To The Stars

“It’s not too far, your honor,” she said, walking quickly along the dark street. He hurried to stay by her side. Nothing else was said until she reached a grimy apartment building not far from the Thames. Sara unlocked the door, waved him through, then led the way to her rooms. When the light came on she touched her finger to her lips signaling silence, then waved him inside. Only after locking the door and examining all of the windows did she relax.

“It is good to see you again, Jan Kulozik.”

“And you, Sara. A little different from the first time.”

“We do seem to meet under unusual circumstances — but these are unusual times. Excuse me for a moment. I must get out of this humiliating outfit. It is the only safe way that a woman of my apparent class can meet someone of yours; the police smile on the practice. But it is still disgraceful for a woman, absolutely infuriating.”

She was back in a moment wearing a warm robe. “Would you like a real cup of tea? Something better than the muck in that palace of assignation?”

“No, a drink if you have it.”

“There is some Italian brandy. Stock. Very sweet but it contains alcohol.”

“If you please.”

She poured for both of them, then sat on the sagging couch beside him.

“It wasn’t an accident, my seeing you at the party?” he asked.

“Far from it — the entire thing was carefully orchestrated. It took a lot of money and time to set up.”

“You aren’t Italian, are you? I have no way of telling.”

“No, I’m not. But we use them a lot when we need to. Their lower echelons are very inefficient and bribable. They are our best channel outside of our country.”

“Why did you go to all this trouble to see me?”

“Because you have been thinking a lot about what you were told that day in the sub. And acting too. You almost got yourself in deep trouble. When you did that it was decided that the time had come to contact you.

“Trouble? What do you mean?”

“The business in the lab. They caught the wrong man, didn’t they? It was you who was tampering with the computer files?”

Jan was afraid now. “What are you doing? Having me watched?”

“As best we can. It’s not easy. Just an informed guess that you were the one involved. That’s one of the reasons it was decided to contact you now. Before you were caught doing something you shouldn’t.”

“Your concern across the countless miles from Israel is very touching.”

Sara leaned over and took his hand in hers. “I can understand why you are angry — and I don’t blame you. This entire situation has come about by accident — and it was your accident that started it.”

She sat back and sipped her drink and, for some reason, the brief human contact calmed him.

“When we saw your yacht sunk and the two of you in the water there was some furious debate as to what we should do. When the original plan failed we jury-rigged a second one to compromise you. Giving you enough information so that if you revealed any of it you would be in as much trouble as we would be.”

“Then it was no accident that you talked to me as you did?”

“No. I’m sorry if you think we took advantage of you, but it was our own survival as well. I’m a security officer so it was my job to do it…”

“Security! Like Thurgood-Smythe?”

“Not quite like your brother-in-law. The opposite if anything. But let me bring you up to date first. We saved you and the girl because you were people in need. That was all. But once saved, we had to keep track of you to see what you would say about the matter. Thank you for doing what you did. It is greatly appreciated.”

“So well appreciated that you have been keeping tabs me ever since?”

“This is a completely different matter. We saved your life, you did not reveal our existence. The two acts cancel out, that matter is over with.”

“It will never be over with. That little seed of doubt you planted has been growing well ever since.”

Sara shrugged with both hands held wide. An ancient gesture that conveyed resignation, the hand of fate — yet contained also an element of what-is-done-is-done.

“Have some more to drink. At least it is warming,” she said, reaching over with the bottle. “While watching you we discovered who you were, what you did. There was enthusiasm in high places. If you had returned to your normal life you would never have heard from LIS again. But you did not. So I am here this evening.”

“Welcome to London. What do you want from me?”

“Your help, technical help that is.”

“What do you offer in return?”

“Why the entire world. Nothing less.” Her smile was wide and happy, her teeth smooth and white. “We will be pleased to tell you the true history of the world, what really happened in the past and is happening in the present. What lies are being told and what unrest developing. It makes a fascinating story. Do you want to hear it?”

“I’m not sure. What will happen to me if I do get involved?”

“You will be an important part of an international conspiracy that is hoping to overthrow the ruling governments of the world and restore democracy to those who have been deprived of it for centuries.”

“Is that all?”