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buy…outs。 Oh； yes； my dear royalist； that's instant gratification。〃
〃You're wrong； Judge…〃
〃So lovely to hear that term again。 Thank you； Randy。〃
〃The unions became too strong。 Industry was being crippled。 Many panies had to go overseas to survive！〃
〃And not talk？ Oddly enough； you may have a point； but you never considered an alternative。 。。。 Regardless； we stray。 You emerged from your confinement in Marseilles an addict and； of course； there were the films of the eminent attorney in promising situations。〃
〃What could I do？〃 screamed Gates。 〃I was ruined！〃
〃We know what you did。 You became this Jackal's confidence man in the world of high finance； a world where petition is undesirable baggage better lost along the way。〃
〃It's how he found me to begin with。 The cartel we were forming was opposed by Japanese and Taiwanese interests。 They hired him。 。。。 Oh； my God； he'll kill me！〃
〃Again？〃 asked the judge。
〃What？〃
〃You forget。 He thinks you're already dead…thanks to me。〃
〃I have cases ing up； a congressional hearing next week。 He'll know I'm alive！〃
〃Not if you don't show up。〃
〃I have to！ My clients expect…〃
〃Then I agree；〃 interrupted Prefontaine。 〃He'll kill you。 Sorry about that； Randy。〃
〃What am I going to do？〃
〃There's a way； Dandy Boy； not only out of your current dilemma but for years to e。 Of course； it will require some sacrifice on your part。 For starters； a long convalescence at a private rehabilitation center； but even before that； your plete cooperation right now。 The first ensures your imminent disappearance； the second…the capture and elimination of Carlos the Jackal。 You'll be free； Randy。〃
〃Anything！〃
〃How do you reach him？〃
〃I have a telephone number！〃 Gates fumbled for his wallet； yanking it out of his pocket and with trembling fingers digging into a recess。 〃Only four people alive have it！〃
Prefontaine accepted his first 20；000…an…hour fee； instructed Randy to go home； beg Edith's forgiveness； and be prepared to leave Boston tomorrow。 Brendan had heard of a private treatment center in Minneapolis； he thought； where the rich sought help incognito； he would refine the details in the morning and call him； naturally expecting a second payment for his services。 The instant a shaken Gates left the room； Prefontaine went to the phone and called John St。 Jacques at Tranquility Inn。
〃John； it's the judge。 Don't ask me questions； but I have urgent information that could be invaluable to your sister's husband。 I realize I can't reach him； but I know he's dealing with someone in Washington…〃
〃His name is Alex Conklin；〃 interrupted St。 Jacques。 〃Wait a minute； Judge； Marie wrote the number down on the desk blotter。 Let me get over there。〃 The sound of one phone being placed on a hard surface preceded the clicks of another being picked up。 〃Here it is。〃 Marie's brother recited the number。
〃I'll explain everything later。 Thank you； John。〃
〃An awful lot of people keep telling me that； goddamn it！〃 said St。 Jacques。
Prefontaine dialed the number with a Virginia area code。 It was answered with a short； brusque 〃Yes？〃
〃Mr。 Conklin； my name is Prefontaine and I was given this number by John St。 Jacques。 What I have to tell you is in the nature of an emergency。〃
〃You're the judge；〃 broke in Alex。
〃Past tense； I'm afraid。 Very past。〃
〃What is it？〃
〃I know how to reach the man you call the Jackal。〃
〃What？〃
〃Listen to me。〃
Bernardine stared at the ringing telephone； briefly debating with himself whether or not to pick it up。 There was no question； he had to。 〃Yes？〃
〃Jason？ It's you； isn't it？ 。。。 Perhaps I have the wrong room。〃
〃Alex？ This is you？〃
〃Fran？ois？ What are you doing there？ Where's Jason？〃
〃Things have happened so fast。 I know he's been trying to reach you。〃
〃It's been a rough day。 We've got Panov back。〃
〃That's good news。〃
〃I've got other news。 A telephone number where the Jackal can be reached。〃
〃We've got it！ And a location。 Our man left an hour ago。〃
〃For Christ's sake； how did you get it？〃
〃A convoluted process I sincerely believe only your man could have negotiated。 He's brilliantly imaginative； a true caméléon。〃
〃Let's pare；〃 said Conklin。 〃What's yours？〃
Bernardine plied； reciting the number he had written down on Bourne's instructions。
The silence on the phone was a silent scream。 〃They're different；〃 said Alex finally； his voice choked。 〃They're different！〃
〃A trap；〃 said the Deuxième veteran。 〃God in heaven； it's a trap！〃
26
Twice Bourne had passed the dark； quiet row of old stone houses on the boulevard Lefebvre in the concrete backwater of the fifteenth arrondissement。 He then doubled back to the rue d'Alésia and found a sidewalk café。 The outdoor tables； their candles flickering under glass； were peopled mostly by gesturing； argumentative students from the nearby Sorbonne and Montparnasse。 It was nearing ten o'clock and the aproned waiters were growing irritable； the majority of customers were not full of largess； either in their hearts or in their pockets。 Jason wanted only a strong espresso； but the perpetual scowl on the face of the approaching garзon convinced him he would get mud if he ordered only the coffee； so he added the most expensive brandy he could recall by name。
As the waiter returned to the service bar； Jason pulled out his small notebook and ballpoint pen； shutting his eyes for a moment； then opening them and sketching out everything he could envision from the row of houses on his inner screen。 There were three structures of two attached houses each； separated by two narrow alleyways。 Each double plex was three stories high； each front entrance reached by climbing a steep flight of brick steps； and at either end of the row were vacant lots covered with rubble； the remains of demolished adjacent buildings。 The address of the Jackal's buried telephone number…the address was available in the underground tunnels solely for repair purposes…was the final structure on the right； and it took no imagination to know he occupied the entire building； if not the entire row。
Carlos was the consummate self…protector； so one had to assume that his Paris mand post would be a fortress； employing every human and electronic security device that loyalty and high technology could provide。 And the seemingly isolated； all but deserted； section of the outlying fifteenth arrondissement served his purposes far better than any crowded section of the city。 For that reason； Bourne had first paid a drunken tramp to walk with him during his initial foray past the houses； he himself limping unsteadily in the shadows beside his panion； and for his second appraisal； he had hired a middle…aged whore as his cover； with no limp or stagger in his gait。 He knew the terrain now； for all the good it did him； but it was the beginning of the end。 He swore himself to that！
The waiter arrived with his espresso and the cognac； and only when Jason placed a hundred…franc note on the table； acpanied by a wave of his hand； did the man's hostile countenance move to neutral ground。 〃Merci；〃 he mumbled。
〃Is there a pay phone nearby？〃 asked Bourne； removing an additional ten…franc