But when I got out of the elevator he was standing nearby, glancing at his watch as if waiting for someone who was late for an appointment. A slight sideways movement of his head drew my attention towards the registration desk.

I saw Foggington-Smythe first. He was bareheaded, and his face was set in a frown as he talked with the clerk. The clerk kept shaking his head. He was looking, not at Perry but at Perry’s companion. From behind all I could see was white – fur coat, long evening frock, bleached hair.

I ducked behind a convenient pillar. John sauntered towards me and paused to light a cigarette. ‘Yours?’ he asked.

‘No. I don’t think so. Yours?’

‘At this point we must assume everyone who isn’t for us is against us. Walk, do not run, to the nearest exit.’

It was the only thing to do; I’d be even more conspicuous lurking in doubtful concealment. But I felt as if I were being followed across the lobby by a gigantic searchlight, and when someone barred my path I almost jumped out of Feisal’s oversized sandals.

‘Excuse me, young fella.’

I looked wildly over my shoulder before I realized I was the young fella in question. The speaker was a grey-haired American wearing a bright red fez. He wanted to know where I had bought my shirt. Innocent creature that I am, I didn’t realize that wasn’t all he wanted until he suggested that we have a drink while we talked it over.

I was about to tell him what he could do with his drink – and his fez – when John, passing on his way to the door, swung his briefcase and caught me a painful blow on the leg. It was, as the poet says a salutary reminder. I growled wordlessly at my admirer and scuttled after John.

By the time I reached the car I was running, and so was the engine. John shoved me in.

‘You daft female,’ he said crossly. ‘What did you stop for? I think Foggington-Smythe may have spotted you.’

‘I can’t help it if I’m irresistible to men,’ I said, falling across his lap as Feisal made an abrupt and doubtless illegal U-turn.

John set me upright. ‘In your present costume I have no difficulty at all resisting you.’

‘Crushed again.’

‘I am beginning to understand why so many people are so annoyed with you two,’ said a voice from the front seat. ‘Where’s the Herr Direktor? Where are we going? What – ’

‘One question at a time,’ said John. ‘First, I suggest you get off the corniche. Take back streets whenever possible – ’

‘We have to go past the railroad station first,’ I interrupted.

‘No, we don’t.’

‘Yes, we do. I want to make sure Schmidt – ’

‘No, we don’t.’

‘Stop it!’ Feisal shouted hysterically.

‘Right,’ said John. ‘Who’s in charge here, anyhow?’