“For you, Mr. Cade. I’d rather it were in private, if you don’t mind.” Rossi’s tone left no doubt that whether Cade minded or not had nothing to do with it.
“I was in the middle of something, anyway,” Julia said, getting up. “I’ll catch you later.” She left with a quick nod to the two visitors. Cade indicated a couple chairs, which they accepted. He settled himself in a wicker seat facing them.
“Well?” he invited.
Rossi began, “I assume you’re aware of the assassination of Senator Joel Farden from Virginia, General Meakes of the Army, and also two Hyadeans, that happened two days ago in Washington.”
“You already asked me that the last time you were here. When you poured ice water on my party.”
“I explained then that it was orders, and we regretted the inconvenience,” Rossi said. Cade let it go with a nod. Rossi resumed, “Since then, information has come into our possession that establishes a probable connection with the affiliation of political subversives who call themselves `CounterAction.’ You’ve heard of them, I trust?” Rossi leaned back, waiting for a reaction. Beside him, Wylie had taken some papers from the document case lying opened on her knee.
“Just what you see and hear. It isn’t something I make a lot of time for.” CounterAction was the illegal militant wing of the protest movement known as “Sovereignty,” which had grown in North America over recent years out of various groups opposing what they saw as the Globalist sellout to Hyadean economic imperialism. Sovereignty had organized the rally in Washington the previous Sunday. After other incidents that had been reported over the preceding months, Cade wasn’t surprised to learn that CounterAction might be behind this latest act.
“It’s pretty widely assumed—and we know for certain—that the activities of CounterAction in this country are supported clandestinely by the AANS,” Rossi said. Cade made a conciliatory gesture which again admitted to knowing nothing beyond what the media said. Rossi gave him a further moment, as if hoping that Cade might help a little more by not making him spell everything out. Cade waited invitingly. Rossi sighed.
“Up until now, AANS support for illegal groups operating in this country has been in the form of money, training, and the infiltration of weapons. We believe that the incident last Sunday might mark a new phase of escalation. You see, as is normal for Hyadean flying vehicles sent here, the aircar carrying the four victims was equipped with an automatic counter-missile system capable of stopping anything produced by the technology of this planet.” Rossi showed a hand briefly. “But the assassins didn’t use technology from this planet. They used a Hyadean directed-plasma weapon, which the defense system wasn’t designed to deal with because up until now only the Hyadeans had it. But one went missing somewhere, and it found its way into this country. We’re pretty sure that the people it found its way to were CounterAction. Can you see the implications, Mr. Cade, if the route by which weapons like that can enter this country isn’t uncovered and stopped?”
That much was clear enough. But how did it affect Cade? He replied in the only way he could. “Well, yes, I take your point, Lieutenant. So . . . ?”
Rossi took a couple of sheets of paper from the ones Wylie had extracted and glanced at the top one. “You were married at one time, I believe.”
“That’s right.”
“Your wife’s name was Marie Ellen, formerly Hedlaw?”
“Yes.” Cade had no idea where this could be going.
“Do you still have some means of contacting her, Mr. Cade? Do you know where she is now?”
Cade could only show both palms and shake his head. “No. That was three years ago now. The last I heard she was supposed to have gone to China.” He stared from Rossi to Wylie and shook his head again, this time nonplussed. “Look, can I ask what this is about?”
Rossi seemed to hear, but pressed on with his own line. “Can I ask why you split up?” he said.
Cade had half felt this coming. “It was fun in the early days—you know, a wild kind of fling. But when that wore off, really we had nothing in common. She was an idealist with strong politics—serious ideas about what was wrong with the world and how to fix it. . . . I guess I’m just the opposite: I let the world be and ride with the tide.”