incredible. Is your name there Tone Stara?' 'No.' Wolfe hesitated. 'It is not a question of being frank with you. Comrade Stri- 259 tar. It is merely that I would not want any inquiries made among my friends or associates until I return. As soon as I arrive I'll let you know, and of course give you my American name and address. One thing you should tell me now; in case I have money to send, which is very probable, I would want to be sure it reaches you safely. How would I send dollars?' Stritar pursed his lips. 'I'll think it over and let you know. You're right, it should be properly arranged. When are you leaving, and how?' 'We have no papers.' 'I know.' 'Also, I'll be frank, we want to get away as soon as possible. You must forgive us if we feel that we are in danger. I know that the police here are under you and are therefore extremely efficient, but today we heard that Russian tell Comrade Zov that he had to come to the fort when he got his message, because he knew what to expect if he didn't. So not only can they get messages to Titograd, but also if the messages are not heeded they can do something about it. They will certainly not let the death of that Dmitri Shuvalov go unavenged, not to mention the other two. We are not comfortable in Titograd.' 260 'No one saw you. No one knows you were there.' 'Danilo Vukcic knows, and his friends. My suspicions of Vukcic may be unfounded, but I have them. He may be in Albania now, to report about us. And that suggests another matter, though it is not our con** cern.' 'What other matter?' Wolfe glanced at Zov and back at Stritar. 'Regarding Comrade Zov. I presume his danger is greater than ours. If Shuvalov was confident that he could reach him in Titograd to punish him for ignoring a message, surely they can reach him when the motive is so much stronger. That is his concern, and yours, but, having rescued him from torture and perhaps death, naturally we feel an interest in him. I am willing to propose something if it is not impertinent.' 'You couldn't be more impertinent than to march into my office and announce you had no papers. What do you propose?' 'That you send Zov to America for a while. He could either go with us or come to us after he arrives, and we would see to his needs and his safety. It offers several advantages: it would remove him temporarily from peril here, if there is any, it would give us someone in America who is familiar 261 with conditions here, to advise us; it would give you an agent there whom you trust, to report on us and our associates; and it would give me a messenger I could rely on if I had something confidential or valuable to send to you.' Wolfe flipped a hand. 'Of course, for some reason unknown to me, it may be quite impractical.' Stritar and Zov had exchanged not one glance, but several. Stritar said, 'It is worth considering. It may not be entirely impractical.'
'I thought it might not be,' Wolfe said, 'since Zov returned only recently from a trip to America. That was what suggested it to me. I even thought it possible you might have another mission for him there. If so, he might need help, and what we did today, especially my son, may have demonstrated that we could be capable of supplying it.' Stritar looked at Zov. Then he studied Wolfe. Then he transferred to me. I was aware, from tones and expressions and the atmosphere, that we were at a crisis, but I didn't know what kind, so all I could do was meet his eyes and look loyal and confident and absolutely intrepid. After he had analyzed me clear through to my spine he returned to Wolfe. 262 'Did you ever,' he asked, 'hear of a man named Nero Wolfe?' I claim a medal for handling not only my face but all my nerves and muscles. His pronunciation was fuzzy, but not too fuzzy for me to get it. I knew they were at a crisis, and suddenly that bozo snaps out the name Nero Wolfe. How I kept my hand from starting for my holster I don't know. Wolfe showed no sign of panic, but that was no help. He wouldn't panic if you paid him. 'Of course,' he said. 'If you mean the well-known detective in New York. Everyone in America has heard of him.' 'Do you know him?' 'I haven't met him, no. I know a man who has. He says I look like him, but I've seen a picture of him, and the only resemblance is that we're both big and fat.' 'Did you know a man named Marko Vukcic?' 'No, but I heard his name today, as I told you, when Shuvalov was speaking to Zov. Was he any relation to Danilo Vukcic?' 'His uncle. He owned a de luxe restaurant. This detective, Nero Wolfe, was his friend, and there is reason to believe that he intends to take Vukcic's place and send money and other help to the Spirit of the Black Mountain. In large amounts.' 263 Wolfe grunted. 'Then it did no good to kill Vukcic.' 'I don't agree. We couldn't know that a friend of his would take over so promptly and effectively. But he has. I got the news only today.' 'And now you propose to kill Nero Wolfe.' Stritar snapped, 'I didn't say so.' 'No, but you might as well. I haven't got a quick mind, but it didn't have to be quick for that. I suggested that you might have another mission for Zov in America, and you asked me if I had ever heard of this Nero Wolfe. That's just adding two and two, or rather one and one. So you propose to kill him.' 'What if I do?' 'It may be necessary. I don't know.' 'You told Zov that you disapprove of torture but that violence is often unavoidable, as it was on his mission to New York.' 'That's true. I meant that. But I don't think a man should be killed merely on suspicion. Have you any evidence that this Nero Wolfe will really help your enemies as Vukcic did?' 'I have.' Stritar opened a drawer of his desk and took out a paper. 'Day before 264 yesterday a man in Bari received a telegram from Nero Wolfe which read as follows: 'Inform proper persons across Adriatic I am handling Vukcic's affairs and assuming obligations. Two hundred thousand dollars available soon. Will send agent conference Bari next month.' ' Stritar put the paper back and shut the drawer. 'Is that evidence?'
'It sounds like it. Who is the man in Bari that got the telegram?' 'That's not important. You want to know too much.' 'I don't think so. Comrade Stritar -- if I am to call you Comrade. If I am to trust you on vital matters, as I am prepared to do, you will trust me to some extent. My son and I will have to go through Bari on our way back, to get our papers and effects, and we might possibly encounter him. His name?' Stritar shrugged his bulging shoulders. 'Paolo Telesio.' Wolfe's eyes widened. 'What!' Stritar stared. 'What's the matter?' 'Enough.' Wolfe was grim. 'Paolo Telesio has our papers and belongings. We left them in his care. A man in Philadelphia gave me his name, as one trustworthy and capable, who would arrange for getting us 265 across the Adriatic. And he serves the Spirit of the Black ? No, wait! After all, you have that telegram.' He shook his head. 'No, it is just as well we're going back. Here it's impossible to tell who you're dealing with. My brain is not equipped for it.' 'Not many brains are,' Stritar declared. 'Don't make any assumptions about Telesio. I didn't say he sent me the telegram. You are not to tell him I have seen it. You understand that?' 'Certainly. We're not a pair of fools, though yesterday you called us that. Do you still think so?' 'I think it is possible I was wrong. I agree with you that you can do more good in America than you can here. It is in your favor that you are inclined to be skeptical, as for instance about Nero Wolfe. You asked for evidence that he intends to send major assistance to our subversive underground, and I furnished it. I regard it as conclusive. Do you?' Wolfe hesitated. 'Conclusive is a strong word. But I ? yes. I will say yes.' 'Then he must be dealt with. Will you help?' 'That depends. If you mean will I or my son engage to kill him, no. Killing a man in America is not the same as killing a man 266 here. Circumstances ''S1' ^eloP that would lead us to und^c ''b'1}, won t commit myself, and ^lther w111 he-,, , , 'I didn't ask you to. Iasked lfvou ' ^'P, Peter Zov will need it. The Preparations and arrangements will hw6t0 be made for hlm' and provision for his ^ ^'-ward. You say Philadelphia is nif^ mlles from New York -- that's a hundred andfifty kllometers - and that is well, foi New York would be dangerous for him. T^1 s the klnd of ^P he'll need. Will you gi^'- , ,.?-,. Wolfe considered. 'There s a difficulty. No matter how well itls '-ranged, it s conceivable that Zov willb'-^g1'- If he is' under pressure he mi^ b'^ us, ,?,, 'You saw him undeC Pressure today. Will the American police use Sf^^ Pressure than that?' 'No.' Wolfe looked at 'e- Jlex' lt is suggested that Comr^ zov sha11?0 to America, and we sha^P1'0^, for hls necessities and also help tumwlA thep^p^' rations to kill a man ^med Nero Wolfe. I am willing to undertake ' rf you are. I looked serious. I vtf0'1'1 have given eight thousand cents to be.^e to reply that I had been wanting to ki11 a man 'Bmed Nero Wolfe for years, but I ^asnt sure that Stntar and Zov understood f10 ^S^h. I had to 2t1 skip it. I said earnestly, 'I am willing, Father, to help with anything you approve of.' He looked at Stritar. 'My son says he is willing. We want to leave here as soon as possible. Can you get us to Ban tonight?' 'Yes. But Zov will have to go by another route.' Stritar looked at his watch. 'There is much to arrange.' He raised his voice to call, 'Jin!' The door opened, and one of the clerks came in. Stritar spoke to him. 'Find Trumbic and Levstik and get them here. I'll be busy for an hour or more. No interruptions unless it's urgent.' Zov had his Luger out, rubbing it with his palm. 268 Chapter 15 We got arrested for having no papers after all, and it damn near bollixed everything.
Not in Montenegro. Stritar took no chances on our changing our minds and deciding to go to Belgrade, where we would probably mention the eight thousand dollars and the promise of more to come. He fed us there in his office, on meat and cheese and bread and raisins that he had brought in, and a little after dark took us down to the street himself and put us in a 1953 Ford, a different color from Jube Bilic's. Our destination was Budva, a coast village which Wolfe said was five miles north of the spot where we had been landed by Guido Battista two nights before. During the hour and a half that it took to cover the thirty miles, the driver had no more than a dozen words for Wolfe, and none at all for me. As he delivered us at the edge of a slip and ex269 changed noises with a man waiting there, it started to rain. It rained all the way across the Adriatic, but the boat was a few centuries newer
