Tribulation Force: The Continuing Drama Of Those Left Behind by Tim Lahaye, Jerry B. Jenkins Page A

applicant for a license. Nicolae has pledged that he—and I will be there to ensure this, of course—will be more than judicious in licensing our nearest neighbors and most dangerous enemies.”
    “There has to be more than that.”
    “Oh, there is, but the crux of it is this, Cameron. Once the world has been disarmed, Israel should not have to worry about protecting her borders.”
    “That’s naive.”
    “Not as naive as it might appear, because if there is one thing Nicolae Carpathia is not, it is naive. Knowing full well that some nations may hoard or hide weapons or produce new ones, the full agreement between the sovereign state of Israel and Security Council of the United Nations—with the personal signature of Nicolae Carpathia—makes a solemn promise. Any nation that threatens Israel will suffer immediate extinction, using the full complement of weaponry available to the U.N. With every country donating 10 percent, you can imagine the firepower.”
    “What I cannot imagine, Chaim, is an avowed pacifist, a rabid global-disarmament proponent for his entire political career, threatening to blow countries off the face of the earth.”
    “It’s only semantics, Cameron,” Rosenzweig said. “Nicolae is a pragmatist. There is a good bit of the idealist in him, of course, but he knows that the best way to keep the peace is to have the wherewithal to enforce it.”
    “And this agreement lasts for—?”
    “As long as we want it. We offered ten years, but Nicolae said he would not require the freedom to license the formula for that long. He said he would ask for only seven years, and then the full rights to the formula return to us. Most generous. And if we want to renew the agreement every seven years, we are free to do that, too.”
    You won’t have any need for a peace treaty in seven years
, Buck thought. “So, what does this have to do with me?” he asked.
    “That’s the best part,” Rosenzweig said. “At least for me, because it honors you. It is no secret that Nicolae is aware of your status as the most accomplished journalist in the world. And to prove that he bears no ill will for your snub of his last invitation, he is going to ask you to come to Israel for the signing of the treaty.”
    Buck shook his head.
    “I know it is overwhelming,” Rosenzweig said.

    Rayford’s plane hit the ground at O’Hare at one o’clock Chicago time. He called home and got the answering machine. “Yeah, Chloe,” he said, “I’m back earlier than I thought. Just wanted you to know I’ll be there within the hour and—”
    Chloe grabbed the phone. She sounded awful. “Hi, Dad,” she mumbled.
    “You under the weather?”
    “No. Just upset. Dad, did you know that Buck Williams is living with someone?”
    “What!?”
    “It’s true. And they’re engaged! I saw her. She was carrying boxes into his condo. A skinny little spikehaired girl in a short skirt.”
    “Maybe you had the wrong place.”
    “It was the right place.”
    “You’re jumping to conclusions.”
    “Dad, listen to me. I was so mad I just drove around a while, then sat in a parking lot and cried. Then around noon I went to see him at the [_Global Weekly _]office, and there she was, getting out of her car. I said, ‘Do you work here?’ and she said, ‘Yes, may I help you?’ and I said, ‘I think I saw you earlier today,’ and she said, ‘You might have. I was with my fiancé. Is there someone here you need to see?’ I just turned and left, Dad.”
    “You didn’t talk to Buck then?”
    “Are you kidding? I may never talk to him again. Just a minute. Someone’s at the door.”
    A minute later Chloe came back on. “I can’t believe it. If he thinks this makes any difference … ”
    “What?”
    “Flowers! And of course they’re anonymous. He had to have seen me driving by and knew how I’d feel. Unless you want these, you’ll find them in the trash when you get home.”

    At a few minutes after two in New York, Buck waited