'About where?'
'Just about. In general. He seemed to think that anybody who thinks that there really are such things as spies must be mad.'
'Persecution fantasies. I see. Ah.'
A silver tray bearing a pint glass nearly full of not very pellucid beer had been brought to Jagger by a Mess waiter.
'Sorry it's been so long, sir.'
'Better late than never.'
'We had to send up to the other-ranks' canteen for it, you see, sir. We don't get much call for draught beer in the Mess.'
'Well, my lad, I'm probably not going to be here very long, but while I am you're going to get a rare lot of call for it, so you just get hold of the biggest jug you can lay hands on and get it filled and bring it back here and pour me another pint, because I'll be ready for one by the time you've done that, and then find a nice bit of tile or stone to stand the jug on. Okay?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Right, hop it… Mm. Not as bad as it looks, thank Christ. Now, Leonard. Just another point or two, old lad, if I may. You let Best know you were after spies, eh?'
'Well, yes.'
'Quite right, those were your instructions. Tell me, what did you make of it when this colleague fellow said he agreed with you in thinking Best thought you were mad?'
'It increased my suspicions.'
'Your suspicions that he was an enemy agent. Yes. Why?'
'Because it's an obvious defensive technique. If Best could talk another psycho doctor into signing a paper the two of them could have me put away, couldn't they?'
'He'd have his work cut out doing that, I reckon.'
'Not necessarily.' Leonard poured himself another glass of sherry. 'This fellow Dr. Minshull I met when I lunched there seemed at least as cracked as Best himself.'
'And at the same time he tipped you off that Best thought you were cracked. This is getting-'
'No, that was another man. Name of Mann.'
'All right, I've got it now. Best cracked, Minshull cracked, Mann possibly sane. Back to Best just for a moment. This business of him thinking you're cracked and what we make of it. It suggests he's cracked himself, because presumably he has no reason to believe you are cracked. But it also suggests he's an agent, in which case he's only pretending to think you're cracked as a means of getting you out of the way, in which case he's not cracked, he's no worse than cunning. You see the difficulty?'
'I think it's more apparent than real.'
'You do,' said Jagger flatly, and drained his glass. 'I wonder if that lad's back from the canteen yet. Would you be kind enough to give that bell a press, Captain?'
Ross-Donaldson, who had been following the duologue with close attention, did as he was asked.
'Thank you… Now, where were we? Oh yes. Best cracked and Best just dead cunning. You were saying it didn't make much odds which way on it was.'
'Not that exactly. I meant that both could be true. He could genuinely think I was mad and still be trying to protect himself by getting me certified.'
'Mm. I'll have to let that one soak in for a while.'
The door opened and Hunter came in.
'Ah, here's somebody who can tell you a good deal about Best, and from personal contact too,' said Leonard urgently. He had been made more and more uncomfortable by the forensic manner of Jag-ger's questioning, and until this moment had seen no way of diversion.
Introductions were made and Jagger's role described.
'To save Brian embarrassment,' said Hunter, 'let me explain that I got to know Dr. Best during the ten days I spent as an inmate of the alcoholics' ward at his hospital. Which reminds me to get myself a drink without delay. Sergeants and people kept me in my office arguing, or I'd have been here much sooner.'
'A good man, that,' said Leonard. 'I've found him very helpful.'
'He looks in bloody awful shape.'
'Most of us have been up since four-thirty or five. He's been on his feet for God knows how long supervising the search of the camp.'
'No picnic, I agree. Look, Leonard, this place'll be filling up soon, I take it, when the fellows finish their lectures, and it's all a bit grand for me anyhow. Is there a quiet pub round here where we can have a pint and a sandwich and a real chat?'
'The White Hart in the village does quite decent snacks. Shall we ask Max Hunter along? He can tell you about Best, and I need him for my plan for pulling Best in. I still haven't had my authority for that, by the way, but as soon as-'
