Free The Care of Time by Eric Ambler Page A

would myself say only that what you call your dignity has been a little injured. Yes, that’s it, eh? You will calm down.’
    ‘You think so? Where are we going?’
    ‘To meet Dr Luccio in a safe house.’
    ‘Safe house is a jargon term used by intelligence services. Does Luccio belong to one?’
    ‘Safe houses are used by all organizations and groups engaged in covert and clandestine operations, and especially by organizations with a particular need to defend themselves against enemy penetration.’ She sounded as if she was quoting from an instruction manual.
    ‘In Dr Luccio’s case, which enemy would that be? The anti-terrorism people, the kidnapping specialists or the bunco squad?’
    She fielded the insult with another shrug. ‘Oh, we have nothing to fear from the police. Our enemy is far more dangerous.’
    ‘Who is this enemy, then? The PLO, the Red Brigades, the PFLP? Who?’
    ‘If you need to know about them, Dr Luccio will tell you.’ She gave a sharp order in their private language and the driver switched off the roof-light.
    Obviously she was also trying to switch me off. I stayed on. ‘Was this enemy the reason why I couldn’t leave the hotel by walking out through the front doorway? Would he, or they, have tried to stop me?’
    ‘They know you are here and they know why. They would certainly have followed you, whether I was there or not. The safe house would have been compromised. By acting immediately, the moment you arrived, we gave them no time to complete full and effective surveillance. In all covert or clandestine work every opportunity to forestall and confuse the opposition is always to be taken.’ Another quotation.
    ‘Is writing a book in Italy clandestine work?’
    ‘The writing of Dr Luccio’s book will be done underconditions of the most strict security, Mr Halliday. Didn’t Pacioli make that clear to you?’
    ‘He explained that you, Miss Chihani, acting as an intermediary, would be issuing orders on the subject of security, yes. I didn’t say that I would obey them. And you still haven’t given me the shadow of a reason why you had to attack me physically. If you needed my co-operation why didn’t you just say so and ask for it?’
    ‘It would have been necessary to explain.’
    ‘Isn’t that what intermediaries are supposed to do? Communicate and explain? If you’d asked me nicely I’d have gone down with you in the service elevator. Why
didn’t
you ask? Because you like using muscle? Because you enjoy it?’
    ‘You’re answering your own questions, Mr Halliday,’ she replied calmly. ‘If I had asked you would have argued, objected and demanded explanations. You would have done, in fact, just what you are doing now. Then, I had no time to spare for your games. Now, it doesn’t matter what you do or say. The operation is going according to plan.’
    ‘
Your
plan?’
    ‘Yes, but I am only carrying out Dr Luccio’s orders. The orders are to take you to the safe house without compromising its security. Later, after Dr Luccio has talked with you, learned how you respond to operational stresses and made his own assessment of your reliability, more convenient security routines may be established.’
    We were in heavy stop-and-go traffic. The minibus jolted forward again jarring my shoulder painfully.
    I said: ‘Supposing I decide that I’ve already had more than enough operational stress for today, and that unless I’m taken back to my hotel immediately I shall consider my contract to help Dr Luccio write a book null and void? What do your orders say about that, Miss Chihani?’
    She had just put a cigarette in her mouth and had a lighter raised. So that I could have the full benefit of her thinking and feelings about me, she removed the cigarette and lowered the lighter before answering. ‘I would say several things, MrHalliday. First, that you have already been paid a lot of money without having yet done a thing for it. Second, that Dr Luccio wishes to see you