the Hotel du Lac, he went to the bar in search of at least two bottles of club soda.
And saw Jean-Philippe Portet’s son sitting at a table in bathing trunks. There was a champagne cooler on the table. Young Portet was shamelessly staring at a young woman in a nearly lewd bathing suit, who was dancing alone to sensual music on the phonograph. The young woman—probably the daughter of one of the farmers who hadn’t fled; she seemed too young to be married—seemed to revel in the attention.
Dr. Dannelly called to one of the boys for water, a little more loudly than he intended, and this caught young Portet’s attention.
“Well, as I live and breathe,” Young Portet called. “Dr. Dannelly! Come on over—there’s someone I want you to meet.”
Dannelly walked to the table.
“You may think you’re clever, Mr. Portet,” Dr. Dannelly said. “But your behavior is not only disgusting, but brings everything you say into question.”
“Like my marriage vows, for example?”
“Yes, like your marriage vows.”
“Judge not, Doctor, lest ye be judged,” Young Portet said. “As it says in the Good Book.” He raised his voice. “Sweetheart, come over here a minute, will you?”
The young woman walked to the table.
“Baby, this is one of the most important men in the Congo,” Jack said. “Say hello to Dr. Howard Dannelly. Doctor, may I present my wife, Marjorie?”
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Portet,” Dr. Dannelly said after a perceptible pause. “And, I must say, I’m really surprised to see you here in Costermansville.”
“Well, Doctor, you know. The Book of Ruth. ‘Whither thou goest, I will go,’ et cetera.”
“Do you really read the Bible, Mrs. Portet?”
“Yes, I do,” Marjorie said. “I think of myself as a Christian, and I’m even working on bringing the heathen I married into the fold.”
“Well, I must say, Mrs. Portet, you have your work cut out for you.”
“Call me Marjorie, please,” she said. “And won’t you join us? Can we offer you a glass of champagne?”
“Thank you no,” Dannelly said. “I’m a member of the Church of Latter-Day Saints. We don’t use stimulants.”
“I’ve heard that,” Marjorie said. “I’ve always wondered how you square that with what Paul said: ‘Take a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine other infirmities.’ ”
“I’d love to get into that at length with you, Marjorie,” Dr. Dannelly said, “but right now I really would like some water.”
Thirty minutes later, just before he excused himself to take a shower before dinner, Dr. Dannelly assured Mrs. Portet there would be no problem whatever with her visa. If she would entrust her passport to him, he would take it to Léopoldville the following day, have a friend—the Minister of Foreign Affairs—have someone stamp it, and then have it flown back to her in Costermansville on the next Air Simba flight.
[ SIX ]
Office of the Deputy Director
The Central Intelligence Agency
Langley, Virginia
0845 17 March 1965
The Director was sitting on one of the Deputy Director’s matching couches and Howard W. O’Connor, the Assistant Director for Administration, didn’t see him when he walked into the office.
“You wanted to see me, Paul?” O’Connor asked.
“I did,” the Director said.
O’Connor turned.
“I didn’t see you, sorry,” he said. “Good morning, sir.”
“Have you seen this?” the Director asked, and handed him a long, curling sheet of radioteletype paper.
TOP SECRET
1920 GREENWICH 16 MARCH 1965
FROM STATION CHIEF, BUENOS AIRES
TO DIRECTOR, CIA, LANGLEY
COPIES TO SOUTH AMERICAN DESK
MR SANFORD T FELTER, COUNSELOR TO
THE PRESIDENT
THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON
1. THE UNDERSIGNED HAS BEEN APPROACHED BY AN OFFICER RECENTLY ASSIGNED TO THE OFFICE OF THE DEFENSE ATTACHÉ HERE WHOM THE UNDERSIGNED HAS REASON TO BELIEVE IS IN A COVERT ASSIGNMENT IN CONNECTION WITH OPERATION EARNEST WHICH THE UNDERSIGNED HAS FURTHER REASON TO BELIEVE IS CONTROLLED BY MR. FELTER AT THE DIRECTION OF THE PRESIDENT.
2. THE OFFICER HAS PROPOSED THAT HE WILL MAKE AVAILABLE INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION TO ME UNDER THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS: HIS NAME WILL NOT BE USED OR FURNISHED TO THE AGENCY. ANY INFORMATION HE FURNISHES WILL BE TRANSMITTED OVER CIA FACILITIES WITH A COPY TO BE FURNISHED MR. FELTER BY OFFICER COURIER IMMEDIATELY UPON RECEIPT IN LANGLEY. THE INFORMATION WILL NOT BE PASSED, UNDER ANY CONDITIONS, TO ANYONE WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PRIOR PERMISSION OF MR. FELTER.
3. THE UNDERSIGNED IS FULLY AWARE THAT ARRANGEMENTS SUCH AS DESCRIBED CONTRAVENE AGENCY POLICY, BUT FEELS AN EXCEPTION TO POLICY IS JUSTIFIED IN THIS CASE BECAUSE THE INTELLIGENCE OFFERED IS UNAVAILABLE FROM ANY OTHER SOURCE.
4. IT IS RECOMMENDED THE INTELLIGENCE FOLLOWING BE REGARDED AS THE EQUIVALENT OF CIA RELIABILITY SCALE FIVE.