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“Beginning with your motives. What did Harris Weber hope to gain by making Hugh Graves prime minister?”
“Surely you’re not that naive, Allon.” Robinson went slowly to the trolley and refreshed his drink. “Your implacable sense of right and wrong is admirable, but I’m afraid it’s rather out of fashion at the moment. The truth is, there is no right and wrong any longer. There is only power and money. And more often than not, one begets the other.” He glanced at Gabriel over his shoulder. “Are you sure I can’t get you something?”
“A pair of noise-canceling headphones would be nice.”
“You would be wise to listen to what I have to say. The old order is crumbling, Allon. A new order is rising in its place. We at Harris Weber refer to it as Kleptopia. There are no laws in Kleptopia, at least not for those with unlimited resources, and no one cares about the needs of that great mass of humanity who are less fortunate. Power and money are all that matters. Those without it want to acquire it. And those who have it want to hang on to it at all costs. I’m offering you the opportunity to be a part of that world. Get on the gravy train while you can. If you’re not offshore, you’re nowhere at all.”
“I’ll choose my world over yours, Trevor. Besides, a lousy ten million doesn’t go very far in Kleptopia.”
“Your world is gone. Can’t you see that? And if you don’t sign that agreement, you and that pretty Danish girl of yours will be gone, too.”
“I’ve given you my terms,” said Gabriel.
“Hugh Graves? It’s over, Allon. Nothing can stop him now.”
Gabriel glanced at the Faraday bag. “Perhaps you should have a look at my phone. You might think otherwise.”
“Ms. Johansen claimed not to know the password.”
“It’s fourteen digits,” said Gabriel. “Sometimes even I have trouble remembering it.”
Robinson opened the pouch and removed the phone. “Quite heavy, isn’t it?”
“But very secure.”
Robinson held the phone a few inches from Gabriel’s face. “No facial recognition?”
“Are you serious?”
“Tell me the password.”
“Show me Ingrid.”
Robinson sighed and then buried his fist in Gabriel’s abdomen, leaving him incapable of speech for nearly two minutes. He allowed another minute to go by before reciting fourteen numbers.
“Three, two, one, six, five, nine, three, five, one, four, five, four, seven, six.”
Robinson entered the numbers and then frowned. “It didn’t work.”
Gabriel retched before answering. “You obviously entered it incorrectly.”
“Recite it again.”
“Three, two, one, six, five, nine, five, three, one, four, five, four, seven, six.”
Once again the phone rejected the passcode as entered. This time it was one of the former SAS officers who struck Gabriel. The force of the blow nearly stopped his heart.
Robinson was shouting into his face. “Give me the fucking password, Allon! The correct password!”
“Listen carefully this time, you idiot. You’ve only got three more tries before the phone autodestructs.”
“Slowly,” cautioned Robinson.
“Three, two, one, six, five, nine, three, five, one, four, five, nine, seven, six.”
The next blow struck Gabriel in the cheekbone and carried him to the very edge of consciousness.
“Last chance,” said Robinson.
