that?’
‘Out in the country. In the forest.’
‘Were you in hiding?’
‘Yes.’
‘You were arrested, weren’t you?’
The police doctor gave him a long look.
‘No, I wasn’t arrested.’
Jensen said nothing.
‘Thanks to you,’ said the doctor.
‘You mean you escaped?’
‘Yes. I never went down those stairs. I stopped outside the door and heard you ring the duty officer. So I went up to the roof and scrambled over to the building next door. I ran away.’
‘Then I ought to arrest you.’
The police doctor shook his head.
‘There are no police any more. Only you. As far as I know. And as far as I know, there’s no government to give you orders, either. Or me, for that matter. No one who can order us to behave like idiots any longer.’
‘I don’t understand what you mean.’
The man flicked a switch on the control console.
‘There we are,’ he said. ‘This is working now, anyway. We might need it later on.’
‘You’re talking in riddles,’ said Jensen.
‘Yes. And what’s more, I haven’t time for it. Every ten minutes, someone dies. Needlessly. And not far from here.’
‘The epidemic?’
The police doctor nodded. He went towards the door. Stopped and turned round. His eyes were bloodshot, he was in need of a shave and looked very tired.
‘Jensen?’
‘Yes.’
‘Are you in touch with your … the people who sent you on this mission?’
‘No.’
‘Are you interested in politics?’
‘No.’
‘Do you know anything about politics?’
‘No more than most people.’
‘Good. I want you to help me with something.’
‘What’s that?’
‘I’ve got someone down there in the car. A man. He’s in a pretty bad way. It would be useful if you could look after him until I get back. Come on.’
Jensen nodded and went down to the jeep with him.
‘Help me carry him,’ said the police doctor. ‘There’s a sofa in the room next to yours, isn’t there?’
‘Yes there is.’
‘Let’s put him there.’
The man looked thirty or so. He was lying on the back seat of the jeep, wrapped in a blanket. His skin was pallid and his cheeks were hollow. There was nothing to indicate he was conscious. As they carried him up the spiral staircase, he felt very light. When they had put him down on the sofa, the doctor threw back the blanket and Jensen saw that the man was disabled. Both legs were missing below the knee.
‘Shouldn’t this man be in hospital?’
‘He’s just come from there,’ said the doctor.
Jensen looked at him enquiringly.
‘He’s asleep now, but he’ll wake up soon. I gave him an injection. When he perks up, you can talk to him. I’m sure there’s plenty he can tell you. Mentally there’s nothing wrong with him.’
The doctor shrugged.
‘Strangely enough,’ he said.
‘You can interview him,’ he added in a sarcastic tone.
‘Who is he?’
‘A good friend. If he’s in pain, give him one of these tablets. They put him to sleep for an hour. But the pain goes. He may need to take them at pretty frequent intervals. And make sure hegets something to drink, if there is anything. If you have to go out, leave the tablets where he can reach them and give him something to read.’
‘But what if anybody comes?’
‘Nobody’s going to come here. There isn’t anyone in the city centre. Yet. Are you going to carry on with your so-called investigation?’
Jensen nodded.
‘In that case I’ve got a tip-off for you. The Steel Spring.’
‘The Steel Spring.’
‘Yes. Find out what it means. You can always ask somebody. You could try the Ministry of the Interior or the secret police. Or the party offices.’
‘There’s no such thing as the secret police.’
‘No. You’re right. But there used to be. I’ve got to go now.’
He looked at his watch.
‘I’ll be back this evening, by about seven.’
‘One more thing,’ said Jensen.
‘What?’
‘There’s a dead woman in one of the cells. You should take a look at
‘Out in the country. In the forest.’
‘Were you in hiding?’
‘Yes.’
‘You were arrested, weren’t you?’
The police doctor gave him a long look.
‘No, I wasn’t arrested.’
Jensen said nothing.
‘Thanks to you,’ said the doctor.
‘You mean you escaped?’
‘Yes. I never went down those stairs. I stopped outside the door and heard you ring the duty officer. So I went up to the roof and scrambled over to the building next door. I ran away.’
‘Then I ought to arrest you.’
The police doctor shook his head.
‘There are no police any more. Only you. As far as I know. And as far as I know, there’s no government to give you orders, either. Or me, for that matter. No one who can order us to behave like idiots any longer.’
‘I don’t understand what you mean.’
The man flicked a switch on the control console.
‘There we are,’ he said. ‘This is working now, anyway. We might need it later on.’
‘You’re talking in riddles,’ said Jensen.
‘Yes. And what’s more, I haven’t time for it. Every ten minutes, someone dies. Needlessly. And not far from here.’
‘The epidemic?’
The police doctor nodded. He went towards the door. Stopped and turned round. His eyes were bloodshot, he was in need of a shave and looked very tired.
‘Jensen?’
‘Yes.’
‘Are you in touch with your … the people who sent you on this mission?’
‘No.’
‘Are you interested in politics?’
‘No.’
‘Do you know anything about politics?’
‘No more than most people.’
‘Good. I want you to help me with something.’
‘What’s that?’
‘I’ve got someone down there in the car. A man. He’s in a pretty bad way. It would be useful if you could look after him until I get back. Come on.’
Jensen nodded and went down to the jeep with him.
‘Help me carry him,’ said the police doctor. ‘There’s a sofa in the room next to yours, isn’t there?’
‘Yes there is.’
‘Let’s put him there.’
The man looked thirty or so. He was lying on the back seat of the jeep, wrapped in a blanket. His skin was pallid and his cheeks were hollow. There was nothing to indicate he was conscious. As they carried him up the spiral staircase, he felt very light. When they had put him down on the sofa, the doctor threw back the blanket and Jensen saw that the man was disabled. Both legs were missing below the knee.
‘Shouldn’t this man be in hospital?’
‘He’s just come from there,’ said the doctor.
Jensen looked at him enquiringly.
‘He’s asleep now, but he’ll wake up soon. I gave him an injection. When he perks up, you can talk to him. I’m sure there’s plenty he can tell you. Mentally there’s nothing wrong with him.’
The doctor shrugged.
‘Strangely enough,’ he said.
‘You can interview him,’ he added in a sarcastic tone.
‘Who is he?’
‘A good friend. If he’s in pain, give him one of these tablets. They put him to sleep for an hour. But the pain goes. He may need to take them at pretty frequent intervals. And make sure hegets something to drink, if there is anything. If you have to go out, leave the tablets where he can reach them and give him something to read.’
‘But what if anybody comes?’
‘Nobody’s going to come here. There isn’t anyone in the city centre. Yet. Are you going to carry on with your so-called investigation?’
Jensen nodded.
‘In that case I’ve got a tip-off for you. The Steel Spring.’
‘The Steel Spring.’
‘Yes. Find out what it means. You can always ask somebody. You could try the Ministry of the Interior or the secret police. Or the party offices.’
‘There’s no such thing as the secret police.’
‘No. You’re right. But there used to be. I’ve got to go now.’
He looked at his watch.
‘I’ll be back this evening, by about seven.’
‘One more thing,’ said Jensen.
‘What?’
‘There’s a dead woman in one of the cells. You should take a look at
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