"Ludlum, Robert - Rhineman Exchange" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ludlum Robert)

tested. The revulsion would not acknowledge national boundaries or the
cause of any global tribe.
The leaders would become pariahs.
As he was a pariah now.
A number followed by a letter.

He reached the steps of the War Department; the tan stone

9
 pillars did not signify strength to him now. Only the appearance of light
brown paste.
No longer substance.
He walked through the sets of double doors up to the security desk, manned
by a middle-aged lieutenant colonel flanked by two sergeants.
'Spaulding, David,'he said quietly.
'Your I.D. . . .' the lieutenant colonel looked at the shoulders Of the
raincoat, then at the collar, 'Spaulding. . . .'
'My name is David Spaulding. My source is Fairfax,' repeated David softly.
'Check your papers, soldier.'
The lieutenant colonel's head snapped up in anger, gradually replaced by
bewilderment as he looked at Spaulding. For David had not spoken harshly,
or even impolitely. Just factually.
The sergeant to the left of the lieutenant colonel shoved a page of paper
in front of the officer without interrupting. The lieutenant colonel looked
at it.
He glanced back up at David - briefly - and waved him through.
As he walked down the grey corridor, his raincoat over his arm, Spaulding
could feel the eyes on him, scanning the uniform devoid of rank or
identification. Several salutes were rendered hesitantly.
None was acknowledged.
Men turned; others stared from doorways.
This was the ... officer, their looks were telling him. They'd heard the
rumors, spoken in whispers, in hushed voices in out-ofthe-way comers. This
was the man.
An order had been given....
The man.

10
 PROLOGUE

One

SEPTEMBER 8,1939

NEW YORK CITY

The two army officers, their uniforms creased into steel, their hats
removed, watched the group of informally dressed men and women through the
glass partition. The room in which the officers sat was dark.
A red light flashed; the sounds of an organ thundered out of the two webbed