Гарри Гаррисон - Montezuma’s Revenge

“He is the jackal, not the man, Hochhande’s creature, someone unimportant. When Hochhande was recalled to Germany it was Robl who took over his command of the Sapri camp. He is small fry, like many others, and it is the big fish we are after. But since Robl is the pilot fish for the shark we seek, we make a point of keeping track of him, of furnishing information on his whereabouts to the CIA and others so they can watch him too. This has gone on for many years, patient waiting, until now when our watching seems to be paying off at last.”

“You are going to get Hochhande?”

“I am, if he is still alive, and I feel he is. This entire matter has his smell to it. His jackal is not smart enough to do what is being done; he is just a jackal. He has not the intelligence to find a man of international repute like D’Isernia to work with him, to arrange matters as well as this. He is being worked by strings, I know it, my instincts tell me so, and it is the puppet master I am after. And now we come to your role in this little drama.”

“Mine? It has nothing to do with me. I am an art authority, nothing more. All I want is the painting back.”

“Patience, you will have it. But you must aid us. Your part had become a very big one and it shall be larger still. You are going to work for me and help uncover Hochhande.”

“Look, Goldstein, let us be reasonable.” Tony sucked too deeply at the last dregs of his celery tonic so they went up his nose and he had to cough enthusiastically. He ignored this, wiping at his streaming eyes with his napkin. “How can you ask me to do a thing like that? I’m a federal employee, a drafted FBI agent, a loyal American. I can’t work for a foreign government at the same time, be an Israeli agent.”

“Patience, my friend, and listen closely. I ask you for nothing that will compromise your loyalties. You will leave here with the painting and return to your job. You will be involved in the transactions to purchase the painting of the ‘Battle of Anghiarf and will do all that you are paid for and more. You will not be compromised. At the same time you will be reporting to me everything that occurs to enable us to apprehend Hochhande. This will not interfere with your work, it might even aid it because I have various resources that will be at your disposal, and it will aid us in what is an effort to bring a great criminal to justice.”

“I’m sorry, I just can’t do it.”

“Think again. You are a minority member yourself, a descendant of the few survivors of the Indian slaughters of the past hundred years. You are talking to another minority descendant, except my slaughters are more recent. You must know what it feels like to be in our unenviable position. So I ask you to join me, help right one wrong of which there have been so many.”

Unordered, a glass of tea appeared at Tony’s elbow and he sipped at it, burning his mouth on the hot brew. There had to be a way out of this impossible situation.

“What if I refuse to co-operate?” he asked.

“Then I keep the painting, it is as simple as that. I play for keeps, Mr. Hawkin, as I am sure you are aware of.” The implacable hunter once more appeared in his voice, no longer concealed in the g of the pleasant old man. Tony shivered.

“I guess you would do that. So what if I take the painting back, what assurance do you have that I will help you?”

“None whatsoever—other than your word. When you play for high stakes, men’s lives, you are forced to understand people and to trust a very few. I think I understand you. You are essentially a man of peace, who will keep his word once freely given. The choice is yours.”

“Some choice,” Tony muttered into the tea, then looked up at Goldstein and smiled wryly. “You are a great chess player, aren’t you, Goldstein?”

“For you, you can call me Jake.”

“Every move planned from the beginning, Jake, pawns moved the way you want them, the checkmate clearly seen.”

“I bet you play a good game yourself, Tony. So—what’s the decision?”

“Did I ever have a choice? You are looking at the first American Indian Jewish agent. What will my friends think?”

“They’ll never know unless you tell them. This is strictly between you and me, a one-time arrangement, and none of it even goes in the record unless you want it to. But believe me, let me at least drop a word in the Top Secret files. That way when things work out as we hope and you ever make a trip to Israel, boy, have you got a great reception waiting!”

“Shalom,” Tony said, smiling broadly now, reaching out to take the agent’s hand.

“Shalom.”

“You have my word. As long as it doesn’t interfere with the work I am here to do I’ll do everything I can to help you get your hands on Hochhande.”

“I never for a moment doubted you, Tony. Here, just a minute, finish your tea while I fetch a package I got for you from the back room.”

Tony sat, slightly dazed, still not sure how he had gotten this deeply involved. Everything had happened with a sure inevitability, but it was still hard to visualize himself as both an agent of the FBI and the Israeli underground. Goldstein returned with a large book, Terry’s Guide to Mexico, which he handed over.

“Don’t try to open it, all the pages are glued together and it’s hollowed out. Something better to carry around than a package, people notice. Just pry open the front cover to get the painting out. A very pretty hunk of art I must say.”

“You seem to have forgotten one thing.” Tony turned the book over and read “Capsule Guide to Cash and Communication for the Tourist in Mexico.”

“What do I tell Sones, my boss here for the FBI? I just walked in and you handed the painting back? Or better I had a shoot-out and took it away from you?”

“A cover story is what you’re talking about, and a cover story is what you got. Sones thinks we are trying to get Robl, that idea was planted with you the first time we met—we wanted you, not Robl, we knew who you were—as well as with some other people. So tell him that you promised to finger Robl for us in exchange for the return of the painting, he’ll believe that and will probably arrange to help you with the job once your painting business is finished. He has no love for these vermin and dislikes doing business with them. He’ll go along with the idea.”

“It gets very complicated.”

“It always does. How are you getting back?”

“I have to phone for a car.”

“Very good. You can always get in touch with me here, but I’ll have people close by keeping an eye on you. If anyone gives you the password gornischt, you answer hilfen. Then pass messages or ask for any help you might need. My people are very capable.”

“They certainly are. Your ape really frightened that poor Russian girl, Lizveta Zlomikova.”

“That poor Russian girl—but Georgian please, not Russian—is reporting straight to Moscow about your operation—or didn’t you know that?”

“Of course I knew that.” Smugly, a big international agent knowing the workings of all the cogs and wheels.

“Well, maybe then you didn’t know that she is in reality a double agent for the Albanians who pass the word directly to China. Let Sones know about that at the right time and it will get you in big, further your career.”

The ride back was very much like the ride out, silent and swift, Tony held tightly to the book and wondered just where it all would end. He was in this introspective mood when he emerged at Cocoyoc, accepted his salute, then found his way to a seven. The door was unlocked and he pushed it open and waJ through into the living room of the suite.

Sones, sitting on the couch, looked up at him, frowning fiercely. Sones’s visitor, seated in the overstuffed chair, turned around looked at him as well. He had a familiar face.