He listened for a moment to Steiner’s shouting and then started to peel off his raincoat. His only chance was to swim for the shore, hoping the thick mist would hide him, and the coat would only be a hindrance.
He finally managed to get it off. As he struck out from the launch, a bullet chopped into the water beside his head, and Steiner cried, “Hold it right there, Chavasse.”
Chavasse paused, treading water, and Steiner went on. “Now turn and swim back to the launch and I warn you – the slightest attempt at any funny business and I’ll shoot you through the head.”
Suddenly, Chavasse was cold and tired. He swam back to the launch and hauled himself up the rope ladder. As he neared the top, Hans reached over and jerked him across the rail so that he stumbled and fell.
He got wearily to his feet and stood there, shivering as the wind cut into his wet clothes. Steiner came forward, a Luger in his right hand. He smiled. “You’re quite a man, Chavasse. Under different circumstances, I think we’d have got along together. However, you carelessly chose the wrong side.”
“Stupid of me, wasn’t it?” Chavasse said.
“As you’ll soon find out,” Steiner told him, “because I always pay my debts. Here’s something on account.” He moved with surprising speed for such a large man, and before Chavasse could duck, the barrel of the Luger slashed across his right cheek, drawing blood. At the same moment, Hans moved in from behind and chopped him across the back of the neck. Chavasse doubled over and the deck lifted to meet him.
For what seemed an age, there was only the pain and he lay with his cheek pillowed against the deck, eyes closed. Vaguely, he was aware of the engine coughing into life, and then water was dashed in his face and he shook his head and got slowly to his feet.
Steiner threw the bucket carelessly into a corner and laughed. “You look quite a sight, my friend. I wish you could see yourself.”
Chavasse ignored him and turned to the rail. They were very close to the castle, and on this side the walls dropped sheer into the water. They were moving toward a dark archway, and Hans cut the engine to half speed and took them in slowly.
As they entered, Chavasse was conscious of the terrible coldness of the damp air, and he shivered and wiped his face with the back of one hand. It came away covered with blood.
The launch bumped gently against the side of a stone jetty, and Hans ran along to the bows quickly, vaulted over the rail, and tied up to a large metal ring.
“After you!” Steiner said, and gestured over the rail.
Chavasse moved forward and stepped onto the jetty. A flight of stone steps lifted out of the gloom to a landing above their head and he mounted them, Steiner and Hans close behind him.
Hans brushed past him and opened the door. Chavasse found himself in a long, stone-flagged passage. Hans led the way to the far end, opened another door, and climbed a short flight of steps, which entered directly into an immense hall.
Great, curved beams of black oak arched into the gloom, and Chavasse paused. At the far end there was a wide marble stairway, and above it a gallery. At one side, a log fire blazed in an immense medieval fireplace.
Steiner said, “Quite a sight, isn’t it? Used to belong to a prince, but things have changed since the war.”
Chavasse moved on without answering and crossed the hall to the door that Hans had just opened. He hesitated on the threshold, and Steiner pushed him roughly inside.
The room was comfortably furnished and there was a luxurious carpet on the floor. Dr. Kruger and another man were sitting in front of the fire, and they both stood up as Hans pushed Chavasse forward.
“This is the man, Herr Nagel,” Steiner said.
Nagel was tall and elegant in a suit of dark broadcloth and scrupulously white linen. The iron-gray hair was brushed carefully back on each side and his face was as cold and austere as that of any sixteenth-century Calvinist minister.
He screwed a gold-rimmed eyeglass firmly in place and examined Chavasse. “I must say he looks rather less formidable than I had imagined and considerably the worse for wear.”
“We had to be a little rough with him,” Steiner explained. “He tried to go for a swim.”
Kruger pulled on his beard with one hand and the dark eyes gleamed in the gaunt face. “That’s a nasty cut on your face, Herr Chavasse. You must allow me to stitch it for you. I’m afraid I don’t happened to have a local anesthetic with me, but I’m sure a brave man like you can bear a little pain.”
“You remind me of a slug I once found under a flat stone,” Chavasse said.
Rage glowed in Kruger’s eyes, but he raised one hand to stop Steiner, who had taken a step forward. “No, leave him, Steiner. His time will come. Bring in the other one.”
Steiner opened the door and spoke to someone outside. As Chavasse turned, Anna was pushed into the room and behind her, he saw the smirking face of Fassbender.
“I’m sorry, Anna,” Chavasse said quietly.
She managed a smile. “It’s all right, Paul. It wasn’t your fault.”
“I should have used my brains,” he said, “but we all make mistakes.”
“Is this the Jewish one?” Nagel said. “I must say she’s charming. Quite charming.”
Kruger was regarding her with a peculiar, fixed stare. “You know my opinion of the race, my dear Kurt,” he said to Nagel, “but their womenfolk have always appealed to me.”
Anna shuddered, and Kruger moved closer and placed a hand on her arm, “You’ve nothing to worry about, my dear. As long as you behave yourself, that is.”
She pulled away from him. “Keep your hands off me.”
Kruger shrugged. “If you want it the hard way, that’s all right with me.” He pushed her toward Hans. “Lock her in the room next to mine. No food or water. I’ll deal with her myself later.”
Chavasse tried to look reassuring as Hans pulled her out into the hall. She managed one brave smile over her shoulder, and then Steiner closed the door.
Nagel said, “Now then, Chavasse. Let’s get down to business. What do you know about this Bormann business?”
Chavasse said, “Why ask me when you’ve got Muller?”
Nagel sighed. “Unfortunately, Muller is proving to be extremely stupid. So far he has refused to talk. I confess to some puzzlement about this. I offered him a large sum of money – very large. However, we now have some more information which should help.”
“And what would that be?” Chavasse said.
Nagel smiled. “All in good time, my friend. First, I am going to let you have a few words with Muller. Perhaps you can make him see sense.”
“I can’t see why anything I can say should make him change his mind,” Chavasse said. “Not after the things you must have done to him.”
Nagel shrugged. “You can tell him that my patience is at an end, for one thing.” He turned to the others. “Shall we all go? I think this might prove interesting.”
Steiner opened the door and led the way and Chavasse followed, with Kruger and Nagel bringing up the rear. They crossed the hall and mounted the great staircase to the gallery. From somewhere in the very depths of the castle, Chavasse could hear several dogs barking monotonously, and something seemed to crawl across his skin as he wondered if he would ever leave this place alive.
They mounted several stairs that led into an upper gallery, and two men who had been sitting quietly reading, in opposite chairs, stood up. They were stolid and brawny, obviously picked more for muscle than for brain, and Kruger told them to go down to the kitchen for a meal.
As they walked away, Kruger turned to Nagel and said, “Shall we let him have a word with his friend before seeing Muller?” He sniggered. “After all, it may be their last chance.”