The deputy ambassador had a few more things to say about Friday, especially praising his quick learning curve on the issues they had to deal with between Azerbaijan and its neighbors. Williamson asked Hood to give him her regards if he spoke with Friday.

Hood said he would and clicked off. He regarded Herbert.

"You wouldn't have gotten anywhere hammering her," Hood said.

"How do you know?" Herbert asked.

"While we were talking I looked at her c. v.," Hood said.

"Williamson's a political appointee. She ran the spin doctoring for Senator Thompson during his last Senate campaign."

"Dirty tricks?" Herbert asked disgustedly.

"That's the whole of her intelligence experience?" "Pretty much," Hood said.

"With two CIA agents on staff in Baku I guess the president thought he was safe scoring points with the majority whip. More to the point, I'm guessing this whole thing sounds too clean to you."

"Like brass buttons on inspection day." "I don't know. Bob," Hood said.

"It's not just Williamson.

Hank Lewis trusted Friday enough to send him to India." "That doesn't mean anything," Herbert said.

"I spoke with Hank Lewis earlier this morning. He's making decisions like a monkey in a space capsule."

Hood made a face.

"He's a good man-"

"Maybe, Chief, but that's the way it is," Herbert insisted.

"Lewis gets a jolt of electricity and pushes a button. He hasn't had time to think about Ron Friday or anyone else.

Look, Hank Lewis and Dorothy Williamson shouldn't be the issues right now-" "Agreed," Hood said.

"All right. Let's assume Ron Friday may not be someone we want on our team. How do we vet him? Jack Fenwick's not going to say anything to anyone." "Why not?" Herbert asked.

"Maybe the rat-bastard will talk in exchange for immunity-"

"The president got what he wanted, the resignations of Fenwick and his coconspirators," Hood said.

"He doesn't want a national trial that will question whether he was actually on the edge of a mental breakdown during the crisis. even if it means letting a few underlings remain in the system. Fenwick got off lucky. He's not going to say anything that might change the president's mind."

"That's great," Herbert said.

"The guilty go free and the president's psyche doesn't get the examination it may damn well need."

"And the stock market doesn't collapse and the military doesn't lose faith in its commander-in-chief and a rash of Third World despots don't start pushing their own agendas while the nation is distracted," Hood said.

"The systems are all too damn interconnected. Bob. Right and wrong don't matter anymore. It's all about equilibrium." "Is that so?" Herbert said.

"Well, mine's a little shaky right now. I don't like risking my team, my friends, to keep some Indian nabob happy."

"We aren't going to," Hood said.

"We're going to protect the part of the system we've been given." He looked at his watch.