THE LAW OF THE KNIFE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21999, 4 January 1935, Page 15

THE LAW OF THE KNIFE

By CARLTON DA WE Author of " Leathermouth." " Lawless." " The Amazing Woman.

CHAPTER Vll.—(Continued)

"You do not like these people, yet rou stay with them. Why is that.-"' I asked. " Because I must. Once, before knew Vincent, I told Malnar that I was -leaving. He looked at me and stroked bis beard and smiled, and said he -thought I had better reconsider my decision. I did. ll But he could not have prevented your going." " No, perhaps not; but he could have prevented my going farther than Moscow. When one goes there, under authority, one'never leaves again." " But this is not a political matter, J insisted. "Are you sure of that?" she asked. I was not; in fact. I thought the blend of art and politics very probable. I continued: "Just now you said they know who I am. What did you mean by that?" " Only that they know you, and that they consider you a danger." "To what, to whom?"

"They say you arc* the enemy of the Soviet; that there would be no tears shed over your death."

" You knew this?"

" Yes. But I expected to find you different; a cold, hard man over whom it, would have been a fine thing to triumph. I, too. am. of the revolution; one of the people. My father was liangeii by order of the Tsar; my mother whipped and ridden down by the Cossacks. I'was taught to hate the oppressor, and I still hate his memory and all it stood for. The grave does not pay all debts. The new light has come, the new outlook; the sense of freedom to the slave." Her eyes shone momentarily with incredible brilliance. " Not that I do not know that much wrong is also done, and power abused; but one may breathe now and feel that one has the right to live, and that one is not just dirt. I was a child when the people rose and swept the old bad things away, and I did not undergtand all that it meant. But I saw men go by walking like men, and my mother was delirious with joy, and I was happy in her happiness. No, the Dew era did not bring all that as prophesied 6f it. How could it? There had been too much dreaming. After all, we were only of the people, my mother and I; just two of the many. Much 'was still to be suffered, but she did not complain. She was of the new birth; it softened hardship. But pardon; you in England would not understand these things."

CHAPTER VIII "DEATH FROM . MISADVENTURE " Here was a sudden and surprising revelation, almost as amazing in its way as the Great Uprising itself. I had not thought of her like this; she had been nothing more to me than one of those inconsequent creatures who at intervals flutter across one's life. But depths were here that I had not probed, that I had not even imagined. What was this strance spirit of revolution that it eotikl thus metamorphose the soul of things? It almost explained why men and women died for an ideal. The mother, who had been whipped and ridden down by Cossacks; the father who had perished for a dream ? This sudden' confession of hers made clear much that had been vague or doubtful, and explained her ready acceptance of the part she had been called upon to play. I was the enemy of all that she and hers stood for; and who is not so human as not to desire the discomfiture of his enemy? Yet she had suddenly veered romid. and with little apparent reason. She said she had found me different; but how, in what way? Could I accept this as a true explanation of her conduct? "So there would be no tears shed over my death?" I asked. " It is that I have come to warn you of. Malnar is dangerous, as you know, and Kaplan is his creature." " And both are the creatures of Donskoi, the man you have never seen? And he takes his orders from Moscow? Do .fou realise, Lenate, that I an? much indebted to you, and that if I can help you .in any way I am entirely at your service? Though I am the enemy of ; all who would injure my country. I am not the enemy of you, your people, or their ideals. It may be that when might abuses its power freedom has the right to resist. Nobody, believe me, loves liberty more than the English; it is our birthright, a part of our blood, and tyranny could not survive an hour with us. Do you still think that I am the enemy of you or your country?'' "I have not thought so from the .moment of our' meeting. Why did I change so suddenly? I do not know; but I am glad. You do not think I knew they meant to kill you?" " You have proved yourself; leave the rest to me. But what of you if they should learn of your coming here to-night?" " It is not possible that they should know; how could they? Soon now I shall leave them; I must leave them. And I shall not be afraid with you and .Vincent to help me." " Did he ever speak of me?" " Oh, yes. frequently. He has much admiration for you." This admission suggested a thought quite other than that of approval on my part. To what lengths had he allowed his admiration to run ?

" Were others present when he spoke of ine?"

" Yes. Malnar and Kaplan. And I remember now Malnar was interested, and said he would like to meet you. Vincent promised to ask you to come round. And then, svhen he had gone. Malnar said I must be nice to you: that you were distinguished and very rich. He is a business man, that one. and that is how 1 understood him." "And that was all?" "No. He said you were the secret enemy of the Soviets and that you were working for the restoration of the monarchy. You realise that we regard England as uncompromisingly reactionary, and the great enemy of our ideals? We are taught r to believe that you are a docile people who have been whipped to submission by authority and that you have no dreams beyond the filling °f your pockets." " And you expected seriously to injure this great reactionary power, this Worshipper of gold, through me? Did that never strike you as being absurd? "

" Every little helps the cause," she said. " Tne patriot should not be afraid of sacrifice. Malnar said a closer acquaintance with you might be useful. When he says things like that, and strokes his beard and looks at you as °nl.V he can look., you act quickly. Besides, why should I consider you, the enemy? But I did not think they pieant murder. You must believe that." " I do." " Thank you, 1 ' she said. ' I understand you go on tour after this present engagement? " " Yes."

You fully 'realise that if you wish to leave the company there is nothing to stop you? " ' " Nothing but Malnar. I dare not

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AN AMAZING STORY OF THRILLING ADVENTURE

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leave without his permission. You do not know that man; he is very terrible." " If I could guarantee you the protection of our policy? " " It would be useless. Sometimes people disappear and the police search in vain, or they may discover too late. There are ways, terrible ways, and I am afraid, but not so much afraid now [ have seen you." She rose and began to draw on her gloves. " It is late, 6he said, glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece. " I must go." " I will go with you." " No, I think not, please." " Then let me ring for a taxi. You have far to go? "

" No, only to Marylebone. But I thank you."

" If anything happens you will let me know? " « I will trv, but I cannot write English."

" Then write in Russian. I will get over that difficulty."

" You find it easy to get over difficulties? " she asked. ,

" No, but occasionally I suceed." As I was ringing up the nearest cab rank Albert entered. She looked at him inquiringly, but as usual he betrayed no symptom of surprise. I introduced him as " my friend Mr. Floyd," which, as he was in his chauffeur's uniform, seemed to occasion her a little astonishment. However, she smiled and bowed to him as we left the room.

As I opened the street door I saw that the taxi had already arrived, and into it I put her, not forgetting to tip the driver. Albert was methodically tidying up when I returned. " You recognised her? " I asked "Yes, sir"

" She had a story to tell which may he of interest to us." " So I imagined."

" She does not like the bearded manager, or the knife-thrower." " I am not surprised." " Or the general look of things." " Of course, they know who you are, sir? " " Seems they've heard of me. There's a man called Donskoi." *' Someone new? " His look suggested that the information was of interest. " That's the point. He's behind this show at the Paliseum. An elusive fellow, I understand. Directs affairs from a distance, but is never seen." " That sounds promising," he conceded. " I hate these hole-and-corner chaps." "Blokes who" take chance shots through windows," he added. " Any luck? " I asked, knowing he had been out on the prowl.

" Not exactly' what you might call good luck. I saw a pair of eyes that reminded me of someone we know. It was on the Piccadilly Tube escalator, where I often take a joy-ride. He was going up an' I was going down, an' I must have been dreaming or something. Escalators always have a soothing effect on my nerves; sort of rock me to sleep. I suppose that's why I'm so fond of them. But soon as I saw those eyes I woke up and started after him. No easy job going the wrong way against the crowd. They must have thought me mad. But, of course, I was too late. Not a sign of him." " You're sure it was Poliski."

" Though I only saw his eyes. He was holding his hand over the lower part of his face. You don't forget eyes like his once you've looked into them." " Albert," I said solemnly (lie'always thoroughly enjoyed my solemn moods, especially when I clothed them in impressive language) " there's much in this affair that does not meet with my entire approval. 1 don't know what we have done to merit the enmity of the gods, unless in some former existence we were a pair of abandoned ruffians who are now doomed to expiate our crimes in a most disconcerting penance. Here we are, two old soldiers who have surely earned a respite from all further turmoil, harassed by inconsiderate circumstance and driven into a strife we both heartily abhor. Flying knives and shots in the dark, and a prospect clouded with innumerable sad possibilities."

" Yes, sir." His grim mouth was twitching. " Will you be wanting anything more to-night, or, I should say, this morning? "

Impossible fellow! I filled another pipe, the lonely bachelor's solace. Why hadn't I a wife of my own and a couple of youngsters running about, preferably a boy and a girl? Why hadn't I? J should adore the girl, if she took after her mother. The boy might, put up with a leathery face and a hard mouth like his father, and a chin that would not have discredited a prizefighter, but I shuddered to think of my daughter so severely handicapped. My daughter! It sounded so marvellous that I almost imagined I had one. And again, why hadn't I? Strange visions weaved in and out through the smoke. Vincent Fowndes (Red Rufus behind his back) was distressed. The season of Malnar's Hungarians 'was drawing to a close, and he was forbidden to follow their wanderings in the country. She would give no explanation of the interdict beyond whispering that Tsar Malnar had issued the Imperial ukase Naturally he consigned Tsar Malnar to everlasting torment, but that did not rescind the edict. He thought her foojishly obstinate; spoke again of pulling the hairy one's beard and shearing out his ears; even doubted that she loved him.

Of course I came in for it all, 1 never could understand what there was about me to engender the intimate confidences of lovers. Yet 1 seemed doomed not to escape them. Possibly 1 was regarded as having shed all weaknesses of the flesh, and like Simeon StyJites now dwelt in the clouds on a pillar. Which was an attitude of mind on their part of which I distinctly disapproved. But Rufus did not seem to know whether I was cold, lukewarm, or merely indifferent to his plaints. That's the worst of your lover, especially if he has red hair; he thinks only of himself.

" I'm going, all the same," he said, referring to the Imperial ukase againsl followers. " I tell you I don't trust that chap Malnar, and I'm not going to leave her unprotected." " What do you anticipate? " " You never know," he grumbled. " Have you thought how your presence might embarrass her? Why nol wait for the end of the tour, when she wdl be free of all obligations? " *' It may be too late then." " For what? "

Again he muttered something about not knowing. Here I might have put a certain pertinent question or two, though doubtful of receiving an illuminating answer. The man's view was restricted to what he wished to see, and it would have been useless to attempt a widening of his outlook. So I told him in my best father-confessor style to restrain impatience, to think of others, and above all, to remember that the girl was really fond of him. Probably I also descanted on the joys of true love, the strength of woman's devotion and the abundant proof we had of her unswerving fidelity; but, 1 fear, not with much success. In fact. I regretfully came to the conclusion that as a beneficent consoler in adversity I was an unmitigated wash-out.