“Sure, I know. A very efficient man, the Colonel.”
“Ah, yes.”
“And a busy one. So, you see, I thought it might be better if I didn’t trouble the Colonel again, but just got the names of some of these people unofficially.”
The Captain looked puzzled. “Unofficially? How unofficially?”
“I could buy the names, couldn’t I?”
“But from whom?”
“Well, that was what I was hoping the patron might be able to tell me.”
“Ah!” The Captain at last permitted himself to smile again. “Mr. Carey, if the patron knew where the names that you want could be bought, he would not be so foolish as to admit the fact to a stranger.”
“But haven’t you a line on any of these people? What happened to them all?”
“Some were killed with the Markos forces, some are across the border with our neighbours. The rest”-he shrugged-“they have taken other names.”