Chapter 33

33
 GREENSPAN PROSPERITY MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Tom Hanneman knew how to reach General Ratcliff. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force lived in a world of conspiracies and covert threats. By asking the General to meet him in the park, dressed in mufti, Hanneman was sure he could fire the old paranoid's interest. As Ratcliff approached, sans stars, he had to bite his lip. The afternoon was at least sixty-five degrees, but the old General hobbled toward him with a full trench coat, felt hat pulled down to hide his eyes. Amid a park filled with young men playing frisbee with no shirts, his disguise may as well have been a neon sign. Hanneman resolved to let the buffoon suffer.

"Thank you for meeting me, General. I apologize for the circumstances which have become necessary, but we are dealing with a matter which requires the utmost security, if you understand what I mean." Hanneman sat down on a bench near the fountain. The sound would muffle any recording the General might aspire to make of their conversation.

"General Ratcliff, the President is gravely concerned about a certain matter. I am not going to explain much more than just that, but as we talk you may be able to perceive for yourself what has happened. The President and the country need your help desperately, and the President felt that he could count on you to help out. This is a time for us real Americans to pull together." Hanneman had to lay it on thick or the General wouldn't get it.

Now sweating profusely, General Ratcliff appeared to be so overheated as to be short of breath. "You can count on me when it comes to America. With the Congress full of liberals and Communists, someone had better step up to defend the red, white and blue. Tell me what you need."

"This is code named MESSIAH. Everything I am telling you is classified ULTRA COSMIC. Do you understand that security classification, General?"

"Oh yes! ULTRA COSMIC! I understand completely. That's one of my favorites!" The General's face lit up.

"First, it would be nice if the skies over the island of Paraneho were 'friendly skies', if you get my drift. Just in case we happened to have some people on the ground there..."

"Second, we might need intelligence and plenty of it about what is happening in Brazil. Perhaps a Vestal Seven class Sky Eye satellite might wind up geosynchronous over that area."

"Third, everyone -- and I include you-know-who in that 'everyone' -- thinks it is time to test the redeployment capabilities of the Death Flash Orbital Laser System. Possibly the time might come when it might accidentally discharge. We would pray that no one important got hurt. The probabilities of avoiding collateral damage would be enhanced if the discharge happened to vaporize an acre or two of Amazon jungle. That would be somewhere close enough to civilization for someone to notice, but far enough distant to just broil a couple of parrots, if you understand how that kind of an accident could possibly happen." Hanneman could see the General making careful mental notes of his instructions. It was terrifying to know that this man would vaporize Finland if the idea ever soaked into his muddled mind.

Air Force generals had always been the cutting edge of Cold War military politics. A world generally at peace had put them on a starvation diet. Hanneman knew how to reach a starving man. "I can't say any names, but I think we both know who is behind this, General. I want you to know how much you-know-who appreciates your help on this."

"Mr. Hanneman you can count on me!" Ratcliff was near orgasm.

"That's great, General. I'm going to get up and walk away. You stay here in disguise for half an hour. We can't be too careful."