Heil Harris!

over to release her he could tell from her eyes that it was only what she expected. The bitch wasn’t in the least impressed. But he had the satisfaction, when he cut the ropes round her wrists, of having her fall limply into his arms.
    “Are you all right?” he whispered.
    “Am I all right? I’ve been here for six hours. Of course I’m not all right.” She smiled to take the sting out of her criticism. “Where have you been all this time?”
    “I was trying to do the crossword in a German newspaper. They really are incredibly difficult.”
    “My father said that in many ways the English are a frivolous nation.”
    Steed picked up the ape by the scruff of the neck and told Heidi to help tie him to the ring in the wall. “Must have somebody down here, otherwise they’ll notice you’re gone.”
    “We must stay,” said Heidi, “until we’ve killed them. I’m sure that these are the men who murdered my father.”
    Steed turned out the light and led the way back upstairs.
    “Anyway, thank you for rescuing me.”
    “It’s all part of being British.”
    She kissed him gently while they hid in the tiny doorway. Steed murmured yes yes, think nothing of it, and bent down to peer through the crack by the latch. All right, I love you too. Be quiet I “Anyway, what happened?” he whispered.
    “Dr. Neufeld seemed to know who I was. He listened for a few minutes and then told that man you’ve almost killed to put me in the cellar.”
    Steed smiled. “When this is all over you must come to London for some basic training. You should have incapacitated them both.”
    “I’d like to see you—”
    “With any luck you will.”
    He could see through the latch that a flat, square Bavarian with short trousers and a feather in his cap was playing host to four other men. Three rather insipid toughs who would only be dangerous if they were winning. And Captain Hayburn. They seemed to be discussing the fact that Ernst was missing.
    “Really old man, I don’t see that it matters where your manservant has got to.”
    “No? So I’ll tell you. We’ve had spies in this part of the mountains. In the last six months we’ve had so many spies you’d think it was a tourist industry. The man Toppler was taken care of, and then the Irgun came over. We’ve had to deal with six Israelis since January, the last one died last night, and now Toppler’s daughter turned up. Do you know what this would mean if the police began to take it seriously? I don’t mind the odd elimination, but I’m not Murder Incorporated. I want you to remove the treasure as soon as possible, I want you then to tell the world that it is gone, and then we can all settle down in Bavaria to a normal life.”
    Colonel Hayburn laughed. “I’d say that you’re a frightened man, Fritz. What do you mean, a normal life? Is the N.P.D. a normal way of life? You’re heading for excitement, old man, and if you don’t like it you’d better retire.”
    Steed could see Dr. Neufeld turning scarlet. “However, if you don’t mind, I’ll have a look at my prisoner and see that nothing’s gone wrong.”
    Hayburn rubbed his hands together and said that he’d enjoy a look himself. “There’s nothing like a beautiful prisoner.”
    The three insipid characters went into the kitchen to forage while Neufeld ushered Hayburn to the cellar door. Steed smiled briefly to reassure Heidi and then crouched on the floor. He waved her clear of the stairs. As the door opened he sprang upwards, pulling Neufeld off his feet and in the same movement pitching him down the twenty-three steps into a hundredweight of coal. Then he moved quickly forward to deal with Hayburn. It was done in less than two seconds. Hayburn was still reaching for his gun when Steed thrust the blade of his umbrella towards his throat.
    “One move and I’ll cut your throat.”
    Hayburn didn’t move.
    “Heidi, take his gun.”
    She did, and the three men ran in from the kitchen in time to put their hands up.
    “Right,” said Steed, “keep them covered while I fetch Neufeld.”
    He found the doctor still sprawled on the heap of coal. He was unarmed. Steed hauled him groaning back up to the ground floor. Then the five men sat in a row on the chic Swiss chaise longue. They were protesting slightly but even Hayburn admitted defeat. He had tried the old boy line and now he was denying all knowledge of Heidi’s imprisonment.
    “I only arrived in Germany at lunch time,” he explained.
    “Where were