Читать книгу Unconditional Surrender онлайн

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He was addressing a tall, grey civilian dandy who stood nonchalantly posed beside him, twirling a single eyeglass on its black cord. This was Sir Ralph Brompton, the diplomatic adviser to H.O.O. HQ. He seemed a figure of obsolescent light comedy rather than of total war.

"It affords the People an opportunity for self-expression," said Sir Ralph.

He was a retired ambassador who daily patrolled the building in the self-imposed task of "political indoctrination," an old man with a mission, but in no hurry.

He had called on Guy and after a very few words had despaired of him as a sympathetic subject. He did not now disguise his annoyance at being found with Susie.

"I just dropped in," he said, half to Guy, half to the senior sergeant, "to see if you were getting the Foreign Affairs Summary regularly."

"I don't know," said the senior sergeant. "Are we, Sam?" He looked vaguely round the littered work-benches. "We don't get bothered with much paper work here."

"But you should," said Sir Ralph. "I make a special point of it being circulated to all ranks. Much devoted labour went into the last issue. You have to read between the lines sometimes. I'm at a disadvantage in saying quite all that needs saying in black and white. There is still a certain amount of prejudice to be cleared up--not in the highest quarters, of course, or among the People. But half way down," he said, gazing at Guy through his single eyeglass, without animosity, seeing him with his back to a wall, facing a firing squad. "One learns a certain amount of professional discretion in my absurd occupation. There will be no need for that after the war. Meanwhile one can only hint. I can tell you the main points: Tito's the friend, not Mihajlovic. We're backing the wrong horse in Malaya. And in China too. Chiang is a collaborationist. We have proof. The only real resistance is in the northern provinces--Russian trained and Russian armed, of course. They are the men who are going to drive out the Japs. I'll see you get a copy. Don't forget this evening, Susie. I'm afraid I can't be there myself, but they are counting on you."