“You don’t have to understand anything, Captain. Are you familiar with the letter G?” Marandil took one look at the square of silk in the lieutenant’s hand and visibly blanched. “The baron is my responsibility, and he must not concern you. Call your people off, but most importantly – I repeat – stop the police immediately! Should Tangorn fall into their hands rather than mine, it’ll be a catastrophe that will cost us both our heads.”
“But, Lieutenant, sir… He killed four of my people!”
Mongoose shrugged. “He did the right thing. Fools that get into conversations with their targets ought to be killed on the spot. Now: you stop looking for Tangorn and simply wait. It’s not unlikely that he’ll show up soon one way or another…”
“Show up? Is he nuts?”
“Oh no, not at all. However, he’s apparently in a bind, and as far as I understand him, he’s inclined to bet the farm in such situations. Should you learn anything about him, let me know right away: have a Dol Amroth pennant hoisted under the Gondorian flag on the embassy roof, and soon someone will pay you a visit. Thereafter you’ll forget ever hearing the name Tangorn. Understood?”
“Yes, sir! Listen, Lieutenant, we’ve learned that he used to have a broad here…”
“Seven Jasper Street?”
“Ye-e-es…” Marandil drawled in disappointment. “So you know already?”
“Certainly. It looks like he’d spent the night before last there. So?”
“So shouldn’t we shake something out of her?”
Mongoose grimaced tiredly. “What do you expect to shake out of her? What positions they’ve used and how many orgasms she’s had? What else can she tell? Tangorn is not enough of an idiot to talk business with his lover.”
“Still, maybe…”
“Captain, I repeat: forget everything that has anything to do with Tangorn – these are my problems now. Should you meet him in the street, just cross to the other side and then have the Dol Amroth pennant hoisted, all right? By the way, concerning your problems: I understand that you’re now harvesting the old Mordorian network. Forgive my question, but – what for?” “What do you mean – what for?”
“Is it any kind of an obstacle to you? In any event, why have you started grabbing the agents, instead of putting a watch on them to figure out their connections?”
“We were in a hurry, just in case the DSD is double-dealing…”
“DSD?! Was it they who gave you the Mordorian network?”
“Well, yes. A goodwill gesture…”
“Captain! That’s a fairy tale for retarded children! Try thinking this over one more time – why would they make you such a princely gift? What do they want in exchange? Well, whatever, those are your problems, like I said; do what you think best. Goodbye!”
Mongoose headed for the door, but turned around half-way:
“Oh, and one more thing, Captain. In anticipation of your professional enthusiasm…” He hesitated, as if choosing the right words, then put scruples aside: “Anyway: if any of your men comes any closer than three arrow-flights to Jasper Street, I’ll feed you a salad of your own balls. Understand?”
Their eyes met for only a moment, but it was enough for Marandil to comprehend clearly: this one will follow through.
… Mongoose’s foresight came true the very next day. A certain Inspector Vaddari, one of Umbar police operatives, desired an urgent meeting with Marandil downtown. The inspector was not one of those policemen who worked for the Gondorian embassy directly, but was quite aware of all these games: he was an old and experienced detective who knew the seamy underside of life like no one else. He should have made commissar long ago both by seniority and by merit, but had not – and therefore took bribes with no qualms. It should be mentioned that corruption was a hallowed tradition of the Umbar police (both colleagues and honest citizens treated a policeman or a customs officer who would not be bribed with cautious suspicion: “Better not turn your back on this guy”), but unlike some of his coworkers, Vaddari always delivered the services purchased and never blamed circumstances beyond his control.
“Mister Secretary, your people were looking for a certain Tangorn when suddenly the search was called off yesterday. Are you still interested in this man?”
Marandil leaned forward cautiously: “Well… I suppose I am.”
“I’m prepared to tell you exactly where he’s going to be tonight, if we agree on the price.”
“May I ask where the information comes from?”
“You may. He sent me a letter with a meeting proposal.” “And why did you decide to sell out a potential client?”
“I haven’t even considered that. It’s just that he hasn’t listed secrecy as one of the conditions of the meeting, so I’m strictly following the letter of the agreement. If this Tangorn doesn’t foresee such a possibility, then I don’t want to deal with such a fool.”
“Hmm… So how much do you want?”
“Three dungans.”
“What?! Are you freaking nuts, man? Like, totally disconnected from reality?”
“My part is to offer…”
“You should know that I really don’t give a crap about this whole business!”
“Who’re you kidding, buddy? I’m an operative, not a mark! First you turn the city upside down for a day and a half looking for this dude, and then – so sorry, there’s been a mix-up! An idiot would know that there’s some other outfit looking for him now, and the police’s been shunted aside. So I’ll have to figure out myself who these other folks are, while time’s a-wasting!”
“All right – two!”
“I said three and I meant three; I ain’t a peanut seller. Quit haggling already, it’s not like you’re paying with your own money!”
“All right, whatever. Two now and the third when we take him on your info.”
“’Whatever’ is right – I tell you when and where, the rest is your problem. All three right now.”
“What if you’re cheating me?”
“Listen, we’re adults in business, no? I’m not some wino offering you a pirate treasure map for a bottle, am I?”
Having pocketed the coins, Vaddari laid out the set-up:
“Know Castamir Square?”
“The one with a lake in the middle and three canals opening into it?”
“The same. The lake is round, a hundred fifty yards across; the canals open into it a hundred twenty degrees apart – counting from the rostral columns, at twelve, four, and eight o’clock. The embankment isn’t unbroken – there are stairways down to the waterline, two between each pair of canals, that makes six. Seven in the evening I must be at the stairs to the right of the eight o’clock canal, dressed in a scarlet cape and a hat with black plumage. A water taxi will arrive by one of the canals; the gondolier will let me board after seeing those signs and will then follow my directions. I’m supposed to cruise from stair to stair, not one after the other, but rather crossing the lake: seven o’clock, eleven, three, and so on. Get it?”
“Yes, quite.”
“There’s almost no traffic on the lake at that time of day; if any other gondolas show up, I’m supposed to park and wait until they leave. Tangorn will come down one of the stairs once
