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〃Shit！〃 yelled the chairman； opening the glass door and walking naked to the phone on the wall。 〃This is Armbruster。 What is it？〃
〃There's a crisis that requires your immediate attention。〃
〃Is this 1600？〃
〃No； and we hope it never goes up there。〃
〃Then who the hell are you？〃
〃Someone as concerned as you're going to be。 After all these years…oh； Christ！〃
〃Concerned about what？ What are you talking about？〃
〃Snake Lady； Mr。 Chairman。〃
〃Oh； my God！〃 Armbruster's hushed voice was a sudden involuntary cry of panic。 Instantly； he controlled himself but it was too late。 Mark One。 〃I have no idea what you're talking about。 。。。 What's a snake whatever…it…is？ Never heard of it。〃
〃Well； hear it now； Mr。 Medusa。 Somebody's got it all； everything。 Dates； diversions of materiel； banks in Geneva and Zurich…even the names of a half…dozen couriers routed out of Saigon…and worse。 。。。 Jesus； the worst！ Other names…MIAs established as never having been in bat 。。。 eight investigating personnel from the inspector general's office。 Everything。〃
〃You're not making sense！ You're talking gibberish！〃
〃And you're on the list； Mr。 Chairman。 That man must have spent fifteen years putting it together； and now he wants payment for all those years of work or he blows it open…everything； everyone。〃
〃Who？ Who is he； for Christ's sake？〃
〃We're centering in。 All we know is that he's been in the protection program for over a decade； and no one gets rich in those circumstances。 He must have been cut out of the action in Saigon and now he's making up for lost time。 Stay tight。 We'll be back in touch。〃 There was a click and the line went dead。
Despite the steam and the heat of the bathroom； the naked Albert Armbruster； chairman of the Federal Trade mission； shivered as the sweat rolled down his face。 He hung up the phone； his eyes straying to the small； ugly tattoo on the underside of his forearm。
Over in Vienna； Virginia； Alex Conklin looked at the telephone。
Mark One。
General Norman Swayne； chief of Pentagon procurements； stepped back from the tee satisfied with his long straight drive down the fairway。 The ball would roll to an optimum position for a decent five…iron approach shot to the seventeenth green。 〃That ought to do it；〃 he said； turning to address his golfing partner。
〃Certainly ought to； Norm；〃 replied the youngish senior vice president of Calco Technologies。 〃You're taking my butt for a ride this afternoon。 I'm going to end up owing you close to three hundred clams。 At twenty a hole； I've only gotten four so far。〃
〃It's your hook； young fella。 You ought to work on it。〃
〃That's certainly the truth； Norm；〃 agreed the Calco executive in charge of marketing as he approached the tee。 Suddenly； there was the high grating sound of a golf cart's horn as a three…wheeled vehicle appeared over the incline from the sixteenth fairway going as fast as it could go。 〃That's your driver； General；〃 said the armaments marketer； immediately wishing he had not used his partner's formal title。
〃So it is。 That's odd； he never interrupts my golf game。〃 Swayne walked toward the rapidly approaching cart； meeting it thirty feet away from the tee。 〃What is it？〃 he asked a large； middle…aged beribboned master sergeant who had been his driver for over fifteen years。
〃My guess is that it's rotten；〃 answered the nonmissioned officer gruffly while he gripped the wheel。
〃That's pretty blunt…〃
〃So was the son of a bitch who called。 I had to take it inside； on a pay phone。 I told him I wouldn't break into your game； and he said I goddamned well better if I knew what was good for me。 Naturally； I asked him who he was and what rank and all the rest of the bullshit but he cut me off； more scared than anything else。 'Just tell the general I'm calling about Saigon and some reptiles crawling around the city damn near twenty years ago。' Those were his exact words…〃
〃Jesus Christ！〃 cried Swayne； interrupting。 〃Snake。。。？〃
〃He said he'd call back in a half hour…that's eighteen minutes now。 Get in； Norman。 I'm part of this； remember？〃
Bewildered and frightened； the general mumbled。 〃I 。。。 I have to make excuses。 I can't just walk away； drive away。〃
〃Make it quick。 And； Norman； you've got on a short…sleeved shirt； you goddamned idiot！ Bend your arm。〃
Swayne； his eyes wide； stared at the small tattoo on his flesh； instantly crooking his arm to his chest in British brigadier fashion as he walked unsteadily back to the tee； summoning a casualness he could not feel。 〃Damn； young fella； the army calls。〃
〃Well； damn also； Norm； but I've got to pay you。 I insist！〃
The general； half in a daze； accepted the debt from his partner； not counting the bills； not realizing that it was several hundred dollars more than he was owed。 Proffering confused thanks； Swayne walked swiftly back to the golf cart and climbed in beside his master sergeant。
〃So much for my hook； soldier boy；〃 said the armaments executive to himself； addressing the tee and swinging his club； sending the little pocked white ball straight down the fairway far beyond the general's and with a much better lie。 〃Four hundred million's worth； you brass…plated bastard。〃
Mark Two。
〃What in heaven's name are you talking about？〃 asked the senator； laughing as he spoke into the phone。 〃Or should I say； what's Al Armbruster trying to pull？ He doesn't need my sup port on the new bill and he wouldn't get it if he did。 He was a jackass in Saigon and he's a jackass now； but he's got the majority vote。〃
〃We're not talking about votes； Senator。 We're talking about Snake Lady！〃
〃The only snakes I knew in Saigon were jerks like Alby who crawled around the city pretending to know all the answers when there weren't any。 。。。 Who the hell are you anyway？〃 In Vienna； Virginia； Alex Conklin replaced the telephone。
Misfire Three。
Phillip Atkinson； ambassador to the Court of St。 James's； picked up his phone in London； assuming that the unnamed caller； code 〃courier D。C。〃 was bearing an exceptionally confidential instruction from the State Department and automatically； as was the order； Atkinson snapped the switch on his rarely used scrambler。 It would create an eruption of static on British intelligence's intercepts and later he would smile benignly at good friends in the Connaught bar who asked him if there was anything new out of Washington； knowing that this one or that one had 〃relatives〃 in MI…Five。
〃Yes； Courier District？〃
〃Mr。 Ambassador； I assume we can't be picked up；〃 said the low； strained voice from Washington。
〃Your assumption's correct unless they've e up with a new type of Enigma； which is unlikely。〃
〃Good。 。。。 I want to take you back to Saigon； to a certain operation no one talks about…〃
〃Who is this？〃 broke in Atkinson； bolting forward in his chair。
〃The men in that outfit never used names； Mr。 Ambassador； and we didn't exactly advertise our mitments； did we？〃
〃Goddamn you； who are you？ I know you？〃
〃No way； Phil； although I'm surprised you don't recognize my voice。〃
Atkinson's eyes widened as they roamed rapidly about his office； seeing nothing； only trying to remember； trying desperately to put a voice with a face。 〃Is that you； Jack…believe me； we're on a scrambler！〃
〃Close； Phil…〃
〃The Sixth Fleet； Jack。 A simple reverse Morse。 Then bigger things； much bigger。 It's you； isn't it？〃
〃Let's say it's a possible； but it's also irrelevant。 The point is we're in heavy weather； very heavy…〃
〃It is you！〃
〃Shut up。 Just listen。 A bastard frigate got loose from its moorings and is crashing around； hitting too many shoals。〃
〃Jack； I was ground； not sea。 I can't understand you。〃
〃Some swab jockey must have been cut out of the action back in Saigon； and from what I've learned he was put in protection for something or other and now he's got it all put together。 He's got it all； Phil。 Everything。〃
〃Holy Christ！〃
〃He's ready to launch…〃
〃Stop him！〃
〃That's the problem。 We're not sure who he is。 The whole thing's being kept very close over in Langley。〃
〃Good God； man； in your position you can give them the order to back off！ Say it's a DOD dead file that was never pleted…that it was designed to spread disinformation！ It's all false！〃
〃That could be walking into a salvo…〃
〃Have you called Jimmy T over in Brussels？〃 interrupted the ambassador。 〃He's tight with the top max at Langley。〃
〃At the moment I don't want anything to go any further。 Not until I do some missionary work。〃
〃Whatever you say； Jack。 You're running the show。〃
〃Keep your halyards taut； Phil。〃
〃If that means keep my mouth shut； don't you worry about it！〃 said Atkinson； crooking his elbow； wondering who in London could remove an ugly tattoo on his forearm。
Across the Atlantic in Vienna； Virginia； Alex Conklin hung up the telephone and leaned back in his chair a frightened man。 He had been following his instincts as he had done in the field for over twenty years； words leading to other words； phrases to phrases； innuendos snatched out of the air to support suppositions； even conclusions。 It was a chess game of instant invention and he knew he was a skilled professional…sometimes too skilled。 There were things that should remai