Strange Conflict Read Free

and trying to trace various leakages of information which come from people who regard themselves as patriotic citizens but talk too much to the ladies of their acquaintance. There is nothing at all to prevent me from packing a bag and leaving for Kamchatka or Peru tomorrow morning if you feel that by so doing I could drive another nail into Hitler’s coffin.’
    â€˜That’s the sort of thing I like to hear,’ roared Sir Pellinore. ‘Wish to God some of the people in our government departments showed the same keenness to get these German swine under. But I don’t think we’ll have to call on you even to leave London—although one can never tell. It’s the use of that fine brain of yours I want, and you mentioned the subject yourself only a moment ago when you spoke of leakage of information.’
    De Richleau raised his slanting eyebrows. ‘I shouldn’t have thought there was any grave cause to worry about that. Even the smallest indiscretions should be jumped on, of course, but from all I’ve gathered very little important stuff has got through since all normal communications with the Continent was severed after the collapse of France.’
    â€˜In a way you’re right.’ Sir Pellinore nodded his white head. ‘We ourselves were amazed in the difference that made. For example, when the first major air-attacks on this country started many of us were acutely anxious about the Air Force. We feared that by sheer weight of numbers the Germans would smash more planes on the ground than we could possibly afford to lose. As everybody knows now, we cleared all our airfields on the south and east coasts before the attack developed, so that there was nothing left for the Nazis to smash except the empty hangars and machine shops. Directly they had done that we expected them to start on our new bases, but they didn’t; they kept on hammering day after day at the old oneswhen there was nothing left but burnt-out sheds for them to strike at; which proved quite definitely that they hadn’t the faintest idea that we had ever shifted our planes at all. That’s ancient history now, of course, but in all sorts of other ways the same thing has gone on in recent months, demonstrating beyond doubt that once the German agents here were cut off from the Continent their whole system of conveying information speedily to the enemy had broken down.’
    â€˜I don’t understand, then, what you’re worrying about.’
    â€˜The fact that it has not broken down in one particular direction. The biggest menace that we’re up against at the moment is our shipping losses, and the extraordinary thing is that although the Nazis now seem to have only the vaguest idea of what is going on here in every other direction, they have our shipping arrangements absolutely taped. Naturally, every convoy that sails to or from America is sent by a different route. Sometimes they go right up into the Arctic, sometimes as far south as Madeira, and sometimes dead-straight across; but, whichever way we choose, the Nazis seem to know about it. They meet each convoy in mid-Atlantic after its escort has left it, just as though they were keeping a prearranged appointment.’
    â€˜That
is
pretty grim.’
    â€˜Yes. It’s no laughing matter; and to be quite honest we’re at our wits’ end. The Navy is working night and day, and the Air Arm too; but the sea and sky are big places. Our Intelligence people have done their damn’dest—and they’re pretty hot—whatever uninformed people may think about them—but just this one thing seems to have got them beaten.’
    â€˜Why should you imagine that I might succeed where the best brains in our Intelligence have failed?’ asked the Duke mildly.
    â€˜Because I feel that our only chance now is to get an entirely fresh mind on the subject; someone who isn’t fogged by knowing too much detail and