Oath of Office
To Aunt Shirley Rabinowitz, and in loving memory of Aunt Bea
and
To Robin for her laughter, loyalty, and love
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Once again, my deepest gratitude goes to Jennifer Enderlin, my remarkable editor at St. Martin’s Press, as well as the rest of the gang at SMP, especially Matthew Shear, Sally Richardson, Matt Baldacci, and Rachel Ekstrom.
As with all of my books, agents Meg Ruley, Jane Berkey, and Peggy Gordijn of the Jane Rotrosen Agency have been guiding lights.
When my research needed more, I was lucky to have advice from author Jeffrey M. Smith, Dr. James Gerber, agronomist Aaron J. Lorenz, railroad man Michael Sypulsky, geologist Dan Delea, neurologist Dr. David Grass, author Daniel Palmer, USFS diplomat Matthew Palmer, scholar Luke Palmer, and chef Bill Collins.
And finally, extra-special thanks to ER doc Catherine B. Cuotalow, M.D., Ph.D.
A scientist knew of a species of Arctic flounder that was resistant to freezing in cold temperatures. He wanted his tomatoes to resist cold temperatures so they wouldn’t die in frost. The scientist didn’t have to wait for the unlikely event of the fish mating with the tomato. Instead, he figured out which gene in the fish keeps it from freezing and then inserted that gene into the tomato’s DNA. The anti-freeze gene has never ever, ever existed before in a tomato. But now it’s in the scientist’s tomatoes and all their future offspring.
Jeffrey M. Smith,
Seeds of Deception
CONTENTS
Title Page
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Epigraph
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Also by Michael Palmer
About the Author
Copyright
PROLOGUE
I’m finished.
I can’t believe this has happened again. I just blew up at one of my patients. The last time, when I screamed at Calvin Summers for continuing to smoke despite a massive heart attack, my medical license was suspended for six months, and I had to go away for treatment. The board of medicine said there was no excuse for that kind of behavior from a doctor, no matter how pure my motives.
Now it’s Roberta Jennings. She just stormed out, shouting at me that she was not going to tolerate that kind of abuse, and that she was going to contact the board as soon as she got home. My office staff heard her. The patients in the waiting room heard her.