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strategy held together； warning Leland would have been counterproductive。'
'In what way？' asked the Monk harshly。
'It's your fuller explanation。 Our source was to make contact with Cain during the hours of midnight and three in the morning in the rue Sarasin on August twenty…third。 Leland wasn't due until the twenty…fifth。 As I say； had it held together we would have taken Cain。 It didn't； Cain never showed up。'
'And your source insisted on co…operating solely with you；' said Abbott。 To the exclusion of all others。〃
'Yes；' nodded Gillette； trying but unable to conceal his embarrassment 'In our judgment； the risk to Leland had been eliminated … which in terms of Cain turned out to be the truth and the odds for capture greater than they'd ever been。 We'd finally found someone willing to e out and identify Cain。 Would any of you have handled it any other way？'
Silence。 This time broken by the drawl of the astute congressman from Tennessee。
'Jesus Christ Almighty。。。 what a bunch of bullshitters！'
Silence terminated by the thoughtful voice of David Abbott。
'May I mend you； sir； on being the first honest man sent over from the Hill。 The fact that you are not overwhelmed by the rarefied atmosphere of these highly classified surroundings is not lost on any of us。 It's refreshing。'
'I don't think the congressman fully grasps the sensitivity of。。。'
'Oh； shut up； Peter；' said the Monk。 'I think the congressman wants to say something。'
'Just for a bit；' said Walters； 'I thought you were all over twenty…one； I mean； you look over twenty…one； and by then you're supposed to know better。 You're supposed to be able to hold intelligent conversations； exchange information while respecting confidentiality； and look for mon solutions。 Instead； you sound like a bunch of kids jumping on a goddamn carousel； squabbling over who's going to get the cheap brass ring。 It's a hell of a way to spend taxpayers' money。'
'You're oversimplifying； Congressman；' broke in Gillette。 'You're talking about a Utopian fact…finding apparatus。 There's no such thing。'
'I'm talking about reasonable men； sir。 I'm a lawyer and before I came up to this godforsaken circus I dealt with ascending levels of confidentiality every day of my life。 What's so damn new about them？'
'And what's your point？' asked the Monk。
'I want an explanation。 For over eighteen months I've sat on the House Assassination Submittee。 I've ploughed through thousands of pages； filled with hundreds of names and twice as many theories。 I don't think there's a suggested conspiracy or a suspected assassin I'm not aware of。 I've lived with those names and those theories for damn near two years； until I didn't think there was anything left to learn。'
'I'd say your credentials were very impressive；〃 interrupted Abbott。
'I thought they might be； it's why I accepted the Oversight chair。 I thought I could make a realistic contribution； but now I'm not so sure。 I'm suddenly beginning to wonder what I do now。'
'Why？' asked Manning apprehensively。
'Because I've been sitting here listening to the four of you describe an operation that's been going on for three years； involving networks of personnel and informants and major intelligence posts throughout Europe … all centred on an assassin whose 〃list of acplishments〃 is staggering。 Am I substantively correct？〃
'Go on；' replied Abbott quietly； holding his pipe； his expression rapt。 'What's your question？〃
'Who is he？ Who the hell is this Cain？'
The silence lasted precisely five seconds； during which time eyes roamed other eyes； several throats were cleared and no one moved in his chair。 It was as if a decision was being reached without discussion： evasion was to be avoided。 Congressman Efrem Walters； out of the hills of Tennessee by way of the Yale Law Review； was not to be dismissed with facile circumlocution that dealt with the esoterica of clandestine manipulations。 Bullshit was out。
David Abbott put his pipe down on the table； the quiet clatter his overture。 'The less public exposure a man like Cain receives the better it is for everyone。'
'That's no answer；' said Walters。 'But I assume it's the beginning of one。'
'It is。 He's a professional assassin … that is； a trained expert in wide…ranging methods of taking life。 That expertise is for sale； neither politics nor personal motivation any concern to him whatsoever。 He's in business solely； to make a profit and his profits escalate … in direct ratio to his reputation。'
The congressman nodded。 'So by keeping as tight a lid as you can on that reputation you're holding back free advertising。'
'Exactly。 There are a lot of maniacs in this world with too many real or imagined enemies who might easily gravitate to Cain if they knew of him。 Unfortunately； more than we care to think about already have； to date thirty…eight killings can be directly attributed to Cain； and some twelve to fifteen are probabilities。'
'That's his list of 〃acplishments〃？'
'Yes。 And we're losing the battle。 With each new killing his reputation spreads。'
'He was dormant for a while；' said Knowlton of the CIA。 'For a number of months recently we thought he might have been taken himself。 There were several probables in which the killers themselves were eliminated； we thought he might have been one of them。'
'Such as？' asked Walters。
'A banker in Madrid who funnelled bribes for the Euro…politan Corporation for government purchases in Africa。 He was shot from a speeding car on the Paseo de la Castellana。 A chauffeur…bodyguard gunned down both driver and killer； for a time we believed the killer was Cain。〃
'I remember the incident。 Who might have paid for it？'
'Any number of panies；' answered Gillette； 'who wanted to sell gold…plated cars and indoor plumbing to instant dictators。〃
'What else？ Who else？'
'Sheikh Mustafa Kalig in Oman；' said Colonel Manning。
'He was reported killed in an abortive coup。'
'Not so；' continued the officer。 'There was no attempted coup； G…Two informants confirmed that Kalig was unpopular； but the other sheikhs aren't fools。 The coup story was a cover for an assassination that could tempt other professional killers。 Three troublesome nonentities from the Officer Corps were executed to lend credence to the lie。 For a while； we thought one of them was Cain； the timing corresponds to Cain's dormancy。'
Who would pay Cain for assassinating Kalig？'
'We asked ourselves that over and over again；' said Manning。 'The only possible answer came from a source who claimed to know； but there was no way to verify it。 He said Cain did it to prove it could be done。 By him。 Oil sheikhs travel with the tightest security in the world。'
〃There are several dozen other incidents；〃 added Knowlton。 'Probables that fall into the same pattern where highly protected figures were killed and sources came forward to implicate Cain。〃
'I see。' The congressman picked up the summary page for Zurich。 'But from what I gather you don't know who he is。〃
'No two descriptions have been alike；' interjected Abbott。 'Cain's apparently a virtuoso at disguise。'
'Yet people have seen him； talked to him。 Your sources； the informants； this man in Zurich； none of them may e out in the open to testify； but surely you've interrogated them。 You've got to have e up with a posite； with something：
'We've e up with a great deal；' replied Abbott； 'but a consistent description isn't part of it。 For openers； Cain never lets himself be seen in daylight。 He holds meetings at night； in dark rooms or alleyways。 If he's ever met more than one person at a time … as Cain … we don't know about it。 We've been told he never stands； he's always seated … in a dimly lit restaurant； or a corner chair； or parked car。 Sometimes he wears heavy glasses； sometimes none at all； at one rendezvous he may have dark hair； at another white or red or covered by a hat。'
'Language？'
'We're closer here；' said the C。I。A。 director； anxious to put the pany's research on the table。 'Fluent English and French； and several Oriental dialects。'
'Dialects？ What Dialects？ Doesn't a language e first？'
'Of course。 It's root…Vietnamese。'
'Viet？ Walters leaned forward 'Why do I get the idea that I'm ing to something you'd rather not tell me？'
'Because you're probably quite astute at cross…examination； sir。' Abbott struck a match and lit his pipe。
'Passably alert；〃 agreed the congressman。 'Now what is it？'
'Cain；' said Gillette； his eyes briefly； oddly； on David Abbott。 'We know where he came from。'
'Where？'
'Out of South…east Asia；' answered Manning； as if sustaining the pain of a knife wound。 'As far as we can gather； he mastered the fringe dialects so as to be understood in the hill country along the Cambodian and Laos border routes； as well as in rural North Vietnam。 We accept the data； it fits。'
'With what？'
'Operation Medusa。〃 The colonel reached for a large； thick manilla envelope on his left。 He opened it and removed a single folder from among several inside； he placed it in front of him。 'That's the Cain file；〃 he said； nodding at the open envelope。 This is the Medusa material； the aspects of it that might in any way be relevant to Cain。'
The Tennessean leaned back in his chair； the trace of a sardonic smile creasing his lips。 'You know； gentlemen； you slay me with your pithy titles。 Incidentally； that's a beauty it's very sinister； very ominous。 I think you fellows take a course in this kind of thing。 Go on； Colonel。 What's this Medusa？'
Manning glanced briefly at David Abbott； then spoke。 'It was a clandestine outgrowth of the search…and…destroy concept； designed to function behind enemy lines during the Vietnam war。 In the late 'sixties and early 'seventies； units of American； French； British； Australian and native volunteers were formed into teams to operate in territories occupied by the North Vietnamese。 Their priorities were the disruption of enemy munications and supply lines； the pinpointing of prison camps and； not the least； the assassination of village leaders known to be co…operating with the munists； as well as the enemy manders whenever possible。'
'It was a war…within…a…war；' broke in Knowlton。 'Unfortunately； racial appearances and languages made participation infinitely more dangerous than； say； the German and Dutch undergrounds； or the French Resistance in World War Two。 Therefore； occidental recruitment was not always as selective as it might have been。'
There were dozens of these teams；' continued the colonel； 'the personnel ranging from old line Navy chiefs who knew the coastlines to French plantation owners whose only hope for reparations lay in an American victory。 There were British and Australian drifters who'd lived in Indochina for years； as well as highly motivated American army and civilian intelligence career officers。 Also； inevitably； there was a sizeable faction of hard…core criminals。 In the main； smugglers … men who dealt in running guns； narcotics； gold and diamonds throughout the entire South China Sea area。 They were walking encyclopaedias when it came to night landings and jungle routes。 Many we employed were runaways or fugitives from the States； a number well…educated； all resourceful。 We needed their expertise。'
'That's quite a cross…section of volunteers；' interrupted the congressman。 'Old line Navy and Army； British and Australian drifters； French colonials； and platoons of thieves。 How the hell did you get them to work together？〃
To each according to his greeds；' said Gillette。
'Promises；' amplified the colonel。 'Guarantees of rank； promotions； pardons； outright bonuses of cash； and in a number of cases opportunities to steal funds。。。 from the operation itself。 You see； they all had to be a little crazy； we understood that。 We trained them secretly； using codes； methods of transport； entrapment and killing … even weapons mand Saigon knew nothing about As Peter mentioned； the risks were incredible； capture resulting in torture and execution； the price was high and they paid it。 Most people would have called them a collection of paranoics； but they were geniuses where disruption and assassination were concerned。 Especially assassination。'
'What was the price？'
'Operation Medusa sustained over ninety per cent cas