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ered into his face with mock concern。 〃That isn't flop sweat I see on your lip； is it？〃
〃Don't be ridiculous。〃
He seemed genuinely annoyed； and Tori was pleased she had found a nerve。
〃Just how deeply are the Japanese involved？〃 Tori asked。
Russell stared at her。 〃You know； your Japanese friends are infuriating； they don't know how to play by the rules。〃
〃Oh； they play by the rules all right；〃 Tori said。 〃The only problem is you're like every other member of American government： you haven't the slightest idea what the rules are。〃
He stared at her in the way someone will contemplate an enigmatic work of modern art； with a bination of shock； confusion； and； certainly； a degree of anger。
Before he could say anything more； Tori got up； went into the lavatory to clean up and change。 She emerged twenty minutes later dressed in a natural mohair cardigan over a pale lace camisole。 She wore a short fawn…colored suede skirt； brown lizardskin shoes； heavy dull…gold earrings。
〃Bit of a show； isn't it？〃 Russell said； taking her in。
〃That's what L。A。 reminds you；〃 Tori said perversely； 〃that all of life's a show。〃 She smiled。 〃Bernard will appreciate the effort； even if you don't。〃
A thick mist was rising off the Potomac when they landed in Washington。 One of Russell's specialized limos was waiting for them on the tarmac beside the runway； its powerful engine purring； its blackened windows up as protection against the capital's humidity as well as an assassin's bullet。
Once into the Virginia countryside； Tori slid her window down over Russell's protests。 ''I want to hear the birds；'' she said； just before they turned onto a four…lane highway。 Five miles farther the limo made a left into a vast mall。 Tori saw the stores typical of a mall nearly anywhere in the country： Sears； JCPenney； Radio Shack； a huge chain drugstore outlet； Filene's。 The limo cruised through the mall； entered an underground car park； kept descending。 It stopped at the lowest level； pulled up against the far wall： painted concrete； blank。 They waited while the limo was scanned。 When a green light appeared on a small console by Russell's right arm； he punched in a ten…digit access code。 A portion of the concrete wall rose； and the limo slid through。
They were in a tunnel built around a two…lane blacktop。 Strip lights glowed orange…yellow on the far side of both lanes。 Otherwise the road and tunnel were absolutely featureless。 Ten minutes later the roadway sloped up and they once again appeared in the Virginia countryside。 This time they were within the borders of a 150…acre horse farm。 This was the true home of the Mall。
Bernard Godwin was waiting for them at the entrance to Central。 His face lit up when Tori emerged from me dark confines of the limo。 He looked to her to be not one moment older than when they had last met： a Roman general with all the cunning and deceit of a master statesman。 She had never met anyone…including Russell； especially Russell…for whom the mantle of power was so well suited。 She believed that Bernard Godwin actually thrived on what he had bee； he needed the power just as her mother needed to slip in and out of her guises。 Strip him of his power； and he would be dead within a day。
〃By God； Tori； you look a damn sight better than when you left here a year and a half ago。'' Bernard embraced her warmly。 〃It's good of you to have e back；〃 he said so softly that she was the only one to hear。 Then he broke away。 〃Russell； you've done well to bring her home。''
Briefings were traditionally held in a plush suite of rooms which were insulated from and surrounded by the Mail's own electrical generators。 The entire plex was totally self…sufficient； a prerequisite…albeit an expensive one…that Bernard Godwin had insisted upon when the Mall was first founded。 Besides anything else； the placement of the enormous generators ensured that no listening devices could penetrate to the suite。
The rooms were furnished in the typical style of a men's club； fortable； broken…in； masculine。 Which was； in part； why Tori had chosen to wear so provocative and feminine an outfit。 She had not been back to this center of clandestine power in eighteen months； and now that she was； she wanted the men who ruled it to feel her presence in every way。
The three of them settled around a burl table。 Sandwiches； fresh fruit； coffee； juices were waiting for them； and they ate while they talked。 Tori found that she had lost the sense of whether or not she was hungry； but she ate anyway out of force of habit。 She automatically helped herself to the blueberries。 They were one of a number of what was known in the Mall as 〃mission food。〃 Blueberries had been fed to fighter pilots during World War II； they were filled with an enzyme that temporarily increased visual acuity。
Tori looked at Bernard； but he merely said； 〃Russell； you're on。〃
Russell Slade opened a buff…colored file。 Tori saw that it was imprinted with the title ICE CREAM and had a scarlet band in the upper right…hand corner； signifying it contained 〃Eyes Only〃 documents； the most highly classified in the Mall： they could not be photocopied or taken from the premises； and one needed D。C。…〃Director's Clearance〃…to access them。
Russell cleared his throat； said； 〃Tori； I told you on the plane that our adversaries had e up with something particularly nasty。 I wasn't kidding； and I wasn't exaggerating。 This concerns the global transshipping of drugs。〃
〃Cocaine？〃
Russell and Bernard Godwin exchanged a brief glance。 〃Yes；〃 Russell said； 〃and no。 It was bad enough when the South American drug lords bribed their own governments into being witting acplices to the growing； manufacturing； and shipping of cocaine； but now an entirely new element has entered the arena； and the implications are staggeringly dire for the United States。〃
He paused here to take a sip of orange juice。 Russell was a good public speaker； Tori remembered。 His sense of timing was impeccable。
〃The first hint we had of something sinister；〃 Russell continued； 〃was just under a year ago。 A Washington kid died。 Doesn't sound like much； I know。 But the death got odder； its implications more frightening as the investigation went on。 First off； the kid was a girl of about fifteen； a white girl from a socially prominent family。 That； sadly； was a break for us。 Had the victim been an inner city kid； her case most likely would never have e to our attention。
〃But this girl's father has plenty of bread and…and this counts for much more…clout。 He hires a forensic specialist… a former New York City chief medical examiner who's off writing his memoirs。 This M。E。's a smart cookie； and he begins to dig。 He delivers his prelim report to the father； who's so appalled he phones several of his government pals。 At this point a red flag pops up on our puter screen； and I send someone…Ariel Solares…out to interview the principals。〃
Russell detached a sheet from the file； slid it across to Tori。 ''This is the M。E。's report； but I can summarize it for you。 This fifteen…year…old white girl died not of a drug overdose； which had been the original diagnosis； but of chronic cocaine use。〃
There was silence for some moments； and Tori thought that Russell had not lost his touch for the dramatic。
〃Do you begin to see the conundrum we were presented with？ A fifteen…year…old girl dies of chronic cocaine abuse。 But the M。E。 tells us it would take at least ten years of heavy usage to get her to that stage。 Impossible。 Yet we were all looking directly at the proof。''
Russell's fingers fumbled in his jacket pocket； and Tori knew he was searching for a cigarette。 But he didn't smoke anymore； so he poured himself some more juice； instead。 〃It took the M。E。 the girl's father hired six weeks to e up with the answer； but the clever old dog got it。 It was cocaine the girl had been using； but only for the last three months。〃 Russell's eyes locked onto Tori's。 〃In three months her body had deteriorated ten years' worth。 How？ The answer lay with the cocaine itself。 It was cocaine all right； but an exhaustive molecular analysis revealed differences。 They seemed at first subtle； but when we re…created some in our own labs and fed it to mice； the results were astounding。 This stuff is poison； plain and simple。 Oh； it doesn't work like poison； rapidly causing death。 In fact； the high it brings to the user makes regular cocaine seem like sugar。 It is ultraaddictive； and it destroys the body within three months。 Taking it is tantamount to swallowing a time bomb。〃
Tori considered all this。 〃Then this is the lead Ariel was working on in Buenos Aires？〃
〃Yes。〃
She said； 〃The two Japanese Yakuza in the tunnels？〃
Russell glanced at Bernard； then back to Tori。 〃Ariel had assumed they were part of the pipeline。 Then； according to his last report； he began to uncover another…and far more disturbing…link between the Yakuza and the supercocaine。〃
〃Wait a minute；〃 Tori said。 〃Are you saying that the Japanese are manufacturing this supercoke？''
〃That appears to be the case；〃 Russell said。
〃Where did Ariel get this intelligence？〃 Tori asked。 〃Who were his contacts？〃
〃We don't know；〃 Russell admitted。 〃He convinced me in order to get close to