The Colonel was now in his element. He was treating me like a defaulter in the orderly room.
“By telepathy,” said I.
“Yes, sir,” said Hill, in answer to a glance of enquiry. “Our only communication with outside has been by telepathy.”
The good Colonel was puzzled and distressed. He sat silent for a time, frowning a little.
“Look here,” he said at last. “You told the Commandant you have given your parole not to reveal the name of your communicator.”
“I did.”
The Colonel leant forward, a hand on each knee, and looked hard into my eyes. “You now say”—he spoke with emphatic slowness—“you now assert you have had no outside communications. To whom did you give that parole?”
“To the Spook,” said I, grinning.[[17]]
The Colonel jumped to his feet, and strode across to the little window. He stood there for a space, looking into the garden. Every now and then he passed his hand over his brow. At last he turned round and faced us.
“I give it up!” he said.