and artist's impressions of the deployment and dissemination of Cyndex under combat and battlefield conditions. As the video ran, Isabella glanced round the semi-darkened room. She could see that all the military men were passionately excited by this new weapon. They watched the screen with a deadly concentration and when the tape came to an end they broke into animated discussion amongst themselves.
When Paul Searle, the Israeli technical director whom Isabella had recruited in Tel Aviv, stood up and called for commet, they bombarded him with searching questions. Isabella noticed that up to this time there had been no sign of Ben. His brown face had been discreetly kept in a back room somewhere. Inevitably one of the generals asked the question that Isabella had been dreading. He put it bluntly.
'Has this gas ever been used on a human population? If so, can you give us details?' 'Perhaps the general can provide us with a few surplus Cuban POWs from Angola?' the director asked, and they laughed delightedly at the graveyard humour.
'Seriously, General, the answer to your question is no. However, it has been tested extensively overseas under laboratory conditions with excellent results. In fact we have arranged for you to witness our own first test today.' The pesticide and poisons division of Capricorn Chemicals was situated half a mile from the administrative block. The party drove down in a convoy with the minister's black Cadillac in the lead. Isabella sat beside him in the back seat and pointed out features of the Capricorn plant.
'This section here is the uranium enrichment plant. You see how we have made it appear to be merely an extension of the main bulk phosphate refinery...' The minister of defence had the reputation of possessing a fiery temper.
However, she had always got on well with him, and respected him for his dedication and political acumen. They chatted in friendly fashion during the short drive until they drew up at the front gate of the pesticide and agricultural poisons plant. This was a separate compound within the main complex.
It was surrounded by a twelve-foot diamond-mesh fence. There were prominent warning notices placed at intervals along the fence. These featured red skull-and- crossbones designs with warnings in three languages: 'Danger!
Gevaar! Ingozil' The guards at the main gate had Rottweiler guard-dogs on leads. The plant was screened by a grove of trees. The building was long and low, the walls were of natural stone and all the external windows were smoked one-way glass. There was a further security check at the entrance, and even the minister was asked to pass through the electronic scanner.
The Israeli director led them down a series of carpeted corridors, each separated by steel fire- and gas-proof doors, until finally they entered the new Cyndex extension. The building was still so new that it smelt of raw concrete. They assembled in a small entrance-lobby. The gas-doors closed behind them, and the director addressed them.
'Strict safety procedures are in force in this section of the building. You will notice the air-conditioning.' He gestured at the panels in the walls.
'The quality of air in the building is strictly monitored at all times. In the highly unlikely event of a leak developing, the air can be pumped out and changed within ten seconds.' For a few minutes more he elaborated on the building's safety features. 'However, for your further safety, before entering the main plant you will be required to don protective suits.' There were separate changing-rooms for the sexes. In the women's room a coloured female attendant assisted Isabella to strip to her underwear, and then she hung her suit in one of the lockers for her. She helped Isabella into the one-piece white protective overall that had been laid out for her.
There were white plastic boots and gloves, and she showed Isabella how to place the helmet over her head and switch on the compressed-air supply. There was a clear plastic visor, and the air-cylinder was contained in a neat back-pack that formed part of the helmet attachment.
There were built-in headphones that permitted normal conversation.
Isabella returned to the lobby and rejoined the rest of the party.
'If we are all ready, my lady and gentlemen?'The director turned to the door in the far wall. It slid open, and they trooped through. There were four technicians to welcome them. Isabella noticed that, while the visitors wore white suits, the four technicians were in chrome yellow and the director's suit was tomato red for easy identification.
One of the yellow- suited technicians ushered them down yet another short corridor. As they went, he fell in beside Isabella.
'Good morning, Dr. Courtney,' he said softly, and with a small shock she recognized his voice and she looked into his yisor.
'Hello, Mr. Afrika,' she murmured. 'How are you enjoying your job with Capricorn?' It was the first time she had seen him since London.
'It is very interesting, thank you.' That was all that passed between them before they entered the test-room, but Lothar De La Rey had been watching her. As they seated themselves in the row of padded leather armchairs Lothar took the seat beside Isabella and asked: 'Wie is die kaffir? Who is the nigger?' 'His name is Afrika. He has a degree in chemical engineering.' 'How do you know him?' Lothar insisted.
'I was on the selection committee who recruited him.' 'He has security clearance, of course?' 'Of course. He was cleared by your own department,' she added artlessly. He nodded, and they turned their attention back to the director.
'These are the test-cubicles.' At the end of the room were four windows that looked in upon separate chambers; each was the size of a telephone booth - or a toilet cabinet was a better description, Isabella decided.
'The windows are of double armoured glass,' the director pointed out. 'And you will notice the monitors above each.' He pointed to the electronic panels on which vital life functions were displayed in green LED printout.
Behind the windows, strapped to bare white plastic chairs were four small humanoid figures. For a moment Isabella thought they were children - and then the director explained.
'The test subjects are baboons of the genus Papio ursinus. They may seem unfamiliar to you, because they have been shaved to resemble human subjects more closely. You will notice that Number One is almost completely unprotected.' The naked shaven body strapped to the chair in the first cubicle was pathetically vulnerable-looking. The infant's disposable nappy which was its only garment added to the poignancy.
'Number Two is wearing clothing that resembles normal military uniform.' This baboon was dressed in a miniature suit of combat fatigues, but the arms and head were unprotected.
'Number Three is fully covered except for eyes, mouth and nose.' The animal wore gloves and a soft plastic hood which left only its face bare.
'Number Four is equipped with a fully protective suit, similar to those which have been issued to you. These will be worn by friendly forces when handling or disseminating Cyndex 25.' He paused. 'I may add that subjects One, Two and Three have been sedated. There will be physical symptoms apparent upon application of the test agent, but these are reflexive reactions of the central nervous system and should not be construed as indicating the degree of suffering that the animal is undergoing.' Isabella felt her stomach muscles tightening, and despite the filtered air she was breathing her chest felt tight and constricted.
'Cyndex is colourless and odourless. However, for safety reasons we have added the scent of almonds to our gas. There will be no aerosol mist or any other indication of its application, except via the monitoring equipment.
The readout will show parts of Cyndex in one hundred thousand parts of air.' He paused and cleared his throat. 'Now, gentlemen - and my lady - if you are ready, we will proceed with the demonstration.' The minister nodded his helmeted head, and the director gave a terse order into the microphone on his desk. Isabella imagined Ben or one of the other technicians adjusting the controls in the back room.
For a few seconds nothing happened. The breathing and the heartbeats of the four baboons continued sedately tracing regular luminous green patterns on the screens.
Then the panel registering the concentration of Cyndex in the inflowing air flickered and moved up from zero to - five parts of nerve gas in one hundred thousand parts of air.
Within seconds the displays began to alter - all except that above the fully suited baboon. The heartbeats accelerated swiftly, the breathing became rapid and deep. The changes were most violent on the display panel above the naked ape.
Isabella stared at it in horror. She saw its eyelids fficker, and tears began to run down the shaven face. It mouthed the air, its tongue lolling and rolling between its lips. Strings of silver saliva drooled down on to its chest.
'Fifteen seconds,' intoned the director. 'Subject Number One is now incapacitated. Number Four is unaffected, Two and Three are registering medium to acute symptoms.' The naked baboon began to writhe and struggle against the retaining straps.
Isabella tasted the bitter bile rising in the back of her throat and swallowed it down.
Suddenly the baboon opened its mouth wide and shrieked. The thin agonized cry carried to them even through the double-glazed windows. It ripped along Isabella's nerve-endings. She clenched her fists and felt cold sickly sweat break out beneath the clinging white suit. Beside her she felt Lothar De La Rey stir, and all around her the other men made small instinctive gestures of revulsion and discomfort. They were soldiers and
