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The DCI read it three times before handing it back。 〃Well； if he wants to get laid … it's not good fieldcraft； honey。 Not good to get that involved with your agent …〃
〃I know that； Ed； but you play the cards you're dealt； remember？ And if we get her a puter like the one Chet's using； her security won't be all that bad either； will it？〃
〃Unless they have somebody pick it apart；〃 Ed Foley thought aloud。
〃Oh； Jesus； Ed； our best people would have a cast…iron mother…fucker of a time figuring it all out。 I ran that project myself； remember？ It's safe！〃
〃Easy； honey。〃 The DCI held up his hand。 When Mary used that sort of language； she was really into the matter at hand。 〃Yeah； I know； it's secure； but I'm the worrier and you're the cowgirl； remember？〃
〃Okay； honey…bunny。〃 The usual sweet smile that went with seduction and getting her way。
〃You've already told him to proceed？〃
〃He's my officer； Eddie。〃
A resigned nod。 It wasn't fair that he had to work with his wife here。 He rarely won any arguments at the office； either。 〃Okay； baby。 It's your operation； run with it； but …〃
〃But what？〃
〃But we change GENGHIS to something else。 If this one pans out； then we go to a monthly name cycle。 This one has some serious implications； and we've got to go max…security on it。〃
She had to agree with that。 As case officers； the two of them had run an agent known in CIA legend as CARDINAL； Colonel Mikhail Semyonovich Filitov； who'd worked inside the Kremlin for more than thirty years； feeding gold…plated information on every aspect of the Soviet military； plus some hugely valuable political intelligence。 For bureaucratic reasons lost in the mists of time； CARDINAL had not been handled as a regular agent…in…place； and that had saved him from Aldrich Ames and his treacherous betrayal of a dozen Soviet citizens who'd worked for America。 For Ames it had worked out to roughly 100；000 per life given away。 Both of the Foleys regretted the fact that Ames was allowed to live； but they weren't in the law…enforcement business。
〃Okay； Eddie； monthly change…cycle。 You're always so careful； honey。 You call or me？〃
〃We'll wait until she gives us something useful before going to all the trouble； but let's change GENGHIS to something else。 It's too obviously a reference to China。〃
〃Okay。〃 An impish smile。 〃How about SORGE for the moment？〃 she suggested。 The name was that of Richard SORGE； one of the greatest spies who'd ever lived； a German national who'd worked for the Soviets； and just possibly the man who'd kept Hitler from winning his Eastern Front war with Stalin。 The Soviet dictator； knowing this； hadn't lifted a hand to save him from execution。 〃Gratitude；〃 Iosif Vissarionovich had once said； 〃is a disease of dogs。〃
The DCI nodded。 His wife had a lively sense of humor； especially as applied to business matters。 〃When do you suppose we'll know if she'll play ball with us？〃
〃About as soon as Chet gets his rocks off； I suppose。〃
〃Mary； did you ever。。。？〃
〃In the field？ Ed； that's a guy thing； not a girl thing；〃 she told her husband with a sparkling grin as she lifted her papers and headed back out。 〃Except with you； honey…bunny。〃
The Alitalia DC…10 touched down about fifteen minutes early due to the favorable winds。 Renato Cardinal DiMilo was pleased enough to think through an appropriate prayer of thanksgiving。 A longtime member of the Vatican's diplomatic service； he was accustomed to long flights； but that wasn't quite the same as enjoying them。 He wore his red … 〃cardinal〃 … and black suit that was actually more akin to an official uniform； and not a conspicuously fortable one at that； despite the custom tailoring that came from one of Rome's better shops。 One of the drawbacks to his clerical and diplomatic status was that he'd been unable to shed his suitcoat for the flight； but he'd been able to kick off his shoes； only to find that his feet had swollen on the flight； and getting them back on was more difficult than usual。 That evoked a sigh rather than a curse； as the plane taxied to the terminal。 The senior flight attendant ushered him to the forward door and allowed him to leave the aircraft first。 One advantage to his diplomatic status was that all he ever had to do was wave his diplomatic passport at the control officers； and in this case a senior PRC government official was there to greet him at the end of the jetway。
〃Wele to our country；〃 the official said； extending his hand。
〃It is my pleasure to be here；〃 the cardinal replied； noting that this munist atheist didn't kiss his ring； as was the usual protocol。 Well； Catholicism in particular and Christianity in general were not exactly wele in the People's Republic of China； were they？ But if the PRC expected to live in the civilized world； then they'd have to accept representation with the Holy See； and that was that。 And besides； he'd go to work on these people； and； who knew； maybe he could convert one or two。 Stranger things had happened； and the Roman Catholic Church had handled more formidable enemies than this one。
With a wave and a small escort group； the demi…minister conducted his distinguished visitor through the concourse toward the place where the official car and escort waited。
〃How was your flight？〃 the underling asked。
〃Lengthy but not unpleasant〃 was the expected reply。 Diplomats had to act as though they loved flying； though even the flight crews found journeys of this length tiresome。 It was his job to observe the new ambassador of the Vatican； to see how he acted； how he looked out the car's windows； even； which； in this case； was not unlike all the other first…time diplomats who came to Beijing。 They looked out at the differences。 The shapes of the buildings were new and different to them； the color of the bricks； and how the brickwork looked close up and at a distance； the way in which things that were essentially the same became fascinating because of differences that were actually microscopic when viewed objectively。
It took a total of twenty…eight minutes to arrive at the residence/embassy。 It was an old building； dating back to the turn of the previous century； and had been the largish home of an American Methodist missionary … evidently one who liked his American forts； the official thought … and had passed through several incarnations； including； he'd learned the previous day； that of a bordello in the diplomatic quarter in the 1920s and '30s； because diplomats liked their forts as well。 Ethnic Chinese； he wondered； or Russian women who'd always claimed to be of the Czarist nobility； or so he'd heard。 After all； Westerners enjoyed fucking noblewomen for some reason or other； as if their body parts were different somehow。 He'd heard that one； too； at the office； from one of the archivists who kept track of such things at the Ministry。 Chairman Mao's personal habits were not recorded； but his lifelong love for deflowering twelve…year…olds was well known in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs。 Every national leader had something odd and distasteful about him； the young official knew。 Great men had great aberrations。
The car pulled up to the old wooden frame house； where a uniformed policeman open