Excerpt
Belgian Village 1
The Euro Consortium was holding a casual meeting walking through the Belgian Village, on their way to the more formal meeting scheduled with their international liaisons. They would split up for that, doing it clandestine, but as one meeting, one set of instructions. Unity, the Euro was known for it. By the few people who knew of it, at allthe few and the manybecause the Euro was looked to as the leader in this struggle, and it had, yeah, agreed, a reputation to maintain, but, more importantly, they had to win. There wasnt any choice about that.
Head held down against the wind, Phil James walked along, talking quietly with his companions, making small talk, and thinking about the wind. It seemed to be a stronger breeze than usual, although there was always wind coming off the North Sea. He hoped it wouldnt be a cold winter, but knew it was likely, now. He would dress warm, and stay inside most of the time, where it was warm; then the cold, when he had to go out in it, would be bracing and invigoratingthat cultural difference between people of the tropics and the temperate zoneshe didnt exactly believe it, but he used it as a beneficial aspect, a positive he could look at, to help him get through it
They had turned onto the Spanierstrasse, his two friends and himself, three guys who could fit in almost anywhere, casual and nondescript. He thought of himself as he would in the future, looking back at this time, this moment, they had done this, then, and they had done that, that other time, like that. Today they were doing this.
The conversation had also turned to the immediate.
How can we test it? the one on the left, the Falcon, asked. They had stopped on a rocky outcrop of rock, the furthest they could go and still be on land. The furthest north they could go. North was the Arctic Circle and the Northern Lights. They were on the brink of knowledge, and they never looked back. Sometimes we are in turmoil, but It was a quote they used to reassure themselves that turmoil was okay. I know the things we can do, and they wont notice them.
Yeah, covered up by the mistake thing, the third one agreed, softly. He was a black computer kid from the Bronx, and had a certain way of speakingTo someone who couldnt hear different cultures, he sounded both discouraged and depressed. About anything he talked about. But, that wasnt even a cover, he wasnt. Name unknown, he used the names of others. This week he was Winston Churchill. Phil was working on the theory of why Britain had been able to hold out against Hitler, as part of his cultures theory thing, and Winston helped any way he could, this week as Winston.
So we could do those, Phil agreed.
There was a silence, while they thought.
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The better strategy is to draw their fire, the Falcon decided. Nikita responded with hate, actually retaliated, in spite of the danger with that.
Yeah, that was a good thing, Winston commented. But I dont think you can look at that and say shes braindeadnot yet, anyway. Theres too much hope in her new strategy of keeping it off the wire.
The question of how was hope related to intelligence flared briefly in Phils mind, but from long experience he relegated that to afterwards. Interesting, though. He would have to think about that later, soon. As opposed to metaphysical discussions that he hoped he could have, afterwards, later. Those would really be good. But, for now
How much time do you think we have? he asked Winston.
Their reaction time is about two weeks, with their actual behavior modified by the almost immediate. Anything as much as four hours before the retal can affect it.
So theyre strategizing, then implementing through one person, the Falcon jumped in, theorizing out loud. That would explain some of their other things, implementing through more than one person, the same basic strategy, still, but now were getting to the real person He sounded pleased; and, anticipatory, like a Falcon about to strike. We can draw their fire more, but their reaction time will shorten; what do you think?
He looked at the two others. Winston was focused on the sea, as it washed over the rocks closest to them; Phil was focused on the sea, the far horizon, toward the north.
We can handle it, the Falcon said, softly. Verbal judo. Fast-paced verbal interaction. We can do it.
He was pleased to see them both nod, still thinking, but nodding, now. But, what a danger signal.
Think about how we can implement it, he said. In the meantime, Ill run it by our devils advocate. If anyone can find a bug in the program, and fix it, she can.
Phil looked up. That would be great. Because the other side isnt waiting. Remember, theres just been a death of a steelfitter.
This is for him, the Falcon said, softly. This is for him.
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