Shift. Part 31

"I don't understand why we have to go through with it if you're not actually planning to work with Giancana. We've got Orpheus. We've got the bomb. What does killing-"

But Melchior was shaking his head.

"We're not going to kill him."

"I don't understand. You just said Caspar was in play."

"Like you said: it's Caspar Caspar. He couldn't make this shot with a bazooka, and I've seen his rifle. It's a G.o.dd.a.m.n mail-order antique. Plus there's a tree blocking his view of the road. He'll fire, he'll miss, he'll be taken into custody, Giancana will have him taken care of. End of story."

Song shook her head incredulously. "You're betting a lot on a bad shot. Never mind the fact that a man's life is at stake. If Giancana doesn't take Caspar out, if the Bureau finds out about his CIA connections, this could start a scandal that brings down the government. Why don't you just call the cops and get him picked up?"

"I call the cops and they know it's a conspiracy, they'll dig that much harder. Caspar's got to f.u.c.k this up on his own."

"Melchior, think this through. Caspar's Company connections are bad enough. But if his ties to KGB come to light, this could kick off World War Three, for G.o.d's sake."

"You think I don't know that?" Melchior's voice went up a notch, and Song had to work to keep her face calm. "I have no doubt Caspar's past is going to come out. It's there for anyone to see. I mean, Jesus Christ. A teenager running around spouting a Communist line about the coming revolution, but still joining the Civil Air Patrol and the Marines. A recruit whose boot camp nickname is Oswaldkovitch, who gets posted to the base of the U2, the single most valuable weapon in the U.S. espionage a.r.s.enal. A soldier who announces his intention to defect and provide military secrets to the Soviet Union, who formally renounces his citizens.h.i.+p yet conveniently forgets to bring his pa.s.sport when he does so, who's set up in a luxury apartment in the Soviet Union and marries a girl he's known for barely a month and is allowed by the Soviet authorities to return to America, where, after a hey-how's-it-going interview with the FBI, he's left free to run around taking potshots at retired generals and skip across the border to Mexico to get a visa to knock off Fidel Castro. An idiot might try to chalk this up to a broken personality, but anyone with half a brain can see the lifelong construction of a cover-a boy with the outward appearance of a Marxist, but who's really the Company's attempt to get a sleeper inside KGB, and who might well have been doubled by them. Do you really think I'm so stupid I didn't think anyone would notice all-of-that?"

Melchior's voice grew louder and louder as he spoke, until Song was genuinely disturbed. Where was all this anger coming from, and at whom was it directed?

"Calm down, Melchior. I didn't mean-"

"They'll find it, Song! Every last bit of evidence revealing Caspar's ties to U.S. and Russian intelligence-real things, plus a lot of stuff that's probably totally innocent but that'll come to seem suspicious in hindsight. Someone-a G-man, a Company agent who's never heard of the Wiz Kids, a nosy reporter-somebody'll root out everything and bring it to light, and the government will either suppress it or deny it because, like you said, the scandal could bring down administrations or kick off a nuclear war. Do you understand what I'm saying, Song? We We don't have to cover anything up, because the G.o.dd.a.m.n government of the United States of America will do it don't have to cover anything up, because the G.o.dd.a.m.n government of the United States of America will do it for for us." us."

Melchior's hands were balled in fists and his face had gone beet red. The sweat rolling out from beneath the wig had thickened into streams that stained his collar.

"But Melchior," Song said, grabbing his left hand. "What if he makes the sh-"

She stopped. Turning Melchior's hand over, she opened his fingers, saw something that looked like a handful of seeds. He spread his fingers and the seeds fell open in a long oval, revealing themselves to be a string of beads. No, not beads.

Skulls.

Song looked up at Melchior, her confusion giving way to genuine horror. Not fear, but a sense of betrayal so profound that she couldn't find words for it.

"Then he makes the shot," Melchior said, and he slipped the necklace over Song's head while she just stood there, frozen in place.

"A gift," he said. "From Caspar."

"Melchior?" Song's right hand touched the beads on her chest. "No."

"Don't you understand, Song? History doesn't care about individuals, let alone individual actions. It only cares about symbols. It's not the shot that matters. It's not who pulls the trigger, or who it hits, or even if it hits. It's what we can make it mean." mean."

Song blinked her eyes as if she was coming out of a trance. "My G.o.d. You want want him to make it. You want him to kill the president." She started to say something else, but then her eyes saw the knife in Melchior's hand. "You-you can't be serious." him to make it. You want him to kill the president." She started to say something else, but then her eyes saw the knife in Melchior's hand. "You-you can't be serious."

"I'm sorry, Song. Your entire career has been built around your ability to play one side off against the other. A thousand intelligence agents could identify you, and who knows how many more have bedded you."

Song tugged at the skulls around her neck, but it was as if the cord that held them together was made of piano wire. She stepped backward, but the staircase was directly behind her. She stumbled and the long string of skulls clacked against the metal treads with a sound like knucklebones shaking in a rattle, then she caught herself and stood on the bottom step.

"I don't understand. The whole thing-the partners.h.i.+p between you and Ivelitsch, going rogue, it was all my idea."

Melchior nodded. "It was. I can't deny it. And my career in intelligence was the Wiz's creation. But if I'm going to make this thing work, I've got to start making decisions on my own."

Song took another step up and back.

"Pavel was right about you. Your motivations are too complex. Too messy."

"Don't be naive, Song. Pavel wanted you out of the picture long before I did. Triumvirates never work, especially when two of them are alpha males and the third's a beautiful woman."

"Melchior, please," she said as she climbed backward up the staircase. "I have money. Connections. Resources. This plane. Houses in-"

"Pavel's made me aware of all your a.s.sets." Melchior shook his head. "You should have made a will, Song. As it is, all your property will pa.s.s to your brother."

"My-" Song whirled around, only to bounce off something barring the door. She stumbled backward, barely managing to catch herself from falling over the rail. She looked back at the door, at the figure standing there. Her face was pale with confusion and fear.

"Chul-moo? You're not-" She turned back to Melchior. "He's not my brother."

Melchior shrugged. "Ident.i.ty, like property, or history for that matter, is just a matter of the right doc.u.ments. Chul-moo is as much your brother as the boy who died in Korea."

Chul-moo pulled a gun from his jacket but Melchior put up his hand.

"I have to do this myself," he said. He reached his hand down to Song, and, as if in a spell, she took it. "I owe you that much," he said, then added, "Balthazar," and drove the point home.

But even as the blade was piercing fabric and flesh, the scene seemed to melt. First the airplane disappeared, then the hangar and the airport and Dallas, and in its place there were palms and mangroves, a whitesand beach and the roar of surf. Chandler felt the blood rus.h.i.+ng over Melchior's fingers, but they weren't Melchior's fingers-they were his. He looked up into Song's face, but it wasn't Song. the blade was piercing fabric and flesh, the scene seemed to melt. First the airplane disappeared, then the hangar and the airport and Dallas, and in its place there were palms and mangroves, a whitesand beach and the roar of surf. Chandler felt the blood rus.h.i.+ng over Melchior's fingers, but they weren't Melchior's fingers-they were his. He looked up into Song's face, but it wasn't Song.

It was Naz.

Her dark eyes bore into his, and the worst thing of all was that there was no surprise there.

"I always knew you would do this to me," she said. "You pretended you were different from the rest of them, but I always knew you were just the same."

And then she died in his arms.

A gunshot brought Chandler back. brought Chandler back.

No, not a gunshot: the backfire of a motorcycle. The motorcade's escort had arrived, was turning onto Elm Street.

Chandler staggered backward. Only the umbrella he was leaning on kept him from falling over. His senses were still screwed up, and instead of throwing himself at Melchior, he almost fell on him. The people around them took a few steps away, their hands s.h.i.+elding their eyes as they looked at the approaching vehicles. A thousand versions of There he is! There he is! flashed in Chandler's mind. flashed in Chandler's mind.

He leaned on the umbrella heavily. "Where is she?" he demanded.

Melchior's smile was a sickening parody of innocence. "What do you mean, where is she? You're Orpheus. That means she's in h.e.l.l."

Another image of Naz's dying face flashed in his mind, and Chandler shook his head to clear it. That was a mistake: again Melchior had to grab him to keep him from falling over. Chandler shook him off roughly, doing his best to steady himself as the acid continued to flood his system.

"You-you added something to the LSD."

Melchior's smirk grew wider. "Several somethings in fact. Among others: psilocybin to increase the hallucinogenic power, sodium pentathol to render you open to suggestion, and a heaping spoonful of methamphetamine just to make you crazy."

"Yeah, well, crazy or not, I'm going to rip your brain apart."

"I don't think so," Melchior said. "I may play fast and loose sometimes, but I never make mistakes." He reached into his pocket and pulled out an empty pill bottle. "While you went fis.h.i.+ng in my brain, I took another pill. You won't be getting back in for a while."

Chandler pushed-pushed hard-but it was like trying to get the water out of a sponge with a needle. It would take ten thousand p.r.i.c.ks before he accomplished anything. Melchior's nose wrinkled. It was obvious he was feeling something, but not enough to really hurt him.

"I'll save you the effort," he said. "She's in Cuba. Trust me," he threw in, when it looked like Chandler might turn and run. "I can have her killed a dozen different ways before you could get out of the country, let alone into Cuba. Listen to me," he hissed, stepping closer to Chandler. "I know you know Caspar's in the building behind me. I know you know he's got a rifle, and I know you know he's going to shoot the president. I want you to help him."

Chandler was fighting a fresh wave of dizziness, and he barely heard what Melchior said. "Help him?"

"Caspar never was the best marksman. Help him find his target. Steady his hand. Pull the trigger for him if you have to."

"Help him?" Chandler said again, but even as he spoke Chandler's brain was reaching out. It was like Melchior's words were a map, guiding Chandler to Caspar's brain.

"But ... but why?" he said, trying to fight the connection, feeling it grow stronger instead.

"Why? Because at any point in the past two weeks you could have gone to the police, and you refused to. Because all you could think about was getting your girlfriend back-a girl you spent less than a week with, who you slept with all of one time one time. For her you were willing to sacrifice your duty not just to your country but to your beliefs. It's time you learned that there are consequences for putting yourself ahead of everyone else. This morning I I killed the only woman I might have ever loved-and now you and everyone else are going to learn what it means to cross me. Now, help Caspar make his shot or I swear to G.o.d I'll pull the top of Naz's skull off with my bare hands and eat her brains for dinner." killed the only woman I might have ever loved-and now you and everyone else are going to learn what it means to cross me. Now, help Caspar make his shot or I swear to G.o.d I'll pull the top of Naz's skull off with my bare hands and eat her brains for dinner."

The whole time Melchior spoke, the connection to Caspar grew more and more palpable. Chandler felt the gun as if it were in his own hands, smelled the dust from thousands and thousands of boxed books. The concrete was hard under his knees, and he had to fight the urge to fidget. No, Chandler told himself. Caspar's Caspar's knees. knees. Caspar Caspar was fighting the urge to fidget, not Chandler. was fighting the urge to fidget, not Chandler. Caspar Caspar was looking desperately for Melchior, the scope of his rifle ignoring the motorcade as it moved from one face in the crowd to the next. Chandler could see the faces through the crosshairs. Male and female, black and white, their attention focused on the long line of motorcycles and limousines, their hands shading their eyes from the death pointing down at them from sixty feet above, and as he looked at one innocent face after another he had an idea. He pushed deeper into Caspar's mind, found what he was looking for, pulled it out, and put it before Caspar's eyes. The gun angled to the left. was looking desperately for Melchior, the scope of his rifle ignoring the motorcade as it moved from one face in the crowd to the next. Chandler could see the faces through the crosshairs. Male and female, black and white, their attention focused on the long line of motorcycles and limousines, their hands shading their eyes from the death pointing down at them from sixty feet above, and as he looked at one innocent face after another he had an idea. He pushed deeper into Caspar's mind, found what he was looking for, pulled it out, and put it before Caspar's eyes. The gun angled to the left.

The few seconds it took the motorcade to complete its left turn onto Elm and enter the shelter of the live oaks growing in front of the depository seemed to take all of Caspar's life. it took the motorcade to complete its left turn onto Elm and enter the shelter of the live oaks growing in front of the depository seemed to take all of Caspar's life.

He stopped looking through the crowd for Melchior and instead angled the rifle just past the last oak and waited. Melchior had told him he had to play it straight right up until the end.

Suddenly a thought flickered through his head and he jerked the gun a few inches to the left. The view through the scope blurred, settled, and there he was.

Melchior.

He stood on the edge of the street, casually talking to a second man who leaned on an umbrella. He never once looked up at the window.

He hates you.

The thought seemed to come out of the ether, and Caspar twitched so hard he nearly pulled the trigger.

He'll sacrifice you to his game.

Caspar took his eye from the scope, shook his head to clear it. KGB had said things like that to him, when they were trying to turn him. Had said the Wiz sent him behind enemy lines to be slaughtered, just like he'd done with all those poor boys in the Ukraine and Korea. Caspar could almost believe that about the Wiz. But Melchior? Melchior was his friend.

You're just his patsy.

Caspar leaned forward, looked through the scope again. Melchior was still right there. He could do it. Do what the Company had asked him, and maybe then he could be Lee again. Just Lee. But in order to do that he would have to kill Tommy. But-but Tommy was already dead. Melchior had said so. Just like he'd said Lee was dead. There was just Melchior now. Melchior and Caspar. If Caspar killed him, he'd be all alone.

Do it, the voice hissed in his ear. Do it! Do it!

A tap on the shoulder brought Chandler's attention back to the street. Melchior's smile hadn't faded, but his voice was deadly serious. the shoulder brought Chandler's attention back to the street. Melchior's smile hadn't faded, but his voice was deadly serious.

"I should tell you that if I don't check in at exactly 1 p.m., Naz will be killed anyway. Just in case you're getting any crazy ideas about having Caspar shoot me instead of the president."

Chandler glared at him. If pure hatred could have killed Melchior, he'd have burst into flames. But all he did was return Chandler's gaze with that implacable smile on his face. Chandler pushed at Melchior's brain again, but all he got was that spongy nothingness.

"Not me," Melchior said, shaking his head. "The president." president."

The president. Chandler looked up. He could see him now. His car had just made the turn off Houston onto Elm. In a minute or two he'd pa.s.s through the Triple Underpa.s.s and get on the freeway and be away, safe to lead America to a new era of peace and tolerance, to Africa and Asia and all the way to the G.o.dd.a.m.ned moon. His smile was as bright as the noon sun.

In desperation Chandler cast his mind wider, looking for someone in the crowd who could help him. But who? If he tipped off one of the policemen or Secret Service agents and got Melchior arrested, he was as good as killing Naz. If he started some kind of ma.s.s panic like he had in Texas, who knew how many people might die.

He found himself thinking of the burning boy. Even though the figure was nothing more than a figment of his imagination-his mixed with BC's and all the other minds he'd come into contact with-he somehow felt that it would know what to do. A part of him willed the flaming angel to make an appearance, but it refused to come.

"It's now or never, Chandler," Melchior said. "Do it. Or Naz dies."

Not knowing what else to do, Chandler reached out to the only other mind he could think of: the president's. He felt the ache in the man's arm as he waved at the crowd, in his jaw as he flashed that famous smile. The ache that throbbed in his lower back beneath his brace despite all the painkillers and other drugs that flowed through his veins. In the past week alone he'd taken Demerol, Ritalin, Librium, thyroid hormone, testosterone, and gamma globulin, and before he consented to get in the car this morning he'd had two injections of procaine to ease the pain in his back. Good lord, Chandler thought, the president of the United States was on more drugs than he was!

As he smiled and waved at the last of the spectators, Jack Kennedy suddenly found himself thinking about Mary Meyer. How funny to think about her now! He glanced over at Jackie guiltily, then looked away again. It wasn't the fact that he'd slept with her that made him feel guilty-he and Jackie had worked out that part of their marriage a long time ago. It was the fact that she'd given him marijuana and LSD several times, and in the White House to boot. Jackie would've flipped if she'd found out about that-she had enough trouble covering up his affairs and his illnesses. Jack hadn't cared much for the hallucinatory aspects of LSD-he saw enough unbelieveable things in his daily security briefing-but the euphoria was the best painkiller he'd ever experienced. For twelve blissful hours the pain in his back had been like a glob of Silly Putty he could knead and play with. G.o.d, that'd be nice right now. Here it was just after noon and his back was killing him, and instead of relief he had to face an interminable luncheon at the Trade Mart, all for the sake of securing a half dozen votes that probably wouldn't make any difference at all next November.

As Chandler absorbed all of this he stared at the president's retreating form. So Jack Kennedy was one of the chosen few who'd been turned on to LSD. Who'd've guessed?

Then, with a start, he realized someone else was looking at Kennedy, his gaze doubly focused through the sights of his rifle and Chandler's own attention. Chandler felt Caspar's finger on the trigger, realized it was starting to squeeze, and, not knowing what else to do, he pushed at Caspar's mind, and at the same time snapped open his umbrella.

"What the-!" Standing on the edge of Dealey Plaza, James Tague jerked his head as something stung his cheek. At the same time, he heard a loud pop from off to his right. Standing on the edge of Dealey Plaza, James Tague jerked his head as something stung his cheek. At the same time, he heard a loud pop from off to his right.

"Oh no, no, no!" John Connally said in the seat in front of the president's. Chandler heard him clearly. He knew that the governor of Texas had recognized the sound of a gunshot, unlike the president and his wife and most of the security detail-including the limo driver, who, mistaking the sound for a blowout, stepped on the brakes instead of the gas. At least Caspar had missed. But he was getting ready to fire again, and this time it was Kennedy Chandler pushed. John Connally said in the seat in front of the president's. Chandler heard him clearly. He knew that the governor of Texas had recognized the sound of a gunshot, unlike the president and his wife and most of the security detail-including the limo driver, who, mistaking the sound for a blowout, stepped on the brakes instead of the gas. At least Caspar had missed. But he was getting ready to fire again, and this time it was Kennedy Chandler pushed. Duck! Duck! he screamed into the president's mind, and the president leaned forward. But it was too late. Chandler felt the bullet slam into the base of Kennedy's neck, nick his spine, and spit out of his throat just below his Adam's apple. Somehow, though-a miracle!-it missed hitting any vital organs, even as it ripped its way through Governor Connally's abdomen and wrist. he screamed into the president's mind, and the president leaned forward. But it was too late. Chandler felt the bullet slam into the base of Kennedy's neck, nick his spine, and spit out of his throat just below his Adam's apple. Somehow, though-a miracle!-it missed hitting any vital organs, even as it ripped its way through Governor Connally's abdomen and wrist.

But the gun was still in Caspar's hands. He wasn't thinking about Melchior now, or why he was doing what he was doing. His Marine training had kicked in, and he'd shot the bolt on his rifle and re-aimed. His attention was focused squarely and solely on the president. It was as if the two were linked by a high-tension wire.

Desperate now, Chandler dove deep into Caspar's mind, trying to find someone Caspar could never shoot. But it seemed that Caspar wanted to shoot everyone everyone. The president's visage gave way to Castro's first, then Khrushchev's, and then to the man with the pointed beard who'd plucked him from the orphanage with the Wiz all those years ago, and then Frank Wisdom himself, beery, bloated, and bellicose. Then Melchior. Not Melchior as he was now but Melchior as a teenager: thin, sc.r.a.ppy, defiant, adaptable. A survivor, unlike Caspar. Unlike Lee. And then that image faded away before another, wavering, indistinct, two-dimensional-a black-and-white photograph that Chandler was only able to flesh out with the greatest effort of will.

"Lee," Robert Edward Lee Oswald said. "Son, what are you doing?"

"Daddy?" Caspar peered through the scope.

"Put down the gun," Robert Oswald said. "Come on, Lee. That's not how your mother raised you."

Melchior stared at the retreating limousine. A dozen cops and agents had drawn their guns, and people were starting to yell and point in every direction. A Secret Service agent was jumping onto the trunk of Kennedy's limo. In another second he would throw himself over the president's body and the opportunity would be gone. the retreating limousine. A dozen cops and agents had drawn their guns, and people were starting to yell and point in every direction. A Secret Service agent was jumping onto the trunk of Kennedy's limo. In another second he would throw himself over the president's body and the opportunity would be gone.

Melchior pushed Chandler's umbrella down with one hand, reached into his pocket with the other.

"She's pregnant," Melchior said. "It won't be just her who dies." And then, opening his hand, he showed him what he'd pulled from his pocket.

Chandler looked down at Melchior's hand. At first he thought Melchior was holding a ball of blood. A ball of blood connected to a silver loop of tissue. But then he realized the ball was actually a ruby-Naz's ruby-and the loop was the ring on which it was mounted, and the ring was still on-still on- It was still on her finger.

"This is just a taste of what I'll do to her," Melchior said. "Now, shoot shoot him." him."

Chandler stared at the finger. Sixty feet above him, Caspar saw it-saw a finger stained with blood at any rate, and knew it to be his own. He looked down at his father in the limousine.

"Lee's dead," he whispered. "He died when you did." And then his severed finger squeezed the trigger.

Chandler felt Caspar's finger pull the trigger. The president's thoughts vanished from Chandler's brain like light disappearing from a shattered bulb. A thousand other minds rushed in to fill the vacuum. The First Lady's, and the agents in the car, and the sheriffs on their motorcycles, and the hundreds and hundreds of spectators all staring with horror at the fleeing limousine, but over it all came Melchior's voice. Caspar's finger pull the trigger. The president's thoughts vanished from Chandler's brain like light disappearing from a shattered bulb. A thousand other minds rushed in to fill the vacuum. The First Lady's, and the agents in the car, and the sheriffs on their motorcycles, and the hundreds and hundreds of spectators all staring with horror at the fleeing limousine, but over it all came Melchior's voice.

"Good job, son. I knew I could count on you."

Chandler whirled on him. He was about to throw himself on him but he was overcome by a fit of dizziness and almost fell over. on him. He was about to throw himself on him but he was overcome by a fit of dizziness and almost fell over.