The Golden Gate

influencing people.'

'I'll talk to you later. O'Hare?'

'They'll come. Only if you promise immunity. Damn it all and to hell, Branson, why should their lives be put at risk?'

Branson considered. 'Their lives will not be put at risk. Leave that phone. I want it.' He made a signal through the window. After a few seconds, Van Effen entered. He was carrying his Schmeisser in a rather unsympathetic manner. Branson moved to the rear.

He said: 'Let me talk to Hendrix.'

Not more than two seconds elapsed before Hendrix was on the phone.

'Hendrix?' Branson was his usual unemotional self. 'I have promised immunity to the doctors coming out here. I want you and the Vice-President to accompany them.' There was a brief delay, then Hendrix came through again on the intercom.

'Mr Richards agrees. But you are not to hold the Vice-President as a hostage.'

'I agree in turn.'

'Your word?'

'For what it's worth. You have to believe me, don't you? You're in no position to bargain.'

'No position. I have a dream, Branson.'

'I know. But I think handcuffs are so inelegant. I will see you in a very few minutes. Send out the TV truck. Alert the networks.'

'Again?'

'I think it very important that the nation should be made aware of the establishment's modus operandi,' Branson rested the phone.

In the communications wagon just off the Presidio, Hendrix in turn, rested his phone and looked at the six men clustered around him. He addressed himself to Hagenbach.

'Well, you have it. Hansen dead. Nobody's fault, really. How was anybody to know that he had a critical heart condition? And how — and why — did nobody know about it?'

Hagenbach said heavily: 'I knew. Like nearly all senior Government officials Hansen was intensely secretive about his physical health. He was in Bethscda twice in the last nine months and the second time was touch and go. It was reported that he was receiving treatment for overwork, exhaustion. So I think if anyone is to blame it's me.'

Quarry said: 'You're talking nonsense and you know it. Who could possibly have foreseen this? It's not your fault and it's certainly not Dr Isaacs's fault He told us the drug was perfectly safe for any normal healthy adult. You cannot question the judgement of a man of his reputation. He wasn't to know that Hansen wasn't a normal healthy adult far less anticipating that Hansen would misguidedly pick up the wrong plate. And what's going to happen now?'

Hendrix said: 'It's obvious what's going to happen now. We seven are going to be publicly indicted as murderers.'

The TV crew had arrived on the centre of the bridge but were, momentarily, inactive. The two specialist doctors were analysing the food and, despite O'Hare's predictions, for once seemed to be agreeing with each other. The President was talking quietly to the Vice-President. From the expressions on their faces it seemed they didn't have very much to talk about.

Branson was alone with Hendrix in the Presidential coach. Branson said: 'Do you honestly expect me to believe that you and Hagenbach know nothing about this?'

Hendrix said wearily: 'Nothing. There's been a botulinus outbreak down-town in the past few days.' He pointed towards the TV set in the middle of the roadway. 'If you watch that at all, you must have heard of it' He pointed again towards the evening meal wagon where the two doctors were busily at work. They were convinced before arrival what the trouble was.' He refrained from adding that he'd told the doctors to find not more than a dozen cases of poisoning. 'You have lives on your hands, Branson.'

'Don't we all. Get on that phone there. Some more hot meals. The first three, taken by random sample, will be by the President, the King and the Prince. You do understand, don't you?'

Revson was in the ambulance with O'Hare and April Wednesday. She was lying blanket-covered on the hinged-down bed.

She said, drowsily: 'Did you have to do this to me?'

'Yes. You don't like thumb-screws.'

'No. Maybe you're not the monster I thought you were. But Dr O'Hare-'

'Dr O'Hare, as he would say in his own native tongue, is a different kettle of fish. What did Branson say?'

She said sleepily: 'Same cable. Bay side.'

Her eyelids closed. O'Hare took Revson by the arm. His voice was quiet 'Enough.'

'How long?'

'Two hours. Not less.'

'The pens.'

O'Hare withdrew the pens from his clip-board. 'You do know what you're doing?'

'I hope.'

He thought briefly, then said:. 'You're going to be questioned.'

'I know. You want your torch?

'Later.'

Kyienski was the senior of the two doctors examining the food trays. He said to Branson: 'My colleague and I have found twelve infected food trays.'

Branson looked at Van Effen then back at Kyienski. 'That all? Twelve? Not seventeen?'

Kyienski had a grey beard, grey moustache and aquiline aristocratic stare. Twelve. Spoiled meat. Some form of botulinus. You don't even have to taste it You can smell it. Well, I can. Apparently Hansen didn't.'

'Lethal?'

'In this concentration, normally, no. This infected food didn't kill Hansen. Well, not directly. But it was almost certainly responsible for reactivating this long-standing and severe heart ailment which did kill him.'

'What would the effect of this be on the average healthy adult?'

'Incapacitating. Violent vomiting, possibility of stomach haemorrhaging, unconsciousness or something pretty close to it.'

'So a man would be pretty helpless?'

'He'd be incapable of action. Most likely of thought, too.'

'What a perfectly splendid prospect. For some.' Branson looked again at Van Effen. 'What do you think?'

'I think I want to know what you want to know.' Van Effen turned to Kyienski. 'This poison or whatever it is — could it have been deliberately introduced?'

'Who on earth would want to do a thing like that?'

Branson said: 'Answer the question.'

'Any doctor specializing in this field, any research fellow, even a reasonably competent laboratory assistant could produce the necessary toxin culture.'

'But he would have to be a doctor or in some way associated with the medical profession? I mean, this would call for trained knowledge and laboratory facilities?'

'Normally, yes.'

Branson said to the meal wagon attendant: 'Come out from behind that counter, Tony.'

Tony came. His apprehension was unmistakable.

Branson said: 'It's not all that hot, Tony. It's turning quite cool, in fact. Why are you sweating?'

'I don't like all this violence and guns.'

'No one has offered you any violence or even pointed a gun at you, although I'm not saying that both of them