Two lanterns were lit, and they saw it was furnished only with a trestle table and a few soap-boxes. Leshkin sat down heavily at the far side of the table and gave another brief order. The guards ran their hands over the prisoners, but the only weapon they found was the long, slender stiletto with which De Richleau had killed the spy at Sverdlovsk.
Leshkin motioned to the guards and they left the room, with the exception of one huge Mongolian, who leant against the wall behind the prisoners. Simon caught a glimpse of his face in the lamplight, he had the stupid, bestial features of a cretin — a hare-lip showed his broken, yellow teeth.
The Kommissar placed his automatic on the table before him, his little, red-rimmed eyes screwed up into a malicious smile as he looked from one to the other of his prisoners; he addressed Simon.
“We have met in London — we have met in Moskawa — and now we meet in Romanovsk — is it not, Mr. Aron?”
Simon nodded.
“I am very happy to see you in Romanovsk, Mr. Aron — it gives me opportunity to entertain you in my own fashion. I have been wanting to do that for a long time.” There was a world of unpleasant meaning in Lishkin’s voice.
“That’s very nice of you,” said Simon, suspiciously.
Leshkin ran his finger-nails with a rasping sound through his short, stubbly red beard. “Do not mention it,” he said, with mock politeness. “I owe you a very special debt for the way in which you have entertained Valeria Petrovna when you were in Moskawa. That debt shall be paid in the true Russian manner.”
“Thought Russia gave up paying her debts at the time of the Revolution,” murmured Simon.
“Silence,” snapped the Kommissar, with a sudden change of manner. “Now, you,” he addressed the Duke. “You call yourself Richwater?”
“That is so,” replied De Richleau. “You will see that from my passport.”
“The passport lies; it is not so that you are known in London — in Curzon Street, or at the Mausoleum Club for instance?”
The Duke smiled. “You are well informed. I do not always use my title, and if I choose to translate my name at times, it is my own affair. Doubtless if you knew so much you are aware that I am the Duke De Richleau.”
“A bourgeois,” Leshkin sneered.
De Richleau raised his grey eyebrows, and his smile deepened. “A bourgeois? Indeed you are enchanting, Monsieur le Kommissar. My friends and my enemies have called me many things, but never before have I been called a bourgeois!”
“You are an hereditary enemy of the workers — it is enough.” Leshkin lit a cigarette and leaned back, regarding them in silence for a few moments. Suddenly he said:
“What have you done with your friend — the American, why is he not with you?”
Simon and the Duke both looked blank.
“Come, do not pretend that you do not know who I mean.” The Russian’s voice was quiet and cold. “You made inquiries about this man in Moskawa. I, myself, supplied the information to you through Valeria Petrovna that he was in prison in Tobolsk. He escaped only yesterday — and with you, in a sleigh. Where is he?”
“Well, I’ll tell you,” said Simon, slowly. He realized that if the Kommissar knew so much of their movements it would do none of them any good to deny all knowledge of Rex. “Van Ryn wanted to strike back to the railway, and we were for going farther north, so we separated — that’s why he’s not here.”
“When was this?”
“Early this morning, after we — er — lost our sleigh, you know!”
“Lost!” Leshkin sneered. “That is good — and you say that your friend, the American, after coming six thousand miles to spend one hour in Romanovsk, decided to run away when he was only a little twelve miles from his destination?”
“Well, if he hadn’t he’d be here with us,” Simon parried.
“So — then he has passed the secret on to you — is it not?”
“Secret? What secret?” said Simon, vaguely.
“Mr. Aron, you make me laugh.” Leshkin sat back and slapped his stomach with his fat hands. His laughter was not good to hear. “What do you take me for — a fool?”
“Oh, no,” Simon assured him, earnestly. “I wouldn’t do that!”
“Does it not occur to you as strange that I should be waiting for you here?”
“I was never so surprised in my life.”
Leshkin nodded heavily. “I have followed your movements since you left Moskawa with great interest, Mr. Aron. Last night I was informed that Van Ryn had escaped from Tobolsk. Of your stealing the sleigh in Turinsk I already knew; it was not unreasonable to suppose that by this evening you would be here. I left Moskawa by aeroplane in time to meet you — that is all! Come now — you have the secret, let us not waste time.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about” Simon shook his head.
“Listen.” The Kommissar leant forward and tapped the table with a fat white forefinger. “The American comes to Moskawa, two — three months ago, is it not. He disappears — all right, we find him again — on our train, attempting to enter the forbidden territory. Is he a fool — is he a spy? We do not know, all right — put him in prison — that is that. Then you come to Moskawa. All night — all day, you inquire for the American. One day our agent hears you talk with a man in the Zoo — the name ‘Shulimoff’ is spoken. All Russia knows of the buried treasure of the Shulimoffs. We know now that Romanovsk was the American’s destination. It was for these jewels he came to Russia. I have only to supply to you, through Valeria Petrovna, the information that he is in prison at Tobolsk; you will go there to procure his release — then you, or he, or all of you, will come on here to find the treasure. All I have to do is to make my plans to meet you here. Where are the jewels? Let us waste no more time!”
“Elementary, my dear Watson,” murmured the Duke into Simon’s ear.
Simon chuckled suddenly into his hand.
“What you say?” snapped Leshkin.
De Richleau bowed. “Merely a little joke we have in England about people with red hair!”
As Leshkin glowered at the Duke, Simon added: “sorry we can’t help you.”
An unpleasant light came into the Kommissar’s small, red-rimmed eyes. “You do not think so now, perhaps, but I shall find ways to persuade you.”
De Richleau intervened. “You will excuse me,” he said, politely. “Aron has already told you that we have parted from the American. Both of us have heard about the jewels, but neither of us know where they are.”
The Russian gave him a shrewd look. “There may be something in what you say. Fortunately the American cannot get away — we shall catch him by tomorrow night. However, if you know nothing, you are of no use to me — again, why should we waste time? I will have you shot!”
“And why should you do that?” asked De Richleau, quietly.
“You have helped a prisoner to escape — you are in the forbidden territory where, perhaps, you have seen too much. In any case, you are an hereditary oppressor of the workers, and therefore an enemy of the party — it is enough — be thankful that I have you shot! For Aron I have a very different programme.”
The Duke smiled. He appeared to be perfectly calm as he said, slowly: “You have asked Aron if he takes you for a fool! I most certainly do not, but you will be, if you have me shot.”
“Why so?” asked Leshkin, quickly.
“Because dead, I may be very dangerous to you — alive, I may be of some service.”
“So!” Leshkin shrugged. “This is but talk, you can serve me not at all.”