Prince Cecil: IV

Chapter IV.

At the Consul’s House

The British consulate building stood in the government section of the capitol city, just beside the iron bridge and overlooking the park. Cecil found it after much search early in the morning while the doors were still locked. Seeing a clerk seated at a desk inside, he knocked on the glass door until he caught the man’s attention.
The clerk rose, came to the door and opening it slightly, put his head out.
‘You can’t come in for half an hour yet,’ he said.
‘I want to see the British consul,’ said Cecil.
‘He won’t be in until nine. There are benches in the park if you want to wait.’
‘I’d rather not wait,’ said Cecil. ‘Can you direct me to his house?’
‘He doesn’t like to be disturbed at this hour.’
‘I have to; it’s urgent.’
The clerk raised his eyebrows.
‘Urgent, eh? You look desperate enough. Lost your parents, is that what’s happened?’
‘No,’ said Cecil. ‘I was in an automobile accident last night.’
‘Well, perhaps it is urgent,’ said the secretary thoughtfully.
He hesitated for a moment and then left the door to go over to his desk, returning in a moment with a card on which an address was written.
‘There you are. That’s where he lives—just on the other side of the park; it’s not far.’
‘Thank you,’ said Cecil.
‘Good luck,’ said the clerk, shutting the door.
The consul’s house was an old one and small, squeezed between a lot of other houses, but it was not ill-kept and looked comfortable enough. Cecil mounted the steps to the door and rang the bell. After about a minute or so a respectable-looking old gentleman in a dressing gown opened the door inquiringly.
‘Hello,’ he said.
‘Does Sir Andrew Fletcher live here?’ asked Cecil.
‘Yes he does,’ replied the old gentleman. ‘But what do you want at this time of the morning? Do you have something to deliver?’
‘No. I should like to see him.’
‘See him, eh? Are you lost?’
‘I’m here on important business,’ said Cecil in clear English.
The old gentleman started and gave Cecil a sharp look.
‘Come in here,’ he said. ‘Come in quickly.’
Cecil did come in quickly because the old gentleman caught hold of his sweater and pulled him in with a jerk.
‘Now,’ said the old gentleman, shutting the door; ‘let’s have a look at you.’
He had a very long and careful look and at the end of it his eyes relaxed and a sort of brightness came into them.
‘I’m delighted,’ he said; ‘to meet the son of my dear friend his majesty, the king of Pyromania. How do you do, sir?’
And he shook Cecil’s hand warmly.
‘How did you know it was me?’ asked Cecil.
‘You look a good deal like your father, that’s why; and anyway, I got a message from Britain last night saying you were in the country.’
‘I suppose you’re the British consul?’ asked Cecil.
‘Yes, I am. I don’t keep a servant to answer the door anymore. I get too many secret callers—generally people escaping from Javotski tyranny. The state this country is in, you really wouldn’t believe without seeing it for yourself. I suppose you must have seen enough already, and I’m sorry to have it so, your highness, but I suppose you’ve come to straighten things out. Goodness knows it’s time, with this alliance going forward. Our ambassador left today.’
‘They haven’t signed anything yet?’ asked Cecil.
‘Oh yes, they’ve signed it and it’s all done. But it won’t make any difference if you overthrow the government and institute a new one, you know.’
‘That’s what I mean to do,’ said Cecil. ‘Have you got anything to eat? Anything at all? I’m not particular.’
‘Come in, come in. I’m just having breakfast. I’m very glad you came to share it with me. I’m a bachelor, you know and live alone.’
He had led the way, as he said all this, down the hall and into a little study, simply furnished, with bookshelves lining the walls and a desk in one corner and a piano in the other. In the centre of the room stood a low table with armchairs on either side and a carpet underneath.
‘You see, I was just about to begin when you rang,’ he said. ‘If you’ll just take that chair, your highness, I’ll take this one.’
The table was set with a hearty breakfast—hot tea, sausages, buttered crumpets, plum jam, half of a cold ham (baked, with honey—not boiled), scrambled eggs, real strudel, and hot baked potatoes. Unless you have missed your supper, had a very exciting night, and had nothing to eat since noon the day before except for a chocolate bar and some water from a public fountain that tasted like an old tank full of rainwater, you cannot know how wonderful that breakfast looked to Cecil.
‘Now,’ said Sir Andrew, helping Cecil to a plate; ‘I’m very interested to hear all about your journey but, as I can see you’re half starved, I’ll let you eat first while I tell of affairs here. There is a great deal to apprise you of, I think.’
‘Fire away,’ said Cecil amiably.
‘Well, first of all, there’s that alliance—a wretched occurrence. I wish it hadn’t been done, for now the British government won’t be able to anything here and we might have been useful. Furthermore, there are numbers of roguish Germans, Hungarians, Russians—all manner of objectionable characters—over-running the capitol just now. The government has begun to ostracize the British and French through their base propaganda and several shops were looted last night by soldiers after the news of the alliance was broadcasted. Regrettable—very regrettable. But I’m glad you’re here. It cheers me to see you, you look so much like your father used to—only a trifle less spruce, perhaps. Do you know, when I saw you standing out there a moment ago, it reminded me of the last time I saw him—the night the Javotskis took over.’
‘Tell me about that night,’ said Cecil, pausing in his eating.
‘I’m sure you’ve heard it all before.’
‘I have, but I want to hear you tell it. You were actually there.’
‘Very well then. I remember that night as if it happened only a short while ago, although it must be—let me see…yes, it was eleven years ago. Your father had called me to the palace. When I arrived I found that he was gone to one of the government buildings but your mother was there and we talked together. She was worried about the rumours of political unrest and I myself was certain that the king had not called me to make a social visit.
‘As we were talking your father returned. I saw him as he came through the door and I remembered that he looked pale and grave, but not at all uneasy. He shook my hand as I rose to my feet and informed me that he had been advised by his ministers to send the Queen and Crown Prince away from the country. He had inquired of our ambassador and been assured by him that the British monarch and people would welcome the royal family and provide them sanctuary. He asked me to see them safely to England.
‘I deeply felt the great trust reposed in me by your father and I understood as well that this step meant that the Pyromanian government and its head were gravely threatened. I of course promised to carry out his instructions. Everything was in readiness. We left at once for the waterfront.
‘I remember how quiet everything was that night. The whole city seemed to be muffled up in silence and secrecy: passers-by spoke with lowered voices and many did not speak at all. Even the automobiles and lorries drove more slowly, as if trying to be stealthy. Everyone was watching and waiting. We came on foot to the docks and I began to search for the man who had been hired to row us out to the waiting ship. It was an English ship—a battle cruiser that had put in to coal and which the king had detained in harbour for fourteen hours. He had made arrangements by telephone just minutes before for her majesty and yourself to sail aboard the ship—it’s name was the Cormorant—because he feared that if you sailed aboard a Pyromanian ship she might be ordered back to port by a new government, in the event that a rebellion was successful, before you reached Great Britain and safety.
‘I could not find the man who had pledged his good faith and on whom so much depended and I stood on the pier beside the Queen, hesitating what to do and cursing the precious time I was wasting. I soon saw an armoured car approaching along the road above the pier. It stopped by a flight of steps that led down to us and a band of men got out. I could see even in the darkness that they were armed and I thought I recognised one of them as the man who had been ordered to row us to the waiting ship.
‘“Come quickly,” I said to her majesty, for I was by now certain of foul play. We dashed along the pier, hearing behind us the men’s boots on the stairs and the clanking of their rifles.
‘I chose a boat at random, shouting, “This one, get in quickly!” I pushed the boat off, leaped into it and set myself to the oars. Not many boats had motors then. We had only the oars and the sail and we could see the villains getting into another boat to pursue us. Your mother, brave woman, with you on her lap guided the boat and managed the sail as well while I—I was younger then, of course—rowed for all I was worth.
‘The water shone in the moonlight like a sheet of silver and everything seemed so calm and bright and safe while all the time we knew that our situation was desperate. The whole future of Pyromania lay in that boat, a year old infant—for you were scarcely a year old at the time; no wonder you don’t remember it. I shall never forget it, and I’m sure your mother never did until she died. We had not gotten very far when we came into the moonlight and became visible to every ship in the harbour.
‘The rebellion was laid deep and though it had only been set in motion a short while before, it was already working away in its insidious course like a steady machine. One of the destroyers in harbour was captained by a rebel and he had his orders from Wakjavotski. No sooner had he caught sight of our little boat toiling out to reach the Cormorant, when he put his ship into motion, intent on stopping us. My back was toward our destination, of course, because I was rowing and I had my eyes on the men in the boat pursuing us. Your mother saw the approaching ship first. She screamed out—I shall never forget the words—“They mean to run us under!”
‘I didn’t know what she meant until I turned to look over my shoulder and saw the huge hull towering out of the water and bearing down upon us at a dreadful rate, growing closer every minute. If a person’s mouth can jump into his throat, mine did then and it’s never been the same since, either. There was nothing we could do, no matter how fast I rowed, so I simply let the oars fall slack and looked helplessly at the approaching ship.
‘Just then there was a huge report and something flashed across the bows of the destroyer. I turned to look at the Cormorant and saw smoke hanging like a piece of cotton wool about the gun that had fired. A little string of signal flags went up the mast, which told the Pyromanian ship that if she did not alter course, they would broadside her.
‘The destroyer had not many hundreds of yards of water to cross before it would reach us and I heard afterwards that the captain told them to ignore the warning and steam ahead, but the sailors thought differently. They could not know completely what was going on, but they certainly had suspicions and some of the loyal ones refused to obey orders—chiefly the engineers and the helmsman. The engines slowed and the ship changed course, turning its side towards us where we could see the faces of curious seamen like white spots along the rail of the deck.
‘We turned to look again at the Cormorant and saw them putting out a launch to come to our aid. We were immensely cheered for we knew we were far from safety and my arms ached from the strenuous rowing. I remember your mother holding you close and crying with relief.
‘The captain was not the only rebel on the destroyer, though; there were others and they knew exactly what was at stake. One of them got hold of the machine gun on the bow and turned it on us, the bullets spluttering and kicking up the water all around us. We were a perfect target in the moonlight and in a moment the shots were thudding into the sides of the boat and ripping through the sail.
‘Then I saw a man in the Cormorant’s launch stand up and level a rifle—it must have been a Mauser or some such to be so accurate at that range—at the ship and fire. He was a good shot. The man at the gun tumbled over and yet again our lives were saved by a hair’s breadth. In a few minutes more the launch reached us and the British sailors helped your mother and you into it. I saw the man who had fired the shot—he was only a young lad and looked like a decent sort of fellow. The sailors called to me to come aboard but I knew that you and your mother would be looked after and I was determined to go back and render what service I could to my old friend.
‘I rowed back and reached the pier unmolested. The band of armed men had turned back when they saw pursuit was useless and all the streets I passed through were deserted. As I came closer to the palace I heard firing and soon found that a fierce street battle was being waged in the sector around the palace and government buildings. I was able to reach the embassy building and found our ambassador, Sir Hartley Crimms, standing at a window and watching the fighting below. I joined him.
‘“Be careful, Andy; stand back!” he said, catching sight of me and drawing me anxiously away. “They’re only holding out for the sake of it. There isn’t any hope for them, poor souls.” I saw the look of agony on his face and knew which side he was speaking of.
‘“How long has this been going on?” I asked.
‘“They stormed the palace just after you left with the Queen and the Prince,” he replied. “They sent a body of men after you, led by that blackguard who was to have rowed you out to the ship. He was a traitor.”
‘I said that I had thought as much and asked where the king was.
‘“In the palace, fighting with the Guards. They’re the only loyal troops left: all the others have been won over and any protestors have been silenced.”
‘“What of the ministers?” I asked.
‘“Fled—or killed. The Guards have held out far longer than I expected, but there’s nothing they can do against the odds stacked against them.”
‘As we stood talking we suddenly heard the firing peter out and knew that the end had come. We looked at each other, struggling with our emotions.
‘“What will you do?” I asked.
‘“Stay here as long as my country needs me,” he replied with set lips.
‘“And so shall I,” I replied.
‘I received word three days later that you and your mother had reached England in safety, but I could not get word to your father, who was in prison. The new government kept him confined for a fortnight and no one was allowed to see him, although I tried my utmost to do so. On the morning of his execution I stood outside the prison yard and shouted Rule Britannia with all my might, hoping that he would hear me and understand that his wife and son were safe.’
‘Did he die bravely?’ asked Cecil.
‘The official reports only told the barest facts and even those I do not quite trust, but I am certain that your father died as bravely and as well as he lived.’
‘And what about the Guards and the sailors and the man on the Cormorant?’
Sir Andrew shook his head.
‘All fell under the censure of the new government. The King’s Own Royal Guards were disbanded, the battalion was struck from the army lists and all the survivors were arrested and sent to labour camps. The sailors aboard the destroyer who refused to obey their commands were tried for mutiny and every last one was shot or sent to prison. I don’t know what happened to the fellow who shot the gunner. I heard afterwards that he was a Pyromanian so if he ever tried to return to his country, he likely had poor enough treatment at the hands of his countrymen.’
Cecil had finished eating and leaned back in his chair thoughtfully.
‘And they were the only loyal ones,’ he said.
‘I’m sure they were not the only ones, but anyone else who would have liked to support the old government hadn’t any sort of chance. It was too massive of a coup. And now, your highness, if you don’t mind, I should like to hear your story. How did you get here, and what made you come?’
‘I don’t know exactly what made me come,’ said Cecil. ‘I think it was the alliance partly.’
‘His majesty thought so,’ said Sir Andrew.
‘Does he know about it, then?’
‘Oh, yes. He sent me a telegram to let me know you were on your way. He said to tell you he wishes you luck.’
‘Tell him thanks,’ said Cecil. ‘Anyway, how I got here…’
And he proceeded to tell Sir Andrew of his escapades of the previous evening. Sir Andrew nodded as he finished.
‘Yes, the SO have wireless sets installed in their vehicles. That’s how they let the second car know which way you were coming so it could intercept you. It’s a trick they’ve played before.’
‘It was funny that the streets were so deserted,’ said Cecil.
‘It’s the law. Nobody is allowed out on the streets after nine o’clock unless on government business; which is any kind of business, really. The government has its finger in everything. Nobody can sell anything without a license; nobody is allowed in or out of the capitol without a special pass and soon it will be the same at the border—I hear they are working on that. The family has been broken up and the women are forced to work outside the home while the children are required to attend state-run schools. If you try to say a word against the government or their reforms—even in your own home—you can’t be sure but that someone will report it and you will be arrested. The secret police is very active.’
‘But doesn’t anyone try to do anything about it?’
‘Yes, there was a strike in a munitions factory when the news of the alliance came out, but it was quickly put down and the leaders were all shot. There are no freedoms left to the people anymore—certainly there is no freedom to say what you think. The government has been tightening up control gradually and now they have a hold on almost everything.’
‘There must be some way of fighting them.’
‘Impossible, the way everything is watched,’ said Sir Andrew, getting up and opening the door of the room a crack while he peered out. ‘The only possibility lies in secrecy.’
He came back to the table and took his seat.
‘Now,’ he said, folding his hands. ‘There does happen to be an underground organisation. Most people think it has died out because it hasn’t been very active lately, but it’s still alive and it is made up of some of the most determined men in the country. I’m going to take you to-night to meet the leader of it.’
‘Who is he?’ asked Cecil.
‘I can’t tell you that. It would be far too dangerous for him. You can call him by his alias, which is Aleph.’
‘What do I do when I’ve met him?’
‘You’ll have to discuss that with him. He knows every weakness of the present government and I am sure has plans for battling it.’
‘Then why hasn’t he carried any out yet?’
‘He tried to once, two years ago. The plan failed and he and his partisans were very nearly caught. Since then they have been lying low and waiting for an opportunity.’
‘Well, I hope they don’t mean to lie low much longer,’ said Cecil.
‘Now that you have arrived they can’t afford to,’ said Sir Andrew. ‘I have to get dressed to go to the consulate building now, but you can make yourself at home here while I’m gone. Have you slept since arriving?’
‘Yes, I slept in a doorway last night. I’m quite fresh,’ said Cecil.
‘Well, if you need to rest, my bedroom is just down the hall. You won’t have much time for sleeping after to-day.’
‘Thank you,’ said Cecil.‘I’ll see you this evening, then,’ said Sir Andrew. ‘You don’t mind clearing up the breakfast things, do you? Sometimes it is rather a bother not having a servant.'