Finally he rose and led me from the country house to a modern, H-shaped building. The center wing was paned with large windows on two sides and only hosted a large, low table made of pale wood. Chairs were not available. Across the garden entrance which we had used one could see a little patch of forest.

“I am highly pleased to meet a so attractive connoisseur of our culture,” he introduced the business part in fluent, almost accent-free English. Connoisseur? My knowledge was patchy at best. But I knew a few significant rituals, and not only those concerning martial arts.

“The pleasure is on my side. I was relieved to find such an admirable opportunity to contemplate after the inconveniences of the last days. For this I have gladly changed my plans for the afternoon.”

Smack. He winced like he was hit and faced me directly.

“You’ve got something that is mine.”

“Then I will gladly give it to you. What is it?” There weren’t many options, but I wouldn’t make it too easy for him.

He reached his hand toward the camera which I still carried over my shoulder, and I willingly handed him the device.

“I am highly pleased to have found the right owner so quickly,” I lied. “When I found this object, four persons of dubious origin and manners tried to get it into their possession by questionable methods. It appeared advisable to me to take it into my custody until clarification of the ownership, more so as the mentioned subjects seemed not to be able to apply proper protection to this preciosity.”

Swallow that. Outside I remained cool.

“How praiseworthy.” He continued to examine me. “As it appears, one of these subjects wasn’t even able to watch his pants. Yet I deem it remarkable that you could find it interesting.”

“My wardrobe required urgent amendment. Unluckily it remained impossible so far to replace these tasteless, at best practical pieces. An important business appointment had cropped up.”

He paused. “Well. Otherwise you would surely have tried earlier to make your find available to the lawful owner?”

“According to my own standards I am not appropriately dressed for such an occasion. Indeed I would have preferred to approach it under more classy circumstances.”

“Be it as it is. How should I treat you now in your opinion?”

“It would be kind if your driver could take me back into town.”

He shook his head. “Out of the question. Unluckily I have to admit that your friendliness and your understanding puts me in distress. On no account can I risk that you might tell what you now know to certain other persons. So I fear—”

While he told me this, I intensely listened for conspicuous signals, for example of operated safeties, concentrated breathing noises, the singing of drawn strings, looked around for secret loopholes, dancing shadows and other evidence of an imminent attack.

Thus I saw and heard the approaching missile hissing and riding on a fire-tail over the forest shortly before its impact in our meeting room.