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

had been interrogated earlier that day. Breitner hadn't been present but he had been told that his interrogators had made Ilic false promises, playing on his fear of the noose. Ilic had given them a more detailed account of Ciganovic's involvement in the plot. He told them how Ciganovic had helped Princip and the others to get in contact with Major Tankosic, a Serbian army officer who not only approved the assassination, but provided weapons and support for the assassins.

This revelation was now being loudly flaunted as proof of the complicity of the Serbian Government in the assassination, adding weight to calls by Generals Conrad von Hotzendorf and Potiorek for a pre-emptive strike against Serbia.

Johnny had told Breitner of Tankosic's involvement when they had met on the tram prior to the assassination and Breitner had duly passed the information on to his superiors at the Joint Ministry of Finance and his contacts in Budapest and Vienna. He'd assumed the report had been lost in the biggest bureaucracy in Europe. Then today, he had received immediate instructions to bring his informant to Vienna.

*

Johnny looked blankly at the picturesque mountain ranges that streamed past as the train chugged its way towards the Austro-Hungarian homeland.

Libby's note had been written in her usual curt style. She couldn't wait around anymore and had gone to Vienna. She was sure he could make his own way there and that he would appreciate that the spa season was starting and that she didn't have time to play ‘silly buggers’. The money wasn't mentioned - Libby would have thought that too vulgar.

Johnny looked over at Breitner sitting opposite him in the compartment, reading his newspaper. He would have liked to have told Breitner where he could stick his precious monarchy, but he didn't even have the money for the train fare home.

They'd barely said a word since they'd got on the train. Johnny had been too busy reflecting on what to do about Libby and what Breitner had told him about Kati. He felt some consolation that she hadn’t been lying to him; the sooner he got this over with the sooner he could go and find her in Belgium, he decided.

'What's all this about, then? Why are you dragging me to Vienna?' Johnny asked.

Breitner looked up from his paper with a sigh. 'The hardliners in my government are blaming Serbia for the outrage and are demanding punitive action be taken.'

'The assassins received help from Serbian nationalists, but Princip was acting independently.'

'Well, that's why we're going to Vienna. I need you to tell your story.'

'Surely, General Potiorek is to blame. There were hardly any police on the streets and he told me to stop the car in front of Princip.'

Breitner waved his newspaper. 'There is amazement that the General hasn't been reprimanded. Potiorek's brazening it out, deflecting attention away from himself by blaming the Serbians.'

'You mean, he's kept his post?'

‘The Emperor has forbidden any internal investigation into the organisation of the visit and hasn’t pressed for the punishment of the local officials, whose negligence led to the assassination.’ Breitner shrugged. 'I imagine that this is all very embarrassing for him. There is a lot of blame to go round. It is a mess from start to finish. Also, there is a lot of support for General Potiorek within the government. Potiorek might have been able to do more but he was in the line of fire. The shot that killed the Duchess could have hit him and, God help us, he's one of our top generals. We'll need him if there is a war.'

'The deaths of the Archduke and his wife could have been so easily prevented,' Johnny said, wondering if the assassination was going to be put down to the Viennese love of a muddle.

'Potiorek claims that you can't legislate against an assassin who isn't scared of dying, unless you evacuate the whole city,' Breitner said.

'Why didn't he do that then, after Nedjo threw his bomb? Johnny asked.

'Cabrinovic was given that bomb by members of the Serbian military. Don’t you think they should be called to account?’

'Yes, but Nedjo shouldn't have been allowed to get anywhere near the city, let alone the Archduke,' Johnny said and Breitner gave him a reproachful look. Johnny felt momentarily guilty; he had his share of blame for the debacle.

'The point is, Johnny, they attacked and killed the Heir Apparent and his consort - that can't go unanswered and whether or not it could have been easily prevented is irrelevant. To even suggest that an Austrian might have been negligent lessens the guilt of Serbia.'

'But you've caught the people who carried out the assassination.'

'Don’t be so naive, Johnny. Do you think the hardliners will be content with executing a few Serb peasants?'

'So what's the alternative? Declare war on Serbia, because a few rogue members of the Serbian Army gave their support to Gavro and his friends?'

'The assassination is a godsend for the hawks. It's given them all the moral reason they need to bring the Serbians to heel and make them fear Vienna again. They think the Monarchy can then at last reassert itself in the Balkans, at the same time halting the flood of nationalism that is ripping it apart.'

'So the hardliners are in control?'

'Paradoxically, it was Franz Ferdinand who was the main bulwark against them,' Breitner sighed.

'So is there nothing that can be done to force a diplomatic solution?' Johnny asked.

'That brings us back to the purpose of our mission,' Breitner answered wryly, before reopening his newspaper.

Chapter 39

The Honourable Pinkston Barton-Forbes watched patiently as the black flags flew over the Hofburg Palace, the sprawling assortment of buildings that had been the centre of Habsburg power for centuries. The dynasty had survived the Turks, Napoleon and revolution and he had no doubt that it would survive this crisis.

Pinkie