to a bank of elevators in the hotel’s lower lobby. The
panels of the second elevator opened, revealing two
couples who had not intended to reach the
underground level; they laughed as one of the men
repeatedly pressed the lobby button. The officer, in
turn, touched the button for the fourteenth floor.
Sixty seconds later he walked out into the corridor
toward the exit staircase. He was heading for the
eleventh floor.
The blue Toyota station wagon came down the
ramp, the driver’s hand extended, a room key held
out, the number visible. Inside the parking area the
driver found an empty space and carefully steered
the small station wagon into it.
The civilian stepped out and looked at his watch.
Satisfied, he started toward the revolving door and
the elevators. The second elevator was empty, and
the civilian was tempted to press the button for the
eleventh floor; he was tired and did not relish the
thought of the additional walk. However there would
be other occupants on the way up, so he held to the
rules and placed his index finger over the button
beside the number 9.
Standing in front of the hotel-room door the
civilian raised his hand, rapped once, waited several
beats, then rapped twice more. Seconds later the
door was opened by the Army captain. Beyond him
was a third man, also in uniform, the color and the
insignia denoting a lieutenant, junior grade, in the
Navy. He stood by a desk with a telephone on it.
“Glad you got here on time,” said the Army
officer. “The traffic was rotten. Our call should be
coming through in a few minutes.”
232 ROBERT LUDLUM
The civilian entered, nodding to the Navy man
as he spoke. ‘What did you find out about
Fitzpatrick?” he asked.
“He’s where he shouldn’t be,” replied the lieutenant.
“Can you bring him back?”
“I’m working on it, but I don’t know where to
begin. I’m a very low man on a very big totem
pole.”
“Aren’t we all?” said the captain.
“Who’d have thought Halliday would have gone
to him?” asked the naval officer, frustration in his
voice. “Or if he was going to bring him in, why
didn’t he go to him first? Or tell him about us?”
“I can answer the last two questions,” said the
Army man. “He was protecting him from a
Pentagon backlash. If we go down, his
brother-in-law stays clean.”
“And I can answer the first question,” said the
civilian. ‘ Halliday went to Fitzpatrick because in
the final analysis, he d~dn t trust us. Geneva
proved he was right.”
“Hoop” asked the captain defensively, but
without apology. “We couldn’t have prevented it.”
“No, we couldn’t,” agreed the civilian. “But we
couldn’t do anything about it afterwards, either.
That was part of the trust, and there was no way we
could live up to it. We couldn’t
The telephone rang. The lieutenant picked it up
and listened. “It’s Mykonos, ‘ he said.
PART TWO
12
Connal Fitzpatrick sat opposite Joel at the
room-service table drinking the last of his coffee. The
dinner was finished the story completed, and all the
questions the Navy lawyer could raise had been
answered by Converse because he had given his
word; he needed a complete ally.
“Except for a few identities and some dossier
material,” said Connal, “I don’t know an awful lot
more than I did before. Maybe I will when I see
those Pentagon names. You say you don’t know who
supplied them?”
“No. Like Topsy, they’re just there. Beale said a
number of them are probably mistakes, but others
aren’t; they have to be linked to Delavane.”
“They had to be supplied by someone too. There
had to be reasons why they were listed.”
“Beale called them ‘decision makerst in military
procurements.”
“Then I have to see them. I’ve dealt with those
people.”
“Yes. Not very often, but enough to know my way
around.”
“Why you?”
“Basically translating legal nuances from language
to language where Navy tech was involved. I think I
mentioned that I speak ”
“You did,” Joel broke in.
“Goddamn itl” cried Fitzpatrick, crushing his
napkin in a fist.
“What’s the matter?”
“Press knew I had dealings with those committees,
with the technology and armaments boys! He even
asked me about them. Who I saw, who I liked who
I trusted. Jesus! Why didn’t he come to me? Of all
the people he knew, I was the logical onel I’m down
the pike and his closest friend.”
235
236 ROBERT LUDLUM
“That’s why he didn’t come to you,” said Converse.
“Stupid bastard!” Connal raised his eyes. “And
I hope you hear that, Press. You might still be
around to see Connal Two win the Bay Regatta.”
“I think you really believe he might hear you.”
Fitzpatrick looked across the table at Joel. “Yes,
I do. You see, I believe, counselor. I know all the
reasons why I shouldn’t Press enumerated them to
a fare-thee-well when we were in our cups but I
believe. I answered him once with a quote from one
of his laid-back Protestant forebears.”
“What was that?” asked Joel, smiling kindly.
“‘There’s more faith in honest doubt than is held
by all the archangels in the mind of God.'”
“It’s very nice. I’ve never heard it before.”
“Maybe I didn’t get it right…. Joel, I’ve got to
see those namest”
“And I have to get my attache case, but I can’t go
myself.”
“Then I’m elected,” said the Navy man. “Do you
think Leifhelm’s right? You think he can really call
off Interpol?”
“I’m of two thoughts about it. For my immediate
maneuverability I hope he can. But if he does, it’ll
scare the hell out of me.”
“I’m on your side about that,” agreed Connal,
getting out of the chair. “I’ll call the desk and get a
taxi. Give me the key to the locker.”
Converse reached into his pocket and pulled out
the small, rounded key. “Leifhelm’s seen you. He
could have you followed; he did before.”
“I’ll be ten times more careful. If I see the same
pair of headlights twice, I’ll go to a Bierkeller. I
know a few here.”
Joel looked at his watch. “It’s twenty minutes to
ten. Do you think you could swing around to the
university first?”
“Dowling?”
“He said he had someone he wanted me to
meet. Just walk by him or them and say
everything’s under control, nothing else. I owe him
that much.”
“Suppose he tries to stop me?”
“Then pull out your ID and say it’s high priority,
or ultrasecret, or whatever bullshit security phrases
that come to that very inventive mind of yours.”
“Do I sense a touch of legal envy?”
“No, just recognition. I know where you’re
coming from. I,ve been there.”
THE AQUITAINE PROGRESSION 237
* * *
Fitzpatrick walked slowly along the wide path on
the south facade of the immense university building,
once the great palace of the all-powerful archbishops
of Cologne. The unimpeded moonlight swelled over
the area, reflecting off the myriad rows of cathedral
windows and lending a luminous dimension to the
light stone walls of the majestic structure. Beyond
the path the winding gardens of August possessed an
eerie elegance circles of sleeping flowers, their
beauty heightened by the moonlight. Connal was so
struck by the tranquil loveliness of the nocturnal
setting that he nearly forgot why he was there.
The reason was brought sharply back into focus
when he saw a slender figure slouched alone on a
bench. The man’s legs were extended and crossed at
the ankles, his head covered by a soft cloth hat, but
not sufficiently to hide the flowing gray-blond hair
that protruded slightly over his temples and the back
of his neck. So this Caleb Dowling was an actor,
thought the Navy lawyer, amused by the fact that
Dowling had feigned shock when he realized Connal
did not recognize him. But then, neither had
Converse; they were obviously a minority in a world
of television addicts. A college professor who had
fulfilled the fantasies of youth, a risk-taker, according
to Joel, who had won a battle against astronomical
odds, was a nice thing to think about; the only sad
note was the haunted life of his wife, whom he loved
dearly. Also, a marine who had fought in the bloody
mess that was Kwajalein was a man to be reckoned
with.
Fitzpatrick walked over to the bench and sat
down several feet away from Dowling. The actor
glanced at him, then did a perfectly natural double
take, his head snapping. “You9”
“I’m sorry about last night,” said Connal. “I
gather I wasn’t very convincing.”
“You lacked a certain finish, young fella. Where
the hell is Converse?”
“Sorry again. He couldn’t make it, but not to
worry. Everything’s A-okay and under control.”
“Whose okay and whose control?” countered the
actor, annoyed. “I told Joel to come here, not a
cub-scout interlocutor.”
“I resent that. I’m a lieutenant commander in the