Part 26 (1/2)
”Where do we go, then?” the German demanded suspiciously.
”We can walk.”
Irresolutely the spy uncrossed his knees, but didn't rise.
”Walk?” he repeated, ”walk where?”
”Up the boulevard, if you like--where the lights are brightest.”
”Ah!”--with a malignant flash of teeth--”but I don't trust you.”
Lanyard laughed: ”You wear only one shoe of that pair, my dear captain!
We're a distrustful flock, we birds of prey. Come along! Why sit there sulking, like a spoiled child? You've made an a.s.s of yourself, following me to Paris; sadly though you bungled that job in London, I gave you credit for more wit than to poke your head into the lion's mouth here. But--admitting that--why not be graceful about it? Here am I, amiably treating you like an equal: you might at least show grat.i.tude enough to accept my invitation to flaner yourself!”
With a grunt the spy got upon his feet, while Lanyard stood back, against the window, and made him free of the narrow path between the tree-tubs and the tables.
”After you, my dear Adolph...!”
The German paused, half turned towards him, choking with rage, his suffused face darkly relieving its white scars won at Heidelberg. At this, with a nod of unmistakable meaning, Lanyard advanced the muzzle of his pocketed weapon; and with an ugly growl the German moved on and out to the sidewalk, Lanyard respectfully an inch or two behind his elbow.
”To your right,” he requested pleasantly--”if it's all the same to you: I've business on the Boulevards...”
Ekstrom said nothing for the moment, but sullenly yielded to the suggestion.
”By the way,” the adventurer presently pursued, ”you might be good enough to inform me how you knew where we were dining--eh?”
”If it interests you--”
”I own it does--tremendously!”
”Pure accident: I happened to be sitting in the cafe, and caught a glimpse of you through the door as you went upstairs. Therefore I waited till the waiter asked for your bill at the caisse, then stationed myself outside.”
”But why? Can you tell me what you thought to accomplish?”
”You know well,” Ekstrom muttered. ”After what happened in London ...
it's your life or mine!”
”Spoken like a true villain! But it seems to me you overlooked a conspicuous chance to accomplish your h.e.l.lish design, back there in the side streets.”
”Would I be such a fool as to shoot you down before finding out what you've done with those plans?”
”You might as well have,” Lanyard informed him lightly ... ”For you won't know otherwise.”
With an infuriated oath the German stopped short: but he dared not ignore the readiness with which his tormentor imitated the manoeuvre and kept the pistol trained through the fabric of his raincoat.
”Yes--?” the adventurer enquired with an exasperating accent of surprise.
”Understand me,” Ekstrom muttered vindictively: ”next time I'll show you no mercy--”