"You have the regal bearing of Spanish nobility," he said.
"You can put away your badge," she said. She had never wondered before what a man looked like nude, but she did now. And she wondered what his child would look like if she bore it.
But most of all she wondered what he was doing with pictures of Remo and Chiun. They obviously were taken at a great distance because of the plane compression of a telephoto lens. They were obviously taken with highspeed film. The images were so grainy they were barely discernible. Remo was smiling as though posing for a family snapshot.
"Have you seen these men?"
"Why do you ask?"
"We suspect they are dangerous."
"Why?"
"They kill people."
"That can be very safe if they kill the right people," said Consuelo.
"Spoken with wisdom, senorita," said Braun. "You should know that the Nuclear Control Agency has been watching your efforts. We don't blame you for the missing materials."
"I didn't know that," said Consuelo.
"They are looking to recommend you for a much higher position, one never before held by a woman."
"It's their loss if no woman ever held that position before."
Braun raised his hands in hurried agreement. "Absolutely. Absolutely. Of course women should hold these posts. And you will show the world just what women can do."
Gonsuelo looked at the pictures again.
"If I told you I knew these men, what would you do?"
"Ah, a good question. They are very dangerous, after all."
"What would you do?"
"What would you wish us to do? You are in charge of your security. We are only here to warn you about things, dangerous things like these two killers."
"I would want you to do nothing," said Consuelo.
"May I ask why?"
"If I told you, that would be telling you definitely I have seen them."
"You have already told me that," said Braun. He sat with relaxed grace in a chair before her desk. Consuelo had furnished her office without any frilly decorations. All the chairs and desks were cold and drab. The beautiful Francisco looked out of place.
Consuelo in her dark power suit, as she liked to call it, had dressed herself as she had furnished the office: starkly.
"I haven't told you anything," she said.
Braun noticed that she smiled too much. Buttoned a button that was already buttoned several times. Crossed her legs too much. Moistened her lips and then forced herself to be professional by drying them. He saw her struggling with herself.
He rose from his chair and walked to her. He put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't do that," she said. She did not remove his hand.
He lowered his cheek to hers. She could feel the smoothness of his flesh next to hers. She could sense his body, smell the fragrance of his breath.
His whisper tickled her ear.
"I am only here to help you," he said. She swallowed.
"I am a security officer. I will not be treated any differently from a man." She said this with firmness in her voice, but she did not move away from his hands. One of them played with the top button of her suit.
"I make love to men also," said Francisco.
"Oh," she said.
"And women," he said.
"Oh," she said.
"You are very beautiful," he said.
"I was thinking that about you," she said.
"I will do nothing you do not tell me to do."
"Then you will not harm them?"
"I will not seek to have them arrested in any way. All I want is to know where they are. They are with you, aren't they?"
"Yes. I am using them to protect me."
"Fine. Where are they now?"
"Nearby."
Consuelo felt the smooth cheek leave her, the beautiful hands leave the folds of her suit. Francisco Braun straightened up.
"Where?" he asked sharply.
"Nearby. We're all going to La Jolla, California."
"Why there? You must protect your plant here in Pennsylvania."
Shaken from her trance by Francisco's sudden withdrawal, Consuelo refused to divulge what she had found out.