The Thinking Machine Affair - Bernard Joel (читаем книги онлайн .txt) 📗

The THRUSH Officer interrupted: "You don't care what happens to your daughter, Professor Novak?"

At this, the scientist's face showed his hatred, but the THRUSH chief knew it was, above all, motivated by fear for his daughter's safety.

"You don't seem to appreciate that your daughter wants you to work with us," he continued. "Indeed she is eager to join you in your research. She told you so herself."

"Because you brainwashed or hypnotized her. I know Vlasta." He sat back in the chair, then suddenly said: "Can I speak with my daughter once more—in private?"

"Certainly," the other agreed, and summoned a guard from outside the office. "Take the Professor to his daughter," he ordered, "and make sure they can talk in complete privacy and undisturbed."

"Very well, sir," the guard acknowledged as he led the scientist away.

The Chief Organizing Officer activated the closed circuit television receiver to watch Vlasta's room and to listen to what father and daughter said to each other.

"Did you agree to work for them, father?" the girl said after the Professor had entered the room and the door had been closed.

"I wanted to talk with you first once more."

"There is no purpose in refusing, father," she insisted.

"I am shocked to hear you speak like that, Vlasta."

"Why?"

"Because we're talking with each other in private now. There's no longer any need to continue your acting, which was very convincing when we talked to each other in the presence of that man."

"I mean what I say, father. There is no purpose in refusing to work for them. They are determined to get their way and if you don't follow their orders they'll kill both of us."

"You really believe they would kill you?"

"I do. And I also believe that the only way to stay alive and to be set free again is by our cooperating with them and providing them with the improved apparatus."

"Don't you realize that we would betray our country if we worked for them?"

"I don't want to be tortured to death, father, and I don't want it to happen to you either."

"So you want me to capitulate, Vlasta?" the Professor said, at last broken in spirit.

"Yes, I do. I know it's hard for you to throw overboard your convictions and your loyalty to our Government, but it's the only solution. It will give us the opportunity to be with one another continuously and work together in perfecting the apparatus."

"All right, Vlasta," he sighed. "I know I'll be committing a terrible crime against our nation by agreeing to work for these people, but I'll nevertheless do it—for you, my child."

Vlasta felt miserable as her father left to report his decision. She had been tempted to signal her father that she was playing a part because she was certain their conversation was being overheard, but she feared that even a warning signal from her would be dangerous. Since her father and the apparatus had arrived at the Center she had evolved in her mind how their captors could be outwitted by using the thought-transference apparatus against them. But, to be able to turn her counterattack idea into reality, she and her father needed to worm their way into the enemy's nerve center and gain their confidence. When they were eventually in control of the apparatus, they could hit back. But how could she tell this to her father, with no secure possibility of discussing it with him in genuine privacy?

Unaware of Vlasta's intentions, the Chief Organizing Officer was pleased with her behavior and switched off the closed circuit television in his office as soon as the Professor left her room. When the scientist entered the office moments later, he said: "Well?"

"I have talked over matters with my daughter and have decided to accept your invitation to work with you," Professor Novak announced wearily. "Together with my daughter, I will carry out the research on my apparatus to the best of my ability and endeavor to make as rapid headway as possible. But now I am worn out and need rest."

"I am pleased with your wise decision and am convinced a beneficial association has just commenced between us," the THRUSH executive assured him. "I shall make it my personal business to see that your stay with us doesn't lack any comfort."

"Thank you," Professor Novak said, and followed a guard to a luxuriously furnished bed-sitting room. He was happy when he discovered that his daughter was allocated an adjoining and almost identical room.

But this evening he did not feel like visiting and talking with her, as had been his habit at the villa. All he wanted to do was to sleep...

And, as he slept, the jet bringing Illya Kuryakin to Prague landed at Kbely Airport.

The plane had been expected, and with minimum delay U.N.C.L.E.'S Enforcement Agent was able to step into a waiting car and drive to a point on the bank of the river Moldau, opposite Vysehrad. Illya studied the deserted area through his night field glasses.

The helicopter, with the coffin and the two THRUSH agents, was not due in Prague for another half-an-hour.

The distant sound of a boat engine somewhere on the river broke the silence. The heavy rain clouds hanging low in the sky shut out all moonlight and in the almost total darkness the approaching boat could not be seen until it was almost on top of him. The craft's skipper suddenly switched on the navigation lights before turning around in mid-river and anchoring on the opposite bank. As the boat passed, Illya could see a dim yellow light above the starboard navigation light.

Soon afterwards, the noise of an approaching helicopter disturbed the night. Through the field glasses he watched the helicopter land and a few minutes later the coffin was lifted out and taken to the waiting boat, which then moved off towards the city of Prague. The helicopter took off and headed back in the direction from which it had come.

Illya returned to his car and drove along the road by the riverbank towards Prague. The sound of the direction finder concealed in the man's tooth in the coffin was clearly picked up by his receiver, but when the road took a sharp turn to the left and ran a quarter of a mile or so inland, he lost contact. Huge blocks of buildings stood between the river and the road and before Illya had managed to make his way back to the Moldau, the boat had gone and the direction finder was beyond range.

Annoyed, he returned to the car and drove into the city. He doubted whether the boat could have proceeded too deep into the built-up area because the THRUSH European Center E was unlikely to be located anywhere where there was the slightest chance of detection. He made up his mind to return to the area outside Prague, where he had lost contact with the direction finder, as soon as he'd met Solo. They would have to cover the whole zone on both banks of the river before they could again find the radio transmitting coffin.

CHAPTER SEVEN

MURDER IS SUCH A MESSY BUSINESS

MAJOR KLIMA looked up gloomily as Napoleon Solo entered his office at Czech State Security Head quarters the morning after the incident at the Axa Hotel. But despite his discontent with the way things were going, he stood up and greeted the U.N.C.L.E. Chief Enforcement Agent cordially enough.

"Any development?" Napoleon asked casually.

"My suspicions regarding your amorous lady were confirmed by the fingerprint experts," Major Klima said. "I'll do my best to have her located as speedily as possible. For some inexplicable reason, this lady succeeded in living somewhere in town without being registered with the police. But don't worry, Mr. Solo, we'll find her."