‘‘That, too,’’ Douglass said.
‘‘What is it you want of me?’’ Baker said.
‘‘Well,’’ Douglass said. ‘‘You have a nice speaking voice, and I understand you’re perfectly fluent in French and German. Perhaps we could put you to work doing foreign-language broadcasts.’’
‘‘You’re mocking me,’’ Baker said, without anger. ‘‘Why?’’
‘‘I want to see if the psychiatrist is right,’’ Douglass said. ‘‘I’d like to know what your imagination makes of all this.’’
‘‘Are you serious?’’
‘‘Perfectly.’’
‘‘Anything with enough authority to get my records is some sort of intelligence operation.’’
‘‘Very good,’’ Douglass said. ‘‘But I’m not sure whether that is your imagination at work, or whether Undersecretary Quinn told you that he’s heard this is some sort of intelligence operation and suggested you find out as much as you can about it while you’re over here.’’
‘‘Half and half,’’ Baker said. ‘‘When Mr. Quinn learned I was coming over, he said something about what he’d heard. But I don’t understand how you got the wherewithal to remove my files. That, my unfettered mind suggests, means you have a great deal of authority.’’
‘‘I report to Colonel William J. Donovan. Donovan answers to the President,’’ Douglass said.
‘‘And what do you want with me?’’
‘‘We want you to head up what would be called, in the State Department, the French desk.’’
Baker just looked at him.
‘‘We’re still in the process of starting up,’’ Douglass went on. ‘
‘The French desk—at least for the near future—includes French North West Africa.’’
‘‘Why me?’’
‘‘Well, for one thing, Robert Murphy thinks very highly of you,’’ Douglass said. ‘‘He was furious when he couldn’t get you to be one of his control officers.’’
‘‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,’’ Baker said.
Douglass laughed, pleasantly.
‘‘The Weygand-Murphy Accords are only classified secret, ’’ he said. ‘‘If I can get your dossier and your files, are you really surprised that I know about them?’’
‘‘Knowing about something and talking about it are two different things,’’ Baker said.
‘‘We are entitled to know everybody’s secrets,’’ Douglass said. ‘‘The reverse is not true.’’
‘‘Forgive me, Captain, isn’t that a little melodramatic?’’
‘‘Possibly,’’ Douglass said.
‘‘What, exactly, would I be doing on your French desk?’’
‘‘Whatever has to be done in what Colonel Donovan decides is the interest of the United States,’’ Douglass said. ‘‘Some of the things you may be asked to do might violate the law, and will certainly violate what is commonly thought of as decency and morality. Would that bother you?’’
‘‘I’m unable to take you entirely seriously,’’ Baker said.
"Oh, I’d hoped the files would impress you," Douglass said. "They don’t?"
‘‘Yes, they do,’’ Baker said after a moment. ‘‘But you’re throwing this at me awfully quickly.’’