This was the one thing in which I could not see the way. I must have it before the spell of fear I had cast upon him was broken; and yet I knew, from what Burski had told me on the previous night, the difficulties which were in the way. What Bremenhof said now confirmed this, and he was so panic-saturated that I believed he was past lying. He professed himself as anxious as I was to solve the difficulty.
The problem was this. The papers were in the safe in his library, and there was a man on guard over it; Bremenhof had the key with him; and he had given the most absolute order that no one should even enter the room in his absence.
If I went to the house myself with the key and a written authority from him, it was in the highest degree unlikely, that, being unknown, I should be allowed to get to the safe. It was very likely indeed that, on such a day of tumult, I should fall under suspicion, and be promptly placed under arrest.
Volna was known to the servants and was thus less likely to fail; but I was loath for her to run the risk. Burski might be back at the house, and he knew enough of the matter now to understand that her arrest would checkmate our whole scheme.
Bremenhof protested that if I would let him go, he would give up the papers. “I pledge you my solemn word of honour. I’ll take any oath you please, do anything you ask.”
“To whom can you give them?”
“Come with me, and I will give them to you.”
“Thank you. I know how you keep faith. I won’t walk open-eyed in another of your traps.”
“I’ll send them to you, then.”
“Yes; by a strong body of police with orders to take me back with them. I know the risk I’ve run now in bringing you here, and have no fancy for a march across the plains. You must find some other means. Otherwise I shall hand you over to the strikers to be held until we are out of this cursed country.”