The Rainbow Affair - McDaniel David - Страница 27

"You well may," said Napoleon. "You do have some security devices around, though you lack television surveillance of the entire interior. Just simple electric eyes?"

"Infrared sensitive photoelectric cell in strategic locations, Mr. Solo. Other areas have conductance-balanced fields around them, so that if anything moves, it triggers a signal.

"Incidentally, our commissary here is quite good. We were fortunate enough to procure the services of a man trained as a cook by the Royal Submarine Service, and our cuisine, despite the limitations of our galley, is among the best in this quarter of England."

"What do you do for entertainment?"

Rainbow chuckled. "The usual things, I'm afraid. We watch the telly evenings, and play bridge. We have a projector and a few films. Actually, this island is still rather a hardship post, because of the isolation. And it is run like a flagship, to be honest. The fixed flagship of my army." He enjoyed the mixed phrase a moment. "We have no uniforms, you will notice," he continued seriously. "Many of our workers have unpleasant associations connected with them. Besides, the informality of appearance is unimportant. They are all independent workers, voluntarily united under my orders."

He leaned forward across his desk. "This is what I have now that Thrush cannot give me. The knowledge that I have earned the trust and respect of these men. Thrush seeks to command by fear, sir, and I will not cooperate with that. The strongest impression I have gotten from my few contacts with the representative of Thrush has been one of depersonalization. In the men I have seen - I call them men, though they acted more like robots - there seemed an absolute lack of individuality. Even if, as has been indicated, this is characteristic of local operatives more than most, any organization that must ever instill such qualities in its workers holds no place for me!"

He leaned back in his chair, silent at the end of his statement, and clipped the tip from a cigar. He looked from Napoleon to Illya, where they sat silent, considering. And suddenly he smiled again.

"Was that what you came five thousand miles to hear? I have no intention of cooperation with Thrush. They are fighting against everything I respect: freedom, individual initiative, the differences between all people. Damme, sir - they're un-English."

He blew a blue cloud of cigar smoke, and rose to his feet. "Would you care to join me for lunch before we tour the premises?"

Illya shifted his weight, preparatory to getting up. "If it's not too much to ask, why are you showing us every thing if you're only going to erase it? Just showing off?"

"Not entirely, Mr. Kuryakin. I am expecting some form of communication from Thrush, and I will want you to hear and consider it while in full possession of your faculties. Now come along with me. The first setting of lunch will be ready shortly, and you should see the galley in operation."

Chapter 14

How The Man In The Gray Suit Appeared Once More, and a Treaty of Necessity Was Made.

SHORTLY AFTER LUNCH they finished a brief tour, and returned to Rainbow's office. Here he produced for their inspection several of the devices Thrush had sent him.

"This is designed for the smuggling of small valuable items past any customs system in the world. It looks like a torch cell, and is carried in a torch."

"An old gag," said Illya. "If the flashlight doesn't work, they check the batteries."

"So old no one would be likely to try it. Except that this one works. Built into one end is a 1-1/2 volt mercury cell. The body of the case is lead-shielded to protect film from fogging. Film, by the way, is always sent exposed but unprocessed. Unless the container is opened in a darkroom, the information is destroyed."

He set the battery back on the counter and moved on. "We have seen some of Thrush's current attempts to maintain technical superiority. Now over here is an eavesdropping device which…"

A bell chimed softly, and Rainbow turned. On a ground glass plate in the wall a picture appeared, in somewhat hazy color, of a small power launch approaching. The scene was distorted as if seen through a long telephoto lens.

"Another unannounced visitor," said Johnnie Rainbow. "I wonder who else has developed a sudden interest in my ocean hideaway."

"I thought you didn't have television," said Napoleon.

"Come now!" said Rainbow. "This is merely a projection of the view seen by the periscope above the top of the light tower. It is manually guided by a lookout whom I can reach on the intercom system." He touched a button on the desk. "Bert, do you have a higher magnification?"

A second later the view seemed to flip over and was replaced by a flattened, hazy, slightly quivering shot of the cockpit. "Thank you," said Rainbow. "Hold on the cockpit."

He walked over to the ground glass and looked at it very closely while Napoleon and Illya looked at each other. Perhaps he didn't have television, but he got along all right. The Russian muttered, "Just as I thought. It's all done with mirrors."

Rainbow paid no attention to them. He studied the unsteady image for several seconds, and then nodded. "It's the Thrush representative. I met him officially once, in the City, and I've had him watched off and on for some time. He's been trying to talk to me again. Apparently he has decided on a direct approach. Well, I suppose I'll have to let him in."

He ordered the picture of the wall to a full shot again, and had the boat tracked visually all the way to the dock. As it was coming in, and for a minute thereafter, he spoke quickly to Napoleon and Illya as they got to their feet.

"The Thrush has been becoming increasingly importunate in the last few weeks, and frankly I am beginning to be somewhat concerned. You will probably find it educational to watch the proceedings. Through that door you will find a short stairway leading to an observational post where you will be able to survey the room and hear all that transpires. I hope I can trust you not to betray your presence."

They went up the stairs to a slightly cramped cubby hole somehow fitted into the structure of the office. Gauze-covered windows allowed them to view the room below through sections of the molding, and sound reached them clearly. They crouched, and watched.

Rainbow returned to his desk, looked carefully around the room, and checked the observers with a glance. He sat as a bell chimed, and rose again as the door beneath the spy-hole opened and the Thrush came in.

From overhead, he appeared as a faultless gray bowler, which he doffed as he entered. His hair was black, graying slightly, and thin. Johnnie Rainbow invited him to sit in one of the deep form-fitting chairs, and he placed his briefcase beside it and carefully perched on the edge.

"Let us get directly to business," he began. "We have reason to believe that two agents of the U.N.C.L.E. infiltrated your island in the storm last night. We also assume that you captured them. Now we would like you to turn them over to us."

Rainbow looked at him with an expression of injured disbelief. "Infiltrators he said. "On Donzerly? Ridiculous!"

"Two men, one fair, one dark. Will you claim that they are still here undetected?"

Stung by the implied insult, Rainbow snapped, "Sir, my security is unparalleled. A ghost could not penetrate without detection."

The Thrush nodded. "Then you have them. What would you like in return for them? I am authorized to offer you a fifteen-passenger hydraulic lift, completely installed and maintained, for these men."