«Sir, I don't understand.»
«Most of my anger is directed at myself. I'm the man who put you in a position where you could do all this damage. I should have known that you couldn't take orders.»
«Sir, I was simply trying to carry out my responsibilities to the best of my ability.»
«Yeah, I know. That's what makes this so sad. I should have known that you weren't equipped to discharge those responsibilities. What you have done, Charley, and I don't think you really understand this, is put hundreds of thousands of lives at risk—and that's what the compromise of magic would mean—by disobeying your orders. If I have to explain it to you: the moment you heard that General Adamson was even thinking of communicating anything about magic to anyone who does not have a magic clearance, you were supposed to bring this to my attention.»
«Sir, General Adamson is the Secretary of the Joint Chiefs of Staff…«
«That's my point, Charley, you still don't understand what you both have done,» Donovan said calmly, even sadly. «Wait here, Charley, someone will come for you.»
Donovan walked into the transcription room.
«Admiral, would you like my resignation?»
«I don't see where that would accomplish anything, Colonel,» Admiral Leahy said. «I would recommend to the President that he decline your resignation.»
«In that case, sir, what would you like me to do?»
«I think we should next talk to General Adamson, and then to Colonel Albright,» Leahy said. «To see how far down this unfortunate business has gone.»
» 'We,' sir?»
«On reflection, I will talk to General Adamson, alone,» Leahy said. «He is due here any moment. But by the time he gets here, the White Room will be available, will it not?»
«Yes, sir. Give me a moment to find the security duty officer, and to locate Charley's deputy to tell him what he has to do.»
One of the White Room guards put his head into the transcription room.
«Colonel Donovan, General Adamson is being checked into the White Room.»
«Thank you,» Donovan said, and reached for a headset. He sensed Pickering's eyes on him.
«Pickering, I guess I owe you an apology.»
«The shoe's on the other foot, Mr. Director,» General Pickering said. «I thought, at first, that you were trying to cover for that sonofabitch. I'm truly sorry.»
«So am I,» Donovan said, and put the earphones over his head.
«Good afternoon, Admiral,» the voice of Major General Charles M. Adamson, USA, came clearly over the transcription system headsets. «I came as quickly as I could.»
Admiral William D. Leahy, USN, Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, did not respond to the greeting.
«It has been alleged, General,» Leahy began, «that you sent a Top Secret message to the signal officer of the U.S. military mission to China which made reference to Operation China Clipper. Is this true?»
There was a perceptible hesitation before General Adamson replied.
«Yes, sir.»
«Specifically, to Major General F. T. Dempsey?»
«Yes, sir, the message was addressed, Eyes Only, General Dempsey.»
«I'm really sorry to hear that, General,» Admiral Leahy said.
«Admiral, may I explain the circumstances?»
Leahy ignored the question.
«General Dempsey apparently believes that both he and his deputy will shortly be granted magic security clearances. Do you have any idea where he got that idea?»
«Yes, sir. Sir, I presumed that it would only be a matter of time before General Dempsey would be granted access to magic. I don't see how he could perform his duties in connection with magic without such clearance.»
«And you therefore told him you believed he, and presumably his deputy as well, would shortly have magic clearance?»
«Yes, sir. And I also cautioned him that the magic cryptographic officer who was being sent to military mission China in charge of the devices did not enjoy the full confidence of either myself or the OSS, and that he—«
«Who told you, General, that Colonel Banning does not enjoy the full confidence of the OSS?»
«Sir, that information was given to me in confidence. I'm reluctant—«
«Was it the OSS Deputy Director (Administration)?»
«Yes, sir.»
«I regret to inform you, sir, that you stand relieved of your duties at JCS. You will proceed directly from this room to your quarters, where you will hold yourself available for orders from General Marshall. I inform you, sir, that when I speak to General Marshall, I shall recommend to him that you be immediately reduced to whatever permanent grade you hold.»
There was a long silence.
«That will be all,» Admiral Leahy said. «You are dismissed.»
«Yes, sir.»
«Donovan,» Admiral Leahy said, as he walked into the transcription room, «we have to make sure that nothing like this can ever happen again in the future.»
«Yes, sir,» Donovan said.
«I think you'd do better talking to Colonel Albright than I would, Colonel.»
«Yes, sir,» Donovan said, handed his headset to the Admiral, and walked into the White Room.
«I don't like to think, Pickering,» Admiral Leahy said, «what would have happened if your Colonel Banning had been cowed by General Dempsey.»
«What's going to happen to General Adamson, sir?»
«In any army but ours, he would be handed a pistol and expected to do the right thing. I'm not sure if he's a colonel or a lieutenant colonel in the regular army. I suppose he'll wind up as commanding officer, or executive officer, of a POW camp. Something like that.»
«That's sad.»
«Yes, it is,» Leahy said. «Eisenhower has already reduced six general officers to their permanent grade and sent them home for not being able to keep their mouths shut.»
«I didn't know that.»
«General, it's not the sort of thing they issue press releases about,» Leahy said, and put his headset on.
«To get right to the point, Colonel Albright,» Donovan's voice came over the earphones, «it has come to my attention that a back-channel message was sent to the signal officer, Eyes Only, Major General Dempsey, of the military mission to China, which among other things announced the imminent arrival of magic devices and personnel to operate the Special Channel. Did you have anything to do with that message?»
«No, sir,» Colonel H. A. Albright said immediately.
«Do you know anything about such a message?»
«No, sir,» Albright said immediately.
«Have you any idea who could have sent such a message.»
Colonel Albright did not reply.
«Colonel, do you have any idea who could have sent such a message?» Donovan asked, impatience in his voice.
«I don't like to speculate about that sort of thing, Colonel.»
«Let me rephrase, Colonel. I am not asking for a name. Do you have any private suspicions about who would have sent such a message?»