Read Online The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carré - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: John le Carré
Ads: Link
trousers.
“I’m a member,” Ashe said. “These two gentlemen
are with me.”
“See your card?”
Ashe took a buff card from his wallet and handed
it over.
“Your guests pay a quid a head, temporary
membership. Your recommendation,right?” He held out the card and as he did so,
Leamas stretched past Ashe and took it. He looked at it for a moment, then handed it back to Ashe.
Taking two pounds from his hip pocket, Leamas put
them into the waiting hand of the man at the door.
“Two quid,” said Leamas, “for the
guests,” and ignoring the astonishedprotests of Ashe he guided them through the curtained doorway into the
dim hallway of the club. He turned to the doorman.
“Find us a table,” said Leamas,
“and a bottle of Scotch. And see we’re left alone.”
The doorman hesitated for a moment, decided not to
argue, and escorted them downstairs. As they descended they heard the subdued
moan of unintelligible music.They
got a table on their own at the back of the room. A two-piece band was playing
and girls sat around in twos and threes. Two got up as they came in but the big
doorman shook his head.
Ashe glanced at Leamas uneasily while they waited for the whisky.
Kiever seemed slightly bored. The waiter brought a bottle and three tumblers
and they watched in silence as he poured a little whisky into each glass.
Leamas took the bottle from the waiter and added as much again to each. This
done, he leaned across the table and said to Ashe, “Now perhaps you’ll
tell me what the bloody hell’s going on.”
“What do you mean?” Ashe sounded
uncertain. “What do you mean, Alec?”
“You followed me from prison the day I was released,”
he began quietly, “with some bloody silly story of meeting me in Berlin . You gave me
money you didn’t owe me. You’ve bought me expensive meals and you’re putting me
up in your flat.”
Ashe colored and said, “If that’s the—”
“Don’t interrupt,” said Leamas fiercely. “Just
damn well wait till I’ve finished, do you mind? Your membership card for this
place is made out for someone called Murphy. Is that your name?”
“No, it is not.”
“I suppose a friend called Murphy lent you
his membership card?”
“No, he didn’t as a matter of fact. If you
must know, I come here occasionally to find a girl. I used a phony name to join
the club.”
“Then why,” Leamas persisted ruthlessly,
“is Murphy registered as the tenantof your flat?”
It was Kiever who finally spoke.
“You run along home,” he said to Ashe.
“I’ll look after this.”
A girl performed a striptease, a young, drab girl
with a dark bruise on her thigh. She had that pitiful, spindly nakedness which
is embarrassing because it is not erotic; because it is artless and un-desiring.
She turned slowly, jerking sporadically with her arms and legs as if she only
heard the music in snatches, and all the time she looked at them with the
precocious interest of a child in adult company. The tempo ofthe music increased abruptly, and the
girl responded like a dog to the whistle, scampering back and forth. Removing
her brassiere on the last note, she held it above her head, displaying her
meager body with its three tawdry patches of tinsel hanging from it like old
Christmas tree decorations.
They watched in silence, Leamas and Kiever.
“I suppose you’re going to tell me that we’ve
seen better in Berlin ,”
Leamas suggested at last, and Kiever saw that he was still very angry.
“I expect you have,” Kiever replied
pleasantly. “I have often been to Berlin ,
but I am afraid I dislike night clubs.”
Leamas said nothing.
“I’m no prude, mind, just rational. If I want
a woman I know cheaper ways offinding
one; if I want to dance I know better places to do it.”
Leamas might not have been listening.
“Perhaps you’ll tell me why that sissypicked me up,” he suggested. Kiever nodded.
“By all means. I
told him to.”
“Why?”
“I am interested in you. I want to
“I’m a member,” Ashe said. “These two gentlemen
are with me.”
“See your card?”
Ashe took a buff card from his wallet and handed
it over.
“Your guests pay a quid a head, temporary
membership. Your recommendation,right?” He held out the card and as he did so,
Leamas stretched past Ashe and took it. He looked at it for a moment, then handed it back to Ashe.
Taking two pounds from his hip pocket, Leamas put
them into the waiting hand of the man at the door.
“Two quid,” said Leamas, “for the
guests,” and ignoring the astonishedprotests of Ashe he guided them through the curtained doorway into the
dim hallway of the club. He turned to the doorman.
“Find us a table,” said Leamas,
“and a bottle of Scotch. And see we’re left alone.”
The doorman hesitated for a moment, decided not to
argue, and escorted them downstairs. As they descended they heard the subdued
moan of unintelligible music.They
got a table on their own at the back of the room. A two-piece band was playing
and girls sat around in twos and threes. Two got up as they came in but the big
doorman shook his head.
Ashe glanced at Leamas uneasily while they waited for the whisky.
Kiever seemed slightly bored. The waiter brought a bottle and three tumblers
and they watched in silence as he poured a little whisky into each glass.
Leamas took the bottle from the waiter and added as much again to each. This
done, he leaned across the table and said to Ashe, “Now perhaps you’ll
tell me what the bloody hell’s going on.”
“What do you mean?” Ashe sounded
uncertain. “What do you mean, Alec?”
“You followed me from prison the day I was released,”
he began quietly, “with some bloody silly story of meeting me in Berlin . You gave me
money you didn’t owe me. You’ve bought me expensive meals and you’re putting me
up in your flat.”
Ashe colored and said, “If that’s the—”
“Don’t interrupt,” said Leamas fiercely. “Just
damn well wait till I’ve finished, do you mind? Your membership card for this
place is made out for someone called Murphy. Is that your name?”
“No, it is not.”
“I suppose a friend called Murphy lent you
his membership card?”
“No, he didn’t as a matter of fact. If you
must know, I come here occasionally to find a girl. I used a phony name to join
the club.”
“Then why,” Leamas persisted ruthlessly,
“is Murphy registered as the tenantof your flat?”
It was Kiever who finally spoke.
“You run along home,” he said to Ashe.
“I’ll look after this.”
A girl performed a striptease, a young, drab girl
with a dark bruise on her thigh. She had that pitiful, spindly nakedness which
is embarrassing because it is not erotic; because it is artless and un-desiring.
She turned slowly, jerking sporadically with her arms and legs as if she only
heard the music in snatches, and all the time she looked at them with the
precocious interest of a child in adult company. The tempo ofthe music increased abruptly, and the
girl responded like a dog to the whistle, scampering back and forth. Removing
her brassiere on the last note, she held it above her head, displaying her
meager body with its three tawdry patches of tinsel hanging from it like old
Christmas tree decorations.
They watched in silence, Leamas and Kiever.
“I suppose you’re going to tell me that we’ve
seen better in Berlin ,”
Leamas suggested at last, and Kiever saw that he was still very angry.
“I expect you have,” Kiever replied
pleasantly. “I have often been to Berlin ,
but I am afraid I dislike night clubs.”
Leamas said nothing.
“I’m no prude, mind, just rational. If I want
a woman I know cheaper ways offinding
one; if I want to dance I know better places to do it.”
Leamas might not have been listening.
“Perhaps you’ll tell me why that sissypicked me up,” he suggested. Kiever nodded.
“By all means. I
told him to.”
“Why?”
“I am interested in you. I want to
Similar Books
