A Perfect Spy

In his letter to Tom, Pym recalls his departure from Graz. He left Sabina and Axel behind—but not before he and Axel extracted $200 from Membury to send to a desperate Rick. Axel said to consider the sum an “I.O.U.” After leaving Austria, Pym returned to Britain. He struggled to know what to do with his future and, after seeking employment, interviewed for a job as a spy despite his father’s reported criminality. Similarly, a brief love affair with Jemima led to “his engagement to Belinda” (337). Pym and Belinda married in “Pym’s first great wedding” (338), which occurred during Pym’s spy training. On the day of the wedding, Pym charmed his new in-laws and used the opportunity to practice a cover story about his employment. The wedding reception was interrupted by the arrival of Rick, who glamorously swept into the room and presented his son with a brand-new sportscar. After a “beautiful and modest” (340) speech, Rick departed. However, the car, like Rick, disappeared before the day’s end. Similarly, an unnamed man thrusted a posy of red poppies into Pym’s hand and then vanished without explanation. Pym treasured the strange gifts from his father and Axel.