5 : Yasma

'Here for long?' 'I'm not sure yet.' 'Come and see us at the Commission. Always something going on, lots of parties.' 'How nice.' I gave him a nod and turned away, finding a gap in the crowd and using it. I'd left Kityakara half an hour ago and he'd wanted to give me an escort to take me back to the Red Or- chid, but I'd said no. On the face of it the mission they had to offer looked feasible, and at this stage I didn't want to be seen around any more with security men. In any case I wanted to stay on a bit here and check out the guests to see if I knew anyone. Pepperidge: As far as liaison goes, you 'II have to pick a few people your- self. I'd already noticed Mason, DI6, backed up into a corner with a glass of champagne; he'd been doing a little reconnaissance work from time to time, moving in to some Arabs in the thick of the crowd and stand- ing with his back to them, tuning in. He hadn't picked up much, by the look of things. A stringer for the Tele- graph was near the staircase and I would have gone over, because the man had done me a good turn a year or so ago in Hong Kong; but he was deep in chat with a stunning young Eurasian girl and I didn't want to spoil his fun. There wasn't, in any case, all that much chance of finding anyone at an embassy party who'd be any use to me in this kind of mission, if I took it on. I'd need people I could trust with my life. I'd asked Kityakara, 'What decided you to call on London?' 'It was a joint decision.' The Prince had asked the other two men to leave him in private with Mr Jordan. 'Major-general Vasuratna,' he told me, when they'd gone, 'has run some very successful operations in the past, but those three agents are on his conscience. Last week one of his aides found him sitting at his desk with a gun to his head.' He leaned forward on the edge of the brocade chair, his slight body at an angle. 'I have no one else capable of undertaking a task so critical - and so dangerous. To attempt to get anywhere near Ma- riko Shoda is like walking through a minefield. I want you to understand that.' I gave it some thought. 'Did you know I was coming here personally?' 'No. We simply asked for someone of the highest capability.' 'How did you contact London, sir?' 'I approached the Foreign Office.' 'Directly?' 'No, through your ambassador in Bangkok.' 'In a personal meeting?' 'Yes.' 'Was there anyone else present?' 'No one.' 'Did he contact DI6?' 'I'm afraid I have no idea. I was told he would find someone if he could.' I got up and went to the window. The rain had almost stopped, and there was only the sound of dripping from the flooded gutters under the eaves outside. There were things I didn't like about this whole setup. I'd moved into the field across dead bodies before, though I'd always taken a lot of persuasion because they might have messed things up when they were alive - in this case the opposition had been alerted three times already. I was still prepared to go in, if I could find some kind of access, but it worried me that I'd been of- fered this mission by sheer chance, and by a burnt-out spook with a gutful of worms. I didn't like it. I didn't like it to the extent that as I sat facing Prince Kityakara in the silence of the little room I could feel the hairs rising on the back of my hands and that sour, familiar chill along the nerves. 'Why did you contact London, sir, instead of Washington, considering the background you've given me?' 'Major-general Vasuratna is well-versed in the international intelligence field.' He left his chair and limped to join me at the window. 'He told me that the CIA tends to work as a team, often with paramilitary support. He believes, despite our lack of success so far, that it's still a case for a single agent going in alone, without attracting attention. You people have a certain reputation for that approach.' He used his inhaler. 'Of course, that might not be accurate, and in any case I'm not pressing you for a decision immediately. Give it your consideration, Mr Jordan, for a day or two, and then let me know.' 'All right.'