Victoria lay in bed with her light out, listening through the darkness. Sheheard sounds of loud drunken altercation1. Heard a voice declaring: “Felt Igot to look you up, ole man. Had a row with a fellow outside.” She heardbells ring. Heard other voices. Heard a good deal of commotion2. Thencame a stretch of comparative silence—except for the far-off playing ofArab music on a gramophone in somebody’s room. When it seemed to heras though hours had passed, she heard the gentle opening of her door andsat up in bed and switched on the bedside lamp.
“That’s right,” said Dakin approvingly.
He brought a chair up to the bedside and sat down in it. He sat therestaring at her in the considering manner of a physician making a dia-gnosis.
“Tell me what it’s all about?” demanded Victoria.
“Suppose,” said Dakin, “that you tell me all about yourself first. Whatare you doing here? Why did you come to Baghdad?”
Whether it was the events of the night, or whether it was something inDakin’s personality (Victoria thought afterwards that it was the latter), Vic-toria for once did not launch out on an inspired and meretricious3 accountof her presence in Baghdad. Quite simply and straightforwardly4 she toldhim everything. Her meeting with Edward, her determination to get toBaghdad, the miracle of Mrs. Hamilton Clipp, and her own financial desti-tution.
“I see,” said Dakin when she had finished.
He was silent for a moment before he spoke5.
“Perhaps I’d like to keep you out of this. I’m not sure. But the point is,you can’t be kept out of it! You’re in it, whether I like it or not. And asyou’re in it, you might as well work for me.”
“You’ve got a job for me?” Victoria sat up in bed, her cheeks bright withanticipation.
“Perhaps. But not the kind of job you’re thinking of. This is a serious job,Victoria. And it’s dangerous.”
“Oh, that’s all right,” said Victoria cheerfully. She added doubtfully, “It’snot dishonest, is it? Because though I know I tell an awful lot of lies, Iwouldn’t really like to do anything that was dishonest.”
Dakin smiled a little.
“Strangely enough, your capacity to think up a convincing lie quickly isone of your qualifications for the job. No, it’s not dishonest. On the con-trary, you are enlisted7 in the cause of law and order. I’m going to put youin the picture—only in a general kind of way, but so that you can under-stand fully6 what it is you are doing and exactly what the dangers are. Youseem to be a sensible young woman and I don’t suppose you’ve thoughtmuch about world politics which is just as well, because as Hamlet verywisely remarked, ‘There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makesit so.’”
“I know everybody says there’s going to be another war sooner or later,”
said Victoria.
“Exactly,” said Mr. Dakin. “Why does everybody say so, Victoria?”
She frowned. “Why, because Russia—the Communists—America—” shestopped.
“You see,” said Dakin. “Those aren’t your own opinions or words.
They’re picked up from newspapers and casual talk, and the wireless8.
There are two divergent points of view dominating different parts of theworld, that is true enough. And they are represented loosely in the publicmind as ‘Russia and the Communists’ and ‘America.’ Now the only hopefor the future, Victoria, lies in peace, in production, in constructive9 activit-ies and not destructive ones. Therefore everything depends on those whohold those two divergent viewpoints, either agreeing to differ and eachcontenting themselves with their respective spheres of activity, or elsefinding a mutual10 basis for agreement, or at least toleration. Instead of that,the opposite is happening, a wedge is being driven in the whole time toforce two mutually suspicious groups farther and farther apart. Certainthings led one or two people to believe that this activity comes from athird party or group working under cover and so far absolutely unsuspec-ted by the world at large. Whenever there is a chance of agreement beingreached or any sign of dispersal of suspicion, some incident occurs toplunge one side back in distrust, or the other side into definite hystericalfear. These things are not accidents, Victoria, they are deliberately12 pro-duced for a calculated effect.”
“But why do you think so and who’s doing it?”
“One of the reasons we think so is because of money. The money, yousee, is coming from the wrong sources. Money, Victoria, is always thegreat clue to what is happening in the world. As a physician feels yourpulse, to get a clue to your state of health, so money is the lifeblood thatfeeds any great movement or cause. Without it, the movement can’t makeheadway. Now here, there are very large sums of money involved and al-though very cleverly and artfully camouflaged13, there is definitely some-thing wrong about where the money comes from and where it is going. Agreat many unofficial strikes, various threats to Governments in Europewho show signs of recovery, are staged and brought into being by Com-munists, earnest workers for their cause—but the funds for these meas-ures do not come from Communist sources, and traced back, they comefrom very strange and unlikely quarters. In the same way an increasingwave of fear of Communism, of almost hysterical11 panic, is arising in Amer-ica and in other countries, and here, too, the funds are not coming fromthe appropriate quarter—it is not Capitalist money, though it naturallypasses through Capitalist hands. A third point, enormous sums of moneyseem to be going completely out of circulation. As much as though—to putit simply—you spent your salary every week on things—bracelets or tablesor chairs—and those things then disappeared or passed out of ordinarycirculation and sight. All over the world a great demand for diamonds andother precious stones has arisen. They change hands a dozen or moretimes until finally they disappear and cannot be traced.
“This, of course, is only a vague sketch15. The upshot is that somewhere athird group of people whose aim is as yet obscure, as fomenting16 strife17 andmisunderstanding and are engaging in cleverly camouflaged money andjewel transactions for their own ends. We have reason to believe that inevery country there are agents of this group, some established there manyyears ago. Some are in very high and respectable positions, others areplaying humble18 parts, but all are working with one unknown end in view.
In substance, it is exactly like the Fifth Column activities at the beginningof the last war, only this time it is on a worldwide scale.”
“But who are these people?” Victoria demanded.
“They are not, we think, of any special nationality. What they want is, Ifear, the betterment of the world! The delusion19 that by force you can im-pose the Millennium20 on the human race is one of the most dangerous de-lusions in existence. Those who are out only to line their own pockets cando little harm—mere greed defeats its own ends. But the belief in a super-stratum of human beings—in Supermen to rule the rest of the decadentworld—that, Victoria, is the most evil of all beliefs. For when you say, ‘Iam not as other men’—you have lost the two most valuable qualities wehave ever tried to attain21: humility22 and brotherhood23.”
He coughed. “Well, I mustn’t preach a sermon. Let me just explain toyou what we do know. There are various centres of activity. One in the Ar-gentine, one in Canada — certainly one or more in the United States ofAmerica, and I should imagine, though we can’t tell, one in Russia. Andnow we come to a very interesting phenomenon.
“In the past two years, twenty-eight promising24 young scientists of vari-ous nationalities have quietly faded out of their background. The samething has happened with constructional engineers, with aviators25, withelectricians and many other skilled trades. These disappearances26 havethis in common: those concerned are all young, ambitious, and all withoutclose ties. Besides those we know of, there must be many many more, andwe are beginning to guess at something of what they are accomplishing.”
Victoria listened, her brows drawn27 together.
“You might say it was impossible in these days for anything to go on inany country unbeknownst to the rest of the world. I do not, of course,mean undercover activities; those may go on anywhere. But anything on alarge scale of up-to-date production. And yet there are still obscure partsof the world, remote from trade routes, cut off by mountains and deserts,in the midst of peoples who still have the power to bar out strangers andwhich are never known or visited except by a solitary28 and exceptionaltraveller. Things could go on there the news of which would never penet-rate to the outside world, or only as a dim and ridiculous rumour29.
“I won’t particularize the spot. It can be reached from China — andnobody knows what goes on in the interior of China. It can be reachedfrom the Himalayas, but the journey there, save to the initiated30, is hardand long to travel. Machinery31 and personnel dispatched from all over theglobe reaches it after being diverted from its ostensible32 destination. Themechanics of it all need not be gone into.
“But one man got interested in following up a certain trail. He was anunusual man, a man who has friends and contacts throughout the East. Hewas born in Kashgar and he knows a score of local dialects and languages.
He suspected and he followed up the trail. What he heard was so incred-ible that when he got back to civilization and reported it he was not be-lieved. He admitted that he had had fever and he was treated as a manwho had had delirium33.
“Only two people believed his story. One was myself. I never object tobelieving impossible things—they’re so often true. The other—” he hesit-ated.
“Yes?” said Victoria.
“The other was Sir Rupert Crofton Lee, a great traveller, and a man whohad himself travelled through these remote regions and who knew some-thing about their possibilities.
“The upshot of it all was that Carmichael, that’s my man, decided34 to goand find out for himself. It was a desperate and hazardous35 journey, but hewas as well equipped as any man to carry it through. That was ninemonths back. We heard nothing until a few weeks ago and then newscame through. He was alive and he’d got what he went to get. Definiteproof.
“But the other side were on to him. It was vital to them that he shouldnever get back with his proofs. And we’ve had ample evidence of how thewhole system is penetrated36 and infiltrated37 with their agents. Even in myown department there are leaks. And some of those leaks, Heaven help us,are at a very high level.
“Every frontier has been watched for him. Innocent lives have been sac-rificed in mistake for his—they don’t set much store by human life. Butsomehow or other he got through unscathed—until tonight.”
“Then that was who—he was?”
“Yes, my dear. A very brave and indomitable young man.”
“But what about the proofs? Did they get those?”
A very slow smile showed on Dakin’s tired face.
“I don’t think they did. No, knowing Carmichael, I’m pretty sure theydidn’t. But he died without being able to tell us where those proofs are andhow to get hold of them. I think he probably tried to say something whenhe was dying that should give us the clue.” He repeated slowly, “Lucifer—Basrah—Lefarge. He’d been in Basrah—tried to report at the Consulateand narrowly missed being shot. It’s possible that he left the proofs some-where in Basrah. What I want you to do, Victoria, is to go there and try tofind out.”
“Me?”
“Yes. You’ve no experience. You don’t know what you’re looking for. Butyou heard Carmichael’s last words and they may suggest something to youwhen you get there. Who knows—you may have beginner’s luck?”
“I’d love to go to Basrah,” said Victoria eagerly.
Dakin smiled.
“Suits you because your young man is there, eh? That’s all right. Goodcamouflage, too. Nothing like a genuine love affair for camouflage14. You goto Basrah, keep your eyes and ears open and look about you. I can’t giveyou any instructions for how to set about things—in fact I’d much rathernot. You seem a young woman with plenty of ingenuity39 of your own. Whatthe words Lucifer and Lefarge mean, assuming that you heard correctly, Idon’t know. I’m inclined to agree with you that Lefarge must be a name.
Look out for that name.”
“How do I get to Basrah?” said Victoria in a businesslike way. “And whatdo I use for money?”
Dakin took out his pocketbook and handed her a wad of paper money.
“That’s what you use for money. As for how you get to Basrah, fall intoconversation with that old trout40 Mrs. Cardew Trench41 tomorrow morning,say you’re anxious to visit Basrah before you go off to this Dig you’re pre-tending to work at. Ask her about a hotel. She’ll tell you at once you muststay at the Consulate38 and will send a telegram to Mrs. Clayton. You’ll prob-ably find your Edward there. The Claytons keep open house—everyonewho passes through stays with them. Beyond that, I can’t give you any tipsexcept one. If—er—anything unpleasant happens, if you’re asked whatyou know and who put you up to what you’re doing—don’t try and beheroic. Spill the beans at once.”
“Thank you very much,” said Victoria gratefully. “I’m an awful cowardabout pain, and if anyone were to torture me I’m afraid I shouldn’t holdout.”
“They won’t bother to torture you,” said Mr. Dakin. “Unless some sad-istic element enters in. Torture’s very old-fashioned. A little prick42 with aneedle and you answer every question truthfully without realizing you’redoing it. We live in a scientific age. That’s why I didn’t want you to getgrand ideas of secrecy43. You won’t be telling them anything they don’tknow already. They’ll be wise to me after this evening—bound to be. Andto Rupert Crofton Lee.”
“What about Edward? Do I tell him?”
“That I must leave to you. Theoretically, you’re to hold your tongueabout what you’re doing to everybody. Practically!” His eyebrows44 went upquizzically. “You can put him in danger, too. There’s that aspect of it. Still,I gather he had a good record in the Air Force. I don’t suppose danger willworry him. Two heads are often better than one. So he thinks there’ssomething fishy45 about this ‘Olive Branch’ he’s working for? That’s interest-ing—very interesting.”
“Why?”
“Because we think so, too,” said Dakin.
Then he added:
“Just two parting tips. First, if you don’t mind my saying so, don’t tell toomany different kinds of lies. It’s harder to remember and live up to. Iknow you’re a bit of a virtuoso46, but keep it simple, is my advice.”
“I’ll remember,” said Victoria with becoming humility. “And what’s theother tip?”
“Just keep your ears strained for any mention of a young woman calledAnna Scheele.”
“Who is she?”
“We don’t know much about her. We could do with knowing a littlemore.”
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1
altercation
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| n.争吵，争论 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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meretricious
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| adj.华而不实的，俗艳的 | |
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straightforwardly
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| adv.正直地 | |
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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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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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wireless
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| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
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constructive
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| adj.建设的，建设性的 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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camouflaged
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| v.隐蔽( camouflage的过去式和过去分词 )；掩盖；伪装，掩饰 | |
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camouflage
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| n./v.掩饰，伪装 | |
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sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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fomenting
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| v.激起，煽动（麻烦等）( foment的现在分词 ) | |
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strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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delusion
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| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
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millennium
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attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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brotherhood
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| n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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aviators
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| 飞机驾驶员，飞行员( aviator的名词复数 ) | |
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disappearances
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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initiated
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| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
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machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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ostensible
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| adj.(指理由)表面的，假装的 | |
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delirium
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| n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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infiltrated
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| adj.[医]浸润的v.（使）渗透，（指思想）渗入人的心中( infiltrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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consulate
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| n.领事馆 | |
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ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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trench
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| n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕 | |
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prick
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| v.刺伤，刺痛，刺孔；n.刺伤，刺痛 | |
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secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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fishy
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| adj. 值得怀疑的 | |
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virtuoso
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| n.精于某种艺术或乐器的专家，行家里手 | |
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