Brigadier General Fleming W. Pickering, USMCR, Headquarters, USMC, will proceed by military and/or civilian rail, road, sea and air transportation (Priority AAAAA-1) to such points as he deems necessary in carrying out the mission assigned to him by the undersigned.
United States Armed Forces commands are directed to provide him with such support as he may request.
General Pickering is to be considered the personal representative of the undersigned.
General Pickering has unrestricted TOP SECRET security clearance. Any questions regarding his mission will be directed to the undersigned.
W. D. Leahy, Admiral, USN
Chief of Staff to the President
When Pickering finished reading the orders, Rickabee said, "They're much like your old orders, except that Leahy has signed these."
"It sounds as if we work for Leahy."
"Sometimes we do," Rickabee said matter-of-factly. "In any event, this should answer your question about whether or not you can go to Philadelphia."
"It's a personal thing. That boy worked for me. If I had done what I was supposed to do, he would never have been on Guadalcanal." Pickering saw in Rickabee's eyes a sign that he hadn't liked that statement.
"OK," he said. "Let's have it."
"Nothing, Sir."
"Rickabee, if we're going to work together, I'm going to have to know what you're thinking."
Rickabee paused long enough for Pickering to understand that he was debating answering the challenge.
"Would you mind changing the last part of what you said to read, `He would never have been on Guadalcanal, where he might have been captured and compromised MAGIC'?" Rickabee asked finally.
Pickering's face tightened. He was not used to having his mistakes pointed out to him. He felt Rickabee's eyes on him; they were wary and intent.
"Yes, I would," Pickering said, "but only because it reminds me of how incredibly stupid I can sometimes be. Still, consider it changed, Rickabee."
"I felt obliged to bring that up, Sir," Rickabee said. "And there is one other thing.
"Let's have it."
"Ed Banning tells me you have a somewhat cavalier attitude toward classified documents."
"He never said anything to me about that!" Pickering protested.
"He and Lieutenant Hon kept a close eye on you, Sir. And just to be doubly sure, he had your quarters kept under surveillance."
Jesus, he's not making this up.
"I didn't know that."
"He didn't want you to," Rickabee said. "But we're not going to be able to do that here."
"I'll be more careful."
"General, you are authorized an aide-de-camp and an orderly. With your permission I would like to charge them with the additional responsibility of making sure that nothing important gets misplaced."
"I feel like a backward child," Pickering said.
"I don't see Japanese lurking in the bushes," Rickabee said.
"Or, for that matter, Germans. J. Edgar Hoover is doing a good job with counter intelligence. But other agencies don't particularly like our little shop. They could do us a lot of damage, Sir, if they could show that our security isn't ironclad."
"Other agencies like who, for example?"
"All of them. Any of them. Maybe in particular the FBI, and Donovan's people, whatever they're calling themselves this week, and of course, ONI."-the Office of Naval Intelligence.
`In other words you're telling me the same thing is going on here that's going on in the Pacific? There are two wars? One against the Japanese and the other against ourselves?"
"Yes, Sir, I'm afraid it is."
Good Christ, I'm stupid. Why should I think things would be any different here? And he's right, of course. Bill Donovan would love nothing better than to run to Franklin Roosevelt with proof that I was endangering security, and/or behaving like a blathering idiot.
"If you feel it's necessary, Colonel, you can lock me in a sealed room at night."
"That won't be necessary, Sir. But I would like to be careful, by having your aide-"
"I don't suppose Lieutenant McCoy would be available for that, would he?"
"What I was thinking, Sir, was Sergeant Moore. We can commission him-he was in line for a commission before we sent him to Australia-and he's cleared for MAGIC."
"Yes, of course," Pickering said. "That's a good idea."
"And I'll work on the orderly/driver/clerk, whatever we finally call him. We've been recruiting people with the right backgrounds. There's three or four going through Parris Island right now, as a matter of fact."
"I leave myself in your hands, Rickabee," Pickering said.
"My orders to you are to tell me what I can do to make myself both useful and harmless." Rickabee looked into his eyes for a moment and then smiled.
"As far as useful, Sir-was that Feigenspan ale I saw in the cooler in the other room?"
(Three)
THE 21 CLUB
21 WEST 52ND STREET
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
5 SEPTEMBER 1942