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taken after some of Najeer's earlier projects."
    "I've seen atrocities."
    "Not like these you haven't." The Israeli's voice was rising.
    "Hafez Najeer is dead, Major Kabakov."
    "And the good was interred with his bones, Fowler. If this woman is not found, Black September will rub your nose in guts."
    Fowler glanced at the ambassador as though he expected him to intervene, but Yoachim Tell's small, wise eyes were hard. He stood with Kabakov.
    When the major spoke again, his voice was almost too quiet. "You must believe it, Mr. Fowler."
    "Would you recognize her again, Major?" Corley asked.
    "Yes."
    "If she were based here, why would she go to Beirut?"
    "She needed something she could not get here. She needed something that only Najeer could get for her, and she had to confirm something personally for him in order to get it." Kabakov knew this sounded vague and he was not happy about it. He was also displeased with himself for using the word "something" three times in a row.
    Fowler opened his mouth, but Corley interrupted him. "That wouldn't be guns."
    "Coals to Newcastle, bringing guns here," Fowler said gloomily.
    "It would have to be either equipment or access to another cell or to a highly placed agent," Corley continued. "I doubt that she needed access to an agent. As far as I can tell, U.A.R. intelligence here is a sorry lot."
    "Yes," the ambassador said. "The embassy handyman sells them the contents of my wastebasket. He also buys from their handyman the contents of theirs. We load ours with junk mail and fictitious correspondence. Theirs runs heavily to duns from creditors and advertisements for unusual rubber products."
    The meeting continued for another thirty minutes before the Americans rose to go.
    "I'll try to get this on the agenda at Langley in the morning," Corley said.
    "If you wish, I could---"
    Fowler interrupted Kabakov. "Your report and the tape will be sufficient, Major."
    It was after 3 A.M. when the Americans left the Embassy.
    "Oy, the Arabs are coming," Fowler said to Corley as they walked to the cars.
    "What do you think?"
    "I think I don't envy you having to take up Blue Eyes Bennett's time with that stuff tomorrow," Fowler said. "If there are some crackpots here, the Agency is out of it, old buddy. No fooling around in the U.S.A." The CIA was still smarting from Watergate. "If the Middle East section turns up anything, we'll let you know."
    "Why were you so pissed off in there?"
    "I'm tired of it," Fowler said. "We've worked with the Israelis in Rome, in London, Paris, once even in Tokyo. You finger an Arab, cut them in on it, and what happens? Do they try to turn him? No. Do they watch him? Yes. Just long enough to find out who his friends are. Then there is a big bang. The Arabs are wiped out, and you are left holding your schwantz."
    "They didn't have to send Kabakov," Corley said.
    "Oh yes they did. You'll notice the military attaché Weisman wasn't there. We both know he has an intelligence function. But he's coordinating the Phantom sale. They don't want to connect the two things officially at all."
    "You'll be at Langley tomorrow?"
    "I'll be there all right. Don't let Kabakov get your ass in a crack."
    __________
     
    Each Thursday morning the American intelligence community meets in a windowless, lead-shielded room in Central Intelligence Agency headquarters at Langley, Va. Represented are the CIA, FBI, National Security Agency, the Secret Service, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the military intelligence advisors to the joint Chiefs of Staff. Specialists are called in when necessary. The agenda has a subscription list of fourteen. There are many subjects to be discussed and time is strictly limited.
    Corley spoke for ten minutes; Fowler for five, and the representative from the Immigration and Naturalization subversive section had less time than that.
    Kabakov was waiting in Corley's small office at FBI headquarters when he returned from the meeting.
    "I'm supposed to thank you for