Read Online They Used Dark Forces by Dennis Wheatley - Free Book Online

his body to make certain that he had no other weapons concealed on him. As she stepped across to Kuporovitch, Gregory groaned inwardly, for a further deduction had occurred to him.
    The man who had brought Khurrem’s message to the British Embassy in Stockholm, whether he had been a Pole or only posing as one, must have been an agent of the Gestapo. His death in a car crash shortly afterwards had evidently been reported as a precaution against any attempt to trace and question him further; and, as all Gestapo operations outside Germany came under Foreign Department UA-1, this cunning plan to protect the secrets of Peenemünde must have been hatched by its Chief, Herr Gruppenführer Grauber.
    Gregory was a brave man, but he blanched at the thought. The snare had not been laid for him personally, for Grauber could not possibly have known that he would be the agent sent; but now that agent had been caught he very soon would know, and his delight would be unbounded.
    To have fallen into the clutches of the Gestapo was bad enough, but soon to be at the mercy of his most deadly enemy did not bear thinking about. Yet he could not prevent his thoughts racing on. Unless a merciful Providence enabled him to escape, within twenty-four hours or less he would once again be brought face to face with that pitiless sadist. Into his mind there flashed a picture of a gorilla-like figure, made doubly sinister by having the mincing gait and airs of an affected woman. He could even visualise the glint of triumph in Grauber’s solitary eye. The other he had smashed in with the butt of a pistol. Grauber had sworn that he should sooner or later pay for that by being kept alive in agony for months and allowed to die only by inches.
    Khurrem had disarmed Kuporovitch and Gregory’s nightmare imaginings were cut short by Malacou saying in a quieter voice, ‘You may now turn round and lower your hands.’
    As they did so, he motioned with the big automatic he washolding towards two chairs at opposite sides of the room, both of which were well away from his desk, and added, ‘Be seated,
Meine Herren
. My interrogation of you may take some time.’
    Swivelling round his own chair he sat down in it, looked across at Gregory and went on, ‘I will begin with you. What is your real name?’
    â€˜I have nothing to say,’ replied Gregory firmly.
    Malacou shrugged. ‘You are wasting my time. I have means to make you talk; or, anyway, provide answers to my questions. Tell me at least one thing. Have you ever been hypnotised?’
    Gregory gave him an uneasy look, then shook his head.
    â€˜Then you would not prove an easy subject. I could, of course, put you under if I summoned my man, had him and Khurrem tie you up, then held your eyes open. And that is what I shall do if you attempt to resist the measures I am about to take. But I have no wish to spend half the night subduing your will to mine. It will be much quicker and more pleasant for us all if you quietly accept Khurrem as your mouthpiece.’
    Extremely puzzled, Gregory stared at Khurrem as she came towards him, then went behind his chair and placed both her hands on his head. He knew that hypnotism was accepted by the medical profession and now used by a number of practitioners for relieving pain and for other legitimate purposes. But he did not suppose for one moment that by hypnotising a third party Malacou could get anything out of him and it was evident that that was what the doctor now intended to attempt. Swiftly Gregory decided that to let him try was obviously more sensible than to allow himself to be tied up; since, as long as his limbs were free, there was always the chance that his captor’s vigilance might relax and give him an opportunity to turn the tables.
    Malacou transferred his pistol to his left hand, rested it on his thigh and, looking steadily over Gregory’s head at Khurrem, made a few slow passes with his right. After barely