“The final unit is broken down for transportation in six DC-3’s in Central Africa. It was bound for Lisbon, but our field agent Philip Lebow single-handedly sabotaged the aircraft, thus immobilising the third and last operational unit.”

“That sounds like a checkmate,” said Illya.

“Indeed. But there is increasing evidence that our opponent has one major piece yet unexposed. A hard base of some magnitude, isolated and concealed somewhere in the world —where they probably have an equivalent master computer unit, if not direct communication with or control of the rest of the Hierarchy. Inasmuch as we have found no less than four references in appropriate contexts to fT~sh IsZand’ on the comm tapes we have monitored so far, we recognise the fact that it may or may not be an island, Thrush is perfectly capable of assigning that designation to a post in the Sobi Desert or the Mat to Grosso.”

“But the U1Comp doesn’t know —or won’t tell —‘Where it is?”

“We aren’t sure yet. It may be a slang term of some unguessable content. When we have Central’s own Canks to work through, we expect to find the answers to these and many other questions.”

wAh, excuse me,” said Napoleon doubtfully, .but did I understand you to say that we would stage our sneaky raid on Central at three o’clock in the afternoon?”

“Yes. The situation in Darjeeling is much more sensitive than in San Diego, and the hour of four-thirty in the morning is ideal for the kind of operation Mr. Castora feels is appropriate. At the same time, the middle of a hot Saturday afternoon will find Balboa Park filled with innocent by-standers, among whom our operative should be comparatively inconspicuous. Some female workers from the Los Angeles office will be assigned to accompany you as assistants and general cover.”

“It looks so simple,” said Illya, tracing the plans with a forefinger.

“I jumper these wires, ‘While Napoleon plants the gas cannisters here, ‘We ‘Wait two minutes) and walk in.”

“It’s a fine plan,” said Mr. Waverly. wThe Ultimate Computer worked it out for us at the request of Mr. Gold, who set it up as a test of the strategic planning program.”

“I thought you couldn’t get at their top security programs,” said Napoleon. “I thought that was why we were doing all this.”

“We can’t get at them. But we can use them. Remember, the program is the master form or blueprint of everything that is to be done with the given data and from which the decision is reached. We can put data into one side of the black box and get results out the other, but e want to kno what goes on inside the box. And it can’t. be examined through a terminal. Only Central staff is allowed to get inside. Therefore -Therefore we have to take over Central.

Did U1Comp also set up the Darjeeling Operation?”

“Not in detail. While there is no objection to testing the security of a standby site, oddly enough, the Acting Central at any given moment is not an acceptable subject for defense analysis. A touch of paranoia. if not enough to protect tnem. Still. we know just how much effort will be needed; the order of priority is headed by transfer of control, followed by flight, defense or surrender. We want them to dump, then surrender.“And this will destroy Thrush?”

“This will destroy its central nervous system. The 14,872 individual Satrapys will Be abandoned to their fates and initiative of their leaders. We have adequate evidence of most of the criminal activities of Thrush, hopefully sufficient to Bring specific indictments against most of the Satraps and some of their staffs; it will Be presented to whatever authorities have jurisdiction.

“There are some known Thrush operations whfch show no criminal taint, and it is not a crime to belong to Thrusfl —merely highly questionable. We can only watch their future activities with the controlling mind behind them gone.

“There will be no lack of work for us in the next few years, gentlemen -every surviving Satrap will see himself the Man of the Hour, lnspired to weld the shattered segments into a new whole ‘With himself at the head. This will inevitably lead to differences of opinion, and likely gang guerflla warfare in a few thousand locations. as well as independent operations on somewhat smaller scales than before.”

“But without Central, all intercommunication and coordination among them will be gone,” said Napoleon, awed.

“Not all,” said Illya. “They can still use public telephone circuits and amateur radio. But it won’t quite have that old —what’s the word, Meyer?”

“Zip.”

“Thank you. Zip.”

“Of course, we will have the advantage of knowing where everyone is, what they have, can do and have done, which will be of inestimable advantage.”

“We knew all that about Baldwin and it never helped,” said Napoleon.

“By the way,” asked Illya, “have you been able to place anything against Baldwin? Indictments? Evidence?”

“Ah…Am. I confidently expect to bring some kind of charges against him, though at present I’m afraid I can’t tell what. After all, we have sifted barely three percent of the data that’s been fed us so far.”

“I put a flag on Baldwin’s name,” said Napoleon. “If anything comes through with him on it I get a copy. He’s done a lot of research for them, all laboratory stuff with legally obtained materials (as far as we can tell) and unspecified results; they pay him a lot of royalties for unspecified uses of his patents; he socializes with many of their top brass. He walks like a Thrush, he has feathers like a Thrush, he chirps like a Thrush and he runs around a lot with Thrush —”

“Besides,” said Il11a, “he told us he was Thrush. And why should he lie?”

“ —But we cannot connect him in any way with any illegal activity.”

“Yet,” said Mr. Waverly.

The August afternoon sun shone hot on irrigated trees and rococo concrete buildings, on bushes, baseball diamond and bandshell. The wheezing music of a carrousel wafted on the warm breeze; kids ran and shouted, or stretched on tiptoe to reach a waterfountain. There was a scent of carmelcorn and of flowers, with an occasional whiff from the zoo just over the hill.

Among a variety of motley groups wandering down the long empty street between shuttered and padlocked exhibition buildings strolled three assorted couples, carrying, respectively, a large briefcase, a large camera bag, and a large leather purse. Most of the members of this unnoticed group wore dark glasses, and two of the men wore caps with bills which shaded their faces perhaps. a little more than necessary.

The boarded windows and untracked portico of the chipped plaster facade they passed bespoke seasons without tenants. Behind those blank walls waited a staff of 47 and several millions of dollars worth of hard.ware, protected by one of the best portable security systems in the world, They waited, ready to De called to duty in a couple of weeks or on sixty seconds notice, but not quite ready to be subject to an attack themselves, feeling as secure as they had almost every right to feel.

Napoleon Solo could have known the name, rank and persona) history of everyone of the 47, had he cared to memorize that list —he did know the entrance code, the b.lock diagram of the air~onditioning system, the master alarm net and cross-check plan, and where the washrooms were.

Since Joan was still restricted in San Francisco, Napoleon was accompanied by Linda Brunelle, a healthy blonde from the Los Angeles office; Illya had been assigned a lean brunette named Terri Travener. Mr. 6old had brought Miss Klingstein with him, as well as a satchel stuffed~th data sheets which held the keys to the Ultimate Computer itself, scrawled in )llegible pencil. Between them they expected to be able to operate at least as much of the hardware as necessary.

Illya carried a photographer’s gadget bag. containing his electronic sensors, assorted cables, and two candy bars. Brandy slung a leather tote bag which held three cannisters of Paralane-Alpha.