Castle Macnab, page 11
‘It is a great and legitimate pleasure,’ he announced, ‘to welcome here today one of the champions of the pure Christian faith, unadulterated by the accretions of prideful prelates and muddle-minded moderns.’
This bold alliteration was greeted by an outburst of unseemly cheers which Swivelling quelled with a frown as condemnatory as the Book of Jeremiah.
‘He has valiantly opposed those who would place good deeds above faith,’ he continued, ‘and exalt Latin, the speech of a pagan people, above the honest Scots tongue. I am sure many of you have read his stringently reasoned pamphlets: The Curse of Babylonian Idolatry, A Return to the Pure Edenic Principles, and The Seven Errors of Hebraism.’
He paused to survey his audience with a piercing eye, assuring himself that they fully grasped the gravity and significance of the occasion. He noted with approval the stern expressions on the faces of the men and the noble efforts of the women to suppress the fidgeting of their bored offspring.
‘He is a man grounded in true Christian virtue, a savage upholder of the Sabbath, and a relentless foe of episcopal corruption. He is wise, eloquent, and above all biblical.’ The last word was uttered with an almost ecstatic relish. ‘Gentlemen and ladies, I present to you that tireless defender of fundamental Christian truth, the Reverend Murdo Abercrombie.’
Everyone in the room clapped, though the applause was muted by a becoming respect, as suited so sombre a gathering.
At an encouraging gesture from his host, Archie slowly rose to his feet, appalled at the realisation that he was expected to deliver a sermon. Archie’s relationship with the Almighty was similar to that he shared with many of his more distant friends. They met for special occasions such as weddings and funerals, found themselves broadly in agreement about most matters, and parted amicably until next time. Neither made any unreasonable demands of the other. While he regularly extolled the benignity of Divine Providence for uniting him with his beloved Janet, he felt more than a little unequal to the task of expounding upon the deeper thoughts and future intentions of his Creator.
Once the clapping had subsided, Archie experienced a twinge of panic as he gazed out over an expanse of terrifyingly expectant faces with no prospect of escape. He recalled from Sunday school that, after his resurrection, the Lord Jesus was able to walk through walls and disappear at will. Never in all his life had he been so envious of his Saviour.
He had in his time delivered one or two political speeches, but those had the benefit of some preparation, however shoddy. Chaps like Charles Lamancha, he knew, could whip up a piece of improvised oratory on almost any subject without prior warning, but this was a gift that had been denied him. His brief acquaintance with the practice of statecraft had, however, taught him a few lessons in the art of stalling for time.
He picked up the water pitcher and slowly – ever so slowly – filled one of the glasses. He then raised the glass to his lips with a stately reverence that bought him a few more precious seconds while he cudgelled his brain for inspiration. After three long, drawn-out sips, he set the glass down and cleared his throat.
‘Fellow brethren – and ladies – as I look out upon your faces today,’ he began, ‘I am reminded of a field of lilies which neither sow nor reap and yet are pleasing to the Lord. I don’t mean to say that you’re lazy. No, I’m sure you all work very hard, but you are not vain like the bees of the field, which, I expect, buzz around the lilies rather annoyingly.’
He was heartened by a loud grunt of approval from a nonagenarian in the front row who was struggling to adjust his ear trumpet.
‘As I look out upon your honest, welcoming faces, I am reminded of the wise words of the prophet Hezekiah, when he spoke of . . .’ Here he faltered and was compelled to refill his glass to take two more swallows of water.
‘Spoke of matters that concern all of us on an almost daily basis,’ he resumed at last. ‘Yes, his words on that subject were both wise and profound, and I’m sure you can recall them quite clearly without any prompting from me. If the prophet were here today, I have absolutely no doubt that he would use those exact same words, and I therefore feel no need to repeat them, certain as I am that they are already familiar to you.’
With his confidence growing, Archie began to wag an admonitory finger at his listeners.
‘Did not the prophet say that whosoever throws a stone at his brother will break the glass of the tabernacle, and what a terrible mess that will make? And let us not forget about charity, for it is not blown up nor does it trumpet its own noise all over the place. No, charity is like a mushroom seed that grows in a dark place and is then harvested a hundredfold – along with some fish.’
‘And what of the whore of Babylon?’ one of the righteous interjected. ‘Will she be cast down?’
The allusion was lost on Archie but he persevered. ‘I imagine she’s in for a perfectly frightful time, what with pitchforks and hot coals, the full brimstone. I certainly wouldn’t want to be in her shoes.’
As he smiled appreciatively at the widespread murmurs of agreement, Archie saw the door at the back of the hall open silently. Baron von Hilderling and Kurbin slipped in unobtrusively and took up positions against the wall. The baron’s right hand was in his pocket, no doubt gripping his pistol. Archie guessed that the other two Germans would be guarding the rear entrance. He and Ilsemann were completely penned in.
15
FOXES AND HOUNDS
________
Archie threw a glance back at Ilsemann. It was clear from his furrowed brow that he too had noted the presence of the enemy. All Archie could think of to do was to keep talking and play for time.
In the brief gap of silence one of the younger members of the congregation was unable to contain his fervour. Leaping to his feet, he shook a vengeful fist and demanded, ‘And when will punishment be delivered unto the unjust?’
Several others loudly reiterated this question, pressing the speaker for an answer.
‘I shouldn’t worry about that,’ Archie assured them. ‘I have it on good authority that any day now the unjust will be getting it in the neck. In fact, I believe that a jolly hot furnace is being stoked up just for them, never mind about the price of coal.’
This statement of intent was greeted with raucous approval.
‘And the wicked shall feel the Lord’s displeasure!’ one woman exclaimed in an overflow of spiritual zeal.
‘There’s no doubt of that,’ Archie affirmed, warming to his subject. ‘Yes, there will be much smiting of the wicked and all manner of beasts will be numbered. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the lion should beget with the ram and crow three times before noon. On that day I fully expect the sun to stand still in the sky, as it did when Ahab shook the gates of Nineveh.’
There was a palpable excitement animating the crowd now. Even if they couldn’t grasp the exact sense of Archie’s words, the increasingly forthright tone of them was very much to their liking. As he fixed his eyes on Hilderling and Kurbin, a sudden inspiration struck him and he threw caution to the winds.
‘And what if the unrighteous should come into our very midst?’ he challenged his listeners. ‘What if they should trespass upon the very nave of the temple? Should we not smite them?’
‘Aye, we should!’ affirmed several bold voices, almost cracking with emotion.
‘They may have stepped through that very door,’ Archie declaimed, pointing towards the back of the hall, ‘but they shall not pass through the eye of a camel!’
All heads turned to behold the strangers who had entered hitherto unnoticed. Faced with the accusing eyes of the righteous, the two Germans gave a guilty start that brought a thundercloud of condemnation down on them.
‘He shall not suffer an unrighteous man!’ shrieked a black-clad beanpole of a fellow, trembling with indignation.
‘I should jolly well say he won’t,’ Archie agreed. ‘And neither should we if we’re worth our salt.’
Baron von Hilderling had faced many dangers in his time, but none was so daunting as this mob of zealous Presbyterians, rising to their feet as one, their faces ablaze with a fanaticism that had not been seen in Scotland since the days of the Covenanters. The baron blanched and threw open the door. He and Kurbin made a swift exit before violent hands could be laid upon them.
Archie stepped around the table to stand on the very edge of the stage. For a moment he felt possessed by the spirit of the Duke of Wellington ordering the victorious advance at Waterloo. ‘Brothers and sisters,’ he intoned, ‘let us take to the streets and there proclaim the justice of the Lord!’
With a huge cheer the crowd surged to the back of the hall, toppling their chairs as they went. As they pressed through the narrow door two abreast, Archie hauled Ilsemann to his feet and led him down into the midst of the mob.
‘Come on, Siggy. With this escort I think we can make it safely outside.’
The young captain shook his head admiringly. ‘Mr Roylance, you are an extraordinary man.’
‘So my wife tells me,’ Archie beamed, ‘though up until now I wouldn’t have believed it myself.’
In the midst of the crowd, they were carried along like a boat swept on by a tidal surge. By the time they reached the high street the whole congregation was singing an ancient hymn filled with fire, blood and martial resolve. Many of them brandished well-thumbed Bibles as though they were flaming torches. Innocent bystanders shrank back into the nearest doorways and gaped awestruck at the sight of the Kirk Militant on the march.
Archie gazed about in wonderment at what he had accomplished. ‘You know, I think I could make a fair stab at this preaching lark. Perhaps I missed my calling.’
In spite of their escape Ilsemann was clearly anxious, though not for himself. ‘You must take me to the Kaiser,’ he insisted. ‘He needs me.’
‘All in good time, old boy,’ Archie responded, ‘all in good time. Everything’s well in hand.’
‘Archie! Archie!’ a familiar and beloved voice called out over the bellicose din of the hymns.
Archie searched this way and that until he spotted the fading sunlight glinting off Janet’s golden hair as she hopped up and down to make herself visible over the heads of the crowd. He answered her frantic waves and forced his way through the crowd towards her with Ilsemann following in his wake.
Janet grabbed his hand and treated him to an enthusiastic peck on the cheek. ‘Oh, Archie, I knew you’d get away. But what on earth is going on? It’s like a second Reformation.’
‘I hope it won’t come to that,’ said Archie with feeling. ‘With any luck they’ll calm down after a while. Janet, this is Captain von Ilsemann. Siggy, this is my wife Janet.’
‘Many thanks for your assistance, madam,’ Ilsemann responded with a bow. ‘I owe you both my very life.’
‘This way!’ Janet bounded off down a cobbled street. ‘I spotted Charles and John driving back into town and managed to flag them down. I’ve filled them in on what happened at the hotel.’
The Hispana was parked outside a bookshop in the shade of a spreading chestnut tree. Lamancha and Palliser-Yeates, who were leaning against the car, snapped to attention when they saw the rest of the party approaching.
‘You’ll never guess who was in that plane,’ Janet told Archie. ‘It was the Prince of Wales.’
Archie goggled at her. ‘What, Prince Edward? Well, that’s a turn-up for the books!’
Lamancha thumped a fist on the car’s bonnet. ‘He’s a damned fool for getting himself mixed up in this business.’
‘It is all part of Baron von Hilderling’s plan,’ Ilsemann explained when Archie had introduced him to the two Macnabs. ‘Thanks to the goodwill already generated by Hugo Stinnes and others, he was able to set up this secret conclave. He used Prince Edward’s written guarantee to convince the emperor it was safe to come here.’
‘Not so safe after all, as it turns out,’ said Palliser-Yeates.
‘That was the baron’s intent all along,’ said Ilsemann. ‘He wants the death of the Kaiser to provoke an international crisis his allies in Germany can twist to their own ends.’
‘Speaking of the baron,’ said Janet, ‘we’d better get out of here before he catches up with us.’
‘The lady is correct,’ Ilsemann agreed. ‘We must hasten to the assistance of the emperor.’
Lamancha had moved to the driver’s door but Archie nudged him gently aside. ‘You’d best let me take the wheel, Charles.’
‘If you’re quite sure . . .’ Lamancha conceded reluctantly.
Janet flung herself into the front passenger seat beside Archie while the other three climbed into the back. The engine started with a roar and they slipped around the outskirts of town to avoid the evangelical throng occupying the high street.
‘We’ll be at Rushforth Lodge by nightfall,’ Archie promised as they sped down the southbound road.
Ilsemann was becoming increasingly agitated. ‘Gentlemen, I must impress upon you the absolute urgency of finding the emperor.’
‘We’re well aware of that,’ said Palliser-Yeates.
‘Rest assured, captain,’ Lamancha added, ‘that two of our best men, Edward Leithen and Richard Hannay, set out to snatch him from the clutches of this Kildennan.’
‘I’d bet a packet on those two,’ said Archie. ‘They’ve gotten out of stickier scrapes.’
‘But suppose there’s no word from them?’ Janet asked.
‘We had agreed to rendezvous at a place called Castle Crachan,’ said Palliser-Yeates. ‘Do you know it?’
‘Yes, on the shore of Loch Dhuie,’ said Janet. ‘I used to go camping there with my cousins.’
Ilsemann’s fingers tensed around the door handle. ‘We must go there at once.’
‘There’s no sense in stumbling about in the dark,’ cautioned Lamancha. ‘We’ll catch a few hours’ sleep at the lodge and if Dick and Ned haven’t turned up by morning, we’ll set out to find them.’
To their right the sun was already setting behind the pine-clad Denroy hills while to the left an expanse of heather-covered hillocks rolled away like waves on a purple sea. With so many bends in the road, even Archie had to slow occasionally as the light faded. They were accelerating down a straight stretch when Palliser-Yeates looked back and saw a green Daimler closing from behind. The fact that it was moving rapidly enough to catch up with them sounded an immediate alarm.
‘I’ve got an ugly feeling we’ve picked up some company,’ he growled.
The words were no sooner out of his mouth than two gunshots rang out over the noise of the Hispana’s engine.
16
A PRIVATE LITTLE WAR
________
Lamancha darted a hawk-like glare at their pursuers. ‘Well, captain, it looks as though your friend von Hilderling has picked up our trail.’
‘He’s a determined sort of chap, isn’t he?’ Archie remarked as they jolted over a bump in the road.
‘He knows I can reveal that it was the emperor’s own countrymen who betrayed him,’ said Ilsemann. ‘He cannot let me live if his damnable plan is to succeed.’
A series of corkscrew bends loomed before them. Whipping the wheel this way and that, Archie was aware that the road itself was giving their enemies a chance to fire a broadside. Shots rang out, peppering the left-hand side of the Hispana’s chassis. Stubbornly setting his jaw, Archie bore down harder on the throttle.
For the first time in their short marriage Janet felt it necessary to caution her husband. ‘Don’t let us go crashing off the road, Archie. We’ll be sitting ducks if we do.’
‘No fear of that,’ said Archie through gritted teeth. ‘Those bounders are determined to risk all to catch us, though.’
Palliser-Yeates gave a frustrated groan. ‘If we could only get our rifles out of the boot.’
The situation triggered Lamancha’s instinct for command. He said crisply, ‘Archie, if you can get us just one minute’s lead on them, John and I will bundle out, grab the guns and hold them off while the rest of you carry on to Rushforth Lodge.’
Archie flashed a grin over his shoulder. ‘I reckon I can pull that off, if you’re ready for a few risky moves.’
‘But that will leave just the two of you against four of them,’ Janet objected.
‘Don’t you worry about us,’ Lamancha told her. ‘Your job is to get Captain von Ilsemann and his Kaiser to safety. If we don’t show up, you must rendezvous with Hannay and Leithen at Castle Crachan.’
‘Yes, don’t worry about us,’ Palliser-Yeates added with slightly less confidence.
Playing fast and loose with the confines of the road, Archie skewed dangerously left and right to short-cut the curves. Through his usual combination of skill and foolhardiness he was able to draw them briefly out of sight of their pursuers behind a sharp granite crag.
‘Right, here!’ snapped Lamancha.
Archie slammed on the brakes, flinging everyone forward with a wrench. Lamancha and Palliser-Yeates tumbled out of the back. They threw open the boot and grabbed their rifles along with a box of spare ammunition. Lamancha slammed the boot down and gave it a slap, as though sending a skittish horse on its way.
The car roared off as Lamancha and Palliser-Yeates vaulted into shelter behind some boulders. They rested their guns on the rocks and sighted down their barrels at the road, fixing their aim through the twilight. They could hear the approaching engine only seconds away now.
‘We’ll shoot out their tyres,’ said Lamancha. ‘I’ll take the front, you the back.’
‘It will have to be a quick shot.’ Palliser-Yeates squinted down the barrel of his rifle. ‘They’re flying along at the devil’s own pace.’
The Daimler hurtled into view with Kurbin hunched over the wheel like an angry ogre. One man leaned out of the passenger side, another from the rear, each with a pistol poised for a sight of their prey.
Lamancha and Palliser-Yeates fired as one. Two tyres burst and the car veered wildly. As the driver fought for control the Macnabs had time to loose off another volley before the vehicle crashed sidelong into a rocky outcrop on the far side of the road.
