Lie down with lions - Ken Follett [65]
“Ellis,” she said weakly. “What in heaven’s name are you doing here?”
“The same as you,” he said.
What did that mean? Spying? No, Ellis did not know what Jean-Pierre was.
Ellis saw Jane’s confused expression and said: “I mean I’m here to help the rebels.”
Would he find out about Jean-Pierre? Jane was suddenly afraid for her husband. Ellis might kill him—
“Who does the baby belong to?” Ellis said.
“Me. And Jean-Pierre. Her name is Chantal.” Jane saw that Ellis suddenly looked terribly sad. She realized he had been hoping to find her unhappy with her husband. Oh, God, I think he’s still in love with me, she thought. She tried to change the subject. “But how will you help the rebels?”
He hefted his bag. It was a large, sausage-shaped thing of khaki canvas, like an old-fashioned soldier’s kit bag. “I’m going to teach them how to blow up roads and bridges,” he said. “So, you see, in this war I’m on the same side as you.”
But not the same side as Jean-Pierre, she thought. What will happen now? The Afghans did not for one moment suspect Jean-Pierre, but Ellis was trained in the ways of deception. Sooner or later he would guess what was going on. “How long are you going to be here?” she asked him. If it was a short stay he might not have time to develop suspicions.
“For the summer,” he said imprecisely.
Perhaps he would not spend much time around Jean-Pierre. “Where will you live?” she asked him.
“In this village.”
“Oh.”
He heard the disappointment in her voice and gave a wry smile. “I guess I shouldn’t have expected you to be glad to see me. . . .”
Jane’s mind was racing ahead. If she could make Jean-Pierre quit, he would be in no further danger. Suddenly she felt able to confront him. Why is that? she wondered. It’s because I’m not afraid of him anymore. Why am I not afraid of him? Because Ellis is here.
I hadn’t realized I was afraid of my husband.
“On the contrary,” she said to Ellis, thinking: how cool I am! “I’m happy you’re here.”
There was a silence. Ellis clearly did not know what to make of Jane’s reaction. After a moment he said: “Uh, I have a lot of explosives and stuff somewhere in this zoo. I’d better get to it.”
Jane nodded. “Okay.”
Ellis turned away and disappeared into the melee. Jane walked slowly out of the courtyard, feeling a little stunned. Ellis was here, in the Five Lions Valley, and apparently still in love with her.
As she reached the shopkeeper’s house, Jean-Pierre came out. He had stopped there on his way to the mosque, probably to put away his medical bag. Jane was not sure what to say to him. “The convoy brought someone you know,” she began.
“A European?”
“Yes.”
“Well, who?”
“Go and see. You’ll be surprised.”
He hurried off. Jane went inside. What would Jean-Pierre do about Ellis? she wondered. Well, he would want to tell the Russians. And the Russians would want to kill Ellis.
The thought made her angry. “There is to be no more killing!” she said aloud. “I will not permit it!” Her voice made Chantal cry. Jane rocked her and she became quiet.
What am I going to do about it? thought Jane.
I have to stop him getting in touch with the Russians.
How?
His contact can’t meet him here in the village. So all I have to do is keep Jean-Pierre here.
I’ll say to him: You must promise not to leave the village. If you refuse I’ll tell Ellis that you’re a spy and he will make sure you don’t leave the village.
Suppose Jean-Pierre makes the promise, then breaks it?
Well, I would know he had gone out of the village, and I would know he was meeting his contact, and I could then warn Ellis.
Has he any other way of communicating with the Russians?
He must have some means of getting in touch with them in an emergency.
But there are no phones here, no mail, no courier service, no carrier pigeons—
He must have a radio.
If he has a radio