Page 44 of The Last Library of Paris

‘Yes, I spoke to a couple of airmen who have evaded capture. One of them named Lieutenant Harper was the most frank. He admitted that all his escape-mindedness training went straight out of his head as soon as he crashed. He told me he struggled without a compass or a map because he had no idea where he was supposed to be going. He could navigate with the sun, but that’s not always easy.’

‘So we need something like the compass hidden in the shaving brush that is suitable for airmen?’ Valentine said. I wrote that down and underlined it. Could I come up with a gadget? It wasn’t really my area of expertise but never say never.

‘Harper panicked and he ended up taking risks, visiting various houses and farms before he stumbled on the Resistance and ultimately the escape routes,’ Hughes carried on. ‘But it took him three weeks before he was safe, and it could have been a very different story.’

‘We know where the safe houses are,’ Valentine said. ‘We’ve spent months making those escape routes work.’

‘You’re the one who’s done the work,’ Hughes said modestly. ‘All that time you spent in France.’

I was astonished. That didn’t sound like the Valentine I’d seen so far.

‘We know where they are, but we can’t tell the airmen and soldiers,’ said Valentine. He sounded slightly despairing. ‘The risk of compromising the safe houses is too big.’

‘We can tell them in training,’ Hughes suggested but he didn’t sound hopeful.

‘They’d never remember all those locations. Not if – as Harper said – they’re panicking.’

‘Could we write the addresses somewhere? In the seams of their uniform? In their boots? On their hats?’

‘Perhaps,’ Valentine said. Then he suddenly sounded more cheerful. ‘We could put a compass in their uniform, though.’

‘Clever,’ said Hughes. ‘Where?’

‘Buttons?’

‘Brilliant.’

‘And how about a map printed on a handkerchief?’

‘Yes!’ Hughes sounded delighted. I crossed out gadgets in my notebook, slightly annoyed to have missed my chance.

‘If only we could slip an address book into every soldier’s pocket,’ said Valentine.

Every soldier’s pocket? Where had I heard that recently?

Valentine and Hughes were still chatting, but I wasn’t listening anymore. Every soldier’s pocket …

That was it! I stood up quickly and took a deep breath. I brushed the dust from the floor off my skirt and smoothed down my hair. And then, as confidently as I could, I walked into the office without knocking.

Valentine and Hughes both looked round at me, surprised.

‘The door was open,’ I said. ‘You should probably close that when you’re discussing this sort of thing.’

Valentine raised an eyebrow. ‘Do you need something?’

‘I’ve got an idea. About getting addresses to the airmen and soldiers.’

‘You’ve been listening?’ said Hughes. He looked a little alarmed but Valentine, to his credit, looked interested.

‘What’s the idea?’

‘Books.’

‘Books?’ He immediately looked less interested, so I jumped in again, desperate not to be ignored. ‘Peacock Books. They’ve got a new imprint for soldiers and they’re sending them out all over the place. They said they want a book in the pocket of every soldier. It’s intended to raise spirits. Boost morale.’

‘I’ve heard about this,’ said Hughes. ‘It’s a good idea.’

Valentine sat down on the edge of the desk and stared straight at me. ‘Go on.’