I was curious to know whether you were up to a little action or not. Was I surprised when I took a look at your résumé! You people’ve got a regular action superstar here. Stratton’s quite the one-man army.’
Stratton could see more complications with the operation than anyone else in the room. Steel was probably aware of some, but he was not the type to give a damn anyway. He was too independent for Stratton’s liking. The main issue for Stratton was his status as a British military operative. He had been permitted to deliver weapons to the rebels and to teach them how to use them. If anything went wrong within those parameters - if, say, he were to be captured while entering or leaving the country, even if his mandate were exposed - the diplomatic hurdles that he and his employers would have to jump over would be manageable. It would be no worse than being caught selling arms to the enemy of another country, something that might not be welcome to the politicians but would be within the bounds of diplomatic acceptability. However, for Stratton to become physically involved in a conflict, to provide military expertise in order for one side in what was essentially a civil war to achieve a notable success, was definitely not acceptable. Stratton would be screwed if he got caught. If the Neravistas wanted to hang him the British government wouldn’t be able to do much about it. Steel had to know that much and the fact that he had not first discussed it in private with Stratton and then made it clear to everyone else who was involved made him even more of a louse.
Steel waited for an answer.
Stratton got to his feet. The cold expression on his face said enough. ‘Thanks for supper,’ he said to the others as he strode to the door and walked out into the rain.
Steel watched the door close behind him. ‘I didn’t have Stratton pegged as a prima donna,’ he said.
‘Isn’t that unfair?’ Louisa said. ‘It sounds like a dangerous operation.’
‘Oh, Stratton ain’t afraid of any operation. Not that guy. This is a walk in the park for someone like him. It’s me that he has a problem with. He’s got his feathers ruffled. I wasn’t exactly cordial to him when we first met. I was busy, had a lot on my mind. Truth is I didn’t know a whole lot about him then. Let him cool off. He’ll come around.’
‘He’s leaving in the morning,’ Victor said.
Steel collected his maps and photographs and put them back into his bag. ‘Let’s wait and see.’
‘If he won’t do it, is there any other way we can?’ Victor asked.
‘Let’s talk about that later,’ the American said. He picked up his poncho and hat and left the cabin.
Sebastian got to his feet.
‘If we could, would we do it?’ Victor asked him.
‘Kill Chemora?’ Sebastian said, his expression reflecting revulsion at the mention of the man’s name. ‘I’d drive a stake through his black heart as soon as look at him.’ He headed for his room, pausing at the door to look back at Victor. ‘What do you think of Stratton?’
‘I think he is honourable.’ Victor shrugged. ‘But he has his own path. He said it isn’t his fight.’
‘It wasn’t his booby trap either but he went back into the burning wood to get those men,’ Louisa said.
‘His mind rules his heart,’ Victor said. ‘He’s brave, of course, but he would have calculated the odds on his survival before going into that fire.’
‘I don’t agree with you,’ Louisa said.
Sebastian left them alone, closing the door to his room behind him.
‘One day you’re trying to kill Stratton and the next you look as if . . . well, you’re different with him,’ Victor said.
Louisa went back to clearing up the table. ‘I was wrong about him, that’s all.’
Victor went to the front door and looked back at her, a smirk on his face. ‘I’m still French, you know.’ He winked and walked outside.
Stratton sat stripping his pistol and placing the parts on the dining table. Water dripped from the roof of the cabin into several pans he had placed on the floor. The door opened, the draught almost blowing out the candles on the table as Steel hurried in to get out of the weather.
‘Goddamned rain,’ he cursed, shaking the water from his hands.
Stratton went back to his weapon.
Steel put down his bag and took off his coat, glancing all the