4级1-4三十九级台阶THE THIRTY NINE STEPS4-6.DOC

4 The political candidate　　　I drove that car across the moor as fast as I could，looking nervously over my shoulder. I was also thinking desperately about Scudders notes.　　Scudder had told me nothing but lies. All his stories about south-east Europe and people wanting to start wars were rubbish. But although he had told me lies，there was truth underneath.　　The 15th of June was going to be an important day，but because of something more important than the murder of a Prime Minister. The story in his book was not complete，and there were some things I didnt understand-for example，the words thirty-nine steps，which appeared five or six times. The last time the words were used，Scudder had writtenThirty-nine steps，I counted them-high tide at 10∶17 p. m. 　　The first thing I learned was that war was certain. Everything was planned. Karolides was going to be murdered and nothing could prevent it.　　The second thing I learned was that Britain was not prepared for war. Karolides would be murdered and war would seem certain. Germany would pretend to be against war，but while we and they discussed peace，their submarines would silently fill the seas around us.　　There was something else. Although the newspapers didnt know it，the British and French governments were close allies，and had agreed to prepare for war together. The most important officers in the armies and navies met regularly，and in June one of the top people was coming from Paris for a meeting. He would be told the exact details of the British Navys preparations for war.　　But on the 15th of June other people were going to be in London. Scudder didnt give names，but called them just the Black Stone. They had a plan to get hold of this information，which was meant only for the French Government. And the information would be used by our enemies just a week or two later，with a most terrible effect.　　My first idea was to write a letter to the British Prime Minister. But nobody would believe my story. I had to find proof that Scudd