by CW Browning
“Not much of a war,” Slippy said. “It will all be over and done before Christmas. Mark my words.”
“Wouldn’t that be a lark!” Rob crowed.
“Won’t be much of a lark for you lot if you don’t be quiet,” Miles growled.
They all laughed and went back to their card game, the sun shining brightly in a cloudless sky.
Chapter Nine
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Oslo, Norway
Evelyn looked around as she followed the host to a table. The crowded restaurant reminded her forcibly of one of her favorite ones in Paris, glittering with light reflecting between cocktail glasses and mirrored columns. Laughter and the light chatter of patrons out to enjoy themselves surrounded her, and she felt very much at home in the gaiety. As they moved through the restaurant, she noted which tables had diners who appeared to be there for something other than food and dancing. Those were the ones she had to focus on tonight.
The host stopped at a small table and pulled the chair out for Evelyn with a smile.
“Thank you,” she murmured automatically. Even if he didn’t understand English, Evelyn supposed the meaning would be obvious.
She seated herself and watched as he moved to hold the chair for the tall woman with her. Anna Salvesen had hair the color of dark, rich mahogany and large brown eyes that seemed to sparkle constantly with some unshared joke. Evelyn had liked her immediately, drawn to the sense of careless enjoyment that she seemed to exude with every movement.
“You must try the Gravlax,” Anna said as the host moved away and she settled herself in her seat. “It is exceptional here.”
“Gravlax?”
“Smoked salmon. Trust me. You won’t regret it.”
“And this is why I wanted to have a local guide,” Evelyn said with a smile. “I would never have known what anything was, otherwise.”
Anna laughed. “I’ll take care of you,” she promised. “How long are you in Oslo?”
“Only a few days. I’m here to gather information for an article I’m writing. Unless my source gets delayed, it will be a quick trip.” Evelyn stuck to her cover story for her trip to Oslo. “I’m meeting someone in the city who has exclusive information for me.”
Anna smiled faintly.
“Then I’ll have to show you as much of Oslo as possible while you are here,” she said decidedly as a waiter approached the table. “We’ll start with a drink. Since this is your first time in Norway, shall I order for you?”
“Why not?” Evelyn said with a laugh. “I’m always ready for an adventure.”
Anna grinned and turned to the waiter, ordering their drinks swiftly. Evelyn gave up trying to understand what she was saying after the first few words and instead turned her attention to the other patrons in the restaurant. A single man sat at a table nearby, his head bent over a book while he waited for his dinner. She watched him for a moment, noting the cut of his jacket and the way he squinted at his book. He was a man used to spending more time with books than with people, she thought, and one who either didn’t know or didn’t care that his jacket was two seasons out of date.
“Now, tell me what it is you’re looking for?” Anna said once the waiter had departed for the bar.
Evelyn brought her gaze back to the woman across from her. “Pardon?”
Anna smiled and her eyes seemed to look right through her.
“I know you’re not just looking for a news story,” she said calmly. “And I know you didn’t come out tonight for our exciting nightlife. So what are you looking for? Perhaps I can help.”
Evelyn stared at her for a moment, her heart pounding. Was it that obvious? Had she made some kind of terrible mistake? How did Anna, who had been in her company for all of an hour, know that she wasn’t a journalist from London meeting a newspaper source?
“Don’t look so startled,” Anna said with a laugh, “and don’t worry. You didn’t give yourself away. Daniel Carew did. He sent me a message before Josef did.”
Evelyn felt her mouth drop open and she sat back in her chair, stunned.
“You...how do you know Mr. Carew?”
Anna eyeballed her for a second and then pulled a cigarette case out of her bag.
“Do you smoke?”
Evelyn nodded mutely and Anna held out the open case.
“I suppose we haven’t been very fair to you,” she said. “I work as a secretary at a law firm.”
“Yes, Else told me.”
“Yes, well what she didn’t tell you was that the law firm works closely with the French and the English embassies.” Anna tucked the cigarette case back into her bag and watched as Evelyn lit her cigarette. “I’ve known Mr. Carew for almost a year now. When he needs a translator, or a courier, I’ve been known to assist from time to time.”
“Then you know who I really am?”
“I know you’re not a journalist, and I don’t think your name is Maggie, is it?” Anna held up her hand. “Don’t tell me your real name. We’ll stick with Maggie. There are some things I don’t need to know.”
Evelyn couldn’t stop the short laugh that escaped.
“No, it’s not Maggie. I don’t look much like a Maggie, do I?”
“Not very.” Anna tilted her head to the side and considered her. “You don’t look anything like other agents Daniel’s had to visit either. I’m hoping you’re not like them. They were all rather stupid, to be honest. At least, the ones I met.”
“Have you met many?” Evelyn was getting over the shock now, and she even managed a smile for the server who came to the table with their drinks. “Oh lovely!” she added as a glass was set before her. “What is this?”
“Aquavit with lime cordial,” Anna said, smiling in thanks as a glass of wine was set in front of her. “Aquavit is Norway’s specialty. You really must try it while you’re here. I think you’ll like it. I’m partial to it with the lime cordial.”
“What is it?”
“It’s like a schnapps.” Anna held up her glass and smiled brightly. “Here’s to new friends and many adventures!”
Evelyn held up her glass and took a sip. Her eyes widened as the strong liquor hit the back of her throat and Anna grinned.
“It’s got a kick to it,” she said. “I forgot to warn you about that.”
“Forgot?” Evelyn repeated, her eyes watering.
Anna laughed. “Perhaps not,” she admitted, her eyes dancing. “Are you very angry?”
“Not in the slightest.” Evelyn set the glass down. “It’s very good. And I’m definitely more alert now.”
“Fantastic! Now tell me what we’re doing here tonight.”
Evelyn took a deep breath and looked across the table. It was clear that Anna knew much more than she’d been led to believe. Whether or not she could be trusted was another story. However, there could be no harm in telling her what she’d probably already guessed.
“Daniel said that there is some kind of convention in Oslo,” she said slowly. “He thought I might be able to gather some information from some of the visitors.”
Anna nodded briskly. “Ah yes. The Germans.”
She lowered her voice as she said the word and cast a quick glance around. Evelyn nodded, following her gaze. No one was paying them the least amount of attention and she exhaled.
“You say it as if it’s common knowledge,” she said, putting out her cigarette.
“Oh but it is! They make sure their presence is well-known, I assure you.” Anna took a sip of her wine. “They are not known for their humility, the Germans. The conference is a scientific symposium. It’s drawn scientists not only from Germany, but also from Sweden, France, the United States and Russia. It’s become something of a competition this week, almost like the Olympics but for smart people. It’s all in the newspapers.”
“The Soviets are here too?” Evelyn asked. “How intriguing.”
Anna grinned. “I’m glad you think so. Do you know anything about science?”
“Only what I learned at school. It wasn’t my best subject.”
“Nor mine. Pity. If one of us knew more about what it was they’re discussing all day, we’d perhaps be able to glean something really useful.” Anna drummed her fingers on the white tablecloth thoughtfully. “What does Daniel want you to discover, I wonder?”
“I don’t think he had anything specific in mind,” Evelyn said with a shrug. “I’m really just hoping for a bit of luck.”
The waiter came to the table then to take their order and Anna ordered dinner for them both, assuring Evelyn with a twinkle that the dinner would pack less of a punch than the drinks.
While she spoke with the waiter, Evelyn’s attention was caught by the table with the solitary bookworm. A tall, angular man had arrived and was in the process of taking the seat across from him. He appeared happy to see the newcomer and closed his book readily, a smile on his face. Interesting. She had received the distinct impression that the man was dining alone, but he must have simply arrived earlier than his companion. As she watched, he set the book aside and she noted the title on the spine. It was a worn copy of a scientific text and looked as though it had been read quite a few times. Evelyn’s lips curved imperceptibly.
The title was in German.
Evelyn laughed along with her new acquaintances, Hans and Alrick, as the latter finished sharing a particularly amusing joke. Anna had somehow managed to finagle an invitation from Alrick to join them for drinks after dinner, although Evelyn still wasn’t clear how. One minute she was finishing her dinner and the next she was joining them in the cocktail lounge. Anna really was turning out to be invaluable.
“It’s so nice to meet two such lovely ladies who can speak German so well,” Alrick said, reaching for his drink. “Don’t you think so, Hans?”
“What? Oh yes. Yes of course.”
Hans smiled and bobbed his head while still managing to avoid looking directly at either Evelyn or Anna. He looked as if he would much rather go back to his book, but manners forbade him.
“Miss Richardson, you said you’re a writer?” he asked. “What do you write?”
“Oh everything,” she said gaily. “Right now I’m writing for the Daily Mail in London. I’ve also done some poetry and a few short stories. I’m working on one right now, as a matter of fact.”
“Are you really? What’s it about?” Anna demanded. “Something exciting?”
“It’s about a girl in France who falls in love with an Austrian. I haven’t decided yet if she goes back to Austria with him.”
“Have you been to Austria?” Alrick asked, pulling out a cigarette case.
“Yes, but it was quite a few years ago and I was very young.” Evelyn smiled and declined the proffered cigarette.
“I’m afraid you’d find it very much changed,” Hans said, glancing at her. “When does your story take place?”
“In the present day.”
“How romantic,” Anna breathed, accepting the cigarette. “I’ve always wanted to visit Vienna. To see the opera there and walk where Schubert walked. Or to go to the Philharmonic and listen to Mendelssohn. It must be lovely!”
“You’ll no longer hear Mendelssohn in Austria, or anywhere,” Hans advised her sadly. “His music is forbidden by the Nazis, as is the work of so many others.”
“Forbidden? Why?”
“Because they were Jews, of course,” Aldrick said, lighting her cigarette for her. “Anything Jewish is banned.”
“How utterly ridiculous!” Anna exclaimed. “What happens if you have a record in your house?”
“You’ll be arrested for anti-party behavior,” Hans muttered. “They’ve seized all the books and records that they can get their hands on and destroyed them. I’d be very surprised if any still exist, at least in Germany.”
Evelyn took a sip of her drink and glanced at Hans. Whereas Aldrick had stated very matter-factly that Jewish music had been banned, Hans sounded as if he was disgusted by it.
“Do you mean to say you can be arrested simply for owning a record?” she asked.
“Yes. The Nazis are very adamant about only pure German art being celebrated. It is the same with the science. Many brilliant theories and discoveries have been discarded and ignored because the Nazis call it Jewry.”
“How terrible,” Anna said, gazing from one man to the other. “I’m not Jewish, but I don’t see why their work should be destroyed.”
Aldrick shrugged. “It’s just the way it is.” He looked at Evelyn and lowered his voice. “Hans is right. You’d find Austria very much changed. Unless your story is about a pure Aryan, I’d leave him in France with the French girl.”
“Why are you whispering?” she asked, lowering her own voice.
“Because you never know who is listening,” he replied seriously.
Anna laughed. “But we’re in a bar in Oslo!”
“You don’t think the Gestapo can travel?” he retorted. “They do, you know.”
Throughout the conversation, Hans had been becoming more and more uneasy. Evelyn watched as he shifted in his seat, but with Aldrick’s words, he suddenly leaned forward.
“It’s not just their work,” he said, his voice just as low as Aldrick’s. “They are not allowed to have jobs, and most have had their homes taken from them. I know a researcher who was arrested because he allowed one to stay in his house overnight. He was accused of being a traitor because he was harboring a Jew.”
“What happened to him?” Evelyn whispered, remembering vividly the man in Strasbourg who had given her the first hint of Nazi cruelty.
“No one knows,” Hans said after a moment. “He just disappeared into a camp.”
“Well, this is all very lowering,” Anna said, breaking the sudden silence that had fallen over the table. “Let’s talk about something fun. Or better yet, let’s dance!”
Aldrick grinned and got up promptly, holding his hand out to her.
“Your wish is my command,” he said with a flourish.
Anna laughed and got up, glancing at Evelyn. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Not in the least!” she replied, waving her hand with a smile.
Anna and Aldrick went off happily, leaving Evelyn alone with Hans.
“I’m sorry for your friend,” she said after a moment. “I had no idea it was like that for the Jews.”
“Many don’t, or don’t think anything of it if they do know,” he replied with a shrug. “They’re inferior, you see.”
Catching the sharp note of censure in his tone, Evelyn shot him a look under her lashes. However, his face was void of any emotion and when he spoke again, his tone was even.
“You said you write for a newspaper?” he asked, reaching for his drink. “Are you here on business?”
“Yes.” Evelyn nodded and sipped her cocktail. “I’m covering the symposium.”
Hans brightened. “Are you?”
“Yes. I’m not much of a scientist myself, but my editor wanted a piece on the people rather than the science, so here I am. Oh! I’ve just thought! You’re a scientist, aren’t you? Would you mind if I interviewed you?”
Hans looked startled. “Me? Why?”
Evelyn laughed and tossed her head. “Silly boy! Because you’re here and you seem very nice and why not?”
He laughed a little uneasily. “I suppose so. What kind of questions will you ask?”
“Well, I’ll start with the basics, and then see where it goes from there. As I said, my editor is more interested in the people angle than the science. He says the science will be covered well enough by other papers. When are you free tomorrow?”
Hans blinked. “Well, I’m not sure. I’m in two panels, and then there’s a workshop in the afternoon.”
She tilted her head and smiled at him. “You’ll have to eat, won’t
you? Why don’t we meet for dinner? Where are you staying?”
“Right here, actually. In this hotel.”
“Perfect! I’ll meet you in the restaurant! What time shall we say?”
“What time for what? What are you two cooking up?” Anna demanded playfully, returning to the table with Aldrick close behind.
“Herr Mayer has agreed to allow me to interview him,” Evelyn said. “We’re just arranging when to meet.”
“That’s a stroke of luck, isn’t it?” Anna dropped into her seat and reached for her drink. “You have an interview for your article and you weren’t even trying!”
“Article?” Aldrick looked interested. “For your newspaper?”
“Yes.”
“Look at that, Hans. You’ll be famous in London!” he said with a laugh, slapping him on the shoulder.
Hans looked decidedly uncomfortable, but he managed a weak smile.
“Seven o’clock?” he asked Evelyn.
She nodded. “Perfect!”
Hans nodded and stood up. “Until then,” he said, bowing slightly. “I’m sorry to excuse myself, but it’s getting late and I have a long day tomorrow.”
Aldrick looked at his watch in surprise. “God, is that the time?” he exclaimed. “I must be off as well. I’m on the first panel tomorrow.”
The two men made their farewells and went off towards the lounge doors, leaving Evelyn and Anna at the table. As soon as they were out of sight, Anna held up her cocktail.
“Well done, dear,” she toasted. “Don’t be late tomorrow night. I’m not sure I trust him not to scamper away if you’re a minute late.”
Evelyn nodded and lifted her glass. “He seemed very unsettled, didn’t he?”
“I think he prefers his work to socializing,” Anna said, finishing her drink. “I’m rather surprised you got him to agree to meet with you.”
“So was I, actually,” Evelyn admitted. “Now I just have to come up with a list of questions to ask him.”
“Check with Carew in the morning,” Anna advised, standing. “He’ll know just what he wants to know.”
