The Dark Star

"With sunrise comes war," she said in a stunned voice, as though to

convince herself. "We are caught here in this house. And Kestner and

Weishelm and Breslau and I----" she trembled, framing her burning face

in slim hands that were like ice. "Do you understand that Brandes and

Curfoot, bought by England, have contracted to deliver us to a French

court martial?"

The men looked at her in silence.

"Kestner and Breslau knew they had been bought. One of our own people

witnessed that treachery. But we never dreamed that these traitors

would venture into this house tonight. We should have come here

ourselves instead of going to the Turkish Embassy. That was Mahmud

Damat's meddling! His messenger insisted. God! What a mistake! What a

deathly mistake for all of us!"

She leaned for a moment against one of the iron pillars which

supported the attic roof, and covered her face with her hands.

After a moment, Neeland said: "I don't understand why you can't leave this house if you are in

danger. You say that there are men downstairs who are waiting to kill

us--waiting only for Kestner and Breslau and Mahmud Damat to arrive."

She said faintly: "I did not before understand Mahmud's delay. Now, I understand. He has

been warned. Breslau and Kestner will not come. Otherwise, you now

would be barricaded behind that breastwork of rubbish, fighting for

your lives."

"But you say there are men on the stairs below who are ready to kill

us if we try to leave the house."

"They, too, are trapped without knowing it. War will come with

sunrise. This house has been under surveillance since yesterday

afternoon. They have not closed in on us yet, because they are leaving

the trap open in hopes of catching us all. They are waiting for

Breslau and Kestner and Mahmud Damat.... But they'll never come,

now.... They are out of the city by this time.... I know them. They

are running for their lives at this hour.... And we--we lesser

ones--caught here--trapped--reserved for a French court martial and a

firing squad in a barrack square!"

She shuddered and pressed her hands over her temples.

Neeland said: "I am going to stand by you. Captain Sengoun will do the same."

She shook her head: "No use," she said with a shiver. "I am too well known. They have my

dossier almost complete. My procès will be a brief one."

"Can't you get away by the roof? There are two of your men up

there."