employers and your father, there are no shall we
say priority entanglements in your life.”
“If you mean women, there are several and we’re
good friends, and I think this conversation has gone
about as far as it should go.”
“I told you, I had a point,” said Halliday.
“Then why not get to it, counselor?
Interrogatories are over. ”
The Californian nodded. “All right, I will. The
people I spoke with wanted to know how free you
were to travel.”
“The answer is that I’m not. I’ve got a job and a
responsibility to the company I work for. Today’s
Wednesday, we’ll have the merger tied up by Friday,
I’ll take the weekend off and be back on
Monday when I’m expected.”
“Suppose arrangements could be made that
Talbot Brooks and Simon found acceptable?”
“That’s presumptuous.”
“And you found very difficult to reject.”
“That’s preposterous.”
“Try me,” said Halliday. “Five hundred thousand
for accepting on a best-efforts basis, one million if
you pull it off.”
“Now you’re insane.” A second flash of light
blinded Converse, this one remaining stationary
longer than the first. He raised his left hand to block
it from his eyes as he stared at the man he had once
known as Avery Fowler. “Also, ethics notwithstanding
because you haven’t a damn thing to win this
morning, your timing smells. I don’t like getting
offers even
16 ROBERT LUDLUM
crazy offers from attorneys I’m about to meet
across a table.”
“Two separate entities, and you’re right, I don’t
have a damn thing to win or lose. You and Aaron
did it all, and I’m so ethical, I’m billing the Swiss
only for my time minimum basis because no
expertise was called for. My recommendation this
morning will be to accept the package as it stands,
not even a comma changed. Where’s the conflict?”
“Where’s the sanityP” asked Joel. ‘&To say
nothing of those arrangements Talbot, Brooks and
Simon will find acceptable. You’re talking roughly
about two and a half top years of salary and bonuses
for nodding my head.”
“Nod it,” said Halliday. “We need you.”
” We? That’s a new wrinkle, isn’t it? I thought it
was they. They being the people you spoke with.
Spell it out, Press.”
A. Preston Halliday locked his eyes with Joules.
“I’m part of them, and something is happening that
shouldn’t be happening. We want you to put a
company out of business. It’s bad news and it’s
dangerous. We’ll give you all the tools we can.”
“What company?”
“The name wouldn’t mean anything, it’s not
registered. Let’s call it a govermnent-in-exile.”
“A what2”
“A group of like-minded men who are in the
process of building a portfolio of resources so
extensive it’ll guarantee them influence where they
shouldn’t have it authority where they shouldn’t
have it.”
“Where is that?”
“In places this poor inept world can’t afford.
They can do it because no one expects them to.”
“You’re pretty cryptic.”
“I’m frightened. I know them.”
“But you have the tools to go after them,” said
Converse. “I presume that means they’re vulnerable.”
Haliday nodded. “We think they are. We have
some leads, but it’ll take digging, piecing things
together. There’s every reason to believe they’ve
broken laws, engaged in activities and transactions
prohibited by their respective governments.”
Joel was silent for a moment, studying the
Californian. “Governments?” he asked. “Plural?”
THE AQU1TAINE PROGRESSION 17
“Yes.” Halliday’s voice dropped. “They’re different
nationalities.”
“But one company?” said Converse. “One
corporation?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes.”
“How about a simple yes?”
“It’s not that simple.’
“I’ll tell you what is,” interrupted Joel. “You’ve
got leads so you go after the big bad wolves. I’m
currently and satisfactorily employed.”
Halliday paused, then spoke. “No, you’re not,” he
said softly.
Again there was silence, each man appraising the
other. “What did you say?” asked Converse, his eyes
blue ice.
“Your firm understands. You can have a leave of
absence.”
“You presumptuous son of a bitch! Who gave you
the right even to approach ”
“General George Marcus Delavane,” Halliday
broke in. He delivered the name in a monotone.
It was as if a bolt of lightning had streaked down
through the blinding sunlight burning Joel’s eyes,
turning the ice into fire. Cracks of thunder followed,
exploding in his head.
The pilots sat around the long rectangular table in
the wardroom, sipping coffee and staring down into the
brown liquid or up at the Bray no one caring to break
the silence. An hour ago they had been sweeping over
Pak Song, firing theearth, interdicting
theadvancingNorth Vietnamese battalions, giving vital
time to the regrouping ARVN and American troops who
soon would beunderbrutalsiege. They had completed the
strike and returned to the carrier all but one. They
had lost their commanding officer.. Lieutenant Senior
Grade Gordon Ramsey had been hit by a fluke rocket
that had winged out of its trajectory over the coastline
and zeroed in on Ramsey’s fuselage; the explosion had
filled the jet streams, death at six hundred miles an
hour in the air, life erased in the blinking of an eye. A
severe weather front had followed hard upon the
squadron; there would be no more strikes,
perhapsforseveral days. There would be time to think
and that was not a pleasant thought
“Lieutenant Converse. ” said a sailor by the open
wardroom door.
‘Yes?”
18 R08ERT LUDLUM
“The ca plain requests your presence in his quarters,
sir. ” The invitation was so nicely phrased, mused Joel,
as he got out of his chair, acknowledging the comber
looks of those around the table. The request was
expected, but unwelcome. The promotion was an hotter
he would willingly forgo. It was not that he held
longevity or seniority or even age over his fellow pilots;
it was simply that he had been in the air longer than
anyone else and with that time came the experience
necessary for the leader of a squadron.
As he climbed the narrow steps up toward the
bridge he saw the outlines of an immense army Cobra
helicopter in the distant sky stuttering its way toward
the carrier. In five minutes or so it would be hovering
over the threshold and lower itself to the pad; someone
from land was paying the Navy a visit.
“It’s a terrible loss, Converse, “said the captain,
standing over his charts table, shaking his head sadly.
“And a letter I hate like hell to write. God knows
they’re never easy, but this one’s more painful than
most.”
“We all feel the same way, sir. ”
“I’m sure you do. ” The pa plain nodded. ‘I’m also
sure you know why you’re here.”
“Not specifically, sir. ”
“Ramsey said you were the best, and that means
you’re taking over one of the Amok squadrons in the
South China Sea. ” The telephone mng, interrupting
the carrier’s senioroffeer. He picked it up. “Yes9”
Whatfollowed was nothingJoel expected. The
captain at first frowned, then tensed the muscles of his
face, his eyes both alarmed and angry. “What?” he
exclaimed, raising his voice. “Was there any advance
notice anything in the radio roomy” There was a
pause, after which the captain slammed down the
phone, shouting, ‘Jesus Christ!” He looked at Converse.
“It seems we have the dubious honor of an unan-
nounced visitation by Command-Saigon, and I do
mean visitation!”
“I’M return below, sir, ” said Joel, starting to salute.
“Not just yet, Lieutenant, “shot back the captain
quietly but f rally. “You are receiving your orders, and
as they affect the air operations of this ship, you’ll hear
them through. At the least, we’ll let Mad Marcus know
he’s interfering with Navy business.”
The next thirty seconds were taken up with the ritual of
THE AQUITAINE PROGRESSION 19
command assignment, a senioro~ficer investing a
subordinate with new responsibilities. Suddenly there
was a sharp two-ra p knock the captain’s door opened
and the tall, broad-shouldered general of the Army
George Marcus Delavane intruded, dominating the
room with the sheer force of his presence.
“Captain?” said Delavane, saluting the ship’s com-
manderfirst despite the Navy man’s lesser rank. The
somewhat high-pitched voice was courteous, but not
the eyes; they were intensely hostile.
“General, ” replied the pa plain, saluting back along
with Converse. “Is this an unannounced inspection by
Command-Saigon?”
“No, it’s an urgently demanded conference between
you and me between Command-Saigon and one of its
lesser forces. ”
“I see, ” said the four-striper, anger showing through
his calm. “At the moment I’m delivering urgent orders
to this man ”
“You saw fit to countermand mine!” Delavane
broke in vehemently.
“General, this has been a sad and trying day, ” said
the captain. “We lost one of our finest pilots barely an
hour ago ”
“Running away?”Again Delavane interru pled, the
tastelessness of his remark compounded by the nasal
pitch of his voice. “Was his goddamned tail shot off?”
“For the record, I resent that!” said Converse,
unable to control himself “I’m replacing that man and