When Pascale Auber is forced out of the airship of the evil Dr. Simpelstur, she finds herself rescued by a handsome Ruritanian diplomat, Theo von Hentzau. Pascale soon realizes that Theo is hiding something - something to do with the evil doctor, th...
"Theo?" Dantès said, his voice surprised, "with you, Comrade?"
I stared at Gabriel Dantès, silently castigating myself for my professional shortfalls. I had infiltrated the WPA two months ago, and in all that time, it had never occurred to me to take the simple step of tailing Dantès to figure out his place of employment. I pictured my boss reading my report on the matter. In my imagination, he sighed unhappily before launching into a lecture.
"You know Miss Auber?" Hentzau asked, looking quite as confused as I felt.
And of course I had managed to miss the fact that Dantès was - somehow- familiar with a member of the Ruritanian royal family. My imagined report got a little longer, and the imagined face of my boss a lot grimmer.
Dantès ignored him, turning instead to me. "How could you go to dinner with this . . .this aristocratic bit of nonsense?"
"I - he saved my life?" I stuttered, only for Hentzau to speak over my reply.
"Bit of nonsense? I take umbrage at that, Gabe." Hentzau said, looking hurt.
A number of diners turned to look at our table. I did not need that - I was definitely not supposed to draw attention to myself. I could feel my cheeks burning as I said, "Shh, shh! Not so loud, Comrade Dantès!"
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Dantès leaned over the table, his voice quieter. This time he addressed me. "I do not think it is wise for you to be here with him."
I looked over at Hentzau, and then back at Dantès. "I am only having dinner with him; Mr. von Hentzau saved my life!"
"Mr. von Hentzau?" Dantès repeated, an odd expression on his face. "Von Hentzau?"
"Gabe!" Hentzau said, his voice cracking with nervous energy.
Dantès gave Hentzau a long look. Emotions warred on his face - surprise, disappointment, resignation. Finally, he turned to me. "He isn't who you think he is, Comrade."
"Your 'comrade' isn't who you think he is either," Hentzau retorted, pointing his thumb at Dantès.
I looked from one man to the other, my head swimming. My eye then caught Mr. Martins, the head waiter, making his way between the tables towards us. My heart sunk. We were going to be thrown out - so much for having Hentzau as a contact. Martins would probably no longer want to employ Dantès after this fiasco - so much for all the work I had done to infiltrate the WPA. As for me, I figured my services would probably no longer be required in the Department - so much for trying to get transferred in to cryptography.
"Stop fighting!" I breathed. "We are about to get ourselves thrown out and Dantès fired!"
Dantès looked back over his shoulder. Upon catching sight of his superior, he seemed to fold in upon himself, his shoulders slumping. He glared at Hentzau. "I need this job, Theophilus, so I will not hold you to task now," he whispered, "But this -" He gestured towards me, " - is unconscionable."
Martins was now standing beside the table, a strained expression on his face. "Mr. Dantès. The sommelier needs your assistance carrying in crates of wine. Go. Now."
Dantès straightened up, glared at Theo, glared at me, and nodded at Martins. He left, and with him, most of the interest from the other patrons. The show, to my relief, was over.
