Traitors' Gate by Dennis Wheatley Read Free Book Online

Tokyo; and every week more of their heavies are being flown here to increase the weight of bombs we can put down on the wurst-eaters.’
    ‘That’s all very well; but as we’ve seen both in Burma and the Desert, a determined air force can delay, but cannot halt, a victorious army. Even if it is possible to bomb Germany into submission that would take years; and, in the meantime, theGerman and Jap armies may have conquered half the world.’
    Sir Pellinore made a gesture of protest. ‘It’s true that we’ve struck a bad patch; but whatever may happen in the next few months, 1943 will see us on top again. Once the great new American armies are fully equipped and begin to roll forward the house-painter will find that he’s bitten off more than he can chew.’
    ‘Not necessarily. Not if the Russians are forced to give in before an Allied army is able to come to their rescue.’
    ‘Why should they? You went to Russia yourself. Like the wizard you are, you got the low-down from Marshal Voroshilov. He told you that their plan was to use their masses to make the Germans exhaust themselves, and that they were holding their best troops until the time came for them to go over to the offensive—or in the last event if Stalingrad was threatened.’
    ‘That was ten months ago and their losses since have been immense. Stalingrad is only vital to them because, if they lost it, they could no longer get the oil from the Caucasus up the Volga to their central and northern fronts. But now the Caucasus itself is threatened; so they may already have had to throw in the crack Reserve Army that the Marshal told me about.’
    ‘I see. Yes. You fear that there may be no stopping this great break through in the south. Of course, you’re right about the oil wells. If they lose those their goose will be cooked.’
    ‘And so will ours. Hitler now wields a whip over a dozen nations. He has coerced millions of men into both working and fighting for him. If the Soviets collapse he will be able to bring 180 divisions back into Western Europe. All hope of opening a Second Front would be gone for good then. For the Allies to attempt a landing on the Continent in the face of even half that number, in addition to the forces he has there already, would be plain suicide. We could only sit and watch him—just as we are doing now—while he sent forty or fifty divisions crashing down through Turkey and Persia into India.’
    ‘Damn it, Gregory! You’re giving even me the willies. Mind, I don’t believe it will happen. But one must admit that it’s just possible.’
    ‘It could easily happen if we do nothing but twiddle our thumbs for the rest of the year. Just now you told me to use large maps, and I am using them. The armies of Alex, the Auk,and the Soviet army defending the Caucasus may be thousands of miles apart, but strategically all three are fighting back to back. The collapse of either of the first two would be a major calamity and prolong the war for years; if the Russians collapse, then I see no end to it.’
    Sir Pellinore held out his glass. ‘For God’s sake give me a drink. Some of the high-ups who bring me their troubles have been pretty pessimistic lately; but none of them has painted as black a picture as this.’
    Gregory poured them both another ration of old brandy, and remarked:
    ‘That’s probably because they are all worried stiff with their personal responsibilities; whereas I’m only a looker-on. And lookers-on get the best view of the game.’
    ‘Well, what would you have us do?’
    ‘Don’t ask me; I’m not a planner. I only stick pins in maps.’
    ‘Exactly. And it’s that which has given you the time to do a bit of thinkin’. Come on now. What’s the remedy?’
    ‘There is only the obvious one. It is to stop burying our heads in the sand. You could at least try prodding your high-up friends into facing the situation and deciding on some definite action.’
    ‘What sort of action?’
    ‘Anything which