“Let me explain something to you going in, Stone. In my dealings with you and the Agency I will tell you only the truth. However, if I feel that my answering a question will place in jeopardy my family or some other innocent person, I will decline to answer rather than lie.”

“Good, that saves my making the standard speech,” Stone replied. “Let’s begin by you telling me how you accomplished a settlement with the IRS.”

“It was remarkably simple,” Pablo replied. “After leaving the United States I gave my tax position a great deal of thought, and I concluded that I did not wish to spend my life as a fugitive from the most powerful nation on earth. So I simply telephoned a deputy director of the IRS, introduced myself, and asked him what would be required to straighten everything out. He told me to call him back in twenty-four hours, and when I did, he said that thirty million dollars in cash and a written agreement to regularize my tax filings in the future would eliminate the problem.” Pablo shrugged. “That was about three million more than I figured I owed him, but what the hell. He faxed me an agreement, I signed it and wired him the money the same day. As a result, I now have a document, signed by the director of the IRS, stating that the United States government has no claim on any of my funds or property in this country or elsewhere as of that date, provided I file accurate returns from that date.”

“I’m going to want a copy of that,” Stone said.

Pablo reached into a coat pocket, produced a folded sheet of paper, and handed it to Stone.

Stone read it. “Remarkable,” he said, “given the circumstances.”

“There is one circumstance you don’t know about,” Pablo said. “I escaped from U.S. custody in Miami at the conclusion of my trial, while the jury was still out. After I arrived at my first stop, in Algeria, I learned that the jury had acquitted me. That made everything else simple, except possibly a charge of escape.”

“I should think we can work that out,” Stone said.

“Now, I have a question for you before we go any further. I would like to know how you came to be on that flight that I . . . deplaned from last night, and exactly what your relationship is with the CIA.”

“Of course,” Stone replied. “Some years ago I met Lance Cabot in England, while representing a client there. I won’t trouble you with the subsequent nature of our relationship; suffice it to say that the following year I signed a consultant’s contract with the Agency, and, on a number of occasions, I have assisted Lance with various problems. That will not be a conflict of interest with your case because they are not currently employing me.”

“And your presence on the airplane?”

“I represent Strategic Services, who previously owned the airplane. They recently sold it to the Agency, along with the attendant charter company, then undertook to make a flight to Iraq, picking you up on the way back. I simply went along on the flight for the experience, which turned out to be very interesting indeed.”