The Last Ring-bearer - Kirill Yeskov [129]
"Do you at least realize that this psycho and his vendetta will bury Marandil in a day or two, together with Operation Sirocco?"
"I'm afraid Tangorn's no psycho, nor is this a vendetta; we're just unable to figure out his plan. Amazing, but this amateur keeps winning round after round! It's enough to make one believe that he's being assisted by Higher Powers…"
"All right, enough mysticism. How's our captain doing?"
"If the baron intended to break him, he has fully succeeded. Aravan's written testimony just about finished the poor guy off: he swears that he gave no such order and that all this is news to him. This is like delirious ravings… Perhaps that elfinar will clear things up some once we find him."
"Leave Algali alone!" Almandin snapped. "He's got nothing to do with making your agent Marandil safe. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" the operative answered, looking down gloomily.
Once again he hit the same wall. When two years ago he put his first report on the proElvish organizations in Umbar on the Director's desk, he was ordered to immediately halt all work in that direction and deactivate already planted agents. Ever since then he regularly came across traces of those secret societies, like mouse droppings in an old cupboard, yet every time he was told not to stick his fink's snout into high politics: "This is Dimitriadis's job." It seemed plausible that the Vice-Director of Political Intelligence was simultaneously being told "This is Jacuzzi's job," but this guess was quite impossible to verify: private consultations between Vice-Directors (as well as any such contacts between employees outside of their chain of command) were strictly forbidden by the Department's rules and were punished as deviations from umberto. Very well, he decided at some point with relief that surprised him, Almandin must have his reasons that I can't see from my vantage point – perhaps a secret alliance with the Elves against Gondor or something like that. After all, I did my job as a detective, now it's let the bosses and analytics think. What was it that the unforgettable Tin Man used to say? "The cock's job is to crow, not to summon the dawn."
"Jacuzzi, do you think that the captain can keep working?"
"He's totally demoralized right now; he whines and begs to be allowed to flee immediately, as per agreement."
"Exactly!" In annoyance, the Director slapped the morning report from Carnero's headquarters. "It's getting harder and harder for Marandil to cover up the goings-on in Barangar Bay. His underlings aren't blind…" Underlings aren't blind – is that a hint at me and the Elves? Jacuzzi hastily banished the thought. "Add to that a string of spectacular failures and a pile of dead bodies, thanks to that buccaneer from Ithilien. Soon our captain will be stripped of his officer's cords and court-martialed. Long story short: find Tangorn immediately and isolate him at all costs! All costs, you hear? If you can do it without bloodshed – be my guest, but if not, then just liquidate him and be done with it!.. Now, about the Gondorian station. If needs be, can we simply block their communications with the continent, and extend that blockade throughout mid-July, when Sirocco is scheduled to begin?"
"I think so. We will cut off the land routes via Chevelgar while Makarioni will contact the Coast Guard and put them on high alert."
"Good. Now: since Tangorn is in town, then Mongoose should be, too. Got any news on that front?"
"Kind of… We have a very faint lead. For the past few days my people have been watching Tangorn's girlfriend Alviss and have discovered a strange detail, seemingly a trifle…"
…Even the most banal measures, like placing the guards on high alert, can sometimes yield unexpected results. While looking through prior day's reports on