Operation Malacca [antikvár]

CHAPTER ONE'You are Dr. Mortimer Keilty?'Keilty looked up from the scattering of papers and bookson the table that served him for a desk. His eyes refused tofocus for a moment and he rubbed the back of a dirty, sun-burned hand across his forehead.'Dr. Keilty?1 the naval officer standing in front of him re-peated impatiently.Keilty reached over and shut off the tape recorder. The emptyreel, which had been spinning for almost an hour, stopped itssubdued clatter. He sat back down heavily and regarded theofficer across from him with bleary-eyed distaste and absolutelyno curiosity whatsoever.'What the devil do you want?' he asked mildly.The naval officer, startled, shifted uncomfortably. He tossedhis credentials case onto the table so that it fell open to his ID.card - a practiced gesture he was proud of.'Hell, James Bond couldn't have done that better/ Keiltysaid, reaching for the case. The other flushed angrily.'Lieutenant Commander Michael Redgrave, Bureau of NavalIntelligence/ Keilty read slowly, then tossed the case back.'So?*'My instructions are to discuss with you something of theutmost importance to the security of the United States,' Red-grave answered seriously. 'The Bureau of Naval Intelligence,under direct orders from the Pentagon, has reviewed your fileand decided that you are the man it needs/ He grinned afriendly, comradely grin, 'Almost amounts to a command, youknow/'That's nice. Now get the hell out of here so I can get back tomy work/ Keilty picked up his pencil stub and began correctinga much edited, dog-eared manuscript.Redgrave shifted from foot to foot and looked around thecluttered room for a chair. Finding none, he perched on theedge of the rickety table. Keilty looked up.'Perhaps you didn't hear me. I /'Beat it/ Keilty said, and went back to the manuscript.'Now look here / Redgrave exploded, either you listen tome or /