Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-01-05
CHAPTER XVII

in Steve. My whole argument, Mr..
Lanning, is that Paul inadvertently
tricked you into losing your nerve
and that you've ruined your chance
forever to secure for your princi-
pals a weapon as vital as the IA
nous bombsight!"
Mr.. Lanning pushed himself away
from the doorjamb. He walked slow
ly toward her. 81 wonder" he said,
"if you're just being clever"
give used nothing but plain, mid
western, horse sense!"
"Stop using it," he snarled. "You
don't honestly believe that Steve is
a traitor to his own countrywide
your"
"Of course I dol"
He started down the room again.
He whirled on her. "What have
you to gain by this? Is this what
you're planning to say to Strom-
berg-to show me up?"
would it save my life?"
at would not! Isn't that obvi-
ous?"
eyes, Mr.. Lanning. Very obvi-
Gus. All I wanted was to make you
see that Steve had not betrayed
you"
"But why?" he cried. "You are
violently pro-American! You are a
chauvinist! You have absolutely no
sympathy for our cause! Why have
you gone to such trouble to persuade
me that Steve is loyal to Germany"
Because" Zorie murmured, Sin
my heart, l believe it."
Mr.. Lanning bent suddenly over
the table. His cheeks were pulled
out. He blew sharp breath into
the lamp. The fame went out. With
all that brandy in his system, Zorie
reflected, it should have blown up.
The blue beam of his pocket light
was Pickering around the room.
Then she heard the sounds that
he had evidently heard. She heard,
above the diminuendo of the rain,
the sucking sounds of feet being
pulled out of the mud. Then she
heard mans heavy breathing.
In the darkness, Zorie held her
breath. If it was Steve, he was
saved! They would both be saved
Mr.. Lanning had tiptoed out of
the room. She heard his voice at
the. door, then another voice, but
the words were unintelligible.
Then Mr.. Lanning said: Come
in here. There's someone here
want you to see."
She heard the sound of mud
soaked shoes crossing the living
room. The bright blue spark of the
pocket light returned. Someone
struck a match. Mr.. Lanning NUT
tered profanely as he touched the
hot lamp chimney. Then the flame
licked up and steadied as he put
the chimney in place.
But she was staring at the door
way. She hardly recognized the man
who stood there. One eye was closed
and black One cheek was swollen.
Blood was leaking from one corner
of the mans mouth. His scrubby
red hair was so mixed with blood
and purple-red mud that he looked
as if he had been scalped.
His shirt collar was gone. His
white dinner jacket was coated with
purple-red mud. The left leg of his
black trousers was missing from the
knee down, and the bare leg exposed
was covered with mud.
Only by his sloping powerful Shout
ders did she identify him as Pierre
Savoyard.
He was staring at her. He was
leaning backward as if he would at
any moment fall over. He licked his
bleeding, swollen lips.
'No!" he said softly. 1T can't
be!''
''What are you talking about, Pi-
,erre?". Mr.. Lanning inquired care
lessly.
"That grill" Pierre's voice was
squeak. II killed that girl with my
own hands!"
Winthrop Lanning shrugged. "And
before that, you drowned her."
Pierre started toward the chair
in which Zorie sat.
''Keep away from her!" Mr.. Lam
ming said sharply. Don't touch
her!"
Pierre's big, hooked hands fell at
his muddy sides. He swayed.
"You made a mistake" Mr.. Lam
ming explained. "It was Amber you
killed"
lambert"
"Yes. But it's none of my affair
any longer. You can answer to Mr..
Stromberg. You are too impetuous,
Pierre. I am afraid that Mr.. Strom-
berg will not be at all pleased with
you. Here. Drink some of this.
You need it."
Pierre took the brandy bottle. His
hand was shaking. Some of the
brandy missed his mouth and ran
down off his chin, with the blood and