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Thus, Churchill considered success in Sicily critical on a number of levels and was going to do whatever was necessary to see that Mincemeat was successful.

Including keeping Mincemeat hidden from that Yank commander at AFHQ.

What Stevens and Fleming did know was that Wild Bill Donovan had approved of this later-rather-than-sooner business of getting Ike’s approval—going so far as to repeat what he’d personally told FDR: “It’s hard to blow your nose anywhere near AFHQ without his explicit permission.” The OSS director well understood that more often than not that was how things had to be done in their business—that secret services worked best in the shadows. And Donovan—who was privy to the fact that Churchill was working Roosevelt because Roosevelt had confided in him—believed in the soundness and necessity of the operation regardless of the political play at the top.

“Nothing wrong at all, Charity,” Stevens said. “We are—how shall I put this?—in the due process of accomplishing that. Until we do, we want to keep it quiet. Which gets back to why we came out here in the first place.”

Charity nodded her understanding.

“We are confident that we will get General Eisenhower’s approval,” Montagu said as he walked back over the side table, under which was a leather briefcase. He bent over, picked the case up, then put it on the table.

“Due to the complexity of what we have so far done,” he went on, opening the case’s clasps, “and what we are doing now, it will be easier to sell it not exactly as a fait accompli—but as close to one as possible. As Prime Minister Churchill says, time taken to cancel is quite shorter than time needed to plan.”

“If Ike nixes the idea,” Stevens said, “we can call off the op right up to the very last minute, when the agent is launched from the sub.”

That triggered curious looks from Jamison, the Duchess, and Charity.

“Submarine?” Charity said.

Montagu was nodding as he pulled a folder from the case.

“The Seraph,” he said.

He opened the folder and produced a single sheet.

“This is an abstract of what I gave last week to Lieutenant Jewell, the sub commander,” Montagu said. “I think it rather well sums up what we’re trying to do.”

He handed it to Charity, who immediately held it out to Stevens.

“Thank you,” Stevens said, declining to take it by holding up his hand palm out, “but I’ve already read it.”

“As have we,” Fleming said, motioning to Niven and Ustinov.

Charity nodded, then let her eyes fall to the page:

* * *

MOST SECRET

DUPLICATION PROHIBITED

OPERATION MINCEMEAT

1. OBJECT.

TO CAUSE A BRIEFCASE CONTAINING DOCUMENTS (BOTH ONES MOST SECRET AND OTHERS OF A PERSONAL NATURE) TO DRIFT ASHORE AS NEAR AS POSSIBLE TO HUELVA, SPAIN, IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES THAT IT WILL BE THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN WASHED ASHORE FROM AN AIRCRAFT WHICH CRASHED EN ROUTE FROM THE U.K. TO ALLIED FORCES H.Q. IN NORTH AFRICA.

2. METHOD.

A DEAD BODY IN THE BATTLE-DRESS UNIFORM OF A MAJOR, ROYAL MARINES, AND WEARING A “MAE WEST,” WILL BE TAKEN OUT IN A SUBMARINE, TOGETHER WITH THE BRIEFCASE, AND A RUBBER DINGHY.

THE BODY WILL BE PACKED IN DRY ICE IN A LIGHT-GAUGE METAL CONTAINER (6 FEET 6 INCHES IN LENGTH, 2 FEET IN DIAMETER, AND AN APPROXIMATE FULL WEIGHT OF 400 POUNDS). AS DRY ICE GIVES OFF CARBON DIOXIDE, CONTAINER SHOULD BE OPENED ONLY ON DECK.

3. POSITION.

BODY, BRIEFCASE, AND RAFT SHOULD BE PUT IN WATER AT SAME TIME AS CLOSE TO SHORE AS HUELVA AS POSSIBLE, NORTHWEST OF RIVER MOUTH.

4. THOSE IN KNOW AT GIBRALTAR.