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Chapters (50)
  1. DEBT OF HONOR
  2. Acknowledgments
  3. Prologue
  4. 1—Alumni
  5. 2—Fraternity
  6. 3—Collegium
  7. 4—Activity
  8. 5—Complexity Theory
  9. 6—Looking In, Looking Out
  10. 7—Catalyst
  11. 8—Fast-Forwarding
  12. 9—Power Plays
  13. 10—Seduction
  14. 11—Sea Change
  15. 12—Formalities
  16. 13—Winds and Tides
  17. 14—Reflections
  18. 15—A Damned, Foolish Thing
  19. 16—Payloads
  20. 17—Strike One
  21. 18—Easter Egg
  22. 19—Strike Two
  23. 20—Strike Three
  24. 21—Navy Blue
  25. 22—The Global Dimension
  26. 23—Catching Up
  27. 24—Running in Place
  28. 25—All the King's Horses
  29. 26—Catch-up
  30. 27—Piling On
  31. 28—Transmissions
  32. 29—Written Records
  33. 30—Why Not?
  34. 31—The How and the What
  35. 32—Special Report
  36. 33—Reversal Points
  37. 34—All Aboard
  38. 35—Consequences
  39. 36—Consideration
  40. 37—Going Deep
  41. 38—The River Rubicon
  42. 39—Eyes First
  43. 40—Foxes and Hounds
  44. 41—CTF-77
  45. 42—Lightning Strikes
  46. 43—Dancing to the Tune
  47. 44—…from one who knows the score…
  48. 45—Line of Battle
  49. 46—Detachment
  50. 47—Brooms

"See what, George?"

"We were the trend."

Mark Gant blinked his eyes, and Winston could tell.

He didn't see it.

29—Written Records

The presentation went very well, and at the end of it Cathy Ryan was handed an exquisitely wrapped box by the Professor of Ophthalmic Surgery from Chiba University, who led the Japanese delegation. Unwrapping it, she found a scarf of watered blue silk, embroidered with gold thread. It looked to be more than a hundred years old.

"The blue goes so well with your eyes, Professor Ryan," her colleague said with a smile of genuine admiration. "I fear it is not a sufficiently valuable gift for what I have learned from you today. I have hundreds of diabetic patients at my hospital. With this technique we can hope to restore sight for most of them. A magnificent breakthrough, Professor." He bowed, formally and with clear respect.

"Well, the lasers come from your country," Cathy replied. She wasn't sure what emotion she was supposed to have. The gift was stunning. The man was as sincere as he could be, and his country might be at war with hers.

But why wasn't it on the news? If there were a war, why was this foreigner not under arrest? Was she supposed to be gracious to him as a learned colleague or hostile to him as an enemy? What the hell was going on? She looked over at Andrea Price, who just leaned against the back wall and smiled, her arms crossed across her chest.

"And you have taught us how to use them more efficiently. A stunning piece of applied research." The Japanese professor turned to the others and raised his hands. The assembled multitude applauded, and a blushing Caroline Ryan started thinking that she just might get the Lasker statuette for her mantelpiece after all. Everyone shook her hand before leaving for the bus that waited to take them back to the Stouffer's on Pratt Street.

"Can I see it?" Special Agent Price asked after all were gone and the door safely closed. Cathy handed the scarf over. "Lovely. You'll have to buy a new dress to go with it."

"So there never was anything to worry about," Dr. Ryan observed. Interestingly, once she'd gotten fifteen seconds into her lecture, she'd forgotten about it anyway. Wasn't that interesting?

"No, like I told you, I didn't expect anything." Price handed the scarf back, not without some reluctance. The little professor was right, she thought. It did go nicely with her eyes. "Jack Ryan's wife" was all she'd heard, and then some. "How long have you been doing this?"