City of the Sun by Juliana Maio Page B

slaughter any Jews that stepped off the boat.”
    Mickey rubbed his temples. “What are they going to do with them?”
    “Probably send them to Mauritius until things cool down a bit. This kind of stuff never makes the papers.”
    “Maybe Blumenthal could slip into Palestine illegally, through the desert?”
    “You’re talking about a brutal journey on the back of a camel in scorching heat. Only a Bedouin could bear it. And going by sea is out. The English blockade would grab him in a minute.”
    He bit his lip and shook his head. She was right—the odds of the scientist getting into Palestine were a long shot. Besides, according to the rabbi at the Ashkenazi synagogue, Jews were now leaving Palestine because of Arab violence and coming here.
    “You turned up a lot of good information, Miss Calley.”
    “I just try to do my job,” she said, a smirk on her lips as she crossed her legs. She blew a smoke ring in his face.
    “You enjoy this, don’t you?” he asked playfully, knowing better than to rise to the bait.
    “Immensely,” she admitted with a devilish smile.
    “Is this how you got that information, by flirting?”
    Dorothy’s laughter echoed through the hall, drawing disapproving stares. “Hardly, darling. I only use that weapon when I have to. Actually, our COI agent in Tel Aviv gave us the scoop.” She lifted a shopping bag full of papers from beside her chair and set it on her lap. “Okay, and now,” she chirped, “it’s reading time. Here are the newspapers you asked for— La Tribune Juive, Israel, L’Aurore  …” She piled the papers, about two dozen of them, on the table one by one. “Greek, Italian, and French press— Kathimerini, La Stampa, Ce Soir  … Happy reading,” she said, dusting off her hands.
    “You’ve really held up your end,” Mickey said. “I hope I can do mine, but I keep feeling there’s more to this puzzle. Didn’t Donovan mention that Einstein was working on weapons?”
    “Submarines,” she corrected. “I don’t know the details and even if I did, I don’t think I would understand them.”
    “Have you contacted Blumenthal’s colleagues from the Paris Group yet?”
    “We can’t do that. They’ve escaped to England, and Donovan won’t risk alerting the British authorities about COI activities.”
    She started gathering her things, then leaned forward. “You were right, Connolly, the Germans had Panzer IVs,” she said in a low conspiratorial voice. “They had been spotted being moved to the front, but High Command ignored the report.” She took a deep breath. “The Brits can’t afford more of these kinds of blunders or they can kiss the Suez Canal good-bye.”
    “And all of North Africa as well. The Germans will end up with complete control over the Mediterranean,” Mickey added, his mind reeling with the consequences of losing this vital supply route.
    “What a nightmare,” she sighed. “Anyhow, I’ve got to go. The kings of Greece and Yugoslavia just arrived and the British Embassy is overflowing with dignitaries. They’ve asked us if we could house a few.”
    The sound of laughter and breaking glass spilled from the doors of the Long Bar. Dorothy rolled her eyes. “Boys will be boys,” she pronounced as she snuffed out her cigarette. “I need to get home to my kitty. She’s waiting for me to feed her. A pure Russian Blue, the sweetest thing you’ve ever seen.” She got up.
    Mickey gallantly rose to his feet.
    She quickly assessed him top to bottom once again, saying nothing this time but shaking her head in disapproval at his choice of attire. As she walked away, she put an extra swing in her step for the soldiers exiting the Long Bar.

    When Mickey returned to the Immobilia it was dark, and Hosni had gone home for the evening. The night doorman gave him a note that had been left for him.
I’m back in Cairo on leave. Let’s get together for beers, birds, and bloody fantastic lies about our sex lives.
    It was from Hugh, who’d