BIGGLES TAKES A HOLIDAY

by Captain W. E. Johns

VIII. DISTURBING DEVELOPMENTS (Pages 86 - 95)

Biggles and Ginger talk with Liebgarten inside his house and he steers the conversation around to transport. Liebgarten suggests that Biggles organises a private air line for him. "What do I know about aircraft?" asked Biggles. Liebgarten says he is puzzled by how Biggles and Ginger hoped to manage for food and accommodation, let alone protection. Biggles is giving nothing away and says they hoped to stay with Angus. Both Biggles and Ginger are invited to stay the night and go upstairs to rooms set for them to take a bath. Here they find find dressing gowns and night attire set out. At last they have a chance to talk in private. Biggles doesn't know if Angus is dead or alive but he suspects that if Angus were dead then Liebgarten would have insisted on them seeing the body. Biggles says "If he's alive, then I'm staying here till I find him. If he's dead, then I'm staying anyway, staying until the skunk who murdered him is dangling on the end of a rope". He goes on to say "The grave we shall be shown in the morning is probably being dug at this very moment. Who will dig it? Not a white man. More likely one of the Doctor's negro servants, who must be in his confidence; and if I know anything about black labour no more work will be done than is absolutely necessary". Ginger tells his news about what he heard. "Whose this fellow Erich I wonder?" says Biggles. "Erich ... he'll be a German. It's a common German christian name. I wonder ... no, it couldn't be ... not here" says Biggles (obviously thinking of an old foe!). After taking his bath, Ginger discovers his automatic has been taken. He goes to Biggles room whilst Biggles is in the bath and finds that his automatic has been taken as well! Both Biggles and Ginger go downstairs to rejoin Liebgarten and hear him talking to a man, Erich. The Doctor introduces him as an old friend. "Hello, Bigglesworth," says the newcomer, smiling curiously. "So we meet again, eh? What a small place the world is, to be sure". It is their old enemy, Hauptmann Erich von Stalhein, formerly of the Gestapo! Liebgarten invites them all to sit down. "We have so much to talk about", he says.