VOLUME 1, CHAPTER XXII.THE VALLEY OF LIES
In the days following Karl's departure from Wengen, Edris displayed a newfound charm that nearly disarmed Marcus's suspicions. She appeared content, even relieved, by the young Swiss's absence. However, Marcus—ever the expert in human nature—noted with a heavy heart that the genuine "love-look" in her eyes had vanished, replaced by a performance so polished it was chilling.
The arrival of Marcus's secretary, Bennett, brought the "Architect" back to his dual reality. Behind the locked door of his hotel room, the romantic dreamer vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating chief of intelligence. Bennett presented reports of dangerous missions in Warsaw and Moscow, but Marcus's focus shifted to a more personal operation. He tasked Bennett and a local Swiss agent named Eicher to monitor Edris and Karl during a planned trip to Interlaken.
The resulting report was a devastating blow. While Edris had told Marcus she was visiting Karl's mother, the agents witnessed a day of intimate, secluded passion on the Heimwehfluh mountain. When Edris returned to Marcus that evening, her lips were full of lies, claiming she had been "bored" and had spent the day in a stultifying domestic visit.
Marcus was shattered. The "Valley of Lies" had claimed his last vestige of hope. He realized that his age was indeed the barrier he had feared, but his grief soon transmuted into a dark, purposeful resolve. He would not confront her yet; instead, he would play the part of the unsuspecting lover while weaving a trap for the man who had betrayed his hospitality.
The deception reached its peak during a village festival at Merligen on the shores of Lake Thun. Under a brilliant moon, Marcus watched with stony eyes as Edris and Karl shared secret touches beneath a carriage rug. While the young couple laughed and toasted to their future, Marcus paced the lakeside terrace, his heart breaking in the shadow of the silver-peaked Niesen.
On their final day in Switzerland, Edris made a bold request: one last day alone in Interlaken with Karl before her return to England. Marcus, feigning a weary indulgence, permitted it. He watched her go, knowing she was rushing into the arms of a man who was already planning to follow her to London in secret.
As they finally boarded the Oberland Express for the journey home, the atmosphere in the sleeping car was thick with unspoken tension. Edris, believing she had successfully managed both men, thanked Marcus profusely for his promise to find Karl a "lucrative appointment" through his government connections.
"Leave it to me," Marcus said, his voice unusually hard and devoid of its former warmth. "If I secure this post for him, it will be a berth for life."
Edris kissed his hand, moved by his apparent generosity. She could not see the cold fire in the eyes of the man she had mocked. Seton Darville, the master of shadows, had decided on a revenge that would be as silent as it was terminal. Karl Weiss wanted a mission; Marcus would give him one—one from which there was no return. wzzzss zs sxxs sx