it?'
Vandam said: 'Perhaps the plan could be made contingent on his getting through.'
'Yes. Now, you see? This is the kind of thing I mean. If you put up a plan that's full of holes like that, given that your reputation is at a pretty damn low point around here at the moment, well, you'll be laughed out of Cairo. Now.' He coughed. 'You want to encourage Rommel to attack the line at its weakest point-giving him a better chance of getting through! You see?'
'Yes. Some parts of the line are weaker than others, and since Rommel has air reconnaissance there's a chance he'll know which parts.'
'And you want to turn a chance into a certainty.'
'For the sake of the subsequent ambush, yes.'
'Now, it seems to me that we want old Rommel to attack the strongest part of the line, so that he won't get through at all.'
'But if we repel him, he'll just regroup and hit us again. Whereas if we trap him we could finish him off finally.'
'No, no, no. Risky. Risky. This is our last line of defense, laddie.'
Bogge laughed. 'After his, there's nothing but one little canal between him and Cairo. You don't seem to realize-'
'I realize very well, sir. Let me put it this way. One: if Rommel gets through the line he must be diverted to Alam. Halfa by the false prospect of an easy victory. Two: it is preferable that he attack Alam Halfa from the south, because of the quicksand. Three: either we must wait and see which end of the line he attacks, and take the risk that he will go north; or we must encourage him to go south, and take the risk that we will thereby increase his chances of breaking through the line in the first place.'
'Well,' said Bogge, 'now that we've rephrased it, the plan is beginning to make a bit more sense. Now look here: you're going to have to leave it with me for a while. When I've got a moment I'll go through the thing with a fine-toothed comb, and see if I can knock it into shape. Then perhaps we'll put it up to the brass.'
I see, Vandam thought: the object of the exercise is to make it Bogge's plan. Well, what the hell? If Bogge can be bothered to play politics at this stage, good luck to him. Its winning that matters, not getting the credit.
Vandam said: 'Very good, sir. If I might just emphasize the time factor . . . If the plan is to be put into operation, it must be done quickly.'
'I think I'm the best judge of its urgency, Major, don't you?'
'Yes, sir.'
'And, after all, everything depends on catching the damn spy, something at which you have not so far been entirely successful, am I right?'
'Yes, sir.'
'I'll be taking charge of tonight's operation myself, to ensure that there are no further foul-ups. Let me have your proposals this afternoon, and we'll go over them together-' There was a, knock at the door and the brigadier walked in. Vandam and Bogge stood up.
Bogge said: 'Good morning, sir.'
'At ease, gentlemen,' the brigadier said. 'I've been looking for you, Vandam'
Bogge said: 'We were just working on an idea we had for a deception plan--P 'Yes, I saw the memo.'
'Ah, Vandam sent you a copy,' Bogge said. Vandam did not look at Bogge, but he knew the lieutenant colonel was furious with him.
'Yes. indeed,' said the brigadier. He turned to Vandam 'You're supposed to be catching spies, Major, not advising generals on strategy, Perhaps if you spent less time telling us how to win the war you might be a better security officer.'
Vandam's heart sank.
Bogge said: 'I was just saying--~'
The brigadier interrupted him. 'However, since you have done this, and since it's such a splendid plan, I want you to come with me and sell it to Auchinleck. You can spare him, Bogge, can't you?'
'Of course, sir,' Bogge said through clenched teeth.
'All right, Vandam The conference will be starting any minute, Let's go.'
Vandam followed the brigadier out and shut the door very softly on Bogge.
On the day that Wolff was to see Elene again, Major Smith came to the houseboat at lunchtime.
The information he brought with him was the most valuable yet.
Wolff and Sonja went through their now-familiar routine. Wolff felt like an actor in a French farce, who has to hide in the same stage wardrobe night after night. Sonja and Smith, following the script, began on the couch and moved into the bedroom. When Wolff emerged from the cupboard the curtains were closed, and there on the floor were Smith's briefcase, his shoes and his shorts with the key ring poking out of the pocket.
Wolff opened the briefcase and began to read.
Once again Smith had come to the houseboat straight from the morning conference at GHQ at which Auchinleck and his staff discussed Allied strategy and decided what to do.
After a few minutes' reading Wolff realized that what he held in his hand was a complete rundown of the Allies' last ditch defense on the El Alamein Line.
