fect covert operation。 And if that much effort had gone into making it so； then there was little reason to suspect that the Action…Directs people would ever face a jury。 You wouldn't go to that much trouble and then go through the publicity of a trial； Ryan told himself。 Goodbye； Francoise Theroux 。 。 。
I condemned these people to death； he realized finally。 Just the one of them was enough to trouble his conscience。 He remembered the police…style photograph he'd seen of her face and the fuzzy satellite image of a girl in a bikini。
〃She's murdered at least three people；〃 Cantor said； reading Jack's face。
〃Professor Ryan； she has no heart； that one。 No feelings。 You must not be misled by her face；〃 Jean…Claude advised。 〃They cannot all look like Hitler。〃
But that was only part of it； Ryan knew。 Her looks merely brought into focus that hers was a human life whose term was now unnaturally limited。 As she has limited those of others。 Jack told himself。 He admitted to himself that he would have no qualms at all if her name had been Sean Miller。
〃Forgive me；〃 he said。 〃It must be my romantic nature。〃
〃But of course；〃 the Frenchman said generously。 〃It is something to be regretted； but those people made their choice； Professor； not you。 You have helped to avenge the lives of many innocent people； and you have saved those of people you will never know。 There will be a formal note of thanks a secret one； of course for your assistance。〃
〃Glad to help； Colonel；〃 Cantor said。 Hands were shaken all around； and Marty led Jack back to the headquarters building。
〃I don't know that I want to see anything like that again；〃 Ryan said in the corridor。 〃I mean； I don't want to know their faces。 I mean hell； I don't know what I mean。 Maybe it's just 。 。 。 different when you're detached from it； you know？ It was too much like watching a ball game on TV； but it wasn't a ball game。 Who was that guy； anyway？〃
〃Jean…Claude's the head of the DGSE's Washington Station； and he was the liaison man。 We got the first new picture of her a day and a half ago。 They had the operation all ready to roll； and he got things going inside of six hours。 Impressive performance。〃
〃I imagine they wanted us to be impressed。 They're not bringing 'em in； are they？〃
〃No。 I seriously doubt those people are going back to France to stand trial。 Remember the problem they had the last time they tried a public trial of Action…Directe members？ The jurors started getting midnight phone calls； and the case got blown away。 Maybe they don't want to put up with the hassle again。〃 Cantor frowned。 〃Well； it's not our call to make。 Their system isn't the same as ours。 All we did was forward information to an ally。〃
〃An American court could call that accessory to murder。〃
〃Possibly；〃 Cantor admitted。 〃Personally； I prefer what Jean…Claude called it。〃
〃Then why are you leaving in August？〃 Ryan asked。
Cantor delivered his answer without facing him。 〃Maybe you'll find out someday； Jack。〃
Back alone in his office； Ryan couldn't get his mind off what he'd seen。 Five thousand miles away； agents of the DGSE's 〃action〃 directorate were now questioning that girl。 If this had been a movie； their techniques would be brutal。 What they used in real life； Ryan didn't want to know。 He told himself that the members of Action…Directe had brought it on themselves。 First； they had made a conscious choice to be what they were。 Second； in subverting the French legal system the previous year； they'd given their enemies an excuse to bypass whatever constitutional guarantees 。 。 。 but was that truly an excuse？
〃What would Dad think？〃 he murmured to himself。 Then the next question hit him。 Ryan lifted his phone and punched in the right number。
〃Cantor。〃
〃Why； Marty？〃
〃Why what； Jack？〃
〃Why did you let me see that？〃
〃Jean…Claude wanted to meet you； and he also wanted you to see what your data acplished。〃
〃That's bull； Marty！ You let me into a real…time satellite display okay； taped； but essentially the same thing。 There can't be many people cleared for that。 I don't need…to…know how good the real…time capability is。 You could have told him I wasn't cleared for it and that would have been that。〃
〃Okay； you've had some time to think it over。 Tell me what you think。〃
〃I don't like it。〃
〃Why？〃 Cantor asked。
〃It broke the law。〃
〃Not ours。 Like I told you twenty minutes ago； all we did was provide intelligence information to a friendly foreign nation。〃
〃But they used it to kill people。〃
〃What do you think intel is for； Jack？ What should they have done？ No； answer this first： what if they were foreign nationals who had murdered French nationals in in Liechtenstein； say； and then boogied back to their base？〃
〃That's not the same thing。 That's more 。 。 。 more like an act of war like doing the guards at the camp。 The people they were after were their own citizens who mitted crimes in their own country； and and are subject to French law。〃
〃And what if it had been a different camp？ What if those paratroopers had done a job for us； or the Brits； and taken out your ULA friends？〃
〃That's different！〃 Ryan snapped back。 But why？ he asked himself a moment later。 〃It's personal。 You can't expect me to feel the same way about that。〃
〃Can't I？〃 Cantor hung up the phone。
Ryan stared at the telephone receiver for several seconds before replacing it in the cradle。 What was Marty trying to tell him？ Jack reviewed the events in his own mind； trying to e to a conclusion that made sense。
Did any of it make sense？ Did it make sense for political dissidents to express themselves with bombs and machine guns？ Did it make sense for small nations to use terrorism as a short…of…war weapon to change the policies of larger ones？ Ryan grunted。 That depended on which side of the issue you were on or at least there were people who thought that way。 Was this something pletely new？
It was； and it wasn't。 State…sponsored terrorism； in the form of the Barbary pirates； had been America's first test as a nation。 The enemy objective then had been simple greed。 The Barbary states demanded tribute before they would give right of passage to American…flag trading ships； but it had finally been decided that enough was enough。 Preble took the infant U。S。 Navy to the Mediterranean Sea to put an end to it no； to put an end to America's victimization by it； Jack corrected himself。
God； it was even the someplace； Ryan thought。 〃To the shores of Tripoli；〃 the Marine Hymn said； where First Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon； USMC； had attacked the fort at Derna。 Jack wondered if the place still existed。 Certainly the problem did。
The violence hadn't changed。 What had changed were the rules under which the large nations acted； and the objectives of their enemies。 Two hundred years earlier； when a small nation offended a larger one； ships and troops would settle matters。 No longer was this simple wog…bashing； though。 The smaller countries now had arsenals of modern weapons that could make such punitive expeditions too expensive for societies that had learned to husband the lives of their young men。 A regiment of troops could no longer settle matters； and moving a whole army was no longer such a simple thing。 Knowing this； the small country could inflict wounds itself； or even more safely； sponsor others to do so 〃deniably〃 in order to move its larger opponent in the desired direction。 There wasn't even much of a hurry。 Such low…level conflict could last years； so small were the expenditures of resources and so different the perceived value of the human lives taken and lost。
What was new； then； was not the violence； but the safety of the nation that either performed or sponsored it。 Until that changed； the killing would never stop。
So； on the international level； terrorism was a form of war that didn't even have to interrupt normal diplomatic relations。 America itself had embassies in some of the nations； even today。 Nearer to home； however； it was being treated as a crime。 He'd faced Miller in the Old Bailey； Ryan remembered； not a military court…martial。 They can e