"I met Pappy Hodges and Geoff Craig there when I was running around in the bush with the Simbas," Lunsford said. "And what's all this going to cost?"

"I think, not much. I know the people who run the hotel, so they won't try to gouge us, and I think they'll be glad for the business," Jack said. "So what happens if we don't need all the money Uncle is giving us?"

"Well, he ain't going to get it back," Thomas said. "That is, if the Rations and Quarters Officer is wise enough to delegate that responsibility to the senior NCO of this organization."

"Sergeants, as you should know, having been one, are the backbone of the Army," Lunsford said. "It would behoove you to pay attention to Sergeant Thomas. Say 'yes, sir.' "

"Yes, sir," Jack said.

"I was thinking of R and R," Lunsford said. "Christ only knows how long we'll be here. I'll set up a week's TDY to South Africa, every couple of months, on a roster. We will call them 'local purchases missions' and it won't be charged as leave. If there's excess money in the rations and quarters fund, we can pass it out to the troops."

"That's not legal," Captain Smythe protested.

Lunsford looked at him with his eyebrows raised.

"Since you have been a sort of half Green Beanie not quite long enough to get your sweatband greasy," Lunsford said, "I will overlook that stupid comment, Captain. But don't ever again offer a legal opinion of one of my decisions. Say 'yes, sir.' "

He was smiling, but Smythe-and everybody else-knew he was serious.

"Yes, sir," Captain Smythe said.

The steaks were served, and they were just about finished with them when there was movement on the verandah.

"Why do I think we're about to see General Mobutu?" Lunsford asked softly as two Congolese paratroopers moved quickly across the lawn to take up defensive positions, and two more stepped onto the patio.

"I didn't hear any sirens, did you?" Jack asked.

Lunsford shook his head.

"Maybe he knows he's important," Lunsford said.

Joseph Desire Mobutu stepped onto the verandah, followed by Dr. Howard Dannelly. Mobutu was wearing camouflage fatigues and jump boots. Dannelly was in a tropical-weight gray suit.

"Jacques, mon vieux!" Mobutu called out, smiling and waving his hand as he came off the verandah and started across the lawn. Mobutu called out, smiling and waving his hand as he came off the verandah and started across the lawn.

"Why do I think he wants something?" Lunsford asked softly as he got to his feet.

"Welcome, my general," Jack said in Swahili. "And you, Doctor."

Lunsford came to attention in his bathing trunks, and saluted. Mobutu returned it, then embraced Jack.

"I am here as a friend, not officially," Mobutu said in Swahili.

"Then hello, Joseph," Jack said. "Can I offer you a beer? Lunch?"

"Just a beer, thank you," Mobutu said, and sat down at the table, and motioned for Dannelly to take a chair.

Without orders, Nimbi came quickly across the lawn carrying a tray with more beer and a pitcher of orange juice.

Jack waited until Mobutu had taken a beer, and orange juice had been poured for Dannelly.

"General, may I present these three soldiers? This is Captain Smythe, who will be Colonel Supo's pilot; Master Sergeant Thomas, our sergeant major; and Specialist Peters, who will be in charge of communications."

Mobutu looked at each of them carefully.

Taking their cue from Lunsford, Smythe and Peters saluted.

"How do you do, sir?" Thomas said in English.

"Unfortunately, neither Captain Smythe nor Specialist Peters speaks either French or Swahili," Lunsford said in Swahili, "but we're going to try to teach them."

Mobutu smiled at Thomas, possibly because they looked as if they could be brothers, returned his salute, and offered him his hand.

"What's wrong with the little one's leg?" Mobutu asked. "And what is a specialist? Is he a soldier?"

"He is a fine soldier, my general," Thomas said in Swahili. "He hurt his leg during his last jump-"

"He's a parachutist?" Mobutu asked, doubtfully.

"Oh, yes, my general," Lunsford said. "And despite his injury, he insisted on coming here with us. He is perhaps the best special operations communications man in the Army. As a specialist of his grade, he is paid what a master sergeant is paid."

Mobutu beamed at Peters, reached for his hand, and pumped it enthusiastically. Peters, who hadn't understood a word of the exchange, smiled nervously.

"How is your wife, Captain Portet?" Dannelly asked in English.

"It's Lieutenant, Doctor," Jack corrected him, now speaking English. "And she is fine, and at this moment waiting for my call. There's trouble with the circuits."

"Mr. Finton tells me that her father is a fine Christian officer and gentleman," Dannelly said.

"And her mother is a fine Christian lady," Jack said.

"Well, then, I guess we can hope they will all be a good influence on you, can't we?"

"I'm sure they will be, Doctor," Jack said.

It was obvious from the look on his face that Captain Smythe was wondering what that exchange was all about.

"I said I was here personally, as a friend, Jacques," Mobutu said in Swahili. "We have to talk about Air Simba. Do you mind discussing a little problem in front of your friends?"

"Not at all," Jack said. "Major Lunsford is my friend as well as my commanding officer. I look on Sergeant Thomas as a friend as well as a master sergeant."

"But I'm sure you don't want to force the others to have to listen to a business conversation, do you?"

"With your permission, sir," Thomas said in Swahili to Lunsford, "I will take the others into the house."

"Granted," Lunsford said.

"Thank you," Mobutu said to Thomas.

Mobutu helped himself to another beer and waited until Smythe and Thomas, supporting Peters between them, made their way across the lawn to the verandah.

"There is a slight problem with the people who are going to finance the purchase of Air Simba," Mobutu began, now speaking French. "Somewhere they have gotten the idea that the company is not in as good shape, financially, as your father led me to believe it was, and I-my friends-told the bankers it was."

"May I speak frankly, Joseph?" Jack asked in French.

"We are friends," Mobutu said.

"My father has faith in the Congolese government," Jack said. "When he listed the assets of the company, he treated the vouchers issued by the government as cash. The bankers, possibly, being bankers, do not share Dad's faith that as soon as possible the government vouchers will be paid."

Mobutu did not reply.

"The second problem is that the bankers have somehow formed the idea that your father has more or less deserted Air Simba for greener pastures, suggesting this is because he is fully aware of the financial difficulties of Air Simba," Dr. Dannelly said.

"They know he has resigned as chief pilot of Air Congo, and is now living in the United States," Mobutu added.

"He told you about that, Joseph," Jack said. "The U.S. government has asked for his services, and he could hardly refuse. I thought you understood."

"I understand," Mobutu said. "It's the bankers bankers that don't understand. " that don't understand. "

"I'll help in any way I can, of course," Jack said, "and so will Dad. But I don't know-"

"One of the solutions suggested," Dannelly said, "is that your father return here for two or three months, during which time General Mobutu assures me the problem of the unpaid vouchers can be taken care of. That would put the concerns of the bankers to rest."

Jack thought: I wonder where that suggestion came from? You? I wonder where that suggestion came from? You?

"I don't see where that would be possible," Jack said.

"If he doesn't come back, the bankers will be convinced they are right about his having deserted what they think of as a sinking ship," Mobutu said. "And if that word got around, that Air Simba is is a sinking ship . . ." a sinking ship . . ."

"What if Jack were to run Air Simba for a while?" Lunsford asked. "Would that help matters?"

"General Mobutu had considered that, frankly," Dannelly said. "But Jacques is in the Army. . . ."

"Perhaps something could be worked out," Lunsford said. "Unofficially, of course."

"You seem very willing to be of help," Dr. Dannelly said.

"Beware of Americans bearing gifts?" Lunsford said. "Would you be surprised if there were something in it for me?"

Mobutu chuckled.

"What would be in it for you?" he asked.

"If Jack were wearing an Air Simba uniform, and flying an Air Simba airplane, something he's done for years, the bankers would be reassured. . . ."

"And?" Mobutu asked.

"Air Simba flies all over the Congo, all over southern Africa, without questions being asked," Lunsford said. "That would help me do what I have been sent here to do."

"And now that the government, I understand, is preparing to redeem the vouchers . . ." Mobutu said.

Meaning, of course, Jack thought, Jack thought, that you will call the minister of finance in and "suggest" he redeem Air Simba's unpaid vouchers even if it means stripping the treasury of every last dollar instrument. Anything for a good cause, especially if that that you will call the minister of finance in and "suggest" he redeem Air Simba's unpaid vouchers even if it means stripping the treasury of every last dollar instrument. Anything for a good cause, especially if that cause is "your associates" being able to borrow the money to buy Air Simba at forty, fifty cents on the dollar. cause is "your associates" being able to borrow the money to buy Air Simba at forty, fifty cents on the dollar.

"The bankers would be assured that Air Simba is solid financially, " Jack said.

"Exactly," Mobutu said, almost triumphantly. Then a worried look crossed his face and he looked at Dr. Dannelly.

"I think," Dannelly said after a moment, "that everyone might profit if Captain-excuse me, think," Dannelly said after a moment, "that everyone might profit if Captain-excuse me, Lieutenant- Lieutenant-Portet became Captain Portet of Air Simba again for the next several months."

"And even afterward," Lunsford said. "If the Congolese Army were to charter Air Simba to support Colonel Supo."

"Yes," Mobutu said. "You could arrange this, Major Lunsford?"

"Consider it arranged, General," Lunsford said, and reached across the table with his hand extended. "Deal?"

Mobutu looked at Dannelly again, almost as if asking permission. Dannelly just visibly nodded his head, and Mobutu took Lunsford's hand.

Jack waited until Mobutu's paratroopers had followed Mobutu and Dannelly into the house before asking, "You think you can get away with me going back to Air Simba?"

"If I asked for permission, I would probably be told I'm out of my mind, so I just won't ask for permission. Consider yourself placed on further TDY, Lieutenant, in a classified covert mission which will require your assumption of cover role. Hell, the CIA does it all the time, why not Detachment Seventeen?"

Jack shook his head.

Smythe, Thomas, and Peters appeared on the verandah and, moving at Peters's on-crutches pace, came back to the swimming pool.

"There has been a change in officer assignments," Lunsford said. "Captain Smythe, you are herewith appointed Rations and Quarters Officer of Detachment 17. Lieutenant Portet is relieved. "

"What's going on?" Thomas asked.

"You tell them, Captain Portet, while I seek the gentlemen's rest facility," Lunsford said. "My back teeth, as they say, are floating."

He walked quickly across the lawn toward the house.

[ FOUR ].

The Oval Office The White House Washington, D.C.

1615 25 February 1965 The President of the United States was behind his desk, talking on the telephone, his voice cajoling, when a Secret Service agent opened the door. Colonel Sanford T. Felter was standing behind him.

It took a moment to catch the President's attention. Then Lyndon Johnson signaled with a pointed finger for Felter to enter, and for him to join the other two men in the room.

The other two men were the Secretary of State and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. They both nodded somewhat coldly at Felter, but didn't speak. Felter sat down on one of the two couches on either side of a coffee table.

Then all three waited for the President to finish his telephone call.