further inflame the crazy world she lives in.'
'She's the only one left, Manny. The others wouldn't; they couldn't.'
'Then there are others beyond others.'
'For God's sake, u'/io? These were the only people who knew I was there.'
'You just said this Swann told you a blond creep with a foreign accent figured you were in Masqat. Where did he get his information?'
'No one can find him, not even the White House.'
'Maybe I know people who can find him,' interrupted Weingrass.
'No, Manny,' insisted Kendrick firmly. 'This isn't Paris and those Israelis are way off limits. I owe them too much, although some day I'd like you to explain to me the interest they had in a certain hostage at the embassy.'
'I was never told,' said Weingrass. 'I knew there was an initial plan the unit had trained for and I assumed it was designed to reach someone inside, but they never discussed it in front of me. Those people know how to keep their mouths shut… What's your next move?'
'Tomorrow morning with the Rashad woman. I told you.'
'After that.'
'You haven't been watching television.'
'I'm at Gee-Gee's. He only allows videotapes, remember? He's got a replay on one of the eighty-two Series, and most everyone at the bar thinks it's today. What's on television?'
'The President. He announced that I'm in protective seclusion.'
'Sounds like jail to me.'
'In a way it is, but the prison's tolerable and the warden's given me privileges.'
'Do I get a number?'
'I wouldn't know it. There's nothing printed on the phone, only a blank strip, but I'll keep you informed. I'll call you if I move. Nobody could trace this line and it doesn't matter if they did.'
'Okay, now let me ask you something. Did you mention me to anyone?'
'Good God, no. You may be in the classified Oman file and I did say that a lot of other people deserved credit beside myself, but I never used your name. Why?'
'I'm being followed.'
'What?'
'It's a wrinkle I don't like. Gee-Gee says the clown on my tail is federal and that there are others with him.'
'Maybe Dennison picked you out from the file and assigned you protection.'
'From what? Even in Paris I'm vault-tight—if I wasn't, I'd have been dead three years ago. And what makes you think I'm in any file? Outside the unit no one knew my name and none of our names were used in that conference the morning we all left. Finally, Airhead, if I'm being protected it'd be a good idea to let me know about it. Because if I'm dangerous enough to warrant that kind of protection, I might just blow the head off someone I don't know protecting me.'
'As usual,' said Kendrick, 'you may have an ounce of logic in your normal pound of implausibility. I'll check on it.'
'Do that. I may not have too many years left but I wouldn't want them cut short by a bullet in my head—from either side. Call me tomorrow, because now I've got to get back to the coven before the inhabitants report my departure to the head police warlock.'
'Give my regards to Gee-Gee,' added Evan. 'And tell him that when I'm home he's to stay the hell out of the importing business. Also, thank him, Manny.' Kendrick hung up the phone, his hand still on it. He picked it up and dialled 0.
'Operator,' said a somewhat hesitant female voice after more unanswered rings than seemed normal.
'I'm not sure why,' began Evan, 'but I have an idea that you're
