The Assassins by Alan Bardos (read novel full .TXT) 📕

protecting commerce and the sprawling British Empire. Over the past few decades there’d been seismic changes to the traditional order of things, as Great Britain's rivals industrialised and rearmed, threatening her global interests.

To safeguard the Empire, Britain had negotiated agreements with France and Russia, known as the Triple Entente Cordiale, while the Germans formed their own Triple Alliance with Austro-Hungary and Italy.

The British Empire continued a delicate relationship with its new allies and had been obliged to support France as her enmity with Germany developed into rivalry for imperial possessions. Helped along by the Kaiser's expansion of the High Seas Fleet, Britain had become increasingly drawn into conflict with Germany.

‘Even if we did go to war, Great Britain would never deploy an expeditionary force on mainland Europe - not after the hash we made of it in the Crimea. No, all our fighting will be done through a naval blockade, you mark my words. We'll starve them into submission while the French attack in the west and the Russians come at them from the east. The whole thing will be over by Christmas,’ Humpty stated confidently.

Johnny poured him another glass of wine and ordered a third bottle. This was going to be a good, long lunch and Humpty would insist on paying. If Humpty understood the intricate workings of Whitehall as well as he did those of a roulette wheel, Johnny didn’t think he’d have anything to fear from a war. It would just be a spot of local difficultly; the antagonism between Serb nationalism and Austrian Imperialism reaching its final and inevitable conclusion. Nothing at all for Johnny to worry about and along with everything he'd found out recently, it might even help him, he decided.

*

Major Tankosic found Apis in his office incinerating files. Belgrade was evacuating and Apis was one of the last officials left in the capital. The Austrians were expected and he evidently wanted to ensure that no sensitive information fell into their hands.

Apis acknowledged Tankosic with a nod, his huge bald head glinting in the firelight, making him look like a giant Mongol chieftain. He signalled for Tankosic to prepare some drinks.

'Who would have thought that little pipsqueak Princip could have caused all this trouble?' The Major said as he poured out two generous measures of plum brandy. 'Kicking Princip out of the Partisans must have inspired our young revolutionary to do something so heroic.' They raised their glasses and threw down the brandy.

'It's a shame he couldn't keep his mouth shut,' Apis said. 'Or take his life.' He let the implied criticism hang in the air - Tankosic had after all, interviewed and supplied the conspirators. It was still a mystery why the potassium cyanide they took hadn't worked; either it hadn't been a strong enough dose or it had been defective. Whatever the reason, the Major reflected, he’d been dropped right in it.

He’d just been released from custody and had come straight to see Apis, before he rejoined his unit. The Austro-Hungarian ultimatum had been sent the previous day, 24th July. It demanded the arrest of both Tankosic and Ciganovic. The Major was picked up and then let go. He knew the Serbian Government were concerned that any investigation might reveal their collusion or at least, knowledge of the plot.

'What of Ciganovic?' the Major asked.

'Can't be found. He's gone off, “on leave",' Apis replied solemnly.

'He was warned?' Tankosic asked.

‘If Ciganovic was an agent for the government, our glorious Prime Minister Pasic certainly wouldn't want him interrogated,’ Apis replied.

‘You think Cigo’s a spy? Tankosic asked.

‘It would also explain how he managed to clean himself up and get a job with the railway. Not to mention how the government found out about the plot,’ Apis said.

‘Ciganovic was born in Bosnia - maybe he was tipped off by a friend in the police and fled to avoid possible extradition as an Austrian citizen,’ Tankosic said, pouring them another drink. 'In any case, he’d better report for duty. He's one of my best men.'

Apis shrugged. 'Did they interrogate you, Major?' he asked, accepting the brandy.

'I told them I did it all to spite Pasic and they left it at that.' Tankosic raised his glass and gulped the brandy down.

Apis smiled faintly. Their intention had partly been to spite Pasic, Tankosic mused, while undermining the Prime Minister’s treacherous foreign policy and ultimately weakening Pasic's position in the power struggle they were having - a power struggle in which the Prime Minister had started to get the upper hand.

Pasic had been out of Belgrade electioneering when the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum was delivered. He'd rushed back to Belgrade and had done a good job in answering the demands, Apis conceded, as he went through the events Tankosic had missed while he’d been detained. The Prime Minster conducted a wonderful exercise in diplomatic tap dancing, accommodating the Austrians without losing too much face. He'd carefully drafted his reply to give the impression that Serbia accepted all of the demands, except point six, which required that Austrian officials be allowed to participate in the Serbian investigation of the assassination.

'Not even Pasic would have allowed that,' Apis said. 'He could never justify such a grievous violation of our constitution and law.'

'Plus, who knows what the Austrians might find out about the old devil,' Tankosic added and they both roared with laughter. 'If Cigo was actually the Prime Minister's spy, he helped and trained the assassins.'

The Major raised his glass again. 'Well, we've certainly strained relations between Pasic and his Austrian friends.'

Apis grimaced and Tankosic realised that it wasn't a topic for levity. They hadn't planned on provoking a reaction on this scale. In the past the Austrians had settled for or been forced into a diplomatic solution that had humiliated Serbia, weakening Apis's political enemies and raising his stock amongst the nationalists. A full scale war was a different