Where Eagles Dare

Within half a minute the reason for von Brauchitsch's helpless gesture became obvious. Through the door there came first the sound of a raised voice, a brief scuffle then a sharp cry of pain. Von Brauchitsch exchanged another resigned glance with Heidi, then turned as he heard heavy footsteps behind him. The man approaching was burly, weather-beaten, middle-aged and in civilian clothes: but although not in uniform he could never have been mistaken for anything other than an army officer. The heavy blue-shaven jowls, bull-neck, close-cropped hair and piercing blue eyes made him almost a caricature of

'Good evening, Colonel Kramer.'

'Evening, Captain. Evening, Fraulein.' He had an unexpectedly gentle and courteous voice. 'You wear an air of expectancy?'

Before either could answer, the door opened and Anne-Marie and Mary entered : Mary gave the impression of having been pushed into the room. Anne-Marie was slightly flushed and breathing rather heavily, but otherwise her beautiful Aryan self. Mary's clothes were disordered, her hair dishevelled and it was obvious that she had been crying. Her cheeks were still tear-stained.

'We'll have no more trouble with her,' Anne-Marie announced with satisfaction. She caught sight of Kramer and the change in her tone was perceptible. 'Interviewing new staff, Colonel.'

'In your usual competent fashion, I see,' Colonel Kramer said dryly. He shook his head. "When will you learn that respectable young girls do not like being forcibly searched and having their underclothes examined to see if they were made in Piccadilly or Gorki Street?'

'Security regulations,' Anne-Marie said defensively.

'Yes, yes.' Kramer's voice was brusque. 'But there are other ways.' He turned away impatiently. The engaging of female staff was not the problem of the deputy chief of the German Secret Service. While Heidi was helping Mary to straighten her clothes, he went on, to von Brauchitsch: 'A little excitement in the village tonight?'

'Nothing for us.' Von Brauchitsch shrugged. 'Deserters.'

Kramer smiled.

'What!'

'After General Carnaby, I shouldn't wonder,' Kramer said carelessly. 'Relax, Captain. It's over. Three of them are coming up for interrogation within the hour. I'd like you to be present later on. I think you'll find it most entertaining and -- ah -- instructive.'

'There were five of them, sir. I saw them myself when they were rounded up in "Zum Wilden Hirsch".'

"There were five,' Colonel Kramer corrected. 'Not now. Two of them -- the leader and one other -- are in the Blau See. They commandeered a car and went over a cliff.'

Mary, her back to the men and Anne-Marie, smoothed down her dress and slowly straightened. Her face was stricken. Anne-Marie turned, saw Mary's curiously immobile position and was moving curiously towards her when Heidi took Mary's arm and said quickly: 'My cousin looks ill. May I take her to her room?'

"All right.' Anne-Marie waved her hand in curt dismissal. 'The one you use when you are here.'

The room was bleak, monastic, linoleum-covered, with a made-up iron bed, chair, tiny dressing-table, a hanging cupboard and nothing else. Heidi locked the door behind them.

'You heard?' Mary said emptily. Her face was as drained of life as her voice.

'I heard -- and I don't believe it."

'Why should they lie?'

'Talk is easy, Heidi.'

'So is giving up. / believe he is alive. And if he is, and if he comes here and you're gone or not there to help him, you know what he'll be then?' Mary made no reply, just gazed emptily into Heidi's face. 'He'll be dead. He'll be dead because you let him down. Would he let you down?'

Mary shook her head dumbly.

'Now then,' Heidi went on briskly. She reached first under her skirt then down the front of her blouse and laid seven objects on the table. 'Here we are. Lilliput.21 automatic, two spare magazines, ball of string, lead weight, plan of the castle and the instructions.' She crossed to a corner of the room, raised a loose floor-board, placed the articles beneath it and replaced the board. "They'll be safe enough there.'

Mary looked at her for a long moment and showed her first spark of interest in an hour.

'You knew that board was loose," she said slowly.

'Of course. I loosened it myself, a fortnight ago.'

'You -- you knew about this as far back as then?'

'Whatever else?' Heidi smiled. 'Good luck, cousin."

Mary sank on to the bed and sat there motionless for ten minutes after Heidi had gone, then rose wearily to her feet and crossed to her window. Her window faced to the north and she could see the line of pylons, the lights of the village and, beyond that, the darkened waters of the Blau See. But what dominated the entire scene were the redly-towering flames and billowing clouds of black smoke reaching up from some burning building at the far end of the village. For a hundred yards around it night had been