"Jesus Christ! Let's have what you do have!"

"Mr. Secretary, are you aware of a Gray Fox operation currently in progress?"

"No, I am not."

"I have information that there is such a Gray Fox operation."

"Authorized by whom? To do what?"

"I have information that the initial foreign shores destination was the Royal Moroccan Air Force Base at Menara."

"My questions were, 'Who authorized it?' and 'To do what?' "

"I don't know, sir."

"Did you ask?"

"I have been unable to make contact with General McNab, Mr. Secretary. He's the Eighteenth Airborne Corps:"

"I know who he is. What about his deputy?"

"His deputy referred me to Central Command, sir."

"And?"

"General Naylor-I had some difficulty getting him on the phone, sir-finally told me that I didn't have the need to know."

"He said there was an operation and you didn't have the need to know? Or that you didn't have the need to know about Gray Fox operations generally?"

"General Naylor's comments could be interpreted either way, sir."

Secretary Beiderman picked up one of the telephones on his desk and said, "Teresa, get Naylor on a secure line for me and don't let them stall you."

General Withers unzipped a compartment of his briefcase and came out with a single sheet of paper.

"And there's this, Mr. Secretary."

Beiderman snatched it from him.

"What the hell is this?" he asked. "A goddamned letter of commendation?"

"Yes, sir. It was delivered first thing this morning by helicopter, sir."

"The president sent this to you by helicopter?" Beiderman asked, incredulously, and then without giving Withers a chance to reply went on: "Who the hell is Major H. Richard Miller, Jr.? And what the hell did he do of a 'covert nature' in Luanda, Angola? 'Demonstrating wisdom normally expected only of officers of far senior grade and experience'? And how the hell did the president:"

He broke off in midsentence when a light on his telephone began to flash. He snatched the telephone from its cradle.

"Is that you, Naylor? "I've got General Withers in here and he tells me when he asked you about a Gray Fox operation supposedly now under way you told him he didn't have the need to know. Is that right? "For Christ's sake, he's the commanding general of the Defense Intelligence Agency and he doesn't have the goddamned need to know;" "More to the point, General, what is this Gray Fox operation? And how come this is the first I've heard of it? "Those were your orders? Orders from who? "The president personally? Or someone who said he was speaking for the president? "And this was when? "And the president specifically said I was not to be informed? "No one was to be informed? And you assumed that included the secretary of defense? "Those were your orders, huh? Jesus Christ, Naylor!"

He slammed the handset into the cradle and then immediately picked it up again.

"Teresa, see if you can get the president on the line," he ordered and slammed the handset down again.

He looked at Withers.

"That airplane was stolen from Luanda, right? There's a connection between that and this major?"

"Apparently, sir."

"Which is?"

"I don't know, sir."

"You don't know?" Beiderman snapped. "This little chat is becoming surreal, General!"

"Mr. Secretary, Major Miller was the assistant military attache in Luanda when the aircraft was stolen. He was assigned to DIA, sir."

"So?"

"He was also the CIA station chief there," Withers said. "From which post he was relieved for cause by the DCI. When I was so informed, I relieved him of his attache assignment and ordered him returned to Central Command."

"I thought you said he worked for you in DIA?"

"It's an administrative thing, sir."

"Relieved for cause? What cause?"

Withers took another sheet of paper from his briefcase and read from it.

" A security breach of the most serious nature; insubordination; exceeding his lawful authority; and conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman.' I don't know the specific details, Mr. Secretary. That's what I got from the DCI:"

"The DCI himself? Or one of his 'senior subordinates'?"

"The message was signed by the DCI himself, sir."

"What the hell is the conduct unbecoming charge all about?"

"I believe Major Miller behaved inappropriately toward his immediate superior in a social situation, sir."

"You mean he's a fag?"

"His immediate superior is a female, sir."

"And he was fucking her or just trying to fuck her? Which?"

General Withers looked uncomfortably toward the office door. Beiderman followed his gaze. Mrs. Teresa Slater was standing in, a half smile on her face, one eyebrow raised.

"Am I interrupting one of those man-to-man chats?" she asked.

Beiderman smiled at her.

"Answer the question, General," he said.

"I believe the latter, Mr. Secretary," General Withers said.

"The DCI is trying to hang this horny major of yours and the president sends him a letter of commendation-special delivery by helicopter-for 'demonstrating wisdom normally expected only of officers of far senior grade and experience'? I'd love to know what the hell that's all about."

"I had ordered an investigation into Major Miller's behavior, sir. Before I received the president's letter, I:"

"I think I'd hold off on that for a while, General," Beiderman interrupted and then looked at Mrs. Salter. "Teresa?"

"Dr. Cohen is on the line, boss," she said. "When I insisted on speaking to the president, they switched me to her."

Beiderman snatched a telephone from its cradle.

"Natalie," he began abruptly, "what the hell is going on?"

Secretary Beiderman was a great admirer of the national security advisor and he thought the feeling was at least partially reciprocated.

"The president's not available at the moment," Dr. Cohen said.

"That brings us right back to question one," Beiderman said.

"Will this wait until, say, six, seven tonight?"

"Never answer a question with a question. Didn't your mother teach you that's not nice?"

"My mother never thought I would have a job like this."

"You don't happen to know of a Gray Fox operation that's currently running, do you?"

"No, I don't."

"That's funny. I thought the Memo of Understanding said that both you and I would always be advised of a Gray Fox operation."

"Are you sure there is one?"

"According to General Withers there is. Are you stalling me, Natalie? In the public Interest?

"No," she said, simply, and he immediately decided she was telling him the truth.

"Where's the president?"

There was a brief but perceptible pause before she answered.

"He's at Camp David with Matt Hall."

"What's that all about?"

"I can't tell you. Or anyone else. I'm not even supposed to tell you where he is."

"Or whether Matt is in trouble?"

"Or whether Matt is or is not in trouble. Will this wait until six or seven?"

"No. It won't."

"Your call, Fred. I'll have the switchboard patch you through to Camp David."

"Thank you, no. But you might call out there and tell them I'm on my way out there."

"You can't go to Camp David without permission, Fred."

"What are they going to do? Shoot down my helicopter? Unless there's something else nobody's telling me, I'm still the secretary of defense. Thanks, Natalie."

He put the handset in the cradle.

"Call the helipad, Teresa, and then take General Withers briefing. If there's anything important, call me on the chopper." He looked at General Withers. "Don't tell me you didn't even suspect that Teresa always listens to everything said in this office?"

"Yes, sir," General Withers said.

Secretary Beiderman didn't reply. He was already through his office door.