side of the family-we are extremely astute. He is also on the telephone with either London or Washington right now. The lines are constantly open, a single button changes the capital." The major hung up the phone and the general called out.
"Adjutant-Major, is there anything new?"
"Non mon general, answered the stern-faced, bald major, turning to reply to his father.
"And I would appreciate it if you would not continue to ask the same question. I will inform you when there is anything unexpected or a suggested change in our strategies."
"He's also impudent," said the general softly, "again his mother's influence."
"My name's Latham," said Drew, interrupting.
"I know who you are, sir. My name is Gaston." The major rose from his desk and extended his hand to each mem her of the N-2 unit. The hands were shaken awkwardly, as if the command had been shifted from father to son.
"I must tell you that the general has deployed extraordinary defenses, as only a man with his experience in incursion and infiltration can, and we are all grateful. He has been through such campaigns and we have not, at least I haven't, but as technology has changed, so the rules have changed.
London and Washington have upgraded their fortifications, as we have, employing the newest electronics."
"Like what specifically?" asked Drew.
"Infrared sensor beams throughout the woods as well as webs of spun plastic matting along the roads that, when penetrated, activate clouds of vapor immobilizing everyone in the vicinity-naturally, our troops have masks. In addition, radar and radio signals that flare out over the trees on all sides, capable of intercepting missiles as far away as two hundred kilometers; they trigger our own heat-seeking counter missiles-"
"Like the Patriots in D-Storm," Captain Dietz interrupted.
"When they worked," said the lieutenant, barely audible.
"Precisely," agreed the major, in his enthusiasm not hearing the subordinate officer.
"What about the reservoir itself?" inquired Karin.
"What about it, madame? To anticipate you, if there are scores of huge drums filled with toxins, and attached to pre-set explosives to blow them apart, our divers have not found them. They've searched, I assure you, and considering the sheer mass of metal required, the underwater sonar would have. Finally, even in normal times the reservoir is constantly under observation, the perimeters fenced, penetration instantly known. How could it happen?"
"It obviously couldn't, I'm just trying to think of everything.
You've undoubtedly done so already."
"This is not necessarily so," disagreed the old general.
"You are all accomplished intelligence personnel, and you know the enemy, you been dealing with him. Oncebefore Dien Bien Phu-a spy whose cover was as an accountant, which he actually was in Lyons, told me that the antigovernment forces could afford far greater firepower than Paris acknowledged. Paris scoffed and we lost a country."
"I don't see the relevance," said Karin.
"Perhaps there is none, but you may see something we've missed."
"That's what Moreau said to me," interjected Drew.
"I know. We talked. So let us get into an open truck and each of you-all of you--see for yourselves. Dissect us, pick us apart, as you Americans say, find our flaws, if they exist."
The "tour" throughout the forests, the fields, and the adjacent roads was not only exhausting in the roofless truck that seemed to gravitate to every ditch and minor gully, but it took over three hours.
Everyone made notes, in the main affirmative; only the two commandos were negative, in terms of underbrush incursion.
"I could send fifty men on their bellies through a sector of this foliage, taking out the soldiers and putting on their uniforms," exclaimed Captain Dietz.
"This is nuts!"
"And.once you get into the uniforms," added Lieutenant Anthony, "you can waste, away your flanks and create a big, wide boulevard."
"The roads are protected by plastic webs, they set off alarms!"
"You freeze 'em with cold nitro sprays, General," said Dietz.
"They close down electrical impulses."
"Mon Dieu.. .."
"Let's face it, guys," said Latham when they were back at the waterworks, "your theories may have merit, but you're thinking too small. There wouldn't be fifty men, there'd have to be five hundred to be effective. See what I mean?"
"The general asked for criticisms, Mr. Latham," replied Captain Dietz.
"Not solutions."
"Let's look at the photographs," said Drew, approaching the table and seeing that they had been spread but in rows in some sort of precise order.
"I have arranged them from top to bottom as determined by the farthest distance from the reservoir to the nearest," explained the general's son.
"All were taken by infrared cameras at relatively low altitudes according to aerial radar, and where suspicious images