those Polish groups that conveys to you through the French resistance,

in 1942, that the n.a.z.is are testing remote-controlled rockets near

Peenemnde, in the Baltic.'

'The V-1 rocket.'

'Yes. Anyway, since I am the person liaising between that Polish

resistance group and the Frenchmen who pa.s.s the information on to

you, through the SOE, London, I naturally know about your interest in

the American scientist, John Wilson.'

Feeling his weariness slipping away from him, Bradley leaned

across the table and prompted Pialowicz with, 'Yes?'

'This is where my former mistress, Kryzystina Kozilewski, comes

into the picture,' Pialowicz said, keeping his features carefully

composed to mask any pain he might be feeling. 'When the n.a.z.is

overrun Poland in September 1939, I form a Polish resistance group

and enlist the help of Kryzystina. Kryzystina has had a hard life, is

experienced in the ways of men I say this without rancour and on

behalf of the resistance, uses her charm and experience to gain the trust

of German officers, obtain valuable gossip f'rom them, and pa.s.s the

information on to us.'

'Is that why she's in a concentration camp?'

'I think so, yes,' Pialowicz said.

At that moment, a great armada of Allied aircraft pa.s.sed overhead,

heading for Germany. Pialowicz glanced up at the ceiling of the annex,

then lowered his gaze again.

'Early in 1940 the Germans requisition the boarding house owned

by Kryzystina and send its residents to a concentration camp.

Kryzystina saves herself from this fate by engaging in an affair with the

commander of the troops involved in the requisition: an SS captain

named Ernst Stoll, who is under the command of my worst enemy,

Major Riedel. And it is through her affair with Stoll that Kryzystina

learns about the American, John Wilson.'

The noise of the aircraft pa.s.sing overhead had reached a crescendo

and Pialowicz stopped talking for a moment, waiting for the bombers to pa.s.s on... for the noise to die down. Bradley thought of the ruins of Caen, of all the other ruins he had seen in his journey and shuddered to think of what that mighty armada of bombers would soon do to Germany. The awesome power of modern technology was now ever present... and if Wilson had progressed even further, G.o.d knows what

would be coming.