Pa'an

Quay d’Ouchy was nearly empty of tourists after the latest terrorist crisis, and the lakeside walk from the Hotel Movenpick to Beau Rivage was resplendent with green, mowed lawns and meticulous shrubbery. The early rain had yielded to a spectacular lucid day. Four miles across the placid expanse of Lake Geneva, the towns on the French side were crystal clear. Jag could even see early fall colors warming the flanks of the Weisshorn to the east. Three young women in sweaters and shorts jogged by along the lakeside path. Jag’s little dog, Kaiser, well trained, stood on his hind legs and waved his front paws at one of them, a very pretty blond with startling Wedgewood blue eyes. She stopped to pet the dog and gave Jag a big smile. Then she did a double take and actually stared, a very un-Swiss thing to do. Jag was tall, powerfully built and athletic, with a Paul Newman dimpled chin. His rather unapproachable seriousness was softened by the prancing West Highland Terrier at his side. He was tempted to take advantage of the situation as he needed a diversion from the worry about his appointment. But instead he turned left up the steep cobbled street toward the train station. The steep two kilometer uphill stretch felt good. Descending into Place de la Gare, he bought his first class ticket and settled down for the ride to Geneva, Kaiser on his lap.

A sky blue Bentley Arnage met him at the Geneva train station. The massively elegant vehicle stood out in the sea of 1.5 liter coupes like a Clydesdale among ponies. He refused the offered seat in the back and climbed in beside the silent driver. Jag liked to know where he was going. The car crossed the Pont de Mont Blanc and stopped at a private dock at the Promenade du Lac. From there a mahogany runabout took him to a large motor yacht anchored offshore. He tucked Kaiser under his arm and climbed a ladder to the aft salon deck. It was five hours since he left his hotel, and he had spoken to no one since then. It was a few fidgety minutes before his scheduled time to report to his Mentor in the Order.