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“Periodically, once every three months or so, the assistant chief of staff, intelligence—ACofS G-2—convenes a conference of military attachés in South America. My absence from such conferences would raise questions, obviously, so I attend.

“I have just returned from such a conference, this time held in Rio de Janeiro. The ACofS G-2 personally presided. The subject was our role now that Germany has surrendered. And, as part of this, the role of the OSS for the rest of the war and afterward was discussed.”

Aha! Question answered.

This might be interesting.

Frade said: “And what did you and the ACofS G-2 conclude?”

Flowers’s face showed that he hadn’t expected questions during his speech. He almost visibly thought about answering the question and then decided to go with the rehearsed speech.

“It is the opinion of the ACofS G-2 that (a) General Marshall will order the dissolution of the OSS in the time frame between today and the successful termination of the war against the Empire of Japan and (b) that it would be in the national interest for the OSS simply to be folded, so to speak, into Army Intelligence.”

“How long do you think it will be before we can successfully terminate the war against the Empire of Japan?” Frade asked.

There was an element of sarcasm in Frade’s parroting of the “successful termination” phrase. It went right past Flowers.

“A number of factors affect that, actually,” Flowers said. “For example, the main Japanese islands are under daily bombardment by B-29 aircraft.”

“Germany also was under daily aerial bombardment,” Clete replied. “We still had to cross the Rhine and take Berlin before they surrendered.”

“There are other factors,” Flowers said almost condescendingly.

Does that mean he knows about the atomic bomb?

The ACofS G-2 certainly does—Army Intelligence must have counterintelligence agents swarming all over the Manhattan Project—but I can’t believe ACofS G-2 would tell Flowers anything about it.

If there’s anyone who doesn’t have a need to know his name is Flowers.

Let’s find out.

Frade said: “You’re talking about the Los Angeles Project? Right?”

Flowers’s face showed that the Los Angeles Project—which Frade, of course, had just invented—was news to him.

“Or maybe the Manhattan Project?” Frade pursued.

“One or the other,” Flowers said. “Probably both.”

Colonel, you’ve never heard of the Manhattan Project until just now, Clete thought, and was still—with difficulty—resisting the temptation to ask Colonel Flowers whether he thought the New Orleans Project—or maybe the Sioux Falls Project—was also going to affect the successful termination of the war against the Empire of Japan.

But then Flowers asked: “So, do you agree?”

What?

“With what?”

Flowers went on: “That it would be in the national interest for the OSS to be simply folded into Army Intelligence.”

“After the successful termination of the war against the Empire of Japan, you mean?”

The sarcasm again sailed right over Flowers’s head.

“Then or now,” Flowers replied. “Would you agree that the OSS should be folded into Army Intelligence? Surely, you’ve thought about that.”

“Not until just now. You’re sure, Colonel, that the OSS is about to be—what?—dissolved?”

“Well, Frade. I got that, I told you, directly from the ACofS G-2. And he would certainly know, wouldn’t you agree?”