The sum of all fears - Tom Clancy [156]
"I agree." Elliot watched the young man's shoulders drop as he discreetly let out a deep breath. She decided to play him just a little, just enough to let him know whom he'd be working for. "I wonder what we can do with you ?" Elliot let her eyes trace across the far wall.
"Marcus Cabot has an opening for a research assistant. You'll need a security clearance, and you'll need to sign a very strict non-disclosure agreement. You cannot publish anything without having it cleared in advance."
"That's almost prior-restraint." Goodley pointed out. "What about the Constitutional issue?"
"Government must keep some secrets if it is to function. You may have access to some remarkable information. Is getting published your goal, or is it what you said? Public service does require some sacrifices."
"Well."
"There will be some important openings at CIA in the next few years," Elliot promised.
"I see." Goodley said, quite truthfully. "I never intended to publish classified information, of course."
"Of course," Elliot agreed. "I can handle that through my office, I suppose. I found your paper impressive. I want a mind like yours working for the government, if you can agree to the necessary restrictions."
"In that case, I guess I can accept them."
"Fine." Elliot smiled. "You are now a White House Fellow. My secretary will take you across the street to the security office. You have a bunch of forms to fill out."
"I already have a "secret" clearance."
"You'll need more than that. You'll have to get a SAP/SAR clearance - that means "special-access programs/special access required." It normally takes a few months for that -"
"Months?" Goodley asked.
"I said "usually." We can fast-track part of that. I suggest you start apartment-hunting. The stipend is sufficient?"
"Quite sufficient."
"Fine. I'll call Marcus over at Langley. You'll want to meet him." Goodley beamed at the National Security Advisor. "Glad to have you on the team."
The new White House Fellow took his cue and stood. "I will try not to disappoint you."
Elliot watched him leave. It was so easy to seduce people, she knew. Sex was a useful tool for the task, but power and ambition were so much better. She'd already proven that, Elliot smiled to herself.
"An atomic bomb?" Bock asked.
"So it would seem." Qati replied.
"Who else knows?"
"Ghosn is the one who discovered it. Only he."
"Can it be used?" the German asked. And why have you told me?
"It was severely damaged and must be repaired. Ibrahim is now assembling the necessary information for evaluating the task. He thinks it possible."
Gunther leaned back. "This is not some elaborate ruse? An Israeli trick, perhaps an American one?"
"If so, it is a very clever one," Qati said, then explained the circumstances of the discovery.
"1973 it does fit. I remember how close the Syrians came to destroying the Israelis " Bock was silent for a moment. He shook his head briefly. "How to use such a thing "
"That is the question, Gunther."
"Too early to ask such a question. First, you must determine if the weapon can be repaired. Second, you must determine its explosive yield - no, before that you must determine its size, weight, and portability. That is the most important consideration. After that comes the yield - I will assume that-' He fell silent. "Assume? I know little of such weapons. They cannot be too heavy. They can be fired from artillery shells of less than twenty-centimeter diameter. I know that much."
"This one is much larger than that, my friend."
"You should not have told me this, Ismael. In a matter like this one, security is everything. You cannot trust anyone with knowledge such as this. People talk, people boast. There could be penetration agents in your organization."
"It was necessary. Ghosn knows