"Ah; that is a different matter."
"If there is any excitement out there are the police likely to come on the scene quickly?"
"No, no. It is quite distant from the centre of the city. Your only danger of that kind would be from a solitary patrolling policeman."
"Good. Could you provide me with bombs and a safebreaker?"
Wuolijoki raised his eyebrows. "The use of bombs might cause loss of life. It seems that you are prepared to go to any lengths, Baron?"
"Certainly; for your sake as well as mine, since the independence of Finland is at stake. I shall need incendiary-bombs to cause a fire which will keep Grauber and his people occupied while the safe-breaking is going on."
"I must warn you that our police would take a very serious view of such methods, but I could certainly get you a couple of bombs."
"How about a safe-breaker? Your police must know of a man who would be prepared to take on the job if his immunity were guaranteed. He would have to speak German, English, or French, though, so that I could tell him what I wanted done."
Wuolijoki nodded. "That is more difficult, as no immunity could be granted; but a friend of mine in the police might know a safe-breaker who would risk a prison-sentence in the service of his country."
"How about the lay-out of the house? Do you happen to know it?"
"No; but I could easily find someone who does. At what time do you propose to make your raid?"
"The sooner the better; it's dark already. The time must depend upon how long it will take you get me my bombs, my safe-breaker and a rough plan of the house."
Wuolijoki glanced at his watch. "It is now ten past five. Three hours should be enough. Shall we say nine o'clock? I will return here then with all that is necessary." As he spoke he stood up, kissed Erika's hand and shook hands with Gregory. "Forgive me if I leave you now, but my own work is overwhelming and this business gives me many additional things that must be done. Till nine o'clock, then."
When the diplomat had gone Gregory smiled at Erika. "Well, that's that; we're on the move again, thank goodness."
She took his arm and drew him down beside her. "Yes, darling, I know; but the risk you're taking is terrible. There will be at least a dozen Gestapo men in that place-probably more-and they'll all be armed."
"Yes; it's going to be tough work," he agreed. "But it won't be worse than the Adlon on the night of November the 8th, and I’ll have the advantage of surprise. They won't be expecting anything of this kind in law-abiding Helsinki and I promise you, sweet, I won't take any risk that's not absolutely necessary; I never do."
"But if you have to kill anybody you may get into frightful trouble. The Finns have an enormous respect for their own law and I doubt if even the knowledge that you had killed a man in their interests would influence a Finnish court in your favour."
"Well, let's not think of the Vistula until we're over the Rhine," Gregory smiled.
"But the Rhine in this case is about as deadly as it possibly could be. Oh, my darling, I can't bear to think of you risking your life again within a few hours after your return to me; and to go into that place alone is like a soldier attacking a machinegun nest single-handed."
"I'm not going in alone. I'm certain that I can count on at least one fellow to go in with me." Gregory disentangled himself again, and added: "May I use your telephone?"
"Of course."
"Thanks." He went over, and getting through to Freddie at the Hotel Kamp asked him to come out to the von Kobenthals' house at once.
While they were waiting for him the von Kobenthals came in. Fredeline von Kobenthal 'Erika’s cousin as it transpired was a pretty, but rather stupid-looking blonde of about thirty; and Oscar, her husband, a well-set-up, fair, blue-eyed, moustached man of about the same age. He had always been anti-Nazi and had been wise enough to get his money out of Germany and settle in Finland several years before, while von Hindenburg was still President and Hitler only a menacing figure upon the political horizon.
With the hospitality customary among Germans of good family they greeted Oberst-Baron von Lutz most charmingly and expressed their hope that he would make his home with them during his stay in Helsinki.
Gregory accepted with spontaneous gratitude although, privately, he doubted if events would enable him to make much use of their invitation. Von Kobenthal got on the telephone at once and gave instructions at the hotel that Gregory's things should be packed and brought out there as soon as possible.
They had hardly settled the matter when Charlton was announced, and Gregory introduced him as the British officer who had regained his liberty by agreeing to fly him secretly to’ Finland. At first the von Kobenthals were distinctly cold in heir reception of Freddie, as their country was at war with his, but they gradually thawed out when they found that their new acquaintance, the Oberst-Baron, whom they had instantly accepted as one of themselves, had made a friend of the young airman.
It was a tricky business but Gregory managed it well, and 'Freddie played up splendidly to the leads he was given. As soon as he could Gregory switched the conversation to the Finnish crisis. Having explained that although Germany and England were at war it was to their common interest that Finland should resist Russia, he disclosed to the von Kobenthals-who knew Goering-the reason for his presence in Finland and the extremely difficult situation which had arisen as the result of the loss of his papers. Then he went on to outline his plans for the raid on the Gestapo Headquarters that night.
When he had finished, his secret hopes were gratified as von, Kobenthal said at once: "I'm heart and soul with the Finns; they’re splendid people and have been extraordinarily kind to my wife and myself since we've made our home here. They've got to fight unless they want to be exterminated, and as you're acting for Goering that's quite enough for me; I'll come with you."
Freddie then took his cue and said in halting German: "I'm not interested in Field-Marshal Goering but I'd do anything to give these poor wretched Finns a hand, and since my country s fighting to maintain the rights of small nations, in this particular case our interests, so far as I can see, are identical. You can count me in too."
It was an amazing situation that a German and an Englishman, and an Englishman who was posing as a German, should be quite prepared to forget that their countries were in a death grapple for world supremacy and make common cause for what they all considered to be right to the extent of risking their lives in the same venture; but the crisis was having an extraordinary effect on the psychology of everyone in the Finnish capital and by the time champagne-cocktails had been served they were all talking together as though no state of war had ever existed Between Germany and Britain.
Dinner would have been a gay affair had it not been for the undercurrent of fear for their men which tugged at the heartstrings of the two women, but they both did their best to hide their anxiety and the party was still busy with coffee and liqueurs when Wuolijoki was announced.
With him he had brought a little wizened individual with shaggy hair who smiled politely at everybody in a rather embarrassed way.
The Finnish diplomat was an old friend of the von Kobenthals so Charlton was the only member of the company unknown to him. Erika performed the introductions and informed him at once that everyone there knew about the projected raid. Wuolijoki returned Freddie's smile with a frigid bow but he accepted the story that the British airman had earned his freedom from a prisoners-of-war camp by flying Gregory to Finland and made no comment on the Englishman's willingness to co-operate with the Germans in their anti Gestapo activities. He then presented his small companion as Mr. Suki, a gentleman with very extensive knowledge of safes and a particular aptitude for dealing with combination-locks.