Part 22 (1/2)
”Your wife could be taken to one of the shelters.”
”Which are?”
”The hot ticket. How come you don't know?”
”I have been rather busy.”
”A global system, using the old shelters put up to protect national a.s.set people in case of nuclear war.”
”Which this promises to be.”
”Right, hadn't thought of it that way. Anyway, we stocked these up, got them running. Spot for your wife in one of ours, the best.”
”If I...”
”Do your duty.”
”I might remind you that I am not required to feel any patriotic sentiment.”
”Yeah, but you're one of us.”
”And I have a job you do not seem to properly appreciate. I work for the world now.”
”And for us. The U is making this all happen for you-and fast.”
”I am aware of that. And Mr. Arno knows I shall cooperate.”
”Just wanted you to know she can have the spot-”
”So long as I am a good boy.”
”Uh huh. Want me to have her picked up?”
A long pause. A small, malicious part of him visualized how irked she would be, to be incarcerated among such types as these. On the other hand, she would be safer, and he did have feelings for her. He loved her, in a way he had been incapable of conveying very well. Not a night pa.s.sed, even in these circ.u.mstances, when he did not wonder how she was getting on.
He made himself stop thinking of that. Seconds mattered here, decisions that could affect everything of importance to him. ”Yes, I believe so.”
”Good decision. We'll give her top-flight treatment, believe me.”
”Will there be a flight involved?”
”Huh? Oh, will we bring her here?”
”Versus, say, getting her into the parallel U.K. citadel.”
”Well, I don't know, but-” He reached for his portable, punched two numbers, and was speaking into it before Kingsley could tell him to not bother.
Kingsley sat thinking rapidly. Obviously some faction in the U Agency wanted him well in hand. A split in the U.S. government itself? An all-encompa.s.sing emergency could provoke extreme reactions in nations as well as in people. The President had been edgy and had referred glancingly to a division in the advice he was getting. By coming into such advanced policy disputes late, Kingsley became a p.a.w.n readily conscripted with a touch of leverage. The U Agency was more accustomed to using muscle.
Taking deep breaths, a decision percolated up from within, tightening his stomach muscles with a tingling antic.i.p.ation. He recalled from schoolyard sc.r.a.pes that the best way of dealing with a punch was to duck it. Very well.
Only after Herb had rung off did he realize that the rea.s.suring report Herb was giving them, smiling all the while, would work in nicely. Herb's superiors would take it that matters were going well. That would, in turn, give Kingsley more time to act once they were on the ground.
Herb gave a rea.s.suring nod. ”They say sure, we can move her over here.”
”Actually, I'd rather she were in England. The installation is out toward Wales, I believe, and that is country she has always appreciated.”
Herb frowned. ”Afraid it's done, friend.”
”Not changeable?”
”I really don't want to go back and keep switching-”
”Very well. I understand.”
Though he had not planned matters this way, this tiny sign was just what he needed to resolve him to a course of action. Now if only he could bring it off.
”We want to be on your side in this thing, y'know,” Herb said.
As if it had a sense of timing, the helicopter began its yowling descent. The world had a habit of forcing his hand, of late. ”All right. Done.”
They landed in one of the great pools of light that dotted Dulles. Most of the airport had been closed off for national security reasons for weeks now. Aircraft of every description, many military, took off in a continual background yowl.
Their party got out and walked quickly into the terminal. The usual Dulles pa.s.senger transports worked the truncated civilian part of the field, moving like ponderous, big-windowed apartments on wheels.
The U Agency type stuck with him as he made his way upstairs. There was a special check-in counter for people traveling on government craft. His special flight to Hawaii was to leave in less than an hour. Herb announced, ”Y'know, I might just come along on that same jet, if there's room.”
”Oh?” Herb did not seem to doubt that there would be a seat for him. This sudden decision was more confirmation of Kingsley's working hypothesis. The plan he had improvised was unfolding from his unconscious. There was something tensely delicious in allowing it to do so in its own good sweet time.
The big executive jet for their group was already in place at the end of a pa.s.senger ramp, guarded by two conspicuously armed Army men. Such a plane was wasteful, but mandatory in the pecking order. Protocol officers babbled at him while he watched the crowd, but no one came forward to join the U Agency fellow. Very good Very good.
Perhaps half an hour before boarding, but there was much to do. ”Unbearable in here, isn't it?” Kingsley began, his heart thudding at this opening p.a.w.n move.
”Yeah, they overheat these places.”
”Let's get a breath, shall we?”
Herb thought a second too long, perhaps realizing that there was no plausible reason to object. ”Sure, sure.”
They went out a side door and down a corridor, Kingsley furiously trying to remember times before when he had wandered through this terminal. After a false lead, he found a door that opened out onto a broad parapet, the sort of useless ornament to the building where no one actually went. Sure enough, there was no one looking at the waning sunset. Planes buzzed on the field about twenty feet below. Kingsley put his briefcase down and made a show of sucking in a lungful of moist air.
”We can go around to the other side, should be able to see the burning in D.C.,” Herb volunteered, his voice mellow in good-buddy mode.
”That should be a sight. Still out of control?”
”Yup. Got the National Guard in now.”
”Pity.”
”People just plain going crazy, is what it is.”