list hasn't come through yet."

"A terrorist bombing?"

"Too early to tell, but first sketchy reports say it was no accident."

"What flight was it?" Nichols asked.

"London to New York."

"Northern Greenland?" Nichols repeated thoughtfully. "They must have

strayed over a thousand miles off course."

"Smells of a hijacking," suggested Vyhousky.

"Rescue units are on the site," explained Schiller.  "We should know

more within the hour."

The expression on Senator Pitts face darkened.  "I have a dire suspicion

that Hala Kamil was on that flight.  She was due back at United Nations

headquarters from Europe for next week's session of the General

Assembly."

"I believe George is right," said Vyhousky.  "Two of our Soviet

delegates were traveling in her party."

"Madness," said Schiller, wearily shaking his head.  "Utter madness. Who

would gain by murdering a planeload of U.N. people?"

No one answered immediately.  There was a long moment's silence.

Korolenko stared, expressionless, at the center of the table.  Then he

spoke in a quiet voice.

The Senator stared the Russian straight in the eye.  "You knew."

"I guessed."

"You think Yazid ordered Kamil's death?"

"I can only say our intelligence sources discovered there was an Islamic

faction in Cairo that was planning an attempt."

"And you stood by and said nothing while fifty innocent people died-"

"A miscalculation," admitted Korolenko.  "We did not know how or when

the assassination was to take place.  It was assumed Kmfl's LIFE would

be in danger only if she went to Egypt-not from Yazid lf, but rather his

fanatical followers.  Yazid has never been tied to any terrorist acts.

Your profile of him reads the same as ours: a brilliant man who thinkqs

of himself as a Muslim Gandhi."

"So much for KGB and CIA profiles," said Vyhousky candidly.

"Another classic case of intelligence experts being suckered by a

well-conceived public-relations campaign," sighed the Senator.  "The man

is a bigger psycho case than we figured."

Schiller nodded in agreement.  "Yazid has to be responsible for the

tragedy.  His followers would never have considered it without his

blessing."

"He had the motive," said Nichols.  "Kamil has immense flair and charm.

Her level of popularity with the people and the military far exceeds

President Hasan's.  She was a strong buffer.  If she's dead, Egypt is

only hours away from a government led by extremist mullahs."

"And when Hasan falls?" asked Korolenko slyly.  "What will be the White

House position then?"

Schiller and Nichols exchanged knowing looks.  "Why, the same as the

Kremlin's," said Schiller.  "We're going to wait until the dust

settles."

for a moment the fixed smile faded from Korolenko's face. "And if, make

that when, the combined Arab nations attack the Jewish state?"

"We'll back Israel to the hilt, as we have in the past."

"But will you send in American forces?"

"Probably not."

"Arab leaders might be less cautious if only they knew that.  "

"Be our guest.  Only remember, -this time, we're not going to use our