He laughed. ‘You think I should be angry, eh? I have a quick temper, Mr Gansert. It comes easily. It goes easily. I do not think about what happens at middag. There are more important things.’ He glanced at the others. ‘Shall we speak alone, Mr Gansert?’ he asked.
‘It’s not necessary,’ I replied sharply.
He shrugged his shoulders. ‘As you wish.’ He pulled up a chair and sat himself down. His heavy body in its bottle green jacket seemed to engulf the chair. ‘I have been to Bovaagen. From there I took a drosje to Nordhanger.’ He pulled a short cigar from his pocket and lit it. ‘Einar Sandven was not at Nordhanger. Nor was he at Bovaagen. Peer Storjohann was also not at Bovaagen. Both of them have not been to Bovaagen today. Mr Sunde is a liar.’ He smiled. It was a fat, roguish smile. But hisťblue eyes were narrowed and watchful. ‘But I think you knew that, Mr Gansert, eh?’
‘Well?’ I said.
He looked around the silent room. ‘You and your friends are all interested in this man — Schreuder? You think, as I think, that he is rescued by the divers. He is still alive. In that case he can be traced.’ He paused and drew on his cigar. ‘Mr Gansert — you are here for a big English metals company. You do not come all this way just to find out about the death of a man who is not even employed by your company. This man, Farnell; he was an expert on metals. Perhaps Schreuder kill him.’ He smiled as though at some secret joke. ‘Perhaps he kill himself. But the man who escape from my boat, he leaves me with those little grey pieces of rock I mention. When I show them to herr direktor Jorgensen, he seize them and is away to Bergen at once. Now I am not a stupid man. I know when a thing is important. When I give them to herr Jorgensen, his eyes light up like my searchlight. Like my searchlight. He is excited, you understand. So I know that this is the clue.’ He leaned quickly forward, stabbing his cigar at me. ‘These pieces of rock — they are samples of metal, I think. Is that not so?’
I said, ‘You’ve a right to your own conclusions, Captain Lovaas.’
‘My own conclusions!’ He laughed and slapped his knee. ‘That is god. Very careful. Most diplomatic.’ Then his voice suddenly hardened. ‘Please, I do not like long words. Am I right or wrong?’
‹ ‘You can think what you like,’ I answered.
‘So.’ He smiled. ‘I understand. Now, Mr Gansert. The position is this. You know what this metal is. Herr Jorgensen does not — not yet. By tomorrow he know. But now — at this moment — he does not. You have the advantage of one day. I have thought of this very carefully. This is what I have thought. You know what the metal is. But you do not know where it is. That is why you are here. Now I know something that you do not know.’
‘What is that?’ I asked.
He laughed. That I keep a secret. Just as you keep secret the metal. But now, perhaps, we talk about business, eh? We can help each other. You are a smart man. Jorgensen is a fool. He take my pieces of metal. But he does not pay me. He only threatens. I could have help him. But no! He is the great herr direktor. And I am just the best skytter in Norway. Now, you are clever. We can work together and when we find this man-’
‘How will you find him?’ I asked.
‘Oh, I have ways of doing things. I will find him all right. Now, what do you say?’
I hesitated. The man was no fool. But what was it he knew that I didn’t? And as I hesitated I heard the door of Dahler’s cabin open behind me.
‘So you will double-cross your master?’ Dahler’s voice was no longer slurred. It purred.
Lovaas jumped to his feet. ‘Herr Dahler?’ His voice was startled. Then angrily: ‘Why are you here? What is the little game, eh?’
‘You are surprised to see me?’ Dahler gripped the table for support. ‘Why are you so surprised? Am I not permitted to visit my own country?’ His voice was suddenly violent. ‘Who are you to decide whether I shall come here to Bovaagen Hval or not? Answer me! What did you do in the war, eh? I will tell you. You were a collaborator. You went where there was money. You worked for the Germans. You captained one of their-’
‘This is enough, herr Dahler,’ Lovaas roared. ‘Everyone in Norway knows how you sell the secret of the new marine engine — how you arrange the guard up at Finse. Whilst you flee to England, I was working for my country — underground.’ Lovaas suddenly sat down. He was breathing heavily. ‘But I did not come here to throw words at you, herr Dahler. I come here to talk to Mr Gansert.’
