Microbes of Power (Wallace of the Secret Service Series) by Alexander Wilson Page B

he certainly lacked the excessive politeness of the breed. He had not even troubled to rise from his chair, when the Englishman addressed his supposed sister. Shannon remained chatting casually for a minute or two; then passed on. He was wholly unconvinced by the explanation of her presence; felt decidedly troubled. He scented danger, and resolved to warn Barbara, even if it meant alarming her. Having given the necessary order to a waiter he found close by, he returned to the table, sat down, and took out his cigarette case with an appearance of smiling unconcern. Eyes, he felt, would be watching him intently. Barbara accepted a cigarette, blew a thin spiral of smoke into the air. At that moment she looked thoroughly happy and content. It was a pity, he reflected, to be forced to spoil her enjoyment.
    ‘Keep on smiling, Barbara,’ he murmured, a smile on his own face, ‘but I’m afraid I’m going to give you a shock. We are being watched.’ Her hand, he noticed, shook a little as she raised the cigarette to her lips, but she gave no other sign that she was startled. ‘Your housekeeper friend is seated at a table a little way behind us with a greasy-looking bounder wearing a dress suit that I’ll swear was borrowed. She told me that he is her brother, and called for her to come to the dance. Most unconvincing, of course; for one thing it is too much of a coincidence.’
    ‘People like that don’t come here to dance,’ she whispered. She continued to smile, but he read the trouble in her eyes. ‘It was rather an absurd explanation.’
    ‘She had to say something. I must say I admire her sang froid. She greeted me in the coolest manner possible, without a trace of embarrassment, and my action in going straight to her must have been a bit of a shock. I caught sight of the woman as I looked round for the waiter. I’m afraid, old girl, that your faith in her will have to undergo revision. I am pretty certain now that she is in league with Michalis and company. Something must have made them suspicious of you, and she was installed in the school to watch.’ He saw her underlip tremble, and, in his generous, sympathetic way, took hold of her hand.
    ‘It seems that, after all, I have failed to make good,’ she whispered, and something in her tone went straight to his heart. ‘Oh, Hugh, I feel awful about it.’
    ‘Don’t be silly!’ he laughed. ‘Because they suspect you, doesn’t mean to say that they have anything particular to go on.’
    ‘Even if they haven’t, my usefulness here as L.W.’s agent is gone completely. You know it is – you said as much a little while ago.’
    They were silent, while the waiter placed his whisky and her coffee on the table. Shannon took such little heed of the amountof soda the man poured into his glass that he was given more than he desired, but his thoughts were very far from whisky and soda at that moment. He signed the chit, and waited until their attendant had departed then:
    ‘I may be altogether wrong,’ he pronounced. ‘The appearance of that woman here may be quite innocent, and—’
    ‘You know it is not,’ she interrupted, ‘and I know it is not. I have been too confident, and this is the result. What makes me feel so terrible is that I have not only proved myself useless as a secret agent, but I have brought you under suspicion also. If they think that you are on their track they may – may attempt to kill you.’ She shivered slightly. ‘Can’t you imagine how I feel?’
    ‘You’re being a baby now,’ he returned, giving her hand, which he still retained, an encouraging little squeeze. ‘What I should like to know is what first caused them to suspect you.’
    ‘My own foolishness, I suppose,’ she replied bitterly. ‘I can see it all now. You know perhaps that Plasiras and Bikelas came to Nicosia last November, a few weeks before they made their disastrous attempt to overthrow the Greek government?’ He nodded. ‘When they had departed, there