Grim was reading but seemed to me more than usually reserved, as if the book had been no more than a screen to think behind, that left him in a manner unprotected when he laid it down.

I talked at random, and he hardly seemed to be listening.
"Say," he said, suddenly interrupting me, "you came out of that El-Kerak affair pretty creditably.

Suppose I let you see something else from the inside.

Will you promise not to shout it all over Jerusalem ?" "Use your own judgment," I answered.
"You mustn't ask questions." "All right." "If any one in the Administration pounces on you in the course of it, you'll have to drop out and know nothing." "Agreed." "It may prove a bit more risky than the El-Kerak business." "Couldn't be," I answered.
"You can't talk enough Arabic to get away with.

But could you act deaf and dumb ?" "Sure--in three languages." "You understand--I've no authority to let you in on this.