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e matter and； based on the bank's overall position； it will be reeval…uated upward。。。 or downward。 The same will hold true a year from now。〃 His eyes were searching Su's face。 〃If； at that time； the bank has performed up to a schedule of profit I shall work up for you before I depart； you will receive a ten percent stock equity in All…Asia pursuant to your signing a lifetime contract。〃
Nangi saw with satisfaction that all color had drained from Su's broad face。
〃I will immediately sever all ties with the Royal Albert。〃 Su's voice was thin and reedy。 His eyes seemed glassy。
〃You'll do nothing of the kind；〃 Nangi said。 〃You'll take your ten thousand a month and within sixty days ask for a raise。 God knows； you've earned it。〃
Su's face clouded。 〃Sir。 I don't think I understand。〃 Relief was flooding through him like a spring torrent； muddying his thoughts。
〃From today on； Mr。 Su； you will provide the Royal Albert with precisely the information I feed you。 At the same time you will relay to me just what is going on at our petition。 I will want to know every major and minor deal on their boards。 I will want to know their capital outlay； their spread； and their investment goals for one year； five years； and ten years。〃 He cocked his head。 〃Are you getting all this； Mr。 Su？〃
Su had recovered sufficiently to smile。 Oh； gods of all four quarters； he prayed silently； tonight I will offer a feast to each and every one of you。 〃I'm with you； Nangi…san；〃 he said in his best idiomatic English。 〃This is sounding more and more like a task I will enjoy immensely。〃
Then concern flooded his face again。 〃But I cannot be expected to achieve these great gains with the depletion of capital that currently plagues us。 The bank is on the verge of insolvency if we were to have to redeem on any kind of an extended run。 And even if the run does not materialize…may all the gods hear and make it so！…it would take more than twelve months for us to recover sufficiently from these setbacks so that I can make even a semblance of headway。〃
〃Two items will help us here；〃 Nangi said； unruffled。 〃First； we will have additional capital available to us within seventy…two hours。〃
〃May I ask the source of this capital？〃 Su interjected。
〃Just be prepared to invest part of it wisely for a maximum return with a minimum of time factor。〃
Su was already shaking his head。 〃Big risk in that。 Too much for us in our current position。〃
〃Not with the information you're going to be getting from the Royal Albert。〃 Nangi was smiling now as he rose。 〃Ride their back； Mr。 Su； as the temple dog rides the great dragon。 Let them take all the risks； do all the work while you make our money grow for us risk free。〃 He nodded his head。
〃Congratulations！ This is a big day for you。 Shall we go and celebrate？〃
Tanya was manning the ARRTS terminal when the cipher came in。 That was luck； pure and simple。 But if someone else had been on； which had been far more likely； he or she would have merely starred the unreadable entry and she would have been flagged down immediately on her return。
The 〃Spearfish〃 situation； as she had somewhat ironically designated it； was her baby。 She was its monitor principally because it was a personal matter of Minck's and not business。
Well； that was not strictly true。 〃Spearfish〃 had been business up until perhaps a year ago。 It should have been terminated then； as Tanya had argued。 In fact； as far as anyone else in Red Section or anywhere else in the Family was concerned； it was terminated。 Only Minck and Tanya knew otherwise。
The moment Tanya became aware that 〃Spearfish〃 had crossed the line it never should have； into the personal sector； she had e alert。 One of her jobs； unspoken and all the more crucial for that； was to protect Minck。 In her judgment he had picked a particularly dangerous time to pull something like this； though she knew when personal feelings were allowed to interfere with business there was no good time for it。
Thus she became 〃Spearfish〃's guardian while acknowledging the foolhardiness of the enterprise。 Some things could be kept in cold storage better than others。 But nothing could be well kept for long out in the open。
When she knew that Minck would not go for the termination she had switched tactics； arguing for a closed shop。 That was out of the question as well； he said。 〃Spearfish〃 could not be penned up。
Then she had gone for the box； eight men in two shifts。 But Minck had said 〃Spearfish〃 would find that distasteful as well。 It limited freedom； he said。 Tanya had kept her mouth shut； knowing that that was precisely the purpose of the box。 It was normally used on more serious tags but it could work just as well on friend…lies such as 〃Spearfish。〃
Finally； she did what he had asked her to do in the first place： put two men on it。 But she would not let it go at that。 She kept in constant touch。 〃Spearfish〃 was highly volatile and she wanted no mistakes made。 The only time she laid off was when Minck himself went down。 He thought that even she did not know。 But she did。
Now she watched the glowing green letters springing up on the terminal screen； marching across in dedicated rows。 When the message had ended； she watched the pulsing letters hanging there for a moment before she pushed the decode button。 The word 〃REALLY？〃 came up and she hit a six…digit key ultimate access sequence。 Now the decoded message wrote itself across the screen。 Now she had one minute； no more； no less； to digest the message。 If she did not depress the 〃print〃 key by that time to get a hard copy； ARRTS would dissolve the cipher as if it had never existed。
She went pale as she read the terse message； so stunned that she had made no conscious decision whether or not to print before her time ran out and the message disappeared from the screen。 That did not matter much since it still glowed behind her eyes。
Silently she cursed Minck and his personal problems。 Because the cipher had turned 〃Spearfish〃 from a potential problem into an active one。 She depressed the 〃send〃 key； posing her reply as she did so。 When only the date appeared； she was reminded that codes were changed weekly and this was the day to get a new one。 That meant Tony Theerson。
She got up and went down two floors。 The Boy Wonder had his digs in an otherwise unused corner of the floor。 His only panions were the jumble of cardboard and wooden crates； shipping labels； and huge rolls of brown wrapping papers。 And his cipher machines。
Though Minck had Theerson working on the Soviet Alpha…three ciphers almost around the clock； it was also his devilish little brain that posed the Red Section's own codes。 He said they were unbreakable； Tanya believed him。
When she came in on him he was sitting up on the Army cot he had asked be installed in his work space。 Tanya suspected that the Boy Wonder had no private life whatsoever； he certainly slept in the building enough。 Also； because of the time differential between Washington and the areas he monitored； primarily Russia and Asia； he tended to have odd sleep…wake patterns。
〃Hey；〃 he said in his laconic way。
〃Want some coffee？〃
He offered up his bare arm； he was dressed in a T…shir