"All I know is what I saw on CNN at the embassy. Nothing official yet, and even if there were, you know the rules better than I do, Avi. Is there a good place to eat around here?"

That had already been planned, of course. Two minutes and a hundred yards later, they were in the back room of a quiet mom-and-pop place where both men's security guards could keep an eye on things. Ben Jakob ordered two Heinekens. "Where you're going, they do not serve beer."

"Tacky, Avi. Very tacky." Ryan replied after his first sip.

"You are taking Alden's place in Riyadh, I understand."

"How could the likes of me ever take Dr Alden's place anywhere?"

"You will be making your presentation about the same time Adler makes his. We are interested to hear it."

"In that case you will not mind waiting, I guess."

"No preview, not even one professional to another?"

"Especially not one professional to another." Jack drank his beer right out of the bottle. The menu, he saw, was in Hebrew. "Guess I'll have to let you order " That damned fool! I've been left holding the bag before, but never one this big.

"Alden." It was not a question. "He's my age. Good God, he should know that experienced women are both more reliable and more knowledgeable." Even in affairs of the heart, his terminology was professional.

"He might even pay more attention to his wife." Ben Jakob grinned.

"I keep forgetting how Catholic you are."

"That's not it, Avi. What lunatic wants more than one woman in his life?" Ryan asked deadpan.

"He's gone. That's the evaluation of our embassy." But what does that mean?

"Maybe so. Nobody asked me for an opinion. I really respect the guy. He gives the President good advice. He listens to us, and when he disagrees with the Agency, he generally has a good reason for doing so. He caught me short on something six months back. The man is brilliant. But playing around like that well, I guess we all have our faults. What a damn-fool reason to lose a job like that. Can't keep his pants zipped." And what timing, Jack raged at himself.

"Such people cannot be in government service. They are too easy to compromise."

"The Russians are getting away from honey traps and the girl was Jewish, wasn't she? One of yours, Avi?"

"Doctor Ryan! Would I do such a thing?" If a bear could laugh, it would have sounded like Avi Ben Jakob's outburst.

"Can't be your operation. There was evidently no attempt at blackmail." Jack nearly crossed the line with that one. The general's eyes narrowed.

"It was not our operation. You think us mad? Dr Elliot will replace Alden."

Ryan looked up from his beer. He hadn't thought about that. Oh, shit

"Both your friend and ours," Avi pointed out.

"How many government ministers have you disagreed with in the last twenty years, Avi?"

"None, of course."

Ryan snorted and finished off the bottle. "What was that you said earlier, the part about one professional to another, remember?"