I yawned in the face of her candor.

“And compromised means killed,” I said.

“I’m terribly sorry but I have to be frank. I feel it’s only fair that you appreciate the risks. Of course I do not think you will be killed or compromised in any way. It’s very unlikely that McCaghan would bring you into the inner circle. We just need tidbits of information, anything that will help prevent a potential bombing campaign. And yes, ordinarily, I’d do something dramatic, I’d leave the cell, give you a day or two to think it over, maybe get the Spanish to rough you up, hector you a bit, but as I’ve said time is a factor here. An ideal opportunity for an insertion has presented itself. If my plan is going to work at all you absolutely have to be in Revere tomorrow.”

“Revere Beach, Boston? You must be joking, honey. If I go near a Paddy neighborhood like that, I’ll be killed.”

She shook her head and gave me a brilliant smile.

“No, you won’t. I wouldn’t send you if I thought that. The Sons of Cuchulainn are beyond the pale in Irish American republican circles and after the IRA hit tomorrow, they’re going to be even more beyond the pale. They’ll be pariahs.”

“IRA hit?”

“Michael, please don’t worry about your former problems.

We’ll dye your hair black, give you dark green contact lenses, something like that; that’s not my field exactly, but we’ll gussy you up so that your own mother wouldn’t recognize you.”

“Sure.”

“You’ll only have to be in Boston for one day. Then we’ll fly you to an FBI field office in a secure location. And then in a week or so your formal assignment will begin. The most difficult part of an operation is the entry. Believe me, I’ve done dozens. And what we have going tomorrow is a perfect entry for you. It’s an opportunity not to be missed. Instead of months of preparation, we can get you buckets of credibility in a single night. Indeed, if we pull this off, I’d say the risks of being compromised are considerably reduced.”