The Dardanelles Conspiracy by Alan Bardos (best ereader for pc TXT) 📗

can to keep me safe, but I must do my duty,’ Breitner said and suddenly had no idea why.

‘And your duty means everything to you,’ she said softly.

Breitner tried to hold her, but she resisted. ‘No, not everything, Esther. I want you to be safe – secure financially should anything happen to me. Enver has guaranteed a line of credit for your father’s company and granted an extension to its contract. That is my true reward and my gift to you.’

She at last yielded and held him tight for a moment, before letting go with a final lingering kiss on the cheek.

Chapter 30

Sir George Smyth walked out of his room and watched the growing pandemonium in the Admiralty building with quiet amusement. People who had been civil servants two days previously were rushing to get their affairs in order before being sent off to war.

Plucked from their comfortable billets, these poor unfortunate clerks faced what was ahead of them with a mixture of bewilderment and stoic adventure. They were, after all, being sent on an unexpected holiday from the boredom of office life.

Sir George didn’t doubt that similar scenes were being played out across Westminster. Lord Kitchener had, after a great deal of deliberation, kept his promise to provide troops for the Expeditionary Force. General Sir Ian Hamilton, one of Kitchener’s cronies, was to lead it and a scratch staff was being pulled together for him and dispatched to Charing Cross Station.

Sir George’s assistant among them, delaying his receipt of the latest dispatch from Fitzmaurice. The whole thing was a bloody nuisance and now completely unnecessary.

He strolled through the chaos to the First Lord’s office. Sir George had called a meeting between himself, Churchill, Hankey and Fisher so he could present his startling news, away from ‘Blinker’ Hall. Who might try to take credit for Sir George’s master plan.

They were seated around the fire as Sir George entered. Churchill was talking with Hankey, but broke off to acknowledge Sir George.

‘Smyth, what’s that you’re clutching, more paper? Where would you civil servants be without it?’

‘Indeed, First Lord. I’ve received an extraordinary communication concerning my operative in Constantinople. He’s met with both Talat and Enver Pasha.’

‘Enver, charming fellow!’ Churchill said interrupting Sir George. ‘I met him once, when he came to England. Do you know he had the temerity to question the power of the Royal Navy? He said that Britain needed a great army to be a great power!’

‘Well, now he’s experienced the power of the Royal Navy Enver Pasha is willing to negotiate, so our carrot and stick strategy has prevailed.’ Sir George hoped that would flatter his Chief without giving him the full credit.

‘What makes you so sure that he is suddenly willing to talk?’ Hankey put in coldly.

‘Well, aside from the obvious financial remuneration I instigated, I’m told that the Turks are suffering a shell shortage. Perhaps that has made them more receptive to our overture for peace.’ Sir George looked triumphantly at Hankey.

‘And what evidence do you have to make such an extraordinary claim?’ Hankey asked. Sir George thought he almost sounded flustered.

‘As I explained, my operative met with Enver Pasha and was informed of their shortage of shells. The Germans are not upholding their part of the alliance, it would seem.’

‘Very good, so there is some purpose to you after all, Smyth.’ Churchill laughed.

‘If I may continue, First Lord,’ Sir George felt himself clutch the file in his hand a little too tightly. He controlled his impatience and savoured the interruption. The delay to his great triumph only increased his anticipation. ‘My operative in Constantinople has also reported that Talat Pasha is willing to meet our people in Bulgaria.’

Sir George paused to glance at Hankey. This was his moment, after all the slights and insults he had endured. ‘Once we secure Turkish capitulation, we can rally the Balkans states to our cause, tipping the balance of –’

A sharp knock at the door interrupted Sir George, as he was about to complete his coup. He swung round and glared at the intruder. Hall was blinking impatiently at him. He'd barged his way into Sir George’s meeting clutching his own document, as if it could possibly trump his own.

‘Hall, you can’t just charge in here like some drunken sailor.’ Sir George stamped his foot.

Hall ignored Sir George. ‘Forgive the intrusion, First Lord, First Sea Lord. I thought you should see this straight away.’

‘What is it?’ Fisher asked.

‘A Room 40 decryption of a VB signal, First Sea Lord.’ Hall reached across Sir George to hand Fisher the sheet of paper. ‘It’s a telegram from the Kaiser to Admiral Unsedom, the Inspector-General of the Dardanelles coastal defences.’

Fisher snatched the paper from Hall and read out the relevant points. ‘The Dardanelles report has been received by the Kaiser. Everything is being done to send the ordnance. Politically we must maintain an assured line with the Ottoman Empire. His Majesty asks that you apply pressure along those lines.'

Fisher held the telegraph high and fluttered it in the air as if it was the news of the second coming. 'By God, I'll go through tomorrow!'

‘When is the signal dated, Hall?’ Hankey asked.

‘Yesterday, 12 March,’ Hall replied, ever the precise harbinger of doom.

Churchill took the telegram from Fisher and read it, absorbing every ounce of intelligence it could give him. 'But surely that means they've come to the end of their ammunition!’

'On the morrow.' Fisher was practically doing a jig. 'I wager we’ll lose six ships, but we’re going through the Dardanelles!'

Churchill cheered. 'Let’s get the orders sent out, Fisher. There isn't any excuse for a lack of progress, if the Turks can’t shoot back. Although tomorrow, I fear, might be too soon.'

Fisher sat at Churchill’s desk to write out the orders. Sir George was mildly amused by the