Part 8 (2/2)

The man was still looking at his visitors questioningly. 'Do you speak German?' asked Biggles in that language, his left hand holding his lapel.

Va, mein Herr.'

Biggles went on. 'The weather is very unsettled.'

The man agreed. 'It is always raining.' He sighed.

'I have lost a b.u.t.ton from my coat,' said Biggles.

'I wondered if you could match it for me?'

The little shopkeeper's manner seemed to change. 'English?' he asked softly.

'Yes.'

'Trouble?'

'Yes.'

'Were you followed?'

'No.'

'Come inside while I make sure.' The man spoke English in a cultured voice without a trace of accent. He opened a door at the back of the shop.

Biggles and Ginger went through and found themselves in a little living-room that was in keeping with the shop.

'Wait,' said their host, and returned to the shop.

He was back in two or three minutes. 'I think it's all right,' he said in a soft voice that in some curious way conveyed confidence. Then he smiled. 'Of course, one can never be sure. Tell me quickly, what has happened?'

Biggles answered. 'A special mission brought us to Prague. We did our work, but at the airport we were recognised by an enemy agent whom we thought was in London. He fetched the police. Not seeing a taxi, we took a car from the parking-place, abandoned it in the city, and then made our way here.'

'Which means that you are on the run with the security police looking for you?'

'Exactly.'

'What can I do for you?'

'We're looking for somewhere to lie low until we can make arrangements to get out of the country. Can you fix us up?'

'Who gave you this address?'

'Number seven.'

'I see. Then you'd better stay here,' said the man thoughtfully.

'Naturally, I don't like people using this house, but in this case I see no alternative. The address would only have been given to you in a matter of the gravest importance.'

Biggles looked at the man curiously. 'You speak English very well.'

'Naturally, since I am British,' was the reply. 'My name is easily remembered. It is Smith a” yes, even when I am in England. Come this way. I cannot leave the shop for very long in case a customer comes in, but we will talk later.'

The agent led them up three flights of rickety wooden stairs to an attic which was nearly full of lumber a” useless stuff most of it appeared to be. There was an old table, some broken chairs, with numerous cases and boxes half-buried under old clothes, curtains, pieces of carpet, and the like. The only light filtered through a grimy skylight in the sloping roof.

'Now listen carefully,' said Smith. 'You will stay in this room and not leave it on any account without my permission. Make yourselves as comfortable as the place permits, but disturb nothing; and leave nothing about, not a crumb, or a speck of cigarette ash, or anything that might suggest that the room has been occupied. You will realise that an establishment of this sort is subject at any moment, day or night, to a police raid, and a thorough search. One thing, however small; not in keeping with the rest, could produce unfortunate consequences.'

Biggles nodded. 'I understand. Have you any reason to suppose that you are suspect?'

'No. But it is unlikely that I would know if I was. One never knows in our business. But I shall know now, definitely, within a few hours.'

'What do you mean by that?'

'I mean this. If the secret police had any reason to suspect this house they would not show their hand at once. The only bird they would catch, perhaps, would be me. They would wait for such a moment as this. When, in an hour or two, you are not found, it will be known that you have gone into hiding. Then the police will strike at every establishment to which the slightest suspicion is attached. Such raids usually occur after dark, when a cordon can be drawn round the suspected house without alarming the occu-pants. In daylight such an operation could hardly be carried out un.o.bserved.' Smith smiled. 'So you should be safe for an hour or two, anyway.'

'I follow,' murmured Biggles.

'But if there should be a raid you still have one way of escape,'

continued Smith. 'All the clutter you see here appears to have been thrown in haphazard. At least, that was the intention. But far from that being the case it has been carefully arranged to provide me with an emergency exit. In the event of trouble, I want you to use this way out, because were you found here it would be the end of me as well as you.'

Smith pointed to the skylight. 'That is the way you could go. Downstairs, under my counter, there is a b.u.t.ton on the floor. When I press my foot on it, it operates a buzzer concealed in one of these boxes. Should you hear the buzzer, therefore, you will know that the security police are below. That will be your signal for a swift, but silent, departure. The table, as you see, is under the skylight. By putting this box on it the skylight can be reached. Having gone through a”

closing the skylight behind you of course a” you will find yourself on a sloping roof. Turn to the right. It is ten yards to the end of the gable.

There you will find a chimney stack. Hidden in the nearest chimney-pot there is a rope. This will enable you to descend the twenty feet to a flat roof below. Take the rope with you, for you will need it again.

Apart from that, it would not do to leave it hanging there, as it might be seen from the street. Carry on along the flat roof to the end of the block. Below, there is the yard of a sc.r.a.p metal merchant. A door in the wooden fence on your right opens into the street. After that you would have to take your luck.'

'And what would you be doing all this time?' inquired Biggles.

Smith shrugged his hunched shoulder. 'I should stay behind and bluff the thing out. That would give you time to get away. But don't worry about me. That's as much as I have time to say now. I shan't operate the alarm signal unless things look serious. If it should happen, what are you going to do with those?' He pointed to the two handbags. 'Should you have to leave by the roof you would find them in the way; yet should the place be searched it wouldn't do for them to be found here.'

Biggles agreed. 'What do you suggest we do with them?'

'I think you had better let me have them until the danger period is over,' said Smith. 'I have a place, where I keep some of my own things, where they would be safe. You can have them any time you want them.' He picked up the bags. 'I'll bring you some food in the lunch hour. We'll talk again then.'

'Thank you,' acknowledged Biggles.

Smith smiled again. 'No need to thank me. I'm here to do a job and I try to make the best of it. See you later.' He went out.

'Stout fellow, that,' said Biggles, finding a seat on a box.

CHAPTER VII.

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