Hanni gestured to Mary Magdalene and told her in Swahili that he was a friend, an American officer, who had come to help.

Mary Magdalene looked at him suspiciously. Lunsford smiled a her. She did not return it.

"Are you all, all right?" Lunsford said.

"We're managing," Hanni said.

"Have you got food for the baby?"

"Condensed milk," Ursula said. "And Mary Magdalene has been able to get bananas and fruit. He's all right."

"What about you?" Lunsford said.

"There was some food in the freezer here," Hanni said, "but when the electricity was off for three days, it spoiled. Mary Magdalene goes out every day and buys what she can. Fish and chicken. We have some canned vegetables left. We're managing."

"Ma'am," Lunsford said very gently, "that really wasn't what I Was asking. I've got some penicillin and some other antibiotics. And if you need anything else, I probably can arrange to have Geoff air-drop it."

" "We haven't been. . . molested," Hanni said. "if that's what you're asking." "How's Geoff?" Ursula, asked. "Where is he?"

"At Kamina," Lunsford said. "He or Pappy Hodges fly over -or near here-every day. He's all right."

"What are you doing here?" Hanni Portet asked.

"There's a Red Cross plane at the airport," Lunsford said.

"There's a chance we can get you out of here. There's risk involved. I'll tell you-what I can do and leave it up to you." He told them he would commandeer a truck in the morning he'd found three he thought he could get, and a couple of Simbas-and come to the Immoquateur and pick them up and take them to the airport. The Red Cross was negotiating with Soumialot. He didn't know what would happen, but there just might be a chance, as a goodwill gesture, that Soumialot would let the Red Cross fill the plane with women and children.

"What about Mary Magdalene?" Hanni Portet asked.

"Who?" Hanni inclined her head toward Mary Magdalene.

"No," he said. "No way. That sonofabitch won't let any Congolese go."

"Then you will take Ursula and the baby and my daughter," Hanni said. "I will stay here."

"I've got no advice to give," Father Lunsford said.

"I am Belgian," Hanni said. "I have, anyway, a Belgian passport. They know who my husband is. Some man who said he was the Minister of Aviation has already called here and said he hopes to have a long and profitable relationship with Air Simba. I'll be all right."

"I don't want to go without you," Jeanine Portet said.

"You help Ursula with Jiffy," Hanni said. "Mary Magdalene and I can take care of ourselves."

"Mama!"

"You settle between you who's going and who's staying," Father Lunsford said. "I have to get out of here. When the time is right-and I don't know when that will be-I'll be outside in back with a truck. I'll blow the horn: 'Shave and a haircut, two bits.' Whoever is coming, come quickly down the fire stairs. I'll meet you on the ground floor."

"All right," Hanni said. "We'll be ready."

"Have you got any whiskey? Gin? Anything?" Father Lunsford asked.

"There's the bar," Hanni said, giving him a strange look.

Father took two bottles and headed for the door.

"You speak English?" he asked Mary Magdalene.

"I speak English."

"I'm glad you're on our side, honey," Lunsford said; and then he went through the door.

He went to the elevator and pushed the call button.

After a long minute he heard the elevator rising. When the door opened, the Simba guards had their FNs pointing at him. They were obviously afraid.

Lunsford smiled broadly. He extended one of the bottles of Scotch.

"Who did you shoot?" one of the guards asked.

"I didn't shoot anybody," Lunsford said. "I thought that was you."

The guard took the bottle of Johnny Walker, removed the top and took a pull.

Then Lunsford got on the elevator and rode down to the lobby.

He shook hands ceremoniously with each of the guards and staggered out of the building.

Whatever discussion there was between Hanni and Ursula and Jeanine about whether or not to try to make it to toe airport;" and about who was to go and who was to stay, was a waste of breath. At first light the Red Cross plane took off from Stanleyville," crossed over the Immoquateur Apartments, and headed for Bumbura, Burundi. It carried no one out that it had not flown in.

President Christophe Gbenye had decided ,that it was not in the best interests of his government to permit any Europeans whites whatsoever to leave Stanleyville. In the interest of peace, he told the international Red Cross, it was clearly necessary for his government to hold hostages.

(two) Washington, D.C. 6 September 1964 " BULLETIN AP WASH 926-14 WASHINGTON, DC-SEP 26-THEWHITE HOUSE HAS ANNOUNCED THAT PRESIDENT LYNDON B. JOHNSON. WILL NOT RECEIVE THE DELEGATION FROM THE CONGO RECONCILIATION COMMISSION WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO LAND IN NEW YORK SOMETIME THIS AFTERNOON. THE OFFICIAL REASON GIVEN IS THAT THE PRESIIJENT CANNOT MAKE ROOM FOR THEM IN HIS SCHEDULE.

IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT THE DELEGATION, MADE UP OF REPRESENTATIVES OF FIVE AFRICAN NATIONS, INTENDED TO PRESENT TO THE PRESIDENT THE DEMANDS OF THE RECENTLY CONCLUDED COMMISSION MEETING IN NAIROBI, KENYA, AND THAT THOSE DEMANDS INCLUDED A DEMAND THAT JOHNSON ORDER THE COMPLETE WITHDRAWAL OF ALL US MILITARY PERSONNEL IN THE CONGO, AS WELL AS THE WITHDRAWAL OF ALL MILITARY EQUIPMENT, IN PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT, WHICH THE UNITED STATES HAS LOANED TO THE GOVERNMENT OF MOISE TSHOMBE IN LEOPOLDVILLE.

(Three) The White House Washington, D.C. 4 October 1964 "My eyes hurt, Felter," the President of the United States said.

"Read it to me."

"There has been an intercept of a message from Stanleyville to Olenga, Mr. President," Felter said. "The message is from the People's Army Commander in Stanleyville to the Commander-in Chief, which almost certainly means Olenga, who is in Paulis, about two hundred fifty miles from Stanleyville."

"What does it say?" the President asked impatiently.

"He requests, I now quote, 'permission to kill all Americans who are held in the liberated zone,' unquote."

"That's new," the President said. "That just come in?"

"No, sir. It came in 2 October at 1755 Zulu-about one o'clock Washington time." "Why haven't I seen it before now?"

"For the same reasons I feel it reliable, the Congo Working Group felt the intercept unreliable," Felter said. "Presumably they didn't want to waste your time with it." The Congo Working Group was an interagency working group with members representing the State Department, the CIA, the USIA, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It was charged with responsibility for the "Congo Situation." "Goddamn it, Felter," the President sighed. "I'm tired and in no mood for word games. Why didn't they think it was reliable?"

"The intercept was made by a teen-aged boy, an amateur radio operator, in Leopoldville."

"Hardly the most reliable source, wouldn't you agree?"

"Ordinarily," Felter said. "But this is a very bright kid.

His father is one of the assistant military attaches."

"And you believe it reliable?"

"Yes, Sir." "There's been no answer from Olenga that we know about?"

"No, Sir."

"Then it's possible even if the intercept was for real that the kid heard what he said he heard-in other words that whoever sent it was off base and Olenga is ignoring him?"

"That's possible, Mr. President."

"Thank you for coming to see me, Colonel."

( Four) 5 October 1964 URGENT FROM US EMBASSY LEOPOLDVILLE DEMREPCONGO TO SECSTATE WASHDC SPECIAL STANLEYVILLE SITUATION UPDATE 1300 ZULU.

5 OCTOBER 1964 FOLLOWING IS EXTRACT OF TRANSLATION OF FRENCH LANGUAGE BROADCAST BY GASTON SOUMIALOT, REPORTED TO BE MINISTER OF DEFENSE IN REBEL GOVERNMENT OVER RADIO ST ANLEYVILLE 1200 ZULU TODAY QUOTE I INFORM THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT THAT I CAN SAFEGUARD PEACE AND ALSO THE PROPERTY OF CONGOLESE AND FOREIGNERS. I AM VERY SURPRISED THAT THE AMERICANS ARE CONTINUING TO KILL WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND ALSO PATIENTS IN HOSPITALS. IF THE AMERICANS DO NOT STOP DROPPING BOMBS ON TOWNS ALREADY LIBERATED THEN THEIR BROTHERS WHO ARE KILLING PEOPLE WILL BE KILLED WHEN FOUND IN THESE TOWNS.

QUOTE CONTINUES I HAVE NEVER KILLED AMERICANS AND I DO NOT LIKE TO KILL, BUT IF THIS BOMBING GOES ON WE WILL BE COMPELLED TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST THESE AMERICANS IN THE CONGO.

QUOTE Continues IF THEY CONTINUE KILLING MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN THEN I INFORM THEM THAT IF ONE CONGOLESE IS KILLED, HE WILL BE BURIED IN HIS GRAVE TOGETHER WITH TWELVE AMERICANS ENDQUOTE TRANSLATION VERIFIED BY TWO QUALIFIED LINGUISTS.

USAMBASSADOR BELIEVES SPEAKER WAS IN FACT SOUMIALOT.

TAPE RECORDING OF BROADCAST IN TODAYS DIPLOMATIC POUCH. COURIER ABOARD UTA FLIGHT 404 CONNECTING BRUSSELS SABENA 600 TO NEWYORKETA 16506 OCTOBER.

DANNELLY DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION.

(Five) The White House Washington, D.C. 8 October 1964 "I sort of thought you would be in to see me, Felter." the President of the United States said.

"Sir?"

"Earl was just in here to summarize the feeling of the Congo Working Group for me. They seem to feel that the situation in the Congo is becoming manageable. Did you see this?"

He handed Felter a yellow radioteletype printout.

URGENT FROM US EMBASSY LEOPOLDVILLE DEMREPCONGO TO SECSTATE WASHDC STANLEYVILLE SITUATION UPDATE AS OF 2400 ZULU 7 OCTOBER 1964 INTELSOURCE RATING ONE PAREN 1 PAREN REPORTS CONGOLESE MILITARY FORCE {NCLUDING 40 KATANGESE SPECIAL GENDARMERIE UNDER CAPTAIN K. W AGNER LIBERATED UVIR. A NORTHERN TIP OF LAKE TANGANYIKA AS OF 1430 ZUKU 7 OCTOBER. REBEL FORCES SUFFERED SEVERE REPEAT SEVERE PERSONNEL, TRANSPORT, AND MATERIEL LOSSES.

SAMESOURCE QUOTES WAGNER AS SAYING REBEL FORCES IN UVIRA IN PROCESS PREPARING RECEIPT LARGE QUANTITIES OF ARMS AND MATERIEL FRQM BURUNDI. WAGNER DOES NOT BELIEVE LIBERATION OF UVIRA IN AND OF ITSELF WILL HALT SUPPLY OF REBEL FORCES FROM CHICOM AND OTHERS IN BURUNDI.

USEMBASSY BELIEVES WAGNER TO BE SOUTHAMERICAN NATIONAL FORMERLY OFFICER IN EAST GERMAN ARMY. HE IS KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN SUCCESSFUL DEFENSE OF BUKA VU.

DANNELLY DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION.

"Yes, Sir, I've seen it."

"I thought McCone was going to shit a brick when he read that the Ambassador was using an East German mercenary as a source for his intelligence. I was tempted to tell him who he really is."

"Did you, Sir?"

"No. I felt a little dishonest. But if I had told him, the State Department would have found out, and sure as Christ made little apples, one of those bastards would convince himself it should be leaked. Jesus, what the newspapers would do with that if they latched on to it!"

"Yes, Sir, I agree."

"But what if something goes wrong and they capture Wagner? And show him off to the press?"

"The Simbas are not taking prisoners, Mr. President."

"But if they did? If I were Wagner, and they caught me, I'd damn sure tell them anything they wanted to hear. What makes you think this guy's so reliable?"

"You can never be absolutely sure of anything, Mr. President, but I don't think that Lieutenant Wagner, or any of the others, would permit themselves to fall into enemy hands." The President looked at him thoughtfully. "You're pretty goddamned unemotional about that, aren't you?"

"These are all pretty special people, Mr. President," Felter said. "They understand what is involved. And being very cold blooded about it, I think they would all decide that being a Simba prisoner was the worst possible scenario and take whatever action was necessary to keep that from happening."

The President grunted. "Save the last round for themselves? Like a John Wayne cowboys and Indians movie? Why do they do it, Felter?"

"There is an element of adventure, Sir. And probably what they call peer-group pressure. But I happen to believe that they believe in what they're doing. Using your John Wayne. analogy, they see themselves as standing between the Indians and the wagon train."

"I'm not sure I could do something like that," the President said.

". . ." Felter stopped saying whatever his open mouth was about to say.

"Say what you were going to say, Colonel."

"I was about to say, Mr. President, that I think you could."

The President looked intently at Felter for a moment. "Didn't you ever hear that you can't bullshit a bull shitter, Felter?"

"I have something else, Mr. President."

"I'm afraid to ask what." Felter reached in his pocket and handed the President a single sheet of white typewriter paper, folded in thirds. The following was intercepted at 2120 Zulu 7 October. It originated in Kindu and was a voice transmission in the Swahili language. The message was recorded off the air and our translation confirmed by a Belgian priest fluent in Swahili.

Attention-this is a message from Lieutenant General Olenga, Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Liberation, to His Excellency President Christophe Gbenye, His Excellency Minister of Defense Gaston Emile Soumialot, and Colonel Opepe.

[repeated three times] I give you official order. If NATO aircraft bomb and kill Congolese civilian population, please kill one foreigner for each Congolese of your region. Only chance which remains for us is to die with foreigners inhabiting liberated zones. If no bombing, please treat foreigners as honored guests in accordance with Bantu custom. Give them food and drink.

[repeated three times] The entire message, with minor variations, is being repeated at approximately thirty-minute intervals.

The President raised his eyes from the sheet of typewriter paper, and looked at Felter. "What's out of place here?" he asked. "What's different?"

"Sir?"