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Wait a minute！ He sat down in the chair； took up his pen。 The numbers！ Each grouping had either one or two numbers as part of it。 His heart was thumping。 After several tries； he thought he had it。 The number was the key。 You subtracted the number in the groups that began with even…numbered letters； added the number in groups that began with odd…numbered letters。 For instance； the group DK3A decoded became AND … A was an odd letter； the first in the alphabet； and 3 was the key to go forward three letters； assuming the alphabet was a circle； so that A came after Z。 In the instances where the groups contained two numbers； it was now simply a matter of either adding those numbers together or subtracting one from the other in order to obtain the key for that cipher。
Having cracked the code； Croaker now began the laborious work of translating the groups into English。 It took him the better part of three hours。 What he found himself looking at were a series of entries for delivery dates and contract prices for a mind…bending array of topflight international weaponry。 All the latest ordnance was here； including American F…15 fighters； Lockheed SR…71 supersonic jets； Badger puterized flamethrowers； Sioux infrared gunships plete with Wolverine A…322 air…to…ground heat…seeking missiles； Russian Tupolev…22 M bombers； T…72 tanks； SAM…13 antiaircraft missiles； Python…600 mortars； Deyrael hand…held antitank bazookas。
His exhaustion evaporated as he drank in the implications of this prehensive range of high…tech weaponry from the U。S。 armed services。 It was illegal to export this ordnance outside the United States； and yet here was proof of a steady source of supply。 So Morgana； Inc。 was in the same business as Avalon Ltd。 Both were merchants of death operating beyond the law。
He rubbed his tired eyes。 Everything was decoded except for the few groups that had the number 9 embedded within them。 No matter what he did； he could not make them intelligible。 Obviously； here the 9 was not the key； it must be part of the cipher itself。 Then what was the key？ Each group contained five letters plus the numeral。
Then he got the idea of breaking the number down into its additive parts。 He started with three threes。 That would make the first letter a T。 But the second letter became Z； so that was out。 He kept the T； the first three； decided to add one。 That made TO … so far so good。 He tried two； thinking that because there were five letters； he needed five numbers to equal nine； but that didn't work。 Adding three gave him TOT； but with only two ones left to make nine； he was back to gibberish。 He tried five； got TOR。 Three； one； and five equaled nine。。。 maybe … 315。
It hit him all at once； the partially unencrypted letters and numerals coalescing in his mind。 His head throbbed and he heard a rushing in his ears。 In a fever of apprehension； he finished decoding the groups； certain now of what he would find。
〃Jesus。〃
Here within this calfskin notebook of a vastly prosperous arms merchant was confirmation of the enigmatic weapon that Nicholas had e across in the puter files of Avalon Ltd。
TORCH 315。
Quickly； he decoded the following groups。 He sat back； staring at what had appeared out of the ciphers。 He could hardly think； his heart was hammering so hard in his chest。 So he and Nicholas had guessed right。 He read the terse notation again and again as if it were a mantra； and as he did so； his blood ran cold：
〃Torch scheduled March 15 at agreed site。 Area chosen for proximity of target and density of population。 Maximum impact assured。〃
The moon…faced boy was eating a bank chung； a traditional Vietnamese sweet cake made from sticky rice。 A smear of beans； onion； and pork； the cake's filling； made his smile appear wider than it was。
Nicholas smiled back at the boy as he and Seiko approached the Giac Lam Pagoda。 Sunlight glinted off the blue and white porcelain tiles along the roof of what was the oldest Buddhist temple in Saigon。 Originally built in 1744； Giac Lam had last undergone renovations in 1900； sparing it the kind of modernist reconstruction that had ruined so many other temples in Vietnam。
The boy； his mouth filled with bank chung； ran behind the old bo de tree that dominated the garden in front of the pagoda。 He was obscured by a pair of saffron…robed monks； a number of whom lived year…round at Giac Lam。 In a moment； the monks disappeared inside the pagoda。
Nicholas and Seiko were in the Tan Binh district of Saigon； about ten miles from Cholon； the Chinese market district where Nicholas had first met Bay two nights and seemingly another lifetime ago。 To the right of the pagoda were the heavily embellished tombs of the most venerated monks who had lived here。
This was the place that the arms merchant Timothy Delacroix had designated they meet him。 It was now six minutes past six in the morning。
The sky was pale green。 Birds in their bamboo cages twittered and cleaned themselves。 Palm fronds clattered as the city awoke。 The delicious scent of freshly baked baguettes filled the air； mixing with the incense wafting from inside the pagoda where the carved jackwood statues of Buddha in all his incarnations rose； surrounded by images of solemn judges and the fierce guardians of hell。 For this moment； at least； when the late…night traffic had ended and the early…morning crush had not yet begun in earnest； the air possessed the peculiar sweetness that must have attracted the original Viet to this once paradisiacal land。
A chanting arose from the depths of the pagoda as the monks' morning prayers began。 The young boy smacked his lips loudly as he greedily jammed pieces of his sticky rice cake into his mouth。
〃They are reciting Buddha's Four Noble Truths；〃 Seiko said。 〃Existence is unhappiness； unhappiness is caused by selfishness； unhappiness ends when selfishness ends； selfishness can only end by devoting oneself to the eightfold path。〃
〃Yes。 Understanding； purpose； speech； conduct； vocation； effort； alertness； and concentration in a manner mindful of the Four Truths。 Do you believe any of that？〃
Seiko smiled。 〃It doesn't leave much room for joy； does it？ Life is already severe enough without that kind of mental shackle。〃
〃Is it a shackle if it leads to enlightenment？〃
〃Now you sound more like a holy man than a businessman。〃
〃I'm as much simply a businessman as you are simply my assistant。 We all hide behind masks； Seiko； even from ourselves。 Why is that； do you think？ Are our true natures that difficult to face？〃
The boy； perhaps bored because he had finished his bank chung； was playing peekaboo with them from behind the bo de tree。
〃Here he es；〃 Seiko said。
Nicholas turned； saw a tall； lanky man clad in a light jacket； gauze shirt； and bush trousers。 His sandy hair was overlong； tousled by the wind。 The skin of his lean； almost vulpine face appeared to have been scoured rough and red from a life among the elements。
〃You sure this is him？〃
Seiko nodded。 〃Positive。〃
〃Okay then； this is what I want you to do …〃
But at that moment； Nicholas became aware of a movement in the periphery of his vision。 The young boy behind the bo de tree hadn't finished his sweet afte