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'Are you ill？ You're very pale and you're。。。'
'I'm fine；' he interrupted curtly。 'I said； go on。'
'What's〃 there to tell you？'
'Say it all。 I want to hear it from you。'
'Why？ There's nothing you don't know。 You chose Cain。 You dismissed Carlos； you think you can dismiss him now。 You were wrong then and you are wrong now。'
I will kill you。 I will grab your throat and choke the breath out of you。 Tell me！ For Christ's sake； tell me！ At the end； there is only my beginning！ I must； know it。
'That doesn't matter；' he said。 'If you're looking for a promise … if only to save your life … tell me why we should listen。 Why is Carlos so adamant。。。 so paranoid。。。 about Bourne？ Explain it to me as if I hadn't heard it before。 If you don't； those names that shouldn't be mentioned will be spread all over Paris； and you'll be dead by the afternoon。'
Lavier was rigid； her alabaster mask set。 'Carlos will follow Cain to the ends of the earth and kill him。' 'We know that。 We want to know why？' 'He has to。 Look to yourself。 To people like you。' 'That's meaningless。 You don't know who we are。'
'I don't have to。 I know what you've done。'
'Spell it out！'
'I did。 You picked Cain over Carlos； that was your error。 You chose the wrong man。 You paid the wrong assassin。'
'The wrong。。。 assassin。'
'You were not the first； but you will be the last。 The arrogant pretender will be killed here in Paris； whether there is a promise or not。'
'We picked the wrong assassin。。。' The words floated in the elegant； perfumed air of the restaurant The deafening thunder receded； angry still but far away in the storm clouds； the mists were clearing； circles of vapour swirling around him。 He began to see； and what he saw were the outlines of a monster。 Not a myth； but a monster。 Another monster。 There were two。
'Can you doubt it？' asked the woman。 'Don't interfere with Carlos。 Let him take Cain； let him have his revenge。' She paused； both hands slightly off the table； Mother Rat。 'I promise nothing； but I will speak for you； for the loss your people have sustained。 It's possible。。。 only possible； you understand。。。 that your contract might be honoured by the one you should have chosen in the first place。'
'The one we should have chosen。。。 Because we chose the wrong one。'
'You see that； do you not； Monsieur？' Carlos should be told that you see it。 Perhaps。。。 only perhaps。。。 he might have sympathy for your losses if he were convinced you saw your error。'
That's your promise？' said Bourne flatly； struggling to find a line of thought。
'Anything is possible。 No good can e from your threats； I can tell you that。 For any of us； and I'm frank enough to include myself。 There would be only pointless killing； and Cain would stand back laughing。 You would lose not once； but twice。'
'If that's true。。。' Jason swallowed； nearly choking as dry air filled the vacuum in his dry throat； 'then I'll have to explain to my people why we。。。 chose。。。 the。。。 wrong man。' Stop it！ Finish the statement。 Control yourself。 'Tell me everything you know about Cam。'
To what purpose？' Lavier put her fingers on the table her bright red nail polish ten points of a weapon。
'If we chose the wrong man； then we had the wrong information。〃
'You heard he was the equal of Carlos； no？ That his fees were more reasonable； his apparatus more contained； and because fewer intermediaries were involved there was no possibility of a contract being traced。 Is this not so？'
'Maybe。'
'Of course it's so。 It's what everyone's been told and it's all a lie。 Carlos's strength is in his far…reaching sources of information； infallible information。 In his elaborate system of reaching the right person at precisely the right moment prior to a kill。'
'Sounds like too many people。 There were too many people in Zurich； too many here in Paris。'
'All blind； Monsieur。 Every one。'
'Blind？'
To put it plainly； I've been part of the operation for a number of years； meeting in one way or another dozens who have played their minor roles … none is major。 I have yet to meet a single person who has ever spoken to Carlos； much less has any idea who he is。'
'That's Carlos。 I want to know about Cain。 What you know about Cain。' Stay controlled。 You cannot turn away。 Look at her。 Look at her！
'Where shall I begin？'
'With whatever es to mind first Where did he e from？' Do not look away！
'South…east Asia； of course。'
'Of course。。。' Oh； God。
'From the American Medusa； we know that。。。'
Medusa！ The winds； the darkness； the flashes of light； the pain。。。 The pain ripped through his skull now； he was not where he was； but where he had been。 A world away in distance and time。 The pain。 Oh； Jesus！ The pain。。。
Too！
Che…sah！
Tam…Quan！
alpha； Bravo； Cain。。。 Delta。
Delta。。。 Cain！
Cain is for Charlie。
Delta is for Cain！
'What is it？' The woman looked frightened； she was studying his face； her eyes roving； boring into his。 'You're perspiring。 Your hands are shaking。 Are you having an attack？'
'It passes quickly。' Jason pried his hand away from his wrist and reached for a napkin to wipe his forehead。
'It es with the pressures； no？〃
'With the pressures； yes。。。 Go on。 There isn't much time； people have to be reached； decisions made。 Your life is probably one of them。 Back to Cain。 You say he came from the American。。。 Medusa。'
'Les mecaniciens du Diable；' said Lavier。 'It was the nickname given Medusa by the Indo…China colonials … what was left of them。 Quite appropriate； don't you think？'
'It doesn't make any difference what I think。 Or what I know。 I want to hear what you think； what you know about Cain：
'Your attack makes you rude。'
'My impatience makes me impatient！ You say we chose the wrong man； if we did we had the wrong information。 Les mecaniciens du Diable。 Are you implying that Cain is French？〃
'Not at all； you test me poorly。 I mentioned that only to indicate how deeply we penetrated Medusa。'
' 〃We〃 being the people who work for Carlos。'
'You could say that。'
'I will say that。 If Cain's not French； what is he？'
'Undoubtedly American。。。'
Oh； God！
'Why？'
'Everything he does has the ring of American audacity。 He pushes and shoves with little or no finesse； taking credit where none is his； claiming kills when he had nothing to do with them。 He has studied Carlos's methods and connections like no other man alive。 We're told he recites them with total recall to potential clients； more often than not putting himself in Carlos's place； convincing fools that it was he； not Carlos。 who accepted and fulfilled the contracts。' Lavier paused。 'I've struck a chord； no？ He did the same with you …your people … yes？'
'Perhaps。。。' Jason reached for his own wrist again； as the statements came back to him。 Statements made in response to clues in a dreadful game。
Stuttgart。 Regensburg。 Munich。 Two kills and a kidnapping； Bander accreditation； fees from U。 S。 sources。。。
Tehran？ Eight kills。 Divided accreditation … Khomeini and PLO。 Fee； two million。 South…west Soviet sector。
Paris？。。。 All contracts will be processed through Paris。
Whose contracts？
Sanchez。 Carlos。
'。。。 always such a transparent device。