That won't wash."
"Geting out is what's in it for them," Canidy said. "He's still considered dangerous, I'm sure. Sooner or later, they'll arrest him.
The both of them.
They know that."
"So long as she's being nice' to Peis," Fulmar said, or his successor, they're probably reasonably safe."
"Peis?" Fine asked.
"The local cop," Canidy said. "Gestapo."
"No," Fulmar said, "SS-SD. There's a difference."
"What about Peis?" Fine pursued.
"What I thought was my irresistible charm in wooing the fair Gisella," Fulmar said, "turned out to be this Peis character telling her to be nice to me."
"I don't suppose he's still there, but it should be checked out," Fine said.
"Have you got a first name, Eric?"
"Herr Hauptsturmfuhrer," Fulmar said. "He's not too bright, but he's a real prick. Think of a stupid Eldon Baker in a black uniform." Canidy laughed.
"You haven't told me what you want me to do," Fulmar said. "That would be nice to know before I tell you to go fuck yourself."
"What we want to do right now is prove to Gisella (a) that you're in England, and (b) in a position to send messages over the BBC."
" Pigeons are pissing in the Seine, that kind of message?" Canidy nodded.
"And something only I could know, right?" Fulmar asked, and when Canidy nodded again, asked, as if he had just thought of this, "And what makes you think she'll be listening to the BBC? That's a sure way to get sent to a Konzentrationslager."
"We're taking care of that," Fine said.
Fulmar looked at him curiously.
"Muller's going to get her a radio," Canidy said.
Fulmar's look turned incredulous. Then Canidy nodded.
"Jesus," Fulmar said, impressed.
"Think of something, Eric," Canidy said gently. "Something intimate, something she would remember, something they would not, of course, connect with her."
"In other words, something happened in bed, right?
" Fulmar snapped.
"Anything that will do the job," Canidy said. "Sex is intimate and private.
That's why I got into that. And for obvious reasons, we're going to need more than one message. But we need one now." Fulmar shrugged.
"I don't really know why I'm going along with this shit at all," he said.
He had thought of something. Just before he'd left Marburg, they'd had a picnic on the Lahn. They'd rented a canoe, floated downriver with the current, and stopped and picnicked on the riverbank.
He had been debating that day whether to tell her he was going. In the end, he decided it would be better if she didn't know.
He closed his eyes and exhaled.
"Eric wants to paddle Gisella's canoe again," he said.
"What?"
""Eric wants to paddle Gisella's canoe again, "' Fulmar said.
"With your filthy imagination, you figure out what it means. She'll know."
"Don't be too clever. You're sure she'll know?"
"I said, she'll know it's me." "What's it mean?" Canidy asked.
"None of your fucking business, Richard," Fulmar said.
"What about a pet name?" Fine asked. "Something that would at once further identify you, and not use your real name. Or hers." Fulmar gave him a withering look.
"Bubchen," he said finally.
" Boobchin'?" Canidy quoted. "What the hell is that?"
"Liale boy, " Fine made the translation. "With overtones of affection that don't come across in English."
"And what did you call her?"
"Fuck you, Dick!" Fulmar said. And then, a moment later, a'bubchen would like to paddle Gisella's canoe again. And that's it, Dick. If that doesn't satisfy you, stick the whole thing up your ass." Canidy stood up.
"Let's get the hell out of here," he said. "Let's go get something to drink."
"Are you sure that's all, Dick?" Fine asked.
His eyes moved, just perceptibly, to the Stars's Stripes.
"Christ, I for got about that," Canidy said.
Fulmar misunderstood him.
"Whatever it is, it's going to have to wait," he said. "I need a bath and a drink. I have had enough of this shit for one day." Canidy unfolded the newspaper and handed it to Fulmar.
Fulmar read the story about America's Sweetheart's arrival in England.
L.
"What do you want to do about it, Eric?" Canidy asked gently.
"You weren't listening, Major," Fulmar said.
"Huh?"
"I just said, I need a bath and a drink. I have had enough shit for one day. "' "Captain Fine," Canidy said. "If anyone should inquire, Lieutenant Fulmar and I will be in the bar at the Dorchester.
When the press of your duties permits, feel free to join us."
"Give me three minutes," Fine said, "and I'll go with you." [FOUR] As Canidy, Fulmar, and Fine walked up from the direction of Tilney Street and crossed Deanery Street, there were half a dozen official limousines and staff cars parked in the small lot between Park Lane and the door to the Dorchester. Their drivers stood, smoking, in a knot by the front fender of a Rolls Royce.
"Excuse me," Canidy said, and walked toward them.
They all came to attention, and one of them stamped her foot, saluted, and barked, "Sir!"
"Would you come with me, please, Sergeant?" Canidy said as he crisply returned the salute.
"Sir!" Sergeant Agnes Draper barked and stamped her foot again.
When Canidy marched in a military manner toward the sandbags around the door, she marched in a military manner after him.
Making him more than a liale uncomfortable, Sergeant Draper relieved Lieutenant Fulmar of his luggage. Staggering a little under the weight, she followed the three officers across the lobby into the elevator.
They rode to the fourth floor. At the entrance to one of the corridors there, a man wearing an American uniform with civilian technician insignia dropped his Stars's Stripes to the carpet beside his upholstered chair and rose at their approach.
"This is Lieutenant Fulmar," Fine said. "He'll be staying here on and off." "Yes, sir," the man said as he pulled his olive-drab jacket over the snub nosed Colt Detective Special on his belt.
"And you know Major Canidy and the sergeant?" Fine said.
"Oh, yes, sir," the American said.
"They also serve who sit in hotel corridors reading the Stripes," Canidy said.
"Better this, Major," the CIC agent said, smiling, "than standing around in the snow guarding the castle."
"Virtue, doubtless," Canidy said, "is its own reward." Fine unlocked a door. As he pushed it open, the CIC agent called, ZTHE Signal Corps swept it this morning, Captain."
"Thank you," Fine said, and motioned the others into the suite ahead of them.
"I wondered where the hell you were," Canidy said to Agnes.
"Commander Whathisname dismissed me," Agnes said. "I think he suspected I was going to carry Commander Bitter off before he got to cocktails with Ike. And you told me not to take the Packard to Berkeley Square. I knew you would show up here eventually, so I came here." "Good thinking, Sergeant," Canidy said, "you are a credit to the noncommissioned officer corps."
"Oh, I'm so pleased you think so, "Agnes said. "Do you think I've earned a drink of your whisky?"
"Fix us all one while the Sheikh of Araby has his bath," Canidy said.
"No one," Fulmar said, beaming at Agnes, zhas seen fit to introduce us, Sergeant. My name is Fulmar."
"Rein it in, Lone Ranger," Canidy said. "The lady is spoken for." Agnes Draper blushed. Both Fine and Fulmar looked at Canidy in surprise.
"I thought Ann was here," Fulmar blurted.
"Indeed she is," Canidy said. "She'll be here, with Eddie Bieer, about five thirty or six. That's one of the reasons I am being so. indelicate."
"Dolan told you?" Agnes said. Canidy nodded. "Damn him!"
"I'm sure you're a big girl, Agnes," Canidy said. "I'm not so sure about Bitter."
"You make me sound... predatory, Dick," Agnes said.
"I didn't mean to, honey," Canidy said gently. "I don't think that. I just wanted to be sure you understand what you're into. Eddie is liable to erupt in paroxysms of regret. He's an Annapolis man, you know. And officers and gentlemen_ n "Particularly married officers and gentlemen," Agnes interrupted.
"Are you being oblique, Dick? Is this in the nature of a reprimand?"
"Ann is Eddie's cousin," Canidy went on. "She went to college with Mrs. Bitter."
"I didn't know that, "Agnes said.
"Forewarned, to coin a phrase, is forearmed," Canidy said.
"Having done my paternal duty as your commanding officer, my dear child, I consider the matter closed."
"Now that you have managed to let Captain Fine know? And Lieutenant Fulmar?"
"Don't be a bitch, Agnes," Canidy flared. "Fine has the need-to-know, and I didn't want Eric and Eddie getting into anything over the prize of your charms." He glared at her, then warmed to his subject, "I have enough on my mind without worrying about the impact of your geting the hots for one of my officers." She glared at him, tight-lipped.
"Now that I think of it, Agnes," Canidy said, "and now that we've exhausted the subject, Lawrence of Arabia can wash behind his ears without supervision. Put a couple of bottles in bags, and we'll go downstairs to the bar. There was a moment's hesitation before she smiled.
The bar off the Dorchester lobby was full, already on the edge of being crowded. As they stood just inside the doorway looking for a place to sit, there was the snap of fingers and a man's voice calling, "Over here!" Canidy saw two Englishmen at one of the few six-seat tables. One was a private in a mussed and ill-fitting uniform, and the other a very naty, mustachioed, vaguely familiar, major. British majors, especially ones like this one, who looked as if he had just marched in from Sandhurst, simply did not drink with private soldiers.
Except, of course, he thought, if they were in SOE, where service customs were ignored whenever they got in the way. Clearly, these two were SOE, and he'd probably met the major while he was "liaising'with SOE at "Station X" Well, they have a table. Getting a table was worth whatever liquor they would drink. And rm already on shaky ground for not being as friendly as expected to my British counterparts.
Canidy put a smile on, took Agnes's arm, and propelled her across the room.
"Good to see you again," he said. "Have you room for us?"
"By all means," the major said.
"Do you remember Sergeant Draper?" Canidy asked.
"No, I'm afraid I don't," the major said. He offered his hand to Agnes. "My name is Niven," he said. "And this is Private Ustinov." Fine caught up with them.
"Stan, I'd like you to meet Major Niven," Canidy said.