The Children's War (198 page)

“And did you pay her?”

“Hell no! I don’t give in to that sort of shit.”

“So did she make trouble for you?”

“No. I handled it,” Karl announced proudly. “Had a bit of fun with her first, then, well, I shan’t tell you how, but you could say, she’s out of my life forever. For-ever.”

“Glad to hear it.” Richard had already made up his mind about his course of action.

69

P
ROMPTLY AT TEN
the Council gathered. Peter waited in the hall, leaning casually against the wall, as they filtered into the room. Each looked at him with undisguised curiosity, but most did nothing more than nod a greeting in his direction. When he saw Marysia coming down the hall, he launched himself from the wall to greet her.

She hugged him. “Welcome back! Olek said you were here. But why?”

“I’ll explain shortly.” He kissed her hello.

Tadek joined them and interjected, “AWOL again, Captain?”

Marysia made an impatient gesture at Tadek, and together they left to go into the meeting. The door was closed and Peter waited with unusual patience. Only moments later, he was invited in. He entered the room and faced the curious, even hostile stares with equanimity.

“Now, Captain, why exactly are you here? You demanded to be heard by us first thing, and we have accommodated you. So?” Wojciech asked without patience.

Marysia glanced at Wojciech, clearly annoyed by his preempting her.

“I have important information to give you. Very important.” Peter paced coolly in front of the assembled Council.

“And?” Marysia prompted, reasserting her authority.

“And I want something in return.”

“What is your information?” Hania asked.

Before he could answer, Zosia came nearly breathless into the room. The front of her blouse was soaked with milk, and in her arms she held Irena tight against her breast as the baby nursed greedily. Zosia looked sweaty, tired, and irritable, as if her organized plans for peacefully feeding Irena had been hopelessly disrupted. When she saw Peter, a thousand miles from where he was supposed to be, she stopped dead and looked questioningly for an explanation.

“We don’t know either,” Marysia answered Zosia’s look. “He just showed up last night and demanded to be heard by us today.”

Zosia turned toward him. “What’s going on? How did you get here?”

“I just walked in,” he answered her last question first as he walked over and kissed her hello. He stroked Irena’s head, marveling at how much she had grown. She looked so much more engaged in the world around her, as if, he thought bemusedly, someone had thrown a switch and her personality had turned on. Even as she sucked at Zosia’s breast, her eyes turned upward to stare at him and wonder at the presence of this stranger. He felt his heart breaking with regret at the months they had lost, and he wanted to take her in his arms and hold her and teach her to know him, but all that would have to wait just a little longer. “I was
going to tell you all about it last night,” he added, “but you were out. Now you can hear it with everyone else.”

Zosia’s eyes widened slightly with worry or a warning, but he winked at her and she decided to settle in and listen. As she sat down, he poured her a glass of water, remembering what she had said about thirst and nursing, and then walked back to the center of the floor to face the Council.

“What is your information?” Hania repeated.

“I have in my possession the completed biochemical formulae for the sterility program which was abandoned after my visit to America. The information I have is proof of deep espionage within the American security agencies, a crippling embarrassment for a key political enemy of our most senior infiltrator, and useful blackmail of the Americans to force them into greater cooperation and trust. Not only that, but this information will be crucial in preventing the institution of any such program or in counteracting it, if it is instituted. My presentation of this information to you instead of Warszawa will also enhance your own political viability.”

There was a murmur of surprise. Konrad was the first to overcome his astonishment, and ignoring Peter’s strange presentation, he said, “Good work. Hand everything over and we’ll see that it is treated appropriately.”

“No.”

There was a stunned silence at the bald refusal, and the Council members glared at him in confusion. Zosia adjusted Irena and sipped her water. Finally Tomek ventured, “Captain Halifax, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying, I’m not handing over anything until I get exactly what I want.”

“You’re blackmailing us?” Wojciech asked. “You do realize you could be court-martialed!”

“ ‘Dealing with you’ might be more appropriate,” Peter responded. “And if you court-martial me, you’ll get absolutely nothing.”

“But this is . . . You should pass it on to us immediately!” Wanda protested.

“When I get what I want.”

“You got your life from us! That was enough, that’s more than many people have. My sons . . . Now it’s time to repay your debt!”

“I’ve
already
paid enough for something which should
always
have been mine!” Peter retorted. “Now I’ll choose who gets my information. I’ll give it to whomever shows as much loyalty to me as I have shown to them. Perhaps the English, perhaps an independent group. Perhaps the Communists.”

“Peter!” Marysia could not contain herself. “How dare you treat us in this manner!”

“Oh, give it a rest. I’m fed up with being shunted around as if I were valueless. I’m proving my value, and I’m not going to let this opportunity go to waste. If you want diplomacy, rewrite the minutes, because I’m not going to waste our valuable time fucking around.”

“What are your demands?” Tadek asked in his usual cool manner.

“First, that I am reassigned here. Immediately and permanently. No outside assignments that I don’t personally approve. And by personally, I mean me, not my wife.”

“We’ll take that under consideration,” Marysia intoned.

“You’ll agree to it now, or there is no point in my proceeding.” They looked at each other, took a silent vote of nods, and agreed.

“We’ll have to arrange something with your persona; it’s not good to let them drop off the face of the earth like that,” Hania commented. She held primary responsibility for the organization of the various identities used by their agents.

“Jäger is officially in London,” Peter explained.“He can commit suicide at the beach at our convenience. Barbara already has some local talent lined up to replace him. She has a personal commitment to the lad and hence to London; so, not only will that solve your perpetual problem of finding someone to take that job, but you’ll have an automatic link with the English Underground. Better than using me as a liaison since he’s currently a member.”

“Fine. We can untangle things later.”

“What else?” Marysia prompted.

“I want access to the entire installation, especially Communications and anything which needs a security expert. I want free right of entry and exit to this place.”

“That’s impossible!”

“Let me make it possible. All I ask for is the rights of access that my wife has. Simple equality,” Peter amended with a smile. Zosia had, as far as he knew, no limits on her rights, but if there were any, he would accept those as well.

“You exceed our patience!” Wanda glowered.

“Fuck your patience. I want your word!”

“Peter, you really are asking a lot,” Marysia said in an obvious attempt to be conciliatory.

“I’m offering a lot in return. I could argue for these things, but you all know my record and you know my loyalty; these concessions are long overdue. Certain, uh, circumstances may have caused me to be treated as an honored spouse rather than an active member, but it’s time that changes.”

Zosia lowered her head, obviously embarrassed, or maybe just intent on Irena.

“All right,” Marysia conceded. “If we grant that request, is that all?”

“No.” He grinned.

“What else?” Tomek asked, incredulous.

“I want some sort of arrangements made to assist the
Zwangsarbeiter.
I want information disseminated to them, and I want there to be some way for escapees to seek assistance and transport to safe havens—something like the Americans’ Underground Railroad.”

There were several sputters at the near impossibility of that request, but Marysia was undeterred. Into the dismayed grunting of the various Council
members she spoke. “I’ve been considering something along those lines for some time and have been in communication with the other Councils about it. You raised enough money in America that I think we can arrange a budget for you, if you are willing to take responsibility for organizing this so-called Underground Railroad.”

“I’ll do that,” Peter agreed, pleased by Marysia’s support.

“Indeed,” Marysia added, glancing at the Council, “I’ve just learned that an anonymous American donor has promised us a substantial sum, but only if we get Peter’s approval for how it is used.” She looked back at Peter. “It seems you have a friend.”

Peter thought of the guitar back in the room and nodded. Whatever gift she had sent though, there was nothing more valuable to him than her words,
I cried for days.

“Now, is that all?” Marysia asked.

“No, I also want a promotion to colonel and a seat on the Council. Both permanent, and well advertised so that there is no reneging on your part.”

“What!” Wanda screeched.

“You can’t be serious!” Bogdan stormed. “This is too much!” Wojciech protested.

Into the objections Peter inserted, “I’ll accept the portfolios for dealing with the Americans, secure communications, and liaising with the English, among others. I can also work on negotiations, if you want, since I am already wellknown to the Germans and they to me.”

“You do presume!” Wanda complained.

“Who do you think you are?” Tomek asked. The comments flew about Peter’s head, some positive, some not. He noticed that the naysayers, though in the minority, were the loudest. He let them rant, remaining calm and quiet. Then, with her free hand, Zosia slid off her shoe and slammed it onto the table. The ensuing silence was deafening.

“He deserves it,” she said simply. “He knows more about security than any of us, he has foreign experience beyond any of us, he certainly understands the English better than any of us could hope to”—this last she said with something bordering on dismay—“he knows the Germans and has lived among them, and he also handled the Americans marvelously—they know and trust him. And his loyalty is beyond reproach!”

“He hasn’t been here long enough,” Wanda objected.

“He doesn’t know
us!
” Wojciech griped.

“He isn’t fluent in our language yet,” Tomek moaned.

“Fluency isn’t necessary,” Zosia responded as she played a game of tugoffinger with Irena.

“He’s not sponsored by a political party,” Tadek noted rather pragmatically.

“He can join as an independent,” Konrad suggested. “After all, we all know that’s a farce.”

“He doesn’t meet the criteria,” Wanda finally wailed.

Marysia nodded. “He meets all the formal criteria—what little there are. Besides, it might do us some good to get some new blood into this executive.”

As the Council members continued their arguments, Peter felt that he had been excluded yet again. “Your arguments are irrelevant,” he said undiplomatically into the fray. “You have no choice. You want what I have and I’m not giving it to you without a permanent seat.”

“How would you trust us not to throw you off the Council as soon as we get what we want?” Tadek asked.