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There s a lot more than
If you ve got a better idea, Horlocker interrupted, let s hear it. Otherwise, stow it. He turned to
Waxie. Tonight s the full moon. We can t afford to wait another month: we ll have to do it now. He
leaned toward the speakerphone. Masters, I want all underground spaces in the vicinity of Central Park
cleared of homeless before midnight. Every damn tunnel, from Fifty-ninth Street to One Hundred-tenth,
and from Central Park West to Fifth Avenue. A night in the shelters will do the moles good. Get the Port
Authority, the MTA, anyone you need. And get me the Mayor, I ll need to brief him on our plan of
action, get the rubber stamp.
You ll need some ex-TA cops down there, D Agostasaid. They ve done rousting details; they ll
know what to expect.
I disagree, Waxie said immediately. Those moles are dangerous. A group of them almost killed us
just a couple of days ago. We want real cops.
Real cops, D Agostarepeated. In a louder tone he added, Then at least take Sergeant Hayward.
Forget it, Waxie said. She ll just be in the way.
Just shows how much you know, D Agostasnapped. The most valuable resource you had, Waxie,
and you never bothered to tap her potential. She knows more than anyone about the underground
homeless. You hear me? More thananyone. Believe me, you ll need her expertise on a roust of this size.
Horlocker sighed. Masters, make sure to include this Ser-geant Hayward on the field trip. Waxie,
contact what s his name? Duffy? at the Water Authority. I want those valves opened at midnight. He
looked around. We d better move this down to Police Plaza. Professor Frock, we could use your
assistance.
Margowatched as Frock, despite himself, beamed with pleasure at feeling useful. Thank you for that.
But I think I ll go home and rest first, if I may. This business has quite exhausted me. He smiled at
Horlocker, winked atMargo, and rolled out the door.
Margowatched him go.Nobody else will ever have any idea how much effort it cost him to admit
he was wrong , she thought.
D Agostabegan following Horlocker and Waxie into the corridor. Then he stopped and turned back to
Margo. Thoughts? he asked.
Margoshook her head, bringing herself back. I don t know. I understand there s no time to waste. But
I can t help remembering what happened when ... She hesitated. I just wish Pendergast was here, she
said at last.
The phone rang, and she moved to answer it. Margo Green here. She listened for a long moment, then
hung up.
You d better go on ahead, she said to D Agosta. That was my lab assistant. She wants me downstairs
right away.
= 41 =
Smithbackpushed aside one man in a seersucker suit and dug his elbow into another, trying to force his
way through the thickening mob. He d badly underestimated just how long it would take him to get here;
the crowd was jammed solidly for almost three blocks worth of Fifth Avenue real estate, and more were
arriving every minute. Already, he d missed Wisher s opening speech in front of the cathedral. Now he
wanted to reach the first candlelight vigil before the crowd began moving again.
Watch it, asshole, a young man brayed loudly, removing a silver hip flask from his lips just long enough
to speak.
Go suck on a long bond, Smithback retorted over his shoulder as he straggled forward. He could hear
policemen now beginning to work the edges of the crowd, trying inef-fectually to clear the avenue.
Several news crews had arrived, andSmithback could see cameramen climbing onto the roofs of their
vans, craning for a good shot. It seemed that the wealth and power concentrated in the first rally had now
been joined by a much larger, much younger crew. And they had all taken the city by surprise.
Hey! Smithback! Turning, the journalist made out Clar-ence Kozinsky, aPost reporter on the Wall
Street beat. Can you believe this? Word spread like lightning.
Guess my article did the trick, Smithback said proudly.
Kozinsky shook his head. Hate to disappoint you, pal, but your article only hit the streets half an hour
ago. They didn t want to take the chance of alerting the cops too early. Word got passed in late
afternoon over the services. You know, bro-kers wires, the NYSE network, Quotron, LEXIS, all the
rest. Seems the boys downtown have really taken to this whole Wisher thing. They think she s the
answer to all their white-bread problems. He snickered. It s not just about crime anymore. Don t ask
me how it happened. But the talk in all the bars is that she s got twice the balls the Mayor has. They think
she s gonna cut welfare, clean up the homeless, put a republican back in the White House, bring the
Dodgers back to Brooklyn, all at once.
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