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That made it interesting。 〃Okay； call them and then e on out。〃 Ridley could almost hear the Goddamn it； don't I ever get a day off！ at the other end before the line went dead。 It took another few minutes to call the two other senior Agency officials； and then Ridley went down to his car for the drive out； pausing only to make three Xerox copies。
It was lunchtime in Great Falls。 Mrs。 Moore； ever the perfect hostess； had lunch meats and soft drinks set out for her unexpected guests before retiring to her sitting room upstairs。
〃What is it； Tommy？〃 Moore asked。 He liked the newly appointed NIO。 A graduate of Marquette University； he was a Russian expert and had been one of Greer's star analysts before fleeting up to his present post。 Soon he'd be one of the guys who always acpanied the President on Air Force One。
〃This came in late this morning via Fort Meade；〃 Ridley said； handing out the copies。
Mike Bostock was the fastest reader of the group： 〃Oh； Lord。〃
〃This will make Chip Bennett happy；〃 James Greer predicted。
〃Yeah； like a trip to the dentist；〃 Moore observed last of all。 〃Okay； people； what does this tell us？〃
Bostock took it first。 〃It means we want this Rabbit in our hutch in one big hurry； gentlemen。〃
〃Through Budapest？〃 Moore asked； remembering his morning brief。
〃Uh…oh；〃 Bostock observed。
〃Okay。〃 Moore leaned forward。 〃Let's get our thinking organized。 First； how important is this information？〃
James Greer took it。 〃He says KGB's going to kill somebody who doesn't deserve it。 That kinda suggests the Pope； doesn't it？〃
〃More importantly； he says our munications systems might be promised；〃 Bostock pointed out。 〃That's the hottest thing I see in this signal； James。〃
〃Okay； in either case； we want this guy on our side of the wire； correct？〃
〃Judge； you can bet your bench on that；〃 the Deputy DDO shot back。 〃As quickly as we can make it happen。〃
〃Can we use our own assets to acplish it？〃 Moore asked next。
〃It won't be easy。 Budapest has been burned down。〃
〃Does that change the importance of getting his cute little cottontail out of Redland？〃 the DCI asked。
〃Nope。〃 Bostock shook his head。
〃Okay； if we can't do it ourselves； do we call in a marker？〃
〃The Brits； you mean？〃 Greer asked。
〃We've used them before。 We have good relations with them； and Basil does like to generate debts with us；〃 Moore reminded them。 〃Mike； can you live with that？〃 he asked Bostock。
A decisive nod。 〃Yes； sir。 But it might be nice to have one of our people around to keep an eye on things。 Basil can't object to that。〃
〃Okay； we need to decide which of our assets we can send。 Next；〃 Moore went on； 〃how fast？〃
〃How does tonight grab you； Arthur？〃 Greer observed to general amusement。 〃The way I read this； Foley's willing to run the operation out of his own office； and he's pretty hot to trot； too。 Foley's a good boy。 I think we let him run with it。 Budapest is probably a good exit point for our Rabbit。〃
〃Concur；〃 Mike Bostock agreed。 〃It's a place a KGB officer can get to； like on vacation； and just disappear。〃
〃They'll know he's gone pretty fast；〃 Moore thought out loud。
〃They knew when Arkady Shevchenko skipped； too。 So what？ He still gave us good information； didn't he？〃 Bostock pointed out。 He'd helped oversee that operation； which had really been ramrodded by the FBI in New York City。
〃Okay。 What do we send back to Foley？〃 Moore asked。
〃One word： 'Approved。' 〃 Bostock always backed his field officers。
Moore looked around the room。 〃Objections？ Anybody？〃 Heads just shook。
〃Okay； Tommy。 Back to Langley。 Send that to Foley。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃 The NIO stood and walked out。 One nice thing about Judge Moore。 When you needed a decision； you might not like what you got； but you always got it。
CHAPTER 19 … CLEAR SIGNAL
The time difference was the biggest handicap in working his station； Foley knew。 If he waited around the embassy for a reply； he might have to wait for hours； and there was no percentage in that。 So； right after the signal went out； he'd collected his family and gone home； with Eddie conspicuously eating another hot dog on the way out to the car； and a facsimile copy of the New York Daily News in his hand。 It was the best sports page of the New York papers； he'd long thought； if a little lurid in its headlines。 Mike Lupica knew his baseball better than the rest of the wannabe ballplayers； and Ed Foley had always respected his analysis。 He might have made a good spook if he'd chosen a useful line of work。 So now he could see why the Yankees had fallen on their asses this season。 It looked as though the goddamned Orioles were going to take the pennant； and that； to his New York sensibilities； was a crime worse than how the Rangers looked this year。
〃So； Eddie； you looking forward to skating？〃 he asked his son； belted in the back seat。
〃Yeah！〃 the little guy answered at once。 Eddie Junior was his son； all right； and maybe here he'd really learn how to play ice hockey the right way。
Waiting in his father's closet was the best pair of junior hockey skates that money could buy； and another pair for when his feet got bigger。 Mary Pat had already checked out the local junior leagues； and those； her husband thought； were about the best this side of Canada； and maybe better。
On the whole； it was a shame he couldn't have an STU in his house； but the Rabbit had told him that they might not be entirely secure； and besides； it would have told the Russians that he wasn't just the embassy officer who baby…sat the local reporters。
Weekends were the dullest time for the Foley family。 Neither minded the time with the little guy； of course； but they could have done that at their now…rented Virginia home。 They were in Moscow for their work； which was a passion for both of them； and something their son； they hoped； would understand someday。 So for now his father read some books with him。 The little guy was picking up on the alphabet； and seemed to read words； though as calligraphic symbols rather than letter constructs。 It was enough for his father to be pleased about； though Mary Pat had a few minor doubts。 After thirty minutes of that； Little Eddie talked his dad through a half hour of Transformers tapes； to the great satisfaction of the former and the bemusement of the latter。
The Station Chief's mind； of course； was on the Rabbit； and now it returned to his wife's suggestion of getting the package out without KGB's knowing they were gone。 It was during the Transformers tape that it came back to him。 You couldn't have a murder without a body； but with a body you damned sure had a murder。 But what if the body wasn't the right one？
The essence of magic； he'd once heard Doug Henning say； was controlling the perception of the audience。 If you could determine what they saw； then you could also dictate what they thought they saw； and from that precisely what they would remember seeing； and what they would then tell others。 The key to that was in giving them something that they expected to see； even if it was unbelievable。 People…even intelligent people…believed all manner of impossible things。 It was sure as hell true in Moscow； where the rulers of this vast and powerful country believed in a political philosophy as out of tune with contemporary reality as the Divine Right of Kings。 More to the point； they knew it was a false philosophy； and yet they manded themselves to believe it as though it were Holy Scripture written in gold ink by God's own hand。 So these people could be fooled。 They worked pretty hard to fool themselves； after all。
Okay； how to fool them？ Foley asked himself。 Give the other guy something he expected to see； and he'd see it； whether it was really there or not。 They wanted the Sovs to believe that the Rabbit and his family had。。。 not skipped town； but had。。。 died？
Dead people； so Captain Kidd had supposedly said； tell no tales。 And neither did the wrong dead people。
The Brits did this once in World War II； didn't they？ Foley wondered。 Yes； he'd read the book in high school； and even then； at Fordham Prep； the operational concept had impressed him。 Operation MINCEMEAT； it had b