"The C.O. wants to see you two officers at once," he said.
"You wouldn't have any idea, eh, Sergeant1?" Dave asked and gave him a searching look.
"Did he look mad, or anything like that, when he sent you after us?" Freddy Farmer wanted to know.
The Sergeant grinned and shook his head.
"I don't think so, sir," he said. Then gravely, "Fact is, sir, he struck me as looking a bit worried, if you know what I mean. Like as if something had upset him. But, no, he didn't look mad."
"Well, thank goodness for that!" Dave breathed and looked at Freddy. "I guess it doesn't mean bombers2 for you yet, pal3. Thanks, Sergeant. We're on our way right now. Pull in your stomach, Freddy, and let's go."
"Some day I'll die laughing at your silly jokes!" the English youth growled4, but he impulsively5 pulled in his stomach and pushed back his shoulders as he dropped into step.
A couple of minutes later they entered the Squadron Office. Markham was there, and so were Colonel Trevor, and Group Captain Ball. They started to salute6 but Group Captain Ball stopped them with a wave of his hand.
"We'll forget formality for the time being, Gentlemen," he said with a smile. "Make yourselves comfortable. We want to talk to you two for a spell. There, that's the idea."
The Group Captain nodded as the two boys seated themselves, then glanced at Markham.
"You want me to do the talking, Markham, or would you rather?" he asked.
The Squadron Leader instantly shook his head.
"You, of course, sir," he said. "You naturally know all the details better than I do."
"As you wish, then," Group Captain Ball grunted7, and looked back at Dave and Freddy. "Well, what with the Balkans already in this blasted war, and a Nazi8 attack on Russia almost certain within a month or so, old Adolf is going to need all the troops he can get."
The Air Ministry9 official stopped short and smiled at the surprised look on the boys' faces. He chuckled11, and nodded.
"Oh, quite!" he said. "We've known for some time that Hitler was going to strike at Russia. When he does it will of course be quite a surprise to the rest of the world. Particularly to your civilian12 military experts back in America, Dawson. They've been having a jolly fine time on the radio and in the newspapers solving the Stalin riddle13. Yes, I fancy they'll be the most surprised of the lot. And they'll be very annoyed at Adolf for not playing the game according to their views. However, be that as it may, we know definitely that Hitler is going to make war on Russia, and soon!"
The Group Captain paused and plucked at his lower lip as though deciding upon his next words.
"Tremendous in size as the German army is," he said presently, "it is not big enough for Hitler to wage intensive warfare14 on two fronts. He has not enough men, or enough material. It will be absolutely essential for him to withdraw a certain number of his forces from the occupied countries. And, when I say forces, I mean the Luftwaffe forces in particular. Now, if Hitler were to withdraw a large portion of his ground and air forces from the occupied countries what, in your opinion, would be the result, eh?"
The Group Captain happened to be looking straight at Dave, so it was the Yank born R.A.F. ace10 who answered.
"It would present a perfect opportunity for a British invasion of the Continent, sir," he said after a moment's thought.
"And you, Farmer?" the Group Captain asked, turning to the English youth.
Freddy flushed and looked slightly embarrassed, but he nodded his head.
"I say the same as Dawson, sir," he replied. "It would be a perfect opportunity for us to invade the Continent ... provided we have sufficient troops, guns, and planes for the job."
"And do you believe we have, Farmer?" the Air Ministry official shot at him.
Freddy opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and shrugged15.
"I don't know, sir," he said after a short moment of hesitation16. "Frankly17, I have not the knowledge whether we are well enough equipped, or not."
"Exactly!" Group Captain Ball cried and poked18 the air with his finger for emphasis. "You do not know, and neither do thousands and thousands of others. Only a mere19 handful of men know the true strength of Britain's armed forces today. And Adolf Hitler is not one of that group. In other words, Hitler does not know whether or not we would strike at him with an invasion of the Continent once he removes the bulk of his forces from the occupied countries. At the same time, though, Hitler is not such a fool ... insane as the man is ... as to leave himself wide open for an attack from our side of the Channel."
"But if he withdraws the troops, and...?" Dave began and stopped short.
"He will withdraw his troops," Group Captain Ball interrupted. "Never fear. The beggar has to, or run the risk of possible defeat on the eastern front. But how can he withdraw the major portion of his forces from the occupied countries, and still feel safe from attack by England? That has been the problem we have been struggling with for the past five weeks. Ever since his bandits marched into Yugoslavia. And we think we've got an inkling of the correct answer."
The Group Captain paused and looked at Colonel Trevor.
"I think you'd better carry on from there, Colonel," he said. "You've been in charge of that end of the thing."
The Intelligence officer nodded, studied his fingernails for a moment, and then looked up. The glint of worry, or sadness, was still in his eyes, but in them also was the glitter of hard boiled determination.
"Some three weeks ago," he began, "British Intelligence received word from one of its members who has been in Germany since long before the start of the war. This communication received was the first that had come through from this agent in some four months. He had been recorded in our files as missing or dead. So it was a great joy to all concerned to learn that he was still alive and operating."
Colonel Trevor paused to crush out the cigarette he was smoking, and clear his throat.
"That agent was my brother," he continued presently. "The dead man you saw thrown out of that Messerschmitt, Dawson. Today ... today was the first time he had been in England for four years! All that time he was in Germany, serving England. He actually became a member of their cursed Gestapo, and as such obtained much information about Hitler's plans that was of inestimable value to us. However, in those days we did not have a government in power that believed Adolf Hitler was nothing but a liar20 and a dirty murderer. Consequently practically all of my brother's reports were shelved, and ignored completely. He stuck at his job, however, and after we once got into the war ... and there was a fighting Prime Minister at Number Ten Downing Street ... my brother's efforts began to help us no end. But never mind that, now. It's all past history. It's events since receiving that communication about three weeks ago that we're interested in right now."
The Intelligence officer stopped talking again. Questions hovered21 on Dave's lips, but he had sense enough to keep his mouth shut. He waited outwardly calm, but inwardly on fire, for the Colonel to continue.
"In that first communication," the Intelligence officer presently took up the thread of his talk, "we learned for the first time of Hitler's plan to attack Russia, and of his intention to withdraw a large portion of his forces from the occupied countries. But, also, my brother included a sharp warning that an attempt by us to invade the Continent would be a risky22 venture with a very small chance of succeeding in our favor. Naturally, we in Intelligence wondered why our chances would be so slim. Assuming, of course, that we had the guns, planes, and men to tackle the job. However, there was no reason given in my brother's first communication. Only a sharp warning not to attempt the invasion, and a hint that there would be a second message coming through in a short time.
"Well, it was five days before the second communication came through. And as luck would have it, it didn't help us very much. There was a repeat warning against an invasion attempt, but no concrete reason other than a veiled implication that the Nazis23 had devised a means of defeating invasion attempts regardless of the number of troops, guns, and planes they had transferred to the eastern fronts. My brother could give us no facts, as he apparently24 was not in possession of any facts, himself. High up as he was in Nazi inner circles, the Nazis' secret of how they would hold onto occupied countries and still wage war on two other fronts was still a mystery to him. However, it was clear that he hoped to learn that secret soon. In the meantime he was warning us against any hasty action."
The Intelligence officer paused to gesture with a hand.
"High Command followed his warning for the plain reason we are not yet prepared to launch any kind of an invasion of the Continent," he said bluntly. "Not by sea or land, at any rate. And then, a week ago we received a third communication from him. He spoke25 of a new secret weapon of defense26 developed by the Nazis. He did not give details, or any kind of a description. He stated only that it was a weapon that guarded the entire coast of France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. He said that one General Paul von Peiplow had been placed in complete charge of this secret defense of the occupied countries. He also stated that in his next message he would supply us with complete details of this weapon, and complete information on how to combat and overcome it."
Colonel Trevor stopped short and both Dave and Freddy saw the bitterness and sorrow that flooded his face.
"No other communication was received!" he said in a heavy voice. "And ... and you two know what happened today."
A sense of eager expectation fizzled out in Dave. He felt cheated and disappointed. He looked at Colonel Trevor and waited for the man to continue talking. However, the Intelligence officer was evidently finished. He slowly drew a cigarette from his pocket case and touched a match to it.
"Then you have no idea, sir?" Dave finally ventured the question. "No idea at all what this new secret weapon might be?"
"None," Colonel Trevor replied without looking at him. "We have no idea at all."
Dave bit his lips in thoughtful silence, then started to speak but changed his mind and remained silent. Group Captain Ball, watching him, leaned forward.
"What were you going to say, Dawson?" he asked. "Don't be shy, my lad. Anything may be a help, now."
Dave hesitated and then shrugged.
"I was thinking of this von Peiplow, sir," he said.
"Well, what about him?" the Group Captain pressed.
"Well, I assume he's still connected with the Luftwaffe, isn't he?" Dave inquired.
"Most certainly, and definitely!" the Air Ministry official replied. "Von Peiplow is as close to Goering's job as any Nazi will ever get. So, what about it?"
"Nothing, sir," Dave said slowly, "except that it gives me the hunch27 that the secret weapon must have something to do with aircraft, being as how von Peiplow is in full charge."
A second of silence hit the group and then Ball broke it by slapping a hand down on his knee.
"By the gods, yes!" he cried. "Yes, I believe you're right, Dawson. It's quite logical, of course, Colonel! What do you think?"
The Intelligence officer had straightened up a bit in his chair and was staring at Dave with an entirely28 new light in his eyes. There was a gleam of admiration29 where there had originally been a sort of bored patience. He smiled slightly and gave a little side twist of his head.
"I think Dawson has done more correct figuring in the last seven seconds," he said, "then we of Intelligence have done in the last seven days. But that's the way it is at times in this game. A bloke is so busy digging up the mysterious that the obvious passes him right by. Yes, I believe Dawson has got hold of something. And that brings us up to the work you've been doing, Group Captain. Does Dawson's remark change anything?"
The Air Ministry official scratched the side of his jaw30 and squinted31 off into space for a moment or so before giving voice to his thoughts.
"I don't know," he said, "but I doubt if it does. I've studied those photos until I know every dot and shadow on them by heart. True, we weren't looking for any signs of aeronautical32 activity, and for that reason perhaps something slipped past us. I doubt it, though. However, the point is, Colonel, as we both agreed, that as of the Twenty-Fifth all photos of Zone K Dash Twenty-Four are obsolete33. So I think we can just plain forget them."
Colonel Trevor nodded, and said nothing. Dave waited for perhaps three seconds, and then he couldn't stand being in the dark any longer.
"What photos, Group Captain Ball?" he blurted34 out. "And where is Zone K Dash Twenty-Four located? I don't believe I've ever heard of that zone, sir?"
The Air Ministry official grunted and settled himself more comfortably in his chair.
"Well, you're going to hear about it now," he said with a quick side glance at Squadron Leader Markham. "Through a slight mistake a certain order of mine was sent to this Squadron instead of the Squadron for which it was originally intended. However, I regard that as a bit of good fortune, rather than bad, because when Squadron Leader Markham told me of the mistake over the phone I suddenly realized that I would much rather have this Squadron tackle the job. Just a minute, now, while I light my pipe."
As the Air Ministry official produced pipe, tobacco, and matches, Dave noticed that Squadron Leader Markham looked far from happy. As a matter of fact, the O.C. of Eighty-Four looked downright annoyed at Group Captain Ball. However, he said nothing and watched in silence while the senior officer lighted up his hand carved "stove."
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1
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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2
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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3
pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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4
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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5
impulsively
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| adv.冲动地 | |
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6
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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7
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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8
Nazi
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| n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的 | |
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9
ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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10
ace
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| n.A牌；发球得分；佼佼者；adj.杰出的 | |
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11
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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13
riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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14
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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15
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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18
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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19
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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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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24
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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25
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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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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27
hunch
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| n.预感，直觉 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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30
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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31
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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aeronautical
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| adj.航空（学）的 | |
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obsolete
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| adj.已废弃的，过时的 | |
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blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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