Shaw’s throat went dry as Andersson approached and looked questioningly across at Mirskov after a triumphant glance at the agent. If Mirskov belonged to the other side… and yet, how could he?
Andersson sat down and said, “You look pleased, Mirskov. May one inquire — why?”
“But certainly!” Mirskov’s thick lips parted gloatingly. “The man Shaw has brought the signals — the genuine ones!” Andersson’s whole body seemed to tauten. “Do you mean that seriously?”
“I would not joke about such matters. Here they are.” Mirskov opened the drawer, brought out the envelope. Shaw started forward, maddened with rage now. As he moved, Mirskov’s gun came up, levelled at Shaw’s stomach. Mirskov said softly, “Come any nearer and I shall shoot at once. And I can assure you, no questions will ever be asked. Oh yes, I am what you would call a traitor, no doubt, and you will be wondering how this could happen. Let me remind you, in the last resort a man is seldom a traitor to his own conscience — he goes where his true sympathies lie.” Again, the man’s eyes glittered oddly. “The screening… yes, it was intensive, very intensive, of course. But so was the preparation by our people. They are not fools, Commander. My background was impeccable, I had been known for years to the men who appointed me to Bandagong.” His voice changed suddenly and he snapped, “Sit down.”
Shaw obeyed, slowly, licking his parched lips. Turning to the other man, he asked: “Are you going to explain, Andersson?”
“Karstad,” the man said gently. “There is no further harm in my admitting straight out that your guess was right after all… and now the Commandant will continue. It is quite simple.”
Mirskov said, “Certainly.” He cleared his throat. “Karstad has brought me certain information, information upon which it is my duty to act in my capacity as Commandant of Bandagong. He tells me that you have been conspiring against the interests of MAPIACCIND — that in fact you are impersonating a certain Commander Shaw of the British Navy. Have you anything to say to that?”
Shaw laughed scornfully. “Only that you know perfectly well that that’s a damned he, and you won’t get away with it.”
Mirskov grinned, blinked his eyes rapidly. “Of course it is a he, we may as well admit that amongst ourselves! But— we shall most certainly get away with it, my dear fellow. Karstad, in the name of Andersson, is an accredited agent, and his word will be believed. And think — how many people know that you are Shaw?”
“Plenty. Sir Donald Mackinnon for one. Any amount back in England.”
“Ah — quite! Back in England, yes. But out here in Australia? And as for the liner Captain, he cannot be certain that something has not happened to the real Shaw on his journey, that an impostor has not arrived in Bandagong — unless he is allowed to see you, which he will not be. I assure you, my dear fellow, that is the story we shall stick to, and I, the Commandant of Bandagong and in effect the Ambassador of MAPIACCIND in this self-governing territory, will not be questioned. I have complete power within this area and no one at all enters it without my permission. Moreover, no one nearer than Geneva has the authority to overrule my decisions.”
Shaw bit down on his lip, his face grim and lined. Andersson looked at him, laughed. He said, “Oh, my dear Shaw! How stupid, how very stupid, you have been… you knew that I killed Gresham, did you not?”
“I did.”
“The report of my death reached your chief at precisely the right time, I would say. That was neatly contrived, don’t you think? Naturally, all this was planned a very long time ago—”
Shaw asked harshly, “Tell me, Karstad — why did you tip Donovan off? Whose side were you on then?”
“The same side which I have been on all along… but it seems there is some misunderstanding. I did not ‘tip Donovan off’ at all. I was seeking his help in what we had to do. You understand, I knew he was discredited in his own country and in France and in Norway — everywhere — for I myself had ‘denounced’ him in the first place—”
“You—” Shaw was half out of his chair.
Karstad lifted a hand and his voice sharpened. “Wait— sit down or Mirskov will shoot.” Karstad waited until Shaw had sunk back, then went on: “You see, Donovan was becoming too successful in the war, and by his very success he was in danger of leading me into disfavour with my superiors — the Germans. In those days he was too clever to allow himself to be killed, therefore it was necessary that he should be discredited. And so I framed him.” Karstad shrugged. “When I found a use for him all those years later, I did not forget that record. I knew he was alive and I thought he would be a willing collaborator, since he had been disgraced — by the West, so far as he knew. And we needed much help, much help. But for once, my friend, I was wrong. Oh, he agreed — yes, he agreed!” Karstad’s face was very ugly. “And then I heard that he intended to contact you and report all I had told him. As a result of that, I had to arrange for Donovan to be killed before he had a chance to speak. It was nearly too late. Nearly — but not quite.”
“You mean you killed Donovan?”
Karstad shook his head. “Not I–I was already aboard the liner. I merely gave the orders.”
“Which makes you just as much his murderer.” Shaw spoke through tight, set lips. His face was deathly white except for two spots of red in his cheeks. “Karstad, I swear you’ll die for that! John Donovan was my friend. He was a good man. You’ll pay all right, if I have to kill you with my own hands…"
“Oh, no, no!” Karstad’s eyes narrowed; the gun in Mirskov’s hand was held very steady. “It is you who will die, my friend, not I.”
Shaw forced himself to keep calm, keep his head clear. He said, “You can’t get away with this, Karstad… however sanctified this area is, some one’ll get permission to come in, if only to look for me.”
“Ah — possibly. In the end. But not in time to save you, and not in time to harm our plans either. That is quite certain. But now listen, and listen carefully, for you will find this interesting. You knew, I imagine, that Lubin had worked on the construction of REDCAP?”
Shaw nodded.
“And that he was a radio expert as well?”
Radio again! Shaw’s pulse quickened. If it was humanly possible he meant to get out of this place, and he had to learn all he could now, lead the man on. He said cautiously, “That follows, doesn’t it? If he was working on REDCAP.”
Karstad nodded gently. “Exactly, and that, my dear Shaw, is the whole point.” He paused, then went on: “You know the principle on which REDCAP operates, of course?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now, Lubin has built himself a radio transmitter, a very neat job which can cause REDCAP to operate…” He broke off as he noticed Shaw’s expression, asked slyly: “Is something the matter, my dear fellow?”
“No. Go on.” Shaw’s face was livid, bitter with self-reproach now. He had begun to suspect this very thing after he had heard about the Tungtai’s transmissions at sea. He should have taken it upon himself to order the neutralization of REDCAP — but, because Lubin, if he had the signals at all, only had the fake set, that had seemed too extreme an act.
Karstad was going on, “REDCAP, as you must be aware, is a receiver as well as a transmitter, so that it can receive the check signals back from the stockpile which is to be blown. Now — when Lubin operates his set, using the signals which you yourself have so kindly brought here,” Karstad said leeringly, “he in fact interrupts the normal mechanism inside REDCAP. His signal is received by the machine just as though it had come from the stockpile concerned. You understand? After REDCAP repeats this transmission, which Lubin’s set will cause it to do, Lubin sends out the second signal, the one which causes the machine to go fully into operation.” Karstad’s penetrating eyes were glittering almost with madness now. “Do you follow? Do you see what power this gives Lubin, and the country for which he works? Do you understand, Commander? Think now, and consider.” Karstad glanced across at Mirskov, a look of triumphant gloating on his face. “It will be almost world-wide devastation. All the stockpiles blown up instantaneously and together.”