# ■ 8 The coming of the black stone

Ⅰ came down to breakfast the next morning and found Sir Walter reading a coded message. He seemed less re－laxed than yesterday.

I was very busy for an hour after you went to bed，'he said. 'I've arranged for the Frenchman， Royer，to come a day early. He will be in London at five o'clock. I don't think the change of day will help very much. If our enemies already knew he was coming，they will probably find out that the plans have changed. I would love to know how the news of his visit escaped. '

While I ate，he continued to talk. I was surprised that he was telling me all these important secrets.

Can't the Navy's war plans be changed？'I asked.

They could，'he said. 'But we want to avoid that. It would be very difficult，and some changes would be impossible. But the big problem is that they're not going to steal the plans in the street. They'll try to get the details without anybody knowing，and Royer will return to Paris thinking that every-thing is still secret. '

Then we must stay at Royer's side until he is home again，'I said.

Royer will meet us after dinner at my house in London：there'll be Whittaker from the Navy， myself，Sir Arthur Drew， and General Winstanley. The First Sea Lord，the head of the Navy，has been ill， and may not be able to come. Whittaker will give Royer the important papers， and then Royer will be driven to Portsmouth where a Navy ship will take him to France. He will be watched until he is back there. Whittaker will be watched while he has the papers before he meets Royer. It's the best we can do， and I don't see what can go wrong. But I'm very nervous because of the murder of Karolides. '

After breakfast he asked me to be his driver for the day. 'You know what these people are like， and I don't want to take risks. '

In London we went first to Scotland Yard where we met an important-looking policeman.

I've brought you the Langham Place murderer，'said Sir Walter. The policeman smiled. 'I wish you had. I imagine you are Mr Hannay. We were very interested in you for a few days. '

Mr Hannay will interest you again， MacGillivray， but his story must wait twenty-four hours. But I would like you to tell Mr Hannay that you don't want to arrest him any more. '

Of course we don't. 'The policeman turned to me. 'Your flat and your servant are waiting for you， although you may not want to return there. '

As Sir Walter and I left， he said I was free for the rest of the day. 'Come and see me tomorrow， Hannay. I don't need to tell you to keep everything secret. You had better stay out of sight. If your Black Stone friends see you， there might be trouble. '

* * *

I didn't know what to do. It was strange to be a free man. I went to a very good restaurant for lunch，but I was still feeling nervous. When anybody looked at me， I wondered if they were thinking about the murder. I walked around London，thinking. I knew that by now Royer would be in England，and I felt sure that something terrible was going to happen and that only I could stop it. But it was not my business now.

I didn't want to go back to my flat. I had to go back some time， but I decided to stay at a hotel tonight.

I had supper in another restaurant， and thought that after that I would go to Sir Walter's house. He might not want me there， but I would feel happier if I went.

As I walked through London towards his house， I met a group of young men. One of them was Marmaduke Jopley.

It's the murderer！' he cried. ' Stop him！ That's Hannay， the Langham Place murderer！'He took hold of my arm， and the others crowded round me.

I didn't want trouble，but I was feeling angry. A policeman came up， and instead of explaining the mistake to him quietly and sensibly， I just hit out wildly at Marmaduke's stupid face. I felt much happier when he was lying on his back in the road. Then a general fight started， until the policeman got hold of me. I heard him ask what the matter was， and Marmaduke，talking through his broken teeth，told him that I was Hannay the murderer.

I was so angry that I pushed the policeman one way and one of Marmaduke's friends the other， and ran as fast as I could. There was shouting behind me，but I had escaped. I ran all the way to Sir Walter's house， walked up to the door and rang. I hoped the door would open quickly.

It did.

I must see Sir Walter，'I said to the servant. 'It's desper ately important. '

The servant let me in，and then shut the door behind me. 'Sir Walter is in a meeting，sir. Perhaps you will wait. '

There was a telephone and one or two chairs in the hall，and I sat down there.

Listen，'I whispered to the servant. 'I'm in a bit of trouble，but I'm working for Sir Walter. If anyone comes to the door and asks for me， tell them I'm not here. '

There was a sudden ringing at the door， and he went to open it. He told them whose house it was，and that nobody could come in，and then shut the door.

* * *

A few minutes later there was another ring at the door， and the servant did not hesitate to let this visitor in. Everybody knew his face from the newspapers—a square， grey beard and bright blue eyes Lord Alloa，the First Sea Lord，and head of the British Navy.

He was shown into a room at the end of the hall. I sat there for twenty minutes. Surely the meeting would end soon；Royer must leave for Portsmouth by eleven o'clock.

Then the door opened again and the First Sea Lord came out. He walked past me， and in passing he looked at me and for a second I looked into his eyes. It was only for a second，but my heart jumped. The First Sea Lord had never seen me before， but in his eyes I saw that he recognized me. Then he passed me and was out of the door into the street.

I picked up the telephone book and looked up the number of Lord Alloa's house. I spoke to one of his servants.

Is Lord Alloa at home？'I asked.

Yes， but he's ill and has been in bed all day. Do you want to leave a message， sir？'

I put down the telephone and sat down， shaking. My part in this business was not finished. I walked straight into the room where the others were meeting.

Sir Walter looked surprised and annoyed. 'I'm afraid that this is not a good time， Mr Hannay. '

I think it is，'I answered. 'Tell me， please， who left this room a minute ago. '

Lord Alloa，'said Sir Walter，looking angrier.

It Was not，'I cried. 'It looked like him but it was not him. It was a man who recognized me， who has seen me in the last month. I've just telephoned Lord Alloa' s house and he's been ill in bed all day. '

Who…'someone asked.

The Black Stone，'I cried， sitting down，and looking at five frightened men.

■ 8 黑石來了

第二天早晨我下樓吃早飯，看到瓦爾特爵士正在看密碼信。看來他沒有昨天那麼怡然自得。

“您上床之後我又忙了一個小時。”他說。“我安排一個叫羅耶的法國人早一天來。他五點鐘就到倫敦。但我覺得只變變日期沒什麼大用。如果敵人已知道他要來的話，他們就可能發現計劃已經變了。要是知道他要來的消息是如何洩露出去的就好了。”

我一邊吃，他一邊說。他把這麼多重要的祕密都告訴我，出人意料。

“海軍的作戰計劃難道不能變一變嗎？”我問道。

“可以的，”他說。“但是我們儘量不變。變起來相當困難，而且有些變化是做不到的。而最大的問題是他們不會在大街上偷這個計劃。他們會設法神不知鬼不覺地搞到計劃的細節，那樣羅耶返回巴黎時還覺得一切仍然密不透風。”

“那麼我們就必須幫助他直到他回去，”我說。

“飯後他會到我倫敦的家來見我們：還有海軍的惠特克、我本人、亞瑟·德魯爵士、溫斯坦利將軍。海軍第一大臣，也就是海軍的首腦，生病了，可能來不了。惠特克要把一些重要文件交給羅耶，然後用車把羅耶送到樸次茅斯，在那兒海軍的船把他送回法國。一路上都會有人監護他。惠特克拿著文件在會見羅耶之前也有人監護。我們能做的就這麼多，我看不出能出什麼紕漏。但是因為卡羅裡德斯被殺，我覺得很沒底。”

早飯後他叫我今天替他開車。

“您瞭解這是些什麼人，所以我不想冒險。”

到倫敦我們首先去蘇格蘭場，在那兒見到一個相貌威嚴的警察。

“我給您帶來了蘭厄姆謀殺案的凶手。”瓦爾特爵士說。

那個警察笑了。“您要真帶來就好了。我猜您是哈內先生。有那麼幾天我們對您很感興趣。”

“哈內先生會讓您重新感興趣的，麥吉利夫雷。但他的故事要等二十四個小時再說。而我想讓您告訴哈內先生說您不會逮捕他了。”

“當然不會逮捕了。”警察轉身對我說：“您的寓所和僕人都在等著您，可大概您不想回那去了。”

我和瓦爾特爵士離開那裡，他告訴我這一天剩下的時間沒我的事了。“哈內，明天請來看我。無需我說，一切要保守祕密。您最好別拋頭露面。要是您那個黑石的朋友們看到您，恐怕就麻煩了。”

而我不知道幹些什麼。重作自由人我很不習慣。我進了一家上等餐館去吃午飯，可仍然感到惴惴不安。每逢有人看我，我就疑心他們想到了那件謀殺案。我心事重重地圍著倫敦逛來逛去。我曉得羅耶現在已經在英格蘭，而且肯定會發生什麼駭人聽聞的事件，而只有我才能制止。然而現在不關我的事了。

我不想回寓所。將來不回不行，而現在我決定今晚在旅館裡過夜。

我在另一家餐館裡吃晚飯，計劃完事後就到瓦爾特爵士家去。他不一定希望我現在去，但是去了我會感到舒服一點。

我穿過倫敦去瓦爾特爵士的家，路上遇到一夥年輕人。其中有馬默杜克·喬普利。

“殺人犯！”他喊道。“抓住他！他就是哈內，蘭厄姆的凶手！”他抓住我的胳膊，其它人把我圍起來。

我不想找麻煩，但心裡直冒火。一個警察走過來，我沒向他心平氣和、入情入理地解釋他們如何不對，而是揚手照著馬默杜克那張蠢臉狠狠揍去。看到他仰面朝天地躺在路上，我心裡痛快多了。然後就是亂打一氣，直到警察把我抓住才住手。我聽警察問是怎麼回事，馬默杜克含著一口碎牙，告訴警察我就是那個殺人凶手哈內。

我憤怒已極，一手推開警察，一手推開馬默杜克一個同夥，然後撒腿就跑。人們在背後喊我，但到底給我逃掉了。我一路跑到瓦爾特爵士家，走到門口按門鈴。我盼著門快點打開。

門很快開了。

“我必須見瓦爾特爵士，”我對僕人說，“有十分要緊的事。”

僕人放我進來，然後關上門。“先生，瓦爾特爵士正在開會。也許您要等一會兒。”

大廳裡有一部電話，一兩張椅子，於是我坐了下來。

“聽著，”我小聲對僕人說。“我遇到點麻煩，而我是為瓦爾特爵士幹事的。如果有人來敲門找我，告訴他們我不在這兒。”

門上的鈴突然響起來，他過去開門。告訴他們這是誰的家，並說不能入內，然後把門關上。

過了幾分鐘又響起了門鈴，僕人爽快地放客人進來。人們在報紙上熟悉了他的面孔——四方臉、灰鬍子、藍眼睛炯炯有神。他就是阿羅勳爵，第一海軍大臣，英國海軍的首腦。

他被領進大廳一頭的屋子裡。我在那兒坐了二十分鐘。會議肯定快完了；因為羅耶必須在十一點離開去樸次茅斯。

門又開了，第一海軍大臣走出來。他走過我身邊，順便看了我一眼，同時我也盯著他的眼睛看了一下。就看了那麼一下，我的心就劇跳起來。這位第一海軍大臣以前根本沒有見過我，但從他的眼神裡我知道他已經認出了我。他從我身邊走過，出了門走上大街。

我拿起電話薄，查阿羅勳爵家的電話號碼。和他的僕人通話。

“阿羅勳爵在家嗎？”我問道。

“在家，可是他病了，一整天躺在床上。先生，您要留口信嗎？”

我放下電話，坐下來，渾身戰慄。這齣戲我扮演的角色還沒有完。我闖進屋子，人們正在屋裡開會。

看到我瓦爾特勳爵吃了一驚，樣子很不高興。“您這時候進來恐怕不大好吧，哈內先生。”

“我覺得好，”我答道。“請告訴我剛才離開屋的是誰。”

“阿羅勳爵，”瓦爾特爵士說，他臉上的怒色更重了。

“不是，”我喊道。“看著像他，但不是他。這個人認出我了，這個月他見過我。我剛才給阿羅勳爵家打了電話，他病了，一天沒起床。”

“誰……”有人問。

“黑石，”我喊著，坐下來望著那五位嚇得直呆呆的官員。