Partisans (22 page)

‘Peter didn't also mention that two of those new faces were young, female and – I speak as a detached observer, of course – rather extraordinarily good-looking?'

‘He may have done, he may have done.' Metrovi
smiled again. ‘You know how it is with my colleague and myself. Our minds are invariably preoccupied with military matters. Isn't that so, Marino?'

Marino – Major Rankovi
– a tall, thin, dark-bearded and rather gloomy character, who looked as if he let Metrovi
do all the smiling for both of them, didn't say whether it was so or not. He seemed preoccupied and the source of his preoccupation was unquestionably Giacomo.

‘I asked them along,' Petersen said. ‘I felt it was the least I could do to bring some relief into their cheerless lives.'

‘Well, welcome, welcome.' Harrison looked at his watch. ‘Won't be long, you said. What do you call short?'

‘I wanted to give George a chance to finish his story. Besides, I was detained. Much questioning. And I stopped by at my radio hut to see if you'd made off with anything during my absence. It seems not. Perhaps you mislaid the key.'

‘The radio hut?' Sarina glanced at the door at the end of the room. ‘But we heard nothing. I mean –'

‘My radio hut is fifty metres away. No mystery. There are three radios in the camp. One for the Colonel. One for Captain Harrison. One for me. You will be assigned to the Colonel. Lorraine comes here.'

‘You arranged that?'

‘I arranged nothing. I take orders, just like anyone else. The Colonel arranged it, Lorraine's assignation here was arranged weeks ago. There's no secret about it. The Colonel, for reasons that may seem obscure to you but which I understand very well, prefers that Captain Harrison's radio operator, like Captain Harrison himself, should not speak or understand Serbo-Croat. The basis of the Colonel's security beliefs is that one should trust nobody.'

‘You must have a lot in common with the Colonel.'

‘I think that's rather unfair, young lady.' It was Metrovi
again and he was still smiling. ‘I can confirm what the Major has said. I'm the go-between, the translator, if you like, for the Colonel and Captain Harrison. Like the major, I was partly educated in England.' ‘Enough,' Harrison said. ‘Let us put unworthy thoughts to one side and concentrate on more important things.'

‘Such as hospitality?' George said.

‘Such as hospitality, as you say. Be seated, please. What is your choice, gentlemen – and ladies, of course?'

They all told him what they wanted, all, that is, except Major Rankovi
. He crossed to where Giacomo was seated and said: ‘May I ask what your name is?'

Giacomo lifted his eyebrows in slight puzzlement, smiled and said: ‘Giacomo.'

‘That's an Italian name, isn't it?'

‘Yes.'

‘Giacomo what?'

‘Just Giacomo.'

‘Just Giacomo.' Rankovi
's voice was deep and gravelly. ‘It suits you to be mysterious?'

‘It suits me to mind my own business.'

‘What's your rank?'

‘That's my business, too.'

‘I've seen you before. Not in the army, though. Rijeka, Split, Kotor, some place like that.'

‘It's possible.' Giacomo was still smiling but the smile no longer extended to his eyes. ‘It's a small enough world. I used to be a sailor.'

‘You're a Yugoslav.'

Giacomo, Petersen was aware, could easily have conceded the fact but he knew he wouldn't. Rankovi
was an able soldier but no psychologist.

‘I'm English.'

‘You're a liar.'

Petersen stepped forward and tapped Rankovi
on the shoulder. ‘If I were you, Marino, I'd quit while I was ahead. Not, mind you, that I think you are ahead.'

Rankovi
turned. ‘What do you mean?'