Liaising with the Jugoslav partisans

Guy was never admitted to these conferences which were held in Serbo-Croat without an interpreter. Nor was he informed of the negotiations with Bari. De Souza had all signals brought to him in cipher. The later hours of his mornings in bed were spent reading them and himself enciphering the answers. To Guy were relegated the domestic duties of preparing for the coming visit. As de Souza had predicted he found the partisans unusually amenable. They revealed secret stores of loot taken from the houses of the fugitive bourgeoisie, furniture of monstrous modern German design but solid construction. Sturdy girls bore the loads. The rooms of the farmhouse were transformed in a way which brought deep depression to Guy but exultation to the widows who polished and dusted with the zeal of sacristans. The former Minister of the Interior had been made master of the revels. He proposed a Vin d'Honneur and concert.

'He want to know,' explained Bakic, 'English American anti-fascist songs. He want words and music so the girls can learn them'.

'I don't know any,' said Guy. 

'He want to know what songs you teach your soldiers?'

'We don't teach them any. Sometimes they sing about drink, "Roll out the barrel" and "Show me the way to go home"' 

'He says not those songs. We are having such songs also under the fascists. All stopped now. He says Commissar orders American songs to honour American general'.

'American songs are all about love.' 

'He says love is not anti-fascist.'

- Evelyn Waugh, Unconditional Surrender, London, 1961, p.268-9.