"This is Svetlana, aka Susan," Castillo said. "Honey, these two are really old friends, Colin Leverette and Dick Miller."
Miller and Leverette stood up and took her extended hand. Both mumbled, "How are you?"
Then they sat down.
Svetlana took her hand back, looked at both of them, and shrugged. "Okay, to clear the air: Yes, I'm the diabolic Russian who has taken your innocent friend to my boudoir and done all sorts of wicked things with him. But since that has nothing to do with taking out the chemical factory in the Congo, may I suggest we turn our attention to that?"
"You tell 'em, Susie!" Delchamps said, laughing.
Leverette stood up. "Colonel, my friends call me Uncle Remus. And any friend of Charley's . . ."
"Thank you," Svetlana said. "It used to be Colonel, Uncle Remus. Now it is Susan."
"Susan it is," Leverette said, and sat down again. He shoved his elbow into Miller's midsection. "Gimpy, that's your cue to stand up and make nice to the lady. Otherwise, I'll break your good knee."
"And just off the top of my head," Delchamps said, "I'd say Uncle Remus is big enough to do that without a hell of a lot of effort."
Miller stood.
"If an apology is in order, herewith offered."
"Accepted," Svetlana said.
"When I met him," M
iller then blurted, nodding at Castillo, "we were both kids, about to become plebes at the Academy. I've been trying to keep him out of trouble ever since. He's done some wild things, and I didn't think he could surprise me anymore. But I didn't know about . . . about this situation until twenty minutes ago."
"You were surprised? Nobody is more surprised than Carlos . . . except perhaps me. Okay? Dramatic confrontation concluded?"
Miller nodded and sat down.
Delchamps slid a sheet of paper across the table to Castillo.
"I think it would save some time if you took a look at these before we get started," he said. "Everybody else has seen them."
"Okay," Castillo said, and started to read:
TRAVEL PERMITS: US NATIONALS REQUIRE A VALID PASSPORT AND A VISA TO ENTER THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO.
AIRPORTS: KINSHASA (N'DJILI) (FIH) IS 25KM (15 MILES) EAST OF THE CITY. BUSES RUN TO AND FROM THE CITY. TAXIS ARE AVAILABLE.
FACILITIES: 24-HOUR BANK/BUREAU DE CHANGE, POST OFFICE, RESTAURANT AND CAR HIRE, BUT ALL SERVICES ARE ERRATIC AND UNRELIABLE.
HEALTH: YELLOW FEVER VACCINATION IS A REQUIREMENT. VACCINATIONS AGAINST CHOLERA, TYPHOID, AND POLIO ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT MALARIA RISK THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, AND ADVICE SHOULD BE SOUGHT IN ADVANCE ABOUT PREVENTIVE MEASURES. HIV/AIDS IS PREVALENT. RABIES IS ENDEMIC TO THE DRC. REGULAR OUTBREAKS OF PNEUMONIC PLAGUE ALSO OCCUR, PARTICULARLY IN THE DISTRICT OF ITURI, AND IS FATAL IF UNTREATED. AN OUTBREAK OF THE DEADLY EBOLA VIRUS OCCURRED IN SEPTEMBER 2007. THE CENTER PRIVE D'URGENCE (CPU) CLINIC IN KINSHASA IS ABLE TO COPE WITH BASIC HEALTH PROBLEMS AND TO STABILIZE A PATIENT AFTER MOST SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. HOWEVER, MEDICAL EVACUATION TO SOUTH AFRICA (OR ELSEWHERE) WOULD BE ADVISED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. OUTSIDE KINSHASA, WESTERN STANDARD MEDICAL FACILITIES ARE PRACTICALLY NON-EXISTENT. VISITORS ARE ADVISED TO TAKE THEIR OWN BASIC MEDICAL SUPPLIES WITH THEM, AS MEDICINES ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY. MEDICAL INSURANCE WITH PROVISION FOR EMERGENCY AIR EVACUATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR VISITORS. ALL WATER SHOULD BE REGARDED AS CONTAMINATED, AND MILK IS UNPASTEURIZED; THEREFORE CONSUME ONLY IMPORTED BOTTLED WATER AND AVOID DAIRY PRODUCTS.
SECURITY: THE EAST AND NORTHEAST OF THE COUNTRY ARE INSECURE AND TRAVELERS SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS IF TRAVEL TO THE REGION IS NECESSARY, PARTICULARLY NEAR THE BORDERS WITH UGANDA AND RWANDA. THERE ARE FREQUENT ARMED CLASHES IN THE DISTRICT OF ITURI NEAR THE UGANDAN BORDER, AS WELL AS KIVU PROVINCE AND NORTHERN KATANGA. THERE IS A HIGH LEVEL OF STREET CRIME AND ARMED ROBBERY, PARTICULARLY IN KINSHASA, WHERE ARMED GANGS OR CRIMINALS POSING AS PLAIN-CLOTHES POLICEMEN REGULARLY ATTACK FOREIGNERS. SECURITY OFFICIALS HAVE ALSO BEEN KNOWN TO ARREST FOREIGNERS AND DEMAND PAYMENT FOR THEIR RELEASE. DO NOT DISPLAY VALUABLES ON YOUR PERSON, WALK THE STREETS ALONE, OR CARRY LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY. KEEP CAR DOORS AND WINDOWS LOCKED. DEMONSTRATIONS AND POLITICAL GATHERINGS SHOULD BE AVOIDED. BOATS AND FERRIES ARE POORLY MAINTAINED AND HAVE LOW SAFETY STANDARDS; ON 16 JANUARY 2004 AN OVERCROWDED FERRY ON THE KASAI RIVER SANK, KILLING 35 PEOPLE. DUE TO VIOLENT ATTACKS, THE BORDER BETWEEN ANGOLA AND THE DRC IS NOW CLOSED.
When he had finished, he slid the printout to Svetlana.
"Where'd you get that?" he asked.
"Courtesy of our friends in the CIA," Delchamps said.
"Jesus, you asked them?"
" 'Hi, there! We're about to blow up a chemical factory in the Congo that you say doesn't exist, and need a little help.' "
"Then what the hell are you talking about?"