三十九级台阶 04

4 The political candidate

I drove that car across the moor as fast as I could, looking nervously over my shoulder.

I was also thinking desperately about Scudder's notes.

Scudder had told me nothing but lies.

All his stories about southeast Europe and people wanting to start wars were rubbish.

But although he had told me lies, there was truth underneath.

The 15th of June was going to be an important day, but because of something more important than the murder of a Prime Minister.

The story in his book was not complete, and there were some things I didn't understand-for example, the words 'thirty-nine steps', which appeared five or six times.

The last time the words were used, Scudder had written 'Thirty-nine steps, I counted them-high tide at 10∶17 p. m. '

The first thing I learned was that war was certain.