"Is my personal a.s.sistant," said the Doctor. "She accompanies me at all times."

"Naturlich, " murmured the General. "Gnadiges Fraulein!"

He clicked his heels and bowed and all the colonels and the majors and the captains and the lieutenants did the same.

Ace was quietly seething as she followed the Doctor and the General up the stairs. She knew quite well what they'd all been thinking. If the Doctor, or anyone else for that matter, thought she was going to be relegated to the status of attendant bimbo they had another think coming.

The General led them to a luxurious suite of rooms overlooking the river.

Dismissing his entourage he settled the Doctor and Ace in comfortable armchairs and sat behind an ornate eighteenth-century desk.

"Well, this is quite an honour," he said. "There have been rumours of a distinguished visitor for some time. But I must confess, I didn't expect the Reichsinspektor General."

The Doctor produced another of his sinister smiles. "No one expects the Reichsinspektor General!"

"Oh, quite so, quite so," said the General hurriedly. "One announces a visit, everything is prepared for one's arrival, the administrative dust is swept under the carpet... An unexpected descent on the other hand can usually be relied on to produce a few surprises."

"Like two members of the Freikorps bullying a stall-keeper at the Festival and attempting to extort money," said Ace, doing her best to match the Doctor's sinister manner. "I take it that is not part of their official duties?"

The Doctor put his fingers together and gazed at the decorated ceiling. "Ah yes, thank you for reminding me, Fraulein. The names were Harris and Brady, General, London Unit Four. I sent them back to their units under arrest." He looked severely at the General. "Incidents of this kind may seem trivial, but they help to foment unrest amongst the civilian population - and unrest is the breeding-ground for resistance. It is necessary that those representing the Third Reich conduct themselves with the utmost correctness at all times."

The General made a note. "I will check up on the matter immediately. You will understand, Herr Reichsinspektor. . ."

The Doctor raised a finger and shook his head.

"Herr Doktor, that is," said the General hurriedly. "When one recruits from the native population as we do, it's hard to find the best type of men, particularly in the lower ranks. We have some very fine English officers however..."

"Like Lieutenant Hemmings?" said Ace.

The Doctor raised his hand. "We shall come to Lieutenant Hemmings in a moment. There are far more serious matters to discuss - such as the British resistance movement."

The General smiled confidently, leaning back in his chair. "I don't know what kind of rumours you've been hearing in Berlin, Herr Doktor - but the so-called British resistance movement scarcely exists. A handful of ragged fanatics cowering in the ruins, the tattered remnants of Colonel Gubbins"

stay-behind units . . . Believe me, they are no real problem."

"Indeed?" said the Doctor icily. He leaned forward, staring hard at the General. "Then permit me to inform you, Herr General, that my arrival may have been unexpected to you, but it was by no means a surprise to the British resistance. They were waiting for me - and they tried to kill me a few minutes after I arrived on the Festival site."

"This is shocking - unheard of!" said the General. "The attempt was a failure?"

The Doctor sighed. "Obviously."

"Yes of course, forgive me. May I enquire how you so fortunately escaped?"

"I killed the would-be a.s.sa.s.sin with his own knife and threw the body into the river," said the Doctor casually. "No doubt it will emerge in time."

The General rose and began pacing about the room. "I am shocked, horrified that such a thing could happen in my jurisdiction. I cannot sufficiently apologise - and as for what they will say in Berlin. . . "

"Berlin does not need to know," said the Doctor. "At least, not necessarily."

The General stopped his pacing, a gleam of hope in his eye. "I don't understand, Herr Doktor."

The Doctor said confidentially, "It is my belief that local problems are best solved at the local level. If I send back a report that the Freikorps is out of control and London riddled with resistance activity - well, you can imagine how unfortunate would be the consequences."

"I can indeed," said the General. He shuddered.

"But," said the Doctor meaningfully, "if you and I work together to solve these difficulties . . . If I can soon send back a report that the Freikorps is a model force and that resistance activity has been eliminated . . . How much more uplifting for me, for you, and for our glorious Reich!"

"Indeed yes," said the General. "You are a man of great and n.o.ble understanding, Herr Doktor."

The Doctor looked sternly at him. "However, such a solution will require your fullest, unreserved cooperation, Herr General."

"Anything," said the General. "You have only to ask."

"I shall require papers and pa.s.ses for myself and my a.s.sistant. We must be allowed to go anywhere, to see everything. I shall need research facilities, accommodation, transport. . . "

"Anything," said the General again. "The resources of Occupied Britain are at your command." He picked up his pencil. "In what name should your pa.s.s be made out?"

The Doctor considered. "Schmidt," he said. "Herr Doktor Johann Schmidt."

"And the young lady?"

"Fraulein Dorothy Schmidt - my niece."

"Naturlich, " murmured the General, making a note of the names.

There was a knock on the door.

The General frowned. "I said I was not to be disturbed." He raised his voice. "Who is there?"

"Your pardon, my general," said the voice from outside. "You gave orders that I should report to you immediately on my return."

Ace looked at the Doctor in horror. It was the voice of Lieutenant Hemmings.

5: THE VIP.

Brushing at his uniform and straightening his cap, Lieutenant Hemmings waited with painful apprehension outside the General's door. The General, not for the first time, had issued contradictory orders. He was not to be disturbed and Hemmings was to report at once. d.a.m.ned either way, Hemmings had decided it would be safer to report. He heard a murmur of voices and the General's voice called, "Enter!"

Hemmings strode in the room, crashed to attention - and saw his two escaped prisoners, comfortably ensconced in the General's guest chairs.

"It's them!" he screamed and reached for his gun. He discovered this was a singularly bad move: the polished leather holster at his belt was empty.

Somehow he'd lost his automatic during the prisoners" escape, and in his rush to recapture them he'd neglected to provide himself with another.

"Looking for this?" asked the girl. To Hemmings" horror she drew his Luger from her pocket and covered him with it.

Hemmings crouched, ready to spring. Without taking his eyes from Ace he said, "General, you are in great danger. These people are resistance terrorists, no doubt planning your a.s.sa.s.sination. When I attack the female, I beg you to throw yourself to the floor and summon a.s.sistance."

The man's laugh spoiled the dramatic scene. "All right, we'd better give the Lieutenant his gun back." He took the gun from the girl and tossed it to Hemmings, who caught it neatly - and immediately trained it on the escaped prisoner.

Ignoring him, the man turned to the General. "Permit me to explain. Part of my mission is to check up on the degree of alertness maintained by the Freikorps, on the speed of their response in matters of security. To this end, my a.s.sistant and I entered Occupied Britain unofficially - and without detection. That is why we have no luggage, and are rather strangely dressed, incidentally. On arrival in London, we wandered about the Festival, talking loudly in a treasonous and disrespectful fashion of the Fuehrer and the Reich." He gave Hemmings a sternly reproachful look.

"Only after some considerable time were we apprehended, and then only because of a chance report by a native informer."

The General looked sternly at Hemmings. "Is this true, Lieutenant?"

"It was an informer who summoned us," admitted Hemmings. "As for the rest. . ."

The stranger cut across him. "After we finally succeeded in getting ourselves arrested, I conducted a further test of Freikorps efficiency. We were held in conditions of ludicrously inadequate security, and subjected to a series of inept psychological tricks."

The General frowned. "But why did you not produce your credentials, reveal your true ident.i.ty?"

"For the sake of the test!"

"Yes, of course, of course."

"Besides which, no one so much as asked me my name," continued the stranger. "Moreover, secrecy is the essence of my work. My true name, my official ident.i.ty, my very presence here in Occupied Britain, must be revealed to as few people as possible - and certainly not to low-grade Freikorps interrogators. So, in order to avoid the no doubt about to be forthcoming questioning, I removed myself and my a.s.sistant from the scene."

Hemmings saw the General's face go red. They've done it now, thought Hemmings exultantly. They've finally gone too far. Any minute now the old man will tell me to take them out and shoot them.

"So," said the General chokingly. "You were the escaped prisoners - and you reported yourselves to me!"

"Precisely, General."

To his astonishment, Hemmings saw that the General was actually laughing.

"Herr Doktor, you're a character, you really are!", he spluttered. He looked at the baffled Hemmings and laughed again. "My poor Lieutenant, if you could see your face!"

"The situation may have its humorous aspect," said the stranger drily.

"However, the need for secrecy is real and absolute. You remember our earlier discussions, General, the question of my report. . . "

The General sobered at once. "Indeed yes."

"If I may make a suggestion?"

"Please do, Herr Doktor."

"It has already been necessary to reveal something of my ident.i.ty and my mission to this young officer. May I suggest that he be attached to my staff?

I shall need an aide, and this would remove the need for informing others."

"An excellent idea, Herr Doktor. Lieutenant Hemmings!"

Hemmings crashed to attention. "My General?"

"This gentleman, who will be known to you only as the Herr Doktor, is a high official of the Reich on a vital and top secret mission. You will be attached to him as his personal aide and you will see that he has anything he needs. Do you understand?"

"At your orders, Herr General."

"I may add," said the General, "that if it were not for the Herr Doktor's request for your services, you might now be facing an SS court martial for incompetence and loss of military property."

Hemmings looked at the automatic in his hand and hastily put it away. "I am most grateful for your forbearance, Herr General, and deeply sensible of the honour of the post with which you entrust me."

The General turned back to the Doctor. "What are your immediate needs, Herr Doktor?"

The Doctor waved a careless hand. "Suitable accommodation for myself and my a.s.sistant, food, clothing . . . We can discuss research facilities later."

"See to it, Lieutenant," barked the General. "One of the river suites should be acceptable."

"They are all occupied, General."

"Then evict someone."

"At your orders, my General."

Seething with suppressed rage, Hemmings saw the General turn ingratiatingly to the Doctor. "May I hope for your company at dinner, Herr Doktor?"

"I fear not. I shall begin work at once, and the less we are seen together the better. A little something in my room, perhaps, my needs are simple. . .

"Arrange it at once, Lieutenant," ordered the General. "And the other matters as well. The Herr Doktor is to have everything he wants, do you understand?"

"At your orders, my General." Hemmings saluted and marched away to begin his new career as the Doctor's dogsbody.

As he strode down the corridor, his mind was in a ferment of speculation.

How had the Doctor managed to win over Stra.s.ser so completely? Could he really be a high official of the Reich? Hemmings shook his head. The Doctor was somebody all right, a highly intelligent and formidable personality to be sure. But a top-ranking n.a.z.i? Never! He was a fake - and given time, Hemmings knew he could prove it. Perhaps things hadn't turned out so badly after all.

After politely evicting an astonished and indignant SS Colonel from his suite, Hemmings made his way to the kitchens and ordered the finest cold collation the hotel could provide. And, he thought, I only hope the little b.a.s.t.a.r.d chokes.

"More champagne, Ace? Or would you care for a little more caviar?"

Ace gave him a brooding look. "I suppose a c.o.ke and a hamburger is out of the question?"

They were sitting at a table by the window in their riverside suite. Beside the table was a trolley laden with delicacies of every kind. Smoked salmon, caviar, roast chicken, roast beef, roast pork, a variety of salads, three kinds of wine not including the champagne. Not to mention a selection of mega-fattening puddings and a jug of cream. All this had been produced by the Doctor's request for "a simple cold snack". It had been impossible to turn it down, and it had been quite a job getting rid of the waiter.

The Doctor spread a little more caviar on his toast. "I'm afraid it wouldn't fit the dignity of the Reich," he said, in answer to her question. "Make the most of it, Ace."

"Now look here," began Ace.

The Doctor shook his head. He put a finger to his lips, then to his ear, then pointed upwards.