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

the guests that Max, her eldest son, had passed an examination. Breitner knew she wasn't liked at court and was seen as something of a scheming outsider, which from his perspective made her a perfect ally.

Unfortunately, Breitner wasn't an invited guest and had no business addressing a member of the Imperial family. He'd never get through the invisible cordon of aides and hangers on. What he needed was the support of one of the local dignitaries.

Governor Potiorek shoved past Breitner as he fluttered about the more important guests, asking them to disregard the controversial comments concerning Magyars which the Archduke had made at dinner. The Governor approached Doctor Sunaric, the Leader of the Bosnian Parliament.

Doctor Sunaric had made himself notorious as a 'doom and gloom merchant' in the warnings he'd given about the Royal visit, going so far as to telegraph his feelings to Vienna. Potiorek took the opportunity to remind the good doctor that the Royal visit had been a tremendous success, despite his warnings and the Archduke's colourful outburst.

When Governor Potiorek moved on to the next dignitary, Breitner took a chance and sidled up to Sunaric.

'Yes, what is it?' The Doctor asked, trying to keep his temper. Potiorek had clearly embarrassed him.

'My name is Laszlo Breitner. I work for the Joint Ministry of Finance.'

'Another one of Bilinski's toothless minions.'

Breitner shrugged, 'Yes, precisely. I believe your concerns about the Archducal visit were correct.'

'You seem to be the only person who does,' Doctor Sunaric replied.

'I have information that there are currently two Young Bosnian cells in Sarajevo, plotting to murder the Heir Apparent,' Breitner said, finally getting the Doctor's attention.

'Why haven't you arrested them, then?'

'As you say, I'm toothless in this matter. The visit is in the hands of the military and without conclusive proof the Governor refuses to act.'

Doctor Sunaric sighed. 'He doesn't want to spoil his moment of glory.'

'If you might present me to Her Highness... if we presented our concerns on a joint front, perhaps we could explain the danger her husband is in,' Breitner suggested.

Sunaric thought for a moment, watching the Governor make his rounds of the guests. 'Very well. I'll try one more time.'

Breitner followed tactfully as Doctor Sunaric presented himself to the Duchess. Her dark eyes lit up immediately.

'My dear Doctor Sunaric, you were wrong, after all. Things did not turn out the way you said they would. Wherever we have been, everyone, down to the last Serb, has greeted us with such great friendliness, politeness and true warmth, that we are very happy with our visit.'

Doctor Sunaric was slightly taken aback by the gentle rebuke but maintained his bearings. 'Your Highness, I pray to God that when I have the honour of meeting you again tomorrow night, you can repeat those words to me. A great burden will have been lifted from me.'

The Duchess smiled courteously and Doctor Sunaric looked at Breitner before moving away. He'd made his point and nothing would be gained from further discussion; the Duchess had made up her mind. Breitner bowed his thanks to the good Doctor and glanced around the foyer for another possible intermediary.

*

Johnny paused at the porte-cochère of the officers' club to look up at the large romantic building. The sunset had cast a pink sheen on the grey stonework. He adjusted his evening dress for the hundredth time and entered, making his way through a series of thick velvet curtains into a salon where an eight piece band was playing bawdy songs.

It took him a moment to acclimatise after weeks of clean living with a puritan like Princip. He looked around wide eyed at the splendid gold and red decor, the giant mirrors and the nude paintings hanging from every wall. It wasn't surprising that the locals flocked to these places to revel in Western European decadence.

Libby had made a point of giving Johnny a stack of casino chips, to make it difficult for him to spend the stake on any of the other amusements on offer. Even so, he needed all of his strength to resist the daintily clad nymphs who clustered around him, as he made his way through something that resembled a combination of Ascot on ladies' day and a Roman orgy.

Johnny found an arcade of roulette wheels, swarming with officers of the Imperial Army. He instantly identified with these bored and lonely young men from the provincial middle class of the Habsburg Empire. They'd had hard, institutionalised childhoods and even worse teens in military academies, before being packed off to serve on the edges of the Empire for years on end, waiting for a war that might advance their careers.

Like Johnny, this great palace of vice offered the unfortunate officers some escape from the routine of duty. They were fascinated by the little white ball spinning round and around the glittering roulette wheel, promising all manner of delights and riches. He recognised the look in their eyes - if they won they'd be able to afford one of the women in the next room, or maybe even a new horse or a castle, if the ball would only land on their number.

However, tonight belonged to Johnny. Libby had been right - half of these bumpkins had obviously never seen a roulette wheel before, let alone had any concept of how to play the game; they just kept pouring more and more of their hard earned money into the all consuming wheel. They were just the sort of people to provide Johnny with cover. He didn't expect that the management would particularly mind him winning when everyone else was losing.

He went to the wheel with the bias and placed his first bet, spreading it across the numbers which Libby had said occurred most frequently: seven, eight, nine, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen (inevitably), twenty two, twenty eight and twenty nine. He placed one chip on each.