'Keep on trying her flat.' Pepperidge.

'Will do, sir.'

Got my attention now.

'You talking about Katie?'

He looked at me, Pepperidge, face was bleak.

'Yes.'

'What's up?'

'She's missing.'

28 THE DEAL.

'How much does she know?'

'Not a great deal.'

He didn't like the way I'd fetched him back.

'So she's expendable?'

Loman hedged. 'She's not... indispensable.'

'So if you can't find her, what're you going to do? Throw her to the dogs?'

Flood had got us some black coffee and I was back on the cutting edge. It was Loman who looked as if he could use some sleep now; it was gone one o'clock and I suppose he was still under jet lag.

'I shall be instructed,' he said, 'from London.'

'London.' I thought about that. 'Who, in London?'

'Mr Croder.'

Oh really. Chief of Control.

Pepperidge eased himself back onto the couch, looking beaten. The last twenty-four hours had been a strain for him too, knowing he'd have to blow his own cover with me and confront me with Loman.

''Croder started this?' I asked Loman. 'He initiated the whole thing?'

It was important to know. At the Bureau Croder ranked about equal to the Holy Ghost.

'Yes.' Loman was still standing, briefcase hanging from his right hand, polished shoes neatly together. 'But I rather believe you said you weren't interested in anything I had to tell you.'

He'd had to get that bit over and I'd been waiting for it, and he'd put it exactly the way I'd known he would, 'I rather believe", oh my God.

I just ignored it, of course. 'When was she last seen?'

'She left her office,' Pepperidge said, 'soon after ten this morning. Yesterday morning. I've been trying to contact her ever since then because Mr Loman wants her report.'

'What report?'

'Just routine.'

Fair enough. The London end was out here suddenly and he'd want to debrief everyone in the field as a matter of course.

'Quiller,' he said in a moment, 'since you are now prepared to listen to me, I have a question for you.'

'Well?'

'It's obvious to you that what concerns us is that McCorkadale might have been seized by the Shoda organisation to be held as a hostage in a potential exchange for you. And since you know a very, very great deal more than she does, and since you are the sole obstacle standing in the way of the Shoda organisation's projected coup in Southeast Asia, my question is this. If the opposition contacts us and offers to release McCorkadale in exchange for you, what would be your decision?'

He was standing with his head lowered, looking upwards at me in an attitude of intense concentration. I was aware of Pepperidge at the edge of my vision, equally intent. A faint singing noise began somewhere; Flood had left the coffee percolator plugged in on the marble wall-table, and its thermostat had just cut in again. Loman was still waiting.

'I'd do it,' I said.

I heard Pepperidge suck in his breath.

Loman kept his cool. 'You would surrender to the opposition?'

'I'd have no choice. If I refused, they'd begin torture and let me know, and they'd finally kill her out of hand in any case.'

'She means that much to you?'

'Not really. I've only known her a few days. But she's a woman."

He got impatient now, dropped his briefcase onto the end of the couch and put his hands into the pockets of his jacket, thumbs hooked over the edge. 'But surely that's rather Victorian?'

'No, I'm way ahead of my time.' I took a step closer to him, pet subject, he'd better keep off. 'One day they're going to be thought of as important to us.'

He watched me for a bit longer and then sat down in the winged chair, arms across his knees, hands hanging. 'Rabid romanticism,' I think he said, it was under his breath. Louder, looking up, 'And what would you imagine Shoda would do to you, once you were in her hands?'

'Have my head.'

'Having done which, she'd then be free to proceed with her projected coup and set the whole of Southeast Asia on fire. And you would place that as having less importance than the life of one woman?'

'Right on.'

Pepperidge put out a cautioning hand. 'Old boy, you -' and then saw my expression and drew it back, shrugging.

'Your word on this,' Loman said, 'is final?'

'Yes.'