◆ SpookStack

What it would have led to Had I abis to pay, I do yot kndw. Perhaps I was. going ft be inade the victim of a giganpic confidence-trick, Perhaps y Buuess is really in trouble behind the Iron Curtain and wants-to escape from the Com- munists. « I can’t answer my own ques- Hons; XI can merely say I brought back @ message sd- dressed to = close friend of Burgess and one that only he understood, and T can only set down the story of my adventure and jet others judge how authen- ; tlegmy mission was. _ Jf began when 1 was in Paris in 6 gummier, sitting ab & cark with a strange mixture of underworld characters. IJ. was thefe talking “other business.” when out of the corner of one éar I heard one of the people at the table mention the name Guy Burgess. T made a note of the mah whos said it ant. later that evening, I” got him on his own and ask hint what be knew about Buy- gess. He was a swarthy Itallap- jooking character who spoge nglish poorly. “T know # lot,” he sald, “ but w can I trust. you?” Before jong I won his trust nd before Lhe evening was out he said: “If you want te eontact Burgess, g0 back to London and wait. Someone will contact you there.” And, sure enough, » few weeks later I had a mysterious fele- phone tall. The voice dropped hints and asked me to meet him - at a London publie-houss, | Anxious to escape I did so, and met another well-dressed confident character et obvious Italian extraction who spoke Enggsh with 6 atrong American accept. We, had magy meetings after that, and thigf.was the gist of his story: ~ Bis name, he sald, was Gulgi Rocco, apd he was connected ith an Italian underworld Opganisation that had ways an eans of piercing the Iren Cu in. It nad been in touch will Thia eseape, 1 wae told, ald be arranged for money’ oney for the organlsatic: d money for Burgess t this point I accepted co's proposition—providikg that it was understood no money was to be passed until I hed met Burgess. This was agreed Bnd we parted. I heard no more. for some weeks. Then came a telephone | al) from Rocco asking for an ° gent meeting. We met and fhe then said: “ Everything is fixed. a: st be off next week for the ating, Ib will be in Italy, i | bought a pisto : but I can’t tell you exactly where until a day before we leave.” Thers was only one ditti- culty, said Rocco. He had found that Burgess would have two guards bringing him , through the Iron Curtain, and these men would have to disappear immediately they had handed over their man. en they would want paying -500 each. Would I arrange that, too? ‘ ow we were gettingginte | depp water. for it would, of | cofrse, be impossible for mle to » get £1,000 in cash in Lialy withe.. | out permission of the Tregsury | -—and I could not possibly apply for such a purpose. Bo I bad only one course-—to bluff. A gune-and £1,000! I assured Rocco that ah thé money required would be ayail- - able—inciuding the payment. to Burgess. - : Soon the plot slipped into full gear...» I head another hurried meeting with Rocco at which he told.me to meet him at a | certain hotel in Venice at 7 p.m. in. three days’ time—~and to be sure to have with me a gun and £1,000 in Italian currency. i fiew to Milan and took the train to Venien, to arrive five hours early, I had with mea Birretta automatic pistol ad obtained permission to - ay in Milan. When I set out for a strpi, I tied Rocco. He seemed go ba ildwing me, 8o I dectded th let prt A a a * asked ma for a ight for « cigar: etie. At T produced a match fe sald: “Plans have chang@d Follow me.” followed him to ® milk har and there he told me + Burgess had arrived at Pola on the Jugoslay side of fhe Adnatic Sea. . , "Weve got tw go acreag to- night by boat to get him. Be aure you have six million lira im cash with you.” , That was a new demand. &tx miflion lire was about £3,000, © and I had no hope of laying my-— . hand on such a au Bull I biuffed my way slong. After all, if I did meet Hur- geese I was quite willing to pay . the money through the normal vannels in London, and I eéuld eno reason for the insistence an immediate cash payment. I saw Rocco again that even- fae. He esked if © had the money and again I assured him ali was well and he then spid we would leave at 1.30 am. Eut et midnight when I was -stroilirg back to my hotel Rocco ‘emerged out of the shadows, took my arm and whl ed: “Tha time has been chagged. We're ready to go mow." I went with him to the water- fronton the Lido and he fakhed torch. A signal, came back rom the aaa and « __ ‘er seconds later 6 DA launch came gwoide. I oasked to be taken back to my - hotel near the Gen- tral. Btatlon where -the money wea walt- ing for me. Reocoo = Eo aoked my brat Pe eee othe rgess and he had let it b im know I had seen him. Y 2 own thet he was anxious 1% "He then came towards méand a /f 2 . ¢ ° oe = ee ce i oye - an ~ we ag! aetna es eee eon on Fae ee we Ma ta Say? et og oa wha fete hat Ps a el wenn ee Pere Seo ~. Sipe Ee edge