Chapter 6. A change for the worse.

"Belloq!....Rene Belloq?" Marcus exclaimed. Indy nodded dumbly. "But how can that be?"
Indy seemed to snap back to reality but still only shrugged his shoulders.
" Who's Rene Belloq?" Asked Robert in a puzzled tone of voice. The name meant nothing to him but clearly it was important to Indy and Marcus. Smith stirred, then interrupted before Indy could answer.
"You are wrong." He said. "That was Doctor Ballard. Not Belloq, or whatever you called him."
Indy turned on Smith, more angry now than Marcus had seen him in years.
"I want the whole story, Smith. The truth. Belloq wouldn't be interested in a few poisonous cats. What's he really after? How long has he been involved in all this."
Smith looked indignant again for a moment and was about to protest his innocence once more when the look on Indy's face warned him against such an idea. He slumped back into his chair and put his face in his hands.
"I don't know how I ever got involved in this." He muttered. He looked up at Indy.
"You must believe me, Doctor Jones, I never meant anyone to get hurt. I found out about the cats in exactly the way I told you. I don't know who this 'Belloq' person is. He's always been Ballard to me. He came to work for the Museum about two years ago. His knowledge of Egyptian artefacts was immense. He was a great benefit to the Museum. It was Ballard, or Belloq, or whatever, who actually did most of the translation of the scripts and documents. I swear, if there's more to it than just recovering the cats, then I don't know what it is. Anyway, what can he hope to gain? He's trying to prevent the Nazi's from finding the cats and poisoning the government officials."
Indy shook his head vigorously as Smith spoke these last words.
"No, No, No!...You fool! Belloq WORKS for the Nazi's! He's probably the one who SENT the cat to you friend, Lord whatsisname!"
"Barker." Smith said quietly, realising the full impact of Indy's words. "How can I have been so stupid." He added after a further moments thought. Everything Indy said made sense and answered several unexplained questions.
A sudden thought struck Indy.
"We are gonna have to watch our backs." He said.
"Belloq doesn't seem too bothered that we're OK, or that we've found out he's involved."
"Surely, that's a good thing." Said Robert, still struggling to keep up with the turn of events.
"I mean, if he's being friendly,....he doesn't seem all that dangerous...."
Indy looked at Marcus and shook his head.
"That's what scares me." He said.
Indy sat on the corner of Smiths desk.
"OK., " He said. "Seems you've been had, the same as us."
"I could help you.." Smith jabbered excitedly, turning sides.
Indy shook his head. "Rene's too smart for that. that's exactly what he'll expect you to do. We've got to out think him."
Suddenly, he stood up again and passed the telephone to Smith.
"How do you get a hold of him?" He asked.
"Er, well, I have an emergency number but Ballard,...I mean, Belloq told me not to use it unless I had to."
"Perfect. Give him a call. Tell him you've tricked us into thinking you're helping us but really, you're still working for him. Tell him you can get the map pieces for him."
"But he'll never believe that!" Wailed Smith.
Indy nodded. "I know. In fact, I'm counting on it!"
Realisation slowly crept over Marcus. "Well done, Indy." He said. "You're going to play him at his own game."
Indy nodded and smiled.
"He's smart. He'll know we're trying to trap him, and he knows that WE'LL know he knows!"
Smith was instantly confused.
"Are you saying, that he'll know that you know what HE knows?"
"Exactly!" Exclaimed Indy. "And because of that, he'll expect us to think that he WILL go along with us, because we'll expect him NOT to!"
Robert was totally at a loss.
"Er, so what WILL he do?" He said.
Indy grinned. "That's the clever part." He said. "I haven't a clue!"
Robert's' eyes bulged with surprise. "What do you mean?" He asked, totally baffled by it all.
"Look," Indy began. "Rene's smart. Very smart. But he knows I'm smart too. He'll KNOW we haven't a clue what he'll do next, but in the same way, he'll be worried, because HE won't have a clue what WE'RE doing! That will put him on his guard and maybe, just maybe he'll make a mistake, trying to double guess us all the time." Indy turned to Smith.
"Make that call!" He said.
Smith looked at Indy, then Marcus and Robert. Gingerly, he lifted the phone receiver and dialled the number. A few pounding heartbeats later the call was answered. Smith stared at Indy as he said, "Put me through to Bell...Ballard please. " There was a moments pause as something was said, then Smith replied, "Black cat six."
A few moments later, Smiths expression told the others he was through to Belloq again.
"Hello? Mr. Ballard? It's Smith. Professor Smith.....Yes, yes, they've gone.....What?....Yes. I convinced them I would help them. They left a few moments ago."
There was a long pause as Belloq answered Smith.
Smith was nodding even though Belloq could not actually see him.
"Certainly." He said. "Yes, yes. I can do that. The fools trust me."
He looked again at Indy.
"Where?...What, here?.....Well, if you think so..... Yes. I'll set it up.....OK....Fine.....OK.....Goodbye,....Yes,....Goodbye."
Smith quietly replaced the receiver.
There was silence in the room for a moment, then Indy said, "Well?"
Smith coughed and rubbed his eyes. "He says he wants to see you. He wants to discuss the map."
"And you trust him?!" Exclaimed Robert.
Both Indy and Marcus laughed and it was Marcus who replied.
"Trust him?! We wouldn't trust him to tell us his own real name!...Of course we don't TRUST him!"
Indy slapped Robert on the shoulder.
"As I've already said, we don't know what he's up to, but he sure as hell doesn't know what WE'RE up to either!"
"Are you going to meet with him?" Smith asked nervously.
Indy rubbed his chin and walked over to the window. It was still drizzling with a fine, penetrating rain. People were scurrying about with collars turned up and umbrellas held high. They reminded Indy of ants. He turned back to look at the others.
"Sure I'm gonna meet with him. We're old friends. What is there to be afraid of?" He laughed at his own little joke, even though neither Robert nor Smith understood it.
"Anyhow," He continued, "We might find out what he's up to and WHY he wants the map so badly."
He stroked his chin the added, "You can bet as sure as hell it's not the cats he's after."


Indy and Marcus slept at the museum that night and Robert went home. There was no real need to keep an eye on Professor Smith as there was nowhere he could go that would cause Indy any further trouble and whatever he said now, Belloq still wouldn't trust him, or be sure what Indy was really up to.
There was also a chance that Belloq might consider Smith to be more of a liability than a help and so dispose of him and it was this thought that kept Smith at the museum, near to Indy and Marcus. Indy was well aware of Smiths fears and smiled inwardly at how the tables had turned on him. It was this fear and reliance on Indy that made the Professor a fairly trustworthy asset for the moment.


The sound of passing traffic woke Indy and he was surprised to find he had slept right through the night. Marcus was snoring soundly on his makeshift bed of old curtains and collected cushions. Indy stood and stretched, scratched his trademark stubbly chin and straightened his clothes.
He took out his half hunter watch and checked the time.
"Nine thirty." He said quietly.
"C'Mon, sleepy!" He called to his friend. "Smith's gone, and Belloq's due at ten, so move your ass!"
He pushed Marcus playfully with his foot.
Smith had made the arrangements with Belloq the night before and Indy was actually looking forward with excitement to seeing his old adversary and finding out exactly what had actually happened all those years ago, when Indy thought that Belloq had been killed on the Island after opening the Ark of the Covenant and looking inside.
"MMMMM." Mumbled Marcus, stirring and scratching his head, making his already dishevelled hair even worse. He sat up and his look of confusion spoke reams as he tried to remember where he was and what he was doing here.
Suddenly the door opened and Smith came in backwards carrying a tray of tea and slices of hot, buttered toast.
The smell woke Marcus fully instantly. He was starved as none of them had eaten anything much for over twenty four hours.
Seeing Indy's puzzled look, Smith said, "We have quite a good canteen here and as most of the staff start work at six, it's been open for some time." He put the tray on the desk and added, "If you want any more I can easily get it. Oh, by the way, I did try to get coffee. I know how you Americans prefer it but it's not too popular here in England and the kitchen doesn't keep it as a rule."
"Tea will be fine." Said Indy, lifting a slice of toast appreciatively, taking a large, slow bite and savouring the taste and texture. Marcus almost leaped to his feet and ran to the tray. He lifted a cup of tea and asked, "Sugar?"
Smith shook his head and said, "No. It's in the dish." He nodded toward a small silver lidded dish with a spoon sticking out of one side.
Marcus shook his head in the negative. "No, no, it's fine." He said, taking a sip. "English Breakfast?" He asked.
Smith was impressed. "You know tea?" He said.
Marcus smiled. "You forget, I'm English. I just WORK in America."
"OK, OK. "Indy interrupted. "Lovely breakfast, and thanks. But Belloq will be here any minute and I don't wanna get caught unawares."
"Relax, Doctor Jones." Smith replied smoothly. "Your 'Belloq' will still have to come in through the main entrance and they will phone when he arrives."
Almost as if on cue, the phone rang. Smith looked tentatively at Indy then answered it.
"Hello? Professor Smith here?" He said.
"Yes. Send him up. He knows the way." He put the phone down again.
No one spoke for a moment. There was nothing to say.
A minute later the door handle creaked and the door slowly opened. Indy felt his heart rate increase and he took a deep breath, his hand firmly on his pistol at his side.
The door swung back and there stood.....
Robert.
Indy, Marcus and Smith let out an explosive breath of relief.
Robert opened his mouth to speak but then said nothing. He was staring fixedly over Indy's shoulder.
They all spun round to see what he was looking at.
There, framed in the opposite door was a tall handsome man in a white linen suit. He wore a Fedora, much like Indy's, only his was white. In fact, he reminded Robert of a cleaner version of Indy himself.
The man held out his hand in greeting and after a moment Indy stepped forward and cautiously took it, giving it a tentative but strangely friendly shake.
"Hello Rene." He said.
"Hello Indiana. It's been a long time."