“I wouldn’t say that.”
“Ahh, ahh, Mr. Sachs,” he says. “Please. She is a difficult woman, and her manner is sometimes unpleasant. But she is wholly devoted to the cause, and I would hate to see personality differences endangering our project”
“I don’t think they will.”
“I hope not Whereas Morris raised most of the money, it was Hester… you did know that Professor Epstein raised the money?”
“Yes.”
“From all over the country. It is not easy to raise funds for a project such as ours. One can hardly take out an ad in the New York Times.”
“I wouldn’t think so.”
“No, no, hardly,” Raines says, and chuckles. He is a dry old man in a bad year. He may be blown away by the first fierce blast of winter. I suddenly hope it will not snow tonight.
“But it was Hester who first contacted Mr. Eisler in New York.”
“Yes, I know that, too.”
“She had heard of him, of course, he is not precisely unknown. He defended the Baltimore Five, as you know, and his Supreme Court brief for Hoffstadter was brilliant, quite brilliant. But it was Hester’s idea to contact him, it was Hester’s surmise that he might know someone who could help us. It is not simple to ask about assassins, Mr. Sachs. It takes courage. Hester is a courageous woman. She is forthright and arrogant and, I suppose, difficult sometimes. But she is also courageous. You can thank her for this job.”
“I will thank her personally the next time I see her.”
“Ahh, ahh, that’s exactly what I mean, Mr. Sachs. That note of sarcasm in your voice. You do not like her, I know. You are naturally more beguiled by someone like Sara…” He glances sidelong at me. He knows, I think. They all know. She has told them all. “A very beautiful young girl, to be sure, I can understand your interest.” He hesitates. He is on delicate ground, and he realizes it. “But once, not too long ago, Hester was quite beautiful herself. Quite beautiful. And possessed of the same intensity she now has, the same courage. Do not dismiss her too easily, Mr. Sachs. She is a valuable ally. Perhaps more valuable than your little Sara Horne.”
“Sara Horne is only a friend,” I say.
“Of course,” he assures me. “I meant to imply nothing more. But she is very young, Mr. Sachs, so very young. And the young these days are not too readily committed.”
“She seems committed.”
“To our plan? Perhaps. Or did you have something else in mind?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“I feel that Sara Horne is committed primarily to herself. Insofar as this commitment allows her to be committed to our plan as well, fine. Should the two come into conflict, I'm not quite sure which would triumph. I hope Sara never has to make the choice.”
“You seem terribly concerned about Sara.”
“I am concerned about everyone in our little group, Mr. Sachs. Especially you. We are only five people, and we are undertaking an insane endeavor, yes, insane. I am an orderly man by nature, and I do not approve of anarchy. I would never have considered an action such as ours if I believed there was any other way. You are the instrument of our deliverance. If Sara brings you succor…”
“Sara is only…”
“Please, Mr. Sachs, we know she spent Wednesday night with you.”
“Did she tell you that?”
“She did not have to tell us. We are none of us children. Do you deny it?”
“I deny it”
“Then you’re a liar.”
“No, I'm a gentleman.”
“One does not necessarily exclude the other,” Raines says, and shrugs. “You are sleeping with Sara, all well and good, I have no quarrel with that Unless, Mr. Sachs, unless it begins to interfere with the job you’re here to do. If that should happen, I think you will find I can become extremely quarrelsome. By the same token, should you and Hester..
“Professor Raines,” I interrupt, and pause significantly. “My private life is my own. I hardly think it’s any concern of…”
“While you’re here, Mr. Sachs, you have no private life.”
“Don’t make that mistake, Professor Raines. Your money hasn’t bought…”
“Don’t you make the mistake of underestimating me, Mr. Sachs. I’m an old man, true, but an extremely strong one. I know you’re a killer of some reputation, but I was a killer once myself, and I’ve not forgotten my trade. I am quite capable of strangling you right here and now should the need arise.” He smiles pleasantly, and a shiver runs up my back “I was about to say…”
“I don’t frighten easily, Professor Raines.”
He looks at me skeptically. I know that my face must be pale, my eyes must clearly reveal fear.
“Yes, well, let’s not play at espionage, eh?” he says in dismissal. “I was about to say that by the same token, should your personality differences with Hester become insupportable, I shall have to take measures to correct that situation as well.”
“What measures?”
“Measures.”
“Like getting rid of Hester?”
“No. I could never do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because Hester is indispensable. You are only necessary.”
“You’re forgetting that I already have seven thousand dollars of your money.”
“You’ll return that if we ask for it.”
“Don’t be too sure.”
“I am certain,” Raines says.
“Have we finished talking?”
“Not quite. I want to make my position absolutely clear, Mr. Sachs. It was not easy for me to decide upon this present course of action. I’m a political scientist, I believe in government. But ever since the trouble at Harvard, attempts at any sort of meaningful dialogue have been met only with bland assurances that such dialogues would take place sometime in the future, when the country might not be quite as polarized as it is today. Mr. Sachs, the country is no longer polarized, that is a simple fact of life. The country has been brought to heel like a giant dumb beast, and that to me is the final affront, the ultimate indignity. It’s wrong to assume that all opposing ideas are necessarily evil. But it’s evil to assume that all opposing ideas are necessarily wrong. If a nation has been forbidden to think, it has been instructed to act. Assassination is abhorrent to me. I chose it only in desperation.”
“Why?”
“Because I felt it less sinful than aborting a million ideas.”
“You sound doubtful.”
“Of course I am. Aren’t you?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Then I’ve misjudged you, Mr. Sachs. You ore a ruthless man.”
“Let’s say dedicated.”
“Or perhaps obsessed,” Raines says, and regards me coolly. “In any case, doubtful or not, I’m wholly committed to the plan, and will allow nothing to stand in its way. Not even…” (and here he smiles and bows his head in deference to my definition) “… not even a ‘dedicated’ man. There’s far too much at stake here, Mr. Sachs. Before allowing you to jeopardize something that was decided upon after months and months of agonizing, I would kill you first”
“The plan is in no jeopardy.”
“Your assurance is appreciated, but not solicited. I will know if and when it’s in jeopardy, believe me.”
“How? Is the black man yours?”
“What black man?”
“The one who’s been following me.”
“I have engaged no one to follow you,” Raines says. His eyes are suddenly troubled. “This alarms me, Mr. Sachs. I would hate to think you’re already suspected.”
“You have no idea who he is, huh?”