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ice to in Tokyo。
〃Will you fire me； then？〃
〃Only if you force me。〃 What good would firing her do？ He needed to find out if she was telling the truth。 Whom was she really working for besides him？ It was imperative he give her the impression that he trusted her。 If he didn't； he feared he'd never find out the truth about her。 〃You'll have to choose one job or the other。〃
〃I don't want to leave Sato … or you；〃 she said almost immediately。 〃But I need … we need … an aegis for the time we're here。 You've seen the value of such an arrangement this morning。 When we return to Tokyo； I'll sever all other ties。 Is that satisfactory？〃
〃Only if I can find the right person to run Sato…Tomkin here。 Remember； Nangi sent you to Saigon to take Vincent Tinh's place；〃
Seiko nodded。 〃Agreed。〃
Nicholas felt unaccountably relieved。 What was it about this tough but strangely vulnerable young woman that drew him against his own better judgment？ He knew he'd better find the answer to that question as soon as possible。 In the meantime； he decided to extend his trust of her another notch … or； as Nangi would say； increase the length of rope she would fashion into an incriminating noose。
〃When I was with Bay； she mentioned something curious。 I think it must be a place： Floating City。〃
Seiko's head came around quickly。 〃What did she tell you about it？〃
〃Almost nothing。 Just that where we were in Cu Chi was a halfway point between Saigon and the Floating City。〃
〃She should not have mentioned it。〃
〃She was dying； Seiko。 She obviously thought it was important。 It's obvious you do； too。 What is Floating City？〃
Seiko got up； went to the refrigerator with the rest of the cut fruit。 But after she'd put it away； she stood with her back to him。 At last； she turned around。
〃Some information is very dangerous here。〃
〃So Bay said。 Yet she felt I needed to know；〃
Seiko came back to the table； sat next to him。 〃Floating City is a kind of citadel。〃
〃Citadel？〃
She nodded。 〃In the strict； old…fashioned sense。 It's an armed city； a place of virtual sovereign independence within Vietnam。〃
〃Have you been there？〃
〃No； I haven't。 And no one I know has。〃 She slipped her hand into his。 〃Some have tried to break in； others have made attempts to steal in。 None have been successful。〃
〃How do you know that？〃
〃Because all have been found hanging upside down in the jungle perimeter of Floating City； their genitalia removed and stuffed into their mouths。〃
There was silence for a long time。 The usually raucous street sounds seemed dim and remote as if； like the poster of Jimi Hendrix； they belonged to a different time。
At length； he squeezed her hand； 〃You said Bay worked for an international arms dealer。 What is his name？〃
〃Timothy Delacroix。〃
Nicholas kept his face impassive but his mind was racing。 Delacroix was a man he had heard about from Lew Croaker。 Delacroix claimed to have done business with Vincent Tinh and a pany he believed to be Sato International。 As Nicholas understood it； Delacroix dealt in anything and everything in the ordnance game。 And somehow he had access to even the most advanced American military weapons … the same inventory that Nicholas had pulled up on the puter screen at the Paris office of Avalon Ltd。； where he bad also encountered the entry for Torch 315。
〃Is Delacroix here in Saigon？〃
〃Yes。 It is rumored that he has regular dealings with Floating City。〃
〃You mean it's his arms source。 Interesting。〃 Is there some connection between Delacroix and Avalon Ltd。； Torch； and Floating City？ Nicholas asked himself。 Is this why the Kaisho directed me here？ He made a quick decision。 〃I want to meet him。〃
All the softness； the innocence； seemed to have drained out of Seiko's face over the last several minutes。 〃I wouldn't remend contacting him。 Frankly； I wouldn't remend trying to get in touch with anyone connected with Floating City。〃
〃Why not？〃
〃Abramanov； the man you were supposed to meet； lives there。 You were betrayed in the Cu Chi tunnels。 By whom I do not know； but it would be foolhardy not to suspect that the people of Floating City saw through your cover as Mr。 Goto。〃
Nicholas knew she could be right； but what other choice did he have？ He had to see Delacroix and find out if Floating City was Vincent Tinh's connection with the dark underside of the Southeast Asian black market； where Sato…Tomkin's corporate reputation had almost been destroyed。 He had to find out what Delacroix knew of Avalon Ltd。 and Torch 315。
〃Nevertheless； I want you to set up a meeting with Delacroix。 It's critical that I speak with him。〃
Seiko； drawing closer to him； bowed her head； he recognized in that gesture the emblem of her acquiescence。
Deplaning at Washington's National Airport； Croaker watched Margarite head directly for a limo with darkened windows。 A uniformed driver had the rear curbside door open for her。 He touched the bill of his cap as she approached； slammed the door after her； then hustled around and got in behind the wheel。 By this time； Croaker was already at the taxi stand and was using his federal badge to get himself to the first taxi in line。
As Margarite's limo pulled out from the curb； he tapped the cabby on the shoulder and； shoving the badge into the man's face； said； 〃Keep that limo in sight； okay？ There's a fifty in it for you。〃
〃For that kind of money you're the boss；〃 the cabby said； merging with the airport traffic outflow。
Croaker leaned forward； peering through the windshield。 He jotted down the limo's license number； noting that it wasn't a rental。 He thought that was curious； he had been here with Margarite before and he had expected her to pick up a rental car at the airport。
This unscheduled trip to Washington was the first blip in her otherwise methodical and arduous program。 It interested him for a number of reasons。 She had made it without Tony D。； who would otherwise have been needed to front for her with those who assumed he was running Dominic's operation。 Also； recalling Dominic Goldoni's federal file； he had pulled up the fact that the dead don had made periodic trips to D。C。 Not that that was in itself suspicious。 Quite the contrary。 With Dominic's many deeply entrenched relationships with the country's political heavyweights； it would have been odd had he not made frequent trips to Washington。 Still； the coincidence； imagined or not； lodged in Croaker's cop's intuition like a stone in a boot。
As his taxi dodged through the heavy traffic on Washington Memorial Parkway； he stared out at the flat gray Potomac and tried to dredge up the places Dominic had frequented while here。 No doubt the don had been aware that he was being followed； so he'd known better than to meet with anyone who would trigger the feds' suspicions if he or she was investigated。 Still； for many years Dominic had proved himself far more clever than the feds。 Who knows what they might have missed？
He counted off the places he remembered： Dom's elegant brick house in Kalorama； his favorite watering hole； the Occidental Grill； the Museum of History and Technology； the Washington Hotel； Moniker's； a businessmen's show…girl bar where he picked up his