Part 30 (1/2)
”Captain Ekstrom,” he said, ”but recently succeeded in photographing these plans and took them to London to sell to the English.
Unfortunately for himself--unhappily for perfidious Albion!--Captain Ekstrom fell in with me and mistook me for Downing Street's representative. And here are the plans.”
”You are--the Lone Wolf--then?”
”I am, as far as concerns you, monsieur, merely the person in possession of these plans, who offers them through you, to France, for a price.”
”But why introduce yourself to me in this extraordinary fas.h.i.+on, for a transaction for which the customary channels--with which you must be familiar--are entirely adequate?”
”Simply because Ekstrom has followed me to Paris,” Lanyard explained indulgently. ”Did I venture to approach you in the usual way, my chances of rounding out a useful life thereafter would be practically nil. Furthermore, my circ.u.mstances are such that it has become necessary for me to leave France immediately--without an hour's delay--also secretly; else I might as well remain here to be butchered.... Now you command the only means I know of, to accomplish my purpose. And that is the price, the only price, you will have to pay me for these plans.”
”I don't understand you.”
”It is on schedule, is it not, that Captain Vauquelin of the Aviation Corps is to attempt a non-stop flight from Paris to London this morning, with two pa.s.sengers, in a new Parrott biplane?”
”That is so.... Well?”
”I must be one of those pa.s.sengers; and I have a companion, a young lady, who will take the place of the other.”
”It isn't possible, monsieur. Those arrangements are already fixed.”
”You will countermand them.”
”There is no time--”
”You can get into telephonic communication with Port Aviation in two minutes.”
”But the pa.s.sengers have been promised--”
”You will disappoint them.”
”The start is to be made in the first flush of daylight. How could you reach Port Aviation in time?”
”In your motor-car, monsieur.”
”It cannot be done.”
”It must! If the start must be delayed till we arrive, you will give orders that it shall be so delayed.”
For a minute the Minister of War hesitated; then he shook his head definitely.
”The difficulties are insuperable--”
”There is no such thing, monsieur.”
”I am sorry: it can't be done.”
”That is your answer?”
”It is regrettable, monsieur...”