‘That’s what doesn’t fit. Why would he do that?’
‘He’s a frightened man, I know that. He’s been brought to Danzig because of Father Byrne, because he’s the one who’s got a hold over him. I don’t know why the priest is so significant, but that’s what it’s about.’
Leon was silent, thinking through what Stefan had told him. It was beginning to make some kind of sense.
‘Generally everyone in Danzig’s got a good idea who the informers are, but this man Keller’s an outsider. I don’t know him. I doubt anyone knows him. The priest isn’t good news,’ he reflected. ‘Not at all. There’s not much opposition left in our Free City. Socialists, communists, liberals, Catholics, Jews, we’ve all been battered into silence over the last few years. We’ve got an election now, but don’t let that fool you. The Nazis have probably held a thousand election rallies this year. Compare that with a dozen from the opposition, and most of those were broken up by the brown shirts and the police. Tomorrow they’ll be outside every polling station. They already know who’s going to vote against them. And you’ll need guts to do it. Some of the only guts left are in Oliva Cathedral. I’m a Jew, Herr Gillespie. I haven’t got much to thank the Catholic Church for, but while Edward O’Rourke is bishop of Danzig there’s someone still standing up to the Nazis here, someone they can’t just knock down. People trust him.’
Stefan nodded. It explained the relationship between Byrne and Keller. ‘Well, they might want to think twice about that with Father Byrne on the bishop’s payroll.’
‘Not all the opposition is out in the open,’ said Leon. ‘A list of everyone the bishop talks to would be worth a lot. Especially if the Nazis win this election big time. That’s when the arrests will really start, on a scale we’ve never seen.’
Stefan remembered the sense of darkness he had felt earlier, knowing nothing about any of this. Keller was doing what he did best, but Stefan still felt there was something else, something more urgent than mere information. Hannah reached across and took his hand.
The two dogs suddenly leapt up, growling, and raced to the door. Leon stood and moved to the window. He could see nothing in the darkness, but the dogs had heard something. He pointed to another door, at the back of the room.
‘If I say go, walk out that way, into the woods, and keep walking.’
He opened the front door. The Weimaraners disappeared into the night, barking furiously. Leon followed them outside. Over the noise of the dogs Stefan and Hannah heard an engine. Stefan got up and went to the window. He could see white headlights through the trees. A pickup emerged into the clearing. The dogs bounded towards it. Leon turned away and walked back inside.
‘It’s all right,’ he smiled, relieved. ‘We’ll be going soon.’
He poured a glass of vodka and drank it.
‘How long will it take?’ asked Hannah.
‘It depends which way he goes.’
A man Hannah knew as Johannes walked in, smiling, wearing a student’s cap. He had been the driver of the car outside the Danziger Hof. He had been the other man in the car that brought Stefan to the hunting lodge. He was younger than Leon, barely in his twenties. Where Leon was tense and nervous, Johannes was cheerful and relaxed. Behind him was an older man, bearded, dressed in green loden. He had a pipe between his teeth that had gone out some time before. The Weimaraners pattered beside him, sniffing at the leather bag over his shoulder. He clicked his fingers at the dogs. They went back to the fire and curled up in front of it. Leon’s expression had changed as the man walked in. It wasn’t who he expected.
‘Who’s this, Johannes?’
The older man smiled, taking out a box of matches to relight his pipe.
‘How’s it going?’
‘Peter’s broken his leg,’ explained Johannes. ‘This is Karl. He’s a friend of Peter’s. It’s fine. He knows the forests backwards.’
‘I’m sorry, Karl.’ Leon looked at him uneasily. ‘I don’t know you.’
The bearded man carried on lighting his pipe.
‘He’s the same price as Peter,’ said Johannes with a shrug.
‘It’s not about the bloody price. We don’t know him!’
‘Peter sent him instead. He said Karl knows what he’s doing.’
‘It’s not up to Peter to decide — ’
‘Look, it’s no skin off my nose, son.’ Karl drew on his pipe, grinning amiably. ‘I had to come up and feed Peter’s dogs anyway. I could do with the cash, but if you don’t want a guide, that’s your business. I’ve done it before. You wouldn’t be the first ones I’ve helped get across into Poland.’
Leon still wasn’t happy; he’d been backed into a corner.
‘We’ve got to get them out, Leon,’ said Johannes, shrugging.
‘I know that.’
‘Well, I’m here if you want me. I’ll feed the dogs.’ Karl whistled quietly to the Weimaraners and went outside. They trotted out after him.
‘It’s not a decision you should have made, Johannes.’
‘We’ve always trusted Peter.’
‘There are people you pay and people you trust.’
Stefan exchanged a look with Hannah.
‘Is there a problem, Leon?’ she asked.
‘No. It’s just not the way we do things. But we’ll have to get on with it. It’s too late to worry about it now. The sooner we go the better. Ten minutes, right? You two get some air. I’ve just got a few things to sort out.’
It was clear Leon wanted to speak to Johannes on his own. Stefan smiled, knowing there was a bollocking to be delivered. He glanced across at Hannah. She nodded. As they walked out into the night the forester was heading back in, filling his pipe. He stopped to relight it once again.
‘Boys! You wouldn’t think their mothers would let them out, would you?’ He carried on into the lodge, whistling cheerfully to himself again.
They walked on in silence. Hannah held Stefan’s hand.
‘I still don’t know how you got here.’
‘Someone told your father what you were doing. He’d found out where you were. He came to see me, with Robert Briscoe. I assume you know him?’
‘Yes. But how did my father — ’
‘Maybe you’ve got better friends than you know.’
‘Probably,’ she said very quietly.
‘He wanted me to get you out of here before you did anything stupid.’
‘Talking to Francis Byrne didn’t feel like it was stupid.’
‘Maybe it wouldn’t have been if he’d been in the Isle of Man. I know what you’ve been doing for the last three months. At least I know who you’ve been doing it for. And I just thought you were growing oranges.’
‘If they’d leave us alone to grow oranges I wouldn’t be doing it.’
They were still walking, deeper into the trees, away from the lodge.
‘I’m sorry, Stefan. I’m sorry you got involved — ’
He shrugged. ‘I know why you left Ireland the way you did anyway.’
‘I had to go. And I think it was time to go.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘Because if I’d stayed any longer, I might not have wanted to.’
‘Maybe it was worth a session with the Gestapo after all,’ he smiled.
‘What?’
‘To hear you say that.’
‘Do you think it didn’t matter?’
‘I didn’t want to think that.’
For a moment they looked at each other. He took her in his arms and kissed her. All of a sudden he was very tired. He didn’t want to talk any more; nor did she. There was a deep silence in the woods that surrounded them. As they kissed again they moved backward slightly and Stefan stumbled. Hannah laughed. He turned to look down
