第57章

`Intellectually a nonentity,' Ossipon pronounced aloud, abandoning suddenly the inward contemplation of Mrs Verloc's bereaved person and business.

`Quite an ordinary personality.You are wrong in not keeping more in touch with the comrades, Professor,' he added in a reproving tone.`Did he say anything to you - give you some idea of his intentions? I hadn't seen him for a month.It deems impossible that he should be gone.'

`He told me it was going to be a demonstration against a building,'

said the Professor.`I had to know that much to prepare the missile.Ipointed out to him that I had hardly a sufficient quantity for a completely destructive result, but he pressed me very earnestly to do my best.As he wanted something that could be carried openly in the hand, I proposed to make use of an old one-gallon copal varnish can I happened to have by me.He was pleased at the idea.It gave me some trouble, because I had to cut out the bottom first and solder it on again afterwards.When prepared for use, the can enclosed a wide-mouthed, well-corked jar of thick glass packed around with some wet clay and containing sixteen ounces of X2 green powder.The detonator was connected with the screw top of the can.It was ingenious - a combination of time and shock.I explained the system to him.It was a thin tube of tin enclosing--'

Ossipon's attention had wandered.`What do you think has happened?'

he interrupted.

`Can't tell.Screwed the top on tight, which would make the connection, and then forgot the time.It was set for twenty minutes.On the other hand, the time contact being made, a sharp shock would bring about the explosion at once.He either ran the time too close, or simply let the thing fall.

The contact was made all right - that's clear to me at any rate.The system's worked perfectly.And yet you would think that a common fool in a hurry would be much more likely to forget to make the contact altogether.I was worrying myself about that sort of failure mostly.But there are more kinds of fools than one can guard against.You can't expect a detonator to be absolutely foolproof.'

He beckoned to a waiter.Ossipon sat rigid, with the abstracted gaze of mental travail.After the man had gone away with the money he roused himself, with an air of profound dissatisfaction.

`It's extremely unpleasant for me,' he mused.`Karl has been in bed with bronchitis for a week.There's an even chance that he will never get up again.Michaelis is luxuriating in the country somewhere.A fashionable publisher has offered him five hundred pounds for a book.It will be a ghastly failure.He has lost the habit of consecutive thinking in prison, you know.'

The Professor on his feet, now buttoning his coat, looked about him with perfect indifference.

`What are you going to do?' asked Ossipon, wearily.He dreaded the blame of the Central Red Committee, a body which had no permanent place of abode, and of whose membership he was not exactly informed.If this affair eventuated in the stoppage of the modest subsidy allotted to the publication of the F.P.pamphlets, then indeed he would have to regret Verloc's inexplicable folly.

`Solidarity with the extremest form of action is one thing, and silly recklessness is another,' he said, with a sort of moody brutality.`I don't know what came to Verloc.There's some mystery there.However, he's gone.

You may take it as you like, but under the circumstances the only policy for the militant revolutionary group is to disclaim all connection with this damned freak of yours.How to make the disclaimer convincing enough is what bothers me.'