How easy it would be.
But of course they kept on coming.
After a while he recognised the slight limp of Oberhauser. He seemed to be leading the others. James saw him point towards where he was sitting.
They were looking for him, then. It was indeed hard to be alone.
He studied them more closely now.
There were three of them and Oberhauser, who now stopped, turned and went back towards the cable-car station. One was unmistakably Mr Merriot – James could see his ever-present unlit pipe. The man next to him in the trilby was surely Dan Nevin. The slightly overweight man lagging behind them and struggling to keep up on the rocky ground James had never seen before.
It was only a matter of time, James supposed. They would have tracked him down sooner or later, wherever he had gone. In some ways it was a relief. He had to get this thing over with.
When Merriot was close enough to be heard he called out to James. James waved but said nothing in return. A few minutes later the men arrived, red-faced and out of breath.
‘Quite a spot,’ said Merriot, looking around at the view, and James nodded.
‘How are you, James?’ said Nevin.
‘As well as can be expected, I suppose,’ said James, and he looked at the third man who was just arriving.
‘This is Sir Donald Buchanan,’ said Merriot, sitting down on a rock and taking his pipe out of his mouth. ‘Sir Donald is with the government. I suppose you could say he’s my boss.’
‘How do you do, young man?’ Buchanan wheezed. He was sweating heavily and looked like a man who enjoyed good food more than exercise. ‘Pleased to meet you at last.’
‘Are you?’ said James. ‘I assumed you’d come to arrest me.’
‘Arrest you? Far from it, far from it,’ said Merriot, and he gave James a kindly smile. ‘We understand why you did what you did. We put an intolerable strain on you. It wasn’t fair – a young man like you. We were panicked by what had happened, and blinded by a desire to track down the enemy and bag him. It was too heavy a burden to expect you to carry. But, as usual with your adventures, it all seems to have turned out right in the end.’
‘Has it?’ said James. ‘Roan is dead.’
‘That is a shame,’ said Merriot. ‘She and her man may have been planning a terrible thing, but in many ways she was an innocent. She was caught up in a game that was bigger and more complicated than she could ever have imagined.’
‘And is the game over?’ said James.
‘I don’t think it ever will be,’ said Merriot. ‘The Great Game, they used to call it, this shadow war of spies, double agents, plots, counter-plots, secrets and lies.’
‘When you put it like that, Michael,’ said Buchanan, wiping his face with a handkerchief, ‘it sounds dreadfully grubby.’
Nevin laughed and lit up a cigarette.
‘It’s worse than grubby,’ he said.
‘What happened to Babushka,’ James asked, ‘to Colonel Sedova?’
‘Disappeared,’ said Nevin. ‘Shame. She would have made a good prize. All hell’s broken loose in Moscow by all accounts. The OGPU’s been wound up and taken over by the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs.’
James was hardly listening. You could change the name of something but it wouldn’t make it smell any sweeter.
‘Expect you’re wondering how we found you at the castle, eh?’ said Merriot.
‘You’d sent a man there,’ said James. ‘He died.’
‘Yes,’ said Nevin. ‘We found the poor beggar. His name was Walsh. We’d been investigating the Graf for something else. Had no idea it was all part of the same plot.’
‘None of us did,’ said Merriot.
‘We lost contact with Walsh,’ Nevin went on, ‘but one of the last messages he sent was about seeing a boy and a girl on the train. It took us a while to put two and two together, and a while longer to realise that it added up to five.’
Merriot rested a hand on James’s shoulder.
‘So, young James,’ he said, ‘what is to be done with you?’
James shrugged. For the moment he didn’t much care. There was a hollow, empty feeling inside him.
‘I have talked to your estimable Aunt Charmian,’ Merriot went on. ‘She is here by the way, in Kitzbühel. I asked if we could talk to you first.’
‘Oh?’ said James. ‘I suppose you want to rehearse me in what lies I’m going to tell people about what’s happened?’
‘You always were a clever lad,’ said Merriot.
‘The thing of it is,’ said Buchanan, ‘we’d really rather you didn’t say anything to anyone.’
‘Not even to my aunt?’
‘Not even to your aunt,’ said Buchanan. ‘There are certain parts of the story that would be a great embarrassment to all of us. We could all look rather foolish if any of this ever got out.’
‘And then there’s the matter of the Prince of Wales,’ said Nevin.
Buchanan coughed and looked away.
‘Nobody must ever know the full truth about what happened,’ said Merriot. ‘We will ask you to sign various papers and documents – the Official Secrets Act, that kind of thing – and then your lips must remain cemented shut.’
‘That’s it?’ said James. ‘No punishment for running away and helping a wanted woman? You’re going to say nothing about my part in it all?’
‘No punishment,’ said Merriot quietly. ‘We’ll cut a deal with you as long as you cut a deal with us. Let’s not forget you saved the King’s life. He has even offered you a medal. I’ve declined on your behalf, of course.’
‘Of course,’ said James.
‘And of course he doesn’t know exactly what happened. The four of us here on top of this mountain are the only people in the world who know the whole truth, and that’s how we would like it to stay.’
‘If you speak to anyone – ever – about this,’ said Buchanan, ‘then the full force of His Majesty’s Government will come down very heavily on you. And that would be messy, I can assure you.’
James sighed. He was all too happy to forget this episode.
‘My lips are sealed,’ he said.
‘Good man,’ said Merriot. ‘Now. Specifics. You cannot return to Eton.’
‘I thought you might say that,’ said James.
‘That part of your life is over,’ said Merriot. ‘I will miss you. You never took to the classics, it’s true, but you were always a bright and interesting pupil. And what an athlete. You should see the boy run sometime, Sir Donald.’
‘Hmph,’ said Buchanan, who evidently had no interest in sports.
‘We have arranged for you to be transferred to your father’s old school in Edinburgh, James, to Fettes. I think you will like it there – the sports are excellent and I know you’ll make new friends quickly. We will make up some story to cover your leaving Eton. In fact we will barely have to alter the facts.’
‘It’s a good rule,’ said Nevin, blowing out a cloud of smoke. ‘If you’re going to tell a lie, keep it as close to the truth as possible – it’s much easier.’
‘I’ll remember that,’ said James.
‘We will need to cover your tracks a little, though,’ said Merriot. ‘To keep you safely out of it. Records will show that you left the school a year ago, and could not have had any involvement with the events of the last half. This whole matter is being officially removed from the history books.’
‘And the Prince of Wales?’ said James. ‘What will become of him? It won’t be quite so easy to remove him from the history books.’
‘Leave that to us,’ said Buchanan darkly.
‘I don’t think he had any idea of what was being planned,’ said Nevin. ‘It’s well known that he doesn’t like his father, but if he’d known they were going to kill him he would never have gone along with it.’
‘Some of his beliefs and enthusiasms are a little worrying, though,’ said Buchanan. ‘We’ll have to see to it that nothing like this could ever happen
again. If necessary we will see to it that he never becomes King.’
‘Plots, counter-plots, dirty secrets and lies,’ said James.
‘Something like that,’ said Buchanan. ‘But what the general public don’t know can’t hurt them.’
‘You’re good at keeping secrets, James,’ said Merriot. ‘In fact, of all of us here, you’re the best equipped for this job.’
‘As a spy?’ said James.
‘A spy indeed,’ said Merriot. ‘It’s in your blood.’
James ran his fingers through his hair.
‘Almost the last thing my Uncle Max said to me before he died, was “Don’t ever be a spy”.’
‘Wise words I’m sure,’ said Merriot. ‘But perhaps our destinies are chosen for us. And we will always need people like you. You’re young now, you need a rest, you need to try and live the life of an ordinary boy for a while, but when the time comes, when you’re old enough, will you hear the call?’
‘There’s a war coming, James,’ said Nevin. ‘We’re trying our damnedest to stop it, but I fear it’s going to happen sooner rather than later. My prediction is that within five years Europe is going to be on fire. We’ll need people to put those fires out.’
‘And people to start them,’ Buchanan muttered.
‘I’ve had my fill of blood and fire,’ said James. ‘I’m not sure I want to fight any more.’
‘I’m not sure any of us do,’ said Merriot. ‘But if war breaks out I’d sooner have a gun in my hand than a pen.’
‘Is that the only choice?’ said James.
Merriot smiled and looked off into the distance. ‘Perhaps not,’ he said. ‘We schoolmasters sometimes have to give the impression that we know everything, but sometimes I have to admit that we don’t.’ He stood up and held out his hand to James. ‘Do we have a deal?’ he said.
James thought about it.
‘I don’t suppose I have much of a choice,’ he said.
‘No,’ said Buchanan. ‘I’m afraid you don’t.’
‘Can I see my friends again?’ said James.
‘We can’t stop you, I suppose,’ said Merriot, ‘but we’d really rather you didn’t.’
‘They must know that I left with Roan.’
‘An affair of the heart, nothing more.’
Nothing more?
James shook Merriot’s hand.
‘Sometimes,’ said Merriot, ‘we don’t know if what we’re doing is right. But perhaps you have seen enough of what Hitler is up to to know that he’s someone who must be stopped.’
‘Yes,’ said James.
‘Come along,’ said Buchanan. ‘I’d like to be back in time for supper. Can we trust the boy?’
‘Yes,’ said Merriot.
‘Will you come down with us?’ said Nevin.
‘I’ll stay a little while longer,’ said James. ‘And enjoy the last of the sun.’
‘You can sign the papers in the morning before we leave,’ said Buchanan.
‘As you wish,’ said James. ‘But I’ve shaken on it, and that’s really all you need.’
Buchanan grunted and set off back towards the cable-car station. Nevin gave a tip of the hat and followed. Merriot hung back.
‘Goodbye,’ he said. ‘I really shall miss you. But I’m sure we shall meet again, somewhere along the way.’
‘Goodbye,’ said James. ‘Thank you for organising all this. I’m sure it wasn’t as straightforward as you’ve made it seem. I reckon Sir Donald was all for locking me up and throwing away the key.’
Merriot winked.
‘Clever lad,’ he said, and turned to go.
‘One more thing,’ said James.
‘Yes?’
‘Roan? Do you know what her real name was?’
‘Her married name was Roan Cullinan,’ said Merriot. ‘But she never used it, for reasons of security.’
‘And her maiden name?’
‘Turns out she was who she claimed to be. Roan Power. That was her real name all along.’
‘Thank you.’
James watched as Merriot stuck his pipe back into his mouth and set off after the other two with his long loping stride.
James stayed there until he was sure that the others had gone, and then he stayed a while longer, feeling the heat drain out of the day. At last he stood, stretched his aching muscles, and began the walk down to Kitzbühel. He wouldn’t take the cable-car. He wanted time to think, and he thought best when he was walking. The winding track down the mountain would take him a couple of hours, but he was in no hurry.
He remembered that other time, coming down the mountain with Miles Langton-Herring. It seemed a lifetime ago.
He was pleased that Charmian was here. She knew how to make him happy and take his mind off his worries. Maybe she would stay for a while – she would like the Oberhausers, and James could show her the mountains.
He felt lighter and happier already. Perhaps it really was as easy as this. He would sign some pieces of paper and everything would be forgotten as if it had never happened. He would go to his new school, Fettes, and start again. Nobody would know him, nobody would expect anything of him. Except Perry. James smiled. Yes, he’d forgotten that Perry was at Fettes. The place wouldn’t be entirely alien. Oh, some boy would no doubt try to bully him when he got there, to show that he was in charge and James was an insignificant newcomer, but he would deal with that. He hadn’t been scared of mere boys for a long time.
At the first turn of the path he found Hannes Oberhauser waiting for him.
‘I thought you would come this way,’ he said, grinning.
‘You know me too well,’ said James.
Oberhauser put his arm across James’s shoulders and they walked together.
‘I wanted to make sure that you were all right.’
‘I’m all right,’ said James, and he meant it.
‘Helga is making Wiener schnitzel for dinner,’ said Hannes. ‘I know it is one of your favourites.’
‘It is,’ said James.
‘Your aunt will be joining us. I have met her – she seems a lovely woman.’
‘She is,’ said James.
They walked on down the track, and were soon lost among the tall pine trees.
A chamois came out of hiding and looked carefully in the direction they had gone, then, with one bound, he too disappeared.
The mountain was quiet.
Acknowledgements
As this book brings to a close this chapter of James Bond’s life I wanted to properly thank all the people who have helped me in the writing of the series. Some I have thanked before, but it will do no harm to thank them again.
Vicky Fullick
Frank, Jim and Sidney
Kate Jones
Alexandra Cann
Susan Powell
Bernard Fergusson for his book Eton Portrait
Zoë Watkins
Corinne Turner
Fleur Gooch
Kate Grimond
Lucy Fleming
Matthew Fleming
Rebecca McNally
Amanda Punter
Adele Minchin
Kirsten Grant
Francesca Dow
Lucy Chavasse and all at Colman Getty
Michael Meredith
Nick Baker
All the boys and girls who have read the books
John Cox
Ian Fleming
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Part One: KITZBÜHEL
1
What Will Be Will Be
2
It is Only When We Are Close to Death That We Feel Fully Alive
3
Hitler-Jugend
4
Austrian Waltzing Blood
5
You’re Going the Wrong Way!
6
There is More Than One Way to Come Down a Mountain
7
White Death
8
Goodnight,
Vienna
9
The Man Without a Face
Part Two: ETON
10
Bloody Bentinck
11
Consorting With a Common Maid
12
An Invitation and an Order
13
The Invisible Man
14
By Royal Command
15
Guest of Honour
16
A Blunt Object
17
Science is Not a Boring Subject
18
The Infernal Device
19
One Move and I’ll Tear Your Throat Out
20
The Shadow War
21
The Men in Grey Hats
22
A Cold-Blooded Killer
Part Three: FUGITIVES
23
Blonde Bombshell
24
The Marseillaise
25
Fallen Among Friends
26
The Stink of Death
27
Keeping Up Appearances
28
You Never Give Up, Do You?
29
For King and Country
30
Someone Has Let the Rabbits Out of Their Hutches
31
Diamond Heart
32
From on Top of a Mountain
Acknowledgements
Charlie Higson, By Royal Command
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