do anything in that area until he stabilizes from the gunshot wounds. The colonel's as mad as I've ever seen him, but he can't override the medicine man. I'm not exactly sanguine either; every twenty-four hours we lose makes the bastards harder to find."
"Are you so sure of that? The ncos have been entrenching themselves for over fifty years. What difference can a single day make?"
"I don't know, maybe another Harry Latham. Let's say I'm impatient."
"I can understand. Is there any strategy where Janine is concerned?"
"You know as much as I do. Sorenson said to keep cold and silent, and let the Antinayous know we had Kroeger. We've done both and left word at Wesley's office that his instructions were carried out. Signed, Paris."
"Does he really believe the Antis have been infiltrated?"
"He told me he was covering all our flanks; it can't do any harm.
We've got Kroeger and nobody can get near him. If anyone tries, we know we've got an exposed flank."
"Could Janine be an asset there?"
"That's Wesley'sob I wouldn't know how to get near
"I wonder if Courtland told her about Kroeger."
"He had to say something after we got him up at three o'clock in the morning."
"He could have said anything, not necessarily the truth. All ambassadors are schooled in what and what not to tell their immediate families. Most of the time for their own protection."
"There's a flaw in that argument, Karin. He put his own wife in D and R, a hornet's nest of classified information."
"His marriage is relatively recent, and if what we believe is true, Janine wanted to be put there. It wouldn't be very difficult for a new wife to persuade her husband. Heaven knows she had the qualifications, and no doubt she put it in terms of wanting to make a patriotic contribution."
"True, or at least I have to take your word for it, Eve and the apple being your foundation-"
"Male chauvinist," interrupted De Vries, laughing and gently jabbing his thigh.
"The apple wasn't our idea, lady."
"You're being pejorative again."
"I wonder how Wcs is going to handle it," said Latham, grabbing her hand and holding it while extinguishing his cigarette.
"Why not call him?"
"His secretary said he wouldn't be back until tomorrow, which means he went somewhere. He mentioned that he had another problem, a heavy one, so perhaps he went after it."
"I'd think Janine Courtland would take precedence."
"Maybe she did. We'll know tomorrow-actually today. The sun's coming up."
"Let it come up, my dearest. We're not allowed near the embassy, so let's consider this our holiday, yours and mine."
"I like that idea," said Drew, turning to her, their bodies touching.
And the telephone rang.
"Some holiday," added Latham, reaching for the abusively intruding phone.
"Yes?"
"It's onem-something in the morning here," said the voice of Wesley Sorenson.
"Sorry if I woke you, but I got your hotel number from Witkowski and wanted to keep you up to speed."
"What happened?"
"Your computer whizzes were on the mark. Everything panned out. Janine Clunitz is a Sonnenkind."
"Janine who?"
"Clunitz is her real name-the Clunes is anglicized. She was brought up by the Schneiders in Centralia, Illinois."
"Yes, we read that. But how can you be sure?"
"I flew out there this afternoon. Old Schneider confirmed it."
"What the hell do we do now?"
"Not 'we," me," replied the director of Consular Operations.
"The State Department is recalling Courtland for thirty-six hours for an emergency meeting with several other European ambassadors, the subject to await their arrival."
"State agreed to this?"
"State doesn't know about it. It's a Four Zero directive, issued back-channel through this office to avoid any traffic interception."
"I trust that makes sense."
"Who gives a damn? We'll pick him up at the airport and he'll be in my office before Secretary Bollinger orders his eggs Benedict."
"Wow, I think I hear an old case-officer talking."
"Could be."
"How are you going to handle Courtland?"
"I'm trusting he's as bright as his service record says he is. I recorded Schneider-with his permission-and had him vocally confirm a very complete deposition. I'll pre- 9 sent Courtland with everything, and hope he sees the light."
"He may not, Wcs'
"I'm prepared for that. Schneider's ready to be flown to Washington. He really doesn't like where he came from his words, incidentally."
"Congratulations, my honcho."
"Thanks, Drew, not bad, if I do say so.. .. Also, there's something else."
"What?"
"Contact Moreau. I spoke to him a few minutes ago and he expects your call this morning-your time."
"I'm not comfortable going around Witkowski, Wcs."
"You won't be, he knows everything. I reached him too. It'd be stupid to freeze him out; we need his expertise."