Question

Describe the significance of the balcony.

Answer 1

On seeing Max, the spy, with a loaded automatic gun in his room, Ausable expressed surprise. Max disclosed his plan very clearly. He had come to receive the report on the new missile which was likely to be handed over to Mr. Ausable in a short while. Ausable, without being shocked sat heavily on an armchair. He grimly stated that he would raise hell with the hotel management because this was the second time that someone had sneaked into his room through the nuisance of the unblocked balcony. Max asks with disbelief, “balcony?” Max remarked that he did not enter through the balcony but with a passkey. Ausable explained that it was the balcony that extended from the living room of the next apartment just below his room. One could walk through two doors and enter his room.

He was not happy with the management as they had failed to block it. When there was a knock at the door, both Max and Fowler got perturbed. But Ausable smiled and said casually it must be the police whom he had informed to check on him for extra protection. Max was confused for a moment. Ausable said as the door was just closed and not locked, the police could enter even by force at any moment and fire at him. This gave Max no time to think. He jumped through the window believing he will end up in the non-existent balcony but fell like a stone from the 6th floor with a scream. The vividly portrayed balcony led to the suicidal jump of Max, the spy who had a gun but was not smart enough to tackle Ausable’s ploy.