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“That’s what Canidy and Fine brought out,” Stevens said. It was not a question.
“There was no way the ore could have been shipped out by sea, or by truck to South Africa. The only way to take it out was by air.”
“I thought the Kolwezi Operation had something to do with the Norden bombsight,” Stevens said.
“So does the Chief of Naval Operations,” Donovan said. “He doesn’t have the need to know. The President, alone, makes that decision.”
“And the President wanted me brought in on this? Why?”
“Getting that bomb built before the Germans build one is the nation’s highest priority,” Donovan said. “Which can be looked at another way: Keeping the Germans from building one before Groves and his people can is OSS’s highest priority.”
“I’m confused again, Bill,” Stevens said. “What’s that got to do with my knowing about this?”
Donovan didn’t seem at first to respond directly:“The OSS’s second priority is to keep the Germans from even suspecting we’re experimenting with an atomic bomb. God alone knows what they would do if they were to find out Fermi has actually caused a chain reaction.”
“It is impossible to keep a secret,” Stevens said, thinking out loud.
“This is going to have to be the exception to that rule,” Donovan said.
“How many people know?”
“Maybe a dozen physicists under Groves. J. Edgar Hoover had to be told. A lot of his assets are to be diverted to keeping the secret. Marshall knows, of course. Pete Douglass knows. And now you do.”
“That brings us back to ‘Why me?’”
“You’re privy to everything that will go on here,” Donovan said. “It will explain to you certain things that I may do, or ask to be done,” Don
ovan said. “And you will be able, now that you know the priorities, to stop anything that shouldn’t be done.”
“That authority belongs to the station chief,” Stevens said.
“That’s what I told the President,” Donovan said. “He said Dave has enough on his mind as it is.”
“What about the brass? What about Ike?” Stevens asked. “Certainly Ike must know.”
“Three Army officers know. Groves, me, and you. And for the time being, that’s it. I’ll tell Dave Bruce that you are privy to a project of the highest priority, and that it has been decided in the interests of security that he not be made aware of the details.”
“That puts me on a hell of a spot, Bill,” Stevens said, again, without thinking.
“Your ‘spot,’ Ed, however uncomfortable you may feel,” Donovan said coldly,“is not quite like mine. I’m charged with keeping the Germans from either finding out about our bomb, or building one of their own.”
"Sorry,” Stevens said. “I’m a little off balance.”
Donovan laughed. Stevens looked at him in surprise.
“Your WRAC sergeant,” Donovan said,“is studiously looking out the rear window. She obviously thinks we came out here to take a leak.”
Stevens looked. As he did, the WRAC sergeant stole a quick look to see what they were up to, then quickly turned her head again.
“She must think we have the bladders of a whale,” he said.
Donovan laughed heartily, then took Lt. Colonel Stevens’s arm and prodded him back down the road toward the car.
Chapter TWO
Whitbey House, Kent
6 December 1942
