"Yes, quite," Freddy added. "What can we do to serve, sir?"
The Intelligence officer smiled briefly; then his face became hard and stern, and there was a ringing note in his voice as he spoke.
"There is only one way in and out of Europe, today," he said. "That's by air. This Belgian I spoke of lives in Antwerp. The address is Sixteen Rue Chartres. That street is down by the docks on the right bank of the Scheldt River. He was a marine engineer in his day, and the last I knew he was working for the Germans occupying the city, doing the odd jobs his age would permit. He is close to seventy. He is blind in one eye, and he is not over five feet six inches tall. His hair is grey, of course, and he has a beard. All this I'm saying I'll repeat in detail later. I'm just running over it briefly, now, to give you some picture of the man I hope you can find. Not only hope, but pray you will find.
"But to get on with this: I am convinced that it is sheer suicide for any of my agents to try and contact this Belgian. Antwerp, like every other occupied city of importance, is policed day and night by the Gestapo and German counter-espionage agents. Therefore a man would create suspicion no matter how well he might be established in the city. And remember, I said the only way in and out is by air. This highly important job has got to be tackled by one or more pilots. Now—and don't take offense, you chaps—a couple of Belgian peasant boys would be less likely to be noticed by the Germans than grown men. And if those two Belgian peasant boys could fly a plane, then so much the better. You follow me, eh?"
"Right with you, sir!" Dave blurted out enthusiastically. "And Freddy and I both happen to speak the languages, too."
Colonel Fraser laughed.
"Don't worry," he chuckled, "I had checked on that little detail before I asked the air vice-marshal, here, to send for you. Yes, you both are boys—though doing the job of men, believe me—and you both are pilots, and you both speak the languages that will be necessary. And, perhaps the most important thing, you have the courage and the spirit that will keep you going until the job is done. Let me say right here, though, I can't spread the danger angle too thick. It is a mighty dangerous job. To give it to you from the shoulder again, everything will be in the Germans' favor, not in yours. If either of you is caught—well, no power on earth will be able to save you. The Nazis will shoot too quickly for that."
The Intelligence officer stopped speaking in order to let the true meaning of his words sink home.
"We know how to shoot a bit ourselves, sir," Freddy spoke up in a steady voice. "So I guess you might say that evens things up some, you know."
"We'll take our chances against any Nazi with itching trigger fingers," Dave said grimly. "But I suppose you've got a definite plan of action for us, sir? I mean—"