Some twenty minutes later the truck pulled off to the right on to a B-road and, a couple of kilometres further on, left on to a still more minor road. It stopped at a building which appeared to be fronted by a brightly-lit porch.

'Journey's end,' Agnelli said. 'Our headquarters - well, one of them - and our overnight stop. I think you'll be quite comfortable here.' 'A windmill,' van Effen said.

'You seem surprised,' Agnelli said. 'Hardly uncommon in these par-ts. Disused but still functional, which is also not unusual. Large extensions and quite modernized. It has the additional attraction of being a long way from anywhere. If you look to this side you'll see the place of concealment I promised for the truck. Disused barn.'

'And that other barn-like structure beside it?'

'State secret.'

'Helicopter.'

Agnelli laughed in the darkness. 'End of state secret. Obvious, I suppose, since we told people that we had taken aerial photographs of those rather stirring scenes north of Alkmaar on the Noord Holland ca.n.a.l.' 'So you're now the happy owner of both army and air-force property?' 'No. Not air force. Indistinguishable, though. A lick of paint here, a lick of paint there, some carefully selected registration numbers - but it's unimportant. Let's go inside and see what we can find in the way of old Dutch cheer and hospitality.' Now that he had, as he thought, completed his mission with a hundred per cent degree of success he was positively radiating a genial cordiality. It could well, van Effen thought, represent his true nature: nature had not designed him for the cut and thrust, riposte and parry that he had been through that afternoon. 'Not for me,'George said. 'I'm a businessman and a businessman always likes to -'

'If you're referring to payment, George, I can a.s.sure you 'Payment? I'm not referring to payment.' George sounded pained. 'I'm referring to standard business practices. Lieutenant, is there an overhead light? Thank you.' George produced a sheaf of papers from an inside pocket and handed them to Agnelli. 'Inventory of goods. You have to sign the receipt but not until I have checked the conditions of all the items - you will understand that I had no time to do so this morning - and see how they survived the transport. Standard business ethics. 'No one seemed to find it peculiar that George should use the word 'ethics' in connection with stolen goods. 'But some of that hospitality wouldn't come amiss. Beer for me?' 'Of course,' Agnelli said, then added delicately: 'Would you be requiring any help?'

'Not really. But it is customary for a purchaser or purchaser's agent to be present. I would suggest Mr O'Brien. Electronics experts are accustomed to small fiddly things and detonators are small fiddly things. A carelessly dropped detonator, Mr Agnelli, and there wouldn't be a great deal left of your windmill. There wouldn't be a great deal left of the people inside it, either.'

Agnelli nodded his satisfaction and led the way to the porch that had been added to the windmill. A tall, shock-haired and unshaven youth whose most notable facial characteristic was the negligible clearance between eyebrows and hairline, moved to bar their entrance. A machine-pistol was held loosely in his right hand.

'One side, Willi. 'Agnelli's voice was sharp. 'It's me.' 'I can see that,' Willi scowled - it was the kind of face that wasn't built for much else - and stared truculently at van Effen. 'Who's he?' 'Hospitality,'van Effen said. 'Our genial host, no doubt. G.o.d help us. Is this the kind of hired help you have around here?' Willi took a threatening step forward, lifting his gun as he did so, then subsided gently to the ground, clutching his midriff as he did so: the blow he had received there had been no friendly tap. Van Effen took his gun, removed the magazine and dropped the gun on top of the wheezing Willi. Van Effen stared at Agnelli, his expression a nice mix of consternation and disbelief

'Frankly, I'm appalled. I don't like this one little bit. Is this -I mean, is he typical - you have r.e.t.a.r.ded morons like this on your team? People who are going to hold - no, people who are holding nations to ransom having - having - words fail me. Have you never heard of the weakest link in the chain?'

'My own sentiments exactly,'Riordan said gravely. 'You will remember, Romero, that I expressed my reservations about this fellow. Even as a guard, the only possible function he could serve, his limitations have been cruelly exposed.'

'I agree, Mr Riordan, I agree.' It would have been untrue to say that Agnelli was discomfited, but his ebullience was in temporary abeyance. 'Willi is a disappointment. He shall have to go. I Willi had now slipped over on to his side. He was conscious enough, propped on one shaky elbow and grimacing with pain. Van Effen looked over his all but p.r.o.ne form to the opened doorway beyond. His sister was there, Annemarie by her side, Samuelson just behind them. The expression on both girls' faces were markedly similar - slightly wide-eyed, slightly shocked, totally uncomprehending. Van Effen let his eyes rest on them for a brief moment then looked indifferently away.

'Have to go, Mr Agnelli? Have to go? If he goes, I go. Can't you see that you're stuck with him, want it or not. Stuck with him either above ground or below. Let him go and the first thing he'll do is talk his head off to the first policeman he meets. No drastic methods, preferably, but his silence must be a.s.sured. I hope the rest of your Praetorian guard is a cut above this character.'

'The rest of the Praetorian guard, as you call them, are more than a cut above this unfortunate.' Samuelson, rubicund, smiling and looking even more prosperous than the previous evening, had gently pushed the girls apart and stepped out on to the stoop. He smelt of some very expensive after-shave lotion. Rubbing his chin with an immaculately manicured hand, he peered down at Willi then looked up at van Effen. 'You do have a direct way with you, my friend. At the same time one must admit that you come to some remarkably quick conclusions in a commendably short time. I must confess that I have occasionally felt tempted to do just what you have done, but, well, explosive violence of that kind is not my forte. Ah, yes, I saw it all. Very economical, very.' He extended a hand. 'Samuelson.'

'Danilov.' Judging from both his bearing and his speech, van Effen was in no doubt that he was in the presence of the man who mattered. His speech. Samuelson had said so few words the previous evening that his country of origin had remained uncertain. De Graaf had thought him Irish-American. De Graaf, van Effen thought, had been wrong. This man was English-American. Perhaps even an Englishman who had spent just long enough in the United States to pick up a slight American over-tone. Van Effen gestured to the fallen man. 'Sorry about this, Mr Samuelson. One does not usually treat a host's staff in -so summary a fashion. On the other hand you must admit that it's not the average guest who finds himself confronted with a sub-machine gun.'

'A well-taken point, Mr Danilov.' Like Agnelli, Samuelson seemed much given to warm and friendly smiles. 'A breach of hospitality. It will be the last - as you yourself have personally a.s.sured. All is well, Romero? 'Perfect, Mr Samuelson. Everything there, everything in order. Exactly as Mr Danilov guaranteed.'

'Splendid. Mr Danilov does have a certain aura of competence about him. Come in, come in. Wretched evening. Absolutely wretched.' That, thought van Effen, made him English for sure. 'And good evening to you, Captain. I understood you were a lieutenant.'

'A very very recent captain,' Vasco said hoa.r.s.ely. 'Sorry about this throat.'

'Dear me, dear me.' Samuelson sounded genuinely concerned. 'A hot toddy, and at once.' Samuelson did not seem to find it at all amiss that a regular army captain should be in their company: but a man with so smoothly unlined a face could take many things in his stride without registering reactions of any kind. 'Let me introduce our two charming guests. Miss Meijer, Miss van Effen.'

Van Effen bowed briefly. 'Those are the two who figured so prominently in the headlines this morning? Their photographs didn't do them justice.' Agnelli said: 'Mr Danilov and his friends were rather concerned about their well-being, Mr Samuelson.'

'Ah, yes. Compatriots, of course. No need, no need. As you can see, both in excellent health.'

There were five other people in the room, all men. Two were earnest looking, intellectual looking youths cast in the mould of Joachim and Joop. The other three were older, bigger and a great deal tougher looking, although that didn't mean that they were in any way more dangerous: apart from the fact that they lacked sungla.s.ses they looked uncommonly like the Secret Service men who guard an American president. There was nothing criminal in their appearances. Samuelson didn't see fit to introduce them: as a result, indeed, of some signal that van Effen had not seen they all quietly left the room.

'Well, now.' Van Effen looked at Samuelson, Agnelli and Riordan in turn. 'I don't know which of you I should address. It doesn't matter. We have delivered the material - one of our number is at present checking the explosives and armaments to see that they are in the best possible working order. We understood that some call might be made on our services - our expertise, if one might put it that way. If you don't require us, there's no point in our remaining. We have no wish to impose ourselves on anybody.' Samuelson smiled. 'You would rather go?'

Van Effen smiled in turn. 'I think you are perfectly well aware that we would rather stay. I'm as curious as the next man. Besides, it would be most interesting to know what is going to happen without having to wait to read about it in the newspapers.'

'Stay you shall,' Samuelson said. 'We will probably have need of your expertise. We do, in fact, have plans for you. But first, perhaps, a soupcion of borreltje. 5 p.m., and 5 p.m., I understand, is the prescribed hour. Leonardo' - this to Agnelli's brother who had just entered with Daniken -'be so kind as to have some hot water brought from the kitchen.' This, van Effen felt certain, made Samuelson the man who called the tune. 'And some honey. We must do something about this fearful cold the Captain has. Come. Join me.'

A log fire burnt in an open hearth built into the window less back wall. Adjoining this was a circular oaken bar, small but quite splendidly stocked. Samuelson moved behind this as Riordan said: 'You will, of course, excuse me.'

'Of course, James, of course,' Samuelson said. Van Effen felt faintly surprised. Riordan didn't look like a man who had a first name. Riordan nodded to the company and mounted a circular stairway. Van Effen said: 'Mr Riordan doesn't approve of our heathenish practice of having a borreltie at this hour?'

'Mr Riordan doesn't disapprove. He doesn't drink himself, nor does he smoke, but he doesn't disapprove. I may as well tell you - for you will find out anyway and I don't wish to cause anybody any embarra.s.sment - that Mr Riordan regularly goes upstairs at this hour for prayer and meditation. He does this several times a day and one cannot but respect a man with such deeply-held beliefs. He is very devout - and is, in fact, an ordained minister of the church.'

'You surprise me,' van Effen said. He thought briefly. 'No, on second thoughts you don't surprise me. It seems very much in character. For such a devout character, I must say, the Reverend has certainly let loose a storm of cats in the dovecotes of Europe today.'

'You must not think ill of Riordan, nor underestimate him.' Samuelson spoke very seriously. 'He is an evangelist, a missionary fired by a burning zeal. He is genuinely appalled by what is happening in Northern Ireland and believes that if blood must be spilled to bring peace to that troubled land then that's how it will be. In his own words, he's prepared to use the devil's tools to fight the devil.'

'And you support him in all of this?'

'Naturally. Why else should I be here?'

It would have been interesting, van Effen thought, to know just why else he should be there but it seemed hardly the time and place to raise the question. He hoisted himself on a bar stool and looked around. The two girls were in whispered consultation. Agnelli and Daniken had already occupied the two stools at the further end of the bar. Vasco, who had been wandering round looking at the paintings and bra.s.s and copper work on the walls, made his unconcerned way over to the bar and sat down beside Daniken whom he began to engage in hoa.r.s.e conversation.

'Mr Samuelson.' It was Julie. 'I think I'll go to my room. I have a bit of a headache.'

Van Effen remained casually still, drumming his fingers idly on the bar-top, a man perfectly at ease with himself. He was, in fact, very far indeed from being at ease with himself, the last thing that he wanted was that either of the girls should go to their rooms. Samuelson, who had been stooping down behind the bar, came to his unwitting rescue. 'My dear Julie!' If he weren't so certain that he knew what Samuelson would say next, van Effen could have hit him. 'Not to be thought of. Here we have a fine Tio Pepe. Guaranteed cure for any headache. Would you deprive me of your company?'

They would obviously have cheerfully done just that but just as obviously deemed it prudent to do as he told - prisoners tend to do what their gaolers tell them - and came and perched reluctantly by the bar, Julie close to her brother. She glanced at him briefly, a glance which told him quite clearly what she thought of violent characters who spoke off-handedly about sticking undesirable characters under the ground, then looked away. Almost at once she looked back again, fortunately not too quickly: something had just touched her right thigh. She looked at him, frowning slightly, then glanced downwards. Almost at once she turned away and made some confidential remark to Annemarie, just as Samuelson's head cleared the bar again. Magnificent, van Effen thought, she was magnificent, the best in Amsterdam wouldn't be good enough for his sister after this.

She accepted her sherry from Samuelson with a correctly pleasant if somewhat forced smile, delicately sipped her drink, placed it on the bar-top, opened her handbag on her lap and brought out cigarettes and lighter. She was magnificent, van Effen thought. She lit the cigarette, returned the cigarette case but not the lighter to her bag and, while still talking quietly to Annemarie while watching, without seeming to, the men at the bar, dropped her hand till it touched van Effen's. A moment later, the lighter and the folded note, the top of which had been protruding between the fore and middle fingers of van Effen's was safely inside her closed bag. He could have hugged and kissed her and made a mental note to do so at the first available opportunity. In the meantime, he did the next best thing, he downed his borreltie in one gulp. He had never much cared for it but this one tasted as nectar must have done to the G.o.ds. Samuelson, ever the attentive host, hurried across to replenish his gla.s.s and van Effen thanked him courteously. The second borreltie went the same way as the first.

Julie locked the bedroom door behind her, opened her bag and brought out the note which she began to unfold. Annemarie looked at her curiously. 'What have you got there? And why are your hands shaking, Julie?' 'A billet-doux that I have just got from a love-lorn suitor in the bar. Wouldn't your hands shake if you'd just got a billet-doux from a love-lorn suitor in the bar?' She smoothed out the note so that they could both read it together. It had been meticulously typed so obviously it was not a scribbled note put together at the last moment.

'Sony about the appearance and the thick accent,' it said, 'but you will understand that I can't very well go around in my ordinary clothes and using my ordinary voice.

'The dashing young army captain is Vasco. You will understand why he has developed this sore throat. Annemarie might just have been a little startled to hear his normal voice. Agnelli would have been very startled. 'George is with us. Couldn't bring him in athirst because George can't be disguised. Couldn't have you hugging him with feminine shrieks of delight. 'You don't know, us and you don't want to know us. Stay away from us but don't make it too obvious. Distant, remote and extending to us as much courtesy as you would to any other common criminals. 'Don't try to do anything clever. Don't try to do anything. The men, probably, are not dangerous but watch the girls. They're shrewd and have nasty devious feminine minds.

'Destroy this note immediately. I love you both.'

'And signed,' Julie said, 'with his own unmistakable signature.' Her hands still weren't too steady.

'You said he would come,' Annemarie said. Tier voice was like Julie's hands.

'Yes, I did, didn't I? Didn't expect him quite so soon, though. What are we going to do - cry with relief?'

'Certainly not.' Annemarie sniffed. 'He might have spared us the bits about feminine shrieks of delight and shrewd and nasty devious feminine minds.' She watched as Julie ignited the note over a wash-basin and flushed the ashes away. 'So what do we do now?'

'Celebrate.'

'In the bar?'

'Where else?'