Free The spies of warsaw by Alan Furst Page A

unpersuaded."
    "Mm. And how do you come to be here tonight, Pana Szarbek?"
    "I'm accompanying Colonel Mercier. He's over there, by the
    pillar."
    "Then you must live in the city."
    "Yes, I do, major."
    "I wondered. You see, when I'm done with the army for the day,
    I'm something of an artist; that's my real passion in life. So, allow me
    to say that you would make a superb model, for a life drawing. Truly,
    superb."
    Mercier shook hands with Colonel Vyborg and said, "How goes the
    visit?"
    "Not too badly. This afternoon I had a talk with Habich's
    assistant--you know Habich?"
    "I've met him."
    "The best armaments designer in Europe. Anyhow, his assistant
    believes that if we buy this worm of an R-Thirty-five, the engineers
    can do something to improve it."
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    "That's encouraging. Are they thinking about numbers?"
    "No, not yet. We need to get our hands on one of them and
    Habich's people will tear it to pieces, then we'll see what can be done,
    and then we'll talk about numbers."
    "So, you're with the League of Nations." The woman was in her seventies, Anna thought; her husband, with grand white cavalry mustaches, at least in his eighties. "Such a hopeful notion, my dear, really.
    A league, of nations ! How far we've come, in this dreadful world. My
    husband here, the general, was the late-life son of a colonel in the
    Hussars. In 1852, that was. A great hero, my husband's father, he
    fought in the Battle of Leipzig and was decorated for bravery--we still
    have the medal."
    "At Leipzig, really."
    "That's right, my dear, with Napoleon."
    "At last," Mercier said, appearing at Anna's side. "It's time for dinner.
    Are you hungry?"
    "Yes. I had a little caviar."
    "You seem to have found people to talk to, I kept an eye on you."
    "All sorts of people. I met a major who asked me to pose for a life
    drawing."
    "The hound. And will you?"
    "Oh certainly, wouldn't miss it. I think I'll need a feather boa. Or
    maybe not."
    From the table, a woman called out, "Colonel Mercier? You're
    over here."
    "Thank you." Mercier drew back a gilded chair and Anna seated
    herself, brushing her dress forward as she sat. "Here's the menu," he
    said.
    Anna hunted around in her evening bag and came up with a pair
    of gold-rimmed spectacles. "At last, I can see."
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    The grand menu--both hands required--was printed in spidery
    italic, with gold cord and tassel down the middle, and simply named
    the courses to be served. As he watched her reading, it occurred to
    Mercier that Anna's long, searching glances were precisely that--not
    personality, myopia. "There's sole meuniere," he said. "I've had that
    here, and it's good. Then a roast. Abundant, the roast."
    "Abundant is the word," she said. "Six courses."
    "That's the Europejski. And you should at least taste the wines,
    the cellar is famous."
    From Anna, a wry smile. Champagne, three wines--imagine.
    "Yes," Mercier said, falling in with her mood, "all of it rich and
    elaborate. And be sure to leave room for the tangerine flan."
    On Mercier's right, the placement card said Madame de Michaux : a
    formidable woman, with low-cut neckline and a circle of rubies at her
    heavy throat. Evidently, she'd also read his card. "Mercier de Boutillon," she mused. "And your home, where is that?"
    "Down in the Drome, about an hour from Montelimar."
    "I believe there's an Albertine, Mercier de Boutillon, in Paris. Is
    that the same family?"
    "My cousin. A friend of yours?"
    "Well, we've met. My husband is on the Renault board of directors, also the opera. I believe that's how I know her. A very engaging
    woman, a collector of certain antiquities--is that so?"
    "It is. Objets, in onyx. Mostly cameos, I believe."
    "You must tell her we sat together, at a dinner in Warsaw. Amusing, no?"
    "Certainly I will, the next time I'm in Paris."
    "Do you