When we must force the issue. There was a Cabinet all yesterday afternoon, and again this morning. There's been an espionage at Portsmouth. That's what Dermott's come down about. And we think it's them. . . ."
He stared at the decanter. "If that should be established, it might prove to be the deciding factor. The least thing can swing the balance now. This thing has been done by an aeroplane. Dermott will tell you about that. I was sent for this afternoon to the Air Ministry. They are of the opinion that one of the aeroplanes engaged in this espionage was brought down on Thursday night. They think it landed in this part of the country. They've named an area. In the square formed by Pithurst, Leventer, Courton Down, and Under."
"That's all our land," I said quietly.
He turned to me. "I know. That's what I want you to consult with Dermott about. This thing's too delicate to be handled by the local constable. But you know the country and the people better than I do myself. Much better than the police. You know every hedge and field on the estate, and you know the tenants. I told them at the Ministry that if an aeroplane had landed on my ground and they wanted to find out about it quietly, you were the man to see. I told them I'd bring Dermott down with me, and he could have a talk with you."
He turned to Dermott. "You'll want to go over the ground to-morrow, I suppose?"
"I shall be able to say more about that when I've had a talk with Mr. Moran, Lord Arner."
Arner nodded wearily. "You'd better carry on straight ahead. Moran is completely in my confidence. You can speak plainly to him."
I shifted uneasily in my chair.
Arner reached out slowly for a cigar, and lit it. Dermott turned to me. "I understand that you were a pilot in the war, Mr. Moran," he said.
[Pg 70] "Of a sort," I replied. "I was never anything to write home about."
He smiled. "Still, with that experience you'll probably be able to give me a lot of help. First of all, I think I'd better give you the outlines of this—this espionage. You'll see better then what we want to know."
He paused. "There's something going on at Portsmouth," he said at last, and seemed to consider for a minute. "A certain operation. At the Ministry—the Air Ministry—we do not consider this operation to be our concern at all. We regard it as purely an Admiralty matter. You'll appreciate the position. There's very little to be gained by discussing this—operation."
I nodded. "I can take that for granted."
"Right. Now, a part of the work necessary in the carrying out of this scheme is maritime, and is so placed as to be in full view of the shore. Generally speaking, all operations that concern harbour defences and matters of that sort are regarded as secret, but usually that secrecy is only relative. You see what I mean. If a fort is to be built, the Admiralty can go on saying it's secret till they're blue in the face—but there it is, and any passer-by can see the muzzles of the guns sticking out."
He blew a long cloud of smoke. "In this instance—which is in no way connected with the defences of the port—secrecy really is most urgent. It's vital. For that reason, since a part of the operation can be seen from the shore, it was arranged to carry out the necessary maritime work at night."
He paused, and eyed me steadily. "Twice in the last week this work has been overlooked, and possibly photographed. Each time an aeroplane, the nature of which we don't yet know, has flown over and dropped a large magnesium flare."
I nodded slowly, without taking my eyes from his face.
"The first time it happened was on Monday night. The flare appeared suddenly at a height of about two thousand feet, and burnt for perhaps a minute. It came as a complete surprise. There was a tendency at first to put it down to a natural phenomenon—a meteor of some sort. That's all nonsense, of course."
[Pg 71] I wrinkled my brows. "If it was an aeroplane, surely you'd have heard it," I remarked.
He stared at the decanter. "If that should be established, it might prove to be the deciding factor. The least thing can swing the balance now. This thing has been done by an aeroplane. Dermott will tell you about that. I was sent for this afternoon to the Air Ministry. They are of the opinion that one of the aeroplanes engaged in this espionage was brought down on Thursday night. They think it landed in this part of the country. They've named an area. In the square formed by Pithurst, Leventer, Courton Down, and Under."
"That's all our land," I said quietly.
He turned to me. "I know. That's what I want you to consult with Dermott about. This thing's too delicate to be handled by the local constable. But you know the country and the people better than I do myself. Much better than the police. You know every hedge and field on the estate, and you know the tenants. I told them at the Ministry that if an aeroplane had landed on my ground and they wanted to find out about it quietly, you were the man to see. I told them I'd bring Dermott down with me, and he could have a talk with you."
He turned to Dermott. "You'll want to go over the ground to-morrow, I suppose?"
"I shall be able to say more about that when I've had a talk with Mr. Moran, Lord Arner."
Arner nodded wearily. "You'd better carry on straight ahead. Moran is completely in my confidence. You can speak plainly to him."
I shifted uneasily in my chair.
Arner reached out slowly for a cigar, and lit it. Dermott turned to me. "I understand that you were a pilot in the war, Mr. Moran," he said.
[Pg 70] "Of a sort," I replied. "I was never anything to write home about."
He smiled. "Still, with that experience you'll probably be able to give me a lot of help. First of all, I think I'd better give you the outlines of this—this espionage. You'll see better then what we want to know."
He paused. "There's something going on at Portsmouth," he said at last, and seemed to consider for a minute. "A certain operation. At the Ministry—the Air Ministry—we do not consider this operation to be our concern at all. We regard it as purely an Admiralty matter. You'll appreciate the position. There's very little to be gained by discussing this—operation."
I nodded. "I can take that for granted."
"Right. Now, a part of the work necessary in the carrying out of this scheme is maritime, and is so placed as to be in full view of the shore. Generally speaking, all operations that concern harbour defences and matters of that sort are regarded as secret, but usually that secrecy is only relative. You see what I mean. If a fort is to be built, the Admiralty can go on saying it's secret till they're blue in the face—but there it is, and any passer-by can see the muzzles of the guns sticking out."
He blew a long cloud of smoke. "In this instance—which is in no way connected with the defences of the port—secrecy really is most urgent. It's vital. For that reason, since a part of the operation can be seen from the shore, it was arranged to carry out the necessary maritime work at night."
He paused, and eyed me steadily. "Twice in the last week this work has been overlooked, and possibly photographed. Each time an aeroplane, the nature of which we don't yet know, has flown over and dropped a large magnesium flare."
I nodded slowly, without taking my eyes from his face.
"The first time it happened was on Monday night. The flare appeared suddenly at a height of about two thousand feet, and burnt for perhaps a minute. It came as a complete surprise. There was a tendency at first to put it down to a natural phenomenon—a meteor of some sort. That's all nonsense, of course."
[Pg 71] I wrinkled my brows. "If it was an aeroplane, surely you'd have heard it," I remarked.
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