Robert Ludlum - Aquatain Progression.txt

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by The Aquitaine Progression [lit]


  "You certainly do, and very well, indeed. Would

  you explain to them, please? Frankly, I've had a fight

  with my wife

  338 ROBERT IUDLUM

  at a party down there you know, at those

  cottages and I want to get back to Bonn. 111 pay

  you, of course."

  "Ein Streit mit seiner Frau! Er will nach Bonn. Er

  wind uns hezahlen."

  "Warum night? Sie hat mich halite sowieso schon

  zu viol gekostet," said the driver.

  "Nichtfuer was du kriegst, du Drecksack!" cried

  the girl laughing.

  "Get in, main Herr! We are your chauffeurs.

  Just pray he stays on the road, ja! What hotel are

  you staying ate"

  "Actually, I'd rather not go back there. I'm

  really very angry. I'd like to teach her a lesson by

  staying away tonight. Do you think you could find

  me a room? I'll pay you even more, of course.

  Frankly, I've been drinking a bit myself."

  "Ein betrunkener Tourist! Er will ein Hotel.

  Fahren wir ihn ins Rosencafe?"

  "sort sind mehr Nutten als der alte knocker schafft. "

  We are your guides, Amerikaner, " said the

  young man beside Converse. "We are students from

  the university who will not only find you a room,

  but with excellent prospects of getting back at your

  wife with some pleasure! There's also a cafe. You'll

  buy us a lager or six, ja?'

  "All you want. But Ed also like to make a

  telephone call. To the United States it's business.

  Will I be able to?"

  "Most everyone in Bonn speaks English. If they

  don't at this Rosbencafe, 1, myself, will take care of

  it Six lager th h

  "Twelve, if you like."

  "Da wird es im Pissoir sine t~berschwemmung

  geben!"

  He knew the rate of exchange, and once inside

  the raucous cafe actually a run-down bar favored

  by the university crowd he counted the money he

  had taken from the two Germans. It was roughly

  five hundred dollars, over three from the man on

  the hill. The seedy clerk at the registration desk

  explained in convoluted English that, indeed, the

  switchboard could place a call to America, but it

  might take several minutes. Joel left fifty dollars in

  deutsche marks for his youthful Good Samaritans,

  excused himself and headed for his room such as

  it was. An hour later the call came through

  "Larry?"

  "Joel?"

  "Thank God you're there!" cried Converse in relief.

  THE AQUITAINE PROGRESSION 339

  "You ll never know how I kept hoping you weren't

  out of town. Getting a call through from here is a

  bitch!'

  ' I m here, said Talbot, his voice suddenly calm

  and in control. 'Where are you. Joel?" he asked

  quietly.

  'Some poor excuse for a hotel in Boml. I just

  got here. I didn t get the name. '

  You re in a hotel in Bonn but you don t know

  which one?

  'it doesn't matter, Larry! Get Simon on the line

  I want to talk to you both. Quickly.'

  'Nathan s in court He should be back here by

  four o clock our time. That's about an hour from

  now.

  "Coddamn it!"

  "Take it easy, Joel. Don't upset yourself."

  "Don't upset. . . ? For Christ s sake, I ve been

  locked up in a stone cabin with bars in the windows

  for five days! I broke out a couple of hours ago, and

  ran like hell through the woods with a pack of dogs

  and lunatics carrying guns chasing me. I spent an

  hour in the water damn near drowning before I

  cohuldd reach land without getting my head shot off

  and the

  ' You had to what, Joel?" asked Talbot, a

  strange passivity in his voice 'What did you have to

  do?'

  'Goddamn it, Larry, I may have killed a man to

  get out of there!'

  'You had to kill someone, Joel? Why did you

  think you had to do that?"

  "He was waiting for me! They were searching for

  me! On the land, in the woods along the

  riverbanks he was a scout separated from his

  patrol. Scouts, patrols! I had to get out, get away!

  And you tell me not to be upset!"

  ' Calm down, Joel, try to get hold of yourself....

  You escaped before, didn't you? A long time ago "

  'What s that got to do with anything? Converse

  broke in.

  "You had to kill people then, didn t you? Those

  memories must always be with you

  Larry, that s bullshit! Listen to me and take

  down everything I say the names I give you, the

  facts get it all down.

  "Perhaps I should bring Janet on the line. Her

  shorthand

  'No! Only you, no one else! They can trace people,

  any

  340 ROBERT LUDLUM

  one who knows anything. It's not that complicated.

  Are you ready?"

  "Of course."

  Joel sat down on the narrow bed and took a

  deep breath. "The best way to put it as it was put

  to me, but you don't have to write this down, just

  understand is that they've come back."

  "Who?"

  "The generals field marshals, admirals,

  colonels allies and enemies, all field and fleet

  commanders and above. They've come together

  from everywhere to change things, change

  governments and laws and foreign policies, every-

  thing to be based on military priorities and

  decisions. It's crazy, but they could do it. We'd live

  out their fantasies because they'd be in control,

  believing they're right and selfless and

  dedicated as they've always believed.'

  "Who are these people, Joel?"

  "Yes, write this down. The organisation is called

  Aquitaine. It's based on a historical theory that the

  region in France once known as Aquitaine might

  have become all of Europe and by extension as

  colonies the North American continent as well."

  "Whose theory?"

  "It doesn't matter, it's just a theory. The

  organizahon was conceived by General George

  Delavane he was known as Mad Marcus in

  Vietnam and I saw only a fraction of the damage

  that son of a bitch did! He's pulled in military

  personnel from all over the place, all commanders,

  and they're fanning out recruiting their own kind,

  fanatics who believe as they do, that theirs is the

  only way. For the past year or so they've been

  shipping illegal weapons and armaments to terrorist

  groups, encouraging destabilisation wherever they

  can, the ultimate purpose being that they'll be

  called in to restore order, and when they do, they'll

  take over.... Five days ago I met with Delavane's

  key men from France and Germany Israel and

  South Africa and, I think, possibly England."

  "You met with these people, Joel? Did they

  invite you to a meeting?"

  "They thought I was one of them, that I believed

  in everything they stood for. You see, Larry, they

  didn't know how much I hated them. They hadn
't

  been where I'd been, hadn't seen what I saw as

  you said, years ago."

  "When you had to escape," added Talbot

  sympathetical

  THE AQUITAINE PROGRESSION 341

  ly. "When you had to kill people times you'll never

  forget. They must have been terrible for you."

  "Yes, they were. Goddamn it, yes! Sorry, let's stay

  on course. I'm so bred still frightened, too, I think."

  "Relax, Joel."

  "Sure. Where was I?" Converse rubbed his eyes.

  "Oh, yes, I remember. They got information on me,

  information from my service record, my status as a

  POW, which wasn't actually part of the record, but

  they got it and they found out what and who I was.

  They heard the words that told them how much I

  hated them, hated what Delavane had done what

  they all had done. They drugged me, got whatever

  they could and threw me into a Godforsaken stone

  house set in the middle of the woods above the

  Rhine. While under the chemicals I must have told

  them everything I knew "

  "Chemicals?" asked Talbot, obviously never

  having heard the term.

  Amytols, Pentothals, scopolamine. I've been the

  route, Larry. I've been there and back."

  'You have? Where?"

  In the camps. It's immaterial."

  "I'm not sure it is."

  "It is! The point is they found out what I know.

  That means they'll move up their schedule."

  "Schedule?"

  "We're in the countdown. Now! Two weeks, three

  weeks, four at the outside! No one knows how or

  where or what the targets are, but there'll be

  eruptions of violence and terrorism all over the

  place, giving them the excuse to move in and take

  over. 'Accumulation,' 'rapid acceleration,' those were

  the words they used! Right now in Northern

  Ireland everything's blown apart, nothing but

  chaos whole armored divisions are moving in. They

  did it, Larry! It's a test, a trial run for them! I'm

  going to give you the names." Converse did so both

  surprised and annoyed that Talbot did not react to

  any of the men of Aquitaine. "Have you got them?"

  "Yes, I have."

  "Those are the salient facts and the names I can

  vouch for. There's a lot more people in the State

  Department and the Pentagon, but the lists are in

  my briefcase and it's been stolen, or hidden

  somewhere. I'll get some rest and start writing out

  everything I know, then call you in the morning. I

  have to get out of here. I'm going to need help."

  342 ROBERT LUDIUM

  "I agree, so may I talk now?" said the lawyer in

  New York in that odd flat voice. "First, where are

  you, Joel? Look on the phone or read the print on

  an ashtray or check the desk; there must be

  stationery."

  "There's no desk and the ashtrays are chipped

  glass. . . . Wait a minute, I picked up some matches

  from the bar when I bought cigarettes." Converse

  reached into the pocket of the leather jacket and

  pulled out the book of matches. "Here it is.

  Riesendrinks. '

  Look below that. My German is limited, but I

  think it means big drinks' or something.'

  "Oh? Then it must be this. 'Rosencafe.'"

  "That sounds more like it. Spell it for me, Joel."

  Converse did, an undefined feeling disturbing

  him. "Have you got it?" he asked. "Here's a

  telephone number." Joel read off the numbers

  printed on the cover.

  "Good, that's splendid," said Talbot. "But before

  you get off the line and I know you need rest

  badly I have a couple of questions."

  "I would hope to hell you do!"

  "When we spoke after that man was hurt in

  Paris, after that fight you saw in the alley, you told

  me you were in Amsterdam. You said you were

  going to Hy back to Paris and see Rene, straighten

  everything out. Why didn't you, Joel?"

  "For Cod's sake, Larry, I just told you what I've

  been through! It took every minute I had to set

  things up. I was going after these people this

  goddamned Aquitaine and it could only be done

  one way. I had to work myself in, I couldn't waste

  time!"

  "That man died. Did you have anything to do with

  his

  "Christ, yes, I killed him! He tried to stop me,

  they all tried to stop me! They found me in

  Copenhagen and had me followed. They were

  waiting for me at the airport here. It was a trap!"

  "To stop you from reaching these men, these

  generals and field marshals?"

  "Yes!"

  "Yet you just told me these same men invited

  you to meet with them."

  "I'll spell it all out for you in the morning," said

  Converse wearily, the tension of the last

  hours days culminating in exhaustion and a

  wracking headache. "By then I'll have ev

  THE AQUITAINE PROGRESSION 343

  erything down on paper, but you may have to come

  over here to get it and me. The main thing is we're

  in touch. You've got the names, the overview, and

  you know where I am. Talk with Nathan, think about

  everything I've said and the three of us will figure

  out what to do. We have contacts in Washington, but

  we'll have to be careful. We don't know who's with

  whom. But there's a plus here. Some of the material

  I have I had could only have come from people

  down there. One view is that I was set in motion by

  them, that men I don't know are watching every

  move I make because I'm doing what they can't do."

  "By yourself," said Talbot, agreeing. "Without

  Washington's help. Without their help."

  "That's right. They can't show themselves; they

  have to stay in the background until I bring out

  something concrete. That was the plan. When you

  and Nathan talk, if you have questions call me. I'm

  just going to lie down for an hour or so anyway."

  "I've got another question now, if you don't mind.

  You know Interpol has an international warrant for

  you."

  "I do."

  "And the American embassy is looking for you."

  "I know that, too."

  "I was told that word reached you to come into

  the embassy."

  "You were told?"

  "Why haven't you done it, Joel?"

  "Jesus, I can't! Don't you think I would if I could

  ? The place is crawling with Delavane's people. Well,

  that's an exaggeration, but I know of three. I saw

  them."

  "It's my understanding that Ambassador

  Peregrine himself got word to you, guaranteeing you

  protection, confidentiality. Wasn't that enough?"

  "Your understanding . . ." The answer is no!

  Peregrine hasn't any idea what he's got inside that

  place. Or maybe he does. I saw Leifhelm's car go

  through those gates like he had a lifetime pass. At

  three o'clock in the morning. Leifhelm's a Nazi,

  Larry, he's never been anything else! So what does

  that make Peregrine?"

/>   "Come on, Joel. You're maligning a man by

  implication who doesn't deserve it. Walter Peregrine

  was one of the heroes of Bastogne. His command at

  the Battle of the Bulge is

  344 ROBERT LUDLUM

  a legend of the war. And he was a reserve officer,

  not part of the regular Army. I doubt that Nazis are

  his favorite guests. '

  "His command? Another commander? Then

  maybe he knows exactly what he s got in that

  embassy!"

  "That's not fair. His outspoken criticisms of the

  Pentagon are a documented part of his postwar

  career. He's called them megalomaniacs with too

  damn much money feeding their egos at the

  taxpayers' expense. No, you're not being fair, Joel.

  I think you should listen to him. Call him on the

  phone, talk to him."

  ' Not being fairy" said Converse softly, the

  undefined feel~ng coming Into focus, now a

  warning. Wait a minute! You're the one who's not

  being fair. I was told'. . . it's my understanding?'

  What oracle have you been in touch with? Who's

  imparting these pearls of wisdom about me? On

  what basis and where from?"

  "All right, Joel, all right, calm down. Yes, I have

  talked to people people who want to help you. A

 

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