“But how am I to get up there to send the messages when the time comes?” asked Lawrence.
“I have not thought of that yet. You may not have to send any messages at all, and if you do, it will not be for some little time, so perhaps it’s just as well that you can’t get up there without my assistance.”
Then with a jolly laugh, which showed that although he was pitting his strength and wits against the great General Staff, the most wonderful machine on earth, he was as light-hearted as a boy, he said:
“You might, as you did on the yacht, want to see the wheels go ‘round, or else you’d be sending messages off to a lot of girls.
“Now, make haste,” he directed, “send for the trunk marked ‘Black.’”
With the arrival of the trunk the machine was soon adjusted, and Edestone having tested Lawrence’s knowledge, and explained to him again exactly what he was to do, gave him orally all that was necessary for him to know about the code that was to be used.
A little later, when they rejoined Jones, the Acting Ambassador, he wanted to know what they had been up to. “Has Lawrence been giving you the telephone numbers of some of these prospective war brides,” he asked, “or does he want you to take tea with some Royal Princess? You know, Jack, Lawrence seems to be quite a favourite in the very smart army set. It appears that they have heard that his grandfather was the military governor of New York. That makes him eligible. And besides, he is teaching the entire royal family the latest American dances.”
“Well, if you care to know what we have been up to,” said Edestone, “I don’t mind telling you that we have been arranging for a little moving-picture entertainment here at the Embassy. Have we your permission to go ahead with it? It would be a little treat for the people here in the house.”
“Certainly,” consented Jones. “Go as far as you like. I myself will be glad to see something beside battles and dead men. But why in the name of common sense have you lugged a moving-picture machine all the way over from America when you might have brought us some potatoes? I suppose, of course, it has something to do with your fool scheme. Well, as long as it doesn’t get us into trouble, and helps to take our minds off this war, I haven’t any objection. When do you propose to have your show?”
“I can’t exactly say as to that,” Edestone answered. “It all depends upon Lawrence, who is to be my trap-man. He had better fix the date.” He looked at the other conspirator with a questioning glance.