The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp (Alfred Kropp 1)

Mike stepped back, and then Cabiri came into the room, Natalia right behind him. She ignored Mike and Abby and rushed over to Bennacio. As she passed me, I could smell her hair—peaches.

“Hello!” Cabiri called to nobody in particular. “Hello, hello! And how is everyone? How are all my secret-agent friends?”

Mike slammed the door, threw the dead bolt, and whirled on Bennacio.

“You got an explanation for this?” he shouted.

“I’ve already asked him that, Michael,” Abby said coldly.

“Please, do not hold Lord Bennacio responsible,” Cabiri said. “This is entirely my doing.” He gave an apologetic smile. “Scusi.”

“Save your ‘scusis,’ pal,” Mike shot back, as the thumpa-thumpas of the helicopter grew fainter. “How did you find us?”

“Oh,” Cabiri said, “how does the fox find the chicken? How does the bird find the worm?” He smiled at Bennacio.

“You called them,” Mike said, turning to Bennacio.

“How might I call them?” Bennacio asked. “I have no telephone.”

“I am a Friend of the Sword,” Cabiri said to Mike, his voice losing its jokey edge. “And Friends of the Sword have friends who have friends. Do you think your presence has gone unnoticed in Saint Étienne?”

Mike didn’t seem to be listening. He brushed passed Cabiri and bounded up the stairs, dialing his cell phone as he went. A door slammed above us and I could hear Mike’s voice as he shouted to someone on the phone, but I couldn’t make out the words. Abby sighed.

Cabiri said to Bennacio, “Forgive me, my lord. It was not my decision to come here.” He was looking at Natalia.

Nastalia was looking at Bennacio.

“I am coming with you,” she said, her chin tilted up in defiance.

“You know you cannot,” Bennacio answered, but not unkindly.

“And I,” Cabiri said.

“No.”

“Who then will stand by you when the test comes?” Natalia demanded. “Her?” And she jerked her head toward Abby.

“My name is Abigail,” she said. “And you are?”

“Or him?” And now Natalia jerked her head toward me.

“Do not underestimate my friend Alfred Kropp,” Bennacio said. “There is more to him than meets the eye.”

“Then there is much indeed!” Cabiri said heartily, and he slapped me on the back. “For he is substantial!”

Mike came bounding down the stairs then, and jabbed his finger at Cabiri’s nose.

“You are interfering with a matter of international security, mister!”

“Perhaps you should shoot me.”

“Enough!” Bennacio said, and everybody shut up and stared at him. “They should not have come, but they have and so we must make the best of it. When Mogart calls, Cabiri will stay here with my daughter. I will return for them both once we have the Sword.”

That ended the discussion. None of the OIPEP people seemed happy about it, but they couldn’t come up with a good argument for sending Cabiri and Natalia away. There was some discussion of sleeping arrangements, since all the bedrooms were taken. Then Jeff volunteered to sleep on the sofa downstairs so Natalia could have his room. Cabiri decided he would bunk with me.

“For you and I are the only Friends here,” he told me. “It will be delightful, Alfred Kropp! Only I must warn you of my snoring and my flatulence.”

Bunking with Cabiri didn’t turn out to be delightful. He had been telling the truth about his snoring and farting.