more. It was to him that I owe the loss of my eye, and in due course I mean to pluck out both of his with my own hands. However, at the…'
Simulating intense anger, Gregory suddenly burst out, 'This is fantastic! Not a word of it is true! My name is Etienne Tavenier, and I am a retired Major of the French Army. I have documents to prove it.'
'Documents!' sneered Grauber. 'Do you take me for a child? Of course you would have come provided with documents, but not one of them will be worth the paper it is written on.'
Gregory knew only too well that, as soon as Cochefert was sufficiently recovered to be brought in on the matter, to continue the pretence that he was Tavenier would be completely futile. Moreover, as it was from the Vadaszkürt that his false passport had reached Lieutenant Puttony, and the Arizona was in the same district it seemed highly probable that the Lieutenant was attached to this station. Should he come on the scene that would equally blow the Tavenier story. But Gregory had no other means of repudiating Grauber's charges; so the only course open to him was to stick to his guns in front of the Hungarian Police Captain, in the desperate hope that some chance to escape might offer if only he could gain a little time. In a further effort to maintain his bluff, he shouted at Grauber:
'My documents are in perfect order! They have been checked by the police and by that Deuxième Bureau Captain who was about to introduce me to you when you attacked me. If you don't believe me, ask him; or send a telegram to Vichy. They know all about me there.'
The Hungarian, obviously impressed, nodded. 'Yes. After all, it is quite possible that you are mistaken, Herr Gruppenführer. This man may be whom he says he is.'
'He is an English spy, I tell you!' Grauber's high-pitched voice rose almost to a scream.
'I am nothing of the kind!' Gregory yelled back with all the excitability of an angry and injured Frenchman. 'Telegraph to Vichy about me, and you will be made to eat your words.'
Again the Hungarian nodded. 'Why should we not do that? I will hold the prisoner until morning, and by then we should have a reply.'
White with fury, Grauber banged his clenched fist on the table. 'I need no telegram from Vichy. I know this man as well as I know my own face in a mirror. And the enquiry I am engaged upon is urgent. As soon as it gets out that he has been arrested the men he has been conspiring with will take fright. They will go into hiding, or try to leave the country. That is why I have got to have the truth out of him here and now.'
'Since he maintains that he is not the man you think him, I don't see how you can.'
Grauber gave a short, sniggering laugh, and turned to leer at his two S.S. men. 'We'll get it all right, won't we boys?'
They both grinned, and the taller said, 'Leave it to us, Herr Gruppenführer.'
Turning back to the Hungarian, Grauber said abruptly, 'Take us down to a cell and provide us with a piece of cord. We'll string him up by his thumbs to start with and see if that will make him open his mouth.'
The Hungarian hesitated a moment, then he said, I am anxious to oblige the Herr Gruppenführer, but I don't think I could do that.'
'And why not, if you please?' Grauber asked him in a suddenly silky voice.
'For one thing, his identity is still uncertain.'
'You said that you are anxious to oblige me. You can do so by taking my word about that.'
I have already stretched a point in allowing you to question him about a matter that has no connexion with the charge on which I am holding him.'
'Teufel Nochmal! Grauber exploded. 'Is Hungary Germany's ally, or is she not?'
'Herr Gruppenführer, the fact that our two countries are allied has no bearing on police procedure.'
'It has, Herr Hauptmann. Our Governments, our fighting services, our police and yours are all pledged to aid each other by every means in their power. I now formally request your help in the carrying out of my duties.'
Gregory was listening to the discussion with bated breath. He now had little enough to pin his hopes upon in any case, but the outcome of this swift exchange of words meant for him the difference between a few hours' respite and being put to torture within the next few minutes. The palms of his hands were damp with apprehension as he watched the Hungarian's face. It was a strong face, but he feared every moment to see it weaken under the pressure that it was certain Grauber would bring to bear.
To the German's request he replied. 'I have no wish to withhold my cooperation; but the procedure of the two police forces differ, and to do as you suggest would be contrary to our regulations here.'
I suppose you mean that, when a prisoner refuses to talk, you are too squeamish to make him?' Grauber sneered. 'Let us put it that in Hungary we do not approve of torture.' 'Do you presume to criticize German methods?' I criticize nothing. I only obey the orders of my superiors.' Grauber was seething with rage. His thin sandy eyebrows drew down in a scowl and his single eye gleamed with malice, as he said, 'Listen, my little Captain. My rank is far superior to yours and should you continue to oppose my wish I am quite powerful enough to insist on your own chief disciplining you. Now! No more nonsense. Send for a piece of cord and lead us to a cell.'
To Gregory's intense relief the threat had the contrary effect to that he had feared. The Hungarian's chunky face went white but his blue eyes suddenly blazed with anger. Thrusting his chin forward, he snapped, 'This is not Germany! You can't yet ride roughshod over everybody here! Say what you damn well like! I'm not afraid to be judged by my own people for having refused to let you turn my Station into a torture chamber. Now! Get out of here, and be quick about it.'
Beneath his breath Gregory murmured, 'Well done! Well done! May the gods reward you for your courage.' But a moment later he realized that he was not even temporarily free of Grauber yet. The Gruppenführer had not climbed to his eminence as a Gestapo Chief by bullying alone; he had an extraordinarily flexible mind, and much subtle cunning. Quite quietly he turned to his two aides and said:
'Heershaft, I have often told you that you can learn much from the errors of your superiors. It is of great importance to us that I should get the truth out of this man Sallust without delay; but as I am placed at the moment I have not a free hand to do so. In my eagerness, I blundered. Observe, please, this Hungarian officer carefully. Look at his broad forehead, his frank expression and his well developed jaw. These are the indications of an honest man, a humanitarian and one who has the courage to stick to his convictions. I should have taken stock of those myself, and realized that I could gain nothing by threatening him. We consider that our harsher methods of obtaining information swiftly are justified by the emergencies of war. But in this the Hungarians differ from us. By refusing to allow us to use our methods of persuasion in his Station, he was only carrying out his standing orders. For that we must admire him. Tomorrow, instead of a complaint, I shall now put in to his superiors a testimonial to his commendable adherence to his duties. To do otherwise would be dishonourable and tend to weaken, instead of strengthen, our ties with our Hungarian allies.'
After pausing for a moment, Grauber turned to the Hungarian and went on. 'But the Herr Hauptmann will appreciate that delay in examining this man may prove fatal to the success of my mission here. Therefore I cannot doubt that he will agree to a solution which will both enable me to do my duty, and save him from any feeling that he has failed in his. I should have thought of it before. It is so simple. I will sign a receipt for the prisoner and an undertaking that he shall be returned here tomorrow morning in time to face before a magistrate the charge of which he is accused. There can be no objection to that?'