The bitterness was softened by the reminder that he and Sharon were vastly different people. She was a dreamer and he was a pragmatist. He was being judged by a standard that was more romantic wishfulness than reality. It was time to shelve those concerns for now because reality had to be dealt with. Besides, because they were family, his wife and children would forgive him.

At least, that's how it was supposed to work in the World According to Paul.

Mike Rodgers, Bob Herbert, and Ron Plummer arrived for a 5:15 update. Hood was ready for them, his conscience relatively clear and his mind almost entirely focused. Plummer had been named the acting diplomatic officer until an official review process for Martha's replacement could take place. That would not happen until the current crisis had passed. If Plummer had the chops for the job they'd know soon enough and the review would be a simple formality.

"Grim news," Herbert said as he rolled in on his automated wheelchair. "The Germans just canceled a big soccer match they were supposed to play tomorrow in Barcelona at the Olympic Stadium. Said they're concerned about the 'air of violence' in Spain."

"Will the cancellation be recorded as a forfeit for Germany?" Hood asked.

"That's a good question," Herbert said, "to which the answer is no, unfortunately." He pulled a printout from a pouch on the side of his chair. "The Federation of International Football Associations has ruled that in a nation where-and I quote-'there is a substantial disturbance of services or a reasonable fear for security, a visiting team may request a postponement for the duration of said unrest." What's going on in Spain certainly fits that requirement."

"Which will probably cause more unrest among soccer fans," Plummer said, "which will help the situation unravel further."

"In a peanut shell, yeah," Herbert replied. "The prime minister is going to go on TV in the morning to urge everyone to stay calm. But the military has already been sent into major cities in three Castilian provinces to keep peace where the police have been sitting on their hands. The people there have always had a real dislike for the Catalonians and Basques who work there. The stuff with Serrador and the group in San Sebastián really sent them over the edge."

"The question is, where does it go from here?" Hood asked.

"We'll know more after the prime minister speaks," Plummer replied.

"What's your sense of things?" Hood pressed.

"The situation will probably deteriorate," Plummer said. "Spain has always been a patchwork of very different people-not unlike the Soviet Union was. Something like this, which polarizes ethnic groups, is a very tough fix."

Hood looked at Rodgers. "Mike?"

The general was leaning against the wall. He shifted slowly, still obviously in pain. "The military people I spoke with in Portugal are extremely concerned. They can't remember a time when tensions were so openly high."