“True enough, sir.” Shaw pulled at a fresh cigarette, frowned. “I still think she’s taking on something pretty big, though.”
Latymer warned, “Don’t underestimate what she can do. Now — if she does succeed a very vital chain of fuel-supply units will almost certainly be dished, unless another Mr Ackroyd turns up providentially, which isn’t likely. There just isn’t anyone else of his calibre at the moment, anyway. As a matter of fact, it’s only since we had this intelligence about Karina that high authority has got slightly upset over the way Ackroyd has managed to keep his knowledge to himself — keep himself as the King Pin, with practically nothing delegated. I gather it’s been a mixture of empire-building on his part and a certain amount of laissez-faire on the part of people who should have known better— that, and the chronic shortage of star-quality physicists like Ackroyd. I can’t emphasize this too much, Shaw: if anything happened to him it would be just about the biggest slice of our defence — or perhaps I’d almost better call it our re-emergence strategy — gone for a burton. It’s as vital as that. The main part of your job would be to see that Karina doesn’t succeed, to watch her and Ackroyd as closely as you can. The other part would be to keep a very careful but discreet general eye on the whole project during a very important test which is due to start soon, and will cover three or four days — but, as I say, Ackroyd himself is your main worry. You see, he’s got to open up other bases after Gibraltar and we just can’t do without him.”
Shaw rubbed the side of his nose reflectively. Latymer went on:
‘‘Officially, there’s nothing we can do about Karina so long as she remains on the Spanish side of the frontier— for one thing, this project is so hush-hush that the P.M., on Foreign Office advice, won’t sanction any diplomatic representations being made to Franco. But an agent working into Spain from Gibraltar incognito can at least keep his ear to the ground and forestall anything she may be planning. As usual, I’m not going to give you any hard and fast instructions, but Carberry will fill in the details and give you any practical help you think necessary.” The steely eyes gazed hard into Shaw. “Well? What about it?”
A little wearily Shaw said, “All right, sir. I’ll go.”
“Good man!” Latymer’s pleasure was obvious. “And thank you — it’s a load off my mind, though I knew you wouldn’t let me down really. Now — cover.” He sat back again, studied Shaw through smoke. “You know something about naval armament supply.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Still au fait enough to pass as an Inspector of Establishments?”
Shaw nodded. “That’d be easy enough.”
“Good — I thought so. Well — you’re going on the retired list, temporarily.” Shaw looked startled. Latymer grinned and went on, “I’ll fiddle all that — I’d better back-date it a bit, I think. And anyone who cares to look at the appointments in The Times or the Telegraph will see you’ve left the Service altogether — with a Golden Bowler, if you like! And you’ve been luck enough to fall into a good job because of your naval contacts… you’ve joined the Armament Supply Department as a civilian inspector, and you can go out to Gib on a routine inspecting visit for your first duty.”
“What’s the Superintending Naval Armament Supply Officer out there going to say?”
Latymer chuckled. “He’s already been warned to expect you — that’s how sure I was you’d take this job! He’s only got the cover story, of course. All you’ll have to do is to listen to any complaints, suggestions, and so on and pass ’em on to the right quarter. That, and sound intelligent.”
“Do I use my own identity, sir?”
Latymer looked irritable. “Course you do… you know I’m allergic to these unnecessary complications. That woman’ll have her eyes on our movements in any case. Really, it’s just the ‘already unsuspicious’ that we have to lull, and as Commander Shaw, R.N. (Retired), you’ll mean damn-all to them. If you go out as — as a kind of Bearded Basil you’ll attract unwelcome attentions right away. In Gib, I mean.”
Shaw grinned. “Quite, quite! How about getting there— do I fly?”
“No. This full-dress test — which is one of the things we want you there for — isn’t due to begin for a few days. Apart from that, we’re not risking any security break which might follow if we flew you out for what’s ostensibly a mere routine inspection of a store depot — particularly as it happens there’s a cruiser sailing for Gib the day after to-morrow, which is how an inspector would normally be sent — and you’ll need the time to talk to Carberry, and also familiarize yourself with the obscurer workings of the Armament Supply Department!” He paused, then went on:
“You join the Cambridge at the South Railway jetty in Portsmouth, just before she sails. On arrival in Gibraltar you’ll put up at the Bristol Hotel off Main Street, and make your number with S.N.A.S.O. From then on the game’s yours to play. No reason why you shouldn’t feel free to hop across the La Linea frontier whenever you want to, but just in case you want to make a long stay without questions being asked in Gib, we’ve provided you with an old friend in Spain who’ll be expecting you whenever you care to look him up. He’s Sefior Don Jaime de Castro, and he has a big villa in Torremolihos, just outside Malaga on the Gibraltar side. You were great friends some years ago, when he was attached to the Spanish Embassy staff in London. Captain Carberry will hand you a letter of invitation from him before you leave. Incidentally, the letter’s quite genuine and so’s Don Jaime — he’s a personal friend of mine, and he happens to be pretty friendly towards the British. Of course, you don’t have to stay with him, but on the other hand you might find it useful to do so… his half-sister is Lady Hammersley, by the way,” Latymer added casually. Shaw knew that Sir Francis Hammersley was the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar. “There’s also a contact called Domingo Felipe in Malaga who may be useful — he’s a queer fish, though, and even we don’t know his current whereabouts, but there’ll be ways and means of getting in touch— Carberry’ll tell you all that. That’s one of the reasons — geographically speaking — why we thought Don Jaime’s villa would be a handy pied-à-terre for you.”
“Any other contacts, sir — in La Linea, say, or Algeciras?”
“No, sorry. We’ve no one we can trust in La Linea, that I do know — but you can always try the British Consul in Algeciras. The consuls generally keep an ear to the ground — as you know. He may be able to put you in touch with somebody — or he may not. But the Malaga man’s good.”
Shaw nodded. These things were often a matter of luck.
Latymer continued, “Well, that’s the lot, Shaw, so far as I’m concerned. Carberry’ll be sending for you to-morrow for special briefing details and supply of any particular items you think you may need in the way of papers, clothing, and so on. When he’s done with you you’ll be passed on to armament supply.”
A few minutes later Latymer accompanied Shaw down to the entrance hall. Pinkly beaming, he took Shaw’s arm and spoke loudly and within easy hearing of the messengers:
“You mustn’t worry unduly, my dear fellow… people are always leaving things in taxis, and all that was in it — or did I tell you — was a report of some tiresome committee on the supply of toothpaste through the Naffy canteens… so wearisome,” he fussed, “and such a waste of time really, but there you are, that’s just one of the things sent to try us, don’t you know… good-bye, my dear fellow. Better remember not to be careless again — it could be important another time.”