And now those alien depthless eyes bored into Eliott's, shrivelling him, making him choke and wheeze. '... There has arisen a war,' Khieu said. 'We look on each other as wild beasts; dangerous weapons have fallen into our hands and we, thinking, "this is a wild beast", "that is a wild beast", with these weapons deprive each other of life.' Those obsidian eyes blazed just as Murano's had long ago.

  'She is a prisoner of war,' Khieu hissed. 'Prisoners must be exterminated in the prescribed manner so that the populace comes to understand the inevitability of the new order. The new order must be installed as quickly as possible so that all traces of the old, corrupt, decadent way of life may be eradicated their memory. The old way was strangling Kampuchea. Colonialism and capitalism; hand in hand they worked to destroy the Khmer people. This can no longer be tolerated.'

  Eliott gasped. This was a person before him whom he did not

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  (pow; the tone, the phrasing unnatural, as if Khieu had had this (peech ground into him by rote. Did he believe what he had said?

  Ehott could not say. The sheets of the mini-journal seemed to be burning his thigh where they rested in his trousers' pocket. Surely what had been done to Khieu, he thought, could explain everythmg, every bizarre action. He shook his head, knew he ^asn't thinking clearly; Khieu did not know what had been j0ne to him so long ago. So why this

  Ehott saw now the absolute madness on Khieu's face and, in a flash of realization, he understood why. A Buddhist, trained m the peaceful ways of the Amida yet also trained as a hardened killer. How many times had Ehott passed by Khieu's room when he was living at home and heard the prayers. From his Oriental studies in comparative religions at school, he knew the substance of those prayers. Yet he had been witness to this man's professional killing techniques-hand.

  Now he asked himself how the two personalities could coexist within one mind The answer was obvious With a great degree of interior stress. And at some point that stress would become too great for even the Eastern control and compartmentahzation to handle. Now he knew what no one else in the world knew that moment had arrived within Khieu; the last defensive wall had crumbled, given way to the chaos of a mind pulled in two disparate directions The tear had fused, creating what'

  And it had all been his father's doing. As if on a motion picture screen, Ehott saw it all laid out before him, one scene sliding seamlessly into another The true nature of the angka ted the terror he felt for the creature not a foot away from him was dwarfed by the anger and rage he felt towards his father for Perpetrating this obscenity

  He saw the mutilated corpse of the woman who had, for a time, tried to be his mother; he saw the tortured face of his 'dopted brother and the rage mixed with a kind of compassion. w the first time since Khieu had been dropped unexpectedly Jnd unwanted into his life, he felt a love for him that transcended deed or consequence And while that awesome feeling still

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  suffused him he told Khieu the story of the Cambodian's second birth because it was his right to know.

  'It's all been a lie,' he said. 'What you've been taught; what you've been told. Your origins. How the man who you call your father came upon you.' He held out the papers and they were taken from him.

  Khieu cocked his head to one side; his breathing slowed. 'Tell me,' he commanded. 'Tell me all of it.'

  And Eliott did because he thought it the right thing to do He told his adopted brother how Macomber had been part of a mission to seek out and eliminate a certain renegade Japanese expert in death named Musashi Murano. How the unit reached the Khmer Rouge encampment just in time to find that Murano had already died but that their commander, being a cautious man, had stationed one man from the unit to spy on the encampment for ten days in order to be assured they were not being misled by Khmer Rouge disinformation. That man was Delmar Davis Macomber.

  'That was how our father learned of your existence,' Eliott said. 'He did not come upon you by happenstance as he had you believe all these years. As the young acolyte of Murano's, he thought he had a use for you a future use. And he sought out a way to trap you, turn you and use you for his own ends.'

  'And he did just that. He set up your older brother himself by planting rumours he knew would eventually be picked up by the Khmer Rouge. Your brother was no traitor; he was killed by the Khmer Rouge because they believed the lies our father started. They weren't nearly clever enough for him.

  'He rode in on the wings of an American "Arclight" bombing raid, took the encampment, killed the ones who had executed your brother. And in the process, won your undying loyalty.

  Tm sorry,' he said, meaning it. 'There is no justice, no solid ground on which to walk. It's all a mine field, hidden beneath the surface. It's never the way you thought it was going to be. And in the end, there's no one to help you get through it all.'

  Eliott stared hard at Khieu, wanting desperately to know what effect his words would have. He wanted so much to

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  Ijelieve that in some way the truth would be of some help to [he Cambodian, that he had at last stood up, made a decision on his own and acted on it After seeing what was occurring down here he knew he could not live with the knowledge he possessed inside him one minute more It was not his, anyway He saw now that he had merely been the temporary caretaker Of it until such time as he judged to be right to give it back to ,ts rightful owner He judged Ehott liked the sound of that, there was importance to it, a definite sense that events would have taken another course had he not intervened

  As for Kmeu, he did not for a moment doubt a word of what Ehott said Though it went against all he had believed in for fourteen years, still he could recognize the ring of truth when it was presented to him And he understood, too, the nature of what Ehott had done for him

  There was a blackness inside of him he knew he would soon not be able to control, a singing like live wires, tingling his msides The orange and black blossoms of napalm detonations filled the void behind his eyes He heard the screams of the Khmer burning, the stench of roasting human meat, the thudthud-thud of the clubs of his compatriots as they beat Sam and then, that most awful of moments, still and endless, when they ill turned to him, when Ros offered him his filthy cudgel, pointing to the crumpled, bloodied body lying in the mud of the clearing and said to him, 'Come Prove your worth to the cause Come prove your undying loyalty to the new order Come and take this club Finish what we have begun Kill this dog, this lackey of colonialism, of those who sought to put a stranglehold on the Khmer people '

  And how many times in his nightmare had Khieu retraced those stiff-legged steps he took then, holding out his trembling hand, feeling the weight of the cudgel in his hand, the rough wood grain as his fingers curled around the haft, the birds that sprang away from their treetop perches as he raised the weapon over his head

  And the terrible silent scream echoing on and on inside himself as he brought the club whistling down with a grunt on 'he back of his beloved brother's head Bawng1

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  'Go on,' he said now in a shivery voice filled with phleg^ and bile. 'Get out.' 'But -' His eyes leapt with dark flame. 'Now!' he cried. 'Get out

  now!'

  Tracy had been expecting to be taken downtown to One Police Plaza but, instead White stopped in front of a rough stone building on Eleventh Street just west of Fourth Avenue.

  'Sixth floor,' he said. He did not turn off the engine.

  Tracy and Lauren got out and he bent back down, peered through the window. 'Aren't you coming up?'

  'Nah. I got other business.' He grinned. 'Besides, meetings

  bore the shit outta me.'

  Tracy nodded. 'Okay.' He extended his hand. 'Thanks, Ivory

  ... for everything.'

  White shook his hand. 'Like the man said: the de luxe treatment.' He pointed to the doorway. 'Just press the button marked "Six" and tell 'em your name. See ya.'

  The door buzzed and they took the oversized elevator up.

  'There's something you've got to promise me,' Tracy said seriously, 'or, information or no information, I'll send you back

  down to the street.'

  Lauren said, 'What's that?' already knowing the answer; she

  steeled herself.

  'Whatever is decided up there, you'll say nothing. You'll go

  along with it.'

  She knew he was not talking about police business; it was far more personal than that. So she suprised him. 'When I met the Monk I understood instinctively that he was an honourable man. I know you understand me when I use the term "an honourable man". Just as I knew why the Monk had selected me to be his messenger: he knew I would not fail him.'

  Lauren took a deep breath, thinking this was the most difficult task she had ever to accomplish in her life. 'I understand that whatever happens up there, whatever decisions are made, it s a matter of honour with you. I think I always knew that deep down; that's why I came back at the moment I did.'

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  Tension returned to her frame. 'I won't stop you but I will tell you one thing. If I think I'm losing, no one not Thwaite Or you or anyone else no one will be able to stop me. I'll come after whoever is hurting you.'

  'Lauren, you can't '

  'Yes,' she said fiercely. 'I can! That's our bargain.'

  He was about to say something but, seeing the determination written across her face, he thought better of it. He took a deep breath. 'I don't want anything happening to you.'

  'Can't you see that I feel exactly the same way about you?'

  He relaxed. The fact was he could see it. He took one last shot. I don't have an alternative?'

  'No.'

  He pressed his lips against hers. 'Then it's our bargain.' But >rivately he vowed that he'd never let it come to that.

  The elevator had come to a halt, the accordion iron gates mshed back. Tracy turned, saw Thwaite standing there. He was pinning.

  'Hey,' he said. 'I thought you were never coming home.'

  Tracy took his hand, stepped off the elevator. 'What the hell lappened to you? You look like a truck ran over you.'

  'Nothing that heavy.' He pointed out. 'This Lauren?'

  Tracy nodded, introduced them. As Thwaite led them inside, be said, 'I like your taste in offices but what does the department think of it?'

  Thwaite laughed. 'It's Melody's place. I thought we'd have a bit more privacy here. She'll be out for a couple of hours so we have plenty of time to get caught up.

  Tracy saw him take another look at Lauren, said, 'She's got some information on Macomber.'

  'You mean Delmar Davis Macomber, the industrialist? What's he got to do with it?"

  'You ever come across a firm called the Mauritious Company during the course of your investigations?'

  Thwaite turned, stood as still as a statue. 'Jesus Christ!' he said. You're not leaving me shit to tell you. I've been to the Mauri''ous offices. It's nothing but a blind.' He told them what had "JPpened, beginning with the lead at Senator Burke's house.

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  'Look no further,' Tracy said. "The Mauritious Company's owned and run by Macomber.'

  'Not any more,' Thwaite said. 'As of three days ago the Mauritious Company's out of business for good. And their most recent shipment of horse's stashed away safe and sound, out of Macomber's reach.'

  'That isn't all he's involved in,' Lauren said. They both turned to look at her. 'I think it's time I deliver that debt to you, Tracy ' He was grateful she had had the good sense not to use the Monk's name in front of Thwaite. He nodded. 'All right. Go ahead.' 'A couple of months ago Macomber was in Shanghai.' 'Yeah,' Thwaite said. 'I read about that. Trilateral cornmission. He's on it.'

  'While he was, he met with our friend.' 'Our friend?' Thwaite said, puzzled. 'Let's just say a procurer,' Tracy said. 'A free-lance.' 'He negotiated for and got the services of a terrorist,' Lauren continued. 'One of his conditions was that the man be an Islamic fundamentalist.'

  'Wait a minute!' Thwaite cried. 'Are you saying - are you trying to say that the man who tried to gun down Atherton Gottschalk was hired by Macomber?' Lauren nodded her head.

  'But that's crazy! The man's a super-patriot. He may be a criminal but I can't believe he's trying to sell out his country.' He shook his head. 'Uh uh. I can't buy it.'

  Tracy was silent, staring at the middle distance between Thwaite and Lauren. He had heard a tiny click inside his head, as of pieces of a puzzle coming together. Pieces that had seemed to have no obvious connection. What was it the Director had said? The physical attempt changed many people's way of thinkingNow I don't think there's a power in the nation that can stop him from being elected. He's got my vote. Gottschalk and Macomber.

  Now it was clear to him. Of course! 'No,' he said excitedly. 'Lauren's quite right, Douglas. It was Macomber's doing.' 'Then he's a dangerous madman.'

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  'Dangerous, yes. But a madman? I don't think so. Tell me, Chat's happened to Gottschalk's chances of being elected.'

  'Couple of months ago, it was iffy,' Thwaite said. 'Now he's become the saviour of America; everyone sees that he was right jll along. The people love him.'

  'Well?'

  'But that's just coincidence," Thwaite protested. 'I mean it vvas blind luck that Gottschalk was wearing that bulletproof vest. Otherwise he would have been killed for sure. Macomber couldn't take such an enormous risk. What would've happened if the assassin had aimed for his head instead of for his heart?'

  'Consider,' Tracy said, 'that the man who shot Gottschalk was a trained professional. As such, he would follow his orders to the letter. What if his orders were to shoot for the heart?'

  'The call!' Thwaite snapped his fingers.

  'What?' Tracy and Lauren said at the same time.

  'I knew there was something about it, something wrong.' Thwaite looked at them. 'A buddy of mine got a call about the shooting just at the time it was happening. That's how they were able to get the guy.'

  'An alert bystander calling 911,' Tracy said. 'What's so strange about that?'

  The call wasn't to 911,' Thwaite said. 'It was to One Police Plaza. To the man on duty who was linked directly into the security cordon surrounding the candidate. That same call into

  911 would have not delivered the same results. By the time that relay had been made the assassin would have been long gone.'

  'Macomber,' Tracy said. 'If he set it up he'd be the only one in position to make that call.' He looked at them both. 'My God, do either of you understand the implications of all this?' He hunched his body forward. 'Look, John Holmgren was in a position to seriously threaten Gottschalk's nomination they nuist've known everything we were planning; I found the bug 'hey planted in his office. So Macomber had John murdered, Waking it look like a heart attack '

  'Hold on,' Thwaite said. 'You telling me you know who did

  'I'll get to that in a minute, Doug. Let me finish. Moira's

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  murder has an obvious motive she saw something; they picked that up from the bug, too.' 'And Senator Burke?'

  'That's where it gets interesting,' Tracy said. 'And very, very frightening. We already know that Macomber and Gottschalk are working together. 'But think a minute. D'you believe it's enough, in this day and age, with the way our political system's set up, to control only the President?'

  'You mean this senator was in on it?' Lauren asked. 'Him and a whole lot more. I'm willing to wager a hundred to one on it. It's the only way the whole thing makes sense. A real and terrifying consolidation of power.'

  'My God!' Thwaite said. 'It's ... well, I mean, that kind of thing's unimaginable.'

  'You'd better think again, Doug.' 'But it's such a subversion of... everything.' There was silence for a time while all of them digested the enormity of what they had been pursuing. Thwaite broke it. He cleared his throat and reached into his jacket pocket. His face was

  very white.

  'In light of what we've just been talking about, I think you'd better take a look at this.' He handed Tracy a list of the arms delineated in the scroll.

  'Christ,' Tracy said. 'This's enough to ' He looked up at Thwaite. 'You saying you found this stuff?'

  Thwaite shook his head. 'And that scares the shit outa me. I took my unit down to the docks this morning that's why I had White meet you. We searched this ship the Jade Princess out of Hong Kong, Singapore and Macao. She was as clean as

  a whistle.'

  'That's bad,' Tracy said, thinking furiously. 'Very bad

  indeed."

  'I know what you mean,' Thwaite nodded.

  Lauren looked from one to the other. 'But I don't,' she said. 'Would someone kindly explain?'

  Tracy turned to her. 'It means Macomber must still be at least one step ahead of us. He's had the contraband dumped.'

  'But what's it for?' Lauren asked.

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  There was a long silence. 'I think,' Tracy said after a time, 'we're going to have to ask Macomber that. But just from looking at this list I can tell you they're armaments consistent vvrith the kind of military action both he and I are intimately familiar with.'

  'Meaning?' Thwaite urged. During the last several minutes he had experienced a returning of the peculiar spinal tingling he had felt when he had thought of the enormity of the hole he and Tracy had fallen into. His heart was racing not only because he knew they were so close to their quarry but because he recognized the stakes involved and knew they were even more vast than he had suspected. Because of Macomber the entire world could shake itself apart.

  'Meaning,' Tracy said slowly, 'that this shipment's been expressly hand-picked for a small terrorist cadre. Where they are at this moment or what their mission is I can't say. We've got to get to Macomber for that. But I do know his mind. Back then he was a fanatic about using rogue tactics and if they were successful, repeating them.'

 

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