“All right,” Pablo said, “now let me tell you a few things.”

“I’m all ears,” Stone replied.

“Since I settled with the IRS I have taken care not to violate U.S. law. I have, in the course of my business dealings, tiptoed around all sorts of other national laws, but I have never been arrested or charged in any of those countries. I have avoided that, mostly, by conducting all of my business from Spain, by telephone or e-mail or through intermediaries.”

“You are aware, are you not, that U.S. law requires you to register all of your bank accounts outside the country?”

“I am, and I have done so,” Pablo replied. “All I want is what I have already told you.”

“That is certainly a reasonable goal,” Stone said, “if I can convince them that you will give them the information they want.”

“That may be more difficult than you think, Stone, which is why I so readily agreed to your outrageous retainer.”

Joan brought in the retainer agreement and handed it to Stone. He looked it over and handed it to Pablo. “Joan, this is . . . Pablo. What name are you going to be using henceforth?”

Pablo accepted the agreement. “I will revert to my original name, Erwin Gelbhardt,” he said. “I have a valid passport in that name.”

“Joan, this is Mr. Gelbhardt,” Stone said.

“How do you do, Mr. Gelbhardt,” Joan said, and they shook hands.

Gelbhardt signed both copies of the agreement and handed them back to Stone. Stone signed them both, handed one back to Pablo and the other to Joan for filing.

“But I prefer to be called Pablo,” Gelbhardt said.

“Pablo it is,” Joan replied, and left the office.

“Now, Pablo,” Stone said, “what sort of information will you supply to the CIA, in return for being left alone?”

Pablo thought for a moment. “Well, how about the longitude and latitude of the current location of Osama bin Laden?” he replied.

TWENTY-NINE

Stone stared across the desk at his new client. The man did not exhibit any sign of insanity. “You actually have that information?” he asked.

“I do,” Pablo responded.

“Who knows that you have it?”

“No one. I came across it quite by accident, and the person who gave it to me died almost immediately after telling me.”

“Is there anyone who believes you have that information?” Stone asked.

“Not to my knowledge,” Pablo replied.

“Then let’s keep it that way for the time being.”

“I should have thought you would want to dangle it before Lance Cabot and his colleagues as an incentive.”

“Do you have any reason to believe that bin Laden might move to another location?”

“No.”

“Then let’s first dangle other information before Lance, and save that little piece until we really, really need to use it.”

“I must tell you, Stone, that as a patriotic American, I have a moral imperative to give that information to my government.”

“Are you morally impelled to give it to them today, tomorrow, or next week?”