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that they had gone down a narrow alley where the houses on either side blocked out all but the faintest gleam of starlight.
    â€˜Ralph, this is stupid!’ he said, as his friend plunged into the alley after them, but Ralph took no notice. The three men, who were all wearing dark clothes, had almost vanished but Tom could hear their footsteps moving away. Then they seemed to come to a halt and he perceived a blacker darkness ahead and realized suddenly that the alley ended in a blank wall. Ralph saw it at the same instant and came to a halt, but it was too late. There was movement behind them and a torch was turned on, focusing first on Tom and then on Ralph.
    Illic’s voice spoke from the shadow behind the light. ‘You fool! Did you imagine that I would not recognize you because you have grown a beard?’
    Tom looked at Ralph and had a ridiculous impulse to say, ‘There, you see? What did I tell you?’ But the words were immediately suppressed by the sight of a gun barrel glinting in the torchlight. Princip was standing beside Illic, his weapon trained on Ralph. Tom felt the others move closer behind him and cold metal prodded his ribs.
    Ralph was saying, in English, ‘I don’t understand. I’m a student from England. What is this all about?’
    Illic either did not understand or chose to ignore the remark. ‘Search them!’
    Hands quested through Tom’s pockets and patted his body. A similar search soon produced Ralph’s pistol. ‘British army issue!’ Illic said. ‘As I expected. Move!’
    The gun in Tom’s ribs gave a sharp jab and he moved forwards. Together they headed back towards Illic’s house, the men they had been following clustering close around them to conceal the weapons pressed into their backs. In the house, Illic opened a door that revealed a steep flight of steps leading down to what Tom assumed was a cellar. There was no light, and he almost missed his footing at the bottom and stumbled into Ralph, earning a muttered curse from one of his captors. He could hear Illic groping around and then the sound of a match being struck and a single candle guttered into life.
    â€˜Sit!’ Illic barked, and Tom was pushed down on to what felt like a barrel, with Ralph close by. Illic lifted the candle and stood over them.
    â€˜Do you think I haven’t noticed you hanging around Tankovic in Belgrade?’ he asked Ralph. ‘I didn’t realize you were a spy until I saw you this afternoon in the café. What did you think you were going to do?’
    Ralph shook his head, still pretending incomprehension. ‘Look here, I don’t know what all this is about, but we are British citizens. You won’t get away with kidnapping us.’
    For answer Illic struck him hard across the mouth with the butt of his gun. ‘Stop this! I know you understand Serbian, and speak it. You masquerade as a British officer, but you are a spy. Who are you working for? Tell me! What are you doing here? Who sent you?’
    â€˜No one,’ Ralph answered in Serbian. ‘I knew you were up to something and I wanted to find out what it was.’
    â€˜What are we wasting time for?’ Princip said, his eyes glittering in the candlelight. ‘Shoot them and have done with it.’
    â€˜Not yet,’ Illic answered. ‘I don’t believe they are acting alone. We need to find out who else knows about us.’ He turned on Tom. ‘You! Who are you? Where do you fit in?’
    Tom had had time to think and had spent it desperately trying to concoct a story that might at least buy them a little time. ‘You have got it wrong,’ he said. ‘He’s not the spy. I am. My masters in London have heard rumours about the Black Hand and its intentions. They sent me here with a message for you. Britain and Serbia are allies, but if you are responsible for an act that plunges us into a war we will withdraw our support.