For the moment Ann’s state of collapse saved her. Utterly overwhelmed by the appearance of Brisket and all that his new authority portended, after the continual stresses which she had sustained in the last thirty hours—she fainted.
Despite her forlorn and bedraggled appearance he still regarded her with a lecherous stare from one small hot eye; the other, which she had injured three weeks before, remained hidden under a black shade.
Take ’er away,’ he said suddenly, ‘over to the ’otel opposite an’ give ’er a bed in one of the guarded rooms. She’s an old frien’ of mine, is big eyes, an’ I’ll enjoy a little talk with ’er ter-morrer—’op to it.’
The other men jumped to obey his order and Ann was carried out, across the square and up the stairs of a small commercial hotel which had been taken over by the Ipswich Soviet. They pushed open the door of a small bedroom, flung her on the bed, and left her, locking the door behind them.
She moaned a little and came out of her faint, but hardly regained consciousness; the room was dark, her muscles at last relaxed and almost instantly she fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.
‘Wake up,’ shouted a voice, ‘wake up, will you,’ and feeling her shoulder violently shaken she groaned, then opened her eyes to stare round the strange room lit by the afternoon sunshine.
Momentarily she remained dazed, then the details of her desperate but useless venture came back to her.
‘You’re wanted,’ said the man who had woken her, ‘come on now.’
With an effort she slid off the bed. Every bone in her body seemed to be racked with shooting pains, her throat was dry and parched, her head splitting. As she caught sight of herself in the mirror of the cheap dressing-table, she gave a little gasp. Her clothes were torn and mud-stained, her hair a matted tangle, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen. Picking up a towel from the washstand she dipped it in the water jug and began to dab her face but the man pulled it away from her.
‘No time for that, Colonel wants to see you,’ he said sourly. Then he pushed her before him from the room, down the narrow stairs and out into the square.
The streets were nearly empty but over at the Town Hall there was considerable activity. Thirty or forty men, some in khaki, but mostly in civilian clothes, and all with a bright red sash crossing their bodies from shoulder to hip, stood leaning on their rifles or passing to and fro. Evidently a selected guard ready to deal with any emergency which might threaten the new local Government. A small group of them, obviously a detachment of cavalry, stood by a dozen horses, and as Ann was led over to the building she noticed that a line of despatch-riders stood ready by their bicycles while one or two others were arriving and departing in apparent urgency.
Inside the Town Hall was swarming with people. Messengers were constantly coming and going, men with set important faces carrying bundles of papers hurried from room to room, and a motley throng, who seemed to have no particular business but whom Ann supposed to be adherents of the new movement, blocked the hallway, stairs, and passages.
Her captor forced a way through them, up the staircase and along a corridor, then he poked his head into a room, muttered something, and drawing back thrust Ann inside and slammed the door behind him.
With sick apprehension she saw that Brisket, seated with his legs crossed in a big arm-chair, was the sole occupant of the room. A slow smile lit his heavy face as she appeared in the doorway.
‘Well, big eyes,’ he greeted her, ‘feelin’ better for yer nap?’
Youth, a healthy body, and eleven hours of complete oblivion had certainly restored Ann’s bodily well-being to a considerable extent, yet having slept in her clothes and been allowed no opportunity to bath or wash, she was feeling incredibly stale, stiff after her supreme effort, and weighed down to an unutterable degree of sadness by the fate which she had been unable to avert from Kenyon and her friends.
‘I’m all right,’ she answered dully, ‘although I think I could have gone on sleeping for a week.’
He nodded. ‘You’ll soon pick up agin, don’t you fret. An’ I tike my ’at off to yer fer that sportin’ effort of yours to sive yer pals. ‘Ave a pew?’ He pushed a chair towards her with his foot.
She sank down in it and passed her hand across her eyes.
‘It wasn’t much use, was it?’ she said wearily.
‘Wot’s the odds,’ he said, trying in an uncouth way to comfort her. ‘They were for it any’ow. Only a question of time ‘fore we mopped ’em up.’
Her long lashes trembled towards the dark hollows beneath her eyes. It was only now coming home to her that she had failed completely. Kenyon, dear Kenyon, to whom she had so stupidly denied a declaration of her love, was dead; and Uncle Timothy, and Agatha, and Gregory, and Rudd, and that funny good-humoured American, and the generous-hearted Veronica too perhaps. It seemed that she had not a single person left to care for in the world. The tragedy was so complete that she hardly thought of her own position, once more at the mercy of this loathsome soldier whom she hated and despised.
‘You’ll go up before the beak as a reactionary o’ course,’ he broke in on her sombre thoughts, ‘but don’tcher worry abart that, I’m not ther commander ’ere worse luck, though if I plays me cards right I soon may be, but I got influence all right, an’ plenty of it. They got to consider Colonel Brisket in their little game, so you leave it to yours truly; ’cause I’ll tell yer, even if you did biff me one, I got a bit of a pash fer you, big eyes.’
Slowly the full significance of her appalling plight filtered into her mind but it was too numbed to respond by flaming anger to his covert offer, only a sullen determination to kill herself rather than satisfy his cravings caused her to mutter: ‘You can’t blackmail me, or force me to do anything I don’t want to.’
‘I know that,’ his single eye narrowed with sudden cunning. ‘I want yer willin’, understand? I’ve tried aht the other girne these lars’ three weeks an’ it ain’t worth the candle, so I’m aht to treat you right from the beginnin’, see?’
‘Whatever you do it will make no difference,’ she cried with sudden spirit.
‘But I got influence,’ he argued. ‘I’ll be the King pin in this ahifit ’fore I’m much older, an’ you can be the Queen bee if you be’ave decent, strite, I’m tellin’ yer.’
‘I don’t care what you’ve got,’ she responded doggedly.
‘Don’t cher?’ He leaned forward quickly, determination in every line of his strong coarse face. Then what abaht that red’eaded feller you was sweet on, I saw yer googling at ’im when ’e wasn’t looking that afternoon we was ’anging orf the Margate coast. If you’d be matey I could get ’im off as well as you.’
‘Kenyon!’ she swung round on him, ’is he still alive?’
‘Yes o’ course, if that’s ’is nime! Shark’s orders was ter land a party fer drivin’ the cattle in, an’ ter bring the orficers back fer trial and execution. She made the Orwell rhand abart midday an’ sent the prisoners off in boats.’
‘But, but,’ she stammered, ‘do you mean that the destroyer was sent from Ipswich?’
Yus, we cruised around for a bit makin’ the villages on the coast corf up enough fish fer us ter live on, but we was runnin’ out of fuel so we brought ’er up the river far as we could an’ threw in our lot wiv this new Soviet. I ’ate ships meself so they give me a job on the Committee but, knowin’ abart all the cattle wot the General pinched orf the locals, they filled the Shark up wiv oil an’ sent ’er rand ter tike it orf ’is Mightiness.’
The door was flung open and a grey-haired man pushed his head inside. Court’s sitting, Colonel, and they’ll want that woman directly—will you send her down?’
‘I will.’ Brisket rose slowly to his feet as the door closed again and thrust his chin forward peering into Ann’s strained face. ‘Na! wot abart it?’
A hundred new thoughts and emotions were coursing wildly through her brain. They were not dead, but here in Ipswich, and this man had it in his power to save them. How could she let them die?
She closed her eyes to shut out the eager watchful stare with which he was regarding her.
‘All of them?’ she said after a moment. ‘All of them?’
‘No, the Court ‘ud kick at that.’
‘All of them,’ she repeated thickly, ‘or I won’t do it.’
He was silent for a minute then he nodded. ‘All right, there’ll be a rumpus I expect but I’ll fix it some’ow, though only postponement of the sentence mind, I’ll keep ’em on the string as guarantee you treat me fair.’
‘I can’t,’ she wailed suddenly springing to her feet. ‘I can’t. How can you ask me to knowing that I detest you?’
‘You’ll get over that,’ he laid a heavy hand on her shoulder, ‘but you’re going through it anyway, see? Just think it over when you get dahnstairs. I’ll tell the orderly to wite in Court so as you can send ’im up ter me if you’re prepared to tike it cheerful fer the sike of gettin’ off yer pals. But ter-night’s the night, mind, any old ‘ow—fer you an’ me.’
He struck a hand bell and placed her in charge of the orderly, who marshalled her through the press of people down the stairs and into a lofty chamber on the right of the entrance hall.
It was the Court-room, empty now of the public and the Press. Only one man sat at the long lawyers’ table, and on the magistrate’s bench were two men and one woman, seated beneath the red flag which had replaced the royal arms of England.
In the dock stood Gregory, still in the uniform, now ragged and torn, of a brigadier, his face unusually pale, his head bandaged. Silas stood next him, his enormous bulk seeming to dominate the group, then Veronica, her eyes half-closed, her hand on Silas’s arm. Beyond her Rudd, in a slouching attitude picking his uneven teeth with a scrap of paper, and lastly Kenyon, stooping slightly, his left arm still in a sling. About them stood the only other occupants of the court, a little group of soldiers.
Ann gave a half-articulate cry and ran towards them as they greeted her appearance with amazed ejaculations, but the orderly caught her shoulder and jerked her back: ‘Steady you,’ he growled.
The voice of the man who occupied the centre chair on the bench came, smooth, cold, and passionless: ‘Is this the woman who came from Shingle Street early this morning?’
‘Yes; this is her,’ the orderly nodded.
‘Put her with the others in the dock.’
Two men with rifles held slackly in their hands stepped aside and Ann was pushed past them next to Gregory. One of those rare bewitching smiles lit his bloodless face. ‘Hello, Ann.’
Hello, Gregory,’ she murmured, but the greetings of the others were cut short by the President of the Tribunal.
‘You will please be silent,’ he said sharply.
As in some awful nightmare Ann stared at him. He was frail, elderly, grey-haired, clad neatly in a worn dark suit. A straggly beard covered an undeveloped jaw but his forehead was broad and lofty, his eyes large, pale and almost hypnotic in their power of penetration. He leaned forward and addressed them.
‘All of you, including this woman who has just been admitted to the Court, are proved enemies of the New Order. You have without warrant robbed defenceless people of their only means of sustaining life, and on many occasions committed acts of banditry. The Government is now the people, and all property theirs to distribute in the most equitable manner; but when called upon to surrender your stolen supplies to the people’s representatives, you were guilty of armed resistance which caused loss of life: you men are therefore enemies of the State and the women have aided and abetted in your crimes. It is my duty to order your execution. Have any of you any reason to state why the sentence should not be carried out?’
‘You are neither magistrate nor judge,’ Gregory cried quickly. ‘What right have you to sentence us?’
‘I have been appointed by the Committee to dispense the New Justice in this area with full powers of life and death,’ the bearded man answered slowly. ‘I fear that is the only answer which I can give you.’
‘We haven’t even had a trial,’ Gregory broke out. ‘You’ll swing for this before you’re done.’
The Chief of the Tribunal shrugged. ‘Such men as you are dangerous to the New Order. Your rank of General alone would justify me in condemning you.’
‘New Order be damned!’ The white scar which lifted Gregory’s eyebrow stood out angrily. ‘We’ve been trying to keep the peace, not break it; and what authority have your Committee got to order killings?’
Quiet, restrained, sad almost, the Soviet judge answered patiently: ‘Their authority is derived from the Central Committee in London. From the beginning it was recognised by all sane men that the old Government had failed in carrying out their first duty to the people—the protection of their lives and livelihood. Five days ago the New Provisional Government was recognised.’
‘By whom?’ snapped Gregory.
‘By the People, the final authority upon which any Government must base its power if it is to survive. By the will of the People the Glorious Revolution has been accomplished, and now their only hope is to abide absolutely by the decrees of the Central Committee. For the safety of the nation and to avoid further bloodshed, all declared reactionaries must suffer the extreme penalty—therefore I condemn you.’
It was so obviously useless to protest further against the decision of this cold fanatic that Gregory gave a little shrug and with a twisted grin, directed at Silas, fell silent.
‘You fools!’ cried Veronica suddenly. ‘We are for law and order every bit as much as you; surely you see that.’
The woman on the bench, grey, fifty, lean-faced but fine-featured, stared at her with hard, cold eyes. ‘Is one of these men your husband?’ she asked silkily.
‘No; I have not got a husband.’
‘But you have lived with one of them perhaps?’
‘What is that to do with you; my body is my own to do as I like with.’ Veronica’s nostrils were quivering with furious anger.
‘True, and the freedom of women to choose their own path of life without disgrace is one of the first things which the New Order will establish, but as a doctor of psychology, I can speak as to the results of such associations. The laws of nature are unalterable and a woman’s thoughts are always coloured by those of her male partner for the time being. Your refusal to answer my question implies an admission, so you are doubtless contaminated by their theories and must pay the price.’
Veronica’s voice came in a quick harsh sneer. ‘Then I hope it amused you to live with a lawyer who had a secret lust for murder.’
‘Get rid of ’em,’ growled the great gross man with beady eyes who constituted the third member of the Court. ‘Get rid of ’em, we’re wasting time.’
As the President nodded and turned to the guard to order their removal, Ann leaned over and spoke in a sharp whisper to the orderly. If she was to suffer the last degree of torture in Brisket’s arms that night, at least she might try and save the others.
‘One moment,’ Kenyon addressed the Chief of the Tribunal, as the orderly hurried from the room. ‘I don’t want to argue, but I’ve got a favour to ask.’
‘Let me hear it then,’ the man waved the guards aside.
‘It’s this. I don’t question your authority—you’ve won, that’s all, but in every Court that’s ever sat there is one right which is never denied to any prisoner who is to die.’
‘Well—what is it?’
‘Marriage before execution; I wish to marry this lady here.’ For a second he smiled at Ann. ‘Can that be done?’
It is an old custom, useful only to secure the transfer of property,’ said the President. ‘The abolition of private ownership and the fact that you are both to die makes it useless here.’
‘Nothing can be useless which gives mental joy, however brief,’ declared Kenyon firmly.
‘All right then. I grant your request since it is in accordance with the established customs of humanity. But I fear you must be content with civil marriage. There can be no priest.’
‘That doesn’t matter; where can it be done?’
‘Here,’ replied the President quietly, ‘and now. Under the New Order a simple declaration made before this court will be binding upon you both. Is the woman willing?’
This new development threw Ann into a fresh torment of indecision. How could she refuse Kenyon when she loved him so much, she would have said yes gladly with all her heart if they had been free or both about to die. If she refused he would think her utterly heartless; for how could she explain. Yet how could she marry him and commit adultery that very night?
With growing amazement he saw her hesitation and watched her lowered lids. Then slowly she raised large dark tear-dimmed eyes. ‘I—I can’t, Kenyon,’ she murmured. ‘I’d like to, dear, but—but Brisket’s here, so I’ve promised—I’ve promised, he’s going—’
Her voice was drowned by the rattle of the rifles as the soldiers came to attention on Brisket’s entry. Stocky and powerful he strode to the centre of the Court. ‘The execution of these people’s ter be postponed,’ he declared loudly.
‘What’s that?’ The President stiffened in his chair. ‘By what authority?’
‘By mine.’
‘But …’
‘I’m a member of the Committee, ain’t I?’ Brisket thrust his chin out aggressively at the magistrate.
‘Your interference with the course of justice is intolerable,’ the bearded fanatic cried angrily.
‘I got me own way o’ doin’ things—see, an’ you keep a civil tongue in yer ‘ead or there’ll be trouble.’ With a threatening glare Brisket motioned to the guard: ‘Remove the prisoners. Come on, big eyes; you come wi’ me.’
In a second Kenyon had sized up the situation. Ann had made a bargain with this brute to save their lives. With a flaming face he leapt from the dock, and as the soldier stretched out a hand to take Ann by the arm, hit him a tremendous blow beneath the chin.
Brisket, taken off his guard, went crashing to the ground. Kenyon, his left arm wrenched from the sling, dived at him as he fell and caught him with both hands by the throat. The soldiers flung themselves upon him, but Rudd and Silas had both joined in the scuffle; with his immense strength the latter gripped two guards by their collars and cracked their heads violently together.
One soldier loosed off his rifle and there was a splintering of glass. The magistrates were shouting from the bench. The doors burst open, more soldiers and an excited crowd rushed in. For a few moments a wild tumult reigned in the well of the court, but when at last order was restored, and Kenyon dragged, panting, back into the dock, Brisket remained a crumpled heap upon the floor. His head had cracked like an egg in his fall against the solid dais.
The crowd stood there for a moment gaping at the body from which life had passed so suddenly, but the soldier who had fired the rifle was exclaiming, ‘One of ’em’s got away; after him, quick!’ and dashed out of the room. He alone had seen Gregory leap to the tall window on the first sign of trouble, and dive through it to the lane which ran along the side of the Town Hall.
A detachment was sent in pursuit of the flying Gregory, Brisket’s body removed, the court cleared, and then the President looked sternly at the figures in the dock. ‘If there had ever been any doubt in your case, this murderous attack upon a loyal officer of the New Order would serve to condemn you a hundred times.’
The swine! he asked for it,’ Kenyon panted.
The Chief of the Tribunal smiled a little grimly. ‘Perhaps—such men are necessary to restore order, but their morals do no honour to our Cause, and his interference for some private reason was unwarranted.’
Then let’s get back to where we left off,’ said Kenyon promptly.
‘You still ask for this marriage?’
‘Yes, I am no less condemned than I was before.’
Ann felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Even if they were all to die she had escaped that unspeakable degradation. Willingly she gave her hand to Kenyon and in a few short sentences the ceremony was performed.
Silas bent over to Veronica, as the others signed on the first page of a new ledger. ‘You know,’ he said, ‘it would make me very happy too.’
‘What’s the use, darling?’ Veronica sighed.
‘Well, tell me,’ he pressed her. ‘Just say we’d met in ordinary times—yould you—would you have thought of becoming my wife?’
Slowly she turned and faced him. ‘Yes, Silas, I would have married you. You’re the only man I’ve ever met who has all the interests I really care about, who is kind to the verge of stupidity, yet strong enough to prevent me making a fool of myself.’
‘Then let’s, Veronica; it’s great to know you really care that much, and it may be stupid sentimentality, but I’d like to have you Mrs. Gonderport Harker for any hours we’ve got.’
‘Why, darling, if you want me to,’ her voice cracked suddenly, and two large tears trickled down her face. She rubbed them away impatiently, and gave a rueful smile. ‘What idiots we are, my dear; but never mind.’
So they, too, were married, and it fell to Rudd to claim another privilege. ‘I’ve always ’eard,’ he stated loudly, ‘that them ’as was due for a ’anging got a good square meal at the lars’.’
‘Waste,’ thundered the fat man on the bench, but the President upheld Rudd’s submission and ordered an issue of rations to each of them when they had returned to their temporary prison. Then he ordered their removal.
On his way out Rudd paused before the bench and in a low voice again addressed the President: ’Er—you’ll excuse me, Guv’nor, but ’ow long ’ave we got, if yer know wot I mean?’
‘About three hours,’ was the soft reply. ‘Executions take place at seven o’clock in the morning and the evening.’
‘Coo-er! that ain’t long, is it. Couldn’t yer make it ter-morrer? It’s me birfday, an’ it ’ud be a kind o’ celebration ter go out on what they calls yer natal day.’
‘No, that is impossible.’ The Chief of the Tribunal shook his head. ‘Other reactionaries are constantly being arrested and your place of confinement will be needed for them.’
‘Orl right, Guv’nor.’ Rudd moved to follow the rest but threw a parting shot over his shoulder. ‘I ’ope it keeps fine for yer when they bumps you off; an’ they will, yer know, sure as me favourite dish is winkles.’
An armed escort piloted them across the square, into the little hotel where Ann had spent a portion of the night, and the morning, then up the stairs to the first floor drawing-room, where they were locked in and at last able to talk freely.
‘Well, we’re for it all right,’ Silas announced grimly, ‘but you certainly are an extraordinary people. That magistrate managed to give me the impression that he had a real right to deliver judgment on us, he was that serious about it.’
‘Yes, we’re orderly enough,’ Kenyon agreed, ‘even in a revolution; it’s in the blood, I suppose, but that’s what makes it so horribly final. They’ll take us out of this place on the tick of seven o’clock and shoot us with the same precision as if they were serving a summons on us for not having paid the dog licence.’
‘Kenyon,’ said Ann suddenly, ‘we haven’t got long—kiss me.’
She was still so overwrought that she could think of nothing but his presence and her escape, the others were shadows moving in the room, and as they turned away she clung to him with pathetic passion.
Twenty minutes later their food arrived. Two potatoes apiece boiled in their jackets, a hunk of coarse light brown bread and an apple each. Rudd came away from the window where he had been staring out into the square. Veronica rose from her new husband’s vast knee where she had been endeavouring to keep up a cheerful flow of banter, and Kenyon and Ann ceased to stare at each other stupidly upon the sofa.
They had not tasted food for the best part of twenty-four hours so, despite the fact that they might not live to digest the meal, they set to almost ravenously, while Ann recounted her adventures and they told her of their trip crowded together in one small cabin of the Shark.
After they had fed they fell silent, only the monotonous tread of the sentry as he paced up and down outside the door was audible.
‘Silas, is there no way that we can get out of this place?’ Veronica demanded suddenly.
He looked a little hopelessly around the old-fashioned hotel drawing-room. It was a low-ceilinged room of moderate size overfilled with indifferent furniture. A spindle-legged writing-table stood between the windows, and a geranium plant on a pedestal occupied one corner. Antimacassars of coarse lace draped the arm-chairs and sofa, the wallpaper was a hideous shade of green, and cheap prints of sentimental subjects hung on long wires from the picture-rail. There was one door only, and the sole outward sign that the place had been converted into a prison was a network of barbed wire across the windows. Silas shook his head: ‘I’m afraid not, honey.’
‘If you call me honey I shall scream,’ she exclaimed wildly and began to pace nervously up and down the room.
Rudd stood again by the window keeping an anxious, fascinated eye upon the hands of the clock opposite. Kenyon and Ann had returned to the sofa and once more a strained unnatural silence fell upon the room.
‘What’s the time?’ asked Veronica suddenly breaking the tension.
‘Jus’ turned ’arf pars’ five, Miss,’ reported Rudd.
‘I wonder,’ she said slowly, ‘if Gregory got away.’
‘You bet ’e did,’ Rudd’s belief in his master’s capabilities remained unshakable.
‘Yes,’ said Kenyon from the sofa a little bitterly, ‘he would be the one to get out in the end; I expect he’ll walk to London and turn Kommissar after all.’
‘Well, good luck to him if he does,’ Veronica took him up sharply.
‘Oh, rather,’ he agreed heartily, ‘and if he did I’ll bet his first action would be to secure an order of release for us; the only trouble is that even Gregory couldn’t get himself made a Kommissar in the hour and a quarter we have to go.’
‘I wonder what is happening in London,’ Ann said ruminatively.
Kenyon squeezed her hand. ‘It’s much the same as here I expect.’
‘Then there is a chance that things will settle down again.’
‘After a bit perhaps, but first there will be wholesale shootings. It wouldn’t be so bad if the chaps like that magistrate could keep control, the trouble is that the extremists like Brisket always get the upper hand in every revolution after the first month or two, and massacre the moderates. Once that happens it may be years before the country recovers.’
‘The English are very conservative,’ Silas put in. ‘It wouldn’t surprise me any if there were a counter-revolution.’
No one contradicted him and they sank into silence again, too busy with agitated thoughts of their approaching end to enter into argument.
‘What time is it now?’ Veronica asked again after a little in a nervous, high-pitched voice.
‘Few minutes ter six, Miss,’ Rudd muttered from his post of observation at the window.
‘God!’ Kenyon groaned, forgetful of Ann for the moment. ‘We’ve got another hour of this.’
‘Try not to think of it, my darling,’ she smiled at him. ‘I wish we could know if there is going to be a counter-revolution though.’
Silas heaved his bulk out of the arm-chair. Despite his apparent calmness he was desperately worried for Veronica, yet he could think of no way to engage her mind and quieten her restlessness. ‘I wish a darn sight more that this radio was working,’ he remarked, laying his large hand on the switch. ‘If only we could tune in to a band it might cheer us up a little.’
Tick, tick, tick, the instrument responded with its rhythmic note.
‘Good God! it is,’ exclaimed Kenyon, bounding to his feet, ‘That’s the metronome.’
For a full minute they all stood staring at it in astonished silence, and then a clear resonant voice impinged upon their listening ears, coming to that drab, old-fashioned room out of the vastness of the ether:
‘This is London calling.’