Van Heidem said sharply, 'It's preposterous. Absolutely preposterous! You are suggesting that we are detaining people here against their will. I deny that categorically.'
The Minister said uncomfortably,
'We seem to have arrived at an impasse.'
Mr. Aristides said gently,
'It has been an interesting theory. But it is only a theory.' He glanced at his watch. 'You will excuse me, gentlemen, if I suggest that you should leave now. You have a long drive back to the airport, and there will be alarm felt if your plane is overdue.'
Both Leblanc and Jessop realised that it had come now to the showdown. Aristides was exerting all the force of his considerable personality. He was daring these men to oppose his will. If they persisted, it meant that they were willing to come out into the open against him. The Minister, as per his instructions, was anxious to capitulate. The Chief of Police was anxious only to be agreeable to the Minister. The American Ambassador was not satisfied, but he, too, would hesitate for diplomatic reasons to insist. The British Consul would have to fall in with the other two.
The journalists – Aristides considered the journalists – the journalists could be attended to! Their price might come high but he was of the opinion that they could be bought. And if they could not be bought – well, there were other ways.
As for Jessop and Leblanc, they knew. That was clear, but they could not act without authority. His eyes went on and met the eyes of a man as old as himself, cold, legal eyes. This man, he knew, could not be bought. But after all… His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of that cold, clear, far away little voice.
'I am of the opinion,' said the voice, 'that we should not unduly hurry our departure. For there is a case here that it seems to me would bear further enquiry. Grave allegations have been made and should not, I consider, be allowed to drop. In fairness every opportunity should be given to rebut them.'
'The onus of proof,' said Mr. Aristides, 'is on you.' He made a graceful gesture towards the company. 'A preposterous accusation has been made, unsupported by any evidence.'
'Not unsupported.'
Dr. Van Heidem swung round in surprise. One of the Moroccan servants had stepped forward. He was a fine figure of a man in white embroidered robes with a white turban surrounding his head, his face gleamed black and oily.
What caused the entire company to gaze at him in speechless astonishment was the fact that from his full rather Negroid lips a voice of purely trans-Atlantic origin was proceeding.
'Not unsupported,' that voice said, 'you can take my evidence here and now. These gentlemen have denied that Andrew Peters, Torquil Ericsson, Mr. and Mrs. Betterton and Dr. Louis Barron are here. That's false. They're all here – and I speak for them.' He took a step forward towards the American Ambassador. 'You may find me a bit difficult to recognise at the moment. Sir,' he said, 'but I am Andrew Peters.'
A very faint, sibilant hiss issued from Aristides' lips; then he settled back in his chair, his face impassive once more.
'There's a whole crowd of people hidden away here,' said Peters. 'There's Schwartz of Munich; there's Helga Needheim; there are Jeffreys and Davidson, the English scientists; there's Paul Wade from the U.S.A.; there are the Italians, Ricochetti and Bianco; there's Murchison. They're all right here in this building. There's a system of closing bulkheads that's quite impossible to detect by the naked eye. There's a whole network of secret laboratories cut right down into the rock.'
'God bless my soul,' ejaculated the American Ambassador. He looked searchingly at the dignified African figure, and then he began to laugh. 'I wouldn't say I'd recognise you even now,' he said.
'That's the injection of paraffin in the lips, sir, to say nothing of black pigment.'
'If you're Peters, what's the number you go under in the F.B.I.?'
'813471, sir.'
'Right,' said the Ambassador, 'and the initials of your other name?'
'B.A.B.D.G., sir.'
The Ambassador nodded.
'This man is Peters,' he said. He looked towards the Minister.
The Minister hesitated, then cleared his throat.
'You claim,' he demanded of Peters, 'that people are being detained here against their will?'
'Some are here willingly, Excellence, and some are not.'
'In that case,' said the Minister, 'statements must be taken – er – yes, yes, statements must certainly be taken.'
He looked at the Prefect of Police. The latter stepped forward.
'Just a moment, please.' Mr. Aristides raised a hand. 'It would seem,' he said, in a gentle, precise voice, 'that my confidence here has been greatly abused.' His cold glance went from Van Heidem to the Director and there was implacable command in it. 'As to what you have permitted yourselves to do, gentlemen, in your enthusiasm for science, I am not as yet quite clear. My endowment of this place was purely in the interests of research. I have taken no part in the practical application of its policy. I would advise you, Monsieur le Directeur, if this accusation is borne out by facts, to produce immediately those people who are suspected of being detained here unlawfully.'
'But, Monsieur, it is impossible. I – it will be -'
'Any experiment of that kind,' said Mr. Aristides, 'is at an end.' His calm, financier's gaze swept over his guests. 'I need hardly assure you, Messieurs,' he said, 'that if anything illegal is going on here, it has been no concern of mine.'
It was an order, and understood as such because of his wealth, because of his power and because of his influence. Mr. Aristides, that world-famous figure, would not be implicated in this affair. Yet, even though he himself escaped unscathed, it was nevertheless defeat. Defeat for his purpose, defeat for that brains pool from which he had hoped to profit so greatly. Mr. Aristides was unperturbed by failure. It had happened to him occasionally in the course of his career. He had always accepted it philosophically and gone on to the next coup.
He made an oriental gesture of his hand.
'I wash my hands of this affair,' he said.
The Prefect of Police bustled forward. He had had his cue now, he knew what his instructions were and he was prepared to go ahead with the full force of his official position.
'I want no obstructions,' he said. 'It is my duty.'
His face very pale, Van Heidem stepped forward.
'If you will come this way,' he said, 'I will show you our reserve accommodation.'
Chapter 21
'Oh, I feel as if I'd woken up out of a nightmare,' sighed Hilary.
She stretched her arms wide above her head. They were sitting on the terrace of the hotel in Tangier. They had arrived there that morning by plane. Hilary went on,
'Did it all happen? It can't have!'
'It happened all right,' said Tom Betterton, 'but I agree with you, Olive, it was a nightmare. Ah well, I'm out of it now.'
Jessop came along the terrace and sat down beside them.
'Where's Andy Peters?' asked Hilary.
'He'll be here presently,' said Jessop. 'He has a bit of business to attend to.'
'So Peters was one of your people,' said Hilary, 'and he did things with phosphorous and a lead cigarette case that squirted radio-active material. I never knew a thing about that.'
'No,' said Jessop, 'you were both very discreet with each other. Strictly speaking, though, he isn't one of my people. He represents the U.S.A. '
'That's what you meant by saying that if I actually reached Tom here, you hoped I should have protection? You meant Andy Peters.'
