Shadow of the giant

and, as the
plane took off, began his explanation.
    "We had to get you out of there now," he said,
"because the airport at Yerevan is going to be blown to bits in an hour or
two, and we need to be out over the Black Sea before it happens."
    "How do you know?" demanded Petra.
    "We have it from the man who planned the attack."
    "Alai?"
    "It's a Russian attack," said Rackham.
    Bean blew up. "Then what was all that kuso about
distracting the Turks!"
    "It all still applies. As soon as we see the attack
planes take off from southern Russia, I'll let you know and you can give the
word to launch your attack on Iran."
    "This is Vlad's plan," said Petra. "A sudden
preemptive strike to keep the FPE from doing anything. To neutralize me and
Bean."
    "Vlad wants you to know he's very sorry. He's used to
none of his plans actually being used."
    "You've been talking to him?"
    "We got him out of Moscow about three hours ago and
debriefed him as quickly as possible. We think they don't know he's gone. Even
if they do know, it's no reason for them not to go ahead with their plan."
    The telephone beside Rackham's seat beeped once. He picked
it up. Listened. Pressed a button and handed it over to Petra. "All right,
the rockets have launched."
    "I assume I need the country code?"
    "No. Put in the number as if you were still in Yerevan.
As far as they'll know, you are. Tell them that you're conferring with Peter
and you'll rejoin them with the attack in progress."
    "Will we?"
    "And then call your mother and tell her you're all
right and not to talk about what happened."
    "Oh, that's about an hour too late."
    "My men told her that if she called anyone but you
until she heard from you again, she'd be very sorry."
    "Thank you for terrifying her even more. Do you have
any idea what this woman has been through in her life?"
    "It always turns out all right, though. So she's better
off than some."
    "Thanks for your cheery optimism."
    A few minutes later, the strike force was launched and a
warning was given to evacuate the airport, reroute all incoming flights,
evacuate the parts of Yerevan nearest the airport, and alert the men at all possible
military targets inside Armenia.
    As for Petra's mother, she was crying so hard—with relief,
with anger at what had happened—that Petra could hardly make herself
understood. But finally the conversation ended and Petra was more pissed off
than ever. "What gives you the right? Why do you think you—"
    "War gives me the right," said Rackham. "If
I'd waited till you could come home and get your babies and then meet us at the
airport, this plane would never have taken off. I have my men's lives to think
of here, not just your mother's feelings."
    Bean put a hand on Petra's knee. She accepted the need for
calm, and fell silent.
    "Mazer," said Bean, "what's this about? You
could have warned us with a phone call."
    "We have your other babies."
    Petra was already emotional. She burst into tears. Quickly
she controlled herself. And hated the fact that she had acted so ... maternal.
    "All of them? At once?"
    "We've been watching some of them for several
weeks," said Rackham. "Waiting for an opportune moment."
    Bean waited only a moment before saying, "Waiting for
Peter to tell you that it was all right. That you didn't need us any more for
his war."
    "He still needs you," said Rackham. "As long
as he can have you."
    "Why did you wait, Mazer?"
    "How many?" said Petra. "How many are
there?"
    "One more with Bean's syndrome," said Rackham.
"Four more without it."
    "That's eight," said Bean. "Where's the
ninth?"
    Rackham shook his head.
    "So you're still looking?"
    "No, we're not," said Rackham.
    "So you have definite information that the ninth wasn't
implanted. Or it's dead."
    "No. We have definite information that whether it's
alive or dead, we have no search criteria left. If the ninth baby was ever
born, Volescu hid the birth and the mother too well. Or the mother is hiding
herself. The software—the mind game, if you will—has been very effective. We
wouldn't have found any of the normal children without its creative searches.
But it also knows when it has nothing more to try. You have eight of the nine.
Three of them have the syndrome, five are normal."
    "What about Volescu?" asked Petra. "Can we
drug him?"
    "Why not torture?" said Rackham. "No, Petra.
We can't. Because we need him."
    "For what? His virus?"
    "We already have his virus. And it doesn't work. It's a
bust. Failure. Dead end. Volescu knew it,