The Secret Adversary Agatha Christie (books to read to get smarter TXT) đ
- Author: Agatha Christie
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âBecause it seems that the papers were not destroyed after all, and that they might be resurrected today with a new and deadly significance.â
Tuppence stared. Mr. Carter nodded.
âYes, five years ago, that draft treaty was a weapon in our hands; today it is a weapon against us. It was a gigantic blunder. If its terms were made public, it would mean disaster.â ââ ⊠It might possibly bring about another warâ ânot with Germany this time! That is an extreme possibility, and I do not believe in its likelihood myself, but that document undoubtedly implicates a number of our statesmen whom we cannot afford to have discredited in any way at the present moment. As a party cry for Labour it would be irresistible, and a Labour government at this juncture would, in my opinion, be a grave disability for British trade, but that is a mere nothing to the real danger.â
He paused, and then said quietly:
âYou may perhaps have heard or read that there is Bolshevist influence at work behind the present Labour unrest?â
Tuppence nodded.
âThat is the truth. Bolshevist gold is pouring into this country for the specific purpose of procuring a Revolution. And there is a certain man, a man whose real name is unknown to us, who is working in the dark for his own ends. The Bolshevists are behind the Labour unrestâ âbut this man is behind the Bolshevists. Who is he? We do not know. He is always spoken of by the unassuming title of âMr. Brown.â But one thing is certain, he is the master criminal of this age. He controls a marvellous organization. Most of the Peace propaganda during the war was originated and financed by him. His spies are everywhere.â
âA naturalized German?â asked Tommy.
âOn the contrary, I have every reason to believe he is an Englishman. He was pro-German, as he would have been pro-Boer. What he seeks to attain we do not knowâ âprobably supreme power for himself, of a kind unique in history. We have no clue as to his real personality. It is reported that even his own followers are ignorant of it. Where we have come across his tracks, he has always played a secondary part. Somebody else assumes the chief role. But afterwards we always find that there has been some nonentity, a servant or a clerk, who has remained in the background unnoticed, and that the elusive Mr. Brown has escaped us once more.â
âOh!â Tuppence jumped. âI wonderâ ââ
âYes?â
âI remember in Mr. Whittingtonâs office. The clerkâ âhe called him Brown. You donât thinkâ ââ
Carter nodded thoughtfully.
âVery likely. A curious point is that the name is usually mentioned. An idiosyncrasy of genius. Can you describe him at all?â
âI really didnât notice. He was quite ordinaryâ âjust like anyone else.â
Mr. Carter sighed in his tired manner.
âThat is the invariable description of Mr. Brown! Brought a telephone message to the man Whittington, did he? Notice a telephone in the outer office?â
Tuppence thought.
âNo, I donât think I did.â
âExactly. That âmessageâ was Mr. Brownâs way of giving an order to his subordinate. He overheard the whole conversation of course. Was it after that that Whittington handed you over the money, and told you to come the following day?â
Tuppence nodded.
âYes, undoubtedly the hand of Mr. Brown!â Mr. Carter paused. âWell, there it is, you see what you are pitting yourselves against? Possibly the finest criminal brain of the age. I donât quite like it, you know. Youâre such young things, both of you. I shouldnât like anything to happen to you.â
âIt wonât,â Tuppence assured him positively.
âIâll look after her, sir,â said Tommy.
âAnd Iâll look after you,â retorted Tuppence, resenting the manly assertion.
âWell, then, look after each other,â said Mr. Carter, smiling. âNow letâs get back to business. Thereâs something mysterious about this draft treaty that we havenât fathomed yet. Weâve been threatened with itâ âin plain and unmistakable terms. The Revolutionary element as good as declare that itâs in their hands, and that they intend to produce it at a given moment. On the other hand, they are clearly at fault about many of its provisions. The government consider it as mere bluff on their part, and, rightly or wrongly, have stuck to the policy of absolute denial. Iâm not so sure. There have been hints, indiscreet allusions, that seem to indicate that the menace is a real one. The position is much as though they had got hold of an incriminating document, but couldnât read it because it was in cipherâ âbut we know that the draft treaty wasnât in cipherâ âcouldnât be in the nature of thingsâ âso that wonât wash. But thereâs something. Of course, Jane Finn may be dead for all we knowâ âbut I donât think so. The curious thing is that theyâre trying to get information about the girl from us.â
âWhat?â
âYes. One or two little things have cropped up. And your story, little lady, confirms my idea. They know weâre looking for Jane Finn. Well, theyâll produce a Jane Finn of their ownâ âsay at a pensionnat in Paris.â Tuppence gasped, and Mr. Carter smiled. âNo one knows in the least what she looks like, so thatâs all right. Sheâs primed with a trumped-up tale, and her real business is to get as much information as possible out of us. See the idea?â
âThen you thinkââ âTuppence paused to grasp the supposition fullyâ ââthat it was as Jane Finn that they wanted me to go to Paris?â
Mr. Carter smiled more wearily than ever.
âI believe in coincidences, you know,â he said.
V Mr. Julius P. HersheimmerâWell,â said Tuppence, recovering herself, âit really seems as though it were meant to be.â
Carter nodded.
âI know what you mean. Iâm superstitious myself. Luck, and all that sort of thing. Fate seems to have chosen you out to be mixed up in this.â
Tommy indulged in a chuckle.
âMy word! I donât wonder Whittington got the wind up when Tuppence plumped out that name! I should have myself. But look here, sir, weâre taking up an awful lot of your time. Have you any tips to give us before we clear out?â
âI think not. My
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