Against the Brotherhood (23 page)

McMillian regarded me doubtfully. “Would it do any good?”

“I cannot guarantee it, but it may avoid attention that could ... compromise your mission,” I said as boldly as I dared.

If McMillian thought I had stepped out of line, he did not say so. “That might be wisest,” he said, as if satisfied that he would not have to sully himself dealing with underlings. He rounded on the guard. “Put yourself at my man’s disposal and I will take your remorse into consideration when I make my report on this incident.”

“If that is what you want,
mein Herr,”
said the guard, looking more hangdog than before.

“It is what you have created for yourself, sir,” said McMillian. “And should you ever be permitted such a duty as this again, remember what your poor judgment has brought about here.”

The guard did not salute, but his dejection was so complete that McMillian was satisfied without it.

I realized that before we reached the next stop I would have to have a word with Mycroft Holmes.

FROM THE PERSONAL JOURNAL OF PHILIP TYERS:

When I returned from hospital this evening, Inspector Cornell had brought a number of written questions for M.H. to answer, and was not pleased at being put off. I cannot admit that M.H. is out of the country, and I suspect that Cornell would not believe me in any case. He insists he must speak with M.H. tomorrow, and will not accept that this is impossible. I have claimed that press of work for the Admiralty has claimed all his attention, and that the work is intended to avert a crisis on the Continent, which is true enough, but the Inspector will not be willing to make allowances for this excuse much longer. I will be grateful when word comes from M.H. again and I will have some notion as to when I may expect him to return. If I can provide Cornell with a time when he can put his questions to M.H. in person, much of his impatience will fade, I am certain of it.

Edmund Sutton is now positive he is being watched and has taken every precaution he and M.H. arranged four years ago to be certain they are not compromised and their purpose discovered.

“I DON’T LIKE IT,”
said Mycroft Holmes as he drew his heavy dressing robe more tightly around him. “You were right to inform me before you spoke to anyone else.”

“I am supposed to be speaking to the conductor. But I could not do that without passing through your car, in any case. I will have to do it fairly quickly, however,” I said with an uneasy glance over my shoulder, as if I expected to be pursued by the still-irate McMillian—which, to some degree, I did.

“I can’t imagine that McMillian is taking this well,” he said fatalistically. “He would not let such an opportunity to display his importance go by.” He sighed. “We will take on water in another hour or so. There is no telegraph that I know of at that stop, so I may have to send Kreutzer off on an errand from there. I may do it, in any case,” he went on enigmatically. He placed the tips of his long fingers together, and continued in a contemplative manner. “It must be either the Brotherhood or the Golden Lodge. They are the ones who would have the greatest access to those working on the railroads, and would be able to enlist their support without any difficulty. And you saw the emblem on the stationmaster’s fob.”

“Are you certain of that? That it must be German?” I asked, thinking that there were countries that would find it to their advantage to compromise this treaty.

“Yes. Most railroad employees would not endanger their salaries by dealing with foreigners. It is not a German thing to do, given the German character.” He slapped his hands together. “Therefore the skullduggery is internal, a matter among Germans. Which is more than sufficient to endanger all our months of negotiations.”

“What do you want me to do?” I asked, thinking that I was treading a very uncertain path, with unseen traps all around me. I was not wholly convinced that Mycroft Holmes fully understood the gravity of the matter, but I would have to rely on him utterly, for all other advice that might be offered to me was twice-tainted.

“Speak to the conductor first, and make note of his demeanor. If
he is truly surprised to learn of this occurrence, permit him to assign you another guard. If you are not entirely satisfied that the man had no knowledge or suspicion that this attempt might be made, then say you will summon assistance when we reach Karlsruhe.”

“And how am I to convince McMillian that this is a wise course?” I asked, rather more testily than I intended.

“Appeal to his vanity, of course. Say that his mission is too important for mere railroad guards. Tell him you doubt that any of the railroad guards have enough comprehension of his significance to protect him with sufficient care.” Mycroft Holmes had a smile that was disquietingly reminiscent of a wolf pursuing prey. He wore it now. “In fact, you might plan to take that tack, in any case. Kreutzer can arrange for it. You will have the new guard in time to be with you when you change trains for Mainz.”

“That is an obvious ploy, sir,” I remarked.

Mycroft Holmes nodded in quick approval. “Exactly. And for that reason will more likely be accepted. McMillian would not expect anything so clumsy from those he fancies are his enemies.”

“It would not be good for me if McMillian discerned my purpose,” I said, letting my doubts show.

“Then all the more reason for you to be at pains so that he will not.” His lupine smiled returned. “Men like McMillian make very biddable tools if you will only use their weaknesses as strengths.”

I bowed slightly, wondering if this philosophy extended to me. “I will endeavor to keep your instructions in mind.”

Holmes chuckled. “Don’t cut up rough, Guthrie. It isn’t my practice to make tools of men. I need those about me whom I can trust and whose integrity is impeccable.” He beetled his brow. “You’re certain about the second glass and the kirschwasser?”

“Absolutely, sir,” I said with conviction.

He nodded. “I was afraid you were. If you wonder, your observation serves to confirm my opinion of your excellence, and I fear sets the seal of doubt on ... another.”

Was he, I asked myself, flattering me or telling me the truth? Or perhaps some of both? In spite of my uncertainties, I let myself be persuaded for the time being, and I left the private car and went in search of the conductor in order to lodge the complaint for McMillian. After a brief conversation with that worthy we agreed that a special guard would join McMillian at Karlsruhe and travel with us.

“For I don’t mind telling you,” said the conductor as we finished our dealing. “That man who employs you is a difficult and demanding one.”

At that moment, as I agreed with the conductor, I thought such could be said, and justifiably, of both Cameron McMillian and Mycroft Holmes.

By the time I had got back to McMillian, it was after midnight, and he was cranky with lack of sleep. I recommended he have a brandy, to take the edge off. I did not want to have to deal with him in the morning if he passed the night unhappily: he would be hard enough to deal with as it was.

“A good notion, Jeffries,” said McMillian, who was still preening over the idea of having a special guard sent to accompany him, though he also complained that it should have been offered to him in the first place. “A brandy would be just the thing. But the waiter isn’t available at this hour, is he?”

“I will attend to it, sir,” I said, thinking I would avail myself of some of Mycroft Holmes’ supply in the private car. It would be the least he could do.

I found Holmes preparing a dispatch to go with Kreutzer, saying as he sealed it, “I will anticipate your return telegram at the next regular stop. Tell me to whom you have reported and who is the person we are to have as escort. Use the code words I have given you so that we can have no spies foisted upon us.”

“Of course,” said Kreutzer with a sharp salute as he took the dispatch and tucked it into the inner pocket of his tunic. His young face burned with zeal and efficiency. “I will also forward a full report to your Admiralty, as you have requested.”

“Thank you,” said Holmes, accepting the salute and motioning the cadet to leave us. “Now then, Guthrie,” Holmes continued when Kreutzer was gone, “what do you want to tell me this time? And I trust it is not that Kreutzer is a spy from the Golden Lodge, for that has been apparent since he first presented himself to me.”

“He is?” I asked, feeling either very foolish or quite astonished. “But you said—”

“Yes, yes, because he was listening,” said my employer impatiently. “And as such he will serve my purpose well enough. I wanted to alert the Golden Lodge to the possibility of the Brotherhood attempting to seize the treaty from this train. But now I am just as glad to have him away from me. There are too many things he could overhear.”

“Do you mean I have spoken out of turn?” I felt stung, for I could not imagine it was my duty to have guarded my tongue when Mycroft Holmes made it apparent he expected me to speak candidly.

“No, of course not,” he responded. “I mean only that I did not want him to realize I am aware of his purpose.”

“What told you he was one from the Golden Lodge?” I asked. “So I will know what to look for in the future.”

“It was his careful attention to all I said in relation to the Brotherhood. He made several attempts to engage me in conversation concerning their activities, with the pretense that he wished to understand the whole of his duties to me.” His chuckle was not at all friendly.

“Might that not have been the simple truth?” I suggested.

“It might have been, had I not observed him purloin one of my pages of notes detailing what is known of the Brotherhood’s activities in Bavaria.” He regarded me severely. “He knew precisely what he was looking for, and made away with it very neatly. I reckon he will pass the information on to his superiors in the organization as soon as possible.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. It does not seem sufficient to me.”

“In time, Guthrie, you will develop a sense about these things, and will know what to look for.” He looked at my face critically. “That bruise is getting ugly, and you should clean that wound on your forehead before you retire tonight. I will supply you with iodine and peroxide for the purpose.”

Until he reminded me, I forgot how much damaged my face was. I put my hand to the welt along my forehead. “Thank you. It would not do to have this become infected,” I said with an edge to my voice.

Which, apparently, Mycroft Holmes did not hear. “No, it would not.” He went to his cases and took out a small leather satchel. “You will find what you need in here. Oh, and you may want to reaffix the—uh—scar over your eye, in case there is any attempt to—”

“To what?” I interjected. “Throw me off the train?” As I said this I became aware that the train was slowing down.

“We take on water here,” said Mycroft Holmes. “And Cadet Kreutzer leaves us. After all, you don’t want him rummaging about in McMillian’s things again, do you?”

“You mean it was
Kreutzer who
broke into the compartment and tried to take the treaty?” I could not take this in.

“He would not have succeeded in his task, I assure you, even if he had found the map case.” He patted the side of his coat, and I realized my employer was armed.

It startled me that he knew about the map case. But then I decided I must have mentioned something to him about it, or he had learned of it from McMillian himself, while at Madame Isolde’s. “He was the one who attempted the search, then?”

“And quite inexpertly” was the answer. “He barely unlocked the door when he was discovered.”

“That would mean it was he who put McMillian on the alert, and caused him to search his own luggage.” I was hoping to make some sense of all this, but I was not succeeding. I recalled it was McMillian’s activities that had roused me, so it was possible Kreutzer had been in the compartment first. This thought turned round and round in my mind, but I could glean nothing from it.

“Is there anything else, dear boy?” asked Holmes at his blandest.

“A double tot of brandy, so that McMillian will sleep the night away. He is so keyed up now that I suspect another shock would pop him out of his skin.” I knew that some of that emotion affected me as well.

“Take what you want, Guthrie,” offered Holmes. “And if you will look on the lowest shelf, you will see four small bottles without labels. The liqueur inside is a deep green. It is made in Bavaria and it should help you sleep without discomfort tonight. The monks at an old Benedictine monastery make it to give to exhausted travelers. One bottle should do you. The taste is not unpleasant.”

The train was almost stopped now, and I could feel the sway of the car. I did as he told me and retrieved the bottle, then poured out a hefty portion of brandy into a simple glass, taking care not to spill anything. “Thank you, sir. I will see you in the morning.”

“Very good, Guthrie; sleep well. You’ve earned it,” he said, and waved me out of his presence.

As I made my way back to McMillian’s compartment, I saw Kreutzer leave the train and rush toward the siding where an old-fashioned phaeton was drawn up, two restive horses harnessed in line. The driver saluted as Kreutzer sprang into the passenger seat. Then a great cloud of steam obscured the window and by the time it cleared, Kreutzer and the carriage were gone.

McMillian was fidgeting as I came through the door, and he greeted my return with a look of extreme annoyance. “You took long enough.”

“I thought it would be best to gain the cooperation of the old man by telling him the urgency of your mission, sir,” I said, annoyed that this self-important fellow required so much flattery. “He allowed me to take a double measure for you, realizing that your work is of such moment.”

This mollified McMillian. “Very good, Jeffries. Yes, very good.” He took the glass I proffered, sniffing it critically. “And a good brandy, at that. Not that I would expect a military hero to have less than the best.” He took a long sip. “How long are we going to be here?”

“Until the train has sufficient water, I suppose,” I said.

“There is no chance of the train being boarded here, is there?” His apprehension would have been comical in less desperate situations. “You will have to keep watch for me, until we have the new guard assigned to us in Karlsruhe.”

“I will attend to it, sir,” I said, and as I did wondered what provision Mycroft Holmes had made for our protection during the night. There would be something, I was convinced of it.

“Good man, Jeffries.” He scrutinized me briefly. “You are not a very prepossessing chap, but I am beginning to think that I had the better bargain when Angus left me and you came to my service.”

I could not keep from remembering Angus, dying terribly in that cellar. My God, I thought, was that only a night ago? I bowed once and hoped that all I had seen in the last days would not crowd in on me all night.

“Off you go, then. I will expect you to arrange a breakfast for me before eight.”

With a mixture of gratitude and annoyance, I left him to return to my comfortless compartment to clean my injured forehead and then let the grassy-tasting liqueur ease me into sleep.

FROM THE PERSONAL JOURNAL OF PHILIP TYERS: