Dennis Wheatley - Duke de Richleau 07 (60 page)

Count Tisza frowned. “I
am not accustomed to being questioned about my guests.”

De Richleau drew a shade
more heavily on his cigar, while watching the Major from beneath half-lowered
lids. He did not at all like the way in which the conversation had opened.

Quite unperturbed by the
rebuff, Ronge attacked the matter from another angle. “No doubt your Excellency
knows him as the Duc de Richleau; or as Count von Königstein.” Then, with
startling suddenness, he added:

“He is neither! He is an
impostor!”

The Duke burst out
laughing, and his laughter was quite genuine. But Count Tisza did not regard it
as a laughing matter. Drawing himself up, he said icily:

“Major Ronge, you are
making a complete fool of yourself. You have my permission to leave us.”

The fat man made no move
towards the door. Instead, he turned to his companion, pointed at the Duke, and
said: “Now that you have seen him closer, do you confirm your identification of
him?”

Herr Höller nodded
lugubriously. “That’s him all right. With them slant-up eyebrows and thin hooky
nose, no one could mistake him.”

“Then,” declared Ronge, “it
is my duty to acquaint your Excellency with certain facts. Herr Höller is one
of our operatives normally stationed in Belgrade. He re-crossed the frontier
yesterday a few hours before it was closed, in order to give us the latest
information that he had gathered in the Serbian capital. When passing Sacher’s
Hotel this afternoon he chanced to see your Excellency’s guest enter it. On
inquiring from the porter he learned the names under which this individual
passes in Vienna. He at once reported to Headquarters that the same person was
living in Belgrade at the Hotel Continental for a short period in mid-May, and
a longer one towards the end of June; and that during both he was on intimate
terms with Serbian officers whom we know to have been leaders of the Black Hand.”

After a brief pause to
get his breath, the fat man hurried on: “Our interest was immediately aroused
because we already have on our files a statement made to my chief, General von
Ostromiecz, by this so-called Count Königstein. It is to the effect that during
a forty-eight-hour visit to Belgrade he learned
by chance
of the plot to assassinate the
Archduke, and records his efforts to prevent it. But this statement and Herr Höller’s
report do not tally. He is prepared to testify on oath that this individual was
in close association with Colonel Dimitriyevitch, Major Tankosić and
Captain Ciganović; all of whom are now known to us to have been concerned
in the plot.”

Count Tisza shrugged. “I
do not see that it matters in the least if my friend was in Belgrade for
forty-eight hours or a fortnight. It is nothing to do with us where he spent
his time during his absences from Vienna. He may have paid several visits to
Belgrade, and when making his statement not thought it worth while to mention
any but the last. As for Herr Höller, he has obviously allowed his imagination
to run away with him. The suggestion that this gentleman was mixed up with the
Black Hand is the most utter nonsense.”

“Your pardon, Excellency,
but I must disagree. In his statement he alleges that he learned of the
Sarajevo plot from a party of drunken officers at a cabaret called
Le Can-Can
on the night of Friday, the 26th of
June. That is not true. There was a fire at the cabaret on the previous night,
so on that of the 26th it was closed for repairs. Moreover, Herr Höller is a
very reliable agent. He is positive that this individual was on most friendly
terms with several prominent members of the Black Hand, and was working for
them. During his last stay in Belgrade he used to go every morning to the War
Office, and spend most of his day there.”

“And what do you conclude
from all this?”

“That he cannot possibly
be, as your Excellency supposes, either the Duc de Richleau or Count Königstein.”

“They are one and the
same person. But what leads you to suppose that he is an impostor?”

“Excellency, is it not obvious?”
The Major spread out a pair of plump hands. “Whoever he may be, it is beyond
dispute that he did his utmost to prevent the tragedy at Sarajevo. But how did
he obtain knowledge of the plot? Certainly not in the manner he has stated; and
Herr Höller’s report gives us the answer. He wormed his way into the confidence
of the Black Hand leaders and obtained work in the Serbian War Office. That he
should have betrayed them when he learned full details of the plot, makes it
clear that he was not in sympathy with them, and there is no reason to believe
him to be a Serbian. Therefore, he must be a professional secret agent. And in
all my experience I have never heard of a nobleman who became a spy.”

Count Tisza nodded. “Your
reasoning is certainly logical. But should you be right, it is his attempt to
save the Archduke that has led to this discovery; and it seems that he has
spied on our behalf, not against us.”

“True, Excellency. But
the point is that he is not one of our people; so he is most probably a free-lance.
Now that he is in Vienna, he may find out secrets which would be of great value
to our enemies. For example, in conversation with highly placed persons such as
your Excellency. That is why, immediately I learned from the porter at Sacher’s
that he had given this address to a taxi driver, I came here to place him under
arrest pending further inquiries.”

After a moment, Count
Tisza said: “I will go into this matter personally. If you and Herr Höller will
be good enough to go down into the hall, I will send for you after I have done
so.”

When the two officials
had left the room, the Count turned to De Richleau, fixed his steady glance
upon him, and asked: “What have you to say about all this?”

The Duke stood up, smiled
and shrugged his shoulders. “My dear Count, I cannot sufficiently apologize for
having caused you this inconvenience. They are, of course, completely at fault
in supposing that the titles by which I am known are not my own. I could
produce fifty
people
in Vienna who would vouch for that. Many of them knew my father and have known
me since I was a boy. As for the rest, even were they not in a position to
prove it, my honour would compel me to admit to you that they are right.”

Count Tisza’s eyes
widened. “But, Duke, this sounds incredible. How can a man of your distinction
possibly have brought himself to become a professional spy?”

“Hardly a professional,” De
Richleau said mildly. “Had I not been an amateur, I should probably have
thought up a story with fewer holes in it when I was asked to make a statement
to General von Ostromiecz and several other gentlemen who called on me at the
nursing home. But the story is a long one. If you wish to hear it, have I your
permission to sit down?”

“Of course.” The Count
motioned to him to resume his seat. Then, for the next forty minutes, De
Richleau related how certain people in London had persuaded him to investigate
the situation in Belgrade, and, for the first time, told the true story of his
adventures there. He ended by saying:

“So, you see, I was drawn
into this business much against my will. But, knowing what I do now, I am fully
convinced that I was right to undertake the mission. Had I only had the good
fortune to learn the intention of the conspirators a few hours earlier I might
have prevented the war. And that having been my sole object throughout, I feel
that I am entitled to retain your respect, if not your friendship.”

With a sigh, Count Tisza
said, “My dear Duke, you have both; and my whole-hearted admiration. It is an
amazing story, and one of which you may well be proud.”

De Richleau stood up and
offered his hand with a smile. “I thank you, Count; your good opinion means a
great deal to me. Now, I will not embarrass you with my presence further;
although I make no promise that I will go quietly with these two policemen once
I have left your house.”

The Count waved him back.
“Sit down a moment. Let us consider this matter a little further. I don’t doubt
your audacity and resource after what you have told me of that desperate affair
at Dimitriyevitch’s châlet. But it is unlikely that you could escape without
injuring Ronge and his friend, which would be regrettable, as they are only
doing their duty. What is more, I doubt if you could get very far before you
were recaptured. Our police are fairly efficient; and you must remember that
Austria is now in a state of war, so special precautions are being taken at all
our frontiers.”

“I would back myself to
get over any frontier.” De Richleau shrugged. “My difficulty is going to be in
breaking free before they can get me to a police station. Still, I shall have
to attempt it. What charge they intend to bring against me, I’ve no idea: but
in time of war all sorts of measures can be invoked as an excuse for locking up
a suspected individual, and I’ve no intention of allowing myself to be put
behind bars for an unspecified period if I can possibly avoid it.”

“Yes, I can well
understand your anxiety. If they detain you for even a few days, we may be at
war with England. Then they will put you in an internment camp as an enemy
alien for as long as hostilities last. All the same, I do not think it is a
good plan for you to attempt a breakaway.”

“I see no alternative.”

“The alternative is
simple. As one of the two Minister-Presidents of the Dual Monarchy, after the
authority of the Emperor, that of my colleague and myself is the highest in the
land. I have only to tell Major Ronge that I will be personally responsible for
you and send him about his business.”

De Richleau had been far
more worried than he had shown by the turn events had taken. Although he had
spoken lightly of it, he greatly doubted his ability to get away from the
police in the middle of the city: and, once in prison, he foresaw great
difficulties in getting out again. Smothering a sigh of relief, he said:

“Such a gesture would be
in keeping with your generous nature. I should always remember it with
gratitude, and I cannot think you would have mentioned it if you intended to
allow me to be arrested.”

Count Tisza laid a
friendly hand on his shoulder. “No, I will not let the police carry you off. On
the other hand, I do not think that I should be justified in allowing you to
return to England; and you must not take offence at what I am about to say. I
have your word that you will not repeat anything I have told you. As a person I
am entirely satisfied with that; but as a responsible official it is my duty to
take precautions that nothing you have recently learned in Vienna should reach
London until the crisis has resolved itself. I must ask you to give me your
parole d’honneur
not to leave Vienna without my
permission; although, of course, I will not withhold it in the event of any
definite indication that war between Britain and the Central Powers is about to
break out.”

The request was a reasonable
one. If things quietened down the Duke would have lost nothing by remaining,
while, if the worst was fated to happen, it would be obvious in a few days and
there would still be time for him to get out of Austria before he became liable
to arrest as an enemy alien. So, feeling that he had escaped from a most
dangerous predicament very lightly, he willingly gave the promise for which he
had been asked.

Major Ronge was summoned
and informed by the Minister-President of his decision. He appeared satisfied,
and withdrew. The two friends then had a final drink together, after which the
Duke walked back to Sacher’s with a very thankful sense of his continued
freedom.

He had intended to call
on Ilona at the palace the following morning and break the news to her that, in
view of the rising tension, he could delay his departure no longer, so meant to
start for England that night. But now, his promise to Count Tisza bound him to
remain until Britain either threatened or was threatened with war, and on that
the worsening relations between Russia and Austria had no immediate bearing.

The morning papers of the
30th all carried scare headlines announcing that on the previous day Russia had
ordered partial mobilization, which would bring the armies on her Austrian
frontier up to a war footing. But the Czar had deliberately refrained from
ordering mobilization in his territories adjacent to Germany, and the Kaiser
had responded to this pacific gesture by doing no more than proclaiming a ‘state
of preparation for war’, which committed him to nothing. Meanwhile, Sir Edward
Grey and nearly all the Ambassadors in the great capitals were striving
desperately to prevent the conflict spreading.

Although court mourning
for Franz Ferdinand was still in force, small private dinner parties were now
again being given, and for that evening the Duke had accepted an invitation to
dine with the Aulendorfs in their suite at Schönbrunn. As he had known she
would be, Ilona was present, and she was attended by her new lady-in-waiting,
Fraulein Marie Nopsca, next to whom he was seated at dinner.