Dominion

Chapter Twenty-Six

THAT EVENING, AFTER WORK, David went to Soho again. He had had a message from Geoff; Jackson wanted to meet them tonight. David had telephoned Sarah, saying he had to work late once more. She had asked, angrily, whether he really had to. He knew she was still shocked by what had happened on Sunday. He was apologetic, reassuring and promised to be back as soon as he could.

A day had passed since Hubbold had spoken to him about the missing file. Nobody had mentioned it further, but he guessed Hubbold was speaking to others and that he had told them, like David, to keep the matter confidential. When he went up the corridor to the lift to go to lunch he had seen Carol sitting smoking at her desk, a blank, vacant look in her eyes. For once, she did not even see him. She must have been questioned, too.

It was a cold, raw evening. The exotic Soho grocery shops were closing, assistants in brown overalls packing away stock and pulling down shutters. A couple of young men in trilby hats and coats with wide shoulders passed him, talking Italian. Under one of the tall, glass-panelled streetlamps a man in his forties, dressed like David in a dark coat and bowler hat, stood looking round him nervously. David guessed he had come to find a prostitute. The street girls wouldn’t be out until later. The man met his eye and looked away quickly. David turned into the alley beside the coffee bar.

He was about to ring the bell when the door opened and a tall, attractive young woman appeared. She wore a green coat and had striking red hair under a fashionable saucer-shaped hat. She looked at him with bright green eyes, then smiled. ‘You’re one of Natalia’s friends, aren’t you? I’m Dilys from the other flat. I’m just going out to the shops, I thought you was an early client. It’s all right, I was given pictures of all of you, to memorize. I watch out for you all, you know. Go on up,’ she added, a little reproachfully. David realized he was blushing.

‘I – thank you.’

She smiled at his embarrassment, then walked away down the alley. David went upstairs and knocked on Natalia’s door. She opened it a little, peering out at him anxiously for a second before she recognized him and her face cleared. She let him in.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I didn’t ring the bell. The – Dilys let me in, she was on her way out. She knew me, she said she had pictures of us.’

Natalia nodded. ‘Yes, Dilys is important. We would not have this place but for her. She is a good friend.’

Natalia wasn’t wearing her painter’s smock tonight but a thick grey sweater that set off the paleness of her skin. ‘How are you?’ she asked, looking at him with concern.

‘There’s been a bit of a problem at work.’

‘So I understand. Don’t tell me about it, wait until Mr Jackson gets here.’ She gave her sad, wry smile. ‘That’s the way he likes to do things.’

‘I know.’

There was a charcoal sketch on her easel, a narrow cobbled street with tumbledown houses on each side, figures walking along. She came and stood beside him. ‘I started that yesterday. After our talk. It is the old Jewish Quarter in Bratislava.’

‘It looks a run-down sort of place.’

‘It was where the poorer Jews lived, shopkeepers and bootmenders, labourers.’

David said, ‘My father told me after my mother died that my Jewish grandfather was a furniture-maker, a carpenter. It’s not the sort of job you associate with a Jew somehow.’

Her wry smile again. ‘Jesus Christ was a Jewish carpenter.’

‘I suppose he was.’

‘Where did they come from? Your mother’s family?’

‘Somewhere in the old Russian Empire, I’m not sure where. Poland perhaps, Lithuania. Slovakia was part of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, wasn’t it? Before the Great War?’ He laughed self-consciously. ‘My father had an old school atlas from before 1914, I looked at it again the other night.’

‘Yes. Some called the Empire the prison-house of nations. But after the war it was worse in many ways, everyone splitting off to claim their own nationality, creating new minorities, each hating the other more and more. And all the nationalists hating the Jews as an alien people, of course. Czechoslovakia was not so bad as most, though, till Hitler destroyed it.’ She put out a hand and touched his arm quickly. ‘I’m sorry, I’m not giving you much comfort.’

He offered her a cigarette. ‘You haven’t told anyone, have you? About me?’

‘I said I would not.’ She looked at him. ‘But I still think you should.’

David laughed bitterly. ‘I really don’t feel this is the best time.’

She inclined her head and stepped away. He was making her keep a secret for him. If only she hadn’t spoken on Sunday. He asked suddenly, ‘Did the Jews in Bratislava speak Yiddish?’

‘Yes, they did. The Jews spoke Yiddish all over Eastern Europe.’ She smiled. ‘Our countries, they were such a babel of languages, everyone speaking at least a bit of three or four.’ She asked softly, ‘Did your mother speak Yiddish?’

‘She put all that behind her, became Anglo-Irish. She said something though, just before she died. Neither my father nor I understood it.’

‘Do you remember it?’

David gave an embarrassed laugh. ‘It was seventeen years ago. I don’t know, it was something like, “Ik hobdik leeb”.’ He turned away, suddenly full of emotion. He heard her repeat the words, with a different emphasis. ‘Ich hob dich lieb.’ He turned round. ‘That sounds like it. What does it mean?’

‘I don’t know,’ she said, looking away. ‘I only knew a few phrases.’

The doorbell rang, making them both jump. Natalia went out, and David heard her light footsteps descending the stairs. She came back with Geoff. ‘Hello, old man,’ Geoff said with forced cheerfulness. ‘How are things?’

‘I think Hubbold’s questioning people.’

Geoff took off his coat and hat, gave David a tight smile though his blue eyes were anxious. ‘It’ll be all right.’

The bell rang again. Minutes later David heard Jackson’s heavy footsteps accompanying Natalia back up the stairs. He came in, grim-faced, nodding to David and Geoff without smiling. He took off his coat and hat, sat down heavily, then said to David, ‘You seem to have set some hares running, one way and another.’

David told him again what had happened to Sarah on Sunday, and about the missing file. Jackson listened, expressionless, putting in the occasional sharp question. When David had finished he sat thinking for some moments.

‘I think your wife is safe,’ he said at length. ‘We’ve managed to trace that student couple. Most of those who got away – not that there were that many, anywhere – have ended up with our people. Those Gentiles who’re willing to help them usually have some contact with us.’

‘What will happen to them?’

‘They’ll get new identities. The Jews won’t be the first people we’ve done that for, not by a long chalk. Now, is your wife quite sure nobody on this committee of hers knew that she went off with this woman who was killed?’

‘She’s certain.’

‘You’ve put us to a lot of work, tracing those two students.’ He sighed. ‘And the other matter, putting secret papers in an open file, that’s worrying.’ His hard, sharp eyes were angry now.

Geoff said, ‘David thought he was about to be caught, he had to act in a hurry.’

Jackson glanced at Geoff briefly, but did not reply. He turned back to David. ‘You say you think Carol Bennett’s been questioned?’

‘Yes, from the way she looked at lunchtime.’

‘How do you think she’ll have reacted?’

‘She won’t be pressured. She’ll say it wasn’t her, she doesn’t know how it happened. Which is true.’

‘Do you think she might make any connection between the missing papers and you?’

‘No. She’s no reason to. And her picture of me is – distorted.’

‘Try to behave normally with her. Don’t tell her about being questioned yourself, she might smell a rat if you do.’

‘I’m supposed to be going to a concert with her on Friday.’

‘I should cancel. Probably best if you and Miss Bennett aren’t seen around together.’

‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’ He sighed. ‘I’ll think of some excuse.’

‘What should David do? If he is questioned again about the papers?’ Natalia asked.

Jackson stared hard at David again. ‘Say you know nothing about it. I’ve been in the Service nearly forty years, it’s not the first time something like this has happened. They’ll go round in circles for a little while, asking everybody, then when nobody accepts responsibility for the mistake, eventually they’ll have to approach MI5 to deal with it, what’s left of them these days. Unless they can find a scapegoat, someone they don’t like who could plausibly be responsible. Possibly Miss Bennett.’ He thought for a moment. ‘We’re safe for the time being. Enough time to deal with the immediate issue, which is Frank Muncaster. Can you hold your nerve, Fitzgerald, if you’re questioned again?’

‘Yes,’ David said. ‘I just deny everything, don’t I? But sooner or later they’re going to connect it to the fact I come in at weekends.’

‘You’re not the only one. And you’ve a twelve-year record of unblemished service, being loyal and unambitious, a happy family man.’ Jackson smiled, coldly. ‘Don’t forget the importance of that. It’s why we took you on.’

‘Yes. I’m used to lying,’ David answered quietly. He looked at Natalia, who glanced away.

Jackson stood, paced up and down the room as he sometimes did, while the others stayed seated. Geoff lit his pipe. They heard two pairs of footsteps ascending the staircase outside, and the door of the prostitute’s flat door slammed shut. David heard a woman’s laugh. Jackson sat down again. He said, ‘Our friend Ben Hall at the asylum has been very nifty. They questioned him about your visit on Sunday and he said so far as he’s concerned you were strangers, old chums he’d allowed Muncaster to contact by telephone. His descriptions of you are mildly misleading.’ He shook his head, smiled coldly again. ‘They do have some steel, those Reds. Now, the danger, as it always has been, is that Muncaster spills the beans, but apparently he’s on some sort of strike, won’t talk. Well, that suits us.’

‘I don’t imagine it suits Frank much,’ David said.

Jackson frowned. ‘Fortunately Hall can keep an eye on him.’

‘The suicide attempt,’ Geoff asked. ‘Was it serious, or just a cry for help?’

‘Oh, it was very serious, according to Hall. But we can’t rely on Muncaster staying quiet.’ Jackson took a deep breath. ‘The people at the top have said he is to be lifted, and soon.’ He looked around the room. ‘They want the three of you involved. You’ve been to the asylum before, and Drax and Fitzgerald know him. You may be able to get his co-operation.’

‘How would it be done?’ Natalia asked.

Jackson got up, began pacing the room once more. ‘Ben Hall will get himself on night duty. He can’t do it for a few days unfortunately, he doesn’t want to put in an urgent special request in case it arouses suspicion. Apparently all the patients are drugged at night to get them to sleep and there’s only a skeleton staff. It will be down to him to get Muncaster out, and you’ll be waiting in a car outside. You’ll take him down to the coast, short rides via a series of safe houses over two or three days. We’re fixing that up now. And an American submarine will be waiting, at a point we’re arranging with the Yanks, to pick him up. Ben Hall will go with you. You’ll have to take leave – some sort of family emergency.’ He stopped and looked between them, his tone suddenly gentle. ‘I won’t pretend there won’t be danger. But you’ll have false papers, cover stories, and so far as we’re aware nobody knows that Muncaster is any more than just an escaped lunatic.’

‘We’re kidnapping him,’ David said. ‘That’s what it boils down to. Kidnapping Frank.’

‘For his own good,’ Natalia said. ‘His own safety.’

‘I know,’ David said, looking at her and then Jackson. ‘I know we have to do it.’

Jackson nodded. ‘Good. Ben Hall will keep him drugged, sleepy. He’ll be given new clothes. To other people he may just seem a bit subnormal.’ Jackson raised his eyebrows. ‘It’ll be several more days before we can get all the pieces on the chessboard, I’m afraid.’

David said, ‘And he’ll be taken to America. Then what?’

Jackson shrugged his broad shoulders. ‘Questioned. Afterwards, perhaps given some scientific work, a new life. Ben Hall will go with him, his cover will be completely blown at the asylum.’

‘Could Frank be locked up like his brother?’

‘His brother broke the law. Frank Muncaster’s circumstances are quite different.’

‘We’ve no way of knowing what they’ll do to him,’ Geoff said.

Jackson spread his hands. ‘What else can we do?’ He spoke angrily. ‘What other chance does he have?’

‘None.’ David thought a moment. He took a deep breath, then said, ‘What if I went on the submarine as well? With Sarah. Then we wouldn’t be a risk any more.’

Jackson stared at him. ‘What do think your wife would say to that?’

‘I think, now, she’d take any chance to get out of England.’

‘We can’t just do that, Fitzgerald,’ Jackson said impatiently. ‘If you go on the run, disappear from your job, there really will be a big enquiry, our whole network in the Civil Service would be in danger. That’s a very last resort.’

‘I’m a danger,’ David said. ‘I’m a risk.’

Jackson said, ‘So far as getting Frank Muncaster out is concerned, you’re one of our biggest assets.’

‘What will you tell Sarah?’ Geoff asked.

‘I’ve got an old uncle out of town, I pretended he was ill when we went to visit Frank; I can say he’s died. I’ll say I have to go to Northampton to make arrangements.’

Jackson said, ‘Good.’

David asked him suddenly, ‘What the hell is it that Frank knows?’

Jackson reflected a moment, then spoke quietly. ‘The world is at a tipping point. Hitler’s illness, the Germans losing the war in Russia, resistance growing everywhere, the new American president. And what Muncaster knows, if the other side get hold of it –’ he held out a big, manicured hand, tipping it gently from side to side – ‘it could just tip that balance the wrong way.’