David's desktop was covered with maps, folders, documents and pages of scribbled notes when, shortly past noon, the Ambassador knocked on the door and entered. "What further?"

"It appears they're withdrawing reserve regiments from all along the line, Sir. I've just received this from Colonel Pageot, the French Attaché." He passed the page to Evelyn. "Their intelligence reports a movement northward through Alsace."

"Heading to Lorraine?"

"I would think so." He pointed to the larger map on his desk. "This is the plot I have so far from the newspapers. It shows the regiments which have come home. Look at the pattern."

The Ambassador studied the maze of lines and arrowheads. "From all along the Front. They're thinning without compromising."

"Exactly. Here, two French reports of significant increases in the barge traffic along the Moselle. And here, reports of new rail lines being laid westward from Metz."

"And what further from London?"

"CIGS has directed me to continue searching for the sources of their hydrogen. If we can isolate them, he can have the French send aerial bombers."

"Yes, I received a cable from General Robertson saying the same. He's a breath of fresh air after Lord Kitchener's dogmatic old-school approach. Seems his mind was beginning to falter."

"I know nothing of either of them."

"Just before Christmas, Robertson was appointed Chief of the Imperial General Staff. And with the shuffle of responsibilities, he displaced both General French and Lord Kitchener and is now the prime military adviser to the Cabinet. Bright chap; he started as a Private, as you did."

"So, this is part of the weeding-out in the War Office? Isn't French the one forced to resign for the disastrous results at Loos?"

"And for a long series of fuck-ups since the beginning of the war."

David laughed. "Speaking of fuck-ups, I had another encounter with Wyndcom first thing this morning."

"Yes, he told me about your gambling." Evelyn smiled as he wagged his finger. "He doesn't get it, does he? He's in a world of his own construct, and he appears to think others are as well."

"Unable to see his own ineptitude and delusions."

"Should we reconsider keeping him here? I can easily have him posted."

David shook his head. "No, he's too much of a danger to be let loose. At least here, we can keep him in check. Charles said he is efficient in finding the military terms in the newspapers. He double-checked Wilfred's work, finding none missed."

David tapped the map. "I found the General von Schenck about whom we spoke yesterday. He's Commander of XVIII Corps of the 4th Army, based in Frankfurt, and extrapolating from heavily censored newspaper articles, it looks as if the entire Corps has returned from the Front."

"How many troops is that?"

He sifted through the pile of open reports on his desk, selected one and scanned it. "Here. They were at forty-four thousand at the start of the war. I'm still looking for something more recent."

"London can do that." Evelyn chuckled. "Take a break from your illicit gambling and join Henry and me in my office for lunch."

David rolled his shoulders and rotated his neck. "Great idea, Sir. I'll lock up this mess, tell the message centre where they can find me, and then join you."

Bienne, Switzerland – Wednesday, 2 February 1916

Hans Wilsdorf met David at the train station in Bienne at twenty past ten on Wednesday morning, and after congratulating him again on the huge order, he drove him to his new office. "It's still a bit disorganised, but it's better than the temporary one at Aegler."

"This looks much neater than my office did the last two days. The watch orders are minor compared to what we've learned."

The two sat and reviewed details which had evolved since Saturday. "Their initial demand was for half the order to be delivered by the tenth of February and the balance by the twentieth." Hans laughed. "I told them that with the factory fully manned, it can produce only thirty watches per hour, and working around the clock, we can produce only seven hundred and twenty per day."

"So, at full capacity, you're about two thousand short."

"I offered to supply half by the fifteenth, but they said that is too late. They need at least five thousand by the tenth."

"If they're demanding the tenth, then –"

"Yes, that's what I thought. They want to issue them before they begin something major."

"Within a day or two of the tenth. So, have you agreed on a schedule?"

"Yes, an easy one. Two shipments of six thousand, the first one to Metz by the tenth, the second by the twentieth and the balance by the end of the month."

"And payment?"

Hans looked up and smiled. "In Swiss Francs to my account in Bern on receipt of each shipment."

"I'm pleased they've agreed to the Swiss Francs. With the continuing decline of the Mark, you'd have ended up with less."

"Simply following your astute advice. Your guarantee method, also."

David smiled and nodded as he sat in silence, absorbing the information. After a long pause, he said, "I'm going to make a lot of commission from this. Are you certain about the ten per cent?"

"I'm going to make a lot more than you. Well over double." He shrugged. "They were ready to purchase, and they have many choices now, several of them also using Aegler's chronometer movements. They could have gone to anyone, and without you, I would most likely have missed the largest sale I've ever made."

"That makes it easier for me to accept."

"Never sell your value short, David. These watches will, without doubt, generate additional orders from their other Armies once the word begins to spread. I'll be giving you five per cent of the revenue from all orders we receive from any of the German Armies over the next six months."

David shook his head in disbelief. "Why would you do that? That's far too generous."

"Continuing sales to them are residual effects from your initial sale, and you need to benefit from them. Never sell your value short, David."