present from there, have we not, comrades?’
‘Ha, ha,’ replied the comrades, while the Professor sweated with apprehension, ‘indeed we have.’
‘And here it is, Ivan Petrovitch,’ cried the first man, rising from the box on which he had been sitting and opening the lid. ‘Vodka, little brother! This will make you feel at home, I believe, comrade.’
‘Yes, I suppose it will,’ replied the Professor unhappily, watching him pour it into the tea-bowls.
‘To the brotherhood of man!’ cried the Russian.
‘To bigger and better bombs,’ answered the Professor, raising the bowl. The fiery spirit nearly made him choke, but he got it down, gasping like a stranded fish.
‘Why, one would think you had never drunk vodka before, little uncle,’ said one of the Russians, and they all laughed heartily. The Professor laughed too, but rather later than the others. He felt the vodka burning inside him, and he wondered how his digestion, always a troublesome creature, would care for it. After a few minutes he began to feel better, much better. He grasped the bottle and poured himself another stiff drink. He tossed it off in one gulp, to the toast of ‘Confusion to evil men,’ which they all repeated.
His brain seemed to be working excellently now, running on oiled wheels. ‘Now, comrades,’ he said, in a loud, firm voice, ringing with authority, ‘I have something to say to you. I have been sent here with two missions. One you know. But there is another. It is believed that one of you here, one at least, has been acting in a subversive manner, and I am going to investigate the matter,’ he cried, banging the table with his fist so suddenly that they all jerked in their seats. ‘I shall make a confidential report. And you all know where that will go.’ He paused for a moment, hoping that they did know, for he certainly did not. The Russians looked thoroughly ill at ease. He continued, after an ominous silence, ‘My report will, of course, depend upon what I see of your behaviour while I am here. And there is another matter which a man whose name I need not mention has asked me to look into. Two Europeans have been captured. I wish to interrogate them.’
‘Certainly, Ivan Petrovitch,’ said one of the men placatingly. ‘If you will come with me, Ivan Petrovitch, I will show you the way. This way, comrade.’
The Russian led the way to the stone house: his manner had suddenly changed; he spoke fawningly and humbly. The other three watched them go in a downcast silence. ‘Dimitri Mihailovitch will try to put him against us,’ muttered one of them.
‘I can assure you, comrade,’ said Dimitri, putting his hand on the Professor’s sleeve, ‘that my conduct has been most conscientious, whatever faults the others may have committed. If you could see your way to mentioning my name favourably, I have a little money …’
The Professor directed a stern and impressive look upon the wretched Dimitri Mihailovitch, who wilted as he stood, and wished that his tongue had been cut out before he had tried to bribe one of the incorruptible higher authorities.
‘What nationality are these prisoners?’ asked the Professor, without any reference to the Russian’s last remark.
‘One American and one British, comrade. They are very violent, and –’
‘Do you speak English, Dimitri Mihailovitch?’
‘No, comrade.’
‘What ignorance!’
‘But nor do the others, comrade. They do not know a single word, Ivan Petrovitch, little father. Shun Chi knows a little, but he could get no information out of them. They are very worthless prisoners, Ivan Petrovitch. He is going to execute them this afternoon before we move off to attack Hsien Lu tomorrow morning.’
‘I see. Just what is the position of Shun Chi as regards authority?’
‘He is under our thumb, Ivan Petrovitch. Under our thumb, comrade. Without our help he is like a pricked balloon – pouf!’
‘You mean that he takes his orders from us?’
‘Well, not exactly, comrade. He requires a little humouring at times, Ivan Petrovitch, when he is fixed on some object.’
They reached the door of the stone house: the guards fell back and saluted. They went in. On the threshold the Professor paused. ‘Where’s that wretched servant of mine?’ asked the Professor.
‘There he is, Ivan Petrovitch,’ said the Russian, pointing at Derrick, who had been following them. He ran back and seized Derrick by the sleeve. ‘Here he is, comrade,’ he said, hurrying Derrick along.
The three of them went into the stone house. The Professor looked at Ross and Sullivan. ‘Untie these men, Dimitri Mihailovitch,’ he said, ‘I shall adopt a more conciliatory form of questioning than has apparently been tried. One often gets better results that way.’
‘Certainly, comrade. Just as you say, Ivan Petrovitch: I am entirely of your opinion.’ The Russian busily untied the ropes, and Derrick bent to help him. Ross and Sullivan glared sullenly at them as they got up and rubbed the circulation back into their cramped limbs.
‘Now, comrade,’ said the Professor, ‘you will see how I question people. I shall play the benevolent liberator, and you will see that I get far more out of these men by apparent kindness than any amount of torture. Be so good as to fetch me some tea and a bottle of that excellent vodka. I am thirsty.’
‘Surely, Ivan Petrovitch, instantly, instantly …’ The Russian hurried away.
‘Well, here we are,’ said the Professor in English, but still speaking in a loud, authoritative voice for the benefit of anyone who might be listening outside.
‘I’m uncommonly glad to see you both,’ said Sullivan, straightening himself unsteadily.
‘Aye,’ said Ross. ‘If you’d been just a wee bit later, you would have been in time for the execution. It’s due with all due pomp in three hours’ time. It would have been quite a sight: they mentioned boiling oil and the Thousand Cuts as part of the show.’
‘We’ll have to miss it,’ whispered Derrick. ‘We’ve come to get you out.’
‘Have you though?’ said Sullivan. ‘I would never have guessed that. Would you, Ross?’
‘Why, no. I thought they had come to sell us tickets for the church bazaar.’ It was as well that he said this in an angry, whining tone, like a man who refuses to give any information, for a moment later the Russian came in with the vodka, closely followed by the others with pots of tea.
‘Thank you, comrades,’ said the Professor. ‘These may be very valuable prisoners. I believe I recognise the villain on the right. It is most important to get all they know out of them, even if it takes some time. You need not wait. While I am busy you may get all the machine-guns ready for inspection. And I shall probably wish to speak with Shun Chi again later – make all the necessary arrangements.’
‘Tell me, Professor,’ said Sullivan, when they were alone again, ‘how did you manage it?’
Professor Ayrton gave him a quick outline of the position. ‘And now,’ he said, at the end of it, ‘I am wondering what to do for the best.’
‘Yes,’ said Sullivan,
