GREGORY SALLUST

Gregory Sallust is an agent with British Intelligence.

He is a man of insistent independance and self-reliance so while he most certainly is one of Britain's ablest operatives in the field, especially during the Second World War, he might well be considered a freelance agent. He likes to go his own way and do things as he sees fit and does not often openly argue with commands he finds in error so much as just ignores them.

Most of all, Sallust is a man who loves adventure and he seeks it every place he can. He adores a challenge and anything new and intriguing is like a powerful magnet pulling him closer. At times that attraction to danger and excitement is viewed as reckless but since Sallust has so much confidence in his abilities, he would seldom agree and even if he did admit to a spot of rashness, he would shrug indifferently as to say "so what?"

Born of parents who were in the upper middle class, Sallust became an orphan at an early age and from that he learns a considerable amount of self-reliance. His inheritance was not a huge one but ably managed by his uncle, it would provide him with enough income to allow him as he reached adulthood to not be tied to any particular career, resulting in his ability to pick work that showed the greatest chance for adventure and the least for boredom.

Before that, though, he needed to grow up and while doing so, he displayed the polite wildness that he would maintain throughout his life. He managed only a couple of years at the upper schools before his style of doing things collided too hard with the discipline of the institution. His uncle then thought some time as a cadet with the Royal Navy might help him out and the slightly more relaxed life onboard an ocean-going vessel did please him. His rebellious nature showed, though, that it was not for him in the long run.

When he was finally of age, he opted for a year travelling all over the Continent. His inate gift with languages, as well as his desire to get closer to the young ladies he would meet, allowed him to become a native speaker of both French and German, so much so that it would be nearly impossible to know he was not a citizen of either country if he chose to so imposture. This would defintely serve him well as an operative later.

As the world entered the Great War, Sallust eagerly volunteered and became a soldier with Britain's Third Army. He served well and gallantly for a year or so before a bomb explosion near him put him in the hospital for a lengthy recovery. He did mend totally but would bear a vivid scar over one eyebrow which would forever give him a Satanic appearance. This would add to his mystique over the years.

After WWI, he served as a reporter for a decade or so as it gave him the freedom to move around the world that he craved so much. He was not on any regular beat but instead got permission to handle special assignments, things that interested him and that he was able to get editors interested in as well. This increased his travels and that increased his adventures and escapades and those brought him to the attention of Sir Pellinore Gwaine-Cust, head of one of England's several Intelligence organizations.

Gwaine-Cust and Sallust hit it off immediately as the elder saw himself years before in Sallust and also saw a brilliant tool to do the odd job when needed. Sallust admired the older rascal and knew he was being used and loved every exciting minute of it. No matter what job Sallust was officially employed in, be it as a reporter or later as a business fix-it man for a group of industrialists, he was available for ad-hoc missions for the government.

It would be during the Second World War that he would be of the most value since his experiences and his contacts all over Europe allowed him to move across enemy lines almost effortlessly. The jobs he did to stymie and harass the Axis would become legend.

And all the while he did this jobs, before, during, and after WWII, Sallust's love of the fairer sex would rival and at times exceed his love of adventure. Even as he would age and his ability to saunter slowed down, he would retain and display a charm that few could resist, if ever they wanted to.

It was a good thing for me and my appreciation of Gregory Sallust that I first encountered him in Contraband in the very early 70s. Had it been with Black August, which I did not know about until some time later, I would never have tried any more of the Sallust books. The 60s Sallust (as I call him above) was a self-serving jerk and in a world long before the Internet's dissemination of information it would have been hard to understand the two Sallusts. I remember when, a couple years after reading the first book I came across the second, I was big time confused. That confusion would be compounded when I came across They Used Dark Forces.

I mentioned in the Books section that one could take or leave Black August and that still holds but if you have no coin to flip, opt for leaving it. You will not like that Sallust at all and the whole "future" England is really depressing (intentionally so but still!).

Definitely read the WWII books if you have any interest in modern history at all. These are terrific doorways into what things were like before most of us were born but still recent enough to be important.

Wheatley, now often denigrated as a pseudo-racist, definite sexist, and lover of Satanism, really was none of those things, as far as I can see from reading his books. His occasional derogatory statements of Third World countries is no more or less than was normal back then. He had an enhanced appreciation for the female sex which I feel is understandable but he does tend to throw them into situations where their clothing gets ripped apart. A lot. As for Satanist, I do not know if he believed in such things or not but he did grow more intrigued with it as he aged and he used that interest in his books.

But despite his "faults", Wheatley is a dynamite story teller and well worth reading.

And Gregory Sallust, the nice one, is definitely worth getting to know.