Now do you begin to understand?"
"My God," whispered Latham, his eyes once again locked with those of Lavolette.
"It's a trade-off. He's still a Nazi. "
"Exactly, except that he is no longer a factor, he passed away several years ago. However, he left survivors, tokens readily accepted by the movement."
"His own children and their children, perfect inroads to a former priest, once highly regarded and still in the confidence of French intelligence. A trade-off, and I'm the chess piece."
"Your life, Mr. Latham, for the lives of sixteen innocent men, women, and children, pawns, indeed, in a deadly game they know nothing about. What would you have done in my place?"
"Probably what you did," acknowledged Drew.
"Now, what did you do? Whom did you reach?"
"They could all be killed, you understand that?"
"Not if it's done right, and I'll do my best to do it right.
"Nobody knows I came here, that's on your side. Tell me!"
"There's a man. I loathe to say it, another clergyman, but not of my Church. A Lutheran minister and rather young, late thirties or early forties, I'd say. He is their leader here in Paris, the main contact to the Nazi hierarchy both in Bonn and Berlin. His name is Reverend Wilhelm Koenig, his place of worship is Neuilly-sur-Seine, it's the only Lutheran church in the district."
"You've met him?"
"Never. When there are papers to be delivered to him, I send a parishioner in the interest of our Christian Alliance Association, either someone very old or very young whose only concern is the francs they make. Naturally, I questioned a few and learned his approximate age and description."
"What does he look like?"
"He's quite short and very athletic, very muscular. He has a gymnasium, where there are various machines and weights to lift, in the basement of his parish hall. He meets messengers there, without his collar, and always sitting on one of those stationary bicycles, or a torso vehicle, apparently to conceal his lack of height."
C'You are assuming that, of course."
"I worked for French intelligence, monsieur, but I didn't need its training to learn that. I sent a devout twelve-year-old to deliver a packet to him, and Koenig was so excited, he got off whatever machine he was on, and the boy said to me, "I don't think he's. as big as me, Father, but, my God, he's all muscle."
"He shouldn't be hard to spot, then," said Latham, finishing his brandy and getting up from the chair.
"Does Koenig have a code name?"
"Yes, known to no more than five people in all France. It is Heracles, a son of Zeus in Greek mythology."
"Thank you, Monsieur Lavolette, and I'll try to protect your wife's people in Germany. But as I told someone else tonight, that's all I can promise. There's another who comes first."
"Go with God, my son. Many think I've lost my privilege to say that, but I'm convinced He hasn't lost faith in me. Sometimes this is a terrible world, and we must all act with the free will He decreed for us."
"I've got a few problems with that scenario, Father Lavolette, but I won't burden you with them."
"Thank you for not doing so. Hugo will return your weapon and see you out."
"I have a Iasi request, if I may?"
"That depends on what it is, doesn't it?"
"A length of cord or wire, ten feet long should be enough."
"What for?"
"I'm not sure yet. I just think I should have it."
"You field peopit were always so esoteric."
"It goes with the territory," said Drew quietly.
"When we don't know what's ahead, we try to imagine the possibilities. There aren't so many."
"Hugo will find you what you need. Tell him to look in the pantry."
It was ten past three in the morning when Drew reached the Lutheran parish in Neuilly-sur-Seine. He dismissed the taxi and approached the church, which was attached to a rectory by a short, closed-in colonnade. All was dark, but the clear night sky, illuminated by a bright Paris moon, sharply defined the two separate structures. Latham spent nearly twenty minutes walking around the area, studying each ground floor window ana door, focusing on the private quarters of the rectory where the neo leader lived. The church could be broken into easily, but not the private quartets;
they were wired to the hilt, metallic alarm strips showing everywhere.
To trigger the alarm might shock the Nazi, but it would also be the most negative sort of warning. Drew had the address and number of the parish. He pulled the portable phone issued by Witkowski