trouble with that,' said Swann. 'But if I let you go, you'll be walking into a minefield and no training on how to survive. Has that thought struck you, Congressman? It should have.'
'I don't intend to storm the embassy,' answered Evan Kendrick.
'You might not have to. Just ask the wrong person the wrong question and the results could be the same.'
'I could also be in a cab at Twenty-third Street and Virginia Avenue at noontime today and be in an accident.'
'I presume that means you were.'
'The point is I wasn't driving. I was in a taxi. I'm careful, Mr. Swann, and in Masqat, I know my way around the traffic, which isn't as unpredictable as Washington's.'
'Were you ever in military service?'
'No.'
'You were the right age for Vietnam, I'd guess. Any explanation?'
'I had a graduate school deferment. It kept me out.'
'Have you ever handled a gun?'
I've had limited experience.'
'Which means you know where the trigger is and which end to point.'
'I said limited, not imbecilic. During the early days in the Emirates, we kept ourselves armed at our construction sites. Sometimes later also.'
'Ever had to fire one?' pressed the deputy director.
'Certainly,' replied Kendrick, his voice calm, not rising to the bait. 'So I could learn where the trigger was and which end to point.'
'Very funny, but what I meant was did you ever have to fire a gun at another human being?'
'Is this necessary?'
'Yes, it is. I have to make a judgment.'
'All right then; yes, I did.'
'When was that?'
'When were they,' corrected the congressman. 'Among my partners and our American crew was a geologist, an equipment-logistics man, and several refugees from the Army Corps of Engineers—foreman types. We made frequent trips to potential sites for soil and shale testings and to set up fenced compounds for machinery. We drove a camper, and on several occasions we were attacked by bandits—wandering nomad gangs looking for strays. They've been a problem for years, and the authorities warn everyone heading into the interior to protect themselves. Not much different from any large city over here. I used a gun then.'
'To frighten or to kill, Mr. Kendrick?'
'By and large to frighten, Mr. Swann. However, there were times when we had to kill. They wanted to kill us. We reported all such incidents to the authorities.'
'I see,' said the deputy director of Consular Operations. 'What kind of shape are you in?'
The visitor shook his head in exasperation. 'I smoke an occasional cigar or a cigarette after a meal, Doctor, and I drink moderately. I do not, however, lift weights or run in marathons. However, again, I do ride Class Five white water and backpack in the mountains whenever I can. I also think this is a bunch of bullshit.'
'Think what you like, Mr. Kendrick, but we're pressed for time. Simple, direct questions can help us assess a person just as accurately as a convoluted psychiatric report from one of our clinics in Virginia.'
'Blame that on the psychiatrists.'
'Tell me about it,' said Swann, with a hostile chuckle.
'No, you tell me,' countered the visitor. 'Your show-and-tell games are over. Do I go or don't I, and if not, why not?'
Swann looked up. 'You go, Congressman. Not because you're an ideal choice but because I don't have a choice. I'll try anything, including an arrogant son of a bitch which, under that
