〃My sponsors；〃 Connor said。
〃Yes； sir；〃 Orr said。 〃And congratulations。 As you know； it's almost impossible to obtain a membership at Sunset these days。 But Mr。 Hanada's pany had already bought a corporate membership some time ago； and they have decided to put it in your name。 I must say； it's a very nice gesture from your friends。〃
〃Yes； it is；〃 Connor said； frowning。
I was looking at him。
〃They know how fond you are of playing golf here；〃 Orr said。 〃You know the terms； of course。 Hanada will purchase the membership over five years； but after that time； it'll be transferred to your name。 So when you retire from club membership； you're free to sell it。 Now： will you be picking up the paperwork here； or should I send it to your home？〃
Connor said； 〃Mr。 Orr； please convey my heartfelt appreciation to Mr。 Hanada for his very great generosity。 I hardly know what to say。 But I will have to call you back about this。〃
〃That's fine。 You just let us know where to send it。〃
〃I'll call you back；〃 Connor said。
He pushed the button to end the call； and stared forward； frowning。 There was a long silence。
I said； 〃How much is a membership at that club worth？〃
〃Seven fifty。 Maybe a million。〃
I said； 〃Pretty nice gift from your friends。〃 I was thinking again of Graham； and the way Graham had always implied that Connor was in the pocket of the Japanese。 There didn't seem to be much doubt of it now。
Connor was shaking his head。 〃I don't get it。〃
〃What's not to get？〃 I said。 〃Jesus； Captain。 Seems pretty straightforward to me。〃
〃No； I don't get it；〃 Connor said。
And then the phone rang again。 This time； it was for me。
〃Lieutenant Smith？ It's Louise Gerber。 I'm so glad I was able to reach you。〃
I didn't recognize her name。 I said； 〃Yes？〃
〃Since tomorrow is Saturday； I was wondering if you had any time to look at a house。〃
Then I remembered who she was。 A month earlier I had gone out with a broker to look at houses。 Michelle is getting older； and I wanted to get her out of an apartment。 To get her a backyard if I could。 It was pretty discouraging。 Even with a real estate slump； the smallest houses were four and five hundred thousand。 I couldn't possibly qualify for that； on my salary。
〃This is a very special situation；〃 she said； 〃and I thought of you and your little girl。 It's a small house in Palms … very small … but it's a corner lot and it has a charming backyard。 Flowers and a lovely lawn。 The asking is three hundred。 But the reason I thought of you is that the seller is willing to take back all the paper on it。 I think you could get it for very little down。 Do you want to see it？〃
I said； 〃Who is the seller？〃
〃I don't really know。 It's a special situation。 The house is owned by an elderly woman who has gone into a nursing home and her son who lives in Topeka intends to sell it； but he wants an ine flow instead of an outright sale。 The property's not formally listed yet； but I know the seller is motivated。 If you could get in tomorrow； you might be able to do something。 And the backyard is charming。 I can just see your little girl there。〃
Now Connor was looking at me。 I said； 〃Miss Gerber； I'd have to know more about it。 Who the seller is； and so on。
She sounded surprised。 〃Gee； I thought you'd jump at it。 A situation like this doesn't e along very often。 Don't you want to look at it？〃
Connor was looking at me； nodding。 He mouthed； say yes。
〃I'll have to get back to you about this；〃 I said。
〃All right； Lieutenant；〃 she said。 She sounded reluctant。 〃Please let me know。〃
〃I will。〃
I hung up。
〃What the hell is going on？〃 I said。 Because there wasn't any way to get around it。 Between us； we had just been offered a lot of money。 A lot of money。
Connor shook his head。 〃I don't know。〃
〃Is it to do with MicroCon？〃
〃I don't know。 I thought MicroCon was a small pany。 This doesn't make sense。〃 He looked very uneasy。 〃What exactly is MicroCon？〃
I said； 〃I think I know who to ask。〃
？
〃MicroCon？〃 Ron Levine said； lighting a big cigar。 〃Sure； I can tell you about MicroCon。 It's an ugly story。〃
We were sitting in the newsroom of American Financial Network； a cable news operation located near the airport。 Through the window of Ron's office； I could see the white satellite dishes on the roof of the adjacent garage。 Ron puffed on his cigar and grinned at us。 He had been a financial reporter at the Times before taking an on…camera job here。 AFN was one of the few television operations where the on…camera people weren't scripted； they had to know what they were talking about； and Ron did。
〃MicroCon；〃 he said； 〃was formed five years ago by a consortium of American puter manufacturers。 The pany was intended to develop the next generation of X…ray lithography machines for puter chips。 At the time MicroCon started up； there were no American manufacturers of lithography machines … they'd all been put out of business in the eighties； under intense petition from the Japanese。 MicroCon developed new technology； and has been building machines for American panies。 Okay？〃
〃Okay；〃 I said。
〃Two years ago； MicroCon was sold to Darley…Higgins； a management pany in Georgia。 Darley's other operations were foundering； the pany decided to sell MicroCon to raise cash。 They found a buyer in Akai Ceramics； an Osaka pany that already made lithography machines in Japan。 Akai had plenty of cash； and was willing to acquire the American pany for a high price。 Then Congress moved to stop the sale。〃
〃Why？〃
〃The decline of American business is starting to disturb even Congress。 We've lost too many basic industries to Japan … steel and shipbuilding in the sixties； television and puter chips in the seventies； machine tools in the eighties。 One day somebody wakes up and realizes these industries are vital for American defense。 We've lost the ability to make ponents essential to our national security。 We're entirely dependent on Japan to supply them。 So Congress starts to worry。 But I hear the sale is going through； anyway。 Why？ Do you guys have something to do with the sale？〃
〃In a sense；〃 Connor said。
〃Lucky you；〃 Ron said； puffing on his cigar。 〃If you're involved in a sale to the Japanese； it's like striking oil。 Everybody gets rich。 You two are looking at some pretty big gifts； I imagine。〃
Connor nodded。 〃Very big。〃
〃I'm sure；〃 Ron said。 〃They'll take care of you： buy you a house or a car； get you cheap financing； something like that。〃
I said； 〃Why would they do that？〃
Ron laughed。 〃Why would they eat sushi？ It's the way they conduct business。〃
Connor said； 〃But isn't MicroCon a small sale？〃
〃Yeah； pretty small。 The pany's worth a hundred million。 Akai's buying it for a hundred and fifty。 On top of that； they probably have another twenty million in incentives to the current corporate officers； maybe ten million in legal； ten million in consultant fees spread around Washington； and ten million in miscellaneous gifts for people like you。 So call it two hundred million； in total。〃
I said； 〃Two hundred million for a hundred…million pany？ Why are they paying more than it's worth？〃
〃They're not；〃 Ron said。 〃As far as they're concerned； they're getting a bargain。〃
〃Why〃
〃Because；〃 Ron said； 〃if you own the machines that are used to make something； like puter chips； you own the downstream industries that depend on those machines。 MicroCon will give them control over the American puter industry。 And as usual； we're allowing it to happen。 Just the way we lost our television industry； and our machine…tool industry。〃
〃What happened to the TV industry？〃 I said。
He glanced at his watch。 〃After World War II； America was the world's leading manufacturer of televisions。 Twenty…seven American panies like Zenith； RCA； GE； and Emerson had a solid technological lead over foreign manufacturers。 American panies were successful around the world； except in Japan。 They couldn't penetrate the closed Japanese market。 They were told if they wanted to sell in Japan； they had to license their technology to Japanese panies。 And they did； reluctantly； under pressure from the American government； which wanted to keep Japan as a friendly ally against Russia。 O