognize the brown one,” I said, “but there’s another one

behindit,agreyOpel.”“That’sright,”MissLippsaid;“it’sbeentheresometime.Butsowhat?

Theroad’stoonarrowforpassing.”“I’malmostsureitwasoutsidethatgarageyesterdayafternoon.”Itried

tosoundlikeareallyworriedman.Itwasn’tverydifficult.“TherearemanygreyOpels,”Millersaid.Harperhadswivelledthemirroragainandwaspeering into it. “You’d

betterlook,too,Leo,”hesaidgrimly.“Seetheantenna?”

Millerlookedandswore.“Itcouldbeacoincidence,”hesaid.“Couldbe.Doyouwanttotakeachanceonit?”“No,”saidFischer.“Iagree,”saidMiller;“butwhatdowedoaboutthem?”Harper thought foramoment.Thenheasked: “Howmuch farther to

Corlu?”“Aboutthreekilometres,”MissLippanswered.“ThenhemusthaveitsetupsomewherebetweenCorluandEdirne.”“So?”“So,insteadofturningleftatCorluandgoingtoEdirne,wechangeour

plansandturnright.”“ButthatwouldtakeusbacktoIstanbul,”Millerobjected.“Notall theway,”Harpersaid;“onlyasfarastheairportandthefirst

planeout.”“Leavingthecarbehind?”askedMissLipp.“Don’tworry,sweetie.We’llallbeabletobuyfleetsofLincolnswhen

wecashinthispileofchips.”Suddenlytheywereallsmilesagain.Itriedtothink.Itwasbarelyseven-thirtyandtherunfromCorlutothe

Istanbul Airport at Yesilköy would take littlemore than an hour. It wasWednesday,whichmeantthattheTreasuryMuseumwouldnormallystayclosed until the following day.Unless the big brain had already startedworking, or unless Tufan had decided to stop uncovering nonexistentterroristplotsandletthepoliceknowwhatwasgoingon,therewaseverychancethat,withinacoupleofhours,Harperandtherestwouldbeoutofthecountry.Inthatcase,ifanyoneweregoingtostopthemitwouldhavetobeme.Thequestionwas:DidIwanttostopthem?Whydidn’tIjustgoalongwiththemandcollectmytwothousanddollars?

Iwasstill tiredandconfusedor Iwouldhaveremembered that therecould be only one answer to that -my passport was not valid and anairline would not carry me. But instead of the answer, another stupidquestioncameintomymind;and,stupidly,Iaskedit.

“AmIincludedinthis?”Harper turned right round in his seat to faceme, and gaveme the

cold,unpleasantsmileIlikedleast.“Included,Arthur?Why?Did youhave somethingelse inmind - like

makingaquickdealwithFranz,forinstance,oreventhepolice?”

“Ofcoursenot.Ijustwantedtobecertain.”“Well, thatmakes fiveofuswhowant tobecertain.Don’tyouworry,

Arthur.Untilwe’reonthatplanewiththe lootallsafeandsound,you’renotevengoingtothecanbyyourself.That’showmuchyou’reincluded.”

Fischer and Miller thought that hilariously amusing. Miss Lipp, Inoticed,waskeepingherattentiondividedbetweentheroadaheadandthecarsbehind.

WecametoCorluandturnedrightontothemainIstanbulroad.Harperbegantoorganizethechangeofplan.

“The first thing is to get the stuff out of the door.Hans, you’d betterchangeplaceswithArthur.Hecangetbusynow.”

“Hecan’t,”Fischersaid. “Therearesevenscrewson the reardoors.Withthedoorshuthecannotgetatthem.Thedoorhastobeopen.”

“Allthewayopen?”“Nearly.”Harperlookedattheheavydoors.Theywerehingedattherear,and

would swing open against the wind.We were doing over sixty. It wasobviouslyoutofthequestiontotakethepaneloffwhilewewereonthemove.Henodded.“Allright.Here’swhatwe’lldo.Assoonaswegettothe airport, Elizabeth and Leo will take all the passports and get busybuyingticketsandfillingoutpassportcardsandcustomsformsforallofus.Right?”

Theynodded.“Then I follow them inside just to check on the flight number and

boardingtimesothatweallknowwhat thescore is.AssoonasIhavethat,IreturntothecarandArthurdrivesustotheparkinglot.There,weopenthedoorandgetthestuff.Whenit’sout,Hansgetsportersandweunloadthebaggage.Weleavethecaronthepark.Anyquestions.”

“You couldunload thebaggage first,” saidMiller; “while the car is infront.”

“Maybe. If we have plenty of time. If we don’t have too much, I’dsoonermakesureofthelootfirst.”

“We must have some baggage for the customs,” Miss Lipp put in.“Peoplewithoutbaggagegetapersonalsearch.”

“Allright.We’llunloadjust thestuff frominsidethecarandleavetherestuntillater.”

There was a murmur of agreement. Miller asked: “If there are two

flightsavailablewithinashorttime,whichdowetake?”“Ifoneof them fliesovera lotofTurkish territory -say, toAleppoor

Beirut-wetaketheother.Otherwise,wetakethefirst.”Theywentondiscussingwhichcitytheywouldpreferasadestination.

I waswonderingwhatwould happen if I told them aboutmy passport.FromHarper, Idecided, therewouldbeonlyone reaction; if theycouldnottakemewiththem,yetdarednotleavemebecauseIknewtoomuch,Iwouldhavetobeeliminatedfromthepicturealtogether.Therewouldbeacorpseonthefloorofthecartheyleftbehindthem.Ontheotherhand,if Iwaiteduntil thepassportwaschallengedat theairport, therewasn’tmuchtheycoulddo. Icouldyellmyheadoff,demandtoseeasecurityofficialandtellhimtocontactTufan.True, thethreemenhadguns;buteveniftheymanagedtoshoottheirwayoutoftheplace,Iwouldstandabetterchanceofcomingoutofitalive.

“Anymoreproblems?”Harperasked.“No?Okay, then, let’shavethepassports.”

Inearlythrewup,butmanagedtocoughinstead.Fischer askedme to get his out of his inside pocket for him. Miller

passed his over and Harper flipped through the pages. I gave himFischer’s.

MissLipp said: “Mybag ison the floor, if youwant toput them in itnow.”

“Okay. Where’s yours, Arthur?” Has any boy not handed in hishomework?

Helingeredovermyvitalstatistics.“Knowsomething,Arthur?I’dhavesaidyouwereagoodthreeyearsolder.Toomuchouzoandnotenoughexercise, that’s your trouble.” And then, of course, his tone changed.“Waitaminute!Thisisovertwomonthsoutofdate!”

“Outofdate?Butitcan’tbe!”IknowIhandedinmyworkwiththerest,sir.

“Lookatit!”Heleanedoverandjammeditundermynose.“ButIhadnotroublecomingin.Yousee,there’sthevisa!”“Whatdifferencedoesthatmake,youstupidslob?It’soutofdate!”He

gloweredatmeand then, unexpectedly, turned toMissLipp. “Whatdoyouthink?”

She kept her eyes on the road as she answered. “When you leaveheretheimmigrationpeoplearemostlyinterestedinseeingthattheexit

cards are properly filled in. He’ll get by there. It’s the airline-counterchequethatmatters.Theyareresponsibleattheportofdisembarkationifpapersarenotinorder.We’llhavetowriteinarenewal.

“Withoutaconsularstamp?”Shethoughtforamoment“There’saSwissairmailstampinmypurse,

Ithink.Wecouldusethat.Tentoonetheywon’tlookatitcloselyifthereiswritingacrossit.Anyway,I’llkeepthemtalking.”

“What aboutwherewe land?” askedMiller. “Supposing they catch itthere?”

“That’shisworry,”Harpersaid.“Notiftheysendhimbackhere.”“They wouldn’t trouble to do that. It’s not that serious. The airport

policewould hold himuntil the airline could get theEgyptian consul tocomeoutandfixtherenewal.”

“Hehasbeennothingbut a nuisance from thebeginning.” ThiswasFischer,ofcourse.

“Hewasusefulenough lastnight,” remarkedMissLipp. “By theway,thatrenewalhadbetterbeinhishandwriting.WoulditbeinArabic?”

“French and Arabic, both.” Harper stuck the stamp on the renewalspace.“Okay,Arthur.Hereyouare.Writeacrossthecentreofthestamp.‘Bon jusqu’au,’ let’s see -make it April ten of next year. Then do it inArabic.Youcan,Isuppose?”

IdidasIwastold-asever-andhandedthepassportbacktohim.Ididn’tknowwhereIstoodnow.IftheplanewenttoAthensImightbe

abletogetawaywithit;IstillhadmyGreekpermitsdeséjourtofallbackon.But if Iwent toVienna,orFrankfurt,orRome,or (hideous thought)Cairo, then I’d be completely up the creek. Iwould have towait until IknewwhethertheyweregoingtoAthensornot,beforeIdecidedwhetherIwould goalongor try to stay. If Iwanted to stay, though, itwould bemore difficult now.WithHarper and Fischer keeping their eyes onme,andnoofficialtosinglemeoutbecauseofmyinvalidpassport,yellingforhelpwouldn’t domuch good. A quick clip on the jaw fromHarper andsome fast talking - ”So sorry.Our friend tripped and hit his head on asuitcase.He’llbeallrightinamoment.We’lltakecareofhim”-wouldbetheendofthat.Iwouldhavetorelyuponthesurveillancecars.TheonlytroublewasthatbeforetheyregaineddirectcontactwithTufan,wewouldbeat theairport. Iwouldhavetogive themen in thecars timetodraw

therightconclusionsandissuethenecessaryorders.Icouldonlythinkofonewayofcausingadelay.WhenIhadfinished

puttingbackthedoorpanel,Ihadslippedthescrewdriverintomypocket.Therewasn’tanotheroneinthecar,Iknew.

WhileweweregoingthroughMimarsinan,fifteenminutesorsoawayfromtheairport,ImanagedtoeasethescrewdriverfrommypocketandletitslidebackontheseatuntilIwassittingonit.Aminuteortwolater,Ipretended to stretchmy legsandstuffed it deepdownbehind theseatcushionandbelowthebackoftheseat.IfIwantedtogo,Icould“find”it;if I wanted to delay, I could look for it in vain on the floor. Thatway, Ithought,Iwouldatleasthavesomesortofcontroloverthesituation.

AndthenMissLippbegantoworryagainaboutthePeugeotandtheOpel.

“They’re still tailing us,” she said. “I don’t get it. Franz must haveguessedwherewe’reheadingforbynow.Whatdoeshethinkhe’sgoingtodo?”

“Supposingitisn’tFranz?”Millersaidsuddenly.“Ifitisn’tFranz,whoisit?”Fischerdemandedirritably.“Theycan’tbe

policeortheywouldhavestoppedus.CoulditbeGiulio?”“That is an imbecile suggestion,” Miller retorted. “Giulio is of our

company. You are not. If you were, you would not say such a stupidthing.”

Ihaveauniquecapacityforself-destruction.Isaid,helpfully:“Perhapsit isFranz.Perhapshe thinks thatwearegoingback to thevilla. Ifwewere,wewouldstillbeonthisroad.”

Harperlookedback.“WhenwillheknowbetterArthur?”“Notuntilweturnrightfortheairport.”“Howfaristheturn-off?”“Aboutsixmiles.”“Howfarthen?”“Amileandahalf.”HelookedatMissLipp.“Doyouthinkyoucouldlosethemsothatthey

wouldn’tseeusmaketheturn?”“Icouldtry.”TheLincolnsurgedforward.SecondslaterIsawtheredspeedometer

needleswingpasttheninetymark.Harperlookedback.Afteraminute,hesaid:“Leavingthemcold.”

“We’regoingtoofastforthisroad,”wasallshesaid.Itdidn’tseemtobeworryingherunduly,though.Shepassedtwocarsandatruckgoinginthesamedirectionasiftheywerestandingstill.

I already knew that I hadmade a badmistake, and didmy best toretrieveit.“There’sabridgeamileorsoahead,”Iwarnedher.“Theroadnarrows.You’llhavetoslowdownforthat.”

Shedidn’tanswer. Iwasbeginning tosweat. If thesurveillancecarslostus,thatwasreallytheendasfarasIwasconcerned.

Shebeataconvoyofarmytruckstothebridgebyfiftyyards.Ontheotherside,theroadwoundalittleandshehadtoslowdowntoseventy;butwhenI lookedback therewasn’tacar insight.Asshebrakedhardandturnedrightontotheairportroad,Harperchuckled.

“For that extra ounce of get-up-and-go,” he announced facetiously,“thereisnothing,butnothing,likeaLincolnContinental.”

There’snothinglikefeelingacompletebloodyhalfwiteither.Whenwedrewupoutsidetheairportbuilding,mylegswerequiveringlikeGeven’slowerlip.

Millerwasout of the car and into thebuildingalmost before the carhadstopped.MissLippandHarperfollowedwhileFischerandIhandedthebagsinsidethecar,mineincluded,toaporter.

I couldn’t help looking back along the airport approach road andFischernoticed.Hesmiledatmylily-liveredanxiety.

“Don’tbeafraid.TheyareontheirwaytoSariyerbynow.”“Yes.”Iknewthatatleastoneofthemwouldbe;butIalsoknewthat

themen in thecarswerenot incompetent.When they failed topickupthe Lincoln again, the second car would turn back and try the airportroad.Howlongwouldittakethemtogettheidea,though?Fiveminutes?Ten?

Harpercameoutofthebuildingandhurriedtothecar.“There’s an Air France jet to Rome,” he said. “Seats available.

Boardingintwentyminutes.Let’sgetmoving.”Idrovetothecarpark,achain-fencedareajustofftheloopofroadin

frontofthebuildingandbeyondthetaxirank.Therewereonlyafewcarsalreadythereand,onHarper’sinstructions,Ibackedintoanemptyspacebetweentwoofthem.

“Whereisthescrewdriver?”Fischerasked.“On the floor.” Iwas still backing the carandcould see that hewas

alreadysearchingforit.“Itmusthave rolledunderoneof theseats,”Harpersaid impatiently.

“Okay,Arthur,that’lldo.Let’sgetthedoorsopensowecansee.”Ipulledup,gotout,and immediatelybegan trying topeerunder the

seats. With a Lincoln there is not much to see. The seats are snugagainstthefloor.

“Oh,forGod’ssake!”Harpersaidangrily.Suddenlyhegrabbedatmyjacket.“Youmusthaveputitinyourpocket.”Hestartedslappingthemtofindout.

“Iputitonthefloor.”“Well,itisn’ttherenow,”Fischersaid.Harper glanced at hiswatch. “Itmust have beenpulled outwith the

baggage.”“ShallIgobackandlook?”“No,getoneoutofthetoolkit.”“Thereisn’tonethere,”Fischersaid.“Inoticedthatbefore.”“Okay, see if it’s on the ground back there.” As Fischer hurried off,

Harperlookedatthenextcartous,aRenault,andtriedthefrontdoors.They were locked, of course. Then he tried the front luggagecompartment.Tomyhorror, itopened.Thenextmomenthehada toolrollinhishandandwastakingascrewdriverfromit.

He grinned. “If the owner comes back, we’ll buy it off him as asouvenir,” he said, and quickly went to work on the door panel of theLincoln.

IwasutterlydesperateorIcouldneverhavedonewhatIdid;butasIstood there gaping at him I became aware of the sound of the enginerunning.Ihadn’tfinishedbackingthecarintolinewiththeotherswhenhehadmademestop.ThenIhadsimplyforgottentoswitchoff.

Thedoortothedriver’sseatwasopenandsowerebothbackdoors.Hewascrouchedover thepanelof the righthandoneon theoppositesideofthecarfromme.

I glanced at the car-park entrance tomake sure that Fischerwasn’tcomingback;andthenImoved. Iwent to thedoorbythedriver’sseat,leanedacross itas if Iweregoing toswitchoff theengine,and lookedacrossthebackoftheseat.

Harperwasbendingdowntoundooneofthescrewsbythehinge.Islidintothedriver’sseatgentlysoasnottorockthecar,andeased

thetransmissionleverfrom“Park”to“Drive.”Thecargaveaslight jerk.AtthesamemomentIstampedontheaccelerator.

Iheardathumpasthedoorsenthimflying,thenIspunthewheelandwasheadingforthecar-parkentrance.

About twenty feet front it, I jammed on the brakes and the two reardoors swung shut with a slam. Through the rear window I could seeHarper scrambling to his feet. As I closed the door beside me Iacceleratedagainandwentthroughontotheroad.AmomentlaterIwashalfwayroundtheloop.Anothercaraheadslowedmeforamoment.InthedrivingmirrorIsawHarperrunningtowardsthetaxirank.Ileanedonthehornringandthecarinfrontswerved.ThenIwasoutoftheloopandontheapproachroad.

I had gone about a mile when the Opel passed me going in theopposite direction. I waved frantically, but kept on going. I didn’t carewhethertheythoughtI’dgonemadornot.AllIwantedwastogetawayfromHarper.

IwentondrivingfasttowardsIstanbuluntilIsawinthemirrorthattheOpelwasbehindme.OnlythendidIstop.

Itwasn’tmyfaultthattheytookallthattimetocatchupwithme.

12

“THEDIRECTORISnotpleasedwithyou,”Tufaninformedme.Itwason the tipofmy tongue to tellhimwhat theDirectorcouldgo

anddotohimself;but Imanagedtokeepmytemper. “Yougot thestuffback,”Iremindedhimsharply;“youhavethenamesanddescriptionsofthepeoplewhotook it.Youknowwhatwasdoneandhowitwasdone.Whatmoredoyouwant?”

“Thewomanandthethreemen,”hesnapped.Thenerveofit!“Itwasn’tIwholetthemgetonthatplanetoRome,”I

said.“It was your stupidity that did. If you hadn’t panicked, if you had

stoppedimmediatelywhenyousawtheOpelinsteadofdrivingofflikeamadman,theywouldbeinprisonnow.Asitwas,theygotacloseenoughlookatmymentorealizetheirmistake.Wehadhadnoinformationfromyou.Bythetimewewereabletore-establishcontactwithyou,naturallytheyhadgone.”

“TheycanbearrestedinRome.Youcanextraditethem.”“Notwithoutacasestrongenoughtojustifyextraditionproceedings.”“Youhaveit.I’vetoldyouwhathappened.”“And what do you think your evidence would be worth in an Italian

court?”hedemanded.“Yousmuggledtheexplosivesin.Whoistheretoconfirm your story of the subsequent robbery? They would have yourrecordfromInterpoltodiscredityou.Isthecourttoextraditefourpersonsonyourunsupportedwordthatyouhavetoldthetruth?Theywouldlaughatus.

“WhataboutGiulioandEnrico?”“Very sensibly, for them, they are saying nothing useful. They

chartered a yacht. They decided to go for a night cruise. They werehailed by somemen in a caïquewho said that theirmotor had brokendown.They took them toSereffiandput themashore. Is thatacrime?Tomorrowthepolicewillhavetoletthemgo.Thereisnothingwecando.Yourmistake,Simpson,wasinnotcarryingoutorders.”

“Whatorders,forGod’ssake?”“TheordersIgaveyouinthisveryroom.Youweretoldtoreport.You

failed to do so. It was unfortunate that the packet you dropped in thegaragewasoverlooked,butyouhadotheropportunities.YoucouldhavereportedatSereffi.Youcouldhavedroppedyourguide’s licenseat theguardpostasyouwere taken through.Therewaswantof imagination.Wehavenochoicebuttoabandontheinquiry.”

“Includingtheinquiryabouttheattackontheguardpost?”Helookedlikeamanwho,havingjustrealizedthathisflyisundone,

hasdecidedthathecanonly ignorethefact.“That,”hesaid loftily,“hasalreadybeendescribedofficially to thenewspapersasanunsuccessfulattemptbydissidentelementstoblowupatrain.”

There was no polite comment I could make on that one, so I justshruggedandlookedoverhisheadatthepictureofAbdulHamidbeingdeposed.

Hestoodup,asiftoendthediscussion,andsmootheddownthefrontof his tunic. “Luckily for you,” he said, “the Director is not entirelydissatisfiedwiththeaffair.TheBureauhasrecoveredtheproceedsofaserious robbery which the Criminal Police did not even know about. Itshowsthatwearenotatthemercyofevents,butinchargeofthem,thatwe anticipate. You were not entirely useless to us. As a result theDirectorhasauthorizedthepaymenttoyouofabonus.”

“SoIshouldthink.Howmuch?”“Five thousand lira, togetherwith permission to sell them for foreign

exchange,dollarsorpoundssterling,attheofficialrate.”ForamomentIthoughthemusthavemadeamistake.“Lira,Major?Youmeandollars,don’tyou?”“ImeanTurkishlira,”hesaidstiffly.“Butthat’sonlyfivehundreddollars-twohundredpounds!”“Approximately. The fact that your suitcase and other personal

belongingswerelosthasalsobeentakenintoconsideration.Inaddition,arrangements are being made to have the various smuggling chargesagainst you withdrawn. A favourable report on you will be made toInterpol.Ithinkyouwillagreethatyouhavebeengenerouslytreated.”

Akickinthestomachcouldn’thavebeenmoregenerous.Iopenedmymouthtotellhimthat Iwishednowthat Ihadtakenmy

chance inRome;but then Igaveup.Thesepolicemenareallpissandwindanyway.Whyaddtoit?

“Youweregoingtosaysomething?”heasked.

“Yes.HowdoIgetoutofthiscountry?”“The Director has persuaded the British Consul-General to issue to

youatraveldocumentgoodforonejourneyfromheretoAthens.Imaysaythatitwasnoteasy.TheConsulagreedintheendonlyasapersonalfavourtotheDirector.Inaddition,anairpassagehasbeenreservedforyouonthefiveo’clockOlympicAirwaysflighttoAthens.ArepresentativefromtheConsulate-GeneralwillmeetyouwiththetraveldocumentattheOlympicAirwaysofficebytheHiltonHotelatthree-thirty.Ifyouwilltellmeinwhatcurrencyyouwouldlikethebonuspaid,arepresentativefromtheBureauwillalsobetheretogiveyouthemoney.”

“I’lltakeitindollars.”“Very well. That is all, I think. You do not seem as pleased as you

shouldbe.”“Whatistheretobepleasedabout?”He shrugged. “Perhaps you think youwould have been better off in

Rome.Youwouldn’t, youknow. If those jewelshad left thecountry,wewouldhaveknownenoughtogetthemback,andyouwouldhavebeenthefirsttobearrested.Whynotconsideryourselflucky?”

“Aren’tyouforgettingthatHarperstillhasacertainletterofmine?”“Whyshouldhesenditnow?”“Togethisownbackonme,ofcourse.”Heshookhishead“Youareforgetting.Hecanneverbesurenowhow

much you found out about them and how much you told us. Even Icannotbequitesureofthat.Asfarasheisconcerned,thelessyouseeofpolicementhebetter.”Hesmiledslightly.“Yousee,youbothhaveaninterestincommon.”

“Verygratifying.”“Youmightevenconsiderbecominganhonestman.”

Work,Simpson,forthenightcometh.

Ioughttohaveblownthesmugbastardaraspberry;butIwasafraid

hemightcalloffthebonusifIdid.Evenacrumbisbetterthannobread.SoIjustgavehimanimitationofHarper’smostunpleasantgrin,andtriedtolethimseehowmuchIdespisedhim.Idon’treallythinkIsucceeded.Hehadahideasthickasanelephant’s.

There was a sergeant on duty this time to escort me back to the

guard-roomgate.HewatchedmeallthetimeasifhethoughtImighttrytostealoneofthepictures.Then,whenIgotoutsidetherewerenotaxis.Younevercangetataxi fromoutsidetheDolmabahçePalace. IhadtowalkamilebeforeIfoundone,andthatmademeangrierstill.

The representative from the Bureau looked like a plain-clothespoliceman.HewatchedmecarefullyasIsignedforthemoneyandkepthis fingers on the paper all the time in case I snatched it away. Therewerenofliesonhim.Heknewhowcarefulyouhadtobewhendealingwithcrooks.

TherepresentativefromHerBritannicMajesty’sConsulate-GeneralinIstanbulwasasnotty-nosedclerkwhomademesignapapersayingthatI understood that thegrantingof the traveldocumentdidnot constituterecognitionof anyclaim I hadmadeormightmake toUnitedKingdomcitizenship.WhenIhadsignedit,Itoldhimwhathecoulddowithit.

ButonthewaybacktoAthensintheplane,itgavemeanidea.Ihadbeen thinkingaboutNickiandwonderingwhether Iwouldstop

on my way to the flat and buy her a stonemarten stole. She’d beenhankeringafteroneforalongwhile,andIthoughtthatwiththeAmericannotesIhadImightgetagoodfurreallycheap-forthirtyorfortydollarsperhaps. I would be “papa” for at least amonth. That is, if she hadn’tmovedoutwhileIhadbeenaway.IwasdecidingthatIhadbettermakesureofthatfirstwhenthestewardessstoppedbymyseat.

“Yournationality,sir?”“British,”Isaid.Shehandedmeapassportcontrolcardtofillinandmovedontothe

nextseat.Ihadsaid“British”without thinking.Why?BecauseIconsidermyself

British,becauseIamBritish.Itookoutthetraveldocumentandlookedatitcarefully.It,too,saidI

wasBritish.Andyettheyhadmademesignapaperwhichsaidineffectthat I wasn’t. Therefore, the travel document could be considered anadmissionofmyclaim.ThepaperwasunimportantbecauseIhadsignedthatunderduress.Youcannottakeawayaman’snationalitybyrefusingtorecognizehisrighttoit.The1948Actisquiteclear.TheonlywayyoucanloseBritishnationalityisbyrenouncingit.Ihaven’trenouncedmineat any time. Specifically, I did not renounce it by taking that Egyptianpassport.SincetheEgyptianssaythatmyEgyptiannaturalizationisnull

andvoidbecauseImadefalsestatements,thenitisnullandvoid-allofit.

TheBritishGovernmentcan’thaveitbothways.EitherIamEgyptianor I am British. The Egyptians say I am not Egyptian and never havebeen.

MyfatherwasaBritishofficer.IamBritish.ThatiswhyIhavebeensocompletelyfrankandopen.Iamnotasking

tobe loved. Iamnotasking tobe liked. Idonotmindbeing loathed, ifthatwillmakesomepettifogginggovernmentofficialhappier.Itisamatterofprinciple.Ifnecessary,IshalltakemycasetotheUnitedNations.TheycanedtheBritishafterSuez;theycancanethemagainforme.SheepImay be; and perhaps certain persons findmybreath displeasing; but Iamnolongermerelyindignant.Iamangrynow.

IgivetheBritishGovernmentfairwarning.Irefusetogoonbeingananomaly.Isthatquiteclear?Irefuse!

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