The Round Loaf

by David Hockey

  “No, we’re not,” said Bob. “I wonder if it will always be kept a secret and no one will ever find out what we and Nigel discovered.”

  The week passed much as their first week at school. Wednesday afternoon, when they played soccer, was the best day. Saturday, when they attended school in the morning was the hardest, especially for Jack with his afternoon job. Bob, although going to school, was not relieved of his chores around the farm and he, too, was glad when Sunday came around.

  Chapter Twenty One. Sunday, September 15th

  Sunday morning Jack cycled to Bob’s house and suggested they visit Nigel’s dad and find out what had happened. He was out when they arrived so they then went to Nigel’s grandparents house. They were also out.

  “Perhaps they’re all at church,” said Bob.

  “Yes, I didn’t think of that. Well I don’t suppose anything’s happened. They let us know if it had.”

  Something had happened, as they learnt in the afternoon when Gerry drove up.

  “It’s a long story,” he said. “I’d like Bob and his parents to know about it as well so can I bring them here before telling you about it?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  He arrived back fifteen minutes later with Bob and his parents in the car. Everybody squeezed into the front room and listened while Gerry spoke.

  “This is what my father learned this morning. His friend in London phoned and told him what he had discovered.

  “Saturday September 7th a team from London came down and parked where we did and, in fact, did what we did the previous Saturday. They moved their equipment near to the inspector’s house and listened. As soon as the transmission stopped they forced their way into his house and found him climbing down the attic ladder. They arrested him and his wife and found a wireless set in the attic. They took them and the wireless and other things of interest to London.

  “The inspector and his wife didn’t mind explaining why they became spies, for they had begun to regret what they were doing. All the bombing and what Hitler had been doing was beginning to worry them. This is what they said: the wife, Mrs. Ursula Knowleton, was born in Hamburg, Germany, where her sister lives today. Mr. Knowleton met Ursula in London in 1912. She was studying English and he had just joined the police force. They married in 1913, in Hamburg, and lived in Battersea, London. He worked hard and was very dedicated and rose through the ranks. They visited Hamburg five times during the twenties and thirties and he was struck by Hitler’s speeches and his leadership qualities and they both thought that a similar approach should be followed in England. In 1938 he agreed to be a spy.

  “When England joined the war last September he asked if he could be transferred to somewhere away from London, saying his wife was afraid of being bombed. By chance he was sent to Mansworth.

  “The German pilot’s name is Hans Schiffer. He is Ursula’s sister’s son and he knew where his aunt and uncle lived. When he was shot down on his way back from Bristol he flew as far as he could towards their home before parachuting. He stayed with them the first night and learned where the sea was deep enough for a U-boat to approach the land. He had important information that the Luftwaffe wanted and they arranged for a U-boat to collect him as soon as the inspector had signalled that he was safe and with them. The boat was to collect him at midnight in two days time.

  “Schiffer stayed with them but, during the night he explored the coast where the U-boat would come, looking for a place to hide. He spotted the path into the woods and your treehouse and hid there the night before you found him in the morning. The rest you know.”

  “He spoke English very well,” said Jack, “and said he went to school in England. How did he do that if he lived in Hamburg?”

  “Well, his mother spoke English and both English and German was used in their home when he was growing up. Hans stayed with his aunt and uncle in London during 1926-27 and again in 1928-29 when mother was seriously ill. That’s when he went to school.”

  “Oh, I see,” said Jack. “Does Nigel know all this?”

  “Yes, I phoned him immediately after my dad told me what had happened. I thought about fetching him home to celebrate but I’d have to take him back immediately afterwards so it’s better if we celebrate next weekend. I’ll arrange with the headmaster to bring him home next Saturday. Dad suggests we all have dinner with him Saturday night. Are you all free?”

  “Yes, we are,” said Mary.

  “We are too,” said Mrs. Forester.

  “I’ll come for you at six o’clock,” said Gerry to Mary and Jack.

  “I’ll drive us there,” said Mr. Forester. “Be there about six fifteen, right?”

  “Yes,” said Gerry.

  “We can bring a rabbit pie,” said Mrs. Forester.

  “I’ve got an apple pie,” said Mary.

  “Then I’m sure we’ll have plenty to eat,” said Gerry. “I’ll bring a couple of bottles of wine.”

  It was a very warm and beautiful Wednesday evening and Gerry drove up at six thirty and asked Mary if she would like to walk along the trail again to the pub. Jack had gone to bed when they arrived home about nine thirty, laughing and happy. He fell asleep shortly afterwards and didn’t know when Gerry left. Thursday, after supper, Mary told Jack that Gerry had asked her to marry him and that she’d accepted.

  “Do you mind, Jack? Gerry won’t replace your dad, you’ll always have him.”

  “I’m glad, mom. I like Gerry and I’m sure you’ll be very happy. I’ll have a step-brother then, Nigel. It’ll be nice to have a brother.”

  “Give me a hug, Jack. I do want you to be happy about it too.”

  “I am, mom. Can I tell Bob?”

  “No, please don’t do that yet We want to tell Harry, Felicity and Nigel first. We decided to tell them all on Saturday when Nigel will be there. Bob and his parents will learn about it then.”

  “When will you get married, mom?”

  “We haven’t decided that but, afterwards, we’ll live in Gerry’s house.”

  “Oh, I’d like that.”

  Chapter Twenty Two. Saturday, September 21st

  Jack went to Mr. Stevens’ shop half an hour early Saturday afternoon, for his mother had told him Gerry would be collecting them at five thirty, to take them to his parents’ place. “We want to tell them about our engagement before the Foresters get there. It’s a family thing, of course, that’s why.”

  They were ready and waiting when Gerry arrived. Mary was wearing her best dress and Jack his nicest clothes with hair carefully brushed into place. Nigel, who had been sitting in the back of the car, jumped out, beaming, when he saw Jack.

  “Hi,” he said. “We’re going to be brothers soon. I’ll like that!”

  “I said the same thing, Nigel. it’ll be fun, won’t it. I’ve always wished I had a brother.”

  “Step-brothers really,” said Gerry, “but it’s about the same thing.”

  “We’ll live together won’t we dad?” asked Nigel.

  “Of course.”

  “Oh, I won’t have to live at home once you get married will I? I don’t want to stop going to Wamister.”

  “Oh no, I’d like you to finish school there.”

  Harry and Felicity were not expecting them for another half-an-hour when they arrived and were still getting dressed.

  “No hurry, mom, dad,” Gerry called. “Take your time. We’ve something to tell you, that’s why we’re early.”

  They stood together in the lounge looking out of the window, Nigel and Jack on either side of their parent who were holding hands. Everyone turned when Gerry’s parents arrived then Gerry said, “Mom, dad, I’ve something important to tell you. Mary’s agreed to marry me.”

  “I knew it,” said Felicity, “I thought something was going on. Didn’t I say so?” and she looked at Harry. “Well, congratulations Gerry and welcome, Mary. I’m very happy.”

  “Yes, that’s grand,” said Harry. He moved to Mary and gave her a big hug. “Welcome to the fa
mily, Mary. I must get a couple of bottles of champagne to celebrate. Get out the flutes, Gerry. They’re in the glass cabinet.”

  Three minutes later, everyone, including Nigel and Jack, had a full glass. “To Mary and Gerry, may they long be happy together,” said Harry.

  “I’d rather have Tizer,” said Jack, quietly, to Nigel. “Do you like champagne?”

  “It’s okay, gets better as you drink it. Makes you a bit giddy though, like sherry but quicker.”

  “You’ve drunk sherry?”

  “At school, don’t say anything to dad.”

  The Foresters’ van arrived and Felicity went to the door to welcome them. “Here’s the rabbit pie,” said Mrs., Forester. “Shall I put it in the kitchen.”

  “Yes, let’s do that then we’ll go to the lounge.”

  Once there they were given half-filled flutes of champagne and Harry told them that Gerry and Mary were engaged. “So raise your glasses everybody,” said Harry again. “To Gerry and Mary. May they live happily ever after.”

  A little later Bob joined Jack and Nigel.

  “So you’ll be step brothers then. That’s great, but you’ll still be friends with me Jack?”

  “You bet. We’ll form a gang, like the Three Musketeers.”

  “Will you move to Nigel’s home, Jack?”

  “I think so, once mom’s married to your dad, Nigel.”

  “Then you’ll be living on the other side of the town.”

  “Yes, but we’ll always be in the same form at school.”

  “And the treehouse is in your woods,” said Nigel. “You know, I could make some wireless transmitters and we could talk to each other at night.”

  “Is that allowed?” asked Jack.

  “Ah, yes, perhaps not. I’ll find out,” Nigel said.

  “We should also drink to our success in capturing the spies,” said Harry. “We’ll finish the champagne by celebrating that now.” He passed the bottle that was still half-full to Felicity. “Pass it around, but I don’t think the boys should take any this time.”

  “Here’s to our success,” he called, when the grown ups had taken what was left. “Bottoms up!”

  “I’ve got some more news,” said Harry. “Sit down everybody, Gerry, Nigel, get a couple more chairs from the dining room, please.”

  “Well,” said Harry Thorne, after everybody had found a seat, “it’s two things, really. First, they’ve analysed the wireless transmitter and found out how he was able to transmit lots of information in a very short time. He first recorded the message, in code, on a wire recorder and, at midnight, Saturdays, ran the recording very fast to his transmitter. It’s not a new idea, wire recorders have been around for several years, but they found ways to use them without adding a lot of distortion.”

  “Very clever,” said Mr. Forester.

  “But the inspector was also very stupid,” said Nigel. “He always transmitted at the same time and on the same day. Why did he do that? It’s silly.”

  “Yes, I agree,” said Gerry. “If he hadn’t done that I bet we would never have caught him.”

  “I suppose he thought that the transmission would never be caught because it was so short,” said Jack.

  “Yes, I suppose so,” said Harry. “There’s something else to tell you.” He picked up an envelope that was on a side table. “This was sent to me last week.” He opened the envelope and pulled out a letter and a photograph.

  “When they were searching the house they took several photographs. Now, the Knowletons don’t have any children yet this photograph shows Ursula Knowleton with her arm around a young man. They think they know who this man is and they’ve asked me to ask you, Jack and Bob, if you recognise him,” and he passed the photo to Jack.

  “Its Hans,” Jack said. “Look Bob. What do you think?”

  “Yes, it’s him.”

  “That’s what they thought. In fact, it’s Ursula’s nephew. It says ‘Hamburg, 1938’ on the back so it would have been taken on their last visit to Germany.”

  “I wonder if we’ll ever see him again,” said Jack. “He said he’d come and see us after the war if he survived.”

  “Even if he did he might not come here, I don’t think his aunt and uncle will be here then,” said Gerry.

  “No, I suppose not,” said Jack.

  “Can we tell everybody about what happened?” asked Bob.

  “Yes, you can now,” said Harry. “There’ll be lots of reporters around once word gets out that the police inspector’s been arrested. You three will be heroes I expect.”

  “For a week or two, perhaps,” said Mary. “I hope they don’t upset your schooling.”

  “Do you have to return the photo, Mr. Thorne?” asked Bob.

  “No, one of you could keep it, if you like. I just had to tell them if you recognised the man.”

  “You can have it if you like, Bob,” said Jack. “There’s only one thing I’d like; to know if the Knowleton’s bought round loaves!”

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