"Palissers maid threw a box of gauze and a roll of tape over it. Now turn that d.a.m.n thing back on, and Ill keep my hat where it is." The two men listened in silence to the taped conversation; it lasted an hour and twenty-three minutes. Each took notes, and when it was over, each had specific sections he wished to re-hear.

"Youre very good at what you do, Commander," said Poole admiringly. "For a couple of minutes I thought you were real partial to Attila the Hun."

"Some of its coming back, Lieutenant. Not enough, but some.... Come on, lets keep going."

"Okay, well take the segments in sequence from the beginning. Ill skip from one to another, cause I sketched out the areas of discovery and know where they are."

"What the h.e.l.l are you now, a lawyer?"

"Oh, the pity. My daddy wanted me to be, just like him, but-"

"Spare me," Tyrell interrupted. "Just turn it on."

(HAWTHORNE) Was there anyone at the Ingersols tonight who you didnt expect to see, sir, someone who perhaps surprised you?

(MEYERS) Thats difficult to answer, Mr. Hawthorne. For starters, it was d.a.m.n crowded and the lights werent that bright-those candles on the buffet tables were the only source actually, but then, I restrict eating between meals, so I wasnt there. A soldier may travel on his belly, but not if its too full, right?

(HAWTHORNE) Absolutely, sir. But was there anyone who stood out in your mind as you think back? Im told you have an incredible memory. Your tactics against the Cong, Ive been told, were based on aerial photographs no one else remembered.

(MEYERS) Quite true, quite true, but then, I always had my aides, I wont short them.... Yes, come to think of it, there were several members of the Senate whose presence did astonish me. Politically quite far to the left, if you read me, and it was common knowledge that David Ingersol was a friend to the Pentagon.

(HAWTHORNE) Could you be more specific, General?

(MEYERS) Yes, I can. That senator from Iowa, the one who keeps whining that the farmers are sacrificed for defense allocations, when who has more subsidies than the farm belts? He was, as usual, pontificating in that Midwest-deacons pose of his. Also a couple of other lefties whose names I cant recall, but Ill go over the congressional alb.u.ms and Ill call you.

(HAWTHORNE) Thatd be a great help, sir.

(MEYERS) Im not sure how.

(HAWTHORNE) Anything unexpected is a plus, General. Such people could be throwing off suspicion by their presence. Weve heard theres dissension in the ranks of the Bajaratt conspiracy.

(MEYERS, interrupting) There ... is?

(HAWTHORNE) Its spreading. Within days, perhaps hours, well have names.

(MEYERS) That sounds incredible. Commander.... G.o.d knows I hope youre right.

"Okay, thats the first one," said Poole, shutting off the recorder. "Any comment? I didnt choose it, you did, Tye."

"Because I was inside, watching from a corner in the hallway, and saw Meyers eating up a storm at the buffet table. There was no light problem for him; those candles were very bright, and there were sconces on the walls. As to whom he saw, I didnt care, I just wanted to see the types he put down so I could agree with him."

"And throw a little scare into him about dissension in Bajaratts ranks?" said Poole, grinning.

"These days they call it psych-imbalance, Lieutenant. I call it shoving a small poker up his a.s.s. Lets hear the second."

"Its short, but I think its hog-wild, and you did too."

(HAWTHORNE) Did David Ingersol, who we now know was a traitor and dealing with Little Girl Blood, ever give you bad advice in your dealings with contractors?

(MEYERS) By Christ, I certainly questioned a number of his legal decisions! Of course Im not an attorney, but something smelled, I can tell you that!

(HAWTHORNE) Did you follow up on your objections, sir?

(MEYERS) I certainly did! Orally, if not in reports. Good G.o.d, he was a golfing partner of the President!

"Perfect obfuscation," said Poole. "n.o.body can establish nuthin 'orally. "

"Agreed," agreed Tye. "Next, please."

"Also short, and we both caught it."

(HAWTHORNE) Edward White, Ingersols partner, told us that he asked you if you knew anything about a State Department investigation into David Ingersols affairs. Certainly you must have, General, because you constantly monitor the Little Girl Blood progress reports on the confidential equipment- (MEYERS) Whats your question?

(HAWTHORNE) Its not a question, sir, merely a thank-you for handling a deep-cover situation so well. Lesser men would have fallen into the trap.

(MEYERS) Of revealing max-security information? Not on any staff of mine, Id have the b.a.s.t.a.r.d shot. Of course I knew about it, but no one would hear it from me.

"Thats a bingo," Tyrell said. "I was off the books, so it was never sent out. Palisser got me the papers but kept everything quiet."

"Thats why I picked it up." Poole nodded. "Lets go on to the next one, okay?"

(MEYERS) What do you think really happened here, Commander?

(HAWTHORNE) I can show you what happened to me, sir. You can see the top of my head, General. Its not pretty, but here it is.

(MEYERS) Terrible, simply terrible-of course Ive seen a lot worse, but that was combat-oriented, not at a suburban wake, for G.o.ds sake!

(HAWTHORNE) You were the finest combat officer in the army.

(MEYERS) No, son, my boys were the finest- (HAWTHORNE) Your modesty is exceptional for a man with your record.

(MEYERS) One shouldnt blow ones horn, especially when others blow it for you, right?

(HAWTHORNE) Again, so right, sir.... But someone shot Richard Ingersol and attacked me in the garden before I could see who it was, and weve got to find out who!

(MEYERS, interrupting) You should have had Ranger training, Commander. Except for the SEALs, I dont imagine you get much of that in the navy. On the other hand, I heard you had a pretty close call down in the islands, running down the Little Girl. I gather two former spook colleagues of yours were killed, a Brit and a Frenchman, but you got out of it. You must be pretty talented yourself, Commander- "Hold it, Jackson," said Tyrell, leaning forward in his chair as Poole stopped the recorder. "I wanted to make sure I heard it right. I did and its another bingo. At no time did London or Paris acknowledge that Cooke or Ardisonne was attached to MI-6 or the Deuxieme. Meyers got that information from the Scorpio network. Washington never mentioned it in the Bajaratt progress reports; we dont talk about allied intelligence personnel and they dont talk about ours."

"One more nail in the Maximums pine box," noted Poole. "Now, lets peel away a couple of layers of the generals psyche. We both chose this one cause it makes for one scary psychological profile. You did a h.e.l.l of a job here, Tye.... Here we go."

(HAWTHORNE) Your service record, sir, is the top of the military, the envy and the glory of every soldier whos ever served this nation- (MEYERS, interrupting) Thats very kind of you, but, as I have said, I was never alone. Even in the torture crates and tiger holes of the Viet Cong, I knew I had the American people supporting me. I never lost that faith.

(HAWTHORNE) Then, General-and this is a personal question, having nothing to do with tonight-how can you accept the stripping of the military down to the bare bones? I ask you this as a great admirer of yours.

(MEYERS) It wont happen! It cant happen! There are intercontinental ballistic missiles pointed at our sh.o.r.es from all points of the globe! We must arm and rearm! The Soviets may be finished, but others have taken their place. Rearm, for the love of G.o.d, rearm! Take us back to where we were!

(HAWTHORNE) I agree, of course, sir, but how can it be done? The politicians in both parties are demanding cuts, promising the country a "peace-dividend," mainly from defense.

(MEYERS, voice lowered) How can it be done? Let me tell you, Commander, and now were talking just between ourselves-okay, okay?

(HAWTHORNE) On my oath as a naval officer-under G.o.d and you, General.

(MEYERS, voice barely audible) We must first destabilize, Hawthorne, alarm the nation, let it know there are enemies everywhere! And once alarmed, we resume our rightful place as the guardians of the country.

(HAWTHORNE) What kind of alarm, sir? Against what?

(MEYERS) Against the inevitable in a torn society ravaged by undesirables and malcontents. We must be strong and fill the void with leadership.

"Hed be a joke," said Poole, turning off the recorder. "A real comedian if he had a sense of humor. Instead, hes one grotesque son of a b.i.t.c.h."

"Hes paranoid," Tyrell added quietly. "The perfect, dedicated Scorpio for the Providers. Not only are his bank accounts filled-though he probably doesnt give much of a d.a.m.n about that-but he really believes his dreams of right-through-might are within reach. Whats so frightening is that it could happen in seconds, with a single bullet or a grenade, fired or thrown by someone we cant find, someone whos dedicated her entire life to this one kill. Where... where is she?"

33.

It was 8:12 A.M. when the Carillon hotel welcomed back Madame Balzini and her nephew, all formalities confidentially taken care of by an accommodating concierge who was far richer for his labors. At 8:58 Bajaratt phoned the Baaka Valleys bank of choice in the Cayman Islands, used her pa.s.s code, and was a.s.sured that the sum of fifty thousand American dollars would be delivered to the hotel within the hour, no mechanism of transfer sought nor one offered. The money arrived in a doc.u.ment envelope.

"Should I take it?" asked Nicolo when the bank executive left.

"Youll take what I give you. I trust the n.o.ble dock boy understands that I may have made some provisions for myself. You shall have your twenty-five thousand, but the rest is for me, for my endeavors. Why are you looking at me so strangely?"

"Whats going to happen to you, signora? Where will you go, what will you do?"

"Everything will be answered for you tonight, my child lover, whom I adore."

"If you adore me so, why dont you tell me? You say you will leave me tonight-you are vanished, gone, I am alone.... Cant you understand me, Cabi? Youve made me a part of you. I was n.o.body and now I am somebody because of you. I will think of you for the rest of my life. You cannot just disappear and leave me with confusion, a nothingness."

"Therell be no confusion, and as for your being alone, you have your Angel, dont you?"

"It is a faraway hope only."

"Enough talk," said Bajaratt, crossing to the desk and opening the envelope by breaking the three seals and ripping the tab of the striped tape. She removed twenty-six thousand dollars, handing Nicolo a thousand, placing twenty-five on the table, and leaving twenty-four thousand in the envelope. The Baj pressed the seals together and gave it to the dock boy from Portici, along with the thousand dollars. "That should be enough for your expenses to New York," she said. "Can I be fairer or more honest with you than this?"

"Grazie," said Nicolo. "I will give the envelope to Angelina this afternoon."

"Can you trust her, dock boy?"

"Yes. Shes not of your world, and not of the waterfront. I spoke to her a few minutes ago, she was on her way to the airport. Sh.e.l.l be here at two twenty-five, gate seventeen. I cannot wait."

"What will you say to your famous lady?"

"Whatever comes from my heart, signora, not from my head."

Bruce Palisser, secretary of state, had been awakened by the White House at 5:46 A.M. and was in his limousine, heading toward the Oval Office, by ten past six. Syria and Israel were at an impa.s.se; hostilities-conceivably nuclear-were about to break out unless the combined efforts of the United States, England, France, and Germany could cool off the hard-liners of both countries. At six-thirteen Palissers wife took the call from Lieutenant Commander Hawthorne, asking to speak with the secretary right away. It was urgent.

"Apparently something else is also," Janet Palisser replied. "Hes at the White House."

"Im sorry, sir, but weve been ordered not to interrupt the Security Council meeting under any circ.u.mstances-"

"Suppose," interrupted a frustrated Tyrell, "just suppose a ballistic missile was in the air, headed directly at the White House! Could I get through then?"

"Are you saying there is such a ballistic missile-"

"No, Im not saying that! Im saying that Ive got to reach the secretary of state on an extremely urgent matter!"

"Call the State Department."

"I cant call the State Department!... He made it clear that I was to speak only to him."

"Then call his emergency beeper-"

"I dont know how to-"

"If you dont have the number, you cant be very important."

"Please, Ive got to get a message to Secretary Palisser!"

"Wait a sec-what did you say your last name was?"

"Hawthorne."

"Jeez, Im sorry, sir. Your name was added at the end of the list in the computer. The letters are so small, you know what I mean? The message, please."

"Have him call me immediately. He knows where, and Ill be waiting. h.e.l.l get it right away?"

"Im sending it down, sir." There was a click and the line went dead.

Hawthorne turned to Poole, who sat forward in an armchair, listening. "Theres an emergency meeting at the White House, and the switchboard has to read the small print to get me through to Palisser to tell him that a maniac general whos probably in that room is aiding and abetting the a.s.sa.s.sination of the President."

"What do we do now?"

"We wait," said Tyrell. "Its the worst part."

The couple walked out of U.S. Customs and into the main terminal of Dulles International Airport. Their manner was casual, their presence in the United States was not. They were agents of the Mossad and their a.s.signment was as vital as any in recent memory. They carried the ident.i.ty of the man who was the key figure in the Bajaratt enterprise, a senator named Nesbitt, who, beyond reasons of sanity, was leading the terrorist to her kill, a kill that would take place any day, any hour.

They had arrived on El Al, Flight 8002, from Tel Aviv, and, as they had explained to the customs official, their stay would be brief. They were engineers employed by the Israeli government, in Washington to attend a fund-raising conference relative to further irrigation projects in the Negev desert. The uninterested clerk wielded his stamp, wished them a good day, and raised his head for the next applicant.

The Mossad officers continued rapidly into the terminal, the woman dressed in a severe black business outfit, her male companion in a similarly somber gray suit. Each carried a fabric-covered flight bag and identical attache cases. Together, they approached a row of public telephones; the dark-haired woman spoke.