“That was a 15-kiloton explosion. Our modern version of the H-bomb carries the equivalent of 20 to 50 megatons, or 50 million tons of TNT, the equivalent of two to three thousand Hiroshima-size bombs. A pure-fusion bomb carries an even greater damage volume. It would only take a small 2-kiloton pure-fusion bomb to equal the same impact created by a 30-megaton H-bomb. That’s one ton of pure-fusion TNT to equal fifteen million tons of TNT generated by a hydrogen bomb. If you want to wipe out 67,000 square miles of geography, pure fusion is the way to go.”

My God … Despite the heavy air-conditioning, Barbara feels herself sweating. “And you think it’s possible that a foreign power was able to develop such a device?”

Martinez and Taber look at each other.

“What? Speak!”

Taber pinches the bridge of his nose. “The feasibility of developing a pure-fusion device hasn’t officially been proven, Madam Ambassador, but the United States and France have been tinkering with it for more than a decade now.”

Dr. Martinez looks her square in the eye. “As I said, none of this should be that shocking. IEER scientists have been protesting the morality and legality of this work for years. All of this is in direct violation of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.”

“Hold it a second, Marty,” Taber says. “We both know the CTBT doesn’t mention pure fusion.”

“Why the hell not?” the ambassador asks.

“It’s a legal loophole that hasn’t been addressed, mostly because no nation has ever formally announced its intention of building a pure-fusion weapon.”

“Do you think the French would have sold the technology to the Australians?”

“We’re not politicians, Ambassador Becker,” Taber states. “And anyway, who’s to say it was the French? Could have been the Russians or even the good ol’ U. S. of A., for all we know.”

Martinez nods. “The United States has had the inside track. Field-testing this weapon in Australia keeps everybody guessing.”

Barbara shakes her head. “Christ, I’m walking into a goddam hornets’ nest. All five of the Security Council’s permanent members are sending delegates. Everyone’s going to be pointing fingers at one another.”

Martinez lays his head back and closes his eyes. “You haven’t really grasped the significance in all this, have you, Madam Ambassador? Pure fusion is the doomsday bomb. No country, including the United States, should have ever been permitted to conduct pure-fusion experiments of any kind in the first place. It doesn’t matter which country developed it first, the weapon can destroy us all.”

Barbara registers a dip in her stomach as the Dassault touches down. The jet taxis across the runway to an awaiting Sikorsky S-70B-2 Seahawk.