Тридцять дев’ять ступенів
Chapter 9
NowitonlyrequiredoneofustomentiontoAlloaourmeetingtonightforthewholefraudtobeexposed.”
SirWalterlaugheddryly.“TheselectionofAlloashowstheiracumen.Whichofuswaslikelytospeaktohimabouttonight?Orwashelikelytoopenthesubject?”
IrememberedtheFirstSeaLord’sreputationfortaciturnityandshortnessoftemper.
“Theonethingthatpuzzlesme,”saidtheGeneral,“iswhatgoodhisvisitherewoulddothatspyfellow?Hecouldnotcarryawayseveralpagesoffiguresandstrangenamesinhishead.”
“Thatisnotdifficult,”theFrenchmanreplied.“Agoodspyistrainedtohaveaphotographicmemory.LikeyourownMacaulay.Younoticedhesaidnothing,butwentthroughthesepapersagainandagain.Ithinkwemayassumethathehaseverydetailstampedonhismind.WhenIwasyoungerIcoulddothesametrick.”
“Well,Isupposethereisnothingforitbuttochangetheplans,”saidSirWalterruefully.
Whittakerwaslookingveryglum.“DidyoutellLordAlloawhathashappened?”heasked.“No?Well,Ican’tspeakwithabsoluteassurance,butI’mnearlycertainwecan’tmakeanyseriouschangeunlesswealterthegeographyofEngland.”
“Anotherthingmustbesaid,”itwasRoyerwhospoke.“Italkedfreelywhenthatmanwashere.ItoldsomethingofthemilitaryplansofmyGovernment.Iwaspermittedtosaysomuch.Butthatinformationwouldbeworthmanymillionstoourenemies.No,myfriends,Iseenootherway.
