began the plunge.
Far above on another hill a man kneeled,
binoculars raised to his face as the explosion below
confirmed the kill. His expression was one of neither
joy nor sadness, merely acceptance. A mission had
been accomplished. After all, it was war.
And Lieutenant David Remington, whose life was
so ordered and orderly, who knew exactly where he
was going and how in this world, who knew above all
that he would never be trapped by the forces that
had killed his father in the name of corporate policy,
was put to death by the policy of a company he had
never heard of. An enterprise called Aquitaine. He
had seen the name Delavane.
Their view is that it’s the pro per evolution of
current history, all other ideologies having failed…. The
words spoken by Preston Halliday in Geneva kept
repeating themselves in Converse’s inner ear as he
listened to the four voices of Aquitaine. The
frightening thing was that they believed what they
said without equivocation, morally and intellectually,
their convictions rooted in observations going back
decades, their arguments persuasive as they
illuminated past global mistakes of judgment that
resulted in horrible suffering and unnecessary loss of
life.
The simple objective of their coming
together allies and former enemies alike was to
bring benevolent order to a world in chaos, to permit
the industrial states to flourish for the good of all
people, spreading the strengths and benefits of
multinational trade to the impoverished,
uncommitted Third World and, by so doing, secure
its commitment. Only in this way, in this coming
together, could Communism be stopped stopped
and reversed until it collapsed under the sheer force
of superior armed might and financial resources.
To bring all this about required a shift in values and
prior
286 ROBERT WDLUM
ities.Industrial decisions everywhere must be
coordinated to bring about the total strength of the
free states. Government treasuries, multinational
corporations and giant conglomerates must look to
a stratum of interlocking committees, agree to be
directed by these committees, to accept their deci-
sions which would in effect be their respective
governments’ decisions each keeping the others
apprised of its current agenda. What was this
ultimate stratum of negotiators? Who would be the
members of these committees that would in effect
speak for the free nations and set their policiesP
Throughout history only one class of people
remained constant in its excellence, who when
called upon in Ames of crisis performed far beyond
human expectations even in defeat. The reasons for
this segment’s unique contributions in war and
even in peace, though to a lesser degree were his-
torically clear: these men were selfless.. They
belonged to a class trained to serve without thought
of reward except for the recognition of excellence.
Wealth was irrelevant because their needs were
furnished and perquisites granted only through the
outstanding performance of duty.
In the new order this class of people would not
be subject to the corruptions of the marketplace. In
reality it was unusually well equipped to deal with
such corruptions, for it could not be touched by
them. The mere presence of any illegally gained
wealth within its ranks would instantly be recognised
and condemned, resulting in courts-martial. This
class of society, this novel branch of the human
race, was not only incorrupUble at the highest
levels, it would be the ultimate savior of mankind as
we know it today.
It was the military. The world over, even
encompassing one’s enemies. Together even as
enemies they best understood the catastrophic
results of weakness.
To be sure, certain minor liberties would
perforce have to be withheld from the body politic,
but these were small sacrifices for survival. Who
could argue?
None of the four spokesmen for Aquitaine
raised his voice. They were the quiet prophets of
reason, each with his own history, his own identity
allies and enemies together in a world gone mad.
Converse responded in the affirmative to
everything that was said this was not difficult to
do and asked abstract quesbons of philosophy, as
he was expected to do. Even the court
THE AQUITAINE PROGRESSION 287
jester, Chaim Abrahms, became deeply serious and
answered Converses questions quietly
At one point Abrahms said, “You think we Jews
are the only ones in the Diaspora, my friend? You
are wrong. The whole human race is dispersed
everywhere, all of us locking rams’ horns and not
knowing where to go. Certain rabbis claim we Jews
shall not see salvation until the Messianic era, the
time of divine redemption when a god will appear to
show us the way to our own promised land. He was
far too late arriving we could not wait for Him any
longer. We created Israel. Do you see the lesson?
We we here are now the divine intervention on
earth. And I even I, a man of accomplishment and
ego will give up my life in silence so we may
succeed. ”
Jacques-Louis Bertholdier: “You must
understand, Mr. Converse, that Voltaire said it best
in his Discours sur l’homme. Essentially he wrote that
man attained his highest freedom only when he
understood the parameters of his behavior. We will
establish those parameters. Is anything more logical?
Erich Leilhelm: “Goethe said it perhaps better
when he insisted that the romance of politics was
best used to numb and quell the fears of the
uninformed. In his definitive Aus meinem Leben he
states clearly that all governing classes must be
imbued above all with discipline. Where is it more
prevalent?”
Jan van Headmer: “My own country, sir, is the
living embodiment of the lesson. We took the beast
out of the savage and formed a vast, productive
nation. The beast returns and my nation is in
turmoil.”
And so it went for several hours. Quiet
dissertations delivered thoughtfully, reflectively,
passions apparent only in the deep sincerity of their
convictions. Twice Joel was pressed to reveal the
name of his client and twice he demurred, stating the
legal position of confidentiality which could change
in a matter of days, perhaps less.
“I’d have to offer my client something concrete.
An approach, a strategy that would warrant his
immediate involvement, his commitment, if you will.”
“Why is that necessary at this juncture?” asked
Bertholdier. “You’ve heard our reasoning. Certainly
an approach can be discerned.”
“All right, scratch approach. A strategy, then. Not
the why but the how.”
288 ROBERT LUDLlJM
“You ask for a plan?” said Abrahms. “On what
basis?”
“Because you’ll be asking for an investment
surpassing anything in your experience.”
“That’s an extraordinary statement,” interjected
Van Headmer.
“He has extraordinary resources,” replied Converse.
“Very well,” said LeifLelm, glancing at each of
his associates before he continued. Joel understood;
permission was being sought based on prior
discussions. It was granted “What would you say to
the compromising of certain powerful individuals in
specific governments?”
“Blackmail?” asked Joel. “Extortion? It wouldn’t
work There are too many checks and balances. A
man’s threatened the threat’s discovered and he’s
out anyway. Then the purification rites set in, and
where there was once weakness, suddenly there’s a
great deal of strength.”
“That’s an extremely narrow interpretation,” said
Bertholdier.
“You do not take into consideration the time
element!)’ cried Abrahms defiantly, for the first
time raising his voice. “Accumulation, Converse!
Rapid acceleration!”
Suddenly Joel was aware that the three other
men were looking at the Israeli, but not simply
watching him. In each pair of eyes was a warning.
Abrahms shrugged. “It’s merely
“Well taken,” said Converse, without emphasis.
“I’m not even sure it applies,” added the Israeli,
compounding his error.
“Well, I’m sure it’s time for dinner,” said
Leilhelm, removing his hand from the side of his
chair. “I’ve boasted so much about my table to our
guest that I admit to a shortness of
breath concern, of course. I trust the chef has
upheld my honor.” As if answering a signal which
Joel knew was the case the British manservant
appeared beneath an archway at the far end of the
room. “I am clairvoyant!” Leifhelm rose. “Come,
come, my friends. Saddle of lamb a citron, a dish
created by the gods for themselves and stolen by the
irrepressible thief who rules my kitchen.”
The dinner was indeed superb, each dish the
result of an isolated effort to achieve perfection in
both taste and presentation. Converse was no
gourmet, his culinary education having been forced
on him in expensive restaurants where his mind was
only mildly distracted by the food, but he instinc
THE AQUITAINE PROGRESSION 289
tively knew when a dish was the best in its class.
There was nothing second-rate about Leifhelm’s
table, including the table itself, an enormous solid
mass of mahogany supported by two huge but
delicately carved tripods resting on the intricate
parquet floor. The deep-red velour walls in the
high-ceilinged room were hung with oils of hunting
scenes. The low candelabra in front of the
silver-mirrored place mats did not obstruct a guest s
view of the person opposite, a feat Joel wished could