a party to it。〃
〃His reasons are valid； and I for one do not question them。〃
Kolchak leaned against the edge of his desk； his shoulders sagging。 〃I'll have a list made up of those who will stay。〃
〃Thank you； Colonel General。〃
〃I assume all preparations are plete？〃
Velikov nodded。 〃You and I will acpany the Castro brothers to the parade reviewing stand。 I will be carrying a pocket transmitter that will detonate the explosives in the primary ship。 When Castro begins his usual marathon speech； we will make an unobtrusive exit to a waiting staff car。 Once we are safely out of range allowing about thirty minutes to drive fifteen miles I'll activate the signal and the blast will follow。〃
〃How do we explain our miraculous escape？〃 Kolchak asked sarcastically。
〃First reports will have us dead and missing。 Later； we'll be discovered among the injured。〃
〃How badly injured？〃
〃Just enough to look convincing。 Torn uniforms； a little blood； and some artificial wounds covered by bandages。〃
〃Like two hooligans who vandalized the dressing rooms of a theater。〃
〃Hardly the metaphor that es to mind。〃
Kolchak turned and sadly looked out the window of his headquarters over the busy city of Havana。
〃Impossible to believe that tomorrow at this time；〃 he said in a morbid tone； 〃all this will be a smoldering； twisted sea of misery and death。〃
The President worked at his desk late。 Nothing was cut…and…dried； black or white。 The job of Chief Executive was one promise after another。 His wins over Congress were diluted by tacked…on amendments； his foreign policies picked apart by world leaders until little remained of the original proposals。 Now he was trying to save the life of a man who had viewed the United States as his number one enemy for thirty years。 He wondered what difference any of it would make two hundred years from now。
Dan Fawcett walked in with a pot of coffee and sandwiches。 〃The Oval Office never sleeps；〃 he said with forced cheerfulness。 〃Your favorite； tuna with bacon。〃 He offered the President a plate and then poured the coffee。 〃Can I help you with anything？〃
〃No thanks； Dan。 Just editing my speech for tomorrow's news conference。〃
〃I can't wait to see the faces of the press corps when you lay the existence of the moon colony on them； and then introduce Steinmetz and his people。 I previewed some of the videotapes they brought back of their lunar experiments。 They're incredible。〃
The President set the sandwich aside and thoughtfully sipped the coffee。 〃The world is upside down。〃
Fawcett paused in midbite。 〃Pardon？〃
〃Think of the terrible incongruity。 I'll be informing the world of man's greatest modern achievement at the same time that Havana is being blown off the map。〃
〃Any late word from Brogan since Pitt and Jessie LeBaron popped up at our Special Interests Section？〃
〃Not in the past hour。 He's keeping a vigil at his office too。〃
〃How in the world did they ever manage it？〃
〃Two hundred miles through a hostile nation。 Beats me。〃
The direct phone line to Langley rang。 〃Yes。〃
〃Martin Brogan； Mr。 President。 Havana reports that searchers have not yet detected a positive radioactive reading in any of the ships。〃
〃Did they get on board？〃
〃Negative。 Security is too heavy。 They can only drive by the two ships tied to the docks。 The other one； an oil tanker； is moored in the bay。 They circled it in a small boat。〃
〃What are you telling me； Martin？ The bomb was unloaded and hidden in the city？〃
〃The ships have been under tight surveillance since arriving in the harbor。 No cargo has e off。〃
〃Maybe the radiation can't leak through the steel hulls of the ships。〃
〃The experts at Los Alamos assure me it can。 The problem is our people in Havana are not professional radiation experts。 They're also hamstrung having to use mercial Geiger counters that aren't sensitive enough to measure a light reading。〃
〃Why didn't we get qualified experts with the right equipment in there？〃 the President demanded。
〃It's one thing to send in one man on a diplomatic mission with a small suitcase like your friend Hagen。 It's something else to smuggle a team with five hundred pounds of electronic equipment。 If we had more time； something might have been arranged。 Covert boat landings and parachute drops stand little chance through Cuba's defense screen。 Smuggling by ship is the best method； but we're talking at least a month's preparation。〃
〃You make it sound like we're a guy with an unknown disease and no known cure。〃
〃That about sums it up； Mr。 President；〃 said Brogan。 〃About all we can do is sit and wait。 。 。 and watch it happen。〃
〃No； I won't have that。 In the name of humanity we have to do something。 We can't let all those people die。〃 He paused； feeling a knot growing in his stomach。 〃God； I can't believe the Russians will actually set off a nuclear bomb in a city。 Doesn't Antonov realize he's plunging us deeper into a morass there can be no backing out of？〃
〃Believe me； Mr。 President； our analysts have run every conceivable contingency through puters。 There is no easy answer。 Asking the Cubans to evacuate the city through our radio networks will acplish nothing。 They'll simply ignore any warnings ing from us。
〃There is still hope Ira Hagen can get to Castro in time。〃
〃Do you really think Fidel will take Hagen at face value？ Not very likely。 He'll think it's only a plot to discredit him。 I'm sorry； Mr。 President； we have to steel ourselves against the disaster； because there isn't a damned thing we can do about it。〃
The President wasn't listening anymore。 His face reflected grim despair。 We put a colony on the moon； he thought； and yet the world's inhabitants still insist on murdering each other for asinine reasons。
〃I'm calling a cabinet meeting tomorrow early； before the moon colony announcement；〃 he said in a defeated voice。 〃We'll have to create a plan to counter Soviet and Cuban accusations of guilt and pick up the pieces as best we can。〃
Leaving the Swiss embassy was ridiculously easy。 A tunnel had been dug twenty years before that dropped over a hundred feet below the streets and sewer pipes； far beneath any shafts Cuban security people might have sunk around the block。 The walls were sealed to keep out water； but silent pumps were kept busy draining away the seepage。
Clark led Pitt down a long ladder to the bottom； and then through a passage that ran for nearly two city blocks before ending at a shaft。 They climbed up and emerged in a fitting room of a women's dress shop。
The shop had closed six hours earlier and the window displays effectively blocked any view of the interior。 Sitting in the storeroom were three exhausted； haggard…looking men who gave barely a sign of recognition to Clark as he entered with Pitt。
〃No need to know real names；〃 said Clark。 〃May I present Manny； Moe； and Jack。〃
Manny； a huge black with a deeply trenched face； wearing an old faded green shirt and khaki trousers； lit a cigarette and merely glanced at Pitt with world…weary detachment。 He looked like a man who had experienced the worst of life and had no illusions left。
Moe was peering through spectacles at a Russian phrase book。 He wore the image of an academic lost expression； unruly hair； neatly sculptured beard。 He silently nodded and gave an offhand smile。
Jack was the stereotype Latin out of a 1930s movie flashing eyes； pact build； fireworks teeth； triangular moustache。 All he was missing was a bongo drum。 He gave the only words of recognition。 〃Hola； Thomas。 e to pep…talk the troops？〃
〃Gentlemen； this is。 。 。 ah。 。 。 Sam。 He's e up with an angle that throws new light on the search。〃
〃It better be damned well worth it to drag us off the docks；〃 grunted Manny。 〃We've got little time to waste on asshole theories。〃
〃You're no closer now to finding the bomb than you were twenty…four hours ago；〃 Clark said patiently。 〃I suggest you listen to what he has to say〃
〃Screw you；〃 Manny said。 〃Just when we found a way to slip on board one of the freighters； you call us back。〃
〃You could have searched every inch of those ships and never found a ton…and…a…half nuclear device；〃 said Pitt。
Manny turned his attention to Pitt； eyes traveling from feet to hair； like a linebacker sizing up an opposing halfback。 〃Okay； smartass； where's our bomb？〃
〃Three bombs；〃 Pitt corrected； 〃and none of them nuclear。〃
There was silence in the room。 Everyone but Clark appeared skeptical。
Pitt pulled the map from under his shirt and unfolded it。 He borrowed some pins from a mannikin and stuck it on one wall。 He was not put off by the indifferent attitude of the group of CIA agents。 His eyes showed him these men were alert； precise； and petent。 He knew they possessed a remarkable variety of skills and the absolute determination of men who did not take failure lightly。
〃The Amy Bigalow is the first link in the holocaust chain。 Her cargo of twenty…five thousand tons of ammonium nitrate〃
〃That's nothing but fertilizer；〃 said Manny。
〃is also a highly volatile chemical；〃