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Authors: Sax Rohmer
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nothing.
“What?”
“Wait a moment. I may be wrong, but…”
Nayland Smith moved quietly across the room until he could press his ear to a panel of the door. Then, very gently, he opened it and looked out. He closed it again silently and came back.
“Too late. There was certainly someone there. Let’s hope they don’t know I’m here! I must be brief, but I want to bring you up to date. We doubled back to Paris and flew to Cairo. Dr. Hessian needed rest, facilities, and safety to complete his plans for a laboratory demonstration. I knew he could find all this with the Seyyîd Mohammed. Also, I was rather shaken. As you see”—he touched his nose—“Had a spot of trouble in Berlin.”
The phone rang.
“Be careful!” Nayland Smith warned as Brian took the call.
It was Zoe.
“Brian dear, I can only speak for a moment. But I do not have to leave Cairo for another week! Are you glad?”
“Very glad indeed.”
“I will call you in the morning.”
With the sound of a kiss, Zoe hung up. Brian turned and met a quizzical stare from Nayland Smith.
“Evidently a lady,” he snapped in his dry fashion.
Brian grinned rather guiltily. “As a matter of fact, Sir Denis, it was someone you know. Zoe Montero.”
Nayland Smith smiled. It wasn’t quite the boyish smile that Brian seemed to remember, but he had to allow for the fact that Sir Denis had obviously been through hell, although he treated his troubles lightly.
“Little Zoe? Her uncle and I became close friends some years ago when I was up in Luxor. She’s a sweet little girl, and I know she’s safe with you. And now I must be off.” He stooped, picked up his coat and hat, and put them on. “Never go out alone, Merrick. And lock your door at night.”
“I’ll go down with you, Sir Denis.”
“Not on your life! You’re the last man in Cairo I want to be seen with. Look—walk along to the lift, and when you get there, just open the door opposite—the one with a red light above it—and make sure there’s nobody on the stair. If all’s clear, pretend to press the bell for the lift, and don’t pay any attention to me when I go by you. A last word—don’t worry if you hear nothing from me for a day or two. And for heaven’s sake, don’t attempt to contact me. Enjoy yourself with Zoe. She doesn’t know you’re working with me?”
“I never told her so.”
“Never do! Good night.”
When Nayland Smith had gone in his mysterious way, Brian sat down to try to get these new developments into focus.
One thing was crystal clear: he had let himself in for quite a job. He was up to his ears in an international intrigue that obviously involved the whole Western world. He thrilled to the prospect, but he asked himself if he felt competent to go through with it. Something more than mere physical courage was called for.
Did he possess those extra qualities? And was he justified in taking it for granted that he did when nothing in his life to date had given him an opportunity to find out?
He believed he had a fairly good brain, but he wasn’t vain enough to pretend that it was a first-class brain. Yet, according to Nayland Smith, he was soon to find himself in the ring against an opponent who had the brain of a criminal genius. In such a contest, of what use could he be to Sir Denis?
Evidently Peter Wellingham had decided that he was the very man Sir Denis was looking for, so that, although he didn’t recognize the fact, he must possess some qualification that was necessary.
What could it be?
So far he had been asked to do nothing. He wondered how long that state of affairs would have lasted if he hadn’t blundered upon Sir Denis’ hiding place.
And now it appeared he had
carte blanche
to do as he pleased for the next few days. Yet Nayland Smith had warned him that his every move was covered.
Brian took another drink.
He decided that if he were to prove a success as a secret agent, he must learn to control his hasty judgments. Men
“What?”
“Wait a moment. I may be wrong, but…”
Nayland Smith moved quietly across the room until he could press his ear to a panel of the door. Then, very gently, he opened it and looked out. He closed it again silently and came back.
“Too late. There was certainly someone there. Let’s hope they don’t know I’m here! I must be brief, but I want to bring you up to date. We doubled back to Paris and flew to Cairo. Dr. Hessian needed rest, facilities, and safety to complete his plans for a laboratory demonstration. I knew he could find all this with the Seyyîd Mohammed. Also, I was rather shaken. As you see”—he touched his nose—“Had a spot of trouble in Berlin.”
The phone rang.
“Be careful!” Nayland Smith warned as Brian took the call.
It was Zoe.
“Brian dear, I can only speak for a moment. But I do not have to leave Cairo for another week! Are you glad?”
“Very glad indeed.”
“I will call you in the morning.”
With the sound of a kiss, Zoe hung up. Brian turned and met a quizzical stare from Nayland Smith.
“Evidently a lady,” he snapped in his dry fashion.
Brian grinned rather guiltily. “As a matter of fact, Sir Denis, it was someone you know. Zoe Montero.”
Nayland Smith smiled. It wasn’t quite the boyish smile that Brian seemed to remember, but he had to allow for the fact that Sir Denis had obviously been through hell, although he treated his troubles lightly.
“Little Zoe? Her uncle and I became close friends some years ago when I was up in Luxor. She’s a sweet little girl, and I know she’s safe with you. And now I must be off.” He stooped, picked up his coat and hat, and put them on. “Never go out alone, Merrick. And lock your door at night.”
“I’ll go down with you, Sir Denis.”
“Not on your life! You’re the last man in Cairo I want to be seen with. Look—walk along to the lift, and when you get there, just open the door opposite—the one with a red light above it—and make sure there’s nobody on the stair. If all’s clear, pretend to press the bell for the lift, and don’t pay any attention to me when I go by you. A last word—don’t worry if you hear nothing from me for a day or two. And for heaven’s sake, don’t attempt to contact me. Enjoy yourself with Zoe. She doesn’t know you’re working with me?”
“I never told her so.”
“Never do! Good night.”
When Nayland Smith had gone in his mysterious way, Brian sat down to try to get these new developments into focus.
One thing was crystal clear: he had let himself in for quite a job. He was up to his ears in an international intrigue that obviously involved the whole Western world. He thrilled to the prospect, but he asked himself if he felt competent to go through with it. Something more than mere physical courage was called for.
Did he possess those extra qualities? And was he justified in taking it for granted that he did when nothing in his life to date had given him an opportunity to find out?
He believed he had a fairly good brain, but he wasn’t vain enough to pretend that it was a first-class brain. Yet, according to Nayland Smith, he was soon to find himself in the ring against an opponent who had the brain of a criminal genius. In such a contest, of what use could he be to Sir Denis?
Evidently Peter Wellingham had decided that he was the very man Sir Denis was looking for, so that, although he didn’t recognize the fact, he must possess some qualification that was necessary.
What could it be?
So far he had been asked to do nothing. He wondered how long that state of affairs would have lasted if he hadn’t blundered upon Sir Denis’ hiding place.
And now it appeared he had
carte blanche
to do as he pleased for the next few days. Yet Nayland Smith had warned him that his every move was covered.
Brian took another drink.
He decided that if he were to prove a success as a secret agent, he must learn to control his hasty judgments. Men
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