The Sum of All Fears.pdf - Delta Force

teaching and pastoral ministry. In a few years, he would leave his post as
Father General of Roman Catholicism's largest and most powerful order, and find
himself again as a university instructor, illuminating young minds, and leaving
campus to celebrate mass in a small working-class parish where he could concern
himself with ordinary human needs. That, he thought, would be the final blessing
of a life cluttered with so many of them. Not a perfect man, he frequently
wrestled with the pride that attended his intellect, trying and not always
succeeding to cultivate the humility necessary to his vocation. Well, he sighed,
perfection was a goal never to be reached, and he smiled at the humor of it.
'Guten Morgen, Hermann!' he said, sweeping through the door.
'Buon giorno,' the German priest replied, then lapsed into Greek. 'Something
interesting this morning.'
The busy eyebrows twitched at the message, and he jerked his head towards the
inner office. Schörner followed with the coffee.
'The tennis court is reserved for four o'clock,' Schörner said, as he poured his
boss's cup.
'So you can humiliate me yet again?' It was occasionally joked that Schörner
could turn professional, contributing his winnings to the Society, whose members
were required to take a vow of poverty. 'So, what is the message?'
'From Timothy Riley in Washington.' Schörner handed it over.
Alcalde donned his reading glasses and read slowly. He left his coffee untouched
and, on finishing the message, read through it again. Scholarship was his life,
and Alcalde rarely spoke about something without reflection.
'Remarkable. I've heard of this Ryan fellow before . . . isn't he in
intelligence?'
'Deputy Director of the American CIA. We educated him. Boston College and
Georgetown. He's principally a bureaucrat, but he's been involved in several
operations in the field. We don't know all of the details, but it would appear
that none were improper. We have a small dossier on him. Father Riley speaks
very highly of Dr Ryan.'
'So I see.' Alcalde pondered that for a moment. He and Riley had been friends
for thirty years. 'He thinks this proposal may be genuine. And you, Hermann?'
'Potentially, it is a gift from God.' The comment was delivered without irony.
'Indeed. But an urgent one. What of the American President?'
'I would guess that he has not yet been briefed, but soon will be. As to his
character?' Schörner shrugged. 'He could be a better man.'
'Who of us could not?' Alcalde said, staring at the wall.
'Yes, Father.'
'How is my calendar for today?' Schörner ran over the list from memory. 'Very
well . . . call Cardinal D'Antonio and tell him that I have something of
importance. Fiddle the schedule as best you can. This is something that calls
for immediate attention. Call Timothy, thank him for his message, and tell him
that I am working on it.'
***
Ryan awoke reluctantly at five-thirty. The sun was an orange-pink glow that
back-lit the trees, ten miles away on Maryland's eastern shore. His first
considered course of action was to draw the shades. Cathy didn't have to go into