At the fairgrounds, five miles outside of Civitavecchia, were a dozen large, colourful balloons spread across the field, looking like round rainbows.They were moored to trucks while ground crews were busily filling their envelopes with cold air. Half a dozen chase cars stood by, ready to track theballoons, two men in each car, the driver and the spotter.Robert walked up to a man who seemed to be in charge. “It looks like you’re getting ready for the big race,” Robert said.“That’s right. Ever been in a balloon?”“No.”They were skimming over Lake Como and he dropped the balloon down until it touched the water. “We’re going to crash,”Susan screamed. Hesmiled. “No, we’re not.”The bottom of the balloon was dancing on the waves. He threwout a sandbag and the balloon began to lift again. Susanlaughed and hugged him and said …The man was speaking. “You should try it sometime. It’s a great sport.”“Yeah. Where is the race heading?”“Yugoslavia. We have a nice easterly wind. We’ll be ta
Day Twenty-OneEarly in the morning Robert was on deck, looking out over the calm sea. Captain Simpson approached him. “Good morning. It looks like theweather is going to hold, Mr Smith.”“Yes.”“We’ll be in Marseilles by three o’clock. Will we be staying there long?”“I don’t know,” Robert said pleasantly. “We’ll see.”“Yes, sir.”Robert watched Simpson stride off. What was there about the man?Robert walked back to the stern of the yacht and scanned the horizon. He could see nothing, and yet … In the past, his instincts had saved his lifemore than once. He had long ago learned to rely on them. Something was wrong.Over the horizon out of sight, the Italian Navy cruiser Stromboli was stalking the Halcyon.When Susan appeared for breakfast, she looked pale and drawn.“Did you sleep well, darling?” Monte asked.“Fine,” Susan said.So they didn’t share the same cabin! Robert felt an unreasonable sense of pleasure from that knowledge. He and Susan had always slept in thesame bed, her
He stole a car in Marseilles. It was a Fiat 1800 Spider convertible, parked on a dimly lit side street. It was locked and there was no key in theignition. No problem. Looking around to make sure he was not observed, Robert made a rip in the canvas top and shoved his hand inside tounlock the door. He slid inside the car, reached under the dashboard, and pulled out all the wires of the ignition switch. He held the thick red wire inone hand while, one by one, he touched the other wires to it until the dashboard lit up. He hooked two wires together and touched the remainingones to the two wires hooked together until the engine began to turn over. He pulled out the choke and the engine roared to life. A moment later,Robert was on his way to ParisHis priority was to get hold of Li Po. When he reached the Paris suburbs, he stopped at a phone booth. He telephoned Li’s apartment andheard the familiar voice on the answering machine: Zao, mes amis … Je regrette que je ne sois pas chezmoi m
It was the lightning streak that saved Robert’s life. The instant that Li Po started to squeeze the trigger, the sudden flash of light outside thewindow distracted him for a moment. Robert moved, and the bullet hit him in his right shoulder instead of his chest.As Li raised the gun to fire again, Robert gave a side-thrust kick, knocking the gun out of Li’s hand. Li spun forward and punched Robert hard in hiswounded shoulder. The pain was excruciating. Robert’s jacket was covered with blood. He lashed out with a forward elbow smash. Li grunted withpain. He riposted with a deadly shut chop to the neck, and Robert evaded it. The two men circled each other, both of them breathing hard, lookingfor an opening. They fought silently in a deadly ritual older than time, and each knew that only one of them would come out of this alive. Robert wasweakening. The pain in his shoulder was increasing, and he could see his blood dripping to the floor.Time was on Li Po’s side. I’ve got to end th
Day Twenty-ThreeParis, FranceHe telephoned Admiral Whittaker from the doctor’s office.“Admiral. Robert.”“Robert! What’s going on? They told me …”“Never mind that now. I need your help, Admiral. Have you ever heard of the name Janus?”Admiral Whittaker said slowly, “Janus? No. I never heard of him.”Robert said, “I’ve found out he’s heading some kind of secret organization that’s killing innocent people, and now he’s trying to kill me. We have tostop him.”“How can I help?”“I need to get to the President. Can you arrange a meeting?”There was a moment of silence. “I’m certain I can.”“There’s more. General Hilliard is involved.”“What? How …?”“And there are others. Most of the intelligence agencies in Europe are in it, too. I can’t explain anymore now. I want you to call Hilliard. Tell him I’vefound an eleventh witness.”“I don’t understand. An eleventh witness to what?”“I’m sorry, Admiral, but I can’t tell you. Hilliard will know. I want him to meet me in Switzerland.”“Swit
In the mothership, floating high above the earth, there was a great joy. All the lights on the panels were flashing green.We have found her!We must hurry.The huge ship started to hurl itself toward the planet far below.For a single instant, time was frozen, and then it shattered into a thousand pieces. Robert watched, stunned, as Susan stepped out of thehelicopter. She stood there for a second and then started toward Robert, but Monte Banks who was right behind her grabbed her and held herback.“Run, Robert! Run! They’re going to kill you!”Robert took a step toward her, and at that moment, General Milliard and Colonel Frank Johnson stepped out of the helicopter.General Milliard said, “I’m here, Commander. I’ve kept my part of the bargain.” He walked over to Robert and the woman in white. “I assume this isthe eleventh witness. The missing alien. I’m sure we’ll find her very interesting. So it’s finally finished.”“Not yet. You said you would bring Janus.”“Oh, yes. Janus insis
3 May. Bistritz.--Left Munich at 8:35 P.M., on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6:46, but train was an hour late. Buda-Pesth seems a wonderful place, from the glimpse which I got of it from the train and the little I could walk through the streets. I feared to go very far from the station, as we had arrived late and would start as near the correct time as possible.The impression I had was that we were leaving the West and entering the East; the most western of splendid bridges over the Danube, which is here of noble width and depth, took us among the traditions of Turkish rule.We left in pretty good time, and came after nightfall to Klausenburgh. Here I stopped for the night at the Hotel Royale. I had for dinner, or rather supper, a chicken done up some way with red pepper, which was very good but thirsty. (Mem. get recipe for Mina.) I asked the waiter, and he said it was called "paprika hendl," and that, as it was a national dish, I should be a
4 May--I found that my landlord had got a letter from the Count, directing him to secure the best place on the coach for me; but on making inquiries as to details he seemed somewhat reticent, and pretended that he could not understand my German.This could not be true, because up to then he had understood it perfectly; at least, he answered my questions exactly as if he did.He and his wife, the old lady who had received me, looked at each other in a frightened sort of way. He mumbled out that the money had been sent in a letter, and that was all he knew. When I asked him if he knew Count Dracula, and could tell me anything of his castle, both he and his wife crossed themselves, and, saying that they knew nothing at all, simply refused to speak further. It was so near the time of starting that I had no time to ask anyone else, for it was all very mysterious and not by any means comforting.Just before I was leaving, the old lady came up to my room and said in a hysterical way: "Must y