‘The Ministry said at the time that there were five or six,’ said Steven, referring to his notes.
‘There was a misunderstanding,’ said De Fries, speaking for the first time and interrupting what was shaping up to be an awkward pause, ‘But I think I can cast some light on this. Our records show that cytokines were being incorporated into the vaccines given to the troops. This was actually the first time such technology had been used. It was believed that this would boost immune response, giving more effective protection to the troops. At one point, when the manufacturers reported that cytokines were running low, a request was put to Dr Crowe’s team for a supply of HIV gene envelopes to be used as a substitute — it was thought that they would be just as good in stimulating a heightened immune response.’
‘Dr Crowe didn’t tell me that,’ said Sked, sounding annoyed.
‘It probably slipped his mind,’ said De Fries. ‘It was no big thing.’
‘At least we have established a connection,’ said Steven.
‘Hardly that,’ countered De Fries.
‘I’m no expert,’ said Steven, ‘But wouldn’t using HIV envelopes also suggest an attempt at providing some level of protection against the HIV virus itself?’
‘At first glance, possibly’ said De Fries, ‘But there was no such intent. As I say, their use in this case was to boost a general immune response.’
‘There has never been any suggestion of anyone ever having contemplated the use of HIV as a weapon,’ added Sked.
‘Of course not,’ said Steven dryly.
Macmillan shot him a warning glance and said pleasantly, ‘I must admit I’m a little puzzled too about the use of these gene envelopes. If, as we know, Dr Crowe and his team were trying to develop a vaccine against AIDS then surely they might have been said to have had a vested interest in the outcome of the use of these gene envelopes on the troops?’
Sked bristled visibly and said, ‘There is absolutely no question of anyone at Porton having experimented on the troops. Let’s be absolutely clear about that.’
‘Of course not,’ said Macmillan. ‘Well, it sounds as if we’ll have to look elsewhere for the reason that George Sebring suffered a nervous breakdown and spent the remainder of his life suffering from chronic guilt and periodic nightmares.’
‘I’m afraid you will,’ said De Sked. ‘There was nothing at all in his work at Porton to account for anything like that.’
‘How about the other members of Dr Crowe’s team?’ asked Steven.
‘What about them?’
‘Their state of mind.’
‘Dr Crowe himself has certainly never struck me as a man who had difficulty sleeping,’ said Sked. ‘Nor should he have any reason to.’
‘Lowry and Rawlings are absolutely fine too,’ said De Fries.
Steven remembered from the information supplied earlier by Porton, that there had actually been five people in the team led by Crowe. Mention had been made of four, Crowe, Lowry and Rawlings and Sebring who was, of course, dead. He was about to ask about the member who hadn’t rated a mention when he thought better of it. It might have been an innocent omission but it just might have been deliberate, in which case he would try to mine the information from another source.
‘Would you object if we had the vaccines that Crowe’s team contributed to analysed independently?’ asked Steven.
‘Not possible, I’m afraid,’ replied Sked coldly. ‘We’ve just had to destroy all remaining stocks of it in response to press hysteria and recent objections.’
‘From the Gulf War veterans’ associations,’ said De Fries.
‘Her Majesty’s Government were, naturally, sensitive to their concerns,’ said Sked. ‘Although this in no way implies that there was ever anything wrong with the vaccines.’
‘Of course not,’ said Macmillan.
‘Surely there must still be a vial or two lying around?’ said Steven.
‘Everything was destroyed,’ said De Fries. ‘With respect, Doctor, I really must point out that these vaccines underwent several independent analyses over the past ten years. Nothing was ever shown to be wrong with them.’
‘It was just a thought,’ said Steven.
‘What do you think?’ Macmillan asked Steven when the others had gone.
‘We’ve learned one thing,’ said Steven. ‘Crowe’s team must really have been working with the HIV virus; otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to supply HIV gene envelopes when asked.’
‘So you were wrong to doubt that?’
‘What I doubted was whether they were trying to design a vaccine against the virus,’ said Steven.
‘You’re not suggesting that they were trying to design a weapon based on it?’ said Macmillan. ‘You heard what Sked said.’
‘I heard,’ said Steven looking doubtful. ‘It may not have been official policy to think about HIV as a putative weapon but it wouldn’t be the first time that a scientific team has been given its head to see where a particular road might lead — unofficially, of course.’
‘And you think Porton might have harboured such a team?’
‘Don’t you?’
‘Maybe I should ask a few quiet questions in the corridors of power,’ said Macmillan.
Steven kicked off his shoes when he got in. He poured himself a cold Stella Artois and plumped himself down in his favourite seat by the window. He put his feet up on the sill and looked up at the clouds as he tugged his tie loose. He had made progress but there was still something he was missing. Even if, in what the press would no doubt call a nightmare scenario, Sebring had been engaged in developing the AIDS virus for use as a weapon, his plan to confess all to the papers would have been no reason to kill him. To a cynical public it would just have been a case of yet one more disaffected government employee blowing the whistle about something or other. With an ex MI5 officer currently spilling the beans to the papers about the incompetence of the intelligence service, one more horror story about the development of biological weapons wasn’t going to make much of a ripple. It would just be one more virus to worry about along with smallpox and plague but at least it would be our side developing it this time — and now for the sports results and the weather… There had to be more to it. If Sebring had been seen as such a threat he must have known something more than what he was seeing but as to what it was…
Steven found that he was thinking his way round in circles, a sure sign that he should stop. He looked at his watch and decided his daughter should be home from school. He dialled the number and his sister-in-law answered.
‘Hello Sue, how are things?’
‘Wonderful!’
‘Really?’ asked Steven, slightly taken aback at the enthusiasm of her reply.
‘First week back at school for the three monsters after six weeks?’ said Sue. ‘School holidays are all very well but gosh it’s so nice to have them off my hands again,’ she laughed. ‘I’ve got my life back. I went shopping, had my hair done, had coffee with the girls. Marvellous. I feel like a new woman.’
‘Now I feel guilty,’ said Steven.
‘You know I didn’t mean that,’ said Sue. ‘I take it you’d like to speak to your particular monster, I’ll just get her.’
‘Hello Daddy,’ said Jenny’s voice after a short wait. ‘I’ve got a new teacher.’
‘Have you, Nutkin? That sounds exciting.’
‘Her name’s Miss Campbell and she’s got big teeth.’
‘That’s not very kind, Jenny.’
‘Well, she has. She says that we might be going to war soon.’
‘Really?’
‘She says a bad man has been gathering lots and lots of weapons and plans to use them against the West — that’s us. Will you have to fight, Daddy?’