Robert Ludlum - The Parcifal Mosaic.txt

by The Parcifal Mosaic [lit]

  the United Nations, as well as around the international conference tables,

  with an avowed profound mistrust of the Soviets. This mistrust, however,

  was couched in a swift, aggressive wit, and woven into deceptively pleasant

  frontal assaults that drove the Russians up their Byzantine walls, for they

  bad no matching counterattacks, except for bluster and defiance, and thus

  were frequently outmaneuvered in the open forums. Perhaps Pierce's

  outstanding credential was that be had been handpicked by Matthias himself

  when Anton was at the height of his intellectual powers. But the

  characteristic that stood out in Havelock's mind while racing down the dark

  airfield road was the highly regarded self-discipline attributed to Arthur

  Pierce by just about everybody who had contr& uted to his service dossier.

  He was never known to say anything unless he had something to say. By

  extension, thought Michael, he would not do something unless there was a

  reason for doing it.

  And he had chosen to meet on a runway.

  The driver swung left into an intersecting road that ran the distance of a

  huge maintenance hangar, then turned right onto the border of a deserted

  airstrip. In the distance, silhouetted in the glare of the headlights, was

  the f1gure of a man standing alone. Behind him, perhaps five hundred feet

  beyond and off the strip, was a small propiet with interior and exterior

  lights on and a fuel truck alongside it.

  "There's the man," said the sergeant, slowing down. "IT drop you off and

  wait back by the junk shop."

  "The what?"

  'Me maintenance hangar. just shout when you want me.*

  The jeep came to a stop thirty feet from Arthur Pierce. Havelock got out

  and saw the undersecretary of State start-

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  ing toward him-a tall, slender man in a dark overcoat and bat, his stride

  long and energetic. Protocol was obviously unimportant to Pierce; there were

  too many with his title in the State Department who, regardless of the

  crisis, would expect a mere foreign service officer to approach them.

  Michael began walking, noticing that Pierce was removingAbe glove from his

  right hand.

  "Mr. Havelock?" said the diplomat, band extended, as the jeep sped away.

  "Mr. Undersecretary?"

  "But of course it's you," continued Pierce, his grip f1rm and genuine. "Ive

  seen your photograph. Frankly, I've read everything I could get my bands on

  about you. Now, I suppose I should get this over with."

  "What?"

  'Vell, I guess I'm a little awestruck, which is a pretty silly thing for a

  grown man to say. But your accomplishments in a world I don't claim to

  understand are very impressive." The undersecretary paused, looking

  embarrassed. "I imagine the exotic nature of your work evokes this kind of

  reaction quite a lot."

  "I wish it would; you make me feel terrifle. Especially considering the

  mistakes I've made-especially during the last few months."

  "The mistakes weren't yours."

  "I should also tell you," Michael went on, overlooking the comment, "I've

  read a great deal about you, too. There aren't many people in your league

  at State. Anthony Matthias knew what be was doing-when be knew what be was

  doing-wben be pulled you out of the pack and put you where you are."

  "That's one thing we have in common, isn't it? Anthony Matthias. You far

  more than me in depth, and I'd never pretend otherwise. But the privilege,

  the goddamn privilegethere's no other way I can put it-of having known him

  the way I knew him makes the years, the tensions, the sweat worthwhile. It

  was a time of my life when everything jelled for me; he made it come

  together."

  "I think we both feel the same way."

  "When I read the material on you, you have no idea how I envied you. I was

  close to him, but I could never be what you were to him. What an

  extraordinary experience those years must have been."

  THE PARSIFAL MOSAIC 601

  "It was-tbey were. But nothing's there for either of us any longer."

  "I know. Ies unbelievable."

  "Believe. I saw him."

  "I wonder if they'll let me see him. I'm on my way to Poole's Island, you

  know."

  "Do yourself a favor. Don't. It sounds trite, but remember him-especially

  him-the way be was, not the way he is."

  "Which brings us to now." Pierce shook his head while staring at Havelock

  in the chiaroscuro of the runway. "It!s not good. I don't think I really

  described to the President how close we are to the edge.-

  "He understood. He told me what they said to you when you warned them.

  'Look to yourselves,' wasn't that it?"

  "Yes. When they get that simple, that direct, I shake. They'll strike out

  at shadows; one violent shove and we're over. I'm a fair debater and not

  bad at negotiations, but you know the Soviets better than I do. How do you

  read it?'

  "The same as you. Understatement isn't their way, bombast is. When they

  don't bother to threaten, they're threatening. Moves will take the place of

  words."

  "That's what frightens me. The only thing I cling to is that I really don't

  believe theyve brought in the men who push the buttons. Not yet. They know

  they have to be absolutely accurate. If they have concrete proof, not just

  hints, that Matthias entered into nuclear aggression pacts against the

  U.S.S.R. and if they even smell China, they won't hesitate to push the

  decision up where it won't be theirs any longer. Thaeswhenwecanall start

  digging into the ground."

  "Nuclear aggression. . . F' Havelock paused, alarmed more than he would

  have thought possible. "You think they've assumed that much?"

  "Theyre close to it. It's what's working them up into a frenzy. Pacts

  negotiated by a maniac-witb other maniacs."

  "And now the frenzy's gone. They keep quiet and show you the door. You warn

  them and they tell you we should look to ourselves. I'm frightened too, Mr.

  Undersecretary:'

  "You know what I'm thinking, then?"

  "Parsifal."

  "Yes."

  "Berquist said you thought the Soviets had learned something during the

  past eighteen hours. Is this itr

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  'I'm not sure," said Pierce. "Im not even sure Im working the right side of

  the street ' but something's happened. It's why I wanted to see you. You're

  the only one who knows what's going on hour by hour. If I could pick

  something out, piece it together with something they said or reacted to, I

  might find a connection. What rm looking for is a person or an event,

  anything that I can use to interdict them, to bring up before they do, and

  deflect them. Anything to keep them from alarming the warlords in the

  Presidium."

  "They're not fools, they know those men. Theyd know what they were

  delivering."

  "I don't think that would stop them." Pierce hesitated, as if debating with

  himself whether or not to cite an example, then decided to speak. "You know

  General Halyard?"

  "I've never met him. Or Ambassador Brooks. I was supposed to meet them both

  this afternoon. What about him?"
>
  "I consider him one of the most thoughtful, skeptical military men in this

  country."

  "Agreed. Not only from his reputation; I was given his dossier. AndP"

  "I asked him this afternoon what he thought the reaction would be-his

  included-if our clandestine services unearthed a Sino-Soviet pact against

  us, one that projected attack dates within forty-five days, and contained

  the kind of information found in those documents on Poole's Island. His

  reply was one word: 'Launch.' If he can say that, what about lesser, far

  more insecure men?"

  Arthur Pierce did not dramatize the question but asked it calmly, and the

  chill Michael felt was now only partially due to the damp, cold air. Forces

  were closing in; time was running out. "The President said to help you," he

  began. "I don't know if I can, but I'll try. You say you're looking for

  something to deflect them; I may have it. There's a longstanding KGB

  operation that goes back to the days of the NKVD-to the thirties. les

  called Operatsiya Paminyatchik--"

  "Sorry," interrupted the man from State. "My Russian's not very good

  without an interpreter."

  "It doesn't matter; an interpreter wouldn't know it. Ies a code name. It

  stands for a strategy that calls for young children, even infants, selected

  by doctors and brought over here. They're placed with specific

  families-deep-cover Marxists-and grow up as Americans, in every superficial

  way

  THE PAIRSIFAL MOSAIC603

  normal, the more successful the better. But all through the years they're

  being trained-programmed, if you like-for their adult assignments, which'are

  dependent on their given skills and development. It comes down to

  infiltration-again, the higher the better."

  "Good Lord," said Pierce quietly. "I'd think there'd be enormous risks in

  such a strategy. Such people have to be instilled with extraordinary

  belief."

  "Ob, they believe, ies the essential part of their programming. They're

  also monitored; the slightest deviation, and theyre either eliminated or

  brought back to Mother Russia, where they're reeducated while training

  others at the American compounds in the Urals and in Novgorod. The main

  point is that we've never really been able to crack the operation; the few

  we've taken are the least competent and so low on the ladder they haven't

  been able to shed any light. But we may have cracked it now. We've got

  ourselves an bonest-to-God paminyatchik who's sanctioned for killing, as

  part of an execution unit. His kind has access-must have access-to

  clearance centers and source controls. There's too much risk in killing,

  too many possibilities for overreaction, to say nothing of being caught.

  Orders have to be rechecked, authorization confirmed."

  "You've got such a man? My God, where?"

  "He's being flown now to Bethesda-bes wounded-and, later tonight, will be

  transferred to a clinic in Virginia."

  "Don't lose himl is there a doctor with him? A good one?"

  "I think so. He's a clinic specialist named Taylor; he'll stay with him."

  "Then by morning you think you'll be able to give me something I can use

  with the Soviets? This could be the deflection I need. I counter their

  attacks with an attack of my own. I accuse-"

  "I can give it to you now," interrupted Havelock, "but you can't use it

  until I tell you. Tomorrow night at the earliest. Can y6u stall that long?"

  I think so. What is it?"

  "We put him under chemicals an hour ago. I don't know how the right people

  are reached, but I know the cover identity of their clearing center. Also

  the code name for the paminyatchik source control for this area-which 1

  have to

  W4RoBERT LUDLUM

  assume includes the Washington operation, the most vital in the U.S."

  Arthur Pierce shook his head in astonishment and admiration. "You floor

  me," he said, with respect in his quiet voice. "I told you 1 was a little

  awestruck. Well, I take it back, I'm a lot awestruck. What can I use?"

  "Whatever you have to. After tomorrow I'll trade off the whole Operatsiya

  Paminyatchik for another few days."

  "The President told me a few minutes ago-he called after reaching you. You

  think you~re that close to Parsifal?"

  "Well be closer still when we get Taylor's patient down to the clinic. With

  a few words he can put us within arm's reach of the man we call Ambiguity.

  And unless everything that we~ve projected-that Bradford projected-is

  wrong-and I don't think it is, it can't be-once we have Ambiguity we'll

  know who Parsifal is. IT know:'

  "Christ, how?"

  "Matthias as much as told me I know him. Are you familiar with a company,

  a chain of stores, called the Voyagers Emporium?"

  "Most of my luggage is, I regret to say. At least, my bank account regrets

  it."

  "Somewhere inside, in a department or a section, that's the KGB clearing

  center. Ambiguity has to stay in touch; it's where he gets his orders,

  transmits information. We'll break it quietly-very quietly-tear it apart

  and find him. We don't need much; we know where he's located."

  "Right where you see him every day," said Pierce, nodding. "What about the

  code name for the source control?"

  "Hammer-zero-two. It doeset mean anything to us, and it can be changed by

  the network overnight, but the fact that we broke it, broke the

  paminyatchik circle so decisively, has got to make someone sweat inside the

  Kremlin." Michael paused, then added, "When I give you the go-ahead, use

  what you need, all of it or any part. It's basically a diversion, what you

  call deflection, but I think it's a strong one. Create a diplomatic

  rhubarb, cause a storm of cables between Moscow and New York. just buy us

  time."

  "You're sure?"

  "I'm sure we don't have a choice. We need time."

  "You could lose the source control."

  "Then we'll lose him. We can live with a source control- THE PARSWAL MOSAIC605

  we've all got them in more than sixty countries. We can1 live with Parsifal.

  Any of us."

  "III wait for your call." The undersecretary of State glanced at his watch,

  squinting in the dim light to read the radium dial. "I still have a few

  minutes before we leave. The vault specialist had to be flown in from Los

  Alamos; be's meeting with one of the men from his company who brought him

  the internal diagrams. . . . Therere so many things I want to ask, so much

  I need to know."

  "I'm here as long as you are; when you leave, I leave. I heard it from the

  President.~

  "I like him. I haven't always liked presidents."

  "Because you know be doesn't give a damn whether you do or not-not while

  be's in the Oval Office. That's the way I read him. I like him too, and I

  have every reason in the book not to."

  "Costa Brava? They told me everything."

  "It's history. Let's get current. What else can I tell you that may help?"

  "Me obvious," said Pierce, his voice descending to a hollow sound. "If

  Parsifal has reached the Soviets, what can I say~if rm given the chance to

  say it? If he's hinted at the China factor, or at the vulnerabilities i
n

  their own counterstrike capabilities, bow can I explain it? Where did he

  get it all? Exposing Matthias is only part of the answer. Frankly, Ws not

  enough, and I think you know that."

  "I know it." Havelock tried to collect his thoughts, to be as clear and

  concise as possible. "Wbat's in those so-called agreements is a mix of a

  thousand moves in a triple-sided chess game, the anchor player being us.

  Our penetration of the Russian and Chinese systems is far deeper than we've

  ever hinted at, and there are strategy committees set up to =tudy and

  evaluate every conceivable option in the event e goddamn fool-on any

  side-gives the order to launch."

  "Such committees, I'm sure, exist in Moscow and Peking."

  "But neither Moscow nor Peking could produce an Anthony Matthias, the man

  with geopolitical panaceas, respected, even worshiped-no one on either side

  of the world like him..

  Pierce nodded. "The Soviets treat him as a valued go-between, not as an

  adversary. The Chinese throw banquets for him and call him a visionary."

  606 ROBERT U=Lum

  'And when he began to fall apart, he still had the imagInation to conceive

  of the ultimate nuclear chess game."

  "But how?"

  "He found a zealot. A naval officer on one of the Pentagon committees who's

  up to his eyeballs in overkill theories. He gave Matthias everything. He

  made copies of all the strategies and counterstrategies the three

  committees exchanged with one another. They contained authentic data-they

  had to contain it; those war games are very real on paper. Everything can

  be checked by computers-the extent of megaton damage inflicted, damage

  sustained, the limits of punishment before the ground is useless. It was

  all there, and Matthias put it together. Matthias and the man who's got us

  by the throat. Parsifal."

  "rd say that naval officer is scheduled to begin a long period of

  confinement."

  'Trn not sure what that would accomplish. At any rate, I'm not finished

  with him; bes still got more to give-may have given it by now."

  "Just a minute," said the undersecretary of State, his face suddenly alive.

  "Could he be Parsifal?"

  "No, not possible."

  "Why not?"

  "Because in his own misguided way be believed in what he was doing. He has