Hall named Julian Dunois-alias Jacques Devereaux, j6sus Dambert, and
probably several others we doet know about-is a legal strategist for the
Black Left militants. The term legal strategist covers everything from
court manipulations to agent provocateur. When involved with the former, he
uses the name of Dunois, the latter-any number of aliases. He operates out
of unusual places geographically. Algiers, Marseilles, the
Caribbean-including Cuba-and, we suspect, Hanoi and probably Moscow.
Perhaps even Peking. In the States he has a regular, bona fide law office
in upper Harlem and a West Coast affiliate in San M-ancisco. … He!s
generally in the background, but wherever hes in evidence, bad news usually
follows. Needless to say, hes on the attorney general’s list of undesir-
ables, and these days that’s not respectable any longer. . . .*
‘Mese days,” broke in Matlock “that Includes almost everyone to the left of
AT&T.”
“No comment To continue. The surfacing of Dunots in this operation adds a
dimension not anticipated-a new aspect not considered before. It goes
beyond domestic lawbreakers and enters the area of international crime
and/or subversion. Or a combination of both, In light of the fact that
drugs were used on you, your apartment broken into and ripped apart, your
friend, Miss BaHantyne, indirectly threatened -and doet kid yourself, thaes
what it was-4n light of all this, the recommendation is as follow& You
THE MATLOCK PAPER 237
withdraw from any further participation in this investigation. Your
involvement is beyond the realm of reasonable xisIL” Greenberg dropped the
paper on the counter and took several swallows of his drink. Matlock swung
his legs slowly back and forth in front of the cabinet beneath him. “What
say you, in the docket?- asked Greenberg
“I’m not sure. It seems to me yoxere not finishe(V
“I’d like to be. Right here. The summarys accurate, and I think you should
agree with the recommendation. Pull out, Jim.”
“Finish first What’s the other letter? The one rm supposed to read
verbatim?”
“Ies only necessary if you reject the recommendation. Don’t reject it I’m
not instructed to lean that way, so that’s off the record.”
“You know damned well rm going to reject it, so why waste time?”
“I doet know that I don’t want to believe thae
`There’s no way out”
“There are counter explanations I can activate in an hour. Get you off the
hook, out of the picture
‘Not any longer.” What? Why?-
“That’s my pathetic story. So you’d better continue
Greenberg searched Matlock’s eyes for an explanation, found none, and so
picked up the second envelope and opened it
In the unlikely and ill-advised event that you reject our recommendation to
cease and desist, you must understand that you do so against the express
wishes of the justice Department Although we will offer whatever protection
we can–as we would any citizen -you act under your own responsibility. We
cannot
x38 Robert Ludlum
be held liable for any injuries or inconveniences of any nature.”
“Is that what it says?”
*No, thaes not what it says, but thafs what it means,” said Greenberg,
unfolding the paper. “les much simpler and even more inclusive. Here.” The
federal agent handed Matlock the letter.
It was a statement signed by an assistant attorney general with a separate
line on the left for Matlocles signature-
An investigative office of the Department of justice accepted the offer of
James B. Matlock to make inquiries of a minor nature with regard to certain
illegal acts alleged to have occurred within the vicinity of Carlyle
University. However, the Department of justice now considers the situation
to be a professional matter, and any further participation on the part of
Professor Matlock is deemed unwarranted and against the policies of the
Department. Therefore, the Department of justice hereby informs James B.
Matlock that it appreciates his previous cooperation but requests him to
remove himself from any further involvement in the interest of safety and
investigatory progress. It is the opinion of the Departinent that further
actions on the part of Professor Matlock might tend to interfere with the
aims of the Investigation in the Carlyle area. Mr. Matlock has received the
original of this letter and so signifies by his signature below.
‘What the hell are you talking about? This says that I agree to pull out.”
THE MATUYX P”ER M
‘Yoied make a lousy lawyer. DonI buy a bicycle on time before talking to
me.”
‘%Vhat?”
‘Nowherel Nowhere does your signing this little stinkpot say you agree to
retire from the scene. Only that justice requested you to.”
‘Men why in hell should I sign it?”
“Excellent question. You may buy a bicycle. . . . You sign it if, as you
say, you reject the recommendation to pull out.”
“Oh, for Chrises sakel” Matlock slipped down from the edge of the sink and
threw the paper across the counter next to Greenberg. “I may not know law
but I know language. You’re talking in contradictionsl”
“Only on the surface…. Let me ask you a question. Say you continue
playing undercover agent. Is it conceivable that you may want to ask for
help? An emergency, perhaps?”
“Of course. Inevitable.”
“You get no help whatsoever without that letter going back signed…. Don~t
look at rnel I’ll be replaced in a matter of days. I’ve been in the area
too long already.”
“Kind of hypocritical, isn’t it? The only way I can count on any
assistance-any protection-is to sign a statement that says I won’t need
it.”
“Ies enough to send me into private practice.,
There’s a new term for this sort of thing these a;* It’s called ‘hazardless
progress.’ Use whatever-whoever-you can. But don’t take the blame if a gavie
plan gets fucked up. Don’t be responsible.”
“And I jump without a parachute if I don’t sign.*
“I told you. Take some free advice–rm a good lawyer. Quit. Forget it. But
forget it.’
io Robert Ludlum
‘And I told You-I canV
Greenberg reached for his drink and spoke softly. “No matter what you do,
its not going to bring your brother out of his grave.”
“I know that.” Matlock was touched, but he answered firmly.
‘You might prevent other younger brothers but you probably vion’t. In
either case, someone else can be recruited from professional ranks. I hate
like bell to admit it, but Kressel was right. And if we don~t get this
conference-this convocation of peddlers in a couple of weeks-therell be
others.”
“I agree with everything you say~’
‘Ilen why hesitate? Pull out.”
‘Why? … I haven’t told you iny pathetic little story, that’s why.
Remember? You had priority~ but I’ve still gort my turn.”
“So tell.”
And Matlock told him. Everything he knew about Lucas Herron-legend, giant,
the “grand old bird” of Carlyle. The terror-stricken skeleton who had run
into his personal forest. The wail of the single word: “Nimrod.” Greenberg
listened, and the longer Matlock talked, the sadder Jason Greenberg’s eyes
became. When Matlock finished, the federal agent drank the last of his
drink and morosely nodded his head in slow motion.
“You spelled out everything for him, didnt you? You couldift come to nw,
you had to go to him. Your campus saint with a bucket of blood in his
hands. . . . Loring was right. We had to reach a conscience-stricken
amateur…. Amateurs in front of us and amateurs behind us. At least IT say
this for you. You got a conscience. That’s more than I can say for the rear
flank.”
“What should I do?”
TBE MATLA= PAPOt 10
‘Sign the stinkpot.” Greenberg picked up the justice Department letter
f3rom the counter and handed it to Matlock. “Yoxfre going to need help.”
Patricia Ballantyne preceded Matlock to the small side table at the far end
of the Cheshire Cat The drive out had been strainedL The girl had hammered
away-quietly, acidly-at Matlocies cooperating with the government, in
particular and specifically the Federal Bureau of Investigation. She
claimed not to be reacting to a programmed liberal response; there was
simply too much overwhelming evidence that such organizations had brought
the country ten steps, from its own particular police state.
She knew firsthand. Shed witnessed the anguished aftermath of one FBI
exercise and knew it wasn’t isolated.
Matlock held her chair as she sat down, touching her shoulders as she did
so. Touching, reaffirming, lessening the imagined hurt. The table was
small, next to a window, several feet from a terrace that soon-4n late
May-would be in use for outside dining. He sat across from her and took her
hand.
“I’m not going to apologize for what Im doing. I think it has to be done.
I’m not a hero and I’m not a Fhk- Im not asked to be heroic, and the
information they want ultimately will help a lot of people. People who need
help–desperately.”
“Will those people get help? Or Will they simply be prosecuted? Instead of
hospitals and clinics … will they find themselves in jail?”
“They’re not interested in sick kids. They want the ones who make them