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71
London.' 'British Intelligence.' 'Der Henker(?).' 'Danger.' 'Prague.' And 'Come
quickly.' It was signed simply, 'I.'
That was all. She hoped Rick would understand what it meant, because she
didn't.
3.
The flight to Lisbon was uneventful. They headed straight for the Aviz,
where Rick inquired first about Mr. and Mrs. Victor Laszlo. Away from the
Nazis, he thought, they might finally be traveling together as husband and
wife.
He was wrong. The head clerk, who bore a nametag that proclaimed his
surname to be Medeiros, shook his head sadly. 'I am sorry to say we have no
record of them,' he told Rick.
'Are you sure?' Rick asked as politely as he could.
'Very sure,' replied Medeiros. He was not about to betray a lady's confi-
dence so easily. 'It is my job, after all, to know who comes and who goes
here.'
Well, there was a Ferrari in every crowd, thought Rick. 'Try under a dif-
ferent name, Miss Ilsa Lund. Try to remember the most beautiful woman you
have …'
Medeiros didn't let Rick get any farther. 'Oh yes, Miss Lund,' he exclaimed
with delight, and Rick could see the memory of Ilsa in his eyes. A man didn't
forget a face or a figure like hers. 'You are Mr. Richard Blaine?' asked the
clerk.
'The only one who'll admit to it,' replied Rick.
'Then this is for you.' Medeiros proudly handed him Ilsa's note. 'She left it
for you not two hours ago.'
4.
With the money from the sale of the cafe to Ferrari, he had taken a suite of
rooms at Brown's Hotel. Rick was posing as a theatrical agent, part of the fic-
tion being that Sam was his manservant. The funds would not last indefinitely,
but they would last long enough, or so Rick hoped, for them to find Victor
and Ilsa. More than a month had already passed, however; despite their best
efforts, neither Rick nor Renault had succeeded in locating Victor Laszlo.
72
What if Laszlo had played him for a fool? He'd like to think he'd learned a
few lessons in treachery over the years, but it wouldn't be the first time he'd
been had. What if Laszlo knew that Rick would be able to resist neither his
appeals to Rick's patriotism nor his love for Ilsa and so had conned him out of
the exit visas? Laszlo was just pigheaded enough to think he could take on the
entire Third Reich all by himself.
What if that note in Lisbon had been meant to throw him off the scent,
written by Ilsa under duress from her husband, who suspected that Rick's
magnanimity was not entirely altruistic, and who had gone to New York –
where Rick could not follow? What if the Laszlos weren't really in London at
all? What if they really had gone to America?
Then that was that; he couldn't go back, unless he wanted a one-way ticket
to Old Sparky at Sing Sing. But where could he go? He was beginning to run
out of places.
'How long we gonna stay here, boss?' interjected Sam, reading his
thoughts, as usual.
'Until we find Victor Laszlo.'
'If we find Mr. Laszlo,' corrected Sam.
'We will,' Rick answered, smoking a cigarette and looking down onto Do-
ver Street. 'We have to.'
5.
'Wait, Richard, please.' It was her voice. It was her. When she had entered
the room, he did not know. But she was there.
He wanted to turn to look at her, but he didn't. He couldn't. Not right now.
He sat down again.
Victor Laszlo spoke up. 'Please, Monsieur Blaine, my wife and I are quite
serious about needing your help. In an operation of this importance and this
sensitivity, we must make absolutely certain where each man's loyalties lie'.
'Monsieur Renault we understand,' continued Laszlo, nodding in Louis's
direction. 'He is a man for whom money and pleasure are paramount. This is
the sort of man with whom we can do business. But you are another story. I
do not insult you again by offering you money ….'
'You offered me a hundred thousand francs for those letters of transit, re-
member?' Rick said. 'Or was it two hundred thousand?'
London.' 'British Intelligence.' 'Der Henker(?).' 'Danger.' 'Prague.' And 'Come What if Laszlo had played him for a fool? He'd like to think he'd learned a quickly.' It was signed simply, 'I.' few lessons in treachery over the years, but it wouldn't be the first time he'd That was all. She hoped Rick would understand what it meant, because she been had. What if Laszlo knew that Rick would be able to resist neither his didn't. appeals to Rick's patriotism nor his love for Ilsa and so had conned him out of the exit visas? Laszlo was just pigheaded enough to think he could take on the 3. entire Third Reich all by himself. The flight to Lisbon was uneventful. They headed straight for the Aviz, What if that note in Lisbon had been meant to throw him off the scent, where Rick inquired first about Mr. and Mrs. Victor Laszlo. Away from the written by Ilsa under duress from her husband, who suspected that Rick's Nazis, he thought, they might finally be traveling together as husband and magnanimity was not entirely altruistic, and who had gone to New York – wife. where Rick could not follow? What if the Laszlos weren't really in London at He was wrong. The head clerk, who bore a nametag that proclaimed his all? What if they really had gone to America? surname to be Medeiros, shook his head sadly. 'I am sorry to say we have no Then that was that; he couldn't go back, unless he wanted a one-way ticket record of them,' he told Rick. to Old Sparky at Sing Sing. But where could he go? He was beginning to run 'Are you sure?' Rick asked as politely as he could. out of places. 'Very sure,' replied Medeiros. He was not about to betray a lady's confi- 'How long we gonna stay here, boss?' interjected Sam, reading his dence so easily. 'It is my job, after all, to know who comes and who goes thoughts, as usual. here.' 'Until we find Victor Laszlo.' Well, there was a Ferrari in every crowd, thought Rick. 'Try under a dif- 'If we find Mr. Laszlo,' corrected Sam. ferent name, Miss Ilsa Lund. Try to remember the most beautiful woman you 'We will,' Rick answered, smoking a cigarette and looking down onto Do- have …' ver Street. 'We have to.' Medeiros didn't let Rick get any farther. 'Oh yes, Miss Lund,' he exclaimed with delight, and Rick could see the memory of Ilsa in his eyes. A man didn't 5. forget a face or a figure like hers. 'You are Mr. Richard Blaine?' asked the 'Wait, Richard, please.' It was her voice. It was her. When she had entered clerk. the room, he did not know. But she was there. 'The only one who'll admit to it,' replied Rick. He wanted to turn to look at her, but he didn't. He couldn't. Not right now. 'Then this is for you.' Medeiros proudly handed him Ilsa's note. 'She left it He sat down again. for you not two hours ago.' Victor Laszlo spoke up. 'Please, Monsieur Blaine, my wife and I are quite serious about needing your help. In an operation of this importance and this 4. sensitivity, we must make absolutely certain where each man's loyalties lie'. With the money from the sale of the cafe to Ferrari, he had taken a suite of 'Monsieur Renault we understand,' continued Laszlo, nodding in Louis's rooms at Brown's Hotel. Rick was posing as a theatrical agent, part of the fic- direction. 'He is a man for whom money and pleasure are paramount. This is tion being that Sam was his manservant. The funds would not last indefinitely, the sort of man with whom we can do business. But you are another story. I but they would last long enough, or so Rick hoped, for them to find Victor do not insult you again by offering you money ….' and Ilsa. More than a month had already passed, however; despite their best 'You offered me a hundred thousand francs for those letters of transit, re- efforts, neither Rick nor Renault had succeeded in locating Victor Laszlo. member?' Rick said. 'Or was it two hundred thousand?' 71 72
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