"Captain, there were five Pakistanis," Friday told him.

"The woman mentions the number five in the first line of the first poem.

The Pakistanis stayed here-she mentions that word too. She says something about her can going to market.

The Pakistanis sold the eggs for her. Suppose someone got her a cell phone. Suppose the line was open and monitored twenty-four seven You said the poems don't seem very profound.

I disagree."

"She could have emphasized words that gave information to someone,"

Nazir said.

"Right," Friday said.

"Doesn't the SFF maintain a group of volunteers from the general population? Civilian Network Operatives?"

"Yes." "How does that system work?" Friday asked.

"Operatives are recruited in sensitive regions or businesses and visited on a regular basis, either at their place of employment or at home,"

Captain Nazir said.

"They report unusual activities or provide other information they may have collected."

"What if an operative were to miss an appointment?" Friday asked.

"What if Nanda failed to show up at the marketplace?"

Nazir nodded.

"I see what you mean," he said.

"The SFF would come looking for her." "Exactly," Friday said.

"Suppose at some point this woman, Nanda, had been recruited by the SFF.

Maybe when the Pakistanis held Kargil, maybe after. If someone showed up with her cart in the bazaar, her SFF contact would have known that something was wrong. They might have arranged to drop a field phone off in the barn where she was sure to find it." "Yes, it's starting to come together," Nazir said.

"The SFF sponsors the woman. She feeds them information about the cell and they decide to let the terrorists make their attack on the police station. At the same time the SFF enlarges the scope of that attack so the Pakistanis will take the blame for striking at religious targets.

The SFF also seals off the site to clean up any evidence that might connect them to the other two explosions." "But the job isn't finished,"

Friday said.

"The terrorists realize they've been set up and are probably trying to get to Pakistan. They take Nanda with them in case they need a hostage."

"More likely a witness," Nazir pointed out.

"The terrorists claimed responsibility for the explosion, probably before they knew the full extent of the damage. Nanda knows they were not responsible for the temple bombing. They need her to say that."

"Good point," Friday said.

"Meanwhile, if she still has her cell phone with her, she may be signaling the SFF, telling them where to find them."

Nazir was silent for a moment.

"If that is true, they probably haven't caught up with the terrorists yet," he said.

"I would have heard about it. Which means we've got to get to them first.