It was obvious from Charity's expression that that meant nothing to her.

"Transient global amnesia is the loss of all memory," he explained, "but only temporarily. It has elements of severe anterograde amnesia, which is caused by brain trauma and involves the ability to form new memories, and retrograde amnesia, the ability to recall memories only hours old. The reason we can discount it is because it's most commonly associated with vascular disease."

"Vascular disease?" Jamison repeated. "Isn't that an older person's disease?"

Dr. Silver nodded. "Right. Which brings us to the dissociative amnesia called fugue amnesia."

Jamison shook his head.

"Also known as fugue state," Silver explained. "As in, a disoriented state of mind. Some even call it 'hysterical amnesia.'"

Jamison noticed that Charity seemed to respond to the term hysterical. hysterical.

"What causes it?" Charity said.

"A traumatic event," Dr. Silver went on, "something that the mind simply is not able to handle. Such as witnessing a murder, a particularly bad automobile collision, a-"

"A bombing?" Charity interrupted. "From an air raid?"

"Yes," he replied, nodding softly. "I am thinking that she must have seen her friend struck down by the bricks, as you described. That could cause it."

Charity considered that.

"Is there any treatment?" she said.

"Time," Major Silver said. "Time and love. Sedation sometimes is necessary. Pyschotherapy, talking with a psychiatrist, can be helpful. In extreme cases, there's hypnosis and sodium amobarbital, which helps recall lost memories. Left alone, however, the memory can slowly return. Or it can suddenly return. And the patient may or may not recall what caused the trauma."

Charity smiled. "That's the best news I've heard in a long time. Thank you, Major."

Bob Jamison found Charity Hoche in the pub. She was at the bar, nursing what appeared to be a martini cocktail made with Prime Minister Churchill's personal recipe.

She heard his footsteps approaching and turned toward him as he took the seat beside her.

"Just got off the secure line with Ed Stevens in London. He said to tell you congratulations, and thank you, and that he will speak with you personally tomorrow about quote saving the OSS unquote from the wrath of Ann's father-"

"Brandon Chambers," Charity furnished.

"-whom he is right now trying to contact via the transcontinental telephone line. He said he'll then have our doctors here talk with whatever doctors Chambers wants and then they can decide where Ann goes next."

"What about Dick?"

"I have had the news that Ann is here sent to Stan Fine at OSS Algiers. But nothing more, not any details."

She nodded.

Dick deserves to know, she thought. she thought. But not to worry about her condition. But not to worry about her condition.

There's nothing that he can do for Ann from there-or wherever he is.

They were quiet a moment, then Charity looked at Jamison.

"Bob," she said, "I've been debating myself about this."

"About what?"

Charity took a sip of her martini, then went on: "I cannot personally issue the order, for what would be very obvious reasons. Nor can I order you to issue such an order.... Oh, what the hell. I can deny I ever said it."

"And I'll deny I ever heard it," he said, agreeably.

She nodded, then said, "I don't care what lie or lies you have to tell, Bob, but please figure out a way to get Doug Douglass here."

Jamison looked at his watch.

"He should already be here," Jamison said simply.

Charity's face brightened.

"I was afraid you would return from your trip upset," Jamison explained. "And, as Colonel Stevens had me assume command of Whitbey House in the absence of the Deputy Director, Acting"-he nodded at Charity-"and with the authority provided me as Major Richard Canidy's adjunct, a message under the major's signature went out that required the personal attention of Lieutenant Colonel Douglass at OSS Whitbey House Station for a period not to exceed thirty-six hours concerning a mission to be laid on-"

Jamison suddenly heard what he just said, and added, "Charity, I'm so sorry. I didn't-"

Charity Hoche let out a deep belly laugh.

"I believe," she said, "having just heard enough hocus-pocus shrink talk, that the good Dr. Freud would have something to say about your little slip."

Jamison smiled, relieved that she was taking no offense.

Charity looked at Jamison a long moment, then leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you, Bob. I'm grateful."

She turned back to her martini.

My God, he thought, he thought, she's in her cups. she's in her cups.

He saw her ample chest rise, then fall, with a sigh.

Make that in her double-D cups.

What a beautiful woman-physically and emotionally.

Charity drained her drink, put the glass on the bar, then said, "I must visit the ladies' facilities. Have them make me another, please. And when my flyboy lands..."

Jamison was smiling and nodding.

"My seat is his seat," he said.

[THREE].

Palermo, Sicily 0930 5 April 1943 Dick Canidy was having difficulty concentrating on the mission and he knew that made for a dangerous situation.

He and Jim "Tubes" Fuller were backtracking, following in reverse the path through Palermo that they had taken with Frank Nola to reach the apartment home of Nola's cousin.

They were headed for an area near the warehouses on the northern end of the port.

This isn't the time to think about Ann.

But I just can't help it.

After Fuller had come into the kitchen and damn near drooled all over Andrea Buda, Canidy had said that it was time to go see the Buda brothers. He decided that it was better that Nola should go first, separately, and that Canidy and Fuller would follow.

After some discussion between Andrea and Nola in Sicilian, it was agreed that she would lay low there in the apartment. Then Nola left.

Canidy and Fuller went back upstairs to stash the long guns and secure the W/T radio station.

Nola had shown them the makeshift door that had been cut in the floor of the upstairs bedroom. It was under the thick, woven-hemp mat that lay between the beds. When the mat was pulled away and the door removed, there was access to the dead space between the joists. These long joists supported both the floor of the second level and the ceiling of the first floor. They found that with a light forcing, the suitcase would fit snugly between them.

There had been room in the dead space also for the Johnny gun and the Sten, but when Nola suggested putting them in there Canidy had said no. He wanted to get to them more readily and planned to simply camouflage them by wrapping each in clothing, then putting the Sten in the closet upstairs and the Johnny in a corner of the downstairs hall closet that was under the foot of the stairway.

Tubes was sitting on the floor at the table holding the W/T set.

He put one of the headphone ear cups to his left ear and quickly tapped out code to Algiers Station that Mercury Station was going off the air in five minutes. He then threw the toggle switch on the Bakelite faceplate to RECEIVE RECEIVE. With the one can still held to his ear, he awaited confirmation while watching Canidy pull a sweater and an overcoat from the closet.

Suddenly, Fuller said, "What in the world?"

He sat erect and quickly pulled the cups over both of his ears.

Canidy turned to see what was going on.

Fuller was quickly handwriting the incoming message.

After a moment, he turned away from the radio and held up the paper.

"This was sent out in the open," Fuller said, pulling off the cans.

"What the hell is it, Tubes?" Canidy said.

"For you. No encryption, but it's in some code."

Canidy walked over and took the sheet of paper.

URGENT.

UNRESTRICTED.

05APR43.

FOR JUPITER.

BEGIN QUOTE.

EXCELLENT NEWS, EXCELLENCY.

YOUR GODDESS HAS RETURNED TO YOUR CASTLE.

END QUOTE.

CAESAR.

"Who's Caesar?" Fuller said.

He looked at Canidy, who had turned his back to him and was looking out the bedroom window.

Fuller wasn't certain but he thought he saw Canidy's body shake. And then he heard Canidy clear his throat as Canidy looked at the message again.

"I'll explain later," Canidy said after a moment in an odd, strained tone. "Acknowledge receipt, then take it down."

Fuller nodded, and put the cans back on his ears.

At least now I can think about Ann without choking up, Canidy thought as he and Fuller came to the railway station they had passed earlier. Canidy thought as he and Fuller came to the railway station they had passed earlier.

He found himself smiling.

And smile about her.

But I need to pay attention to what's here and now.

I'm anxious, I know.