'No code.'
'What was in that book?'
Wolff looked angry. 'A code,' he said. 'But you can't have it.'
'We need it.'
'I can't give it to you,' Wolff said. 'You'll have to take your chance, and broadcast in clear.'
Kernel nodded.
Suddenly Wolff's knife was in his hand. 'Don't argue,' he said. 'I know you've got a gun in your pocket. Remember, if you shoot, you'll have to explain the bullet to the British. You'd better go now.'
Kemel turned, without speaking, and went up the ladder and through the hatch. Elene heard his footsteps above. Wolff went to the porthole and watched him walk away along the towpath.
Wolff put his knife away and buttoned his shirt over the sheath. He put on his shoes and laced them tightly. He got the book from the next room, extracted from it the sheet of paper bearing the key to the code, crumpled the paper, dropped it into a large glass ashtray, took a box of matches from a kitchen drawer and set fire to the paper.
He must have another key with the other radio, Elene thought. Wolff watched the flames to make sure the paper was entirely burned, He looked at the book, as if contemplating burning that too, then he opened a porthole and dropped it into the river.
He took a small suitcase from a cupboard and began to pack a few things into it.
'Where are you going?' Elene said.
'You'll find out-you're coming.'
'Oh, no.' What would he do with her? He had caught her deceiving him-had he dreamed up some appropriate punishment? She felt very weary and afraid. Nothing she had done had turned out well. At one time she had been afraid merely that she would have to have sex with him. How much more there was to fear now. She thought of trying again to run away-she had almost made it last time-but she no longer had the spirit.
Wolff continued packing his case. Elene saw some of her own clothes on the floor, and remembered that she had not dressed properly. There were her panties, her stockings and her brassiere. She decided to put them on. She stood up and pulled her dress over her head. She bent down to pick up her underwear. As she stood up Wolff embraced her. He pressed a rough kiss against her lips, not seeming to care that she was completely unresponsive. He reached between her legs and thrust a finger inside her. He withdrew his finger from her vagina and shoved it into her anus. She tensed. He pushed his finger in farther, and she gasped with pain.
He looked into her eyes. 'Do you know, I think I'd take you with me even if I didn't have a use for you.'
She closed her eyes, humiliated. He turned from her abruptly and returned to his packing.
She put on her clothes.
When he was ready, he took a last look around and said: 'Let's go.' Elene followed him up on to the deck, wondering what he planned to do about Sonja.
As if he knew what she was thinking, he said: 'I hate to disturb Sonja's beauty sleep.' He grinned. 'Get moving.'
They walked along the towpath. Why was he leaving Sonja behind? Elene wondered. She could not figure it out, but she knew it was callous. Wolff was a completely unscrupulous man, she decided; and the thought made her shudder, for she was in his power, She wondered whether she could kill him.
He carried his case in his left hand and gripped her arm with his right.
They turned on to the footpath, walked to the street, and went to his car. He unlocked the door on the driver's side and made her climb in over the gear stick to the passenger side. He got in beside her and started the car.
It was a miracle the car was still in one piece after being left on the road all night: normally anything detachable would have been stolen, including wheels. He gets all the luck there is, Elene thought.
They drove away. Elene wondered where they were going. Wherever it was, Wolff's second radio was there, along with another copy of Rebecca and another key to the code. When we get there, I'll have to try again, she thought wearily. It was all up to her now. Wolff had left the houseboat, so there was nothing Vandam could do even after somebody untied him. Elene, on her own, had to try to stop Wolff from contacting Rommel, and if possible steal the key to the code. The idea was ridiculous, shooting for the moon. All she really wanted was to get away from this evil, dangerous man, to go home, to forget about spies and codes and war, to feel safe again. She thought of her father, walking to Jerusalem, and she knew she had to try.
Wolff stopped the car. Elene realized where they were. She said: 'This is Vandam's house!'
'Yes.
She gazed at Wolff, trying to read the expression on his face. She said:
'But Vandam isn't there.'
'No.' Wolff smiled bleakly. 'But Billy is.'
Chapter 24.
Anwar el-Sadat was delighted with the radio.
'It's a Hallicrafter' he told Kernel. 'American.' He plugged it in to test it, and pronounced it very powerful.
Kernel explained that he had to broadcast at midnight on the precise wavelength, and that the call sign was Sphinx. He said that Wolff had refused to give him the code, and that they would have to take the risk of broadcasting in clear.
