"Of course we won't need you." Brian Ledford shrugged out of his beaver-collared overcoat as he strolled into the room.

Pavel ignored him. "Alex?"

Alex shook his head.

Pavel hesitated, frowning uneasily, his gaze on Ledford. Then he shrugged his massive shoulders and shut the door.

"Cautious bastard. I'd forgotten how protective Pavel is of you." Ledford tossed his overcoat on the brown leather couch. "Good God, it's cold out there. I hope you appreciate my sacrifice in coming out in this weather to see you."

Beneath his coat Ledford wore a Savile Row gray tweed suit; he pulled steel-gray Italian leather gloves from his hands and unwound a blue cashmere scarf from his strong, thick neck. Other than Ledford's sartorial elegance, he looked little different from the man Alex had last seen five years before.

His voice boomed out heartily. "Ah, Alex, my boy, how good it is to see you again. When I spoke to you on the phone last night, I admit I was a little irritated with you, but I realize now how foolish it is to let present conflicts interfere with our fondness for each other. Sometimes I miss those days in Virginia. I even miss our chess games." He grimaced. "I suppose that makes me a masochist, because I never won. But I'm an optimistic man, and there was always hope even when pitting myself against the Company's superman."

For an instant Alex felt himself being swept away by Ledford's charisma as he had so many years before. Then memory returned and he could look at him with clear eyes. He warily shook his head. "I'm afraid I never missed either you or those days, Ledford."

Ledford tossed the light blue cashmere scarf aside. "I gather you're not in the mood for pleasantries? Well then, let's get down to business. How much do you know?"

"You're part of the group behind the art thefts. It's probably a well-organized, well-funded operation." Alex smiled faintly. "And the thefts are only part of something bigger in scope."

Ledford nodded approvingly. "Anything else?"

Alex kept his expression bland as he took a wild shot. "Black Medina."

Ledford threw back his head and laughed. "When we started the operation, I expected you to make the connection eventually and I warned my associate that you'd be a danger to us." He shook his head. "He wouldn't believe me. You do have to admit you're pretty unbelievable at times."

Alex felt a ripple of excitement. Jackpot. He'd been right about the connection. "Associate? We're not talking about the Company, are we?"

"I left the CIA after you pulled off your grand slam and bolted the fold. I'm involved in much more lucrative endeavors now." He looked around the study with appraising eyes. "Gorgeous place, Alex. Excellent taste. I particularly admire that Van Gogh you have in the foyer. The entire chalet is just what I would have expected of you. Private, aesthetic, and yet a touch of the voluptuous in color and fabric. You always were something of a

Renaissance man." His glance shifted to the stack of books on the desk. "An excellent library?"

"Of course."

Ledford nodded. "A stupid question. That inquiring brain has to be fed. I remember how you devoured every book in sight when you defected to us. I had to keep running out to the libraries and bringing you more." He gazed directly into Alex's eyes. "We were good friends then, weren't we, Alex?"

"Tolerable."

"You liked me." Ledford grinned. "Admit it. You thought I was Uncle Sam and Mark Twain rolled into one."

"You shouldn't congratulate yourself too much. I was easy. I was at a stage where I needed to believe in something or someone." He inclined his head in agreement. "But yes, you were very good indeed."

Ledford nodded. "You bet I was. The best. And I've gotten better since we parted ways. I consider my time in the CIA as basic training. I'm now reaching my full potential."

"You wouldn't be here if you'd gotten better. You're still predictable, Ledford."

"Only to you. We all have our own nemesis, and you're mine." He paused. "And I'm yours, Alex." He smiled. "May I have a drink?"

"No."

Ledford snapped his fingers. "I knew you'd say that. You, too, are predictable. You won't serve an enemy in your own house. There's something positively medieval about you at times, Alex."

Alex shrugged. "First I'm a Renaissance man and now I'm medieval. Make up your mind."

" I was right both times. You're brilliant and ruthless as any Medici and yet you have a certain code." He shook his head. "Such codes limit an ambitious man. I wonder how you've climbed as high as you have with that albatross around your neck." His brow wrinkled as he gazed at Alex. "And you've never learned the cardinal rule."

" I'm sure you're going to enlighten me as to what the cardinal rule is."

Ledford made a clucking noise. "Sarcasm isn't necessary. I was counting on conducting a nice, friendly conversation." He sat up straighter in his chair. "The cardinal rule is adaptation. Change your coloration to suit your surroundings."

"Some people would call that hypocritical."

"Only the fools of the world. And you're no fool, even if you do make mistakes."

"What mistakes are you referring to?"

"Having Pavel make that call to Desloge. You might as well have blown a whistle and waved your arms. First I was steaming mad, but then I was almost glad you decided to put your hand in. My feelings about you have always been ambivalent." He tilted his head, studying Alex. "You know, you're a beautiful specimen. I was quite mad about you at one time. It was hard as hell to keep myself from trying to seduce you when we were working so closely together." He burst out laughing and slapped his hand on his knee as he saw the astonishment on Alex's face. "That rocked you. God, you never knew, did you?"

"No."

Ledford shrugged. "They were a macho bunch at the Company. One false step and I would have been out. Adaptation."

"I see."

"But you were a real temptation to me. You frustrated me sexually and bested me mentally." Ledford's smile faded. "I think that's why I started to hate you."

Alex leaned back against the windowsill. "Not because I beat you at chess?"

"Well, that too. I hate to lose. It hurts my pride not to be the best at whatever I do. How could I compete against that damn talent of yours?" His index finger idly rubbed the leather on the arm of the chair. "But I adapted. I became your buddy."

"And my controller," Alex added without expression.

"Someone had to do it. All that wild talent just waiting to be used…" He shook his head regretfully. "You made me look damn good until that conscience of yours kicked into gear. You weren't intended to know about the results of the Afghanistan project." A glint of anger appeared on his face. "When you exploded you brought a good deal of humiliation down on my head. I suppose it was Pavel who told you?"

"Yes."

"I advised the Agency against accepting Pavel when you both came over. I knew it would be better to isolate you."

" I wouldn't have defected without him."

"Ah, friendship…What a wonderful thing it is." Ledford smiled. "You've been together for how many years?"

" Thirteen. We met when we were both in the Spetznez. As you well know." Alex turned away from the window and stared at Ledford. "And you didn't come here to praise the merits of friendship."

"No, I came here to tell you to back off. This is a bigger operation than anything you could dream." Ledford stood up in one lithe, leisurely movement. "Stay on your mountaintop and work your puzzles. Leave the real world to those who are prepared to deal with it."

"Is that what your 'associate' wants?"

Ledford's smile remained but became set in place." I should have known you'd guess we weren't in agreement. No, he wants you on the team. He regards you as a valuable asset." His voice lowered in silken softness. "I would find that intolerable. I won't take second place ever again."