"I would not be a friend if I let you make a big mistake," Jack said.

"If Kasavubu is to lead this country, he cannot afford to be perceived as a man who has to have white assistance to handle every minor disturbance that occurs."

"General, you're not suggesting that Stanleyville was a 'minor disturbance'?" Father said.

"Perhaps, Major, 'minor' was a poor choice of words."

"Stanleyville was a disaster," Father said flatly. "And if the Belgians hadn't jumped on it when they did, the Simbas would now be marching on Leopoldville. And when Che Guevara starts operating in that area, training soldiers, arming them with Soviet weaponry, what happened before will look like a Boy Scout rally in comparison."

For a moment Jack thought Mobutu was either going to lash out at Father, remind him that he was speaking to the chief of staff of the Congolese Army, or simply get up and storm off.

But he surprised Jack. He took a moment to almost visibly restrain his temper, then smiled at Father.

"Jacques, you know, jumped with the Belgians," he said.

"Yes, sir, I know," Father said.

"And is Jacques, then, the source of your information about what happened in Stanleyville?" Mobutu asked. "With all respect to my young friend, he was only there for a few hours."

"I was there for five months, General," Father said in Swahili. "I know what went on in Stanleyville."

Both the statement and the Swahili surprised Mobutu.

"You're the man Colonel Supo told me about," Mobutu said after a moment, in Swahili.

Lunsford looked confused.

"He was the Congolese officer with Colonel Van de Waele at Kamina," Jack furnished.

"At his recommendation," Mobutu said, as if to himself, "I have decorated you for your extraordinary valor. What you did was incredible."

Father didn't reply.

"With that in mind, Joseph," Jack said. "Don't you think you could at least hear what Major Lunsford has to say?"

Mobutu took a long moment to consider that, but finally nodded his assent.

"Before I get into what we know about Che Guevara, and his plans to screw up your country, General," Father began, "let me try to put your mind at ease about one thing. Nobody will be able to accuse you of having to ask white men to help you out here. Everybody we want to send over here is black."

"Interesting," Mobutu said. "But let me perhaps save us both some time. What you have to do, Major, is convince me of two things. First that this Cuban is actually going to come here-"

"Colonel Felter-he's in the house-has brought you proof of that, General, believe me," Father interrupted.

"-and if this is actually so, why the United States government does not believe my government is perfectly capable, if this man should come here and start an armed rebellion against the Congo . . . why the army I have the honor to command cannot arrest him, try him, and stand him before a firing squad."

"That's the last thing we want to happen, Joseph," Jack said. "We want to keep the sonofabitch alive."

"What?"

"What we want to do, General," Father said, "is very quietly- 'invisibly' may be a better word-help you frustrate everything Guevara tries to do. We want him humiliated, not turned into a martyr."

"Whose idea is that?" Mobutu asked incredulously.

"President Johnson's," Father said.

Mobutu looked at Jack, who nodded.

"Why should I believe that?" Mobutu asked, and looked toward the house, obviously seeking Dr. Dannelly.

Jack followed Mobutu's glance. Dannelly was not visible, but Colonel Sanford T. Felter was. He had apparently just that moment come out of the house and was standing on the patio where Finton had stood, with the same Congolese paratrooper who had pointed his rifle at Finton now pointing it at Felter.

Felter was in uniform, complete to jump boots and green beret. He looked up with contempt at the paratrooper's face, and pushed the muzzle of the rifle away with his hand.

Mobutu called out to the paratrooper to let him pass, and when the paratrooper stepped aside, Felter marched off the patio and across the lawn toward them.

Jack thought very much the same thing his father had thought when Lieutenant Colonel Craig Lowell had appeared at his door in Ocean Reef.

Christ, he has more medals than Patton!

Felter walked up to the table.

"Joseph, may I present my chief, Colonel Felter?" Jack said. "Sir, this is Lieutenant General Mobutu."

Felter saluted.

"An honor, sir," he said.

Mobutu returned the salute.

"Please join us, Colonel," Mobutu said in French. "And let us know what you think of our Congolese beer."

"Thank you, sir," Felter said, and helped himself to a beer before sitting down.

"Major Lunsford was just telling me that despite the terrible things this Cuban plans for my country-that is, if he actually does plan terrible things for my country, of which I am yet to be convinced-that the President of the United States wants him kept alive. And I had just asked him why I should believe either thing."

"General," Felter said. "Insofar as Guevara's intentions are concerned, I've got material in my briefcase that should remove any doubts you may have. And I hope this will remove any doubts you might have about President Johnson."

Felter handed Mobutu a small, nearly square envelope.

Mobutu opened it, read it, and then laid it on the table where Jack could see it.

THE WHITE HOUSEWASHINGTON, D. C.January 12, 1965Lieutenant General Joseph D. Mobutu Chief of Staff, the Army of the Republic of the CongoBy HandDear General Mobutu:This will introduce Counselor-to-the-President of the United States Colonel Sanford T. Felter, USA, who has my absolute confidence and speaks for me.

Lyndon B. Johnson LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON.

Mobutu looked at Felter for a long moment before finally speaking.

"So you are a little more than a parachute officer, Colonel?" Mobutu said.

"Like yourself, General, I am a parachute officer whom fate has chosen to give additional duties."

Mobutu chuckled.

"I will have to give this matter some thought," Mobutu said.

By that he means he wants to ask Dannelly what he thinks he should do, Jack thought. Jack thought. Which means we're right back at square one. His decision will be based on whether or not Finton can Which means we're right back at square one. His decision will be based on whether or not Finton can convince Dannelly that we're doing the righteous thing in the eyes of God. convince Dannelly that we're doing the righteous thing in the eyes of God.

"Of course," Felter said.

[ EIGHT ].

Captain Jean-Philippe Portet showed up fifteen minutes later, interrupting Major Lunsford's lecture on the training of Special Forces soldiers, and the composition of Green Beret A and B Teams, which Mobutu had obviously found fascinating.

He and Mobutu embraced warmly, and when Captain Portet helped himself to a beer, Mobutu asked for another.

"It's good to have you back, my friend," Mobutu said. "I have missed you."

"And I have missed you," Portet said, tapping the neck of his beer bottle against Mobutu's, then slumping into one of the chairs. "And I'm going to miss the house-the Congo-very much. I can only hope it won't take long."

"What are you talking about?" Mobutu asked, confused.

"You don't know, obviously," Captain Portet said. "I thought Jacques or Colonel Felter would have told you."

Mobutu flashed a look of annoyance at both Jack and Felter. "Told me what?"

"Jacques is not the only one who's been conscripted," Portet said.

"Conscripted?" Mobutu asked. "You mean into the Army?"

"Not exactly," Captain Portet said. "But into government service. "

"Can they do that?" Mobutu asked incredulously.

"Well, it's about the same thing that happened to you, Joseph," Captain Portet said. "I know you didn't want to remain chief of staff. . . ."

In a pig's ass, he didn't, Jack thought. Jack thought.

"You had done your military service, as I had, and as Jacques is now doing," Portet said. "You had earned the right to take off your uniform and put soldiering behind you. But duty called. There was no one better qualified than you to command the army, and you knew it."

"I saw it as my duty," Mobutu said. "You and I talked about it."

"And when we talked about it, we talked about it meaning that keeping the position would mean a great loss of income for you."

"I saw it as my duty," Mobutu repeated modestly.

Christ, he's playing this for Father's benefit, maybe for Colonel Felter's, too, but he really wants Lunsford to see what a noble man, what a patriot, he is. He's glad my father gave him the opportunity.

"How long did that last?" Portet asked.

"Eight days," Mobutu said. "Kasavubu and Lumumba should have known that after Independence the Force Publique would not serve under Belgian officers. I told them both the Force Publique would mutiny, and it did."

"And you knew then that only you could stop the mutiny. . . ."

"They saw me as a fellow soldier, one who understood their concerns," Mobutu said. "I did what had to be done."

You made colonels-including yourself-out of Force Publique sergeant majors, majors out of sergeants, lieutenants out of corporals, and every private who could read and write got to be a sergeant, Jack thought. Jack thought. But, I have to admit, you did stop the mutiny. Those were hairy times. But, I have to admit, you did stop the mutiny. Those were hairy times.

"And I know, Joseph, for we talked about it then, that it was only with the greatest reluctance that you became involved in the trouble between Kasavubu and Lumumba; you would have preferred to hold yourself and the Army distant from dirty politics."

"Lumumba proved incapable of governing," Mobutu said. "I was forced to chose between them, for the good of the Congo."

"Seizing control of the government for Kasavubu was something you had to do," Captain Portet said. "And history will record that as soon as you could, you gave the government back to the people."

"I did not want to be secretary of state for national defense," Mobutu said, "that was thrust upon me. I tried to tell Lumumba that Moise Tshombe was a Communist, but he wouldn't listen," Mobutu added righteously.

"The damage he has done to the Congo is by no means over," Captain Portet said. "He let the noses of the Russian and Chinese camels under the flap of the tent."

"I will meet fire with fire if they try something like that again," Mobutu said. "The Congolese Army is now prepared to defend the Congo against any enemy."

Does he believe that? Christ, I hope not.

He's liable to decide the way to prove to Lunsford that he's in charge and that every day, in every way, everything's getting better and better is to refuse to let us send the teams in. charge and that every day, in every way, everything's getting better and better is to refuse to let us send the teams in.

"Joseph," Captain Portet said, "I didn't mean to get into all this again."

Mobutu waved a hand to show he understood.

"What I wanted to do was tell you that, in my own way, I am going to do what you did. My country has asked for my help, and I see it as my duty to do what I can."

"What will you be doing?" Mobutu asked, almost impatiently.

Dad could have spent all afternoon here letting Lunsford know what a great man Joseph Desire Mobutu is, and Mobutu would have loved every second of it.

"The war in Vietnam is growing larger by the day," Portet said. "They need my help in setting up an air operation, passenger and freight, to augment the Air Force, which isn't large enough to handle the job itself."

"It was large enough to send a fleet of transports to Stanleyville, " Mobutu said.

"And doing so is what taught them they need a supplemental air fleet, and now."

"When will you be going? And for how long?"

"Almost immediately," Portet said, "and for at least a year."

Mobutu didn't reply.

"Which is going to pose problems for Air Simba," Portet went on. "I'm going to have to find someone to manage it, and I have even been thinking of putting it up for sale."

Mobutu looked at him.