The cartoonists had a field day, depicting Harry as either George slaying the dragon or David felling Goliath. But Giles’s favorite was one in the Daily Express of Harry fencing with a pen against a bear with a broken sword. The caption read: Mightier than the Sword.

Giles was still laughing when he read William Warwick’s confession for a second time. He assumed heads would be rolling, perhaps literally, in Russia.

“What’s so funny?” asked Emma when she joined him for breakfast, still looking as if she could have done with a good night’s sleep.

“Harry’s done more to embarrass the Russians in one day than the Foreign Office could manage in a year. And there’s even better news. Just look at the Telegraph’s headline.” He held the paper up so she could read it.

WILLIAM WARWICK ADMITS TO BEING A SPY.

“It’s not a laughing matter,” said Emma, pushing the papers aside. “If he’d still been in Russia when the first editions came out it would have been a completely different headline.”

“Well, at least look on the bright side.”

“There’s a bright side?”

“There most certainly is. Up until now, everyone’s been asking why Harry wasn’t in court supporting you. Well, now they all know, which is bound to make an impression on the jury.”

“Except that Virginia was brilliant in the witness box. Far more convincing than I was.”

“But I suspect the jury will have seen through her by now.”

“Just in case you’ve forgotten, it took you a little longer.”

Giles looked suitably chastened.

“I’ve just come off the phone with him,” said Emma. “He’s been held up in Stockholm. He seemed preoccupied and didn’t say a great deal. He told me he’s not expecting to land at Heathrow until around five this afternoon.”

“Did he get his hands on Babakov’s book?” asked Giles.

“His money ran out before I had time to ask him,” said Emma as she poured herself some coffee. “In any case, I was more interested in trying to find out why it had taken him almost a week to do a journey that most other people manage in under four hours.”

“And what was his explanation?”

“Didn’t have one. Said he’d tell me everything as soon as he got home.” Emma took a sip of her coffee before adding, “There’s something he’s not telling me, that hasn’t made the front pages.”

“I bet it has something to do with Babakov’s book.”

“Damn that book,” said Emma. “What possessed him to take such a risk when he’d already been threatened with a jail sentence?”

“Don’t forget this is the same man who took on a German division armed only with a pistol, a jeep, and an Irish corporal.”

“And he was lucky to survive that as well.”