Read Online Spy Who Read Latin: And Other Stories by Edward D. Hoch - Free Book Online
Authors: Edward D. Hoch
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Belgrave.”
“He means nothing to me.”
Taz shrugged. “Very well, then. Who else must I seize? The American CIA man—Lanning?”
“Leave him out of it.” Rand realized that his palms were sweating. He’d come here as the cat and now suddenly he felt like the mouse. “What is your offer?”
Taz smiled, motioning toward the walls with their proletarian adornment. “I can assure you there are no listening devices in this room.”
“I accept your assurance.”
“Very well. Let us get to business. My offer is simply this—that we, you and I, join forces for our own betterment. That we, shall I say, exchange certain key pieces of information regarding our codes and ciphers.”
Rand leaned forward, not certain that he’d heard correctly. “You can’t be serious!”
“I’m deadly serious, my friend. Neither of us grows younger. The espionage business is a dying one, replaced by satellites in the sky and old men around a conference table. Would it not be to our advantage to work together, to try and gather a—what is it called?—yes, a nest egg for the days of our enforced retirement. What I am suggesting, after all, is no more than Major Batjuschin suggested to Captain Redl in 1902.”
This brought a smile from Rand. “You mean Captain Redl, the archtraitor?”
“Yes or no, my friend?”
“I suppose, Taz, that what you’re suggesting is the only sensible course for practical men to follow. And I suppose I’m both foolish and old-fashioned in turning you down.”
“What is it—patriotism?”
“Nothing so nebulous as that. I suppose, quite simply, it’s just that I don’t quite trust you, my friend.”
The Russian’s face froze. “Very well. Then Gordon Belgrave remains with us.”
Rand held up a hand. “Not so fast. Now it’s my turn to propose a deal. Do I have your word that the Russians are not responsible for Shoju Etan’s murder?”
“You have it.”
“What about a man named Sivas?”
“A hired killer, employed by the Albanians, and sometimes by their friends the Chinese.”
“I suspected as much.”
“Is Sivas here, in Moscow?” asked Taz curiously.
“If you’ll release Belgrave, I’ll deliver Sivas—and more besides.”
“More?”
“Now it’s your turn to trust me.”
Taz nodded slowly. “Show me Sivas. Where is he?”
“Let’s look for him together. At the Moscow zoo.”
Dr. Yota Nobea glanced up as they entered, neglecting for a moment the languid crocodile in its shallow pool of water. “The zoo is closed till morning,” she said automatically. “It’s almost eleven o’clock.”
“You’ve forgotten me already?” Rand asked. “After only ten hours?”
“Mr. Rand! What brings you to the zoo at night? And who is that with you?”
“My name is Taz,” the Russian said softly.
“You really must excuse me. I’m getting my crocodile settled in his new quarters.”
“We don’t want the crocodile,” Rand said. “We want the coffin he came in.”
“The coffin! It’s out on the truck. But why do you want it?”
“Because, Dr. Nobea, six big men had to struggle to get that coffin on board. A full-grown Philippine crocodile weighs less than an average person, and you said this one wasn’t yet fullgrown. I want what’s hidden in the bottom of that coffin.”
“There’s nothing,” she said, but her eyes darted with fright.
“No Customs man would search further after you showed him the crocodile, would he? And no Customs man would question the total weight of the coffin, at least not when it arrived in the care of Professor Nobea of Tokyo University. Which brings us to the question: what happened to the real Professor Nobea?”
Yota’s mouth twisted. “I am Nobea.”
Rand shook his head. “Shoju Etan was doing a series of articles on the Tokyo zoo, which included research in Moscow. He must have known about the crocodile-mating project. He must have met the real Nobea. That was why Shoju Etan had to die, wasn’t it? Not
“He means nothing to me.”
Taz shrugged. “Very well, then. Who else must I seize? The American CIA man—Lanning?”
“Leave him out of it.” Rand realized that his palms were sweating. He’d come here as the cat and now suddenly he felt like the mouse. “What is your offer?”
Taz smiled, motioning toward the walls with their proletarian adornment. “I can assure you there are no listening devices in this room.”
“I accept your assurance.”
“Very well. Let us get to business. My offer is simply this—that we, you and I, join forces for our own betterment. That we, shall I say, exchange certain key pieces of information regarding our codes and ciphers.”
Rand leaned forward, not certain that he’d heard correctly. “You can’t be serious!”
“I’m deadly serious, my friend. Neither of us grows younger. The espionage business is a dying one, replaced by satellites in the sky and old men around a conference table. Would it not be to our advantage to work together, to try and gather a—what is it called?—yes, a nest egg for the days of our enforced retirement. What I am suggesting, after all, is no more than Major Batjuschin suggested to Captain Redl in 1902.”
This brought a smile from Rand. “You mean Captain Redl, the archtraitor?”
“Yes or no, my friend?”
“I suppose, Taz, that what you’re suggesting is the only sensible course for practical men to follow. And I suppose I’m both foolish and old-fashioned in turning you down.”
“What is it—patriotism?”
“Nothing so nebulous as that. I suppose, quite simply, it’s just that I don’t quite trust you, my friend.”
The Russian’s face froze. “Very well. Then Gordon Belgrave remains with us.”
Rand held up a hand. “Not so fast. Now it’s my turn to propose a deal. Do I have your word that the Russians are not responsible for Shoju Etan’s murder?”
“You have it.”
“What about a man named Sivas?”
“A hired killer, employed by the Albanians, and sometimes by their friends the Chinese.”
“I suspected as much.”
“Is Sivas here, in Moscow?” asked Taz curiously.
“If you’ll release Belgrave, I’ll deliver Sivas—and more besides.”
“More?”
“Now it’s your turn to trust me.”
Taz nodded slowly. “Show me Sivas. Where is he?”
“Let’s look for him together. At the Moscow zoo.”
Dr. Yota Nobea glanced up as they entered, neglecting for a moment the languid crocodile in its shallow pool of water. “The zoo is closed till morning,” she said automatically. “It’s almost eleven o’clock.”
“You’ve forgotten me already?” Rand asked. “After only ten hours?”
“Mr. Rand! What brings you to the zoo at night? And who is that with you?”
“My name is Taz,” the Russian said softly.
“You really must excuse me. I’m getting my crocodile settled in his new quarters.”
“We don’t want the crocodile,” Rand said. “We want the coffin he came in.”
“The coffin! It’s out on the truck. But why do you want it?”
“Because, Dr. Nobea, six big men had to struggle to get that coffin on board. A full-grown Philippine crocodile weighs less than an average person, and you said this one wasn’t yet fullgrown. I want what’s hidden in the bottom of that coffin.”
“There’s nothing,” she said, but her eyes darted with fright.
“No Customs man would search further after you showed him the crocodile, would he? And no Customs man would question the total weight of the coffin, at least not when it arrived in the care of Professor Nobea of Tokyo University. Which brings us to the question: what happened to the real Professor Nobea?”
Yota’s mouth twisted. “I am Nobea.”
Rand shook his head. “Shoju Etan was doing a series of articles on the Tokyo zoo, which included research in Moscow. He must have known about the crocodile-mating project. He must have met the real Nobea. That was why Shoju Etan had to die, wasn’t it? Not
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