Harald held his breath.
Tik turned on the light. Harald was dazzled for a few moments, and could not see anything. When his vision cleared, he peered at the length of grayish film in Tik’s hands. Harald had risked his life for this. Tik held it up to the light. At first Harald could not make out any images, and he thought he would have to do it all again. Then he remembered he was looking at a negative, on which black appeared white and vice versa; and he began to make out the shapes. He saw a reverse image of the large rectangular aerial that had so intrigued him when he first saw it four weeks ago.
He had succeeded.
He looked along the row of images and recognized each one: the rotating base, the clustered cables, the grid taken from several angles, two smaller machines with their tilting aerials, and finally the last picture, a general view of all three structures, taken when he was on the edge of panic. “They came out!” he said triumphantly. “They’re great!”
Tik looked pale. “What are these pictures of?” he said in a frightened voice.
“Some new machinery the Germans have invented for detecting approaching aircraft.”
“I wish I hadn’t asked. Do you realize what the punishment is for what we’re doing?”
“I took the pictures.”
“And I developed the film. God in heaven, I could be hanged.”
“I told you it was this kind of thing.”
“I know, but I didn’t really think it through.”
“I’m sorry.”
Tik rolled the film and put it in its cylindrical container. “Here, take it,” he said. “I’m going back to bed to forget that this ever happened.”
Harald put the canister in his trousers pocket.
Then they heard voices.
Tik groaned.
Harald froze, listening. At first he could not make out the words, but he felt sure the sounds came from within the building, not outside. Then he heard the distinctive voice of Heis say, “There doesn’t seem to be anyone here.”
The next voice belonged to a boy. “They definitely came this way, sir.”
Harald frowned at Tik. “Who. .?”
Tik whispered, “It sounds like Woldemar Borr.”
“Of course,” Harald groaned. Borr was the school Nazi. It must have been he who saw them from the window. What bad luck-any other boy would have kept his mouth shut.
Then there was a third voice. “Look, there’s a broken pane in this window.” It was Mr. Moller. “This must be how they got in-whoever they are.”
“I’m sure Harald Olufsen was one of them, sir,” said Borr. He sounded pleased with himself.
Harald said to Tik, “Let’s get out of this darkroom. Maybe we can prevent their learning that we’ve been doing photography.” He flicked off the light, turned the key in the lock, and opened the door.
All the lights were on, and Heis was standing right outside.
“Oh, shit,” said Harald.
Heis was wearing a shirt without a collar: he had obviously been on his way to bed. He looked down his long nose. “So it is you, Olufsen.”
“Yes, sir.”
Borr and Mr. Moller appeared behind Heis.
“You’re no longer a pupil at this school, you know,” Heis went on. “It’s my duty to call the police and have you arrested for burglary.”
Harald suffered a moment of panic. If the police found the film in his pocket, he would be finished.
“And Duchwitz is with you-I might have known,” Heis added, seeing Tik behind Harald. “But what on earth are you doing?”
Harald had to persuade Heis not to call the police-but he could not explain in front of Borr. He said, “Sir, if I could speak to you alone?”
Heis hesitated.
Harald decided that if Heis refused, and called the police, he would not surrender gracefully. He would make a run for it. But how far would he get? “Please, sir,” he said. “Give me a chance to explain.”
“Very well,” Heis said reluctantly. “Borr, go back to bed. And you, Duchwitz. Mr. Moller, perhaps you’d better see them to their rooms.” They all departed.
Heis walked into the chemistry lab, sat on a stool, and took out his pipe. “All right, Olufsen,” he said. “What is it this time?”
Harald wondered what to say. He could not think of a plausible lie, but he feared the truth would be more incredible than anything he might invent. In the end he simply took the little cylinder out of his pocket and gave it to Heis.
Heis took out the roll of film and held it up to the light. “This looks like some kind of newfangled radio installation,” he said. “Is it military?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you know what it does?”
“It tracks aircraft by radio beams, I think.”
“So that’s how they’re doing it. The Luftwaffe claim they’ve been shooting down RAF bombers like flies. This explains it.”
“I believe they track the bomber and the fighter that has been sent to intercept it, so that the controller can direct the fighter precisely.”
Heis looked over his glasses. “My God. Do you realize how important this is?”
“I think so.”
“There’s only one way the British can help the Russians, and that’s by forcing Hitler to bring aircraft back from the Russian front to defend Germany from air raids.”
Heis was ex-army, and military thinking came naturally to him. Harald said, “I’m not sure I see what you’re getting at.”
“Well, the strategy won’t work while the Germans can shoot bombers down easily. But if the British find out how it’s done, they can devise countermeasures.” Heis looked around. “There must be an almanac here somewhere.”
Harald did not see why he needed an almanac, but he knew where it was. “In the physics office.”
“Go and get it.” Heis put the film down on the laboratory bench and lit his pipe while Harald stepped into the next room, found the almanac on the bookshelf, and brought it back. Heis flipped through the pages. “The next full moon is on the eighth of July. I’d bet there will be a big bombing raid that night. It’s twelve days away. Can you get this film to England by then?”
“It’s someone else’s job.”
“Good luck to him. Olufsen, do you know how much danger you’re in?”
“Yes.”
“The penalty for spying is death.”
“I know.”
“You always had guts, I’ll give you that.” He handed back the film. “Is there anything you need? Food, money, petrol?”
“No, thanks.”
Heis stood up. “I’ll see you off the premises.”
They went out by the main door. The night air cooled the perspiration on Harald’s forehead. They walked side by side along the road to the gate. “I don’t know what I’m going to tell Moller,” said Heis.
“If I might make a suggestion?”
“By all means.”
“You could say we were developing dirty pictures.”
“Good idea. They’ll all believe that.”
