guttural German had been doing things to his vocal cords and his new accent was a less demanding but equally less convincing Irish brogue.
'Bejasus it will be nobody's fault but your own if we have to shoot the poor innocent creature Irmgard Mueller herself before eight in the morning if the wee babies are not returned to their mam, look you.'
'What?' said the Superintendent baffled by this new threat.
'I wouldn't want to be repeating meself for the likes of reactionary pigs like yourself but if you're deaf I'll say it again.'
'Don't,' said the Superintendent firmly, 'We got the message first time.'
'Well I'll be hoping those Zionist spalpeens will have got the message too begorrah.'
A muffled flow of Spanish seemed to indicate that Chinanda had heard.
'Well then that'll be all. I wouldn't want to be running up too big a telephone bill now would I?' And Wilt slammed the phone down. It was left to the Superintendent to interpret this ultimatum to Chinanda as best he could, a difficult process made almost impossible by the terrorist's insistence that the People's Alternative Army was a gang of fascist police pigs under the Superintendent's command.
'We know you British use psychological warfare. You are experts,' he shouted, 'we are not to be so easily deceived.'
'But I assure you, Miguel...'
'Don't try bluffing me by calling me Miguel so I think you are my friend. We understand your tactics. First you threaten and then you keep us talking...'
'Well as a matter of fact I'm not keeping...'
'Shut your mouth, pig. I'm doing the talking now.'
'That's all I was going to say,' protested the Superintendent. 'But I want you to know there are no police...'
'Bullshit. You tried to trap us and now you threaten to kill Gudrun. Right, we do not respond to your threats. You kill Gudrun, we kill the hostages.'
'I'm not in a position to stop whoever is holding Fraulein Schautz...'
'You keep trying the bluff but it doesn't work. We know how clever you British imperialists are.' And Chinanda too slammed the phone down.
'I must say he seems to have a rather higher opinion of the British Empire than I have,' said the Major. 'I mean I can't actually see where we've got one, unless you count Gibraltar.'
But the Superintendent was in no mood to discuss the extent of the Empire. 'There's something demented about this bloody siege,' he muttered. 'First we need to get a separate telephone link through to the lunatics in that top flat. That's number one priority. If they shoot...What on earth did he call the Schautz woman, sergeant?'
'I think the expression was 'the poor innocent creature Irmgard Mueller',' sir? Do you want me to play the tape back?'
'No,' said the Superintendent, 'we'll wait for the analysts. In the meantime request use of helicopter to drop a field telephone on to the balcony of the flat. That way we'll at least get some idea who's up there.'
'Field telephone incorporating TV camera, sir?' asked the sergeant.
The Superintendent nodded. 'Second priority is to move the listening devices into position.'
'Can't do that until it gets dark,' said the Major. 'Not having my chaps shot down unless they're allowed to shoot back.'
'Well, we'll just have to wait,' said the Superintendent. 'That's always the way with these beastly sieges. Just a question of sitting and waiting. Though I must say this is the first time I've had to deal with two lots of terrorists at once.'
