insist that the ceremony is essentially one of fertility.
The unsheathed knives representing erections, the four
protectors guarding the child through its formative
years. Frankly, I think that’s reaching. Also, it sb*w
me as contradictory even for the primitive mind … 0
io6 Robert Ludlum
-Goddamn youl- Matlock grabbed Williams by the front of his shirL
Immediately other blacks closed in on lifin.
Suddenly there was total silence in the eerily lit room. The silence lasted
only a moment. It was followed by a series of mind-shattering screams from
the mouths of the four Negroes in the center of the crowd In whose hands
the life of the young student depended. Matlock whipped around and saw the
shinIng black body descending downward from an incredIble height above the
outst:retched hands.
It couldet be truel It waset happening! Yet it wasl
The four blacks suddenly, in unison, crouched into kneeling positions away
from the center, their arms dashed to their sides. The young student came
crashing down, face touwrd the blades. Two further smeams followed. In a
fraction of a second, the students holding the huge knives swung their
weapons across one another and in an unbelievable display of wrist
strength, caught the body on the flat of the blades.
The crowd of blacks went wild.
The ceremony was over.
‘Do you believe me now?” Williams asked, speaking in a comer with Matlock.
‘Whether I do or not doesn7t change what I said. You caiet do this sort of
thmgl Ifs too goddamn dangaxnw”
‘You exaggerate…. Here, let me introduce another guest.” Williams raised
his hand and a tall thin black with close-mopped hair and glasses, dressed
in an expensively cut tan suit~ joined them. “Ilds is Ju-
TBE MAnAXX PAPER 107
lian Dunois, Mr. Matlock. Brother Julian is our experL, Our choreographer,
if you like.”
A pleasum- Dunois extended his hand, speaking with a slight accent
Brother Julian is from Haiti. … Harvard Law out of Haiti. A most unusual
progression, I think youll agree.0
“It certainly is….
‘Many Haitians, even the Ton Ton Macoute, still get upset when they hear
Ins name.”
“You exaggerate, Adam~” said Julian Dunois with a smile.
“Thaes what I just said to Mr. Matlock He exaggerates. About the danger of
the ceremony.*
“Oh, there’s danger-as theres danger if one crosses the Boston Commons
wearing a blindfold. The petcock of safety, Mr. Matlock, is that those
holding the knives watch closely. In the training there is as much emphasis
on being able to drop the knives Instantly as there is in holding them up.”
“That may be so,* Matlock acitnowledged. “But the margin for error
terrifies me.”
“Ies not as narrow as you think.” The lilt in the Haitian~s voice was as
reassuring as it was attractive. ‘Incidentally, rm a fan of yours. rve
enjoyed your works on the Elizabethans. May I add, yoere not exactly what
I expected. I mean, yo&re far, for youngen”
‘You flatter me. I diddt think I was known In law schools.*
“My undergraduate major was English literatum*
Adam interrupted politely. “You two enjoy yourselves. There’ll be drinks
upstairs in a few minutes; just follow the crowd. rve got things to do….
rm
108 Robert LudUutn
glad you!ve met You!re both strangers, In a way. Strangers should meet in
unfamiliar areas. Iles comkrtinto
He gave Dunois an enigmatic look and walked upidly away through the crowd.
*Why does Adam feel he has to talk in what rin vire he considers are
profound riddIes?’ Matlock
“Rds very young. He strives constantly tD make emphasis. Very bright, but
very young.”
‘Youll pardon me, but you!re not exactly ancient I doubt more than a year
or two older than Adam.”
The black in the expensively cut tan suit looked Into Matlocles eyes and
laughed gently.
“Now you flatter nw,” he sad. “If the truth were known-and why shouldn’t it
be?—and If my tropic color did not disguise the years so well, yoWd know
that I was precisely one year, four months, and sixteen days okler than
you.”
Matlock stared at the Negro, speechless. It took him nearly a full minute
to assimilate the lawyer’s words and the meaning behind those words. The
blacles eyes did not waver. He returned Matlock’s stare in equal measure.
Finally, Matlock found his voice.
Tm not sure I like this game.”
‘Oh, come, we’re both here for the same reason, are we not? You from your
vantage point, I from mine . . . Lees go upstairs and have a drink- . . .
Bourbon and soda, isn’t it? Sour mash, if ies available, I understancV
Dunois preceded Matlock through the crowd, and Matlock had no other course
but to follow.
Dunois leaned against the brick wall.
‘All right,” Matlock said, “the amenities are over.
THE MATLOCK PAPER 109
Everyones acknowledged your show downstairs, and theres no one left for me
to impress my white skin on. I think it’s time you started explaining.*
They were alone now, outside on the porch. Both held drinks.
“My, aren’t we professional? Would you care for a cigar? I can assure you
it!s Havana.”
“No cigar. Just talk I came here tonight because these are my friends. I
felt privileged to be invited. … Now, yoeve attached something else and
I doiYt ]like it.0
“Bravol Bravol” said Dunois, raising his glass. ‘You do that very well….
Doet worry, they know nothing. Perhaps they suspect, but believe me, only
in the vaguest terins.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Finish your drink and lees walk out on the lawn.7 Dunois drained his nun
and, as if by reflex, Matlock drank the remainder of his bourbon. The two
men walked down the steps of the Lumumba Hall, Matlock following the black
to the base of a large elm tree, Dunois turned suddenly and grabbed Matlock
by the shoulders.
“Take your goddamn hands off mel”
%isten to mel I want that paperl I must have that paperl And you must tell
me where it W
Matlock flung his hands up to break Dunois’s grip. But his arms did not
respond. They were suddenly heavy, terribly heavy And there was a whistling
A growing, piercing whistling in his hea&
“What? What? … What paper? I doet have any paper. . . .*
“Met be difficultl Well get it, you knowl Now, just tell me where it isl”
Matlock realized that he was being lowered to the
im Robert Ludlum
ground. The outline of the huge tree above him began tD spin, and the
whistling in his brain became louder and louder. It was unendurable. He
fought to find his mind again.
‘What are you doing? What are you doing to mel?’
‘Jrhe paper, Matlocki Wbere is the Corsican paper?”
‘Get off met” Matlock tried to yell. But nothing came from his lips.
“The silver paper, goddamn you to heUr
‘No paper … no. Haven1 paperl Nol’
‘Listen to mel You just had a drink, remember the drink? . . . You just
finished that drink. Remember?
You can’t be -alone nowl You don’t dare be alonel”
‘What?… What? Get off mel You~re crushing mel”
*Tm not even touching you. The drink isf You just consumed three tabs of
lysergic acidt Yoere in troub1% Doctorl … Nowl You tell nw where that
paper br
From his inner recesses he found an instant of clarity From the spinning,
turning, whirling spirals of mind-blasting colors, he saw the form of the
above him and he lashed out. He grabbed at the white shirt between the dark
borders of the jacket and pulled it down with all the strength he could sum-
mon. He brought his fist up and hit the descending face as hard as he could.
Once the face was jarred, he began hammering at the throat beneath it
mercilessly. He could feel the shattering of the glasses and he knew his
fist had found the eyes and crushed the glass Into the rolling head.
It was over in a period of time he could never ascertain. Dunois’s body was
beside him, unconscious.
And he knew he had to ran. Run furiously awayl What had Dunois said? …
Doet dare be alone. Don’t
TM A”TLOCK PAM III
darel He had to find Patt Pat would know what to do. He had to find herl The
chemical in his body was going to take full effect soon and he knew it! Run,
for Chrises sakel
But where?l VVhich way?l He didn’t know the wayl The goddamn fucking wayl
The street was there, he raced along the street, but was it the right way?l
Was it the right street?l
Then he heard a car. It was a car, and it was com,.ing close to the curb
and the driver was looking at him. Looking at him, so he ran faster,
tripping once over the curb and falling into the pavement and risIng again.
Running, for Christ Almighty’s sake, nmning till the breath in his lungs
was gone and he could no longer control the movement of his feet. He felt