The Rainbow Affair - McDaniel David. Страница 9

The small man led the way to the front room, where a small fireplace held ashes reminiscent of the previous evening's chill. Their host indicated two chairs and took a third himself, speaking as he sat.

"I must apologize for all the secrecy," he said. "But this Rainbow business has gotten completely out of hand, and we're officially bound up in red tape. Legally, I can't do a thing to help you, because legally I don't know a bit about what's going on."

"That puts you on a level with us," said Illya. "I must admit to being more than a little confused by all these goings on. The only people who don't act like criminals are Scotland Yard, and they deny everything. Is there anything you can tell us, and if not, what are we doing here?"

Their host laughed delightedly, leaning back in his chair. "Of course, of course," he said. "I imagine this all seems like a game of blind man's bluff by now - well, in a way it is. But I've been wanting to get in touch with you since I heard you were coming over after the Rainbow gang. Something has to be done, and quickly. Scotland Yard won't, and I can't. My people aren't equipped or empowered to work inside the country, except for a few - the couple you just met, for example. Well, not both of them, actually. The man is one of our top professionals; the woman is a talented amateur."

"Amateur what?" asked Napoleon suspiciously.

"Practically everything," said the small man with a chuckle. "She's tried everything else, succeeding superbly at all of it, and now she's taking a shot at the wider reaches of counter-intelligence. But that's not what you're supposed to be interested in. Did you come here to chase girls or Rainbows?"

"Well," said Napoleon uncertainly, but his partner interrupted him.

"We've heard that particular pun three times in the last two days, and it's already getting stale. I don't want to seem impolite, but to be perfectly honest, I'm not at all happy with the way things have been going. If you can help us, we would appreciate it. If you can't, we have better things to do than make conversation."

The smile faded from their host's face during this speech and he nodded. "Sorry. More or less trying to set you at ease before getting into business. All right - we'll omit the social niceties. According to my sources in the Yard, there's a jewel robbery expected in New Bond Street tomorrow night. The site will be staked out, and a full bag of game is confidently expected. I think you might enjoy participating in the haul."

"Knocking over a jewelry store isn't the sort of operation the Rainbow gang usually pulls - they seem to specialize in goods in transit."

"The Rainbow gang is not directly responsible for Britain's entire crime wave - Johnnie seems to be selling advice to anyone who is interested in pulling a large job of any kind. This is one. I have other sources than Scotland Yard."

"What useful purpose would be served by our attending the party?"

"Possibly none," their host admitted. "It is quite possible that warning has leaked back to the gang somehow and there may be nothing happening after all. But you would have an opportunity to talk to the prisoners before the purblind police give them any ideas of what they can hide and get away with. I've talked with some of the old lags after just a few hours of routine interrogation, and they've never heard of a Rainbow by that time. If you were able to confront them with a changed attitude towards him, they might be persuaded to come across with something valuable."

Illya considered this with full suspicion for some time, and then reluctantly admitted the idea's validity. "I presume your contacts in the Yard are sufficiently highly placed that they could fit us into the party without a great deal of fuss and complaint?"

"Certainly. A Chief Inspector vouching for you will serve as a pass to all sorts of social functions."

"I, ah, have a few more questions," Napoleon said hesitantly. "If you don't mind...?"

"Of course not. I never mind being asked questions, if you don't mind them not being answered. Go ahead."

"You are with MI-5, aren't you?"

"Yes - I thought you knew that."

"We'd been told; it's not always the same thing. Are you working under assignment on this, or independently out of pure personal interest?"

"Mostly the latter, I'm afraid. That's why I can't be along with you tomorrow evening. As for your part in it, I may as well tell you I was asked to give you a hand by Alexander Waverly. We worked together during the last war, and earlier. Before Department Zed got him and they set out to invent U.N.C.L.E. Didn't he tell you?"

Illya sighed. "Nobody seems to be telling us anything."

"Oh, now, that's less than polite. Admittedly I have hardly been making a clean breast of my darkest secrets, but I do think some of what I've said may be of some help to you."

"I'm afraid it hasn't really," Napoleon said. "We're not very used to working in total darkness, and we haven't had much else this trip. We don't know who anybody is or which side they're on…"

"There are quite a few more than the usual two sides, which may be confusing matters a little," their host said. "There's Johnnie Rainbow, of course; and there's Thrush, which wants him to join them; and you, who want to stop Thrush but aren't that interested in Rainbow; Scotland Yard, who has little interest in Thrush, and who doesn't believe in Johnnie but wants to stop him anyway; and several individuals who are either being pulled in by Thrush or drawn in by interest in picking off some of the loot the Rainbow gang has in various secure stashes about the country, and of course various arms of the law are following them. In fact, if you traced out everyone who was somehow concerned with this operation of yours, you would end by involving practically every criminal and everyone actively connected with law enforcement from John O'Groats to Lands End. Everyone I can think of off-hand either is personally involved or has a friend or enemy who is, one way or another.

"I would predict that until this business is resolved one way or another, you will continue to encounter people whose concern seems serious if peripheral. Many of them you will find useful; some you will find dangerous. I presume you can utilize the former and avoid the latter."

There was a long pause, broken at last by Illya, who nodded slowly. "I begin to see. Everyone has some portion of the action, but no one besides ourselves is pointed directly at the center - which is to say Johnnie Rainbow. This is why all the fuss and interest around us."

"Precisely. You two are probably – hopefully - the key to the entire complex situation, tugging away at the key stone of the arch which in turn supports the entire pile of masonry."

"It sounds like a dangerous position."

"It is. But if you couldn't take care of yourselves you wouldn't be here." He glanced at the mantle clock and stood suddenly. "Now you must pardon me. You will be picked up tomorrow evening about eleven. Have fun; I wish I could join you."

They were accompanied down the stairs to the ground floor, and even out the door. It was late afternoon, and shadows were lengthening across the park. Their host looked up and down the street. "You didn't drive over? I should have rung for a cab. Ah - never mind. Here comes one now. I always seem to be lucky with taxis; always can find one when I need one. Good afternoon, gentlemen. Been most pleasant talking with you - hope we may get together again."