The Leader And The Damned (60 page)

He made it sound as though the suggestion had come from Linda. They waited in blazing sunshine as she alighted from the plane. Lydda Airport was little more than a field with the grass trimmed short - like Sergeant Mulligan's hair.

'She's from the American Embassy in Cairo,' Whelby murmured. 'Nothing to worry about.'

'If you say so...'

Disapproval of the whole arrangement was patent in Mulligan's voice and manner. He was courteous when introduced, then led the way towards an armoured car standing close to a building. Beneath dark, bristly brows his eyes darted everywhere, one hand close to the holster at his right side. Whelby noticed the flap was now unbuttoned.

'We travel in this thing?' Whelby called out.

'You must be joking,' Linda Climber whispered. 'I'll snag my stockings.'

Mulligan stopped in the lee of the armoured car, a narrow space between the vehicle and the building. He gave his lecture in short, sharp bursts. A British soldier seated behind the controls stared down at them, frozen-faced.

'This armoured car is a good introduction to what you've come to,' Mulligan began. 'Did you by any chance when you flew in see the straight line, desert one side, fields on the other?'

'We did.. Whelby replied in a bored tone.

'Both of you listen. It may save your lives. South of that line is Egypt, peace now Monty's put a boot up Rommel's backside. North of that line - here where you're standing - we're in a state of war. Don't go roaming round on your own. If you do go out, avoid back alleys.'

'Is all this really necessary, Sergeant? You're frightening the lady.'

'I'm trying to scare the living daylights out of her...' The sergeant regarded Whelby with active dislike. 'I had twenty-four men in my unit. Note the past tense. In the past eight weeks three of them have been killed by the murdering swine in the Jewish underground. Shot in the back. Never had a cat's chance in hell. They're worse than the Germans - at least
they
wore uniform and fought clean. That's it. We travel in that.'

He pointed to a staff car with amber net curtains drawn over the windscreen and parked in shadow.

'The armoured car?' queried Whelby. The driver had started up the engine. The protective metal plates

vibrated.

 
'This poor bastard leads the way. We follow one hundred yards behind. Then if the Jews have sown any mines he takes the blast. Say thank you to Corporal Wilson up there...'

Open hostility now, in Mulligan's speech and manner. Whelby pursed his lips, carefully not looking up at Wilson. The sergeant walked them to the staff car, then turned to Linda Climber, his voice soft and polite.

'I'll.take your case. You get inside and make yourself comfortable. It'll be all right. Not far to Jerusalem...'

He held open the rear door, took her elbow in his free hand to help her inside, ignoring Whelby. She leaned forward on the edge of the seat and smiled with genuine sympathy.

'Thank you, Sergeant. I'm beginning to understand how awful it must be. Please do say thank you to Corporal Wilson from me, if that isn't ridiculous...'

'He likes an attractive lady. It'll make his day …'

The road to Jerusalem from Lydda was uphill, a series of steep bends which took them higher and higher above the plain. Ideal ambush country. Sergeant Mulligan drove, a sub machine-gun on the empty passenger seat beside him. Drove keeping a good hundred yards clearance from the armoured car grinding ahead up the ascent.

The staff car was a luxurious vehicle with spacious room in the back. A sheet of sliding glass – closed before they started - divided them from Mulligan and gave them privacy to chat. Linda Climber, normally ebullient, was quiet for the early part of the journey. Whelby squeezed her hand once reassuringly and was then careful to say nothing. He always let a woman make the running. At the outset.

They had almost reached the top of their zigzag ascent, could feel the road levelling out, when Whelby leaned forward and slid back the glass panel.

'Could you stop a hundred yards short of the Sharon? Give me a moment to inspect the place?'

'I think that could be arranged...'

'Will that iron monster still be keeping us company?'

'Corporal Wilson will escort us inside Jerusalem and will then go his own way.'

The clipped tone, the distant glance Mulligan shot over his shoulder at Whelby expressed his controlled fury at the reference to 'that monster'. Whelby closed the panel and smiled to himself. It had worked. He had distanced himself from the probing Mulligan.

'I don't think he liked what you just said,' Linda remarked.

'I'm not very good at expressing myself. I think I did put my foot in it. What do you do at the embassy? Or am I being nosey?'

'I'm an assistant to one of the officials. It sounds very grand but really I just type, take down the odd letter in shorthand - my shorthand's good - and do masses and masses of filing. You must be an important man - to warrant this attention and protection - or am I being nosey?'

'You're being nosey,' he said easily. 'Don't be impressed by my reception. I'm taking a vacation - as you Americans call it - myself. They said to me, "Do us a favour, old chap, carry these papers to Jerusalem for us. They're rather important. We'll lay on transport for you at Lydda."' He smiled diffidently. 'I'm really nobody...'

The lie came out smoothly, convincingly. He had thought it up on the spur of the moment. They didn't speak again until they had arrived in Jerusalem and Corporal Wilson's 'monster' trundled off in a different direction at an intersection.

Whelby returned to where Mulligan had parked the staff car by the kerb a hundred yards from the Hotel Sharon. He opened the front passenger door, dipping his head, checked to see that the divider panel was closed, sealing off the rear where Linda Climber sat waiting, and spoke so quietly Mulligan had to lean over to catch what he said.

'The Hotel Sharon looks reasonable enough for Mrs Climber. I think I'll bunk down there myself.' 'The barracks for you. All laid on.'

'Which is just the place anyone looking for me will watch. I do have freedom of action. I intend to exercise it. This fits the bill nicely — an out-of-the-way hotel. Security, Sergeant Mulligan. I'm not an amateur.'

He was adopting the same tactics he had used with Carson in Cairo when the Lieutenant had tried to incarcerate him in Grey Pillars He spoke as though there was simply no point in arguing the matter. Mulligan had one more try, keeping his own voice in low key.

'Even at that small hotel you'll have to register, show your passport...'

'I'm travelling on false papers...'

'Jesus Christ! You people think you're God.'

'Make up your mind which of those exalted gentlemen you want me to be. Meantime, give me a phone number where I can contact you. I'm in Room 6 at the Sharon.'

He took the folded piece of paper on which Mulligan, tight-mouthed, had scribbled the phone number, then opened the rear door. Linda emerged onto the pavement, shook the creases out of her skirt and turned to take her suitcase from Mulligan. A pale hand, Whelby's, grasped the handle, nodded to the sergeant and took her arm.

'I've inspected the Hotel Sharon. It's not the Waldorf, but it's clean and the menu looks edible.' They crossed a paved street. Very few people about. On the opposite pavement Whelby paused and gestured into the distance with his head. 'Amazing, really. As a small boy at Sunday school they gave me coloured pictures of ancient Jerusalem — like large postage stamps to paste into a book. One picture each week. The place looks exactly like those pictures...'

In 1943 Jerusalem still had its biblical atmosphere. Set in a bowl, it was encircled by a rim of seven hills. There was a deceptive air of peace, of the stability of centuries.

'It's quite overwhelmingly beautiful,' said Linda. 'You took your case when you went to inspect the hotel. Where is it?'

'In reception...' He began walking again. 'I told you I was on my vacation. They have reserved Room 6 for me. They're holding Room 8 for you. The choice is yours. Stay here if you like it. If not, I'll find you somewhere else.'

The Sharon was a long-fronted, two-storey building built at the beginning of time. It had a shallow roof of once-red tiles now mellowed to faded terracotta. Four steps led up to a wooden verandah railed off from the street where small tables sported red-check table-cloths. Dense creeper snaked up the supports and enveloped the walls, peering in at the open windows.

'It's lovely,' said Linda.

'It's up to you,' Whelby replied. Not pressing.

Sitting stiffly behind the wheel of the parked staff car, Mulligan watched them mount the steps. His eyes flicked to the rear-view mirror, his hand whipped to the sub machine-gun as he heard footsteps approaching. Then he relaxed. The clatter of hobnail, Army boots. Corporal Wilson, blank-faced as ever, opened the front passenger door. Mulligan gestured for him to get inside.

'Did they spot me bringing up the rear, Sarge?' Wilson asked.

'Quite sure they didn't. Glad to see you in one piece.'

'What's going on? Or shouldn't I ask?'

'On this one, the more you know the better,' Mulligan replied. 'Especially as I'll need you as back-up. Where have you parked the armoured car?'

'In a side street fifty yards back. Nobby Clarke in charge till I take over. I thought we was takin' our pick-up back to the barracks.'

'So did I, Wilson, so did I. Said pick-up has a mind of his own. Nice chap. Swallows his vowels and loses most of his consonants. He's bunking down - his own phrase - at the Sharon. So, I'll need a couple of uniformed men patrolling the front. That makes them targets for the Jew bombers. I want your armoured car with its Lewis gun and all the trimmings in a side street to back up my men. I'll phone your Colonel Payne as soon as I get back, but I'm sure he'll agree.'

'He will after the recent bit of help you gave...'

'So Bloody Mr Standish of no vowels and few consonants will be tying up six of my men every twenty-four hours and more of yours. If he'd gone to the barracks no extra manpower would have been needed.
Blast him!
'

'What about the tart! Nice looking piece. He's gone off with her?'

'Which I think is the attraction about staying at the Sharon.' Mulligan took off his police cap and scratched at his stubble of hair. 'You know something, Wilson? Never assume the obvious in this world. Just before I drive back I'm going in to check that hotel register …'

'Our rooms are next to each other,' Linda observed as she held the key without inserting it in the lock. She gave Whelby a sideways glance. 'Room 8 for me, Room 6 for you..

'You heard Mulligan describe the situation out here. I thought you'd feel... safer.'

He stood holding both cases. His own, collected from reception where he had left it on his earlier visit to the hotel, hers which he had insisted on carrying up the ancient flight of stairs.

'That was nice of you. Let's inspect it.'

Unlocking the door, she walked into an old- fashioned but well-furnished room. Another door led to the bathroom. She chuckled and put a hand over her mouth.

'My, just look at the bed...'

It was very big with great brass rails surmounted with acorn-shaped decorations. The French windows were open and the view looked across to the distant Mount of Olives. Whelby placed her case on a chair and stood beside her. She waited for him to touch her but he remained aloof, an absent-minded expression on his pale face.

'I have to deliver those papers,' he remarked and checked his watch. 'Could you wait till two, and join me downstairs for some lunch?'

'I'd love that. I'm going to take a peek at the shops...'

'Be careful how you go. Two o'clock. And keep your door locked at all times.'

'Yes, Sergeant Mulligan...'

He closed the door on the outside and waited in the corridor. Only when he heard her lock it did he move quickly. Carrying his case he headed for the staircase and ran lightly up to the next floor. Room 24 was at the far end of a corridor which was deserted and smelt of floor polish.

In response to his knock the door was opened as though the occupant, Vlacek, had been waiting for him.

It was a peacetime scene. The morning sun a warm glow on the fertile green of the polo field. The only sounds the click of polo stick against ball, the gentle thump of horses' hooves.