THE SNOW had been cleared from the front of the embassy. There was no wind and the Union Jack hung lifeless from its pole. Harry passed the two civiles outside, huddled in their capes. The meeting was in Tolhurst’s office again. Hillgarth was already there, in naval uniform today, sitting behind the desk smoking Players. Tolhurst stood studying papers. From the wall, the King’s thin sombre face looked down from his portrait.

‘Morning, Harry,’ Tolhurst said.

‘Morning. Sorry I’m late, the trams aren’t running with this snow.’

‘OK.’ Hillgarth said. ‘I want to review the position with Forsyth. I’ve been looking at the reports of your recent meetings. He’s not saying any more about the gold mine, but you say he seems worried.’

‘Yes, sir, he does.’

Hillgarth drummed his fingers on the desk. ‘We can’t get any information out of Maestre on the mine. We know he’s on that oversight committee now, but he won’t say anything. No matter what we offer him.’ Hillgarth raised his eyebrows at Harry. ‘There’s still no sign of his man Gomez. For which he blames us. Particularly you, Harry.’ Hillgarth lit a fresh cigarette, exhaling in a rush of breath. ‘You’d better steer clear of him from now on.’

‘I saw him in the Rastro a couple of weeks ago. He wasn’t very friendly.’

‘I imagine not.’ Hillgarth thought a moment. ‘Tell me, d’you think Forsyth is someone who could get actively involved in foul play?’

‘I think he could,’ Harry said slowly. ‘If he felt his interests were threatened.’

Hillgarth nodded. ‘We need to know about that mine, what gold resources the regime’s banking on. The only avenue we’ve got left now is Forsyth.’ Hillgarth looked at him speculatively. ‘I’d like to give you a chance to redeem yourself. We’re thinking of trying to recruit him. Since Maestre won’t be bribed. Tell him, Tolly.’

Tolhurst looked at him with owlish seriousness. ‘This is classified information, Harry. You remember you asked about the Knights of St George.’

Harry nodded.

‘Our government has set aside large sums to bribe people here in Spain. High-up Monarchists in the regime and anyone else who has a voice with the government and can argue for Spain staying out of the war.’

‘Most embassies have funds for bribery,’ Hillgarth went on. ‘But this is on a different scale. It’s not just dislike of the Fascists that makes Maestre feed us information. Him and a good few other senior figures. If Forsyth were to come over to us we could make funds available to him. And diplomatic protection if necessary. I’ve decided it’s the only way to find out about the gold. The shares in that company of his are falling fast. I guess Maestre and his committee are putting the squeeze on him. They want to wrest control of the gold from the Falange.’

‘That would fit, sir.’

‘London wants to know if there is gold, and how much. They’re putting pressure on Sam but he can’t even get an appointment with Franco at the moment. He’s going out of his way to treat us with disdain to please the Germans. And what we’ve learned about Forsyth’s personality makes me think he’d be willing to jump into our ship if his project’s in trouble.’ He leaned forward. ‘What d’you think, Harry?’

Harry thought a moment. ‘If he’s in trouble my guess would be he’d do it.’ He had come to despise Sandy, but found that the prospect of Hillgarth throwing him a lifeline made him feel relieved.

‘If he needs an escape route he’d be happy with less money,’ Tolhurst added. ‘We don’t want to strain the budget.’

Harry looked at Hillgarth seriously. ‘I don’t know how far you could trust Sandy though. He always plays his own game.’

Hillgarth smiled. ‘Oh, I can see that. Actually, I think Forsyth could make a very good spy. Someone who likes having secrets, perhaps enjoys the frisson of danger. Does that sound about right?’

‘I’d say so long as the danger doesn’t come too close. I think perhaps he’s scared now.’ Harry added, looking Hillgarth in the eye, ‘You could be taking on someone who’s been involved in murder.’

He inclined his head. ‘He wouldn’t be the first, we can’t be choosy.’

There was silence for a moment. Tolhurst broke it. ‘Has Forsyth any politics?’

‘I think he’d support any system that allowed him free rein to make money. That’s why he likes Franco. He hates the Communists of course.’ Harry paused. ‘But he’s no loyalty to Britain, none at all.’

‘Father’s a bishop, isn’t he?’ Hillgarth asked. ‘Clergy’s sons often go wonky.’

‘Sandy thinks the church and all the old traditions are out to stifle people like him.’

‘He’s got a point.’ Hillgarth nodded, then steepled his hands in front of him. ‘OK, this is what we’ll do. See Forsyth again. Just tell him there’s someone at the embassy who’s got a proposition for him. Don’t give too much away, just encourage him to come. You can say you’ve got contacts on the intelligence side if you think that’d be useful. If you can pull this off you can wipe the slate clean, go home with a bit of a feather in your cap.’

Harry nodded. ‘I’ll do what I can. I’m meeting Barbara for lunch today. I can try to arrange something then.’ Thank God it’s the last thing they want, he thought.

‘Good. How is Forsyth’s wife?’

‘I don’t think they’re very happy.’

‘She still doesn’t know anything about his business?’

‘No. I’m pretty sure he tells her nothing.’

‘We were worried you might be forming an attachment there till you hooked up with this dairymaid,’ Hillgarth said. He gave Harry a sudden and unwelcome wink.

AS HARRY WALKED to the town centre at lunchtime he thought about his interview. Hillgarth’s casual dismissal of Gomez and what Sandy might have done chilled him. Didn’t they know what it was like for a normal person, having to do this work? Little gangs of men were out, desultorily sweeping the snow from the pavements with brooms and spades. Harry looked out for Enrique among them but did not see him.

Barbara had suggested meeting him and Sofia at the Café Gijón. Harry thought it a strange choice; he knew Barbara used to go there with Bernie during the Civil War. She had still hardly mentioned his name. Poor Bernie, he thought, at least he never saw what Spain had turned into.

The bar was full of wealthy Madrilenõs taking coffee and complaining about the snow. There was a wet oily smell. Harry took a café con leche to an empty corner. He realized he was very early.

Sandy and the spies would suit each other, he thought. Well, he would leave them to it and go home. But, he thought, home to what? Back to Cambridge, alone. He looked at his face in the mirrors. He had lost weight since coming here, it suited him. Could he get Sofia out? he wondered. Was there any way? He would have to take Paco, too; she would never leave him. To be able to get them away, get them to England. And what if it didn’t work out? Part of his mind said, too, that he was mad, he’d only met her six weeks ago.

The barman had put his change in the saucer. One of the new five-peseta coins with Franco’s head on. He thought again of Hillgarth talking calmly of recruiting someone who might be a murderer, telling him how they bribed the Monarchists. Hoare had said he’d sweated blood trying to convince the Monarchists he and they spoke a common language. He’s sweated gold, too, Harry thought. People like Maestre talking about Spanish honour, the traditions they were protecting, and all the time taking bribes from a potential enemy. And Britain was interested in Spain only for its strategic value – even if they won the war Spain would probably be left to Franco, forgotten again.

He hunched over his cup. He thought, perhaps it would be better if Hitler did invade Spain. Even Sandy said the regime was weak; perhaps the people would rise up against the Germans as they had against Napoleon. But then Gibraltar would go and Britain would be weakened even further. He remembered the picture he had seen on his first day, the German and Spanish soldiers greeting each other at the border. The Führer and the Caudillo in eternal friendship, victorious in Europe. It was a horrible thought. He looked at his set face in the mirror. He would do this last thing: he would try to recruit Sandy for them.