accuracy of addresses–a professional at work; Matlock once again
experienced the feeling of inadequacy he had felt when talking with
Greenberg.
Dunois stapled a number of pages together and
THE MATLOCK PAPER 347 started on a fresh pacL “What are you
doing?” asked Matlock.
“These will be duplicated by a copier downstairs. The information will be
sent to my office in New York…. As will a photostat of every page in
Professor Herron~s notebook.’
“You dodt fool around, do you?’
“In a word-no.”
‘Ifs all I’ve got to give you. Now, what do we do? What do I do? I’m
frightened, I don~t have to tell you that I can’t even let myself think
what might happen to her.”
“Nothing will happen. Believe me when I tell you that. At the moment, your
Miss Ballantyne is as safe as if she were in her mother’s arms. Or yours.
She’s the bait, not you. The bait will be kept fresh and unspoiled. For you
have what they want They can!t survive without it.”
‘Ilen let!s make the offer. The sooner the better~*
“Dodt worry. It will be made. But we must decide carefully-aware of the
nuances–how we do it. So far, we have two alternatives, we agreed upon
that The first is Kressel, himself. The direct confrontation. The second,
to use the police department, to let your message to Nimrod be delivered
through it”
“Why do that? Use the police?”
‘I’m only listing alternatives…. Why the police? rm not sure. Except that
the Herron diaries state clearly that Nimrod was replaced in the past This
current Nimrod is the third since the positiods inception, is that not
correct?”
“Yes. The first was a man named Orton in the lieutenant governor’s office.
The second, Angelo Latona, a builder. The third, obviously, Kressel. What!s
your point?”
-2AR Robert LucUum
*J-F-
Tin speculating. Whoever assumes the position of Nimrod has authoritarian
powers. Therefore, it is the position, not the man. The man can make
whatever he can of the office.”
But the offlce,7 interrupted Williams, -is given and taken away. Nimrod
iset the last voic&-
“Exactly. Therefore, it might be to MatIodies advantage to let the word
leak out very specifically that it Is he who possesses the weapon. That
KresselNimrDd-must exercise great caution. For everyones sake
“Wouldn!t that mean that more people would be after me?’
“Possibly. Conversely, it could mean that there!d be a legion of anxious
criminals protecting you. Until the threat you impose is eliminated. No one
will act rashly until that threat is taken away. No one will want Nun. rod
to act rasbly.~
Matlock lit a cigarette, listening Intently. -What you!re trying to do then
is to partially separate Nimrod from his own organization~”
Danois snapped the fingers of both hands, the sound of castanets, applause.
He smiled as he spoke.
“Yoifre a quick student. Xs the first lesson of insurgency. One of the
prime objectives of infiltration. Divide. Dividel”
The door opened; an excited black entered. Without saying a word, he handed
Dunois a note. Dunois read it and closed his eyes for several moments. It
was his way of showing dismay. He thanked the black messenger calmly and
dismissed him politely. He looked at Matlock but handed the note to
Williams.
“Our stratagems may have historic precedence, but rm afraid for us they’re
empty words. Kressel and his
THE MATLOCK PAPER 349
wife are dead. Dr. Sealfont has been taken forcibly from his house under
guard. He was driven away in a Carlyle patrol car.”
“What? Kressell I don’t believe itl Ifs not truel”
“I’m afraid it is. Our men report that the two bodies were carried out not
more than fifteen minutes ago. The word is murder and suicide. Naturally.
it would fit perfectly.”
“Oh, Christl Oh, Jesus Christl Ifs my faultl I made them do itl I forced
theml Sealfontl Where did they take him?”
‘We don’t know. The brothers on watch didet dare follow the patrol car.”
He had no words. The paralysis, the fear, was there again. He reeled
blindly into the bed and sank down on it, sitting, staring at nothing. The
sense of futility, of inadequacy, of defeat was now overwhelming. He had
caused so much pain, so much death.
“It’s a severe complication,” said Dunois, his elbows on the card table.
“Nimrod has removed your only contacts. In so doing, h&s answered a vital
question, prevented us from making an enormous error-I refer to Kressel, of
course. Nevertheless, to look at it from another direction, Nimrod has
reduced our alternatives. You have no choice now. You must deal through his
private army, the Carlyle police.”
Matlock looked numbly across at Julian Dunois. “Is that all you can do? Sit
there and coolly decide a next move? . . . Kressers dead. His wife is dead.
Adrian Sealfont’s probably killed by now. These were my friendsl-
“And you have my sympathies, but let me be honest: I don’t regret the loss
of the three individuals. Frankly, Adrian Sealfont is the only real
casualty-we
35o Robert Ludlum
might have worked with him, he was brilliant-but this loss does not break my
heart. We lose thousands in the barrios every month. I weep for them more
readily…. However, to the issue at hand. You really doet have a choice.
You must make your contact through the police.”
But thats where you’re wrong.” Matlock felt suddenly stronger. “I do have
a choice…. Greenberg left West Virginia early this morning. He1l be in
Washington by now. I have a number in New York that can put me in touch
with him. I’m getting hold of Greenberg.’ Hed done enough, caused enough
anguish. He couldnt take the chance with Pafs life. Not any longer. He
wasn1 capable.
Dunois leaned back in his chair, removing his arms from the card table. He
stared at Matlock. “I said a little while ago that you were an apt student.
I amend that observation. You are quick but obviously superficial…. You
will not reach Greenberg. He was not part of our agreement and you will not
violate that agreement You will carry through on the basis we agree upon or
you will be subject to the penalties I outlined.*
“Goddamn it, don1 threaten mel I’m sick of threatsl” Matlock stood up.
Dunois reached under his jacket and took out a gun. Matlock saw that it was
the black automatic he had taken from the dead man on the East Gorge slope.
Dunois, too, rose to his feet.
“The medical report will no doubt estimate your death to be at dawn.”
“For God7s sakel The girl is being held by killersf”
‘So are you,” Dunois said quietly. “CarA you see that? Our motives are
different, but make no mistake about it. We are killers. We have to be.”
THE MATLOCK PAPER 351
‘You wouldet go that farl’
“Oh, but we would. We have. And much, much further. We would drop your
insignificant corpse in front of the police station with a note pinned to
your bloodstained shirt We would denwnd the death of the girl prior to any
negotiations. They would readily agree, for neither of us can take the
chance of her living. Once she, too, is dead, the giants are left to do
battle by themselves.”
“Yoere a monster.”
“I am what I have to be.”
No one spoke for several moments. Matlock shut his eyes, his voice a
whisper. “What do I do?”
“That’s much better.” Dunois sat down, looking up at the nervous Adam
Williams. Briefly, Matlock felt a kinship with the campus radical. He, too,
was frightened, unsure. As Matlock, he was ill-equipped to deal with the
world of Julian Dunois or Nimrod. The Haitian seemed to read Matlock’s
thoughts.
‘You must have confidence in yourself. Remember, you’ve accomplished far
more than anyone else. With far less resources. And you have extraordinary
courage.0
“I doet feel very courageous.”
‘A brave man rarely does. Isn’t that remarkable? Come, sit down.” Matlock
obeyed. “You know, you and I are not so different. In another time, we
might even be allies. Except, as many of my brothers have noted, I look for
saints.-
“There aren’t any,” Matlock said.
“Perhaps not. And then again, perhaps … well debate it some other time.
Right now, we must plan. Nimrod will be expecting you. We can’t disappoint
him. Yet we must be sure to guard ourselves on all
352 Robert Ludlum
flanks.” He pulled closer to the table, a haff-smile on his lips, his eyes
shining.
The black revolutionar/s strategy, if nothing else, was a complex series of
moves designed to protect Matlock and the girl. Matlock grudgingly had to
acknowledge it
“I have a double motive,” Dunois explained. ‘The second is, frankly, more
important to me. Nimrod will not appear himself unless he has no other
choice, and I want Nimrod. I will not settle for a substitute, a camouflage
The essence of the plan was Herroes notebook itself, the last entries in