"Good morning, Mr. Phelps." "The man you are looking at is General Ernesto Neyron." "The former dictator of Suranaica who now lives in exile at his closely-guarded Miami estate." "In order to finance a military coup which will return him to power," "Neyron is about to conclude a deal with this man," "Frank Layton, a top syndicate leader." "In exchange for several million dollars," "Neyron has agreed to legalize gambling in Suranaica and give all rights to the syndicate." "Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it, is to stop Neyron and the syndicate." "As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions." "This tape will self-destruct in five seconds." "Good luck, Jim." "This is the mansion that Neyron bought outside of Miami." " Isolated, regular guard patrols." " There's no way we could break in?" "No, the only way you can get in there, Willy, is to have Neyron invite you in." "But Neyron is a gourmet." "So we've arranged for his chef to quit." "The recipes?" "His bouillabaisse is perfection, but after that..." "Well, after that it won't matter, because the chef from the Table Noir will be preparing the rest of the meals on the outside." "For our own Jean Tibocou." "All I have to do is take the bows, man." " The employment agency?" " It's the one Neyron always uses." "The interview list, the references, they're all set." "Jim, what about Layton?" "Frank Layton operates out of a Miami Beach Hotel secretly owned by the syndicate." "Rollin, the big problem will be getting away from him at exactly the right moment." "Is the film ready, the film of you as Frank Layton?" "It's all set in the machine." "Very good, Rollin." "Cards, Cinnamon." "Then that's it except for the projection." "Now, there's a concave mirror similar to this in Neyron's study." " Barney?" " Ready, Jim." "The principle of what you're going to see is parabolic displacement." "A concave surface reflecting an image into space." "Much like the well-known oasis in a desert mirage." " Ours is better focused." " How much more, Barney?" "See for yourself." "No!" "It is not enough." "If the coup fails, you lose some money," "I lose my life." "I must have more men, more guns." "I need at least $1 million more." "All right." "We'll up it a half a million." "But that's it." "Take it or leave it." "I'll have the papers drawn up." "We'll sign the deal tonight." " And the money?" " Tonight." "If this was Suranaica," "I'd have them added to the execution list." " Mr. Cooper." " Yes, is everything ready?" "Yes, I've reserved the penthouse and the top floor." "I assume that's sufficient." "No, Mr. Smith will also require the next-to-the-top floor." "Oh, well, some of the suites on that floor are occupied." "And of course, there are also advance reservations that..." "This should cover any added expense." " Yes, I think so, sir..." " Please see that it's taken care of." "I'll call the bell captain to see to your luggage." "No, we'll use the rear entrance." "Mr. Smith doesn't like crowds." "See that this area is completely sealed off until Mr. Smith passes through." "Yes, sir." "This is no bouillabaisse." "This is garbage, take this away." "No more applicants?" "Is that all?" "No more applicants were referred to by the agencies?" "Just one more but he insists on serving it himself." "That's all right." "Bring them in." "Steamed shallots." "And something else." "Kashmir saffron." "Very good." "Good." "You have any references?" "Excellent, you're hired." "Thank you, Excellency." "You will make accommodations for my staff?" "There will be no need for that." "We have servants." "I work only with my own staff." "Naturally, if you do not wish to hire me under these conditions..." "It's all right, show them to the servants' quarters." "This way, please." "If I could be of..." "You have an off-season vacancy factor of approximately 18 percent." " Is that correct?" " Yes, but..." "Thirty-five hundred maximum convention capacity, right?" "Repeat reservation ratio of approximately 35 percent." " Well?" " Yes, that sounds about right." "When was your last state certification?" " I'm not exactly sure." " Well, it's listed on your insurance." "Naturally." "I want to examine your policies after I finish talking to Mr. Layton." " Where's his office?" " Here, but he's not in." "I'll wait." "I think you'll agree the price is eminently fair." "A million and a half over the total asset value of the hotel." "One thing I must warn you, once we set a price, it's firm." "We never bargain." " Show Mr..." " Cooper." "Show Mr. Cooper out." "Wait a minute." "I don't think you quite understand." "My employer, Mr. Smith, would prefer to handle this matter simply." "Without the necessity of bringing outside pressure to bear." "I think if you'll reconsider, you'll decide to cooperate, gentlemen." "You have 24 hours." "Maybe he just doesn't know about the organization." " He knows." " Yeah." "In that case, we have to find out exactly who he is." "And what to do about him." "Good." "What about the projector set up?" "And what about the sound?" " Tie into these wires." " Right." "Soldier, is there a man stationed outside on the balcony?" " No, colonel." " Why not?" "If I have told you once, I have told you a thousand times," "I want a man stationed on the balcony 24 hours a day." " Understood?" " Yes, colonel." "All right." "Check the kitchen." "Stop." "What is it?" "Stand still, man." "I have soufflé rising in there." "Your problems in the kitchen do not concern me." "Yes, they do." "That dish being specially prepared for General Neyron." "Now, if you want responsibility for ruining it..." "All right." "We can check the kitchen later." " Yes, sir." " We will inspect upstairs now." "1:12 P.M. "Cable to Zurich." "Sell out Trans-European Industries." "Transfer funds to Caribbean account. "" "Very slick." "I don't get it." "He's dumping his European holdings." "Knocking the price down." "Then he's buying them back under a dummy corporation." "It means he's transferring his operations to the Caribbean." "Those were the only calls?" "How were those cables signed?" "Just Smith." "I wonder who he really is." "There's only one man in the country that could accomplish an international cartel manoeuvre like that with just a couple of cables, Charles Carson." "It's Smith." "Nothing for me, thanks." "My stomach hasn't been too good lately." "You spend too much time on business." "It's the only way to get ahead." "Maybe we could get down to our business now." "If you like." "That's all for now." "The money?" "After you've signed the contract." "Right 40." "Left 17." "Right 25." "This is no money." "It's the same thing." "Negotiable bonds." "Yes, but I deal in cash." "Or there is no bargain." "All right." "But I can't get it to you until after our banks open tomorrow." "After you bring the cash tomorrow." "How long will it take?" "I've got it down to 27 seconds from start to finish." "Just a loose connection." "Sorry to bother you." "It's all right." "Your sherry flip is ready, sir." "Shall I mix it?" " No, I'll do it." " Yes, sir." "How soon will it take effect?" "In time for Neyron to wake up with ten hangovers rolled into one." " Where did he go?" " Bank." "Bank?" "They opened it ahead of time, just for him." " Cooper?" " Yes." " You make the arrangements?" " Everything." "I deposited all the money in a safe-deposit box in cash." "A million more than Layton offered." "There shouldn't be any problems." "The appointment?" "Eleven o'clock." "I'll have the contract signed then." " Layton?" " He thinks it's the hotel you're after." "I imagine he'll be very surprised when he finds out what you're really buying." "You better follow him to that appointment, Arnie." "Arnie, take a gun." "I don't like surprises." "What is it?" "Slightly rapid is all." "What do I have?" "What's wrong with me?" "I doubt that it's anything serious, general." "What about my headache?" "I woke up cold and shivering." "Then I felt hot." "A common cold could account for that." "Was there anything else?" "Did you experience any other symptoms?" "Yes, I had a little trouble with my hearing and with my eyes." "It may be a recurrence of that tropical fever that you contracted about six years ago." "Now, general, I want you to take two of these every four hours." " So I don't need a specialist." " No, no." "I'll drop by again tomorrow to see how you are." "Thank you, doctor." "It's set up so that when you dial nine, it'll only ring through the intercom system in the study." " Yes?" " This is Mr. Cooper." "I wanna order a taxi." "Please have it ready to pick me up at exactly a quarter to 11." "See he gets the right cab, Arnie." "Oh, and you better send Charlie back up, just to make sure Mr. Smith doesn't decide to take a sudden trip." " Something like a little bouillon." " No, no, no, I'm all right." "And I would suggest a poulet à galettes." "His Excellency, of course, would prefer I sauté it before broiling." "Yes, but with champignons." "Yes, that confirms my diagnosis." " Van Delberg's syndrome." " What?" "What did you say?" "Nothing, Excellency." "Who was talking?" "I heard someone." "I don't know." "I didn't hear anything." " You must have heard." " No." "Perhaps an echo from the outside." "Now, for the first course, I thought a bisque Provençal." " What?" " Bisque Provençal." "That would meet with Your Excellency's taste?" "Oh, yes, that's all right." "You heard nothing?" "No." " Oh, I'm sorry, Your Excellency." " Look." "Look at the cards." " Don't you see them?" " See what?" "The cards, these cards." "Two of clubs, three of spades, six of diamonds, ace of hearts." "His Excellency is a magician." "But how is the trick performed?" "It's no trick." "I can see the other side." " Don't you see?" " No." "Guard." " Yes, general." " Come in here." "Look at those cards." "Tell me what they are." "No, just tell me what they are." "I cannot, general." "I must turn them over." "But you can see through them." " Is there anything else, general?" " No, get out!" "Yes." " Go and get Colonel Santagura." " Yes, general." "Now, the wine." "Would His Excellency prefer a subtle Grenache or some Chablis?" "Answer the phone, will you?" " But it isn't ringing." " It is ringing." " No." " It is ringing." "Hello." "This is Charlie." "You two check the back." "He may have gotten off and used the stairs." " I'll wait here." " Right." "Your choice of wine is excellent, general." "Do you wish for me to answer the telephone, Excellency?" " Do you hear it?" " Why, yes." " Do you hear it too?" " Of course." "Well, then answer it." " Hello." " This is Dr. Joseph Brandt's secretary." "Yes." "Dr. Brandt had to leave for the hospital on an emergency." "He asked me to tell you that he's changed his mind." "He's going to send a specialist, a Dr. Lousheim," " to examine General Neyron." " Yes." "Thank you." "Thank you very much." "Hello, operator?" "Would you ask someone to page Mr. Smith?" "Mr. John Arlington Smith." "I'm to pick him up at the rear entrance in his car." "Thank you, I'll hold on." "Paging Mr. Smith." "Paging Mr. John Arlington Smith." "Paging Mr. Smith." "Paging Mr. John Arlington Smith." "Dr. Lousheim to see General Neyron." "Keep him covered till I get Layton." "And if he twitches once..." "Yes, that confirms my diagnosis." "Van Delberg's syndrome." "I don't think there's any need for further tests." " Is something wrong?" " What you just said." "I knew you were gonna say it." "Well, then you mean Dr. Brandt also diagnosed Van Delberg's syndrome." "No, no." "But I knew you were gonna say it." "Your exact words." "Even your voice." "Precognition." "Very common in these cases." " Precognition?" " Yes, the feeling that..." "Well, that the doorbell is ringing before it actually rings or seeing numbers on dice before they stop rolling, or seeing letters or pictures on various objects." "That's what happened, those kind of things." "I see." " But no hallucinations, no visions." " Visions?" "What kind of visions?" "Well, usually they take the form of very explicit visual phenomena." "Objects, forecasts." "Sometimes remarkably accurate." "Now, I have a documented case of a woman who had a vision of her husband hurdling through space exactly half an hour before he committed suicide by jumping out of a window." "However, General Neyron, let me assure you that there's no cause for alarm." "The syndrome is rare." "But it's not dangerous, nor is it extremely prolonged." "Some of my patients wish they could keep the symptoms." " What?" " Well, mostly gamblers, of course." "As I said, the predictions are uncommonly accurate." "However, inevitably, the symptoms pass within a week or two." "Well, I don't want them." "Give me something." "Isn't there something you can give me?" "Nothing specific." "But I think we'll just give you a tranquilizer." "You understand, he's not to be disturbed." "But the general is expecting someone." "No, I'm sorry." "He must be left completely alone to rest." "But this is very important." "A business meeting." " No, I'm sorry." " It's vital." "How soon?" "Perhaps half an hour." "All right." "Then make him comfortable and leave him." "For that half hour, he must rest undisturbed." "Yes, doctor." "Thank you." "If you'll just turn it around for me." "That's lovely." "No, turn it, so the flowers will be showing." "Thank you." "This is all you were after?" "What's your game?" "Who are you?" "Is he under?" " What's that?" " It's a warrant." "Well, read it." ""For the purpose and pursuit of searching for and thereafter seizing as evidence all contracts, assignments or other fiduciary papers of Charles Carson." "Also known as John Arlington Smith, or any agent or employee thereof. "" "Well, I don't get it." "This warrant's for Carson, it has nothing to do with us." "Acting for Carson makes you an accessory." "I suggest you surrender all your contracts with Carson." "What contracts?" "Now look, we know Carson is making a deal with General Neyron to take over Suranaica." "We know that you and the syndicate are fronting for him." "Carson's got nothing to do with Suranaica." "You're wrong, Frank." "Neyron double-crossed us." "He made a deal with Carson's man here." "I found this." "Here." "Here's a contract granting exclusive development rights in Suranaica to Carson." "It's signed." "That's his signature, all right." "I'll take it, it's evidence." "You, you're under arrest." "And I can't touch you, I'm sorry to say." " Me?" "What about Neyron?" " Got no warrant for him." "But with this and a couple of days..." "A couple of days?" "He'll be gone." "Now, he's got negotiable bonds in his safe." "Money he took from me under false pretences." " I'm heartbroken." " Now, listen, you." "I'm a citizen, I've got rights." "I want those bonds back." "You're the law." "You get them." "Frank Layton hollering cop." " You get them." " I will." "All right, let's go." "Start setting up the projector." "Who is it?" "I want those bonds, Neyron." "Open the safe." "I know you made a deal with Carson." "Did you really think you were going to get away with double-crossing the syndicate?" "I'm taking those bonds back." "Open the safe." "No!" "There's nothing in here." "They're gone." "Operator, emergency." "Get me the police." " Where's the general?" " He's in the study." "I have business with him, alone." "Neyron!" "Layton?" "Layton, I knew you were coming here." "I want those bonds." "I didn't double-cross you." "I don't know any Carson." "Believe me, Layton." " Open the safe." " No." "There's nothing in here." "They're gone."