The Chancellor Manuscript Read Online Free PDF Page B

known as Christopher.
    “Three psychiatrists, unknown to each other, retainedby remote and asked to submit independent reports. These were collectively interpreted by our own man. Acute paranoia was the only conceivable judgment.”
    “How did they go about their diagnosis?” Venice leaned forward, his large black hands folded as he asked the question.
    “Infrared, telescopic motion-picture cameras were used over a thirty-day period in every possible situation. In restaurants, the Presbyterian Church, in arrivals and departures at all formal and private functions. Two lip-readers provided texts of everything said; the texts were identical. There are also extensive, I should say exhaustive, reports from our own sources within the bureau. There can be no dispute with the judgment. The man’s mad.”
    “What of Sixteen hundred?” Bravo stared at the younger man.
    “They’re getting closer, making progress every week. They’ve gone so far as to suggest a formal, internal association, the objective obviously the files. The subject’s wary; he’s seen them all, and those at Sixteen hundred aren’t the best. But he admires their arrogance, their
macho
, and they stroke him. That’s the word that’s used, incidentally.
Stroke.”
    “How appropriate,” replied Venice. “Is their progress substantive?”
    “I’m afraid so. There’s hard evidence that the subject has delivered several dossiers—or the most damaging information contained in them—to the Oval Office. Understandings are being reached both in the area of political contributions and the election itself. Two contenders for the opposition’s presidential nomination have agreed to withdraw—one by exhausted finances, the other by an act of instability.”
    “Please explain that,” instructed Genesis.
    “A gross mistake by words or action that eliminates him from the presidential stakes but is not serious enough to threaten his congressional standing. In this case, a display of unreasonable behavior during the primaries. These things are well thought out.”
    “They’re frightening,” said Paris angrily.
    “They stem from the subject,” said Bravo. “May we touch once again on an autopsy. Can it be controlled?”
    “It may not have to be,” answered Banner, his hands now separated, the palms face down on the table. “We’veflown in a man from Texas, an expert in cardiovascular research! He thinks he’s dealing with a prominent family on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. A patriarch going insane, capable of extraordinary damage, organic and psychiatric symptoms indistinguishable. There’s a chemical derivative of digitalis that, when combined with an intravenous injection of air, may be untraceable.”
    “Who’s overseeing this aspect?” Venice was unconvinced.
    “Varak,” said Genesis. “He’s the source control of the entire project.”
    Once more there was a nodding of heads.
    “Are there further questions?” asked Genesis.
    Silence.
    “Then, we vote,” continued Genesis, removing a small pad from beneath the manila envelope. He tore six pages and passed five to his left. “The Roman numeral one signifies affirmative; two, negative. As is customary a tie vote is negative.”
    The men of Inver Brass made their marks, folded the papers, and returned them to Genesis. He spread them out.
    “The vote is unanimous, gentlemen. The project is on.” He turned to Banner. “Please bring in Mr. Varak.”
    The younger man got out of his chair and crossed to the door. He opened it, nodded his head to the figure standing outside in the hallway, and returned to the table.
    Varak walked in, closing the door behind him. He was the same man who had stood guard on the dark balcony above the entrance at the top of the marble steps. The rifle was no longer in his hands, but the transistorized microphone was still strapped around his neck, and a thin wire led to his left ear. He was of indeterminate age, somewhere between thirty-five and