the papers on his desk, directed at Talbot.
"Neither will it help to be uptight, Adam," rejoined the director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
"Our problems may be immense, but a, number might be dismissed with a chuckle."
"I find that statement close to irresponsible."
"Find it however you like, but I submit that a lot of what we have from Operation Sting is, to be blunt, really irresponsible."
"Join us, Wesley," said Bollinger as Sorenson crossed to the chair on Talbot's right and sat down.
"I'll not deny," continued the Secretary of State, "that Field Officer Latham's list is appalling, but we must consider the source. I ask you, Knox, is there a more experienced undercover agent in the CIA than Harry Latham?"
"To my knowledge, there isn't," replied the DCI, "but that doesn't preclude his being fed disinformation."
"That assumes his cover was blown to the ncos' leadership."
"I have no knowledge of that," said Talbot.
"It was," said Sorenson flatly.
"What?"
"What?"
"I spoke with Harry's brother," said Sorenson.
"He's one of my men, and he learned it through a woman in Paris, the widow of Latham's runner in East Berlin. The ncos knew all about Sting.
Name, objective, even the presumed length of his mission."
"That's impossible!" cried Knox Talbot, his sizable frame lurching forward in the chair, his large head turned toward Sorenson, his black eyes glaring.
"That information is so deep, it couldn't be unearthed."
"Try your AA-Zero computers."
"Inviolate!"
"Not so, Knox. You've got somebody in the secret chicken coop who's actually a fox."
"I don't believe you."
"I just gave you chapter and verse, what more do you need?"
"Who the hell could it be?"
"How many people operate the AA-Zeros?"
"Five, with three alternates, each one researched to the day he or she was born. Each cleared total white, which, despite my obvious objection to the phrase, I completely accept. For Christ's sake, they' really among our top brass in high technology!"
"One of them is tarnished, Knox. One of them slipped through your impenetrable nets."
"I'll put them all under total surveillance."
"You'll do more than that, Mr. Director," said Adam Bollinger.
"You'll put everyone on Harry Latham's list under surveillance. My God, we could have a global conspiracy on our hands."
"Please, Mr. Secretary, we're nowhere near that. Not yet. But I have to ask you, Knox, who deleted Claude Moreau's name from the list that was sent to me?"
His astonishment apparent, Talbot winced, then rapidly composed himself.
"I'm sorry, Wcs," he said quietly, "it came from a reliable source, a senior case officer who worked with you both in Istanbul. He said you two were close, that Moreau saved your life in the Dardanelles while on assignment in Marmara. Our man wasn't sure you could be objective, it's as simple as that. How did you find out?"
"Somebody cleared a list for Ambassador Courtland-"
"We had to," interrupted Talbot.
"The Germans leaked it and Courtland was put on a diplomatic spit.. .. Moreau's name was on it?"
"So much for the Agency's oversight."
"An error, human error, what more can I say? There are too goddamned many machines that spew out data too fast.. .. The justification in your case, however, was understandable. A man saves your life, you're damned quick to come to his defense.
Perhaps unwittingly, just by sympathetically probing, you could even tip him off that he's under a microscope."
"Not if you're a professional, Knox," said the head of Consular Operations curtly, "and I believe I've attained that status. "
"Christ, you certainly have," agreed Talbot, nodding his head.
"You'd be sitting in my chair if you'd been willing to accept it."
"I never wanted it."
"Again, I apologize. But while we're on the subject, 9 what do you think about Moreau's inclusion?"
"I think it's crazy."
"So are about twenty or twenty-five others in this country alone, and when you consider their staffs and associates, well over a couple of hundred in high places. There's another seventy or so in the U.K. and France and they could be multiplied tenfold. Among them are men and women we regard as true patriots, and regardless of political affiliations we may not like, people we honor.
Is Harry Latham, one of the best and the brightest, a cuckoo bird, a deep cover who lost his marbles?"
"That's hard to imagine-"
"Which is why every man and woman on his list will be back grounded from the moment they could walk and talk," announced the Secretary of State emphatically, his thin lips now a straight line.
"Turn over every rock, bring me dossiers that make the Federal Bureau's checks took like a hungry salesman's credit search."
"Adam," protested Knox Talbot, "it's the Bureau's territory, not ours.