of PhilipHolland, stopping only long enough for Joe to make a phone call.
They retraced the route over which Nadine had taken him that day thatseemed so long ago, but actually wasn't. Through the long corridors,and eventually to the small office with the receptionist.
Miss Mikhail said, brightly, "Dr. Haer, Major Mauser, Mr. Holland isexpecting you. Go right in."
Just before pressing through the door, Nadine put her hand on Joe'sarm and looked into his face ruefully. "Darling, you've had so muchhard luck in your time, I'm sorry this first assignment for theorganization had to be a failure."
Joe wet his lips, carefully, "Why'd you think it was?" he said,opening the door.
Nadine could only stare as he ushered her into Phil Holland'spresence.
* * * * *
That crisp, efficient operator made much the same motions he had thefirst time Joe had met him here. Holding a chair for Nadine, shakinghands briskly with Joe and motioning to another chair for him. Whilethey were getting settled, Frank Hodgson sauntered in, seemingly aslackadaisical and disinterested as ever. After a minimum of exchangedpleasantries, he subsided onto the couch and fished for pipe andtobacco.
Holland took in Joe's arm, still immobilized in a sling, and the othersigns of his wounds. He said crisply, "I thought that we had removedyou permanently from the field of combat, Joe."
Joe said sourly, "Some of the Sovs thought otherwise."
Holland said, an element of irritation in his voice, "It is hard tounderstand how you could have revealed yourself so quickly."
Joe pursed his lips and looked at Nadine. He said, "I think I'vefigured that out. It's practically impossible for Nadine todissimulate. And I've never seen her and her brother together but thatthey weren't arguing."
Nadine was frowning at him. "What has Balt to do with it?"
Joe said, "I have a sneaking suspicion that in the heat of one of yourarguments with your brother, the Baron, you revealed your, and my,mission and its real purpose."
Nadine's right hand went to her mouth.
Joe finished with, "And the Baron, after all, is a member of theNathan Hale Society. I have no doubts that the organization has someconnections with their equal number in the Sov-world."
Holland grunted. "Very possible. However, it's done now. The thing is,what is your opinion Joe, and yours, Nadine, on the advisability ofsending other operatives on the same mission?"
Joe shook his head. "Unnecessary."
Frank Hodgson paused in lighting his pipe, to peer through the smoke.
Joe said, "In fact, it was unnecessary to send Nadine and me."
Holland's voice was testy. "I assure you, Joe, the particularassignment was quite important. We simply cannot afford to move, herein the West, until we know what the Sov-world will do. Your task was adelicate one, obviously. You simply couldn't go to their governmentand ask. There are strong elements in not only the Upper caste, buteven the middle and Lower ones, here in this country, who would springto the defense of present West-world society if they thought anattempt was being made to alter its structure. If the Sov governmentreported that it had been approached by elements of a revolutionarygroup, the fat would be in the fire."
Joe nodded. "I realize all that."
"You were expected to worm your way into their circles, to feel themout. To contact their own underground, if one exists. To ferret outdefinite information on how they would react if we began definitechanges in the _status quo_ here."
Joe continued to nod.
Holland was increasingly irritated. "Then why, good heavens, do yousay your mission was unnecessary?"
"Because they had already sent a mission over here to contact us," Joetold him, evenly.
Had he suddenly got up from his chair, walked up the wall, across theceiling, then down the other wall, they could not have stared at himthe more.
The telly-mike on Phil Holland's desk squeaked something, and he tooktime enough to snap, "No. I told you, Miss Mikhail, I was not to bedisturbed by _anyone_."
But Joe said, "If that's Colonel Lajos Arpad, I suggest you have himin. I took the liberty of phoning him and asking that he meet ushere."
Frank Hodgson was the first to recover. "Arpad! That spy! I've justabout gathered enough dope on him to have him declared _persona nongrata_ and ship him back to Budapest."
"As I was shipped back to Greater Washington," Joe said dryly."Colonel Arpad and I seem to duplicate each other's activities inalmost everything."
Phil Holland said crisply into the communicator, "Ask the colonel tocome in, Miss Mikhail."
* * * * *
Ever the correct Sov-world officer, Colonel Arpad came to attentionimmediately upon entering the room, clicked heels, bowed from thewaist. Except for Joe Mauser, none of them had met him, but heevidently knew all, greeting them by name.
The men had come to their feet. Joe said, "Meet Colonel Lajos Arpad,high in the ranks of the Sov-world Party, and at present on secretmission from the Sov-world underground revolutionary organization."Joe ended up wryly. "His mission being to determine what action theWest-world might take if the secret group which has determined to makebasic changes in the Sov-world socio-economic system was to takeaction."
It was the Hungarian who stared now. His eyes bored into Joe's face."I do not, of course, admit that, Major Mauser. But where in theworld did you receive that strange opinion?"
Joe sat down again. The blood he had lost still bothered him, and hetired easily.
He said, "From Colonel Kossuth, in Budapest. Another high rankingmember of your group." Joe's eyes went back to Holland and Hodgson.Quick minded these two might be, but they were being asked toassimilate some shocking information.
Joe brought it all out. "I don't know why it didn't occur to any of usthat the problems of the West-world and those of the Sov-world, atlong last have become similar, almost identical. Both, followingdifferent paths, have achieved the affluent society, so called. But indoing it, both managed to inflict upon themselves a caste system thatperpetuated itself, eventually to the detriment of progress. In thepast, revolutions used to be accomplished by the masses, pushed beyondthe point of endurance. A starving lower class, trying to change therules of society so as to realize a better life. But now, in neitherWest nor in the Sov-world are there any starving. The majority ofLowers and Proletarians are well clothed, fed and housed, and bemusedby fracases and trank pills, or their equivalent over there."
Joe shrugged, the weariness growing. Possibly Nadine had been right,he shouldn't have traveled so soon. "The best elements in bothcountries have finally realized that changes must be made. Theseelements, the more capable, more competent, more intelligent, already_are running_ each country though they are not necessarily Uppers orParty members. Phil Holland here, supposedly a Middle secretary to theForeign Minister, actually has performed that worthy's work forseveral administrations. Frank Hodgson is the working head of theBureau of Investigation, though only a Middle. I assume a similarsituation prevails in Budapest."
Arpad still stood. "It does."
Joe came to his feet, looking to Nadine. He said, "Gentlemen, Ievidently have not recovered from my recent duel as much as I thought.I had better retire. Meanwhile, I suggest you exchange some notes."
Nadine hurried to his side, worried.
Holland, Hodgson and Arpad were staring at each other, somewhat likesmall boys, or strange dogs.
Hodgson grumbled, his voice, for once, forgetting to express laziness,"Our records show you to be a Sov espionage agent."
The Hungarian nodded, equally suspicious. "That is my officialposition. But I am also secretly a member of the executive committeeof the organization of which Major Mauser speaks and have beenattempting for some time to get in touch with the West-worldunderground, if one existed. I had about come to the conclusion thatno such group was in existence, until today."
Joe said, "Relax boys, and let down your hair. You've got a lot incommon. It looks as t
hough, at long last, the Frigid Fracas isbeginning to fade away."
* * * * *
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