Step into a world of suspense where appearances are deceiving and wit is the ultimate weapon. This captivating tale follows a young writer who learns that a true secret agent relies on intelligence rather than action-movie heroics to outsmart a deadly foe.
Fowler, a young writer with dreams of high-stakes espionage, followed the heavy and unassuming Ausable down the hallway. He felt let down, as this ordinary-looking man didn't fit the image of a dashing secret agent at all.
They walked through the dim, musty corridor of the old French hotel toward Ausable's small room on the sixth floor. Fowler sighed, thinking his night would end in boredom rather than the thrilling adventure he had hoped to write about.
As Ausable stepped into the room and flicked on the light, both men froze at the sight of a slender man standing in the center. The intruder, Max, held a small automatic pistol pointed directly at them, his eyes cold and determined.
Max explained that he had come for the secret report concerning new missiles that was due to arrive that night. Despite the deadly weapon aimed at his chest, Ausable didn't blink, moving slowly to sit in an armchair with an air of mild annoyance.
Ausable began to grumble about a balcony outside his window, claiming it was the second time this month someone had broken in that way. He looked at the window with such genuine frustration that Max began to believe the invisible balcony really existed.
Max admitted he had used a master key and hadn't known about the balcony, looking regretfully at the window. Ausable kept the lie going, describing how the balcony belonged to the next apartment and extended right under his own window sill.
Suddenly, a sharp, rhythmic knocking echoed from the door, causing Max to jump in alarm. Ausable smiled calmly and told Max that it was likely the police, whom he had asked to check on him for extra security.
Terrified of being caught by the authorities, Max backed away toward the window while keeping his gun leveled at the two men. He hissed a warning that he would wait on the balcony and told Ausable to send the police away quickly.
With one final glance at the door, Max swung his leg over the window sill and dropped into the darkness, expecting to find solid ground. A sharp scream pierced the night air as he realized too late that there was no balcony at all.
The door opened to reveal a waiter holding a tray with a bottle and two glasses, just as Ausable had expected. Fowler stood breathless and amazed, realizing that the greatest weapon a spy possesses is not a gun, but a sharp and steady mind.
The Midnight Visitor is a suspenseful story about a secret agent named Ausable. Unlike the smart and active spies shown in movies, Ausable was fat and spoke in an ordinary way. This surprised Fowler, a young writer who had come to meet him because he expected a thrilling adventure. One night, Ausable and Fowler returned to Ausable’s hotel room after dinner. Fowler was feeling disappointed because nothing exciting had happened. But when they entered the room, they saw a man named Max holding a gun. Max was another spy who wanted to steal an important report related to missiles. Ausable did not panic after seeing the gun. Instead, he stayed calm and cleverly created a fake story about a balcony outside the window. He told Max that someone had earlier entered his room through that balcony. Max believed him and became nervous. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Ausable calmly said that it was probably the police whom he had called for protection. Hearing this, Max got frightened. To escape from the police, he quickly jumped out of the window onto the “balcony.” But in reality, there was no balcony at all. Max fell down, and the danger ended immediately. The knock on the door was actually from a waiter who had come to deliver drinks. Fowler was shocked to see how intelligently Ausable handled the situation without using force. In the end, Fowler understood that real secret agents depend more on intelligence and presence of mind than on physical appearance or action scenes.
