Free The Betrayers by Donald Hamilton

up my opinion when it was challenged, but I’m sober now, and I’m clear out of the casual-statement business. Anybody who wants to knowwhat I think about anything political is going to have to use scopolamine or pentothal in large doses. Do I make myself clear?”
    “Matt, I—”
    “As for you, doll,” I went on without letting her speak, “I know you’ve got orders to keep an eye on me, and to worm your way into my confidence, if possible. I wasn’t holding it against you. Hell, I even gave you a break last night; I could have let you make a complete fool of yourself, instead of just half a fool. So what do I get for thanks? A damn little agent-provocateur trying to con me into making incriminating statements, by God!”
    She licked her lips. “You’re wrong! I asked because… because I really want to know. Because I believe exactly as you’re supposed to believe!”
    “Well now, isn’t that sweet!” I looked at her coldly. “So we’re just political soulmates, are we? Honey, that gag is almost as old as the please-help-me-off-with-my-dress routine you tried yesterday. You’d better tell Monk to get a new writer on the job. This script stinks.” I dug at the water with both hands. “So long, Jill. Thanks for the lesson. As an agent you make a great surfing teacher.”
    “Matt, wait!” she called. “There’s something I have to tell you. It’s about… about birds. Seabirds, Matt!”
    Well, it was about time she made up her mind.

8
    I swung my board around, not as easy a job as it sounds, since it had a kind of skeg or tail fin to make it run straight. But I got it turned and paddled back to where she was sitting on hers, eyeing me resentfully.
    “Damn you!” she said. “I didn’t want—”
    “Never mind your didn’t-wants,” I said. “Turn your head a bit when you talk. There’s probably somebody keeping an eye on us from shore. If he’s just using binoculars, we’re okay, but if he’s got a good big telescope he might be able to read lips, even at this distance. You’re sure the boards are clean? You checked them this morning?”
    “Yes, of course, I checked them! I knew I might have to tell you—”
    “Well, tell me,” I said.
    “There are few seabirds on the Islands,” she said stiffly.
    “Yes, but the landbirds are very numerous,” I said.
    She drew a long breath. “Damn you, I didn’t want to have to talk to you yet. The more talk, the bigger the risk.Why did you have to act so impossible, both last night and this morning? You knew somebody would be contacting you sooner or later. You might have known I could be the one—as a matter of fact, I grabbed at this assignment so I’d be able to communicate with you quickly when the right time came. And then you went out of your way to make things absolutely impossible for me! Why?”
    “Among other things, to make up your wishy-washy little mind for you, if you were the one,” I said rudely. “And to get rid of you if you weren’t.”
    Jill said angrily, “Well, I don’t like the way you’re acting! My agreement with Washington—”
    “Keep your face away from shore,” I said. “Who the hell are you to make agreements at the expense of the rest of us, Jill? Anyway, you made your deal with Washington. You didn’t make it with me. And you’ve already cost one man his life, trying to play it so damn safe. I’m not about to be number two if I can help it.”
    “That’s not fair!” she gasped. “It wasn’t my fault that Naguki—”
    “Naguki was playing lightning rod to your barn, baby. Under orders. He took the discharge meant for you. Well, I don’t conduct electricity and I have no desire to learn how. And I gave you the bird-cue last night. Since you didn’t speak up then and let me know who you were, you’re hardly in a position to complain because I haven’t behaved properly toward you.” I shook my head quickly as she started to protest. “That’s enough of that; we can’t sit here arguing all