After dinner, David took Rachel aside. "I was talking with Georg today as we drove. He's really smitten by you."

Rachel nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat. "I know. I sensed that from the beginning, and it's done nothing but grow stronger."

"And your feelings for him?"

"Same." She sighed loudly. "He stirs something deep inside me, David. Not just the sex." She looked into his eyes and smiled. "That's also wonderfully stirring. Oh, God! So good." She blushed. "But it's deeper than that."

"Would you want him to stay here with you?"

"Oh, God, yes. I've been dreading the completion of your project. He's talked about applying for leave when it's finished. Stay here a while longer. I've been thinking of moving with him to Chatham, though I haven't mentioned it to him yet."

David ran his fingers through his hair. "It appears I'll be staying on in Switzerland. New projects. Not sure what. I could ask if there is something Georg could do here to add to them."

"I love him, David. He moves my soul like it hasn't been moved since the early years with Edom."

"I'll see what I can do. I'm in Bern again tomorrow, and I'll bring it up with them."

Bern, Switzerland — Sunday 5 December 1915

As the butler led David toward the Ambassador's office on Sunday morning, he said, "Sir, Miss Maria told me to tell you it's still white."

"Thank you, please have her told I'm ecstatic, and that I'll be up as soon as I'm able."

"I'll have her informed when your bag is taken up, Sir."

Colonel Picot, John Wallinger and Paul Whitely were already in the office when David was shown in. Evelyn Grant Duff rose from behind his desk. "From the broad smile, it appears all is going well, David." He stepped forward to shake hands.

After they all had greeted, David said, "I've just learned of Maria's... Her condition, but yes, all is moving smoothly up north."

The Ambassador returned to the chair behind his desk. "Is the tunnel completed?"

"Yes, Sir. Broke through late on Thursday afternoon. We did an early Saint Barbara's Thursday night."

"Saint Barbara's?"

"She's the patron saint of Engineers —"

"And the Artillery also," Picot added. "We hold a mess dinner every year on 4 December." He looked at David. "How close to the line were they?"

"Less than four feet to the left. They broke through at the edge of the pit we'd dug down to the top of the chalk under the hut. Their distance was spot on."

"So you're now ready to begin setting the charges?"

"No, Sir." David smiled and looked at the three men's faces. "We laid the ones in the two canyons yesterday. Georg has the shaped charges prepared and ready to set in the pre-dawn of the day. We're now just waiting for weather, hoping for a deep freeze to assist."

"Do you need the frozen ground?" Wallinger looked up as the steward came in with coffee.

David waited until the steward had left. "It would add to the impact, but sniping the brakemen should be sufficient."

Picot nodded. "Have you proper sniper's weapons? We can get you some."

"I have a Mauser Broomstick, a C-96. I've been practising with it, amazed at its accuracy."

"Where did you get that?"

"I took it off a German officer as we evaded across the Schwarzwald. It's a superbly crafted piece."

"You've had many interesting adventures."

David nodded. "I've been wondering what else there might be in store for me, but my mind draws a blank."

"There are many." Whitely paused his coffee cup short of his lips. "R sees a much wider picture."

"Would he entertain having someone else to work with me? Georg, Sergeant Heiss is eager for more. He has Swiss papers and is highly capable in many areas. He's a veteran of the South African War and he's an explosives expert, but he's bored with teaching at the Royal Engineers School in Chatham. We work very well together."

"I'll mention it to him when we next talk. You can discuss it further with him in London." He sipped his coffee, then looked back to David. "But let's get back to this. When do you think you'll do it?"

"I was thinking of waiting for a freeze until Friday morning. If there isn't one, we'll go in and set it up for Saturday morning. Georg and I want to go watch trains on the Pigtail on Wednesday, find the sniping position and try to get a grasp on schedules." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Also we need to look for escape routes — a few options. The place will be crawling with soldiers after we blow the charges."

"Surprise will give you a while before they organise," Picot said.

"Yes, but we need some disguising activities. In the canyons, they'll head up the ridges, well-hidden by the trees, and gather bundles of firewood to carry down the other side. But the openness of the area around the viaduct makes that impossible. Besides, the firewood gathering doesn't fit with the lifestyle there, so we've decided to use mushroom picking as our cover activity. George found some while he was there three weeks ago, and we'll scout the area when we go in on Wednesday."

"I'm amazed by the details of your planning."

David looked across at the Ambassador. "I think it's necessary, Sir. I'm playing with men's lives. Losing one to an accident was bad enough, but the thought of losing one to capture is..." He shook his head.

The Ambassador grimaced. "We should let you go to Maria. We'll see you at twelve thirty for lunch and we'll discuss this further afterwards. Off you go."