Passenger to Frankfurt - Agatha Christie [58]
‘I thought they were sent from Russia.’
‘–And from Russia they went to Prague. The whole thing’s mad.’
‘I don’t understand,’ said Sir George, ‘one wonders–’
‘Somewhere there seems to be some central organization which is directing the supplies of various things. Planes, armaments, bombs, both explosive and those that are used in germ warfare. All these consignments are moving in unexpected directions. They are delivered by various cross-country routes to trouble-spots, and used by leaders and regiments–if you like to call them that–of the Youth Power. They mostly go to the leaders of young guerrilla movements, professed anarchists who preach anarchy, and accept–though one doubts if they ever pay for–some of the latest most up-to-date models.’
‘Do you mean to say we’re facing something like war on a world scale?’ Cedric Lazenby was shocked.
The mild man with the Asiatic face who sat lower down at the table, and had not yet spoken, lifted up his face with the Mongolian smile, and said:
‘That is what one is now forced to believe. Our observations tell us–’
Lazenby interrupted.
‘You’ll have to stop observing. UNO will have to take arms itself and put all this down.’
The quiet face remained unmoved.
‘That would be against our principles,’ he said.
Colonel Munro raised his voice and went on with his summing up.
‘There’s fighting in some parts of every country. South-East Asia claimed Independence long ago and there are four, five different divisions of power in South America, Cuba, Peru, Guatemala and so on. As for the United States, you know Washington was practically burned out–the West is overrun with Youth Power Armed Forces–Chicago is under Martial Law. You know about Sam Cortman? Shot last night on the steps of the American Embassy here.’
‘He was to attend here today,’ said Lazenby. ‘He was going to have given us his views of the situation.’
‘I don’t suppose that would have helped much,’ said Colonel Munro. ‘Quite a nice chap–but hardly a live wire.’
‘But who’s behind all this?’ Lazenby’s voice rose fretfully.
‘It could be the Russians, of course–’ He looked hopeful. He still envisaged himself flying to Moscow.
Colonel Munro shook his head. ‘Doubt it,’ he said.
‘A personal appeal,’ said Lazenby. His face brightened with hope. ‘An entirely new sphere of influence. The Chinese…?’
‘Nor the Chinese,’ said Colonel Munro. ‘But you know there’s been a big revival in Neo-Fascism in Germany.’
‘You don’t really think the Germans could possibly…’
‘I don’t think they’re behind all this necessarily, but when you say possibly–yes, I think possibly they easily could. They’ve done it before, you know. Prepared things years before, planned them, everything ready, waiting for the word GO. Good planners, very good planners. Staff work excellent. I admire them, you know. Can’t help it.’
‘But Germany seemed to be so peaceful and well run.’
‘Yes, of course it is up to a point. But do you realize, South America is practically alive with Germans, with young Neo-Fascists, and they’ve got a big Youth Federation there. Call themselves the Super-Aryans, or something of that kind. You know, a bit of the old stuff still, swastikas and salutes, and someone who’s running it, called the Young Wotan or the Young Siegfried or something like that. Lot of Aryan nonsense.’
There was a knock on the door and the secretary entered.
‘Professor Eckstein is here, sir.’
‘We’d better have him in,’ said Cedric Lazenby. ‘After all, if anyone can tell us what our latest research weapons are, he’s the man. We may have something up our sleeve that can soon put an end to all this nonsense.’ Besides being a professional traveller to foreign parts in the rôle of peacemaker, Mr Lazenby had an incurable fund of optimism seldom justified by results.
‘We could do with a good secret weapon,’ said the Air Marshal hopefully.
Professor Eckstein, considered by many to be Britain’s top scientist, when you first looked at him seemed