tomissions,simultaneouslybutscattered.Andthat,ifnothingelse,is disconcerting."
"Let'sawaittoday'sbriefingbeforemakingjudgments,"suggested Jarda,steeringthembacktotheimpendingrevelation.
Theradiocrackledwithstatic,andavoiceemerged,meticulously recitingthecode.Jardaresponded,providingtherequisitecodefrom thebook,andthespeaker,inflawlessFrench,conveyedamessage withanurgentundertone.
"We're transmitting at great risk. Time is running out. The method of delivering messages must change. Tonight at midnight, all of you, rendezvous with the agent who will provide new instructions. The meeting point is the Loreto Chapel at St. John's Church. The agent will be positioned at the base of the stairs. Password: Rabbit. I repeat: Midnight, Loreto, St. John's Church in Brno. Confirm receipt of the message."
Rosetranscribedtheinformationandspokeintothemicrophone, "Messagereceived.However,wehavesomefundamentalquestions."
"Notime,theagentwillexplaineverything.Overandout."
Theradiofellsilent,leavingonlythehumofwhitenoise.
"Theymustbejoking,right?!"Martafretteduponhearingthe translatedmessage."Whodotheythinktheyare?We'renotdogsto blindlyfolloworders."
"Buttheyemphasizeditsimportance,"Jardainterjected,hisprotest measured.
"Easyforyoutosay.You'renotgoing,"Tondaretorted.
"Of course, I am. They explicitly stated everyone should be present.Ifthey'realteringourcommunicationapproach,myroleasa radio operator is obsolete. Honestly, I'm relieved. Attending resistancemeetingsisfarsaferthanharboringaradioathome."
"Iwanttoseeyouthere!You'llbeshakinginyourbootsthefirst timearound."
"Enough,"Roseintervened."Thiswholesituationreeks."
"LikeJarda'simpendingpredicament,"Tondaquipped.
"Ifyouweren'tdisabled,I'dmakeyouonerightnow!"
"I'dratherbephysicallycrippledthanspiritually!"
"Enough!" Martha shouted, redirecting her attention to Rose. "Whydoyouthinkitstinks?"
"Itwaspeculiar.Jarda,areyoucertainthepasswordsmatched?"
"Absolutely.What'stheissue?"
"Everything.Forinstance,theFrenchaccent."
"Itwasn'tuptopar?"
"Onthecontrary.Exceptionallygood."
"So,what'stheproblem?"
"AgenuineFrenchmandoesn'tspeakthisperfectly.Theyhave regionalnuances,colloquialexpressions.Taketheword'courrier,'for example.Veryfewpronounceitcorrectly.I'veheardvariousversions, butthisisthefirsttimesomeonenailedit."
"Maybetheybroughtinalinguistwhopridesthemselvesonit.It's abouttimetheyutilizedsomeonewithimpeccablepronunciationfor internationalcommunications,right?"
"Whydoeseveryoneneedtoshowup?Onepersonshouldsuffice, right?"
"Exactly," Rose continued, "and that specific detail about the stairs."
"What'sstrangeaboutthat?"Jardawondered.
"Youtrulyhavetheintelligenceofalog,"Tondashookhishead. "HowdoesaFrenchmanknowtheinteriorofachurchinBrno, hardlyvisitedfortenyears?"
"Stairsinachurcharen'tsuchanoddpieceofinformation,are they,yousmart-ass?Everychurchhasstairs."
"HaveyoubeentoLoreto?"
"What'syourgame?Youmentionednobodyhasbeentherefor tenyears."
"Isaidalmostnobody.Ihadanadventurousnatureasaboy,unlike you.Ididmanagetogetinside;there'salwaysabrokenwindow.It's morechallengingtoaccesstheLoretoitself,onemustovercomeits door.Andguesswhat?ThedistinctivefeatureoftheLoretochapelis thestairsleadinguptothealtar."
"Thatbringsusbacktothequestion,"Marthacontinuedquickly, preventing the two men's rivalry from reigniting. "How does a FrenchmanknowtheinteriorofadisusedchurchinBrno?Andwhy aretheysendingusintoabuildingwhereyouhavetoclimbthrough awindow?Willtheagentclimbthroughitaswell?"
"Isupposetheyhavekeys."
"Anddoesn'tanyonefinditstrangethatthedoorofaburntchurch isopen?Guys,let’sscrapthisone.Itsoundstoomuchlikeatrap.If