cautiously, blinking at the hot, harsh sun. They looked gratefully at David; the taller one spoke in halting English.
“This is a … minute we have waited for. Our very much thanks.”
Spaulding smiled. “Well, we’re not out of the woods, yet.
Frei.
Both terms apply. You’re brave men. We’ll do all we can for you.”
“There was …
nichts
… remaining,” said the shorter laboratory man. “My friend’s socialist …
Politik
… was unpopular. My late wife was …
eine Jüdin.
”
“No children?”
“
Nein
,” answered the man. “
Gott seli dank.
”
“I have one son,” said the taller scientist coldly. “
Er ist
…
Gestapo.
”
There was no more to be said, thought Spaulding. He turned to the runner, who was scanning the hill and the forests below. “I’ll take over now. Get back to Base Four as soon as you can. We’ve got a large contingent coming in from Koblenz in a few days. We’ll need everyone. Get some rest.”
The runner hesitated; David had seen his expression before … so often. The man was now going to travel alone. No company, pleasant or unpleasant. Just alone.
“That is not my understanding, Lisbon. I am to stay with you.…”
“Why?” interrupted Spaulding.
“My instructions.…”
“From whom?”
“From those in San Sebastián. Herr Bergeron and his men. Weren’t you informed?”
David looked at the runner. The man’s fear was making him a poor liar, thought Spaulding. Or he was something else. Something completely unexpected because it was not logical; it was not, at this point, even remotely to be considered. Unless …
David gave the runner’s frayed young nerves the benefit of the doubt. A benefit, not an exoneration. That would come later.
“No, I wasn’t told,” he said. “Come on. We’ll head to Beta camp. We’ll stay there until morning.” Spaulding gestured and they started across the foot of the slope.
“I haven’t worked this far south,” said the runner, positioning himself behind David. “Don’t you travel at night, Lisbon?”
“Sometimes,” answered Spaulding, looking back at the scientists, who were walking side by side. “Not if we canhelp it. The Basques shoot indiscriminately at night. They have too many dogs off their leashes at night.”
“I see.”
“Let’s walk single file. Flank our guests,” said David to the runner.
The four traveled several miles east. Spaulding kept up a rapid pace; the middle-aged scientists did not complain but they obviously found the going difficult. A number of times David told the others to remain where they were while he entered the woods at various sections of the forest and returned minutes later. Each time he did so, the older men rested, grateful for the pauses. The runner did not. He appeared frightened—as if the American might not come back. Spaulding did not encourage conversation, but after one such disappearance, the young German could not restrain himself.
“What are you
doing?
” he asked.
David looked at the
Widerstandskämpfer
and smiled. “Picking up messages.”
“Messages?”
“These are drops. Along our route. We establish marks for leaving off information we don’t want sent by radio. Too dangerous if intercepted.”
They continued along a narrow path at the edge of the woods until there was a break in the Basque forest. It was a grazing field, a lower plateau centered beneath the surrounding hills. The
Wissenschaftler
were perspiring heavily, their breaths short, their legs aching.
“We’ll rest here for a while,” said Spaulding, to the obvious relief of the older men. “It’s time I made contact anyway.”
“
Was ist los?
” asked the young runner. “Contact?”
“Zeroing our position,” replied David, taking out a small metal mirror from his field jacket. “The scouts can relax if they know where we are.… If you’re going to work the north country—what you call south—you’d better remember all
“This is a … minute we have waited for. Our very much thanks.”
Spaulding smiled. “Well, we’re not out of the woods, yet.
Frei.
Both terms apply. You’re brave men. We’ll do all we can for you.”
“There was …
nichts
… remaining,” said the shorter laboratory man. “My friend’s socialist …
Politik
… was unpopular. My late wife was …
eine Jüdin.
”
“No children?”
“
Nein
,” answered the man. “
Gott seli dank.
”
“I have one son,” said the taller scientist coldly. “
Er ist
…
Gestapo.
”
There was no more to be said, thought Spaulding. He turned to the runner, who was scanning the hill and the forests below. “I’ll take over now. Get back to Base Four as soon as you can. We’ve got a large contingent coming in from Koblenz in a few days. We’ll need everyone. Get some rest.”
The runner hesitated; David had seen his expression before … so often. The man was now going to travel alone. No company, pleasant or unpleasant. Just alone.
“That is not my understanding, Lisbon. I am to stay with you.…”
“Why?” interrupted Spaulding.
“My instructions.…”
“From whom?”
“From those in San Sebastián. Herr Bergeron and his men. Weren’t you informed?”
David looked at the runner. The man’s fear was making him a poor liar, thought Spaulding. Or he was something else. Something completely unexpected because it was not logical; it was not, at this point, even remotely to be considered. Unless …
David gave the runner’s frayed young nerves the benefit of the doubt. A benefit, not an exoneration. That would come later.
“No, I wasn’t told,” he said. “Come on. We’ll head to Beta camp. We’ll stay there until morning.” Spaulding gestured and they started across the foot of the slope.
“I haven’t worked this far south,” said the runner, positioning himself behind David. “Don’t you travel at night, Lisbon?”
“Sometimes,” answered Spaulding, looking back at the scientists, who were walking side by side. “Not if we canhelp it. The Basques shoot indiscriminately at night. They have too many dogs off their leashes at night.”
“I see.”
“Let’s walk single file. Flank our guests,” said David to the runner.
The four traveled several miles east. Spaulding kept up a rapid pace; the middle-aged scientists did not complain but they obviously found the going difficult. A number of times David told the others to remain where they were while he entered the woods at various sections of the forest and returned minutes later. Each time he did so, the older men rested, grateful for the pauses. The runner did not. He appeared frightened—as if the American might not come back. Spaulding did not encourage conversation, but after one such disappearance, the young German could not restrain himself.
“What are you
doing?
” he asked.
David looked at the
Widerstandskämpfer
and smiled. “Picking up messages.”
“Messages?”
“These are drops. Along our route. We establish marks for leaving off information we don’t want sent by radio. Too dangerous if intercepted.”
They continued along a narrow path at the edge of the woods until there was a break in the Basque forest. It was a grazing field, a lower plateau centered beneath the surrounding hills. The
Wissenschaftler
were perspiring heavily, their breaths short, their legs aching.
“We’ll rest here for a while,” said Spaulding, to the obvious relief of the older men. “It’s time I made contact anyway.”
“
Was ist los?
” asked the young runner. “Contact?”
“Zeroing our position,” replied David, taking out a small metal mirror from his field jacket. “The scouts can relax if they know where we are.… If you’re going to work the north country—what you call south—you’d better remember all
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