do? ‘There are forest-tracks, are there, Mr Levin?’ All he could do was play for time. ‘And no Fusilier picquets guarding them, I take it?’ But, even as he spoke, the truth of what he was saying soured the words in his mouth: who better than the RSM, in his unique controlling position between the officers and the men, to know everything, and to order everything as he wished in seeming to carry out the orders of the adjutant and the commanding officer?
Christ! And, of course, to betray everything, being above suspicion himself!
‘As you say, Major Fattorini, sir.’ Levin saw through his ploy and shifted his attention to the two Germans, while carefully stepping back to distance himself from Fred, and even more from the temporarily silenced Audley, whose fuse was still more dangerously short, in spite of that recent warning. ‘Listen to me, you two –
right?’
That was curious, thought Fred with a detachment of his own which was also curious: in contrast to his deference to his officers, who were now his enemies to be shot down like dogs at need, the RSM’s attitude to these Germans, who were his prize, was uncompromisingly harsh.
‘In a little while, you-will-be-coming-with me – do-you-understand?’ Levin spaced his words, as though he was addressing British Army recruits of limited dummy4
intelligence.
Number 16 drew himself up. ‘And if we do not choose to come with you?’
‘Then I’ll shoot you where you stand.’ The RSM
pronounced this threatened sentence-of-death almost with relish. ‘Don’t you make any mistake about that.’
‘I make no mistake. But your Russian masters would not like us dead, I think – yes?’ Number 16 didn’t look at Fred, but he was playing the same delaying game now, hope against despair.
‘My Russian – ?’ The RSM stopped suddenly. And then he nodded towards what had been Major Amos de Souza without taking Fred or David Audley out of his reckoning. ‘You see that, do you?’
‘I see a dead man – ’ The German’s chin came up ‘ – I see a brave man – yes?’
‘Aye. And a good one, too.’ Levin matched the German’s measured insult with cold malevolence.
‘Worth ten of you, you bugger. So don’t bandy words with me.’
‘ Heinrich –’
‘Hush, Ernst!’ Number 16 cut off Zeitzler. ‘You have made yourself very plain, sir. But I also wish to make myself plain. For I wish to speak with my friend. And I do not think you will prevent me doing so.’
‘No?’ Levin had moved as the German spoke, circling dummy4
cautiously to keep everyone in view as best he could while also flicking a quick glance at the woods across the meadow.
‘No. For I do not think your Russian masters have paid you for a dead man. But I am not yet sure that I wish to be bought, you see.’
‘No?’ Levin’s lips compressed into a thin line, with a fleck of white at one corner. Without looking down, he kicked de Souza’s fallen pistol further away. Then he drew a deep breath, and glanced towards the woods again. ‘No?’
He was expecting company, thought Fred despairingly, And . . . there were no Fusilier picquets in those woods, of course!
Number 16 nodded. ‘So ... I will talk with my friend.
For, believe me or not as you will . . . I will decide what I shall do – not you – and not your masters ... do you understand?’
For a sick fraction of time Fred thought Levin was going to make good his threat, and tensed himself to attempt the impossible. But then the long black silenced barrel came round to cover him.
‘ Don’t make me do it, sir!’ The barrel passed him, to point at Audley. ‘Steady, Mr Audley – Captain Audley
– ’ There was something close to contempt in the RSM’s warning ‘ – you were going to be the example, dummy4
not the major, Mr Audley ... so you’re already on borrowed time, Mister Audley – ’
‘ David!’ Fred held the boy back. ‘Mr Levin – ’
‘That’s enough, sir.’ Levin looked at Number 16
quickly. ‘Very well, then! If you want to talk to your friend ... it won’t make no difference. But you talk in English to him – right? And you remember ... if I can’t have you alive, then I’ll have you dead – right?’ The long black barrel jerked slightly. ‘Go on, then – talk, then!’
‘ Heinrich –’
Fred fought the lethargy of helplessness and hopelessness: Number 16 had to give in . . . and once he had done that, when Mr Levin’s friends had arrived, then Major Fattorini and Captain Audley were surplus to requirements – useless even as hostages, after de Sauza’s death – ?
‘Mr Levin!’ He felt life within him fight against logic: in killing de Souza, Levin had burnt his boats, and there was no deal left to him. But he had to fight against logic. But how?
‘Steady, sir.’ Levin didn’t even look at him: Levin knew the score just as well as he did.
‘Mr Levin . . . this doesn’t make sense – ’ His tongue was thick in his mouth, hindering the words.
‘No, sir.’ Still Levin didn’t look at him. ‘I don’t dummy4
suppose it does, to you, sir. And I am sorry for that, believe me, sir. But that’s the way of it.’
The man’s politeness clogged his brain. And, more than such insane politeness, there was bitterness and regret and loss; and he wanted to use them all to save himself, but he didn’t know how to do it because he didn’t understand what was happening to him. ‘Mr Levin . . . why, Mr Levin – ?’
‘Sah!’ For an instant Levin became his old self again.
‘ Sah –’
‘ Heinrich – now there is no choice, truly! We must go with him – ’ He heard Zeitzler argue common sense and survival in the distance –
‘Mr Levin – ’ Fred tried to receive different messages simultaneously ‘ – what – ’
‘This is not how I wished it to be, sah – ’
‘There is always a choice, Ernst. Do you not remember
–’
‘It was Mr Audley who was to be the example, sah –
not the major – ’ Levin drew a huge breath ‘ – never the major – ’ The long silenced barrel swung slightly, and then steadied on the young dragoon beside Fred, who stood swaying and twitching, almost beyond reason and sense, waiting to be loosed.
‘But, Ernst-’
‘Steady, David!’ Survival was what mattered now!
dummy4
‘You are taking us prisoner now, are you, Mr Levin?’
Another deep breath. ‘If I can, then I will.’ Levin took in the woods again, almost desperately. ‘Because there is a message I wish Colonel Colbourne to receive ... if you would be so good as to deliver it ... sah – ?’
‘Yes, Mr Levin – ?’ Fred steadied the question, so as not to grasp at his own life too humiliatingly, even as he welcomed it and despised himself for his cowardice.
‘What is your message?’
‘ Heinrich – ’ Suddenly Zeitzler leaped into incomprehensible German.
‘ In English, you bugger!’ Levin snarled the order.‘
What was that– ?’
For a moment they were inside a huge silence. ‘Do you promise my friend’s life? And the lives of these British officers?’ Number 16 issued his demand in a flat and uncompromising voice, almost arrogantly.