Free The Balkan Assignment by Joe Poyer

thermos. "The best I could do. She looks terrible, but doesn't leak . . . too much."
    "I suppose that's the most you can ask for out here," I admitted. Seen closeup, the fishing boat was even worse. Once, long ago, to judge by the way the wood was weathered to the same shade of gray, the calque had smacked something mighty hard. A rough patch had been applied to the forepeak, about halfway up from the water line, and the edges sealed with pitch. The deck was littered with poorly coiled lines and two empty water barrels leaned drunkenly against the foremast. I could almost smell the scum coating their sides.
    "No wonder the owner doesn't ask questions. With that for rent, I wouldn't care if it was ever brought back."
    "It will serve," Maher said shortly. "Have you found the trouble yet?" I nodded. "It's the fuel pump. The diaphragm and housing are both cracked. The whole thing will have to be replaced. I'll go up to the village after I put it back together and find a phone."
    Maher nodded slowly. "That will take more time." "Why, any trouble?"
    "No. Not as yet. We are issued a three-week visa, which should be more than ample. They were a bit sticky at first until I mentioned that we were having engine trouble. After that, it was no trouble at all. In fact, they were quite interested in the aircraft."
    "Who is they?" I wanted to know, suddenly apprehensive. I glanced at Mikhail, but he was sipping his coffee, unconcerned with the conversation.
    "A Major Vishailly . . . the head of the Customs Department, I suppose . .."
    "Oh, hell."
    Maher scowled. "Why do you say that?"
    I hooked a thumb at Mikhail. "Ask your trouble-prone friend. He can tell you all about Vishailly, beginning with the fact that he is not a customs official, but the deputy head of the Security Police for the Dalmatian district."
    Maher stared at me for a minute and then turned slowly to Mikhail.
    "Is this true, what Chris is saying?"
    Mikhail peered into the bottom of his cup and then tossed the dregs into the water before answering. "Yes. He is the Prefecture of the Security Police for the district of Dalmatia."
    "How do you know?" Maher's voice was taking on a steel edge. "How do you know that?
    " he repeated.
    "I had a small bit of trouble with him a few days ago. Nothing that will interfere with us here. It is strictly of a personal nature."
    "How personal?"
    When Mikhail did not answer right away, I put in sat-castically, "He took the nice policeman's girl away while the nice policeman was out of town. And, the nice policeman didn't like it at all."
    "What else?" Maher demanded without taking his eyes from Mikhail.
    "That's all I know. Vishailly was down here earlier this evening to look us over. When he saw Mikhail, he turned all different kinds of red and purple and went away in a huff." Maher sat staring very hard at Mikhail for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders and poured his own cup of coffee. "Then perhaps it is purely personal. There is nothing to worry about if it just woman trouble. It is a way of life in the Balkans."
    "Like hell it is, Klaus," I snorted. "Anything that brings the cops down on us at this particular time means trouble up to and including five years in a Yugoslav prison. Like you also said, feuds over women are a way of life around here. And usually someone gets himself killed. No! We haven't got time to spare while Mikhail and this Vishailly square off in some dark alley. We have to be out of here inside of a week . . ."
    "All right, Chris, drop the subject."
    "Come on, Klaus, something . . ."
    "I said drop it, Chris." Maher was angry, and right. If there was one thing we did not need then, it was fighting among ourselves.
    "All right," I agreed. "I won't say anything more. But I think it best if Mikhail steers clear of both Vishailly and his girl friend."
    "I will decide if that is necessary," Mikhail rasped. "Mind your own business and I will take care of mine."
    Maher swung round on Mikhail for the second time and now his