"Hungarian," he said, pointing at Anna. "Hungarian," and then flourishing the papers, "bad bad."
The American, whose name was O'Brien, said, "Give the goil back her papers," which the Russian naturally didn't understand. The American put his hand on his gun, and Corporal Starling said gently, "Let it go, Pat."
"If those papers ain't in order we got a right to look."
"Just let it go. Well see the papers at H.Q."
"The trouble about you British is you never know when to make a stand."
"Oh, well," Starling said—he had been at Dunkirk, but he knew when to be quiet.
The driver put on his brakes suddenly: there was a road block. You see I knew they would have to pass this military post. I put my head in at the window and said to the Russian, haltingly, in his own tongue: "What are you doing in the British zone?"
He grumbled that it was "Orders."
"Whose orders? Let me see them." I noted the signature—it was useful information. I said, "This tells you to pick up a certain Hungarian national and war criminal who is living with faulty papers in the British zone. Let me see the papers."
He started on a long explanation. I said, "These papers look to me quite in order, but I'll investigate them and send a report of the result to your colonel. He can, of course, ask for the extradition of this lady at any time. All we want is proof of her criminal activities."
I said to Anna: "Get out of the car." I put a packet of cigarettes in the Russian's hand, said, "Have a good smoke," waved my hand to the others, gave a sigh of relief and that incident was closed.
13
WHILE MARTINS told me how he went back to Anna's and found her gone (пока Мартинс рассказывал мне, как он отправился назад к Анне и нашел ее ушедшей = обнаружил, что она ушла), I did some hard thinking (я напряженно думал). I wasn't satisfied with the ghost story (я не был убежден историей о призраке) or the idea that the man with Harry Lime's features had been a drunken illusion (или мыслью, что человек с чертами /лица/ Гарри Лайма был пьяной иллюзией). I took out two maps of Vienna and compared them (я вынул две карты Вены и сравнил их): I rang up my assistant (я позвонил моему помощнику) and keeping Martins silent with a glass of whisky (и, держа Мартинса молчащим = заставив Мартинса молчать при помощи стакана виски) asked him (спросил его) if he had located Harbin yet (нашел ли он: «если он нашел» уже Харбина; yet — еще; уже /в вопросительных предложениях/). He said no (он сказал, что нет): he understood he'd left Klagenfurt a week ago (он понял, что тот покинул Клагенфурт неделю назад) to visit his family in the adjoining zone (чтобы навестить свою семью в прилегающей зоне). One always wants to do everything oneself (человек: «один» всегда хочет сделать все сам = всегда хочешь все сделать сам): one has to guard against blaming one's juniors (человек должен остерегаться обвинять своих подчиненных;