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With this done, the crates were broken open, and all afternoon the contents were examined, wrapped in polyethylene, and stowed deep in the bilges, below the floor of the hold and inside the curvature of the ship’s hull. The planks which had been removed to make this possible were replaced and covered with the i
Finally Semmler told Waldenberg he had better put the Castrol oil drums at the back of the stores locker, and when he told his fellow countryman why, Waldenberg finally did lose his composure. He lost his temper as well and used some expressions that could best be described as regrettable.
Semmler calmed him down, and they sat having beer as the Toscana plowed her way south for the Otranto Cha
Finally Waldenberg began to laugh. “Schmeissers,” he said. “Bloody Schmeissers. Mensch, it’s a long tune since they’ve been heard in the world.”
“Well, they’re going to be heard again,” said Semmler.
Waldenberg looked wistful. “You know,” he said at length, “I wish I was going ashore with you.”
20
When Sha
Sha
He eased himself into a seat beside the man from London and savored the cool of the i
Endean eyed him. “You’ve been out of touch a long time,” he said coldly. “My associates were begi
“There was no point in my making contact until I had something to say. That ship doesn’t exactly fly across the water. It takes time to get her from Toulon to Yugoslavia, and during that time there was nothing to report,“ said Sha
“Of course.” Endean pointed to the bulging attaché case beside his chair. On receiving Sha
“Security,” said Sha
“Yes, of course.”
Another of Endean’s jobs had been to make up slides of all the photographs Sha
Sha
He gave Endean a complete progress report from the moment he had left London, mentioning the stay in Brussels, the loading of the Schmeissers and other equipment onto the Toscana in Toulon, the talks with Schlinker and Baker in Hamburg, and the Yugoslav shipment a few days earlier in Ploce.
Endean listened in silence, making a few notes for the report he would later have to give to Sir James Manson. “Where’s the Toscana now?” he asked at length.
“She should be south and slightly west of Sardinia, en route for Valencia.”
Sha
“Now there’s something I need to know from you,” he told Endean. “What happens after the attack? What happens at dawn? We can’t hold on for very long before some kind of new regime takes over, establishes itself in the palace, and broadcasts news of the coup and the new government.”
“That’s all been thought of,” said Endean smoothly. “In fact, the new government is the whole point of the exercise.”
From his briefcase he withdrew three sheets of paper covered with close typing. “These are your instructions, starting the moment you have possession of the palace and the army and guards have been destroyed or scattered. Read, memorize, and destroy these sheets before we part company, here in Rome. You have to carry it all in your head.”
Sha
He glanced up at Endean. “Where will you be?” he asked.
“A hundred miles north of you,” said Endean.
Sha
“Are you sure you’ll pick up my message?” he asked.
“I shall have a portable radio set of considerable range and power. The Braun, the best they make. It will pick up anything within that range, provided it’s broadcast on the right cha
Sha
“It’s up to you to broadcast,” said Endean. “The frequency is one that has been tested before by practical use. From the Toscana’s radio it must be picked up by my radio set at a hundred miles. Not first time, perhaps, but if you repeat for thirty minutes, I have to hear it.”
“All right,” said Sha
“We’ll get through,” said Endean. “We’ll have help.”
Sha
Sha