The House of Rumour Read Online Free PDF

of this stuff, sir?’
    It was known that M held some obscure beliefs and Fleming himself had begun to notice strange coincidences ever since he had been involved in Operation Mistletoe.
    ‘That’s neither here nor there,’ M replied. ‘We have to understand what the enemy is using. Goebbels had some of the prophecies of Nostradamus printed in a leaflet and dropped during the invasion of France. There are all sorts of rumours that Hitler takes astrological advice. The important thing now is that the subject of Operation Mistletoe actually believes in it. I like to keep an open mind. Haven’t you ever experienced an event that has been foretold?’
    Yes, he had, Fleming thought. He just didn’t know how he might explain it to M.
    ‘Well, something has been bothering me about the whole plan, sir. Something I read in a book.’
    ‘Not that silly comedy your brother wrote.’
    A Flying Visit by Peter Fleming had been published the previous spring, before the fall of France. It was an imagined story of Hitler flying to England, a playful satire with cartoons by Low, that now in the heat of the Blitz seemed woefully outdated, even in poor taste.
    ‘No, not that,’ Fleming replied. ‘Something else, sir.’
    ‘What?’
    Fleming was about to speak then stopped. He would have to think it through first.
    ‘Oh, it’s nothing, sir.’
    ‘Look, Fleming, you’re right about the paranormal stuff. What we need is a real expert. You know, the man I told you about. The Magician. He’s ideal for our purposes. Have a look at his file when you get back to Naval Intelligence. He worked for your bunch in the last show. Did a lot of what the Political Warfare Executive are calling “black propaganda”. Go and see him and I’ll sort out that other business with the Link.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    ‘And remember, this is a cross-departmental operation, but it goes without saying that the fewer people who know about it the better. I’m briefing someone from Political to run liaison. It’s far-fetched, yes, but it could be our biggest coup of the war. Read up on the Magician and make contact with him.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    As Fleming got up to leave, Joan Miller was called back into the office. M stood up and went to the window, once more turning his back to her.
    ‘He’s still there,’ M muttered. ‘Dirty little creep.’
    He beckoned her over. She hesitated. It was as if he was trying to provoke her in some way.
    ‘Did you want something else, sir?’
    ‘The Political Warfare Executive are going to reactivate the Link. They need you to go back out into the field for a spell.’
    ‘But, sir, I can hardly do that.’
    ‘Come here! Look. He’s got one.’
    She joined M at his vantage point and saw another figure approach the man in the shabby raincoat.
    ‘I mean,’ Miller went on, ‘I’ve been compromised with the Link and the Right Club, sir. I gave evidence in court for goodness’ sake.’
    ‘Wait.’
    M held up his hand for her to be quiet and they both watched the little vignette below. As the two men drew close, the one in the raincoat produced a cigarette and placed it in his mouth with a flourish, allowing his other hand to rest on one hip with a slight twist of his torso. The other produced a match and cupped the sulphur flame. With the briefest exchange of words, the smoker passed on, then his companion, flicking away the match and glancing furtively around for a moment, followed.
    ‘Yes,’ M hissed. ‘The dirty buggers.’
    M had pointed out this little dance between men to Joan Miller before. She had been his assistant for nearly a year now and had spent weekends with him at the safe-house he had set up Camberley. He had declared his love for her and she had supposed that he had wanted her as his mistress. Except nothing had happened beyond the diligent choreography of romance. They would always sleep in separate rooms. At first she had thought that this was somehow her fault. But the war had brought an end to