On the TV Walter Cronkite was saying, `- are trying to get a vote from the Alabama delegation, which is apparently still in caucus.' In the background a booming, echoing mechanical voice was saying, `Alabama

Alabama… Alabama…'

Graves ignored the TV. `What've you got?' he asked.

One of the three men in the room stepped away from the binoculars. `Have a look,' he said.

Graves looked.

From this vantage point he could see directly into one window of Wright's apartment on the nineteenth floor of the opposite building. There were no drapes on the window, which made it easy to see in. The room was bare except for four peculiar wooden structures standing in the centre of the floor.

`They had drapes on that window too,' the man said, `but they took them off half an hour ago.'

`From all the windows?'

`No. Just this one.'

Graves frowned. Why? Did they know they were being observed? Did they want to make it easier? Because that was what they had done. He could see Wright striding around the room, directing two other people. Wright was working in shirtsleeves.

`The window's open,' Graves said. `It must be hot as hell in there.'

`That's right,' the man said. `The window has been open ever since Wright showed up. An hour ago.'

`What're those wooden things on the floor?'

`Sawhorses,' the man said. `We figure they had paperhangers in there. Paperhangers use sawhorses. But there's something funny going on.'

`How do you mean?'

`Well, look at the sawhorses closely. They have indentations cut in them.'

Graves looked. He could see a broadly curved, U-shaped cut in each sawhorse.

'Why?'

`Beats me. They just cut them a while back.'

`You mean, specially?'

`That's right. They've been doing a lot of unusual things in there. Every so often Wright sticks his hand out the window, and he's got this whirling thing, like a kid's whirling top… He sticks his hand out there for a minute, then pulls it back.'

Graves looked away from the window. `Describe it exactly.'

`It has four arms,' the man said, `and at the end of each is a cup, to catch the wind. Sort of a weathervane. But there isn't much wind today.'

`Anemometer,' Graves said.

`A what?'

`It measures wind velocity.' Why should Wright want to know the wind velocity outside the window of his girl friend's apartment?,

`Why does he care about that?' the man said.

Graves shook his head and turned back to the window, examining the sawhorses through the binoculars. Each sawhorse with its single indentation in the crossbar.

Four sawhorses.

Two tanks. Of course! The crossbars would have indentations so that the tank wouldn't roll off. `You seen any tanks in there?'

`Nothing like that,' the man said. `All we've seen is a lot of mechanical equipment.'

`What kind of mechanical equipment?' Graves peered through the binoculars. He didn't see any equipment at all.

`It looks like pumps and stuff,' the man said. `It was right in the middle of the floor.' He glanced through the binoculars, then shook his head. `They must have moved it to another room. They had some electronic equipment, too.'

`What kind?'

`Looked like a hi-fi, maybe.'

Graves thought of several nasty remarks, but said nothing. A hi-fi, for Christ's sake.

`That guy in there must be pretty weird,' the man said.

Graves turned on him. `He is not weird. He is a brilliant and a dedicated man. He is engaged in a complicated plot and he is daring -' He broke off. The man was staring. `He's not weird,' Graves finished, and returned to the binoculars.

As he watched, John Wright stepped to the window and extended his hand. He held an anemometer; the cups spun lazily. After a moment Wright withdrew the instrument and returned to directing the other men in the room.

Graves turned away from the window and made some calls.

`Department of Defence.'

`Public Information, please.'

`Just a minute, please.' There was a clicking.

`Public Information, Miss,Conover speaking.'

`I'd like to talk to Lieutenant Morrison, please.'

`One minute, please.' More clicking.

`Lieutenant Morrison's office.'

`John Graves calling for Lieutenant Morrison.'

`Just a minute, I'll see if he's in.' Still more clicking. 'Morrison here. What is it?' As usual, Morrison sounded harried.

`Pete, this is John Graves at State. I'm in San Diego, and I need some information.'

`Shoot.'

`Pete, I need to know what a code word represents. The code word is Binary 75 slash 76.'

Morrison coughed in surprise. `Where'd you hear that?'

`Pete, just tell me what it means.'

`Jesus, this is an open line.'

`I know it's an open line. Tell me what it means.'

`Where are you calling from?'

`San Diego.'

`Jesus, you must be out of your mind.'

`I need the information, Pete. And I need it now.'

`Look,' Morrison said, `if you don't mind me saying so, this is pretty irregular. You've just popped a -' He broke off again. `Honestly,' he said, in his most honest, public-information officer's voice, `I'd have to obtain clearances and confirmation of need-to-know from your department, and then I'd have to pass it on to the Army, and then -'

`Okay, fine. Do it.'

`You have to supply the clearances.'

`I haven't got time.'

`You're asking me on an open line to define a hot new weapons system and break its code and you haven't got '

`Look,' Graves said. `If I call Phelps, can he call you and requisition this information?'

'Verbal requisition?' Morrison seemed shocked. `This is pretty heavy stuff for a verbal. You sure you don't want specifications on the ABM sites while you're at it, and maybe Polaris submarine coordinates? Any other minor details?'

Graves suppressed his anger. Morrison was such a bureaucratic ass. `I need the information,' he repeated. `I need it now.'

`Sounds like this may be a matter for Defence to look into,' Morrison said. `We'd be curious to know how you got that coding in the first place. Why don't you forward us a complete report along with a requisition AB-212; that's the green form. I may be able to release the data to you in a day or so, and -'

Graves hung up.

`This is Graves.'

`I know who it is,' Phelps said. `What do you have to say for yourself?'

'Binary 75 slash 76,' Graves said. `It's a coding - I need to know what it means.'

`Binary 75 slash 76,' Phelps said. There was a long pause; faintly, Graves could hear him writing it down. Finally he said, `Are you going to tell me where you came across it?'

`It's what Drew tapped from the system,' Graves said

'Oh,' Phelps said.

`But Drew doesn't know what it means, either.'

`How did he happen to tap in?'

'Wright told him to.'

`Well, did you ask Wright why?'

`No.'

`Why not?'

`I haven't picked him up yet,' Graves said.

`You haven't picked him up yet.'

`That's right.'

`What are you waiting for, a divine edict?'

`I thought I already had that,' Graves said. `But the situation is complicated. You see, Wright asked for more information from the data banks.'

`More information?'

`About a State Department Intelligence officer named John Graves. He pulled my file.'

`Don't be an ass,' Phelps said. `Pick him up immediately. He's on to you, that's clear.'

`Not only is he on to me,' Graves said, `he's showing me a puzzle and daring me to work it out.'

`This is not a fucking poker game,' Phelps said. `We can convict Wright on the basis of evidence we already have, and -'

`You can't touch him,' Graves said. `When he cools down, Drew won't testify against him. You haven't got a prayer of making a case against Wright. Our only chance is to wait - and to get me my own file contents.'