Passions of War Read Online Free PDF

Serbia will be left to fight alone. Is that what you want?’
    For a second he thought he saw Illic’s eyes flicker and he felt the other men stir uneasily in the darkness. Then Illic said, ‘Why should we care? We have other allies. We defeated the Turks and the Bulgarians. We can defeat Austria.’
    â€˜And suppose Britain were to throw her support behind the Austrians?’ Tom said. He knew it was an impossible scenario but he had seen that faint shadow of doubt in Illic’s eyes. ‘My government might be prepared to turn a blind eye to regicide and remain neutral as long as its own citizens are not involved. But my masters know where I am and who I am investigating. If we were to be harmed they might take a very different view.’
    â€˜He’s bluffing!’ Princip insisted. ‘Shoot them. None of this will matter tomorrow.’
    â€˜Not to us, perhaps,’ Illic said. ‘But we are not acting for our own benefit. As you say, after tomorrow it will not matter who they tell. We are not butchers. Why should we stain our sacred cause with their blood? They can do us no harm locked in here. Come, we should get some sleep.’
    He turned and made his way to the stairs and after a moment’s hesitation the others followed. At the top of the steps Illic turned back. ‘Goodnight, gentlemen. Sleep well. We shall not meet again.’
    The five men went out and Tom heard the door slammed shut and the sound of bolts being shot home. In the faint light of the candle he stood up and turned to Ralph.
    â€˜By God, Ralph, you’ve got me into some pretty messes before this, but this is the last time, I swear it!’
    Ralph came closer and gripped his arm. ‘All I can say is thank God I brought you with me. That was a brilliant piece of play-acting. I didn’t know you had it in you.’
    Tom lowered himself back on to the barrel. ‘Nor did I,’ he said, shakily.
    Ralph took the candle and climbed the steps and Tom heard him testing the door, shaking it and putting his weight against it. ‘It’s no good,’ he said at length. ‘It’s rock solid. We’ll never break that down.’
    He came down again and began to feel his way around the cellar, running his hands over the walls. Eventually he returned to sit by Tom. ‘That’s the only way out. We’re stuck here till someone lets us out.’
    â€˜What do you think Illic meant when he said we should not meet again?’ Tom asked, feeling a shiver run down his spine.
    â€˜And all that about it not mattering after tomorrow,’ Ralph said, nodding. ‘I’m afraid there’s only one interpretation. They plan to assassinate the archduke and then commit suicide.’
    â€˜All of them?’
    â€˜It seems like it. They have a hero to imitate. Four years ago a man called Zerajic tried to assassinate the Governor of Bosnia. He missed and then put a bullet into his own brain. Boys like Princip see him as a martyr. Besides, Tankovic wouldn’t want anyone left alive to implicate him. He’s probably provided them with the means for a quick death.’
    â€˜You do realize what that could mean for us?’ Tom said. ‘They are the only people who know we are here. If they are all dead . . .’
    â€˜Cheer up,’ Ralph patted his arm. ‘Once we’re sure they are out of the way we can kick up such a row that his mother is bound to hear us. There’s no point until then. It might prompt Princip to come back and carry out his threats. I suggest we make ourselves as comfortable as we can and try to get some sleep.’
    After grovelling around on the dusty floor for a while Ralph came upon some old sacks that smelt powerfully of stale beer and they lay down on them side by side. Ralph curled himself against Tom’s back and put his arm across him.
    â€˜Might as well keep each other as warm as we can,’ he said.
    There was little