The Cotton Spies
CHAPTER 25
Captain Fernee smoothed his uniform prior to meeting the commanding officer of the Meshed garrison. Standing straight he knocked on Brigadier General Barber’s office door and marched smartly into the room when commanded. Barber had arrived in Meshed from India after what was the most uncomfortable and terrible journey of his long and, as he felt, distinguished career. The journey’s impact on his mood he quickly demonstrated. ‘Come in sit down man. You must be Captain Fernee. What have you found out about those Jewish Russian Bolsheviks claiming to be merchants from Moscow trading round this district?’ Fernee’s backside had not yet reached the chair, ‘come on I haven’t got all day.’
‘I am Captain Fernee.’
‘I’ve already said you were. There is no need to repeat everything I say or to state the obvious.’
Fernee was just about to say ‘no sir,’ but said instead, ‘Six of the Russians seem to have disappeared into the surrounding countryside.’
‘Where man, where?’
‘I don’t know, sir. None of our agents have come up with either hide or hair of them. So I have instructed all of our agents to keep looking for the blighters and to let us know when and where they surface.’
‘Well I was hoping for something different from you considering your background. You have had several weeks here – I hope you have not been idle. Have you done better with the other two Russians?’
‘I think so, sir.’
Barber interrupted. ‘You think? Don’t you know?’
‘Sorry, yes sir.’
‘Come on then, yes, what.’
‘The other two we found at Kuchan had had the opportunity to buy grain and raisins from a grain merchant, Manukian, who is actually one of our agents.’
‘I know that. He’s an Armenian, capital chap.’ Barber did not actually know Manukian but he had been briefed by Statham about the various British agents in the surrounding towns. Barber was merely stating to Fernee what Statham felt about Manukian. ‘And?’
‘Well it seemed that these men, claiming to be grain merchants, were not interested in buying cereal from him or anyone else. They have actually hired a warehouse to which they have already made changes - like putting in a stone floor. Manukian reliably tells me that you would not need a stone floor to store grain.’
‘Agreed,’ said Barber though he had no idea why you would not store grain on a stone floor but he’d try and remember to ask someone.
‘The rumour is that the place is to hold soldiers. I sneaked a look and it certainly could act as a barracks. I then bearded the Russians about what they were going to hold in the place; I even suggested that it might be men. The chap I talked to looked very shifty eyed.’
‘Jews are invariably shifty. It comes with being in trade, Fernee.’
‘Really, sir? The Russians, I’m not sure they were Jewish, seem to feign surprise that anyone would want to hold men in the warehouse; they insisted they would be buying lots of different things in the future and a stone floor is more adaptable than an earth or wooden floor. The other thing we found out, though you may know this already is that our Governor, here in Meshed, is pro-British but Kuchan’s governor is pro-Turkish and the two men don’t like each other. Kuchan could therefore be used as a staging post for Turkish or German troops on their way to invade India, just because of personality.’
‘The Kuchan’s governor’s got Beady eyes apparently. Never trust a man with beady eyes, Fernee. I knew about him but I like to get confirmation - that way I keep you on your toes.’
Fernee paused, expecting Barber to continue but when that was unforthcoming he took the plunge. ‘I was thinking sir on my journey back to Meshed. These Russian merchants claim to have come from Moscow via Baku so they must either have Bolshevik support or, actually be Bolos. I was wondering if I should go to Baku and see what the form is on these Bolshevik merchants.’ Fernee thought that a mission to Baku more exciting and more fun than producing the latest edition of the local intelligence newsletter, which was his task for that afternoon.
‘Form is a horse racing term isn’t it? Are you a gambler?’ Barber looked mystified.
Fernee thought, what either of those things has got to do with the conversation. ‘Never bet in my life, sir – it is just an expression perhaps I should have said “find out the facts”.
‘Exactly, captain.’
‘Right, sir. I thought that in Baku I could discover whether the Bolsheviks just want to cause trouble down here in Meshed either for their revolution purposes or as agents of the Germans. Maybe I could cause them some trouble when I’m there.’ Fernee hoped that Barber would not ask him what form that trouble might take as he realised he had spoken before he had thought about it.
Barber sat silent for a moment then stirred himself. ‘You must be clairvoyant, Fernee. Today I got a telegram from the Mesopotamia Intelligence office in Basra asking us to send a Russian speaking officer to Baku. It seems the Foreign Office have a chap up in the Caucuses but have lost contact with him because of the fighting. Then the War Office thinks that they should have their own agent in Baku because they can’t always rely on the Foreign Office for adequate military information. If someone went from here communication might be easier. It was India’s idea to send Major Travis’ on an intelligence trip journey to Krasnovodsk whilst I was on my way here from Simla. I could order Travis to cross the Caspian and go to Baku but I don’t want the War Office and India embroiled in a boundary dispute of “who is working for whom.” I also want to hear directly what Travis has learned at Krasnovodsk therefore you will go to Baku to find out all you can and more - I said that because I expect my officers to exceed expectations. You mentioned trouble, what trouble were you thinking of causing?’
‘I thought I’d take Captain Mawle with me, he’s an explosives expert. Maybe if our enemies are going to invade Persia they might use the Russian railway for transport. I thought we could blow up some of the railway lines or a few bridges something like that. Apparently that is what our chaps are doing in Arabia and it is causing the Turks problems, so why not do the same in Russia?’
‘I am going to ask Simla about this,’ Barber waved the telegram in the air. ‘If I did what the War Office wanted without telling India, the latter would have my guts for garters. I think I will set in motion what the War Office wants and await India’s approval. Those two departments can battle things out over who controls what and whom.’ Barber stared over Fernee’s head then,’ sending you to Baku is a good idea, I’ll suggest to Simla that you take Mawle with you over the border to find intelligence on the railway – places where it could be blown up, that sort of thing - in case our enemy uses that mode of transport in its threat to India. Simla will probably approve my suggestions of sending the two of you because it’s me who is recommending this. I suggest therefore you start planning what you need to do whether Mawle accompanies you or not. Be prepared to go to Baku immediately I hear from India, Captain Fernby.’
‘It’s Captain Fernee, sir.’
‘That’s exactly what I said. Close the door quietly as you go out.’