The Second Saladin

57

In the wake of Sam Melman’s resignation and the subsequent Agency shakeup in the awareness of Yost Ver Steeg’s treachery, there was a considerable power vacuum in the Operations Directorate.

Danzig had no official influence, of course, but he still knew important people and he still had favors owed him in the intelligence community. He made some phone calls and drafted several memos and even lobbied one or two influential men personally — difficult, because the swelling had not gone down and his eye was gaudily discolored. His efforts were partially rewarded.

It was agreed to bring back one of the Old Boys, a retired officer of experience and judgment, to serve as interim Deputy Director of Operations until a suitable permanent tenant could be found for the job; but it was also agreed to appoint Miles Lanahan assistant Deputy Director in recognition of his brilliant service of late. Miles was twenty-nine; he was the youngest to reach that position by nine years.

In the aftermath, Danzig suggested that Miles join him for lunch at an excellent French restaurant in downtown Washington. Miles agreed quickly, and on the appointed day arrived in an Agency limousine, and walked in wearing a new gray chalk-stripe suit of conservative cut. His shoes glittered blackly; his hair was cut crisply. But he was still a little nervous; he’d never been to a French restaurant before and he wasn’t sure what to order.

He stared at the menu in the strange language.

“A young wine, a Bordeaux. How does that suit you, Miles?”

“Fine,” said Miles to the older man. “It suits me fine.”

“The Margaux, please,” said Danzig to the wine steward. “The boeuf bourguignon is very good here,” he said to Miles.

“That’s what I’ll have then,” said Miles.

“And the usual for me, Philip,” Danzig said to the waiter, who disappeared as quietly as he had arrived.

“Well, Miles, you’re looking prosperous.”

Miles blushed under his acne, then smiled modestly. His teeth gleamed; he had brushed them that morning.

“They’re treating you well at the Agency?”

“I’m a hero,” Miles said. It was true. He was. In corridors, in conferences, in a hundred small ways he could feel it: he was a man who counted. He was the man who nailed Yost Ver Steeg.

“You’re only getting what you deserve,” said Danzig pleasantly. He reached to adjust his dark glasses, which were not quite big enough to obscure the purple blotch that even yet surrounded his eye. Chardy must have really whacked him, Miles thought. Jesus, Chardy, you really are a piece of work. Hitting Joe Danzig. Jesus!

Danzig’s injury had quite naturally inspired a great volume of rumor, made worse by the fact that at an unguarded moment a free-lance photographer had gotten a good close-up of it, and subsequently sold the picture to Time, which printed it in their “People” section over the caption “Danzig and pet mouse.” Danzig had issued soon after a statement that referred to a minor automobile accident in which no serious damage had been sustained. Of course nobody believed it. Danzig’s reputation as a man of outsize ego and libido and taste for young married women was widely known and it did not take much imagination to concoct a scenario by which he could acquire such a wound.

“You’ll do well, Miles, I know you will,” Danzig said.

“Thank you. I’ll work hard, I know that.”

“I know you will.”

“I was very lucky I didn’t go down with Sam.”

“You are a survivor, Miles. I could see it from the start.”

Miles nodded. He was. It was true. Miles’s true gift: landing on his feet.

“Look, I wanted to thank you for the help you gave me,” Miles said.

“It’s nothing. Please. You embarrass me Ah, the wine.”

It was served. Miles watched as Danzig was offered a sip, took it, and approved.

“Very nice,” he said, without looking at the steward.

Miles’s glass was filled; he took a sip. It was good. His delight must have showed on his face.

“It’s a Chateau Margaux, a ’seventy-seven. A very good one.”

“Boy, it’s terrific,” said Miles.

“Miles, I have been thinking. These last several weeks have been a real test for me. They’ve made me confront a lot of important issues. Namely, do I want to spend the rest of my life doing nothing except living comfortably but pointlessly?”

“I’m sure you don’t,” said Miles, wondering where this was going.

“I’m a relatively young man, after all. I feel I’ve got a lot to contribute.”

“Yes, sir,” said Miles, taking a little sip of the wine.

“I might want to be actively involved at some level — either officially or unofficially. Do you see?”

Miles did not. But then he did. Yes, of course he did. Miles suddenly realized an alliance was being offered. So that was how these things worked: you help me, I’ll help you. But what could he —?

He could do a lot. He saw it now: a lot.

“Yes,” he said. “I agree, Dr. Danzig. I just want you to know you can count on me.”

Danzig raised his glass, and paused for just a second. He seemed to consider the meal that lay before him, and perhaps the afternoon as well, or perhaps even beyond.

“Miles,” he said, “to the future. It’s really ours, you know.”

There was a counterpoint to this tête-à-tête, a somewhat less swanky one, which took place on the same day nearly two thousand miles away and involved two other participants in the affair of the Kurd.

One of these, Reynoldo Ramirez, much recovered in health and glossily attired in a shiny new polyester suit, leaned forward and peered squint-eyed through a filthy windshield aglare with heavy sunlight and declared, “There! There it is!”

His companion, Paul Chardy, merely nodded.

The drive through the desert, down from Tucson, had passed swiftly and the town was upon them with a suddenness that almost drove the pain from Chardy’s head. He could see it: the hills beyond the wire fence littered with the shacks of the poor, in blue and pink and other hopeful colors. Over the automobile-inspection booths and the pedestrian turnstile hung a bulky green bridge of offices. Cars were jammed up in both directions and a hundred people loafed on either side of the wire.

Chardy gazed on the scene without interest. It had all begun here months ago: so what? The sense of circle, of completion, of ending, held no magic for him. Yet, still, he’d wanted this job: to take the Mexican back and set him free, another survivor.

Chardy pulled the car over to the curb eighty yards up the slope of the avenue from the border.

“Okay, chum. It’s all yours. Go on.”

Ramirez lurched from the car. He must have had a thousand stitches in him. He was like some old, dented Mexican ’52 De Soto, rusty and scabby, beaten to hell, with a gray fender and a blue door and a bumper wired on, but running smoothly after 300,000 miles. He moved ahead toward the gate and seemed to slow, as if he felt dizzy or nauseous. He stopped to gather himself.

Chardy got out.

“You okay?” he called, reaching for the trembling arm.

“Sure, sí. Reynoldo’s fine.”

“You’ve got your money?”

“You bet.”

In his pocket Ramirez had a nice stake for the future, courtesy of the American government.

“Go on. What are you waiting for?” Chardy asked.

“Nada,” said Ramirez, straightening. He must have been fifty; he looked a hundred. He walked ahead swiftly and reached the gate. He halted, his fingers touching the cold metal of the turnstile, then plunged through.

Chardy sat on the fender and watched him go until he lost him among the crowds of pimps and Indians and souvenir sellers and Exclusivo cabdrivers and young girls.

Chardy tried not to think of another man he’d hoped to take to a border and tell, Go on. You’re free. Get out of here. He also remembered a woman — and a dreamy young man. They’d all gotten fucked trying to get across borders.

The sun was bright and the wind blew loose sheets of newspaper through the air, whipped up eddies of dust, swirled girls’ dresses up to show their white thighs, but Chardy could not see the Mexican at all. He was gone. He was definitely gone.

Chardy turned back and climbed into the car. He thought he might find a bar and kill a few beers, a few hours. There was no hurry.