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The World Set Free-Part20_H. G. WELLS (1866-1946)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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tension of this waiting for news of the success of the first blow

was--considerable.



The Slavic fox was of a pallid fairness, he had a remarkably long

nose, a thick, short moustache, and small blue eyes that were a



little too near together to be pleasant. It was his habit to

worry his moustache with short, nervous tugs whenever his



restless mind troubled him, and now this motion was becoming so

incessant that it irked Pestovitch beyond the limits of



endurance.

'I will go,' said the minister, 'and see what the trouble is with



the wireless. They give us nothing, good or bad.'

Left to himself, the king could worry his moustache without



stint; he leant his elbows forward on the balcony and gave both

of his long white hands to the work, so that he looked like a



pale dog gnawing a bone. Suppose they caught his men, what

should he do? Suppose they caught his men?



The clocks in the light gold-capped belfries of the town below

presently intimated the half-hour after midday.



Of course, he and Pestovitch had thought it out. Even if they

had caught those men, they were pledged to secrecy.... Probably



they would be killed in the catching.... One could deny anyhow,

deny and deny.



And then he became aware of half a dozen little shining specks

very high in the blue.... Pestovitch came out to him presently.



'The government messages, sire, have all dropped into cipher,' he

said. 'I have set a man----'



'LOOK!' interrupted the king, and pointedupward with a long,

lean finger.



Pestovitch followed that indication and then glanced for one

questioning moment at the white face before him.



'We have to face it out, sire,' he said.

For some moments they watched the steep spirals of the descending



messengers, and then they began a hasty consultation....

They decided that to be holding a council upon the details of an



ultimate surrender to Brissago was as innocent-looking a thing as

the king could well be doing, and so, when at last the ex-king



Egbert, whom the council had sent as its envoy, arrived upon the

scene, he discovered the king almost theatrically posed at the



head of his councillors in the midst of his court. The door upon

the wireless operators was shut.



The ex-king from Brissago came like a draught through the

curtains and attendants that gave a wide margin to King



Ferdinand's state, and the familiar confidence of his manner

belied a certain hardness in his eye. Firmin trotted behind him,



and no one else was with him. And as Ferdinand Charles rose to

greet him, there came into the heart of the Balkan king again



that same chilly feeling that he had felt upon the balcony--and

it passed at the carelessgestures of his guest. For surely any



one might outwit this foolish talker who, for a mere idea and at

the command of a little French rationalist in spectacles, had



thrown away the most ancient crown in all the world.

One must deny, deny....



And then slowly and quite tiresomely he realised that there was

nothing to deny. His visitor, with an amiable ease, went on



talking about everything in debate between himself and Brissago

except----.



Could it be that they had been delayed? Could it be that they

had had to drop for repairs and were still uncaptured? Could it



be that even now while this fool babbled, they were over there

among the mountains heaving their deadlycharge over the side of



the aeroplane?

Strange hopes began to lift the tail of the Slavic fox again.



What was the man saying? One must talk to him anyhow until one

knew. At any moment the little brass door behind him might open



with the news of Brissago blown to atoms. Then it would be a




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