Circus. Alistair MacLean

impossible. What if it were possible or about to become possible? The nation that held this secret could hold the world to ransom. Comparatively, nuclear weapons are inoffensive toys for the amusement of little toddlers.’

      For a long minute no one spoke, then Wrinfield said: ‘You would not be talking in this fashion unless you had reason to believe that such a weapon exists or could exist.’

      ‘I have reason so to believe. This possibility has obsessed the intelligence agencies of all the modern world for some years now.’

      ‘Obviously this secret is not in our hands, or you wouldn’t be telling us all this.’

      ‘Obviously.’

      ‘And it wouldn’t be in the hands of a country such as Britain?’

      ‘That would give us no cause for anxiety.’

      ‘Because when the chips are down they would be allies with responsible hands?’

      ‘I couldn’t have put it better myself.’

      ‘Then this secret resides – if it does reside anywhere – in the hands of a country which, when the chips were down, would be neither friendly nor responsible?’

      ‘Precisely.’ Pilgrim, Fawcett reflected, had warned him not to underrate Wrinfield’s intelligence. Wrinfield said slowly: ‘Pilgrim and I have already made some tentative arrangements, come to preliminary agreements. You will know that. But he never told me any of this.’

      ‘The time wasn’t right.’

      ‘So now it is?’

      ‘Now or not at all.’

      ‘Of course, you want this secret or formula or whatever?’

      Fawcett began to revise his opinion of Wrinfield’s intelligence. ‘What do you think?’

      ‘What makes you think our hands are more responsible than those of a score of other nations?’

      ‘I’m a paid employee of the United States government. Mine is not to reason why.’

      ‘It will not have escaped you that that was precisely the reasoning adopted by the Gestapo and the SS in Germany during the Second World War or by Russia’s KGB since?’

      ‘It has not escaped me. But I don’t think the analogy is very exact. The United States doesn’t really want more power – we have already overkill capacity. Can you imagine what would happen if this secret fell into the hands of, say, the certifiable leaders of a couple of the new Central African republics? We simply think we have more responsible hands than most.’

      ‘We have to hope we have.’

      Fawcett tried to conceal his long slow exhalation of relief. ‘That means you’ll go along.’

      ‘I’ll go. A moment ago you said the time was now right to tell me. Why?’

      ‘I hope I was right in saying I was right.’

      Bruno stirred. ‘What do you want of me, Colonel?’

      There were times, Fawcett was aware, when there was little point in beating about the bush. He said: ‘Get it for us.’

      Bruno rose and poured himself another soda. He drank it all down then said: ‘You mean, steal it?’

      ‘Get it. Would you call taking a gun away from a maniac stealing?’

      ‘But why me?’

      ‘Because you have unique gifts. I can’t discuss what type of use we would propose making of those gifts until I have some sort of answer. All I know is that we are pretty certain that there is only one formula in existence, only one man who has the formula and is capable of reproducing it. We know where both man and formula are.’

      ‘Where?’

      Fawcett didn’t hesitate. ‘Crau.’

      Bruno didn’t react in at all the way Fawcett had expected. His voice, when he spoke, was as bereft of expression as his face. Tonelessly, he repeated the word: ‘Crau.’

      ‘Crau. Your old home country and your old home town.’

      Bruno didn’t reply immediately. He returned to his chair, sat in it for a full minute, then said: ‘If I do agree, how do I get there? Illegal frontier crossing? Parachutes?’

      Fawcett made a heroic – and successful – effort to conceal his sense of exultation. Wrinfield and Bruno – he’d got them both in a matter of minutes. He said matter-of-factly: ‘Nothing so dramatic. You just go along with the circus.’

      This time Bruno seemed to be beyond words, so Wrinfield said: ‘It’s quite true, Bruno. We – that is, I – have agreed to co-operate with the government on this issue. Not that I had any more idea, until this moment, what the precise issue involved was. We are going to make a short tour of Europe, mainly eastern Europe. Negotiations are already well advanced. It’s quite natural. They send circus acts, dancers, singers to us: we’re just reciprocating.’

      ‘The whole circus?’

      ‘No, naturally not. That would be impossible. Just the cream of the cream, shall we say.’ Wrinfield smiled faintly. ‘One would have imagined that to include you.’

      ‘And if I refuse?’

      ‘We simply cancel the tour.’

      Bruno looked at Fawcett. ‘Mr Wrinfield’s lost profits. This could cost your government a million dollars.’

      ‘Our government. We’d pay a billion to get hold of this.’

      Bruno looked from Fawcett to Wrinfield then back to Fawcett again. He said abruptly: ‘I’ll go.’

      ‘Splendid. My thanks. Your country’s thanks. The details – ’

      ‘I do not need my country’s thanks.’ The words were cryptical but without offence.

      Fawcett was slightly taken aback, sought for the meaning behind the words then decided he’d better not. He said: ‘As you will. The details, as I was about to say, can wait until later. Mr Wrinfield, did Mr Pilgrim tell you that we’d be grateful if you would take along two additional people when you go abroad?’

      ‘He did not.’ Wrinfield seemed somewhat miffed. ‘It would appear that there are quite a number of things that Mr Pilgrim did not tell me.’

      ‘Mr Pilgrim knows what he is doing.’ Now that he had them both Fawcett took off the velvet gloves but still remained urbane and polite. ‘There was no point in burdening you with unnecessary details until we had secured the co-operation of both you gentlemen. The two people in question are a Dr Harper and an equestrienne, Maria. Our people. Very important to our purpose. That, too, I’ll explain later. There are some things I must first discuss urgently with Mr Pilgrim. Tell me, Bruno, why have you agreed to do this? I must warn you that it might be extremely dangerous for you and if you’re caught we’ll have no option but to disown you. Why?’

      Bruno shrugged. ‘Who’s to say why? There can be many reasons that a man can’t explain even to himself. Could be gratitude – America took me in when my own country threw me out. There are people there to whom I would like to perform as great a disservice as they did to me. I know there are dangerous and irresponsible men in my old country who would not hesitate to employ this weapon, if it exists. And then you say I am uniquely equipped for this task. In what ways I don’t yet know, but if it is the case how could I let another go in my place? Not only might he fail in getting what you want but he could well be killed in the process. I wouldn’t like to have either of those things on my conscience.’ He smiled faintly. ‘Just say it’s a bit of a challenge.’

      ‘And your real reason?’

      Bruno said simply: ‘Because I hate war.’

      ‘Mmm. Not the answer I expected, but fair enough.’ He stood