the mud and drowned, taking their artillery with them."
"That's pretty damned strategic," said Witkowski.
"Kind of awesome for so many centuries ago," agreed Captain
"How many times have I told you to look at the past?" said Lieutenant Anthony, nudging the captain with his right arm and then wincing in pain.
"They worked with what they had, and history repeats itself."
"I believe that's an oversimplification, Gerry," objected Karin, her eyes still on the map.
"Those canal streams would have dried up years and years ago by attrition and sediment because they were not natural. They were dug out and constantly re-dredged. But you were right, Lieutenant, whoever owns this chateau studied its history and channeled them again, dredging out the old sources to the Loire River.. .. Am I right, Monsieur Cloche?"
"It is what I determined, madame, but no one gave me a chance to explain."
"You have it now," said Latham, "and I apologize.-We'll take anything you can give us."
"Very well, merci. There are basically two avenues of entry, the front gates, of course, and the northeast side.
Unfortunately, at ground level, a twelve-foot-high stone wall surrounds the entire chateau with only one break in addition to the gates. It is at the rear, a strolling path leading to a large open patio that overlooks parts of the valley. It is the wall that will give you the most difficulty. Incidentally, it was built forty-nine years ago, shortly after the liberation of France."
"It's probably tripped at the top with angled barbed wire, possibly electrified," mused Captain Dietz.
"Undoubtedly, Capitaine. The assumption must be that the entire compound, grounds and all, are heavily guarded."
"Even the old canals?" interrupted the lieutenant.
"Less so perhaps, but if we learned about them, others could also."
"What about the strolling path?" asked Drew.
"How can it be reached?"
"According to the elevations," replied Cloche, pointing to a green-and-gray-striped area of the map, "there is a promontory, the edge of a steep hill, to be exact, that looks down on the path roughly three hundred meters below. Crawling down it is one way, but even if there are no alarm wires, which there probably are, there is still the wall."
"How high is that promontory?" pressed Latham.
"I just told you, three hundred meters above the path."
"What I mean is, could someone see over the wall from that vantage point?"
The Etranger, deputy leaned forward and studied the geometries on the map.
"I would say yes, but that judgment is based on the accuracy of what I am reading. If one draws a line from the height of the hill to the elevation of the wall, a downward straight line, it would appear to be so)
"I can read you like a book, boss man," said Lieutenant Gerald Anthony.
"That's my perch."
"Right on, Thin Man," agreed Drew.
"Observation Post Number One, or whatever you military types call it."
"I think it should be mine," said Karin with conviction.
"If there's trouble, I can fire a weapon, Gerry can barely hold one."
"Come on, Mrs. D.V." you got shot too!"
"My right shoulder, and I'm left-handed."
"We'll discuss that among ourselves," admonished Witkowski, turning to Latham.
"It's my turn to ask what your point is."
"I'm surprised I have to explain it, Colonel Great Spy. We're back in the water again, only this time, instead of a big river, we're in the narrow channel of an old canal, reeds and tall wild grass are our cover. We hit the bank below the strolling path, and our experienced scout on the high ground lets us know when we can scale the wall because no guards are patrolling beyond it."
"Scale it with what?"
"Grappling hooks," answered Captain Dietz.
"What else? The solid, thick lucite types with hard rubber tips. They're quiet, stronger than steel, and the ropes can be short, only six to eight feet."
"Suppose the hooks hit barbed wire?" said Witkowski, glowering.
"That wall's a bitch."
"It's not the cliffs at Omaha Beach, Stanley, it's only twelve feet high. Stretching our arms over our heads, our hands are within four feet of the top. Given ten or twelve seconds, Dietz and I can be over and on the ground, takIng time to negotiate any wire."
"You and Dietz?"
"We'll discuss that later, Colonel." Latham hurriedly turned to Cloche.
"What's beyond the wall?" he asked quickly.
"Look for yourself," said the Etranger deputy, again gesturing at the map and leaning forward, his index finger poking at specific areas.
"As you can see, in every direction the wall is roughly eighty meters from the chiteau's foundation, allowing for a pool, several patios, and a tennis court, all surrounded by lawns and gardens.
Very civilized