Chapter
6
In
a grander arena, Agent Echo was experiencing the heady liqueur of
power on a World Stage. America investigated hopes for England's
assistance in the Vietnam War? The Papal offices counseled foot
dragging. No reason the Americans shouldn't bear the full penalty of
their impetuosity, not merely the brunt of it. The tune was
different when it came to the SALT treaties... these the Pope
encouraged.
As
a liqueur, it was not a smooth intoxication. It had a nasty kick and
the hangover was that Agent Echo was smarter than his handlers. And
bolder. His exultation over telling the Pope such things as he
deemed fit, was tempered by hollow nagging doubts that such a
fallible Pope could be his only intermediary to the Almighty. He
repressed an anger that had a bitterness all its own.
As
a result, Etienne's Sarah broke up with him. Characteristically, it
was not a clean break. His fictitious Juliette began testing his
affections, asking him to prove his love in an escalating variety of
ways. Echo took no time at all to conclude, “I'm using this kid
anyway... why not develop an asset?”
“Sarah”
asked Etienne to smuggle him an itinerary. At this, Etienne drew the
line. How could his pure and unspoiled icon contemplate so low an
agenda? His maiden feigned insult, then anger. She drew out the
time between letters, by inventing scheduled duties and commitments.
Then she stopped explaining. Two months passed between love's
refueling, then three. Etienne was dying inside. He was not in
danger himself of any treason, but his partner's very soul seemed
endangered by mutilated patriotism. Didn't she know that he could
not betray his Canadian father, merely because he had aligned his
fortunes with their concurrent commitment to the United States? How
could she? What could he do to retrieve her tarnished affections?
Like
a cartoon character, he was out in mid-air above a precipice. The
only thing preventing his inevitable fall was innocence. A Papal spy
in Germany was detained. His “name?” Etienne DuBois!
