“I’m afraid you’ve taken this thing far too seriously, General.” Jarvis sat unmoved by Lusana’s outburst. “You’ve got to face reality. As my grandfather was fond of saying, you’ve bought yourself a pig in a poke.”

“I refuse to accept that,” Lusana said stubbornly.

Jarvis casually removed his glasses and inserted them in their case. “You are, of course, free to ask for neutral opinions from other intelligence organizations, General, but I think I can safely say that Wild Rose will get pretty much the same reception wherever you present it.”

“I demand you verify De Vaal’s intent to set the operation in motion!” Lusana shouted.

Controlling his rising anger, Jarvis rose, buttoned his jacket, and faced Daggat. “Congressman, if you will excuse me, I must get back to my office.”

“I understand,” Daggat said. He came out from behind his desk and took Jarvis by the arm. “Let me show you to the elevator.”

Jarvis nodded at Lusana, diplomatically forcing a friendly expression. “General?”

Lusana stood trembling, his hands clenched tightly, saying nothing. He turned and stared out a window.

As soon as they stepped into the elevator foyer, Daggat said to Jarvis, “I apologize for the general’s erratic behavior. But you must understand the tremendous strain he has shouldered these past months. And then there was the long flight from Mozambique last night.”

“Jet lag has been known to make men testy.” Jarvis arched an eyebrow. “Or could it be he’s suffering conscience pangs over his back-door entry.”

Daggat moistened dry lips. “You know?”

Jarvis smiled amiably. “Routine. Don’t worry, Congressman. Our job is to keep tabs on men like the general. The NSA is not in the business of prosecuting civil violations. What Immigration doesn’t know in this case won’t hurt them. A piece of advice, though. If I were you, I wouldn’t let the general hang around Washington too long. Befriending a radical revolutionary might prove embarrassing to a man of your reputation.”

“General Lusana is not a radical.”

Jarvis shrugged, unimpressed. “That remains to be seen.”

The red “down” light flashed above the elevator. Jarvis started to

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turn. “There is one more thing,” said Daggat. “A favor.”

The elevator bell rang and the doors parted. The interior was empty. “If I can,” Jarvis said, his eyes shifting from Daggat to his only means of escape.

“Check out Operation Wild Rose. I’m not asking for a maximum effort from your people,” Daggat hastened to add. “Only a few probes that may or may not confirm its validity.”

The doors began to close. Jarvis held them open, one foot in, one foot still on the foyer floor. “I’ll instigate an inquiry,” he said. “But I warn you, Congressman, you may not like what we find.”

Then the doors clunked shut and he was gone.