Chapter 18: Imperial Escort

⁠​​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​⁠Memmert gripped me, then, to the exclusion of a rival notion which had given me no little perplexity during the conversation with von Brüning. His reiterated advice that we should lose no time in picking up our anchor and chain had ended by giving me the idea that he was anxious to get us away from Bensersiel and the mainland. At first I had taken the advice partly as a test of our veracity (as I