Back to Germany? Bock asked himself. "I'll need-"

Qati tossed an envelope into his friend's lap. "Beirut has been a crossroads for centuries. Those travel documents are better than the real ones."

"You will need to move your location immediately." Bock said. "If I am caught, you will have to assume that they will get every bit of information I have. They broke Petra. They can break me or anyone else they wish."

"I will pray for your safety. In that envelope is a telephone number. When you return, we will be elsewhere."

"When do I leave?"

"Tomorrow."

CHAPTER 12

Tinsmiths

"And I'll raise you a dime." Ryan said, after taking his draw.

"You're bluffing," Chavez said after a sip of beer.

"I never bluff," Jack replied.

"Out." Clark tossed in his cards.

"They all say that," the Air Force sergeant observed. "See your dime and bump you a quarter."

"Call," Chavez said.

"Three jacks."

"Beats my eights," the sergeant groused.

"But not a straight, Doc." Ding finished off his beer. "Gee, that puts me five bucks ahead."

"Never count your winnings at the table, son," Clark advised soberly.

"I never did like that song." Chavez grinned. "But I like this game."

"I thought soldiers were lousy gamblers," the Air Force sergeant observed sourly. He was three bucks down, and he was a real poker player. He got to practice against politicians all the time on long flights when they needed a good dealer.

"One of the first things they teach you at CIA is how to mark cards," Clark announced, as he went for the next round of drinks.

"Always knew I should have taken the course at The Farm," Ryan said. He was about even, but every time he'd had a good hand, Chavez had held a better one. "Next time, I'll let you play with my wife."

"She good?" Chavez asked.

"She's a surgeon. She deals seconds so smooth she can fool a professional mechanic. She plays with cards as a kind of dexterity exercise," Ryan explained with a grin. I never let her deal."

"Mrs Ryan would never do anything like that," Clark said, when he sat back down.

"Your turn to deal," Ding said.

Clark started shuffling, something he also did fairly well. "So, what you think, Doc?"

"Jerusalem? Better than I hoped. How about you?"

"Last time I was there - '84, I think - God, it was like Olongapo in the P.I. You could smell it - the trouble, I mean. You couldn't actually see it, but, man, it was there. You could feel people watching you. Now? It's sure chilled out some. How about some five-card stud?" Clark asked.

"Dealer's choice," the sergeant agreed.

Clark dealt the hole cards, then the first set of up cards. "Nine of spades to the Air Force. Five of diamonds to our Latino friend. Queen of clubs to the doc, and the dealer gets - how about that? Dealer gets an ace. Ace bets a quarter."