"Higgins, Jack - Sheba" - читать интересную книгу автора (Higgins Jack)

Ritter said, 'The Catalina would not present you with a problem?'

'Good God no, an excellent aircraft to fly.'

'And what about a crew?'

Romero sat back thinking about it. 'I could manage with a second pilot and an engineer.'

'And where would we find them?' Canaris asked.

'Right here in the Spanish Legion of the SS. Like myself, Herr Admiral. I can think of two suitable candidates right now: Javier Noval, a fine pilot, and Juan Conde, an aircraft engineer of genius.'

Ritter made a note of the names. 'Excellent. I'll have them transferred to Abwehr duties along with yourself.'

'What about the explosives and the mines?' Romero asked.

'We'll have them delivered by some suitable freighter,' Ritter told him. 'There should be no problem in a place like Dahrein. You will naturally build up your credentials during the run-up to September. Coastal trade, freight, that kind of thing.'

Romero nodded slowly. 'But I do have a suggestion. When the time comes we could make the transfer of the mines at sea. I could land beside the freighter with no problem. From there a direct flight to the base would simplify the whole thing.'

'Excellent.' Canaris stood up. 'I think you should meet our friend Professor Muller. You can come back to town with us, drop me off on the way and then continue to the University. From now on, you deal with Captain Ritter in all things.'

'At your orders. Herr Admiral.'

'Good,' Canaris said, and he turned and led the way out.

Muller's department at the University was housed in a vast echoing hall filled with artefacts of every description. Egyptian mummies, statues from Rome and Greece, amphorae retrieved from ancient wrecks at the bottom of the Mediterranean, it was all there. Ritter and Romero browsed while Muller sat at his desk in his glass office and read the Operation Sheba file. Finally he got up and went to join them.

Ritter turned. 'Well, what do you think?'

Muller was highly nervous, tried to smile and failed miserably. 'A wonderful idea, Herr Hauptman, but I wonder if I have the qualifications you need. I mean, I'm not a trained spy, I'm just an archaeologist.'

'This will be done, Professor, and by direct order of the Fiihrer. Does this give you a problem?'

'Good heavens no.' Muller's face was ashen.

Romero clapped him on the shoulder. 'Don't worry, Professor, I'll look after you.'

Ritter said, That's settled then. When Hauptsturm-fuhrer Romero leaves from Lisbon in the Catalina, you go with him, so make your preparations. I'll be in touch.'

Ritter limped away, his stick tapping the marble. As they moved along the hall to the entrance, Romero said to him, 'He's a nervous little bastard, Ritter.'

'He'll come to heel and that's all that's important.' They went out of the main entrance and stood at the top of the steps. Til make arrangements for the immediate transfer of you and Noval and Conde today. You'll leave for Lisbon tomorrow, in civilian clothes naturally. I'll arrange priority seats on the Lufthansa flight. As regards the purchase of the Catalina our man at the German Legation will be your banker. Once you've checked the plane out, report back to me on the Embassy secure phone. I'll expect to hear from you by Thursday at the latest.'

'Mother of God, but you don't hang about, Hans, do you?'

'I could never see the point,' Ritter said, and started down the steps to the Mercedes.

The River Tagus, as someone once said, is the true reason for the existence of Lisbon, with its wide bays and many sheltered anchorages. It was from here that the great flying boats, the mighty clippers, left for America and it was here, attached to two buoys about three hundred yards out to sea from the waterfront, that Carlos Romero found the Catalina. He had arrived at the dock close to the Avenida da India together with Javier Noval and Juan Conde ten minutes early for the appointment with the owner's agent, a man called da Gama. They stood at the edge of the dock looking out at the amphibian.