It was a precaution not necessary, however. The Yank born R.A.F. ace3 put the Mark 5 Spitfire down slick as pie and then taxied slowly up to the hangar line. There waiting mechanics lifted down the dead man from his position across the opened cockpit, and placed him gently on the ground. Dave leaped out to confront the dumbfounded gaze of his fellow pilots and Squadron Leader Markham.
"What's this all about, Dawson?" the O.C. was the first to break the silence.
Dave told his story in as few words as possible. Then everybody stretched his neck to read the sheet of paper.
"Von Peiplow, eh?" Squadron Leader Markham grunted4 as he straightened up. "Well, isn't that something!"
"You've heard of von Peiplow, sir?" Dave asked quickly. "Farmer, here, thought the name sounded familiar to him. You know him, sir?"
The Squadron Leader smiled, but it was a tight smile, and his eyes had turned cold and hard.
"I've never met the dirty dog in person," he said. "But I know of him, very much. And so do some three hundred and eighty-four thousand members of the British Expeditionary Force that got away alive from Dunkirk. You two weren't in Service then, though the world knows you did a splendid job for England at the time. But it was General Paul von Peiplow who was in charge of Luftwaffe operations during the Dunkirk show. Yes, von Peiplow is a very familiar name to most all of us who were there."[1]
Markham paused and stared hard at the dead man as though he hoped to see right into the forever stilled brain and read the man's dying thoughts. Then suddenly he bent5 down, squinted6 hard at the bullet hole in the forehead, and lifted one of the man's arms, and let it drop back on the ground. Presently he straightened up and looked at Dave.
"Could be the cold air at altitude, and not genuine rigor7 mortis," he grunted as though to himself. "You're sure he was just tossed out, Dawson? Or do you think he was shot as he tried to go out on his own?"
"He must have been tossed out, sir," Dave answered quickly. "The pilot dipped the wing so that the gunner would have less trouble getting him out the cockpit hatch opening, and not have the prop-wash carry him back into the tail assembly. That's the way it looked to me. Of course, everything happened pretty fast, but I'm sure he wasn't alive when he bailed8 out, sir."
Dave paused and pointed9 to the sheet of paper.
"He wouldn't be wearing that, would he, sir?" he said. "No, I think he was shot elsewhere. Perhaps in the plane, and the note was pinned to him."
"Yes, I guess you're right there, Dawson," Squadron Leader Markham said with a frown. "I guess he was killed before he was put into the plane. Yes, they made that flight for the express purpose of dumping him overboard. Well, I'll get in touch with Intelligence at once. Corporal Sharron! You and two men take him over to the hospital hut. And one of you stand guard outside. I'll...."
The C.O. cut himself off and glanced upward as there came the unmistakable sound to every listening ear of British airplane engines. The plane was a Bristol Blenheim bomber10 powered with two Mercury IV 920 h.p. engines. The craft was not on a bombing mission, however. In fact, it wasn't even attached to the Bomber Command. A single glance at the markings on the fuselage proved that to all eyes. The plane carried Staff markings of the Air Ministry11.
Squadron Leader Markham glanced at his watch and grunted.
"Hours sooner than I expected," he murmured. Then with a glance at the pilots gathered about him, he said, "Air Ministry has cooked up a little job for us, chaps. Don't know what it's all about, but that's Group Captain Ball come to tell me. Stay around close as he may want to talk to you. Dawson! And you, too, Farmer. Stay here with me. Perhaps Group Captain Ball may want to hear the story on this business first hand. I suggest the rest of you wait in the mess. I'll send for you later, Corporal Sharron."
The gathering12 broke up, leaving the O.C., Dawson, and young Freddy Farmer to greet the Blenheim's passengers. The big craft slid down to a beautiful landing, was taxied over, and braked to a stop. The fuselage door opened and two men stepped out. One wore R.A.F. blue, and the other wore army khaki. The former was Group Captain Ball, and Dave recognized him immediately. The latter wore the insignia of a full colonel on his shoulder straps13, but he was a total stranger as far as either Dave or Freddy were concerned.
The pair walked over, and the two pilots and the C.O. saluted14 smartly.
"Glad to see you, sir," Markham said and shook Group Captain Ball's hand. "Didn't expect you so soon. You know Flying Officers Dawson and Farmer, eh?"
The Air Ministry official bored the two lads with a glance and smiled faintly.
"But, of course," he said. "Fact is.... But that can wait until later. Markham, this is Colonel Trevor, of Intelligence. Colonel Trevor, I'd like you to meet Squadron Leader.... Eh? What's the matter?"
The Intelligence officer had suddenly shoved Group Captain Ball to one side and was down on his knees beside the dead man. He crouched15 there motionless for a half minute or so, then got to his feet and fixed16 Squadron Leader Markham with a brittle17 stare.
"How did this man get here?" he asked sharply. "He's been shot through the head!"
Eighty-Four's senior officer squared his jaw18 just a bit and returned the other's hard stare.
"We noted19 that fact, too, Colonel," he said evenly. "A Messerschmitt was reported by spotters. My pilots went after it. Dawson, here, made contact with the enemy aircraft. As he was about to open fire this man was thrown out with his parachute opened. Dawson shot down the enemy aircraft, and then noting something peculiar20 about the man going down by parachute, he followed him to the ground and landed, Flying Officer Farmer landed also. They found the man just as you see him. Dawson flew him back here with the idea of contacting Intelligence. You recognize him, Colonel?"
The Intelligence officer didn't answer. He turned to Dave, and the Yank born ace couldn't miss the look of worry and strain that had come into the man's dark eyes. He seemed on the point of exploding all over the place, but he didn't. He visibly clamped down hard on his inner emotions and spoke21 to Dave.
"Tell me the story in your own words!" he demanded.
The Intelligence officer's harsh tone of voice rubbed Dave's fur the wrong way. The Yank deliberately22 looked at Markham, and waited until the Squadron Leader nodded his head. Then for the third time Dave told his story. The Intelligence officer listened with a face set hard as granite23. His only expression was in his eyes. And their expression was that of a man who is helplessly watching the efforts of weeks and months slip away from his grasp and dissolve in thin air.
"Who is he, sir?" Dave couldn't help blurting24 out as he finished.
"My brother," Colonel Trevor said with startling bluntness. "And the good right hand of British Intelligence."
The man emphasized his words with a curt25 nod, and then looked at Group Captain Ball.
"This tears it!" he said in a flat voice. "Knocks the blasted props26 right out from under the whole thing. He was the main link. Everything depended on the messages he could get through to me. That he was caught, and brought back here so that we could confirm his death, means.... Well, it must mean that they've been onto him for some time. Perhaps, even, that he sent me information that they wanted him to send. Blast the Nazis28, anyway!"
No one said anything for a moment or two, Markham, Dawson, and Freddy Farmer being completely in the dark, kept their mouths shut for obvious reasons. Group Captain Ball didn't say anything because he was deep in thought weighing Colonel Trevor's words. Presently he stuck out his lower lip and gave a little half shake of his head.
"Possibly, Colonel," he said and fixed his thoughtful eyes on the distant horizon. "And then again, possibly not. You forget that we checked everything through other channels, and found it to be true. I fancy the Nazis sent him back ... this way ... in the hope that you would take just that attitude. Would come to that conclusion at once."
The Intelligence officer frowned in perplexity and dragged a thumbnail along the angle of his jaw.
"Then they don't know how much he sent through, eh?" he murmured, as though summing it up to himself. "Then this is a trick to make us believe they've had him under their eye all along, when actually they only unmasked him in the last day or so?"
"Frankly29, yes," Group Captain Ball said. "Consider the matter in this light, Colonel. If they have known about him for some time, what was there for them to gain by giving him rope, and letting him send through all that information? They couldn't possibly guess what our objective might be, for the plain reason we haven't yet made up our own minds. No, the risk would be too great, for them. He held too high a position in the Nazi27 Gestapo. Once caught the obvious thing would be to shoot him on the spot. An old Nazi custom, by the way. Certainly, shoot him and let British Intelligence worry as to what's happened to him. But, no. They shot him and brought him over here so that we could be sure he was dead. Why? Because they don't know what he was up to. By doing this they hope to convince us they know all about it. You follow me?"
Colonel Trevor nodded slowly, and a tiny glimmer30 of hope seeped31 into his eyes.
"Thank you, sir," he said quietly. "I guess the shock sent my brain into a bit of a spin. Right you are. We'll carry on as we planned. Your squadron office a good place where we can talk, Markham?"
The O.C. of Eighty-Four started slightly at the sudden question popped at him, then nodded.
"Certainly, Colonel," he said. "My Adjutant's there, but I'll get rid of him. And ... er, what do you want us to do about your brother, Colonel?"
The Intelligence officer squared his shoulders and forced himself to look down at the dead man.
"If you could have him placed in the hospital hut, Markham," he said softly. "I'll arrange transportation elsewhere, later. Yes, if you could have him taken to the hospital hut. And, by the way, I don't want anybody, not even your medico, to touch him. There'll be an ... er, autopsy32 performed later."
Markham gave him a shrewd look, and then nodded.
"Just as you wish, Colonel," he said. "I'll give Corporal Sharron instructions, now, and then we'll go along to my office."
The O.C. of Eighty-Four called over the waiting non-com, gave him his orders, and then walked away with Colonel Trevor, and Group Captain Ball. Dave watched them until they were out of sight in the Squadron office. Then he turned suddenly to Freddy and started whipping his hand up and down the front of the English youth's tunic33. Freddy knocked his hand away and went back a step.
"You're not my valet!" he cried. "drop it, my lad. What in the world do you think you're doing?"
Dave grinned and reached out to whip the front of Freddy's tunic again.
"A game that was all the rage in the States," Dave said. "It was called, Handy. You make motions with your hands and the others try to guess what it means. This one is in two words, Freddy. Guess. I'll give you a tip. It's American slang."
"Good grief, the chap's gone balmy again!" Freddy groaned34 and beat off Dave's hand once more. "Stop it, you crazy clown. Rubbish to your insane Yank games. What do you mean, two words? What two words?"
"What we just got, Freddy," Dave said. "Come on! Be a sport and see if you can guess it. Then I'll let you try one on me."
"I will not!" Freddy snorted. "Of all the silly rot! But what did we just get?"
"Okay, if you have to act dumb," Dave growled35. "The two words are, brush off. That's what we just got. The old brush-off. And not with as much as a thank you kindly36. I don't think I like that Colonel Trevor. Too darn chummy, if you ask me."
"He does sort of spill all over a chap, doesn't he," Freddy said with a half grin. Then wiping the grin away, "Can't blame him, though, for being a bit uppish. It must have been a shock, seeing his brother like that. Poor beggar. But, I say, Dave, did you hear Group Captain Ball speak of him holding a high position in the Nazi Gestapo? What do you know about that!"
"Everything, and also absolutely nothing," Dave grunted and looked over at the hospital hut where Corporal Sharron and his detail had taken the dead man. "And did you hear him say there'd be an autopsy later, but sort of stumble over his words? I wonder what he meant by that? The bullet hole is proof enough how he died. This thing has all the ear-marks of a Scotland Yard case, or something. Or is that sort of thing a part of Intelligence routine?"
Freddy Farmer cocked his head to one side and shrugged37 his shoulders.
"Blessed if I know," he said. "And blessed if I'm going to stay here looking like some department store window dummy38. I just realized that I'm very hungry. How about you? Shall we have a spot of something or other before the next scramble39 alarm sounds?"
"The guy's stomach!" Dave groaned. "Nice juicy mystery on all sides, and the dope can only think of his insides! Oh, well. Okay! I'd better go along and see that you leave something for night mess. But take it easy, Freddy. I heard Markham telling Adjutant Phipps something about transferring you to bombers40 for a spell. I think it was your name he mentioned. Of course, maybe...."
"What?" Freddy gasped41 in stunned42 alarm. "Dave! There's a chance I may be transferred to bombers? You heard that? But.... But, why?"
Dave grinned and jabbed Freddy in the stomach with his thumb.
"That," he said. "If it gets too big to fit into a Spitfire, where else can it go but into a bomber, huh?"
Freddy Farmer made gurgling sounds in his throat, and lunged. But Dave slipped away from his grasp and dashed for the mess lounge.
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1
throttling
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| v.扼杀( throttle的现在分词 )；勒死；使窒息；压制 | |
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wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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ace
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| n.A牌；发球得分；佼佼者；adj.杰出的 | |
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grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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squinted
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| 斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看 | |
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rigor
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| n.严酷，严格，严厉 | |
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bailed
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| 保释，帮助脱离困境( bail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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bomber
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| n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者 | |
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ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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14
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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15
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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17
brittle
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| adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的 | |
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18
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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24
blurting
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的现在分词 ) | |
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25
curt
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| adj.简短的，草率的 | |
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props
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| 小道具； 支柱( prop的名词复数 )； 支持者； 道具； （橄榄球中的）支柱前锋 | |
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Nazi
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| n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的 | |
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Nazis
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| n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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31
seeped
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| v.（液体）渗( seep的过去式和过去分词 )；渗透；渗出；漏出 | |
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32
autopsy
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| n.尸体解剖；尸检 | |
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33
tunic
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| n.束腰外衣 | |
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34
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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35
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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36
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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37
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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38
dummy
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| n.假的东西；(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头 | |
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39
scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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40
bombers
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| n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟 | |
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41
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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42
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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