The Dreeson Incident(131)

"From a marksman's perspective, 'fuzz up' his focus on pursuing the culprits in the USE."



"There is always the possibility that you might be caught. What cover do you intend to use?"



Mademann smiled. "Why, none. In the case of such a misfortune, the capture of an Alsatian Lutheran subject of Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar should provide the Swedes with a nice red herring directing their intelligence forces away from the activities of French Calvinists." He raised an eyebrow. "Non?"



"True," said Ducos. "But be careful. Take no unnecessary risks, even if that means postponing any action. There is no need for this to be co-ordinated with anything else."





Chapter 41





Grantville


Pam Hardesty's apartment was a handy place to meet. Much more convenient than going out to Lothlorien, especially now that Bill Hudson was around so much of the time. Cory Joe had asked her to set something up the next time he came from Magdeburg. She was sitting on the end of the sofa now, frowning.



Missy was looking at Ron. She hadn't expected anything for Valentine's Day. She seriously doubted that Ron had even noticed that it was Valentine's Day. What she had just gotten had nothing to do with Valentine's day. He had made her an offer that was an honor in a way. He trusted her. But it was an honor that she would much rather refuse.



"You seriously want me to do that?"



"There's enough local rumbling about these anti-Semitic groups in a dozen towns around. We really need to know if they can be expected to try something in Grantville. Missy, honest, I hate to ask this. I tried to tell them that I didn't like the idea at all. I knew that it would not really be your thing. Your uncle Wes doesn't like it, either. It's Don Francisco Nasi's idea. He thinks that if you could pick up an acquaintance with this Dumais guy? Something superficial. Play 'ditzy sympathizer' for a while? Everyone knows that early on, your dad supported Simpson instead of Stearns."



"Yow," he protested against a ferocious attack with a sofa pillow. "I'm not saying that Chad's a bad guy. Just that he did, back when, even if he's changed over, since then. Cory Joe says that it would give you 'plausibility.' " He looked at Cory Joe, hoping for assistance. "Or his boss says it, and Cory Joe is just passing on the message?"



"I am not," Missy said flatly, "all that much of a risk taker."



The sentence sat between them. It had come up in other contexts.



"I particularly do not want to take the risks that would come up if I had to deal with some of those guys who hang out around the 250 Club. I'm not a wilting lily, but some of them are really rough."



"I could go with you," Pam said. "Two would be better. And that way, we wouldn't even have to go to the 250 Club."



Cory Joe raised his eyebrows at his sister. "How?"



"Veda Mae Haggerty. The Willard. Dumais is there with her, sometimes."



Missy looked up with obvious relief. So did Ron.



"I could hack that, I think," Missy said. "Willard Carson is a stinkeroo, but the hotel is a perfectly respectable place. I could play a 'ditzy sympathizer' in the hotel dining room, I think. I don't even want to be in the 250 Club."



"I'll start with Veda Mae," Pam said. "You'll be with me sometimes. Is that better?"



"It's a lot better," Missy said.



"Don Francisco has sent some stuff for you to study. Basic guidance, more or less."





Cory Joe was feeling uncomfortable. This had seemed like a much better idea before it involved his sister.



He began to understand why Ron and Wes Jenkins had argued so hard against it before the others had voted them down. Back when they'd been expecting Missy to do it on her own.





"Ditzy," Missy said indignantly. " 'Ditzy.' I'll get you for 'ditzy.' " She leaned down, made a snowball, and threw it at him.



He grinned, the snow all over his ski cap. "What about 'ditzy cheerleader'?"



They battled all the way from Pam's to St. Mary's, where a huge bank of snow had been thrown up behind the church. They climbed it, tossing snow all the way, and fell over into a little pit at the top, like a miniature volcano crater, with seven or eight inches of undisturbed fresh snow on top of that which had been cleared from the alley.



They were just kissing, to start with, enchanted by finding this magic little mini-world right in the middle of town, isolated from all the rest of it.



When they stood up, Ron took her hand. "I might make you cry someday. But not on purpose."



Shivering, they slid back down the pile. Missy picked up some snow at the bottom and threw another ball; they battled all the way to her house. By the time they practically fell through the kitchen door, they were sufficiently white that Debbie accused them of being a pair of yeti.