He put the books alongside me, poured me more tea and added peat to the fire. ‘Your friends will be coming today or tomorrow,’ he said.
‘When do we go on the trip – did they tell you?’
‘Your friends will be coming,’ he said. He was not a garrulous man.
MacGregor spent most of that morning in the shed, with the power-saw reduced to its components and arranged on the stone floor round him. Many times he fitted the parts together. Many times he snatched at the starter-string so that the engine turned. But it did not fire. Sometimes he swore at it but he did not give up until noon. Then he came into the parlour and threw himself into the battered leather armchair that I never used, realizing that he had a prior claim. ‘Bah!’ said MacGregor. I’d learned to interpret it as his way of complaining of the cold. I prodded at the fire.
‘Your porridge is on,’ he said. He called all the food porridge. It was his way of mocking Sassenachs.
‘It smells good.’
‘I’ll have none of your caustic London irony,’ said MacGregor. ‘If you do not fancy a sup – you can run down to the wood shed and wrestle that damned wood-saw.’ He clapped his hands together and massaged the red calloused fingers to bring the blood back into them. ‘Bah,’ he said again.
Behind him, the view from the tiny window, deepset into the thick stone wall, was partly obscured by two half-dead potted begonias. I could just see sunlight picking up traces of snow on the distant peaks, except when a gust of wind brought the chimney smoke into the yard, or, worse, brought it down into the parlour. MacGregor coughed. ‘It needs a new cowl,’ he explained. ‘The east wind gets under the eaves and lifts the slates too.’
He followed my gaze out of the window. ‘That will be a London car,’ he said.
‘How do you know?’
‘Hereabouts folks have vans and lorries – we don’t go much on cars – but when we do buy them we choose something that will get us up the Hammer or over the high road in winter. We’d not choose a smart London car like that one.’
At first I thought it might turn off at the lower road, go through the village and along the coast. But the car continued on the road. It meandered along the slopes on the other side of the valley, so that we could see it climbing each hairpin for the first two or three miles. ‘They’ll want dinner,’ said MacGregor.
‘Or at least a drink,’ I said. I knew that it was a gruelling run for the last few miles. The road was not good at any time of the year but with the pot holes concealed by snow, the driver would have to pick his way past the worst bits. He’d need a drink and a moment by the fire.
‘I’ll see that the bar room fire is alive,’ he said. It was only the constant replenishment of fires, at back and front, that kept the house habitable. Even then he needed an oil heater near his feet in the bar, and the bedrooms were cold enough to strike the lungs like a stiletto. I tucked Agatha Christie behind the striking clock.
The car turned in on the gravel. It was a DBS, dark blue with matching upholstery. But the Aston was dented and spattered with mud and filthy snow. The windscreen was caked with dirt except for the two bright eyes made by the wipers. Only when the door opened did I see the driver. It was Ferdy Foxwell wearing his famous impresario’s overcoat, its astrakhan collar buttoned up over his ears, and a crazy little fur hat tilted askew on his head.
I went out to see him. ‘Ferdy! Are we off?’
‘Tomorrow. Schlegel is on his way. I thought with this I’d be here ahead of him. Give us a chance to chat.’
‘Nice car, Ferdy,’ I said.
‘I treated myself for Christmas,’ he said. ‘You disapprove?’
The car cost more than my father earned from the railway for ten years’ conscientious service, but Ferdy buying a small Ford wasn’t going to help my father. ‘Spend, Ferdy, spend. Be the first kid on the block with an executive jet.’
He smiled shyly, but I meant it. I’d been around long enough to find out that it wasn’t the proprietors of three-star restaurants, designers of custom jewellery or the manufacturers of hand-made sports cars who were sitting in the sun in Bermuda. It was the shrewdies who did tinned beans, frozen fish and fizzy drinks.
Ferdy sniffed at MacGregor’s stew. ‘What the devil are you boiling up there, MacGregor, you hairy Scotch bastard?’
‘It’s your chance to taste Highland haggis, fatty,’ said MacGregor.
‘One of these days you’ll say that, and it really will be a haggis,’ said Ferdy.
‘Never,’ said MacGregor, ‘can’t stand the filthy muck. I would no’ have the stench of it in my house.’
‘You can put a gill of your home-made ginger wine into a double measure of your malt,’ said Ferdy.
I said, ‘Make it two of them.’
‘Finest ginger wine I ever tasted,’ said Ferdy. He grinned at me. MacGregor deplored the idea of mixing anything with his precious malts but he was vulnerable to compliments about his ginger wine. Reluctantly he took his time before he poured the measures into the glasses, hoping the while that we’d change our minds.
‘The Colonel is coming?’
‘The new Colonel is coming, MacGregor, my friend.’ It was declared now, that we all had the same employer, and yet even during my two days with him he’d not admitted it.
The wind was backing. No longer was smoke coming down into the back yard but the radio aerial gave a gentle moan. It was an uncommonly tall radio aerial, if intended only to bring in the BBC programmes.
‘I must have the power-saw ready for morning,’ said MacGregor diplomatically, for he guessed that the contents of Ferdy’s document case were only for me to see.
Ferdy had the schoolboy intensity that I never ceased to admire. He’d brought all the right documents and codes and radio procedure charts marked up for the dates of the changes. No matter how much he complained, no matter, in fact, how anyone treated him, Ferdy saw himself as Mr Reliable, and he worked hard to keep his own esteem.
He hurried through the papers. ‘I suppose Schlegel poked you away up here because he didn’t want us talking together.’ He said it casually, while giving the edges of the pages too much attention. It was a girl’s response, if I can say that about Ferdy without giving you a completely wrong idea about him.
‘No,’ I said.
‘He hates me,’ said Ferdy.
‘You keep saying that.’
‘I keep saying it because it’s true.’
‘Well, that’s a good enough reason,’ I admitted.
‘I mean, you know it’s true, don’t you.’ Again it was an adolescent’s wish to be contradicted.
‘Hell, Ferdy, I don’t know.’
‘And don’t care.’
‘And don’t care, Ferdy. Right.’
‘I’ve been against the Americans taking over the Centre, right from the start.’ He paused. I said nothing. Ferdy said, ‘You haven’t, I know.’
‘I’m not sure the Centre would still be functioning if the Americans hadn’t pumped life into it.’
‘But is it recognizable? When was the last time we did a historical analysis?’
‘You know when, Ferdy. You and I did the PQ17 convoy in September. Before that, we did those Battle of Britain variable fuel load games. You wrote them up for the journal. I thought you were pleased with what we did?’
‘Yes, those,’ said Ferdy, unable to conceal the irritation which my answers gave him. ‘I mean a historical game played right through the month – computer time and all – with full staff. Not just you and me doing all the donkey work. Not just the two of us scribbling notes, as if it was some new boxed game from Avalon Hill.’
‘Who pays the piper …’
‘Well I don’t like the tune. That’s why I first started telling Toliver what was happening.’
‘What?’
‘Only after they started the surveillance submarines.’
‘You mean …’ I paused as I thought about it. ‘You mean you were reporting all that classified material back to T
oliver?’
‘He’s one of the senior people in intelligence.’
‘For God’s sake, Ferdy, even if he was, what’s that got to do with it?’
Ferdy bit his lower lip. ‘I had to make sure our people knew.’
‘They knew, Ferdy. We are a combined services outfit. They knew. What good could it possibly do, telling Toliver?’
‘You think I did wrong?’
‘You can’t be that stupid, Ferdy.’
‘Let Schlegel down?’ Ferdy said angrily. He shook an errant curl off his forehead. ‘Is that what I did?’
‘How could they …’ I stopped.
‘Yes,’ said Ferdy. ‘I’m waiting.’
‘Well, what makes you so sure that Toliver is not working for the Russians? Or the Americans, come to that. How do you know?’
Ferdy went ashen. He ran his splayed fingers through his hair a couple of times. ‘You don’t believe that,’ he said.
‘I’m asking you,’ I said.
‘You’ve never liked Toliver. I know you haven’t.’
‘Is that why he deserved the analysis every month?’
Ferdy huffed and puffed, fidgeting with the curtain to get more light in the room, and picking up my Agatha Christie and reading a line or two. ‘You reading this?’ he asked. I nodded. He put it back on the mantelshelf, behind the broken jug in which MacGregor kept the unpaid bills. ‘I wish I’d spoken with you about this before, Patrick,’ said Ferdy. ‘I nearly did. Lots of times I nearly told you.’ The blue jug was safely positioned on the mantelpiece but Ferdy pushed it close against the mirror, as though it might leap into the fireplace and smash into a thousand fragments just to spite and embarrass him. He smiled at me. ‘You know about this sort of thing, Patrick. I’ve never been awfully good at the public relations side of it.’
‘Thanks a lot, Ferdy,’ I said, without working hard at making my appreciation shine through.
‘No offence.’
‘And none taken, but if you think that is public relations …’
‘I didn’t mean public relations exactly.’
‘Oh, good.’
‘You think old Mac would let us have some tea?’
‘Now don’t change the subject. Schlegel will be here in a moment.’
‘Oh, he’ll be chasing as fast as he can go. He won’t relish the idea of us working against him.’
‘Then that makes two of us.’
‘Don’t be odious, Pat. I can help you. I mean, these people are trying to get at both of us, you know.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Am I right in saying that you’ve seen this fellow before, for instance?’ He unclipped the lining of his document case and produced a large envelope from which he took a photo. He passed it to me.
‘Seen him before?’
I took the picture. It was a small print, rephotographed from another print, judging by the fuzzy quality and the reflection. I’d seen it before, all right, but I wasn’t going to say so.
‘No.’
‘Would you be surprised if I told you that he was Rear-Admiral Remoziva?’
‘No.’
‘You know what I’m getting at?’
‘Not a clue.’
‘Remoziva is Chief of Staff, Northern Fleet.’
‘A real, live Red Admiral.’
‘A real, live Red Admiral,’ said Ferdy.
He looked at me, trying to see what reaction his information had produced. ‘Murmansk,’ he added finally.
‘Yes, I know where the Russians keep the Northern Fleet, Ferdy.’
‘One of the best submarine men they have. Rear-Admiral Remoziva is the favourite for the First Deputy’s department next year. Did you know that?’
I walked across to where he was standing. He was pretending to look out of the window to where MacGregor’s dog was sniffing along some invisible track that circled the coal store. The window had frosted, making the dog no more than a fluffy growl. Ferdy breathed upon the glass and cleared a small circle, through which he peered. Over the sea the sky looked like a bundle of tarry rope but there were strands of red and gold plaited into it. Tomorrow would be a fine day.
‘Did you know it?’ Ferdy asked again.
I put my hand on his shoulder. ‘No, Ferdy,’ I said, and I pulled him round to face me, then grabbed his coat collar in my hand and twisted it so that the cloth tightened against his throat. He was a bigger man than me. Or so he’d always seemed. ‘I didn’t know that, Ferdy,’ I told him very quietly. ‘But,’ and I shook him gently, ‘if I find that you …’
‘What?’
‘Are anything to do with it.’
‘To do with what?’ His voice was high, but who knows whether it was indignation, fear, or just bewilderment.
‘What?’ he said again. ‘What? What? What?’ He was shouting by this time. Shouting so loud that I only just heard the door slam as MacGregor came back into the house.
‘No matter.’ I pushed Ferdy angrily, and stepped back from him as MacGregor came into the room. Ferdy straightened his tie and coat.
‘Did you want something?’ said MacGregor.
‘Ferdy was wondering if we could get some tea,’ I said.
MacGregor looked from one to the other of us. ‘You can,’ he said. ‘I’ll brew it when the kettle boils. It’s on the fire.’
Still he watched us both. And we watched each other, and in Ferdy’s eyes I saw resentment and fear. ‘Another trip so soon,’ said Ferdy. ‘We deserved a longer break.’
‘You’re right,’ I said. MacGregor turned and went back to the power-saw.
‘So why does Schlegel want to come?’
‘He wants to find out how the subs work. It’s a new kind of department for him.’
‘Huh!’ said Ferdy. ‘He doesn’t give a damn about subs. He’s from the CIA.’
‘How do you know?’
‘Leave me alone,’ he said.
‘Sent to harass you, you mean?’
‘You’re a hard bastard, Pat.’ He straightened his tie. ‘You know that, don’t you? You’re a hard bastard.’
‘But not hard enough,’ I said.
‘And I’ll tell you something else, Patrick. This business with this Russian – this is Schlegel’s pet project. I keep my ears open and I can tell you, it’s Schlegel’s pet project.’ He smiled, anxious to be friends again – a schoolgirl quarrel, soon mended, soon forgotten.
MacGregor called from the bar. ‘Car coming.’
We both turned to the window. Already it was getting dark, although the clock said it was not much past four in the afternoon.
‘Schlegel,’ said Ferdy.
‘In a space ship?’ The bright yellow, futuristic car made me smile. What a character.
‘It’s his new sports car – you buy the kit and assemble it. You save a lot of tax.’
‘There had to be a reason,’ I said. Schlegel brought it into the park, and revved-up before switching off, in the way that racing motorists are reputed to do. The silence lasted only a few minutes. Even before Schlegel had the car door open, I heard MacGregor’s power-saw stammer and then roar into action. Nothing dared not work, once Schlegel had arrived.
‘Oh boy,’ said Schlegel. ‘When I choose, I choose a lulu.’
‘What?’
‘Spare me the static.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘Why didn’t you lay it on me, about working for the goddamn Brits?’
I said nothing.
Schlegel sighed. ‘I was bound to find out. You made me look like a creep, do you know that, Pat?’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Sure. You’re sorry. You don’t get the flak. You spent years working for the goddamn intelligence service, and you let me put a screening request to them just like you are a two-bit clerk, and now you say you’re sorry.’
‘You didn’t tell me you were screening me.’
‘Don’t get smart with me, Patrick.’
I raised the flat of my han
d and lowered my eyes. I owed him an apology and there was no doubt about it. They’d make his face burn red for a couple of months, if I knew anything about those megalomaniacs at Joint Service Records. ‘I’m sorry,’ I said. ‘What do you want me to do: commit hari-kari with a blunt screwdriver?’
‘I might,’ said Schlegel, and he was still very mad.
Ferdy came outside then, so I knew the Colonel would drop it. He did, too, but clearly it would be a little time before he came around to being our happy laughing leader again.
‘Both the bags?’ said Ferdy.
‘Jesus, don’t fuss round me,’ said Schlegel, and Ferdy flinched like a whipped dog and gave me a look to tell me that it was no more and no less than he’d expected.
‘Let’s go. Let’s go,’ said Schlegel. He picked up his baggage, including equipment for both golf and tennis, and strode into the bar parlour.
‘And what will it be, Colonel, sir?’ said MacGregor.
Schlegel looked him up and down. ‘Are you going to be another of these smart-arse Brits?’ said Schlegel. ‘Because I don’t need it, pal. I don’t need it.’
‘I want to give you a drink, man,’ said MacGregor.
‘Can you fix a Martini, American style?’ asked Schlegel.
‘I can,’ said MacGregor.
But Schlegel wasn’t going to let him get away as easily as that. ‘I’m talking about a stem glass from the ice-box, really cold Beefeater and no more than seven per cent dry vermouth.’
‘I can,’ said MacGregor. He turned away to start fixing it.
‘And I mean cold,’ said Schlegel.
‘You can sit in the freezer and drink it, if you want to,’ said MacGregor.
‘Listen,’ said Schlegel. ‘Make it a double Scotch will you. Less chance you’ll screw up on that one.’
It was after the second round of drinks that MacGregor came into the back room laughing. ‘I’ve just seen a remarkable sight,’ he said. We turned to look at him, for he was not a man who was often surprised. And even less likely to admit it.
‘A hearse – driving past like a mad feller.’
‘A hearse? Where was he going?’ said Ferdy.
‘Where was he going,’ said MacGregor. ‘Hah. I’d like to know the answer to that one myself. He was driving up over the high road. There’s nothing along that way.’