think. It’s as though
THE AQUITAINE PROGRESSION 649
whatever information you don’t like is
preposterous absurd, unwarranted not only the
information itself but also the person who gives you
the information. Is that the way you look at people
who don’t accommodate you?”
“Certainly not! It is the way I treat liars.” The
legend of France began to rise. ‘And I see no
reason ”
“Stay in that chair!” Joel commanded. “Or only
your corpse will get back to Paris,” he added simply,
without hostility. “I told you, all I wanted was this
conversation with you. It won’t take long, and then
you’ll be free to go. That’s more charity than any of
you showed me.”
“You were expendable. I apologise for being so
blunt, but it is the truth.’
“If I was so expendable, why didn’t you just kill
me? Why the elaborate buildup, all that trouble to
make me a killer, an assassin, a man hunted all over
Europe.”
“The Jew gave us that.”
“The Jew? Chaim Abrahms?”
“It makes no difference now,” said Bertholdier.
“Our man in the Mossad incidentally, a brilliant
analyst made it clear that if we could not find out
where you came from, if you yourself did not know,
then we had to put you in’forbidden territory’ I
believe that was the expression. And that was not
preposterous. No one claims you. You were you
are indeed, untouchable.”
“Why doesn’t it make any difference now the
fact that you’ve told me what you presume I already
know?”
“You’ve lost, Monsieur Converse.”
“I have?”
“Yes, and if you have delusions about drugging
me as we drugged you let me spare you and me
the discomfort of such procedures. I do not have the
information. Actually, no one does. Only a machine
that is set in motion and issues commands.”
“To other machines?”
“Of course not. To men men who will do what
they have been trained to do, who believe in what
they’re doing. I have no idea who they are.”
“That’s the killing, isn’t it? They’re the killers.”
“All war is reduced to killing, young man. And
make no mistake. This is war. The world has had
enough. We will put it to rights, as the English say.
You will see; we will not be opposed. We are not
only needed, we are wanted.”
650 ROBERT LUDLUM
“‘Accumulation, rapid acceleration,’ those were
the words, weren’t they?”
‘The Jew was precipitate. He talks too much.
“He says you re the pompous asshole of creation.
He told me that he and Van Headmer were going
to put you in a glass room with little boys and girls
and watch you screw yourself into a coronary.
“His conversations were always tasteless. . . But
no, I don’t believe you.
“So we re back to my original statement.” Joel
walked away from the window and sat down in an
armchair diagonally opposite Bertholdier. “Why do
you find it so difficult to believe? Because you didn
t think of it?”
“No, monsieur. Because it s unthinkable.’
Converse pointed to a telephone on the desk.
“You know their private numbers, he said. “Call
them. Call Leifhelm in Bonn and Abrahms in Tel
Aviv. Also Van Headmer, if you like, although I’m
told he s in the States, probably California.”
“California?”
“Ask each of them if he came to see me at that
little stone house on Leifhelm s property. Ask them
what we talked about. Go on, the phone s right over
there.”
Bertholdier looked sharply at the telephone as
Joel held his breath. Then the soldier turned back to
Converse, reluctance winning out over inclination.
“What are you trying to do? What sort of trick is
this?”
“What trick? There s the phone. I can’t rig it, I
can’t make it dial numbers or hire people hundreds
or thousands of miles away to impersonate those
men.”
The Frenchman looked again at the telephone.
“What could I say?” he asked quietly, the question
directed more at himself than at Joel.
“Try the truth. You’re very big on the truth as
you see it, as it pertains to large global concepts,
and this is only a small matter of several minor
omissions. They’re omitting to tell you that each one
of them came to see me. Or perhaps the omissions
weren’t so minor.”
“How would I know they came to see you?’
“You weren’t listening to me. I said ‘Try the
truth. I had you kidnapped, no one else. I did it
because I didn t understand, and if push comes to
shove, I want to save my life. There’s a huge world
out there, General. Large parts of it you’ll leave
intact, and I could live very nicely as long as I
THE AQUITAINE PROGRESSION 651
didn’t have to worry about someone coming out of
a doorway to blow my head off.”
‘ You’re not the man I thought you were we
thought you were.”
“We’re all what circumstances make us. I’ve had
my share of sweat. I’m bowing out of the crusading
business, or the lid-blowing business, or whatever
you want to call it. Would you like to know why?”
“Very much so,” said Bertholdier, staring at Joel,
confusion and curiosity fighting each other in his
eyes.
“Because I listened to you in Bonn. Maybe you’re
right, or maybe I just don’t care anymore because I
was left way out in the cold. Maybe the world really
does need you arrogant bastards right now.”
“It does! There’s no other way!”
“It’s the year of the generals then, isn’t it?”
“No, not simply the generals! We are the
consolidators, the symbols of strength and discipline
and lawful order. Surely what follows in the
aggregate in the international marketplaces, in joint
foreign policies, and yes, in the legal processes
themselves will reflect our leadership, our example,
and out of it all will come what is most lacking in
today’s world. Stability, Monsieur Converse! No
more madmen like the senile Khomeini or the
hollow braggardQaddafi, or the insane Palestinians.
Such men and such nations and would-be nations
will be pincered by truly international forces, crushed
by the overwhelming might of like-minded
governments. Retribution will be swift and total. I
am a military strategist of some reputation, so let me
assure you the Russians will stand aside, appalled,
not daring to interfere knowing at last that they
cannot divide us any longer. They cannot rattle their
sabers, frightening one segment while appeasing
others, for we are all one!”
“Aquitaine,” said Joel softly.
“An adequate code name, yes,” agreed Bertholdier.
“You’re as convincing as you were in Bonn,”
added Converse. “And maybe it could all work, but
not this way, not with you people.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Nobody has to divide you you’re already
oceans apart.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Place those calls, General. Make it easy on yourself.
652 ROBERT LUDLUM
Reach Leifhelm first. Tell him you just heard from
Abrahms in Tel Aviv and you’re appalled. Say
Abrahms wants to meet with you because he has
information about me, that he admitted he and Van
Headmer came to see me alone in Bonn. You could
add that I told Abrahms he and his Afrikaner friend
were my second and third visitors. Leifhelm was the
first. ‘
‘Why would I tell him this?”
“Because you’re angry as hell. No one told you
about these separate meetings with me and you
consider them highly improper which, if you don’t
you damn well should. A little while ago you said I
was expendable. Well, you’re in for a shock,
General. ‘
“Explain that!”
“No. Use the phone. Listen to what he says how
he reacts, how they all react. You’ll know. See if I’m
telling you the truth. ”
Bertholdier placed both his hands on the arms
of the brocaded chair and started to rise, his eyes
on the telephone. Converse sat motionless, watching
the Frenchman closely barely breathing, his pulse
racing. Suddenly the general pushed himself
violently back into the chair and gripped its arms
“AII right!” he shouted. “What was said ? What did
they say?
“I think you should use that phone first.’
“Pointless!” snapped Bertholdier. “As you say,
you cannot make it dial other numbers well, I
suppose you could, but to what end? Impostors?
Ridiculous! I could ask any of several hundred
questions and know they were merely playactors.”
“All the more reason to call them,” said Joel
calmly. “You’d know I was telling the truth.”
“And give an advantage where none was shown to
me. ”
Converse breathed normally again. “It’s up to
you, General. I’m just looking for a safe way out.”
“Then tell me what was said to you.”
“Each asked me the obvious as if he didn’t
trust the drugs or the one who adminstered them or
each other. Whom did I really represent?”Joel
paused; he was about to fish with a witness, but
knew he had to pull back instantly if the pond was
barren. “I guess I mentioned Beale on Mykonos,’he