Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve

Aetna?Hercules?What the hell is he trying to say to me?Reviewing Greek mythology? I spread the note on the table and stared at the lines of beautiful handwriting.His handwriting is very elegant and pleasing to the eye, just like his appearance, but the inexplicable content makes me wonder what he is thinking?Sudden visits, rambling chats, secretly passed notes, is there any crisis hidden behind these completely unreasonable behaviors? "Aetna is about to fall", is it a hint? I tapped staccato beats on the table, recalling the details of the previous night's actions, and found no evidence that he might find, so he's not here to blackmail me, is he?Let me think about the story of Hercules killing Antaeus; oh, the bastard who strangled the giant standing on the mother earth sucking strength in the air, trickster... wait!

Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat: Giant Antai?giant? "giant"!Could something have happened to Mr. Raymond Dyce? A chill rose from behind me: Is Major Portman trying to tell me that the underground newspaper published by Mr. Deiss has been discovered! It is indeed possible... But why did the SS man hint to me?How could he casually disclose such information to outsiders?Or... is he testing me at all? I clenched my fists—it must be so!He has no reason to do me any favors, his only purpose is to ask me to contact Mr. Deiss immediately, and then take the opportunity to arrest us all!There is only this possibility.

I'm almost sure that the distribution network of "Giant" has been exposed. The person in charge of the underground newspaper is very dangerous now, and I have to remind him to be careful, but I can't show up at this time. This will only make it easier for our enemies to catch them all. I must save the rest as best I can. I gritted my teeth, annoyed tore off the note on the table, then picked up the phone and found the young secretary. "...it's me, Pierre," I told him in my usual tone, "will you come here? I need you to send some manuscripts to Mr. Raymond Deiss, who has promised to publish them for me. I have already edited the second edition of "Madame de Valencia"... yes, now."

I took out a stack of music scores from my desk, and on the last page I lightly sketched out a swan with a pencil, its graceful neck lifted up, and its mouth slightly opened—hoping that the alarm it issued would reach Mr. Deiss in time in the ears. Pierre arrived in no time, and he put the music into his purse without any question. "Please tell Mr. Deiss that if he gets the manuscript, let me know. I will wait for his call at home." "Okay, my lord." The honest and reliable young man picked up his bag and walked out the door.I looked at his back and secretly made a sign of the cross on my chest.

Time passed very slowly, and the dim sun climbed across the sky like an old man and sank.I suppressed the anxiety in my heart, had dinner with my mother, and then went back to the study. The phone never rang, and the news I wanted to hear never came.The ominous feeling oppressed me like a dark cloud; it seems that something happened to Mr. Daisy, otherwise why would there be no reply at all; could it be that something happened to Pierre halfway... When I was feeling uneasy, a piercing bell pierced the silent air.I quickly grabbed the receiver, and a crying voice came from inside immediately: "My lord, it's too bad..."

The blood in my whole body froze in an instant—— The poor young man called me at about eight o'clock, and he told me in a panic that Mr. Raymond Deiss was suddenly taken away by the Gestapo this afternoon, and his apartment, office, and publishing house were completely raided. Seized, said to be suspected of "printing illegal publications, falsifying and disseminating harmful speeches, inciting anti-government sentiments, and planning a series of assassinations and terrorist acts." As soon as my secretary arrived at Mr. Deiss's office, he was seized by the soldiers stationed there. They took him roughly to another office, asked him why he had come, and turned his purse and pockets upside down. .He was terrified!

"...Those people even thought I was a member of the underground resistance organization. They kept interrogating me for two hours! God, Lord Earl, I'm so scared..." "Did they read my manuscript?" "I've seen it! It was checked by the blond man himself. It was Major Portman. . . He seems to have been in that place the whole time. He was still laughing as he watched." "Did he tell you anything?" "No, my lord, he just praised your work for being excellent, he liked it very much, and then returned everything to me and asked me to go."

"He let you go?" "Yes, my lord. He said it was a mistake and I was innocent, and of course I came out." "God bless you, Pierre." I comforted him. "You were just going to deliver something. They can't do anything to you. Go back, take a shower, have a good rest, and I'll talk to you tomorrow. " "Okay, my lord... good night." "Good night." My hand trembled slightly as I pressed the receiver: it is as expected! Mr. Raymond Deiss has really been arrested, maybe he is not the only one, how many people on the staff of "Giant" got away with it?How did the Germans know about this underground publication?Is the entire distribution network completely destroyed?If so, how many other colleagues are at risk?

Major Portman was really testing me, he must have been waiting there a long time ago, if I had gone in person today, I might have already been lying in the filthy cell of the detention center.That sinister fellow! This was the biggest change I encountered after joining the resistance movement. The Nazi eradication was so close to me.On the one hand, I was worried about Mr. Deiss, and on the other hand, I felt an unstoppable sense of fear; not only because I was in danger, but also because I was afraid that more people would be brought into this danger because of myself, including my own. family, friends and colleagues.

I looked at the photo frame on the corner of the desk in the soft light, where Marisa smiled sweetly, her eyes seemed to comfort me through time and space.I rubbed her face with my thumb, ashamed of my cowardice in the last moment, I shouldn't have the slightest flinch and timidity.I haven't avenged her yet, how could I be caught by the Nazis so easily, at least before I die, I will make Major Portman pay for his actions—— bell…… The phone ringing without warning caught my sight. I turned my head and picked up the receiver, and a familiar but disgusting voice filled my ears: "Good evening, Mr. Earl."

Is the self-righteous victor coming to demonstrate against me again? "Good evening, Major. What can you do?" "Oh, I just want to chat with you." He said in a casual tone, "First, thank you for your hospitality this morning, and second, I want to tell you that I have read some of your manuscripts. To be honest, I am very happy like." "Thank you." I replied stiffly. "My secretary has already told me what you said." "Ah, ah, when it comes to that unfortunate young man, he is really kept in the dark! I didn't expect you to react so quickly. It's surprising." "I don't understand what you are talking about." "My French is pretty good, don't you see, oh, and some Latin, that's no problem for you. I know you can easily guess what I'm trying to say, can't you? But you're very careful , won’t make a trip in person.” "It's not too much for me to send some manuscripts to my collaborators?" "It's too much to scribble on the back of the manuscript; that swan is well drawn." He chuckled under his breath. "My lord, do you know? I've been particularly interested in this kind of bird recently." I felt the chill in his words entangled me like a poisonous snake's letter. "Do you like the little things you draw when you're bored? It's my honor." "You're welcome, Lord Earl." He accepted my "compliment" without blushing, "I want to tell you, you should understand what I mean—don't ignore my 'care' this time, and take good care of yourself , don’t die easily.” "'care'?" He was silent on the phone for a moment: "Do you think that if the underground newspaper hadn't been discovered suddenly, the Gestapo would have easily let go of the assassination attempt at the Valette Theater? I don't want to lose you, an interesting opponent." There was a soft "click" sound from the receiver, and the other party hung up the phone. I sat stiffly in the chair, a strange feeling crossed my nerves for a moment, I threw the phone like an electric shock, and then felt a shudder. What that person is doing to me seems to have a corrosive effect. The inexplicable defense makes me feel more dangerous than the blatant frame. My opponent is too cunning, but I seem to be unpredictable to him. If the opponent doesn't understand, I will naturally be at a disadvantage. Picking up the phone that had fallen on the ground, I turned on the desk lamp, and found a few pieces of paper that old Philip had brought from the gap in the bookshelf.I carefully unfolded them and laid them flat on the desk. It was a mix of material, more than half drawn from internal Nazi archives, and some apparently gossip gleaned from various sources. It's not too difficult to investigate the background of someone as prominent as Major Portman: According to the records in the archives, he was born in Berlin, Germany in 1916. His original name was Hanwei Mino Corollad, and he changed his name to Rostock von Portmann when he was eighteen years old. General Portman was his father.He joined the army at the age of twenty, then joined the SS, and the rest was smooth sailing. The father really paved the only son for a smooth career.However, his performance in the army is not particularly outstanding, it feels a bit mediocre, but he can always make a little contribution when needed, and then he will rise up logically. This is completely different from the man I met; the man in front of me is a very scheming person, and he is good at playing tricks. If he really wants to climb up, he will never be soft.I also thought of the carelessness and cynicism he showed more than once. He was not as fanatical as other Germans. From the bottom of his heart, he sneered at these irrational German plots, which may be the reason why he deliberately kept a low profile. But as to why he didn't take his father's surname before the age of eighteen is a very strange thing. I picked up the second handwritten material, which indicated where each piece of information came from. It seemed that most of it was from German newspapers, and there were reports like "rumors"; it said Porter Major Mann's mother was not the general's wife, but his mistress, a soprano with a little fame at the German State Opera.When he was born, his father did not recognize his existence, so he has always followed his mother's surname.However, after the eldest son he originally liked died of a terminal illness, the general reluctantly announced that the only surviving family member who had wandered outside had the legal right of inheritance, and let him return to the Portman family, but he still stubbornly denied the child's mother. So it seems that the relationship between the father and son is not good. At this time, I can somewhat understand why Mr. Major has a hostile and contemptuous attitude towards nobles, because his father's irresponsible behavior disgusts him, so he hates me.He likes to embarrass me and suffer, probably because it can destroy the elegance and restraint of nobles, which makes him feel very happy. I don't know how to evaluate this person; being an illegitimate child is indeed a painful thing, maybe he couldn't lift his head at all in the first seventeen years, and the strange gazes around him are unimportant to a child or a teenager. is unbearable.He will of course use all his wits and energy to make amends for his past misfortune when he can fight back against it. But even so I cannot forgive him for his cruelty and insidiousness, what he did to Armand, Professor Soler and Marisa was not personal at all.His hatred of me has nothing to do with my origin, but it is a sin to use one's own power to persecute innocent people! I took out a match and lit all these materials, and threw them into the fireplace. I think I finally understand why he is so against me—at least part of the reason—and then I should also analyze in more detail along his personality and what he will do next. Um, uh, wouldn't you be asking me to repay him for his "help" this time?Then go one step further and lay an elaborate trap for me. He sure would do that. Early the next morning, I was awakened by Miss Dorio's hasty knock on the door. "Sir, are you up?" "Yes, yes." I dazedly grabbed the pocket watch next to the bed, "I'll get up right away, but it's not yet half past seven!" "Mr. Mabwesey has just called to ask if you are free this morning; Mr. Luchel said he would be right over in a moment." These two guys must have heard something. I told Miss Doriot I knew, and drew the curtains. The air outside the window is very good, with the unique fragrance of the early morning, and the newsboys on the street are selling the few puppet daily newspapers controlled by the German government.I guess Simon and Laffon will not get the real news of Mr. Deiss from such a newspaper. Some friends who know the inside story must have told them overnight, and what they are most worried about is whether I have been implicated. On the surface, I still have some contractual relationship with Mr. Daisy. A formal investigation is necessary, but the major can't touch me for the time being. The only thing to be wary of is his next actions. I carefully arranged my appearance, went to the dining room to accompany my mother to have breakfast, and then waited for my friends in the study.Soon Simon and Laffont entered the door one after the other. The news they got was much simpler than mine. It was a small-scale rumor in the social circle. It just said that the famous music publisher was arrested at his home at noon yesterday, and it was related to the underground resistance organization.They didn't know more details, and I had to vaguely say that I didn't know either. Simon's eyes were obviously dissatisfied with my statement, and Laffon heaved a sigh of relief. "It's best not to implicate you, Chart." He stroked his beard and frowned, "But Mr. Daisy is very dangerous! The Germans will not let him go easily, and no one can help him! " My heart is sad: This is for sure, how could the Germans give up this good opportunity to warn the people. "What's the matter with the Valierette Theater, Chartres, they didn't come to trouble you again?" Simon changed the topic, "I also received a notice from the police this morning, saying that we can resume our performance next week .” "Maybe the result of their investigation is that the assassination incident has nothing to do with us." I pretended to be relaxed and adjusted my sitting posture, "We can discuss with the theater manager and continue to cooperate according to the contract." "It's best like this." Simon nodded, "Lafon and I will come forward to talk to him. Schalte, the Germans have searched very hard recently, and those mobile performance groups... don't compare them too much with 'activities' it is good." I avoided his pointing gaze and agreed casually.My friend moved his lips, as if he wanted to say something more, but in the end he didn't make a sound, and I quickly changed the subject. I don't want them to worry too much about me, and I can't guarantee that I will have enough strength to protect them when the real danger comes.I know that Major Portman can easily take these two ordinary French businessmen as tools against me, and I will try to reduce the possibility of this as much as possible. The performance of "Nightingale" was a little low-key, and I had to have time to inquire about the specific circumstances of my colleague's arrest.In fact, I also know that at this time I have to hide my edge and not give my enemies any excuses, but the development of the situation is often beyond my personal control. Half a month has passed safely, and I promised my mother to accompany her to church tomorrow on a Saturday night, and then I went to the study to read a few books as usual, preparing to relax the tense nerves during the day and let myself have a good time before going to bed . The rustling of the books was very lovely under the bright lamp. If it hadn't been for Miss Doriot's hasty knock on the door, I would have enjoyed this rare peace very much. "Yes, I'm sorry, Mr. Earl." She rubbed her hands in a panic, "I'm sorry to bother you, but...someone is looking for you at the door..." "Looking for me?" I picked up the pocket watch lying beside me, "It's already ten o'clock." "Yes, but..." My capable housekeeper suddenly stammered, "He's at the door, you'd better go and see..." Ominous doubts emerged from the bottom of my heart, I slammed the book shut and walked out. A pitch-black car stopped in front of my door. A tall man in a brown coat leaned against the door and lit a cigarette. The bright firelight reflected his brilliant blond hair, and I gasped. "Good evening, my dear Earl." He raised his hand to me from a distance. I didn't go forward, but asked Miss Dorio behind me in a low voice, "Does my mother know?" "Madam is already asleep, so I didn't report..." "Very good." I felt a little relieved, "I'll settle this matter, don't stretch it. You... go and rest first." "But, my lord..." "If you need anything, I will definitely call you, don't worry." I persuaded her back to the house in the softest tone, and then calmly walked towards the uninvited guest outside. "What time is it, Mr. Major." I tried to show my displeasure. "If you're off tomorrow, I'll have to work." "Well, you know that sometimes interest is just like inspiration, fleeting." He puffed out a puff of smoke with a playful smile, "You see, in order not to disturb the Countess, I don't even enter the door." I guess my face must have turned dark: "What on earth do you need to come to me at this time?" "Oh, I'd like to ask you to go for a ride with me." "Now?" I sneered, "What tricks are you playing?"