Tewilliger looked over at his legislative assistant, who’d stuck his head in the door. The senator really didn’t feel like talking to Mangjeol, who would probably ask why he had given the press a “no comment” when asked about the fate of the disarmament treaty when news of the troop movements broke. He’d done it because this was the time to be subtle, to maneuver behind the scenes while the president sweated in front of the cameras. As a rule, constituents didn’t understand that.

On the other hand, now was not a good time to blow Mangjeol off.

“When are the aluminum can people coming?” Tewilliger asked the assistant.

“Should have been here five minutes ago,” said Hannigan, looking at his watch.

That frosted him — senators kept lobbyists waiting, not the other way around. Especially greedy sons of bitches like Mo and Schmo, Tewilliger’s pet names for the two lobbyists who wanted more waivers in the upcoming environmental bill.

“Which line?” Tewilliger asked.

“Two.”

“Keep Mo and Schmo outside at least ten minutes before telling me they’re here,” Tewilliger told his assistant before picking up the phone. “Harry, how the hell are you?”

“Senator, I have important information from a friend in Korea. Very important,” said Mangjeol breathlessly. “It is… incredible.”

“What’s that?”

“Kim Jong-Il is to be deposed. A defector will take off tonight with a list of his foreign bank accounts.”

He’s finally lost it, Tewilliger thought, trying to decide how to deal with him. Sane or not, Mangjeol represented considerable contributions.

“Well, that is… incredible information,” said the senator. “But… Well, to act on it…”

“I will forward you the e-mail. If you can get it into the right hands.”

“Of course I can get it into the right hands,” said Tewilliger. Perhaps Mangjeol wasn’t insane. Perhaps the e-mail had some small piece of truth in it.

More likely it was part of a complicated phishing scam launched by Chinese pirates.

Then again, it might have some value. He could forward it to the CIA..

No, send it directly to McCarthy, or one of his people. Let them take the fall if it was phony.

“I would not believe that it was real,” said Mangjeol, “but it does contain specific details, including a location of a secret air base.”

“Send it, please,” Tewilliger told Mangjeol. “And how are your children?”

5

THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON, D.C.

“Ms. Alston, this is Senator Tewilliger. I’m sorry to bother you so late.”

Corrine glanced at her watch. It was only a quarter past five.

“Not at all, Senator. How can I help you?”

“As it happens, I may be able to help you. Or, rather, the president. Some important information has come to me and I want to deliver it to Jonathon personally.”

“He’s not back yet.”

“So I heard. This is very important, perhaps time critical. I was wondering if you could meet me in my office.”

Corrine hesitated.

“I realize it’s an unusual request, but the matter is unusual. It pertains to Korea, which I know the president has been asking you to help him with.”

“I can be over in an hour,” she told him.

“The sooner the better.”

* * *

Even though he’d had her rush over, Senator Tewilliger kept Corrine waiting in his outer office nearly fifteen minutes. She spent the time staring at the senator’s appointment secretary, a young woman roughly her age, whose long, elaborately painted nails made working the phone an adventure. The senator’s legislative assistant, James Hannigan, appeared from the inner office every few minutes to assure her that the senator was “just about ready.” Finally, the door to the office opened and two men Corrine recognized as lobbyists for the aluminum industry emerged just ahead of Tewilliger. The senator greeted her in a booming voice, then introduced her to the two lobbyists.

“The president’s counsel. I’m sure you know her,” said Tewilliger.

Corrine smiled politely and shook the men’s hands, convinced the senator had called her over primarily to impress the lobbyists; her presence would suggest he was very close to the president.

The lobbyists gone, Tewilliger ushered her inside, then stepped out to check to see if any important messages had been left while he’d been “in conference.” It was an old Washington game, puffing up one’s importance, but all it did was antagonize Corrine further.

“Important news,” said Tewilliger when he came back in. “I have something that came from unofficial sources.”

“OK.”

“A North Korean pilot is going to defect in the next twenty-four hours. He’ll be in a MiG-29, one of their newest planes. He’ll have records with him relating to Kim Jong-Il.”

“What sort of records?”

“Financial records.” Tewilliger opened his top desk drawer and took a folded piece of paper out. “This is a copy of the e-mail. It’s in Korean, unfortunately. I had James make a copy of the file. Apparently you need some sort of special keyboard or letter set to read the characters right or they come out as you see.”

“Where exactly did this information come from?”

“A constituent with very high-level contacts over there, business contacts,” said the senator. “I don’t know much about these things, but I’ve heard that you can trace e-mail. Supposedly there are map coordinates and actual place names my constituent claims are real.”

Corrine glanced at the e-mail header. There was quite a bit of data there, but it was not very difficult to spoof or fake an e-mail address or the path it had taken to its recipient.

“I don’t want to sound skeptical…” started Corrine.

“But you are.”

“I guess I am.”

“So am I. As I say, I don’t read Korean.”

“Have you contacted the CIA?”

“I thought you would prefer to do that,” said Tewilliger.

“I will,” said Corrine. She rose.

“Ms. Alston, I know the president and I… at times we haven’t always agreed on policy. The treaty is an example of that. The incident in the North, with the army mobilizing… Well, it made me decide I have to oppose the treaty at all costs. But I assure you, what Jon McCarthy and I agree on far surpasses our few disagreements.”

“I’m sure the president would agree.”

“And with you I have no disagreements,” said Tewilliger.

“Thank you, Senator.”

Tewilliger got up from behind his desk and took the door as she opened it. “If you ever decide to look for a new boss, come see me,” he told her. “I intend to be at this game a long time.”

Corrine couldn’t think of anything to say, so she only smiled.

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