almost unimaginable dangers added
by having a civilian along, especially one who certainly would have had no
training in anything useful and who was, to boot, a woman. His eyes rolled back
and a barely audible groan emerged. Dulles was not annoyed by this. Julian
could be a difficult person to work with, his lack of deference and his curt
attitude often bordered on insubordination, but his tactical assessment was
usually right on the money. Allen Dulles stared at him and knew that his muted
groan was an apt comment on the assignment that Dulles was now going to
propose.
"We need to begin planning as soon as possible; this
war is drawing to a close and German military authority could collapse before
long. Who knows what person or group might find the plutonium, and what they
could do with it. The United States just can't take the risk of ignoring
this."
"Just what can they do with it?" Kent asked.
Dulles looked at Ruckelman. "Tell him."
"A bomb. They can make a bomb. Not just any firecracker
but an explosion bigger and more destructive than any ever made by man, able to
destroy an entire city. A bomb equivalent to thousands of tons of TNT."
"That must be one huge mother of a bomb," Kent
exclaimed. "How is our guy supposed to get it out of Germany? Will he have
to steal a truck?"
Ruckelman turned to Kent and when he spoke his voice was
low, and to the perceptive ear, a slight quaver could be discerned, almost as
if he were scared. "The amount of plutonium needed to make such a bomb is
about the size of a grapefruit."
Kent, who had leaned forward in his chair, now sank back,
exhaling as he slumped in his chair. "Holy shit!" The others were
silent, each staring ahead blankly, lost in thoughts of horrors yet to be
known.
Dulles broke the silence. "You see why this operation
is so important. Now, let's get on with some of the details so we can begin
planning." He placed the bowl of his pipe in the heavy glass ashtray on
his desk, carefully balancing the stem on the edge before returning to the
table, where he pulled out a chair and, for the first time since the meeting
began, sat down alongside the men who would have to figure a way to get an OSS
agent into wartime Germany, have him retrieve the makings of a weapon so far unknown
to all but a few men, and get that material back to allied territory along with
a female civilian.
Ruckelman shifted in his chair and Dulles nodded at him,
knowing that he was waiting permission to speak, that he had more to say.
"The plutonium, like I said, doesn't take up much room,
but it is radioactive and if it's not protected by lead shielding, it can be
lethal to anyone who gets too close. When it was going to be sent by rail that
wouldn't have been a problem since even with the shielding it could be
contained in a crate about the size of a foot locker; but it would be very
heavy, too heavy for one person to lift, let alone to carry it out of
Germany." Julian sat back in his chair and shut his eyes, his arms crossed
in front of him, as Ruckelman explained about radioactivity, the deadly
sickness it caused and the necessity for keeping it enclosed in lead. The
others at the table thought it impertinent, even for Julian, to sleep and each
silently wondered when the old man would explode, maybe not with the force of a
plutonium bomb, but enough of an explosion to make the briefing most awkward
for everyone there. Dulles, however, didn't seem to notice or, if he did,
didn't seem to care. In reality, he knew Julian wasn't sleeping. He knew his
mind was already several steps ahead of the rest of them, exploring
possibilities, figuring contingencies and calculating odds. He wondered if
Julian played chess and what kind of opponent he would be. Formidable, he
thought, but perhaps a bit too confident and self assured. That could be a
weakness to exploit. He would have to remember that if they ever sat across a
chess table.
By the time Ruckelman finished, it was apparent to everyone
that not only
by having a civilian along, especially one who certainly would have had no
training in anything useful and who was, to boot, a woman. His eyes rolled back
and a barely audible groan emerged. Dulles was not annoyed by this. Julian
could be a difficult person to work with, his lack of deference and his curt
attitude often bordered on insubordination, but his tactical assessment was
usually right on the money. Allen Dulles stared at him and knew that his muted
groan was an apt comment on the assignment that Dulles was now going to
propose.
"We need to begin planning as soon as possible; this
war is drawing to a close and German military authority could collapse before
long. Who knows what person or group might find the plutonium, and what they
could do with it. The United States just can't take the risk of ignoring
this."
"Just what can they do with it?" Kent asked.
Dulles looked at Ruckelman. "Tell him."
"A bomb. They can make a bomb. Not just any firecracker
but an explosion bigger and more destructive than any ever made by man, able to
destroy an entire city. A bomb equivalent to thousands of tons of TNT."
"That must be one huge mother of a bomb," Kent
exclaimed. "How is our guy supposed to get it out of Germany? Will he have
to steal a truck?"
Ruckelman turned to Kent and when he spoke his voice was
low, and to the perceptive ear, a slight quaver could be discerned, almost as
if he were scared. "The amount of plutonium needed to make such a bomb is
about the size of a grapefruit."
Kent, who had leaned forward in his chair, now sank back,
exhaling as he slumped in his chair. "Holy shit!" The others were
silent, each staring ahead blankly, lost in thoughts of horrors yet to be
known.
Dulles broke the silence. "You see why this operation
is so important. Now, let's get on with some of the details so we can begin
planning." He placed the bowl of his pipe in the heavy glass ashtray on
his desk, carefully balancing the stem on the edge before returning to the
table, where he pulled out a chair and, for the first time since the meeting
began, sat down alongside the men who would have to figure a way to get an OSS
agent into wartime Germany, have him retrieve the makings of a weapon so far unknown
to all but a few men, and get that material back to allied territory along with
a female civilian.
Ruckelman shifted in his chair and Dulles nodded at him,
knowing that he was waiting permission to speak, that he had more to say.
"The plutonium, like I said, doesn't take up much room,
but it is radioactive and if it's not protected by lead shielding, it can be
lethal to anyone who gets too close. When it was going to be sent by rail that
wouldn't have been a problem since even with the shielding it could be
contained in a crate about the size of a foot locker; but it would be very
heavy, too heavy for one person to lift, let alone to carry it out of
Germany." Julian sat back in his chair and shut his eyes, his arms crossed
in front of him, as Ruckelman explained about radioactivity, the deadly
sickness it caused and the necessity for keeping it enclosed in lead. The
others at the table thought it impertinent, even for Julian, to sleep and each
silently wondered when the old man would explode, maybe not with the force of a
plutonium bomb, but enough of an explosion to make the briefing most awkward
for everyone there. Dulles, however, didn't seem to notice or, if he did,
didn't seem to care. In reality, he knew Julian wasn't sleeping. He knew his
mind was already several steps ahead of the rest of them, exploring
possibilities, figuring contingencies and calculating odds. He wondered if
Julian played chess and what kind of opponent he would be. Formidable, he
thought, but perhaps a bit too confident and self assured. That could be a
weakness to exploit. He would have to remember that if they ever sat across a
chess table.
By the time Ruckelman finished, it was apparent to everyone
that not only
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