Irony of escape
Hannay is on the run from both the police and assassins therefore he has pursuers on his track constantly. The narrative entails several instances of him having narrow escapes from the authorities and the German spy ring. Oddly, Hannay takes measures to ensure camouflage and also disguises but he is unlucky in keeping the hunters off completely. As soon as he is in an active pursuit, under confinement or cornered, he manages to always be a step ahead avoiding capture.
Scudder’s murder
Scudder grasps Hannay’s attention by claiming that he is dead, in that, he has faked his death for protection. Therefore, his pursuers will not trail him any longer as he has also sought shelter in Hannay’s flat. However, the protagonist finds him stabbed to death which begins the chain of events for him. It is ironic that Scudder created an elaborate cover to ensure his safety yet he is murdered shortly after.
The irony of the war
Before his assassination, Scudder was in possession of information that exposes a global conspiracy involving an impending war. Akin to the Great War, the conflict will be triggered by the assassination of a Greek ambassador sabotaging treaty agreements. Despite this information, the assassination takes place triggering the global war that Scudder and the British intelligence had expected.
Hannay is a fugitive
German spies are after Hannay to neutralize him to prevent their infiltration plans from reaching British intelligence. Thus, Hannay is drawn into this world of conspiracies and espionage as he undertakes spying duties to solve them. At the same time, he is being pursued by the police for suspicion of murder without the idea that he is in danger. Oddly, Hannay is protecting valuable intelligence for the nation’s sake and the world for that matter yet he is tracked as a fugitive.
