It's late 1940s. The war is not long over. Capt Jack Holden, Dr Emilia Alcock-Smythe and the mysterious Tatiana Augustidis find themselves in a grey, cold capital in Mittel Europa. Allied forces administer the divided city barely maintaining law and order amid an undertow of sleazy racketeering, thuggery and mysterious encounters. No-one can be trusted and no-one is whom they first appear.
The three head out into the dank foreboding night to see if they can get to the bottom of a mystery invitation. Little do they know what they are letting themselves in for as they enter a strange underworld through the doorway to Hotel Sacher.
The only legal currency is allied issue ration bonds and they are in short supply. They resort to the treacherous black market.
Tatiana uses her charm to gain intel from a British army officer...Major Calloway, suspicious if for no other reason than he salutes with his left hand. Is he a boy scout in disguise?
A chance encounter with Cecil B. Grant, the British Cultural Attache - a rum old cove. Seems affable enough and eager to help...but is it just a front? And who is the mysterious balloon seller and the rake lurking in the shadows?
Having got to the bottom of 'it'...it's time for our heroes to head home to contemplate the strange evening and smoke a bowl of Sullivan's Gentleman's Mix.
But the city doesn't sleep - there are clandestine trysts in smokey alley ways, long shadows from unseen spies flicker on the walls...and there's the ever present mysterious balloon seller. Who's buying his 'balloons' at this time of night anyway?
1 comment:
Love the smudges. Top notch do all round and no mistake. Glad you sorted that ballon babooshka. Pip Pip, carry on.
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