'I think so,' said the agent. He grinned. 'But I'm not really certain. The idea does have some intriguing possibilities, doesn't it?'
'I don't know who scares me more,' Delaney said, 'you or the Timekeepers.'
The agent chuckled. 'The Timekeepers have a cause. They're fanatics with a twisted idealism, but it's idealism just the same. That makes them amateurs. I'm a pro.'
'Idealism doesn't matter, then?' said Finn. 'History doesn't count for anything?'
'History lies,' said Mongoose. 'You should know that better than anyone. It always has and it always will. History is written by the winners to glorify their victories and if the losers ever have anything to say, they explain away defeat in whatever manner makes them look more dignified. If dignity is possible. If it isn't, then they make omissions. We've all seen things that never made the history books. Right and wrong depends on point of view. I'm not especially interested in the moral implications of what I do. Morality is totally subjective. To a thug who worships the goddess Kali, murder is a moral act. To a Communist, the end justifies the means. And in a democracy, majority rule means that the minority will be oppressed. Idealism? History? Neither is absolute. The nature of reality depends on the observer.'
'God help us,' Finn said, 'a philosopher spy.'
'In our profession, a philosophical attitude can be a definite asset,' the agent said, his voice betraying his amusement. 'What is an intelligence operative, after all, but one who seeks to be enlightened?'
'You're not a philosopher, Mongoose,' Lucas said. 'You're a cynic.'
'Ah, yes,' the agent said, leaning back against the wall and crossing his legs beneath him on the floor. 'The condemnation of the righteous. In Oscar Wilde's words, 'A cynic is one who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.' Well, when it comes to what I do, the price of failure is usually death. And I happen to place a very high value on my life. Now, diverting as it is discussing metaphysics with you, gentlemen, we do have certain matters to attend to. Our friends' demands have been rejected and the game is about to begin in earnest. And to begin with, I think we can turn your blunder into our advantage.'
'What blunder?' Finn said.
'Your encounter with our friend, D'Artagnan,' Mongoose said. 'Or had you forgotten how you almost prevented his run-in with the Count de Rochefort?'
'Oh, that,' said Finn.
'Yes, that,' said Mongoose. 'Unfortunate, but not a disaster, by any means. I had hoped that Rochefort's party would arrive before he showed up and I would be able to contact you, but things didn't work out all that badly. I want you to keep tabs on him. The fact that he knows you will make it that much easier.'
'I don't think he'll be very well disposed toward us after we ran out on him like that,' said Lucas.
'Who says you ran out on him?' said Mongoose. 'Your story is that you leaped valiantly to his defense the moment I bashed him with that chair. You fought bravely, but you were overwhelmed and taken into custody. Delaney was slightly wounded in the process.'
'But I wasn't wounded,' said Delaney. 'I mean, I'm not.'
Mongoose produced a laser and aimed it at Finn.
'Hey! Are you crazy?'
A bright shaft of pencil-thin light lanced out at him, scarring his cheek on the right side.
'To add verisimilitude,' said Mongoose. 'The girls in Heidelberg would love you. It looks rather dashing, if I do say so myself.'
'You miserable son of a bitch, I'll-' Finn stopped when he saw the laser pointed at him still, the agent's thumb on the beam-intensity control stud.
'A little cosmetic surgery and you'll be as good as new,' said Mongoose. 'Assuming you behave yourself and don't give me any trouble. I told you before, I play to win.'
'And we're the pawns, is that it?' Lucas said.
'To paraphrase Lord Tennyson, 'yours not to reason why, yours but to do.' We'll hope it doesn't come to die. Now if you'll sit down, Delaney, and keep your hands where I can see them, we'll continue.'
Delaney sat down on the bed, holding his cheek gingerly, glowering at the agent.
'Thank you. Now, D'Artagnan was still unconscious when we left, so he'll never know what really transpired. Should he ask, and he undoubtedly will, you'll tell him that you managed to escape en route to Paris. You weren't pursued, doubtless because Rochefort didn't think that you were worth the trouble. When you see him, you'll be overjoyed to learn that that blow didn't kill him, as you thought it had. I want you to encourage his friendship, in the course of which you'll certainly meet the three musketeers. I want you to encourage their friendship, as well. If anyone should ask, you have found employment with Monsieur de Levasseur, a wealthy shipping merchant from Le Havre who occasionally stays in Paris and keeps apartments here for that purpose. He is currently absent from Paris and you are the custodians of his apartments and the possessions therein.'
'What if he should return to Paris and run into us?' said Lucas.
'Then he will greet you warmly and acknowledge you,' said Mongoose, ' I am Monsieur de Levasseur.'
'Since when?'
'Since this morning,' said the agent. 'I arrived in Paris at the crack of dawn, established myself at the Luxembourg Hotel, impressed them with my financial resources, then departed on pressing business with some people in the Marais. I informed the people at the hotel that they can expect you shortly, that you will be representing my business interests in Paris. When you arrive, you'll explain that my business took me back to Le Havre unexpectedly, but that you will be remaining in Paris, at the Luxembourg, as my principals. That will give you a somewhat more comfortable and more secure base of operations and provide you with a cover at the same time.'
'Just one question,' Lucas said. 'If we follow this plan you've outlined, our cover will be blown in a matter of days. You realize that, don't you? D'Artagnan had no friends when he arrived in Paris. Historically, we don't exist. If we establish a relationship with D'Artagnan and the musketeers, we might as well be announcing our presence here to the terrorists.'
'If the Timekeepers' planned disruption involves the three musketeers, then your arrival on the scene will definitely make them nervous,' said the agent. 'However, history has never been totally complete. There are the inevitable undocumented details. They won't be sure about you. On the one hand, you might very well be exactly what you appear to be. On the other, you might be agents from the 27th century. They won't be certain and that will make them nervous. Nervous people make mistakes. That's what I'm counting on.'
'That's what I thought,' said Lucas. 'I can see why you're so fond of these people, Finn,' he said sarcastically. 'He's setting us up. We're the bait to flush out the Timekeepers.'
'Well you can fucking well forget that noise,' said Finn, rising to his feet angrily. 'That wasn't part of the deal. This is supposed to be your ballgame, Mongoose, or whatever the hell your name is. You seem to forget that we're not company men. We're soldiers. And damn expensive soldiers, at that, too damn expensive to be used as judas goats in your espionage games. This is supposed to be a TIA show. I didn't like it, but those were the orders. We're here just in case you people blow it. We're not even supposed to be involved in your investigation.'
'That's where you're wrong, Delaney,' Mongoose said. 'You're already involved. You stepped into the game when you interfered in Meung and involved yourself with D'Artagnan. That was your mistake, not mine. It was your responsibility. You're going to have to live up to it.'
'No way.'
'You haven't got much choice, Delaney.' The agent got to his feet. 'You either do it my way or I'll blow your cover myself. The Timekeepers are here, there's no question of that, and knowing the way they work, I'll stake my reputation on the fact that they've manuevered themselves into positions that will enable them to strike at key figures in this scenario. My job is to intercept them and I can't do that unless they reveal themselves. I'm not about to have a couple of commandos come in to clean up my mistakes. I don't make mistakes.'
'Listen here,' said Lucas, 'what do you think this is, some interagency competition? Some sort of intramural game? We've got a potential timestream split here and you're worried about your record?'
The agent headed for the door. 'Let's get one thing clear,' he said. 'This is my show and I call the shots. And I'm going to call them as I see them. I'd appreciate your cooperation, but remember one thing-I don't need it. You either work with me or you work for me, it's up to you.'
'Or we work against you,' Finn said.
The agent held up his laser casually. 'I wouldn't advise that. These are perilous times. Keep in mind that
