"Yes, sir."
"Where would you meet them?"
"Let me have China number two on the screen, Jake, please," Banning said.
A moment later, a map of northern China appeared on the screen.
"Somewhere in here, sir," Banning said, pointing to the map. "In the Gobi itself, on one of the caravan routes operating out of Ulaanbaatar."
"That's assuming the caravans are still operating," the DDO asked. "In wartime?"
"Yes, sir," Banning said. "These caravans have been operating for centuries. A little thing like World War Two isn't going to stop them."
There were chuckles.
"A main caravan route runs between Ulaanbaatar, in the Gobi, toward India. We believe the Americans will try to make it into India," Banning said.
"Why not just head for Chungking?" the DDO asked.
Chungking was then the seat of the Chinese Nationalist government. Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, the head of the Nationalist government since and the leader of the Nationalist Chinese during World War II, had retreated before the Japanese to Chungking, where they operated from bomb-shelter caves.
"They wouldn't be sure our Chinese would be there by the time they got there," McCoy said. "And that's bandit country."
"Bandit country?" the DDO asked.
"Warlords, sometimes aligned with Chiang Kai-shek, sometimes with the Communists, and always ready to steal whatever they can from anybody. They don't operate in the Gobi because there's not much to steal there, and also because they use the caravans to smuggle things into Russia and India."
"According to Zimmerman," Banning went on, pointing to the map as he spoke, "Ulaanbaatar is the marketplace, the transshipment point, so to speak, for caravans moving all over that area. Into the interior of China, to India, and, for that matter, into Russia."
"Have you been there, Sergeant?" the Deputy Director (Operations) asked.
"Yes, sir."
"I think we're at the point where we can come up with some sort of plan," Pickering said, "and start putting it into execution. even though whatever we start will almost certainly have to be changed. I hate that, but I don't think we have any choice."
There were no objections.
"Okay, Ed, tell us what you and McCoy are thinking," Pickering said.
"Given that the priority, sir, is establishing reliable communications with the people in the Gobi," Banning replied, "I think we should get Zimmerman and radios to China-into Ulaanbaatar, if that can be done-as quickly as possible."
"Zimmerman, radios, and gold," McCoy said. "Any radios we can put our hands on right now. With hand-cranked generators. We can get better radios into the Gobi on the airplane. Airplanes. What we have to do is set up communication with those people."
"Fritz," Pickering asked, "did you ever send anybody with a magic clearance to Chiang Kai-shek?"
"What's that all about?" the DDO asked. "What about Chiang Kai-shek and MAGIC?"
"I had dinner with the President, Frank Knox, and Admiral Leahy just before I went back to the Pacific. When the hell was that?"
"Fourteen October 1942," General Rickabee furnished from memory.
". where I learned that the President had decided to bring Mountbatten and Chiang Kai-shek in on magic. Over the objections of Knox and Leahy."
Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, the great-grandson of Queen Victoria, commanded Allied operations in China, Burma, and India.
"Why?" the DDO asked incredulously. "That strikes me as a hell of a good way to compromise magic."
"Which, I think, is why Leahy and Knox objected," Pickering said. "But the point is that he told me to find people with a magic clearance we could send to India and China. This, of course, took place before the President decided to send me over here?"
"The answer to your question, General," Rickabee said, "is that I had just about decided to send Colonel Banning to Chungking. This, of course, was before you decided to send him over here.?'
"Do I detect a needle in there somewhere. General?"
"No, sir," Rickabee answered with monumental insincerity.
"Chungking is where we want to send Colonel Banning now, right? And Sergeant Zimmerman," the DDO said, then added: "And presumably Captain McCoy?"
"That makes sense, Ken," Pickering said, looking at McCoy.
"Aye, aye, sir," McCoy said.
"If we send Banning to Chungking-Chiang Kai-shek-now," Pickering said, "that would mean we would have a magic communications team we control. And it would give us Special Channel communications."
"Yeah," the DDO said, and then asked, "Does the President want Chiang Kai-shek to have unlimited access to magic material?"
"I don't know about the President, but I don't think Frank Knox and Admiral Leahy do," Pickering said. "Which means we would have in Banning someone who could immediately give to Chiang Kai-shek magic material which would be of interest to him. And not-"
"I take your point, General," the DDO said.
"What about the cryptographers?" Banning asked. "I'm sure the British would be delighted to have some of their men trained-"
"But if we have our own men, that wouldn't be necessary, would it?" Pickering interrupted. "The question is, do we have anyone?"
"Me, sir," 2nd Lieutenant Hart said. It was the first time he had opened his mouth.
"Yeah," Pickering said thoughtfully.
"No," Rickabee said. "You need Hart."
"McCoy?" the DDO asked. "Or do you plan to use him operationally?"
"I don't think Ken should have a magic clearance," Pickering said.
Which is one way of telling me I'm going into the goddamned Gobi Desert, McCoy thought.
"Hart," McCoy asked, "how long did it take them to teach you to operate the machine?"
"Four, five days, before they'd let me at it by myself," Hart said.
"The Easterbunny," McCoy said, looking at Pickering.
" 'The Easterbunny'T the DDO asked.
"Second Lieutenant Robert F. Easterbrook," Pickering said. "One of the officers I brought with me." He turned to McCoy. "Yeah," he said. "Where is he?"
"I sent him over to the Smithsonian," McCoy said. "To improve his mind."
"Where's he staying?"
"With me, sir. He and Zimmerman."
"That must be cozy," Pickering said, smiling.
"I can give you Sergeant Rutterman," Rickabee said. "He told me he's going stir-crazy in Washington, and I told him the first thing that came along."
"Could he teach Easterbrook what he has to know?" Pickering asked.
"Yes, sir."
"That would give us two. We need three, at least," Pickering said.
"General," Hart asked, "do you think Colonel Waterson has had time to select and train two of his officers? I'm thinking of Moore, sir. That would also give Colonel Banning an analyst."
"Fritz, you're right," Pickering said. "I really can't do without Hart." He turned to Hart. "As soon as we're finished here, George, Special Channel Colonel Waterson and tell him that as soon as he has two people up and running with magic, he should be prepared to send Lieutenant Moore to. Where do I tell him to send him?"
"We've got a couple of days to determine that," Rickabee said.
"You know what to say to Waterson, George," Pickering said.
"Aye, aye, sir."
"Is there a magic machine at this country club I keep hearing so much about?" Pickering asked.
"There is, for training purposes, but I don't think it's connected with the network. Or, for that matter, has current codes," the DDO replied.
"All you need is the machine, sir," Hart said, "to teach someone how to use it."
"We're going to need a staging area and quarters," Pickering said. "And despite the patriotic generosity of American Personal Pharmaceuticals in offering their quarters, I think maybe we better move to the Country Club."
"No problem," the DDO said. "And I'm not even going to ask what American Personal Pharmaceuticals has to do with anything."
<
br /> Banning and Rickabee chuckled.
"I'll call out there and tell them to give you whatever you need," the DDO went on. "What do you think that will be?"
"Quarters for Lieutenant Easterbrook and Sergeants Zimmerman and Rutterman," Pickering said. "On-call quarters for Banning, McCoy, and Jake. A place to store the radios and whatever else we're going to send to China. On that subject, Jake, I don't think Banning will have the time to go to Collins Radio. You can do that, after you and McCoy lay your hands on what is immediately available."
"Aye, aye, sir," Dillon said.
"I think the thing for us to do," Pickering said, "is to chew over what we've decided. We've made a lot of decisions here today, and we're going to have to change some of them, I'm sure. I think we should get together again tomorrow. Or the day after tomorrow. I presume we can find a secure room out there?"
"Absolutely," the DDO said. "The day after tomorrow. Better yet, Wednesday afternoon. Say about five?"
"Wednesday at five it is," Pickering said, getting to his feet. "Unless someone has anything else?"
"Sir?" McCoy said.
"Okay, Ken, what?"
"Sir, Zimmerman thinks it would be safe for him to accompany one of the caravans to Ulaanbaatar."
"How would he pass himself off as a Chinese, or a Mongolian?" the DDO asked.
"He wouldn't, sir. He said there are a lot of Russians and some Germans and some other people in the area. Stateless persons. Some with Nansen passports, some without. He thinks he could do it if he grew a beard and had a Nansen passport."
"That could be arranged," the DDO said thoughtfully. "I presume Sergeant Zimmerman speaks Russian?"
"No, sir, German."
"You do, too, don't you, Ken?" Pickering asked.
"Not as fluently as the gunny, sir."
Was that modesty speaking? Or was I trying to get out of going into Mongolia with a Nansen passport?
"I think it would be a mistake to send someone in this early in the game," the DDO said. "But down the pike, it might be necessary and valuable. I'll check into the passports. Do you and Sergeant Zimmerman have civilian clothing, Captain?"
"I have a few things," McCoy said. "I'm sure Zimmerman doesn't."
"No, sir," Zimmerman said.
"I think we should put that on our things to do list, too," the DDO said. "Civilian clothing suitable for here. I'll ask our specialists about clothing for northern China, but I suspect you could probably buy that easier there."
"Why civilian clothing?" Pickering asked.
"You heard what he said. Nansen passports and beards. Don't you think that Captain McCoy and Sergeant Zimmerman would attract attention in uniform as they were growing beards?"
Well, that was decided in a goddamn hurry, wasn't it? McCoy asked himself. If Zimmerman playing camel driver is a good idea, sending me with him is an even better idea.
"I'll want to think a long time about sending either of them into China with a camel caravan," Pickering said. "In civilian clothing, they could be shot as spies."
"Yes, they could," the DDO said matter-of-factly. "That's the rules of the game we play here."
The implication, McCoy thought, is that he's surprised and disappointed that General Pickering would say something dumb like that. And it was dumb.
Pickering's temper flared.
"I'm sure that both Captain McCoy and Gunny Zimmerman are well aware of the rules," he said icily. "But I think you had better clearly understand that before I ask-operative word 'ask'-them, or anyone else, to risk getting shot as a spy, I intend to be convinced that it is absolutely necessary. I don't think this is a game."
The two men locked eyes for a moment, then the DDO walked over to Gunny Zimmerman and offered him his hand.
"Thank you, Sergeant," he said. "For the first time since I heard about this operation, I don't feel we're just spinning our wheels."
"Yes, sir," Zimmerman said.
The DDO then turned to McCoy and opened his mouth as if to speak. But instead he changed his mind and walked out of the room.
[THREE]
Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff G-1
Headquarters, United States Marine Corps
Eighth and I Streets, NW
Washington, D.C.
0905 9 March 1943
Technical Sergeant K. L. Carruthers, Chief Clerk of the Enlisted Personnel Division, entered the office of Lieutenant Colonel Richard B. Warren, USMCR, Deputy Assistant G-1 for Enlisted Personnel, and announced that Brigadier General Pickering wished to see him.
"Who is he?" Colonel Warren thought aloud, and quickly checked into the telephone book of Headquarters, USMC, looking for the name. He didn't find it, which told him that General Pickering was not assigned to Headquarters, USMC.
When Colonel Warren glanced quizzically up at Sergeant Carruthers, the sergeant raised his hands in a gesture indicating he had no idea either.
"Colonel Jack (NMI) Stecker is with him," Sergeant Carruthers offered. "And another brigadier general named Rickabee."
Colonel Warren had heard that name, but he could not recall in what connection. Colonel Jack (NMI) Stecker was an old friend. They had both been sergeant majors in the prewar Corps.
"Ask them to come in, please," Colonel Warren said, and stood up behind his desk.
The ribbons on the chests of General Pickering and Colonel Stecker showed that they had both been around the Corps a long time, and had been in harm's way more than once. Colonel Warren noticed, however, that Jack Stecker was not wearing the blue-starred ribbon of the Medal of Honor. He wondered why he had never heard of General Pickering.
The other general did not have many ribbons. Colonel Warren decided he was probably another administrative officer of some kind. He looked like an administrative type. And he was carrying a battered briefcase.
"Good morning, gentlemen," Colonel Warren said. "How can I be of service?"
"How are you, Dick?" Stecker said, offering his hand.
"Long time no see," Warren said.
After introducing the others, Jack (NMI) Stecker said, "You're going to love this, Dick."
General Rickabee opened the briefcase and came out with a service record jacket. He handed it to Colonel Warren.
"Those are the records of Technical Sergeant Harry Rutterman," General Rickabee said.
"Yes, sir," Colonel Warren said.
"We want to have him promoted to master gunner," Rickabee said.
"I don't think I quite understand, sir," Warren said. "Has the sergeant been recommended for promotion? I've got to tell you, the promotion board has been rejecting just about all recommendations for people who aren't master sergeants."
"Well, I really don't care about any promotion board," General Pickering said. "We need to pin master gunner's bars on Sergeant Rutterman right away."
"Sir, I'm afraid I don't understand."
"Where Rutterman is going, he can perform his duties better if he has a bar on his collar," Pickering said. "This has to do with the efficiency of the mission. Not that Rutterman isn't fully qualified to be a master gunner."
"May I ask what that mission is, sir? What this man will be doing?"
"No. You don't have the need to know, Colonel," Rickabee said.
"Sir, without some sort of special justification, I don't think that it's going to be possible to promote Sergeant Rutterman," Warren said uncomfortably, looking at Stecker, who seemed to be amused by the exchange.
"There's always a waiver," Rickabee said. "What we need from you, Colonel, is to tell us who can grant a waiver in this case."
"Sir, a request for a waiver of this type has to go up through channels. I'll have to check. But, unless I'm mistaken, it has to be approved by the post commander where the sergeant is stationed, and then by both the G-1 and the deputy commandant."
"How about the Secretary of the Navy?" General Pickering asked. "Could he grant such a waiver?"
The Secretary of the Navy? Personally? What the hell is going on
here
"That would be very unusual, sir, for the Secretary of the Navy to become personally involved in something like this."
"If the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy told you it was the Secretary's desire to promote Sergeant Rutterman, would that do it?" General Rickabee asked.
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