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1 Some time in the next few days, yes . But not t omorrow, I ) think . 1 1 Good . Where is the radio operator? 1

1 Here . This is Yaacov . 1

Hassan turned to see a small, smiling man with tobacco- stained

teeth . Hassan said : 1 There is a Russian aboard the Coparelli, a man

called Tyrin, who will be sending signals to a Polish ship , the Karla;

you must listen on this wavelength . 1 He wrote it down . 1 Also,

there is a radio beacon on the Stromberg which sends a thirty- second

tone every thirty minutes . If we listen for that occasionally we will

be sure the Stromberg is not outrunning sus . 1

The captain was giving a course . Down on the deck, the first

officer had the hands running around making ready. Mahmoud was

talking to one of the Fedayeen about an arms inspection . The radio

operator began to question Hassan about the Stromberg 1 s beacon .

Then, over all the talking and shouting, the ship 1 s engines roared,

and the deck tilted, and the prow broke water, and they were on their

way . * The officers of the Coparelli had cog au vin for dinner that night .

The cook opened a two- litre bottle of Spanish red wine, put two

cupsful in the casserole, and drank the rest himself . At three a . m.

he was flat out, snoring . Pyotr Tyrin The snoring helped K~ERx±~~~k to stay awake . He waited a

little longer; then, when the night was darkest and the officers on

watch at their sleepiest, he got up .

He put on a sweater, trousers, sea boots and an oilskin . He

opened his cabin door as quietly as he could . The cook snored on .

Tyrin went along the gangway and up the ladder to the deck.

It was .still raining . He could see only a few yards, which