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profit for Mr。 Martens； small enough not to attract a great deal of attention。 One truckload； Ryan wondered； maybe two？ The pallets of boxes would be tucked into a corner of his warehouse； technically supervised by his government； but more likely in fact to be Martens' private domain 。 。 。
That's what Sir Basil Charleston told me at the dinner； Ryan reminded himself。 You didn't pay enough attention to that South African chap 。 。 。 So the Brits think he deals to terrorists 。 。 。 directly？ No； his government wouldn't tolerate that。 Probably wouldn't； Ryan corrected himself。 The guns might find their way to the African National Congress； which might not be very good news for the government they were pledged to destroy。 So now Ryan had to find an intermediary。 It took thirty minutes to get that file； involving a call to Marty Cantor。
The file was a disaster。 Martens had eight known and fifteen suspected intermediary agents 。 。 。 one or two in every country he sold to of course！ Ryan punched Cantor's number again。
〃I take it we've never talked to Martens？〃 Ryan asked。
〃Not for a few years。 He ran some guns into Angola for us； but we didn't like the way he handled things。〃
〃How so？〃
〃The man's something of a crook；〃 Cantor replied。 〃That's not terribly unusual in the arms business； but we try to avoid the type。 We set up our own pipeline after the Congress took away the restriction on those operations。〃
〃I got twenty…three names here；〃 Ryan said。
〃Yeah； I'm familiar with the file。 We thought he was passing arms to an Iranian…sponsored group last November； but it turned out he wasn't。 It took us a couple of months to clear him。 It would have been a whole lot easier if we'd been able to talk to him。〃
〃What about the Brits？〃 Jack asked。
〃Stone wall；〃 Marty said。 〃Every time they try to talk with him； some big ol' Afrikaner soldier says no。 You can't blame them； really； if the West treats them like pariahs； they're sure as hell going to act like pariahs。 The other thing to remember is； pariahs stick together。〃
〃So we don't know what we need to know about this guy and we're not going to find out。〃
〃I didn't say that exactly。〃
〃Then we're sending people in to check a few things out？〃 Ryan asked hopefully。
〃I didn't say that either。〃
〃Dammit； Marty！〃
〃Jack； you are not cleared to know anything about field operations。 In case you haven't noticed； not one of the files you've seen tells you how the information gets in here。〃
Ryan had noticed that。 Informants weren't named； meeting places weren't specified； and the methods used to pass the information were nowhere to be found。 〃Okay； may I safely assume that we will； by some unknown means； get more data on this gentleman？〃
〃You may safely assume that the possibility is being considered。〃
〃He may be the best lead we have；〃 Jack pointed out。
〃I know。〃
〃This can be pretty frustrating stuff； Marty；〃 Ryan said； getting that off his chest。
〃Tell me about it；〃 Cantor chuckled。 〃Wait till you get involved with something really important sorry； but you know what I mean。 Like what the Politburo people really think about something； or how powerful and accurate their missiles are； or whether they have somebody planted in this building。〃
〃One problem at a time。〃
〃Yeah； that must be nice； sport； just to have one problem at a time。〃
〃When can I expect something on Martens？〃 Ryan asked。
〃You'll know when it es in；〃 Cantor promised。 〃 'Bye。〃
〃Great。〃 Jack spent the rest of the day and part of another looking through the list of people Martens had dealt with。 It was a relief to have to go back to teaching class the next two days； but he did find one possible connection。 The Mercury motors found on the Zodiac used by the ULA had probably the bookkeeping had broken down in Europe gone through a Maltese dealer with whom Martens had done a little business。
The good news of the spring was that Ernie was a quick study。 The dog got the hang of relieving himself outside within the first two weeks； which relieved Jack of a message from his daughter； 〃Daaaaddy； there's a little proooblem 。 。 。 〃 invariably followed by a question from his wife： 〃Having fun； Jack？〃 In fact； even his wife admitted that the dog was working out nicely。 Ernie could only be separated from their daughter with a hard tug on his leash。 He now slept in her bed； except when he patrolled the house every few hours。 It was somewhat unnerving at first to see the dog rather； to see a black mass darker than the night a few inches from one's face when Ernie seemed to be reporting that everything was clear before he headed back to Sally's room for two more hours of protective slumber。 He was still a puppy； with impossibly long legs and massive webbed feet； and he still liked to chew things。 When that had included the leg of one of Sally's Barbie dolls； it resulted in a furious scolding from his owner that ended when he started licking Sally's face by way of contrition。
Sally was finally back to normal。 As the doctors had promised her parents； her legs were fully healed； and she was running around now as she had before。 This day would mark her return to Giant Steps。 Her way of knocking glasses off tables as she ran past them was the announcement that things were right again； and her parents were too pleased by this to bring themselves to scold the girl for her unladylike behavior。 For her part； Sally endured an abnormally large number of spontaneous hugs which she didn't really understand。 She'd been sick and she was now better。 She'd never really known that an attack had happened。 Jack was slow to realize。 The handful of times she referred to it； it had always been 〃the time the car broke。〃 She still had to see the doctors every few weeks for tests。 She both hated and dreaded these； but children adapt to a changing reality far more readily than their parents。
One of these changes was her mother。 The baby was really growing now。 Cathy's petite frame seemed poorly suited to such abuse。 After every morning shower； she looked at herself； naked； in a full…length mirror that hung on the back of the closet door and came away with an expression that was both proud and mournful as her hands traced over the daily alterations。
〃It's going to get worse；〃 her husband told her as he emerged from the shower next。
〃Thanks； Jack； I really need to hear that。〃
〃Can you see your feet？〃 he asked with a grin。
〃No； but I can feel them。〃 They were swelling； too； along with her ankles。
〃You look great to me； babe。〃 Jack stood behind her； reaching his arms around to hold her bulging abdomen。 He rested his cheek on the top of her head。 〃Love ya。〃
〃That's easy for you to say！〃 She was still looking in the mirror。 Jack saw her face in the glass； a tiny smile on her lips。 An invitation？ He moved his hands upward to find out。 〃Ouch！ I'm sore。〃
〃Sorry。〃 He softened his grip to provide nothing more than support。 〃Hmph。 Has something changed here？〃
〃It took you this long to notice？〃 The smile broadened a tad。 〃It's a shame that I have to go through this for that to happen。〃
〃Have