The Honor of Spies

One of the soccer balls had lasted about ten minutes in play and a second just a few minutes more. The third soccer ball--and the mallets, which surprised him--had endured the stress of play for two chukkers when the flaming red Lodestar had flashed over the field.

Sawyer had decided there was time for one--possibly two--more chukkers before Frade arrived from the aircraft, and they had played two more.

He had just had time to dismount and reclaim his Thompson submachine gun and his web belt holding his .45 Colt when the nose of the Lincoln Continental appeared at the end of the field.

He had not expected the brown vehicles of the Gendarmeria Nacional, and was a little worried until he saw Frade climb out from behind the wheel of the Lincoln.

"Subinspector Navarro, this is my deputy, Capitan Sawyer," Frade began the in troductions.

Sensing that he was expected to do so, Sawyer saluted.

"I'll explain this all later," Frade then said to Sawyer. "But right now, I want you to show Subinspector Navarro the weapons cache and explain the perimeter defense to him--"

"You make it sound as if we're going to be attacked," Sawyer interrupted.

"That's a strong possibility," Frade said, then went on: "These gentlemen are Senor Kortig and Senor Moller. They will be joined shortly by their wives and children. In the meantime, Enrico's going to--where's Stein?"

Sawyer looked around and then pointed. Stein was walking toward them from the house.

Clete waited until he had joined them, then, after introducing Kortig, Moller, and Subinspector Navarro to "Major" Stein, he asked where Senor Fischer was.

"With his father. You need him?"

"No. What I want you to do is ask him to stay with his father until I send for him."

Stein's raised eyebrows showed his surprise, but he didn't say anything.

"Then," Frade continued, "find the housekeeper and tell her (a) to prepare some of the rooms in one of the outbuildings for the Kortigs and the Mollers. That's two wives and three children--adolescents. They'll be staying here awhile. And (b) to prepare something to eat for everybody; we haven't had anything since breakfast."

"Where are the wives and children?" Stein said.

"With Mother Superior getting a physical; they should be here in forty-five minutes or an hour."

"Dona Dorotea didn't come with you?"

"She's with them. Captain Sawyer is going to show Subinspector Navarro the arms cache and the perimeter defense. He and another Gendarmeria officer will need rooms in the big house, and we'll need rooms for eight gendarmes in whatever outbuilding she wants to put the Mollers and the Kortigs. Enrico is going to take Senor Moller and Senor Kortig to the bar. As soon as you can, bring any messages from Mount Sinai to me there."

"No messages from Mount Sinai, Major," Stein said. "You expecting one?"

A very long one. When you don't know what the hell you are doing, ask somebody who presumably does.

And Graham has certainly had enough time to send me my orders.

Clete said: "The SIGABA's up at Vint Hill Farms?"

Stein nodded. "With a net check every hour."

"Well, in that case, there's nothing for Senor Moller and Senor Kortig and me to do but have a glass of wine while we wait for the ladies," Clete said. "Or hear from Mount Sinai. Or for the sky to fall. Whichever comes first."

[FOUR]

Office of the Deputy Director for Western Hemisphere

Operations

Office of Strategic Services

National Institutes of Health Building

Washington, D.C.

1715 3 October 1943

Allen W. Dulles entered Graham's office carrying a well-stuffed briefcase and a small, nearly square package wrapped in cheap gray paper and tied with frazzled string.

Whatever that is, he brought it from London. Among other things they don't have in Merry Old England these days is decent wrapping paper and string.

Dulles set the package on Graham's desk and then reached across the desk to shake his hand.

"How was the flight?" Graham asked.

"Long and uncomfortable. The daily courier left without me. I came on a standard Douglas C-54. Via Shannon, Ireland; Gander, Newfoundland; and Westover, in Massachusetts. That's a long way to ride sitting on unupholstered seats or trying to sleep on a pile of mail bags on the floor."

"That's the price of having to respond to the call of your master's voice," Graham said. "How did that go?"

"First, let me open this," Dulles said, nodding at the package and fishing in his pocket.

After a moment, Graham reached into a desk drawer, came up with a pair of scissors, and handed them to Dulles.

"What's in there that's so important?" Graham said.