BIGGLES 'FAILS TO RETURN'

by Captain W. E. Johns

II. THE REASONABLE PLAN (Pages 22 - 32)

Over lunch at the Royal Air Force Club in Piccadilly, Algy, Bertie and Ginger discuss the situation. Bertie knows Monaco well having been there many times before the war. The three friends agree to parachute into Monaco and then split up and try to find out what has happened to Biggles. Ginger will pretend to be a Spanish onion selling as his Spanish is far better than his French. Bertie will be a guitar playing wandering minstrel. Algy will pretend to be a French prisoner of war just repatriated from Germany which will explain his being out of touch with things. They will ask for Henri Ducoste to fly them in and collect them and pick them up afterwards. The proposition is put to Raymond who approves the plan. Raymond says the Italian who betrayed the Princess is called Gaspard Zabani and his address is the Villa Valdora. Raymond tells them to beware of an Italian secret police man called Gordino and that he will get in touch with Ducoste. That night, Ducoste comes to visit Algy, Ginger and Bertie at their aerodrome. He suggests a good place he knows for a parachute drop into Monaco and our heroes agree to try to get a message to his mother and his sister, Jeanette, if they can. Bertie asks about the Princess but Ginger doesn't care about her, as far as he is concerned she can stay there.