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icanery。 He was quite adept at it； in fact。 One of his more valuable talents was the ability to stay ahead of his anger and use it to get his way。 Targets of his rage had no idea that behind his laser…hot fury he was often serene； even joyful。 His ability served him well。 Presidents of both parties deferred to him。 Senators and congressmen went out of their way to cultivate his acquaintance。 Cabinet members instructed their staff to put through his phone calls without question。
LeGrand had readily accepted the admiral's invitation for a match because he was drenched with guilt over the incident in New York and weled the opportunity to make amends； even if it meant being humiliated on the squash court。 To his surprise； Sandecker had greeted him with a smile and hadn't mentioned the incident throughout their play。 He even offered to buy the first round at the juice bar。
〃Thanks for the match on such short notice；〃 Sandecker said with his famous alligator smile。
LeGrand sipped his papaya juice and shook his head。 〃One of these days maybe I'll beat you。〃
〃Your backhand needs some work first；〃 Sandecker offered。 〃By the way； while I have your ear； I'd like to thank you for averting a potential tragedy involving my man Austin。〃
This might not be as bad as he expected； LeGrand thought。
Sandecker maintained his disconcerting smile。 〃Pity you didn't get someone to respond more quickly；〃 he said。 〃You might have been able to save your asset。〃 He put heavy emphasis on the first syllable of the last word。
LeGrand groaned inwardly。 It was obvious Sandecker was going to worry this one like a puppy with a bone。
Ignoring the play on words； the director said； 〃I'm sorry about that regrettable episode。 The full extent of this； er； problem wasn't apparent at first。 It was a very plex situation。〃
〃So I hear；〃 Sandecker said lightly。 〃Tell you what I'm going to do； Erwin。 I will forget for the time being that a screwball scheme hatched by the OSS and carried out by the CIA went awry； almost killing the head of the NUMA Special Assignments Team and an innocent bystander and placing the speaker of the House in jeopardy。〃
〃You're very gracious； James；〃 LeGrand said。
Sandecker nodded。 〃No details of this schoolboy spy prank will ever go beyond the walls of NUMA。〃
〃The Agency appreciates your discretion；〃 LeGrand said。
Sandecker raised a red eyebrow。 〃You're not entirely off the hook；〃 he said archly。 〃In exchange I want a full accounting of this sordid affair。〃
LeGrand knew there would be a quid pro quo。 There always was with Sandecker。 He had already decided to lay his cards out on the table。
〃You're certainly justified in demanding an accounting；〃 he agreed。
〃I think so；〃 Sandecker said agreeably。
〃It was quite a task to piece this story together； especially on such short notice； but I'll do my best to explain what happened。〃
〃Or thankfully in this case；〃 Sandecker said； 〃what didn't happen。〃
LeGrand smiled wanly。 〃The end of World War II is the be ginning of the story。 With Germany defeated； the Allied coalition fell apart。 Churchill came out with his Iron Curtain speech； and the stage was set for the cold war。 The U。S。 was still placent because it was the only country that had the bomb。 That smugness was eroded when the Soviets exploded their own nuclear device； and the arms race was on。 We gained headway with the hydrogen bomb。 But the Russians were breathing down our necks； and it was clearly a matter of time before the Soviets gained parity。 As you know； the hydrogen bomb utilized a different process to create an explosion。〃
〃The thermonuclear bomb uses fusion rather than fission；〃 said Sandecker； who was well versed in atomic physics； having served on nuclear…powered submarines。 〃Atoms are joined rather than split apart。〃
LeGrand nodded。 〃The hydrogen atom was fused with the helium atom。 The sun and other stars use the same process to create their energy。 Once it became known that the main Soviet fusion lab was in Siberia there was talk in our government of sabotage。 Hubris was still strong after defeating the Axis； and some people talked nostalgically of the mando raid on the heavy…water plant in Norway。 You're familiar with that mission； of course。〃
〃You mean the plant that was producing an isotope needed for the production of a German A…bomb；〃 Sandecker said。
〃That's right。 The raid delayed the German effort。〃
'A similar mando raid in Siberia would have been an ambitious undertaking； to say the least。〃
〃As a matter of fact； it would have been impossible；〃 LeGrand said。 〃The Norway raid was incredibly difficult to launch； even with accessibility and strong partisan support。 There was an other consideration as well。〃
Sandecker； who tended to see situations from a global perspective； said； 〃Germany was at war with the Allies at the time of the Norway raid。 The U。S。S。R。 and the U。S。 had not declared open hostilities。 Both sides were careful to avoid direct military confrontation。 A raid on a Soviet laboratory would be considered an overt act of war that could not be ignored。〃
〃That's correct。 It would be no different from the Russians destroying a lab in New Mexico。 It could have provoked a shooting war。〃
Sandecker was not exactly innocent when it came to making end runs around politically dicey situations。 〃A raid might be feasible； but it would have to be an ironclad secret with no way to trace it。〃
LeGrand nodded。 〃That was precisely what the president said when the situation was presented to him。〃
〃A tall order indeed；〃 Sandecker noted。
〃Granted； but these were not ordinary men。 They had created the greatest military industrial machine in history virtually from scratch and ruthlessly used it to squash two formidable foes on several continents and seas。 But even all their determination and resourcefulness wasn't up to this challenge。 Fortunately for them； two unconnected developments intersected and showed them the way。 The first was the development of the air craft that came to be known as the flying wing。 The design had its problems； but there was one unplanned characteristic that made it very attractive。 Stealth technology。 The plane's slim silhouette and clean surface meant that under the right circum stances it could slip undetected past radar。〃
〃My guess is that you're talking about Russian radar；〃 Sandecker said。
LeGrand smiled mysteriously。 〃Supposedly all flying wings； including those still in production； were destroyed by the Air Force。 But the president gave the go…ahead for a modified version to be built in secret。 It had even greater range and speed than any of the original models。 In short； here was a delivery system that could get in and out of Siberia without being detected。〃
〃In my experience the Russians are not a dull people；〃 Sandecker said。 〃If their lab went up in smoke they would surmise the U。S。 was behind it。〃
〃Undoubtedly； which is why the second part of the equation was crucial；〃 LeGrand said。 〃That was the discovery of anasazium。 It was a by…product of the work at Los Alamos。