Free Left Behind: A Novel Of Earth's Last Days by Tim Lahaye, Jerry B. Jenkins Page B

to Atlanta.”
    “I know, Cam. Your people thought you’d be paving the way for the Communists to take over if you made maps and distance markers easy for them to read. And where are your Commies now?”
    Buck had passed off most of Dirk Burton’s ideas until a few years later when Dirk had called him in the middle of the night. “Cameron,” he had said, unaware of the nickname bestowed by his friend’s colleagues, “I can’t talk long. You can pursue this or you can just watch it happen and wish it had been your story. But you remember that stuff I was saying about the one world currency?”
    “Yeah. I’m still dubious.”
    “Fine, but I’m telling you the word here is that our guy pushed the idea at the last meeting of these secret financiers and something’s brewing.”
    “What’s brewing?”
    “Well, there’s going to be a major United Nations Monetary Conference, and the topic is going to be streamlining currency.”
    “Big deal.”
    “It is a big deal, Cameron. Our guy got shot down. He, of course, was pushing for world currency to become pounds sterling.”
    “What a surprise that that won’t happen. Look at your economy.”
    “But listen, the big news, if you can believe any leak out of the secret meeting, is that they have it down to three currencies for the entire world, hoping to go to just one inside a decade.”
    “No way. Won’t happen.”
    “Cameron, if my information is correct, the initial stage is a done deal. The U.N. conference is just window dressing.”
    “And the decision has already been made by your secret puppeteers.”
    “That’s right.”
    “I don’t know, Dirk. You’re a buddy, but I think you would rather be doing what I’m doing.”
    “Who wouldn’t?”
    “Well, that’s true. I sure wouldn’t want to be doing what you’re doing.”
    “But I’m not wrong, Cameron. Test my information.”
    “How?”
    “I’ll predict what’s going to come out of the U.N. within two weeks, and if I’m right, you start treating me with a little deference, a little respect.”
    Buck realized that he and Dirk had been sparring the way everyone at Princeton had during weekend pizza and beer bashes in the dorms. “Dirk, listen. That sounds interesting, and I’m listening. But you do know, don’t you, all kidding aside, that I wouldn’t think any less of you even if you were way off base here?”
    “Well, thanks, Cam. Really. That means a lot to me. And for that little tidbit, I’m going to give you a bonus. I’m not only going to tell you that the U.N. resolution is going to be for dollars, marks, and yen within five years, but I’m also going to tell you that the real power behind the power is an American.”
    “What do you mean, the power behind the power?”
    “The mightiest of the secret group of international money men.”
    “This guy runs the group, in other words?”
    “He’s the one who shot down sterling as one of the currencies and has dollars in mind for the one world commodity in the end.”
    “I’m listening.”
    “Jonathan Stonagal.”
    Buck had hoped Dirk would name someone ludicrous so he could burst into laughter. But he had to admit, if only to himself, that if there was anything to this, Stonagal would be a logical choice. One of the richest men in the world and long known as an American power broker, Stonagal would have to be involved if serious global finance was being discussed. Though he was already in his eighties and appeared infirm in news photos, he not only owned the biggest banks and financial institutions in the United States, but he also owned or had huge interests in the same throughout the world.
    Though Dirk was a friend, Buck had felt the need to play him along a bit, to keep him eager to provide information. “Dirk, I’m going back to bed. I appreciate all this and find it very interesting. I’m going to see what comes out of this U.N. deal, and I’m also going to see if I can trace the movements of Jonathan Stonagal. If