"The Irish for 'ourselves alone' is Sinn Fein, Clancy."

"Are you saying this has got something to do with the IRA?"

"Clancy, this is Miller," the Major interrupted. "Early evening before we left for the UN, I took a walk in Central Park. I was carrying a Colt.25 in an ankle holster, and good job I was."

"Okay," Clancy said. "Tell me the worst."

Miller did. "I could have killed this Barry guy, but I didn't. It seemed unlikely he'd want to make a police case out of it. It was only later, when Dillon was looking at the computer photo of me Barry had in his wallet, that he discovered the prayer card. It seemed like a curio, but, now that we have two of them, it gets more interesting."

"It sure does," Clancy said. "I'll make careful inquiries with the NYPD and find out where this Barry guy ended up, then move him so we can get some answers. I can assure you that you will be kept out of it, Major."

"Well, that eases my mind," Miller told him. "You seem on top of your game, Clancy."

"I'd better get moving. When are you returning to London?"

"Sooner than we'd expected," Miller said. "Because we've got more news for you. Just after eleven o'clock London time, General Ferguson was leaving a function to go home, and his car blew up."

Clancy was horrified. "What happened to him?"

"He was blown over by the blast as he walked towards the limousine. They've been checking him out at Rosedene, and he seems all right."

"Unfortunately, the driver was killed. I think he was closer to the car, and the bomb went off prematurely," Dillon said. "Ferguson's going to play the whole thing down as some sort of engine failure leading to the explosion. No talk of bombs."

"Well, that makes sense. I can see where he's going. But for this to happen to Charles Ferguson, on top of everything else tonight, is hardly a coincidence."

"Which is why I'm going to call our two pilots now. We're leaving instantly."